Chapter Text
“What happened to it?”
The man dragged a finger along the surface of his eyepatch, tracing the intricate design Algaea had carved into it. The more expensive he looked, the more expensive he was.
“That’s a secret,” he whispered, leaning in to suck on the man’s bottom lip, changing the subject. Ignoring the taste of wine on the man’s mouth, he slipped his tongue into it. He shrugged his overcoat off, exposing his shoulders and guiding the man’s hands to their stability.
The man broke away and Anaxa groaned inwardly. He was used to clients asking about his eye and knew how to avoid the topic, but some were more difficult to distract than others. He had to work harder to keep them busy.
A hand left his shoulder and began fiddling with the patch’s straps. A playful threat, but a threat nonetheless. Anaxa gently guided the man’s fingers away, but he broke away again, this time to brush pale green hair out of his way. “Come on,” he scoffed, “if you don’t want to tell me, you can just show me.”
His fingers dug under the patch only briefly before he was forced away with a smack, hands now on his own face where Anaxa’s palm and nails had grazed skin. At first the man was too stunned to move, but then, “You little slut!”
As the hulking ape of a man stumbled towards him, Anaxa slid off of the wall they had been leaned against, quickly moving the desk chair in their private room to block the man’s path. He simply batted it away, back breaking as it toppled to the ground. The man grabbed Anaxa by the collar, his breath hot on the sex-worker’s face. “I don’t like teases,” he growled.
His grip loosened when Anaxa kneed him in the stomach, allowing enough slack for the smaller man to break free and run towards the door. He was yanked back by his long hair, a yelp escaping his throat as the man yelled, “Especially ones with attitude!”
He slammed Anaxa’s face into the wall they were making out against moments ago and Anaxa couldn’t help but laugh at the thought. One minute he could be making passionate love and the next he would be getting beaten to a pulp. Such was his life ever since Aglaea found him.
“What are you laughing at, you little-” the man was stopped by the blood trickling out of Anaxa’s forehead and onto his good eye. He started laughing too. “No wonder your rates are so high! And here I thought it was just ‘cause of your pretty face,” he gripped Anaxa’s jaw harshly, forcing his eyes to meet the man’s.
“What’s a child of the Titans doing in a place like this? Aren’t you supposed to be in a palace or something? Well, I guess you are damaged goods…” he released his grip on Anaxa’s hair, hand moving toward the eyepatch. Anaxa took the opportunity to ram his bloody forehead into the man’s nose, a crack ringing out from his skull.
*******
“Temper tantrums are unsightly, Anaxa.”
“Please, don’t call me that.”
“Do you know how it looks to have our top performer attacking a patron?” Aglaea stared at him with steely, unwavering eyes. Her hands rested casually on the desk separating them, her tone giving no indication as to how she truly felt- it was as calm and emotionless as ever.
“Perhaps you’ve made this eyepatch too enticing, Aglaea,” he said, cold inflection matching hers. “It draws their attention to the one thing I rely on you for.”
“I’ve given you protection from the government, Anaxa, not my clients. They can do whatever they want to you, as long as they pay for it.”
His fist hit the desk, all of his anger channeled into that single shaking hand. His voice remained even, “stop calling me that.” His name was the least of his worries, but it was all he could think to fight for.
“Calling you what? Anaxa?” the brothel owner cocked her head. “That’s your name.”
“Only when I’m working.”
There was a silence, deafening to Anaxa as he knew what was coming next. Aglaea stood from her chair, made her way around the large desk, and planted herself behind her performer, hands ghosting on his shoulders.
“Anaxa, you know what I’m going to say, don’t you?” After a few seconds of no response, she waved a finger in the air. Suddenly, Anaxa’s wrists were bound together, being yanked above his head by thin golden threads that wrapped tightly around his wrists and connected themselves to the ceiling. He was lifted from his seat, body pulled taught and feet dangling as Aglaea knocked the chair out from under him.
