Sister Slaves (Built Upon Dreams, Paid in Blood)

Maud sits in front of her master’s desk. An open book lays before her, its pages are filled with strange and familiar symbols of her native and unicorn tongues written in brown ink. Looking at one of the words, she reads the symbols. ‘Apple’ it reads. Moving her eyes to the left-side of the page she stares at the strange symbols, studying its lettering. “Omena?” She says in confusion.

“Good. More emphasis on the ‘E’ Nightingale states sitting in front of her as he skims through a stack of papers. “Write it five-times and move on to the next word.” He sips his coffee. Maud gives him a small nod, writing the word on a sheet of paper to her left.

Over by the radiator and bookshelves stands Moonlight. He looks out the large corner window of the watchtower, looking at the camp below. “Why are you educating her?” He looks back at the foreman with a frown.

“Because I hate speaking in Earthen, if she’s going to be my slave, she will learn to speak Unicorpian!” Nightingale sighs, placing some papers on a metal bronze tray.

“I guess that’s a good enough reason…” Moonlight stares at a watchtower on the opposite end of the camp.

“But?” Nightingale adds to the stallion’s statements.

“But, but I still think her tongue shouldn’t touch our language!” Moonlight leans against the base of the window frame. “No slave should.”

Nightingale gives his comrade a perplexed look. “So, you’d berate every slave owner who teaches their slaves Unicorpian?”

“Don’t be a smartass!” Moonlight chuckles to himself. Swallowing his coffee, he clutches his chest. “Damn!” He laughs.

“What?” Nightingale asks, setting his work down on his desk.

“Sometimes I don’t get you, my friend!” He walks over to the stairs. “One minute you’re telling me to treat earth ponies with respect!” He points at Maud. “Then you’re fondling her and torturing her sisters!” He finishes his cup of coffee.

Maud stares at the stallions, trying to understand their words.

“Minulla on syyni.” Nightingale sighs, sipping his coffee as he stares at Maud. She shivers as she stares back at him.

“Aivan sama…” Moonlight heads down the stairs. “Olin minunilmalaivaani, jostarvitsetminua!”

Nightingale rubs his eyes as he hears the stallion shut the door behind him. Running his hand across his face, he holds it over his mouth, his eyes staring into Maud’s turquoise eyes. “Read the next word slave.”

Maud looks down, her hands shaking. “Käytä…” Nightingale nods, getting up from his seat, walking over to a coat rack on the wall. “It means apply.” She comments reading the earthen symbols.

“Good…” He pulls a leash off the coat rack. “Read the next one.”

Maud skims down the words and finds a more challenging one. “S… Suosion… Suosionosoitukset?” She looks at the translation. “Applause?” She looks at her master, completely baffled by the word.

“It’s a long word.” He shrugs his shoulders as he walks up to her. Latching the leash to her collar, he slips his hands through the loop and gives it a soft tug. Maud grasps onto her collar and stares at the leash in confusion. “I have a job for you to do… Come, follow me.”

Rose Sapphire sits on her worn cot, looking out the barred-window of her ten by ten feet cell, at the camp below while she breasts feeds her newborn. Across from her, sitting in her own cot is Grassy Breeze, who is comforting her newborn with a gentle back rub. Golden Stone sleeps in the cot in the right-side corner at the back of the cell, facing the wall.

With a long sigh, Rose Sapphire glances over at Grassy Breese. “How are you doing?”

“Grassy Breeze looks over at the mare. “Alright… My daughter needs a new diaper, it’s been three days… I can make it last two more if I have to but, I don’t think it will last another wash…” She sticks a finger along her newborn’s inner thigh, lifting up her diaper. “The fibers are starting to make her skin raw… You can feel it under her fur…” She rubs the spot where her finger is at, a frown forming on her face.

Rose Sapphire sighs. “I’m in the same boat… I hope they bring some soon.” She strokes her son’s scalp, moving some of his soft-short red mane to one side.

