Cosmic Love: Blown Out
Welcome to Chapter 4 of Cosmic Love. In this chapter, the two heroes travel to Lucet to confront Justin's father and bring him the news of the abandoned treaty as well as the coming doom. For those that are looking for yiff, yes, this story has yiff, and it's right at the beginning for those of you that are too lazy to read.
For those that haven't figured it out yet, (In case there is anyone) Justin is me and Seth is my fiancé, and yes, those are our names, which may not seem all that creative, but I wasn't looking to be too fancy with the names in this series. I'm going more for the plot (le gasp, plot in porn) and grammar.
Anyways, please, enjoy Cosmic Love: Blown Out. As always, please rate, vote, and comment constructively. And of course, to cover my ass, if you are under the legal age, do not read this as it does have explicit activities between two males and if not suitable for minors. That being said, if you have made it this far, I really don't think there is much I or anyone can do to stop you now. So while you're at it, please rate, vote, and comment too.
Cosmic Love: Blown Out
Soft breath rustled Justin's onyx fur and a light weight on his chest slowly brought him from his slumbering world and into a bright reality. Two very white rabbit ears twitched as he opened his eyes, and the lithe body attached to them shifted in its deep sleep. From his vantage point, the wolf prince could see Seth fidget reflexively in his sleep and grip onto his chest fur with his delicate hands as if the wolf might vanish from under him. With a gentle hand, Justin stroked along the naked rabbit's slight back, and watched the vibrant white fur slide under his roaming hand to lay flat once again against the lapin's flesh underneath. The soft touch made Seth's lean muscle spasm under his fur and his foot reflexively kicked before he slowly opened his glowing eyes with a groggy groan. The rabbit looked up along the strong black furred chest and into the lupine's blue eyes before he smiled cutely. They both grinned as they remembered the steamy events of the previous night, and it was accentuated by the feeling of the crusty, matted fur between them. They both winced in pain when they moved apart from their cum glued fur being tugged between them. Finally breaking the crusted bond, Seth found strands of black hair embedded into his glowing white fur while Justin noticed strands of silvery fur amongst his black. Their glow ceased when they were no longer attached to the rabbit's body.
"I think we have enough time to get a quick bath." The wolf smiled sheepishly as he sat up on his elbows. Seth nodded in agreement shyly as he turned toward the tent opening and exited the small shelter. Justin watched the cute little rear end as it turned toward him with its tail perpetually raised. Amongst the plush rear fur, he could see the soft pink ring that had been wrapped around his shaft the night before and the slight bruising his knot had caused from hammering away at the tight entrance. Justin followed it quickly outside and found himself standing in the cool morning shadow of an eastern cliff. The crisp morning air was cool in the sunless shadow and quickly roused both furs completely from their groggy state. Mist which floated in the still air from the nearby waterfall had managed to make everything around it damp and wet. Clear droplets trickled from tree limbs above the two furs who were stretching their limbs to waken them from their once relaxed state. Overhead, Justin could see singe marks from where Seth's orgasmic blast had ripped through the roof of their tent. Starting from the four inch hole in the top of the cloth shelter, he followed its pathway through the trees above where it had torn through several thick branches. Seth looked towards the wolf who was staring at the destruction the rabbit had released the previous night, and he shyly smiled. Justin looked back at him with a cocked eyebrow, and it made the rabbit blush in embarrassment.
The wolf shrugged as he made his way towards the pond's edge. He was the first one into the cold water, and he quickly sunk himself into the crystal clear liquid up to his chest. He soaked the spot where Seth had climaxed the night before, getting his fur wet all the way to his flesh. He used his blunted nails to dig roughly into the crusted fur and watched as silver and black strands came rising to the surface before they were washed away with the current of the river. When Justin was finished scrubbing himself clean, he watched Seth approach him slowly, wadding his way into the water until he was sunk up to his chest. His sparkling fur glittering brilliantly as he walked through the cleansing current and closer to the smiling black wolf. They embraced one another lovingly as they both remembered everything that had occurred in the night as images of the erotic memory came to them. They both kissed sweetly at first, pecking a few times before deepening the embrace with twisting tongues which danced between their opened mouths.
"We have a long trip ahead of us today as well, but if we leave before mid-day, we should be able to reach Lucet and sleep in an actually bed." Justin said as he waded slowly through the water with his strong arms wrapped around Seth's waist. He nuzzled the rabbit's cheek, making him smile and press back into the wolf's touch.
