"But the dream, the echo, slips from him as quickly as he had found it and as consciousness comes to him (a slap and not the gentle waves of oceanic tides), it dissolves entirely. His muscles relax as the cold claims him again, as the numbness sets in, and when his grey eyes open, there’s nothing but the faint after burn of a dream often trod and never remembered." --Brigade, written by Laura
06-13-2015, 01:25 AM (This post was last modified: 06-13-2015, 01:25 AM by Khaos.)
Finally. Finally, finally, finally! He finally has a mare to call his own. And such a delightfully fragile one at that. He can’t wait to get her back to the Cove away from prying eyes, where he can start to have a little fun, oh yes.
But of course, he needs to get her there first.
Unfortunately Silver Cove is one of the farthest herd lands from the field and even moving at a good pace, it will take them a little while to get there. He will have to keep up this little charade for a bit longer. But it will be worth it in the end. It had better. “Yes, you’re quite right. Silver Cove is a fair distance away, so we should definitely get moving.” He takes a few more steps in the direction of the Cove, then glances back at her to make sure she is behind him. “Follow me!”
________________________________
The journey to the Cove is long and at some points arduous (especially through the mountains), but at long last, they reach the isolated little territory. They walk through the grassy hills to the top of the little cliff that over looks the bay, where Khaos stops and turns to look at the roan mare. “Well, what do you think?” It is, he thinks, the perfect time for them to have arrived at the little territory. The trip there has taken them so long that the moon now hangs high overhead, bathing the cove in the beautiful light that gives it its name. It looks stunningly beautiful, and he hopes the view dazzles her. Not to mention, the obviously plentiful food and water.
He lets her finish her response, before flashing her a quick smile. “I guess I’d best head off to look for more mares while you have a look around!” Then he lets the bombshell drop. The facade disappears - the kindly expression replaced by his natural, cold look. “Well, now that’s over with, I have a few ground rules dearie.” His iron eyes narrow, staring straight at her. “You are mine. Plain and simple. You are not to leave this territory without my permission, though you may roam as much as you like within it. If I catch you trying to leave, you will be punished. In fact any disobedience will result in punishment. And you will not like it.” He removes the horn he had planted on his head early, holding it in the air between them threateningly. He’s sure that she will get the idea. “As well, I will expect you to bear me a child, and soon. And if you become pregnant with some other stallion’s child, I will kill it … and you.”
He takes a step towards her, towering ominously over the roan mare as a wicked grin spreads across his face. “Any questions?”
Her stomach still felt uneasy, but she followed him. Again, what choice did she even have?
It felt like it took forever, they kept moving and getting nowhere. The terrain changed, sure, they even crossed into some mountain paths that drained the last bits of energy that she had left. After what seemed like weeks, the stallion finally stopped, and Ghoest thought her little legs might just fall off her frame. She was still thin and weak, and traveling for so many hours had been exhausting. By now it was dark, the moon was high in the sky, giving the silver lighting to Silver Cove. It was so beautiful here that she was almost entranced by the view, her eyes wide and excited, and a small smile creeping at the corner of her mouth.
"It's so... it's perfect sir," she uttered quietly, hardly able to muster a whisper at this point. She glances at the metal stallion once more as he smiles at her, and for a moment she is... what is she... Happy. Yes. That was it, she was happy. The problem with moments is that they always seem to end too soon. "No..." the roan whispered, her expression falling into panic as Khaos spoke some more. His cold eyes cut through her like knives, sending her unwillingly a few steps backwards.
And then those years of abuse kicked in again, and the mare was frozen in place. She instinctively ducked her head towards her chest, clenching her teeth and fighting back tears with eyelids squeezed shut. By now Ghoest's breathing was heavy and irregular, and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears. How could she be so stupid? How could she have trusted him? He was a stallion, and all stallions were the same. He pulled that horn off of his forehead as he threatened her, before mentioning that he wanted a child.
