Cerise has been left alone for a few hours now, and her legs are starting to burn from holding her rear up for so long while she's bent over in the stocks. At least she's sure that she's not the only Skreek in the dungeon. There's another on the other side of the wall to her left, which doesn't seem to be bound, but also has a muted aura of despair. A third Skreek isn't that much further off, and may be asleep - there's something off about its aura. The ones that seem the most active are the Eeee, but as far as Cerise can tell there are only three of them. The cooler auras belong to Naga, four of them.. although possibly five. The fifth is very dim.
"Okay, so maybe this was a huge mistake," Cerise thinks, letting her focus on auras fall away for the moment due to her sore legs. She tries to manages this by shifting her feet a bit, then lifting one leg to stretch it out and fold it to get some muscle movement. She switches and does the same thing to her other leg. "Surely they can't keep me in this thing forever," she thinks as she repeats the leg movements a few times, and even moves her jaw a little, what little the strap allows, anyway. If the ache in her legs lessens, she'll resume focusing on her senses, and go one-by-one through those present to see if she can learn anything specific about them.
The ache wouldn't be so bad if she could keep her legs straight, but that just transfers the problem to her back and shoulders. But it's still an option to relieve her legs a bit. Her breasts are also starting to feel sore from hanging down. The Skreek beyond the wall is easy to focus on, at least, even with the distractions. It's definitely female, and likely pregnant from the way the aura brightens towards her belly. The woman is sitting on the ground with her back against the wall.. and possibly her ear against the wall separating them. One of the Eeee is also approaching.
"I owe Gorphat a lot of thanks to have gotten used to constant aches and soreness," Cerise thinks, and that isn't even sarcastic. Were it not for all her work as Nicora, she may not have been able to be here as long as she may be. This doesn't help that she's honestly scared and her heartrate is still a bit up. Even with her abilities, there is real danger here, and she knows it. The approach of an Eeee snaps her from her focus on auras. "Now what?" she wonders.
The Eeee pauses, probably at the door to the next cell. Cerise can hear a panel slide open, then closed. When the bat gets to her cell though, the door opens and he enters. However he just seems to be standing and watching for the moment.
Cerise tries to look towards the Eeee as much as she can. Her tail then snaps side to side in agitation ... and she growls.
The growl seems to get the bat to do something. As he's behind her though, Cerise can't see past the blocks of wood pinning her neck and wrists, but she knows when the man is close enough because her legs are suddenly swept out from underneath her!
This causes the rat to choke suddenly and she makes a gurgling rasp as her legs scrabble about to regain their purchase and support herself. "Okay, you die," the rat thinks darkly, and resists the urge to use shadow to make that happen right now.
She then receives a hard swat on her rump. "No growling," the bat says. He then grabs her tail, and it feels like he's wrapping something around it a few inches down from the tip.
Cerise doesn't growl, but she does try to yank her tail away!
This gets her another leg-sweep! Then the man has her tail again.
The rat goes grrrk! Again! As she gets to her feet, she thinks this Eeee is pissing her off. He'd not be so brazen if he knew he was abusing the Barsunala in another skin. It's surprisingly hard to resist using the shadow to do something to him, but she manages by focusing on how her tail feels. "What is he doing?" she wonders.
The answer comes all too soon, as the tail is pulled while the man comes around Cerise's side. He pauses in front of her, and begins slowly pulling the tail over her head (or rather, over her head and over the top of the stocks). There's only so much length available, which means the Skreek has to raise her rump further and further.
Cerise's fingers and toes splay. The rat also hisses as this is not comfortable. As long and flexible as her tail is, it does only bend so much and this is putting her on her toes. "Dagh gnaw your festering balls," the rat impolitely thinks as she grimaces and hisses.
"What an expression you have," the Eeee notes, bending down a bit to get closer to Cerise's face. The light is extremely dim, but the Skreek can still make out a grayish blob. He gives her tail a few more yanks, and says, "I'm going to help you keep on your toes! By tailing your tail to your muzzle. Would you like that, or would you rather I do something else instead?"
Cerise says something. It's all muffled and mangled by the strap. It may have been something else, or it may have been rather rude. Her ears and left eye twitch, as well.
"What was that?" the Eeee asks, pulling on the tail even more. Pretty soon Cerise's toes will leave the ground altogether and all her weight will be on the tail! "Blink once for 'I want my tail stretched' and blink twice for 'I'll take option two,'" the Eeee says.
Cerise has no idea what option two even is. Her fingers and toes continue to flex about. She glares at the Eeee, challengingly. But, not knowing what option two is, but that it is likely worse, she blinks once.
"Might want to tilt your chin up then," the bat says, and pulls on the tail. There's a leather straps wound tight around it near the end, with some dangling lines still, which he starts to tie to the straps binding her mouth, one handed. This shows that he's strong enough to hold up half the Skreek's weight with one hand.. which probably means the man is a professional guard or former soldier.
Cerise actually does lift her chin. She so wants go growl at him as the straps are tied to the one in her jaws. But ... not yet. She has to learn more about these people and not push things too far.
It's incredibly painful, since her head is being pulled up, the wood of the stocks is digging into her tail, and the only relief from having all of her weight on held that way is that some of her toe-claws can still reach the floor. "There," the Eeee says. "Now we can move on to option two anyway!" he laughs, and moves back around behind Cerise. There, he grabs her hips, lifts them up a few inches.. and lets go.
