Azazel woke up to the sensation that Zarak had just poked him to his side by his elbow. “You’re here to serve me, slave. Bring me my breakfast.”
The angel couldn’t react fast enough to the sudden order being still half asleep himself and Zarak raised his voice. “Get my breakfast, slave!”
Azazel got up from the bed without a sound and nearly fell when the dizziness hit him; he had forgotten his lessened strength.
Zarak watched as the angel slowly walked to the door and hesitating opened it.
Behind the door on the floor was huge tray and Azazel lifted it up; there was food for only one and he knew without saying that he wouldn’t get even a crumb of it.
Very carefully Azazel walked back to the bed and lowered the tray on the lap of his waiting master.
Zarak knew he was being unnecessarily cruel but hardened his mind. “Your place is over there, slave.” He pointed the most faraway corner of the room where wasn’t even a carpet on the floor. “You will sleep there and if I have no need for you you’ll stay there quietly. Go.”
Azazel gave no answer but walked to the corner and sat down pulling his knees to his chest and pressed his head against his knees. The silvery wings came to cover his naked body as he had nothing else.
While watching his slave sat on the cold floor Zarak was already ready to call him back. Only his pride prevented him to take back his words.
***
The day went by slowly and Azazel stayed in his corner unmoving although he was thirsty and hungry and it worsened every minute.
Zarak had left his quarters right after the breakfast and little after that a timid angel slave had come in trailed by the guard. Silently the slave had cleaned the room and changed the sheets of his master’s bed leaving quickly with the guard.
Zarak returned to his private quarters not until late in the evening and a pleased smile was the guard’s reward when he told that Azazel hadn’t move from his corner in the whole day.
The angel didn’t pay any attention to the daemon when he came in his bedroom; the thirst and hunger were starting to turn into a serious problem. Azazel buried his face deeper into the soft feathers of his wings; he hadn’t had anything to eat or drink after getting captured and this was the fourth day but he would not beg.
Zarak observed his slave knowing that the angel most surely was thirsty and probably hungry too. Hunger was good; it broke the prisoners will faster that pain but Azazel didn’t seem to be ready to beg. Sighing Zarak sat on the bed. “Come here, slave.”
The angel opened his wings and was ready to get up when Zarak cleared his voice. “I didn’t tell you to get up, did I? Crawl.”
Azazel looked at the daemon disbelief on his eyes while lowering himself to his hands and knees on the floor; why his brother had to degrade him so much.
When Zarak nodded his approval Azazel lowered his gaze and started to crawl toward his brother.
Zarak watched his slave pleased; maybe if Azazel obeyed him without objections he could treat the angel better without causing suspicions in other daemons.
***
Azazel stopped to kneel right in front of Zarak and wrapped his wings around himself; what the daemon wanted this time? Maybe brand him with hot iron?
Zarak laid his hand on the top of the angel’s head and started to caress his hair in slow motions. “Good boy… Just keep obeying my every command like a slave should do and your life in here won’t be so uncomfortable.”
Azazel kept his head down and closed his eyes when he felt the daemon’s fingers in his hair; against his best attempts Azazel enjoyed Zarak’s gentle touch.
The daemon noticed his slave starting to relax and kept caressing his hair and cheek. “Just like this Azazel… It’s so much easier to you if you just submit to your faith… Submit to me Azazel…”
Azazel’s eyes shot open and the familiar will to fight was back; to submit to Zarak!?
Their eyes met and Azazel looked his captor, the daemon who wanted to enslave him, unable to move or turn his eyes away; Lord Zarak really was an impressive sight.
Zarak didn’t do anything. He could see the new will to fight in his slaves eyes and cursed his words he had uttered so carelessly. If Azazel now chose to refuse to obey him for now on they would be back to square one. So he just waited to see what the angel would do. Whatever he had waited to happen this wasn’t among them.
***
Azazel let his eyes to close up and pressed his head against his brother’s palm.
Lord Zarak had never felt this kind of excitement and dared not to believe what he thought had just happened. But it was truth; Azazel was finally his. The angel had given in to his will and Lord Zarak wasn’t unthankful.
He bent forward to plant a little kiss on the angel’s forehead and kept caressing his hair. “Azazel… Your life will be so much easier from this point… Do as I say and you don’t have to worry about thirst or hunger.”
Zarak reached for a black ribbon hanging from the ceiling near the bed side table and pulled from it. After a moment the door opened and in came a nervous slave.
