"Well then. How shall we play with you first?" Rheya smirked.
She quickly turned away her gaze from me and looked at her torture equipment. There was a heap of strange items with a lot of sharp pointy edges I wouldn't touch. Since she averted her my attention from me a chance to escape presented itself, but my spells wouldn't cast and I couldn't move at all. I tried to wiggle my hands out but there was no luck. The ropes were too tightly bound.
"Resistance is a complete nonsense," the prison girl told me. Her words made me angry but I was mostly frustrated at myself for being powerless.
Rheya cheerfully hummed a melody while carefully looking at the tools at her disposal and touching them delicately. They could easily cut a person so even Rheya was careful when handling some of them.
"Caly, do you have any wishes?" Rheya asked me.
I had no words to spend on her lunacy so I simply turned my head. The items she had were unfamiliar to me and I hope it stays that way.
"Ignoring me. That is also a big no!" Rheya angrily glared. "Looks like I'll have more work than I initially thought, but there is nothing I couldn't do."
"Because Empress Rheya is perfect," the captive girls added.
She planned on making me crazy just like the girl in front of me. I'd rather go to the spirit world then let Rheya win.
"I'll use this," Rheya looked at a big silver knife with a black handle. The silver blade has some diamonds on it, but the edge was shining, emphasizing it's sharpness.
"No!" The girl with curly blonde hair protested but Rheya ignored her.
If she uses the knife on me I'll be in for a world of pain. I wanted to yell stop, but that might give her the pleasure of thinking that she was able to dominate me. Instead of saying anything I bit my lip.
"Where should I cut you first? Your arms?" She touched my arms gently as though she was giving me a massage. Her touch was creeping me out.
Next she touched my legs. "Rheya, stop it!" She didn't react to my protests and instead pointed the blade towards me while she slowly caressed my skin with it. I felt shivers down my spine. The coldness increased.
"Caly, looking a little pale, but don't worry. Everybody is like that at first," Rheya said.
Next she ripped the skin on my left arm while petting my head with her other hand. The pain, the chilly air and Rheya's creepy behavior created an atmosphere I've never experienced before and I wouldn't want feel again. Did Rheya torture the other girls like this? But for some odd reason they actually still liked it.
The captive girl complained about something but I couldn't focus on her words. Rheya was done with my left arm and watched as my blood tickled down. Next she pointed her blade towards my right arm and this time slowly mase cuts. I felt like crying but I was holding my tears in.
"Don't cry, Caly," this is a necessary step. "Everybody is like this at first but with time you'll enjoy spending every second with me."
She put her blade away patted my head a bit. The captive girl started screaming. Rheya stopped touching me and focused on the girl. If she'd only spend some time with her and leave me alone. My wounds bleeding a lot and I wanted some time alone to recover.
The chubby girl stopped screaming and started complaining how Rheya spent too much time with me as if she was suffering from neglecting. In her situation I'd be happy to be neglected with Rheya.
"Why does she like you? You took away her freedom and you probably torture her a lot and often," I asked. Rheya was already standing next to the girl but when I spoke she turned to me.
"I learnt this from my father. He also tortured woman here to make them obedient. They became the prefect slaves once he was done with them," Rheya emotineslly said."But I'm different. I love all of my girls and I'm doing this for the sake of my kingdom. Obedient subjects under a great empress can only bring prosperity and happiness to all."
"Purposely inflicting pain on other in a way you do can never be justified!" I said.
"You don't understand me at all!"Rheya yelled but immediately took a deep breath to calm herself."But soon you'll come to realize I'm right and then you'll be on your knees beginning me to forgive you all the rude behavior."
"That girl is no good," the captive girl cynical said."She won't be able to serve you well."
"Only you can?" Rheya asked her.
"Yes,"she happily said.
Rheya lighty hit her on the head."I didn't teach you to be like this, butterfly. Caly here will be one of your best friends when I'm done with her. Didn't I teach you that baseless envy on other girls is the worst thing in this world?" She angrily glared at her.
