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Miyori's Chronicles

Chapter 3: A Lost Eagle - Trapped within the Palace

"Ikita! Watch yourself, please!"

I raced down the hill, ignoring my father's warnings. Renewal had finally arrived, and I welcomed the fresh, snowy grass. Mountain flowers were scattering the remnants of winter's mantle in glowing patches.

My childlike eyes watched in wonder as these new colours brightening the hills. I noticed circling in the azure sea above me a magnificent eagle. With elegance, they landed on a rock nearby, observing me with curiosity. They were so beautiful, with a golden-brown plumage sparking in all its glory. Their eyes were full of pride, and their talons mighty and sharp. Blessed by the divine sight, I turned back to my protector.

"Dad!" I exclaimed with excitement. "Look at that bird! They're so gorgeous!"

"One day, you'll fly like him, son."

My father smiled warmly, with his eyes filled with affection. I was so happy to be there, to be alive. I laughed out loud like I'd never done before. His eyes were the same blue as mine, expressing his charisma, his strength, and his experience. Yet I could see in them the darkness that was clouding his soul.

The time stopped and the clear blue sky turned into a pitch-black night covered with dull, flaming clouds. Smoke reeking of charred flesh rose from the ground through cracks opening with grand violence while the flowers burst into flames. My father's silhouette faded like dust in the wind. The mountain roared in divine anger, spitting its fiery entrails into the valley.

A growl at my back made me face the rock again, now an ember cloaked in a mantle of flame. Blood was boiling on its surface while an imperial white lion with a golden mane stood proudly on the top. His fangs were piercing the eagle I'd admired, now lifeless. He threw his victim to the ground and spoke in an unearthly voice.

"Come to me, guardian."

I complied, unable to disobey his order. I was no longer a child, but the defenceless adult I really was. I wanted to scream and fight back, but I could no longer. My paw pads encountered the glowing ashes of the burnt grass whose infernal heat penetrated my flesh without consuming it. My progression was relentless. I stopped in front of the boulder and knelt against my will with my right arm outstretched, wrist up, in an act of submission I could not control.

"Your fate was sealed long ago, Ikita, sole representative of the divine Miyori clan, instrument of Boreas' will."

The lion reached out his paw to slice my wrist with his claw. Blood spurted and flowed, tracing a feline rune that imprinted itself on my skin in a horrendous pain I couldn't scream out. My vector lit up.

"I will set you free, young leopard. Through this pact, I'll bring you the peace, the carefree life and the pleasure you so desire."

These words imprinted themselves in my essence as I heard a series of clicking sounds. The lion moved away from me when a clatter of metal shattered this dream.

---

I jolted awake, nearly strangling myself with the chain holding my neck. Cold sweat covered my naked body as if after a night of fever. I was alone in a room of dubious cleanliness with no furniture anywhere, lying down on a rough straw bed. Symbols of the 'civilised' language were strewn across the ochre walls whose openings let a dim light enter. The dangling handcuffs left no doubt about the purpose of this place.

"What have I fallen into this time?" I asked myself.

Without thinking, I reached for my neck. To my great relief, even if I was in jail, my vector was still here.

"My my! Our prince is finally awake."

I saw a male fox as nude as I was entering the cell from a door hidden from my view. His orange-white fur was perfectly groomed, and his beautiful green eyes sparkled. His graceful gait betrayed his noblesse. However, he wore the same collars and jewels as the lion's servants who drugged me. A thick, well-crafted towel hanged on his arms, as well as he was holding an amphora filled with what I smelled being perfumed water, and a sponge.

"It has been two whole days we were waiting for you to left Eros' arms." He said with a malicious smile.

The fox dropped his load next to me and kneeled close, staring at me. I couldn't sense any hostility in him. On the contrary, he seemed deeply calm.

"Who are you exactly?" I interrogated him.

"My name is Tadhg, the Artal's First Servant." He answered reverently. "I'm personally commissioned to take care of this exotic snow leopard I've so often heard about."

He stroked my fur gently with his paw, sliding it down my chest. He was obviously enjoying its softness. I let him do, unable to resist him anyway. Perhaps he could even help me unintentionally; I could see his body expressing his desire.

"I guess your master is the responsible for my presence here." I told at him as his paw went dangerously close to my crotch.

