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A small sigh escaped Lucanis as he lay flat on his back in his humble cot against the wall of the pantry, the plain stone ceiling above him looking just as blank as he felt. 

The hour was substantially late even though they were in a part of the Fade where the light never dimmed, the Caretaker having been kind enough to set a timetable of the hours for them so that no one lost touch with the actual world on the other side of the eluvians. For a good long while, Lucanis had simply laid in his cot, tossing and turning, doing his best to ignore Spite, then engaging with him, and finally the demon himself had grown weary of the chatter and retreated inward within Lucanis' psyche. Even then the assassin found sleep elusive, and it had nothing to do with all the coffee he drank regularly, in fact, today he had just three cups tops, and didn't even have his obligatory cup of his strongest brew to help him stay awake and keep Spite from taking control of his body and causing chaos. 

Lucanis blinked and then gracefully arose from his cot, sitting over the edge and resting his elbows on his knees as he reached up and scrubbed tiredly at his face. 

" YOU SHOULD SLEEP." Spite rumbled. 

" I know. Sleep just won't come tonight." Lucanis said with a sigh. 

" TRY TEA?" Spite asked. 

Lucanis instantly wrinkled his nose and shook his head. 

" Nah, that stuff really isn't my thing." Lucanis said wearily. 

He sat and contemplated for a bit with Spite making suggestions until an idea finally popped into his head. 

" Let's go to the bathhouse, a hot soak is always relaxing." Lucanis said with a nod. 

" BOIL YOURSELF IF IT HELPS." Spite said, actually earning a small snort from Lucanis as the assassin rose from his cot and headed out of his pantry in his dark purple pajamas. 

Lucanis stepped out of the Dining Hall and walked past Davrin and Neve's private quarters before he took a sharp turn to the right between Neve and Bellara's quarters down a slightly crooked staircase that led to a wide and long building made of white stone. 

This was the bathhouse, the latest addition to their floating residence in the Fade. It had been Rook's idea for a place that they could all go to unwind, with thin barriers for privacy between the gents and the ladies, although Taash had no problem being on both sides. 

Lucanis stepped through the doors into the bathhouse and was immediately surrounded by the warm air, and the pleasant sent of many fragrant aromatics like jasmine, rose, and sandalwood while the full length pool rippled before him, the waters serene and glowing pale blue from the many minerals within it. It made sense that the bathhouse would have an eclectic scent to match the eclectic group that frequented it. Lucanis smiled as he even caught a faint whiff of coffee lacing the air as he made a b-line for the changing area. He shrugged off his pajamas and folded everything neatly before placing them in his designated locker before he grabbed up one of the fluffy dark purple towels that were designated to him and wrapped it around his waist before padding back outside.

Lucanis walked past the peaceful length pool and made his way towards the back of the building where the air was more hot and humid, since that was where the hot pools were. Lucanis let out a small breath as he stepped through the archway leading to the heated wing of the bathhouse, unthinkingly tugging the towel off of his waist. He had just gone a few steps with his towel held in front of him when he looked up and nearly crashed to the floor when he saw that there was already someone in one of the steaming pools, standing waist deep with their back to him. 

" Oh dios!" Lucanis exclaimed, causing the silver haired  person already soaking to turn sharply. 

" Oh my! Lucanis?" Emmrich exclaimed as he gazed at the assassin, his eyes widening further when the necromancer realized that said assassin was completely nude save for the purple towel he was holding thankfully obscuring manhood. 

" I am so sorry!" They both said at the exact same time before Emmrich turned back around and Lucanis hastily wrapped his towel around his waist. 

" Hey it's okay, you can turn around, I covered myself." Lucanis called as he closed the distance between himself and Emmrich as the necromancer immediately turned back around and gave the assassin an embarrassed little grin as he spoke. 

" Hello." He said with a breathy chuckle as Lucanis himself instantly relaxed a little as he stood by the raised edge of the hot pool, one of the lesser heated ones that was safe to stay in for longer, just barely steaming. 

" Hi Emmrich, what are you doing up so late?" Lucanis asked curiously. 

" Oh, after dinner I decided to catch up on some of the missives that were piling up on my desk and by the time I had gotten through them, I had lost track of the hour. I was still a little wound up over this one issue that popped up back at the Grand Necropolis regarding this one restless spirit that seems to have set its sight on physically attacking students so I thought a night soak would calm me down. I've only been here about ten minutes. What brings you here my dear?" Emmrich asked, the endearment slipping out but hitting Lucanis right smack in the center of his heart. 

" Oh well I just came here for a soak too, been tossing and turning all night and I didn't even drink any coffee after dinner." Lucanis explained. 

Emmrich blinked slowly and looked at Lucanis like he had sprouted another head. 

" Lucanis Dellamorte didn't drink any more coffee after the wonderful dinner he made us? Why, how are we all even still floating? The Fade should have collapsed in on itself by now after such a monumental occurrence!" He said with all seriousness.  

There was a beat of silence, Lucanis gazing at Emmrich stunned and Emmrich holding his expression before as one, Emmrich started chuckling and Lucanis huffed out a laugh and nodded his head in defeat. It was true that coffee was an integral part of Lucanis Dellamorte's very essence as a human being, so he could take a bit of goodnatured ribbing from his friend. Within Lucanis' psyche, Spite was rolling in laughter at Emmrich's quip and also the unexpected late night meeting between the assassin and the necromancer. 

" Well don't just stand there, soak away." Emmrich said warmly as he gestured for Lucanis to climb in while smoothly turning away graciously. 

" Oh thanks Emmrich." Lucanis said before he felt his face heat up a little as he pulled the towel away from his waist and then climbed up the little stone steps into the pool. 

Lucanis sighed deeply as he stepped over the raised edge into the pool, the warm water washing over him soothingly. The water came up to just reach his ribcage since Emmrich was so much taller than him, almost as tall as Taash. The two men sank down further onto the rounded ledge underneath the water, allowing them to sit comfortably side by side with the slightly milky waters obscuring their nether regions. 

They started talking quietly, Spite piping up about his own complaints, asking where Manfred was. Emmrich was quick to assure the demon that his friend and fellow spirit was totally fine, and that Emmrich had left him bickering away with the skull of Johanna Hezenkoss. 

" I still don't get why you got stuck with her Emmrich." Lucanis said with a small, annoyed shake of his head as he remembered the caustic and irritating woman who had been Emmrich's colleague and who had literally killed Manfred and cost Emmrich his lifelong dream of becoming a Lich. 

" It literally was me or no one else. I really wish it hadn't come to this but Johanna just took things too far when she was expelled from the Order. And you saw first hand her disregard for everything both alive and dead. I am just happy I was able to get Manfred back, and he is thriving as an apprentice." Emmrich said with his mood already lifting at the mention of his wonderful ward.

" CAN CURIOSITY TEACH US FIRE?" Spite asked eagerly. 

" I don't thing that's such a good idea my dear Spite, but perhaps you and Lucanis could teach him some self-defense moves?" Emmrich asked hopefully. 

" SELF-DEFENSE IS GOOD, HIS PUNCHES WOULD BE BONY AND SHARP." Spite agreed while Lucanis barked out and laugh before promptly submerging himself completely and then bobbing back up with a sigh.  

Emmrich hummed and then turned to reach for one of the soft sponges kept at the edge of the pool. As he turned, Lucanis caught sight of a raised crescent shaped mark that marred the skin just under Emmrich's right ribcage. 

" Hey Emmrich, what's that scar?" Lucanis asked before he could stop himself. 

Emmrich paused and then turned around, glancing down at himself before he let out a soft laugh. 

" Oh this? Interesting story behind this one." Emmrich said as he reached round himself and grazed his finger over the scar before he continued. 

Emmrich regaled Lucanis with the tale of how when he was just twenty-two years old, barely into his tenure as both a Mourn Watcher and assistant professor, he, Hezenkoss, and a couple of other young Mourn Watchers were asked to assist one of Nevarra's most prestigious and beloved noble families. There was some kind of vicious haunting happening at the family's palatial manor near the mouth of the great river that ran through Nevarra's capitol city. 

They got there only to find the lovely house in disarray, several servants sporting thankfully minor injuries, and a spirit so violently enraged that the very foundations of the house were rattling. Thanks to Emmrich's corpse whispering, the team was able to get down to the family crypt and ask some of those long buried directly just what the ever loving Hell was going on. Turned out, the spirit was the great great grandmother of the current Lord of the House and she was absolutely furious that he had arranged a marriage between his daughter and the son of another noble family, all without his daughter's consent, all because he wanted to elevate their already lofty status. Well great great grandmama was pissed six ways to Sunday and she wanted blood, especially since the wedding was in just three days. 

