Chapter 7
These violent delights have violent ends
Lately, her life had been so bizarre and so harrowing that it was almost unbelievable to wake up and feel downright comfy. In fact, the feeling of lying on a soft, little cloud cushioned within the rocking motions of a ship at sea was such a change of pace, so outlandish in contrast to all that had happened that Yalene still thought she was dreaming. Reality set in rather quickly when she realized that she was lying on a bed, the captain's bed, to be precise.
Too confused to be startled, she turned her head to take a look around in the captain's cabin. Out of the window, she could see the starlit night sky, the only light that illuminated these quarters. The old woman was gone, she herself was still clothed and even covered with a blanket, which was an unexpected kind gesture. She found the Druchii captain beside her, apparently sound asleep. Even in resting, he had draped himself onto the bed that had magically arranged itself to present him in the most favourable way, splayed upon the mattress like a work of erotic art. He must have bribed the pale moonlight to play with his muscles and illuminate the unnatural bright colour of his skin.
After she had determined that shock was for the weak of stomach, Yalene couldn't decide if she should be annoyed more by the fact that he had lied to inspire terror in her because of a spell that may or may not have revealed her secret, or that he possessed the audacity to breach about any social contract about two strangers sleeping in one bed. The only people she had ever spent slept beside with were her sister, Leevke, and of course Sören during their experimental stage of their short-lived relationship. Even decades later, she liked to downplay her involvement with the lad, mainly because it was more befitting to an old spinster like her to be an officially frigid and virginal old spinster. In truth, the inept fumbling she had experienced with Sören might have played a part in her lifelong disinterest in anything sexual or romantic. Or something had just been different with her. Either way, she had worked differently once and was now keenly reminded of it, because even when being asleep, this Dark Elf beside her breathed desire.
Either way, she was pleased to be alive, but not pleased with what she had woken up to.
What to do now? Her instincts told her to flee for the next exit, her mind told her to take the opportunity for a good night's sleep now that it presented itself. Besides, there were on a ship, with only a few, soft sounds of the crew working the night shift reaching her ears, and from the window, there was no coastline in sight. There was no way to run. Yalene was solely tempted to just slowly and quietly sink back into the cushions and pretend to be asleep. Whatever the outcome of the sorceress' spell, whether she really spilled the truth or they just attempted to, it would only lead to an uncomfortable conversation she pointedly didn't want to have.
As silently as she could, she rose, her dress rustling, trying to sit on the edge of the bed to think for a spell. To gather her thoughts was something she felt she sorely needed, but it was not meant to be. The moment her toes touched the wooden floor, she heard a voice behind her.
"Slept well?" When she swirled around, she could see that the Dark Elf had either awoken or had pretended to be asleep in the first place. He was lying on the side, having propped his head up with one hand in a manner that was probably meant to be appealing. His eyes shone bright with amusement; he was positively exhilarated, which was so disturbing that Yalene let out an involuntary yelp, quickly slid down the bed and would have dived under the bed if it wouldn't have been such a feeble effort. Plus, one could never know how dirty the floor really was. So in her shock, she settled for diving for cover behind the bedpost furthest from him, which, predictably in hindsight, made him laugh.
"No need to be afraid. That spell wasn't so bad, was it? I do like to joke around sometimes." She could hear him moving on the bed and coming closer, which inspired her to scurry away from the bed, which ended in her back pressing against one of the cupboards, the bed perfectly in sight. She wished she hadn't done so, because she could see the Druchii rising from the bed, as bare as he had entered this world, dick swinging.
Oh, that was just great. Yalene felt herself being less embarrassed and more frustrated as she hid her face in her hands. The Dark Elf chuckled again, and she could hear the rustling of fabric and him noting with clear exhilaration: "There, the naked man is covered, thus the naked man is harmless."
If he hadn't during their previous interaction tried to scare the living daylights out of her and in the end produced one of those infamous sorceresses to go to work on her mind, she might have been inclined to be a little bit more open-minded, if only for the sake of necessity. But now, Yalene felt that any other approach than suspicion would be naïve to the extreme. Still, when she peeked through her fingers, she could see that he had indeed wrapped a sheet around his hips, mockingly holding up his arms to show that he was indeed unarmed and that he had covered up, as requested.
But more importantly and disturbingly, this man seemed downright giddy, and his cheerfulness was untouched by setbacks like her not cooperating. Instead, he beckoned her toward him. His features softened and his voice grew more gentle.
"Don't be scared. I'm not going to hurt you. Come to me so we can talk."
Obviously, he thought that his situation was hilarious. The hilarity from Yalene's perspective was questionable, since she had seen him kill, enslave, grope and threaten. This man was dangerous, but even dangerous men could be jovial. She eyed him warily, yet he was not deterred, regarding her hesitance with what seemed like a genuine smile, his response cheerful and even slightly teasing in his response.
