Chapter 3 - Passions

Gavin sat at his desk tapping his pen against parchment. Drafting bills was never something he liked doing, especially for King Kalak. Without fail, when tasked with work directly from the king, it heralded the deaths of the citizens he ruled. Today's document was to be no exception. In a bout of frustration, Gavin threw his pen at the table. It bounced and skidded far across the marble floor. He clenched his fist to bang against the desk but reserved himself at the last moment.

"I joined the Veiled Alliance to stop atrocities like these, and instead, I've become their author," he lamented.

"If you don't, someone else will." Cassia said gently. "Water?" She presented a small ceramic cup, barely halfway filled.

Gavin threw up a hand, dismissing the gesture. She placed the cup on the end table instead.

"I've finished my assignments for the evening. Is there anything else I can do for you?"

"Find a way to not enslave more citizens to finish this damned ziggurat."

"Regrettably, that is beyond my purview." She frowned, laying a sympathetic hand on his shoulder.

Gavin sat back and covered his forehead. "An increase in slaves for the iron mines; increased taxes; increased public executions; increased land seizures; and now this. You can't so much as sneeze in this city without a Templar killing or enslaving you." His hands dropped to his sides, and he couldn't help but slump. "What a terrible year for Tyr."

"Indeed, it would seem so. However, it's better than staying in Balic, isn't it?"

Gavin scoffed. "For how much longer?"

"It is... hard to stomach. I don't know how you manage to continue dealing with these monsters."

"With a heavy heart and conscious."

Cassia retrieved the pen and placed it back on the desk. Gavin sat upright again and glowered as he continued.

"Unfortunately, being a spy requires you to do things that are against your goals in order to keep up appearances. That's what I keep telling myself at least. Sometimes it seems impossible."

"It's half as difficult for one who can resist mind reading," Cassia countered.

"And twice as hazardous when dealing with paranoid Templar."

"And why we can have conversations like these in this city. Not many people have the talents you do. I know you can do it!"

Cassia gave a beaming smile. Exaggerated as it may be, Gavin did find it endearing. He placed his hand on hers.

"I appreciate the encouragement, but I suppose I don't have a choice. I either sign this or I sign our deaths. You're absolutely correct; if not me, someone else will inevitably take my place."

Gavin grabbed the pen and dipped it in ink. He penned the order on the parchment and signed his name. The draft was complete and tomorrow he would present it to the king. Kalak would decree it official and there was nothing anyone could do about it. He placed the pen down and stared at his hand.

"But, if families are to be destroyed and children enslaved, is it really better to let it be by my hands than another's?" he mumbled.

Cassia let out a half-suppressed laugh.

"I'm sorry, is this humorous to you?"

"You can be so melodramatic at times, that's all."

"Melodramatic? I think my tone rather matches the situation; don't you think? We are talking about people's lives here."

She rubbed his head, straightening his hair and trying to soothe him. "You can't put the world above yourself. Sometimes you need to step back and enjoy life."

"I don't find much enjoyment these days, sadly."

Cassia just smiled as she crouched below the desk. She crawled towards Gavin's and caressed her hands slowly up his lap. Gavin flinched at the feeling of her hands on his thighs.

"Remember when you used to be ticklish when I would touch you here?" she remarked.

"Please stop," he said sternly.

"I'm just trying to help." She did as he requested and made herself comfortable under the desk resting her head on his lap and caressing his hips.

"It's just... There's just too much to worry about right now."

"I think you should make use of your slave to help relieve the stress," she said with a wink.

He ran his fingers through her hair. Her bangs were short enough to not cover her face. Meticulously well-kept as well. He found her so beautiful he would just stare at her sometimes. He knew it was rude, but it was a weakness he just couldn't overcome. But the thought of her being his slave soured his mood further. He thought about how his peers would treat women like her if given the chance. The thought was revolting and imagining Cassia as a slave made him seethe. "Masquerading around as my slave is contemptable enough. I'd rather not feed that fantasy."

"What fantasy would you like to feed then?" she said innocently.

He sighed, realizing he walked right into that one. "I appreciate your assistance, but not your persistence. I don't know how many times I need to say it's hard to be in the mood given present circumstances."

