BEAST'S SLAVE - CHAPTER 6
The sweet melodies of singing birds caressed Emeriel’s ears, coaxing him out of his slumber.
He blinked, attempting to ward off the persistent rays of sunlight that seeped through his closed eyelids, yet the brightness persisted. Finally, Emeriel’s eyes fluttered open, greeted by the splendor of the morning light.
He rubbed his eyes, and as the fog lifted from his mind, the memories of the previous night flooded back. Emeriel jolted upright, his gaze instinctively darting downwards. To his surprise, he was naked beneath the blanket.
Could it all have been a mere dream?
However, a slight movement of his leg brought a sharp pang of pain coursing through him, dispelling any doubts. There were bruises to his arms, and his private areas ache. No, it was definitely not a dream.
Something incredibly strange had happened the night before. Frankly, Emeriel marveled at the fact that he still drew breath, considering the immense agony he had endured. He needed to confide in Aekeira, to seek her counsel…
Aekeira!
Emeriel sprang from the bed, a cry escaping his lips as he ignored the aches that permeated his body. He had to get to his sister! Hastily, he reached for his chest binds and quickly secured it around himself. It dawned on him that two people had discovered his secret the previous night.
Panic thr_@tened to consume him, but he forcefully suppressed it. There would be ample time to worry about the implications later. For now, Aekeira needed him.
Moments later, Emeriel had dressed and rushed out of the door. Yet, navigating his way proved far more challenging than he had expected. He got lost numerous times, taking so many turns that he wondered if he were merely going in circles.
Nearly ready to abandon hope, a familiar painting caught his eye—a sight he believed he had encountered the previous night. Encouraged, he continued onward.
Curious eyes of both human slaves and Urekai maids met his gaze as he passed, but Emeriel feigned purpose, pretending he had been sent on an errand. They mustn’t suspect that he was making his way towards the forbidden chambers.
However, as he turned another corner, Emeriel came face to face with a cluster of Urekai soldiers. He froze.
They were many, far more than he had expected. It dawned on him that of course such a considerable presence was necessary to guard this wing, given that the beast occupied it. They had merely been dismissed the previous night. Why hadn’t he considered that?
Oh, this was going to be harder than he had thought.
Emeriel possessed knowledge of martial arts, but he doubted its efficacy against a single Urekai soldier, let alone a multitude. Just then, the soldiers fixed him with a stern gaze.
“You have trespassed far beyond your bounds, new slave. Return immediately,” one of them ordered in a deep voice.
“No, you don’t understand. I must find my sister. She is in the forbidden chambers,” Emeriel pleaded desperately.
The guards stiffened, exchanging glances. Without a word, two of them advanced, seizing Emeriel by the arms and forcibly leading him away.
He struggled with every ounce of his strength, but his efforts were as futile as kicking solid rocks. They guided him through the fortress, where bustling activity surrounded them, before unceremoniously depositing him on the ground like a discarded sack.
One of the guards leaned in, his voice filled with menace. “If we catch sight of you near the fourth wing again, we shall sever your very neck,” he snarled into Emeriel’s face. With that, they all turned and departed.
Helpless tears welled in Emeriel’s eyes.
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•••••••••••••••••••••
𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙂𝙍𝘼𝙉𝘿 𝙃𝙄𝙂𝙃 𝘾𝙊𝙐𝙍𝙏 𝙊𝙁 𝙍𝘼𝙑𝙀𝙉𝙎𝙃𝘼𝘿𝙊𝙒 𝙁𝙊𝙍𝙏𝙍𝙀𝙎𝙎, 𝙐𝙍𝘼𝙄.
The court has sprawling walls, decorated with fancy paintings, fine embroidery carpet, needle works and sophisticated fiber arts.
Two raised platforms commanded attention: the first held three majestic thrones with fancy gold designs. Behind it, a second podium rose even higher, bearing a grand throne that was bigger and outshone the rest in its lavish embellishments.
Seated upon the three majestic thrones were Grand Lord Ottai, Grand Lord Vladya, and Grand Lord Zaiper. However, the single throne behind them, rightfully belonging to Grand King Daemonikai, remained empty.
“From the screams that echoed through the night, I presume you proceeded with the plan, Lord Vladya,” Grand Lord Zaiper remarked nonchalantly, his phallus lodged in the throat of the slave girl kneeling between his legs.
“You presume correctly, Lord Zaiper,” Grand Lord Vladya replied simply.
“We had agreed that the plan was unwise, did we not? It is time to accept that King Daemonikai is long gone. We need not sustain the beast any longer. No Urekai or werewolf, be it of any species, can return from a feral state. It is simply impossible,” Grand Lord Zaiper expressed, his grip tightening on the slave’s hair as he forced her face down.
“We all acknowledge that, Lord Zaiper,” Grand Lord Ottai interjected with a roll of his eyes. “We do not hold out any hope for his recovery. But, while King Daemonikai may be gone, his beast still remains–very much alive and terrorizing the lands, like any other feral. The only difference is that ordinary ferals can be easily ki||ed, but this one cannot. We have attempted it before, or have you forgotten, Lord Zaiper?”
A flicker of discomfort passed through Grand Lord Zaiper, though he endeavored to conceal his reaction. His grasp on the human slave girl’s hair grew tighter, turning her face crimson.
