Part One
Kadec used his finger to push the willing twig of a bush to the side so that he could peer across the pathway. He was hiding along the stone wall which marked the border of his father's estate. Really, a part of him wished he was on the other side of the thick barrier, free from danger. But there was no way to climb it or cross over without using the gated exits, and right now that was not an option. The other part of him wanted to stay. It was his home after all, and his family was in danger. His entire life and everything in his world that made up his existence was being destroyed. Right now, as he crouched in hiding between the bush and the wall, he could feel the emotions threaten to seize his mind and overwhelm his sense of survival.
One would think the boy was just playing a game of hide-and-seek, if it were not for the screams and cries of men and women who were being raped and murdered all around him.
There was a dull thump from behind and a mild vibration of the ground under the balls of his leather shoes. Kadec gasped, being startled, and whirled around to see what it was. Of course he was going to yell out, thinking that he had been discovered by a Midilan, but the hand that quickly covered his mouth prevented his instinctual cry. It was good enough, because Kadec's silvery-blue eyes met the steely gray gaze of Braiden, his best friend. It was ok! It was only Braiden...
"Shhh.." Braiden cooed through his lips while his hand fell away slowly from Kadec's mouth.
Kadec's heart was racing, but he managed to keep his voice at a low whisper. "Have you seen my father? Or mother; any of my brothers and sisters?"
Braiden broke eye-contact, shifting his gaze away and even turning his head to the side. Kadec thought he had seen sadness in those eyes before the face turned away. Now, Braiden shifted to Kadec's side and pulled back some of his own twigs to look out across the garden's walk-way.
Was he not going to answer?
Kadec rose his free hand and laid a palm on his friend's shoulder. "Braiden?"
"Give me your necklace." Braiden said flatly, turning his eyes back upon Kadec.
"What?" Without thought, Kadec's hand fell from Braiden's shoulder and turned towards his chest to grip the gold medallion hanging from his neck. It was pure gold, marked with brilliant topaz and fashioned into the crest of his family. Kadec was royalty. In fact, the boy was a prince; one in five to be exact, with him being the third oldest.
"You heard me." Braiden said inching closer, giving Kadec no room to believe he was joking.
Kadec inched away. "No." His eyes had narrowed upon Braiden, but even he could feel the wavering windows of confusion, hurt, and alarm that claimed them. Braiden was, by birthright, a nobody. But that did not undermine his calling in life. Braiden was Kadec's best friend for a reason; no one knew Kadec as well as Braiden did, and no one could separate the two boys.
Braiden did not even flinch to back down from the prince's refusal. It was almost anticipated. "I will not ask again Kadec. Give it to me."
"You are crazy Braiden! I will not." Kadec quickly darted back with a raised tone, enough to give away their spot of hiding.
Braiden grabbed forward for the necklace to take it by force but Kadec hit his hand away, shuffling backwards at the same time. Braiden then lunged forward, knocking the prince backwards to the ground. He quickly straddled his recovering friend, and just as Kadec started to struggle against being pinned, he drew back a fist and punched him across the jaw. It knocked Kadec's chin to his shoulder, shrouding his vision in darkness and freezing his senses in pain.
Braiden lifted the necklace from Kadec's neck quickly, and then leapt off of his pained friend. He threw the chain around his own neck and dropped the medallion against his chest as if it were his own crest. Smugly he looked down at the prince before turning to walk away. It always irritated him when Kadec acted stubborn.
"Braiden!" Kadec could taste the iron essence of his own blood where his friend had punched him. Braiden was not stopping either, but continued to walk away. "Braiden please!"
It was the hurt in his plea that made Braiden stop. He turned to find Kadec's watery eyes locked on his, and it was enough to wrench his heart like it always did. With a sigh of reluctant give, and a wary gaze that flashed over the garden, Braiden returned to Kadec quickly. He straddled him one again and wrapped his arm passed his neck to grab a fistful of Kadec's hair, which was a brilliant white against his fleshy fingers. Kadec winced underneath Braiden, and nearly shut his eyes from the pulling pain. Braiden tugged his hair fiercely though, "Look at me Kadec."
Kadec almost whimpered, but opened his eyes to look at his friend.
Braiden gritted his teeth. "You know what I meant. Look at me!"
This time Kadec did whimper, but he gave Braiden what he wanted. Through his eyes, Kadec opened up his soul and gave his friend that intimate link that had sealed their friendship long ago. It was a magical bond that intertwined souls; accessible only through the eyes of the royal Lalithite race. It was why his family was being hunted down, why his people were being exterminated, and why his race was being driven into extinction.
Braiden's entire demeanor softened when Kadec opened the depths of his eyes and gave him that soul-link. It was like a drug he couldn't get enough of. Many times Braiden had sat and wondered what was better; an orgasm of exploding seed, or the magic in his prince's eyes.
He gave Kadec a smile of pleasure. "Let me do my duty." Everything was worth his prince; the opened link of intimacy fueled Braiden's assurance of this.
Tears welled up in Kadec's eyes. "Please don't. There has got to be another way. We can get out of here together."
"I'm afrad not."
"I won't let you do this. It is not your duty! Not yet it is not!" Kadec yelled, closing his link with Braiden to struggle against his pinning frame.
"There it is! There is the noise! Two boys over there!" Other voices shouted across the garden, and sounds of quick footfalls echoed in their direction.
Kadec did not stop though, and franticly struggled to throw Braiden off while trying to take back his medallion-crest necklace.
Braiden grabbed the wrist of Kadec's hand that threatened to break the links of chain on the necklace, and with his other hand he wheeled back before driving his fist into Kadec's face once again. This time, it was a harsh blow. Kadec fell limp against the ground unconscious, his fingers no longer straining for the necklace that Braiden had stolen.
Gingerly, Braiden leaned downwards until his lips brushed over his prince's mouth in a caring kiss. "Do not give in to them," He whispered to Kadec's sleeping mind, "We need you to carry us through."
Everything was ripped away from Braiden when rough hands landed on his back and pried him off of Kadec's unconscious form. The men were large adults, with grisly hair and barbaric features. They threw Braiden to the ground face down, and tied his hands unmercifully behind his back.
"Hurry and get the hood on this one." One of the men muttered impatiently. "I don't want those demonic eyes casting a spell on me."
Seconds later a black bag-like hood was pulled over Braiden's head, covering his eyes in darkness. The end of the hood was pulled down to his shoulders and his throat became snugly bound as they wound rope over and over again around his neck.
"Bring them both." The voice said again.