`Is it true that you and her broke up because of her idiot brother?'
`Why don't we just get to the part where you take me to your citadel and start torturing me in the dungeon? Even that has got to be better than talking about one of the biggest motherfucking mistakes of my motherfucking life!'
`Haha! I touched a sensitive subject didn't I? But you still find girls like her attractive, don't you?'
`I find a lot of girls attractive, but I won't necessarily fuck with them just because they look good.'
She glances at Flora again. Flora is still just staring blankly ahead, like she doesn't know where she is. That damn collar had a brutal effect on her apparently...
`Did she refuse you? Is that it?' asks Mel'.
`Is that all you can talk about?'
`So, she did. I was certain.' she says with a smirk.
Mel' steps close to Flora, and addresses her.
`What about you? What's your side of the story?' she asks. Flora doesn't reply.
`Did you hear me?' asks Mel', and then she waves her hand before Flora's eyes.
`Don't bother.' I tell her. `She didn't react well to the collar. She's out cold.'
Mel' frowns, and then turns back to me.
`I am curious of her version. I guess I'll just have to take her along and torture her into consciousness...' she says.
She turns around and signals to her servants.
`We're taking them both! Take the woman into the dungeon and restrain her. I will interrogate her personally later. Make sure she cannot touch the collar.'
Then she points to one of them.
`She flies with you, and Zack flies with me.'
Oh fuck... Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck!
`Hey, listen, Mel'... Why don't we just teleport?'
`Are you still afraid of heights, Zack?' she asks mockingly. `I can knock you out if you wish.'
`No thanks, I'll just try not to look down and vomit.'
`Yes, yes, you're a tough bastard. On second thought... you might accidentally fall off if you're conscious. I wouldn't want that, now would I? You'd die too soon.'
Then she raises her left arm, her hand clenched into a fist, she strikes towards my face, and...
*
I open my eyes and shake my head. I look around. A familiar place. Mel's bedroom. I'm lying on her bed, hands bound behind my back. The damn collar is still on my neck. I glance around and see her by the nightstand next to her bed. My weapons and my magic pouch are scattered on the nightstand. She's examining the SMG 11000. Why the fuck is everybody so interested in that?
`Careful, Mel'! You'll accidentally shoot yourself with that.'
She puts the weapon down and turns towards me.
`Your concern brings tears to my eyes. I am almost thinking that you still desire me.' she says, and she says that in the most seductive way imaginable. Bah. Stupid bitch. And she's still wearing that armor of hers. I get the feeling I'd better play along with this, if I want to get out of here...
`Maybe. I haven't seen you in a while. I think about you all the time.'
`Liar!' she says, spitting. `I know you better than to believe that you still want to fuck me. At least not literally.'
`So, why exactly are we here? You said something about torturing me. Why are we not in the dungeon?'
`All in due time, Zack. First, I want to torture you in a... different way. That's why you're here in my bedroom.'
Oh, no, no, no, no! Not that... Little bitch! Is that all you can think about? One would think that a powerful dragon intent on world domination has more on her mind than getting laid...
`Errr... what exactly do you mean?'
`Remember the days we spent together in this bed? The passionate nights that we shared?'
Ha! Loser!
`Well... yeah, I do.'
`Even knowing it was all a lie and pretending, I must admit that in this bed, you were very convincing, and very satisfying.'
Ha! Ha! Ha! What a loser...
`I kind of miss that, you know.' she continues. `It was just four nights, but sometimes I think about them. I'd like to recreate the magic of those nights.'
`Well, I'm not sure that this is a good idea.'
`I don't care what you think. Open your ears. If you want to live, you will do what I say.'
`Well, since you asked so nicely... What exactly did you have in mind?'
`I intend to test you.'
`Test me? How?'
`Let's just say, I need to know the limits of your... endurance... before I take you to the dungeons and start torturing you. After all, I wouldn't want you to die too soon.'
