Title

Title: Drumheart

Author: Cloudlb

Rating: PG-13

Challenge: Skinwalker - Clark and Lex at the caves.

Notes: No Native Americans were harmed in this story, and no offense to any group is intended. With apologies to Charles deLint, whose wonderful book Moonheart provided part of the inspiration.

Summary: Clark and Lex go on a trip.

Clark hated cemeteries. There were bones under the earth, lots of them. Clark tried not to look, but his vision tricked him sometimes. He had buried too many people already, he thought sadly, as he walked away from Kyla's grave. He wondered how long he would live, and if his bones would mingle with others in the dirt someday.

Clark shivered, but not from cold or sorrow. There was something in the air tonight that he didn't like. He looked around the familiar flat landscape warily, seeking something amiss. There was nothing—or was there? He squinted, but even his enhanced eyesight identified nothing. His hearing, however, picked up something odd. Was that . . . drumming? It was very faint, almost subliminal. Was it really even there? Clark swiveled his head, fruitlessly trying to pinpoint the sound's origin.

He started walking home the "slow" way—the human way. He wanted the time to think; or to try *not* to think, about Kyla. Goddamn that hurt. Why did people have to die? Clark strolled along in the dusk toward home, wondering if he would outlive everyone, as Cassandra foretold. How long would he live, anyway? And what about Lex, his other – what? Friend? Brother? Lover? Thinking about Lex was almost as painful as watching Kyla laid to rest. Why did things between he and Lex have to be so complicated?

Clark's eyes tracked a large and handsome owl flying ahead of him in the lane. It found a perch and clung to the branch, blinking, almost as if was staring straight at him, trying to impart some of its vaunted wisdom. It hooted loudly, startling Clark. Clark shivered again and decided a good run would help. He thought of the warmth and smell of his mother's kitchen and picked up his pace.

Clark smiled in his sleep. Ooh, yeah, this was good. His body thrummed and his eyes flicked back and forth. It seemed he heard drumming, coming louder, but it just made his senses more alive. He was, oh, he was – making love with Lex. They were lying on a rug in front of a fire, and they were naked and kissing, and touching each other. This was good, wasn't it? Lex felt so fine, so right against him. They sighed and moaned with passion.

Abruptly Clark was moaning in fear instead of lust. Something was coming, Something bad. Just as suddenly, Clark found himself alone, out on the prairie. The light was shifting strangely, and Clark looked around with a terrible and intense feeling of dread. Thunder roiled in the sky, and a great sound as if many animals rushing together swept across the landscape. It seemed as if Clark could almost make out the shapes of things. Bison, dogs, and people, yes, people of all ages and sexes, there, wearing fur and beads and feathers, and carrying drums but only glimmering, as if passing through very fast. In a move that took his breath away, Clark was blasted by the wind of the beings' passing, making the landscape speed up, then disappear around him.

The plain spread dark and dead before him. He regarded the smoldering wasteland with horror and pity, and with the certain knowledge that he was the cause. Agony such as he had never known suffused him. How could he have done this? He and Lex? For in the distance, he saw another figure, an unmistakable one: slim white suit, bald head gleaming sleekly, looking serene and cheerful. Horribly, in the blink of an eye, things changed. Lex spun around like a top, and now stood covered in blood, the red soaking his pristine suit until his eyes and the gleam of his teeth as he grinned were the only spots of white remaining. Clark cried out in horror and anger and denial.

A sharp, physical pain shot through Clark. He bent over, clutching his abdomen, and the world shifted until he was lying on the floor of the Kawatche cave where he had met Kyla, staring at the cave walls with the paintings and the octagon shaped depression. A white light began to glow from the octagon, pulsing out toward him. The mythic figures of Numan and Ziget on the cave walls cavorted and pulsed with the light, now sinister, now joyful. The light from the octagon called to him, drew his attention until it filled him up, calling . . .

