With her body aching from the recent ordeal and her shoulders and neck throbbing with a constant, visceral pain, Delaeni staggered her way to the black rock beach. The cold rush of ocean water lapping over her paws was a stark contrast to the searing agony she felt throughout her body. The salty air filled her lungs, a distraction from the harsh reality she had just endured.

Painstakingly, she entered the water, the chill of it sending shivers through her weakened frame. The sun was beginning its descent on the horizon, casting long shadows across the otherwise empty beach. Gritting her teeth against the sting of saltwater on her wounds, Delaeni slowly lowered herself until she was submerged to her waist. She allowed the waves to wash over her, the salt stinging and cleansing her wounds as each crashing wave brought both wretched pain and fleeting relief. Washing away the physical remnants of Sephiran's assault, Delaeni found no solace in the purification process. What had occurred was not something that could be simply cleansed away- it never could be. The echoes of his harsh words and cruel laughter seemed to linger in the air, the burning sensation of fresh bite wounds, and of course the overwhelming scent of him and his lust. His presence still a haunting specter that hung over her like a shadow. Dipping beneath the surface, she let the cold waters envelop her completely, drowning out the world above. The salty water filled her mouth and nose, stinging her eyes yet providing a strange sense of tranquility. As her lungs began to burn for air, she found a fleeting moment of silence that seemed untouched by the cacophony of fear and trauma that usually pervaded her thoughts.

Rising back to the surface, she sputtered and inhaled deeply, the sharp intake feeling like a small victory amidst her circumstances. Delaeni treaded water for some time, letting the waves rock and cradle her. Her body had grown numb in the freezing water … but there was some gentle ease in feeling nothing at all.

"Delaeni Terblanche"

Caedes watched from a distance as Delaeni staggered her way to the black rock beach, a sense of disdain curling his lip at the sight of her. He found the sight distasteful, her vulnerability, her beaten and bloodied frame – and even the way the healer within him urged him to go and care for her. She seemed to have sought solace in the embrace of the ocean, a pitiful display… truly a feeble attempt to cleanse away the stains and the pain. The air smelled of Sephiran, carried by the northern breeze and chill to his nares.

As she lowered herself into the cold embrace of the water, Caedes could almost taste her desperation, that futile struggle to escape the harsh reality that surrounded her by numbing her pains in the cold water. The waves crashing against the shore almost seemed to mock her, and he began his approach with his heavy steps masked by the sound.

Despite the pain etched on her face, Caedes felt no sympathy for Delaeni. Though it was true he had once been in the same position as she. Yet it was her weak, broken persona that he truly found unsavory. She had no… fire. No intensity. She was like a lamb, perfectly fit for slaughter. Her suffering brought him no satisfaction, only a sense of contempt for her conditioning. Should he have felt bad? Was he capable of it? The answer eluded him. He stopped when he finally came to loom over her, emeralds scanning her for the worst of her injuries; while his fingers itched to treat her wounds. “Ugh.” The brute grunted out, his voice devoid of any emotion, though his eyes shone with a silent longing. Ah.

It was a passive gesture, really, not rushed nor desperate – just an extended paw that reached to submerge the small girl’s skull beneath the water's surface. But he was strong, and far, far bigger than her.

"speaking"

As sudden force met her skull, she felt the world tilt and submerge into a chilling darkness. The bubbles danced around her, trailing up toward the distant sunlight filtering through the water's surface. Panic began to seep into her already fragile consciousness, a primal instinct to survive sparking within her chest as the burning sensation in her lungs grew sharper. Her eyes shot open in a silent plea for mercy that fell on indifferent eyes. Her body bucked and thrashed in the icy water, desperate to escape the stranglehold he had on her.

The world around her was reduced to a blur as she felt herself being pushed down further into the abyss. The salty sting of the water filled her nostrils, filling her lungs with an alien coldness that consumed her senses. Unable to resist the force that held her captive, Delaeni let out a whimpering gasp, streams of bubbles escaping from her lips as she sought relief from the choking sensation. Raw fear clouded her mind, the thought of drowning forcing her heart to beat in erratic rhythms.

With each moment that passed under Caedes' unyielding grasp, Delaeni was pushed further into a realm of distress. The eerie silence below was a stark contrast to the chaos above; the only sound she could hear was her own heartbeat echoing in her ears, a deafening reminder of her desperate struggle for survival.

"Delaeni Terblanche"

Caedes observes Delaeni's struggle with a detached resolve of sorts, completely unmoved by her physical plea for mercy. She thrashes, she screams under the water. Bubbles erupt, vivid teal eyes stare out at him from her horror stricken visage below the surface of the water. It’s that pathetic look of hers. Weak, weak and feeble. Frustration flickers across Caedes' features as Delaeni's struggles persist, her attempts at escape only serving to exacerbate his irritation. His tail lashes, and he begins to frown down at her.

