<a href= https://www.ticklingforum.com/showthread.php?326106-War%92s-End-The-King-of-Traitors-Part-1-(F-M)&>Part 1 (F/M)</a>
<a href= https://www.ticklingforum.com/showthread.php?326144-War%92s-End-The-King-of-Traitors-Part-2-(F-M)>Part 2 (F/M)</a>
<a href= https://www.ticklingforum.com/showthread.php?326180-War%92s-End-The-King-of-Traitors-Part-3-(F-M)&>Part 3 (F/M)</a>
David pulled his ragged blond hair out of his brown eyes as he shrugged on his soft black cloak. The color was familiar— he’d led plenty of raiding parties as the head of the Cerces rebellion— but this was the first time he’d really felt like a king while rushing into battle. The cloak was held together with a clasp bearing the Astaleze royal crest, and he wore pieces of black guard armor over his leather vest.
David hooked his shortsword onto his belt, and winced as it clattered against the armor on his legs. He turned, alarmed, but Princess Elana still lay asleep on the bed they shared, her black wavy hair spread around her in a halo. He let out a breath and stared at his feet. No more tight riding boots; the shoes were protective, but it was easy to turn his ankles in case of a fight. Still, the fur-padded shackle on his left leg brushed up against the inside of the boot. The chain it’d been attached to lay abandoned by the bedpost it was wrapped around, the clasp on its end still open.
His best friend Samuel was lost somewhere in Katas, halfway across the kingdom. The search party they were sending would have to spend all night and morning riding to get there.
David stepped through the bedroom’s door, hesitating as he passed Elana’s personal guard. The man slumped in his chair, half-asleep.
He looked up. “Highness?”
“I’m seeing to the army,” David lied. “I’ll be back soon enough. Get some sleep, Aldien.”
“Yessir,” he mumbled, and attempted to salute, a fist pressed over his heart.
David let out a breath and made his way through the castle, chewing on his lip as every person he passed stopped dead in their tracks to salute him. He was a leader, not some god to pay homage to. As head of the Cerces rebellion, he’d get a few waves, but this was on a scale he’d never imagined. He’d only come of age a few months ago, for gods’ sake.
He reached the stables just outside, finding Yesmir, a good friend from the gladiator circuit, saddling a palomino horse.
“Goldleaf!” He rushed over, and the horse turned to meet his hand. David hugged the mare around the neck, Goldleaf whinnying in response.
Yesmir chuckled. “She’s missed you too, y’know. We could hardly get her to the capital without you.”
“Because she’s a good girl.” David ran a hand through Goldleaf’s mane.
“Because she’s as stubborn as you are.” Yesmir mounted her horse and wheeled it around. “Now c’mon. We’re burning moonlight.”
***
There was just an open field between them and the first buildings of the city. David halted Goldleaf, and the battalion behind him followed suit.
Yesmir cantered her horse up next to his. “What are your orders?”
He brushed his hair out of his eyes. “What do we know about the city?”
“It’s a resistance stronghold. There will be groups ready to ambush us.”
“So be it.” David dismounted. “Be ready for an attack tomorrow morning. Get your rest for now.”
“Yessir.” Yesmir returned to the battalion, and soldiers began gathering their gear and set out mats to sleep on.
David turned back to the city, looking over its lights. The old gladiator arena was lit up, a golden beam streaking up into the sky.
They were right. The circuit was still illegally operating.
Behind him, Goldleaf dropped to her knees and settled, her breath still heavy from exertion. David smiled, undid the bridle, and sat in the crook of his palomino’s neck, one hand on her head.
He dozed off a few minutes later, his head on Goldleaf’s chest.
***
“Well, aren’t you adorable.”
David opened his eyes to find Yesmir standing over him in full armor.
“Up and at ‘em. What’s the plan?”
David jumped to his feet, and Goldleaf followed. “We split. I take half the troops and go east of the arena.” He pointed. “You go west with the rest. At noon we’ll circle back here and report what we’ve found.”
“Yessir.” She nodded. “But is splitting our forces the best idea?”
“It shouldn’t be a problem.” David shrugged. “We’re just shutting down a gladiator arena. I guarantee you Sam’s trying to do the same thing.”
Yesmir frowned, but nodded all the same. “Yessir.”
After a few shouts, David maneuvered Goldleaf around a dozen or so soldiers, explaining the plan. He received a few salutes, fists thudding against armored chests, and with a gesture, he led them across the field, toward the east side of the city.
