Darker Shores (closed: Allonsy, StarWhisperer)

[StarWhisperer]

By the end of the bath, Ella decided she sort of liked the crooked-nosed imp. He was no-nonsense and he kept the other ones from touching her in any ways that he didn’t deem appropriate. He gave her his little piece of advice and she turned it over in her head, thinking hard on what that was supposed to mean. Be clever? Ella was many things, but she wasn’t sure if clever was one of them. Her bravery had gone hours ago when a demon had snagged her by the waist in front of her apartment building.

She continued to stand still, thinking hard, while they dressed her. At least she felt clean, though she had a feeling that, soon, she wouldn’t feel quite so pure. The fact that little imp hands had cleaned her wasn’t helping.

Ella followed them to the next area, her heart racing in her chest. She knew what was coming. The anticipation was worse than the act, she prayed. Not that any God would hear her prayers here.

She patted the taller, crooked-nosed creature on the hed before stepping into the chamber, her arms crossed over her chest. She looked around, shaking. Her bare feet padded softly on the floor.

~~
((the anticipation has been killing me! xD))

 

[Allonsy]

The bloody light of late afternoon slanted across the cool marble floor and glinted on the thick fur pelt of some large creature spread over a good portion of the floor. The marble beneath was black with gold streaks, a massive fireplace stood unlit and empty, the mantle bronze and supporting a clutter of half-melted thick pillar candles. Three tall windows let in the light and Malaphor paced restlessly, hooves thunking softly, along a long, messy table, a shifting, massive shilloutte. A huge filigree ... ornament hung near one of the windows, pillows patting the bottom curve of it. It hung there like a giant, exotic birdcage, empty. He looked up.

She was as lovely as he'd expected, the tender curves of her legs made Malaphor's mouth water and there was little difference between the hunger in his belly and the one in his cock as he looked at her.

"Little pet," he rumbled, expression shifting from irritation -- turn your back for a moment to go pet hunting and the entire princedom falls apart -- to more avid interest. The color of her eyes were pleasingly exotic and the silk Ella was dressed in made him want to tear it immediately off. He paced over to her, circling and gathering up a handful of dark hair to let it drift through his fingers. "Such a sad world you lived in, Ella," he said, "full of blind fools to let you slip through their fingers, unnoticed."

Malaphor leaned closer. "I am neither blind nor foolish." He smoothed two fingertips down the line of Ella's spine in a leisurely caress, reaching the top of her ass to cup his hand over the curve of one cheek. The silk did nothing to insulate against the heat of his hand and it was so short that the tips of his fingers pressed against bare flesh.

"Is it not sweeter to know the world hungers for you?" he murmured even softer, the darkness in his voice holding temptation. "That whispers carry in all the hallways of my fortress about the softness of your skin, the strange color of your eyes, and if you will weep or scream when I take you."

A tilt of his head brought Malaphor's mouth close enough to kiss Ella's shoulder, he parted his lips and pressed the tip of his tongue to her skin, a hot, brief touch. The taste of her was ... Malaphor husked a low groan. The taste of her was nothing he'd know before and nothing he'd give up.
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ooc: i kinda figured you didn't want to spend excruciating amounts of time on body washiing and hair braiding

 

[StarWhisperer]

Ella looked around the room, taking it in as she had taken in everything else thus far. The huge padded cage-looking thing caught her eyes and made her more nervous than she already was before she caught Malaphor’s attention. She looked up at him, stomach sinking and flipping with fear as he walked over, approaching her. It felt like the predator/prey game all over again.

She forced herself to keep her eyes trained forward as he circled her. He had gone from a lion to a shark, circling before coming in for the kill. She flinched visibly as he fingers sifted through her hair. She closed her eyes, concentrating hard on trying to keep her breathing even. “There are other women, there, for them,” she barely managed to whisper. Her snappy retorts were growing fewer and further apart.

Her back straightened, arching involuntarily, her nipples hardening despite herself, as his fingertips ran gently down her spine. Ella jumped as he cupped her ass cheek. Again, she was reminded of how massive he was compared to her. He could smother her with one hand.

Ella bit her tongue, saying nothing for a moment. She was shaking again, but she promised herself she wouldn’t cry, at least not yet. “I will neither weep, nor scream,” Ella managed to say bravely, with very little tremor in her voice. I will both weep and scream, she thought to herself. She closed her eyes again, letting out a whimper, thinking about pain and force and… a tremor ran through her; surely he could feel it, touching her as he was.

She let out a soft, scared cry as he kissed her shoulder, feeling his tongue and lips pressed to her soft, sensitive skin. Ella clenched her fists. “Please don’t do this to me,” she said, pleadingly. Her voice was quiet and petrified, even more than it had been when he’d first taken her. “Please. I don’t know what I did, but surely it was nothing to merit being brought here, and…” She trailed off, unable to finish. She snapped her mouth shut, waiting for him to hit or or something worse, the crushed body of the creature who had approached her earlier fresh in her mind’s eye.

