III - The Culling
#3 of Love and Lust - Heat of Desire
:: Love and Lust - Heat of Desire ::
Chapter 3 arrives as our gryphon finds himself in a sticky situation upon a strange new world.
More story as always, this one goes into detail with Lyanis fighing against a lusty tentacle-beast and meeting the mannor's Caretaker.
If you enjoy long descriptive stories that arent completly centered around sex then this one's for you; if your just looking for something to ease that burning passion for yiff then start at the beginning, you'll find what your looking for soon enough.
Dracasis-
The black gryphon stirred upon the cold ground, blue eyes blinking open slowly. The scene was blurry at first but as he came to realize soon, there was very little for him to see anyway. Lyanis rose slowly from his sprawled out position, a slight shiver running through his frame from the eerie damp chill that had somehow worked its way between his fur and feathers. He was encompassed in a circle of white light that seemed to have no source lying on a featureless floor of hard rock or possibly metal. The young male sat up leaning heavily upon one arm as he attempted to make sense of the situation; he was naked but, at the moment, that seemed to be the least of his worries. His ears perked up as he caught a sound... or at least thought he did. It was like a resonating ring but as he listened to it closer he found it was more like an echo in his mind, a facet that confused him further. Lyanis swerved his head left and right in wide slow arcs, attempting to pin-point the source of the sound, stopping dead center as something began materializing out of the dark layer of consuming blackness just beyond his circle of light.
For a moment, fear began welling up inside him at the sudden appearance of this newcomer but like a bee sting his mood changed. His eyes and face lit up as the familiar silhouette of his beloved gryphoness Janna appeared through the layers of darkness like a knight in shining armor, come to save him.
" Janna!" Lyanis half-cried. Startled but happy, the young male began rather fussily rising to his feet to greet his rainbow winged companion, but as he was about to step forward and embrace her into his arms something caught his attention.
- Now standing, the black gryphon took a careful moment to look at the creature before him; it was Janna's body no doubt, a figure he'd seen many times before, but at the same time... it wasn't. To Lyanis, she seemed to be missing a coat of color... like a favorite dyed shirt that had been warn and washed too often. Her eyes also seemed hollow and cold, lacking the sparkle of life that had charmed him so many times before. The dulled gryphoness seemed to move in a loose manor, as if she weren't in control of her own body as well; a feature that sent a small shiver down the young male's spine.
" Janna...?" He cooed to her with no response. For the moment, all he could do was watch her, not quite comfortable enough to move closer. When the ghostly gryphoness finally did move, however, Lyanis couldn't help but jump, recoiling slightly as her gaze met his.
" There you are," The pale female rasped as she took a casual step forward " I've been looking for you my lovely prince." Lyanis took a half-step back as Janna, undeterred, continued to close the gap between them, arms swaying slightly by her sides. " There are many things I wish to do with you, many more memories I want to make with you..." The young male swallowed hard taking another step back but only increasing the distance between them by a few inches.
" Janna I..." Lyanis raised his arms halfway as the sultry gryphoness danced forward, closing the small gap between them and catching his arms in her talons by their upper portion, hiss-shushing at him quietly in the process. The young male froze, his body ridge as his tail feathers swished inches away from the light-circle's edge; some deeply buried instinct told him that, to cross that line, would be a seriously bad idea.
" This is what we've always dreamed of isn't it, to be alone together?" The black gryphon could argue but still couldn't relax himself. " You can take me any way you like my lover, over and over again every day and every night." At some point in time Janna's skillful hand had slipped away from his arm and was now gently squeezing his sheath. As any self respecting male's body would do, the sensitive skin began to react to the soft caresses making things tighten in his groin. Despite her advances, however, Lyanis couldn't bring his mind to believe this was his Janna, something just felt too out of place. " Make love to me my Ketuwin, fill me with your essence... please!" She begged.
Without warning, the young male thrust the colorless gryphoness away from him with an almost disgusted gruff, panting a little as she staggered away limply. He'd taken a step forward himself and spread his wings slightly, giving himself room to maneuver away from whatever this... thing was. The feathered creature before him had its head hung, unmoving from the spot Lyanis had pushed it to; Ketuwin, it was a name his first crush had called him, it meant 'Songbird of Love' and it was a word he'd never repeated to anyone else- ever. The two stood silently for a long moment, the male gryphon's heartbeat pounding in his head, both frightened and angry at this strange creature who took the form of his beloved Janna attempting to seduce him with words of his past. Despite all his emotions, Lyanis silky black cock-tip was still protruding from its furry sheath unbeknownst to him.
To his startled surprise, the dull facsimile lurched backward to the far edge of the light-circle as if being yanked away by an invisible rope around its waist. A small pang of guilt hit him as he saw her form wrenched away from him by an unknown force, the guilt growing as her head rose up to look into his deep blue eyes. As the ghostly gryphoness raised her long slender arm up out to him, Lyanis couldn't help but rush to her side. With almost a look of terror in her hollow eyes, the young female was yanked from his reach at the last second, consumed instantly in the inky black abyss beyond. A loud screech echoed Lyanis' beak, eyes wide in horror as he stumbled forward after her; the warning alarm in the back of his mind went off a second too late as he leaned forward and stretched out his avian paw, slipping past the barrier of light with ease. The sensation of his arm being enveloped by the void of darkness beyond was strange but, despite his efforts, Janna was no longer within his grasp. As if waiting patiently for this opportunity, a long slimy tapered dark-red tendril sprung from the shadows and coiled itself tightly around his arm. Confused, Lyanis had only a moment to yelp as he was yanked quite forcefully into the darkness as well, the circle of light behind him disappearing instantly.
