The Conquest of the Savage Heart (Closed for KieranSoares)

[BassPlayerRob]

The war between the invading Imperial forces of Emor and the native noble tribes of the Britanians had raged across the land and had brought devastating casualties to both sides. Both sides did whatever they could to gain an edge over the other. For the native forces that meant that even the women entered the battlefield, a fact that the Imperial forces felt repulsive. But these barbarian women were no push-overs. They were even more vicious than their male counterparts and deadly fast on the battlefield. The Empire could take no pity on these women, as that lead to massive losses on the Imperial side in the first few battles against these femme fatales. The most elite unit in the Britanian army was a unit of both men and women led by a woman known only by the Imperials as the Red Devil of Britania. She was named this for her scarlet red hair and for the fact that the battlefield was stained crimson red with the blood of Imperials who stood against her.

The forces of Emor grew desperate, pulling back further towards the border of their lands. This only made the savages of Britania grow bolder. In a last ditch effort, the Imperials staged an ambush for the Red Devil, and her forces fell right into it. There were massive casualties for the native forces and those that weren't taken prisoner or slain on the battlefield fled further inland to regroup.

. . . . . . .

Maximus Aquilus sighed as he stood outside the jail cell that held his prisoner. He had been tasked by the Emperor himself to interrogate the Red Devil and get her knowledge of the savage Britanians at any cost. He knew just how deadly his new prisoner was, one of his guards who had tried to "search the prisoner for weapons" had a few of his fingers bitten off in a struggle. This woman was as tough as any soldier and she was the key to victory for either side. However, Maximus still felt it wrong to have to treat a woman so savagely. He sighed and signaled for a few guards to join him and open the cell. They entered and there she was, struggling against the shackles, in all her savage beauty.

 

[KieranSoares]

As was the way of the Celts of Britannia, all native warriors entered battle covered in warpaint and clothed scarcely. Some more savage clans wore nothing at all but their shields on their arms. This lack of armor had at first made the Emorians think the Celts fools, only for heavily-armored Emorian soldiers to fall the fastest against the unarmored barbarians. Their lack of armor left them fast and agile, and they were unafraid to die to boot.

The Red Devil was no different. She and her warriors wore sparse clothing in the form of simple leather battle kilts and, for women, halter tops. They all wore heavy belts as well for their weapons, but at the moment, the barbarian woman's was missing along with her weapons. There was a reason she was called the Red Devil: because most Emorians and even some Celts were too afraid to speak or even learn her real name.

She thrashed hard against the chains that held her close to the wall to keep her from getting to the bars to possibly grab anyone passing by outside her cell. When Maximus entered, she froze and fell into a low, defensive stance even though her bound hands left her helpless. She gave him a beastial growl, her isle-emerald eyes flashing like a the eyes of a threatened she-wolf.

 

[BassPlayerRob]

"So you're the Red Devil? Hard to believe that such a beautiful woman could be such a brutal killing machine. If you tell us all we need to know, I can promise you will be released to go back to your kin." This was only partially true, she would be released into the wilds of her home country and the Empire's best trackers would track her movements and send the might of Emor down on the savages heads. Still, Maximus really didn't want to have to torture a woman and hoped against hope that she wouldn't resist his offer.

But of course she would. She was one of the most formidible warriors and generals the Empire had ever faced. He waited for an answer as he reached for the whip mounted on the wall for use against unruly prisoners such as this one. He would hate to mar her perfect skin with cuts and slashes from the whip, but he had his orders. Maximus had broken some of the male Britanians before, that's how they managed to get enough information to ambush the Red Devil in the first place, but even that had been a challenge and a test of his creativity. He felt no guilt for the horrors he had placed those men through to get the information the Emperor needed to turn the tide of war, but this was different. Savage though, she was, this was a gorgeous woman, and in Maximus's mind it was barbaric to ever harm a woman, enemy or not. He prayed in vain for her to accept his offer, as he held the whip in his hands.

 

[KieranSoares]

"I'd rather take a thousand lashes with a spiked whip from the Devil himself than tell you Emorian dogs anything!" She snarled viciously at Maximus, straining on her chains, willing one link to snap so she could get her merciless hands around his throat. Then, with venom in her words, she growled darkly: "I'll tell you something you need to know... you're all filthy bloodlusting pigs who can't be content unless they own the world and everyone in it! You started this war, and I swear to the Gods if I ever get the chance, I'll flay your hides from your bones and feed you to my war hounds! Anything that's left of you will be burned to send your souls straight to the Hell you and your kinsmen and coward emperor all slithered out of!"

