Stone and Shadow

Two gay lovers. They are exploring an ancient temple to find a cure for a curse. Along the way they become closer and overcome their differences.

“Seeeeaaaaaan!!!!” Kadam crowed as he swung around the banister and almost crashed into his boyfriend.
Sean stumbled back in surprise then grumbled, “What is it now?”
Kadam and Sean had been having an ongoing spat about Morality of vampires and gays for the last several days. It certainly didn’t help Sean that no one on the crew was on Sean’s side. They all agreed with Kadam. Floof said it was making Sean feel isolated, overwhelmed and attacked. As a result, Floof, the healer therapist cloud dragoness, was supporting Sean, though she also didn’t agree with his statements, she offered him a place to vent and be sympathized with.
“I’ve found a solution to our problem!”
Sean folded his arms, “Oh?”
“We are going on a field trip! Just you and me! The Captain won’t let us leave the island until we have settled our differences!”
Sean gawked at Kadam, “Wha- but-“
Kadam grabbed Sean’s arm, “No buts! I had to negotiate to get us the full island, the Captains original idea was to lock us in a room until we agreed.”
Sean grumbled, “You mean until I agree.”
Kadam didn’t even bat an eye at the obvious jab. “Exactly, come on!”

That was how an hour later Sean found himself on an island with his boyfriend and some meager supplies. Including a large supply of blood for Kadam.
Sean snatched up his stuff and stalked into the jungle.
“Where are you going?!” Yelled Kadam.
“Away from you!” Sean shouted back, pissed.
Kadam grabbed his share of the supplies. “Alright! We can play the long game! I sense a lake inland. I'll set up camp there! See ya when you want to talk!”
Sean huffed, annoyed. Though inwardly he was surprised and grateful that Kadam was giving him space. After an hour Sean stumbled across something that made him gasp. A massive stone structure. It almost looked like an ancient temple!
“Wow!” He breathed. I bet no one even knew this was here, it was hidden well in the jungle. Slipping inside, Sean set down his supplies. Damn! He laughed and listened to his laughter echo through the ruins. The wind howled eerily making the leaves rustle in the jungle. It almost sounded like a rushing river. Sean started to set up his camping supplies. Then, once he’d set up his sleeping bag and a fire pit, decided to go hunt for food. Upon returning with a lot of berries he thought he recognized, and a magpie on a stick. He was about to enter his temple dwelling and explore when Kadam dropped out of a tree in front of him, making Sean jump.
Sean was about to call out in annoyance, when Kadam said, “Sean?”
Kadam was facing away from Sean and Sean realized Kadam hadn’t seen him yet.
“SEEEAAAAAAANNNNN!!!!!” Yelled Kadam
Sean snuck up behind Kadam,- devilish smile on his face. But before Sean could spook Kadam, Kadam spun and flipped Sean over his shoulder.
“Sean?!”
“Kadam what the hell?”
“Don’t sneak up on me! I thought you were an enemy!”
“Stupid Vampire reflexes, I wanted to spook you.”
Kadam smirked, “Next time you want to spook a vampire, make sure you’re downwind.”
“If you could smell why couldn’t you tell it was me?”
“The jungle masked your scent, I couldn’t tell it was you.” He gestured at the temple ruins, “What’s this place?”
“I just did some building, the crumbling walls are obviously an aesthetic effect.”
Kadam laughed. “Right, you built this.”
“Obviously, I definitely didn’t just stumble onto it and decide to set up camp here.”
Kadam rolled his eyes, “Right.”
They crept inside the ruins, slipping past the camp setup in the entrance, “Woah!” Said Kadam. “I think this carves into the mountain! This place is massive!!!”
Sean nodded, “I may not be able to see in the dark like a vampire, but I could tell it was pretty big from the echo.”
Kadam nodded, “Not just big but deep. I see at least three or four exits from here. This has got to go deeper!”
“Shall we explore?” Sean gestured into the blackness.
Kadam nodded, “We were supposed to spend time with each other anyways.”
A sudden bang made Sean turn to where Kadam was standing. Was standing. He was no longer there. “KADAM?!?!” KADAM!!!!!!!”

