[One-Shot] The Snake God AU
Title: The Snake God AU
Fandom: Yara Tomoyuki and THEY Budou, Butoukan
Pairings/Characters: THEY Budou, MA, Butoukan, cameos by others
Rating: NC-17 (soft)
Warnings: Smut is glossed over. Not beta-ed yet. Maybe once yararanger is coherent again. XD
Disclaimer: Not mine. Owned by J&A.
A/N: For yararanger ♥ Yara is a Snake-God. Or is he? Also, the ending... "the circle closes"... "Kimi to bokura no CIRCLE!" *gets bricked* Anyway on with the fic. I have no fitting icon. Fail.
The first rays of sunlight roused Yamamoto and he got up. Despite feeling nervous as hell, he’d managed to fall asleep somehow. Maybe it was the constant stream of sutras that Takahashi was providing. The other would always be reading them in the morning and at night when Yamamoto went to sleep or woke up. Ah, such was the life of a priest in training. And well, it wasn’t like Takahashi’s voice was bad. Yamamoto enjoyed it actually. It had become a constant background noise in his life.
Yamamoto himself was just a simple temple servant and didn’t take part in any of the big ceremonies, although sometimes he and his friends, Hayashi and Eda, as well as Takahashi, were allowed to conduct some smaller things. High priest Machida had acknowledged the dances they performed to honor of the snake-god.
“Get moving, Ryota, or we’ll be late! The big ceremony is today!” Eda splashed him at the water basin.
“Not like he’d forget. Considering that he’s getting to do THAT,” Hayashi commented.
Yes, the biggest ceremony of the year was going to be held today. The whole village was going to come together to make sacrifices to the snake-god and thank him for protecting them another year. Most of the sacrificial offerings would be put up at the outer are of the temple, the one open to the general public. There was also an inner temple though, the most sacred of places in the temple. Only chosen people were allowed to enter, the high priests and once a year, one of the common folk. This year, Yamamoto had been chosen at the last meeting of the elder council, to bring the sacrificial offerings into the inner temple, to offer something to the god himself.
It had been entirely by chance. He’d been serving tea to the council members when a snake had slithered into the room and curled itself around his ankle. This had grabbed the attention of the entire council and they had waited and watched. Yamamoto had been rather confused.
Then, all of a sudden, the snake had bitten him and vanished again, slithering into a dark corner of the room. One of the priests had immediately rushed over and put some kind of oil onto the wound and a mark had appeared on Yamamoto’s ankle where the bite-marks had been.
“He has been chosen by the god himself,” the priest had announced solemnly and the council had disbanded soon after to make preparations.
Yamamoto rubbed the mark on his ankle. “Yeah, how could I forget,” he looked at the ceremonial robes which had been tailored for him. “Ugh, help me out guys?”
With their combined effort, they all got ready - Takahashi already waiting for them by the door (he had finished the sutra already since the others had taken that long) and rolling his eyes at their antics - and made their way towards the temple for the festivities.
The plaza in front of the temple was already very crowded, seeing that all of the village would be there, so the four were glad that they had reserved seats with the other people from the temple and didn’t have to squish in somewhere to get a good view. Yamamoto especially, had gotten a special place, on top of silk cushions and surrounded by pots of incense.
When it was time, the high priests commenced the ceremony.
Yamamoto watched in awe as the seven ritual dancers performed on the sandy platform in front of the temple. Each one of them was dressed in garments that had different colors and shapes, representing the seven heads of “Naga”, the guardian deity of the temple of Yara the snake-god.
He’d always admired the rituals, especially the dances. The ones for Yara himself more than for Naga, though. The seven dancers of Naga, they had their own unique style that nobody seemed to be able to imitate. They seemed to be gliding, almost flying when they moved. As if they themselves had transformed into half-gods with mystical abilities.
As the dance drew closer to its climax, Yamamoto felt his heart pound against his chest rapidly. It was almost time now. And he was getting a little nervous.
The sacrificing started around them and Yamamoto was led around, so that some of the blood could splatter onto the pristine white garments he was wearing. Soon enough, intricate red patterns seemed to form on the silken fabric. The best parts of the slaughtered animals were put on a silver platter, which Yamamoto then needed to carry into the heart of the temple.
A group of high priests and acolytes, including Takahashi, accompanied him inside and until they reached the gate. He’d be the only one passing through it and making his way deeper inside.
“He has chosen and blessed you, so go forth,” high priest Yonehana petted him on the back briefly and nudged him forward into the dim lit corridor.
It took a while for Yamamoto to reach the innermost chambers, the heart of the temple. A stone bridge led over a dark pit and he could hear hissing, meaning that it was probably filled with snakes.
The altar was long and wide, it could probably fit a grown man, Yamamoto noted. It made him wonder about whether in the olden days, humans had been sacrificed here instead of animals.
After he’d put the offering in their place, he stepped back to admire the statues and symbols, the gold and silver decorations, the ornaments and jewels. The incense burning in the gold and silver pots also smelled different than anything Yamamoto knew, exotic, spicy and yet sweet. The little trails of smoke curled up towards the ceiling, looking like little smoke-snakes.
