The song of tomorrow

by Nuredhel

The past reaches out to the future and a living mystery is being delivered to the king of Mirkwood as a gift. What follows is a tale of longing and love, of lust and Death and depravity and through it all runs the tunes of the song of tomorrow...

11. What goes around

Chapter 11: What goes around…

The atmosphere within the harem had changed a lot since Artemar passed away, he had been the one who kept everybody positive and even though Maglor did try to copy him he wasn't quite as good at it as the albino. Now things got more and more uncertain and many said that the Sha'al was getting increasingly unstable. There were nobody there to control him anymore and they all missed his mother. The feasts all lasted until the very morning and were extremely lavish and some of the more friendly guards did confess that many believed that the Sha'al would go bankrupt rather soon. But he didn't put the breaks on in any way and one of their contacts told Maglor that the Sha'al was searching for a new harem master, and some new slaves too. He seemed to crave novelty now, needed something exciting and exotic at every banquet. The new queen was rarely seen, she did appear at some of the more formal feasts but then she just sat there for a while before retiring. The parties of this court were probably very different from the ones she was used to.

Maglor made sure that they all trained, that their performances went well and that they kept changing their shows so they never got predictable or boring. He had talked Harbal into getting some music from this region and now he did sing a little at each show. It was rather well known ballads, usually sugar sweet and filled with clichés but the crowd loved it. Aodh would impress the guests with some sword dances and Kherfem had learned a lot of very juicy insults from Negus and used them for all they were worth. The Sha'al seemed to be very pleased with them but there had been some changes Maglor didn't like at all. The Sha'al now demanded that at least two of the slaves did fuck during the show, preferably more than two, and neither of them liked this new trend.

The followers still borrowed them every now and then and they got increasingly demanding, Maglor was afraid someone would get seriously hurt, Aerhan returned from one such session bruised all over for the follower had started beating him with a stick while he danced and Noolar did return in tears one morning and he refused to even mention what he had been through but Maglor could smell that he probably had been in contact with shit, both human and animal. Maglor was thinking about the possibilities of escape but as Artemar had said, there were none. There were guards everywhere, and even traps on the roofs. Not even an elf could get through there unseen and his only comfort was Aodh. The two of them had grown rather close but Maglor didn't love him the way he had loved Artemar, it was more of a brotherly love and he knew that the tall blonde did remind him of his brothers, in some ways. There were rumours flying about attacks being made against the realm, by roaming hordes of bandits and the caravans were not safe anymore. The attacks were rather well organized and the guards were afraid of being sent out to war.

In the dark warm nights some of the younger guards were easily persuaded to speak after being offered some glasses of good wine and the news they told made the elf frown and think about the battles of old. He managed to get a map of the realm and started making notes of where the attacks occurred. The Sha'al was of course furious and he emptied the cities of soldiers, nobody had ever had the audacity to raid his property and the servants told them that their oh so great leader would throw tantrums like a toddler. But Maglor did see a pattern, and it made him realize that these attacks in deed were planned. Someone was deliberately trying to weaken the realms defences by spreading them out over a great distance, choking it's assess to new goods and at the same time cause distraction and terror. The attacks were never truly destructive, no buildings were harmed and civilians were usually left unharmed, no slaves were taken and the only things stolen were some valuable things like cloth and gems and horses. These bandits were not raiding for riches, they were raiding to draw attention to themselves.

Maglor already knew who the culprit was, the emperor. It was a brilliant strategy, while the Sha'al struggled with the onslaught of ceaseless attacks the emissaries of the emperor were helpful enough to take over more and more of the administration of the realm and in the end the Sha'al would be no more than a puppet, easily disposable. Maglor had to grin thinking of it, the Sha'al saw himself as high and mighty and probably as a strategic genius too but he was far from it. Anyone with a brain ought to see the obvious plan behind the raids.

Then one day the guards gathered the slaves and announced that a new harem master was found, and Maglor feared the worst. Belerur had been a nightmare to handle and what if the new one was someone even worse? The new master arrived the day after, escorted by four guards and they all stared at the man with something akin to shock. Belerur had been a huge mountain of blubber but this guy was tiny, skinny as an old cat and he had long thin white hair and an impressive moustache. He was of eastern origin with almond shaped eyes and one eye was white and blind. He was tanned like leather and did stink of something not even Maglor could identify. The guards looked as if they did pity the slaves, they rolled their eyes as they closed the doors behind them and the old man turned around and made a very obscene gesture. Then he farted and scratched his arse and nobody made even the smallest sound. The man had to be old as the hills and yet he had some sort of uncanny vitality to him that told Maglor he was more than what you could see with the naked eye.

The man stared at them, the seeing eye did sparkle. "Oh what a wonderful collection of fuckables, this Sha'al of yours is one humongous load of camel dung but he does have a good taste when it comes to man flesh."

Maglor had to blink, the man's voice was incredibly deep and hoarse and that collided completely with his looks and he obviously disliked the Sha'al. The man was so tiny he barely reached Maglor's chest and he looked as dry as old firewood, the thin white hair made him look incredibly frail but the elf sensed that he was everything but. He tilted the wrinkled head and grinned. "I am Feng, just that. Yes I am old but I am well known for my skills, I managed to convince the Sha'al's men that I was the perfect harem master, not too hard really, they were as stupid as a rabbit with its head chopped off"

Maglor had to say something. "Ah, what are you then?"

Feng tilted his head, the eye was glittering. "I once worked for the emperor, the key word is once alright?"

Maglor understood, Feng still worked for the emperor. "So?"