A whimper of pain escaped his lips. No matter how many times her threads were used on him, he could never get used to the sting of them cutting into his skin, the strain of his muscles as they stretched his body in unnatural positions.
“You’re always working,” Aglaea answered for him. She circled him, a shark ready to pounce on her prey. “You signed a contract, and for as long as you’re mine, your only purpose is to make me money.”
“What would the council think if they knew their city was funded off of their noble chairwoman’s whores?” Anaxa spat through gritted teeth. Aglaea paused, a steady fire rising behind her cloudy eyes. He wasn’t supposed to know that, but he was observant and had been in this office enough times to glimpse the clues of the chairwoman’s reliance on her business.
Ohkema had been struggling, it was clear in the way crime rose in the streets and the once luscious courtyards overgrew with weeds. It’s why a savvy businesswoman like Aglaea was appointed chair in the first place, though with the clear caveat that her lucrative side business was never to interfere with council affairs. They viewed it as dirty money. Yet, the gold Aglaea made off of Anaxa’s body and those of countless other poor souls was currently funding the very government that shunned them. Anaxa let out a bitter chuckle, both at Aglaea’s predicament and the cracking of her facade of perfection.
His laughter turned into choking as threads wrapped tightly around his throat. “Too bad you aren’t able to tell them,” Aglaea hummed as Anaxa gasped for air that wouldn’t reach his lungs. “I might be disgraced, but they’d kill you for your blasphemous crimes,” she grinned, reveling in her prisoner’s powerlessness. “You know what they do to little dogs like you.”
He mumbled something in response, but the words were unable to leave his constricted throat. “What was that, dear?”
The threads loosened, Aglaea waiting for him to commit another slight worthy of punishment. Aware of the bait, he bit it anyway. “Your desperation is showing.” He laughed again at the fury clearly written on her face, “It’s not often you feel the need to argue with me, Goldweaver.”
Suddenly, the threads binding him to the ceiling vanished, plummeting Anaxa onto the stone floor. He coughed, the little breath he had regained immediately being knocked out of him again. He lifted his head to see Aglaea sauntering back behind the desk, composure recollected as if nothing had happened.
“You know what will happen if you are to speak a word, so I trust that you won’t,” she resolved, taking her seat. “As for your punishment per your earlier actions against our patron, you are to be confined to the cage. For a week.”
Anaxa’s stomach churned at the name. He would have hoped for a mere beating but after Aglaea’s outburst, he should’ve seen this coming. She wanted to show him his place. A full week in a literal, golden cage in the center of the brothel, where his only food and drink would come from patrons paying to watch him perform any act they wanted. A zoo where he was the only animal.
“Enjoy your bed tonight- your punishment starts tomorrow,” she said, dismissing him to his prison cell of a room. Anaxa staggered to his feet from his crumpled position on the floor and took a sweeping, dramatic bow. He refused to show Aglaea the fear she so desperately wanted him to display of her. “Thank you for the talk, Aglaea. They are always the highlight of my day,” he said, voice dripping in disdain.
And then he took his leave, stalking down the hall of the brothel and to his room. There, once the door had shut behind him, he took his single, lumpy pillow and buried his face in it, screaming at the top of his lungs. Anaxagoras collapsed against the door, resting the pillow and his head on his knees. Gold stained the pillow, like reminders, and the gold dripping from the gash on his forehead and into the fabric was no different.
He felt tears prick the back of his eyes but refused to let them out. He could be angry but he didn’t want to be sad. That would be admitting he had broken, and he hadn’t. He was determined not to break, for he still had work to do.
Anaxagoras ghosted his fingers over the eyepatch that had caused him such strife, then glanced at the unassuming leather notebook sitting on his small vanity table. That work would have to wait another week, but once it's completed, all of this would have been worth it. If only he weren’t constantly interrupted by his tormentor, the woman keeping him alive.
Wrapping his arms around himself, Anaxagoras sat in this moment where his body was his alone. And then he got up from the floor and fell into his bed, into a world where his family was alive and he was okay. A world far away from here.
