Just a short note at the beginning. I know I haven't updated for ages, I'm sorry, my only excuse is that I graduated high school and had to move away from home. Now I've got the free time to write, but haven't touched the story in so long that I'm suffering from extreme writer's block. I promise to try to get the next chapter out, but for now this is a...rather long one shot to tide people over.

WARNINGS! some violence and major slash. If you don't know what slash is DON'T READ THIS FIC!

Disclaimer: this fic came about from me daydreaming while playing Kingdon Hearts 2, the tower featured herein in now way belongs to me, except for the extra rooms. However, the characters, landscape, and plot do; please ask before using them.

The Wayward Tower

Asia stumbled, nearly hitting the ground in his headlong hurtle through the forest, his breath hitching as his feet tangled together. Arms wind-milled as he staggered a few feet before regaining his footing and continuing his mad dash between trees. Terror washed through him, turning his blood cold even as it raced through his body, as the voices of his pursuers reached him; he'd lost speed and ground, the only things that had a chance of keeping him alive.

Beams from flashlights flickered across the ground around him and the cries of his trackers grew louder as they spotted their prey. A choked sob left him as he tried to push his burning limbs faster, tried to force his body beyond even its adrenaline pumped limits.

Asia flew blindly though the trees, no goal in mind, only a desperation to stay ahead and out of the grasp of the ones hunting him. His entire body was on fire from the exertion of running over rough terrain, he'd never been an athlete and being born and raised in a big city hadn't left him playing in the woods as a child. His eighteen year old body was the thin, soft one of a boy who spent his years playing computer games in the darkness of his house; the people shadowing him had the advantage and they knew it.

The trees thinned quite suddenly and Asia raced out into an open clearing, whipping his head around as soon as he passed the tree line, spotting the group of flashlights and voices still swiftly tracking him beneath the dark cover of the trees. He tried to guess at how far behind they were, wondering if he could lose them by exiting the clearing before they reached it.

"Huh..." Asia gasped as he was thrown to the ground, his feet connecting with a raised object. His arms flew out in front of him and he twisted his head around to look down at what he'd tripped on. Smooth stone flashed into sight just as his hands connected with a surface that seemed to be unevenly rising from the ground.

A sharp cry tore from his throat as his knees were torn open by the sharp corner of one of the stone ledges. His palms skidded forward until his fingers crumpled harshly as they collided with the vertical edged of the next level of stone. Once the shock of hitting the ground had worn off, Asia glanced ahead of himself, staring at the stone steps that had been cut into the hill side, leading up the steepening slope until they hit the edge of a cliff that jutted up out of the opposite side of the clearing.

Groaning in pain, Asia levered himself upright and limped as quickly as he could up the staircase. The sounds of the pursuing group allowed him more speed, his fear of being caught overruling the pain still pulsing hotly through his body. As he neared the top he paused, all thoughts of speed erased by his dismay, which quickly escalated into total panic. Asia rushed up the last of the steps and pressed his hands helplessly against the smooth surface of the cliff face. He glanced to either side, but the cliff stretched off into the forest and disappeared into the darkness of the night.

As he pounded a fist uselessly against the solid rock surface, the first of the flashlight beams landed on his trapped form. The cries of his hunters became triumphant, though they were still near the bottom of the staircase. It wouldn't take them long to reach the top and Asia knew that he was trapped against the rock wall. The cliff wasn't a flat wall and it curved out slightly as it moved away from the stairs, encasing him in a bowl, leaving the forest, his only chance of escape, closer to his pursuers than to him.

Asia turned to face the group of people advancing on him, backing up until he was plastered to the unyielding surface, his body subconsciously trying to run from the threat that was quickly overrunning its quarry. When the first flashlight hit him full on, the leading member of the group stepping up level with Asia, the young man flinched, closing his eyes and turning to press his cheek against the wall, forcing his body even closer to the wall, distantly feeling the skin on his shoulder blades bruise. Hot tears coursed down his cheeks, wetting the rock behind him and dripping to the ground at his feet.

He heard the footsteps of his fastest hunter drawing closer, no longer in a hurry now that he was sure his prey wouldn't be getting away. Asia choked on another sob, a wordless plea for help to whomever or whatever was willing to listen. Abruptly, Asia felt the solid stone behind his body vanish into thin air, leaving him momentarily suspended in the air before he tumbled backwards into the cliff, his last sight of the clearing centering on the faces of his pursuers; they looked at least as startled and surprised as he knew he did.

Asia's back hit the ground and he skidded for a few feet before coming to a halt. He lay limp for a few seconds, rough panting tearing from his lungs and wide eyes focused on the darkness above him. Asia remained on the ground until his breathing evened out and only then lifted himself into the sitting position. The place he was in was completely black; his eyes unable to pick out a single detail of the inside of the cliff, but his hands fell on a smooth and polished surface. He ran his palms over the floor in surprise, the cold rock slipping under his hands effortlessly and he knew from the feel of it that he was sitting on marble.

Asia pushed himself to his feet, wincing at the aches that assaulted his body. He groped blindly until he found the wall; surprisingly close, therefore he assumed he was inside a narrow hallway. He turned his back on the direction he'd fallen from; Asia had no desire to walk back into the clearing where his pursuers were probably staring at a blank cliff wall in confusion. The thought of his pursuers made Asia step forward, one hand on the wall and one stretched out in front of him; he wanted to be far away before his hunters decided to try to follow him.

The hallway seemed to run straight forward, no turns, doorways, or other halls branching from it. Asia walked carefully forward, wincing as every step rubbed his ripped knees against the coarse denim of his jeans, the blood from the wounds hot and sticky as it soaked his jeans and dried there. He had no idea how long he'd been walking, the pain never lessening, though it never became worse, leaving his mind with a warped effect in the clinging darkness. Eventually, the air around him seemed to 

thin and it gained a luminous quality that wasn't quite bright enough to allow him to view his surroundings, but wasn't as oppressive as complete darkness.

Quite suddenly the wall that had been beneath Asia fingers, which he'd been leaning against to take some weight off his legs, disappeared. Cool, fresh night air rush into his lungs as he toppled sideways. He braced himself for hitting the ground for the third time that night, but was pleasantly surprised as his hands and legs were met by soft and lush grass. The pain and terror of the night seemed to fade as he lay in the cool dampness of the night time grass, his aching body losing the tension that had seemed a permanent addition to his muscles.

