The Winglies of Hellena
Chapter Seven: Getting Clean
Disclaimer: You know the Characters from LoD aren't mine, but all the others are. No stealy. .
Heaving the last of the straw into the pen and spreading it around on the floor, he sighed and wiped his arm across his forehead. Finally he was finished with the disgusting work. His back hurt like all the Hells. Not only had the work stretched some of the skin and caused it to bleed again, but sweat mingled with the blood, salty water in the wounds.
He heard a noise behind him and turned to see the Traitor standing outside the cell, watching him. Lloyd spread his arms and growled, "Satisfied?" He was in quite the irritable mood. He was filthy, he hurt, he smelled like shit - literally - and he was quite fed up with being in this place.
Dominic smiled and nodded. "You have done well. What's your name, boy?"
"Lloyd," he stated, waiting to see the Traitor's reaction.
Dominic's eyes widened, his head tilting to the side. "Are you the one that was supposed to have died fighting Melbu Frahma? You were found on the side of the road, impaled by something. From what the humans said, the Lloyd that fought against Melbu Frahma was killed when he was impaled by one of the God's tentacles."
"I'm not that easy to kill," Lloyd replied, stepping out of the last clean cell. The emerald-eyed Wingly smirked and bowed to Lloyd - a move that surprised him. He was feeling like shit, he was covered in shit, and yet this Traitor was bowing to him in respect.
Dominic caught the uplifted eyebrow and smirked. "It is an honor to meet you, but that does not change things between us. You are still the slave, I the slaver. Now come, I'm sure you want to get washed up." He turned and began walking down the hallway. The fool is confident enough of his status to turn his back on me. Interesting. Lloyd decided not to take the opportunity to attack him, though. He was feeling too miserable to set himself up for more hurt. And besides, he was still shackled, putting him at a severe disadvantage.
He followed the Wingly after a few moments, aching to get clean. Soon they were out of the cells, and Lloyd waited patiently as they got into the elevator and were drawn up. He knew exactly where they were going. He had been in Hellena before and knew it from top to bottom. Of course, he hadn't been a slave or a prisoner at the time. Back then he was still simply known as the Man in Black, because of his black clothing that covered his entire body except for the bottom half of his face. He followed Dominic to the bathing chambers, and watched as two men filed out, leaving him and the Traitor alone.
"I never got your name," Lloyd asked after a few moments of silence.
"I don't have to tell you my name," the Wingly replied, "But I will indulge you. My name is Dominic."
Lloyd nodded and stood patiently, beginning to grow irritated when Dominic did not leave. Did he expect him to strip down and bathe while he watched? Apparently so. Dominic looked at Lloyd expectantly, hands folded behind his back, one boot tapping on the floor. "What are you waiting for, Lloyd?"
"I'm waiting for you to get out so I can have some privacy," Lloyd replied.
"And leave a slave alone, especially one as special as you? I think not." He shrugged and gestured towards the pool with a hand. "You may as well grit your teeth and just do it. Unless you'd like to remain smelling like that. Slaves don't have privacy, Lloyd. That's one thing you're going to have to learn while you're here. And they don't have rights, either. The only reason you're getting a bath now is because I'm allowing it. I suggest you take advantage of this kind offer."
This really, really isn't my day... Lloyd growled mentally. "Fine, I'll bathe in my pants." He began to walk over to the pool and was halted by Dominic's hand on his arm. Turning his head, he glared at Dominic, and said in a low and dangerous tone of voice, "Is there a problem?" Shit... That would hold so much more impact if I wasn't shackled and looking like some kind of pathetic rag doll.
"Yes, Lloyd," Dominic replied flatly. "Have I not made myself clear? Slaves don't have privacy. If I want you to strip down you'd better damn well do it." His fingers slid slowly up Lloyd's arm and to his shoulders, the long digits lightly beginning to knead into the knotted and stiff muscles.
Lloyd's crimson eyes went cold and emotionless as he glared at Dominic. Splendid... Not only is he a traitor to his entire race, but he's homosexual. And I don't think he's going to accept that I don't lean in that direction. How in all the Hells am I going to get out of this one?
"I don't like the way you look at me," Dominic growled lowly. "You'd better wipe that look off of your face or I'll beat it off."
"Fuck you," Lloyd snarled in contempt. Dominic's hand withdrew from his shoulders and suddenly punched him viciously in the back. Lloyd fell painfully to the floor on his face with a gasp, closing his eyes tightly and grimacing at the explosion of pain in his back. A couple of the stitches split open and blood began to ooze again. He bit down on his tongue upon his impact with the floor, and the coppery taste of blood filled his mouth.
