That Which Is Desired :: XII: possible
#13 of That Which Is Desired
Anjel and Akio have some tough decisions to make after being caught...
...
Anjel carried Akio back into the depths of his cavern, both of them in a kind of stunned silence. Though Rayvenn was long gone, echoes of the shouting still reverberated in Akio's head, shaking her all the way down into her heart. She felt guilty for having pressured Anjel into making the decision. The events and accusations that proceeded afterwards made it clear that they had not chosen an easy path.
The look in Rayvenn's had eyes made Akio's stomach twist. Anjel pulled away from her, making a nominal effort to cover her up by tugging the hem of his shirt down over her legs. With his other hand, he'd tucked himself in and laced up his breeches. The scent of sex was thick in the air, but Rayvenn didn't need that lingering musk to know what had just happened. She'd seen them.
Rayvenn moved into the cavern as Anjel stood up. He stepped defensively in front of Akio, so she had to watch the scene from between Anjel's legs.
"Ghaleon was right," Rayvenn said. Akio more heard than saw Anjel's crest rise.
"None of this concerns any of you. I'm withdrawing from the family, going back south." Akio could see the muscles in his legs twitching, though from the recent exertion or anxiety, she couldn't know.
Rayvenn shuffled closer, her arms going around her torso, pressing her breasts together. "You could stay here," she said. "Ghaleon is ready to take you back into our family." Emotionally cold eyes flittered to Akio, and for the first time the wolf felt how much Rayvenn really disliked her. "Leave the wolf behind. She will not last long in this cavern alone."
Anjel got quite angry after that, and the words he shouted at the dragoness were in a different language that Akio didn't understand. The rest of the conversation flowed like that--Rayvenn coolly making remarks that would fuel Anjel's rage, and Anjel mostly yelling at her from his stance between the two females. Eventually, Anjel barked words that must have translated to "get out", because the little dragoness turned and left, muttering under her breath.
Akio rose shakily to her feet, placing a paw on Anjel's back. He was hot with his anger, wisps of smoke trailing from the corners of his mouth. He spun around, looking down at her, twin points of light twinkling in his eyes from the heat of the argument. Anjel's eyes were hard, his mouth in a short, thin line, but he picked Akio up and started down into the cavern.
Anjel set her down on the bed and she scooted all the way back against the wall, pulling the large shirt over her knees. A small jet of flame lit up the room, sustained on a torch that Anjel set into a claw on the wall. His back was turned to her and Akio stared at him, afraid for what must come next. Anjel had one hand on the stone next to the planted torch, his fingers splayed, and his head was against the wall.
When he finally lifted his head and looked over his shoulder to Akio, she saw the weariness in his eyes. Tears had spilled over and his cheeks glistened in the pale light. Anjel shuffled around and leaned back against the wall, his horns clicking against the stones, but he never took his gaze from her, and Akio never looked away, even when she felt hot tears stinging her own eyes.
"Don't leave me," Akio said, fighting against the sobs building in her chest. Anjel looked so gutted, so empty, and she couldn't take his silent, painful stare any longer. But at her words, his eyes widened only just. He shoved away from the wall and stumbled closer to the bed, lowering himself onto the edge.
"I'm not going to leave you," he said, his voice soft and tight from the effort of reigning in his own emotions. Anjel leaned over the bed, reaching out as he turned his body towards her. "Come here, Akio."
She crawled across the furs to him, biting her lip to stifle any runaway sounds. His hands found her first, rubbing back her ears and sliding down her throat to her shoulders, pulling her closer until his arms slid across her back. Akio huddled in his lap as her dragon held her tight, their tears mingling against their scales and fur.
"You are my mate," he whispered to her, rubbing between her shoulders soothingly. "I won't back away from it. Even if... well, no. I won't say that I regret it, Akio. We are meant for each other. My heart doesn't beat without you. I'm just so afraid... so afraid. We need to leave. We can't be here. In fact, we should probably be gone before the sun rises tomorrow."
Akio looked up at him as he spoke. Resolve grew in his features. "Where can we go?" she asked.
"My lair in the south will be far enough. The southern dragons won't bother me--my mountain is far enough away from the city, and if I offer my services to them as messenger..."
"No," Akio said clearly. "Anjel, I don't want you to be a slave to them. We should be free. You have earned your freedom."
He licked his lips, sighing heavily through his nostrils. "Well, I can hunt for us then, and make my living there like I do here. What's more important is that we get away, before..."
