The Son of Thunder

Chapter Fourteen

My husband actually asked me to draw this version of Yuanshi. He wanted to see a full-body shot of him.

Yuanshi answered the knock on his door and Lightening pushed past him and fell into a chair.

"Visits are always nice, Lightening. May I help you?"

"I kissed her. I can't believe I kissed her. None of my people would understand. Well, Warrior would, but he'd never forgive me for letting it happen. And after he warned me not to touch her. Lord of Peace, Hope and Life, I've guaranteed my death."

 "Lightening, what are you talking about?"

He put one foot on the ottoman, the other sat flatly on the floor. His pose was relaxed, but every fiber of his tissue was not. "Shawna is going to kill me."

Yuanshi moved the branch that he always carried now and sat opposite the Son of Thunder. Lightening was acting like he'd eaten some wild mushrooms. When he still didn't answer, Yuanshi leaned forward.

"I kissed Rhysya."

"You've wanted to for phases."

"Have not!" he said, slamming both feet on the floor and challenging Yuanshi.

"I've no patience for argument, Lightening," he said. "Camilia and I have talked of it multiple times in private. Father made the prophecy long ago."

Lightening bit down on his fist. A horrific image had filled his head, of him being exiled by Shawna, fleeing to Valley of the Star and being saddled with the bumbling idiots for the remainder of his life. He preferred Beast's punishments to these nightmares.

Lightening took his mask off. Jonah was playing in the corner, but he was too young to understand that Lightening was exposing himself. Camilia was occupied elsewhere with Rhysya.

"I don't believe in the scrolls," he said.

"The scrolls don't care."

"She could have gotten us both killed. If that Acidonian woman had waited a few more seconds, I would have been completely incapacitated and beyond defending us."

Yuanshi burst into laughter. Just like Lightening to change the subject when he was losing the battle. Both had told he and Camilia of the attack so many phases ago. Lightening had to be desperate to bring it up now.

"It's not funny!"

"You're in love. It's hysterical."

"This is serious. I kissed her! If Shawna thought for one second—" He blocked the images from his mind. He could not tolerate another vision of Star Children cheering him. "This is completely unacceptable."

"Does Rhysya reciprocate?"

"Reciprocate?" he thundered, pacing the room. "She doesn't know the meaning of the word. She's a child."

"She's a woman."

Lightening would not yield to that statement. "She's helpless, naive, innocent. I detest her!"

Yuanshi was near tears from laughing.

"She has no concept of what she's doing when she forges into the crevices of my chest and arms. I have met few morons as stupid as she. Her breasts—" Lightening clapped his mouth shut. That wasn't what he was going to say.

"What about her breasts? They're supple?"

The amount of pleasure Yuanshi was getting from this exchange infuriated Lightening. He wanted to shake that grin off his face. He should have killed him back when they were in the Playground.