Simpering Banshee Bitch 4:
'You will obey! Now thank me!' The Commandant ordered as he struck recruit 273 down again. The woman was a young thing to be at the spire and was the most stubborn masochistic recruit the Commandant ever had to break. She would not obey regardless that she was hardly able to stand because of the beating and the torture from the collar. Once the collar had settled again from its most recent bought of torture 273 defiantly stood and glared at the Commandant her sharp features echoing those of the spire itself. She did not yet realize what the Commandant did, but she belonged in the spire. She would serve a purpose and she had been crafted to be in the spire her features echoed the beauty of the spire. When the world was cleansed by Lord Lucien the Commandant would ensure that she remained at the spire. That she did not leave that place. Like himself recruit 273 was a part of the spire, only she was more perfect than the Commandant was. The shards did not protrude from her skin, no she was not crafted by Lord Lucien, and she had come before. Once she was broken, once she was loyal as the Commandant was, he intended to understand how she was made, and who had so seamlessly crafted a person from the spire.
The Commandant opened his eyes to look out over the core of the spire. He had let his mind wander again; an affliction that had arrived nearly eleven years ago when 273 had looked at him defiantly and refused to obey. The Commandant did not sleep; he did not require such human activities now that he was part of the spire. True he had once been human, but that was so long ago and such memories of humanity were unimportant. There was only the spire and only Lord Lucien…but that was not true, there was 273. That woman, who had caused the Commandant to let his mind wander. She was an ever present part of his world now, the fact that she was dead seemed to not matter for his mind still wandered.
The Commandant turned his back to the window and walked calmly out of the room leaving the broken recruits behind. Other guards would come and drag their limp forms away. 1458 broken recruits, but what did that matter when there was one who he was never able to break? The woman had been defiant till the very end; she had fought when all of her skill had been sapped away by the collar over those ten years. She had been clumsy with the sword she had stolen; she had forgotten how to use the weapon. Even though she had been a crucible champion, ten years of having ones skill and battle prowess sapped by the collars rendered them a novice. In the end she had succeeded in getting the mage free but at the cost of her own life.
That was however not a certain fact, very unlikely that she survived but not uncertain. When she had battled her way from the prison block to the docks she had somehow managed to do so without actually killing a single person. This was however her down fall as others who were part of the spire like the Commandant attacked her. She had fallen quickly to their attack. The final blow across her head had been with such a force that it had thrown her into the water. By that time the mage had disappeared through a portal and she drifted limply out of the spire. They had not bothered to retrieve her body; it would only be thrown to the sea once she was confirmed dead. It was easier to simply let her drown if she was not already dead. The Commandant was spiteful over this however. He was intent on breaking her, forcing her to obey. She had by dying forever escaped his reach and now he thought of nothing but what he could have done to break 273.
~O~
"My god what happened?"
"I don't know, but the poor thing has been abused for years it looks like."
"Do you think the girl is an escaped slave from across the sea?"
"No, she is from Albion; she has just had it harder than anyone we have seen." Lily said to the whore Kerri the red head had brought a bucket of clean water up for Lily. Lily had for the past week been working. Not as a whore but as a nurse to the comatose Briga. Not once since Reaver brought her to the house bleeding and passed out had the girl woken from her sleep. Lily feared that she would never wake. Reaver had said nothing on what had happened to the girl only that he would be back for her. Since then Reaver had frequented the house coming for the services of the ladies there but each time he came and checked on Briga's condition.
Lily had never seen Reaver so concerned for another person before. It was not a sit by their bed side and talk to them concern, no that would have been downright abnormal for Reaver. It was the pop in and make sure they are still alive kind of concern, and for Reaver that was a big deal.
"So what do you suppose happened to her? I mean everyone has been shooting around ideas but you have yet to say what you think happened." Kerri said as she sat down next to Lily taking the soiled bandages from the woman and placing them off to the side to later be washed.
