A/N: Ok,this is my first attempt at fanfiction. I love Glee – especially Klaine – and I love reading the amazing stories on this site, especially when they are AU. So I thought I would combine Klaine with my equally burning love of fantasy and let my mind run wild! As this is a first-timer's timidly presented offering, I would of course be very grateful for any thoughts or suggestions you have to offer!

This story is entirely Klaine (though a few other random Glee characters may pop up from time to time), and completely AU and delicious fantasy.

At this stage I hope it will be suitably epic (as all good fantasy should be)!

Rated M for some violence and later, more adult developments…

I, of course, own no part of Glee, not even Kurt and Blaine – who are (sigh) the intellectual property of Ryan Murphy and Fox.

Please excuse my brief piece of description at the beginning of this chapter – I like to start things off slowly. I promise Kurt will make his entrance very shortly!

An Introduction

High above the surface of the Earth the great emptiness of sky is filled with infinite invisible pieces of nothing – well nothing that is (any longer) important, that is. These particles, specks, dust – they drift and dance – buffeted by wind, rain and anything that moves through them regardless of size (for they are so small as to be almost nothing at all). They float on columns of air, soaring higher and higher, until they find a new pocket of air, less dense than the first, or a change in temperature, whereby they fall, only to be picked up a moment later to be thrust somewhere else.

The group of particles that we are interested in were not drawn together by any mutual attraction or any purpose of destiny – simple chance brought this collection of nothings within bumping distance of each other, to be transported by the same stream of air on their erratic dance. At the moment we find them they are sinking, very slowly, as they are being swept along a ridge of low, weathered mountains which are themselves covered in a deep, dense expanse of equally weathered forest. As they sink they twirl happily in the air, clashing against each other in a gleeful manner.

Soon, as the gnarled trees of the forest begin to thin, evidence of an entirely different habitat can be seen. Under the twirling mass of particles buildings begin to emerge from the darkness – sparse at first, but becoming more concentrated the closer the particles are pushed towards the ground. Not a single one of these buildings seems to remain untouched from the rampaging madness that must, at one point, have swept through this place. Roofs collapsed onto walls ruined through terrible force, or maybe just the decay of time. Steel, wood, stone – all discarded, like limbs from a corpse - give the whole landscape the feel of the graveyard. The particles may not appreciate it, but we can see that it is deserted – not a soul scrapes through the wreckage looking for any form of salvation.

Buffeted upwards once more we follow the particles towards the only structure that seems to have survived the terrible plight of the city below. Tall, menacing walls erupt out of the dark wreck, arching inwards at their peak and topped with vicious spikes. Within these rises a tower, seemingly haphazardly constructed, with odd bits, strange turns and no cohesion – perhaps constructed out of the discarded organs of the city below. Here there are signs of life – lights in the tower, some movement on the walls – people, we can see, as the particles dip once again to rush past the guards as they make their solitary marches along the top of the wall. We continue to tail the particles as they finally reach the miscellany-tower, and follow them once more as they are sucked up against its bulk into the dark sky above. Slipping to and fro across the tower we begin to slow as we slowly reach our destination. One of many, a small slit of a window, dimly lit, beckons quietly. As we reach its lip, another sharp gust blows our intrepid group of particles away from the tower to adventures yet undiscovered.

But here we must remain, for here our story begins. Within two young men are waiting for their lives to become…more interesting. Though they may not know it at this precise moment, you do, dear reader, which is, I suppose, the material point.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

The jarring rhythm pierces the silence at precisely the right interval to initiate maximum annoyance – just long enough to breed hope, just short enough to snuff it out…every time.

Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.

The atmosphere in the small room grows palpably thicker, and the world seems to tense and hold its breath. A sharp crack rents the air, followed immediately by a soothing of the atmospheric tension.

"Hey! I was using that!" an indignant voice, tinged with humour calls from a dark corner of the room. A thin face (of some Asian origin – precise location unknown), attached to an equally elongated body moves into the thin strip of the room illuminated by three slender candles hovering several feet above the ground. "That was completely unnecessary! Do you have any idea how long its going to take me to find another one of these?" the thin boy says as he gestures towards the dimmest corner of the room, the flaccid remains of a rubber ball in his hand.

