The Castle of the Dragon Master (another episodic story)

[Rhys]

He was swept down out of the mountains when he was just a boy and brought to the land of men with big scimitars and even bigger cocks. Frightened and alone, he ceased to speak until a gentle robbed stranger came...purchasing him from the auction block. The stranger was hooded from head to toe in black robes with rich green and gold threads, and he clearly hid himself for a reason. The only thing the slave boy saw were piercing blue eyes that crinkled in to what might be a smile...but so frightened and scared was he that he dared not stare at the stranger who had purchased him...and the whispers around him frightened him more...and then he was led away...

 

[Rhys]

The days and nights before his purchase had been terrifying. The bonds had cut him...marking his wrists and ankles. He'd suffered the lash and the cold cruelties of probing fingers and tongues. He's shied away, curling himself in a ball, dragging the dirty remnants of this clothing to him and shuddering. He suffered a thousand daily indignities, cut and bruised and shell shocked until he felt nothing but crushing despair.
By the time they had dragged him kicking to the center auction block he was a wretched sight. Caked in mud and refuse he was fit for nothing but field work or possibly a brothel. A few brothel owners had bid on him as his face was fair ...long lashes framed deep hazel eyes and soft brown hair that curled slightly. He was pretty but the liberal sprinkling of bruises and the lash marks across his back indicated that he was too strong willed. He listened with half an ear heartsick...the tongue spoken foreign but the intent clear...he was being sold..

 

[Rhys]

The bidding was raucous. Arabian horses covered in bells stampeeded through the gates. Nearby, fair skinned women were also sold, their veils stripped away and they stood shivering and naked in front of the leering men. The boy auction proceeded swiftly and a dark swarthy man stepped forward to grab the boy's chin. He gave him a light slap and laughed darkly as the boy tried to twist away from him. The twisting only tightened his bonds and a thin trickle of blood began seep from the boy's wrist. The man laughed again, a harsh cruel sound and he produced a fist full of coins enough for the purchase. The boy's heart was in his throat...surely he could not end this way...surely this dirty dark and cruel creature would not take him away...and he shut his eyes and prayed...prayed with all his might for deliverance...


__________________

 

[Rhys]

The whisper of air...the sound of the blade slashing though silence got his attention. He had been praying, his lush lips moving silently in his own language in a prayer he barely remembered...but it was prayer nonetheless, and so had not heard the approach of the stranger. When he opened his eyes it appeared as though the black robbed one had just materialised as if conjured there. The black ponies stamped and their bells jingled in a soft tune. The stranger passed close, and the scent of sandlewood and spices wafted past the boy's nose. His eyes widened as he watched the black stranger draw his sword and artfully slice the band on the dirty scavenger's pouch...the coins spilling in the dirt. He stared at his reflection in the high polish of the sword and did not recognise himself at all. The black held up five gleaming gold coins and handed them to the slave master. The scavenger had been outbid and he glared at the Hooded One with clear hatred. The stranger made a gesture and the boy's bonds were loosed but he was thrown over the back of one of the huge black horses and led away...he was terrified and exhilierated...and exhausted....

 

[Rhys]

Days of hunger, insomnia, and terror had taken their toll and he fainted draped across the back of the stallion. He woke with a start when gentle fingers caressed his cheek. The stranger lightly brushed his face with a dampend cloth cleaning away some of the grime. All the boy saw was the flair of twilght behind the tall figure, the gold hammered into his cloak glimmering in the sun and he nearly fainted again. His lips were cracked and parched and he coughed. The stranger held up a bota and water, cool blessed water, was drizzled into the boys mouth. He drank tenatively at first then greedily lapping at the sweet water and whimpering for more. The stranger wetted the cloth more and wiped away more of the grime and dust that collect in the boy's eyes and he could see the vast desert plain below them. The moon was slowly rising from behind the eastern mountain and the black horses were part of a vast caravan moving across the desert. He was allowed to sit upright on the horse but he was bound to the neck of the beast so he could not escape. His bonds were checked and his wounds cleaned and he hissed as the tender flesh was gently cleansed. The stranger ruffled his hair and then strode back to his horse...mounted it easily and they rode through the night....