The whole room was a truly breathtaking sight and Yamamoto knew he had to burn it into his mind because there would probably be no second time for him. The honor was only given to the same individual once in their lifetime.
He was about to step out again but something stopped him. It was as if he was being held in an invisible grip. Yamamoto moved his hands a bit and he thought that it felt like a giant snake had coiled itself around him and was keeping him in place but he couldn’t see it. He could feel it though.
Then someone emerged from the shadows right behind the large snake-god statue. They looked human but it seemed to Yamamoto that they were slithering closer to him.
It was a male, not too much taller than Yamamoto himself, maybe about the same height even. The other wore simple, black clothes. A long vest or well, sleeveless tunic maybe that was open at the front and showed a bare, smooth chest. And loose pants to go with it. A collar or necklace rested around the slender neck. Upon closer inspection though, Yamamoto saw that it was a snake.
Beautiful. Perfect. Divine. Yamamoto couldn’t find the words to describe the other. And he knew instinctively that in front of him stood Yara himself.
“You’re much more appetizing than all your offerings” A forked, cold tongue licked a trail down Yamamoto’s neck. “You taste a lot better, too.” It was half hiss and half whisper. The words sent shivers down Yamamoto’s spine.
Although the ghostly grip which had held him earlier had disappeared, Yamamoto still couldn’t move an inch. His heart was racing and his thoughts were getting jumbled and tumbled all over the place. He was looking at the human shape of a god. At Yara. The other had just licked him, tasted him and wanted more. He still couldn’t really comprehend the whole situation - especially the ‘more’ part. Temple live commanded celibacy after all.
Yara just grinned at him and then pushed him down onto the stone altar. Yamamoto stared up into the god’s eyes, looked at the slit pupils and the greenish-golden glow that surrounded them.
The incense was burning his lungs a little bit now or maybe it was just that he was breathing rapidly now, almost gasping for air. Yara’s presence was almost overwhelming.
He heard the other’s voice by his ear again, “Let me taste you more. Appease my hunger.”
Yamamoto managed to gasp out a soft, “Yes.” And then he let the god devour him, his entire being.
He could barely remember it afterwards, the sensations almost too much for him to handle. It all became a blur of pleasure, except for that one moment. Towards the end, when Yamamoto was just starting to recover again, Yara had sunk his sharp fangs into his neck. The sting of the venom had drawn a hoarse gasp from Yamamoto, his vocal chords unable to form a louder sound at this point.
And then he had passed out. When he came to again, he was alone and fully dressed again, sitting not too far away from the door he’d come through earlier. How he had gotten back here he couldn’t remember. Instinctively, one of his hands flew up to his neck but there was nothing. He didn’t find any fang marks. Maybe it had all been just a dream? Yamamoto knew that sometimes the incense could do that to people, cause dreams and hallucinations. Some of the priest did that for their divinations.
Rising back to his feet, and wincing at an odd pain in his lower body, Yamamoto somehow made it out of the temple again, where one of the priests on night-guard found him and helped him to go back to his room. Takahashi, Eda and Hayashi were already fast asleep. Yamamoto wanted to sleep as well but the priest made him go to the baths and said that he’d have to call one of the high priests for a ritual cleansing first. The stench of the dried blood on Yamamoto and his clothes could call forth unwanted guests after all and not just entice the snake-god.
By the time Yamamoto was allowed to go to bed, Takahashi was already waking up and about to go and recite one of his daily sutras. “You’re back,” the other noted. “That took a while?”
“It was a long way,” Yamamoto smiled tiredly. “Not entirely as I had expected.”
“Things are barely like they appear to be. Get some rest, I’ll wake you up later,” Takahashi smiled and then went to the room next door, the prayer room for the acolytes and temple servants and other lower ranked priests and trainees.
Yamamoto smiled after his friend and then collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep almost immediately, hoping to maybe have another dream like the one before. He’d like that.
The belief that it had all been just a dream became more and more plausible with each day that passed afterwards. Yamamoto told himself that it had been all the excitement and the incense together. Plus, people had told him before that he had a vivid imagination sometimes. And really, why would he out of all people be allowed to see their god like that? Be with him like that? No, there was no way.
Or at least that had been what he had told himself, until the night of the eighth day after the ceremony.
He had gone to bed together with the others as usual but then something had woken him up. His heart was beating against his chest so strongly it almost hurt and his body was burning. Searing heat was flowing through his veins. It was the venom. That was the first thought that came to his mind. He was being called, being summoned by Yara.
Not bothering to put on different clothes, Yamamoto made his way outside and towards the entrance of the temple. None of the priests who were still up and around seemed to notice him. And they, too, seemed to be away from him, separated by a grey veil that occasionally glowed in a different color - green, blue, purple, yellow, orange, pink and finally red.
“He’s calling for you.”
“He’s waiting for you.”
“Hurry!”
“He’s hungry for you.”
“He wants you.”
“Run!”
Voices urged him on and Yamamoto thought he saw the seven dancers of Naga around him, gliding over the temple ground soundlessly. Their ceremonial masks were covering their faces but at one point he caught sight of an eye in one of the holes. It was yellow, had a slit pupil and was glowing.