Before Emmrich or the other Watchers could try to reason with her, the spirit sent everyone flying in all directions in the grand ballroom where the wedding was meant to take place, and unfortunately for Emmrich, he was sent flying into one of the ornate chandeliers with glass light covers, one of which stabbed him in the back upon impact and left him with a C-shaped wound. Emmrich was able to rally with the others and get the Lord of the Manor to yield and promise great great grandmama that he would spare his daughter the awful fate he was planning to use her for. Great great grandmama calmed, though she did somehow manifest enough to smack the Lord across his face, and then his wife cursed him out and pummeled his other cheek because he had been lying to her face the whole time about the match being one of love. The Lord was in the doghouse, the daughter was spared, and Emmrich and the other Mourn Watchers received a very generous reward to keep mum about the whole scandalous affair. 

" Well that's one way to object to a wedding." Lucanis said with a nod while Spite snickered in the background. 

" I take it your skin's got some interesting stories to tell too?" Emmrich asked with interest. 

" Oh for sure." Lucanis replied with a nod. 

Lucanis then reached up and pulled back his long hair to reveal an little jagged scar just bellow the base of his skull and went on to regale Emmrich with the tale of one of his first jobs as a full fledged Crow and how he managed to take out the target, this smarmy banker who was looting just about everyone in Orlais, but during his escape over the roof tops he had lost his footing for a moment and slipped on one of the roof and some of the metal spiraling ornaments had nearly slit his throat. He had been able to turn in such a way that the metal had glance off and just left him with the cut and not severed veins and arteries. 

Lucanis looked up when he felt Emmrich lightly graze his fingers over the mark. 

" I am really glad you didn't get hurt worse Lucanis." Emmrich said with full sincerity, making Lucanis' heart do this strange little flip flop inside his chest as he nodded and let his hair fall. 

He told Emmrich that it was his turn, and the necromancer was happy to oblige him. 

Turns out, a necromancer from the Mourn Watch could have just about as many scars as an Antivan Crow could from their younger years. 

Emmrich showed Lucanis that his skin was a veritable map of a far more adventurous life than Lucanis was expecting out of the good professor. 

Emmrich had skin grafts to his calves that healed splendidly after he tried jumping over a bonfire while in a drunken stupor when he was just nineteen when he was attending the Mourn Watch Academy's senior traditional bonfire celebration for the end of the term. He had a small scar on the inside of his arm from when he nearly fell into a giant crevice while mountain climbing with an exploration group sent by the Mourn Watch to examine these perfectly frozen remains of people that dated back to the Glory Age. He had a thin scar over his left shoulder from flying glass after somehow getting caught in an explosion in the lower labs of the Grand Necropolis when he was twenty-seven because some moron thought it would be a good idea to smoke a pipe among the vast array of chemicals that were everywhere in said lab. Emmrich even had a scar on his hand from when he managed to deflect a full blown tome that was launched at his head by accident by one of his students, who was a mage, who showed up to class while suffering absolutely atrocious allergies that left the poor girl sneezing and her magic flaring. It was one sneeze too many as her magic had flared and sent the tome she was looking at right her professor.

Thankfully Emmrich was also a very proficient handball player with great coordination so he was able backhand the offending projectile tome away with just a small wound to his hand because the tome had metal accents. 

Emmrich barely supressed a shiver from Lucanis running his fingertips over his scars as he had displayed them to the assassin. 

Lucanis had plenty of his own scars to show off in this little show and tell, and his own shivers to suppress as he felt Emmrich's touch against the marks of his life. 

On top of the scar he had at the back of his head, Lucanis also had a litany of little nicks here and there from his hand to hand combat experience. He had this slice over his hip from when he barely escaped being gutted by Illario no less, when they were both still in training and decided to use real blades when they weren't supposed to. Caterina had been deeply annoyed and sent Illario off to clean every single bathroom in Villa Dellamorte and made Lucanis himself write down that he would not use weapons until he was properly trained a thousand times on parchment while he lay recovering.  

Lucanis and Emmrich's shared chuckles echoed through the hot pool wing as the assassin continued his roadmap of his own nicks and near misses in life. 

Lucanis had a jagged scar under his left armpit where an sentry's arrow had grazed him as he had escaped this job involving poisoning a specific customer of this one jewelry shop to stop an entire trafficking operation. He had a burn on his own foot from when he had needed to kick a candelabra during a fight with a rival house of the Crows that left him literally hot footed. He had barely dodged knives, maces, swords, boomerangs, the horns of a druffalo, he even had this one mark on his thigh that was a bite scar from this pissed off nug, and them Lucanis turn his back to Emmrich and showed this one scar at the base of his spine that gave him pause. 

" This is from where Zara split my back open and tried to force Spite into me that way before they figured out that awful potion the forced down by throat." Lucanis said quietly. 

" Oh sweetheart." Emmrich breathed as he reached out and reverently ran his fingers over the unassuming little scar over Lucanis' caramel skin. 

Lucanis bowed his head at the gentle touch while Spite purred. Then Lucanis was straightening up and growing alert as those same fingertips became a full palm, the slowly stared to glide up the length of his whole spine before finally reaching the back of his neck and pulling his hair away to reveal that first scar he showed Emmrich. 

" E-Emmrich?" Lucanis whispered as he felt Emmrich lean in and press his lips to the scar marring his skin, sending bolts of lightening through his whole body.

Emmrich said nothing, just wrapped his arms around Lucanis from behind, with his hands pressed firmly over the center of the assassin's chest, right over his heart. Emmrich drew away from Lucanis' scar and nuzzled his face into the side of Lucanis' head with his lips pressed up against his ear as he finally spoke. 

" It always breaks my heart when you talk of how you and Spite were forced together in that awful prison. They had no right to do that to either of you, to treat you that way." Emmrich said firmly. 

" EMMRICH FEELS BAD FOR US, HE SHOULDN'T, NOT HIS FAULT." Spite piped up, causing Lucanis and Emmrich to both laugh a little as Lucanis leaned back and pressed up against Emmrich in turn as he spoke. 

" Emmrich's a really nice person, he empathizes easily. And by the looks of it, he cares for us as more than just a friend." Lucanis said quietly, feeling a smile come to his face as Emmrich nodded against his hair and then press a kiss to it before he finally loosened his hold and allowed for Lucanis to turn in his arms so that they could face each other. 

" Is this alright?" Emmrich asked softly, the barest husk to his voice that had heat pooling low in Lucanis' stomach as he spoke.

" Yes, very much so." Lucanis growled before he promptly reached up and took Emmrich's face into his hands, pulling the much taller man down and claiming his lips in a soul searing kiss that Emmrich immediately responded to with a happy hum. 

" WELL THIS TOOK A NICE TURN." Spite quipped as he flared to the forefront to enjoy his own kiss with Emmrich before retreating and letting Lucanis take over again.  

Lucanis felt his whole body sigh and sing, his first kiss since getting out of the Ossuary and it did not disappoint. Emmrich kissed with gentleness that was familiar and warm, setting both him and Spite at ease, but just beneath that was this cloying, raw power that was just begging to be unleashed. They broke apart with a soft gasp a few minutes later, both of their pupils blow and breathing hard. It was Emmrich who finally spoke. 

" Do you wish to go further? I will only do as you allow my dear?" He rumbled, sending fresh bolts of electricity through Lucanis not just with his voice, but with his words of askance, giving him the choice instead of taking. 

" Give me everything you've got, no holding back." Lucanis growled as he met Emmrich's gaze intensely. 

A truly sinful smirk curved up Emmrich's lips that had Lucanis' throat going dry and Spite rumbling with excitement before the necromancer tightened his hold around the assassin and full on dipped him before capturing Lucanis' lips in an even more searing and probing kiss. Lucanis moaned unabashedly as he wrapped his arms around Emmrich, his hands splaying over his long and elegant back, feeling the wiry yet powerful muscles coiling under his palms as he fervently kissed the necromancer back and allowed himself to just let go of his inhibitions, allowed himself to feel the warmth of someone who he knew to be both warm and gentle, but powerful and sure, and above all, someone he knew would take care of him, even if he asked Emmrich to stop right in the middle.

When they broke apart with another sharp gasp, Emmrich immediately sought out Lucanis' neck and throat, kissing and biting his way down that delectable column, then lower over his sharp collarbone, and then over his pec before finally taking the little dark bud that adorned it into his mouth. 

Lucanis cried out sharply and arched magnificently, the back of his head actually dipping into the warm waters of the pool as he cried out and groaned unashamedly. 

" E-Emmrich." Lucanis said with a sigh as he surrendered himself completely to the necromancer's intimate ministrations, and did some of his own as he reached out under the water and sought out an intimate part of Emmrich in turn. 

" Oh! Lucanis!" Emmrich gasped as he released the little bud and shuddered at Lucanis' touch. 

They smashed their lips together in another desperate kiss as things quickly devolved after that, the waters around them rippling warm and vigorous as their groans and cries echoed through the entire bathhouse. 

A couple of hours later Emmrich and Lucanis were dressed in their pajamas, dried completely thanks a spell Emmrich knew and had left the hot pools with strict instructions to the Caretaker to drain and cleanse the pool they had occupied with all the thoroughness they were capable of. They came to stand before the doors of the bathhouse and face each other. 