It took him a few moments for his vision to adjust to its new environment but at the same time he could feel several more of the slimy appendages wrap themselves powerfully around his ankles and wrists. The young gryphon fought with all his strength agents his unknown adversary until a final tendril latched itself firmly around his neck forcing him now to fight simply for breath, talons clinging to the rope-like tentacle around his neck. Its head was the first thing to become clearly visible, a raggedy grotesque jackal-like creature with patches of torn skin and scales lying upon its mangled and matted dark brown fur. The entangled gryphon's eyes trailed further down, taking in its impressive build, a pair of wide set overly muscled shoulders with thick bulky arms. Its humanoid upper body began quickly meshing into finely grated scales at the mid-waist into a snake-like naga-form body. The nightmarish creature had no hind legs but instead, balanced predominantly upon a long thick well formed serpentine tail that trailed off far into the darkness. Its arms were outstretched and from its fingertips sprung the mass of wet dark-red tentacles that had so neatly entrapped him, each extremely powerful and agile in its own rank.
The beast's lustful eyes washed over the young gryphon's form sending a shiver of distaste through his body; some part of his mind knew what this creature wanted but he refused to accept it. A new, darker shiver ran through his frame as he looked closer into its eyes - they were exactly the same as the Nekris shaman's, identical even down to the blue and brown coloration. The slurpy sound and close feel of a new assailant caught his attention, a sharp gasp escaping him as his keen eyes caught sight of a dripping tentacle creeping up his chest, not but an inch away from his skin. The jackal-naga's eyes never left the smaller body before it as its tendril slithered up Lyanis' chest and gently licked the feathers upon his cheek, the young male twitching his head, doing his best to turn away in disgust. The curious tentacle crept upward, not deterred in the least, making its way up and around his dark orange beak. Still fighting his captor with everything he had, Lyanis wasn't about to let this thing silence him so easily, forcing his jaw open while he struggled to keep out of reach. The hellish creature smirked as its prize fell for the trick so simply, so easily; the tentacle strung around his beak twitched into place and dove into the open mouth, its long cylindrical tip slipping into the young gryphon's maw and down his throat with ease.
Lyanis only managed a muffled yelp of surprise as the creature's wet appendage wiggled its way down his throat with such speed and precision that his natural gag-reflex was immediately quelled. Unwilling to give up so easily, the black male bit down hard, attempting to sever or puncture the slick tentacle but only managed to scrape away at the thin coating of lubricant that covered its entire length. The tendril squeezed gently around his beak, seeming to enjoy the pressing tightness as he struggled making the young gryphon's sense of helplessness grow. A new sensation caught his attention as yet another of the dark damp appendages slipped up between his legs, caressing a side of his exposed sheath. Horrified at being toyed with in such a way, the entangled captive quickly tried to squeeze his legs closed but just as quickly the tentacles around his ankles pulled back, keeping his legs in such a precisely spread position that prevented him from getting any further amount of viable leverage. Lyanis drew in a sharp breath as the tip of his invader began purposely wiggling itself back and fourth against the sensitive skin of his slit. Though he did his best to quell his bodies urges, attempting to focus on his despise at being raped, instinct and a gentle coaxing touch won through, the tip of his inky-black shaft soon peeking free from its home again.
The young male gulped hard on the deeply embedded tendril in his throat, strangely enjoying its dull but soothing flavor; the curious tentacle at his groin curling around the tip of his growing member, squeezing gently... not enjoying, not enjoying! Lyanis closed his eyes tight attempting to remind himself forcefully of his current predicament but couldn't help himself as the soft warm sensation in his chest began to build with his arousal. After only a few moments the feathered feline was roused to his full size, thick bulky gryphon cock glistning softly in the non-light from the oily slime the tendril had rubbed all over its sensitive surface. Despite himself, Lyanis couldn't help but groan softly as the powerful tentacle around his girth gently squeezed and kneaded his masculine organ, hind leg twitching slightly in pleasure. The entangled gryphon's eyes shot open, his mad squirm returning as a new sensation tickled his body, lower this time.
The young gryph forced himself to hunch over just enough to be sure, almost immediately regretting doing so; yet another of the numerous tendrils had crept forward and was now caressing his rear-end, it's tapered tip rubbing itself teasingly against his puckered entrance. Lyanis fought with all his strength once again, the horrific realization returning to him as he was prodded and stroked, his body enjoying the strange sensations his mind seemed to be dreading. As with the last attempt to pinch his legs together, the second one was foiled just as easily, his captor sitting there with a smug look upon its rancid maw. Lyanis froze in mid-struggle, all senses focused upon the soft pink object emerging from the large slit upon its serpentine half, just below the stomach; a strangely erotic sloshy-slurping sound echoing in his ears causing the young gryphon to tremble slightly in a combination of forbidden lust and helpless disgust. This new tentacle-like organ was much more meaty, still long and tapered but thicker and even more well muscled then the black/red ones currently encompassing his body - Lyanis could stop referring to it an 'it' now, this little addition defiantly made him a 'he'...
