A faint light whirled in the darkness, hovering and disappearing like a ghost. Marduk drifted out of sleep—and realized he was lying in the bed where he had first been bound. Candle-light illuminated the darkness around him, and a masculine scent overwhelmed his senses. Strong hands glided down his torso and grasped his thighs, spreading them open as the weight of a god bore down on his chest. Then his body was being opened, a large cock driving deep inside him. Marduk groaned, and the sensation of being filled made his own cock throb. It was Shamash who was fucking him, and Shamash who was staring down into his dazed eyes.
Then the haze returned to his mind, and he dreamed he was in the forest being fucked over and over. He was opened up so many times, by so many gods, that he had no recollection of when it had started or when it had ended. He just felt it and lived it as if the nightmare was real and would never end. Marduk finally faded into sleep. He woke several times in the night, but only a glimmer of consciousness reached him before he slipped back away.
Marduk opened his eyes, staring into the darkness until his vision focused on a glimmer of light from a cluster of dying candles on a table beside him. The scent of incense in the air was not enough to mask the strong musk of sex that clung to his skin and permeated the sheets. Attempting to sit up, he realized Shamash’s hard body lay partially on top of him, pinning him to the bed. Marduk drew a deep breath and closed his eyes. The events of the previous night flashed before him, instantly making him feel ill. Shamash and the gods of the Order had fucked him repeatedly throughout the night. He suddenly had difficulty breathing. He had to find some way of escape. He glanced at Shamash, who lay still, his loose brown hair shielding his eyes. Holding his breath, Marduk slowly slid from beneath the god’s arm and shoulder, but before he could get away, Shamash woke, tightening his hand around his wrist. Marduk closed his eyes, and his heart raced.
“You have no need to fear me, Marduk.” Shamash said, sliding his hand around the small of Marduk’s back and pulling him close. “I was the god who captured you, which means I’m your master and protector.” Marduk kept his eyes closed, struggling to breathe, his desire to flee still burning inside him, but somehow he knew there was no possible escape. The entire world was the playground of the gods. If he fled the temple, they would hunt him down just as they had last night. Marduk turned his head away from Shamash, fighting back tears.
“Marduk,” Shamash said, pulling his face back toward him and kissing him gently. “The first few days are the roughest, but once you get through this, everything else will be easier.” His voice was low and soothing, but his words felt like a knife carving into Marduk’s gut.
“The first two days? How long do I have to do this?” Marduk choked.
“There’s no set time, but you should know your status is temporary. One day you will become a full member of the Order, and when that happens, you will no longer be treated as our pet.”
Marduk raised his head. “Your pet? What do you mean?”
“You are property of the Order, and you will act as our play-thing whenever we require you to do so. Every day following your classes, you will report to the lower hall. Sometimes you will entertain for a party, and sometimes I will deliver you to the god who has requested your attentions.”
Marduk pushed away from him.
“Shamash ... I am a god! You can’t ask me to act as a whore; I won’t do it!”
Shamash sat up beside Marduk and ran his hands into his hair.
“Marduk, the longer you resist your role, the more you will suffer. You have to understand that every god in the Order had to endure the same induction.”
“But I gave myself to you, not to this Order!”
“Marduk, you belonged to the Order the moment you stepped into the lower hall. You have this status because you are our newest pledge. Aya was our pet before you, but now he is a full member. When you invite a god to take your place, you will be made a full member as well.”
Marduk suddenly remembered how Aya had invited him to the party. Was Aya the reason all this had happened? His chest began to boil, and he looked back up at Shamash.
“Did Aya pledge me to the Order?” Marduk asked, his pulse pounding in his ears. Shamash smiled, touching his shoulder, his nonverbal response confirming Marduk’s fears. Teeth clenched, Marduk looked away. Aya betrayed him. Everything Aya ever said to him was a lie meant to lure him into the Order. Marduk’s stomach hollowed.
“It’s not so bad, Marduk.”
Frowning, Marduk avoided his gaze. None of it seemed possible. How could an order like this exist? Was there no rule of law in the world? Was there nothing in place to protect the gods? Wasn’t that the job of the council? A bad taste was in his mouth, and he had to turn away.
“You should wash up and get ready. Your classes will begin soon.” Shamash rose to his feet and stepped in front of the table next to the bed. He dipped his hands in the clay basin, splashing his face, and began to wash his body.
Marduk stared at the god, his eyes wide. “Shamash, I don’t think I can go ... not today.” The idea of returning to school weighed heavily on his chest.
“Don’t worry.” Shamash, said drying his face and body with a cloth. “No god will fuck you without my permission, and it’s forbidden for any god to use you in front of deities who are not in the Order.” Shamash donned his tunic, and crossed the dark room to the door.
Marduk suddenly remembered Seth, and his stomach twisted. He remembered asking Shamash last night to keep him safe from Seth, but Shamash had ignored his request. Marduk sprung from the bed, rushed to the god’s side, and grabbed his arm before he could leave. Shamash turned to inspect him with a raised eyebrow.
“Last night ...” Marduk said, his voice shaking. “I asked you about Seth, but you never answered me.”
Shamash glared down at him. “I realize Seth terrifies you, Marduk, but he is a high ranking member of the Order, and you are the Order’s play-thing. It would be unheard of to deny him your attentions.” Marduk’s world shifted beneath him and he fell to his knees.
“Shamash, please. I can’t even go to his class. I’ll do anything you ask of me, just don’t let him touch me.”
“You will attend Seth’s class, and you will service him when he demands it!”
Marduk’s stomach turned as he sank to the floor, pressing his burning face to the cool stone beneath him. The memory of falling to Seth in the forest still rattled him to his core. He couldn’t do it.
Shamash stared down at Marduk.
“All right, Marduk, I’ll keep Seth off you, but if you want this exception, you’re going to work for it.” Marduk slowly lifted his head, staring up at Shamash. “You must perform to my satisfaction, which means attending all your courses, reporting on time to the Order, and accepting your role as our toy. Is that understood?”
“Yes, I’ll do anything you ask of me,” Marduk replied, his stomach rebelling against his words as he spoke them. Shamash regarded Marduk a moment longer, then turned and left the room.
Marduk immediately felt lighter and sank back down to the ground. All that Shamash had said raced through his mind. How could he accept his new status? Had he just agreed to be this god’s whore in exchange for his protection? Nothing made sense. All of a sudden, Aya’s treachery began to make his head ache. All that he suffered was due to Aya’s betrayal.