by Curtis, Greg
“But are you … able?” The worthless thrall asked him, knowing the same stories as everyone else, and it annoyed Terellion. It annoyed him more because it was true. But he didn't really care when he was staring at the fury. His first conquest in so very long!
“Leave that to me.”
“All right. I'll explain what I can to her, and that may help. She may let herself be bound by you.” Varrious turned away from him to speak to the fury, muttering at her in some strange demon tongue Terellion didn't know. And she in turn was speaking back to him, not in words or a language, but with gestures and strange sounds that he assumed had some meaning.
Meanwhile Terellion was staring at the table, the site of his next conquest. It actually wasn't a table, it was a torturer's rack. Most of the cells had one. When the thralls had first moved into the Great Temple they'd decided they needed a dungeon of their own and they hadn't compromised on the facilities. It didn't bother Terellion that it was a rack. Just that it looked hard. He couldn't imagine that it would be very comfortable. His knees would rub against the rough wood, and he wasn't sure there would be much grip for his toes. But it would do.
“She says yes.”
Varrious suddenly spoke up from the corner where he was chained, surprising him. And from the look on his face the answer had surprised Varrious as well. But why was he speaking Terellion wondered? He was supposed to be putting all his will into keeping her calm. Into getting her to lie down on the table in the middle of the cell and allow herself to be chained to it. Ready for him. And what did he mean by telling him what she was saying? Could the furies speak? Was that hissing an actual tongue?
“She says yes?”
“She says she will mate with you. She has been waiting for some time.”
That caught Terellion by surprise and filled him with hope. He had seen how the others had fought their mates. How they had killed them. It seemed that they didn't enjoy the experience. And he wasn't sure he believed the thrall. But he knew the man couldn't lie. Not to him. He was completely under Terellion's control even if it wasn't through his magic. The man knew what would happen to him if he failed and Terellion died. He had absolutely no reason to doubt it. Besides, though he hadn't seen the seductress in some time – he hadn't wanted to when there was nothing he could do to her – she had once been completely under his control. She had been willing before he had sent her away. Maybe she still was. Maybe she hadn't forgotten that he was her true master.
“I don't – .”
“Not fear.” The fury spoke up suddenly, shocking him. She could speak, and that was something he had never imagined possible.
“Will not kill. Want mate you.”
And then she did something even more shocking. She smiled at him. An expression that was at once encouraging and terrifying.
“May bind me.” Unexpectedly she walked over to him, brushed her talons softly against his cheek through the bars and then walked back to the table in the middle of the cell. She hopped lightly on to it and then lay back down on her back on it. After that the only thing she did was to make herself comfortable. And then she lay there with her legs apart as if already ready for him. And she did it all without Varrious needing to force her. It was completely of the fury's own free will.
“Is this not right?”
The fury asked when he didn't come to her, and her question suddenly prompted him into action. Terellion wanted her then more than he had ever wanted any woman in his life. Her snake like beauty was beyond anything he had ever known. And the desire he felt was beyond understanding. If only his flesh could obey his will.
But it could! It would soon. And she was offering herself to him. He had to have her!
Desperate he struggled with the key, and the moment he had the cell door unlocked he pushed it all the way open and rushed into the cell and over to her. Then he frantically started connecting up the chains to her ankles and wrists, so eager for the bedding that he could barely think. Just the feel of her flesh under his fingers was pure excitement. It had been so long!
A few moments later he stood there before her, seeing his conquest laid out before him like a prize and he knew she was his for the taking. For a moment though, as he held the elixir in his hand and thought about swallowing it so that he could finally take her, he hesitated. He wondered if it could truly be real. But when she was lying there on the table, completely calm as she stared at him, he tended to believe it. He had to believe it, because she looked so pliant and he wanted her so badly. She even proved it with her words.
“Take potion. Mate.”
Terellion didn't need to be told twice, and he quickly downed the vial he'd brought with him. The only known vial of living essence in the five kingdoms. The last chance he had to know a woman before the final battle. A few days of bliss. Maybe if he was lucky, a few weeks.
Warmth suddenly filled him, exploded throughout his flesh and started flowing through every part of his body. It was in his chest, his face, his arms and legs. It was even in his fingers and toes. And it was hot, incredibly hot. Painfully hot. But the pain was welcome. It was life! Raw and visceral. Life was streaming through him as it hadn't been in so very long. And he loved it!
He felt powerful all of a sudden. Muscles that had been tired and old suddenly felt young and strong. His spine straightened when he hadn't even known it was bent. And then he stretched. His muscles started tightening, contorting him into strange and painful shapes, and for a moment he was worried. But each time after each strange twist and shudder of his flesh he straightened up again, stronger and more powerful than before.
Then he looked at his hand and knew a sense of true wonder. The skin of his hand was slowly transforming too. The loose skin and wrinkles began to vanish as everything began to tighten up. The dark brown age spots began to fade and what was left was far more evenly coloured. Scars started to thin out. Even the sallowness of age began to fade.