The smile upon his scruffy canine face had quickly etched up into a full and well placed smirk, crooked, jagged teeth glimmering in the non-light as large globs of thick drool fell from his maw onto his lower stomach, proceeding to dribbling downward and pool on the floor to mix with the congestion of other fluids already present. The creature's long smooth shaft continued to creep forward from its body, the same thin coating of oily lubricant present upon this pink organ as well. Before Lyanis had even thought about the idea the probing tentacle between his cheeks slipped up and away, curling itself quickly around his feathered tail, neatly subduing any chance he had of using it to protect himself. Without warning, the mass of rope-like tendrils around his body tensed as they lifted him from the ground with ease, the young male's body stiffening at feeling of being maneuvered into a more prone position yet powerless to prevent it. Lyanis' vision became very limited very quickly, loosing sight of the alien shaft as he was raised up onto his back, hovering belly-up in the strong, slimy embrace. The young gryphon stopped struggling for a moment; his body still perched on the edge of its adrenaline rush however.
Lyanis twitched a little as he felt the monstrous tentacle finally reach his tail hole, its tip rubbing teasingly against the tight entrance for a moment. His own male bits reacted to the light caress, twitching and pulsing eagerly under the careful touch of one of his captors various appendages. Apparently satisfied with himself, the naga hybrid thrust his thick cock forward forcefully, it's well lubricated tip easily slipping in, its girth quickly stretching the entrance. The virgin male emitted a muffled screech as the monster before him violated his body in the most painful and disgraceful way. Lyanis squeezed his eyes closed against the unbearably sharp pain that shot through his body, biting and clawing as his entire body went ridged which only made things worse. The tentacles in and around his body seemed to squirm with delight, enjoying themselves fully as the pain-wracked gryphon struggled helplessly within their grasp. The jackal-creature gurgled out a sloppy churr of enjoyment as it forced more then a foot's worth of its thick meat into its captive's bowels, the warm tightness coaxing him to press for more. Lyanis twitched as he was spread open indignantly by the intruding organ, his breath coming to him in staggered waves between pangs of pain... and... pleasure?
The young male recoiled from his thoughts, forcing himself to concentrate on the wrenching pain-spikes that ran up his spine but, despite his efforts, tiny sparks of enjoyment still tingled through his body. Lyanis could feel the thick appendage tickling the deep recesses of his inner body, its tip even curling around itself a little to allow a few extra inches to penetrate his overly-stretched tailhole; a few small tears of pain escaping his tightly clenched eyes. A huffing grunt rumbled from the captive creature's chest as the invader stopped trying to fill him with its impossibly long girth and shifted to a more aggressive rhythm of thrusts and squirms, its ridged length slopping around messily inside him. Lyanis' mind blanked, no longer able to separate the conflicting feelings his mind and body were producing, the consuming heat of desire washing away the last sparks of pain as the tentacle-cock between his legs bathed his body in strange sinuous tingles of pleasure, his own well-oiled member dribbling its milky pre-fluid freely down upon tender tendril coiled around it.
Lyanis' glazed eye slid open slowly, his limp body rocking softly to the eager thrusts of his captor, his entire body feeling stretched and abused, his mind unable to recall how he'd come to be in this unnatural predicament. The slimy, entangled male blinked in surprise, grunting slightly as all the tendrils in and around his body tensed strongly around his body for a moment and loosening their death grip soon afterward. Finding himself now with a little leeway to move, the young gryphon stretched his head up, nearly strangling himself to look down his exposed chest. An intense desire for release gripped him as his eyes grazed over his freely leaking cock-tip, a thin trail of pre streaking down his head. His eyes lingered there for several moments, strangely enjoying the sight of his shaft curled tightly in that thick appendage, well positioned coils wrapped under the bulge of his tip, expertly squeezing just above and below his throbbing knot as well. Eventually his vision seemed to change almost involuntarily, shifting to look at the giant organ pleasuring his tailhole; eyes shooting open as an unmistakably large bulge moved down its length towards its prize. Lyanis looked up quickly at the creature's face, his heart beat quickening as a lusty growl rumbled form its throat, its eyes closed, features contorted into a look of supreme ecstasy; the young gryph somehow knew he was about to be seeded and it terrified him.
With every bit of strength his spent body could muster, Lyanis tried to break free as the bulb of cum rippled down the lengthy alien shaft, the tendrils holding him in place with barely an effort. The young male twitched and struggled, a feeling of dread washing over him and, despite his mental stress, his body continued to enjoy the monster's attentions driving him mad as if he no longer had control of himself. The gorged section of pink penis raced toward its final resting place, its ridged form passing through the tight ring of his entrance causing the gryphon above to gasp fitfully as his body could no longer contain itself. Lyanis' shimmering raven black cock-tip exploded in orgasm, sending a shot of sticky hot gryphon cum up his chest in a large glorious arch that made his entire body tremble at the ferocious sensation. The shivering male could hardly breathe as his entire form concentrated wholly on those powerful contractions, his inner walls squeezing tightly upon the thick tapered meat burred deep between his legs. Despite the intense pleasure that threatened to force him to black out, the young male's mind still remembered the bulge of alien seed about to do the same thing to him in a few moments. His body continued to tremble in a mixture of intense pleasure and consuming fear for nearly an eternity as he felt the rippling muscles within him work their way to the very end.