 

[Allonsy]

The fear was pleasure. Malaphor breathed in the smell of it on Ella's skin. He wanted to feel her tremble in all sorts of ways, pleasure and pain and fear and delight. It was fear now but he had plenty of time to teach her pleasure. "Ahh, there is such freedom in weeping," Malaphor said, shifting to stand in front of her. "My kind can do no such thing." He flashed a brief, sharp smile. "Screaming though, we are familiar with."

"You've done nothing to deserve this," he agreed. "But the world is full of cruel endings and I am strong enough to take what I want."

Malaphor trailed his fingertips down Ella's front as he had her back, then up again, stroking a breast to the tight rise of a nipple, clear against the thin silk. He brushed a thumb over the taunt flesh; once, twice, again. His gaze was heavy lidded, pupils wide in bright golden iris and his tongue flicked briefly against his lips, he looked hungry.

He expression turned crafty then, the glint in his eyes crueler than it had been before as he looked into Ella's wide, frightened eyes. "Would you trade places then?" he asked silkily. "Name some other girl to take your place?" The temptation in his voice was dark now, truly evil, as he offered her a devil's bargain. "Someone you don't like perhaps, who was rude to you at work. A girl who left no tip or perhaps a school yard bully. The bitch who stole your first boyfriend."

He leaned closer, head tipped to her, mouth inches from her own as the curls of his horns cut sharp lines in the air and his tail flicked back and forth. "Would you trade places and leave some other girl to my mercy? It would be so easy, would it not?"

His eyes held hers, molten gold, as he waited on her answer. His fingertips still teased a nipple though the silk, playing with sensation.

 

[StarWhisperer]

It shouldn’t have surprised her that he couldn’t weep, couldn’t sob, but it did. Though, as Ella looked up at Malaphor, she couldn’t picture him crying, anyway. Briefly, she wished she could have been strong enough, or had run fast enough, to keep him from taking what he wanted.

Ella took in a sharp breath, closing her eyes. His thumb brushed at her nipple, and she found herself unable… unwilling? No. Unable to step back, away. She forced her eyes opened, looking up into Malaphor’s face, just before he started speaking again. The hungry look in his eyes caused her heart to skip a beat.

He was toying with her, as a cat toys with a mouse before he eats it. Ella noticed then that every metaphor she could come up with to compare herself and Malaphor to was the same. Something with sharp teeth and it’s food.

Would you trade places, then? Would she? Ella’s mind raced. Surely, he wasn’t truly making that offer. There had to be a catch. There were plenty of women racing to mind, and yet, Ella couldn’t say a name. She shook her head, at herself or at him, she wasn’t quite sure.

“No,” Ella said slowly, watching for a reaction. “No, it wouldn’t be easy. I could say a thousand names to you, but I wouldn’t do that. You said you were not the only monster in my neighborhood, and you weren’t. No one helped me. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to throw someone else into this situation in lieu of myself. I’m not a monster. I’m not like you.”

Ella met Malaphor’s inhuman eyes, her own holding a strange emotion. She wasn’t fearless. No, she was… resolved. Something had clicked inside her, and she had made a conscious decision that this whole ordeal was not going to break her. It might take her forever, and maybe it would have to be death, but she would find a way out. Her desperation subsided, and she shook her head. “I wouldn’t put anyone through what I’m going through. I couldn’t do it.” She paused. “Besides, I doubt you would actually allow me to.”

All this while, she was trying to ignore the sensations his thumb was creating in her body. He wasn’t really pushing her, so it wasn’t very hard, but she was having a slight reaction between her legs, against her wishes. Just a bit of warmth, maybe a hint of damp. Nothing major. Nothing voluntary. If she had the courage, she would have pulled away from his hand, but as it was, she was much too afraid of what he would do to her.

 

[Allonsy]

The expression in Melaphor's face shifted then, briefly. Something not lust, not hunger, not cruelty. Respect, maybe, but he shielded it almost as soon as he felt it -- pushed it away. It wasn't important and Ella was, could only be, something to be possessed. What was important was the changing smell of Ella's skin, not the mind within it.

"Then," he said softly, and slid his hand along the purple silk to the tie at the back of her neck. "it is time for me to enjoy what you have so kindly given over to me." He tugged at the tie and it slithered free easily enough, sliding down Ella's skin to catch at the wrap at her waist. The pale skin of her breasts was lovely in the red light and the tight pink rise of her nipples an eagerness that her clenched fists and stubborn face denied.

The demon's palm stroked warm over her skin, cupping a breast, fingers kneading sensitive skin then drawing a nipple up to tease it harder still. Ella's breathing made Malaphor hum as he set his free hand to her waist, holding her against the urge to flee he could feel in her trembling muscles. He bent to nuzzle her hair, lick a tear from the corner of her eye, nip carefully with sharp teeth at the pulse racing in her throat -- oh, that made him hungry.

