Ekleipsis (Fantasy Romance - LGBT, manXman)

4.7.

A week passed in a daze. The three of them only ate, slept and made love, sometimes not getting vertical for days on end.

Eventually, Alva pouted moodily and said, "I am tired of spending my days in idleness and lust."

"We could go hunting," said Kintaro. He was taking a piss – he knew the answer in advance.

"Oh, no, you don't," Alva shuddered. "No hunting. I want to come back to the civilization and its trappings – hot water, soft bed, and cosmetics. And we are almost out of orange-scented oil."

"So where would you go? You can't go back to Creede. I might be late rescuing you the next time."

"Creede is not all there is. I have some friends in Arislan, enough to get along for a bit."

"Nothing wrong with Arislan," agreed Kintaro. "Always wanted to visit it."

Ithildin saw surprise fill Lielle's eyes. The elf, on the other hand, didn't feel surprised, only resigned. He knew that they could expect absolutely anything from the barbarian, and realized that his "my prize will be the two of you" had a deeper meaning. Kintaro was not ready to give up his lovely flaming trophy just yet. Perhaps he was not ready to give it up ever.

"What?" asked Lielle, brows knitted. "What have you got to do with it? You are not going to escort us all the way to Arislan, are you?"

"I am coming with you, that's all."

"Umm ... Kintaro, we don't need an escort. That would be excessive." Alva continued to look puzzled.

"Here is where you are wrong. The Enqins are vindictive, and Targhai will never forget the injury. He is certain to have sent out men looking for you. He is still loaded, even after the tribute he had paid your king. His ancestors had buried so much gold in the steppe – enough to build the Selkhir gate tower. Life-sized."

"Listen, Kintaro, I can take care of myself. We can," Lielle corrected himself looking at Ithildin.

Kintaro took Alva by the chin. The gesture was surprisingly tender, shorn of his usual aggression.

"I just want to come with you, my sweet," he said looking in Alva's eyes.

"Here you go again ... it's no use, Kintaro. I thought we had been through it already. That time in the palace."

"And I thought you have had the time to change your mind."

"I am grateful and all that, but ... Better to end it all now."

"Don't you like it with me?"

"That's not the point. Oh, hell! We have our way of life and you have yours, and that's just fine. You are the Essanti chief, and we are the adventurers, the exiles."

Ithildin was delighted at the "we" and the "our." But he understood, with merciless clarity, that Kintaro had no intention of leaving them alone. That he was determined to follow them anywhere they went.

Kintaro could have asked for much more, Ithildin reminded himself. It's not that the elf was thrilled to keep on sharing his bed and his lover with the barbarian. But, compared to what Kintaro had threatened during their exchange in Trianess, everything else was small change.

"Essanti chief, my ass," snorted Kintaro. "Me today, someone else tomorrow. They won't even bother with trials, Akira will win them anyway if I'm not there. I have not planned to spend my whole life in the steppes. I'd have to move on sometime."

"No. Not with me."

"I don't insist on getting an answer right away. Think about it."

"What's there to think about ... Ohh ... Ahh ..."

Kintaro kissed him on the lips, then trailed kisses from Alva's neck to his shoulder.

"Go on and say it," he purred, sticking out his tongue and deliciously licking around Chevalier Ahayre's nipple, "say that you are ready to leave me for good and never see me again."

"But, but ... I never said ... I never wanted to leave right away," Lielle breathed and arched back. "That's ... dirty playing ... Oh, god!"

"Come help me, doll-face."

Ithildin complied and in the next few hours Lielle was not fit to object.