Truth or Dare

"Truth or Dare"

By AnonymousMuse.

-

Thin Silver shafts of moonlight pierced the ominous darkness of the gathering stormclouds.

The only sound was the rush of wind through dense forest.

This far from the city, the night was darker than Ash had ever seen it.

"Where is this place?" He said. "It's getting cold out here."

"Just a little further, over this next rise," his companion replied.

"Kat, It's going to start storming soon, didn't you see those flashes of lightning in the distance?" He said.

"We'll be there by then, don't worry" she replied.

The two walked in silence for a few more moments, Ash stumbling in the dark behind the figure of his companion, who seemed to walk with perfect vision.

"How can you even see Kat? Why didn't you let me bring my flashlight?"

"I told you, it's against the rules. If you want to be initiated, you need to follow the rules, I explained all this to you. Do you want to give up and go home now, after we came all the way out here?"

"No! No, I want to be a member, really! I do! I'll shut up, I promise!".

"Good. We're almost there, trust me".

"I trust you." He replied.

The rush of the strengthening wind through the trees was once again the only sound breaking the stillness.

Then Ash spoke again.

"So... This sex cult you're in..."

"It's not a sex cult! I told you to stop calling it that! Never call it that!" Kat snapped.

"Sorry! Sorry, This Order that you are in..."

"The Order of Persephone, yes?"

"What is the... Balance of men to women? I mean I don't want to show up to this thing and have it be all dudes in there..."

"It's mostly women, actually. Although in recent years we have been admitting more men. Tonight though, you're the only guy playing".

"The only guy? Cool! I like those odds!" Ash replied, excitedly.

"Not that I want to do anything with any girl other than you though!" He hastily added.

"Not to worry Ash. All that matters is that you follow the rules of the game. If you win, you get to be a member of the Order. If you lose... well, that won't happen. I believe in you."

"So, what you're saying is that if I get lucky with one of the other girls, you won't mind?"

"Not at all" Kat replied honestly.

"You are the best girlfriend ever!" Ash exclaimed.

"I'm not your girlfriend Ash. We're just friends, that's all. Once you become initiated, maybe we'll talk, but not till then".

This put an dampener on Ash's excitement for the rest of the pair's trek along the narrow, winding, dirt road.

It had started to rain quite heavily by the time they finally reached the ridge that Kat had talked about, and, scurrying to avoid the rain like rats from a sinking ship, they crossed the crest of the ridge into the valley beyond.

There, Ash saw it.

An enormous monolith, blacker than the night, with perfect rectangular lines, stood before them.

It almost filled the entire valley, almost as if the depression had been hewn from the earth for this building alone.

Ash wondered if indeed it had been.

As they got closer, he noticed the sheer size of the bricks. Each one two feet in length, at least. Not only that, but the building was hundreds of year old. It must have taken decades to build given the technology of the day, especially out here.

"This way" Kat shouted over the now gale-force winds, and the two rushed for a slightly lighter coloured object at the front of the monolith.

It was a door.

Heavy, wooden, and medieval, there were two great brass knockers on it's surface, which Kat rang with difficulty, while Ash hung back, remembering what his partner said about respecting the rules of the Order.

He wasn't a member yet, he didn't want to lose the "game" before he had even started playing!

After a few moments in the pouring rain and roaring wind, the imposing portal heaved and slowly swung open, revealing a flickering golden light within.

Kat took Ash's hand and led him quickly inside, as rain lashed against the exposed cobbles of the buildings grand entrance.

The door closed behind them, either by an ancient mechanism, or unseen hands.

Then there was silence.

Even with the storm raging outside, not even a whisper could be heard inside the cavernous halls.

No footsteps, no voices, nothing.

The interior was lit by wall-mounted glass oil lamps, giving off a dim orange glow that scarcely overwhelmed the inky black surrounding them.

By now, they were both soaked. Kat's long, dark hair clung to her face and clothes like a dead cat, and Ash could feel the moisture running in rivulets down his own neck too.

He was about to speak when a shadow seemed to move in the darkness.

"Welcome"

A feminine voice pierced the ominous quiet.

Ash struggled to determine it's source in the dim lighting, and eventually made out the figure that it belonged to, hidden among shadows that seemed to emanate from her.

Ash wondered how long she had been standing there in the dark, but dared not ask.

"I am Jin" She said.

