The Captive Oracle

[Veroe]

((Closed for myself and SexyMistress))​

IC: Asheron

The village of Syrenae was a small fishing village on an isolated island called Eikonos in the Sea of Storms. It was of little note to anyone in the wider world except for the prominence of its temple on the hill overlooking the village, ancient even before the village was settled. It was famed for its prophecies and its favor with the gods, but it has been forgotten in the last few years, the god's favor and the prophecies of its oracles dwindling only to memory, but recently word has spread of the temple housing a new oracle, strong in her visions from the gods. Now the village expected visitors from the world over seeking to speak with the new oracle of Eikonos and hear the counsel of the gods once more.

Unfortunately, the word of their new prophetess has brought to their sleepy island the the Black Dogs, the warriors of Theranyka, and their feared king, Asheron. The villagers were of little resistance to the trained and fierce warriors, fortunately for them the dreaded Black Dogs had been more interested in the temple than ravaging the poor townsfolk.

Acheron was a tall man, a hands width above even the tallest of mortal men, with hard muscles as if cut from the finest marble by the greatest of sculptors. He was endowed by birthright to come as close to the beauty and the glory of the gods themselves as a mortal man could acheive. He had long dark hair and stubble with peircing blue eyes. A mosaic patterned tattoo climbed up his right arm and shoulder ending over the right side of his bare chest. Unlike his black garbed soldiers Asheron wore no armor, for again by the gifts inherited by his hated father armor was unneeded for his protection. Instead he wore a long black loin cloth, and hard leather sandals bracers and wide belt holding the sheaths on his hips for his dual swords.

Asheron climbed up the final step and glared at the doors of the temple. They were of thick oak and normally took several men to open. He took hold of them and with a heave of his mighty arms they swung open. His Black Dogs rushed in holding the startles preistesses at swordpoint as he strode within the temple glowering with each step.

An old woman in the robes of a high priestess glared back at him. He noted the courage in the old croan in keeping that imperious glare as he approached and towered above her. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I have come for your Oracle, old woman," He announced.

She shook her head, "Only the most humble is permitted audience with her."

He turned his gaze away from her then and regarded his men. "Spread out and find her. Kill the priestesses if they try to stop you."

His warriors scattered tearing the temple apart, upending priceless relics and furniture in their search for her.

"It is a hot day and I am thirsty," Asheron turned and stepped past the high priestess and climbed the steps to the altar of the gods. There he lifted the sacred urn and poured some wine into the golden goblet there for him.

"Stop, that is the wine blessed for the autumn Bachanal," The old woman protested.

He lifted it to his lips saying, "I am aware of that." Then he turned the goblet up and took a long swallow.

"The gods will punish you for this blasphemy."

He put the goblet back down on the altar and eyed her over his shoulder. "I have not even begun to incur their wrath, old woman."

"My lord," One of his men said dragging a young girl in the pure white robes of the oracle out towards him, "We found her."

They threw her down on the floor at Asheron's feet and as she looked up at him he peered down at her.

 

[sexymistress]

The first vision had come to her in a dream, speaking to her about the fate of the small village she had grown up in. The vision had warned her of the fires and of the river filled with blood. She had tired to speak out but no one chose to listen to a young girl. Everyone told her to be seen and not heard, the oracle hadn't seen a vision like that and it couldn't have happened. When the battle hit, her parents brought her to the temple, begging that they take the child, knowing that she may have the gift to be something great. The only survivors from that war were the women in the temple, since it was an act against the gods to murder the priestesses or the oracle.

The women were brought to another land, under the control of a different ruler. The older oracle had retired once her younger counterpart had been old enough to take her place. From her early age, she had been commanding the visions of the gods for the men and women who were able to enter into her room. Her nights were still plagued with the visions sent from the gods and the nightmare of her parents faces when they left to a certain death. Didn't they know that they were going to die?

