A Cut Or Two

[Aellin Tedronai]

[member="Asha Hex"]

Vomit lay on his feet, the tips of his shoes covered in regurgitated food of some sort. Disgust pulled through him, his own stomach turning slightly as the stench of it struck his nose. There was an instant need for him to strike out, to ignite his lightsaber and violently flay the girl by cauterizing her skin from her very bones. The affront of it, the act of it was enough to make him want to snap her neck and end her right there. Rage boiled within his heart, his fingers lacing around his lightsaber and nearly igniting the blade to stab it through her heart and end her miserable life.

Yet he held off.

Willpower, something so sorely lacking among his brother Sith saved her life.

Aellin knew better. He knew better than Baelid had. Patience was a quality that not many of his kind possessed, it was not something that many Sith were capable of showing. That was part of their undoing, part of the flaw that carried with their Order. They were unable to see the benefit of waiting, of watching, of developing things for the future. Aellin knew what a fool he would be to kill this girl, knew that she would have value in the future.

That didn't mean, however, that she would not be punished.

His hand reached out, his palm slowly pulling down and grasping at the scruff of her neck. He grasped her, and then slowly began to pull her from the ground. Immense strength boiled through him, the darkside burning inside of his heart as rage poured from every part of his being. His gaze set on her, his eyes following her own as his face contorted in a mixture of rage and indignation.

What was he to do with her? He would not flay her. He would not kill her, but he would make her suffer all the same. His free hand came up, lightsaber igniting with a loud snap-hiss. The bright red blade illuminated his face, casting it into a dark light. "You. You will obey. You will learn. You will serve."

The words were matched with the hot intensity of his lightsaber touching against the inside of her thigh, scorching flesh and singing the air with its stench.

 

[Lief]

Every breath felt laboured, her eyes could not even open though she wished that they would. She had to sit up, she had to at least try and seem... What? Strong? She had already proven herself to be weak before the Sith, she doubted anything else she did for some time would sway that perception.

Her mind remained abuzz, and she realized now how dangerous what she had just attempted truly was. The likelihood of the impression having been left upon any of the strands was slim to none, the chances of it ever being picked up virtually impossible. So why had she done it? Why would she put herself through that?

Asha wasn't paying enough attention to realise that he was toying with the lightsaber, nor did she sense his movements until she was hoisted back into the air by the scruff of her neck. She dangled limply, little more than dead weight, yet he held her aloft as if she weighed nothing.

Slowly her eyes opened, his actions having reawakened her body, and her gaze lifted to his. She did not know why she did it, she despised the very sight of him right now and his eyes still sent shivers down her body. The anger he expressed was palpable, and the sudden snap hiss let her mind reeling. It was like some awkward jack-in-a-box, this sensation of death. Brought to the forefront of her mind, lorded over her, looming, before being snatched away at the last moment. And each time she felt certain it would be the end. Each time felt as terrifying to her as the former.

It was torturous, and she didn't know how to handle it. Did he want her alive, or did he want her dead? Or was it more complicated than that? Asha saw no reason for him to need her, so why did he keep toying with her in this way? Was this just some game to him? To see how long it took her to crack?

And then he spoke.

She didn't have long to comprehend the meaning before his lightsaber scorched her flesh; it was just present for a moment, her whole body already ached, but it was enough to rend a scream from her all the same. Obey? Yes, in that moment she would obey his every whim. She just wanted this horrifying farce to end, whatever the cost.

"Yes" she rasped, eyes set to his though not all there. Please she thought, begging for the end.

[member="Aellin Tedronai"]

 

[Aellin Tedronai]

[member="Asha Hex"]

He smiled.

The lightsaber within his hand quickly winked form life, the red blade retracting and disappearing in an instant. The cylinder went back onto the small of his back, joining its twin in the odd holster. The girl was kept within his hand, though mostly because he doubted she would even be able to walk. For a moment Aellin simply held her in the air, watching her. She seemed to be cooperative, she seemed to understand the situation well enough, she seemed to realize that she was no longer in control of herself.

Still, there was a chance that she would resist, a chance that she might try to fight him. Aellin couldn't have that chance. His fingers curled into a tight fist, the metal points within his gauntlet lining up with his knuckles. Before the girl could react Aellin lashed out, striking her in the face and knocking her unconscious with a single blow.

The storm was still raging outside, but that hardly mattered. With a slight gesture of his hand Aellin tossed the diminutive girl over over his shoulder.

The chains around her wrists clattered, hard metal smacking against his back and chest.

The Acolyte let out a grunt, wincing slightly as the weight of the girl pressed down on the brand. He had little choice in this matter, however, Aellin realizing that the girl would neither be able to walk, nor be very cooperative in going anywhere, at least not yet. It would take time to achieve what he wanted, and he would need to leave Thule before he could even begin.

Aellin shifted, pulling his cloak over his head and stepping towards the exit of the Inn. Thunder still roared outside, lightning striking against the earth and slashes of rain splashing around outside. He ignored the elements, moving into the outside. The Dangers of what he was doing were well known to him, but he hardly seemed to care. Lingering here would be more dangerous, and keeping the girl in chains out in the open after the storm would likely only lead to interference from others.

It was best that he move now.

Best that they left before anyone realized what had happened..