Dragon Knights Fan Fiction ❯ Inside Tetheus's Head ❯ Stalker's Guide ( Chapter 7 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
All criticism welcome. I'm not going to take exception to flames, as long as there's a good point made in there. Saying "I didn't like it" is not a flame. Saying "Your mother was a hamster and your father smelled of elderberries" is a flame. Saying "I didn't like it because Tetheus acted completely out of character in chapter 3 when he sat on Ruwalk's lap" is constructive criticism. That shows that I should put more work in the story leading up to that point so that it makes sense that Tetheus sits on Ruwalk's lap.

Warning! Tetheus has many perverted traits. Some might consider him a pervert. If you have undue sensitivity to perversion, please read no further.

As usual, italics are Tetheus's thoughts.


Early morning in the Dragon Castle finds Tetheus strolling gingerly through its corridors, holding his head and suffering from a bad hangover. I really need to stop drinking. Yes it lulls the prey into a false sense of security, but the after-effects are just not worth it. Ow! Maybe I can get something for this from Alfeegi. He's such a wuss, he's bound to have painkillers. With that, Tetheus hauls himself off to Alfeegi's study.

Out of habit, He presses his ear up to the door before knocking. Don't know why I bother. Nothing interesting ever happens to Alfeegi. No sounds emerge from the room, even after Tetheus knocks, wincing at the noise as he does so. He cracks the door open and peers inside, but there's no-one there. Tetheus drops his head and sighs, before entering the room. Alfeegi's room is just like him. Stuffy and dull. There is a faint scent of must in the room and it looks like the windows have been welded shut. It's no wonder that Alfeegi is always in a bad mood. If he never gets any fresh air, he's probably always got a headache. Tetheus takes a good look around. He's never been here without Alfeegi having a hissy fit over something and that makes it hard to critique the decor. He's not impressed by what he sees. The curtains are old enough to be my grandparents, I'm surprised they're still in one piece. The carpet is either an interesting and eclectic piece or Alfeegi's a sloppy eater that's made many stains that can't be removed. The furniture screams "old man". There's nothing funky in here at all. He sniffs and makes his way to over to the desk, which happens to be the youngest piece of furniture in the room. His foot sticks to part of the floor as he goes. Avoid the black patches. I do not want to know. Tetheus walks behind the desk and checks out the myriad of tiny drawers close to hand. Hmm, whereabouts would I hide the drugs if I was Alfeegi? He reaches out and opens some of the small drawers.
"Tetheus?"

Ruwalk is standing at the door, looking quizzically at him. "What are you doing?"
"Just looking for a headache pill. I'm sure Alfeegi keeps them here somewhere."
"Rough night?" Ruwalk smiles knowingly at him. Tetheus drops his head and laughs.
"I think it was a party or a birthday or a wedding. I know there was a very good reason for it..." and she was incredibly attractive.

"Leave Alfeegi's stuff alone. I've got what you need."
And how.

Ruwalk turns and leads Tetheus to his bedroom, where he pulls up a floor board to expose a stash of unlabelled, green bottles.

"I don't think I'm ready for another party Ruwalk."
"Oh, it's not alcohol. The opposite in fact. It's hard to get a hold of, and Alfeegi tends to throw out any liquid he finds in my room, since he assumes it's all alcoholic." He grimaces. "All of my home remedies, rose oil, cologne, shampoo..."
"Shampoo?"
"You use it to clean hair. It's not possible to drink any of it. Not much anyway. If Alfeegi cracked open the bottle, he'd be able to tell that it's innocent, but no." He sighs. "Here, try some of this. It works a treat." Ruwalk gets one of the bottles and hands it to Tetheus, who drinks without smelling it first. His face instantly turns green. Got to keep cool. I want Ruwalk to think I trust him. Have to stay cool. Don't think about the taste, just swallow... Now where have I heard that before?
"Pretty vile huh? Why is it that all the good cures taste awful? I think the people who make this stuff want to be sure that we're punished for drinking, even while they sell us cures for hangovers. Anyway, within a half-hour you'll have forgotten you ever felt sick."