"What did last night mean?" Seth asked as he suddenly gave Justin a worried expression. He knew the incredible power he had felt was like nothing he had ever known, even when in his world where energy was abundant and everywhere. However, he didn't know what Justin was feeling or thinking, but the smile on the wolf's face was making him feel more confident and sure that their coupling wasn't just a fluke.
"It means I don't want to ever lose you." Justin said as he picked up the rabbit in his arms and hugged his body closer. Long, lean legs wrapped around his waist as the two of them kissed passionately again. The surprisingly strong limbs clung to the black furred hips tightly, pressing their white rear into the wolf's sheath. They waded slowly through the water like that for several minutes, tongues twisting and twining before Seth felt something hard and cool press to his back. His legs were out of the water now, and he was holding himself up on the wolf's frame as they kissed against a giant boulder that pushed against his back. They began to breathe deeply again, and Justin bit down on Seth's shoulder, eliciting the first moan of many from the rabbit's mouth.
As Seth's legs began to tire, he let them unwrap from Justin's waist and drop down into the shallow water below. He felt the wolf grab his wrists dominantly and press them to the rock as he nibbled along his neck with his sharp teeth. The lapin's heart began to flutter wildly in his chest as adrenaline and lust mixed together in his veins and sent his mind on fire from the heat coursing through his body. The lupine suckled softly on the sweet rabbit, licking and nipping on the delicate flesh before he stopped and they pressed their lips together again. Against his soft stomach fur, Seth could already feel Justin's angry red length growing, smearing water and its gooey pre along its path as it exited the thick sheath. His pink bunny cock was soon to follow as well, grinding against the thicker shaft in a slow sawing motion which mixed their pre as it dribbled down their lengths. They finally broke their tongue tie and stared at each other again for a long time, just letting their hips grind back and forth between one another. Their combined fluids began to drip down their sheaths, the rabbit's glowing pre mixing with the wolf's clear pre as it dripped from their sheaths.
Justin let go of Seth's wrists, and the rabbit instantly turned himself around and bent slightly at his waist as he placed his hands against the unyielding rock in front of him. He wiggled his white tail seductively at Justin who touched his hand to the soft and pert little rump and squeezed the flesh with his strong hand. He stroked over the silky fur there, watching it mingle with his black furred hand as he moved it over towards the center V of the two mounds. He slid his fingers through the rabbit's crack, eliciting a squeal from the bunny's white lips. He kneeled down then, and Seth looked back curiously for a moment before he let out a loud groan. Justin ran his thick pink tongue from the back of the rabbit's hanging orbs, up the vacant flesh behind them and through the soft cheeks with one long lick. The bunny above fidgeted at the wonderfully wet sensation and his right leg reflexively fidgeted up and down in response. As the wolf took hold of the two mounds with his strong hands, he spread them open as wide as they would go to expose the light pink ring that winked at him. The ring was slightly stretched with a light purpling from taking his knot the night before.
Justin dipped his tongue in again, pressing the muscle to the warm opening and licking with just his tip to tickle the entrance. The motion provoked a soft hiss from Seth and the rabbit instinctively pressed his rear out more towards the wolf. Taking the queue, Justin pressed his muzzle between the mounds of flesh and licked again with more force which allowed his tongue to take a slight dip into the ring to taste the rabbit's insides. He slid the muscle over it with more force again, causing another groan from Seth as he sunk the textured organ in deeper. Growing more courageous, the wolf pressed forward with his tongue like a spear, slipping the wet muscle inside the relaxed ring and tasting the bunny's insides greedily. Seth's blue eyes widened in surprise before a girdled moan escaped his lips and his face laid against the rock as his arms went weak.
Confident that the rabbit was enjoying himself, Justin slurped wetly along the insides of the ring of flesh, twisting his tongue and pressing it against every wall he could reach. Before long, Seth used his now free hands to reach back and pull his rear cheeks apart to give the wolf an easier time to sink into his backside deeper. The wolf continued to slobber over the rabbit's rear entrance noisily, twisting his head in different directions to twist the angle of his tongue in more ways and test every surface he could reach. The wet tongue was making the action easier as it left globs of lupine saliva inside the bunny's rear end every time he slurped his tongue back out.