As Ash's eyes focused, he saw a tall, elegant figure appear, wearing a thick hooded robe, decorated with ornate gold lace.

Jin paused momentarily to light the wick of a small oil lantern that she carried, and then spoke again:

"The candidate will follow".

She then turned on her heel, and walked briskly away.

Ash looked apprehensively at Kat, but she quickly whispered through clenched teeth: "What are you waiting for?? That's the Acolyte!! Do what she says!"

Ash quickly followed the mysterious hooded woman, his sodden shoes squeaking on the bare stone floor, as she led him down a corridor to an anteroom, sealed with a smaller wooden door.

Withdrawing a key with her free hand, she opened the door, and the two entered.

"This is where you will prepare for the ritual." Jin spoke in a monotonous voice.

"First, remove your clothes".

"Wha... What? Not without dinner and a movie fir..."

"The candidate will not speak!" Jin raised her voice slightly, silencing Ash's nervous attempt at humour.

"The candidate will be aware that any violation of the rules will result in expulsion. Does the candidate wish to withdraw from the ritual?"

Ash shook his head, and slowly began to undress.

He removed his soaked sweater and dripping shoes, then peeled off his socks and slowly unbuttoned his shirt.

She was still watching him. Motionless. Silent. It was unnerving, to say the least, not at all as sexy as undressing in front of a woman should be.

Jin pulled down her hood with her free hand.

It was only now that he got a good look at her face. Thick white makeup covered every inch of skin, along with bright red lipstick and dark eyeshadow. She looked like a porcelain doll.

She wore a flowing, blood-red robe with a long protruding collar that extended most of the way up her neck, and all the way down to the floor. The gold lace was finely stitched to the fabric, and glinted in the dim light.

Her hands were thin, ladylike, delicate, but pale. As if she had not seen the sun in a long time.

The glow from the lantern danced upon her features as if the light itself could harm her, but there was a terrifying power there, a silent, unspoken strength that Ash dared not question.

"The candidate must remove all of their clothing" She spoke in the same ominous monotony.

Ash was shivering, soaking wet, and clad only in his boxers in the freezing cold room, and for the first time, he began to reconsider why he was here.

Sure, a sex cult sounds like fun, but so far, all he had done was hike in the dark to an abandoned castle and strip naked in a tiny, ice cold room in front of a woman with about as much personality as the bricks she was standing on.

"Listen, I..." Ash began.

"The candidate will not speak. The candidate will remove all of their clothing" Jin continued, in that incessant monotone.

"Well, I don't want to hike all the way back to the car in this storm, and besides, maybe I'll at least get to see some boobs tonight" Ash thought, and removed his underwear.

"The candidate will adorn himself with the appropriate attire".

Jin continued, and ever so slightly motioned towards a simple wooden table in the corner of the room, upon which Ash noticed a simple brown robe, similar to a monks habit. It was comparable in style to Jins, but far less ornate.

He awkwardly walked toward the table, trying to cover his flaccid penis with his hands. Ash's manhood was average on a good day, and the cold certainly wasn't doing him any favours.

He thought he could detect a note of derision in Jin's gaze, but he couldn't read that porcelain face of hers.

Ash quickly dressed, and mercifully, began to feel a little warmer as the thick fibers of the robe held off the cold.

"Now that the candidate is properly clothed, I will explain the rules".

"The ritual is simple" she began.

"The ritual will continue until all participants forfeit, or until a winner is decided.

Forfeit occurs only when a participant voluntarily concedes.

Upon completion of the ritual, any gains and losses become final, and can only be reversed by participating in another ritual.

Rituals are held only once a year, tonight, upon the Winter Solstice.

The ritual, or the "game" as many insist on calling it, is played in turns.

A participant will be selected, and must choose another and either ask them a "Truth" or issue them a "Challenge".

Lying or refusing to answer a "Truth", or failing to complete a challenge successfully, results in a loss for that participant, and a win for the challenger.

Candidates successfully completing the ritual will be considered for membership in the Order.

That is all.

Before we begin, the candidate may ask one question".

Jin finished her speech.

Ash didn't know where to start. Kat had told him they could be together if he joined her weird group, and that to join the order he would have to play a "sexy game, like truth or dare, but much better". But now this weird lady is talking about "rituals" and "losses", what losses? What were they playing for?

Ash finally spoke.