The tiny guy stared at the elf with something akin to reverence. "Ah, such exquisite beauty, the idea of that beast violating something so gorgeous, ah, it tears my soul in half, truly"

Aerhan and Demetry looked intrigued and Aodh was frowning, what in the world was this tiny man? Feng turned around, a wide grin on his face and Maglor started to realize that this guy was uncouth to say the least. He didn't care about manners at all. He scratched his crotch without any shame and then he made a wide gesture. "I am a man of many talents, but I am most often referred to as a mage of some sorts. I do know how to take care of a harem, worry not, for I did work for the emperor, teaching and training his deadly flowers."

Rial and Kenar squinted. "Deadly flowers?"

Feng nodded with glee all over his face. "Yes, you see, a ruler needs body guards yes? He is a prime candidate for assassination at all times and even the biggest and toughest guy can be brought down. But nobody expect a female to be dangerous yes? So his female servants, his favoured concubines and even the ladies washing his chambers were all trained by me."

Maglor tilted his head. "What does this all boil down to, and what exactly did you teach them?"

Feng chuckled, it did sound a wee bit like a laughing hyena. "Oh, allow me to demonstrate, the big black guy over there, come over. Worry not, I will not cause you any harm, not for long anyhow"

Aerhan hesitated, then he stepped forth and Feng walked over to him. "By the ancestors, you are large, and gorgeous too. I am sorry I no longer feel the urges of the flesh, this place could have been sheer paradise if I still did. "

He lifted a thin arm with a hand that looked just as frail and withered as the rest of him and poked Aerhan in the gut, very gently with one finger. The huge black man frowned, what was this supposed to mean? Then he suddenly froze up and started to tremble, obviously incapable of drawing breath and Feng giggled like a deranged schoolgirl before he grasped the tall man's wrist and rubbed one spot on it. Aerhan gasped for air again, visibly shaken and Feng did make a very theatrical bow. "That my new friends is what I teach. The knowledge is ancient and deadly and based upon the principle of energy. What I did was block the energy stream in his body which controls breathing, it is very simple and yet incredibly intricate"

Maglor was stunned, he had never seen anything like it and the others were silent. "Why teach us this?"

Feng sighed, he made a grimace. "The Sha'al is a scumbag right? A swine, an abomination, and he rules his realm like a spoiled child. You are confined to this harem and have probably never seen the misery he has caused but I have, and my master knows of it too. Believe it or not, the people of these lands would be far better off with a new leader"

Maglor had to stare at the small man with a frown, he felt uncertain. "Are you saying that we are to assassinate the Sha'al?"

Feng shook his head. "No, the Sha'al will be dealt with by the emperor, no, one day the Sha'al will be no more and what then? You are slaves but unusual ones for sure, and the emperor will want to implement you to his own staff. You will still dance and perform but you will also be able to protect his greatness in a manner nobody will expect."

Everybody were staring at each other and Feng sighed and rolled his eyes. "No, you will not have to fuck to please the emperor, his feasts are very…orderly. No obscenities, no blatantly sexual acts. It is classy and elegant and no, he will not want to touch any of you. The emperor only seeks the company of females, and he is very picky."

There was a sigh of relief and then Maglor saw some new hope blossom on everybody's face. "How long do you think the Sha'al can remain on the throne?"

Feng spat on the floor, his lack of manners was actually a bit appalling. He raised an eyebrow and giggled. "I am doing this on purpose, to everybody I am this disgusting old man but in truth I could kill the whole lot of you in no time, except from you elf."

Maglor frowned and leaned forth. "How can you be so sure?"

Feng smiled. "I was taught what I know from a very odd old man wearing blue, when I was but a wee lad. And he said that this technique only works on the second born."

Maglor felt confused, a man wearing blue? Who could that be? A maia perhaps? Feng continued. "The emperor tries to take over without bloodshed, by replacing the Sha'al's loyal men with his own, slowly of course but he is patient."

Aerhan almost growled. "The queen, she is one of the emperors daughters is she not? Can't she do anything?"

Feng scoffed, and spat on the floor yet again. "Oh, she! No, her guards could probably have strangled the Sha'al with their own hair but she is useless. Sparkling flower is the black sheep of the family, hopelessly spoiled by her mother and all she cares about is riches and cock, not necessarily in that order."

Aerhan and Aodh had to cough and look away, both blushing vigorously and Feng grinned widely. "See? You have already encountered her majesty's insatiable appetite, she is known for having lost her maidenhood at the ripe old age of nine, to one of the guards. She almost raped the poor man. She is as nasty as they get my friends and my master married her off both to get rid of her and to cause the Sha'al problems. He knows his daughter you see, better than she thinks he does. "

Maglor squinted. "Causing him problems?"

Feng nodded vigorously. "Yes, she is terribly demanding, a menace to be around and the bullshit about her expecting? No, she has a slave doing that for her"

Maglor mumbled. "Yes, our contacts have told us that much"

Feng grinned. "Yes, you are smart having good contacts, and I will make sure that you from now on get more information, and perhaps I can make the situation easier on all of you. But I have to warm you, I have seen the way the Sha'al has started to behave lately and I do know that in order to keep you safe you will need to continue, and take it even further than before. But it won't last, sooner or later the beast will make a mistake that will enable the emperor to strike."

Rial cleared his throat. "How can we take it any further? We are already doing everything that we can out there, we are running out of ideas. The moment he finds us boring he will sell us off, to some sadistic follower, or to a brothel"

Feng went over and grasped Rial's hand, caressed it. "Oh worry not beautiful one, I have plans. He will not grow bored of you for sure, I have…ordered for some…items…to be brought here"

Kherfem frowned. "Items?"

Feng nodded with an eager expression on his face. "Yes, books, and toys and a whole lot of other funny things."

Maglor shook his head. "We are dead tired of having to fuck whenever he shows up to peep at us, can anything be done about the orgies?"

