Derik's Luck 63

From TSade

[edit] Choices

As he laid in the soft, comfortable bed, Derik decided that while winning back the man he loved was more than wonderful, combat healing should only be practiced by someone who actually knew how the body work. He groaned in discomfort, trying to move his body, but his spine and lower muscles fused themselves into a single block and he had to be carried to the bed in Hamel’s arms.

That part wasn’t so bad.

He smiled as he remembered the kiss the large man gave on his lips, but duties pulled him away and he was left alone for hours. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t even scratch the maddening itch on his nose.

Every ache and pain reporting itself against his senses, he peered into the room. It smelled new and old at the same time, like a room set aside and never used. He frowned and felt pretty useless.

“Well, don’t you look comfortable.”

Derik jumped and then winced as his body exploded in pain again. He whimpered and forced himself to relax as Madre and Wendi came into the room. Both battle mages were injured, with bruises and cuts, but they had a glow about them as they circled the bed. Each one sat down next to him and Derik looked back and forth.

“Um, hi.”

Madre smiled warmly. She reached out to stroke his cheek.

“I heard I have you to thank for all this.”

Derik smiled up bashfully and scrunched his nose as the itch redoubled. Wendi surprised him by reaching over and scratching her nails against the itch. He smiled at her thankfully.

“I hurt.”

Madre chuckled, “I can see. You have enough regenerative damage going on that I felt the glow outside of the room.”

Wendi rested her hands in her lap before she spoke in an unaccustomed softness.

“Most battle mages never figure out how to use combat healing, I sure don’t.”

Madre grinned, “And the first and only time I used it, I ended up in a brace for a month until they could chip my knees apart again.”

Derik’s eyes widened, “A-A month?”

Madre shook her head, “No, probably not. I heard Hime is coming up. There is a world of a difference between battle mages and healers. Just as you’ll find there is a universe of difference between mages like us and a priest like you.”

His mouth opened and Madre rolled her eyes before reaching over to close it.

“Yeah, you are a priest. Between the Eye of Hamel floating outside your bedroom door, trying to be let in, and the blessings covering your body and the healing magic that you are still channeling, there really isn’t a doubt.”

“I-I, um, what?”

He looked over to Wendi who nodded.

“Who would imagine that shitty little thief would end up a priest of a cross-dressing god.”

“Look, Wendi, I’m-”

“Forgiven. Storn told me you talked and what he said, I agree.”

He sighed, “I didn’t mean for any of this.”

Wendi leaned over him and kissed him on the lips.

“Yet, I’m utterly thankful for everything you did. I’m falling for the baron as hard as you did and once Rachel and I figured out our differences, I found a friend who understand me.”

“Yeah, and has the same size corset too.”

The two women shared a grin. Derik found himself enjoying the sense of belonging. Then he looked up with a surprise.

“Madre, what about Teri?”

“I had a location sensor on her and I sent some guards with a compass to find her.”

“Shiel’s home blows them up, Teri burned her hand pretty badly.”

Madre looked surprise and got up.

“I better, is she okay?”

“Well, she got nasty frostbite, healed, and then Shiel punched her out.”

She looked concerned as she hurried out of the room. She paused at the door, a smile quirking her lip.

“That’s ten.”

Wendi followed casually after her, but she stopped halfway to the door.

“Hey, Derik?”

“Yeah?”

“Thanks.”

“For what?”

“For everything, I guess. I hated you so much and then everything just changed.”

“Yeah, I’m getting that a lot.”

She turned and padded over to him. Reaching down, she kissed him on the lips. He gasped at the touch and she stroked her hand down his chest.

“Maybe later, you and me will play again.”

“That would be nice,” he smiled.

She glared, “But if you fuck my mother again, baron or no baron, I will castrate you.”

“Deal.”

He watched as his former fiancée left him alone. As she closed the door, the Eye of Hamel swung into the room and hovered up to him. He groaned as he moved, patting the bed next to him. It streaked over and landed next to him. Rolling around, it bumped against him and settled into place.

Derik chuckled as he regarded it. It rolled back and bumped him again.

“Okay, I forgive you too.”

The flame in the sphere lit up for a second, then went dark.

“I never saw it do that,” said Hamel from the door. Derik looked up and felt his heart soar. He wanted to reach for him, but his joints locked up and he just contented himself with smiling.

“Hello.”

Hamel walked into the room, his presence filling Derik with a hot warmth.

“Good morning. I only have a minute, but I had to see you.”

“How bad is it?”

“About a thousand dead, eight of the harem, and forty of my guards. Tornsin’s mother, the captain of my estate guards, was killed in the battle, so I just promoted Tornsin in her place. He earned it.”

“Is he okay?”

Hamel nodded and leaned over to kiss Derik. The thief bent his head back, and then moaned as he felt the electric surge coursing through him. It filled him with such passion and his body heated up quickly at the thought. The baron chuckled in the kiss and rested his hand along Derik’s chin. Derik shivered at the touch, helplessly ecstatic that he couldn’t escape until the baron released him.

