Guilty x Creatures Ch. 39

"...What do you even mean by training?" questioned Mica "I haven't been trained. Quit talking about me like I'm a dog or something!"

"Dog? What? No, I mean combat training. As in teaching you how to fight." explained Anton "Tell me what they've taught you so far. And what your lessons have been like."

"Oh, um. They haven't, I guess." said Mica "We haven't really done anything like that yet."

"...Wait, you haven't had any training at all?" questioned Anton "Nothing!?"

"I mean, I've still been doing my exercises. And jogging. But that's all just normal stuff." said Mica "Other than that though... We did do some races on an obstacle course at the park, which they said would help to test my skills. I only won one of them, but that was because Nokko kept cheating!"

"Wait, wait! That's it? That's all you've done?" asked Anton.

"...Well, I did take some karate classes too." offered Mica "But that was back when I was a kid..."

"...And that's it!? So they haven't taught you anything then!?" questioned Anton.

"No, that's why I'm here!" exclaimed Mica "They wouldn't let me go anywhere with them! So I had to show them what I could do myself!"

"Oh, yes. You showed them all right..." mumbled Anton as he reached over the side of the chair and picked up Mica's sword "This doesn't make any sense though. Why would they give you this sword if they weren't going to show you how to use it?"

"...Uh, well." muttered Mica as her eyes became locked to her sword "They didn't really, give me that sword... I kinda borrowed that too..."

Anton blinked at her before looking down at the sword in his hands.

"Oh, of course you did..." he grumbled as she shook his head "Why do I keep giving you the benefit of the doubt?"

"Look! I get you're pissed at me but you really need to be careful with that sword! Okay!" exclaimed Mica as her expression became desperate "It's not mine, it's my Dad's. And it's really important to him! He got it from his family, so it's a big deal! Seriously!"

Anton's eyes went wide as he gazed down at the sword in his hands.

"He got this from his family!?...So then this had to come from his clan!" he smiled as he looked over the sword "...Perfect! This is perfect!"

"What?" questioned Mica.

"This sword!" said Anton as he looked up at her "This sword could lead us straight to your parents clan! And I know just the guy to show this to! This is perfect! This is exactly what we needed!"

"Oh. Uh, good." nodded Mica "Right, this is good!...Right?"

"Yes, it is! This is exactly what we needed!" smiled Anton "And now that we have this... We don't need you anymore..."

Mica blinked as she felt the air around her begin to thicken and become heavy.

"Don't think for one second that I've disregarded you, Mica. I know there's bound to be more than one insidious little idea percolating in that grey matter between your horns." said Anton as he locked his eyes to the kiochi's "I'm sure the thought of escape, or even worse, the terrible notion of completing your mission, has crossed your mind more than once. But unless you want to find out just how uncomfortable your stay with us can really be, I highly suggest that you keep those thoughts as nothing more than the fantasies that they are."

"...Wait! You're not really going to make her comfortable, are you!?" asked Kianna.

"Hardly." said Anton "There is a small cage-shaped space between comfortable and uncomfortable that Mica is about to become quite familiar with..."

"Oh. Okay. That sounds good!" smiled Kianna.

"But, wait! I answered your questions! And I told you about the sword!" exclaimed Mica "Why do I have to go back in the cage!?"

"Because you also tried to kill me. And at this point I doubt your above trying that again." said Anton "I also highly doubt that you'd be against harming your torturers. Which is something else I don't plan on allowing you to do. No, you can't be trusted in any way. So for the foreseeable future you will remain contained. At least until you can be useful to us again."

"Oh yes. Don't worry, Mica. We'll come get you as soon as we need another target." smiled Kianna "Or if we get bored and decide to decorate you again..."

"Yes, those would also be valid reasons that you may find yourself out of your cage again." nodded Anton as he absently looked over the sword.

Mica's mouth fell open as she frantically looked from him to the dark elves and back.

"No, no! Wait! Please!" she cried as panic filled her eyes "Please, please! I'll do anything! Just please don't let the elves have me again! Please!"

"They're dark elves, get it right." said Anton "And do you honestly think that being given to these dark elves is the worse thing that could happen to you here?"

Mica pressed herself against the metal chair as Anton's aura suddenly flooded the area around her with dread and malice.

"W-wait, wait! You said wouldn't kill me!" she whimpered.

"Yes, I did. And I won't." nodded Anton "Though I never once said that I wouldn't make you suffer..."

Mica's eyes widened as she watched a cold smile spread across his face.

"There are plenty of things that I can do to you that are just as bad as, if not worse than death..." said Anton in hushed tone "Binding you to a jar would be one example..."

"...W-what?" questioned Mica "What does that mean!?"