Rolling onto his back, Asia gazed up at the open sky, stars sparkling faintly before fading into the trees that surrounded the patch of grass by the entrance to the marble hallway. The dew on the soft grass soaked his jeans and sweatshirt, a shiver wracking his frame as the chill from the night air hit his body, all the heat from his sprint through the woods long faded. Asia pulled his body from the ground for the third time that night and stood staring at the leafy trees around him. The forests around the cliff had been the home of coniferous trees; the leafy deciduous ones in this clearing seemed almost alien with the deep rustling of their leaves in the light wind.

Asia stepped forward under the cover of the trees, looking for a place out of the wind so his wet clothing didn't feel like ice on his bruised and bloody flesh. The marble path reappeared as soon as he entered the trees, running in a straight line through the trees and acting as a tunnel for the wind, winding it more forcefully around Asia's body. He shuddered and moved more hastily, his hands aching with the cold and the cuts from falling on the stairs.

A large archway appeared ahead between two trees and Asia could make out another clearing beyond it. The clearing ahead seemed to be brighter than the night that encompassed it and Asia hurried his steps, his knees jarring painfully with every rushed footfall. As the arch drew nearer, he could tell that the clearing was indeed lighter than the moonless night should allow. He hesitated under the arch itself, gawking at what the clearing held at its heart.

A large tower stood as centerpiece for the large expanse of meadow, the lush grass from before running right up to its walls, except for where the marble path cut through it towards the tower's entrance. In a daze, Asia wandered up to the wide stairs that flowed up from the marble path to connect to the looming front doors. The young man noted with a bewildered curiosity that the light in the clearing seemed to emanate from the tower itself; the large stones that formed its walls glowing with a faint purple tint. Upon reaching the enormous doors, Asia placed his hands upon them in astonishment, feeling ridiculously small in comparison; smaller than he normally felt, which was quite an accomplishment considering his puny height of 53.

As soon as his palms pressed against their rough wooden surface, the doors swung inward, bathing the steps upon which he stood in an eerie pale light that seemed to be a brighter tone of the pale purple given off by the towers stones. Asia hesitated on the threshold, unwilling to enter the tower uninvited by its landlord. In the end the tower chose for him, the light pulsating once in a bright flare before dragging him in through the doors. Asia cried out in surprise, fear spiking in his gut for the first 

time since hed escaped his pursuers. He struggled uselessly against the intangible hold of the light on his body, moaning in terror as he heard the doors swing closed behind him. He stood trembling in the entrance hall, disbelief warring with his fear. This was the kind of experience found only in fantasy books and dreams and Asia was half convinced that he was dreaming, that his hunters had actually caught him and he was far from the terrible safety of this tower. Only the dampness of his clothing kept him rooted to the reality of his situation, a fantasy book come to life, but one unlike any hed ever read, no magical swords, evil warlords, or dark spells, just an ominous, glowing, silent tower.

Trembling from both cold and terror, Asia moved across the empty entrance hall to the foot of a winding stair, everything made of the smooth marble from the path outside. His shoes made soft echoing thumps in the silent chamber and each step made him flinch, the noises he made seeming an unwelcome disturbance in the eerie tower. He paused for a breath, foot hovering above the first step. A last glance over his shoulder showed no more than the vacant circular room guarded by the tightly shut doors.

As Asia ascended the staircase and lost sight of the purple-lit room, he found that the marble stairs only wound around the wall of the tower for a short distance. A faint purple tinge was still hanging in the air of the narrow staircase when the stairs disappeared into a bright white-green light that seemed to fold in upon itself and suck in the walls, ceiling, and stairs, warping those inwards and confusing Asia's eyes until they stung and watered.

He hovered there, eyes focused on the step in front of him, one that was not within the warping light ahead of him. Asia had no desire to move forward into the brightness ahead, but had no more reason to return to the empty and forbidding entrance hall below. Stepping up to the light, he squinted into it, trying to see through to the other side to no avail. Asia sucked in a deep breath and pushed his hand into the white-green radiance, wincing as the sharp feeling of pins and needles raced along his fingers and up his arm as he pushed it further into the brilliance. He found no barrier beyond the light and he felt his fingers break through the other side just as it hit his shoulder, the strange feeling of having pins and needles from his shoulder all down his arm, yet stopping at his wrist giving him pause before he stepped fully through the light.

On the other side, another staircase that wound up the tower, though this hung in empty air, greeted Asia. The stair was floating in the centre of the tower, small white-green globes of light drifting lazily around it. Behind him, the white-green portal of light was still the same, but ahead of him was a blue door the same colour as the stairs he stood on. The door itself only seemed to lead off into the empty tower.

Curiosity getting the better of him, Asia approached the blue door, limping up the winding blue steps as fast as his injuries would allow. The centre of the door was adorned with an ornate and gold embossed carving of a star and as Asia hand gripped the handle, the star carving flared briefly before once again sparkling in the light of the stones with which the tower was built.

Beyond the door was not the empty space of the tower as Asia had expected, but a round room that had star sculptures lining the walls, stone arches rising to the ceiling between them. Across the 

room stood another door, though this one was green and had no carving upon it. Asia crossed the room quickly, once again unnerved by the echoes of his footsteps in the silence of the tower.

The green door led back onto a floating stair, the stone as green as the door that led to it, a bright emerald in the white-green and purple lights. Asia crept to the edge of the first step, clinging tightly to the doorframe as he leaned over and looked down. There below him was the blue stair and the white-green portal he had come through from the entrance hall. Asia sighed in relief as he realised he could easily return the way he had come and then turned to look up towards the top of the tower. Above him was only one more staircase, this one not winding as the blue and green were. It was a glowing dark golden colour and ran upwards in a straight line, though Asia could not see where it led from his low vantage point.

Asia moved back into the centre of the stair and continued his upward climb, reaching another green door, this one emblazoned with a carving of a silver moon. Again, the carving flashed with light when he gripped the handle, but otherwise did nothing to stop him from entering the room beyond. Again, as with the previous room, the walls had statues along them that had stone arches between them, though these were sculptured moons instead of stars. The door across from Asia was the same deep gold of the stairs he knew were beyond it.

Upon reaching the door, Asia discovered that it was made of wood instead of the smooth coloured material from before. The door was heavier and Asia had to throw his weight back in order to drag it back far enough for him to slip through to the steps beyond. He heaved the door shut again before turning to look up the stairs for his destination. The door ahead appeared to be the same as the one behind him, neither sporting any sort of carving that he could see. The steps were now wider, taller, and farther apart; making climbing them more difficult for Asia's wounded knees. As far as he could tell, the tower's inside had neither floor nor ceiling, only a darkness that ended it.

