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The Dead Zone, Ghouls and Gore (Squishypink x Darkangel)

Squishypink

Squishypink

Supernova
Joined
Apr 12, 2013
A trio of guards lay sprawled beneath the withered limbs of a great tree, each at the end of a long red streak where their killers had dragged them into cover. The first patrol of the night, they had met their ends before the sun had fully set. Five figures clad head to toe in drab black fabric picked through the remains until one raised a skeletal hand clutching a folded map. Crane unfolded the map as his undead soldiers took a moment to feed on the one guard who still drew breath, her voice muffled by a gag as her flesh was ripped away.

"It's just as the prisoner said," Crane said as he read the document. "Guard posts marked, patrol routes laid out. These three won't be missed for hours. Ivana!"

A slender ghoul rose up from her feast, blood smeared across her deathly white face. "Yes, captain?" she asked, her voice trembling from the orgasmic bliss that came with feeding on the still-living.

"You're the most passable," Crane told her. "Clean your face and scout ahead. Make sure the way is clear to the healer's shack. And remember, the prince wants her delivered intact." Ivana laughed and wrapped her face up to hide her toothy grin. Turning on her heel, she sprinted through the twilight and clambered up the wall that hid the village of Sanctuary.


******


Morgana grinned as she watched the progress of the ghoul squad on her scrying mirror. The torture chamber was lit with sickly green balefire sconces set along the walls, casting an otherworldly glow across the myriad dark devices and the few figures who occupied the room. Chained to the slab in the room's center was one of the guardswomen of Sanctuary, though there was progressively less of her with each passing minute as her captors extracted information. Morgana's black feathered dress was scandalously cut, displaying her naked flesh rather than covering it, and her greasy red hair hung in a ragged mess about her coal darkened eyes. By stark contrast, the torturer's appearance betrayed a cold, measured malice. His leather apron was stained with old blood, and his sunken eyes glowed with quiet intensity.

"They're past the patrol line," Morgana reported, turning to her cohort. "See if you can't get a little more from her about their forces."

Butcher smiled and turned to the woman on the table. He cupped one bare breast in his palm and brandished a curved knife in front of her face. "Well, breather?" he rasped. "How many guards in the barracks, how many mages in the tower?" He slowly slid the blade under the swell of the captive's breast, drawing a thin crimson line in the crease of her flesh.
 
Storms were rolling in. Carys could feel it deep within her bones. The scent of the water was thick in the air and it beckoned she heed its call. Only, she had no need to harness a storm or the ability to control such things. Not yet anyway. But she was pleased that she'd managed to be able to sense it despite the fact that there weren't any clouds in sight. She twisted a lock of platinum about her finger as she tilted her head this way and that, wondering in which direction the clouds would finally come. But she wasn't allowed to ponder for long. In the distance, she caught sight of movement and it was on...

The wrong side of the wall.

The wall had been erected to protect them all, to keep the skulking undead out when the magical experiments had gone too far and...too wrong. Carys didn't know all the details, nor did she want to. All she cared about was staying alive, surviving. Living within the protection of the fortress's shadow helped, even if it meant living closer to the wall itself. Its stone walls were thick and the place was heavily guarded by both brute strength and magic—the kind that hadn't been tainted by evil. She shivered as she thought about the ghoulish creatures said to exist on the other side of the wall, within the area cordoned off and forbidden to all.

The Dead Zone.

"Help!" came a breathy shout, feet running fast upon hard earth as branches snapped and leaves crackled.

Carys squinted her blue eyes wondering who or what might be running through the Dead Zone...alive. As far as she knew, the only creatures held within were mindless, skulking beings too ravenous to speak or reason. They were to be pitied as much as they were to be feared. But to see a live being running, shouting? This caused her to become nervous indeed. Chewing on her lower lip, she stepped closer to the wall's edge, peering out to see if she could get a better look at the approaching figure. A part of her was curious, but another wanted to alert Sanctuary Village. And still another wanted to get as many guards to her aid as was humanly possible. Her curiosity getting the better of her, she watched the approaching girl a moment longer. As she got closer, she seemed out of breath, ragged and tired. And her eyes. The fear was more than apparent.

Suddenly, Carys saw the girl trip, her own heart racing as her thoughts began to spin wildly. She shut her eyes tightly, sucked in a breath and counted to three—one...two...three. When she opened them, the girl was gone. Vanished. Nowhere to be found.

"What?" Carys said to herself, her breaths suddenly quickening. She twisted her head from side to side, trying to find where the girl might have disappeared to. Fear coursing in her veins, she pushed away from the wall's edge and sprinted off as the sky began to darken, clouds rolling in as the sound of thunder rumbled ominously in the distance.

Carys wasn't sure what she'd seen, but it hardly mattered. Someone had been alive in the Dead Zone...or had she been crazy? Only one way to find out and that meant she needed to see Lilias. The gentle healer would be able to let her know. Without further hesitation, she ran to Lilias' humble home at the heart of Sanctuary Village. When she stopped in front of the door, she rubbed her hands along her thighs, rumpling the practical blue cotton skirt that she wore. Taking a deep breath, she knocked.

"Yes?" Lilias spoke as she opened the door, her tiny frame standing in the doorway as the warm fires of her home cast a welcoming glow behind her. She looked like an angel as her nearly black hair framed her porcelain pale face. Her blue eyes glittered brightly as she smiled and curtsied low, her gauzy white gown nearly see-through due to the lighting. "Welcome, Carys, do come in."
 
Ivana dropped from the wall as silent as a shadow, the unfamiliar greenness of the grass beneath her feet throwing her off for a second. Had it really been so long that she'd forgotten what a living world felt like? Not letting the strangeness of the Live Zone distract her, she ducked into the shadows behind a wooden shack that butted up against the wall.

