Kalem's P.O.V

"There's more to life than sex,"

"Invalid statement," Mr W announces to the rest of us, "that is an invalid statement."

Raven rolls her eyes despite the smile on her lips, "sex is great, don't get me wrong. But it's not the only thing out there, and too much of it can take the excitement away."

Mr W and I shake our heads at the same time.

I wasn't adding anything to the naughty conversation we were having at dinner since I knew Lincoln was getting worried that I was learning too many naughty things. Plus, my face was getting too red for me to say anything. 

But I could still shake my head since that wasn't talking and Raven's words were a big no-no. 

Lincoln and I sometimes spent days doing nothing but making messes together and I never ever ever felt like it was too much, if anything, it wasn't enough. So she was wrong and shaking my head was right.

"There's no such thing as too much," Mr W says before biting a forkful of his fruits into his mouth. I nod my head to that and Mr W sends me a wink before he turns back to Raven. "If you get tired of sex, then someone's not doing it right," he leans forward and grins, "I always do it right love."

While Raven tries to speak and I try not to giggle, Then picks up the conversation.

"I think your species allows for that sort of perspective," he says gently, his heavy voice making him sound like a living rock. But a really nice one! One that didn't feel as hard as it looked - a soft rock. 

"For the rest of us, there's a limit to how much we can partake in those..." Then falters when Mr W looks at him with glowing eyes as if he were a tree he really wanted to climb. His face grows extra red as he finishes with, " a-activities." 

With both Raven and Then falling to his charms, Mr W makes a little noise as he runs his hands through his dark hair, making the shiny curls shake like a pretty, pixie dance. "I'll allow that," he nods reluctantly but his eyes still narrow sharply as he points at Raven, "but don't you dare think there's more to life than sex just because you - sadly - don't have the genes to appreciate it."

I giggle at that, unable to hold it in any longer, and so does everyone else. 

Raven raises her hands in the surrender action, a small smile on her lips, and Then lets himself chuckle behind his large hand. Even Katlyn who was super shy and quiet let herself smile a bit.

Grumbling, Mr W slouches next to me in silent acceptance that this was one of those things that not everyone understood. But I understood, so I give him a quick hug, squeezing him extra tight so he knew that he wasn't alone.

When I pull back, he beams at me and pets my hair gently in the way he liked to do sometimes. 

"Mr W," I start but he shakes his head.

"Wequie or W, no mister," he corrects again making me pout. 

I didn't like calling him anything but Mr W. It wasn't that I didn't like his name because I did! It was super pretty and unique, and it suited him. But Mr W was my special name for my special friend, and since I was the only one who called him that, I didn't want to stop. 

But even when I explained that to him he still didn't want it, he thought it the mister was weird.

So I keep pouting, letting my eyes grow big as my body does the little things I did whenever I was begging Master for my butt plug, or Aias for his special magical hugs that he gave me in secret. 

But unlike when I tried it on them, Mr W doesn't give in. He instead lets his ears out and returns the pleading look, except his was way better and way cuter than I even knew was possible!

His fluffy ears turn down at the ends and his golden eyes sparkle so much they looked a little wet like he might cry and even though I knew he was just playing, my heart hurt because I didn't want to make my special friend cry!

"You're so mean," I mumble, giving up the fight against the cute monster I could never hope of beating.

Mr W's ears disappear and his normal teasing and naughty look returns, he sticks out his tongue at me and grins. "Maybe, but you're just as mean for trying that with me."

Maybe that was a little true bit.

"So Wequie?" he asks.

"Mr W," I reply with a grin, not willing to budge until I really had to. He only laughs, giving up on this fight for now but I could tell this wasn't over.

"You're leaving already?" Mr W guesses with sad eyes. Mine go big with surprise before I remember that he had superpowers that let him feel what people were feeling sometimes.

"I have to go to bed," I say while I climb out of my seat, "Aias says I need plenty of rest for my morning lessons."

"And I need plenty of rest before a gangbang," Mr W says using the tone Master did when he said something he didn't really mean.

But I didn't know what a 'gangbang' was so I just nod my head and step back. I'd ask Master about it later.

