The Sentinels: The First and Second

by Gloria Viotti Olson

  He was just as beautiful as Grayson but he made himself look as masculine as possible. Poor child, he had been bullied for looking like a girl when he was little too; she remembered it well. Grayson had always defended him and protected him as best he could, no wonder the boy had fallen in love with Grayson, who wouldn't?

  Jo scrutinized Grayson's face as well, the transformation was almost complete; Grayson's eyes opened with a snap. His eyes, which were big, and a beautiful translucent pale grey color, were shining like the beacon that he was. There was a metallic silver mercury-like color and a liquid gold-like color both of which seemed to be swirling and floating around in the translucent pale grey of his eyes. Light refracting off of them, it was quite disconcerting to see, but simply breathtakingly beautiful, she couldn't take her eyes off of him. Then Grayson gasped sharply and rolled over, heaving from the pain once again; she saw the muscles in his back, his abdominal muscles seemed to have wrapped around to his back forming a solid shield like mass. Good lord, but this kid was ripped!

  Even with all her training, and her own transformation her muscle were not as developed as his were, but she was still the strongest fighter amongst all of them. They still had a lot to learn. Grayson's transformation was complete, but Harry's wasn't; although Harry did look more delicate than Grayson with his tapered slender waist and smaller boned body, his body was by no means delicate looking. His abdominal muscles had also wrapped around his back, forming that shield-like mass though his was not as thick as Grayson's, his legs were not as thick either. He was smaller than Grayson now, instead of Grayson being smaller than he was, although, even with their height difference, Harry had still always looked more delicate than Grayson.

  Grayson leaned over Jo's lap looking at Harry.

  "How's he doing?" Grayson asked, startling himself; his voice was deeper.

  He laughed, and heard himself laugh, which made him laugh harder. Jo looked at him and smiled, he was silly.

  "Really, no matter how much you change you still remain the same silly Gray. Now be quiet, Harry is still in pain," Jo reprimanded at the end. Grayson's smile vanished, and he looked at Harry intently.

  "Jo, give him to me, I'll hold him," Grayson said, lifting Harry easily and laying his head on his lap.

  He ran his fingers trough Harry's hair, petting him gently, lovingly, then Grayson began to hum, the same lullaby that Jo remembered singing along with Isabel Phillips when Grayson was little. She began to sing the song along with his humming. Harry's eyes snapped open as well; that same metallic silver mercury-like color and liquid gold-like color swirled and floated around his bright emerald green eyes the contrast was amazing. Breathtaking, thought Jo, as she gazed into Harry's eyes, simply gorgeous.

  Grayson was also looking into Harry's eyes, his mouth slightly open, speechless. He seemed enthralled by Harry until Harry rolled over and heaved. There was nothing left in his stomach to come up, but still he dry heaved until his body stopped reacting to the pain, then he lay on his side, spent. Grayson crawled over to Harry on all fours, and sat down with his shins and feet tucked under him, petting Harry's head. It was an odd feeling to see such a huge kid act so cute.

  "Harry, are you still in pain?" Grayson asked, his voice was deep and husky.

  It's downright sexy! The type of voice that makes you wet! Honestly! Jo thought.

  Harry's eyes were round with shock when he heard Grayson's voice, looking up at him he gasped, staring at his eyes. Grayson didn't quite understand Harry's second reaction, but he laughed at his reaction to his voice.

  "Gray," Harry lifted his hand and touched Grayson's face in awe.

  Harry's voice had deepened but not by much, his voice had already been relatively deep.

  "Your voice, your eyes! OH MY GOD! How fucking tall are you?!" Harry exclaimed standing up so fast he startled himself, then, realizing he was naked; he sat back down just as fast.

  "What's happened to us?" Harry asked astounded.

  Grayson explained everything from his memory that his Dad had told him. Harry's mouth dropped open, and he turned white at the mention of them having a baby. Grayson turned to Jo.

  "Jo, you already knew some of this didn't you?" Grayson asked her, she nodded.