No. No. I can't.! Clark shouted. This is a dream, this is a nightmare and I have to wake up, I have to . . .

". . . wake up, oh God, oh God, I'm awake, am I?" Clark gasped raggedly as he turned over, then sat up in bed. Clark wasn't used to the feeling of his heart racing so much, especially not from just a dream. The same damn dream! How many times had he had it recently? He hung his head in his hands. After a while, he peeked at the clock. 4 a.m. Clark groaned and lay back down on his bed heavily, causing it to creak. He could never get back to sleep after the nightmare. He should just get up.

Things were strange the next day. Clark couldn't seem to concentrate either at home or at school, and something felt off. It almost felt like he was being watched, but despite keeping a lookout, Clark didn't see anything amiss. The remnants of his dream lingered. Each time he had it, he remembered more, and every time he remembered, he became more upset. Were he and Lex really destined to destroy the world if they continued on their present path? It seemed inconceivable that their feelings could turn so wrong. This had got to stop, he thought. He knew what he had to do.

He pretended to go to bed that night at the normal time, but instead waited impatiently until his parents were asleep. As soon as he could be reasonably sure his parents were down for the count, he slipped out of the house very fast and silently, heading toward the caves. Even though it was nearly midnight, he was unsurprised to find one of Lex's cars at the site. He hesitated just a moment. Could he confront Lex? After a moment, though, his habitual courage returned and he straightened his shoulders resolutely. Whatever was waiting for them down there, he— they-- had to confront it. Clark silently sent a prayer to the moon above. Help me. Help me protect myself and Lex. He heard an owl hoot, as if in response to his prayer. He moved swiftly toward the cave entrance.

To find Lex, he merely followed the light of Lex's flashlight. Lex, dressed in loose black pants and shirt, looked like a ninja in the night. Clark stifled an urge to giggle as entirely inappropriate under the circumstances, but Lex just brought something out in him that no one else did. Even in the worst of times, his body and sheer presence made something in Clark stand up and take notice.

Lex stood with his flashlight beam squarely upon the octagon. Lex didn't move, didn't respond, but Clark knew Lex was aware of his presence. The light glowed stronger, and Clark realized the light came from the octagon in the cave wall, and not Lex's flashlight which was now pointed to the ground. The primitive pictures of Numan and Ziget locked in struggle were dimly outlined in the shadows above. The light began to pulse in time with the faint sound of drums and rattles. Alarmed, Clark stepped closer to Lex, just as he realized what the other man was planning. Lex began to reach out toward the octagon. "Lex, no!" Clark pressed up against Lex's body, reaching over his shoulder, toward Lex's hand now touching the glowing hole in the wall.

The world was panning around in a dizzying spiral of blue and gold, revolving into sky and land, flowing around them, sprinkled with color and sound until they were standing on a grassy plain under a clear golden sky with the wind whistling greetings to them. Birds were flying and chirping, animals and insects were rustling; ground squirrels and rabbits were burrowing. The sound and smell of life was all around them. They could hear the hum of bees and hummingbirds, and smell the clean smell of the wind and grain. The earth seemed to breathe around them. Lex and Clark stared around, then looked at each other.

"Lex? Is this real?" Clark asked.

Wide-eyed but calm, Lex replied, "I don't know. Does this feel like a dream to you?"

"Oh, god, I hope not. My dreams haven't been too good lately."

Lex gave Clark a sharp look, then stiffened as he looked over Clark's shoulder. Turning very swiftly, Clark was astounded at what he saw. It couldn't have been there before; Clark had looked in all directions. But clearly, there before them, stood a village huddled on the plain in the lee of a small cliff. A very few tipis were sparsely set out in its shadow, smoke curling from them. Even more astounding was the assemblage of people who appeared before them. They were all of short stature and dressed in snow white hide clothing decorated with elaborate quill work. They had long hair, with long feathers liberally laced about the head, and along the neck, wrists, and ankles. Many were carrying rattles or drums, and the air hummed with vibration and beat through the soles of their shoes. But the most disturbing thing about them was the way they were somehow insubstantial, flickering in and out of the grass, transparent and barely illuminated fully in the strong sunlight.

