Part X
Curfew again in the demon city. Dusk, and its human inhabitants fled to
the precarious safety of their homes to face another long night of
terror, as the hunters descended on the city streets. In daytime, a
truce existed—they would be left alone to continue the harsh struggle
to find food, water, and a place that was safe for the night. There was
no longer power, and all services formerly provided by the city had
ceased. Surprising how quickly civilisation's veneer disappeared in a
city ruled by conquering forces. Food, for example, could be bought by
selling possessions, or oneself, and the population numbers of domestic
pets had plummeted. But the nights were by far worse in New York City.
A demon citadel now lay at the heart of the city, ruled by its Lord,
Azael, and he sent out squads by night to capture more delicacies for
his entertainment. Most did not last long, and the inhabitants of the
city grew used to the growing pile of bones at its gates. Some,
unluckier than the rest, more genetically suited for experimentation,
lived far longer. But the demons were careful to leave most humans
alive, to maintain their breeding stock.
Into this hell on Earth, Tiamat brought Alex Krycek.
She was a demon of considerable power, and demon protocol demanded that
she seek the permission of Azael before she took up residence in the
city. That or fight to the death. So leading Alex on a silver chain, she
walked confidently into the citadel, pausing only to let her alien ally
find another host. It wouldn't do to let Azael spot her deception, and
she wasn't about to let Alex out of her sight.
As always, when it released him, Alex felt a mixture of relief, sickness
and terror. The times when he was taken, used and discarded, he tried
hard to forget. The touch of its mind was so repulsive, and he had felt
it on more than one occasion shuffling through his mind like a pack of
cards, analysing data. He looked around him, trying to understand what
he saw. They were in a little alleyway, close enough to the demon
citadel that its blue glow lit the streets around him in eerie radiance.
He had fallen to his knees as the thing left him, and he watched, dazed,
as Tiamat held a struggling small demon in her coils. Almost before he
could move, the alien took over the hapless creature's body, and it
grinned mockingly at Tiamat.
"I shall scout this place and return to this spot in three days. Be
ready!" It vanished into the dark shadows of the alley.
She smiled. Then her golden gaze fell on Alex, who had been edging away
from her slowly. A suddenly human hand caught his chain and yanked on it
swiftly, pulling him closer. The other hand wove through his hair, and
wrenched his head back so that he was forced to make eye contact with
her. On the whole, he had found it safer not to do that. She was
viciously unpredictable at times.
"Trying to leave Alex? Not a good idea! Let me show you why!"
He was pulled along, helpless in the face of her superior strength.
They emerged into the surprisingly busy city street. But it was a demon-
made confusion of sights that he saw. Dozens of them, hurrying to
perform many tasks. Some dragged sobbing humans into the citadel, others
were equipped for fighting and killing, and some walked in the
surprising company of humans who they held possessively, and who
placidly obeyed their commands. By now he knew why. They, like himself,
were slaves who served as entertainment for their demon owners. And she
was right of course. There was no chance of escaping through the melee.
Reluctantly, he let himself be led into the citadel. And stared in sick
horror at the large pile of bones at the entrance. Hundreds, if not
thousands of them, of all sizes. Tiamat smirked.
"Azael has been busy!" She sounded as though she approved. A small pink
tongue flicked out, suspiciously serpentine, in a small sign of hunger.
Alex had seen several of her banquets, and could not completely control
the shudder that ran through his body. She felt the tremor through the
chain and laughed mockingly.
They passed through the arched gateway, and walked towards the audience
chamber, and Alex felt suddenly as if he were on the set of a big movie
about Nero or Caligula. There was an almost Roman decadence about the
place. A vast room filled by demons at their leisure. Most of them had
brought their own entertainment, pretty women and handsome men whose
eyes were dull with shock, even as they reclined on luxurious silks and
furs. Slaves, to be used by any demon who felt the need. Some even fed
their owners thankfully unidentifiable scraps of meat.
Tiamat moved confidently towards the centre of the room. There, on a
high dais, Azael sat, surveying his empire. Blue eyes turned their
glowing orbs towards Tiamat, as she advanced, and narrowed thoughtfully.
She stopped a few feet in front of the demon lord, and a swift pull on
his leash forced Alex to kneel before them. The demon lord leaned
forward, expression brightening with interest as he surveyed Alex. Then
he laughed.
"My lady Tiamat. Welcome to this place. Do you come to challenge me?"
Alex sensed her amusement.
"No Azael! But I wish to stay in your city for a while. Without having
to fight you."
The demon lord assessed her. Then an expression of satisfaction
appeared.
"Very well. You may stay. Perhaps we can come to some sort of
arrangement later." He rose from his throne and advanced down the stairs
so he was close enough to touch them. Alex sensed Tiamat tense. Then a
taloned hand reached out, not to her, but to grip Alex's chin. He was
compelled to look at the demon lord, as the fingers tightened cruelly
and squeezed, forcing his mouth open. Then the demon lord kissed him,
tongue plundering his mouth. He tasted of something vile and ancient,
that made Alex whimper in terror and struggle to get away. Knowing by
now that it was exactly the reaction that would arouse a demon, but
powerless to stop the soul-deep horror he felt. The demon lord released
him.
"Exquisite! You have an eye for beauty, Tiamat. Let me have him, and
I'll give you whatever you want here." She growled then, fiercely
jealous, to Alex's eternal relief.
"Mine!" she snarled. Alex inched closer to her, huddled at her feet,
then in ultimate humiliation, wrapped his arms round her knees, clinging
to her like death. He had never been so scared. Just a kiss, yet it felt
as though he had been violated. Tiamat's was a clean cruelty, compared
to what that demon wanted, there were things Alex saw deep in his
eyes......
Apparently his reaction pleased his mistress though, for a gentle caress
was bestowed on his forehead, and she shook her head at Azael.
"No! I will not give him up, even for you."
Azael frowned. Then his expression became calculating. "Then let him
dance for me. Beholding him gives me pleasure. Kulain's get, isn't he?
It amazes me that Kulain would let such a beauty out of his sight. He
always did have consummate taste. And you can feed if you wish!"
So Alex ended up on a small platform before the demon lord, clad only in
a few scraps of fabric, while Azael and Tiamat reclined on furs,
sampling tasty morsels, differences apparently forgotten. But every so
often, he would see the gleam of blue eyes, and know that he was being
watched. Hot glances that made him shiver .He wondered if Tiamat was
really deceived by Azael, he wouldn't have trusted the demon, ever.
Music was played from an ancient stereo, surprisingly modern choices.
And to his eternal humiliation, he was forced to dance before them.
He swayed in time to the sweet sounds of dance music. It had been a long
time since he had danced for anyone, even Mulder. A few visits to a
night-club last year. But it was surprisingly easy to lose himself in
the music, to move his body in time to it and forget his audience,
forget his mistress and her hated allies. To pretend he was alone or
with Fox. His head flung back, and he closed his eyes, moving his hips
in an instinctive rhythm, shaking his shoulders in time to the beat. He
was young and fit, and for once, he had an outlet for all the nervous
energy that was caused by his helpless frustration. One that didn't
involve Tiamat and her games. He surrendered himself to the beat of the
nameless disco music, and let it carry him away from that terrible place
for a short time.
He didn't see Azael's calculating expression. Kulain certainly knew how
to choose the most sensuous humans, there was an unconscious animal
grace about this one that stirred his blood. But the chance of revenge
on Kulain made him restrain himself. He saw the hunger for Alex and his
humanity in many other pairs of eyes in this place. Except his
lieutenant Gelissan, who watched, silent and impassive.
Time passed. Alex must have danced without a break for over two hours
without realising it. Eventually he began to tire, and opened his eyes.
The demon lord had disappeared, and Tiamat reclined asleep on her furs.
But his chain was fastened securely to the base of the pedestal and
there was no hope of escape. He sat tiredly on the base of the pedestal,
and surveyed the huge room around him. Apparently things got quiet here
at night, there were few demons left in the room, they were all out
seeking pleasures in the city.
Night was for hunting.
One demon however, hadn't chosen to do that. She wove through the demons
and slaves that still remained with a powerful assurance that warned all
but the most foolhardy that she was a power to be reckoned with. Amara.
And at her side walked a tiny girl with brown hair and hazel eyes. It
was impossible! The girl had to be her daughter, but surely she couldn't
be that old, it had only been months, and the child looked about three
years old. Before he could think to consider the wisdom of his actions,
he called her name, with only a swift glance at Tiamat to make sure she
wasn't awake.
Grey eyes turned to him in surprise, then narrowed as she recognised
him. There was no welcome there. In fact, there was a cold hostility, as
if he had intruded where he was not wanted. The words of greeting, of
supplication died unspoken in his throat. Then he got his first proper
look at the child, and he gasped in shock, as he realised why his
presence was so unwelcome.
He had gazed into identical hazel eyes for too often not to recognise
them, even in such an unexpected place. And it made him realise exactly
how well manipulated he and Fox had been. A tear crept down his cheek as
he shook his head in disbelief. And Fox Mulder's little daughter tilted
her head to one side in curiosity, those familiar eyes sweet and
strangely gentle, as she watched the strange slave cry.
Alex soon pulled his stunned mind together. Weakness wouldn't help. And
no-one had been harmed by Amara's actions. But it was appalling that a
child had been brought to a terrible place like this. He wanted to
gather up the child and flee this terrible place, then both of them
could find her father. And his recognition was obvious to Amara.
"Alex!" Amara was cold. "Speak of what you know and I'll have you
killed!" Then she leaned closer so only he could hear her, and her voice
softened. "The demons would have my daughter butchered if they knew who
her father was, do you understand?" She displayed her distaste. The
small girl smiled at him with Mulder's most appealing little smile
Alex nodded. "I won't put her at risk!" he whispered. For a moment she
considered his plight, then long fingers reached out to touch his
collar.
"If you swear to me that you won't tell Mulder, I'll help you." He gave
another nod. Then he felt a sudden heat in his collar that made him
gasp. The hated thing that kept his demon self at bay, the collar that
stopped him from shifting to escape was now slightly loose, no longer
fused to his skin.
"Wait at least three days before you try to escape!" she hissed. "It
must not be associated with me. There are alliances here that you know
nothing about, that I dare not jeopardise!"
Then she and her daughter left, the small girl turning just before she
left the room and giving him a tiny smile and wave, innocent and heart-
warming. She was the future of humanity.
He felt hope for the first time in weeks.
One day to go, and he was almost ready. The demon lord had granted
Tiamat the use of a small set of rooms close to the audience chamber,
and he had been happy to stay close to her. There were too many
dangerous demons close by who would be only too glad to take advantage
of an attractive but helpless slave. And there were worse things than
sex to fear in this place. Azael, for instance. Were all the blue eyed
demons as vicious and evil? There were demons here of many different
physical types, but only five or six different eye colours. He was
beginning to suspect that it was some kind of badge of allegiance. Or
perhaps a mark of their lineage. Tiamat spent a lot of time quietly
whispering to her fellow yellow eyes.
Prominently, there were no greens here.
In fact, the only green eyed demonkind he had ever seen were himself,
Mulder, Sean and Kulain. They were all products of Kulain's desires. The
insight that gave him into his former lover's character made him pause,
and he remembered the comment Kulain had once made about being
restrained. The other demons weren't, from what he had seen so far.