“Your wish my lord?”
Zarak’s hand didn’t falter from its task of petting the silky hair of his slave. “Bring something for my pet to eat and drink.”
The slave at the door turned his attention on the kneeling angel in front of his master and in seconds all color had left the slave’s face. “Sir Silverwing, my liege!!”
Zarak just raised his brow. He had expected some reaction but this one was more intense than he had predicted. His attention was totally in the angel in front of him.
Azazel had horrified expression on his face and his whole body was shivering slightly from the tension in his muscles.
Zarak didn’t make the angel to look his former underling and continued to caress Azazel’s hair while motioned the other slave to leave. “That would be all. Leave us.”
The slave bowed and left the room with shaky feet to do his masters bidding.
***
Azazel was holding back his tears; he didn’t care so much of the humiliation he had been put through but that his former subordinates saw him in this state was simply too much.
The daemon lord watched how his slave tried to calm his feelings and saw a single tear to escape from the closed eyes. He knew this would be great chance to break his ne slave but he didn’t do anything, just kept caressing Azazel’s hair.
When the angel started to relax once again Zarak decided it was time to tell what he wanted from his slave. “Azazel, look at me.”
The angel raised his head and looked into the eyes of the daemon while Zarak took his face between his palms. “You’re at last learned to behave like a slave should. It pleases me and I’m going to reward you from it but…”
Zarak was silent for a moment and saw the angel’s reaction in his eyes; his slave was still afraid and along the silence the fear grew.
Zarak caressed the soft skin with his thumbs and for the first time smiled without hidden meaning. “Have you ever noticed how cruel your Creator truly is, Azazel? He made you perfect and it wasn’t enough that he made you to be a perfect angel and commander. No, your beloved Creator had to make you to be also a perfect slave and whore. You’re perfect in any way… It must be a huge burden to you…”
Azazel listened to his brother’s words unable to turn his eyes away from his intense gaze. He recalled their shared time in Heaven and now Zarak was so much like he used to be back then.
Zarak realized the same only seconds later and corrected his behavior. “But now you don’t have to be perfect in everything anymore. It’s enough that you’ll be a perfect slave for me and obey my every command without any argument.”
The hold on his face tightened and Azazel knew he wouldn’t like what he was about to hear.
“As you know I won’t leave your body untouched. I will use you as ever I want to satisfy my needs and I guarantee that some things I’m going to do to you are going to be painful.”
Azazel grew pale and his fear was almost palpable.
Zarak could feel his slave to shiver. “This is important Azazel and don’t you ever dare to forget this. Only I am allowed to touch you. No-one else is allowed to use your body without my direct order. Don’t let anybody to use you unless I have ordered you to serve someone. Is this clear, Azazel?”
Zarak moved his hands away and the angel nodded nervously; he was happy that his brother had claimed him mainly his own use but the order part was concerning. Would Zarak really order him to pleasure some other daemon?
***
Zarak looked at the nervous angel and gave an annoyed sigh.
So Azazel was nothing more than another slave ruled by fear. He felt his disappointment changing to annoyance and he clenched his hands to the fists.
Azazel saw all this and although scared and confused of his brother’s sudden change of mind he timidly touched one white knuckled fist.
Zarak woke up from his thoughts surprised of the gentle touch; no other slave had dared to touch him unless ordered.
Azazel’s expression was scared but there was a question in his eyes and the daemon sighed again. “I’m not angry at you.”
Azazel seemed to relax at those words and Zarak saw the angel’s wings open a little to reveal more skin.
He knew he had wanted the angel to fear him and now he had what he had wanted. So why then he reacted this way. Maybe he had waited something more from the legendary commander, from his brother. Quickly Zarak abandoned that trail of thought; he had no brother.
***
Zarak stood up just as a light knock could be heard from the door. “Come inside.”
The door opened and the same slave returned with a tray full of food and some decanters of water. The slave hesitated and turned to look at his master. “Where should I put the tray my lord?”
Zarak walked to the slave and took the tray from him noticing how the slave kept looking towards Azazel. “Is there something you want, slave?”
The slave nodded nervously just as Azazel had done just few minutes ago. “May I meet your pet my lord?”
Azazel flinched from the word and kept his head down; pet…
Zarak gazed to the angel on the floor and nodded once putting the tray on the table nearby. “Very well, slave.”