"I don't know. I mean so much was happening that night. I have never heard so many Banshees wailing like that before and never so close to town. Every time I heard them it was a far off sound carried on the wind. I thought maybe they were trying to protect Briga but, I don't know…" Lily trailed off as she lifted another old bandage off revealing the deep gash that was slowly starting to heal. It had finally stopped bleeding and a scab had formed over the wound. Lily gave a small sigh of relief at this, the gash was one of the worse that Briga had suffered and was one of the most likely to kill her.
"Why would the banshee protect her?"
"She said that her family lived there in the marshes. I don't know for sure but I heard rumors from some of Reaver's men that she said they were her family. If that was the case then how did this happen I wonder?"
"You think a banshee did this to her?" Kerri asked watching Lily inspect the gash she had just unwrapped. Lily reached for her sewing kit and a candle. Holding the needle in the flame till it was hot she cleansed the metal and said.
"You know the stories of the banshee, the summon wraith things that cut you to pieces. Well Briga looks like she had been cut to pieces if you ask me." Threading the needle Lily began to sew the gash closed and continued speaking.
"It is a miracle that these wounds haven't set with taint yet."
"What would Reaver do if he came here and found her dead?" Kerri asked imagining Reaver killing everyone who helped take care of Briga. Which was basically everyone in the house aside from the Madam.
"She isn't dead is she?" A voice spoke from behind the woman. Both turned quickly to see Reaver standing in the door way looking into the room. His expression was dark as he looked from the two whores to Briga's pale form on the cot. Normally Reaver would have savored the sight of Briga's unclothed torso only the exposed wounds that covered her body stopped him. He confirmed the slow rise and fall of her chest just as the whore Lily, who Reaver had found was Briga's only friend in the town spoke.
"No, she is doing quite well. The wounds have no pollution and they are starting to heal. But, have you seen this?" Lily said pulling Briga up to a sitting position revealing her scared back. Reaver's expression did not change though the sight of the old and new scars angered him. They were not the scars of battle or of some accident; those scars had come from torture this much was evident. Perhaps the day that she had fled to the marsh was due in part to something Reaver had done to cause her to remember the events that caused her to become so scarred. Reaver watched the two women for a moment then set a small bottle with a creamy red fluid in it on the table that was by the door.
"Have her drink this." With that Reaver left walking down the hallway and away from Briga's ghastly form. Lily and Kerri looked at each other in shock, and then Kerri got up and quickly picked the bottle up while Lily laid Briga back down careful not to cause more harm to her injuries.
"It is a healing potion." She said in amazement. Lily looked back at Briga and thought to herself. What did you do to make him care? How did you get him? Why does he care about you?
"Hand that to me will you? We should get this into her as soon as possible." Lily said taking the bottle looking at its label. It was not a potent potion but it was better than the average fair that was sold around town. Reaver had brought the potion from his own stores. A pang of jealousy went through the woman as she unstopped the bottle and held Briga's head up and poured small amounts into her mouth. Briga swallowed reflexively and with a few minutes of coaxing the potion was gone and Briga had more color to her skin.
"So how did you get stuck with taking care of her all the time?" Kerri asked gathering up the dirty bandages.
"I am her friend. Got to hear first-hand what happened when she went into Reaver's mansion."
"I would never be able to be her friend. To have someone who dressed like a boy and not even want Reaver's attention to get it so fully. He would never have done this for another girl. Aren't you jealous?"
"Yes, but…she said she had no interest in Reaver as a lover. I don't know why but I trust her. I trust that she is only here until Reaver fulfills his agreement with her. I hope when that day comes, she will hold to her word and not want Reaver. That she will just leave. If ever there was a girl to make Reaver hers and hers only it is this one." Kerri looked at Briga for a moment then to Lily and said.
"Lily, don't get your hopes up. Every woman wants Reaver, eventually. What's more, Reaver wants her. When the time comes and Reaver fulfills whatever agreement he made, she won't leave." With that Kerri took the bandages she had collected from the room and left.