As her body convulsed in the icy grip of the water, he remained, his grip unyielding. He felt no remorse, no flicker of empathy as she fought against the inevitable. The world seemed distant to Caedes as he held Delaeni beneath the surface, his focus singular and almost primitive. The rhythm of his heartbeat echoed faintly in his ears, but from anticipation or something else he did not know. One thing was for sure. He wasn’t feeling satisfied. 

With each passing moment, Delaeni's struggles weakened, her movements growing sluggish against his relentless pressure. Until he’d had enough. And with one swift and forceful motion, he seized her by the skin of her chest, his grip rough as he hauled her waterlogged form out of the water's embrace. He released a low growl as he thrust her down onto dry land, watching and waiting to see if she would reclaim the breath he’d stolen from her.

"speaking"

The moment her head broke the surface of the chilling water, raw air filled her lungs, cutting through the icy cold that had consumed her. She gasped and coughed, each breath a desperate struggle to purge the remnants of the sea from her body. Her mind was a mass of chaotic thoughts, fear mingling with relief as she felt the solid ground beneath her once more.

She lay there on the shore, heavy breaths wracking her small frame as she tried to steady herself. Delaeni's gaze fell upon Caedes as he loomed above her, his expression unreadable. She sought for some sign of mercy or understanding, yet all she found was a cold indifference, his eyes devoid of the compassion she yearned for. Each beat of her heart echoed in her ears, a lingering reminder of the dread that had only moments ago consumed her.

Weakly, Delaeni dragged her waterlogged body closer to Caedes, curling herself into a small ball at his feet. Her movements were slow and uncoordinated, her strength sapped by the intense struggle she had just endured. She dared not attempt to pull away from him, to shy away in fear of his wrath. No, her only chance at alleviating the punishment he had inflicted upon her was to make herself available.

Her breaths came ragged and labored as she lay there, violently trembling, her face turned away from him in an attempt to hide her fears and emotions.

"Delaeni Terblanche"

Caedes watched with a dispassionate gaze as Delaeni's frail form convulsed and gasped for air, the raw desperation in her every breath – not quite music to his ears but he could scarcely deny the satisfaction the noises gave to him. The sight of her weak, shivering body evoked nothing within him but a cold, simmering irritation. Pleasure wasn’t exactly his thing, when it came to matters like this. Necessity, sure. But this had not been out of necessity. It had been an impulse. Powerful, fleeting, lingering. He could see the flicker of hope in her eyes as she sought something from him, some semblance of mercy or understanding, but he offered none. What was mercy to her? Not being killed, while she suffers far worse just to continue on breathing?

“What does it feel like, Delaeni?” Caedes said, his voice a low, menacing rumble that barely concealed his annoyance. “To have your every breath be by the grace of someone else?” He bent down, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized her pitiful form curled at his feet. Cowardly sow. He could see the tremors wracking her body, the raw fear etched into her features, and for a brief moment, he wondered what it would take to break her spirit completely. Her vulnerability might have evoked pity in another, but in Caedes, it only fed his contempt. Poor, unfortunate girl, but where were her scars? The long, ragged, ugly stories of her weakness? The thought made his ears flatten, lips upturning as he bared his teeth in anger.

“Delaeni,” He sneered, a cruel smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. Behind him, his tail lashed harshly as he battled with the urge to touch her meek form. To do what? He was struggling to come up with an answer. Frustration wracked his entire frame, musculature trembling beneath ruined hide. And for all her miserable life, she did not look as tattered as he. “If you think showing me your weakness will earn you leniency, you're mistaken. It only proves how undeserving you are of it.” He reached down, roughly grabbing her chin and forcing her to look up at him, her face mere inches from his. Emeralds blazing, searching her gaze for something more. Something he so badly wanted to see.

"speaking"

Delaeni's eyes flickered open at his command, the dull embers of her fear now reignited under his scrutiny. Her breath hitched in her chest as his grip tightened around her chin, his fingers digging into her skin. She tried to hold his gaze, but her vision wavered, the edges of her world darkening. A thin stream of blood trickled from the corner of her mouth, pooling on the ground beneath her, and for a moment she tasted iron. “S-sir,” she managed, her voice raspy from exhaustion and fear. A sense of dread washed over her as he continued to scrutinize her, each word tumbling from his lips only serving to steep her further in despair. "I...I ap-p-ologize…" She stuttered, her words coming out small and feeble. For what, she didn't know. What else could she say? What else did he want to hear from her? Her chest heaved with effort, each breath she drew sounding more laborious than the last. The words hung heavily in the air between them, a futile attempt at appeasing the brute looming above her.

