A DRINK BEFORE BATTLE (MxM)

Sevei stared back at him intently. “You’re putting a lot of trust in me, telling me that,” he said gravely.

Urskatha nodded. “I hoped you might talk to the Sekkha for us, see if they might take her in.”

Sevei shook his head. “No good. She’ll want to stay out of Valesk, and the Sekkha are definitely going back when this is over. They might help get her out, though, when the time comes. If she can get to Tharlburg, Kyrzhan would help, too.”

“I’m sending Nal with her,” Urskatha said. “I can’t send him there.”

Sevei cocked his head to the side and grimaced. “He would be fine. First, Kyri doesn’t exploit children, and second, I’m not suggesting they stay. Kyri could set them up somewhere else, maybe even send them to Caedra or Thalesia. The further the better, probably.”

Urskatha considered this, and nodded. “I’ll think about it,” he said. “Thanks.”

Sevei smiled and returned his nod. “You still haven’t told me why you used her name,” he prodded.

Urskatha heaved a very deep sigh. “That’s a long story,” he said.

Sevei shrugged. “I’m drunk and injured, I’m not going anywhere.” He reached down beside his chair and produced an unopened wine bottle, holding it toward him.

Urskatha stared at him, a light smile toying with his lips, then he nodded in concession. He took the bottle and pulled the cork, drinking deeply before continuing.

“I studied Martial Alchemy at the Academy. When I graduated, it was a given that I’d join the army, and that I’d be put directly into a Generalship, and that wouldn’t be because of my own skills, but because of my name – my family name. I was the best at the Academy. I was even surpassing my Masters by the time I left, but I knew the rest of the army wouldn’t care about that. I wanted – when I took my Generalship, I wanted the men I led to be able to trust me, to trust my leadership.

So, I refused the title at first, and joined an infantry unit. I hid my abilities, and my status. I just trained alongside the common soldiers as one of them, so that I would know what it was like for them. I used Kahan’s name then – because I always felt like she was my real family, more so than my blood relations.”

Sevei raised an impressed eyebrow, but couldn’t resist cajoling him. “So, this hiatus you mentioned was a vacation before taking your rightful place?”

Urskatha went silent. He turned his face away and looked into the bonfire, his eyes becoming distant, his expression dark. Then he dragged both hands down his face and steepled his fingers in front of his lips as if he needed to hide to say the rest.

“It was a convalescence,” he said quietly.

Sevei frowned quizzically. “What happened?”

“Two years ago, my unit was sent to Anwynd.”

Sevei stiffened and sucked a breath in through his teeth. Anwynd had been a horrifically bloody battle, in which Dericia and their Valeskan allies had gotten their asses handed to them. There hadn’t been many survivors on this side. Apparently, Sevei was looking at one of them.

“You don’t have to talk about it,” he said gently, but Urskatha looked a bit dazed, and Sevei wasn’t even sure the man was still aware of his presence beside him.

“The battle was going our way at first,” he said, his voice dropping into a low monotone. “We really thought the day would be ours. But then, this Loranarian Alchemist just came out of nowhere... and proceeded to show me just how not the best I am.

We only fight each other, usually. It’s a matter of honor. We don’t attack those who can’t fight us. He didn’t seem to share in our code. He just slaughtered anyone he saw. Our accompanying Martial Line hadn’t been deployed yet, and we were on our own against him. So, I revealed myself, and tried to fight him.”

He paused, shaking his head slowly from side to side, his face ashen and grim.

“I was out of practice,” he continued. “I hadn’t been training my energy. I could barely get a hit on him, and he just pummeled me into the ground. While I was on my knees, vomiting what felt like every drop of blood in my body into the mud, he killed them all. All my...”

He drew a shuddering breath, his lips trembling.

“That was the first time in my life I felt like I truly had brothers, and he killed them all. I woke up two weeks later in my own bed in Urskatha Manor. The Martial Line had shown up finally, and they recognized me, so they got me out. I don’t remember that.”

Urskatha took a drink while Sevei just stared at him, stricken speechless, his eyes misting and his heart aching so badly he thought it might kill him. Urskatha dangled the bottle between his open knees, rested his face on one hand, and turned his glistening eyes to Sevei.

