"Babylon
Part 1
by Beryll
They say that Babylon is a whore. She will open her legs for anyone who will not rough her up too badly. She will love you and cherish you as long as you pay her. She will also give you every sickness in this world and take your last coin if you are not careful.
I don't know if that is true. Politics and philosophy are not my trade.
I do know that it is true about the whores of Babylon. I am one of them.
Babylon is my mother and father for I have known neither of them. They tell me my mother was a whore as well, one of the most beautiful women ever to ply that trade. They tell the customers that my father was a soldier from far away to explain my golden hair, though it is as fake as my smile.
The man who owns me tells me he is my uncle, my mother's brother, but he could just as well be my father as far as I can tell for lying is his trade. He makes me dye my hair to earn another coin when he sells me as an especially exotic ware.
Being a whore is neither as good nor as bad as it may sound. The high-class courtesans serving princes and kings have everything they wish for from palaces to whores of their own to cater to their every whim. They are not respected but cherished and what more can one wish for?
Me - I am just a street rat. When my uncle first sold me, I was barely in my teens. And I was lucky as he first used me to steal as long as I was small enough to squeeze through the higher windows.
I miss that.
But life moves along and these days it is rare that a customer really hurts me.
Some nights are bad but there are good times too. Like when a customer pays for me for the whole night in advance and then gets too drunk to get it up at all. When a disgusted servant then throws me out of the house and I know perfectly well that my uncle won't expect me back before the dawn.
A night like tonight...
--
With a small grin, Alexander picked himself off the smooth pavement in front of the rich merchant's house he had just so unceremoniously left. The servant was still standing in the doorway, glaring at him with barely veiled threat. As if he was really expecting Alexander would come back to demand something.
He had been born with more wits than that. Sketching a mocking bow towards the disgusted man he deeply breathed in the night's scent.
The heat of the day was still lingering in the streets. No wind had touched Babylon for a few days so the smell of so many humans living in one place could not quite be denied anymore. Here, in the wealthier parts of the city, it was overpowered by the scent of rich incense being burned to charm the senses and plead with the gods for cooler weather.
The night was barely an hour old but already the streets were lit with countless lanterns setting the city aglow with a warm, golden light.
The merchant quarter was built on higher ground and from here Alexander had a good view over the poorer quarters. Down there it was now the time that his uncle Cletus called 'the change of the watch'. The honest workers went to sleep after an exhausting day of labor. Now the seedier parts of the city's society took over. Down there the lanterns burned red and green and blue, tingeing the simple hovels and crumbling stone structures with an otherworldly light that was tempting as well as warning.
Ignoring the well-chosen curse the servant called after him, Alexander headed down the street towards that beckoning light.
He held no love for the well-lit, clean parts of Babylon. They made him feel wretched and exposed. He knew that many of the boys working for his uncle looked at the tall houses and artfully painted people with longing. He didn't. He had long ago realized that he would never rise above his station and that the lovely stories told by the old men in the market were just that - stories.
Accepting his lot in life had made many things easier.
And as his uncle said - those who constantly stare at the stars will fall over their own feet or end up with a dagger in their back.
Whistling softy, Alexander considered what to do with this unexpected night of freedom. Of course, the merchant had not given him a tip so the first thing to do was to find some money. Preferably some purse to acquire. But if that proved too time consuming he could always do one or two quick jobs. If he didn't ask his uncle's outrageous prices he'd find someone who appreciated his exotic looks enough to give his mouth a try in no time.
-
The big braziers in front of the temple of Anahita were glowing in a slightly bluish haze from the incense thrown on them by the worshippers. Whoever visited the temple left a small offering. This small temple in the poorer quarters maybe wasn't as splendid and awe inspiring as the big one in the temple quarter but it was well visited nonetheless. Where the worshippers at the big temple were rich women and men, praying for love or fertility, here whores and soldiers pleaded with the goddess for lust and strength in battle.
Alexander didn't believe in gods enough to spend his few hard earned coins on incense or other costly sacrifices. But he did believe enough not to pick any pockets inside the temple.
Instead, he had waited outside, keeping his eyes open for likely prey. He hadn't been disappointed. There always was some mercenary force in town who had just received their pay for duty in some god-forsaken corner of the empire. And they always felt a need to spend that money as quickly as possible.
Cutting an especially drunken one's purse while gifting him with a lascivious kiss had been child's play. Before the soldier could decide if he wanted some more, Alexander darted off down an alley, laughing at the drunken wooing of the man. He would realize soon enough that he hadn't just lost a potential fuck but his coins as well.
Quickly Alexander left the well-lit area around the temple behind, heading towards the harbor. It was far enough from his uncle's territory that he could be reasonably sure nobody would recognize him and tell his uncle. There would be hell to pay if old Cletus found out that his favorite boy hadn't returned straight away to spend some more hours working on his back.
In the deep shadows of a warehouse entrance, he stopped to check the contents of the purse he had carelessly stuffed into his tunic. Counting the coins and checking with a quick bite to each of them confirmed that he had chosen his prey well. He wasn't rich but the wealth he had just acquired would support more than one night of drinking.
