To say that Nik didn’t miss the village would be an understatement. Here he was free and answered to know one. Not even the Grandfather Tree told him what to. He lessons were at his leisure but most of the time Nik spent learning what plants and mushrooms that would alter his mind and make him melt into the woods. Forgetting everything about the rest of the world the weight that seemed to have been placed on his shoulders.

It wasn’t that he didn’t learn anything; he could hear the will of the woods as clear as a person speaking next to him. But it felt like there had been no actual lesson to it. Alone with his thoughts the will of the forest flowed through him effortlessly, he shifted from man to animal on a whim, sometimes not even realizing he’s spent days not in his own skin. It was so different than life in the village, no expectation and rules. He didn’t miss people at all. No part of him felt drawn back to that place.

Well maybe that carnal side of him. It was hard to satisfy the most animal of desires. He missed West and those nights where they’d sneak out and make out in the back of the mushroom caves. He only had himself here, but he guessed he had to suffer some ways in this training.

Spring had rolled into the deep heat of summer, the trees coming into their full shade and glory, the animals lazy in the heat of the day and active in the coolness of the night. Nik lounged in the shade of the Grandfather tree as the ancient entity told him the stories of the High Forest.

And so came the first of your people of these lands.

Settling in the forest and bringing with them the spores of an ancient evil with them.

The Queen of Rot and Death.

“The what?” Nik blinked awake and looked up and the ancient branches.

Yes child, the first of your people worshipped a great evil. Who sought to spread her infection into the Very roots of the forest.

Her plague ran deep and many of my kind fell to her infection.

For the first time since he’s come here Nik felt as though this was something to pay attention to. He knew his people as kind and loving druids, ones who helped continue the circle of life, through their spores. Death begetting new life. There had never been talk of infections or a Queen of Rot. The Grandfather tree was who they had always venerated.

“This was what is was called to learn of?” Nik got to his feet and summoned a vine to lift him higher towards the trees ancient face. “This is what being called by you isn’t it?”

It is sapling. You have been marked to bear this history, just like elders before you.

Back then my power was fiercer, a young tree able to sway better in a harsh wind. I was able to call a few of your circle to my side. A handful that saw the beauty of this place and did not want it to be consumed by rot. Enough to seal her away.

“Seal her away? Not kill her?”

Being like that do no die so easily. So she was shut up deep in the earth, the roots of the forest containing her. Your people using their tie to her power and the land to keep her sealed away. So that she cannot infect the world again. This is what you are being asked to bear Nikulas, this knowledge.

“So my whole village is living a lie…” Nik sighed. “We are not some great protectors we are an infection. I knew everything I learned there was use less.”

Not useless Sapling, but changed from what the once were. This was over 1000 years ago. Your people are far different than the ones who came here.

“You tell me this to burden me with it?” Nik scowled

No, I tell you because your branched are strong enough to bare it. You have done well in your training so far. You have quickly detached from thoughts of home and found your soul here in the Old Growth. I have not had such a student many years. Nikulas I know you will bare this well.

“What if I don’t want to?”

That is why I tell you now. You still have three seasons here before you journey home. Time to learn and understand the weight. If you do no wish to bare it. Then you will not and I will chose another, and you will loose all the knowledge and power you gain.

“Can I decide now?”

You will be here with me three more seasons I will ask you then and no sooner. Taken your time sapling.

“Have others left here without the knowledge before?”

Many Sapling. Your father included.

Nik nodded. No wonder his father had spoke to him so before leaving him here, part of him still knew didn’t he? He said not another word, and slip back down the trunk. Again more pressure than he ever wanted to deal with.

**********

Nik spent the next week higher than he had ever gotten before. Head spinning, to the point he’d make himself sick. But it was better that thinking about what the Grandfather Tree had told him. Stoned his mind was elsewhere. On nothing at all.

At the end of the week, he let the haze lift, more for need survival than anything else. Heavy rain was falling now and staying in that state would see him drown in a puddle. He sobered up and went looking for shelter, still avoiding the Grandfather tree, he ventured elsewhere in the old growth. Where he knew of caves and large hollow trees. A place to ride out this rain.

He found a cave and took shelter. Lighting the end of his staff with flame as he moved into the darkness. The cave went deep into the hillside far from the elements, the path sloping up enough to prevent flooding. He sensed no creatures here and found in warm and dry, and with more than enough space to call home for a while. He began to make camp. Lighting a fire and laying out his skins and bed roll as the rain pounded outside. This would due.

