Fetim watched as his favorite slave slid into the cool blue pool. Her long hair fanned out across the surface before slowly sinking and becoming a silken cloud that followed her as she moved.

Quasar gracefully swam to the middle of the blue-tiled pool before turning to him and smiling, her warm brown eyes filled with joy. She slowly rose out of the water until she stood. Her full breasts dripped water, their dusky nipples hardening in the cool air. Her dark silken skin glistened in the afternoon light. "Come my Lord, won't you join me in the pool?" She held out her hand invitingly.

He slid into the pool, took her hand and pulled her to him. She was diminutive next to him, only making it to the middle of his chest. He looked down into her open face and slid his hands down her body until they rested on her wide hips. He pulled her closer until their groins met. Her arms wrapped around his neck. Long fingers slid into his hair, and pulled his head down.

They met in a kiss. His tongue invaded her mouth without invitation as his body slid along hers. He pulled her closer, pressing her firmly against his erection, and thrust with his hips.

Her mouth ate his moan and finally he released her from the kiss, needing to breathe.

Green eyes, filled with mirth, gazed up at him. Suddenly she slithered from his grasp and swam to the far wall before pulling herself out of the water.

"Quasar..." He needed her, now. He wasn't interested in her foolish female games.

Laughter echoed off the tiled walls around them, warm and deep.

He glanced to see where it came from before turning his attention to his errant slave.

Her sleek golden form disappeared behind a column in the Great Hall, her long dark locks flying free behind her as she ran.

He followed her through the winding maze, unsure of where she was leading. Never catching up, never falling behind.

The bed was soft against his back. Crimson velvet draped overhead to fall down the sides of the enormous four poster bed. She smiled down at him, her dark eyes filled with lust. He knew he should be angry with her, but the magic of her hands and mouth quickly erased his anger, leaving him desperate for her touch.

She sucked a nipple in her mouth and rolled it through her teeth.

He groaned in need and want before he pushed her lower, silently begging her to end his torture.

Moist heat engulfed his erection. He almost screamed with the intensity. As suddenly as it had appeared, the heat and pressure were gone.

"Don't stop," he commanded.

"You haven't said the magic word."

He looked up at her in surprise. Green eyes stared at him, and pale lips quirked in amusement. A long dark braid fell over the bronzed shoulder.

Fetim could feel a wrongness to the scene before him, but couldn't figure out what was wrong with it.

"I am Zoreem Atulan Fetim. I need no magic word."

The husky voice whispered next to his ear. "Wrong one, Kasander. Try, 'Please Master.'"

The name sent a shiver down his spine. He would never say that. The green eyes bored into him and his own lust burned him from the inside.

"Please," he whispered into great expanse between them. "Please, Master. Please touch me," he moaned.

Suddenly the heat and pleasure were everywhere. Strong arms held him from behind as the pleasure seared through him. A hand roamed over his chest, pinching his nipples as she took him into herself once more.

He cried out his need and begged for more. His pleasure crashed through him, and he still found himself unable to reach the release he needed. He whimpered, unable to explain to her how badly the pleasure was hurting him.

A soft, distant litany filtered through the pleasure/pain. "... that's it...Master... Shh.. it's all right... so beautiful... please... that's it... just let go... Master please... go ahead little one, come for me... that's right."

The words were jumbled and distorted, as if two people were speaking instead of one, though he couldn't figure out who was saying them. He only knew one thing: he'd been given permission to do what had been denied him for so long.

With permission given and accepted, a fission that Kasander had forgotten sizzled through his body, and the white hot tension that burned in his groin suddenly spilled forth into his whole body burning away thought and pain until only the glorious fire of delight existed.

It arced through him, seeming to erupt not from his cock, but the top of his head. He screamed in exultation as the blinding pleasure finally peaked and dropped him into the abyss of ecstasy.