Idle speculation though, would not get him out of here, though knowing
he had to be careful with other kinds of demon was useful knowledge. He
began to use the time Tiamat spent with her kin to work on the
fastenings of his collar with a small length of wire he had stolen, he
thought it might be possible to undo the clasp with a little time and
patience, though it wasn't a type of lock that he was familiar with. The
longer she plotted with her own kind, the more time he could pretend to
rest, while he worked on the problem. Though he was expected to provide
certain other services for her afterwards, since his energy levels were
so restored. He didn't let it bother him, he was too close to escape for
that, and the hope was too strong now. His ready acceptance of her
demands surprised Tiamat, and she enjoyed the thought that perhaps he
was finally broken in to her service. She would have to think of a
suitable reward for him.
Then it all went wrong for Alex.
Success! After so long. Months of captivity were at an end. Alex stared
down at the two halves of the collar that had finally yielded to his
patient tampering. He had finally triumphed, taking advantage of
Tiamat's absence. His neck felt odd, chilled and no longer constricted
slightly by the metal. And within minutes, he could feel the demon part
of him beginning to answer, the hot rush of blood through his body
making him stronger, sweeping away the human weakness. It felt so
good. Surprisingly exhilarating. He was stronger than he had been
before, and he slowly stretched out his hands in front of him, letting
the change come, extending his talons for the first time in months.
Unexpectedly the doorway darkened, and Tiamat entered.
Alex didn't have time to conceal his hands, or the two pieces of the
collar. She stared at him, as stunned as he was by the unexpectedness of
the sight. The gift she had brought for him dropped to the floor. Her
lips drew back in a furious snarl, then she lunged at him, impossibly
fast. Instinct was all that saved his life, as he flung his arms up to
ward off her attack. And she was careless, trying for a capture and not
a kill. She collided with him with force enough to impale herself on his
talons, and howled in agony at the result. Long streaks of darker than
human blood ran down her flanks as she finally decided to kill him,
shifting to her serpent form. Coils far more deadly and strong in any
fight tried to wind round him and crush him like an anaconda. He flung
himself backwards and found himself dancing back on his feet to try and
avoid her attack.
"So much for love!" he yelled, deliberately trying to taunt her. His one
chance was if she grew so careless in her insanity, that she gave him an
opening.
It worked. Yellow eyes flared with malice, and she lunged at him,
heedless of his talons.
He was fast, but not fast enough. His talons impaled her in the neck and
she made a choking sound, her head sagging forward against him as yellow
eyes dulled. Then in one last superhuman effort, her head snapped
forward, jaws opening unexpectedly.
Alex felt a burning pain along his side, once, twice, then the light in
Tiamat's eyes departed completely and she fell dead against him.
For a moment, he could only watch in relief, as the coils slipped to the
floor and ceased to move. Then he became aware of the pain in his side.
With her dying strength, she had driven her fangs deep into his side,
and pumped a vast amount of venom into him. Already, he could feel the
ache beginning to spread through his abdomen, and he clutched uselessly
at the seeping wound. This wasn't the sort of place that had a medical
centre. Not that demon anti-venom would be in their stock of medicines.
But Kulain might be able to help..... Swaying with reaction, he made his
way to the door, and prepared to leave the citadel, if he could.
He made it, barely. He managed to sneak through most of the corridors
leading to the entrance without encountering a demon, most were out
hunting human prey. Then he had to wait, dangerously exposed, in a small
alcove near the entrance, for an opportunity to present itself. There
were no guards, so finally, he managed to slip out of the door. He was
almost caught outside, but ironically, it was the nearest pile of human
bones that saved him. He managed to duck behind them as another hunting
party arrived back at the citadel. The pain in his side was still
increasing, and he guessed that his hurried escape and his terror of
capture were aiding in the venom's spread through his body, as his
hammering heart pumped faster. There was a curious numbness in his
extremities now, and he felt oddly disorientated.
He ran down the shadowed streets as fast as he dared, trying to reach
the edge of the city. He could pretend to be one of the human vermin who
brought various supplies to the demons, if he could only reach the city
walls. Once outside, a single phone call would bring Mulder. He was so
close now. But the effects of the venom had correspondingly increased.
His path became more erratic, and he began to slow, finally pulling to a
halt and gasping in frustration.
His head was swimming with dizziness, his vision darkening as his body,
strong for so long, began to fail. There was a pain inside his head that
made him feel nauseous, and he knew he couldn't go much farther. There
were still at least twenty blocks to cover before he reached the edge of
the city, always assuming he didn't have to dodge more groups of
hunters, as he had done twice previously.
His knees gave way, and he fell heavily to the street, his wound jarring
painfully on the cold concrete. He tried to stand again, but his
strength had vanished, and it was all he could do to make it onto his
hands and knees. Distantly, he heard the sound of hunters howling at
each other in challenge.
No! Not now...... Not after I've come so far..... I'm sorry Fox! I'm
not going to make it back to you..... I wanted so much to hold you
again........ I love you! Always!
The basement window behind him gave way under his weight and he fell
soundlessly into the dark.
Azael was more than a little pleased with the latest news he had
received from his citadel, as he prowled the streets of Washington.
Kulain had given his permission for his rival to visit the Capitol. Well
technically an ally, but that was just a facade to keep the stupid
humans happy. He was definitely going to enjoy this. Taunting Kulain
about the loss of one of his pets, then giving him a few clues as to
Alex's present situation. It would be worth any danger to see Kulain
humiliated like that. He found his way to the entrance of Kulain's
pathetically small tower, and entered it casually. He felt the defences
test him, and then they were withdrawn. He was permitted to access the
Tower.
Mulder glanced up from his reading at the sound of someone entering the
main living area. He smiled automatically, for a moment, before he
realised that he was face to face with a total stranger, a young man
with piercing blue eyes and an amused expression. Mulder blushed. The
stranger moved towards him, and his appraisal was slightly unnerving.
"Beautiful! Just what I might expect from Kulain. His appreciation of
humans is unsurpassed."
Mulder realised that he wasn't exactly facing a man, not when he noticed
the slit pupilled eyes. So reminiscent of Ash, and his cruel lovemaking.
Mulder shrank back, unable to hide his fear and loathing, claws
extending involuntarily, and the demon seemed to take it as an
invitation to move in closer still.
"Azael!" Kulain warned the demon lord. Regretfully Azael ceased his
game.
"He smells delectable Kulain. So ready for sex. Do you train all your
pets to such high standards, I wonder. Spreading themselves for you
every night? And exactly how many pets do you have at the moment?""
Kulain snarled softly in warning. "Three!" he replied coldly. "The
humans have a saying—quality is better than quantity. You always did
prefer the easier option though, Azael."
Unexpectedly Azael laughed. "And is one of your beauties Alex Krycek?"
He was amply answered by Mulder's shocked gasp. "He's in my city.
Tiamat's toy now!"
Kulain deliberately frowned and pretended disinterest for a moment.
"Who?"
"He danced for me several nights ago. He has to be one of yours, he has
your eyes, Kulain. I hear that for a human he's quite fit. And that he
services Tiamat for hours at a stretch. Your training I presume, she
would never have the patience to build up a human's endurance like
that." Azael began to enjoy the effect his words were having. Kulain
lost control then, enraged, and the other demon suddenly found himself
pinned against the wall. He matched the push with his own strength, so
that the two of them stood braced, in opposition to each other, equally
matched.
"No!" Mulder screamed in desperation, and he grabbed at Kulain. The
demon released his opponent, and Azael fell back panting.
"You may never come into my city Kulain! Not if you want to maintain the
truce and protect your human friends. But I'll let your pretty pet come
any time!" he said, leering at Mulder, being deliberately ambiguous in
his choice of words.
Kulain's eyes were dark with anguish.
Azael found that evening's work most satisfactory.
The pain in his head told Alex that somehow he was still alive. It was
as if a small demon had taken up residence inside his head and was
clawing repeatedly at his brain, he could almost hear it chuckling.
Shut up stupid, you're hallucinating!
He was lying on his back in a filthy basement, on what felt like a pile
of sacks. Dimly overhead, a vaguely lighter square in the wall must be
the window he had fallen through. A faint light told him it was now
daytime, he must have lain there for hours.
There was an unreal quality to everything around him, a wrongness that
he sensed came from himself. He had to get to Fox, the thought was the
only thing that ran round his brain. But his limbs felt as if they had
turned to lead. It took an immense effort to try and raise his head, and
he immediately wished he hadn't. A white hot agony speared through his
head and he fell back again.
Something wet began to trickle down his face, and he inched his arm
upwards, eventually brushing at it, and trying to focus his eyes on the
back of his hand to see what it was.
Blood.
He was bleeding from his nose, as something in his head haemorrhaged. A
classic effect of many snake venoms was a tendency of the bite victim to
bleed out, as if affected by Ebola. It wouldn't stop and he turned his
head a little to try and stop the blood filling up his mouth and nose.
The pain made him faint.
A curious hallucinatory quality to the world around him, senses
sharpening so that the musty smell of the basement was a torment, mixed
with other, fouler odours of decay and corruption. The light made his
eyes ache.
.....But. There. Is. No. Light. The. Basement. Is. Dark......
The scrape of his cheek against the sacks was magnified a thousandfold,
and there was an intense thirst that consumed him. Dimly he knew that he
could smell water nearby, and instinct alone must have drawn him to it,
for he didn't know how he reached it. Only that he was lapping like a
dog at the ......wonderful...... dirty puddle that had formed under
the broken window, near him. Falling back, sated for the moment, though
still the fever burned.
....I should be dead...... Why'm I not dead....?
Thought receded like the sea, becoming increasingly unreal, more
incomprehensible. He was thirst and heat and light and breath and scent.
And hunger.
"No! I forbid it!" Kulain for once had lost his temper and was shouting
at Fox Mulder in the heat of his rage.
"What!" Mulder shook his head, incredulous. "What the hell do you mean
by that? Since when did I let you make all of my decisions?"
Kulain took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down and try to reason
with the stubbornest human in Washington. "You have to trust me Mulder.
Going to New York is a bad idea! It's not a place where humans can walk
about unchallenged. Besides, you're quite a tempting prize for any
demon."
Mulder glared at his lover. "You went to enough trouble to change me and
Alex into your personal toys! Why did you give us claws if you didn't
mean us to defend ourselves!"
Kulain glared back, unable to reply.
"Then it's settled. I go to New York to find Alex. You stay and sort
things out with Sean, he hasn't dared to show his face round here for
days."
Kulain capitulated. "Sometimes Mulder, I wish I'd made you placid and
obedient!"
Mulder grinned wryly. "And lose all the entertainment I provide? I don't
think so!"
"If you must do this, then spend the night with me first. Don't go while
I'm still angry with you."
Mulder moved towards his lover, and gently rested his hands on his
taller lover's shoulders. "I know you worry...... I'll be careful, I
promise."
Long taloned hands cupped his face gently, stroked aside a wisp of hair,
then a kiss was carefully placed on Mulder's forehead. Mulder reached
for his lover, and pulled Kulain closer, wrapping his arms around the
powerful torso, never wanting to let go. They stayed like that for a
long time, neither wanting to lose the closeness.
Was he crazy, risking everything he already had for Alex? It was a
terrible choice. But in the end, Mulder would always choose the
dangerous course. Wasn't that how he had got his life in a mess to start
with.