Grassy Breeze sighs as she stares at the door to their cell, studying its metal construction. “I need some fresh air…”

Rose Sapphire nods. “I think we all need some fresh air…” She feels her son pull away from her nipple. He smacks his lips as he wiggles in her arms. With a smile, she slips her left breast back into her prison-gown and burps him.

The door to their cell opens with a dull whine. Rose Sapphire and Grassy Breeze turn their attention to see who’s there. Even Golden Stone awakens from her slumber, glancing over her shoulder.

Nightingale steps into their cell, leading Maud by a leash. Rose Sapphire stares at her daughter-in-law’s dress in confusion and disbelief. The other two mares give confused glares of disapproval at how the skirt of her gown is above her knees. Embarrassed, Maud looks down at her hooves. “Why are you here… With her? What did you do to her?” Rose Sapphire asks giving the stallion a stern glare.

Nightingale returns her glare with a cocky smile. “I didn’t do anything to her, she did it herself… Little hothead!” He unlatches the leash from her collar. “I’m here to drop her off.” He coaxes her forward with a gentle pat on her butt. The mares give him stares of disapproval. “As my slave,” He ignores their stern expressions. “she’ll be assisting and attending to your every need while you live out your five years in this room.” He walks towards the door. “Oh… And my guards will come back with a tray of food for each of you and some clean diapers.” He hums, closing the door.

Finally, alone, Rose Sapphire steps up to Maud, wrapping a free arm around her shoulder, bringing her into a hug. “Is it true? You’re his slave?” She studies the filly’s appearance some more. Maud can hear the worry in her mother-in-law’s voice. Glancing at the mare, she gives a small nod before turning her attention to back to her hooves.

“Are we all going to become salves?!” Golden Stone asks in a panic.

“Golden Stone! Fear is not good for the foal!” Grassy Breeze chastises the young mother to be. Golden Stone cowers in her corner, laying her head on her pillow.

“How are Obsidian and Ruby? You’re sisters?” Rose Sapphire leads Maud to her cot and sits her down. She lays her newborn in her lap, placing a hand under the filly’s chin. “Your Ma and Pa?” Fear coats her words.

“They’re…” She clasps her hands together. “They’re… I-I don’t know…. It’s been three days since I’ve seen them!” Tears well up in her eyes. She grabs onto the mare, pulling her into a desperate hug.

Rose Sapphire rubs Maud’s back. “It's okay… Take a deep breath…” She coos into her ear. “Do you remember how they were when you last saw them?”

Maud wipes some of her tears away. “Yes… They’re fine… They split us into groups... stallions, mares, and children… So I’m not sure how my parents and Obsidian are… But I know Ruby and my sisters are okay…” She wraps her arms around her chest, her hands clenching her shoulders. “They took Pinkie away!” Tears begin to flood her eyes.

“What did they do to Pinkie?” Rose Sapphire lifts Maud’s head. Her eyes staring at hers.

Maud holds back a sob. “They put her in solitary!”

Pinkie scratches a mark on the wall of her cell with a broken piece of concrete near the base of the door. Shivering from the cold, she sets the rock down and leans in closer reading the marks. “Three… Three days?!” Her pupils shrink, her body goes numb from shock. She looks around her dark room, tears flooding her eyes. “No…” She moans weakly. Feeling a cramp in her abdomen, she clutches her belly and looks at the right-side corner of the cell. She eyes the small foot wide hole in the ground through the dimly-lit darkness. Her spine shivers as she remembers her experience with it during her first morning of solitary.

Pinkie awakens from her nightmare filled sleep. She slowly opens her eyes as she lifts her head off the floor. Dry vomit coats the corners of her mouth. The soft morning light of the sun graces her vision as it barely illuminates the pitch-blackness of her cell. Shivering from the cold, she wraps her arms around her legs and rocks back n’ forth. Her tail flicking around, telegraphing her stressed mental state.

Feeling a cramp in her lower abdomen, she groans clutching her belly. Whining, she gets on her hands and knees, trying to find a toilet within her cell. Inching her way to the other side of her cell, she sticks her hands out in front of her, sliding them along the floor…

WHAM!

PLUNK!

SPLOSH!