The rain washed the remaining haze from his mind and soon the weight was once more on him. The knowledge of his peoples past, what the elders kept secret. The Queen of Rot and Death. The history he was being asked to carry, the seal his was being asked to protect. There was no way he could so that. No way he wanted that responsibility, knowing his people had once had so much blood on their hands. Still had. How did the elders bare it? It felt like he’d be living a lie. Nik could never bring himself to that.

But he liked able to hear the forest so clearly, the oneness of his being with nature. Even if he trained the rest of his life he knew it would never sound the same. He didn’t want to lose this. His connection to it all. He moved his hand across the stone floor and grass grew thick and fast making a soft bed beneath him. another move and the fire danced with a vibrant rainbow of colours. All of it so effortless.

To have this power mean to bare his people’s shame, take on more responsibility than he ever wanted. He was no leader. He didn’t want to be. But he also didn’t want too loose this peace.

“Dheannain sùgradh ris a nighean duibh

N' deidh dhomh eirigh as a 'mhadainn

Dheannain sùgradh ris a nighean duibh

Dheannain sùgradh ris a'ghruagaich

'Nuair a bhiodh a' sluagh nan codal”

Nik ears perk at the sound of strange singing coming from down the tunnel, a haunting voice travel like it was carried by the wind. The young druid got to his feet, as the song seemed to repeat itself.

Dheannain sùgradh ris a nighean duibh

N' deidh dhomh eirigh as a 'mhadainn

Dheannain sùgradh ris a nighean duibh

Dheannain sùgradh ris a'ghruagaich

'Nuair a bhiodh a' sluagh nan codal

He froze as the sound grew closer, hearing scratching along the stone floor. Claws he thought and he raised his staff in front on him, but want sort of animal sang so?

“I played with the young dark-haired girl

When I woke in the morning

I played with the young dark-haired girl

I played with the long-haired girl

When everyone was asleep”

The song drew near and this time he understood the words. How? He shook his head and stood his ground. Listening closer. The voice was male, he could tell now. The scratching on the stone persisted. Nik wracked his brain for and answer, and it came to him suddenly, he smelled the answer in the rain. The creature sang in the fairy tongue. He knew that, his teachers had said it was one of the few things he had a knack for.

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Fey were dangerous, Nik cursed his ill luck. He’d walked into a trap hadn’t he? What were the rules again? Don’t tell them your name, don’t accept gifts what were the other ones?

“You can stop your frettin boy.” A voice spoke from down the tunnel. “I aint here to eat ya. Just don’t want my feathers getting wet in the rain.”

“Come dry off then.” Nick spoke back in the creature’s tongue, better for the fairy to owe you than the other way around. “I have a fire and food and room to rest.”

“Smart boy, offerin’ me respite before I can ask” the creature stepped into view, the face and body of a man, not much older than him, shirtless and covered in swirling black tattoos. Eyes as big and yellow as a harvest moon. He wore loose flowing pants giving way to taloned bird feet, sharp enough Nik thought they could cut through his gut with one swipe. To great speckled wings came from his back, tucked in but Nik could tell they would stretch to a great expanse. His hair was long on one side of his head, shaved close on the other showing of the long pointed ears that marked him as fey, if the rest of him was not clue enough.

“Better to offer than to owe.” Nik stood his ground.

“You know what you’re dealing with then.” The man reached a hand out for Nik to take. “Noctus Eostrix at your service.”

“A pleasure,” Nik moved his hand and a vine spurng from the ground to shake Noctus’ hand. “ Come and rest your wings.”

“Again clever,” Notcus let go of the vine and moved towards the fire. “You know not to name yourself.”

“Blanket?” Nik moved to sit across from him.

“Fine thanks.” Noctus looked him over those eyes glowing in the fire light. “You’re really not gonna let me have fun with you, are you.”

“Oh I’m more than up for fun.” Nik drew some dried meat from his pack. “hungry?”

Noctus took the meat and ate it whole just like an owl was want to do, eyes fixed on Nik the whole time. Trying to read him it seemed, trying to find where he could dig those talons of his into. Nik knew the killer look of a predator when he saw one.

“And what kind fun is that?”

“You sing well. How about we trade songs.” Nik offered.

“Flattering too. I’m not your first Fey am I.

”

“No, consider me a fey virgin. Doesn’t mean I did grow up with stories of your kind.”

“The druids keep their children well.” Noctus smirked. “I’ll trade you songs then.”

“Sing yours again first.”

“You set the game, you go first.”

“Very well, though I do not sing nearly as well as you.”

“No human does.” Noctus leaned back and stretched out. “Go on then.”

