A Quest for Power

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Thank you to those of you kind enough to e-mail me a response to my last chapter (I left you anonymous just in case you preferred to remain that way), and also to gaelic wolf, D. Atrocity, redEva, and Sailor861 for their encouraging reviews! All of your responses are very much appreciated!!!

Special thanks to Sailor861 for proofreading this chapter for me, and also to Paws for some inspiring ideas which went into this part of the story.

Happy reading and hope you enjoy! Cheers, Anon.

Chapter 2 – The Punishment

STORY CODES: F/m, F+/m, F/m+, interracial, BDSM, slavery, gothic, Extreme, chastity belt, torture

*** PLEASE NOTE EXTREME CONTENT SETTING WITH TORTURE – YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!

"Bellar."

The voice was like a whip cutting through the air, startling the elf out of his pleasant afterglow from the sex he had just enjoyed with Runory. A shudder of fear ran down his spine as Bellar scrambled to kneel, his forehead grazing the hard, cold, rock floor. He knew he was in trouble; however, he was not at all sure if he could talk his way out of it. "Mistress Akkei," he respectfully addressed his superior.

"Do you often engage in such activities with the door open for all to see?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, but the effect on the trembling elf was worse than if she had screamed at him. At least then he would have a chance of defusing her anger. This icy coolness, the remoteness, would be much harder to break through.

Not about to give up, Bellar crawled forward on the stone, oblivious that it was scraping his knees leaving a trail of blood. He reached her smooth leather boot and began to kiss it, reverently. "No, Mistress," he said deferentially. "Of course I do not. I would never show you such disrespect."

"And yet you just did."

Immediately Bellar regretted his choice of words. He moved to kiss her other boot, deciding it would be best to stay silent. After all, she had clearly caught him in the act of doing something he should not have done. Usually he was much more careful, to make sure that the door was closed before he engaged in such forbidden activities. He frowned thoughtfully. In fact, he clearly remembered closing the door. There were no locks; the females would not allow the males that kind of privacy. That could only mean one thing: someone else must have opened it afterwards. While he could protest his innocence, it would not matter in the least to Akkei. What he had done was wrong, and there was only one way to deal with such matters to the drow. A punishment.

She uncoiled the whip from around her hip. It looked like a snake, coiled and ready to strike. Bellar suppressed a shudder at the image in his mind. If there was one thing he feared, it was snakes. He blinked rapidly and all that remained was the whip. As she moved her arm, he tensed waiting for the blow.

Crack!

With a start, Bellar looked up, realizing he had not been struck. He heard the groan from the bed and knew that Runory had not been so lucky. "Stand up!" the voice issued the command as if it was second nature to her, assured in the power to hold obedience.

Unsure if she was referring to himself or Runory, Bellar jumped to his feet. The drow also stood, if a little more sluggishly from his battle wounds, and together they faced their mistress.

"You both know the rules. Males are not allowed to touch other males. But to leave such activity open to public display, well, that cannot be overlooked."

Bellar risked looking up at her. In good consciousness, he could not let the drow pay for a mistake that was his. After all, Runory had been through this day, it would not be fair to start his new life in such a manner. "It was not Runory's fault. I bound him and forced his compliance to my wishes."

Runory's jaw fell open slightly as he stared at the elf. Just what game was this creature playing? No one took the blame for another. Ever. It was not the way drow operated. If anything, he expected Bellar to accuse him of negligence, forcing himself on the elf or some such thing. Quickly he clicked his teeth together and pursed his lips into a thin line. It would not do to throw away his good fortune in this matter. If the elf wanted to take the blame, then so be it. However, he worried what the price would be for this favour, for there was always a price.

Akkei laughed. "Really? I find that hard to believe. But it makes no difference. Either you are telling the truth and are in need of punishment, or you are lying and need to be punished for that. However, Runory played a part, so he will share in the consequences, although to a lesser degree."

Bellar did not need to guess what their punishment would be. It was not hard at all to figure out. The female drow interwove pain with pleasure to such a degree that to physically hurt them would only bring them joy. It was the way they had been taught to respond. The only solution, therefore, would be to cut off the one thing they had learnt to enjoy most, the one thing they strived for: orgasm.

