On Marduk’s fourth week of servitude to the Order, Shamash told Marduk they had been invited to the council lounge. Marduk’s stomach jolted. If Shamash was taking him to the council lounge, it was possible members of the council would be present. This might be the opportunity he’d been looking for.
When they arrived at the lounge, mortal priests opened the door, and Marduk walked in, following Shamash. He took in the sight of the finely dressed deities before him and spotted Aya at a table on the far side of the room. He had been doing his best to avoid Aya, but he had no desire to mingle with the other gods. When Shamash wandered into the crowd, Marduk went directly to Aya’s table.
He took a seat across from Aya, folded his arms over his chest, and began to scan the crowd. None of the council members appeared to be there, but there were plenty Order members present. Marduk finally reclined in his chair and tried to appear relaxed.
“Marduk ...” Aya said with a hint of hesitation.
Marduk glanced over at him. His head was lowered, the sweep of his black hair partially covering his eyes.
“Marduk ... I know you don’t want to talk, but I just want you to understand me,” Aya said, looking up and brushing the hair from his eyes. “You have something about you: You know how to rein in the gods, and they treat you with respect. It wasn’t like that for me. No matter what I did, I was always their fuck toy. For three long years, they used me like this. For three long years, Seth was my master. I ...” He broke off for a moment. “I really like you Marduk, and I didn’t want to give you to them. I just ... I couldn’t take it any longer. I had to break free. I hope someday you will understand why I did it.”
Marduk gazed into the crowd of deities as Aya spoke. The rumble of conversation was not enough to block him out, but Marduk wished he could forget that Aya was there. It was much too soon for him to forgive; impossible when Shamash was still delivering him into another god’s hands every night. Aya’s treachery had turned Marduk into a whore.
Marduk tried to focus on his mission to find council members. As he scanned the lounge once more, he spotted the great god Cronus, and then he saw the esteemed god Ra. His heartbeat began to speed up. Both gods were members of the council. In the next moment, Shamash joined Cronus in conversation, and Ra was approached by a fierce looking god with a full black beard and a strong young god who stood beside him. The young god had dark green eyes, long sandy hair that trailed down his back, and a smooth angular face. Marduk wondered why he had never seen him before. He turned toward Aya, who met his gaze with misery in his eyes.
“Do you know who that god is?”
Aya’s eyes lit up before he turned and peered into the crowd.
“That’s the great god Anshar. He’s a council member, but he rarely ever comes to the temple.”
Marduk’s heart jumped. There were three council members there in the lounge. He would surely have a chance to talk to one.
“No, I was asking about the younger god by his side.”
“Oh, that’s Anshar’s son. His name is Anu-Akad.”
“Anu ...” Marduk mused, marveling at the way Anu blushed when introduced to the great god. His face had a pronounced masculine beauty, but the soft glow in his complexion made Marduk’s heart flutter. He appeared so strong and powerful, yet at the same time awkward and out of place. Anu was a virgin if he’d ever seen one. Marduk imagined taking the timid beauty into his arms, feeling his hot cheeks against his, and tasting his soft lips.
“I’m sorry, Marduk,” Aya said, breaking him away from his fantasy, “but Anu is the son of a council member. If you are considering him for your pledge—” Marduk shot Aya a look that made him stop short.
“I’m not like you, Aya,” Marduk said curtly. “I’m not going to fuck over a god just to save my own ass.”
Aya lowered his eyes, pain etched into his soft features. Marduk stared at him a moment longer before gazing back into the crowd. Cronus and Ra had disappeared, but Anshar was still there with Anu. Marduk glanced around the lounge to see who else was there. Shamash, Seth, and Sin were all close by. Could he chance walking up to Anshar in front of them?
Marduk shifted in his chair. He had to do something. Maybe instead of approaching Anshar directly, he could talk to his son Anu. An introduction to Anshar would be a natural next step. Marduk finally rose from his seat and made his way through the crowd. Anu was standing beside his father, who had just turned to greet Nanna-Sin. Marduk was only a step away from Anu when a hand grabbed his shoulder. He turned around to behold Shamash standing beside him.
“It’s time to go,” Shamash said, and began leading him toward the door.
“But I—we just got here.”
Shamash smiled down at him. “Yes, we did, but one of our highest ranking members has requested your presence.” Marduk’s stomach dropped. He stole one last glance at Anu and Anshar before Shamash pushed him through the lounge door. Marduk followed Shamash through the torch-lit corridors until they arrived at a wooden door carved into the stone. The scent of lilacs and exotic incense filled the air. Marduk turned to see Shamash dousing his fingers with oil from a small clay phial. His stomach tightened.
