Fourth Day

18th day of the 11th moon, 1105 HC

Damion hears people talking. Something about the Flame Sanctum, and the Masters. He opens his eyes and remembers he's in a jail cell. Because I'm so stupid.

He sits up and sees two men sitting at desks and another man leaning on one of the desks. They're all chatting.

"All of them?"

"All of them! Well, except Marsh Master Selune, of course."

"Of course."

"So it's Mountain Sanctum, Thunder Sanctum, and Water Sanctum along with the Flame heir's defectors?" Damion perks up at the mention of the Water Sanctum.

"Yes, plus Ground and Heaven's Masters."

"Heavens above, there's going to be a new Master in Flame."

Damion stands and goes to the bars closest to them, "What's happening? What about the Water Sanctum?"

"The crazy one is awake," says one of the men sitting at a desk as he rolls his eyes.

The man who was standing walks towards Damion, "Good, you're awake." He's carrying a board with a piece of parchment on it.

"Your name?" he says curtly not looking up from the parchment.

"Damion." The man writes it down.

"Species?"

Damion pauses to swallow, and decides to go with the safer answer. "Windborne."

"Windborne type?"

Fuck. "Emberai."

The man stills and raises only his eyes to look at Damion. He takes a careful step back, then writes on his parchment.

"Do you have any friends or family near by?"

"Umm, Selune."

"How can I contact Selune?"

"I don't know. But she's the Marsh Master."

The man blinks. "Right." He doesn't write anything down, "anyone else?"

"Uhh, Fal, um Falloway." The man writes something down.

"How may I get in contact with this Falloway?"

"I don't know. Selune sent her to me. She just came to my room."

The man looks up at Damion incredulously, "Your room at Reedrest?" Damion nods. The man looks back at his parchment and scribbles something out.

"Anyone else?"

Damion sighs and rubs the back of his neck, "No. I don't know many people. Just the Sanctum Masters."

The man taps his pen against the board he's holding, "Right."

He turns and plops the board and parchment on one of the desks, "We'll have to figure out what to do with him. He's too dangerous to give to a charity."

The man at the other desk leans far back in his chair, tilting it backwards precariously, "We could send him back to Scaldmere."

Damion grabs the bars in a panic, "Don't send me to Scaldmere!"

The men turn and eye Damion, then turn back to each other.

"I'll have to toss it up the chain. They'll figure it out," he strolls out of the room.

Damion paces while pulling on the roots of his hair. Fuck fuck fuck. If I'm sent back to Scaldmere, I'll be hunted. And I can't fly for a week. If they sent me back before I heal I'll likely die.

He returns back to holding the bars, "At least let me finish healing before sending me there!" he pleads.

The two men sitting at their desks look up at him, then look back at what they were doing.

"Fuck," he mutters under his breath, "fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck," he paces the cell, "fuck."

I was better off with Mulsae. I felt good. I had no stress. Everything was peaceful. Now everything is torture.

He returns to the bars, "What about Water Master Mulsae. Can you get in touch with him?"

The men look up at him. One says, "I'll get right on it." The other man snickers and they go back to their work.

Damion turns around and yells, "Fuuuuuck!" while bending over.

"Hey! Keep it down!" one of the men jumps out of his chair, "If you don't shut up, I will come in there and make you shut the fuck up. You understand me?"

"Yes," Damion croaks, "I'll be a good boy." He goes over and lays down on the mattress. The man quirks an eyebrow then shakes his head and sits back down in his chair.

He pretends Mulsae has told him to be in his place. It was usually on furs next to a fire. He strokes the mattress and remembers how the furs felt. He remembers how the heat from the fire felt on his wings.

He hasn't had to stay in one place bored in a long time. Not since Mulsae taught him how to read. Now he's always been given a book to read. Was. He used to be given books to read. Now he's completely on his own.

He picks at the sheets on the mattress. He examines the woven threads. Gods, I'm bored.

What's happening with the Masters and Flame Sanctum? Is it because Sorvak disappeared during the summit? I wonder what Mulsae is doing right now. He's apparently in the Flame Sanctum.

He rolls onto his back and stares at the ceiling. What's going to happen to me? What's next? He sighs.

He watches the beam of sunlight on the wall. He watches it slowly move. He sees a lump in the paint and watches the sunlight slowly make its way over to the lump and then envelope it.

He throws his arm over his eyes. This is stupid. I'm stupid. I'm trapped and stupid.

He tries to remember something pleasant. Like one of the times Mulsae fucked him. Gods, so many good ones but this one stands out. He felt so seen and cared for that he cried from relief. It felt so incredible both body and mind. He felt whole and peaceful. He remembers how every thrust from Mulsae sent waves of pleasure. He was completely in Mulsae's hands and he was taken care of so carefully and thoroughly. Oh gods, how I wish I were in those hands again.

Where's Mulsae?

Why was I taken away from Mulsae?

He groans, flips over and buries his face in the mattress. He remembers having his arms tied up to the headboard. Mulsae would lay on top of him and then he'd feel so good. He remembers how relaxed he could be. He tries to relax like that now. Release his concerns and worries. Just be in the Right Now.

And Right Now I'm in a fucking jail cell because I'm so fucking stupid.

He sits up and punches the brick wall and yells, "Fuck!"

"Quiet!" a man yells back.

Damion whips around, "I shouldn't be here!"

"Be quiet! You do not want me to go in there and make you be quiet!"

"Is anyone trying to help me?! What's happening?! What's going to happen to me?!" Damion screams and paces the cell.

"Fuck! Where the fuck is Mulsae?!" he kicks the brick wall with all his might.

He crouches down and pulls his hair by his roots, "Why am I here?! What is happening?!" Damion barely notices that one of the men has left.

"Fuuuuuck!" he screams from the very bottom of his lungs.

Multiple people come jogging into the room. "What's happening?" asks one.

"That's what I'm asking!" Damion screams.

"I don't know. He was laying there quietly for hours and then suddenly lost his shit."

"Because I shouldn't be here!" Damion screams. He grabs the bars, "Get Mulsae. Get Selune. Get fucking Deryn or someone. Or maybe Valena? Or Zeven? What about Maedor? Someone, anyone, please!" he screams.

"He thinks he's friends with the Sanctum Masters."

"I know them! They know me! We just had a meeting two days ago!" Damion tries desperately.

"We don't know anything else?"

"Fuck! Listen to me!" cries Damion.

"His name is Damion, he's Emberan, and he says he staying at Reedrest with Selune."

"I do, godsdamnit!" Damion screams and pulls on the bars.

"I've kicked it up the chain. It'll take awhile before someone decides what to do with him."

"Fuck this shit," Damion moves to the cell door and starts ramming his shoulder into it, "I'm! Getting! The fuck! Outta here!" He screams between rams against the door.

"We need to figure out how to calm him down."

Damion rages against the cell door.

"I'm not going in there."

"Neither am I!"

"Not a chance!"

"Okay, we can't subdue him the old fashioned way."

Sounds of Damion's continuous ramming into the cell door and his growls fill the room.

"We could let him tire himself out."

"Will the door hold?"

A man tentatively walks over to the door to carefully inspect the lock as Damion rams against it. "It might be bending."

That encourages Damion. He screams and rams harder.

"How was he apprehended in the first place?"

"They brought five officers with shields and batons."

"Let's get the five officers, open the door and let them subdue him."

"Go get the officers."

Damion stops and stalks the cell and growls like the big stupid brute he is. They're going to open the door and fight him. He'll take them on. He'll take them all on.

The five officers with shields and batons enter the room. Damion snarls at them.

The one with the key walks down the hallway between both cells and positions himself by the door. Damion positions himself to run out said door the second it is unlocked. The five officers make a phalanx at the entrance to the cell hallway.

The man with the key unlocks the door and jumps to the back of the hallway caged in by the cell door swinging open from Damion bursting through it. Damion barrels into the lead officer's shield and pushes him back. The two flanking officers push their shields into Damion's sides.

They wail their batons onto Damion's head, his wings, his shoulders. Damion pushes and shoves against them, but they reinforce each other. They keep beating him with their batons. He finally falls to his knees and snarls at them viciously. They beat down on him and he falls to his hands, struggling to get up. They continue to hit his head, his back, his arms. Finally Damion has hit his limit. He's exhausted. He's hurt. He falls flat onto his face.

They kick his head and face and ribs. And eventually, there's just nothing else. His consciousness disappears.

=*=

Damion wakes on his stomach on a mattress. His arms are above his head and his wrists bound. His ankles are bound. His midsection is bound. He flexes his wings, they're both bound. Fuck.

He looks around. He's not in Mulsae's bed. He looks like he's... in the hospital? Why is he strapped to a bed in the hospital?

"Hello?" he calls out. He's sick and tired of waiting and being alone.

"Hello?!" he tries louder.

"Please?!" he begs. He doesn't want to be alone any longer.

"Someone will be with you, just wait," a woman's voice hisses into the room.

Damion thrashes against the restraints. "I don't want to be alone anymore!" he screams. He thrashes and the bed starts to rock. "I don't want to be alone!" he yells as loudly as he can. He rocks the bed side to side and then it crashes onto the floor creating a cacophony of noises as things fall over like dominoes. He continues to thrash. It hurts. It hurts a lot. But he can't stand any of this bullshit another second.

People file into the room. Hands are all over him. "Calm down!" they yell over and over again.

