HazzaTL3-Thank you for your reviews and for sharing your thoughts with me.

Thank you to everyone who has read this story and shown some love. You guys are the best! Also, take notice of the warning on this chapter because it is sad and dark. I do not shy away from pain, gore, and torture in my stories, but… they always get better eventually!

Chapter WARNING-Graphic displays of torture and mild sexual sadism.

Chapter 10-Scream For Me

Snake Mountain.

Tris surveyed the apparent throne room with keen interest, knowing it was best to take in everything she could about her new surroundings before anything happened. All the furniture was literally carved from the rock that made up the floor and walls. From her very short time lying on it, she was hyper aware of how uncomfortable it was. Well, at least it's not cold. Snake Mountain resided in the dark hemisphere and was surrounded by volcanic activity. Being so close to fire was a nice change from the royal palace in Eternos; it made her feel more at home instantly.

Skeletor seems to enjoy a little flamboyancy, she thought in regards to the collar and her being on display for his warriors. It didn't really matter to her; she had been the subject of intense scrutiny her entire life, but Tris did appreciate the opportunity to survey them all in turn.

The crab-man and the furry man, who she remembered had been called Beastman, were not new to her, although the girl realized now that the stink was coming from him. She hadn't smelled it in the town but guessed here it had already permeated the walls with no way to escape.

Her gaze shifted to a large, blue man whose metal armor and attachments reminded her of Mekaneck's except his looked much more deadly. He is probably the one who hit me, she realized after seeing the metal appendage that stood in place of a natural arm. His lower jaw was also made entirely of metal and his face was a bright shade of green that didn't match the rest of his body.

There was a large, green male who looked similar to a reptilian species she had known during her own time. His eyes were a beautiful deep gold with the characteristic black slit of a reptile for a pupil, but the rest of him was unremarkable so she turned her attention to the only woman in the room. Her clothes suggested warrior but Tris knew she was also a sorceress by the staff she wielded. The woman is beautiful, she thought, her libido in overdrive from her previous lackluster feedings. It had been a mark of great beauty in her society to possess pale, white skin and although the sorceress' skin was not white enough, it was still attractive. The purple garment she wore hugged her curves nicely and accentuated her chest without revealing too much. Her face was plastered with a smug look that said, 'I'm beautiful, powerful and I know it.'

The last man was also very nice to look at although right now his body was covered in healing stab wounds and large bluish-purple bruises, which appeared to be about a day old. He was tall, at least six feet, with a well-defined chest. His armor was a vibrant, forest green that protected mostly his upper body and shoulders. A black kilt covered his lower half and it had green pieces of cloth on the sides that matched his armor. There were silver and gold accents that gave the outfit a more regal quality and it was completed with black boots.

He wore a piece of equipment around his head and face that blocked the view of his eyes. Tris was unsure what it was for, but it did not detract from his overall appearance. She also noticed that he was the one who smelled great, and sniffing the air in his direction caused her whole body to light up at his scent. It was a woody smell that reminded her of the forest, but there was also a hint of musk as well. He was definitely human but there was something about the way he smelled that was almost intoxicating.

She turned her attention back to Skeletor choosing to inspect his figure first. His body was hardened from combat and the very air was heavy with his power. His blue skin was different from anyone else's she had ever seen and worked well with his battle garment. Even without flesh to his face, overall there was something attractive about him. The look he gave her was lascivious. He is undressing me with his eyes already. It didn't bode well for her situation, but Tris couldn't help but feel another spike of arousal at his gaze even though he was her captor.

Oh, I'm so hungry and how am I going to feed now? There were only two men in the room who attracted her and she really didn't think it was wise to lie with Skeletor. It proposed possibilities for escape but insanity was usually a quality she tried to avoid in the men she allowed to touch her body. The other male with the interesting head gear was definitely the better choice but he seemed angry with her for some reason. The way he was looking at her was definitely in an unfriendly manner.