"Remember to blink," she told herself under her breath. "Blend in. Do as they do." Despite her years of undeath, Ivana was the most whole of her unit, and could pass for a living elf if one did not look too closely. Makeup helped to some extent. The most important detail was the wig that hid her baldness, and she pulled the raven-black appliance out of her duffel and got it situated as soon as she was out of sight. Using a piece of polished tin as a mirror, she cleaned the blood off her face from her earlier kill, and drew eyebrows on with a piece of coal. It was good enough. Everyone knew that ghouls lost their hair, so even a crude disguise would let her pass.

Taking a deep breath, she was thankful for her recent meal. It wasn't just the joy of feeding, feeling the guard's breast tear under her bite or the glorious look of terror in the girl's face as she lost more and more of herself. A full belly let Ivana resist the urge to feed in a place like Sanctuary. The air was thick with the succulent smell of the living. As she walked, head bowed and avoiding eye contact, she passed a woman blacksmith hammering out parts for some contraption. The smell of her sweating body might have driven ehr wild with hunger if she'd not eaten.

Though Ivana knew the way to the healer's shack, she detoured to the stables not far from the main gate. It was a simple matter of kicking over a gas lamp to set the whole structure ablaze and within a minute, the whole of Sanctuary's guards and every waking citizen were focused on the bright blaze, blind to the four black-clad figures clambering over the pallisade. With all the guards elsewhere, the five ghouls crept unchallenged to the healer's abode.

"You look good enough to eat," Crane told Ivana, playing with one of her false tresses. He gestured to the front door of the shack. "Ladies first."

Barely suppressing a chuckle, Ivana flung open the door without bothering to knock. "H-help!" she cried, bent at the waist and clutching her stomach. "Please, is the healer in? I'm badly hurt!"
 
Lilias let Carys inside, her blue eyes following her every step as she all but stumbled into the nearest chair. Carys gave the healer a hard look, her hands raking through her platinum locks as she seemed to ponder over what to say and how. Letting her hands fall into her lap with a soft thud, she sat back and sighed heavily.

"I need to know if I'm of sound mind," Carys stated plainly.

"What?" Lilias looked confused, her head tilting causing her silky hair to fall over her shoulders in soft curling waves. "You've always been a trusted friend," she began but Carys held up a hand.

"No," Carys spoke. "I understand that you see me as a friend, even as someone who aids the guards from time to time due to my elemental magic. But..." The girl was trembling, clearly worried about something. Lilias approached and knelt on the floor at Carys' feet. "I saw something earlier that I shouldn't have and..." her voice trailed, her expression turning thoughtful. "I need you to make sure that I'm not hallucinating. My powers have steadily been growing the past several months. Perhaps it's taking its toll on me?" She winced knowing how near impossible such a thing was.

Lilias smiled serenely and placed a gentle hand on Carys' thigh. "I've no doubt that your mind is troubled, but not in the way you are suggesting."

Just then, there was a loud scuffle outside. Lilias frowned knowing that trouble had found its way to Sanctuary Village. But she had full faith and trust in the people. They'd ensure the safety of all, righting the wrongs and securing whatever problems might have occurred to cause such a crowd to rush past. She glanced out her window until the crowd dissipated, leaving she and Carys to continue their talk. She wished her friend felt better, more assured in her state of being than she seemed. But they lived in dark times, troubled times. And seeing as Carys assisted in the fortress and along the wall, she'd no doubt the girl had seen things.

"Come, let me make you some tea," Lilias said. Her tea was renowned for its soothing powers. It was ease Carys' mind and then they could get to the bottom of what was ailing her mind. As Lilias began to prepare the herbs, a loud rapping sounded at the door. Lilias and Carys stared at each other, their eyes going wide at the sudden and unexpected interruption.

The door then flung open and Lilias watched the girl fall into her home, her poor body seemingly injured. Without hesitation she stepped forward, the tea forgotten.

"I'm a healer," Lilias stated. "My name is Lilias. I can help you, if you are in need." Her face showed genuine worry as she reached out to the struggling woman. "Are you wounded or ill or..."

Carys stood up, her nerves raw as she watched on, the thunder rumbling louder as the rainwater billowing in the clouds overhead beckoned her to harness it.
 
As soon as the healer was within arm's reach, Ivana pounced and wrapped her arms around the unsuspecting caster, squeezing her in a tight bear hug and dragging her to the floor. She let her body go limp, bogging Lilias down with literal dead weight. "Now!" she cried, and the rest of the ghouls burst into the small building. Two came through a window in a spray of shattered glass. Crane came through the door and joined them in lunging straight for Carys, all of them sensing the magic radiating from her. The last ghoul joined Ivana in helping to pin the healer down.

The first ghoul missed with a swipe of claws at Carys, but Crane was far more capable and he towered over the young mage. "Surrender or fight," he said, "either way you're dinner."
 
Lilias furrowed her brow, her blue eyes wide as she tried to reach out and help the woman who unexpectedly entered her home and seemed to need her aid. The moment the tips of her fingers grazed the woman's arm, she lashed out, her arms seizing her body, gripping her hard until they tumbled to the floor. Lilias tries to scream, but it was near impossible with her body crushed between the hard wood and the woman—no, undead—above her. Helpless to move or properly cast a spell, she barely managed to get a glimpse of Carys who stood face to face with one of the creatures who stared at her with a lust that made her blood curdle.

Carys eyed the ghoul, her mouth dry as she felt the thunder shake the tiny room. The air was thick with tension as she stood in the thing's shadow, his eyes fixed upon her with confident determination.