~O~
When Briga woke it was to an ache that pulsed through her entire body. She felt stiff as if she had been in one spot for such a long time that she had forgotten what it was to move. She coughed slightly as she tried to speak, her throat was terribly dry. Looking about the room Briga was unsure where she was. It was a gaudy room with over the top furnishings that were a shadow of elegance. She was on a cot on the floor. The bed in the room was neatly made.
Briga pushed herself up slowly much to the protests of her aching body. She was nearly sitting up when a sharp pain came from her side. Briga slid back to rest on her elbows and gasped at the sudden pain. Cautiously she pulled up the bottom of the night shirt she wore and saw the bandages. They covered more than just her side, much of them concentrated on her legs.
It took her a moment to remember what had happened. She had fled from Reaver and Bloodstone to the assumed safety of the marsh. Only to be attacked by a banshee. What had happened after the initial attack was what frightened Briga the most. Almost immediately after her first cry of pain from the wraiths attack other banshees had flocked to her. Many were outraged that one of their own had attacked Briga but more wanted to join in. At that point an all-out battle began with the banshees fighting each other. Some to protect Briga, others to kill her. In the battle Briga had been accosted by wraiths from at least six different banshees. They had all taken the chaos and chanced attacking her outright. They had done a good job of it as Briga recalled falling to the mud and not much else. How she got to this house or where she was she did not know.
"Don't mess with those, you are still healing." Lily said walking in with a pail of water.
"Lily? Where am I?" Briga asked her voice raspy as her throat was terribly dry. Lily handed Briga a cup of water which she drank thankfully.
"You are at The Rose Lamp, this is the house I work at." Briga paled at these words.
"I'm in a whore house?" She asked fearful, if she was in a whore house then she was also indebted to the house. The owners were meticulous with their records of who used what and who owed what.
"Yes, Reaver brought you here." Lily said her tone almost bitter. Briga looked at the woman, no she must have herd Lily wrong Reaver would not have brought her back to Bloodstone. Hell he wouldn't have left her alive after what she did.
"You must be mistaken Reaver wouldn't do that. He wants to put a bullet in my head…or ten." Briga said remembering how angry he was after she had kneed him in his most favorite of places
"Well he is the reason you are here, and not comatose. He brought a healing potion for you. He has been paying Madam to have me taking care of you night and day instead of taking clients."
"Why? I was certain that he was going to kill me."
"You should ask him when he gets here. First the Madam wants to see you though, to talk to you about your debt." Lily said in an even tone. Briga did not understand why the woman was being so cold towards her. What was more is that the woman was the closest thing to a friend that Briga had known.
"Did I do something wrong?" Briga asked as she watched Lily. Lily took a moment before she responded and said softly in a slightly defeated tone.
"No, not yet at least. You still don't want Reaver right? I saw you two at the party, he didn't look twice at me, not when he saw you."
"I don't want Reaver, I have never wanted him. Yea he is a handsome man but he isn't…I don't know. He isn't…right for me. I don't know but it just feels like he is too different from me that nothing would be right if anything happened. I don't want to have something like that." Lily perked up at this and asked.
"So you don't have feelings for him?"
"No, I take it you do though?" Briga asked Lily as she watched the woman.
"Yes, but it's not what you think. I don't want to just get in the sack with him. I have been there. He is amazing in bed but I have never seen him make any gesture more than a quick romp. That's what I want with him though. I want to be what I have never seen from him. I want him to care about me the way he does you."
"Reaver does not care about me." Briga said quickly.
"He has been here at least five times a week since he brought you here. Every time he comes here he checks in on you to make sure you are alright. He brought a potion for you so that you would get better. That is more commitment than anyone has seen from him ever. Whatever you have done you have made him value you more than anyone else. What did you do? How did you manage this?" Lily asked her eyes shone with tears that threatened to fall. Briga did not know how to help her friend but she figured that there was one main difference between the two women.
"I tell him no. I don't just let him control me. I mean he does control me but he doesn't completely control me. He has made efforts to bed me but I have never allowed him to do so. Every time he has gotten too close to me I bolt. I guess maybe he is interested because I haven't just given myself to him."