"Please, take me again!" Seth begged with his shallow breathing. He let go of his rear end and placed his hands back onto the rock in front of himself for more support. He dug his blunt white nails into its surface as he felt that strong tongue make a slimy mess of his tail fur. Justin slid his tongue back out with a wet slurp that made Seth blush from the lewd sound. The wolf stood up slowly, holding his raging red meat as he stepped forward to the offering rabbit. He slid the thick rod between the soft rump fur and watched as it glistened against the luminescent pelt and stuck up against the rabbit's heart shaped tail. The lapin wiggled his tail as best he could when he felt the heat against it, trying to tickle the wolf's cock tip with it and egg him on.
"I want to feel like I did last night." Seth smiled as he pushed back against the teasing rod in a lewd humping display. Justin took hold of his shaft as he stepped back to aim it towards the tight ring. He pressed it against the entrance and stopped there for a moment. He waited for the bunny in front of him to nod in preparation before he began pressing forward with unwavering strength. The rabbit relaxed himself as best he could and felt the tip of the thick rod sink into his body much easier than it had the night before. A moan tore from his lips at the familiar stretching sensation, and he pressed back more to feel the slick length slip deeper with ease. The saliva inside him mixed with the pre on the red shaft made the process much easier than it had been the night before. When he felt himself finally press against the thick knot, he smiled triumphantly.
"I want you to make me that slick every time we do this." Seth groaned as he felt the thick shaft inside him pulse in time with Justin's beating heart.
"Stay with me, and I will everytime." Justin smiled as he slowly eased himself out of the rabbit before sliding his length back in just as slowly to make sure his lover could feel every inch of the length. He continued to use that slow rhythm for several minutes, just enjoying Seth's tight clenching insides that wrapped and squeezed around him like a silk glove. When he felt the rabbit had been properly adjusted to the stretching, he began to speed up his thrusts, making the lapin's feet bounce from flat to their toes and back again with each time he pulled out and pushed back in.
Seth moaned as he felt the thick rod inside him hitting that same spot it had found last night with every thrust in and out. It made his pink cock bounce and pulse wonderfully with every deep thrust forward and every slow pull backwards. His left hand came to his crotch and he wrapped it around his shaft and began to pump it up and down the pink length in time with the wolf's quickening thrusts. Pre began to coat his hand as he felt his pink length jump and pulse and squirt its pre out with each thrust by the wolf behind him. His other hand gripped into the rock surface for support as the gentle thrusting turned into a deep and rhythmic pounding.
"Yes! Don't ever stop!" Seth panted as he began to push back in time with the thrusting wolf with his plush rear. Justin smiled as he redoubled his efforts and started slamming forcefully into the rabbit's clenching hole. He wrapped his hands tightly around the bunny's waist and pulled back roughly, feeling his knot grinding against the tight ring of flesh and trying to force it through the small entrance with his strength. Lewd sounds of wet squelching could be heard around the pool of water as the two of them quickened their pace which made the rabbit's face warm up in a blush. They were both racing towards their climax, but it seemed distant to them still without being knotted together.
The thrusting grew more intense and the muffled sound of fur slapping together became more audible as the area became wet and sloppy from a pre and saliva mixture. Justin growled ferally as he put all his force behind his powerful legs and jackhammered away at the rabbit's entrance. He tightened his grip on the rabbit's waist more and began to pull back on the thin waist as he threw his hips forward with forceful slams that made the bunny scream out in ecstasy. The knot was beginning to worm its way through the abused ring, stretching it wider yet as the wolf demanded entrance. Each pounding sent a little more of that knob deeper inside the rabbit, and caused the bunny's mouth to hang open in a wavering moan that rose and fell with the in and out motions of the wolf's thick rod. His pink bunny tongue hung out as he stroked himself in sheer bliss at the sensations that were once again building inside him.
Justin paused for a brief moment when he drew out till just his tip remained inside the pulsing entrance, and then hammered his entire length back home with all the strength he had. Seth let out a surprisingly high pitched squeal as he felt the head of that cock slam back and forth over his internal trigger and sink into his depths again. His eyes went wide as he felt that knot grinding against his entrance harder yet. He tried his best to relax as the wolf gave another extra-long thrust back and forth again. The bouncing caused the white rear end to slap lewdly against the black furred crotch and smearing the fluids there around as they ground against one another. The extra force was beginning to wedge open the rabbit's entrance, and before long, the wolf was working almost half of his tie into the rabbit stretched entrance.