"Gavin!" she snapped. She glared at him for a moment before exhaling and calming herself down. "There's always something to worry about. There's always going to be bad people. There's always going to be a lack of water. There's always going to be injustice. I understand why you're upset, and I'm upset about those things too. But more importantly I'm worried about you, and I can't have that on top of everything else."

"Why would I be worrying you?"

She circled her finger around his knee. "You've been shut in your office for over a week. Your hair is wildly overgrown, your beard unkempt, you've been missing meals and refusing to drink." She pouted playfully, but he saw the genuine worry she couldn't completely mask. "How could I not be worried?"

He clasped her hand and held it firmly as his thumb gently brushed across her fingers. "I'm sorry for causing you worry. Trying to outmaneuver the Templar is consuming every ounce of my energy. Every hour of the day feels like a battle."

She laid her head against his hand and closed her eyes. "I understand the weight of it all. You have a great burden to bear, but we're all in this together-- you, me, Anna, the entire Alliance. But since I'm here now, I have to insist you offload some of that burden to me."

Gavin sighed again. Anna and Cassia never liked it when he spiraled too far into self-reflection. Sadly, he only realized he was so far gone when one of them confronted him about it. Though when Anna was around, she was quick to pull him out of it and usually with action instead of words. With Cassia it was easier to spiral. She would listen and empathize, but she would be passive. She let him express his feelings, for good or for ill.

In the moment he was lost in thought Cassia had started unbuttoning his clothes. Her hands traveled up and caressed his abdomen and slowly circled back around his hips. He welcomed the sensation of her skin touching his. It tickled at parts, but he tried his best not to laugh. Being ticklish was annoying. She grasped at the band of his pants and pulled down gently. She stared intently as she pulled the fabric away from his manhood. Her hands then traveled to their intended destination as she grasped the base of his shaft. She fondled him gingerly, taking her time pleasing him.

He was honest about not being in the mood when this had started. But feeling Casia remove his clothing and messaging him was starting to turn him on. He let out a barely audible moan as he started to feel the pleasure mounting.

"I heard that," she sang softly. She slid her hand down to the base of his shaft and angled him directly at her. She licked her lips and wrapped them around his tip. Slowly she slid forward down his flaccid length. She held herself there, running her tongue in circles as he swelled in her mouth.

The sensation of suddenly being in her mouth was intense. Gavin grunted and tensed up in response. He grabbed the edges of the desk and held on as if to prevent himself from falling. He felt her pursed lips slide further away from the base of his shaft, leaving a warm trail of saliva that tingled in the open air. Just as he felt it get cool, she slid down again and warmed him like a blanket on a cold night. It felt so good he struggled to keep his eyes open.

He placed a hand on her head and ran his fingers through her hair again and delighted in her beauty. He caressed her cheek with his other hand and felt how full and soft they were. She tilted her head into his hand as he cupped her face. He watched as she sensually enveloped him over and over again.

She exhaled slowly, moaning every few breaths. The vibrations gently massaged him. She inhaled with a slurp making sure nothing overflowed her sultry lips. Then she pushed all of him into her mouth again. His muscles flexed and spasmed as he neared orgasm. She pulled off of him leaving with a long lick on the underside of his shaft. She glanced at her work now that he was fully erect and glistening with her saliva.

"Still not in the mood?" she smiled.

Gavin inhaled after realizing he was forgetting to breathe. "You've been exceptionally persuasive in changing my mind."

She bit her lip and stared intensely into his eyes. It was fierce and full of wanting and Gavin knew it well. "I want--"

Before she could finish her sentence, a series of loud knocks shook the office door.

"Not now!" Gavin yelled.

The door opened heedless of his demand. Danel stepped through, his hair unkept and wet with sweat. He panted heavily as if he had run a marathon to get here as fast as possible.

"Councilor! The King... The King is dead!"

"You have a strange, yet dangerous sense of humor Danel. Leave."

"It's true! Tithian killed him at the ziggurat... I saw it with my own eyes!"

Danel just got his full attention. "You expect me to believe his head Templar would just commit regicide? In front of thousands of people, no less."

"I don't know all the details... He stopped a ritual that would have killed us all. His corpse... is hung on the ziggurat itself... Impaled with a spear. Gavin, the king is dead!"