*******
“Gimme a kiss, darlin’,” Anaxa’s wrist was grabbed through the bars, pulling him face to face with a surly drunk man, breath rancid with alcohol. Anaxa smiled and willed it to meet his eyes. “Only if you buy me a drink first,” he crooned, caressing the man’s face with his captive hand.
The man laughed, “Another merlot, sir,” he yelled at the bartender. When it was handed to him by another of Aglaea’s performers, he met Anaxa’s eyes again, an idea haphazardly forming in them. As the sex-worker held out his hand for the glass, the man slurred, “Why not kill two birds with one stone?”
Downing the drink, he threw the glass aside and grabbed Anaxa’s face, pressing it up against the bars. Before he could protest, the man smashed his lips to Anaxa’s, the merlot spilling from his mouth and down Anaxa’s throat, along with the man’s tongue. After what felt like a full minute, the man let go and Anaxa broke away, perhaps a little too forcefully. His back hit the other side of the cage, bumping it into whoever was standing outside.
Whoever it was wrapped their arms around Anaxa’s corseted torso, trapping him against the bars from behind. “Careful,” they whispered in his ear, “Wouldn’t want a pretty thing like you to get hurt.”
“Thank you, but I’m-” he was cut off by the person nuzzling and kissing his neck, to which he attempted to wiggle out of their grasp. “You need to pay first,” he yelled stonely, trying not to elbow them away. Being defensive is what got him here in the first place.
It was only his first night in the cage, yet he was already reconsidering his choices. Perhaps he should just turn himself into the government and face execution. Of course, there was too much left to do, but a man could dream.
“Come on, it’s just a little nibble,” the person said as teeth grazed Anaxa’s skin. He shuddered and grabbed the person’s hands, digging his nails into them. The hands flew away with a yelp. “Ow! You-!”
Anaxa waited for retaliation, but it never came. “Excuse me,” a voice interrupted the person’s whining. Anaxa spun around to see a tall, white haired man looming over the person. Though polite, he held his stature threateningly. “I believe they call that stealing.”
“Who the hell-?”
“We wouldn’t want the Madame of this establishment to get involved, would we?” He raised his eyebrows in mock concern, “You might get kicked out!” The person simply grumbled something and walked away, rubbing the backs of his hands.
“Thank you,” Anaxa slumped against the bars, relieved there wasn’t a scene. Then he remembered he was working and raised a hand out to his savior, tracing his cheekbone. “What can I do for you, my hero?”
He held out a plate. Anaxa hadn’t realized he’d been holding it. “You could eat,” he responded as Anaxa stared at the meat and potatoes on the plate, confused. “You’ve been here for quite a while and I haven’t seen you eat a thing.”
“Oh? So you’ve been watching me?” Anaxa grinned, laying on the charm in thanks for the meal. He picked up a potato as daintily as he could and popped it into his mouth, trying to look as sensual as someone could while eating a potato.
The man laughed. “You don’t have to perform for me, I just wanted to make sure you’re okay.”
Anaxa dropped his shoulders, letting the facade down for a moment as he took another potato and ate it normally. “I’m in a giant cage in the middle of a brothel. Do I seem okay to you?”
He laughed again, “Okay, fair. But are you okay at this very moment?” His eyes glimmered, his genuineness clear and convincing.
“At this moment,” Anaxa began, taking another potato, “Yes, I believe I’ll be fine.” After a moment he added, “Why are you so concerned?”
The man shrugged his broad shoulders. “I… empathize. I don’t know what you’re going through but I believe I might have an idea.”
Anaxa paused, cocking an eyebrow. “If you are so empathetic, why have you come to a brothel to begin with?”
The man’s handsome face flushed red, his eyes darting everywhere but towards Anaxa. “… I wanted to try something.” Anaxa let his words hang in the air, as if prompting him to continue. The man took a deep breath and blurted, “I wanted to try topping.”