Again, the wooden door was heavier then Asia could easily open and he leaned on it until it swung inwards, the room beyond dark compared to the bright glow of the inner tower. Asia slipped in and leaned back against the door to shut it. The soft click of the latch catching seemed ridiculously loud in the shadowy room and Asia froze against the door, not even daring to breathe until he was sure the room was empty. The only light came from the stars that shone through the large windows lining the wall across from the door. Like all the other rooms in the tower, the walls curved in a circle and there was a door leading off to another part of the tower. This door, however, was tall and ornate, gold lining the carved, white surface. The room itself was rather cluttered, the central theme a large table with a tall backed chair behind it.

Asia crossed the room to the table, hands hovering over it, hesitant to touch the papers and objects that occupied its surface. The papers seemed to be covered in research, but the strange symbols meant nothing to Asia and the words weren't legible in the darkness of the room. He gently brushed aside the papers that covered one of the strange objects, cringing at the thought of the owner of the tower catching him. Beneath the papers was a small globe of glass, like a large, clear marble. It was smooth to the touch and didn't warm up in his grip, remaining cool beneath his fingers.

The sound of the white doors opening startled Asia, losing his grip on the glass sphere as he whipped around to look at the door. His eyes met another pair of startled black ones briefly, before the orb hit the floor and shattered in a blinding flash of light. Asia felt his body lift from the ground and hurtle through the air, colliding sharply with an uneven object. His head snapped back against the wall behind what it was he hit and the last thing he knew before blacking out was an echo of his surprised cry in a much deeper voice.

Asia flinched and yelped sharply as someone pressing at his injured knees brought him back to consciousness. There was a low grunt of frustration and he found his body suddenly stuck in place, unable to move away from the less than gentle hands on his aching knees.

"Hold still, idiot," snapped an irritated voice, its deep tenor washing pleasantly over Asia's ears. He automatically relaxed though the grip wasn't any more bearable.

Restrained as he was, Asia could do no more than moan and flinch as the rough fingers tortured his knees. He finally opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling, still unable to move his body an inch. He still seemed to be on the floor of the strange room, though it was no longer dark, a bright light shining from beyond Asia's field of vision. All he could see of his torturer was a few fly away strands of long brown hair. Another frustrated grunt drew Asia attention back to the hands on his knees.

"What were you doing, fighting a gravel pit?" the voice grumbled at him and Asia realized why the man was fidgeting with his scrapes, he was removing the rocks that had embedded themselves in his knees.

"No," Asia mumbled in exasperation, trying in vain to manoeuvre his head so he could glare at the source of the rude, beautiful voice.

Finally, the man seemed to be satisfied with the state of his injuries and the hands stopped picking at them. Instead, he felt them laid carefully on his knees, palms flat against his skin. The scrapes ached with the heat from the skin against them. Seconds after the hands planted themselves on his knees, Asia was momentarily blinded by a flash of the white-green light that had formed the portal to the area with the stairs. After the spots cleared from his vision, he realised that the man's hands no longer hurt against his knees. The next thing he felt was his body as it was released from the invisible bonds.

Asia sat up, swaying as the blood rushed from his head, leaving his vision a fuzzy gray for a few seconds after. When he could see again, he found himself staring into the dark eyes from before, though he realized now that they weren't black, as he'd originally thought, but a deep purple, much like the glow given off by the stones of the tower. The man's brown hair hung straight down his back, pooling on the floor, a few shorter wisps hovered around his head as if they were charged with static electricity. His skin was nearly as dark as his hair, a deep tan the colour of milk chocolate.

The man frowned down at Asia's lap, reaching out quickly to snatch up the boy's hands, examining the small rocks that had implanted into Asia's skin when he had tried to break his fall. The man sighed and began his picking again; carefully removing every little stone until the wounds were clean, blood seeping out in a clean read colour. Another flash, this time not so bright, and Asia looked down at his hands in amazement. Though there was still blood on them, the wounds had closed over into pink, tender scars.

The man stood, pulling a dazed Asia up with him and dragging the boy around the large table to the chair on the other side. Once Asia was seated, the dark, purple-eyed man levelled him with an annoyed glare.

"Who are you to invite yourself into my tower?" he demanded, his eyebrows furrowing as Asia shrank away from his glare with guilt.

"I'm...Asia," he answered hesitantly. "The tower pulled me in, I swear. I know it sounds crazy, but I didn't just waltz in, I pro – "

The man raised a hand to cut off the boy's babbling, his mouth tugging into a frown.

"The tower pulled you in?" he asked sounding uneasy. "Are you sure about this?"

"Uh, yes," Asia answered in a meek voice, the light flash and the next thing I knew I was being dragged inside and the doors shut."

The man stood silently for a few moments, his eyes concentrated on the night sky beyond the windows.

"How did you enter my valley?" he asked, still distrustful and angry. "You hold no power capable of breaking the barriers I've erected."

Asia stared at the man blankly. What barriers? All he'd done was manage to fall through a cliff into the most insane dream he'd ever had. The man seemed to realise that Asia did not understand him and his frown grew deeper.

"You're human aren't you, Asia?" he questioned, his eyes darkening as the boy nodded his head. "You should not be here."

"I don't understand," Asia whispered, staring at the tabletop, the notes on the papers making no more sense in the light than they had in the dark.

"You wouldn't," the man muttered. "You were never meant to; the humans are not part of this world. I need to find out how you passed onto my lands."

"I...fell through the cliff," Asia replied, feeling lost and more confused than before. The man shook his head in irritation.

"Obviously," he bit out harshly. "Otherwise you wouldn't be here in my tower. How did you get through the cliff?"

Before Asia could answer, the man's arms snapped out and he gripped Asia roughly by the sides of his head. The man's eyes flashed a brighter purple, as the light had done before pulling Asia into the tower's entrance hall. The memory of the chase through the woods and the near capture by the cliff flashed through Asia mind and seemed to funnel into the man's fingers. The man pulled away sharply as if he'd been slapped across the face. They were both silent for a moment, Asia sitting still in shock from the experience of having his memories filtered through as if they were no more than the pages of a book.

"Why were you being chased by the human police?" the man asked with distaste. Asia looked away from him, unwilling to answer the man who treated him so harshly. "If you do not tell me willingly I will take the answer from your mind."