Fuck! They should fucking calm down! He thrashes and screams in frustration.

A voice calls in from the doorway, "There are previous records for this man! Marsh Master Selune saw him personally yesterday!"

"Could he really know Marsh Master Selune?"

"I've been trying to fucking tell all of you that! No one has fucking believed me!" he stops thrashing and screams into the mattress from frustration.

"What's your name again?"

"Damion!"

"And type of Windborne?"

"Emberai!"

"And you have your penis trapped in a cage?"

"Oh for gods sake," Damion thrashes, "Fucking, yes!"

"This is the one Marsh Master Selune saw yesterday," she says gravely. Silence spreads through the room.

"Damion, we're going to lift your bed, okay?"

"Fine!"

Hands all over him start pulling and pushing on him and the mattress. With much effort the sizable team is able to lift the bed back into position.

"Damion, we're going to get Marsh Master Selune. You'll have to wait until she gets here."

Damion thrashes. "I don't want to be alone anymore!" he resumes thrashing against the bindings.

"If we have someone stay with you, will you stop struggling?"

"Yes! Please," he settles down and speaks in a normal tone, "Please, I don't want to be alone any more." He takes a deep breath. "Please."

"We'll get someone to stay with you, just wait until then."

"No!" he thrashes, "I don't want to be alone."

"I'll stay with him until you get someone else," says a man's voice.

"Are you sure?"

"I'll be fine."

The sounds of shuffling feet surround Damion and then leave the room. One set of footsteps walks around to Damion's head and there is the sound of a chair being pulled over.

"Hi Damion, I'm Roget. I'm an assistant here."

"Hi," Damion croaks, "Thank you."

"How do you know the Marsh Master?"

"She helped free me from a bad imprisonment situation. I'm staying in the palace complex until I get my own place."

"That does sound like something the Marsh Master would do."

There's silence between them. Then Damion asks, "What's going on with the Flame Sanctum?"

"Apparently, all the Sanctum Masters made some kind of policy that the Flame Master is refusing to comply with. He refuses to meet with the Masters to talk about it, so Mountain, Thunder, and Water Sanctums all invaded and have laid siege on the Pyrehold."

"What the fuck?" Damion says softly in surprise.

"Yeah, it's pretty amazing. Interesting times, eh? We could have a new Flame Master soon."

"Valena," Damion says. Roget hums in question. "Valena is said to be the next Flame Master."

"I see."

"I met her three days ago."

"You seem to know a lot of powerful people. How'd you end up shoeless in jail?"

Damion groans, "I had an absolutely terrible day yesterday."

"Tell me about it."

"Too many bad things. Too much humiliation. I just can't."

"I get it."

There's a knock on the door. A woman's voice says, "Hi! I've been sent to keep Damion company."

Roget stands up, "It was nice talking to you, Damion. Good luck with everything."

"Thanks," Damion says in a near whisper.

The woman takes Roget's seat, "My name is Elirick. I'm a counselor."

"Hi," he whispers.

"Hi," she says again and giggles. "So you don't like being alone?" she asks.

Damion shakes his head, "Not right now. I'm so lost. Untethered. I don't want to be alone any more."

"That's so sad. I'm sorry that's happening to you."

Damion huffs a laugh, "Me, too." He rubs his face on the mattress, "My life has been thrown upside down. I'm so overwhelmed."

"How so?"

"I was a soldier. Then I was a prisoner. I was always told what to do, what to wear, where to go. I didn't even realize how controlled my life was until I was given full freedom." Damion sighs, "I've only been free for a day and a half and I've already been fucked more ways than one." He glances around. "This is my second time in the hospital already. Twice in as many days," he shakes his head. "I'm such a stupid brute."

"That's harsh. Why would you call yourself that?"

"Because I am!" he exclaims. Then more softly, "I keep fucking things up because I'm so stupid. I'm just a brute to point at someone and told to fight them. It's foolish to think I could be anything else."

"That is such a sad way to perceive yourself. My heart breaks for you, Damion."

There is silence between them and then a very familiar voice calls out, "Damion! Damion, I'm here." Footsteps enter the room and stop behind him. Damion turns his head and there are those amber eyes he both wants and loathes.

"Mulsae," Damion whispers.

"I'm here," he says softly and strokes Damion's hair, "I came as soon as Nori told me what happened."

"Nori is monitoring me?"

"I've been so worried about you," Mulsae looks over Damion's whole body. "Why are you restrained?" He looks to Elirick and directs his question at her, "Why is he restrained?"

"He's considered highly dangerous," she says softly.

Mulsae scoffs. "Damion has a gentle heart." He starts to release Damion's wrists. "He's only dangerous when threatened."

"Mulsae, you can't be here," says another familiar voice.

Mulsae scoffs again. "You all promised and promised to take care of him. You clearly aren't, so I will."

"Mulsae, let Selune handle this. We're needed in the Flame Sanctum."

"Selune's people are those that did this to him!" Mulsae exclaims. He finishes releasing Damion's wrists and Damion starts to rub them. Mulsae starts on releasing the restraint across Damion's middle.

"You know we can't control all of our people."

"It was her own godsdamn city watch!" Mulsae exclaims and angrily releases the middle restraint. The other voice Damion can't quite identify sighs. Mulsae moves down to release Damion's ankles.

A soothing power begins to approach. Damion recognizes it as Selune arriving.

"Mulsae," Selune says calmly, "You're not supposed to see him."

"You're not taking care of him," Mulsae snaps, "So I will."

"He's not a prisoner anymore, it's his choice to go and do whatever he wants," Selune says placatingly. "And sometimes there are consequences to those decisions."

Mulsae huffs. He finishes releasing Damion's ankles and promptly crouches down by Damion's face, "Do you want to sit up?" Damion nods and Mulsae helps him to a sitting position. Damion can now see the other voice belongs to Heaven Master Halion.

Selune steps close to Damion and Mulsae and puts a gentle hand on both of their shoulders, "I see that you care deeply for him, Mulsae, but he isn't your responsibility any more."

"He will always be my responsibility," Mulsae snaps. He shrugs off Selune's hand and kneels down to rub Damion's ankles while Damion rubs his wrists.

Selune crouches down with Mulsae, "You need to let him go, Mulsae."

"No!" Mulsae hisses.

"I'll take care of him," Selune soothes.

"You haven't been," Mulsae hisses again.

"Mulsae, you don't have time for this. We need to go back to the Flame Sanctum," Halion pleads.

"Damion left Reedrest. That was his choice. His movements aren't restricted," says Selune.

Mulsae turns to Halion, "Fuck Flame," he turns back to Selune, "Why did he leave the palace? Why was he alone?" He stands and puts a hand on Damion's shoulder, "Why did you leave the palace?" Selune stands up with him.

Damion shrugs and looks down bashfully, "I was upset."

"Why were you upset?" Mulsae asks soothingly.

Damion lets loose a big sigh, "It's stupid."

"It's not stupid if it upset you," Mulsae runs soothing circles onto Damion's shoulder with his thumb.

He sighs again. "Falloway left suddenly, and then the shopkeeper kicked me out for being an Emberai."

"Why did Falloway leave you?" Selune asks.

"She said she had somewhere she had to be," Damion answers. Selune's face turns to a frown.

"Who's Falloway?" asks Mulsae.

"She's the counselor I sent to help Damion's transition," says Selune while deep in thought. "She was supposed to stay with you and help you with everything you need."

Damion shrugs, "I've barely seen her."

Selune shakes her head, "I'm sorry, Damion. I'll transfer you to a different counselor, okay?"

"How can I trust your people any more, Selune?" growls Mulsae.

"These decisions aren't up to you anymore, Mulsae." Selune places a hand on his shoulder, "You should go back to the Flame Sanctum."

"Let's go, Mulsae," encourages Halion, "Damion is in good hands."

"I clearly can't trust you," Mulsae hisses. He turns to Damion, "What do you want to do? I can bring you to The City. You can live there. It's safer than here. And then I can easily take care of you whenever you need it."

Halion questions Mulsae's statement, "The rumors report that Drenvaar is a depraved city, and dangerous."

Mulsae hisses at Halion and scowls. He turns back to Damion, "Do you want me to bring you to The City?"

"That's not a good idea for either of you," Selune cautions gently.

"I don't know what I want," Damion whispers. I've wanted you with me so desperately. But I look at you and I hate you.

Mulsae squeezes Damion's shoulder reassuringly, "I understand. You're in no rush to make a decision, and you can always change your mind and make a different decision later."

Damion squeezes the palms of his hands into his bruised and beaten eyes. I want to go to Lirae. I want you to take care of me. But I'm so scared of you.

"I understand," Mulsae says sadly.

"Mulsae, please, we need to go," Halion pleads. Mulsae hisses at him.

"Damion, I'll assign you another counselor. Please give them a chance," Selune says soothingly. Damion groans loudly.

"I'll meet with you later tonight and give you a Heavenwood parchment we'll share," Selune says. Damion lowers his hands from his face. "It will be a direct line to contact me. If you have any problems, concerns, or even comments, you'll be able to write to me on the Heavenwood, okay?"

"You didn't give him one earlier?!" Mulsae flails his arms and turns to pace. "I thought you said you had experienced people for this! You said you help women with this all the time!" Mulsae snarls, "Or is that the problem. Is it because he's a man?"

"I'll investigate personally to find out what happened," Selune reassures, "He shouldn't be discriminated against for being a man."