Cerise's hips jerk down, causing sudden train on her tail and neck and shooting pain! This causes her eyes to wince shut hard and that gurgling, choking, sound to come from her bound jaws again. "Dagh," the skreek thinks as she's quickly trying to get her get her toes set again. Her tail burns along its entire length and she's seeing stars! How did an average skreek survive this?
Now the Eeee is rubbing on her rear.. and pinching it. "Yer a plump one. Are you ticklish?" he asks, and then starts tickling her sides.
Yes, she's ticklish, but the pain she's feeling mute it quite well! Except for the squirming, which makes her neck and tail hurt worse. "You are so getting special treatment from the Barsunala some day," the rat thinks in agony and anger. All she can do is hiss and breathe out hard through her nose..
The tickle-torture does stop eventually, and the Eeee is quiet for a minute. Then his claws are digging into Cerise's rump, and he's pushing himself inside of her. "Oooo, got some scars in there?" he asks after encountering the inner 'studs'. But then he's slamming into her pretty violently.. enough that her shoulders are banging into the stocks. Her toes are definitely off the ground now!
This ... makes her growl again! She can't help it! While her blessing keeps the sudden penetration from hurting, there is no enjoyment in this. The Eeee is raping her, her neck and tail burn, and there is nothing she can do about it. All she can do is bear it out.
At least the man isn't very long.. he doesn't even last five minutes. But then it's back to trying to balance on her toe-tips. "I'll definitely be back for more," the Eeee says as he pulls his pants back up. "Hang in there!" he laughs and leaves, slamming the door behind him.
Cerise feels ... violated. She's never quite been taken like that before and the feeling is a gut-level repulsion. Grunting through her jaw bindings, she's working her inner muscles to expel as much of him as she can from her insides. This violent working of her muscles also means the skreek ends up urinating while standing there too, which ... just makes her inner thighs and legs wet and warm. "Guh," the rat thinks. "How long am I going to be here?" she wonders, "How will I survive this?" At least there's the apin in her tail and neck to focus on as some sort of 'distraction'.
It's only a few more minutes before the door opens. This time it's the third Skreek, and he's carrying a bucket full of water. Cerise is very familiar with the sounds of buckets being carried by Skreeks, after all. There's also some light. The bucket is set down and the Skreek comes around to where Cerise can see him. He's naked save for a heavy wooden collar around his neck, with several rings attached to it. He's also pale white and pink of eye. 'Eye' in the singular, since the other is crossed by scars from what is clearly a slash of Skreek claws. He's got a lot of slash and bite scars. There's a candle in his hand, which sets on top of the stocks. As he goes about untying Cerise's tail from her nose, he says, "I am Wretch, I am your attendant." His voice is very soft and deliberate.
Cerise's reply is garbled as she tries to cant her head a little towards him. "Maybe he'll untie my tail," she thinks hopefully. She also feels rather bad for him given how many scars he has ... and that huge collar he wears. Clearly another prisoner here.
And when her tails goes loose, Cerise lets out a sigh and lowers it ... then back down to her feet. Her tail still aches badly, though, as does her neck.
"I will clean you now," the white Skreek says. He leaves the candle where it is, and goes out of sight to pick up the bucket again. Soon, a cool wet rag is being run over Cerise's fur, especially where she soiled herself. "I will be with you for 21 days," Wretch explains. "If you get pregnant during that time, you will be spared the pit."
"/Getting pregnant is being spared?/" Cerise wonders, eyes wide. "/Well, no chance of that for me. I can't get pregnant." Her stomach sinks at that, realizing then, she will eventually be destined for the /worst/ outcome here. So, she has to find this place, and worst case, be ready to escape if she cannot and she must get out. Another garbled comment from Cerise. It might have been something about him letting her go.
"I am a slave here," Wretch says. "I have no sway or power. I have lived in this dungeon for most of my life, and do not know the way out," he recites, as if from rote. In any case, he gives the impression of having told it many times before. He also gets under Cerise, lifting her up up with his back so he can wash her feet.
"For now. I'll get you out of here," Cerise thinks. She's also grateful for the ease on her legs and neck for now. She actually cooperates with him, anyone else might have gotten a tail swat.
She's back on her own two feet while Wretch washes her back, belly and breasts. Then he comes around to wash her hands and face. "You aren't developing a rash. That's good. Some have a reaction to Ashad's stomach."
"To what?" Cerise thinks for a moment. "Oh, the snake. At least I won't have to endure that again." Her reply to Wretch is to grumble through her muzzle wrapping and fold her ears back, looking irritated about the reminder.
Wretch starts to loosen the muzzle wrap.. but only loosen it. It's enough to open her mouth slightly. "You should drink," he says, and holds the bucket up to her lips.
Cerise closes her mouth. The rat may be helping her some, but she doesn't give in that easily. Instead, she looks at him with pitiful eyes and a quivering lip.
"You have to drink and eat when it is offered," Wretch says, a bit sadly. "You will be forced to otherwise. If you drink, I will empty the bucket afterwards and let you stand on it."
Cerise lets out a long sigh through her nose and closes her eyes. When her eyes open again, so does her lips so that she can drink.
Once Wretch thinks she's had enough, he pulls the bucket away. "You can't drink too much," he says. "If you start to vomit, you could choke or aspirate it. You really don't want to have the doctor come." He goes around to where Cerise can't see him, and her toes feel wet as he uses the rest of the water wash the floor under her. Then he sets it lip down on the ground, and helps to adjust the bound Skreek's feet so their on top of it. It's a small area, but it's just tall enough that Cerise can squat without too much discomfort.
the bucket is an absolute relief. She squats down on it, taking strain off her neck and her legs all at the same time. She lets out a slow breath, again through her nose, since the jaw straps are likely to be re-tightened soon enough. "Well, at least he's kind, if unwilling to help me escape," the skreek thinks. Her tail flicks about lazily.