Zarak turned to look at Azazel and the angel knew what it meant.
“You can go to meet my pet.”
The slave bowed to his master. “Thank you my lord.”
Slowly the slave came to Azazel and the angel flinched when the other raised his hand to trail it over the silvery wing.
“Sir Silverwing, what’s happened to you?” The slave’s voice was barely a whisper while he kneeled on the floor and finally Azazel dared to raise his eyes to meet the other while shaking his head mutedly.
There was no more reason to call him sir or even by his last name.
The other angel seemed to understand and looked him mournfully.
It was that moment when Azazel noticed the wings of his fellow slave. They were clipped so that the angel would never be able to fly again.
Azazel felt tears in his eyes when he raised his hand to touch the abused wing; what they had done to this poor creature. Didn’t they know that the pain of cutting the wings would stay there forever? It would turn in dull throbbing as the years went by but it would never heal completely.
***
Zarak watched how the angels gently caressed each other’s wings and noticed the tears that leaked from Azazel’s eyes. Such a compassioned creature he was. But just now this would have to be enough; the evening was late and he needed to feed Azazel before going to sleep.
The daemon took a step forward and Azazel lifted his sad eyes to his brother.
“That’s enough. We have still things to do, my pet.”
The other slave got to his feet and bowed to his master. “Thank you for your kindness my lord.”
Zarak nodded. “Make sure the kitchen is clean and go to rest, slave.”
The slave bowed his head. “As you wish, my lord.” He walked to the door and left without another word.
Azazel was staring the floor in front of him when Zarak put his hand on the top of his head.
“Come my pet… It’s time of your reward.” The daemon walked to the small table where the tray was and waited his slave to crawl to him.
Azazel seemed a little bit pale and his movements were slightly sluggish.
Zarak filled one crystal goblet with fresh water and smiled to the slave when he kneeled in front of him once more. “Very good, my slave, you learn so quickly. Now, would you want some water?”
Azazel nodded anxiously putting his pride away for now and the daemon put one hand behind Azazel’s head taking the goblet with another. “I can’t let you drink as much as you would like my pet. That would make you feel ill.”
Azazel closed his eyes when he felt first drops of the water moisten his lips and greedily gulped down the given water.
All too soon Zarak took the goblet away and Azazel licked his lips wanting more.
He knew he would vomit if he drank too fast after so many days but now he had had some of the water his thirst seemed more intense.
***
Zarak petted his slaves head. “I think meat is still too strong to your stomach but how about the fruits? Would you like the cherries, my pet?”
Azazel shook his head; he just wanted more water.
The daemon chuckled a little. “Now now, my pet, you have to eat something or you won’t get more water. So open your mouth.”
Zarak took a cherry from the tray and waited until his slave opened his mouth. “There you go. Watch out for the stone.”
Azazel ate slowly separating the little stone from the cherry and spitting it to his hand.
Zarak took the apple slice next and offered it to Azazel who took it directly from his fingers. The daemon was pleased to no end; the angel was eating from his hand and hadn’t even once tried to bite him.
He took the goblet again and gave little more water to his pet.
This time too, the goblet was taken away too early.
Once again Zarak fed Azazel with fruits and berries and small pieces of bread before giving him water again.
That went on for a while until Azazel refused to eat anything more.
Zarak took the two goblets and the water decanters from the tray putting them to his bedside table before taking the tray outside the door.
Azazel stayed where Zarak had left him and hoped he could get a little more water before the daemon would go to sleep; he was still thirsty.
***
Azazel watched from his corner how his brother got ready to go to the bed. Zarak had given him a little more water and then told him to go to his corner. The floor was still cold but now that he had his stomach full and his thirst smothered this didn’t feel as bad as the day had been.
Yawning the angel laid himself on the floor his wings the only cover he had and his hands as his pillow. Zarak had been nice to him the whole evening and that made the angel very confused; why all the humiliation first and then this?
He heard the silent noise of silk sheet when the daemon sat on the bed and smothered the candles on the bedside table. The room was now completely dark and Azazel noticed he was shivering.
The darkness was suffocating and every time he closed his eyes he could see how poorly the angels were treated. He saw the ruined wings of the other slave he had met earlier and he shivered even more. Zarak should know better, he had been in Heaven once.
The angel tried to sleep but the restful dreams seemed to avoid him this night. And slowly hours went by…
***
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