  "Yes, I was there listening to what your Father said, plus I had just learned about Sentinels before I got stuck in limbo. Unfortunately, I was never able to read through the book your Dad told you about to learn more, I only caught a few things here and there when I would read over your Father's shoulder. It was never enough time to gather much information," Jo said. Harry was looking around; his face looked concerned.

  "What's wrong Harry?" Grayson asked looking in the direction Harry was.

  "Where are we; when are we, and how do we get home? I don't want to be naked anymore." Harry asked, complaining and speaking what they had all been thinking.

  "I don't know, Harry, I guess I can go and look, but I am just as naked as you, and now I am taller which might intimidate people. I don't think it's a good idea that Jo go though. Since we don't know the date, it might be dangerous for her, and if we are way off her outfit might actually give us away more. Out of all of us though which looks the most normal, I think I do; I don't look like an angel," Grayson sulked, Jo laughed, and Harry looked confused.

  "Who looks like an angel?" Harry asked confused. Grayson smiled at him, stretched out a hand, and gently pulled on a lock of Harry's hair.

  "You do silly," Grayson laughed; Harry frowned, trying to look at his hair but it was too short for him to see.

  "Your eyes are stunning too; it looks like your eyes have emeralds with quicksilver and molten gold floating and shimmering inside of them; so beautiful," Grayson's voice died out; he was leaning in slowly to kiss Harry when Jo swatted him on the back of the head.

  "Ow; why did you backhand me Jo?" Grayson complained; Jo opened her arms wide indicating the open field.

  "We are out in the open Gray, what would you do if someone walked up and saw you kissing another man. We look like two fully grown naked young adult men and one semi naked young adult woman. What do you think it will look like if someone saw you kissing Harry? You have to control your actions; think before you act." Jo snapped, looking around, and then standing up.

  "Well we are never going to get anywhere just sitting here, let's go. I've been in worse predicaments and still come out on top, just follow my lead ok?" Jo said.

  Both Grayson and Harry nodded their heads and stood up. Harry and Jo just stared up at Grayson; he was massive, just like his Father in height, but his bone structure was slightly smaller so he looked more lean and compact. However, there was no doubt that he was breathtakingly magnificent; everything on him rippled and gleamed; he was every bit a Sentinel.

  Chapter Seven

  They'd been walking for about three miles or so when they got to a long string of trees running alongside a large stream; it ran as far as the eye could see. There was a trail under the canopy of trees and another along the side of the trees. The three of them stopped at the stream to refresh themselves and drink some water.

  Once they were done they started to follow the trail under the trees, after a while Grayson turned around to look and see how far they had gotten, and a tattoo that had not been there before appeared across Grayson's large back.

  Huge wings spread out across Grayson's entire back, they looked so real, as if they were about to sprout out of his back. There was a Sentinel guard in the middle attached to those wings, resting his arms on the hilt of a huge lightning bolt sword, with its point down; its point went through the infinity symbol the Sentinel stood on, which finished at Grayson's butt crack. The hilt stood at chest height, and the handle pierced the infinity symbol above the Sentinels head, which finished at the base of Grayson's neck and hairline.

  The wings of the Sentinel were a pure shimmering white and had the same silver and gold color that was floating in his eyes framing each feather, The Sentinel's body shone, the skin shimmering in the light
, the lightning bolt was the color of blue white, energy sparks seemed to be flying from it. The infinity symbols equal in size, were a different color each, the one above the Sentinels head was gold the one below his feet was silver.

  The tattoo was amazing, Jo gasped as she saw it appear; Harry, who looked up and followed Jo's gaze, also gasped once he saw the tattoo, his mouth hanging open. Jo walked up and touched it; it was real. She recognized this image from the reading she had been able to do when Keith had read through the Sentinel book for research. This particular tattoo was only for the first of the first two original Sentinels, no one else could wear this tattoo. The description in the book had been explicit about this information.

