Birds of Prey(closed for Storm and I)

[Jewelskye]

The creature twisted, letting out a cry that sounded at once human and like the pained cry of a bird. Large white wings moved in rigid, sudden movements, and long slender arms tugged with a strength not shown in their look against the manacles that bound her wrists.

"Keep her still, damnit!" came one man's yell, and the others responded by heightening their effort in keeping the creature from flailing too much. But of course... such was not easy. She was stronger than any human woman could ever hope to be, and they had been given strict orders not to harm her. Her value would go down if she were to be harmed.

It took several moments, but soon she was secured. On her knees, her ankles were shackled to the floor, and a thick chain along the backs of her knees, pressing downward to be sure she couldn't get to her feet. Her arms were held upward at either side, wrists inside of thick steel manacles. Her wings, meanwhile, had been pulled out behind her and clamps were fastened around the tops of them there the thicket bone ran, holding them in that suspended manner. A thick metal collar was fastened around her slender neck, and a chain hung from it, connecting to a ring in the floor before her.

The man who had led the expedition to capture this rare creature stepped forth, bringing a hand down under her chin and forcing her to lift her head. A pair of molten gold eyes met his own, staring out at him from a fringe of long silvery white lashes and an angelic face. Full gold lips parted, allowing him a glimpse of even white teeth and a gold tongue. Gold markings ran from her hairline on the left side of her face down her neck and seeming the left side of her whole body, save her arm. Despite this, however, they only seemed to enhance the ethereal beauty before him, instead of seeming out of place.

Silvery white hair spilled from her head down to the middle of her torso, falling in what would be, when it was brushed out, silky waves. For now though, that hair was tangled and showed the struggle she'd put up during her capture.

He moved from her face to run his hand down her neck to her shoulder, then over her shoulder along her arm to her wrist. Just beyond the manacle lay a tiny, delicately made hand. Gold nails tipped each slender finger, curved slightly and, as he had learned from experience, sharp as knives. He marveled not for the first time at how she could seem so breakable, and yet be so deadly. Moving around her, he next took a moment to examine her feet. So human in appearance, save the the sharp, slightly curved gold nails that tipped each toe.

Her wings came next, and he couldn't help but bring a hand up to touch the white feathers. She responded to his touch with a small, frightened sound that sounded much like what a dove would sound like if it were in pain. Her wing twitched under his hand, but she couldn't move it enough to do more. Even as he stood there marveling at the soft feel of the feathers, he wondered at how each of them seemed to be tipped with gold, though the gold was only a color. That part felt soft as well.

Moving up, he touched her back between her wings and felt her shudder some under his touch. Her skin was like velvet in it's softness. Yes indeed... she was an amazing creature. She'd fetch a high price at auction.

Stepping back, he spoke as he walked around infront of her again. "Clip her nails and find a way to bind her wings so that when we take her into the auctions, she wont be able to move them. I want her ready for auction by morning."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The cage was on wheels and as it creaked along it's path into the auction house, its occupant found herself staring at the black fabric that had been placed around the cage so none would be able to see her. She wondered at this. Wasn't the point of such places so that people would see her? And take notice of her? Didn't they want to sell her?

For the hundredth time since she'd been woken by the rough shaking of her cage as they hefted it onto the cart it was now wheeled on, she wondered how she would get out of such a mess. They'd cut her claws down to nails and her wings were held to the top of the cage by chains in the same manner they'd had her last night in the warehouse or wherever they'd had her. Her arms were chained to the sides of the cage, and her ankles to the floor. She knelt the same, as well. The collar around her neck, however, was fastened to the cage's ceiling.

'Alright, Celeste... how do you plan to get out of this one?' she thought, looking around her the best she could.

Escape was at this point a lost cause. She had to atleast wait for them to release her from the manacles before she could even consider trying to get away. And then... she had no weapons other than her hand to hand fighting skills to try to fight her way out of the auction. And then where would she go? She'd have to fly, obviously, but where? Which way was home? Did her home even exist any more?

She knew she had no family left... Her parents had died a few years prior, and she was almost positive she'd seen her brothers fall in battle around her during the final skirmish between them and the humans who wanted their land.

Sighing, she settles to wait and see what would happen. Perhaps an opening would arise later that she could take.

