Battle royale (for VikingRaider)

[Dollface]

It was in the dead of night.

The moon was a mere sliver in the sky, shrouding the world in darkness as a cool breeze hummed through the tangled growth of the forest, causing the trees to wave their branches as if they were trying to warn someone away. Through all this, a shadowy figure lurked in the darkness, moving from tree to tree and never remaining out in the open for long. Her hazel eyes narrowed when she saw her target: a small, humble-looking hut in the middle of the woods. Tying back her long, white-blonde hair, she then lifted the hood of her cloak and pulled it low over her face, not wanting her pale skin to give her away in the darkness as she silently stalked to the back of the hut...

She was called Briar and she had neither a last name nor a past. Her people were renowned warriors, and it was said that each child born to her tribe was born with a sword in one hand, and a bow in the other. While her tribe was predominantly peaceful, there were times when members of other, larger countries would approach, offering gold for the assassination of someone. Sometimes, if the price was right, the tribe's chief would accept their offer and dispatch one of the warriors to carry out the deed. Tonight, Briar herself had been selected. It was her first mission and a full-fledged warrior, and she intended to be successful. Her weapon of choice, a scythe, was clutched in her hand as she crouched on the ground, hearing someone move around inside the dwelling. She silently began to count to ten in her head, preparing herself to dash into the hut and strike.

[VikingRaider]

They say that practicing the art of magic tended to attack ones sanity, shaking their morals and causing them to loose their sense of self and delve into unspeakable acts. That was not the case for Crevis. He had spent decades studying the dark art of necromancy and had suffered no affects to his conscience or state of mind. You see, he was already a cruel and merciless man before he had discovered the power the lurked in the netherworld just waiting to be tapped.

It had started simply enough, the discovery of a book of the old pagan gods had changed his perspective on life and death, of the natural order of things. Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months as he locked himself in his home and read over the ancient tablets that told of the summoning rituals and incantations that promised powers untold.

His studies had required some...unusual research subjects for his tasks. The village nearby had given him enough subjects to practice his powers on and then some. But of course simple minds decided he was too much of a danger, never realizing that he was too much for them to deal with already. Even now they still tried to kill him, even after the last regiment of men they sent came back floating down the river.

THe protective wards outside his home had already alerted him to the presense of a single fighter. Fools, they thought one man could kill him? He left his chair, standing at his full six feet and moved to his table where his supper lay. Let them come, he thought. He would show this person exactly who they were dealing with.

[Dollface]

10... Briar felt herself enter a state of calm as she whispered a prayer that this mission would be a success and that she would make her people proud. She held her weapon with such ferocity that her knuckles were white with the effort. 9... The man who had hired her services--a messenger for a local king--had mentioned that his man was a sorcerer, an insane one at that. What Briar didn't know what that his insanity had been caused from years upon years of training in his craft; he wasn't a normal user of magic, he was an expert.

8... Her leather boots creaked slightly as she shifted her weight in preparation of charging the hut. 7... The fragrant scent of a freshly-prepared meal wafted from the dwelling, almost breaking the young warrior from her focus as she remembered that she hadn't eaten in over a day. Foolish... She chided herself for not being better prepared, but still, how difficult could a man who sat around reading books all day be to kill? Even if he knew a small bit of magic, she was sure that it was nothing that a few quick swipes of her blade could deal with. 6... Briar felt her heartbeat quicken in her chest, she was ready... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1... As if on cue, she sprinted over to the door of the hut, easily kicking it open, her scythe held behind her, ready to strike at a moment's notice. Her eyes narrowed when she spotted the man, eating nonchalantly at his table. Without a word, she rushed toward him...

[VikingRaider]

He was close, biding his time and waiting for the right moment to strike. Good, he was smarter than the last ones they sent. Taking a bite of his lamb he chewed it thoughtfully, he may actually have a bit of a fight ahead of him. He readied him mind, clearing all thoughts as his opponent made their move, aware of his every step as he approached the door.