Damion scoffs, "No, it's because I'm Emberan."

"What do you mean?" Mulsae's voice grows grave.

"Whenever someone learns I am Emberan they're immediately afraid of me," Damion laments.

"What kind of city do you have here?!" exclaims Mulsae.

"Like Drenvaar is any better," Halion scoffs. Mulsae hisses at him.

"The City doesn't discriminate like this. They accept everyone. Come. Come to The City," Mulsae pleads to Damion.

Selune puts a hand on both of their shoulders, "You two need to be separated." She turns to Damion, "You shouldn't live in the Water Sanctum until you've been successfully independent for quite awhile."

Mulsae shrugs off Selune's hand, "That's bullshit."

"It's best for both of you," Selune gently recommends.

Damion looks up at Selune, "The counselor is supposed to stay with me?"

"Yes."

"And help me with everything I need, like even stupid shit like what your currency means?"

"Yes, the counselor is supposed to help you with everything."

"And if I get left alone again, I could just go to L--- The City?"

"I don't recommend you go to the Water Sanctum, but I understand if you give up on my help if I fail you again. I will personally speak with the new counselor and I will stress upon them that they are to make themselves available to you for the entire day every day, okay?" Selune looks into Damion's eyes trying to press upon him to trust her one more time.

Damion matches Selune's stare, "Okay. I'll try another counselor and see how it goes," he turns to Mulsae, "If I get stressed out again, I'll reach out to you."

"Please reach out to me if you get stressed out again," Selune pleads gently.

Damion lowers his head, "We'll see how I feel if I get stressed out again."

Selune pats his shoulder, "Thank you for giving me a chance to make this right, Damion." He looks up to Selune meekly and nods his head.

"It's time to go, Mulsae," Halion chimes in his reminder.

Mulsae pulls his hand through his hair as he paces, "Okay! Okay, this is reasonable," Mulsae openly reassures himself.

"It's okay to go now, Mulsae. Damion is safe. I'll make sure there is someone with him for the rest of the day," Selune tries to assure Mulsae.

"I'd really like that," Damion says relieved.

"Okay," Mulsae says. He then rushes to crouch down in front of Damion and grabs his hands, "Be safe. Contact Selune directly if you have concerns. Contact me directly for anything you want. Okay?" Damion nods.

Mulsae stands and pulls his hand through his hair, "Okay. I'll go back to Flame." He turns to Halion.

Mulsae takes one more look at Damion, expression sorrowful. I want to beg him to stay with me. "Be safe. Be happy," Mulsae says then turns and walks out the door. But I'm terrified he'll turn around and return.

Halion nods and turns to follow. Their footsteps disappear down the hallway. Mulsae is gone. Again. I have been wanting him so desperately, and then when I finally face him I push him away.

Selune pulls a chair over to Damion and sits next to him. "I'm going to send in healers to tend to you. Elirick will stay with you the entire time." She looks over to her and she nods.

"After you're healed you will stay here with Elirick and I will send an escort to come and pick you up and bring you directly to me," Selune continues, "We'll have dinner, discuss what happened so I can fix things, and then we'll discuss what happens next. Does that sound okay?" Damion nods.

"I'm going to go assign the healers now, and I will assure them that you aren't dangerous."

Damion swallows and nods, "Thank you," he whispers. With that, Selune squeezes his hands and gets up to leave.

"Wow, you have the Sanctum Masters tripping over themselves to help you. How'd you manage that?" Elirick asks amused.

Damion sighs. He lies down on his back. He's exhausted and in pain everywhere, becoming increasingly worse as his adrenaline wears off. "It's an awful story. The awfulness is probably why they're competing to help me."

"You've got my ear for a few hours. Do you want to talk about it?"

He sighs, "It's... awful."

"I work in a hospital, I've seen some awful things."

Damion huffs a laugh, "I'll be surprised if you've heard of a case worse than mine."

"Try me," she says with a smile.

Damion chuckles, "You asked for it."

"That I have."

"Do you know about Emberai?"

"Just that they're the Windborne of the Water Sanctum and focus highly on fighting capabilities."

"Yeah, it's a war dominated society. Every one is raised to be a potential soldier. I was no different. I spent three hundred years as a soldier."

He sighed heavily. "Well, we rebelled against Mulsae, the Water Master that was just here, and I was captured and Mulsae took me as his personal captive."

"Oh no," she comments.

"Yeah. I lived with Mulsae for over two years. I was at his side every moment of every day. I slept in his bed. I bathed next to him. He hand fed me. I knelt next to him during his meetings. Every moment of every day he was there."

"That's awful."

"And then out of the blue one day the other Sanctum Masters call for a summit because they think Mulsae is treating me as a slave."

"Wait... was that the summit from this week? It must be. The Sanctum Masters haven't gotten together in centuries."

"Yup, the summit was about me."

"No wonder all the Masters know you!"

"Yup. They ruled I was a slave and since slavery is illegal I was suddenly free to do and go anywhere I wanted."

"So how did you end up here?"

He slings his arm over his eyes and groans, "Because I'm a stupid brute."

"You keep calling yourself stupid, but I don't believe it."

"I am. I know nothing of how things work. I've never used a bank, never dealt with currency, never bought myself clothes. Someone said I was like a newborn with all the stuff I didn't know or understand."

"But you lived in Scaldmere your whole life."

"Yeah."

"So how could you be expected to know these things? That doesn't make you stupid. You're just from a different culture."

Damion's lips part. He's stunned.

A healer walks in, "I'm going to assess you and send in appropriate healers based on your injuries." Damion nods.

She starts with laying her healing hands on his head, "You have some fractures in your skull, and you must have a headache."

"You don't need to tell me every injury. I know it's extensive."

The healer smiles sadly, "Alright, I understand. I'll just assess and jot down notes as I go." The healer proceeds to lay her hands on Damion and write notes on a parchment when she finds an injury.

"Hopefully the new counselor will be more helpful than the last counselor," Elirick attempts at conversation again.

"Yeah," he sighs, "She said she'd spend the afternoon clothes shopping with me, but then bailed before I even purchased anything. Plus she just sent me to the bank all alone. Didn't even tell me where it was. I had to search the city by myself."

"That's awful. How could she do that to you?"

He shrugs, "Because I'm a stupid Emberan brute, maybe."

She taps his shoulder in light admonishment, "Stop saying that."

He shrugs, "I am the stupid brute who decided to go drinking and flying and then crash and break my wing grounding myself for a week." I'm the stupid brute who let a random man fuck me in the toileting chamber. I could have taken him down. Why didn't I? I'm so stupid. Stupid stupid stupid.

She rests a hand on his shoulder placatingly, "You were going through a tough time. Anyone would want to get drunk."

He sighs, "I should have just stayed in the palace."

"All alone?" He nods. "Who would want to sit around all alone?"

"It's not just me?"

"Not wanting to be alone? No. We're social creatures. We like company. We crave it."

"I've felt like I've been going crazy. I just can't be alone and bored any more. I don't even have any books to read at the palace. So I just sit there. Waiting. Bored. Alone."

"Ugh. That sounds like torture."

Damion huffs a laugh. He's familiar with all kinds of torture.

"I'm done with my assessment," the healer says, "I'm sending in three different specialists to work on you. They should start coming in shortly."

Damion nods, "Thanks."

"Of course," the healer says before leaving.

There's silence and then Damion whispers, "I'm not going crazy?"

"No, Damion," Elirick says softly, "It doesn't sound like it to me."

Damion looks over at her, "Thanks." She smiles.

"Hello, Damion," a healer comes in, "I'm here to work on your fractured--"

"No," Damion puts up a hand to interrupt, "I don't want to hear the list of injuries. Just go ahead."

The healer smiles with sad understanding, "I get it. Would you like me to tell the others the same?"

"Yes, please." The healer nods and gets to work. Soothing healing energy that feels wonderful enters his body. Damion sighs with contentment. Tension eases from his shoulders.

After a moment of silence Damion whispers, "I don't know what to do about Mulsae."

"He's the one who kept you prisoner for two years?" Damion nods. "And he's the one who was here arguing for you to have better care?" Damion nods again. "He seems to care a lot about you."

Damion lets loose a long sigh, "That's the problem. He hurt me. He tortured me. He humiliated me. He controlled my every moment. I hate him."

She sucks in a breath, "Really? But he seemed to care so much."

"I know!" he growls in frustration, "It drives me crazy! From day one! He violated me, he hurt me, then he gave me a massage!"

Elirick screws up her face in puzzled thought.

"He said I was his pet. Maybe he was training me like a dog. Beat me into submission, then lavish comfort on me like some beloved pet." He growls softly and clenches his fists.

"He is... That is..."

"Pretty fucked up," Damion finishes for her. She nods.

The healer interrupts, "I'm done with my portion. May you sit up, Damion? I'd like to help you put your arm in a sling." He sits up. The healer helps maneuver his right arm into a sling.

"I'll send in the next healer. Good luck, Damion." He nods. The healer leaves.

"I miss him, though," Damion whispers as he lays back down.

"You do? Why?" she asks curiously.

He shrugs. "I felt safe. I had no worries. He took care of my every need. We used to chat for hours about things we were reading about. And..." he inhales slowly then exhales slowly in a long sigh, "He made me feel good. Really good. Amazing," his throat bobs as he swallows, "If I just relaxed and went with it... It was incredible. Like every time."

"It being... sex?" she asks cautiously. Damion merely nods.