"I am simply beside myself with remorse," a smooth, high voice intones from the gloom. "I'm honestly not sure if I'll be able to forgive myself. What could you possibly do now to cause me to expire from annoyance?"

The tall boy smiles knowingly and turns to lean against the window sill. He closes his eyes and just manages to squeeze his head through the window, letting the light breeze spin through his hair.

"Oh I don't know. I could probably think of something!" he says to the night air, the smirk evident in his voice. And then he begins to hum, softly at first, but swiftly rising in volume. Completely unmelodious, his usually pleasant voice becomes the musical equivalent of nails scraping on sandstone, ignoring rhythm, metre and tone in his quest to produce the most unattractive song ever heard by human ears. Once again the air begins to condense – you can almost reach out and pinch it between finger and thumb. The tall boy in the window continues his 'song', his smile increasing with the density of the air as he waits for the inevitable. As predicted, the gloom in the corner explodes.

"Jesus, f…." the rest of his speech seems best lost to night. The candles clatter to the ground, the flames extinguished instantly. With a wave of his hand, which glows slightly in the dark, the tall boy rights them and, pointing his index finger in their direction, he restores their flame. Turning to the dreaded corner, the smirk even broader on his face, he gestures towards the candles.

"I think I'll leave the floating part to you – it's not really my strongest suit."

A slightly shorter boy emerges from the shadows. He is tightly wrapped in a maroon velvet robe - the hood, pushed up over his head, hides most of his face. With a dramatic flourish he sweeps it back, revealing a delicate, porcelain-skinned visage, framed by auburn hair which has been perfectly and delicately coaxed into its current, unmoving position. His blue eyes, usually sparkling with joy and intelligence, seemed to have darkened innumerable shades and are currently shooting invisible daggers across the room to his companion.

" 'Oh I don't know, I could probably think of something!'" he hisses, impatiently flicking his gaze to the candles which immediately resume their levitation. Turning his eyes back to the taller boy he sighs dramatically, placing one hand on his hip, leaving the other to comb through his hair in frustration, before he remembers himself and shoots it back to his side before he ruins it completely. "I was trying to meditate," he mumbles softly, frustration mingling with resignation in his tone.

"I hardly think that's necessary Kurt. Your Skill is more than adequate. It's outstanding. Incandescent. Brilliant. Monumental…

"Alright. Stop." the shorter boy snaps, casting off his robe in frustration and throwing it back into the corner. "What can I do for you this evening, Michael?" He seems less imposing now, defeated almost, as he rubs his fingers over his temple in an attempt to induce some form of calm.

Mike chuckles again and gestures towards the window. "What I always want Kurt – just a little bit of adventure. The night awaits – can't you hear her? She is calling our names, whispering of roads left untaken, of wonders as yet undiscovered, of monsters still un-slaughtered…"

Kurt sighs loudly and hangs his head for a moment, taking deep, slow breaths to compose himself. "Alright, fine. But if I even come close to being killed this time I shall not be merciful."

Mike's smirk becomes a ready grin and he rubs his hands in delight, the possibilities of this night too rich to consider all at once. "This. Is going to be amazing – I promise! I was thinking of perusing the wonders of the night to be found at the root of the forest. There's a row of huge buildings out there – factories of some form I would guess – who knows what they could be hiding!"

Kurt's sigh is slightly softer this time. "I won't ask how you know what's out that way – I don't really want to hear it. But judging by how small the trees look from up here I guess I'm going to be out all night?"

Mike's grin refuses to fade, his hands still remain clasped in anticipation.

"Fine, let's go. And remember, I would quite like to keep my limbs – I'm rather fond of them."

