The Curse of Thir
Chapter 5

She could smell the early morning stench of his breathe as it carried so intensely it threatened to pull whatever remained out from her stomach, but nothing remained. His face was too close.

Smiling from ear to ear he cackled. His sharp angular features where in such contrast to his head size. Then the words slipped out. He struck her with a closed fist right in the gut. What did she say? She didn’t know. Heaving heavily she wheezed air uncomfortably; she couldn’t move to adjust the sharp pains in her diaphragm.

Aaraos lips moved, she didn’t hear anything maybe a murmur. She blinked at him. His lips moved again, the same pattern as before. She blinked again. His forehead creased in frustration. He hit her again, this time harder.

Xylee bent forward as far as she could, her hands were bound against one of the two pillars in his room. Was she standing? It seemed she was, but her brain was clouded over with thick fog. Her body was stopped in its forward motion by an extra rope tightening against her throat.

“... you see so it’s only natural.”

She looked up to see Aaraos, he was talking again.

“You, Xylee, you have a gift. It is selfish to keep a gift, especially from those better than you.” He paused and pointed at himself.

“I am better than you. You are being selfish towards me Xylee, and that’s not nice. Not nice at all.”

She was lost. She did not have anything she could be selfish over. Maybe the soap, maybe he wanted the soap.

“Soap?”

She said this softly, still struggling to breath.

“Soap? What about soap?”

“Did you want my soap?”

Aaraos fumed. “Why on earth, would I want soap from you, you stupid mutt.”

Her face gazed blankly at him.

“Are you...? Ah! Never mind that. I have no time for your insults or your retarded words.”

Xylee closed her eyes and slipped away for a moment, but Aaraos broke it with a swift slap to her face.

Her cheek stung. Something wet and sticky was on her face. Tears? No she wasn’t crying. Not anymore. Then the realisation hit her. She had been crying. She had been crying because she had vanished from herself and allowed something within her to take over. Something, that enjoyed the taste of blood.

“Blood....”

She whispered it but he had heard it clearly, and mistook it for another meaning.

“Yes Xylee, blood. Your first blood. You are a woman now, well sort of.” He came closer to her again. “This is what I spoke now, it’s only natural for you to bear my seed, for you to give me boys. Strong, brave boys.”

The smile he wore upon his face was worse than his breath. She was to become a breeder, his breeder. She should have run when she had the chance, even if she was to have died. It would be better. She tugged uselessly against the ropes that bound her.

“Ha, feel free to struggle. You shall not escape.” He moved off to sit on his hard bed. “I have never taken a breeder before, well I have, once long ago. But I always found them far too troublesome and most of them are ugly in a human way, you on the other hand, are a unique creature of exceeding beauty. Magical too it seems.” Laughter escaped his lungs and his merry chortling brought tears to his eyes. “Oh dear sweet Null.” He sighed, “I am truly to brilliant at times. My decision to keep you was wise. Wise enough to be of leader material... maybe I could use you to threaten Boni to give up his position or...” Xylee was no longer listening.

’..no.... I don’t want this. I don’t want magic! I don’t want this, and I don’t want to him in me.’

The ropes tightened as she regained whatever strength she could.

“Again? Xylee I had hoped you were smarter than that. Hopefully my boys will have my intelligence then.”

Choking, her face reddening she continued to pull forward hoping by some miracle the ropes, or beam would snap.

’I don’t want him to touch me with those filthy rotten hands.’

“Stop it, you stupid girl. You’ll end up killing yourself.”

She pulled herself forward even more. ‘I’d rather die.’ Her face had started shading darker, into the realms of purple and blue.

“I said stop it!”

Her eyes bugged out of her skull, spittle ran down her chin.

“Stop it this instant Xylee!!” He leapt up from his bed and took two giant strides towards her.

She could feel it, she could feel her end. Just out of her grasp. Then he thumped her on the side of her head with his heavy fists. Her death slipped away from her as she fell backwards and collapsed into a pile by the beam. She could still taste blood.