Secrets Come With A Price
"Tell me where he is hiding!" my captor screamed, bringing the whip down onto my chest. I tried to cry out, but my throat was raw and my voice had virtually disappeared. "Your silence will gain you nothing! Give me his location and my Master may spare your life, wench!" He whipped me twice more, blood already pooling on the floor.
I said nothing, letting my tears mix with the fresh blood running down my chest. The salty water stung against the open wounds, but I only allowed myself to grimace. I had learned that if I kept silent for long enough, my captor would leave me be, having one of his men chain me back up.
"I've learned your little game, girl. This time, I'm not leaving until I get an answer or you are dead. Either way, my Master, The Outsider, expects a good show."
My eyes widened, but quickly closed when he slapped me. The sound echoed throughout the stone dungeon, the only other sound being blood dripping onto the cold stone floor. A sizable puddle had already formed, seeping into the cracks, and creating a web of red across the dungeon. If I wasn't in such a life-threatening situation, the pattern of the blood might have almost been pretty.
The man grabbed my chin, forcing me to look into his eyes. They were a steely gray; the same color as the walls and floor. Maintaining eye contact was impossible, and I jerked my head to the side, desperate to keep my distance from this man. His breath reeked of alcohol, and I was sure that he hadn't brushed his teeth in weeks.
"I will never tell you anything," I seethed, baring my teeth.
The man widened his eyes, before licking his lips. "Then I will enjoy beating the answer out of you, by any means necessary."
I didn't back down in response to his statement, but hissed at him. My body was weak from the blood loss, my energy only enough to briefly resist. But I knew that if he wanted to, he could easily overpower me.
My captor didn't say anything, only ran the whip under my chin. The material was wet with my blood, easily sliding around on my skin. As he raised it up, I looked into his eyes. The only thing I could see was anger. Bracing myself for another round of whipping, I hunched my back, trying to protect the vital organs that I knew he would eventually go for.
The hits landed on my lower back, pain blossoming in my mind. My mouth opened, but no sound could force its way out. My captor grinned wickedly above me, even when he raised the whip again and my blood trickled onto his arm. Pausing, he ran a finger along the whip, covering it in blood, before bringing it to his mouth. He licked my blood off his finger, his eyes closing slightly as if he relished in the taste. Bile rose in my throat, and I fought the urge to vomit. If I were to be sick, the man would most likely leave me to lay in it.
"Your blood is sweet," the man said softly, before giving the whip another lick. I shuddered in disgust. The man ran his tongue over his lips before returning his gaze to me again. "This can all be over if you give me the once Lord Protector's location, Aarin. I didn't want to mar that pretty skin of yours, but my Master was very insistent."
I could only shake my head. There was no way I was giving up the Lord Protector's secret. I would carry it to the grave.
"Go to hell, monster."
The blow that came next jerked my head to the side, and blood trickled from my lower lip. The man stood over me, teeth clenched in rage and murder in his eyes.
He kneeled on the blood-covered floor and grabbed a handful of my hair, pulling it back and forcing me to look into his eyes. "My Master wanted you alive for what is to come, but you're pushing me to drastic measures. Your defiance will be your downfall. The longer you hold out, the less I can guarantee your life."
In return, I closed my eyes, and relaxed my body. The whipping hurt less when my muscles weren't as taught as piano strings. I waited for the crack of the whip and the familiar sting, but it never came. Instead, I felt a calloused hand caress my cheek. My eyes shot open and saw the man had moved so he was only a half-foot away from my body. His eyes were searching my face, and he smirked when my eyes opened.
"It's truly a shame. I'm sure the Outsider would have been merciful if you had simply submitted to him in the first place," my captor murmured, running his fingers down to my tattered clothing, collecting a few drops of blood on his finger. He slowly licked the blood off, his eyes never leaving mine.
Suddenly, he got to his feet and quickly brought the whip down onto my face. It sliced across my left eye, cheek, and my upper lip. The stone dungeon was silent for a moment before a low whimper left my mouth. The man leaned over me, letting the whip gently trace the new wound. The small barbs got caught in the edges of the torn flesh, causing fresh waves of pain to bloom in my brain. My mouth opened and closed in agony, only small noises escaped, before the burning in my throat stopped anything greater.
At once, the steel, barred door to the dungeon swung open, a dark shadow standing in the frame, and a cold wind blew through the room. My captor immediately dropped his whip and fell to his knees again, only this time he was staring at the figure that had appeared.
"M-Master! I am close to breaking this girl! Please, give me another chance!" the man pleaded at the shadow, letting his face touch the bloody stone floor.
The shadow merely moved farther into the room, revealing them to be a tall, foreboding looking man with eyes as black as the Void. He was dressed in simple clothing, including a black, leather jacket that had five clasps, a pair of black pants, and simple black boots. Though what made the man the most intimidating were the shadows that curled and writhed around his feet. And as the new man came forward, I could see that he was floating a few inches above the ground, the shadows like black clouds under his feet.
"Hello, Aarin. I am the Outsider, and I'd like to personally welcome you to the Void," the shadow man said, his voice like thick caramel. He spoke slowly and deliberately, not taking his eyes off of my face.
I swallowed thickly and waited with bated breath as he drifted closer to my hunched form. His whole aura was of anger and malice, but at the same time, it was power and serenity. As he floated closer, the shadows detached from him and curled around my neck. They felt damp and cold against my skin, but the feeling wasn't entirely unpleasant.
But that feeling changed when the Outsider raised his left hand. The shadows encircling my neck tightened until I could barely breathe. One shadow separated itself from the others and lashed across my face. It left deep gashes in its wake, blood already starting to bubble and pour out, ready to join the puddle on the floor. The shadow retracted and slashed me again, this time going for the opposite side of my face. It caught on my upper lip as it came down again, leaving a portion of my lip hanging off my face, blood now rushing down my body.
The whip man crawled over to me, and taking my face in his hands, licked away a trail of blood coming from underneath my right eye. I didn't have the energy or awareness to cringe or flinch away. The shadow came down once more, before the Outsider raised his hand again and commanded the shadow to cease. The shadows around my neck also relaxed, most retreating to under the Outsider's feet once more.
The shadow man leveled his black gaze on me once more. "Give in to me and this can all be over."
Spitting blood from my mouth, I looked up at the Outsider's face, letting a crooked smirk form across my now destroyed lips. "I'll never submit."