Author: Sanyi, Posted: Wed Jan 8, 2020 6:24 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

Her arms were pinned at her sides as Solmundr spoke, despite her yanking of the shoulders. The grip was too firm to be dislodged, and she was still fighting to understand what was going on. Sanyi caught the grin on Raven Boy’s face, causing the wyvern to pause, curious as to the scene that was now unfolding between the two men in her room. Solmundr did not seem to like the response as he marched toward the defiant male. What did he mean “enjoy yourself”? What had he asked Ensarrian to do to her? Her head reeled at the thought that another wyvern might have been sent to torture her when she was promised it was over.

They began dragging the wyverns out of her room behind Solmundr, Sanyi renewing her efforts in forcing them to release her. All she got for her efforts was another mercenary assisting her guard, one on each arm.”Solmundr, let me go! You promised!” Her demands fell on deaf ears as the men holding her made a turn into an adjoining hall, her feet trying to dig into the ground as her voice rose. ”Don’t betray me, Solmundr, you snake! I’ve done nothing, bastard!” Despite this, Sanyi could not stop them from heaving her down the hall. She didn’t want to spend another unknown amount of time nearly melting to death. The door grew ever larger as they slowly approached it, her fear finally stopped growing as it shifted into a new emotion altogether. Determination.

Sanyi took a deep breath, collecting herself as she planted her feet once more, halting their progress. ”I said… Let… Me… GO!” As she exhaled, the wyvern pulled her arms from their grasp, hugging herself as she unexpectantly fell to her knees. The air around her grew instantly chilled as ice crackled all around her. When she opened her eyes, Sanyi blinked in surprise. In a perfect circle around her, jagged and sharp icicles of varying shapes and sizes extruded from the ground, impaling her guards. Their time for planning had effectively run out. If Solmundr finds out she did this, even with the necklace, their chances would become nonexistent very quickly. It was time to act, to end Solmundr’s evil and escape from this hell hole of nightmares.

The sounds of her bare feet slapping the stone, her heavy breathing as she ran was the only thing she could hear. He would do nothing without that stupid pet of his, so the blind must be dragged out as well. However, Sanyi knew she could not be much help herself with the binding necklace. If Raziel could remove it for her, then Sanyi could be free to unleash everything, including the dragon within. No matter how she thought, Raziel was the key to everything. Without incident, the wyvern found herself at Raziel’s door and opened it. The angel was already standing, just outside the door’s reach with a smile on her small face. ”Hello Sanyi.”

”Raziel!” A bit rougher than she intended, the wyvern gripped the winged one’s shoulders. ”You would do anything for him?” She nodded. ”Then I need a favor.” Raziel began to frown as she cocked her head. ”What can I do?” ”Remove my necklace. A wyvern can’t do it and it locks almost everything. We’re leaving. Right now.” The winged one smiled as her diminutive hands reached up for Sanyi’s neck, feeling the necklace and removed it. Sanyi could swear it was like a breath of fresh air as it was removed, a sense of weight being removed from her shoulders. ”Ready to get out of here?” ”Ensarrian?” ”Don’t worry. That’s the first step. Rescue Ensarrian, kill Solmundr, and torch the place to the ground.” ”I like it.”

The wyvern allowed the winged one a moment to prepare herself. Raziel’s eyes blinked, becoming clearer as she looked up directly toward the wyvern with a triumphant smile. ”Now I won’t be a hindrance upon you. Wait… What’s that smell?” Both of them sniffed tentatively at the air, a snarl rumbling the back of Sanyi’s throat. ”Isedora. The last thing we need right now.” ”Isedora? Not… Ensarrian’s Isedora?” Something twisted inside at the thought of Ensarrian already having someone, even worse, Isedora, daughter of Solmundr. What the hell was he doing with that piece of trash? ”Come on, we’ll deal with that later.” The pair left Raziel’s room and began heading down the halls, using Sanyi’s nose to track Ensarrian’s scent.

Everything seemed quiet until they rounded a corner into three mercenaries chatting about something. One of them flicked their eyes over the girls, instantly wary. ”Sanyi, where is your escort?” Isedora was at the end of the hall, a look of shock upon her face as she gazed at the scene. The wyvern gave a wicked grin. ”Chilling somewhere. Would you like to join them?” Her eyes flicked from the men to Isedora, only to catch the tail end of her outfit rounding the corner as she darted presumably back to her father with her discovery. Any surprise they may have had was just eliminated. ”Let’s get you girls back to your rooms…” ”Sorry, but I can’t allow that.” Sanyi lifted a hand, palm up, where moisture condensed into a glowing blue sphere. A plethora of shards of ice flew forth, embedding themselves into the chests and eyes of the men. Allowing them to experience pain in their last few moments of a decent life, the pair ran past them.

The girls barged into the room shortly after Isedora warned them. Raziel did not waste a moment on anything else as she darted past everyone and straight to Ensarrian. Somewhere in the halls, the winged one had produced a metallic rod about the same height as she with a teal ribbon tied at the top, decorating a beautiful stone at the top. She used it to strike Doctor Manson away from Ensarrian before conjuring some sort of crystal barrier around them, blocking both wyvern and small woman from view as she released him from the bindings, carefully averting her gaze so that he may redress himself without further embarrassment. Sanyi grinned at Solmundr and Isedora. ”How ya doing, Dora? Finally home to play with daddy? Sorry, but your reunion is going to be cut a little short. Thank you, Dora, for bringing me the perfect gift. Someone not bound to you! Now, let’s see what I can do.” While blocking the exit, Sanyi began shifting into her wyvern form, growing in size as blue scales protruded from her skin and her bones shifted to accommodate her new shape.

Author: Ian, Posted: Tue Jan 7, 2020 1:09 AM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

Sanyi’s demeanor changed. She visibly deflated a little and looked about the room with a saddened gaze. Ensarrian slowly raised his brow at the mention of her mother, slightly taken aback that she knew either of her parents. He had known his, but they were killed when he was too young to remember. Even now whenever he thinks back on it, he gets only glimpses of brief moments, but he never sees a face. Sanyi explained that her mother managed to plant fear in Solmundr, and that the fear remained every after her mother’s death. It was difficult for the male Wyvern to believe. Solmundr was a clever man, one not so simply fooled. But if her words were true, then her mother must have bested Solmundr at the clever game. Ensarrian resisted a smug grin, clearly amused that such a well prepared and intelligent man could be made a fool of. Ensarrian wished he could see Solmundr’s face the day he learns the truth. Unless…

His train of thought was interrupted when Sanyi turned her eyes back on him. Their gazes met, and his breath paused. Her face flushed, making him believe she had something in mind, and his cheeks heated in return. The bulge in his breeches tightened some more, becoming more apparent to him by the minute. She started moving closer ever so slowly. His heart beat louder. Every part of his mind screamed for him to move away, get out of her reach. But his body wouldn’t obey him. He was frozen. Out of nowhere, she asked to touch his lips once more. It reminded him of their first kiss. It was one sided, but it did not make her lips feel any less soft, and warm, and beautiful. His eyes dropped to her sweet lips, and his hand pressed on the pillow, so if to force his erection back down. It didn’t work—of course it didn’t. Instead, it only added to his discomfort, so much so that it almost hurt. Her hand reach up and gently touched his lips. As if that was the button that needed to be pressed to set him off, he nodded without a single thought against it. He had lost his self restraint.

Their lips met, and instantly he was drowning in her glamouring touch. His eyes drifted shut. Nothing about them had changed since the first kiss, yet, somehow it didn’t feel quite the same. It made his body burn with desire, ache with need. It was such a slow and tender kiss, but it was all he needed to give rise to lust. Sanyi pressed to deepen the kiss, and instantly his bones screamed. He flinched from the pain and winced. The kiss broke as Sanyi pulled away with an apologetic expression. She moved to the furthest end of the bed, both relieving and disappointing Ensarrian. With her out of reach, resisting her would be easier. But his body had yet to cool off from the seed of urges she planted within him. He finally laid back with a wince, bones and muscles and flesh crying from the movement. He kept the pillow on his lap, refusing to remove it until his obvious excitement died down. And, before he knew it, they were talking. The air between them was uncomfortable and awkward, but at the end, Ensarrian was nearly convinced that Sanyi had no ulterior motives. Then, soon enough, she once again used some kind of magic to lull him into slumber.

But, like the rest he had gotten since he was brought here, it didn’t last. It was beginning to take its toll on him.

The abrupt and rude awakening was caused by him being dragged out of the bed. He yelped from the pain the ruthless hands caused him, clenching his teeth and fists as a way of fighting through it. Solmundr’s voice cut in, loud and snarling. Despite the pain, Ensarrian shot Solmundr a smug grin, “And you thought I would actually do it?” Solmundr’s eyes blazed as he stomped towards Ensarrian. The Wyvern raised his chin and straightened himself defiantly, eyes unwavering even when Solmundr’s furious face was mere inches from his own. “I gave you a chance to enjoy yourself,” he spat. “As if you’re so gracious,” Ensarrian countered, somehow keeping his smirk to hide his pain. “Since the very beginning, nothing you ever offered me didn’t benefit you in some way, no matter how good you made it seem. So forgive me for not believing you.” His sarcastic tone made it apparent he wasn’t truly sorry, instead it was like slapping Solmundr with his own faults. Pleasure swelled in Ensarrian as Solmundr gave no reply, his eyes the angriest he’d ever seen. He really must’ve pissed him off.

But then, after a moment to contemplate, Solmundr returned the smirk. Ensarrian’s confidence nearly faltered. “Very well, then. We shall do it the hard way. Then you will wish you had done as I asked.” Out of spite, Solmundr kicked Ensarrian’s leg. He cried out, the hurting bone threatening to snap in each spot it had been drilled into. The pain shot up through the rest of his leg, and his knee buckled. The men holding him tightened their grip to keep him upright. Solmundr walked out of the room, with his other men dragging Sanyi with them. Ensarrian followed, limping so badly he could barely handle stepping with it. Dread and worry made its way into his mind, and soon fear grew when Sanyi was taken down a different hall. Solmundr had commanded to have her taken to the hot room. He wasn’t sure he knew what that was, but he imagined it was a form of torture. That only gave rise to his anger. What had Sanyi done to deserve torture? She didn’t even know Solmundr’s plans. Ensarrian was the one who resisted his urges, refused to give that bastard what he wanted.

He was taken to yet another room. However, upon entering, Ensarrian was greeted with a familiar face. Her raven hair was in a bun as usual, skin as fair as always. But her bloody lips were curved into a grin, and her golden eyes held no pity nor concern for him. Isedora was seated atop a metallic table with restraints, much like the one he’d already been confined to. She uncrossed her legs and leaped off, glancing at him only once as she approached Solmundr. Ensarrian was stunned, eyes wide with confusion. “Isedora…” he muttered her name, before turning his gaze on Solmundr. “What the hell is she doing here?” Solmundr wasn’t planning to use her against him as well, was he? If he was, why would she approach him so obligingly? Why… why wasn’t she concerned about him and what Solmundr had done? Very quickly, he felt stupid for asking. It was obvious. She wasn’t worried because she didn’t care. He could see it, plain as day.

“Why shouldn’t she be here? She’s my daughter,” Solmundr replied. Ensarrian’s heart dropped and split all at once. It was like a heavy blow to the gut, leaving him winded. Solmundr continued, rubbing salt on the wound, “She wanted to see how you are faring, as you are her boyfriend and all.” Ensarrian’s eyes drifted to Isedora. “Well, technically speaking,” she said with a lazy shrug. “Not really. I was just my father’s eyes and ears to keep track of you. Where you are, where you’re going, who you’re with,” her grin broadened at the last part. Raziel/. It was Isedora who told Solmundr where to find him, and about his relationship with Raziel. She was the one who knew his friend could be used against him. Little by little, his world was shattering. “Why?” He asked quietly, making no attempt to hide his disbelief.

Isedora calmly strolled towards Ensarrian, placing her hand on his cheek. “You are such a fool,” she said sweetly, as if she were still the caring girlfriend she pretended to be, as if she had the right to even pretend to care at all. “You’re awfully cute, but you’re so inexperienced. You don’t know how to treat a woman, much less how to please one. No woman would ever want you, none in their right mind.” Her cruel words were like a dagger in his heart. He knew she was trying to get his self esteem and confidence to sink. And although he wouldn’t admit it… she succeeded. He turned his gaze away from hers, jerking his head to tear it away from her hand. She laughed lightly and turned towards the door, waving at Solmundr, “Tell me how it goes. I want every detail.” Then, she was gone. Ensarrian kept his gaze low, hands balling into fists at his sides. He didn’t know how to feel, how to react. It was almost as if the blow of her betrayal caused him to lose his will to fight.

“Now,” Solmundr’s voice rose. Ensarrian nearly growled from irritation. Couldn’t he get a break? Ever? Even just for a minute? “Get on the table,” Solmundr ordered. Ensarrian did as he was told, laying down on the hard, cold surface. “You’re awfully obedient suddenly. What happened to your usual smart ass remarks?” Ensarrian’s eyes flicked up to Solmundr, his frustration and anger finally showing just a tad. But, he forced a smirk, at least finding pleasure in being able to get under Solmundr’s skin. “Missing it already?” He replied smugly. “I thought you hated it when I refused you.” Solmundr chuckled and waved his hand—a command. The men started locking Ensarrian down with his arms and legs spread wide. “Perhaps,” said Solmundr as he stood with his hands behind his back. “It’s more amusing when you fight. It makes breaking you far more enjoyable.” His grin was serpentine with wicked eyes. But Ensarrian was unwavered by it. This was a dangerous game to see who breaks first, and no matter what Solmundr threw at him, Ensarrian refused to lose.

Once he was securely held down, one of the men started unbuckling his belt. Behind Solmundr was another man, wearing a doctor’s uniform. He appeared to be looking through surgical tools. Ensarrian began feeling uneasy, which grew when his belt was off and his pants her loosened. “Care to tell me what exactly you have in mind this time?” Ensarrian asked, trying to keep his cool. His heart thumped anxiously as his pants her pulled down a ways, and his boxer briefs followed, completely exposing him. A shiver shook his body as it went up his spine. He did not like where this could be going. Knowing Solmundr, he likely had something very painful in mind.

“I suppose there is no harm in telling you now,” Solmundr replied. “You will be relieved to know that your torture is done with, as well as Sanyi’s. I have successfully made you two into the perfect battle beasts. However, I cannot simply enter the battlefield field with only two Wyverns, now can I?” Ensarrian’s brow furrowed, attempting to ignore the sight of the syringe in the man’s hand behind Solmundr. “You need more,” he replied calmly. Solmundr nodded and started to slowly walk around the table until he was standing next to Ensarrian, eyes staring down at him expectantly. The Wyvern glanced down at himself, swallowing hard. The man with the syringe approached him, looking at Solmundr as if waiting for approval to continue. Realization hit him, and he laid his head against the table with a heavy sigh. “That’s why you wanted me to mate with Sanyi. You wanted to see the results, as in if she would get pregnant. You want us to bear offspring for your army,” he said with a hint of disgust in his tone. Solmundr hummed, “Well, that’s part of it. I also want to know if what I gave you two would become genetic or not,” Solmundr replied. “But, you did not take the chance I gave you. I wasn’t lying when I said you would enjoy it.” He crossed his arms over his chest. “Now, we’re doing thing artificially. If I get the results I want, then you will be given another chance to take the offer when given. I am certain you won’t like having to do this every time.”

Ensarrian did not reply. Solmundr gave the other man permission to continue, and Ensarrian’s blood froze when the needle touched his sensitive skin. His eyes clamped shut, preparing for the pain. He’d been hit in the balls many times and knew how painful it was, but he could only imagine them being stabbed. Granted it was a needle, but in his book it’d be worse. He’s never been fond of needles.

However, before it could break his skin, the door was swung open. His eyes widened and looked to see Isedora’s distraught face, displaying great fear and worry so strong he could smell it. And on her lips was a small sentence that brought Ensarrian great relief and pleasure, “The necklace was removed.”

