~ Love of Pain~ {Houdini}

[kimbra_ailis]

Eyes shut... eyes shut.... e...y...e...s .......... SHut......... eyes shut....... E...Y...E...S... shut..... Hearing the whip crack next to her, but not on her own back she took a ragged breath knowing it was only going to be a matter of time. The whip cracked sharply twice more, again off to her right. This time the hash crack was accompanied by a loud shriek... eyes shut... eyes shut... eyes shut... The temptation to open her eyes and look was almost overwhelming but she had already done that once and dearly regretted it. The sight that had met her was bloody and beaten, he probably had at least three days of torment on her. It was a sickening reminder of what her fate would be soon enough.
The whip striking against her back was sudden and unexpected. If it had only been one strike she would have been strong enough to suppress the scream, but the blows kept coming without pause. When finally the whip missed a beat her mind paused in shock. Holding her breath a moment longer she finally heard the whip crack a little further away.
Laila rested uninterrupted for almost an hour before she felt movement on her chains and heard the clicking of the locks release. Lifting her head ever so slightly she felt hands on her wrist pulling her backwards till she twisted around into a sitting position. Immediately she was yanked to her feet, and promptly fell to her knees. Almost a week tied in one position and the numerous beatings had left her weakened.
The guard did not wait for her to regain strength, instead he half carried, half dragged her through the room. Three rooms later she was still trying to figure out if she was dreaming or if this was the end. Finally he turned left, pressing her against the door jam as he opened the door and pushed her in ahead of him. She tripped over a chair that was to the right of the door and he did not bother catching her.
“This the one?”
Feeling a hand gently run over the top of her head and through her hair she thought it was the gentlest anyone had touched her in weeks. Then a sharp twist of his wrist brought her head back at a sharp angel, cutting the thought from her mind. He continued to pull till she was in a sitting position, with her head still tilted upward. The way he held her she had the vague idea he was less than an inch from breaking her neck.
“Open yours eyes... Look at me...”
Ever so slowly she opened her eyes, the first time in nearly a week. The light made it hard for her to focus on him and her eyes watered slightly. When he eased his grip on her hair she thought she must have been doing something right. Staying as still as she could manage she focused her eyes on his jaw, trying not to look defiant or defeated.
“Those are the green eyes I saw on the battlefield...... On your way out, send in the healer.”
Laila watched him slowly back away from her and move back to the table he had apparently been working at before her arrival. The guard simply disappeared back out of the door. As he sat down he gestured to the couch several feet from her. There was a temptation to stay where she was, it was closer to the door but he was being pleasant so far and she hoped to keep him that way. After several long minutes of half crawling half dragging her bruised body across the floor she managed to pull herself on the the couch, laying face down.
Only a short amount of time seemed to pass before the door opened without even a single knock. The young man came in without a slight hesitation. Nodding what passed as a greeting to the other man in the room, his attention immediately turned to her. She was almost proud of herself when she managed not to flinch as he came closer. Kneeling down next to her without a word he quickly went to work examining the bruises through the tattered remains of her clothing.
“ The easy way or the hard way....”
It seemed an odd question to her, especially since she had not done any resistance or struggle. Her docile posture should have been answer enough for him, but the slight turn of his head towards the other man gave her a sinking feeling. Whatever the signal was it was too subtle for her to notice but the healer must have understood because he was smiling when he gave her his full attention again.
“Now can you behave or am I going to have to use chains to keep you cooperating?”
“I... I... I can..... can cooperate......”
The slight tingle of magick in the air mad the little hairs on her body stand up. Pulling her arms on the couch with her, she folded them under her head to avoid temptation. Sometimes healing could hurt, sometimes it was pleasant. At the hand of her enemies she was guessing it would be the first, not the later. Moving her face so she faced down she took one last deep breath to steady her self.
Three hours later sweat covered her body and she was barely conscious. If she had not been on the receiving end she might have appreciated the skill. The self control that it took to behave as expected had taken its own toll on her mind as well as her body. Her mind had nearly taken all the pain that she could take for one day. And the self restraint of laying still and simply absorbing that kind of suffering had left her ready for the final blow to break her will.
The healer had undone the physical evidence of the long hours of beatings, bruises, cuts, scars, and torture. Despite her best attempts she had screamed several times when he healed the deep knife wounds on her lower back. For most of the session she had managed to lay near perfectly still and resisted the urge to try and stop the source of the pain.
The physical wounds, the infections they had caused, as well as the scars that would eventually replace them were completely healed to new pink skin. The price of such a healing was not only the physical pain he had caused by forcing the skin to heal at an accelerated rate, but also being nearly completely drained of energy and strength. The pain was just under the surface, waiting for her to try to move. At the moment she would have almost preferred they had continued to beat her, the pain had not been nearly so bad.
There was talking somewhere behind her, but the words didn't make sense to her. With what little logic that was left to her she came to th conclusion the person was not speaking to her. So she did not give it much effort to further to try. Sweet darkness felt like it was within reach and she tried to wait patiently for it to take her. During the healing session it had stayed just out of reach, a credit to the man. Once again the darkness never had the chance to take her.
A hand pressed into her ribs pulling her toward the edge of the couch. The thought of resisting or trying to catch herself only came after she was laying on the floor. A hand on each of her wrist pulled her into a sitting position with her back pressed against the couch. Then hands started to strip her clothes away. After a few useless hand movements she realized she did not even have the strength to struggle. Sitting unresponsive and barely able to stay upright on her own, it was no time before the remnants of her blood soaked clothes were stripped.
To her surprised the water that ran over her skin was warm and the hands were gentle. Opening her eyes slightly she did not recognize the woman that sat with her, washing away blood, dirt, and sweat. Her body was still covered with dirt and blood from the battle days ago, plus the blood from the last few days of beatings. The womans patience and kindness was a stark comparison to the cold and cruel hands of the healer.
Letting her focus drift off to the side she did not close her eyes but she did not want to see the look on the womans face. It was a more pleasant thought that the woman was being nice, rather than simply doing as she was ordered. A heavy blanket was draped over her shoulders when the bath was complete. It didn't seem to dry her skin as simply to cover the fact that she had no clothes on.
Next the woman began untangling the mess that had become of her dark hair. Days ago at battles start it had been pulled into a tight braid, but the helmets movement had loosened much of it. Along with everything else that had happened to her since then. It seemed to take a lifetime for the woman to comb out her hair. Washing it seemed to go smoothly as well as the final combing. The woman braided her hair in a series of small tight braids close to the scalp. After finishing the last one, the woman patted her shoulder gently and stood up.
For a moment she thought about thanking the woman before the door closed but on second thought it seemed like thanking the healer for his assistance. Closing her eyes, she didn't dare try to lay down, so she did the next best thing and let her head lay back against the couch. It had not crossed her mind to look for the man responsible for her current presence, he had been lost in the shuffle of people and last few hours of constant “help.”

