Chasing Magic

Prologue

A bright light shone through the cold iron bars of a dark dank musty cell. The putrid stench of mildew, excrement and urine filled the small stone room. The prisoner within blinked shielding her eyes as she sat up cringing as she did so. Her matted long golden hair draping over her shoulders. Her muscles screamed with pain, but it was a pain she was long used to.

"Get up Rat. Her majesty wishes for your presence." A tall woman with thick voluminous long dark green hair purred. Her white teeth glistened past blood red lips pairing well with her cold luminescent yellow eyes. Her skin a flawless ivory. If she were a mortal male, she could see the appeal, but she wasn't. However, she knew the kind of person Brista was. Had painstakingly survived agonizing hours as she was tortured by her. Been fucked by her in front of and with the queen's participation for the queen's entertainment.

'If only he was here...' Rat instantly shook the thought away. She wouldn't allow herself to be dredging up old memories now, especially not ones of him.

Rat stared up at Brista blinking past the sharp blue-white light of a trapped wisp. She couldn't remember how long she'd been forced to answer to that name; 'Rat' anymore. A vile and cruel nickname.

It had started such a long time ago; and the life she led was miserable and hateful now after the length of time she'd spent in this dingy cell. Not that she spent every waking moment in there. Not by a long shot. No, there were far worse things outside her cramped, miserable cell. Like the throne room where it held the beautiful, and sadistically cruel queen.

Queen Nevana had been the one to sentence her to this dismal life. A decent portion of her time was spent in here, but there was a good many times she spent her days chained and collared and attached to the wrist of Brista, sitting at the foot of the throne as the queen's pet slave, pet, plaything, whatever Queen Nevana deemed her that day. But the worst yet? She dreaded the coming of tomorrow. Another party was going to be thrown in honor of the holiday Beltaine. There'd be music, dancing, dallying, laughter, food, and for herself? The grand entertainment of the Winterlands festivals. She'd be running. Like she always did at every party. It had been this way for almost as long as she could remember. They'd clean her up, give her fresh clothes, and then they'd set her free, only to be hunted of course. A sick play on the godly Wild Hunt, that their own deities played.

"I don't feel well today." She said looking up at her keeper. Brista, a cruel malicious bitch of a woman, and a siren to boot. Rat knew the words would get her nowhere, but she still hoped to be left alone.

"Oh, poor little Rat feels ill today." Brista pouted with mock sympathy before her lips returned to a mocking sneer, "Get up now, or I'll have Morn and Gref retrieve the tails."

Rat hastily pulled herself up digging her broken and dirt filled nails into the stone wall behind her. She couldn't handle another dealing with the tails. Rat shuddered at the thought, strips of hardened leather with metal shrapnel attached at the ends, used for shredding skin. Skin that would take days to heal properly. Another cruel game the queen liked to play. As an immortal she could regenerate her skin, but with a magically enhanced torture device it took much longer than it needed too.

Brista latched the leash onto Rat's steel collar and dragged her away to the throne room. Each step causing blisters to yowl and scream and beg not to be popped beneath her feet against the too cold marble flooring. She shivered, but Rat numbed herself to it. She was soon presented to the queen. Brista kicked at Rat's legs, forcing her down to her knees. Rat barely managed to stifle a scream. Her knees ached and throbbed from hitting the floor, thankfully anymore it no longer brought tears to her eyes. She kept her gaze downcast, hoping Queen Nevana would find her not worthy to play with today.