As Jon reached out to him and touched his cheek, Victor stood completely still and met his gaze. He suddenly found himself reminded of a moment a few trials earlier when they had inspected each other’s mutations. Jon had wanted to find out how much of his body the glimmering cracks that had appeared when he had reached competency in his chosen magic covered, and he hadn’t been able to keep himself from touching the brilliant gemstones on the other man’s arms. He remembered how fascinated he had been with them – and with everything that Jon had told him. Had it already started then, even though he had been completely unware of it at the time? Had there been something there all along, something that he hadn’t really been aware of until Jon had admitted his own feelings to him?
“It’s not a completely beneficial mutation”, he replied and shook his head, as if to clear his mind and make some of the confusion that still troubled him go away. “I can see just fine now, but I will be in some discomfort once we leave the cave and are surrounded by bright sunlight again. As for torches, I should probably have brought some – but I have to admit I like the thought of you having to rely on me and trust me!” he remarked before his gaze fell on Hob whose eyes nearly seemed to glow in the twilight that surrounded them. He had been wondering where the Harvester had gone. He had been suspiciously quiet during their walk here. Had he secretly been listening in on them all the time?
He decided that he didn’t particularly care. He was gradually getting used to Hob’s peculiar habits, even though it was unlikely that he would ever call the Harvester a friend.
“I actually don’t know”, he admitted as he led Jon deeper into the cave. “I’ve never gone all the way to Ironridge. I don’t think these tunnels will lead directly there, but if you want to be sure we can take a look at a map. I’m sure that my brother has some in his office”, he offered – his magical map unfortunately didn’t show enough of the caves, besides, he had to admit, the thought of sneaking into his brother’s office and looking through his things appealed to him. “As for what makes the stone red …” He placed a hand on the wall in front of him and gestured for Jon to do the same before he let a bit of ether flow into it. Perhaps, he thought, Identity, would tell him more.
Regardless of what the result was, once he was done, he took Jon’s hand again and led him deeper into the cave. It wasn’t quite as dark there. A bit further ahead sunlight filtered through a hole in the ceiling – the spot that he had mentioned to Jon before. He sat down on the ground and started to unpack, a bottle of fine wine, pastries and sandwiches – he didn’t know what Jon preferred, so he had asked the servant to pack several different things – only to stop and inch closer as he noticed Jon spread his hands along the ground.
“I’ve never thought of using my magic for something like that”, he murmured as he poked the rocks. His eyes widened in delight as he realized that they were soft, like pillows now. “It’s a pity that we can’t create anything permanent with Transmutation. Imagine sleeping in a bed that is filled with rocks. People would probably think that we are crazy!” he remarked and laughed before he plopped down on a rock that looked particularly comfortable, very close to Jon. There was something almost magical about the atmosphere, the twilight, the red stone that surrounded them, those strange rock pillows and the two of them curled up next to each other. He found that his previous worries gradually disappeared, one by one. For a while he just sat there quietly, enjoying the other man’s company, and then he finally turned to look at Jon again.
“I’m not sure why I reacted the way I did this morning”, he admitted. He suddenly felt the urge to talk, to put his feelings into words rather than racking his brain for trials on end until he lost his mind and turned into a raving lunatic. “I travelled the world and confronted a horde of undead pirates, but I was scared of my feelings and what they might mean. I told you that I wasn’t sure if there was even anything there. It’s not as if anybody cares though. My parents are both dead, and my brother is too busy dealing with politics to pay a lot of attention to who I spend my time with. I asked you to give me space, but I’ll never find out that way, will I?”
“Before, when you nearly fell, and I tried to catch you, I was wondering what would happen if we just kissed. That’s the only way to know for sure, isn’t it?” he asked and laughed a little. “To just do it and see what happens. Do you mind if I …” He had wanted to ask Jon if he minded if he kissed him, but that question suddenly sounded stupid and awkward to him, so he just put an arm around him and pulled him close in order to kiss him, hoping that he wouldn’t push him away, for whatever reason.
“It’s not a completely beneficial mutation”, he replied and shook his head, as if to clear his mind and make some of the confusion that still troubled him go away. “I can see just fine now, but I will be in some discomfort once we leave the cave and are surrounded by bright sunlight again. As for torches, I should probably have brought some – but I have to admit I like the thought of you having to rely on me and trust me!” he remarked before his gaze fell on Hob whose eyes nearly seemed to glow in the twilight that surrounded them. He had been wondering where the Harvester had gone. He had been suspiciously quiet during their walk here. Had he secretly been listening in on them all the time?
He decided that he didn’t particularly care. He was gradually getting used to Hob’s peculiar habits, even though it was unlikely that he would ever call the Harvester a friend.
“I actually don’t know”, he admitted as he led Jon deeper into the cave. “I’ve never gone all the way to Ironridge. I don’t think these tunnels will lead directly there, but if you want to be sure we can take a look at a map. I’m sure that my brother has some in his office”, he offered – his magical map unfortunately didn’t show enough of the caves, besides, he had to admit, the thought of sneaking into his brother’s office and looking through his things appealed to him. “As for what makes the stone red …” He placed a hand on the wall in front of him and gestured for Jon to do the same before he let a bit of ether flow into it. Perhaps, he thought, Identity, would tell him more.
Regardless of what the result was, once he was done, he took Jon’s hand again and led him deeper into the cave. It wasn’t quite as dark there. A bit further ahead sunlight filtered through a hole in the ceiling – the spot that he had mentioned to Jon before. He sat down on the ground and started to unpack, a bottle of fine wine, pastries and sandwiches – he didn’t know what Jon preferred, so he had asked the servant to pack several different things – only to stop and inch closer as he noticed Jon spread his hands along the ground.
“I’ve never thought of using my magic for something like that”, he murmured as he poked the rocks. His eyes widened in delight as he realized that they were soft, like pillows now. “It’s a pity that we can’t create anything permanent with Transmutation. Imagine sleeping in a bed that is filled with rocks. People would probably think that we are crazy!” he remarked and laughed before he plopped down on a rock that looked particularly comfortable, very close to Jon. There was something almost magical about the atmosphere, the twilight, the red stone that surrounded them, those strange rock pillows and the two of them curled up next to each other. He found that his previous worries gradually disappeared, one by one. For a while he just sat there quietly, enjoying the other man’s company, and then he finally turned to look at Jon again.
“I’m not sure why I reacted the way I did this morning”, he admitted. He suddenly felt the urge to talk, to put his feelings into words rather than racking his brain for trials on end until he lost his mind and turned into a raving lunatic. “I travelled the world and confronted a horde of undead pirates, but I was scared of my feelings and what they might mean. I told you that I wasn’t sure if there was even anything there. It’s not as if anybody cares though. My parents are both dead, and my brother is too busy dealing with politics to pay a lot of attention to who I spend my time with. I asked you to give me space, but I’ll never find out that way, will I?”
“Before, when you nearly fell, and I tried to catch you, I was wondering what would happen if we just kissed. That’s the only way to know for sure, isn’t it?” he asked and laughed a little. “To just do it and see what happens. Do you mind if I …” He had wanted to ask Jon if he minded if he kissed him, but that question suddenly sounded stupid and awkward to him, so he just put an arm around him and pulled him close in order to kiss him, hoping that he wouldn’t push him away, for whatever reason.