Tetheus swallows and then hands the bottle back to Ruwalk, who recaps it, hunkers down and stores it safely again. It's a few moments before he's able to thank Ruwalk, who brushes it aside.
"I've been in the same boat often enough myself. Besides, it'll go off soon. I haven't been drinking as much as I used to." He gives a short chuckle and then draws back from Tetheus and settles himself on the floor. His eyes run up and down Tetheus's body, while a slight smile appears on his face.
Ruwalk? Tetheus lowers himself onto his haunches and hovers uncertainly, but Ruwalk's gaze refuses to leave Tetheus's hot, sexy body. Wow. It's nice to be on the receiving end for once. He leans forward slightly and his breath catches when Ruwalk mirrors him. I didn't get the bint last night, but maybe my hangover was worth it after all. His eyes flick to the comfortable bed that's just out of reach. The smile on Ruwalk's face widens and he moves even closer. Slowly, slowly. This is definitely new ground for Ruwalk, a sober Ruwalk anyway and I don't want to scare him off. Tetheus focuses his gaze on Ruwalk's soft lips and inches closer. How can something so simple be so damn sexy? I don't want to... Ruwalk! He pauses as he prepares his pounce, enjoying the anticipation almost as much as his inevitable conquest.

A loud cheer erupts from just outside the room and Ruwalk jumps back like a scalded cat, a look of horror on his face. Tetheus's brow furrows and he moves to the door.
"Hang on a second. I'll find out what's going on." Typical. Still, once I find out what's going on and Ruwalk calms down we can get back to...Mmmm.

He pulls back the door to reveal hordes of children rushing past, yelling and cheering. One of them notices Tetheus and yells over to him.
"Uncle Travelling Kai's home."
"Thanks Gobo, " Tetheus waves at his disappearing form before turning back to find Ruwalk giggling as much as the children and hurrying to the door.
"Yay, Kai-Stern's back!"

He joins the exodus, leaving poor Tetheus alone. He closes the door and mopes over to the bed. Lying down on it he inhales Ruwalk's scent. I was that close. That close. And he initiated it. But he leaves because Kai-Stern's home. He sighs deeply and turns his head. Suddenly, his eyes twitch open. Kai-Stern's back. He's been gone for months. I know that the two of them are it. This is my chance. This is the best chance I'll ever have to catch them at it! He sits up, a new fire burning inside and strokes his chin. Of course, Ruwalk's very sensitive to me following him. He must have some sort of extra sensory perception, however, Kai-Stern's been away for six months so he's less likely to notice me. So, if I follow him, I've a good chance of not being caught, until the moment that he finally, Hee hee hee. I'll miss bath-time with Ruwalk, but sacrifices must be made. Yahoo!

Tetheus stalks over to the door. Kai-Stern's probably holding court in the entrance hall, since Alfeegi got vocal the last time, when he kept the Great Hall out of action for three hours. I'd better post some guards to make sure the children don't run off with anything. Kids are kids, but some of them have such itchy fingers.

The voices of the children echo down the hallways of the Castle. Thank goodness Ruwalk's cure is kicking in or I'd be in agony. Tetheus is pleased to see a full convoy of guards stationed around the entrance hall. Several children are being escorted outside and there's a pile of recovered booty, from which a few brave lads are trying plunder. Reigning over all in the centre of the hall is Kai-Stern. He's seated on a high chair and his bottomless bag of souvenirs is stationed beside him. A large snaking queue waits to see him and get their toy and several Dragon Officers have joined in. Alfeegi is next up.