Kulain's lips began to stray down towards his lover's neck, and he
breathed in Mulder's scent deeply. Savouring his lover's warmth, the
sudden increase in pheromones, as Mulder realised the demon's intent,
and moaned softly in desire. Kulain bit softly at the tender flesh,
marking Mulder as his, and felt Mulder's cock become hard against his
leg. He increased the pressure, nudging the long thighs apart, so that
Mulder was forced to hold onto him tightly, or lose his balance. Then he
pushed his lover so that Mulder's back was against the nearest wall. He
pushed himself hard against his lover, so that Mulder could feel what he
wanted, the hardness pressing against his belly. Mulder moaned with
need, his breathing becoming hoarse and unsteady. Kulain was standing
between his spread legs, pinning him to the wall, disregarding Mulder's
desires in pursuit of his own. Maybe that wasn't such a bad thing,
Mulder wasn't sure he wanted to think about the future at the moment.
Taloned hands tore at his clothes, careful not to hurt him, but totally
indifferent to his expensive shirt. It certainly made sex faster. Mulder
couldn't protest, he was too busy kissing Kulain for all he was worth,
the fire inside him igniting beyond his control. With immense strength,
he felt himself being lifted, hands on his ass opening him, drawing his
legs up.
He was taken so thoroughly that it drove away all coherent thought, all
his senses overloading. His cock was almost painfully hard, and he heard
Kulain's murmured endearments, but had no idea what was said. It was too
much. He came, screaming Kulain's name, his vision dimming, and feeling
the hot jets of his own cum against his belly. The pounding pressure
continued, exquisitely stimulating. It set off another explosive round
of orgasmic pleasure. Then he felt the body against his shudder, and he
was filled in turn with Kulain's semen. And Mulder was impossibly lost
for a third time.
Much later, nestled together, he drew Kulain's fingers to his mouth and
brushed his lips over them, then leaned over and kissed his sleeping
lover. Then he slipped out of bed, groaning softly at the stiffness of
much overworked sets of muscles, and dressed. He wanted to leave before
Kulain woke, as he didn't want his lover to try and stop him again. He
dashed down to his sports car and was soon on the long drive to New
York.
Kulain had watched Mulder silently, pretending to sleep, for even his
Fox couldn't have successfully evaded his alert senses. It was better
this way. Perhaps he would be successful, he was unusually resourceful
for a "human", and knew the dangers to avoid. And like many of his kind,
the risk of the hunt was much appreciated. Of course, with all novice
hunters like Mulder, there must come a time when they left the nest.
And the prize was worth the risk.
Sean had nowhere else to go.
He stayed in the demon tower because it was the only secure place he had
left. The British government wanted to dissect his mind and body to find
out more about demons. His family had rejected him, and who could blame
them. And his only friend had gone off on some wild goose chase looking
for the man he loved more than any other. Sean was alone. Of course he
could always go to Kulain's quarters and spend the night being fucked so
thoroughly that he couldn't walk straight the next morning. That was one
option.
He rejected it.
All of the conflict he had experienced before Kulain had taken him that
first glorious time had returned. Seeing his lover exposed as he really
was might not bother Mulder, but Sean couldn't handle it. One advantage
of working on the x files that Mulder had never really considered was
that it made him more open minded. But Sean had been terrified by the
little glimpse of reality that he had been given. He had ran and ran,
finally huddling in the corner of his room, sobbing. Much later Mulder
had found him, and there had been such compassion in his face. But
Mulder really loved the demon. Sean didn't know what he felt any more.
Tired and scared. How could he have forgotten that terrible
visage......? The darkness he saw there?
Sean decided to get thoroughly drunk. It was at best a temporary
solution, but it would do for the moment. His enhanced metabolism would
soon burn the alcohol off anyway. He hefted the big bottle of vodka he
had liberated from Alex's possessions. Then put the mouth of the bottle
to his lips and drank deeply.
He coughed and nearly choked on it. Alex liked his vodka pure as hell
and full strength. No matter, it was even helpful; all he wanted to do
was get drunk as quickly as possible anyway. He took another swig. Then
another. And soon, he had lost count. He lay back on his bed and began
the slow descent to oblivion. He didn't feel it when the bottle fell
from numbed fingers, tipping and spreading its contents in a wet circle
across the floor. He was already far away.
At first it seemed like any other dream.
He was walking down the streets of what must be an American city, though
he didn't recognise it. Wide streets divided into typical city blocks,
flashing walk/don't walk signs, the glow of streetlights, oddly blue.
But there was something wrong. It was night, but there should have been
traffic on the roads, cabs, police cars, street cleaners. But there was
nothing at all. Not even the distant sound of traffic. The only movement
was the stirring of garbage in a slight breeze, pieces of newspaper
fluttering. Then he felt an increase in tension, as he travelled along
the street, almost floating......
He rounded the next corner and found himself in hell. Piles of grinning
skulls, polished white, grinned at him and piles of mixed human bones
towered above his head. There was a smell like a charnel house. His body
kept on moving, between the terrible mounds, into a vast building which
seemed to strangely twist as he looked at it, as if human perception
couldn't quite make sense of it.
Without warning he was now in a room, small and far too hot. A creature
lay dead on the floor before him. A snake with a woman's face, but one
he recognised. She had been dead for a long time, and her body was
bloated and discoloured from decomposition gases.
Alex Krycek materialised from thin air and stared at him with dead eyes.
"It's too late............" he whispered softly, then vanished again.
Sean realised that Alex had been crying.
Then the corpse before him stirred, and a blackened face leered at him.
Lips drew back from sharpened teeth, and a high mad laugh echoed inside
his head. Sean was frozen, unable to move.
"Too late!" she whispered, then her body dissolved into black ooze which
moved quickly towards him.....
He began to scream.
Kulain was worried about Mulder. It had gone against all of his better
instincts to let his lover go off in search of Alex, no matter how much
he loved the younger man. Did it make sense to risk both lovers? But
Mulder would never rest until Alex was in his arms again. Kulain sighed
sadly.
Then he heard the screams. He ran, taking the tower stairs three at a
time, running towards the source of the noise. Sean. The youngest of his
lovers was lying in his bed, eyes wide and unseeing, staring at some
unimaginable horror. His hands raised to try and defend himself vainly
against whatever was causing the fear. And the screams had turned to
whimpers of distress.
Kulain grabbed the bodyguard's shoulders and shook him hard. There was
no response. He quickly made a decision, and drawing back his hand,
struck Sean's cheek with the flat of his hand. He did it again. And
again. It was enough. Suddenly Sean was back, away from the terrible
place he had been to, staring dazedly at Kulain.
"Alex........... we're too late! He's not going to make it............
And..........the alien......" Sean's fragile control vanished as he
crumpled forward, sobbing in distress, clinging to the only support he
had. Kulain.
The demon gathered up his pitifully weeping human and held him close,
feeling the bodyguard's desperate need. He stroked his human's back and
shoulders, soothing the distressed man. It took a long time for Sean to
stop crying. Eventually, his sobs eased, and he just rested silently in
Kulain's arms, no longer trying to deny his feelings. Slowly he relaxed
into Kulain's arms. The demon leaned back onto the bed, drawing Sean
down beside him, still holding him tightly.
"How long have you been able to do that Sean?" Kulain sounded both
surprised and compassionate.
"What....?" Sean mumbled dully. He sounded exhausted, and the effects of
the burst of adrenaline he had felt was wearing off a body already
sedated by alcohol.
"Have dreams like that?"
"Always," Sean whispered, his voice slowly trailing away. "They always
come true......"
Kulain cradled the sleeping human close, chasing away any further
nightmares. In truth he was astonished. Sean showed every sign of being
strongly clairvoyant, able to dream prophetically. Useful to him in many
ways. But what about Alex.......? Were they really too late?
A rat scuttled towards the apparently dead body, and realised its
mistake too late, as a talon speared out, blindingly fast, impaling it.
For the next few minutes small satisfied growls accompanied the sounds
of crunching. A long tail was hurled into the corner of the basement,
other inedible remnants followed. The yellow eyed predator surveyed its
surroundings, then sank back onto its makeshift bed, hunger satisfied
for the moment. The small meal would go some way to restoring its
strength, then it would go in search of tastier fare. But it would
return to this place afterwards, the basement was safe and sheltered.
Of Alex Krycek, there was no memory.
INSTINCT :-
1. The innate ability of an organism to respond to a given stimulus in a
relatively fixed way
He often found himself watching them during the day when the demons were
at rest. The pathetic remnants of humanity who still dwelled in the
city. Their numbers were rapidly diminishing, for they were prime
material for slavery, and besides, the slightest bite or scratch from a
demon could bring disastrous consequences for the unlucky victim. Some
would become demons themselves, but most would become pathetic half-
breeds, gargoyles, doomed to labour under demon control, filthy and
repulsive. There were of course many human slaves, who were kept in
prime condition as status symbols among the demons. He watched them all.
He didn't understand his fascination with them, they were so inferior to
him. They couldn't move as fast, or scent their enemies on the breeze.
And they couldn't defend themselves when hunters attacked them. A poor
species indeed.
But there were many puzzling things about them that he didn't
understand. The way they babbled at each other about strange,
bewildering things. Half familiar, half frightening. Stirring yearnings
in him that he refused to face. Always touching one another, showing
their teeth at one another without fighting, and oddest of all, letting
water leak from their eyes. He watched them do that often.
Their buildings were a good source of food though, strange containers
that he seemed to know how to open, though he couldn't ever remember
learning. Not that he recalled much. His favourites contained the sweet
brown stuff that melted in his mouth, but he also loved the sticky
yellowish crunchy mess that he could scoop from its hard, brittle
containers with one taloned finger. Not that he found such treasures
often. Mostly, he had to rely on his hunting skills. One thing there
were plenty of were the rats. And in the meantime, he watched the
strangeness of the world around him and tried to understand it as best
he could.
Mulder had arrived late in the day in New York, and had immediately been
faced with a big problem. The Federal Government was erecting their own
new wall around the city, this time to keep the demons in, and the
humans out. A huge fifty foot high electrified fence that boasted dozens
of sentry posts and one central checkpoint. He could have told them that
it was a waste of time. Kulain could have passed through all their
defences with ease. And it would probably irritate the hell out of
Azael.
Mulder was, of course, instantly recognised, when he reached the
checkpoint. And so he received the rare honour of being escorted through
the military headquarters to meet the commander of the post, General
Crake.
"So! Fox Mulder if I'm not mistaken. Paying a call on your in laws? Or
maybe just looking for a bit of variety in your sex life?"
The General was less than subtle about his revulsion for a "traitor."
Mulder sighed. This was going to be more difficult than he thought.
"Look. I don't want any trouble. I need to go inside the city. It's
important! A friend of mine is in trouble in there." Mulder tried for
the reasonable, persuasive approach.
"You son of a bitch!" Obviously things weren't going well. "Lots of
people had families in the city! I've seen sights that would make you
run screaming back to your safe little haven in Washington! You're not
going anywhere!"
The door burst open at that point, which was probably just as well.
Mulder could feel his temper beginning to fray. A young soldier came
rushing in, more than a little panicked.
"Sir! The Lord of the city is outside! Demanding to see his guest, Fox
Mulder!"
Both soldiers then stared at Mulder.
"You move in exclusive circles, Mr. Mulder," the General said
resignedly. "I hope for your sake that you know what you're doing. I
wouldn't send my worst enemy into that city right now. Some of the
reports we've had......"
He was interrupted by a tremendous howling noise outside. Azael was
encouraging his group to make his displeasure known.