"You want this," Malaphor spoke against her skin, lips tracing along her collarbone. "I can feel your heart racing."

His own heart beat hard, a thudding rhythm that settled in his blood and pulsed at his cock. He was flushed, though the unnatural deep maroon of his skin hid that from view, his breathing was quickened. His cock swelled in the restrictive line of his trousers. He licked the upper curve of a breast, then lower, mouth open on Ella's skin, tasting her. The feel of a nipple against his tongue made Malaphor groan, deep and rumbling.
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ooc: alas, I have to go to bed for the night! I'll try and post in the morning too.

 

[StarWhisperer]

If Ella had unclenched her fists, her hands would have shaken. She could do nothing to stop him from untying the violet silk and exposing her full, round breasts, pink nipples at attention. Ella did not feel arousal. She felt sick. But she also felt good that she had not named another to take her place.

Ella’s breath accelerated. She closed her eyes, leaning away from him, though that was entirely futile. His hand still cupped her breast, teasing his nipple. There was a sharp intake of breath when he licked the tear from the corner of her eye, one which turned into a low, whining whimper of protest when he nipped at her neck. Ella shut her eyes.

“I…Don’t…want… this,” Ella carefully denied without opening her eyes. “I don’t want it. You might want me to, but you can’t force me to want anything. All you can force me to do is let you. You might be able to force me to, unwillingly, participate. But you can never change my desire.” She wasn’t sure if this was true or not, but it sounded good.