No matter what they're given, the response of the children is the same, utter delight. Those with presents give Kai-Stern a peck on the cheek and leave quietly. He never runs out of gifts. I bet he fills up with crap at small villages just out of town. I'm sure that one year he was giving out leaves and claiming that they were magical. Still, the numbers that turn up are growing by the year. We might have to ban adults, although that would be the most unpopular decision ever taken and we'd never get it to stick.

Tetheus wades through small children to reach Kai-Stern. Being the hard-ass Chief of Security gives you carte blanche to skip queues. A little blonde girl finishes the long-winded tale of her doings since the last time she met the Blue Dragon Officer. Kai Stern gives her something small, receives his kiss and she hops off his lap to make way for Alfeegi.

"Well, Alfeegi. Have you been a good little boy?"
Alfeegi blushes. "Just give me my present. Did you get me something nice?"
Kai's eyes twinkle and he laughs "Yes, something very special for you alone Alfeegi."
"What is it?"

Tetheus is a few paces away from them when Kai-Stern whispers back, but he can hear the Blue Dragon Officer tell Alfeegi, "Syphilis."

Alfeegi gets up very quickly and walks away without a word. Kai-Stern stands, his face fallen and tries to follow, but a small child of indeterminate gender is tugging on his trousers for a present. He yells after Alfeegi, "I was joking! I've something else for you. Come back!"

"Well, that's just wrong."
Everyone looks at the small girl with the opinion. She glares at Kai-Stern.
"He stood down, so his turn's over. If he didn't want your present it's his tough. I'll take it instead. What is syphilis anyway? Is it a sweetie? You should sit down. It's nearly my go, and I've a lot to talk about."

Kai-Stern looks down at the worried faces of the small children who are afraid that they won't get their presents after all. One or two are on the brink of tears. He smiles at them and sits back down again, relaxed and unconcerned, then he beckons Tetheus over. Any outburst from those at the head of the queue is stifled when they see that Tetheus is the one called. Every single one of them is scared to death of this cold and silent dragon. The greatest treasure from the Dragon Castle is something that belongs to Tetheus. So far, no-one has had the guts to even attempt theft from his room. As Tetheus approaches him, Kai-Stern pats his lap. Woof. That's something I prefer to do in private though Kai dear. These children might not be so scared of me if they see me act like them. Tetheus merely inclines his head.
"Welcome back Kai-Stern. It is good to see you again, after so long."
Kai-Stern sighs and shakes his head. "You don't get a present if you don't sit on my lap."
"I haven't been a very good boy."
Kai-Stern's eyebrows raise a little, but he still reaches into the bag beside him. "I might have something here just for Tetheus. You can forgo the kiss, but I must insist that you sit on my knees at least for a moment."
Tetheus declines again, and Kai-Stern holds a small tin of something, just out of reach. "It's the latest hair-goop."
Tetheus's eyes widen. How touching. That's just what I would have wanted. He reaches out for it and Kai-Stern catches his arm and pulls him closer. He whispers softly, "Please find Alfeegi and tell him that I'm sorry. I've really got something special for him, and I'll give it to him once the kids are gone." Tetheus nods and claims his prize goop. Yay, the old stuff was starting to pong. He cracks the lid and inhales the fresh scent of Chantel Pomade. Mmmm.

Tetheus does not have to look far to find Alfeegi. Ruwalk is already talking to him, calming him down and offering support. You know, everyone assumes that Alfeegi's the mother of the Castle, but he's more like the whiney older sister. Ruwalk's the one who puts the bandage on the wound and kisses it all better. This place wouldn't be home if he weren't here. Hee hee, our mom's hot! Tetheus joins them long enough to pass on Kai-Stern's message. Alfeegi's back stiffens and he stops talking until Tetheus leaves again. He's such a baby. Syphilis. That was funny. Tasteless, but funny.