One of them, waited at the entrance to the inner sanctuary of the temple. Yamamoto knew him and yet he didn’t recognize the other’s face anymore when the mask was lifted. “Prepare your mind, mortal,” the other simply stated and the door opened for Yamamoto and closed again behind him once he’d stepped through. Nothing could have really prepared him for what hit him then.
The heat took over his entire body full force now. And it was no longer just heat. It had turned into an urge, into need, into lust. Yamamoto could no longer think straight and his hands moved without him telling them to or rather, allowing them to. At least his feet were still listening to him somewhat and he was able to drag himself forward, towards the chamber, towards his destination.
He clawed at his chest in an attempt to not let his hands wander lower than they should. Yamamoto could feel his cock throbbing with need. The venom’s power was hitting him in waves and he staggered forward, bumping into the cold stone walls from time to time.
After what seemed like half en eternity, he reached the bridge of the brightly lit chamber again. The room had changed a bit. Silk drapes hung from the dark ceiling - he couldn’t really see it, the light of the fires reached only that far, so it looked like the silk was hanging in the air - and the altar was gone, replaced by what looked like a large throne. Yara was lounging on it lazily, stretched out completely.
The god was wearing tight, black pants again but no shirt or another piece of clothing to cover his upper body. The snake-shaped necklace hung around his neck and thick gold bands were around his wrists and biceps on each side. The sight made Yamamoto’s legs grow weak and he sunk onto his knees. He was so aroused by now that it was almost hurting. And he couldn’t take his eyes away from Yara. And the god seemed to know that and enjoy it, too.
“You made it back here,” Yara smiled and strode over the bridge and came to kneel in front of Yamamoto, breathing down the young male’s neck. “You made it back here without laying a finger on yourself, too.”
Yamamoto swallowed heavily. He tried to speak but the words wouldn’t come out properly. “You!”
“Mh? What is that?” a slender finger caressed the line of Yamamoto’s neck.
“Only you,” Yamamoto somehow managed to blurt out.
Yara grinned, “Only I am allowed to touch you? Somehow I like the sound of that. You deserve a reward.”
This time, Yamamoto remembered more but not all that happened after the god talked to him. It was as if he could only find little scraps of memory in his mind later on. They were powerful pieces of memory though and remembering almost overwhelmed Yamamoto again.
For days to come, he recalled the sensation of Yara’s forked tongue on his cock and then on his body, licking him clean again after he’d surrendered to the heat, to the passion.
The strongest memory though was the feeling of how the god had claimed him, penetrated his whole being not just physically but also his very soul. Yamamoto had been pulled into some kind of other realm where there had been nothing but Yara and all his senses had been affected by it. The other had been inside of him, around him. He had seen, felt, tasted, smelled and heard the other only. Yamamoto hadn’t been able to think about anything else. It was hard to put it into words. And thus he hadn’t tried.
He hadn’t told anyone about the first or the second time. After the second time, Yamamoto had discarded the notion of it all having been just a dream. It was too real.
Yamamoto was pulled back into realty when something cold was smacked onto his head and he found a wet cloth resting on his forehead. He hadn’t realized that he’d been sitting in the sun for so long. He looked to his right and found one of the other temple servants there, one from the western barrack buildings. Yamamoto and his friends lived in the eastern barracks.
“You should dance. It’ll make it all better,” Bunichi told him, face expressionless and unreadable. The other was known as the most enigmatic fellow among the servants. One half of the other’s face was covered by Bunichi’s long, dark bangs, hiding one eye from sight.
“Dance?” he echoed. Somehow it seemed like a good idea. “Want to join me?” he asked impulsively. It was a little lonely to dance all by yourself after all. “I’ll ask priest Tsukada where we can go.”
Bunichi gave him a small smile and a nod and rose back onto his feet. His hair shifted a bit and for a blink of an eye, Yamamoto thought he saw a golden reptilian eye again. He blinked but when he looked again it was gone, or well, Bunichi’s bangs were covering that half of his face again.
Using the cloth the other had left him with Yamamoto wiped his sweat and then went to find Tsukada, one of the regular priests, who overlooked some of the ceremonial or ritual dances. There were others, too but Yamamoto thought that Tsukada was the easiest to talk to. Even if he was a little weird sometimes but Yamamoto admired some of the man’s skills nonetheless.
Tsukada lead him to a free space on the temple grounds. For some reason, Bunichi was already there along with one of the dancers of Naga. It looked like they were standing and waiting in some sort of formation, waiting for a signal of some sorts that would allow them to move. Tsukada went to join them when they arrived. And Yamamoto somehow felt compelled to join as well. His body seemed to know where it was going.
And then he heard the music. It seemed to come from nowhere, like it only played in his head really. His body moved to it, once more, on autopilot. The other three around him made the same movements and he followed them, knew that somehow he had to follow them. And somewhere in his mind, he also knew why he was doing this. What the dance was for, who the dance was for.
It seemed to suck all the energy out of him, as if he had tired-out his soul with the dance, put his life energy into it. Something about that seemed off. But he pushed the thought away. He was too tired.