He then pressed her face forcefully onto his phallus, holding her there even as she gagged and choked.
Grand Lord Vladya nearly snorted at Zaiper’s feeble attempt to mask his unease. Zaiper had nearly died in his previous attempt to eliminate the beast.
“Our best opportunity to vanquish the beast lies in the forthcoming eclipse moon night,” Grand Lord Ottai declared. “It has been over five centuries since the last one, so it should occur soon. Until then, we must endure and ensure the beast does not escape and wreak havoc on its own in search of sustenance.”
“What occurred two months ago may have been a one-time incident,” Grand Lord Zaiper argued.
“Thirty Urekais were drained dry, and ten of our females died after being mounted by the beast, not to mention the numerous humans in between,” Grand Lord Ottai countered.
He leaning back in his throne, studying Grand Lord Zaiper through his long lashes. “Within twenty-four hours, we lost forty of our people, all because we chose to ignore the fact that our beastly nature, no matter how wild it may be, still requires basic sustenance—bloodfeeding and segzual satisfaction. It is our basic nature, and even a feral Urekai beast still acts on instinct. We cannot risk more lives when there is a simple solution to this problem.”
Before Zaiper could respond, Vladya interjected, “What truly troubles you about our solution, Lord Zaiper? You have no fondness for humans. Considering how your slaves frequently turn up dead, one might assume you detest them even more than Lord Ottai and I do. So, why do you object? Surely you do not desire the beast to break free once more and unleash another rampage?”
An uncomfortable silence filled the air. Vladya already knew the reason for Zaiper’s objection, but he posed the question nonetheless, aware that Zaiper would never voice his true motive aloud.
Zaiper sought to claim the grand king’s throne for himself. He loathed the fact that Daemonikai’s beast still roamed. As long as it lived, the grand king’s throne would remain vacant. Zaiper cared little for their people; his sole ambition was to wield supreme power and rule over all.
This was one of the reasons why Vladya and Ottai had rejected Zaiper’s repeated suggestion to join forces and slay the beast over the past five centuries.
While they might stand a chance in ki||ing Daemonikai’s beast had they united and battled against the creature together, Vladya and Ottai consistently dismissed the notion whenever Zaiper surreptitiously broached the subject. Zaiper h@??d them both for it.
“I simply do not deem it necessary, Lord Vladya,” Zaiper finally responded. His face contorted with pleasure as he reached his climax, and the slave dutifully swallowed. Afterward, Zaiper composed himself, adjusted his attire, and dismissed the slave. “You know how much I care for our people.”
Vladya refrained from rolling his eyes, not out of respect for Zaiper, but because it would put Ottai in an uncomfortable position.
“Well, that would mean an increase in the rate of deceased slaves, as we would need to send in a new slave each time to the forbidden chambers. After all, it is impossible for the beast to spare their lives after mounting them for segz,” Grand Lord Zaiper pondered. “The princess’s screams were like pure music to my ears all night. It was almost a shame when she died–the music had abruptly ceased.”
Vladya remained silent in response. He felt nothing about the girl’s death either. Perhaps he might have experienced guilt or something akin to it if his soul still existed.
Unfortunately, his heart contained an empty void where his soul once resided, and his conscience had perished five centuries ago. Along with his former bondmate. And his best friend.
Lord Vladya rose from his seat then, “I must remove her lifeless body from the forbidden chambers. The young prince shall go next. This means that Lord Ottai and I must embark on another journey to the human lands. This time, we shall travel across the twelve kingdoms and secure the princesses, even the daughters of the privileged. We made an error by returning with only two when we should have brought at least fifty of them.”
“That course of action could potentially trigger another war,” Ottai protested.
“I would not mind one. In fact, I welcome any battle that comes my way,” Vladya deadpanned, devoid of emotion.
Ever the peacemaker, Grand Lord Ottai gave him that imploring look, “Let us proceed with caution. I am confident that we can find a way to achieve our objectives without resorting to war. I must leave as well. I promised Morina that I would hunt with her this morning.”
A familiar pang of jealousy pricked Vladya’s chest. Ottai had been bonded to Morina for a thousand years, and he was willing to lay down his life for her. Ottai might have lost his only son during the Cleansing War, but at least his bondmate was still alive.
Ottai departed first, and Vladya followed suit, making his way toward the grand entrance door.
“Lord Vladya?” Zaiper called out.
Vladya halted, turning to face him.
“Our grand throne cannot remain vacant any longer.”
“I have no intention of challenging or fighting Daemonikai,” Vladya stated firmly.
A surge of anger coursed through Zaiper. His eyes darkened with fury. “I know he was your best friend, but it is no longer Daemonikai in there! He has become a feral beast that must be slain!”
Vladya regarded him with an indifferent gaze. “Allow me to rephrase that: I will not challenge or fight the beast.” With those words, he turned to depart.
“I will talk with the Elders then. It has been five centuries. I am sure I can persuade them to see reason,” Zaiper declared with determination.
Vladya stiffened, anger flaring inside him. However, he maintained his impassive expression.
But Zaiper knew he had struck a nerve. He grinned wolfishly, “It’s a pity that girl died, don’t you think? I haven’t heard a girl scream like that in quite some time. She would have been fun to mount, don’t you think?”
“I will not dignify that with a response,” Vladya replied curtly, turned away and exited the grand entrance, without sparing a backward glance.
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