《Better Than Dying》


 Chapter 1

    Shay¡¯s life had just begun. He finally had a job, a way to stop relying on the charity of the Sun God''s temple. But unfortunately, he relied on the generosity just a little too long and he found himself sitting atop a stage, adorned with jewels and gold, about to die.


    The priest told him to be grateful, a useless member of society like Shay would get a free ticket to heaven and his name would go down in history as the one who brought back the sun and stopped the endless rain.


    And so there was Shay, kneeling on an altar on the edge of a cliff as the rain pelted his back. All he wore was a thin white cloth around his waist that truly hid nothing when it was soaked through as it was now. He shivered in the freezing rain, the gold chains around his neck, hanging off his ears, from his wrists and ankles, jingled, covering up the sound of his teeth chattering in when the wind blew. His black hair was plastered to the sides of his head and only that hair on his head was left, they had shaved every other inch of his body, bathed him with perfumed oils, fed him an elegant meal. Well at least I¡¯ll die full and clean now if only I was warm and dry.


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    Behind Shay, the shaman raised his ritual knife over his head. The people listened with bated breath as he raised his prayer''s to the Sun God Shisu. When his prayer petered out, Shay raised his chin in depressed resignation.


    But before the knife was pressed to his throat, the rain clouds parted and the sun shone onto the stage and blinded the onlookers. When Shay opened his eyes he saw a figure descending from the sky. A man with long, gold hair and golden robes. His bare feet alighted on the stage, his ankles wrapped with gold chains with dangling orange jewels, and his golden eyes looked at Shay with a soft, warm gaze.


    Then he looked up, took two large strides towards the altar, stopped right in front of it, and reached for the shaman behind Shay. He took the ritual knife and with a big wind-up, chucked it into the deep lake the stage overlooked. As the shaman attempted to stammer respect to his god, The Sun God scooped Shay up in his arms and started to float back up to the sky, without a single word.


    Feeling the Sun God''s warmth against his rain soaked skin, only one thought entered Shay¡¯s mind, Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!

 Chapter 2

    Flying through the sky in the arms of the Sun God was an experience full of strange sensations. The half of Shay that faced the cold morning air after rain was chilled to the bone, while the skin that touched the Sun God''s skin was feverishly hot. A comfortable feverish. A kind feverish. An addicting feverish.


    He found himself instinctively nuzzling into his chest, trying to spread his gentle warmth throughout his whole body. As the warmth spread through him, his heart beat faster and faster. What are you doing, Shay? This is the Sun God, the fucking Sun God! More than your mortal life is on the line here! One mistake and your very soul is done for!


    But the Sun God didn''t seem to mind. In fact he held Shay tighter and pulled him even closer. His warmth, his kindness surrounded Shay.


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    Nothing had ever felt so violent or scary as his kindness.


    The Sun God broke through the clouds and brought Shay to a city of shimmering white, blue and gold. A part of Shay didn''t want to let go of the Sun God when he set him down. The corners of his mouth quirked up at Shay¡¯s arms lingering around his neck. When Shay¡¯s feet touched the ground he slowly looked up at the palace of pure gold stretching up in front of him.


    The Sun God put a hand on Shay¡¯s shoulder, "follow me. I have something I want to tell you but not here.¡± The Sun God strangely began to lead Shay away from the glittering temple, away from the light it cast.


    It wasn¡¯t long before the Sun God¡¯s path was blocked.... By a second Sun God who looked just like the one holding my hands, only breathing heavily with red splotches of anger marring his perfect tan skin.


    "Trick bitch! You dick-stealing, shit-fucking bastard!"

 Chapter 3

    Shay glanced between the two Sun Gods, eventually landing on the one that had just released his shoulder, "Your Radiance, what is going on...?"


    The Sun God ducked his head, golden hair spilling over his shoulders, long lashes seeming to touch his cheeks as his eyes closed. "I''m sorry, Shay. That''s what I wanted to tell you." The Sun God sighed deeply and began to shrink slightly, his skin paling, his golden hair dulling to black and curling in closer to his head. Shay tried to take a step back but the not Sun God grabbed his hands, his skin now ice cold. Shay threw his gaze over to the other (real?) Sun God who was glaring at the man holding his hands, steam rolling off his skin.


    "What is happening?" Shay asked, his voice pitched high in panic, his heart pounding out of his chest.


    The Sun God ignored him, as was to be expected.


    Instead, he shouted at the Not Sun God, "Xxx how dare you impersonate me!"


