Sacrifice Ch. 02

She took her arm and guided her into the room. He must have just arrived himself because he stood in front of the table and turned when they entered.

"My lord, this is Alexia. She will be attending you this evening. "She felt real sympathy for the girl, he was a lot to take in at any size. He made her own stomach turn with nerves. She gave the girls arm another squeeze and gave him a look that she hoped said, 'be patient' before he nodded for her to go. She closed the door and stood close to it, hoping to hear what was said. Demitri, who had vanished stuck his head out of the bath room door and wagged a finger at her, she stepped away, abashed. He motioned her over.

"You'll never hear anything through there, come here and be quite. He led her to a side door that was already ajar and motioned for quite. She crammed in next to him against the wall and peeked in. Alexia was frozen in fear. He had motioned for her to sit, but she wasn't budging. Finally he sat himself and motioned again.

"Please, sit."

After a gut retching eternity she finally sat.

"Would you like something to eat?" He spoke slowly to her, obviously trying not to spook her too much. She stared back with wide eyes and said nothing. "Suit yourself. Wine?" Again she said nothing, so he just poured her a glass anyway. 'Say something', she willed the girl to speak. Thelios sighed and she wondered how long he would keep up the politeness.

"Why don't you tell me about yourself then?" he asked pushing a glass towards her. Calliope noticed her perceptibly recoil from the advancing arm in front of her and bit her lip. If she saw that from here, he certainly noticed it. She wondered if she had seemed so terrified when she first ate with him. He waited for her to respond. Finally she choked out a sentence. "My name is...Alexia." She whispered and paused again.

When she didn't continue he looked wryly at her, "Yes, I caught that part." The poor girl looked up sharply, her eyes wild with fear. Calliope repressed a groan; this was not going to work at all. He saw it too and she saw his eyes darken as he leaned back with a sigh.

"You know, you don't have anything to fear from me, I'm not going to hurt you."

"I, I'm from Myconen...th-the nearest town." She was practically shaking now. "Wh-what will happen to us?" She rushed out. He sipped slowly on his wine.

"I thought Calliope had spoken to all of you?"

"She said we wouldn't die..."

"And?" The girl swallowed hard.

"Th-the rest sh-she said was unsure..."

"Well..." he drawled out slowly, "I imagine you're all clever enough to deduce what my interest in twenty young women is." He appraised her momentarily, "though I had not intended for any of you to be so young, or...inexperienced." The girl was positively ashen now and was concentrating hard on her lap, her hands wringing themselves raw. He watched her for a few moments longer. Calliope was earnestly concerned that the girl might just pass out.

Demitri leaned in and whispered in Calliope's ear, "That was one of your top picks?" She nodded. "You aren't trying to sabotage it are you?" She turn to find his eyes glittering at her.

"Why would I do that?" She asked somewhat affronted.

"Oh I don't know, female jealousy." She was about to scoff, but paused to consider it. It had gone badly, did she pick badly, for some motivation...no, she picked as best she could. And yet she had to admit, she had expected this, and if it had gone differently...would it bother her? Ridiculous.

"No, I wouldn't sabotage it, that would just make it harder on us."

"But you are jealous?"

"Oh, be quite."

She turned back to the torturous scene. The master was beginning to find it tiresome and was tapping a finger on the table.

"Do you...have an opinion on this?" He asked looking for some kind of reaction.

"Opinion?" She looked horrified.

That's a pretty strong opinion she thought to herself.

"Certainly. People's opinions interest me." She said nothing just stared in fear unsure of what to do or say. She looked like she was going to cry. He sighed again and Alexia practically jumped out of her skin. To Calliope's surprise he looked directly at the door behind which they hid and made a beckoning motion. Demitri prodded her forward and she slipped through the door.

"Yes my lord, how might I be of service?" She said as cheerily as she was able. He gave her a sardonic look and gestured to the terrified girl.

"I think this young lady isn't in the mood to talk, will you escort her to a more comfortable location?" Damn she thought, he didn't look pleased. she smiled and made a little bow and took the girls arm, guiding her up and out the door. She said nothing but let her take her back to the room in petrified fear. She closed the door behind alexia and leaned against it one hand against her forehead. Now what? If they just accepted their fate, it wouldn't be so terrible, and they wouldn't have to be... she didn't even want to think about it. If you say yes, if you accept it, then there is no crime, but they wouldn't do that.