A very small, very old man approached them. He was simply dressed in white buckskin, with long white hair dressed in feathers and leather cord. He wore a complicated chest piece of bone, feathers, and claws, and carried an impressive rattle draped with rabbits' feet. He turned to a young woman next to him and motioned her toward the two young men. She carried a curiously shaped gourd and offered it to Clark. Clark shot an inquiring look at Lex, but Lex simply shrugged. "Some kind of welcoming ritual, maybe. It would be considered rude to refuse."

The woman brought the lip of the gourd to Clark's mouth. Opening his mouth to protest, the women tipped the contents of the gourd into his mouth. Startled, Clark swallowed liquid that definitely wasn't water. He choked. Relentless, the woman continued to pour the liquid down his throat until she deemed he had enough, and then turned to Lex.

Sputtering and gacking, Clark said, "Lex, don't! It's gross. Blecchh! God, that has to be the worst tasting stuff I've ever tasted in my life."

Unruffled, Lex accepted the offering, only choking a little as the woman forced down a generous portion. Making a face after she was done, Lex licked his lips distastefully. "Don't worry about it, Clark." But he had a strange smile on his face.

"What was that stuff?"

"I suspect from the taste it was a peyote-based drink."

"Peyote! Oh, no." Clark didn't know much about such things, but he knew peyote was a powerful hallucinogen. He wondered if it would affect him.

"Oh yes. It means we're in for a hell of a trip."

"A trip! What will I tell my parents?"

"Well, tell them we were messing around in the caves and got caught up in an alternate dimension where there are spirits of an ancient tribe, and that you went on a vision quest." Although his words were flippant, his gaze was not. Seeing his friend's distress, Lex grabbed him by the shoulders, his hands connecting warmly on the flesh. "It's going to be all right, Clark. We're just dreaming, after all. They can't blame you for what you do in your dreams."

But that just made things worse, since that reminded Clark of the doom he kept seeing between them. "Lex, I dunno." He shuddered. "I keep seeing awful things in my dreams."

Lex hesitated, then said, "My dreams have been disturbed lately, too.

Clark blurted out, "You're in them. And people die, Lex! In fact . . .everyone dies. It's what Cassandra saw. And what the cave paintings say. And it's my fault! Or – it's *our* fault." He looked Lex in the eye at that, and saw Lex flinch.

"Numan and Ziget, right Clark?"

"I don't know! I don't want that, do you?"

Lex leaned forward and whispered. "I don't want that, either, Clark. I just want you." He drew back a little and whispered, even lower, "I'm afraid."

The shaman began to speak in an unknown language them, and forcefully, gesturing between them to the West and the sky. A glance out of the corner of the eye showed people or things thronging, seemingly just out of sight, flickering in and out of existence, as if a great crowd was watching unseen. The old man motioned Lex and Clark down into a depression where a small stream came out of a slight dip in the landscape. Clark could hear the slap of beavers' tails farther upstream. The old man led them first to the stream and gestured for them to remove their clothes and bathe.

Clark balked slightly upon seeing the stream. "Nuh uh, no way. I'm not taking my clothes off in the middle of all of this. I mean we're not in Kansas anymore, I keep expecting the flying monkeys any time now."

"Why Clark, I didn't know you were a friend of Dorothy." Lex said rather snidely.

Clark looked at his friend in disbelief. He was bringing that up now? "What's going on? Should we go along with these people, do you think?"

Lex stared thoughtfully at the old shaman's admonishments. "It looks like we're being prepared for a vision quest of some sort. It's common to undergo a ritual cleansing in preparation." And with that, Lex nonchalantly began to remove his soft black clothes.

