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| Sketch: Wilhelm Lehmbruck circa 1919. |
Six months earlier...
There were women, many women in this place, all of which were naked and beautiful and goddess like. They lay, stretched like fine velvet over sedan chairs, oiled, glistening and naked, say for a single gold belly chain and anklet. Sunny felt something stir deep inside himself, in a place he liked to keep hidden, and used all of his will to quill it. The room they were in, the one he had been told about, was smoky, thick with the aroma of Frankincense and myrrh. It was silent, with the exception of his breathing, which had become somewhat erratic, a fact that shamed him. He passed a sculpture of twisted flesh, women entangled with a tall male figure; expressions of lust perfectly mimicked in stone. He bumped into the edge of one of the sedan chairs in his distraction, slightly trampling the foot of one of the women. She was brown, oiled and slick, with a thick coil of coal black hair that wrapped easily around her neck, hanging languidly in front of her breasts. She smiled at him, perfectly shaped lips, luminous eyes that seemed to penetrate into him, through him, to somewhere else. He would have stood there for an eternity, admiring the contours of her mouth, feeling lost and numb in her presence, saturated with hot, primal thoughts...The guard's voice was deep, startling him from his stupor.
"Master Galevy will see you now."
It was a simple enough statement, yet it made Sunny nervous. Galevy had a reputation for punishing those that had wronged him, which was precisely why Sunny had to see him before things got worse than they already were.
He turned around to face the guard, a man with little more than a loin cloth, arm plate and spear. He was young, yet his body was swathed in thick bands of keloid scars. His head was clean shaven and a single tattoo of an indigo serpent rested on his temple. He turned abruptly after looking Sunny over, and led the way to massive iron wrought doors that lay on the opposite side of the room. Two other guards pushed the doors open, allowing access to a large floral garden. The change in atmosphere was immediate. Instead of the smell of oiled flesh and incense, the garden was light, filled with lavender and the sweet chirps of birds. He was in an atrium of sorts, and in the middle of it was a river stone paved garden area complete with wooden table and bright red seating cushions.
Master Galevy sat on these cushions, laughing with a young woman, naked with bellychain and anklet. They sipped tea and ate fruit and nuts, only ceasing to once Sunny stood before them, his head bowed slightly as to show respect.
"Oh, I've been waiting for you. Please sit." Master Galevy motioned for Sunny to sit on one of the cushions. Sunny sat and noted that the man sported a massive indigo serpent just like the guard that had escorted him, except this serpent was grander, its tattooed self wrapped around Galevy's torso, its jeweled crested head resting easily within the skin of his shoulder.
"Sunny, this is one of my wives; Shadira." The naked, beautiful woman stretched her hand out for Sunny to kiss; it was soft and smelled of the same incense and myrrh he had encountered earlier.
"So, I take it that you've come for your friend?," Galevy asked as he smiled easily at Shadira, who promptly used her delicate fingers to push a small, pink sliver of dragon fruit into his mouth. The gesture was very erotic and caused Sunny to fidget in his seat.
"Yes, I implore you to release my friend to me. I will take full responsibility for him and offer most humble apologies for his behavior," Galevy kissed Shadira's dragon fruit stained fingertips as he considered Sunny's request, and then motioned for the guard to escort her away. He remained silent as he did this, only pausing thoughtfully to chew on dried apricots and persimmons. Once Shadira was out of sight, he turned his attention back to Sunny, his chiseled brown face unsmiling and spoke.
"Your friend Storm was caught in my Karia, in relations with my 11th wife, Alkios. He was not only found fornicating with my beauty, but is also a thief and a liar. Why should I let him go instead of putting his head on a stake?" Sunny blushed, and a cold sweat appeared on his brow. This was not good. He knew about the thievery, but the woman? How could Storm jeopardize their lives in this way?
Sunny stood and kneeled before Galevy, touching his forehead to the smooth coldness of the garden's water-worn cobbles.
"I beg forgiveness for my impulsive, arrogant friend. Perhaps there is some way to negotiate his release by offering you something of greater value than his offense?" Sunny did not raise himself from the ground as he waited Storm's captor's response. It was silent for a moment, and Sunny feared that he had insulted Galevy even more with his offer. Finally, he was given a response.
"You can never replace my 11th wife's honor, and to imply that there is something of more value dishonors me and my people. However, your reputation precedes you. Your skills may be of use to me. Stay the night and we will discuss your friend and the contingencies that are required in his release."
Galevy nodded to a guard that was standing watch nearby. Sunny felt himself being pulled up into a standing position, and ushered out of the garden and into his "guest quarters."
Sunny stood and kneeled before Galevy, touching his forehead to the smooth coldness of the garden's water-worn cobbles.
"I beg forgiveness for my impulsive, arrogant friend. Perhaps there is some way to negotiate his release by offering you something of greater value than his offense?" Sunny did not raise himself from the ground as he waited Storm's captor's response. It was silent for a moment, and Sunny feared that he had insulted Galevy even more with his offer. Finally, he was given a response.
"You can never replace my 11th wife's honor, and to imply that there is something of more value dishonors me and my people. However, your reputation precedes you. Your skills may be of use to me. Stay the night and we will discuss your friend and the contingencies that are required in his release."
