Kami (God)

by Haryuu no Hanekata and co-written with Shadow of Arashi

Chapter 5

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Cale's walk steadily became hastened as he entered his room at the end of the wing. He held Sage close to him, afraid that if he let go, the boy would shatter like glass. He was so fragile now.

Sage remained very quiet, whimpering slightly and gripping Cale's tunic tightly in his fists. Tears made their way down his cheeks in steady streams as Cale set him down on the bed, sitting down beside the blonde.

"Sage...? Talk to me...please..."

Sage rolled over and away from his master, holding the cloak tightly to himself, feeling the night breeze blow beneath it and making his body shiver unpleasantly. He remained silent, staring off into space while surveying the internal damage done to himself.

Cale lightly touched his shoulder. "Sage....talk to me."

"What do you want to hear,...Sir...?"

Cale sighed and shook his head.

"Just call me Cale. Not 'Master' or 'Sir' anymore. I want to know why you left my wing when I specifically told you not to. I told you that the other generals weren't as kind as I..."

Sage sniffled loudly and rolled back over, his eyes wide in a silent plea for forgiveness.

"Victor....he told me....he told me that....you needed an errand run for you....and....and that there was...no one else to do it....so I went to go run the errand....for you...and then he....he found me...."

Cale's eyes widened and he growled menacingly at the bedroom door. He sighed and shook his head, turning back to Sage.

"I understand...but, I did tell you never to leave. And yet....I cannot stay angry with you. Look what's happened to you! That scaly, slimy bastard general has violated you....all because of my absence...."

Sage rolled onto his stomach, using his forearms to hoist himself up to about Cale's shoulder's level. He reached out with his numb hand, running across Cale's face. Cale blinked in surprise and turned to look down at his beautiful servant.

"It isn't your fault....Cale...."

And with that, he collapsed back onto the bed, Cale staring worriedly down at him. Cale hurriedly covered the blonde in the thick black velvet sheets from the bed. He stood, walking over to his amour. He opened a drawer and took out a soft, long black nightshirt made of hand-spun silk.

Cale made his way back to the bed, retracting the bed sheets to dress the nude boy before him. He pulled the blonde to him, watching as the boy's breathing quickened and Sage shivered as the cold night breeze swept over his pale form.

Cale's heart nearly broke as he heard the blonde boy....his beautiful blonde boy cry in his sleep, suffering from nightmares of what had happened to him earlier. Cale frowned deeply as he dressed the boy. He never felt like this towards a servant....or towards anyone in his whole life. He wondered why he was feeling such...heartache now...

When Cale was finished dressing him, he lay the boy back down onto the sheets as gently as he could. He watched Sage sleep, his body numb and pale from his unpleasant experience with the other general. Sage's breathing was rigid and harsh, his body shivering from the slightest movement; all in fear.

Though he didn't know why, Cale wanted to hold the blonde in his arms. To protect him, to care for him, to keep the boy with him. Cale shook his head. Why was he feeling like this, and why now?

Cale stood up from the bed to look out the window. He sighed when he heard the blonde cry out in his sleep.

"No....please.....let me go....please....."

Cale frowned again. He knew that this was all his fault. He hung his head in despair. He never felt such emotions before in his life. He never felt such heartache and grief. From a child, he had been trained never to feel as the result of seeing another in pain.

Cale growled, clenching his fist until the knuckles were white. He prepared to leave his room when he heard the blonde cry out in his sleep again. This time, Cale stopped dead in his tracks.

"Cale...help me....please....help....."

Sage tossed his head back and forth as he tried to fight Sekhmet in his dreams. Cale came to his side in an instant. He felt the boy's pain. The pain of fear, weakness, hunger...and violation....

Cale gently shook the blonde until his pale, glassy eyes opened a bit. Cale slightly smiled at him while he reached over for a tray of food he had brought the boy on his last leave. He held out a tray of bread rolls and a cup of soft white wine to the boy. Sage weakly tried to grab a roll, but couldn't. Cale set the tray down on the bed, climbing in next to the blonde. He pulled Sage into his lap.

Sage didn't protest when strong arms wrapped themselves around him. He felt so warm...and so safe. So appreciated and cared for. He never felt like this in his lifetime. Cale was going to hand feed him. Sage smiled weakly as he felt the wine glass come to his lips. He sipped lightly at the semi-sweet wine. It felt good to have something burn inside him for once. He always felt so cold inside.

Sage let his head rest on Cale's shoulder, his eyelids wanting to droop closed. He felt so tired. But, he felt that while Cale was around, he could sleep without having the terrible nightmares haunt him.

Sage smiled warmly and closed his eyes, golden tears slipping from his lashes to drip down onto the black nightshirt. Cale saw Sage smile and smiled with him, a strange warmth filling his entire being.

Cale then noticed Sage's tears. They were pure gold! They sparkled in the dim and dying candlelight that filled the room. Cale touched the blonde's cheek, feeling the golden tears beneath his fingertips. He smiled again, holding the blonde close to him. Cale turned his head and placed his cheek against Sage's, feeling the warm tears slide down his face. He rocked back and forth with the blonde in his arms, soothing him to sleep.

Cale quietly hummed to the boy as he felt Sage smile. He didn't know why he was doing this, but it felt so....right. Sage slipped into dreamland quickly. Cale pulled back, seeing the smear of the gold across Sage's face. Cale touched his own face, looking curiously at his fingertips.

Pure gold tears...

Cale smiled and closed his eyes, leaning back against the wall to fall asleep. He had many things to do the next day. Such as speak with Victor...

....but now he was content to just lie there.

To be continued