 

[Rhys]

He dreamed. He fell under the spell of the shifting sands and the wind and the slow plodding of the caravan. They moved at night most of the time, taking advantage of the coolness of the evening and the guidance of the stars. He watched in awe as the heavens seemed to blossom and fall in fiery streaks toward earth. He slept and was waked by cool trickles of water on his parched lips. The eyes of the stranger haunted his sleep and his waking dreams. They were demon eyes. His people had said blessings to ward off people with such eyes. Eyes that burned like the desert sands and so bright blue like the heavenly canopy. Three times or four they stopped in the brilliant night and he was allowed off the horse to relieve himself and drink more water. Once in the darkest part of the night after moonset, the torches were cast into the ground and shelters hastily erected. He was given food but he was too afraid to eat it. He only sniffed it and turned away. He was given a pallet that was far better than anything he'd slept on in a while and he curled up on it the scent of it sweet and he was filled with aching longing for his home and hearth. He cried silently in the dark until he slept fitfully and uneasily. When he awoke the sun blazed down in heat so dry he felt like his whole body was parchment...dried and flaking away. Clouds built in the Western sky and he could see a swift desert thunderstorm coming. Today, he was given a camel, foul beast that spat and stunk but the ride was easier. His beast was ushered to the front where a large canopy was erected over the beasts as they walked and a pole was attached to the saddle moorings of his camel. The edge of the walking tent was held by his camel and they began to plod calmly across the desert.
The storm never reached them, and the heat was fierce but the tent made it cooler and it was not so bad. He was given a covering for his face and hands so they would not burn. The stranger led the way and they slowly trekked over open desert the sands shifting and hissing beneath the camel's toes. He dreamed again...the strangers eyes, they burned him. He was dizzy and hallucinating. He accepted only water...the food he feared poisioned and so rejected it. Five days they traveled and he was no longer sure if they kept an easterly heading or not. The last day it rained. He stood in the the down pour of a flooding rain and felt revitialised at last. The rainwater blasted away the filth and grime from his clothes and face and he was clean for all of twenty minutes. Even the cursed camel seemed a bit more friendly after that. He fell asleep on the back of the beast so when the tinkling of bells stopped he was not entirely sure. He only knew that the absence of the sound was what woke him. He opened his eyes and stared....

 

[Rhys]

The castle seemed to be built right into the solid rock of the mountain. The Moorish spires swept the heavens and blended into the natural curve of the rock. This keep was very well hidden and the desert camoflagued it well. He fell dismounting the camel and had to be carried inside into the cool darkness. He was laid on soft bedding and his dirty ragged clothing stripped from him. The Master came and clearly gave orders to the staff to bath him. He was too tired to fight them and allowed himself to be scrubbed from head to foot. Food was left for him but he dared not touch it. A woman came, and he was shocked by her mode of dress. Her feet were bare and she wore a skirt of white linen that wove around her waist and crossed in front of her breasts. At her throat was an exquiste collar made of hammered gold and jewels. She also wore an elaborate black wig and painted her eyes with khol to protect them from the glare of the desert. Another woman trailed in after her and she was very tall and blonde. She wore her hair piled atop her head and ringlets curled down the sides of her face fetchingly. She wore a purple silk robe that tied on one shoulder and left the other bare and a bracelet of gold high on her upper arm. They spoke to him and gestured for him to eat but he refused and backed away from them. The blonde looked perplexed but the other one frowned and strode out of the room. She returned a few minutes later with the Master. He had removed his black head gear and his nearly platinum blond hair was a stark contrast to his tanned face. The boy stared at him. He was strange but enticing as well. The master studied him briefly and then broke off a piece of the bread and stuck it in his mouth and chewed. He swallowed and broke off another piece and the boy marveled at the long fingers of the Master. He suddenly offered a bit of bread to the boy and the boy took it carefully. He stuck it in his mouth and chewed. He watched the Master as he sampled all the food, demonstrating clearly that there were no drugs. Then, he offered the food to the boy and the boy ate ravenously...forgeting his manners...everything not even to taste the food so great was his hunger. The master smiled and ruffled his hair and stood. He said something to the women and strode from the room. The boy wished he'd stayed ...there was something comforting in his presense...but then he was too sleepy to care...

