Sapphic Fairy Tales 05: The Beast

Monsters have been known to exist from the very earliest days of humankind. Ever since we huddled in small groups around the light of a fire and held on to each other as we looked out into the dark, that is where the monsters have dwelt. They have been hiding on the edges of the darkness for so long that we have become accustomed to them and even learned from them, and they from us, so that the two have bled into one-another. It can sometimes be very difficult to distinguish the difference between the very human monster from the very monstrous human.

Such creatures walk the thin grey line between the darkness and the light. Neither Monster nor Human, but something greater and far more terrible than both.

- - -

The local peasants had many stories about the hidden castle in the woods. Mostly they avoided the area because of the hungry wolves, bandits and wild dogs that roamed its depths. But stories percolated the local culture nonetheless. It was rumoured that the castle had been built in ages past as a palace of wealthy decadence, a monument to the ruling family's absolute authority over the land. Some told of the innumerable treasures and other wondrous things that lay concealed within its vaults, just waiting for those brave enough to go and find them. But it was also said that none had ever returned from venturing out to find the castle and claim these riches hidden inside because of the curse that lay upon the old ruin.

The story went that a wandering saint had passed through the village and on towards the castle, seeking succour and shelter for the night. The decadent nobles in the palace had shut their doors in the saint's face, taking them to be nothing more than a messy beggar. And so the saint had cursed the castle and all who dwelt in it to be transformed into terrible ravening monsters, little more than beasts prowling its once splendid halls. And so these beasts tore apart any who dared enter their domain, and the castle fell into ruin and legend.

Belle the Beastslayer had heard all of this and more from the old and often drunken patrons of the Pig's Head tavern the previous evening. She had been there gathering information on what she was likely to face in these woods and the people there had spun the usual web of old wives tales, local legend and hearsay. But there had been some useful nuggets amongst the dross. She knew for example that nobody who ever went looking for the castle ever came back, and that it was supposedly located within a deep defile at the heart of the woodlands, where not even the wolves dared to tread.

As Belle continued to sneak her way through the underbrush of the dark woods that night, the silvery moonlight above barely made a meagre reflection off of her darkened chainmail armour. The long sword in its scabbard at her belt was muffled in a thick layer of sheep's wool so as not to make a sound and she wore a long dark cloak over her head and shoulders so that her pale skin and short brown hair didn't form a stark outline against the undergrowth. She kept low to the ground so that even her tall muscular frame was concealed from the eyes of any sentries which might watch the paths hereabout. She moved with the trained silence and grace of a dancer as she stepped slowly over the broken rocky ground.

All of these techniques and more had been trained into her over years of service to her temple, the Order of Beast Slayers. She had been left to their tenderless mercies by her drunken father when she was just seven years old. The semi-nomadic pseudo-cult had given her a home and a family and trained her to become the woman she was today: a ruthless, lethal assassin. As a fully ordained member of The Order she undertook contracts on all manner of beasts, bandits, murderers and monsters that roamed the countryside in the wake of the ongoing war. She had never left a contract unfinished yet. Beast Slayers only failed to complete a contract when they were dead.

This particular contract had been vague in its wording. It seemed this forest and it's legendary castle posed an annoying barrier between the armies of the riverlands to the north and the downlands of the south. If men were to move between the two regions more freely, the forest would have to be cleared. Numerous troops of questing knights, mercenaries and other men had gone into these woods and never come out again. And so the mission had been deemed worthy of a Beast Slayer, and Belle had been called for.

She had chosen tonight to make her approach to the legendary castle because the moon was waxing towards full, but not yet complete. This gave enough light in the sky for her eyes to be able to see, but not so much that the landscape and anything she might face in the dark would be thrown into stark contrast by the moonlight. The pale silvery glow from above provided just enough light for Belle to be able to make out a path through the woods which was a thin rocky scar of scree walked by the beasts and bandits that made these trees their home. Thankfully so far she had encountered neither of these other denizens of the forest, she didn't need the distraction right now and she would only have to polish her sword again after an encounter with either.

