World of Night

New Ways


"You know," Craig said nonchalantly, lazily navigating around a group of elves, "I don't think Karl and Harry understood what I was trying to tell them."

"You think?" David chuckled, quickly glancing at Karl and Harry over his shoulder. "They don't look happy."

"And they wouldn't have any reason to." Craig retorted, inching closer to David. "I told them to learn to get along."

"Well...." David raised his eyebrows at Craig. "They aren't killing each other. Yet."

"They also aren't talking." Craig pointed out, shaking his head. "But they will, trust me."

"Oh?" David casually slipped an arm around Craig's waist, immediately feeling two pairs of eyes burning into his back. "Sounds like you have a plan."

Craig simply smiled enigmatically at him.


~***~


Harry tensed, his hands immediately clenching themselves into fists as he watched David's arm slip around Craig's waist. He more sensed than saw Karl doing the same beside him. He knew that David was nothing but a friend to Craig but he still hated it when other people where this openly affectionate with his lover. And David was no exception.

He growled at an elf, who had dared to bump into him, before focusing on his surroundings again. The streets were unusually crowded today. If only they would accidentally lose Karl. He heaved a sigh, mentally resigning himself to watching Craig's back. If only he could get closer to the other man without earning on of Craig's death glares. If looks could kill he would be on the ground, writhing in agony and struggling for his last breath.


~***~


Karl frowned as David looked back at him and Harry with that expression again before turning to whisper something to Craig, whose head bobbed enthusiastically up and down in response. They seemed to be planning something. And from the looks David kept throwing back as they slowly made their way through the crowded streets of the central cave it had to involve either him or Harry. He shuddered. Or maybe even both of them.

"What in Odin’s..." he trailed off, staring at the spot where David and Craig had been only seconds before. He could feel Harry doing the same thing.

"Where are..." both men started at the same time, never finishing the question as the glared at each other from narrowed eyes. The air around them crackled with anger.
"Did you," Karl forced himself to take a slow, deliberate breath, "Did you see where they went?"

"No." Harry growled, glaring daggers at Karl. "Do you have something to do with it?"

"Me?" Karl's eyes widened. He shook his head, hair whipping around his face. "Why the fuck do you think I'd do something to either of them?" He frowned. "I wasn't even close to them when they vanished!"

"But you could have engineered something," Harry said slowly, taking a menacing step towards Karl, "Maybe you talked some of your friends into snatching them."

"You're delusional." Karl said calmly, tuning his senses in to Harry's movements. He needed to be as prepared as possible in case the other man decided to attack. The man seemed ready to snap at even the slightest perceived provocation. "Why should I do something like that?"

"You've always had your eyes on Craig." Harry growled, stalking directly into Karl's personal space. Small stones danced around the.

"Keep your powers down." Karl hissed, gritting his teeth. "I knew Craig long before he met you. Don't you think that I'd have made my move on him before he got together with you if I had been interested?"

"Maybe you didn't realize what you wanted until I had it."

"Oh please." Karl forced himself not to hit Harry. "How does your non-existent brain come up with this bullshit?"

"Don't you dare." Harry's nostrils flared. He was hanging onto his control by a very thin thread. And Karl was stretching that thread. Incredibly. "I know you want to take Craig from me."

"Harry, please listen to me." Karl grabbed the other man's elbow, smiling apologetically at the passers-by as he dragged the reluctant man off the road. "Yes, Craig and I like each other and yes," he lifted his hands defensively, stalling another outburst of anger, "I was attracted to Craig when we first met. I probably still am on some level. Please hear me out," he begged, hoping Harry could keep himself from blowing anything up, "Don't you think that something would have had already happened if there still was that kind of attraction between Craig and me?"

"And who," Harry ground out, his teeth hurting from clenching them so tightly, "Can assure me that something did not already happen?" He blinked, taken aback by the sudden sadness and pity in Karl's eyes. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

Karl shook his head, smiling sadly. "If you really have that little faith in Craig then you truly don't deserve him. You should know him better. He surely deserves better than the likes of you."