 

[Rhys]

The days passed quickly and he learned to be of service around the castle. The entire place was a marvel and a mishmash of styles and engineering. The caves were mostly used for storage, and numerous caravans stopped to overnight in the keep. The master provided food and shelter and the most precious of all, water to those in need. The source was a spring deep in the heart of the cave that filtered through an artisian well system and was carried via aquaduct into the heart of the household. The master bartered water for elaborate tapestries from the East as well as gold, pottery, wines, spices, and all kinds of exotic fruits and vegetables. Grains came from the West and for those he paid gold. The grainery was also housed in the cave and a great water wheel turned the stone that ground the grain. The boy discovered that one of the women was the keeper of the house and grounds...the one who was more patrician in appearance. The other, barefoot one, was the keeper of the bedchambers. Both women worked together at keeping the palace clean and sparkling. He quickly made himself useful by helping them whenever he could and slowly oh so slowly he learned their musical language. He swept, polished, beat rugs, carried water, carried platters of food for the numerous guests, aired linens and did whatever they asked of him. For his efforts, he slept not on a pallet by the fire or in a cell but in a lavish room with tapestries, and his clothing was always clean. He had fresh water and food and wines if he wanted. For a time, this was enough to keep him happy and so he was...

 

[Rhys]

The nights blazed with mystery and wonder. Musicians traveled with the caravans and a few stayed in the lower caverns most of the time. A band of gypsy travelers stayed and pitched their tents in the keep and the boy watched them carefully. One of the girls, a redhaired vixen, belly danced nightly for the men and tried numerous times to lure the master into her bed. The Master dodged her with a smile and continued barganing with their chief. To the boy's surprise, the Master spoke Rom. He recognised the language of the gypsies from his encounters with them in his village far to the north. He was worried and suspicious about having the gypsies around so when he encountered the woman who wore the collar, he tried to communicating with her. Her expression was startled. She clearly did not expect him to speak. His command of her language was not all that good but he finally learned her name. She pointed to herself and thumped her chest and said clearly, "Mery" . He grinned and imitated her. "Talan" he said. She patted him on the back and smiled. From that point on he asked her the name of every object in the room, struggling to add it to his growing vocabulary. The woman in the toga was Patra.
He was worried. Negociations with the Rom seemed to be taking a long time and the sooner they left the better he would feel. He could also feel that the others were uneasy as well. Finally the trading was done and the Master sat with the leader of the tribe smoking and drinking. The girl belly danced, the Rom musicians played and it would have been pleasant had Talan been able to relax. He was kidnapped by people such as these and sold. He stayed away and watched them from a safe distance. They were gone in the morning having left sometime after moonrise. The belly dancing woman stayed behind along with forty casks of something and ten Rom ponies. Talan was greatly relieved. The woman however caused some consternation among the other women though. He watched from the tower rooms as they discussed her presense with the Master, and from the looks of things it was a heated discussion. Finally, he decided to brave the controversy because his stomach was rumbling. The Master looked tired. Mery and Patra escorted the woman away, but not before Mery pointed at her for his benefit and said "Chavi" . He nodded and decided that keeping neutral in this would be a good idea. The Master indicated that the casks be stored in the cellars before he swept away leaving Talan to carry the goods away.
He quickly finished that task and set out for the kitchens. He found a few meatrolls and a cup of steaming tea and settled into a corner. He ate quickly and when he was finished decided to explore the great house. The women were not back to give him orders so he left the kitchen and took a broom with him, just in case...

 

[Rhys]