 

[Houdini]

Bryce had been exhausted from days upon days of fierce battle. He had traveled and fought for many years now, his lean body showing the scars of battle. He had never had time to settle down with a lady, but usually found his companionship among female prisoners of war. Two weeks ago, his last such toy had managed to escape her restraints while he was in the thick of battle, so he was looking to start something new.

Although he had had her for over a year, losing her was of secondary importance that day to nearly being impaled by a mace on the battlefield, the sharp weapon grazing his shoulder. In the following days of battle, he fought to the point of exhaustion, searching the prisoners each night for a suitable new girl to take on. But none were quite acceptable.

The previous day, he had seen the stunning girl in the heat of battle. He couldn't focus on her of course, but couldn't help seeing that she had struck down several of his men. He had searched the ranks of the prisoner camps afterwards, spotting the beauty chained up, bloody, and enduring a severe whipping. He had given the order to have a healer see her, and have her bathed for him. This was the kind of slave he sought. Not a pretty, weak ceramic doll who obeyed mindlessly and dared not resist him. This one he had heard was known as Laila was a trained warrior with a toned physique. She was nearly his equal on the battlefield. He needed someone who it would actually be an accomplishment to conquer.

He was pleased as he watched her endure the pains of healing. His healer was skilled, but not compassionate by any stretch. He continued to observe with approval as the exhausted Laila was cleaned up. As the door closed behind the wash-woman, Bryce said softly to her "You are a fine warrior, my lady. It is a pity that you find yourself here as a captive. I am Bryce, the leader of a small command here. Tell me your name."