  "Grayson Phillips you're the First Sentinel!" Jo whispered, covering her mouth with both her hands.

  "Gray you have a beautiful and huge tattoo on your back," Harry said in a very quiet voice. Grayson looked confused; he kept looking from Jo to Harry to Jo again.

  "What are you guys talking about; huge tattoo; First Sentinel? What tattoo and who is that?" Grayson asked, pointing at each; Jo started to explain.

  "Gray, all Sentinels can die, their bodies though immortal once they go through the transformation, can still die if the right method is used. That said, only the first two original Sentinels can reincarnate into the same form they originally had with all their past lives experiences and memories, which allows them to be a better more adept, and stronger Sentinel guard. That doesn't mean that the other Sentinels won't reincarnate, we will just reincarnate to a normal human body, not a Sentinel one, without our memories of our past life or the abilities of a Sentinel; at least that is how I understood it," Jo said, Grayson and Harry remained quite knowing she was not finished.

  "Anyway all this is from what I was able to gather from reading over your Father's shoulder, but from what I can remember, there is a distinguishing tattoo that sets the first Sentinels apart. The tattoo on your back is that symbol; and within that tattoo, there is still a distinction. Originally, the gods made one Sentinel from their own bodies, taking a piece of each god and combining them all into one Sentinel. Of course, this in essence, means Sentinels are gods themselves, just to a diminished degree; they are Mini gods, not to be confused with Demi gods," Jo continued.

  "So, the gods created only one Sentinel at first, thinking that this would be enough to guard time, but after a while, they saw that an additional guard was needed so they made another. Except that the second time around, they added a piece of the first Sentinel into the mix as well, so that more than just time and the gods would bind the two Sentinels. Naturally, the first original Sentinel was of a higher rank and because of the millions of years of experience predating the second Sentinel's existence, it was stronger. The distinction in the tattoo is simply the rank amongst the first two original Sentinels. The first Sentinel has the white wings framed in gold and silver, two infinity symbols and the lightning bolt sword, the second has the same but the wings it has are-" Jo was cut off by Grayson, who whispered loud enough for only Jo and Harry to hear.

  "Black wings, outlined in gold, and the infinity symbols are black and gold," Grayson said lost in thought, snapping his head up to look at the shocked face of Harry and the smile on Jo's face.

  "You've already started to remember your past lives? Wow, you really are amazing Gray." Jo seemed overjoyed.

  "No, I've just seen that tattoo before," Grayson said innocently. Jo looked surprised, denial written all over her face.

  "That's almost impossible; where have you seen this tattoo? I've always been with you and I have not seen it except for in your Father's Sentinel book and you were not there," Jo said, upset.

  "You; I saw it when we were having sex. It was across your stomach, ribs, under your breasts and the wings wrapped around to your back spread wide, the lightning bolt seemed to go down into your, um, you know, nether regions," Grayson said ducking his head, his face flushed bright pink.

  'God, you really are still so innocent,' Jo thought but said nothing.

  "You can just call it a vagina if the other terms for it offend you," Jo said.

  "Well anyway, does that mean you are the second original Sentinel? Wouldn't that also mean I'm sort of like your co-maker?" Grayson asked.

  "Are you sure that tattoo appeared on my stomach? It doesn't make sense, because I have never had it before, and from what I read, it is supposed to be on the back. I don't understand. Maybe the combination of Harry and me together brought out the tattoo, but then wouldn't that mean that we are only the second Sentinel when bound together? Wait no, that can't be right, besides I was in Harry's body; if you saw the tattoos on me then you saw them on his body as well even if you could not see his body. The bond between the first two transcends everything else. Harry? Have you ever seen anything like what Gray described?" Jo asked turning to Harry, disbelief coloring her voice, she'd completely disregarded Grayson's second question.

  Grayson answered her first question before Jo's suggestion that Harry was the second Sentinel and not her, hit home. He didn't give Harry a chance to answer her first either.