He had just securely stowed the purse away in the sash he wore as a belt when a noise from a dark narrow alley between the warehouses drew his attention. First a slightly muffled yelp of pain, then a low laugh.
While he was still sternly telling himself that it was none of his business his feet were already carrying him closer. As his uncle had told him more times than he could count: his endless curiosity would one day kill him. But Alexander couldn't help it. Soundlessly he crept closer.
"Now come on, pretty, stop it, we just want to buy what you are selling!" a rough voice growled, followed by chuckles from at least two more men.
"Let go!" another voice answered, a lot louder and in an angry hiss that made Alexander's skin crawl. He knew this mix of anger and fear, had heard it in his own voice often enough. "I am no whore!"
"Oh, how lucky for us. Then we can keep our coins, can't we, boys?"
There were sounds of shuffling and Alexander could well imagine how the men wrestled down their prey. It had happened to him. It happened every night. This was Babylon after all.
"NO!"
"Shut him up!"
The sound of a hard slap.
More struggling.
"Hold that bitch still!"
And then Alexander could see them. Two boorish men holding down a slender figure bent over a crate, a third just stepping in, dodging the helpless kicks of his intended victim.
"Ah, I love a pretty bitch who fights back! Makes for a much better ride." He announced, pushing up his tunic and exposing his hard member.
That would have been the moment to turn, run away and forget about the scene as quickly as possible. After all, it was none of Alexander's business. So, he told himself sternly as he closed the distance between himself and the men with a few wide strides, barreling into one of the men holding down the boy shoulder first, knocking both of them off their feet.
Trying to use his advantage of surprise he hit the man he had landed on top of as hard as he could, fist impacting with flesh. It was more satisfying than he would have believed possible. All the times he had been at the receiving end of such men's attention came rushing back to him and revenge was as sweet as the gods' grace.
The man beneath him went slack as he managed to hit him really hard but the glorious feeling of victory was cut short as he was grabbed by the hair and pulled backward. Crying out in pain as much as in rage he tried to get at the man behind him but the air was knocked out of him as the man's knee impacted with his back. Groaning he hung limp for a moment.
His captor grinned at him widely. Blinking against the pain, he saw what happened next only as a blur of motion. A sandal clad feet entered his field of vision from the left hitting the man's temple with almost eerie precision. The man's eyes crossed and then closed as he collapsed to the ground, letting go of Alexander's hair.
Down on his knees he fought hard to regain his breath as silence returned to the alley. He looked up when the other boy crouched down in front of him. And nearly lost his breath again when he looked into the most startling, beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen in his life. He thought his heart must stop when the other boy smiled widely, his eyes sparkling.
"Thank you," the boy said, "are you all right?"
Alexander managed a nod. He quickly scanned the 'battlefield' and found all three of their foes out cold on the ground. They had been really lucky.
The other boy followed his glance. "We better get away before they wake up." He suggested with a merry grin, offered Alexander his hand and drew him back to his feet.
"Yeah," Alexander answered, now with a grin of his own, "but first they have to pay for the entertainment."
Quickly he checked the men for money or other valuables while the other boy watched, somewhat surprised at first and then grinning again.
The first of the men was starting to groan when they darted out of the alley and then ran down the street between the warehouses.
-
About fifteen minutes later Alexander helped his new friend onto the roof of one of the warehouses lining the harbor. Originally, they had gone straight to the closest wine house to rinse down the feeling of shock that made their hearts race. But when they had heard angry voices from the front of the place asking about two boys with their looks they had grabbed the wineskins they had just bought and made another quick escape through a rear window.
Alexander had suggested taking refuge on a roof. From his time as a thief, he knew that it was a place overlooked in most searches. People just didn't look up. And it presented a rather pretty view of the river lapping against the docks.
They sat down facing the river, legs dangling over the edge of the roof and both uncorked their wineskins to take a hearty drag.
"That was close." Alexander commented, settling the wineskin in his lap.
"They sounded pretty angry." His companion answered, grinning merrily.
Alexander couldn't help but grin back. "Poor guys. I guess we ruined their night out."
They both laughed at that.
With a soft sigh, the other boy leaned back on his elbows, closing his eyes. "I really have to thank you.,” he then said much more seriously. "It was very brave of you to help me against those bastards."
It had been utterly stupid to interfere, Alexander thought, but he didn't regret it one bit. "I'd do it again." He said, looking down at his companion with admiration. He had seen his share of pretty looking boys, after all that was a prerequisite of his trade. He thought of himself as rather good looking as well. But none of them could match the raw beauty the young man next to him possessed. That he didn't seem to be aware of it just heightened the impact.
"What's your name?" he asked curiously.
"Hephaistion." He companion answered without opening his eyes, obviously relaxing more and more. "And yours?"
"Alexander."
For a while Alexander managed to tear his eyes from Hephaistion but soon enough his eyes were drawn back to him.