Her target lay much deeper in and she knew that she was headed in the right direction when the ground began to slope gently downwards and the usual night-time sounds of the woods began to fade behind her. It seemed that perhaps the old wives' tales she had been told back in the tavern had been partially true, even the beasts avoided this part of the woods. A strange stillness hung in the air as she continued down the slope, the usual light wind which blew from the north no longer trembled the leaves in the trees and even the moonlight seemed pale and stagnant in some way.

A small break in the canopy offered Belle her first view of the place that she had been seeking. Above the treeline, silhouetted against the stars, she could make out the tall stone-built shape of a conical tower. Its roof had long since fallen into disrepair so that broken joists and slates looked like the jagged teeth of some colossal monster howling at the moon. It also gave Belle a direction and she gripped the handle of her blade tightly in its scabbard as she forged on through the silent undergrowth towards the castle.

It didn't take long for the Beast Slayer to reach the outer wall which was heavily overgrown with vines and brushwood. In many places the walls had fallen down completely and the wide expanse of thickets and brambles that would once have been beautiful lawns and gardens could be seen on the far side. Beyond the gardens the large dark-stone castle stood cold and lifeless, bleached into black and white by the moonlight. There was no sign of any sentries or guards to announce her approach but even so Belle approached with extreme caution, keeping to the shadows as much as possible.

Her eyes cast over the ruined battlements above, the overgrown statues and fountains which dotted the grounds and marvelled at the exquisite stonework now all fallen into disarray around her. The cold light of the moon offered an almost serene expression to the moss-covered faces of the statues which lined the main avenue towards the front gate. All carved in white marble, the sculptures depicted beautiful naked young women leaping and dancing in various poses from north to south along the path. Although they were often missing a limb here and there, or were shrouded in undergrowth, they still seemed to almost move with an ethereal grace from one pose to the next, their stone mouths open in a look of ecstatic delight.

The front doors to the castle too were lined with numerous carvings of beautiful naked women, some standing and some lounging, their stone eyes all staring down at Belle from their carved sconces with a strange intensity. It seemed that whomever had ordered this castle to be built had a fascination with the female form. Belle couldn't help but admire their taste.

Entering through the main doorway seemed like a foolish tactic and so Belle ignored the massive iron-studded doors for now and continued to sneak her way around the castle, seeking another way inside that would hopefully be more subtle. She still had no real idea of what she would find lurking inside the castle. If the local legends were to be believed then it was a whole horde of ravenous cursed beasts, just waiting to tear her skin from her bones. So far no beast had pounced out of the darkness to rend her limb from limb but there was definitely something wrong here. No building like this went hidden and unmolested for as long as this without there being something dangerous and terrible guarding it from looters.

After a short while spent scouting around the edges of the caste, Belle eventually found another entrance. It was a place where a beautiful stained glass window had been utterly shattered and broken fragments of glass lay in a wide radius around the side of the small chapel. It was enough of an opening for Belle to be able to sling up her grappling hook and silently clamber up the side of the building to get inside.

The chapel was a small but beautifully elegant room with several tall pillars holding up the vaulted ceiling and yet more carvings of scantily clad women lining the walls and displayed in exquisite stained glass in the four remaining window frames. There were two either side of the broken window, each depicting an ethereally beautiful looking woman, their eyes pupil-less and cold in the moonlight streaming through from outside.

The few rows of pews which had once been aligned towards the front of the chapel lay in broken shards around the floor and the small shrine at the end of the aisle was similarly desecrated. Belle leaned in to examine what had clearly been a beautifully carved wooden pulpit and saw the long lines of four claw-marks which had ruined it's once perfect features, and the terrible blunt force which had been used to shatter the wooden structure in several places. Whatever monster she was dealing with here clearly had claws that could probably slice through a small tree and enough strength to break every bone in her chest if she got in its way.