"I don't think that would work…"
"I'm sorry Lily, I don't really know how to help you."
"Don't worry about it, can you stand? The Madam wanted to see you as soon as you were able."
"I think so." Briga said getting her feet under her and tried to stand. With a yelp of pain she collapsed back onto the cot as a pain shot through her foot. That's right, she had stepped on glass.
"I guess your foot isn't quite healed. I was pretty sure I got all of the glass out of your foot…but I am no surgeon."
"It is alright, you are the reason I am alive and for that I owe you."
"It's fine, I will help you walk. I know how you feel about this place so the sooner you can walk the less you will owe her." Lily said helping Briga to stand who leaned heavily on the woman as Briga hobbled next to her friend. Lily led Briga down the hall and to a grand door. Lily knocked lightly and when permission sounded from the other side she opened the door.
"Leave us Lily." The woman who stood by the windows said. She was looking out the foggy glass of the windows over the town. Lily helped Briga into the door and then left her closing the door as she left. Only then did the woman turn and look at Briga, when she did she gave a small snicker and walked over to sit at the desk that sat in the middle of the room. The woman was tall and was made taller by the heels she wore; her corset was cinched so tight that Briga wonder if she had her floating ribs or not. Her dirty blond hair was perfectly styled in ringlet curls that hung down to her waist.
"Sit." She said pointing her fountain pen at the chair on the other side of the desk; the grey eyes of the woman were the exact shade of Briga's own eyes. Briga hobbled over to the chair, the movement turning out to be more of a one footed hop that caused the woman at the desk to smirk in amusement. When Briga finally arrived at the chair and sank gratefully into the chair the woman spoke.
"I am the Madam of this house, and you my dear have acquired quite a debt in the two weeks that you have been here."
"I have been here two weeks?" Briga asked quite shocked, she had been sleeping for two weeks yet she still felt exhausted and her injuries did not feel as if she had two weeks of healing.
"Yes and you have detained my most requested girl for that time. Naturally you will be responsible for the loss that occurred with every request for Lily that she was unable to take because of you."
"How much do I owe?" Briga asked afraid to know the amount, she had never had much gold and she was sure that she would not be able to pay the Madam back whatever the amount was.
"Your debt is six thousand gold pieces. That is room, board, care, medicine, and the wages that Lily did not acquire." Briga paled and was sure that she was going to faint.
"Six thousand?!"
"How do you plan to pay?"
"I don't have that much…" Briga said trailing off. Madam looked her over critically as if she was a piece of art that she was contemplating buying.
"If you cannot pay me back then you will work for me. I am not sure how well you would do as a working lady. I suppose a maid would be useful. Do you have any skills that I might find valuable?" Madam said as she scratched a quick note onto a sleeve of paper. When Briga did not answer Madam looked up at her to see the look of sheer panic on the girls face. Madam was not sure how old Briga was but she guessed that she was not more than twenty five years.
"She has many uses, but none that you would find of use my dear Madam." Reaver said as he quietly closed the door. Briga turned quickly to see him in his usual garb looking confident beyond belief, and that scared Briga. He was going to kill her, she knew it, he was going to kill her for sure. Reaver strode across the short space to reach the desk. Briga turned back towards Madam to see the woman in a fluster.
"Reaver, you can't take her from me. She owes a debt."
"Ah yes, so does everyone who spends time in your house. I recall owing quite a lot to this house over the years."
"Yes but you were always provided a satisfactory time." Reaver laughed.
"Hardly. Your girls are quite boring."
"Even so, she owes me a debt. Would you pay it just to have her?" Reaver looked down at Briga savoring the truly horrified expression on her face. He knew why Briga was scared; he was enjoying her fear because she had no idea that he had reason to keep her alive.
Briga watched Reaver unsure what to make of his smug expression as he studied her briefly his eyes dark and unreadable. She wasn't sure what she feared more, being trapped with Reaver or being trapped with Madam. Both were dangerous places to be not to mention that Briga was sure they both had people who could find her if she ran. Reaver for certain had people who could find her. Her fate was sealed when a bag of coins fell onto the desk with a loud thump.