"So... The Truths and Dar... I mean challenges... We can ask anything right? No limits?"

"There are no limits, however, the order of Persephone is a hedonistic society, not a martial one. We do not allow violence or any physical harm, nor do we allow any non-consensual physical contact between candidates."

"I got it. So, when do we start?" Ash had regained some of his earlier excitement, and was eager to begin.

"The Candidate will follow".

Jin turned and left the room through another door at the opposite end, leaving it open behind her.

Ash nervously followed, and found a larger room, with exquisite red curtains draped along the walls, and a thick burgundy carpet beneath his still-naked feet.

Blissfully, a roaring fire burned at the opposite end of the room, its heat gradually warming the chill from his bones.

In the center, there was a round table which seemed too small for such a sizable space, and around it sat large, comfortable lounge couches which looked more like beds than chairs.

Indeed, there was enough room to lie back on these chairs, and it seemed that they were even intended for one to do so.

Jin stood behind the table, and, seated, were three figures, wearing similar robes to Ash.

"The candidate will be seated" She said.

Ash shuffled to the table, and sat upon the only free chair.

"Tonight, there will be four participants." Jin Continued, speaking to the assembled group.

"One some of you may have already met, Sister Katherine".

"Kat?" Ash thought, but stayed silent.

"Another you have not met. Sister Samantha".

An imposing, surly looking woman stood to Jins left, opposite Kat.

"Finally, there will be two candidates, Candidate Ash, and Candidate Anna."

Ash looked to the final participant. She was a petite woman, and sat hunched over, as if trying to hide within her robes. She glanced at Ash as he looked at her, and then quickly looked away.

"You are be the only candidates, and you will be addressed as such."

Jin sat between the other participants, in a larger, high backed chair adorned with gold trim.

"We are about to begin. Is there any participant who wishes to Leave?"

The gathered guests shared glances, but none spoke.

"Good" Jin continued.

"For some of us, this is our first game, for others, it is but one of many, but as always, remember the most important rule of all:"

"The more you lie under oath, the more you lose what you care for most."

Jin removed a pendant from within her robe, held around her neck with a silver chain, and placed it on the table.

It was a large, round piece, that looked like an antique nautical compass. It was decorated with arcane symbols, carved ornately into its golden exterior.

Slowly, the mysterious woman opened the clasp on the pendant, revealing a pure black gemstone set delicately into the metal.

Ash couldn't recognise the type of stone that it was, but he had never seen anything like it. It seemed to be darker than the darkest black, and yet still glinted with a faint purple hue in the firelight.

"Let's begin" Jin said.

Jin placed her hands upon the pendant in front of her, and with her touch, the gemstone seemed to vibrate slightly with an unknown force.

After a few moments, one of the arcane symbols on the exterior began to glow a silvery white.

"Candidate Ash" Jin spoke. "You will go first".

"So... I can ask anything?"

"You may" Jin replied.

"Kat" he addressed his "Truth" to the only woman he recognised in the room. It was, he figured, best to start slow.

"Have you ever slept with any other guys since we've been... intimate?"

He was careful to avoid using the word "together", since they weren't officially an "item", but Ash thought his meaning was obvious.

Kat, who had tensed upon hearing her name, now visibly relaxed.

"No, I haven't". She said.

Kat, Sam, and Jin glanced at the gemstone in the center of the pendant, but nothing seemed to happen.

Once again, Jin placed her hands upon the pendant, and this time, another of the symbols glowed with an inner light.

"Candidate Anna, your turn." Jin said.

The mousy, shy girl to Ash's right began stuttering.

"Can.. c... Can't I just skip my turn and let someone else go? Just until I get the hang of it?"

"The candidate must play, or forfeit, there is no other choice. Does the candidate forfeit?"

"Noo! No, I will play" The girl quickly replied.

"Ummm..." She looked around the room in a panic, her eyes eventually settling on Ash.

As the only other newcomer, he probably seemed like an easy target.

She swallowed, and closed her eyes slightly. Then continued.

"How... em... How big is your... you know, thing?" She stuttered, but somehow managed to get the words out.

Ash wondered why she had even agreed to play this game, if she was this nervous.

"Six inches" he replied, with only the slightest of pauses. Like all guys, he spent more time than he would ever admit measuring his manhood, and knew the dimensions by heart.

Maybe he rounded up slightly, but doesn't everyone?