" That was a rather interesting way to relax. How on earth did you hold your breath for so long?" Lucanis asked with an amazed shake of his head. 

" Oh I picked up many tricks during my travels, and Nevarra even has it's own manuals on the subject." Emmrich said with a warm smile as Lucanis blushed and blinked in surprise before a glint of interest filled his dark eyes. 

" TEACH US EMMRICH!" Spite demanded eagerly, earning a delighted chuckle from Emmrich and further blushing from Lucanis, who tellingly did not disagree with his demonic passenger. 

Lucanis looked up with surprise when Emmrich reached up and gently cupped his cheeks, leaning down and pressing a sweet kiss to his forehead in a way that actually made Lucanis' heart crack at the sheer tenderness this lovely, unexpected man was capable of. 

" If that is what you both wish, then it would be my pleasure and honor my darlings. For how though, we should try and get some sleep while we still can. I am sure the morning will be busy once everyone is up and about." Emmrich said warmly before he leaned in slowly, silently asking for Lucanis' permission for another kiss, just as tender but a bit more intimate. 

Lucanis eagerly agreed as he leaned up and met Emmrich halfway, coming together in a sweet, chaste kiss before they finally pulled away. Emmrich gestured for Lucanis to go first. Lucanis stepped towards the door and then immediately stepped back and pulled Emmrich in for a final kiss, earning a breathless little laugh from the necromancer before he finally drew away and headed out of the bathhouse door. 

Lucanis smirk a little as he made his way up the stairs, his body aching pleasantly as he walked. He reached the top of the stairs and looked around, glad to see that even with the light of the Fade never dimming, it still looked like everyone was fast asleep. He gave Emmrich a little thumbs up before he headed off across the courtyard towards the steps leading up to the Dining Hall were his pantry awaited. He had just reached the top of the stairs where the great statue of the skeletal eternal lovers stood, forever entwined in a kiss when he turned to see Emmrich looking back at him as he stood to enter the door to the main Lighthouse. 

Even across the distance, hazel green eyes stared adoringly back at those of rich dark coffee. It was this final moment between them, this private, wordless thing they had no way of naming because it was so new and fragile, but there between them none the less. With a final, shared smile, Emmrich disappeared through the door to the Lighthouse while Lucanis turned and made his way back to the Dining Hall, ducking into his pantry. 

He sighed and lay down on his modest cot and for once, he was asleep as soon as his head hit his rolled up joke of a pillow. Spite purred and stayed dormant, feeling no need to take hold of Lucanis' body, content to just lay in the warm afterglow of their time with Emmrich. 

Up in his quarters, Emmrich lay curled up in the center of his king-sized canopy bed with his black and green sheets around him, feeling absolutely giddy despite the increasing pull of sleep. He had simply gone to the bathhouse to try and relax, and instead he had shared an experience that toppled every other he had had in his whole life. Emmrich brought a hand to his lips, tracing them with his fingertips and shivering as he could almost feel those warm and whiskered lips against his own. With a small huff and a grin, Emmrich finally shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep himself. 

Though parted by a necessary physical distance, as one the new and unexpected lovers drifted off, and dreamed of each other, not even as they were in the bathhouse, but bathed in the golden light, in moments of laughter and friendship, in those quiet moments of thoughtfulness that came from living and working together, and yes, even the moments in battle where they were breathtaking, but only now did they truly notice it of each other. 

They dreamed with a shared peacefulness, and a quiet hope, especially Lucanis who did his best to never sleep.  

A couple of hours later Emmrich was waking up, feeling refreshed despite how little sleep he had gotten. He did his morning stretches, bathed and dressed with his usual care before he headed out of his bedroom, emerging from behind the special shelf-door that stood by the top of the staircase to the upper level of his living space. He greeted Manfred warmly and even said good morning to Johanna Hezenkoss' heavily warded skull, who only scoffed at his audacity. Emmrich new it was way too early to head to the Dining Hall so the necromancer got behind his desk and did some research for a bit. 

A little while later, Manfred rattled over and tilted his head. 

" Breakfast?" He asked. 

" Indeed, let's go." Emmrich said with a smile as he closed the book he had open and headed out of his quarters with Manfred. 

As he crossed the courtyard towards the Dining Hall he was greeted by a chipper Bella as she emerged from her own quarters. The pair shared a warm hug and Emmrich immediately asked her about her progress on the Nadas Dirthalen. The young Veil Jumper had been doing her best to keep busy ever since she had found out about her dead brother being not only not so dead, but in league with a being called Anaris who thought turning elves into demons was somehow a good idea. They just had to keep dealing with so many ancient beings with really, really bad ideas on how to run things. 

When they entered the Dining Hall, Emmrich's eyes immediately went to the kitchen area where Lucanis was already up and about, chopping up vegetables with practiced ease. 

" Good morning Lucanis!" Bellara called, making the assassin look up from his task. 

Lucanis and Emmrich's eyes immediately met and for a moment the world disappeared and it was just the two of them. Smiles came to both their faces, Emmrich feeling his cheeks heat up a little as he recalled the events of just a few hours ago in the bathhouse. He could see Lucanis' eyes darken a little all the way across the room before they both blinked and returned to the present. 

" Morning Bellara, morning Emmrich, morning Manfred." Lucanis called with a little wave of the knife in his hand before he went back to chopping.

Bella and Manfred both eagerly made their way across the room to join Lucanis in the kitchen. Emmrich smiled warmly as he watched the assassin explain to Bellara and Manfred what he was preparing for breakfast. Emmrich then turned and made his way over to Lucanis nifty brewing station to make himself a nice cup of his favorite hibiscus rose tea. 

As Emmrich made his way over to the long dining table to his usual spot, the other members of their team trickled in. Rook looked barely away as he shuffled in and greeted everyone, asking Lucanis if he needed any help in the kitchen before the assassin all but ordered him to take a seat. Rook and Emmrich greeted each other warmly as Neve and Davrin entered with Assan bounding in and giving everyone squawks in greeting. Taash and Harding rounded out their group, already having an in depth discussion about their preferred weapons. 

Everyone gathered and waited patiently while Lucanis and Bellara prepared breakfast, which turned out to be these absolutely delicious individual fritattas with everyone's preferred fillings and spice levels. 

Taash's looked like Lucanis had gone ahead and dipped the whole thing in hot lava with all the red and black spices he had used so that the fire breathing Qunari could taste it well. They gobbled up the whole thing in record time. Harding's had the apple butter flavor she adored while Bellara's was extra on the herb potatoes. Neve's was extra cheesy just they way she liked it while Davrin enjoyed his with a cream ranch sauce on top. Rooks was more chicken than anything else, including the eggs that were always a central part of a fritatta. And finally, Emmrich was all vegetarian with his favorite combo of potatoes, tomatoes, and string beans with two kinds of cheeses. Lucanis himself enjoyed a lovely chorizo and pepper filled number. 

As they sat across from each other and enjoyed breakfast with the rest of the team, chuckling at the antics of Assan and Manfred as the youngsters bantered in their special way, Emmrich and Lucanis' eyes met again. A secret promise passed between them, a promise to find each other later and continue this newfound closeness between them. For now though, it was breakfast, the most important meal of the day after all. 

After breakfast Rook received a missive from Myrna and Vorgoth at the Grand Necropolis asking for some help finding a group of worker skeletons that had somehow vanished within the lower levels of the towering spire. Rook asked Emmrich and Manfred to come along of course, and luckily enough, he asked Lucanis to finish out their quartet. Emmrich and Lucanis were thrilled but played it cool. They stood behind Rook as they all prepared to step through the eluvian downstairs into the Cross Road. Emmrich startled lightly when he felt a gloved pinky curl around his own, looking down to see Lucanis' sweet gesture. Manfred was busy chatting away with Rook to notice the gesture, for which Emmrich and Lucanis were glad for the time being. The assassin himself looked straight ahead, but Emmrich caught the warm glimmer of mischief in thos dark eyes. Emmrich turned and faced ahead, wordlessly squeezing Lucanis' pinky back before they reluctantly let go and headed into the mirror, following after Rook. 

When they got to the Grand Necropolis they were greeted warmly by Myrna and Vorgoth. Emmrich left Manfred to catch up with the pair before he led the way towards the main lift to take them down to the lower levels where the skeletons had disappeared from.

So began a good two hours of searching, until Lucanis found these strange slimy green drag marks a few yards away from the tunnel the workers were chipping away at. With their weapons at the ready, the trio carefully followed the green liquid and found themselves stunned when at the very end of it they found not only the skeleton workers who had been reduced to a pile of slobber covered bones, but this gigantic reanimated corpse of a great dire wolf, said to have gone extinct nearly a century ago. 

The thing had caught sight of them and all Hell had naturally broken loose. 

The literal zombie wolf had wanted to make new chew toys out of all three of them but thankfully, they had each other's backs and were able to work together, Emmrich attacking by calling for spirits, Rook using his chain lightning attacks, and Lucanis and Spite working together to slash at the undead beast. 

