No Way Out

A Special Invitation

For the first time, Ravus hated using magic. Even after he fell to the realm of dreams, the screams wouldn't stop. They resounded and echoed in the wide, open plane, and crumpled at the nobleman's feet was the body of the nameless slave. His wounds bleed out, permeating through the shallow water surrounding them. The whip in his hand was stained with blood, and his eyes widened. Behind him stood the bull, from whom he drew his magic energy from. It stared with unwavering black eyes, as if to question him before fading, leaving behind a subtle ring of ripples, and clearing the murk to reveal a sea of stars. The slave had disappeared, and when the nobleman blinked, the male was in the thorny embrace of the duke, limp, and drained of energy. The duke lifted his gaze, peering over at the nobleman with a malicious grin.

Ravus sat up. Afternoon light streamed through his window. Afternoon? He lowered his face to his palm, still shaken from the night before. A knock on the door caused him to hold his breath for a brief second before the voice following set his heart at ease. He called back, apologizing for his absence, and dragged himself from his bed to quickly prepare himself for the day. After he returned the night before, he'd removed his pendant, tossing it aside with no desire to so much as glance at it. He reached down, lifting the accessory from the large rectangular rug below. Its golden train swayed as it left the ground. The polished emerald gem embedded reminded him of that large torch-lit room. He held the pendent up, and pulled it close. A few moments later, he had the accessory hanging from his neck again, and after changing into a clean outfit, emerged from his private quarters, apologizing yet again to the one sent to check up on him. He shook away the nightmarish scene from the night before, and passed down the empty hallway to continue the day as usual. There was someone he needed to speak with. Someone who'd just returned from a field study with his classmates.

The boy he sought out was still a student, around Taylen's age, but was an incredibly gifted Magus, and apprenticed to the royal herbalist. The next step in the plan, once the toxins took effect, and weakened the slave, was to find someone who could perform emergency healing aid. He could think of no better person to call upon, as the academy would be on break during the time the slave was expected to "die". Thus he wouldn't have to pull anyone from their work, or their studies. Plus, he was already acquainted with the lad. Though, he felt bad that the male would have to see a body with injuries far surpassing what any normal person could handle thanks to the collar.

While the nobleman carried out the next part of the plan, the duke, too, had plans in mind for the man. He'd enjoyed seeing the human's cloudy expression as he beat down his pet. It was more than he was expecting, really. For the first time, he was able to witness the kind of magic the man used, making it a valuable experience. Not only that, but the man's magic actually strengthened the whip's effect as gravity tugged at it whenever it was brought down. That managed to draw the greatest reaction out of all the beatings, whippings, and burnings that night. He wagered that even without the mist, his dear pet would have felt those lashes strongly, as they managed to dig even deeper than the usual ones. The duke chuckled as he caressed his bound pet's hair. They were in the duke's office, and he'd pulled the slave up to his lap, laying his head down on his lap. The male's wrists and ankles were shackled as usual with leather cuffs. The chain lead on his collar dangled, and coiled by the slave's knees. All of his scars, and fresh wounds were exposed for the duke to see. The ones created by the nobleman crossed over all of them. The duke reached for the slave's crushed hands, "accidentally" placing pressure on them as he did so. He prodded the slave's most sensitive part, which was decorated with burns from the electricity, with the tip of his boot. He knew his pet's nerves would be especially delicate after that night. The duke had to carry the slave to his office, as his feet were torn by the lashings and scorching wax, which was inconvenient, but it had been well worth the entertainment he'd overseen that night. From that night on, he had a maid heal tiny amounts of the slave's injuries. He wanted his body to be well ready for the next plan. Many of the injuries remained, but any injuries that were liable to become infected, or become troublesome were healed a tiny bit. His nightly routine continued to ravage the slave from the inside, though eventually he had to have that tended to as well, something that caused the maid who was always forced to heal the slave to cry each time she did so. She later quit her job, and moved far away from the horrid manor, apologizing to the male one night after the duke had finished inside him, and left for bed. She apologized profusely. The night before she left, she used her magic to heal the male as much as she could without getting caught, mending the internal damage, as well as the deep lashes made by the nobleman, though she couldn't erase the scars, nor could she heal his crushed hands or broken arm, or the burns that sunk into his flesh, though she tried her hardest to do so through her trembling sobs. Her magic just wasn't strong enough to heal everything. The duke was furious once he found out what she had done, and hired someone in secret to punish her even after she quit, and fled. What happened to her after that was uncertain, but she never returned home.