Forest of Faunus cH. 02

Favius laughed, "Lower the cage. I will show you how well she will perform during the festival." Dragging her by the leash to the cage he stood her in front of it as he undid the leather chastity belt that was her only form of modesty. The men watched avidly saying nothing but some were openly stroking their cocks. "They can smell the bitch's heat. Look how their cocks grow for her."

Favius stood behind her leaning low to her ear, "You want to be in there with those men, don't you, little beast. Such is your arousal now. You want them to mate you even though they cannot satisfy your need any longer," his voice was husky and dark and she nodded as he spoke.

Favius let go of Leah's leash saying, "Stay beast." He walked to the cage scrutinising the men before opening it and reaching in to grasp the collar of a large Nordic looking man and haul him from the cage. "Mate with the little beast," Favius commanded the man. Leah barely acknowledged the anguished cries from the still caged men as the Norse man pounced on her knocking her to the ground. Pulling her legs wide he moved between them and pushed her knees to her chest entering her roughly and pounding into her with no finesse or care for the girl. As highly aroused as he was the man grunted after only a few minutes and she cried out in disappointment.

Favius pulled the man off her and threw him against the cage shaking his head disgustedly. He tugged her up by the leash attached to her nipple rings, the pain flowing into her over heated body, as he murmured, "Not enough for you little beast?" Leah looked up into his smirk both hating and aroused him at that time. It took effort to bite back the angry retorts on her lips as she bit her tongue and his smirk widened to a smile seeing the flicker of defiance there and a flaring of her green eyes but it was short lived.

So it was she spent the next week, moved from one cage to another and given to the priests of Saturn to use as reward for their singing and to show Favius had tamed the wild beast. Favius appeared before her cage on the eighth day hooded and cowled like a monk, the brown vestment long covering his misshapen legs and cloven feet. Leah was pulled from her cage and a leash applied to her collar. "The festival begins," Favius rumbled.

She was led to the edge of the forest and given fur lined boots before being wrapped in a fur cloak and hooded. She looked about her seeing the other beasts she had sung with and more gathering together. At a spoken word from an unknown language, the assassin vine opened a path for them a tendril curling to stroke Leah's cheek in recognition as she was led deep into the trees feeling a surge of nervous energy as the vines seemed to seek contact with her.

...................................

The townsfolk as watched suspiciously over the last few weeks as silent monks had arrived with wagons of supplies and begun rebuilding the old temple. The Puritanical Christian priest had begun sermons casting evil aspersion on the monks as pagan worshippers of false gods and that they need to be strong against temptation. For the townsfolk who had endured a blighted harvest and an early winter, the food and strong drink the monks left on the stone stairs of their temple was too much temptation.

One week before their own Christian festival more monks and worshippers arrived at the temple and the doors were thrown open to emit the warm glow of blazing fires and the smell of meat roasting. Singing could be heard a moment before carollers appeared on the stairs of the temple to invite anyone who wished to join the festivities a warm welcome.

A few brave souls had crept up the stairs to investigate the source of the warmth, the smells, the sounds and disappeared inside. The singing began again as the small group of carollers including Leah walked down the stairs and into the town asking for nothing but inviting the poor, cold and starving to the temple for the festival of Saturn.

The more devout of the Puritan's barred their doors and prayed against the evils of Satan as the small group moved through the town. Only the adventurous, the drunken and the poverty stricken arrived at the temple that first night, but tales the following day of feasting, wine, women and song filled the streets. Seeing the people they knew return unscathed from the temple and glowingly happy more arrived the follow night when the doors opened and the singing began.

Once again Leah walked slowly through the town with the carollers and their guards singing to entice the townsfolk to join them. Leah was often fondled or accosted when male listeners realised she wore nothing beneath the fur cloak, but practised men around her would grab the man and murmur, you don't want that pox ridden slut there are much better at the temple and push them in that direction. Leah was horrified and grateful at the same time.

Returning to the temple late in the night Leah would watch the feasting and debauchery from a distance Favius possessively holding her leash as she sat at his feet. Only the men she carolled with were permitted close to her and several had grown a fondness for the small girl and would beg Favius for her leash.