Hayashi stretched out on his bunk and shared a piece of news with his friends, “Did you guys hear? The seven dancers of Naga will be leaving the temple soon. They’ll be sent out to be missionaries I guess, going around and telling everybody to go to the temple to pray and worship.”
Yamamoto sat up, “Why them? Wouldn’t some of the priests be better?”
“It was decided by the priests actually,” Hayashi replied. “Beats me why it’s them.”
Eda stretched, “Who’s going to take their places though? There aren’t any other Naga worshippers around really, are there?”
“Good question,” Takahashi agreed.
While the other three engaged in a discussion, Yamamoto withdrew into his own thoughts again. There was something off. The golden reptile eyes, he’d seen one on Tsukada as well.
The night after the seven Naga dancers left, Yamamoto was summoned into the inner sanctuary again and again, someone was urging him on, sending him in. He recognized priest Tsukada, Bunichi, high priest Machida and Yonehana. And this time he could see the eyes clearly. The eyes of Yara.
He hesitated in the corridor. His mind was a bit clearer this time though his body was still aching for the god’s attention. God…was the other really? Yamamoto had come from a village further away, his parents sending him to the temple to learn as a priest coming to their village had offered to take him in. Before that his village had worshipped other gods. In a completely different way. Of course he knew that there were different ways to worship every god and all that but the ceremonies for Yara were different than all he’d ever seen. And this, what he was living through, was this a god’s doing?
“Clever,” Yara breathed into his ear, the other having materialized out of thin air seemingly while Yamamoto hadn’t paid attention. “Maybe too clever.” The other grabbed Yamamoto and he found himself flung through the air. The altar was back in the room beyond the corridor and he found himself lying on it. Shackles snapped close around his wrists and ankles and Yara straddled him.
He was smiling down at Yamamoto’s shocked face. “I am indeed no god. No real god that is.”
“You’re a demon!” Yamamoto croaked weakly.
“That I am,” Yara smirked. “And you found me out.”
“What will you do to me?” Yamamoto asked. A part of him added ‘Whatever it is, touch me and take me again before you do it’ but not aloud.
Yara though, seemed to have read his thoughts. He ran a finger down Yamamoto’s cock that was already straining against the garments, eliciting a strangled gasp from the young male. “I think I’ll wait with telling you all about it until after we have fun again,” he licked his lips and then tore off Yamamoto’s clothes with his claws.
Again, Yamamoto was almost delirious by the end of it. He barely registered how his wrists and ankles were burning and bleeding from the shackles. Not until Yara licked the blood off of one of his wrists. “I like you. So I’m giving you a choice.”
“Choice?” Yamamoto rasped hoarsely.
“Once I’m strong enough again, I’ll be breaking free from this place and devour the souls of the innocent, feast on their flesh and bathe in their blood,” Yara whispered. “I can spare you if you agree to stay loyal to me forever and let me do with you as I please. It will be very rewarding, I promise. You’ll gain power and I will personally see to it that your other needs will be fulfilled.” He ran a finger down Yamamoto’s body. “The other option is that you’ll become a part of me and I’ll devour your soul right here and now and whatever is left of your human remains later I’ll feed to my little friends.”
Even though both choices were rather compelling, or so a more sarcastic part of Yamamoto’s brain thought, he already knew his answer. “I’m yours to do with as you please. Forever.” He wanted to stay around Yara. He wanted the other to touch him, caress him.
“So be it then,” Yara smirked once more and Yamamoto’s world was plunged into darkness.
“Ryota, wake up,” Takahashi shook Yamamoto’s sleeping form for the umpteenth time. The other seemed to have fallen into quite a deep sleep. “Move your lazy ass!”
Yamamoto rolled over and opened his eyes to look up at Takahashi and the taller male felt his breath hitch in his throat a bit. Something about Yamamoto seemed different but what? He blinked and tried to put his finger on it but couldn’t. “Finally. Come on, it’s late already.”
Smiling, Yamamoto nodded, “I’ll be right there.”
The smile sent chills down Takahashi’s spine and he went outside to go to the large hall where breakfast would be served soon. That smile hadn’t been like Yamamoto’s usual smiles, goofy and maybe a tiny little bit stupid at times. It had looked so much more mature. In a dark way? He couldn’t explain it.
He also couldn’t explain how suddenly Yamamoto was chosen to be one of the new main dancers, now that the seven others had left. Takahashi’s curiosity got the better out of him though and he went to watch as Yamamoto danced under the watchful eyes of the high priests. Yamamoto’s dancing was captivating to say the least. Takahashi couldn’t remember ever having felt that before. He couldn’t move from his spot, he had to keep watching the other, couldn’t pull his eyes away.
Suddenly Yamamoto was right in front of him, a hand stroking his arm. “Join me, Ryu.” The other sidled up against him completely, pressing closer. Some of their bare skin was rubbing against each other, where their clothes ended. “Come on, join me, dance with me.”
Takahashi did and he soon got completely lost in Yamamoto’s suddenly golden glowing eyes.