Once again, Alenna received a vision of the defeat of the village, fires and destruction of her new home. The men prepared, their king believing the oracle of the news. Once more the women in the temple were sent away to another town, to be kept safe from the wars, messengers sent to the Oracle in order to understand the ways of the gods. That is how she came to arrive at the village of Syrenae. The isolated down did not have an Oracle of their own in their ancient and beautiful temple and it was the safest location that they could find for the women. Many had died on the journey and many others broke their sacred vows.

Alenna had more visitors then she had expected in the village. People from all the surrounding islands would arrive to hear the words from their gods and to have their prayers answered. Sitting in her personal chambers, a young priestess brushed the Oracle's long red hair, drizzling oil into it between strokes in order to keep the shine in it. Hearing the voices thundering from room to room, Alenna quickly dressed in her white robes and sent the young girl out of the room, standing as the men entered.

"What are you doing? Do you not know who I am? This is sacred ground, you must treat it with respect!"

As she was grabbed by two of the men, she fought against them, whispering prayers to the gods as they dragged her through the broken temple. Blue eyes were round as she was dragged past statues and the offerings that people had brought for them.

"What have you done?"

Alenna's red hair brushed against her pale skin as she was thrown to the ground before whomever these men worked for. Pushing herself up into a better sitting position, she lifted her eyes to look to him before raising them higher to stare through the open ceiling into the heavens, whispering words of prayer before closing her eyes and attempting to read the reactions of the gods. Yet nothing came to her and Alenna dropped her head slowly.

"What do you want with me sir? You could have come to me like any others, not with the force you required. You and your men will be punished by the gods for destroying this temple and treating their Oracle with such disrespect."

Gathering the folds of her robes around her, Alenna slowly moved to kneel better, as though she were in prayer. Her head was bent and her long hair veiled her face from those around her, hiding the fear in her eyes and the shimmer of tears.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Asheron

They threw her down on the floor at Asheron's feet and as she looked up at him he peered down at her.

He looked down at the girl, and that was what she was a flower just reaching the bloom of womanhood. She had lustrous coppery hair that caught the sunlight with a brilliant sheen to it. The girl looked up to him and Asheron peered deep into the serene blue pools of her eyes. She looked up at him not comprehending just how dangerous her situation was. Then her eyes drifted up to the heavens above and her lips moved in muttered prayers to bastard gods she served kneeling on the floor.

Asheron felt a rush of the old anger, but forced it to heel as he towered above her prayer and supplicating for the gods who gave her no answer. The oracle stopped and her gaze returned to him. "What do you want with me sir?"

He lowered to one knee in front of her and reached out brushing his fingers gently over the side of her face. "I want you, little one. Your visions."

"You could have come to me like any others, not with the force you required."

"And come to you like a dog, humble before the gods," He suggested. His fingers slipped through the red drape of her hair slow and sensually.

"You and your men will be punished by the gods for destroying this temple and treating their Oracle with such disrespect."

"They have punished me all my life," His hand reached the back of her head. There his fingers tightened around her crimson locks in an iron tight grip wrenching her head to peer up at him and only him, "Now I aim to give them reason to."

His arms wrapped her up and he rose hefting her over his shoulder.

"We're leaving," He told his men and began to carry the oracle outside the temple and to their waiting ships.

 

[sexymistress]

Alenna attempted to clear her mind, trying to find a way to understand the actions of the gods. Why were they destroying the temples and disgracing the women who had given up their lives for their gods?

As the man stared down at her, the young woman refused to let him change her state of mind. She had one concern and that was for the women who had taken care of this temple and of her from childhood. Along with them the well-being of the town. With this kind of attack would the gods take it out on the people for not protecting their Oracle? Would they be punished for these actions?

As the man lowered himself to her level, Alenna kept her head up high and refused to break eye contact with him. There was something that told her to keep an eye on him. When his finger brushed her skin, she turned her head away from him. No man was permitted to touch her or the others in the temple. All of them had taken scared vows"Many people want my visions. They come to see me here in peace."

"Yes my lord, even the proudest of men must humble themselves to truly be one with the gods." Pulling back from his touch once again, she shook her head, "Stop sir. You're not allowed to lay a hand on any of the women in here. It is law."

