Author's Note: Let's try a different person for shounen-ai, shall we? Don't worry, this one won't go as far as Jay and Moses did.
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The monks shoved Jay into a bedroom, then walked out and closed the door. Jay looked forward to see Solon standing in front of the red satin sheeted bed. On the desk next to the bed was a bucket of ice with a red wine bottle inside. Two wine glasses were sitting next to the bucket.
"Well, I thought this was how it would turn out," Solon said with a grin. "I'm only sorry that it took so long."
Jay said nothing in response.
"You didn't put up much of a struggle, Jay," Solon continued. "I can only believe that you submitted yourself for some reason."
"Why would I ever submit myself to you?" Jay asked coldly.
"You've already found Shirley in the dungeon, correct? Perhaps you're after this." Solon pulled out a key and held it up, then put it away again. "So would you like to make a deal?"
"No. Not after what happened last time. You promised to leave the Oresoren alone if I brought Shirley to you. Yet even after I did so, you were still going to harm them. Therefore, I cannot trust your word."
"Well then. You'll just have to take the key by force, won't you? I assure you, that will not happen."
"So...why exactly did you want me alive?" Jay asked.
"You abandoned me before your training was complete," Solon told him. "So it's time to finish."
"I never abandoned you. It was the other way around." Jay pointed a finger at him. "You left me to die!"
Solon brushed Jay's arm away and punched him in the face. "Yet you did not die. If you survived, you should have returned to me. Since you did not, it means that you abandoned me."
Jay looked away, as he had nothing to say in response.
"Ah, so now you see the truth," Solon said.
Jay looked at his former master again. "Solon, I understand that you've learned how to activate the Nerifes Cannon."
"Yes, I've always known."
"What? You mean that when you tortured me for that information, you already knew the whole time?"
Solon grinned. "That's correct."
"That wasn't very smart. Why did you waste your time doing that?"
"Waste my time?" Solon seemed surprised. "Dear boy, that was no waste of time. I did it because I wanted your pain. I wanted to hurt you. And I enjoyed every minute of it."
Jay dropped his head with a sigh. Solon stepped in front of him, cupped his chin, and lifted his head back up.
"Look me in the eye when I'm speaking to you."
"I suppose you want to hurt me again?" Jay asked apprehensively.
"Oh no...this time I have different plans for you."
What's he trying to do? Jay wondered.
Solon pointed to the bed. "Move over to the bed."
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Meanwhile, Senel's group sat outside Shirley's cell, patiently awaiting Jay's return.
"This waiting is hard," Norma said. "There has to be something we can do."
"I don't even like the idea of waiting," Senel said. "We have to help Jay. There's no telling what Solon is doing to him."
"I'm with Senel!" Moses said. "This whole thing bites!"
"Settle down, everyone," Will told them. "I understand your concern for Jay. I feel the same way. But the best thing to do is to put our trust in him. If anyone can do this, he can."
"Yeah, I guess you're right," Senel agreed.
"Senel?" Shirley called. "Please save Jay."
Everyone looked at the cell.
"Shirley?" Senel called back.
"I can't bear the thought of him risking himself for me," Shirley said. "I don't want him to suffer because of me. So please save him. There has to be another way to get the key."
Senel turned to the others. "Guys...I'm sorry, but I just can't say no to Shirley."
"I know what you mean," Moses said.
Will stood up now. "All right, we'll find Solon and get the key together."
"Shirley, just hang on," Senel said. "We'll be back, I promise."
"Please be careful," Shirley said.
"We will."
The group nodded and left the dungeon.
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Solon drew his sword and held the blade to Jay's neck. "I said get to the bed!"
Jay walked over to the bed, uncertain.
"Now sit!" Solon ordered.
Jay sat on the edge of the bed. Solon walked over to him slowly, then leaned forward, planting both hands on either side of him.
"Wh...what are you...?" Jay stammered.
"I know I've never told you this," Solon said, "but...I've always loved you."
"What?" Jay was shocked.
"Such a cute little boy, who kept moving after I had beaten you half to death. All of the apprentices before you gave up before the training even began. So I was forced to kill them all."
"No...stop it..."
"But you were different. You provided years of amusement for me. Now I shall show you my appreciation."
Solon raised his right hand and began stroking Jay's body.
"N...no! Stop it!" Jay slapped Solon's hand away and slid backwards on the bed. "You can't!"
Solon crawled onto the bed, getting in Jay's face again. "And why not? You seemed to enjoy it when you did it with Moses in the Forest of No Return."
Jay gasped. He knows about that?
Solon reached up, stroking Jay's face softly. "The way he stroked your face, the way you embraced him...you two were in pure ecstasy. I wonder if I can feel the same ecstasy?"
"Just because I enjoyed it with Moses doesn't mean that I would enjoy it with you!" Jay shot back.
"I'm not interested in your enjoyment. Your will means nothing to me. All that matters is what I want."
Solon slapped his palm atop Jay's head, then used his other hand to cup his chin. "You are mine."
Jay reached out towards Solon's shoulder, gripping a handful of his sleeve. "Someday I'll kill you..."
Solon grinned. "You were the only apprentice who had the guts to talk back like that."
He then lifted Jay by the head and set him down properly on the bed. Jay felt like he was about to scream as Solon lowered himself on top of him. Jay bit his bottom lip so hard that it began to bleed. Solon leaned in and licked the blood that trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"You know what I want to hear," Solon whispered.
"Y...yes, Master..."
Solon stroked Jay's face as he lowered himself once again when suddenly, the door flew open. They both looked up to see the red-haired bandit stumbling into the room.
"Holy--!" he cried. "Oops...wrong room."
"Moses?" Jay asked.
Moses choked up. "Ack! JAY!" he yelled. "And after we just sat there all worried about you, you do THIS? I can't believe it!"
Senel and the others entered the room as well with a very similar reaction.
Jay's eyes widened as his face turned beet red. "You stupid bandit! I told you all to wait for me!"
"Huh?" the group muttered in unison.
"Oh, I get it; he's forcing you." Moses raised his spear. "Why, you pervert!"
"Look who's talking," Norma said.
Jay turned his attention to Solon, throwing a vicious head butt into his forehead. Jay then flew out of the bed and rejoined the group.
"Very well, let's move on," he said.
"Wait," Solon called. "Do you intend to abandon Shirley? You'll never rescue her without the key to the prison cell."
"Let's not worry about that." With a twist of his wrist, the key rolled out of Jay's sleeve into his hand. "I already have it."
"Wow..." the others muttered in amazement.
Jay closed his eyes and smiled. "Farewell." He turned and left the room, and the others followed.
Solon searched himself, but found that the key really was missing. "Unbelievable. He actually smiled at me? That little brat..."
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The group returned to the dungeon and went to Shirley's cell.
"Shirley, we're back," Senel said.
"Senel? Did you find Jay?" Shirley asked.
"I'm right here," Jay told her. "I've obtained the key."
He inserted the key into the hole and unlocked the cell. Shirley stepped out and faced the group.
"Thank you so much for rescuing me," she said.
"All right, we're all together again," Moses said. "So...now what?"
"We should go underground and look for the ogre monster," Norma said.
Senel looked around. "There should be an elevator around here that leads to the underground mine...ah, there it is!"
The group spotted an old rusty elevator at the end of the dungeon. They nodded to each other in agreement, then stepped inside the elevator. Senel activated the controls, and the elevator began to descend into the underground.