Harry stared numbly at the man he had been arguing with only seconds before, all of his anger suddenly evaporated. He gulped, wondering at the sudden tightness of his throat. Was he really being that unfair to Craig?


~***~


"Do you really think Sean's saviour will be the only topic today?" Orlando asked, slipping an arm around Eric's waist as they entered the council building. He smiled, immediately feeling a sense of peace and quiet settling over him that he rarely found anywhere else. The house was crowded today. Both familiar and unfamiliar faces lined the wall, waiting to be admitted into the Gathering Hall.
Orlando shifted nervously. He knew that Sean's disappearance on the surface had caused quite a stir but this was beyond what he had expected.

"What else would they be talking about?" Eric sounded genuinely surprised.

Orlando shuffled his feet, side-stepping a group of running children. He gave Eric a silent smile of thanks as the other man pulled him closer, his hand splayed possessively on Orlando's hip. Somehow the other man's presence always had a soothing effect on him.
"Dom and Marton." He said darkly. "You know that they would never have managed to get away on their own. They must have had inside help. And we can't just let them roam around the surface. They have to get them back."

"I know." Eric had finally succeeded at glaring another man into leaving his hard-won place on one of the benches and pushed Orlando into the now empty space. "I'm sure they've either already sent some hunters after Dom and Marton or are planning to do so soon." He paused, taking both of Orlando's hands into his own. "Don't worry OB. They’ll be fine. I' m sure the Elders are far more concerned about the guy Sean brought back with him from the surface."

Orlando nodded, squeezing Eric's hands in response. "I hope you're right." He whispered.

"You know I'm always right," Eric dead-panned, "Except for when I'm wrong."

This time Orlando's smile reached his eyes.


~***~


Jed threw his head back, relishing on the strength with which the wind whipped his skin. It felt so good to be finally out of the cell and back in the open. Greyish clouds on the horizon smothered distant rooftops and fields, swallowing the suburbs on a grey blanket of foggy rain. The air was ripe with the stench of smoke, fuel and humans, but to Jed it was heavenly. Laughter bubbled up in his chest, spilling from his lips. His mirthless laughter faded hollowly between grey and dilapidated buildings. Luckily his freedom came at a price he was prepared to pay.

Cold burnt his lungs as he inhaled, pausing for a moment, before releasing it all in an anguished wail. He closed his eyes, cowering down next to the chimney and cocking his head. A smile twisted his lips as the first echoes of pain reached him. Such exquisite suffering. And none of those stupid humans knew what was happening, that they were calling out for him, were in fact subconsciously calling for him to take their pain and end their puny existence on earth.

"Gotcha..." he whispered, shivering with pleasure as he caught what had to be an echo of Csokas. “How heart-breakingly beautiful...." he smiled, tasting the air to imprint Csokas' pain on his senses. With another disturbing laugh he leapt into the mist, following his hunger for suffering. Time to feed. Soon.


~***~


"I told you they would talk." Craig said smugly, nodding his head at Harry and Karl, who where still facing each other down on the street.

"It looks more like a showdown at high noon to me." David mumbled, raising an eyebrow at Craig. "They still look ready to kill each other." He shuddered. "With their bare hands if necessary."

"They'll get past that." Craig said decisively, ducking further into the cover of the tunnel they had hidden in. "I wonder if they're going to show up at the council after they are done fighting over me."

"How do you know they're still fighting over you?"

Craig grinned impishly. "Clairvoyant here, remember?"

"Then why don't you see whether they're going to show up or not?"

"Because it doesn't work that way." Craig said with a sigh. "Because..."

"Craig! Craig!" David managed to catch Craig just before the other man hit the unyielding ground. "Craig talk to me!"

His only answer were short spasms and Craig's eyelids moving with the rolling of his pupils. "Craig!"


~***~


Viggo exhaled loudly, turning on his heels and pacing across the room again. Sean shook is head. He had long ago given up on counting how often Viggo had paced.

"Viggo," He said quietly, "Please sit down. You're giving me a headache."

Viggo looked almost hurt as he stopped, turned again and looked back at Sean. Silence hung between them like a thick, suffocating blanket.

"I'm nervous." Viggo said finally, his feet carrying him over to where Sean was sitting.

