[PRP] Submit (Ovu and Kefir)

[Kimaria]

Ilizi had tried her best to comfort him, to woo him to accept the Nergui as his new home. As his new people. But Kefir seemed to be beyond self-preservation now. Strange really for such a baby lion to be so strong in the face of torture and death. If his family could see him now they would most likely be shocked at his resolve. At how his stood death in the face and said to him: No.

Even still, he'd begun to trust Ilizi more and more and he was sure he could see the sadness and the weariness in her eyes as she visited him. She seemed jumpy, too, and when he saw the way the Nergui looked at her he could understand why that would be. She had told him that the Nergui viewed her as an abomination and could not understand why he would turn aside the opportunity to be considered a higher-class being, becoming a well-renowned seer - or Kaar, to the native speakers. It wasn't that he wanted to die. Far from it, in fact. It was just that he did not want to become a tool for them to use. The idea of it disgusted him far more than the idea of never seeing his family again. They, at least, would never know of his torment.

What he didn't understand was why he still lived.

He did not take the Nergui for a patient sort and yet he had been under the care of Ilizi for little under seven days now. The Nergui had left him alone and the only one who had visited was the one who called himself Muunokhoi. And the way that the huge male glared at him. He could read the blood lust there. Muunokhoi wanted him dead. So why wasn't he? Were his seer powers really important enough to keep him alive for this long?

He curled up tighter against the rock that sheltered him from the wind and tucked his face into his paws to block out the world. Sometimes he thought if he couldn't see the Nergui they wouldn't be able to see him and they'd forget his presence. Forget and move away so that he could continue on his journey.

But that was never going to happen.

 

[~Masamune~]

Unfortunately for the sheltering male, he had already been spotted. A pair of red, bloodshot eyes were fixed on him, watching him as he covered his face with his paws. They belonged to Ovu, who had been sent to visit the male in order to 'persuade' him to use his special gifts on their behalf.

Ovu grinned maliciously as he watched the male for a while, before moving towards him. Oh what he wouldn't give to murder this insolent slave. No matter how many times the 'abomination' had attempted to change his mind, he had consistantly refused to come around to the Nergui was of thinking. That simply wouldn't do. Not when the Nergui had so much to offer in terms of power and influence.

As the sun slowly fell in the sky, Ovu quietly made his way closer to the male. The setting sun bathed him in a blood-red glow, much like his own coat, whilst an eerie shadow was cast behind him. When he reached the male, he lowered his head to his level, a sinister smirk touching his face as he did so. With his claws extended, he raised a paw and placed it gently on one of the male's paws. Ovu then went to dig his claws in, hopefully before the male could react.

"Good evening."  

[Kimaria]

The voice sent a shudder of fear down his spine and for a moment Kefir remained very still, not daring to move at all. Maybe if he was very, very still, the Nergui would think him dead and just pass by. But claws were in his paw now - pressing against skin and then piercing it. A flash of pain ran through him and now he was shaking and the dead didn't get scared. He curled up a little tighter and let out a strangled whimper. What was a Nergui doing here? Was his time up? Was this the end for him?

Well, if that was the case, he should die with some pride. He'd never been strong before but his resistance had proved to himself that he could be strong if he really believed in it. And he didn't want to die with his face hidden beneath his paws - close to the dirt.

Even still, the terror made moving an incredibly difficult task and for a moment he thought the muscles in his neck would refuse to lift his head - until he took in a deep breath and summoned all the courage that he had. Unfortunately that courage fled when he finally raised his head and looked into the frightening face of the Nergui standing over him. The creature hovering at his eye-level was more monster than lion, with markings that almost seemed to grotesque to be true. Black against vivid red; the red like shining blood against his sides. Kefir swallowed and tried to look unaffected, but the effort would have been made in vain. He opened his mouth to speak but ended up gaping in fear, pushing himself further against the stone as if hoping it might envelope him and protect him from this monstrosity.

"W-w-what...?" And that's all he managed before his throat closed up.  

[~Masamune~]

Ovu chuckled to himself as the male let out a small whimper, causing him to dig his claws even deeper. As the faint scent of blood touched his nose, the terrifying male smiled, almost contently. After a while, he slowly removed his claws from the male and lifted his paw. Each claw was tipped with blood, which was now slowly dripping its way down his pads. Still smiling, he licked the male's blood from his paws and his claws, before finally turning his attentions back to the male.