The creature couldn't tire seeing as to how it was just a possessed shell, but Rook and Lucanis were able to distract it long enough for Emmrich to conjure a banishing spell on the demonic entity that had taken up residence in the deceased wolf's corpse. The creature swung it's large tail at Rook and Lucanis and managed to catch the assassin, sending him flying backwards. Luckily Spite was able to unfurl his wings in time to keep Lucanis from slamming head first into the cold stone wall, but in an effort to fly upward, Lucanis ended up smashing his thigh against the stone before Spite was able to fly them correcting back towards the enemy for a passing slash attack. Emmrich finished his cast just as Lucanis sliced into the front leg of the creature. Then the cave lair filled with eerie green light as the spirits Emmrich summoned to aid them materialized and swarmed the dire wolf. The creature let out a rage-filled howl as the demon possessing it was literally yanked out and dragged off into the Fade. The corpse slunk to the ground silent and still, leaving Rook, Emmrich, and Lucanis all bruised and battered, but ultimately the victors. 

Emmrich lamented that such a majestic creature had been disturbed from its eternal rest while Rook decided that they weren't going to just leave it down here to rot among the bones. Emmrich immediately made his way over to Lucanis and asked about his leg, the assassin assuring him that it was just a ding, sure to bruise but nothing at all serious as it would have been had he slammed into the stone. Lucanis and Emmrich actually thanked Spite, leaving the demon preening. 

Emmrich insisted that Lucanis drink one of his healing potions, not taking no for an answer as he steadily watched the assassin drink the green elixir and actually sigh in relief as the fresh throbbing pain in his thigh ceased. He was still bound to sport a spectacular bruise later but the pain would be manageable at least. 

As the three of them eyed the remains of the skeletal workers and the dire wolf, they all shared a collective sigh at the mess that was left behind before they all set to work. Rook used his magic to gather up the bones of the workers, thankful that the spirits that had inhabited these bodies had been likely able to escape before the dire wolf had sought to chew on their skeleton hosts. Emmrich then stepped in and rearranged everything back into full skeletons before he reanimated them, asking for the spirits that had fled to return now that the coast was clear. One by one the spirits returned and immediately filed out of the cave and naturally went back to the work that had been unceremoniously interrupted by zombie rover. 

This just left the corpse of the dire wolf. It was still a good specimen of the long extinct animal despite the hard battling, so between Emmrich and Rook they used their magic to lift the animal up and drag it out of the cavern with them as they headed back upstairs. 

They caused quite a stir in the Grand Necropolis as they emerged from the elevator with an dead ancient animal, but Emmrich and Rook's fellow Mourn Watchers were happy to receive the corpse. They would show it some tender love and care by repairing all the damage and then place it in the hall of beasts the Grand Necropolis had in its upper levels. 

Manfred hugged all three of them and was fascinated by the dire wolf, stroking it's snout and maybe even lamenting its loss in his own way. 

Afterward, Rook, Lucanis, Emmrich, and Manfred all took their leave of the Mourn Watchers at the Grand Necropolis and headed home through the eluvian. They stopped in the Cross Road's market so that Rook could sell some items and Lucanis and Emmrich perused the merchant stalls to see the new wares. Lucanis even picked up some new herbs and spice packs to add to his collection before they all took the boat to their eluvian back to the Lighthouse. 

They all split up to head to their quarters to change out of their armor and freshen up a little after spending so much time underground. Emmrich sent Manfred off with Lucanis to help him with lunch preparations, earning a warm look from the assassin as they parted. 

Lucanis set Manfred to work gathering ingredients from the pantry while he grabbed up his casual clothes and ducked int the bathroom to freshen up and change. 

Once he emerged, he found Manfred neatly lining everything up for him on the counter, muttering to himself as he worked, earning a grin from Lucanis as he ducked into his panty to put his armor away. Once that was done he headed back out and set Manfred to the task of pealing certain fruits and vegetables while he handled cutting and marinading.

Together Lucanis and Manfred cooked up a storm, and by the time the team started trickling in, the Dining Hall was brimming with the delicious aromas of their shared efforts. 

Lunch was lively and enjoyed fully with the rest of the team asking Rook, Emmrich, and Lucanis about how the mission in the Grand Necropolis went, all of them intrigued to hear about the fight with the ancient dire wolf corpse. 

 After the meal, Emmrich and Neve insisted on clearing the table and doing the dishes while Assan entertained everyone with the latest Davrin was trying to teach him, which just turned into him doing tumbled across the floor and nibbling at Rook's boots harmless, much to the exasperation of the Grey Warden. Lucanis had some more coffee and kept stealing furtive glances at Emmrich, making Taash frown for a second before they brushed it off and focused on Bellara's story about some wayward ancient elvhen relic that randomly produced figurines of goats of all things. 

Afterwards, Rook wanted to head out to the Hall of Valor to practice this new spell he had learned and Taash was all too happy to come along. Davrin wanted to see Rook's new spell to, so he and Assan rounded out the rest of the party. 

Neve went back to her quarters to look over some of her own missives while Bellara and Harding decided to go for a jaunt in Arlathan forest.

Lucanis actually surprised himself by asking Emmrich if they could spend the rest of the afternoon together. Emmrich was beyond thrilled but contained his excitement, just giving Lucanis a winning smile and asking him to come along with him and Manfred, Spite rumbling in agreement. When the four of them reached Emmrich's quarters, Spite fully manifested as a glowing purple version of Lucanis and together with Manfred, they got into a lively debate with Hezenkoss, trading barbs and insults, leaving Emmrich and Lucanis to each other. They headed upstairs, but didn't go to Emmrich's bedroom, instead they hung out on the necromancer's balcony where the fragments of buildings lazily floated past. 

They immediately came together in a deep kiss, eager to feel each other after the harrowing day they had. 

" Are you sure you are alright my dear? You hit your leg quite hard." Emmrich asked as he tenderly held Lucanis' face in his palms. 

Lucanis smiled up at Emmrich and leaned into his touch, the necromancer's genuine concern for him heartening and making fondness rush up inside him like stepping into sunshine after being stuck in the cold dark earth. 

" I am alright Emmrich, I'll probably be a little achy later on when the healing potion wears off completely but I'll handle it." Lucanis assured. 

That actually just made Emmrich frown deeper. 

" That is entirely unacceptable Lucanis, you can't expect me to just sit by while you sequester yourself in the pantry and just grit your teeth." Emmrich said before he pinned Lucanis with a look. 

" Come to me after everyone turns in, and I will take all care of you my dear." He said lowly. 

Lucanis felt a shiver up his spine while Spite hummed in approval. 

" YES, WE COME TO EMMRICH, LET HIM CARE FOR US." Spite said with eagerness. 

Lucanis swallowed and let out a throaty chuckle to hide how deeply Emmrich's words and their implication affected him.

" Alright then, we'll come to you after everyone turns in." Lucanis agreed. 

He received a beatific smile from the necromancer, who had this glint of promise in his hazel green eyes that had a fresh wave of heat unfurling low in Lucanis' stomach. He quickly quashed it down, for now was not the time. Instead he leaned up and gave Emmrich another deep kiss before the pair set about talking and laughing, simply basking in each other's company for several hours before they had to rush down and play referee between Spite, Manfred, and Hezenkoss as the caustic war between them reached its peak.  

After they managed to calm everyone down after their final barrage of barbs, Spite returned to Lucanis and the assassin took his leave to get started on dinner, leaving Emmrich to himself and formulating a plan for the ways he would take all care of the special guest he would be having later that evening. 

Lucanis dove into dinner prep to keep himself busy, wanting to treat everyone only to his best efforts, but especially Emmrich. He set about making everyone's preferred dish for the day of the week, taking extra care and adding in some of those new herbs and spices he had picked up from the Cross Roads. 

A few hours later, everyone was gathered for the evening meal and it was a smashing success. Everyone heaped their praises on Lucanis as he had cooked everything to perfection, leaving the assassin blushing and smiling coyly. Dessert was a variety of panna cotta, including one that was a chocolate and hazelnut number with soft sponge cake layers in between that was meant to emulate the Nevarran hazelnut torte that Emmrich was so very fond of. 

Lucanis watched with baited breath as Emmrich took a bite of the dessert, and then his eyes widened as he watched the necromancer actually grow tearful and send him a crooked smile. 

" Almost like mother made it herself." He said quietly, and Lucanis could tell that the older man meant it and wasn't just saying it to be nice. 

" Thank you Lucanis, it's wonderful." Emmrich said sincerely. 

" You're welcome Emmrich, it can't ever be hers, nothing can, am glad I got it close though." Lucanis said with a nod and a smile of his own while Spite purred and Manfred patted Emmrich's shoulder in comfort, earning a watery chuckle. 

There was a moment of warm silence over the table before Taash finally broke it. 

" Hey Emmrich, what other things have they got in the Hall of Beasts you mentioned?" They asked with interest. 