"Oh, yes." He said, called back to his duty. "I don't know all the details, but Artal prepared meticulously your arrival. The Astat-King ordered your capture a few moons ago and asked for the execution of a great number of rituals just for you. He mobilised the whole High-Clergy to ensure his success."

Rituals? This explained without any doubt why I panicked once I passed through the city gates.

"Should I understand I've been tricked?"

"Yes, you should." He chuckled. "The familiar was a bait, even if they look wonderful in the Lion's court."

"Am I so important that you had to cross the entire desert and the mountains, provoke the divine furore of the protector of these lands, and summon costly rituals for the sole purpose of reaching me?"

"Even more than you think for my master." He answered with a melancholic voice, to my surprise.

"How so?"

He didn't reply and simply sealed his lip with a gesture of his finger. I took the sponge to wet it in the soapy water. Then, he cleaned my fur and my body carefully. I took great pleasure in his gentle work, in which he was clearly very involved, even more when he reached my intimacy. Multiple days under the influence of this concupiscent ritual maculated it with the abundant fruit of a divine but false pleasure.

"I can see our guest takes well care of himself." He noted with interest as he inspected my sheath and tail.

"You can never know when someone could put their paw there." I answered without conviction.

"I would have enjoyed playing a bit with you, to be frank." He licks his lips with appetite. "But my duty comes first. I must finish to prepare you for your meeting with my master. He wants to talk to you as soon as possible."

"I could try to escape, you know?" I stated with confidence.

"How?" He laughed. "Thanks to magic? Watch your wrist, kitten."

A feeling of horror ran through my body when I saw the same rune as in my dream. The Pact was real, but how?

"You'll stay with us in this palace for long, my dear. This mark suppresses the flux and most of magical abilities, including this beautiful crystal around your neck. It will keep you within our walls."

He smiled, continuing the care he was lavishing me. When he finished to clean and dry my body, he put some precious jewels and necklaces on me, the same ones as the slaves wore.

Although annoyed by my current situation, I let him stroke my neck to anoint me with a fruity, powerful fragrance. He reached for my muzzle to sniff the result of his effort, brushing my mane with his nose. He breathed in the hollow of my ear, making me shiver; I wasn't uninterested by his charms.

"Follow me, kitten." He ordered me in a noble tone.

He removed the chain holding me, helped me to get up, and led me to the door. I had thought this case would have been a simple matter and that I would have returned to the village quickly. I was so wrong. The guilt I was feeling was hard to endure. I had been so careless when I penetrated my enemy's territory. Tough, my mission was still ongoing, and I was determined to fulfil my duty no matter what.

We spent a long time roaming the corridors of the building. After taking yet another flight of stairs, the decrepit, damp walls gave way to a vast, multicoloured tiled space. The roof was so high I could barely make out the painted figures. A dazzling light was streaming in through large windows and was illuminating great felines statues with divine halos. Their towering statures were casting imposing shadows over the crown of servants and citizens.

"Welcome to the Palace of the Lion, Astat-King of Bahjeel." Tadhg announced with a singing voice.

"It's... big." A part of me was astonished even if I had other priorities in mind. "Who is your master exactly? Are they the lion who flirted with me when I passed out?"

"He is indeed." He confirmed, smiling widely. "Well built, isn't he? He wanted to judge by himself about our god's prey's quality and value. Being his guardian, he's own duty is to ensure our god's wishes are fulfilled correctly."

"What? The lecherous lion who tricked me with an aphrodisiac is a guardian? I knew Bahjeel was depraved, but not to this extent."

"If you're talking about the ritual we used to capture you, we practice it religiously once a month. It is our Communion."

The Communion, a compulsory ritual for concluding pacts and granting blessings. Why wasn't I surprised the Communion of such a corrupt and decadent deity would involve making their followers cum? Dispensed directly by my enemy's guardian, in my case.

Disgusted enough, I didn't ask for any more information and just followed the fox obediently. He led me into the most confidential parts of the palace, using mysterious machines to ascent floors without effort. We simply stood on marble flagstones, which raised in a powerful roar of metal. Despite my sharp senses, I could feel no magic in the stones to explain this miracle.