"With all this stress... With all this shit I have to figure out and learn... I really just want to feel good again. And I can't. I can't do it... to myself. I have no release," he sighs, "I'm just stuck here, in this harsh reality. And this life sucks so far. I know I'm only on the third day, but it has been horrible. I want my life with Mulsae back. It was better than," he waves a hand around, "all of this."

There's a knock on the door and another healer shows up. "Hi, Damion. I'm here to continue your healing. I was told you don't want to talk about your injuries?"

"Please don't," he says.

"That's no problem. Just relax and I'll do everything I can to make you better, okay?" Damion nods. The healer lays his hands on Damion's chest and soothing healing radiates into Damion. It feels good and relaxing.

"I'm sorry this has all been so stressful for you, Damion," Elirick says with a hand on his shoulder, "It sounds like the Sanctum Masters tried to help you and the counselor that was assigned to you failed you."

Damion huffs, "I have money, apparently thanks to Mulsae, he gave me a lot of money, but I don't know how to use it to get me help." He sighs.

"How did you go from buying clothes to being subdued by officers in jail?"

"Gods," he shakes his head, "The counselor left me with the store attendant before I bought anything. Then the store attendant kicked me out when she found out I'm Emberai."

Damion groans, "I was so upset about Falloway leaving me alone, and the attendant kicking me out just because I'm Emberai that I decided to go get drunk."

"That's a pretty typical reaction." She shrugs.

"I thought it would be fine. I'd just go to a bar, get drunk, then hang out drinking water, then go back to my room. But no," he shakes his head, "This whore came up to me and started hitting me up. I was into it. I haven't been with a woman in ages. I've apparently got tons of money. But then she put her hand on my cock and loudly accused me of being a pixie."

"Oh gods! That's terrible!" she gasps.

"I'm so sorry to interrupt," the healer says, "but I'm done with my treatment. You feel a lot better, right?" Damion wiggles a little to test out his body. He does feel a lot better. He smiles and nods.

"You had pretty major internal injuries," the healer continues, "I recommend taking it easy for the next two days. Don't walk around a lot. Try to stay in bed or sitting comfortably, okay?" Damion nods.

The healer smiles and pats Damion's elbow, "I'm sorry for everything that's happened to you. I hope things get better."

"Thanks," he says softly. The healer smiles and leaves.

There's silence in the room. Elirick decides to break it. "Why would touching your cock make you seem like a pixie?"

Damion groans and throws his good arm over his face. He groans again. "It's Mulsae. He cursed me."

"Really? What did he do?"

He groans the loudest yet. "Fuck."

"Nevermind. Don't tell me. It's just something was done to you around that area. And she loudly accused you of being a pixie because of your curse."

"Yeah, it was humiliating. I drank so much more trying to just stop feeling everything."

She hums in agreement.

"Then I go to the toileting chamber. And this man follows me."

"No..." she says lowly.

"Yeah. He said I was a pixie and I wanted him and he caged me in and..." he presses his fingers into his eyes and scrunches up his face.

"I am so sorry, Damion."

"I'm supposedly the best fucking fighter in all of fucking Scaldmere and I just let this man..." he curls his hand into a fist and lets it drop on his forehead. Hard. Then does it again.

Elirick gently takes his fist, brings it to her chest and uncurls his hand. She interlaces her fingers with his and caresses his arm and hand with her other hand. "It's not unusual to freeze up like that, Damion. I'm so sorry it happened. It wasn't your fault."

He sucks in a shuddering breath, "It's all my fault. I should have fought him! I could have easily taken him down! But..." he scrunches up his face, "It was like I was back with Mulsae. He changed me... modified me... he transformed me, designed me for sex. For men to have sex... with me."

"Oh gods, no wonder why you hate him so much!" Damion nods. "I had no idea I was looking at such evil when he was here earlier."

Damion sighs, "I have such overwhelming mixed feelings about him." She squeezes his hand.

"What happened next... after the toileting chamber?" she tries to continue the conversation.

"I didn't want to stay, of course."

"Of course."

"So I paid and I left. But I don't know this city. I don't know how to get to the palace by foot. So I stupidly decided to fly back to the palace... and I crashed. And broke my wing and my arm." He sighs. She gives his hand a squeeze.

"And somehow you get from the accident to jail."

"Yup! I'm the master of failure! I'm so stupid!"

"No, you're not," she switches to caressing his hair, "You're simply having a difficult time because multiple people have failed you."

"I shouldn't need help! I should be able to take care of myself!"

"We all need help. We're a society. We all work together and help each other. No one actually lives their lives completely independently."

"What?" he asks after some thought.

There's a knock on the door, "Hello, Damion. Again. I just fixed your wings yesterday. Yesterday! What have you gotten yourself into these past two days to keep breaking your wings?" Damion groans.

"Alright, on your stomach." The healer and Elirick help Damion turn to his stomach.

"I'm going to work on the right wing first," the healer says then gently places her hands on his wing. He hisses from the pain. She equally as gently opens his wing.

"Oh my. This looks like you were hit repeatedly with a blunt object." She begins to run healing hands over his wing.

"I was," he sighs.

"How did that happen?" the healer asks curiously.

"I lost my shit in jail. They got scared of me and beat me up to knock me out."

"You have some crushed bone. I'm going to need to set the bones and put splints on your wings. Setting the bone is going to hurt," says the healer in clinical mode.

"Just do it," Damion grits his teeth.

"Why did you get upset in jail?" asks the healer.

"I was left bored and alone for too long. And they wouldn't call me any help because--- ow!" Damion suddenly exclaims when the healer sets a bone.

"Keep going," says the healer. Damion looks at her incredulously. "Distraction is the best way to minimize pain." Damion looks at her skeptically. The healer motions with her hand for Damion to keep talking.

He sighs, then continues, "They wouldn't contact anyone for me because they didn't believe me that Selune is my contact here."

"You know Marsh Master Selune?" asks the healer, surprised.

"That he does! Master Selune was just here earlier promising passionately to help Damion personally," says Elirick, with a bit of pride in her tone.

"Yeah, I'm staying at the pal--- ow! Fuck," Damion is interrupted with another bone setting, "I'm staying at the palace."

"How do you know Master Selune?" the healer continues the conversation.

Damion groans, "It's a long awful, terrible story."

"Tell me some of it," the healer says encouragingly.

"Well, I met Selune a couple days ago at the sum--- Fuck!"

"That was the last bone to set for this wing. I still have some healing to do before moving on to the left wing," she says in clinical tone, then switches to her friendly tone, "Were you saying you met Master Selune at the Sanctum Masters summit that was this week?"

"Yeah."

"The summit was for him. About him," Elirick says excitedly.

"You must be a very important person," the healer says as she closes his wing and starts wrapping it with gauze.

Damion huffs, "I'm just a nobody lowborn bastard Emberai."

"Why was the summit about you?" the healer asks.

"Mulsae was ruled to have been keeping me as a slave, and slaves are against the War Against Slavery treaty," sighs Damion.

"I'm moving on to the left wing now," she says in her clinical tone while she places her hands on the left wing. Damion hisses from pain. She gently opens the wing. "You were a slave?" she says in her casual tone.

"Yeah, for two years."

"It was awful. What Mulsae did to Damion was evil," Elirick adds in.

"He is the Water Master of the Sanctum of the Cutting Deep after all," the healer says as she runs her magic along Damion's wing. The comment draws Damion to compare Lirae with Drenvaar. The two contrasting cities seem to reflect Mulsae's two conflicting sides of himself. He is both evil and kind. Both caring and depraved. Just like how Lirae is for blooming and Drenvaar cuts everyone down. The Water Sanctum is disjointed, and so is its Master.

"Where'd you go, Damion?" Elirick asks while caressing his hair.

"Oh, I realized something. It's nothing important," Damion says dismissively.

"Tell us about it," the healer asks trying to get Damion to talk again.

"Just something about Mulsae. His two opposi---" he groans as a bone is set. He blinks a few times then continues, "His two opposing sides."

"He seems evil," comments the healer.

"He is also caring and so so thoughtful," sighs Damion.

"That's a surprise to hear. Tell me about it," presses the healer.

"I don't want to talk about it, actually," says Damion meekly.

"Tell me something you do want to talk about," encourages the healer.

"So... I met all the Sanctum Masters. I even got to spend the evening with--- ow! ... spent the evening with Deryn and Garrick."

"That's amazing," says the healer.

"I met two children of Sorvak, Valena and Zeven, and Valena's husband, Maedor, who is apparently Mulsae's cousin. He's furious with him now.

"And apparently somehow Mulsae manipulated the proceedings so that— ow!"

"That was the last bone I had to set. I'm going to finish healing the wing and wrap it up," she says in clinical tone before switching to casual friendly tone, "Then you're all done!"

"Thanks," Damion says.

"Why did Mulsae manipulate the proceedings?" asks Elirick.

"So that in order to free me, the Flame Master's consort would also have to be freed."

The healer stops, "That's why everything is crazy over in the Flame Sanctum right now?"

Damion shrugs, "Maybe?"

The healer laughs, "You are a very important person," she continues healing his wing.

Damion sighs, "Just a lowborn nobody."

"You're not a nobody any more," Elirick scritches his scalp. Damion closes his eyes and moans in appreciation.

The healer folds Damion's wing and starts wrapping it in gauze.

"Elirick," starts Damion. "Yeah?" she responds.