    "Zickszicks?" Shay muttered, turning back to stare at the man holding his hands. His appearance had stopped changing. Standing before Shay was a pale, guilty-looking man barely bigger than him. The name the Sun God called rang no bells as the name of any god or demon that Shay had ever heard of. But could any no name impersonate the Sun God so well?


    Shay wasn''t given any more time to think about it. The Not Sun God, ''Zickszicks'' squeezed his hands tightly, causing him to wince. "I wasn''t trying to lie to you. I had to put on an act to save you. Please trust me and come with-"


    He was cut off when the Sun God grabbed Shay¡¯s shoulders and pulled him out of ¡®Zickszicks¡¯ grasp. "You think I''m someone you can just ignore?!" he roared, his hands painfully, burning hot on Shay¡¯s skin. "This human is mine! He was sacrificed to me! I''m not letting you take him anywhere!"


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    Shay fought against the urge to squirm away from the angry Sun God. He had been told, as every young woman who had ever been sacrificed to the Sun God was told, that the Sun God treated those sent to him extremely well and they lived their afterlives in luxury and bliss. But that was likely just a story to keep them docile on the day of their sacrifice. Faced with the pain on his skin, Shay was more inclined to believe that hell awaited him rather than heaven.


    With a cocky smile, but urgent, anxious eyes, Xxx said, "But he wasn''t sacrificed. I rescued him before the knife swung down. You have no claim to him."


    The Sun God''s jaw tightened, "leave now," the Sun God growled.


    "With pleasure." The man bowed slightly, causing a few more red splotches to appear on the Sun God''s skin. He grabbed Shay¡¯s elbow, attempting to pull him back to his side.


    "Leave him behind!" The Sun God ordered in a loud, harsh voice. Shay couldn¡¯t help but flinch.


    The man looked from Shay to the Sun God and smirked, "He doesn''t seem to want to stay with you."


    The Sun God''s hands on Shay¡¯s skin grew even hotter and he grit his teeth against the pain.


    Changing his tactics, The Sun God closed his eyes and tilted his chin up. Then he opened them with a haughty smile. "You think he''d want to go with you if he knew who you are. The humans hate you so much they won''t even speak your name! He probably didn''t recognize it when I said it!"


    A name we won''t speak? It clicked in Shay¡¯s mind just as the Sun God said it.


    "The humans spell your name X-X-X. The Demon God of Deceit and Shadows!"

 Chapter 4

    The... The Demon God?


    Shay looked up at the god that had his hands on his elbow, trying to pull him away from the Sun God. He didn¡¯t respond to the Sun God¡¯s accusation.


    ¡°Shay.¡± He said, voice cracking, ¡°You don¡¯t have to come with me if you don¡¯t want to. But if you stay here with the Sun Tyrant you¡¯ll never know freedom again.¡±


    The Sun God, still red and fuming, steam rolling off his skin, took one hand off Shay¡¯s shoulder to jab his finger at the Demon God. His eyes narrowed angrily, ¡°Stop with your lies, Xxx.¡±


    The Demon God¡¯s head snapped back to the Sun God. He let go of Shay to press a hand to his bare, pale chest, ¡°You¡¯re accusing me of lies?¡±


    ¡°You have the word ¡®deceit¡¯ in your title, do you not?¡±


    Large, black horns emerged from the Demon God¡¯s head, ¡°You know as well as I do that that title is slander, you-¡± his voice broke, ¡°you bastard!¡±


    Shay finally made the decision to break away from the both of them, scurrying away as the fight between the two got more heated.


    ¡°Do I know that?¡± The Sun God asked, his nose and eyebrows scrunching up, nostrils flaring, warping his beautiful features.


    ¡°Shisu...¡± The Demon God¡¯s voice lacked anger, sounding rather broken and small. ¡°Enough of this.¡± He shook his head, then turned towards Shay, holding out his hand, eyebrows knit together, breathing heavily, ¡°Will you come with me, Shay?¡± Closing his eyes again and taking a deep breath, the Demon God¡¯s horns retreated back into his head. He opened his eyes again and smiled his gentle smile again, it looked the same, even with this face. ¡°... please.¡±


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    Those who foolishly trust the Demon God of Deceit and Shadows will meet a gruesome death and their souls will be slowly devoured piece by piece... But... his smile was sweet and gentle and when he held me...


    ¡°Human!¡± The Sun God barked and Shay turned to him, startled, ¡°Come here. You belong to me.¡± He held out his hand as well, his face and words harsh and demanding. Turning back to the pleading eyes of the Demon God, Shay reached out his hand for him. He¡¯d rather take his chances with the one that smiled and spoke gently. Xxx¡¯s shoulders relaxed and he exhaled in relief. He strode forward to close the short distance that remained between him and Shay.