Wretch actually starts to rub Cerise's back. "Try to relax," he says. "You are more likely to conceive if you are calm."
"I wish. I'm sterile," Cerise thinks, "Barring a Kindly One miracle." Again, she sighs and rolls her shoulders a little under the rubbing.
The massage keeps up for some time. It isn't clear if Cerise is going to be able to sleep like this though.
Cerise tries not to worry too much about sleep. At least right now is a chance to relax some muscles and allow her eyes to close. This means she can focus more on reading auras. This time she's focusing on Wretch.
After several more minutes, Wretch enters her. This makes the aura reading much easier, given direct contact. He's fairly mechanical about it.. there's no passion or anger or anything involved. His aura feels bruised - as if any real emotion has been beaten out of him. There are ghosts of old wounds as well, including what might have been broken bones.
There's no pleasure to her with Wretch taking her. It may feel nice to him, but it's just for breeding, so no passion behind it. "/I can save him from this dungeon, but I do not know if I can fix him," she thinks. She also, well, tries to control her lower muscles some to give Wretch some sort of pleasure, if she can.
"You don't have to do anything," Wretch tells her. "I'm sorry I can't help you more yet."
There's some stirring in the next cell, from the other Skreek. She might be responding to hearing Wretch's voice.
Cerise does something anyway with her muscles. She doesn't require something in return, she's trying to build trust and concern.
Maybe it helps, since Wretch finishes within a few minutes. The only really indication is a slight sigh from the Skreek. He then goes about pushing some of the straw into a heap in the corner at the back of the cell, so that Cerise can see him.
Cerise doesn't mind him finishing. That part feels somewhat nice. She also watches the skreek make a bed, her ears flicking. Does that mean she will at least get to keep the bucket and try to rest on it? Small mercy, if so. She doesn't expect any kindness to last, though. Something will happen soon enough to cause her more agony.
Cerise is grateful her tail is still untied, too.
Once the nest is made, Wretch blows out the candle and settles into his corner. And while squatting is better than what she had before, it's still a bit awkward, since she has to balance her feet on the small bucket. It's requires just enough concentration that sleep is unlikely, and in the darkness there's nothing to keep her interest either. The more fatigued she feels, the more annoying it all becomes. Even Wretch is able to sleep on his pile of filthy straw.
"Dagh," Cerise thinks and grumbles to herself. This is ... frustrating. Her tail lashes about behind her in irritation. She also does close her eyes to try on just focusing on feeling those in the immediate area and beyond, just to give her something to do.
Everyone seems to be asleep.. save for one of the Eeee, and he's a level or two higher up in the structure. The silence starts getting to her, until a familiar voice asks, "Why put up with this?" The golden eyes of Vorgulremik seem to float in front of her beyond the wall she faces. "Just so some elites can make a show of 'justice' to the rabble, to prove they are protecting them from the other elites?"
"It's more than that," Cerise thinks, "It's to instill fear in other groups they cannot hide from authorities. Sure, if a demi-god takes them out, it's almost expected, but if mere-mortals manage it, then others realize they're not save even from the mundane." Or at least that is her rationalization. She can endure. She's tough. Others before her have endured it, and if she fails, then what would that say of her?
"And for this you must suffer?" the glowing eyes ask. "Use the shadow to take away your pain and soothe your muscles. Use it to tear the information you need from your captors. Or better yet, make them into your slaves."
"/No,/" Cerise thinks. "/I must appear normal, which means I must endure this. It also helps me understand what others have gone through here."
"I have birthed horribs. I have been cut open. I have been taken by demons. I endure permanent curses as Nicora. I can endure this," the rat adds in thought.
"Those weren't forced onto you," the hallucinatory dragon points out. "This is just cruelty for the sake of cruelty, perpetrated by weak men. You're already stronger than they are. What if you come to accept this? To crave it, as you do with your precious, sadistic Gorphat?"
"No, to identify all of them, the things they seek, and weed them out. I must be patient so they all reveal themselves," Cerise thinks. "There is no way I would crave this. Gorphat is different."
"And yet you love her, but loathe me.. who has never done anything nearly so bad to you," Vorgulremik points out. "The true monsters are created by knowing their own mortality. Am I so bad now?"
"Yes. Gorphat's ... treatments can be ultimately used to help others. You only help yourself," Cerise thinks. "Go away."
There's no reply from the dragon, but the eyes are gone. But it isn't the last voice Cerise hears. As the hours pass, and her inability to sleep becomes like lead weighing down her brain, she hear's Hexen, and her adoptive mother and father, and others she has known. But she can't hold onto the memory of the conversations. There are times when she feels angry, and fearful.. and a few occasions where she nearly slips off of the bucket from startling at some phantom. And she's desperately thirsty as well. The auras seems to move about her like ghosts, even. Until finally there is light again. Not the candle on the stocks, but light from the door behind her.
"MMogthth," Ceirse mutters muffled and groggily from her strapped jaws. Soe a moment, she's even forgotten about the stocks and tries to turn her head ... only to find the hard wood still quite there, and her body aching everywhere. She blinks slowly, trying to clear her eyes. Everything focuses slowly, though, a sign of being exhausted. If the door opened, then it wasn't Wretch ... so who could this be? Her jaw rolls as she tries to find some fleeting strength ... and she finds her heart is beating faster; she's scared. Actually scared. She can even smell her own fear.
