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Cold Blood

A Story By

Onyx Tao

This story is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial Share Alike 3.0 License

Copyright 2007 by Onyx Tao

Chapter Four

A Green Rain's Gonna Fall

Erik groaned softly as he came to. He hadn't been asleep, but the intense sense of _needing_to be taken and used was its own strange kind of stupor. He started to think about what has happened to him in the study, only to realize that he had blurred memories of events since then. Dreamlike memories, no more than brief images, flashed through his mind ? images of the minotaur towering over him, the minotaur taking his pleasure in Erik's mouth, Erik forced beneath the powerful creature, tearing him open. Only ... only ... although he remembered screaming, he was pleading--begging--Erik shook his head, trying to shake the thoughts from him. He couldn't have done those things ... could he have?

And ... how long had he been ... more memories came flooding back to him. He was on his hands and knees, taking pieces of sauce-soaked bread from the fingers of his Master, licking the furred fingers, begging for them, whimpering when his Master withheld them. Another memory; in Lord Green's study, lapping up stew. Another memory; a room all in green, suckling happily on the massive penis as the minotaur held him motionless between the massive furred thighs, happily swallowing the thick white salt-pine seed.

A powerful arm held him to a furry body, taut and firm, and the powerful scent of pine resin almost drowned out the sticky, salty slightly pine taste in his mouth. He was naked, laying--held, really--against Lord Green, and he could feel the warmth of the minotaur's torso against his entire body. They were laying on a bed of some kind--it must be a big one, Erik thought, to accommodate the huge Lord Green. The bed wasn't feather-stuffed, it felt firmer, tougher, but still softer than anything Erik had ever slept on. A light blanket, thin, of the same fuzzy stuff covered the minotaur and him. For all that it was thin, it was surprisingly warm. The room was dark, but some light crept in through the curtained windows. The blanket was just enough to ward off the chill of the air.

Erik could hear the soft, rhythmic breathing of the minotaur, and realized he had been cuddling up against the furred minotaur. He was strangely disinclined to pull away, even now. There was something comforting about his presence, something that just made him relax. Erik forced himself to pull away, slowly, carefully, so as not to wake Lord Green. The minotaur shifted as he did so, but remained asleep. Erik hoped he remained asleep, and he glanced at the massive furred body to reassure himself that his Master still slept. That ... that might have been a mistake, Erik realized, as he fought down a sudden urge to return, the absolute conviction that he belonged at the minotaur's side.

He lifted his head a little to look around the room; he had a good impression of Lord Green's study, but by the time the minotaur had taken ? led? He had a brief impression of a leash and halter, but he quickly put that out of mind to concentrate on his new surroundings.

Lord Green's bedroom--presuming this was his bedroom, which seemed likely enough--was a little hard to make out in the darkness, but there were a few menacing shadows that Erik thought were furniture. There was a rustle, and something was coming toward him. At first Erik thought it was a dog, but then he realized that it was crawling ? it was another man. He watched, realizing that the human quietly coming towards him was wearing nothing, and it was followed by the almost instant realization that his own clothes had vanished.

The bed itself was almost four feet off the floor, and the figure became more visible, and more familiar as he ... Wait! Erik _knew_this man! The shaved head

Mikal!

Mikal had been a legionnaire, and had been reported as dead following a vanished patrol. Obviously they'd been captured ... and ...

"Mikal?" he whispered.

Erik wasn't sure what he'd been expecting, but it certainly wasn't a horrified, cringing flinch, followed by an almost furious shaking of his head no. "It's me," he whispered. "Commander Erik!"

Mikal let out a whine, and dropped completely to the floor, eyes holding some remnant of barely-remembered terror.

"Mikal!"

The supine man just shook his head desperately, and began to shake.

"Don't do that," a deep voice said sleepily from behind him. "It took him a long time to forget his name. You're reminding him."

An almost desperate whimper came from the floor. Erik watched him shake for a moment, and then turned back to the now-awake minotaur. He swallowed, realizing that he hadn't had permission to speak.

"Dog! Up!" The man who had once been Mikal got up, and leaped up onto the bed--still apparently fearful of the minotaur, but obedient. Lord Green tapped the mattress, and the man crept over to the minotaur's side. "Good boy," he said, "good boy." Lord Green continued.