 

[OncomingStorm]

“Keep an eye on him.” a tall man in a red suit said, discretely pointing towards a fatter gentleman who also bore marks of bourgeoisie in the distance. “If he goes over three gold pieces for any of today’s auctions, make him understand it would be...” he pondered a moment, collecting his thoughts, grinning after an instant. “...in his best interest to rethink his position.”

One of the two hired goons palmed his sheeted knife discretely, as if looking for a silent confirmation, then headed toward the aforementioned bidder, shoving anyone in the crowd who got in his way aside.

Nobody ever got the better of Vile. Especially not today. Word around town was that there would be a special auction today, something unique in all the land. Although he hadn’t been able to learn exactly what was so special about today, he’d traveled three days to the small burg, hoping this would be worth his expenses. If he didn’t at least land even in this little venture, he’d have one least snitch on his roster... Such was the way of the today’s world.

Ever since the War began, people had grown tired, apathetic, scared. Morals had decayed, and so did the economy. Unless you just happened to know the right people, of course... Concepts long forgotten by the people of Kessia: civil war, genocide, slave trading... They had all come back in force.

And then, there were people like Vile: the reason for Kessia’s downfall. Greedy, dangerous, inhuman... they were the ones to profit most from the War. Hiding in the shadows of the government, they manipulated the economy, rigged elections and arranged for specific people to be put in charge, all for their own obscure purposes. And they wouldn’t hesitate at resorting to murder, blackmail, even kidnapping to attain their goals...

Vile was the best at what he did. He was also one of the most wanted men in the land, his head valued most of all. Noone knew his true name, but all recognized his symbol: the golden eyes, symbol of his influence among the underground. Rumors had it that he was “all-seeing”. Some even conjectured that he was the last of the Krane, an extinct race of telepaths that used to live alongside mankind centuries ago.

In fact, before the three-hundred-year War that had plagued Kessia, many humanoid races had graced the soil of the kingdom. Today however, most had either been decimated by war or hunting, or had vanished from Kessia, probably off to a better land somewhere, far from the madness of Man.

It was almost time now, Vile noted, as the mid-day crowd flooded the center square, probably hoping to catch a glance at today’s “rarity of rarities”. The tall man stood silently in the middle of the crowd, not wanting to draw attention upon himself by taking center stage in the seated portion of the square. He was, after all, a very wanted man. The Prefect of Matac had especially been a pain in his neck recently. Apparently the old man had not appreciated having his daughter sold into prostitution...

Despite the rumors that floated about the kingdom, Vile was a very ordinary-looking man. He didn’t dress in outlandish clothes, or indulge in perfumes, tinted garments, or any other signs that could reveal his prominence. That was one of the secrets to his success: nobody ever bewares the underdog... Standing at just under six feet, Vile was relatively unremarkable. Not the muscle-mountain or the genius he was rumored to be, he knew enough about human nature to let the rumors flourish, if it meant he could walk about unnoticed amongst a crowd.

“Good morning ladies and gentlemen!” a voice bellowed from the front of the stand. “Today, we have an amazing lot for you. Beauties from the four corners of Kessia...” he started, caressing the chin off a reluctant redheaded girl to his right before continuing “... and beasts from beyond!” he teased. Vile knew this man, although he couldn’t quite remember his name at the moment. Something starting with a T... Terrence, Terohn... “And then, we have something remarkable, one of the last wonders this great land has to offer ladies and gentleman. Truly unique!”

Vile smiled broadly at the man’s rantings. Tanner, that was the man’s name. He had bought a fair many of his own personal staff from the man, he now remembered. “Unique”. He had heard that word many times in the past, and more often than not, it had ended in disappointment. And, usually, retribution on his part for having brought his hopes up. But if there was one thing that still drew a crown in this dull, predictable world, it was unique. And if there was one thing that could still make him a richer and more notoriously feared man, it was to possess anything that was unique...

 

[Jewelskye]

Sunlight flooded the insides of the cage as the cloth was pulled away. It hit the divine creature within, and she couldn't help but hold back a cry much like that of a hawt as it hit her eyes, which had become accustomed to the dark. She clamped her eyes closed, turning her head away from the crowd in an attempt to keep it from the light.

But it was to no avail. The sunlight fell upon her alabaster skin and lit the gold of her coloring light so many blazing fires.