Akkei walked over to a bin beside the door, lifting the lid and rummaging around. Bellar was not at all surprised to see her pull out the most painful chastity belt. He had worn it only once before and could not hold back a wince when he saw it. It was made of metal, to be strapped securely around a male's balls to hold the contraption in place and locked with a key. A cock would be held by what was known as 'the jaws'. As long as the male was flaccid, his cock would simply hang out of the jaws, rather like a tongue. However, when he started to get an erection and push against the top, the bottom would also close around, encasing the engorged flesh, squeezing the shaft, forcing it down, leaving only the head sticking out. Not only was this painful, but to make it even more excruciating, the female drow lined the inside of 'the jaws' with blunt metal spikes that would push into the skin without breaking it. The result was the most severe, piercing pain imaginable. He had seen drow on the floor, rolling around as they tried to find some relief. Every female who saw a male wearing one was sure to try her best to arouse him. And Amoureux were so used to being always ready, that it did not take much to leave them in agony.

Bellar stepped forward, his head downcast, ready to accept his fate. He would live with this, but he would also find out who opened that door. There was no way that something like this could go unpunished, as Akkei so aptly pointed out. He would not forget.

It was with great surprise that Akkei walked around him to Runory and fastened the device in place. Bellar looked up in confusion. "You will see what I have planned for you soon enough. And when you do, you will find that Runory received but a mere token of what can be achieved. Stay here, drow. Elf, follow me."

With a sense of foreboding, Bellar did as he was told. After all, what choice did he really have? To refuse would have meant death, and the elf was not quite ready to face that yet. He still had something to live for or, rather, someone. Quickly he banished all thought of that person. It would not do for Akkei to find out about it. He knew the drow's powers of telepathy were great. One wrong move or simple lapse would be all it would take to put the person he cared most about in harm's way.

Runory watched them go. He did not even spare a moment to wonder about the fate of the elf, for it did not really matter at the moment. He looked down at the chastity belt, which hung, locked securely, around him. It was not so bad. Exhausted, he climbed into bed, closed his eyes and promptly fell asleep.

He was not sure how long he slept, but he woke with a start as he felt someone climb on top of him. Struggling to shake off the last remnants of his dreams, Runory looked up into the glittering green eyes above him. A low snicker to his left made the drow realize there was more than one of them.

"Now, what did you do, I wonder, to deserve this?" the female asked, her fingertips trailing down the cold metal of the chastity belt until she reached the end. With a quick flick of her finger, she grazed the tip of his cock.

Runory tried to control his response, as he felt the blood rush to the one place he had no desire for it to go. The jaws started to close around him, hugging gently. In fact, it felt nice, which made his cock even harder.

"Oh, I'm sure he did something really wicked to deserve that on his first day here," her companion replied, as she sat down on the bed beside the drow, her face leaning towards him. Runory knew she was going to kiss him, however, he was not in a position to object. These were females, his superiors. The pain he knew he was about to feel was nothing compared to what they could do. His life belonged to them. His place was to serve.

"Who, me?" Runory asked with a laugh, trying to forestall the kiss. "I find myself in this because of a troublesome little elf."

The females laughed together. "It doesn't really matter," the one beside him said, as her lips found his. At the same time, he felt the other female move, her tongue flicking along the head of his cock.

Pain radiated through him, as well as pleasure, as the metal teeth dug into his skin. It was all he could do to try and return the kiss of the female. But it only lasted for a minute. Then, laughing at his tormented state, the two linked arms and ambled out the door. Runory silently cursed the elf for getting him into this mess, as wave after wave of throbbing agony coursed through his lower body. The drow knew there would be no relief any time soon. He hoped the elf was getting what he deserved.

***

As soon as they walked out the door his cock jumped to life once more. Bellar had spent too many years training to be the best Amoureux he could be to do otherwise. It was not uncommon for the Amoureux to walk around naked; however, it would be if he could not maintain an erection. He took pride in what he did, and all he had accomplished in this strange and perverse world of the drow. Bellar was not about to let his reputation fall into disrepute, despite the fact he had committed an infraction, even though the fault was not his entirely. His only real problem was that he got caught. Vaguely, he started to form a list in his mind of possible people who would have done such a thing. Most feared his power, not his physical strength or skill as a warrior, for the drow were superior to him in this regard, but rather the fact that he had the attention of some of the most powerful female drow in the city. Bellar knew how to please them, and as such they had, on occasion, granted him certain favours. Enough, at least, that most would not dare to cross him.

