Blood still runs

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WARNING: NC in this chapter

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“He cannot have disappeared to nothing! He must be somewhere!!” Shion paced nervously the throne room trying to think where the enemy might be hiding. They had searched them non stop for a week already but the only thing they had found had been places without importance where Ares Warriors’ cosmos had been localised and disappeared immediately. Saori looked at him pacing and then exited the room walking to reach the huge statue of Athena. She was worried too because she knew, thanks to her memories of long passed times, what kind of man –or God- Ares was. She looked at the horizon trying once more to locate the God of War’s cosmo and once more she failed. The only thing she could do was hope and pray that her Saint would be returned to her alive.



***



Virgo Temple…

Shaka sat, meditating on the floor of his temple in the most complete quiet. He was clad in simple Indian clothes and his eyes were closed as usual. He was immobile for long minutes and apparently calm but he suddenly leapt to his feet with a tense growl. He wasn’t used to be angry and it was slowly driving him insane. He had been searching for his lover for a long week and he didn’t like at all being unable to help him while he was going through Athena knows what. Walking outside his temple he stopped feeling the hot sun shining and breathed deeply. His hand rose to touch the gold ring which hung from his neck and his other hand clenched into a trembling fist as he thought of Mu. He was lost so deeply in his thoughts that he didn’t notice Aldebaran approaching until when he stopped beside him. “Have they found nothing?” Aldebaran sighed and sat on the stairs which led down to the temple below. “Nothing. Aioria, Saga and Kanon just left for another turn of research.” He noticed Shaka’ s hand clenched around the ring and smiled gently to the blond Saint. “He’ll come back. Mu’ s too much tough to let himself be killed.” Shaka nodded silently and turned to return inside the temple while Aldebaran remained outside enjoying the sunlight.



***



Deimos sat on a window seat in Ares’ castle. He had just returned from a mission and had yet to go and see the fabled prisoner which was held in the dark cells under the castle, but it could wait. He observed Phobos walking up the stairs and waited until he came to sit beside him to address him. Phobos smirked to his brother and took an apple from the bowl which sat in a corner of the window biting it with a pleased expression.

“Is it true?”

“What?”

“You know what. Is he still resisting?” Phobos gave a short laugh and nodded.

“He is. It’s incredible. He’s here from a week already and he still resists…” Deimos reached out to him and gently wiped away a small drop of blood from his brother’s cheek.

“You weren’t gentle with him.”

“I stopped being gentle long ago…” Deimos rose from the window seat and stretched lifting his arms above his head. His black and silver armour shifted adjusting the position and he picked up the black cloak he had previously shred. He turned looking to his brother as he tossed the remains of the fruit away.

“I want to see him.” Phobos locked gaze with him smirking. “Have you already seen Lord Ares?” Deimos nodded. “I reported to him as soon as I came back.”

Phobos stood too and begun descending the stone stairs directed to the dungeons. “Come then.”

They descended the stairs and soon reached the lower cells. They walked down the hall reaching the most secluded one and Phobos took a torch from a ring in the wall going to unlock the door. They entered and Deimos looked curiously at the prisoner held inside. He was held upright by the chains which hung from the ceiling and he seemed to be unable to stand on his own. His long violet hair were tangled and bloodied and hung in front of his face which was only partially visible. What could be seen however was bruised and bloodied and so was his body. Lashes from whip run up and down all his body and dark new and old bruises bloomed on his once pale skin. His back was covered in burn signs and some of them were so recent that were still bleeding freely. The only thing which covered him were a torn pair of trousers which hung low and almost ripped off from his hips. Deimos stepped closer and looked curiously at the gold ring that still hung from the prisoner’s neck and turned to stare at his brother for explanations.

“Lord Ares said to leave it on.” He shrugged and reached out to grasp the prisoner’s chin lifting his face up to better see him. The Gold Saint flinched slightly when the hard hand grasped tightly his bruised skin but he didn’t emit a sound. His eyes slowly opened having difficulties to fix on the man’s face in front of him. “ He’s half gone.” “Yes, but he can still be useful.” Deimos gazed straight into Mu’ s pained eyes and smirked to him.