To challenge the fox's words, I tried to use my abilities during our walk, with no success. I couldn't channel the flux anymore, nor incarnate myself in any spirit. Without magic, I was as worthless, completely defenceless. I could still use my fangs and claws, but I did not intend to dishonour myself by using them. I'd find another way out of this prison of sandstone.

After a long journey, we took a last flagstone, this time ringed in pure gold. During our ascension, I suddenly became nauseous, and my sight blurred a few seconds. The level of flux increased considerably in the air.

"We have arrived, young pantherine." Tadgh announced with enthusiasm when we stopped.

I was speechless and couldn't believe my eyes. The floor we reached was surreal. There was no roof, but I couldn't see the sky concealed by a floating building so monumental and strange that I had no words to describe it. Countless pyramids, covered with vegetation and connected by red flux bridges, were roaming like clouds. Many slaves were busy with various tasks, following those who seemed to be their masters. The latter were animals, but bigger, talking like powerful familiars and dressed in refined attires or finely wrought armours.

"What the..." I said, stunned. "So many familiars..."

"Familiars you say?" The fox observed the reason for my stupefaction, then laughed. "Ha ha! They are not familiars, they're Astats. Haven't you ever seen one before?"

"Not like this."

Tadhg chuckled more, amused by my candour.

"They are as much flesh and bone as the Ishuls we are. However, their blood is sacred, godly. They are all Astat-King's subjects, as we are for them." He was smiling happily. "Because if you didn't notice, you are a slave."

I answered nothing and resuming my procession with him. We climbed a long chain of glass steps until reaching the highest levels of the building. On the road, I was able to watch the scenery and the horizon without recognizing neither the desert nor the mountains. The entire landscape was unknown to me, made up of scarlet lakes and incandescent plains.

"Fox." I called my jailer and guide. "We are currently crossing a Fantasmagoria, aren't we?"

"Yes, we are." He smirked. "This is the Astat-King's domain, his dream of the world as it was when the Sumeris' Pantheon came to life. I'm quite surprised you know its existence."

"The Shadows are not exclusive to your gods." I grunted, annoyed.

"Shadows, eh? I would love to discuss them with you over a glass of vine while a muse sings a lovely song." He chuckled again like a noble excited by his new toy. "I have no doubt that a sorcerer from the wild lands should own hidden knowledge and, perhaps, exotic spells."

"Sorcerer?! Guardians have nothing to do with mere flux magicians!"

My honour and pride were wounded deeply. How could a guardian servant take our sacred arcana so lightly?

"Take it easy." He looked suddenly weary. "I'm not a believer. I love my work, but like you I didn't choose this life of servitude. Sumeris isn't even my homeland."

From his gaze, I could tell he felt gloomy. Despite my anger, I felt his melancholy. He accommodated himself to this life, but he was a broken man, suffering from having lost who he was. His spiritual aura was strange, but I could figure its quality and mastery. I understood, thanks to this little gate he opened on his soul, why the lion Guardian kept him by his side despite his apostasy.

"So, is the Astat-King the god whose Guardian your master is?" I resumed.

"Exactly." He confirmed again, carefully grooming his long whiskers.

"I don't understand how a Primal God could be in collusion with your spawn."

"Spawn?! Dear gods." The slave exhaled his annoyance and chuckled again, waving hands. "I think this little savage should learn a few things from the real world."

He stopped, turned with elegance and, with a few quick steps, seized my chin with a firm, sensual pressure. His muzzle was coming dangerously to mine. I felt his fingers finding their path between my lips to caress gently my fangs. He was now so close that I felt his warm breath in my half-open maw. I shivered.

"You wonder why?" He breathed out with a charming voice. "You'll have to ask directly to your master, kitten."

He released my muzzle with delicacy, leaving me stunned and aroused as if he had stolen me a kiss. I swallowed, blushing awkwardly while I tried to keep my composure and dignity despite the remnants of the Communion. Betrayed by my own body, I grumbled and followed him in silence.

We eventually reached the top of the palace, whose wonders were up to their decadent reputation. Marble of various colours and patterns was covering the floor of a vast esplanade. In the centre, a pool of clear water was glowing its blue aura over the painted ceiling, mixing with the reddish vibe of the Fantasmagoria. Felines of all castes and ages were bathing nude, enjoying childish, innocent games while their servants provided them towels and food.