Feng nodded. "Yes, there is another feast tomorrow, I will be presented to him then, and I will try to see if I can make his appetite less vigorous whence I have gotten his trust."

Demetry looked intrigued. "How?"

Feng sent the blonde a wide grin. "You wait and see"

Aerhan pressed his lips together. "I trust that the harem won't expand then?"

Feng sighed. "Unfortunately it will, the Sha'al has already acquired some new slaves, and I have not met them nor do I know anything about them, but they are four in number and are said to be very exotic."

Everybody groaned, four more! That meant that there would be a lot of work to do, to implement them into the shows, and prepare them. Feng sent them a soft smile. "I am the new harem master remember? I have loyal people, and they will arrive too, as my personal slaves. They will help, worry not."

Maglor made a grimace. "Alright, when will the new ones arrive?"

Feng shrugged. "I am not sure, but I would bet that they arrive tomorrow, from what I managed to pry out if the guards the caravan transporting them arrive this evening if they aren't waylaid."

Maglor closed his eyes and sighed, four new slaves, four new lives which potentially could be completely ruined. It was in fact terrible.

Feng clapped his hands enthusiastic. "So, names please, and what do you all do?"

Everybody did present themselves and Harbal and Thasul did also show up. It seemed as if Feng did like Thasul right away and the two were eagerly chatting away about the fashion within the great cities and seemed to forget about everybody else. Maglor stared at the old man, Feng was very dangerous, but he was on their side and even if he had his own agenda, or rather, followed the emperors agenda he could be trusted and he did want to make things better for them. Maglor started to believe that the emperor in deed was a better alternative, he just worried about the fact that the Sha'al still believed that Maglor kept him forever young.

Feng turned around and walked over to Maglor again, he winked at him. "You are worried, and I think I know why. Everybody knows that the Sha'al has an elf and that it keeps him young and vigorous. My master doesn't believe in that crap, he won't abuse you in any way my friend"

Maglor let out a sigh of relief and Feng lowered his voice. "I did hear about his mother though, a formidable woman, so brave and strong. I suspect that she had her own plans?"

Maglor nodded. "Yes, poison, in my skin cream. But it had to be stopped when she died"

Feng frowned. "Too bad, way too bad. But I can counteract the lack of this vital spice he he he"

Maglor had to grin. "Oh?"

Feng cracked his knuckles and made everybody cringe. "I am a master at massage believe it or not, and knowing what I do I can make the Sha'al feel like a lad of fifteen again, but only for a while. It will be like drugging a racehorse before a race, it can produce a winner but also a fatal heart attack. His system won't take the strain for more than some months but by then I bet my master will be at his throat anyhow. And as I said earlier, at the same time I can manipulate his appetites too, at least to a degree"

Maglor was a bit intrigued, against his will. "You can? How?"

Feng stared at his hands with a proud expression and Maglor did see that the man had rather long fingernails, they seemed to have been polished and perfectly cut. "By activating the right trigger points of course, it will restore vitality"

Aerhan scowled. "You cannot make Maglor seem useless"

Feng shook his head. "Of course not, he will never know that it is the massage which have had such a miraculous effect on his physique. He has ingested your sweat and urine yes?"

Maglor cringed and nodded. "Yes"

Feng giggled. "Then let's take it to a new level shall we? A shot of fresh come will set him straight for sure"

Maglor had to make a grimace. "Uh, that is…"

Feng grinned with an insane expression on his face. "Ingenious, I know!"

Maglor bit his lower lip. " I don't think that I can…that often…"

Feng waved a hand. "Ah shush, I can make a man ejaculate with just a wee touch, no need to worry. I bet that trick will work even on an elf, you are not that different from us"

Demetry had stared at Feng with narrow eyes the whole time. "The emperor obviously trust you, and has faith in you, why?"

Feng sighed and smiled at the blonde, he didn't appear to be insulted by the questions. " That question is easily answered young one. It is common to have more than one son also in the royal houses of my realm, and unlike the Sha'al's most sons are rather safe. Being the emperor is not a job anybody wants, it is in truth like being a slave to the entire land so younger brothers usually end up serving the emperor as counsellors and so on, a much more desirable job. I was the brother of the emperor's father's father"

Aodh blinked. "Ah, how old are you exactly?!"

Feng bowed his head and grinned. "One hundred and twelve and counting"

Maglor was impressed, the humans of the days when he had been a king had been able to live for several hundred years, and they could chose to die when they felt tired of this world but now few humans lived to be sixty. It was a very high age and he suspected that this man indeed knew things few others had any knowledge about.

Harbal took Feng to show him the infirmary and the slaves gathered, everybody looked at Maglor and he tried to smile. "I feel that things will change from now on, I hope for the better"

Aerhan bit his teeth together. "So do I, the Sha'al is getting more crazy by the hour."

Feng got the rooms Belerur had owned and within an hour he had managed to turn them into a complete pigsty, Maglor suspected that it was on purpose. People tend to underestimate those who smell, makes a mess and acts strange. They had a very quiet evening meal and that night Aodh came to him again. Maglor had started to crave physical contact, it made him feel safe for some reason and Aodh had overcome his eventual fear of being touched by another male. Now he was rather eager too and they did make love before going to sleep, Maglor was very curious about the new slaves. He just hoped that they were well behaved and wouldn't cause them any problems.

The next day Feng ordered them a breakfast consisting of rice and fish, claiming that it would help harden their bones and Maglor had to grin. Both things were hard to come by and expensive as hell. The local grain was a sort of wheat which could grow under dry conditions and it did taste like cardboard even when carefully prepared, the cooks used insane amounts of spice to camouflage the taste. Feng then watched them train for a while and he seemed to be pleased by what he saw. He made a few adjustments to the exercises though, claiming that the ones they used could cause their bodies to come out of balance. He told them of some guards of the emperor who kept building these huge upper bodies but their legs were puny and it made them look so silly the emperor had forbidden the practice. He didn't want guards who looked as if they were ready to topple over at any moment.