A gasp slipped from Alenna's lips as his grasp tightened around the back of her neck and his hand pulled her long hair. Before she had a chance to struggle, she was thrown over his shoulder. "Make sure they leave the priestesses be. They are not to be harmed. I'll go quietly you promise it."

Most of the people in the houses would have been defenceless against the brutes that took the Oracle from her temple, hiding in their homes instead. As he brought her onto the ship, Alenna closed her eyes whispering words of prayer to the gods once again. "Please sir, just let me go. I won't do anything, just let me stay with the people here. They will need me to protect them."

 

[sexymistress]

(ignore~)

 

[Veroe]

IC: Asheron

"Please sir, just let me go," She asked him, "I won't do anything, just let me stay with the people here. They will need me to protect them."

"No," Was his answer to her question.

The Sea of Storms was not called such by its frequency in storms, in truth it was quite calm on the whole in comparison to other seas in the wide world. But it was named the Sea of Storms for when it did have a gale it was certainly of note for its strength and violence. However as the ships that had landed at the island of Eikonos left for the Accursed Island of Thyranika the sea was quiet and tranquil.

Their two trirenes made sail across the water. Asheron's men, the Black Dogs took to the oars as he carried his captive Oracle to the cabin reserved for the king. He tied her to the beam his hammock hung from and left her there. The wind was against them and Asheron took up an oar beside his men.

They traveled East until there was no land in sight in any direction. Evening was approaching and as the sun began to set the wind finally gave them favor and Asheron retired to his cabin as evening was turning to night.

He came to his room to find her still tied to the post. He didn't speak to her just crossed over to the other side of the room and began removing his belt and loincloth until he stood there naked. He took a pan placing it on the floor and filling it with water. Then sprinkling some petals of the Hydichium flower into it, a supposedly sacred plant used primarily as incense, but the petals of its blossoms gave it an understated sweet scent Asheron preferred.

He took a washcloth and dipped it into the water and began running the cloth over his sweat-coated body, the length of his arms, down over his chest and stomach and back. Then he washed his thighs, down to his feet. Finally He took the pitcher of water and poured it over his head. Taking a comb he ran it through the long length of his dark hair.

When he was finished washing himself Asheron rose up and lifted the pan of water and walked over to the side pouring it out unmoved in the slightest by the exhibition of his nudity he had given his captive. Still naked he crossed over to stand before her and laid the pan at her feet repeating the ritual of filling it with water and hydichium petals. He placed a new washcloth in the pan.

"It has been hot and a trying day for you, girl," He told undoing the knots of rope he had bound her to the post. The action brought his impressive manhood directly in front of her face. "I will not have you become filthy." He examined the welts the rough rope had made to her wrists before stepping back and turning away from her. "Wash yourself."

Leaving her to do that he crossed to a table with a plate of flatbread, a paste of herbs and cured ground meat, and the urn of sanctified wine from her temple he had taken along with her. "Are you hungry, girl," He asked turning to look back at her and not caring one wit about maintaining her modesty.

In fact he found himself surprisingly curious to see her in her nudity.

 

[sexymistress]

As he spoke simply and firmly at her question, she allowed herself to fall silent. She would try and connect with the gods and understand why they were sending her with this man, what he needed to learn from her. Eyes closed as she whispered under her breath in the language of the religious and pious, trying to communicate with Hera or Zeus, but her powers were failing her once again. Why was it that he blocked her ability to speak with the gods that had always been there for her. Maybe her dreams tonight would hold the answers she sought.

As she was brought onto the ship, Alenna let her head move around as much as possible to try and figure out where they were taking her.

"Where are you taking me?"

Before her question was truly answered she was being set down onto the hard wood floor of a cabin and her wrists tied tightly to the beam in the middle of the room.

"I would not run. There is no where I can go."

Resting her head against the post, she tried not to get sick from the rocking motion of the ship. She had never liked this method of travel and much preferred to keep her feet on dry and solid land. Maybe if she slept she could find out what the man wanted from her and get out if here faster.

When it felt like hours had passed the door opened once more and Alenna opened her blue eyes and watched as he walked from one side of the room to the other. As he began to undress himself, she blushed bright red and turned her head away, closing her eyes tightly.