It was a miracle! It was pain and anguish, but also joy and pleasure beyond anything he had ever known. And it kept going. Little by little he was actually becoming younger.
Tears started falling down his cheeks unbidden. Tears of joy as he realised that somehow, for however long, he was being granted his youth again. It wasn't possible. It was far more than he had ever thought could come from the elixir. But he didn't care. It was joyous.
And soon he would have everything! As the transformation continued through him, he finally saw the terrifying beauty lying chained to the table in front of him and knew passion. He felt life stirring in places it hadn't been in so long. His loins were waking again after so long. Blood was flowing. And best of all, while the elixir was still working its magic within him he knew he could be bitten by her and survive. Even if she chose to resist as women often did, she could do nothing to stop him. That was bliss!
But it had to be soon. He realised that. Sooner or later the elixir would wear off, and its chances of curing him from a bite would vanish. He had to have her before that happened. As many times as possible.
Eagerly he undid the tie to his cape and dropped it to the floor. His robes followed immediately afterwards and then the rest of his garments until he was standing there before her, ready. Oh so ready! He looked down and saw his manhood standing tall, powerful and strong as it hadn't been in so many years. And he had muscles everywhere where once there had only been loose, sagging skin.
“Yes!” Terellion practically started crying as he saw it. As he saw himself. It had been so long! And it felt so good.
“You lucky bitch!” He screamed it at her, his voice suddenly filled with power. “I am going to bed you as no woman has ever been bedded before!”
Terellion went to her then, in a terrible hurry to have her. To conquer her terrifying beauty. He had already waited too long as he enjoyed the transformation of his flesh. In mere heartbeats he was on top of her, feeling her underneath him, eager for him to conquer her. The time had finally come.
But then something happened. Some
thing he didn't understand. Even as he went to take her his manhood failed him. It softened. And he was left there, lying on top of her, unable to do what he desperately needed to do.
Terellion screamed with frustration. It couldn't be! Not now!
“What's happening?” He didn't understand. But he knew something was happening. Something bad. Could it be over already? Could the living essence have already finished working its magic? It couldn't be. Not now! That would simply be too cruel.
“Prayer answered.”
The fury stared up at him, and this time he knew she was smiling. And he finally understood the terror of her grin. She was smiling because she had him. Even if he didn't understand how, he knew she did. He had somehow become her prey.
“I don't – .”
“My prayer,” she clarified it for him. “Sisters' prayer.”
Terellion would have asked but just then there was pain. Terrible, crushing pain as his manhood was squeezed. Crushed as though someone had it in a vice. His newly restored, proud manhood! But how could it be being squeezed when he was not even in her? Yet even as he wondered the pain grew worse. Much worse. And he screamed. He screamed as he had never screamed before. And then he screamed some more.
“What's happening?” He gasped it out when the pain finally eased a little. And then he cried when he realised he was still unmanned. Still unable to do what he needed to do. It was wrong. The rest of him felt strong. But not his precious manhood. And worse he knew, the crushing pain would return. Worse than before.
“You too slow.” She looked up at him, laughing, and he suddenly knew that she knew what was happening to him. That she'd done something to him. So did her sisters, and they were all busy hissing away among themselves in the other cells as they watched. Hissing with laughter. But what could they have done?
“Pity. If faster could have had first.”
Laughter suddenly made itself known. Bitter and loud laughter, coming from a man he knew too well. A man he suddenly remembered was in the cage with him, chained to the wall. Varrious. The man who he suddenly remembered had had the elixir first. And the man who was laughing as if he knew something. Something very bad. It had to be bad if he was chained to a wall, expecting to die any day now at the hands of his pet, and yet was still able to laugh at him. Still able to ask questions.
“If he'd been quicker he could have bedded you?”
“Yes.” She almost seemed surprised Varrious asked. “Deal is deal.”
“And now he can't?”
She shook her head and hissed at him and the foul thrall laughed. “Oh that's grand!” Varrious laughed some more – before he turned his attention back to Terellion. “You hear that wizard? If you'd been quicker you could have had your wish come true. At least once before hers did. But now the pleasure will be all hers.”
It was too much and Terellion finally remembered he was a wizard again as he called for help. Reaching out to the other five Circle wizards. He might be in pain, but never that much pain. But he couldn't find them. He reached and reached for them but they just weren't there. And then he tried a summoning; just a small pride of lions. But again nothing.
“What have you done?” Terellion turned and screamed at the man, badly frightened. Why wasn't his magic working? And what did he mean “the pleasure would be hers”?
“Me? Nothing wizard. This is all the furies doing. Their way of rewarding you for what you did to their sisters.” Varrious laughed some more, as if it was the most marvellous thing.