The man began licking the minotaur's hooved feet.

"Good boy," said Lord Green. He closed his eyes. "You can sleep up here, Dog."

A happy yip answered him, and Mikal--Dog--curled up on the other side of the minotaur.

Lord Green's head--eyes still shut--turned to Erik. "Forget the names from your previous life."

"But ..." Erik shut up, remembering that he hadn't been invited to speak.

For some reason, Lord Green didn't seem to take offense. The murmured "Hmm?" was barely audible, a mere wisp of breath, but it still invited him to continue.

"Master ... I don't understand. Why ... why aren't you punishing me? Haven't I spoken out of turn?"

The minotaur barked a short laugh. "Not when you're in bed with me. You do not even to have call me Master."

"Yes, Master," Erik said.

"Call me Xevian, when you sleep in my bed," Lord Green continued, and yawned.

"Yes, Ma--Xevian. May I ask why?"

"Humans," Lord Green sighed. "Always questions. One. One question. Why are the rules different. Very well. Because your being in my bed means that you and I are being intimate."

"Does that apply to ..." Erik paused, not sure what to call the other.

"Dog. Yes. But Dog is not allowed to speak at all." the minotaur said simply. "Now. Go to sleep, Slave." The minotaur took a short breath. "Oh. No. I'm not planning to do that with you."

A moment later, the minotaur turned over to face the human. "I haven't decided. Your behavior will influence the decision."

"I wasn't going to ask, Ma ... Xevian."

A grunt, and then. "Humans. Here." Lord Green reached out, and slid Erik back to him, and then down. "Since you woke me up," he said, rolling onto his back, and caressing the human's head. "Let's see how well you remember your lessons."

"I ..." Erik started.

The minotaur's grip tightened around Erik's heard. "That is not how I want your mouth used, Slave." The voice had lost what little amused tone it had.

"No," Erik said.

There was a short silence, followed by a sigh.

_Something_picked Erik up, and threw him--hard--out of the bed. He tried to speak, but _something_slammed his jaw together so hard it hurt. He lay stunned for a moment, and then _something_came crushing down on him. "Bad."

Dog whimpered.

"I ought to punish you now," Lord Green continued sleepily, "but it's the middle of the night." There was another whine from Dog, followed by a slurping sound. "Perhaps you will be properly contrite in the morning."

Erik struggled against the _something_for a moment, and discovered it got--harder, more restrictive, more crushing. It weighed down on his arms, crushing them into the thick carpet. Even breathing was difficult, as the _something_pushed down on him

He could hear the minotaur sighing with pleasure.

"Good Dog," the minotaur whispered, "Yes .... I'll have you teach my latest acquisition. You'll like that, won't you, boy? Won't you? Good boy, oh yes,"

The_something_got stronger, and Erik started fighting to breathe, as the weight on his chest forced the breath out of him, inch by inch by inch, and the pressure on his arms. He concentrated on breathing, in, out, in, out, all the time listening to Lord Green's blandishments. And. As he lay there, he realized that someone _else_was pleasuring his Master. Erik jerked, almost uncontrollably, as a terrible sense of loss swept through him: he, Erik, and no one else should be there, between Lord Green's legs. And he thrashed again as the realization that he _wanted_to be with the powerful minotaur; he _longed_for the pine-salt flavor of the minotaur's juices. Erik sagged against the carpet, and gasped as the _something_pushed the last of his breath out him. He fought to suck air into his lungs with air, but it was hard, fighting against the crushing pressure of the _something_weighing him down.

A low, deep, bovine moan filled the room as Lord Green's pleasure was complete. "Yesssss...." he moaned. "Good boy. Yes. There."

A moment later the pressure eased; air burst back almost explosively into his lungs in a shuddering gasp. "Ah. Perhaps a bit too hard," the minotaur said sleepily. "There. Morning is coming, Slave. Consider carefully what you intend to do."

The night passed slowly. From time to time Erik could hear the minotaur's breathing, before he quieted again. Dog--no, Mikal--no, Dog, now, that was all that was left, thought Erik, everything that wasn't Dog had been whipped away. Anything that was--that had been--Mikal was just gone. Erik closed his eyes, and tried not to let despair wash over him. He could feel _himself_slipping away. Was this what had happened to Mikal? Even now he longed to be beside Lord Green; he wanted to feel the heat of the minotaur's body against his own.