"Before they take us away from each other," Akio whispered. He nodded.
Anjel nuzzled her throat, his fingers pushing her jaw up. When he raised his head, he met her lips with his. The kiss started out timid, but grew braver, the flavor of tears giving it a taste of desperation. Akio was surprised by the sudden change in mood, but her heart ached for it as well. Her dragon lied her out on the thick furs and shimmied out of his trousers, his big hands pushing the shirt up and over her body, until they lied next to each other without any barriers.
When Akio touched his length, hot against her fingertips, he whimpered and leaned in to claim her mouth again. He moved over her and nudged her legs apart gently with his knees, exploring her first with his fingers. She was still slick from their previous engagement. Anjel moved his hands up to cradle her head and never looked away from her eyes as he pushed effortlessly into her.
Anjel was quietly passionate, holding onto Akio the whole time as if she would suddenly disappear. When his arms began to tremble, he rolled over onto his back, seamlessly changing positions so that Akio was on top of him, but he still held her against his chest. Akio began to pant, her lower abdomen tightening in anticipation for another orgasm. She felt Anjel's dull claws in her back and she knew he was close, also, and the thought of being filled with his seed sent her over the edge. Akio moaned Anjel's name as she came, and he held her tightly flush while he released.
They did not disengage immediately. Akio felt herself starting to drift, her eyelids heavy, and she was warm against the dragon's body. "I love you," Anjel said, stroking back her ears and kissing the top of her head. Unable to summon the strength to formulate a response, Akio gave a wag of her tail and sighed against him.
It was hours before dawn when the first sound woke them. Akio sat straight up, faster to react than Anjel. The torch had gone out and the room was almost pitch black, but she could tell that they were not alone. Anjel placed a hand on her arm after he pulled up to a crouch on the stone bed. Neither of them spoke, but there was an air of defiance between them. They would not be taken quietly.
Anjel climbed out of the bed, looking around. He leaned in towards Akio and whispered, "Not in the room." She nodded and slid off the bed, too. Akio's eyes were comfortable enough in the darkness to see the edges of things, so she relied more on her ears, keeping them pricked and alert for any noise.
The first dragon came barreling down the cavern from the main entrance. He wasn't wearing any armor, likely to keep their ambush quiet, but the sudden movement in the otherwise complete stillness of the room brought attention to him quickly. He didn't have a weapon, only chains, and he flung himself at Anjel. The two dragons grappled, growling and snarling.
Akio snapped to, feeling the hackles on her neck rise as she bared her teeth and lowered into a crouch. She didn't have time to help Anjel defend against the dragon he was fighting. Two more appeared in the doorway and she leapt at them, sinking her teeth into the bare forearm of a green-scaled guard. Shouting, he beat at Akio's head with something heavy and blossoms of black threatened her vision, but she only dug her teeth in deeper, clutching at him with her paws. She felt the other dragon who'd entered with the green grab her around the hips and yank. Several bones in her back popped and she opened her jaws to yelp with pain, releasing for only a second but it was long enough. The dragon whose arm she'd latched onto grabbed her around the neck and squeezed.
Akio saw with rising horror that Anjel was losing the battle with the larger guard dragon. Her claws scrabbled against the arm around her throat only to discover that it wasn't the dragon's arm--it was a thick chain, like the one the first dragon carried in. Akio felt angry tears spring up to her eyes as she fought for breath, kicking with her legs, but finding no purchase. The last thing she saw before blackness overcame her vision was the other two dragons forcing a bloodied Anjel to the floor.
She awoke in a cold cell. Torches stuck in the walls outside were the only source of light or heat. Akio was still nude, but there was a ratty blanket on the cot, so she wrapped up in it. Her head felt slow, her movements drugged and difficult. She'd woken up on the floor and struggled now to climb up onto the hard bed, her eyes blinking and trying to focus on any one thing. No one shared her cell, but she could smell others nearby. Hay rushes were tossed on the ground, likely to help mask the smell of decay and waste from years of prisoners. A small bucket was next to her bed, but it was empty. Akio assumed it was a chamber pot.