That set Emmrich off on a full, detailed explanation of some of the many wondrous and weird creatures preserved and housed in that particular hall, everyone listening with rapt attention, and then the Dining Hall was filling with laughter as Rook chimed in and recounted this one very humorous incident that happened in said hall during his apprentice days when this one particularly mischievous spirit took hold of this one taxidermied deep stalker and would playfully lunge at unsuspecting visitors to the hall. Rook spoke of this one fellow apprentice, this fearless young lady who got right up in the moving deep stalker's face and complemented it for being such an awesome gimmick. The possessed deep stalker and the now Mourn Watcher were good friends even to this very day.  

Even as they laughed and enjoyed the glow of a dinner well spent, Emmrich and Lucanis both felt the buzz under their skin, the excitement of the night they had planned to have together. Slowly but surely, everyone headed off to their quarters to retire for the evening, Emmrich sending Lucanis a subtly wink before he and Manfred disappeared through the door. Soon Lucanis was left with only Spite for company. The assassin entered his pantry and made his way over to his chest where he kept his belongings, pulling out a pair of black pajamas and donning them before he headed back out to go through his nightly routine in the bathroom. 

As he bushed his teeth, Spite piped up. 

" YOU SHOULD POUNCE ON HIM THE MOMENT YOU SEE HIM!" The demon declared proudly, nearly making Lucanis swallow his toothbrush before he spat out the paste and glared at his reflection. 

" No pouncing, we will follow Emmrich's lead and let him take care of us like he wants, alright?" He asked sternly. 

" FINE!" Spite replied petulantly and Lucanis could almost taste the pout, it was that profound. 

Lucanis found himself huffing a small laugh despite everything as he went about finishing his routine. 

He then ducked back into his pantry, brewed himself a fresh cup of some of the more milder beans he had, and then set about the hardest part of the evening. 

Waiting for the coast to fully clear before he headed to the Lighthouse. 

Lucanis swirled his coffee and allowed himself a small smile as he felt like he was on one of his assassin jobs, patiently waiting for the moment to make his move, only he wasn't planning on killing anyone, just heading clandestinely to his new lover's quarters. The Crow did wince a little as his slightly bruised leg started to ache along with other parts of his body from he hard battling he had done today. 

Just the very reason why he was going to Emmrich, not just because he wanted the man, but said man was insistent on taking care of him for exactly the pain he was feeling right now. Lucanis waited patiently and bantered with Spite to pass the time before he finally rose from his cot, slipped on the worn but comfortable purple slippers he kept under his cot and then made his way out of the pantry and then the Dining Hall. 

He was met by the bright light of the fade that always surrounded their base of operations, but as he walked across the upper courtyard be saw that the doors to Neve and Davrin's quarters were shut. Harding and Bellara's were the same as he reached the lower courtyard and quickly made his way through the Lighthouse door as quietly as he could. Once inside he used his stealthy as an assassin to noiselessly climb the stairs and duck into the hallway adorned with all manner of Nevarran and Mourn Watch decor. 

Lucanis had barely tapped the door before it was swinging open to reveal an eager and pleased Emmrich, dressed in his own dark green linen pajamas. Emmrich grinned warmly and stepped aside to welcome Lucanis back into his quarters. No sooner did Emmrich close the door he rushed to Lucanis and wrapped him in a tight hug. 

" I missed you, waiting was torturous Lucanis." Emmrich whispered into Lucanis' ear, making the assassin shiver slightly as he reached up and wrapped his arms around Emmrich, squeezing him back just as tightly. 

" I know, me and Spite hated waiting too." Lucanis said against Emmrich's shoulder. 

They drew back from each other, Emmrich pressing his forehead to Lucanis' as they gazed into each other's eyes and smiled at each other. Then as one they were seeking out each other's lips, coming together in a deep kiss. A soft, happy hiss had then pulling apart and turning to see Manfred clapping his hands in delight before he went back to the heavy tome he was reading at Emmrich's desk. Behind him, Hezenkoss' skull was tellingly covered in a black sheet with a glowing green sigil on it that was mean to keep her from witnessing anything and verbally abusing anyone for the remainder of the night. 

" Hey Manfred, what are you reading?" Lucanis asked with genuine interest as he and Emmrich made their way over to him. 

" Book on... embalming!" Manfred replied. 

" Ah yes, although he will be trained in the art later on, it never hurts to lay down a little foundation so that he understands the basic concepts. It's a little hit of miss right now but he is starting to understand the concept of respectful preservation." Emmrich explained proudly.  

" That's wonderful Manfred." Lucanis said with a smile. 

" I WANT TO SEE THE BOOK TOO!" Spite said as he manifested and greeted Manfred. 

" Do you not want to come upstairs with us Spite?" Emmrich asked curiously while Lucanis sent him an appreciative look for not excluding Spite. 

" WILL COME LATER AND HAVE MY OWN TIME, YOU GUYS GO. WANT TO SEE WHAT EMBALMING MEANS!" Spite said with a dismissive wave of his hand. 

" Suite yourself my dear." Emmrich said warmly, earning a toothy grin from Spite before he turned to Lucanis and held out his hand. 

Lucanis reached out and accepted, and together they headed up the spiral staircase to the upper level of Emmrich's quarters where his bedroom was cleverly hidden behind the bookshelf by the wall facing the top of the stairs. Emmrich pulled the one book with a solid red cover with a gold filigree design along the spine, and the bookshelf was sliding away to reveal the necromancer's sizeable bedroom behind it. 

The room was hexagon shaped with black stone walls adorned with all manner of Nevarran and skull related decor. There was a lot, but it did not overpower the space and reflected the man who called it home. There were floating lanterns around the ceiling bathing everything in a soft, golden light instead of green veil fire. There was a skull shaped fireplace where a low fire was simmering and a small lounge area in the center of the room but off to one side was a large, skull covered black king sized canopy with dark green velvet curtains and silky looking matte black sheets. 

" Be welcome in my most private space my darling." Emmrich said warmly before he gestured Lucanis to step through first before he made his way across the threshold himself and then pulled the lever to slide the shelf door back into place behind him.  

One would expect that the pair would simply be on each other and start tearing at their clothes as they made their way to Emmrich's bed to enjoy another sensuous evening as they had done the previous pre-dawn. That wasn't the case as Emmrich instead asked after Lucanis and the assassin confessed that he was a bit achy all over, but especially his leg that he had smashed into stone earlier in the day. That was all Emmrich needed to hear before he firmly ordered Lucanis to get in his bed while he brought the items he would require. 

Lucanis obliged and climbed into the necromancer's bed, really liking the luxurious texture of Emmrich's bed sheets beneath him while the necromancer ducked into a nearby door, no doubt the attached bathroom. 

The gentlemanly necromancer emerged a few moments later carrying a flat wooden box in his hands, which were devoid of his usual rings and bracelets, all his grave gold laying neatly arranged on his stylish black vanity with a hexagon shaped mirror bordered my ornate, carved skulls with bejeweled green eyes. 

" Could you show me your leg please my dear?" Emmrich asked as he climbed onto his bed and joined his new lover. 

Lucanis nodded and then pulled down him pajama bottoms, his to obscuring his more intimate parts while he pulled just his injured leg out first. 

Emmrich winced when he saw the large, reddish purple bruise that adorned nearly the whole length of Lucanis' thigh. 

Lucanis parted his lips to assure Emmrich that it looked worse than it really was when the necromancer leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to the bruise, rendering Lucanis speechless at the tenderness. For over a year he had been stuck in the Ossuary, that underwater prison being a nightmare that couldn't properly be described. There was only pain and violation, not soothing touches or tenderness. Even before his imprisonment, Lucanis was known as the Demon of Vyrantium, he was the heir to the First Talon, and people gave him a wide breadth. On top of that, the Antivan Crows weren't a touchy feely bunch, especially not Caterina who was the head of the entire organization and had suffered so greatly because of it with only him and Illario left of their entire family, when she had had five children and eight grandchildren before House Velardo's attempted coup. 

He had grown used to it, ignored the craving for connection through touch until his body simply stopped yearning for it.

Until now, until not only Emmrich in his tenderness at this moment, but Rook and the others, all of them warm and inviting, a little wary in the beginning before they became friends and not just comrades. 

" Emmrich." Lucanis breathed with his cheeks growing a little pink and his throat going tight as Emmrich sat back up and smiled warmly at his lover as he spoke. 

" Please turn over onto your side and lay back, I have just the thing to heal this completely." Emmrich said. 

Lucanis nodded and turned onto his side, presenting the bruise to Emmrich in full, who then opened the box he was holding and pulled out a beautiful looking glass bottle filled with a lightly glowing ice blue liquid. Emmrich pulled out the stopper and pour a generous amount into his hands before he reached for Lucanis' leg, first gently applying the salve onto the bruise before he set to work expertly massaging it it. 