"Earlier you were saying that everyone gets help from someone because of society. But that isn't true," Damion says sadly.

"Why do you say that?"

"I was left on my own, all alone, before I was able to even fly well."

"That's tragic!" she exclaims.

"I've completed working on your wings. They are going to require two weeks to heal before you can fly again."

Damion pops up to a sitting position and exclaims loudly, "Two weeks?! You have got to be kidding me!"

"I'm sorry. The bones were crushed. It will take a week before your bones are strong enough to take off the splints, then another week before they're strong enough to withstand the rigors of flying."

Damion presses the heels of his hands into his eyes, "What am I going to do? I don't know how to navigate anywhere without flying."

Elirick puts her hand on his knee, "Remember the counselor that Master Selune promised you? She said the counselor will stay with you all day every day. They'll help you navigate."

"Is this counselor going to be with me for two weeks?!" he exclaims incredulously as he flails his hands out.

"Hopefully. But even if they aren't, you'll know your way around by then, okay?"

Damion looks at the floor and his breathing quickens, "I just want to go back to Mulsae."

Elirick stands up abruptly and puts her hands on his shoulders, "No! Never! Don't go back to him!"

He looks up at her with a look of defeat, "Everything was simpler."

"Simpler, maybe, but more horrible. Give this counselor a chance, Damion. Please. Please give the counselor and Marsh Master Selune a chance to help you," she looks him in the eye pleadingly.

Damion grimaces, "Okay. One day at a time. Just focus on Right Now."

"Exactly," she confirms. She sits back down and leaves her hand on his knee.

After a few moments the healer continues, "Come back here in one week. We will remove the splints and bandages and see how your healing is going." Damion nods.

"Alright, good luck, Damion. I hope everything gets better for you. I'll see you in one week," the healer pats his knee and leaves the room.

"This is when everything fell apart yesterday. I left the hospital looking horrible and didn't know how to get back to the palace. Can you show me how to get to the palace?"

"You're getting an escort. Master Selune said to stay here and wait for an escort to come and take you directly to her," Elirick reminds him.

"Oh yeah," he rubs the back of his neck.

Damion feels unpleasantness in the seat of his pants. He remembers the missing anal plug and breaks out in a cold sweat. "Fuck," he mutters.

"What is it?" Elirick is concerned.

"I, uh, I'd like to talk to someone about something else. Uh. About my health," Damion says shamefully.

She stands up, "I'll get someone. What is it about?"

"It's, um, private," he blushes profusely.

"Okay, I get it. I'll be back in just a moment. I'll just grab someone nearby and they can get someone for you, okay?" Damion nods.

Elirick leaves for just a few moments like she said and was right back with someone in tow.

"Elirick tells me you want to address something else?" the man who she brought in asks kindly.

"Yeah, uhh," he stops and runs his hand through his hair, "umm."

"I'm sorry! It's private!" she exclaims, "I'll be outside. I'll wait," she pops out the door.

"How can I help?" the man says gently.

"So, um, I have this thing to keep me... uhh... clean. But, the police took it from me, and... um... I'm now no longer... clean," Damion struggles to get the words out. He's so humiliated.

The man sits down and looks up at him, "I don't quite understand. Can you be more specific? It's alright, nothing is too gross or weird for us. We've seen it all."

Damion sighs heavily. He takes a deep breath and tries again, "I use an anal plug... to keep clean..." he sighs, "because I've been stretched too far... and the police forced me to take it out, and now they have it. And now my pants are... dirty."

"I see, I understand. It's okay, we can address this," the man says soothingly, "We don't have a replacement anal plug to give you. But we can give you some cloth and show you how to wrap it around yourself so you can keep clean."

"Okay," Damion says and averts his eyes.

The man stands and goes into a cabinet and takes out four folded cloths, then two safety pins from a drawer. He puts them down next to Damion. He unfolds one of the cloths, then folds it once another way.

"I'll show you how to wrap it around you, okay? Can you take off your pants?"

Gods oh gods oh gods I'm a fucking mess back there. He unties his pants and carefully lowers them to the floor. They're obviously covered in fecal matter on the inside rear of the pants. This is so fucking humiliating. I'm supposedly 'free' yet humiliation just comes right back and haunts me. I can't get away from it.

The man does not acknowledge the cock cage. He doesn't even look like he saw it. "Okay, let's get you cleaned up first," he says without judgment, "Step out of your pants and put them aside."

While Damion obeys, the man puts down the large cloth and pulls a smaller cloth from the cabinet. He warms the water from the faucet and soaks the cloth.

"I'm going to help clean you up, is that alright?" Damion nods.

The man starts wiping up his thighs and to his ass cheeks. Damion remembers all the times Mulsae had to clean him up after fucking him. He should be used to this by now. But it's still humiliating when the man spreads his ass cheeks and cleans up his cleft.

This man is seeing the cock cage. The piercings. The tattoos. He probably thinks he's some weirdo. But which is worse? Being perceived as a weirdo, or someone who was modified for sex and raped for two years straight?

The man tosses the cloth in a bin. He picks up the larger cloth he had already folded once. "Alright, let me show you how to wrap this around yourself. Start with this..." he proceeds to instruct Damion on wrapping it around him. It's a diaper. He's being shown how to put a fucking diaper on himself. Can my life get any worse? I've been through hell. I should know.

He's now standing there wearing a fucking diaper. He sighs.

"You probably shouldn't put these pants back on," the man picks them up, folds them and places them on the bed.

"I'm going to go get some pants from the donation bin." Damion nods. The man leaves.

Elirick knocks on the door, "Can I come in now?"

Damion rushes to keep the door shut, "No! Please wait. He's coming back with something."

"Okay! I'll be right here!"

Damion sighs. They say Selune and the counselor will help me, but the pain just won't stop. It keeps coming and coming. I wouldn't have this pain if Mulsae was taking care of me. If I still were with Mulsae.

The man comes back carrying pants and a shirt, "I noticed your shirt is ripped, so I figured you'd like a new one."

"Thank you," he is so relieved.

Damion takes the pants and puts them on. Then he takes his shirt off and tosses it in the trash bin, and grabs the other shirt and puts it on. Welp, this man has seen everything of me. I've been completely exposed to him. He snags the prior pants and also throws them in the trash bin.

Damion looks down on himself. He clearly looks like he's wearing something bulky under his pants. Fuuuuuck. His shoulders sink in defeat.

"Here are three more cloths to take with you," the man places a hand on the small folded pile, "You can wash and dry them as needed until you can get another anal plug." Damion nods.

The man smiles, "I think that's everything. Is there anything else?"

"No... Thanks for your help. And... for not being... judgmental. All of this," he gestures up and down his body, "None of it was consensual."

"Oh. Oh my. I'm so sorry."

Damion nods. What else is there to say?

The man looks sympathetic and puts a hand on Damion's shoulder, "Good luck with everything." Damion nods. The man leaves.

Elirick knocks, "Okay if I come in?"

"Yeah, come in," Damion sits back on the bed.

Elirick comes in. She clearly notices the new pile of white folded cloths. But she fortunately doesn't say anything.

Elirick sits down, "Now it's time to wait for the escort." Damion nods.

There is silence between them. Damion is just so upset that he needs a diaper now. He's going to walk around with a diaper. And it's noticeable through his pants. Fuck!

Elirick breaks the silence and attempts to restart the conversation, "So! While we're waiting for said escort, let's go back to what we were talking about earlier. You were saying that society didn't help you when you were very young. Where did you sleep back then?"

"I made a tent from discarded tent materials."

"Quite clever for being so young! What did you eat?"

"Oh, the Hearthhold did feed all of us... I guess I got some help."

"You got some help. But you certainly deserved more help," she says soothingly, "You deserved help then, and you deserve help now."

"Why? I'm just a lowborn bastard."

"What does being lowborn or a bastard have anything to do with what you deserve?"

"Because lowborn bastards are entitled to absolutely nothing, not even decency."

"That is not true! We're all deserving of care no matter how we are born!"

Damion's lips part in surprise. "No matter how we're born?"

"How you're born is the last thing that should ever be used to evaluate worth. How we behave as adults is the most important."

"I... I don't know what to do with that concept. It flies in the face of everything I was taught in Scaldmere."

"You're not in Scaldmere. You're here, in the Marsh Sanctum where we believe everyone is deserving of help no matter who they are," she says with sincerity. Damion looks at her in surprise.

There's a knock on the door. It's a Sylvaran man. "Damion?"

"I'm Damion."

The man smiles widely, "I'm Kiramen. I'm here to escort you to Marsh Master Selune."

"I guess our time together has ended, Damion," Elirick says with a bittersweet smile.

"Thanks for staying with me. It really helped," Damion says bashfully.

"It was my pleasure. I enjoyed talking to you," she stands up, "Good luck with everything, Damion," with a last parting smile she leaves.

"Are you ready to go?" Kiramen asks.

Damion stands and picks up the folded cloths. He notices Kiramen's eyes drifted towards his crotch a moment. Fuck.

"Yeah, I'm ready."

Damion follows Kiramen through the hallways. He feels like he's waddling. Yuck. Ugh. I hate this. He can't even properly appreciate the view of the escort's beautiful green feathered wings.

It doesn't take long before they're outside. There is a large, lacquered carriage blocking the way. It's gorgeous with its lotus inlays that catch the light like ripples on water.