"But-"
Ghoest cut herself off as the brute moved towards her, feeling tiny underneath his muscular figure. Finally it seemed as if the stallion was done speaking, and even though she knew it definitely wasn't wise, she took the opportunity to speak herself. "Well...um... sir... I understand the rules just fine, and I can give you a child if you want, though I've never carried a foal before. And I'm not stupid, you don't have to worry about me escaping." She sighed, risking to look up into his dark eyes, "But... erm... why did you trick me? You didn't have to do that... I would have come with you anyway..."
Words: 428
Notes: Well I suppose we all knew it was coming
06-15-2015, 12:44 AM (This post was last modified: 06-15-2015, 12:45 AM by Khaos.)
He sees the moment her happiness dies.
One moment she’s enjoying the beautiful view in front of her, face alight with an expression of excitement and hope. And then … frozen.
His wicked grin widens. How wonderful.
Clearly someone has trained her well. She instantly becomes submissive, ducking her head and closing her eyes. He can hear her breathing - clearly stressed - and when he peers in close, he can see tears glistening in the corners of her eyes. Lovely.
She even cuts herself off, preventing herself from contradicting or speaking out against him. He leans forward and takes a deep draft of her heady scent. He does love the smell of fear.
Then, finally, she speaks up. She mentions never having had a child before, not that he cares (she doesn’t need to have been a mother in the past to become one now), and reassures him that she will not try to escape (he can believe it from the defeated tone in her voice). And then she asks. Then she questions. “Well, dearie, if you reeeally want to know … because it was more fun that way. There’s nothing more … delightful … than getting to see the hope die in someone’s eyes.” He hopes that revelation scares her. It should. It means that he loves to build up his victims, only to bring them crashing down. And he loves to do it again, and again and again.
His eyes seek hers and and the grin disappears. His voice takes on a flat, chilly tone. “Now, my dear, what should I do with you?” He starts to walk around her slowly, eyes following ever line of her little roan body. “Should I give you some time to settle in? Or should we … play?” He’s giving her the option now (and has no doubt of which she will pick), but later he might not be so kind.
The roan mare can't help but notice how much pleasure the brute seems to be getting from her suffering. If he enjoys it this much now, how much would he enjoy it when she was physically suffering, and not just mentally anguishing? Every inch of Khaos seemed happy to have a victim around, some soft little punching bag to toss around like yesterday's trash. And then he answered her question, frankly not giving her anything she didn't expect. Ghoest almost chuckled at her own stupidity when she came to the conclusion that Khaos was no different than any other stallion, only his stone cold interior wasn't covered by a gorgeous coat of hair.
She dropped her gaze, her eyes now appearing empty and broken. And then his next words didn't scare her so much as him moving himself around her small frame. As his shoulder passed hers, Ghoest twisted her body to keep the stallion from getting behind, her, clamping down that black tail as she went. The roan kept her face turned away from him, ready for any repercussions, though in her mind anything right now would be better than whatever sort of "playing" he had in mind. Besides, if it involved any sort of 'baby-making' activities, Ghoest wasn't sure her legs could even hold the both of them up, they were barely keeping her up as it were, and she certainly wasn't in the mood to find out.
Then again, the little mare doubted she would ever be in the mood to do anything of the sort. As much as she loved foals, she had never wanted her own. She didn't want to bring something into a world as dark as the one she had seen, and up until now she'd never had to worry about it. Until a few months ago her father and uncle were the only stallions in her life, neither of which were interested in producing mutant babies, so she had been safe from pregnancy. How strange that now she only ended up in the hands of a new abusers who brought new problems with him.
Ghoest shuffled sideways a tiny bit more, giving herself a couple more inches of distance between their bodies. Keeping her head turned away she spoke again, "A bed would be nice. Playthings aren't much good if they die of exhaustion."
She had broken so easily, it almost hadn’t been worth the effort. And he enjoys her all the same. If he wants a challenge he can always go out and get another mare. In the meantime, it’s nice to have a little plaything that won’t resist him when he’s in the mood for some fun. She will do quite nicely in his herd.
