Absolute Chaos

Even though Maia knew without a doubt Araphel would rape her, she had made a promise, a promise to Raijen and a promise to an Angel, or something like an Angel.

When she had spoken with Amaunet away from the men at the springs, she knew how unreasonable she had been towards her.

Amaunet spoke from the heart, asking her for permission to reveal her soul, to show Maia she was not all that bad.

Amaunet explained the searing pain she would feel, yet then they would understand a little about eachother.

Maia agreed, so the Angel gently took her hands in the dark water, showing her a little of her soul, now she understood this magnificent creatures needs, feeling guilty beyond belief of how she first reacted towards her, acting like a jealous child. Yet who could blame her, Amaunet was breathtaking and she was barely an adult yet herself.

After Araphel had moved from above her, leaving her bruised and bloody, he bound her wrists and ankles.

“If you think this is over, you are wrong little woman!.”

The ‘great’ King of Otamia strode through the curtains to his other rooms. She could hear him splashing water and assumed he was in the large tub she had seen on her way in.

There was no way she could take another round with him, she needed to escape.

Thinking fast, Maia looked around his bed chambers, the bed was huge, it had a wooden frame, a bed head and base. All the other beds in Otamia were made from only reeds and fur, not hard wood like this. It was intricately carved with snake heads that slid up each bed post. He had tied her to these with ropes made of hemp, their harsh fibres slicing into her ankles and wrists, the blood from her heated flesh running like hot butter over her searing skin.

Maia couldn’t hear Araphel in the water anymore, hearing a door open, then another man speaking with him, their voices very low, unable to make out what they were saying.

Struggling desperately against her ties, Maia loosened them a little, slicing her delicate flesh. She could hear Araphel’s doors now closing and he quickly reappeared through the curtains.

Dressed now in a clean wrap, Araphel’s hair damp and body clean, her blood had been washed from his foul flesh. Maia swallowed hard, hot bile ran down her throat, desperately wanting to scream, yet no noise would come from her parched lips.

Licking his foul lips, Araphel drawled.

“Ahhhh.... you are a tasty one...very sweet. Are you ready for some more?.....Or might you like to say something to her King?.”

No words would form, the scream again trying to escape her.

“Do not scream Maia and speak!, or do you want more of your King?, did you like me inside you?, is that why you will not answer me?.”

He leaned above her, his face only inches from hers.

Maia’s stomach lurched, the panic swarmed like hungry ants all over her, knowing he would hurt her again, she knew he wouldn’t stop until she caved.

The King of Otamia had broken her soul, with trembling lips Maia managed to find her voice. Looking directly into his putrid eyes, flashing with defiance, she let Araphel hear the insane fury she felt for him, letting him know she would never betray her friends.

“Do what you will Araphel!, I do not know of what you are speaking, the more that you do to me, the more I will curse you!. Temu and all the Gods will strike you down!.” She then spat into the ‘great’ Kings face, hitting his cheek, her spittle running down his vile flesh. His small dark eyes flashed, chilling her to the core, knowing then and there he would kill her.

***

However Maia was saved by Temu’s merciful grace with a loud knock on Araphel’s door. Fury swum into black pools over the Kings irises, viciously shoving a linen cloth into her mouth, her gag reflex working overtime, eyes swimming with water.

Araphel strode furiously from her then and out through his curtains.

Straining her ears, Maia heard Merkha and Sabaf’s two voices and then was shocked to hear Lykus’s strong voice to follow.

Hope rose in her heart, if she could just work the gag from her mouth. Maia really liked Lykus, they had kissed now a few times, he was very sweet to her.

The hope quickly faded and dread crept in once Lykus began to speak.

Maia listened carefully as he informed the foul king of Amaunet and of a treasure that was buried in the sand, Lykus promising he would bring this strange rib to his King, asking in return to be adorned with women and great riches.

She could not believe Lykus would so easily betray his dearest and closest friend, or herself for that matter, he had turned so easily for power and fortune.

Maia had to escape, she had to warn Amaunet and Raijen and she knew if she didn’t find a way from these binds he would eventually kill her, he would rape her until he had his sick fill and then be done with her bruised bloodied flesh.

Ignoring the sheer burning pain, she wriggled her wrists and ankles, managing to wrench one of her hands through the hemp and quickly pulled the gag from her throat. She ripped at the binds on her other wrist and ankles and scattered off the bed, grabbing her wrap and crudely swung it around her battered flesh.

She could still hear the two men laughing in the other rooms, she peeked through the heavy curtains and saw Araphel patting Lykus on the back, they both had a mug of mead in their cruel hands, the deal was now done.

Knowing there was another door at the far side of the cave for the servants to deliver food and mead, Maia moved silently through Araphel’s curtains. She briefly hid under a large table, then with bated breath, crept to the back caves, finding the short tunnel which led to a small door and her freedom.

Maia flew into the dusk, quickly ducking down and blending into the shadows. She clambered down the steep hillside, skidding on the small rocks beneath her bare feet and made her way to the bottom of the hill, sprinting out into Otamia’s vast grasslands.

The adrenaline was raging throughout her blood, she felt like a crazed animal, like a wild gazelle hunted by a starved Egyptian tiger.

Maia ran. She ran like she had never run before, frightening some of the bison that had almost settled for the night. She let the hate pulse into her blood and the fury take her soul.

At first she had no idea where she was heading, not until she came to the other side of the grasslands, emerging at the bottom of the great mountain that overlooked Otamia’s vast hillside.

As if some invisible force had led her here, relief shoved the adrenaline aside.

He was built like a God, Maia had always secretly admired the man who now walked towards her, but Maia knew he would never look twice at the likes of her or so she believed.