Author: Sanyi, Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2019 10:06 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

The female could not understand what it meant to see his cheeks change color, nor why his eyes were wide as he stared at her. It was much like when she was assisting Raziel to tend to his wounds, the same deep shade of red the more exposed he became. For some reason, he tried to keep his eyes averted both then and now. When he sat up, there was a concerning wince that showed the amount of pain he still experienced. Sanyi had almost completely recovered by now, but she had been left alone for quite some time now. Ensarrian took his time in acknowledging her offer, and longer still to make his decision. When he finally did take the offer and sat at the edge of her bed, it felt to her as if he was so close, yet so far away. She found herself silently begging he would lift his gaze to meet hers.

Sanyi could recall the sculpt of his body, the shape of each muscle bunch under the skin as they worked to sew him up. She could still feel the warmth of his skin beneath her fingers. His vague answer was met with a slight shake of her head. ”It looked as if they dragged her from slumber after the… water.” They wouldn’t even let her get her feet firmly under her as they nearly yanked her arm out of the socket. The wyvern recalled how furious Solmundr was with her torture session in the water. After injecting her with their venoms and poisons, the water helped cool her burning body as Sanyi stayed afloat, the temperature not phasing her at all as he expected. It might account for why the heating session seemed to last twice as long as normal sessions. Pulling herself out of her thoughts, Sanyi found his hand in hers as she inspected the wounds, another question at her lips.

She burned somewhere inside as she ran her fingers over his skin, her heart racing. Ensarrian gave another vague explanation, Sanyi somewhat oblivious to the moving of her pillow. Her gaze lifted from his wounds to his fiery orbs at his chuckle, a wry grin mirroring him. But his gaze drifted down. Curiously, Sanyi glanced down, noting that only her breasts could be the object of his fascination. Did he like them? The question caught her off guard as she blinked back up at him in time to hear his question. This time, she forced herself to turn and sadly take in the posh room, her shoulders slumping slightly. ”My mother… I don’t know what she ever told him, but she instilled a fear deep within Solmundr… After he killed her… Maybe he still fears her words.” In truth, it was about a year before he killed her that Solmundr moved Sanyi to this room.

”You are born for greatness, Sanyi. Together with Vartirrian, you shall restore our people.” She pushed the memory aside, for now, her icy orbs slowly returning to rest on Ensarrian’s face. Another memory returned to her… The memory where she kissed a boy who was recovering. Sanyi began to blush as she tried to put her next thought into words. ”Ensarrian… May I… touch your lips again?” She found she had been inching closer, her hand reaching up to touch his soft lips with her fingertips just like the first time. When he finally nodded, she was already inches away. Time seemed to drag out as they closed the distance and gently kissed. Her eyes fluttered shut as she went to press into it, only to feel him flinch beneath her touch. Sanyi jerked back apologetically.

Refusing to be the cause of any more pain, Sanyi resigned herself to sitting at the farthest edge away from him as they talked about various topics rather awkwardly. Most of their tortures were the same, they were about the same age. Their parents were dead. She decided to insist on him laying down and rest, using the same previous techniques to allow him to drift to sleep, having curled up on her side of the bed. Eventually, they both fell asleep, having survived the night without doing as Solmundr demanded of them. It was the most restful sleep she had ever had, which was rudely interrupted by loud voices, stomping boots, and rough hands yanking at both of them. ”One task! You were sent in here with only one task! And you can’t even do that! Throw her in the hot room.”

Author: Ian, Posted: Fri Dec 20, 2019 12:02 AM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

Something was not right.

As Ensarrian lay on the chase lounge, waiting for Sanyi to wake, it became harder and harder for him not to approach her sleeping form. He kept his fiery gaze on the ceiling, refusing to close them and attempt to get any rest. Doing such would leave him to his thoughts with no sights to distract him, and he feared that his mind would wander to Sanyi impurely. But keeping his eyes from turning to her was very difficult, and frustrating with how much he fought the desire. He attempted to calm his pounding heart by drinking in a deep breath, but it only filled his nose with her strong scent. Like the morning after a fresh snowfall… her scent was clean and beautiful and powerful all at once. It filled his stomach with butterflies, along with a sense of dread. Instantly, her parfom filled his thoughts with unacceptable images and desires. His lips tingled from the kiss he still felt so clearly, and his heart beat hard and fast from longing for her touch. He released the breath shakily and moved his hand to rest on his chest. His fingers groped the bloodstained and foul smelling shirt which covered him.

Stop, dammit!

He could not seem to help himself, somehow. No matter what he tried to push her from his mind, she was far too close, too distracting for him to succeed. It pissed him off. Solmundr’s goal floated through his brain, a silent and chilling reminder of what the bastard wanted from them. And he knew—Ensarrian knew that if he remained within her room for long enough, with nothing to hold him back but his weak will and thoughts, he might actually lose himself. She was too alluring to resist, and his unused, untouched body craved for his first experience.

The ruffling of fabrics forced him to look away from the boring ceiling. Sanyi was waking. She seemed to have noticed his presence, for she bolted upright abruptly. The female Wyvern stuttered over herself, yet his unblinking, blank gaze remained unwavering. Naturally, she would want to know why he was there, and how he got in. But he used no tricks, no sneaking like that which she had already displayed to enter his own room. Perhaps that meant that she was unaware that Solmundr was ready for them to…entertain each other. The thought made him wonder if she even knew his plans, or if she had been kept in the dark. He knew not what kind of person she was, so he oblivious to her intentions. Some women might have reacted to his appearance with hostility, not wishing for him to lay a hand on them if they knew. Or, some might be shy, or even welcome the opportunity. Ensarrian had no clue with Sanyi.

He slowly sat up and winced a little at the aching in his bones. His body screamed from such a simple movement; how the hell did Solmundr expect him to be active with Sanyi all night? Simultaneously, Sanyi shuffled on the bed. The blanket that covered her fell from her figure. His eyes widened at the reveal of her lacy attire, the cold blue a match to her frozen eyes. His breath became caught in his throat, and everything around him stopped. Her earlier dress was nothing like this one; transparent so that her skin beneath was visible. He could not spy a bra to cover her breasts, and it appeared as though the lacy design was made in a unique way that no details could be seen, still not giving him a taste of what they look like. On her hips were a pair of panties, much like those Raziel had worn, but much less modest. As she lifted her knees to her chest and held her legs close, his face became inflamed, the heat reaching his ears. The position gave him a glimpse between her legs, and he forced his eyes away. For several moments, all he could hear was the loud drumming of his own heart, all he could feel was the heat rising in his body.

Her voice rose again, but he could not bring himself to look back at her. He knew exactly where his traitorous eyes would be drawn to. The image had already been burned into his mind; if he satisfied his desire to see more, he was not confident that he could contain himself. What the hell was wrong with him?! He would not normally feel this way, even if he was seeing the same thing. He did not feel this way when he had seen Raziel, although that might have been due to their near sibling-like relationship, and she was not the one he was told to “fuck like a rabbit” with.

When he finally acknowledged what she said, his eyes reluctantly drifted up to meet hers. He was not certain, but it sounded like she was offering to let him rest next to her…on the bed. His eyes squinted ever so slightly with uncertainty. Ensarrian knew it was not the best decision; getting within arms reach would likely heighten the temptation and worsen his perverted thoughts and desires. He shouldn’t…he really shouldn’t. Yet…his legs carried him to her bed. The soft mattress and blankets were comforting as he sat next to her. She arranged the pillows for him to lay back. But, despite how much his aching bones pleaded for him to lie down and burry himself in the beautiful soften of the bed, surrounded by Sanyi’s intoxicating scent, he merely sat there with one leg over the edge of the bed. He kept his distance, too fearful of getting too close to her, lest he forget to keep his hands to himself.

Her icy blues avoided looking at him. He supposed it was for the best; becoming lost in her gaze would be far too simple. He, too, tried pulling his eyes away, searching for anything to look at other than her beautiful face, her tempting lips and neck, her nearly bare breasts… They sat there awkwardly, until she finally broke the ice and asked about Raziel. Ensarrian lifted a brow, shifting his eyes back to her before he could stop himself. Why would she care about Raziel? “She will be fine, so long as I behave,” he admitted, but did not wish to say anything more about it. He was still uncertain whether Sanyi could be trusted, so he did not wish to reveal too much about their situation, especially Raziel. The last thing he wanted were more eyes targeting her.

Suddenly, she took his hand in hers, her soft skin a delightful feeling against his callused and scarred hand. His heart thumped, and his breathing froze. Just as he feared, physical contact made things worse. So much worse. A slight tightness in his pants became known to him, making him uncomfortable. Before it could become clear to her as well, he took one of the pillows from behind him and laid it over his lap. His fingers caressed the fabric, making at appear as though he only wanted to test its softness. He was thankful for her asking him another question, as he hoped it would distract him. “I was held captive as well, many years ago,” he started, trying to keep his eyes away from her attractive figure. “When I escaped, I destroyed his entire hideout and all within, including his “rare” and “expensive” drugs he cherishes so much. He just wants me to suffer for it.” A dry chuckle came from him as he shrugged lazily. Briefly, he lost control of his eyes and allowed them to drop to her chest, swallowing hard. He blinked away and looked into her eyes. “What about you? Why does it seem as though you’re treated like royalty? All Solmundr has ever shown me was pain and misery. Even here. What make you different from me?”

Author: Sanyi, Posted: Tue Dec 17, 2019 2:03 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

Knowing that it was at an end, there was nothing else worse than having time with nothing to do. She had seen them dragging a soaked Raven Boy through the halls, his skin an unhealthy blue. Loitering in the shadows allowed her to witness a disheveled Raziel being dragged to his room. Solmundr paced the hallway, switching between muttering about incompetence and shouting at his subordinates. While it was intriguing to see him in such a state, Sanyi feared the increased activity would lead to the discovery of her hidden strolls. The wyvern found herself lounging on her sofa, staring at nothing while her mind spun. Raven Boy's mangled body, Solmundr's anger, a century's worth of unanswered questions repeating themselves for what felt like hours when keys jangled and her door swung open.

Sanyi did not give him the satisfaction of glancing his direction as his boots clicked toward her. "Sanyi, I require you to consume this. You need your strength for what we have planned." Her nose wrinkled as she ignored him and the offered goblet. "It's a reward for continued good behavior, my dear." Slowly, her gaze slid up to meet his eyes with her icy glare, a look that phased everyone else but Solmundr. "A reward? You do nothing without hidden motives. What happens if I drink it like a good little girl?" He gave a chuckle as he leaned down to caress her cheek, a touch she pulled away from. "You get a good night's sleep. I promise." She could not fathom his motives, thus pointedly turning away from him, her arms crossed defiantly.

Solmundr stood, a frown on his face as he gave a 'tsk' sound. "I had thought we were beyond this, Sanyi. Take the potion and get some sleep, or we force the potion into you and put you to bed ourselves. Your choice." While he gave her a stern look as if he were a disciplining parental, Sanyi matched him with icy defiance of a rebellious teen. They had a terse moment of silence between them before Sanyi gracefully stood, her winter orbs still locked onto his. She took the goblet, knocked it back in a single gulp and marched to her bed where she sat in the middle of it cross-legged, arms folded across her chest. Solmundr gave a triumphant smile. "Good girl. Sweet dreams," he purred, sending a shiver down her spine.

At first, everything was dark, dreamless as she slept deeply. Suddenly, Ensarrian was there crawling onto her bed. He laid himself next to her body as he gently caressed her cheek, tucking hair behind her ear all in one motion. Sanyi was trapped by those fiery eyes as he leaned closer. His lips touched hers with a hidden intensity she could not identify as his hand stroked her arm, encouraging her to hold or touch his bare torso as well, pulling her into him. Her eyes snapped open, taking a deep breath as she tried to calm her racing heart. It was just a dream. Several candles were flickering their soft light in her room. Did she light those? The kiss… Just a dream… The Ensarrian she knew seemed shy when it came to her. But his scent was still strong, almost as if…

Sanyi sat up quickly to find the other wyvern laying on her sofa. ”How… Why?” She was still reeling from the dream that she was finding it difficult to string her words into coherent sentences. Had he utilized the same techniques she does to sneak around unaware? The wyvern drew her knees up to her chest, hugging them as she rested her chin upon them. Having Raven Boy in her room was the last thing she needed at present, as there was an unexplainable warmth inside her belly she was clueless about. While she stared at him, the dream still dancing around in her mind, Sanyi found herself quite anxious. She was used to watching him sleep, but he was awake.

”That sofa… It’s not… The bed…” Somehow, Raven Boy understood what she was saying. After considering her proposal, he slowly stood and made his way to her bed. Sanyi rearranged the pillows so he could sit against them before scooting over to give him space. She sat on her ankles, her hands folded in her lap as she resisted the urge to fiddle them nervously, staring at her rarely used blankets instead of him. Encouraging him to get closer made her stomach twist in knots, almost excitedly. It was a strange feeling that was so new and foreign. What did it mean? ”How’s Raziel?” she whispered, more for a distraction for herself. Before she knew it, she had picked up one of his hands, carefully inspecting the work that she and the winged creature had done to the drill holes. ”And you? You never said why he did this.”

Author: Ian, Posted: Mon Sep 23, 2019 9:14 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

Ensarrian lost track of time as he waited. Little by little his warmth returned, but it still was not enough. His inner flame was beyond his reach, and the chattering, the shivering, it was strong as ever. It was clear that his clothing was prolonging his misery. He longed to remove it, but his fingers were frozen, unable to get a grip so that he could undress himself. It seemed like forever before his door finally opened. The familiar smell of lavender made his heart leap with joy, a soft and shaky breath of relief blowing past his lips. It did not sound like she had an easy time getting there, but he could hardly move to check on her. Light footsteps came his way and stopped as she sat on the edge of his bed. Ensarrian slowly rolled over onto his back to look at her, and allow her to examine him. He silently pleaded that his fingers and toes were not beyond saving. Surely Raziel knew of some way to save them. Even if she did not say so, he trusted that she did.

His fingers were numb to any feeling as she felt of them and cupped them into her tiny hands. They felt so small compared to his, and so soft, while his were calloused and scarred from hard labor. Her mana flowed through him, allowing his frozen fingers to slowly regain feeling. Her hands were like a warm and comforting fire against his cold flesh, a welcoming and relieving sensation. When his fingers were warm enough, she pulled away and searched through her bag. He looked over his hands, limbs shaking violently in his sight, but color had returned in his cold flesh. They were still stiff, but he could move them. Raziel has indeed saved them from the risk of having to be removed. He drank from the bottle she offered to him without a second thought, ignoring the taste and caring not what it was for. She helped him sit up, his limbs too stiff to manage on his own. Raziel left no time to debate before she tugged on his shirt and pulled it off of him. Ensarrian noticed the warmth creeping to his cheek as he sat before her, but he said nothing. The chill in the room made him shiver and wrap his arms around himself to build up warmth. Goosebumps had begun to show. But it was quickly ignored as she spoke to him.

Ensarrian understood why his clothes needed to be taken off, and unless Raziel decided to use her pendant he knew she would not see him bare before her. He could not smell Sanyi anywhere within the room, so he knew that she was not an issue, as Raziel promised. However it was not enough to keep his embarrassment from escalating, and from the sight of the tinge of pink on Raziel’s face, and the trembling of her hands, he imagined she felt the same. He wasn’t sure which was worse, having his sister-like friend seeing him naked, or having her feel of his naked body due to her blindness. His body had become far too warm, and when he caught himself he shook such thoughts from his mind. Instead he tried to focus on her intentions, having him regain warmth before enduring his next torture session. He wondered what Solmundr had planned for him next. “Do what you must,” he chattered as he stood. Every muscle in his body went stiff with tension when Raziel reached out and began undoing his pants. His belt hit the hard floor with a clink from the buckle. She removed them with ease, while Ensarrian stood silently with eyes constantly bouncing between Raziel’s actions and searching for a distraction within the room. But there were none. All efforts were for naught.

And then, unexpectedly, the little angel removed his underwear with such speed that he had no time to react. He barely managed to process her actions before she wrapped a warm, dry blanket around him. For several lengthy moments he stood there, entirely frozen from shock and embarrassment. His face grew so hot he imagined it was blazing; perhaps he would soon begin to emit steam from the heat. He could find no words to say, only able to think how fortunate it was that she couldn’t see anything. He could not feel her pendant active, so he knew she was not using it. If she had… he simply would have died if she ever saw him as bare skinned as he was.