"I'll never surrender to you," Carys spat, her words like venom dripping off her tongue. Inhaling deeply, she reached out to the rainwater that hovered in the sky, calling it forth, to obey her command. It took all her energy, but she couldn't give up! She wouldn't!

Carys' blue eyes drifted to Lilias, sweet and gentle healer. But the raven-haired girl frowned up at her and Carys knew why. She was overdoing it, calling something she couldn't control, something too big. Immediately, she could feel the pain begin to throb in her skull—dull at first, but it quickly grew into a sharp stab. Her eyes glistened with tears as she continued to try in vain, the rain coming forth as it froze into icicles in her hands. As her fingers curled about them, she collapsed to her knees, her head aching, her body so tired.

She'd failed.

Lilias cried out, but it was too late. Carys collapsed to the floor, the icicles rolling away out of reach.
 
As Carys collapsed Crane gave a saturnine grin, looking down at the prone girl's body with undisguised hunger. He'd felt it, they all had, the swell of power she'd tried to wield. That intoxicating aroma of magic had his mouth watering, his mind racing with images of her ripped flesh between his teeth. He hadn't gotten much of the guard earlier, little more than a snack, and his hunger got the better of him. Letting out a trembling groan, he mounted the fallen mage and smelled her body, taking in her savory aroma before licking up her neck and the side of her face. Carys was nothing but a treat, not a person but a collection of pleasant parts to be used without any care.

Crane wasted no time ripping Carys's shirt open, and sinking his teeth deep into her naked breast. His sharpened fangs ripped her flesh easily, tearing a heavy chunk out of the sensitive underside below the nipple. As her blood welled in the wound, Crane slurped the crimson liquid and savored the warm beverage, his weight and his comrades pinning her even as she struggled for her life.

Ivana watched the carnage, her lust more than apparent in her eyes as the girl's body was ravaged. "S-so fucking hot," she whispered, her nose full of the healer's enticing scent. "Why do you have to smell so damn good?" Holding Lilias tightly, Ivana took deep, undignified sniffs of her body. It was like a holiday feast, all that tantalizing life energy permeating the healer's flesh, and Ivana felt like a child sneaking tastes of the big meal before it was finished. There was something delightfully naughty about the long, slow licks she gave to any inch of exposed skin she could reach. "I wanna eat you...I wanna fuck you and eat you," she said, grinding her crotch on Lilias even as her legs tightened to keep her pinned.
 
Lilias felt helpless, useless as she watched Carys fall to the floor. More than anything, she longed to run to her friend's side, to give her aid. But she was held fast, her body pinned by this creature with strong arms and a burning hunger. She twisted her head slightly, just barely getting a glimpse of her face. Her dark hair covered her eyes, partially barring her view. But she could feel the creature...feel her, smell her. The weight of her body as she pressed against her was most unpleasant, most unwelcome. Soft whimpers escaped her as her eyes glistened over with tears.

"Carys..." Lilias cried out, her voice nothing but a hoarse whisper.

Carys tried to move, but her body was exhausted. She'd been foolish to try and call on the rain, something so big, so 'out of reach'. But she'd had to try. Her life and Lilias' had depended on her! And...she failed. Miserably. Her petite frame attempted to curl up as it was engulfed in the shadow of the looming undead that stared over her, but it was no use. All too quickly he was upon her, his hands possessively grabbing at her clothes and tearing them away to expose her flesh. She let out a soft cry, one that begged for mercy only she found none. The creature's eyes were wild with lust and hunger, lost to whatever basal instinct he thrived upon.

Terrified, Carys felt his hands move as if he were all too familiar with her body. He lowered his head and sank his teeth deeply into her flesh. "Nnngg...ahh!" she shrieked, the terrible slurping sounds hitting her ears as the pain of teeth against flesh coursed through her body. She could feel something warm and wet and sticky running along her arms. Her fingers moved, rubbing themselves together in the thick, warm substance. It was getting in her hair, all over. She couldn't stop it!

Lilias looked on, the woman above her grinning wildly as she began to grind against her leg. She winced, worried that all too soon she'd suffer the same fate as her friend...or worse! Oh Carys! If only there was something she could do! Anything! She choked on a sob that suddenly bubbled up.

"Please!" Lilias screamed. "Leave her alone! Leave us both alone!" Tears were streaming down her face, all hope lost. There was no reasoning with the undead. They had no understanding of feelings or empathy. But she was beside herself, full of fear and grief. If only she had access to her staff, her herbs and potions...but she was at a disadvantage as she listened to Carys' cries and the undead woman's hisses filling the room.
 
Ivana groaned in Lilias's ears, "Fuck yes, beg, please beg more." The sound of a breather desperately pleading for her life was such a turn on. Ivana's dead pussy was on fire with need, all the smells of the healer's body going to her head. It was too much for her to take; Ivana loosened her grip on Lilias so she could roughly open up the healer's robes, shredding the flimsy underclothes with her claws so she could sample this forbidden fruit. Her tongue started roaming across Lilias's body, into all the crevices where her smell was strongest, while the other ghoul held the healer down. The urge to bite, to kill, to eat this girl was almost overwhelming.

