Chapter 15

"Foolish boy! 

If the cavern had been taken over, you'd be talking to a corpse right now! Eh..."

Cassandra realized her word choice may have been poor.

"What I'm saying is, if there was an enemy here in this situation with you, your father, your family, it would all be much different. Don't let your imagination run wild!

You just woke up, don't go making life changing decisions before you've really had a chance to sit down and think about what you're really saying!"

Alexiel may only be 14 years old and without a doubt was inexperienced, but he was anything but dumb. Listening to Cassandra he realized that although they were close, and he had interactions with a few members of the Kiss, he really didn't know anything when it came to what their goals were and what they did down here in the caverns when he wasn't around.

He let out a long sigh, he was always thankful for how much attention she showered him in. He knew she was right and that it was rude of him to spring this on her, even worse in a place like this. He threw himself back onto his pillows so that he was sitting half propped up.

"You're right. 

but you asked me if I was willing to do this because of you?

Absolutely! Without a doubt! I wouldn't give myself to just anyone, hehe do you think this little brother of yours is easy prey?"

Alexiel teased her a little to help lighten the mood.

"But since you say there is a shadow master of the city I need to meet this person. I thought I was giving myself over to you, I thought everyone was asking me to give myself to you. Now I see that your words have a deeper meaning. 

When would be a good time to have this meeting? I mean you wouldn't feed me to some grotesque beast that will lock me away? Pumping my body for fluids day and night leaving me wishing for a merciless and swift death, right?"

Cassandra giggled a little hearing his scenario, especially after she explicitly told him not to let his imagination run wild. She felt relieved that he didn't immediately reject the idea and was at least open to a meeting.

"Since you've been so sincere, sister will let you have your meeting tonight with my master. After school of course, so make sure you come here before sun down!"

Cassandra ran her fingers through Alexiels hair, something she often did before they would part ways.

"And your right, sister, would never intentionally feed you too a monster. Wouldn't I be sad and lonely without you? hehehe"

She said this lightly, but only she knew how much anxiety lay hidden in her thoughts.

***

Alexiel was resting his head in his hand as he sat at his desk before the bell for first period started and couldn't help remembering the conversation he had with cassandra in the wee hours of the morning. 

He got to school earlier than usual this time as he was driven in by one of the guards from the cavern. Another note to take point of, he only now realized he didn't know who the day guards were, or rather, what!

They couldn't possibly be all humans, or mutants right? So were they some kind of Therianthrope? If so, then what flavor?

Alexiel's favorite thing to do was think, and without a doubt he had notebooks filled from cover to cover in his thoughts. He couldn't help it, he wanted to know and understand, he wanted to figure out solutions to problems and he wanted to figure out why things were the way they are. 

Since he got to school so early, he simply shot Tristan a text telling him to meet him in homeroom, that way the boy didn't wait outside needlessly. 

Not long later, as the classroom was filling up, Tristan's familiar figure was finally spotted. What caught Alexiel's attention was that his figure was too familiar. He couldn't help but frown at this.

When Tristan grabbed his usual seat next to Alexiel, Alex immediately asked what was on his mind.

"Okay so you're still wearing your veil? And your mood… seems a bit sour. did things not go well with your family?"

After Tristan sat down and heard the question all you could see him do is tremble a little bit. Then he put his back flat against the chair, let the tension leave his body and just looked up. He was fighting back tears of frustration clearly.

Alexiel grabbed his wrist lightly, this friend of his clearly did not get to enjoy any aspect of this past weekend and he was starting to feel pretty useless for not being able to help Tristan out in any way.

Tristan took a few breaths before he finally spoke.

"They're giving me up for 'adoption'…"

Alexiel literally jumped out of his seat and gasped! What the hell had he missed in the course of one night?

Tristan continued

"They said they don't care what the state officers say, even if they are charged with neglect. They want me out of the house immediately."

Alexiel was confused! 

"Were they upset we found a way to heal your face? 

Wow, were they really using it as a way to punish you this whole time?"

Tristan chuckled at Alexiel's guess in a loathsome way. It wasn't far off from his own thoughts so it was a bit refreshing hearing it come from another person. In the end he just shook his head at Alexiel.

"That's not it, they still dont even know I've been healed. 

They don't deserve to know, they don't get to use their dirty eyes to taint me!"

Tristan made a sweeping gaze across the room full of malice. 