“While I was recovering, I had nothing but time to think – about the lives of my brothers, and everything they couldn’t do now. Everything I hadn’t done yet – things I never... allowed myself...” He sighed, his voice softening as he gazed at Sevei. “I went to your friend’s place... because I thought that there’s no way I’ll get lucky twice, and if I really am going to die in this war, I just wanted to... live first. Just a little bit.”

His face was so anguished, Sevei couldn’t help but reach a hand toward his cheek. Urskatha ducked his hand, though, and sat back in his chair, clearing his throat roughly. Sevei did the same, and they sat in a long silence, both gazing at the coals gathering in the bed of the fire, until Urskatha cleared his throat again.

“How did Mister Damah end up in Brinland?” he asked.

Sevei took a moment to process this abrupt shift, then smiled wryly. “Now, that’s a story,” he said.

Urskatha raised his brow expectantly.

“Kyri’s family was rich. Our town is a popular place for traveling merchants to park their families. When we were seventeen, his father died. Kyri should have inherited half the family business, but his sister wanted it all for herself, so she told their family that I was his lover. Our close friendship made for good evidence.

Then his grandfather tried to have him murdered – sent a gang of thugs after him. I dealt with them, but Kyri was out of house, so... I helped him break into the family vault and steal his inheritance. Got him across the pass to Tharlberg, where he used the family money to open his shop.”

“He was... doing what he does... at seventeen?”

“Oh, no. There was a clothing shop first. He still has it – and another in Caedra. He imports and exports between them. He made real good use of that money.”

“The money you helped him steal.” Urskatha eyed him sidewise. “So... you’re a criminal.”

Sevei laughed. “My one and only venture. And that money was rightfully his, we just... liberated it.”

“You’re putting a lot of trust in me, telling me that.”

Sevei grinned foolishly. “I guess I am.”

Urskatha returned his gaze, studying him intently for a moment, then he seemed to get nervous and looked away.

“I did use some magic on you,” he said suddenly. “It was an accident.”

Startled, Sevei turned his face and narrowed his eyes. “What did you do?” he asked suspiciously.

“When we... you were... hmm,” He coughed. “... my hand leaked some energy. I didn’t mean to, I was... distracted.”

Stunned, Sevei’s mind went back to that night, and he remembered all those strange, but incredible, tingling sensations he’d felt from this man’s touch. His core began to burn again just thinking of it.

“Oh, well...” he said slowly, “... that was... amazing. So I’ll let it go. If you’ll promise me one thing.”

Urskatha raised his brow eagerly.

Sevei leaned forward and lowered his voice conspiratorially. “That if we ever revisit that situation, you’ll do it again.”

Urskatha stared in dumbfounded silence at Sevei, then he stiffened and gave an exasperated huff.

“I can promise you that we’ll never revisit that situation,” he said sternly.

“Are you sure about that?” Sevei wheedled. “As I recall, you didn’t get everything you wanted... and we definitely aren’t strangers anymore.”

Urskatha’s lips moved silently. He was clearly flustered. Sevei was delighted. Then Urskatha’s expression snapped shut again and he averted his eyes.

“We are,” he retorted. “Don’t think you know me just because we’ve had a bit of story time.”

“Oh, but I know all kinds of things about you now,” Sevei insisted. “I know that you’re much more decent than I thought you’d be. I know that your arrogance is just a defense. You’re not made of stone, you just want everyone to think you are. I know that you care deeply for your close ones.”

He watched with joy as Urskatha’s face melted again.

He licked his lips, and dropped his voice into a low and seductive murmur.

“I also know... what every curve of your body feels like in my hands.”

Urskatha stiffened, eyes widening as his hackles rose.

“And I know that your lips feel like heaven.”

Sevei’s eyes gleamed as Urskatha’s face began to turn an even darker shade of red than the firelight cast upon it. He leaned closer.

“And I know that you growl like an animal when you - hey!”

Urskatha stood abruptly and stormed away into the darkness.

“Yeresym!” Sevei called petulantly, leaning forward to watch his back fade out of the reach of the firelight. “Aww, Yeresym, come back!

Yer-e-syyyyymmm!”

He threw himself back into his chair.

Turning his face up to the sky, he sighed as he watched the sparks from the fire dancing up to join the stars.

“What I don’t know... is how to make you smile,” he muttered . “I would so love to see you smile. I’ll have to figure that out.”