When he did, Derik let out a sigh of pleasure and settled down. Hamel pulled up a chair and sat down.

“I, um, feel I owe you an explaining.”

Derik shook his head, “You don’t need to.”

“Yes, I do. You gave up your final secret all those years ago and I was so angry. It is time you knew my own secret.”

“The Eye?”

The Eye of Hamel rose up, flickering for a moment, then settled down. Hamel shook his head.

“More than that. You deserve all my secrets.”

Derik said nothing but he watched Hamel fighting with his own emotions.

“I-I don’t know our name. I don’t know what we were, but I’ve been around since before Franome was founded but long after Carium was born.”

Hamel sighed sadly.

“We were cursed, me and my mate, the last or only of our kinds. We were just filled with this... rage that wouldn’t go away. We pulled apart for so long, but came together every few years in this attempt to have a child. One time...” his voice trailed off.

“I killed her. She tried to kill me and I tried to kill her. We couldn’t really stop ourselves, but when it was over, I was utterly alone.”

Derik sniffed as he felt tears rolling down his cheeks, remembering the vision he saw from the Eye.

“I-I saw.”

Hamel looked up, a frown furrowing his face.

“How?”

Derik gestured with his nose to the sphere next to him.

“The Eye remembers.”

“I never thought it would. I never thought it was anything other than my... eye.”

“I saw a Copir silfae and y-you plucking it out.”

Hamel chuckled, “Sounds like you figured out my secret before me. Sounds familiar, actually.”

Derik chuckled, “Yeah, seems to happen in this place.”

They started laughing until Derik winced from the pain.

“Ow.”

Hamel reached over to hold Derik’s hand.

“Hime will be here soon. She says that you’ll live.”

Derik smiled, enjoying the touch of his baron against his skin.

“I-I have one question.”

“Anything, I will never keep anything from you now.”

“Why did you take out your eye?”

Hamel chuckled bitterly.

“That Copir. I asked if I would love again. He said the ‘unfettered eye would find the made woman.’ So, in my hot-headed desperately for someone, I just ripped it out.”

Derik made a face.

“Seems.. drastic.”

“Well, after a few centuries, I agree. I was stupid then, but... I guess it worked out. Here we are.”

“D-Do you,” asked Derik bashfully, “really love me?”

“I never stopped, Blackbird. Even when I saw you on the auction block, when I had Storn looking for you, or even when I saw me through your memories, I realized I always loved you. From that very first day, that very first time that trembling young man stood before him.”

Derik sniffed.

“I wish I could kiss you.”

Hamel leaned over to kiss him, tenderly and softly. Derik giggled.

“I wish I could fuck you now.”

From the door, Hime spoke sharply.

“You do that and I’m not healing you until next week.”

Hamel snapped into a standing position, a blush forming on his cheeks. Derik already turned bright red as he looked at the amused priestess.

“Baron, out,” she commanded.

Hamel kissed Derik again, slowly and lingeringly, then stood up. Walking past Hime, his hand snapped out to spank her hard on the ass cheek. She squeaked as she jumped forward, then glared playfully at him.

“Hamel!”

“Good to see you, Hawk.”

He closed the door behind him. Hime stroked her fingers against the frame, then turned around.

“You,” she pointed a finger, “fucked a god.”

Derik blushed even hotter. Hime chuckled and sat down on the edge of the bed. She pulled out a small roll of tools.

“But, I think that is what you needed.”

“Thank you?”

“No thanks needed, my brother. You are truly a priest now and my equal in every way.”

Derik smiled and blushed.

“Except for anatomy lessons. As you prepare for your marriage, you better come to me for lessons so... we... can teach... what?”

“M-Marriage?”

“Well yeah, you’re marrying the baron, aren’t you?”

Derik felt the room spinning.

“Um, what?”

“Damn, I thought he just proposed. Oops, well, pretend I didn’t say anything.”

“T-The baron is going to proposed!?”

Derik’s voice rose up shrilly. Hime rolled her eyes and shrugged.

“I don’t think he knows it yet. Actually, I’m pretty sure he doesn’t know it, but he’s going to.”

Derik felt his heart fluttering with excitement and his body growing hot. Hime’s eyes trailed down his body to stare at the tent his manhood formed against the blankets.

“Okay, put that down and stop thinking about baron cock. I have to heal you and that is distracting enough.”

Derik yanked his thoughts away and regarded Hime. The blond tucked some of her hair back and Derik noticed a few white streaks between the golden strands. She sighed and she turned back to him.

“You really damaged your back muscles and some of the bones; though it was an excellent example of divine flight. I see you also managed to get your inner organs all messed up, so I’m going to have to fix the damage you did.”

“I’m-”

“-you say you’re sorry and I’m smacking you.”

Derik blushed. Hime reached over and kissed his cheek.

“You did what you thought was right, I’ll do what I think is right. And that is to ask you probably the most important question of your entire life.”

Derik blinked, “I-I thought Bridget said I only had two paths left.”

“Well, yeah, what does he know? So, the question.”

She held up two fingers.

“Do you want to be the baron’s wife or the baron’s husband?”