Monolith Oasis

Ch 2: A trace of salt.

By: Helena F. Lupin

Lithium sighed and pushed back his hair, then gave a frustrated sigh and tied it back with a strip of cloth. His day had gone down hill ever since the appearance of Cors and that annoy, bull headed new soldier of his. It was just one more worry Lithium did not need. He coaxed his Behemoth into laying down beside his grandparents house before he pushed the door open and walked down the stairs, ducking under the low opening.

“Grandmother, grandpa!” He called, smiling when he saw his grandmother. Elmira was a small woman, an inch short then he was, but she was healthy and stubborn. She was a plump little woman, with silvery white hair held in a bun on top of her head, with a few strands of blazing red still left. Her bright green eyes stared out of a heart shaped face. She had been beautiful when she was young, and regal now in her older age.

She gave a happy shout and threw herself on him, hugging him tightly. “Lithium! Oh, dear, you’ve been gone far too long! And look how skinny you are! You swore to me you wouldn’t let yourself lose any more weight.” She scolded, making him take a seat on one of the cushions around the low table off to one side of the main room. The main room had the table, another area with a few potted pants of herbs and vegetables with more cushions for guests, and an oven. There was a doorway to a bedroom, and a second doorway to a bathroom and washing room. It was not used often, but enough that no one was unbearably dirty.

“Do I hear a familiar young voice being overridden by my loud wife?” Trith said as he came into the room from their main bedroom. Lithium smiled and waved absently to his grandfather. Trith was a tall man at the six foot mark, and hard work that he still did kept him in good shape. His skin was tanned dark, worn from days in sun and sandstorms. And he was bald as could be, not a hair on top of his head, but with a thick white beard on his face. He put his hands on his hips, standing with his booted feet set slightly apart in a braced stance.

“Where have you been boy?” Trith asked, giving a wide smile. The beard was neat, trimmed, not too long but with a few inches to it.

“Oh, here and there.” Lithium smiled as his grandfather moved to him and sat beside him with a sigh. “I brought you a few skins of water. I’ll bring it in later unless you need it now?” He began to stand, but his grandmother ordered him down again. While she cooked, he told his grandfather about his trading at the market. The elder made comments here and there about how he could have made a better trade or how well he had done on one. It was when Lithium spoke of his encounter that Trith stiffened.

“Yes, I’ve seen that man.” He said.

“What do you know about him, grandpa?” Lithium prompted, wanting to be prepared.

Trith stroked his beard absently, debating on where to begin. “His name is Vincentas. He is from a place called Walled City.” Lithium’s eyes widened. “Yes, a place considered a myth. He is from there, one of their warriors. But then, they are all said to be warriors are they not? Mercenaries. They’ll fight for the highest bidder. I know who he is because I was in a war long ago when I was young, not much older then you are now. I saw him. Fought with him.”

“He does not look much past thirty, he can’t be that old.” Lithium said, confused.

“Well, they say those of the Walled City age as we do, that it takes longer for them to come up to death’s door.” Trith amended. “I saw him. I had thought him dead till he came to our town not more then a week ago. I knew who it was, even if I could not see the face.” Trith’s face was grave, expressionless. “You don’t forget presence like that. I suggest you not get caught by him.” He reached out, patting one of Lithium’s hands, holding it tightly a moment later. “He is dangerous.”

“I can handle him.” Lithium replied, fire igniting in his eyes. “I won’t give up my source of water. I won’t let people die from thirst. I won’t give anything to Dex. I’ll fight anyone that comes my way. This Vincentas will have nothing I haven’t seen before.” He gripped his grandfather’s hand back. “Don’t worry grandpa.”

Lithium spent the following hours in their company before he insisted that he had to go. Night was a good time to travel if you knew how to do it. Normally, the temperatures dropped too much for anything to survive when the darkest hours came, but he had a Behemoth, and they radiated a fair amount of heat at all times. He would be fine, no chance of frostbite. He left them their water and took his leave, putting a scarf around the lower half of his face.

He could feel the stinging bite of the first chilled winds. The sky was a dull purple blue, and getting darker. He had an hour of sunlight left at most. He climbed up onto his Behemoth and it lumbered to it’s feet. “Let’s go home.” He murmured to the creature. It a yawning groan that rumbled the houses around them, it took off at it’s easy gant.

