Date: Sat, 16 Jun 2007 13:45:48 -0700 (PDT)
From: Gay Writer <gaywriter72@yahoo.com>
Subject: The Druid 11

The following is a complete work of fiction.  Any resemblance to
characters and real life persons is completely coincidental.  Please do
not copy or distribute this story without the author's permission.
Author reserves all rights to this story.

Disclaimer:

The following story contains violence and erotic homosexual situations
and content.  If it is illegal for you to read this, please leave now.
If after reading this disclaimer, you find yourself surprised by the
content, HUKED ON FONIKS didn't work for you!



Chapter 11

Brethren


"What the hell was that?"  The surprise and worry in Mark's voice did
little to settle my nerves.

"I'm not sure, but it was strong enough to get past the wards and can still
move about during the daylight hours."  At first I would have thought it a
shade, but the sun had already risen and this thing was much more powerful.

 I leaned over, collected my chair from the floor, and sat it upright.
Usually, I would have trusted my instincts to know that it was safe, but I
wasn't sure anymore.  How long had it lurked in the shadows?  The skin
along the back of my neck tingled and I could feel the tiny hairs
stretching outward as if to fight off some impending attack.  I'll never
forget that feeling or the day that followed.

The sudden weight against my shoulder made me jump.  If I were part cat I'd
be clinging to the ceiling.  What surprised me more was that Shadow hadn't
noticed our dark visitor.  I had become accustomed to her acute senses as
an early warning to what might be coming our way.  She had always barked in
the past.  Whatever it was had even fooled her.

"Ty?  You okay?" I turned to see Bry staring back at me.

The emerald green of his eyes calmed me enough that even the muscles in my
arms and legs relaxed.  The dull ache faded, but didn't disappear
completely, as I twisted my neck to relieve the built up tension.

"Yeah... you just startled me.  I don't understand how that thing got in
here."  I muttered the words more to myself than as an answer.

"It was a Shadow Keeper, a man-made servant demon.  It's a cut off portion
of one's own soul infused with equal parts of good and evil.  They can be
as dangerous as a major demon or as benign as a rock.  It wasn't here to do
harm.  That is how it passed beyond the wards.  It was probably here to
gather information for its master."  Kent breathed a heavy sigh and settled
deeper into his chair.

Kent and Mark stood.  Their eyes met for only a moment and the knowing
looks on their faces frightened me.  The moment they shared haunted my
thoughts.  It wasn't just a look of loss, but more of regret.  They raised
their out stretched arms toward the ceiling and spoke in unison.

Let the circle that binds us be a sphere of protection.  Let no one without
a place in our hearts cross this barrier.  Let the four corners be infinite
with only two sides.  We and those we love are inside, all else are
outside.  Let the walls remain unbroken!

A sphere of white formed between them as their voices echoed against the
walls of the kitchen as if it were a giant stone chamber.  It grew steadily
in a growing bubble of energy and slid through them and the walls of our
home.  It surged outward to what I imagine was the size of our land.  The
supernatural pulse pushed through the room like a violent wind.

"I summon the creature that darkened our doorstep only moments ago.  Let
him appear now so that we would know its name."  Mark shouted the words
over the violent gale.

"No!"  The roar of quaking earth beneath us swallowed Kent's voice.

The foundation of our house shook, and the uncles fell away from each
other, barely able to keep their balance.  The walls rattled as knickknacks
and pictures dropped from the walls and dishes spilled out from the kitchen
cupboards, shattering against the tile floor.  Shadow raced into the living
room and, I suspect, to her favorite hiding place... under the couch.

A black flash of lightning tore through the ceiling and scorched the spot
in front of where Mark grappled with the countertop behind him to keep from
falling.  Black lightning meant only one thing, the presence of evil.  Few
ever see such a thing, but the bright white fringes make it impossible not
to notice.  It was as if the life light was swallowed leaving only the
edges of color in the room to contrast it.  Billowing clouds of grey
erupted outward from the scorch marks on the floor like a rolling storm
taking shape.  A dark, featureless, humanoid figure stood before us and
leisurely bent its neck to gaze upon Mark.

"Thankssss for the invite Druiddd... Nowww... DIE!"  The creature's voice
sounded as if it held the tone of too many lost souls, all screaming the
same phrase.