Lucanis groaned softly as his leg naturally protested Emmrich's ministrations at first, but soon enough, the salve started working, his nerve endings tingling as the pain dulled completely. Emmrich worked his hands into Lucanis' thigh, loosening the muscles beneath the bruise as it slowly faded before their very eyes. 

When Lucanis' thigh was completely clear of the bruise, Emmrich pulled out another bottle from his collection, this one with a lovely rich amber colored liquid and set to work massaging his way down the assassin's whole leg. 

Lucanis turned over onto his back and groaned softly as Emmrich worked his calf, and then reached his foot, sending fresh bolts of pleasure through his whole body as the necromancer expertly kneaded his muscles and relaxed them. It had been a very, very long time since Lucanis had gotten a massage, or any kind of pampering really. The assassin gave himself over fully to Emmrich's ministrations, groaning and sighing as the necromancer worked his legs and feet over very well before he asked Lucanis if it would be alright to do his back as well. Lucanis pulled off his pajama top, leaving him completely bare before Emmrich, who blatantly raked his eyes over the assassin's chiseled and well built form. 

Lucanis ducked his head and smiled shyly at the blatant want that filled Emmrich's hazel green eyes at just the sight of him before the necromancer reached and tucked his fingers under Lucani's chin. Lucanis looked back up and smiled as Emmrich leaned in and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips before gently asking Lucanis to turn over onto his front. 

The assassin did so, and then waited with anticipation as Emmrich poured some of the amber oil over the length of his spine before he set to work. 

" Ah, E-Emmrich." Lucanis groaned as the necromancer started at the small of his back and began working his way up with practiced skill that had the assassin almost literally seeing stars it felt so good.  

Emmrich smiled at every groan and moan he elicited out of his lover, seeking out any tense spots and slight knots. He especially loved Lucanis' powerful shoulders, the solid muscles coiling and rippling under his ministrations as Lucanis writhed and sighed beneath his hands. 

Emmrich worked the back of Lucanis' neck with his thumbs before he started working his way back down the length of the assassin's spine. Then with impish grin Lucanis couldn't see, Emmrich went past the small of Lucanis' back and sought out the supple flesh there. Lucanis' head shot up with a soft gasp, followed by a shudder as he felt Emmrich's hands so intimately and expertly kneaded his backend. He looked over his shoulder to see Emmrich give him a grin and a wink before he moved on to the backs of the assassin's thighs, earning a huff of laughter from the man who then lay back down and enjoyed the rest of Emmrich's ministrations over his whole body. 

When Emmrich was done with Lucanis' back, the assassin was barely awake. Emmrich quietly stripped himself of his own pajamas and gently urged Lucanis to turn over onto his back. When Lucanis did so, he groaned at the sight of Emmrich in all his alabaster glory above him. 

" Hermoso." He murmured as his eyes drank in the expanses of pale skin, the wiry muscles rippling underneath, the beauty undimmed by time. 

" Thank you." Emmrich said with a shy duck of his head before his eyes darkened in fresh want. 

He slowly poured more of the amber oil onto his hands and the lightly straddled Lucanis' upper thighs as he sought out the most intimate parts of the assassin. Lucanis cried out softly, his fists clutching the sheets and his toes curling as Emmrich expertly touched his already half-interested manhood to it's full potential. Then without any preparation of his own, Emmrich promptly impaled himself, their shared cries echoing through his bedroom. 

Emmrich didn't end his massaging though, and his warm hands found Lucanis' pectorals and started kneading them as he rose and fell above the dark haired man, driving him absolutely mad with pleasure and want. There was no end or beginning, no time, no crisis, just the two of them together, making love to each other with their very souls. 

Hours later found a freshly bathed Emmrich smiling down at an already sleeping Lucanis as they lay together under his black sheets with the heavy curtains of his capony bed surrounding them in tranquil semi-darkness. Emmrich was just about to shut his eyes and join his lover in sleep when Lucanis' eyes suddenly snapped open, growing a tell-tale purple as Spite returned to him. 

" Hello Spite, did you have fun with Manfred?" Emmrich asked with a warm smile at the demon. 

" EMBALMING WAS INTERESTING. WE PLAYED MARBLES AFTER. CURIOSITY LIFTED CLOTH ON MEAN LADY, SHE YELLED FOR A SECOND BEFORE HE COVERED HER UP AGAIN." Spite explained with a small grimace. 

Emmrich chuckled softly and pulled Spite in close, leaning in and sharing a chaste kiss with the spirit, who rumbled in approval and kissed him back. 

" You know I am glad I get to have you too right Spite? That I don't just want Lucanis?" Emmrich said with conviction. 

Spit blinked up at Emmrich, a little taken aback by the necromancer's question. All this time since he had been forced into Lucanis, he had felt so unwanted, so outcast, yet here this gentle soul was, declaring his desire without hesitation or shame. It made Spite feel many things, but most of all joy and protectiveness. He and Lucanis would protect Emmrich Volkarin with everything they had. 

" QUIT BEING A SAP. BUT THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT. I LIKE IT." Spite said averting his gaze and burying his face into Emmrich's neck.  

" As you wish my darling." Emmrich said with a silvery chuckly before he pulled Lucanis and Spite in closer and then shut his eyes. He drifted off within moments, Spite following as he retreated into Lucanis. The three of them slumbered peacefully for the rest of the night. 

When it was nearly dawn, Lucanis grumbled awake as Emmrich gently called to him. 

" How are you even awake right now?" Lucanis asked with a shuffle as he stretched languidly, much to the quiet appreciation of Emmrich. 

" Oh I am naturally an early riser, but besides that, I thought you might want to wake up around now so that you can make your clandestine way back to the Dining Hall since we agreed to keeping the diametric shift in our relationship private for the time being." Emmrich explained, trying not to let his disappointment and needing to send Lucanis away so early show on his face. 

" I don't want to go mi querido." Lucanis sighed, Spite purring in agreement as he reached up and ran the backs of his fingers over Emmrich's cheek.

Emmrich sighed and leaned into Lucanis' touching, nodding in agreement with him before they came together in a deep kiss. Things naturally got a bit heated but they managed to control themselves, Emmrich sending Lucanis stealthily off back to the Dining Hall with a few last kisses before he sighed and set about doing his morning stretches. 

In the days and nights that passed, Emmrich and Lucanis clandestinely continued their new love affair. They didn't name it love yet though, way too soon, despite this almighty tug they felt for each other every single time their eyes would meet. 

They stole kisses in dark corners, spent time together just talking because they had a genuine interest in each others' crafts and had many stories to share. They went on missions together and had each others' backs, although it was a chore to keep from calling out to each other with the compliments they wanted to yell out to the whole world to hear. 

Of course, they also shared their nights together, Lucanis or Emmrich quietly sneaking across the courtyard after everyone headed off to bed, enjoying plenty of the carnal pleasures, but sometime simply laying together in their pajamas, warm and sated just by each other's company.

Emmrich even introduced Lucanis to those special Nevarran manuals he mentioned during their first encounter in the bathhouse. 

Lucanis was a bit stunned by some of the more advanced positions, but he and Emmrich tried out some of the basic ones and the assassin was immediately enamored by just how limber and flexible his lover was. Lucanis was no slacker either, on the nights where they planned to consult the manuals, he was spend a great deal of time stretching and warming up in preparation inside the privacy of his pantry before he would head over to Emmrich's. 

While the sex was fantastic, what Lucanis cherished more was the trust Emmrich placed in him as they explored some of these sensuous positions together since Emmrich was an expert and he a fledgling. 

On one particularly hot and heavy evening, Lucanis had Emmrich tied up and bent up in such a way that when they both fell off the precipice into white hot release together, he actually rendered his lover unconscious and had to dig around the necromancer's medical kit he kept in his bathroom for smelling salts. Lucanis was quiet pleased with himself and Emmrich was happy to give his man the confidence boost. 

It wasn't all smooth sailing as sometimes Emmrich would feel insecure about the age gap between him and Lucanis, which would lead him to withdraw a bit, until Spite would demand he talk to Lucanis, share his doubts and insecurities, and Emmrich would finally do so. Lucanis' inner demons, besides Spite, would rear their ugly heads some times and he too would shutdown and shut Emmrich out completely. Lucanis was a bit more stubborn and steadfast in wanting to bottle everything in and just deal with it on his own. 

Emmrich wasn't going to stand for it, so one night, when Lucanis came to him, they started out as passionately as they always did, Emmrich pulling out a length of dark purple silk that he used to tie Lucanis' hands behind his back before he abruptly withdrew from the assassin completely. Lucanis was confused and climbed up onto his knees when Emmrich wordlessly held up his hand and pinned him with a look. Even as Lucanis knelt on their bed, Emmrich towered over him as he spoke. 

" Tell me what happened in the Ossuary Lucanis, tell me every single thing that happened, now." He ordered, his tone holding no room for argument. 

Lucanis looked stunned for a moment before his eyes darkened with quiet anger, he parted his lips to asked Emmrich what the hell he was playing at when Emmrich leaned down and pressed their foreheads together, silencing him as the necromancer spoke. 

