Well folks we're now at the halfway point. I hope you have enjoyed it so far. Tell me what you think.
JMH
trandar2002@yahoo.com
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/adultwritingworkshop/
Gerick, deep in his sexual frenzy, did not notice the change in Joshua at first. He did not recognize the familiar presence... the silly, childish giggles, or how Joshua was now digging his nails into the Prelate's back. It was only after the moment of climax that Gerick realized something was amiss... that the feel of the man beneath him was wrong.
"Joshua?" Gerick asked the laughing youth. "Joshua?"
Joshua did not respond... only kept giggling manically.
Disturbed, Gerick peered into the mind of the man beneath him... "You are not Joshua!" Gerick growled as he grabbed the man by the throat. His anger was so great that by the time he realized what he was doing... he was holding the neck of a dead man.
Raising his head up Gerick let out a deep yelled. "Joshua!"
The last thing Joshua remembered was Falcon's voice in his head... telling him to relax... to surrender himself to him. It had been like falling asleep while floating down a cold river. Then it was over. Joshua was awake again... in a poorly lit room. Where Gerick had been ravishing him... Falcon now was, stoking his sex in and out of Joshua, at a slow but determined pace.
"Joshua?" Falcon asked when he noticed Joshua's eyes were open...pulling out from the young man.
"Falcon... where am I."
"In Thomas' toy room." Falcon explained as he started to put his clothes back on.
"How did I end up here?"
"I'll explain latter...we don't have much time. I do not know how long till Gerick figures out what I just did."
"Ok..." Joshua said as he went looking for some clothes to put on.
"Here... these should fit you." Falcon said as he handed Joshua a pair of leather pants with a matching black leather jacket.
It was while he was putting on the clothes that Joshua noticed his body. It seemed shorter... less bulky but more defined... the skin an unnatural white. "Falcon?" Joshua asked questioning.
"I will make everything clear to you soon Joshua, I promised."
Remembering that Falcon had told him that he needed to trust him, Joshua nodded his head, moving faster to put the clothes on.
Once both were ready, the two left the dungeon, making their way out of the Guild Palace. All along the way several men and woman bowed to Joshua... some with frightened looks on their faces, but none of them stopped him or Falcon.
Outside the Palace, Falcon guided Joshua to a waiting hover car.
"Where may I take you my lord Thomas?" The driver asked.
"Thomas?" Joshua asked confused before being cut off by Falcon.
"To the spaceport." Falcon ordered curtly while giving Joshua a warning look.
Joshua closed his mouth but it did not stop him from looking at his reflection in the rear view mirror however. What he saw caused him to let out a sharp gasp. His hair was a bright blond... his eyes blue... while his skin looked a perfect alabaster white. His face which had once been round was now narrow with a sharp nose. He looked... he looked like a pale Thomas.
"Falcon... what have you done?" Joshua sent out.
"I did what I had to do." Falcon replied.
"Please tell me... why do I look like Thomas?"
"Because it is Thomas's body you now wear."
"But how?"
"How do you think Guild's men live for centuries... we steal the body of others."
"Then Thomas?"
"I gave Thomas what he wanted."
"Which was?"
"To be you... or more precisely to taste the love Gerick has for you."
"So will they be happy now?"
"No Joshua... Gerick has already noticed the switch... he is most angry."
"But Thomas is aright...isn't he?"
"No he is not." Was all Falcon was willing to say.
"He's dead!"
"..."
"Falcon!"
"I'm sorry Joshua... I would like to tell you that things are better this way... that Thomas was a tortured young man... twisted by Gerick's power. I would like you to believe that he is better off dead but I know it is not in you to believe such lies. All I can tell you is that you are my son... that I love you... that I would kill a thousand Thomas's to keep you safe."
"Falcon..."
Gerick watched as the doctors worked to relentlessly to restore life to the strangled corpse when the Guild's man he had sent after Thomas returned.
"Your report?" Gerick asked, his eyes not leaving Joshua's body.
"The last person to see Lord Thomas was at the space port boarding a star-liner for the Aquarius system."
"Has the ship entered the Void yet?"
"An hour ago my lord. Prelate"
"Bring me General Felix... tell him to send the fleet to Aquarius."
"I was just about to tell you about that my lord. It seems the general has also disappeared as have counterpart Kentor."
"The general must be playing with his new toy." Gerick chuckled.
"Nay my lord... the Dominant, his flag ship is also gone."
"Are you saying the General has turned traitor!" Gerick shouted.