The Shadow Keeper's body bent backward like a flame in a gentle breeze and
then snapped forward plunging its spear like arm into the center of Mark's
chest.

Mark's scream was cut short as a haunting laugh escaped from the Shadow
Keeper.  The need in Mark's eyes scared me.  He was trapped.  Kent
scrambled over the table to attack the creature from behind, but was
knocked back by a powerful sweep of its other amorphous black arm.  Mark
clutched at his chest where the oozing grey slid through his sternum, as he
tried to gain control of his frantic breathing.

"Give me your name, Keeper."  A renewed vigor found its way into Mark's
words, but was wrung away by a twist of the things semi-solid arm.

"Myy nname??  Yesssss... Ddruidd.. mmy nname..."  The chorus of anguished
voices erupted from its featureless face

"Mmmy nname... is Raven." The multiple voices converged into a single tone
and I recognized it.

It was the same voice I had heard the night of Galen's death.  "You,
however... may call me your undoing."

"Not today, Raven."  Mark spoke the name with such venom that it made the
Shadow Keeper pause.

Kent leapt across the table and they clasped hands.  I rushed through the
chaos and held his other and Bry took our hands completing the circle.

"SO MOTE IT BE!"  We shouted the words in unison.

The spell was complete and white bolts of lightning struck the Shadow
Keeper from every direction merging at the creature's core.  It howled with
an anguished rage and ripped its amorphous tendril out of Mark's chest.
The lightning continued until the Keeper withered into nothingness.  Small
grey tendrils shot outward and withered back into the dark cloud that was
its center.  Soon... there was only silence.

We slumped to the floor, exhausted, and I crawled over to where they lay.
Kent cradled his love against his chest in a protective embrace and I
watched Mark struggle for each breath.

"Mark... you okay?"  His face was ashen, and he looked as though he had
somehow aged years in the few moments the creature and he were connected.

I placed my hands on his chest and abdomen and let my love spill out into
his body.  This lesson I had learned, if nothing else.  Healing came with
love and I gave him as much as my heart could manage.  No matter how much I
gave, it didn't seem to be enough.  I could tell by the steady rhythm of
his breathing that he was doing better, but something was wrong.  The aged
look on his face as he stared back at me didn't change, even though a
healthier pink now colored his skin.

"Thanks Ty, that's much better."  Mark's weak smile did little to fight my
fears.

"What in the hell were you thinking?!  Are you out of your mind?  It could
have killed you!"  Kent was nearly in hysterics as he asked questions
faster than could be answered.

Though Kent was angry, all I could see was the love they shared.  I've seen
the same reaction when parents find lost children in a department store.
It's an immediate anger for their fear, and relief in the knowledge that
the one they love is safe.  It seemed strange to me in the past that
someone could feel so angry and happy at the same time, but I understood it
now.

"We needed a name, Kent, and you know it. Besides... I'm fine. Now help me
up."  Kent grasped Mark's hand and helped him to his feet.

Finally standing, we took a moment to survey the damage.  The kitchen was a
shambles.  I was beginning to think that more dishes were on the floor than
in the cupboards but found that only a few had fallen.  It's amazing how
something small can break into so many pieces.

"I have to say... this is the first time I've ever been glad to be on
laundry duty."  Kent chuckled as he clapped his hand on my shoulder.

I couldn't help but grin.  Even after all this, Kent was still Kent and he
made the avoidance of housework an art form.  Soon we were all doubled over
in laughter.

Wiping the tears from my eyes, I finally caught my breath and looked
around.  We had a lot of work to do, but an idea was forming in my mind.  I
glanced over to Bry and grinned as I called a subtle wind to blow the
cabinet doors closed.  I couldn't move things with my mind, but I could
control the air, and I was about to test out how much control we really
had.

Bry smiled back at me knowing what I had in mind.  I loved his smile.  It
seemed to stretch all the way to his emerald eyes and shine back at me.
"You thinking what I'm thinking?"

"Dust devils."  Bry didn't miss a beat.

"It'll be good practice." I chuckled and nodded as I set the wastebasket
upright and stood beside him.  "Let's get to it."

