Virgin

Starring Nick Manzoni as Korak

Plans foiled

“She was destined for the priesthood. Meant to serve.”That struck Korak as unlikely, the little he knew of the sexy little cat. Whose plan, thought Korak to himself? Hers?“My father willed it. A great honour to serve …..”The young man had answered Korak’s unasked question.“But only virgins serve.”

The blow to the belly hit Korak with a family’s anger. A son striking him hard in the gut delivering a father’s frustrated desires. Korak had seen it coming. He tensed. But the force of fury striking on his navel still knocked him backwards. The firmness of his muscle could only defend, it could not stop all the pain. He gasped out loud.

“A virgin cannot be with child.”This time the club struck higher. Driven end-inwards. Into Korak’s panting upper belly. Up under his

ribcage. Driving all the wind out of his lungs. The brother had fashioned himself a weapon. A club he’d whittled. The end crudely carved into a knotted fist. That could punch harder and longer than any human hand.Korak was wide-eyed. With the force of the blow. With the shock of the news. Pregnant? The brother glowered. Seething. Fists clenched. Korak seized the moment to get his wind. And to take in those words. How many weeks was it now? Since he’d been passing through their village? Since he’d taken the chief’s hospitality for the night? Seven? Eight? Nine? And she was showing?

She had come to him .. at the river. He’d wandered off to wash off the dust and sweat after a hard day’s march through the forests. When he’d turned around, she’d been entering the water .. looking at him .. invitingly .. nothing on.He’d never given it a thought .. never seen her before .. but they’d found a secluded spot. There hadn’t been much talking, he wasn’t even sure he remembered her name.

Her brother glared at Korak. His arms were tied to rope strung over the branch of a tree. He was breathing hard from the force of those blows. And by the look on the brother’s face there were plenty more to come.

“It wouldn’t help ...?”Korak hesitated. Suspecting he knew the answer already.“ ….. if I said I didn’t know?”The reply came in a thwack with the club. Driven into his guts. The crude fist-headed club smacked into his belly. Korak flexed. But no amount of resistance would keep out that fury. His guts imploded. The wind in his chest broke loud from his throat. A sharp explosion of pain. His foot driven back. Tripping .. legs flew out under him. His body driven back by the force.

Her brother had rushed up close as Korak gasped for air .. his legs slumped under him .. hanging off his arms. Bodies clashed. The brother’s chest pressed against Korak’s side as his hand went up Korak’s back, grabbed him back the hair in the back of his head and yanked his head back.“FOOL!”The brother spat his fury into Korak’s face, twisted over to his.“The damage is done.”He tugged angrily on the hair.“The damage YOU did.”The club lashed out. It smacked Korak across the midriff. Muscle unprepared. Strength weakened by the backwards arc. It was a crudely carved club. But it was painful all the same. Korak burst in another grunt of pain.

Honour revenge

“Son of Tarzan?”The brother sneered into Korak’s face.“That gives you the right .. you think ….?”His hand had snaked up Korak’s back. It had twisted in his hair and pulled his face into the brother’s snarling features.“ … walk in and ruin people’s lives ….?”The hand in Korak’s hair tugged angrily backwards. Korak bit down on the pain in his scalp. But it had already creased a grimace across his mouth.“And then .. damage done .. walk right out again?”The brother spat into Korak’s face.“Eh?”

He yanked again.“EH?”

Korak snarled right back.“Why don’t we settle this? Like men? Sort this out. Like men do!”Korak was angry at being shoved around. Frustrated at getting himself strung up like this. He had to get himself free. Then he’d settle this row.“You and me. One-on-one. Like men.”

The brother laughed.“Don’t get it, do you?”His face was pressed up against Korak. Sneering eye-to-eye.“Not about me.”The club in his other hand smacked again across Korak’s gut. “It’s YOU!”He emphasised his point with a punch. Korak had felt the warning tension in the brother’s grip. He had tensed. His muscled belly had fended off much of the hurt. But not the force. The smack of the club knocked a foot backwards .. winded him.

The brother still had him by their hair. Held around the back of Korak’s raised arm.“This is about dignity …..”The brother had moved away slightly .. his club-arm stretched out to the side. Korak watched it warily, panting still.“Honour.”The club swooped in a broad warning arc. Korak flexed, the muscles in his belly tensed hard. The club smacked across his midriff with the force of a dishonoured brother. The wind expelled loud. Korak buckled up. Gasping.

“Family honour.”He had moved behind Korak, the hand still gripped tight in his scalp. Again Korak felt the brother’s tension in his grip. He yelled out. The force arced his body forward. The thud of a club across his lower back sent shudders down his leg.“A sister’s honour she can never get back.”