He wandered into a wing of the house he'd never seen before. The stone work gave way to arched ceilings and gothic sconces. Stone work monsters guarded entry halls and in the flickering light their jeweled eyes seemed menacing. He swallowed hard and the tiled mosaic stones beneath his feet became hewn shale. He found a door left ajar and he plucked a torch from a sconce to glance inside and his jaw fell open in wonder. Books. Thousands of books lined the shelves, parchments littered the floor, inks and chalks lay everywhere and an easel was set up in the corner. The painting was draped so he did not disturb it as he edged his way around the great round wooden table. Parchments filled with architectural renderings covered one side, fanciful creatures were drawn on others and he was in awe. The Master's inks and brushes lay strewn on the table. Talan picked up one drawing and was amazed at the careful calligraphy. He brushed his hair out of his eyes and stared at all the books. There were thousands lining the walls and stacked on the floors. Some appeared tattered like they had been read to death and were carefully repaired. Others appeared brand new and hardly touched. He walked over to the great shelves and pulled one small volume from the group. He flipped it open and the language was unknown to him. But the writing was exquisite as was the pictures illustrating the text. He didn't think. He tucked the slender volume up under his robe and secured it against his chest. The Master had many more, surely he would not miss one small book, he thought. He started out of the room but the doors in the back were open and a light fragrant breeze beaconed so he followed. The doors opened on a great shaded courtyard and he could see a huge fountain spilling water into a pool. Fragrant blooms fell from the vines and trees above and drifted on the surface of the pool. The water seemed to glow like a jewel, the sides of the basin were painted a deep blue almost black light the night sky. Talan heard a faint splashing so he ducked behind on of the screens. The Master rose from the pool and the water dripped from him like tiny glittering diamonds. Talan sucked in his breath and stared. The Master was tanned but not so dark as to be mahogany. The shock of pale hair and the vibrant eyes contrasted to his tawny skin. He was well muscled but wiry and the thing that struck Talan the most was the lack of hair. His chest was smooth as were his thighs. No hair grew around the sex either and Talan found himself studying that organ until he realised it and blushed. He was fascinated though and kept staring. The man was tall, nearly a giant and that combined with the aloof aristocratic air about him made him all the more mysterious and fascinating. He watched as the man lay down in the half shade of a large Travelers palm, and he did not dress. In fact, he threw his arm across his face and appeared to go to sleep. Enboldened by curiousity, Talan crept closer...

 

[Rhys]

He could not go through the garden without drawing attention to himself. Talan stole through the screened hallway and looped back around to the opposite side of the garden. He entered a suite of rooms and his jaw fell open. Two things struck him immediately, the gigantic bed and the large tree in the bedchamber. The bed was huge and the fourposts seemed to reach half way to the high ceiling. The tree was a fig and had niches carved into it to accomodate candles. The room was round and he realised he was in the tower on the opposite side, the inclination was so slight that he had not realised he was climbing. The whole side of the palace was hewn from rock and looked down on the desert floor. He walked to the shutters and opened them and saw that his guess had been correct. From this vantage point you could see a caravan coming even if they were still a day away. Strange objects littered the tables here...the masters sandals, a large carved mask from some land further to the south, a glass that magnified his palm so that he could see the tiny lines tracing his skin when he held it. Blown glass candle holders hung from the branches of the tree and huge candlelabra stood beside the bed. Draperies of mosquito netting fell in a graceful drape from the ceiling and were tied back around the sides of the bed. Silk pillows and sheets covered the bed and softly woven tapestries covered the floors. He ran his fingers onto the silk coverlet and tried to imagine that intriguing man sleeping there. He ventured to the doors and looked out into the garden. The master still lay there dozing in the sun. His body seemed to shimmer with some sort of oil and the boy was transfixed. He rolled over, his posture indicated deep slumber and one arm cradled his head. In this pose, Talan could study his face in detail. The lips attracted him most, full and sensual but not without a twist of cruelty. He could almost imagine his fingers tracing those lips, touching their softness. Unconsciously, Talan rubbed his own mouth and wished for...something. Something in the languidness of the master's slumbering pose made him wish to be nearer, much nearer. The master's nose was very Roman and as aristocratic as any statesman. He hadhigh cheekbones and a chisled jawline that ran down to the slight cleft in his chin.
The man rolled over again, this time away from the boy. Talan was startled at the passage of time. The sun was beginning to fade from overhead. He glanced up and saw that there was another turret hidden in the cliff face high above. The garden, would be clearly visible there as would be most of the desert floor. He had not realised he was kneeling in the doorway of the master's room and he scuttled out of the room quickly fearing discovery by either Mery or Patra. Surely one of them must come to wake the Master soon for dinner. He scuttled along the corridor and found the rough hewn steps up to the tower. He reached it just as the sun began to set...