  "Of course; I had nowhere else to look, you were the only other person there with me that I could see, and I could only feel Harry; I am sure I saw it," Grayson said.

  Not that I would have looked away, we were having amazing sex, and you looked magnificently erotic and sexy but I really do wish I could have seen Harry as well.

  However, he didn't say anything or Harry would get offended, and possibly blush at Grayson's straightforwardness. Then Jo's words hit him, and for a second the thought of Harry being his second in command overwhelmed him. He would give almost anything for that to be true. Although he wished Jo were right about Harry being born a Sentinel, the chances of that were quite slim; oh but how he wished they were true. However, Jo was perfect for the position of second Sentinel; he turned to Jo and smiled.

  "So then does that mean that we are the first and second original Sentinels?" Grayson asked Jo.

  "Well it would appear so, unless my theory that Harry is, is correct. I find it odd though, from your Father's and my research of his Sentinel book, the first two are supposed to find each other, but it's unknown to me when this will happen, and why it hasn't happened before. If I am the second then why haven't I regained any of my past life memories? Moreover, it still doesn't clear much up, because I may have found you but you and Harry also found each other simultaneously, as if you were searching for each other but did not know it. As it stands, it can be either of us, we will have to wait and see who actually shows the tattoo physically. I wonder which one of us it is," Jo contemplated out loud.

  Harry, who had been listening intently, finally spoke, but he seemed to be ignoring the possibility that he could be the second Sentinel. Because, after all, he was not a time traveler or fighter like Grayson or Jo. He highly doubted that he was anything other than a normal human, or well was, until Grayson changed him.

  "Maybe you haven't remembered because you never tired. Except for the transformation which happens by itself, it seems everything else has to be done the hard way, no short cuts. So why would we assume that the memories would be any different? You taught us when we were little, that assuming inadvertently spells death, and I would think it is the same for Sentinels as well. Never assume, never guess, always be sure of your actions, always think ahead, always be sure of what you do and what needs to be done before you do it. That's what you taught us," Harry said quietly but firmly.

  He was sitting on a rock in the shade next to the flowing creak on the side of the trail and he seemed to be shining, the light of his skin hitting the leaves on the ground.

  Grayson sat staring at Harry lost in his own thoughts.

  Is it really possible that he is my second, wouldn't that make me way to lucky? Ah God, he really does look like an angel, magnificent and majestic and he's all mine! Hahaha.

  Grayson gloated to himself until he realized that Jo and Harry were both silent and staring at him, both
had stopped talking, oops, had he missed something?

  "What?" Grayson asked looking form one to the other.

  "You do realize you said that out loud right?" Jo asked, trying to hold in the laughter.

  Harry's face was completely red, but he looked happy, though embarrassed. Jo couldn't contain herself and she busted up laughing out loud, holding her stomach. Grayson said nothing since there was nothing he was ashamed of. It took him a long time to figure out and admit his feelings and he wasn't going to be ashamed of them now. He was who he was and if someone didn't like it then they didn't have to be with him or around him, it was as simple as that. Grayson lifted his chin a little in defiance as Jo let out another peal of raucous laughter.

  "Gray you are really funny, don't you feel any embarrassment? Even if you turn all pink you still go ahead and do it, regardless of the embarrassment it may cause you or someone else. You are true to yourself if nothing else, you are really, amazing, I love you honey, don't ever change," Jo said and hugged him tightly around the waist.

  Harry smiled to himself and bowed his head then he turned around, dipped his cupped hand into the river, and brought it back up, taking a drink and sighing in satisfaction. The water really tasted great, so clean and crisp; it seemed his senses had enhanced during his transformation. He turned when he heard both of them gasp and was suddenly picked up and hugged by an exuberant Grayson.

  "Gray, what are you doing? Hey, I can't breathe," Harry said in a wheeze as Grayson squeezed him tightly.

  "I really am too lucky, I can't believe this, oh I am so happy!!!" Grayson said, spinning Harry around in a circle.