How long he lay there rocked by small aftershocks he couldn't be sure, but finally the darkness that held him receded and his surroundings slowly filtered back to his malfunctioning brain.

"What happened?" he asked his empty room, trying to figure out how that had happened. He slowly cracked his eyes open and wished he could return to the dream. A husky voice next to his ear startled him.

"You don't know?" it asked with a hint of amusement.

Kasander instinctively struggled against the body that held him. Something bad had happened. He could tell by the way the voice inside was screaming insults at him.

"Let me go! How dare you! What did you do to me?"

The arms around him simply crushed him harder against the body he was trapped against. With his arms and legs effectively pinned he struck backwards with his head. He connected solidly and was rewarded with a deep thump and a grunt of pain from his captor.

"That's enough, Kasander," the voice commanded harshly.

Kasander turned his head so he could see who held him. His eyes widened in surprise. Angry forest eyes stared at him.

"I do something nice for you, and this is the thanks I get?"

The voice screamed to smear the Master's face across the marble floor. But Kasander knew the time he'd been dreading had finally come. Instead he simply went limp in the arms that held him, closed his eyes and tried to wrap himself in the still fresh memories of forgotten pleasure. He knew the less he struggled the shorter the beating would be. The tears he hated and that angered the voice came unbidden. He admitted to himself it was a beating he deserved. As he waited and tried to ignore the ache that was spreading across his chest, he wondered which of the many implements his Master would use. Each Master seemed to have a favorite. An item that seemed to call to him greater than the others. He tried to guess what this Master's favorite would be. The sobs he refused to admit were his own slowly subsided. Everything would be in its proper place once the beating was over. He would know where he stood with his Master, and the voice wouldn't steer him wrong again.

He was pulled from his self-imposed cocoon by something warm and wet running over his stomach. He looked down to find his Master running a rag over his chest, groin and thighs. He looked up questioningly at the man, trying to understand what was happening. Did his Master really care if he were clean before he beat him?

He was surprised when his Master gently rolled him over and washed his back and ass, being sure to clean between his ass cheeks as well before picking up a second rag and repeating the cleaning on his own front.

His Master dropped the rags on the marble floor around the bed and crawled back beside him before wrapping his arms around Kasander again.

"Lets try this again, little one. I keep forgetting you don't wake well. I had hoped your orgasm would help, but apparently it only made you crankier instead of sweeter." His Master nuzzled the back of his neck and placed a very tender kiss there.

"Why?"

"I don't know why. Maybe you don't like orgasms like the rest of us." His Master shrugged and pulled him closer.

Kasander tried to pull away. That was ridiculous, of course he enjoyed orgasms like everyone else. That wasn't what he'd asked. He needed the answer to this piece of the puzzle. He finally managed to turn over slightly in his Master's arms, enough so he could see his face. "No, why didn't you beat me? I fought you. I said..." He paused, trying to remember the things he'd said. He finally gave up. It was all too blurry now. "I said things I shouldn't have. You have the right to beat me."

His Master's face hardened, and Kasander couldn't understand why. "Is that the problem? Would you like me to beat the hell out of you?"

Kasander shook his head. "I hate it. But disobedient Keys deserve to be punished. I fought you and refused to give you the pleasure you wanted."

Dark eyebrows rose and his Master's dark eyes lightened to emerald with his mirth. "Apparently you weren't paying enough attention. You gave me everything I asked for, and more."

"But I struggled... I hit you."

His Master shrugged. "I told you I forgot how cranky you are in the morning. I've been considering changing our schedule so we get up later. I'd like to see if perhaps that will improve your mood."

"But..."

His Master sighed and pushed him back onto his side. "Don't argue with me, Kasander. Let's just say I prefer delight over torment. Now this discussion is closed."

Kasander lay quietly in his Master's arms, replaying the events of the morning, trying to understand what had happened.