She was on the verge of a breakdown, as he challenged her. Implying that submission was not what he wanted from her? But how could that possibly be? He had forced her into submission, had he not? Delaeni was at a loss, struggling to comprehend what the man in front of her intended. His expression was unreadable, his gaze inscrutable. He seemed to be searching for something in her eyes, some hidden truth or revelation that she was unaware of. Was it defiance he wanted? Rebellion? An escape attempt? It was unfathomable. “T-the Sultan desires s-sub-mission. Tthat’s what we’re- I mean, Sidi are taught.” There would certainly be consequences if she argued. But wasn’t he prompting her for a response? She couldn’t tell. And she hated that feeling of uncertainty.

"Delaeni Terblanche"

Caedes' grip tightened as he saw the spark of fear reignite in Delaeni's eyes. Her feeble apology and stuttered words only deepened his irritation. It was becoming a tiresome cycle of events. He felt the thin stream of blood against his fingers, warm and sticky, so unlike her cold, trembling flesh. The flesh of a creature no more than a husk of obedience and suffering.

“Apologize?” The scarred brute sneered, his voice dripping with disdain as it rumbled deep from his chest. “For what, Delaeni? For being weak? For cowering before me? Your words are as empty as your actions. As your life.” Her mention of the Sultan and the teachings of submission brought a bitter laugh from Caedes, a harsh and mocking sound that cut through the chilling air. He leaned closer, his eyes boring into hers, searching for any flicker of defiance, any sign of a spirit that wasn't completely broken. Of course  – none still. He wanted to tear into her and find it, if it could be found at all.

“The Sultan may desire submission,” He said, his voice a low, dangerous whisper as he dropped his maw to one disk-like ear. “But I am not the Sultan. And I demand more than mindless obedience. Do you think groveling and whimpering will save you? Do you think I want to see you on your knees, begging for mercy? You do that everyday. It’s meaningless.” His grip on her chin tightened painfully for a moment before he released her, shoving her back with a rough, dismissive motion. He stood over her, his tail lashing in frustration, the muscles of his ruined frame trembling with barely restrained anger.

“Show me something, Delaeni,” He growled. “Fight back. Resist. Scream. Give me a reason to believe you are worth more than the dirt beneath my feet. Even for a moment.” He paused, watching her intently, his eyes sharp and unyielding. “Or are you truly nothing but a submissive, broken creature? Is that all you will ever be? A weak, trembling slave with no will of her own? Surely you suffer no matter what you do, so what is the price of lashing out now when I am telling you to?” He took a step back, giving her room, his challenge clear. “Come on, Delaeni. Show me. You can think of it as an order, if it suits you. Now.” The air was thick with tension, the weight of his words hanging heavily between them. Caedes waited, his gaze locked on hers, searching for any sign that she would rise to his challenge, that she would find the strength within herself to defy him, even if only for a moment.

"speaking"

Delaeni felt a nauseating curl of fear unfurl in her belly at his words. Fight back? Resist? Such concepts were alien to her, counter to everything she had been taught as a Sidi. She was not designed to defy or stand up against authority. Her world revolved around obedience, trust, avoidance of confrontation - survival. Yet here was Caedes, demanding she fight, resist, and scream when the thought itself was enough to paralyze her with terror.

She looked at him horrified, her eyes reflecting the helplessness seeping into her very core. The world started spinning around her. His sneer etched into her mind while his words echoed in her ears, stirring up a whirlwind of doubts and fears. Her heart pounded hard against her chest as if it was trying to escape the confines of her feeble body. Her mouth was dry; she could scarcely swallow against the lump in her throat. She reached up a trembling hand to touch her cheek, attempting to wipe away the lingering sensation of his cruel grip. Her fingers came away smeared with warm blood, making her stomach churn with sickness.

"Fight?" she mumbled, a pitiful laugh escaping her lips, though it sounded more like a sob. "You’re t-trying to trick me …" She finally mustered- much more like an accusation than anything she had said in a very long time. Her voice was barely a whisper, a feeble echo against the walls of her terror. He wanted her to fight, to resist his authority; yet, he was an authority figure himself! It was a paradox that twisted her mind into knots, causing her to feel as though she were on the edge of some precipice. It was a trap. He was trying to proof her. That was the only explanation. “Please d-don’t do this.” Delaeni pleaded. Please.