"Put it in! All the way!" Seth pleaded, and Justin growled as he pulled back to the tip once more before slamming forward with all his remaining strength, howling as he pulled back roughly on the rabbit's waist with his arms till his knot slipped past the tight entrance. He pulled back on the tie slightly; making sure it was locked tightly inside the lapin. Seth's eyes shot open as he felt the pressure inside his body increase dramatically. The thick knot pushed against his prostate and threw the spasming rabbit into his climax with a shrill scream. He came all over the rock in front of him several times; ropes of slippery, glowing seed splashed across its surface and dripped down into the water below them where it was washed away with the water.
Justin felt Seth's body spasm around his knot wildly, squeezing like a silk vice while it pulled him in deeper into the rabbit's core. He clenched his teeth as he tried to hold back his climax until the rabbit in front of him was through with his, but he couldn't stop his racing pulse as it coursed up his locked length. He felt the hot cum rush up his cock and erupt into the rabbit's entrance and paint his insides in a white soup as he growled and clenched onto the tight rabbit. The squeezing ring milked his hot cum from his body with pulses of the fluttering heart in the lapin's chest. The lupine knot corked the steaming fluid inside the rabbit's body, keeping it from dripping out as more and more filled the small rabbit.
Seth's mouth opened in a moan as he felt the warm sensation he had experienced the night before begin to rush through his body, coursing up his spine and through his blood before it exploded behind his closed eyelids in a brilliant display of blue light. He dug his claws into the rock in front of him, scoring out divots in it as they sunk inside. The rabbit had to abandon his own pulsing cock and dug is other hand into the hard surface roughly, leaving claw marks as he did. He screamed in ecstasy as the familiar power that was coursing his body erupted from his hands, spider-webbing across the rock's surface till the entire thing crumbled under his touch into a pile of sand.
Justin quickly wrapped his arms around Seth to keep the rabbit from falling forward and tugging on the knot that held them locked together. He held him close to his chest as they tried to catch their breath in the midst of their afterglows. The bunny was pulsing in the strong black arms that held him lovingly and kissed his neck to calm his beating heart. The black hand over his white chest could feel the organ underneath racing uncontrollably. They stayed like that for several minutes, Seth letting his head fall against the wolf's shoulder as he caught his breath from the rush. His tongue hung on his lip as he breathed deeply of the cool air around them. The water floating around them quenched his mouth which had gone dry from the exertion he had put himself under. The lapin's hands came up and held onto the strong arms around his chest, sighing as he finally felt himself recovering.
"It's so intense. I can't hold in all that power, it just explodes from me and I can't stop it." Seth said as he looked down at the now pile of sand in front of him. The once massive boulder had been turned into nothing but granules of grey dust that was slowly being taken away by the flowing water around the two furs' feet.
"We can use it though." Justin whispered into the rabbit's long ear, nuzzling him affectionately as they stayed locked together like that for several more minutes. Seth groaned as he felt the slightly deflated knot pop from his stretched entrance, but nothing followed it. The flesh there just shimmered with the glean of what looked like pre-cum and saliva. He turned around to hug against the wolf and nuzzled into his strong shoulder. They stood like that in the slowly flowing water for several more minutes. "We should get going soon if we are going to reach Lucet by evening." The white rabbit nodded as they parted with a loving kiss and made their way out of the water. They walked back to their camp on the shore and began to gather up their clothing. Justin decided to leave most of what they had taken with them so they could travel lighter and mounted through the rocky valley they would be heading through the rest of the day. He only took his armor which he wore over his leather suit, the sword he had received for his birthday, and the shield he had used for years now. Seth replaced his loincloth around his waist, hiding his modesty, and draped Thomas' black cloak around his shoulders before pulling the hood over his pinned back ears.
"It will take us all day to reach Lucet." Justin said as he helped Seth climb onto one of the two paint horses that were tied to a nearby tree. The Paint barely shifted as the light rabbit was placed on his back, but she snorted at Justin when she saw him fiddling with his reigns. The wolf handed the rabbit on the horse's back the now free reigns, and the bunny took hold of the leather rope tightly.
"What is the city like?" Seth asked as he watched Justin mount the free horse next to him. The wolf flung his leg over the Paint's back and the horse below him whinnied at the extra weight of the larger armored lupine. She tossed her feral mane at him in complaint, but he patted her side gently, calming her as he untied her reigns from the tree she was tied to.