"Come to me, dove, or I'll come to you. The choice is yours."
This was not a choice at all; eventually, she would end up closer to him anyway. The only way to retain at least some grain of control was to comply, as wrong as it sounded and felt. Tentatively, Yalene moved as requested, walking slowly to the bed on which the man was now kneeling. The elf was apparently not able to contain his excitement and pulled her towards him in one sudden and fluid motion. So she found herself in his arms again, facing him kneeling before him, barely covered as he was. The way he smiled reminded her of a young boy, simply elated at the sight of a shiny new toy. He even let his hands tentatively rest on her shoulders, as if he could barely believe something so fragile and rare was now in his possession.
"I've been racking my brain about this puzzle: why are you running away, why are you among humans, why is your Druhir so bad, are you some insane Asur spy, why oh why are you so weird …?" He beamed a smile at her, cradling her head in his hands, barely touching her. "I would have never even guessed the truth: a human woman wearing the skin of a Druchii! This has to be a unique thing in this world. I take it half back, your Eltharin is actually quite good, considering your human tongue. But there's so much you don't know ..." His voice contained a disturbingly dreamy quality. At this point, it was kind of obvious that the spell had worked, but it still felt like one more devastating defeat in a long line. Quite taken aback and unresponsive to this sudden burst of fascination and friendliness, Yalene wrapped her arms around herself as if she were cold. This gesture went entirely unnoticed by the excited elf. "How does it feel?"
Yalene blinked in confusion. Of all the things he could have said, of all the questions posed, that was the one in the forefront of his mind?
"I know, I should have asked earlier, but it wasn't quite a priority then.", he chuckled. "You said that you consider yourself as a learned woman. This is so fascinating! Haven't you wondered sometimes if that cage of flesh we are all bound to has more influence on us than we think? Elven emotions are so much more complex and intense than human ones. Could you feel that already?" Yalene felt her heart beating wildly in her chest as the Druchii started kneading her wrists gently and soothingly. That felt so strange, as if he had missed her hands on purpose.
"What makes you think that elven emotions are different?" There was no trace of any adversarial feelings within the captain now, so she might as well focus on the discussion, despite her nervousness and confusion.
"We know. We've always known."
"Yes, but how do you know? Have you experienced human emotion and deemed them dull?"
Somehow, his smile got even broader. Was there anything she could say that would not please him in some way? He looked her in the eyes, speaking in a low, honeyed tone. Yalene also noted that she had been wrong and his eyes were not simply black, but an eerie, inhumanly dark blue. "So you don't feel any different? Everything you feel now is exactly how you felt as a human? You feel just as much? Just as warm, just as cold, hungry, sad, happy, driven …" He calmly pulled her closer so that she could have rested her head against his shoulder if she had wanted. " … more lustful? Or were you always a little minx? Ah, wrong question. You humans tend to shame each other for the strangest things." Again, his face showed amusement, although he more or less seemed to note the last sentence for himself.
Unbelievable. It appeared that Ruvol Blackwater, butcher of Hochfels and dreaded corsair, was trying to seduce her, a frightened old woman who had managed to attract the most lethal and strange accidents in a matter of days, including landing herself in a bed with a man who almost certainly would not accept the word 'no' and had now started to undo the laces of that dress of hers with nimble fingers. He was so swift, so deft in his movements that she only noticed when the fabric slid down her skin, exposing her upper body. It was indeed an impressive feat. For some reason, this was more surprising than embarrassing, mainly because she keenly felt that this was not her body. Yalene was more concerned with the hilarious thought of being seduced, a statement that would have made a whole tavern roar just a few weeks earlier. So she didn't even contain her baffled amusement in form of a soft snort, which, in turn, puzzled the Druchii. At least that gave him pause.
"You won't have fun." She simply said without thinking. It was a stupid attempt on her part, since sex seemed to be the only outcome in this situation, but she had to try and since the Druchii had already magicked any secret out of her, it didn't matter to spill some of her thoughts in her opinion. Little seemed to matter at this point. She wasn't even afraid anymore … she hadn't received the impression that he had wanted to seriously harm her even before the spell. "My good man, you heard me: You won't have fun."
The Druchii was clearly amused and slightly surprised by this, interested enough in her explanation to cease unwrapping her like a gift for the time being. He merely cocked his head like a bird, waiting for her to continue.
"Do you play chess? Who knows it simply doesn't play with beginners. It is my understanding that it's the same with sex." She replied, shrugging.
"So?" Was there anything she could tell him that would not serve to either amuse him or clearly add to his arousal? Instead, he reached around her, his fingertips trailing along her back in slow, sensuous movements that left her skin tingle delightfully.
"As I said: I don't know what I am doing. I am a lousy lay." Shrugging helplessly, Yalene wondered once more if her little improvised word-salad would work in Druhir, but was rather confident that she had made her point.