Nik cleared his throat and began to sing;

“Oh, I see, I see the great mountains

Oh, I see, I see the lofty mountains

Oh, I see, I see the corries

I see the peaks beneath the mist

I see, straight away, the place of my birth

I will be welcomed in a language which I understand

I will receive hospitality and love when I reach there

That I would not trade for a ton of gold.”

The words seemed to pull from his mouth as he sang and drift over to Noctus, leaving a trail in the air between them and swirled around the fey.

“Pleasant enough,” he waved his hand and seemed to draw the song into him. “Thing I’ll be keeping that one.”

Nik bit his lip, what had he done?

“You’re turn.” He managed to say after a moment.

“Right yes my go.” Noctus say back up and smirked. And set once more into singing that song head sung on his walk in.

“I played with the young dark-haired girl

When I woke in the morning

I played with the young dark-haired girl

I played with the long-haired girl

When everyone was asleep”

Nik felt his body inch closer as the fey sang to him, he blinked and he was practically in Noctus lap buy the time he had finished his song. Nik had made a mistake somewhere. But where he had he messed up. He’d given no name, or put himself in debt, the game seemed safe…but was it?

“Like that didnt you.” Noctus drew a finger across Nik’s face.

“Maybe.” Nik braced himself, against the warmth of his touch. “Your voice is lovely.”

“I know, now sing that song to me again,” Noctus smirked “I did really enjoy it.”

“Sure.” Nik opened his mouth to sing again.

No word came out.

“What…” he stammered… the song was there on tip of his tongue but the words wouldn’t come.

“I took the song from you my friend.” Noctus laughed. “in doing so I’ve begun to bind your will to me. Isn’t that fun? I am Noctus Eostrix, one of the Night Choir. So unless you can figure out how to sing that song back to me before the sun goes down on this day. I’m not going to need your name to make you mine.”

Nik froze. He fucked this up he didn’t even know that the Night Choir was and now he was partly bound he hand to think. He had two hours maybe until sunset, he could take some time to figure this out.

“What’s the Night Choir?” he asked, hoping the fey would brag and give something away.

“Silly human, The Night Choir fills the Gloaming Court with song, that much I will tell you and no more.”

Dark fey then Nik thought. That was something, dangerous and cruel, shadowy tricksters who toyed with their prey. Things he already knew.

“What about more about you?”

“Oh wouldn’t you love to know. Don’t worry you’ll have the rest of your life to know me all you like.”

Nik went silent. He was stuck now wasn’t he? Well this at least took the weight of his other predicament off his mind. Can’t bare the past of his people if he was a Fey’s plaything. That was surprisingly comforting, in its own twisted way. An almost tempting offer to take. That would make his life a lot easier.

Noctus started to whistle, his lips sending a beautifully haunting tune out into the air. Nik found himself pulled out of thought and into the song once more his eyes drawn to Noctus. He was very handsome wasn’t he?

“I’m in your head my friend,” the fey laughed.

“No you’re not.” Nik blinked.

“Then sing me the song. Can’t do it can you.”

“Shut up and let me think!”

“The longer you take the worse it will get.” He began to hum. “Just come here and give in.”

“I’ll use my time thank you.” Nik moved away.

“By all means. I can wait.”

Nik closes his eyes, and tried to slip into meditation, ground himself to the earth again. He was drifting some place he didn’t know his head light and floating as Noctus’ power gipped at him. He was prey in the Fey’s talons, and the rat never escapes the owl.

Dheannain sùgradh ris a nighean duibhN' deidh dhomh eirigh as a 'mhadainnDheannain sùgradh ris a nighean duibh

Dheannain sùgradh ris a'ghruagaich'Nuair a bhiodh a' sluagh nan codal

He was singing the song in the fey language again, taunting him more with that perfect voice. Nik gripped at the grass trying to block it out. The words sounded even sweeter when sang in that togue almost like a new song.

That was it was it? Nik opened his eyes and jumped to his feet, he knew what he had to do.

Noctus jumped and his wings puffed and the sudde movement of his prey, stopping his singing and rising to meet Nik. He towered a foot over the druid, as Nik looked up at him a smirk growing one his face.

“O chì, chì mi na mòr-bheannaO chì, chì mi na còrr-bheannaO chì, chì mi na coireachanChì mi na sgoran fo cheò

Chì mi gun dàil an t-àite san d'rugadh miCuirear orm fàilte sa chànain a thuigeas miGheibh mi ann aoidh agus gràdh nuair a ruigeamNach reicinn air tunnachan òir”

Nik sang in the fey tongue, watching the frown grow on Noctus’ face with every off key note that crossed his lips. The words swirled about them again. This time the drew back into Nik as he took back the song and his will. He’d won.