“Can you hear me?” Mu tried to speak but his throat was so sore and dry that he couldn’t emit a sound. Deimos looked at his brother. “Did you give him something to eat or drink?” “Lord Ares said nothing so who cares?” “Find him something to drink, I want to talk to him.” He looked at his brother who didn’t seem to be pleased by the request.

“Please?” Phobos exited the room mumbling something under his breath and Deimos turned his attention to the Gold Saint who was now looking at him with interest but pain visible in his eyes. “I won’t hurt you, at least not physically. Differently from my brother, I don’t like very much to tear my enemies into bleeding pieces.” He studied Mu’ s face attentively and had to admit that he was fair after all. Even the bruising wasn’t that bad in his face and it just comprehended a swollen blackened cheek and split lips. “You are pretty. I wonder if all Athena’s Saints are pretty like you.”

He let Mu’ s chin go letting his head fall when he heard Phobos’ footsteps approaching and begun circling the Aries Saint studying his battered body. “Here we are. You give it to him.” He threw the flask to Deimos who came to stand in front of the chained man again and uncorked it placing it to

Mu ’s cracked lips. “Drink. We have to talk.” He tilted it letting the liquid spill out and tried to make him drink as much as he could.

“I won’t… say a thing…” Mu’ s voice broke when he felt the man’ s cosmo swell and a sudden fear grew in his heart.

“I would not be so sure…”



***



Ares walked the halls of his castle followed by some off his soldiers directed to the prisons. Since a week Phobos had been charged with the prisoner’s ‘care’ but it was taking them too much to get the information they needed and he wanted to see the Saint after all. He stepped down the stairs and smirked pleased when he felt Deimos’ cosmo flare to life there in the dungeons. He heard the weak strangled cry of the prisoner when his blow hit him and Phobos’ amused chuckle. Entering the room they both turned and bowed deeply to him making space for him in front of the Gold Saint. Ares looked interested as the effects of Deimos’ blow made themselves clear and the Saint tried to curl up as if to protect himself and he saw a crystal tear run down his bruised cheek. He reached out catching it with the tip of his finger and brought it to his lips tasting it as the Saint tried to flinch away from him. He grasped his chin in a strong grip and lift his face to gaze in his eyes which were glazed over and blind as he expected them to be. “What are you seeing?” His murmur sent a shiver trough Mu’ s body and he sobbed speaking weakly. “…Shaka…don’t…” “I thought so.” He let the grasp go and spoke still observing the trembling Saint. “Free him. I want to talk to him.” Deimos obeyed and waved a hand in the air. Slowly Mu’ s eyes turned clear again and he found himself staring at Ares’ face. “I see you have tasted Deimos blow. He’s not the Lord of Terror for anything, is he?” Mu’ s jaw clenched and he tried to stare back at the God. “I must admit that you surprised me, I would have never thought that a Saint of Athena could resist this long but now is the time to stop. I need this information and you will give it to me. “ He smiled evilly and came to stand so close to Mu that they almost touched. “Everyone has a limit and I feel that you are terribly close to reach yours. I know that you are not scared of death… you have returned from it actually but there are other things to be scared of… things that I can do…”

He lift his hand placing it on Mu’ s chest so that he could feel his heart beating a little too fast. It slid down until when he reached the gold ring and he caressed it. Toyed with it between his fingers before grasping it firmly in his fist. “You are forcing me to do something I don’t want to do… are you sure of what you are doing?” Mu didn’t answer but Ares could see his jaw clench even more tightly expecting more pain. He smiled to the Saint and pulled hard on the ring breaking the chain and making Mu yelp in surprise. Of anything he had expected that was the most unexpected and the most painful. The cold presence of Shaka’ s ring had kept him sane during that long days and being deprived of it so suddenly was a shock. A shock that Ares saw into his eyes and rejoiced at. “You signed your own destiny. We’ll be here again soon.” He turned and exited carrying the ring away and was followed by a smiling Phobos and Deimos who managed to spare him a pitiful look before exiting the door which slammed closed with a hard echoing noise.