On the sixth night of the festival as the revellers were at the height of madness the gold statue Leah lay beside shimmered and moved. A deceptively quiet voice rumbled within its metal form and one huge hand dropped down to curl about her middle and place her in its lap stroking her like a cat, her leash dropping from Favius' hand.

"Father," Favius greeted the statue.

"Ah my son you have done well again," the statue smiled golden teeth. "What boon can I bestow on you for this festival in my honour?"

"The beast in your lap," Favius started and looked at the shock on Leah's face. "She has dryad blood or some power over the vines of death."

The huge golden hand curled about her waist again and picked her up inspecting her, "She has the look of Ampelus, the vine maiden, about her perhaps."

"I have not been able to make her change. Not lust nor pain nor captivity. She needs the gift of woodland magic, Father," Favius looked up at the statue.

"I can read your intent Favius and I will think on it and return the before the end of the festival, with your answer, now let me enjoy the festival," looking out over the debauchery the statue seemed to forget he still held the girl. Favius raised his pipes to his lips and played a haunting tune and the men of the carollers rose from where they were and walked towards the statue, beginning the festival song. Still held in the hand of a God Leah sang at her cue terrified by what she had just witnessed and fearful of any repercussions of offending the God.

As the last notes of the song died Leah was placed on the ground beside Favius, "I will return," it rumbled before it froze back into its natural state. Leah was then dragged off to her cage leaving the fauni to entertain the festival with their pipes.

Leah looked up at her captor and cried, "I have no mythical blood. Why won't you let me go home?"

"After the festival we will return home to the forest," his deep voice growled.

"No," Leah sobbed, "My home, with my own kind."

"My home is your home. You are part of the forest now," he spoke with authority and she knew arguing would bring her only more pain and more sadness. She curled up in a ball and cried herself to sleep.

Her dream was vividly real as she slept, in a forest glade she sat on a tree trunk dangling her feet into a small bubbling brook as two maidens approached her. One had the same vibrant red hair as herself but her eyes were a startling colour of green. Leah felt she should know them. They smiled at her and one woman, dark haired and full figured extended a hand and cupped her face gently. Leah had the feeling her mind was being rifled through and try as she might she could not look away.

"You are with child, by the King of the fauni, Favius," the woman looked sadly at her, "The birth will kill you and the child if you do not accept the magic of the forest we offer you."

"Better to die than live this tortured existence," Leah said coldly.

"Let us show you what you cannot know," the woman said kindly. The image before her blurred and she saw herself in the hospital room unconscious, she could hear the voices, "Why doesn't she fight harder? I have seen it within her, the green of her eyes as she shows defiance. I know there is forest magic in her. Why doesn't she use it?" The voice of Favius was not the harsh deriding one she knew.

Leah turned as she heard Picus speak, "Perhaps it is too diluted after so long. It was her voice that drew you to her not the scent of forest magic. You said yourself you had not expected her to survive the forest when she followed you that night, brother. She won't survive much more of this punishment, you need to find another way."

"But it's in her, I know it is. Why wont she fight harder," he stormed off leaving Picus to tend to Leah's newly pierced body.

The images blurred and reformed several times showing her conversations she had never heard, his cruelty and disregard for her seeming to be his way to make her fight against him harder not to break her will.

"Wouldn't it have been easier to seduce the girl? Pure arousal from citruline will not produce the emotions you need for her to touch her forest magic if she has any. She is not a hunter whose greed led them to their own demise. Try a little tenderness, brother," Picus sounded fed up.

"It is too late for that. She has reason to loathe me. I will take her to the festival and ask father to intercede after she has sung for him. It is the only thing left to do," he walked away.

Leah returned to the glade and opened her eyes on herself sitting on the opposite side of the brook. Her eyes were the same startling green of the women who guided her dreams and in her arms she nursed a small fauni. Two girls and an older boy played behind her. They called her mother as they placed a crown of wild flowers on her head and kissed her cheek.

The woman's voice was soft beside her, "This future is far better than the ice cold hand of death is it not? Come back to the forest, kinswoman, where you belong. My sons have not treated you well. Leave them and return to the forest, find the joy in living things." The dream vanished leaving Leah deeply asleep.