A woman with a raven headdress (or was her face in the shape of a raven?—Clark was suddenly unsure) approached and offered them each a bundle. Dubiously, Clark accepted the bundle, and removed his clothes. He stood naked in the chill water and washed himself quickly. Lex stood casually in the buff, as if he stood outside naked in his dreams every day. He poured water over his head, and Clark was entranced for a moment by the sight of the water sparkling in the sunlight. Lex had a beauty all his own, and Clark had to forcibly avert his eyes before his friend could catch him staring. He looked at the sky, and for a moment, the sunny day flickered, and a starry expanse appeared ethereally above them, as if there were a window appearing into the galaxy.

Shaken, Clark sorted out the strips of leather making up the bundle, and wrapped them around his hips. As he stretched and shook the water out of his hair, he became aware of eyes on him. Thinking the worst, he glanced around but saw only Lex, who was staring at him with the kind of intense gaze that made his skin feel hot and his breath come faster.

Now the old man was speaking again, and motioning them back up the hill to a tipi. They were followed by several figures, both distinct and indistinct, and the drumming surged once more. Clark gave a start at the tipi's entrance, when he noticed the decoration on the hide depicting the figures of Numan and Ziget, just as in the cave. The scent of sage and wood smoke was heavy in the air, and something more. The shaman continued chanting, his voice low and reedy, but throbbing with power. It went on for a long time, as the shaman and others chanted with their rattles. They heard the words Numan and Ziget repeated as the shaman looked them in the eyes. Sticks of burning sage were passed between the two young men, making Lex sneeze.

Finally, they were ushered into the tipi, which was dim and smoky. To Clark, everything looked just like in the movies, except that the interior held nothing but skins piled around, and two sets of heavily adorned breechclouts and leggings. Lex moved toward the clothing, inspecting it while Clark stirred the fire with a stick. "This really is beautiful workmanship. I think we're being honored." Unselfconsciously, he removed the wrappings from his loins and fashioned the loin cloth around him, showing Clark how, and pulling on the leggings. He kept darting admiring glances at Clark, making Clark blush vividly.

The old shaman entered and threw herbs onto the smoldering fire in the middle of the tipi, causing a stir of sparks and oddly scented smoke. He indicated that the two should sit themselves opposite, on a bearskin. The shaman offered them a small pot, from which emanated a pungent, earthy smell. He grabbed Lex's hand, and plunged it into the pot, pulling out a greasy substance and placing Lex's hand on his own chest, making as if to rub it in. Getting a shrug from Clark, Lex started to rub the ointment on his torso and arms, making his skin gleam pearlescent in the dim light. Clark found his own hand plunged into the goo, then the man sat back, satisfied. He began to speak again, all of it incomprehensible to them.

As Clark rubbed his ointment (some kind of fat with herbs) into his skin, he tried not to breathe the fumes. Either they or the peyote were making him feel light headed. Even though he was normally impervious to mind-altering substances, this place didn't appear to follow real-world rules, and he was unsure of what was happening. The old guy was still speaking, but now he appeared to be waiting for something. A response from them? Clark looked at Lex, who was gazing at the shaman intently. "What do you think's going on here, Lex? Are these Kawatchee Indians? Or are we still dreaming?"

"I have no idea. When in doubt, wait it out." He composed himself on the bearskin, seemingly as casually as he would arrange himself at a board meeting. Only the fine tremors around his eyes gave his tension away.

The shaman took his fingers and touched Clark's forehead, then Lex's, and chanted some more before finally leaving the two men alone in the tipi. Clark felt odd, disconnected, and almost jumpy. The chanting, drumming, and the fumes began to tell on Clark. The fire leapt and crackled oddly. Was this supposed to be happening? Clark looked at his friend's naked torso, and flushed, remembering what it was like to have that creamy skin pressed against him, even if it was just a dream. The air began to thrum loudly again with the sound of drumming and chanting. He began to feel a strange unpleasant feeling in his gut. Was this nausea? The flickering of the fire intensified, pulsing and wavering.