In a terrifying mental scream, Lyanis felt the monstrous creature finally unload himself deep in his helpless body, filling him beyond his capacity in its first contraction. A roar of pure and unbridled ecstasy consumed the young gryphon's mind as the naga-monster seeded its victim in unchallenged dominance. His vision blacked out and without warning the burning hot gryphon sat up and gasped for air, a flash of light making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end, the stroke of bright light followed shortly by a distant low rumbling noise. Damp, dilated sapphire eyes danced back and fourth taking in his new surroundings fearfully. The dark-furred gryphon jumped as something touched his shoulder, his head whipping to the side, fuzzy vision attempting to focus upon the thing that'd touched him. To his startled surprise, a soft whispering voice from the creature at his side;
" Its alright, its alright, your safe. Your fever just broke so you can only get better from here on out." Though his eyes were too watery to see clearly, he could almost feel a gentle smile upon the creature's face.
- Applying light pressure to his shoulder, the creature attempted to lay him back down on the bed. Noticing himself clutching a blanket painfully tightly in his talons, the confused gryphon found himself oddly eased by the voice of this blurry person and, apparently too weak to struggle anyway, allowed himself to be laid back into the bed while forcing himself to relax the death grip he'd put on the blanket. Sensations from his body began to return; pain, tightness, intense almost overwhelming heat and a throbbing headache along with a dozen others he couldn't concentrate on enough to identify. Another flash of light and soft rumble of thunder caught his attention, flattened ears now catching the soft patter of rain upon the roof for the first time. Lyanis' caretaker dipped a cloth washcloth into a bowl of cool waters by his bed and gently dappled the sickly gryphon's forehead with it. Unable to help himself, his blue eyes shifted suspiciously watching the tender paw and its contents carefully, closing glazed eyes to the soothing feel of the cold waters agents his heated skin, his mind slowly regaining control of itself, soon flooded with thousands of unanswerable questions. As if reading his mind, the caretaker by his side continued to speak in his gentle, quiet voice.
" You've been unconscious for nearly two weeks young one, we weren't sure you were going to make it." Two weeks? Was that even possible? " Master Vox was able to keep you physically alive during your incapacitation-" Master Vox? " so your mind and body could, hopefully, fight its way free from the sickness that had overtaken you." Sickness? When did he get sick and what was that th- " You've been having fevered dreams from the Culling; that's what we call the sickness, often the minds those who catch it are consumed by the nightmares that come fourth until their body is too weak to fight anymore." That vibrantly soft feeling of a smile made Lyanis relax despite his doubts and misgivings. " Apparently," The caretaker continued, " your stronger then your inner demons."
- The sweating gryphon cringed inwardly a little at the thought of his... dream, not quite sure if he really was 'stronger then his inner demons.' Sapphire eyes blinked open as the paw and cloth upon his forehead slowly retracted back to the nightstand. Now accustomed to the dark and a bit more in control of his facilities, Lyanis tilted his head up just a little to get a better look at his caretaker. Though the finer details were still lost to him, the young gryphon now saw the short fluffy white fur that covered the entire body of this middle-aged arctic fox anthro. As he turned back, Lyanis saw the shimmer of reflected light common to canine-creatures behind the muddy golden brown coronas; eyes that reminded him a little of Janna. The lying gryph couldn't help but smile slightly, noticing the contrasting dark brown 'sock' fur upon his pawed hands as he laid one lightly upon his forehead, feeling out the temperature change. Smiling down at him in return, the furry fox finished;
" My name's Menos, Caretaker and caregiver here at Brakael Manor, pleased to finally meet you face to face Lyanis." His smile grew a little for a moment at the soft introduction, a powerful wave of exhaustion soon washing over him from the softly whispered spell on his caretaker's voice. " Sleep now in peace young one."
- Unable to fight the drowsy sensation that flooded his mind, Lyanis succumbed to a much more peaceful rest in a matter of moments, his eyes closing and body relaxing visibly. Pulling the half-shredded blanket back over the resting gryphon's body, Menos flopped back in his chair with a soft sigh of satisfaction. Tonight he would not need to worry over whether his charge would live another day.
Lyanis slept for the majority of the next two days, waking only long enough to eat before being subdued my Menos magic's once again. Strangely, the young gryphon didn't mind being forced to sleep though slightly frustrated that his slew of questions was repetitively forced to wait. His dreams were peaceful, stray thoughts or memories coming to him but nothing nearly as dreadful as his fever-dreams, thankfully. Upon the third day, the well-rested gryphon woke early, the sun nearly in full view on the horizon. Shifting himself into a sitting position Lyanis realized that, for the first time, he was conscious without his caretaker fox-companion by his side. With mixed emotions he began climbing out of bed, pausing as the fact that he was unclothed also made itself apparent. Glancing around the room and finding no clothing with which to wear, the young gryph did the next best thing; acquiring the smaller quilt blanket from the end of his bed, he wrapped it adeptly around his waist and pinched the end under like a bath towel. Satisfied, he stood and stumbled, nearly falling forward as a sudden stroke of dizziness caught him, forcing the feathered feline to take much slower motions while his equilibrium balanced itself.