I'm not sure how Skeletor would feel about me having sex with one of his subordinates either. Before anything was to be done, she needed to know more about all of them and if they had information about her stones as well. The girl was already certain it was best to avoid Beastman; he looked at her like he was thinking sex and food, which was not a good combination.

"Do you know where you are?" asked Skeletor.

"Snake Mountain," she replied softly.

"And you know who I am?"

"Skeletor," the word came out even softer.

"Lord Skeletor. And these are my Evil Warriors," he said gesturing at the group. "Do you know of them?"

"No."

"Oh, but you will," he replied in a tone that was undoubtedly a threat. "Now that we're all acquainted, we shall get down to business. You are going to answer my questions. When I'm done, you will either be carried out of here to a dungeon or you shall remain here on this nice area I've had prepared for you." He waited a moment for her to understand the more obvious threat and then began. "How old are you?"

It was a strange first question but she didn't see any harm in answering it. "I have seen one hundred and two of your years."

"How long were you imprisoned in the stone?"

Tris hesitated, not sure how much he actually knew about her. When she took too long his eyes glowed red and figuring it meant he was angry, she decided to tell the truth, "I'm not sure exactly… but it was at least 2500 years," and he appeared surprised by her answer. Good. Maybe he doesn't know much.

"Who put you in the stone and why?"

"The queen of another city; she accused me of sleeping with her husband." It was close enough to the truth that she was sure it would pass whatever they were using to test the validity of her answers. Skeletor just seemed amused by it.

"And did you?"

"No."

"So why did the woman accuse you?" he asked with what sounded like genuine interest.

"Her husband cheated on her frequently only she did not know with whom nor did the woman want to admit it was happening. He had previously propositioned me but I refused him. When she finally confronted him about his adultery he said he had only been with me."

"Smart man. He kept his whores safe and got rid of someone who had rejected him." He seemed to think for a moment. "Sounds truthful enough. Good. Now, what kind of creature are you?"

I was hoping he would not ask, which was completely improbable; of course he would want to know. "I am… a mix of three species that you are not familiar with as they died out long ago." It was vague and they both knew it.

"And what are they?" he asked impatiently.

Tris didn't answer and wasn't going to because she didn't know what kind of information they already had. She did not believe they had located her by mere coincidence so that meant they knew something. I'm getting carried out of here.

"Are you refusing to answer my question?" He took her continued silence as an affirmation of her refusal.

His left claw flexed outward in a blur and bit deep into her right shoulder. She let out a hiss of pain in response, and then cried out as he started to rake his claw down her arm tearing the flesh in long jagged lines. Tris managed not to pull away because there was a large risk of making the wound even worse if she did.

"What are the three species you are a mixture of?" he asked again. Skeletor recognized that this line of questioning was not going to be answered and that wasn't advantageous for them. If she refused to answer historical questions, then they weren't going to have a chance of getting any real information out of her. For some reason, he didn't mind right now; he was actually… content for the moment as he found he really wanted to hurt her. After all, he could always have Evil-lyn heal the girl and they could start all over again.

Using his claw again, the sorcerer widened the tears that had just been made. This time she screamed but still did not pull away. He repeated the act until bone could be seen and the fragile girl collapsed to the ground twitching. She wasn't crying but she did whimper and it excited him even more. Her pain is like an aphrodisiac to me.

The pain was blinding. The flesh of her arm was a tattered ruin and the last few scratches had left gouges in the bone. Mercy could only come in the form of unconsciousness but stubbornly, she did not fade into the blissful darkness. Her body was screaming for her to heal herself and the more instinctual part of her brain agreed but that was not an option. Healing herself would give her aggressor more reason to continue the session. For now, the girl would endure the pain and hopefully, later she would be left alone to think in the dungeons.

"Evil-lyn? Come heal her enough so she may sit up again." Evil-lyn walked up the throne and did as he asked. It was an easy enough task for the seasoned magician although costly to the witch's own energy stores. The girl rose up quickly probably not fully understanding what had happened. "Evil-lyn will heal you, Girl. I will torture you for as long as I please and she will heal you over and over again. Give me the information I require or I will continue."