Pinkie smacks her chin on the floor. “ERR…” Pinkie hisses through her clenched teeth as she feels an awful slimy feeling on her left hand. “EW…!” She pulls her arm out of a damp hole and brings her hand up to her face. A dreadful odor assaults her nostrils. “AH!” She screams, whipping the ick on the floor. The muck sticks to her fur and smears itself further into her fur. Feeling sick, she rips off her prison gown and uses it as a towel. With her hand somewhat clean, she throws the tainted gown against the wall opposite her…

Wrapping her arms around her bare chest and her tail around her lap, Pinkie sits cross-legged, her tired eyes staring at the door of her cell. She moves her tongue around her mouth. Her mouth feels dry like there are several wads of cotton balls in her mouth. Feeling the pain in her abdomen returning, she hears her stomach sound off a rumble. “I’m hungry…?” She rubs her stomach. Tears roll down her cheeks as she stares at the marks on the wall.

“ERR… AH!” She cries out, her voice hoarse. Coughs overtake her as she tries to wet her mouth and throat. She tries to calm herself, but her emotions overwhelm her as she curls up into the fetal position on the floor, her tail laying over her like a makeshift blanket.

Hearing hoof steps coming up to her cell, a chill runs down her spine. She feels the pain in her stomach increase. “Food?!” She mumbles to herself. Jumping to her hooves, she stumbles over to her cell door and begins pounding on it. “Hello!” Please! I’m hungry! And… and… ERR!” A surge of electricity shoots through her, sending her to the floor, the back of her head smacking the ground hard.

“Prisoner, you’re getting your only cup of water for the day! Drink responsibly!” The metal latch at the bottom of the metal door slides open. The guard on the other side puts his hand through the hole and places a metal cup of water on the ground. The light that floods into the room from the open latch hurts Pinkie’s eyes. With a grunt, the guard shuts the metal latch.

Bathed in darkness once again, Pinkie gets up from the ground, pain racks her body, her muscles twitch as she crawls to the door. Grabbing the metal cup, she takes a massive gulp, quenching her mouth while tears roll down her face.

The numbing hums of the conveyor belts drive Limestone mad. Her eyes stare at the belts rolling on past her with dull eyes. ‘The same mindless motion.’ She thinks to herself. Three days of this numbing experience is taking its toll on her. She is going to have to endure this for who knows how long. Her body shakes as she rubs her tired eyes.

Octavia looks at her younger sister with a blank stare. At this point, there is nothing she could do to lift her spirits. She frowns internally at that problem. This place is robbing her of her sisterly duties…. She holds a copper ingot in her hands. Her mind wanders to her sister Pinkie… How is she doing locked away in her concrete cage… all alone.

Eying a large dial clock hanging on the wall to her left, she reads the time. ‘Three-forty-five o’ clock. With a grunt, she tosses the copper ingot into the crate without a care in the world. A guard looking down from the catwalk frowns. Looking over at his comrade, he alerts him to her attitude.

Up in the balcony office, Cloudy Quarts notices the guard approaching her daughters. Fear overcomes her as she watches helplessly from her perch.

“So, prisoner?” The guard leans over Octavia, intimidating her with his stature. “What seems to be the problem?” He puts his hands on his hips.

Limestone stares at the two of them, fear overcoming her thoughts as she wonders what might happen.

Octavia feels a tight sensation form in her chest. “Nothing… Sorry, sir…” She reaches into the crate and fixes the ingot, reorienting it into the correct position.

“Nothing?...” The guard hums. “Well, it better be nothing!” He pinches her left ear, his fingernails digging into her skin and cartilage. Octavia hisses from the pain. “I can’t hear you?!” He growls.

“I won’t do it again!” Octavia moans. “I promise!”

The guard smiles. “Better keep that promises!” He flicks her snout, before walking back to his post.

Octavia rubs her snout, hissing her pain away. Seeing her mother looking down at her, a wave of guilt comes over her. With a tired sigh, she and her sister return to their work.

“Damn it!” Obsidian hisses as he swings his pickaxe against the basalt.