Crane's taste of magic-infused flesh was pure ecstasy, and staring down at the writhing, bloodied girl was like gazing on a work of art. The rapid rise and fall of her belly as she hyperventilated, the dilated pupils that barely recognized the world anymore, the limp surrender of a girl who knew her place on the food chain, it had him rock hard and desperately in need of release. Crane knew exactly what he wanted, to fuck this breathing girl in a pool of her own blood, but there was one thing missing. An evil grin crossed his ragged face as, with a single razor sharp claw, he drew a bloody crescent across the fertile swell of her lower belly, a red smile above her pubic mound that went all the way through the skin and muscle. As the blood began to flow from the wound, he yanked her pants down to her knees, then flipped her over face-down. The hole in her stomach let her innards slip out in slippery tangles as he mounted her back, pushing his cock between her thighs into her closed, dry sex. She certainly wouldn't have been horny at a time like this, so as he rammed and pushed, Carys's labia were torn on entry. Plunging deeper, the blood lubricated his shaft and in a few strokes Crane had entered Carys fully. "You, loot the room," he said to Brick, the other male on the team. "Scrolls, herbs, wands, anything important comes with us."

Seeing the other mage's guts slip out, Ivana knew the young girl wouldn't last long. Without a healer, anyway. "Tell you what," she said, taking a long sniff of Lilias's fragrant pubic hair, "I'll let you cast your healing magic, just enough to keep your little friend from bleeding out. Freja, let her have one hand free." Freja nodded and let go of one arm, putting a hand on the healer's throat in case she did something monumentally stupid. Ivana smiled and groped Lilias more. No sense in letting the fun end too early; a mage of any kind was a welcome treat.
 
Lilias cringed, her pretty face twisting as the ghoulish girl continued to let her hands roam, her body rub against her own. It was vile, unwanted...and there wasn't anything she could do to stop it! A healer unable to move, to aid her friend or herself as they laid helpless on the cold, hard floor of a once inviting room full of warmth and a spot of tea ready to be brewed in an all but forgotten corner. She tried to wriggle free from the vice like grip of the undead woman holding her fast, her pungent breath filling her nose, making her long for unconsciousness. But it wouldn't come. They wanted her to see, to watch as Carys was battered and bruised, defiled, devoured!

"Carys...Carys..." Lilias sobbed. Tears streaked her pale cheeks, now flushed red from fear and exertion. Her dark hair stuck to her skin making it difficult to see, to speak.

Carys' body was roughly manipulated like a ragdoll. Rough hands groping while a greedy mouth tasted and fed on her milky white flesh. Her blue eyes lost their luster as she stopped crying out, the ability to scream somehow lost as her body succumbed to the inevitable. It was devastatingly horrifying, the platinum blonde spit-fire was losing her spark, drowning...dying. Carys felt the claw slash at her abdomen, carving her skin like she was nothing more than a delicacy to be admired. Her body twitched, but she could no longer scream, her energy used up, gone. She was thrown onto her stomach, her organs spilling out of her as her own life began to seep away...oozing out just like her blood did along the floor. A rough grunt passed over her lips as she felt something big shove inside her exposed cunt, all her clothes torn as sinister laughs echoed in her ears.

Lilias' cries were the only sweet thing that cut through the horror of the moment. But like her life, the sound was growing faint and Carys had to strain to hear it.

For a brief moment, Carys' and Lilias' eyes met, connecting as they endured this torture together. Carys wished for her friend to not suffer this fate. It was too cruel to bear and Lilias too pure of heart. She was a kind soul, more giving than any she'd known. Groaning as her life began to ebb and blackness tinged her sight, she knew she was reaching the end.

"No...no!" Lilias shouted! Carys was dying. She could see her friend slipping away as her body sloshed in her own blood while the creature pounded her once beautiful body, now mutilated, desecrated...she was utterly horrified at the sight before her. Weeping loudly, she didn't know what else to do. Their fate had been cruelly sealed! Despite it all, she couldn't let her friend die in vain. With all her might, she struggled against the undead woman, her ghoulish hands tearing at her gauzy dress, shredding it to get closer to her flesh. She wouldn't give up without a fight. It was the least she could do now that the terms had been made clear. Resigned to her fate, she was surprised when she was suddenly ordered to heal her friend.

Lilias quirked a brow, her body stilling for a moment as she allowed herself to process what was going on. The creatures wanted her to heal Carys, to prevent her full death so that they could continue their fun! Just what kind of sick joke were they playing? Shaking her head, she didn't know what was worse...letting her friend die or prolonging her suffering. But she didn't have a choice. The woman and a couple other ghouls shifted above her, maneuvering her body so that she could heal her friend. Sobbing, lamenting, she followed their orders and she wondered what sort of hell she'd been thrust into.

Carys felt her body growing stronger, wounds slowly knitting together as her organs slid back into place. Lilias' sweet voice rang in her ears...soft, melodic words—a healing spell. She twisted her head to look into the healer's eyes, eyes fill with pain, sorrow, regret. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw one of the ghouls looming behind her, his body large as he continued to pound against her with brutal force. Her body was broken and sore, torn from his vicious thrusts. She was his for the taking...just as she'd been taken by him mere moments before.
 
As Carys knitted back together, healing magic suffused her body and flowed through her veins. The concentrated life energy washed over Crane as he buried himself to the hilt in her over and over, an ecstatic bliss that sent him careening over the edge. He grunted and bottomed out in her, shoving her cervix farther up into her as he spilled cold, oily seed into her warm cunt. It was unlike any other orgasm he'd experienced in his long undeath, stronger and longer, his eruptions prolonged by the restorative energies. When he was finally spent, he fell backwards onto the floor, his pale member still twitching as a flood of black spunk poured out of Carys's wounded cunny. Just as he'd closed his trousers, Brick emerged from a back room carrying a duffel bulging with magical supplies.

"Cuff them both," he said, breathing heavily, and two of the ghouls produced rune-inscribed shackles to clamp onto the girls' wrists. The cold iron braces drained every scrap of mana from their bodies in seconds, rendering both of their magical powers inert.