"Get him out of here!" Mulder was dismissed forthwith.
Azael was apparently determined to show Mulder how good a host he could
be, and was solicitous to the point of seeming like a used car salesman.
Slimy and oozing false charm. But still, Mulder couldn't see why this
particular demon should be considered so very dangerous. Deceptive,
definitely. Powerful, certainly. But deadly? Mulder had seen nothing
except a human seeming man, apparently about thirty years of age,
slightly smaller than Kulain, with the characteristic blue eyes. And of
course, a big sexual appetite, if those hot glances he was throwing
Mulder's way had any meaning at all.
Then he rounded a corner, and saw the blue demon citadel in all of its
radiant glory. The demon was quite an architect. He grinned
unconsciously at Azael, as they approached the gates. Though the city
surrounding the citadel was becoming ruinous, what was being built in
its place put Kulain's modest tower to shame.
"Impressive, if I do say so myself!" Azael smirked.
And so Mulder walked unsuspecting into the citadel. Just as Azael had
planned.
The predator spent most of his time at night prowling on the rooftops of
the city blocks near the Citadel of the demons. For one thing, the
demons rarely came to the upper stories of a building, preferring
enclosed underground spaces to the open air. And also, he had noticed
that he wasn't quite physically the same as they were. He had far fewer
scales, and his teeth weren't as long and pointed. He regretted this a
little, as they would have made a wonderful defence mechanism. But the
demons were far more clumsy in manoeuvring than he was, less able to
jump and run, though their speed matched his. In fact, from what he had
seen of his body in reflective surfaces, he looked more like a human. Of
course, they didn't have his long talons, or his physical prowess. He
was quite proud of the fact that in the end, he seemed to have the best
of both worlds.
So that was how he came to be on a rooftop overlooking the Citadel when
the demon lord of the city and his party came strolling up to the vast
gate. These demons despised human methods of transportation as inferior.
As it happens, he had been watching for a few days, puzzled at the
actions of the demons. For two days, they had driven out large numbers
of slaves, and had inexplicably begun clearing the area around the
Citadel of the grisly remnants of their slaughter. Then they had hosed
down and cleaned the area, even getting humans to finish the job with
street cleaning machines. He found that he despised the noisy, smelly
human machines as much as the demons did. And though the predator had no
memory of who or what he was, their actions sparked a fierce curiosity
in him.
The demon lord was in the company of a group of fellow demons, of all
shapes and sizes, though most of them were blue or yellow eyed. They
seemed subdued, for surely most of them would normally hunt a human or
two while in the outer city. Not today. In fact, they all seemed to be
focused on the central figure in their group, a single human, with a
mane of brown hair. But then he got a good look at the eyes. A
brilliant, emerald green.
There was a shock of recognition. A surge of familiarity inside him
which he was at a loss to explain. A memory of a time when, impossibly,
he was something else, more complete than he was now. Until that moment,
he had thought himself whole. And now he knew that he wasn't.
Somewhere, at a distant time in his past, he had known this human
before, had felt emotion for him.
All he could remember of the past was a time when there had been pain, a
terrible agony in body and mind. And before that, nothing. His instincts
had helped him to survive in this outpost of hell, but the human below
him stirred an unfamiliar feeling in him, that had to do with joy and
laughter, and a warmth that wasn't physical.
The predator realised that this creature was in some part as much of a
demon as the others. But somehow more like he was. Another of his own
kind. The watcher gave a small sigh. He felt lonely, though he would not
have comprehended how human that was. Deeply, inexpressibly lonely.
Brownhair was also beautiful, in a way that made his throat constrict,
and his heart pound. He moved with such grace and sensuality that the
predator growled softly in his throat at the thought of it. The demons
were also aware of Brownhair's beauty. He could scent their arousal even
from here. He had witnessed too many of their cruel acts in the past to
mistake their intent. Brownhair would be used and discarded, as
thousands of others in the city had been used. He might live, but that
would only be bad luck. To potentially be used again at a later time.
Couldn't Brownhair sense their duplicity, their hunger for him? His only
protection was the Demonlord's fickle whims. And he wasn't fooled by
the human guise of the lord of the city. The scent of vileness hung
about him like a shroud. A subtle hint of pleasures gained down dark
paths, from unwilling victims.
The lord of the city led Brownhair into the Citadel. The predator moaned
softly to himself in disappointment, and insatiably curious now, decided
to stay and wait for developments. Either Brownhair would come out of
the Citadel or he wouldn't, it was beyond the predator's power to
control. But he wanted to see more of that wonderful, beautiful
creature. The rock hard erection between his legs was his body's
inexplicable response to Brownhair, and rolling onto his back on the
flat rooftop, oblivious to the world, he let his hand slide down to take
care of it.
As Mulder entered the Citadel, just for a moment, he had sensed
something on the edge of his perception, a sound or a scent, he wasn't
entirely sure. But it had been so redolent of Alex, he had almost turned
and fled the Citadel to seek it out.
Mulder was escorted by one of Azael's minions to a large and luxurious
suite resembling a high class hotel. The only problem being that the
door was locked behind him. And no amount of rattling and yelling
persuaded the demons to let him out. He knew he had chosen the risky
option, but he hadn't quite anticipated becoming a prisoner quite so
early in the game. Well at least they gave him some fairly decent
quarters. He decided to take his mind off the subject by using the
wonderful bathing facilities to clean up after his journey, and plunged
into the deep tub with relish.
Azael spied secretly on his latest acquisition as Mulder relaxed in his
quarters. Kulain's protege was perfectly formed; a tribute, as always,
to Kulain's impeccable judgement. He had no idea how attractive demons
found him, that much was evident. Azael would take great pleasure in
educating him. A few sessions with groups of his minions would soon
teach Mulder how to be more deferential, and he would learn too, some of
the more exotic pleasures that Azael preferred. Mulder was a prize
indeed, exceptionally beautiful, but also a product of Kulain's
bloodline and carrying his unique DNA.
He clapped his taloned hands, and a pretty male slave was dragged in
front of him. This one was well used to his torments, which explained
his reluctance and terror. But the slave really didn't compare with Fox
Mulder. There was no challenge in using him. Azael was bored with this
one anyway, and when he had finished using the slave, broke its neck
with a casual twist of his hand. His chief servant, the demon Gelissan
had the body dragged away to provide more raw material for the army he
was creating. Already, five thousand soldiers awaited the call to leave
the city and plunder the surrounding countryside, in defiance of the
treaty. The problem now was how to betray Kulain in a really creative
way, for Azael was more than a little concerned with his own reputation.
And besides, his hatred for Kulain was all consuming, and clouded his
judgement. How much better it would be to complete the late unlamented
Tiamat's plans and have Mulder cause pain for his nemesis, weaken him
for the kill.
His body sated now, Azael felt safer in Fox Mulder's company. At least
he wouldn't immediately ravish the beautiful half-human. But it was time
for some psychological tactics. He would meet Mulder in his shifted
demon form. He concentrated, and became his true self, then called for
Mulder to be brought to him. And when Kulain was dead......... then
there would be time for more pleasant amusements.
Azael was utterly hideous in his true form. Even Mulder, accustomed by
now to the many varieties of demon he saw around him was stunned. Azael
was like a naked giant cast out of bronze as he reclined on his throne
in the centre of the audience chamber. He looked more reptilian than
anything else, with horns, a long pointed tail and scaled skin. His
hands and feet were massively clawed, and Mulder's eyes were drawn
irresistibly to the demon's massive sheathed penis, presently quiescent.
Irresistibly, Mulder found his thoughts comparing Azael to dinosaur,
massive and slow moving. But he knew the comparison was spurious, Azael
was deadly fast and dangerous.
The Demonlord patted a cushion by his side, and slightly embarrassed,
Mulder joined him. He soon decided that if Kulain ever decided to take
that direction in interior design, he would have to shoot him. He felt
like a slave. Which was of course the object of the exercise. The next
moment though, all thoughts of his discomfort were forgotten, as the
real slaves entered and began to perform for the entertainment of
Azael's many lackeys. Mulder tried hard to conceal his outrage at the
barbaric spectacle, but he found it difficult. Most of the slaves bore
signs of mistreatment, bruising and the stiff movements that betoken a
certain type of sexual ill-treatment.
Slavery on American soil again after more than a century of freedom.
Mulder couldn't help the sense of shame he felt. So this was what the
General had meant! No wonder he had been angry. He turned to Azael.
"How can you do this? Slaves! It's barbaric! If Kulain knew you were
doing this, he'd punish you. Surely you can see how wrong it is!"
Azael roared with laughter. What a naive creature this Mulder was. No
wonder Kulain enjoyed his company. The human stared up at him with a
mixture of bewilderment and outrage.
"Why did you come here Mulder, if it wasn't to bargain for one of my
slaves? I thought you wanted your friend Alex! I have him safe, for the
moment. But who can say how long I'll keep him that way, he's such a
tempting little slave. Especially when he dances naked for me......"
The lie of course was instantly believed by Mulder. Kulain's pet quickly
got himself under control and tried unsuccessfully to look penitent.
Mulder was more than a friend to Alex then, they weren't just fellow
bedpartners of Kulain. Then how much would Mulder risk for Alex?
"Spend the night with me, Fox Mulder, and I'll free your friend."
Mulder's eyes narrowed. It wasn't the sort of proposition he would fall
for twice in one lifetime. He remembered all too well what had happened
when Ash had taken him.
"No! You want me to forget everything and be your new slave. Like hell!"
Azael blinked in surprise. How had the human known about his favourite
trick? Unless of course he had seen it already. His beloved Ash had
often amused himself in that fashion. Was it possible that he had
encountered the beautiful Mulder. Certainly Ash would have found this
human a temptation. He resolved to question Mulder later. But in the
meantime, a psychological attack would keep Mulder off balance.
"You are a fool, Fox Mulder, to criticise me for a few amusements with
humans. Don't you know that your lover Kulain's crimes put all the rest
of demonkind to shame. He is the one responsible for the creation of our
species, the fall from what we were before. So he alone bears the guilt
for every being killed by a demon. And every demon on your world came
here with his blessing!"
Mulder shook his head.
"No! That's not possible........"
Azael let fly his most devastating response.
"Ask him. See if he denies it!"
Mulder stared at him in horror. Then he was running back to his room,
desperate to be alone, needing time to think. Azael was satisfied. Those
half-truths would destabilise Kulain's relationship with Mulder. But
still it was not enough to assuage his hatred.
He sent for his trusted lieutenant Gelissan. There was the small problem
of catching the unexpectedly resourceful Alex Krycek, before he could
bargain away his life. He gave orders for his lieutenant to search for
Krycek. Gelissan nodded eagerly, and went to do his bidding. He relaxed
with another human slave and amused himself by pretending that the
screaming man was Mulder. What fun to bite the screaming slave and take
him as his body started to rot at an accelerated rate.....
Ever since he had seen the beautiful Brownhair go into the Citadel, he
had been haunted by the strangest dreams. He was of course desperately
lonely, but surely that couldn't explain how Brownhair kept appearing in
his dreams. Laughing, as his body lay draped across the predator;
sobbing as the predator's strong arms went around him; walking through
strange places together, fingers entwined. As he thought about it the
predator couldn't help but notice that the things that he did in the
dreams and the way his body looked were completely different from his
life in the city. That last dream about fingers! What a nightmare!