"Lex, I don't feel so good. I feel weird."

"That's the peyote, Clark, don't panic. Just let yourself feel."

"But things don't affect me! I can't even get drunk!" Oops. He probably wasn't supposed to say that.

"Who's to say what happens here? We're not in Kansas anymore, remember?"

"Lex, I mean it. I think I'm going to throw up." Clark staggered up and went out the tipi opening.

"Clark, wait!" Lex followed. The sight and sound of Clark on his knees retching called forth a similar reaction in Lex, and soon they were both heaving, their bodies purging themselves of the residue of the hallucinogenic mixture.

Lex leaned back upon the ground, wiping his mouth. "Entirely normal reaction to the drug. Don't worry."

"Blecchh. Tastes worse coming back up, if possible."

Both young men took a moment to assess their surroundings. Instead of the village they expected, they were alone in a small clearing, in the middle of unending grassland. Instead of the bright sunlight from before, it was now darkest night. The dome of the night sky was blazing above them, the stars scintillating madly. The grass was waving gently, sparkling like gold in the starlight. It felt as though man had never lived on earth, and they were the only two beings standing.

Clark noticed there were two hide bags on the ground, and crawled over them. "Water," he croaked, and tipped one of the bags back gratefully. Lex reached for his. By the time they were done drinking, a path had opened in the grass. Lex and Clark looked at each other, and began following the path. The landscape changed as they walked, as if they were striding over the land like giants. The grass became streaks of light, and the stars blazed colored trails. They reached for each other and joined their hands as they journeyed.

After some unmeasured time, they came to a great canyon, its multicolored walls shadowed and shimmering. In front of the abyss stood a large rabbit, taller than any bunny had a right to be. Pinning Lex and Clark with a bright eye, it spoke:

"I greet you, Numan and Ziget. What do you seek?"

"What do we seek?" began Clark impatiently, "we seek a way home!"

Lex held Clark's arm as he gestured. "No, Clark." Addressing the animal, he said, "Who are you?"

"I am Hare. What do you seek?"

"We seek to avoid the doom that has been foretold. We seek to relieve our fear. We seek to avoid destruction and death." Lex seemed confident and fearless, despite his words.

Clark looked at Lex, impressed. How did he come up with these things?

"To do that, you must alter your path. You must choose each other and remain steadfast through air, earth, water, and fire." Hare gestured toward the abyss. The boys could now see a slender bridge of rock between one outcropping and the far side of the abyss. They looked down uneasily, fearing the currents on the wind, the shifting of the sands. Far away, the faint sound of water rushing could be heard. The hare said no more, merely looked toward the bridge once, and vanished.

"My, people come and go quickly here," drolly commented Clark, shaking his head.

Lex just tugged him along. "Come on, Alice, let's get this over with."

"You're really not afraid, are you? Don't you think we could be hurt?"

"Whoever brought us here, didn't bring us to hurt us. They brought us to teach us something, maybe to give us a chance that couldn't have happened otherwise."

Clark thought about it. "A chance to change things?" He stopped their motion toward the bridge, bringing Lex in close to him. He felt panicky, adrift, and his insides felt funny. This close, he could smell Lex, and it was the most real thing he could ever remember. He brought their foreheads together and breathed, "What if we make the wrong choice? How will we know?" Clark knew he sounded anguished. Alter their path, the rabbit had said. Could he prevent the bitter, evil Lex he could sense in his dreams, from ever happening? He vowed to do whatever he could to change that.