Leah's eyes fluttered open and she gazed up into deep golden eyes stifling a scream of terror. "Come now. I am not so awe inspiring in the flesh," the deep voice rumbled, "Do you know who you are now?" Vivid flashes of her dream entered her head and she nodded slowly. "Favius' power comes from earth and fertility; he is a hunter and a shepherd. When he is aroused or threatened his power is at its peak. He tried to make you feel that way to find your power. You need the forest, the trees, the vines and the sun on your face to feel truly alive."

Leah looked around her cage sadly, feeling the weight of the stone and metal that imprisoned her.

The God smiled at her, "You understand, you must live. There are so few dryads left to protect our forests and so many men eager to cut them down."

"He will just hunt me down again, especially if he knows I carry his heir in my belly," Leah glanced at the oddly still form of Favius sitting with his back against the wall opposite her cage.

"He dreams of his mother Canens, a nymph with a magical voice much like yours who enchanted me no end. I imagine she is quite angry about his treatment of you," Saturn nodded to himself, "Shall we go?"

Leah was startled by the question and looked up at the god who held his hand out to her. Taking it tentatively her world shimmered and she was in the glade of her dream. The bubbling brook as at her feet and she sat back on the log. A vine curled around her shoulder and stroked her neck curling about the collar she wore. Believing it meant to strangle her Leah relaxed into her fate. She had prayed for death so often in the past weeks she was not afraid.

To her surprise she heard a click and the high pitched squeaking of metal bending and the collar was pulled from her neck. She reached up and stroked the vine in silent thank you feeling a surge of power flow into her as the collar and golden rings fell from her body. "He maybe God of the forests and plains but he does not understand them as you do. Look inside yourself, find your spirit," the voice of Saturn was distant.

Leah gasped as the vines tightened around her waist and pulled her high into a tree, looking down she saw Favius and Picus burst into the glade. Smiling she stroked the vine, hearing the whisper of its rustle within her mind and silently thanking it, knowing she needed time to herself and acknowledging that all hope of returning to the world she had known was now lost. She felt a deep sorrow well up from within her feeling truly alone. Her hand caressed her still flat belly, whispering softly to the vine she asked, "Can you lower me down but keep me from his reach?" The vine rustled and moved her slowly downward to a branch above their heads.

Straightening her back and swallowing noisily she called, "Stop bellowing, Favius, I hear you."

He turned his face full of rage his hand going to his whip, "Take another step towards me and I will disappear again," her eyes flashed a startling green, "and take your child to be with me," she taunted him cruelly.

Sounding more confident that she felt she watched him step back cursing his rage simmering hotly. "Picus," she said in a steady voice, "Would you come speak with me?"

Picus looked at his brother's burning eyes before replying, "I cannot leap that high. Perhaps you could come down?"

He watched the girl murmur something, and felt the vines encircle his waist before he realised her intent and he was hoisted form the ground to sit beside her on the tree branch held apart from by the vines.

"I am bound to this forest now. I can never return home, but neither will I return to be caged like an animal," Leah watched the faunus carefully. "I was visited by your mother last night in my dreams, she showed me things I could not have known. She was disappointed in her sons."

Picus shrugged, "We have not seen her since we changed. I believed her to be in Elysium"

Leah tried a different tactic, "She showed me how you tried to reason with your brother of his treatment of me."

He scowled at her and growled darkly, "I am as brave and strong as my brother. I just wanted him to give up and let you go. I didn't want to play nursemaid to a spoilt pet."

His words wounded her deeply, "But you did play nurse maid and protector. I had wanted, if not a friend than a liaison between this child and his father, but I can see how wrong I was to hope for help from the mighty fauni. Take him back." Leah looked down on her captors sadly, tears streaking her face, "It could have been so very different," she called as the vines pulled her to the upper canopy and she disappeared.

As time went on smaller fauni born of human mothers and lacking the skills or magic of the few older Faunus would come back from the forest claiming to have been assaulted by vines and reported loss of hunting equipment. Favius smiled knowing that his pet has stayed close to home.