Chapter 5
Kou sighed as he sank into the steaming water, scents of lavender and lily oil permeating in the misty bath house. He combed a hand through his damp golden locks, staring at the carved wooden beams up in the ceiling. But his eyes were soon drawn to the door as Kisa came back in, carrying several towels. Kou studied him carefully. He couldn't put his finger on it, but Kisa had seemed distracted the past few hours. What could possibly be weighing his mind down?
Little did Kou realize that he was partially the cause. As Kisa set the towels down on a wooden chest, his mind was leagues away. Although the day had gone smoothly, even with Reiva and Lize's antics, Kisa was feeling very uneasy. He couldn't explain it. There was an ache in his head and stomach that had been increasing throughout the entire day, though very little had happened.
True to Kisa's expectations, Lize had taken his advice and immediately became a little less attentive to Lord Reiva. Kisa wouldn't proclaim it as major progress, but it certainly was enough to get Reiva to notice. By the time they left, they were already a hot sweaty mess, and Kisa imagined Lize would get all the affection he wanted tonight.
His anxiety rose as he briefly stared at Kou, but a pleasant shiver at the memory of their couplings seemed to calm it. The sight of his new master evoked different reactions from him: surprise, confusion, lust. Kisa had been battling these inconsistent emotions all day, and after a bit of pondering, he began to uncover the roots of the tree. The truth was actually very simple: Kisa did not regard Kou in the same way he had Lord Khar, as an infallible master. Even worse was the fact that Kisa did not know how exactly he regarded Kou. These conclusions were frightening, and Kisa ran a wrist across his sweaty forehead, still trying to calm himself.
Kou wasn't the same as Khar, no. They had similar traits, but Kou was far more relaxed, almost like Khar had been in his last days. Kisa hadn't treated them any differently, and yet they had become so separate in his mind that Kisa wondered if something was wrong with him.
"Kisa?"
Kisa's eyes shot back to Kou, who seemed to be regarding him with concern.
"Yes, master?"
"Is something wrong?"
"Not in the least, my lord," Kisa replied without a hint of doubt.
Kou nodded and watched from afar as Kisa gathered up the towels and soap and came over to kneel beside the large bath that sank into the ground. Despite the plumes of steam rising from the water, Kisa could still see every part of Kou's naked body, which made his cheeks flush from the memory of touching it. However he swallowed his desire, beginning to lather soap in his hands and smooth it along Kou's tan shoulders. But his movements were abruptly stopped when a strong hand seized his wrist. Kou looked over his shoulder and Kisa was captured by the gaze of his amber eyes that had taken on a sultry glint.
"My lord?" he murmured in an unsure voice.
Kou gently tugged his wrist. "Bathe with me."
Kisa's uncertainty twisted into shock. "S—surely you must be joking, my lord."
"I'm not," Kou replied quietly but firmly. "Get in."
Knowing he couldn't refuse, a light shiver went through Kisa's frame and he nodded silently. He undid the sash around his waist and let his tunic slip to the floor before sinking into the hot water alongside Kou. Kisa let Kou pull him into his lap and closed his eyes as Kou kissed him. In a matter of minutes, Kou was feasting on his chest, and the intense heat of the water and his master's embrace made Kisa's head foggy till he could no longer dwell on the enigma.
Kisa let out a high moan as Kou thrust inside him, his hands balling into fists against the wall of the bedchamber. It was well into the night, but both of them were far too enraptured in each other to sleep. That afternoon had kindled a flame in Kou's loins, and his hunger was not yet sated.
Kisa threw his head back as Kou plunged a bit deeper, pushing his lithe form even closer to the wall. Sweat drops fell from Kou's golden head as he devoured his slave, and his grip on Kisa's hips tightened.
Kisa tightly shut his eyes as he felt the tumultuous waves of pleasure crash upon him, and his breath grew ragged as a light feeling began to spread through his limbs. At first he resisted, but its clutch was far too great and Kisa felt his knees give way as the faintness overpowered him.
Kou's eyes widened and he quickly wrapped his arms around Kisa as he sunk, supporting his limp form.
"Are you okay, Kisa?" he asked.
His tone sounded genuine, but Kisa was far too occupied catching his breath to answer. Seeing Kisa collapse and tremble in his arms aroused Kou in a different way, and he was gentle as he pulled out. He then swept Kisa up in his arms to carry him over to the bed, and even in his discombobulated state, Kisa managed a displeased look at being carried like a bride. But the expression faded away after Kou set him on the bed and pressed their lips together. His hands went to Kisa's legs and took hold underneath his knees, spreading him wide open. Kisa let a muffled moan into Kou's mouth as he felt his master mount him again, and moisture gathered at the corner of his eyes. Kou began to take him harder and faster and his shaky hands tightly gripped the bed sheets as he felt himself getting nearer to release. Just when he felt his limit breaking, Kou drove deeper into him and came, his breaths heavy with exertion.
But after his release, Kisa felt far more than mere exertion. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he feverishly panted, and he couldn't stop himself from shaking. Kisa couldn't even fathom a single thought, and Kou noticed the glassiness of his dark eyes.
The young lord carefully withdrew and covered Kisa with a blanket, lying down next to him and sweetly kissing each of his teary eyelids.
"I think I consumed a little too much of you tonight," Kou murmured. "Get some sleep."