***



He was left alone for what seemed to be hours and he was almost falling asleep on his feet, hanging from the chains. He couldn’t feel his hands and arms anymore but blood still run down his arms from where the shackles had cut the skin of his wrists. The beatings were taking their toll on him and even if he didn’t want to admit it, Ares was right. He couldn’t resist much more but he didn’t want to give up, no matter what it would cost him. suddenly the door slammed open and Ares’ soldiers entered the room going straight to him. They grasped his arms and one of them unlocked the shackles trying to hold him still until the others could bind them but they didn’t have the time. Mu caught the chance when his hands were released and darted forward catching the one in front of him with a knee in the stomach and quickly getting rid of the other simple soldiers after a brief fight. He leaned heavily against a wall trying to calm his frantic breathing for a moment and then exited the room using the wall to support himself when his knees menaced to give away under him. The pain was unbearable and he swayed on his feet but he couldn’t let himself go. He reached the stairs which led to the upper level panting and sweating and clenched his teeth to stifle the pain as he begun climbing them. He managed to reach the top rather quickly and he tried to concentrate enough to teleport out of there but somehow he couldn’t. He reached an empty hall which opened on a garden and showed the dark night sky. He managed to reach the doors and had to hide behind one of the huge curtains when a couple of laughing guards passed close to him. His breath caught in his throat hearing them speaking so close to him and he could only breath in relief when they walked away exiting the hall. Silence fell again over the place and he dared to leave his hiding place and exited in the garden. He lift his head to see the stars but he was deluded when he saw the dark clouds obscuring the sky all over the castle. Turning around he begun walking away without a precise idea on where he should go. He was trying to find a way out when a group of soldiers turned a corner and almost slammed directly into him. They didn’t waste any time and attacked him only to slam against an invisible wall. Mu was panting hard by now and his vision swam but he managed to keep up a Crystal Wall strong enough to keep them back. Their attacks battered against its barrier and Mu was almost convincing himself that he could have at least attacked them once when a cosmo he had learned to recognise well appeared behind the group of men which opened to let him pass. Phobos stepped forward and stopped at a short distance from the invisible wall looking at

Mu’ s tense and pale face with a mix of admiration and amusement.

“I must commend you for your strength but it’s useless now. You couldn’t defeat me before in your full strength and you would do it now?! You are truly a fool…” He waved his hand in the air and the Crystal Wall shattered in a thousands of shards and Mu fell back on the floor panting and barely able to stay conscious. Phobos came to stand towering over him and gazed at him with his usual smirk.

“Take him away. You know the orders.” The soldiers grasped him and despite his struggles they managed to bound his hands behind his back and dragged him off, following Phobos through the castle. They stopped reaching a high wooden door and he was pushed inside after Phobos entered. It was a big room with large windows and it was furnished like a study of some sort, with a big solid desk made of dark wood. Behind it sat Ares in a comfortable armchair and Deimos was standing slightly behind him at his side, his face unreadable. Mu was thrown to the ground and fell hitting the stone hard remaining breathless for a moment. He hadn’t regained his breath that Phobos grasped him by his long violet hair and dragged him to his knees keeping a tight hold on his tangled mane. Ares looked amused at the scene absently playing with an object between his fingers.

“Mu, you are really incorrigible, aren’t you?” Mu swallowed hard but tried to regain at least some of his composure.

“What do you… want from…from me?...” Ares’ smile grew even more evil as he stared calmly at Mu’ s battered form.

“I want to give you one more chance to tell me the things that I need to know. Just tell me and it all stops here. You will be returned to your Goddess…” Mu’ s jaw clenched and he stared defiantly back to the God. “…No? Don’t you believe me?”

“I won’t betray Athena’s trust, not even if my life was at a stake!” Ares laughed at that fully and happily as if he had make a good joke.

“I know you wouldn’t betray her trust. I’m just asking you if this trust is truly that well placed… and what about your beloved? Are you going to leave him alone? Are you truly going to die?” Mu swallowed hard but his eyes never left Ares’.

“It doesn’t matter. We are all prepared to what may happen.”