"This is improper. An Oracle is never to see a man like that, except for in infant hood when it is acceptable."

Listening to the water dripping, she tried to focus on Poseidon, hoping the water element in the room and the sea around them would make his presence stronger. Though she had never had a message from the sea god before she was desperate enough to try and connect with any of the gods that would give her information.

Alenna opened her eyes a crack to see if he had finished, glad to see at least his back towards her for a moment. Eyes closed tightly once again as she heard his feet approaching her. She was not going to risk her visions and messages because he was challenging the gods and their rule.

"Yes sir, the room gets very warm when the door is locked like that. As I said, I have no where to go, you need not lock me in or tie me like a common thief." As his hands untied her, she kept her eyes closed and head turned as far away as possible, trying to ignore how close he was to her. Rubbing her sore and raw wrists, she locked her eyes onto the ground and the basin before opening her eyes.

Licking her lips from thirst, she slowly dipped her fingers into the water, refusing to use the cloth that he had used on his own body. Slowly she rubbed the water along her exposed skin only, refusing to expose herself to a person--let alone a man--that was not religious. His actions completely affirmed that he didn't care about the gods and their works.

"Yes sir, I am hungry. I have a name, and it is not girl. Oracle, or Alenna if you prefer." Eyes refused to lift from the scented water, still drizzling it over her arms and feet to try and cool herself. Lifting her hand to her head, she wiped if across her face and neck, closing her eyes once again and resting her head against the pole.

"Will you please dress yourself sir? It is indecent to be like that around any woman you are not wed to."

 

[Veroe]

IC: Asheron

"Are you hungry, girl," He asked turning to look back at her and not caring one wit about maintaining her modesty.

"Yes sir, I am hungry." She nodded rubbing the sore red marks his rope had left on her wrists. She hadn't removed her white oracle's robe to wash
herself. Instead she dribbled the water over her arms and feet.

He frowned, "Girl, I told you to wash yourself, all of yourself."

"I have a name, and it is not girl. Oracle, or Alenna if you prefer." She rubbed her face with the water completely disregarding the washcloth he had given her. "Will you please dress yourself sir? It is indecent to be like that around any woman you are not wed to."

His face darkened and eyes bore down on her as he came over her. His hand grabbing a fistful of her hair and wrenching her head so she had to look up at him all of him in his nudity. The other hand clamped over her mouth and he glowered down at her.

"You will be washed," He growled to her.

He grabbed her robe and pulled at it, ripping the delicate fabric and exposing her chest and breasts. He pulled her onto the floor tearing more of the robe off her. She struggled against him ofcourse but he was far stronger and was an experienced wrestler while the only thing she had to her advantage was desperation. In their struggling the pan was spilled making a puddle of sweet smelling water beside them.

When he was finished he placed his knee in the small of her back pinning Alenna to the floor. He cast the ripped robes negligently to the far corner of his cabin. Asheron then reached over and placed the pan back upright on the floor and poured some more water into it and the last of his Hydichium petals. Then he took the washcloth he had given her to use but she had ignored and dipped into the water, wringing it out before looking down at her.

"Alenna, if you had just done as I told you, you wouldn't be facing this degradation now."

He then reached down and began to run the washcloth up the back of her calves, the back of her knee, the back of her thigh and the sensitive area just under the swell of her asscheek. He gave her left buttock a hard smack. "Stop squirming." He dipped the cloth into the water and wrung it out again before running it over the cheek marked with the red palmprint he had just left there. He washed the outside of her leg then repeated the whole process with the other leg.

His hand clamped over her thigh and pulled her legs apart so he could wash the inside of her thighs and the juncture of her legs between them. "No more squirming, Alenna, or I shall spank you like a disobedient child."

 

[sexymistress]

Alenna stayed as curled up as she could without causing herself more pain. Her hands hurt in the rose water, the red marks stinging each time she put the water onto it. As he turned back to look at her, Alenna looked up at him, her blue eyes attempting to read his emotions about her disobedience with undressing herself.