The next morning he woke up with a sacred snake mark on his upper arm and his journey into the darkness of the inner sanctuary of the temple followed soon after…
Fandom: Yara Tomoyuki and THEY Budou, Butoukan
Pairings/Characters: THEY Budou, MA, Butoukan, cameos by others
Rating: NC-17 (soft)
Warnings: Smut is glossed over. Not beta-ed yet. Maybe once yararanger is coherent again. XD
Disclaimer: Not mine. Owned by J&A.
A/N: For yararanger ♥ Yara is a Snake-God. Or is he? Also, the ending... "the circle closes"... "Kimi to bokura no CIRCLE!" *gets bricked* Anyway on with the fic. I have no fitting icon. Fail.
The first rays of sunlight roused Yamamoto and he got up. Despite feeling nervous as hell, he’d managed to fall asleep somehow. Maybe it was the constant stream of sutras that Takahashi was providing. The other would always be reading them in the morning and at night when Yamamoto went to sleep or woke up. Ah, such was the life of a priest in training. And well, it wasn’t like Takahashi’s voice was bad. Yamamoto enjoyed it actually. It had become a constant background noise in his life.
Yamamoto himself was just a simple temple servant and didn’t take part in any of the big ceremonies, although sometimes he and his friends, Hayashi and Eda, as well as Takahashi, were allowed to conduct some smaller things. High priest Machida had acknowledged the dances they performed to honor of the snake-god.
“Get moving, Ryota, or we’ll be late! The big ceremony is today!” Eda splashed him at the water basin.
“Not like he’d forget. Considering that he’s getting to do THAT,” Hayashi commented.
Yes, the biggest ceremony of the year was going to be held today. The whole village was going to come together to make sacrifices to the snake-god and thank him for protecting them another year. Most of the sacrificial offerings would be put up at the outer are of the temple, the one open to the general public. There was also an inner temple though, the most sacred of places in the temple. Only chosen people were allowed to enter, the high priests and once a year, one of the common folk. This year, Yamamoto had been chosen at the last meeting of the elder council, to bring the sacrificial offerings into the inner temple, to offer something to the god himself.
It had been entirely by chance. He’d been serving tea to the council members when a snake had slithered into the room and curled itself around his ankle. This had grabbed the attention of the entire council and they had waited and watched. Yamamoto had been rather confused.
Then, all of a sudden, the snake had bitten him and vanished again, slithering into a dark corner of the room. One of the priests had immediately rushed over and put some kind of oil onto the wound and a mark had appeared on Yamamoto’s ankle where the bite-marks had been.
“He has been chosen by the god himself,” the priest had announced solemnly and the council had disbanded soon after to make preparations.
Yamamoto rubbed the mark on his ankle. “Yeah, how could I forget,” he looked at the ceremonial robes which had been tailored for him. “Ugh, help me out guys?”
With their combined effort, they all got ready - Takahashi already waiting for them by the door (he had finished the sutra already since the others had taken that long) and rolling his eyes at their antics - and made their way towards the temple for the festivities.
The plaza in front of the temple was already very crowded, seeing that all of the village would be there, so the four were glad that they had reserved seats with the other people from the temple and didn’t have to squish in somewhere to get a good view. Yamamoto especially, had gotten a special place, on top of silk cushions and surrounded by pots of incense.
When it was time, the high priests commenced the ceremony.
Yamamoto watched in awe as the seven ritual dancers performed on the sandy platform in front of the temple. Each one of them was dressed in garments that had different colors and shapes, representing the seven heads of “Naga”, the guardian deity of the temple of Yara the snake-god.
He’d always admired the rituals, especially the dances. The ones for Yara himself more than for Naga, though. The seven dancers of Naga, they had their own unique style that nobody seemed to be able to imitate. They seemed to be gliding, almost flying when they moved. As if they themselves had transformed into half-gods with mystical abilities.
As the dance drew closer to its climax, Yamamoto felt his heart pound against his chest rapidly. It was almost time now. And he was getting a little nervous.
The sacrificing started around them and Yamamoto was led around, so that some of the blood could splatter onto the pristine white garments he was wearing. Soon enough, intricate red patterns seemed to form on the silken fabric. The best parts of the slaughtered animals were put on a silver platter, which Yamamoto then needed to carry into the heart of the temple.
A group of high priests and acolytes, including Takahashi, accompanied him inside and until they reached the gate. He’d be the only one passing through it and making his way deeper inside.
“He has chosen and blessed you, so go forth,” high priest Yonehana petted him on the back briefly and nudged him forward into the dim lit corridor.
It took a while for Yamamoto to reach the innermost chambers, the heart of the temple. A stone bridge led over a dark pit and he could hear hissing, meaning that it was probably filled with snakes.
The altar was long and wide, it could probably fit a grown man, Yamamoto noted. It made him wonder about whether in the olden days, humans had been sacrificed here instead of animals.
After he’d put the offering in their place, he stepped back to admire the statues and symbols, the gold and silver decorations, the ornaments and jewels. The incense burning in the gold and silver pots also smelled different than anything Yamamoto knew, exotic, spicy and yet sweet. The little trails of smoke curled up towards the ceiling, looking like little smoke-snakes.