The streets were strangely empty, and David craned his neck to investigate the nearby shops. The merchandise inside was covered in a thick layer of dust; some even had cobwebs stretching between shelves. He frowned, and spun Goldleaf so he could look his troops in the eye.
“Something’s wrong here. We’re going to explore one of these shops.”
There were a few mummers of agreement, and he wheeled back around and continued down the street until he found a shop with a shattered window.
He halted the troops, dismounted, and led Goldleaf to the shop’s door by the bridle. He let go and stepped inside. Dust launched up around him and coated his boots. Behind him, Goldleaf whinnied nervously.
“I know, girl.” He took another few steps and flinched as he took a cobweb to the face. He staggered back, sputtering, and at last got it off. He stared at the silk in his hand.
It wasn’t a cobweb.
It was a tripwire.
Something hard and heavy slammed into his back. He fell hard, knocking over a shelf on the way down. As he gasped, winded, he opened his eyes to witness an arrow knock one of his soldiers off her horse. The rest of them roared, wheeling their horses, but David’s attacker dropped her weapon, a wooden beam, and unhooked a crossbow from her belt. Two soldiers unsheathed swords and charged into the shop, but she kicked over another shelf. As they staggered back, she skewered both with bolts.
Another woman jumped into view from the roof, raining daggers like arrows. Bodies fell and kept falling.
David squeezed his eyes shut as the fighting died out. One last glance revealed Goldleaf charging down the road in the direction they had come.
Even his horse, huh?
As he tried to gather himself again, the two fighters stepped in front of him.
“Why is his armor different from the others?”
“Dunno. Weird.”
“Hey, check it out. He’s still breathing.”
“Hmph. Motherfucker’s stubborn. I hit him hard enough.”
David sighed and closed his eyes once more.
***
“Hey, wake up.” Cold water hit David in the face.
He spluttered, gasping. “I’m up, Princess, I’m up.”
“Thanks for the compliment, motherfucker, but I’m not exactly a princess.”
David pried his eyes open. A brunette with a pixie cut and big green eyes stood in front of him. She also had a crossbow hooked to her belt and a quiver belted to her back.
“What I’d like to know, though, is who the hell <i>you</i> are. You’re dressed like a traveler, but you don’t have any money, and I’ve never heard of a traveler with half a battalion escorting him.” She scoffed. “So who are you?”
A girl with a lot of knife sheaths hanging from her cocked her head. “Dunno, Jay. But do you know who he looks like? That kid… David? From Cerces?”
“He’s of age,” David mumbled, drool falling from his lips and hitting his chest cold. He shook himself and looked down; he wasn’t wearing a shirt. He pulled on his arms, but gasped as he found himself staring at the bonds holding his hands over his head in a Y, the ropes tied to two hooks at the far corners of the room. His ankles were chained to a grate under his feet. “What the hell?!”
“Well, we’re about to put you through hell if you don’t answer our questions right now.” Jay stepped forward. There was a scar on her cheek. “Who are you?”
“Aldien,” David blurted.
“You don’t look like an Aldien.” Jay stepped forward.
“But that’s my name. I’m an emissary, trying to—”
“That Cerces son of a bitch doesn’t use emissaries. He always goes himself.” Jay pressed the point of a knife under his chin, making him swallow. “So I’ll ask again: who are you?”
“Aldien,” he croaked. Both girls wore patches with the old Astaleze coat of arms. Resistance fighters.
Jay sighed. “Let’s just kill him.”
“No.” The knife girl shook her head. “It’s not fair…”
“Are you serious, Sal?” She turned to stare, and David gasped as the knife left his throat. “You just killed gods know how many soldiers out there—”
“It’s not the same. He doesn’t get to fight back.”
David’s eyes widened. A fight? A <i>fair</i> fight? He’d won against far worse than two women with a crossbow and throwing knives.
“I’m not dealing with that.” Jay shook her head. “Look at him. We’re lucky we caught him without losing a fucking arm.”
“You surprised me,” he snarled.
“We know. And it was a good trap, too.” Jay glared at him. “You’re a freed gladiator, aren’t you?”
“Maybe.”
She hesitated. “Do you… do you have a real name?”
“Of course I do! I just sold myself, okay?”
“Oh, so then your parents named you Aldien?”
“No, they—” David cut himself off, turning white.
“Aha.” Jay grabbed his side with one hand and raised the knife to his nose with the other. “Liar.”
David tried to focus on the knife, but couldn’t help but jump as she set her hand on the sensitive scar across his stomach.