An ocean of pillows and divans were circling the floor, almost concealing the ringed balcony. I saw many instruments and artefacts behind I had already encountered in ancient ruins during my trips. A dozen of lion Astats stretched out on the soft hills, pampered by slaves, happy with the caring they dispensed.

I noticed no suffering in this place, unlike in the city. With no words, Tadhg led me to a divan on which a familiar figure was lying, eating a round, fluffy fruit unknown to me. The fox knelt before him.

"Your First Servant has accomplished his duty, High Dignitary Artal." He announced with deference.

"How many times should I tell to stop these formalities with me, Tadhg?" The man answered, his voice full of strength.

The lion sat on the edge and put his fruit on a plate hold by a perfectly obedient slave. He wore a red-brown toga, featuring divinely his chest and muscles in an appealing aura. His shape was easy to guess under the thinness of the cloth. He was definitely the man who tricked me. His subordinate smirked and laughed playfully.

"I must add a bit of protocol, Master. Otherwise, how would I feel pleasure in serving you?"

"Enough of this." He cut him. "Finish to organize tomorrow's ceremonial instead of playing with my nerves."

"Agreed, Master Artal."

The fox stood up and bowed to the feline, satisfied. He glanced at me one last time with flirty eyes before leaving. I blushed inside, averting my own ones. Now alone with my predator, I observed him in a mixture of embarrassment, humiliation, and challenge.

"So, here we are, Guardian." I expressed with teasing tone.

"Easy, boy. No need to bristle yourself." He left his seat and went to a nearby table to clean his strong paws in a bowl of water. "You're powerless within these walls. You bear the mark of the pact which prevents you from using our arcana or any spiritual abilities."

"I did not consent to it." I replied angrily.

"You did, despite your denial." He dried his fingers one by one with the tissue a slave handed him.

"The Communion of the demon you serve may have tricked me, but a fake pact won't keep me here for long."

Despite my obvious weakness and my fear of facing for the first time an equal, I was resolved and ready to fight.

"I hear from this youthful, passionate voice that you sincerely believe these words. I respect honesty and resolution. Your bravery is honourable."

"I will escape from here." I crossed his eyes, feeling the tension raising.

"If you wish to try, please do." He replied, annoyed. "The pact is absolute. You are to follow my orders, anyway."

"I..."

"Sit down!"

I knelt as abruptly as he demanded, without I had even the time to think about it. I tried to revolt and yell, but a finger on his lip was enough to enforce silence; no words could get out of my muzzle. From the corner of my eye, I saw the feline rune glowing with a thousand sparkles.

"Your resolve is futile." He resumed. "Your power and your strength are useless now. You are as weak as any familiar of the King, but I see in these fierce eyes of yours you won't give up this easily. I shall behead your velleity of rebellion. Watch your right hand."

I automatically turned my eyes towards it.

"Unsheathe your sex."

To my horror, my paw executed carefully that order and was reaching my crotch. I couldn't resist at all. Relentlessly, it stole my honour. I felt so powerless, alone within the core of my enemy's sanctuary, with no way to refuse any of his whims.

"Shall I ask you to rape yourself to orgasm, slave?"

My eyes answered.

"Good, now you understand." He concluded with a low, pitiless voice.

With a simple gesture, he cancelled his commands, and I retook control of my body, experimenting with emotions I struggled to define. I stood up hardly, shivering. I was staring at my enemy's face, expressing an intense murder desire. Deep down, I did know how much it was pointless.

Artal took a bottle next to him and filled two cups with a brown, pasty liquid which reeked of alcohol.

"This drink is Fora beer, quite rare." He explained while giving me one of them, acting as if nothing happened. "Take one. I import it from the coast for my sole pleasure. This year was excellent; its flavour is even more a delight.

"N-no thanks." I refused, still upset.

"Please, don't make oblige you."

I growled from resignation and complied. I reached my muzzle with the mixture to smell it. Its stench crumpled my whiskers, but the lion was obviously waiting me to taste it. I deepened my tongue in the paste and lapped before spitting this miasma instantly from the horrendous bitterness.

"Ha ha! This is a drink for real men, boy!" He mocked me.

"Are you trying to poison me?!" I protested between bouts of coughing. "I'm already your toy! Why are you humiliating me more?"