In silence he followed Raziel’s guidance and sat on the bed, keeping his blanket folded around him to reveal nothing. He watched and waited as she made a bed of blankets on the floor, with layers of warm and dry fabrics. Ensarrian relaxed a little as he imagined himself curling up in the blankets, the warmth so wonderful and welcoming he might even doze off. And it was not as much a fantasy as reality when Raziel aided him to the new bed. He lay down obligingly, a ghost of a smile appearing as a blanket was set upon him and he was enveloped in warmth. Without wasting a second he curled up and made himself comfortable, nearly humming with relief. He was about ready to close his eyes and try to get as much rest as possible before he had to face whatever Solmundr had planned for him next. And he would have, if not for Raziel’s sudden and unexplained actions.

It was the ruffling of her clothes that drew his eyes back towards her. She was removing her dress, her face the deepest red he’d ever seen on her as she slowly exposed herself to him. His eyes widened as much as they could, face burning. “W-wait! What are you-“ he lost his words as she told him not to protest. So he sat there in silence, unable to move with his mouth clamped shut to keep himself from protesting. He was completely frozen as her dress fell to the floor, leaving the angel standing nearly bare before him. Shock kept him from looking away as he should, despite his constant scoldings to himself that he needed to be respectful. But averting his gaze was no easy feat for a guy as inexperienced as him, especially when this was the most skin he’d ever seen exposed on a girl before. He swallowed hard. How is he supposed to rest now when the image of her is burned into his brain?

He remained motionless when she moved towards him, his heart thumping with each step she took. Raziel slipped under the blankets next to him, every muscle in his body locking with her little arms wrapping around his torso. His breathing halted with her pressing against him, the soft and warm flesh of her nearly naked body on his. It was incredibly difficult not to pay attention to every detail, especially the feeling of her chest. What was he supposed to do in that kind of situation? He had no inkling of an idea. Her wings folded around him, and as she spoke, he blinked with realization. How could he have forgotten that skin on skin contact is the best way to warm a person? Raziel was only helping him, just as she always has. Her voice was laced with emotion that he could not miss. Pain struck his heart like an arrow.

He endured this torture out of fear of losing Raziel, so much pain inflicted upon him so that he would not risk losing the one he loves the most. But guilt and regret must be weighing heavy on her little shoulders. She believed that she was to blame for them being there and for him being hurt… that all of this was her doing. Seeing him suffering so must be eating her away inside. She was so frightened of losing him as well— he could only imagine how it must feel to watch a loved one experience such misfortune and possibly die, and blame yourself for it. If he ever believed he was the cause of her dying… he simply could not go on.

Ensarrian slowly furled his arms around her and gently rested his chin atop her head, breathing calmly. A single hand stroked her lavender locks. “Do not fret so much,” he spoke tenderly to her. “Solmundr had put me through things far worse than this, and I’ve made it. There is nothing he can throw at me that I cannot handle.” He placed a loving kiss upon her head, closing his eyes. “He does not wish me dead, only for my spirit to break into submission. But, as long as you are here with me, and I know that you are safe and well, that will never happen. I will always break through any obstacles that stand in my way if I get to come back to you and see you smile again.”

They sat in silence after he spoke, cuddling close together. Before he knew it, all of his heat had returned, as well as his inner flame. They drifted off into sleep soon after. It was the first good rest he had managed to get since being held in his tiny cell. Raziel kept his claustrophobia under control, giving him the comfort he needed to feel safe and secure. And her softness, and her warmth, it dulled any pain his body was still experiencing, enveloping him in welcoming serenity. However perfect his rest was, it did not last long enough. The opening door woke him, drawing flaming and fierce eyes up to glare at the men standing in the doorway. Solmundr was standing amidst the middle of his men as usual, blinking with a look of surprise at Ensarrian and Raziel, who was still resting. “I knew you must be close to her, but this is unexpected,” he said before a sly grin appeared. Ensarrian’s face flushed, knowing full well how they must appear to Solmundr and his men. But his glare remained hard and threatening as he carefully removed himself from the blanket bed Raziel had made. Crouching in the spot he once laid, he pulled the blankets up and over Raziel until they reached her chin, covering her nearly naked body from all other eyes.

“After nearly drowning me and freezing me to death, what was she supposed to do?” The Wyvern retorted with a hateful snarl. “To be fair, I don’t really care what all you two do in here,” Solmundr sighed in reply, shaking his head lightly with a lazy shrug. “I only want you to be fit enough to handle whatever I lay out before you next.” Ensarrian narrowed his eyes, “Which is?”

“That is available for discussion. Come, let us talk in private,” Solmundr turned and faced one of his men, that grin never leaving his smug face. “Take the girl back to her room.” The man nodded and stepped forward, only to pause at Ensarrian’s vicious growl. “Don’t you dare touch her,” he threatened. She was vulnerable in her current state, asleep and unclothed. He did not trust any of these men not to take advantage and defile her. He simply would not allow any of them to get close to her unless he was certain she was safe. “I have already told you, I don’t want your little friend,” Solmundr frowned. “Do you really think I would believe you? No one comes in here until she is awake and ready,” Ensarrian flashed dagger-like glances at each and every man, challenging them to disobey. Solmundr was clearly not pleased, perhaps anger even flickered behind his eyes. But he was a patient man. “Fine,” he finally agreed, although hesitantly. “When he’s ready, send him to my study.” With that, he left alone.

When they were left alone again, Ensarrian woke Raziel and told her what was happening. The two dressed themselves. He was grateful that enough time had passed for his clothes to dry out. Then, the men came back for them and they went their separate ways. Ensarrian was taken down the dark corridors until they arrived at a rather homey-looking door. Wooden and well kept compared to the iron cell doors to the torture rooms and “bedrooms”. Solmundr was not foolish enough to leave himself alone with Ensarrian once he stepped into the study. Guards stood in every corner, armed and ready in case Ensarrian decided to attack their puppet master. The man himself was seated next to the fireplace, legs crossed like a gentleman with a glass of wine in hand. He watched Ensarrian with a serpentine grin and a plan forming behind his eyes.

“I wish for our discussion to be as civil as possible. Come sit,” the man extended his arm in invitation to the chair directly across from his. Ensarrian stared at it for a moment, before bringing his eyes back on Solmundr, “I would rather not. Just tell me what the hell it is you want.” Solmundr blinked slowly and sighed. His glass of wine was set down on the table beside him, his hands linked together in his lap. “Very well. I will get straight to the point,” he began. “You will be relieved to know that your torture is finished. I have done all that I desire. And, as a reward for your cooperation, I am offering you an opportunity to have a little fun.” Ensarrian crossed his arms over his chest and raised a dark brow skeptically. “Is that so,” he replied with sarcasm heavy in his tone. The Wyvern could trust nothing Solmundr says and knew that there was always a catch to anything “good” he offers.

Solmundr nodded, “You are not the only Wyvern here, Ensarrian. There is another, a female.”

“Yes, I know,” Ensarrian replies flatly. Solmundr paused, brow raising, “Is that so. Care to tell me how you know? I never told before.” Ensarrian stiffened. He had believed that Sanyi moved about with Solmundr’s permission, but if he was unaware that she was seeing him and Raziel, then she was going behind his back. She must not be working with him after all. Somehow, he was relieved about that. But he could not tell Solmundr the truth. There was no telling what he would do to Sanyi if he knew, and Ensarrian would rather her not get on. He needed to think of a lie, and fast.

“I can smell her. In fact, I can smell almost every Wyvern you tortured and killed in this place, but only her scent remains strong, not stale and fading,” Ensarrian relaxed when Solmundr’s expression showed no signs of disbelief or suspicion. “She’s the last one, isn’t she? Your only survivor, just like me,” he asked. Solmundr grinned again and nodded, “Yes, she is. But that is not what I wish to discuss with you.” He stood and strolled over to a small table, hands clamped behind him as he turned his back to Ensarrian. Whatever he was looking at, it was blocked from Ensarrian’s view. “I will have my men take you to her own room, and there you will remain with her,” he spun on his heels to face Ensarrian, that suggestive look in his eyes unnerving him. “I am giving you my blessing to mate with her. In fact, I encourage it. Bang her all night until she can’t walk.” Ensarrian’s face burned red as he briefly recalled the kiss Sanyi had stolen from him. Was she already aware that Solmundr wants him to mate with her? Before his imagination could go any further he creased his brow and snarled, “Why the hell would I ever do that?”

“As I have already said, it is your reward. And considering your… inexperience, going through with it would be an even greater experience. Being touched for the first time and everything; It’s quite amazing,” Solmundr showed an unnerving smirk that made Ensarrian’s stomach churn. How did he knew that he was a virgin? He pushed the question aside for later, hands twitching as he resisted forming them into fists. He knew Solmundr would never give any rewards, and whenever he claimed to do so, he always had something to gain from it. “Why do you want us to mate?” He dared to ask, to which Solmundr shrugged a single shoulder with a cock of his head in that direction. “It’s a little experiment, although a harmless one. I only wish to see the results. And if I see what I predict, then the two of you will be fucking like rabbits,” he replied simply. Ensarrian narrowed his eyes with confusion. What results was he talking about? What was he hoping to see?

“Besides,” Solmundr took a necklace from the table he stood by and strolled up to Ensarrian. The Wyvern resisted the urge to snap the man’s skull as he locked the necklace around Ensarrian’s neck and continued, “If you don’t, then I will be forced to resort to methods that neither of you would want. I’m being generous and giving you the chance to enjoy it.” His grin grew smug and Ensarrian’s blood froze over. He wasn’t sure he wanted to know what methods Solmundr had in mind. “Just so you don’t get any ideas, this necklace will keep you in your human form,” Solmundr added, spun on his heel, and sat back down in his chair. “Take him to her.” His men instantly responded to his command and guided Ensarrian back out of the room and down the halls. He was too preoccupied by their discussion to pay any attention to where her room was located. Ensarrian had kept his eyes on each step he took, and only did he look up when he stood in front of her door.

The men opened the door, and immediately his nose was greeted by two very strong scents: a Wyvern, and female. The room was as dark as his as he stepped inside and was locked in. But when his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he noticed her bedroom was far nicer than his own. His was basically a prison cell, hers was fit for a princess. A large bed with comfortable cushioning, furniture and entertainment. He groaned lightly with slight jealousy, until his heart leaped when he spotted her sleeping on her bed. Cheeks and ears grew warm, Solmundr’s words echoing in his mind as he stared at her, frozen in place. She looked so peaceful… her beautiful face so soft, long dark lashes caressing her naturally pink tinged cheeks as she slept. Her dark hair cascaded down her pillow, shoulder and back, tempting pink lips so inviting. He had the sudden urge to get closer, take a better look at her beauty. He longed to caress her cheek and rub her hair behind her ear, to get another taste and feeling of her sweet lips…

He shook his head and turned away, quietly making his way to her chaise lounge sofa. He laid down on his back, eyes staring up at the ceiling with a hand between his head and a decorative pillow. There was no way he would be able to sleep, so he didn’t try. Her scent was overwhelming, and with her so close… it was far too distracting. Besides… he had no idea what she might try if she caught him sleeping.

Author: Raziel, Posted: Thu Aug 1, 2019 11:20 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

If Raziel was honest with herself, she would admit she was exhausted. There were too many holes to patch up. His chest was particularly painful for her heart, as she was present for that wound. Sanyi worked diligently, her skill praiseworthy for a beginner. The angel contemplated the tension she felt between the two victims. It was awkward and hesitant, curious and strong. She did not have to see it to sense it. Ensarrian's imperceptible body language beneath the painful flinches told her everything through her highly perceptive fingertips.

By the time they brought her to her room, Raziel's legs felt like lead. The angel fell onto the bed and curled into the fetus position Her mind kept running in circles, however, preventing her from sleeping instantly. It was preparing a hundred 'what if's' about Ian's next torture session and how to treat them. Eventually, the angel was able to drift into a dreamless sleep.

An unknown amount of time slipped by silently. When she awoke to an unfamiliar sound, Raziel's heart skipped a beat as someone gruffly grabbed her arm, dragging the groggy angel out of bed. The guard was quiet as he moved at his own pace, Raziel struggling to keep her feet underneath her. A yelp was stifled as she was nearly thrown into Ensarrian's room, falling into a heap onto the floor. The angel cast a glare in the direction of the closing door, sticking out her tongue childishly.

Even with the knowledge of where she was, Raziel took care in standing up, ensuring nothing got hurt on the way down. She was sure there was going to be beefy finger-shaped bruises on her arm. Maybe she should bring that up to Solmundr? When she was standing, Raziel turned to the bed as a sound was becoming painfully clear. Was he shivering? Teeth chattering? Concern filled the angel as she made her way to Ensarrian's side.

He was soaked the clothing freezing! Instantly, she searched for his hands, looking for his fingers. A "tsk" sound came from her at what she found; hard, waxy skin with absolutely no warmth to them. Chances were high that he would lose his fingers and toes if she stuck with her preferred natural solutions. Raziel cupped his hand in hers as she slowed her bringing and let her mana flow into him. It was channeled into a healing spell, bringing life back to the frozen phalanges. She allowed it to flow through him, saving that which would die after rewarming.

When she was satisfied, she dug through her bag of supplies. A bottle was lifted to his lips to bring down pain reception. With his help, Raziel sat Ensarrian up, pulling his top off. She would not let him continue to lay on this we bed. "I promise, brother mine, Sanyi is not with us. Let me unclothe you, wrap you in a blanket. I will make you a dry pallet in the corner and help warm you… But these clothes…" She tossed the wet blanket on the foot of the bed, fingers trembling as she unfastened his pants. Her cheeks were burning, turning a deep shade of red as she made him stand, supporting most of his weight on her small frame. Raziel did not pause to wonder how she was able to hold him, focused completely on his health. The angel seemed almost merciless as she forced even his underwear off, wrapping him in a blanket, fresh and dry from her bag.

Ensarrian was guided to sit at the edge of the bed, giving her the ability to make that dry, warm bed she promised. Blankets were pulled from her bag, several spread over top of each other. Raziel then supported the wyvern as she relocated him to the blankets on the floor. One final blanket was shaken and allowed to gently fall upon his form. However, she was not done yet. In fact, her face completely flushed again at the thought. The best way to warm someone was skin contact from another body. Raziel was sure Sanyi was not going to be a wise choice, even if she was there.

As her hands lifted to remove the dress, her blush deepening, she could feel them tremble. It occurred to her that she had never done this with anyone before. The dream with Najima did not seem to count as she was bathing and was already undressed. Not for a doctor, or a lover, had she ever stripped. So this was very as unnerving for her as it was for him. "Don't… laugh… or protest." The words escaped as the fabric slid over her skin and cascaded to the floor. There she was, in nothing but her undergarments, her pale skin almost flawless. Slowly, Raziel lifted the blankets to snuggle up against him. She made her way into the innermost blanket to wrap her arms around his bare chest.

The angel was careful not to disturb the blankets around his waist. Her wings tucked around them, an extra layer of soft feathers to help keep the warmth in. Despite the fact he was still quite frigid, Raziel could feel his embarrassment.  "Just so you know, I've never done anything like this before. I just… don't want to lose you." She buried her face in his chest. Her voice betrayed a well of tears hiding behind her eyes. It wasn't solely because her life was forfeit if she failed. No… He was far more important to her than that.

Ensarrian gifted her with protection, affection, and vision. In her travels, so many people seemed against her finding Gabe. If they had met back then, would hse have avoided some of the torture she endured? Regardless, he pulled her from bad situations and nursed her back to health. He was a dear companion in the weeks she was immobile. No, he was irreplaceable, and he had cored himself a huge hole in her heart. There would be no one who could fill it should he disappear forever.

Author: Ian, Posted: Tue Jul 23, 2019 11:31 AM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

Despite his attempt to reassure her, Raziel still blamed herself. He shook his head lightly at her reply, hand removing itself from hers as she set back to work. Ensarrian wished he knew how to make her understand, to see it the way he does. Solmundr is a great threat. His supply of drugs and poisons make it very difficult for Ensarrian to handle him; there was no way Raziel could have fared any better. There was nothing she could have done to stop Solmundr from taking them, nothing she could have said to reason with him. If she had attempted anyway she probably would be dead by now. But she was there with him. Whether she realizes it or not, she was helping him more than harming. Yes, she’s keeping him alive and he will endure more torture because of it. But it wouldn’t last forever. He would rather gain comfort and relief for just a few hours between torture sessions than none at all, being stuck with the gruesome pain from each one and being unable to rest. She was a reminder of why he was clinging to life, what was worth holding onto and enduring pain for. Without her, he imagined he likely would have attempted to end his pain once and for all if he couldn’t escape a second time.

