Chapter 7: The Beggar Samurai

Once properly attired in his dress uniform, Rufus made his way out of his chambers. He exited the dim candle-lit velvet-and-silk palatial decorum Calliope had designed for him and entered the bathhouse, for once not casting his gaze towards the beauties giggling in the water. "Fucking Kai," he muttered again. He hoped the kid was salvageable, but he had known heroes like Kai before, and they tended to die early of pride and carelessness.

He marched passed the doors of trusty old Llewelyn and capable but delicate Judah, down to the door closest to Duncan's. Hero's quarters were private, but as Primus of Courtney House, Rufus had access privileges that his family members did not. He pressed his palm against the scan pad, and the door whooshed upward.

Rufus winced as he crossed into Kai's quarters. The walls were painted bright neon colors, the floors were strewn with asymmetrical boldly-patterned rugs and carpets, and tasteless paintings and sculptures of nude women occupied all available real estate on the walls. It was utter chaos, and amidst it all, sitting upon his throne, was Kai, the self-styled Beggar Samurai – a nickname Kai was still hoping would catch on. He didn't seem to realize that titles like Rufus's "Iron Duke" are granted by those a hero inspires and saves; they're not picked out of the air because they sound cool.

"You really need to learn to fucking knock, dude." Kai was splayed across his throne in the buff, with his caretaker - similarly attired - kneeling between his legs, noisily slurping on his pole. "I'm busy, what do you want?"

"Good evening, Piper," Rufus said, walking past the loud decorations to where her desk was located. It was the only thing in the room that didn't scream at him. At his age, he appreciated clean and simple design. He sat on top. Piper withdrew from Kai for a moment and nodded in Rufus direction. Kai quickly pulled her back onto his dick, however. He had a lot to learn about class, and even more about how to properly treat women.

Kai pretended not to care about Rufus's presence and leaned back, letting Piper's expertly skilled tongue suck his worries away, but he quickly became discomfited by the older man's penetrating stare. "Dude!" he said "What do you want? Get out of here!"

"Where the fuck were you?" Rufus said. "You were supposed to lead Duncan through his trial." Kai looked away, annoyed, while Piper continued her ministrations. He threw up his hands in frustration.

"That's why you're here? Who cares? He made it through alright."

Rufus responded with silence until the tension became unbearable. Kai refused to meet his gaze and instead pretended to be overwhelmed by his caretaker's "caretaking." He would have loved nothing more than to surrender to the gorgeous vixen inhaling his manhood but he faltered under the older man's disapproving stare.

"Where were you?"

"I fell asleep, OK? Is that what you want to hear? Rufus shook his head slowly, the way a disappointed father does to shame a disgraced son.

"You fell asleep? Is that a joke?"

"Oh fuck you, Duke. You didn't spend half the night watching that Duncan kid banging his girlfriend in every room of the house. You didn't have to wait for him to fall asleep before planting that alarm. You didn't have to..."

"He almost died, you little fuck."

"Sometimes heroes get killed, Duke. You know that better than most."

"Don't get me that shit, Kai. I gave you this chance to show us that you can actually function as part of this team, but I guess you'd rather just fuck off and show up for the blowjobs. Once a trial has begun, it does not stop for any reason. If no members of a hero's house are present, that hero is totally alone."

Kai sighed against Piper's sucking and placed his hands on the sides of her head, urging her to go faster, deeper. "Just relax old-timer. You were there. Duncan passed. Everything's cool."

Rufus calmly rose to his feet before grabbing the caretaker's desk by the front and flipping it over, the bulky object crashing thunderously into the floor. Kai jumped to his feet in alarm. "Jesus! What's with you?"

"This isn't a game, Kai! When are you going to get that through your fucking skull! These are real people. There are real lives at stake!"

For a split second, Rufus could see a glimmer of fear in Kai's eyes, but it turned almost instantly into anger. Kai was only 17 years old, but he was built like a man fully grown. He stood an imposing 6'4" and weighed a solid 240lbs, every ounce of it muscle. Rufus was unimpressed.

Piper backed away a moment, frightened. "Should I go?" she said softly.

"No," Kai said. He stepped up to her and took her head back in his hands, pulling her face back onto his wet penis. Rufus considered making her leave. He had the authority. All Primuses had complete control of all goings on in their houses, but even given the circumstances, he didn't want to step between a hero and his caretaker. That was an intimate and private thing.

"What do you want from me?" Kai said. "I fucked up, alright. I got tired and fell asleep."

"Don't you mean passed out? I can smell it on you from over here."