"I guess you're both take-out," Ivana purred, letting go of Lilias and hauling her to her feet. The ghouls didn't bother to dress their captives, pulling the girls out of the house in their sorry, disheveled state with no regard for their modesty. Brick picked both of them up, one under each arm with the bag strapped across his back. With a bit of giant ancestry, he was by far the largest of the ghouls, and his strength was augmented further by a few choice magical items. A belt for strength, boots for jumping, and a magic ring that always kept his tea warm because he had his priorities straight.

With Brick shouldering their burden the squad of ghouls crept out of the healer's house, the orange glow of the burning stables still bright behind them. Ivana took point, walking briskly but not running, her breather disguise holding up and letting her be sure that no one took notice of their passing. She had to kill the blacksmith from earlier; no time to feed, only a dagger to the neck so she could raise no alarm. The ghouls clambered up the wall like cats save for Brick, who leapt to the other side in a single bound, his feet leaving deep impressions in the hard packed earth where he landed.

"Set them down," Crane ordered, and the two mages were dropped to the ground to sort themselves out. He knelt before them, unmistakable hunger in his eyes. "You, healer, you're the mission. You act up, we eat your little friend extra slow." He turned to Carys. "You play nice, do as you're told, or what I did before will seem like heaven compared to the hell I will wreak upon you. Are we all on the same page here?"
 
Lilias felt at a loss. There was nothing she could do. She was at the mercy of these creatures, these heartless wretched beings that somehow skulked the village with their unbeating hearts. It was blasphemous, it was...she sobbed as they bound both she and Carys—newly healed—and hauled them out into the open air. Most were gone from the roads, having left the heart of the village to tend whatever commotion had caused them to swarm and leave earlier on. Both girls recalled the oddity and now, in the clutches of these vile creatures, they knew the source of what called them all away.

Carys hung limply in the one creature's grip, her body broken and sore. Every muscle ached from being gutted and abused, her body violated and torn. She'd never forget the moment or the look on his face as he took pleasure in feasting on her flesh as she failed to harness the rain. She heard thunder rumbling in the distance, the clouds dark overhead as they threatened to spill rain upon them all. But she knew it wouldn't be enough to clean her or her healer friend from the experiences they'd just had. Nothing could, not ever.

The trek through the village seemed endless, each step agonized as their bodies bumped against the foul creature. Both Lilias and Carys could hear them hissing, laughing, reveling in their plunder. No doubt they thought them both a prize find. Carys turned her head slightly, glancing at Lilias who's eyes were frantic, wild with fear as she held onto the undead's arm.

Once over the wall, Carys and Lilias knew they'd be severed from their life...once over the wall, no one was allowed to come back. Or, so they said. It was the law! They were thrown onto the ground, hard and cold, the wall looming behind them as they looked up into their captors' hungry faces. Lilias cowered beside Carys, her dark head tucking against her as they were forced to comply with their commands.

"Lilias?" Carys whispered, her throat raw, sore. She looked at Lilias who shivered like a frightened mouse. Just what did the undead want with a healer? She arched a brow, but then thought back to what they'd made her do—reviving her, allowing her to relive her moment...again. It was sick, it was twisted! Poor, sweet Lilias. This was a cruel fate for someone such as her. If only she could shoulder the burden. But it wasn't meant to be. Carys was unable to wield such magic, but from the looks in those undead eyes, she could see their hunger, their burning desire to feed. Did they prey on magic? Was it their chocolate treat? She shivered at the idea, wishing she could embrace her friend, run away, get them both out of the dark hell they'd stumbled into.

"I...I promise," Lilias chattered, her body trembling as she looked up into those sneering faces. "No trouble, j-just...please..." she begged. "Please..." though she knew her words held no meaning to them. She'd already seen what they'd done to Carys, what they could do again and again. More tears fell and there was nothing she could do to stop them from falling.
 
Ivana knelt beside Carys on the ground, grabbing a handful of her ass and parting the cheeks so she could see the mess that Crane had made of her. Dark seed still dribbled out of the girl's abused pussy, leaving streaks down her thighs. Letting go, she watched Carys's buns jiggle and she giggled.

"You really did a number on her boss," she said, leaving the poor girl to her own devices. "I figure we have an hour before the breathers get their shit together enough to notice anyone's missing. They're probably all patting themselves on the back right now for putting out that stupid fire."

"Hear that?" Crane said. "Nobody even knows you're gone. No alarm bells, no nothing. And don't count on a guard patrol to save you either. We ate them before we even crossed the wall. There's worse things than us in the Dead Zone, and the only thing saving you from having your souls ripped out by a starving mind flayer is our good graces. Now, pull yourselves together, fix your clothes to where you can walk, and let's get moving."
 
It was the worst kind of nightmare! A hell of hells! Carys wished she could make things easier for Lilias. It was clear that her healer friend was not coping well with this turn of events. The girl was all things gentle and innocent, always lending aid to others. She knew nothing of darkness and now was being thrust into the heart of it with no mercy. She supposed she was glad she was spared her own fate. Carys didn't think she's mentally be able to handle what had happened to her. She felt the vile ooze between her legs, her cunt so sore and torn. No, Lilias wouldn't have managed that brutal assault.

Lilias stood up, her gauzy gown dirty and shredded. Despite her state, she still looked beautiful, an angel traversing through the depths of hell. Carys moved to hold her hand, something she appreciated greatly. They were a stark contrast, the two mages—one with hair of the raven, the other of snow. Though rendered powerless due to their restraints, their magic flowed strongly. If only they could tap it, alert Sanctuary.

But Carys knew the ghouls were right. No one would come. They were on their own. Prisoners of these beastly demons. Resigned to their fate, they followed without issue, though their hearts trembled with fear knowing they'd never see home again.
 