We focused our thoughts, called the winds, and several miniature tornados
formed in the room and lifted the debris from the floor.  You couldn't
really see the spirals of air except for the dust, dirt and broken glass
that were trapped within them.  The first couple didn't deposit their
contents quite on target but we were able to gather the mess up with
subsequent dust devils and within minutes the kitchen was clean.  Sure,
we'd have to straighten up and finish the breakfast dishes, but the bulk of
cleaning was finished.

"HEY!  That's cheating!"  Kent's jaw dropped as he stared back at us.

"Don't you have some laundry to do?" Bry smirked, and elbowed me in the
side as he looked back at Kent.

"What?!  Huh? No, we just did laundry yesterday.  What did you two do?  Put
on a fashion show?"  Kent looked around like a trapped animal searching for
a means of escape.

"Come on you big baby; it's only a couple of loads.  I'll help you."  Mark
smiled but I couldn't ignore the tired look in his eyes.  He leaned too
much against Kent for support, and again my worry for him swelled in my
chest.

"Tell you what; we'll do the dishes and then Bry and I will do the laundry.
Why don't you two rest?  You bring the clothes downstairs and we'll do the
rest.  How's that sound?"  Mark noticed my gaze and diverted his eyes.  He
was hiding something.

"That sounds like an excellent idea!"  Kent's answered so quickly that I
never had a chance to rethink my offer. They turned to go upstairs but I
caught Mark's shoulder with my hand.  "Hey... you sure you're okay?"

"Don't worry about me.  You're the one with extra chores."  Mark grinned
back at me but didn't answer my question and that scared me all the more.

The Uncles went upstairs, and Bry and I picked up what wasn't broken and
put things back in place.  The kitchen wasn't big, but still looked as
though a cyclone had come in and found a new home.  The sink had finally
filled with hot water when I heard a single set of footsteps tromping down
the stairs.  Something grey caught my eye and I watched Shadow nudged out
from beneath the living room couch.  If she thought it was safe to come
out.. then I wouldn't argue.  She's always had an excellent sense for that
kind of thing.

Kent came through the doorway, holding an overfilled basket of clothes and
sat it on the floor.

"Hey... where's Mark?" I already knew the answer but needed to hear him say
it.

"He's upstairs taking a nap.  We have to cast 'The Call' and he needs his
rest."  Kent's words were filled with concern even though he tried to make
it sound as though nothing was wrong.

"He's not okay is he?"  It was more a statement of fact than a question and
I couldn't shake the feeling of doom that crept up my spine.

"He's tired.  You two better get back to it... you've lots to do.  I'm
going to take a nap too.  It'll take everything we've got to cast tonight."
With that he turned and bounded up the stairs and out of sight.

We finished the dishes in silence.  I suppose Bry was as preoccupied as I
was, but I couldn't focus on his thoughts.  There were too many of my own
whirling about in my head.  I know it was selfish to think about how my
world would be affected and how much I would miss the uncles if anything
happened to them.  I just couldn't wrap my mind around the thought of a
world without them.  So... like so many things that worry me, I pushed it
to the back of my mind and moved on.  Like Kent said... we had much to do
and idle thoughts would only slow us down.

After our second trip down the stairs to the basement, we threw the last
load of clothes into the dryer and thumped our way back up and into the
kitchen.

"So what do you want to do now?"  Bry's voice startled me, but the smirk
that curved his lips let me know what he had in mind.

"Nap?"  I couldn't fight my smile and elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ohhh... I didn't know you liked it rough!"  Bry chuckled and leaned into
me and brushed his lips against mine.

"Come on, you perv."  I chuckled and ran as quietly as one can up the steps
toward our bedroom.

We bounded up the steps like two soft-footed cattle and slowed as we got to
the uncle's bedroom door.  I placed my finger against my lips to let Bry
know to be quiet.  I thought I heard something.  Only a moment passed
before I knew they were doing anything but sleeping.  From the sounds they
were making, Mark had definitely recovered from the earlier attack.  I had
to cover my mouth to keep from laughing out loud and waved Bry back down
the stairs.  We would have to find another place.

We made our way down the steps as quietly as we were able and Bry followed
me out the side door.  I held it open and gave my thigh a slap letting
Shadow know I wanted her to follow.  Listening to the click of her nails
pad across the living room floor, I watched her trot around the corner.  A
little exercise would do her good and I knew how much she loved to run.
For a chubby dog... she can haul ass.  'My little grey blur... My Shadow.'
The thought made me smile as she padded out the door and into the sunlight.