He wanted to be with his Master. Erik burned with need for a moment, wanted to feel the strength of a minotaur crushing him to the bed, the sweet pain of entry and the long, slow, pleasure of having the creature inside him, and the sharp intensity of release. He wanted his Master, wanted to know he belonged to his Master, that his Master ...

No, Erik thought. No. He had to resist. He had to stay himself. He was Erik--Commander-of-Ten, Imperial soldier and before that, a Varingian clansman. He was not a freak's bed-toy. He wasn't. He wasn't.

No matter how much he might want to be ...

Erik put the thought out of his head. What he wanted, was to escape. Nothing but that. As he waited, he made a silent vow that from this moment on, everything he did would be towards that single goal, and that whatever it took to escape--he would do. Whatever it took. Anything. Anything.

Did he really mean that, he wondered for a moment. Would he do ...anything? Anything?

Even ... even serve Lord Green?

Lord Green woke as the sky lightened in preparation for dawn. Erik was shivering from the cold, after spending a cold night motionless under the weight of the _something_the minotaur had conjured. The human couldn't even say how he knew that Lord Green was awake; but he knew it. He tried to stop shivering, but he couldn't, he was just too cold.

And then the minotaur was standing over him, a dark silhouette in the cold blue light. The sharp resinous smell of minotaur, with some other deep musk, reached Erik before he turned his head. The human wondered briefly how the huge Lord Green had managed to get out of bed and walk over to him without making a sound, but that thought faded when he turned his head and looked at the black-furred minotaur. For a moment--an all too long moment--his thoughts disappeared as he took in the hooves and massive legs, the powerfully built body on top of it and not least, the soft but still impressive maleness hanging down over the minotaur's bull-like testicles.

"So, Slave," the minotaur rumbled, and the pressure on him lightened, and vanished. "You behaved poorly last night. I was disappointed."

"Yes, Master," Erik whispered. "Please forgive me."

"I have other things to do than discipline you," the minotaur said, more to himself than to the kneeling slave. "You've waited half a night," Lord Green continued, "you can wait another few hours. And ... " the minotaur paused for a moment.

From the pause, Lord Green fell silent, waiting. Erik wasn't sure what he was waiting for, but something about the expectant stance of the minotaur told him that he wouldn't be standing long, and he realized there wasn't anything he could do but wait.

Nor was it long before another human came in, almost but not quite running, with a round of bread--hot bread, Erik realized, from the slightly yeasty smell. The morning's fresh baking. He couldn't help but let out a small moan as the warm smell caressed him.

"Good. Breaker, I have a task for you," the minotaur said. "This one ?" and somehow it was clear that Lord Green meant_Erik_ "? is waiting to be disciplined. I am not hopeful, but perhaps he can come to some understanding of just what his place is between now and when I return."

"Yes, Master," the human said.

The minotaur nodded. "You've eaten?"

"Yes, Master, thank you."

The minotaur looked down at Erik for a moment, brown eyes filled with thought. "There are rewards to obedience. Many." He reached out, and Breaker gave him the dish. A single great hand ripped the still-hot round open, and Erik felt his stomach twist as the strong scent of fresh, hot bread reached him. "Food is not a reward," the minotaur said, after a moment. "You will be fed, regardless of your obedience, or lack."

Dog whimpered, a simultaneously longing and despairing sound.

Lord Green lowered the dish with the bread in it, and with his other hand, brought his penis to the warm bread, and Erik flinched as he realized just what the minotaur intended to do. He couldn't tear his eyes away, however, and all he could do was watch as the bread was quickly soaked through with the minotaur's golden fluid.

Dog whimpered again, that same forlorn sound, and Erik's eyes darted to the broken man who had once been his friend Mikal. Dog's eyes were wide, and staring almost reverently up at the soaked bread.

"Rewards come in many forms," the minotaur said softly. "Dog. Come here." Lord Green bent his knees, and set half the dish of now-wet bread down in front of Erik. He gave the other half to Dog, who looked up with a shocked--and pleased ? expression. Dog began whining happily, kneeling and pushing his face gratefully against Lord Green's leg. "Yes. You may eat."