A light gust of wind caught his attention, squinted eyes focusing on the small stone window carved from the wall opposite the bed. Testing his balance the young male stumbled toward the opening, letting the soft breeze guide him more then his vision. Once at the far wall, he stopped and placed his paws on the inner edge of the windowsill, eyes gazing out upon the warm spring landscape before him. His body was idly working itself pliable, bending his knees and wing bones one at a time as his eyes closed, enjoying the wind as it ruffled the feathers upon his face. Lyanis' long ears twitched as they caught a light sound echo from behind him, his head turning first and followed shortly by his body. The door beside the bed creaked open softly coming away from the wall just far enough for a fluffy white canine head to poke in. It was Menos, come to check on him no doubt, his eyes passing over the empty bed first before turning with a bit of surprise to check the rest of the room. The anthro fox's flat expression turned into a gentle smile as he saw his patient up and about on his own, pushing the door open another few feet as he spoke.
" My, your up earlier then I expected. No doubt your mind refuses to rest a moment longer mmm?" Menos chuckled. Lyanis eyed the arctic fox from tip to toe, taking in his every detail now that he was able.
- Menos was shorter then he was by at least a head. His fur was a very soft, short, fluffy, almost cotton-like texture that was extremely well groomed; the tail that swayed slowly behind him seemed remarkably large, wispy trails of fluff blooming from its solid-colored length. Though, like himself, clothing was generally unnecessary, Menos wore a large half-apron tided around his mid waist that extended down to his knees where it drooped lazily in the light breeze. Able to see the full body now, Lyanis noticed that his feet, from the ankles down, also wore the same dark brown 'sock' coat coloration that his paws did. The middle-aged fur was not what one would consider "well built" but by no means wasn't fairly attractive... for a male anyway. Menos' face was his most distinct feature - though covered in the same soft fluff as the rest of his body he gave off an air of gentleness like a true friend that would never betray you even to save his own life. Soft muddy golden yellow eyes glinted with such friendly finesse that Lyanis couldn't help but smile a bit himself and nod at the question.
" Well, it doesn't surprise me one bit with how long you've been under, and at the time of introduction as well." Lyanis tilted his head slightly in curiosity " You caught the Culling just after being sold, I wouldn't doubt you don't even know who your new master is, do you?" The young gryphon shook his head, Menos smiled again, brushing his paw off on his apron. " This lightly decorated room is a guest quarters upon Brakael Manor," The anthro fox gestured to the area around him. " of Lord Illidan Vox's estate. You were bought at the Nyrvana trade market nearly three weeks ago by Master Vox and transported here."
A sudden rush of memories flooded the young gryphon's mind; the diamond, the Nekris, his voyage across the sea, the trade market and the hoards of people. Creatures of innumerable shapes, size, sex and species congregated together to buy, sell and trade all manor of strange things. Lyanis had been one of a hundred or so slaves upon the pedestal for sale but was only one of a hand-full that had actually been sold. At the time he didn't know whether to count himself lucky or unlucky to be one of those going into slavery but, looking back, he guessed if he hadn't been sold he'd just have been executed. For a moment he puzzled trying to recall what this "Master Vox" looked like with no success, guessing perhaps he'd never even seen the man in person. Lyanis looked up, breaking free from his contingency of memories as a strange scent passed by his beak; a scent of light cinnamon with a hint of rose dew. From the moment it touched his senses, he knew it was coming from Menos. He wasn't sure how he knew or why but there was an unmistakable connection between the furry fox and the rousing scent upon the air.
The thought of his caretaker's cleanliness made the young gryphon painfully aware of his own ripe smell, if timeframes were correct it must have been at least a month since he'd last bathed. As if sensing the feathered feline's distress, Menos' gentle smile returned as he put his paws together, ears sliding backward in a non-threatening manor.
" Ah, you must be stiff from being in that bed for so long, if you feel strong enough for a short walk we can make the trip down stairs to the baths." The well-groomed fox stepped to the side, motioning through the doorway with a paw. Lyanis still had a slew of unanswered questions but the invitation to a cleansing bath was too enticing to resist; the young gryphon nodded solemnly.
Menos, bowing slightly stepped through the doorway to lead, black blanket-wrapped gryph in tow. Closing the door behind him, Menos strode down the wide hallways with a soft sway to his hips and tail making Lyanis wonder if all his caretaker's actions were done with such gentleness. The trip was, as promised, downward and short - apparently the guest quarters were situated in a tall spire that sat directly over the baths. Though he saw many doors and hallways, the black gryphon kept to the designated path a few steps behind the plush white tail. Even if he could manage to overpower Menos in his weakened state, he doubted he'd be able to make his own way through the labyrinth-like manor before being caught. Besides, he was on his way to a nice warm shower, something he desperately needed and wanted.