    Then a light golden brown fist punched the Demon God in the face, knocking him to the ground.


    The Sun God stood over the fallen Demon God, his fist out in front of him, glowing slightly, ¡°Get out of here, Xxx.¡±


    On the ground, the Demon God was holding his cheek, a look of shock painted across his face, ¡°you... touched me... ¡° the Demon God looked almost happy, blushing, ¡°...you haven¡¯t touched me in decades!¡±


    ¡°Go away!¡± the Sun God bellowed, fire sparking off his skin. The Demon God looked towards Shay and the Sun God moved between them, ¡°without him.¡± he added with a growl.


    The Demon God sighed, ¡°I really didn¡¯t expect you to take this so seriously, Shisu.¡± He bit his lip, worriedly, then sighed again, getting up. ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯m not an idiot. I know I¡¯m no match for you.¡± Raising his hands in surrender, he sauntered away. He sent one last concerned smile Shay¡¯s way before leaving.


    The Sun God turned to Shay, anger still literally sparking off his skin. Shay shrunk away. He grabbed his shoulders with both of his hands, his skin still uncomfortably hot where it touched him. He looked Shay up and down, his anger melting away. He pursed his lips at him as he  shook in fear, ¡°Not really my type but at least you¡¯re a fucking boy.¡±

 Chapter 5

    ¡°Edia!¡± Xxx cried, slamming the door open.


    Edia jumped at the sound, her shoulders tensing. She accidentally touched the rim of the basin of water in front of her, causing ripples to destroy the image of the future she had been looking at.


    ¡°Your habit of barging in without knocking will be your downfall one day.¡± Edia grumbled, tilting the basin and letting the water spill out over the floor.


    The water washed over Xxx¡¯s bare feet as he rushed to Edia. He grabbed her upper arms and his knees seemed to go weak at once. He collapsed against her, pressing his cheek against her stomach as he wailed, ¡°He took him!¡±


    Edia looked down at the mass of black curls rubbing against her stomach and pale arms around her mid-section. She sighed, ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be more accurate to say that you failed to take him?¡± She patted his head twice before pushing at his shoulders to make him let her go.


    Reluctantly, Xxx let her go. But rather than stand up, Xxx stayed down at a crouch, hugging his knees to his chest, and looking up at Edia aggrieved, ¡°Where¡¯s the comfort and compassion? You¡¯re the worst best friend.¡±


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    Edia snorted coldy, ¡°Who agreed to be your best friend?¡±


    Xxx cried out as if her words physically pained him, ¡°You¡¯re so heartless!¡±


    ¡°The boy is alive though, right? And who do you have to thank for that?¡± Edia scowled, ¡°get up off the floor. Stop whining.¡±


    ¡°But Shisu has him now. What if he hurts him cause he¡¯s angry at me? Or poisons him against me?¡± Xxx looked up at Edia with tear filled eyes. ¡®Pity me¡¯ was written on the bruise forming on his face.


    ¡°Then you should blame yourself for having ever loved such a dark-hearted vengeful person.¡±


    *


    After having Shay led away by the girls, Shisu¡¯s face went red and angry again. ¡°What the hell does he think he¡¯s doing?¡± Shisu glared at the spot that Xxx had been standing and swung his leg in a strong kick. The face Xxx made when he punched him flashed through his mind; the joy, the swelling cheek. With a sigh, Shisu put his foot down.


    ¡°Imoha!¡± Shisu called out. A young woman with long, brown hair that spilled over her bare shoulders like melted chocolate, sun-kissed skin, and dark eyes that seemed to sparkle when the light hit them, stepped out of the palace into the alley way Shisu stood in, ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Go take some bruise ointment to Edia.¡±

 Chapter 6

    With her head bowed to Shisu, Imoha rolled her eyes. Shisu pretended he didn¡¯t know as he waved his hand and dismissed her. She gracefully stood and brushed off her knees. As she walked away she glanced Shisu¡¯s way one more time. Even with his head turned away from her, she could see that the tops of his ears were burning red. Feeling her eyes on him, Shisu pouted and his ears got redder.


    *


    Shay stared down at the little girl leading him by the hand. She had wild blonde curls, so much lighter than any he had ever seen, that bounced as she walked. With each half-skipped step of hers, she almost pulled her hand out of Shay¡¯s. Shay jogged, with his back bent awkwardly, to keep up with her.


    Finally, she stopped dragging him through the halls of the Sun God and stood facing a door. She dropped Shay¡¯s hand and burst through the door, announcing in a loud voice, ¡°a new bride has arrived!¡±


    Shay stood behind the girl in the wide open doorway, frozen in shock and red as a ripe tomato. In front of him was a large open bath the size of a small pond, with steam rising off the water... and three stark naked women.