"It's a big city now. Ever since it became our capitol, it grew into a center of trade for our country." Justin pulled on the reigns in his leather hand, turning the horse below him and spurring her on towards the trail they had come by. Seth quickly mimicked his actions, directing his horse as well after the mounted wolf. He winced as his abused rear end bounced in the saddle some, but ignored the pain as he followed the lupine prince.
"What will your parents think when they see me?" Seth asked as he bounced along roughly in his saddle next to Justin who seemed to float in the leather seat with practice. The constant bouncing was causing the rabbit's bottom to wince every now and then as his recently knotted bottom hit it especially rough. The wolf looked over at the cloaked rabbit for a brief moment as be pondered the question for several seconds. His blue eyes seemed lost in thought for only moments as his mind worked the question over in his head several times.
"My father is a man of thought and reason. I believe he will see you as a chance for knowledge and as a weapon." Justin said as he faced forward again to lead his horse along the winding pathway that meandered around large boulders in the valley. He believed his words to be true, but with his new found homosexuality, a wild card was thrown into the mix that he wasn't sure he could calculate for when predicting the actions of his noble father.
"As a weapon?" Seth's voice was laced with concern at such a view. The statement didn't bode well for him as he thought of the possibilities of being forced into killing. He had come to this world to save lives, not take them, but with all the fighting and talk of war he had heard, he wasn't sure if he would make a difference.
"Yes, to him, that will be your initial value. If you stay though, he will respect my wishes as well." Justin smiled, calming the rabbit's troubled thoughts only a little. He knew his father enough to know the people of their country were the older wolf's priority. He was willing to bind his heir to the princess of their barbaric neighbors in order to save his people. The younger wolf couldn't believe he wouldn't try to use the rabbit he loved as a weapon to wield in the faces of the Castian soldiers.
"What are your wishes then, Prince?" Seth smirked as he gazed over at Justin still, taking his time to drink in the handsome black wolf in plated armor. He really was a striking sight to behold. Now that the rabbit had seen and been with him intimately, he was all the more amazing to look at. The day light that had recently peeked its head over the cliffs shimmered on the battle worn armor. His nobility was more than apparent.
"To keep you forever." Justin smiled as he made the rabbit edgy with the vague response. It wasn't exactly what the lapin wanted to hear, but he understood that the wolf wasn't entirely certain either. In his world, their relationship wouldn't even be allowed, and due to such rules, he had repressed his urges to look onto other male Crysalians for several hundred years.
"In my world, our relationship would have us exiled from my people." Seth looked forward again as he guided his horse the same way he saw the wolf next to him do. He was learning quickly how to handle the equine below him, and the gentle bouncing had become less severe as he learned how to glide in the saddle the same way Justin was.
"Then stay here. Our relationship may not be ideal to my father, but he is an educated man and I am his only heir. He would respect my wishes."
"What about the treaty?" Seth turned toward Justin again. He knew he was to blame for the prince not fulfilling his contract with Castia, but he was all the more happy to have caught the wolf and claimed him for himself. The taboo of his people, his feelings for the larger male, and the night and morning they had just shared together was making his desires for the lupine grow with every passing moment.
"Once again, my father will see you as a weapon." Justin paused as he looked to the rabbit next to him. "He would look to you for the protection of our people." The wolf felt saddened to think his father might see such a beautiful thing like Seth as nothing more than a sword and shield to hide behind. The older wolf was a proud and strong lupine, but when it came to his people, he would spare no expense to protect them, even at the cost of his own son's happiness.
"I do not wish to kill people though." Seth looked down at his saddle in thought. He was now dreading going to Lucet, but he had to steel his nerves. His mission was still ahead of him, and even if not for the lives of the people in this world, he would go through with everything for the life of his wolf.
"They would seek to harm us too." Justin replied.
"I only seek to protect life."
"You may have to protect your own from Castia as well."
"They worship my ancestors, perhaps I can dissuade them." Seth looked up in hope as he remembered how deeply religious Justin had described the Castians. It was his only hope to avoid all-out war between the two countries.
"Yet you are my mate. To the religious, they would seek to use that against your attempts." Justin deflated Seth's plan, but the rabbit didn't look defeated at his words at all. In fact, he looked incredibly happy to hear them.