~*~*~*~*~*~

A gasp went up among the crowd as the creature was revealed to them, people taken aback by the sight of her. She was indeed unique. More than unique, she was incredibly rare. Most of the avians had been killed off or fled, and those few who remembered what they looked like had never seen one quite so enchanting. Most had darker complexions, wings colored dark like most birds.

None before had seen such unique coloring. And the markings along her skin, they noticed, were even more odd still.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Celeste's eyes opened finally and blinking, she looked out over the crowd. My, but there were a lot of people filling the square. Her heart beat faster in her chest as she knelt there, knowing that these people were just staring at her and they could and would do what they wanted with her. There wasn't nothing she could do to stop them.

Her golden lips trembled a bit as she lowered her head in an attempt to hide from their gazes. The silvery white veil of her hair fell over her face, hiding it from view. It provided some comfort, which was better than nothing.

In this position, she had little else to look at but her own body, and with a gasp of horror she realised that they'd dressed her in only small bits of fabric. A piece of white velvet cloth had been tied behind her neck and back by straps, barely holding her breasts out of view, and a short skirt that was little more than a wide strip of fabric wrapped around her bottom to hide her sex from them had been placed there.

When had they had time to do this? Had they drugged her? Knocked her out? She couldn't remember. The past two days were a hazy blurr.

 

[OncomingStorm]

An avian. As the crowd gasped, Vile took a step back, amazed. But that was impossible! Every expert he had ever hired had assured him that if any remained alive after the hungry raids and hunts on their natural homes, they had fled the kingdom a long time ago. But he couldn’t deny his senses, and he shifted his hat slightly to get a better view. He squinted a little, focusing his vision toward the front of the square, as to get a better view and stepped forward. He tossed a young man aside like a ragdoll and stepped onto the center tiles, advancing forward with a fierce pace.

The first five sells today had been trash. He had acquired one female slave for the sheer principle of it, intending to have his way with her tonight and dump her body in a ditch in the morning, but this was something different. An avian was more than a rarity; they had become legends, thought to be extinct in this part of the globe for a generation now. She would bring in a fortune, twice her weight in gold probably, but Vile knew better than to let money stop him from taking this unique opportunity. Slaves were not the only precious commodities in Kessia...

The tall man stepped forward, letting no-one stand in his way, his attention fixed all-the-while on the cage and the she-bird and the auctioneer in the front trying to make sense of all the bidding and the chaos that had ensued the unveiling. In one rapid motion, he pulled on his hat and undid the scarf that held steady from a metal pin behind his neck.

“20 pieces!” a man to his left yelled frantically; obviously he did not have this kind of money about him, and Vile ignored his complaints as he shoved him out of his way and onto an old woman. Vile’s pitch black hair shone in the afternoon sun as he stepped into view, front-center, and little-more than spoke four words.

The auctioneer looked down and his smug, confident face turned to that of concern as he recognized one of his best client, looking back at him with an expression that convinced him he had no choice in the matter. “Sold for two-hundred gold pieces.” he bellowed, and the crowd erupted in outrage. Some for having been outbid, but most for the fact that they wouldn’t be able to stare at the frightened girl anymore if someone overbid by this much so quickly. Vile stepped aside and headed towards a back alley he knew connected to the main auctionhouse, having little desire to make the situation any more volatile by revealing his presence here.

“Hey you!” one of the angry bidders interjected, grabbing hold of Vile’s arm. “This isn’t how these things worked. You can’t...” he interrupted himself, swallowing hard for some reason. Then he stopped talking completely, looking at his own chest, where a freshly-burnt hole had formed, so fresh in fact that had anyone been paying close attention they would have seen right through the newly-formed fist-sized orifice. Vile tugged his arm rapidly towards his torso, freeing himself from the petulant peasant, and the fat man fell to the ground with a loud thump, never knowing exactly what had happened to him.

* * *

“Load it into the back. Make sure it’s secure.” Vile ordered ruthlessly as his assistants took hold of the cage. “It”. Vile had decided one day, back when still considered himself to be at least partly human, that this was the way to address his property, whether they were human or otherwise. “It” felt more impersonal, evoked no feeling whatsoever. “It” was perfect for the use he would have for the pretty bird woman.

She was resisting, screeching fiercely, from her manmade cage. He could feel the steel being bent to its limits by her struggling, the bolts slowly bending and twisting against the metal plates. But there was nothing she could do about it, not for the moment, no matter how hard she tried. Vile knew he would have to deal with her soon though, to keep her from escaping.