Shadow went to the healthier and the more vibrant 'fertilized' grasses and
did her business.  I knew that the vibrant taller grass and her choice of
'rest area' was more than a coincidence.  Watching her finish, we started
toward the back of the house and walked down the path that led to our
sacred circle of trees.  It was fall and, even though it was a sunny day,
the constant breeze made it feel almost chilly.  Fall is my favorite time
of the year and I took in a deep breath to savor the sweet smell of drying
leaves.  This was a day where you could wear long sleeved shirts and pants
and yet be comfortable as the sun warmed the fabric pressing against your
skin.  There was just enough chill in the air to keep a body from sweating,
but not so much that you had to wear layers of clothing.

We took our time meandering down the path as we walked arm in arm.  We
leaned against each other lazily and stole kisses in the swaying shadows of
branches beginning to lose their leaves along the path.  Days ago the
plants and trees had slipped back from their impending winter slumber, but
nature again painted them with the reds and golds of autumn.

Shadow led the way as though she had made the trip a thousand times and
only stopped occasionally to sniff the ground or a suspicious clump of
grass.  As we entered the clearing, Shadow ran at top speed, hopping about
through the tall grasses like a jackrabbit until she got to the center
altar.  She waited patiently for us to catch up before finally circling
several times and laying down for a nap.  She felt safe enough to sleep
here and, even though her intuition wasn't perfect, I did too.

I tugged Bry's arm as I lay down in the shade of the ancient oak that
towered above the stone altar.  The blanket of grass made a perfect
mattress to lie upon and the cooler temperatures had sent most of the
insects to sleep weeks ago.  As always, I marveled at the scenery.  The
hills looked alive as the grass swayed back and forth in the wind like
flowing water.  I couldn't imagine any other place I'd rather be than here,
with the warmth of Bry's body against mine.

We lay in each others arms and cuddled.  I reveled in the feel of his arms
around me and lost myself in the sound of his heartbeat as it thumped
through his chest into my ear.  The wind brushed across my face like a silk
sheet dancing along my skin.

A shiver tore me from my sleep.  It was past evening.  Shadow was curled up
beside me in the curve of my legs and I gave Bry a squeeze hoping to steal
away some of his warmth.  I couldn't remember the last time I fell asleep
outside.  It was like a little camp out without the tent, fire, and much
needed blanket.  The sound of footsteps approached and I heard the rustle
of grass brush against denim as I sat upright to see who it was.

Now was as good a time as any to practice our 'blink' ability and I pulled
away from Bry and did my best not to disturb Shadow.  Once standing I
concentrated on a clearing behind the approaching sound and moved.  A split
second later I was standing where I hoped I would be, but nearly fell to
the ground.  I was dizzy and realized that this form of travel was going to
take some getting used to.  'Rooting' and 'Blinking' are two different
things.  At least with rooting there was the sensation of movement as you
traveled along the lifelines of trees and other plants.  This was
instantaneous and felt more like a hiccup of movement.

I couldn't be completely sure, but I suspected the two forms I saw in front
of me were Kent and Mark.  As quietly as I could, I closed the distance
between us with every intention of scaring the shit out of them.  Just as I
was ready to yell my surprise, they both spun around and yelled "BOO!"  I
was so startled I fell flat on my ass.

"Very funny, you two!"  My whining reply did little to hide the
disappointment in my voice at having failed in my attempt.

"Serves you right!" The uncles were both snickering.  "You shouldn't sneak
up on an old man.  You could have given poor Kent a heart attack."

"Yeah... Hey!  I'm not old!"  Kent poked Mark in the ribs as he protested.

"What's with all the noise over there?!  Some of us were trying to sleep!"
I watched Bry's form rise in the darkness and Shadow barked in agreement.
She wasn't fond of waking and so long as she had some place warm to hide
herself, it didn't seem to matter if it was in bed or out here in the
grasses of our grove.

"Okay you two, we need to prepare and cast 'The Call' before anything else
happens.  You're running out of time."  Mark's tone was serious and stole
away what levity that remained.