"Oh. Are you not familiar with the concept?" asked Anton as he set the sword down in his lap and made a little steeple with his fingers "Well then. Let me explain it to you in detail. So that you will understand exactly what will happen to you. You see, what will happen is that you will be condensed down into your barest elements by an enchanted vortex designed specifically to disassemble you, with out killing you. So to begin with your mana pool will be ripped right from your living body, taking your mind and soul along with it. This, of course, will be quite an agonizing experience for you. But what happens next will be worse. As you see, both your mind and soul will be shredded and warped by the vortex they've been trapped within until they've been combined into one with your mana pool. This process could go on for hours before it's completed. When it is finished though, your mind, soul and mana pool will have taken the form of a tiny ball of conscious fire. Now, as all of this is happening to your mind, soul and mana pool. Your body, at the same time, is being crushed down into a little marble made up of all of your carbon molecules. This, of course, will also be quite agonizing for you. Once these processes are finally complete, the enchantment will reattach the flame made up of your mind, soul and mana pool back to your body. Making you a single being again. Your body will then act as the fuel source for the living fireball that you have now become. Now, if I decide to leave you fully conscious in this state, then your existence in this new form won't be anything less than absolute torture. As you see, you will now find yourself withering in an inescapable, unending cycle of raw, blind agony. You won't be able to move, see, scream or even think in any real way as your body is slowly consumed over the course of countless eons. Burnt away, molecule by molecule by the combined flames of your own essence. This will be painful, very painful. And this pain will last for as long as you are trapped in this form. And you will be staying trapped in this form when I bind you to the base of a jar and seal you inside it. And once you've been bound into your cozy little jar, you won't be able to do anything but flicker in helpless silence until I see fit to set you free... Assuming I ever will of course..."

A long moment of silence stretched out as Mica stared unblinking at Anton.

"...You will actually look quite pretty as a tiny fireball floating in a jar. So it's not all bad I guess." said Anton as he shrugged his shoulders "You'll even still be useful to use as well. Since we could set you up on a shelf or on the counter-top in the kitchen or the bathroom. Someplace where your little flame can flicker and act as a lovely and decorative little nightlight... Now wouldn't you like that? To know that you're still being useful to us?"

The kiochi made a tiny sound in the back of her throat as she stared wide eyed and frantically shook her head.

"Oh, no? Well, that's too bad I guess." said Anton with another shrug.

"...Gods alive!" breathed Kianna "Can you really do that to her!?"

"Of course I can." said Anton as he leaned forward towards the kiochi "I wouldn't have said I could if I couldn't..."

Mica swallowed roughly as she fought to keep the bile in her stomach from rising.

"Do you know what color her flames will be?" asked Kianna.

Mica stiffed as she turned and gawked at the dark elf.

"No, I don't know." said Anton as he eased back into his chair "It's usually the same as the aura, but every now and then it can be different."

"That's so crazy!" exclaimed Kianna as she shook her head in amazement "Can I watch you when you do it?"

"Now I didn't say that I was going to do it. I only said that I could do it..." said Anton in a calm tone "Whether or not little Mica here ends up as a flame in a jar depends entirely on her..."

Kianna huffed in annoyance and pointed her ears straight back as she glared at the terrified looking kiochi.

"Let me make a few things very clear to you, Mica." said Anton as he released the kiochi from his aura "As I don't want you to be confused on any of the finer points of this situation. First of all, I don't like you, at all, and I am not at all interested in helping you, or saving you in any way. However, I do like your parents. And as such, I have... grudgingly! Found myself in a position where I am tasked with keeping you alive and at least somewhat healthy... Now, I suggest that you do everything in your power to not make this task anymore difficult for me than it already will be... Do you understand everything I've said so far?"

"Yes!" hissed the kiochi through her clenched teeth.

"Good, good. So then, until we can find a solution for this, work of art, that you have created... You will be staying with us..." explained Anton "Now, whether you are treated as a guest or as a prisoner while you are with us will be entirely dependent on how well you can behave yourself from here on out... Do you understand what I'm implying by this?"

"Yes!" nodded Mica.

"Do you want to live as a flame in a jar?" asked Anton.

"What! No!" cried Mica.

"Are you sure?" asked Anton.

"Yes!" exclaimed Mica.

"Then will you promise to try your best to be a quiet, well behaved little shinoccubi?" asked Anton.

"Yes! Yes I will!" nodded Mica as she hunched in on herself.

"Wonderful. I'm so very happy to hear that." mumbled Anton "And I just can't wait to see how badly you fail to keep that promise..."

Mica stiffened before dropping her eyes to the floor.

Anton shook his head before turning to Kianna.

"Our kiochi has made a mess between her legs." he said as Mica blushed brightly "Can you please go get me a set of gloves, a towel, a wet washcloth and some sanitary wipes so that I can clean her up, please?"

"Of course..." sang Kianna as she gave Mica a parting smirk "I'll be back in just a moment..."

"Thank you." said Anton as he and Mica both watched her walk away.