“Sir...” one of the smaller guards on his roster addressed him, sounding a bit out of breathe. “Excuse me...”

Vile turned his eyes toward him, all the while remaining perfectly still.

“There’s a storm coming sir. We can’t...” he caught himself in time to correct himself. “...I can’t recommend leaving in this weather.”

The tall man smirked under his shawl. Nothing like a little fear to strike politeness into one’s henchmen. But this piece of news was not at all pleasing. He needed to get out of this city. Not only because he didn’t want his newly-acquired property to cause any trouble, but he wanted to be gone before his little demonstration in the square sparked any interest. Fire spells were handy, easy to manage and efficient at striking fear into the hearts of his enemies, but they required a lot of energy, and he wasn’t proficient enough to dispose of a crowd, no matter how much they believed he could.

He turned slowly and walked toward the beautiful avian, taking a moment for the first time to admire her striking features, her humanoid appeal as well as her bird heritage. Her intelligent eyes betrayed the bestial show she had given so far. This was definitely more than a beast.

“Appropriate the Inn. We’ll stay there for the night.” Vile said at last. It was risky, but not so much as braving a storm in these parts this time of year. “And bring her to my chambers.” he said, walking out of the room. “Intact.”

 

[Jewelskye]

Celeste's movements were panicked as she fought against her manacles. She could feel the cold steel biting into her skin, knew that when they were removed, the thick gold colored blood of her people would show from between the pieces of skin. But she didn't care. Wounds were superficial compared to freedom.

The bars were beginning to give under her constant efforts, but her muscles were beginning to burn and ache with the amount of strength she was having to use to make them do so. And despite all her shows of her animalistic side, they didn't seem at all frightened of her.

Least of all her new "owner". Why, he moved right up to the cage to get a closer look of her. Her eyes locked onto his, staring at him as if staring straight into the depths of his soul. She didn't care how powerful he thought he was. If only she could get her hands around his throat... She'd pop his head right off his shoulders...

Then he walked away, talking about staying at an Inn. Cursing her bad luck, she sighed. She'd known the storm was on its way hours before they did, able to feel it in the way her feathers reacted to the charged atmosphere.

She'd been hoping they'd be outside of the city by the time the storm hit, so that she could take advantage of the fact that their attention would be elsewhere, and use the opportunity to try to escape.

But alas... this man who now claimed he owned her was smarter than that. And so were his guards. She let her struggles die down for now, her body relaxing as the ache in her muscles began to get to the point of being too painful for her to be able to endure in this position. Her head hung, silvery white hair falling infront of her face one more, hiding it from those around her.

Alright Celeste... time to think... how are you gonna get out of a tavern in the middle of a crowded city while being under guard by more than one person? she thought, closing her eyes and thinking hard over her situation.

Thats right, you're not...

 

[OncomingStorm]

“Three doses...” one of Vile’s nameless henchmen muttered. “Three whole doses. I once took down a rhino with two doses...” he finished, shaking his head numbly from side to side.

“These birds are really something, uh? Did someone tell Vile?” the second asked, keeping his voice down. It was known amongst the hired hands that Vile’s arsenal comprised mostly of misdirection and artifices to scare his foes into subservience, but there was the occasional display of force that made the legends about him seem that much more believable... This afternoon’s magic display, for example, had not gone unnoticed.

“Yeah, he’s in there with her now.” the first one mused, walking back down to the first floor. “He said not to disturb him...” he trailed off. They both knew what this meant, and both silently agreed that they envied the man.

* * *​

“What’s your name?” he said loudly, as soon as she started to move again. His voice was full of confidence, the kind you find in people who’ve exerced too much power for far too long. It wasn’t exactly hallow assurance, more undeserved. He didn’t really want to know the avian’s name; that went against all his own personal rules about social rank and the order of things. He did, however, want to hear her voice, hear it talk. A name seemed like a natural way to begin their so-called relationship.

The woman was a bit more congruent now, conscious at least. She was still wearing chains, but they were much thinner, and only restrained her hands and feet. She was awake, but not quite out of it yet. The root of the plant commonly known as Purpleleaf made a strong and long-lasting sedative. A human injected with half as much would have been out of it for a week. He figured she’d at least be docile enough to fuck for the night.

“What’s your name?” he repeated from his dark corner, insisting upon getting an answer to some of his inquiries. He soon watched as her eyes regained some focus, came alive with hatred for him again.