“Such beautiful words… Then he won’t be stupefied when he discovers what happened to you… are you sure? This is your last chance.” Mu kept being stubbornly silent and Ares nodded in understanding. “Very well, you wanted it. Just a thing more, I already know the secrets of that Sanctuary of yours. You were not the only one to be captured that day. A simple soldier can tell you incredible things if the right means are used.” Mu’ s shocked face just made his smile grow and he looked at Phobos nodding. Mu felt himself being grasped by his arm and lift but when he tried to stand he was roughly shoved forward and fell to lean over the desk. He tried to straighten but heavy hands fell on him keeping him nailed there. A strong hand tangled into his hair and pressed down keeping his head still and turned to the side. A feeling of dread formed at the pit of his stomach but he forced himself to remain quiet. “You have really been a little stupid, Saint of Aries. Now you will pay the consequences…” Phobos pressed his lower body to Mu’ s buttocks and smirked delighted when he saw him stiffening. “I’m going to make you scream, boy…” he cried out in surprise when Phobos pulled at the torn breeches he was still wearing and tore them away from his body leaving him naked to the air. After a moment of startled silence he understood what would surely follow and he begun to struggle trying to free himself. He desperately tried once more to rise his cosmo and free himself but the only thing he felt was the burning and chocking presence of Ares’ one. “No…” He heard Phobos’ laughter and felt him shift to try and undo his trousers single handed while still pinning him to the desk. He clenched his teeth and lift his leg up as hard as he could between the man’s legs and tried to rise when it made contact with Phobos’ groin but the grasp the man had on him never relented. “Little bastard…” Phobos’ voice was chocked and he jumped surprised by Ares’ laugh. “Come on , Phobos, you can do better than this.”

Mu felt the warrior grunt and then his bindings were cut but he didn’t have time to try and free himself that he had a tight grasp on his wrist. “Ready, little bastard?” A cracking noise echoed in the room and Mu cried out as a sharp stab of pain rose up his arm from his broken wrist. “Don’t you dare rebel again, do you understand?” Mu whimpered when the man shifted his grasp to about half of his forearm and lift his arm in the air pressing his other hand on Mu’ s shoulder. “And just to be sure that you understood…” He pressed on the Saint’s shoulder pulling his arm back and listened pleased to Mu’ s blood curling cry when his shoulder was crushed by Phobos’ simple move. He gasped in pain when Phobos let his arm go and it fell limply on the hard wood sending his shoulder on flames. He tried to struggle harder but more hands fell on him keeping him still and he panicked when he felt something hot and hard touch his exposed buttocks. “Do you think he will still want you after what we are going to do to you? He is the ‘man closest to God’ after all, he won’t settle for anything less than pure…” Ares’ voice was calm and only vaguely curious as if he was already sure of what the answer would be. Mu managed to lift his eyes and look pleadingly to the incarnation of the God of War but the only thing he saw in those pale eyes was gelid amusement. The man nodded once more to Phobos and Mu bit his lip to blood when he felt him push inside of him less than gently and he was trembling by the time the man was fully sheathed inside him. Phobos bent breathing into his ear “So tight… you are so tight…” Mu could barely stifle a pained cry when the man begun to move forcefully inside him, tearing him inside and seemingly uncaring of the blood which run down the Saint’s thighs. He was feeling helpless while the man kept trusting in him and he tried to weakly struggle only to be stopped by a hard punch to his already wounded ribs. He felt them crack under the blow and cried out in pain. Tears of pain and shame poured from his green eyes, falling to mingle with the blood which already stained the dark wood and he whished he was able to fall unconscious right then and there. After what seemed an eternity the man behind him stiffened and howled in his release and Mu felt something hot coat his insides. A powerful wave of nausea hit him and he felt weak to the bone when the man left his body making disgusting comments on him to the soldiers still in the room. He had only ever allowed Shaka to touch him in that way and he felt so deeply disgusted by himself at the moment that he only wished to die. Even if he returned back home, Shaka would have never want him back once knowing what had happened. He was lost in his thoughts when another man came to stand behind him and quickly pierced him once more, uncaring of his pained cry and the nightmare begun again. He lost track of time and wasn’t even conscious anymore when they stopped using him and threw him back into his cell, without even bothering to chain him up.



TBC…