His eyes landed on her face when she spoke again, wincing at the work she did on his hand. Rubbing in oils, cutting and restitching. But she wasn’t talking to him. His attention shifted to movement in the corner of the room. Long raven hair appeared as her invisibility dropped, fair and pristine skin glowing in the darkness of the room. His eyes widened, lips parting as if to say something, but quickly shut. It was the girl from before, the one that appeared in his room and…and…

His face flushed at the memory, a hand raising to cover his lips protectively as they tingled from the memory of his stolen kiss. Ensarrian’s muscles tensed when their eyes met and locked. He hardened his gaze at her, heart thumping as she stepped closer and sat on the edge of the bed. Fiery eyes watched her intently, anxiously, breathing unsteady as if he was expecting an attack from her at any moment. In his state he wouldn’t be able to fight back if she tried taking advantage of him, and he wasn’t sure how well Raziel would be able to handle that sort of situation. Considering she isn’t a Wyvern, and she doesn’t have the supplies required to overpower them (as far as he knew), he imagined she wouldn’t do too well. He wasn’t even sure what the girl wants with him, if she was even an enemy or not. But the fact that she watched from the corner in his room for who knows how long, and the kiss from earlier, he had plenty reasons to be wary.

Raziel handed her a bottle and told her what to do with it. The girl seemed hesitant, her cold eyes darting between the angel and bottle until landing on him again. She took the bottle and started to apply it to the wounds on his arm, his face twisting from the pain of being touched. Damaged bones groaned in protest as she rubbed the oils into his skin, and he wished the numbness would reach deeper beneath. But, somehow, his flesh found a moment to tingle from her touch, her cool skin like refreshing ice against his burning arm. Her brief glances did not go unnoticed as his own eyes were watching her, switching between the movement of her hands up to examine the tinge of pink on her face. The silence that filled the room was loud. Ensarrian fought the urge to squirm uncomfortably until Raziel finally spoke up.

She asked something that had completely slipped his mind, and his eyes blinked at the girl curiously. Her reaction suggested that she had indeed been tortured, fear gleaming in her eyes, and he could practically see those horrifying memories flashing through those icy eyes, for he had been through the same as her. She admitted it, but he already knew he had been right earlier in assuming she was just like him. Held captive by Solmundr and tortured. Perhaps she was also the only survivor. Her eyes locked with his. She claimed that her experiences weren’t quite the same as his, and for a moment he allowed his eyes to stray, sliding down her figure. Her clothing was a short, thin dress with noodle straps, a low top that would normally tease a man and an open back. Its length wasn’t quite modest, either. But it was the scars that her clothing left exposed that he was looking at. Every one of them brought back horrible memories of torture that gave him those very scars marked on the same parts on his own body. But there were none alike the drill holes he was given, just as she said. She had given his own question a voice: Why was he different? He could not answer.

Raziel cut in. This time she handed the girl a knife. She proceeded to tell her to cut the stitches, which the girl did. Immediately blood flowed from the wound when it was reopened, streaming down his arm. Raziel showed her how to restitch it with another example, his eyes squeezing shut as he stifled a groan when the needle broke his skin. The girl copied it with great reluctance, giving him not a single moment to relax after the last one Raziel had done. When her voice cut through his pain, he opened his eyes, mind repeating the name until it was almost whispered from the tip of his tongue. Sanyi… Somehow, the name sounded familiar. “I’m Ensarrian,” he muttered, averting his gaze when he realized he had been staring at her.

Once they had finished with his arms they moved on to other parts of his body. His shirt was removed first to give them access to the wounds covering his torso. Next was his pants so they could work on his legs. His face burned the entire time as he lay helpless before them, body almost completely bare save for his tight underwear. He knew Raziel couldn’t see, but Sanyi could, and both of them had their hands all over him. Although, he had to admit it was a rather welcoming distraction from the needles pricking him and bones screaming in agony. He wasn’t sure how long it had taken. A few minutes, perhaps even hours, but to him it had become an eternity. When it was finally over, it wasn’t soon enough. They dressed him, carefully. Then he was left in the room all on his own once more when Raziel left with the guard that brought her, and Sanyi snuck out unnoticed. He was left with another gift from his dear little angel: a blanket to keep him warm as his body finally began to sweat and cool down.

Blood had been cleansed from his body, oils rubbed into his skin and stitches updated. He felt clean, made new as if he had taken a bath after weeks of building up dirt and grime on his body. It wasn’t true, the oil growing in his hair said as much. But it was still nice nonetheless, and for the first time since being here he was able to relax, even just a little, enough to fall asleep. Although worry plagued his final thoughts as he drifted into dreamless rest, dreading the moment he wakes, for he knew more torture was coming.


Ensarrian woke with a fright. After gaining decent rest his body felt energized, although still painfully sore, especially after his wounds had been tampered with only hours ago. He could barely move to let his legs hang over the side of the bed, but it was an improvement. His hands were clamped over his ears, eyes wide open with sheer terror as they darted around the room. His mind was far from the aching of his body. Now that he was wide awake he had noticed something that his pain riddled mind hadn’t spotted before. The room was small. Very small. Too small.

Memories flashed behind his fearful eyes, memories of his time spent in a similarly small room when he was first in captivity as a child. He had been in there for so long, always alone in the darkness. The only sounds were that of his own breathing, his own heartbeat, his own blood coursing through his veins. The cold air made him miserable, and the loneliness and darkness and quietness made him go insane. Since then he’s avoided staying inside buildings for too long, especially rooms so small, as those fears would come crawling back. The majority of his stay here he had been asleep, too drowsy to notice the smallness and darkness and quietness of his room. But now, he was wide awake and fully aware.

He could swear the walls started moving, inching closer and closer from every angle. The temperature dropped until he started shivering, his inner fire refusing to light to keep him warm. Darkness swarmed him, the silence making his quiet thoughts seem like screams that echoed off the walls. He shut his eyes tightly, moving his arms over his chest in a self embrace. But it was no good substitute for the comfort he so dearly desired. Quick and shallow breathing filled the room, his leg bouncing in an attempt to give himself a distraction. It didn’t work. He imagined Raziel was there with him, holding him in her little arms as her soft voice caressed his ears and quelled his growing fear. She would stroke his hair as a mother would, offering words of comfort as she ensured him that everything was alright, that it was only his mind playing tricks on him. And he knew it was. But fear always overpowers logic.

The creaking door cut through the silence and broke his insanity. His leg stopped moving, eyes shooting open. The walls hadn’t moved an inch, and steam was dancing around him from the heat of his body. He had been imagining it, all of it. His pounding heart slowed, his rapid breathing calming as he heaved a light sigh of relief. “I didn’t think it was that cold in here.” Solmundr’s voice made a glow growl rumble in Ensarrian’s throat. His eyes lifted and turned to glare at the man in the doorway. “But, it’s good to see that your fiery side still works as it should,” Solmundr grinned. Flaming eyes narrowed at him, and he let out a guttural laugh, “Oh, I didn’t tell you, did it? Those injections were other elements to build up your immunity and give you some use of them as well. Your body was probably confused whether to listen to those or your natural element, which would have been the cause of your fever. But, it appears it worked things out on its own.”

“Why?” Ensarrian asked, his tone sounding more curious than he had intended. “Why do you think? I can’t have my perfect war Wyverns being taken down by something as simple as other elements. I’m preparing y’all for whatever might be thrown your way,” Solmundr explained rather smugly. Ensarrian’s lips curled in a snarl, but his thoughts lingered on two words. Wyverns, y’all, as in there’s more than one. A flash of Sanyi’s scars in his mind reminded him that she, too, was a prisoner Solmundr had tortured. It seemed he planned on using her the same way.

“Which means,” Solmundr added, his grin growing wicked and serpentine. “I must prepare you for other possibilities, such as gasses and poisons. My prized Wyverns shouldn’t die all because a bomb was unexpectedly thrown your way.” Ensarrian’s blood ran cold, eyes widening for a moment. Poisons he said— that could kill him, cause pain far worse than drilling into his bones or wounds festering with infection. Some of the worst and most painful deaths a person or creature could have was caused by poisons, normally that of some type of animal. Snakes, insects, fish, only to name a few. “That one worries you, doesn’t it? You look terrified.”

“Do your worst,” Ensarrian hissed as he heaved himself to his feet. His balance wavered, legs like jelly under his weight. But he quickly regained himself and stared Solmundr down with a silent challenge. He refused to show any weakness. His body was not ready to hold his weight, bones screaming from it, but it was his mind, his spirit Solmundr was looking to break. He could do whatever he wanted to his body, because that was something that would heal with time. But once he breaks Ensarrian into submission, there’s no going back. He’d be nothing more than Solmundr’s mindless, heartless slave. Ensarrian would never allow that. “There’s nothing you can put me through that I’m not prepared to handle. You won’t break me.”

Solmundr was silent, lips thin with the smallest hint of a frown whilst his eyes were contemplating. And then he smiled, “We’ll see about that.” He turned and started down the hall. A swift wave of his hand ordered the men with him to make Ensarrian follow, keeping guard over the Wyvern whose power was far greater than their own. He could snap their necks, break every bone in their bodies if he wished. Their deaths would not be clean, but they would be quick, and they would no longer be an issue for him. But Solmundr was always prepared, even more so and guarded now since Ensarrian’s first escape. He could thank himself for that. If he so much as lifted a finger towards Solmundr, even just one of his men, Raziel would be killed. That was a risk Ensarrian could not take.

He followed them down the corridors, passing the enclosed room that reeked of blood. He could hear the ghosts of all those tortured in that room screaming in agony, begging for mercy and pleading prayers to the gods for help. Sanyi’s screams were among them, the only one that still sounded whole and alive. He closed his eyes and turned his head away, attempting to shut out the horrifying images and sounds from his mind. They took him to a different room. It was roughly around the same size as the torture room, but this one did not smell of blood. Instead cold air gave his skin chill bumps, the smell of mold wrinkling his nose with disgust. A large hole had been dug out of the floor, with more chains lining the walls and hanging from the ceiling. Within the hole, however, is what had his attention. Clear blue water filled it to the brim until it almost overflowed. The longer he stayed in the room, the more he realized just how cold the room was. White frost covered the dark walls in a thin sheet, the chains and shackles had crystals thick and shimmering. Keeping metal in such a cold place was not a good idea, especially if the purpose was to keep someone immobile. Cold metal could be easily broken.

That was when he began to figure out what this room was. A freezing room with water, the walls surely lined with some sort of insulation to keep the cold in a warmth out. It was another form of torture, a much less bloody one and more threatening and miserable. “Now,” Solmundr clapped his hands and rubbed them together, his breath visible in the cold air. Ensarrian’s own breath was fogging before him, so thick and clear he wondered if it would turn solid. “Chain him up right over there,” Solmundr pointed as he commanded one of his men. None of them were wearing anything to protect them from the cold, yet there were no signs that they were even bothered by the lack of heat. They must have taken some kind of cold resistant potion. Ensarrian sneered, “What, no stripping this time? Won’t it make this torture far more torturous?”

Solmundr cackled and shook his head, “Oh, no, that wouldn’t do any good. Keeping your clothes on will be far more enjoyable for me in the long run. Just picture it, being stuck in your cold and wet clothes without any heat to dry them off in your cell.” Ensarrian snarled, hands clenching until his knuckles turned white, his fingernails digging into his palms. He would be unable to warm up with wet clothes, extending his torture long after he leaves this room. “Weren’t you going to poison me?” He asked lowly. “Oh yes,” Solmundr replied with a smile of pure malicious pleasure. “That will be done before we put you in the water.”

“Then what’s the water torture for? It seems rather pointless to me,” Ensarrian dared to venture further. A low chuckle from Solmundr made his heart drop, “It is far from pointless, my dear boy. You destroyed my other base, killed some of my best men. And my supplies— do you have any idea how difficult it was to get ahold of it all? Most of it was incredibly rare to find, some even harder to get my hands on. And thanks to you, it’s all gone. I had to start over. It took me years to regain what I had lost, and I still don’t have the amount I had before.” His grin broadened. “This, and the drilling, was far from pointless. I’m making you pay for what you had done by making you suffer as much as possible. I simply love to watch you writhe in agony and scream until our ears bleed.”

With that, Solmundr stood at the door and watched. Watched as Ensarrian was shackled to the wall and injected with unknown poisons and toxins. Watched as his face twisted from the needles breaking his skin. Watched as he was dropped into the freezing water. And he stood at the edge of the pool, watching with the cruelest of all smiles as his men put a thick metal, frost covered plate over the top, and locked him in.

They must have given him something in one of the injections to interfere with his inner fire. Ensarrian was unable to warm himself, forced to endure the cold that enveloped him. Small holes in the metal plate was his only air supply. He had to press his mouth and nose to one as well as he could to breath, but he couldn’t keep the moving and high water from entering him anyway. It didn’t take long for his teeth to start chattering. His limbs were going stiff, making it difficult for him to keep himself afloat, body shivering. He could feel his fingers and toes stinging as if being prodded by pins and needles. By the time they had gone numb, he knew he was in a very bad position.

Soon enough, the numbness extended to cover his whole body. He could no longer feel his limbs move— no, they stopped altogether. Next, his lungs started burning for air. He couldn’t breath. The little bit of light seeping from the holes in the metal began to fade as he sunk to the bottom of the pool, darkness soon swelling around him. He tried to keep Himself awake, knowing if he could stay alive long enough Solmundr would come for him. A cruel and vicious man he might be, but Ensarrian’s death would be a great blow to him. He needed him alive, so surely he wouldn’t take this too far. “If you value her life, no matter what they do… don’t die.” Those words echoed in his head over and over. For whatever reason, Raziel’s life depended on him staying alive. That gave him even more reason to fight. But…he couldn’t use his flames. Unless Solmundr comes, he wouldn’t be able to break free to save himself.

Fear filled his heart when light suddenly filled the dark water. A splash followed, and he was pulled out of the water. “What the hell did I tell you?” Solmundr’s angry voice cut through the air as Ensarrian was dropped onto the floor, gasping for air. His lungs drank it in hungrily. “I told you to keep an eye on him! We want him alive, do you understand that?” A young poor bloke was on the receiving end of Solmundr’s wrath. He looked no older than Ensarrian, with freckles spotting his nose and cheeks and mousy brown hair. He wore an expression of shame and fear, nodding vigorously while squeaking a ‘Yes sir’. Solmundr rubbed the outer side of his eyes in circles, lifting and lowering his brows. After a few more moments of silence, he finally pointed over his shoulder with his thumb, “Take him back to his room.” The men lifted Ensarrian’s stiff and wet form was lifted and dragged out of the room. Warmth engulfed him as they entered the hall.

Once they reached his cell he was thrown on the bed as roughly as before. He was motionless for what felt like an eternity as he waited for his limbs to become less stiff. Feeling gradually came back to him, all but in his fingers, toes and nose. When he could finally move he wrapped himself in the blanket Raziel had left with him. But his wet clothes kept him cold, and even wet the blanket. Gaining warmth was a very difficult task, his teeth chattering, body and breath shivering out of control. His fingers and toes refused to move, and one glance at his hands confirmed his worst fears. His fingers were blue going on black at the tips. Frostbite. At this point they were probably beyond saving. But all he could do was wait for someone to come, either Raziel or Sanyi, or wait for his heat to finally return.

Author: Sanyi, Posted: Sat Jul 20, 2019 8:49 AM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

Sanyi counted the minutes as they passed. A century of sneaking around the compound taught her patience. Thus she could wait calmly for the hours to pass. The only problem was that Raven Boy. He consumed her mind, introduced many new emotions including agitation. By the time the winged one was to be escorted to his room, Sanyi had already found herself in the corner once more. She watched him sleep, his body reacting to the torture he had endured.