"Sorry." He said, amused. "I'm just distracting myself to forget the disappointment I felt for taking you so easily. I expected a powerful Guardian, ravaging the city with his mighty wings, his army of spirits slaughtering mine, and using high magic spells to freeze the desert. Instead of this epic scenery, I got this barely adult cat who came onto my hand in a few seconds. It seems Horas did pass away after all. What a shame!"

"You knew my father?!" I shouted, stunned by this revelation.

"We fought each other a few times when we were young." His gaze stared into space, surely remembering the past.

"I am not him, indeed." I whispered in a sad tune.

"For sure." We remained quiet for a couple of minutes before he broke the silence. "Listen, I'm sorry for my earlier demonstration. It wasn't appropriate for welcoming my rival, but you are to understand your new situation, guardian. You're a slave now, under the Astat-King rule. He has your life at his disposal. We need you alive, but it's not mandatory for our plans."

"Do you mean he could order my suicide?"

"Precisely. So, you are to understand the implications of this rune. Now, we should relax ourselves and discuss." He pointed to a set of pillows nearby. "We have a lot to talk about and I'm sure you've got questions."

The lion lay down onto the comfortable satin, immediately assaulted by a group of servants who came to ensure his well-being. Taking this opportunity to enjoy a little mental break, I sighed to release my tension and frustration. There was no point in more resistance.

I lifted my tail in a sweeping movement, and bit it gently to comfort myself and quickly think about my options. I had no spiritual abilities available. A pact has enslaved me, I didn't know how. I wasn't even in the physical world, trapped in a divine dream. My opportunities to escape would be limited, even if I recovered the eagle.

Don't lose hope, Boreas' servant.

I turned to this fleeting voice abruptly, trying to look where it came from. It was so weak. I would have sworn someone blew in my ear. My brisk senses couldn't perceive anything around me but whispers and the children's laughs splashing about in the pool.

"Why are you taking so long to join me, snow cat? Hurry up."

My new 'master' was losing patience, pulling a sigh out of me. Giving up my thinking, I dropped my tail and walked over to him to lie down roughly in the quilted debauchery he stretched on. The servants nearby were obviously in shock by my audacity, but a simple glance from their master was enough to soothe the most upset of them and get them back to their duties.

"Don't mind them. Freely sharing time with me is usually my First Servant's privilege."

"What do you plan for me, 'master'?" I asked ironically. "I doubt forcing a Guardian into slavery for your own pleasure is your actual goal."

"Of course." He answered naturally. "Astralis has a few projects for you."

This name was familiar, but I couldn't remember when I heard of them.

"Are they your god?" I replied. "Despite the pact he imposed on me, I can't renounce my oath to Boreas. No pact may cancel another one; you should know this."

"This isn't its purpose, but you'll realize soon enough." He snapped his fingers, and then two young wolves brought a tray covered with victuals. "Take all what you want; you won't get to enjoy this freedom again in the future."

Artal took a few dishes he savoured one by one with delight. Juice was flowing from his jowls and was cleaned quickly by one of the slaves with an embroidered tissue. I couldn't deny that my nose was pleased to smell such a variety of food whose complexity of scents was intoxicating. One dish particularly focused my attention.

In the centre of the tray was an exotic stew with a very strange look. Its brown, creamy sauce wrapped several mouth-watering pieces of fish. I took one carefully and squeezed it between my paw pads. Its texture was unique for a fish, almost stringy but also melty with a strong sweet, spicy scent. I could notice within this aromatic fresco another charming, unfamiliar shade I wasn't able to name.

The lion's gaze invited me to taste it. I complied with suspicion. I did not want to give him another opportunity to control me again. When my tongue touched the food, an electric feeling ran through my spine, invading my whole body with an unknown, fathomless pleasure. I was shivering as I chewed and swallowed with desire, overwhelmed by a climax whose intensity was out of comparison with what I had experienced in my whole life. My body wanted more. I took other pieces of this unspeakable delight and gulped them down carelessly, carried away in the ecstasy of a first time.

"Dear, it's rare to see a feline enjoying this much such a common dish." Artal stated, glancing at my manhood.

"How delicious!" I shouted without restraint, unable to stop myself.

"Stop." The rune glowed again, and I obeyed despite the huge, almost sexual frustration I was feeling at this sudden interruption. "We shall resume what we were talking about now."

