The Ardor - 9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

When I woke up, Maraki’s head had slid down into my lap. His shoulder pressed on my leg which had turned numb in return. But I wanted to let him rest after what he has gone through. I bent forward to have a look at his face and the contentedness on it made me smile. As I leant back, my right hand brushed over the heap of his clothes. We had forgotten to dress him again. I snickered silently. The cloak covered all important parts, so it didn’t really matter. My gaze had moved to the place where his cock was hidden underneath the cloth. I now understood why he was so afraid of hurting me. He hadn’t been referring to physical violence. Though accidents could happen that wasn’t what the Ardor was about. I had always known about the true nature of the torture, but only now I was fully aware of it.

This thought didn’t terrify me at all. And this was most terrifying. Even in the privacy of my own mind, I didn’t dare to spell out the reason for my lack of fear. I loathed myself for being the coward I was.

I watched Maraki sleeping, took in the movements of his breathing. Those were simple things, trivial, but they drove away my dark musings. I touched his hair. He stirred. As he realized where he was lying, he sat up in a flash.

“Good morning.”

I beamed at him. Jot for Jot, the corners of his mouth rose.

“Good morning.”

Though he was still smiling, his face acquired a tortured look.

“Something’s wrong?”

“It’s… umm… I have to pee.”

The last part got almost lost in a mumble. He could stand up, but he couldn’t reach the small canal where the water flowed out of the cell. The chains were too short for this.

“I’ve got an idea.”

I stood up. The numbness in my leg made it difficult to walk, but I tried to cover this up. He shouldn’t worry any more than he already did. The Nur’Zhul hadn’t bothered to take the food bowls with them. We were used to put them somewhere close to the bars, so that the guard could take them with him if he was in the mood. He seldom was. I cleaned one of them in the cold water and sat down by his side.

“This will do.”

He looked at the bowl and nodded with stern features. I put it under the cloak and grabbed for his dick. He drew away with a twist of his hips. I removed my hands from under the fabric.

“Let me help you, Maraki. How do you want to hit the bowl?”

I spoke with a mellow voice, because I wanted to ease his scruples.

“How much more do you have to humiliate yourself for me?”

His eyes were fixed on mine and they radiated deep sadness.

“I will do everything that is necessary and these are no empty words.”

I moved my face a little bit closer to his.

“There is no humiliation in this except for the Nur’Zhul. I will not allow them to take away your dignity.”

I breathed in. I breathed out.

“I’ll now help you to relieve yourself and then I’ll wash you. And don’t you dare to talk back or apologize.”

With a grin on my face and in a softer tone I added:

“Because that is what best friends are supposed to do.”

Sadness had become terror and, finally, had changed into grateful amusement.

“You wouldn’t have talked to me like that the Cycle we met.”

“Perhaps I should have. Would have made things easier for both of us.”

We laughed together.

“You’ll do everything that is necessary? So, if I get this itch in my rear…”

“I’ll scratch it and you’ll enjoy it.”

He smirked.

“Yes, I will.”

This was so much better than his uptight tiptoeing around the topic of sex.

“But first, I’ll fiddle around with your willy.”

I grabbed his dick again and aimed it at the bowl as accurately as this was possible without seeing it. Maraki gasped at the sudden touch, but soon I heard burbling sounds. His cock hardened under my hand. He opened his mouth, but, before he could speak, I put the index finger of my free hand on his lips.

“Remember what I said about apologies?”

He nodded while his eyes flashed. When he was finished, I tried to squeeze out the last droplets. He moaned and was fully hard by now. I let go of his member and produced the bowl from under the cloak. I disposed of its contents and, squatting down, cleaned it with the water that ran down the outer side of the basin.

“You must think of me as a sex-obsessed monster.”

“I attribute it to my overwhelming charm.”

He didn’t laugh.

“That was a joke.”

I looked up from the bowl and faced him. His demeanor was serious.

“For me, it isn’t. You’re the first person in a very long time who affects me like this.”

This should have felt awkward, but it made me feel tingly instead.

“I shouldn’t have told you.”

He looked away from me.

“Of course, you can tell me things like this.”

I walked over to him.

“But I can’t give you an answer, not yet.”

He raised his head.

“It wasn’t a question. I didn’t expect you to reply.”

To my astonishment, the corners of his mouth rose.

“Aren’t you disappointed?”

Mischievousness mixed into his smile.

“Why should I? You didn’t say no. There’s still hope.”

If only I were bolder, just a little bit bolder. I reflected his smile back at him.

“Don’t think your distractions work: it’s washing time.”

Coward.

“You don’t have to do this.”

“That’s pure self-protection. I don’t want to spend my Cycle with someone smelling like a herd of Snerks.”

He raised his brow. This fib was too easy to see through, but he played along.

“If you insist.”

The amusement in his eyes spoke volumes.