Kukuluth stretched out on the plush crimson rug, enjoying the way it caressed his skin. Involuntarily he shivered. Its touch was something akin to a tickle, yet it sent little slivers of pleasure through his body. He wondered idly if Kasander didn't have the best spot to sleep after all.

With the thought of his slave, his gaze once again fell upon the pale form sprawled on his stomach an armsbreadth away. Kasander's brow was furrowed in concentration as he stared at the paper before him. His lips moved in silent confirmation of the sounds symbolized there.

Kukuluth had made a point to let Kasander wallow through his reading/writing lessons on his own. Some days were better than others. Occasionally, the pen and paper would fly across the room only shortly after Kasander had picked them up. Other times he would struggle with the strange alphabet for hours, carefully transcribing over and over the symbols he was trying to learn that week.

Today was a long session and Kukuluth was finding it difficult to wait for Kasander to return from the world of letters. He wasn't even sure he wanted Kasander's attention to be diverted from him even for a brief time. He knew it was silly and selfish, but he also knew his honey-eyed angel could disappear at any moment. He wanted to revel in the glory of all that Kasander could be.

If he had known that an orgasm would bring about such a change in his slave, he would have done it the first night and saved himself so much suffering.

His eyes tracked lower, following the line of Kasander's body. His thinness still made him appear frail, but the death-like emaciation was gone. He watched as Kasander mindlessly swung his leg up and down, tapping his toes in the carpet before bringing it back into the air. There seemed to be a rhythm to it, but Kukuluth couldn't distinguish what it was.

He waited until the leg was down and safely out of his way before he impulsively rolled over onto his side and nipped the bare thigh.

The leg was suddenly in motion and Kukuluth was smacked on the back of the head by the calf as Kasander squealed in surprise and rolled away. Kukuluth followed the motion, and caught the leg in question as Kasander came to a stop at the edge of the carpet.

"What are you-!" Kasander's exclamation died as Kukuluth tickled the foot he had just caught.

Kasander howled with laughter and fought to reclaim his tortured foot. Legs struggled and flailed as slender hands pulled at his own. Kasander managed to finally free himself with a flailing kick to Kukuluth's head that had him seeing spots briefly.

Kasander drew his legs up under him protectively, but his eyes relayed fear.

Kukuluth chuckled and rose to his hands and knees, squaring off with his opponent.

"Oh no you don't," he growled playfully. "You don't get away that easily. I had this carpet put in just for you, and you still haven't played on it with me. It's time to break it in, Kas."

Kasander's eyes widened in surprise.

Kukuluth lunged quickly, catching Kasander's shoulders and pushing him back into the carpet.

Instead of lying in a limp pile as Kukuluth had been afraid Kasander might, Kukuluth found his arms full of squirming flesh. Arms and legs pushed and kicked at him, while the body beneath his tried to wiggle from its position.

Gold eyes looked up at him, in a mixture of surprise and delight. A small smile spread across Kasander's face.

Suddenly Kukuluth found himself rolling across the carpet attempting to keep his control over the writhing hellcat in his arms. Finally they stopped at the opposite edge of the carpet, but this time Kasander lie on top. His thin form stretched down Kukuluth's. His eyes glowed with a fierce light, but his lips were pulled back into one of the second true smiles Kasander had ever graced his master with.

Kukuluth assessed the situation. It didn't take much for him to buck Kasander's lighter form off his own. They wrestled around some more until they had once again achieved the middle of the room. This time Kukuluth pressed his companion into the plush carpet, using his weight to ensure Kasander wouldn't break free.

The boy struggled, trying to break free. He finally stopped, and lay panting after his exertions.

Slowly Kukuluth leaned in, unable to resist the song of the siren beneath him. He pressed his lips against Kasander's partially open ones. They were soft and warm beneath his own, but they remained lax and unresponsive. He raised his head, afraid of what he would see in Kasander's eyes.

Eyes shining like the brightest gold stared up at Kukuluth, but the first vestiges of fear had begun to darken their depths.

