oubliette-odette - Tumblr blog

oubliette-odette · 1 month

Text

The Reluctance of Love Pt. 23

This is a shorter chapter, but we have to get Drunrag's POV on what's happening here, right?

I promise things won't be bad forever...maybe...

Orc Male x Half-Elf Male, Fated Mates, Forbidden Love, Slow Burn Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 Content Warnings: mention of mating, homophobia, fantasy racism. All orcish is from orcishdictionary.com, created by Matt Vancil.

I woke up to an intense pounding in my head and a ringing in my ears. I struggled to open my eyes, and I processed everything slowly, struggling to make sense of my surroundings. Here is what I knew for certain: I was laying on cold stone, ground in the center of a room and I was not alone. Beyond that, my brain could comprehend nothing but a pain that pervaded all other senses, all except that slow ringing in my head. My eyes remained clenched shut. Though I could not consciously think in that moment, I think I knew in some way that if I opened them, it would be accepting that the pain I was feeling was in fact real, and I could not escape from it.

“Master, he’s coming to.” Someone hissed nearby.

I fought to remain in the coldness of unconsciousness, but there was an ache in my fingers, in my stomach, my shoulders, my legs, everywhere that would not let me rest. I fought rest until I could no longer, and as I blinked my eyes open, I suddenly recollected everything that had brought me there to that moment where I was clouded with pain.

First, the hunters had shackled me with heavy chains on my wrists, ankles and my neck. A chain kept me tied to the back of one of their horses. I was expected to keep up on foot with the gallop of their horses. If I could not keep up, I was dragged for a time before they stopped and kicked me back onto my feet. I was bloody and raw from being dragged with no shirt, no shoes, and the chains soon stung against my raw skin where they rubbed and chafed.

Like magic, we stepped from the fields into a cool, gray room of stone. My delirium couldn’t understand how we transported ourselves so quickly, but I was dragged by the chains to a room that held dim light. My clothes were ripped from me and I stood naked in the room, taking in the tables around the perimeter that boasted a large paraphernalia of torture devices. Whips, nails, knives of all sizes, a saw. My blood went cold as they forced me to take a seat in the chair that waited for me in the center of the room and restrained me with wide leather straps on my torso, my arms, and lastly my legs. They left the chains on me and the sound of the clinking chains echoed in the dark chamber.

I had not heard from anyone since then and I remained in the dark and cold of the cellar. There was a dull pain in my body that seemed to permeate across all parts of my body. Even with the pain, my body grew too exhausted to stay awake any longer and I found myself drifting into a restless slumber.

I didn’t hear when they returned, I only heard the ringing in my ears and the rhythmic throb in my leg.

“You’re going to want that looked at.” A voice said in front of me.

I didn’t lift my head, not at first. It took everything to move. But eventually when they didn’t speak again, I slowly raised my gaze up.

Duke Hilmar, dressed in white robes, looked down at me with a steely gaze. Behind him was one of those hunters, their red eyes were all that I could see beneath their hood, but it gleamed with some cruel satisfaction. I returned my attention to the Duke standing before me. His smile was unkind and I felt a shiver of fear run through me.

This man would not help me. Or take any pity on me.

Duke Hilmar grinned back at me, “I’d like to spend some one on one time with my son’s seducer.” He smirked. “What do you say to that?”

I didn’t have words to answer him, my lips were pressed tight.

“Perhaps you would like something to drink?” He asked, then took a step back. His eyes didn’t leave me, and I could see the way they shone with some evil satisfaction that he stood so much taller than I. That he could easily break me if he wanted to.

I shook my head. I didn’t trust this ruse.

“Oh, come now.” He said, pouting. “I am the only one here who can give you the reprieve you seek. You live under my command when you eat or sleep. Consider this my one act of mercy. I’m giving you this opportunity freely. Take it before I destroy you.” In his hand was a small metal cup with clean water inside.

I shifted my attention from the cup back up to him, but I gave him no answer. He had not broken me yet.

