Diamond shaped blades dig into the flesh of a white earth pony stallion, as the bladed chains of the zebra cat o’ nine tails crack across his flanks. Each chain segment leaves a small gash, his fur turning red around the wounds. The stallion doesn’t whimper or cry as the chain is pulled away from his flank. There’s a crack as loud as a gunshot in the air as the whip reaches its backwards apex. It’s not the first time he’s heard this and it gives him the chance to brace for the pull back.
The whip swings around striking his other flank, digging into and making new cuts across the length and breadth of it. He grits his teeth, fighting back a scream of pain as the whip leaves him again.
“Impressive,” hisses the voice of his captor. “You’re standing up to this far better than any of my other slaves ever have.”
“Ha, I’ve had years of training. It’s going to take a lot more than that to break me!” The stallion shouts back as he struggles against the chains holding him against a massive stone pillar. With his face forced against the stone pillar it’s impossible for him to turn and glare at his captor, as much as he would like to.
The whip cracks against him again, this time making bloody tracks against his back that draw a wince of pain from him. “I didn’t give you permission to speak, slave.”
“I’m not your slave, Qilinbian, and I will get out of here!” He shouts back, struggling harder against the chains putting in a tremendous amount of strength and managing to make them budge slightly before the whip cracks against him again.
“You will address me as Master, Fluid Moves, one way or another.” Qilinbian growls and then cracks the whip against Fluid’s right side. Each of the diamond shaped blades digging in and making bleeding gashes.
At this point Fluid’s coat is more of a crimson red than white from all the various gashes. The pain, while intense, is nothing compared to his will to survive and his faith in his friends. He can last as long as it takes for them to come and rescue him—or until he can escape himself. Even as the bastard hits him again making several bleeding gashes across his shoulders.
As the whip cracks back again there’s an ear piercing screech from his captor. The whip is thrown against another of the massive stone pillars of the underground sanctuary as the screech ramps up in pitch. Fluid’s head rings as the sound drills into his head. Not a moment later the screeching stops as Qilinbian’s fangs sink painfully into his neck, his throat working to drain away some of Fluid’s precious blood. It feels like an eternity passes before Qilinbian pulls back from his neck and wipes his mouth, cleaning off some of the blood that had escaped his lips.
“You’re going back to your cell, slave. We’ll be continuing in the morning.” Qilinbian growls reaching up and undoing the clasp on the collar holding Fluid’s face to the stone pillar. As soon as that collar is off another one is put on him.
Fluid shudders as he feels the strength that his earth pony magic gives him simply fade away. When the cuffs holding him to the pillar release, he drops to the ground in a heap, refusing to get up at first. Qilinbian has none of that and kicks Fluid in the gut.
“Get up or I will find a more… creative use for you.” Qilinbian says with a dark chuckle sweeping some of his steel gray mane out of his face as he leers at Fluid.
Fluid spits at Qilinbian as he gets up and receives a strike across the face with a knife that he hadn’t noticed in Qilinbian’s black coated hoof before.
“Watch yourself, slave, the last thing you want me to do is to kill you and bring you back to life.” he says as he hooks a leash into Fluid’s collar. “I promise you it’s a very unpleasant experience.”
Fluid is silent, at that but his eyes stay locked with the bat pony’s green ones. Their coats are a perfect mirror for each other—not counting the blood of course. White and Black, day and night, good and evil. For a moment they stood there, eyes locked, each a force of will that could rival the princesses of old. Eventually though Qilinbian cheats, his shadow reaching out and forcing Fluid to bend down into a bow.
“That is your natural position, Fluid Moves. Bowed before me.” He says as he looks down at Fluid.
“Never, Qilinbian, never.” Fluid snarls definitely.
Qilinbian snarls back, clips a leash to Fluid’s collar and begins dragging him along the ground. The coarse stone grinds against the gashes on Fluid’s coat making him wince as the stone occasionally digs into his wounds making them worse. A trail of blood is left across the floor as Qilinbian drags him to a set of stairs.
“You can walk, or you can find out what it’s like to be plunged into a world of pure shadow, with no air, no light, and no direction until I reach the top of the stairs.”
Fluid glares at Qilinbian as he gets up and starts up the stairs, his eyes only leaving his captor when he has no choice but to watch his footing on the old and worn staircase.Even then he constantly pulls on his leash, doing his best to be a pest. Qilinbian fights back using his skills with whips to leverage and yank Fluid back, making him stumble as they crest the stairs.
“Move it.” Qilinbian hisses as he forces Fluid forward.
It’s a short distance from the stairs to Fluid’s cell. The small cramped space is just barely big enough to turn around in. With a mighty kick, Fluid is tossed into the cell and locked away for the night.