"You taste delicious." He smirked as he watched the male's somewhat feeble attempts at being brave. Ovu remained dangerously close to the grey male as he finally managed to pull himself up. It was quite impressive in a way, but he knew it was only for show. In his mind, there were only two types of creatures in this World; those who were smart enough to fear him as soon as they saw him, and those who were too stupid to do so. Those who were too stupid were always taught otherwise, one way or another. This grey male was lucky that his attempts at courage were so obviously forced.

"Kefir, isn't it?"  

[Kimaria]

Kefir's barriers - as weak as they were - crumbled at the lion's actions and his words. His whole body hunched, the fur on his shoulders puffing up automatically. The stone against his back seemed to be holding him steady - as if aiding the Nergui in his task.

The world was truly against him.

"I-I-I..." He stammered helplessly, his ears folding back into his mane. "Yes." He managed to end at last, his eyes still wide; pupils dilated to enhance the look of fear that he wore there. A shudder ran through him as he imagined those claws raking though him, causing pain. Muunokhoi had struck him before but there was something different about this one. Something that filled him with terror.

"P-please. What's going on?" His eyes darted to and fro, seeking out the hybrid who had tried to befriend herself to him over the past few days. Unfortunately she was nowhere in sight. "W-where...where's Ilizi?"  

[~Masamune~]

"Pleased to meet you Kefir." He smirked. "My name is Ovu." For Ovu, planting a seed of fear in his victims that quickly grew and consumed them was just as fun as the chase that often followed, and then finally the kill. Oh, how he missed those games. Being told about this particular slave had made him as close to happy as he had been in a very long time. Although he was under strict orders not to kill him, that didn't mean that he couldn't have fun tormenting him.

When the shivering grey lion mentioned Ilizi, Ovu let out a grim chuckle. "Oh, she won't be visiting you anymore." The bloody red lions tail flicked melodically from side to side. "That 'abomination' has proven herself to be useless. All she was asked to do was convince you to use your gifts on our behalf, and she couldn't even do that." The sick grin on his face grew increasingly more sinister as he went on. "So now, that task has fallen to me, making her...expendable."

Ovu watched the male intently, his bloodshot eyes seemingly staring right through him. "I can't wait to be let loose on her. It's clear that you're not going to do what we say, and so..." He chuckled once more. "Well, lets just say that the other Nergui have told me to take her somewhere outside of the lands, as they don't want to clear up the mess." Although he wasn't quite sure if Kefir would respond to the idea of Ilizi being hurt because of him, it was certainly worth a try. Regardless, that little p***k on his paw was going to seem small in comparison as time went on.

Even if he decided to help immediatly, the Nergui didn't have to know that.  

[Kimaria]

His reaction was immediate. Kefir seemed to be a lion who wore his emotions in his eyes - open and clear for all to see. He was not wise enough, yet, to learn how to hide them. How to play the game. "Y-you can't!" He blurted, frightened both for himself and for Ilizi. He had not trusted the hybrid but she had been kind to him and he wished no bad on her. If his stubbornness ended his own life he would be okay with that...well, as okay as anyone could be knowing that they were to die. But to think that it had brought an end to another life...

He squeezed his eyes closed and shuddered again, trying not to think about Ilizi, broken and dying, torn up by the red lion's claws.

"No. Please. This wasn't her fault. You can't do that."

Surely he wouldn't. Ilizi was a relative of the Kaar Oma. She was untouchable by all Nergui, no matter their rank. Unless...unless her failure really was unforgivable, no matter her ancestry.

"You can kill me if you want. I won't even struggle. But please, don't harm her. I'm--I'm begging you." His eyes were glazed with tears, his body still shaking with grief and fear. Was this it, then? The end for him? He was so glad that his mother would never find out. That she would simply believe he was happy somewhere in the world, so caught up in life that he simply forgot to visit.  

[~Masamune~]

Ovu tutted sarcastically, giving an exaggerated shake of his head. "I can't? Really? And why is that?" This cowering grey male was a lot more fun that he had ever hoped for. He reminded him of various cubs that he had killed, as they too showed a lot of emotion in their eyes. He could tell that Kefir was close to tears, a thought which excited him more than it probably should.

As Kefir continued to beg for Ilizi's life, growing more and more upset as he did so, Ovu simply watched intently. The fact that his victim was in such a state, having recieved very little actual violence, was quite interesting. The bloody red male knew full well the power of mental abuse. Sometimes it was even more effective than physical abuse. Physical was more certainly is preference however.