Would he do that to them...he'd intimated that he might. She groaned in frustration. Her only other option was to convince him that perhaps he could make due with one or two girls and, she fantasized, let the rest go. She couldn't bare the thought of all that trauma if they were all raped. And the crying! She shuddered at the thought. And where would she fit in? As some sort of traitor, unfazed by her plight, even aiding their tormentor? It was too terrible to think on. It made her ill just considering it.

"He wants you."

She looked up at Demitri and nodded pulling herself back together. She found him still in the dinning room staring at his food. He looked up.

"Now what do you suggest I do?"

She bit her lip. "I suppose that depends on your options." He cocked an eyebrow at her. "If you'd be willing to forgo your desire for variety..."

"Variety?" He interrupted.

"Yes...the twenty girls..."

"Ah. It was odds I was concerned with there, not variety."

"I'm not sure I follow." He patted the cushion next to him. She sat, brushing her arm lightly against his, and hoping he didn't see her blush.

"Let's say you want a new dress, and you send a servant out to get you one. You're not picky necessarily, but you're not sure which one will suit you until you've seen it. If you request ten different dresses, one is bound to be suitable, if you request one...well then you're stuck with whatever your given...you see?"

She nodded. "You're looking for girls who...fit you, is what you're saying."

"Was that really the best option you could find?" He pointed at the door Alexia had left from. She sighed and leaned back next to him against the wall.

"One of three...but the other two seemed about the same."

"None like you then?" She looked at him sideways, He was drinking his wine and watching the far wall.

"Demitri thinks I'm a deviant." She said derisively. He smirked back at her.

"Glad to see you two getting along."

She sobered a little. "What will you do then, if none of the dresses fit? Force them to?" His face darkened again as well.

"Not my fist choice." He muttered.

"Well, I can't abide the thought myself...so I was thinking if there was another option..."

"As I see it I have two functional options that will meet my basic requirements. Either I use the lot of them, and give them all happy reprieves of a month or more...or force one or possibly two poor souls to endure for all of them. Though that seems some how more cruel."

She turned her whole body towards him. "You would consider keeping just one?"

"I just said I would."

"And the rest would be free to go?"

"I suppose I'd have no other use for them."

Her heart leapt. They could all go free, she wouldn't become a traitor.

"Would you, I mean, could you consider— if it were not distasteful to you that is-- keeping me in their place?" Her heart pounded in her chest as he watched her carefully.

"You would stay, all alone, and let them go?"

"You and Demitri are here, I wouldn't be that alone." He chuckled.

"I meant to say you would shoulder the burden alone?"

"What burden? Is there something more you require of us?" That was something she hadn't considered.

"No more than you've already given."

"Then yes."

"Alright. I leave it up to you. If you will stay, then free them." She stood elated.

"Thank you Master, this is very generous of you."

He frowned at her. "You're welcome, though I don't know why you're thanking me." She smiled and turned to go, pausing halfway to the door. Her smile disappeared when a new consideration came to her. She turned back, troubled.

"You're sure my lord, that this will be satisfactory for you?"

"I told you it was up to you."

"Yes, and I appreciate that, but...I am still inexperienced, and...less pretty than many of them. I wouldn't nullify the tribute?"

"Unless I'm mistaken, you're now officially more experienced than my other nineteen options." She blushed and nodded. "And I didn't remember being particularly impressed by the looks of any of them. Or are you trying to make me change my mind."

"No!" She blurted out, "no I just wanted to make sure this is a satisfactory arrangement for you. I wouldn't want you to regret it."

"I know I won't. And you?"

"I shouldn't think so."

"Good, then go and play savoir to them." She paused, a bit taken aback by the statement.

"Is that what I'm doing?"

"I can only assume. You seem to have a history of martyrdom." She looked down thoughtfully.