"Delaeni Terblanche"

Caedes watched the turmoil play out on Delaeni's face, her horror and confusion clear as day. Her trembling hand, smeared with blood, her pitiful laugh, the accusation in her voice - it all amused him in a dark, detached way. She was terrified, a broken creature caught in a web of obedience and fear, unable to fathom the idea of resistance. Cattle. A lamb, even. Fit for slaughter. Something in him truly hated the scene before him, and he had yet to figure out why.

“Trick you?” Caedes repeated, his voice a mocking echo of her own. “You think this is a trick? You believe I am playing some cruel game with you?” He shook his head, another bitter laugh escaping his lips as he regarded the battered thing at his feet. “You misunderstand, Delaeni. This is no trick. This is my desire. Are you not meant to fulfill those?” He loomed over her like a dark storm cloud, his eyes boring into hers with a cold intensity; almost mad with the desire to have what he’s asked of her. What will it take? Must he will it out from her? Must he grab her hand himself and slash it across his face himself? He crouched down again, bringing his face level with hers, his breath hot against her skin once again. “I am offering you a chance, Delaeni. A chance to break free from the chains that bind you, all while giving me what I desire. Or are you a glutton for punishment? Would you prefer I maim you? Fuck you?” The words fell from his lips like venom, his massive frame a threat in and of itself as he stared down at her. God he wanted her to lash out. “Make your choice.” 

"speaking"

Her thoughts swirled like a storm, thick and tumultuous. His words—harsh, cold, unyielding—were an icy rain that pelted against her fragile resolve. Break free from her chains? That was a concept so foreign to Delaeni that it was like trying to understand a language she had never heard. But then there was the alternative; punishment, humiliation at his hands. She could already feel the sting of imagined blows prickling on her skin, the taste of shame bitter in her mouth.

Make your choice, he said, and suddenly Delaeni was drowning.

She cast a wide-eyed look at him, her fear reflecting back in his cold, implacable gaze. His proximity was suffocating, his heat a stark contrast to the icy fear coursing through her veins. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Her mind screamed, urging her to plea, to beg, to apologize for an offense she had not committed. Yet, her throat felt as though it was clamped shut. The silence stretched between them, heavy and fraught with tension.

Finally, she croaked out a response, her voice barely above a whisper. "I... I-I c-can't... I-I’m nnot supposed to … I w-won't." She stammered on each word, overwhelmed by the apprehension that gripped her. “I don’t decide. It's nnot my p-place.” Her large doe-like eyes pleaded for clemency, the unshed tears pooling in her eyes. Whether it was a refusal to change, a refusal to fall for his trap, a refusal to be punished, even Delaeni herself couldn't decipher.

Panic surged within her, the mere thought of disobedience triggering a flurry of anxiety. “Please...” she whimpered, her voice filled with an earnest plea for mercy as she writhed before him. His gaze remained unaltered, unwavering in its cold intensity. The silence that followed was crushing, a cacophony of unsaid words echoing within the walls of her mind.

"Delaeni Terblanche"

Caedes' frustration reached a boiling point as he watched Delaeni stammer and squirm, her fear and confusion overwhelming her. Her pitiful pleas and tearful eyes only served to deepen his irritation. This cycle of submission and terror was suffocating, and he was determined to break it, one way or another.

“Can't? Won't? Not your place? Your purpose right now, is to do whatever I command. Is it not?” He repeated, his voice a menacing growl as he grabbed her face. His grip ironclad as he forced her to look directly into his eyes, their noses almost touching. “If you won't choose, then I will make the choice for you.” He said, before swiftly yanking her head closer and bared his arm before her mouth. “Open your mouth.” The obsidian brute commanded, his voice low and dangerous. “Sink your teeth into my flesh. I made it easy for you, little sidi. Now do as you’re told.” His words were a demand, leaving no room for defiance. He could see the panic and indecision in her eyes, the turmoil that raged within her. Her hesitation only fueled his anger, his need to see some sign of defiance, some spark of resistance. “Last chance.” Verdant fire in his gaze, the dire brute growled, his voice a deadly whisper as he pressed his arm hard against her mouth, the muscles in his frame tensing as he sought what he desired from the little sidi. Undoing her or not, his mind was a calm, cold wave of compulsion.

"speaking"

The command echoed through her, reverberating against the walls of her skull. His face was unbearably close, his words an onslaught of harsh reality that she could neither deny nor evade. The cold steel of his gaze pinned her in place, and for a moment, the world seemed to stop spinning on its axis. She felt the blood drain from her face, her toes numbing at the edges as a wave of sheer terror washed over her.