The squad set out across the broken plains, heading toward the ghostly lightning storms at the center of the dead zone. As long as one went toward the silent thunder, they could never get too lost. Most tragedies befell those trying to get out, after all. Crane stayed in the center with the captives, Brick in the rear like a towering overseer. Ivana drifted between the flanks while the other females ranged ahead to scout for threats. A halt was called, and the male ghouls closed ranks around the two casters as a gaunt, starving mind flayer crawled across jagged rocks toward the only living minds it could sense for miles. Too weak to fight, the creature was put down without ceremony, and the column could move onward again.

"Ever seen one of those things?" Ivana asked to Carys, lingering perhaps too close for the girl's comfort. "They get their mouth tentacles all wrapped around your head and then slurp! They eat your brain right out. Doesn't work on ghouls, though." She didn't stray from the young caster's side as they walked, occasionally sneaking a little sniff of her magically-tinged scent and shuddering. "Sorry," she said, though it really felt odd to be apologizing to a breather. But still, it was rare to have the chance at an unclaimed magic user. All the high value captives back at the citadel eventually became someone's property, Lilias herself already claimed by the prince, so a free agent like Carys was quite a hot commodity.

"Hey, do you like girls?" she asked. "I know, weird question at a time like this and you're probably not in the mood and all. But, like, what if I told you I could keep you mostly safe once we get back to the Citadel? You know...aside from a little snack now and then, I wouldn't hurt you. Just keep it in mind if--" Ivana listed to the side as Crane put his fist upside her head, teetering on one foot for a long moment before toppling into the dirt.

"Hands off, slut," Crane growled. The small column ground to a halt as their leader mounted Ivana and started beating her into submission. Black blood leaked from her nose and mouth when he was done, and he left her sprawled on her back to sort herself out and grabbed Carys by the throat. "You're my take out, little mage. Don't you go getting any ideas to the contrary." Letting go of the small girl, he barked out an order. "Five minute rest, then we move again. You two breathers, don't stray too far."

Rolling to her stomach and crawling to her feet, Ivana shambled toward a nearby creek to wash the blood from her face with the cold water. She snuck a look over her shoulder at Carys when Crane was otherwise distracted, wondering if the young mage had understood her advance at all.
 
The trek seemed impossibly long, almost endless as both Carys and Lilias followed their captors through the great expanse of the Dead Zone. Neither knew just how far it extended, but rumors had been that it reached well past the horizon. Still, no one knew very much. Everything was about survival, keeping the things inside that treacherous zone OUT. They'd been taught to pity anyone who'd fallen into its depths, forever quarantined, never allowed to return. Now, seeing the beast in the distance as their ghoulish enemies destroyed it...it was disconcerting.

Mind flayers. Carys didn't like the notion of thinking of these skulking, soulless beings as protectors. But, like it or not, they were. This was their home, their land...and they knew it best. She shivered as she watched Lilias trudge weakly beside her, her resolve all but broken. She hoped the gentle girl would find an inner strength by the time they reached wherever it was they were being brought to. It was for her own good, if she wanted to survive.

As they moved along, Carys studied the various ghouls. They seemed to have their ranks based on the way they moved, talked and even acted. The one who'd raped her was clearly in charge and there was no way she'd even attempt to cross him. Especially now that they were so far from help and she was weakened after trying to harness the storm. But every being, no matter how big or small, had a weakness. It was just a matter of finding it.

Or, so Carys had to keep reminding herself. It was the only way she could hold herself together as she and Lilias marched onward.

Legs feeling like lead, Carys heard a whisper. The girl...the one who's started it all and got them both in this mess. A part of her wanted to snap at her, to spit in her face for ruining their lives as they forged ahead to a life that threatened to ruin their minds and destroy their souls. But she was in no position to make such gestures. Instead, she turned toward her and grimaced, listening to her appalling bargain. Had she heard her correctly? Was she offering protection?

Carys blinked rapidly, her eyes averting as the large one interrupted and immediately began to beat on the seeming sympathizer. Were there others like her? Other...sympathizers? She had to wonder and it gave her a small flicker of hope to think that maybe, just maybe, she could ease things for herself and possibly even for Lilias. Her eyes connected with the woman as she got up and moved to clean herself off at the nearby creek. She wasn't 'in' to girls, but that didn't mean she couldn't offer certain favors if it meant help. And maybe there were more who thought like she did.

To think that ghouls thought outside their hunger?

Carys moved to sit next to Lilias who hugged her knees to her chest. The healer was crying, dark hair falling over her body as she shook with silent sobs. "Shh..." Carys soothed. "That one..." she whispered, Lilias perked up and looked in the direction in which Carys had gestured. Her eyes found the woman who'd been struck down by the brute and then nodded. "She's our ticket to survival."

"What?" Lilias mumbled, hope slowly creeping into her voice.

"She's a sympathizer." Carys glanced around, her eyes finding the large one who stated she belonged to him. "Listen to her. Among them all, she's the one who will find us aid while we're with these beasts."

Lilias nodded in understanding. Though fear filled her heart, she allowed a glimmer of hope to worm its way in.
 
A massive clawed hand rested on Lilias's shoulder as she cried, the enormous form of Brick settling into a crouch beside them. He was a stout tower of solid muscle with an almost fortress-ike look to him, as though he ought to have archers stationed on his rampart shoulders or wear a ballista as a hat. Comical was an apt word for his size, were he not a flesh-rending cannibal monstrosity. Despite his obvious and very menacing strength, his touch carried no immediate violence, and might be considered comforting in any other circumstance. His face, unreadable behind goggles and a bandana, remained utterly impassive as the stone for which he was named.