Inhaling strongly, he clutched Lex's hand and looked out over the bridge. It was narrow and long, appearing to be natural rock, but strong enough for them. Gingerly, the two men stepped out over the rock chasm. After a bit, they proceeded more confidently along the length, stopping every so often to make sure they were balanced. The walls of the canyon were a shifting show of shadow, and the light from the starlight seemed impossibly bright. With the other edge of the canyon in sight, they hurried along, when suddenly they heard a loud cracking sound. Immediately, they felt a vibration and the sickening feeling of their footing crumbling away. With nothing to hold onto, they held on to each other, falling into the abyss rapidly. Twirling and tumbling in the wind, they heard the sound of running water came closer. Clark gripped Lex hard as they rushed to the water and tried to call that part of him that responded the force of gravity. It worked—just as they splashed into icy running water. Clark had turned so he was on the bottom, but they were bobbing in the water.

Holding them in place, Clark commented, "What's with these cold baths. After this is all over, I'm heading for a hot tub. How about it?"

Lex responded with a startled chuckle. "Oh, I’m all for that." Clark started swimming toward the shore with an arm around Lex, angling easily against the strong current. They crawled up on the rocky beach and lay together, looking up at the walls of the canyon. "It certainly is dark. Can you see anything, Clark?"

Clark could see and hear things, all right. Dark shadows which seemed to move independently, dim faces, and voices on the wind. "I don't know. My sight is doing tricks, I think. I'm pretty high."

"So am I," Lex admitted. "Maybe we're really down by the creek on my property."

"Uh, I don't think so, Lex, look!" He pointed at a fire pit farther up the shore, set with logs.

"Great. I don't suppose you have a Bic in your pants."

"No need, remember, Lex?" Clark wiped the water from his hair stood, helping Lex up. "Numan came down from the sky. He has the strength of ten men and can shoot fire from his eyes." And with that, he turned toward the fire pit and concentrated, shooting hot red beams of light at the fire. It exploded into flames.

After a moment's stunned silence, Lex commented, "Well, that's certainly a useful trick."

"Yeah, isn't it?" Clark sat against a large rock, and pulled Lex down beside him. Lex sat close and Clark put his arms around him. They stared into the fire for a while, grateful for its light in the depths of the canyon. "The Hare said we had to alter our path. How do we change things?"

"It's difficult to say. According to the Kawatche, Numan was the savior of the world. You've certainly saved me." Lex slanted his eyes toward Clark. "And Ziget was like a brother to him, but betrayed him. You buy into all that? I don't want to be your brother, Clark." The last was said softly.

"I don't want to be your brother, either, Lex. And I don't want you to betray me. I don't want to betray you! I don't want any of this to happen!"

"What do you want to happen, Clark?"

Clark drew Lex closer to him. "I know I want you, Lex, and not as a brother. I want to tell you the things I've kept from you for too long. I want to stop fighting each other."

Lex turned to face him. He didn't resist, but his tone was doubtful. "Is this the answer?"

"I think it is. Numan and Ziget never put each other first. Numan protected the world, but Ziget betrayed him. I think they betrayed each other, while trying to put everything else first. That's what we can't do, Lex. We don't have to be them. Love is always the answer." Clark rolled over until he covered Lex, supporting him with his hands behind his back. He leaned over slowly and kissed him with intent. It was as if the world held its breath.

"Love?"

"Yep." Clark was ready, now, to use his body to convince Lex. He knew this was right. Or almost right. He wanted to communicate bodily some more, and bent to kiss Lex once again, but Lex pushed him away.

"No, Clark, wait , there's something . . . ."

He felt Lex stiffen. The Something was a dog—or maybe a coyote, larger than it had a right to be.

Lex said challengingly, "Hello, Coyote."

Coyote's tongue lolled as he laughed. "Hello, Ziget." The huge animal came closer to the fire. "Hello Numan. You have come through air and water. What do you seek?"

Clark groaned. "Not this again. I'm not Numan. We don't want that! How about some help to get us out of this mess instead of some cryptic message?"

"No, Clark, we don't want anything from him," Lex interjected quickly. Clark just looked confused.

Coyote looked steadily at Clark and bowed his head. "Numan, you wish help? So be it."