A short yip answered him. Erik watched as Dog hungrily tore at the wet bread, eating quickly, and carefully, so as not to miss any of it. Erik felt Lord Green's eyes on him, but Erik forced himself to watch Dog devour the soaked half-loaf. Occasional happy whimpers found their way around the dark bread, and when Dog finished, he simply lay at Lord Green's feet.

"Good boy," the minotaur crooned. He looked at Erik for a moment, considering, and Erik wondered just what thoughts the creature had. "Breaker. If Erik declines his reward, you may have it, but you may not accept his decision until ... the bread is cool."

"Yes, Master," the human said, reluctantly.

"But?"

"He's going to refuse it, Master, and ... it's warm now."

The minotaur shrugged. "You may decline it as well, if you choose."

"No, no, Master, that's not what I meant," Breaker said, almost too quickly.

Lord Green let out a breath almost like a laugh. "Dog. Come. Breaker, you wait here with Slave." The minotaur paused for a moment. "Breaker, Slave is not to go without food; if you claim his reward, feed him afterwards." Lord Green turned, and walked out, and Dog scampered after him.

Breaker watched the door gently close, and then looked back at Erik and the plate on the floor, and then back at Erik.

Erik just closed his eyes, but that didn't help much. The mingled odor of yeasty bread and salt-laden musk was too strong to ignore.

Breaker didn't say anything until well after Dog had followed the minotaur out of the room. "He must like you."

"What?" said Erik.

"I said, he must like you," Breaker repeated, and gestured at the bread. "It's better warm."

Erik shook his head.

"Really. It's ... good. He was telling the truth. That's ... that's a reward," Breaker said after a moment. "A big reward. And ... it's better warm. Really."

Erik looked at the wet half-loaf. A few wisps of steam still rose from it, and the smell ... it smelled of salt and yeast and earth and minotaur and it smelled wonderful. Still. "Right. You can have it. Now."

Breaker shook his head. "He said I could have if you didn't want it, after it was cool." The human swallowed. "I'll wait."

"So what would he do, if you disobeyed him?"

Breaker just looked at Erik, with a disbelieving expression. "I don't know," Breaker said after a short pause. "I really don't know. But ..." the human paused again. "I don't know if there's a way to explain it to you. Listen. He's a _minotaur._That means he'll win. You've got to have _some_memories from the past few days--don't you?"

"Some," Eric admitted.

"He got what he wanted, didn't he." Breaker said, after a moment.

Erik said nothing; it wasn't a question and ... he didn't want to discuss it. Didn't want to remember it. Didn't want to think about it. But ... the minotaur had gotten what he wanted. Everything. Completely. Erik closed his eyes, as if shutting out the room around him might help him shut away what he remembered--what he couldn't help but remember.

"He will. Humans bend or break," the other said after a moment, sitting down on the bed. "Dog broke. And if you take too long to bend ... he'll break you, too."

"Is that why you're here? To break me?"

The other human shook his head. "I don't know. He ordered me here, and ..." the human paused. "No. That's not really true. I'm not here to break you; he's chosen to deal with you himself. Don't ask me why; he just does, with some. Dog, Waiter, First ... and me. And now you." Breaker turned to look at Erik, with an expression Erik couldn't quite make out. "We do what he wants."

"And I should, too?"

Breaker laughed. "Should? Should has nothing to do with it. Don't you understand? A minotaur--any minotaur--is stronger than you are, faster than you are, smarter than you are--than any human. They know what you're going to do before you do it, you can't keep anything secret from them, you can't deceive them, lie, ... it's hopeless. We exist to serve them. And ..." the human fell silent.

"And what?"

"You wouldn't believe me," Breaker said, shaking his head. "You probably don't even believe _that_is a reward."

"Well, no," admitted Erik.

Breaker just nodded. "So you wouldn't believe me. You'll find out for yourself anyway ..." the other human broke off, his eyes returning to the urine-soaked bread. "You could try a small bite," Breaker said, almost wistfully. "See what you're turning down."

"And if I like it after all? Isn't that what you're telling me will happen? It means you won't get any. Mmm. Cold minotaur piss! What could be better than that? Oh, right, I know ?warm minotaur piss. On bread. Can't hardly wait."

Breaker shook his head. "He wants you to have it."

"And you want what he wants?"