"I will not allow that awful place to keep destroying you as it festers in your soul and you refuse to let it out. I will not lose you to what that Venatori bitch and her lackies did to you and to Spite for their sick amusement. I would have both you and Spite share with me every horror, every hurt. Trust me Lucanis, trust me enough to let it all out. Please." Emmrich urged. 

Lucanis let out a shaky breath, the sincerety and desperate hope he saw shining in Emmrich's eyes slicing through his stubborness like a hot knife through butter. After a moment of hesitation, Lucanis took a deep breath and began to speak.

He started at the very beginning of his ordeal, when he got of the boat he had taken to Minrathos to take care of a contract there, only to be ambushed and sent to the Ossuary where he woke up in the clutches of Zara Renata. 

Lucanis spoke of the beatings and the torture, how he was bled almost dry so that the Venatori could control him. How Zara had cut his back open at first to shove Spite inside him only for it to fail, and for her to expertly heal him so he just ached for a day and only had that one scar on his back. Small favors. 

As Lucanis talked with a hollow flatness to his voice, Emmrich's eyes swam with bitter tears as he wordlessly reached out and untied his lover's wrists. Lucanis was so focused on his recount that he didn't even notice, keeping his hands behind his back still as he continued. 

He talked of those first moments after Zara had forced that disgusting potion down his throat, and the Spite was there, being seared and sealed into his body, and then all Lucanis could hear from three straight days was Spite's screaming, his demands to be let out, which soon turned into begging, until finally he fell silent for one whole day before he came roaring back, his purple wings busting out of Lucanis' back while they were in his cell. 

Spite piped up and voiced his own feelings of how violated he felt, how the potion had twisted him into this hateful thing that he was now, going from determination to spite, the stubborness of not giving in rather than the honorable resolve he once was. They talked of numerous escape attempts, tearing apart so many guards that they finally had to encase them in a block of ice, and how they had even escaped that when Rook and Neve had come to break him out.

Lucanis spoke of his absolute heartbreak at finally coming home to Treviso only to discover his beloved grandmother lost to him forever and the Antaam causing even more trouble during their occupation. He had no answers, he only had his cousin left as family but something was going on with him, he missed his grandmother so much, and... and...

Lucanis hung his head as a sob finally escaped him, his whole body deflating as he sat down on his feet beneath him, hot, bitter tears streaming down his face as he finally allowed them to flow. Emmrich, with tears streaming down his own face stepped forward and reached out, cupping the back of his lover's head, burying his fingers into those soft raven locks as he spoke. 

" I am so proud of you my darling." He said quietly. 

Lucanis gasped and looked up sharply at Emmrich's words. 

" P-Proud?" Lucanis asked hesitantly, not at all expecting it. 

" Yes Lucanis, do you and Spite know how brave you both were just now?" Emmrich asked softly, to which Lucanis just shook his head. 

Emmrich smiled tearfully before he leaned in and pressed their foreheads together again as he spoke. 

" You and Spite are going to forgive yourselves and each other one day." He said with pure conviction, causing Lucanis and Spite to both shudder at his words. 

" Your hands are free, nothing binds them my darling, you and Spite are free of that place physically, but one day you will break free from the traumas of that place that still afflict your mind and rob you both of the peace you deserve." Emmrich assured. 

No sooner had Emmrich said these words, it was like feeling returned to Lucanis' whole body and he dropped his arms for a moment and then shot up to wrap them around Emmrich and pull him into a crushing hug. Emmrich immediately wrapped his arms around his beloved. He didn't try to stiffle Lucanis' tears, just soothed him through touchas they held each other with no clothes between them, just skin against skin, soaking up each other's warmth and still unnamed love. Spite rumbled and unfurled his wings from Lucanis' back, wrapping them around both him and Emmrich, joining their embrass, the three of them in emotional catharsis that was long, long overdue. Lucanis finally admitted to himself outloud just how badly Zara and her cronies hurt him, to the very quick of his soul. Emmrich was steadfast in his comfort and assurance that Lucanis would heal from it all, in due time.

Emmrich did not let go of Lucanis as he gently maneuvered them further into his bed, pulling back the sheets and laying them down before tucking the sheets around them. He then released the curtains of his canopy bed from their fastenings with a flick of his wrist, plunging them into that comforting darkness. 

Lucanis cried himself to sleep that night, but Emmrich and Spite both unwaveringly held him all night long.

When it was nearly dawn, Emmrich and Lucanis woke up to part ways as had become their custom for the time being. 

" I feel okay, lighter, but not all the way there." Lucanis revealed as Emmrich held his pajama top up for him to loop his arms through. 

" Mi qurido, there is no linear path to healing. Last night was just a first step and a complete leap of faith on my part that you would allow yourself the release you needed." Emmrich said as he pulled the pajama top up to Lucanis' shoulders and then leaned in to press sweet kisses to the side of his lover's neck and wrap his arms around him from behind, Lucanis letting out a low hum of approval as he leaned back against Emmrich's chest, feeling his man's steady heartbeath against his chest. 

There was no instant fix, just feeling and moving forward. 

Lucanis did just that, he and Emmrich talking for hours some nights, shedding tears together others, or screwing each other hard enough to forget everything else and just enjoy themselves. 

Then Lucanis was thrown into an emotional tailspin when they were able to track Zara Renata down, only for vengeance to be denied them at the hands of Illario himself, who then used blood magic of all things on him and Spite to subdue them. Then the smarmy git had gone ahead and basically banished Lucanis from Treviso, his own home because he was such a " danger to the family."

Emmrich was the soothing balm Lucanis needed during those difficult days, while Rook and the rest of the team rallied around their assassin and helped him stay busy with cooking and running missions elsewhere.

Then Emmrich managed to get his hands on Zara Renata's dicrepit corpse and got it to speak, revealing Illario's deep betrayal. Lucanis had shut down completely, and it was Emmrich who later snuck into the pantry to hold him as they lay together on his cot, the assassin quietly devastated and enraged. 

Things grew quiet regarding Treviso for a week before Lucanis received a missive from Teia and Viago asking to meet in Minrathos, away from spying eyes and ears. It was there that Lucanis' world was kicked off its axis again by the revelation that Caterina could still be alive and that she was being held hostage in Villa Dellamorte, his and Illario's childhood home thanks to the discovery of a special opal ring Viago's people found tossed with the trash out of the estate. 

The revelations had proved to be too much as Lucanis had retreated into his mind, that had constructed an Ossuary full of despair and self-loathing, of so much doubt in himself that it was stifling. Spite had needed to pull Rook into Lucanis' mind, and together they had needed to push through all the barriers he had put up, the warped versions of friends and family, before finally finding him in the center where their battle with Calivan had taken place. Lucanis and Spite had been able to finally make full peace with each other and come up with a contract of their own, to rescue Caterina. With this newfound focus, Lucanis finally escaped the Ossuary that lingered, banishing it to the dark pits of his mind, stepping into the light together with Spite. 

Rook and Lucanis headed back to the Lighthouse after that, and the assassin had been able to seek out his necromancer in Emmrich's quarters, speaking with the older man, sharing his thoughts and feelings, even a few tears that Emmrich kissed away in the privacy of his quarters. Lucanis and Spite both vented, and Emmrich listened with only warmth. 

Afterwards Lucanis busied himself with meal prep for dinner and graciously accepted the sympathies of Harding and Bellara as they came to the Dining Hall. Taash just encouraged full bloody vengeance while Davrin extended his sympathies as well for the sting of familial betrayal. Assan just wanted to give Lucanis kisses so that he would give him a snack. Neve shared stories of her own betrayals while Rook shared his own suspicions of Illario from the moment he snapped Zara's neck citing Crow business. 

Lucanis didn't have to grit his teeth and bear it all by himself, he had people in his corner, and he finally understood that. 

A few days later Lucanis received word that Illario was throwing a party at Villa Dellamorte to declare himself First Talon before the other Antivan Crow houses. Lucanis had Rook and Emmrich on hand when he snuck them into his childhood home, found his grandmother alive and all kinds of pissed off, and crashed the party. 

Illario had tried his underhanded tactic of using bloodmagic on his cousin again only for Lucanis and Spite's newfound unity overpowering his efforts. The smarmy betrayer found himself receiving a beatdown to end all beatdowns, Emmrich himself fueled by fury on his beloved's behalf, battering Illario with the spirits he summoned. 

By the end of it Illario was humiliated before all of the houses, Caterina made her triumphant return, and Lucanis was lauded, but graciously turned down the title of First Talon for the time being. The party became a celebration of the return of the First Talon, and Emmrich even got to waltz with Caterina, making Lucanis fall for him even harder. Lucanis got his own, far more intimate dance later that evening back in the Lighthouse, late at night, in Emmrich's bedroom. 