Igneous looks over at the young stallion with a dull expression. “Slow down son, you’ll develop blisters.” Igneous comments.

“Or pop them…” Mr. Cake quips as he throws a chunk of basalt into the minecart behind them.

“My limbs are shaking…” Obsidian leans on his pickaxe, catching his breath. “They don’t feed us enough!” He breathes in deeply.

“That’s why you need to conserve your energy.” Igneous sighs as he pulls on his pickaxe, ripping out a chunk of rock. Obsidian watches the stallion’s movements and shakes the numbness from his arms. Igneous senses an uneasy feeling radiating from the young stallion. He stares into his eyes and sees the fear within. “What’s bothering you?”

Obsidian jerks from the stallion’s question. “Nothing… just hungry…” He keeps his eyes on his work, he watches several cracks form across the crust of the basalt rock face. Igneous can tell he’s lying, he can see the young stallion’s eyes twitch, the clammy sweat rolling down his brow. The elder stallion keeps silent, only giving a low deep grunt as his response. Obsidian feels uneasy, scared almost. It feels like Igneous’s presence is consuming him. “No… I’m not fine…”

“Then what bothers you, child?” Igneous loads up some rock into their minecart.

“It’s Maud… and Pinkie… I haven’t seen them in the past three days.” He sets down his pickaxe. “When we’re by the gates a look over to their side every day… I’ve only seen their sisters and my sister…”

Igneous nods as he mulls over the young stallion’s words. “Just keep your mind strong and sound son… They’re fine, we must think that, for our own safety and theirs.” He sets down his pickaxe and begins pushing the cart. Obsidian sets down his pickaxe hastily and helps the stallion.

Marble digs through a mass of pebbles and sand in the water of the runoff-sluice. Her tiny fingers wiggle their way into the course material searching for copper nuggets. Ruby stands beside her, her own hands digging through the sand and pebbles. Her red eyes stare numbly at the water flowing past her arms and into the drain at the end of their sluice.

Scooping a handful of copper, Marble looks at her bucket and sees that it's mostly full. She looks at Ruby’s bucket and sees that it needs just a few more handfuls. Dumping her scoop in Ruby’s bucket, she picks up hers and drains some of her copper, filling it up. 1245, 3390, and 2266 stare at her with scowls. Scarlet who stands behind them, stares at Marble with a flat frown, but she stays at her post watching the two fillies with mild interest.

Ruby stares at her bucket and Marble with a confused and flustered expression. Marble nods, giving her a soft smile. Timidly she picks up the bucket and steps onto the metal rampart and heads to the end of the warehouse to the entrance of the smelting plant.

Getting to the entrance, Ruby stands in front of the booth and stares at a unicorn stallion behind the stall’s counter, typing away on his typewriter. “Um… Sir?”

Hearing her voice, he looks away from his work. “Yes?... Oh, I see you have a full bucket...” He swings his chair over to a mechanical-computer-typewriter. “Your number?”

“5184, Sir,” Ruby mumbles as she holds the bucket in front of her lap.

“And this is your… fourth bucket of the day?” He questions. Ruby nods her head softly. Pulling a lever on the mechanical-computer-typewriter, a metal chute opens in front of Ruby. “Dump your cargo.” Ruby tilts her bucket pouring in her copper. Emptying her container, she steps away from the chute and makes her way back to her sluice.

Getting back to her station, she stands next to Marble once more and continues on her work.

Scarlet who is watching not too far from them, pushes herself off the wall she leans on and strolls on up to the two. Standing behind and in-between them, she lowers her head, glancing at the two fillies. They shiver, scared by her presence. Even the veteran prisoners, 1245, 3390, and 2266 shows signs of cowardliness. “So…” She looks at Marble. “5179… I’ve been noticing for the past three days you been helping out 5184… you like this filly? Have some feelings for her?” She laughs.

Marble shakes her head. “No… She’s my sister… uh, friend, she’s my friend." Marble states with a mumble. Ruby looks at the two with worry.