At midday the guards opened the door and dragged four new males into the harem and Maglor had to blink to believe what he saw. Two were twins, boys of perhaps thirteen years of age, black like Aerhan and both had intricate patterns of small scars covering their bodies like some sort of tattoo. Both had shaved heads and they were terrified, they had been crying and were shivering, holding onto each other desperately. They were lithe and elegant but thin and Maglor suspected that they didn't even know the language of this realm.

The next to be hauled in the door was a male of obvious eastern origin, he was short but very pretty with long silky black hair and slanted almond shaped eyes, he did look a bit feminine in some ways and he too appeared to be very frightened. Maglor did pity him right away. The last one came freely, and they all stared. The man was rather tall and his skin was very dark, almost as dark as Aerhan but his hair was a bright orange colour and he had the most eerie green eyes anybody had seen. More so, he wore the most gaudy jewellery anybody has seen and a loincloth so embezzled with gems it was a wonder it didn't slide off him.

Maglor almost scoffed, the guy wore paint on his nails, make up and he was pretty but it was over the top. He could be somewhere in his twenties and he had a gorgeous physique, strong and elegant, too bad he seemed to be the kind of a person who takes everything just a wee bit too far. The guards grinned. "Beware of this one, he is more horny than a bag of bunnies. Don't let him wear you out"

Maglor stared at the guy, he didn't seem scared at all, rather thrilled, and Feng scoffed and rolled his eyes. Maglor had already realized that this person was a bit like Noolar, but where Noolar really felt like a female and tried to act accordingly to it this guy was just being odd. Maglor stepped forth and the two twins did scream when they saw him and both sank to the floor, shivering like leafs. Aerhan swallowed hard. "They think you are a demon, and that you will eat them. I recognize some of the language, they come from realms far south of where I was born"

Maglor sighed. "Try to calm them down please?"

Aerhan started speaking, Maglor could hear that he struggled with the language but he managed to calm the two boys down and appeared to ask them questions. "They are twelve! Twelve! And their names are Abu and Abebe, they were stolen from their tribe and sold, apparently male twins are seen as sacred by their tribe"

Feng shook his head and suddenly he appeared to transform into the worlds kindest and most friendly grandfather. He walked over, mumbling softly to the two, wiped their tears and the two stared at him with awe. Old people were probably revered by their tribe. The eastern looking man stood there and he did still look nervous but Kherfem went over to him and tried some questions and the guy answered eagerly, almost too fast for Kherfem to understand. "He is known as Ursra, that means fast rider. He was captured by the Sha'al's soldiers for having stolen a horse and sold"

Ursra spewed out a long tirade of words and Kherfem frowned. "Pardon, they took his horse because they claimed his people hadn't paid their tax and he took it back?"

Maglor tilted his head. "They like horses then?"

Kherfem translated and Ursra nodded vigorously, hitting his chest with his fist. "They are the people of the horse he says, they are born, live and die on horseback, most are made on horseback as well"

Rial and Kenar had to giggle and the guy with the orange hair sort of scoffed. He did seem to be haughty and proud and that didn't bode well. Maglor made a welcoming gesture. "I am sorry you have ended up here, what is your name? Do you understand me?"

The tall man raised an eyebrow and did for a moment look like a certain nobleman Maglor had been struggling with more than once when he was high king. " I am Adanais, and I am a very valuable pleasure slave. I expect class and luxury"

Maglor had to hide a wry grin, oh brilliant, this guy would most certainly learn a few lessons, maybe even painful ones. "Our master is all about class my friend, I am sure he will be delighted by your skills"

Adanais stared at Maglor and he didn't seem to be too impressed, that was the first really. "Sweet gods, an elf! Is this a harem or a menagerie? And what is that?"

He pointed at Feng who bowed politely and smiled, there was a devil dancing in his one seeing eye. "The master of this harem, responsible for making sure that you all please the Sha'al"

Adanais blinked, he crossed his arms over his chest. "Let me put you all straight, I am a master at what I am doing right? I was owned by the lord of Thiksrha and I was sold only because he died and his heir was such a pussy and preferred females. I am to be the favourite of the Sha'al, let's make that clear here and now"

Maglor had a hard time not laughing. "Wonderful, nobody will stand in your way then, there is a feast tonight or tomorrow night, I bet you can prove yourself then."

Adanais suddenly seemed eager, he leaned a bit forth and Maglor saw that the others there looked a bit stunned. Nobody in their right mind wanted to be the Sha'al's favorite, Adanais had no idea of what he had gotten himself into. "Really? Wonderful, I can assure you, I will teach you some of my tricks but do not try to come in my way"

Aerhan snickered and raised both hands. "No way, go ahead. But be warned, the Sha'al can be a bit…impatient! And he likes it rough. And he is very well endowed and then I mean VERY well endowed"

Adanais just waved a hand. "Ah, that is sweet of you darling but believe me, I can handle it, I am well trained, nothing will shock me. I can take any sort of cock, worry not"

Aerhan leaned over towards Maglor and snickered. "I wonder if he ever has had a donkey up his arse for that is what he'll get tomorrow!"

Feng grinned and took Adanais by the hand, took him to his new quarters and Maglor could focus on the other three. That they didn't speak the language was a problem but Maglor was somewhat relieved that Adanais was among the new ones. He would draw the Sha'al's attention away from the three others. He turned towards Ursra, thinking hard. "He is an expert rider I suppose, can he do acrobatics on horseback?"