The club thwacked Korak across his back in the same place. Pain popped to his eyes. Teeth gritted.“You and me?”The brother had tugged Korak’s head sharp back .. arching his body backwards. “You up against me?”His cheek was pressed against Korak’s face .. hissing.“You and me … WE don’t have anything in this ….”The club end thudded into Korak’s back. Breath-takingly hard. Pain lifted Korak’s foot off the ground.“Only YOU …..”The club smacked home again. Pain burst in Korak’s back.“YOU ……”And another body-breaking thud. Eye-popping pain.“ONLY YOU!”

Wishful thinking

The brother had retrieved Korak’s knife. Stood only a few paces away. Watching the pain heaving through muscle in Korak’s surprised body. Impatient. Itching to get it over with. But making himself wait. Watching the hard-muscle stomach pulsate as it gasped in air. Willing to let the realisation seep into the apeboy’s guts. The truth .. he was done-for. He was going to pay.“Forget it ….,” he sneered.His hand was clutched keenly tight on Korak’s blade. Korak watched warily, he knew its sharpness. “ …. thinking you’d beat me in a fight …..”Korak had every reason to fear that knife clutched in this brother’s hand. He’d fashioned it himself. “ … beat me .. get away …..”The brother’s wrist was nervously swishing from side-to-side. The blade caught the light with every

twist.“Or maybe you think … when I am taking you back home .. you think you grab some chance and get away?”He snorted. His head shook. Closing down all the options. The knife flashed.“This ends here.”

He approached. Despite himself, knowing he should be standing up to her brother .. Korak’s eyes were on the glistening sharpness of the blade. It touched. The tip of the knife made contact with his skin. Just below his navel. Muscle automatically flexed. Pulled in.“My father seeks one thing ….. One thing only.”His eyes scoured Korak’s taut torso. Strung under the branch. Muscled, a young man’s pride in his strength. Now trapped, every muscle on edge.“The rest of .......”The knife swished around. Indicating the muscular power of Korak’s captive body.“THIS …… this of no interest.”

The point of the knife had returned. Touching Korak’s navel. But the brother’s eyes scoured Korak from the head down. Hate-filled their eyes met. Sliding down. Taking in the muscled shoulders. Scouting over the hard-packed power of Korak’s broad chest. And down through the ladder of muscle in his belly till his gaze met the knife point.“All THIS …. This stays here.”

Korak sucked in his belly. Feeling the knife point moved. Slowly it travelled upwards. Up between the first pair of muscles .. passing through the defined cleft in his belly.“One thing only he desires. My father. HER father.”The knife point applied a slight pressure. Korak sucked in harder. Nervous but knowing not to show it. The tensed muscle of his belly flexed stronger. Though he knew muscle could never stand up against the sharpness of his knife.

“This heart.”Nervous as hell, Korak sucked in harder still. He’d felt the tip of the blade moved. Travel upwards .. up through the cleft between the muscles in his belly that he was flexing like mad. Like he’d persuaded himself that rock-hard muscle there still had a chance. Anxiously he wondered .. Had that move drawn blood? It hadn’t gone in deep, he knew. But were there trickles of blood running down his belly? But he couldn’t look. Engaged in a manly battle of looks. The brother scoring Korak’s eyes to find fear. Korak could not show him that. Hiding his nerves in a fight for domination of will.

“In its most potent state, my father said.”The brother stared coldly into Korak’s defiant gaze.“Those were my father’s words. To atone for his crime. For the dishonour.”The eyes were chilling, intense. Korak felt a shiver rushed down his backbone. At the determination he read in that look. The strength of mind to do him harm.“To atone. YOUR crime.”

The knife had stopped. Just below Korak’s ribcage. He felt a slight pressure. As if marking the spot. Then suddenly the prick of sharpness was gone.

“A heart still beating. That’s what he desires. Still beating. Most potent. This heart wrenched from this body .. still alive.”Korak twitched. At feeling the knife back again. Now back on his belly button. Slowly moving back upwards. As if marking the knife wound. As if slicing his belly open. From navel to ribs. Marking the path. Up the lethal knife-point moved.“Cut from here ……”The brother scowled. “To here …..”Korak felt the slight pressure back under his ribcage again.

“Cut open. Still alive.”His breath was hot on Korak’s skin.“Rip it out. That damned offending heart. Still beating.”The brother’s eyes were sadistically cold. Chilling.“A father’s desire.” Korak’s belly was stone-hard, resisting. Pulled in taut. Muscles tight. With the point of his own dangerously sharp knife pressed against his gut.“Tear out that damned heart. A father’s fervent wish. Ripped out. Still beating. Ripped out of the apeboy’s gut.”The brother hissed.“To atone for his evil crime.”