Kadam sat up and coughed out some blood. Wiping the red liquid away, smearing it across his face. He shivered and looked around.
“Sean?” He croaked.
“Oh you don’t need to worry about that boy anymore.”
Kadam looked up at the figure that had spoken. They were in a dark chamber, but Kadam could see fine. Probably somewhere in the temple ruins judging by the intricately carved walls and crumbling ceiling. What really caught Kadams attention was the manacle around his ankle. Chaining him to the wall, d****t! “Sean is not a boy.” He said to the striking young man before him. He was ruggedly handsome wearing a stereotypical jungle explorer outfit, complete with machete.
“You and I understand each other. Those humans are nothing compared to us.” The man came in close and placed the sharp tip against Kadams throat. “I don’t care that you are disillusioned, thinking that boy is worth your time. I will show you I am a much better suitor, I will force you if I must.” He was very close to Kadam now. His lips brushed Kadams ear. Kadam could see the lustful desire burning in the man’s eyes.
“Ok I’ve had enough.” Sighed Kadam.
With a casual thrust of his leg he snapped the manacle with his inhuman vampire strength. Standing up, smirking at his ex-captors shocked face. “I don’t know much about you, but I do know, Sean is twice the man you will ever be. Now-“ Kadams eyes glowed with his vampiric powers. “Show me back to Sean, and maybe I will let you live.”
The young man’s eyes also glowed, he robotically led Kadam through a small passage to the entrance, where Kadam could hear Sean calling out for Kadam desperately.
“I’m over here!” He called, leveling a sword at his ex-captors neck.
“Kadam you scared me so bad! I thought you wer-“ he stopped staring at the scene before him. “Who is that?”
“Good question. What’s your name?” This was directed at the striking young man, whose eyes were flicking from Kadam to Sean and back. Probably looking for an escape.
“I'm Jay.”
“J?” Sean asked, “like Juniper's son?”
Kadam shook his head, “I think this Jay is spelled J-A-Y”
Now Jay looked confused, “How else would you spell it?”
“We know a kid who spells J, just like that, J, just the letter.”
“Weird.”
“That’s a good way to describe J. So anyways Jay, you kidnapped me, and planned to woo me into submission?” Glowered Kadam.
“He what?!” Yelled Sean, now also glowering at Jay.
Jay raised his hands in a surrender. At the last second Sean realized he had something clutched in one of his hands. It dropped, Sean and Kadam coughed and covered their faces as smoke filled the room. They heard Jay cackling, and called out, “I’ll be back for you, pretty one.”
As the smoke cleared they realized he was gone. Kadam grumbled, “What an Ep-San.”
Sean huffed, “Muhead more like.”
Kadam and Sean glanced at each other then burst out laughing.
“So what exactly happened there?” Asked Sean preparing the fire to cook up his magpie.
As Kadam explained his story he shrugged off his backpack and shared some of the food he’d gathered as well. They were both laughing at stories about Kadam hiding his vampiric strength until the comedic moment, when Sean doubled over in pain. He gasped and clutched his stomach tears coming from his eyes.
“What?! What’s wrong?!” Kadam rushed over to Sean, panicking.
Sean let out an ethereal scream, his eyes smoking.