 

[BassPlayerRob]

Maxmus's eyes widened at the threats from this woman. He knew she wouldn't agree to his terms, but he could never imagine such foul and disgusting imagery spoken of by such a beautiful woman. He sighed and unfurled the whip. "Then I'm truly sorry it has come to this." The first lash struck her in the stomach, leaving a long red slash diagonally down her beautiful stomach. The second lash struck her in the chest, her leather garment barely protecting her from the force of the blow. Her pained cries echoed through the cell as he whipped her repeatedly till her leather halter top was in tatters and her skin was pink all over from the brutal slashes of the whip.

He hung the whip up, exhausted in both mind and spirit for the work he had to do. He looked at her beaten body and said, "I really wish that there was some other way. Just so you know, I take no joy in this."

 

[KieranSoares]

"Like hell you don't..." She growled like a beast, having fallen motionless. Still, she had held her head high and clenched her jaw through the cries of pain, refusing to be put any lower even by intense pain. She still kept her chin up and her back straight. She couldn't stand thanks to the chains, but she sat up as straight and high as she could.

One of the men looked to Maximus, "Sir, I think a few hours out in the winter cold might loosen her tongue a bit."

"Good luck, mongrel," the woman snapped, "my people train in the snow with no more clothing that I wear now."

"Then several hours. No human can stand it forever."

"Watch me." She glared at him dangerously, and he pulled a leather crop from the wall, striking her across the face with it. She winced visibly, but nothing more than that.

 

[BassPlayerRob]

"No, soldier. There are better ways. Stand down."

. . . . .

After a week of torture, Maximus was beginning to wonder if there really was a better way. The Red Devil had withstood sleep deprivation and beatings that had broken her subordinates before her. Maximus would beg her each day at meal time when he fed her to give him some form of information so that they could stop this meaningless brutality, and every time she had spat in his face. He was beginning to wonder whether he would have to truly beat the life out of her to get the information, when they had a break through. Maximus grinned as he received a package from the boys on the front. They had succeeded in their mission to secure a crucial item in interrogating the Red Devil. They would feast well tonight.

He ordered the prisoner stripped and washed in her cell, which amounted to little more than cold water being dumped on her and being lathered with soap on a brush. Maximus entered the cell to find her shackled to the wall, in all her naked glory, glaring daggers at him. He took the opportunity to admire her naked form before placing a box on the floor. He opened a box and inside the box was a small jar. Upon opening the jar an earthy fragrance filled the room that was all too familiar to the Red Devil. For the first time since her capture her eyes widened in fear. "I suspect you know what this is, my lady? This is womb's woad, a special herb ground into a paste that you women use to celebrate after every victory. We learned this through interrogating one of your subordinates and immediately had to acquire it. You see I understand it drives you into a sexual frenzy. Unfortunately for you, we won't release you from that frenzy until you tell us all that we need to know."

Then he began smothering the paste all over her body, especially concentrating on her breasts and pussy. The earthy smell filled the room, as did another smell soon, the smell of her moistening womanhood.

 

[KieranSoares]

Even as her body and a part of her mind began yearning painfully for the nearest male form to come and relieve her of this intense sexual pressure building between her thighs, she resisted as long as she could, glaring murder hinged with desire at this man who dared torture her in a way far worse than any whipping or beating. "Do you expect me to beg for someone to come and please me in exchange for information...?" She snarled breathlessly as the strong scent assaulted her senses. "Do your worst, weasel..." Her voice was not so strong now, and she moaned piteously as a wave of need washed over her along with images of any man her mind could conjure to relieve her.

 

[BassPlayerRob]

"That is the plan, Lady Devil. Now why don't you start talking, and then I will relieve you of this terrible pressure." His hands slowly began rubbing up and down her thighs, tormenting the general with a promise of sexual release should she comply to his demands. They were the strong calloused hands of a warrior, not the smooth baby like hands of a coward or lazy man as she might expect from an Imperial. In the moonlight that lit the cell he probably looked like an Adonis to her, helpless as she was before him, desperately in need of sexual fulfillment. How long could she last against torture like this?

 

[KieranSoares]

She only strained harder against her bonds and snarled half-heartedly, "Nick off, Emorian rat..." But the sensation of male hands- warrior's hands- along her thighs made her knees go weak. "Don't touch me..." she half-whimpered, but her hips involuntarily strained to feel more, anything to quench the lust that the woad induced.