It was just as Belle was about to head for the door and begin exploring the rest of the castle when her well trained ears picked up the slightest whisper of movement in her periphery. With a whirling swish and a reflexive dodge to the side Belle drew her sword and lunged towards where she had heard the movement and her sword met with... nothing. Only the darkened shadows of the chapel surrounded her as she continued to move in a wide sweeping circle, checking every angle and corner for signs of her attacker and still there was nothing.

Until, out of the darkness came a voice, low and sonorous and recognisably feminine.

'Who is this new intruder that has sneaked their way into my castle like a thief? But such a pretty thief, it has been a while since I have had a guest as beautiful as you, even if you do come uninvited.'

Belle gripped her sword tighter and tried to calm her senses, willing her heart to slow in its panicked beating. The voice was sourceless and seemed to come from all directions at once. She backed up slowly towards a corner, putting her back up against a solid object so as not to be ambushed from behind.

'Where are you?!' she called out into the darkened room her eyes flitting from shadow to shadow. 'Show yourself!

A delighted but dangerous sounding laugh echoed sourcelessly out of the dark at her demands and once again Belle thought that she detected the faintest whisper of movement, almost like silk being dragged across skin.

'You do not make demands of me trespasser! I am the Mistress of this castle and you will show some respect in my presence, or I will make you show appropriate humility!'

Belle gritted her teeth and tried to focus herself, she had faced invisible horrors before, counting on her wits and senses to tell her where the threat was.

'Then come forth, and I shall bow before you!' Belle called out once more 'I would behold my gracious host with my own eyes before I supplicate myself before them!'

For a moment there was nothing, no reply or whisper of movement, the person behind the ominous voice appeared to be considering her request. And then, a shadow fell across the stones that shone a pale grey in the light through the broken window. Out of the darkness stepped a shape, tall and dark, her long deep crimson dress glimmering in the moonlight, its low neckline displaying the pale skin of her chest all the way down to her midriff. Her long dark hair fell like a satin curtain of onyx down to below her shoulders and atop her head she wore a simple crown of iron studded with three red rubies. Her face was an expressionless porcelain mask of perfect beauty, her lips full, her cheekbones high and her dark rimmed eyes seemed to glow with an inner red fire.

Although she was smaller and slighter than the muscular Belle, the Beast Slayer nevertheless felt a cold chill run down the back of her spine as she looked at the woman who had appeared in front of her. Her training had taught her of the numerous beasts, monsters and abominations that walked the land, and she knew upon sight what this woman was, and what it meant. The pale face, the red eyes, the tips of two small incisor teeth just visible above the lower lip. There had been only one piece of advice in her studies when it came to dealing with a higher vampire. Run.

'I am here.'

The woman announced as she looked Belle up and down, her dark red eyes taking in her trembling limbs and her jaw set in fear, the beading sweat on her forehead.

'I am Empress Kalinda Blackheart, one time ruler of all the lands from stormy seas to sun-tipped mountains. But now reduced to this. I rule here in my castle, alone and forgotten, awaiting visiting guests such as your good self. Welcome, I think that you and I will have a wonderful time together.'

Belle's senses were in utter turmoil, she struggled between her instincts to either beg for mercy, run or fight. But no, she would never be able to make it to either the door or window to escape in time before the vampire caught her. Begging for mercy was out as vampires were not known for their sense of compassion. There was only one option left to her, she had to fight!

With a passionate cry, Belle leapt from where she had hunched down in the corner, using the leg she had braced against the wall to give her extra forward momentum and she aimed the tip of her long sword directly at the beast's exposed heart. There was a sickening crunch and a satisfying pressure against the blade as she sank her blade directly into the perfect V of skin between the vampire's two breasts. Belle's face contorted in a rictus of battle rage and she looked up directly into the eyes of her enemy, their faces mere inches apart, and once again her confidence quailed at the sight.