The wyvern was debating on trying to cool his skin when the door opened. Her eyes flicked to the final prisoner as she was pushed into the room. Raziel acted strange, her hands held out as if the room was pitch dark. Curiously, she called out a word that the wyvern would never had used to describe his relationship to the lavender haired girl. Brother, kinsmen, family. This was what her mother taught her. But the winged one was no wyvern. It confused her. Sanyi frowned as the small woman's hands examined his body. What was she doing?

Raven Boy let her hands explore in silence, took her strange potion without complaint. Sanyi's nose wrinkled at the strong spices as oils were rubbed onto his neck. That was when Raven Boy finally broke the silence with a pained groan as the winged one began to clean his hand. She lifted bottles up to her nose before using anything, and it finally dawned on Sanyi that Raziel wasn't even looking at what she was doing! Her fingers moved with precision, careful and graceful all at once. Was there something wrong with her eyes?

Sanyi listened to them talk. First about her, then about blaming herself. She could see the gentleness and caring shine from under the pain as he took her dainty hand. The smile he gave would not be witnessed by the winged one, as she placed a hand over his, her smile sad. "All I am doing is keeping you alive for more pain. What kind of sister am I to sit and do nothing but listen to your screams?" Raziel sniffled as she shook her head, extracted her hands and resumed her work. For a while, she continued in silence. "But, you know, my work would be a lot faster if she helped instead of lurk in the corner."

The first time the lavender haired woman noticed her was a shock, now it was an annoyance. But she understood how the small woman can hear, because she can't see. Sanyi allowed her invisibility to drop, staring at the floor with burning cheeks. "Well? Are coming to help? Or are you just going to gawk." How can someone go from soothingly sweet to commandingly short in a split second? The wyvern sighed as she stood and slowly approached.

Where Raven Boy was stiff with pain moments before, his discomfort was clear as day with the revelation of her presence. For a long minute, the wyverns locked gazes. Silent accusation met steady curiosity. "Sit." Raziel's voice cut through any tension between them, leaving no room to question or defy. Sanyi settled on the edge of the bed, resisting the urge to run her hands through his hair again as she blinked in surprise when a bottle was thrust in her face. "Begin by gently rubbing this on the wounds of the arm." Her gaze shifted between the winged one, the bottle, and Raven Boy. Did she have to do this?

There was simply no ability to decline as Raziel gently, if impatiently, shook the bottle. Reluctantly, she took it and began administering the oil the way she witnessed Raziel doing. Silence stretched out as the women worked on Raven Boy. She tried to keep her eyes on her appointed task, but her icy blues kept drifting up to meet fiery reds. Sanyi would blush deeper as she forced her eyes back to hks dry, hot skin under her hands. The winged one must have sensed something, dor she spoke up again with an attempt to start a conversation. "So, um, you were tortured too, I take it? Otherwise, you wouldn't be here sneaking around, right?"

Sanyi's fingers froze at the question, memory of pain coursing through her. With the recent heat session, her magic flared to cool the room. For a long while, she didn't answer as her breathing and heart began to race. "Yes… but…" Her voice came out soft and barely audible. "But?" Her eyes flicked up to Raven Boy's knowingly. "Never like this. What did you do to Solmundr?" Raziel interrupted by putting a knife in Sanyi's hands. "See these stitches? Cut them, then watch me carefully." The small one's movements slowed a bit as she carefully sewed the wound back up. "Do you think you can replicate this? Try here on this one."

Once more, Sanyi glanced at his face, hesitating as she contemplated the thought. The faster this got done, the faster he can heal and rest easier. But it also meant the next session coming sooner. "I need verbal acknowledgement here. Can't see it when people nod or give some silent sign. It would also be nice to have something to call you." Sanyi found herself riddled with surprise again as she looked over the small one. "Yes, I can duplicate it." Raziel held out a threaded needle. "Not too deep."

The wyvern took the needle and looked at him again. Steeling herself, she prepared to stitch this man up. She resisted the urge to wince in sympathy as she pierced his flesh. Sanyi tried to copy every movement precisely and quickly. When she was done, Raziel felt the work and gave an approving nod. "Numb that arm and start stitching those properly, if you would." Before setting to work, Sanyi locked eyes with Ensarrian. "My name… it's Sanyi."

Author: Ian, Posted: Tue Jul 16, 2019 6:14 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

Ensarrian stared up at the icy eyes, blinking with confusion. Alarm had seeped into his mind as he wondered who the girl was, and what she was doing in his room, especially so close to him. Though his brain told him to be wary of her, to pull out of range, he was completely motionless. He couldn’t move his body no matter how strongly he willed himself to. There was something about her— something…odd. It was drawing him towards her, overthrowing all of the red flags going off and telling him to stay where he was. Telling him to wait and watch, to approach her… Was it because she’s a Wyvern like him? The only other one of his species he’s seen since the other boys from his village died by Solmundr’s torturous hands? Perhaps it was his curiosity about her, the desire to know more that kept him from making any movements that might scare her off. No, none of it sounded quite right. The pull he was feeling, the overwhelming desire to know her; it was far more than curiosity. It was…alluring, like something was beckoning him to make some sort of approach.

But he remained still as a rock. Her fingers touched his lips, sending his heart into a wild frenzy. His breath hitched and became bated, body stiffening at the warm softness of her fingers on his lips. Her whisper caused a slight shiver to pass through him. And it was then that he realized what it was he was feeling. It was an attraction, a very strong one. His face burned with her being so close; not even Isedora had come so far into his personal space. But this attraction didn’t feel like any other he had felt before. It wasn’t because he thought she was pretty or had a fine figure. It felt…natural, somehow. As if this was meant to happen. In all honesty, he wasn’t sure what to make of it, or how to react.

He barely managed to catch her words. Eyes of flame broke their shared gazes as she moved her hand, placing a feather— Raziel’s feather, and lavender next to his head. Raziel will see him soon, she said, explaining that she had managed to make a deal with Solmundr. During the moment he wasn’t understanding what she meant by it all, but he didn’t need to. The only thing he truly cared about now was that Raziel was safe. He almost released a sigh of relief had the girl not caught his attention once more.

She pressed her lips onto his, and his heart pounded and thrashed against his ribs. His eyes widened like saucers, locking with hers as they remained open. So many questions arose, his mind whirling. What the hell was going on?! She broke the kiss and instantly tried making a run for it. On instinct, he sat up and tried reaching for her, “Wait” — a yip cut him short as his body was shot with pain, reminding him of his wounds. A groan left his lips and he curled in on himself, body trembling as the pain quickly worsened. He shouldn’t have moved so abruptly. His body wasn’t ready for such quick movement yet. He fell back onto the bed, eyes shutting tightly while he breathed through clenched teeth. The quiet shushing told him that she was back at his side, and he strained to open his eyes to look at her. “Who…are you?” He muttered painfully, figuring that was the most important of the questions he wanted to ask. Her answer was a simple one, and suddenly a lot of pieces fit together. This was Solmundr’s hideout, and she is a Wyvern. She must be like him, a survivor that has endured all of the torture and experiments.

Any other questions he had went unvoiced as she placed her finger on his lips to keep him quiet. She made herself comfortable on the edge of the bed, running her fingers through his hair. For several moments he watched her with uncertainty, shivering and aching. But the feeling of her nails running over his scalp was calming, the gentle and slow movement allowing his stiff muscles to release tension a little. She hummed a song that was oddly familiar. Before he realized it, all of his pain had numbed, his shivering subsiding. His eyes grew heavy as a fog of sleep weighed down on him. It wasn’t natural. Magic.

He fell asleep, but woke even worse off than before. His body was burning far worse than ever before. His breathing was quick and shallow as if he had just been working out in the heat without any water, his mouth dry and throat sore. His wounds were throbbing horribly. Heat never bothered him so much; why was it bothering him now? Was it from the injections he was given? They never told him what it was they were putting inside of him. Perhaps it was finally setting to work. But what was it doing to him? It’s like his body was going haywire. Unfortunately he could feel no sweat upon his skin, offering him no chance of being cooled off.

Creaking from the door echoed through the mostly empty room. Two figures appeared, one far larger and roughly shoving the other into the room with him. The door was shut and locked. Instantly the scent of lavender filled his nostrils, and he relaxed knowing it was only Raziel. Her sweet and soft voice broke the silence, and his fiery gaze watched as she made her way over to him. He let her feel of his face. Her sad smile splintering his heart. He longed to tell her that he was fine just to keep her from worrying, but he knew any attempts would be futile. She knew he wasn’t; his shivering, fever and wounds screamed as much. He tried looking her over for any signs of abuse, but he could find none. Perhaps Solmundr truly would keep his word and wouldn’t hurt her if he obeyed.

Her little hands moved down his body, exploring his chest and legs, paying special attention to the wounds on his arms. How could he explain the drill wounds without making it sound as bad as it really was?

He ended up not saying anything at all, remaining silent as she dug through her familiar bag of supplies. She laid out several things, most of which he knew nothing about. The first was a bottle that she brought to his lips. He drank some without hesitation as she explained what it was for. The next was an oil she rubbed on his nape that smelled strongly of cinnamon and ginger. A cloth was then moisten with some water. She lifted his hand, the whole limb shooting with pain as his bones screamed at the movement. His face twisted and he groaned, bitting down hard on his tongue to keep from crying out. He trembled under her touch, hand and fingers twitching as he struggled to keep from withdrawing it from her as she wiped down his wounds. But the worse part was when she started rubbing something into his tender skin. An involuntary whimper escaped him.

The moment he spotted her readying a needle and thread he turned his head away, breathing in and out shakily. He tried blocking out the sharp pain of the needle breaking his skin after the old stitches were cut away. Some enough, though, the pain on his skin started to numb to the point where he couldn’t feel it at all, but the pain in his bones remained untouched and intense as ever. The metallic taste of blood swelled in his mouth as he bit his tongue too hard, but he didn’t release any pressure. If anything it helped give him something else to think about other than the ache in his bones. Though, he had to wonder, if dealing with it was this bad just on his hand, how would he be able to handle it on other areas of his body? More sensitive areas? After the stitching she rubbed something on the wound, another groan sounding from him. And there were so many more to do…

The sound of her voice made him blink his eyes open, turning his head back towards her. Someone else was there…the girl from earlier— it had to be her. “Yeah, I know,” he muttered, gulping as she prepared the next wound for the same treatment. He was confused by her words though. Why was the girl free to move on her own? He nor any of the other boys from the other hideout had such freedom. Why was this girl any different? Did he trust her? If that were the case, then perhaps she had sided with him. That thought filled him with fear and worry. She could be another enemy. Raziel explained her meeting with Solmundr as well, then started apologizing. “Don’t,” he interrupted, shaking his head weakly.

“Don’t you dare blame yourself. There was nothing you could have done to prevent this from happening. It was going to occur with or without you here with me. But”— he reached for her hand with his free one despite the pain, gently caressing her knuckles with his thumb as he attempted a reassuring smile— “If you weren’t here, my wounds would have festered far worse. I would be dying by an infection. Plus…I’m not alone this time.” He recalled how hard it had been all those years ago when he was held captive, how he had no one warm to soothe him and offer comfort, how he had to endure all of the pain all alone in that small and dark room. His thoughts were full of hate and malice. But now, enduring the torture was far easier knowing that Raziel was there with him. Even if he couldn’t see her all the time, he knew she would be alright so long as he endured. He hated her being caught up in this situation and knew it shouldn’t have happened, but the selfish part of him was grateful it had. That only made him angry with himself.

Author: Raziel, Posted: Thu Jun 27, 2019 1:07 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

Her task seemed daunting as she was unable to formulate any plan to escape. The layout was unknown, and judging from those screams, Ensarrian was in no condition to fight. There was also the uncertainty about the stranger who had visited her previously. Would she help? She was just as much a prisoner here as they were if she feared getting caught outside her locked room. Raziel sat on her rather uncomfortable bed, ankles tucked under her knees in a cross-legged fashion. Her hands were supposed to be calmly folded in her lap, but they clenched with worry as she tried to meditate on her more immediate task of healing Ensarrian.

Eventually, someone opened the door for her with a gruff command to follow. ”Give me your elbow and I can,” Raziel countered irritably. Had no one any idea the difficulties that came with blindness? He grumbled to himself before complying. As they headed down the hall, Raziel stumbled behind him to keep up. ”Hey! Short legs here! Walk slower.” Even more mumbled complaints escaped his lips as he slowed his gait.

Right upon exiting her door, she would have to count the steps coming back to be sure how far down the corridor they went before making a left. Forty paces before turning left once more. Eighty paces and they took a right turn this time. Thirty paces and they stopped. Raziel heard the jingle of keys before one slid into the lock and loudly clicked open. Her escort was not so gentle in pushing her into the room. The stench of blood wrinkled her nose as the door was shut behind her. ”Brother mine?” she whispered.

Carefully, with her hands out and her steps shuffled, the angel made his way to his bed. Fingers reached out and gently felt his face, a small sad smile played at the corner of her lips. ”Oh, my poor, brave Ensarrian.” He was burning up, feverish and dry. Ever so gingerly, she began to explore the rest of his body. The shirt was crusted with blood and probably now glued to his wounds. One arm she felt caused her brows to furrow. What in the bloody Inferos had they done to him?! Their work was shoddy, enough to keep him from bleeding out, but nothing else. Raziel would have to undo all of their work so that she could fix it.

If they were so careless with these wounds, how bad was their tending to his chest wound? With a sigh, Raziel began digging in her endless bag for supplies. Everything was carefully laid out on the bed. In an attempt to treat the fever, the angel chose a bottle with a dark liquid inside, shook it vigorously, uncorked it and brought it to Ensarrian’s lips. Elderberry juice with finely ground echinacea and catnip to boost the immune system while helping induce sweating without raising his temperature to cool his body. Next, she took an oil mixture of cinnamon and ginger and gently rubbed it on the back of his neck. The whole time, she was whispering to him what she was doing, and how it would help him.

Her second task was to help treat the wounds he endured recently. She poured water from her canteen on a clean piece of cloth and began to gently clean his fingers of one hand. A small bottle was opened, brought to her nose for reassurance before carefully dispensing a couple of drops on her own fingers to massage into his skin. Clove oil was known for interfering with pain receptors. The terrible stitches were then cut and removed. A needle was threaded and she sewed the skin back together properly. After cutting the excess thread off the final stitch, Raziel picked up another small bottle, testing the aroma before kneading the soothing chamomile into the area she had been working on. It would help bring down inflammation.

”There is someone here, Ensarrian. She is trapped like we are, but free to sneak about. Maybe she can help us?” Raziel moved onto the next crudely sewn injury, working with deliberate movements, slow and careful. Wash the area, numb the skin with the clove, cut and resew, then knead with chamomile. Her voice stayed low as she whispered her thoughts to him, her meeting with the unnamed man with the promises. The angel even apologized, feeling like she was half of the reason he was here, injured and weak. If her safety wasn’t on his mind, would Ensarrian have a better chance of escape?

Author: Sanyi, Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2019 8:43 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

It had been a long time since Sanyi had to listen to someone else take the torture. She had forgotten the way it churned her stomach, to know so intimately what they were doing. Once upon a time, it was followed by the fear that she would be next to endure the treatment. This time, however, she had no fears, as she was promised that no more would befall her. While she didn’t trust Solmundr as far as she could throw him, but there was something positive by the thought of it finally being over.

When the screaming finally stopped, Sanyi found herself staring at the door, her heart thrumming. There was an unexplainable urge to go back to him, to watch over him as he slept. What was wrong with her, that ever since he was dragged in, she wanted only to be in Raven Boy’s presence. Suddenly, the distance between the door and herself was gone as she found herself opening the door. Silently, she padded down the halls cloaked in her invisibility, only to see a curious sight of the winged pet being strong-armed past the intersection.

Instead of stopping at Raven Boy’s room, Sanyi quickly followed them to Solmundr’s study. This was his favorite place to be when he wasn’t in the torture chamber. Her skin crawled just being there, but she was highly curious as to what was going on between the winged pet and her tormentor. She stole into the room and stayed in the corner, staying as silent as possible as she watched the interaction between Solmundr and the girl. The wyvern had to praise her for her defiant attitude. If he was to try and break her, Sanyi hoped that the angel kept it.