 

[Jewelskye]

A groan emitted from the avians lips when first she began to become concious again. What had happened? The remembered being in the cage... then a sharp prick at the back of her neck.. then another... and minutes later, after her vision had become blurry, another. Then all was black.

And now she found herself laying on her back, staring straight up at a wooden cieling, on a surface that wasn't too horribly uncomfortable, though avians always did find discomfort in laying flat like this.

Her limbs were still too heavy to move and she found herself blinking, trying to summon forth more coherent thoughts. And then she heard him, less muffled this time and she was able to make sense of the sounds. "What is your name?" came his insessant voice.

She blinked hard a few times as her vision cleared and soon she found herself turning her head slowly to look over at the shadows. At him. Her "owner". A small growl-like sound left her, followed by the sound an angered eagle might make. She jerked some, but her limbs hardly moved and she was forced to whimper, wondering what they'd done to her.

"What is your name?" he asked again, and the answer he recieved was brought forth in a voice as beautiful as distant music carried in on a soft summer breeze, despite how gruff the words themselves were. "Why would any loathsome bastard like you want to know the name of something that is naught but a piece of property to him?!"

Her golden orbs burned holes into him as she stared at him, wishing she had the strength to break the chains and jump at him. He'd be dead before he could call for help...

 

[OncomingStorm]

He smirked in the dark, satisfied to know that he was indeed right and that she could talk, although not inclined to from the look of things. It was just a means of defiance now, and he did love to tame defiant souls...

"I like to hear a woman's voice at least once." he answered, emphasizing the last three words, his voice trailing off into the cold damp night.

She was totally naked now, as per his earlier instructions. The moonlight coming through the open window conferred an almost ethereal quality to her skin, the hues of gold and silver and flesh merging in perfect harmony, washed over by the pale white light.

It was amazing that such a beautiful being could be so dangerous. He had been staring at her naked form for hours, tracing the outline of her curves gently, feeling the ever-growing urge to ravage her in her sleep. But he hadn't; taking satisfaction from such empty an empty gesture had been beyond him for years now. His inhumanity had grown to a point where depravity was no longer a joy it itself; he needed to feel the pain of the object of his desires, the shame and guilty pleasure she'd feel from having him touch her nubile skin, carress her sensitive feathers. Before he could even get hard, he needed to see the hatred in her eyes, the pain he was causing her grow.

"Soon, you'll start feeling better." Vile started, taking a step out of the shadows so half of his naked torso was visible to the avian. "Then, you'll start feeling much worse." He brought up an empty yellow vial, no bigger than the palm of his hand so that it shown in the moonlight. He opened it nonetheless, letting the essence and strong fragrance of the liquid permeate the room. "You know what this is, right?" he asked, feeling his manhood hardening as her eyes widened, as she realized just what she had done to her.

 

[Jewelskye]

She watched him as he moved into the light just a bit, but her eyes didn't linger for an instant on his body, only long enough to notice that he was naked. Atleast from the waist-up. Her eyes returned to his face and she watched him in silence, listening to his words about wanting to hear her voice.

Golden eyes narrowing, she watched his face. It was several long moments before she realised something was wrong. The cool air of the room danced over her pale skin and a soft shuddering breath left her lips, goosbumps raising along the cool, pale flesh.

Looking down at herself, she realised that what little clothing she'd had on earlier was gone. Her eyes went wide and she opened her mouth as if to say something, only to find him holding up a small empty vial.

Then he asked her if she knew what it was, saying she'd feel better, then much worse. Panic siezed her as he opened the lid and the smell she knew all too well reached her senses. Her eyes were huge. He'd spent two hundred gold on her, only to poison her?! She struggled some as best she could, whimpering, a sound that came across like that of an injured bird.

Her body, meanwhile, had a soft glow in the moonlight, and upon his futher inspection earlier he would have noticed that it was completely hairless, and not a single scar marred her beautiful, velvet skin.

Eyes on him still, she watched in silence, wondering what it is she should do. He'd fed her the deadliest poison avians knew, though it was harmless to humans.

 

[OncomingStorm]

Vile’s enjoyment continued to grow as the realization dawned on her, contorting her features first in that of sheer terror, then in pure hate; he could practically read the terror in her eyes and hear her heartbeat fastening in her chest.

