Puppeteer Ch 11

I kept drifting from a semi-wake state into complete darkness and back again. Sometimes I heard voices that sounded like they were coming from far away, sinking in my cotton-wrapped mind. It was a little like the time in the prison tower but there was less pain and it continuously faded. From time to time some cold liquid was poured in my mouth and I swallowed on reflex. Then I fell into a long deep slumber.

I slowly woke up and groaned and could hear a surprised, feminine yelp. "Master Niven, are you awake?" It was Elise's voice. I opened my eyes but closed them immediately. Too bright! I shifted a little and groaned again. "I will get Lord Korondar!" Elise said and I could hear the sound of a door opening and closing.

I fell into a light nap when I thought I could hear someone move. I carefully opened my eyes and tried to blink my vision clear. There was a face hovering over me, the contours blurred but with each blink getting sharper. I gasped when I realized who it was. Sorr'an! "Sorr..." I coughed, the name too difficult for me at the moment. A bright smile appeared on the catboy's face. 'But he's dead...' I thought and then it clicked. 'A hallucination!' But a real good one I had to admit. I studied the smiling visage, the green eyes shining and the lips lush and inviting. And this face burned to ashes, I realized. 'Because I ran away!' a cold voice sounded in my mind. I shut my eyes and opened them again, but the Sorr'an-illusion was still there. Well, I could at least kiss him good bye. I shakily lifted my hand behind the back of his head and pulled him down; a surprised expression flitted over his face. Then his lips met mine and they felt great. Boyishly chapped but still soft, fitting against mine like they were made for this. After a short moment of holding still I moved my lips gently over the Katze's taking in the feel and then darted out my tongue to flick over them a little teasing before releasing my hold on his head.

"Wow... Didn't know... hallucinations... can feel so good..." I rasped out.

Fake-Sorr'an blinked. "Halluci..." Then an impish smile appeared on his face and while leaning down again he whispered: "Yeah, a hallucination. Kiss me again before I vanish."

I did that. Entangling my hand in his soft hair I held him close while our lips rubbed over each other. I started to teasing lick his lower lip when my tongue met his and it sent jolts of pleasure down my spine. His tongue was wet and silky, I absentminded recognized, not dry and sandpaper-like as I would have guessed. The tip of his wet muscle teased mine before vanishing in his mouth, luring me after it and my own tongue was about to follow when I suddenly heard a cough.

"Keep it calm, you two!" It was Arias' voice. "I just healed some heavy injuries from you Niven, so at least replenish before you exhaust yourself!" He added with a chuckle.

I could imagine his grinning face and was proved right when he entered my field of vision. I was taken aback. "You can see Sorr'an, too?"

"Sure, he's not that tall, but not easy to overlook." Sorr'an growled a little with Arias words, but the Dhuran mage seemed unfazed by it. "You seem to think so also basing your actions -- or should I say interactions? I'm sorry, I didn't want to interrupt..." The smirk hearable.

I couldn't follow the happenings. "You're not a hallucination?" I asked Sorr'an.

He pinched my arm -- it hurt! "No, I'm all real." he answered.

"Oh... OH!" My eyes grew wide. "I'm sorry... For the kissing I mean."

"Oh? I'm not." He simply stated and while I blinked at him Arias broke out in loud laughter.

"You're not...?" I mumbled, dumbfounded.

"Okay Sorr'an, would you go to the kitchen and ask Gerald for a light meal and some juice for our patient? He should be able to eat and we need to feed him up soon. I will let you do the spoon-feeding, promise."

Sorr'an grinned and nodded and then vanished out of the room. "How... Why... What..." I stammered.

"Short version from me, he will tell you the longer one himself. He stood seven days after you started your journey in front of my door, looking all ragged and dirty. When he told me about the fire and that people in uniforms took you away after knocking you down I put two and two together. I hired Kip to free you and gladly he was able to do so. That's it." He moved closer and looked at me intently. "They look for you intensely and the word came that you were sentenced to death. What did you do?" I averted my gaze and Arias shook his head, poured me a goblet of water and held it to my lips, letting me drink. "Anyway, you have to flee soon. I can hide you here and I think they won't search with higher magic for you but it still is dangerous here. The rumors say you angered a noble."

"Lady Warlando."

"Fisania Warlando?" Arias groaned and I nodded. "You should choose your enemies better, Niven. Well, at least they don't have mages in their bloodline. But what did you do that she..." My mentor stopped talking when the door opened and Sorr'an came in with a tablet that had a steaming bowl of stew and bread rolls that were sliced and dunked in milk. The Katze man put it down and took the cup in his hand and started spoon-feeding me!

I glared at him. "I can eat by myself."

He grinned. "What a pity." Both men helped me into a sitting position and I started eating.

"We can talk about this later, if you want." Arias offered.

I ate half of the bowl in silence then shook my head. "No, it's fine." I put the bowl away -- remembering the happenings didn't help my hunger. I looked down. "I killed her cousin's servant. And a boy and an expecting maid." The silence was tangible and after some moments I gazed up into shocked faces. "I took a late walk, leaving Sorr'an behind at the Steel Keg. It was a confusing day and night and yeah... I had some booze and when I returned the inn stood in flames. People were just gawking and gaping, no-one tried to extinguish the fire or rescue the persons in the inn. 'Too late!' was their excuse. I knew Sorr'an was still in there and then I just did it." I looked into Arias' face. "I could suddenly see it. From all those peoples -- hundreds of connection points. It was scary but alluring and fascinating at the same time. I could build up a connection so easily but it was difficult to control them separately, so difficult..." Again I averted my gaze. "There was a power close by but I couldn't touch it though I felt its presence. And then people died but I couldn't stop. The power, Sorr'an in the flames, the control..." I pushed the bowl away and slipped back under the covers, shivering. "I'm cold..."

