WARNING: its the only one you get, proceed no further if you have a paper heart.

ALSO: I may be posting the rest of the arch today, I have finished it today but I cant decided whether I should write more into the second arch before doing so.

Chapter Nineteen - Tragic Innocence

*** Sophia Cazador ***

*whap!*

“Eep!” I cried out as the horse whip cracked against my back. The pain was not unbearable, but it still stung and made my eyes water from the pain.

“You are doing it wrong,” Mistress Bellona sighed. She was the head mistress of the Corian Brothel, one of many in what the adults called the red-light district.

After I arrived in Turanta the pirates took me to the auction house in the city. A lot of men gathered around me when I was brought to the stage, I felt cold shivers running across my body with the looks they gave me, their eyes and faces were disgusting. I miss the loving face of Papi.

Master Nero was the one who finally bought me, a local brothel master, I don’t know what that means but I understand that a brothel is where men go to do things with women. After he bought me a new seal was written on my back, it was written in silver ink instead of iron ink.

It hasn’t been bad so far, the lessons are tough but it isn’t hard living here. I get pitiful looks from all the women and even sometimes I see Mistress Bellona do the same.

Yesterday was the first day I arrived here, they gave me a room and explained the rules, I ate then I slept. In the morning I was woken by the mistress and told I would be having my lessons every day from now on until I perfected my skills as a future working girl, whatever that means. In the morning I practiced serving drinks that made me woozy when I drank some when the mistress had left the room for a moment.

Right now it was midday and we were practicing dancing and I was pretty good at it, for someone who hasn’t done it before. It came to me easily so the mistress has been making practice harder dances.

Even under the circumstances I found myself having fun dancing.

“Good good,” the mistress smiled as I redid a step only better, but then her sad face returned for a moment then she went back to her normal expressionless mask.

It didn’t take me long to master this dance and within an hour I felt like I was gliding across the room, the floor and ceiling became abstract, I lost myself in the dancing that I did not even notice that Mistress Bellona had stopped instructing me and was just looking on with a proud smile on her lips.

*** Becket McGlothin ***

I had just turned fifteen and my uncle Douglas McGlothin, the current king of the country, thought it was time that I start learning things about being a man. I have recently started traveling across the country, I have participated in arenas, prestigious horse races, challenges for honor, and today I was being brought to a brothel to become a man.

My men and I had been walking through the halls of a certain brothel when one of them pointed out a young dancer, a new girl who was in fact dancing quite beautifully. The door had been left only slightly ajar, it appeared to be a private lesson to prepare the girl for the ways of this place.

The girl was a desert elf and wore only a tube tank top that pressed tightly against her skin and revealed her belly and a pair of tight fitting black shorts. Her oak and gold hair flowed gracefully as if with purpose with every twist and turn she made, her hands and legs moved like the gentle flow of a river. She made no noise on the floor as she skipped and glided across the room.

“My lord?” a voice interrupted my admiration of the girl. It was an easily recognizable voice, it belonged to the fat sleazy owner of the brothel. He reminded me of an overweight rat and if not for the fact that he owned the best of the brothels I would have had him beheaded for his unsightliness.

“Who is the girl?” I asked him.

“Who? Ah!” the man clapped his hands together. “You’ve taken a fancy to her, eh? She’s a new acquisition, not quite ready for her role just yet, her body needs at least a couple more years.”

“I want her,” I said without looking away from the girl in the room.

“Desert elves are rare my lord,” he said nervously. “Damaging one so soon…”

“How much,” I asked.

“She was worth quite a lot my lord,” again the man tried in vain to make me lose interest.

“I will buy her from you,” I said. “How much?”

“She was worth two hundred sixty five gold pieces my lord,” the ratty man said in defeat.

“Will three hundred do?” I said, finally turning to look at the disgusting creature.

“Y…yes my lord,” the man nodded low.

“Good,” I nodded. “Have her ready for me by tomorrow night.”

*** Mistress Bellona ***

“How could you?!” I cried out. “She’s too young!”

“What would you have me do woman?” Master Nero said in exasperation. “Disrespect a prince of our country?”

“She won’t survive the night!” I sobbed. I have seen it happen many times, the men get over eager with the younger ones never realizing how fragile a young girl’s body is. They treat them like pieces of meat and when the act is done the poor girls are left in such a state that they die from their injuries. The little one was a bright star in this otherwise very dark place, I chastised myself for allowing the girl to worm her way into my heart in just two days.

“I…I know,” he looked downcast. Many people look at Master Nero with disgust and disdain, but contrary to his looks, he is a caring man. He treats all the women in his service with care. “There is one thing we can do for her.”

He offered, but his eyes wanted my approval.

“What?” I asked.

He went to the safe behind his desk and unlocked it with a key, from it he removed a small ornate box, inside it were several small vials, each no bigger and thicker than a pinky.

“This will numb her,” he replied. “It will turn off the pain so she only feels…”

I shook my head and sobbed covering my mouth with one hand so the voice of my sorrow would not escape my lips. After a moment I recollected myself.

“I will give it to her when it is time,” I said with as much composure as I could muster.

“Are you..” he wanted to ask.

“I am the only one she will trust enough to do it,” I replied certain that I was not lying.

“Then so be it,” he said handing me one vial.

*** Leo Cazador ***

I suddenly found myself tumbling through the ground, the connection between me and Sophia had been broken, the sudden disconnection broke my concentration. With my spell interrupted the balance of push and pull on my feet collapsed and with it I followed.

There were two ways that the connection could be severed, by strong magical interference or death.

I was still almost two days away from her.

Please be safe! I begged as I picked myself up and started forward again, though I found it harder to concentrate which meant I went slower. I kept frustration at bay, best to save that rage for when it is needed.

I arrived at Turanta’s edge nearing dusk of the second day. I could only hope that I was not too late. I began searching for Sophia’s abductors.

*** Becket McGlothin ***

The gold had been delivered yesterday after I had left and today I was to enjoy the company of the young elf girl.

Before I entered the room where the elf girl waited I found the head mistress exiting the room, she had probably wanted to make sure the girl was completely ready for me. Good, this place knows how to treat a guest from the royal family.

Inside the room I found the elf girl sitting on the bed with her legs folded back. She wore a simple green and gold dress which went perfectly with the color of her hair, there was no make-up on her face, that’s the beauty of their kind, none of that is ever needed. They are born beautiful from the get go, its their gift and their curse.

I undressed leaving nothing on but my pants…that would come later.

I crawled on the bed coming up to her, she responded well to my hand as it caressed her cheek.

“They drugged you huh,” I stated more than asked. The girl was in no state to respond. “It’s for the best, I don’t think I would like to hear screams come out of such beautiful lips.”

I laid her down and started to glide my hand down her body. As my hand went past her budding breasts and down her belly a sudden flash of understanding and fear, a moment of cognition flourished on her face.

She turned away from me but her body was slow and sluggish. I roughly turned her around and pinned her arms above her head, I had purposely laid her back with her legs still pinned under her, it had the added effect of spreading her thighs for me. I placed my free hand on her taught belly pressing her struggling body down. As once I again I made my way down.

I savored the look of fear in her eyes.