Kiramen walks right up to the carriage, opens the door and gestures inside. Damion gawks. "We're going in that?!"

"Yes, is there a problem?" Kiramen looks concerned.

"No, no. I just, it's just, it's so... so much."

"It'll be alright. Come on in," he holds a hand out to support Damion as he steps inside. Damion actually needed the help. His balance is off because of his wings being bound, and he's got only one arm to help himself.

Damion sits down on the luxurious seat cushion. There are equally lovely pillows to either side of him. Kiramen pops in, shuts the door and sits on the opposite side of the carriage.

"This is just... wow," Damion is stunned to be in this beautiful carriage.

Kiramen chuckles as he knocks on the wall of the carriage. It starts moving a moment later. It rocks back and forth as the wheels roll over the street.

"This is a stark contrast to what happened when I left the hospital yesterday... or rather, last night." Damion huffs a laugh at himself.

"What happened last night?"

"I was simply told I was free to go. I walked outside with no ability to fly and a broken arm and ripped up clothing."

"They didn't give you new clothes yesterday?" Damion shakes his head. "That's not right."

Damion nods, then turns it into a shrug. "It was the middle of the night. I didn't know how to get to the palace. Then as I was wandering around, bad shit happened. Then a bunch of men put me in a jail cell. Then they beat me so badly I fell unconscious and ended up back here at the hospital."

Kiramen lifts his hand to his mouth, "That is utterly awful."

"I have had a very bad day. This is my third day of freedom, and I've been fucked more ways than one," he shakes his head.

"Freedom? You weren't free before?"

"No. I was a prisoner for over two years. But then it was decided I was being treated more like a slave, so I was released."

"Wow. You've been through tough times."

"You know... It wasn't so bad with Mulsae towards the end. I've been missing him, what we had." He sighs and looks out the window.

"Mulsae the Water Master Mulsae?" Damion nods. "Wow. And you miss him?"

"Yeah. But I guess not enough. He heard what happened to me and came to the hospital earlier to make sure I was being taken care of. He offered to take me back, but I declined." Damion rubs his eyes anxiously.

"It's probably best not to go back to the person who was treating you like a slave," cautions Kiramen.

Damion huffs a laugh and rubs his neck, "Yeah. It sounds all kinds of fucked up."

The carriage slows and stops. Kiramen looks out the window, "We've arrived at Reedrest," he opens the door and exits, then helps Damion to get down the carriage steps.

"I'll take you straight to Master Selune," Kiramen says with a smile.

Damion nods and looks up at the building before them. It's a low spreading building half veiled by drifting reeds and pale lanterns. Its roof curves in two gentle tiers, each edge lined with hanging charms that chime when the wind shifts. A shallow pond curls around the front step, lilies drifting on its surface, catching moonlight or dawn mist alike. A pair of quiet guards stand at the entry path, spears grounded in the gravel. From the porch, faint light glows through reed screens, softening the shadows within. This looks like a place where silence lives.

They walk down the path, past the guards, and towards the building. The small foot bridge for the pond creaks under their feet.

They arrive at the entrance where a single guard stands beside a set of low double doors framed in pale reedwood. Delicate lotus motifs are carved into each panel, half hidden by soft drifting lantern light.

"This is Damion," Kiramen says to the guard while gesturing. "Master Selune is expecting him."

The guard inclines his head then steps forward without a word, placing one palm to each door. The panels open inward on quiet hinges, letting the quiet of the residence spill out to meet them.

They step inside into a hushed threshold chamber with smooth reed mats underfoot and pale lanterns floating in quiet pools of light. Beyond a half-open screen, Damion glimpses Selune waiting beside a shallow sunken hearth, its coals shielded by a circle of polished stone. She sits on a reed cushion, her pale robes folding around her like drifting mist. When she lifts her head, her gaze meets his calmly. She closes her book, smiles and stands.

"Damion, I'm so glad you've made it," Selune says while walking towards them. "You look battered, but clearly on the mend," she looks over Damion up and down.

"I'm better, thank you. I can't fly for two weeks, though. I'm pretty upset about that." They all frown at the news.

"Clearly, things need to be fixed in my Sanctum. We'll discuss it over dinner." Selune turns to Kiramen, "Thank you for escorting Damion. You are dismissed."

Kiramen bows to Selune then turns to Damion, "Good luck," and departs the residence.

"Please come, let's sit at the table," Selune gently ushers Damion through a carved reedwork partition where there is a table set for two. There are two smooth lacquered trays laid across a reed mat runner. Pairs of pale ceramic chopsticks rest on carved lotus holders beside each tray. A single shallow cup sits beside each set, catching the soft flicker of the small spirit-lantern placed between them. It's quiet, warm, and feels like something alive has been invited to settle between them.

Selune pulls out a chair for Damion and he sits, feeling quite intimidated. He feels he ought to know proper etiquette for a meal like this. I'm going to fuck this up. I'm just a stupid brute.

He can't help but compare all of this to Mulsae's lifestyle. They're both Sanctum Masters but live completely different types of lives. Mulsae lives alone — not even guards! — in neat lines and hidden edges where everything serves a purpose. Selune's world appears to be layered softness, small kindnesses, extra comforts no one asked for but that fill the silence anyway. He brushes his thumb over the extra tea cup set beside his own tray. He wonders who it's for or if it's just there because Selune likes to leave room for company, even when there isn't any.

"Damion, I want to express my sincere apologies that you have had these experiences in my Sanctum by my people." Damion dips his chin in acknowledgement.

Two attendants slip through a reed-screen door. One carries a small tray of delicate dishes: steamed greens and a root vegetable cut thinly to curl like paper scrolls. The other follows with fresh steaming water and tea leaves. Neither looks at Damion. They bow lightly to Selune, set each dish in its place, then step back behind the screen. He knows they're still there, shadows behind woven reeds, waiting for Selune's smallest gesture. Damion glances at their shadowed forms. What a shitty job. Mulsae serves and takes care of himself.

Selune lifts the steaming water off the warmer and pours it into a small clay teapot until it overflows, then continues pouring the hot water over the tray and into two tiny cups. Damion cranes his neck to see. He notices slats in the tray and the water draining through them, vanishing below.

She sets the kettle back on the warmer and places the lid on the teapot. She lifts the tiny cups and tips their contents over the pot, then empties the whole pot over a small lotus statue on the tray. What the hell...?

She opens the teapot again, pours in fresh steaming water, and this time it doesn't overflow. She sets the lid back, closes her eyes, smiles, breathes in the rising steam, then pours the new brew into a small serving pitcher, raising the pot as she pours so a long gentle stream flows through the air down into the pitcher. Pretty. He notices not a single drop of water flows out of place.

She fills one tiny cup from the pitcher and offers it to Damion. He hesitates, painfully aware how clumsy his hands feel against porcelain this thin. He accepts with both palms open anyway, praying he won't drop it.

Selune watches him expectantly. He takes a careful sip and the soothing warmth settles his chest. Only then does she pour a cup for herself and raise it to her lips with a small, satisfied nod.

"May you please tell me everything that has happened since you left the summit?" She begins.

Damion clears his throat and readjusts in his seat. He picks at his food with his chopsticks. He's completely unfamiliar with what vegetables these are, but he's starving so he pops a tiny scroll looking thing in his mouth and chews.

Damion starts his story slowly. "I went back to my room and waited for the counselor you spoke of. It took a long time for her to come. It was kind of awful. I had nothing to do. Not even a book to read."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. You could have gone to get something in the Harmony Palace library."

"I didn't know that," he says shyly, "I didn't even know how to get to my room. It's so easy to get lost in that huge palace. I was too afraid to explore and stupidly get lost."

Selune nods, "Duly noted."

"Plus, I didn't want to miss when the counselor arrived. I was really looking forward to seeing her." Selune nods.

Damion sighs, "So she comes, asks me a bunch of questions, takes me through my very first trip through the Spirit Realm without a single word spoken, drops me off at my room here and tells me to go to the bank in the morning and meet her in the room after lunch. And then she left."

"She didn't stay with you for the evening?"

"No, she just left. And I was all alone," he puts his chopsticks down and looks up at Selune, "I haven't been alone in over two years and suddenly I'm all alone with nothing but my own thoughts."

Selune looks right back at him, "I regret that you carried that alone. She was supposed to spend the evening with you." Damion nods.

He exhales and deflates. "This is the first meal I've had since dinner in Harmony Palace."

Selune's eyes widen. "You haven't eaten in two days?" Her voice hasn't raised in volume, but the exclamation in her tone follows through.

Damion shakes his head. "I didn't know where to find any food."

Selune looks grief stricken. "We have a dining hall. The counselor didn't tell you?"

"No!" Damion says abruptly then reigns in his frustration. "I'm sorry. I'm upset. I've felt abandoned and have been wanting desperately just to go back to Mulsae."

Selune places a gentle hand on the fist Damion didn't even realize he was clenching. "What Falloway did was wrong. You're right to feel you were abandoned. I take full responsibility for all of this happening to you, and I am deeply sorry."

She looks at him with pleading eyes, "Please don't let my failure cause you go back to Master Mulsae. Let's move together going forward to ensure you have the help you need."

Damion nods slowly. His lips twitch and he blinks back the urge to tear up.

He breaths in long and slow, and gradually exhales. Then begins again. "So the next morning I go to the bank, and it was so stressful and overwhelming. Just everything was going wrong and the teller was frustrated with my stupidity..."