"No!" shouted Lex, but Coyote was no longer there. Instead, the wall of the canyon looming above came to life, shimmering with images and colors, as if it were a cosmic drive-in movie. Before either one of them could process what was happening, the images of blood and betrayal so familiar to Clark from his dreams and from Cassandra's vision were flickering above them.

Clark fisted his hands as he stared up at the images. "No, no I won't let this happen. I won't." Lex's face began to lose all emotion as the images of anger and hurt and loneliness escalated into the irrevocability of hell and death.

"Don't look, Lex. Don't!" Clark pulled him up, and put Lex's face against his chest. He thought furiously about what had to be done. "We don't have to be those people! I promise I won't let that happen. I promise! But you have to promise too." Clark shook Lex, just a little, and drew himself up, deliberately blocking the images from their sight.

"What, what, do you want me to promise?" Lex sounded shaky.

"You have to promise to be mine, not as my brother, not to be Ziget! Promise to be mine, completely. Promise me that you give me this power over you. That you commit to loving me and no one else. Let me be your balance. In return, I swear to protect you, and only you. This is the way we change the path, don't you see?"

Lex gasped and jerked away, but Clark grabbed his shoulder. "No, don't turn away, it has to be right now. Submit to me right now, and for the rest of our lives, and we'll be fine. Of course, it goes without saying," and here Clark encircled Lex with all of his being, his face, his lips, his arms, his body, all were twinned to him, "that I give you this power over me. Who else could hold it? Who else could I ever trust? We have to trust each other."

"It can't be that simple."

But Clark could see that Lex had already made up his mind. He shrugged. "Seems simple enough to me. I submit to you; you submit to me. Before all others." Clark encircled Lex's waist with his hands and waited.

Lex was rigid in his arms for a moment, then relaxed suddenly. Looking Clark right in the eye, he made his vow. "I do."

"You do? Oh, wow. I do, too! Hey! That's just like . . . " Clark got a stunned look on his face.

Gently caressing Clark's face, Lex smiled. "Oh, Clark, what a dork you are sometimes!"

"Hah! And you aren't?"

Smiling, Lex just said, "We still have to get out of here, though." Lex looked up, past the cliffs, whose light show was now abated. The gloom of the canyon seemed less, now.

"Oh, I think I can do something about that." Clark looked at the fire and grinned. "Want to see something cool?" Clark inhaled mightily, and blew out a blast of air so frigid, it stopped the fire cold. Then he grabbed Lex securely in his arms, and just sprang up. It seemed so easy this night, just to reach for the stars. In fact, he flew too far up, and ended up having to float down to the prairie. For a moment, they stood there in the featureless plain, trying to get their bearings. Clark's hearing kicked in, and he asked Lex, "Do you hear that?"

The other man cocked his head, but frowned. "What? I don't hear anything."

"Over there. Come on."

They continued in the direction Clark forged for a while. Soon even Lex could hear the drumming. They drew closer until they came to a slight ridge, on the other side of which they were relieved to find the village. In the center stood a large crowd of people around a large structure of wood, piled as for a bonfire but unlit. The people seemed more substantial now, but less human. Some had the faces of familiar animals and birds, such as owl, eagle, and raven. The form of others shifted between the lumbering form of the bear or bison, or faces alternating with glowing youth or wizened by age. Here and there they saw antlers adorning the folk. Other than the drums, the crowd was silent, waiting expectantly.

"What are they waiting for?"

"I think I know," said Clark, drawing up before the bonfire. Glancing at Lex once, he began to light the bonfire with focused bursts from his eyes. Soon, it was blazing merrily, and the drumming and dancing began in earnest. Clark held Lex's hand, and with a meaningful look jumped them through the flames quickly enough that there was merely a suggestion of heat.

"What was that for?" exclaimed Lex, as they hit the ground on the other side, batting at his skin involuntarily as if it were on fire.

"Air, water, earth, and fire, remember?" Clark grinned, exhilarated.