Crevis barely looked up from his dinner as she burst through the door, his first thought being more concerned with having to repair it than for the person sent to kill him. Of course he was surprised to see a woman had been sent to his domain, never having seen such a female warrior before. The woman of his homeland were docile and stayed in the home. This was certainly...interesting.

He caught her eyes as she charged him, which was more than enough for what he had planned. Before she had made it to the table the small trap door before her opened up to release the guardian he had prepared for such an occasion. It was made from the combined parts of several of villager he had lured into his home and had the appearance of a mutilated, skinless corpse. The creature charged at her, swiping at the woman with its long, black claws.

[Dollface]

Everything was going according to plan. The deadly-sharp blade of her scythe glittered coldly in the dim light, as she smoothly ran toward him--a few more steps and a fatal swing from her deadly weapon and his head would be separated from his shoulders, a trophy for her to present to the village chief upon her return. Suddenly, the floor seemed to burst open and a roaring abomination of some sort came roaring into the room.

Briar skidded to the stop then, barely managing to regain control of her balance in time as the creature's claws swiped at her. She quickly ducked, the claws missing her by mere centimeters. Swinging her scythe in front of her, she forced the creature to give her some berth and they began to circle each other like two snapping dogs fighting over a piece of scrap from the table. It was then that she got her first good look at the thing, her hardened resolve weakening for but a moment as she realized what ingredients had been used to create the monster. Without warning, Briar rushed at it again, this time catching it where the neck and shoulder joined. Idly, she wondered if that would be enough to kill the beast.

[VikingRaider]

The creature let out a bloody gurgle as the scythe cut into its neck and sliced clean through to the other side. The monstrosity severed head hit the ground with a sickening thumb as the body stumbled forward, blood gushing forth from its neck. Crevis watched without so much as a twitch as his creature was dispatched before him.

The creature fell forward and collapsed, unmoving on the wooden floorboards. Crevis didn't seem to be too concerned as he met her eyes once more, only letting his hand twitch slightly as she grew closer. That was all it took though as his mind touched the darkness that dwelt in the air around this house, his place of power.

Behind her the creatures chest exploded in a violent shower of gore, black tendrils of a vieny, hair-like substance shooting out at the warrior as she stood before him. As they moved in for the kill Crevis mearly smirked as if to say "your move"

[Dollface]

It was over, Briar thought to herself triumphantly. One more to go. Turning on her heel, she once again approached the sorcerer, this time taking care to make sure she wasn't surprised again--the destroyed creature had come close to killing her thanks to her carelessness, too close. She let her senses take over now, watching and listening for any change in the room that would signal another attack. After seeing the creature made of corpses, she no longer doubted the sorcerer's power, and, for the first time ever, began to wonder if she was in over her head. His expression didn't change, she noticed uneasily. It could be that she had actually killed off his last form of defense, maybe the lack of expression was due to his acceptance of death.

Or maybe, Briar mused. He wasn't finished yet. Maybe there was one more trick up his sleeve. His hand twitched then, a movement so inconspicuous that if Briar had blinked, she would have missed it. Suddenly, there was a rumbling sound coming from the monster behind her. Whirling around, she quickly shielded her eyes as blood and innards flew everywhere. Another quick movement, and her scythe was in front of her, hacking at the tendrils like a machete through grass. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Crevis' smirk, but didn't have time to respond to it--as soon as she sliced one, another would take its place. Her arms were beginning to quickly tire, but she kept forcing herself to fight.

[VikingRaider]

Crevis was not exactly a fighting man. Of course he wasn't out of shape and had a good build on him, something the ladies had found attractive before he had turned his interests to the darker side of nature. Still, he preferred not to give his opponents the chance to get near him and hold his ground. Tonight she would learn the full strength off his power.

The tendrils were tenacious, erupting from every orifice of his creature as fast as she could cut them away. The black vines kept up a constant barrage at her body but left themselves wide open to her attacks. This of course was merely a distraction as one lone tentacle made its way under the floorboards through a small hole near the boy. It crept aloung underneath her feet, finally squirming from beneath the cracks behind her and latching itself around her leg and pulling up sharply to throw her down to the floor.