It was only now that I noticed the satchel draped over his shoulder.  He
pulled a sharp, curved blade that I had never seen before out of the bag.
It wasn't our normal black handled athame, but a silver blade with a hilt
that most resembled wings stretching outward from the pommel, and looked to
be made of bone.  It appeared ancient even in the moonlight, and I wondered
why I had never seen it before.

"Great oak, I beg the offering of wood this autumn's eve."  Mark raised his
arms, blade in hand, and shouted the words into the darkness.

The great oak that is the center of our sacred circle gave a violent shake
and several cracks and crunches were heard as limbs of all sizes broke away
from the main tree and landed before us.

"Bry... Ty... gather the wood and stack it around the altar."  Kent didn't
bother to turn and face us as he pointed at the stone base.

We busied ourselves with gathering the fallen limbs and stacking them
against the altar.  The uncles faded into the darkness as they moved out
into the circle.  They primed the trees with their blood and I watched each
glow to life as they passed.  Soon the circle was lit with the life of each
tree and we watched their backlit forms walk back to where we stood.

"Light the fire."  Mark nodded toward our make shift pyre.

I am not sure why I did it, but I called down the lightning and it crashed
with a blinding white flash into the stack of limbs.  The pyre was lit and
I watched the orange glow dance along the forms of Bry and the uncles.
Whether it was by design or by nature, we stood across from each other on
opposite corners of the altar as the flames stretched toward the sky.

Shadow found herself a safe place several feet away and I caught the
shimmer of light in her eyes.  She watched as anxiously as I did, but
didn't make a sound.  On another night we would have warmed ourselves by
the fire, but tonight was different, and I couldn't help wondering if she
somehow knew.

"This is my life's blood and I give it freely."  Mark cut the fat of his
palm above the wrist with the strange blade and balled his hand into a
fist.  Drops of his blood fell into the fire and sizzled against the
burning wood.  This was Blood Magick.  I couldn't count the times that the
uncles had told me this type of casting was forbidden save for the most
desperate times.

"This blade has been in our family for centuries.  Legend says that the
Slegna forged it.  It's name is.."

"Brethren..."  A haunting echo of deep harmonic voices flowed from the
blade as it lifted from Mark's hand and floated over the center of the
altar.

The blade spun leisurely above the altar and pulsed with each word that was
spoken.

"Druid, are you and your partner prepared to pay the price for this favor?"
The flashes of light did little to hide the glint of the blade as it spun
faster and faster.

"We are," the uncles responded in unison.

"What is our task?"  The reverberation of voices filled the night and
Brethren became a blurred blue aura.

"The Call!"  The uncles yelled their answer into the darkness.

"So Mote It Be!"  The multi-tonal voices spread out across the land.

A low hum filled the air, and a strange smoke-like wisp danced out from the
uncle's chests and toward the blade.  Brethren sliced the air so sharply
that the hum grew in pitch and was soon a hollow reed like whistle.

I watched... unable to move.  I'm not sure if it was the flashes of light
that held me in place or some other power, but I looked on as the wisps of
smoke-like tendrils drifted to the blade.  Soon, the uncles faded and I
could see through them.  I wanted to scream for them to stop, but I
couldn't speak and, before my eyes,... they faded into nothingness.

The blade stopped and a light burst out from the tip up to the clouds.
Thousands of pin points of light gathered and then exploded outward filling
the sky like a diamond dusted black cloth.  It was the single most
beautiful thing I had ever seen and the breath I didn't know I was holding
finally burst from my lungs.  I could speak, but the only thing that passed
my lips was my mournful cry into the night.

"They are not lost young Druid; they are now Brethren."  The harmonic
voices filled my ears, and I watched as the blade stopped and plunged into
the altar.

"It is done."  The sound of the uncle's final words filled the air.  Then
there was only the hiss of the cold wind as it swept across my ears like
the echoing wash of the sea against the shore.

-----

Special thank you to all who have had the patience for the release of this
chapter and the other stories I'm working on. Another special thanks to
Dr. Grant for his fabulous editing. It's appreciated more than you
know. Comments and criticisms are always appreciated and a life line that
keeps me writing.  Please don't hesitate to send them to
gaywriter72@yahoo.com.

Of course... there are always thanks to Hal.... Who reads through every
update, paragraph by paragraph, as I harangue him into giving me his
opinion. Love ya!