"No offense..." he began cautiously, unable to reign in his curiosity, "but are you really not a whore? You certainly could earn a fortune working on your back."
At that his new friend opened his eyes, looking more startled than offended. "You think so?" he asked, sitting up again and taking another drag from his wineskin. "Never considered that. But no, I'm really not a whore."
"So what do you do for a living?"
"I am servant to a travelling lord from Egypt." Hephaistion explained. "I sneaked out of his quarters tonight to check out the city on my own. I guess I underestimated how dangerous it can be."
Alexander snorted softly. That really had not been the brightest idea. But on the other hand - if Hephaistion had stayed put they wouldn't have met so Alexander wouldn't complain. Then the other part of what he had said caught his attention. He had heard that a prince from Egypt had arrived a few days earlier but he had been asleep when the noble guest had been welcomed with a parade. Now he looked at Hephaistion with big, pleading eyes.
"Egypt? You are from Egypt? Will you tell me about it?" He gestured at the city behind them. "I have never been anywhere but here."
Again that adorable smile lit up his companion's face. "You want to hear of Egypt?" he said, his voice taking on the soft singsong tone of a storyteller, "I will gladly tell you of my home, of great father Nile and of the beauty of Theben's palaces, of the splendor of the great Pharaoh and the grace of his wife..."
To Alexander it seemed as if time had been suspended while he listened to Hephaistion, the other boy's clear voice weaving sweeping pictures before Alexander's mind's eye. The Egyptian's words spoke of love for his home and Alexander felt a deep longing to share that love. He had often heard it said that Babylon was the queen of all cities, that there was none to rival her beauty. But to him she was a place of filth and degradation. To see other places was a thought that had never crossed his mind but now a hunger was awakened in him.
When the first light of day suddenly crept over the horizon, both boys blinked at it in surprise.
Hephaistion picked up his wineskin again and drained the last of it's content. Then he smiled at Alexander again. "Seems I have to go back to my master." He said, sounding none too happy about it. "I'll be lucky, if I haven't been missed already."
His smile had lost none of its sweetness and presented with it Alexander felt another hunger stir. "I'd better get going too." He said, grinning back at Hephaistion. "My uncle will have kittens if he ever learns what I did tonight."
Thinking of the men who had nearly raped him brought back a serious expression to Hephaistion's face. "I don't know how I can ever repay you for your help." He said, bowing his head slightly in acknowledgement of his debt.
"Don't worry about it. You'd have done the same." Alexander answered quickly, uncomfortable with such honorable words.
For a moment, they both sat in silence, knowing full well that they should get going but unwilling to part company just yet.
"A pity you aren't a whore." The words were out of his mouth before Alexander could stop them and it took him a moment to realize he had said and not just thought them.
Hephaistion blinked at him in surprise. "What?"
Alexander blushed furiously. "I mean... I... well." He looked anywhere but at Hephaistion when he finally managed to get out his answer. "If you were, I'd pay you for a kiss." He whispered, feeling ridiculous at the fact that it was true. After all, he was a whore himself and never did anything for anybody without getting paid himself.
Hephaistion laughed and for a painful moment Alexander was sure he was laughing at him. But then the other boy reached out and turned Alexander face so they were looking at each other again. And before Alexander could react in any way to the warmth he found in those incredibly blue eyes Hephaistion leaned forward and gently kissed him on the lips, sending a wave of feathery excitement rushing through Alexander's veins.
"You're lucky I'm not a whore," Hephaistion said with a cheeky grin, "or you'd not have been able to afford that kiss."
Then he jumped off the roof to the alley below. "I really must go." He said, looking up at Alexander who felt like he had been struck by the softest and most sweet lightning possible. "If I manage to sneak away again, is there anywhere I can meet you?"
The mere thought was exhilarating and Alexander had already opened his mouth to give Hephaistion the address of his uncle's house when his brain kicked in again and he realized what would happen, if Hephaistion came there. Best case - he would learn what Alexander really was, a filthy street whore, not even able to chose his own customers but being sold like his uncle pleased. Worst case - his uncle would decide to keep Hephaistion, feeding him opium till he was just a pretty shell, doing whatever Cletus wanted.
"No..." he said slowly, feeling like his heart would break even though he couldn't possibly have fallen in love over night, could he? "It's hard to say where I'll be."
Even though the alley was still mostly in darkness he could see the disappointment in Hephaistion's face. "Well then," he said slowly, as if he was still hoping for some kind of chance for them to meet again, "it was a wonderful night." Realizing that Alexander wouldn't offer that chance he drew himself up straighter. "It was nice meeting you." He said, his voice sounding a lot colder now. "Have a good day."
"You too." Alexander answered, trying to keep his voice as cool. "Thanks for the beautiful stories."
He so wanted to say more but there really was no way they could even be friends. After all Hephaistion would be going back to Egypt sooner or later. So probably it was for the better if they didn't get too attached to one another.
Still when he watched Hephaistion walk away, he wished nothing more than to jump off the roof as well, run after him and tell him to stay.
If you enjoyed this story, please send feedback to: Beryll
go to PART 2