After a stunned moment of silence, Anaxa burst into real, unfiltered laughter. It was unfamiliar to him so he stopped in shock. “Sorry, it’s just… you’re so honest . It’s refreshing,” he added. “I’ll tell you what, golden boy,” he said, referencing the shimmering marks on the man’s neck, “I’ll be your test subject.”
The man’s face lit up, blue eyes sparkling. “It’ll be expensive, but come back during the day when we’re closed and they’ll let you into the cage.”
His face immediately dropped, and Anaxa found himself wanting to pick it up again, despite only meeting moments ago. “During the day… I don’t know if I can.”
“If it’s too expensive, you might be able to talk the Madame down-”
“No, the money isn’t the issue, it’s just…” the golden boy shook his head, resolve clear in his features. “Don’t worry about it. I can make it work.”
Anaxa didn’t know what that meant but he didn’t care- if he could earn Aglaea a big payout, she might let him out of the cage sooner. “Then it’s a deal,” he smiled. “Tomorrow, come with your coins and we’ll have the whole place to ourselves.”
Anaxa held out a hand through the bars, prompting the man to shake it. Instead, he grabbed it with both hands, squeezing in earnest. “Thank you,” he said. “Uh, who should I ask for…?”
“Anaxa,” he responded, the stage name stale on his tongue. “And you are?”
“Phainon.”
*******
“Only a day in the cage and you’ve already scored big,” Cipher sauntered towards him, the key to his prison twirling around her finger. “You truly are our golden goose,” she hummed, referring to the partnership between Aglaea and herself. Aglaea may hold all the glory but she relied on Cipher to take care of her dirty work, such as managing the brothel while the chairwoman attended to other business.
“When is this chump supposed to be here? I have other things I need to be doing,” Cipher took a seat at the bar, lazily draping her limbs across its countertop.
“Please, like you wouldn’t wait hours to see the amount of gold he’s bringing,” Anaxa rolled his eyes, peering up at her from his own seat on the floor of the cage. He didn’t mind Cipher’s company while trapped in this giant, empty room. Normally he liked being alone, but here he felt vulnerable, and her presence made the room’s dark corners slightly less foreboding. It was a bonus that she was talking to him without the intent to fuck him- he didn’t have to put up a front.
“Oh, I brought something that you might need in there,” Cipher perked up, digging in the pocket of her jacket. “Is it a blanket? It’s freezing in here,” Anaxa said, only half kidding.
She pulled out a small bottle of thick, clear liquid and swung her arm. “Catch,” she warned before the bottle left her palm. Anaxa lurched over and caught it through the bars, right before it could the floor. He examined it in his hands.
“Not the best gift, but appreciated nonetheless,” he concluded. “You may be greedy, but at least you’re thoughtful.” They bantered like this often; while Anaxa of course held resentment towards Cipher for being one of his jailers in Aglaea’s contract, she was never cruel to him, at least not without explicit orders from Aglaea. In moments like these, he could almost pretend he had a friend.
There was a knock at the big double doors and Cipher sprang from her barstool. “Your date is here! Time to see if he’s serious about this arrangement,” she said, walking towards the noise. She opened one of the doors and poked her head out. Anaxa was curious whether the mysterious Phainon was really going to pay such a big sum for his company as well- how does one just have that kind of money laying around to spend on a sex-worker in this economy?
Cipher opened the door wider and Phainon’s large figure strode in, taking in his surroundings. “Wow… It’s different in here when it’s empty.” He must have given the money to her outside, because Cipher trailed behind him holding a big bag of coins like it was a newborn baby. She followed him to the door of Anaxa’s cage, keying it open and allowing him inside.
Phainon stepped in sheepishly and Anaxa stood up to greet him. “You two have fun,” Cipher winked as she closed and locked the cage behind him. “Call for me when you’re done,” she directed Phainon, and then she and the money were gone.
“I didn’t think you would come,” Anaxa said, breaking the awkward silence.
“To be honest, I didn’t know if I would be able to. Actually, I don’t even know how long I can be here for but… I don’t want to rush anything.”