"None of them deserve to see me whole! They will get whatever parts of myself I'm willing to give and be happy with it, or they can choke on their own hate and die for all I care!"

Alexiel's head was spinning, Tristan was really out of sorts. Whatever happened last night must have really rattled him. Just as the boy's were about to continue their conversation, their homeroom teacher walked in and the bell sounded. 

Alexiel gritted his teeth in dissatisfaction, he needed to understand Tristan's situation so that he could come up with a plan going forward. He refused to let his friend be shipped off away from him! 

This would not turn into a story where friends separated in their youth spent the later half of their twenties searching for each other just to find out they visit the same coffee shop everyday and always just happen to barely miss each other!

"Think Alexiel! Think!!"

The voice of their teacher was like a small buzz in the furthest parts of his mind as Alexiel focused his attention on finding a solution for them. Suddenly inspiration struck!

Focusing Alexiel willed himself to the door he visualized within his mind that was the bridge between him and tristan. Like a leaf carried by demonic wind, he was suddenly standing in front of this mental configuration. 

Alexiel placed one hand on the door, not with the intention to knock or push, but instead he just wanted to call to the other side.

"Tristan? Tristan… Can you hear me?"

Back in the classroom 

The pentagonal gem on the back of Alexiel's hand was letting off a soft glow that was almost indiscernible under the morning rays shining into the room. 

What was shocking was that if someone was to check Tristan's body a similar gem was inlaid at the center of his chest! It was also radiating a soft light. Without pause Tristan shook a little and looked around. 

Alexiel was sitting next to him with his eyes half closed looking dazed! 

Did no one else hear Alexiel Shouting his name so loud? How had the teacher not looked back at them and gave them a good scolding?

"Tristan, if you can hear me, please respond! It's your neighbor, your friend, your best friend at that! Please respond!"

"Uh… I can hear you?"

"AH! You can! Yes it worked!!"

"Alex, how are you doing this?"

"Hehehe, because I'm a genius of course!"

Tristan felt mildly weird, even though he wasn't looking at Alexiel it was like he could feel the smirk that went along with his comment, like he could feel the pride in being successful in his endeavor, it was disorienting to some degree.

"Hey! I can feel your frown! don't be a poor sport. oh wait. sorry you had a rough night. 

Uh, it's the door, you know the one that we usually use to fuse?

I'm not pushing it open, I'm just speaking through it."

Knowing what was happening Tristan's sight spun and before he knew it he was inside his own mind on his side of the door. 

Now that it was in sight,  his intuition urged him to put his hand on it, so he did.

"Oh! it's become a lot smoother now! I couldn't tell at first but the difference is jarring!

If i had to put it in an analogy, before i would have been hollering into a cold dark well that had a very poor echo! 

now it really feels like you're standing just on the other side of me hehe cool!"

"Alex, so much has happened this weekend. So much has changed in just these last 72 hours. sigh' I just feel so hollow right now."

Alexiel was getting much stronger feedback and it really left him feeling disheartened. 

"Tristan, please tell me about what happened. I don't want to lose you."

With a solemn heart Tristan poured out his grievances of the night prior. Alexiel was shocked and disgusted from beginning to end!

"This morning while I was getting ready for school they broke the news to me that they had decided to look into options to get rid of me. It'll only be a matter of time until they stumble upon the means to sell me to some foreigner who wants to do research on me as a mutant. 

I'm forever grateful for not only your friendship but also all the effort you put into me after all this time. You kept your promise to heal me and now look I'm a whole person again, unfortunately it was only wishful thinking as now I realize there is nothing that can make my living situation any better."

Alexiel was feeling the full brunt of Tristan's lamenting. it's never easy to see your friends hurting, but to be able to share in their pain and grief and carry those feelings with them… Whatever this power, this bond was between them, Alexiel's resolve to never let it go, only grew exponentially.

"We can overcome this too, don't give up yet. After school just follow me home, don't worry about going home for the time being. I think I have a way to resolve this issue cleanly. I'm asking you once again to put your trust in me."

Tristan's emotions were volatile, but he did feel a bit reassured knowing that Alexiel was like an arrow looking straight ahead doing everything in his power to pierce through their problems and come out on the other side!

The boy's spent the rest of the morning and afternoon going from class to class and when the last bell rang they stepped forth to forge a new path that didn't involve them being separated but would help save Tristant from his predicament.