Raziel gave the offer to keep Raven Boy healed, which Solmundr took his sweet time to ponder. When finally he agreed, and the angel was taken away, Sanyi watched him turn to the fire that crackled in the hearth at the end of the room. ”Soon, he shall be perfect. Then we can proceed to phase two.” She stayed and waited, but he said no more. Sanyi finally decided to leave the room and made her way back to Ensarrian’s room. This time, there were no guards for who would keep watch over an injured wyvern too weary to barely keep his own head up?

Just as silent as before, she opened the door and slid in, closing it behind her. When she turned to him, Sanyi curiously just stared. That peaceful look upon his face was still there, but there was so much more to him. Her eyes slid over the crudely sewn wounds that covered his arms. Why had they done something this different to him? It appeared as they ripped open the skin then pinched it shut all over the place. What had he done to receive such punishment? Each step she took to inch her closer was slow as a snail, absorbing every inch of visible skin she could.

When she finally was at the head of the rough bed he was on, Sanyi knelt beside it. She didn’t want to just leave the flower and feather and be gone. His peacefulness was so… alluring. The raven black hair matched her own, and he looked strong. There was that aura of his too. Slowly, her face inched closer, wanting to feel if those lips were as soft as they appeared. Before she could get a chance, however, his fiery pools blinked open, confusion writing itself all over his face. Yet, she couldn’t convince herself to pull back.

As if her body had a mind of its own, Sanyi’s hand lifted until her fingertips gently touched Raven Boy’s lips. Why did her heart feel like it was racing and it felt like she was starting to become winded? ”She sends this to you,” she whispered as her other hand produced the lavender and feather, gently laying it next to his head. ”She is going to come to you soon. Made a deal with Solmundr, she did. If you value her life, no matter what they do… don’t die.” Sanyi closed the distance between them, pressing her lips against his ever so softly, eyes wide opened as she did.

Immediately, the wyvern stood and went to leave the room. It was his yelp and groan that halted her footsteps. Sanyi looked back at him with the strange sensation of tears pricking at her eyes. She went back to his side with a soft “shhh”, trying to soothe his questions. Once more, her fingers went to his lips to silence him. ”I am someone who knows what you endure. But I can’t stay long and you should rest before the winged one comes.” The wyvern moved until she was sitting on the edge of the bed, gently smoothing his hair as her mother once did for her. She discouraged any more talking.

Her magic reached out to him, cooling each hot wound until they numbed completely. As she did this, she softly hummed a lullaby that her mother had often hummed to her after a torture session. Her hand gently ran through his hair, smoothing it as her nails tenderly ran across his scalp in a soothing fashion. Once Raziel comes in, whatever she does might only increase his pain. But for now, at least Sanyi can offer this moment of comfort. After his eyes slid shut and his breathing became slow, the wyvern slowly leaned down to plant a kiss on his forehead before quietly making her way out and back to her own room. There, she laid on her bed, staring at the wall as memories flooded her mind.

Author: Raziel, Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2019 7:04 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

For hours, Raziel lay in the fetus position, holding her hands desperately over her ears. She was futilely attempting to block out the gut-wrenching screams from Ensarrian. Whatever they were doing to him only brought the most terrible images to mind for the angel. Tears drenched her face as loathing consumed her. What dark creature would be so cruel as to harm another in such a fashion? Ensarrian was kind and sweet. Even when he was at his cruelest, which was only done for protecting her, he did not deserve such treatment.

Finally, all went quiet. Raziel continued to weep for her friend, only imagining how hurt he must be. Time was lost as it slipped quietly past. Emotionally drained, and fatigued from her lamentation, Raziel was beginning to drift off to sleep when her door suddenly opened. There was no time to even sit up when a pair of hands roughly dragged the angel out of bed. ”Hey! Let me go!” Her words fell on deaf ears as she was hauled out of the room.

Fighting was no use, for her kicks were ineffective. She struggled and squirmed, but the person who held her had a firm grip. Eventually, another door opened and she was crudely dropped and sent sprawling onto the floor. ”Come now, Neal, we are not barbarians. We mustn't treat our guests this way.” It was that man’s voice who gave the promise that they would help Ensarrian. His hands reached out and helped her up. Raziel pulled her arm from his grasp when she was standing straight.

”What have you done with Ensarrian?” She had noted that the door behind her had not been shut, and a pair of footsteps entered a room. They were soft enough to go unnoticed by many. Her bedroom visitor might very well be in the room with them. It was safe to say that if she had disappeared from her room and brave enough to enter this one, then she must have some sort of camouflage to keep from being seen. ”Your face is soaked, sweetheart. Have you been crying?” The question from the angel was ignored as he tried to wipe tears away with his thumb, the sudden touch of his hand on her face making Raziel jerk and swat his hand away.

”I ask again, what have you done with Ensarrian?” He gave a “tsk” sound as he turned from her, his heels clicked over the floor until he sat down in a chair. Raziel could hear the air whooshing from underneath him. ”Your spirit reminds me of someone very close to me. She and I go way back. Both of you are fighters. But you, sweetheart, have a defect.” The angel glowered, her hands curling into fists. ”I don’t need you to point out my flaws. And don’t call me ‘sweetheart’.” A hearty laugh resounded through the room, coming at her from all directions.

”This, right here, is what I mean. Seriously, when I look at you, you’re all tiny and sweet. Yet you have such fight in you.” She felt her cheeks flush, which earned her another resounding laugh. ”Tell me, what are you to him?” Raziel ground her teeth as she tried to figure out her response. ”He is a dear friend. Protector and guardian.” ”And that necklace around your neck? The one none of us can remove? That is from him, isn’t it?” Against her better judgment, Raziel’s hand reached up and curled around the scale necklace. Her heart raced, beating so hard she wondered if he could hear it. ”I want to see him.”

Once more he laughed. ”See him? Unless I’m mistaken, you can’t see anything at all. Which is strange, because you looked straight at me the other day.” Raziel’s flush deepened. ”Why should I let you near my prized possession?” She took a deep breath, attempting to settle her frayed nerves. ”I don’t know why, and I doubt you would explain. For whatever reason, you are torturing Ensarrian. While he is my protector, I am his healer. Let me tend to whatever wounds you inflict on him, and I can ensure he won’t die on you. If he does, my life is yours to take.”

Silence filled the room. Raziel could hear the breathing in the corner was bated, held in suspense. Her own heart beating so fast she feared it would escape her chest. ”You place that much trust in your own skill?” He asked, skeptical of her claim. Without hesitation, Raziel responded confidently. ”I do.” She waited for his response as he continued to ponder her proposal. ”Very well. You shall see him in a couple of hours. Let him rest for now, as he has had a long and difficult day. Take her back to her room.” The first part of her plan worked out a bit better than she had hoped. Now all they had to do was figure out a way to escape.

Author: Ian, Posted: Mon Jun 24, 2019 11:45 AM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

One by one, they drilled into his bones. Blood streamed from him each time the spiral metal spun into his flesh. More often than not, they would hit a nerve that would cause him to jerk uncontrollably, which in turn brought upon more pain. They were careful to avoid any of his arteries, places that could potentially make him bleed to death. They gave him no drugs to ease the pain, and no muzzle to muffle his screams. And he knew why. Solmundr wanted to see him suffer and struggle, he wanted Ensarrian to be completely overcome by pain. And Solmundr made sure the procedure was as painful as possible. Each and every bone was drilled into multiple times. In his legs, arms, hands and fingers, feet and toes, his hips and chest, even his spine, neck and tailbone. His spine and neck in particular were treated with more care as not to paralyse him or even kill him, and his skull was too risky to touch in the first place.

The drilling was a very slow process, causing unimaginable pain that could have deafened everyone in the room from his screams, even himself. And to make matters worse, once they were done with one bone, they would puncture him with a long needle, slipping it straight through the open wound down into the holes in his bones. Each time they did he could feel intense stinging, making him jerk every time it entered the bone. Then he felt large amounts of pressure as liquid was injected, first in his bones, then into his flesh. The liquid was cold and warm all at the same time; he could feel it rushing through his blood and spreading in his flesh. He knew not what it would do to him, nor did he care in his moment of weakness. It took all he had not to call it quits and fight back. Thoughts of Raziel was all that kept him going. For her, he would endure anything Solmundr threw his way.

Once they had finished drilling and injecting, they would sew each wound up. One on its own wouldn’t do much harm, but with as many as he had, there was a potential risk of bleeding to death. Just as before, they patched up the wounds without care as to how properly it was done. It was only enough to stop the bleeding, but not enough for proper healing. They didn’t even use the correct needle and thread. No alcohol nor water was used to clean the wounds. Clearly they were unaware that they were risking his wounds getting infected, which could eventually kill him.

His screaming finally stopped once it was all done. They unstrapped him from the table. There was no resistance as they lifted him from it, only groans and whimpers of pain. Two men wrapped his arms around their neck, holding him up with his head hanging low and legs dragging. “Take him to his room,” commanded Solmundr. “What about his clothes?” Asked one of his men. “Dress him in his room or leave him as is. I don’t care. Just lock him up,” the snarl made one of the men holding him flinch, and then they were on their way. They drug him down the halls, the creaking of a door letting him know they had arrived at his room. Darkness swallowed them, except for the light from the hallway, as they entered the room. Pain made his body tremble as it enveloped his entire body the moment they laid him down on his hard bed. It screamed in protest of being touched when they dressed him. Then, the light from the hall faded as they left the room, shutting him alone in the darkness.

His hands were held against his chest, body shaking from pain. Fiery eyes never opening, still clamped shut, body motionless. It hurt to be touched, it hurt to breath, it hurt just to be alive. He wanted so badly to cry, to allow himself to vent in some way. But years of suppressing his tears made it second nature. So instead he lied there in deafening silence, mind wondering how much all of this was worth. Would Solmundr keep his word and leave Raziel alone now that he had forced Ensarrian into compliance? Was she alright? Where was she being held? How was she being treated? His worry made him itch to know. But there was nothing he could do in his current state. He was powerless, and that was the most painful thing of all.

For hours he lied awake in his own thoughts, pain far too severe to allow himself to sleep. But, eventually, his body became numb to it, enough that his breathing slowed as he drifted off into a very deep sleep.


Unbeknownst to him, he was no longer alone while he slept. A curious figure slipped into his room unnoticed. Their silence kept them from distributing his rest, but it didn’t need to. His body started aching again, letting him know that it was time to wake. The pain hit him like a wall, a reminder of the torture he had endured. But there was something new that managed to pierce his senses. The sweet aroma of lavender, the familiar scent almost soft enough to calm him. He caught another scent with it, the same he had smelled the day earlier when he had first awoken in his room. Again, it was familiar to his own kind, yet unfamiliar. This time, it was right there in front of him. Slowly, he blinked his eyes open. They immediately locked with stunning blue pools, cold as the ice that came with winter. He blinked up at the unfamiliar eyes, breath catching in his throat. What the hell?

Author: Sanyi, Posted: Sun Jun 23, 2019 10:24 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

Sanyi had been up since the dark hours before dawn. The strange raven boy had made it impossible to fall asleep, and now that she was awake, he was all she can think of. She stole out of her room and made her way through the dark corridors until she made it to his room. If she hadn't heard Solmundr say which room he was to be taken in, his scent and blood would have guided her. In the corner she sat, her knees pulled to her chin as she stared at his still form. Raven Boy's chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm. Not a sound was made as she gazed upon him, nor did she shift positions.

Who was he? Where did he come from? Why did Solmundr want them? Slowly, her mind repeated the questions over and over, yet no answers were ever discovered. Just memories from her mother's teachings. Find Vartirrian, for they were important to their kind together. Mother never did say why. Raven Boy woke, her thoughts melting into what he was going to do. He took in his surroundings and checked his wound. Sanyi froze as he looked right at her, yet right past her, even so far that she held her breath. Even in his state, his sense of smell kept him alert to smell her. His eyes, though, were like fire, beautiful and captivating. She wanted to just sit there and stare at his eyes for eternity.

But Solmundr interrupted. Ensarrian, as Solmundr called him, inquired about some Raziel, a pet apparently. Something about this Raziel really got under Ensarrian's skin. Sanyi frowned, not understanding the relationship between wyvern and pet. Why was her safety so important? She waited until Ensarrian, Solmundr, and guards were down the hall and out of sight. What was about to transpire was a scene all too familiar that Sanyi did not want to watch that. Instead, she stood, exited the room and went down the hall in the opposite direction. There was something she wanted to investigate.

The door was unguarded, which was a tad surprising, as Solmundr never took chances. It was highly unlikely that he had forgotten about this room and its occupants. Sanyi picked the lock, glanced down both ends of the hall before opening the door carefully. Her caution was rewarded by the winged pet still sleeping. The door was closed securely, and Sanyi found herself in a corner just like she was in Raven Boy’s room. There seemed to be very little about this small creature that was alluring. Lavender hair and white feathers seemed chaotically spread as if she had not stirred since she was dumped onto the bed.

”I know you’re there.” Sanyi blinked in surprise as a soft voice came from the supposedly slumbering form. The winged pet began to slowly push herself up until she was propped on the one hand, hair completely shielding her face from view. Her free hand lifted to feel the back of her head with a hiss of pain. Solmundr had her knocked out with a weapon, it would seem. ”Your breathing gives you away.” This surprised Sanyi, for she did not know these wyvern hunters to have as keen of hearing like that. So who was this pet to have hearing almost as good as her own? ”Where am I? Where’s Ensarrian?”

She let her invisibility fall, right about the time when Ensarrian’s scream echoed through the place. Sanyi winced with empathy, but Raziel had a look of alarm. The pet rushed out of bed and started pounding on the door. ”Ensarrian!!” The wyvern stood and rushed to the tiny creature and pulled her from the door. ”Stop that! You’ll get me caught.” As she looked down at the small thing, she saw tears in her eyes, sorrow, and concern for the other wyvern. ”You’re in Varaz, Wyvern Keep as he calls it. Why are you here? You are not a wyvern.” Raziel wept for Ensarrian and the pain he was enduring.

”Something pulled him from the sky. These men approached and… I didn’t know what else to do to ensure our safety.” Sanyi scoffed. ”So coming here was the better option?” Raziel wheeled on her, her fists little balls at her side. There was something strange about the way the eyes did not fixate on Sanyi as others did. ”I couldn’t remove that weapon lodged in his chest!” The way she said it implied that it was far too large for a normal weapon. Meaning he was pulled down in dragon form. She sighed. ”I saw the poor job they did at mending his wound. It will leave a nasty scar.”

Her eyes widened, what was that expression? It was something her mother had every time she mentioned Vartirrian. ”Not if I can get to it soon. Can you do me a favor?” Again, Sanyi blinked with surprise, having never heard the word “favor” before. At least, not to her. ”A favor?” Raziel began digging in a pack at her side that Sanyi just now noticed. ”You seem to have free reign in this place. Would you take this to Ensarrian? Let him know I am safe, and that I will figure out a way to get to his side?” Sanyi looked at the plant stem that was placed in her hand. It was green with purple petals and smelled nice. The winged pet also pulled one of her feathers out from one of her own wings and tucked it in Sanyi’s hand. ”Please.”. It appeared that Sanyi had no choice. ”I got to go… Before they discover my disappearance.”

Author: Ian, Posted: Sat Jun 22, 2019 7:17 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

The harpoon was lodged deep in his chest, the sharp pain of its barbs making each breath hard to take. They were shallow and sharp as pain worsened every time his chest inflated with air. Raziel’s cries of worry reached his ears. His heart ached for her. Ensarrian knew it wasn’t easy for her to see him this way, especially when there was nothing she could do to help. The harpoon could not be removed using the same technique as removing an arrow. It had several barbs that will rip more of his flesh if pulled out, which in turn will only worsen the wound. Like a fish hook, it was designed to keep its hold on its victim no matter how much they squirm and try to get loose. But also like a fish hook, there was a certain way to remove it without causing excess damage. Unfortunately, neither of them knew of the correct technique.