Cold hands touch her hidden body, and her state is such that she can't immediately tell where they are touching. There's a foul chemical smell in the air. Wretch wakes and then huddles in the corner further, his head and gaze cast down. The Naga eventually comes around to where Cerise can see it, only to have a bright candle and reflector lamp shone straight into her eyes. The Naga is bright red, as if its scales were made of dried drops of blood. The black tongue flicks around her face, tasting her breath, all in silence.
The sudden appearance of a /snake/ in her view causes Cerise to jerk and nearky fall off the bucket! Skreek instinct is stronger when the body and mind are tired, it seems. Her heart nearly skipped a beat when the realization that a serpent was near. Her eyes are wide, then suddenly rapidly blinking, as she thinks, "/Calm down. Calm. It's a naga. Red. Remember that." She takes a few deep breaths too, as if trying to calm herself down as she squints, trying to watch the serpent as her eyes adjust to the onslaught of light.
"Good reaction," the reptile hisses. A taloned hand cups her chin, as the unblinking black eyes examine her features, turning her head this way and that. "You do not look docile," it comments. "Some struggle isss expected. But not yet. Sstruggle will gain you nothing at thiss point. Blink twice if you undersstand."
Cerise' lips draw back in a snarl as much as they can. She glares at the serpent holding her chin. The rat blinks, but behind her, her tail lashes about in obvious anger. She even tries to say something, probably like 'let me go', but it's rather muttled by the jaw bindings.
"You are too weak to fight," the Naga claims. "Even so, your claws or teeth are no match for my scalesss. Any attempt against my person will be met with ssevere punishment. Scratch me.. and your claws will be clipped.. or your fingers broken. Bite, and your teeth are forfeit. If I releassse you, you may attack Wretch. But he isss the only one that will show you any kindness here. And there are other wayss to bind you. Sssso, can you sswallow your anger? Let it keep you warm? Or will you squander it in futile action?"
Cerise growls. Low and dark. But, it does trail off and her lips lower, for now. The glare, however, remains.
"I am the doctor," the Naga says. "Your choicesss are simple. You will produce, or you will be used for the entertainment of otherss. You can be unbound, fat and fed.. or you will be fed to my pet. Cooperate for your grace period, and you may be allowed to sleep on the ground. Disobey and you will be put back into the stocks or worssse. Do you understand?"
Cerise has to remind herself that she could destroy this creature if she wanted. She's almost certain of that. So, she blinks twice, indicating her understanding.
The serpent reaches to the side, and undoes the latch on the stocks. A moment later and the upper piece is lifted off, and the serpent watches to see what Cerise will do.
Cerise rises and stretches slowly, then steps off the barrel, legs wobbling and not responding quite correctly. Her jaws are still bound, but that growl returns as she eyes the 'Doctor'. The rat then goes for her mouth binding, string to get it free, then leaps at the naga with a surprising roar for a rat! Futile or not, she's not going to give in and submit to this place, allow it to become 'comfortable'.
The Skreek actually manages to grab onto the arm that isn't holding the lamp. It's a short step from there to the Naga's face, but before she can make another grab the arm flings back and slams her against the rear wall of the cell, knocking the breath out of her and making her see spots.
Cerise lets out a loud grunt as she hits the wall. She drops to all fours as she blinks over and over, trying to clear them. The rat is still trying to snarl and gather her breath for another attack.
Gathering breath is the hard part. In her moment of disorientation, the doctor gets a coil around her.. then she's being curled up in them. She still has one arm free, but then the Naga squeezes, making it impossible to draw a breath at all!
Cerise is pushing at the Naga, trying to force herself free with that one free arm! She's still snarling too, trying her best to fight him as if her life depended on it. In some way, it does. In others, she needs to fight to keep herself from submitting mentally, to remain strong to herself.
Her claws slide right off the smooth scales, and there's nothing to get a grip on due to the sheer girth of the Naga. The squeezing increases until drawing any breath is impossible. She can feel her ribs creaking from it.
Cerise is in near panic and her vision is a mess, fading. The last effort is a last-ditch effort; the skreek lunches with her head, trying to bite into the coils holding her.
There's no way to open her jaw wide enough to make an effective bite. But it's something. The blackness closes in.. then the coils relax just enough so she can draw in a bit of breath, only to squeeze again as soon as she exhales. This goes on for several minutes, keeping Cerise right at the brink of blacking out. Finally she's allowed a full breath, and the doctor asks, "Are you done yet?"
There's more flailing for a bit before the rat realizes there is no way she can win here. Not that she expected she could, but she had to put up a fight or not respect herself. "Yes," the skreek admits as the flailing fades and she sort of goes limp in the coils.
A hand reaches into the coils, grabbing the Skreek by the scruff of the neck.. and putting her right back into the stocks. The top is secured, and now there's no bucket to ease her back and legs. "We will try thisss again tomorrow. That will be your only other chance, otherwissse you will be permanently restrained." The Naga turns towards the corner where Wretch is cowering, and says, "Three sipsss of water only. Nothing for her to stand on. Mate her every hour."
Cerise goes back into the strocks without fighting. Even if she wanted to, she doesn't have the energy for it. It's back to the uncomfortable bend. Unpleasant, everything hurts, burns, and feels heavy. But at least it's sort of a chance to rest. "Mating every hour?" the groggy skreek thinks, "They really want me pregnant."