The whole room was a truly breathtaking sight and Yamamoto knew he had to burn it into his mind because there would probably be no second time for him. The honor was only given to the same individual once in their lifetime.
He was about to step out again but something stopped him. It was as if he was being held in an invisible grip. Yamamoto moved his hands a bit and he thought that it felt like a giant snake had coiled itself around him and was keeping him in place but he couldn’t see it. He could feel it though.
Then someone emerged from the shadows right behind the large snake-god statue. They looked human but it seemed to Yamamoto that they were slithering closer to him.
It was a male, not too much taller than Yamamoto himself, maybe about the same height even. The other wore simple, black clothes. A long vest or well, sleeveless tunic maybe that was open at the front and showed a bare, smooth chest. And loose pants to go with it. A collar or necklace rested around the slender neck. Upon closer inspection though, Yamamoto saw that it was a snake.
Beautiful. Perfect. Divine. Yamamoto couldn’t find the words to describe the other. And he knew instinctively that in front of him stood Yara himself.
“You’re much more appetizing than all your offerings” A forked, cold tongue licked a trail down Yamamoto’s neck. “You taste a lot better, too.” It was half hiss and half whisper. The words sent shivers down Yamamoto’s spine.
Although the ghostly grip which had held him earlier had disappeared, Yamamoto still couldn’t move an inch. His heart was racing and his thoughts were getting jumbled and tumbled all over the place. He was looking at the human shape of a god. At Yara. The other had just licked him, tasted him and wanted more. He still couldn’t really comprehend the whole situation - especially the ‘more’ part. Temple live commanded celibacy after all.
Yara just grinned at him and then pushed him down onto the stone altar. Yamamoto stared up into the god’s eyes, looked at the slit pupils and the greenish-golden glow that surrounded them.
The incense was burning his lungs a little bit now or maybe it was just that he was breathing rapidly now, almost gasping for air. Yara’s presence was almost overwhelming.
He heard the other’s voice by his ear again, “Let me taste you more. Appease my hunger.”
Yamamoto managed to gasp out a soft, “Yes.” And then he let the god devour him, his entire being.
He could barely remember it afterwards, the sensations almost too much for him to handle. It all became a blur of pleasure, except for that one moment. Towards the end, when Yamamoto was just starting to recover again, Yara had sunk his sharp fangs into his neck. The sting of the venom had drawn a hoarse gasp from Yamamoto, his vocal chords unable to form a louder sound at this point.
And then he had passed out. When he came to again, he was alone and fully dressed again, sitting not too far away from the door he’d come through earlier. How he had gotten back here he couldn’t remember. Instinctively, one of his hands flew up to his neck but there was nothing. He didn’t find any fang marks. Maybe it had all been just a dream? Yamamoto knew that sometimes the incense could do that to people, cause dreams and hallucinations. Some of the priest did that for their divinations.
Rising back to his feet, and wincing at an odd pain in his lower body, Yamamoto somehow made it out of the temple again, where one of the priests on night-guard found him and helped him to go back to his room. Takahashi, Eda and Hayashi were already fast asleep. Yamamoto wanted to sleep as well but the priest made him go to the baths and said that he’d have to call one of the high priests for a ritual cleansing first. The stench of the dried blood on Yamamoto and his clothes could call forth unwanted guests after all and not just entice the snake-god.
By the time Yamamoto was allowed to go to bed, Takahashi was already waking up and about to go and recite one of his daily sutras. “You’re back,” the other noted. “That took a while?”
“It was a long way,” Yamamoto smiled tiredly. “Not entirely as I had expected.”
“Things are barely like they appear to be. Get some rest, I’ll wake you up later,” Takahashi smiled and then went to the room next door, the prayer room for the acolytes and temple servants and other lower ranked priests and trainees.
Yamamoto smiled after his friend and then collapsed onto his bed and fell asleep almost immediately, hoping to maybe have another dream like the one before. He’d like that.
The belief that it had all been just a dream became more and more plausible with each day that passed afterwards. Yamamoto told himself that it had been all the excitement and the incense together. Plus, people had told him before that he had a vivid imagination sometimes. And really, why would he out of all people be allowed to see their god like that? Be with him like that? No, there was no way.
Or at least that had been what he had told himself, until the night of the eighth day after the ceremony.
He had gone to bed together with the others as usual but then something had woken him up. His heart was beating against his chest so strongly it almost hurt and his body was burning. Searing heat was flowing through his veins. It was the venom. That was the first thought that came to his mind. He was being called, being summoned by Yara.
Not bothering to put on different clothes, Yamamoto made his way outside and towards the entrance of the temple. None of the priests who were still up and around seemed to notice him. And they, too, seemed to be away from him, separated by a grey veil that occasionally glowed in a different color - green, blue, purple, yellow, orange, pink and finally red.
“He’s calling for you.”
“He’s waiting for you.”
“Hurry!”
“He’s hungry for you.”
“He wants you.”
“Run!”
Voices urged him on and Yamamoto thought he saw the seven dancers of Naga around him, gliding over the temple ground soundlessly. Their ceremonial masks were covering their faces but at one point he caught sight of an eye in one of the holes. It was yellow, had a slit pupil and was glowing.