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    One of them, a tall, thin woman with long black hair, shrieked, ¡°a man!¡± and plunged underwater.


    Another woman, with large breasts and hair and skin the color of a flawless pearl, crossed her legs and leaned back on her hands. She turned her gaze to Shay, tilting her head to the side, her wavy white hair cascading over her chest like a waterfall. ¡°Seems like Shisu finally got what he wanted,¡± she smirked.


    The third woman, tan with short brown hair, looked Shay up and down, ¡°depends on his dick size,¡± she said, her eyes lingering on Shay¡¯s crotch, covered only by the small cloth wrapped around his waist.


    ¡°He needs a bath!¡± the little girl said, once more grabbing Shay¡¯s hand and pulling him into the bathroom.


    ¡°Huh- wait.¡± Shay stumbled and slipped on the wet marble tiles under his feet.


    The first woman popped her head out of the water and whined, ¡°Oro... don¡¯t just bring a man in here with no warning.¡±


    The white-haired woman stood and walked over to Shay and the little girl, Oro. As she approached, Shay tried to back up nervously only to slip and fall on his ass. The woman stopped in front of him and, using her toe, lifted the cloth around his waist to peek underneath. Her smirk grew bigger, ¡°oh yeah, I think that¡¯ll be good enough for Shisu.¡±


    Shay¡¯s mouth fell open but no words came out. He felt as if the steam was thoroughly cooking his brain. And as he felt the fabric move against his skin it seemed as if brain was finished cooking and his vision went black.

 Chapter 7

    Shisu stood in his main hall, waiting all alone and trying not to act desperate.


    The only problem was... he was extremely desperate. And seeing Xxx and almost losing the boy only made it worse. He couldn¡¯t bear the thought of sitting down so he paced around his mostly empty hall, arms crossed over his bare and tan chest.


    After a few restless minutes, Shisu couldn¡¯t take it anymore. He started down the hall that Oro had taken the boy.


    ¡°I¡¯m just worried that the girls are scaring him...¡± he muttered his justification to himself under his breath.


    *


    Ined kneeled on the cool bath tiles, the unconscious boy¡¯s head in her lap. Her long, wavy white hair tickled his cheeks a s she leaned over him worriedly. THe other wives, minus Imoha that was on a mission, surrounded her.


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    Little Oro gripped Ined¡¯s arm and wailed, ¡°you broke him! Shishi¡¯s gonna be so mad at me!¡±


    Alena nervously tugged on her long, black hair, wringing all the water out of it. And Yaku was losing her mind laughing.,


    Ined grimaced and patted the boy¡¯s cheek... he didn¡¯t stir. ¡°Don¡¯t do this to me...¡±


    Behind her, the door slid open. Alena eeped, ¡°Lord Shisu!¡± in a high-pitched voice. Yaku bit her hand to stop her laughter and Oro sniffed as she stopped her crying. Shisu walked through the bathroom and made a short arc around Ined, stopping in front of her.


    ¡°Why is he unconscious?¡±


    Keeping her head bowed, Ined responded, ¡°he fainted...¡±


    ¡°And why did he faint?¡±


    Ined tilted her head slightly, her eyes shifting to the side, ¡°I was teasing him a little...¡±


    Shisu sighed and bent down, scooping him up in his arms, ¡°we¡¯ll forgo the bath for now. I¡¯ll take him to my room to rest. Ined, have the servants prepare a separate room for me tonight.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Warmth surrounded Shay, comforting and protective. He snuggled closer in to feel that warmth more, curling up his body so that he was more surrounded. That warmth started to retreat from him and he clung to it, letting out a small whine from the back of his throat.


    He was laid down on something that was soft but cold. He scrunched his brow and tried to force his heavy eyelids open. His fingers were pried from the warmth and once no part of it touched any part of him, he was finally able to open his eyes and see...


    The Sun God leaning over him, holding a thin white sheet in his hands.