Kukuluth recognized Fetim even from a distance. He quickly rolled over, once more putting Kasander on the top. Releasing him from his helplessness.

He entwined his glove-clad fingers with Kasander's slender ones and stretched their arms over his head. Drawing Kasander to him, but not restraining him.

"Do you think we've broken it in enough?" he asked quietly.

Kasander simply continued to stare at him, wonder plainly visible in his face.

"You're sweaty and your hair is sticking to both of us," he said.

Kukuluth tried to ignore the shifting of Kasander's body against his own. There was very little he could do about his body's reactions. He could only control how he dealt with it. Which wasn't going to be very easy if Kasander continued to rub that way.

"What do you say, Kas, bathe or continue playing? What do you want to do?"

Kasander's thoughts were unfathomable in the honeyed depths of his eyes. Kukuluth waited and fought the urge to press his groin up and into Kasander's body.

"Master, I want..." Kasander softy began before burying his face into Kukuluth's shoulder.

Kukuluth felt the gentle tug and lowered his arms closer to their heads, easing the tension on Kasander's body. But he didn't allow Kasander to cover his head with his arms and hands and hide from him.

"What, little one? What is it you want? If you wish to stop and bathe I do not mind. It's why I asked."

Kasander simply shook his head in denial. His voice vibrated against Kukuluth's skin, but he couldn't understand anything the youth said.

"My shoulder doesn't have ears. You can't whisper into it," he chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

His humor didn't seem to affect his companion.

He gave a little sigh before trying again. "We can continue playing. I don't mind that either."

Again the crimson head shook in denial, and Kasander shifted on top of Kukuluth once more.

He refused the urge to restrain Kasander's wiggling and instead ran his thumbs over Kasander's. Gently caressing them.

"If you don't want to bathe and you don't want to play, what is it you do want to do? Surely, you can't be sleepy again. We've slept most of the day away."

Again the head shook.

Kukuluth fought his irritation. This was getting them nowhere very quickly.

"Come, tell me what you want, little one, or I'll just have to decide for myself and you'll have to live with my decision."

Kasander turned his head to the side and his almost silent litany could finally be heard. "I can't say it. I can't say. It isn't my place. I can't say it. It's not my place." Kasander's breath tickled Kukuluth's neck with each expulsion of breath.

"I asked. Do I not deserve an answer, Kasander? Now tell me what it is you want."

The face that had been pressed into his neck turned away, and the crimson head shook in denial.

Kasander shifted on top of him again. Kukuluth couldn't stop the moan of pleasure, but he did manage to remain still beneath the onslaught. When the wiggling was finally done, he was breathing hard once more and realized belatedly that he was squeezing Kasander's hands.

He opened his eyes, vaguely aware he couldn't remember shutting them. Kasander's golden eyes were staring at him in amazement.

Kukuluth wasn't sure what there was to be amazed about, but he knew they couldn't continue this much longer.

"Kas, you can't continue to do that. Even my willpower has a boundary. Now what is it that you want?" He tried to temper his frustration with the joy of their earlier play.

The wide golden eyes stared at him a moment longer, and a faint blush rose to Kasander's pale cheeks before the head ducked back down to his chest.

The urge to choke his slave flickered through his mind, but before he could act on it, the body on top of him moved again. Only this time, instead of the mindless wiggling that infuriated him so, Kasander's hips pushed insistently against him, and small sharp teeth bit lightly into his shoulder. A strange, strangled sound issued from Kasander as his hips moved slowly forward and back, beginning a dance millennia old.

Kukuluth let the pleasure wash over him, allowing his groan of need to escape, letting Kasander know he understood his slave's silent request.

Kukuluth finally let go of Kasander's hands. He ran his gloved hands down the slender arms, until he reached the crimson hair. He ran his fingers through the sleek locks and gently lifted Kasander's chin until golden eyes once more looked at him. Kasander averted his gaze, obscuring his beautiful eyes with dark red lashes.