Galevy nodded to a guard that was standing watch nearby. Sunny felt himself being pulled up into a standing position, and ushered out of the garden and into his "guest quarters."
His quarters were nice. There was a fine bed with beautiful linens, a handsome wood table laden with all sorts of food and drink, a bath filled to the brim with extra hot water, herbs and remedies as well as a change of clothes of the finest silk and cotton. A woman was even offered to him, and though she had been quite beautiful, Sunny sent her away and lay in wait in his room for the next meeting with Galevy. He noted that two guards stood watch outside his chambers, a fact that reminded him that he was more of a prisoner than a guest. He could have cursed Storm, cursed him to a million moons.
Storm lay in filth, his filth to be exact. It festered on his thighs and was acidic and pungent. In some places it had crusted and caused his skin to itch more than was humanly possible. His shackled hands and feet begged to offer him assistance, but they lay fastened to the cold masonry that was the cell's wall and floor.
"I'm going to die here." This realization had manifested itself several days earlier on the night that the guards had beatened him and poured filthy urine rich water down his parched throat. He was going to die in the cell of a maniacal cult leader, in an archaic style mansion on the hill side of Padimar city. If only he hadn't been so cocky, had just gotten the scroll for his client and left before the beautiful Alkios seduced him. Though he thoroughly regretted his decision to partake of her womanly wonder, he couldn't help but shiver with the thought of her smooth coconut oil drenched skin and talented mouth.
"What the hell man, thinking about women in a time like this? Really?!" That's what Sunny would say to him if he were with him now. That along with how and why he had fucked up a simple enough gig. The truth was, he actually didn't regret sleeping with Alkios and he did not really reminisce about her supple flesh. He was only trying to lie to himself, tell himself lies to lessen the truth, the reality. In reality, he wanted to die and was exactly where he needed to be to accomplish this. Recently, nothing made him feel anything anymore. Not the thrill of thievery, the warmth of a woman's arms, laughter under the moon near a campfire with Sunny. Nothing. He was depressed, which was exactly why he had slept with Galevy's 11th wife.
It started a few months back when the blue of his hands had ceased and the Second Stage had befallen him. Curse the Second Stage! Curse it to a thousand moons! The idea that his soul was dying, that his Kai was weakening, that it would eventually leave him like a Common Bleeder disgusted him and terrified him. The blue of his hands, his ability to conjure, to manipulate matter, to speak to the stars, to talk with the spirits, was leaving him. Sure the process was a slow one, but eventually he would loose himself to it, loose his very being. It felt like going blind, like he was being cut off from the rich and wonderful world around him. And to be a Common Bleeder, to be cursed to never give the offering of blood...what else was there? Dying was the only alternative to his problem, and he was too much of a coward to do it himself. That's why when he got the job to steal an ancient scroll from Master Galevy for an eccentric, equally ruthless client, he jumped at the opportunity. So here he was with dried fecal matter plastered to his body, and an unwavering desire to die. So yes, he was going to die, because dying was better.
Part III coming soon!
Storm lay in filth, his filth to be exact. It festered on his thighs and was acidic and pungent. In some places it had crusted and caused his skin to itch more than was humanly possible. His shackled hands and feet begged to offer him assistance, but they lay fastened to the cold masonry that was the cell's wall and floor.
"I'm going to die here." This realization had manifested itself several days earlier on the night that the guards had beatened him and poured filthy urine rich water down his parched throat. He was going to die in the cell of a maniacal cult leader, in an archaic style mansion on the hill side of Padimar city. If only he hadn't been so cocky, had just gotten the scroll for his client and left before the beautiful Alkios seduced him. Though he thoroughly regretted his decision to partake of her womanly wonder, he couldn't help but shiver with the thought of her smooth coconut oil drenched skin and talented mouth.
"What the hell man, thinking about women in a time like this? Really?!" That's what Sunny would say to him if he were with him now. That along with how and why he had fucked up a simple enough gig. The truth was, he actually didn't regret sleeping with Alkios and he did not really reminisce about her supple flesh. He was only trying to lie to himself, tell himself lies to lessen the truth, the reality. In reality, he wanted to die and was exactly where he needed to be to accomplish this. Recently, nothing made him feel anything anymore. Not the thrill of thievery, the warmth of a woman's arms, laughter under the moon near a campfire with Sunny. Nothing. He was depressed, which was exactly why he had slept with Galevy's 11th wife.
It started a few months back when the blue of his hands had ceased and the Second Stage had befallen him. Curse the Second Stage! Curse it to a thousand moons! The idea that his soul was dying, that his Kai was weakening, that it would eventually leave him like a Common Bleeder disgusted him and terrified him. The blue of his hands, his ability to conjure, to manipulate matter, to speak to the stars, to talk with the spirits, was leaving him. Sure the process was a slow one, but eventually he would loose himself to it, loose his very being. It felt like going blind, like he was being cut off from the rich and wonderful world around him. And to be a Common Bleeder, to be cursed to never give the offering of blood...what else was there? Dying was the only alternative to his problem, and he was too much of a coward to do it himself. That's why when he got the job to steal an ancient scroll from Master Galevy for an eccentric, equally ruthless client, he jumped at the opportunity. So here he was with dried fecal matter plastered to his body, and an unwavering desire to die. So yes, he was going to die, because dying was better.
Part III coming soon!
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