"You're probably wondering, 'why'," he rumbled, his voice a deep and resonating basso. There was an out o place eloquence to his speech, with none of the hissing lisp the others carried. "We ghouls can live off the meat of any sapient being, but just as there are grades of steaks, so too are there grades of people. Females taste better than males, for example, and certain trades or walks of life impart their own flavors. The smoky taste of a blacksmith, the refined subtlety of a scholar, the mingled flavors of a prostitute, these are all common tastes to be enjoyed. But mages..." He paused and, hesitantly as though enforcing some inner discipline, he smelled the air beside Lilias. It was clear that he enjoyed the scent, but it was not quite the shameful slobbering of Ivana's advances. "You mages are suffused with the flavors of your magic. A healer is perhaps the most eagerly sought of tastes, like a fine aged filet crusted with herbs. You, on the other hand," he said, turning and taking in the scent of Carys, "might be a marinated ribeye seared and left bloody. A wonderful flavor indeed, but without the prestige of the fancier grade. Believe it or not, that works in your favor. I take it you've noticed our...hierarchical nature?"
 
There was definitely more to these creatures than met the eye. It startled Carys to her very core, though a part of her wish it hadn't. It was easier to think of them as mindless, soulless, unable to think about anything except sating the unending hunger that burned deep within them. But now? Now, she wasn't so sure. Looking over at Lilias, she gave her a weak smile, anything to try and uplift her spirits considering their dire circumstances. The two mages sat there catching their breath and allowing, for the first time since being brutally dragged away from the safety of Sanctuary, for hope to fill them both. Carys just hoped it wasn't in vain. As worry began to set in, she felt a heavy hand weigh against her shoulder. She looked up and saw the largest of their captors. Lilias just shook where she sat, trying her best to stay strong, calm.

Lilias closed her eyes as she listened to the largest speak. There was an odd way about him, almost a gentleness in his manner. He could've made a fine man if he hadn't turned into the beast before her. But what was done was done. He was beyond the reach of her healing powers now, forever altered. Changed. Not that her magic held any ground while they were en route—the ghouls had seen to that. No, all she seemed to be good for now was a nice spice and flavor to a very rich meal.

When the largest finished his explanation, Lilias just nodded, her blue eyes watching Carys follow suit. She could tell her friend was thinking, calculating. The blonde had always been observant, astute at noticing everything.

"Yes," Carys said, her eyes narrowed slightly as they flit from ghoul to ghoul. "I've noticed your hierarchy. I've figured out who's in charge here." A part of her wished it was the one speaking to her and still another the odd woman. But her eyes moved over the group and fell on the one who'd raped her.

He was the one leading this rabble.
 
"In charge..." Brick rolled the words across his tongue and laughed like a landslide. "He was appointed. His first mission as leader. But I wouldn't call him 'in charge' as such. Still trying to prove that."

Ivana staggered over to the impromptu chat, blood streaked down her face and her wig positively ruined. "Shit Brick, I thought you had my back," she croaked, keeping enough of a distance so as not to draw Crane down on her again.

"Later, perhaps," Brick said, again with his words sounding far too educated for what he was. "He's still 'in charge' until we reach the Citadel, whereupon I may perchance feed him his lungs, I've yet to decide. But what these breathers don't seem to know is that they can choose to whom they belong. Provided they're not claimed already, like our little healer here."

"I was getting to that when Fearless Leader sucker punched me." Ivana paused and glared at Crane as he surveyed the terrain ahead. "Look, I know this whole situation is a shit sandwich, but I'm not quite as bad as him. My name is Ivana."
 
Carys and Lilias listened to both Brick and Ivana as they bickered, explaining a bit how their little group worked. Carys nodded her blonde head in understanding, feeling strangely at ease knowing that at least two of these creatures seemed to have some shred of decency flowing through them. She turned toward Lilias, the healer's face showing hope, a smile curving her lips upward prettily. A pang of sadness gripped her heart. What would become of her friend? They talked about those who were claimed and those who were not...just what sort of creature had right to Lilias?

She hoped it was someone like these two. Not like the one who'd ruined her sex. It still hurt as she sat there, the black liquid from his earlier still wet upon her inner thighs. Carys smiled slightly—a true smile—for first time since being abducted from Sanctuary.

"My name is Carys. She's Lilias," Carys said.

Lilias leaned closer, her head brushing against Carys' arm. "I am...claimed?" she asked, her face blanching slightly. She looked over at the one who'd hurt Carys so brutally earlier on and shivered. "Is...is..." she swallowed hard and her eyes began to tear up. "What is my fate?" she whispered.

"Shh...shh..." Carys tried to soothe. "I'll figure out something." The mage looked up at both Brick and Ivana. "Who has claim to Lilias? Will they be like...that one?" she glanced in the leader's direction. "And am I free to choose or truly his to take?" Her face looked determined, ready. The time had come to plan. If this was their new life, then she would do whatever it took to make it the best it could be.
 
Ivana looked Lilias up and down, an appraising look the likes of which you'd give to a shiny trinket beyond your reach. "Prince Malekith," she said, as if the name should obviously ring a bell. It was rather natural that the top-shelf breather would be reserved for a ghoul of high standing. "One of the rulers of the Citadel, and our pateon. I've heard he's...I don't know, reasonably awful? Not the worst, certainly."

"The prince is an artist," Brick clarified. "He chooses to dine on the finest stock. Lilias can expect no mercy, but neither is he an unbridled sadist like our friend over there. As for you, little Carys...well, it gets a bit political."

"Just one big dick-measuring contest," Ivana butted in, scooting a little closer to Carys to smell the young mage, but not letting her eyes wander from Crane.

