Music & Famine #2 (complete)

               The temple is strangely quiet and still. Now that the rains have come and have not ceased, the temple is filled with only the orphans. The schooling we host has ceased since the rains make the journey up to the temple impossible. The roads are impassable by flooding, and the threat of thunder and lightning is everywhere.

    The children are bored and have taken to the library to read and study. It is hard to celebrate when it feels as if the world around is only gray and is only water and mud. The rains are my least favorite time of year, but I know they are necessary and needed in the long run. The water refills the rivers and lakes, and makes the ground wet and ready for farming. But the incessant rain and storms always set me on edge. The thunder reminds me of the days before Garla took over when things were at their darkest and I was at my weakest. 

    Since the windows in the great hall have not all been fixed, the hall itself has become a pool. The rain comes through the windows, flooding the floor now at ankles depth. It only adds on to Keres’ debts. The windows are their responsibility, so now the floors and water have become theirs as well. I do feel bad for that, they had no idea the rains were fast approaching. 

    Keres works when they want to, seeming to laze about mostly. I am not sure what their game plan is or if they ever wish to leave the temple. Ever since the rains began, they have made zero progress and have done absolutely nothing. They wander about the temple like some sort of haunting. The children stay away from them, not liking their striking scarlet apparel or their replacement of a head.

    One day, as I’m lounging in my room, I hear the organ spark to life. The deep sound of it rumbles through the temple and I am roused from my bed. The organ continues to be struck and it blasts through the halls. The children know not to play with it, so I know who to blame for it. As I storm down the halls to its room, the random striking of keys turns into a tune. As I reach the room, the song has crescendoed and changed key. 

    I find Keres sitting at the organ, the tall pipes towering over them as they sit at the keyboard. Their body sways and dances in their seat as they are moved by the music they play. As I step up behind them, the tune slows and comes to a close.

    “Oh, did you hear us?” Keres scoffs.

    “You can play that?” I ask in shock.

    Keres turns and looks at me. “What?” They sneer. “Like it’s hard?”

    I cross my arms and look down my nose at them. “No need to get smart. I was impressed until you started copping your usual attitude with me.”

    They laugh and turn back to the keys. “We love the majesty of it.” They look up along the pipes and sigh. “The grandeur, the spectacle. It is amazing how someone saw the piano and thought to themselves, ‘more.’”

    I smile a bit. “There are many more variations,” I reply. “So many ideas, so many gifts.”

    Keres shrugs. “We like this one. You don’t need to sell us on anything else.” They turn back to the keyboard and start playing again. Their long fingers move elegantly along the keys. It surprises me how such thorny things can look so lovely while playing.

    “When did you learn to play?” I hover around them, curious at their finger movements.

    “There has been many years between when you last saw us and now,” Keres scoffs. “Many years for us to discover ourselves and push ourselves into different roles aside from a knight whose goal is to keep their end of balance in this world. Our role is not just one of controlled and demanded servitude-” they then stop and laugh for a second.

    “Anyways, we taught ourselves a few new trades and hobbies.” Keres glances up at the pipes again. “For a while, we made our house from an old church. It had an organ like this. Not quite as grand as yours, dear Etude. Far from. Nothing suprasses this beauty.” They slam their fingers down, carrying out an extending and loud note before slipping their hands away.

    “Of all your stupid rooms, I like this one the best.” Keres stands from the keyboard and looks around the room. “It is peaceful here, unlike the others.”

    The room is all black with brass and copper pipes running all over it. The pipes curl this way and that, curving and forming a large fireplace at the bottom of the room. The organ is held aloft by a stage of copper with stairways that curl downward and disappear into the floor. The room isn’t used much, as most of the children don’t care for the organ, they all seem to find it creepy. No wonder Keres likes it.

    “Make it yours then,” I sigh. “For as long as you are staying, you might as well have your own alcove here.”

    Keres folds their arms behind their back. “We weren’t expecting such generosity. Give us a moment to properly let it all soak in.”

    I shake my head and bite my tongue. “You don’t have to say anything. In fact, keeping your damn mouth shut would be a lot more appreciated than saying something fucking smart again.”

    “Then we don’t want it if you’re going to act in a such a fashion,” they scoff. “Keep us in an oak crate at the foot of your bed, for all we care.”

    I cover my mouth with my hand and laugh. “No. You’d like that too much.”

    “We would, actually.” They look out over the rest of the room. “We suppose here is fine enough then. We can dream the rest.”

    I scoff. “Are you serious about these things? Or are you actually enjoying all the degradation?”

    Keres tuts and waggles their finger at me. “That is bedroom talk and we have not consented into allowing you into our bed yet, Etude.” They then gasp and clasp their hand at their chest. “You have not even asked us.”

    “Stop it,” I snarl.

