CHAPTER 3 - PAINFUL MEMORIES

Rei started hungrily to eat the rest of Kai's breakfast. He has never eaten something so delicious before. No wonder, all slaves were used to eat some musty and paltry vegetables.

He was so busy that he didn't notice Tala, who went into the room. The Commander-in-chief smirked at Rei's eating habits and concluded that Kai left the room not so long ago. Then he strolled out from the dinning room and went to the stone staircase.

##TALA POV##

I was climbing up the tower to meet with The Almighty. It was the time of my obligatory report from the previous day. After that I would take an opportunity and asked about that slave Rei I have brought yesterday.

I have always wanted Kai to be happy. But I know that his life wouldn't be cheerful with me… I passed an old, wooden door in the bend of corridor. Suddenly I stopped as old, painful memories started to haunt my mind…

##FLASHBACK##

There was hardly any light in the small chamber, but they could clearly saw each other figures. Tala pinned smaller boy to the stone wall, placing his hands at both sides of Kai's head.

"Damn you Tala." Kai smirked at the older boy, casting him his famous glare.

The redhead smirked back, noticing familiar flash of lust in those crimson eyes. He couldn't stand back anymore and fiercely attacked Kai's soft lips. Kai immediately responded, allowing Tala to enter his mouth. After a short fight for dominance, Kai let Tala win. The redhead tasted the all so familiar nooks and bends of that lovely cave as he pressed himself closely to Kai's well-build body. Bluenette moaned and buried his fingers in silky red hair.

Suddenly the door abruptly fell open and the dark silhouette stood at doorstep.

"What's going on here?" Voltaire asked indignantly as he noticed Tala leaning at Kai. "You fucking faggots! How dare you?!"

Voltaire slammed Tala across the face leaving a red mark and when the boy fell down, the man grasped Kai's arm painfully and pulled him to his face.

"You spread your legs whenever somebody ask you to, don't you? I thought that you aren't so weak Kai, you disappointed me."

He looked furiously at Tala who managed to stand up from the floor. "Both of you won't escape the punishment. Maybe it will teach you something."

#X#X#

Tala slowly raised his tormented head and winked blankly trying to regain his sense of seeing as the doors to the cell suddenly opened. He growled silently at the man who approached him and looked with satisfaction at Tala's body spread on wall and chained by limbs to it.

The redhead's naked body was almost completely blue from both the bruises and cold of the cell. He had also many scratches, gashes and wounds. There was much of clotted blood on his pale skin and at the floor and walls around him.

"I think that it taught you something." Voltaire said insolently as he approached Tala and pilled his fingers in Tala's face. The boy only glared at him from under his swollen eyelids.

"Fuck off." He said weakly.

Voltaire's grip hardened as he looked menacingly at Tala. "If you do it to Kai again, I will caused such a suffering that you will curse your dead mother for ever giving birth to you." He hissed and turned to leave.

"I will never regret what I have done." Whispered Tala as he glared at Voltaire's back.

The man stopped and smiled evilly without turning to Tala. "I advise you not to say such things until you meet Kai." He grinned even wilder as he heard Tala's nervous voice.

"What have you told him?"

"You will find out soon enough." And with that Voltaire left Tala with a panic guesswork.

##END OF FLASHBACK##

Tala couldn't know, but when he was recalling that painful memories Kai was thinking about the same events.

##KAI POV##

I came up to the window in my study as I was waiting for Tala's everyday report. Tala… I must admit that I'm used to his presence in my surroundings. But …This memory always comes back to me when I look at him. Maybe it's not so painful how it used to be, but still…

##FLASHBACK##

Kai fell down at the hard floor as he was thrown into the cell by his grandfather. The man also went in and closed the door. Then he approached his grandson and kicked him in stomach, causing Kai to cough blood.

"Kai. How could you demean yourself so badly?" he grabbed the boy by his collar and raised at his face level.

"To be involved with somebody of this sort…Disgusting. " he pressed Kai to the wall, still holding him by his collar.

"And you let him to dominate. What a shame for you." Voltaire punched Kai's face by his free fist. He let the boy slumped at the floor and started to walk circles all over the cell. Kai watched him silently from where he was laying, afraid of the hell he would go through. Finally Voltaire stopped in front of his grandson.

"It's only one thing which may help you to understand your mistakes." He said ominously and added. "Get your clothes off."

Kai startled as the stood up. "But…"

"What? That's no big deal for you as you did it with that worm many times before." Voltaire responded venomously.

"Actually … I didn't…" muttered Kai and then he hardly kept his balance as the tough hand slapped him across his face.

"Stop talking bullshit and strip now." Demanded man.

Kai obediently undressed himself and stood in front of his grandfather, his pale skin shivering slightly because of cold and concern. Voltaire turned him around, grasped his hands and locked them in the cuffs, which were hanging from the ceiling.

Kai gasped as two fingers inserted his slot. Then he felt damp, sticky breath at his neck.

"Now Kai, I will show you that the love brings only pain and suffering. And this only makes you weaker."

Then, without any warning, Kai felt excruciating pain as his grandfather entered him sharply. He cried with pain and felt tears sticking his eyes. He sensed as if something was tearing him from the inside.

It was even worse as Voltaire started to pump harder.

After a few minutes Kai's soar voice didn't allow him to scream anymore and his grandfather was still tormenting his body and pride. He began to think.

'Is this the cost I have to pay for love? Is it worth it?'

After the old man finished with Kai, he freed the boy's hands from the cuffs and the young Hiwatari's limb body fell on the stone floor with a thud.

Kai thought that the torture was finally over but...