"Bye Mr W!" I say with a wave that makes his eyebrows pull together despite the big grin on his face.

I say bye to everyone else, and night to the ones I pass before I head up to the big table where Master sat, smiling while he spoke to Aias' Malcolm and a few others around him.

Lincoln looks up at me when I come to him, parting from his conversation to give me a gentle smile. "Heading to bed already love?" I nod and give him a tight hug from over his chair. "I dread the nights I don't have you to myself."

"It's just one night," I whisper in his ear before I kiss it, "but I hate them too."

Master turns and kisses me deeply before he lets me go. I kiss him all over his cheeks and face despite his fights, making him smile and laugh before I leave him, saying night to Malcolm and everybody else.

Aias hadn't come for dinner tonight so I had to make the walk to my bedroom all by myself. I could've done pop since nobody was close enough to see me, but sometimes I liked just strolling through the castle and remembering why I loved it so much.

I'd always loved how big everything was, the roofs so high that no one could touch it. It also felt like Master was in every little piece of it, that's one of the things I loved the most because even when I wasn't with him, I still was.

By the time I enter my room, I'm beaming from ear to ear, feeling so happy that I feared I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.

Sometimes, if I was too buzzy inside, I had to ask Master to make me tired so that I could sleep. 

But I wouldn't ever ask Aias to do that, I only ever wanted Master to do those type of things with me. Plus, I didn't think Aias could ever do the things Lincoln did when I got him really worked up.

I didn't think anyone ever could.

I find Aias waiting inside, already tucked in bed and sitting upright in the side he'd taken all for himself on the nights we slept together. 

He was writing something in the air, using a feathered tool he called a 'quill' to write down golden words that shimmered before they disappeared to a place that nobody but him could find or see.

"You didn't come to dinner," I say sadly as I rush over to him, settling right next to him on the bed.

I lean into him, resting my head against his shoulder and he lets me, "I wasn't hungry," he answers.

I frown a little, "really?"

Aias pauses his magical writing to glance down at me, raising one of his sharp brows in question, "what other reason would I have for avoiding my meals, young one?"

I shrug as I try to find the words that would tease him, but not enough to make him upset. "Maybeee it's because you can't touch your Malcolm at dinner in the ways you do when you think no one is looking, and maybe you don't like that... maybe."

Aias' golden eyes narrow on me for a long moment before he straightens and begins writing again. "You grow bolder by the day," he comments after a little while but he didn't sound angry, he sounded, "and more observant, have you been spying on us?"

"No!" I promise, "but sometimes when I do pop, I pop into the wrong place. I always leave immediately though! I don't watch, even though I think your Malcolm wouldn't mind."

Aias laughs so hard that he shakes the both of us, our bodies warming from his joy, "very obversant in deed."

I bite my lip and keep my smile to myself, trying my hardest not to do pop from all his compliments. 

They were complements for two reasons! The first was because Aias called me bold and Master said it was a good thing when I spoke my mind sometimes, and that it was even better when I didn't hide my thoughts because it proved I was no longer scared of getting hurt because of them. 

The second reason was because Aias had been trying to teach me how to be more 'observant' of my surroundings. At first, I thought that meant paying attention to everyone and watching how they reacted to things, which was something I already did to make sure everyone was happy. 

But it was much harder than that! Aias wanted me to watch everyone and everything.
If the wind changed directions, I should feel it and think why. And if an object was in a different place than it was when I last saw it, I should be able to pick apart the most likely reason it had gotten like that.

It was super hard but the more Aias showed me how to use my magic, the easier it got. Well, it was really only easier if I was near flowers since my magic seemed to work best when I near those.

I asked Aias if I always keep a flower in my pocket, but he said no.

"What are you writing?" I ask as I try to read the words as it went.

They weren't anything like the words in the books I read, Aias' language was a mix of big, sharp symbols and there were never more than three I could see before they'd disappear to make room for his new ones.

Aias said this language was one only a few elves could decipher since it was a very special one only very special elves were taught. But Aias did teach me how to write the word 'flower' which meant that I was a very special elf too!

We were both special elves.

"Your progress," he replies softly, "it's important to keep track."