"Good to know. Just the basics, no adventures and I'll do all the work. Don't worry, you don't need to do anything. Just relax and enjoy yourself." With a cheeky grin, he sealed this promise with an admittedly cute peck on the tip of her nose.
This overly excited attitude was quite disconcerting. If she could have done so, she would have thrown up her hands now. Somehow, she felt resigned and kept talking mainly out of a misplaced sense of fairness. Having managed to slip one hand between their bodies, she had pressed one palm against his chest in a feeble attempt to keep his onslaught of sensuality at bay, all those innocent caresses that barely touched her body, but made her shiver nonetheless. "I can't even claim to serve some fetish – there is nothing virginal about me. I am a fifty-three year old spinster. You will be bored out of your wits." Yalene had reached the limits of her active Eltharin vocabulary and had to improvise with a few hasty word-combinations that would carry her point across, but would not sound elegant by any means.
For the first time, the smile on the Druchii's face died, as he looked her into the eyes, appearing sincere and calm. "Understood … but tell me already: What does it feel like?"
There was a poignant sense of intensity in his voice, curiosity burning in his gaze. Yalene could always respect that kind of unrestrained thirst for knowledge; furthermore, she felt the need to put her latest exploits and experiences into words. There was no reason not to comply. She saw that the Druchii listened attentively and patiently, so she took a deep breath to gather her thoughts. "I have only been in this … state … for a couple of days when you first saw me in Hochfels." It was more of an effort to use the word 'state' to describe her predicament. Somehow, it made it more real than it already was. Ruvol didn't seem to be inclined to mock her or laugh at her in any way for once, and just listened to the whispered words that sounded increasingly pensive and vulnerable, more so than she would have liked. She couldn't look at him, instead keeping her eyes fixed on his collarbone.
"Changes don't take hold that quickly, or should not. Still … the world seems so much louder now. Even in a serene forest, there are sounds I didn't notice before. The water seems more smooth, clothing just slightly more rough, and the stench of a person that hasn't washed themselves in a tenday is overwhelming. Freezing temperatures seemed pleasant, though. Everything is so much more intense … " … save for the winds of magic. Of those, she could only see dim and fading traces of magic that were so subtle, she had almost overlooked them. It was as if her sight was now unfocused to her eyes and needed time to adjust. At least, she hoped it would adjust. It had been almost laughingly easy to manipulate the strands of magic, but to see and interpret them as she used to, to see an omen behind every corner was an ability currently lost to her. Perhaps elves interpreted the winds of magic differently, or perhaps her perception of this reality was simply tainted by the ritual. But her ability towards magic, no matter how miniscule, was something she wanted to keep a secret. It felt more comfortable to do so, and at the same time, the current loss of this sense was painful and confusing, like losing eyes, ears and voice at the same time. Everybody knew how disoriented and lost one could get in the darkness of the blind eye, and she felt so very lost.
It was at this point that Yalene felt the Druchii's lips on her skin again. His caresses were almost innocent – warm breath at her temple, a kiss on her hair, a flick of his tongue at the tip of her ear, a careful, tender nibble at her earlobe, while his fingers trailed up and down her upper arm. His touch was comforting, no matter who he was. Why he bothered to be so careful with her was easily explained: he didn't want to break his toy too quickly, or at least that was Yalene's read on the situation as she continued.
"Perhaps elves indeed feel more strongly, but I believe being killed, pulled into a foreign body and then captured and betrayed is enough to feed a melancholic spirit. Those feelings are the worst thing of it all. I've experienced loss before, but it never affected me so deeply … I used to be such a strong, composed person, so independent. My advice and skills were often sought and even more often habitually shared." Yalene smiled bitterly at the memory, because one could say that she was also quite pushy in her sharing of experience, knowledge and wisdom. It filled her heart with complete and utter despair when she came to the sad conclusion. "That person was connected with her community. But this person is no more. I used to be so happy and was too blind to even notice… now, my own people look at me in fear and anger. I am not part of their world." The sudden surge of melancholy prevented her from continuing, in part because she felt tears welling up her eyes, in part because she followed the instinct to connect with somebody, anybody by burying her head against the Dark Elf's shoulder.
Thus cradled, she tried to regain her composure. The elf didn't seem to mind, paused and gave her that moment, while she felt his fingers combing through his hair.
"You are part of this world as a Druchii now. Accept that." His tone was gentle, but firm, not stopping in this tone or speech while he carefully lowered her on her back, which was actually a welcome change to Yalene. "You have survived a lethal magic ritual and came back reborn. You are an elf now and can experience all the knowledge and culture of another people first-hand. Isn't that lucky enough for you, woman of knowledge and learning?" Yalene had to admit that he made a reasonable point, even if it didn't feel like it. Determined to be the tender, self-styled seducer that he at least currently was, she could tell that he restrained himself greatly. He then buried his head between her breasts, cupping one with his hand and suckling on the swollen bud of the other, making Yalene swallow a whimper. Satisfied with this response, the elf pushed the rest of the fabric of her dress down, deftly lifting her hips to draw the remaining clothing down her legs, only to let it drop forgotten on the floor.
