Fate - 11
"You're not still sulking?" Azura strides across the room, frowning in displeasure. He takes the small pot of ointment from Ray and pushes the younger man back onto the bed. Azura takes a small amount of ointment and smooths it gently over the barely-healed area high on Ray's left inner thigh. It is too red and irritated to distinguish, but soon it will heal into a replica of Azura's signet ring - the perfect brand for his treasured pet.
"I'm beginning to think I let you stay away too long. You've forgotten so much." Azura sets the ointment aside and wipes the last remnants across Ray's abdomen. "You should be thanking me for being so considerate; I could have branded you here." He leans down and presses a kiss against Ray's chest. "Or here." He kisses Ray's shoulder. "Or even here." A kiss on Ray's cheek. "Now, don't you want to show proper appreciation for my kindness?" He shifts and takes Ray's lower lip between his teeth biting just hard enough to make the lip bleed. When Azura lifts his head, his lips are stained with Ray's blood.
"I would," Ray draws out his words, "but we have a ship to catch." He rolls to the side and sits up quickly, amazed at his own daring and hoping it doesn't show on his face. He winces as he moves, his every muscle screaming from having been restrained while he was branded.
"I suppose I can wait. We'll have plenty of time on the journey to Tunisia." Azura drops his robes and steps out of the pooled cloth. His servants will attend to them. He walks, naked, to the wardrobe and selects an outfit, aware of Ray's gaze. Azura is fully aware of his own magnificence. He lingers, indulging his pet a little before slipping into his travel clothing.
Ray's struggling into his Parisian clothing and Azura sniffs disdainfully before selecting one of his own robes and tossing it to him. "You'll be more comfortable in that until you heal. Trousers will only irritate the brand."
Ray accepts the clothing with a nod of thanks and hurries to dress. He borrows Azura's comb to tame his hair but gives it up for hopeless. He'll be covered in sea spray soon enough anyway.
He trails behind Azura obediently as they leave the bedroom. He hasn't been out of that room in days and he feels oddly disconnected from everything around him. Memories of solving the riddle, of watching Laila walk away, of losing Florian, they're distant and the emotions they evoke are all wrong. He knows he should feel more, or differently, but he can't remember how. Ray has only one purpose now, and all he can do is wait for his opportunity.
XXXXX
"You've loaded the supplies as I've specified?" Azura is trying to do ten things at once, checking details and giving last minute orders.
Through it all, Ray sits off to the side and watches. He's trying to remember the riddle and puzzling out its meaning. He understands the first part, of course, as does Azura. That's why they're headed to Tunsia. The unknown is what happens when they get there. Azura intends to puzzle the rest of the riddle out during the journey. Ray's just as determined that the secret is never revealed.
Azura's been vague about the original parchment, the one Ray translated to obtain the riddle. He tells Ray only that it leads to a great treasure. He always did underestimate Ray. It doesn't take much to determine that Azura is after *the* treasure, the spoils of the crusades taken from Jerusalem, perhaps even the Holy Grail.
Which makes it more urgent that Ray find a way to stop him now, before they get on that ship. Once they are at sea, there will be no hope of Ray completing his task and surviving. At least on land he has a chance, even if it is a slim one.
"Dreaming of treasure?" Azura teases, running his hand through Ray's messy hair. They are alone, all of the servants having been ordered away to complete preparations for the journey. "You always did want to be a pirate."
"No, I wanted to be the captain. You wanted to be the pirate."
"So I did. Perhaps I got my wish after all." Azura smiles, his eyes bright. It is his first glimpse of his dear boyhood friend and Ray's throat tightens. He swallows impatiently, forcing away the sentiment he can't allow himself to feel.
"You've got the eye patch," Ray counters, forcing lightness into his voice.
"That I do." Azura smiles wider and leans in close enough to nip Ray's ear. "Are you my cabin boy then?"
Ray doesn't get to answer. A deafening explosion shakes the mansion and he unconsciously reaches up to steady Azura. They've barely moved when another explosion sounds from the other side of the mansion.
"Come on," Azura snaps, grabbing Ray and dragging him out of the room as a third, closer explosion nearly knocks them off their feet. They both grasp a support column to remain upright, choking on the smoke that billows into the room. Screams sound in every direction and loose masonry and overturned furniture surround them.
Now! Ray tells himself. There's got to be something in the debris he can use and in the chaos no one will notice. He can kill Azura and be well away before they realize what's happened. If he's lucky, they'll blame it on the explosions.
The building trembles again and the screams are louder. Ray stumbles along behind Azura, tears streaming from his eyes. The smoke and dust sting, but that's not why he's crying.
::end part 11::