Nearing the end of their trek, the Caretaker stopped before a large wood-and-iron door, fishing from his apron a ring of many small different colored crystals and sifted through them like a jailer would his keys. Lyanis noticed his small feather duster in one of the many pockets, guessing that the furry anthro was not only a nurse but a maid as well. Seeming to find a crystal of suitable color and size, the arctic fox held it out away form the rest and slipped it slowly into a tiny round keyhole on the door. With a short pulsing glow from the key, a solid clunk sound emanated from within the sturdy door frame; the sound of a locking mechanism releasing its hold. Menos led with his gryphon charge close behind.
The room beyond was dark, two low firelight braziers on either side of the door frame providing the only light at first. Stepping up to one, he began fidgeting with the casing as Lyanis peered into the darkness; though unable to see much clearly there was a distinct warm, moist atmosphere. In a burst of sparks the wall-mounted braziers all around the large room began to light up two by two until all twelve of them were alive and burning. The young gryphon gazed in amazement at the scene before him; the baths was actually one large underground spring that had been enclosed and decorated professionally! Small soft pebbles lined the floor between the hard limestone boarder of the pool and the wall, decoratively laid stones of marble or flagstone inset in the pebbles created paths to the benches, showers, spring and any other object of interest. The ceiling raised a good fifteen feet above one's head and was made to imitate a real underground cavern complete with sparkling gem-set stalactites. Menos dusted his paws off for a moment before turning around to see the black gryph's awestruck gawk forcing a small chuckle.
" This is one of Master Vox' finest works, he built his mansion upon a natural hot spring and personally decorated it, fitting every stone into place by hand." Lyanis was too engrossed in the vision to respond. The middle-aged fur gave him a few moments to enjoy the scenery before clearing his throat to continue, " Ahem- this way please." Managing to snap out of his haze, Lyanis just nodded.
The foxy caretaker was extremely light-footed as he padded on the stepping stones toward benches on the far wall. The young gryphon was impressed, well practiced tact placed into each foot-fall and sway of his tail; Lyanis was a little less precise, large cat-like footpads tromping roughly down the walkway. Menos motioned to the nearest bench as he continued onto the wooden cabinet a bit further on but the furred feline wasn't quite ready to sit down at the moment so stood where he was instead. From within the shelves the furred anthro pulled a pair of bottles which he slid into his apron pockets and a pair of towels that draped lazily over his arm. Turning back to find his charge still standing, he smiled and motioned with his free paw for the young gryph to follow. Still taking in some of the impressive sights, Lyanis continued onward without question. The two wound their way around to the far side where a congregation of natural randomly placed stair-step-like stones jutted from the ground and led slowly downward under the clear warm waters.
Without warning, the arctic fox stopped and took a step back next to the black gryphon before he had a chance to react. Being smaller, Menos was able to slip under the bigger gryphon's arm with ease. Caught off guard, Lyanis just lifted his arms slightly as the furry caretaker placed one paw on the small of his back and the other one on his chest, his eyes locked on the fine fur as if searching for something; not quite sure what to do, he simply stood there as the Caretaker held him. Apparently having found what he was looking for, Menos released him and quickly knelt down by the pool's edge, the paw that had been on his chest quickly dipped below the calm waters causing a symmetric ripple to run along the surface of the entire pool. Puzzled, the young gryphon was about to ask what happened when the white fox stood with his soft, inviting smile and motioned to the spring.
" Please. The waters are ready for you now." His curiosity building, Lyanis decided to forgo his questions for the moment, mind and body ready to dive in with both feet.
- Taking careful steps, the blanket-wrapped gryphon made his way around the eager anthro and slowly slipped a hind paw into the water. He almost purred at the sensation but managed to refrain, not wanting to reveal his happiness quite yet; the water's temperature was perfect, just a few degrees higher then his body's. Eagerness overtaking his caution, the young male was knee deep before a noise from Menos caught his attention. Stopping reluctantly, Lyanis turned his head to see what was so important he needed to be interrupted. Finding the furry anthro pointing to his hips, the black gryphon looked down seeing he was pointing to the blanket he'd wrapped around his mid-section earlier.
" May I have your... mmm... garments before you continue Lyanis?" The young gryph paused for a moment, not sure if he should disrobe before another male but shrugged it off impatiently knowing the thing wouldn't stay on for long anyway. Turning his back to the foxy anthro, Lyanis spread his silver-tipped wings and unknotted the cloth from around his hips before handing it to the Caretaker in a sideways manor. Menos' smile was a little softer then he was used to but only took the offered clothing while admiring the young gryphon's body. " Thank you." He added more as an afterthought.
The black gryph's mind wanted solely to dive into the perfectly heated waters with single-minded determination but his body let him know firmly that such an action would be very counter-productive in its current state. Restraining himself, the young gryphon simply wade out into the spring slowly until he was soaking neck deep in the crystalline waters, closing his eyes with a soft sigh of relaxation. A part of him felt guilty for contaminating such a place with his dirty body but that small pang of guilt was literally drowned out by the relief of doing so. Taking a deep breath, the young male submerged himself completely beneath the water's surface, allowing the fluid around him to encompass his body in like a perfectly shaped glove.