Oh brother...
`My endurance?'
`Here, let me show you what I mean. Sit up!' she says, and I do as she says.
She pulls me up and turns me around. She unties my hands and turns me around again. She firmly holds my wrists in her grasp.
`What now?'
`Now I'm going to secure your hands to the bedposts. Just to be sure that you don't even try to remove that collar from your neck.'
`Then what?'
`Then we test your endurance. And you'd better not disappoint me!'
I gotta get the fuck outta here...
`I'll do my best.'
`Your best? That might not do...' she says, and then she looks down at my hands.
`Dammit, Zack! You're such a jerk! What kind of an asshole wears a glove on just one hand?'
`Well, since I have this sword of mine, it kind of sucks to wear a glove on my right hand, but I'm kind of attached to this glove, so I kept the one on my left hand.'
`You're incurable!' she says, rolling her eyes.
`Well, take it off, if you don't like it.'
Yes, take it off... That's all I need!
`How could I test your endurance if you're all dressed up? Of course the glove is going, along with everything else...'
Just start with the damn glove, bitch! Before I give in to the temptation and headbutt you in the nose!
`So, what are you waiting for?'
She smirks at me, and then she proceeds to pull the glove off my hand.
Yes! Yes! Finally!
She pulls it off slowly, and I lean forward. She looks up at my face. I smile at her.
`What?'
`Well, if we're going to do this, we might as well start with the basics.'
`Basics?' she says, as she keeps pulling the glove off.
`You know. Like, kissing?'
She laughs, and she finally pulls the glove completely off my hand. She throws it away and then she slowly pushes me against the wall. She holds my chin with her right hand while she firmly holds my right wrist with her other hand. She looks like she's about to kiss me. This is my chance! I slowly begin to move my left hand towards her. It's a good thing this armor leaves her thighs bare. All I need is to touch her skin...
She notices the movement of my hand and instinctively reaches for my wrist. Then she looks towards it, and sees my skeletal left hand.
`What the...!' she says, but she's too late. Exploiting her surprise, I slide my wrist out of her grip and grasp her hand. A second later she is paralyzed!
*
I smile at her viciously and victoriously. Then I grab the collar with both hands and start pulling on it. A few seconds later, it breaks in half, and I can feel my power over magic being freed. Immediately I cast a spell that prevents anyone outside the room from hearing anything we say. Now I can exclaim in victory!
`Yes! Yes! Screw you, Voi'Shek! Screw you, Grenshaur! Screw everybody! Screw every fucking asshole who ever thought this piece of crap collar could hold me back! Ha! Do you think I can be stopped just because I can't access even a fraction of magical energy with my mind? My motherfucking skeletal hand needs no control of the mind to release its power! It's like barbarian magic: it works on touch!'
I turn to Mel'. She is still paralyzed.
`And screw you, too, bitch! Test of endurance, huh? I should tie you to tha
t fucking bed of yours and then cast a spell on you that will... But you know what, I have a much better idea! A little more barbarian magic!'
I raise my right hand and punch her in the nose. She falls in an awkward pose. She still can't move. But it will wear off soon. I retrieve my glove, then go to the nightstand and collect my things.
`Everything's here, it seems. Good.'
I turn back to Mel', and reach out my right arm.
The Sword of Fury creeps forth from me and slowly materializes in my hand. I point it at Mel'.
`Alright, now we wait.'
A minute passes, and the paralysis finally wears off. She groans and slowly stands up. She glances at my sword, and then looks at me in anger. She touches her aching nose briefly.
`You dirty rotten bastard!' she says. I smile at her.
`Yes, I'm a bad man. Well, fuck you, I don't give a shit!'
`I should have just killed you!'
`Yeah, probably... Now shut up and pay attention! You and I both know that if I waited and watched as you turn into your dragon form, you'd tear me to pieces. But you and I both know that the transformation takes too long for you to do it before I could chop your fucking head off with this sword, which, you and I both know, is a weapon you fear! So, tell me, Mel'... Are you feeling lucky?'