Scarlet shakes her head. “Friend… I thought you said, sister… I know you only have four sisters… so that only means… Oh… I see she’s your sister-in-law…” Marble feels a shiver run down her spine. Scarlet tilts her head back with a raised brow. “This explains a lot…” She looks at the two of them in bewilderment. “Well then… If that’s the case.” She pinches the back of Marble’s neck causing her to flinch and her limbs to freeze up. “Which one of your sisters is married?” Marble starts mumbling trying to hide her embarrassment. “SHH… Finish your work… You can tell me after supper…”

Leaving her mother-in-law’s cell, Maud stands in front of the door waiting for a guard to take her to her room. Hearing hoof steps echoing into the hall where she stands, she sees one of Nightingale’s personal guards walking up to her. Giving her a nod, Maud lowers her head and follows him. Turning the corner, they enter into the adjacent hall. Seeing the door to her room a few feet away she gives a sigh as they near. Grunting the guard opens the metal door and motions her with his free hand. “In you go.” He mumbles. Forcing a polite smile, Maud steps into her cell. The metal door shuts behind her, sealing her in her sterile environment. With a tired sigh, she walks over to her bed and sits on its edge, allowing her hooves to dangle off the bed.

Rubbing the back of her neck, she looks at her nightstand and notices a leather-bound book resting on its surface. Curious, she picks up the book and opens it. She skims through some of the pages and finds to her displeasure that it’s written in Unicorpian. With a growl she throws it on her bed. Bringing her knees to her chest, she lays on her right side, staring at the wall directly in front of her. Reading the time on the clock. ‘seven pm…’ She mouths.

Boredom washes over her mind.

Grunting, she sits up once more and picks up the book begrudgingly. Opening it to the title page, she tries to make out some familiar words. “I see you’re reading that book.” Maud shivers as she turns her attention to her door. Standing in the doorway is her Master. Nightingale gives her a smile as he stares at her. “I little gift,” He crosses his arms. “You keep up your good deeds, and you’ll be needing a bookshelf soon.” He pulls out a cigarette and lights it.

Maud sets the book in her lap. “Thank you… Master…” She struggles to say without sounding condescending.

Nightingale notices her tone and hums a chuckle. “You’ll get your supper soon.” He takes a drag of his cig, before closing her door. Maud’s nose twitches as the tobacco filled smoke floats around her. Frowning she throws the book against the wall and lays back on her bed.

The metal typebars of a typewriter smack violently against the parchment resting on the platen cylinder. Getting to the end of the paper, Nightingale pulls the sheet of paper out and feeds another sheet into the machine. Moonlight who lays on the couch at the other end of the room, grumbles. “You still working on that book of yours?”

“Yes... This job consumes too much of my free time if you remember.” He raises a brow at the stallion. “I would have been finished with it long ago… But alas, my nation calls me to serve its needs.” Moonlight just sighs, as he lays his forearm over his eyes. His magic pulling a blanket over himself. Nightingale sighs at the stallion’s manners as he continues his writing.

KNOCK!

Nightingale rolls his eyes and gives a long sigh. “Come on in!” The door to the stairwell opens revealing Scarlet holding Marble by the neck, leading her into his office. Nightingale stares at the earth pony filly with a frown. “Don’t tell me that she’s causing trouble as well?”

“No sir,” Scarlet replies, shaking her head. “I just found out some fascinating information about her.” She places her hands on the filly’s shoulders. Marble cowers under her embrace.

Nightingale raises a brow. “What did you learn?” He leans back in his chair. Even Moonlight lifts his head staring at the two of them with a curious gaze.

“Well,” She squeezes Marble’s shoulders, causing the filly to squirm. “I found out that she has a sister-in-law.” She smiles. “Prisoner 5184."

Nightingale hums. “She does?” He thinks to himself trying to figure out which one of her sisters would be married... Grunting he gets up and walks over to a filing cabinet and opens one of the drawers. Taking out a file, he skims through the pages reading the information on her and her sisters. Getting to Maud’s file, he reads her age. “16…” He looks at Marble. “Is your sister Maud, the one that’s married?”