"Thank you for telling me what you wanted, Kas. I would love nothing more than to play in this way with you."

Kasander looked up, surprise written upon his face. Kukuluth chuckled before leaning forward and gently placing a chaste kiss on Kasander's soft lips. He pushed his own hips up, answering Kasander's faltering rhythm.

Kasander gasped and dark lashes fluttered closed.

Kukuluth ran his hands lower down Kasander's form, mapping the unfamiliar terrain of the youth's body. Kasander moaned and Kukuluth nipped the pale exposed neck, enjoying Kasander's surprised shudder.

"Did you like that, little one?" Kukuluth asked quietly.

Another blush of pink rose to Kasander's cheeks. He quickly lowered his face back to Kukuluth's chest, hiding his reactions from his Master, but his hips continued to move steadily, slowly driving them both to delight.

Kukuluth allowed the hiding for a moment, knowing Kasander needed time to adjust his views of the world. He moved his hands lower until they rested on Kasander's pert asscheeks.

He felt Kasander's body stiffen, and the slow thrusting again faltered. Kukuluth understood the youth's silent plea. He rubbed wide circles and moved his hands lower down Kasander's flank. The body on top of him slowly relaxed.

Kukuluth gently pulled the left thigh toward him, tucking it under Kasander. He knew it would interrupt Kasander's rhythm, but he maneuvered the inner thigh a to similar position on his right side.

Kukuluth kissed the top of the crimson head and ran his hands back up the slender body.

"Push yourself up, Kas. Let me see you," he prompted as he pushed gently against Kasander's torso.

Slowly Kasander did as he'd been bid, his hips still rubbing against Kukuluth's leather-clad groin.

Kukuluth reached up and ran his hands over the pale chest. For the first time since he'd started touching Kasander, pale pink nipples hardened under his touch. He rubbed his thumbs over them lightly. Kasander sighed and seemed to relax into the touch.

Kukuluth changed tactics, remembering the scabs that had only recently sloughed off the pink nubs. He pinched the pebbled flesh before rolling it between his fingers. The reaction was instantaneous. Kasander's slow rhythm instantly sped up as he ground himself hard against Kukuluth's body, trying to find instant release. He arched his back, pressing his chest into Kukuluth's tormenting hands as his head was thrown back and a sound of tormented delight worked its way out of Kasander's throat.

Kukuluth felt his own body surge at the sights and sounds Kasander was providing him.

"That's it, little one. Let go of your delight. So beautiful, that's it," Kukuluth murmured to his slave. He groaned as Kasander stroked against him again.

He continued his unrelenting assault on Kasander's nipples, slowly pinching harder, the little shards of pain splintering his own chest. He finally released one hand and moved it lower, to grasp one of Kasander's ass cheeks. He massaged the muscle and began to control Kasander's frantic movements, forcing Kasander into longer, more regular strokes.

Once Kasander could maintain the new rhythm, Kukuluth gave the nipple between his fingers one last hard squeeze. Kasander hissed, the pain finally registering. Kukuluth released the pressure.

Kasander's eyes flew open and his hips began to buck erratically again.

"Maaaster!" Kasander cried.

Slowly Kasander's natural rhythm returned.

Kukuluth smiled. The once pale pink nipples jutted out from Kasander's chest, hard and red.

Kukuluth trailed his hands lower, watching as the muscles of Kasander's stomach twitched and jumped under the light touch.

Kasander looked down at him. His usually golden eyes had darkened to a deep amber, warm and fierce.

A pink tongue flicked out from between pale lips, swiping them once before returning to its dark cavern.

Kukuluth watched and moaned, wishing Kasander could find the courage to use his tongue for far more pleasurable things.

"That's it, Kas, show me your pleasure. I know you're close, little one. I can feel it every time I touch you. Go ahead, let us finish this game."