    Keres chuckles and walks towards the stairs. “Better question to ask, Etude, is if you enjoy the way we talk. Do you like it and are faking annoyance? Or do you genuinely feel discomfort at our words? Either way, we would love to know.”

    “You won’t get the satisfaction from me either way.” I look down at them on the ground floor.

    “We are actually hoping that we will.” Keres looks up. The skull looks like it is grinning at me. “You will be spanking us soon enough.”

    “Ugh!” I roll my eyes.

    “You aren’t running away, that’s a good sign.” Keres chuckles then moves towards the fireplace. “We think we have you figured out, Etude.”

    “No, you don’t,” I grump. I know my argument is weak sounding, but I have no idea what else to say to them.

    “We think you actually enjoy the ideas we have been giving you.” Keres takes a poker and jabs into the fire. The coals burn brighter and my face begins to burn. “You were kept down so long, you now crave that power over someone.”

    I wrap my arms around myself. “No. I don’t want that at all. After knowing what it feels like, how could I possibly ever desire something as macabre as that?”

    “Because, you could be doing it to someone who actually likes it.” Keres kneels down by the fire. “Someone who desires being controlled and being told what to do. Some people enjoy giving their power to someone else.”

    I grimace and shake my head. “Why are you telling me things like this?”

    “It could help release that stress.” Keres stands again. “And some of that pain you hold on to, Etude.”

    “Stop that. Just stop...saying my name like that.” I squeeze my arms around myself tighter and close my eyes. “I don’t like the way you say my name at all.”

    “How are we saying it, Etude?” They ask. “What do you hear when we say your name?”

    “It’s suggestive, it’s...I don’t know, it’s weird.” My face and body are burning up, they have it way too warm in the room. I’m feeling hot all the way down to my toes, but it seems to pool between my legs.

    “Why don’t you make us stop then?” Keres whispers.

    I open my eyes and huff. “It’s too warm in here.”

    Keres glances to the fire. “We haven’t even added any wood to it.”

    “It’s too hot!” I blurt. “I don’t like it. I don’t like you. So just stop bothering me!” I rush out of the room and down the hallway. I’m still burning up. Everywhere I go, it is way too hot. I just want to get cooled down. I just want to feel normal again.

    I go into the great hall and wade down into the water that has pooled there. I kneel down and dunk my head underneath the cold, icy water. My body feels refreshed and soothed, but I am still molten to my core. Between my thighs, the heat is a dull, throbbing ache. My nipples are hard and the wet fabric that rubs against them only makes it worse. As I pull my head up and my hair drapes over my eyes and sticks to my skin, I peer up at the wide open windows. Beyond them, I see the gray clouds turning black and the veins of lightning within them.

    I go outside, stepping along the cobblestone path that leads me up into the clouds. I step inside, hearing the snarling and growling. A flashing light goes by and hisses at me. The little lightning creatures look like a mix of cat and rabbit. They’re big, fat, fluffy things with pointed up ears and slanted eyes. Dozens of them run about the clouds, zigzagging and hissing as I walk amongst them. 

    “Aella?” I call out. “Sister?”

    “I am busy!” A voice roars and tons of the lightning creatures rush passed me in a flurry. “I can’t be bothered now! Who is there?” Her voice is deep and booming.

    “It’s Etude,” I call out.

    “Oh! The baby?” I step down into a black cloud where I see Aella sitting in a chair that is surrounded my gears, levers, buttons and a huge glowing screen right in front of her. “What are you doing here?”

    Aella is tall with thick arms and legs. Her hair is a wild crown of tight curls and she’s wearing a massive set of goggles in front of gray eyes.

    “I had a question,” I reply as a baby lightning creature wanders up to me. I pick it up, letting it bite and gnaw at my fingers. “About the horsemen.”

    “Why them?” Aella turns a giant wheel and the cloud shifts. Lightning creatures fall from one side of the cloud and tumble into the other before stampeding out all together. I regain my balance and brace myself against the wall. 

    “Curiosity, I suppose. I, uhm...Just hadn’t seen them in a long time!” I force myself to laugh.

    “Well, they got all their heads chopped off just before we killed dad.” Aella moves away the controls and pushes up the big screen. She stands up and strides over to me.

    “Huh-” I cross my arms. 

    “If you’re worried about them, they serve no threat to us anymore. Hell, I don’t think they ever actually did.” Aella scoops up a mass of the lightning creatures in her arms. “If you’re worried, that is.”

    “What? No,” I shake my head. “I told you, it was all curiosity. I figured since you were so close, I might as well ask about them.”

    “They’re still around, doing whatever it is they do.” Aella takes the lightning creatures and sets them all loose. They scatter and thunder follows behind them.

    “And, uhm-” I fidget for a moment. “Where are the heads kept?”

    “In the tomb.” Aella stops for a moment and turns to give me the eye. She lifts up her goggles to do so. “What gives?”