    Shisu¡¯s eyes widened as they met Shay¡¯s. Shisu cleared his throat and said, ¡°sorry about the girls, they just like to mess around, they don¡¯t mean any harm.¡±


    He finished laying the blanket on top of Shay and took a step back. Then, without another word, he turned to leave.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Shay called out, sitting up. He grabbed Shisu¡¯s arm, shaking at his own audacity. Shisu looked back at him, thankfully only holding curiosity in his eyes. ¡°Did you...¡± Shay forced himself to ask, ¡°did you stop the rains?¡±


    Shisu fully turned back to Shay, raising his eyebrows and tilting his head to the side, ¡°why do you care? Those people tried to kill you.¡±


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    Shay¡¯s grip on Shisu¡¯s forearm loosened subconsciously. He bit down on his bottom lip and looked away, ¡°I guess I just don¡¯t want my death to be in vain...¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not really dead.¡±


    Shay¡¯s eyes snapped back to Shisu¡¯s face. Shisu put his free hand on top of Shay¡¯s head and stroked his straight black hair. ¡°Xxx whisked you away before the knife could take you. Though I suppose you ended up in the same place anyways so there isn¡¯t much difference.¡±


    Shay swallowed, ¡°still... will you stop the endless rain and shine upon your people again?¡±


    Shisu¡¯s hand trailed down from Shay¡¯s hair to hook under his chin. He lifted Shay¡¯s chin and smiled at him, ¡°I could be persuaded.¡±


    *


    No one would dare stop the oldest wife of the Sun God as she walked the streets of Heaven on some errand.


    In fact, few would even dare to look at her. Shisu had killed lesser gods simply for the crime of making one of his brides uncomfortable. He cared deeply for his beautiful flowers, plucked at their prime and offered to him and so the denizens of Heaven were forced to treat them with the same fear and reverence they treated Shisu with.


    This wide berth made Imoha¡¯s errand exceedingly easy. She could openly walk down main streets, disappear down a few alleys for a ¡®detour¡¯, then reappear at a craftsman¡¯s shop to buy herself a hair ornament or perhaps a fun, little trinket for Oro to play with. Even if they noticed odd movements no one would dare follow her or even speak of them. No gossip about her actions would ever reach the ears of those who could speak it. And if it did Imoha would have bigger fish to fry.


    She made her way to the backdoor of Edia, goddess of fate and karma. She didn¡¯t knock or announce herself but simply walked in.


    As expected, Xxx was present, sitting on the floor with his knees to his chest and a hand on his cheek. She chucked the bruise ointment at him and went over to where Edia sat on a lounge chair. Imoha dropped herself into Edia¡¯s lap and wrapped her arms around her neck.

 Chapter 9

    Usually the Sun God¡¯s touch was warm and comforting but the finger and thumb gripping Shay¡¯s chin were burning.


    I could be persuaded... what in Heaven, Lohasi, and Hell was that supposed to mean? Shay¡¯s mind blanked as the Sun God¡¯s face filled his vision, moving steadily closer. The Sun God¡¯s golden eyes seemed to be staring at Shay¡¯s... lips.


    Once Shay realized this, he remembered other things the Sun God said and it clicked.


    The Sun God wanted to fuck.


    Shay swallowed the saliva pooling in his mouth. Spreading his legs to stop the deadly flooding... a much better reason than just getting his next bite to eat.


    The Sun God¡¯s face was inching closer and closer, his eyelids lowering, but he seemed to be waiting for Shay to close the gap or give permission.


    At least he¡¯s considerate... And seems like he¡¯d be gentle...


    Shay closed the gap. His lips trembled nervously as he softly pressed them to the Sun God¡¯s, a small part of him concerned that he misread the signals. But the Sun God¡¯s hand moved from Shay¡¯s chin to the back of his head. Divine fingers threaded through Shay¡¯s black hair. The Sun God cupped the back of Shay¡¯s head, gently, warmly, and pulled him in closer.


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    Confident that he had made the right decision, Shay relaxed, melting into the kiss. He wasn¡¯t sure what he was allowed to do with his hands so he played it safe, loosely hooking his arms around the Sun God¡¯s neck.


    The bed dipped as the Sun God got even closer. The Sun God¡¯s right hand stayed cradling the back of Shay¡¯s head while his other hand trailed across Shay¡¯s body. Shay could clearly feel the trail of fiery warmth being drawn on his bare skin. The hand alighted on Shay¡¯s thigh and slowly pushed up under the cloth wrapped around his waist. Shay was becoming hard and knew it was likely that the Sun God had noticed.


    With his eyes tightly closed, Shay could only feel it as the bed shifted under him again, as the Sun God¡¯s body almost enveloped him, his legs on either side of Shay¡¯s hips. And just when Shay thought he was about to be pushed down, he instead felt himself pulled.


    He opened his eyes when the Sun God broke off the kiss and... flopped down on the bed, his legs spread, his cheeks flushing more gold on his golden brown skin, and his left hand was still on Shay¡¯s thigh, gently tugging him closer.


    This situation... doesn¡¯t it kinda seem like... The Sun God wants me to fuck him?


    But Shay could not reconcile that thought with his image of the Sun God and so he froze.