"I want ... I want to please him. If you eat ... it will please him." Breaker said, almost defiantly. "He ... he wants you to know there are many rewards to obedience. Many."

"And that's more important to you than a reward," Erik said.

Breaker just shook his head. "Pleasing him is the reward," the human said, almost too softly to be heard. "You ... I can't ... I don't know how to explain it. But that's the truth."

"Well, I can believe that pleasing him's better than eating that," said Erik. "Will that do?"

Breaker just shook his head. "You don't understand." The other human shifted his gaze to the door, the bed, the window, the plate of cooling bread, and then back to the door. Anything, Erik thought, rather than try to meet Erik's eyes. "You can't. You can either just believe me blindly or ..."

"Or what?" asked Erik after a few minutes of silence.

"Or find out for yourself, eventually, after a long struggle, like Dog did." Breaker said. "He's a minotaur. We're human."

"I'd noticed," said Erik.

The other man just sighed helplessly. "I'm sorry. I don't think I can explain it better than that."

Erik looked away, and then down to the bread, and he tried to keep his revulsion from showing. What kind of beaten-down, mindfucked slave would ...

An obedient one, his mind supplied. He closed his eyes, remembering just a few minutes ago that he'd said--if only to himself-- that he was willing to do anything_to escape. **_Anything.** Was he? Really? Anything?

Anything , he thought to himself, and reached down to the bread. He heard Breaker move, take a surprised breath, but he ignored it, not even looking up at Lord Green's spy. Erik scooped up a small bit of the soggy bread, hesitated, and then popped it into his mouth.Anything.

Salt; the first taste in his mouth was salt. Still warm, the texture was slippery but the bread wasn't completely soggy; there was enough structure left that he had to chew a little. A suggestion of sweetness, and the faint pine-resin taste he'd come to associate with minotaurs. He forced himself to swallow, forced himself not to gag as he swallowed.

The bread wasn't bad, and it could be worse, Erik told himself, and reached out for another scoop when a potent pine-resin flavor coated his throat; the pine aroma nearly choking him, and a wave of warmth flooded through him, easing the soreness from the night spent motionless under the magical _something_Lord Green had prisoned him with. Caught by surprise, Erik gasped. It felt ... _good._Incredibly good, and then the wave of warmth passed as the powerful pine-taste faded, leaving only a faint residual warmth. The dull ache of soreness returned more slowly.

With a certain amount of trepidation, Erik reached for another, larger piece, chewed, swallowed. This time the sudden warmth didn't catch him by surprise, but it felt just as good, and now he was certain that it was easing the stiff ache of immobility. He looked down at the remainder, and thought, anything. By the time he'd finished, though, he was panting slightly. Warmth pulsed though him gently, easing away the last of the discomfort. Even the taste--salt, yeast and the hammering aftertaste of pine seemed pleasant.

Breaker had just watched intently; Erik had glanced up at him to see what he thought, but Erik had been unable to decode the complex expression on the other's face. Breaker didn't say anything at all, until Erik had finished, and even then the single word, "Good," struck Erik as ambiguous. Nor did Breaker say anything else while they waited; Breaker seemed to stare into space, leaving Erik to watch the window, and the gathering clouds darken the sky.

Lord Green's return was unannounced and sudden, just like the downpour that had started a few minutes ago. The door simply opened and then Lord Green was in the center of the room, looking down at Erik and Breaker. Erik looked up at the minotaur, reminded himself that he had to pretend Lord Green was his Master, and was silently grateful that Dog--who used to be Mikal--wasn't there to remind him of the consequences of failure. "Well?"

"Master?" asked Erik.

Breaker replied a split moment later, "Erik accepted your gift, Master."

The minotaur swung around to focus his full attention on Erik. "Unexpected, but ... interesting. Did it please you, Slave?"

"Yes, Master," Erik said.

"And?" prompted Lord Green.

"I'm sorry, Master, I don't understand."

"Breaker?"

"Thank him," Breaker said, very quietly. "You didn't thank him. And he's given you the opportunity to correct the error."

Erik understood. He took a deep breath, and thought, _anything. "_Thank you Master, for the gift of your bread and for allowing me to thank you properly."

The minotaur said nothing, standing like some black-furred statue for a long moment, staring down at Erik without expression. Lord Green's stare pinned him, and Erik could feel the weight of the minotaur's examination bearing down on him. "It doesn't matter why," the minotaur said slowly. "It only matters that you have."