Dominic leaned down and grabbed the back of Lloyd's neck, pulling him back up. The crimson-eyed Wingly staggered to his feet, coughing, a trickle of blood trailing from the corner of his mouth. Emerald met ruby as the two males glared at each other, and Dominic released Lloyd's neck to grab hold of his shoulders and knee him sharply in the stomach. Grunting, Lloyd doubled over in pain and closed his eyes tightly, but Dominic hefted him back up to glare at him again. "The longer you have that look in your eyes, Lloyd, the longer I'll continue to hurt you. Get that contemptuous look off of your face."
Lloyd remained with his head lowered for a few moments, recovering his breath while his body throbbed with pain. He then lifted his head up slowly to look at Dominic, suddenly jerking his head forward to spit right in the startled traitor's face. With a look of complete outrage, Dominic wiped the blood-stained phlegm out of his eye and sent out a telekinetic blast that sent Lloyd flying back into the wall. A scream tore from Lloyd's throat as he impacted with the wall and slid down, leaving behind a long bloody trail. He sank to his knees and slumped down, groaning in pain. More of the stitches had split on his poor, abused back, and he was going to be bruised as well.
Dominic strode forward and grabbed Lloyd by the hair, jerking him up and kneeing him sharply in the groin. Lloyd's startling blood-colored eyes flew open and he dropped to the floor like a sack of bricks, clutching himself in a feeble effort to shield his manhood from any more abuse. His back arched and he retched, throwing up on the floor. Slowly, he curled up into a ball beside the small pile of vomit, trembling and sweating, eyes tightly closed.
Dominic frowned down at Lloyd. He looked so pathetic now, bleeding and beaten, curled up in a fetal position beside a puddle of his own vomit. It almost pained him to have to do that to the male, but in his mind, if Lloyd didn't learn right now not to bitch to his superiors, he'd wind up dead very soon. It was a long time Lloyd huddled there in complete silence, waiting for the pain to dwindle to a point where it would be bearable. Slowly, slowly he began to uncurl a little and just lay on his side. Dominic continued to stand above him with his arms folded over his chest. "Are you going to listen to me now?" he asked after he was sure Lloyd was recovering. Lloyd was silent, and Dominic was growing impatient again. "Answer me, Lloyd."
The touch of irritation in his voice was all Lloyd needed to spur him to reply. He didn't want to be hurt again. Slowly, he nodded his head. This seemed to satisfy Dominic. The emerald-eyed Wingly knelt down beside Lloyd and slipped his arms around the beaten male, gently picking him up and ignoring the small hiss of pain Lloyd let slip. He carried Lloyd over to the side of the pool and sat down with him in his lap. He moved one hand over to the rim of Lloyd's pants and untied the small leather cord at the top. Gently he slipped Lloyd's pants off, despite the male's halfhearted growl. He slipped into the pool with Lloyd, holding him up with one arm while the other arm began to splash water over his back to wash away the blood. Lloyd hated this feeling of helplessness, but he was simply hurting too much to put up any resistance.
He slumped against Dominic's chest, feeling the water trickling over the opened wounds in his back, washing away the blood. His cheek rested against the traitor's chest, and as much as he loathed him, he couldn't bring himself to pull away. He didn't want to be hurt again. I'm such a coward... Lloyd berated himself internally. If Dart and the others could see me now... Oh how they'd laugh. The once-mighty Lloyd who stood up and fought the God of Destruction without fear now cowers helplessly, a slave, beaten and bruised by some homosexual Wingly probably not a fraction of my age. Which brings up a thought... Who ever made up the idea that gay men were supposed to be gentle! The thought was enough to bring out a soft 'hmph' of amusement.
Dominic looked down at Lloyd in curiosity. "What's so funny?"
"Nothing..." Lloyd replied quietly. He glanced up and saw the frown on Dominic's face, deciding to change his answer. "I was just thinking about something I'd heard before - that gay men were more gentle than straight men."
Dominic blinked in surprise. "I'm not gay, Lloyd." He smirked slightly and took up a cloth, soaping it up and resuming cleaning the injured Wingly. "I'm bisexual."
"Well I guess that makes sense..." Lloyd mutered, causing Dominic to laugh quietly.
"And you are straight, I take it?" Dominic inquired, crouching slightly to rub down Lloyd's legs beneath the water. A curt nod was Lloyd's reply. "I see. Any special woman in your life?" This question was met with silence, and Dominic lifted his head to look up at Lloyd. "What was the name of that Sacred Sister that you saved twice? The daughter of the Queen."
"Wink..." Lloyd replied while staring off at the far wall.
"Ah yes, I remember now. Pretty little thing. Hair the color of ripe wheat, eyes bluer than the deepest ocean. That's what they say anyway. I've never seen her personally. Any special feelings for her? You did save her twice for no reason, did you not?"
"I just happened to be in the vicinity," Lloyd replied.
