Tine felt the call in the middle of his Law class.  He stayed in his seat a little longer then excused himself.  Finding Bra-Neche was not difficult at all for Tine.  It was as if he had an inner compass pointing the way to the other youth.  As he entered the stables, Tine felt Bra-Neche’s pleasure in his coming.  There were two horses saddled and ready to ride, “Come with me?”

Tine nodded and mounted one of the horses.  Once they were clear of the stable yard, Tine turned to Bra-Neche, “Will I remember this time?”

“Do you want to remember?”

“I do.”

“Then you shall,” Bra-Neche smiled and urged his horse to a faster gait.  They traveled further than Tine ever had gone before, eventually stopping by an outcropping of trees by a stream.  Bra-Neche was the first to dismount and ground tether his horse.

“What will happen?”

“Nothing more than you want to happen.” Bra-Neche said as he opened his bundle, spreading the blanket that he brought under a tree in the grass.  Once it was to his liking, he lay down and patted the space beside him.  Tine sat, then stretched out alongside Bra-Neche.

“There are some things about me that you must know.” Bra-Neche looked at him sheepishly, “I guess the place to start is… I’m Imperial.”

Tine nodded, “I figured as much. There have been quite a few Imperials like you through here these years past.”

“No.  Well, yes.  Similar at least.  Imperials all have one thing in common — our mothers are priestesses in the Temple of the Moon.”

“Your mother is a priestess?” Tine asked trying to make sense of what Bra-Neche was telling him.

Bra-Neche nodded.  “But there is more, so much more.  Imperials are allowed to pick someone, someone like you, that will share their life, their soul.  Our bodies… we produce…” Bra-Neche sighed, “I am not explaining this well.”  He took a deep breath and tried again, “We cannot breed with just anyone, our… ejaculate… is poisonous to all those except the Daughters of the Moon and the one we share our soul with.  When I bled you the first time, it was to see if we were compatible.  Some boys are not and they become seriously ill.  I bled you twice to be certain I would not kill you when we coupled.”

“So we have not…?”

“We did not.”

.  “I thought we had and I could not remember it,” Tine smiled.  “There is more?”

Bra-Neche nodded.  “M-my pedigree is pure.  Costan’s blood flows through my veins.  You know this, Tine.  You’ve seen the proof.”

Memories flooded Tine: darkness, a serpentine form, the kaleidoscope eyes…

“What does this mean?”

“We believe our Chosen to be Sons of Suril. Don’t you know the story of Suril?”

Tine shook his head, “I’ve never heard it.”

“Have you heard of Gavi?”

“Gavi the dragon-slayer?  Of course!”

“Dragon-slayer?  Gavi was no dragon-slayer!  Is that what they teach you?  Blasphemy!”

“There’s a different story?” Tine asked softly, having never seen his love so upset before this.

“Gavi was not a dragon-slayer,” Bra-Neche sighed.  “Maybe I should tell you the story as I learned it, then you will see.”

Tine nodded and lay quietly next to his lover to hear his tale.

“In the beginning of time lived the dragon, Costan.  But he was lonely for there were no others of his kind.  So, he coaxed the Moon Maiden to him and spilled his seed in her womb.  In time, she gave birth to Gavi and the Daughters of the Moon.  Now Costan was not alone, he had a son.  In the fullness of time, Gavi mated with the Daughters of the Moon who, in turn, gave birth to sons and moons. Then Gavi took a male lover, Taveh, which displeased Costan, as dragons did not mate with man. In his anger, Costan cursed his son causing his seed to be poisonous to mankind.  In his grief over Taveh’s death, Gavi grabbed his father by the throat, and flung him far into the heavens where his serpentine form can still be seen.  Time passed and Gavi waged war on his father’s other children who could couple with whom they pleased.  One day, at the end of the battle, Gavi came across a beautiful young man who was dying.  He reached out to Gavi and begged Gavi to couple with him before he died so that he could know the touch of love.  Knowing his seed would kill the young man who said his name was Suril, Gavi protested, but agreed to hold him closely.  Suril’s blood entranced Gavi and being half-dragon, he licked it, causing the wound to heal.  Suril held onto life and begged Gavi to show him love. Gavi agreed, but first Suril had to allow him to treat his wounds. Suril begged Gavi to hurry as he licked the wounds clean and closed.  When he finished the last, Suril still breathed.  With a heavy heart, Gavi kept his word loving Suril until he fell asleep.  When he awoke, Gavi expected to be snuggled to a corpse, but was surprised to see Suril awake and whole.  They spent the rest of their lives together, loving each the other.”  Bra-Neche smiled at Tine then, “For me, you are Suril, and for you, I am Gavi.” Bra-Neche whispered against Tine’s skin as his hands wandered, bunching the tunic up under Tine’s armpits in the process.

Tine smiled, a warm flush rushing over his flesh.  “There could be worse things than that, Bra-Neche.”

“You don’t mind that I will someday be the Dragon Lord?” His thumbs found two small brown buds and flicked them.

“Do you mind I do not know my pedigree?” Tine smiled and enjoyed Bra-Neche’s ministrations as he wiggled back out of his tunic.

Bra-Neche shook his head.

“Then why should I mind if you know yours?”  Tine arched his back slightly allowing his body to rub against Bra-Neche’s body.

“My uncle says we are too young…” Bra-Neche confessed as his hands trailed to lower flesh, “but I know I could find no other as perfect for me as you.”

Bra-Neche kissed his way across Tine’s shoulders, “There is another thing we must do.”

“Hum?”

Bra-Neche pricked his finger on his sharp fang and squeezed out the first drops of blood.  “Taste me,” he whispered and offered the bleeding digit to Tine who took the digit into his mouth and began to suckle it.  “Do you know what I’m going to do to you?”

Tine’s eyes widened as the slightly metallic taste rolled over his taste buds and down his throat. He shook his head.

“Do you want me to do it anyway?”

Tine nodded.

Bra-Neche leaned in, removed his finger from Tine’s mouth, and kissed him.  Tine felt things in places he never felt before.  When they parted, Bra-Neche smiled.  “Do you want more?”

“Please,” Tine said softly as he pulled his lover to his body, “Love me, Bra-Neche, love me deeply.”

Bra-Neche growled, then loved him deeply.

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