I got the thin rug which we had used as a blanket. I dipped half of it in the cold water and I intended to use the other half as a towel. I knelt down before Maraki and moved the wet cloth in circling motions over his face, paying attention to avoid his tusks. I included his ears and his neck after I had finished three full rounds. He had closed his eyes. The smug grin left no doubt that he was enjoying what I was doing. I washed out the rug. His shoulders and chest were next. Though I had spent so many Cycles with Maraki, it felt like seeing him for the first time. The bulges in his shoulders were more massive than my own biceps. I followed their curvy outline with the blanket, extended my route to his chest. It was firm and abundant with details, each muscle a distinct feature. His breathing had accelerated and I felt the beat of his heart through his leathery flesh. The smug expression had been wiped off his face. After renewing the water once more, I cleaned his stomach, followed by his back. Even his smallest movement caused a complex interplay of tension and relaxation all over his body. His arms were most fascinating for me. They were the epitome of strength and power; still, I had felt their gentle and caring touch. I washed his legs, beginning at the feet, the cloak folded up but still covering his crotch. He was rock hard… as was I. I only dared to whisper.

“Can you stand up for the rest?”

He opened his eyes, astonishment in them. Gasping and muted, he answered with a question.

“The rest?”

“If you allow me to.”

He put his feet on the ground and pushed up. Gliding up the wall, he came to a full stand. I held the cloak in place.

“There is nothing I wouldn’t allow you.”

His words flowed over me and through me, shattered me and made me whole at the same moment. I lowered the wet cloth onto his left butt cheek. In circling motions like before, I moved the blanket around. I did the same with the right one. When I put the rug into his crack, he inhaled sharply. I followed it down and felt the softness around his hole. Maraki’s chest was heaving in short but powerful bursts. In deliberate up and down movements, I repeated what I had done before, more often than would have been necessary.

The sound of the door opening gave me a start. Maraki winced too. It was the guard who brought us our meals. But instead of the usual bowls, he had two platters in his hands which were full to the brim with roast meat. He didn’t even look at us, despite the ambiguous situation he had caught us in. Wordless, he put down the food and left.

Maraki and I looked at each other in silence. Neither one of us knew something appropriate to say. A tiny voice in my head kept asking how far I’d have gone if we hadn’t been interrupted. I didn’t permit myself to answer. My waning erection said enough.

“Wanna sit down again for eating?”

An unnecessary question, a sorry excuse to break the silence, but Maraki sighed voicelessly in relief.

“Sure.”

He slid down the wall and I took care of the placement of the cloak. I got the two plates and sat down by his side.

“I have a bad feeling about this.”

I gestured at the meat.

“Do you think it’s poisoned again?”

“No. They don’t have any reason for that. I think it’s a message.”

I looked into Maraki’s eyes.

“They’re telling us we’ll need our strength soon.”

His eyes widened. His lips formed a silent ‘No!’

“They will do something to stop me ending your Ardor. This Cycle, for sure.”

He shook his head.

“I won’t eat it! The weaker I am the better.”

With both of my hands on his face, I made sure he was looking at me.

“I want you to be strong. So, please do what I ask of you and eat.”

I turned my left hand around and caressed his cheek with my knuckles.

“This is our message to the Nur’Zhul: they have no power over us, for we’re not afraid.”

Maraki put his forehead against mine.

“But I am afraid.”

“There is no reason to. Trust me.”

He nodded. We both moved back.

“This is a feast to celebrate us.”

Having that said, I reached for the plate and grabbed a large chunk of meat. Maraki took a bite and I ate the rest of it. After such a long time without proper food, it tasted like the gods themselves had prepared this meal. Taking our time, we finished off both plates in the same alternating pattern. I cleaned his mouth with my hands and washed them. Calmness, even deeper than the one I’ve felt the Cycle before, filled my mind and body. Maraki looked devastated. I walked over to him, hugged him and brought my mouth close to his ear.

“You won’t hurt me. I know.”

I patted the back of his head.

“Seeing you worried like this is by far more painful than everything you can do to me.”

I sat down, not letting go of him. We ended up in the same position as last night.

“I can’t help it. The mere thought of laying a finger on you consumes me from the inside like fire.”

I caressed his hair.

“You won’t hurt me. Relax.”

The sumptuous meal had made me drowsy. I hoped that the same was true for Maraki, because there was nothing we could do but wait.

The opening of the door didn’t alarm me at all, though I had been lingering somewhere between sleep and being awake. Maraki shot up and his muscles tensed up in a defensive reflex. I laid my hand on his shoulder.

“Don’t.”

His body went slack. He turned to me and the familiar sadness looked back at me. His eyes already showed the first signs of a red tint. I hugged him again and repeated what had become my mantra.

“You won’t hurt me.”

I kissed him on the cheek before I got up and walked to the middle of the room. His eyes followed me, filled with a multitude of emotions, but he kept silent.

The procession of the Nur’Zhul had almost descended the stairs: two guards followed by the Nuzr and the Councilor; two more guards came in last, carrying a wooden chest. Nuzr Shamar couldn’t hide the malicious joy he felt in expectation of my torture. The Councilor wore his mask of almost genuine friendliness.