Brick sighed heavily at the crude analogy. "Carys may declare for one of her captors upon our return, then one of us may sponsor her declaration, and then it falls to a vote, and there are more rules and...yes, I suppose it is a giant dick-measuring contest." He rubbed his forehead in annoyance at just how asinine the whole thing sounded when he tried to explain it. "The process keeps us from falling on each other over the shiniest bits of loot. Otherwise we'd tear ourselves--and both of you--to shreds."

"Oh," Ivana said, "I know you might be tempted, but you do not want to declare for Brick."

After a hesitant grunt he admitted, "No, you do not."
 
Lilias felt her blood run cold. Just what sort of man—no, ghoul—was this prince? Her heart suddenly twisted in her chest and she longed for home. But home was a distant dream now, a memory that would grow faint and eventually vanish. A new life awaited her at some citadel and she'd become the prize possession of some creature that longed to revel in her misery and fear. Her eyes pricked with tears though she did her best to hold them back.

Carys could sense the healer's unease. She hoped that this prince wasn't a fraction of the sort that Crane showed himself to be. It was difficult to tell what her friend was in for. Both Ivana's and Brick's descriptions were vague at best so all she could do was hope. Hope that somehow Lilias would find her inner resolve. She was too good to have such darkness thrust upon her. If she could find a way to shield her from it, she would. But she truly was at a loss.

Looking at both Ivana and Brick, the two ghouls continuing their banter, Carys tilted her head. "So," she said softly, her curiosity piqued when Brick mentioned he'd be a terrible choice. "Why shouldn't I declare for you?" Once again, she found herself smiling, an oddity given the horror of the day. As she smiled, she saw Lilias shivering beside her, rocking slightly and clearly worried about what was to become of her.
 
Now that was quite the question. As the young mage smiled at him, Brick felt uneasy. It was hard for him, given the extent of his hunger, the fathomless depth of his savagery, but he maintained himself by simply not thinking about it. Asking him that question, when he hadn't fed in a while, was like waving liquor in front of an alcoholic. He gave a couple more of his halting, hesitant grunts, his face still hidden behind his goggles and bandanna, but along his bald scalp the muscles of his jaw were clearly clenching and grinding. "If you'll excuse me, I must go," he said at last, standing and hurrying some distance away to sit by himself on a rock, facing away from everyone.

"Brick is a really good guy," Ivana said, a hint of sadness to her undead rasp as she moved to block Carys's view of the brooding giant. "Trust me, he really is. But...like, imagine that you were a monster. That's just what you are, you're terrible, something straight out of a nightmare, and that's just what nature made you. But you're smart enough to know just how bad you are, and you do your best to keep it in. That's Brick. He gets...hungrier than the rest of us, does these meditation things to keep his cool but when he feeds he just...damn. He goes way off the rails, and he feels terrible about it unless he's eating someone who likes it. It sounds weird right now but, I assure you, we can fix it so you enjoy being eaten. A little magic, a few potions, it's not as bad as all that." Unless you were owned by a raging sadist like Crane, she added silently.
 
Carys frowned, tilting her blonde head slightly as she watched the brutish ghoul excuse himself. To think these creatures could hate what they'd become? She'd no idea and her heart suddenly twisted inside her chest. She listened to Ivana talk about how he only was truly satisfied when the one he ate enjoyed it...enjoyed?

It had only been a few hours since Carys had been brutalized and consumed by Crane. And she'd hardly enjoyed that. But was it truly possible to enjoy being eaten...alive? Her blue eyes remained fixed on Brick. The ghoul wouldn't be able to deny his hunger forever. What then? Who would his victim be when the hunger grew so terrible that he'd have no choice, no alternative, no...

Shaking her head, Carys' view of Brick was suddenly blocked by Ivana. "There are ways to enjoy it?" Her interest suddenly piqued. If there was a way to make things tolerable, enjoyable even...she'd certainly look into it. She peered around Ivana, her eyes finding Brick. She felt a strange pang inside her chest, her cheeks heating. "I think I'd like to know more about this magic you have," she added. Her eyes lowered as she smiled.

Lilias turned toward Ivana and nodded. "Yes, please. Do you think I might be allowed this magic as well?"
 
Ivana smiled, though seeing Carys literally look right past her to get a better look at Brick broke her heart. All her old insecurities flared up and she suddenly felt like every bit the hideous monster. Still, she didn't try to block the girl's view, knowing full well that she wasn't anything to look at.

"Everyone up!" Crane barked. "We're moving out, double-time!" Ivana helped the girls get to their feet and stayed with them as the group moved forward. Brick pulled rear guard, following far behind but never taking his eyes off the gentle sway of the girls' backsides. One great hand went to his stomach; the scent of the magic-infused breathers had set his hunger rolling.

Ivana spared a glance back at him, jealous and pitying at the same time. "It's not a quick thing," she said, "more of a treatment plan. The magic to make you enjoy it, I mean. It's something your owner will give you, if they want you happy. Daily doses of potions, an injection each week, and a little of your blood to make a phylactery in case you die. That's why I was saying you shouldn't declare for Brick. He's gonna be hungry when we get back and he can't stop himself long enough for the treatment to kick in. He'll have to go down to the slave farm and eat a few girls who are already prepped."

She turned to Lilias, looking the healer over again with renewed longing. Damn, to think that she'd already been shot down by one, and that the other was claimed outright. "The prince will probably give you the treatment, all things considered. He likes to do a lot of slow torture but he thinks screaming is annoying. I can't promise he'll hold off until you're ready, though."

Up ahead with the forward party, Crane stole a hateful glance over his shoulder. That bitch Ivana was trying to horn in on his take out, and he had big plans for that little mage meat. There was still a little time before they reached the Citadel. With any luck, the whore would have a nasty accident.
 
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