Licking her lips innocently as he started to get more and more angry, she tested his anger, washing her face with just her hands. She was not going to subject herself to using his common goods and questioning where on his body he had used them. If she did something like that it could completely jeopardize her visions and communication with the gods.

Eyes grew wider as he crossed the small area between them and grabbed tightly onto her hair. Letting out a scream, she closed her eyes tightly, fighting the urge to bite down onto the hand that was covering her mouth. She fought against him, a difficult task without opening her eyes. Pushing against his legs and hands, she began fighting as much as she could.

As the terrible sound of fabric ripping echoed in her mind, Alenna was quick to try and cover the last shreds of dignity that she could. Holding onto the remaining fabric desperately, she kicked at him, trying to get him away from her. She thrashed her head around, her long hair landing in the puddle of water. Drops of water flew through the air as she shook her head back and forth.

Tears were running down her cheeks as he held onto her back, pressing her into the ground. Her body shivered in the cold air of the cabin and her skin had broken out into goose bumps. Her pink nipples were hard points in the cold air, pressed painfully onto the floor.

"Let go of me! You cannot do this, the gods are going to smite you for treating any woman--let alone an Oracle--like this!"

Wriggling around, trying to get out from under his knee, she tried to push herself up, to do anything that she could. Feeling the cloth running over her body, she began screaming for help, trying even harder to get him away from her. Alenna gave a small squeak as his hand slapped her bare bottom, tears flooding her eyes once again, "That hurt! Stop it!" Feeling the cold rubbing over the mark, she winced, the water stinging against the sensitive mark. The roughness of the cloth was a strange sensation and she did not like it at all.

"Let go of me, stop that!" she shouted as he pulled her legs apart from one another, "Stop it! You are not my father or one of the priestesses, you have no right to spank me! Stop this right now! You are going to anger the gods more then they are already!"

 

[Veroe]

IC: Asheron

His hand clamped over her thigh and pulled her legs apart so he could wash the inside of her thighs and the juncture of her legs between them. "No more squirming, Alenna, or I shall spank you like a disobedient child."

"Let go of me, stop that!" she shouted as he pulled her legs apart from one another. "Stop it! You are not my father or one of the priestesses, you have no right to spank me! Stop this right now! You are going to anger the gods more then they are already!"

"Wrong," He told her as he dipped the cloth into the water he ran it over Alenna's inner thigh, slow, sensually. Then he did the same to the other thigh. He didn't stop at just her inner thigh but ran it over the juncture of her legs as well. "I haven't eve begun to anger them yet."

"Stay still," He ordered her as he ran the coarse cloth over the lips of her womanhood, placing a good deal of pressure to the fingers as they passed over them.

 

[sexymistress]

His hand was large enough to easily keep her held into place but that did not stop her from trying to kick and free herself anyways. "Stop it! Unhand me this moment! I will wash myself if you let go of me!"

"The gods know what you are doing, they are watching and I will not be shocked if you perish during the night due to your actions. You would deserve nothing less for this disrespect!"

As the cloth moved across her skin, she could feel the rough fabric over every inch of the way and she clawed all the harder to get away from him. This feeling was wrong, she was not supposed to use such fabric on her skin. She had only been allowed to use silken clothes at all times and other light fabrics to clean herself completely.

Eyes closed tightly as his hand ran itself over her womanhood, and she let out a bloodcurdling scream, her nails digging into the ground and dragging wood off the boards. "STOP IT! STOP IT OR I WILL KILL YOU MYSELF WHILE YOU SLEEP!" No, Alenna was not supposed to be touched like this or supposed to have this mix of emotions. If he didn't stop attacking her like this she would not be alive in the morning.

It might be a sign to commit murder, especially on ones self, but the gods would understand. They would never speak to her again after this disgraceful show. If he didn't stop, she would have no other option. "Stop it. I will wash myself, properly. Let go of me."

 

[Veroe]

IC: Asheron

"Stay still," He ordered her as he ran the coarse cloth over the lips of her womanhood, placing a good deal of pressure to the fingers as they passed over them.