Kalinda Blackheart had a coy pitying smile on her face as she looked up at Belle, even as she stood there with her sword directly through the centre of her chest. She reached up and stroked the side of Belle's face with a perfect long-fingered hand. Belle felt the touch of the cold palm brush gently across her skin as she stood paralysed in fear. She could see every facet and reflection in her deep dark eyes and marvelled at the perfect pristine paleness of her skin. For a moment the expression of the vampire empress softened, her mocking smile turning into one of yearning and for one brief moment, Belle was sure that the woman was about to lean in and kiss her.

But the moment was completely shattered when instead Kalinda reached out with lightning speed and grabbed Belle around the throat, lifting her off of her feet as if she were made of paper. The incredible strength behind her fingers was like an iron vice and Belle dropped the hilt of her sword, leaving it still sticking out between Kalinda's breasts, as she grasped and pulled at the hand gripping her. The next moment she was hurled backwards across the small chapel like a rag doll, smashed into the rear wall and darkness took her.

- - -

Darkness swirled around Belle's mind as she fought for consciousness, she was vaguely aware of a distant light somewhere on her periphery but she couldn't turn towards it. Her body felt heavy, as if she were laying back with a lead blanket over her, and her vision was hazy as if looking through misty glass. Slowly a shape began to coalesce above her, diffuse and milky white like an angelic being descending from on high to help her in her hour of need.

As the details of the ethereal form began to take shape, Belle could make out the long smooth slender legs, the rounded hips and narrow waist, the twin buds of her pale breasts with their pink nipples crowing them, the graceful willowy arms and long shapely neck, all the way up to the perfect porcelain features of Kalinda Blackheart floating above her. The vision was completely naked and Belle found herself unable to tear her eyes away from roaming all over the gorgeous but deathly pale body of her tormentor. Her eyes still seemed to glow with their inner red fire but were filled with a look of mournful care as she looked down at her, her hair flowing freely in an invisible breeze like a mane of flowing black sand.

'Am I dead?'

Belle managed to finally choke out in the dream space that she lay trapped in.

'No,' Kalinda replied softly, 'You are my guest in my castle, and welcome'

'Your prisoner you mean?'

'If you prefer, but prisoners are rarely treated with such high esteem as I would treat you as my guest.'

The vision of Kalinda above Belle slowly drifted down until it appeared as if she were lying naked by her side, as if she were a lover staring into her eyes after a night of passion. The illusion was sold further by the way that the creature gently reached out to once again stroke at the side of Belle's imobile face. Belle tried to recoil but she was held paralysed in the dream. She also realised in that moment that she too was laying completely naked on an invisible but comfortable surface.

'It would be such a shame if you were to try to leave so soon after arriving, I do enjoy having guests, especially guests who are as beautiful and striking as you my dear Beast Slayer.'

Kalinda's dark eyes roamed up and down Belle's muscular naked form, taking in her powerful legs, flat stomach and small but pert breasts, all the way up to her exposed neckline. She punctuated her compliment with a quick flick of Belle's chin before she leaned in closer so that her lips were right up next to Belle's ear.

'Please stay,' she breathed in a soft whisper, 'stay, and I will make it worth your while, I promise. I'm really not quite so beastly once you get to know me.'

Belle could only lie back in her paralysed dreaming state; she felt the weight of the naked form of Kalinda finally press down on top of her as gravity was allowed to finally assert its pull over her. She could feel the cool soft smoothness of her skin against her own, the subtle pillowy pressure of their breasts pressing together and the delicate but sharp nibbles of her teeth against her neck. Despite herself Belle found herself trying to squirm against the gently biting teeth and bit her lower lip as the sensation of being lavished with such attention rippled down her spine.

She could feel Kalinda's strong but delicate hands massaging and stroking the long powerful length of her arms and torso, from her wide shoulders down over her diminutive breasts and over her waist and hips, down to cup her taut behind. At this point she had given up trying to struggle against the force that held her motionless. She simply lay back and tried to focus on the mantras she had been taught, battle stances and tactics. But Kalinda's hands and teeth and tongue kept on piercing through the delicate veil that she was trying to draw over her own mind, awakening sensations and desires that had long been left dormant within her.