“We could go horseback riding,” Arvus suggested.
“Or I could ride you,” Molun said with a grin. “Trill and I could take turns. That would be fun, wouldn’t it?”
“Very fun,” Trill agreed. He eyed Yannoma. “Um.”
“Ooh, what?” Molun wanted to know.
“I will be all right for a few more days,” Yannoma told him. “The Fire Mage fed me well, and there is enough ambient attraction that I will survive.”
Trill had kind of been hoping to be a little more subtle about this, but Molun and Arvus both looked between the two of them.
“Oh,” Molun said, blinking, “of course.” He and Arvus exchanged glances, and Arvus gave a little nod. “Uh, neither of us are particularly attracted to women, but as long as it’s not weird for Trill, we don’t mind putting on a show if that makes the energy more direct for you. We would prefer not to be seduced like you did with Cormal, though.”
Yannoma was staring at them intently. “You… would not mind.”
“As Molun said, as long as Trill is comfortable and no one will be injured, we’re happy to help.” Arvus’s face was calm. He smiled a little. “How can we change things between us if we don’t change things between us?”
Trill was… surprised. As much acceptance and understanding as Molun and Arvus had shown him at every possible occasion, there still seemed to be part of him that expected that they would come acrosssomethingthat was too much. And yet, so far, every occasion demonstrated the exact opposite.
Molun turned to Trill. “Does it make you uncomfortable, honey? We should have asked first. Sorry.”
Trill knew they hadn’t meant to put him on the spot. The thing was, he wasn’t ever ashamed about having sex. And he’d been helping to feed Yannoma for years. But he appreciated their solicitude.
“I’m not uncomfortable at all,” Trill assured them. “I always want to have sex with you.”
As expected, this made Molun grin wide, and Arvus caressed his arm. Trill felt a little bit as though he was getting the hang of this.
Yannoma said, “I am capable of showing more restraint than I did with the Fire Mage. I will not harm any of you, and I would not take so much energy that it impedes Trill’s ability to feed.”
Molun’s eyes lit up. “Hey, I’ve been wondering, howdoesthat work? You and Perian need foodandsex energy? Can the one replace the other? How long can you go without one or both? Is it the same for everyone?”
Trill couldn’t help but grin at the enthusiasm.
“Perian is the only other child of two worlds I’ve met,” he reminded them. “We’ve not exactly discussed it exhaustively, but I think it’s safe to say that Perian is a lot stronger than I am.”
Arvus slung an arm around him. “We like you just as you are.”
Trill really was coming to believe that.
“From everything I’ve been taught, we cannot survive on either just food or just sex energy. Unlike carnalions, we derive a percentage of our energy from food. We can go days, even weeks without feeding, especially if we’re well-fed to begin with.”
Molun’s head had tilted to one side, a frown furrowing his brow. “Doesn’t Perian go months without feeding? Or didn’t he?” A grin blossomed on his face. “I mean, it’s super clear that Brannal is having sex with him constantly now. But Perian made it sound like he came to town infrequently and that was the only time he had sex.”
It was Yannoma who said, “I believe he may have adapted to his circumstances. His father was determined to give him the best possible life with the fewest possible dangers. It was a large part of why he picked this location and this set-up for his staff. From what I understand, very rarely, children of two worldsdemonstrate few characteristics of carnalions. Regardless, they appear entirely human until sometime in puberty, and they feed solely from normal food until that time. As they mature, their need for sex energy develops. If they cannot get it, they can become sick.”
Molun was nodding. “Perian mentioned that. His father brought him to the city and to one of the houses of pleasure.” He made a face. “The, uh, one that burned down.”
A shadow passed across Yannoma’s face, but she nodded. “Borian was smart, and there’s nothing he wouldn’t do for his son. He evidently found this other carnalion. While he chose not to reveal the truth to Perian then, the carnalion must have taught him what he needed to do to survive without his realizing it.” She considered for a moment. “From the time his carnalion needs developed, he was presented with a feast and famine reality. I believe Perian may have developed an… excellent storage capacity, if you will. He became able to take in a lot of energy and store it for a considerable amount of time. When it completely faded, he would need to seek out more sexual relations once again.”
“That actually makes a lot of sense.”
They all started at the new voice, and there was Perian at the doorway, Brannal behind him. Perian smiled faintly.
“Kee and Cormal are working on the letter. I did start to feel both restless and a bit lethargic before I came back to town. I always assumed I was bored, especially after my father died. But that makes a lot of sense, if it was a drive to survive.”
Brannal squeezed Perian’s shoulder, and Perian leaned back against him.
Yannoma said, “It might also explain a little of what happened with your prince. I have not encountered many children of two worlds over the years, but to my knowledge, you are the first to have ever taken in as much energy as you say you did beforeyou tried to bring the Prince back. It is likely something that has never been attempted before.”
