Mariette woke amidst the bouncing of herself upon the back of the horse. She glances around, anxiously as she takes in her surroundings, then she remembers where she were and the dire circumstances that she found herself. Her captor notices her lucidity and chuckles darkly, gripping her ear as he pulls her head, straining her neck in the awkward position, growling to her, "Oh too bad your precious savior doesn't know where we take thee. I hate that he has to miss the fun we're gonna have with you."
Mariette begins to struggle, then is immediately struck by a dazing blow from the doberman's elbow. She starts finding stars in her vision, and instead tries to look at the buildings and structures that surround her, hoping that she might recognize something that she had seen in the town before. Nothing appeared familiar to her.
The horse she rode began to trot slower and finally stop at a decrepit looking building. On what she thought was maybe the far side of town, as she had no recollection of being here. The whole area seemed impoverished, more so than the rest of the town, with some buildings falling apart, rooves were caved in, stones were crumbling. Surely, very few people lived here, and worse yet, even less would know that she or they were even present. She darts her eyes around, searching for anyone, anything that might help, yet finds not. Crallen and his friends dismount their horses, and pull Mariette off of the one she were tossed upon. As she feels the ground beneath her feet, she immediately begins to yank her arms from the gripping hands of the group.
Able to wrench her arms free, she turns and runs, aiming to mount the familiar horse that she and Armen rode days before. Yet Crallen were able to grasp his palm around her throat and throw her back onto the dirt. The air is forced from her lungs and she wheezes painfully, trying desperately to rise again but finding not the strength she calls for.
They pick her from the ground and she slumps over Crallen's shoulder, too short of breath to resist. Despite her wheezing stupor, she can tell they carry her down a set of stairs. Then, into and beyond a gaping maw of darkness. Within she saw no light, neither with her eyes or her soul she saw. She attempts to cry out, but her breath was still yet forsaken of her, unwilling to come back to her aid.
She finds a small strength and beats her fists upon the shoulders and back of the horrid character that held her aloft, but he only cackled at her vanity. Struggling only for the sake of struggling. As darkness consumes her vision and the taunting laughs of the men echo through the shrouded room, she slowly begins to still herself, trying to keep her eyes focused on the minor light that could be seen from the entrance. A sudden spark and flash of light washes through the room. Bathing a warm orange over the walls and floor. The sudden relief of being able to see is soon thrown away as she witness one of the compatriots grinning malicious to her as he slowly closes the door to the outside, and thus, her life.
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Mariette could feel her face whiten with dread as she looks around the room and sees them all, along with a new person, a younger aged feline, all surrounding her. The feline, no more than a teenager, looks at Crallen and with a timid skepticism asks, "This is the girl that insulted you? But... She is a nun! Look at her veil!"
"She ain't no fuckin' nun, kid. She's just a whore trying to slip by dressing like she's of the cloth. What kind of nun dresses so you can see her shapely ass and tits like that?” Crallen justifies, pointing at her form-fitting habit. “And she's been staying in the tavern sleeping with that human, lucky bastard.” She looks up at the lot of them, and vaguely attempts to cover herself more with her arms, but still, no strength was granted her.
Mariette tries to speak up, but a swift slap across her mouth silences her once more. The feline boy speaks again, "I dunno... This doesn't seem at all right... Something about it weighs on me. I don't think... I can' t bring myself to do this..."
"Listen, kid, consider this your initiation. We pass her around like a toy and all have a turn. And then we let her go. Who is she going to tell huh? Her master?" Crallen grabs the collar of the boy's tunic and pulls him up near his snapping teeth, "Either you do everything we do and you're part of this crew, or you puss out like a little kitten and run back home to your hovel and live as a peasant like your father and mother. Maybe we can pay that little thatch hut a visit later too, have a nice bonfire."
The young manolon shoves him away, "Fuck you, Crallen... I just... I find myself reserved. Is there necessity in this? I came to you for work, money. Naught else."
Crallen wraps an arm around the back of the boy's neck, rubbing his knuckles into his scalp, blatantly ignoring everything the boy says, instead acting as though this were all agreed upon, "ATTA BOY! I knew you would have it in you, Charles. Now just wait for your turn and we can start breaking this bitch." The boy, Charles, raises a finger to protest further, but a venomous glare from Crallen corrects him and he shirks.
Mariette huffs at his words, "Ye won't have me, so long as I am alive to do anything about it..." As she speaks, Crallen looks unto her with a condescending humor, "Bitch... You won't stop us. I'm going to have so much fun with you tonight." As he threatens, he confidently places his hand under her chin, lifting her head to face him. Mariette, however, was more focused on his thumb, of which lingered near her teeth so close. Only a movement more. Crallen begins to lift her chops so he might look at her teeth. There! She snaps at his thumb, catching it in her molars, and jerking her head down, ripping his digit clean from his hand.
Crallen howls in surprise and then pain as he cradles his de-fingered hand against his chest. His pain warps into a blinding rage and he kicks against Mariette's throat, causing her to retch and hurl, curled up against the floor. Her strained breathing and coughing were interrupted by Crallen delivering closed fists upon her snout and jaw, again and again she were pummeled by his fury as he raged against her.
The others in the room only watched as she were beaten vicious. They knew that Crallen would make sure to prove an example of her. To ensure that she would be more compliant in their intended entertainment with her. They look at each other with a lacking patience and rolling eyes, silently assured amongst themselves that this beating would take a while yet. Charles, disheartened, shamefully looks away, wincing at every resounding punch and slap.