`Do your worst!' she sneers, as she stares at me full of anger.
`You know, I should really kill you, you stupid bitch! However, since thanks to you I'm no longer Grenshaur's property, I'll let you live. Who knows whom that cocksucker would have sold me to if you hadn't come... I guess I owe you for that. But just a wee little bit... So...'
`So?'
`So... strip.'
`Excuse me?' she asks, with narrowed eyes.
`You heard me. Off with that armor. Don't worry. There will be no raping. I have something much better in mind... Come on. Strip! Now!' I tell her, raising my sword towards her. She sighs, but then she begins to undress.
*
She stands naked before me now. I gotta admit, she still looks good. Shapeshifting magic is truly amazing! Too bad she's so rotten on the inside...
She looks at me with a look that's almost seductive.
`What now, Zack?' she asks. `Are you sure you're not going to rape me?'
`I have better things to do!'
`Oh, and I thought you had guts.'
`I do, but I'm not a rapist.'
`Isn't it rather that you are afraid to disappoint me?'
Oh brother...
`Knock it off Mel', I have no time for this fucking bullshit!'
`You know, Zack... Despite how much I enjoyed our times together so long ago, and despite how much I would have liked us to do that again... I just simply can't go by the fact that... Daniel is a hundred times better in bed than you ever will be!'
I stare at her intently for a while, then I tell her:
`Raise your right hand!'
`Why?' she asks, surprised.
`Just... fucking... do it!'
`Oh, alright.' she says with a sigh, and she raises her right hand.
I pull out the SMG 11000 and point the barrel of the gun at her open palm, and then I pull the trigger.
She screams aloud as the bullet goes through her hand, and then she firmly presses her palm to her left side and presses her left arm against the bleeding wound.
`You... son of a...'
`Oh, will you stop crying like a baby?'
`You... you...'
`Stop pretending that it hurts! And especially stop pretending that the wound won't seal up by tomorrow!'
`You never... could... take the truth... Could you?'
`What, do you think I did that because Danny Boy's better than me? I don't give a shit if he's better than me! Besides, if the guy hasn't fucked a thousand different women he hasn't fucked a single one, and I can't compete with that kind of experience, now can I?
You wanna know why I shot you in the hand, you pitfaced cuntwhore? Because you reminded me of something.'
`Oh yeah...? What?'
`That I've still not forgotten what you did to Danny Boy. I won't, ever. Fact is, if he hadn't made me promise not to kill you, I'd have killed you long ago!'
`If you won't kill me... What do you want?'
`The next best thing: humiliate you. Start walking!' I tell her, pointing towards the door.
She reluctantly walks towards the door and I follow her. She stops at the door.
`Open it, and step outside!' I tell her. She steps out into the hall before her bedroom. After a couple of steps, I tell her to stop.
`Alright, that will do fine.' I tell her.
`What now?'
`Have you ever been petrified?'
`What?!'
`Petrified. In layman's terms, it means turned to stone.'
`I know what it means! But you won't do it. You wouldn't dare!'
`Hahaha! Mel', you might want to think twice before you mention the phrase wouldn't dare about me again. I will dare to do anything I want to do, I always have and always will. Rest assured, this is exactly what I want to do right now...'
`You lowdown son of a...'
`Yeah, yeah, whatever! Just stay put, okay? Lower your hands and stand straight. You don't want your servants to see you bent over like this, do you?'
She looks at me with such anger that I get the feeling she could literally drown me in a spoonful of water. I smile at her in turn.
`Yes, that's right, I haven't forgotten that your servants check on this hall every two hours. I do wonder what they'll think when they see you. They'll probably think it's just a statue, but how will they react to seeing such an erotic statue of you? I bet they'll be very excited about it. One of them might even take you home and have some fun once they've risen to the occasion, ha! What do you think?'