The girl looked at him defiantly and through clenched teeth she challenged, "Then do it."

Her snappy retort caught him by surprise, but then again many thought they could handle torture until it actually began. "As you wish."

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Tri-klops turned away the first time the girl screamed, switching his forward facing eye in the process so it appeared as if he had been intrigued by something else. He would have tortured someone himself to get the information they needed, but for some reason the girl's pained cries bothered him. Evil-lyn stared at him with a discerning look on her face and not wanting to look weak in front of his comrades, the warrior turned back to watch, pretending nothing was wrong.

It continued on for how long he did not know, but Skeletor did not seem as though he would slow down anytime soon. Quite some time into it, Skeletor stopped questioning her and was torturing her just to do it. He appeared to be enjoying himself excessively so. The scientist gave the girl a lot of credit though, because she never once begged him to stop nor did she cry. The girl is tougher than she looks.

Finished with her arms, their master turned his attention to the expanse of toned muscle that was her stomach. One finger was drawn down the exposed flesh slowly over and over again creating the appearance of mesh. When he ran out of room to make new cuts, Skeletor went back to deepen the old ones. The girl passed out several times throughout, but Evil-lyn healed her just enough to allow her to scream some more.

He watched with indifference to the actions because it was nowhere near the worst thing he had seen in his life, but the piteous noises she was making made him feel uncomfortable. They became lower and lower in pitch as her throat and vocal cords were continually irritated. Skeletor finally seemed satisfied when she became too hoarse to make any noise at all, and she lie there lightly convulsing on the floor.

Afterwards, Evil-lyn was commanded to heal her just enough to make sure she wasn't going to die, and Skeletor ordered Tri-klops to take her to the dungeons. He took her to the cell that had been redesigned just for her, now with multiple hooks in the walls with medium-length chains, which would be attached to her collar. The door was not only bolted but magically sealed as well so there was no chance for her to escape. It also had a bed unlike all the other cells, although it was really just a long piece of flat rock. I guess she will be staying with us for quite some time.

Tri-klops had brought one of his own sheets for her to lie on top of so the rock wouldn't rub against her torn skin. He respected her more now, if only minutely, after seeing the way she had conducted herself during the torture. In his mind, the girl had earned the right to at least rise in the morning without dirt and rocks inside the slices Skeletor had made. Trying to be gentle, he lay her down but she still whimpered at first contact with the rough surface. The scientist was attaching one of the chains to her collar when a warm hand touched his unexpectedly. The girl whispered, "Thanks," and then slowly rolled over to face the wall.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

After the green-armored warrior left, Tris assessed her injuries and found them to be generally cosmetic. Evil-lyn had healed all of the internal injuries she had sustained, and now there were only tears left in her muscles and skin. She did not have much energy to spare, but luckily for her Skeletor had gotten excited during the torture, which had allowed her to feed. It wasn't enough but it would help her begin to heal the deepest wounds.

Tris slept on and off throughout the night but her body kept her awake as moving the slightest bit would cause sharp pains everywhere. Someone came in periodically, probably checking on her, and each time the smell identified the visitor as the one who had carried her here, but she never turned around to look at him.

There was a brief period when no one showed up and then there was a new visitor. "Twirly has gotten bored of checking on me already?" she asked, her voice still rough from the ordeal.

"Twirly?" the sorceress asked in confusion.

Tris pointed a single finger at her head, and then moved it in a swirling motion. Although much of those hours had been lost as she drifted in and out of unconsciousness, Tris had registered and been highly intrigued when his attachment had moved in such a manner.

She heard a short burst of what seemed like genuine laughter from the other women. "I will have to remember to tell Tri-klops you called him that. I can see the look on his face now." She gave another chuckle before her tone turned serious, although the voice was still low and sensual, "Skeletor has sent him to get that fool Mer-man. He got himself captured by your beloved Masters, and is now held within the palace."

"They are not my beloved anything," the girl replied with a twinge of reproach.