The first coherent thought that Kisa could muster was that he should leave the chamber immediately and return to his own bed. But just as he had last night, Kou wrapped his arms around him in a way that indicated Kisa wouldn't be departing any time soon. As he slowly came back to himself, Kisa tried not to shift too much in Kou's arms even though he felt a bit trapped. Despite his weariness, Kisa's anxiety was returning, and he knew that sleep would not come easily to him tonight. The lingering sensation of Kou's touch was blissful, but the unease in his mind spread like a poison. His body was both aroused and confused, and Kisa felt powerless in their grasp. Kou's embrace was just far too fierce.
But this simple thought ignited a theory in Kisa's mind. Kou had taken him ravenously two nights in a row, almost to the point of exhaustion. Kisa hadn't been embraced this fiercely in decades due to Lord Khar's age, so it was little wonder why his stamina was so weak. This thought was oddly comforting to Kisa, and his eyes began to close. The reason for his uncertainty was simply that he was not used to his new master or routine. He only needed some time to adjust, and that was that.
The stench of fire and blood hung thickly in the air as the legions of Taphrenian soldiers raided the last few houses of the village. Screams also permeated the air, and a young boy felt the hair on the back of his neck stand as he heard her dying cry, though his face remained vapidly composed. Her severed head rolled to the ground and the boy watched as the mounted soldier wiped the blood from his sword. His bright red uniform and armor was littered with gold emblems, so he had to be important enough to be a general. For a brief moment, the boy considered running, as the soldier had not noticed him watching from behind the barn door. But the idea flew up and died like a spark, and he stepped out into the open. His sudden movement caused the soldier to turn his horse and charge, but the boy still did not run. Even when the cold blade was up against his neck, the boy only took another look at her headless body and smiled.
The glittering soldier scrutinized him carefully. "You are faced with death and yet you do not weep?"
The boy's lifeless eyes rose. "No."
For a brief moment, the blade pressed harder against his skin, but a flicker of surprise crossed his face as the soldier retracted his sword and sheathed it. He dismounted his horse and took off his helmet. As he approached, the boy peered at the face of a handsome, golden-haired man with eyes like a great lion. The boy flinched as the man took his chin in hand and carefully scrutinized him.
"I am Lord Khar," the man said. "Commanding General of the Taphrenian army, and I offer you a choice. If you do not wish you meet your death just yet, then come and serve me."
The boy only showed the barest of hesitance before getting down on his knees and bowing his head.
Khar grunted approvingly. "Stand."
The boy did as he was told and remained docile as Khar picked him up and set him on his great black steed. Khar mounted the horse as well, wrapping a strong arm around the boy's waist as they rode through the burning village.
"What is your name?" Khar asked.
"Shouta, my lord."
"You are no longer bound to this country or that name. You are mine now, and you will be called 'Kisa,' a fitting name for a beauty. Bear it well…"
In the midst of his dreaming, Kisa's brow furrowed and he tossed and turned on the bed. If the memory had progressed, he probably would have awoken, but the scene in his mind soon shifted and he was taken somewhere completely different.
Kisa leaned against the stone ledge encircling the balcony outside Lord Khar's bedchamber, looking at the stars with a strangely cold expression. He did not move for several hours, and the longer he stayed in the winter's night air, the more melancholy his expression became until tears rolled down his cheeks. The tears were born of sorrow and anger was not far behind it. As the torrent in his chest grew, Kisa's gaze grew venomous and he lifted his eyes to the stars, trembling in silent rage.
He cursed the stars. He cursed them with the blackest, most vile words in the universe. How dare they give him such a cruel, inescapable fate. And how dare they observe it without a speck of pity or remorse.
Kisa bowed his head as he heard approaching footsteps, but did not turn around or say anything. He heard a slight sigh and shivered as he felt muscular arms embrace him from behind, caging him but also protecting him.
"Let what happened tonight fade from your memory," Lord Khar said. "It will only poison the soul I have worked so hard to set free."
Tears continued to flood Kisa's eyes. "I thought I was finally able to disregard the superstitions my people forced on me, but tonight has only reminded me that I can never completely escape them."
"You mean that nonsense about the stars? They are only lights in the sky, lovely one. They cannot determine a person's fate. If they could, you would not be here with me."
Khar turned Kisa around and took his chin in hand. Light met darkness as their eyes beheld each other, and Khar's gaze quickly grew endearing.
"You are the only joy left in my life, my beauty…my Kisa…"
So this chapter was one of those weird ones where I spent two months working on the opening paragraph and then miraculously finished the rest in the past two hours. Oh well, either way I hope all of you enjoyed it.
Kiyame Hikari-chan, ili777- thank you so much for you awesome reviews! You guys are the best!
Anonymous Spark- So fucking awesome to hear from another Dead Can Dance fan. Brendan and Lisa have more talent in their little fingers than a lot of the so called "bands" these days. Not many artists can return and produce a best selling album after a fifteen year break. Thank you so much for your amazing review and I hope this chapter was both tempting and satisfying for you.
Cerberus- It's very interesting that I never really thought of this piece as "psychological" and yet when I take a step back I realize how much crazy inner turmoil there is. I seem to have this weird ability to create beasts without realizing their power. But oh how I love your reviews for this story. I must write faster so I can receive mooooore.
Kisses,
TBF101
BTW check out my AO3 account under TheBlackFlamingo101!