The Nekromancer - 79. Chapter 79

A single pipe trilled through the ship, crisp and clear in the morning air. Jeremy winced at the sharp sound as it rose and fell, the human on his second mug of beer. All around him, sailors rose to their feet, moving swiftly. A general sense of confusion permeated the crew as word was passed; the ship was hove to for the night and it wasn’t nearly time to move out for the day. Still, even on the merchant vessel, discipline was enforced, and they rolled onto the deck to hear the cause for the signal.

A loud rapping hit the bulkhead near Jeremy’s berth, the buzzed cleric looking up in surprise. He had assumed the call was just for the crew. No one had told him any differently. The two sailors glaring at him seemed to think otherwise, and Jeremy let out a yelp as they grabbed his arms, hauling him out of the hammock.

“Hey! What are you doing?!”

“Captain’s orders,” one of the men grunted as they hauled the hapless cleric through the tight quarters of the ship and up a stair to the main deck.

Jeremy looked around frantically, trying to figure out what was happening. He caught his husband’s eyes, the paladin standing apart from the sailors circling around the main mast.

“Amnor Sen? Amnor Sen, what are they doing? What is going on?”

The elf stared at him stonily, in full paladin mode, and Jeremy gulped. It was never good when his partner looked like that. There was a smiting coming, and Jeremy’s heart sank as he realized he was going to pay for something.

For what? A joke that had gone awry? Was he going to be whipped for playing a prank? As his shirt was torn off and a pair of iron manacles bound him facing the mast, the cleric let out a plea.

“Look, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to make you angry; it was just a joke!”

“Jeremy Fairchild, you stand accused of assault upon First Officer Nihm,” Amnor Sen said loudly. “On a vessel, an officer’s word is law, and mocking his word a flagrant violation of the trust placed in you as a free passenger.”

He had no idea where the elf was getting this from. It was just a little water. They were surrounded by the stuff. Jeremy could barely remember the feeling of being dry himself. Surely Nihm wouldn’t be that pissed by getting a little more wet.

“I stand ready to witness punishment, as determined by the aggrieved party. Today you will learn to take responsibility for your actions. May the gods see your punishment and grant you the grace to accept your fate.”

“Amnor Sen… Please tell me you’re just being dramatic… That’s all this is, right?”

Rough hands grabbed his pants, yanking them down to leave the cleric bare in the frigid morning air. Jeremy let out a whimper as his body curled instinctively, not able to shield himself from the cold that immediately seeped into his flesh. With his hands bound, he couldn’t even pray for warmth, not that he’d had the chance to pray to Cayden Cailean yet today.

Naked before the crew, Jeremy winced at the sound of heavy boots approaching the mast. Nihm’s voice rang out, a call to action from the crew to right the wrong that had been done to him.

“Each member of the crew will walk by and spit upon the prisoner’s body. The last two shall dump the buckets over him, that he be cleansed of his desire to humiliate others,” the orc said.

A snort sounded, wetness exploding over Jeremy’s ass as the orc spat on him. Slowly, the entire crew walked by, until his body glistened with spittle. Several of the crew grabbed various parts of his body, Jeremy burning in humiliation as he was publicly groped by strangers. Through it all he could feel Amnor Sen’s eyes on him, the elf’s disappointment an even worse punishment for the cleric. How could the paladin do this? Why was Amnor Sen letting the ship attack him like this? He had apologized to Nihm. If the orc had wanted to duel him, Jeremy would understand… but this? It was too much. And yet… it was everything he had ever fantasized about. Slowly Jeremy realized what Amnor Sen was doing, letting him live out a dream while teaching him a lesson. If it weren’t so gods damned cold, the cleric might have even enjoyed it.

Pungent liquid splashed over the cleric, urine dripping down his naked body as the first bucket was dumped over his head. He spat as drops entered his mouth, trying to rid himself of the taste that threatened to make him vomit. Thirty seconds passed and the second bucket followed, winter water washing him clean of the urine, and making the cleric yelp as the breath was stolen from his lips.

“Master Paladin, I release the prisoner into your tender care,” Nimh said, the smirk plain on his voice.

“Let him sit another half pf an hour,” Amnor Sen declared. “You may use him as you wish, with the exception of his holes. Those are mine.”

A loud jeer went up from the assembled crew as several pushed forward, until Jeremy was buried in a throng of seamen grabbing at him. Some tugged at his crotch while others played with his ass. The cleric noticed dimly that most of the crew held off, going to their stations to get the ship underway as the sun finally broke over the horizon. The rest were grinding against him, stiff rods overwhelming the cleric’s senses as the punishment devolved into a near orgy that left him with a single question. Why was his husband allowing this?

Finally, he was freed from his restraints, collapsing into Amnor Sen’s arms. A blanket was draped around the shivering man, the paladin guiding him gently below deck once more.

“What the fuck…?” Jeremy breathed. “Why?”

Amnor Sen shrugged as he pushed the cleric into their berth.

“Because you needed it.”