Sons of the Earth

Sons of the Earth Bunker, February 13th, 2020, 2100

     The bunker turned out to be, from the outside, an old-style bomb shelter. It had one heavily armored door that led into the side of a large, half-collapsed granite hill. The door had no modern keypad, just a massive blank plate Elias pointed to. "Any lock could be picked," he explained, "so we use this Artifact. If you know the combination, it will activate. Come here, and I'll show you." Taking Joel's hand, Elias pressed his palm into the plate. "Alright, now focus and picture the following. A wooden chair, a tire swing hanging from a rope on a tree..."

     It made little sense to Joel, but he obligingly pictured each random object Elias described. To his surprise, there was a loud click. A gentle push caused the door to swing inward. The hinges were inside, safe from anyone trying to pry the door. With no physical lock, it would be next to impossible to open. The whole thing was designed with safety in mind. "A telepathic lock," he marveled. "You weren't kidding when you said you decked this place out, were you?"

     Elias was practically skipping as he led the way inside. "We've been upgrading through the years, keeping it current. It looks pretty basic out here, but inside?"

     They'd reached another door, this one shining steel with a modern handprint scanner. Elias scanned his palm, bouncing on his toes excitedly as he babbled that they'd get Joel's print logged as soon as possible. Then he darted through the door before it had finished sliding open. "We have everything all set up," Elias called back as Joel moved to follow him. "There are clothes in your size, your own computer and entertainment center, a double bed in case you want to bring home company..."

     "Only for company?" Joel asked, amused.

     "Well..." Elias stopped, uncertain. "The thing is, we don't usually sleep in our private quarters. We've got another room we usually sleep in. It's got a king-sized bed, massive, easily big enough for all three of us..."

     "Wait." Joel held up his hand, ready to protest. The thought of sharing a bed with two other men made him feel awkward. But then he saw Elias's face fall and reconsidered. "Ok, I get that you don't like to sleep alone. But a couple of things need to be said. First, I'm straight. Women only, you know? Ok," he continued, seeing the annoyance in Elias's eyes, "I already figured out that it's not like that with you, kiddo, and you'll always seem like a kid to me, no matter how old you really are. That's why I'm willing to do certain things with you, like platonically sharing a bed, that I wouldn't have done if you looked like a grown man. But I don't know about Merlin. Let me at least get to know him first, ok?"

     That seemed to content Elias, who nodded. "You'll love the Wizard, Joel," he insisted. "Just give him a chance. Believe me, I fought it hard, but you already know how it is with us, with our own kind. We always go back to each other because that's the only way we feel complete. Once you let yourself feel that connection, you won't want to be away from your brothers, either."

     "I'm sure." Joel offered him a smile, and Elias beamed. He started walking again, steps echoing in the hall until he came to yet another door, this one without a lock. It didn't seem to have any visible means to open it. "It's another Artifact," Elias explained. "This leads to our private quarters. It only opens to shadow, air, or water magic." He blew gently on the door, which immediately opened.

     The smell hit as soon as they stepped inside. The inner part of the secret bunker was surprisingly bright and spacious. Comfortable furniture was placed among high-tech monitors. The air was room temperature and comfortable. Joel could hear the hum of the air circulator. He suspected the smell would be far worse if it hadn't been functional.

     "My sword!" Elias exclaimed, making a beeline toward the main table. He lovingly lifted the sheathed blade before quickly slipping the strap into place and drawing the sword. It immediately started to glow. Looking at it now, Joel couldn't fathom why he'd ever thought it even remotely ordinary. The thing made his senses hum. The eldrich glow surrounding it made it almost seem like the sword was on fire. Seeing the massive blade in Elias's slender hands looked odd, but Elias wielded it expertly, moving from stance to stance with the ease of long practice.