"The gods know what you are doing, they are watching and I will not be shocked if you perish during the night due to your actions. You would deserve nothing less for this disrespect!"

"They have always had their eyes on me. They have always been set against me," He told her in reply, "And yet here I remain. Some would say that a sign of their generosity. I would say its a sign of their impotence. Now still yourself."

Once done he returned it to the juncture of her legs to make certain she was cleaned down there. It wasn't easy task with her jerking and squirming to keep him from doing so.

"STOP IT! STOP IT OR I WILL KILL YOU MYSELF WHILE YOU SLEEP!" She screamed, "Stop it. I will wash myself, properly. Let go of me."

She still squirmed and despite his superior position, leverage against her, and greater strength Asheron was finding it difficult to keep her pinned on the deck. The girl was starting to panic, and he would have to actually hurt her to keep her still now. He couldn't have that.

He rose up taking her by the arm and rolling her over so she looked up directly at him. "Fine, little spoiled rotten oracle girl," He growled dropping the cloth so it landed in the area between her breasts. "We have no smooth silk on this ship for you to pamper yourself, but you will clean yourself, and with that cloth."

He turned back to the ground meat and bread preparing them a plate to share. "As for you murdering me while I sleep, I'd like to see you try. Hera, queen of Olympus has tried many many times since the day I was born and only succeeded once."

He turned back to look at her over his shoulder, "But as is obvious the realm of Hades was not strong enough to hold me. I returned to my kingdom alive and well to laugh in the face of Hera's failure to slay me."

 

[sexymistress]

As his grip finally let go, she crawled into the nearest corner of the room, curling up tightly and sobbing into her hands, rocking back and forth as silent prayers fell from her lips. When she finally looked over at him she shook her head, "I am not spoiled or rotten, I am a source for divine beings to communicate with those who need them. I deserve respect--not only for that but for being a woman. You are nothing but a monster."

Leaning over, she picked the cloth up from where she had knocked it to the ground and turned around so that her back was facing towards him as she started to wash herself off, going quickly and touching as little of her skin as possible with the cloth. Slowly, she grabbed the ripped scraps of her clothing and wrapped them back around her body, shivering slightly as she listened to him working around the food.

"Athena would give me the strength I need to do so and if Hera has tired before then she would use her powers in order to make sure this did not fail. You are human and therefore can and will die. "

Shivering once again, she attempted to keep herself as covered as possible, shaking her head as he spoke. "I am not hungry, I do not want to eat what you are preparing. I will have simple bread and water once we arrive at your kingdom. Prepared solely by your female staff or one of the priestesses. "

Hugging her knees to her chest, Alenna turned her back to him once again, hiding her face in her knees as she began praying, trying to let her mind relax and fly into the other realm and find the gods and goddess that gave her comfort in the worst of times and enlightened her on how to accomplish everything.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Asheron

"As for you murdering me while I sleep, I'd like to see you try. Hera, queen of Olympus has tried many many times since the day I was born and only succeeded once." He turned back to look at her over his shoulder, "But as is obvious the realm of Hades was not strong enough to hold me. I returned to my kingdom alive and well to laugh in the face of Hera's failure to slay me."

"Athena would give me the strength I need to do so and if Hera has tired before then she would use her powers in order to make sure this did not fail. You are human and therefore can and will die. "

He quirked an eyebrow at that. "Not entirely, no. Only my mother was human. Whether or not I am mortal remains to be seen. Though I have survived wounds and curses that would have felled most mortals in this world."

He turned bearing her her plate of food and the urn of sacred wine he had taken from the temple in Syrenae.

She had taken the tattered robes he had ripped attempting to cover herself with them again. "I am not hungry, I do not want to eat what you are preparing." She told him shaking her head, "I will have simple bread and water once we arrive at your kingdom. Prepared solely by your female staff or one of the priestesses. "

"Thyranyka, is several days away, and you are the only woman on this ship." He held out the plate for her, "Eat or starve, Alenna?"