I shacked my head violently, trying to retrieve my composure. I couldn't understand what had just happened. The taste remained in my maw, making me drool like a wild beast. This place was hell. I was going to be crazy. I couldn't stay here. I was to find a way out fast.

"I see we have to postpone this meeting to tomorrow." The lion sighed. "I'm asking you too much. You're standing powerless in a hostile territory, defeated, and humiliated without having had any opportunity to fight. You're too young to process your situation so far from your snowy comfort. Tadhg!"

No sooner had the clap resonated in the place that the First Servant appeared as if he had stayed nearby all along.

"Yes, Master?" He bowed respectfully.

"Guide your new assistant to your quarters." He ordered. "He is to rest until the tomorrow's Communion. The representative should reach the palace in the morning, and I want everything to be perfect. Ensure that our new family member is comfortable."

"Your desires are also mine, master." Tadhg reached for me and took my shivering hand gently. "Follow me, kitten."

I complied without protest. We took once again the stairs to lower floors. My mind was still blurry, but I was retrieving my full control as much as we were walking on the spiritual bridges. The fox led me towards a group of these floating pyramids until stopping in front of the greatest one. Its walls were featuring terraces covered with trees and gardens. Streams were flowing from them to fall into the void and the far-off ground.

We penetrated inside through a sumptuous gate engraved with a vulpine figure. I noticed we were alone within another vast room, delimited with screens. Everywhere I could see storages and tables, covered with artefacts and strange books whose titles were written in an occult language. A few devices scattered the sole, immense bed taking centre stage within the place, draped with beautiful sheets and pelts. The obscene shapes of the items left no doubt about their purpose.

"This doesn't look the slave cells my father described to me." I noted, observing all around.

"Servants aren't the slaves you could find on popular markets, you know." He said a puckish tone, sitting down on the bed. "You're getting along fine for an outsider."

"So, I'm your official assistant, right?"

"I'm as surprised as you, to be honest." He sighed. "You even ate in his company. This privilege belonged to me alone. I'm so jealous."

He crossed his legs, putting himself forward gaily. His seductive gaze was hard to avert.

"Where am I going to sleep then?" I interrogated Tadhg, trying to ignore the sexual pressure. "I don't see any other bed here."

He answered with an emphasised tap on the sheet under him.

"Are you kidding me?" I answered, staggered. "Is there any moment in this city or palace when you don't think about fucking something or someone? Even the smutty atmosphere intoxicates my senses and my body."

"You aren't obliged to anything here, kitten, unless the Astats want you to. In our case..." He showed the feline rune on his wrist. "... we only respond to the Lion's and Artal's orders. However, I assure you that, despite my relative freedom, I feel... enchained on many occasions."

He pinched his lips together, but I wasn't sure if he felt regret or pleasure. Maybe both. This hell was way worse than all I could have expected.

"For now, don't worry overly and take your ease," he continued. "I'll explain your duties and the protocol to you in the morning after a pleasant sleep."

"About the ceremony, you mean?"

"Yes. According to Artal, your testimony is crucial. I can't say why, though."

I felt exhausted. The emotions I felt and the spiritual pressure of the Fantasmagoria were overwhelming and hard to endure. My unreachable flux made this fatigue more intense than it should be. At least, the sounds of birds and insects in the gardens were relaxing.

I watched at the fox, himself staring at me with curiosity. He didn't look like an enemy. Even worse, there was something comforting about him.

"May I ask you something, Tadhg?"

"Of course." He smiled.

"Where is the familiar? The eagle you captured to trick me."

"He's in Astats' quarters." He answered with a kind voice. "You'll see him tomorrow with the others during the ceremony, free."

"Good."

I felt no treachery in his words and was also relieved to know that the Boreas' protégé was safe. My exhaustion growing, I sat on the edge of the bed, close to the fox who welcomed me in his soft embrace. He followed me as I lay down, wrapping my body with his legs and tail. I did the same. His touch and his caresses were pleasant.

"Just let yourself go, my friend."

His voice put a spell on me. His muzzle approached dangerously once again, but this time, I kissed him. Our hands crossed our bodies, triggering all the arousal we stored this day. Our tongues and sexes became the instruments of a lullaby driving us in our own communion. The runes on our wrists shined in the dawn of a new dream, surrendering to each other desire.

I was going to play their game in the end, at least for one night.