**************

Noctus sat across the fire, eyes still watching Nik. Two hours hand passed since Nik had taken back the song and his will. The sun had gone down and the rain still fell but the fey had not moved.

Nik had settled himself and had begun to cook supper, taking dried meat and some roots from his bag, along with a small cooking pot and began to put together some sort of supper. The fey’s yellow eyes watching him the whole time.

“Would you like some?” Nik broke the silence.

“No one has ever figured that out…” Noctus frowned.

“Frist time for everything. Now want some food.” He spooned some food into a bowl and handed to him.

“I have no sway on you now.” The fey huffed as he took the bowl. “I was going to have so much fun with you.”

“Sorry.” Nik settled with his bowl.

“No your not. You could have spent the rest of your short life in the throws of Fey pleasure, but no you had to be smart.”

“Again sorry,” he dug into his food. “but maybe ask me again, in a few months once I figure out what I’m going to do with the rest of my life.”

“Oh please do tell.” The owl man perked up. “you played me, but still might take the offer.”

“Honestly fighting for my life was a bit of a break from a lot of crap.” Nik sighed.

He recounted all the Grandfather tree had told him. Opening up to the fey about his conflicting emotions, desire to not get mixed up in it all. The ancient evil all of it. Noctus listen to it all intently. Saying not a word as Nik told his tale. Those eyes fixed on him the whole time.

“Fuck, I’d want to run away with me too.” Noctus said when he was done.

“Yeah, I’m not sure that’s the life I want.”

“But you want the power.”

“I like being able to feel the woods… not the power but the connection to it all.”

“No wonder I tempted you.”

“Yeah.” Nik threw more wood on the fire. “So you really have no power over me now?”

“You beat me at my own game,” Noctus said, “the rules of the fey do not bind you and I now. You can tell me your name, and I neither steal it nor tell another of my kind.”

Nik paused unsure if he tiredly believed him or not. It could be a trick sure, but the fey were bond to by so many rules, and he has only ever lied by omission. Perhaps it was safe to tell him.

“Niklus… Nik.”

“Please to meet you Nik.” Noctus stretched “that would have been an fine name to have. But alas. All I can do is ride out the storm with you.”

“No songs .”

“No long lamenting stories.”

The two of them laughed and looked at one another across the the fire. The tension eased and mood became comfortable and still.

“So what about the throws of fey pleasure?” Nik asked, “I was always told it would drive a mortal mad.”

“You’d be right there Nik.” Noctus smirked. “However those to out wit the fey are offered a temporary reprieve form any ill effects.”

“How long of a reprieve?”

“Oh probably until sunrise.”

“We’ll hate to miss my chance.” Nik drew around the side of the fire and sat close to Noctus.

“You truly are of the wild Nikulas.” Noctus drew him into a kiss.

Nik drew himself into the fey’s lap slowly. Pressing his hands into Noctus’ shoulders and down onto the soft patch of grass he has conjured. He straddled the fey, driving home the fact that he hand won, his dominance for the time being. Savouring it while he could.

Noctus ran his hand along Nik’s legs and up his back as they kissed. Pulling his shirt up over the druids head, stripping of an unwanted layer. Nik drew back and helped in the task before stripping off his pants as well.

“So eager,” Noctus kick off his own loose coverings. Nik now seeing the bird like parts of him started below the knee. Above that was very much all man. “Please don’t tell me this is your first time.”

“Overall no.” Nik kisses him again drawing his hand along the shaft of the owl man’s erection. “With a fey yes.”

“Oh you are in for a treat then.” Noctus smirked.

“Too bad I won the game then.” Nik wiped his mouth and moved up to kiss his lip. “So you just have tonight.”’

Bodies pressed together. The feel of the fey’s wings tickled Nik’s bare back and the two of them moved against each other lips locked and hands caressing down below. Noctus roll Nik onto his back and began to rub his fingers over his chest. It left a trail of tingling sensations across his check and Nik felt his body draw up to meet it.

“The things I could do to you Nik.” Noctus toyed with him. “I’d take such good care if you if you were my pet.”

“You said I was wild remember? I’d made a terrible pet.”

“Wild things can be tamed.”

*****

Nik has lost track of how many times he and Noctus had went around. But had be a night long affair as the rain hammered hard outside and Nik did not know when sleep had took him.

He awoke around noon the next day. The soreness in he body the only clue that something had happened. That and the feathers scattered about.