The little people welcomed them with ceremony. They were presented with food and drink, and draped with garlands of herbs. The shaman stood over them and chanted for a long time. It all seemed to mean something important. Clark wished he could understand the words. However, when the shaman joined Clark and Lex's hands together, winding a cord tied with herbs and amulets about their clasped hands, the symbolism was clear. Over the beat of the drums, Clark leaned over and said, "Are we getting married?" Lex just nodded, his expression pleased and a little dazed.

With the beat of the drumming pervasive, and the peyote still coursing through their blood, soon they were upright, dancing with the others. They danced and leaped, sinuously echoing the sound of the drums with their bodies. Lex was sweaty, smeared with paint, and dancing merrily. Clark thought he was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen; graceful and joyful, with wide shoulders, lean abs, and strong limbs. Clark kept flashing looks at Lex's flanks, teasingly revealed by the loin cloth and leggings. He could just see the curve of buttock, and it was driving him wild.

Soon the boys were dancing against each other, bumping chests and groins while their hands explored. Clark spied "their" tipi over his shoulder, and murmured to him, "Come with me." Just in case Lex didn't get the idea, Clark pulled, bringing the other man against him easily. Together they made it to the tipi and closed the entrance. The interior was perfect, dim and smoky, smelling strongly of herbs and Lex and Clark lay down together on the furs and hides. "Wow, this is . . ." Clark struggled to express himself.

Lex looked smug. "Pretty fucking cool, really."

Laughing, Clark looked fondly at Lex. "If you say so. Just right now, I suggest no more talking." Clark suited actions to words and bent toward his mate, beginning to kiss and caress. After a long while, affected by the herbs in the smoke and the intensity of their journey, their kisses slowed until they touched each other softly and sleepily.

Clark murmured, "So. We can't be Numan and Ziget any longer. Or at least not the way the Kawatche foretold. No regrets? You could have ruled the world, you know."

"Yeah, ruled the world and destroyed it. Not a good idea. But you could have saved the world."

"I only saved it for a while, anyway. It took two of us to destroy it. That's not going to happen anymore." Clark continued, "Besides, there's that whole part where I have to submit to you," he said meaningfully as he wriggled a little. "I'm looking forward to that!"

Lex laughed a little at that and said, "Me too, Clark. Me too. Did I mention that I love you?"

"I knew."

Clark usually loved mornings. He liked to wake up early and work outside when the animals were active. He liked coming in to a family breakfast with his parents. However, this particular morning sucked. He awoke uncomfortable on a cold stone floor, next to Lex. Although it was dark, Clark's senses told him the sun was rising. "Come on, Lex, wake up, are you okay?" he said anxiously, quickly helping the other man up.

"I’m okay." The other man looked himself over, doubtfully. "I feel okay. How 'bout you?"

"I'm fine." Clark had a strange expression on his face. They were both fully dressed in their normal clothing. "But our clothes and—" Clark's face became red.

Lex looked thoughtful. "I'm pretty cold and stiff. Which suggests that perhaps we have been lying here in the cave the whole time."

Distressed, Clark said, "You mean none of it really happened? The – peyote – and the-" He broke off, embarrassed.

"The marriage ceremony? Well, I'm sure everything that happened was real on some level."

Clark frowned. On some level? "So, does that mean we really aren't really married?" He felt a sharp pain of disappointment.

Lex, however, appeared very pleased and smiled somewhat shyly, reaching for Clark's hand and entwining his with it. "Oh, don't think you'll be rid of me that easy. Although, we *should* make extra sure that our relationship is consummated properly. Tell you what. Why don't we go back to my place and run that hot bath we were talking about earlier?"

"Can we explore that mutual submitting thing, huh?" Clark grinned.

"You can bet on it."

The two hurried out, hand in hand. They never noticed the altered figures of Numan and Ziget above them, their hands now and forever joined.

End