Tuatha's Children By Bert McKenzie Copyright 2011
Chapter 4
"Graphics Industries, how may I direct your call?" a pleasant voice answered the phone.
"I would like to speak with Russ Stanborn, please," Rayel told the operator.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Stanborn retired a few years ago."
"What about Jane Senecal?"
"She no longer works here."
"Do you remember Rayel Granger?" the man asked.
"Rel Granger? Yeah, I've heard that name. He was kind of a weird guy who used to work here a long time ago. I'm sorry, he's gone too. If you tell me what you want I'll see if I can connect you to the right department."
"Can you tell me what year this is?" the man asked.
"Yeah, it's 2011."
"2011?" He repeated as he slowly hung up the phone. It had taken him forever to find a pay phone and then he had to search in his bag that he brought with him to find the human coins that would make it work. He first tried directory assistance in Kansas City, but they had no listing for his wife. Then he tried directory assistance for St. Louis but they had no listing for his mother in law. Finally he tried his old job in Kansas City. He asked some people on the street where they were, but they only seemed frightened by the strange man with two little boys asking odd questions. "I think we had best leave this place quickly before someone calls the police."
"What are the police?" Roon asked.
"They are like the palace guards, but not as nice," he told the boy.
"Cannot we just go home?" Raven whined. He was over the adventure and wanted to be home with his parents. He was growing more frightened by the hour. They had walked quite a distance and he knew he couldn't find his way back to the hole in the wooden building alone. Roon seemed to still be enjoying the adventure of walking around in a strange land.
"We will go to Kansas City and find my wife and son," the older man said.
Sharon had just finished her examination of the two men when suddenly the doors of her office burst open. Rood had left her a short time before, but now he jumped through the open doors with Akuta at his side. They both had swords drawn and quickly crossed the room, each one holding their weapons to one of the strangers. "What the hell is going on?!" Sharon screamed in English. "Rood, what do you think you are doing?"
"I protect you," he replied in a cold voice as he held his blade to Jeff's throat. "Make no move, night walker, or I shall separate your head from your shoulders."
"Jeff!" Willow shouted, but Akuta jabbed him slightly in the ribs with his sword.
"Don't hurt him!" Jeff shouted back.
"Are you two insane?" Sharon asked, totally shocked by the hostile nature with which her patients were being treated.
At that moment Robin, Scott, Alex and Jayron stepped into the room. Jayron nodded to the king. "That is the human who helped to save me, the night walker."
Jeff looked curiously at Jayron for a moment, then spoke, "Jayron, is that you?"
The stable master understood his name, but none of the rest of the sentence. He simply nodded to the man with the sword at his throat. "What the hell's going on here? These men are my patients. I will not have my office disrupted like this!" Sharon said, anger flashing in her eyes.
"My apologies, physician," Robin said, bowing to her. He then turned to Rood. "Put him in the dungeon for now. I shall deal with the boy." Rood and Akuta grabbed Jeff and dragged him out of the room. Willow started to react, but Robin stepped over to grab him, holding him in place.
"What's going on? Where are you taking him? We didn't do anything!" Willow shouted.
Robin forcefully pushed the boy down onto a bench and then sat beside him, looking into his eyes. "Calm!" the king said. Almost instantly Willow began to calm down.
"What is the meaning of this?" Sharon demanded.
Robin glanced at her with an intense look. "You shall calm too!" he ordered.
"That fairy shit doesn't work on me, mister. You tell me what the hell is going on," she demanded.
Scott could see the anger boiling in his companion. No one talked to the king in that fashion. Scott quickly stepped to her side. "Maybe we should sit down," he said quietly.
"Sit down, my ass. You come barging in here and abduct one of my patients..."
"Lady, he is the high king..." Jayron said.
"I don't care if he's the effing president," she replied. "This is my hospital and I expect some courtesy."
The anger that was smoldering in Robin's eyes seemed to die down. "Lady," he said in a cold voice, "we are attempting to ascertain if you and the rest of the kingdom are in any danger. Would you please sit and be calm." Finally, Sharon dropped to the chair behind her desk.
Robin stared deeply into the eyes of the boy sitting beside him. "Who are you?" he asked in a calm yet intense voice.
Willow almost fell into those twin pools of green. They weren't the same intense green as Jeff's, but they held the forest in them. He found himself unable to resist. "I am Willow Granger," he replied.
"Who is your companion?"
"He is Jefferson Smythe," Willow answered again.
"What is he?"
"He is a human."
Robin seemed a bit confused, but continued on. "Is he not a night walker?"
"Not any longer. We came here so he could be cured."
"What mean you, cured?"
"He told me that if we came to this magical land, he would turn into a human and no longer be a vampire. Since we came here, he can now go out in the sun and he has eaten real food, and even gone to the bathroom."