 

[Rhys]

The turret seemed largely unused. He was able to brush away the cobwebs and crack open the shutters. The breeze was cooler here too and it was comfortable if not dusty. He sneezed once or twice and wished for his forgotten broom. He found an old barrel and pulled it over by the window and sat down on it. From his vantage point he could see the garden clearly and part of the Master's bedroom. Mery came onto the patio bearing a torch and a tray. She came over to the Master's chaise and placed the tray of food carefully on the table across from him. She then lit the torches around the garden and soon the whole place was brilliantly illuminated. She walked back to his bedroom and returned without her wig, cuffs or bracelets. Talan was startled. Her hair was a deep red and cut in a bob around her face making her seem elven or pixish. She unwound the linen wrap from around her body and then plunged naked into the pool. The splash woke the Master and he sat up lazily and watched her swim. She stood up in the shallow end of the pool and her nipples were hard in the twilight breeze. There was a murmur of low conversation and he quickly joined her. Talan felt a quick stab of jealousy. He watched them swim and eat and drink a leisurely bottle of wine. He wondered, were they lovers? He did not remember seeing anything that struck him as feminine paraphenalia in the Master's bedroom. They were clearly comfortable with one another, neither made a move to dress. She was laughing about something and he pulled her into his lap and kissed her and Talan felt his face grow hot...

 

[Rhys]

From his vantage point he could see every thing. He watched as the Master lightly traced a line from her collarbone to the tip of her nipple with his fingers. She threw back her head and shut her eyes as he cupped her breast with his hand. He kissed her breast gently palming one as he lightly ran his tongue over the other. Talan could not hear her moans of pleasure, the breeze carried them away but he could imagine them. ..

 

[Rhys]

The Master moved up to her mouth and kissed her deeply, brushing her hair out of her face as he did. He nuzzled her neck and ears and Talan could see her shudder. The Master ran his hands down the small of her back, caressing all the way to her buttocks and the backs of her thighs. His fingers swept all the way down to the backs of her legs and he pulled her into his lap in such a way as to be able to reach her feet. Mery put her hands on his shoulders and he lifted her up, placing her in his lap so that she faced him and her thighs crossed his. Talan felt his face grow very hot. He knew they were mating but he had never seen anything quite like this. He remembered his mother and stepfather rutting like animals in the cold stinking darkness of their hold. He'd been less than impressed and tried to sleep through the whole thing. This, however drew his attention. They were both beautiful. Mery's red hair glowed in the torchlight and the Master...well the Master was...Talan could not describe it.
He watched as Master slowly repositioned Mery so that she was laying on her back on the chaise...her head where the feet would be, and he had parted her thighs and was kissing her belly. Talan felt a stab of envy...

 

[oh21]

There was something about the piercing sparkly nature of the master’s eyes that caused Talan to experience strange feelings. As he watched the master and Mery he began to loose sight of Mery. Suddenly in his mind it was not Mery in the Master’s lap but it was he Talan. The Master held him and embraced him tightly as he tasted his lips, parting them with his tongue, Talan began to stir under his tunic and began to rub himself subconsciously as he watched. The Master had parted Mery’s legs and began to tease with her tongue, running it slowly up and down the length of her sex. Talan was jealous, he longed for the Master’s touch. Without thinking he disrobed and began to stroke himself as he imagined the Master laying him back on the chase and flicking his tongue through the slit of his cock, caressing his thighs and nibbling gently on his balls.

In Talan’s mind the Master was not fucking Mery, he was fucking him. Talan watched him from the turret window and he began to stroke his cock faster, matching the Master’s thrusts. His knees began to grow week and he leaned up against a dressing table that was left near the window. Throwing his head back he closed his eyes and imagined being entered by the master. He wondered what it would feel like to have his lips brushing over his nipples while his cock slid in and out of his ass, he imagined himself stroking his own cock while the master entered him. He began to moan and whimper, calling out for the master in his native tongue, as he felt the wave of pleasure begin to build up inside of himself. He imagined the master thrusting into him and bursing his kips with a passionate kiss. Goosebumps began to cover his skin and his toes curled. Suddenly his breath quickened his body began to spasm and streams of white cream erupted from his cock pooling to the floor below.

What was it about the master that made him feel this way?

 

[Rhys]

He sank to the floor and scrubbed at his face. Tears of hungry frustration and shame coursed down his cheeks. He knew he was not supposed to feel that way about other men. He was confused and he ached deep inside. The rustling noise distracted him. He cocked his head and listened. The sound came again from somewhere above him. The scent of nutmeg and ginger wafted down past his nose. Again, there was a sound like the movement of giant wings. Talan rose on shaky legs and pulled his pants up. He peered out the window. He did not see Mery and the Master. He assumed that they had retired for the night. He happened to glance up and the sight took his breath away.