"Good. That is what I wish to talk to you about." That caught Tris' attention and she finally rolled over slowly to face Evil-lyn. "I'm wondering what your views are on this whole situation?"

"I do not understand the query."

"Well, you have seen their side. You know they fight for peace and justice for all," the sorceress exclaimed dramatically. "Blah Blah Blah. Makes me sick. Undoubtedly they told you about us and you should know that whatever they said may or may not be truthful. What I can tell you is that we wish to rule Eternia, and I think you can be an asset to our side."

"Yes, because Skeletor has been such a gracious 'master' up until now," she said sarcastically. "I'm pretty sure it is in my best interest to stay neutral in this war. Besides I do not wish to rule anyone nor save them for that matter."

"Too bad. Skeletor has enjoyed torturing you more than he does any of us. I'm sure it won't be the last time," and her words sounded so sweet as if they were not a threat. "See you soon," and the door closed behind her automatically with a soft click.

Twirly, or Tri-klops as she had recently learned, returned to checking up on her in what she could only assume from the windowless cell to be the next morning. He brought her food that did not look appetizing at all even with her stomach growling it's emptiness in anguish. When he went to set the tray down in front of her, she noticed for the first time that his head gear actually contained three orbs evenly spaced apart instead of just one. Maybe they are his eyes. "Why do you where that thing on your face?" she asked in what may have been considered terrible social etiquette, but she was curious.

"None of your business. Now eat." He shoved the tray into her hands and looked at her expectantly until she took a bite. Just as expected, the taste was unappealing, the smell was worse, and the burning she felt as it moved down her throat and into her stomach made her want to vomit.

"It's awful."

"Too bad. Eat it."

"Why do you care?"

"If you die from hunger, Skeletor will not be pleased. I might find myself in your place."

Changing the subject, she asked, "What happened to cause such damage to your body?"

"Nothing." He left her with the nasty food, which would remain in its current locale indefinitely because she wasn't going to touch it again. Well he certainly is gruff, she thought, wondering if he was that short with everyone or just her.

Tris didn't have much time to ponder, however, because Tri-klops came back less than an hour later to take her to Skeletor. The tyrant didn't even put up the pretense of needing information from her before he started reopening the healing wounds. She knew it probably didn't make a difference because he just wanted to feel her pain, but she wished she knew what he wanted. He was no longer asking her questions and so, she didn't know how to appease him and make this all stop.

It wasn't as though she hadn't ever been tortured before because she had, but it was obviously not a pleasant experience. The only thing to do was to try and understand your torturer better to avoid angering or exciting them in some manner. She was trying to pay as close attention as possible to Skeletor's behavior in case there was useful information to be gained. For right now, all she knew was that he liked to see her body writhe and arch in pain with each brush of his claws. However, to remain still during such a time was almost impossible.

There was also wisdom and strategy in protecting the mind even if the body could not be saved. Tris remained as calm as possible, studying everything being done to her and the expressions of all the warriors present. It was clear to her that Tri-klops and the large blue man were not thrilled with watching her go through this. Evil-lyn was completely indifferent to it while Beastman was aroused. Disgusting, she thought trying to draw her focus away from the feeling of a claw moving around inside of her body.

When the hand withdrew, she thought it might finally be over for now, but that was not the case. After he was thoroughly satisfied that his claws had been used to their fullest, Skeletor switched to using his teeth. The first bite left a distinctive mark, and caused her to cry out with renewed vigor. Heal, heal! her mind screamed, but she wouldn't because it would make all this for naught. The puncture wounds from his long canines filled with blood as she watched with clenched teeth and gasped harshly for breathe.

Tris soon came to realize that her primal vocalizations spurred him on and each one was accompanied by a spike in the sexual energy of the room. Holding back the noise was not easy, but she succeeded up until his latest bite. Instead of releasing her, this time he pulled backwards viciously taking a lump of her muscle with him. There were no words for the level of pain that hit her in that moment and fortunately, she passed out.