Kherfem translated and Ursra nodded vigorously. He said something and Kherfem smiled. "He can do anything on a horse, and ride it in every possible manner"

Feng returned and listened inn, he frowned. "Ask him about what he will have to go through here, can he accept being touched by other males? If not he is in for a very rough break inn. "

Kherfem asked and Ursra swallowed and looked nervous again. He spoke with a low voice and he was a bit pale. "His people have very strict rules, he says that men who fall in love with other men and can't lay with females are accepted, but if you prefer females and let another man lay with you it is an abomination. The ancestors will not let you enter the afterlife then. He cannot let anyone do that to him"

Feng swore. "Cursed be all superstitious religions, well, if we can keep him safe until the Sha'al bites the dust he should be okay. I can get a well trained horse, if he manages to impress the Sha'al with his riding skills that ought to be enough"

Maglor had to look at Feng twice. "You can get a horse, just like that?"

Feng nodded. "The head of the Sha'al's household is now a man serving the emperor. And the feast hall is great enough for one horse, I think we can add some comedy to it as well, the Sha'al will get in a good mood by some laughter"

Feng turned to Ursra. "Kherfem, ask him how much he weighs?"

Kherfem frowned but obeyed and Ursra looked puzzled but answered. Feng grinned. "Excellent, I have just the right idea!"

Maglor frowned and Feng grinned widely. "Ah, don't look so worried, it will be fine, I promise, just fine"

He turned to the twins who still looked terrified, there was sadness in the face of the old man. "They are children, unfortunately there are many among the Sha'al's followers who enjoys youth a little too much. What are we to do to protect them?"

He sat down and smiled and the two tried to smile back, still clinging to each other. "Aerhan, ask if they know any sort of skills, something which makes them valuable beside their youth and beauty."

Aerhan spoke to the two and they hesitated but whispered something back. Aerhan nodded. "They can play the drums, they use old shields as drums they say"

Maglor had to scoff. "Shields?"

Aerhan nodded and asked some more questions. "Yes, metal shields, hammered into a curved shape."

The elf turned to Feng. "Can you get something like that for tomorrow?"

Feng nodded. " I will try, and I will ask Thasul to add some makeup to these two which will mask their youthful appearance."

Maglor smiled. "A good idea."

Aerhan and Kherfem took their new protégés to their rooms for rest and food and Maglor sat down with Feng to plan the show. It had to be perfect and Feng grunted and pointed towards the room where Adanais now rested. "That one is a pain in the ass, we have to get rid of him as soon as possible, for he will endanger everything here if he thinks that it can give him an advantage."

Maglor swallowed. "I hope you aren't planning on murdering him? We all get punished if someone dies"

Feng shook his head. "No, what do you take me for, a monster? No, I bet that he will lose his enthusiasm whence the Sha'al has had his wicked way with him. I will make sure that our oh so great master will ravish that idiot like nobody before"

Maglor bit his lower lip. "It is cruel, he cannot help being who he is!"

Feng nodded, "Yes, I know. And the courts he has served in are way more civilized and orderly than this. Back there he was respected and revered. Here he is just another ass to fuck, and I think the truth of that will break him. But we have to be cynical Maglor, you cannot make an omelette without breaking a few eggs and better him than those innocent children, right?"

Maglor felt a sour taste in his mouth, remembered the horror of being raped by the Sha'al. "I agree, but I do not like it"

Feng petted his shoulder. "Neither do I, but we do what we have to do to survive right? It is a dog eat dog world my friend so bring forth the fangs and hide the velvet gloves"

Feng got up, he smiled. "Prepare well, it will be a great show, the Sha'al will be most pleased for sure. I have things to do now, so rest, eat and look as gorgeous as ever"

Maglor nodded, he was kind of glad they had gotten someone like Feng, that man was devious, sly and probably capable of things that would have made even the dark lords wince, he was perfect to keep them safe and alive. And more so, it was no longer only Maglor who had to work to keep them that way, the load was shared from now on and it was such a relief. Feng knew the world out there, had connections and friends and his presence bore the promise of a better future for them all.

The feast was announced to be the next day and everybody were preparing. The new slaves were to be introduced at the end of the show and Adanais did drive everybody up the walls with his demands. He took all of Thasul's time and Maglor was glad most of them could prepare on their own. He helped Feng fix Abu and Abebe so that they looked older than they were by adding some streaks of bright red paint to their faces and Thasul had found some old goat hides he cut into bulky and ugly looking coats which made them look way less graceful. He also put a pebble in Abu's sandal to make it look as if he was limping and he dripped some liquid in Abebe's eyes that made it look as if the boy had an infection. The metal drums had been made and prepared and Aerhan gave them strict instruction so they would know exactly what to do.

The rest of the show was no different from the other ones, Noolar would dance dressed as a woman, Aerhan would chase him and then bring him down and take him. Demetry and Aodh had a dancing routine and Kherfem would as usual tell dirty jokes and insults. Maglor and the twins would then dance and Feng would be introduced afterwards. The elf just hoped that he would hold his word.

It was a very lavish feast, held in honour of one of the followers who had gotten his tenth son earlier that week and the Sha'al seemed to be in a very good mood as the crowd gathered. He had been drinking some wine already and the queen was there too, holding her belly. By now she ought to be showing and she did but it was probably just a pillow hidden under her lavish dress. But Maglor had very keen eyes and he did notice that the woman looked rather pale compared with before, and she didn't touch her wine at all. Instead a servant constantly filled her glass with water. Maglor did doubt that the Sha'al knew that pregnant females are to stay away from alcohol so why would she then shun the wine?