The giant reptilian eye regarded him. The creature, blinked slowly. The turquoise eye seemed to regard him with intelligence and humour. Talan however, forgot to breathe. He stared at the huge lids and watched the nicotating membrane flicker over the eye as the monster blinked. The huge reptile rumbled and Talan felt light headed. He clung to the stonework of the window sill and his mouth worked but no sound came out. The creature made a chuffing noise then abruptly launched itself out into the night sky. Wings, huge bronze and brown wings, stirred a breeze, lifting and ruffling Talan's hair. He stared as the creature gained great height almost immediately and blotted out the stars. He stared after the creature and it wheeled around slowly in the air and came back, settling slowly onto the courtyard below.

Dragon! Dragon! Talan's frightened mind repeated over and over. Dragon!

 

[Rhys]

The warm sunlight filtering through the open window and the soft gentle breeze woke Talan from his slumber. His neck was cricked and it ached from being locked into an uncomfortable position for most of the night. He got up off the floor and gazed down at the courtyard.

There was no sign of the giant Dragon.

He decided he'd hallucinated the whole thing and crept sheepishly back down to his own rooms. His neck was decidedly stiff and he was going to visit Patra right after breakfast. Perhaps she knew a remedy to help with the stiffness. He cleaned himself up as best he could in the small pool in his room. Dried cum made it difficult for him to pull his pants free. He winced and decided that it might be a good idea to shave. The large mirror in his room reflected back to him just how tired he was. He rubbed his shoulder and neck trying to work out the stiffness. He stared at his reflection. He'd never really looked at himself, except in the ponds of his homeland. He was skinny, with a smooth chest and stomach. Only a thin trail of light brown hairs traced down to his crotch. His pubic hair was sparse, and even sparser, he thought ruefully, after having to yank some of it out to get his pants off. He was still growing at maybe 5'10. His legs and arms were toned with working and lifting but he was still on the skinny runty side. He sighed and found another pair of loose pants and a tunic and some sandals for his feet. His stomach rumbled so he decided to go to the kitchen cavern first.

The sight that greeted him there was absolute bedlam. Mery was yelling, Patra was quietly crying and the gipsy girl was standing in the corner looking smug. The Master stood in the centre of the chaos with a very angry expression on his face. He glanced at Talan. Talan could feel his cheeks burn and he cringed. Could the Master have known he was being watched? He tried to follow the conversation but the rapid musical language they spoke befuddled him. He caught some individual phrases but he could make no sense of them. Patra finally stood up and strode out of the room, her spine straight as a board. She was clearly angry about something. The Master sighed and went after her. Talan was uncertain what to do. Mery was unhappy. The new woman looked entirely too pleased with herself.

Talan's stomach rumbled loudly much to his acute embarrassment.
Mery glanced at him, and motioned for him to go to the cupboards. Inside he found a large bowl and she directed him to the hearth where a stew bubbled in a caldron across the fire. He ladled some for himself and went to the table in the center of the room. He found some of the wonderful sourdough bread sitting on the table and a bread knife. He cut himself a piece and used the bread to sop up the stew. He chewed slowly and regarded Mery and the other woman. Mery didn't like her. He could just tell by the way she treated the other woman. Something was definitely amiss.

 

[Rhys]

The inbound caravan distracted them all. Talan spent the rest of the day hauling casks of water out to the exhausted travelers. They were clearly from the East somewhere and traded silk fabric, woven rugs, baskets, pottery, beads, the majority of it standard fare. The things that struck Talan as odd were the bottles of various inks, and chalks. The inks glowed like jewels in their bottles. They also traded unique papers. These were no ordinary parchment or hide. They were thin, nearly translucent. Talan had no idea what the Master would want with them, but he was directed to place the bundle carefully in the Master's study. He stared at the books and remembered that he'd left his purloined book in the upstairs tower. He didn't have time to retrieve it though. He carried cask after cask of water from the deep cavern wells and helped load them onto the camels of the caravan. To his surprise, Patra came from the stables on horseback and departed with the caravan.
He watched as Mery embraced Patra, and they clearly were saying a tearful farewell. She came over and patted him as well. She kissed his cheek and mounted her horse and when the caravan pulled away, he ran to the hidden stairs and went up to the tower room. He watched as the caravan moved across the desert and into the night. He didn't know he was crying until a tear dripped onto the sill. They disappeared from the horizon in the failing light of the sun. He found his book and crept downstairs to his room. He found a torch in the main hearth and lit the torches down the hallway so he could find his room. He relit the candle stubs in his room. He stripped off his sweat sodden shirt and pants. He carefully set the book down by the side of the bed. He bundled his clothing up, but was unsure as to what to do with it. Patra had been the mistress of the house and kept not only the house accounts but the running of the laundry. With her absence, he was not sure what to do with his stinking clothing. He realised he would have to ask Mery in the morning.
He was tired and his neck ached. His calves were also strained from lifting, so when he approached the pool and dunked his toe in, he was grateful for the warmth of the water. He bathed quickly at the side of the tub, slucing off the dirt and sweat of the day. He then plunged into the tub and laid there in the water enjoying the luxury of the small pool. He never heard the door slide open behind him...