Every heartbeat made her head throb. Akio touched the tender ring around her neck, but no skin had been broken. They had not intended to kill, only subdue. She could still smell and taste the thick blood of the dragon she'd bitten. Why had they not killed them? A flash of memory struck her of Anjel being beat up by the two guard dragons. They had wrapped their chains around their fists to make the punches cut even against dragon scales, and the blood had been almost black against his pale color in the dark. Akio let out a short, pitiful howl. Then she paused, tilting her head, her ears twisting in the dark. Cells were all along the wall, so it was possible that Anjel was in this same part of the dungeon. Her heart throbbing in her chest, Akio pulled herself up and leaned on the wall, walking all the way to the front of her cage. She couldn't smell anything beyond the stench of the prison, but maybe he could hear her.
"Anjel?" she whispered, at first afraid that a guard may be standing near. A quick glance down the hallways showed no guard, at least not in her line of sight. Akio slid down to sit with her back against the dusty wall, and leaned forward, sticking her nose out between the bars. The metal was rusty beneath her paws, but still strong. She tightened her grip on them, flakes of rust drifting down to the floor, when she heard shuffling coming from the cell next to her.
"Akio." His voice was rough and low, but she knew it was him all the same. She heard him slide to the floor, too, and in a moment his hand came into view, stretching towards her cell. They couldn't see each other, but at least they would be able to touch. Akio reached her arm through the bars and took his hand, squeezing it gently.
"Are you okay?" she asked. She could see some blood crusted on his arm, but the arm itself was not wounded.
"I'll live," he replied. Akio could tell he was holding something back, but she didn't feel like pursuing. She felt very weak, tired and hungry. Her hand was warm in Anjel's and she pulled herself as close to the edge of her cell as she could get, actually drifting off to sleep before he spoke again.
"Akio," he whispered. "I love you. No matter what they do to you... no matter what they tell you or what you hear, don't forget that. It will not change. I will do everything in my power to get you out of this." His hand turned, rubbing the back of hers with a thumb. Akio blinked sleepily out into the dim hallway. "I don't know if we will both survive," Anjel continued. "But... if we do, please don't lose hope."
"I won't," she promised.
"Good." Anjel pulled his hand back into his cell, and she heard some scuffling. "Lay down, Akio. Get some sleep. You will more than likely need it." There was some creaking, and Akio knew he was doing the same. She pushed up from the floor, her paw tingling where it was touching Anjel only a few moments before. She tugged the edges of the tattered blanket closed and meandered towards her cot. It wasn't comfortable, and she was still shivering, but Akio was asleep only moments after lying down.
Akio woke slowly, as if coming to through a heavy fever. Every muscle ached in her body and she didn't want to move at first, but the sound of jingling metal made her lift her head. Three guards were standing near her cell, and the one in the middle was sliding the key in the lock. Akio scooted up in bed and drew the blanket around her.
"What's going on?" Anjel demanded from the nearby cell. "Where are you taking her?"
The dragon closest to his cell leaned back and sneered at him. "You must be the ghost who's mated to her. Filthy, disgusting creature." The guard spat into the cell. Akio heard Anjel's low growl, but her attention was diverted by the sound of her door swinging open.
"Get up," the dragon said, unraveling a length of rope in his hands. Akio obeyed silently, her eyes flitting to the dragon still standing outside of Anjel's cell, mocking him. Anjel was eerily quiet, but the taunts of the guard only got louder. As the dragon tending Akio folded her arms behind her and started wrapping them with the rope, the other guard finally overstepped the line.
"We're taking her to the stocks, ghost," he said, leaning so closely to Anjel's bars that Akio couldn't see his face anymore. "Any horny bastard can fuck her. They'll walk down the street and see her dripping cunt just begging for it--"
His words were cut off in a strangle, and the third dragon who'd been watching disinterestedly suddenly sprang to life, cursing under his breath. Akio's guard tightened the rope on her arms and looked towards the commotion, but didn't seem too worried about it. "Quit fuckin' around," he said, leading Akio out of the cell ahead of him.
Anjel had the dragon that had been taunting him in a choke hold, his arm squeezing around the thick neck through the bars. The white dragon's face was warped with anger, his crest fully risen, snarling a steady stream of curses. The second guard finally pulled Anjel's arm away from the dragon long enough for him to slide away.
"Fucking ghost, I'll fuck your bitch just for that," the guard snarled at him, rubbing his throat. Anjel's jaw worked as he ground his teeth, glancing to Akio. She tried to look brave, but her arms were tied behind her back and she was at the whim of three large dragons. When the unruly guard approached her, she flinched back. "Give her to me, just for a minute."