“What? What’s wrong with you? More bruised than we thought?” She grinned and squeezed his side again.
He yelped and failed to pull away. “Don’t!”
“Don’t what? Tough gladiator can’t take the pain?” She poked the scar covering his side.
This time, David couldn’t hold in the burst of laughter.
“Hold up.” Sal stepped closer. “He’s ticklish.”
“I’m not.” David’s voice broke.
“Wait. Remember that thing Cap said?” Sal snapped her fingers, trying to catch the idea escaping her. “That if anyone ever captures David—”
“Tickle him.”
David stared. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding.”
“Someone’s scared.” Jay leaned in. “Let’s see just how tough you are, gladiator.”
“No.” His voice broke. “No.”
“Yes.” Jay clawed his sides, careful to trace the scar on his stomach.
David threw his head back and screamed.
Jay stepped back and raised her eyebrows. “Wow. Check that out, Sal.”
“That’s so awesome!” Sal bounced closer. She was obviously the younger of the two sisters, with long blonde hair that fell around her shoulders and shining blue eyes. She still had a lot of knives, and that made David wary. “Can I give it a try?”
David shook his head, but Sal leaned up against him, looking him in the eye as she dug her nails into the fuzzy blonde hair in his armpits. David’s eyes bugged, but he bit his tongue and squeezed his eyes shut.
“Aw, he won’t do it for me.”
“It’s because I took the fucker by surprise, sis. Here, um…” Jay turned, and stopped as she noticed a torn bag of flour. “Here!” She took the burlap sack and dropped it over David’s head. “Now give it a shot.”
“Okay!” Sal’s voice came from David’s left, but he jumped as she pinched his right hip bone. He caught the sack between his teeth, trying to stifle his laughter, but coughed when he ended up with a mouthful of humid flour.
“My turn.” Jay scratched David’s neck, and as he shook his head, she found the scar that crossed the back of his shoulders. “Hey, check this out. It looks like that thing on his stomach.”
“It does,” Sal agreed. “His tummy’s really ticklish, too. I bet that spot’s even worse.”
“Good idea.”
“No,<i> stahahahap.” </i>David laughed as Sal went back to work in and around his navel. <i>“Plehehehese stahahahap! NAH! NAHAHAHA NAHAHA!”</i> He shook his head furiously, but couldn’t find purchase on the ropes holding him, and couldn’t see. <i>”STAHAHAHAP!”</i>
“It’s so funny.” Sal laughed. “Look at how crazy he’s getting.”
“Yeah,” Jay added. “Forget David of Cerces. We should be doing this to everyone we catch.”
“Jay? Look what I found!”
“Awesome! Here, hand me one!”
David shrieked as a downy feather met his nipple, then another soon followed. Another hand counted his ribs, and a stubborn finger was exploring his navel. All the while, fingers scrabbled over the sensitive scar on his shoulders.
More came afterward; Sal tore open a bag of forks and was using them to scratch his sides; she found combs and ran between his toes even as he bounced back and forth on the grate. She had gifted Jay her other feather, and Jay ripped off his burlap hood. She took it upon herself to drive the feathers as deep into his ears and nose as she could. David didn’t let her get far, and she settled for dancing their giving bristles over the outsides of his ears, his neck, and sensitive shoulders.
Sal left Jay to it— she had him begging as it was— and explored deeper into the ruined store. She discovered a flask of cooking oil and skipped back to Jay. “Why don’t we try this?”
“Yeah, why not?” With a wet slap, Jay slathered the oil on David’s chest. It didn’t mix well with his sweat and the water they’d used to rouse him, and it slowly dripped toward his waistline. “Help me out here, Sal.”
“Sure.” Sal spilled more oil into her hands and smacked it onto David’s side, working it into his ribs. David giggled nervously. Rose oil was bad enough, but cooking oil was made to be slippery.
“Relax.” Jay smiled. “Don’t you like being massaged?”
“Not when it’s like <i>thihihihis!”</i> David pulled at his restraints. Was the left rope giving? No, it was his strength giving. He only had so much endurance.
“Look at how red he is, Jay.” Sal tickled his neck.
“You’re right. He doesn’t look so good.” Jay stepped back. “A’ight, motherfucker, last chance. What’s your name?”
David’s mouth worked, but no sound came out. He slumped in his bonds.
“His name’s David, ladies.” Confident footsteps approached from deep in the store.