Gerick could not believe what was happening... two, two counterpart had escaped his grasp in one day... and his favorite toy, Thomas, dead. He could feel his anger bubbling over... an anger that needed a target to vent on.
"To the playroom... now!" Gerick ordered the messenger.
"My lord..." The man begged as his face went pale even as two iron masked guard took hold of him.
Giving Joshua's lifeless body a final glance Gerick turned away, eager to begin the fun.
For centuries Santor had been a dark world... outside the warm light provided by Guild technology but still when a Guild war-liner appeared over the capital city of Julock everyone one from the wise members of the Senate to the lowly beggar knew what the ship meant... the Guild had returned.
From the imperial palace Vard and Austin watched as dozens of fighters and assault ships poured out of the giant craft, filling the skies with roar of their engines.
"Do you think the Guild has come for me?" Vard asked Austin.
"I don't know... it is possible." Austin nodded. "Should we flee?"
"Flee where?" Where can we go where the Guild could not reach us?"
"I can send us across the Void?"
"After what happened last time... no Austin I would rather die then put your life at risk." Vard said in a tone that ended the suggestion.
"But so would I." Austin whispered.
"I know beloved... I know." Vard sighed as he wrapped an arm around his lover's waist.
The two continued to watch as three assault ships landed in front of the white marbled palace, iron masked men pouring out of them in tight ranks. Next came out a man on a stretcher and another man whose back was a little straighter and head a little higher then the others.
"That must be the leader." Austin pointed.
"Possibly... shall we go down and great them?" Vard smiled.
"Can't think of anything better to do." Austin chuckled.
"I can." Vard grinned wolfishly as he gave Austin's rear a healthy squeeze.
Together the two walked down the marble stairs toward where the Guild's men waited. When they were fifty feet of the shuttle, a rank of iron masked men raised their guns as if they were about to fire. But then the man Austin had pointed out as the leader, raised a hand, "In the name of the light of the Guild we beseech your aid."
"Our aid?" Austin chuckled before he was elbowed by Vard.
"What aid can we give the Guild?" Vard asked.
"Are you the leader of this city?"
"He is the leader of the entire planet!" Austin said proudly even as Vard glared at him.
"Really..." The steel masked man grinned. "I did not know there was still a planetary government on Santor."
"I have only recently come by the position," Vard smiled... turning his black on black eyes on the Guild's man.
The man... on seeing Vard's eyes fell down on his knees. "By the light! Forgive me lord Prelate."
"We might forgive you," Austin snickered as he watched the other Guild's men go down to their knees.
"Austin..." Vard warned.
"Yes beloved?"
"Why are you tormenting them and me so?"
"Well... because they are Guild's men... the enemy."
"Austin... if you have not noticed... you and I are also Guild's men."
"But..."
"Why don't you go back to the palace and see that refreshments are prepared for our guests."
"Oh all right," Austin said sullenly, kicking away a small pebble as he left.
Vard waited till Austin was out of earshot before speaking again. "Please rise."
"Thank you lord Prelate."
"May I know your name?"
"General Felix Con'alor."
"And my name is Vard."
"It is good to meet you my lord."
"Now why have you come?"
"There is artifact rumored to be on Santor... a piece of Guild technology that I have need of." Felix said as he pointed to the man on the stretcher.
Walking over, Vard looked down on the stretcher and saw a man with long blond locks, vacant white on white eyes, an expression of terror on his face. "What happened to him?"
"A Prelate... nay an Abomination by the name of Gerick broke his soul and raped his mind. I have come here to find him healing."
"Why here... we can not be the only planet with such a device... unless the light of the Guild has dimmed."
"No it has not...but such a device is one of the most guarded secrets of the Guild. Only by permission of the Prelate may one use such a device."
"So why not ask the Prelate?"
"I am afraid Gerick finds Kentor's present state amusing. He would be unwilling to change it."
"So you have come here to find a device not under the Prelate's control."
"Exactly my lord. So may we have access to the device? Our senores detected it within this city."
"May I ask you a favor... something that might help me trust you better?"
"You may my lord."
"First remove your mask... I can not trust a person who would not let me see their face."
"Yes." The man bowed, reaching over to remove it, freeing his long locks of blond hair.
"By the light... this man is your..."
"Kentor is my twin." Felix nodded. We were not born that way however. This is the third body I have taken... Kentor's fifth. It was into the twins' bodies that our souls were transferred to though neither of us knew it until I first met him. Maybe a part of the bond found in all twins remained when we took these bodies... I do not know. All I know is that he is dear to me."
"Then you will have my help. Come.... Austin should have things ready now. Join me in the palace so that we may discuss things further."