 

[kimbra_ailis]

Laila recognized that voice, she had heard it earlier. Lifting her head she managed to look in the direction of the voice. Reopening her eyes she stared blankly at the strange man. For a moment she tried to remember if she had seen or noticed him in the room since the healer had started. Since he was not the sadist inflicting the pain at the moment he had not seemed to matter at the time. And she had not bothered to keep her eyes open after the pain started. Blinking several times, she heard his words but her mind was working a little slow. She repeated them twice in her mind before finding an answer. Her name. Name and rank.
“..... I am callled.... Laila........ I keep no further title...” Pausing half a second she was about to continue but she thought better of it.
There was something in his face that told her he had singled her out, not as being convenient but because of a general desire for her. The knot in her stomach only got tighter. It made her wonder if a price was paid if he would let her return to her army. Prisoner exchange was not unheard, especially with higher ranked soldiers. Being one of four Captains in her unit, she would have qualified. If she had to guess she would guess that no exchange had been offered. Recently her general had taken a harder stand against such a policy.
“And if I escape... to what end will you follow to get me back... or will you consider me free.... ” Laila was unable o help herself. She had to ask the question. At worse it would mean another beating, at best he would probably laugh at her. There was no doubt in her mind how pathetic she looked at the moment. Not even sure if she could crawl let alone stand. It crossed her mind that she might be weak for days but she needed to think of something other than the pity of her being a captive.

 

[Houdini]

"Laila.... ", he responded, allowing an uncomfortable silence to pass before continuing. "I am called Bryce, but you may refer to me a 'sir' from here forward." He looked over her weak form covered only in a blanket. This was hardly the armored warrior he saw on the battlefield. Yet her courage remained, he thought to himself. She dared speak of escaping to him. He wondered how she could even muster the strength to think of that, after the rigors of battle, torture, and hours of excruciating healing.
He himself was the victor in the battle, and he didn't feel the strength even within himself to wander through the wilderness for days. Yet captivity will have an energetic effect on the soul.

"You will not escape, Laila", he said with a deep chuckle. "So remove it from your mind. I'll let the mention of it pass this once, but things will not go well for you should you try it, or even mention it again."

"You are here for my pleasure, my lady. You will remain mine until I decide otherwise. You will find that I am quite demanding. Yet I am reasonable as well. I see you are in a much weakened state. Therefore, I will not demand from you what I would on a usual night. I will take my pleasure this one night without inflicting any pain on you, and then you will be given a hearty meal and allowed to rest."

He approached her, studying her eyes and her limp arms, wondering if she would resist at all. Usually, new ones would resist with all their might the first night. As he approached her, with one motion he pulled the blanket open which covered her, revealing her bare front. He removed his robe and kneeled over her, one knee on either side of her hips, and began to caress her smooth breasts, one of the few parts of her that had gone unscathed by the rigors of battle and physical torture.

 

[kimbra_ailis]

Well he laughed. She had been serious and he found it amusing. Was that a good start? Maybe not. Laila noticed he did not entirely answer her question. Whether that was an answer itself or if he merely did not believe it worth the effort to respond. It did not really matter. First rule or escaping was running as fast and as hard as possible no matter how close or how serious the chaser was.
A shiver went down her spine as he calmly explained what he had planned for tonight with her. Fuck her then feed her. It had been a day or two since she ate and even longer since she had a decent meal. As much as food sounded good she was not sure she could simply lay there and let him fuck her. Laila was aware of his eyes on her, apparently watching for her reaction. Breathing a little harder as he kneeled down. Heart pounding harder.
“Don’t touch me!”
Laila attempted to push his hands away. Mustering her strength. A disgusted noise escaped her lips. It was probably a waste of time but she could not just sit there. Her arms were sore, moving she could almost feel the bindings cut into her wrists again, that did not stop her. Giving up on his hands, she aimed a fist at his face, weak or not she would get his attention.

 

[Houdini]

Even in her weakened state, Laila's blow landed on his cheek solidly. Without saying anything, he grabbed one of her wrists with each hand and pressed them deep down into the couch until he felt her resistance falter. "I am surprised at the strength that remains in you. But I don't think you understand your predicament, Laila. You are here for my pleasure, not the other way around. If this is how you want to behave, I can keep you chained and collared in a cage all day until I am ready to use you." He slowly released the grasp on her wrists.