His arm pressed against her mouth, insistent and unyielding; a grim reminder of the choice that had been made for her. Her heart pounded in her chest like a trapped bird, fluttering desperately against her ribcage. The metallic scent of his skin filled her senses, causing a ripple of nausea to coil within her gut.

Swallowing hard, she hesitated. Her insides twisted with uncertainty and fear. She was trapped between the desire to comply and the instinctual aversion that pulled at the base of her stomach. She felt herself shrinking under his gaze, wilting like a flower under the harsh glare of an unforgiving sun. She was prey, and he was the predator.

A low whimper escaped her, as she parted her lips ever so slightly. Her teeth grazed his skin, just on the surface without applying any pressure as she flattened her tongue against her bottom jaw. She could hear her heartbeat pounding in her ears, getting louder and quicker with each passing second. The space seemed to shrink around her, the air thinning as she took shallow breaths. But as he commanded her to bite … she couldn’t do it. The world blurred around her into an indistinct haze as a stream of tears flowed down her face; the only thing clear was Caedes' cold stare. "I… I can’t…" She stammered once more, her voice choked with fear and anxiety. She quickly tried to pull back- as if his touch burned her. Pathetic sobs escaped her lips as she crumpled into herself, a shriveled husk under his dominating presence.

"Delaeni Terblanche"

Caedes' grip tightened, the ironclad hold on her face unrelenting. His eyes narrowed, cold and unforgiving, as he watched her crumble. The pitiful whimpers, the tears streaming down her cheeks — each sign of her submission only stoked the fire of his frustration. She was weak, a frail shadow of what she could be, and it enraged him. But he didn’t know why.

“You can’t? Have you no rage, no resentment for the manner in which you are forced to survive?” The obsidian brute echoed, his voice a dangerous whisper, dripping with disdain. “Delaeni, even if I meant to kill you, you would offer your life to me freely.” He leaned closer, his breath hot against her trembling skin.

With a swift, forceful motion, he released her face, shoving her back. His fingers, once pressed to her lips, now dug into the rocky ground, the muscles of his fores rippling with barely contained fury. “No dignity. No will. But I suppose you can not turn a lamb into a lion.” He spat, his words cutting through the air like a blade. Not when the lamb was years old, and had never known anything else. Not when its mind was a torrent of conditioned responses and visceral reactions.

He took a step back, towering over her crumpled form. “Get out of my sight.” He commanded, his voice leaving no room for defiance, but then again he hardly even needed to be so firm with her. She was broken. His eyes bore into hers, a storm of anger and disappointment. “Go back to your keeper.” He bared his teeth, gesturing with a jerk of his skull for her to flee. He offered her only the loss of his emerald gaze, cast out against the ocean that he’d momentarily drowned her within.

His mind flashed with images of blood and the gleaming of saliva on wicked ivory, but he shoved it down with a guttural sound from his chest. Stupid girl. Even a child has more sense for survival than she.

"speaking"

Delaeni felt her heart squeeze painfully in her chest. His words, laced with venom, pierced through her like arrows, each one leaving a painful wound behind. She was weak, pitifully so, and she knew it. His condescension, his scornful disbelief... it all stung like a physical blow to her already fragile psyche. Her breath hitched as his hot breath brushed over her skin, her body trembling under the intensity of his proximity. "I.. I'm not... s-strong..." She stuttered, her voice barely a whisper, each word punctuated by a sob. "I... I can't... f-f-fight... I can't..." She confessed, her voice barely above a whisper. Her chest heaved as she drew in shuddering breaths, her eyes lowered to avoid his verdant gaze.

Her knees jarred painfully as she fell backwards onto the icy ground, a soft gasp escaping her lips. The cold was biting, yet it was almost soothing contrasted with the fiery humiliation that burned within her. His words echoed in her mind, reinforcing the chasm of self-doubt that had all but consumed her. The realization that she was a lamb amidst wolves struck her hard, a bitter pill swallowed reluctantly. She lay there, crumpled and defeated in the cold embrace of the snow-covered earth, the taste of total surrender tainting her trembling lips. A silence fell over them, as heavy and suffocating as the blanket of snow encasing the land.

She shivered, her body convulsing under the onslaught of the cold and her fear. The words she wished to say remained trapped in her throat. It was a silent plea for understanding. Laney's eyes welled with tears, the icy wind stinging her cheeks. With a whispered, stuttering apology that held no weight on the silent, snow-laden air, she scrambled to her paws, and without any further prompting, she staggered away. Her paw steps were slow, uneven and pained. Her frail figure, beaten and bowed, retreated from the scene of the ocean inlet. Back to whatever safety she could find in the Sidi quarters.

-Exit Delaeni-
"Delaeni Terblanche"