Ivydane. A relatively common plant that pretty much grew on any terrain in Kessia. Its beautiful, purplish petals seem to melt into the ground, its powerful fragrance pleasant to the senses. Among humans, as well as most life in Kessia, it was known as “the flower of love” and revered as a beautiful sign of affection. For avians, however, the ivydane held a much more threatening meaning. In short, it was deadly to them. A single drop of the extracts of the ivydane’s pistil could seal the faith of an avian, killing him within days of ingestion in the most horrible way... Legend told that it was because of their revulsion for the ivydane that the avian race sprouted wings one day and ascended to the skies.

Her eyes were uncertain now; still focused on him, but somehow shifting, as if she was contemplating something beyond the here and now. Her strength was starting to return, he noticed: she was regaining some the mobility in her arms and legs. He admired her tenacity. As much as one could admire one’s property anyways, even one as lovely and striking as the nude avian spread before him...

The boys had done a nice job on the makeshift stocks-like device, which had apparently originally been a bed. It restrained her quite well, without covering any part of her striking beauty. Her silver hair flowed down on her shoulder and provided the only cover for her naked form. Her curves were emphasized by the slight tone variation of her skin, and he was sometimes forced to winder where the bird began and the woman ended. Her delicate yet deadly body lay down, spread eagle. He wondered how it would feel when he would force himself into her; would her inside be soft and accommodating, or tight and skinlike? Would she squeal or put up a tough front? She would resist of course, but that was only part of the pleasure.

“How does it feel?” he asked after a moment of quasi-silence. He had advanced fully into the light now, and was standing right above his prize. He could almost feel the warmth of her skin, the blood in her veins boiling with the passion of her hate for him. He feasted on it, reveled in the moment. “How does it feel to know that your life is entirely in my hands?”

 

[Jewelskye]

Her eyes lifted to take him in as he moved closer, and she moved her limbs some against their restraints, trying desperately to get the feeling back into them. She wanted to shatter them, to go across, the room, and to end his life in the most painful way she knew how.

Then came his questions. "You cannot hold in your hands the life of one dieing, for it will end far too quickly for you to hold control over it."

Her eyes turned away from him, turned to the thoughts of her people's beliefs. They believed that their was a kingdom far beyond the clouds and the stars, a kingdom where their people traveled to be with their kin after death. A kingdom free of the wretched creatures called humans that had hunted them since they'd come to this land.

Opening her eyes again, they flashed with an inner strength not even he had seen in her hatred filled rages. Turning to look at him, she sent him a look that, had it been deadly, he'd have been torn to shreds by now. She despised him, loathed every moment he stood before her, every moment he stood at all. The bastard didn't deserve to live.

And if she had anything to do about it, he wouldn't live much longer.

 

[OncomingStorm]

The tall man backed off, his body shining in the moonlight once more, the purity of it highlighting his body like a magnifying glass. He had fought in many a battles in his life; his body was a testament to the War, and although he had received the best care in the kingdom to cover the scars and the ugliness his form had endured in the four decades he had been alive, some wounds could never be completely hidden. But none so much as the darkness in his heart.

It was true what he had heard said as a child about the sky-folk. That their eyes were like whirlpools of emotions, wild and passionate. That their voice could be as fierce as a tiger's or gentle as a dove. That their pain was haunting and could bring any man to tears. He could almost relate to those stories. Almost.

But for one to feel pity for another being, one must first have a semblance of humanity left, have a heart to speak of. Vile had none, hadn't felt for another fellow living creature for a long time. All that remained for him was pain, and the inevitable pleasure that accompanied it always.

"Oh but I can." his calm words surprised her. She could see him clearly now, bathing in the moonlight. He felt her burning gaze covering every inches of his body, memorizing his face like a roadmap. A shiver worked it way up his back. Vile did his best to hide it from her, but the hairs rising on his atheltic forearms betrayed his calm demeanor. "Your new life of humiliation has just begun little bird. Don't think I would spare you the pain."

He pounced in her direction, faster than a man his size should be allowed to move and nailed her body down with his own, right against the wooden plank that served as a means of support. In normal circustances, the avian would have had the clear advantage; in fact, the middle-aged man had no doubt that she would have slit his throat before he could even have left the ground. But he would of course have never tried such a feat under normal circumstances.

