Meant to Be, Ch 3
What's Meant to Be (pt3)
©2007 comidacomida
Cory's heart made an attempt to leap out of his chest, but he retained enough wither all to quickly backpedal away from the hole in the wall. Staring at him through the break in the stones was an enormous alligator. The yellow, reptilian eyes watched him as he moved, and a bored expression quickly slid over Ackert's maw, "The Flight response is appreciated, Cory, but I don't plan on eating you."
"You're.... an alligator?" Cory finally finished his statement.
"Yes." Ackert responded, rolling onto his side and propping his head up on a talon so he could gaze through the stone at the buck.
"An Alligator?" the deer repeated.
"Unless I changed since you asked five seconds ago." the gator scowled, "Really... I don't eat sentient beings-- it's against the law, you know."
"You said you were a bull..." Cory accused.
"I am." Ackert replied, shifting into a sitting position, folding his large, scaled tail around to his side. He lowered his head to peer through the opening in the wall, "Male alligators are bulls too."
"You knew what I meant."
"True, but what's the problem?" Ackert shrugged, "Do you have something against alligators?"
Cory paused, then stopped, covering his face as he resisted the urge to shudder, "I didn't know you were one of the fanged."
"It's a racial trait." Ackert responded matter-of-factly, crossing his arms, "I haven't lied, and I'm still who I said I am. Are you worried that I'm going to eat you, or is this a racial prejudice?" he tapped his talons against the scales of either of his arms. "Let me know sooner rather than later so we can either get along, or seal up the wall." the alligator scowled at him from his place behind the opening.
Cory lowered his head, cupping his fingers back behind it as he curled into a ball. He hadn't known Ackert was an alligator. It made sense, he realized, since most of the guards and soldiers were fanged, but he hadn't considered one of them being put in with those like himself, "Why... did they put you in with us?" he managed to ask from his curled position.
Ackert snorted, "Because they figured I'd gone soft... I think they're doing it to insult me... like I'd lost my ability to go to war... to kill. They figured they'd put me in with 'prey' because that's what they saw me as... as if I weren't 'worthy' of being fanged."
Cory shivered again, crumpling into as small a ball as he could. Cory was aghast that one of the fanged was in a cell next to him, and that there was that much less of a wall between them. He wasn't worried that the gator would eat him... he wasn't afraid for his life. He wasn't afraid of Ackert... something he was glad the alligator wasn't aware of. Cory was scared to death that Ackert might realize that the buck was shivering for another reason; he liked those of the fanged races... a lot.
"So..." Ackert inquired, "Something against the fanged, or against alligators?"
"Neither..." Cory shivered, one hand slipping down to push against the straining cloth on his breeches. His breath faltered as he shivered again. Cory had never been this close to an alligator, except in his dreams... and those dreams.... his teeth chattered as he tried to avoid thinking of them.
"Well... a few hours ago you were gung-ho about making an opening in this wall... is there any reason you're on THAT side of the cell now? You could come closer and still stay out of striking range if you're that much of a coward." the alligator's eyes narrowed slightly, "I can't fit through this opening so you're not going to get eaten."
"I'm not worried about getting eaten." Cory managed to say, still fighting with his unsheathed member beneath his torn breeches.
"Could a fooled me." Ackert responded, letting out a deep breath as he slid out of view of the hole, "Alright, Cory... being in here that long's probably got you a bit uneasy around anyone... I'll seal up the wall again if it'll keep you from having a heart attack, and we'll open it up again when you're ready... if you're ready."
"Th--thanks, Ackert." the buck responded, "I... just need a little time."
The gator's head slung back into view, and a single, yellow eye gazed at him from across the cell, "Yea... we have plenty of that." and the slitted pupil enlarged just a little before it disappeared from view behind a mass of stone as Ackert moved the block back into place.
Cory pulled his legs to his chest as he took in a shaky breath. For the first time in a long time, the buck actually felt warm. His heart continued its labored pace, and he felt his member aching against the confines of his breeches. Laying back in the hay, the buck pulled at the buttoned front, opening it up and letting his pink flesh slip out into the open air.
He bit at his muzzle as the cold washed over his exposed member, but he grasped it in his fingers. Eyes clenched, the buck began to stroke his shaft, snatching a handful of straw up in his other fist, gasping at the sensation of his own touch... so long since he last had the inclination or the inspiration to pleasure himself. He firmed his grip as his hips began shaking, savoring the feel of the heightened awareness the sensations brought.