He didn't have time to think for very long, they started and the males of the collection was always what the crowd really came to see. There were others there too, jugglers, musicians and so on but they were just to fill in the gaps between the performances. Noolar did absolutely stun everybody with his elegant dance and then Aerhan did make a very convincing barbarian chasing a poor defenceless maiden and then having his way with her. They all did their best and Maglor and the two twins did also dance very well this evening, the twins had mingled some acrobatics into the dance and Maglor had made sure to look as stunning as he could so the crowd was already very pleased when the one in charge of the shows announced that it was time to see the Sha'al's newly acquired treasures.

The Sha'al looked very enthusiastic, he was grinning from one ear to the other and the queen sat there looking bored. Maglor couldn't help but thinking that something was off. Feng was the first one out, he had actually taken some time to fix his appearance. Now he did look like a truly wise old man, with his hair in a top and the long moustache kempt and elegantly formed. He wore a silk kimono and sandals and he did smell good. The new master of the harem was introduced as a skilled slave from the far east and Feng did walk into the open area in front of the throne with his head bowed and his hands hidden within his sleeves. He did walk slowly, like an old man usually does and he bowed so deeply his chin almost hit the floor. The Sha'al appeared to be amused by this display of submission and Feng started talking with a croaking old man's voice. "Oh great master, heavenly ruler, lord of this realm, what honour your grace has bestowed upon me, a poor wretch. I live to serve thee, I am not worthy of being in thy presence oh great one"

Maglor had to snicker from behind the door, Feng did know how to exaggerate. By now the old man was kneeling by the Sha'al's feet, literally kissing his sandals and then he touched the Sha'al's big toe with a finger, shivering as if he was touching a deity. "Oh mighty ruler, ox of this realm, I am thy humble servant"

The Sha'al was grinning, he found the old man hilarious and Feng did retreat, backwards, mumbling praise the whole time. Everybody thought that this was such a sweet innocent old man, truly harmless and probably full of useful wisdom. The next post on the programme was Ursar and Maglor was a bit nervous, what had Feng been doing? The answer was unexpected to say the least. A door at the end of the hall opened up and in ran a horse, a very small horse. It couldn't be more than eleven hands high and it was fast as lightening and clearly untamed. It was bucking and jumping around and suddenly Ursar came running into the hall and jumped onto its back. The horse reared and tried to buck him off, then it ran again and as it ran he started to climb all over it, in spite of the frantic attempts at shaking him off.

Even Maglor was impressed, the guy hang from its neck, ran alongside of it and since the animal was so small it did look rather comical. The Sha'al was both amazed and amused and was laughing when the animal tried to throw the man off but Ursar did hang on like a burr. In the end the door opened again and he rode the now steaming horse out, everybody was clapping. In this society a good rider was admired, Ursar had gathered some fame this evening.

The two boys were next and they were lead into the arena by Aerhan, the drums were carried out too and the two of them didn't hesitate but started playing. The metal had been tuned and Maglor was in shock, it did sound rather amazing and they were really good. The song they played was cheerful and lively with a good rhythm and some of the guests started to sway with it. Even the queen did clap and seemed to enjoy the unusual music and the Sha'al was grinning widely. He was enjoying himself a lot and Feng did wink at Maglor, pointing to his own toes.

Adanais was the last one out, he had been waiting impatiently and Maglor had to admit that he did look stunning. He wore a gorgeous necklace made from crystals which really showed off the long neck and the elegant shoulders and the long orange hair was not braided and hung freely down his back. Instead of a loincloth he wore a sort of kilt and it was white and made a great contrast to the dark skin. Maglor saw that the make up was meant to make the green eyes look even more stunning than usual and Adanais did look very confident as he sauntered into the hall. He winked at the Sha'al and Maglor saw that the man was flirting, shamelessly.

A musician started playing and Adanais was a good dancer, in fact he was fabulous. He could have rivalled Artemar but Maglor did see that he lacked something vital. Artemar had danced because he loved the dance. Adanais danced to achieve something, not for the love of the art and that made the performance less impressive. It was not likely that the Sha'al nor the crowd did notice though, the dance was extremely sensual and loaded with sexual innuendo and Adanais was constantly eying the Sha'al like he was a dog and the huge fat man a juicy bone someone had left behind. Maglor did feel sorry for him, he couldn't help it. The Sha'al was clearly getting aroused and Aerhan stood behind Maglor and made a grimace. "I just hope the moron survives this, but he will make a pretty corpse if he doesn't"

Maglor scoffed. The dance ended and Adanais knelt down gracefully, the Sha'al gestured for him to get up and get closer and the tall man obeyed, smiling sweetly. He was actually swaying his hips and playing with his hair, pouting. The Sha'al grasped onto the long orange locks, fascinated by the rare colour, then he grasped Adanai's rear and the man giggled and wriggled it a bit. He was still flirting and the Sha'al was obviously in a hurry now for he was panting and sweating and his eyes were dark. Feng's little trick had had its effect for sure. He grasped Adanais by the hips and pushed him down onto the low table in front of the throne, then he yanked the kilt off the man and tore his own pants open before throwing himself on top of the shocked slave.

The sight reminded Maglor of something his Uncle Fingolfin had told him about, when they crossed the great ice up north they had come across animals living in the ocean and on the ice, and some were humongous. A male could weight several tonnes and Maglor remembered that his uncle had described their mating habits. He had been stunned by the fact that the females didn't get crushed by the huge mountains of fat. This was such a sigh, Adanais was almost gone underneath the huge Sha'al who hadn't exactly lost weight over the years and his legs did stick out on each side of the grunting ruler. Maglor didn't want to watch but he felt compelled too, it was like watching an accident happen.