She flinched back from his tongue tracing the contours of her breast. Ella tried to pull away, but Malaphor’s arm stayed tight on her waist, keeping her close. She whimpered again, but was trying very hard not to cry, as she had said she would not weep. Would she really break so quickly? Shaking her head, Ella clenched shut her eyes, trying to dispel the welling tears.

~~~
((sorry! I passed out. X__X))

 

[Allonsy]

"I have," Malaphor nuzzled the hollow between her breasts, then licked down to the nipples he found so tempting, "a long time to change your mind."

The thought of spending time with this lovely creature, her body open to him, aching for him to change her mind was pleasing and Malaphor drew in a sharp breath against her skin. He bit against the aureole, fangs dimpling soft flesh without breaking skin, a contrast to the heat and softness of his tongue. He could feel the tense resistance in her and looked into her face -- tears gathered on her lashes -- for a speculative moment.

Then he gathered Ella up with a huff of impatience and little effort to lay them both down on the fur spread on the marble floor. He had a bed for this, had planned it so, but now he was too impatient to seek it out. The sooty black fur under them was dense and soft, tickling delicately at exposed skin, adding another sensation to the stroke of Malaphor's fingers, the warmth of his breath, the heat of his tongue.

The demon pressed close, burying his face in Ella's hair and breathing deep. The silk shift had rucked up around her thighs, leaving very little hidden. Malaphor tweaked a nipple then sucked soothingly on it, large hand drifting down Ella's chest and belly, tugging at the silk wrap to bare her body to him completely.

 

[StarWhisperer]

The thought of any sort of extended period of time with Malaphor made Ella cringe, even with her eyes firmly shut. She opened her mouth to speak, but instead what escaped her was a cry, brought on by the feeling of his sharp teeth pressing into her sensitive breast, even if they didn't quite break the skin. One of her hands clutched his arm tightly. Her fingernails dug in, and Ella felt her tears spilling over, a couple of them slipping down her flushed cheeks.

Another cry escaped her lips as she was lifted and laid down, part fear, part frustration at her own helplessness. The fur of the unknown creature beneath her was soft on her skin, another sensory detail for Ella to track. She was beginning to have trouble focusing on anything. There was too much to take in at once. What Ella wouldn't have given to be, in that moment, in her bed in her apartment, sleeping soundly. She cringed, biting her lip to hold in yet another cry.

Ella wriggled beneath Malaphor, trying to clutch the silky shift to her body and protect what little coverage she had left, even as he pulled it away. Her body now bare, Ella tried in vain to cover herself with her hands, terrified of what would come next. She shook all over and kept her legs firmly locked together. Ella opened her eyes and looked at Malaphor, somehow hoping he would change his mind, but she knew it would not be so. She had seen the hungry look in his eyes, could feel it in the way he touched and kissed her body, could see, even, the bulge in his trousers. She knew there was no way to fight him off, but that didn't mean she had to give in.

 

[Allonsy]

If Ella were less terrified, or understood demons better, she might know that the rumbling growls Malaphor made as he stroked her were pleased and sensuous -- affectionate if he would admit such a thing. Her stubbornness (and her sweet tears) aroused him and he struggled indulgently with her, nipping at the soft flesh of her belly, tail lashing playfully as she squirmed free and he pounced again. The demon's mouth and hands unerringly discovered the tender, sensitive, erotic places on her body; kissing lover's bruises on her thighs and neck, fingers teasing her nipples or slipping down to brush briefly against her crisp-soft pubic hair.

Malaphor freed himself of his own clothes and pinned Ella down again, the heat of his body pressed close to hers. Naked, his skin was a smooth deep crimson and the texture of the finest, softest, thinnest kid leather. The bronze-gold mane of hair that tumbled down his spine was dense and soft and a smooth scaled tail sprang from the base of his spine, patterned in crimson and gold. His calves were furred from hooves up but that petered out quickly beyond his knees. His nipples were small, unnoticeable, but sensitive enough, for those who looked. Malaphor was quite sure he was a handsome devil.

The length and thickness of his cock was all that Ella had feared. It arched proudly up from heavy balls, the crown broad and darkly flushed. Malaphor leaned in with a grin, and the length of his shaft pressed against her thigh and belly, hot and silky and throbbing in time with his heart.

Ella was flushed, her hair tousled, her nipples taunt and when Malaphor slid his hand down her body in a long caress, he didn't let her push him away. Using a knee, he pressed her thighs open and pinned her hands above her head, her bare body a graceful arc across the dark fur. Exposed now, and all the more beautiful for her vulnerability.

"What are you hiding, lovely pet?" he growled teasingly, fingers stroking over the folds of her pussy. She was hot, sensitive and slickly wet. He curled his finger to tease the hidden bud of her clit, then down to press in, a sliding stroke and groaned as he savored the first, delicious moment of penetration. "Lovely, lovely creature," he sighed.

 

[StarWhisperer]

Ella whimpered more and more often as the moments passed and he nipped and kissed her body, hands wandering. Her tears flowed freely from her eyes as soon as he disrobed himself. She was more terrified than ever that he would split her in two. It had been at least a year since Ella had even been with a normal man, possibly longer. Malaphor’s cock was intimidating in size, and Ella was sure it would be entirely impossible.

Feeling Malaphor’s throbbing member against her skin caused a round of shuddering, and one or two errant sobs escaped her. She tried to scramble away, but he didn’t let her move, instead pinning her hands above her head. She started speaking when he parted her legs with his knee, a soft, horrified “No, no, no.” It was like her mantra, repeated over and over. If she said it enough, maybe this wouldn’t happen to her and she could go home.