Menos stood where he was as his charge slipped into the baths, eyes not leaving his brilliantly shaped body until he finally went completely under, the misty-warm waters making it nearly impossible to see clearly anymore. Remembering the blanket, the Caretaker took a few dainty steps toward the nearest bench and folded it, setting it down neatly before returning to the stone steps that lead into the spring. Kneeling down, the furred anthro retrieved the two bottles from his apron and set one to the side. His ear twitched to the sound of rising water, turning just in time to see the soaked feathers of Lyanis' head. Smiling brightly, the furred fox called the young gryphon over to him, pouring a bit of the other bottle's content into one paw.
" Come, sit." Lyanis wasn't quite sure what to do but his caretaker didn't give him much room to argue. Wading back through the water, the young male slipped up the stones until he was a few feet before Menos where he stopped, watching the arctic fox lather the solution between his paws before looking up with a chuckle. " I wont bite you, I'd have done that long ago if I were going to." He smile cheerfully, " Now, come sit up here and I'll help you- you look as if you haven't had a good bath in months." Lyanis looked down a bit ashamed that it was so obvious. Scurrying up the last few stones on all fours, he turned his back and sat on one of the steps before the furry anthro, feline hind-paws still dipping into the warm waters below him.
The air was a bit cooler against his wet skin but not cold, the dripping water from his body echoing softly in the quiet room. Lyanis jumped slightly as a pair of furry paws wrapped gently around his neck and began to massage a mint-scented solution into the feathers there. Menos just chuckled again, his careful hands working the mixture into the coat of feathers upon the young gryphon's upper body, slowly working their way up to massage the stuff into his head, rubbing the inner and outer workings of his pointed ears. The feathered feline cringed slightly at the pungent minty scent that filled his nostrils but couldn't help but purr quietly as he could almost feel the dirt and grime being dissolved under his caretaker's diligent paws. When finished with his head and beak, Menos took a moment to gather a new lather of the soap, moving downward now. In a fairly routine manor, the furry anthro rubbed clean the feathers and fur of his shoulders, arms, hands, back, chest and both wings, acquiring a new squirt of the concoction when necessary and asking the occasional small-talk question which the young gryphon answered quickly and quietly with as few details as possible.
Strangely, Lyanis found himself enjoying the attentions of his caretaker, closing his eyes and obeying the small commands asked of him with a barely audible cat-like purr. It wasn't until Menos' paws began rubbing at his upper rump that the young male's eyes opened in realization; it wouldn't be long until that part of him would need cleaned and he wasn't sure what he should do about it. The foxy anthro seemed to continue on as if it were nothing special, soapy paws working around his tail base and hips, around to the black-furred inner thighs and eventually to the young gryphon's crotch. Lyanis' heartbeat suddenly jumped as a pair of paws began diligently rubbing themselves along his sheath, minty solution lathering its length. The young male's hands began to ball up into fists as his body began to tense in fear, a knot in his stomach growing; Menos completely unaware. As the white-furred anthro's paw passed idly over the sensitive hair-less ring on the end of his sheath, Lyanis snapped, slapping his caretaker's paws away and leaping forward into the waters.
Startled at such a violent reaction, Menos himself fell back onto his tail as he watched the foam-covered black gryphon leap away into the spring. Lyanis kept his back turned toward the wary fox, body soaked again up to his mid-stomach. With a slightly hurt look, the Caretaker rose into a standing position, regaining his composure and whipped his paws clean on his apron. In silence, the two stood where they were for a few moments, Menos sighing softly as he bent down to retrieve the unopened bottle, apparently he wouldn't need this one today.
" I apologize if I've upset you." Lyanis remained silent, the anthro shaking his head slightly with a frown. " I'll leave it here for you if you want to finish yourself." He motioned to the other bottle of soap, the young gryphon still saying nothing. A bit of an upset expression upon his face, Menos stepped over to the cabinet and replaced the other bottle, exchanging the blanket on the bench he'd collected earlier with a couple new articles before turning to leave. " I have other duties to attend to, when you're finished just knock on the door." Still nothing, Lyanis just stood there breathing slowly, ears flat back against his head. With a last glance, Menos sighed again and slipped out the doorway, locking it behind him.
The black gryphon had to wait for the knot in his stomach that threatened to give up its contents to die down considerably before he could move again. In the mean time, his mind raced; he wanted to apologize back for reacting the way he did but his body would do no such thing. For that matter, what exactly had happened just then? His body just... reacted, and the fear? A shiver ran through his body and, though it was not from cold, Lyanis slipped himself into the warm waters up to the neck for its protective embrace. Some part of his mind recalled the unnatural dream he'd had while under the influence of that Culling sickness and another part had connected the gentle attentions of the Caretaker to that dream; closing his eyes he shivered again. The fizzle and scent of the mint-soap and water caught his attention.
Quickly deciding it would be best to take his mind off its current train of thought he swirled around in place, finding the container Menos had left behind for him and went to retrieve it.
- Lyanis lay propped up on the plush pillows of his bed, starring out the small window at the growing number of stars that were just beginning to appear in the dusk sky. Nearly four days had passed since his incident with Menos and he hadn't seen the arctic fox even once to apologize. A new assortment of house maids had attended to his daily needs; food, baths, exercise in Vox' aerie and a few other recreational activities to keep his days from being droningly boring. He'd regained his strength slowly but the exercise had helped, at least now he felt like he could try and escape. Wouldn't be too hard to squeeze through that window and be long gone before anyone was the wiser... but he couldn't leave, at least not yet. Menos had done so much for him, cared for him for so long, given without asking for anything in return that the young gryphon felt indebt to him, at least he deserved that apology... The door clicked open, evening meal.