Yalene could merely cling herself to the sheet, gasping helplessly as the Druchii stroked along her legs, caressing her inner thighs and making his way between her legs methodically, with well-practised and nimble fingers. Whenever she opened her eyes, she could see that he watched her reaction intently, his eyes even darker than they had appeared before.
"I've told you.", he murmured calmly as he sent waves of sweet, sweet pleasure through her body. "Elves feel more strongly than humans. You personally hold the proof in your heart." His playful teasing of her labia culminated in an elegant finger seeking and finding entrance, curling in a repeated come-hither-motion while his thumb kept circling her swollen clit.
While Yalene thoroughly enjoyed and savoured all those new sensations running through her body and clouding her mind, causing goosebumps and ragged breathing, there was something in his tone that made her all of a sudden more aware of that undercurrent of nausea and disgust she was also feeling. Whatever he did, be it that he seemed more enamoured with her reaction than the nimble movements of his fingers, the sheer overwhelming quality of all those new emotions or a certain, suggestive tone in his voice, there was a moment of clarity for her that swept that cloud of building desire away, reminding her of the reality of that murderous Druchii pirate working on her arousal with the routine of a seasoned veteran.
Her eyes went wide open amidst that spike of panic, she wriggled herself out of his grasp and rolled on her side, her back turned to the Druchii. She did this in a quick motion that was only successful because it was so unexpected for both of them. Yalene could feel her heart racing in her chest, and underneath her that state of panic, there was still the echo of building desire, lust and the throbbing feeling at her inner thigh.
Compartmentalize. She reminded herself. You can be ashamed later.
At the very least he wasn't offended and let her have her moment of peace. This moment didn't last long, because rather suddenly, he jumped her from behind, wrapping her in a tight embrace, causing her to yelp in surprise. He didn't lose any more time, his taut body pressing against her back and his hands roaming freely over her.
"Your human perspective makes you unique – so unique that I just need to have you.", he whispered into her ear. She could feel his hardened member slipping between her thighs, sliding against her slick folds, but not entering just yet. One of his hands found her sensitive clit again, rubbing it in lazy movements, while he used his free hand to take hold of her throat, applying only the mildest of pressure. Instinctively, Yalene reached for his wrist, but did not dare to pull him away. All of his efforts t made her tingle and sigh in anticipation while the Druchii behind her kept talking, calmly and seemingly disregarding him grinding against her. "Your knowledge can be of use to me. You can answer questions I long to know." He shifted, and she felt his thickness sliding inside her in agonizing slowness. Her body was stretching and accommodating him, but at first, it was still an uncomfortable and at the same time exhilarating sensation. Inch for inch, he pressed himself inside her, sighing contently without stopping in his speech.
"I may be your best chance of survival. Those ignorant humans have tormented you enough. You said it yourself: There is no place for you among them anymore. But with me, your secret will be safe. What do you think, lovely dove?" The elf had paused in his movements, nibbling at her earlobe and allowing her to get used to the feeling of him filling her out, but that was not the reason that Yalene was writhing in his grasp. It was the truth that he spoke that caused her pain beyond measure. While she recognized that he was trying to play up his importance, shatter her trust in humanity and bind her to the Druchii's cause, she also couldn't deny the painful truth that he was right in the one thing that mattered: There was no place among humans for her anymore. Her dear friends had been gentle in telling her that she couldn't go home again, and the Freiherr had been brutally honest. Her appearance marked her as a Dark Elf, not like the human she thought she was. That truth cut like a knife, making it difficult for her to hold back tears. The only thing that made this truth somewhat bearable was her arousal and the exciting, pleasant sensation of the man behind her pulling out and then re-enter in the same, agonizingly slow fashion as he had before, savouring her tightness.
Panting and trembling, Yalene managed to whisper only a single question, one that occupied her mind more than any other. "What does it mean to be a Druchii?" She didn't like that her voice sounded so soft and vulnerable.
She felt the captain pause and hold her more tightly. For a moment, he seemed to be genuinely speechless, before she could feel his warm breath at her ear again as he whispered. "Let's find out." With these words, he rolled her on her stomach, for some reason managing to stay inside her, propping himself up on his elbows next to her body. Yalene found herself encased from all sides, the elf once more caressing and nibbling at her neck. His body heaved, and then he started pounding into her in earnest. She had heard so much about the feeling of being torn apart, of being flayed from within and all those horror stories. In her case, she felt little discomfort that quickly faded away.