David forced his head up one more time. Jay and Sal parted so that Astal’s deposed captain of the guard, Luim, could pass them. “King David of Cerces.”
<a href= https://www.ticklingforum.com/showthread.php?326144-War%92s-End-The-King-of-Traitors-Part-2-(F-M)>Part 2 (F/M)</a>
<a href= https://www.ticklingforum.com/showthread.php?326180-War%92s-End-The-King-of-Traitors-Part-3-(F-M)&>Part 3 (F/M)</a>
David pulled his ragged blond hair out of his brown eyes as he shrugged on his soft black cloak. The color was familiar— he’d led plenty of raiding parties as the head of the Cerces rebellion— but this was the first time he’d really felt like a king while rushing into battle. The cloak was held together with a clasp bearing the Astaleze royal crest, and he wore pieces of black guard armor over his leather vest.
David hooked his shortsword onto his belt, and winced as it clattered against the armor on his legs. He turned, alarmed, but Princess Elana still lay asleep on the bed they shared, her black wavy hair spread around her in a halo. He let out a breath and stared at his feet. No more tight riding boots; the shoes were protective, but it was easy to turn his ankles in case of a fight. Still, the fur-padded shackle on his left leg brushed up against the inside of the boot. The chain it’d been attached to lay abandoned by the bedpost it was wrapped around, the clasp on its end still open.
His best friend Samuel was lost somewhere in Katas, halfway across the kingdom. The search party they were sending would have to spend all night and morning riding to get there.
David stepped through the bedroom’s door, hesitating as he passed Elana’s personal guard. The man slumped in his chair, half-asleep.
He looked up. “Highness?”
“I’m seeing to the army,” David lied. “I’ll be back soon enough. Get some sleep, Aldien.”
“Yessir,” he mumbled, and attempted to salute, a fist pressed over his heart.
David let out a breath and made his way through the castle, chewing on his lip as every person he passed stopped dead in their tracks to salute him. He was a leader, not some god to pay homage to. As head of the Cerces rebellion, he’d get a few waves, but this was on a scale he’d never imagined. He’d only come of age a few months ago, for gods’ sake.
He reached the stables just outside, finding Yesmir, a good friend from the gladiator circuit, saddling a palomino horse.
“Goldleaf!” He rushed over, and the horse turned to meet his hand. David hugged the mare around the neck, Goldleaf whinnying in response.
Yesmir chuckled. “She’s missed you too, y’know. We could hardly get her to the capital without you.”
“Because she’s a good girl.” David ran a hand through Goldleaf’s mane.
“Because she’s as stubborn as you are.” Yesmir mounted her horse and wheeled it around. “Now c’mon. We’re burning moonlight.”
***
There was just an open field between them and the first buildings of the city. David halted Goldleaf, and the battalion behind him followed suit.
Yesmir cantered her horse up next to his. “What are your orders?”
He brushed his hair out of his eyes. “What do we know about the city?”
“It’s a resistance stronghold. There will be groups ready to ambush us.”
“So be it.” David dismounted. “Be ready for an attack tomorrow morning. Get your rest for now.”
“Yessir.” Yesmir returned to the battalion, and soldiers began gathering their gear and set out mats to sleep on.
David turned back to the city, looking over its lights. The old gladiator arena was lit up, a golden beam streaking up into the sky.
They were right. The circuit was still illegally operating.
Behind him, Goldleaf dropped to her knees and settled, her breath still heavy from exertion. David smiled, undid the bridle, and sat in the crook of his palomino’s neck, one hand on her head.
He dozed off a few minutes later, his head on Goldleaf’s chest.
***
“Well, aren’t you adorable.”
David opened his eyes to find Yesmir standing over him in full armor.
“Up and at ‘em. What’s the plan?”
David jumped to his feet, and Goldleaf followed. “We split. I take half the troops and go east of the arena.” He pointed. “You go west with the rest. At noon we’ll circle back here and report what we’ve found.”
“Yessir.” She nodded. “But is splitting our forces the best idea?”
“It shouldn’t be a problem.” David shrugged. “We’re just shutting down a gladiator arena. I guarantee you Sam’s trying to do the same thing.”
Yesmir frowned, but nodded all the same. “Yessir.”
After a few shouts, David maneuvered Goldleaf around a dozen or so soldiers, explaining the plan. He received a few salutes, fists thudding against armored chests, and with a gesture, he led them across the field, toward the east side of the city.