"Am I doing okay?" I ask while my fingers tighten around his arm.

I didn't want to be a bad student when Aias was trying so hard to keep me safe, even if it meant he could get in trouble. I was trying my best since I knew how much everyone was doing to make sure I was okay. 

"You're doing far better than okay," Aias replies with a smile, "your progress is astounding."

"Astounding?" I repeat as I sit up with a big smile. That was a big word that meant something was surprisingly impressive and Aias wasn't surprised very often. "I'm astounding?"

Aias' eyes shift from his notes to look at me. He offers me the sweetest smile that made my heart fill with warm pleasure as he passes his hand over my head, "yes, you are Kalem," he whispers, "you are astounding and far more. You are brilliant, you are fearsome. Your heart is... glorious and your light is sensational." Aias lets out a breath and chuckles to himself, "Kalem, you are far greater than simply astounding, you are breathtaking."

"Why do you always make me cry?" I ask as I crash into his chest, hugging him as tight as I can.

Aias laughs again, making his quill disappear so he can hug me back, "it's no flaw of mine that your Master hasn't gotten you accustomed to complements yet."

"He's trying," I whisper with a sniffle.

"I'm sure he is, but there is only so much such a decrepit specimen can do," 

I shove Aias back with a gasp and grab one of my strongest pillows, "I know what that means now! And I already told you to stop being mean to Lincoln!" 

"Wa-"

The pillow steals Aias' excuses as it hits him straight in the face. 

I smile super big as I raise the pillow and find Aias' expression twisted into one of surprise and shock, his golden hair spread below him like a beautiful field of tiny flowers. His mouth was wide open and his eyes opened so wide they looked like they might pop.

"I am n-" I hit him again and Aias words come muffled through the fluffy material.

When I try to hit him again, the pillow meets the mattress instead as Aias slips through the bed and comes back behind me with a pillow of his own.

"If it's a war you want," I turn just as the pillow comes swinging towards me, "then let it be war."

The pillow sends my face straight to the mattress where Aias keeps me as he continues swatting me with one of my super big pillow. I try to sit up, but he knocks me straight back down. It didn't keep me down because it hurt, since it didn't hurt at all! It was because I was laughing too much for me to get back up and Aias was being a meanie and taking advantage of that.

I pop myself away from the bed to escape and run back at Aias with a warrior cry.

He turns with a wide smile on his face, pillow raised and smiling just as wide as I was.

Aias and I keep up our pillow war with Aias using his magic to slip away from me, and me using mine to pop around. When I got too good at popping, Aias switched to his true form so he could catch me before I could sneak up on him.

None of it hurt and none of it was meant to, we were just having fun and it was just the most fun I'd had with Aias in a while... it was the most fun I'd ever seen Aias have with me.

Most times, Aias smiled and laughed, but he mostly took care of me. This was the first time he wasn't worrying about me, it was the first time he was just having fun with me. Just like best friends were supposed to. 

When the war ends with both of us surrending, it takes us a little while to find the energy to get up from the spots we crash on the ground. We'd gotten to worked up and were all tired and sweaty, meaning that we both had to take showers after, but it was more than worth it.

By the time we're all snuggled up and ready for bed, my energy from earlier is all simmered out and my body sinks into my bed with Aias' warm body holding me close to him... just like he'd done in the cells. 

But this time, Aias wasn't in another form and this time, I wasn't in pain.

This time, we were both happy and we were both safe, and I could feel our magic grow together as we slept wrapped in each other's arms.

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"Someone has been through this path," Aias says as he watches me closely, his arms folded across his chest, "perhaps, multiple someones. There are no drastic signs of change, so, how do I know this?"

I look around, searching for clues in the path through my gardens that didn't look too different from how they had yesterday. But there were differences, just really small ones.

"The pebbles," I say as I walk over the path, feeling the way each of my steps made them roll and turn to show a new side. When I thought back to yesterday and thought really hard, I could pick out which pebbles were showing new sides of themselves today. "They are rolled over."

Aias nods, "was it one person or more?"

I look down at the path, using my magic to paint a picture of the rocks yesterday and the rocks today. In my mind, I hold the two pictures side by side and search for differences.