She had no idea what to do, since she could not move at all, and therefore decided to simply stay and let the sensations rain over her. Every now and then, she felt the Druchii captain nuzzling at her neck, caressing her hair or, weirdly, kissing her ears, but him vigorously thrusting inside her seemed to be the main event. She couldn't deny that she took pleasure out of it, and that she found shivering release after that onslaught of sensations that quite frankly left her too overwhelmed to truly savour.
He rode it out, kept thrusting into her until the last waves of pleasure had seceded. Only then, he bent down and whispered into her ear. "That's what it means."
Yalene was still feeling echoes of her climax still flowing through her body, but as she heard him tell her in a manner that was just a touch too dramatic what it meant to be Druchii, she couldn't help but snort with laughter. Trying to stifle it by burying her face into a pillow, it was simply impossible to suppress the girly giggle that was born out of the sheer ridiculousness of the drama-filled statement. That in itself was remarkable – she was used to being a poised and collected woman, and the last time she had giggled like a little girl had been decades ago. It was refreshing, to say the least, although a remarkably bad idea, judging from the frozen movements of the man pressing his hips against hers. Somehow, she didn't think that Ruvol Blackwater took kindly to being laughed at.
It took a moment that felt like an eternity before the Druchii pulled out and turned her around, hovering just above her. His face carried the echo of initial bewilderment, but now, his expression was that of good humour, thank goodness. This was the first time in what felt like a long while that she saw his face again – he was slick with sweat, his chest rising with each heavy breath and his long hair in slight disarray. The fact that he seemed to take her giggling fit in stride and had decided that his ego was not frail enough to be bothered by it, combined with his current appearance, made him look downright adorable in her eyes.
"You are not wrong, I admit that." He chuckled, shaking his head, reaching behind her and piling up cushions that he promptly guided Yalene down to lie on her back while she was still trying to contain her snickering. Ruvol didn't seem to mind as long as she let him position himself between her legs again, bending down to face her while she was still suffering from the tremors of her amusement left in her body. In an effort to shut her up in the most charming way possible, he kissed her passionately, his tongue sliding in her mouth, playing with hers. His kiss left her breathless, hungry for more, but it also served to make her find her composure again. When Ruvol slowly pulled away, she could still feel his kiss lingering, prickling on her skin.
"You are not the first to slip, if it is any consolation." She whispered, stroking his cheek. "There are a lot of writers, poets even, that have written the darnedest things in written literature, especially erotica."
"I know, right?" The Druchii replied smiling, pitching his voice a little higher to mock a line for a decidedly female character. "Throw me over the edge of the cliff!"
Yalene responded in kind. "You make me so hard."
"Let's paddle the pink canoe!"
"Their tongues battled for dominance."
Ruvol closed his eyes, his face relaxed, as he shifted in her arms. Suddenly, she felt his warmth and smoothness filling her completely again, making her gasp. He opened his mouth, but his moan of pleasure remained soundless. "You are so tight."
"I will show you worlds beyond perdition ..." Yalene sighed.
"… worlds beyond imagination."
The elf started moving again, this time merely rocking his hips. This time, Yalene was free to touch him at her heart's content and move her body with his in harmony. The embers of pleasure within her were stoked again, letting out a soft sigh ever so often as she caressed the face of this strange, strange man. "Take me in the most manly fashion, you stallion you."
"Completely made up on the fly." Ruvol objected between heavy breaths, his dark gaze fixed on her. "Try again."
"Milk me like a cow."
"I'm going to fuck you like an animal."
Yalene tsk-tsked, noting that this was also the point when the pleasant, rocking motions became thrusts, with him still looking her in the eyes between kisses. The game continued, more breathlessly than before, carefully cradling his face in her hands as she did so. "I love your face when you come."
"You are so beautiful." If she didn't know better, she would have sworn that he looked at her adoringly.
"I want to be in your arms, live in your kiss ..."
"… and die in your lap. Good book, good book." He whispered, barely audible, as he slammed into her with abandon, thrusting so deep that Yalene was convinced that she would feel him hours later. Having embraced him, she could only hold him as he shuddered violently, burying himself inside her as deep as possible. She could feel his warm seed flowing inside her as he remained motionless, panting, clinging to the woman in his arms and pressing his cheek against hers in a gesture that seemed almost loving.
Almost. He managed to shatter this fragile impression by staying only a few seconds like this. Then, he got up in a rather sudden movement and walked to one of his closed shelves, leaving Yalene baffled, tingling with desire and feeling supremely awkward.
How utterly impolite. Apparently, the good captain used his afterglow to get himself a goblet of wine, which was a rather efficient use of time, since that allowed him to catch his breath and leave his bedfellow to muse at once about being used and discarded that quickly. It was also now time to feel ashamed, although Yalene thought that she ought to prioritize the feelings she had about being left alone immediately in his bed. She settled for awkward, abashedly closed her legs and got comfortable in the bed, provided she wasn't kicked out in a second. A pity, because she had just started to enjoy his company.