    When Shay stopped moving, the Sun God frowned. Then, he whined, ¡°please. It¡¯s been so long, I need it.¡±


    Shay¡¯s mind broke and he let out an intelligent and eloquent, ¡°... huh?¡±


    And, because great minds think alike, the Sun God¡¯s eyes widened and he repeated, ¡°...huh?¡±

 Chapter 10

    Imoha ran her fingers through Edia¡¯s hair. Her hands stopped at the base of Edia¡¯s skull and pulled her deeper into the kiss. Imoha tilted her head to the side and slipped her tongue between Edia¡¯s lips...


    ¡°How¡¯s Shay?¡±


    Surprised by the voice beside her, Imoha broke off the kiss with a jerk of her head, forehead knocking against Edia¡¯s. She whipped her head around to glare at Xxx. ¡°What the hell are you still doing here? Don¡¯t you know when you aren¡¯t wanted?¡±


    Xxx, who was sitting on the ground next to Edia¡¯s chair, way too close to the couple making out, looked up at Imoha with a dead-eyed stare. Completely ignoring her vitriolic words, Xxx asked again, ¡°how¡¯s Shay?¡±


    Imoha¡¯s eyebrows raised and furrowed together, ¡°who?¡±


    Impatiently, Xxx responded, ¡°the boy, the human boy, his name is Shay.... How is he?¡±


    ¡°How should I know?¡± Imoha rolled her eyes, ¡°I left only a few minutes after you did.¡±


    Xxx leaned forward, ¡°well can you find out? I-¡±


    Imoha raised her foot and pressed her heel to Xxx¡¯s forehead, pushing him away, ¡°I don¡¯t take orders nor requests from you... Now fuck off.¡±


    Though he was stronger than her, Xxx didn¡¯t really fight back and let her push him away. ¡°It¡¯s not your house, you can¡¯t tell me to leave.¡±


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    Finally, Edia spoke up with a sigh, ¡°just leave already, Xxx.¡±


    Xxx pouted, but stood, ¡°fine... fine... I¡¯ll go...¡± Xxx brushed off his knees and took a few steps before pausing. ¡°Oh but do let Shisu know that if he hurts Shay,¡± his voice deepened and his eyes went fully black, ¡°I¡¯ll kill him.¡±


    *


    For the first time, a mortal man held prolonged eye contact with the Sun God.


    As he stared into the Sun God¡¯s beautiful golden eyes, Shay¡¯s mind ran a mile a minute. The Sun God wants me to.... No no no, that¡¯s impossible, there¡¯s no way I can...


    The arousal on the Sun God¡¯s face disappeared, replaced by a slowly deepening frown, ¡°what¡¯s wrong? Why did you stop?¡±


    Shay bowed his head, thus averting his gaze. Panicking, his heart pounding in his ears, Shay answered, ¡°I- I¡¯m sorry, I just- I¡¯ve never topped before and I wasn¡¯t expecting to- I mean not that there¡¯s anything... I shouldn¡¯t have assumed but I¡¯m not rea- I don¡¯t know what to do and I¡¯m worried that-¡±


    The bed creaked as the Sun God moved. Shay snapped his mouth shut and waited, his whole body shaking. The Sun God sighed and Shay couldn¡¯t help but shake more, tears blurring his vision.


    The Sun God took Shay¡¯s cheeks in his too warm hands and lifted his head, eyes widening when tears slipped out of Shay¡¯s eyes and wet his hands. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna force you,¡± he whispered, brushing away the tears with his thumbs.


    The Sun God let Shay go, stood up, and cleared his throat. He pointed at a gold cord that dangled down against the wall, ¡°pull that if you need something, the servants will give you whatever you want, within reason.¡± Stiffly folding his hands behind his back, the Sun God marched out of the room, leaving Shay kneeling on the bed with drying tear tracks on his cheeks.

 Chapter 11

    Wow... I¡¯m a piece of shit. Once the Sun God had left the room, the thought crept into Shay¡¯s mind. He pulled his knees up to his chest and rested his chin on top. He pouted at the open space of the room, mad that his tears had already dried up; he could use a good cry.


    Why hesitate? Topping can¡¯t be that hard. You¡¯ve sold your body for a whole lot less than the fate of your whole island. Shay grabbed one of the pillows on the bed, soft and silky in his hand, and wound up to fling it as hard as he could across the room. But in every direction were beautiful paintings in gilded frames and expensive looking knick-knacks on shelves. Everything in this room belonged to the Sun God.


    Shay let his arm with the pillow drop harmlessly back down on the bed. He wrapped that arms back around his shins and tilted his head to the side, staring at the door the Sun God left through.