“Sean?!?!” Kadam took a deep breath trying to remember what he knew about magic disease. From the symptoms, smoking eyes, stomach pains, creepy scream, this looked like a death curse. Which means he had to act fast. A death curse usually ripped your soul out of your body which is contained by your body. Usually it bypasses this by making an opening through the eyes. Since the eyes were the window to the soul. So if Kadam could heal his eyes that could buy them time and trap the curse along with his soul inside. Thinking quickly Kadam spat into his hands and applied the vampire saliva to Sean’s eyes. Which was more difficult then it sounded with Sean trying to clutch his eyes in pain. After a minute of tense silence and praying, Sean collapsed. Kadam wailed “No!! Sean!?!? No!!!!!”
Kadam cut off as Sean coughed up blood and sat up. “You're alive?! Oh thank Ensor!!!”
“What the hell was that?!”
“A death curse trying to rip out your soul.”
“But then, how am I alive?”
“I healed your eyes, it should buy us time.”
“So it’s still inside me?”
“Yes. Like I said, it should buy us time. I’ll call Floof in.”
“How did you heal my eyes?”
“My saliva.”
“I thought Vampire Saliva only healed cut and puncture wounds.
“It heals a lot of things.”
“Floof I need-“ Kadam cut off, taking his hand off his communicator tattoo. He drew his sword, “Jay, what the hell are you doing here?”
“Well technically this is my home. But we can talk about that later. After he’s dead.”
“You’re not touching Sean.” Hissed Kadam, furious.
“Really?” Jay smirked.
Sean stood up, clutching his side with a look of pain etched onto his face. “I can defend myself just fine. I'm perfectly capable of fighting for my position as Kadams boyfriend.”
Kadam growled, “This isn’t a competition, where the winner takes all. I’m a person and I’ll choose my suitor thanks.”
“Besides Sean,” sneered Jay. “You are nowhere near capable after the ancient curse has latched on it’ll just keep fighting.”
Kadams eyes were hard, “What curse?”
Jay laughed, ”I might be able to tell you the cure…”
“You better.”
“Or what? I know this temple better than any of you. If you want the cure you’ll have to catch me first. Or of course you could give me your most valuable possession.”
Kadams hand went to his enchanted ether steel knife. It clattered on the floor at Jays feet. “That could buy you a small continent.”
Jay laughed, “Could it?!”
“Ether steel harvested from the caverns of the sun. Forged in dragon fire and enchanted by the gods themselves. Yea, I think you’ll find it’s sufficient payment.” Snarled Kadam, impatiently. “Now heal Sean.”
Jay tossed the knife back. “I have no use for enchanted knives, or fancy words. And I don’t plan to leave this island anytime soon, so what is material wealth to me?” Kadams eyes widened as he bent and picked up his knife, his eyes never leaving Jay, missing nothing.
“I want something much more valuable than a knife. I want you, Kadam. A partner would be sufficient payment. If you like him we could even keep your human as a pet.”
Kadam growled, “You're sick!”
Jay smiled, “Do we have a deal?”
Kadam hesitated, if it meant saving Sean. Kadam knew he could help Sean escape. But Kadam would probably be forced into signing a magic contract forcing him to stay forever. It was a trade off. His own freedom for Sean’s life? That was a deal he’d make any day.
“Like hell we do. Get the hell out of here Jay. Kadams mine. I’d much rather die than let anyone else have him. You want him? You’ll have to go through me.”
He stood up straight and drew his sword. For a moment he looked so imposing even Kadam was impressed. But then Sean doubled over coughing up blood.
Jay snorted, “Somehow I don’t think that would be that hard, human. Besides if you're going to be our pet I’m sure I would cut out that insolent tongue of yours. So I suggest you speak when spoken to.”