"I don't really mind though." She said softly, glancing at his face. His expression was unreadable, and she turned away uncomfortably, making a b-line for the captive girls. She opened the door triumphantly, and was greeted with wary looks. Already a traitor she thought. She ignored it.

"You're free to go." No one moved. "I spoke with him, and convinced him to let you go."

"But the sacrifice?" She shook her head.

"It's alright, he agreed that I could...stay, in all your places, that he wouldn't need all of us."

"Truly?" Alexia looked ready to burst. Calliope gave her a gleaming smile.

"Truly. You can go right away if you wish...and I recommend you do, in case he changes his mind." Many stood, and all of them seemed ready to agree. "The town is straight east of here, if I remember." She addressed Alexia whose family she remembered from the last day. "Your family is there. Will they help these girls get home?"

"Oh yes, absolutely." She nodded eagerly. Calliope stood away from the door.

"Just straight down the hall and you'll be at the exit." Most of them rushed past not waiting for any more encouragement. She felt a hand on her arm and turned. It was the doe eyed girl.

"What will you do?"

"I'll stay here...as his servant."

"Can I take a message for you?" She hadn't even thought of that.

"Yes, please, thank you." She gave her fathers name and city, and asked the girl to send her love to her family for her. At least they'd know she was alright. The girl paid close attention, and at the end nodded, giving her a little hug before leaving with the others.

In a moment it was quiet again. She went back to the dining room. He hadn't moved.

"So, all done?" She nodded, but hesitated to approach, suddenly unsure of what to do with herself now that there was no immediate problem before her. He held out a hand to her and she moved silently forward laying her own hand in his, and was surprised when he immediately pulled her down onto his lap. He refilled his wine with one hand, while the other trailed its way along her spine. Her back arched involuntarily under his hand.

"Are you alright?" He handed her his wine glass. She took it making an affirmative noise. He pulled her against him, and she let herself lean into him. Now that she held the wine, his second had was free to explore her legs, and slid under her hem at the knee, cupping the back of her calves, and squeezing lightly. "May I make a confession?"

She nodded, finding her voice suddenly unavailable.

"I'm pleased with your choice." She felt a rush of warmth run through her. She took a sip of wine then put the cup down. She didn't need it, she was already feeling rather heated.

She swallowed her nerves and touched his face hesitantly as his hand caressed its way higher up her leg until it caused her dress to ride up to the tops of her thighs. She looked down and watched his hand pushing at the fabric and was glad the table blocked Demitri's view if he was still eavesdropping. She moved her mouth close to his and brushed her lips against his bottom lip. His lips parted and she flicked her tongue against the exposed canines. He let out a low growl and slid his hand between her thighs pressing it up against her. She breathed a gasp and his tongue slid inside her mouth, his other hand capturing the back of her head. Her thighs parted in sympathy with her mouth giving him open access to both, and pushing the rest of her dress up her thighs.

His fingers parted her, sliding along the rapidly dampening slit making her writhe in his lap as he periodically pinched her and dipped his fingers shallowly inside, teasing her. Slowly he slid one thick finger inside of her until his knuckles pressed against her outer lips, then held it there making her violently aware of her own body and the foreignness of his moving inside of her. He released her mouth, and nuzzled the side of her neck.

"You see, I was taken by the way you shared my glass without blinking."

His words caught her off guard and pulled half of her attention from the thick finger which rested heavily inside of her. "Really?" she asked breathily as his other hand slipped under the side of her dress in order to cup her already sensitive breast.

"Oh yes. It was a rare act" He rolled the nipple between his fingers forcing her to swallow a moaning whimper. She wanted to hear more.

"Anything else you liked?" She whispered against his ear as she clung to his head and neck, grinding half consciously against the hand between her thighs.

"I like that you touch my horns as though you're thinking of fucking them." She gasped and pulled away in embarrassment, pulling her errant fingers from the objects of their affections. He laughed and grabbed her wrist as she pulled away, biting gently into the offending palm. "Do they fascinate you?" He gave her a hot smile, as she continued to ride his hand.

"A little." She admitted, blushing furiously. He laughed again.

"How can you blush at that while the rest of you is doing just that to my hand." He grinned and her blush deepened. He slid his hand from her sex and drew her to her feet.