"No, please!" Asia cried out, holding his arms up in a defensive position before himself, pushing away from the chair and fleeing across the room. The man followed him, backing Asia against a wall and watching as the boy sunk down to curl up on the floor. The man crouched down in front of the boy, reaching out, taking Asia's chin in a tight grip and forcing the boy's eyes around to meet his.

Asia was taken aback by the concern in the man's previously hard eyes, the grip on his chin loosening when he made no move to struggle. The man stood and offered his hand to Asia.

"You may remain her tonight," The dark man offered quietly. "Tomorrow you shall accompany me to the cliff. I shall renew the barrier and you shall go home."

"No," Asia answered sharply, glaring up at the towering man.

The man quirked a brow at the tone of Asia's voice, gripping the boy's upper arm and steering him back out onto the staircase.

"I did not realise my offer was up for negotiation," he stated, his voice bored and displeased.

"I can't go back there," Asia murmured in sorrow.

"Why?"

Asia worried his lip, shifting his eyes to he was staring off at the tower wall that rose up several feet away from the stairs. The man huffed softly in annoyance, clearly unused to waiting for an answer.

"My brother killed my father," Asia spoke quickly and quietly, his eyes tight in grief. "I saw him do it, I didn't stop him, couldn't stop him. I helped him get rid of the body...because I was afraid of him. I'm wanted for aiding and abetting."

The man had stopped walking and was staring down at Asia, his expression blank and concentrated. Finally, the man turned his gaze away and they walked towards the heavy wooden door in 

silence. Upon entering the room with the moon statues, the man turned sharply to one of the arches between the moons, placing his hand on the walls surface. A shimmer flared briefly in the archway and the wall in it disappeared, revealing an unlit hallway. A snap of the man's fingers lit the torches that lined the walls, the first real light Asia had seen since the police had cornered him by the cliff. The marble of the entrance hall and the path outside was once again present and the hall seemed cold and unused, dust hanging off the torches and coating the floor.

"My guest wings are not often used," the man muttered, waving his hand lazily to clear away the dust. "Not many are willing to sleep under a sorcerer's roof."

"Why?" Asia asked slowly, unsure if he wanted his question answered.

The man – sorcerer – glanced over at him with amusement. His eyebrows lifted and his serious mouth twitching slightly, hinting at a smile before settling back into the previous blank and bored expression.

"Why do you think?" He sighed softly. "Even in the old human tales the title of 'sorcerer' wasn't often used on good characters."

Asia nibbled his lip, thinking back to every book he'd ever read that featured sorcerer's and magical beings. The man was right; the sorcerer's most often carried out the roll of the antagonist or at least one of the antagonist's minions.

"You don't seem like you're...unpleasant," Asia stuttered, searching for a word that didn't sound as stupid as 'evil' or 'bad.'

The man let out a low chuckle.

"Not in the way humans describe us," he agreed with amusement. "We are known, however, for our rather volatile tempers. Some refer to it as a Sorcerer's Rage."

Asia glanced warily at the man leading him by his arm down the hallway. The way that he'd been handled earlier, the way the man had grabbed him and riffled through his memories without so much as a warning, let alone permission returned to the front of his mind. Though the man hadn't outright apologized for his actions, the way he'd gently handled Asia afterward proved he felt at least a little guilty for his near violent actions.

"You don't seem so bad to me," Asia whispered quietly, glancing at his feet in embarrassment. "You're letting me stay here for the night."

The man eyes tightened on the sides, his mouth thinning into a line. The end of the corridor appeared before the man could say anything else. The hallway opened into an antechamber with five doors leading off from it. The sorcerer led Asia to the one closest to them on the left and opened it, revealing a well-lit room with a bed and an adjoining bathroom. The room even had large floor to ceiling 

windows on one wall that looked out over the trees that spread into the distance, the cliff barely visible off to the side.

"Your room," the sorcerer declared absently, staring into space with an intent look on his face. "You will accompany me to the cliff in the morning...we shall decide what to do with you once I've repaired my barrier."

Asia smiled in relief, watching as the sorcerer shifted in discomfort at his admission and turned swiftly toward the door.

"Wait!" Asia called out just as the man went to close the door behind him. Inquisitive violet eyes met his and held them. "Um...y-your name...what's your name?"

The sorcerer smiled again, this time with a soft edge to it. He turned away again and moved to close the door.

"Kajare."

Asia stood in the room for a moment, looking at the door where the man – Kajare – had been moments before. He finally turned from the door and walked across to the bathroom, stripping from his clothes along the way, dropping the still damp material to the cool marble floor.

He was pleasantly surprised to find that the tiles of the bathroom were heated. Asia wiggled his toes as he stood in the humid room dressed in naught but his boxers. Still revelling in the newfound warmth, Asia moved across to the sink, washing the dried blood from his hands and knees, wincing as he rubbed over the tender, pink scars. Once the blood was gone, he gingery pushed his hands through his hair, wincing when his fingers prodded the bump that had formed from his collision with the wall. His fingers came away blood free and he sighed in relief, much too tired to need a shower.

Asia left the heat of the bathroom, hurrying across the room to dive under the thick blankets of the bed in order to escape the chill. He lay there, shivering slightly until his body managed to warm the plush covers of the bed. Glancing around the room, Asia frowned as he considered how he was supposed to extinguish the torches flickering along the walls. He remembered the way Kajare had snapped his fingers earlier in order to light them and decided to try his luck. The moment his fingers clicked off each other, the room was plunged into darkness, not even the light from the stars enough to break it this deep into the night. Asia curled in on himself protectively, the strange scent on the sheets doing nothing to ease his discomfort at being in a dark and strange room alone.

Asia tossed fitfully under his coverings, unable to let his eyes drift shut, even now that he could make out the dim shapes of the room's furnishings; two bed side tables, a wardrobe, two chairs, and a low coffee table, aside from the bed. The old furniture seemed oppressive in the black of the room and sleep evaded the young man.

At length, Asia sat up with a sigh and slid his feet out onto the marble floor, wrinkling his nose as the cold sent shocks through his feet. Tugging the large blanket tightly around his body, he hobbled to the door, fumbling to push his hand out of the covers to grip the knob. The torches in the hall were also unlit and Asia quickly snapped his fingers before tucking his hand back into the heat of the downy duvet. The torches flared up instantly and Asia continued his wobbling walk out to the room with the moons. Asia was dismayed to discover that the wall that blocked this hall from the moon room had been reformed, blocking his path to the floating stairs.