Dominic chuckled, not seeming to believe him. "Lift your leg up," Dominic ordered, and Lloyd sighed slightly, doing as he was told. Dominic proceeded to scrub down his lower leg and foot. Lloyd's combined weakness and awkward position forced him to place one hand on Dominic's shoulder for balance, but he didn't seem to mind. "Didn't she save your life too at one point?" he asked after a while, moving onto Lloyd's other leg and scrubbing away the filth. A simple nod was his answer. "How did that come around?"
"I had been battling with Dart, Rose, and Albert. They defeated me, and Dart moved in for the finishing blow. I wouldn't have been able to move out of the way in time. Wink appeared upon the battle scene and rushed forward, taking the blow for me across her back." Lloyd lifted his gaze to the ceiling, the blood-red eyes glazed as he re-lived the memory in his head.
"So apparently she feels something for you in return," Dominic commented, straightening up. Lloyd removed his hand from Dominic's shoulder as he put his other foot back down.
"An infatuation with an exotic-looking man that saved her life, no more. She's probably forgotten all about me."
"I doubt that," Dominic replied, stepping back slightly to begin scrubbing down Lloyd's torso, taking great care around the stitches that held his chest wound together. "Infatuation stretches only as far as physical attraction. She wouldn't have put her life at risk to save someone if it were infatuation. I do believe she loved you, or considered you a friend at the very least."
"Or was simply paying me back out of courtesy for the times I've saved her," Lloyd muttered.
Dominic sighed. "Why will you deny any possibility of anyone coming to care for you, Lloyd? It is possible, despite the things you've done and the people you've killed, for someone to care for you. You were being misled, after all. Everyone makes mistakes, but that doesn't make you a terrible person. People make mistakes in order to learn from them. You've learned from yours, have you not?"
"I have," Lloyd replied rather stiffly.
"Then that is all you need to worry about. Learn from your mistakes and avoid doing them again in the future. And remember - Wink is proof that you are capable of caring for others, and others are capable of caring for you. It doesn't matter how little you knew of each other. You saved her life, she saved yours. These acts of kindness prove my point. You are not heartless."
"Why are you saying this to me? It's not as if I'll ever get out of here and be able to start a life with Wink." At Dominic's questioning gaze, he continued. "I have already accepted this place to be my grave. I have too much pride to keep accepting orders from anyone. Some day you or some other slaver will get tired of having me around and dispose of me, or I simply rebel too many times and get hurt enough that I won't recover. It's only a matter of time."
Dominic had no reply to this as he finished washing away the dirt and grime from Lloyd's pale skin. Lily came into the room as Dominic was drying off the male, the towel stained red with blood. She shook her head and blushed slightly at the unclothed state of the male, but walked over and told him to lie down so she could patch up his wounds again. By now Lloyd was getting used to this, which was a sad thing, really. He lay down on his stomach and buried his face in his arms while she pulled out all the broken stitches and started her work over again.
"What did I tell you about pissing off the others?" she chided him gently. "I've sewn up your back so many times I'm getting cramps in my hand." Lloyd was strangely quiet while she talked. Usually he had some comment or other to make. Dominic meanwhile stood back and watched, equally silent, his head lightly tilted to the side. Finally he ordered Lily to take Lloyd back to his cell after she was finished, and turned to stride out of the room. As soon as the emerald-eyed Wingly had departed, she asked quietly, "He didn't rape you, did he?"
Lloyd shook his head slightly in response. She sighed softly in relief and helped Lloyd roll over carefully on his back so she could check out the rest of his injuries. He had bitten his tongue, but that wasn't a big deal. Looking down and noticing the swelling in his lower area, she winced and said, "He kicked you, didn't he?" A low growl was Lloyd's reply. The message was clear: Stop looking at me. Lily smirked softly with amusement and slipped her arm carefully around Lloyd, helping him to stand up. Despite the bruising and the beating, she had to admit he was a very handsome creature.
He walked over slowly to his pants and slipped them back on, leaning against the wall for balance. Finally, he was ready to head back to his cell. He followed Lily obediently out of the washing chamber and back to his cell. Upon his return he had noticed the return of the other Winglies. They were all covered with sweat and worn out. Some were assisting the others by massaging the stiff, sore muscles in their backs and shoulders while some simply lay flat in the straw, sound asleep. Those who were awake turned to watch him as he was led down the halls. His pen mates looked up as she opened the door and let Lloyd walk in. He immediately huddled into the corner and curled up to try to sleep.
Her eyes grew pained as she watched him. The defiant spark in his beautiful crimson eyes had been diminished, yet thankfully it had not vanished altogether. She didn't want to see the proud Wingly broken. She didn't want to see any of them broken. The little Wingly girl was crying because her muscles hurt so badly. There were occasional groans of pain everywhere. It made her heart ache for them. Sometimes Lily wondered why she even stayed here doing this, but the wonder was always quickly dispersed. If it was within her power to ease the suffering of the Winglies here, she would do so. With one last look at the handsome Wingly in the corner of the cell, she turned and closed the cell, walking back down the hall.