"So I'm your mate?" Seth's eyes brightened up at the words and his smile broadened as he adjusted in his seat to sit up right more. He had wanted to hear the wolf say something that would solidify his feelings more. He felt his heart jump a little in his chest and his stomach flutter at the giddy feeling of belonging to the lupine.
"I thought that was obvious by now." Justin held his left hand out and offered it to Seth. The rabbit happily took hold of the leathered hand and squeezed it tightly. They continued on the winding path in silence for several more hours, just holding hands as they enjoyed the warming afternoon sun.
"The prince has returned! Open the gates!" A guard in the lookout tower at the Lucet main gate called out. The wooden gates swung open towards the approaching pair of horse mounted figures. Seth pulled the black cloak around himself tighter as they approached the city entrance. He didn't want to unintentionally scare anyone with his glowing white fur and opted to hide most of it from sight. It didn't make much difference though as hundreds of people greeted them before they even got through the large gates. Swarms of citizens exited the gate and greeted their prince with praise and cheering.
"Welcome back, sire!" One woman called out as they pet the Paint horse Justin was riding on. They waved and jostled for positions closest to their prince in order to greet him. The wolf looked to Seth at they made their way through the crowd, making sure the rabbit was kept with him as they entered the tall city walls.
The large wooden gates closed behind the pair of mounted furs with a loud bang that echoed through the courtyard. Justin dismounted from his horse and rushed to Seth's side through the crowd to help the rabbit down from his saddle. In the shadow of the city walls, Seth's glow was more noticeable, and as he came down from his saddle, his robe displayed the rest of his luminescent body to the crowd. They began to whisper as he go to his feet next to the prince.
"Who is he? Why is he glowing?" Seth could hear the soft voices around him ask as he drew the black cloak around his body tight again. He felt self-conscious at all the stares directed his way until he felt a familiar strong arm wrap around his shoulder tightly and lead him through the crowd. Justin kept him securely to his side as they moved through the crowd towards several guards that had lines up to greet them. Several people followed them down the street at first, but most dispersed before the two came close to the guard escort waiting for them.
"Sire, welcome back." The head guard greeted them, a modestly proportioned skunk who carried a large wooden bow in his hands and a beige quiver on his back. He bowed to Justin as he approached and eyed Seth curiously. He paid little attention to the glowing rabbit though as he awaited orders from the prince.
"Hello Max. I must see my father as soon as possible." Justin said as he motioned to Seth at his side. The skunk that had eyed the white rabbit noticed the familiar black cloak around his shoulders. Thomas and he were friends and he knew the bear well enough to recognize the large robe. The older bear was well known throughout the city as a celebrated warrior amongst all the soldiers and guards, so it was no surprise when the skunk hung his head in grief for the bear's life.
"Of course, sire. I will send a messenger to the castle." Max said as he joined the wolf's side to escort them to the castle. Seth could see a squirrel lightly clad in cloth apparel running ahead of them through the streets at full sprint. He disappeared somewhere deep into the city and out of the rabbit's sight quickly.
"What of the rest of your escort?" Max asked as they walked along the streets slowly. Several of the citizens walking by greeted their prince with a bow as he passed them. Justin shook his head and the skunk went quiet as they proceeded through the city. Not far from them, Seth could make out a tall tower he had only heard described to him in stories. It was the spire temple his father had talked about in his tales.
"Justin, there, I must go there." Seth pointed to the apex of the tower, and Justin followed his finger to the building he was familiar with as well. It was the castle they were currently walking towards.
"That is my home. In that tower is where I sleep." The wolf said. Seth looked surprised at the statement and shook his head in defiance.
"That can't be, there used to be an altar in there."
"There is a stone slab I use as a table, do you mean that?"
"That is it! I must go there. Tomorrow, the eclipse begins, and I must be there during the eclipse."
"First we must see my father, to inform him the treaty is off." Justin said as they walked. Seth continued in silence as they neared the stone castle ahead. The structure sat behind a second wall which was gated with iron bars that swung open as they approached into a lush garden which surrounded the building. Several trees and flowers were meticulously maintained in garden beds which dotted the grounds. Several guards were standing on either side of a stone path which lead up to two wooden door, and Max joined them before announcing the presence of the prince.