    I shake my head. “Nothing!” 

    “No, no,” she shakes her head. “Not nothing. You know, Amorette recently took back Valery’s head. The two of them have been getting extremely close as of late. If you catch my drift.”

    “What?” I scoff and step closer. “Amorette and War?”

    “Yup!” Aella pops.

    “But why?” I whisper, mainly to myself.

    Aella sighs and waves her hand dismissively. “Look, either ask for the head you want, or get out. Just send word to Garla. I’m busy here, can’t you see that?”

    “Yeah,” I murmur. “Sorry.” I leave, going back down the cobblestones. It’s raining once I return to the temple, and the sky is as dark as night. I go back inside through the great hall, wading through the water. 

    “Where did you go?”

    I look up, seeing Keres standing at the top of the stairs. “For a visit,” I grump. I climb up the stairs and try to brush passed them, but they block me.

    “You’re soaking wet,” Keres chuckles. “You must be quite cold.”

    My body begins to feel hot all over again. 

    “Your body is much more honest than you are.” Keres steps in closer to me. “We can see it, you know?” Their knuckles brush against my stiff nipples.

    I grab their wrist and yank it back. “Don’t touch me,” I pant. “Unless I tell you to.”

    Keres seethes and flexes their fingers. “Do you understand just how unbearably provocative you are right now?”

    I push them away. “Why is it so damn hot in here?” I scoff.

    Keres takes a deep breath. “We are not sure, but we are beginning to feel it too.” They fan their hand before their fake head. “Do you like it as much as we do?”

    I stomp away from them, going on to my own room. I do as Aella said, asking Garla for Keres’ head. In my mind, I lie to myself and say that if I have their head, perhaps I can make them work harder on fixing the place. Then they can leave and torment me no longer. But in the back of my mind, I know the truth. I know that my feelings for Keres are not ones of repulsion, but of something much deeper. Keres is seductive and dark, and I am drawn to them.

    That evening, as the organ plays, I make my way down to what is now Keres’ room. They are at the organ, wearing some red robe. Their arms and hands are encased in tight gloves that go all the way up the arm. They’re wearing similar spiked heel boots that encase their entire leg.

    “It’s late,” I sigh as I stride into the room. “Why are you playing now?”

    “We wanted attention,” they chuckle. They stand up from the keyboard. “So we thought this would be the best way to capture yours.”

    “It’s still too damn warm in here,” I grumble under my breath.

    “Perhaps,” Keres steps closer. “I must make a confession. Your visage this afternoon has not left my mind and it is becoming too much for me to continue living with.”

    I tilt my head and narrow my eyes down at them.

    “Give me something else.” Keres clasps their hands before themselves. “Give me another torment besides that one.”

    “What kind of torment?” I scoff.

    “Carnality,” Keres whispers.

    The heat spikes and my blood might as well have become lava. “How dare you?” The words come out more like a moan. 

    “Do us this one favor and we will burden you with no more.” Keres falls to their knees in front of me. “Please?”

    I lift my foot and firmly plant it on their chest. Smoke and fire billows from the mouth and eyes of their red skull. I push them over and then press my foot onto their stomach. I stand above them moving my robe so they can peer upward and see what is beneath.

    “Thank you. Bless you.” Keres’ groans are not ones of agony, they’re of elated pleasure.

    The heat in my loins is far too good. I like it too much. I step off of Keres and scoff. “You’re terrible.” I lick my lips. “Disgusting.”

    Keres rises to his knees again. “Thank you.”

    I press my thighs together and bite my lip. “Why are you doing this to me?”

    “It isn’t we who are doing this. Right now, this is your power.” Keres points up to me. “Use it if it so pleases you.”

    I whimper and run my hand down my chest. “I’m scared.”

    Keres bows before me, kissing the teeth of the red skull to my foot. “It is normal to be afraid of your passion.” Their hand glides up my leg. “But once you embrace it, you will love it.”

    My lashes flutter and I have to step away from them. “I’m not ready.”

    Keres lifts up from the floor and stands before me. “When you are, we are here and willing to accept it.” They stretch their hand out to me.

    I take their hand and kiss the palm. I then let go, turning and escaping the room. When I return to my own chambers, I find a box sitting on my bed, and sitting upon it is one of Garla’s doves. I know what’s in the box, so I place it under my bed.

    I try to ignore the fire Keres as lit inside me, but it is smoldering and insufferable. I can barely sleep. Breaking down, I touch myself, coaxing out the fire, the desire. I gasp and moan, imagining Keres and their voice in my ear. I writhe on the bed, feeling the heat on my fingers. It drips down and soaks the sheets, and I am left panting and cold.

    I hear clapping and I sit up from the bed, seeing Keres sitting in a chair across from me. They linger in the shadows, staring and excited. I can hear their breath and the fire stokes inside me again.