"Now I'm trying to be lenient with you, and I'll give you another chance. I'm not going to cause you any more pain tonight. I just need a... release" he said, with a smile. "And then you can eat and go to sleep. I know you're hungry and tired."

He pulled off his garments, laying them on the floor for the time being. He knelt back down, pinning her stomach to the couch, and eased his shaft in between her breasts, slowly sliding back and forth in the cramped passage of her cleavage. "It would be better for both of us if you went along with it", he said, his member expanding to its full length and girth.

 

[kimbra_ailis]

Laila’s eyes went a little wide as he pinned her down. His quiet threat had her attention. Staring at him, considering her options. Breathing a little hard. Honestly she was a little afraid. Becoming aware if she pushed him he would hurt her and probably worse. Getting herself chained up like an animal was not going to help her. Knowing that all she had to do now was convince herself to lay still. That was going to be the difficult part.

As he straddled her chest, she bucked just slightly. Trying not to panic. Ashlyd stared at his shaft sliding between her breast over and over again. Aware of a drop of moisture already cooling on her skin. She had fought for years in the army to void being raped. More times than not she had taken a serious beating, but she had managed to survive and earn respect. It was not easy for her to agree to relax and let him have her. Finally Laila nodded. Closing her eyes, her jaw tightened.

 

[Houdini]

As he felt her body go limp, he thrust back and forth a bit faster. It didn't take him long to finish, as it had been some time since he had experienced a release. As he came between her breasts, he let go of her toned arms, recognizing that she had little strength with which to resist. "I told you it would be quick and painless", he leaned over and whispered to her, pleased with himself that he had shown enough restraint to not harm her tonight, other than the humiliation involved in being used in such a manner. He got up and returned with a cloth. "This will be a one-time thing", he informed her, wiping his juices off her with a cloth, realized she didn't have the strength to do it herself.

He then covered her back over with the blanket, and picked her up, carrying her into another room, before laying her down gently on a soft bed. "You'll see I'm a man of my word, Laila. A servant will be in shortly to feed you, and then you're free to sleep off as much of your pains as you are able. You won't see me again until tomorrow." A servant was dispatched shortly, bringing her in a plate with cheeses, meats, and fruit, so that she could eat what she pleased in the bed before the sleep inevitably overtook her.

 

[kimbra_ailis]

It took some motivation before Laila was able to move and eat. Maybe it was not what she expected after what he put her through but she was unable to complain about its quality. She had had worse during her time with the army. It was a lesson that she would simply have to learn. After eating, she managed to lay down on her side, falling into a sleep. Needing sleep badly. Her sleep was mercifully peaceful.
Waking her body telling her it was early morning, she managed to force herself to her feet. Mind already turning to escape. There was no way she could stay and become a whore. Walking to the door, it was no surprise that it was locked. Walking to the windows. They did not open. It was not really a surprise. Looking down slightly she found that the she was only on the second floor. The ground was not that far from her. After a little pacing, the desk chair caught her attention. Stopping to stare at it, she wondered.
There was other furniture in the room, but nothing that she could pick up in her current state. Testing the chair, it was heavy but doable. Laila only had one chance. Pushing it close to the window, she gathered her strength, picking it up by the back and swung it. Glass went everywhere as the chair smashed through and to the ground. Heart pounding she barely paid any head to the glass, moving the open frame. Knowing that time was going to run out, she did not hesitate to climb on the seal and jump.
The fall took an eternity before she hit the ground hard. Trying to roll to avoid any damage. Her body protested but she forced herself not to stop… One chance… ahead of her, she noticed a large shape. The wind blowing just right she became aware of the smell of horses. For a moment she almost thought she had a chance. That this might actually work. Being before dawn, she didn’t see anyone inside. Maybe everyone was still asleep. Slipping into the first stall, she was thankful to find the horse. It had a bit in its mouth but no saddle. Not bothered with trying to get a saddle, she swung onto the animals back.
Encouraging the animal out of the stall and barn she could hear shouts starting from the castle. No doubt they had heard the window break and to find the room empty. Clutching the horse, she dug her heels in. She had to take advantage of this chance. The horse felt strong on her, running at full speed. Maybe it sensed her desperation. When the horse could not possibly run any longer, she slid from its back and walked along side. Giving the horse a break. Laila really started to believe she had escaped. That she had managed this. Then she heard foot beats in the distance. She could not see anything but she believed her ears.
The horse was no where near ready but she forced herself up on the horse and kicked it into moving. It obeyed, at least for a while. Fear actually drove her to drive horse to its limits. When the horse stopped moving, she barely had time to slide off before it laid down. Panting and breathing hard the animal refused to get up. Leaving the animal behind she continued on foot. This time when she heard hoof beats she waited till there was a dust cloud before she started to run, trying to get off the main road and into the forest. No matter how fast she ran, she knew it was a matter of time before they would overtake her.