Another blush spread itself across Kasander's cheeks and splotched itself across his chest, but he didn't hide this time. Instead, his eyes fell to his stomach where gloved hands teased his erection. Suddenly, his weeping cock was caught between his Master's body-warmed leather pants and soft, well-worn gloves.

Kasander gasped and thrust into the soft, warm leather channel his Master had provided him. He wanted nothing more than to spill himself all over his Master's leathers, white and pure, solely his own, forever marking the man and his things with his scent.

Instead he bit his lip and forced himself to stop.

Black eyes stared at him. He couldn't see behind his Master's mask, but Kasander knew his Master was trying to understand.

"Don't stop. Go ahead, Kas." His Master's voice soothed away his fears.

Kasander sat up completely, giving his fatiguing arms a break, and reached for the ties that held his Master's leather pants closed. His fingers didn't seem to be working right, and he struggled with the ties he'd tied only a few hours before. Finally, he managed to get them undone, and his Master's own cock sprang free of the restraining leather.

He glanced up, to make sure he hadn't crossed any of his Master's many boundaries. Hungry eyes watched him without blinking. The dark head slowly nodded in silent agreement.

Kukuluth watched as pale hands crept slowly toward his cock. Golden eyes looked up from their task, and Kasander's pink tongue made another appearance. It was everything Kukuluth could do not to grab his slave and force him to take him all the way in the moment it slithered over Kasander's lips.

Instead he nodded, letting Kasander know he had permission to touch that which was not his own.

The first touch was little more than the fluttering of pale wings against his skin. He instinctively moved into the touch, wanting more.

The next caused him to arch off the floor, as Kasander wrapped cool hands around Kukuluth's cock. He stroked up, and Kukuluth moaned through gritted teeth. He knew he couldn't push, and it took every ounce of will power not to.

Pleasure washed over him, but he never broke his eye contact with Kasander. He didn't want to miss a moment of this.

Finally Kasander released him, and Kukuluth slumped back to the floor, panting. As an afterthought he released Kasander's thighs from the death grip he'd unintentionally had them in.

Long fingers fumbled with the waistband of his pants, pulling ineffectually at them.

Kukuluth lifted his hips, raising his own body as well as Kasander's into the air, allowing his pants to be removed.

After far too long apart they lay skin to skin. Kukuluth fought the urge to take complete control of things.

He was delighted when Kasander resumed their previous position and thrust against him experimentally.

This time, their cocks rubbed together, soft and hard, silken heat carefully trapped between their bodies.

Kasander shuddered and bucked harder against him.

Kukuluth allowed the youth his freedom to move as he needed. He had intended to find Kasander's nipples once more. Instead the youth lay down upon him, encasing their erections completely. Kukuluth wrapped his arms around his slave and petted the damp back and ass.

"Gods, you feel so good, Kasander. Please don't stop, little one. Show me your Goddess."

Kasander continued to rub, driving them both to delight.

Warm wet lips and tongue ranged over Kukuluth's shoulder and neck. Little bites sent shudders through Kukuluth, enticing his slave to do it again.

Kasander whimpered, his thrusting was becoming erratic again, and Kukuluth knew that this slave was very close. He captured Kasander's hips, pressing them even closer. He carefully spread Kasander's asscheeks with his hands and ran a finger down the crevice.

Kasander cried out wordlessly, and humped Kukuluth harder.

"Do you want to come?" Kukuluth growled.

"Master, please," Kasander whimpered.

"Gods, yes. Come for me, pretty one. Let me feel your delight," Kukuluth kept up his litany.

Kukuluth gently pressed against the puckered opening with a finger, massaging it lightly, but not penetrating.

Kasander stroked against him twice more before his body stiffened. Sharp teeth bit deep into Kukuluth's shoulder as a muffled scream rang in his ears.

It was all that Kukuluth needed. The incredible delight of his slave's pleasure and the intense pain drove him over the edge.

"Kasander!" He yelled his slave's name as the pleasure washed over him.