"Welcome his highness, Justin Reginald Urbino!" Max announced and Seth looked to the wolf next to him as he finally heard the last name of his mate. He felt a little ashamed he had never asked his full name before, but it had never crossed his mind until now. He was too enwrapped with his feelings for the prince to think of such details, but it didn't matter now as he stood next to the wolf, ready to meet his parents for the first time. His glowing blue eyes caught movement up the pathway that brought his attention to an older wolfess that was rushing out to meet them. The smaller woman was dressed in a form-fitting white gown which trailed behind her as she rushed forward and clasped her arms around Justin in an overly dramatic cry of relief. It was clear to Seth that the woman was the wolf's mother when he saw her eyes which looked exactly like her son's.
"Welcome back, son." She held the larger wolf at arm's length as she looked him over thuroughly. Taking in the scraped and dirty plates on him, she gasped. "You have seen battle. What happened?" She ran her fingers over the beaten metal before holding her hand over her mouth in astonishment.
~
"Orcs, we came onto them seeking out this Celestial." Justin said as he brought his mother's attention to Seth at his side. "Mother, this is Seth, he is one of the Celestials talked about in the Castian religion."
"Oh my." The wolfess instantly bowed to Seth, and the rabbit felt awkward feeling someone bowing to him, especially a queen. He could only assume that it was due to the infamy from the religion that had been created in his father's wake.
"Please, do not bow." Seth held his hand out to the smaller wolfess to help her up. She took it gratefully and stood again with a kind smile. The rabbit could tell she was a gentle woman with elegance from the way her soft hand held his as if weightless in his grasp.
"Do not bow, Meredith, there are no such things as Celestials." A gruff male voice broke the peaceful moment as a larger black wolf approached. His fur was speckled with signs of age around his mouth. Justin bowed to the regally clothed black wolf, as did Seth in order to not be rude to the wolf he figured to be the king and his mate's father.
"Right you may be, King of Ezario, but Crysalians are very real." Seth raised himself back up, revealing his face to the older wolf who looked on him with less surprise and more curiosity that was typical of someone studying what might be an enemy. The wolf approached his wife's side and continued to stare at the rabbit with his piercing yellow eyes.
"Unhood yourself and let me see this claim." The rabbit nodded as he raised his hands to his head, revealing most of his slightly clad body beneath the robe, in order to lower his hood. His ears rose into the air, meeting the elder wolf's height. The older lupine male examined him closely, and a look of uneasiness crossed his face. Against the larger male, Seth felt dwarfed in stature, but held his ground as the wolf looked at his face closely which glimmered against the grey and black fur.
"I have come to quell a great evil threatening this world." Seth spoke as he looked directly at the wolf, hoping to break the scrutiny he was under.
"He speaks the truth, father. I have seen his power first hand." Justin said, gaining his father's studious attention.
"I should like to see this, but first, news of the treaty." The elder male spoke to Justin now, and a frown pursed his lips as he saw his son look down at the ground in shame.
"The treaty was not signed yet. On my travels, I came onto the Celestial."
"You risk our safety at great cost." The older wolf looked sternly at his son.
"He saved my life." Seth broke in, catching another examining gaze from the older wolf. "He risked himself to save me from being captured. I am sorry that several men died to save me, but their lives will not be in vain if I can complete my mission."
"I know much of the Castian religion. I can tell you have bonded with my son. I will not have you taking the life of our heir." The older wolf spoke sternly, causing the rabbit's ears to fold back on his head. If the elder wolf knew that a bond had formed, then his powers of observation were much greater than the rabbit gave him credit for.
"Father, there is another way." Justin broke in. The older wolf continued to look at Seth, breaking the rabbit's confidence slowly with his dominating gaze.
"I will not let my son be sacrificed!" The elder roared, causing Seth's ears to fold backwards, more in respect than fear.
"Damian, listen to your child!" Meredith calmed her husband by placing a hand on his chest. The larger wolf sighed as he lowered his gaze away from the rabbit.
"I love your son." Seth broke in, startling everyone in earshot with the remark. The only one that didn't seem completely taken aback at the statement was Justin, and Damian could sense the connection now. He wrinkled his muzzle in disgust at first, but the look on his son's face stayed what might have been a snide remark.
"You..." Damian began, but stopped as he saw Justin's leathered hand move to clasp Seth's firmly. He felt himself losing the argument with all three of the furs against him. "You abandoned your treaty for this?"