Arias sighed and murmured: "Too early... And he's not here..." A little louder he said: "Okay, you rest today and tomorrow, but then you have to go." Looking at Sorr'an he added: "He will need help." I wanted to protest but was silenced with a finger on my lips. "Even though he won't admit it. It will get dangerous, even more than before but I can't accompany him, so would you..."

"Sure!" Sorr'an replied... eagerly? It seemed so. Then I could feel his stare on me. "But only if he promises to not waste money on women anymore."

Arias looked amused and puzzled at the same time I huffed. "You know, I am here and conscious. You can talk to me -- you don't have to talk about me!"

"Okay, I will leave you love birds alone now. But Niven, your body needs rest and you had heavy injuries in your nether regions so keep it above the waist line." With this he left the room.

I looked the catboy who stood beside my bed. "Sorr'an... How have you survived?"

"Well, after you left," Was there a hint of reproval in his voice? "I laid down and thought a little. Then I could smell fire. First it was a faint scent but it wasn't the kind you use to make food or to keep warm. So I took your vest and climbed out of the window over the rooftop to the stable and climbed down on the street. Then the house already was on fire and I tried to find you on the huge square when suddenly lots of people close to the burning house started to move weirdly." Sorr'an lifted an eye brow. "Was this you?" I nodded. "Weird power... But yeah, they moved strangely and their arms and legs jerked. Then I could see people in uniform approaching a guy that wagged his arms and they knocked him down and the other humans just fell to the ground, groaning and moaning. I got closer to get a better look and it was you. I ran away..." The Katze man looked away. "They were too many..." He seemed... ashamed!

"Hey Sorr'an." The catboy looked at me. "You couldn't have achieved anything with fighting. But I'm here thanks to you, so you did the right thing!"

He nodded and sighed. "I got out of town, climbed over the wall that surrounded the city because everyone was in uproar. I tried to remember the way back and it was easy till I found the city. I got lost here, couldn't remember how to get to old man Arias' house. I met this boy you had a crush on."

"Kip?" I asked baffled.

"Yes, that is his name. I told him what happened and he helped me to old man Arias' house. He was then sent to save you. I wanted to go with him but he didn't want me to and old man Arias didn't want me to neither."

I smiled. "Kip works best alone most of the time."

Sorr'an huffed. "But I could have helped a lot. I am good!" I smiled and nodded at him. "Hey, what fruit are you?"

"What? I am human, not some kind of fruit." I replied puzzled.

"I know, but Kip said: 'In what kind of trouble is the fruit this time?' when old man Arias asked him if he could help. And later, before he left the town to get you, he meant that 'the fruity idiot isn't worth the trouble'. So I wondered what kind of fruit you are."

I gaped at him for a moment, but then laughed which I regretted because it did hurt a little. "Don't mind him, he talks queer... I mean quirky sometimes."

Sorr'an didn't look convinced but then shrugged it off. "Well, I wouldn't mind if you're a fruit. I'd like to lick and nibble at you..." He smiled and gently rubbed his knuckles over my cheek and I shied away from the touch. He furrowed his eyes brows. "What? Are you afraid of me? I helped saving you!"

"I know..."

"You did this magic for me! Tried to save me from the flames!"

"I know..."

"You kissed me when you woke up!"

I felt the blush creeping on my face. "I know..." I mumbled.

"So what?! You don't have any interest in me?!" The Katze almost shouted, obviously really pissed.

"It's not that... I don't know..." I felt helpless, confused about myself.

Sorr'an took a long breath, calming a little down. "You don't seem to be a hesitant man, Niven." He bent forward a little, his face closer to mine, a small smile playing on his lips. "I talked with Arias about you." The hint of a smile developed in a wide one.

I squinted my eyes suspiciously. "What did he tell you?"

"That's a secret." He winked at me. "But Niven... You look at me with this hint of longing and hunger in your eyes, you ogle my ass, you rescued me when I was hunted, you helped with this... problem... when we met this Welf guy, you wanted to get me out of the flames and you kissed me when you thought I were an illusion. But when I stand before you, approach you and try to get close to you, you scuttle off like a little rabbit." I wanted to protest -- I am no bunny! -- but he silenced me with a short peck. "I told you, relax and let things go their way."

I was stunned for a moment but then I smiled. "Are you always that straightforward and blunt?"

To my surprise (and joy, I admit) the catboy blushed and his ears twitched nervously. "Normally... I don't know..."

"I like it." I winked to him. "So okay... I will try to relax and see what's happening." The bright smile I got in response quenched the uneasy feeling that started to grow in my stomach. "So, what's going to happen?" Sorr'an laughed and then leaned down, kissing me long but almost innocently. When we parted I regretted it a little and murmured: "Tease!" The Katze man chuckled but got up nonetheless and I felt tired all of sudden. "I'm sleepy..." I whispered.

"Okay." Sorr'an nodded, took the tray and left the room.

Well, that was a quick and a little loveless. I closed my eyes and started to drift into sleep when the door opened and I saw the catboy enter the room again, a cup of milk in his hand, emptying it that moment. He placed the empty beaker on a table, licked his milk-moustache off and then unceremonially undressed till his gorgeous naked body was on full view and slipped under my sheets, reminding me very effectively that I was naked under them, too! "What... What are you doing?"

Jiggling till he lay half on top of me Sorr'an arranged a pillow so that he could place his head beside mine, his face almost pressing in the nook of my neck. "You said you were cold. I don't like cold. I'll help you to get warm, because I am hot."

'Oh yes, kitten, you are!' I thought. Well, what could I do? I rested my arm on his upper back and strangely his warmth seemed to reach something deep inside me. Sleep came fast this time.