The other moved in for the final attack, moving to secure her arms and legs as she fought back. Crevis was sitting up strait, surprised at how much this was holding his attention as the fight continued. Everything could be onver in a manner of seconds depending on her skills.

[Dollface]

As she fought, her movements became a bit slower, a bit clumsier. It was nothing that an untrained eye would have noticed, but for someone who had grown up holding some kind of a weapon at all times, the effects of fatigue was terrifying. There seemed to be no sign of the tendrils ending their assault, and the thought that, perhaps there really wasn't an end, perhaps the sorcerer could keep producing these at will forced its way into her mind. Briefly, she considered a hasty retreat, but quickly dismissed that notion as well. No, she was in this for the long haul. No matter what happened.

Briar was so focused on fighting the tendrils as they shot toward her, that she was completely unaware as one crept toward her through the floor boards, wrapping its way around her leg until it was too late. She fell to the ground with a sharp cry of pain: her ankle was twisted in an awkward angle, it was sprained at the very least. Gritting her teeth, she sat up and started to slice at the tendril holding her leg, freeing herself just in time to bat away another one. But while her attention was focused on her legs, another vine had attacked from behind, quickly binding her arms. As if detecting their chance, the other vines surged forward, as she kicked at them futilely.

[VikingRaider]

Finally it was over, the black tentacles wrapping themselves around her arms and keeping her from fighting back. The vines wrapped around her limps, binding them together and wrenching the blade from her hand letting it clatter to the floor. Soon enough her entire body was a crisscross of black veins, keeping her immobile on his floor. They felt warm and wet, almost as if they were alive and would tighten with every move she made.

Crevis didn't say anything at first, opting to sit back and finish his meal in silence. He let her lay there, on the floor, no idea what her fate would be as he finished his roast lamb and potatoes. After a good fifteen minutes he took the last sip of ale in his mug and turned to look at her, admiring her features. "So then," he said with the air of one assured that he was in full control, "who sent you?"

[Dollface]

She didn't take defeat lightly--none of her people did; but once she realized that the battle was lost, she stopped struggling with her living bonds, opting instead to rest and try to ignore the uncomfortable feeling that the vines which held her pinned to the ground were alive. Her breath was coming out in ragged gasps, and occasionally she would try and look longingly at her fallen blade, but for the most part she remained perfectly still.

Briar was sure he would kill her, perhaps torture would come before the actual loss of her life, but either way she braced herself for death. But nothing happened. Instead, she heard the clink of cutlery and ever once and awhile, the sound of him chewing his dinner. Her stomach rumbled loudly then, a sign of weakness which caused her great embarrassment. Still, nothing.

Finally, she heard him push his mug away, signaling that he had finished his meal. The young warrior looked straight ahead then, her face unreadable as he questioned her about who she was working for, but she made no response, opting to continue to stare mutely at the ceiling.

[VikingRaider]

Crevis waited for her response, only nodding to himself when she refused to answer. She was strong-willed it seemed, but they all started off that way. Sooner or later though, they all talked. Getting up from her chair he walked over to her, looking over her body and examining her face. She was young, much younger than he expected, and had a strength in her he hadn't seen in a woman before. Very interesting.

Bending down he took her weapon in his hands, looking over the find craftsmanship and detail. This definitely wasn't made whiten these lands. Apparently the king had sought outside help. Cowards, they could do nothing but beg for aid.

Looking at her again he held the weapon up, "This is very well-made, well above the local standard. And from your dress and fighting style you must be from outside the kingdom, am I correct?"

Her answer wasn't that important and with another flick of his hand the basement door opened again, this time by another creature of Crevis's construction. This one was unlike the other in that it had skin, but even still it seemed to writhe over its muscles like a second entity. The sorcerer motioned for it to pick her up and without a sign of acknowledgment it lifted her over its shoulder and proceeded to carry her down below. Each step creaked loudly in the darkness, and with no light source she could see nothing as they made their was though the tunnel smelling of earth and death. Soon enough they stopped and she was placed on a wooden table somewhere in the darkness.