One of them, waited at the entrance to the inner sanctuary of the temple. Yamamoto knew him and yet he didn’t recognize the other’s face anymore when the mask was lifted. “Prepare your mind, mortal,” the other simply stated and the door opened for Yamamoto and closed again behind him once he’d stepped through. Nothing could have really prepared him for what hit him then.
The heat took over his entire body full force now. And it was no longer just heat. It had turned into an urge, into need, into lust. Yamamoto could no longer think straight and his hands moved without him telling them to or rather, allowing them to. At least his feet were still listening to him somewhat and he was able to drag himself forward, towards the chamber, towards his destination.
He clawed at his chest in an attempt to not let his hands wander lower than they should. Yamamoto could feel his cock throbbing with need. The venom’s power was hitting him in waves and he staggered forward, bumping into the cold stone walls from time to time.
After what seemed like half en eternity, he reached the bridge of the brightly lit chamber again. The room had changed a bit. Silk drapes hung from the dark ceiling - he couldn’t really see it, the light of the fires reached only that far, so it looked like the silk was hanging in the air - and the altar was gone, replaced by what looked like a large throne. Yara was lounging on it lazily, stretched out completely.
The god was wearing tight, black pants again but no shirt or another piece of clothing to cover his upper body. The snake-shaped necklace hung around his neck and thick gold bands were around his wrists and biceps on each side. The sight made Yamamoto’s legs grow weak and he sunk onto his knees. He was so aroused by now that it was almost hurting. And he couldn’t take his eyes away from Yara. And the god seemed to know that and enjoy it, too.
“You made it back here,” Yara smiled and strode over the bridge and came to kneel in front of Yamamoto, breathing down the young male’s neck. “You made it back here without laying a finger on yourself, too.”
Yamamoto swallowed heavily. He tried to speak but the words wouldn’t come out properly. “You!”
“Mh? What is that?” a slender finger caressed the line of Yamamoto’s neck.
“Only you,” Yamamoto somehow managed to blurt out.
Yara grinned, “Only I am allowed to touch you? Somehow I like the sound of that. You deserve a reward.”
This time, Yamamoto remembered more but not all that happened after the god talked to him. It was as if he could only find little scraps of memory in his mind later on. They were powerful pieces of memory though and remembering almost overwhelmed Yamamoto again.
For days to come, he recalled the sensation of Yara’s forked tongue on his cock and then on his body, licking him clean again after he’d surrendered to the heat, to the passion.
The strongest memory though was the feeling of how the god had claimed him, penetrated his whole being not just physically but also his very soul. Yamamoto had been pulled into some kind of other realm where there had been nothing but Yara and all his senses had been affected by it. The other had been inside of him, around him. He had seen, felt, tasted, smelled and heard the other only. Yamamoto hadn’t been able to think about anything else. It was hard to put it into words. And thus he hadn’t tried.
He hadn’t told anyone about the first or the second time. After the second time, Yamamoto had discarded the notion of it all having been just a dream. It was too real.
Yamamoto was pulled back into realty when something cold was smacked onto his head and he found a wet cloth resting on his forehead. He hadn’t realized that he’d been sitting in the sun for so long. He looked to his right and found one of the other temple servants there, one from the western barrack buildings. Yamamoto and his friends lived in the eastern barracks.
“You should dance. It’ll make it all better,” Bunichi told him, face expressionless and unreadable. The other was known as the most enigmatic fellow among the servants. One half of the other’s face was covered by Bunichi’s long, dark bangs, hiding one eye from sight.
“Dance?” he echoed. Somehow it seemed like a good idea. “Want to join me?” he asked impulsively. It was a little lonely to dance all by yourself after all. “I’ll ask priest Tsukada where we can go.”
Bunichi gave him a small smile and a nod and rose back onto his feet. His hair shifted a bit and for a blink of an eye, Yamamoto thought he saw a golden reptilian eye again. He blinked but when he looked again it was gone, or well, Bunichi’s bangs were covering that half of his face again.
Using the cloth the other had left him with Yamamoto wiped his sweat and then went to find Tsukada, one of the regular priests, who overlooked some of the ceremonial or ritual dances. There were others, too but Yamamoto thought that Tsukada was the easiest to talk to. Even if he was a little weird sometimes but Yamamoto admired some of the man’s skills nonetheless.
Tsukada lead him to a free space on the temple grounds. For some reason, Bunichi was already there along with one of the dancers of Naga. It looked like they were standing and waiting in some sort of formation, waiting for a signal of some sorts that would allow them to move. Tsukada went to join them when they arrived. And Yamamoto somehow felt compelled to join as well. His body seemed to know where it was going.
And then he heard the music. It seemed to come from nowhere, like it only played in his head really. His body moved to it, once more, on autopilot. The other three around him made the same movements and he followed them, knew that somehow he had to follow them. And somewhere in his mind, he also knew why he was doing this. What the dance was for, who the dance was for.
It seemed to suck all the energy out of him, as if he had tired-out his soul with the dance, put his life energy into it. Something about that seemed off. But he pushed the thought away. He was too tired.