It turned out that the captain looked pensive as he returned to bed, offering her a goblet of wine, and when that was politely refused, he chugged it down. Placing it on the bedside table, he then finally did the polite thing, lying down facing her as he pulled her into his arms. Almost romantic, that. It was good enough for Yalene, who still felt awkward. So they lay there for a while in pensive and somewhat uncomfortable silence that she just had to break.
"You know about Ludwig Schauberger?" She asked tentatively, not daring to speak louder than a whisper.
Ruvol hummed affirmatively, taking one of her dark dresses in between his fingers and twirling it. "He's one of your Empire's greatest authors. I like to study the enemy, which incidentally, includes art. 'Athorensia' happens to be the only play I have ever read, but it made an impression." No small wonder, since it was known to be tasteful and comprehensible to just about any audience.
"I am just surprised that you would bother, but studying the enemy makes sense to me." Even if the 'enemy' happened to contain her people, her countrymen. It was still somewhat comforting that a Druchii could respect imperial culture enough to bother with pieces of art and literature.
"One of the reasons why I need somebody like you. 'Athorensia' was almost beyond my knowledge of Reikspiel. I need somebody to teach me that language properly while I'm at sea. The slaves I usually catch are either illiterate or uncooperative." That this was a horrible thing to say didn't occur to the captain, who ran one of his hands over her arms.
"Does that include High Elf literature?"
Asking that question might have been a mistake, since she could see the skin around his jaw tighten as he stewed over that question. "Yes. It's better than I thought, I'll give them that."
It seemed to be a sore subject for him, so Yalene approached the following question carefully and with as much tact as she could. "You said that you took me for an Asur spy earlier. Why?"
"Two reasons. The first: your features look softer than usual for Druchii. You look more like somebody painted a High Elf with the wrong colour pattern. Add your strange accent and behaviour, and you can see my reasoning. Secondly: That's exactly what they do." He grumbled. "They sit all high and mighty on their island and are quietly scheming and conquering, only that they call it diplomacy. The truth is that their depravity is just more hidden. At the end of the day, we are just the same; Druchii are just more honest about it." That mighty Druchii captain radiated wrath that should have intimidated Yalene, but in her eyes, he appeared weaker now. She understood that there was energy in righteous fury and that the Dark Elves in general and this elf in particular needed that rage to carry themselves through the day, but that man seemed now much like a boy in her eyes, a boy helpless in fury against something immaterial, like an invisible wall. It was that helplessness that marked him in her eyes, and the only thing that came to mind might have been the wrong idea – compassion. If he were a boy, she would now take him into her arms until he calmed down, and since the captain had his childish moments, she did the same for him, carefully reaching out and pulling him closer to allow him to rest his head against her naked shoulder.
At first, Ruvol seemed baffled by the gesture, but soon enough, she felt him relax in her arms, even more so when she started to caress his hair. That the gesture served to soothe him was surprising enough; that he calmed down considerably could only be an improvement in this bed, though. After a while of simply resting at her shoulder, he resumed the whispered conversation. "What do your people think of mine? Please, don't pull any punches; I know that it can't be good."
Of course it wasn't, but that was not something she would tell him. Just because there had been some sort of intimacy a short while ago didn't mean that she could let her guard down. This was still a slaver, and she still didn't think that the word 'no' was an option for her in this cabin. Likewise, she would tread lightly with any insult, lest she would see the face of that man again she had seen in the streets. So she chose her words carefully, as if reading a dry passage out of a history book. "The conflict between High Elves and Dark Elves is well known and has existed for thousands of years now. The coasts of the Old World fear Druchii military for their swift raids and naval expertise."
She felt him smile against her skin. "Never mind. That question is a bit much for the first day, hm? Besides, I can imagine all those stories about bloodthirsty monsters dragging you off to butcher and eat you, I suppose." He chuckled. "Well, that's mostly true from your perspective."
Yalene shifted uncomfortably, but didn't answer.
"Do you know why we have to catch slaves?"
She shook her head, slipping her hand under his hair and stroking the back of his neck.
"When our people first arrived at Naggaroth, there was only an army full of warriors – no peasants to till the fields, no miners to mine the ore, no artisans to practice their craft." He shrugged. "So there was an army and no people to build a city. I guess what happened was the natural consequence. Ever since, little has changed – Druchii become part of the army, and slaves make it all work."
It was such a cruelly cold and pragmatic story, it made Yalene shiver. "Does that mean that every Druchii is a warrior of sorts?"