Kurt moves quickly across the room, which, apart from the floating candles, and the bed we can presume is situated somewhere in the hidden corner, is almost completely bare. The only other item is a small wooden chest, which Kurt now opens to remove a long, slender dagger, sheathed in simple leather and a quiver. He belts the sheath over his simple black trousers and light, cotton shirt, and pulls the quiver over his shoulder so it rests against his back. Crossing back to the door he reaches above it to remove his bow from its hook and walks back to Mike, who is still standing, staring calmly at the candles. Kurt hands him the bow, then turns around so Mike can fit it easily to the clip of the side of the quiver. When he is done, the shorter boy turns back to face him, nodding with satisfaction as he reaches over his shouder to check he can access his weapon quickly and easily. He looks up to the window, eyes piercing the darkness to seek what awaits them in the once-city.

"Let's go." he says softly. The two boys stare at the wall until Mike turns to look expectantly at Kurt, who raises a perfectly manicured eyebrow in reply.

"What? You're much better, neater, more extraordinary…"

"Ugh fine," Kurt snaps. His stare seems only to intensify and suddenly the wall, or least a small, controlled segment of it, explodes outwards with an ear-splitting crack. Immediately Mike pinches his thumb and forefinger together, glowing softly, which seemingly cause the sound to cease to exist.

Kurt shifts uncomfortably. "Thanks…I didn't think." Mike chuckles again, "I hardly think anyone would care too much about it, given the mayhem that's usually unleashed around here, but it doesn't hurt to be safe. Think nothing of it – let's go."

Both boys move to stand side by side on the newly-created ledge, watching the recently-vacated bricks as they hover in the air in front of them, ready to be replaced. Mike turns to smile at his friend once more. "See you at the bottom Kurt!"

He places both hands on the bricks beside him which are still happily in situ within the Tower and once again a glow shines forth beneath his touch. Kurt watches as he then swings the rest of his body into contact with the wall, a similar glow erupting from the soles of his shoes. With blinding speed Mike begins to swing and clamber down the Tower – within seconds he is virtually lost from sight into the dark – only an occasional flash of light betrays his position.

Kurt then turns his back on the night and prepares to make his own exit. With one last sigh he spreads his arms and falls backwards off the ledge. After enjoying the glorious rush of free fall for a few seconds he slows his descent so he can move the bricks back into place, leaving them loose for their hopeful return. He stays on his back, looking up at the great expanse of Tower as he floats downwards like a leaf from a tree. Despite his grumbling he does feel most at peace like this – free from the Tower and its inhabitants – answering only to himself and the night. With a small smile beginning to form on his lips Kurt closes his eyes and tilts his body so his feet point towards the earth. Like tipping over the edge of a slide he lets himself plummet downwards, revelling in the wind, the pounding in his ears, the thrill. The rush becomes almost deafening before Kurt brings his descent to a sudden halt, still floating several feet above the ground. He opens his eyes to find himself face to face with a brilliantly grinning Mike.

"So impressive! I wish I could do that!"

Kurt smirks before he can stop himself, producing a knowing laugh from his friend. "Come on you – you can demonstrate your brilliance whilst we're ridding the world of evil."

Kurt brings himself softly to land on the ground, discarded tiles from the wreckage of the city cracking beneath his feet. Both boys wince softly at the noise and glance furtively out into the darkness. Beyond the immense shadow extending from the Tower and its walls there is a relatively uncluttered perimeter, providing a clear line of sight for anyone patrolling the walls. Still clinging to the shadows the boys survey beyond the ring into the chaos of the city beyond, looking for any sign of movement. When none is detected, Kurt leaves Mike to keep watch whilst he cranes his neck to watch the guards on patrol above them. The inhabitants of the Tower are few, and the defences so impressive, that the human guard is minimal (which is how both were easily able to scale down the walls undetected). All they have to do is wait until their section of wall is unoccupied to make their crossing. As the last guard passes their position, Kurt taps Mike on the shoulder to communicate the opening. Moving quickly and staying close to the ground they dart across the perimeter and into the shadows of the ruined buildings beyond.

With one quick glance back at the Tower, both give a quick sigh of relief. Mike looks at Kurt with a new glint in his eyes.

"Alright! Let's get hunting!"

Hope you liked it – let me know what you think!