[Dollface]

When he picked up her blade, inspecting it and admiring its exquisite craftsmanship, Briar was sure that he was going to kill her right then and there--adding insult to injury by using her own blade against her. But still, nothing. He questioned her about her origins, and, once again, she refused to answer by staring at his ceiling, pretending that she was deaf to his voice.

He didn't wait long for her lack of answer. She heard the same door as before burst open, followed by the heavy footsteps of something approaching. Turning her head, she watched the creature approach with horror. Somehow, the addition of skin just made things worse, as it writhed and squirmed like it maggots were burrowing beneath the surface. Briar yelped as the creature lifted her onto its shoulder, squirming as much as she could in her bonds and trying to escape. They descended into the basement then, with Briar struggling every step of the way. Finally, she was gently placed on a solid wooden table, the complete darkness and the stench of death overwhelming her.

[VikingRaider]

Suddenly a small flame bloomed in the darkness from a candle in the far corner, followed by another and another as the room was lit in the orange glow of several dozen candles that lit themselves. It revealed a somewhat large stone room, its dusty walls etched with arcane circles and chalk writings in strange languages not seen on this earth for centuries. That was not what stood out the most however, as the corners of the room were littered with bones.

Human bones.

Crevis stood in front of the door, the creature having disappeared to who knows were. He approached her bound form calmly, her weapon left behind as he circled her. "The king has been getting sloppy, not having told you the full danger you would be in. They would have been wise to send more than one warrior, perhaps if you had backup you may have succeeded."

His hand touched her thigh, feeling her strong legs from her years of training and appreciating her features. He slowly trailed his way up her body, moving over her woamnhood and breasts before wrapping his fingers around her neck. "Do not try and resist, for you know I have ways of torture who cannot begin to imagine. Who sent you?"

[Dollface]

There was a moment when she thought that hear heart would leap out of her chest, as the room was quickly illuminated, revealing the bones of long-dead victims. Briar wasn't afraid to die--or so she told herself--but to find herself helpless in a room where she was confronted by it was another thing all together. She found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the bones, even when her captor entered the room, occasionally passing into view as he circled her.

"The king has been getting sloppy, not having told you the full danger you would be in. They would have been wise to send more than one warrior, perhaps if you had backup you may have succeeded." She heard him say, anger suddenly building within her. "No, I would have succeeded if you had fought honorably instead of relying on cheap tricks," her soft-spoken voice snapped.

But the touch of his hand on her thigh broke her rage, leaving her hastily trying to blank her mind just has she had been taught to do under torture, as his hand trailed up her body. This whole time she had been so concerned with dying, that other forms of torture--the indignity and humiliation of rape, for example--never once entered her mind. Thus, it was almost a relief when she felt his fingers wrap around her throat.

"Do your worst," she whispered, trying to goad him into just killing her now.

[VikingRaider]

He just stared at her for a moment, as if her words had struck a cord in his mind, before he suddenly let out a chuckle. It was not a mirthful chuckle, no, it was one deep and ominous that only found humor in suffering. "My worst you say? My dear, do you even know who I am?" He leaned in close and looked her in the eye, seeing the trace of fear their but also her resolution to go on.

"Those creatures did not build themselves you know, I MADE them. The same fate could befall you, understand this. I could fashion you into a servant that would hunt down your loved ones and kill them while you watched from your own eyes, trapped and helpless.

He let go of her, pushing her head back as he turned back to the wall. His fingers traced the carving of a strange rune in the wall as he spoke. "But I doubt that will be necessary. I have much larger things in store for you."

Without warning the vines came to life again, squirming over her body as they moved under her clothes, giving her freedom of movement but taking apart each inch of fabric that covered her body.

[Dollface]

In retrospect, she reflected, fear growing within her. Her last words may have been a mistake. No, she didn't know who he was, but she had a feeling that she was quickly learning. When she had initially made her challenge, the words had sounded fine and brave, now they left her wondering just what she had gotten herself into.