"Don't damage her," Akio's handler said, handing him the end of her rope. Anjel was staring wide-eyed at Akio, his fists clenching on the bars of his cell.
The guard led her closer to Anjel's cage, stepping behind her and pressing her front against the rusty rails. Anjel had stepped back in surprise, but he rushed back as the other dragon shoved Akio's muzzle between two bars. "Kiss her good-bye, ghost," he said.
"Akio," Anjel whispered, his hands slipping through to cup her face. "I'm sorry." Akio whimpered as she felt the rough fingers of the guard between her legs. She saw the anger flash back into Anjel's eyes, but he didn't let go of her face. He caught her baby blues and kissed her nose, whispering apologies. "Look at me," he said when he saw the guard unlacing his breeches. "Look at me, Akio. I love you."
"I'm afraid," she said.
Anjel's eyes squeezed closed, his thumbs rubbing small circles on her cheeks. "I'm so sorry," he said again.
Akio yelped when the guard forced himself into her with a grunt, her pained sound whistling into a long whine. He was so much larger than anyone she'd been with before, and she wasn't prepared physically for intercourse at all. The first few thrusts were without any sort of lube, but she heard the dragon spit and his intrusion was less abrasive afterwards. Akio kept her eyes on Anjel, but her vision quickly became too blurry to focus. With every rough shove, her face was pressed harder against the bars. She was aching inside and out, and just watching Anjel try to be brave but completely failing was wearing on her emotionally. Tears ran steadily down his scaled cheeks and though his teeth were bared, his jaw was clenched.
With a low growl, the guard pulled out of Akio, squirting his musky seed all over her back and bound arms. The moment she was released, Akio slid down to her knees and Anjel followed her. His hot caramel eyes were filled with rage now, glaring over her head at the dragon who was tucking himself back into his pants. Anjel's fingers caressed the side of Akio's face one more time before he stood up, grabbing the bars of his cell. He was a silent monster, killing the dragon with his eyes.
The guard did not seem to care. He bent over and picked up Akio's rope, jerking it up. "Come on then," he said, "get the hell up and let's get out of here. Weren't even a good fuck." Akio didn't move at first, but the guard's second insistent pull was less patient. She glanced up at him and saw that he was looking at Anjel, meeting the ghost's unblinking stare.
"We'll put him in solitary," the dragon who'd tied Akio up said to the one holding her rope. He turned and started walking down the hallway. "Get her up and let's get going, I've got other duties today." The third dragon went silently along. The guard still nearby bent over and grabbed Akio's arms, yanking her back quickly, too afraid to get near the bars. She was pulled to her feet and, swaying unsteadily, led out of the dungeon. When she looked back, Anjel was out of sight.
The quiet dragon stayed at the end of the hallway, that apparently being his post. The remaining two brought her up several flights of cold stone stairs before daylight filtered in through tall, thin windows. Akio's eyes stung as they rushed to adjust to the brightness, but she wasn't in the sun for long. The two guards ushered her into a large dark room. At first, Akio was nearly blind, but as her eyes began to get used to the low light again, she wished she hadn't looked. A long, thick tube lay coiled up at the edge of an indented circle in the middle of the room. The ceiling was low and from it hung several thick, heavy hooks. She shivered, suddenly afraid.
The dragon who raped her was walking towards the coiled tubing. There was a thick pedal nearby and as he lifted the end of the tube, he began to pump it with his foot. The other guard brought her down into the lowered circle and untied her arms. "You got your shit all over the rope," he complained to his partner. He threw the rope down to the tiled floor and reached up, pulling on a hook that hung over them. "Hold onto this, and don't let go. Don't give me a reason to punish you."
"Yes, sir," Akio whispered, standing on the very tips of her toes to grasp the steel. As he backed away, the other guard aimed the end of the tube at her and removed a cap. Suddenly, water burst from the opening. It hit Akio like a icy boulder in her stomach and she almost let go of the hook. Instead, she clung to it with renewed vigor. The freezing water shocked her awake.
"Turn around," the guard called to her, pumping the lever with his foot to keep the water gushing forth. The tiles beneath Akio's paws were slippery with froth, but she managed to turn around. The water splashed over her shoulders and head, pushing her fur over her eyes. The cold water ran down her back and she closed her eyes, imagining that it was cleansing her body of the dragon guard's pollution. She was brought back to the present only by the sudden silence of the water shutting off.