Ella wiggled her hips back and forth to try to escape Malaphor’s probing fingers. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to visualize that she was somewhere, anywhere, else. She tried to squeeze her legs together again, but Malaphor’s knee stayed in the way, blocking them from closing. She moaned, not in an aroused manner, but in a fearful manner

She gasped when he finally went in for the kill, so to speak, his hand venturing between the now-slick folds of her pussy to tease her sensitive clit. Ella gritted her teeth at the first penetration, trying not to think of how much it was going to hurt when he finally thrust his enormous cock into her. He called her lovely, but Ella didn’t respond, trying hard to focus on slowing her breathing and not hyperventilating.

 

[Allonsy]

Each time his lovely pet said 'no', Malaphor licked or kissed or stroked; he didn't mind the protests or the tears -- salty sweet on her skin -- or the way her skin warmed to him despite herself. She was tight around his fingers, and wet, and silky hot. The wiggle of her hips and shivering struggles for freedom were deliciously tempting.

Malaphor was a demon. He didn't resist temptation well.

He settled in between her legs, his breathing hot against her closed off face. His cock brushed her inner thigh, the shaft sliding up along the wet folds of her pussy in a suggestive caress before Malaphor readjusted and pressed the head of his cock to the flushed, plump lips. The sparse, wet pubic curls hid nothing. He pressed forward, pleasure rolling through him as the lips of her pussy spread wide around the head of his cock, fair flesh yielding to dark. Then he spread her wider.

His lovely mortal toy wailed, thighs clamping hard on his hips, trembling, in a last, helpless effort to keep him at bay. Malaphor growled, rocking forward in a shallow thrust, then a brief pause while his pet writhed under him, then went deeper. He took his time, because the tight, delicious sheath opening so unwillingly for him was too perfect to rush. Malaphor's golden eyes blazed and his breathing was rough, irregular. His hips rocked with a sort of relentless grace, each thrust that much deeper into Ella. His tail curled around one of her legs, holding her to him in every way he could.

Malaphor was in her, finally, curled over her, face pressed to her hair, balls snug to the cradle of her hips. She gripped his cock tightly, small reflexive spasms making the demon groan and shudder against her. He couldn't bear the stillness any longer and, with a raw cry, began to move.

 

[StarWhisperer]

Ella let out a low, keening whine as Malaphor’s cock brushed at her pussy lips, then pushed. Her thin arms strained against the large hand that still pinned her wrists. Ella’s mouth opened wide and her head tilted back. She had never taken anything so large into her most secret of places, and it felt as if he would break into pieces, shatter beneath Malaphor’s crushing, pressing force.

Ella let out a wail with each thrust as he slowly worked his way into her sweet, hot, wet pussy. Her hands clenched and unclenched from fists and back again, unable to grip at anything as she would have had she freedom in her arms. The leg not wrapped in Malaphor’s tail, which she would have been freaked out by had she not been otherwise occupied, pushed against the fur beneath her.

By the time Malaphor managed to push himself all the way into her, Ella’s whole body was spasming. She was covered in a thin sheen of sweat; so the imps had not been wrong saying he would make her dirty, inside and out. Her face was a bit contorted, her eyes shut tightly. He was still for just a moment, and she managed to force them half-way open, looking up at Malaphor as he cried out. They were glazed, and only showed for a moment before flickering shut again.

Ella’s breathing was labored, short, quick breaths punctuated by groans of pain and the occasional sobs. Tears were still sliding down her face at fairly regular intervals while Malaphor forcefully took her. He started thrusting into her again. This time, already in pain, Ella screamed, her piercing wail echoing throughout the chamber and possibly into the hall beyond. Again, her arms strained, trying hard to get away from the relentless being on top of her, again too weak, unable to free herself from her captor.

 

[Allonsy]

Malaphor's response to Ella's wails were rich noises of his own, harsh, coupling cries, his own eyes were tight shut too -- but in pleasure. He released Ella's hands to clutch at the fur beneath them, muscles rolling in his back and shoulders as he braced himself over her. "Yes," he grunted gutturally. "Yes, pet, yes."

Such wonderful pleasures; her struggles, the fierce grip of her pussy, the panting breaths on his skin -- Malaphor rocked into her, insistent, demanding, shifting so Ella's legs were pressed higher, knees wider and allowing him in deeper. Riding her was like riding a rush of ecstasy, amazing and brilliant and building the demon's pleasure higher and higher. He pressed rough, open-mouthed kisses along her throat and shoulders and face, their lips brushing together as she sobbed and he moaned. Her skin was hot and slick.

He could feel his climax rising hot in him, balls pulling tight, cock throbbing in the sheath of Ella's pussy. It overwhelmed his control and he threw his head back with a roar. Malaphor's rhythm stuttered, stuttered again, and then he was coming in a shuddering, eager rush, buried deep inside her.

Malaphor groaned, slowly relaxing, mouth pressed to one of Ella's breasts as he panted for breath. Her heart beat like a frantic bird and he pressed lips and tongue to her chest, tasting her fear and pain. It was his ... all his to own and the demon cupped a gentle hand against her cheek.

 

[StarWhisperer]

She couldn’t even hear his grunts. All Ella could hear was the rushing of blood in her ears. She let out a soft cry when he re-adjusted her legs, though all of the noises she was making were slowly getting softer and less insistent as Ella’s energy was slowly drained from her.