The streets were strangely empty, and David craned his neck to investigate the nearby shops. The merchandise inside was covered in a thick layer of dust; some even had cobwebs stretching between shelves. He frowned, and spun Goldleaf so he could look his troops in the eye.
“Something’s wrong here. We’re going to explore one of these shops.”
There were a few mummers of agreement, and he wheeled back around and continued down the street until he found a shop with a shattered window.
He halted the troops, dismounted, and led Goldleaf to the shop’s door by the bridle. He let go and stepped inside. Dust launched up around him and coated his boots. Behind him, Goldleaf whinnied nervously.
“I know, girl.” He took another few steps and flinched as he took a cobweb to the face. He staggered back, sputtering, and at last got it off. He stared at the silk in his hand.
It wasn’t a cobweb.
It was a tripwire.
Something hard and heavy slammed into his back. He fell hard, knocking over a shelf on the way down. As he gasped, winded, he opened his eyes to witness an arrow knock one of his soldiers off her horse. The rest of them roared, wheeling their horses, but David’s attacker dropped her weapon, a wooden beam, and unhooked a crossbow from her belt. Two soldiers unsheathed swords and charged into the shop, but she kicked over another shelf. As they staggered back, she skewered both with bolts.
Another woman jumped into view from the roof, raining daggers like arrows. Bodies fell and kept falling.
David squeezed his eyes shut as the fighting died out. One last glance revealed Goldleaf charging down the road in the direction they had come.
Even his horse, huh?
As he tried to gather himself again, the two fighters stepped in front of him.
“Why is his armor different from the others?”
“Dunno. Weird.”
“Hey, check it out. He’s still breathing.”
“Hmph. Motherfucker’s stubborn. I hit him hard enough.”
David sighed and closed his eyes once more.
***
“Hey, wake up.” Cold water hit David in the face.
He spluttered, gasping. “I’m up, Princess, I’m up.”
“Thanks for the compliment, motherfucker, but I’m not exactly a princess.”
David pried his eyes open. A brunette with a pixie cut and big green eyes stood in front of him. She also had a crossbow hooked to her belt and a quiver belted to her back.
“What I’d like to know, though, is who the hell <i>you</i> are. You’re dressed like a traveler, but you don’t have any money, and I’ve never heard of a traveler with half a battalion escorting him.” She scoffed. “So who are you?”
A girl with a lot of knife sheaths hanging from her cocked her head. “Dunno, Jay. But do you know who he looks like? That kid… David? From Cerces?”
“He’s of age,” David mumbled, drool falling from his lips and hitting his chest cold. He shook himself and looked down; he wasn’t wearing a shirt. He pulled on his arms, but gasped as he found himself staring at the bonds holding his hands over his head in a Y, the ropes tied to two hooks at the far corners of the room. His ankles were chained to a grate under his feet. “What the hell?!”
“Well, we’re about to put you through hell if you don’t answer our questions right now.” Jay stepped forward. There was a scar on her cheek. “Who are you?”
“Aldien,” David blurted.
“You don’t look like an Aldien.” Jay stepped forward.
“But that’s my name. I’m an emissary, trying to—”
“That Cerces son of a bitch doesn’t use emissaries. He always goes himself.” Jay pressed the point of a knife under his chin, making him swallow. “So I’ll ask again: who are you?”
“Aldien,” he croaked. Both girls wore patches with the old Astaleze coat of arms. Resistance fighters.
Jay sighed. “Let’s just kill him.”
“No.” The knife girl shook her head. “It’s not fair…”
“Are you serious, Sal?” She turned to stare, and David gasped as the knife left his throat. “You just killed gods know how many soldiers out there—”
“It’s not the same. He doesn’t get to fight back.”
David’s eyes widened. A fight? A <i>fair</i> fight? He’d won against far worse than two women with a crossbow and throwing knives.
“I’m not dealing with that.” Jay shook her head. “Look at him. We’re lucky we caught him without losing a fucking arm.”
“You surprised me,” he snarled.
“We know. And it was a good trap, too.” Jay glared at him. “You’re a freed gladiator, aren’t you?”
“Maybe.”
She hesitated. “Do you… do you have a real name?”
“Of course I do! I just sold myself, okay?”
“Oh, so then your parents named you Aldien?”
“No, they—” David cut himself off, turning white.
“Aha.” Jay grabbed his side with one hand and raised the knife to his nose with the other. “Liar.”
David tried to focus on the knife, but couldn’t help but jump as she set her hand on the sensitive scar across his stomach.
“What? What’s wrong with you? More bruised than we thought?” She grinned and squeezed his side again.
