Empire of Blood

Chapter 25: The Dragon and the Snake

Time was an illusion, and their existence slowly unwound from the arbitrary construct as Selena, Rahim, and Azrael dangled in chains within their windowless prison cell. Hours turned to days, but an eternity had passed since Medusa captured them; as Selena began questioning her sanity, she wondered if the concept of time was correct or even relevant.

Yet, the trio cringed and recoiled when they heard footsteps approaching their cell, and two of Medusa's heavily armored soldiers wielding bloody spears came inside their dungeon. One lifted their gloved hand without saying a word, and the lock to Selena's cage disappeared. Selena squinted at them, almost ready to lash out, but Azrael grunted, disfavoring her contemplated decision as she was in no condition to fight her way out alone.

The soldiers swung open her cage and watched as Selena carefully stepped out, ready to attack if she retaliated; instead, she quietly and obediently followed as they grabbed her shackles and led her out of their cell. She slowly sauntered down the ghastly corridor with one sentry to her front and the other behind.

However, Selena tripped and fell, and she suddenly felt the crack of a whip—cat-o'-nine-tails—snapping at her backside, the stings quick and sharp. Her resilient dress absorbed most of the brutal attack, but a few thongs still caught her bare skin; she tried not to scream but couldn't contain herself at the second set of lashes; the guards finished delivering their punishment and forced her to stand up and continue the march.

They led her to a vast stone room where Medusa stood in the middle, waiting underneath the rusty chains hanging from the ceiling over a stone table covered with blood and tools; cages lined up against the wall behind her with shackled skeletons in tattered clothes. When Selena was hesitant to walk inside, her captor whipped her again, but she swallowed her screams and stood her ground, her smoldering eyes fixated on the sneering snake.

"That's enough for now." Medusa raised her hand and nodded at the two soldiers in satisfaction; they vanished in a plume of smoke where they stood. "You look dirty and uncomfortable in that pretty little dress of yours."

Selena snarled and brought her chained hands to her chest, stepping back. "I swear I will rip you apart if you lay one hand on me, you treacherous snake."

Accepting this dragon's challenge, Medusa moved like a lightning bolt and ripped her dress off before Selena could so much react, leaving her clad in only undergarments. Selena's blood boiled, though Medusa was too busy examining the fabric, jeering at the possible materials used to create it. "I knew you used dragon scales, but we can't have that. I want you to feel everything."

Before Selena could retaliate, she felt a strange, involuntary force that shoved her to the ceiling shackles when Medusa raised a hand. The chains that bound Selena disappeared in a puff of smoke, and her arms were forced upwards, slamming into the stone. The bonds closed shut around her wrists and ankles, stretching her across the wall as she stood on her toes.

Medusa smirked and lowered her hand as she tossed the blue and gold dress aside. "There we are; that's much better." Selena snorted and turned away. "Are you ignoring me? Won't you say thank you for not killing you when I had the chance?" Medusa mocked her again, but Selena gave her the cold shoulder. "I want you to answer me when I speak to you."

Selena quietly smirked when she heard Medusa swear, but the snake lifted her hand, and Selena suddenly felt a jolt surging down her spine. Sharp pain lanced through her body, and she saw blurred spots flashing before her eyes. Her body tore itself from the inside; her muscles and bones throbbed and quivered from the tiny eviscerations appearing everywhere, from her feet to her head.

Medusa didn't stop, and Selena knew she wanted submission, but like her contest with the She-Wolf, she refused to concede. Even as tiny cuts slashed across her cheeks, the dragon and the snake remained locked in an unyielding standoff; though it was a matter of time before her torment became unbearable, Selena was willing to hold on for as long as possible. However, the pain only grew worse, and the cuts deepened, her lacerations like a hot knife carving into her flesh.