“Well if you’re crunched for time, I guess we should get down to business,” Anaxa smirked, pulling off Phainon’s overcoat. He wasted no time in kissing the man, pulling off his shirt as they explored each others’ mouths. Anaxa had to admit, it was a good kiss. He could tell Phainon was excited, and wanted to make Anaxa feel as good as he did. The performer wasn’t used to that kind of consideration.
They crumpled to the floor, Phainon hovering over Anaxa as he trailed kisses down his chin, stopping at the high collar of his sleeveless, form fitting shirt. He simply moved his lips back to Anaxa’s own as Anaxa frantically fumbled with his corset, removing his tank top once it fell away. Phainon took the opportunity to suckle the smooth skin of his chest, migrating to his nipple and massaging it with his tongue. Anaxa moaned, body arching in anticipation.
He had had good fucks before, but this was different. It’s like they were on the same level, neither one of them being overpowered by the other’s desires. Phainon made him feel like his equal, as if he weren’t being paid to perform this act on him. Yet oddly, it wasn’t a performance for Anaxa. His moans were real this time, guttural. After all the pretending, his body craved this.
Phainon broke away for a moment to wiggle Anaxa’s tight pants down to his knees and Anaxa helped, desperate to feel Phainon inside of him. Phainon undid the top of his own pants, reminding Anaxa of Cipher’s gift. He felt around for it, not wanting to break their position. His fingers curled around the small bottle and he held it out to Phainon. “Here,” he panted, “use this.”
Phainon looked at it, puzzled. “What is it?”
“Have you never used lube before?” The earnest man simply stared at him. “Here,” Anaxa said again, squirting some into his hand and releasing Phainon’s member from his pants. He rubbed, eliciting a moan from his client that excited Anaxa. This man must’ve been having rougher sex than Anaxa has, and that’s saying something. It felt like this was Phainon’s first pleasurable experience as well. What they were doing was special.
Anaxa reminded himself that this was only a transaction; Phainon would be gone once it was over, this moment of happiness fleeting. But didn’t that mean he should enjoy it while he could? He took a lube-covered hand and linked his fingers in Phainon’s own, lathering them in gel and guiding them to his hole.
It seemed Phainon knew how to do this part, because he immediately began teasing the rim, slipping a digit delicately into Anaxa. He groaned and Phainon froze for a moment, hesitant. Anaxa nodded, eyes closed, “Keep going.” The wait was becoming torturous, his own hard cock building to release.
He gave Phainon’s another stroke for motivation, and the man shoved another finger in his hole. It stretched, the pain deliciously exhilarating. Phainon squeezed in one more and Anaxa let go of Phainon’s dick, his arms flying above his head as he balled his fists. He opened his eyes and stared up at his deliverer, the light behind him haloing his ivory hair. He looked like a god.
Anaxa could feel his fingers sliding up and down his walls and while the anticipation was excruciating, he remained patient. Phainon was having fun, and besides this being Anaxa’s job, he felt Phainon deserved to play with him a little longer.
Finally, his fingers left Anaxa with a pop, their warmth replaced by the head of Phainon’s well endowed cock. He hesitated again, a last check of consent. Anaxa grabbed his toned waist and pulled him forward, begging him to enter. So he did. With a thrust, Phainon joined himself with Anaxa and they both let out euphoric noises.
Finding a steady pace, Phainon placed his own hands on Anaxa’s slim waist and leaned down, kissing him earnestly on the mouth. It felt like a thank you. He returned the kiss between moans and whimpers, wrapping his arms around Phainon’s neck.
When Phainon found his pleasure spot, Anaxa’s body hit its limit, his juices spilling in between their stomachs. Phainon’s body grew hotter and hotter and when he was about to pull out, Anaxa clenched his muscles, holding him in and willing him to finish inside. A warmth spread in his stomach and he felt full, content.
Finally, Phainon conceded, pulling out and leaving Anaxa feeling hollow. He desperately wanted him again, despite his exhaustion. And then he remembered that he would never have him again, and the hollow feeling grew. Phainon collapsed beside him, panting and grinning ferociously.