It took Gavin a moment to grasp the situation, but he was fully engaged now. However, when Cassia wrapped her mouth around him once more it split his attention again. He moaned involuntarily as the pleasure returned abruptly.

"Councilor?"

Gavin cleared his throat. "Sorry, just... who else have you told?"

"I've only just begun to tell the Advisership. I've a lot more to inform."

"Very good. I assume we'll be calling an aAH-ssembly shortly."

Cassia pressed down far, fitting as much into her mouth as she could quietly handle. He felt his tip pressing against the very back of her mouth. She hummed softly without being loud enough to alert Danel. If he heard, he showed no signs of recognition of what was happening.

"Yes sir, an emergency assembly will likely be called but it would be best to get there as soon as possible."

Gavin nodded, his focus on the conversation was heavily strained. Cassia was going slow, but he was already close. The slower, sensual movements kept him teetering on the edge. Just a few quick and short thrusts and he felt like would explode. He placed a hand under the desk to hold her in place, but she fought back and continued regardless.

Gavin's arm flailed as he tried to find something else to do with it. Danel lingered a moment, looking quizzically at Gavin. He decided to point towards the door.

"Go, Danel! Tell the others."

Danel left hastily and shut the door behind him. Gavin slid his chair back trying to get up, but Cassia grabbed him by the hips and held him insider her mouth still. He landed back in his chair with Cassia doing everything she could to prevent him from leaving. Gavin supposed he knew better than to try and stop her at this point. He wouldn't last that much longer anyways. He acquiesced and placed his hands on her head and held her gently as she moved back and forth.

He grunted. "Why do you make me want you so much?" he said teasingly.

With a firm grasp and a gentle nudge, he took control of her movements. She giggled to signal approval of him being rougher. She had started as the one in control, but Gavin's arousal got the best of him. It was something that she prided herself on being able to do. She submitted to him happily now, letting him use her mouth to his own whims. But Gavin was a measured man and a patient one at that. He continued the pace she set forth.

She was glad he was able to enjoy himself. His breathing wasn't stifled, and he didn't hide his moans. Murmurs of pleasure were frequently shared between them. He moved his hips back and forth as he glided further into Cassia's mouth. She would moan in time with his thrusts and squeezed her hands in his lap to stay steady.

It didn't take long for Gavin to finally share his burden. Everything went white for a moment as his body convulsed. Gavin trusted softly into Cassia's mouth with each release. She savored the sensation of his cum filling her mouth with each throbbing twitch. When he was done, he let go of her head with a caress of her hair and relaxed back into his chair. She slowly pulled back, making sure to not spill. Gavin handed her a cloth which she used to wipe her mouth and clean him up before rebuttoning his pants. She got up off the ground and stood by him once more.

"I think you're ready to continue your duties for the evening," she said.

Gavin relished the euphoria for just a few moments longer. "You didn't have to finish you know."

"I can't have you going into an emergency meeting tired and horny."

"What about you?"

Cassia threw her hands forward, posing like a thespian delivering a line on stage. "Gavin, I would wait until the sun burns out if it meant I could feel your lips caress my own once more."

"Oh no, the melodrama has rubbed off on you," he laughed. It was nice to smile and laugh. How long has it actually been since he did that? Cassia chucked as well, and Gavin was briefly lost in her smile again.

"Don't gawk. We have important business we need to get to. And you need to do something--."

"About my hair. Yes. And I'm still not convinced this isn't a trap of some sort."

"I will meet with our Alliance contact and inform them."

"They probably already know. I need you to do something else. Anna was trying to locate an artifact that Kalak was after. I doubt there are many other people who knew about this aside from us. There should be a record of it in the Golden Tower. If Kalak truly is dead, then the Templars are likely not going to be on guard. See if you can retrieve it but flee if you're seen."

"If you're right, then there should be no trouble."

He reached out a hand to cup her cheek. "And when we return, I'll caress more than just your lips. Sun or no sun."

Cassia bit her lip and smiled. Her eyes glistened, but perhaps he only noticed it now.

"And again, I'm sorry I made you worry," he smiled. "I love you."

She took his hand and gave him a kiss before leaving the room.