Another week passed, with some near misses of the team almost discovering Emmrich and Lucanis' romance. Then a missive from the Veil Jumpers arrived, asking for assistance with a group of Venatori who appeared to be desecrating burial grounds both new and ancient, reanimating corpses and disturbing spirits with the help of an unscrupulous necromancer. Strife and Irelin asked for all hands on deck for this mission, and Emmrich was especially appalled and enraged at the shameful disregard for the dead. 

When the whole team got to the spot in Arlathan where the Venatori activity was happening, they were met with the horrifying sight of more than a dozen reanimated bodies being controled by the black masked Venatori necromancer.

The battle that ensued was fierce, made all the more complicated by the fact that Rook and his team didn't want to damage or obliterate the bodies. They did their best to dodge and weave out of the way of the corpses, Emmrich countering the enemy necromancer's control with his own and wresting several of the victims out of the evil man's grasp. Then Lucanis saw an opening and tried to attack the necromancer only to get caught by the bastard's magic. 

The necromancer grinned behind his mask, and then slammed Lucanis into the ground, conjuring glowing green chains to trap him there before he summoned a veritable vortex of spirit energy around him to basically drain the life out of him in front of everyone's eyes. 

" Lucanis!" Emmrich roared as he rushed forward before Rook or the others could stop him. 

" Emmrich wait!" Rook said as he tried to rush forward onto for the Venatori necromancer to let out a new barage of attacks while he fellows charged at the rest of the team. 

Spite's wings flabbed against the chains in a desperate bid to get out while Lucanis gasped in excruciating pain as it felt like his very soul was being ripped out of him molecule by molecule. 

Emmrich didn't even hesitate as he rushed headlong into the vortex, crying out in agony but not stoping as he made his way through the swirling mass of enraged spirits that were hell bent on tearing apart anything and everthing in their path. 

" E-Emmrich?" Lucanis whispered as he looked up and felt fresh terror and horror fill him at the sight that greeted him. 

There struggling through the poisonous green vortex was the man he loved, his eyes glowing green and his face pale and gaunter than he had ever seen it, Emmrich fighting tooth and nail to get to him while holding the devastating effects of the life draining spirits back as much as he could. Emmrich felt like he was wading through fresh concrete as he slowly but surely closed the distance. By the time he reached Lucanis, he looked like he was a corpse himself, his cheeks hollowed and his glow eyes dimming. He collapsed onto his knees before the trapped assassin who had Spite desperately shielding him as much as he could. 

" L-Lucanis... I'll get you... out." Emmrich choked out before he groaned and raised his staff as high as he could. 

With a gutteral yell and summoning as much magic as he could even as he felt his heart start to shrivel, Emmrich brought the head of his staff down onto the glowing green chains that bound his beloved. With the force of Emmrich's blow, the chains shattered. 

Lucanis immediately pushed himself up and lunged for Emmrich, taking him into a crushing embrace to try and shield him. Spite wrapped his wings around them both. 

" SAVE EMMRICH! STOP THEM! THEY ARE KILLING HIM!" Spite screamed desperately!

Emmrich let out a grotesque gasp and his body lost tension as Lucanis watched in terror as his eyes dimmed almost completely under the assault by the spirits around them. 

" NOOOOO! No Emmrich no, you can't leave me! Don't leave me! I LOVE YOU!" Lucanis roared before he leaned in and crashed their mouths together, trying to literally breath life back into his beloved. 

Emmrich responded weakly, thinking that if this was the end, than it wasn't so back getting one more kiss from the man who just proclaimed his love for him. 

" I LOVE YOU TOO EMMRICH! KEEP FIGHTING! DON'T GO!" Spite screamed. 

When they broke apart with a gasp, Emmrich used the very last of his strength to hold tight to Lucanis as he spoke. 

" I love you both too." He whispered. 

The moment he said these words, the vortex just stopped mid-spin, the enraged spirits all collectively going still and turning their vaporous skulls towards the lovers caught in the center of them. 

" They love each other." A disembodied voice whispered through the green vortex. 

" The necromancer is willing to die for the one who houses the Spirit of Determination" Another voice observed.  

" Determination loves them both." Yet another said. 

" He did not hesitate to walk through us. His love is that strong and pure." Another spirit observed. 

Dozens more voices sounded through the still vortex, while outside it the other corpses also went still as the Venatori necromancer desperately tried to regain control over the spirits and corpses to no avail. 

" L-Lucanis?" Emmrich asked weakly as he slumped against the assassin. 

" It's okay Emmrich, they stopped. Just hang on for me, just hang on please!" Lucanis said as he and Spite tried to moved, tried to get out of the vortex that now stood still. 

" We were wrong to harm them." One feminine voice, tinted with regret, whispered through the vortex. 

Then Emmrich was letting out a sharp gasp as tendrils of green energy suddenly started to flow back into him through his mouth and nostril. Lucanis too had tendrils of green energy enter his mouth and nose, smelling of ozone with a hint of copper, but his was far less than what was going into Emmrich. He realized that it was the lifeforce that had been drained out of them by the spirits, they were reversing their harsh treatment of them both on the orders of the erstwhile master. 

Then the tendrils turned a whitish gold and tasted more of actual sunshine, spreading warmth through both Emmrich and Lucanis, more than restoring them, perhaps giving them a little something extra that they couldn't explain, as a means to apologize. Emmrich and Lucanis both breathed in the last of the golden tendrils of energy and rose to their feet as one. The vortex then started swirling again, only now it was in the other direction and the poisonous green hue turned a pale pure white, and when Emmrich opened his eyes they were glowing the same color. 

The spirits had freed themselves and joined with the better necromancer as Emmrich obliged them their wish to serve him for the time being. He turned his glowing eyes to the many reanimated bodies and made a sweeping gesture with his hands as he spoke.

" By flame and flood, spirits unwillingly bound and pulled from your rest, I release you back to the Fade, return to your places in the warm arms of Arlathan." He declared. 

Almost instantly the green glow to the eyes of the corpses turned white and as one they all turned and started shuffling back off to the nearby burial grounds from where they were disturbed. 

Emmrich then slowly turned quietly baleful eyes towards the Venatori mage and his cohorts, the now white vortex swirling around him and Lucanis as he raised his staff. 

" You are a disgrace." Was all Emmrich said before with an elegant sweeping motion of his staff, he sent the vortex hurtling furiously at the enemy necromancer and the rest of the Venatori, Lucanis and Spite snarly as they too rushed forward with their blades and wings ready. 

Rook and the rest of the tream shook of their own astonishment and joined the fray, picking off any enemy that managed to escape the vortex of angry spirits that crashed into them. Now it was those who were caught in the vortex that suffered the fate meant for Lucanis and Emmrich, everyone else watching as they literally shriveled up and died before their very eyes, th elife draining from them completely. The Venatori necromancer did his best to stave off the onslaught as Emmrich had done, but them Lucanis soared right and him and savagely stabbed his blades into him multiple times before flying back and leaving his falling body to the spirits who drained him completely before the necromancer even landed on the ground. 

The rest of the corpses shuffled away back to their eternal resting places, the forest itself covering them back up, calm descending over everything. 

Lucanis and Emmrich both look at the corpse of their would be murderer with distaste before they immediately turned to each other. Without thinking, they rushed forward and all but crashed into each other, their mouths smashing together in a desperate, relieved kiss they poured everything into. When they finally came back up for air the pulled apart with with sharp gasp and immediately set about checking each other over to make sure the other was alright. 

" Are you alright Lucanis? Did the spirits restore you in full?" Emmerich asked desperately with his eyes filling. 

" Yes, yes mi amor, I am alright but are you? They nearly drained you completely when you were trying to get to me. How could you just run right in there like that, you know what those spirits can do! You saw what was happening!" Lucanis chastised. 

" YEAH YOU TELL HIM LUCANIS! YOU WERE CRAZY EMMRICH! YOU ALMOST DIED! NOT ACCEPTABLE." Spite yelled in righteous indignation. 

" I'd walk through everything to reach you both, just as you two would for me." Emmrich said shakily. 

They were about to come together in another deep kiss when a throat lightly cleared and made them both freeze. 

Emmrich and Lucanis slowly turned their eyes, their eyes widening when it dawned on them that they had an audience, one that had been up until that point, totally unawares of the true nature of the relationship. 

" So, how long had this been a thing?" Rook asked casually, holding back a smile. 

" I fucking knew it, you guys tried to hide it all under soap and collogne but it was there, my nose still caught it, you guys are doing it!" Taash said with a triumphant look on their face before they turned to Neve and Davrin expectantly. 

Neve rolled her eyes and sighed before she reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a little coin purse, Davrin grumbling as he did the same, forking over a leather pouch. Bellara and Harding both looked absolutely giddy while Assan just tilted his head, wondering what the big deal was. 

Emmrich and Lucanis looked to each other and as one, they both broke out into brilliant grins as they shared a chuckle and turned to face their family. Emmrich pulled Lucanis in and held him and Spite close, resting he cheek against Lucanis' temple as they both smiled serenely.  

The jig was up, they had some explaining to do, but no regrets, none at all. 

The End.