Tripping over to a corner, Asia slumped down to the floor, bundling himself more tightly into the thick blanket. Time passed slowly and Asia found himself slowly tracing over the swirls that laced the marble in no particular pattern, watching as it curled through itself like frozen smoke. Distantly he felt his head hit the wall, but found he was too tired to lift it back upright. He continued his mental tracing of the grey and black eddies within the white stone, never noticing as his eyes slipped shut and his body collapsed to sprawl across the entrance to the hallway.

Kajare stared at the fragments of broken glass in his hands, watching the witch lights that reflected from their many surfaces. He frowned in dismay, wondering how much he would be paying to have it replaced, for what was a sorcerer without a storage orb. However, from the explosion earlier, it was obvious he rarely tapped the power he took care to store within it on a regular basis, so perhaps he could put off buying a new one. He could wait until he had repaired the damage done to his barrier by the boy's tears and ship the boy off to the best home he could find.

The boy would most likely end up the servant of a demon lord, or an apprentice to some astrologer or alchemist, if he was lucky. If not, the boy may well end up as some witch's familiar; a slave to the being's every whim, if humans were even capable of being used as familiars. Kajare shuddered at the prospect, deciding he would sooner take on the tiny boy as a helper than leave him at the mercy of a witch. For the boy was tiny, tiny and human; not a good combination when it came to living outside of the human world. Besides the boy's obvious lack of growth hormones, he was disturbingly feminine in appearance, slender in build as if he had never worked a day in his life, with high cheekbones and large, hazel eyes. His nose was thin and small, his chin as delicate as the mouth above it and his hair was a pale, mousy brown, its fine strands seeming to hover around his face. The boy was pale too, skin white as a stone bleached by moonlight, which would stand out in a society where skin colour was a sign of one's magical ability. He would be recognizable as the powerless mortal that he was.

Kajare dumped the shards onto the table covered in his research and strode over to the large windows that ran alone the outer portion of the room. The sun was beginning to peak over the cliff that bordered his land, separating him from the human world. As a sorcerer, he was a guardian of the magical realm, amongst the most powerful of beings. Every time he looked upon the cliff, he was forced to remember his duties: to keep the humans out and the magic in, his barriers close to impenetrable. Impenetrable unless a boy's hopeless tears spilt upon them. Though that was hardly surprising, tears were known for their ability to counter magic, no matter how powerful, especially if said tears were 

formed from true, hopeless despair. The need of the human boy had melted through the spells that made entering or exiting the magical realm for his lands impossible. Now, should any creature decide to brave his lands, they would find a gaping hole in the barrier...right at its most accessible point.

Kajare growled lowly at this thought, baring his short fangs at the morning light, eyes flashing with barely suppressed rage. He swung away from the window and stormed out of his study, moving down through the tower to the Moon Chamber and removing the wall that blocked him from entering the wing where he had left the boy, Asia, for the night. His rage abruptly fled at the sight before him. The torches were glittering brightly, though he knew he had doused them last night before closing off the area. Kajare went to move forward, only to have his foot connect lightly with a solid, fluffy object. At his feet was the blanket from the room he had leant to the boy, the pale are that extended across the marble the only proof that the blankets also contained said boy.

Kajare knelt down on the cool surface of the floor and carefully pulled back a fold of the blanket, the sight of the boy's tired, but peaceful face allowing him to forget, if briefly, the problem of the broken barrier of his lands. Kajare gathered the petite bundle into his arms and stepped back into the Moon Chamber, turning to continue down the tower.

Outside, the sun had fully risen beyond the high edge of the cliff, spilling warm morning light onto the lawn around his tower. The tower's stones glittered in the daylight and Kajare took a moment to admire his home, pleased by how well it had accommodated his presence, the stones absorbing the purple of his stored energy. That was what truly set sorcerers' magic apart from that of other magical beings; the colour of a sorcerer's dormant magic was completely different from the colouring it took on when in use. Kajare's was a deep purple when dormant, yet a bright white-green when active, as was apparent to any foolish enough to enter his tower. Kajare could not think of anyone, other than Asia, who knew, for he had not had a visitor for well over 300 years.

The boy stirred slightly when the damp morning air hit his face, but otherwise did not wake. Now that he was out in the open, Kajare felt awkward with the bundle in his arms, his pride as a sorcerer getting the better of him as he dumped Asia into the grass. The boy woke with a startled squawk, glaring sleepily up at the dark man in confusion.

"Where 'm I?" he murmured sloppily, squinting in the bright sunlight.

"Outside my tower," answered Kajare flatly, staring at the heap at his feet. "Now follow me, the sooner I fix my barrier, the sooner I can find someone to get you off my hands."

The boy scowled up at the tall man, standing before he remembered he wore nothing but his boxers. A bright blush later and Asia was once more wrapped within the heat of the blanket.

"Why do I need to come with you to fix your stupid barrier," he snapped unhappily at the towering sorcerer.

"Because your tears broke it in the first place," The man answered, turning away from the boy and moving off down the marble path. "I need to at least have contact with you to repair the damage, 

though if you prefer I can find a way to make you cry again. It would be far easier for me as it would require less magic, only fair seeing as you broke my storage orb last night."

The boy flinched at his tone of voice and Kajare felt a brief stab of guilt before pushing it away. Sorcerers did not feel guilt, especially for some whiny, pale mortal. The feelings returned as soon as he glanced back to make sure the boy was following him. Asia was trailing along behind him with a morose look upon his delicate features, never moving his eyes from their contemplation of the marble pathway. Kajare growled at himself in disgust, turning sharply to face the boy, who ran headlong into his lower rib cage.

"What's wrong with you," Kajare demanded as Asia stumbled away from him in surprise.

"You..." Asia began timidly. "You want to get rid of me. I bother you."

Kajare stared down at the boy, wondering why the young man was so upset by the prospect of Kajare disliking him.

"You smell like a mortal," Kajare stated without pause. "You broke my only storage orb, you damaged my barrier, and your pale skin marks you as a powerless, useless creature."

Kajare turned and stormed off down the tunnel to the cliff barrier, hating that he was angrier with himself for how he had treated the boy than he was angry with the boy for being so pathetic. Asia trailed behind him fighting off tears, hating how the man he barely knew could affect his emotions so effortlessly. Asia was not used to his body and mind reacting so submissively (he shuddered at the word), he had been a hot tempered, mouthy teen in the human realm, his size making this a necessary defence. Now he was acting like this man's pet, every snappy response dying on his tongue the second he tried to voice it, a meek reply taking its place.