He sniffed, “Fine then, I suppose we can skip the formalities and skip straight to the point. I could kill you, orc. You’ve poisoned my son to turn against me, and you’ve made a mockery of the Hilmar name. But killing you just isn’t enough. Because now you’ve turned my son into something I cannot forgive. That he would willingly choose you over anything. That he would even consider sleeping with you. It’s completely vile. You’ve mixed up his mind and confused him. And so I won’t let you die, orc. That would be too kind. No. I plan for you to suffer a prolonged and painful existence.

“You will be pleased to know that my son is above us now, making the final preparations to leave for his wedding. The wedding you so carelessly tried to interrupt. I believe he has finally come to his senses that such impulsive and truly impermanent romances such as yours are nothing compared to the fulfillment marriage can provide. He has made this choice on his own. He has chosen to abandon you, and greater for us all. He will make a fine leader some day, and an even greater father.”

Every word sliced through me, I tried not to let it show, but I don’t believe I could hide it, not then. “You’re lying.”

“You think so?” He asked, his voice light and unbothered. I hated his face, moreso when he smiled that wicked grin. “Then explain why he gave me this?”

The vial. Dangling from his fingers. Undamaged and filled with the blood and ashes of my people. Containing the anchor that tied Altan and I to each other. It couldn’t be. Lies. It had to be lies. I blinked furiously, my face burning hot with emotions I couldn’t completely decipher.

“You see the truth for what it is then. Good. You understand your place a little better then. So, that leaves us with you. What should I do with you? Free you?” He pondered for a moment, then tsked softly, “No, you would run right back to him, I know you too well now. But perhaps I can offer a bargain.”

I glared up at him, waiting for the next slice of cruelty.

“You will be kept here with the Red Hunters and you will do as they say. Behave, and you may have the chance to see sunlight again and gaze at my son from a distance living life without you in it. But understand this, even still I will starve you, isolate you from everyone you ever knew. You will not know kindness or rest and you will not see my son again without my say so and he will never see you. He will forget you, and he will not know that you live in the shadow of his glory. Your kind must remember that you are not meant to stray from where you belong. If I see any more of you in Berdusk, I will bring them down for you to watch as I slit their throats. They will know that you are the cause of each and every one of their lowly and pathetic deaths.”

My body tensed and flexed, anger forming in the pit of my stomach.

“Now, let’s see how you handle our little toy.” His hand hovered over the table before he stopped and looked somewhere I couldn’t see. He strode out of my vision and I heard the sound of metal against metal, and a hot sizzling, sparking sound.

The Duke returned, a red hot brand in his hand in the shape of a fiery sun.

“The Phoenix is a symbol of the undying, the undefeated.” The Duke said, “You will remember that the Hilmars remain above you, ever conquering.”

My heart was pounding so fast inside me as I watched the brand come closer and closer to me. I held my breath and clenched as I felt the sizzling heat hover over my chest.

“If you pass out, you get another mark. Understand?” The Duke asked.

I didn’t answer, but instead held nothing back as I screamed when the metal met skin.

***

I woke up in a different room, and hissed as I felt the burn on my skin. It was raw and I still smelled the burning in my nose. I was on a bed made up of a straw mattress and a thin, worn sheet. I looked around and realized that I was not alone.

A Red Hunter stared at me, smug. “The master says you can stay here and recuperate. But if you fall asleep, I will tickle you.” They lifted their hands, showing long, thick nails filed down to sharp points.

I knew he was not joking about such a threat, whether it made sense or not.

“Also he insists that you eat this.” With the soft part of their boot, they edged a plate towards me. On it was a roll and a bit of dried meat. It was deceptively normal looking. I looked up at the hunter, but I could read nothing in their hardened gaze.

“Eat,” They said.

I reached for the roll and bit into it. It tasted normal, and my stomach grumbled happily as I continued to eat it.

Only after I had eaten the roll and was part way through chewing the meat did I realize that my vision was beginning to blur and I couldn’t focus.