Most had been shifted; some by what was probably a cute, little animal or a strong wind, but there were two lanes that I could see that were spaced out enough to be lanes. Lanes made by people, the size was big enough.

"Two people," I say as I walk one of the paths, "they were close together."

"Yes, which suggests?" 

"Familiarity," I guess as I look up at Aias, "closer? More than friends? They were intimate."

"Possibly," he agrees, his serious face not giving anything away, "who were they?"

I frown as I turn to face him properly, "I don't know."

"Yes, but you can figure it out," Aias prompts be encouragingly.

"But, I wasn't here," I press.

"You weren't here and yet you were able to figure out that two people made their way through here, and that they were well acquainted." Aias combats in challenge.

"But..." I start with a whine, "I don't know who they were. I don't know how to figure that out."

Aias just looks at me, forcing another whine out of me. He was such a strict teacher!

"It could've been anyone in the clan," I argue helplessly, "there are so many of us, and so many people like each other back. I don't know how to figure out who these were."

Aias softens his gaze just a little and thinks for a moment before asking, "what's at the centre of our magic?"

I frown, confused but I answer anyway, knowing that I'd get that right for sure. "Nature." 

"Yes, and what are we surrounded by right now?" I look around, not needing to say the answer out loud when I looked at my pretty garden.

A few months ago, the garden had been a big mess of forgotten pretty plants that I'd found. It was where I first showed Lincoln I could pop and it was special to me since it was where Master said I could grow my own plants.

Master had kept his promises and helped me turn it into something beautiful and full of all the love I'd put into it.  Now it was my garden - Lincoln said so - and every time I was in it, I couldn't stop myself from smiling and popping around to check on everyone. 

Master said they weren't people so it was 'wrong to refer to them as people', but to me, all my plants and flowers felt the same as everyone in the clan did, so it was everyone, not everything.

In secret though, if I got too cheeky with Master he gave me fun lessons. The ones that were for good boys who got a little naughty.

I loved fun lessons.

"Our magic runs on our counterparts, use them to see what you can't," Aias says making me remember where I was, "and stop thinking about that lima bean, focus."

My jaw drops but Aias just smirks, knowing there were no pillows around for me to get him. 

I focus on Aias' words, trying to understand them. Aias sometimes did this when he thought I could figure it out. He wouldn't tell me exactly what I should do, only give me these little hints for me to get the puzzle out on my own. 

At first, I hated it because it would be a lot easier if he just told me, but now I liked it when he left me to put it together. I liked it because it meant that he thought I was strong enough to do it on my own, and then I felt like I really deserved my name.

Use them to see what you can't. That didn't make any sense.

But I still look around, trying to find something that could help me out now. 

Where we were in the garden was where I kept my orchids. It was Lincoln's favourite part because they were dark enough to look black and Master liked black things.

(A/N - that explains Malcolm. L.O.L!)

They were all healthy and blooming prettily. They didn't have enough sun to, but the magic of the castle fed them and with my love, they grew nice and strong and always made Master smile when he saw them.

But they were just orchids, I didn't understand how I was supposed to use them now.

"We are no separate entity from nature, there are no lines between us," Aias reminds me gently, supplying me with another hint that made light bulbs blink brightly in my mind.

We weren't separate. There was no nature and then me, there were just all of us for elves.

That's why Aias could move between walls and make himself pieces of the earth, or make the earth pieces of him. 

So if my flowers were always here, they saw what I didn't. They had memories, sort of, I just had to find a way of getting to them.

Closing my eyes, I breathe in slowly. 

I didn't know what this did but every time Aias did something amazing, he did this breathing thing before so I do it too, hoping it would work for me.

Focusing on the orchids near the from of their patch, I reach out to them, using my love for them and all my pretty flowers to connect to them. 

Aias said that all elves connected with something specific, it was the water in rivers for him, and for me, it would always be flowers.

I loved them. Loved their pretty petals and how they grew to be big and strong if you gave them the love and attention they needed. They were grateful when you did, and they showed it too! 

Everytime one of my flowers bloomed, it was like they were saying 'thank you Kalem!' and I loved that.