He slowly opened his eyes at the sound of Raziel’s crying and sniffling. But movement from behind her caught his attention. Despite his blurry and fading vision, he noticed a familiar face among them that made Ensarrian’s eyes widen and blood freeze over. He snarled at Solmundr and made an attempt to stand, but his wings wobbled under his weight and collapsed. “Raziel…run,” he wheezed. But he was too late. She turned on Solmundr with defiance and protectiveness of Ensarrian, and it made his heart lurch into his throat. The Wyvern knew she would be powerless against Solmundr, as he himself found great difficulty to escape him. Solmundr pressed further to get her to comply, and she looked back at Ensarrian, straight at his wound. He could see in her eyes exactly what she was thinking as her head hung low.

Suddenly, he saw Solmundr lifting something from behind her. “Raziel, look out!” He cried, but she could not react in time. Her head was hit harshly, and she fell to the ground, unconscious. His flaming eyes lifted onto Solmundr, lips curled in a vicious snarl that showed his long fangs and bone crushing teeth. “You bastard,” he spat. “Come now, Ensarrian. You should have seen this coming,” said Solmundr smugly as he stepped closer. He raised one foot and set it on the pole of the harpoon, leaning down to rest his arm on his knee with a cruel smirk. Ensarrian winced at the pressure added to the wound. “You are my prized dragon. Do you really think I would let you go after all the work I put into you? Now, the time has come to finally perfect you,” Solmundr dropped his foot from the harpoon pole and grabbed it firmly. With a vicious tug, it tore his skin as it was pulled out of his chest. He roared with pain, clamping his eyes shut. Warm blood poured from the wound now that there was nothing to slow its flow. “Patch this up,” Solmundr commanded one of his men, tossing the harpoon to the ground. “We can’t have him bleed to death.”

Immediately one of the men rushed over to Ensarrian and did as Solmundr told him. But by this time, Ensarrian’s eyes had grown too heavy. Damn, the harpoon tip must have been drugged to make him go to sleep. Desperately, he attempted to look back over at Raziel’s motionless form before he finally blacked out.


By the time he came to, he was lying on a poor excuse for a bed. Gray walls surrounded him, no lights, no sounds, aside from what came from the other side of the metal door. He slowly sat up and turned to let his legs hang over the side of the bed, only to clutch a hand on his chest with a painful groan and wince. His head was spinning as he slowly woke from the drowsiness. He lifted his dark shirt that was stained with dried blood and reeked as such. The source of his pain was a large wound that had been sewn shut, the area all around it irritated, red and hot. It throbbed with a dull stabbing pain. He made a ‘tsk’ sound and pulled his shirt back down, brow creased with frustration. They cared enough to stitch his wound so he wouldn’t bleed to death, but they didn’t give a crap how well a job they did. They just needed him alive. Nothing else mattered.

Suddenly a familiar, yet somehow unfamiliar scent caught his attention, all of his senses attempting to be on high alert, but mostly failing due to the fog of sleep that still lingered. He sniffed the air, gazing around intently. There was another nearby, one that carried the scent of his own species, but he didn’t recognize it aside from that. It seemed to be coming from one of the corners of the room. His fiery eyes stared at it, scaling up and down the walls. But there was nothing there, just an empty corner. He supposed someone could have been there recently, but it didn’t smell the slightest bit stale, as if it were still there. How odd…

The door abruptly swung open, pushing the drowsy fog away and waking him entirely. He blinked at the person standing in the doorway, glaring at their annoying smirk. “So you’re already awake,” Solmundr said. “Good. It’ll be more enjoyable without the drugs numbing your body through the process.” Ensarrian didn’t understand what the man was talking about; he just knew it wasn’t going to be good. But there was only one thing he really cared about. “Where’s Raziel?” He growled.

“You’re little pet? She’s well, for the time being. Whether or not she stays that way is up to you,” Solmundr’s smirk grew. Ensarrian clenched his hands into fists, blood boiling, “Damn you.” His voice was low and threatening, dripping with fury like it was venom. Why couldn’t he piece it together earlier? Of course Solmundr would use Raziel to force him into complying. If Ensarrian so much as thought of rebelling, who knows what that snake would do to her. “Now then,” Solmundr began, extending his arm out as he moved to give Ensarrian room to get through the door. Now he could see at least five other men down the hall. Watchmen. “Shall we get going?”

Setting his jaw, he forced himself to stand, refraining from wincing from pain. He shouldered his way past Solmundr and followed his men down the halls. He observed how much this place look like the one he had burned down so long ago. Did they rebuild it? The floors were cobblestone, sanded to be perfectly flat. The walls were brick, with rows of metal doors lining them up and down. The only source of light were lanterns above every doorway, giving a warm and dim glow through the corridors.

They guided him to a room that was all too familiar, one he had hoped he would never see again. Chains and shackles hung from the ceiling and walls, a single metal table with restraints sitting in the middle with a faded white sheet laid across the top. The table, floors and chains were all stained with dried blood. Two wheeled stands held mayo trays on one side of the table, both holding various tools used for torture and surgeries that were neatly lined across the trays. Only one contained tools covered in dried blood, the other with newly cleaned tools.

“I’m sure you already know what to do,” said Solmundr as he stepped next to Ensarrian. He snarled at the man, but fiery eyes kept locked on the table ahead. His heart pounded nervously as he tried to guess what they were going to do to him this time. In fact, he was more than just nervous. He was terrified. But he kept a brave face; no one was able to tell how he truly felt. This was all for Raziel, he kept reminding himself. He would do anything to make sure Solmundr never turned on her. He wouldn’t be able to live with himself if he had to go on knowing she was harmed or killed, all because he was too afraid to endure more torture. He had done it before, he could do it again. Only this time, he had more motivation.

“You might want to strip,” said Solmundr. “You wouldn’t want your clothes getting more stained than they already are.” Ensarrian inhaled deeply to relax his shaken nerves, exhaled, then removed all but his black boxers briefs. He lied on the table, eyes staring up at the ceiling while they tied him down. Refusing to look elsewhere, he could hear them discussing what to do as they rummaged through their variety of tools. But he blocked them out, refusing to frighten himself by listening to their words and seeing what they were doing. It wasn’t until he saw movement next to him that his eyes strayed and laid on a very intimidating tool. The metal end was long and thin, spiraled for drilling with a wooden handle that’s used to make it spin. They pressed the tip against his forearm up next to the crook of his arm, aiming straight for the bone hidden beneath his flesh and muscles. His eyes clamped shut in perpetration for them to begin. And when they finally had, not even his high tolerance to pain could keep him from letting out a bloodcurdling scream.

Author: Sanyi, Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2019 9:59 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

There had been some additional buzz as of late in the compound. Isedora had sent word back of the mysterious other and his location. Men had been given the order to prepare and leave immediately. Others were to prepare a special room for an unexpected guest. However, the way it was said made Sanyi doubt that they were a welcomed one. The room they had chosen was on the other side of the compound from Sanyi's room.

She had seen that room before on her explorations. Sparsely furnished with but a single bed that went for so long without so much as a pillow to adorn it. Another room was prepared as well, one Sanyi was very familiar with. That room claimed the lives of so many of her kind and so much of her own blood. Her lips curled in disgust with the thought, staring at the ceiling of her room. Sanyi was waiting, her ears straining as she listened. It had been quiet for the last hour.

As sudden as their voices clamored through the halls, Sanyi sat up, her heart racing. Something stirred in the air, a subtle shift. She was quiet as a mouse as she slipped from her bed and out the door, turning invisible to their eyes. They had no reason to search for her aura, believing she was a good girl who stayed in her room. Silently, she padded down corridors until she came across the group of Solmundr’s men.

It was a curious sight to see them carrying a lavender-haired, winged woman. ”Secure her in Room 32. Leave water and bread, lock the door.” Solmundr commanded, dressed in full armor. Behind him were two men dragging in a raven black haired male between them. Whoever that was captured Sanyi’s attention. Icy orbs locked onto him. ”Take Ensarrian to Room 3. We start operations in the morning.” The raven man was dragged straight past her. What was this feeling that made her stomach flutter?

A trail of blood was left in his wake. ”And somebody make sure that Sanyi’s room is secure! I don’t want her complicating things.” Solmundr barked as he stomped after this Ensarrian. Sanyi squatted by the blood trail, reaching out to touch the burgundy liquid. Curiously, she lifted her hand up to her face, rubbing her fingers and thumb together before placing it in her mouth. He was definitely one of her kind. Solmundr was not playing by the normal rules anymore. An innocent was dragged in. Sanyi glared at the door as she stood, her mind trying to puzzle out exactly what the man was up to.

Author: Raziel, Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2019 9:57 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

She had once heard a human turn into a dragon, barely able to see it through vibrations of the earth. But to witness it with light and color was indescribable. Raziel stared with wide-eyed amazement. To many, dragons were dangerous and fearsome creatures. For Raziel, they were magnificent creatures worthy of respect. She could feel the deep rumble of his voice reverberate through her chest, and the angel laughed. With an enthusiastic nod, Raziel carefully climbed onto his back.

Once she found a solid place to sit, Raziel’s stomach lurched into her heart as they took off. Exhilaration filled her as they gained altitude. Eagerly, her eyes drank in every inch of land below her. There was no fear of her falling, and if she did she could always slow her own descent with her wings until Ensarrian could catch her. It was an idle thought. There were mountains to the south of them, dark clouds hung heavy. Her mind filled in the blank that it must be Railoch, the land of eternal storms.

To the north, autumn blanketed Jasumin Lake which looked small from this distance. Raziel spread her arms and closed her eyes, feeling the air rush past them. Flying was spectacular, it was a shame she was denied such freedom. It was peaceful up here. And then everything went wrong as Raziel rushed to grip him tight due to his lurching beneath her. His bellowed roar pierced her ears. They were plummeting towards the ground, and her eyes widened with fear as she noticed the trail of blood coming from Ensarrian. Attached to his chest was some kind of harpoon weapon, a sturdy rope being reeled in with a wench.

All she was worried about was tending to the wound, whereas Ensarrian was worried about her own safety. Raziel was tucked away beneath his wings as he rolled to take the hit of the ground anywhere but his chest. There was no time for screaming, just waiting for the momentum to finally stop. The angel pushed herself free of his wings and crawled over to his wound. ”Ian! Ian, we must pull this out.” Voices behind her were ignored as she fretted over the wound. If she tried to pull it out, all she would be successful in accomplishing was inflicting even more pain upon Ensarrian.

To make matters worse, everything seemed to be darkening. It started around the edges of her vision, and slowly crept inward. Tears were falling from her eyes. ”Oh, Ian…” Raziel felt powerless to assist him in removing this obstruction, and until then, he could not even start the healing process. ”Come with us quietly, and we shall help your friend here.” She wheeled around, barely able to see the men who were training weapons at both her and Ensarrian. ”And if I don’t?”

”I’m sorry sweetheart. You’re smart not to trust. But you’re both coming with us. Whether or not you chose to come quietly only determines your own safety.” Hesitantly, Raziel looked at Ensarrian’s wound and hung her head. Despite any warnings from Ensarrian, the angel stepped towards the men. A heavy blow was dealt to the back of her head, and her world went black as she crumpled at their feet.

Author: Ian, Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2019 11:26 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

It took a little effort to talk Raziel into a flight, though he could tell she wasn’t entirely convinced. With his face still a little flushed, especially after the alarm she had just displayed, he offered a soft smile. She stepped back, and he took a deep breath, releasing it slowly with a puff of smoke. Black scales started forming along the top of his forearms, the line of his brow and jaw, as well as places his clothing kept hidden from eyes. A red glow shone from beneath the skin in his chest, even through his dark shirt, showing that he was beginning a full transformation. The scales rounded his arms, hardening as horns emerged from his messy locks and down his spine. By now his body was forming into something completely different. Arms extended with thin skin on the wings, his fingers becoming each joint. A tail soon grew as well, claws, a long and powerful jaw that contained incredibly frightening teeth.

He huffed, grass ripping up and dirt overturning when his deadly claws hit the ground. His tail was long like a whip, slithering behind him like a snake as his long neck raised, head turning to look at Raziel. Another huff, the hot air of it blowing across her face as his intense eyes locked with hers. Her eyes were wide like saucers, sparkling with amazement as her mouth was agape. He chuckled lightly. “Are you ready?” His voice was deep and fierce, rumbling like the growl of a feral beast with a hushed hiss, much like that of an alligator. He set himself down onto the ground as flat as he could and helped lift her onto his back by using his nose beneath her like a step stool. He could feel her trying to find a good place to sit, a spot where she could keep a good grip around him and not fall off. Even if she does, he could dive quick enough to catch her. “Hold on tight,” he said, glancing back to make sure she was ready. “I will be as gentle as I can.”

When they were set, he raised himself to stand on his strong legs, chest puffing out like a proud lion. His wings spread widely on either side, their length was enormous. Then they beat down, violently and suddenly pushing a powerful gust of wind below him and lifted off of the ground. The sound resembled a drum with a smooth, even rhythm, pushing him higher and higher into the sky. Soon enough the land expanded far and wide under them as more and more of it came into view.

He soared through the sky, following the current of the wind. Ensarrian was careful not to turn too much, and only bank slightly whenever he did. He would take no chances of risking her sliding off. His head would turn to glance back at her every once in a while, curious to read her expression. Her eyes were still large and shining with excitement as they gazed upon the beautiful world below them. She seemed speechless to him, or perhaps she wasn’t willing to try speaking over the roaring of the wind. He didn’t have any particular destination in mind, just going one way and sticking to it. No matter where he went, though, the view will always be spectacular. Either vast plains, treacherous mountains or even crowded cities, oceans and rivers. It was all beautiful with the right angle.

He did not pay attention to what was below as intently as he should have, instead allowing himself to relax and enjoy the flight. So when something came shooting towards him from the ground, he didn’t see it coming. He was completely unaware of its presence until the sharp metal head broke right through his armor scales on his chest and pierced his flesh. He roared from pain, jerking from the sudden impact. Its hooks locked into him for a sturdy grasp, much like a harpoon, and it pulled him down from the sky. Blood poured from the wound and streamed upward, too slow to fall at his pace as he plummeted to the ground. His first instinct was to protect Raziel at all costs. Reaching back, he clamped his jaws around a loose part of her clothing and pulled her off of his back. His wings folded around her tiny body, protectively holding her against his chest.

He hit the ground roughly, digging a deep trail through the dirt as he slid across the hard surface. When he finally stopped, he lay there motionless, still holding onto Raziel, though more loosely now. She could remove herself from him if she wished. His eyes were clamped shut from pain, his chest leaking a stream of blood from where a large arrow had struck, a thick rope trailing from the other end. He could hear voices nearby, as well as approaching footfalls. But he didn’t move still, too winded from the violent crash.

Author: Raziel, Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2019 8:44 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

”Lavender. Elf Leaf… For love, protection, sleep, purification, happiness, and peace…” As she stated the known uses of the herb, Raziel’s fingers gently rubbed over the freshly picked stem out of habit. If she wasn’t distracted by the sight, Raziel would have recognized its scent and feel. The angel knew the herb well, having used it to help the restless receive desperately needed sleep. To have this as the color of her hair seemed fitting somehow. Slowly, her eyes dragged back up to Ian as he started to speak.

Curiosity took her by storm as she watched him stumble over his words. Ian was turning a different color! Raziel subconsciously tucked the lavender in her pack as she pulled him down without allowing him an option in the matter. Her hands felt his cheeks, then his forehead, her expression turned into that of alarm. The color was deepening and his temperature was abnormally high. ”Something wrong? You’ve got a fever! We’re not going flying if you’ve got a fever, Ensarrian. And that’s final.” Ensarrian tried to explain it away as an embarrassment. While Raziel was unconvinced, she remained skeptical. ”So you’re saying when my face feels flushed, I turn this color too? Why does that seem hard to believe?”

He insisted on it, and Raziel raised an eyebrow at him. She had wings, this was true, but she had never used them due to her blindness. With a century of not using them, her muscles would not be accustomed to even supporting her own weight. So, to have an opportunity to experience flight and the sights her sister sees was one she did not want to pass up. ”If you are absolutely positive that you are fine… I will graciously accept your offer, brother mine.” Raziel took a couple of steps backward to give him the room he needed to change forms. What she saw completely took her breath away.