    He could chase after him but he had looked so turned off by Shay¡¯s lack of experience and confidence that Shay didn¡¯t think he¡¯d be happy.


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    Shay sighed, thinking about the simple life of a carpenter¡¯s apprentice he was supposed to be starting today.


    *


    Shisu briskly made his way down the hall and around a corner, immediately bending over, pressing a fist against a wall and biting his bottom lip. He pounded his fist against the wall a few times before taking in a deep breath. ¡°It¡¯s ok, Shisu. You just gotta be patient.¡±


    *


    When Xxx left Edia¡¯s home, he didn¡¯t immediately return to his own domain. Instead he headed right back to the place he was kicked out of; the Sun God¡¯s palace. If Imoha wouldn¡¯t help him make sure Shay wasn¡¯t being mistreated, then he¡¯d have to make sure himself.


    Slipping into the shadows, out of view of the other denizens of the Heavens, Xxx traveled back to the shining golden beacon that is Shisu¡¯s home. Once close enough to that glittering domain, he crafted spiders out of shadows and sent them skittering through the numerous halls to find Shay.


    And find him they did. In Shisu¡¯s bedroom. In Shisu¡¯s bed. Curled in a little ball, with tears stains on his cheeks.


    ¡°Shisu you fucking bastard.¡±

 Chapter 12

    Shay was starting to drift off to sleep, tears drying on his cheeks, when he heard a loud crash outside the room. He sat up, tensed and poised to run.


    The door swung open violently and Shay dove off the bed. His knee hit the marble floor rather sharply, but he managed not to cry out as he rolled under the bed.


    ¡°Shay!¡± a voice that was newly familiar rang through the room, ¡°where¡¯d you go?¡±


    With the Sun God calling him, Shay had to fight the instincts that made him hide and crawl out from under the bed. Still on his hands and knees, Shay looked up at the Sun God in the doorway. Shisu was not alone, he had Xxx the Demon God by one of his curled ram horns. Xxx braced against Shisu¡¯s tanned forearm, snarling like a beast, but that anger drained away the minute he locked eyes with Shay. ¡°Shay! Are you alright?¡±


    Xxx winced when Shisu shook him, ¡°obviously he¡¯s fucking alright, does he look hurt to you?!¡±


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    Xxx floundered to get his feet back under him, ¡°his eyes are red, he¡¯s been crying!¡± He tried to stand but Shisu¡¯s strong, stiff arm kept him down.


    Shisu frowned and squinted at Shay. His eyes widened and he dropped Xxx¡¯s horn. In a few large strides he crossed the marble floor and crouched down in front of Shay, cupping the human¡¯s face in his godly hands. ¡°Shay, what¡¯s wrong?¡± With his thumbs he rubbed the tear tracks under Shay¡¯s eyes.


    Shay¡¯s cheeks grew warm, from the inside and out, and his jaw began to work, opening and closing as he tried to think of an explanation that wouldn¡¯t be humiliating.


    Xxx stomped closer, the sound of his sandals on the marble tiles had a different quality than Shisu¡¯s, sounding more like angry footsteps of the Head Priest in the temple. Once more, instinctually, Shay moved towards the shelter of the space under the bed.


    Shisu turned his head to snap at the other god, ¡°Xxx!¡±


    Shay flinched hard enough from the shout that he pulled his face out of Shisu¡¯s hands. Xxxhad already stopped his approach, face pale. Shisu¡¯s hands hung in the air. The two shared a look. With a soft voice, barely above a whisper, Xxx asked, ¡°what¡¯s wrong, Shay?¡±


    ¡°I was just sacrificed, am I not allowed to cry about it?!¡±

 Chapter 13

    Shay¡¯s arm was pulled by small hands, the words he was scratching into the papyrus turning into one long, ruinous line as his hand was dragged, ¡°big brother Shay, please play with me, please.¡±


    Shay sighed as he looked down at the tan girl with bouncy brown curls that was trying to pull him out of his chair. ¡°Keta, stop that. I have work to do.¡±


    The little girl pouted, her warm hands still clutching his forearm tightly, ¡°come ooon. You always have work to do.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s because you haven¡¯t learned to write yet and can¡¯t help.¡± With his arm that was still in her grip, he ruffled her hair.


    ¡°Vicre can write and he¡¯s not helping you.¡±


    ¡°Vicre writes vulgar things in the margins.¡±


    Keta dug her heels in and leaned back, throwing her whole, meager weight into trying to pull him out of his chair, ¡°who cares. Let him do it anyway. You¡¯re going to leave us soon. What if I never get to play with you again?!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come back and visit you.¡±


    Keta shook her head, curls violently bouncing around. ¡°No! You¡¯ll live in a big, beautiful house and forget all about us!¡±


    Her estimation of his life after leaving the temple was a little too grand but rather than correct her, Shay sighed and let himself be dragged to his feet.