`If you do this...'
`Yeah, yeah, I know. Now shut up and stand straight! Or do you want to look like a crippled whore that prefers to take it in the ass?'
She spits at the floor in disgust, but she lowers her hand and stands straight as I told her. Standing tall and proud.
`That's better.' I tell her, and raise my left hand before her with my palm open. I start to focus on the black magic energy under my control, and around ten seconds later, a purplish glow envelopes her body, and a moment later she stands before me petrified. Seemingly like a flawless statue made of stone.
`There. Now that you can't talk at the moment, I think it's the perfect time I confessed something. Do you remember when we fucked a century ago? Is it still vivid in your mind? You stupid bitch! Do you still remember it as if it really actually happened?
Wake up! It didn't! What happened, is that I made you fall asleep with my magic, and then projected those dreams into your mind so you'd be satisfied. I did it four times and you never figured it out once! Not once! You loser! I've been laughing at you for a century!
Face it, Mel'! You're just not my type. I like black haired chicks for starters, and I prefer those that aren't as much of a bitch as you! Danny Boy's falling for you, but I'm not. Why should I have bothered to give you the real thing? Ghaubel, mistake as she was, earned my full attention back in the day. While it lasted. But you... You did not deserve it!'
I pat her in the back and smile at her.
`Well, I should go. Nightie night, Mel'! Don't worry, it'll wear off in a couple of hours. In the worst case, you'll be shitting rocks tonight...'
I turn to leave, but then a new idea jumps in my mind.
`Oh yeah! One more thing, Mel'...'
I walk to one of the windows and open it. I whistle outside.
`Here, pidgy-widgy! Come, check out the nice statue!'
*
I teleport down to the dungeons with my sword in hand. Two half-dragon guards greet me at the door. A few sword slashes later I walk past the two dead guards and enter the main dungeon area.
A large dark place, illuminated by torches. The main area is a huge room filled with various torture equipment. On all sides
of the room, there are barred cells, all containing various prisoners. Mel' has always made it her habit to try and intimidate the few people in Draconia who have not yet surrendered to her rule. The night elves in the settlements surrounding Sil Velies, and the mostly human peasants living in the villages surrounding Keehmor Keep are the only people in all of Draconia who are still independent of Mel's would-be empire. She can't outright conquer them due to how well the stronghold and Danny Boy's Keep are defended. So she sometimes sends out her dragons on short raids to the villages, and has them abduct a few dozen people.
She has them brought here, where they are held captive for many weeks, sometimes tortured, and eventually, killed and fed to the dragons. Mel' always leaves a few of them alive and lets them go home in the end, so they can tell their fellow villagers what they can expect if they do not surrender. Cheap tactic, but it tends to be effective. Some villages are in outright panic, and Mel' seems convinced that their surrender is just a matter of time.
Not like she needs them. She has so many servants already... Almost all of Draconia is hers, and every non-draconic settlement within her territory acts as a source for slaves. She has recruited a huge army from the so-called lessers that live there. They are no more than slaves, but they are still a huge and capable army. She wants to use them to conquer Ess'yer, basically using them as blade fodder, and she sure doesn't need those few remaining villages for that. If she needed more men, she could just recruit more from her own territory.
No, she just wants them so she can fully isolate Ghaubel and Danny Boy, preventing them from stopping her invasion of Ess'yer. Eh, whatever. Not my problem. Now, where's Flora?
I move from cell to cell and look inside. After the first six, there's still no sign of her. Just the peasants.
One of them in this last cell calls out to me.
`Stranger! Let us out!'
`Shut up! I'm looking for someone else!' I reply, and move on. In the next cell, I see night elves. All of them are men. The next cell is empty. In the next one, there is a lone woman chained to the wall. She has a collar around her neck.
`There you are! Finally!'
I strike at the lock on the cell door with my sword, and the Riftblade cuts through it like butter. I kick the door open and step inside.
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