Hayashi stretched out on his bunk and shared a piece of news with his friends, “Did you guys hear? The seven dancers of Naga will be leaving the temple soon. They’ll be sent out to be missionaries I guess, going around and telling everybody to go to the temple to pray and worship.”
Yamamoto sat up, “Why them? Wouldn’t some of the priests be better?”
“It was decided by the priests actually,” Hayashi replied. “Beats me why it’s them.”
Eda stretched, “Who’s going to take their places though? There aren’t any other Naga worshippers around really, are there?”
“Good question,” Takahashi agreed.
While the other three engaged in a discussion, Yamamoto withdrew into his own thoughts again. There was something off. The golden reptile eyes, he’d seen one on Tsukada as well.
The night after the seven Naga dancers left, Yamamoto was summoned into the inner sanctuary again and again, someone was urging him on, sending him in. He recognized priest Tsukada, Bunichi, high priest Machida and Yonehana. And this time he could see the eyes clearly. The eyes of Yara.
He hesitated in the corridor. His mind was a bit clearer this time though his body was still aching for the god’s attention. God…was the other really? Yamamoto had come from a village further away, his parents sending him to the temple to learn as a priest coming to their village had offered to take him in. Before that his village had worshipped other gods. In a completely different way. Of course he knew that there were different ways to worship every god and all that but the ceremonies for Yara were different than all he’d ever seen. And this, what he was living through, was this a god’s doing?
“Clever,” Yara breathed into his ear, the other having materialized out of thin air seemingly while Yamamoto hadn’t paid attention. “Maybe too clever.” The other grabbed Yamamoto and he found himself flung through the air. The altar was back in the room beyond the corridor and he found himself lying on it. Shackles snapped close around his wrists and ankles and Yara straddled him.
He was smiling down at Yamamoto’s shocked face. “I am indeed no god. No real god that is.”
“You’re a demon!” Yamamoto croaked weakly.
“That I am,” Yara smirked. “And you found me out.”
“What will you do to me?” Yamamoto asked. A part of him added ‘Whatever it is, touch me and take me again before you do it’ but not aloud.
Yara though, seemed to have read his thoughts. He ran a finger down Yamamoto’s cock that was already straining against the garments, eliciting a strangled gasp from the young male. “I think I’ll wait with telling you all about it until after we have fun again,” he licked his lips and then tore off Yamamoto’s clothes with his claws.
Again, Yamamoto was almost delirious by the end of it. He barely registered how his wrists and ankles were burning and bleeding from the shackles. Not until Yara licked the blood off of one of his wrists. “I like you. So I’m giving you a choice.”
“Choice?” Yamamoto rasped hoarsely.
“Once I’m strong enough again, I’ll be breaking free from this place and devour the souls of the innocent, feast on their flesh and bathe in their blood,” Yara whispered. “I can spare you if you agree to stay loyal to me forever and let me do with you as I please. It will be very rewarding, I promise. You’ll gain power and I will personally see to it that your other needs will be fulfilled.” He ran a finger down Yamamoto’s body. “The other option is that you’ll become a part of me and I’ll devour your soul right here and now and whatever is left of your human remains later I’ll feed to my little friends.”
Even though both choices were rather compelling, or so a more sarcastic part of Yamamoto’s brain thought, he already knew his answer. “I’m yours to do with as you please. Forever.” He wanted to stay around Yara. He wanted the other to touch him, caress him.
“So be it then,” Yara smirked once more and Yamamoto’s world was plunged into darkness.
“Ryota, wake up,” Takahashi shook Yamamoto’s sleeping form for the umpteenth time. The other seemed to have fallen into quite a deep sleep. “Move your lazy ass!”
Yamamoto rolled over and opened his eyes to look up at Takahashi and the taller male felt his breath hitch in his throat a bit. Something about Yamamoto seemed different but what? He blinked and tried to put his finger on it but couldn’t. “Finally. Come on, it’s late already.”
Smiling, Yamamoto nodded, “I’ll be right there.”
The smile sent chills down Takahashi’s spine and he went outside to go to the large hall where breakfast would be served soon. That smile hadn’t been like Yamamoto’s usual smiles, goofy and maybe a tiny little bit stupid at times. It had looked so much more mature. In a dark way? He couldn’t explain it.
He also couldn’t explain how suddenly Yamamoto was chosen to be one of the new main dancers, now that the seven others had left. Takahashi’s curiosity got the better out of him though and he went to watch as Yamamoto danced under the watchful eyes of the high priests. Yamamoto’s dancing was captivating to say the least. Takahashi couldn’t remember ever having felt that before. He couldn’t move from his spot, he had to keep watching the other, couldn’t pull his eyes away.
Suddenly Yamamoto was right in front of him, a hand stroking his arm. “Join me, Ryu.” The other sidled up against him completely, pressing closer. Some of their bare skin was rubbing against each other, where their clothes ended. “Come on, join me, dance with me.”
Takahashi did and he soon got completely lost in Yamamoto’s suddenly golden glowing eyes.
The next morning he woke up with a sacred snake mark on his upper arm and his journey into the darkness of the inner sanctuary of the temple followed soon after…