“What are you doing?”
“Turn around,” Shamash ordered. Marduk stared at him before complying. Then Shamash pushed him against the wall, lifted his skirt, and slid two fingers inside him.
“Shamash ... what the ...?”
“Just be still, and keep your mouth shut.”
Marduk’s face reddened as the god’s fingers probed deep inside him, opening and stretching his entrance. Shamash pressed a third finger in, and blood rushed to Marduk’s cock. His heartbeat quickened. Shamash had him pinned to the wall with his hand up his skirt in plain view of anyone who happened to walk by.
“Are you going to fuck me right here?” Marduk asked, unable to hide the anger in his voice. Shamash finally removed his fingers and turned him around.
“I’ll let you thank me later, Marduk. The god who requested you cares nothing for your charm. He’s going to strip you down and fuck you as hard as he can.” Marduk’s breath left him. Then Shamash turned him around to face the door and knocked. When the door finally opened, a pit formed in his stomach. A mortal attendant led him into a candle-lit sitting room and opened a golden curtain revealing a living room with a golden couch and a fireplace on the back wall. The strong smell of incense hit him, making him think of Egypt. Marduk followed the servant through the living room to an adjoining bedchamber. His heart raced as he stepped in. Before him was a large framed bed encased in long golden curtains, and rubies embedded in the golden frame glimmered in the candle-light. In the next moment, the great god Ra emerged from an adjoining room. Marduk’s mouth fell open, and his heart froze. This could not be happening. Ra was an esteemed member of the Council of Gods. He could not possibly be in the Order. Marduk took a step backward.
“I’m sorry,” he said, “I think I’m in the wrong place.”
“Come here,” Ra said in a low, commanding voice. Marduk stepped forward, every drop of courage evaporating. Then he stopped before Ra, struggling for breath. Marduk was fully clothed, but he felt as if his skirt had already dropped around his ankles.
“Young Marduk,” Ra said in a gentle voice. “I only require one thing from you, and that is complete submission.”
Marduk stared at Ra, and all his plans for bringing the Order down crumbled before his eyes. He lowered his gaze and swallowed, but his mouth had gone dry. The great god Ra, a member of the council, was going to fuck him.
“Strip and lay down on my bed,” Ra said. Marduk complied, his stomach tying into knots as he undressed. Then he climbed up onto the bed in a daze, but the moment he was inside the curtains, he froze. They were not alone. The goddess Isis lay with her head propped up on her elbow, watching every move he made.
“Lay right here,” she said smiling and patted the bed beside her. A lump formed in his throat as he fought to hold back tears. A desire to flee took hold of him, but there was nothing he could do. Marduk crawled into place as she instructed, burying his face in the bedding. His chest constricted, and his heart beat loudly in his ears until he felt Ra climb onto the bed behind him. He tried to brace himself for what was coming, but when Ra pulled his ass up and slammed into him, Marduk’s devastation was complete. All his hopes for freedom seemed to wash away, and once again he wished to expire from the world.
––––––––
The next day, Marduk locked himself in his room, skipping all of his classes and refusing to answer when Shamash came looking for him. Though he was sure Shamash could have broken his door down, Shamash gave up and let him be. Marduk lay curled on his bed for most of the day. He had come to the realization that all his aspirations to expose the Order would amount to nothing. If Ra was a member of the Order, it was likely the whole council was corrupt, and there was no one in the world he could go to. His only way out would be to give them what they wanted.
Marduk remained locked in his room for two more days. If Shamash let him stay there that long, he was going to stay in his bed until Shamash dragged him out of it. There was no way he could pretend to show Shamash affection after this.
On the second night, Marduk heard a knock at his door. When he made no attempt to answer, a soft voice came from outside his room.
“Marduk, are you in there?” It was Shala. It had been so long since he’d spoken with his goddess friends. Without thinking, Marduk crossed the room and opened the door. Nanya and Shala greeted him with smiles and hugged him before sauntering into the room. Marduk stood in the doorway staring at them, wondering why he had let them in. Then he turned and barred the door.
“Where have you been, Marduk?” Shala asked in a scolding voice. “You’ve been so distant lately. We were worried when we didn’t see you in class.”
Marduk turned to face her, but his voice caught in his throat. Just then Nanya threw herself on his bed.
“We’ve missed you, Marduk. You never visit us anymore.” Nanya smiled.
“Nanya, I ... I don’t feel well. I’m not in the mood for anything.”