Erik wasn't sure how to respond to that, so he just remained silent, waiting for Lord Green. The minotaur, however, said nothing. He just walked slowly over to a large green stuffed chair by the window, and sat. For a moment--just a moment--Erik got the impression of vast age from the minotaur mage, but the moment passed. Lord Green nodded, and then suddenly stiffened.

"Yes. A moment." the minotaur said, apparently to thin air. He turned to Breaker and Erik. "Be silent," and his attention shifted back to--empty space, as far as Erik could tell. "Please continue, Ruus."

Lord Green was silent, listening to something only he could hear, although Erik could ... feel ... something, like a faint almost inaudible buzz. "Do you believe this? It sounds incredible to me."

"No, it's not just that it's Teodor, it seems like a long chain of guesses with a single fact at the far end. I ..."

"Yes," agreed Lord Green, "very true. We need to investigate it. I'll come over."

"He has? Yes, I suppose he is good at that. But ... you don't think this is a trick of some kind?"

Lord Green sighed. "No, he doesn't. It would be absurd. It's just ... hard to credit. I'd think you'd have ..."

"Perhaps we have relied too heavily on your gifts, Lord Chimes, but they have served us well."

"No, I can't fault the logic, just the conclusion. I will come over, and ... what?"

"Over what area?"

Lord Green's face changed quickly from mild puzzlement to anger. "Did either of you consider just what that could do?"

"You are dumping millions of barrels of water across everything. It has to _go_somewhere, and where it _goes_are streams. Rivers. Already _high_rivers at the moment."

"Yes, I expect flooding will be a problem!" Lord Green said with exasperation. "Of course it's going to cause flooding ? massive flooding. If this turns out to be a false alarm, please ask Lord Fog to stop the rain immediately. And I may need it stopped anyway!"

"Flooding, I suppose," said Lord Green sourly. "Yes. If."

"Yes, I can. Some. But not everything."

"Is anyone else there besides you and Teodor? It would help if I had some assistance."

"No, they're all being used. Yes, I know, but ..."

"Yes, well, the Council didn't complain when I proposed it, and it will keep the flooding losses down--indirectly, anyway. I just need more."

The minotaur sighed. "I know. I'm working on what I have now, it's just ..."

"Yes, thank you."

"I'm still coming. I can be there in an hour or so."

"I'm in town, yes."

"I understand. He's ... well. I feel sorry for General Paracelk."

"He_did_?"

"That's ... surprising."

"In an hour or so, then."

"Yes."

Lord Green took a deep breath, and looked out at the now-driving rain. "Idiot," he muttered. "Maybe." His attention turned back to the two humans. "Well."

"You, Slave, are still due a punishment from last night ... but I can't attend to it right now. I may not be able to attend to it for several days," he said, thinking.

"Yes, Master," said Erik.

"Come over here, Slave, and beg for my forgiveness," the minotaur said.

_Anything._Erik crawled over to where the minotaur was sitting, and lay prostrate before him. "Master, your slave is sorry for his misbehavior. It will never happen again, and your slave begs for your forgiveness."

The minotaur sighed. "Good enough for now. You are forgiven, Slave. Breaker. Get him fed, cleaned, settled. Find him some task. I'd say outside, I think this rain will let up soon." Lord Green stared almost tiredly at the ongoing rain, thinking.

"Breaker, I'm going out. I'll be back late, or ... if the rain stops, expect me back sooner. Let the staff know."

"Yes, Master."

The minotaur rose in a slow, fluid movement, and paused at the door. "I am pleased, Breaker. Don't imagine otherwise."

"Thank ? thank you, Master," Breaker said. "I ... thank you. Master."

"And you, Slave," Lord Green said, almost softly. "You will please me too."

_ Author's Note: This is the last of the prewritten chapters of_ Cold Blood_. I'm planning more--several more--and am currently just starting Chapter 5. The appearance of these chapters will slow down to my actual writing rate - perhaps one or two a month. I would like to thank you for reading this far, and hope you'll continue to enjoy my work._

If you are under the impression that comments encourage me to write faster--you are to be complimented on your perspicacity. You are exactly right.

Cheers,

Onyx Tao