"Almost." The elf corrected her. "Some are slaves of their own, and then there some who don't fight … a few artisans, like weaponsmiths, alchemists, chroniclers … but even they can't work on the fields after their day of work. You see? That's why slaves are needed." That still didn't make it right, she thought. Why a whole country couldn't be bothered to have a few less warriors and have their fields in order in return was beyond her. But the elf wasn't done just yet, shifting ever so slightly in her arms. "Don't worry, you don't have to fight. Researchers and chroniclers are rare enough. The way I see it, you fall roughly into that category. If you had a spark of magic in you, you might have had more possibilities than men."
"Oh?"
"Men are forbidden to learn magic."
That information gave her pause. "One of the most feared armies in the world is deliberately diminishing itself by not taking tactical advantage of a lot of potential wizards? Why is that?"
"Our sorceresses wield their emotions with their magic. They are among the best and more than make up for the lack of male sorcerers." He chuckled. "Other than that, there's a prophecy that the Witch King will at some point be defeated by a male Druchii strong in the arts of magic. That's why it's forbidden. But how many actually defy that prophecy … who knows?" While he talked, Yalene remembered how she, Arnwald and Wiebke had mused about the fragility of the human skeleton once. For example, there was a certain cervical vertebra that could be broken with a minimum of effort … the one that was lying beneath her palm now, incidentally. There was also the notion of smothering him with a pillow when he slept. But if she was honest … could she really do that? She had motivation enough, ever since she had met him, he had been a force of destruction and misery, leaving a whole town in ruins in his wake and hauling most of its inhabitants still alive to a fate worse than death, while rationalizing slavery towards her, the woman who was treated well, but was still not allowed to be more than a plaything. Even more so, he seemed to be efficient in his profession. If he would die, it would be a minor blow to the Druchii as a whole. But the more she thought about it, the more she was convinced that she couldn't do it, no matter how casually cruel he talked about the need for slaves. She also felt that it would be somewhat rude to a person who had saved her life twice now and shown her kindness when she had needed it. She also couldn't deny the fact that there had been some lovely moments this evening and that she could empathize with him in a sense, and she still could feel the echo of pleasure in her body, the shade of his kiss prickling on her lips. It didn't matter for this question. It had everything to do with her refusal to threaten life and debase herself by committing a heinous act. In fact, that she had considered the mere thought was shocking to her.
It was more likely, though, that she was just cowardly and shied away from violence on principle.
"So you couldn't learn magic even if you had the talent. That seems like such a waste." She whispered, picking up on the conversation. "Do you dream of studying magic?"
That question made him smile against her skin. "I never did. I've always wanted to be what I am today. Why dream of something that I can never have, when I can just fulfil my desires if I am bold, quick and clever enough?" There was a moment when the elf seemed to hold her a little tighter as he continued. "A friend of mine used to say that the dreams of slaves never failed to amuse her, always dreaming of things they could never possess." It was striking how careful and respectful he used the word 'friend' in this context, as if that connection was a treasure untold. At the same time, he seemed awfully dismissive of the notion that slaves could have dreams, aspirations and wishes, which made Yalene involuntarily shiver.
"Dreams help us to endure painful reality." She whispered in a faraway voice, more to herself than to him.
He didn't respond per se, but the way the captain slowly and deliberately turned his head towards her immediately alerted her senses and told her that something was very wrong, and that the lazy and somewhat pleasant part of the conversation had come to an end. She was proven right immediately, since a moment later, he was on top of her again, looking awfully pleased with himself.
"Speaking of dreams and reality … let's go through your options now, shall we?" His tone was that of a man who knew that he was winning, no matter on which side the coin fell. "You can continue to dream of things you can't have. Or!" Again, he adopted those speech patterns in which he stretched the vowels to appear more dramatic while he grinned down at Yalene seductively. "You can focus on things you can reach and face reality. Whether you like it or not, you are mine now. I know ..." He smiled seemingly conciliatory while Yalene's expression must have shifted from mildly concerned to indignant. "… that sounds bad, but it doesn't have to be. I treat my property well enough, provided it does what I ask for. I can offer you so much, and all I ask for in return is obedience." It wasn't much, he said, when he was asking for the world without even noticing. As he talked, he grew more excited, going so far as to force himself between her legs again while he continued his speech. "I told you that I have needed a human scholar for the longest time now. I need somebody for research … you see, raiding villages for slaves and plunder is profitable enough, but I need another challenge, like finding treasure in Lustria or the Vampire Coast, or defeating one of the legendary Tomb Kings in combat and raiding their tomb. Just imagine!"
There was no way to ignore or deny his excitement, since he pressed his cock against her lap, it was impossible not to notice that he grew harder at the sheer mention of treasure and glory. Yalene was far too baffled to even react and just looked up at him with wide eyes. That boyish smile on his face didn't fade; instead, he smirked. "You must have some skills to help me. Don't keep me guessing."
