Ce'Nedra followed closely behind Belgarath's mount, her horse clopping down a narrow mountain trail towards the empty plain below.  Leaving the higher elevations, the temperature grew warmer and warmer, the young queen pulled back her hood and allowed the cool breeze to rustle through her long, curly, red hair.  Belgarath hastened his steed, accelerating into a quick walk.

"Why are you speeding up, Grandfather?"

"I want to make camp on the plain before nightfall," replied the Old Wolf over his shoulder.

Ce'Nedra flicked her horse's reins, her thighs pressing tightly to her saddle as the precipice beckoned to her right.  The horizon was a dull red, the bloated sun slowly disappearing beneath the Escarpment.
*****
 

The fur-cloaked rider thundered through the open southern gate of Thul Mardu.  Gray tunic- clad Thulls quickly made way for the charging rider, not daring to gaze at the man's steel mask- covered face.  The rider rode past the primitive hovels of the resident Thull population and ascended to the government sector, with its white-washed homes and two-story office buildings.  In the heart of the city was the temple to Torak, a dark palace adorned with cruel visages of the Dark God.  Blood-hued smoke rose from the many chimneys clustered at the top of the obsidian edifice, the remains of sacrifices made in Torak's revered name.

The rider passed through the guard wall without being challenged.  He walked his horse to a single black spire set in the southeastern corner of the temple.  The man dismounted and threw his reins to a waiting Thull servant, tossing his black cloak over his right shoulder as he approached the tower's door.  The masked man's chainmail vest gleamed dully in the light of two crackling torches set on either side of the iron-banded door.  The door opened noiselessly for the cloaked man, he walked into a small, circular entry foyer, a stairwell spiraling to the tower's summit.  Travel-stained leather boots creaked as the man climbed to the top of the stairs, shadows from flickering torches along the stone walls dancing across his steel mask.  Reaching a thick, iron portal, the man drew a silver key from a belt pouch and unlocked the door, sliding quickly inside and locking the door behind him.

"Your Grace!" gasped the black-robed inhabitant of the chamber, leaving his place near a small marble pedestal to cross the rich red carpet and kneel before his masked visitor.

The fur-cloaked man extended his closed right hand, permitting the Grolim bishop to kiss the iron ring on his finger.

"It is an honor to have you as my guest, Cardinal Ksathra!" smiled the swarthy bishop.

The cardinal removed his steel mask, his features dark and angular.  Dark brown, almost black eyes locked on the glowing violet orb resting on the dais nearby.

"Do you still see her, Bohdan?" snapped Ksathra, removing his thick cloak.

"Aye, Your Grace!" nodded Bohdan vigorously, wringing his hands.

Ksathra strode to the radiant orb and stared intently into its depths.  A small sigh of relief escaped the cardinal's lips.

"She is here, in Mishrak Ac Thull," murmured Ksathra, reaching out to stroke the orb lovingly.  "I want a squad of your best men, ready to leave with me within the hour!"

"At once, Your Grace!"

"Go!" snapped Ksathra.

Bishop Bohdan raced out of the candle-lit chamber, leaving Ksathra with the glowing sphere.

"Together, we shall bring forth a new Dark God," smiled the cardinal.
*****
 

It was almost dawn when Ce'Nedra rose, wrapping her nude body in a blanket and leaving the small camp she shared with Belgarath.  Fiery hair still slightly damp from love-making, the little queen brushed a bright strand away from her face, waiting for the sun to rise in all its glory.

The riders appeared as if from thin air, their horses' hooves shaking the earth beneath Ce'Nedra's tiny bare feet.

"Grandfather!" screamed Ce'Nedra, running back towards camp.

There was a loud cracking noise, then smoke billowed from the center of camp, spreading out to engulf Belgarath.  The old wizard coughed in his sleep, never waking, still draped in his sleeping blankets.

A leather noose slipped around Ce'Nedra's neck.  The naked girl grasped the leather desperately, struggling to breathe.

"Be careful with her!" warned Ksathra, jumping from his horse and striding quickly to the young queen's side.

"You are beautiful," whispered Ksathra, stroking Ce'Nedra's head while she fought for air.
"Sleep, my queen."

Ce'Nedra stopped struggling, she slumped into the Grolim's arms, bound by the man's powerful sorcery.
*****
 

The reek of burning meat jolted Ce'Nedra awake.  She fought to sit up, blinking drowsiness from her eyes.  Thick iron manacles were secured to Ce'Nedra's thin wrists, the manacles attached to a heavy chain that was nailed to the cold, stone floor.  Torches guttered on the circular walls around the naked queen, dark smoke rising from them and escaping through the several slit windows piercing the stone.  It was night again, the sky black as a bottomless chasm.  Far in the distance, Ce'Nedra could hear screams, wails of agony from the black altar where hearts were torn from living bodies and sacrificed to Torak.