Clenching his teeth, it wasn't long before Cory loosed his seed all over his hand, abdomen, thighs, and the hay. Jet after jet sprayed from him, his body eager for the release after being abused for so long without repayment. The sticky spunk landed all over him. The fur of his crotch and stomach were white... albeit, somewhat dirty from the years of imprisonment, and the semen wasn't easy to spot. He didn't bother searching for his seed anyway, not interested in cleaning it off... he simply collapsed back against the hay, gasping for air.
The buck dropped his handful of hay and wiped at the tears in his eyes. Cory had thought that his time dealing with others was over after Vicente died. He figured he'd be ravaged by the guards now and again... used as a plaything for their sadistic enjoyment, and that he'd never have to cope with any emotions other than fear or disgust for the rest of his life. The deer had assumed after so many months of torture at the paws of the guards that he would revile any thought of touch or physical intimacy... especially with one of the fanged. He was wrong. Things were not like they were when he first fell for Louis, yet, he thought to himself, how could they be so much the same?
Cory had been several years younger when he first met the ferret. Louis, and his father, the Baron had come into town seeking equipment for an upcoming hunt. Naturally, the Baron and his son had visited his parents' shop, as his father was a very well known tanner... and that's when the two first locked eyes. Little did Cory know that the indiscretion would later lead to his imprisonment... but it was his first rut... and it could not be helped. Adding to that, Louis' identical interest in him made the situation all the worse... especially with the ferret sneaking into his room the following night.
The buck's mind washed with the memories of that meeting. He remembered the tenacity with which the young ferret had urged him onward. Cory could still recall the feel of Louis' fur against his... the soft yet bristly fur on his tail as it flicked between either of his thighs, and the smooth, firm sensation as the noble's son coaxed his tail hole open with his musteline member. Cory grabbed his remaining antler, gripping it in his hand as he clenched his eyes. The buck remembered the bliss of their coupling... the comforting strokes of the ferret's paw against his cheek after they both lay spent in one another's arms.
Cory's parents had known that he was not interested in other deer... they also discovered, as he was very honest with them, that he had no interest in females. Though neither could approve of his desire towards males, they still loved him, and did all they could to help him as he needed. The memories were still sweet... but, more so, the sour recollection of being abandoned by his lover was a more powerful flavor. They met several more times but, within a month, the guards came for him. The buck later found out that Louis' father had discovered their relationship, and had taken steps to distance his son from the resulting backlash.
Cory had once thought that it was a lack of discretion on Louis' part but, as the months passed, he began to understand the truth of it: he had been used. Though he often tried to deny it, Cory had been able to plainly see the look of disinterested ambivalence on the ferret's face as the guards arrested him. The last words the buck heard from ferret said it all.
Looking to the guards, with his father by his side, Louis had said quite plainly and without hesitation. The ferret told the guards that it was Cory's doing... that he had been seduced, and that the buck was to blame for it all. Cory had been left by the side of the road once Louis had what he wanted... and that was the end of their relationship.
Insomnia was a constant companion for the deer. He often lay awake at nights thinking back to his life before he was a prisoner. Cory often recalled the good things, and tried to keep from dwelling on the bad, but Louis was one bad thing that kept resurfacing in his thoughts. He often hoped that the ferret had halted his abusive ways. It wasn't that Louis actively wished harm for his lovers, rather, Cory came to understand, he simply didn't care what happened to them-- Cory was proof enough of that.
Movement from the next room broke the buck's train of thought. Swiveling his ears towards the break in the wall, Cory held his breath, listening. Ackert grumbled from the adjacent cell... a sound, Cory considered, much like someone mumbling in a fitful sleep. Scooting closer to the stone, the buck pressed his ear up against it, listening to the sound of the alligator tossing in his sleep.
It was readily apparent that Ackert was cold. Mixed with the mumbling was the chattering of a large maw full of teeth. Cory shook his head, knowing that Ackert would possibly die of exposure much faster than malnutrition.
"Tomorrow..." he whispered to himself as he returned to his hay. Laying down amidst the sticky residue of his ejaculation, the buck rolled over, propped up on his side as he tried to make his mind stop working... at least for a time. "I'll talk to him tomorrow."