    “You were watching?” I cup my hand over my cheek.

    “We felt summoned,” Keres growls. “We didn’t come here of our own volition.” They stand up from the chair. “You wanted us here.”

    I pose naked before them as they stand at the edge of the bed. “I have something for you.”

    “Oh, gods, We hope you do,” Keres moans.

    “It’s under the bed.”

    Keres kneels down and reaches underneath and drags out the big gray box. They open it up and they fall back. “I cannot believe this.”

    I slip off the bed and take their head from the box. Their features are cold and gray and their expression is limp. Their long hair flows from inside the box and along my bare arms. “Do you wish me to give it to you?”

    “Very much.” Keres removes the red skull from their neck.

    “Once I give it back,” I murmur, “you must make a promise to me.”

    Keres bows low before me. “Anything.”

    “Give yourself to me,” I whisper. “Become mine.”

    Keres lifts from the ground. “We have no choice in the matter. We were yours long ago.”

    I take my sewing kit and ready a needle and thread. Once I place Keres’ head on their shoulders I start sewing the head back to the neck. Keres grips their hands around my waist, holding me fast as the needle slips through their skin. Once I have finished, fire spews between the threads. The threads burn away and the flesh melds back together.

    Keres moans, touching their neck and sighing deeply. They claw their hands down their chest and look at me. Their features are sharp and bony, with cheek bones that cut glass. Their eyes are deep and hollow, looking almost like empty sockets. Inside the sockets, though, are glowing red eyes that look like clocks. Vivid numbers glow in circles around the dark pupil. Their lips open and a long, slimy black tongue licks along their chops.

    “I prefer the mask,” I pant.

    Keres chuckles. “Is that what you command of me?”

    “Stay still,” I whisper. I press my palms against their thighs and lean in. I kiss their mouth and bite them. Keres eases in, hungrily meeting my kiss.

    Saliva attaches us as I pull back from them. I then slap them across the face and Keres moans out loud and impassioned.

    “Thank you!” Keres seethes and grins at me. “Oh, fuck-” they bite their lip and writhe. “May we have another?”

    I smirk and kiss them again. “Once you’ve earned it, my love,” I purr for them. 

    “What must we do?” Keres stays kneeled as I stand up. 

    “Undress.” I toss my hair over my shoulder. “But leave the gloves and shoes.”

Keres grins up at me and strips away the red robe. Their long white hair covered most of their body, but their frame is small and jagged.

I lick my lips as I try to decide what I want next. Seeing them so ready and willing before me, I feel powerful. “Stand up.”

Keres rises from the ground and tilts their head back as they look at me.

“Now bend over the bed.” I command.

Keres’ grin deepens and they pull their hair aside. They lay it on the bed then bend themselves over. They’re silent, but I can feel the excitement radiating from them. It flows over me and the fire inside grows.

I reach down between my thighs, touching myself until I grow thick and hard, changing my genitals around for just this moment. Last night, I had tried to pull this fire out, making myself a channel, but today, I want to use that fire within Keres.

I rub my hand down their back, then spank their bottom. Keres moans into the bed. I strike again and their haunches stiffen. I rub where I’ve struck, marveled by the red growing there. I spank them again and Keres lets out a strong, pleasured cry.

I bend over the top of them and breathe into their ear. “That’s music.” I tangle their hair into my fist and pull it hard. “That is beautiful music.” I grind myself against their skin and listen to them moan. “Are you going to sing for me?”

I rise up again, seeing the rosy hue on their ass. I spank them again and Keres’ voice rises and trills. I strike the backs of their thighs, rubbing and soothing before spanking again. Keres’ song rises and soon they cry out. Their body goes limp on the bed and they pant and moan.

I lay down beside them, kissing them and letting them curl into my form. “Is that what you wanted?”

“Thank you,” they whisper over and over again. 

I kiss them and move them onto their back. I rub myself against their belly and then between their thighs. They gaze up at me, their eyes dim and their smile faint. I kiss them, pressing my heat inside. I roll my hips, moving inside them slowly. Their weak voice echoes inside me and their sharp fingers dig into my hips. I feel them tighten and squeeze, and I grow dizzy from trying to hold myself back.

I wake in the morning, my hips tired and sore, and claw marks on my thighs. It is still dark outside and rain beats against the windows. Under the covers, Keres stirs and whimpers.

“Do not wake yet,” I murmur as lightning flashes in the room. “Stay as you are.”

Keres huffs. “We cannot sleep when you stir. And our ass is sore from your lovemaking.” They chuckle at this. 

I lay back down beside them. “You can do the entering next time.”

“And what if we don’t want to?” Keres pets my hair from my face. 

“You must,” I whisper and place my hand around their throat as I kiss them. “You are mine. You vowed yourself to me.”

“Our wants are your wants,” Keres moans as we kiss. “We will obey and we will love.”