This set Kadam off. His eyes flashed red. “Tell us what the cure is now! Then leave!”
Jays was compelled to obey by Kadams vampiric abilities. Blood blindness is what it was called when a vampire mind controlled another being. Sean, through a haze of pain, marveled that Kadam was barely reacting to the horrible strain it was placing on him, not to mention Jay had already implied he wasn’t human. That was some serious magic.
“The cure is far within the temple. An enchanted stream.” With that Jay was gone.
Kadam hissed angrily.

Kadam carried Sean to the next room. “We need to find that stream.”
But when he stepped into the next room the floor shifted beneath him, as though he’d stepped on a pressure plate, spikes shot out of the wall and Kadam barely dodged in time, in fact he didn’t dodge in time, a spike impaled his leg. He fell over cursing. Since he has been carrying Sean, when he fell over Sean fell on top of them. Their lips met by accident and Sean pulled away immediately, his face flushed with embarrassment.
Kadam snickered, “For someone who hates Vampires so much, you just kissed one.”
“It wasn’t like that! Shut up!”
Kadam chuckled.
Suddenly Jay's voice echoed through the cavern, “Trapped in a relationship with a mortal who doesn’t appreciate your species. How tragic.”
Kadam growled, “It’s better than being in a relationship with you!”
Sean’s face was red, Kadam thought from embarrassment, but then he put his hands to his throat and started looking panicked, his face started turning purple. Kadam shot up, flipped Sean around and performed the Heimlich maneuver.
Sean coughed up dark smoke. “The curse, I can feel it, it’s exploring different ways to kill me.”
Kadam grimaced, “C’mon, there’s no time to lose.”

They studied the path forward, looking closely they saw the room was made up of tiles which were all pressure plates. Neither of them could walk very fast with Kadams limp and Sean’s curse. As they explored they found a pressure plate separated from the others, on a hunch Kadam stepped on it. The pain was excruciating, he screamed as it felt like fire ants crawled underneath his skin biting him. He collapsed off of the pressure plate.
“That was horrid.”
Sean looked terrified, “Are you alright? What the hell was that?”
Kadam reviewed his surroundings. “It’s a puzzle, which means there are clues.”
Jay's voice echoed through the cavern once more, “But whoops! It appears someone’s misplaced the clues! It seems you are in need of information from me.”
Kadam glared at the ceiling, “Jay! Stop trying to sabotage us!”
“Hmmm, that’s not very nice, maybe I won’t tell you the clues.”
Sean coughed, “What do you want?”
“I want Kadam to say three things he hates about Sean. Then three things he likes about me.”
Kadams face was red with anger. “You sick little pig I would neve-“
Sean fell over coughing.
Jays voice laughed cruelly, “Tic-toc”
Kadam grimaced, “I hate that Sean believes he’s a bad person for reasons he can’t control, I hate that Sean is prone to self harm, and I hate that Sean is so infuriatingly cute it’s like having a sweet treat so tantalizingly close, but just out of reach.”
Sean grimaced, “Of course you vampires would compare me to a mere sweet treat.” He spat.
Kadam felt tears come out of his eyes as he continued, “I like that you are immortal, I like that you are so smart, and I like that you are hard to catch.”
Jay laughed, “That wasn’t so hard was it? Though I could argue that you cheated with your dislikes of the human, I’ll let it slide, aren’t I so generous?”
Kadam grumbled, “Jay, just give us the clue.”
“Oh that’s not very nice, maybe I won’t.”
Kadam gritted his teeth, his anger pulsing below the surface, “Yes you are very generous.” The words felt like glass shards in his throat.
“There, that wasn’t so hard. Your clue is this, Only through selfless sacrifice can one transcend this prison.”
Kadam growled, “What the hell does that mean?”
Sean coughed up blood, he looked so weak.
Kadams eyes softened. “If there is any sacrifice required, I’ll be the one to do it.”
Sean shook his head, “B-but-“
“No buts. You need to get to that stream.”
“We don’t even know if Jay is lying. There might not be sacrifice required.”
Kadam grimaced, “I know what needs to be done. When I step on the pressure plate, run, get to the other side as fast as possible.”
“What no!”
Kadam stepped on the pain inducing pressure plate.