Marble shivers under his gaze. “Yes…” She plays with the skirt of her prison-gown. “The wedding never took place… though…” She looks down at her hooves, trying to hide her tears.

Nightingale frowns as he stares at the file. “Thanks for this information.” He looks at Scarlet. “You can take her back to her cell.” Scarlet nods and drags Marble out of his office home.

Moonlight looks at his friend with a raised brow. “So, your slave has some secrets.”

Nightingale sighs. “She does, doesn’t she…”

“Hän juoksiniinnopeastikuinpystyiportille, hänen mahtavallemiekalleen?” Maud questions herself, trying to make out the meaning of the words. She recognizes some, but most of them go over her head. Frustration building within her, she sets the book in her lap as she lays her head on her pillow.

Hearing the lock to her door unlatching itself, she lifts her head up and sees her master stepping into her room. Nervous, trying to understand why he would be in her room at this time of night, she sits up and observes him. “Yes, Master?”

Nightingale gives her a sly smile as he walks up to her bed. Standing over her, he reveals a folder behind his back and opens it. “So, I found out something exciting about you and your sisters today.” He skims through the files.

Maud feels herself go numb. “What do you mean, Master?”

Nightingale sighs. “Oh, that you have a sister-in-law. Ruby is her name, I’m I correct?”

Maud feels herself getting clammy. “I don’t know what you’re talking about… AH” He hits her over the head with the palm of his hand.

“Don’t lie to me! Do you remember what happens if you disobey me? You don’t want your sisters to face punishment now do you?” He glares down at her. She looks up in fear and barely nods her head. He sighs, returning his attention back to the file. “So…” He pulls out a file. “It says Ruby has a mother and two brothers here in this camp.” He reads the paper. “Her mother and baby brother are in the maternity wing of the prisoner processing station. So, that just leaves one brother as the likely candidate… How long have you been engaged to Obsidian?” He holds out his file, showing it to her.

Maud stares at the paper, she feels physically and mentally sick. She rubs her hands together, fearing the unknowns. “A-A week…”

He hums, putting the paper back in the vanilla folder. “Well aren’t you full of secrets… Have you two mated?”

Again, she feels sick. “No… The Lord forbids it until we're married…” She lies.

He hums, tapping the back of the folder with his index fingers. “Well I have a questions that need to be answered, let’s ask him, shall we?”

Obsidian lays his head against the wall of his cell, his eyes twitching as he tries to get some sleep. Igneous sleeps in the other cot, his head resting on his pillow as he stares at the ceiling of their cell, counting the small fractures scaring the concrete with heavy eyes. Hearing the latch to their door unlocking, both stallions awake from their haze and look at the door.

Three guards walk into the cell and grab Obsidian by his collar. Obsidian’s flight or fight instincts overtake him, swing, he punches one of the guards. Angry that he got a punch on his comrade, one of the guards elbows him in the back of his head. Obsidian falls to the floor, clutching his head.

Concerned for the young stallion, Igneous sits up glaring at the guards. A guard standing outside the room notices his expression. “Sit prisoner, the foreman would like to talk with him.”

Trying to keep up with the guards, Obsidian keeps his eyes on the foreman’s watchtower as they near it, it getting larger and larger as it consumes his vision. Arriving at the base of the stairs the guards shove him forward, commanding him to climb the steps. Finding his balance, Obsidian slowly ascends the stairs. Getting to the door, one of the guards knocks, “Come on in!” a muffled voice calls out to them.

Stepping into the office, Obsidian looks to his right and sees Nightingale sitting at his desk and Maud standing behind him wearing a white cotton nightgown. A chill runs up his spine as he stares at Maud, his eyes full of confusion and fear. Maud stares at him, her heart heavy with dread and fear. Embarrassed, she lowers her head and glares sadly at the fibers of the hardwood floor.

“So, I see why you’re wondering why she’s here?” Nightingale states noticing Obsidian’s expression. “I have to say colt, you know how to pick’em.” He looks back at Maud and gives her a seductive smirk. She feels uncomfortable from his wooing.