She held out for nearly three days, never uttering much more than insults, not even her own name. But on the third morning when Maximus entered her cell, he found a dead guardsman, half-clothed with his trousers open. It looked like he'd been beaten to death against the wall, the side of his skull crushed. It was all too clear what'd happened. An arrogant guard who couldn't keep his hands to himself had attempted to rape the Red Devil while she was helpless.

But by her calm demeanor and eyes clear of lust, it looked as if she'd let him have his way with her just long enough to overcome the woad's effects, and then she'd killed him. A crafty woman, especially when Maximus saw she'd managed to steal the only two keys the man had: the door key, and the key to one set of her shackles. Now, with only the longer chains holding her to the wall, she could move her arms more freely, and she was running her fingers through her thick and wavy red hair to at least tame it into something halfway nice.

Despite the dead man a few feet from her, despite her situation, and despite all the torture she'd been put through, she looked incredibly serene in that moment, and she was faintly humming to herself as if she were back home in no danger at all, enjoying a quiet moment.

 

[BassPlayerRob]

Maximus nearly dropped the bowl of stew he was carrying to feed the prisoner when he entered the cell. He sighed at he stared at the broken body of one of his men. This is why he never trusted his underlings. They always screwed up any chances of correctly interrogating a prisoner. He looked at his prisoner, so beautiful in that moment. Maximus set the bowl of stew down on the floor, cautiously approaching his prisoner.

"I see you've done quite well for yourself in relieving yourself of the woad. So I have to ask you, what happens now? Clearly I can't just bring you your breakfast as you would snap my neck, and I can't let you have those keys, as that leaves a very large possibility you could escape. So where do we go from here?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"You're at least smarter than your mongrel kin, being afraid to come near me." But she threw the keys at his feet, "Take them, he didn't have the last one I needed." She continued to brush her hair with her fingers in perfect calm as though she weren't a prisoner far from home.

Even so, she continued: "You may as well just kill me, Emorian, I will always find a way to surpass your torture either by wit or will."

 

[BassPlayerRob]

Maximus picked up the keys slowly. "You should know by now that I could never kill a woman, regardless of how dangerous she may be. It's just not in me to destroy someone as beautiful as yourself." Maximus clipped the soldier's keys to his belt. "Now I trust that if I slide your breakfast to you on a tray, you'll feed yourself? I can't have you starving yourself to death under my watch. And I trust that when I drag that soldier's body away for burial that you won't take the opportunity to break my neck. After all, what kind of warrior would kill someone trying to bury their dead?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"Only an Emorian would be so low," she growled, clearly from experience. The Emorians had always done all they could to see that the Celts could not retrieve their own dead as it damaged Celtic morale. In their culture, the dead who were not buried could not find happiness in the afterlife. "Take your pig of a comrade. His presence is nothing but a burden to me now." She turned away from him. Until now, he'd only had a glance of her back. Now, he could see a great swirling dragon tattoo in Celtic knotwork style stretched from her right shoulderblade, down to her left hip around the front of her thigh.

 

[BassPlayerRob]

Maximus didn't care for his comrade either, but he had to remove the body and he couldn't resist riling her up. He got some kind of sick pleasure from their arguments, although each time they did argue he knew she was a step closer to snapping and trying to kill him. He dragged the body of his dead subordinate out of the cell and ordered the guards to take him to be buried. He also ordered anyone else with a key to the cell to hand it over under penalty of death. Maximus would be the only one dealing with the Red Devil from now on.

He returned to her cell with a tray and placed the bowl of stew on it and slid it across to her. As she picked it up to eat he had a chair brought for himself and he sat just out of her reach. "So, Red Devil, what does the dragon mean?"

 

[KieranSoares]

"Lethal strength and undying loyalty tempered with wisdom and wit," she answered in a tone that was more matter-of-fact than venomous like it usually was. "And don't call me that," she growled, the venom returning as quickly as it'd left. "I have a name, you know, but none of you bastards ever bothered to find out what it is."

She lifted the bowl to smell of it, and once she'd deemed it safe enough, she drank the stew almost gratefully, not having realized how hungry she was.

 

[BassPlayerRob]

"I simply figured you would never give your name to the enemy. Hell, if it makes you feel remotely better, I'll give you my name. I am Maximus Aquilus. And what is your name, my noble prisoner?" Maximus grinned as she wolfed down her food. He was happy that she actually took it from him. It was incredibly difficult building trust with her over anything considering he was tasked with torturing her. Despite her killing one of his subordinates he was beginning to grow fond of her.

