Song of Shadow and Light (BxB)

Chapter 29

Thaddeus wasn't lying when he said it was going to be a long night. After going a couple of rounds like Thaddeus wanted, Kaelan eventually passed out. He didn't know when he lost consciousness, but it must have been sometime in the early morning. Kaelan was very exhausted and sore as he stood outside, waiting for the rest of his group to arrive. Only Thaddeus was there with him. Atticus and Estelar were nowhere in sight.

Kalean leaned against his warrior, enjoying the feeling of being wrapped in the other man's arms. He had his back pressed against Thaddeus, who had his arms around Kaelan's waist and rested his chin atop the cleric's head. The cleric was very aware of their height difference as they waited together, but Kaelan was always short compared to others. In the memories he saw from Xaphan, the cleric was always small, whether he was a male or female in that life. Either way, he fit perfectly in Thaddeus' arms. Being with Thaddeus like this was comforting.

"What is taking them so long?" Kaelan sighed. They might not have been waiting for long, but he was ready to get this journey going. He didn't want Merodach to change his mind about helping them.

"We don't need them. We started this quest fine without them, so let's ditch them." Thaddeus would have preferred being alone with Kaelan anyway. He was against Atticus joining them, and now a fae was joining the party. Estelar may have only been joining them for a short time, but the warrior still didn't want him around. The way the fae clung onto Kaelan yesterday irked him.

As much as Kaelan wanted to continue, they did need Estelar's help. He didn't know his way to the swamp, and Estelar was the only fae willing to speak with them. While the other fae prostitutes didn't avoid them as much as the others, they were still wary of them. They didn't speak to or acknowledge them as they went about their business. That was fine with Kaelan. He would have been too shy to speak to them. Hell, he was shy when conversing with Estelar yesterday. He just felt awkward around these types of people.

When he was about to respond, Estelar and Atticus finally showed their faces. The two men approached them, Atticus unwilling to look them in the eyes. He kept his head down and kept his arms crossed, his face bright red. Kaelan also blushed when he took in Atticus' attire. It was no wonder the demon didn't want to look at anyone. The cleric was surprised that he even left his room while dressed like this.

The outfit wasn't nearly as revealing as the one Estelar gave to Kaelan, but it was still showing. His outfit was black and dark purple, with a deep V-neck that went down to his navel. The sleeves of his shirt were puffy and sheer, and the shorts he wore were short and tight. He was given boots to wear that went up to his knees, leaving the rest of his legs showing. Atticus wore his long white hair down, and he still had his glasses. His tail and horns were not hidden while they were among the fae.

Atticus shyly glanced up to meet Kaelan's eyes. When he saw the cleric taking in his new look, the demon nervously said, "D-don't look at me like that."

Kaelan rubbed the back of his neck and glanced away. He didn't mean to stare at him. Atticus looked cute in that outfit, and his bashfulness was making him even cuter. Even Thaddeus, who wasn't fond of the demon, thought so as well.

The cleric turned his attention to Estelar, annoyed with the fae. "You gave Atticus something that he could actually wear, but not me. What gives?"

Estelar chuckled as he looked at Kaelan's attire. The cleric was back to wearing Thaddeus' coat. "I gave you something you could wear in public, even if it were revealing. Which, by the way, what happened to that outfit? You could have worn it today."

The thought of last night made Kaelan's face heat up once more. There was no way he could tell them what happened. He was vague as he responded, "I-it got ruined."

Hearing those words made Estelar's eyes light up. "I knew you wearing that would work. So, did you two have a fun night?"

Kaelan could not answer that question. He opened his mouth to retort, but he couldn't find the right words. Of course, the perverted fae would have had that planned all along. He didn't know how this man was able to guess his and Thaddeus' relationship. Estelar seemed to have that planned out before he even met them. It made Kaelan wonder how long this man had been watching him, but he didn't have the chance to ask when Atticus interrupted.

"Can we get going now? The sooner we get out of this forest, the better. I want to get back to society so that I can get some proper clothing. This is too indecent." Atticus still refused to look at any of them, but the irritation in his voice was evident.

Estelar pouted, disappointed that his fun was over. He took Atticus by the arm, then smiled and said, "Yes, cutie. Just follow me."

It was a relief to finally get back on track. Atticus let Estelar hold onto him, but he wasn't thrilled about it. The only reason why the demon didn't say anything was because they needed the fae's help. Atticus was caught up with the situation. Estelar told him all about it on their way to meet with Kaelan and Thaddeus. The king wanted to find his brother and promised to provide assistance afterward, but the demon had his doubts. The fae king wouldn't help them that easily.

As Estelar began to lead them out of the forest kingdom, he caught the eyes of the guards. Estelar tightened his grip on Atticus' arm and shrunk back, unwilling to look the men in the eyes for a moment longer. The rest of his party took notice of this, but no one questioned him. He reacted the same way yesterday when the soldiers tried to take him back to the palace. The guards didn't say anything, but they kept their eyes on the group as they walked away.

Estelar stayed silent until the coast was clear. When the watchful eyes of the fae guards were no longer on him, he went back to his bubbly self. He placed his head against Atticus' shoulder and said, "It feels nice to get out of that kingdom. It's been so long since I've been able to leave. And I get to travel with three cute men."

"Do you want to explain why you're afraid of the soldiers? Yesterday and today, you acted strange around them. I want to make sure we're not going to get into any trouble by traveling with you." While Kaelan and Atticus stayed quiet about this, Thaddeus wouldn't. He was brave enough to ask the question they were all wondering.

Estelar bit his lip and clenched onto Atticus' arm once more. He sighed, then answered, "I like my job. I really do, but . . . I don't like it when it's with them. You don't have to worry about something happening while traveling with me. They're not interested in you, only me."

The group fell silent once more after Estelar's words. His confession hung heavy in the air. After the incident yesterday, it was now easy to piece together what would have happened if the fae had gone with those men. Kaelan was glad he stood up for him.

"Well, when traveling with us, you don't have to worry about them, or anyone. If someone tries to hurt you, then I'll make sure to beat them to a bloody pulp," Thaddeus broke the silence.

His words were shocking to the group. Thaddeus only ever seemed to care about Kaelan, so it came as a surprise that he was willing to stand up for someone else. It almost brought the fae to tears as he finally let go of Atticus to hug Thaddeus.

"Aww, Thaddeus . . . You're not a complete dickhead after all," Estelar said as he buried his face against the warrior's chest.

"Fuck off and stop being so fucking clingy." Thaddeus took Estelar by the shoulders and pushed him away. He kept the fae at arm's length to keep him from clinging on once more. He sighed, then continued, "Look, if you're in the group, then I will protect you. It is my job as a warrior to protect my companions. Now, can we finally get a move on?"

"Of course! Let's go." Estelar took Thaddeus' hand, not giving the warrior the chance to stop him. With his free one, he grasped onto Kaelan's hand as well.

The fae led the group towards the swamp once more. Kaelan glanced over at Thaddeus and smiled to himself. His usually cold demeanor was still there, but Kaelan could sense that Thaddeus meant it when he said he would protect his group. Even if he didn't want others traveling with them, he would still keep them safe. Thaddeus might not have done the same during the beginning of their journey. Kaelan didn't know what changed in him so suddenly. Perhaps it was their deepening relationship that was making Thaddeus more caring than before.

Either way, this was a good change in the warrior. They were both growing as their journey continued.