“Elyran, you have expected us, haven’t you?”

My calmness leveled my voice to inoffensive neutrality.

“I know what you’re here for, though I’m not sure how you will accomplish it.”

The Councilor raised both of his arms and shrugged.

“I have to admit a certain lack of creativity and apologize for it. But the merchants of Nur’Khal have a saying: ‘Why buy one if you can have two for twice the price.’”

He waved the guards with the chest to come. The Councilor opened it and produced chains identical to Maraki’s.

“The Mogul Emperor has predicted that you’d not shy away from extreme measures regarding your Ogrushkai friend. In his wisdom, he enchanted two shackles.”

I smiled at the Councilor in the same false way he did.

“But you first tried without them. I hope you enjoyed watching us carrying out the extreme measures.”

His mock exasperation was as convincing as his other fake emotions.

“My dear Elyran, it hurts to hear that you think so lowly about us. You have to understand that we wish you no harm and that using those fetters is our last resort.”

I extended my arms to the front, palms facing up.

“Let’s stop wasting our breath for exchanging pleasantries. Bind me and leave.”

The Nuzr made a step forward, but the Councilor stopped him with a movement of his hand.

“Your Excellency, he mustn’t talk to you like this. Let me teach this scum some manners.”

“We leave that honor to his inmate. We’ll see if he will show a little more respect after being ravaged by his friend Cycle for Cycle for Cycle.”

Still seated, Maraki tore at his chains and roared in fury.

“I’ll kill myself before hurting him.”

The Councilor turned towards Maraki and didn’t bother to conceal his contempt.

“We will not allow this. You will do what you have been brought here for, savage. Otherwise, we will find ways to motivate you. Your death is a price we are absolutely willing to pay, for you are dispensable.”

A ball of rage had formed in my guts, a searing sphere of hatred.

“If you as much as touch him the wrong way, you’ll never learn the location of the trinket or it might even get destroyed in a tragic accident. I think the Mogul Emperor will reconsider your dispensability if you won’t bring results, won’t he?”

For a Fraction, the façade of the Councilor crumbled away. Intermixed with the scorn for me was fear for his life. He shared my assessment of the Mogul Emperor’s reaction to a failure.

“Empty threats! Hold him while I affix the bolt.”

One of the guards took a key from his pocket and opened the door. The other one had drawn his sword. They entered the cell. The armed one kept me in check while the other guard pushed me down on my knees. With his hand on my shoulder, he pressed me down. The Councilor walked over to the wall opposite of Maraki. He placed the bolt on the ragged stone and muttered words under his breath. The bolt emitted a golden light and slid into the wall. The grinding of stone mixed with the high-pitched noise I had already heard the Cycle before. The glowing died down and the sound faded away. Like the other bolt, it had blended with the wall. The Councilor turned to face me. He had regained his composure and was smiling at me.

“Are you still so eager to be chained, Elyran?”

“Better than to be bound to a master who will dispose of you at the slightest mistake.”

This time, he controlled himself.

“As soon as you’ll have revealed the whereabouts of the trinket, you’ll enjoy the undivided interest and hospitality of my master. You’ll find that he has a lot to offer.”

He left the cell in a deliberate pace. The guards dragged me to my feet and moved me over to the wall. They shackled my hands on my back as they had done with Maraki. While the guards left, the Councilor addressed me once more.

“To show you we’re not as evil as you think, we’ll grant you 10 Parts of privacy. This will be the time after which the Ardor will seize full control of your Ogrushkai friend. I hope you won’t mind the Nuzr to join you again. He’ll make sure that your torturer won’t injure you lethally.”

He was turning away before he had finished the last sentence. The Nur’Zhul left in silence. The Nuzr smirked at me as he walked through the door.

I faced Maraki. The Councilor had not exaggerated, for Maraki’s eyes shone in a deep crimson color. I hadn’t seen him so far into the Ardor yet. It was doubtful whether we still had 10 Parts. He was panting and his muscles were strained. He fought against the Ardor. A hopeless fight. His voice was full of effort.

“Please listen. Only listen.”

After the Nur’Zhul had left, my tranquility had returned. Fear was only a dim memory. I nodded.

“I was infuriated when the Nur’Zhul captured me and brought me here. But now I’m grateful, because I have met you.”

His breath came in short gasps.

“I can’t apologize for what I’ll do to you. There are no words strong enough.”

He wrinkled his forehead, struggling against the call of the Ardor.

“Although all hope is lost now, I have to tell you. I love you. Not as a friend, not as a brother, but as the most desirable male walking the soil of Tenegra. I love you.”

Maraki pressed his chin on his chest. His features were contorted in pain.

His words echoed in my mind and resonated within me. The calmness had taken my fear away; his words added boldness. It was so easy now.

“Hope isn’t necessary, Maraki, for I lo…”

With a clanking noise, our chains crashed onto the floor.