The doctor does light the other candle before leaving though. "You shouldn't defy the doctor," Wretch advises. He then picks up the muzzle strap, and approaches Cerise's head. "Please open your mouth."
"Do others fight anyway?" Cerise asks, not opening her mouth enough, yet.
"Some do, but.." Wretch says, looking sad. "They always end up in the pit."
Cerise realizes she will end up in the pit anyway, so maybe she should fight? Hard to say. She's so angry. But ... not at Wretch. "I won't attach you," the rat promises, then opens her jaws.
The strap is put back in, restraining the tongue but leaving slack to open the mouth slightly for drinking. "Whatever happens to you, I have to watch it," he says. "If you fight too much, they won't give you the full 21 days. They'll put you into the pit while you still have the fight in you."
"I am sorry for what has happened to you," Cerise tells Wretch before things are too tight to talk well, "Whatever happens to me, it is not your fault." Then her tongue is secured and she ... steadies herself for another day of hell in the stocks.
While it is up to Wretch to mate with Cerise every hour, he isn't the only one. The guards also stop by to rape her every so often. One of them uses the candle to drop hot wax onto her back as well. Every time, Wretch stands in the corner facing the wall. She really is restricted to just three sips of water as well, which is probably the worse part, as dehydration makes everything worse, even the hallucinations. It's amazing that Wretch is able to wake up on time after his naps to keep up his hourly efforts as well. He gets to eat and drink what the guards bring him, which is usually nasty, but they also make a point of eating and drinking where Cerise can see them.
By the time the doctor returns, the Skreek is barely able to feel her torso, while her legs burn like they're on fire.
Once more the light is shone painfully into Cerise's eyes as the doctor checks on her. "Now then," it says (there's no telling the gender of the beast yet). "Are you going to fight? You may think that such an effort would kill you, and thusss let you escape. Know that you will not die. I am very good at maintaining my livessstock."
"This is as bad as things Gorphat has done," Cerise realizes, it remind her of hanging from the ceiling in the horrib lair, being constantly rutted by the bugs. It even takes her a bit to open her eyes when the Doctor returns and she mumbles something incoherent. Her inner thighs are a matted mess of rat and and Eeee seed currently, and her vulva looks painfully swollen from the seemingly endless rutting. She blinks once, to respond no,, she will not fight. She also does not like being called livestock.
The stock is lifted again, freeing Cerise.. at least to be able to fall to the ground.
Cerise rises, then falls onto her backside. She looks up at the naga, eyes angry. But, she makes no move to try and remove her jaw bindings this time. She just sits on the floor. Admittedly, she probably doesn't have the energy to remove it anyway.
"For now, you will be known as Nox," the doctor says. "Behave and thingss will go better for you. Ssso long asss you keep your anger. It will be needed if you graduate to the pit." The Naga then easily picks up Cerise, and checks her over coldly. This involves pulling and twisting her limbs to gauge the results of all the muscle strain - which triggers painful cramps in them.
There's snarling in the muzzle binding, but 'Nox' is doing that because the exam hurts, not because she's going to actually fight him. Her limbs feel like cramped lead. "This one I may handle personally too," she thinks in agony.
Eventually the Skreek is just dropped back onto the floor. "Take care of her," the doctor tells Wretch, then leaves again. There's someone outside that opens and closes the door.
Nox flops onto the floor in a lump and her eyes droop closed. Right now, all she wants to do is sleep.
Wretch carries her over to the straw mattress and lays her down. It's the most comfortable she's been since arriving, despite all the soreness. And then the male starts mating her again, because it's been an hour. At least he seems a bit more attentive about it, and even nuzzles her throat. When he's finished, he undoes the muzzle strap as well.
By this point Nox likely reeks of sex and stale fluids. Still, her hips move slightly as the other skreek tries to fertilize her once more. When it is all said and done, and her jaw is free, she mutters, "Thank you.". The world fades into sleep after that; two days of no sleep can no longer be denied.
Aside from being roused (at least slightly) every hour for sex, Nox has a relatively restful night. She's still sore and stiff the next day, but Wretch helps with massages. Food and water also help, although the food is tricky to deal with. She does have to use the shadow to digest it.. but it also provides energy to both her and the shadow itself. Not much though. If Vorgulremik were still whispering in her ear, he'd probably suggest she devour one of the guards. But he isn't there.. she still has that notion though, brought on by hunger. For that glorious day though she isn't accosted by the guards - it's just her and Wretch.
"Have you really been here your entire life? You have never tried to escape?" Nox inquires from where she lays. Wretch does keep her mostly clean, but she's gotten a bit of an unavoidable sour rattish smell to her due to no chance for a full bath. "Has anyone? Who runs this place?"
"The doctor raised me," Wretch notes. "Where would I go? I don't know what is outside, except what I'm told by those brought here, and they make it seem little better. If the doctor is not in charge, then I don't know who is. Moggie talked about escaping, but stopped after her first litter was born."
"What ... happened to the litter?" Cerise asks, her voice tinged in worry. She also takes a moment to see if that ccollar he wears can come off at all, or if it's permanent.
"Once they are weaned, the Nagas eat them," Wretch says, with the same tone one might say "the weather is nice today." "It is a great delicacy, I think."
Nox rubs her forehead a little, looking ill, and perhaps a little grateful. "What happened to Moggie? It's unlikely you will get me pregnant. One thing about me is I've always seemed .. sterile," Nox (Cerise) admits. "It makes me a good prostitute, but ..." She sighs as she rubs the well-used part of herself between her legs, "But your efforts likely won't work on me."