The Sha'al found his way and started to thrust and Adanais started to scream, desperate terrified screams of sheer agony. He was pinned down and couldn't move and Maglor could see the wide open eyes and the pale face and knew that even someone as used to this as Adanais would be hurt from this, possibly seriously for the Sha'al appeared to be almost desperate, and very vigorous too. He kept fucking the poor slave for what had to be at least five minutes and by then Adanais had passed out and just laid there, legs twitching as if in death spasms with each thrust.

The Sha'al roared through his release and grinned, got up and tucked himself in and some guards came and grasped Adanais and dragged him out. Harbal was already waiting and Maglor cringed when he saw the trail of blood left by the poor soul. The party was over and the slaves returned to the harem, Harbal went to work on Adanais immediately and Feng too tried to do whatever he could. Maglor did drop by after a while, he was feeling guilty. They should have warned Adanais about the Sha'al. They should have insisted that he didn't tempt the beast, but then again, Adanais hadn't wanted to listen to them. Now he was reaping what he had sowed.

Harbal did wipe the sweat from his brow and made a grimace. "He will live, but he is badly injured. I fear that he may suffer for a long time to come"

Maglor crossed his arms over his chest. "Is there a way to prevent him from being abused again?"

Feng shook his head. "No, the Sha'al liked him, so he will most definitely become the monster's favourite from now on, at least when it comes to fucking. I am sorry but Adanais had it coming, easy as that."

There wouldn't be more shows for a week at least because of a religious holiday and they all used that respite to relax and get to know the newcomers. The two boys did thaw rather fast, and they tried to learn the language and proved to be very smart and even the guards soon loved the sweet faces and their childlike innocence. Ursar had more problems, the very concept of pleasure slaves was something he had a hard time understanding and he refused to let anyone touch him. Then one day the guards came and took him away and Feng did proudly announce that he had managed to convince the master of the Sha'al's stables that this slave could teach the soldiers how to ride way better than before. Hopefully Ursar would find that job much more rewarding and way more befitting his nature.

Adenais on the other hand wasn't so lucky, he did heal but slowly and Harbal said it was because his body had been used so much before. The muscles refused to contract and there were tears and other damages too. The Sha'al did ask for Adanais again, before he was healed and Feng knew that one more encounter like that would kill the man. He had gotten a terrible shock and if he had been an elf he would have been fading. Feng managed to convince the Sha'al of Adanais other skills and so the orange haired human had to please the Sha'al orally and returned to the harem with an aching jaw, in tears. He had never been treated thus, never been regarded as just another piece of meat and now his haughty behaviour turned into a very nervous one. He had discovered some nasty truths and Maglor sat with him often and tried to explain the nature of this place to the weeping human.

To Adanais it was almost incomprehensible that valuable slaves could be treated thus, he had been safe and sure of his worth but now he realized that he truly was just a slave and that scared him almost out of his wits. Aerhan started sharing his bed, just to be there and offer comfort when the guy woke up in the middle of the night, screaming. Oddly enough everybody started liking Adanais much more now that he had showed his fragile more human side and Feng did his best to keep the Sha'al away from his arse. He had started to offer the Sha'al massages and he did keep his promise, every morning Feng would give Maglor a cup and touched his wrists in a certain way and before two minutes had gone the elf would suddenly ejaculate, it felt just like peeing and gave no pleasure and even if it was awkward Maglor did not protest.

The Sha'al was beside himself with joy, this was better even than sweat, it made him feel like a young stallion and he was vigorously making plans for his counterattacks on the bandits. He even suggested riding out to lead his troops and Maglor had to snicker when he heard that. No horse could carry that lump of fat. But the attacks continued and Feng did confirm that yes, the emperor was behind it, testing the defences, drawing attention away from himself. Soon he would offer the Sha'al troops to help him beat the menace and when the troops were inside of the realm taking the helm would be easy as pie. The Sha'al's soldiers were rather worthless, they had little discipline, were lazy and unskilled and worst even, they hated their leaders. That did not leave the army with much of a chance against the emperors elite forces.

Feng did start to train them in his special technique but it went slowly for it took great skill and a lot of concentration and they didn't have that much time available each day. But Feng did massage the Sha'al rather often and rumours said that the Sha'al suddenly had gotten quite a new appetite, for fruit and females instead of males like before.

Adanais did reveal that he originally was a shepherd's son from the mountains to the west, the unusual colours were rather common there and when the area was caught in a terrible drought many sold their own children to prevent them from starving. Adanais had been a very handsome boy and so he was quickly sold to a man who trained pleasure slaves and the boy soon proved to be his most skilled student. Adanais had never been hit, never been scolded. He had always been told what a true gem he was, how precious and rare his colours made him and how valuable he was. In truth he had never been treated as a slave but as a confidant, and he had owned a lot of influence and prestige since the ruler had listened to him over the pillows at night. The fall from glory had been a devastating one and Maglor did fear that this place soon would reveal its true ugly face to the beautiful human.

The Sha'al did still demand orgies but not as often as before and luckily Feng had some of his loyal men among the Sha'al's closest servants. Thus they would always know when he was on his way and could keep the show going for just as long as needed and nothing more. Adanais had no problems with these situations, he would participate with both zeal and glee and Maglor had to admit that he had been trained very well. Feng had indeed brought items, and now the use of certain toys were a part of the orgies and enabled most of them to just lay there and be passive while one or two of them actually did anything. The books Feng brought was on the other hand something which made even Adanais gape. The books were old and valuable and showed couples in positions seemingly humanly impossible. Feng were grinning like mad when Demetry and Aodh tried one of the odd ones and had to be helped since Aodh's hip locked itself up and Demetry overstretched his knee.