“I didn’t know sex could feel like that,” he said to the ceiling.
“It seems you were destined to be a top this whole time,” Anaxa joked. He turned his head to face Phainon, but the man’s smile seemed dimmer now. “I wish we could do this again,” he said after some time.
“And why can’t we?” Anaxa’s heart sped up, seeing a glimmer of hope, a chance to experience this kind of light in his otherwise dark existence again.
“Well, for starters, I’m not from here,” Phainon turned to meet his gaze as well. “We’re only visiting.”
“Who’s we?”
“My… partner and I,” he answered, like he didn’t know how to say it. Anaxa merely exhaled.
“Ah, of course. My best clients are always taken,” he mused. “Where is he now?”
“Attending to business. I was able to sneak away but I’m sure he’ll be finished soon. I should probably get going.”
He sat up and Anaxa grabbed his wrist, pulling himself up as well and keeping Phainon from moving further. “How long will you be in Okhema?”
“For the next few days,” his big smile crept onto his face again, “so I can at least visit you when he falls asleep, at night while you’re performing. We can keep each other company.”
Anaxa chuckled, letting go of Phainon and allowing him to stand up. “Are you sure? We won’t be able to do this again,” he gestured to his messy, unclothed body. “If I weren’t in a cage we’d be able to do anything we wanted, but alas, I have sinned.” He said it with an air of levity, attempting not to sound too bothered by his circumstances.
“I don’t care,” Phainon shook his head. “It was wonderful, but talking with you has been just as nice.” He smiled at Anaxa and Anaxa found himself smiling too. Usually it was a mask, but this one didn’t feel forced.
He watched as Phainon wiped himself off, fixed his pants and put his clothes back on. Anaxa couldn’t help but admire his beautiful body, every muscle perfectly sculpted, his skin smooth as marble. His partner was very lucky. So was he, for the moment they just shared together.
After calling for Cipher and being freed, Phainon braced the bars of Anaxa’s cage, drinking in Anaxa as he sorted out his own clothes. When Anaxa noticed, Phainon smiled sheepishly and vowed, “see you tonight,” before disappearing behind the brothel doors.
*******
The nights passed and Phainon kept his promise, visiting Anaxa for three moons in a row. He watched as Anaxa staved off drunkards, performed for food, and spoke sweetly to fools with big wallets, and he offered more than anyone just to have him to himself. He was making Anaxa’s time in the cage much more bearable than he would have ever imagined it could be.
Aglaea refused to shorten his punishment despite drawing in such a loyal customer, but with Phainon here Anaxa didn’t mind for the time being. Yet, he knew their time together was coming to an end. Tonight would be their final one.
“I say go big or go home,” Phainon sauntered towards him, carrying a full bottle of wine and a glass of water in the other. Anaxa had learned what a caregiver Phainon was these past few nights, making sure he’s hydrated properly while trapped in his prison. Clearly, this time his hydration came at the price of a drink or two, but he was used to being given barrels of wine with no water at all, so this was still an improvement.
“Are you that eager to be rid of me?” Anaxa feigned hurt, making Phainon chuckle, a noise he could listen to forever.
“Of course not, but if this is our last memory together, I want it to be a good one.” After handing Anaxa his water, Phainon uncorked the bottle and took a swig, offering it to Anaxa. As Anaxa drank from the bottle, Phainon leaned his head against the bars. “Can I tell you a secret? It’s… kinda sad,” he added.
“Of course.”
“We’ve only known each other for a couple days, but you’ve been my first real friend since… Well, since I was a child.”
Anaxa stared at him, taking in the confession. He must’ve stared too long because Phainon said, “See? I told you it was sad.”
“No,” Anaxa assured, “It’s just… I think I feel the same way.”
Phainon’s eyes lit up, his smile gentle and bright. “I think we’re similar. I mean, I’m obviously not in a cage right now but…” He stopped, almost too embarrassed to continue.