The collar looks like it comes might open at the back. If anything it reminds Cerise of a plow harness that would be put on a Dromodon.
"Moggie is carrying her second litter now," Wretch says. He pats Cerise and says, "It may just be stress. I will keep trying. So long as am, you will not be taken away."
"Are they going to put one of these on me at some point?" Nox inquires and taps the collar. "And how did she cope with losing the litter?"
Wretch touches his collar, as if suddenly aware of it. "I don't think you will be given a collar," he says. "Moggie stopped talking. It is easier to become an animal when you are livestock. Thinking makes it worse."
"Is that ... doctor going to visit me more during this grace period?" Nox inquires and shivers a little. There's actual fear felt; that serpent scares her in spite of all she knows she could do. "And I'm not livestock," she says with conviction.
"Not yet you are not," Wretch claims. "The doctor will check on you every so often, to see how you heal, regain your strength.. and if you are pregnant."
"What will qualify me as livestock?" Nox inquires, twitching and looking upset at that term.
"Becoming pregnant," Wretch says. Then it's time to roll over onto Cerise for their hourly exercise.
And Nox lets him. Since she has had more rest, she's a bit more involved this time and uses what muscles she can to make it somewhat pleasurable for him. It's gentler, and with a lot more care, even though she knows it's a futile effort they are making.
"What am I if I don't get pregnant?" Nox asks during.
"You will be used in the pit," Wretch says. "That could be just once. Sometimes that is enough. Maybe more times, depending on what is to be done."
This time, the white Skreek actually touches one of Nox's breasts during the act, and seems to actually put in a little more effort.
"Nngh," is Nox's comment to that. "My real name is Cerise ... but I guess I must go by Nox now," she notes, then grows quiet so that Wretch can do his 'job'.
"That is a pretty name," the other Skreek says, and then sighs a bit longer when he finishes this time. He even nuzzles her again. "If you are livestock, you get to stay here with me," he points out.
"Please do not get your hopes up," Nox says gently and strokes the skreek's back, "I have to be realistic on my chances and my body. I've been with many, not once pregnant." She thinks a bit more. "How long has someone lasted in the pit?" she asks nervously. "And how long has this been going on?"
"I don't know who lasted the longest," Wretch says, rolling onto his side. "Sometimes they return to their cell, sometimes they stay with the doctor. I don't know where they go when they die. As for how long.." Here the man seems to get anxious. "A long time? I don't know time well. It is always the same in here. My mother was livestock. The doctor set me aside instead of eating me."
Nox looks ... horrified. And in spite of the man having just, well, performed, she decides to test something. She shifts down and starts nursing on the skreek down below. Partially to see how often he can produce. Partially to see if it sates hunger. And partially to see if he has any scars down there.
There are certainly scars.. including bite ones. Which is probably why Wretch begins keening in distress. He's definitely not reacting in the expected way, physically.
Nox is actually gentle about it, trying to prove it can be nice.
That doesn't stop Wretch from crying. "I'm sorry.." he says over and over. "Please don't bite.."
Nox pulls back. "I'm not going to bite. I'm trying to make it feel good," Nox claims gently.
"I've been bitten," the man says. "Last time I bled so much.. The doctor put me to sleep for a long time. She said I was lucky, because there weren't any to replace me."
"She?" Nox inquires as she stops truing to pleasure the man that way. "The doctor is a woman?"
"Yes, she is," Wretch claims. "She has a son. I was to be fed to him, but he was ill so I was spared until he was better. But he did not get better, and I was too big then."
Nox' left ear twitches. "Do any of the other skreeks here talk?" she asks as she lies back down and stares at the ceiling.
"Just you, for now," Wretch says. "The last one, the doctor had to cut part of her tongue so that she couldn't talk."
Nox twitches. "Why?" the skreek asks warily.
"She was very insulting," Wretch claims. "She cursed the doctor.. I think it was because she cursed the doctor's children. She was a bit mad at that point. She'd attacked me several times. The doctor took her to the pit and.. that was the last I saw of her."
Nox rolls onto her side. "I see," the rat comments and closes her eyes again to get a little more rest between the rutting sesions.
The next day, the guards showed up again. This time to install chains through the rings at the edges of the ceiling. They just left them there though, with manacles at the ends.
Nox eyes those chains. "What are those for?" she asks of Wretch while she's on all fours and he's going at her from behind. Like before she's trying to make it enjoyable for him; this skreek hasn't likely gotten much enjoyment in life.
While he's pumping, Wretch says, "They are to bind your wrists and keep your arms spread. First they will let you kneel, but the chains will be shortened over time, until you are hanging from your outstretched arms."
"What? Why? I have behaved!" Nox claims and accidentally bears down hard on the rat for a few seconds. "Sorry, sorry," she squeaks.
"Yes, but they will come and rape you again," Wretch notes after a squeak. "Those are for when you resist or fight. Because you will, since you are not restrained. Everyone fights them. They want you to fight them."
"Are they going to eventually remove my teeth?" Nox asks next, horrified. "The Doctor threatened to."
"Only if you are pregnant," Wretch says. "Otherwise they will reserve that for the Pit."
"Are all the other girls toothless, then?" Nox asks in a softer voice as her hips roll.
"Moggie isn't," Wretch says after suddenly finishing, which surprises him. "Some lost their teeth when the guards struck them. None wanted to risk it."
Nox nods at this, quiet now. She'll let Wretch finish.