Abu and Abebe learned more instruments and as the weeks went by they became very good at playing. Maglor taught them and he found that the odd sound of the metal drums did fit some of his songs rather well. He was constantly trying to explore the local music, just to learn something new and he did sing a lot. His voice had returned to its former glory and now he could move people to tears with just a short song. He did also explore the songs in a new way, what if he too could sing like his relatives had? It had to be investigated.

The shows went very well and the Sha'al rarely let his followers borrow them these days, he was too busy with the preparations for a swift war to listen to their pleas and Maglor and the others were just glad. News told of battles and the bandits obviously fled whenever the troops showed up but they did attack again, in different locations. It was a cat and mouse game and the Sha'al was spending more and more resources on the campaign. After a while it became clear that the people by now had turned away from their ruler, few supported him and even fewer would volunteer for the army.

Then one evening as Maglor and Adanais were practicing some moves for a performance Feng came running in through the door, visibly distraught. Maglor felt how a cold chill ran down his spine, what could this be? Something bad for sure!

Feng did toss back a huge glass of wine like it was water and then he coughed and wiped his mouth with his sleeve. "By every ancestor, trouble is brewing"

Maglor swallowed. "Oh? What is wrong?"

Feng did pant and rolled his eyes, it did look rather insane. "What is wrong? The shit just hit the fan as we used to say in the courts of old, the slave who carries the Sha'al's offspring just lost her baby"

Maglor gaped. "Really? But…what will the queen do then? She cannot keep pretending to be pregnant now?"

Feng wiped his forehead and sighed. "Listen, I have bought one of the queens personal slaves right? Sparkling flower has no idea that I work for her father and if she does find out, oh my goodness, she will cause us huge problems. The thing is, the queen is really pregnant"

Adenais just frowned but Maglor felt his heart turn around in his chest, at least it felt that way. "Oh Eru, that is bad!"

Feng nodded. "To say the least yes, she is about five months on the way, three months less than she really ought to be, and I don't think that anyone, even she herself, knows who the father is"

Maglor swallowed hard. "Five months, it is five months since Aerhan and Aodh had to…entertain her and her ladies in waiting"

Feng made a nasty grimace, his face wrinkled up like a raisin. "So it is a chance that Aerhan or Aodh could be the father, and if that gets out….Then we are all screwed, the Sha'al is viciously jealous of any males who comes near his females. He will have us all executed if she gives birth to a black baby, or one with blue eyes."

Maglor felt faint, dizzy. "Isn't there any other female slaves who are due to give birth at the right time? Most people in this region look pretty much the same."

Feng shrugged. "She does already have people looking for someone who can be persuaded to give up an infant for a huge amount of money but I doubt that it will work. A daughter perhaps but not a son, and she needs a son. "

Adanais frowned. "And even if she manages to buy a baby she will still be pregnant right? Unless she decides to remove the baby?"

Feng shook his head. "No, she won't do that. A sister of hers died after having had an abortion, she is terrified of such a procedure."

Maglor scoffed. "I thought she was using herbs to prevent such mishaps`"

Feng nodded, with a rather vicious smile. "Yes, but the stupid mare forgot that herbs lose their potency if stored for too long. You have to increase the dose, which she didn't."

Maglor felt the need to do a face palm. "So now what?"

Feng tried to look calm but he still had a wild expression within his eye. "The queen will pretend to go over her due date, claim that it is normal in her family or that it is because of her royal blood or due to a curse or something like that. I bet the court astrologist will back her up, claiming that a son born at her due date will be weak and die. "

Adanais frowned, he looked as if he was thinking very hard. "Back where I was from there was a herb we used on goats which were due to drop their kids during the droughts. It made the unborn kid develop slower so they could be born in the wet season instead. If the queen claims to have used something like that…to ensure that her son is born at the astrologically correct date?"

Feng just stared, then he leaned forth and planted a huge wet kiss on Adanais mouth, the orange blonde looked absolutely horrified. "Thank you, thank you, praised be thy father's goats, they have bought us some time!"

He got up, shaking with zeal." I have to tell that slave of this, she can give the queen the idea and claim it to be her own. I hate to help that selfish little wench but if it gives us four more months it will be a blessing"

Adanais shrugged. "It could be that the baby looks like the Sha'al after all? If she has fucked some of her own guards it could be one of them who is the father and they are black haired with olive skin and brown eyes, just like the Sha'al?"

Feng sent the man a nervous smile. "Of course, and most likely that is the case but we cannot be sure now can we? "

Feng did turn around and ran off like a rabbit out of a hole and Maglor leaned back against the pillows. His head hurt and he felt horribly tired of all this, it was madness. Four months, what could they possibly do in four months? He had no idea, and if the baby was born black and just one of the ladies in waiting did speak? He grasped onto Adanais hand and prayed the valar for guidance, something had to be done, but what?

Adanais sighed and made a grimace. "There is just one solution to this my friend, either murder the queen before she gives birth or bribe each and every one of her slaves, ladies in waiting and guards"

Maglor moaned. "Are you insane, we are speaking about at least two hundred people? All so terrified of her they probably have to be tortured to betray her."

Adenais smiled. "I am used to courtly intrigues, trust me. You cannot buy them all off at once, but one at a time, discretely, they have to believe that you are telling the real truth, and that the things they have seen or experienced is a lie. People are odd like that, memories can be changed"

Maglor tensed up, he held his breath, could it be done? Adanais stared at him. "For a moment there you looked sinister, what are you thinking of?"

Maglor got up, clenching his fists. "I may have the power to influence people's minds. Through song. But I am not sure if I am strong enough, or how to do it efficiently."

Adanais shrugged. "Then try, Feng and I can try the more mundane way of bribery while you use your elven magic or whatever it is. We have four months, no more"

Maglor closed his eyes and sighed. He had to discover his true power then, and time was running fast, way too fast.