Amara and Rath's Tale
This story is rated R for explicit sexual situations (yaoi and chan)
The boy clung to his mother fiercely as she begged the men not to take him, but they were so much stronger than either the woman or the boy and soon tore him away from her arms.
"Please! Please don't take my son!" she cried. But the men ignored her and dragged the boy out of the cave that had been his home for his entire six years of life. All he could hear were the heart-rending sobs of his mother and the terrifying tramp of feet as they carried him to the waiting wagon.
Two enormous beasts were hitched to it, foul smelling and scaled, and they gave the little boy a baleful look as he passed and showed snouts full of needle-sharp teeth. He cringed away from them. In the driver's seat was a gnarled man with straggly, thinning gray hair and sunken eyes that looked as lifeless as black pebbles. He gave the boy a cursory glance and then looked away. At the back of the wagon, the boy was set on his feet. There his father stood surrounded by the group of demons that made up his clan.
His father knelt slowly, as if his entire body ached, and took his only son's face in his hands. "Yuli, you must be good. You must obey the Master."
"But I don't want to leave you and mother!" Tears ran down Yuli's face. "Please, don't make me go. I'll be good! I promise! Daddy, please!"
Yuri looked at his son and felt his heart break. "You are a good boy. And I am proud to have you as a son. But you have been chosen as the tribute that the Master demanded. I have no choice. If you are not sent to him, our entire clan will die at his hands."
One of the clan members opened the wagon door and Yuri picked up his son and set him inside the wagon. "Please forgive me, Yuli. And always remember that I love you." Then the wagon door was shut and plunged the interior into darkness. Yuli pressed against the side of the wagon in fear and then fell as the wagon began its journey to the Tower.
For three days the boy traveled in the dark wagon. There were occasional stops for food and water, but other than those precious minutes, the wagon moved steadily to the north. Finally at the end of the third day, it reached its destination and a cold stone tower rose up like a angry fist in the gray sky. This was Balgor, the home of JungSo, the Green Mage, the most powerful demon in the entire Northern lands. Many had tried to overcome the Mage and their corpses now lay rotting in the ground. Those who had been left alive had learned to call him Master and to bow when he walked by. And every so often he would demand tribute from one of the clans of the Northern lands. The tribute took many forms: gold, jewels, food, slaves, and many other items, but this time it had been one small boy. Yuri did not how the Green Mage learned of his son, but the point was moot; the clan had no choice but to comply. Yuli was not worth the lives of the entire fire demon clan.
The wagon made its way past the high outer walls and through the arched entry way. There were no gates to bar the way; none were needed. The magic of the Tower was invincible. After drawing up to the Tower doors, the wagon stopped and a servant rushed to open the wagon. Yuli peered out and cautiously walked to the servant, who lifted the boy to the ground. She was an elderly woman, bent with many years of hard work, but her face was kind and Yuli smiled faintly at her. She returned his smile and reached down to take his hand. She led him into the Tower and down a long corridor. The Tower had been built into the side of mountain, and stretch far into the mountain, belying its outward appearance.
She took Yuli to the kitchen and set him on a stool at the table. Another servant, this one a cook, dished up a steaming hot bowl of soup and set in front of the boy. "Eat, boy," the first servant said. "You must be hungry from your journey."
Yuli looked at the food and his stomach rumbled. Ignoring the spoon, he picked up the bowl and lifted it to his lips, eating the food hungrily. Soup dribbled down his chin and stained his clothes. The woman quickly mopped up the spill and wiped Yuli's face.
"We must teach you to eat properly," she admonished.
Yuli looked at her, not understanding what she meant. He ate like everyone else in his clan, with his hands or drinking from a bowl. She washed his hands and then gave him a cup of cool milk. He had never tasted milk before, except for his mother's when he was an infant. He liked the taste and soon drained the cup. Then Yuli was taken to a small room several corridors away. He tried to remember the turns, but the corridors were long and dark and he was soon lost.
"This is your room. It is getting late and you need to sleep. I will come for you in the morning to bathe and dress you so that you can meet the Master."
"Wait, please."
"What do you need, child?"
"What is your name?"
"I am not important." But when she saw the expectant look on the child's face, she relented. "My name is Calfor. Now, go to bed."
Yuli was left alone in the room. He first tried the door, but it was locked. Then he looked around his new quarters. It was simple, a narrow bed, a wooden armoire for clothes, a small table near his bed holding a jar of water, a small cup and an oil lamp. He took off his shoes but left his clothes on and snuggled into the warm bed. The sheets were soft and the blankets warm, and soon the little boy fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, as promised, Calfor took him to a large bathing room. A shallow pool took up almost the entire room and had a small waterfall on the far end. She undressed him and hitched up her long skirts and then led him into the water. To his surprise, the water was warm.
"It comes from an underground hot spring." Calfor explained as she washed the little boy. After he was thoroughly washed, she dried him with soft fluffy towels and dressed him in fine silk clothes, all in the purest of whites. He had never worn such finery before; his old clothes were coarse and homespun. She brushed his hair until it shone like polish marble. "You must bow when you met the Master. And not rise until he tells you to. You must not speak unless he asks you a question directly. You must be an obedient, good little boy. Do you understand me?"
Yuli nodded solemnly. Black slippers were added to his feet, made of raw silk and delicately embroidered. Then she led him down more corridors until they reached a set of very tall double doors embossed with a green dragon on each. Two guard stood outside and opened the door. Calfor took the little boy inside.
A huge room stretch out in front of them. Many people, all dressed in silk and lace, were standing around, talking. When they saw Yuli, a hush of silence traveled through the room. At the far end, a young man lounged on a high-backed chair that resembled a throne.
Yuli could see why he was called the Green Mage. His long hair was a myriad of greens, blending like twinning snakes down his back. He beckoned them closer and Calfor took the boy to the Mage and bowed deeply. Yuli forgot to bow, mesmerized by the incredible green hair and then by JungSo's emerald green eyes. He stood there staring into the eyes of his new Master and a murmur of surprise rippled through the people like a wave.
"So you are my new pet." the Green Mage said and smiled widely, showing perfect teeth. But his emerald eyes did not smile at all.