The Skreek gives a few more thrusts, then actually falls across Nox's back. The effort must be taking its toll on him. "Do you want to try the manacles?" he asks, oddly.
"Do you like it when we're in chains?" Nox asks and looks over her shoulder at him.
Wretch shakes his head, and his face squinches up in thought. "It is just.. you can take them off this time. Next time you will not be able to. I thought it would make you less afraid."
"All right. We can try them. Once ... they put them on, how long will they remain on?" Nox inquires as she pushes up a bit so that they can dismount and move to the chains.
"Until they are done with you, usually," Wretch says, and grabs one of the hanging manacles. He pulls it toward the center of the room, and opens it. "Put your wrist into it.."
Nox sighs, eyes the manacle, then lowers her wrist into it. She flexes her fingers slowly.
Wretch closes it. It's secured with a simple latch, and isn't too tight.. but there's a ratchet mechanism that can make it tighter. Wretch then goes to the opposite wall and pulls that manacle over. With both wrists shackled, Nox can't lower her arms fully, and they would be spread out a bit if she were on her knees.
Nox goes to her knees and tests this, tugging lightly at her arms. "Well, it isn't the worst thing ever, though the ratchet could get unpleasant," the skreek thinks as she flexes her fingers a bit. "Okay, so it isn't too bad," the rat says as she watches Wretch to see what he'll do.
The white Skreek seems expressionless. After Nox has tested the chains, he goes to remove the manacles.
Nox still watches him curiously to see if he'll actually remove them or not, of if he was ordered to set this up. "I'd like to think it wasn't a trick, but," she thinks.
The manacles are undone, and left to swing back against the walls.
Nox rubs her wrists a little, then gets up and goes to inspect the ratcheting mechanism of them. "I guess when the time comes this won't be so bad," she admits, ears and tail quivering.
"It will be," Wretch claims. "It's not just the manacles, it's the guards too."
"Why? What do they do?" Nox asks.
"Make you hang from them," Wretch says. "They'll.." He's cut short as the lower panel of the door opens and tray is pushed through. It has some bowls of water and gruel on it, and Wretch launches himself at the door! He scrambles to the get the bowls off before the tray is yanked back through.
Nox just blinks, watching this, then shaking her head. No one should have to live like Wretch is. She goes over towards him to help, though not running like mad. It's not like the food does a lot for her since she has to use shadow to do anything with it.
Wretch gestures for Nox to sit down with him. "We have to eat quickly," he explains. "When the tray comes back, we have to put the bowls onto it before it pulls away, whether we are done or not. If any bowls are missing, they'll come in and beat us."
Making a face, Nox sits down and starts eating the horrible-looking, and smelling, mixture. She also has to concentrate because she has to push shadow inward into her stomach so that she doesn't get queasy, and until it passes to her intestines, not much she can do with it. She's frowning, ears back, and looking very lost in thought.
Wretch is much faster, gulping down the gruel and water as quickly as he can. Apparently there's no telling when the tray will appear - it all depends on the whim of the guard outside.
Nox just can't eat that fast given her 'managed' digestive system, butshe does try to eat and drink as much as she can. It at least helps her ignore the taste and smell some.
The water tastes stale, but at least it's water, and that goes down easy. Nox only finishes half of her gruel before the tray returns, and Wretch grabs for the bowl.
Nox releases the bowl. No point in fighting over it. So, back on the tray it will go, along with the one that contained water. "They are really going for animal conditioning in here," the skreek thinks.
The tray is yanked back as soon the bowls are down, and Wretch sighs in relief. "You'll get faster," he assures Nox, and smiles. He's missing a lot of teeth himself.
"Maybe. Never could eat very fast. If I do I get sick and vomit," Nox claims, shrugs, and even smiles a little. She takes a deep breath and looks around her cell, the chains, and then lets out a slow breath. It's going to be a long time here if she sticks with it, but at least she knows something about the doctor. That's useful. Knows the smells down here, can communicate those. Perhaps some creative searching by her menagerie of bugs in the lower levels; she can after all sense them. Maybe Tulani too. Will see.
The meal has barely settled before the door opens and two of the Eeee guards enter (the third manning the door from outside). "Fetch the muzzle," the bigger gray guard tells Wretch, while the other darker Eeee tells Nox to stand in the center of the room and put her arms out.
Nox scrambles to her feet and glares at the guards. "And why would I listen to you?" the skreek says coldly, eyes narrow and hands crossed over her chest.
"I don't care if you listen, so long as you obey," the gray one says with a scowl. "So do it or we'll beat both of you. And you should know by now that whitey won't resist."
Wretch has the leather strap, and gives Nox a concerned look.
While Nox could take it, she doesn't want Wretch to be harmed. So, the dark skreek moves to the center of the room and holds her arms out. To Wretch she says, "Go ahead. I forgive you." The skreek then mostly closes her jaws in preparation for the muzzle to be applied.
"I'm sorry," Wretch whispers as he secures her tongue, then her muzzle. The other bat has grabbed the first set of manacles and swung them over, latching them onto Nox's left wrist. He then goes and gets the other set and attached them to the right one. Standing behind the Skreek, he puts his hands on her shoulders and pushes down, telling her, "Down on your knees."
Nox feels the muzzle being cinched snug. Something she will likely get used to as time goes by if she allows it. She draws in several deep breaths, her tail lashes about angrily, looks over her shoulder at the Eeee demanding that she kneel. There she growls, brief, short, with narrowed eyes, then the skreek kneels down.