Dragon hands running down her sides started her heart racing again, panic building. "I can see why the ghost was so enchanted," said the guard. It wasn't the one who'd forced her earlier--it was the one who tied her up. She felt her muscles twitching beneath his talons, felt the leather armor against her soaked back. His hands slid up her sides, following her arms up to her hands. He squeezed them. "Let go of the hook and let's get you dried off."
Akio lowered her arms and turned around slowly. The guard pulled a thick towel from his shoulder and rubbed her down with it. She wasn't completely dry when he finished, but at least she wasn't dripping anymore. Akio was shivering with a chill when they wrapped a rope around her wrists in front of her and led her out of the room.
They only climbed two sets of stairs before emerging onto the main floor. The room was cavernous and bright, lit mostly by torches instead of windows. Arrow slits streaked down the walls in every direction as if this were a great fort to be protected. Mostly dragons moved about, everyone going somewhere, but no one stopping to talk. The amount of slaves accompanying the dragons was miniscule in comparison to the south, and the few slaves that were working were all similar; mostly thick-furred wolves or small arctic foxes, with a smattering of white leopards and big gray cats.
The trio stepped into a path at the southern end of the building. The hallway yawned out into a busy marketplace. Akio was assaulted by light and sounds. The smell of cooking food made her stomach complain, but the guards did not pause. The air was cold, but the wind was hardly present. Squinting, Akio could see that the city was ringed with tall black walls. Where it seemed as though the southern dragons carved their homes out of the side of the mountain and lived within it, these northern dragons just built atop it. More iron and copper than stone built the buildings that made up the blocks as they passed. No one paid them any mind. In fact, it was as if, for the most part, the passersby were pointedly ignoring them.
At last, the guards brought her to a halt and handed her to a lanky gray cat. One of the guards patted her rear end and chuckled before leaving her with the beast. The cat was dirty, emitting a strong ammonia smell that made Akio's nose burn. She tried not to look him in the eye.
There was a semicircle of strange wooden props. Each one had one large hole in the middle and two smaller holes on either side, with metal bars screwed beneath all three. Only one of the stocks was occupied. A snowy leopard had her head stuck through the largest hole, a short chain latched to the metal bar beneath. Her paws were clutching the rungs beneath the smaller holes, her wrists fixed with heavy leather shackles, a thick brass chain connecting them beneath her chin. The way she was bent over made her punishment clear. A heavy metal bar kept her legs spread open, affixed to her thighs with leather straps. As the gray cat brought Akio near, she could smell the musky scent of other male creatures on the leopard--though her thick tail covered the feline's sex, Akio knew what was in store for her. Fear and anxiety made her heart race.
Silently, the filthy gray cat forced her down behind one of the stocks, two away from the leopard. Akio glanced around, her eyes wide with fear, but there was no one else in the alcove. Dirty paws affixed a chain around her neck to the bar below the big circle, making it so that she couldn't pull her head away from the wood surrounding it. The leather cuffs connected the same way as the leopard's, also, securing her paws through the appropriate holes. Practiced hands pushed her legs apart and strapped on the spreader bar, the bands tightened around her thighs. Before the feline pulled away, she felt his cool breath on her exposed sex. It made the hairs stand up along her spine and she couldn't stop a chilled whimper.
Then, like a ghost, the cat was gone and she was left alone in the alcove with the leopard. Akio strained her neck to try and look her way, but she couldn't see much more than the edge of her stocks. Though she'd only been locked up for a few minutes, her knees were already sore from the cold stone beneath her, and if she relaxed her head, the wood dug uncomfortably into her throat.
Time ebbed on, leaving the two bound females alone in their silence. Akio had not made any effort to communicate, and neither had the leopard, though Akio believed she heard the other female crying softly at least once. She was cold from inactivity, and her muscles were tight from shivering and from being stuck in the same uncomfortable position for so long.
It wasn't until the sun disappeared that the first voices echoed off the buildings around them. Akio's ears laid flat, but she still listened, mentally seeing the approaching males. She smelled them first, both dragons, and blessedly clean in comparison to both the guards and the gray cat. They were speaking in another language, but Akio could tell that they were friends, and that they were having a good time. Their sharp laughter was like daggers in her ears.
The leopard cried out first, and began sobbing pleas to the male dragon that mounted her without preamble. At the first heavy hand on her backside, Akio squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth, determined to be elsewhere... at least inside her mind.