Sean stared at the only man he’d loved writhe in pain. He shook himself, “Get moving!” He growled to himself rushing across the tiled floor, none of the pressure plates activated. Once he got to the other side he yelled “Kadam! I’m on the other side! Step off the plate!” But Kadam was too far gone in agony to hear Sean.
Sean looked around wildly for a way to help him, he spotted another pressure plate that looked like the one Kadam was on. Without hesitating he stepped on it. The pain was like nothing he’d ever experienced. His shrieks echoed through the musty chamber. He writhed in agony, wailing in pain. Suddenly strong arms grabbed him and yanked him off the pressure plate.
Kadam and Sean collapsed on the floor clutching each other and crying. Sean’s crying turned into a coughing fit, he could feel the darkness writhing inside him. Trapped, angry, trying to find a way to fulfill its only purpose, killing him.
Kadam stood up, limping towards the door, supporting Sean determinedly.
Sean grumbled, “Kadam what the hell was that?!”
“What?”
“You said all those things you liked about Jay! It sounded like you were into him.”
Kadam chuckled, “The only reason I like those things is because it makes it ten times more satisfying to know that eventually I’ll get to torture him to death.”
Sean frowned, “Torture?! What happened to good old fashioned killing him and moving on?”
“Well that’s not as satisfying.”
“You’re sick, I’m right, being a vampire has skewed your sense of morality.”
Kadam frowned, “I don’t think that has anything to do with being a vampire.”
“Yes it does. You’re so used to murdering people for food that you’ve lost the perspective of the weight of murder.”
Kadam frowned, “Oh, I guess that makes sense. But that doesn’t change that I’m a vampire and there’s nothing you or I can do about that. The only way we’ve found to get rid of vampirism is a boon from Mutatio, they never give out boons, and if they did we would need to use it for something else.”
Sean sighed, “So I'm just supposed to accept you are a murderer?”
Kadam frowned, “I guess?”

As they limped into the next room Kadam gasped, “a maze?” The floor was the pattern of a maze, no not just the pattern. They were standing on a glass platform above a maze.
“I don’t see an exit.”
“Split up and look for one.”
They searched around the strange room. But as they reached opposite sides of the room from each other the glass suddenly dissolved. They fell into the maze.
“Sean?” Yelled Kadam.
“Over here! I’m near the exit! Follow the sound of my voice!”
Kadam nodded. Then realized he couldn’t see him, so he yelled, “Coming!”
As Kadam navigated the maze, he was reminded of his phobia of abandonment and cramped spaces. The walls were closing in on him. His breathing came in fast, sweat perspirated on the back of his neck. Kadam was suddenly acutely aware of the sounds of cheeping bats, dripping water off in the distance, rats scuttling across the floor. It was all too much! He felt so overwhelmed and frightened. “Sean?!”
“Yeah?”
“I’m having another panic attack.”
“Listen to me, focus on the sound of my voice, that's all that matters, you and me.” As Kadam listened, Sean spoke as he would to a scared animal. Sean recounted stories from his childhood, that time he stood up to a bully for his younger sister. Or when he tripped in a mud puddle and his mom picked him up and sang him lullabies. Or that time he kissed a girl because he was dared to by a boy he had a crush on. Or that time he was setting up decorations for a festival and he was the best climber so he was delegated for the high up spots and he fell and was caught by the neighbors pet Chamrosh. Kadams started following the sound of Sean’s voice, suddenly seized by an urgent desire to be with him. When they finally reached each other Kadam didn’t even stop to think, he just kissed Sean full in the lips and didn’t let go. “Holy Ens above! Never leave me again.”
Sean chuckled a bit between kisses, then started coughing again. He groaned, “my stomach does not feel good.”
Kadam nodded, determined, “We need to get you to that stream.