 

[KieranSoares]

At first, she stared at him, considering whether or not she should answer, just to spite him. But finally, she answered quietly, "Andra... Andra Edana." Most Emorians knew the name Edana, from the lady Saint Edana of a highland monastery who gave her name to the most powerful clan in Britannia, the Dun Edana. Only members of this clan or its offshoots could bear the Saint's name, but only if they had proven themselves great warriors or contributors to their tribe. Maximus had just narrowed down one piece of important information: the Red Devil's homeland and people. She never fought under any clan's colors, only her own self-made colors so no one ever knew where to strike that would cause her pain and weakness without engaging her directly. The Emorians relished that strategy, but could never use it against her for her mystery.

 

[BassPlayerRob]

"Well, Andra, I apologize for what I have to do now." With that sentiment, Maximus revealed the jar of woad he had been hiding, unsealed it and threw its contents at his beautiful scarlet prisoner. Immediately she felt the effects once again as the earthy fragrance filled the room. Maximus sat back down in his chair, knowing that he could not approach her yet. At least not until she lost her senses to the powerful herbal blend of her people. "I really take no pleasure in tormenting you, but we all have to do what must be done." His cock started to stiffen as he watched her desperately try to fight her impulses, in a futile battle with her ever growing lust as the scent of her moistening loins filled the air.

 

[KieranSoares]

"You bastard..." she groaned as she thrashed uncontrollably against the chains. "If you ever get close enough..." Andra panted like a dog in heat, "I'm going to rip your throat out..." She continued to spew insults, but never said a useful word about her clan, country, or even herself. She stated boldly, even in the claws of her sexual frenzy, that she would never tell him a thing.

 

[BassPlayerRob]

"Oh you say that now, Andra, but there is no stupid guard for you to deceive and kill this time. You will be stuck here, pathetically trying to relieve this sexual pressure within without any success. Yes, after a few days you will be pleading, begging for me to plunge into you and would do anything to relieve that terrible torment. Just think the only company you'll have is me watching you hump the air, whining in sexual frustration until you snap. You have nothing to think about but how good it will feel when I finally plunge inside you and take all your urges away. THAT'S exactly how this is going to go."

 

[KieranSoares]

"And the moment you do, you're good as dead," she snapped viciously, but also with a hint of longing in her voice that she just couldn't help. Andra held out much longer than expected, though. By the end of a week, she was still resisting, and by the end of two, the Emperor himself arrived in the prison, surrounded by guards. His name was Fabian Aelius, and he was one of the most warlike Emperors that Emor had ever known.

"Where is Aquilius?" The Emperor growled as he came down the corridor. "Where is that blasted man!" Aelius was incredibly impatient and a rumor had lately been going around that he was getting tired of waiting for information from the Red Devil.

 

[BassPlayerRob]

For the first few days Andra had done nothing but scream obscenities at Maximus, screaming at him for his betrayal. Her screams over time had slowly gotten quieter as her lust kept building inside her body. After two weeks her screams had turned to whimpers as she vainly struggled to satisfy herself. She was humping air and she had nearly been broken when a commotion was heard in the prison. Maximus's face fell when he heard the all-too familiar voice of the angry Emperor. He had served the man for many years, and he knew when he was in a foul mood.

Maximus looked at Andra. "I'm sorry, my dear, but I'm going to have to leave you for a moment." He left the cell and locked it behind him, seeking out the angry shouts of the Emperor. He went down to one knee before him. "Your majestic highness, what can I do for you? There is hardly any need for someone of your high office to be in this dump, sir. We've already gotten some information from our highly valuable prisoner, and she's on the breaking point, close to spilling everything."

 

[KieranSoares]

"You've taken too long, Aquilius. The Red Devil has become a liability and her people have redoubled their efforts to break our lines and retrieve her. I want her executed and her head taken to the barbarians, it will destroy their morale. Kill her, now," the Emperor glared down at Aquilius. "I'm incredibly disappointed with you, Aquilius. Your message implied that you'd have no trouble breaking her." He sighed, shifting his weight to one foot. "What HAS she told you?"

 

[BassPlayerRob]

"The only reason she has taken so long to break, sir, is because the incompetence of my inferiors. Ever since I made it so that I had exclusive access to the prisoner, things have gone much better. We have learned her tribe of origin, the Dun Edana. An all out assault on that tribe will bring us sure victory." Maximus looked up at the Emperor, his expression calm but his eyes full of hate. Maximus had been head of the guard for the previous Emperor and had only been demoted when this Emperor came into power for disagreements such as these. "I have learned much of the Britannians from these interrogations and I can tell you that killing the Red Devil will not stop their drive to win this war. A new leader will step into her place and they will spill even more blood to avenge the Red Devil. If we can hold out for a little while longer, I am certain I can break the prisoner."