He followed without really paying much attention to his surroundings. He had never been here before, but that was not really a surprise. Much of the compound was restricted to female only. Whatever Akkei had planned, he would face soon enough, so there was no point in worrying about it.

She stopped in front of a wall. A single torch hung just to her left. Akkei took the torch from the wall and waved her hand in a series of elaborate gestures. When she was finished, part of the wall moved revealing a hidden tunnel. Bellar's stomach clenched in trepidation, as he followed her into the narrow corridor. The huge, thick door swung shut behind him, closing without a sound. It was pitch-dark down there, the only light coming from the torch Akkei carried. It was not that he was afraid of the dark, but it was at times like these he greatly missed the world above ground. At least there, the sun was shining; the moon or even the stars provided a little light, even on the darkest of nights. Here, buried in the depths of the mountains like a tomb, however, the darkness was absolute. It seemed to carry with it a great weight and a mystery of the dark, forbidden secrets that it kept hidden.

Akkei led him with a sureness of step, never once faltering or hesitating in her course as she navigated the twisting, turning tunnel which split off and intersected with many others. They all looked the same to Bellar. With a growing sense of uneasiness he hoped Akkei did not plan to leave him down here. The rocks all looked the same and without stars or the sun to guide him, Bellar knew that he could easily walk around in circles becoming hopelessly lost. He quickened his pace to walk closer to his mistress.

Eventually they came into a large cavern. Stalactites hung from the ceiling like great, ominous teeth, ready to chomp down on their prey. The room seemed to be split in half, for there was a lip on the ground, a drop to which Bellar could not see the bottom. He knew something bad was about to happen to him, and he was afraid. He turned to his mistress, beseeching her with his eyes.

He saw no pity in them, no feeling at all other than a cold, uncaring void that chilled his heart more than his surroundings. Her voice was icy as she thrust the torch into his hand. "Go, look into the pit."

Bellar swallowed hard, and turned around. It was a great effort to force himself towards the edge of the hole in the floor. Several times he had to remind himself to keep moving forward. Some inner sense was warning him that something was not right about this. Then he realized what it was: despite his slow pace, Akkei had not once urged him forward with her voice or with her whip. Whatever was down there must be very terrible indeed.

Refusing to look downward, he stared at the wall on the opposite side of the cavern; fixed on some point only the elf could see. He waited until he could walk forward no further. Taking a deep breath to steel his nerve, Bellar looked down.

The floor of the pit seemed to wither and wriggle, as if it were somehow alive. He looked closer and let out a gasp of surprise, dropping the torch in terror. He watched as it fell soundlessly to the floor below, landing with a soft thud. The floor seemed to move and separate to make way for this new intruder, giving the fire the respect it deserved. Bellar's gaze was fixed downward, as he hurried to take a step backwards, trying to get away from the horror below, only to feel Akkei's body behind him, impeding his movement.

"Clumsy elf. You dropped our only torch. Now you will have to go get it."

"NO!" Bellar cried out in alarm, as he spun around and clutched at Akkei's black cloak, which hung around her body like a dark cloud. He was shaking all over, as he tried to modify his voice. He did not want to appear defiant, but he was desperate. The thought of being anywhere near that pit was disturbing him greatly. "Please, Mistress! I will do anything you ask of me. Anything at all. Just don't send me down there!" He looked into her eyes, trying to convey the panic he felt welling up inside him. How could she know this was his worst fear? He had kept it hidden or at least he thought he had. But it was as if she could see right into his mind, reading his darkest secrets as easily as one read a book.

Recklessly and ruthlessly he crushed his lips to hers. He had to distract her, make her see the value of his life. He would be killed if he went into the pit, he was sure of it. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, tangling with hers. His hips rotated against her, hoping, praying, this would work. As he felt her body soften in acceptance against him, her tongue and lips responding to his touch, Bellar began to relax.

Which was when Akkei stepped back and withdrew one of her curved sabers from its scabbard. It was as if she were waiting simply to raise his hopes only to dash them. "Kneel down." Her voice was impassive, totally unmoved by either his plea or his kiss. Bellar looked around the cave. As if she could once again read his thoughts, she spoke, "Do not even think about it. If you attempt to run, I will see your life forfeit."