He yelped and failed to pull away. “Don’t!”
“Don’t what? Tough gladiator can’t take the pain?” She poked the scar covering his side.
This time, David couldn’t hold in the burst of laughter.
“Hold up.” Sal stepped closer. “He’s ticklish.”
“I’m not.” David’s voice broke.
“Wait. Remember that thing Cap said?” Sal snapped her fingers, trying to catch the idea escaping her. “That if anyone ever captures David—”
“Tickle him.”
David stared. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding.”
“Someone’s scared.” Jay leaned in. “Let’s see just how tough you are, gladiator.”
“No.” His voice broke. “No.”
“Yes.” Jay clawed his sides, careful to trace the scar on his stomach.
David threw his head back and screamed.
Jay stepped back and raised her eyebrows. “Wow. Check that out, Sal.”
“That’s so awesome!” Sal bounced closer. She was obviously the younger of the two sisters, with long blonde hair that fell around her shoulders and shining blue eyes. She still had a lot of knives, and that made David wary. “Can I give it a try?”
David shook his head, but Sal leaned up against him, looking him in the eye as she dug her nails into the fuzzy blonde hair in his armpits. David’s eyes bugged, but he bit his tongue and squeezed his eyes shut.
“Aw, he won’t do it for me.”
“It’s because I took the fucker by surprise, sis. Here, um…” Jay turned, and stopped as she noticed a torn bag of flour. “Here!” She took the burlap sack and dropped it over David’s head. “Now give it a shot.”
“Okay!” Sal’s voice came from David’s left, but he jumped as she pinched his right hip bone. He caught the sack between his teeth, trying to stifle his laughter, but coughed when he ended up with a mouthful of humid flour.
“My turn.” Jay scratched David’s neck, and as he shook his head, she found the scar that crossed the back of his shoulders. “Hey, check this out. It looks like that thing on his stomach.”
“It does,” Sal agreed. “His tummy’s really ticklish, too. I bet that spot’s even worse.”
“Good idea.”
“No,<i> stahahahap.” </i>David laughed as Sal went back to work in and around his navel. <i>“Plehehehese stahahahap! NAH! NAHAHAHA NAHAHA!”</i> He shook his head furiously, but couldn’t find purchase on the ropes holding him, and couldn’t see. <i>”STAHAHAHAP!”</i>
“It’s so funny.” Sal laughed. “Look at how crazy he’s getting.”
“Yeah,” Jay added. “Forget David of Cerces. We should be doing this to everyone we catch.”
“Jay? Look what I found!”
“Awesome! Here, hand me one!”
David shrieked as a downy feather met his nipple, then another soon followed. Another hand counted his ribs, and a stubborn finger was exploring his navel. All the while, fingers scrabbled over the sensitive scar on his shoulders.
More came afterward; Sal tore open a bag of forks and was using them to scratch his sides; she found combs and ran between his toes even as he bounced back and forth on the grate. She had gifted Jay her other feather, and Jay ripped off his burlap hood. She took it upon herself to drive the feathers as deep into his ears and nose as she could. David didn’t let her get far, and she settled for dancing their giving bristles over the outsides of his ears, his neck, and sensitive shoulders.
Sal left Jay to it— she had him begging as it was— and explored deeper into the ruined store. She discovered a flask of cooking oil and skipped back to Jay. “Why don’t we try this?”
“Yeah, why not?” With a wet slap, Jay slathered the oil on David’s chest. It didn’t mix well with his sweat and the water they’d used to rouse him, and it slowly dripped toward his waistline. “Help me out here, Sal.”
“Sure.” Sal spilled more oil into her hands and smacked it onto David’s side, working it into his ribs. David giggled nervously. Rose oil was bad enough, but cooking oil was made to be slippery.
“Relax.” Jay smiled. “Don’t you like being massaged?”
“Not when it’s like <i>thihihihis!”</i> David pulled at his restraints. Was the left rope giving? No, it was his strength giving. He only had so much endurance.
“Look at how red he is, Jay.” Sal tickled his neck.
“You’re right. He doesn’t look so good.” Jay stepped back. “A’ight, motherfucker, last chance. What’s your name?”
David’s mouth worked, but no sound came out. He slumped in his bonds.
“His name’s David, ladies.” Confident footsteps approached from deep in the store.
David forced his head up one more time. Jay and Sal parted so that Astal’s deposed captain of the guard, Luim, could pass them. “King David of Cerces.”