He can see the cogs moving in her brain, working through her new situation, evaluating. She can see that there is no escape. He is too strong, too cunning. She will obey.
She speaks up finally, asking after a bed and he grins. “Quite right. We can’t have you fainting on me now.” No, she needs to be awake for the fun he wishes to have. And as he has thought before, she needs to be strong and healthy so that the young that will grow inside her can be strong and healthy as well.
“What kind of bed interests you? The hills are nice and open, with many soft places to rest.” Not to mention full of food and water that she will likely need, going by her weakened appearance. “Or, if you wish to sleep somewhere more private, there are lots of trees farther back behind the hills, and even a few caves.” Not that any place more private will hide her from him, but he’s sure she can figure that out easily enough. “But, make sure that you do not stray too far to the North. There is another stallion living there with his herd, and I do not wish for him to have any designs on you. Don’t think of going to him for help either. He also chose to live in the so called ‘evil’ herd lands, I doubt he would be that different of a master than I.” He has been smelling the new stallion and his mares as of late, though he has not deigned to approach him. He has no interest in doing so, so long as the stranger leaves his own mares alone.
His thoughts turn from the nearby stallion, back to the little plaything standing in front of him. “Now, feel free to eat and drink your fill. I want you to be strong and healthy for the upcoming season.” An almost kindly tone enters his voice. “Now, do you have any questions before we find you somewhere to rest?”
He initially suggests sleeping right on the hills, and the thought sounded wonderful. It wasn't often in her life that she had had an opportunity to sleep in a soft bed, pillowed by tall grasses and damp earth. Yes, the hills would be perfect for her. Then he mentioned the privacy of resting behind the treeline, but Ghoest got the feeling she wouldn't really be alone anyway. And being in a small, enclosed space with the savage standing next to her wasn't something she was looking forward to.
For a brief moment her heart lightens when he warns her of another stallion in a land to the north. Perhaps she could run to him at a time when Khaos was off looking for new victims. Or- oh. Khaos wasn't worried about her running, he was worried about competition from another cold, uncaring brute. It was a nice thought while it lasted though. "I ah..um.. yeah a bed in the hills sounds just fine, I suppose. I'm not really sure though, I'm not used to having a bed."
His voice now changes, pulling forth the caring nature that had lured her in in the first place. He offers food and water, and to assist her in finding a place to rest for the night.
"No, no questions, I'm fine Khaos, thanks."
Thanks? THANKS?! Ghoest almost beat herself for both thanking him and addressing him as Khaos instead of sir. Before the iron steed had a chance to object, the roan mare began walking, content for now just to sleep; the food and water could wait until morning. After all, in the past she had been forced to go a full day without water on a regular basis, and she had had plenty to drink earlier before Khaos had found her. It was only a few seconds before Ghoest stopped, absolutely positive she should not be leading the way, especially not in a land she was unfamiliar with.
word count: 324
notes: Oh yes absolutely... As long as Ghoest stays alive I really don't care what he does, she's sort of my poor little punching bag character.
She agrees to the hills, and he takes a step in their direction before glancing back at her. It’s probably a good choice for her, considering how weak she is. She needs to fatten up before the upcoming season!
Then she thanks him and he almost grins. She’s such a wonderfully cowed creature. He is definitely going to enjoy her.
She begins walking towards the hills, no doubt eager to get away from him. He’s about to let her go (though it does irritate him to be shown even this little modicum of disrespect), when he has a sudden idea. A wonderfully, terrible idea.
When she finally stops, he calls out to her. “Ghoest. Wait a moment.” He approaches, and slowly begins to circle her. Anything resembling kindness is long gone from his voice. “I want to make sure that both you and other stallion’s understand. You are mine. And there is no way that I would let you go.” He walks until he is at her left side, then he turns so that he is facing it. “I want to make sure that they know who you belong to.”