Apparently he was a human in his dreams. He shuddered. Who would want to
be one of those helpless weaklings? And yet it had been so good in the
dream to trace those strange fingers across the human's skin, to hear
him moan and beg. He tried unsuccessfully to ignore his tormenting
thoughts about the human.
But to be with object of his desire. To see Brownhair smile as he had in
his dreams. To touch that body, to feel it in his arms. He flung his
head up, and regardless of the danger, howled his pain to the skies.
Only humans cried. The wetness on his cheeks must be something else.....
Mulder hadn't slept much that night. He was haunted by the thought of
what Azael had implied. He had known moments of doubt in his
relationship with Kulain, but they had always managed to work through
their differences. The demon had always been there when Mulder needed
him, and when their relationship was good, it was one of the most
glorious things in his turbulent life. Azael was a congenital liar of
course, if he was even half as duplicitous as Ash had been. Kulain had
implied that he was ten times worse. Restless and unhappy, Mulder
finally decided to try and sneak out of this gilded prison room and try
to take a look around the citadel. He shifted, and went to the door.
His new strength easily wrenched the door open when he applied himself
to pulling the handle, breaking the lock into splinters at the same
time. Azael obviously didn't suspect how good an adaptation Kulain had
given to his pets otherwise Mulder wouldn't have been so poorly guarded.
Sneaking down the featureless dimly lit corridors was an exercise in
familiarity. He seemed to spend half of his life in clandestine
operations like this. Then he rounded a corner and decided that this was
one thing he had never seen in his wildest nightmares. He took a few
moments to void the contents of his stomach, and a considerably longer
time to compose himself.
There were stairs leading down into a vast underground cavern. And in
the best Lovecraftian tradition, before him was a scene from hell,
strangely reminiscent of a painting by a Cubist or Modernist painter.
Human body parts lay in vast piles, and were being reconnected and re-
animated by busy demon workers. Just not in ways that made any sense to
humans. Vast shambling and flying creatures whose raw material was......
He vomited again and fled up the steps he had so recently descended.
That carnage was created and overseen by his genial host. No wonder
Kulain despised him so much.
But his heedless flight had its consequences. He reached the top of the
stairs and found himself facing a very surprised and annoyed Azael.
"Why do you need those things?" Mulder spat at his captor. "You bastard!
Haven't you done enough to humans while they were alive, do you have to
desecrate their dead bodies too?"
Azael smiled coldly at his prisoner. Mulder was held in the strong grasp
of two big demon guards.
"If only you had taken up my offer, Fox. Now I have to persuade you in
a different way!" He addressed the guards. "Take him to my personal
quarters and have him made ready for me." He smiled in anticipation and
patted his struggling new pet's cheek.
"I'll kill you!" Mulder screamed. The terror of last year returned at
full force. He wouldn't let himself be touched again like Ash had......
The threat just slipped out, and then it was too late to take it back.
"You're not having me! If you touch me I'll slit your throat like I did
to Ash!"
Azael's head whipped round, his blue eyes flaring in disbelief. Then he
howled in a terrible grief, his body altering to demon form again, and
his claws fully unsheathing six inches long and wickedly sharp.
Mulder realised that he should have kept his mouth shut. Azael hadn't
known Ash was dead. Until now!
A huge hand closed round Mulder's throat, tightening so that he couldn't
breath. He was shaken fiercely. The horned head came within inches of
his.
"Human! You will die a thousand deaths and more beneath my hands. And
you will beg for death until your throat bleeds from screaming. You will
never see your precious Kulain again, and when I find your little
companion Alex, I will let you watch while I break his body in two."
At a signal from Azael, the two guards began to drag their uselessly
struggling captive away. And when they reached their destination and he
saw what awaited him, the only thing a terrified Mulder could think of
was that at least Alex was free.
The being who had once been Alex Krycek was sleeping, curled up on a
rooftop, relatively safe in the daytime, and content to bask in the
warmth of the sunlight. Until he heard the commotion from inside the
Citadel, and began to suspect that something was wrong. Slyly peering
towards the source of the sound, he saw demons boiling out from the
Citadel into the sunlight. They stood blinking uncertainly, trying to
block the light from their sensitive eyes and cowering away from the
entranceway in fear. Only one being could have scared so many demons.
Azael himself must be in a towering rage if so many of his minions were
prepared to face the despised daylight to avoid his notice. Squeals and
bellows from those too slow to avoid the demon lord's wrath came from
within, and the watcher sniggered to himself at their plight.
He had been keeping vigil there for many hours, waiting hopefully for a
sign that Brownhair still lived. Perhaps he had it. Only an enemy's
victory could have made Azael so furious, and the watcher couldn't
imagine the being he desired actually co-operating with Azael. His own
degree of trust for Brownhair was incomprehensible to him, but he knew
it to be right.
So if Brownhair had made Azael mad, he might need help. Silently, the
predator rose, stretched luxuriously, then made his way slyly towards
the one weak point of the Citadel that he had discovered in his
observations. The effluent outlet.
Agile and not afraid to face the foul darkness, not for Brownhair's
sake, he crept into the Citadel and began to search for his heart's
desire. Small obstacles like grilles and larger than usual rats and
small scavenger demons were bypassed easily. His task was made simpler
by the fact that nearly all of the Citadel's mobile inhabitants had fled
hastily, leaving the place virtually empty.
He finally detected Brownhair by his distant but tantalising scent.
There was a heavy element of fear in it now. He growled softly to
himself and readied himself to take on any demon for his love's sake.
Mulder writhed and fought against the ties that held him down on Azael's
bed. He had never been so afraid. Azael would have vengeance on him, he
had heard the raging demon somewhere else in the Citadel, indulging his
killing rage on some hapless creature. So that he would be more
controlled when it came to deciding Mulder's fate. Mulder wasn't
anticipating a quick or clean death.
The two guards watched him coldly, neither willing to risk their
master's wrath by taking their eyes off him for even a minute.
It sneaked up on them gradually. Mulder couldn't precisely say exactly
when it started, but suddenly, there was a foul smell in the air.
Sensitive demon senses were overloaded by the stench, and the guards
both peered suspiciously round, then glared at each other
contemptuously. The smell finally appeared to be coming from an air duct
in the wall. One of them walked over to it and reached out a hand.
The vent exploded from the wall, kicked at full force into the guard's
face and he fell, stunned. A shape launched itself from the hole in the
wall, tackling the larger guard and moving with such unexpected
swiftness that the guard died from a slit throat with a look of surprise
still on his face. The figure stooped and made short work of the second,
fallen guard.
Golden eyes gleamed at an astonished Mulder from a face and body almost
totally covered with unspeakable filth.
The figure pressed a finger to its lips, indicating that Mulder should
be silent, and the rescuer quickly unfastened Mulder's tight bonds. Then
with a beckoning motion, gestured for Mulder to follow him back into the
wall-space. Mulder was more than pleased to co-operate with the plan.
Azael was finally ready to face the human who had murdered his beloved
Ash. Not that he had seen Ash in a long, long time, but he was still
"family. And besides, a human killing a demon lord! Outrageous! Both
Mulder and his lover Alex were guilty of this crime, and he would see to
it that they were punished. It was just another notch on the tally of
grievances he would also settle with Kulain.
Returning to his private chambers, it was doubly shocking to find his
guards slaughtered, and his prisoner missing. With a howl of rage that
dwarfed all that he had made before, he prepared to hunt Mulder down.
Mulder and his rescuer fled through the complex system of tunnels that
were part of the Citadel. He followed the figure of his saviour
unquestioningly. He had little choice, and besides, the stranger seemed
to know where he was going. Down into the depths of the building, far
lower, surely, than ground level. And finally, they came to what
appeared to be a sewage outlet. No wonder his rescuer was so covered in
filth. The man turned, and Mulder saw a brief glow of golden eyes, and a
hint of human white teeth gleaming as he grinned at Mulder. Then the
grille over the sewer entrance was pulled aside, and he and his saviour
plunged through it.
Mulder found himself shoulder deep in a river of foulness, and tried not
to think about what he was surrounded by. The current was quite strong,
and more than once he felt his body rocked by it. Then his footing
slipped, and with a gasp of terror, he started to go under.
A warm arm wrapped itself round his waist and he found himself leaning
gratefully against the stranger. And though he couldn't see his face, he
felt the arm give a gently reassuring squeeze , encouraging him to
continue. And finally, they were out of the tunnel. Mulder found himself
on the Manhattan foreshore, a short distance from the river, where the
effluent was draining. He stared up at the mid afternoon sky and let out
a relieved breath.
A tug on his waist brought his thoughts back to reality. His rescuer
grinned, looking absurd, covered as he was in dark slime. Mulder felt
like smiling himself. He had just outwitted Azael, with a little help.
His rescuer turned and ran down the foreshore, and plunged headfirst
into the relatively clean river water upstream, diving underwater, to
cleanse the foulness away. Now that was a great idea! Mulder joined him,
diving under for himself.
He surfaced, and looked around for his rescuer, wanting to thank him.
A head emerged from the water about a foot away from him, and he found
himself staring into the strange golden eyes of Alex Krycek.
With a gasp, he flung himself forward, and wrapped his arms around his
love, kissing him with the sweetest, most tender kiss he could compose.
Alex's arms went round him in return, and he could barely stop himself
from screaming his joy to the world.
Finally, with reluctance, Alex pulled away. He pressed a finger to
Mulder's lips again and indicated the shore. Mulder heard the distant
sound of hunting demons and nodded. A hand seized his and he was led
silently through dangerous streets to a place of sanctuary.
Mulder stared round him at the small basement room that Alex had brought
him to. At least they were temporarily safe from Azael's minions. He
turned back to Alex, grinning in the exhilaration of the moment. He had
found Alex. They were, at least for this one moment, free. He studied
the figure before him, for once uncertain about what he should say. It
had been so long, and their last meeting hadn't exactly been friendly.
Alex returned the gaze, silent, his head tilted slightly on one side, as
though he too was lost for words. The golden eyes were a little
startling, but neither of them were completely unscathed by Tiamat's
plots.
He looked thinner, leaner and somehow far more dangerous. Mulder guessed
that living in the city had forced Alex to live by his wits. And he was
shifted, though his talons were withdrawn at the moment. It gave a
wildness and a hint of the exotic to his slightly grubby face. But
Mulder still wanted to wrap Alex in his arms and protect him. He sighed.
"Alex....... I'm glad you're alright. I've been so worried......"
Great start Fox, he's still looking at you like you're a different
species
"I love you Alex. I'll always love you. You must know that! I'm so sorry
that I took so long to find you...."
The results of his little speech were quite unexpected.
It had taken a lot of cunning and quite a few diversionary tactics to
get Brownhair back to his lair unscathed. The demons were everywhere.
Apparently the lord of the city must want this one quite badly. The
predator grinned, unconscious of the humanity of the gesture. It felt
good to outwit the foul one. But now he was faced with the object of his
desire right in front of him, he was at a loss to know how to treat him.
A demon would have sensed his hunger immediately, and known what he
wanted.
Yet wasn't this human worth more than that. Again the irresistible
certainty that there was something important he ought to remember. The
human smiled at him in encouragement, then started to babble on about
how good it was to see him again, and how he loved him so.
Loved him?
Sorry.....love.....Alex
It was as if the human had met him before. Was that possible? Or did he
just want this human so much that he was imagining the human's
favourable response to him. Humans could be so strange.