 

[Houdini]

Bryce slept soundly that night in his large room across the hall from Laila's locked room. He fell asleep to the thoughts of how he would train her to satisfy his every pleasure. He had decided that for once, he was going to sleep until he felt like waking up. After all, no one would tell him when to arise.

He was woke by the crashing sound of breaking glass. He laid still for a few seconds, thinking of what it could have been. But he decided he needed to investigate. He walked out of his room, unlocking first the room he had made into Laila's cell. His expression turned to shock when he saw the empty room and broken wind. Shock quickly turned to rage. He wouldn't have her run off, not before he had even used her properly. Not after the kindness he showed her last night. He vowed she would never get away with it. He quickly grabbed his riding boots, and yelled for four other soldiers to come with him to the stable.

They each mounted a horse, and galloped off into the morning glare of sun on the horizon. On such a quiet morning, the sound of a single horse trotting in the distance was not easy to follow. After several minutes of pursuit, they passed the stolen horse laying on the side of the road. "Good" he thought to himself. She was on foot now. Even an experienced soldier should not be difficult to capture on foot. "Stop" he called to his men after riding a bit further. When they stopped, they heard a rustle in the woods. He pointed in the direction the noise was coming from without saying anything. They all broke into a run on foot through the forest. Bryce was several strides ahead of the next closest soldier. After a couple of minutes of running, he spotted Laila through the brush. She was making a valiant effort to escape, but she could never outrun them. Not in her still weakened condition. When he got close enough, he lunged at her, landing on her back and tumbling forward with her to the ground.

 

[kimbra_ailis]

The foot steps were getting close. She was aware of the sound of them over the sound of her. Heavier, determined. Her hand reached out to a young sapling to help her keep her balance. Already her body hurt from the effort this had taken. If she was smart she would have dropped to her knees and beg for forgiveness. He was so close she was likely only making this worse on herself. Then she felt his shoulder plow into her back.

Laila made a soft noise as he tackled her. She made no more of an effort to fight him. Going completely limp beneath him. That was the last of her strength. There were dozens of small cuts and scraps on her body that barely registered as pain. Adrenaline had kept her moving after the horse went down but she had nothing left. Breathing hard, trying to catch her breath. Laila became aware of her body shaking, not just from physical exhaustion but fear too.

“I had to try once, sir…” The words came out between ragged breaths.

 

[Houdini]

He turned Laila over, pinning her arms to the grounds, his knee on her midsection, expecting some resistance, based on their encounter last night. However he quickly realized that she offered little resistance, and was reduced to begging for mercy. As she quivered uncontrollably beneath him, he pressed his knee deeper into her and roared "Sir? Now I'm sir, after you humiliate me like this?"

He released one of her limp arms and slapped her in the face. "I tried to show mercy to you last night, in the condition you were in, and this is how you repay me? I suppose I'm not surprised you wanted to escape. You were a warrior, and it comes naturally. But you must remember, you are mine now, you are no longer a soldier." His voice lowered to a steady level. "And if I let this transgression pass, what will prevent you from trying again, and again. No... you will need to be made to regret this."

He stood up over her shaking mass, covered with dirt, cuts, and scrapes, and called to one of his men for some rope to bind her with.

 

[kimbra_ailis]

Laila had started to smile as he caught the fact that she gave him the title. A soft cry escaped her lips as he slapped her, she did not bother to look up at him. Her cheek instantly turning red with his hand print. Oh she knew she was in so much trouble. More than that, he was right. She could and would promise not to do this again. And at this minute she would mean every word but she might try again later.