The dark Eeee then knees down behind Nox, his own knees on the back of her legs and his hands gripping hard on her shoulders. The gray one pulls a small crank handle from his belt, and slots it into the ratchet next to the latch on the right set of manacles. As he cranks it, the 'top' half of the manacle slides over the bottom half opposite the hinge to tighten them. He keeps cranking until the blood flow to Nox's hand is almost completely cut off.. which he tests by pinching the bare skin to see if it reddens or not. Then the other manacle is cranked to do the same to the left hand.
The skreek growls and winces in pain as the cuff gets tighter and tighter. That odd 'cool' feeling when blood isn't flowing so well to her hands causes her growl to stagger and she looks over at her right hand and flexes it slowly. Or tries. "Are they trying to damage my hands?" the skreek now wonders as her pulse quickens. Without blood flow for long, bad things can happen. Really bad things.
The crank is put back into the big one's pocket, and then he pulls a large pair of ironwood pliers from the other. He grabs Nox's tingling right hand firmly, then uses the pliers to yank out the claw from her thumb. Even with the numbness, the pain is bad.
Nox's jaw sets hard, and her eyes wince tightly shut! She cries out! Well, as much as the muzzle allows her to, so it a muffled, strained, hissing, sort of shriek! Her body is stiff, and her tail lashes about like a whip. Dear Gods, they're declawing her? If they yank them completely out like that, will they have any hope of regrowing? The skreek's eyes are welling with tears and she looks at Wretch, then at his hands.
Wretch's own claws are fairly small. So maybe they've grown back. For the fingers, the guard grabs each one individually before yanking out the claw. The claw on the middle finger actually snaps, rather than being torn out. The guard still collects the claw fragment into a little bag at his belt, then moves on. Both the ring and pinky figures give audible pops, since the force of the declawing also dislocates them. There isn't much blood, thanks to the constriction of the manacles, but not being able to actually scream makes it all worse. The guard then moves on to repeat it all with the left hand.
The rat is thrashing as much as she can in the restraints and with the one guard holding her down. Her right hand burns is horrific ways and her fingers do not want to move. The ones that dislocated certainly do not want to move in any way. In her horror she also realizes they'll have to do something to prevent bleeding when the manacles are released. She remembers one mentioning earlier about ... fire. She can't think on it long, though, because soon her left hand joins in the cacophony of agony!
Meanwhile, Wretch has gone to the door, where a bucket and rags are passed to him from the guard outside. When the last claw is put into the bag, the guard puts away his pliers, then balls his fist and socks Nox right in her left eye, ensuring it will blacken and swell up. "And that is why you should listen to me," he tells her. Then the ratchet handle is produced again, and the right manacle loosened. This brings a new flush of pain, and most of that hand swells red and purple, especially at the finger tips and where the smaller fingers were dislocated. Wretch hurries to wrap the bleeding digits in a wet rag, while the guard loosens the left manacle next. This gets wrapped as well, before the bleeding gets too serious.. but both rags are red-soaked soon enough. There isn't a third rag for her eye though, and that is also bleeding around the orbit already. The guard behind her gets up, and the two of them head for the door. The big one rattles the bag of claws, and says, "More for the doc's collection.
Wonder what she does with all of them?" The door is closed and barred from outside, and Wretch hovers uncertainly before unlatching the manacles finally.
The white Skreek rubs his hands nervously. "I'm sorry," he says again. "If I'd told you.. you would have fought more and gotten hurt worse.."
Nox goes over hard from the blow and hits the floor. She cannot close her hands at all, the fingers just remain curled and oozing. Each tip throbs in agony as Wretch wraps them. Her breathing is ragged, her jaws still tight around that strap within them. Her nostrils flare with each breath, and her eyes are oozing with tears that mat her cheeks. She glares at Wretch briefly, but she cannot be mad at him. What could he do about it? No, it's the doctor and those Eeee that are to blame. And Gods, does she want to use the shadow right now to fix her hands. But ... she cannot. Not without ruining her cover. And so, she must endure the pain in her hands, her currently rather useless hands.
Wretch scoops her up and carries her back to the straw. He then fetches the bucket of water and tries to apply some to her eye. "They won't do anything that won't heal," he says. "If you go to the pit, they want you looking normal. Unbroken. Because.. because they want to feel like they're breaking you for the first time, I think."
The muzzle is undone, so that Nox can finally speak.. or vocalize in some other way.
"... yay ..." Nox thinks as she sort of curls up and cradles her damaged hands. She once more questions her wisdom in coming here, and once the muzzle is undone the skreek actually starts to sob. How many others have gone through this? Here she could stop it all, shift, heal herself, and wreak vengeance. Or, she can endure this and ultimately end up in the pit. She can't get pregnant normally, so she knows her destination is the pit. The pit and the Doctor's claws. Now it's a test of wills on if she can hold out, or just end it all early with her abilities instead of waiting for a rescue.
"Sorry," Wretch says again, uncurling Nox's legs so he can spread them. It's been an hour.
Nox has to lift her hands above her head and let them rest in the hay, away from Wretch. She shifts her legs a bit, and spreads them so that Wretch can slip himself into her to try and breed her. "You can hold out a month, right? Surely?" the skreek thinks, unsure.
"You didn't pass out," Wretch says, almost proudly. "The others always passed out. You'll do fine.." He's gentle, given Nox's pain, but still has to get his job done.
Even in pain, Inala's blessing makes the gentle rutting feel nice. There will be no peak for her, but there will be for him when he tries once more (in vain) to fertilize her.