The proximity of Brownhair was setting off certain reactions in his body
that he couldn't control. He slid his hand down across his chest and
slowly began to circle one nipple with an extended talon, felt the
sudden tightness at his crotch, as the body coverings he wore hampered
nature. A quick wriggle and he was free of them.
The human had fallen silent, wide eyed, when he had begun to touch
himself. Apparently interaction between them was going to be easier than
he had anticipated, he smelt the sudden change in the human's body
chemicals as Brownhair's body also began to react sexually. He knew what
was wanted then.
Mulder watched in fascination as Alex ran his hands down across his body
in wordless sensuality. He couldn't take his eyes away from the
irresistible motion of that taloned finger. Alex was smiling in a
predatory way that made Mulder's throat go dry and his heart beat
faster. And by the bulge he could see under Alex's clothing, he was
thinking only one thing at the moment. It was one thing that had always
worked between them, despite their occasional arguments. The love/lust
that didn't need words to express itself. If Alex didn't want to talk
about their separation at the moment, that was fine. He had been through
an ordeal that would have broken lesser men. And besides, Mulder felt
the same way about Alex.
Alex slithered agilely out of his clothes, with an animal grace that
made Mulder moan in desire, and he had eyes for nothing except the
hunger for him in those unfamiliar yet beloved eyes. He fumbled with his
own clothes, stripping hastily. He wanted to feel Alex against him,
plundering him, hard and fast. He needed it so much. So he fell onto his
hands and knees before Alex, ass towards his lover in open invitation.
He saw a flicker of surprise on Alex's face at his unusually deferential
pose, when he glanced upwards. But his own body was more than ready. He
could feel his cock bobbing against his belly in salute to Alex, and
with another moan, wiggled his ass at Alex.
"Oh god Alex. Hurry up. I need you so much. Now! Please. Do it hard!"
Brownhair had reacted with startling speed to the predator's preliminary
sexual activity. Just his touching himself had made the human's
breathing quicken, and astonishingly, he had pulled off his clothing in
response to his arousal. It made things easier. The predator had been
ready to rip at the body coverings with his talons if necessary, but
apparently the human was intelligent enough to read his body language.
If that had been surprising, the human's next action had been
astonishing, and utterly wonderful. He had dropped to all fours and
presented himself in open invitation. What a glorious creature he was.
So quick to divine the predator's needs, so willing to satisfy them. It
would be so good to keep the human with him. To see his ready smile and
feel his hot body every night. To pair with Brownhair.
Brownhair whimpered softly, and moved his ass in a summoning motion. The
gesture drove away most of the coherent thought in the brain of one who
had once been Alex Krycek. He moved forward and traced a talon in wonder
across silken human skin, then when the human pushed against him, he
thrust himself into the welcoming depths.
It had been a long time. Alex must have been as hungry as he was for
sex. He wasn't gentle, at least not at first. He had pushed his way
inside Mulder with a speed and hunger that had taken Mulder's breath
away. And though he was used to both Alex and Kulain inside him, he
couldn't stop the small cry of pain as he was entered so quickly. He
felt the discomfort soon turn to enjoyment though, as Alex, with
unerring accuracy, pulled his body upwards, angling so he would impact
the pleasure centre of his prostate. Alex drove into him in long hard
strokes that made his lover scream out in ecstasy, until a hand fumbled
its way across his mouth. No, it wouldn't do to attract attention here,
even if they were relatively safe at the moment. Alex's other arm was
wrapped around his waist, steadying him as his body was filled with each
downstroke.
Mulder couldn't seem to keep his body still, he found himself
helplessly pushing back against Alex, meeting him thrust for thrust. He
was losing whatever fragments of control he had left. It had been too
long, far too long since they had been together. He exploded, powerless
to stop it, coming in an orgasm whose power drove away everything. And
even as he fainted, he felt Alex cry out and spill himself inside
Mulder. His last impression as he fell into darkness was the blissful
sensation of Alex Krycek's arms around him.
Wonderful. Magnificent. Exceptional. His Brownhair was all of those
things. Taking him had been so incredible. He was so responsive, so
beguiling. He had matched the predator's every motion when they had been
locked together, in his eagerness to please. And it had been better than
anything he could ever remember. Pleasuring himself in loneliness, he
had never dreamed that he could feel so good. And he knew once again,
with that strange certainty, that this was not the first time he had
been inside the human. A whole chain of memories bubbled to the surface
of his mind, fragmentary pictures of this man.
He lay, still half on top of the sleeping Brownhair, who was wrapped in
his arms. The human had been overwhelmed by his lovemaking, and the
ordeal of the previous day, and the predator tenderly let him sleep.
Instinct told him that there would be time enough for more wonderful
pairing later. Now was the time to rest and gather their strength, as he
and his mate curled up in each others' arms. He smiled again in pure
happiness.
His mate! Now that was a good thought. He gently stroked the flanks of
the human at his side. Brownhair murmured something softly in his sleep,
and nestled closer. The predator tentatively reached out to touch his
lover's body, tracing a finger across the sleeping face, lingering on
the full mouth. Perhaps his mate would like it. He brushed his lips in a
slow caress across one warm shoulder, and found to his surprise that the
taste of this man was an addiction he would gladly indulge himself in
for the rest of his life.
Brownhair opened his eyes and smiled sleepily. An indication of human
pleasure. The predator kissed him again, and resolved to experiment more
with this uniquely human form of expression. He ought to find food for
them, but he found himself too busy staring into the fathomless depths
of the human's fascinating eyes. More deja vu. This too he had done
before. And not as a demon. The revelation was startling. He had been
human too, though he could remember little except the feel of that body
next to his.
Mulder had spent the night in Alex's arms and had been woken by a tender
kiss on the shoulder. He grinned up at his lover. Alex looked so happy,
he had that knowing little look on his face. Mulder guessed that Alex
was planning something good for later. He sat up on their makeshift bed.
Alex had scavenged a pile of blankets from somewhere and made a sort of
nest from them, so that even when the weather was bad, he would be kept
warm. For of course, there was no power for heating. He wondered how the
two of them were going to make it out of the city. Maybe Alex had done
some reconnaissance in his time here. Mulder turned to watch Alex, who
was sitting nearby, pulling on his rather dirty jeans. For that matter,
though he hadn't noticed in the dark last night, Alex was rather dirty.
There seemed to be a large patch of yellow stuff all across the left
side of his torso. Mulder moved closer so he could see.
No. Not dirt.
Scales.
He stared at the unmistakable snake like patterning across Alex's side,
centred at a double marking, apparently a healing set of puncture
wounds. He stretched out a hand to touch the injury. Alex flinched
slightly, and looked at him quizzically from his uncanny gold eyes.
"Is that from Tiamat, Alex? Did she bite you?"
Silence. Alex tilted his head to one side, a look of puzzlement on his
face.
"Alex?"
Mulder suddenly realised that Alex had not spoken one word to him in
the hours since they had been reunited.
"Alex, you're scaring me! Why aren't you talking to me? Alex........?"
More silence. Alex raised a taloned hand and gently cupped Mulder's
face. He spoke then, uncertainly, in a voice rusty from disuse.
"Why do I dream about you so much? Who are you?"
Mulder could only stare at him in stunned silence.
Alex tilted his head to one side again and watched uncomprehendingly as
a tear trickled down his Brownhair's sweet face.
How do I love thee?
Elizabeth Barrett Browning
The day following Mulder's departure from Washington..........
Kulain had spent the night cradling Sean in his arms, as his young
bodyguard was tormented by nightmarish dreams of what may be,
possibilities for the present and the future that were coming close to
driving his human insane. It always started the same way, with dreams
becoming more real, showing terrible things that brought Sean awake
screaming in utter terror. Clinging to Kulain afterwards with a
desperate trembling that only Kulain could soothe away. And almost
immediately, the memory of them faded away leaving Sean bewildered and
lost.
Sean had pushed Kulain away in the morning, as if he was ashamed of his
weakness, and he refused to speak about his problem. Sean looked
dreadful, his eyes reddened and deep shadowed, his face pale and
unshaven. He wouldn't come near Kulain at all, and fled if Kulain came
near him in his waking hours.
It was annoying, and Kulain considered it foolish. Tonight he would not
let himself be rejected.
Sean glanced up as Kulain entered his room, and immediately looked
uncomfortable. Kulain sank onto the bed next to him. Sean blushed, and
edged his body away. Kulain had never pressed his claim or forced Sean
to obey him, but he was determined to have his way tonight. His hand
shot out and grabbed Sean's wrist. Then with incredible strength, he
pulled the shocked man towards him. Sean instinctively struggled, but he
was lifted effortlessly over Kulain's shoulder and conveyed to the demon
lord's bed. Kulain had to admit that applying his strength in this
situation was more than a little erotic. Sean beat his fists hopelessly
against Kulain's back, then he was unexpectedly dumped on the bed. He
tried to rise, but a big hand pressed down in the centre of his chest
with implacable strength.
"If I have to, I'll cuff you to the bed Sean!"
The bodyguard fell silent, and sagged back in surrender. Kulain smiled
back at the glare he received. He lay next to Sean on the bed, and
wrapped his arms around the human in a gesture of protection or
restraint, depending on one's point of view.
Sean stared up towards the ceiling and tried to ignore the proximity of
this most powerful of beings who was watching him with faint amusement.
Kulain gently traced a finger down his cheekbone, and smiled when Sean
deliberately turned his face away.
"I'm sorry little one. But I won't let you destroy yourself like this.
I've never harmed you, so why do you fear what I am?"
Sean was silent, but Kulain saw the faint gleam of a tear on his cheek.
"Show me again what you are....." he whispered.
Kulain sighed, and shifted, aware of blue eyes scrutinising him as
they lay close together. In this form, he was bigger than the human, and
he knew that alone could terrify Sean. He felt the bodyguard shudder,
and wrapped his arms tighter, pulling Sean closer.
"What do you really feel Sean? It's not my appearance, is it?"
There was no response for the longest time, then a tiny shake of the
head.
"Tell me Sean!"
"I still want you....... even like that! There must be something wrong
with me!"
Kulain laughed. Considerately, he altered his appearance to comfort the
trembling human again.
"Only love, little one. Now come here and show me what you feel!"
As he had expected, the problem came again that night. He had tried to
exhaust his vulnerable lover with passionate love making, but even that
hadn't obstructed the dreams that came. Sean began to moan restlessly in
his arms. Even tightening his hold on the human's body and stroking him
in a soothing gesture hadn't worked this time. Sean whimpered and his
movements became more and more frantic, his head shaking in denial at
some imagined horror. Then abruptly, he sat up and began to scream in
dread. Kulain shook Sean hard, then resorted to a slap across the face,
as he had done before.
Sean stared at him hopelessly. Kulain was beginning to think that it was
a mistake to have ever let Sean become infected. He suspected that his
DNA could have rare side effects on some humans. Was that what was
responsible for Sean's escalating problems? Then blue eyes focused on
him, and Sean desperately held out his hands in mute appeal. Kulain
wrapped his lover in his embrace. How could he deny this, the need
between them. Sean leaned against his shoulder, lost and in distress.
"I saw Alex and Fox, they were in trouble......," Sean said miserably.
"They'll die if you don't help them. Alex has been hurt already........"
Kulain had frozen to stillness. Sean saw a gleam of unshed tears in his
eyes. How could he have feared this being?
"If I enter New York, I break the treaty and doom many more humans to
their fate." Kulain leaned back against the bed, staring into space.