 

[sexymistress]

Alenna looked at him and shook her head slowly, "That is impossible sir. You would never do such things if you were a demigod. They never do such things, they are not monsters like this. You are lying to me." Eyes closed as she tried to find one of the gods or goddess so that she could speak with the gods. She needed to know what she was up against and the guidance that this man was supposed to bring to her. As they stayed silent to her begging, her eyes opened and she shook her head, "No, you must be mortal. No one would act like this if they were not sir."

Clutching the robe to her body, she tried to keep some kind of dignity about her. She would not be treated like a beast, like an animal. Least of all she would not be treated like a worthless whore. She would not let any man look at her in such a state again. He would burn with Hades for what he had already done, he would not do it to her a second time.

Hearing the options that she had, Alenna took the plate from him slowly before pausing, "You first." Holding the plate up to him, she watched his movements, daring him to take some of the food she had been offered. Alenna was not going to be killed by his hand, not now. "May I have water? I'm thirsty."

 

[Veroe]

IC: Asheron

"No, you must be mortal. No one would act like this if they were not sir."

He shook his head and regarded her under an intense gaze. "Little oracle locked away from the world what do you truly know of demigods, what do you know of me? You presume to name me liar and monster."

He crouched low and cupped her chin to level those intent eyes on hers.

"I am no monster, Alenna. I am only a man whose every breath since the day I was born has been anathema to the gods. They have cursed my mother, tried to destroy my people, tried again and again to slay me. Yes I despise them. Yes I defy them. Yes I have little patience to the fools who revere them. If I am a monster to your eyes it is because they have made me one."

"Thyranyka, is several days away, and you are the only woman on this ship." He held out the plate for her, "Eat or starve, Alenna?"

She slowly, tenatively reached out and took the plate from his hand then stilled. "You first."

"If I wanted you dead your corpse would be lying in the temple of Syrenae." Taking some of the bread and running it through the ground meat mixture and putting it in his mouth and chewings. "See, completely safe."

"May I have water," She asked, "I'm thirsty."

"The water on this ship is for the rowers," He said rasing the sacred urn between them, "But I will offer you some of my wine to sate your thirst."

 

[sexymistress]

As he spoke about her being locked away, Alenna looked down shamefully. That much was true, she was desperately unaware of what was happening in the world outside of the temple. The only news she had ever gotten was from the gods and from the priestesses that aided her. Rarely did they tell her about anything negative, unless they needed the power of the gods to prevent something from occurring. Likewise, her views of people were minimal and focused solely on the beliefs she had been raised with.

As he grabbed a hold of her chin, she was forced to look back up at him and her eyes grew darker from anger. "The gods will punish you, whether or not you are a one of them, or partly so. They will punish you for your actions and the way in which you defy and scandalize them. Before, they did not have someone to directly understand their words and meanings, no one to fully understand the actions that must be taken. Now, they will act through what I speak and you will pay for that. The gods do not make humans into monsters, humans do that to themselves."

Eyeing him as he took a piece of bread from the plate and gathered some of the other good onto it, she watched as he ate and swallowed before slowly lowering the plate again. Slowly, tentatively, she began to eat the food he had given to her. The bread and meat tasted different then the way they were prepared for her at home and she was worried about what the differences were.

"Surely there is a bit of extra water on the ship that I could drink? I cannot drink wine, it is forbidden. " Shaking her head, she ate the last of the food, her mouth feeling dry and her throat felt like it was filled with cement. "Please, just water would be fine."

 

[Veroe]

IC: Asheron

"The water on this ship is for the rowers," He said rasing the sacred urn between them, "But I will offer you some of my wine to sate your thirst."

She shook her head. "Surely there is a bit of extra water on the ship that I could drink?"

He held the wine out for her, "It would please me if you drink this."

"I cannot drink wine, it is forbidden. "

"Why is that," He pressed her, "What difference is there in this wine above wine you buy at market, and why should you be denied it, Alenna? Why do you deny it without having tried any?"

"Please, just water would be fine."

"You don't see the chains they've bound you in," He told her, "You don't even realize you've been their prisoner all of your life. I will get you some water if you take a drink from the wine and still choose by your own will the water."