Her breasts bounced with each rocking thrust, her nipples staying as hard and round as little pebbles. Occasionally, he sobs and cries were muffled by Malaphor’s mouth covering it as he showered her shoulders, neck, and face with random kisses. She moved her arms down a bit, clutching at the fur rug with frantic hands.

Ella had a little bit of warning that his climax was coming when his rhythm was interrupted by slight pauses, twice. She flinched, shaking all over while he climaxed deep in her abused and stretched pussy, pressing into her even further.

As he relaxed, she felt like she was going to be crushed. She could barely breathe from the forced sex she had just experienced. She barely felt his mouth press to her salty, sweaty skin. Ella groaned, long and drawn out, shifting beneath Malaphor. She turned her head away from his hand unthinkingly. It was the most gentle touch he had given her in quite a while, but she was in no state to recognize that.

 

[Allonsy]

Malaphor's tail twitched and he sighed deeply as his cock gave a last few lingering twitches as it softened inside Ella, then he eased back, parting from her and settling on his side with a rattling, satisfied, sigh. Ella's tearstained and spent profile was beautiful to him. He stroked a lazy, possessive hand up from the rise of her pussy to the swell of her breast, resting a hand there, palm warm over a hard nipple, enjoying the sensation on his skin. His tail slithered from her leg and he watched the silent trickle of a tear down her temple for a quiet moment.

He'd hurt her but not done real damage. Malaphor didn't smell blood, anyway. "You're body knows me now," he said, satisfaction thick in his deep voice. "And you'll come to hunger for me."

"You are such a prize, lovely mortal," he traced a finger idly around the aureola of a nipple. "And mine. There's none in all the lands with such a treasure as you."

 

[StarWhisperer]

Ella slowly came back around to a state of focus. She opened her eyes in a flash, crying out yet again when Malaphor pulled his sizeable cock out from her pussy. She felt so incredibly empty in that moment that it hurt. Immediately, Ella slammed her legs shut. She could feel his hot cum inside of her, and she felt sick to her stomach.

Her skin quivered wherever Malaphor’s hand passed over it. She didn’t look at him, though when he started to speak she jumped a little bit. He sounded so pleased with himself. If he were a man and not a demon, Ella would have smacked him. She wanted to say that she would never want him, but when she opened her mouth, only a horse moan escaped her cherry lips.

Slowly, Ella forced herself to turn her head and look at him. Her eyes were half lidded. Exhausted, she hardly had any energy left in her. Her shoulder twitched as his finger traced her nipple idly. She cleared her throat, a second attempt at speech. “Well, aren’t you lucky, then” she whispered. That was all she could manage. Ella closed her eyes, swallowing hard. Her pulse was visible in her pale throat. “I just hope for your sake that the prize doesn’t slip through your fingers. Wouldn’t want anything bad to happen.” She trailed off, turning her head away from him in something of a flopping motion and slipping into a half-conscious state, drained entirely of energy and will to fight to stay awake.

 

[Allonsy]

Malaphor narrowed his eyes, trying to determine if Ella's words were a threat and of what sort. She turned away from him then, exhaustion heavy in the lines of her body, along with rejection. After a moment, aware of time passing, Malaphor rose to a crouch and picked Ella up.

He carried her over to the open work sphere hung near one of the windows and swung open a panel. There was enough room for Ella to rest and the jewel bright cushions were comfortable enough. But it was a cage, no matter how pretty, and Malaphor locked her away in it, whatever her protests.

"Rest," he told her, "you'll be secure there."

Secure from others and safely confined for Malaphor's pleasure. He grunted in satisfaction and turned away; there was work to do and he could not afford more distractions. As the demon worked though, he'd glance over to Ella, she was a pretty decoration to add to his possessions.
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ooc: some time will pass, Ella will be able to rest, Malaphor will be doing demon administrative stuff etc. Even hell is boring sometimes
If you want to start a new post a few 'hours' later, that would be great.

 

[StarWhisperer]

Ella made a small, mewing noise when she was transferred to the hanging, cushioned cage, but didn’t move. For about five minutes, she stared blankly out of the cage, watching Malaphor, before her exhaustion overtook her entirely and she passed out.

Several hours passed before Ella awoke again. When she did, she had forgotten momentarily when she was, so when she stretched out her arms, grunting at how sore her whole body was, and they bumped the cool metal of her hanging prison, her eyes flew open with surprise.

Looking around, everything quickly came back to Ella. She attempted to sit up, her muscles screaming in protest. Her legs were sore and stiff, and her left arm was asleep. Clearly, she hadn’t moved a centimeter since she fell asleep. Ella stretched her arms again. Her stomach grumbled and she put her hand on it. A thought crossed her mind, of the story of Persephone; how Hades had taken her to Hell with him, and how if you ate the food there, you could never again leave. Vaguely, Ella wondered if there was any truth to that. She had heard the same sort of lore about the Faerie Realm, and she wasn’t sure if she believed in Faeries. Though, a day ago, she hadn’t believed in Demons. At least, not in any concrete sense.

Ella’s heavily-lidded eyes searched out Malaphor in the dimness of the room. It was a bit difficult to see out; there were many holes in her cage, but none was bigger than the circumference of Ella’s wrist. She sighed and leaned against one side, making a startled sound when the cage swung, just a bit. She closed her eyes. “If anyone is around, I’m a little hungry,” she muttered, not expecting any sort of a response.

 

[Allonsy]

The imps had been waiting. Hunched in corners and out of the way shadows, they watched Malaphor and sniffing the new smells in the air -- the pretty pet.