* * * * *
The next morning passed in silence for both of them. Whether Ackert was truly holding a grudge, or whether he was just offering Cory some space, the buck didn't really know. Food came at the usual time, and Cory ate in silence, listening closely for any sound from the next cell.
One thing he did hear was Ackert eating... something that made a tingle run from the base of his tail up to the base of his skull; the fanged ones were not clean eaters, and the buck could practically imagine a feral horse being torn asunder by the alligator's powerful jaws. Summoning his self control, Cory managed to push further thoughts from his mind... Ackert could be his friend... but nothing more.
A pleasant surprise came to Cory, that afternoon. The slat at the bottom of the door opened, and a fresh bail of hay was slid into his room. Cory counted the days off on his hands and he realized that three weeks had passed since the last replacement for his bedding. The dungeon sloppers made it a point to occasionally provide the prisoners with fresh hay, and the buck considered it good fortune that he had a fresh 'bed' to replace dirtier, more dated one.
Taking some time to break the bail apart, Cory laid the fresh straw over the old stuff. Knowing that he had new sleeping material, he also took the time to bathe... as well as he could. Removing his shredded shirt, the buck held it under the dripping water in the corner of his cell. Once the dampness suffused the cloth, he began to dab it across his fur, slowly sponging the dirt and grime from his body.
His thin frame was small enough that it wasn't a big project, but he waited for the shirt to soak through beneath the water once again before he wrung it out, hanging it from a small outcropping of unevenly cut stone to let it dry. Stepping out of his torn, sundered breeches, he also set them under the water.
Standing completely unclothed in his cell, Cory shivered for a moment. His damp fur made the cold of the cell that much worse, but he felt better for being less dirty. Picking his wet breeches up from the ground, he quickly washed his legs, and carefully cleaned up beneath his tail. Bringing the cloth back to the water, he was glad to see that he was not bleeding any longer. Dabbing his tail one more time, he washed his breeches again, and set them against the wall next to his shirt, and gave his body a good shake.
"Buck-naked." Cory said to himself, stifling a laugh at the expression. It was one he'd heard often enough, but the humor of it never ceased to make him smile when he had wandered around without any clothing at home. The humor slowly passed and the smile faded from his muzzle. It had been a long time since Cory had thought of anything that would bring a smile to his face, let alone something that would make him laugh.
Slightly puzzled at the humor of the phrase, Cory moved to the new straw on the floor and laid down on it. "Buck-naked..." he repeated again, just the edge of a lip quirking into a smirk... and he sighed, the humor slowly fading as he wrapped his arms around himself, pulling his legs close against the chill.
"Huh?" Cory heard from the adjoining room.
"Nothing." the buck replied, "Just talking to myself." he answered, a little uneasy.
"Good conversation?" the alligator questioned.
"I've had better." Cory couldn't help but crack a grin.
No response followed from the adjacent cell for nearly a minute, "Feel like talking, or are you still into giving cold shoulders to cold bloods?"
"Sorry... I didn't mean to... well... freak out." Cory responded, sitting up on his hay bed.
"Yea... I guess you did have a right." Ackert responded from the other side of the wall, "I was pretty surprised to hear that I was in a cell next to a meat-eater... well... before I knew what that fish-plugging bear meant by meat-eater."
"And then you were even more surprised?"
"Damn right." Ackert let out a powerful laugh from the adjacent cell, "I've met plenty of the fanged in my life... not many of the other kind of meat-eaters."
The smile left Cory's face as he considered the statement, "Ackert... you were a soldier, right?"
"Captain... I lead soldiers, and I was one, yea." the alligator acknowledged.
"Did you ever... arrest anyone... like me?" Cory asked, hands wringing in front of himself.
"Are you looking for me to answer that, or just thinking aloud?" Ackert responded flatly.
Cory didn't answer the counter-question... he just remained looking at the wall with the loose block. A thousand thoughts went through his head, contemplating the possibility that the alligator just as easily could have been one of the guards who had taken him away from the life he knew. Ackert could have imprisoned hundreds... thousands of others whose only crime was to love someone the king did not approve of. In the end, Cory hung his head, and shook it, knowing that the gator couldn't see the motion, but not particularly caring. Ackert didn't bother answering the question. Silence again won out.