It was never ending. The torture was never ending. Skeletor would send his silent warrior to come get her and then he would abuse her body. Sometimes there were questions but many times it just seemed to make him happy. Each time he would try a new way of hurting her, with his claws or teeth and sometimes with objects she didn't even recognize. He seemed to enjoy taking chunks of flesh from her body the most. Everywhere that was private was left untouched though and that was a small blessing if nothing else.

Evil-lyn would be called in to heal her, making sure none of the damage to her body would be permanent, and then Tri-klops would take her back to her cell. It lasted that way for what she thought was about a week. Then, the last few days, Skeletor had truly brought her to the brink of death before the female magician was allowed to heal her. It was almost as if the man was torn; keeping her alive was important to him for some reason but a part of him wanted to feel her last breath as it rattled out, knowing that he was the one who had stolen her life from her.

Each time Skeletor would give off sexual energy during her torture and that was the only reason the girl still lived. At times she was also able to feed off him and Evil-lyn, who seemed to lust after each other frequently. The amount of energy they had been throwing off suggested they were not sleeping together, which was strange since they acted as if there was history between them. Whatever the reason, she consumed the energy they released so as to maintain her health but her body suffered. She had grown weak from hunger and was starting to lose weight from not eating the food they gave her. Her stomach, thighs, and arms were no longer toned because her body had consumed her muscle trying to stay alive.

Tri-klops had yelled at her to 'just eat the damn food' more than once. He said he didn't care if it tasted awful, and that dying over such a petty thing was moronic. They do not understand. She wasn't stupid, she knew letting herself starve was a bad idea. Tris also knew there was the possibility that she might die, but despite what some may have thought, that was not her intention. She just couldn't make herself eat it. Food was a delicacy, sacred, meant to provide life and be savored; that was what she had always been taught. All forms of energy were meant to be treated this way, and the girl couldn't consume something for which she had such revulsion. She just couldn't… but there were consequences.

Too weak to rise one morning, Tri-klops had to give her some kind of liquid food through a tube directly into her blood stream, and afterwards he had begun to force feed her whenever she couldn't fight him. Tris started to feel better from the food he was putting in her, but she loathed it.

When Tri-klops came to get her that day, she simply snuggled into the momentary warmth his body provided. Her life had become monotonous and part of her was actually getting used to it. "Tri-klops? How many days has it been?" Silence was the only answer received, which she knew it would be because he never responded to any of her questions. The only time he spoke was to inform her of a specific situation if necessary, and even then he was terse and always sounded angry.

When they arrived in the throne room, Skeletor was in a good mood. Apparently he had sent Trap-jaw on a mission a few days ago and was confident it would be a success. Tri-klops set her down next to Skeletor's throne and attached a chain to her collar. Tris grabbed his hand until his eyes met her own, and she stared for what seemed like an eternity, finally letting him go without saying anything.

Skeletor began by lightly scraping his claws against her skin, and knowing it would only progress from there, Tris receded into her own mind trying to ignore what was happening to her. She was pleasantly surprised, however, when the latest torture session actually ended prematurely. A little ways in she heard Tri-klops' voice through a fog, "Skeletor. Trap-jaw has found something."

"Beastman, gather the steeds. Tri-klops, take her back to her room."

Room?! Yeah right, she thought incredulously. Tri-klops did as he was told and left her in a hurry, although he had still tried to be gentle when putting her down. So far everyone at Snake Mountain had ignored what Skeletor was doing to her, not like she thought they would stop him anyways. It bothers Tri-klops though. The man had discomfort written on his face whenever Skeletor made her scream. He was the only one that had tried to make her more comfortable. He is always in a bad mood though. Never answers any of my questions, she thought hazily as she drifted off to sleep.

I broke the original chapter up again because I feel like it makes more sense this way. There should be a break between the beginning and eventual end of the torture. Also, I truly believe that Skeletor is a sadist given what we see in the show and he is evil, lest we forget, but do not be too angry with him. Tris is a pragmatic creature and remember, we haven't actually seen any anger from her at the situation. Hmm?