by Tiegan Clyne
The shower was luxurious, with multiple shower heads and pulsating water that filled the room with steam. The heat soothed his tense muscles, and he spent as much time beneath the water as he could. It had been too long since his last chance to bathe, and he liked the feeling of washing away the grit of the garden shed where he’d been held. At one point, he heard the bathroom door open, and although Christopher came into the room, he did not disrupt Sebastian’s bathing time. He guiltily finished washing, using the soap and shampoo he found, enjoying the scents and the sensuality of it all. It was strange to be able to enjoy such a simple pleasure. Finally, he turned off the water and toweled dry.
He had left his clothing, the jeans and T-shirt he had been wearing when they’d taken him from Crown Holdings, folded up beside the door. When he finally emerged, it was gone, and he was left with just a towel. He wrapped it around his waist and tentatively stepped out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom beyond.
Christopher was sitting on the edge of the bed, reading a book. He looked up with a smile. “I thought perhaps you’d drowned.”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a shower that nice,” he said.
“I’ll wager you’ve never had a shower that nice.”
He had no memory to call on, so he couldn’t argue the point. He suddenly realized that Christopher was staring at him, his evaluating gaze skimming over his body from his tousled golden hair to his bare feet. He pulled the towel more tightly closed.
“My, uh… my clothes were gone…”
“They’re being washed,” he said. “You won’t be wearing any clothes tonight.”
His stomach tightened, and he could taste bile in the back of his throat. He tried to speak, but his voice failed him, so he stayed silent. Christopher put his book aside and rose, walking silently to his side. His eyes locked onto Sebastian’s, and then he reached out and tugged the towel free, letting it drop to the floor. Sebastian stood in his nakedness, embarrassed, while the veterinarian appraised him. He flushed in shame, feeling like an object again now that all pretense of consideration had flown.
Christopher walked around him in a slow circle, pausing once to touch the spot where his scale was growing back.
“A flaw,” he said softly. “How long has this been here?”
He wanted this man’s approval so much that it startled him. “An orderly at Crown Holdings dislodged my scale and it fell off. I’m told it will grow back.”
“It should.” Gentle fingers probed around the spot, which was no longer sore. “Yes, it’s starting to reform. Good.”
He continued his slow circle around Sebastian, examining him from all angles. He was nervous and uncertain, afraid that he would be rejected as imperfect. He didn’t know why he cared. He should have hated Christopher, who after all was one of his so-called owners. He should have resented him and disliked him. Instead, he found himself yearning for his approval.
It made no sense.
“Beautiful,” Christopher finally said, to Sebastian’s intense relief.
“Thank you.”
The veterinarian combed Sebastian’s long, thick hair, standing so close that the dragonel could feel his heat. He studied Christopher while the veterinarian worked. His face was perfect and symmetrical, with dark, expressive eyes and full lips, and his black hair was thick and shining, full of natural curls that had been tamed with product for the evening. He was stunning, especially up close, where Sebastian could see tiny grey flecks in the brown of his eyes. There were no flaws that Sebastian could see, and it made his captor seem almost too perfect to be real.
Christopher finished with Sebastian’s hair and stepped back, nodding to himself as he surveyed his handiwork. “I don’t think we’ll really need much in the way of cosmetics. You’re already so deliciously golden.” He smiled and looked into Sebastian’s eyes again. “The Community has never seen anyone like you.”
His mouth felt dry, and his heart was pounding. “Who are the Community? You said before they’re the ones who collect cryptomorphs.”
“Yes. They’re the elite of the Five Cities. They have money to burn and they choose to spend it on expensive toys and treasures.”
“Like me?”
A resentful edge crept into his tone, and Christopher was astute enough to hear it. He only smiled a little sadly in response. “Exactly like you.”
He took a risk. “If you’re not human, aren’t you afraid that you’re going to be collected and imprisoned like a cryptomorph?”
“I suppose that could be a concern, if the Community were to find out. The Countess has a great deal of power and influence, though, and such little details can be made to vanish. They already have. We aren’t cryptomorphs, in any case. We are not engineered.”
“What are you?”
There was a dangerous flash in Christopher’s eyes, and Sebastian could see that his kindness only extended so far. He had overstepped. “I am your master,” he answered firmly. “You would do well to remember that while you are here.”
All illusions of kindness and caring vanished. Disappointment crashed through him, and he looked away.
The veterinarian walked to a vanity in the corner of the bedroom and pulled out a chair.
“Sit down, Sebastian.”
He did as he was told.
After a moment, Christopher spoke again, and this time his voice was gentler. “Look up at me.”
Again, he obeyed. With steady hands, Christopher applied a thick stripe of gold paint across his face from one temple to the other, going over both of his eyes and the bridge of his nose. He then added a thin black line of kohl like the eyeliner he himself wore. He sat back and smiled.
“Very nice,” he said. “Your eyes were already striking, but now they positively glow.”
“I am to be on display,” he said. “You said that the Community wanted to see me.”