Crook-nose kicked a smaller one, and that one in turn a smaller one yet until the least went to fetch treats. Casting a wary glance at Malaphor, Crook-nose hooked fingers into the filigree and hauled itself up to cling to the side of the cage, peering in. "We hear you," it clambered monkey-like over the metal. "All the best for the prince's morsel."

"None for us," several others whined. "None for us?" But they brought a shallow copper dish, skimming around the edges of the room to avoid the greater demon's attention. There was a slot to slide it in and, with one standing on another's shoulder, and the crooked nosed imp scolding them into obedience, they managed to slip it into Ella's cage.

The plate held dried fruits, mostly, and candied citrus and ginger, nuts and sweet rice wrapped in leaves and something that might be cheese or could be vegetable. Pickles, but nothing fresh. Nothing green.

"Soft cloths for sore places," the crooked little imp pushed them in with the food, and a container of tepid water. Black eyes glittering, it hooked its fingers in the openings and watched Ella, making little gnawing motions with its mouth as it stared at the food.

The sky beyond the window was a cold black and white unblinking stars shone coldly in the sky. Occasional gusts of wind rattled the rippled glass like lost souls desperate to gain entry. Illumination inside came from thick, smokey candles and Malaphor was standing at a window, brooding. He'd put on his belt but trousers were evidently optional, clean, he was still naked. His tail swung slowly from side to side and if he knew Ella was awake, he paid her no attention.

The room had a working feel to it; tables stacked with papers and books and there were shelves along the walls, scattered with more papers and small boxes and what looked like random bits of glass and metal. Many things certainly looked like they belonged in some imagination of hell; a collection of thin bones tied with a worn white ribbon, books that might have been made of leather or human skin or who knew what. But there were also startlingly mundane things as well; two entire shelves were dedicated to the yellow spines of National Geographic magazines and a broken, vintage record player was disassembled on a table near where Ella's cage hung.

The scrape of the main door opening stirred Malaphor from whatever made him look so sullen. The figure that entered hulked even larger than the demon prince.

Slow and massive, the creature came to a halt and dipped its broad head in something that might have been submission when Malaphor glared at it. The candle light caught on bronze plates that seemed, if anything, bolted into the creatures massive back and shoulders. It had the general form of a huge lizard; a long thick tail, a stocky neck and fanged snout, clawed legs and powerful short arms. The grey-green hide was bound with bronze plates -- armor or prison, it was impossible to tell. It's eyes were flat black and there was a cold hunger in its eyes, nothing so comforting as lust, and a thread of saliva slipped from its jaws as it stared at Ella. All the little imps had gone still, like mice when a hawk flies by.

Malaphor snarled gutturally, dragging the creature's attention to him. "Speak or get out of my sight, Nazzchenar."

"The vestiges fail in the boneshaker's fields," the huge beast rumbled. "The crops will not grow next season."

Malaphor's tail twitched uneasily. "The fleshcrafters have nothing." It wasn't a question but it was clear that Malaphor still didn't like the answer.

"There are no souls to harvest from the shores either," Nazzchenar rumbled, shuffling in place, metal clanking. "Nothing to feed the hungry earth."

Malaphor grumbled, turning to stare out the window. "Dagon is holding out on us."

"Plow her in," Nazzchenar was staring at Ella as it spoke. "Bleed her into the earth and we'll feed for decades. That mortal blood ... she reeks of life."

Malaphor spun around with a savage snarl. "No! She's not for that!"

"For what then? Your hot blood? What good is that when starvation stirs rebellion and your head is on a pike?"

Malaphor stalked forward circling Nazzchenar, as he had Ella before, but with much different intent. Nazzchenar stood motionless, just its head moving to follow the demon's predatory pacing. "It wouldn't be the first time someone tried to take what's mine. I've painted this fortress with blood before and I'm still here."

Malaphor lowered his head, horns suddenly very clearly weapons and shoulders bunching in clear threat. "I keep what's mine."

"If you want to keep what's yours," Nazzchenar's slow measured tones seemed unimpressed but its shoulders had stiffened warily. "You need to feed it."

"You've spoken," Malaphor just said. "Now get out."

 

[StarWhisperer]

Ella actually smiled at Crook-nose, though it was a weak and tired smile. “I’m not a morsel,” she informed him quietly. “My name is Ella. Ell-la. Not morsel. If you must call me anything, please call me by my name. No one else seems to want to.” Her eyes darted across the room to where Malaphor was standing.

She felt a little sorry for the imps, assuming they probably didn’t get fed much. Ella eagerly gobbled down the majority of the food, not tasting most of it. She picked up a nut and held it out to Crook-Nose. “For the advice,” Ella whispered. She smiled again, taking the water and soft cloth. Frankly, every place was a sore place.

Ella glanced up from gently cleaning her sore, sensitive skin when the door open. She suddenly felt much more exposed than she had a moment ago. This was possibly because Malaphor had already ravaged her once, and the imps had bathed her. Them seeing her without clothing was nothing new. However, this creature looked like it could swallow her whole, and she had never seen him before. Ella stopped cleaning herself, curling up in a little ball and staring with wide eyes at him as the brief conversation unfolded.

Ella shivered, staring at the hungry expression on Nazzchenar’s face. The blood drained from her face at his suggestion. She only half-understood what they were talking about, but one part was incredibly clear to her. “Bleed her into the earth.”

She shrank back in her cage, incredibly intimidated by his stare. She felt a wave of relief sweep over her at Malaphor’s reaction, even if she wasn’t particularly pleased with what she was for. She would rather be mercilessly fucked than ground into the earth. Sex could become less painful, but she had a feeling that the other option would just be a painful end.