Trusting me to take care of them as I trusted them to guide me, the flowers let me in. 

A current of something quiet but strong rushes through me, surging to the surface like constant waves that went up and down my body. It spreads its;f a;; over my body, passing through my veins to go all the way to my toes and fingertips, only to push back out and burst up inside of me.

When I open my eyes, what I see is not what's in front of me, but what's in front of the flowers.

I could see myself, see Aias watching me closely, see everything as if I were one of the flowers.

I scream but I don't hear it. I only see it, feeling the vibrations of it as it passes through me... through the flower.

Aias steps closer, ready to help but he doesn't do anything to stop me. Instead, he passes his own magic over the land and I feel it run through me instantly. 

But it feels nothing like how his magic usually does, it goes further. It felt like a shock that pushed my surging waves faster, the flower's, it felt so much deeper.

Aias immediately turns to the orchids, his eyes glowing as he says, "trust in the bond, let it lead you."

I do that. Trusting in the orchids to show me what I didn't see yesterday.

The scene in front of me shifts like how the pages in my books did when I held them all and then let them go one by one. 

Everything in front of me moves like those moving pages in a book, flashing before me quickly before they settle on one picture. One by one, the pages of the past start turning themselves, slowly moving in slow frames that showed me two people.

They were close, or their bodies were as they rushed by the orchids. I recognised both immediately and giggled to myself as the pages turned back to the present and the flowers let me leave them to return to myself.

"It was Wequie and Raven!" I say as I turn to Aias, looking at him through my real eyes. "They were heading off to be naughty."

Aias nods and laughs a little too, "I suppose they were, but before we get to that," he points to the flowers, "you must never forget to express your gratitude. Nature doesn't owe us anything, they don't have any obligation to let us in, and yet it does. When we appreciate it, trust it, value it, it will do the same to us."

I turn back to the orchids, feeling so much bigger now after seeing how things looked from down there.

"The connection flows both ways, it could've kept you, yet it let you go. As you nurture your plants, you must never forget to nurture that connection." Aias says in his serious voice that meant this was super important, "because as all things do without care, if we do not show care i-"

"It will die," I finish for him as I kneel down in front of the orchids, loving them one million times more now than I did before. I touch the petals gently, pushing forward my love and gratitude and feeling the surge pass through my fingers in response. "Flowers are the best!"

"Every elf thinks what they're connected to is the best," Aias says behind me, "I'm sure we'll have a very heated debate one day as to which are better, rivers or flowers."

"I already know the answer," I say as I turn back to him with a grin.

"Not today, young one," he says chuckling, "it would be unfair to you."

I gasp but Aias only laughs as he comes to me, "you did exceptionally well here, I am very proud of you."

I beam, my heart filling with joy as I try not to pop. "Thank you! I couldn't do it without you!"

"Well, I don't think that living pest you call a lifetime partner would've done very much in this part of your life," Aias disappears before I could pop to him.

I look all around, searching for him with my eyes and then my magic but it was as if Aias had done pop himself.

When Aias speaks next, his voice comes from everywhere but yet nowhere, "find me and you can teach me another lesson about being kind to your master."

I groan, already knowing this would be super hard but I was smiling too because I was excited to figure this puzzle out next.

Learning how to be an elf was hard, but it was also amazing and challenging and awesome and better each day than I thought it would be.

Learning to be me was amazing.

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I just LOVE Aias and Kalem content. I could literally live off of it.

Thoughts?????????

What did we think of the little magical snippet? I wanted to show more details on how elven magic works, but more specifically, how it works for Kalem as he learns. I hope it wasn't too confusing, let me know if you got what I was trying to get across.

What about that first scene with Wequie??? I just love him and I love the relationship he and Kalem are cultivating!!!

If you did enjoy this chapter, remember to vote and comment!!

As I've said on my message board, I'm back in university but I arrived late due to a natural disaster between islands. Things are getting better at home, but obviously, I'm juggling a lot at the moment.

I'll keep you posted but I appreciate you guys being patient with me.

I think I'll be updating Patreon next, hopefully sometime this weekend. And then more Master updates.

Until next time,
I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!,
Tippy