Sean’s face turned very pale from fear, and Kadam could feel hot breath on his neck. He turned slowly and saw what had terrified Sean. A great beast. Kadam barely took time to try to identify it before grabbing Sean and running as fast as he could with his limp. The beast roared and charged. Kadam yelled “That doors the exit! We can lock it out! Kadams heart was pounding, though his leg hurt like hell itself and he was exhausted and terrified, he kept running, because if he stopped running Sean would die, and if Sean died he’d never forgive himself. The beast lunged forward and Kadam stumbled forward as massive claws raked his back. He grunted but ignored the hot sticky blood spurting from his leg and back. A great weakness threatened to consume him. C‘mon just a couple more steps. He moaned in pain. But kept pushing forward.
Sean yelped, “it’s about to lunge again!”
Kadam knew he couldn’t survive another attack. His breathing was ragged and heavy. His eyes and legs felt like lead. Blood roared in his ears. He pushed with one last ditch effort and sprang to the other side of the doorway. He turned and closed the door, barring it with a nearby piece of wood. The creature slammed into the door and howled in frustration as his prey was out of reach. Sean could no longer stand. Kadam was barely alive himself.
“That won’t hold the beast for long,” he spluttered, blood coming from his lips. “Where is this stream?”
There were no other entrances or exits in the room, simply an altar and a rusty knife. Kadam groaned “where is it?!?!”
Sean mumbled “Kadam i found it.”
“What?! Where?”
Sean read from the intricate carvings on the wall, “The stream of lifeblood enchanted will lift the curse.”
They both turned to look at the alter. “I’ll do it.” said Kadam without hesitating.
“No. You kill yourself, I’ll kill myself. I can’t live without you, life isn’t worth it without you.”
Kadam held him, “but I can’t live without you either!”
“S-so that’s it, we’re both destined to die?”
“I-I guess.” They held each other crying. The pounding of the beast got louder and louder. Sobs racked Kadams body as Coughs shook Sean’s frame. Kadam reached for the ritualistic knife and put it to his heart. Ready to plunge it in. Sean took one last shuddering breath. He fell still. Kadam felt hot tears pour down his face, “Sean.”
“Finally, I thought he’d never die.”
Jay strode into the room.
Kadam stared at him, then like a lightbulb going off in his brain.
Jay looked concerned, “why are you staring at me like that?”
He grabbed Jay by the back of his neck and yanked him towards the alter. Jay squirmed, “He’s already dead! Don’t you get that! It’s useless to-“ he cut off as Kadam slashed at Jays neck. His blood gurgled streaming from his neck. Kadam cupped the blood in his hands and poured it in Sean’s mouth, “C'mon please, please please.” The beast howled and slammed against the door again. There was a splintering sound Kadam ignored. He was crying over Sean’s limp form. He leaned in to kiss Sean’s lifeless cold lips, but paused, was that a breath? Yes! Sean was breathing! He almost laughed with relief. Tears poured down his face, Sean was alive! There was a bang! And a splintering of wood. The creature burst into the room howling in anger. Kadam turned to face death. But instead of running at Kadam and Sean, it lunged at Jay and ripped his body to shreds, blood and guts flew everywhere! When it was done it sniffed at Kadam and Sean, huffed and left the room. Kadam smiled a bit, “I guess you didn’t like him much either, huh.”

Sean coughed and his eyes fluttered open, “Kadam?” He was lying in the sick bay of the Accipio, Kadam standing over him with a crutch and a bunch of bandages on his bare chest. He looked badass!
Kadam smiled “Hey Sean, how do you feel?”
“Better than I used to.”
“Listen I’m sorry about the whole being trapped on an island with you. If you don’t want to be in a relationship with me, we aren’t going to force it.”
Sean chuckled, “I appreciate that, and for Ensors sake, never try anything like that again.”
Kadam nodded, he looked crestfallen.
Sean added, “Being on that island did help me realize something though.”
“What’s that?”
“There’s nothing more I want on this earth than you. I don’t care if you are a vampire, you’re worth it.”
Kadam lunged forward, the kiss they shared was passionate and long. Floof came in a little later to find them asleep snuggled in the bed together.

Sean sighed “Kadam we are not keeping it.”
“Her.” Kadam corrected insufferably, “and we are absolutely keeping her.”
Sean sighed through his nose as he watched Kadam scratch the beast's belly like some oversized dog, it did kinda look like a bear sized dog.
“Where would we keep her?”
Kadam grinned, “in the stables!”
“Absolutely not, the triplets will have a heart attack.”
Kadam snickered, “You don’t give them enough credit, hey if anything happens in the stables, I’ll set up a pen for her on deck ok?”
Sean groaned, “Fine, but what are we naming her?”
Kadam hummed, “I was thinking fluffy”
Sean pinched the bridge of his nose, “ok fine, Fluffy, you cliche a*****e.”

Author's Note

This is a short story that branches off from the main stories. So for context, Kadam is a vampire water mage sword master. And Sean is a human sword master. They are pirates, and Floof is the healer and therapist. Sandstorm is the captain.