Then he acts. He rips off the horn that he had previously fastened to his head and holds it in the air in front of him. Slowly, with his eyes still on Ghoest, he sharpens the horn to an even finer point. Then, when it’s razor sharp, he lays the pointy edge against her side and digs it in. Ever so slowly, eyes fastened on her face (watching for every little sign of pain), he carves a large letter ‘K’ into her side. When he’s finished, he drops the iron horn into the dirt, and steps back to admire his handiwork. “There. Now everyone who sees you will know.”
If that's not ok with you, just let me know and I can change it! Also, I'm thinking we should try to wrap up this thread (not necessarily immediately) so that we can jump ahead a bit in the timeline. Maybe to when she's pregnant?
06-21-2015, 08:41 PM (This post was last modified: 06-21-2015, 08:42 PM by Ghoest.)
{love the way you lie}
Shit. She knew she shouldn't have walked off without him, he didn't seem like the type to take anything lightly. The roan was frozen, terrified of the towering figure that had called her name, and was now slinking his way closer towards her tiny frame. As the iron steed begins his circling, like a vulture over a carcass, Ghoest silently prayed to disappear; just to melt into the ground and never come back. She didn't know what to expect from him, he could certainly kill her with ease, or beat her to near death if he so wished. He could have also completely ignored the fact that she had been wandering away and he could just be playing mind games with her. Ghoest wasn't sure, and she didn't really want to find out. Where was that noble steed when you needed him?
Still, the young mare knows it's better to stay and not to run. If she were to run, whatever he had in mind would only double or triple in severity, and it was safer to stay near him and accept it. A shiver ran down her spine as the stallion spoke, and even though she tried to reply, her mouth lay open, gaping and dry, unable to speak. Finally he stops on her left side. Even through the darkness, Ghoest can see the cruel happiness in his expression, the merciless face of destruction and pain. Seeing that face, that personification of evil, she almost ran; her leg even twitched. His next words had barely registered when she saw that shiny metal horn dislodge itself from his face. Ghoest turned her head away, hoping to shield at least her face from whatever was about to happen. And then there was pain.
Ghoest wasn't sure how to react. A gasping scream escaped her lungs, and it was only moments before she could feel warm, slick blood crawling down her side and dripping into the dirt. The pain was drawn out, lasting much longer than the brutal beatings of hooves against her flesh that she was so used to enduring. This was different, and for a split second she thought she was free, only for the sharp blade to dig back into her flesh, drawing another line. And another. Her face was contorted and wincing in pain, pitiful whimpers coming from her throat and tears from her eyes. "Khaos please!" she managed to say, her voice a screaming whisper. Finally, finally the weapon dropped, making a dull 'thud' in the dirt. Even though he was done for now, her flesh burned against the cool air, and blood still flowed from the wounds. It was a few moments before she could calm herself down enough to weakly twist her head around and see what he had done. She was marked; no more than a slave living a cruel existence.
"Can... Can I sleep now? I.." she took a moment to calm her quivering breathing, "I just want to sleep. Please, sir, just let me sleep. Just for a couple hours, then we can do whatever you want."
In Ghoests mind, it was her fault. She had walked off without permission, and this must be his way of reminding her to follow the rules. It had to be her fault, it always was, and even after years of following the rules she still clearly sucked at it.
words: 564| tags: Khaos
We could wrap this up with her getting pregnant maybe? Like the next day she's in heat? And he does his thing and she's traumatized again and then we can start another post, maybe at like the end of her pregnancy and she can go into labor when his presence stresses her out?
07-01-2015, 02:07 PM (This post was last modified: 07-01-2015, 02:08 PM by Khaos.)
Her expression is intoxicating.
He shivers in excitement as the scream leaves her mouth, almost salivating as her mouth twists in pain. He loves that she doesn’t even try to run - she knows her place, she knows she wouldn’t make it. Yes, this is just what he’s been waiting for. It’s exactly what he’s been wanting since he first laid eyes on her in the meadow. She gasps his name, and it makes him want to dig the horn in deeper, makes him want to make her say it again. But he doesn’t. He stops, in spite of his need. He wants her healthy enough to bear his child. He can’t have her losing too much blood.