When they reached the end of the tunnel, Kajare turned and looked the boy in the eye. Asia scowled and stepped back as the man reached out to grip his arm. Kajare snarled, baring his fangs at the boy, delighting in the wide eyes and terrified whimper he garnered as a response.

"Come here!" he commanded harshly, making an impatient motion with his hand. Asia only flashed a glare at him.

"Not so useless now, am I," Asia muttered, what was meant to be a snappy response sounding more petulant and hurt.

Kajare stared at the boy in shock, wondering if all humans were as emotional as this one. He sighed and let his glare fall from his face, moving forward to gently grip the boy's forearm beneath the blanket. He ignored the young man's protests and raised a hand to the broken barrier.

Kajare began the complex spell work that would return the barrier to its former strength, enough to thwart even the smartest of the demon lords. As sweat started to bead upon his skin, even in the chill of the morning air, Kajare knew he did not have enough power in reserve to fully repair the 

barrier and since Asia had broken his storage orb, he would have to sleep tonight in order to replenish his body's strength.

As his power levels dropped steadily lower, Kajare's hand on the boy's arm tightened, his body automatically searching for the spare power source he usually carried with himself. The boy cried out in shock as a wave of white-green light seeped from his body into the dark-skinned hand of the sorcerer. The surge in power allowed Kajare to rapidly finish the spell work, rapidly dropping the boy's arm as soon as the barrier was whole again.

"You disgusting little thief!" Kajare screamed at Asia, his eyes flaring to the disturbing colour of white-green and his fangs lengthening. "Pathetic, greedy human!"

Asia screamed in horror, falling over backwards as he tried to turn and run, only to trip over the blanket wrapped around him. Kajare gripped him by his wrists and pinned him to the wall, a sharp crack sounding when Asia's head connected with the stone wall. Asia's scream quickly turned into a pained moan, his vision blacking out briefly as his head lolled over onto his shoulder.

They stayed like that, Kajare pinning a dazed Asia to the wall, until the rage boiled down to a point where coherent thoughts were once again possible. Kajare knew that humans could no more use or absorb magic on their own than they could breath under water. Memories of the night before, the shattered orb, the brief flash of power. There had been years of stored power within that glass sphere, more than enough to decimate his tower and kill the boy who had broken it.

Kajare lowered the trembling boy to the ground, a look of surprise and disbelief marring his features. Kajare recalled the strangely emotional and obedient nature the boy had possessed since he had met him and released one of Asia's wrists in order to cup the boy's cheek. As he gently probed through the boy's mind, careful to keep himself out of the young man's memories, he found a deep well of his own power, purple and dormant.

"Shirkath be damned!" Kajare swore, referring to the sorcerer who had first formed a barrier between this world and that of the humans.

"What?" Asia asked in confusion, relaxing now that the dark sorcerer's rage had passed.

"You're my familiar," Kajare bit out unhappily. "When you dropped my storage orb, the power transferred into your body, making you into a living storage orb."

"And this is...bad," Asia guessed, once more seeming put off by the fact that Kajare did not want him. Kajare rolled his eyes, realising he now had the daunting task of caring for the overly emotional boy until his body realigned itself to cope with the magical bindings of a familiar.

"Not unless you find it inconvenient to be irrevocable bound to serve me for the rest of our lives," Kajare remarked bitterly, expecting the boy to be horrified by the prospect.

Asia only shrugged, the idea not nearly as disturbing as the previous idea that Kajare was just going to pass him off to the first person willing to keep him.

"What does a familiar do?" He asked calmly, watching with mild curiosity as Kajare groaned and pulled a distressed hand over his face.

"You serve as a massive battery for my power, even regenerating the power I use up without me having to recharge you, so to speak," he explained grudgingly, resigning himself to the idea that he was stuck with the boy and pointedly ignoring the part of his mind that told him he had planned to keep Asia all along. "You'll live for as long as I do, aging as I age, recognized by most other magical beings as something between my servant and my slave."

Asia wrinkled his nose at the last part, shaking his head in disdain.

"I am not a slave!" he cried out crossly, glaring fiercely at the sorcerer he was bound to. "The battery part I can handle, but I refuse to let you treat me like an animal!"

Kajare grinned, pleased that the boy was already adjusting to the binding, knowing that it was the knowledge of the connection that was speeding the process. The powerful sorcerer was well known in the magical world and no familiar of his could be anything less than snarky and stubborn. Some of the nastier beings had been known to use the submissive nature of familiars to get at the powerful masters. This was the main reason Kajare had never bothered to find himself someone to bind. He wondered if anyone else knew that humans could be used as familiars, their bodies and minds capable of storing more magic than a regular animal familiar.

"You are most definitely not a slave," Kajare told Asia, grin still plastered to his face. "I don't think I could handle having a docile, obedient human living with me for the rest of my life."

Asia shyly grinned back, using his free hand to remove the grip Kajare still had on one of his wrists. He moved to retrieve his blanket, rewrapping himself in the chilled cloth.

"Is the barrier fixed?" Asia asked, smile widening as Kajare nodded. "Then take me back to the tower, I'm cold and would like a shower and some clean clothing."

Kajare groaned and pressed a hand to his forehead.

"What?"

"I have nothing suitable that with fit you and you cannot continue to wear your human clothing," Kajare explained in dismay. "We shall need to make a trip to the city to have you measured and fitted with something appropriate for your status."

"Status?" Asia asked blankly, wondering what kind of status a sorcerer's familiar had.

"You are now the familiar of a first class sorcerer, one of the guardians of the borderlands," Kajare explained tiredly. "People will expect you to be well cared for and that means well dressed."

Asia nodded with a pensive look on his face, turning to Kajare, clearly meaning to ask another question.

"What are the borderlands?"

"Where the magical realm meets the human world," Kajare clarified. "The nine gates have been guarded b y the most powerful sorcerers ever since the first of us, Shirkath, disconnected the human world from ours."

"So...there are only nine other sorcerers in existence that are as powerful as you?" Asia asked, looking decidedly pleased when Kajare nodded to the affirmative. "Well at least I ended up with you and not some measly, er...second class?"