“That is correct. Golden dragonels are very uncommon, as I told you. There are other dragonels that are easier to create - red and green, primarily - but gold? Unheard of. It’s so hard to obtain genetic material from a gold dragon. They guard their royalty so fiercely.”
Sebastian blinked, hoping he wasn’t ruining the makeup. “Royalty?”
“In the Badlands, the gold dragons are kings. They are the masters of all other dragon species.”
He thought back to the guard who had mocked him with the words ‘your highness,’ and now he understood. “How was my dragon part obtained?”
“I don’t really know. The president of GenTel will be at the party tonight. I can ask him over dinner if you’d like.” He picked up a tube from a tray on the vanity. “I’d be interested, as well.”
“Thank you, sir.”
“You’re welcome.” He opened the tube and used a brush to scoop out more gold. This time he painted it onto Sebastian’s lips. “This will dry quickly and will stay until we take it off tonight. It won’t rub away once it sets, so don’t worry about that.” He put the brush aside. “Now hold still and be silent for a moment.”
He obeyed. He watched in curiosity as Christopher picked up a wider brush and dipped it into the tube of gold paint. Working quickly, he painted both of Sebastian’s nipples gold, and then he grasped his penis and covered the head with the same paint. The cold wetness of the paint combined with the heat of Christopher’s grasp was a sensually surprising thing, and he felt a jolt run through him. He stiffened in the veterinarian’s hand.
Christopher smiled, his eyes on the burgeoning cock he was holding. “Such a lovely shape,” he complimented. “Such beautiful heavy balls, too. I appreciate your eagerness, believe me, but try not to get too excited. If you start leaking, the paint won’t set.” He paused, then said, “It’s a shame you’re cut. If you were natural, then this pretty gold head could be discovered like a treasure by pulling back your foreskin. Oh, well.”
Sebastian blushed furiously and looked away. He was too attracted to Christopher to deny it, and though he loved the feeling o
f his hand, he also wanted him to let go. He was excited and humiliated at once and thoroughly confused.
Christopher busied himself with closing the tube and washing the brushes clean in the bathroom. He left Sebastian sitting in front of the mirror. He stared at his reflection, at a face as unfamiliar to him as a stranger’s. He touched the scattering of scales that covered his shoulders, twisting in the seat so that he could see them trailing down his spine. His missing scale was a glaring absence on his back, but it was no longer raw or sore, which was a slender blessing. The collar around his neck was golden and intricately etched, and it almost looked like jewelry; he might have found it appealing in an artistic way if it weren’t so lethal and unwanted. He considered the make-up that Christopher had so carefully applied to his face, and he felt clownish, like a freak. His face flushed again in shame, and he wanted desperately to run away.
He looked out the bedroom window into the garden beyond. The only person he could see was a human worker who was busily pruning the topiaries, his back bent into the work. Sebastian wanted to knock him down, steal his jumpsuit and grab the first vehicle he came to. He could drive for the Badlands, wherever that was… if he even knew how to drive.
Neural editing technology, he thought bitterly. The collar would kill me before I ever got that far.
Christopher emerged from the bathroom with a comb and a spray bottle. He came to Sebastian and styled his blond hair quickly, moving with quick, sure motions. He sprayed his hair into place with something that glittered and smelled like pomegranate.
I’m nothing but a show dog.
The veterinarian gingerly touched the corner of one of Sebastian’s lips, then smiled. “It’s set. You can talk now.”
He wanted to wipe away the gold paint, especially from his penis. He could feel the paint tightening on his glans as it dried, just enough to be a constant presence in his mind. He could feel anger bubbling deep within him, and he took a deep breath to push it back down.
“What is expected of me?” Sebastian asked finally. “What am I supposed to do?”
Christopher sat on a chaise not far from the vanity. He leaned back onto the palms of his hands, the line of his torso extending languidly. He said, “Be obedient. When we leave this room, you will follow me everywhere I go, no more than two paces behind. When I speak to you, you will respond immediately. You will address me as ‘Master.’ Remember that you are the property of the Countess and by extension you belong to me, as well.” He took a breath. “That means that nobody will be allowed to touch you unless she or I grant it. I will protect you as much as I can.”
“Thank you, sir,” he said. Christopher raised an eyebrow, and he corrected, “Thank you, Master.”
“When we dine, you will be placed on a viewing pedestal at the center of the room. You will kneel there without speaking until the dinner is over.” He rose and walked to Sebastian. He put a hand on his elbow. “Kneel. I’ll show you the proper posture.”
Sebastian got onto his knees, and Christopher arranged him so that he was fully upright, knees spread, hands grasping the opposite elbows behind his arching back. He felt entirely exposed this way, the position forcing his painted nipples and genitalia into full display. He blushed furiously.
“Exactly like that,” the doctor nodded. “You will hold that position until you are given other orders. The only people you are obligated to obey are the Countess and me. The only person who can override what I tell you is the Countess. Nobody has the power to override her. Do you understand?”
“I think so.”
“You’d better. Disobedience will not be tolerated, and I hope I don’t need to tell you that my grandmother is creative as well as strict. If you disobey her and embarrass her in public, you will be made to regret it.”