"He's dead, you know, the Dark God," murmured Ksathra from his place near one of the narrow windows.  "Your dear grandfather helped to destroy Him."

"What do you want with me?  What did you do to Belgarath?" demanded Ce'Nedra sharply.

Ksathra uncoiled a long whip and snapped it at Ce'Nedra.  The young woman squealed when the leather bit into her back, leaving a long, throbbing welt across her perfect skin.

"You belong to me, Ce'Nedra.  I can send you to the altar with a word.  Would you like to see your lovely young flesh crisp and burn, your delicious bosom torn open so the priests can rip out your still-beating heart and toss it into the holy flame?"

"N..no," sobbed Ce'Nedra.

"Belgarath still lives.  I only had time to incapacitate him so I could capture you.  He'll come here, but he will die when he does.  My power is supreme in the house of Torak."

"And..me?"

"You," purred Ksathra, leaving the window to pace around the chained girl.  "You are destined to give birth to power.  Instead of a champion of light, I will use you to create a champion of darkness, an avatar that will take Torak's place, with me at his right hand."

Ce'Nedra whimpered, recoiling from the Grolim's lustful eyes.

"This can be pleasant or it can be rough, it's up to you, sweet Ce'Nedra."

Ce'Nedra lowered her tear-streaked face, her red hair shielding her.  With trembling lips, the small queen looked up at the powerful cardinal.

"I won't do it!"

"Bitch!" sneered Ksathra, raising the whip and lashing out again.  Over and over the whip seared Ce'Nedra's body, pain bursting like flame across the girl's spine and limbs.  The Grolim jerked back on Ce'Nedra's hair, holding her mane as he slammed the scourge upon her back, her flesh cris-crossed with thin, cherry-red welts.

Ce'Nedra's screams aroused Ksathra.  He knelt behind the petite queen and pushed her head down to the floor, her tiny ass rising into the air.  The Grolim licked Ce'Nedra's tight, little buttocks, his lips caressing her flesh, his tongue dipping into her slender crack.

"No," moaned Ce'Nedra, fresh tears falling from her eyes as she felt the horrible priest nuzzle his mouth inside her ass, licking her small cunt.  Ksathra shifted onto his back, his head between Ce'Nedra's kneeling legs, his mouth pressed upon her pussy, sucking within her musky honey pot.  Ce'Nedra's slim thighs buckled, she leaned heavily upon her chained arms, her hips shivering as Ksathra devoured her cunt, tongue penetrating deep into her sex hole.  The Grolim's tongue slithered against Ce'Nedra's young thighs, he reached around her hips to squeeze her buttocks, the tip of his tongue teasing the girl's little asshole.  Ce'Nedra bit her lower lip when Ksathra stabbed his tongue into her clenched rectum, his lips sucking intently.  Moaning, the naked girl's hips began to gyrate, she squeezed Ksathra's head between her wet thighs.  The Grolim returned his tongue to Ce'Nedra's cunt, lapping up and down, sucking on her tiny clit.  Ce'Nedra held onto the chain binding her to the floor, her whole body quaking as the Grolim lavished drool over her labia.

Ksathra slipped out from underneath the glistening girl's body and moved behind her, reclining on his side and grasping Ce'Nedra's left leg.  Raising the slim leg into the air, Ksathra impaled the young queen with his cock, slamming it to the hilt within her belly.  Ce'Nedra groaned, tugging on the chain binding her manacles while her body shuddered, repeatedly stabbed by the cardinal's swelling prick.

"You are mine, you know it, little queen," growled Ksathra, his left hand slipping over Ce'Nedra's shoulder to crush her left breast.

Ce'Nedra felt the honey flow from her pussy, her ass pressed against the Grolim's warm crotch.  The chained girl's hips began to move in time with Ksathra's thrusts, her body leaned back into his.

"Feels..good," moaned Ce'Nedra, her left nipple stiff with lust, her juices gleaming upon Ksathra's pumping meat.

Ksathra fondled both of Ce'Nedra's bare tits, his fingers stroking her shoulder blades, then slipping up to caress her pale throat.  Ce'Nedra placed her lips around Ksathra's index finger, sucking passionately on his lean digit.  Ksathra thrust faster into Ce'Nedra's drenched pussy, her slim legs pressed together, her creamy buttocks rubbing his hairy cock as he slapped into her again and again.  The naked girl's moans urged Ksathra on, his prick swelled, growing fatter and fatter inside Ce'Nedra's vagina until he could hold back no longer, bursting within the groaning queen, his seed flooding her small belly.

As Ce'Nedra lay limply against him, Ksathra kissed her milky left shoulder, his fingers stroking the girl's slick breast.

"The mother of my child, the mother of the world," whispered the cardinal into the back of Ce'Nedra's neck.
*****