“What did you…” I couldn’t finish, I collapsed back onto the bed and winced as every part of me screamed in pain.

I blinked and suddenly Altan was there, standing in front of me. Glowing in a light that he created alone.

“Altan.” I choked, suddenly tears were running down my check. I surged forward, ignoring the pain I felt as I fell onto my knees at his feet. “Altan, why are you here?”

“To sing you to sleep, my love.” His voice felt distant, far away and his hand reached for my face, caressing it. “You’ve been so brave so far.”

“I cannot.” I said, shaking my head. “Don’t.”

His voice was suddenly in my head, singing soft, soothing, ethereal and haunting. I tried to clasp my hand over my ears, but his voice was in my head. I knew that all of this was fake, a hallucination from whatever had been cooked into that bread. But his voice sliced through every possible distraction and even as I tried to resist it, his voice urged me to close my eyes and just rest.

“Altan, no.” I whispered out before my eyes fluttered closed, the music lulling me beyond control.

Altan stared silently as the Red Hunter clawed into my bare skin again and again. The tears had not yet dried from my face as he swept a sharp nail across my face, and then all I could see was red.

Want to be updated on new chapters? DM me to be added to the tag list!

@eltrolodecadadia

@sizzlinghideoutcoffee

@carjis

12 notes · View notes

oubliette-odette · 2 months

Text

A Short Little Horror Drabble

I've been doing small little stories from prompts each day to help me to warm up before I work on any of my big writing projects, and somehow a prompt about heartbreak turned into this little terror and I'm proud enough of it to share. I'd love to know more about this character and who they are if I ever get the chance to explore it more...

Enjoy! And perhaps I'll share more of these short little drabbles I do while I keep working on my other project.

-|- -|- -|- -|- -|- -|-

I knew I had broken her heart. I saw the way her eyes stuttered and blinked furiously, wet and glistening. Her hands were clasped around the ends of her hair, like a lifeline, and her lips parted. I could hear her quick, short breaths. She looked down at her feet, whatever words she spoke were breathless and indecipherable as an ugly choking sob overwhelmed whatever she had started to say.

I pretended that I cared.

“You knew who I was.” I said, “You knew what I was.”

She shook her head, her hair fell into her face and concealed her expression from me. She wouldn’t meet my eyes. The whole thing was honestly rather pitiful, but no different from how everyone before her reacted. I knew almost immediately that she was not the one. I had tried to keep my distance, to ease the hurt during our year together, but she still fell for me. The young, naïve ones always do.

I’ve seen it many times over. They arrive, frightened and cautious like a rabbit. They shrink to the walls and the shadows where they hope they will not be seen. But I see them, and I pull them from the shadows and they see my tender offering. And I know fairly quickly if they are who I need. And they are never what I need.

This one had believed she was different. That she could love me into redemption, change my heart and save us both from the hellish damnation we both found ourselves sinking towards.

But I am not one to be redeemed. I am the monster. I am the beast. I am Hell. There is no heart left for these feckless mortals who want to save me, change me. I need them here to sate me. To satisfy me.

The mortal woman - a mere girl, really - sniffed and looked up at me. “But I love you.”

Ah, the final effort to prevent the inevitable.

I tilted my head and my lips parted into a red-devil smile. “I know, dear.”

“What will you do to me?” She asked.

“You will feed me.” I corrected her. This was the way of life. The arrangement that exists between mortals and immortals. If she could not get me what I wanted, then her role changed to sustain me instead. It was the deal that was agreed upon before she came to me. Her family was paid either way, I see no loss when the deal is honoured.

She paled and backed away from me, “No…no no. Please.”

“I’m sorry, love.” I said, my voice soft and soothing. “Believe me when I say I wish things were different.”

It was true. It was exhausting year after year to be sent such useless sacrifices.

I no longer listened to the girl’s pleas or tears. I leaned down and waited for silence to fall as I sunk my teeth into her sweet, tender flesh.

#writing #my fic #horror #original story #short story #monster x human

7 notes · View notes