"Precisely," Kajare replied snootily, tipping his nose into the air and closing his eyes. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so at ease around another living being, though the magical binding that made the boy almost a part of his soul may have had something to do with it.

They reached the tower doors, which swung open with a casual flick of Kajare's wrist. The walk up through the floating stairs was quiet, neither feeling the need to break a silence that wasn't uncomfortable. When Kajare went to open the wall that lead to the room Asia had borrowed the night before, the man hesitated then shook his head and beckoned Asia to the opposite side of the Moon Chamber.

"As you are now my familiar, there is no longer any point in you residing in the guest quarters," Kajare declared, opening a passage that wasn't lit by torches, but by the strange light that illuminated the rest of the tower.

"How does the light work?" Asia asked, realising how random the question had been when Kajare stared at him in astonishment.

"It's witch light," Kajare answered. "A gift from one I helped out some 700 years ago, when I was still relatively new to the world and not yet confined to being a guardian for this gate."

"If you weren't a guardian yet, how did it come to be in this tower?"

"When I was appointed as guardian, I transported this tower to the region, refusing to abandon my home of over 100 years."

"Just how old are you?" enquired Asia, gazing up at Kajare as his cheeks coloured and he shot an annoyed look at the boy.

"I...don't know exactly," he admitted unwillingly. "Nearly 900 I would assume, though it hardly matters. Sorcerers are not mortal, we live on, frozen at the age of our choice unless something manages to kill us."

"But, I'm human, I won't live forever," Asia frowned sulkily, upset at the prospect of Kajare replacing him someday.

"Don't be ridiculous," Kajare snapped at the bundle of blanket beside him. "You are a well of my power now, you will live and age as I do...that is to say not at all."

Asia fell silent at that admission, the prospect of immortality daunting enough to leave him speechless. Kajare led him down the short hallway into a comfortable sitting room, warm compared to the rest of the fire due to the large fire roaring in the fireplace. Two doors led out of the room, one open to show a bathroom, the other closed tightly. Kajare led him to the open bathroom door.

Another quick snap of his fingers had the large tub sunk into the floor filled to the brim with steaming water. He twitched his fingers and towels flew off the shelves that lined one of the walls.

"Wash quickly and was shall visit the city after breakfast," Kajare told Asia, sweeping out of the room and moving to close the door. 'I shall be in my study, the place where you broke my orb."

Asia blushed at the implications in that final statement, knowing Kajare was referring to how he had unwittingly bound himself for eternity to one of the most powerful sorcerers in existence. The door shut with a click and Asia was left alone in the warm, humid room.

Half an hour later found Asia walking up to the tower's study with a towel clutched tightly to his damp body. His clothing were still in the guest room, completely unreachable without Kajare's help and that left Asia with no choice but to run up to the study in nothing but the towel Kajare had left him. Luckily, the towel was sized for Kajare's use and not a puny 5'3" boy, so it fit him much like he supposed a dress would should he ever be so inclined to wear one. He supposed he would end up coming close to it as Kajare's familiar, the sorcerer was clothed in a long gray robe, with a bright red sash, a black undershirt, and baggy black pants. His feet covered by sandals that resembled the ones worn in ancient Rome. Asia assumed his clothing would be much the same once they had been purchased.

Upon reaching the first of the heavy wooden doors, Asia hesitated, tightening one hand on his towel before reaching for the knob and leaning back heavily, stumbling when the door began to swing inwards. Asia raced up the golden staircase, feeling uncomfortably revealed by the empty air around it. He grabbed the knob of the second wooden door, this time leaning against it in order to open it.

He entered the study to find Kajare seated at the table pouring over some of the papers scattered across its surface. Asia shifted uncomfortably, pulling the towel even tighter before meekly clearing his throat, cheeks heating in embarrassment when Kajare looked up.

When Kajare looked up at, his breath choked off in his throat, the sight of bare, pale arms and legs, still damp from the bath heating his body. He had lived alone for so long he had forgotten the thrill of seeing the skin of another body. Knowing that the boy wore nothing but the towel was doing nothing to help his state of arousal.

"You...um," Kajare stammered weakly, motioning the boy forward, gaze watching hungrily as muscles moved beneath milky flesh.

Asia came to a halt beside the chair and Kajare spun it so that he was seated facing the boy. He sat, hands twitching on the armrests, eyes roving over the slender body before him. He smiled as a red tint crept onto Asia's cheeks as Kajare continued to just stare at him. Just as the boy was about to move away, retreat to the other side of the table, Kajare's hands snaked out to grip the boy's tiny hips, tugging him effortlessly forward. He smirked at the startled yelp as the boy tumbled into his lap, legs landing on either side of his own, towel slipping off to either side and bearing the boy's lower torso.

Kajare watched as he slid his hand up the creamy thigh, enjoying the contrast between his dark skin and the paleness of the human in his lap. The boy's breathing had become harsh, the blush on his face spreading down his neck and onto his ears. Asia dared a glance up at Kajare, unable to break eye contact once he'd made it, the violet orbs nearly black with lust.

Asia groaned in disappointment as the hand moving up his body skipped from his leg to his stomach, but soon found himself moaning softly as the hands began to knead their way up his chest. All the while his eyes never breaking contact with Kajare's

"Kaj."

The word was a breathy whisper from between Asia parted lips as Kajare's fingers passed tauntingly over a nipple. A breathy moan made its way past his parted lips, his breath now coming in short pants. He mewled loudly as the hand left his nipple to firmly grip the hardened organ between his legs, his body falling forward against the firm chest in front of him, one hand coming up to twine through the long brown hair that cascaded around them.

The hand that wasn't busy pumping him in a torturously slow rhythm gripped his chin firmly, tugging him up so that their faces were level for the first time. Kajare's lips captured his hungrily, teeth catching his bottom lip and nibbling eagerly, before gently caressing it, begging for entrance. Asia keened in pleasure, the questing tongue taking the opportunity to sneak into his mouth and twist with his own.

Asia was unable to form a conscious thought, his mind and body reduced to a heated, quivering mess, craving nothing more than the touch of the man he perched upon. The hand left his chin, though the lips refused to release his, and tugged the towel from his body, leaving him naked in the lap of the fully dressed man.

Asia broke the kiss with a displeased grunt, picking at the sorcerer's outer robe, trying to figure out the ties holding it together. Kajare made no move to help him, watching in amusement as the boy fumbled with the complex ties, making sure to give a particularly hard tug at the weeping erection in his hand whenever the boy made progress, watching in amusement as the fingers fumbled and dropped the ties. Finally, Asia dropped them and looked up at Kajare with an annoyed pouted, which warred with a look of complete bliss when Kajare responded by tightening his grip.