"I know." Sean said simply, his green eyes paralyzing Viggo. "But that won't help us."

"I know." Viggo forced himself to take a deep breath. He rubbed his arms through his navy-blue shirt and forced a smile at Sean. "I can't help it."

Sean nodded, listlessly flicking a few specks of dusts from his jeans. "I have never known the council to be unduly cruel or unfair."

Viggo's gaze was glued to the mesmerizing motion of Sean's had. He had always loved strong hands. He gulped. "But you have never seen them deal with a situation like this either."

"You're right." Sean patted the chair next to him. "Please sit down," he repeated, "I can't stand to see you this agitated."

Anxiously Viggo looked at the massive wooden doors he had ignored so far. "When will be called in?"

"As soon as the council convenes." Sean squeezed Viggo's knee, his gaze sweeping dismissively through the dull chamber and its sparse furnishings.
"I hate being kept waiting like this, too."

Viggo nodded with a sigh. He winced as he carded his fingers through his already messed-up hair. If all the times to find a nest.


~***~


"Man!" Dominic exclaimed, scrunching up his nose at the smell of the room they had been directed to. "This place smells like shit!" He gave the room as thorough glare. "Jeez! Bunkbeds! And I thought it couldn't get any worse. Listen, Grumpy," he started to turn to Marton, "I know we need to keep a low profile but.... Marton? Marton!" He grabbed the other man's collar, shaking him as hard as he could. "Marton for fuck's sake!"

The weight of a whole mountain range dropped from him as awareness slowly returned to Marton's eyes. "Thank heavens!"

"Dom!" Marton blinked owlishly. "What happened?"

"Why don't you tell me?" Dom let go of Marton, awkwardly smoothing his fingers over the other man's messed-up shirt. "You were zoning out or something."

"Zoning out?"

"Yes." Dom bit back a sharp retort and instead manhandled Marton over to the beds. "You suddenly fell silent and kept staring right through me."

"I did?" Marton seemed baffled. He fell less than gracefully onto the hard mattress.

"No you didn't," Dominic growled, trying to stare Marton into lying down, "I'm making it all up as I go along."

"You are?"

"No Marton, I am not. What the fuck did just happen?"

"I don't know," Marton frowned, his eyes dropping close, "I thought I heard something. Some sort of wail." He shuddered, visibly reluctant to remember. "It was as though it struck some chord within me, as though some part of me wanted to answer and..." he trailed off, noticing Dominic’s steadily climbing eye-brows.

"If I hadn't been with you 24/7 I'd say you were high on something."

"I'm not a drug-user." Marton bit out.

"I know." Dominic nodded, giving the other man a searching look. "Which is why I'm still here with you. You probably need to catch up on some sleep," he conceded, "We have been through a lot lately."

"Okay." Marton mumbled, curling up on the bed without bothering to pull the rough blanket over himself.

Dominic's frown deepened. Things had to be worse than he had assumed if Marton of all people gave in this easily.

"Dom?" Marton sounded incredibly sleepy. "Stay?"

"I'm not going anywhere." Dominic sighed, sitting down next to Marton on the bed. The other man immediately latched onto his left legs, wrapping both arms around it. Dom shuddered, trying to find a comfortable position without disturbing Marton too much. Something was definitely wrong here.


~***~


Viggo barely managed to let go of Sean’s hand as they were finally called into the Hall of Gathering. How was he supposed to pull through his? The elders had no reason to trust him. He had a snowball's chance in hell, nothing more. And even that only if he got lucky. He grimaces as Sean's hand found the small of his back, stroking in what was certainly meant to be encouragement.

"Don't worry Vig," Sean whispered at his side, "We'll get through this. I'll stand by you."

Viggo nodded, the miniscule jerk of his head meant to tell Sean that he understood. He shuddered as the doors opened ever so slowly before them. No matter how brave the front he put up was, he was still scared shitless. And he suspected everyone out there knew or at least suspected it in return.

"Tizane. Kjey." Sean whispered slowly, speaking the runes of peace and harmony over them. Viggo immediately felt his frayed nerves settle. Reluctantly he stepped through the doors, Sean at his side.