“Sometimes it feels that way,” Anaxa finished for him. “Even when we’re not in the cage, we’re still trapped.” He met Phainon’s blue eyes, the world’s light reflected inside them. “I know.”
Anaxa thought back to Phainon’s inexperience with lube, with being in control. He reached an arm out to him, caressing his cheek through the bars. Phainon leaned into it, face flushing from more than just the wine. “When you go, just know that I’m still here. Next time you’re in the cage, think of me and I’ll do the same.”
After a long moment of the two sitting silently together, Anaxa said, “Are you familiar with the law of equivalent exchange?” Phainon shook his head, his skin brushing against Anaxa’s palm. “To gain one thing, another thing of equal value must be lost. One day, all of our suffering will be exchanged for a world of happiness.”
At least, that’s what Anaxa had been telling himself all these years. The reason he keeps fighting, what his work will amount to once it’s finally finished. His eye, his body, his soul, all of it will have been traded for a brighter future. A future he now wants Phainon there to see.
Phainon leaned down, pressed his forehead against the shorter man’s despite the pressing of the golden bars against their skin. “Thank you, Anaxa. For everything.”
Anaxa shook his head, only slightly so as not to break their intimate position. “You can call me Anaxagoras, if you’d like.”
*******
The sunlight streamed in early that morning through the cracks in the blacked-out windows, disrupting Anaxa’s already restless sleep on the brothel floor. When the breaking of thick wood sounded throughout the room, he was conscious enough to sit up and inspect his surroundings.
A muscular silhouette with wild, lion-like hair strode in through the broken door, his frame blocking the daylight from filling the dark room. Anaxa rose to his feet, attempting a better look at the intruder. He got it when the man walked straight up to his prison. His face seemed etched into a permanent scowl, examining the prisoner in front of him.
“All this time, my Deliverer has been sneaking out to play with a dog in a cage ?” He scoffed, placing a hand around a bar of Anaxa’s cell.
“And who might you be?” Anaxa asked, perfectly unintimidated by the stranger. If the cage was good for one thing, it was protection from revenge seeking lunatics. It wasn’t the first time he was caught in personal affairs as a sex-worker.
“Phainon didn’t tell you about me?” The mention of his friend made Anaxa pause. The only thing Anaxa could think was, is Phainon okay? Would he be okay?
“I’m his owner,” the stranger smirked. “You have guts to fuck the consort of a king.”
“What?”
“Especially one who presides over Castrum Kremnos. You know I can’t just let you go after committing such a slight on my name.” Mydeimos .
Anaxa began to panic, and as with Aglaea, he refused to let his enemy know. “He wouldn’t have had to come to me if you did your job right. Maybe you should invest in some lube.”
Mydeimos laughed. That was not the angry response Anaxa was expecting. No matter; he couldn’t reach him, at least not now, and the king would be going back to Castrum Kremnos today so he wouldn’t get the opportunity anytime soon. Mydeimos’ laughter died down as his golden eyes bore into Anaxa’s own. “I’m going to have such fun with you.”
Anaxa wasn’t given a moment to process- Mydeimos grabbed a bar of the cage in each hand and pulled, forming an opening in the gold prison. Anaxa backed away in shock, his back hitting the edge of the cage, where he pressed further as if he could melt through them.
“A Titan’s Blessing…” Anaxa murmured. He was unaware the king of Castrum Kremnos was blessed like Aglaea was. Why were they always blessing the worst people?
Mydeimos stepped into the cage, backing his prey into a corner. With nowhere to go, Anaxa shrunk down, looking for an opening to run around the large man and out of the enclosure. As soon as he lunged towards a space under the king’s arm, he was caught by the throat, head being thrust into the bars behind him. He choked on the rapid closing of his airways, grasping Mydeimos’ hand and attempting to pry it off him.
“I think a dog will be a great addition to Kremnos’ palace,” Mydeimos smirked. Then he repositioned his captive, lining up his skull with the solid gold bar behind him so that when he smashed the two together, Anaxa’s world went black.