What a turn he had made there, and Yalene found that she wasn't even angry at him; she was angry at herself that she hadn't foreseen this turn of events. Instead, she had shared his bed, enjoyed his company and dared to find a good quality or two in him like a young, naïve little girl. She was old enough not to fall for that kind of trouble, and here she was, completely taken by surprise and growing angry about it. That frustration on her part translated into a defiant 'Fine!' ... he wanted to know what she could do? She would tell him. No need to hold back now.
"I am fluent in the spoken and written word of six languages, not including Reikspiel. I possess intimate knowledge about Imperial History, law and theory of magic. Additionally, I used to be a scribe and librarian by trade." She raised her head ever so slightly, glaring at him. "Also, my handwriting used to be pleasant to the eye."
"There are a lot of things about you that are pleasant to the eye, dove." The arrogant smirk on the Druchii's face was almost unbearable and made her wish that he would choke on his words. However, he seemed to relish the sight of her naked shape as he took a moment to regard her with thinly veiled conceit. "I can do with you what I want, when I want it. You have no idea how much that turns me on." Oh yes, she had an idea. She could feel it. Ugh. "Just looking at you … I am in the mood to ravish you right now. But you are not in the mood right now, are you?" He teased her by rubbing his hardened member against her, but at least, he did nothing more. "Yes, your skills are useful to me. You have a decision to make now: Do you resist and end up forced to cooperate, or do you want to make an 'agreement' with me? Obedience is the only thing I want, as I told you. You will work for me and nobody else. I will treat you well, provided I am happy with you. What do you say?" With these words, he bent down towards her, his face hovering inches above hers, whispering suggestively. "Believe me, I would love it if we were to come to an agreement."
That 'choice' was no choice at all, and he knew it. This was just a ploy to get her to go along smoothly and seemingly of her own free will to create the illusion for him that he did not exactly force anybody. It made her sick to her stomach, and she made that perfectly clear by continuing to glare at him. "My survival instinct is in perfect working condition, thank you so much. Of course we have an agreement." There was more. That surge of anger, in part at herself and her naivete, in part at the captain for getting her into that situation in the first place, was not something she was willing to ignore anymore, wisdom and patience be damned. She had cradled his face before, but now, she did the same gesture without any gentleness, grabbing his face and keeping him in place, inches from her face, as she looked him straight in the eye in a last act of defiance. "One word of caution: I am obscenely lucky. Every game that has ever been thrown in my path, I won. That game you are playing? I will not lose. You have been warned." That was unwise to the extreme and given recent events probably not entirely true anymore. But it had felt so good to give him at least a little bit of resistance before letting his face go.
A moment later, she realized she really shouldn't have done that, not because she provoked the wrath of the Druchii captain. Oh no, she had provoked something far more terrible. At her declaration, he had started to smile more broadly, grinning from ear to ear, his excitement beyond any measure.
"What a pretty toy I've got today." He sneered. With a sudden movement, he grabbed her by the throat, applying enough pressure to make her feel as she was choked. As she desperately tried to gasp for air, he continued, still grinning. "I will have a collar made for you, so that everybody can see that you are mine ..." Again, his face was close, far too close, the sadistic gleam in his eye shining brightly. " … and so that you can never forget: I. Am. Your. Master. Now." Loosening his iron grip around her throat, he didn't allow her time to breathe. Instead, he covered her mouth with a crushing kiss, his hands running amok around her body. He was so lost in his passion, she could even feel him biting her neck and drawing blood.
She tried to push him off, but this was an elf possessing a wiry strength and enough muscle to restrain her with ease. In the end, especially in regards to her position as a new slave, she realized with despair that there was nothing she could do. He was way too strong to fend him off. So she simply remained still, going limp and attempted to wait until he was done.
Almost immediately, he stopped in his tracks, looking puzzled. He realized soon enough that she was not exactly a willing participant, which made any bluster evaporate in an instant. That was also true for goodwill, as was clearly annoyed. At least, it made him pull away from her and leave her alone, but he also rose from his bed, stepping away. He still had time for an icy glare before turning his back towards her.
"Since sharing the bed with me seems to be beneath you, you can sleep with the others down in the hold." He pointed at the door she had noticed earlier, the one that led below deck, but could only be accessed through the captain's cabin. He didn't say much more, but to Yalene's eyes, he seemed like a boy again. Like a boy who was pouting.
Still, this was better than what she had a minute before. Slowly, she sat herself up, only now noticing that she was shaking like a leaf. It took her a moment to regain her footing. Through the rushing of blood in her ears and her racing heartbeat, she could see him waiting for her to vacate the premises. How lovely. But she would not use a few honeyed words to soothe his wounded ego … he had to mend that himself.
His tone was chilly when he addressed her again after a minute too long. "Get below and wait there until I have need of you." He paused, before adding. "Send Hjördis up."
Whoever this Hjördis was, Yalene didn't envy her. In fact, she felt relieved as she took her leave from that mercurial man that she was now stuck with.