Gavin grabbed the parchment and opened the window behind his desk. He held the parchment to a candle and lit it aflame. He watched as bit by bit the order charred and scattered with the evening breeze. His sight drifted to the outskirts and further still into the horizon. He hoped that he was witnessing the dawn of a new Tyr.

"Anna... I hope you're safe."

***

It took some time for Anna to come back to her senses. After having an orgasm, it felt like an addict relapsing, and she was craving more of that pleasure. The burning desire in her body was so intense she could only think about pleasuring herself. She tried to move her hands only to find they were tightly secured behind her back. She rubbed her legs together and thrashed in lusty angst. It was a fight to control her thoughts during the weeks she had spent in sexual frustration. Now she wanted nothing more than to succumb to the overbearing lust.

"Is she moaning or growling?" Hanibal asked.

"Don't worry about it," Adama answered.

The voices were sobering. She hadn't registered that she was being carried, just restrained. She took a deep breath, consciously realizing for the first time her mouth was gagged. She panicked briefly as she recalled the last things she could remember. There was a feeling of being dragged and a deafening sound that shook the ground. Had she been unconscious? Where was everyone?

"Wa ahehg," Anna said through the gag.

"What?" Hanibal asked.

She looked at him stupidly for a moment. He shifted her weight to one arm and loosened the gag with the other. What he lacked in brains he definitely made up for in brawn.

"What?" he asked again.

"What happened?" she repeated.

"We took the artifact and collapsed the room so that your friends won't be following us out," Adama said.

"You what!?" she yelled.

"Put the gag back on, I don't want to hear her talk."

Hanibal did as instructed. Anna tried to say more but it was all too muffled to understand. They ignored her regardless as they continued their march.

"Is this the way we went last time?" Hanibal asked.

"No, the blast should have damaged the closest stairs so we're taking a detour," Baal said.

"You sure they won't find a way out?"

"Just another pile of corpses buried by the sands by now," Adama said callously.

Anna was shocked at hearing that. She didn't want to believe that her friends were dead. However, now wasn't the time to focus on that. Their potential killers held her, carrying her away to do who knows what. She took inventory of herself. She had no weapon, but her legs were unbound. She could run, but where too? As good of a fighter as she was, she wasn't going to fight three on one with just kicks. She tested the rope binding her hands - tightly wrapped and unable to slide out. She was also unbelievably horny, which made every thought take twice as much focus as it should have.

She twisted and tightened her muscles uncomfortably trying to use pain to shake off the arousal. It didn't work well. She stopped struggling and started hoping that an opportunity would present itself for escape. But as her thoughts calmed, there was nothing to check against the arousal. Her breathing was shallow, and her heart thumped rapidly in her chest. Feeling the need to have someone, anyone, in between her legs was the last thing she wanted to worry about.

The orange sun was up to meet them as they reached the exit to the surface. They stood with their eyes shut as they painfully adjusted to the light of the oppressive sun. The winds whipped the sands into a frenzy and gales of ashen grains pelted the remains of the temple periodically.

Baal winched one eye open to catch a quick glimpse of the area. "I don't see anyone, just camp supplies," he said.

"Guards should have been back by now," Adama said.

"They were supposed to meet us in the ruins," Hanibal said. "You don't think they got blown up with the stairs?"

"No, I don't. Where did the damn guards go off to then?" Adama said annoyed. "Throw her down somewhere and look for them."

"Should we tie her legs so she can't run?" Baal asked.

Adama leaned over to Anna and looked her in the eye. "Do you plan on running into the Wastes alone?"

Anna was close enough to headbutt him if she wanted to. And she really, really wanted to. But she stayed silent.

"Yea. Didn't think so."

He pointed to a spot on the ground and Baal and Hanibal placed Anna down as directed. Except they accidentally dropped her not far from the ground. She yelped, the impact of her tail bone hitting stone shocked her back to reality. Hanibal and Baal separated after a moment of bickering and wandered out of view.

"Assholes," she thought.

Not one to squander an opportunity for escape, Anna checked her surroundings for anything that would be of use to set her free. The rocks around her were polished by the sand until they were completely dull. There was brush, sand, more rocks and... a ceramic piece? Money spilled out of a bag just a few feet before her.