 

[Rhys]

Mery brought in clean towels and the last of his clean clothing. She saw him nearly asleep in the water and was concerned he might drown so she touched him lightly on the shoulder. He jumped about a metre in the air and covered himself. She moved back and offered him a towel which he snatched from her hand. He wrapped it around his waist and she grinned at him. His cheeks turned fire red. She pointed to the bundle of clothing and mimed what he was to do with it. He nodded trying to understand her. He got some words, enough to figure out that he was to bring his dirty clothing down stairs to the caverns. She smiled at him and exited the room. He waited til his heart stopped trying to jump out of his chest. She'd really startled him.

He crossed the chilly tile floor to his bed, after securing the door against further unannounced intrusions. He moved several candlelabra so he could see better and fell into bed. The linen coverlet felt good against his bare skin. He picked up the book and rolled over onto his stomach. He opened the first page and gasped slightly. This time his blush reached the roots of his hair. This was no ordinary book!

 

[Rhys]

Pillow books were completely alien to him. He flipped through the pages and stared. The language was completely unfamiliar as well. The illustrations, however, were richly detailed and in vibrant inks. He stared at the sexual acts depicted therein and slapped the book shut. He let the book rest on his pillow. He got up, walked completely around his room, then went back to the bed. He was drawn to the book. He could no more explain why than sprout wings, but he was. He flipped open the first page and studied the drawing.

The man and the woman shown were wrapped around one another in a passionate embrace. He remembered Mery and the Master from the other night. Something in the drawing seemed familiar so he kept flipping pages. The illustrations were incredibly detailed. The artist had captured the facial expressions and the anatomical proportions of his subjects well. The picture that captured his imagination most was an drawing of a young man with his knees drawn up. His lover, a strong male figure, pictured only from the back, lay between his legs. The young man had his knees spread wide and his feet on the shoulders of his lover.
Talan was not exactly sure what they were doing in the illustration, but one thing was clear. The expression of passionate surrender was clearly evident on the young man's face. One of his hands gripped the bedclothes and the fingers of the other hand were twined into his lover's hair. His hair was a dischevled honey coloured halo around his face. His back was arched and his throat muscles contracted. In his mind, Talan could almost hear his whimpers of pleasure. Unconsciously, he reached down, and stroked his growing cock...

 

[Rhys]

He rolled over onto his back, and gripped his cock harder. He tried to prop the book up on his pillow but it kept sliding off. He flipped to several other pictures, one of which depicted the young man massaging the cock of the other. Talan whimpered softly. His body relaxed and exhausted could not take the physical assault of masturbation. Slumber and arousal melded together seamlessly and he dreamed.

The stranger had entered his room and stroked his naked body. Talan shivered, his skin reacting to the feathery touch. In this dream, he was the boy and the stranger, faceless and nameless, played with him like he was some exotic toy. The stranger's fingers trailed over Talan's neck and shoulders, down to his chest. The fingers lighly stroked his nipples, bringing them to hard points almost immediately. Talan moaned as the fingers lightly pinched and massaged. He found that in this dream he could not move his hands. Curious, his dream self looked upward and found that he was pinioned to the bed with golden chains. Talan realised that he was a slave after all. He pulled against them and felt their strength. The pleasuring torture continued, as the robed and hooded figure before him slowly drew away the linen covers and exposed his throbbing cock...