Author: Ian, Posted: Mon Jun 17, 2019 11:01 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

A light nod showed that she understood. part of him relaxed knowing that he explained it all correctly, but his body was still mostly tense with anticipation. Raziel fell silent and closed her eyes, an obvious sign that she was concentrating on her mana. Several moments went by like torture, and before he realized it he started holding his breath. Her lips eventually pursed as she made a face. His heart just about dropped. Did it not work? She opened her eyes and blinked. “Well?” He asked nervously with slight worry. Despite her using his mana, he had no way of knowing if it worked or not without her telling him. Yes, he could sense the bonding of both of their mana, but that was all he could get from their connection.

But then, finally, she spoke. Once more he held his breath, waiting, watching for any signs that it worked. Slowly, her eyes moved up from staring at his chest. And the moment their eyes locked, he knew. Her steel eyes no longer gazed upon his face with their usual cloudiness. They shifted ever so slightly from one feature to another, something someone does when they’re examining another, something someone does when the could see. He knew from the very beginning that fixing her blindness, even for just a short time, would be a long shot. Giving sight to the blind was a feat he wasn’t sure even the Gods could do. And yet, here they were. The gift could have given her his strength, or even one of his other senses. But, of all things, no matter how unlikely the chances were, it gave her the ability to see. It may be temporary, but it was something.

She shed tears once more and buried her face in her hands. But this time there was no doubt in his mind, and his heart soared. Ensarrian wanted to sing with joy and embrace her while shedding tears of his own. He kept his cool, though, but even his strong will wasn’t enough to contain a gentle smile. Her tears were wiped away as she sniffled, eyes opening once again and turned to her own hands. Ensarrian waited patiently, knowing full well that having eyesight for the first time would take some getting used to. Right now, figuring everything out was more important than speaking. And then she suddenly frowned.

For a second she started to speak as she reached out her arm, but her words quickly shifted into an apology when she accidentally hit him. He flinched forward with a quiet ‘oof’, then a light chuckle followed. “It’s alright,” he assured her. “It will take some time to get used to being able to see.” But she did not withdraw her hand from touching him. He stiffened as her hands felt of his stomach, breathing halting until he realized it was the fabric of his shirt she was feeling of. Her eyes moved down, his breath releasing in a soft huff to release his tension. She picked up one of the flowers, eyes Locked on it intently, then she held it up next to some of her hair. He blinked at her question and thought for a moment. Colors were not his expertise. In fact, aside from the obvious colors such as red and green, he knew almost no difference between any shades unless it is, well, obvious, such as between light and dark colors. However, Isedora was a major fan of purple, and though this particular shade was not very popular in her wardrobe, she did not neglect it. That, and Nelanna had once described various flowers to him that were in her gardens. This was among them.

With a soft smile, he replied, “It’s lavender. Pretty, isn’t it?” And as he watched her take in everything, he was reminded of his initial plan. But for some reason, he was a tad reluctant to mention it. Perhaps it was because he has never had anyone ride him before, not even Isedora. And the idea of someone sitting on his back, especially a girl…well, it made him nervous. He was certain his face was already flushed by now, for he could feel the warmth rising in his cheeks. But despite it all, he kept in mind that this was all for Raziel. “Hey, um…If you want…I…I can take you on a flight in my dragon form. That way you can see more of the land. From the sky, you can almost see everything.”

Author: Raziel, Posted: Thu Jun 13, 2019 12:20 AM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

Raziel nodded as she tried to wrap her mind around actively using her own mana to activate the trinket. Most of the time, she carefully concentrated to use magic since she preferred to do most anything without it. Even though she was blind, the feel of closing her eyes was a symbol of closing out the world. The angel slowed her breathing as she concentrated, clearing her mind.

She focused on the pendant, the warmth of its smooth surface. As her mana tapped into Ensarrian’s scale, Raziel could feel it envelop her in a magical embrace. With bated breath, she waited for some sign it worked. Soon, a frown creased her forehead. Nothing. Raziel pouted as she opened her eyes. Whatever words that were on the tip of her tongue melted and forgotten as she blinked with surprise.

”Pinch me… I must be dreaming again,” Raziel whispered. Directly before her was a swath of fabric which matched Raziel’s usually dark world. Slowly, her steel eyes drifted up to Ensarrian’s face. Tears welled up and started to blur her new-found vision as she took in his features. He had dark hair and striking eyes, but he was exactly as she imagined. The angel started crying, then, burying her face in her hands.

This was all too familiar to that dream she had some time ago. Raziel could remember the color from then, the kiss which had felt so real. But when she woke, Najima was gone and she had not been visited by him since. She tried to wipe away the tears, sniffling herself to a forced stop. When her eyes opened again, Raziel could still see her own hands. The sight of the fresh scars riddling her hands caused another frown to crease her forehead.

”It is so strange…” She reached out, to find the palm of her hand practically hitting Ensarrian’s stomach. ”Sorry!” Raziel winced. ”I don’t have… Visual depth perception.” The weave of the fabric looked like it might be rough, but her fingers told her differently. It was smooth and soft as she ran her hand over his muscular abs. A memory of the dream flashed through her mind of the colors behind Naji. Raziel’s gaze then darted to the ground at their feet.

She stooped to feel the grass with its beautiful color. Didn’t Mother say the grass was green? A wildflower of a familiar shade caught her attention as it grew in an abundance around them. Picking one, the angel stood and investigated it closely. In the dream, this was the shade of her hair. Curiously, Raziel held it up to a strand of her hair, shocked to find it was indeed nearly identical. ”Brother mine? What color is this?”

Author: Ian, Posted: Fri Jun 7, 2019 1:32 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

Raziel seemed taken aback at first. Ensarrian watched as her fingers explored the pendant with a pounding heart. A smile appeared on her sweet little face when she quietly called him brother, and tears started swelling in her cloudy eyes. His heart skipped. Was that a bad sign or a good one? Though he couldn’t imagine anyone shedding tears simply because they didn’t like the gift they were given. Her tears were wiped away and she handed it back to him. At first he was frozen, thinking that she didn’t want it. But then she moved her hair and asked him to put it on for her. A moment went by before it sank in. His face beamed, warmth growing in his chest. “Of course,” he said happily. Carefully, he tied it around her neck with a neat little knot. It was tight enough to keep it in its place, but not so much that it would harm her dainty neck.

He smiled uncontrollably while he took in the sight of the necklace on her. His first gift was a success, and he couldn’t be happier. Raziel thanked him, his posture deflating a little as he allowed himself to relax, a small sigh of relief blowing past his lips. And then came her question. He blinked, trying to word the explanation properly in his mind before speaking. “Well,” he started. “Wyverns have many abilities. Powerful strength, flight, elemental breath and immunity, heightened senses. Just to name a few.” He rubbed the back of his neck, neglecting to mention his extra abilities that had been added torturously so long ago. He just couldn’t bring himself to reveal that part of his past to her quite yet. “Since it’s loaded with my mana, you have access to everything I can do. All it needed was an enchantment that allows you to actually use the ability it gives. I don’t know which it will give you, though.”

His eyes stared down at the pendant for a moment. Already he could feel it setting to work. A connection was being built with Raziel’s own mana. He smiled. “The mana is now entirely under your control. All you must do is activate it, I think. But be careful. Since it isn’t a living body that replenishes the mana when it runs out, like blood, there is only so much you can use. You need to leave a little bit left for it to replenish itself, otherwise you won’t be able to use it if it’s run bone dry.”

Author: Raziel, Posted: Fri Jun 7, 2019 1:28 AM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

It felt as if six weeks was six months. Weeks of sitting there with little to do. Especially when her sister was not there, out looking for more signs of their father before the trail got cold. Ensarrian did not like small rooms, not that she could blame him. His visits were bright and sunny as they both preferred the sun. Nelanna was kind, Cecil attentive, and Kohaku did seem to warm up. But, after the disturbance of the gods, something about a possessed goddess, Kohaku was fretting over Mirannda's sleeping form.

Unfortunately, Raziel had no idea what was going on with the woman and could not offer any advice. Now that Raziel could walk again, Ensarrian wanted to make sure she could walk some distance without over exerting herself. It was heartwarming and sweet. Her hand rested on his elbow gently. She smiled at the growing silence. Usually, this was normal for him. But this time, he seemed quite nervous. Ensarrian called her name and she tilted her head toward him slightly. "Yes, Ensarrian?" Raziel asked with calm understanding. It was confirmed her was nervous about something. "You don't have to be nervous around me, you know."

He finally stated he had something for her, and quickly pressed it into her hand. Taken slightly aback, Raziel carefully took the object in both hands and began to thoroughly examine it curiously. The smooth material formed what felt like a small dragon curled around a polished stone. It was warm to the touch and a necklace was connected to the tip of a wing. Raziel smiled fondly as she turned the pendant over and over between her fingers. Ensarrian went on to explain that it was formed from his own scale. "Brother…"

What truly got her, however, was the enchantment. It should give her one of his abilities? Raziel sniffled as she wiped a tear away, trying hard not to cry at the generosity of such a personal and powerful gift. She held it out to him as she began to lift the hair off her neck. "Put it on for me?" When it was resting at her neck, her fingertips gently touched the pendant. "It's beautiful, Ensarrian. Honestly, it's the nicest gift anyone has ever given me."The angel would treasure it always. One thing remained, such as how does she use the enchantment, and what would it do? "But, what do you mean by one of your abilities?"

Author: Ian, Posted: Thu Jun 6, 2019 11:02 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

On the west side of Jasmuin Lake, a beautiful young woman walked the bridge that zigzagged through the water. The heels of her knee high black belted boots thunked along the fine wood with each step. The black skirt appeared to have many belts sewn into the edges, the majority of them dangling down past her knees. From her waist up is a skin tight top, yet again bearing the dark color of black with the top cut low in a V shape to reveal between her breasts. On her shoulders were raven feathers, adding a tribal look to her outfit with two necklaces hanging down over her chest, with one gold and the other silver. Lastly her raven hair was hidden by a burgundy hood that wrapped loosely around the base of her neck then left to drape over her right shoulder.

Her golden eyes spotted a bat descending towards her from up above. She extended her arm for it to rest on and removed the piece of paper attached to its leg. The paper was unrolled, eyes scanning over the familiar handwriting. Her bloody lips curved into a smirk. Finally, they were ready. The time has come to act. Oh, how long she has awaited this day! A fresh piece of paper was taken from her bag with a pen. Once she found a flat surface to write on, she started her reply:


With her letter written, she rolled it up and attached it to the carrier bat. She sent it off on its way, watching with a satisfied smirk.


Meanwhile, in Haza Savanna, Ensarrian walked with Raziel. He kept one hand at his side in case she wanted to hold it instead of relying on her walking stick. His other hand, however, was in his pocket, fiddling with a gift he had yet to give. It had been an idea of his long ago to offer some of his dragon abilities to Raziel, hoping it may help her get around better. Particularly, though, he hoped it would give her eyesight of some kind. He wanted her to finally lay eyes on him and see, and to witness the beauty of the world. With Nelanna’s help they crafted something that should work, and he could think of no better view of the world than from the sky above, so he planned on taking her for a flight.

He clutched the gift in his hand, eyes darting down at Raziel then over at a nearby tree. His face was slightly flushed as his nervousness gripped at his chest, stealing away all of the right words from his tongue whenever he opened his mouth to speak. Never before had he given a gift to someone, much less a girl. How does one go about doing it? What was he supposed to say? He supposed he should say how he truly feels. Pulling the dragon pendant from his pocket, he let it rest in the palm of his hand as his eyes rooted themselves on the flaming jewel. He briefly recalled how painful it had been to have that scale removed for the pendant, but the mana the scale contained would help Raziel far more than it would help him. It would grow back anyway. Eventually.

He took a deep breath and looked down at the angel, heart pounding. “Raziel,” he said, voice squeaking slightly. He bit his tongue, face flushing even more from embarrassment. For once he was glad she couldn’t see his face. He imagined he was red enough to put a tomato to shame. Ensarrian cleared his throat, and tried again despite his growing anxiety, “I, uh… I have something… for you.” He took her hand and quickly have her the pendant, “Here.” Then he turned his face away for a moment. He got it over with, so now he should be able to relax, right?

Wrong.

He still didn’t know what she thought of it, or if it even worked. Did she like it? Could she even tell what it was? Shit! why didn’t he think of that earlier? He should have told her instead of throwing something on her as rudely as he did. He looked back at her, wishing to see her reaction while he explained, “It’s a necklace… its pendant was crafted from one of my scales, so it’s filled with my mana. Also, it’s enchanted, so it should give you an ability I have.”

Author: Sanyi, Posted: Wed Jun 5, 2019 6:11 PM, Post Subject: Wings of a feather [P, R]

It was all a ploy. She would remain limp in the chains until they checked up on her. The feel of her claws ripping through their soft flesh was exquisitely imagined. Blood would gush in spurts timed with the beat of the heart from the wounds. It would be warm and thick. One would feel the grip of her hand around their lower mandible, fear filling their eyes as they guessed her next action. Sanyi would rip it out of the socket and away from the skin and muscle that attached it to the body.

For Solmundr, the gang leader of the group, Sanyi had special plans. He would be chained up as she was now, begging for her forgiveness for the pain and torture they forced her to endure. She would lean in, a slight smile on her face to allow the brief belief of salvation to settle in before sinking her teeth into his throat. Venom would be injected into his system, and she would watch him die the slow and agonizing death that it brought. She would delight in the irony that he would die by the very venom he gave to her.

But all this was a dream. Her body ached from the latest “improvement” they made, dried sweat made her skin itch. They had mentioned regret for not trying it on him first, but that he would soon be recollected for the special treatment. Sanyi knew she was in no shape to rebel, but it was all a matter of time. Soon, she will perfect her plan and she will escape. There was no movement from her as the door creaked open.

”Well, my dear. How are we feeling today?” Slowly, Sanyi’s eyes lifted to glare at Solmundr. He chuckled. ”Time for you to return to your room. Rest up. You’ll need it for the days to come.” Two men came in and unlocked her shackles, allowing her to fall to her hands and knees. One attempted to help her up, but Sanyi ripped her arm out of his grasp and hissed at him. Solmundr laughed. ”Do you know what I absolutely love about you, Sanyi? Despite all we have been through, you still keep your fighting spirit.” She gave a tsking sound as she brought herself to a standing position.


Confidentially, she strode out of the room, roughly pushing past Solmundr with her shoulder. Sanyi knew the path from this room to her sleeping quarters. But as she neared the door to her room, she paused. She had enough. After nearly a century of being poked and prodded, enduring excruciating pain, Sanyi wanted it to be over. There was always an escort behind her, no matter where in this compound she went. This time, she could hear Solmundr prattle on behind her about something honestly should have been paying attention to.

Without another moment’s hesitation, Sanyi whirled around, catching one of the escorts by the throat and pulled him into her in a very threatening stance. His back was pressed to her, his throat wobbled under her fingers as she pressed a thumb right under the hinge of his jaw. With their height difference, his knees were bent and he reeked of fear. ”No more. I’m done with your little experiments,” Sanyi hissed at Solmundr, glaring at him with all the seething anger she could muster.

Solmundr paused, taking a moment to contemplate the position she forced him into. He gave a dry chuckle as he shook his head. ”You are right, my dear. For you are perfect. Now, it is time to collect your counterpart and perfect him. Then, you’ll be ready.” ”Ready for what?” ”To be perfect killing machines. Now, would you be a good girl and release Ismundr?” Sanyi continued her stony glare as Ismundr gave a light whimper. ”No.”

Her fangs sunk deep into his jugular, taking a long drawn out suck of his blood and swallowing before pumping him full of her venom. His piercing screams were music to his ears. All the while, her gaze remained steady on Solmundr. Sanyi could see the horror in his eyes, and her inner wyvern hummed with glee. ”Release him, Sanyi.” So she did, pushing him forward simultaneously. Mischievously, she gave a smug smirk before turning on her heel, walked into her room, and slammed the door.

His eyes blazed with fury. ”Fuck.” Solmundr kneeled by Ismundr and gazed upon him sympathetically. ”You were a good man. One of my best. Allow me the honor of not letting you suffer.” Ismundr nodded curtly, eyes pleading up at Solmundr. He withdrew a dagger, cupped Ismundr’s cheek before placing a steadying hand on his shoulder. In a swift motion, buried it in Ismundr’s chest. A moment later, Ismundr slumped over and Solmundr retrieved his dagger, wiping it on his black pants. ”Send a bat to Isedora. It is time to collect our runaway asset.”