The Nightworld people really seemed to be fond of circular rooms. The council presided over the room from a row of tables. A small path led from the door to a smaller circle in front of the circle. The rest of the room was filled with spectators, all of them sitting or kneeling on cushions on the floor.
Viggo swallowed the painful lump in his throat. He knew that the Nightworld had non-human inhabitants, but he had never expected to see so many of them in one place. Yellow eyes fixed on him in addition to the usual stares.

Above all he had never expected non-humans on the council. At least the led still looked quite human. If one ignored the pointed ears, the slender build, the missing facial hair and the strange clothes. The ghoul and the two trolls he decided not to think about unless necessary.

He shuffled his feet, sighing when he sensed Sean doing the same. Great. If even Sean was getting nervous, no. He mentally shook his head. He was not going there.
Viggo automatically stood up straighter as one of the human council members rose gesturing for silence. He was a tall man, with a strong face and intelligent eyes. His hair was short and somewhat curly, black and tinged with grey around the circles. Viggo decided that he would probably have liked them, had they met in any other situation.

"I am John Noble," the elder announced, half-smiling at the over-filled room before concentrating on Viggo, "I represent the guild of Guides and am the spokesman of this council. My fellow council members are Bernard Hill," he gestured at the other human, a blond man, who seemed lost in his thoughts, "Hîntawaren," this time he gestured at the elf, "Dreynan," Viggo's gaze was led to the ghoul, whose yellow eyes mustered him intently in return, "And this are Shtonk and Shrek," he finished with a wave at what could only be trolls. "We have convened to decide what your future shall be among as. Of this council you will address only me."
He waited for his words to sink in, waited to Viggo to show that he had understood. Finally he received a small nod.

"Very well." Noble turned to the other occupants of the room. "As we all now Sean was taken prisoner by the Nightseekers and held captive in one of their laboratories. Dr Mortensen was among those, who worked in that place. Sean," he turned, staring intently at the blond, "Dr Mortensen is partially responsibly for your captivity. Why do you think that he should be allowed to walk free among us?"

"He saved my life when he freed me from my prison." Sean said, his voice steady and clear in the completely silent room. "And he risked his own life when he led me to safety. We were pursued my armed guards and dogs, he even had to kill one of the guards to save us. There is no way that anyone would stage such a risky escape. He was injured on our flight and would still not go for help because he feared detection. I believe that he had no idea about what the Nightseekers were really doing until he found out that they were keeping me prisoner."

"And you think that is enough to ask all of us to place our trust in him?"

Viggo closed his eyes, feeling sick to his stomach. He had no chance if they doubted Sean.

"Yes." Sean answered, staring directly at the elder. "He has proven himself to me. I would trust him with my life. Again."

Noble nodded. "The council already gave this a lot of thought before you were called to attend. We have also spoken to some, who already met Dr Mortensen." He glanced briefly at Karl, who flinched under the sudden attention. "We have come to a decision. Dr Mortensen will of course be questioned in the presence of our empaths and telepaths to determine his level of involvement in the Nightseeker operation and to find out which information he can give us. He is not, under any circumstance, to leave the Nightworld without a council decree allowing him to." He looked around, waiting for the murmuring to die down.
"We do expect every Nightworld member, who witnesses suspicious behaviour on Dr Mortensen's part, to immediately report to an official."

He turned once more to Viggo. "You will find yourself locked up and on trial immediately if you exhibit any kind of behaviour that could be dangerous to our citizens. Do you understand?"

"Yes Sir." Viggo somehow managed to force the words out of his dry throat.

"You're free, Vig." Sean's voice told him again, as the citizens of the NIghtworld slowly filed out of the room, some of them throwing suspicious looks at Viggo while muttering and discussing something under their breath.

Sean's hands steadied him as he stumbled towards the nearest wall, the realization that he would not be locked up after all finally trickling into the part of his consciousness that was capable of rational thought.
"Sean?" he asked, reaching for something to hold him, to stop him from going down as the swirling blackness on the periphery of his vision crept closer. He never noticed Sean reaching out for him as his knees gave way under him.