The girl had a sad apologetic look on her face as she muttered sorry. "Do you want to play with Calytrix, too? We should all be friends."
She nodded and Rheya slowly untied her ropes. "Let's all be friends," both of them said at the same time.
One crazy girl was more than enough. I could barely handle one, but two, that was impossible. Their vision of fun was probably way different than mine.
If only I could cast a spell. Without magic I felt weak as young child. The weakness within me reminded me of the times when I was a helpless child and needed protection from adults. I relied on my parents even though I could use magic since birth, but now that I'm an adult, alone on a journey there was nobody except myself I could rely on. Help won't be coming. I'm sure that the fire spirit would gladly help but it must have been stopped by the water spirit. As a witch I need to pave my own path and this is just one of the life trials all of us go through.
Rheya was once a kid too. She must have had times when she felt helpless and lonely just as I was. Growing up as a princess in comparison to a witch, a commoner must have been different but both of us must have had our fair share of problems. If she is repeating what her father was doing he must have been insane and evil too. Growing up with bad role models can have a terrible impact on young children.
"Lost in thoughts, Caly? That won't help you escape." Rheya smirked. She and her prisoner stood close to me and examined me in a strange way. They were looking at me but differently from a way a normal person would gaze at someone. They were focusing on some points but I wasn't sure on which ones and why.
"Let's use that one!" the curly blonde girl said. I had no idea what she meant and I was a bit terrified to find out.
Rheya stopped her movements to think about it.
"Dearest empress Rheya, let's use that one. Please, please," the prison girl started her annoying plea.
Listening to their crazy conversations was a type of torture on its own.
"Fine! Let's use that one if you insist so much," Rheya gave in and the girl beamed with a smile. It seemed like a nice smile but everything in here was twisted. "But Caly needs to change her position if we use it," Rheya continued.
"Leave it to me dearest empress!" the girl proudly said as she was jumping from one leg to another. It seemed like she was excited."I can be trusted!"
"Fine, if you insist so much, but you better not mess up," Rheya looked with eyes full of doubt.
"No problem. I know exactly what to do. You played with me a lot so I know everything," the girl happily said."It's time I show my knowledge." Rheya and the girl went to examine the equipment in the far back. From my position in seemed to be covered in layers of dust but the girl happily hummed a melody while she cleaned it.
The curly blonde hair girl was broken. Completely broken. She was probably a normal girl before she came to do dungeon. Outside one can travel, find friends and enemies, laugh at the things that make one happy and cry about sad things, but in here time stopped. There was nothing here but torture.
The dim light atmosphere made this place even worse. There was no sunlight here. Only light from candlewax. Who know how much time the other girl spent here? A person wasn't created only to feel sadness. We need other emotions too and they must have manifested in this girl by being happy at the things she shouldn't be.
"Go prepare Caly for what happens next," Rheya ordered."The two of you will spend a lot of time here together so it's important that you became friendly fast."
I felt a rush of coldness in my face. Long time? Becoming friendly? Every minute I spend here is too much. I tried to wiggle my hands out of the ropes again, but it didn't make any difference. At this rate my hands will be engraved with rope marks on them.
"Come on, Caly don't make such a difficult face. I can call you Caly, right?" the girl said with a slight smile."I'm Buttefly."
I was creeped out by people calling me by my nickname in a dungeon but I knew that protesting about it wouldn't lead me anywhere.
"Butterfly?" I said with strong displeasure."Don't you have a proper name?"
"A name, huh?" the girl thought about it."I had a name a long time ago, but I...I can't remember it." I glanced at Rheya who was busy with polishing her equipment and for the time being ignored us. "Whatever Rheya calls me is perfect by me. I hope one day she'll give me a real name. But I'm very happy by being just Butterfly too. It was a nickname she picked out for me personally."
"No small chat, we're preparing Calytrix," Rheya said without looking at us.