Regretfully, reluctantly, he watches the horn as it drops to the earth. Perhaps he should save it somewhere for later. He’s sure he will have plenty of opportunities to dig in to her later, once the child is born.
For now though, he should just let her sleep as she asks. She is weak at the moment - underfed and exhausted. She needs to rest and eat and gain strength.
And then tomorrow he can visit her again.
“Of course my dear.” He turns away from her, looking out towards the hills behind them. “The hills to the southwest have particularly luscious grass, which would be good for both eating and sleeping.” He glances back at her, grinning. It’s not a particularly pleasant grin. “Make sure you get enough sleep, and have enough to eat. I will be visiting you tomorrow.” And with that, he marches off, leaving her bleeding in the dust.
_______________________________________________
He gives her lots of time to recover, and doesn’t approach her until around noon the next day. The sun hangs high overhead, throwing it’s bright rays over his little territory and making rolling waves below sparkle. Once again, he is pleased with the home he has managed to build for himself. The ground is fertile, the food and water plentiful, the view beautiful, and he has collected a respectable number of mares.
But, he spares few thoughts for the territory itself. Autumn is in full swing and he only has so much time before his mares go out of season. And even with one as cowed as Ghoest, he might need to do a little coaxing.
He seeks her out in the hills, where she said she would sleep, and when he spots her he automatically puts on his kinder persona. It’s more fun to keep her guessing. Smiling, he slips up beside her and nibbles gently at her mane. “How are you today, my darling? Well rested I hope?” He continues around her until he can look her in the eyes. “Now, beautiful, I believe you promised me something yesterday.” And this is a promise he doesn’t plan on letting her out of.
{we all are living in a dream} {and life aint what it seems}
Her entire side felt as if it were on fire, and the pain had her in a near zombie-like state. She had barely registered his words by the time she saw him leaving, his metal body disappearing into the darkness. The relief was short-lived when Ghoest realized she still had to walk all the way over into the hills.
The short journey was painful and exhausting; every time she moved it stretched and opened the wounds more, and her legs were weak and she tripped over the tiniest of obstacles. Finally she reached the tall grasses, and lowered herself as gently as she could into the greens, more of a slightly controlled fall than anything else. Despite the pain Ghoest slipped into a deep sleep quickly, and one could have easily mistaken her thin, scarred body for a corpse that had already begun to decompose.
She didn't sleep long; the last of the years flies quickly flocked to her new wounds as soon as the sunlight escaped the horizon. The pain wasn't any worse today, but now the achy, stiff pains had replaced the stinging and burning sensation. It took nearly half an hour for Ghoest to motivate herself to stand up, and now that she was standing her legs were stiff and sore as well. At this point a bath sounded fantastic, but getting there would have to wait. For now, there was food to be eaten. Ghoest knew Khaos would be around today, as he had said, and probably sooner instead of later; might as well fill up on grass now before he had a chance to interrupt, right? She ripped out clumps of grass, devouring everything she could easily reach without walking more than a step or two. It felt good to eat, and for a few minutes she almost forgot about where she was.
All too soon he arrived, pulling up alongside her small frame. His teeth caught her neck, but in a kind way, a way that she was barely even familiar with. He had been cruel to her the night before, yes, but he had been caring and kind for hours before hand. The last equine that had even offered a kind glance to her was her mother, and that was more than a year ago already. Ghoest wasn't prepared for him to ask her how she was doing though.
"Um, yes, I'm doing fine, thanks."
She even manages to pull out a small smile as he moves around to face her, one that quickly disappears as he speaks again. "Sir? What promise?" After a brief moment though she answers her own question. She can see it in his eyes, his cold dark eyes.
A step backwards.
"Please don't do it Khaos. I'm not strong enough to handle anything like what you're thinking, I can't do it."
tags Khaos, 473 words. notes, _______.
feel free to powerplay in your post(s) if you want
![here](“http://o.aolcdn.com/hss/storage/fss/68ed0c2438b0d60e11a75ab5bdd2323c/khaos.jpg"){kind=link}