"So much!" Madam said in surprise, looking at Reaver quickly she did not need to count the coins to know that there was much more than six thousand coins in the large bag.
"I will be taking what is mine now." Reaver said grabbing Briga's arm and hauling her up to stand. Briga gave a whimper of pain as she stumbled along next to Reaver as he practically dragged her from the room. Madam watched in shock as Reaver left dragging the still injured girl along with him. She pulled open the taught string of the bag and coins spilt from the bag. She quickly pulled out a scale and deposited all of the coins into the scales quickly weighing the gold. Ten thousand. Reaver had just paid the girls entire debt and then some. Madam had always prided herself for never turning any of those she was responsible for into slaves. Though now she was sure that she had sold the girl Briga to Reaver, not that he had given much of a choice.
Reaver pulled Briga through the brothel house all of the women and men who were still in the lounge watching interested. After all it was quite a spectacle; Reaver was pulling a clearly injured girl through the brothel who was dressed only in a thin night shirt that stopped at her knees. Briga shivered as she was pulled into the cold night air.
"Reaver, I can't walk so fast." Briga said in a whimper as she stumbled falling against Reaver as he turned on her. Briga had to take hold of his arm to keep from falling over, she could feel the wound in her foot having opened up again and bleeding through the bandages. Reaver smiled down at Briga, he had to admit that if he was going to agree to protect someone he was happy that it was a beautiful creature like Briga. He intended to make the most of the arrangement, now that he had paid her debt at the whore house plus some she would feel compelled to repay him, she was too honest a soul to let such a debt slide. He had effectively turned her into a slave; he had complete control over the girl now. All he had to do was ensure that she did not repeat her rather malicious assault on his person.
"It is your own fault that you have such impairments. I do not feel like waiting for you to be able to walk to the mansion." With that Reaver picked Briga up and slung her over his shoulder. Briga gave a cry as he did so, partly due to surprise and partly due to pain from her wounds. What was even worse than the fact that Reaver had slung her over his shoulder his hand had come to rest on her rear. Briga blushed as he gave a squeeze, she hit his back weakly and said.
"Stop this Reaver!"
"Sorry dear I cannot hear you." Reaver said and from his tone Briga was sure that he was smiling. Reaver did not speak to her all along the way to the mansion. Upon entering the mansion Briga expected him to drop her and make her walk on her own. Instead he carried her in past his staff and into his study he threw the door closed before he set her down. Briga stumbled away from him slightly holding onto the edge of his desk to balance herself.
Reaver smiled at her look of distrust, he did not expect her to speak but when she did it was nervous and fearful.
"Why?"
"Why is such a vague question my dear, how about you be a little more specific."
"Why did you save me from the marsh? Why did you pay my debt? Why have you not killed me?" Reaver closed the space between them trapping her on the edge of the desk. He brushed his hand against her cheek before he leaned in to kiss her. Briga moved fast bringing her hand up to slap him. Reaver caught her wrist and tightened his grip causing her to give a pained sound.
"You will never attack me again. You are only alive now because your usefulness currently out weights how much I want to kill you. You would do well to not tempt me to readjust how useful I find you." Briga tried to pull her hand out of Reaver's grasp but he did not let her go.
"Am I understood?" He asked with the all too smug expression that he had maintained since he entered Madam's office in the Rose Lamp. Briga nodded slightly not trusting her voice to not be shaking should she speak. Reaver's smile widened and he let go of her wrist.
"Good now that you are listening ever so intently, let me explain what is going to happen now." Reaver sauntering around the side of the desk and lounging in his plush chair propping his feet on the edge of the desk. "Now you will continue to paint for me and will do so until I say so. You will be available whenever I send for you. You will also not keep any secrets from me as you have been."
"You don't own me Reaver." Briga said quietly to try and hide the tremble in her voice, this was not missed by Reaver. He gave a sinister smile and said.