"We do not need the treaty anymore." Justin remarked as he looked over at Seth. The rabbit looked up at Damian who stilled eyed them both uneasily.
"Damian, our son normally makes smart choices." Meredith calmed her husband with her hand on his chest again. "Trust him like you always have before."
"We will see war because of this." Damian said looking to his son again. "Are you prepared to face Castia in battle?" Justin did not answer before Seth spoke.
"Castia will not risk themselves against me." The rabbit spoke defiantly. "I will protect Ezario. I will protect Justin." As he spoke, the rabbit's fur pulsed with light under the black cloak. Damian looked at him with his studious gaze again, eyes locking with the glowing blue ones. The larger wolf eventually backed down from the rabbit and he sighed in defeat.
"I leave this in your hands then." Damian looked at Justin, and the younger wolf nodded to his father.
"Prepare the city for war. Castia will be at our gates in a matter of days." Justin said as his confidence returned. Max who had heard everything moved quickly to carry out the prince's orders.
"Tomorrow is the eclipse; I must be in the tower when it begins."
"And you will be. Tonight though, we will sleep on a better bed than the padded earth." Justin turned to Seth as he spoke. They followed Damian and Meredith as the king and queen headed back towards the castle entrance. The giant doors closed behind them as they entered, shrouding the inside in a twilight darkness that was only broken by the giant windows above them. Inside, Seth could see magnificent pillars holding up the ceiling of stone above and several statues graced the walls. A large portrait of a defiant king and his queen hung above two golden thrones. They were not the current king or queen, but Damian's resemblance to the man in the painting was uncanny. "Mom, Dad, I'm going to take Seth to get cleaned up. Our travels have left us less than clean."
Justin lead Seth to a side tunnel where they disappeared from sight amongst the castle corridors. They proceeded up several winding stair cases till they came to a wooden door. Opening the door, Seth was greeted with the sight of a large and ornate bedroom. On the walls, a history he had been told several times was displayed in pictures he recognized from his world to be the story of the first Crysalian that had visited this world. It was a retelling of his mission as well, but from several thousand years ago. However, several parts of it were covered up with pictures of the prince and a map of the Ezarian empire. In the center of the room, a large circular stone was set into the ground, far too large to be moved by any number of people. On it, several items were laid about including a rolled up map and many figurines of soldiers.
"We use to use this as a war room, but since there hasn't been a war for many decades, it became obsolete. It was converted to become my bedroom when I was born." Justin said as he let Seth explore the room freely. The rabbit immediately went towards the stone slab and ran his hand along its outer edge while he examined its smooth surface.
"Dozens of my ancestors have visited this place, and dozens of your kind have been sacrificed here for thousands of years." Seth spoke as he ran his hands over the intricate markings on the table's edge he recognized as his own language. "Every time, they sacrificed themselves just for a few hundred more years of safety. Yet, war and death still ravaged in their absence." He stopped pacing, sighing in annoyance at how powerless he felt to stop the killing.
"Our kinds have always warred. We fight for our own reasons." Justin said as he approached the table as well and removed the map from its flat surface. He picked up the few figurines on it as well and placed them all on a wooden table to the side. The surface of the stone was flat and smooth, but cold to the touch.
"Nothing I do will stop it." Seth frowned in defeat.
"War will continue because our lives are short. We seek what we want because our time is shorter." Justin said as he picked up one of the small soldier figures and placed it on the flat surface. "We fight because we are insignificant. Our astronomers have discovered countless other planets and stars, and we are but one among them, a species crawling on a speck of dust in an enormous room."
"So you seek fame? Or honor?"
"Neither. We seek to survive." Justin sat on the table, turning his back toward the glowing rabbit as he looked out over the city below through a window across the room. Seth advanced around the table slowly until he came in front of the wolf, blocking his view. He looked up into the blue eyes set against the black abyss around them.
"What else do you seek?"
"Love." Justin smiled as he ran a hand along Seth's cheek gently before he cupped it in his hand. They stayed like that for several moments, just looking into one another's eyes until they pressed their lips together in a soft kiss. When they parted, the rabbit opened his eyes again with a renewed smile. If not for peace, he would save this world for his love of the wolf in front of him.
"I love you." Seth said matter-of-factly as he hugged around the still armored wolf.
"I love you too." Justin smiled as they kissed one again and wrapped his arms around the rabbit snuggly.