He threatened to turn her into one of his undead horrors, and it was all she could do to keep from trying once more to claw and bite her way out of her bonds, wanting so desperately to finish the job that she had started. But... No? He had bigger plans of her? She started struggling again, but this time it was because courage had failed her. All she knew was that she didn't want to be around long enough to find out what his plans were.

Briar squealed with surprise as she felt the vines once again come to life--this time tearing away at her clothes, leaving her naked but at least able to move her body. Sitting up, she lunged at the sorcerer, her movement impeded by her injured ankle, but her speed was still impressive.

[VikingRaider]

He barely flinched, casting her a harsh glare and raising his hand over his face in a quick gesture that cut off all light around her leaving her once again shrouded in darkness. When she lashed out at the spot he was before she would find only air, his tricks and magic proving to be well worked in the this place. She might have been able to kill him above, but down below was entirely his domain.

There in the darkness hands reached out and grabbed her, rough, scaly hands that seemed to come from all directions at once. They seized and pawed at her body, gripping her arms and legs and pulling her in every direction at once. Her breasts and ass were assaulted by their lecherous touch and they squeezed and scratched them, sending painfully humiliating sensations through her. Several moved over the lips of her cunt, never pushing inside but threatening to several time over.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity she was held down on the table again. Her hands and legs were spread out as the warm flesh of their hands turned to cold iron. The light returned, revealing no one there save for Crevis. Her wrists and ankles were now bound in chains, though were they had come from there was no sign.

(Last one tonight, have to go. Really enjoying this!)

[Dollface]

She wouldn't be able to kill him with her bare hands, that much she knew, but the possibility of incapacitating him long enough to escape, was too seductive. Her fist connected with him once, though curiously enough, he seemed to remain unaffected. Briar lifted her fist again, but stopped in her tracks at his glare. Then there was darkness.

Startled, she brought her fist down on empty air, much to her amazement. Perhaps he had gone? It wasn't a logical thought, but it was definitely a comforting one. Stretching her hands out in front of her, she tried to navigate her way out of the darkness, figuring that this was her chance to escape. It was then that she felt a hand cup her breast. Whirling around, she moved to attack the invisible owner of the hands, only to feel another set patting her ass, another rubbing the outside of her sex. Soon, she had lost track of all the hands that were exploring her body, and instead desperately tried to fight them of, feeling very much like a caged animal. Now, Briar had always maintained that she didn't know how to cry, often joking that she didn't have tear ducts, but as the hands continued to paw at her, she felt herself become more and more hysterical, convinced that this was a nightmare that she couldn't wake up from.

Finally, she burst into tears, offering no resistance as she was lead back to the table and held down. When the lights came back on, Briar was still trembling, her face wet with tears as she tested her bonds, trying to see if she could free herself.

She glanced over at Crevis then and shuddered, trying in vain to close her legs.

((I'm enjoying it too. Take care!))

[VikingRaider]

Crevis touched his cheek were she had stuck him, surprised she had been able to touch him at all. But there was no anger in his eyes, only a new found interest that had an air of depravity alongside it. "You are far stronger than any assassin they have sent before," he said as he walked closwer, never taking his eyes off her own. "No man, let alone a woman, has been able to lay a hand on me."

He was moving faster now, his mind racing with new found possibilities and ideas. He looked over her body, watching her breasts rise and fall with labored breaths and her legs trying in vain to close the entrance to her womb. Oh yes, it would be too much of a waste to kill her. fate had bigger plans in motion. He felt a stirring in his loins at the thought, for even he was not above such base instincts as lust. Far from it, it was something he had engaged in with his female subjects many times. She however, would be different.

Turning from her he laid his hand over a nearby wall, the bricks moving aside as if they were nothing revealing a hidden compartment. His looked over several parchments and vials, finally taking a redish potion without a label. He opened the cork and walked over to her, his fingers dabbing into the strange substance. "You are almost too perfect a subject," he said as he touched his fingers to the underside of her breast leaving a trail of the cold liquid on her skin. "You will be the one to bear my child, the one with all the strength and knowledge to carry on my works." His hand moved over her chest, painting arcane runes on her struggling form as the shadows danced around them.