Kajare gave into the boy with an amused chuckle, dropping the hard shaft in his hand to quickly remove his robe, moving the boy to sit upon the table so he could stand and shrug out of it. Next to hit the floor was his sash, followed by the shirt and pants, revealing his lack of undergarments, smirking at Asia's surprised squeak. Pushing the boy down onto the table, he began exploring the body in earnest, kissing his way down the delicate jaw to tug at an earlobe. His hands trailed across the boy's chest, toying with the light pink nubs he found there, loving the way the boy arched into his fingers with abandon.

Asia mind was a puddle of goo, lost in the heated pleasure flowing in his veins. He reached up to rewrap his fingers in long brown hair, tugging the handsome face at his ear down for more kisses. Kajare groaned, pleased by the boy's enthusiasm, moving one of his hands back onto the boy's leaking erection, mouth swallowing the sharp cry from the unexpected pleasure.

Kajare pulled away from the kiss to press his first two fingers into the hot mouth, groaning happily as the boy lapped fervently at them, coating the digits with his hot saliva. Impatiently, Kajare pulled his fingers from the boy's mouth, replacing them with his tongue as he nudged the boy's legs apart so his hips could settle between them. He pressed one of his saliva-coated fingers gently against the tight ring of muscle, grinning as it twitched lightly. He slipped the digit past the puckered entrance, feeling Asia wince and try to pull away from the intrusion.

"Shh," he murmured against the swollen lips beneath his. "Relax, I know it's uncomfortable."

Asia sighed and let his body relax, giving into the hands of the man he was bound to, his instincts demanding he do as requested. However, he tensed again as the second finger pushed in, the sensation painful and not at all pleasant. He felt the fingers stretching him, moving slowly in and out of his body. Suddenly, Kajare pushed both fingers in as far as they would go, curling them forward to brush across a certain spot in the petite boy beneath him.

Asia screamed as stars exploded in his eyes, arching back onto the fingers, trying vainly to take them deeper in his body. He heard a soft chuckle above him and, as his vision cleared, looked up to meet the amused eyes of his sorcerer.

His sorcerer.

The words rang in his head as he moved his hips shallowly along the motionless fingers, silently begging Kajare to continue his previous actions. The dark man continued to stretch the boy, every now and then nudging at the boy's prostate gently, never enough for the boy to reach orgasm.

Eventually, Kajare withdrew his fingers, smiling at the groan of frustration from his tiny lover. A snap of his fingers had a jar flying out of one of the cupboards that lined the walls of the room. Though the liquid inside was not meant for the use he would be putting it to, it would work just as well. Dumping a large amount on his fingers, he reached down to slick his own engorged member.

Asia's eyes followed the movements of Kajare's fingers, eyes widening as he took in the large member that was being slicked with the liquid on the sorcerer's hand. The thought of where the man meant to put it only made it seem even bigger.

Kajare released himself and took a hold of Asia's slim thighs, pulling them up to wrap around his waist. Lining himself up with the boy's stretched entrance, he looked up into nervous hazel eyes.

"Relax," he whispered, a gentle smile gracing his normally stern face. "Push back against me."

Asia nodded and braced himself for the intrusion. Hot tears sprang to Asia's eyes as Kajare nudged the head of his erection past the first ring of muscle, hissing at the feeling of the tight heat. The boy took a deep, steadying breath and began to press back against the hard organ breaching him. The pressure let up almost immediately, but the pain was still there and it seemed an eternity before the man was fully seated within his passage. Asia lay trembling as Kajare leaned down on his elbows above him, brow furrowed in concentration and covered in sweat.

Asia reached up a trembling hand to brush away the sweat, heart beating faster as he took in the sight of the dark man undone by passion, his mouth hanging open slightly and his brown cheeks hiding a flush. He shifted his hips against the hard surface of the table, already feeling the beginnings of bruises forming along his spine and shoulder blades.

The sorcerer took the shift of his hips as an invitation to begin moving, starting out with slow and shallow thrusts that spread a delicious heat up Asia's spine. Kajare groan as Asia wiggled against him and sped up his movements, lengthening his thrusts until he was almost pulling out completely. He lifted the boy's hips gently to change the angle, a hoarse cry sounding from his mouth as Asia's own scream filled the study, his prostate once more under stimulus.

Asia felt his muscles clench and spasm uncontrollably as he pushed up to met Kajare's every thrust. He felt his release fast approaching and harshly gripped his sorcerer's arms in an effort to brace both his mind and body for the impending explosion. One last hard thrust to his prostate was all it took and Asia's body tightened like a strung bow.

"Kaj!"

The abbreviation of his lover's name flew from his lips and his body jerked, muscles clenching around the hard shaft inside him, his hot release spattering across both their chests even as Kajare let out a last groan and Asia's inside were coated in warmth.

Asia lay panting in the afterglow, feeling Kajare recover enough to tug his lover upright off the table top, sitting them both in the chair. Asia was once more straddling the man, but this time in complete warmth and bliss, too tired to care that he was nude and covered in his own cooling seed. Kajare pulled Asia's damp towel from the floor and began cleaning them off, grinning as Asia made a face over being forced to sit up.

Asia gazed sleepily at his newfound lover, remembering why he had come up here naked in the first place when he saw his towel.

"I need clothes to go into the city in," he murmured, looking up at Kajare, eyes more alert now that the post-coital high was falling away. "Mine are still in the guest room."

"I know," said Kajare with a smug grin. Asia rolled his eyes in amusement. "You may wear one of my outer robes for the trip. It should be long enough to cover you decently."

Asia nodded and slid off the man's lap, gathering the sorcerer's scattered clothing and trudging off naked through the tower. Kajare followed him with a silly grin on his face, not being able to remember the last time he was this happy. In the Moon Chamber, Asia waited for him to open the door to his quarters. Once Kajare was properly dressed again and Asia was securely tied into a robe that looked more like a dress on him, the boy turned to look inquiringly at the dark man.

"Can we have breakfast?"

"No," replied Kajare, glancing at a clock. "But we can have lunch and then we shall go and buy you some proper clothing. Enough to last you for at least a couple centuries...provided I don't tear them off you in my impatience."

"Provided," Asia agreed pleasantly, a huge smile adorning his bruised lips. "Now, feed me."