Out of the corner of his eye, the gem seemed to glow faintly purple, and Jin spoke.

"Lie" She said.

Ash was about to protest, but remembered the contests strict rules, and remained silent.

He felt an odd tingling sensation in his groin, that gradually intensified to an unpleasant burning.

Ash subtly adjusted his robe, trying to rub his manhood to relieve the itch, or whatever this was, without drawing too much attention to himself.

Eventually, it subsided, and the game went on.

"Sister Samantha". Jin spoke, after consulting the pendant once again. "Your turn".

Samantha seemed to smirk a little at Ash, before turning to Kat. "Have you ever slept with a girl?" She said.

Kats eyes widened. She glanced at Ash, then the gem, then at Jin, and back to the gem again.

"No! No, I would never!" She said. But then, almost as quickly as she answered, a look of horror crossed her face, and her and her shoulders sank in defeat.

"I mean...Yes." She said. "I've slept with a few girls".

The gemstone glowed purple. It must be a trick of the light, or some kind of mechanism inside that made it glow?

"We must accept your initial answer" Jin said.

"No! That's not fair, I told the truth, I just panicked at first!".

"Rules are rules Sister. Lie." Jin said.

Kat grasped her robe, distraught, and in the flickering firelight it almost looked like she was... searching for something within the folds of fabric?

But that didn't matter now.

"My girlfriend is Bi!" Ash grinned inwardly. "That is so hot! I wonder if she would ever agree to..."

"Sister Katherine" Jin spoke, announcing Kats turn.

Kat was fuming, Ash could tell. She wanted revenge.

"Challenge". She said.

"Samantha, Lets see those voluptuous breasts you are always bragging about".

Sam's face, in turn, darkened.

She hesitated briefly, but then, without a word, she stood, and pulled open the top of her robe, careful to keep the belt tightly tied around her waist.

In the flickering golden firelight, she revealed... Nothing. She had the flattest chest Ash had ever seen, barely even an A cup.

However, what she lacked in size, she more than made up for in muscle. She was tall, athletic, with firm, toned abs, and biceps that were bigger than his own!

Ash wondered if her lack of breasts was natural, or down to some over-exercise or steroid use.

In any case, despite her diminutive chest, Ash found the lewd display incredibly exciting. I mean who wouldn't enjoy seeing a fit woman exposing herself in front of him! He readjusted his robe to hide his growing erection, and hoped noone, especially Sam, had noticed.

She quickly snapped her robe shut and sat down, visibly embarrassed, but still silent.

This time, Jin simply nodded toward Ash. It was his turn again.

Despite his loss to Anne in the last round, Ash felt more confident this time.

I mean Kat had dared Sam to show her boobs, so obviously the stakes for this game were pretty high. But, how far could he go? Ash wondered.

Jin had told him that there were no limits, so...

"What the hell, let's have some fun" Ash though.

"Sam, I dare... I Challenge... I mean I dare you to... Strip completely naked..."

Ash expected her to shout at him, laugh at him, slap him, storm out, anything! I mean he didn't even know her!

What he didn't expect was for Sam to stand up and walk to the center of the room, and completely drop her robe in front of him.

She was an amazon! Thick thighs, strong muscles, even the beginning of six pack abs.

She had short hair in a pixie cut, dyed silver-white, and tribal tattoos on both her arms.

A rose tattoo, bright red, decorated her left shoulder.

Her breasts, small as they were, were shapely, toned, and athletic.

She looked good, and she knew it.

Ash's eyes fell toward her waist even as Sam's gaze bore into him.

She was completely shaved, and had a tattoo below her navel, just above her labia.

As if reading his mind, Sam said: "It's an Ankh. The symbol of the Order of Persephone. To us, it means pleasure".

She turned, revealing her toned ass, and bent to pick up her robe.

Ash could see her pussy even more clearly as she bent over, and immediately he felt his erection fill his own robe.

Strangely, it felt a little different than usual, but he was far too distracted by Sam putting her clothes back on to dwell on this feeling.

The pendant gleamed an arcane silver glow once again, and this time Jin motioned toward Anne.

"Mmm... My turn again?" Anne stuttered slightly.

Jin nodded.

She looked around furtively, as if afraid to draw ire with her gaze.

As the only man, and the only other newcomer, in the room, she once again settled on Ash.