    She cheered and let go of his forearm, intertwining their fingers as she pulled him out the door.


    Normally the courtyard in the center of the Temple of the Sun was beautiful in the summer. Lush and vibrant with varied plant life and warmed by the sun. But the clouds covered the sun and the endless rains drowned the flowers. Keta didn¡¯t seem to mind the lackluster look of the courtyard garden. She dropped Shay¡¯s hand and ran out into the courtyard, quickly splashing mud all over her bare legs. The drizzling rain slowly unraveled her curls. She turned back to Shay and smiled, ¡°come one, try to catch me!¡±


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    Shay let himself smile slightly before running after her into the courtyard, his bare feet sinking into the mud.


    *


    ¡°Tracking mud into the Temple of the Sun! Do you have no respect?¡± the Head Priest berated.


    Shay sat on his heels, shivering from the cold rain still clinging to him. The candles in the room offered no heat and very little light. The Head Priest paced in front of him. ¡°Your work utterly abandoned in the open as well. You¡¯re nearly an adult, you should know better.¡±


    Shay let his mind wander away, focusing on the flickering of one of the candles¡¯ flames. The Head Priest¡¯s pacing got faster. The candle flickered more and eventually went out completely, depriving Shay of his distraction. The Head Priest¡¯s words filtered back into Shay¡¯s ears, ¡°... as the next bride of the Sun, you-¡±


    A jolt ran through Shay¡¯s body and his eyes widened, ¡°wait, what?¡±


    The Head Priest abruptly stopped his pacing, head snapping to look at Shay. The wrinkles in his brow and the frown lines around his mouth were prominent as he scowled down at Shay, ¡°Keta was supposed to tell you.¡±


    Cold horror gripped Shay¡¯s heart. He shot to his feet, almost falling right back to the floor thanks to his numb legs. ¡°You were going to have a child tell me about my impending death?¡± Shay tried to sound angry, indignant but all emotion fell flat when presented before the Head Priest¡¯s impassive face. ¡°It¡¯s not death. It¡¯s a new life in the heavens, a glorious honor. Better than you deserve.¡±


    The chill spread through Shay and he shivered again, even though he was mostly dry by that point. The next protest out of his mouth was weak, he could already feel his spine crumbling like it always did, ¡°I¡¯m not a woman.¡±


    The Head Priest actually rolled his eyes, ¡°gifting beautiful women to Shisu hasn¡¯t exactly worked lately, has it. We must try something new.¡±

 Chapter 14

    <h2>Chapter 14</h2>


    The two gods had taken Shay¡¯s answer at face value, even though Shay wasn¡¯t being honest at all. He had been aware of his impending death for weeks before it happened and he was certain he¡¯d gotten all his tears about that out of his system ahead of time.


    No, he was crying about something far more embarrassing; his inadequacies.


    At least the lie made the two of them leave him alone to cry into his knees on the floor.


    He ran out of tears shortly after they left but stayed right there on the floor with his back to the bed. Maybe if he stayed there it would keep them away until he figured.... Something out.


    *


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    Alena put down two cups of wine on the table between Shisu and Xxx and slowly backed out of the room, her long black hair a dark curtain that hid her face. Not that the two gods were looking at her anyways. She let the door shut behind her, shuffling down the hall. Once she was safely out of earshot she let out a sigh of relief... that quickly morphed into a shriek of surprise when Yaku jumped around a corner to wrap her arms around Alena, ¡°boo!¡±


    Alena might¡¯ve jumped out of her skin if it weren¡¯t for the strong, tan arms wrapped around her. ¡°Yaku...¡± she whined, her heart slowly coming back down from the ceiling.


    ¡°Alena...¡± Yaku whined back in a mimicry of Alena¡¯s voice.


    WIth her arms pinned to her body, Alena fixed Yaku with a pout. Chuckling, Yaku loosened her hold, keeping an arm around Alena¡¯s shoulders but letting Alena move freely. ¡°So, why is X¡¯s still here? Normally Shisu would¡¯ve kicked him out on his ass already.¡±


    ¡°How should I know? They didn¡¯t say a single word while I was in there.¡±


    Yaku rolled her eyes then went boneless, putting all her weight on Alena, ¡°ugh... you¡¯re so bad at this. Remind me to never let you serve the wine again since you can¡¯t even bring a cup of gossip back to us.¡±