"I'm not sure that you have learned your lesson Kai" Voltaire said exiting the room. "Don't move. I'll be right back" the old man said with sarcasm in his voice.

Kai's worst nightmares came true, his grandfather hasn't finished with him yet. His body was in such a horrible state that he couldn't even move one muscle and more torture was going to come.

In a couple of minutes the old man came back, but for Kai it was a century of suffering.

Voltaire had something in his hand, Kai didn't even want to think what kind of pain the tool could give him.

"Boy, I'll leave you something so you'll never forget about our little lesson."

Kai watched wide-eyed as his grandfather took his left hand and with the pair of pincers he tore off Kai's little finger with one swift move. Even after the previous torment, Kai screamed his lungs out because of the tearing, unbearable pain.

'No, it wasn't worth it....'

Voltaire was pleased with his grandson's reaction and his tossed the small piece of flesh deeper into the chamber, where rats started to fight over it.

Kai's tormentor stood above him smirking evilly.

"I think you have learned something today Kai and I hope you'll never forget that 'love' will only give you pain and make you weak."

##END OF FLASHBACK##

Kai looked down at his gloved hand and thought bitterly. 'Yeah, I will never forget.'

He heard knocking to the door and called: "Come in!"

##TALA POV##

I entered the chamber and saw him standing next to window. He turned his face towards me as I bowed. When he allowed me to straighten up, l gazed at his face. Despite nearly 13 years, which passed from that event, he had the charm of 16 years old lad. Maybe there was more sighs of concerns at this face than earlier, but it was adding even more beauty to his appearance.

My eyes slid over his gloved hands - he has worn them since that accident, but I've never known why. Practically, our contacts have drastically changed since those punishments. He has never spoke to me like before, I guessed that was caused by what Voltaire had told or done to him that memorable night.

I reported everything what happened the previous day and stared at him watchfully. I wanted to find out his today's mood. Finally I took a risk and asked.

"Sir, what do you want to do with that slave?"

Kai looked at me thoughtfully as to find the answer in my eyes. Finally he opened his mouth and spoke:

"Leave him here, maybe he will be useful for me."

I smiled inwardly at this answer and left the room with bow.

#X#X#

Rei ended his meal and started to wonder where to go, when suddenly somebody strolled to the chamber. It was a slightly chubby boy about Rei's age, with dark, blue hair tied in ponytail. He headed towards the table, but when he noticed Rei, he stopped and looked at him with surprise.

"Who are you?" he asked curiously.

"I'm Rei." He answered simply. "And you?"

"Tyson. Oh, you have been brought here yesterday, haven't you?" he asked as he came up to the wooden table. Then he suddenly whistled.

"Wow! This is the first time that the whole food disappeared from the table." He commented. "You know," he turned to Rei. "This is very annoying when you're cooking during whole day and then The Almighty eats hardly anything. And today… these is amazing!"

"You know, in fact I ate the rest of his breakfast. He allowed me." Rei added quickly as the boy looked at him suspiciously.

"Well… that's weird. Anyway I must wash all these dishes now." And he started to collect all things, which were covering the table.

"You know…I have one question." Said Rei shyly.

"Yeah?" the boy asked without breaking his occupation.

"How can I leave this room?"

"The door at left leads to the kitchen and this at right to the other places."

"Thanks." And with that he left the chamber and walked along dark corridor. Finally, he approached some stairs and walked up. Suddenly he noticed that it was getting brighter. He quickened his pace. Finally he approached the source of the light. He came to halt immediately, stunned at what he had seen.

## There's no sun in the shadow of the wizard##

It was a big, round room. Instead of normal ceiling, there was a glass cupola, which was letting sunrays in. There were many rich green trees and grass. In some places there were benches and at the center stood white fountain, with clear, murmuring water.

Rei wanted to stay in this place, but he heard some steps and quickly left the room. He headed towards lower parts of castle. He passed corridors with paintings and sculptures. It was getting darker as he went down another stairs. Suddenly he noticed big, steel doors. He put his ear against it and heard some strange ticking. He was to open the door, when somebody tapped his shoulder.

Rei turned around and saw the short boy. He was younger that raven-haired boy. He had brown hair with long fringe, which was falling at his eyes. In his hands he was holding a strange, glass sphere, which was attached to one of his legs by thin, silver chain.

Rei was about to ask something, but the boy spoke quickly.

"The Almighty wants to see you. We must hurry. Come on!" and with that he rushed along the corridor. Rei obediently followed him, wondering what's going on.

"What's that thing you are holding?" he asked as they were climbing up the stairs.

"It is prohibited to ask about it." He whispered and came to halt as they approached the door Rei has already seen before. "Ok. You must come in. " and with that he quickly disappeared.

'Weird guy.' Rei thought as he knocked to the door.

## Oh I see his face!##

When Rei finally entered the study, Kai looked at him and asked:

"You are Rei, right?"

Rei only nodded as the bluenette approached him and started to walk in circles around him, like a predator preparing to the attack.

"What's you number?"

"6589914, sir."

"Oh, so you are 18 years old, aren't you? And you were working in section D, right?"

Rei nodded, but started to wonder why the man used the past form. Kai guessed boy's thoughts.

"You won't come back there for a while, because from now you are my personal servant."

"Personal servant?" Rei couldn't restrain himself from asking about that.

"Yeah, you've heard clearly. You are supposed to be obedient to me as a dog. Always be at my beck and call. Understood?" Kai stood in front of boy.

"Yes sir."

"Ok, so now follow me, I have something to do in lower parts of castle." He strolled from the study, with Rei following him.

"Where are we going?" the boy asked curiously.

"The first principle - never ask unnecessary question."

TBC