If you want to keep what’s yours… despite her abject terror, Ella actually smirked a little. She turned her head away, looking out the window and pulling her knees to her chest. There was something satisfying in the way that Nazzchenar’s words echoed her own from just before she had passed out. She hoped it set Malaphor thinking. She hoped it made him worry, just a bit, even though he was the one currently keeping her from her death. It was his fault she was in peril at all in the first place.

 

[Allonsy]

Crook-nose snatched the nut with a squeal, shoving it into its mouth and chewing frantically even as other imps leapt onto Ella's cage to try and grab it from it. The ferocious little battle was brief before the crooked little imp shoved the others off, snarling at them all.

"Ell'la," it crooned, perching on the top of the cage, by the heavy chain holding it up.

"Ell'la," the other imps echoed, enviously. "Ell'la."

While Nazzchenar was in the room, the imps hunkered down, becoming nothing but shapeless little lumps in the shadows. Crook-nose clung to Ella's cage with fingers and toes, quivering in obvious terror. "Be small, ell'la," it breathed. "Be very small. The Maw is always hungry, yes, it is. The Prince will eat his little morsel much more nicely than the Maw."
____________
With Nazzchenar gone, Malaphor swung around to shove violently at his worktable. It was heavy for a reason and this was one of them, it rocked, spilling a drift of papers, a narrow dagger and a lit candle onto the floor but didn't fall. Unsatisfied, he shoved it again with a shout then swung away, tail lashing like an angry cat's. He ignored the squealing imps rushing to put out the candle before it caught fire; they were everywhere, nothing more than vermin.

He grabbed a candle stand and hauled it over to the huge map etched into one wall of his workroom. Mountains, seas, gloomy forests and far, far too great an expanse of barren, dead lands. There were no more solutions there today than there had been yesterday. Malaphor's molten gaze swung to his captive and he went over to her. He unlocked the wedge of a door and swung it wide.

"Come out, pet, and I will show you something," his eyes glinted with brief amusement. "It won't even involve my cock, this time."

 

[StarWhisperer]

Ella actually smiled a little at the way the imps said her name. She had a strange affinity for them, even if they were odd-looking creatures, and demons, themselves, technically. “That’s right. Ella.”

She nodded at Crook-nose, curling herself up in the smallest ball she possibly could and staying on the side of the cage that was as far from the door as she possibly could be. She could imagine that the imps weren’t kidding, that Nazzchenar would eat her, and it would not be enjoyable. She smiled a little again, though, at the name they had given him. She would, henceforth, think of him as the Maw. He did have quite impressive teeth.

Ella jumped, flinching at Malaphor’s two shoves. She cringed, shrinking further at his yell, against the back side of the cage. She stayed there, even as Malaphor walked over and opened the door to her prison.

She didn’t quite appreciate the joke as much as she did, but slowly crawled forward, not wanting to anger him any more than he already was. “Is there any chance of clothes?” Ella asked quietly, not meeting Malaphor’s eyes as she sat in the doorway to the cage, her bare legs dangling down.

 

[Allonsy]

Malaphor grunted and stamped a hoof in the general direction of one of the imps, it fled with a wail. "It will bring something," he said carelessly, reaching to bring Ella down. "Look."

Most of one wall was taken up with a huge map made of inlaid enamel. The sea rippled in iridescent shades of purple and violet, mountains marched in textures of rust and black, a forest was ebony black. Sigils were inlaid in gold over certain areas; a simple circle with a bar slanting through it to the north where mother of pearl represented glaciers and snowfields, a weird little symbol to the south, one over the sea, others over the forest and the sandy enamel work to the east. There was one on the black cliffs where Malaphor's fortress was. The very same symbol was inked onto Malaphor's arm, from elbow to shoulder – it was a triangle, sitting on it's point, with crossed lines in the corners and a curlicue detail on the bottom. The one on the map was clear enough but the one on Malaphor's arm had been marred by a horrible, raised brand. The brand was irregular, twisted, as if Malaphor had been far from willing when it had been burned into his flesh and matched – distortions aside – the circle bar of the north.

Malaphor rested a wide hand on her shoulder, letting her look her fill. "This is the world, my pet, all that is left of it."

More than half the map was taken up by rough, sandy, dead-looking emptiness; no red rivers, no forests, no golden glints of settlements. He did not imagine she would care. If it weren't his lands dying, he would't either. The demon smoothed a hand across Ella's skin. All that life in her -- and a world full of it, if only he could find a way to take it.

 

[StarWhisperer]

Ella took in the huge map, trying to understand what everything meant. Most of it made sense to her, though the symbols didn’t really mean anything to her. She did, however, notice the symmetry to two of the symbols on the map and the two overlapping ones on Malaphor’s arm, though she stayed silent about it.

She didn’t realize what the emptiness was until Malaphor said that the map was all that was LEFT of the world. Ella frowned, lifting her hand as if to touch the map, then dropping it. Her skin prickled and tingled where Malaphor’s hand was. Standing there, her legs ached. Her muscles hurt, all over her body, still.

“What happened to it?” she asked, for some reason her voice a horrified whisper. Why would she even care? She wasn’t sure, but she did. Ella crossed her hands over her stomach, shivering a little bit at Malaphor’s touch. “Why is that happening?” She turned her still-innocent eyes up to him, for all the world like a little girl in that moment. “How do you fix it?” She paused. “Without plowing my blood into the ground.”