"I am content," he sighed, "but there is still the matter of your punishment." She balanced herself against the table unsure and unsteady, her legs trembling from the intimacy of his recent touch. He pushed the table away and stood himself, causing her to stumble backwards. He smiled grimly and took her by the shoulders, turning her and bending her over the table. Instead of apprehension as last night, she felt only breathless excitement...or at least the apprehension was drowned out enough for her not to feel it so keenly.

He held her down with one hand against her neck, and lifted her skirts with the other, tossing them up over her back, exposing her bare hindquarters. He ran his hand over her naked bottom and squeezed hard. She mewled in response but was otherwise compliant, shifting her hips anxiously.

"Spread your legs" Trembling she obeyed. "Wider." Her breathing became harsh as she waited for his next move. Unexpectedly a hand came down, hard, on her backside, stinging and making her yelp. Before she could protest it was followed instantly by fingers sliding along her slit making her gasp and moan instead. Another loud stinging smack came down followed by more moan inducing caresses. She gasped and let out a confused half cry, not sure what he was doing, and too muddled by the mix of pain and pleasure to pull her thoughts together fast enough to complain. He repeated his blows, just hard enough to sting, following each one with an erotic caress until the landed blows themselves began to elicit broken cries of pleasure with or without the caress that followed and she pumped her hips in the air to meet his hand, understanding finally what his intentions were. It also occurred to her that, considering his size and strength, he was barely touching her, and not with any force meant to induce real pain, just a hot persistent sting, one which blended rapidly and confusedly with the heat of her arousal, and oddly, heightening it. She might have smiled if she could have managed it.

Eventually it stopped and he pulled his restraining hand away. She didn't move, still using the table for support as her hips ground unconsciously against the air. She felt his fingers at her pussy again, stretching the lips apart. But he did nothing else and held her that way, exposed until her face burned with embarrassment. He released her when she began to rise and slid his fingers lower to pinch her clit instead. She let out a whimpering cry.

Before she could gain her feet properly he pressed her back onto the table, taking her hips in his hands and lifting them until she felt the thick prodding of his heavy cock at the opening of her wet slit. She stilled again, her stomach tightening once more in anticipation, both excited and fearful of the painful stretch she knew was coming. He didn't thrust into her immediately, but ground the tip of his cock against her, catching on the tight skin, making her hot with impatience. She slid a hand between her and the table to spread herself for him and tipped her hips as he forced the head inside of her. The stretching made her groan, but it wasn't as searingly painful as the previous night. She gripped the table as he roughly worked himself inside of her, pushing without pause until he found there was nothing left to fill.

He leaned over her, and bent his mouth to her ear. "Do you remember how the Minotaur was born?"

She shook her head, and ground her hips anxiously backwards. He felt so heavy inside of her, like lead. She felt unimaginably full, and she needed him to move, to relieve her of that overstretched sensation which was slowly driving her mad. It was as though her whole reality had become focused on the massive thing lodged inside of her.

"The wife of Minos fucked her prize bull..." he drawled as he slid slowly out of her until only his head remained inside. She turned her face to his and watched as he took one of her hands in his and slid it up his neck and wrapped her fingers around the base of one of his horns, giving her an almost sadistic looking smile. She more than caught his meaning, and returned his smile, gripping her fingers around him. "I'm not usually one to brag," he whispered, dragging his fingers down her arm and side, gripping her firmly by the hips, "but I imagine it might have felt something like this."

On the last word he thrust deeply inside of her, rocking her whole body and lifting her off the floor. He used one hand on the table to hold both of them up as he pressed her back against his chest. She tilted her head back as bent his head to her neck and shoulder and thrust into her powerfully. Her fingers slipped from his head to grip the table as leverage and pressed her body back to meet his pounding hips. She groaned and cried out, feeling like she was splitting open but unable to resist the immediacy of her need. He lifted himself from her, gripping both her hips again, his fingers pressing hard into her flesh and bruising it carelessly. He continued his thrusting, moving faster and harder. She could feel the pressure building inside her again and did her best to meet his thrusts, gritting her teeth against the jarring pain, unsure if she could bear it long enough to reach her own climax.