Trembling, he dropped to his knees and put his hands behind his back. Bellar tried to empty his mind, to pretend this was not happening. She pulled the rope from her cloak and bound his hands together easily enough, pulling tight at the wrists before she yanked on his hair, forcing his body to bend backwards. Satisfied, she looped the rope around his ankles, drawing all four limbs tightly together. His body was arched so far back; it was painful just to stay like this. Perhaps this was enough. She would just leave him tied near the deadly pit.

But of course, it wasn't. Akkei needed to make sure that he would never defy her again, not in the slightest. The only way to maintain control was through fear. After tonight, the elf would never even consider disobeying her commands. A slight shove was all he needed to send Bellar falling down into his worst nightmare.

He landed with a thump on the hard rock. The drop was not far but bent in the position he was, Bellar felt the muscles in his shoulders tear. The pain was great, but he did not even feel it. The torch lay just a few feet in front of him. If only he could roll over there and burn the rope, he would be able to escape.

But already the predators saw their prey. The first one had already slithered between him and his saving light. Bellar's head jerked in horror, as he looked down to see another winding its way up his leg. He tried to clear his head, to focus on the light, but tears swam before his eyes, as the snake wound its way around his body.

And these were not ordinary snakes, Bellar knew from experience. They were Jadoku snakes, bred by the drow to kill, each one about thirty feet in length with thick, strong bodies. Although they could easily wrap around their victim's body and squeeze the life out of the poor soul, that was not the most terrifying part of these vicious killers. Bellar already had the misfortune of been bitten once before, many years ago. The pain had been excruciating, and he had almost died. Many did not survive a single bite. But for those who did, their auto-immune systems would be altered; Bellar would not survive a second bite, and he knew it.

Within seconds two large snakes were all over him, their cold, muscled, sinuous bodies wrapping around his arms, his legs, his torso. Valiantly, Bellar tried to hold onto the hope that Akkei would not kill him, that his mistress would keep him safe, but he knew this to be false. If he died, he would only serve as an example to the others. Instead he focused on the one thing he had left to live for – Sillian.

Akkei's attention was distracted from the task at hand as the image entered her mind, strong and clear. It was like nothing she had ever seen before. It looked like an elf or a drow, but her skin was silver, as was her hair. She seemed to be standing, bathed in a light that made her glow and sparkle. The drow had never seen another being like this before. Just as suddenly as the image appeared, it was shattered as an ear-piercing scream was wrenching the air. Akkei looked down into the pit, pleased. She had finally broken him. But he could stand a little more, just so he did not forget this lesson.

The snake had coiled around his neck, and Bellar could no longer control his terror. He was going to die, alone, in this horrible place. Tears streamed down his face, and he screamed. He knew no one would save him. No one cared. So he gave into the hopelessness and followed his instincts to wail at the top of he lungs. By now his entire body was covered, one wiggling mass, squeezing and tightening around him. Encasing him in death.

His screams had no effect on the snakes at all. The one around his neck continued around his jaw, before pulling back to look in his eyes. In that moment, Bellar could see the hate, the spite. They would kill him not for food, but rather for the joy of killing. It went against everything in his heart, and he cried out in protest. The snake took the opportunity to dive into his mouth.

Bellar stopped immediately, frozen, unable to move at all in his terror. The snakes had tightened their hold, so he could not move even if he wanted to. It was his jaw and tongue he was worried about. One move and the snake would bite him. Tears fell silently, as he felt the forked tongue flicking around inside him. His eyes rolled back, and he felt the horrid creature open his mouth wide, the venom dripping from its fangs and burning his tongue.

The pain was immediate. His whole body went taut, all his muscles tightening, fighting against one another for control. His lungs tried to inhale and exhale at the same time, and Bellar found he could no longer breathe. The heat burnt his body from the inside out. The world spun dizzily for a moment, and then, mercifully, it went black.

Akkei nodded in approval as the snakes slithered up the side of the pit, Bellar's body still locked in their clutches. Another wrapped its tail around the handle of the torch and carefully brought that to her as well. They deposited her prizes on the ground before her and retreated into the pit. She reached in her cloak for the dart, as she bent over the elf's unmoving body. She pricked his neck with the dart, and within a few seconds he started to breathe again, if a little unsteadily. But that would soon change. She picked Bellar up, throwing his body over her shoulder, carrying the torch in her other hand as she made her way back to the Amoureux quarters.

The image of the silver elf haunted her vision. She was important, and Akkei was going to figure out just how to use this to her advantage. When the elf woke she had a few questions, which she was sure he would be more than eager to answer.