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The Gift

Richard's Storyline, Chapter 5.5

copyright comidacomida 2018

Balam spoke his next words in Mayan and yet I could still understand him. "You know what is happening, do you not, Richard?"

I nodded, not even having to guess. "I am binding you to me as a Spirit Guide."

The faintest little hint of a smile appeared on his thin, black feline lips. "US, Seer... you are binding US to you."

Jack's head jerked up at that, looking first to Balam and then to me. The Gryphon spoke in Olde English, but his words were completely understandable. "I understood that-- I... wait; this is a Rite of Binding?"

I looked to the Gryphon and nodded. "It is, yes. Balam showed it to me once before. Are... you okay with that?"

His ear-tufts raised and his beak split in a wide grin. He offered a faint bow at the waist as he spoke. "To thee, Richard? 'Twould be my honor and pleasure."

Looking back to Balam, I opened my mouth to speak but closed it when I saw his neutral, dismissive expression; his whiskers vibrated in obvious frustration. "We are done for tonight, Seer."

It was dismissive in a way I wasn't expecting. "I--"

The words failed to form as the ritual circle disappeared as if erased from reality and each of the ritual items popped out of existence. As with before, the pigments involved flaked off and fell to the floor but disappeared before they reached the carpet. Unlike the previous time, though, I felt an incredible amount of fatigue flow over me as swirls of golden and purple energy swirled out of my chest.

It lasted for only a moment as a blast of aquamarine light shot free of each spirit-- from Balam's back and from Jack's chest, and slammed into my chest; it dispelled my weariness like ten cups of coffee. The Jaguar walked out of the room through the wall, leaving only the Gryphon, whose talon raised up to his chest, his claws playing over his fur where the light had emerged; it looks like the feathers on his half-extended wings were drooping as he pulled his digits back, rubbing them together as if seeking any residue of the glow. His voice sounded almost hollow. "I feel... empty."

The comment worried me, and I stepped forward to rest a hand on his forearm. "Are you alright? You're not in pain or anything, are you?"

He shook his head. "Nay, Richard... not physically. But I felt thee... here..." he touched his chest, "...and now thou art absent."

Sighing, I looked at the wall through which Balam had walked. "Sometimes I just don't get him... you know?"

When Jack didn't respond I glanced to the Gryphon, expecting him to still be obsessed with the lack of light in his talon but instead I saw him gazing at me, ear tufts raised once more and an expression of unreadable joy on his face. Before I could ask for clarification he offered it freely. "Art thou confiding in me?"

The question combined with the look was too much and I couldn't help but laugh, but I recovered quickly before my response could insult Jack and nodded with a shrug. "Well.. yeah-- I guess I am... I mean, you're here, and you say what's on your mind. You're open and you're not quite so... enigmatic. Then again, I suppose it helps that you and I both speak a common language we both know well."

His wings extended slightly, fluffed, and he folded them on his back and he nodded, still smiling. "I aim to be approachable, Richard... thou art important to me, and I do not wish there to be a divide between us."

Looking back to the wall, I sighed. "Yeah... divides suck."

I heard him take a step closer and I felt his talon come to rest on my bare shoulder. "Richard... art thou well? I felt the interrupted ritual acutely and I would not be content to know that thou art as exhausted as I feel."

Turning back to the Gryphon I paused, realizing that his talon on my shoulder was as much to provide him improved balance as it was to get my attention. "I'm fine, but you don't look all that good, Jack... are you okay?"

He ruffled the feathers of his wings again and reached his free talon up to rub the back of his neck. Jack's eyes had always had a golden gleam to them but, at that point, there seemed to be almost no light within them. "Humans are able to weather the transfer of spirit energy much better than Spirits... I believe I just need some rest and I shall be fine. It is likely that Balam left so he could do the same, and I--"

Jack went to take a step but he stumbled, and I reached out to steady him. "Careful... come on... commere and lay down."

I supported his weight by sliding my arm around his back, letting him drape his arm across my shoulders as I led him to the bed. He sat down as I eased him onto the mattress and I was surprised that it creaked beneath his weight, and yet it didn't actually sink down from it. My attention to that strange effect was drawn away when he spoke to me. "Thou hath a beautiful body, Richard... tis a shame that thou doth keep it covered so often..."

I felt myself blush fiercely when I realized that we were in such close proximity and we were both still naked. While I still had to get dressed it was strange to me that the Gryphon hadn't summoned his clothes yet, and I commented something to that effect. "Well, getting dressed and undressed for a Human is a lot more difficult than it is for a Spirit to just summon something, so you're just lucky that I haven't had a chance to put anything back on. What's YOUR excuse?"

He apparently caught the humor of the statement because I saw his beak part in a smile as he laid his head back onto the pillow. "T'would be a misstep to clothe myself while thou art so exposed... tis far more polite to maintain as much vulnerability as thou dost display... besides, tis but a body and nothing to be ashamed of."

My eyes traveled his exposed form as he settled into bed. Jack was well built and his finely sculpted body was aesthetically handsome in all the ways that a physical form should be. Although he was covered in fur and so much of him looked just as much animal as human, there was a beauty in its feral nature. My eyes came to a stop between his legs at the sliver of pink peeking out from its nest of light gold fur. Blushing, I looked away quickly. "Your body definitely isn't anything to be ashamed of, Jack... you're... gorgeous."

The thin skin around his nostrils reddened obviously and I could tell it was his turn to blush. He reached up a talon and closed his fingers around my forearm. "Dina thought thee amazing, Richard... and much of my energy came from her. I know not whether what I feel is because of her, or if these feelings are mine own... but... but I--"

The Gryphon's talon let go of my arm and his ear tufts lowered in embarrassment. There was a warmth in his words, and I felt lesser for having not heard him finish his sentence. My hand went to his chest. "What? What is it, Jack?"

His gaze left me and he mumbled quietly. "I... I would wish... to be kissed... by thee... Richard Ford."

The statement brought a smile to my face. Reaching out, I slid my index finger up against the opposite side of his beak so I could rotate his face back toward me. Leaning forward, I spoke softly. "Wish granted."

His wings shot out to their full extension the moment my lips touched his beak. A soft wheeze escaped him and I heard the sound of his every feather vibrate in reaction to it, and then, slowly, he slunk back to the bed, melting as I slid my arms around him and gave him the kind of kiss I'd hoped he desired.

I'm not sure how long I held him in my arms or how long it was until he reciprocated and took me into a hug. At some point I ended up on the bed with him and, though I could feel the firm fullness of his sheath against my hip, nothing happened between us-- we just slept together that night or, rather, I slept in his arms while he remained awake. When I awoke he was still there with me, looking down in adoration, his eyes once again glowing with Golden light. I smiled up at him. "Good morning."

He smiled in return. "The BEST morning."