* * * * *
Cory awoke during the night while it was still dark. He was chilled by the cold air and, though he had a thicker straw pile upon which to sleep, he was without his clothes. Reaching a hand up to feel them, he recoiled quickly; not only were they not dry, they were actually covered in a light layer of ice.
Rolling to the side, he rubbed his face, and got to his hooves. The buck patted at his sides, pacing quietly back and forth as he worked some warmth into his limbs. Cory held his hands to his muzzle, blowing on them to inject some feeling back into his fingers, but he stopped mid-breath.
Listening, Cory could hear the definitive sound of Ackert shivering in the next cell. Aside from the buck's excellent hearing, the large alligator was hardly quiet-- teeth chattering, scales rattling, breath laboriously shaking. Cory moved to the stone block, listening closely to the sounds as he shook his head... it was much more obvious that those who imprisoned the alligator were looking for it to be a death sentence.
Taking a deep breath, the buck gasped aloud as his shoulder pressed against the freezing cold stone block. He wedged the edges of his hooves into the cracks between the stones of the floor, and heaved with all his might. Ackert had made moving the stone look easy and, perhaps to someone of his size it was, but not only was Cory of a slighter build, he also had a few years of abuse to further wear down his body.
Straining each and every muscle, the buck finally felt the stone give way, and it slid into the next cell after a final heave. The block grated against the stone of the floor, but the sound was muffled by the remaining mortar dust, which further helped to slide the carved stone free. Cory peered into the opening left by the now-vacant block, pressing against the flecks of mortar still in place. Without further ado, the deer slid into the next cell.
Cory stood. Looking around, the change of scenery practically seemed to be a godsend. The new cell was nearly twice the size of his. There were two windows about the same distance from the floor as his own room's single opening. Moreover, Cory finally got a good look at his neighbor... who was resting atop a stone slab which almost resembled a cot. While the buck might have considered the furniture first had the room been empty, his eyes, instead, were drawn straight to Ackert, who lay atop it.
The wooden bed could have easily accommodated three, or perhaps even four of Cory, though the large alligator easily took up two thirds of it. He was larger than Cory had first thought--having seen the gator in a seated position didn't do him justice. Ackert lay atop the bed, half curled as his tail tucked between his legs, and his arms encircled it as a toddler might do with a favored blanket. Cory's own breath came out in puffs of steam... but he didn't see the same from the gator.
With barely a moment's thought, Cory slid back into his own room, and grabbed as much of the hay as he could fit underneath both his arms. He crawled through the opening in the wall once more, and moved to the side of the wooden bed, where he began piling the straw up and around Ackert. Glancing back once more to the hole in the wall, the buck swallowed powerfully, and then hesitantly slid onto the piece of furniture.
Cory shied away from Ackert for a moment, the alligator's powerful jaws chattered noisily in the cold, and the buck again glanced towards the opening in the wall-- his clothes were still in his cell, but he shook the thought from his mind, and slid further towards the large reptile, pressing his back against Ackert's tail, which rested between them.
Wincing, Cory managed to avoid leaping from the wooden bed as Ackert's tail slid down his back. The scaled ridges made him wince as they grated against his fur and chafed at either side of his own fluffy white tail. His eyes went wide in surprise as clawed talons slid around him, and clasped shut against his chest. The next thing the buck knew, he was pulled tight against Ackert's body.
Cory felt the alligator's smooth underbody scales against his back. Ackert's maw lay atop his head, slightly askew to avoid the buck's single antler. The large reptile had his arms folded around the buck, holding him tightly as the chattering of his jaws slowly began to subside. Cory let out a quiet breath, sensing a degree of warmth as it started to return to his fellow prisoner, and trying to ignore the soft caress of Ackert's stomach as it rose and fell, brushing against his furry rump.
The buck felt a faint flush come to his ears as he rested in the alligator's arms. The powerful reptile held him close to his body, almost like a stuffed animal. He felt the ropes of Ackert's loincloth against his thigh, blushing a little more and thanking the heavens for some degree of luck, knowing he'd have some explaining to do once Ackert awoke in the morning. As the night continued to pass, however, the concern for explanation drifted farther and farther from Cory's thoughts, as he simply continued to lay with his fellow prisoner, reveling in the feel of another body against his.