"Aren't they worth it?" Sean faltered, his own tears starting to fall.
"Hardly ethical Sean." Kulain smiled sadly. It wasn't the real reason
why he avoided New York, but how could he tell Sean the truth.
"Stuff ethics!" Sean muttered. "Can't you trick them somehow, make them
think you're somewhere else?" He sensed Kulain's surprise. Then it was
as if the idea made him shrug off the paralysis that had claimed him.
"Yes!!! Sean my love, you're worth all the trouble you cause!" Kulain
seized his lover's head and kissed him firmly on the lips. He enjoyed
the shy smile Sean gave. Then he prepared himself as a wondering Sean
watched. The germ of an idea had come to him, and though dangerous in
the extreme, it would let him watch over his two lost sheep. Fierce as a
wolf.
Back to the present..........
Azael had been outwitted at every turn by the annoying humans who
claimed kinship with Kulain. It was more than humiliating, it was an all
consuming fire within him that demanded revenge. The latest killing was
the last straw. A demon's body, headless and mutilated beyond
recognition had been found hidden in the pile of mangled bodies that had
been removed from the entrance to the Citadel. It must have lain
undisturbed for days. Azael couldn't understand why no missing servant
had been reported. He was beginning to suspect that he was the victim of
a conspiracy among his minions, perhaps a bid for power was being made
against him. And who could blame them, for they had witnessed him being
humiliated in such a fashion by the humans.
There was indeed only one way to save face.
He would have to rapidly capture Kulain's two doomed pets and have their
heads displayed publicly on spikes at the entrance to his Citadel. A
pity he would lose their potentially highly useful genes, but better to
be safe in maintaining his position.
He gave the order for the hunt to begin. At dawn, the demons would begin
to scour the city.
Mulder had been digging into that vast compendium of psychological
theory that had been accumulating in his brain for the last few years.
Ideas that went all the way back to his long passed days in Oxford when
he had studied every theory from Freud to Perls, with a bit of Jung
thrown in for its exotic theories on the psychic. Unfortunately none of
it covered the peculiar effects of being bitten by an insane female
demon. For it had to be that incident that was responsible for Alex's
condition. He wasn't insane, for he seemed to have excellent reasoning
skills. How else could he have engineered their escape from the demons.
He was affectionate to the point of the extreme, and Mulder had the
impression that deep down, Alex needed the security of his presence. But
his memory was, at best, fragmentary. It was Mulder's best guess that
the demon venom had damaged portions of Alex's brain and only his body's
back up demon abilities had enabled him to survive. But would he ever be
normal again? Mulder knew the brain had an amazing ability to rewire
itself, and Kulain could probably help Alex. But at the moment, they
were on their own.
Alex turned from his rooftop vantage point and smiled adoringly at
Mulder. They had been scouting the city for several days now, dodging
patrols and trying to work their ways towards the city gates. But it was
as if Azael had read their minds. There were never less than fifty
demons in a circular holding pattern around the gate. The only way
anyone was going to leave the city was if they grew wings, and Mulder
didn't think demon DNA ran to that particular modification. He sighed
softly.
The warmth of a strong arm creeping round his waist, welcoming and
reassuring, indicated to him that Alex was aware of his worry. Mulder
had noticed that his lover made up for his memory problems with an
almost supernatural perception that read his moods with uncanny
accuracy. He leaned gratefully against Alex, and it was no surprise when
Alex slid in his embrace to spoon himself against Mulder, this time
offering his own body for Mulder's pleasure.
Had he always been this uninhibited? In the open, in daylight, with a
thousand possible ways they could be detected. Mulder gently ran his
hands across Alex's hips, pushing his newly awakened hardness against
Alex. He wanted so much more, but how could he risk his lover .....?
Alex moaned in urgency.
Well perhaps if he made it quick and hard, they could get out of
there.
The two of them had been unable to keep their hands off each other since
that first night. Every few hours, as their bodies recovered from the
last frantic couplings. Thrusting into each other in uninhibited, wanton
desire. Making up for lost time and wasted opportunities. Even here, on
a rooftop, within a stone's throw of their enemies. Mulder knew they
would come together again. And he would lose himself in the warm welcome
of his lover's eagerly offered body.
He tugged urgently at Alex's grubby t-shirt and jeans, and revealed the
smooth curves of Alex's muscular body. His lover responded with a slow
grind of his hips back against Mulder that nearly made him lose control
before he had even begun. He pulled at his zipper and drew out his
already respectable erection. With a moan Alex spread his legs and
gestured frantically for Mulder to get on with the proceedings.
With a groan, he buried himself inside Alex in a single powerful thrust,
finding his lover still slippery and welcoming from their last
encounter, two hours ago.
It was hard to stay focused, enclosed in his lover's body.
He found himself thrusting frantically, pounding his way deeper and
deeper, making Alex sob in his uniquely delicious way. Some fragment of
caution made him cover Alex's mouth with his palm when he heard the
tenor of the younger man's moans change.
Then Alex was bucking beneath him, groans barely concealed by the hand
covering his mouth, as he came scant minutes after Mulder's first
penetration. Which made his Fox come, in turn, from the sheer joy of
being alive and connected with Alex again, his cries of passion
concealed as he buried his face against Alex's shoulder.
They sagged together towards the roof that concealed them, Mulder's
weight pressing the younger man down, and both of them lay still, joined
together intimately, not wanting to break the connection between them.
Mulder whispered sweet nothings in Alex's ear, and contentedly rested
his head against warm skin.
Alex didn't speak much at all, these days. As if some part of him was no
longer connected to the human world. Except for their intimacy. But
there was a tenderness in the softly spoken words after their sexual
encounter.
"Love you Fox!"
How lucky he was. This glorious being was his, and from the number of
times they fucked, he delighted in Alex as much as Alex enjoyed him.
Having sex together was always incredible, as if they had been made for
each other, or designed to melt into each other, close enough that their
hearts would beat in an entwined rhythm.
He was ALEX.
Fox said so, and what Fox wanted must be right. Though he would have
given himself any name his love desired. This one seemed particularly
important for Fox though, so he let his lover use it freely.
Though it meant nothing to him.
Fox kept talking about human things and memories that he felt Alex
should know. Alex wanted to tell his lover that all of this human
foolishness meant nothing at all, especially if they couldn't get away
from the city. All that mattered was each other and freedom. But again,
what Fox desired, Fox got. Alex never wanted to be apart from him again,
for if what his lover said was true, they had been together a long time.
It was the only memory he wished that he had. But there was nothing.
Except for the strange scenes that haunted his dreams, and a few
fragmentary memories of Mulder's face close to his.
He was content to lie beneath his Fox for these few stolen moments,
close to each other. But he knew they would have to leave soon. It was
becoming increasingly difficult to stay concealed in the city. He knew,
even if Mulder didn't, that there were ever increasing numbers of demon
enemies on the streets, and they were implacably hostile in intent.
As if to underline that particular thought, there was a sudden stirring
in the street below them, as the demons began to squabble over some
hapless human that they had found hiding in the rubble of the city.
Alex pushed reluctantly against his Fox, not wanting to separate from
Mulder, but suddenly cautious, needing to be concealed from the demons.
Being like this was wonderful, but dangerous. The scent of their rutting
would alert any demon who came close enough, Alex knew. He suspected
that Fox wasn't as aware of the danger as he was.
The two of them silently rose, and readjusted their clothing, then Alex
led the way downstairs, both instinctively cautious and quiet.
Alex was alert and ready to rip out the throat of any demon foolish
enough to challenge his Fox's safety. But they reached the concealment
of the basement quickly enough, and climbed through one of the skylights
to reach the concealment of the alley.
Both men were hungry now. Since the demon scouring of the city had
begun, all portable foodstuffs had been removed, in a deliberate effort
to force the humans in the city out of concealment. And thousands more
had died at demon hands.
Alex knew that he could survive on very little, with his adept claws as
a resource. The rats would sustain him, as they had before. But he
suspected that Mulder would balk at such measures. In many ways, his Fox
was too gentle and civilised for the game of survival. Alex worried for
him. He knew that there was no measure he wouldn't take to ensure their
survival. If he had been the man of Mulder's memories, he might have
been too human to survive, But in his present state, he was a product of
the streets, feral and instinctively a survivor.
He would force his Fox to survive. Whatever it took. And the lessons
would have to start soon.
Mulder dreamed of hamburgers and greasy fries. Of hot ribs dripping with
barbecue sauces and rare juicy steak, of sweet ices and steaming stews.
Hunger had been gnawing at him now for four days, and he was beginning
to feel light headed as his body began to demand satisfaction. He no
longer had the energy to fuck Alex, and his companion kept giving him
worried glances as they moved through the tunnels of the no longer used
subway system. Mulder had hoped that they might be unguarded, but Alex
had shook his head, as senses sharper and more practised than Mulder's
had detected movement far away down the tunnels. They were in deep shit
this time. With an increasing despair, he knew that their survival was
unlikely now. The area they had to hide in was increasingly smaller, as
the demons systematically began razing the city to the ground. Then they
would start on the tunnels beneath the city. He believed they were
going to die now, but the only question was whether it would be by demon
action or starvation. The human body could withstand long periods
without food, but not when forced to its limits, fleeing countless times
to avoid demon patrols, And besides, he wasn't human anymore. The demon
blood inside him craved nourishment, preferably bloody and hot, to
sustain the superhuman demands he was making on it.
Alex stopped when he saw Mulder was flagging, and extended a hand in
concern.
"I'm sorry love," Mulder whispered, "I need to rest....."
Mulder didn't know where Alex was getting his energy from, but he wished
he had some now. He leaned back against the tunnel wall and stared
blindly into the darkness.
Alex realised that his Fox was almost at the end of his strength. He was
shaking with exhaustion, and barely able to set one foot in front of
another.
He would have to show Fox the realities of survival down here, and hope
that his gentle lover was strong enough to cope with it.
Mulder saw without comprehension, Alex suddenly becoming alert, turning
away from him. Then suddenly, with a sound of glee, pouncing on
something that scuttled in the gloom of the tunnel, talons extended.
Mulder gaped at the rat Alex had speared on his claws. What happened
next stunned him even more. Alex smiled sweetly, and ripped the rat in
half. One half was dumped in the human's lap, and the other half.......
Alex began to noisily eat it.
He looked up and saw his Fox staring at him, white faced, as he finished
his meal. With a small sigh, he nudged the food he had brought his mate.
Mulder only whimpered softly, his eyes huge and round with shock.
"Strength!" Alex whispered softly. "You have to...... Please!"
He watched with a growing sense of admiration as a trembling hand picked
up the grisly offering and Mulder forced himself to do what had to be
done to survive. Such a brave, beautiful mate. He hugged Mulder
afterwards, feeling the tremors that beset his lover, and gently soothed
away the tears that fell from beloved green eyes.
"So strong. Love you Fox......."
Azael was increasingly beset by a sense of rushing headlong towards his
own annihilation. The demons under his control were becoming
increasingly restless and irritated by his incessant demands on them.
Only fear and hatred kept them cowed, but he sensed that at the least
opportunity, they would rebel against him. How had he fucked up such a
promising opportunity? The other demon zones had largely took the
example of Kulain and left their populations intact and healthy, in
deference to the vile lord of Washington. And he hated Kulain even more
now, because he seemed to have succeeded in transferring power to his
hands smoothly. The humans proved unexpectedly amenable to fine words of
peace and freedom. Not that they had much choice.