Vincentas watched intently through the thermo-scan binoculars he always kept on his person. They were useful for night observations. He had ordered this convoy leave him two miles outside of the village. He was crouched now, on a low rise of boulders watching Lithium leave. He would trail him, find his water source, kill him and claim the water for Dex.

Or perhaps there would be a second claiming thrown in there. Death would be such a waste on such a pretty face and body. And he knew that body had to be lovely. Slight and lithe, graceful, and the skin he had seen, though touched by the sun, was not roughened or worn like most of the people of the deserts. No, it was smooth and supple and he wanted to know how it was still that way. The boy had to be eighteen, maybe older, and usually by that age wear and tear started to show.

Vincentas stood up and stepped off the boulder, landing on his feet about ten feet down. Not a far drop really. He slid onto his hover cycle. Unlike the cars, these kept low and were much quieter. He had taken care to make his even more stealthy. He took note of the direction they were going. Southwest, pulling more south maybe.

He pulled at his insulated gloves and then started the cycle, taking off after Lithium, keeping a distance away so he would not get noticed. The cold would not bother him, he had become numb to physical pain long ago. He wondered if he could feel pleasure anymore either, he had not had contact in a positive way in so long. Had not wanted it either. But Lithium struck a cord in him. The child was stubborn and had spirit and fight. That alone gained some measure of respect from Vincentas.

He was surprised the boy was traveling in the cold at all. The cold was more deadly then the heat in many ways. Once true darkness set in, he saw a small flair of light. A lantern. Vincentas did not use any light himself, he did not need to. He saw well enough in the dark. It was a clouded night, no stars, and barely a trace of the two slivers of the moons.

The light kept moving onward for several hours, till the darkest time came. It was then that Lithium stopped and dismounted. The Behemoth laid down, and Lithium set his lantern down, sitting with his back against the Behemoth’s side and a blanket tugged over himself. He dozed off quickly with the warmth of the Behemoth at his back.

Vincentas left his cycle a distance away behind a boulder and moved in slowly. The Behemoth lifted it’s head when he got close enough to be just outside the ring of light the lantern gave off. He moved around to it, patting it’s snout lightly. The beast gave a content snort and laid it’s head back down. That left Vincetas free to move without threat.

He moved into the light, kneeling beside the dozing boy. Lithium’s head was tipped back, golden hair spilling around his face. Vincentas liked the curls he found here and there among the locks. The wind kicked up and one such curl slid across Lithium’s plush lips. Vincentas reached out, catching it and tucking it away behind the other’s ear. His fingertip traced the shell of the same ear. Lithium murmured, turning his head away, leaving Vincentas a clear view of a smooth, delicate throat.

The flutter of his pulse made Vincentas want to lean in and bite down, such a fragile thing. He wanted to feel it beneath his mouth. He braced a hand against the Behemoth and did lean in at last. His mouth touched the pulse lightly, drawing back when Lithium stirred, then moved in again. He parted his lips, the tip of his tongue flicking against skin. Salty from sweat, but beneath that was a stronger, much more appealing taste.

Lithium jerked awake with a gasp, hand flying to his throat and gripping against where he would have sworn someone had been licking. Sweet God, that had been a vivid dream. He shuddered, remembering the look he had seen in Vincentas’s eyes. Thank God it only was a dream. He glanced around and found that the sun was beginning to rise on the horizon.

Lithium sighed and stood up, shaking out and then folding his blanket, stuffing it into one of the packs on the Behemoth who yawned as it woke up. “Morning.” He said softly to the creature, patting it on the side before he swung up. He sighed and urged the Behemoth onward.

And not too far away, behind the boulder still, Vincentas sat, breathing hard. He had dipped into the boy’s mind to see if he could learn anything, instead he found himself in a fantasy of touch, taste and lust. Vincentas leaned his head back, running his hands over his face and through his hair which was damp with sweat. “Damn.” He muttered and stood up, waiting for Lithium to get far enough away before he followed once more.

He could not delve back into that mind. Somewhere along the way he had become twisted around inside of it, and merged clean through with Lithium. He had barely kept his thoughts in check and to himself. Where the yearning for sex had come from he was not sure. Vincentas growled. He would not allow it to happen again. Now that he knew how strong willed the other was, he would be ale to handle it better if he did return to Lithium’s mind.

He licked his lips, remembering the taste that had been there. He still had the phantom of the memory in his mouth.

“Damn.”