"You went to the bank alone? Without Falloway?" Selune interrupts. Damion nods. "Going to the bank for the first time is exactly the type of thing Falloway was supposed to do with you."

Damion huffs, "It certainly would have been nice to have someone to help. I didn't even know what the coins meant! I still don't know what a ten coin looks like."

"That wasn't supposed to happen."

"It did," Damion sighs. "I finally meet up with Falloway, and we go to a clothing store. Also stressful because I have absolutely no idea what I'm supposed to wear or what looks good or not. We find an outfit and then... Falloway just left. She said she had somewhere to be."

Selune puts her chopsticks down, "The place she was supposed to be was at your side." Damion huffs.

"The assistant at the store was nice. At first." He rolls his eyes. "I figured I'd buy five shirts and three pants from this store and go back to my room. But then she finds out I'm Emberan, and she kicks me out of the store."

Selune's eyes widen, "She kicked you out? Because of the type of Windborne you are?"

Damion shrugs, "Either my type or that I was from the Water Sanctum."

Selune grows grave, "That kind of discrimination should not happen in my city."

Damion shrugs, "It seems everyone is afraid of Emberai and the Water Sanctum. They don't recognize me as Emberan, but when they find out, everyone has become scared of me."

Selune shakes her head. The gears turn in her mind about how to fix such a problem in her city.

"I was really upset," Damion sighs heavily, "I'm embarrassed of it... I decided to get drunk." Selune nods.

"The bartender was pretty nice. The whore, not so much. She copped a feel and discovered my cock cage and loudly called me a pixie and left."

"Hold on... There's discrimination against homosexuality, too?" Damion nods. Selune sits back in her chair. "You've discovered the sore points of my city, Damion. And I am grateful for you telling me about them."

Damion huffs, "It's worse than discrimination," he shakes his head.

Two servants arrive. One removes the current plates, and the other sets down plates of the next course.

"Please continue," Selune encourages.

"You already know what happens next. You discovered the injuries."

"I can't believe such people are in my city." Damion shrugs.

"I didn't intend to drink and fly, but I was so upset I wanted to just go back to my room and bury myself."

Selune looks at him sympathetically, "That's a very normal response to such a thing."

"Really?"

"Really. It's common to want to hide away, or to wash yourself, sometimes repeatedly."

Damion huffs, "I haven't even been back to my room yet, let alone have washed myself since." Selune nods gravely.

"So, I drink and fly, I crash, and that's when you saw me." Selune nods.

"But when they were done healing me, they told me I was free to go. But go how? I can't fly. It was the middle of the night. I'm on the streets, alone, and don't know how to get to the palace complex."

Selune raises a hand to her brow, "That is my fault. I should have ensured you had an escort. Gods, Damion, I see how badly I, and my people, have failed you."

Damion huffs. He's doing that a lot in this conversation. "I wander around the city. I ask for help but they look at me and walk away." Selune shakes her head. "Finally, a nice seeming woman offers to help me. But instead of leading me to the palace, she had me go into a building, and the people inside tried to trap me."

"The charity organization..."

"I didn't know that!" He clenches his fist and grinds his teeth. "They lead me inside and tried to trap me behind two locked doors. I wasn't about to let myself be trapped so I broke out. They fought me on it, but I broke out."

Selune continues the story, "And they contacted the city watch and now they were looking for you..." Damion nods.

"I decided to wait until dawn and follow the sun back to the palace. I found a place to sleep. Then was woken up to five men who wanted to tie me up. I would have fought them, too, but they clearly could have overpowered me. So I let them tie me up." Selune nods.

"The worst part is I have a clearly broken right arm, and it was like the man was purposely trying to hurt me!" His fingernails dig into his palm. "He kept pulling and yanking and jerking my arm! I kept trying to remind him it was broken, but he told me I deserved it because I attacked a charity."

"That is not right. Everyone should be treated with decency and respect, no matter what they have done."

Damion huffs, again, "Clearly, not everyone believes that."

"The people guarding my city streets should," Selune says firmly.

"Then they discover my cock cage and want to inspect it. They made me lower my pants so they could get a good look at it. They tried to take it off and hurt me tugging and pulling on it even though I told them it was cursed. And then they discovered the anal plug. They forced me to remove it right there in front of them. It was so humiliating."

Selune swallows. "Those are standard safety precautions... but to hear it implemented from your perspective makes these policies sound barbaric." Damion nods.

"So now I've lost my anal plug and I'm forced to wear a diaper. It's so. Godsdamn. Humiliating." Damion hangs his head and burns in shame.

"You should be able to get your anal plug back. It should be logged and stored for eventually returning to you."

"I really hope so," Damion looks at her hopelessly, "But I've honestly lost hope anything good will happen. Everything is just going to get worse, and worse, and worse..."

She reaches out again to touch Damion's hand. "I am going to work hard to ensure everything turns around for you, Damion."

Damion bites his lip. "They asked if there is anyone who they could contact to help me. And I only know you and Falloway here. But they all thought I was crazy or lying."

He sighs and rolls his neck. "So they leave me in this barren cell for an ungodsly amount of time. I was so bored. I was so alone. And... I just... couldn't cope any longer. I broke out of the cell and they had five men with shields beat me unconscious." Selune gives a pained expression.

"I woke up in the hospital tied up and alone again. I just... I don't want to be alone any more. So I made a ruckus. Then, then someone pulled up my records from yesterday and saw that I really actually do know you."

"That's when they reached out to me..." she says softly.

"Now they started being nice to me all of a sudden. They helped me not be alone. They kept me company. I needed it desperately."

"I see," Selune says thoughtfully. She is in deep thought for a moment, then continues, "Thank you for telling me your story. You have exposed many ugly aspects of my city that I do not want to tolerate. I need to make changes to address these issues.

"I dearly hope you'll give me another chance to help you, Damion. I want to help you. I want you to become successful and have a happy life. Please reach out to me if you encounter a problem again. Please."

She stands and walks to the other end of the table where there are two sheets of parchments. She picks one up and hands it to Damion. "This is the Heavenwood parchment I promised you. It's twin is right here," she gestures to the other sheet. "Write to me for anything. Okay?"

Damion nods slowly and folds up the parchment. He places the parchment in his pocket then gazes down at his plate. "I am very stressed out and overwhelmed. I honestly... I honestly seriously considered going with Mulsae while he was here today."

Selune looks at him with deep sympathy, "Please, Damion," she pleads softly, earnestly, "Please don't go back to him."

Damion sighs and pokes at the dregs of dinner on his plate, "I miss how peaceful I felt."

"Oh, Damion," Selune has a pained expression, "It was a peace built on severe restrictions and devoid of choice."

"I know," Damion whispers, "But it was still peaceful, nonetheless."

"Let's try to get you back to that peaceful state once again," she tries to look hopeful. "One where you have choices and freedom. Okay?" Damion nods.

"Thank you for letting me try to help you," Selune smiles bittersweetly. Damion just nods again, but inside he's not sure if he believes it.

Selune sits back and puts her napkin on her plate, "I'd like you to meet your new counselor." She stands and gestures for Damion to join her. Selune stops momentarily by the servants behind the woven reed screen and asks, "Can you please have Viri join us here?" The servant nods and leaves.

Selune gestures to the chairs in front of the sunken brazier, "Let's sit." Selune takes the chair with the book and puts the book under the chair. Damion sits in the other chair.

"I spent this afternoon interviewing counselors to make sure I found someone reliable and dedicated." Damion nods.

"I feel that Viri will be a good match for you. He has a history of being reliable, and he seemed excited to work with you."

Damion nods, "Okay."

"I'd like you two to talk to each other here. I'd like you to ask whatever questions you may have to see if he'll be a good fit for you. And then the two of you will go and spend the evening together and make plans for tomorrow. Does that sound okay?" Damion nods.

The front doors open and a Sylvaran man enters. Selune smiles widely, "Viri, thank you. Please sit," she gestures towards the couch.

Viri makes his way over. Before sitting he says, "Pleasure to meet you, Damion," and bows.

"Thanks, Viri," Damion says shyly, "It's nice to meet you, too."

"I would like to make sure we are on the same page about how Viri is supposed to help, okay?" Both Viri and Damion nod.

"Viri here will make himself available to you all day, every day until you are completely self sufficient. His job is to help you with any task you have, no matter how big or small."

She picks up the two sheets of parchment on the low lying table between them. "These are Heavenwood so you can send messages to each other." She hands one to each of them. "If you're not together for whatever reason, you can at least write to each other through the Heavenwood."

"Thank you, Master Selune," Viri says with a smile. Damion nods.

"Damion, do you have any questions for Viri?"

Damion shifts uncomfortably in his seat. He takes a deep breath. He should ask these questions no matter how embarrassing. "Is it okay if I ask stupid questions or ask for help on something simple?"

Viri smiles widely, "Absolutely okay. I really want to be helpful! I understand you're from a very different culture, so I can imagine things that may seem simple or obvious to me will be brand new to you."

Damion chuckles, "Yeah," he rubs the back of his neck, "You know I'm Emberan?" Viri nods. "You know I'm from the Water Sanctum?" Viri nods again. "And you're okay with that?"

Viri smiles sympathetically, "I don't care about where you are from. I only care about what you do. I care about how you personally approach the world. I don't care about the culture you grew up in. It's about who you've become today."

Damion smiles a little, "Really?"

"Yes, Damion. You seem nice. You're already growing a good impression on me."