Once Kianna was out of sight, Mica let her eyes fall back to the floor.

"And do you mind collecting Mica's scarf and panties for me?" asked Anton as he turned and looked up at Fiona "We're going to show her a tiny bit of hospitality by giving her back some modesty."

"Of course! Right away, Master!" exclaimed Fiona as she immediately started moving towards the bed.

"Thank you... huh!?" started Anton before giving her a double take and cocking an eyebrow.

"You're very welcome! Master!" cried Fiona over her shoulder as she rushed off to complete her task.

Anton couldn't help but have a questioning look on his face as he watched her go.

"...Hey, thanks, for the clothes." whispered Mica as she continued to hang her head.

"...It's just a show of good faith, nothing more." said Anton as he turned back to her and narrowed his eyes.

Mica nodded softly.

"...Look, I just want to go home. Okay!" she mumbled as she tightened her eyes in sorrow "I don't want to fight you anymore! Okay! Seriously, I swear! I don't want anymore problems! I just want to-!"

"Oh, I'm not worried about that, Mica." interrupted Anton as he suddenly lifted her head up by her head-harness "I know you won't try to fight me again."

"Wait, what are you-!? Mmph!?" cried out the surprised kiochi as Anton shoved her gag back into her open mouth.

"I also know that you're not going to cause me anymore problems." said Anton as he held her head pressed back against the metal chair while he locked the clasps back into place on her gag's face plate "And I know that you're not going to, because I'm not going to let you!"

Kianna grimaced in annoyance as she glared down at the caged kiochi. Slowly, she slipped the pink-colored light sword she had created between the bars of the cage and lowered it down bit by bit until the tip of the blade hung in the air just above Mica's head.

Laying on her back in the locked cage, Mica's arms were still bound in the Bolero straitjacket that was strapped around her torso. Her breasts however were no longer exposed, having been covered by one of her scarfs, which had been wrapped around her chest before being tied off behind her back. Her wings had been pulled back into her body and were now being held inside her by a thick leather belt that had been buckled strictly around her shoulders. Her tail remained wrapped tightly around her waist, with it's bladed tip still locked to the belt strapped around her middle. Her legs were thankfully no longer bound at all, and she had been given back her panties.

This bit of reprieve was overshadowed by not only the large bulbous gag that had been forced back into her mouth, but also by a thick, leather blindfold that had been molded over her eyes and was being held in place by two leather straps that were wrapped tightly around her head both above and below her ears.

With her sight now locked away behind the blindfold, Mica had no idea that the tip of the light sword was currently dangling precariously just a few inches above her face, and was being pointed directly at the space between her covered eyes.

Claiming that he wanted to go contact his associate about Leopold's sword, Anton had left the dungeon immediately after locking the shinoccubus back in her cage and giving the two dark elves the commands that they were not allowed to kill her.

Fiona had left just as soon as he had as she stated that she needed to "think" for a bit.

Left alone with the kiochi, Kianna had stood in silence for some time before finally approaching the cage and creating the sword.

"...I know, you know I'm here." she said softly as she absently shifted the sword back and forth.

Mica stiffened with tension the moment the dark elf spoke but remained still and silent out fear of provoking her.

"...I'm sure you've figured this out by now. But just in case you haven't, I wanted to make it clear." said Kianna as she bobbed the sword downward in a mock stabbing motion "You have made me very angry..."

Holding her breath, Mica did everything she could to remain as still as possible.

A thin grin spread across Kianna's face as her sensitive ears picked up on the heighten pitch of the kiochi's heartbeat as it echoed out into the otherwise silent room.

"It's good that you're afraid. You should be..." breathed Kianna as she lifted the sword a bit higher "Coming here was a mistake. And I'm gonna make sure, that you pay for that mistake..."

Holding the sword about a foot over Mica's head, Kianna let it drop and watched as it harmlessly melted away just before finding its mark.

"I have a goal now... It's that before I find out what color your flame will be..." said Kianna as her eyes began to glow with a pale red light "I'm gonna make you cry. I'm gonna hear, what you sound like, when you cry..."

Despite her efforts to remain still, Mica couldn't help but to swallow the lump in her throat.

"Goodnight, Mica..." smiled Kianna as she stepped away from the cage and turned towards the dungeons exit "Sweet dreams..."

Flicking the last of the lights off as she moved through the room, Kianna stopped at the door and turned back to gaze into the blackness behind her.

"Oh, I hope that you're not afraid of the dark." she called as she turned to leave "I would offer you a nightlight, but we don't have one... yet..."

A heart sinking clank echoed through the dungeon as the dark elf closed the heavy door behind her and sealed the kiochi in solitude.

The quiet, crypt-like stillness in the blackened dungeon lasted for some time before the silence was broken by the sound of a single, sorrowful sob ringing out through the darkness.