“I never told you I would not try… You told me I would not escape… I managed to get just far enough to piss you off… ”

Laila slowly turned her head to look up at him, he was standing over her now. It gave her time to wonder if he was going to punish her here or take her back to the castle. Very slowly she started to sit up. Keeping her movements non threatening. Clasping her hands together, she actually lifted them slightly to offer them to him. If nothing else, Laila was not completely stupid. At the moment she was interested in doing anything she could to lessen the punishment.

“I can take my punishment…” The words came out softly.

 

[Houdini]

He looked with disgust at Laila, sitting with her hands offered to him, clearly trying to lessen her punishment now that she had no way out. "Let's not get into excuses, now", he warned her. "It was clear that you were my property, and not to escape. I'm glad you feel you can take the punishment. You are brave, but then again, I knew that before I took you as my own. You shall experience a punishment unlike any you have received or heard of before."

With that, he picked up the ropes himself, tightly binding and tying her wrists together. He next moved down to her legs, binding her ankles in the same manner. He called for two of his men to bring horses near him, and tied the rope binding her hands with a new rope to the saddle strap of one horse, and her legs in the same manner to the other horse, so she was suspended in between. Bryce rode one of the horses, and one of his officers the other, as they rode slowly side by side back to the castle. As he continued to seethe, he imagined what punishments he would subject Laila to once the got back to the castle.

When arrived back at the castle, instead of heading to the main building that she had spent the night in last night, he led the party to a large barn which was not currently being used as such. Bryce removed Laila from her position between the horses, untied her feet, and passed a long rope through a ring handing from the ceiling, tying the rope holding her hands tightly to it, securing her safely to the ring above her head. "I'll be back shortly to deal with you", he informed her.

 

[kimbra_ailis]

The ride back was hell. Not sure if they were going to tear her body apart or let her own weight do it. Her limbs shaking under the stress. The ropes bit deep into her skin making her whimper. Her shoulders and elbows ached from the pull, not use to supporting her own weight. She also had to keep her head up, straining her neck. If she thought she would not wake up in pieces she might have passed out.

As soon as he untied her feet, she started to collapse to the floor. Not sure if she could stand on her own. It was short lived as he strung her up to the ceiling. Barely able to stand, her arms once again forced to hold most of the weight. Her arms were starting to go painfully numb. Tingling then hot and finally ice cold. It seemed like eternity before she finally heard foot steps in the distance.

Fear and adrenaline started to go through her. Strangely she was glad. Yeah it probably meant pain but there would be an eventual end. Laila kept that in mind. No matter what she suffered in between it eventually had to end. Normally that was not much reassurance but that was all she had to look forward to. Laila lifted her head, forcing her eyes open to watch his approach.

 

[Houdini]

He stalled for quite a bit of time, realizing that curiosity and uncertainty on Laila's part, not knowing of her fate, was nearly as effective of a punishment as any physical one he could devise. Once enough time had passed, in his estimation, he headed off alone to the stable where he had left her. He didn't bring anything with him, as everything he needed could be found in the stable.

As the large, heavy door opened with a loud creak, he beheld the tattered beauty strung up from the ceiling, appearing as if she would collapse to the floor immediately, were here hands not suspended from the ceiling. He resisted the urge to feel any compassion for her, his eyes hardened to pain and suffering from what he had seen on the battlefield over the years. "I hope you've prepared yourself well, Laila", he began. "You will learn a valuable lesson today - not to disobey me or put me to the test." With that he picked up the end of the rope which held up her hands. It had been tied to a metal rail meant to corral livestock. He pulled down more on the rope, until only the tips of Laila's bare feet still touched the ground, before tying it again. "I don't want you to get too comfortable", he explained to her with a sneer. With that he took out a knife, and sliced her garments down the center, leaving her completely nude and vulnerable to his wishes once they fell to the ground.

He surveyed her exposed body. There seemed to be a couple of scars under the hair that surrounded her exposed pussy. He wondered if she had been punished sexually before. He walked behind her to a large metal chest, opened it, and selected a cat-o-nine-tails with a long smooth handle of carved, polished wood. Although she couldn't see it, he made a point to walk in front of her so she could see the instrument she was about to feel.