Damion blushes profusely, "What? No... Really?"

Viri chuckles, "Really."

Damion squirms, "So... I have some... private... issues... that... I may need help with." Viri nods. Damion squirms some more, "Like... my whole crotch area... is... fucked up... Does that bother you?"

Viri looks at him sympathetically, "No, Damion, it doesn't bother me. And I'm not uncomfortable about that stuff, either. I've done my time in a hospital. I know how to be discreet, and don't easily become shocked."

Damion blows out a sigh of relief. "Okay," he swallows, "Some really fucked up things have happened to me. I'm kinda fucked up about it. And I have fucked up feelings about it." Viri nods sympathetically. "Like... you're okay... with... me having... issues?"

Viri's eyes show such openness and concern, "Yes, Damion. That's why I'm here. That's why I want to help you. You deserve a good life. I want to be there to help you achieve it."

Damion blows out some air and rolls his neck and shoulders to relieve tension. His throat bobs as he swallows, "Is it okay if I mention the fucked up things that happened to me?"

"Yes."

"Even the depraved?"

"Yes."

"The evil?"

"Yes, Damion, it's okay to talk to me about it."

Damion just blurts it out in a rush, "I was raped multiple times a day every day for over two years."

Viri slows down and looks at him earnestly. "I'm sorry that happened to you, Damion. I understand if you may want to talk about it and it won't bother me or scare me off."

Damion lowers his head and picks at the fabric of his pants. "It felt good," he whispers. "I hated it!" he says louder, but then returns to a whisper, "but it felt good."

"Damion, it doesn't matter how it felt. It doesn't matter how it happened. It doesn't matter how you coped. All that matters is that you didn't have choice. Having such choices stripped from us is traumatic."

"Really?" Damion asks softly.

"Yes, really."

Damion readjusts in his seat. "Do you mind if... you spend time with me... for no real purpose at all? Just for company?"

Viri smiles, "I don't mind at all!"

"I'm having trouble being alone..."

"It's okay, I'll stay with you while you're awake."

Damion nods. "Do you have family, though? Friends? What if you want to see them?"

"I have been doing this for a long time. I provide full-time counseling services to just one client at a time. My family and friends are all very familiar with my job, and they know I go through periods of time where I just cannot see them for awhile, or even have to bail out of our plans. They're very supportive of my work. They, too, want you to have a happy and successful life."

"I feel bad taking you away from them..."

"Damion, this is my job. My career. I want to do this. This is my choice of how to live my life. And my family and friends support me one hundred percent. They have always been there for me, and they will continue to be there for me no matter how long it's been since I've seen them. I trust them."

Damion squirms, "Really?"

Viri smiles widely, "Really really, Damion. Really truly."

"Okay," Damion rubs the back of his neck, "I think that's all the important questions I had..."

"That was brave of you to be so vulnerable like that, Damion," Selune says kindly, "And it was good you asked those tough questions so that you feel more comfortable with trusting Viri."

"Really?"

Selune chuckles, "Truly."

Selune looks at Damion sincerely, "So you feel comfortable being alone with Viri?"

Damion nods, "Yeah," he turns to Viri, "You seem nice."

"Are you comfortable going back to your room together?" Damion nods.

"Do you need anything else from me before you go?"

Damion shakes his head, "No... Thank you... for everything."

"Of course, Damion, of course. Don't forget the enchanted parchment you have to contact me. Please, please, do write to me if anything is causing a problem. I want to help you, Damion."

Damion smiles bashfully, "I'll remember. Thank you."

Selune stands, "Thank you for meeting with me, Damion." Viri and Damion stand, too. "Thank you for giving me another chance to help." Selune ushers them to the double doors then knocks on them. Both doors open wide.

"Have a good night, both of you."

Viri bows to Selune, "Good night, Master Selune."

Damion nods, "Thanks, you, too."

Viri leads them through Reedrest. Damion tries to follow behind, but Viri keeps slowing down. He wants to walk side by side, apparently. Damion isn't used to that, but he tries it.

"Do you have any hobbies?" Viri asks while they walk.

"Um, fighting. I'm a good fighter," Damion replies, then continues more softly, "... the best, maybe. Used to be."

"We should find you a place to train, then."

"Really?!" Damion perks up, surprise flickering through his exhaustion.

"Sure! You want to keep those skills up, right?"

"Yes, I do. I've trained every day for almost my entire life."

Viri nods, "Then we definitely need to find you a place to train."

After a moment of silence, Viri inquires for more, "Any other interests?"

"Um, reading. Mulsae taught me how to read. And the best times I've had for the past two years is when Mulsae and I would read silently, but together."

"I really enjoy reading, too! Perhaps we could read together."

"I think I would really enjoy that," Damion says with relief in his tone.

"Anything else?"

"No, not really. That's pretty much the only things I've done."

"Do you have any interests you would like to try?"

"Oh. I've never thought about that," Damion rubs the back of his neck, "I can't think of anything. But I'm also not very knowledgeable about my options."

Viri nods, "Let's try exposing you to various things and see if something piques your interest."

Damion smiles, "That could be fun."

They arrive at Damion's building. They go up the stairs and enter his room. Viri asks, "I know you're likely very tired, but could we sit and talk a bit more?"

Damion gives a pure genuine smile, "I'd like that." They both sit in the pair of chairs.

"Let's make a plan for tomorrow. Shall we go clothes shopping?" Viri asks.

Damion sighs and frowns, "The healers told me to only be laying down or sitting for the next two days."

"I see. So we'll hang out here tomorrow and the next day then."

"Really? You'd just stay with me for no reason?" Damion asks surprised.

Viri smiles, "I would be happy to. I could bring some books. Maybe some games? Do you like games?"

"Yeah, I enjoyed the various games we played back at the Hearthholds."

"I'll bring some games, then. We'll spend the next two days just relaxing."

"I think I may need it," Damion sighs, "I've been so stressed and overwhelmed... I need time to recuperate."

"Good. When would you like me to come over tomorrow? After breakfast? Or before breakfast? We could go eat together."

"I'd like to eat breakfast with you."

"Okay," Viri smiles gently, "I'll come over before breakfast. I'll tell the kitchen you're on bedrest and to bring two meals here for all meals for the next two days."

Damion smiles with relief. It's like the stress is melting away. The idea of just spending two relaxing days with someone sounds so nice.

"I'm going to bring some books with me tomorrow morning. What kind of books do you like?"

"I read a lot of stories about different worlds, trying to get lost in somewhere that isn't here." Viri nods. "I also enjoy learning more about Harmura and its history. Oh! It would be a good idea if I could learn more about the culture of the different Sanctums because I need to pick somewhere to live eventually."

"I think I've got it," Viri smiles.

"Oh, um... I'd like to read your favorite book."

Viri's face lights up, "Really? I think you might like it!"

Damion nods, "Good."

"How are you feeling? Would you like to continue to chat, or would you like to go to sleep?"

Damion huffs, "Honestly, I am so exhausted. But I am also filthy. I need to bathe and get into bed and sleep forever."

Viri smiles with understanding, "I'll leave you to bathe and sleep. You have that parchment where you can write to me if you need anything. Also write if you think of something you'd like me to bring tomorrow."

Damion nods, "Okay."

Viri stands, so Damion stands, too. Viri places a hand on Damion's arm for a moment and smiles gently. Then he heads to the door and Damion follows.

"I'm looking forward to working with you, Damion. I'll see you tomorrow morning," Viri says as he smiles and opens the door.

Damion nods, "Tomorrow morning."

Viri crosses the threshold to leave and Damion holds the door open to watch him disappear down the stairs. I hope he comes back tomorrow. I hope he really does just relax with me for the next two days. Damion sighs and shuts the door. It's silly, but I half expect to be all alone again. I really hope Viri keeps his word.

Damion reflects on how his body feels. Ugh. Terrible. Disgusting. He gently takes his arm out of the sling and puts the sling on the table, then takes off his clothes and tosses them haphazardly somewhere. He looks down at the diaper. Humiliating.

He grabs the pile of white folded cloth, brings it into the bathing chamber and sets it on the counter. He takes off the cloth wrapped around him like a diaper and looks at it. Gross.

He washes it in the sink and tries to get it all white again, but it just won't. It's stained. Gross. He admits defeat and hangs the cloth to dry on a towel rack.

He goes to the bathtub and kneels in it. He can't get his wings wet, so he decides to just wash from the bath's spout while the water is running.

He cleans out his hole. It's sore and stings. He thinks about the man from yesterday. He was so rough with him. So demeaning. He deflates. How could I have let something like that happen to me?

He had wanted to be touched. He craves contact with someone. But when things didn't go the way he wanted, he should have put a stop to it. Why didn't he? He froze instead. He felt he should be used. He felt that was his purpose. He felt that was all he was good for.

Damion scrubs his face with his hands. What is my purpose now? I've been designed and modified to be fucked by men. I want to be more than that, but what? What do I want from my life? What do I want from myself? He has no answers.

He washes his body and hair then steps out and towels dry. He lumbers over to the pile of white folded cloth and begrudgingly wraps one around himself. Like a fucking diaper.

He drags himself over to the bed, pulls back the covers and crawls in. Gods, this feels so nice. The soft mattress eases his aching bones and joints. The silky fabric glides over his tender skin luxuriously. Damion closes his eyes thinking about how great the bed feels and then slips into a deep sleep.