The still un-named woman screached, her senses not yet acute enough to have forewarned her of his presence before-the-fact and she pulled on her restraints as hard as she could. Even in complete control, practically lying on top of her, Vile could feel her muscles tensing up under her feathers and the sheer might that they could possess in their prime. Straightening, he locked his feet into place at the bottom of the apparatus, exercing pressure against the avian's, and in a lightning fast motion grabbed hold of her throat with a steel grip. Careful to keep his own fingers away from her fangs, he forced her head to roll on the side slowly and licked the side of her face slowly, his tongue feeling the unfamiliar surface that marked the boundary between woman and bird.

"Soon, little bird, you will crave me. You won't have a choice."

 

[Jewelskye]

Celeste watched him in silence as he stood there, bathed in the moonlight. He wasn't anything extraordinary, but she had to admit... if it weren't for the sheer malice that seemed to seep from his pores, he could have been attractive. Could have. But in that moment, he was nothing more than the focus of her hate.

His words were quiet, calm, his tone low. But the sight of his body reacting belayed his careful tones. The hair on his arms and the back of his neck stood on end. She could almost smell the anticipation, the tinge of fear, the borderline panic.

And then he moved, quicker than a human should have been able to, she reasoned. She should have seen his movement coming before his feet even left the ground. When his body landed upon hers, she gave an outraged and surprised shriek, muscles straining as she fought to free herself.

Another shriek of pain left her as he put pressure on her feet and ankles by pressing onto the stock-like apparatus that held them, and she squirmed her lithe, delicate looking body under him. She almost had enough leverage to topple him off. Almost.

Then his hand found the delicately made pillar of her throat and she gasped, letting out a very human-like gulp and whimper as she fought to steady her breathing so it would be easier to breath through any pressure he applied.

Even as he forced her head to turn, her molten gold eyes closed slowly and she lay still at first, feeling the slick wetness of his tongue sliding against her white skin.

Then, suddenly, her body jerked, bucked upward and to the side, nearly seeming as if she were going to dislocate her own limbs.

Such was the strength behind the movement that she sent him tumbling off of her and to the floor, leaving her laying there, breathing heavily, but still pulling at her restraints.

After all... the men had had to leave enough space for her body to move so their master could gain entrance into her.

 

[OncomingStorm]

Vile's body hit the floor hard, the surprise cutting his breathe in half for a moment. He brought his left hand to his chin and felt a slight stream of blood oozing from his upper lip, probably cut against his own teeth from the sheer shock of her motion.

He held out a hand at an approaching henchman, probably alerted by the ruckus generated by his own fall, stopping him in his tracks. Steadying himself against a tipped chair, he thrust himself back up. "Soon little bird. You'll beg me, I promise." And with that he stormed out of the candle-lit room, tossing the concerned guard aside.

His own blood was boiling with renewed anger now. It had been a long time since anyone, human or otherwise, had put up such a fight. The taste of his own blood in his mouth only envigored him further; he would possess the silver-haired avian, not only in body but in mind as well.

He slammed the door to what could only be described as a lavatory shut, sending a loud thump that reverberated through the inn, emphasized by its own echo. The black-haired man leaned against the counter and stared at his own reflection in the mirror, catching his breathe, his eyes fixed on the washed-off crimson blood covering his teeth.

He closed his eyes, regaining his focus, and opened them again. Breathing out, he smiled, of all things. Oh, it had been a long time indeed. Most people were so pliable nowadays; it had been years since anyone had even as much as laid a finger on him, much longer since a woman had caused him any injury. He spit in the sink before him, washing away most of the blood from his mouth. He was turned on even now, his manhood erect and throbbing, his blood rushing through him like an animal. She was something alright; not many people would stand up to Vile, none had ever done so and lived, anyways.

He wanted to hurt her now. Such was his focus, such was his obsession. But brute force was so overrated, so mondaine. He wanted her broken, to feel her strength sapped, her will broken, before he would even lay a finger on her. Only then would he be satisfied. Only then could he feel satiated.

He straightened, his back muscles still throbbing from the shock of before. He reached inside his pocket, suddenly frantic, and fished out a small vile, similar to the one containing the poison; it was intact. He breathed out, relieved that his little fall hadn't caused the precious vial to break

His own words haunted his thought: Soon little bird. The poison was fast-acting, in avians anyways. Her skin had been quite warm at the touch; she would begin to feel the fever soon. You'll beg me, I promise. And she would, if she valued her life.