Obsidian glares at the foreman. “What do you want with me?” He growls.

Nightingale glares at him, not liking his tone. “Well, I just found out my slave was engaged before her capture.” He pulls out a bottle of bourbon and pours himself a drink. “According to Unicorpian Slave Laws, any slave that is engaged or married must renounce their union.” He sips his drink.

Both Obsidian and Maud feel their hearts sink. Maud feels her legs giving out, but she fights to keep her composure. Obsidian, on the other hand, grits his teeth. “Like hell, I won’t!” He spits stepping up to foreman’s desk.

Nightingale chuckles. “It’s not your call, you’re not a slave, she is.” He finishes his glass and pours himself some more. “She has to renounce the engagement.” He points his glass at Maud before taking a rather large sip of his bourbon. Maud collapses at his statement. Before she hits the floor, Nightingale catches her and sits her on his lap. “It’s okay, take a deep breath.”

Obsidian growls and charges at the foreman. He doesn’t make much progress as one of the guards grabs his collar with his magic, dragging him back to his place. The two other guards with him, put their arms under his armpits holding his arms against their chests.

Nightingale stares at the colt, running his left hand through her mane. “I need you to renounce your engagement, my slave.”

Maud glares at her Master and pushes his arm away. “NO! I will not!”

He rolls his eyes and gives a huff. “You’re kidding me?!” He wraps his right arm around her waist pulling her into a tight embrace as he uses his magic to tighten her collar. “Denounce your engagement!” He glances at his guards. The guard to the left of Obsidian nods, and pulls out his pistol, aiming it at Obsidian’s brow just above his left eye. Obsidian stares at the gun with wide eyes, his body shivering in fear.

Maud stares at the pistol and her fiancé. Her mind races with a billion horrid thoughts, her body shivers, sweat coats her fur, her body temperature rises. “No… No…” She silently mumbles to herself. Not hearing the correct response, the guard pulls his pistol’s hammer back. She fights the urge to puke as she sees Obsidian shaking his head, telling her not to give in… “I renounce! I… I… I… Renounce!...” She sobs, collapsing, her body leaning against her Master’s arm.

Obsidian stares at his love, his heart heavy with sadness. But deep down, he knew why she gave in.

Smiling, Nightingale drops his magic. “You can take him back to his cell.” The guards nod and drag the colt out of the office. Looking at the sobbing filly, Nightingale runs his fingers through her long soft mane. “Let’s get you to bed.” He stands her up and leads her to her room.

Getting to her cell, Nightingale opens the door and allows her to enter first, extending his hand through the doorway. Maud slowly steps into her room, her arms crossed over her chest, her head hanging low. Standing just a few inches past the doorframe, she turns around and gives him a stern glare. Without warning, she smacks him across the face.

As quickly as she smacked him, he grabs her offending arm and pulls it above her head, the awkward position causes her to drop her stern demeanor and panic as great discomfort radiates from her right shoulder.

With a grunt, he drags her to her bed and throws her on it. Bouncing on her bed, she looks up in fear as he puts his hands on his belt. “I think you’re not understanding what just happened.” He undoes his belt and throws it on the floor. “You’re no longer his, you’re mine.” His military pants fall to the floor. She shivers as she stares at his erect penis. Using his magic, he pins her arms to the bed and spreads her legs with his knees. “This is going to make it official slave.” He puts his hands behind her head, resting his forehead against hers, his eyes staring lustfully into her soul. She stares at him with fear. With a chuckle, he thrusts himself into her.

Throwing Obsidian into his cell the guards chuckle as they shut the door.

Igneous stares at the colt’s black eye and bloody snout. “What the hell did they do to you?” He gets up from his cot and kneels beside him.

Tears flow from he’s eyes as he looks up at his only remaining father figure. “Maud… The foreman took Maud as his slave!” He sobs, his arms shaking as they try to support his weight.

Igneous feels light headed, falling on his rump, he holds a hand to his forehead. “No… Oh Lord… No…” The stallion’s usually stern calm demeanor breaks as he begins to sob at the news that one of his little fillies is living a slave’s life.