After three hours the party winds down and the dragon fighters start to evict the children from the castle. Groups of fighters and maids gather in the corners to compare their gifts and the place seems quiet and lacklustre with the energy of the children gone. Tetheus, now freshly coiffed with his new hair goop, is on the hunt for some Ruwalk/Kai-Stern action. The Entrance Hall is dark, but still holds the stragglers from Kai-Stern's homecoming. Tetheus saunters through the crowd, exchanging words here and there, and he finds out that the Blue Dragon Officer was last seen heading towards the gardens. The gardens are romantic at this time of year, and the perfect place to meet a lover. Interesting that he should go there after his long and tiring journey. I'm right, I know it!

On the way, he bumps into the Dragonlord.
"Tetheus, have you seen Kai-Stern?"
"Yes my lord, but that was over three hours ago. Are you looking for him?
Lykouleon pouts and wrinkles his nose. "I got here too late, so I didn't get my present." He raises a finger to his chin, "and I suppose that now that he's back, we should have some sort of Dragon Officer meeting to discuss what's been going on. I'll be in my room in an hour. If you find anyone else, send them over."
"I will do, my lord."

The Dragonlord nods and moves away. Tetheus watches him leave. You know, I think that his ass might rival Ruwalk's. I wonder what he does when he sneaks out of the castle? He turns his head towards the gardens. Now then, back to the matter at hand. As he leaves the walls of the castle a change comes over Tetheus. His walk changes from a cocky stride to a stealthly sneak, his breathing slows and he lurches from shadow to shadow like a trained assassin. At odd intervals he raises his nose to the wind and inhales the sweet scents pervading the gardens. Ah, hot sexy guys this way. His progression through the garden continues, piercing deeper into the underbrush and further from the castle. Soon the only tangible dragon scents in the air belong to just two people. One of them is Ruwalk's.

As the scents grow stronger, voices start to filter through. Tetheus pauses, an ear cocked. Bingo, two hot guys, all alone and deep in the forest, far from prying eyes. He rubs his hands together and his mouth stretches into a grin. I'd better get a comfortable spot, it should be quite a show. Ruwalk and Kai-Stern. Ruwalk and Kai-Stern. I've waited for this moment for so long. I've had Ruwalk and now I'm about to see him get it on with Kai-Stern. Soon I'll have no goals left. He creeps closer until the voices are almost legible, then he stretches out on the ground and crawls onward. After ten decades of careful stalking, my greatest ambition lies just before me. I guess a six month abstinence made them careless. Hee hee hee. The journey is slow and painstaking, but Tetheus doesn't want to alert the lovers to his presence. Over a hundred years, I didn't even manage to catch them sharing a kiss. I'm not going to wreck this by losing it at the climax and giving myself away.

Slowly, he slithers through the undergrowth, the voices of his fellow Officers luring him on. They grow louder, but are still muffled by the vegetation that surrounds Tetheus. A sudden grunt fills the air, which is followed by obnoxious groaning. I think I've struck gold. Tetheus wriggles closer. He parts the foliage to reveal a fully-clothed Kai-Stern lying on the grass. Hs head is propped up by his hands and he's laughing at his companion. Ruwalk is facing away from Tetheus, but he seems to be adjusting his clothing.

"Damn!"
"Tetheus?" The eyes of the lovers fall on Tetheus and attempt to fix him. Kai-Stern's eyes are wide and his mouth is open, but Ruwalk's arms are crossed and his eyes are cold.
"Uh, I fell." He gets up and dusts himself off. "I've been looking for you guys for the past hour. Ahem, the Dragonlord is holding a meeting with all of his Officers. If we leave now, we'll just make it."
Damn, too late. Just once I want to catch them at it and then one of them would say, 'Tetheus, c'mon, will you join us?'
'Tetheus? C'mon, are you joining us?'
'What?'
'Didn't the Dragonlord want to see us all?'
'Oh yeah.'


There are still a few things that have to happen, but I'm open to suggestions. If you have any, please leave them in a review, or email me. If at all possible give the summary you'd have on the page, since I write my best stories from those, odd but true.