" Just set it on the table. Lyanis waved a taloned hand dismissively, not bothering to avert his eyes from the window. With a soft click of metal-on-wood, the servant set the plate down on the nearest table with a nod.
" As you wish." The young gryphon's eyes went wide as the familiar scent of sweet roses and cinnamon hit his beak at the same moment Menos' voice tickled his ears.
" WAIT!" Yelped the feathered feline as he scrambled quickly to his feet, nearly falling over as his hind paws became tangled in the bed covers. The arctic fur paused, half a foot from closing the door, opening it a little to see what all the commotion was about. " Wait! Please, I want to talk to you." Menos' smile was as disalarming as ever, immediately putting him at ease.
- Taking a few steps into the room and closing the door behind him, the anthro fur nodded solemnly. After taking a moment to regain his composure, the feathered feline nodded as well and sat back down on the edge of his bed.
" I... I want to apologize for what happened the other day, I didn't mean to snap at you." Menos just nodded slightly with his soft smile, making his way to the bed as well, sitting next to the dark gryphon.
" It's alright. I realized afterward that you might need your own space after your encounter with the Culling, you appear to be doing well?" Lyanis nodded, looking at the ground before him; perhaps he was making a bigger deal of the whole thing then necessary but it almost seemed as if his caretaker was avoiding the subject. " Almost too well mmm?" The young gryph turned in time to see the foxy anthro raise his eye ridge.
" Wha'da ya mean too well?" Menos just chuckled softly and stood, taking a few steps toward the window slit, taking in a deep breath before continuing.
" You'll have to excuse my foreclosure, remember I've been at it for a long time." The feathered feline tilted his head in curious puzzlement. " Yes, you'd fit through this window and with those wings of yours you must be thinking you'd be half-way to your homeland before anyone noticed you were gone, am I right?" Lyanis simply gawked, how could he have known!? " Its in your eyes, the expression you had when you stumbled out of bed... He continued as if reading the young gryphon's mind. " I've seen it many times before," Menos paused, turning back around to look at the well groomed gryphon " the look of someone who's all but ready to run but has something he needs to do before leaving." The arctic fox just smiled and Lyanis knew instantly that he had no intention, right or wrong, to tell anyone else. " I suppose it's a good thing I caught you before you did whatever it was you needed to do before you left; come-"
- With a wave of his paw, the Caretaker motioned the young gryphon over to the window. For a moment, Lyanis wondered if this simple housekeeper was also a mind reader but decided not to dwell on it for the time being. Standing obediently, the silver-tipped creature wandered over to the window slit, stopping just behind Menos as he lifted his arm to point at something in the distance.
" Do you see the grey pillar in the background just to the left of the tree bushel?" Lyanis nodded, it was hard to miss; a tall dark ominous obelisk that rose strait out of the ground some couple hundred feet. His eagle-sharp vision even allowed him a glimpse of a diamond-like object embedded within the hollow tip that spun very slowly, reflecting the sinking sunlight in spastic flashes. " That is one of eight identical pillars erected to protect Master Vox' land. Each one is able to emit blinding light, defining sound, strike with stunning force and create a protective barrier of energy." Menos paused to turn and look at the astounded gryphon before continuing. " There is an invisible wall -of sorts- between each of the pillars. Master Vox can mark anyone with a tag, one of an enemy where if you approach you are attacked, one of an ally where you are given free passage and one of a slave; you are marked as such, as am I." A sudden instinctual need to look his body over for this mark crept into his mind but he managed to refrain, continuing to listen silently. " When a slave passes through the barrier, the obelisks are designed to stun and subdue with the light, sound and ultimately physical force. In the case of any other, if they were to try and escape it would simply be a painful learning experience but if you were to be knocked unconscious during flight... well, lets just say it would make these past weeks of nursing you back to health a waste of time."
- Menos had broken the news to him as soft as possible, a joke and a smile to try to help as well but in the end his thoughts of escape were shattered as easily as a plane of glass. It must have shown outwardly for the anthro caretaker sighed softly. A part of his mind refused to believe it, that it was just a story cooked up to keep him from trying, but another logically told him if Menos was a slave like he was, there would be no reason for him to make up such a story. Defeated, the young male flopped back down on the bed with a sigh of his own. Needing to return to his duties, the Caretaker pat his charge on the shoulder with a tender smile.
" You should eat if you can, Master Vox has requested your audience tonight and unless your still deathly ill, its not a request you can refuse." Menos winked slightly as he turned toward the door.
- A sudden cold knot formed instantly in the pit of his stomach at the thought of meeting the man he would call master. A slew of new questions bubbled at his mind but it was overly clear that the fluffy fox could not stay to answer them. As Menos slipped through the door, closing it behind him, a trailing wisp of his perfume brushed across the young gryphon's beak, calming him a little. If nothing else good came of his forced slavery, at least he was fairly certain he'd made a new friend.