“Don’t worry, darling,” Shala said, placing a hand on his arm. “Do you think we just want you for sex? You’re our friend. Come sit with us, and tell us what’s going on.”
Taking a deep breath, Marduk returned to his bed and sat down on the side while Shala stretched out next to Nanya.
“So, Marduk.” Shala said, running a hand down his back. “Are you going to tell us what’s going on? Are you still upset about Aya?”
Marduk took a deep breath, and stared at his hands in his lap. There was nothing he could say to them without lying.
“You know you can talk to us.” Shala continued. “After the thing with Seth, you were so withdrawn, and then you hooked up with your cute little god friends who won’t let us go anywhere near you.”
“We’re not jealous Marduk,” Nanya said. “Well, I guess we are a little jealous, but mostly we just miss you.”
Marduk stared at the closed shutters of his balcony and breathed deeply. He wished he could tell them something. He wished he could tell them everything. After a while, the room went silent.
“Just come lay with us, Marduk,” Shala finally said.
Marduk broke from his daze and crawled under the covers between them. Before long, both goddesses had cuddled against him and fallen asleep. He realized in that moment that they were his only true friends. If he ever confided in them, telling them all that he suffered, they would support him completely, but telling them about the Order would put them in danger. The next morning Nanya and Shala left for class, and though they urged him to go with them, Marduk remained in his room.
Shortly after they left, another knock came to his door. Marduk waited in silence, worried it was Shamash, when a voice came through.
“Marduk, it’s us. Are you in there?” Marduk recognized Ninurta’s voice on the other side of the door and rose to let them in.
“What’s going on?” Emesh asked, walking in with Ninurta, and Irra. “Where have you been? We’ve been looking for you.”
Marduk locked the door behind them and returned to his bed, followed by the gods. He sat in silence, not knowing what to say. They were all members. He could never tell them about his foiled plot to expose the Order, and he wouldn’t dare repeat what happened with Ra.
“Has anyone ever escaped from the Order?” he finally asked.
“Marduk, please don’t ever think about that!” said Emesh. “There’s only one god who ever tried running, and the Order punished him by chaining him naked to a mountain top for eternity. The buzzards and birds of prey tear away his genitals by day, and when his parts grow back over night, the birds tear it away the next day. They accused him of some slight against the gods, but the truth was he tried to escape from the Order.”
“I hate to say this, Marduk,” said Ninurta, “but the only way out is to give them what they want. No one likes betraying another god, but we all had to do it. I know you hate Aya for what he did, but eventually you’ll forgive him.”
“I don’t know,” Marduk said.
“You know,” said Irra, wrapping his arms around Marduk. “Emesh pledged me, but I no longer hold a grudge. You can’t be their pet forever. If you find a virgin god, don’t hesitate to give him up for your freedom. You’ll feel like shit for doing it, but you’ll recover.”
“I agree with Irra,” said Ninurta. “It’s the only way out.”
After they left, Marduk ventured out of his room. He still wasn’t ready to return to his classes, and he had no desire to see Shamash or Isis, but he wanted to get some fresh air. He emerged from the temple, stepping into the sunlight, and strolled through the gardens. He knew what they’d said was true—the only way out was to give the Order what they wanted.
Was he a fool to think he could go against the Order? Were his ideals too high? Marduk started to think about Aya and how he had endured the Order’s torture for three long years. Maybe Aya was like him in the beginning, refusing to betray another god. It made sense that Aya finally broke. Was he being too hard on Aya for what he’d done?
After a while, Marduk sank into the grass and gazed out at the mountains. Marduk had only been the Order’s pet for a month, and he was already considering giving in, yet Aya had lasted three years... Was he actually considering bringing them a virgin? His chest felt hollow. Would he be able to live with himself if he did this to someone else?
Right at that moment, Marduk caught movement in the corner of his eye. In the distance, three goddesses were running through the gardens with who appeared to be the beautiful god he had seen in the council lounge. Marduk’s heart skipped. It was Anu. Marduk suddenly had the desire to go snatch him away from the goddesses. He knew he could do it. He could seduce the beautiful god and make him his. Then Marduk stopped his train of thought, wondering why he was dreaming about Anu. He already had three lovers. Wasn’t that enough? Was he thinking about this god because he was likely a virgin? His stomach twisted.
He rose to his feet, turned away from Anu and the goddesses, and walked further into the gardens. He desired Anu, but he knew he should stay away. He couldn’t possibly have such thoughts. He was stronger than that, wasn’t he?