Robin turned away to look at Sharon. "Lady, you examined these two?" he asked.
"Yes," she answered.
"What found you?"
"Well the man you dragged away appears to be a healthy young man of about twenty or so. He's a human as he said. This one is indeed part fairy. He has human characteristics as well as some fairy characteristics. In fact, he seems to be about the same as Raven."
"Your companion, the night walker..." Robin said to Willow.
"Would someone tell me what a night walker is?" Sharon asked.
"A vampire," Scott said. Sharon looked at him for a moment and began to laugh. "No, really, I'm serious," Scott insisted.
Sharon quickly sobered up. "You mean, they really exist?"
"According to the legends, not in your world," Willow answered.
"But he was a creature of evil, living on the blood of humans," Robin argued.
"You don't even know him," Willow said angrily. "He is a kind and considerate man. He only drank blood because it was the only way to exist. He didn't kill people to get it. Some of the time he drank pig's blood and some of the time, he got it from a company, like a blood bank or something, you know, from willing donors. He's a good person."
"What are you to him?" Robin asked, looking back at Willow.
"He's my lover," the boy answered.
Alex snickered for a moment. "You know, this place draws more queers than a Barbra Streisand concert."
"What are you going to do to Jeff?" Willow asked plaintively.
"You are sure he is human? His heart beats in his chest?" Robin asked Sharon.
"Yes," she replied. "He's definitely human and definitely alive. He's not some animated corpse. I can tell the difference," she said with a quick glance at Alex.
"Then we shall release him," Robin answered. "However, for your own protection, and ours, I think it best that the two of you have ... sponsors."
"Sponsors?" Willow asked.
"He means guards," Alex smirked.
"And I can think of no one better suited to the job than Alex and Akuta," the king continued.
"What?" Alex said, turning back to Robin.
"My love," Robin said, addressing Scott. "Would you accompany this boy and your friend to the dungeon with my release orders? Inform Akuta of his duties, that he and Alex are to stay with these two. They are to have guest chambers in the white tower, but Alex and Akuta shall stay with them in their chambers."
"And how long do we have to be babysitters?" Alex demanded.
Robin stood, looking him in the eye. "You were not very successful, the last time you had that duty. Let us see if you can discharge this one with more skill. When you have proven yourself, I shall release you from that assignment." Robin then looked at Scott. "Speaking of this babysitting duty, who is watching our son?"
"Um, that was kind of Rood's idea. He assigned Rayel to watch the boy and I assigned Roon to watch the old man. We thought they would be so busy watching each other, neither would get into trouble."
Robin stood, anger showing in his eyes again. "And thought you this a good idea? How often have you listened to the ideas Rood develops?"
"Maybe I should go find them," Scott suggested timidly.
"I shall find them. You take these two to the dungeon," Robin said, gesturing to Willow and Alex. "Go quickly before I decide to have all three of you locked in there." The three men quickly exited the office.
"Come on," Sharon said as she stepped around the desk and took Robin by the arm. "I'll go help you find the kids."
"Only one child," Robin corrected her.
"I wouldn't be so sure," she replied. "Where there's one, there's the other."
Jeff was sitting quietly in the small cell when Scott, Alex and Willow entered down the hall. "Jeff!" Willow called out as he hurried to the barred door. "Are you alright?"
"This isn't the first time I've sat in a cage," Jeff replied, slowly standing up.
Akuta came along behind Scott and Alex. He slipped a key in the lock and opened the door. "You are free to go," he said in English. Willow didn't wait but ran into the cell, hugging his lover.
"So I take it you have quite a story to tell us," Scott said as the two walked out of the cell and into the corridor.
"I'm not so sure," Jeff replied. "So far I haven't found this the most hospitable of places."
"I hope we can remedy that. Akuta and Alex will take you to guest chambers where you can refresh yourselves and rest. We will meet in the large dining hall in a few hours and I'm sure you will see we can be quite hospitable."
"Good," Jeff replied. "I am starting to get hungry and I wouldn't want to bite anyone on the neck." Akuta and Alex both looked alarmed. "Just kidding," he replied. "I'm on the wagon."
"Wagon, what wagon?" Akuta asked.
"It's an expression," Alex remarked.
The five of them walked down the corridor and up the stairs to the main level. As they were crossing the great hall they were met by Jennifer and Caseldra hurrying toward them. Jennifer was another human, an old friend of Scott's. Caseldra, her lesbian lover was the daughter of the court wizard. They quickly joined the group. "The boys are missing," Jennifer blurted out in haste.
"What? Again?" Scott asked exasperated.
"Scott, this time it's serious. That strange man took them out of the castle. The gate guard confirmed it."
"We were on our way to the stable to ride out and join the search," Caseldra told him in Tuathan.
"Shall we go as well?" Akuta asked.