“Yes, s - Master.”
The veterinarian retrieved a tube of lubricant and knelt behind Sebastian. “Lean forward,” he commanded.
The dragonel did as he was told, something that was difficult to do, given the strange position he was being required to hold. Christopher liberally greased his hole, preparing him for the night to come. The feeling of the other man’s fingers inside him was delightful, and his cock began to swell.
“This lubricant is very good,” his master told him, “and will last for quite a while. I’ll make sure that you never go dry. If you feel you need more, just tell me.”
His voice was thick with desire he couldn’t hide. “Yes, Master.”
A warm hand pressed against the small of his back, then slid over to his hip. Christopher leaned against him, the buttons on his vest cold against Sebastian’s skin.
“I would take you right now if I could,” his master whispered, “but there’s no time.”
He rose, taking his firm body away from Sebastian, who sighed. Christopher came to sit on the chair in front of him, and he smiled, but there was sorrow in his eyes. “I will protect you from the worst of the Community as much as I can. There will be nothing I can do to protect you from her. Whatever she orders, no matter what it is, you must do...even if it interrupts or contradicts some order I’ve given you. Do you understand?”
He nodded. “Yes, Master.”
“When she speaks to you, you will not look her in the face. You will, in fact, lower your gaze and bow your head to her. You will address her as ‘Mistress’ or ‘Countess.’ If other guests address you, you may respond to them, but respectfully. They will all be addressed as ‘Sir’ or ‘Madam’, depending upon their presented gender.” He put a hand on Sebastian’s elbow and guided him to his feet. “Now, there will be other pets here, and other cryptomorphs who will be on display along with you. The members of the Community will be bringing their best and trying to outshine each other. You must outshine the rest of the pets in your behavior and beauty. The beauty is guaranteed.” This time, his smile was genuine. “The obedience I entrust to your wisdom. Remember, you are the pet of the most powerful citizen in the city. You therefore outrank all other pets. You will not respond when the other pets speak to you, if they are so bold. You will not interact with them in any way unless I or the Countess command or permit it.”
“I understand, Master.”
“Good. I will explain these things only this once.” He straightened his tuxedo. “Now… one last thing. If I sense that you are overwhelmed, or if I believe that you are in any undue physical or emotional distress, I will remove you from the party and bring you back to these rooms. The Countess can countermand my decision in this matter, but I should be able to convince her to agree with me if you’re troubled. Once I bring you in here, behind closed doors, then you can relax.”
The gold paint made his glans tingle. He desperately wanted to peel it away. He sighed.
Christopher seemed to understand. “It’s a difficult night ahead, but it’s only one night. Remember that. Each moment is just a moment, and no moment lasts forever. If you are in pain, blow out a slow breath, and that will help you to overcome it. The same for any other physical discomfort you may encounter.” He paused. “I know that this will take some getting used to, and I would rather that neither of us had to go through with this charade, but the Countess always gets what she wants. That’s something we both need to remember.”
Sebastian heard a subtle tone in Christopher’s voice, and he said, “You fear her.”
“Desperately. And so should you.” He put a hand on Sebastian’s shoulder. “When this party is over, if you acquit yourself as well as I know you can, you will be allowed certain privileges as a reward. I promise.”
The dragonel nodded, then asked hesitantly, “And what is expected of you at this party?”
Christopher sighed. “I’m expected to play the part of the Countess’s grandson, her heir. I’m supposed to be sophisticated, adept at Community politics, and well versed in the sort of casual cruelty that the Countess enjoys. I am as much her possession as you are. She will not be denied.”
He wanted to ask so many questions, but he knew that this w
as not the right time. He nodded instead.
Christopher put a hand on Sebastian’s cheek and smiled at him, his eyes trailing from his glittering hair to the painted tip of his manhood and back again. “You are beautiful,” he said. “You’re going to stun them all.”
He didn’t know what to say, so he stayed silent. Christopher dropped his hand.
“Let’s go.”
Chapter Seven
Christopher allowed Sebastian to lower his hands from their uncomfortable position behind his back so that he could walk normally. He led him through the antechamber, then the small windowed corridor and back into the sunroom. This time, he unlocked the middle door with a code number Sebastian couldn’t see, and he opened it wide to reveal a sight like nothing the dragonel had ever seen before.
The room they entered had white walls with gilded accents, and plush scarlet carpeting covered the floor. The furniture was black wood with gilt highlights, upholstered in scarlet velvet. There were vases filled with exotic flowers whose perfume filled the air. Among the blooms were crystal rods of many different thicknesses, all of them iridescent and literally glowing. Sebastian had no idea what gave them their internal lights. Glass trees stood at the walls, similarly glowing, their glass leaves tinkling against one another as they shivered in the breeze from a set of ceiling fans. The room was long, and the furniture was arranged so that it was like a path through an enchanted landscape.
Christopher led the way through this fairyland, and Sebastian stayed close behind him as he’d been directed. At the end of the room was another set of double doors, but there were also doors to the left and right. Christopher went to the door on the left and knocked.