 

[sexymistress]

Eyes looked at the wine that he held before her, the cup glistening in the pale light of the room. The priestesses had forbidden any kind of liquid from passing through her lips, anything that could cloud her visions or make them less crisp. They could not afford that kind of thing in the least.

"I will have to displease you thing, I will not drink it. I'm forbidden from doing so, no matter if it is wine from the market or the sacred wine. " Raising her eyes to the gods as she spoke about the wine, she muttered, wordlessly, a prayer of thanksgiving before looking back to him. "The liquid clouds my judgement and causes my visions to come wrong or misinformed. I will not risk the life of my people for a simple drink. Now, please sir, water."

"No, it is you that have me bound in chains sir. I asked nothing of you but the safety of my people, and myself. In doing so, I cannot drink the liquid that you so carelessly splash about, regardless of it's divinity in being a gift to our gods." At his offer, Alenna shook her head, "Then I will die of thirst, for I will not drink. I already appeased you by eating the food that you prepared for me, that is all that I can do." Turning away from him, Alenna bowed her head, whispering prayers to the gods, eyes closed tightly to try and block out the scenery around her and pretend she was home again.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Asheron

"You don't see the chains they've bound you in," He told her, "You don't even realize you've been their prisoner all of your life. I will get you some water if you take a drink from the wine and still choose by your own will the water."

She looked at the wine in his hand like he was holding a poisonous serpent. "I will have to displease you thing, I will not drink it. I'm forbidden from doing so, no matter if it is wine from the market or the sacred wine. "

"It would please me if you drink it." He said ominously.

She raised her eyes up to the night sky out the window of his cabin. "The liquid clouds my judgement and causes my visions to come wrong or misinformed. I will not risk the life of my people for a simple drink. Now, please sir, water."

"I could easily force you to drink this, Alenna," He told her dangerously, "Is that what you want me to do to you?"

"No, it is you that have me bound in chains sir. I asked nothing of you but the safety of my people, and myself. In doing so, I cannot drink the liquid that you so carelessly splash about, regardless of it's divinity in being a gift to our gods."

He put the urn down between them. Asheron glared into her eyes. "If not the wine then you will die of thirst."

"Then I will die of thirst, for I will not drink. I already appeased you by eating the food that you prepared for me, that is all that I can do." She turned away then muttering prayers to the gods for intervention and her salvation once more.

Growling he rose, and without bothering to dress he left the cabin and moments later returned a ladle of water in hand. "Here is your water Alenna, but you will only drink it from my hand," He told her, "Turn around to face me, and open your mouth."

 

[sexymistress]

The fact that he held such power over her was alarming but she would not break down and let him see the fear. No, she would not allow him to understand how much control he had over her life at the moment. She was no weakling that could easily be shoved around and forced to go through strange and unfamiliar motions. This was still her life, still her power that coursed through her blood stream. That was something that he could never take away from her.

Hearing that he would force her to drink the liquid, she jumped and stared at him with wide eyes. "No sir! You can not force me to do that! It would not help your tasks for me to foresee or communicate properly!" Didn't he understand that she was going to have the worst judgement when she was given the wine? She was forbidden from drinking it, worried constantly that her misinterpretation may cause destruction to the country.

As the goblet was put down on the ground between them she should have taken her chance to kick it over, but she was worried about angering him further. if she knocked it down, he might force her to lick it off the floor on her own. "The gods would be unpleased if I were to drink the wine, it is their gift. It is not just wrong for my powers but is wrong to take back a precious gift." Eyes lingered on the urn, trying her best to ask forgiveness from the gods, hoping that one of them would tell her what was happening and what to do.

As he growled, she prayed more loudly, trying to drown out his own anger. Alenna would not let him win this time, she would not break down like she had done with the food. When he returned to the cabin, she was shocked to see the ladle of water he brought with him. A small smile moved across her face, "Thank you sir." Slowly, Alenna pushed herself onto her knees and turned to face him, hands resting in her lap daintily. Lifting her chin slightly, she angled her head, waiting for him to lower the ladle of water.