The crushing pain abruptly returned, even worse than before and Terellion screamed. He was an old man, not given to shouting, but the agony just kept ripping the sounds out of his throat. And then it grew worse. There was a feeling of something tearing down in his loins. Of everything between his legs being somehow slowly ripped out of him. And then even as he kept screaming he heard the sound of flesh being torn loose, just a little. As if that wasn't enough he suddenly felt the blood running down his thighs and he knew it was real. Somehow he was actually being torn apart down there without anyone touching him.
Terellion screamed when he could find the breath, and Varrious laughed happily each time he heard him. And when the pain eased enough for Terellion to think again he swore at the miserable thrall, loud and long. He cursed him. He threatened him. He threatened his family. And he meant every word. He would have used his magic on him – summoned a lion to tear him to pieces – save that the magic was no longer there. Something, maybe the pain, was robbing him of the ability to concentrate. It was robbing him of nearly everything.
“Why?”
Terellion forced the question out when he could. When the pain subsided enough. He wanted to scream it into her face, but could barely gasp the words out. He didn't understand. She had wanted to be bedded. She'd said so. She'd bound herself to the table just so he could have her. So why would she want to hurt him instead? And why like this?
“You hurt sisters. Now sisters hurt you. The same.”
She smiled up at him, and then did something unexpected. She grabbed his shoulders carefully in her talons and started lifting him up off her. How could she do that when she was chained to the table?
But she wasn't chained. He looked and saw her wrists free of the manacles. He didn't understand that. She had been, but she wasn't any more.
And suddenly he realised she wasn't alone either. There were more furies in the cage with them. Lots more furies. And their hands were on him. Lifting him up, letting her slide out from underneath him. And then turning him over, laying him down on the table, and chaining him up in her place. Chaining him up exactly as she had been chained. Like a woman ready to be mounted.
How had they got out of their cells? How had she got out of her chains? He needed to know for some reason. He needed to ask questions. He needed to think of anything to take his mind off the pain.
“Oh. I should have said.” Varrious answered his unasked questions. “Fury talons are quite good for picking locks. None of the doors here are locked.” Then he started laughing again, as if it was all some sort of plan of his. Yet he was still chained to his cell.
“Soon.” She looked down at him from above, clearly happy at whatever was happening. And he could see other furies staring down at him, smiling, and looking strangely eager. As though he was a whore ready for the taking.
“Soon what?” Terellion yelled it at her in complete panic.
“Soon you ready to mate.”
No! Varrious!” Terellion screamed at the laughing man in between bouts of pain, desperate to know what was happening. But also terrified of finding out. He didn't want to know. But he had to. He had to know so that he could fight it. And the man seemed to understand the fury's speech as they hissed excitedly at one another.
“You had their sisters raped and bred like animals Terellion. They were angry about that. Very angry. Angry with you. Angry with us for forcing them to comply. All our charms barely held them back. And when it was over they prayed to their lord for revenge. And he has granted them their prayer.”
“Xin! How? He's cut off.”
Or was he? The binding might still be in effect but the gate was firmly shut. He couldn't act in the world. Could he?
“No. Their lord. Nemesis. My master has nothing to do with this. He never did. Xin just found a way to steal his servants from him to give to you. To make them his unwitting thralls, more or less. He stole all the chimera for your armies from the gods' private realms. The minotaurs are from Poseidon's realm. The cerberi and manticores come from Pluto's. Lyssa's madness created the harpies, while the leonids come from Prometheus. Xin found a way to secretly access their realms and to bring back some of their pets to serve as your army. Until the gods realised what he was doing. That's why he suddenly couldn't provide you with any more.”
“When the gods found out what he was doing they closed his portals and he ran out of chimera. My master had expected that to happen in time of course. But not the rest. He had overreached himself. Doin
g what he did was a risk. You should never upset the gods. Some far more than others. Angering Nemesis was a terrible mistake. But Xin stole the furies anyway. He knew you needed assassins for your plan to work, and they were the best. But they were intelligent. They could resist. And they could pray to their lord. When Nemesis found out he grew angry. With Xin. And with you. He considers them as being akin to daughters. And his daughters are special to him.”
Nemesis! The God of Divine Vengeance. Suddenly Terellion knew a sense of dread. He had a terrible fear that the thrall was right. The gods were angry with him. He had destroyed their temples and killed their priests. And yet he had been so careful not to overstep. Not to upset either Zeus or Nemesis – the two greater gods who would act in the world if they were given cause. He had been careful not to give them cause. They did not have temples. There were only shrines to them in the city and he had not destroyed those. He had just blocked them off.
And as for the other gods and goddesses he had never preached against them. So if even they were angry with him they had no cause to ask either of the two gods to intercede on their behalf. But if Xin had done as he said he was in trouble. Nemesis was the gods' agent of vengeance. If sacrilege had been committed Nemesis would respond.