"No," Scott replied. "All we need is half the palace riding out after them. Why don't all of you stay here and I'll go."
"Robin, Rood and the rest of the guard have already gone out," Jennifer told him as he turned to head out the doors and toward the stables.
"Let us go find my father. He may have a solution," Caseldra suggested and the two girls turned down a corridor toward the wizard's chambers.
"Well what do we do now?" Willow asked.
"We shall start by taking you to your guest chambers," Akuta suggested. "Then we must find you more comfortable attire. Human clothes are just too confining." The guard and Alex led them up the stairs to a corridor and down the hall to a guest room. Inside the found a sitting chamber with a balcony and two separate chambers with reclining platforms covered with soft furs. Alex showed the two guests to a large bathing chamber off the main room and suggested they clean up in the pool. He showed how to pull a small chain that would heat the water coming into the pool. While they relaxed and refreshed, Akuta went to find them some Tuathan clothing, belted tunics and soft boots while Alex relaxed on the balcony and watched the activity in the courtyard below. He worried about the kids but was sure they would be found shortly.
Willow quickly divested himself and stepped down into the bathing pool. It was a small pool of running water, about the size of a hot tub, but deep enough for a man to stand in and be immersed up to his armpits. He relaxed back against the wall as he watched Jeff slowly remove his clothes. When the two of them were both naked and standing in the warm water, Willow hugged his lover, placing his face against Jeff's bare chest. "I can't believe the last two days, coming into a fantasy world only to have you thrown in a dungeon and then sent to this chamber that looks like it was designed for royalty."
"Well, I promised you an adventure. Is this too much?" Jeff asked as he rubbed his lover's back.
"I don't care what happens to us, as long as we're together."
"I said I wanted to grow old with you, but I didn't imagine we'd be killed so quickly after I became human."
"No one is going to kill you!" Willow said emphatically. "If I have to take on that whole palace guard group, I'll make sure you survive."
Jeff laughed and traced his lover's lips with his finger. "I believe you would," he said. "But let's just see where the next few days take us. Who knows where we'll end up." They kissed and Jeff felt a familiar stirring in his loins. "Um, Willow," he said as his lover continued to kiss him. "How are we going to do what I want to do with those two guards right outside the bathroom door?"
"Don't be silly," the boy replied. "They're gay. They must understand." The two climbed the steps out of the pool and spread towels on the floor. Willow knelt down and began by taking Jeff in his mouth. In a few moments they were both on the stone floor making love on the towels.
"Maybe he is a night walker," Akuta said as they heard moans coming from the bathing chamber. "Perhaps he is feeding on the boy. I think we should go in there and save him."
Alex just sniggered. "Akuta, love, listen to those groans. I don't think anyone needs saving right now unless one of them is a virgin and trying to save that."
"You mean...they are..."
Alex smiled as he reached under his lover's tunic. "I think it sounds like it, pretty obvious to me. Why don't we make the most of our time as well."
"But my love, we are supposed to be watching those two."
"Kinky, you want to watch them?
"I'm not sure I know what you mean, but from the state of this, I can sure tell what you want," Akuta said as Alex continued to fondle his lover.
"Come on, I need to have that inside me." He stood and took Akuta's hand, leading him into one of the chambers and pulling him down onto the reclining platform.
"But what if they..."
"Shut up and suck me!" Alex demanded as he slipped his tunic off over his head.
Several minutes later, Jeff and Willow were drying off from their second bath, and slipping into the tunics that Alex had left for them. "This feels funny," Jeff complained, "like I'm wearing a dress. And they didn't leave us any clean underwear."
"I don't think they wear underwear," Willow replied. "But wow, that sure makes you look hot." Jeff's tunic had a long narrow opening down the front, nearly to his navel and had lacings that tied it together. Willow stepped over and helped him lace it up, then fastened the belt around his waist. "You would make any fairy cum in his pants," Willow remarked.
"Except they don't seem to wear pants," Jeff grumbled. A minute later, the two from the human world were dressed the same as any other Tuathans. They stepped out into the outer chamber and looked about for their guards. "I wonder where they went?" Jeff asked and the two stepped over to one of the inner chambers. Willow pushed open the door and he and Jeff stepped in, only to be stopped by what they saw. Akuta was naked and in the process of making love to his partner on the reclining platform. Alex turned his head and smiled at the couple.
"Um, um, excuse us," Jeff said, quickly backing out of the room and pulling his lover with him. "I think we better wait in here," he said as they went into the other inner chamber.
"Well we definitely don't have to worry about any anti-gay prejudice here," Willow said as he laughed and pulled his lover down onto the reclining platform beside him. "The king has a gay human lover and it appears that some of the guards are gay as well. I think we'll fit in very well."
"I don't know. There's something very uncomfortable about all of this," Jeff said.
"Oh shut up and kiss me."