"Right, let me prepare you," Buttefly said."You are in the wrong position." The girl started to untie the ropes on my right hand. I was pleasantly surprised by the sudden development but I kept quiet.
"What are you doing?" Rheya yelled."If you untie her she'll run away immediately. She isn't disciplined enough to wait for us to tie her up in a different way. "
The girl stopped all movements and slowly, lightly tied the rope back. She didn't untie me completely, but the way she tied it up again wasn't as tight as before.
"I am sorry," she apologized.
"Sorry isn't enough!"Rheya's eyes burned in an angry red."What if she escaped? How would you repent? And here I thought you could finally make yourself useful."
Rheya marched up to her and grabbed her violently. She threw the poor girl on the floor and stepped on her. "Letting a prisoner escape by neglect is one of the worst crimes you can do here."
I averted my gaze from them. It was too much for me. The girl let out sounds of pain but Rheya didn't stop kicking with her black boots. I wanted to save the girl and myself, but the girl was too much under Rheya's influence. Even if I tried to help her it would only backfire because despite all the things Rheya does she is completely faithful.
I could only focus on saving myself for now. The ropes on my right hand were loose and when I wiggled my right hand I managed to free myself. One of my hands was completely free but that was only the first step. I must free all of my limbs.
Rheya continued her madness of kicking the girl and didn't pay attention to me. This was the perfect chance to escape. If I don't make use of this opportunity who knows when a next one will present itself. I looked at the rope holding my left hand. A left and a right string caught my attention. If I pull the correct one the rope will untie by itself.
The right or the left one? I wasn't sure which one was correct. Rheya was still torturing the girl but it won't last forever. I need to decide fast. Right or left? If I choose the wrong one I might be out of time to retry with the correct one.
Rheya was putting more and more pauses between her kicks. She could be tired and give up on the punishment. There was no time to lose. I chose to pull the right one. The closest string to me. It worked. What a magnificent stroke of luck in this dreadful situation. The rope loosened and I freed my left hand too.
"Rheya, it hurts...please stop," Butterfly started crying. It was a terrible spectacle one shouldn't see, hear or participate.
I felt an urge to kick Rheya and give her a test of her own methods, but getting out was my first priority. With both of my hands freed I could untie the ropes on my legs and run out of the dungeon. I crouched down to untie my left leg but somehow I lost my balance and fell face down the cold stone floor. My hands hurt badly and now my face hurt. I couldn't stop my tears but I cried silently.
If only there was somebody to help me. I didn't want to go through all of this pain alone. At the moment I was ready to accept anyone's hand. Even if it was a suspicious guy like Akios.
The girls didn't notice my movements and I got myself up. I quickly untied my right leg and the left one. Leaving Butterfly alone with Rheya felt terrible. But since my magic was unavailable at the moment the best thing was to run away. If Rheya overpowers me I'll get tied up again and powerless to do anything. There was no other way. I might return later to help her.
I quietly made my way out of the place but as I was at the exit Rheya noticed me.
"Calytrix!" she yelled.
I dashed outside quickly. A large stone spiral staircase leading upwards was the only path ahead. I jumped across the steps in order to go faster. Sunlight was illuminating the footsteps and somehow it helped me ease my pain. Sunshine meant that I was returning back to normal. Rheya was yelling at me behind but I didn't let myself get distracted. I was fast at running and was at the top of the staircase while she was still down at the bottom.
I stood in front of a single dark wood door. The only exit out of the dungeon. I didn't have the time to think where it lead. As long as it's a way out it didn't matter where I found myself. If I am free I could go anywhere.
I quickly opened the door and closed it behindme. The new scenery that greeted me was a castle hallway. I was deep in Rheya's territory. If a guard catches me Rheya will have her fun with me again. Luckily there was nobody walking around and I opened the first door on my left.
It seemed to be a study room with lots of books. There was a big bed on the left, near a giant window. I quickly hid under it. There was just enough space for me to crawl underneath. I was in too much pain to run far away. Once I recover and get rid of the exhaustion I'll plan my next steps.