He had listened to Kulain and flung his indifference in his rival's
face. He would create a brave new world from the ashes of humanity. His
genetic experiments would crush humanity and restructure it in his own
image. A pity his grand scheme was a failure. His over-enthusiastic
vassals had indulged themselves, uncontrolled, in a mad orgy of
destruction, and had even established links with the more unsavoury of
the human population. But then there were not enough new victims to go
round, and his demons began to fight amongst themselves.
He had in effect, wasted an entire valuable resource, and he was left
with next to nothing. Only his rebellious army, and a few monstrous
creations from his experimental labs.
He would have his revenge on Kulain, by public and very prolonged
executions of Kulain's two pets. Then he would turn his army loose on
the area around New York. Let the humans die. Forget their foolish
truce. And let Kulain deal with the aftermath of his betrayal.
He would make sure that the humans remembered their kind until the end
of time.
His delicious musings were interrupted by a messenger. The two half-
human scum Kulain called his were cornered at last, in a tunnel beneath
the city. He would indulge himself one last time in dark pleasures, as
the two screamed in vain for their protector to end their torments. His
trusted aide Gelissan padded by his side as he made his leisurely way
into the subway. Soon, he would give the order that would lead the
attack on the humans, and it was fitting that Gelissan was rewarded for
his loyalty.
But first, Mulder and Krycek.
How had it happened? Alex wasn't sure. His supernal senses should have
detected their ambushers, and warned him in time. But he had failed.
Between one heartbeat and the next, he and Mulder were surrounded by at
least ten fully aware and hostile demons, circling them and trapping
them in the tunnel. Worst of all, one of them had hurried off in the
direction of the Citadel while the rest held the two of them at bay.
Alex knew he would not give in without a fight. But he also knew that he
hadn't a hope of winning any fight where he was so outnumbered.
Mulder was quiet and still, huddled at his back, watching the demons who
circled behind them. Alex could feel his lover trembling, though he
tried to hide it.
"I'll fight. You run.....," he whispered without hesitation, though the
chance of escape was slight. A warm human hand crept into his, Mulder
wasn't even bothering to shift his body in his defence.
"And leave you? No! We stay together this time my love!"
He gripped the hand in response. He had chosen his Fox well. Loyal to
the last. How he wished they could have more time to rediscover each
other. Ah well, their short time together had been glorious. And he
tried to ignore the human thing called tears that trickled down his
face.
Mulder whimpered then, seeing something approach them. Alex turned, and
immediately felt the same terror. Azael watched them, smiling. He was
going to enjoy this so much. With a disdainful gesture, he signalled to
Gelissan to bring the first of the pathetic creatures to him.
Mulder's knees gave way beneath him, and he huddled in terror on the
floor of the tunnel, Alex wrapping his arms round him to provide scant
protection. The two of them clutched at each other pitiably.
"No!" Gelissan snarled.
Azael's head whipped round in stunned amazement, and he glared at his
rebellious vassal.
"You think to find favour with Kulain by doing this?" He scowled. "I'll
kill you first!"
Gelissan smiled mockingly. "I think not!" he hissed malevolently. His
features began to slide fluidly, in an impossible transformation that
revealed the truth. Mulder cried out incoherently, his face lighting up
with hope.
"I killed your servant days ago, foolish one. Did you really think I
would abandon my humans in your city? Never!"
"You broke the treaty!" Azael screeched. "All demonkind will rise
against you for this! You gave your word. No interference in our
affairs!" He began to laugh hysterically. "Doomed by your own actions. I
never thought you were so foolish!"
"I'm not!" Kulain said maliciously. "But there won't be any witnesses
left to speak against me".
For the first time in millennia, he released the controls he held on the
power within him, his inheritance from his fickle but immensely powerful
mother. Which had brought him such pain in the past. His two lovers were
worth the risk, and he broke the vow he had made, that had held his
power in check.
A vast explosion of energy expanded outwards from his body, evaporating
every living being within a mile of the epicentre, as the firestorm
boiled outwards. Everything except two frightened creatures that he held
close to him, within the centre of the storm, before whisking them
elsewhere in the blink of an eye.
Azael, his army and his monstrous creations were gone without trace,
melted into the bedrock. And he had just complicated his life immensely,
for his demon counterparts would seek the truth relentlessly.
Kulain of Kavala was once again using the energy that had wiped out his
kind, when, young and foolish, he had lost control of his power. The
power he had sworn never to use again. He was guilty of genocide. Now
how was he going to explain that to Mulder?
The two humans had been stunned by the unexpectedness and speed of their
rescue. Mulder was still shivering when they arrived back at the Green
Tower in Washington. Then taking a deep breath, Mulder slowly released
his death-grip on Alex, and grinned at him. An incredulous Alex managed
a shaky smile in return. Then the air shimmered next to them and Kulain
appeared from the gate he had created.
Alex had frozen, staring at his rescuer like a small animal caught in
the headlights of a truck. He made a small noise of terror, deep in his
throat, and shrank back, away from Kulain. A hand tugged in desperate
urgency at Mulder's sleeve.
"Demon lord!" he hissed frantically, trying to drag Mulder away from his
formidable foe. How couldn't Mulder sense the power of this individual,
or the familiar tug on his senses of a being in arousal? Mulder wasn't
even moving away. Had the demon lord tricked him. He felt despair then,
was he going to lose his lover so soon after they had been reunited,
after all they had faced together?
Mulder realised suddenly that Alex didn't remember Kulain at all. He
turned slowly, and caught at the trembling hand.
"Trust me Alex. It's going to be alright!" He saw the extreme doubt in
the still disturbing golden eyes. His reassurance didn't seem to have an
effect. With a sigh, he gently disengaged his hand and moved towards
Kulain. He heard Alex sob aloud. Gently he reached up and wrapped his
arms around Kulain's neck, looking up into his taller lover's eyes.
There was such welcome there. Being with him was always like coming
home. He pulled Kulain's head towards him and kissed the warm and
generous mouth fiercely, letting Kulain know how much he had been
missed. How welcome his appearance had been. Powerful arms embraced him
and he rested his head against the demon's shoulder and sighed. Then,
remembering Alex, he clutched at Kulain.
"He's been hurt," Mulder murmured quietly so that only the demon could
hear him. "He doesn't remember you....." He caught the flash of grief in
green eyes. Then he slowly turned to Alex and held out his hand. "Alex,
I need you to trust me more than you've ever trusted me before."
He was asking a lot of the fragile partnership he had managed to build
over the past few days. But Alex watched him most of the time with such
adoration, he could only hope that their bond was strong enough.
It was.
Frightened, but ready to follow him into hell if need be, Alex
hesitantly moved towards Mulder's outstretched hand. After a long
moment, and a swift, fearful glance at Kulain, Mulder felt fingers
interlace with his. He tried to project reassurance, and drew Alex
closer. Kulain had kept very still during the exchange, then he gave one
of the gentlest smiles Mulder had ever seen from his formidable lover.
Alex was shivering under that green gaze. A long taloned hand carefully
brushed along the side of Alex's face.
"Don't you know me, little one?"
A frantic shake of the head. Mulder saw the shadow of pain Kulain tried
to conceal.
"Then I won't come near you. Unless you wish it, of course." He looked
sad. "Mulder will tell you that I would never harm either of you. You
are in my protection now. You have the freedom of this place." He
gestured grandly, then with a final veiled glance at Mulder, strode
away.
Alex collapsed on the floor, sobbing violently, the moment Kulain left.
Mulder reflected sadly that Alex wasn't going to be his normal self for
some time to come.
His beautiful Alex was a pathetic remnant of his former self.
Frightened and more than a little confused by his situation, he had
still shown exceptional courage and loyalty to Mulder. Perhaps it would
be enough to rebuild what he had lost. But would it ever again be as
glorious as that time before Tiamat had wrecked their lives?
He wanted Alex with a desire that was almost disturbing in its
intensity. But to show Alex that passion would be to terrify the younger
man past all reason.
It was hard to be patient, when just to be in the same room as Alex made
him hard as iron and aching for those smooth firm thighs closed around
his waist, and the small noises he made when he was taken. And he had
risked so much for his lovers.
With a sigh, Kulain left Mulder to look after his charge, and went to
seek out Sean. At least he could always be counted on to open his legs
and offer his luscious body for Kulain's delectation. Sean's ass alone
was worth the few lies he had told the human about love.
For Sean was just a delicious little morsel.
Wasn't he?
The alien had adapted quickly to life in the city of New York, and now
that there wasn't a strong leader among the demons there, it was time to
take a chance. It had captured the strongest demon it could find, one of
Azael's aides who had survived on the fringes of the firestorm, and had
consolidated a position of power. Now, it would be easy to invite more
of its kind to take over this place, and grow in strength. And unlike
Area 51 in Nevada, there was no human interference here. The foolish
humans even thought to offer up Kulain's kind in their place. But why
have one set of slaves, when you can have two?
Sean had woken from a restless nightmare yet again that night. Kulain
had patiently performed the familiar routine of comfort and gentle
support for Sean. Blue eyes gradually returned to brightly shining
wakefulness. Sean watched his benefactor for a moment, then decided to
speak.
"I saw you this time...." Sean whispered. "You were young, so
handsome......, and you were in love with a blonde man...." He felt
Kulain freeze, and looked apprehensively at the demon. A hand stroked
down his back in reassurance, after a moment. "You were walking with him
in a beautiful city.... then....there was blood, and he was dead!"
"A hired assassin." Kulain said quietly, sounding emotionless, but Sean
could feel the tension still inside his partner. Sean shivered.
"I saw what you did next.....," he whispered.
Kulain sighed. "My past will always haunt me Sean. I pay the price every
time I face one of my own kind. They hate me for the destruction I
caused in my grief, the paradise we lost...... "
"Tell me what happened," Sean pleaded.
Kulain drew him closer, so the two of them were curled up in each
others' arms. Was it finally time to trust one of his humans enough to
reveal his past?
"We call it The Fall. A time when we lost our home, when it burned to
ash in a firestorm, and few of us survived. A planet wide conflagration
that killed millions of my race... and left only a few survivors,
homeless, and with only the gates to help us escape."
"It was you.......," Sean knew the truth.
"I was always strong. My heritage from Amara. When they killed my love,
I let loose my power on them. In my grief, I lost control........ It all
burned......." He bowed his head, still tormented even after so long. "I
swore never to use my power again..... and now I've even broken that
vow!"
And then it was time for Sean to comfort him, as Kulain bowed his head
and wept.
Dark Angel's Fire
by Megaera
New York
...Yet oft I speak in such a way
That she is wroth, and says "Be still."
If that behest I should fulfil,
Because of such obedience
My hopes would be without defence...
John Gower—Confessio Amantis
Painfully, Alex began to drag himself into the nearest alleyway, out of
sight of the hunters in the darkness of the shadows. Even that nearly
exhausted the limits of his strength. The alley had become far darker
than the limited light could account for, and he realised that his
vision was failing. He was by the side of an abandoned brownstone
apartment block, and as he heard the demons closing on his position, he
feebly pushed back against the wall in a hopeless effort at concealment.
Heat, baking like a furnace.
.......Fox......
The pain in his head intensifying, so that he was writhing, screaming,
begging for it to stop
2. Inborn intuitive power
3. A natural aptitude.
4. (Controversial) The way memory is stored in the body as a whole, as
opposed to the brain.
Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
That my soul can reach