"I paid your debt at the Rose Lamp; I have saved your life. I am allowing you to live. For all this I do own you. Your debts to me are so great that you will never be able to pay them off. You will also be staying here with me from now on. I will not have you wandering off to the marsh again."
"No, no I will not stay here. I will pay my debt off but I won't live here with you." Reaver stood and advanced on Briga who stumbled back away from him and his sudden advance and let go of the edge of the desk her injured foot unable to support her she fell to the carpeted floor. Reaver crouched down in front of Briga and said watching her with that same look that caused her such fear.
"You will stay here or at the Rose Lamp and incur more debt with Madam. I however will not pay off any further debts. Then you won't have any choice in who beds you." Briga tried to edge herself away from Reaver but the movement only caused him to break eye contact to look over her body. Briga became exceedingly aware of how short the night shirt she wore was. Blushing deeply Briga realized that Reaver looking at her the way he did was nearly as bad as him touching her and she flushed under his gaze.
"Now tell me little bird, how strong is your will?"
"My…what?" Briga asked confused as she tried to position herself so her legs were less exposed.
"What you did to throw me back after so rudely kneeing me in my manhood."
"I don't know how strong it is, I…just have been able to do so." Reaver took Briga's hand and pulled her to stand turning her to face an extra chair that sat on the far side of the room.
"Use your will." He said his hands on her hips. Briga was still blushing at Reavers actions but held her hand out to the chair and Pushed. The force left her hand and hit the chair causing it to teeter but not fall over.
"Do it again, this time as much as possible." Reaver said his expression calculating, he was not sure but he thought that he had seen a glow from Briga's skin when she had used her will. Briga took a breath and Pushed again. This time she tried to Push with a much greater force than she had ever needed to use before. The force left her hand causing her to fall back into Reaver as the chair was thrown against the wall breaking and damaging the wall paper.
"Well that is something." Reaver said, though Briga could not see his face she knew that he was happy with her ability. Reaver had not expected Briga to have such aptitude with will. When she had used the magic her skin indeed glowed with the magic highlighting her veins as the magic in her blood reacted to her will. Now that she was not actively using the magic her veins still glowed faintly with residual active magic.
A tentative knock came at the door drawing Reavers attention.
"Enter." He said and one of the guards opened the door and said in a tone too polite for how he was dressed.
"Master Reaver, is everything alright? We heard quite a noise."
"Yes everything is quite alright, is the room ready?"
"Yes Sir."
"Good, take her to it. She is not to leave that room, am I clear?"
"Yes Sir." The man said walking in to help Briga. Reaver handed Briga off to the man and she was taken from the room. Reaver waited for the door to close before he let a wide smile spread across his face. So the informant was correct, pity Reaver had killed him after he got the information. It had been such a fantastical story that Reaver had not believed it. Though when he went looking for answers after Briga had finished the painting he did not expect to find such a treasure. After all such skilled painters did not just appear in the marsh, and they were not raised by banshees. Reaver went back to his desk and opened a drawer taking from it a small grey photograph. It was of two girls posing with bright smiles on their faces. The youngest one looked barely six years old, the older one being perhaps twelve.
"You are mine now, Sparrow."
( So we have a lot going on here in this chapter. Briga being completely manipulated by Reaver was fun to write. When I played the games I found it endlessly entertaining that no matter how hard you tried Reaver always had influence over your character. He even prevented you from taking revenge in the end. I know that some of the readers will not be happy with how weak Briga appears in the story and especially in this chapter. I wanted to make a hero who wasn't completely put together, who was quite the opposite. She was a strong character before the spire incident but upon her supposed death and loss of all memory she had to reconstruct her own personality. Under her circumstances she couldn't be anything but a naïve and rather weak character. She doesn't know how to handle men let alone Reaver and she doesn't understand what she is feeling that scares her. She is defiantly a flight personality. I love reviews and readers love reviewing! So leave a review I enjoy hearing what you think)