"I don't think you understand what I've been sent here to do. Your gifts, your powers, whatever it is you want to call them, make you useful. That means that I can't kill you." His expression suddenly went very dark, his mouth curling up in a vicious snarl, revealing a set of sharp, blood-stained teeth. "The Nergui need you alive. To keep me on side however, they need to provide me with what I need as well. What I need, Kefir, is death. And the only Nergui that deserves death, due to their complete and utter uselessness, is Ilizi."

As he said that, he lunged at the grey male with both front legs outstretched and all his claws extended in order to pin Kefir against the rock that he was backed up against. At such close range, he was sure to hit his target, as long as it didn't move quickly enough to dodge.  

[Kimaria]

Kefir was pinned to the wall before he even realised what had happened, his back pressed painfully against the stone; sharp edges digging into his back with bruising force. His eyes squeezed briefly closed, beading tears at the corners, before he stammered a response, still shaking, still so sure that his life was about to come to a violent end.

Was the vicious lion trying to lull him into a sense of false security?

"N-no. You're wrong. You're wrong. Not Ilizi. She...she loves the Nergui." He hoped that he was a good liar, for her sake. "She tried her best." Maybe if she'd been given more time he might have even agreed and submitted. "Please don't hurt her. She's done nothing but try and help." His hind legs scrabbled to gain purchase against the ground, but with his body pinned up against the rock they scuffled helplessly against the dirt; utterly useless.

And he could have wept at the grief of believing he might have caused Ilizi's death. She who was only trying to survive. She who had practically begged him to reconsider. "It's useless anyway." His voice shook. "I can't--I can't see anything any more. The visions are gone." Another lie and he was shaking again, wishing that he could work out a way to save Ilizi. "That's why I didn't listen to her."  

[~Masamune~]

Having landed his target, he punched his paws directly into his victim's chest, before spreading them slightly so as to keep a firm grip. He then viciously dug his claws in as deep as he could in order to cause as much pain as possible as he pinned the unfortunate male up against the rock. Ovu couldn't care less how long it took, Kefir would give in to him eventually. In fact, the longer he resisted, the more fun it would be for Ovu.

The black and red lion sneered as he felt blood trickle between his pads. His paws trembled ever so slightly as Kefir continued to shake. "You're making me so happy right now Kefir, do you know that?" Ovu seemingly completely ignored what the male had said, and was now simply grinning sadistically at him. "You see, all these lies you're telling, they mean that I can stay here for longer." It turned out that he had in fact listened to everything that Kefir had said, but he had chosen not to believe it. And the pleas for Ilizi's life were completely disregarded.

Suddenly, Ovu ripped his claws out from the male's chest and returned to a sitting position. With an almost gleeful expression, he stared down at his paws, which were now glistening with fresh blood. "Kefir, do you think that there is any fate worse than death?" As he said that, his gaze slowly returned to the grey male. The expression on his face now was somewhat hollow and cold, but also extremely sinister.  

[Kimaria]

Pain shot through him and he gave a strangled sound as it registered with him. He wondered what he had done to deserve such a fate. Wondered whether this was his punishment for foolishness. Foolishness in setting off alone to find one single lioness with only his clumsy visions to aid him.

And when it seemed that the lion was not listening to him he entered a new level of despair. This lion could not be reasoned with. Could not be bargained with. It didn't matter now. Whatever he said or did, Ilizi would die and her death would be on his head. He might as well have been the lion to do it.

And then the claws were wrenched out of him, the pain erupting in his chest at the freshly torn wounds. He dared not look down, frightened that he'd faint if he saw blood. He sagged, though, his paws struggling to gain purchase on the ground so that he kept slipping forwards. So lost in the pain he almost didn't hear Ovu's question past the rushing of blood in his ears. But he did hear it and when he responded, his voice was quiet and shaky.

"Y-yes." He didn't look at the lion now, choosing to focus at a crack in the parched ground instead. "T-to be--to be used. To not be free." Or, unspoken: to be a Nergui.  

[~Masamune~]

Ovu let out a terrifying laugh upon hearing Kefir's answer. "Seriously? Not being free is the worst thing you can think of?" His laughter continued for a few moments more, before dying down into a sinister chuckle. "Oh Kefir, you have much to learn." Grinning widely, he brought a bloodied paw up to his mouth so that he could begin licking it clean. As he methodically licked each claw, and then each pad, he considered how best to proceed.

When he was done, he lowered his paw and began tapping the ground with his claws in an almost impatiant manner. Having noticed that Kefir had fixed his gaze on the ground, Ovu crept forward so as to lower his head into the dark male's line of sight, allowing him to stare directly into his eyes. "Do you want to know what acts that I think are worse than death?" He smirked. "If you're on the receiving end of them that is." He slowly raised his head, so that he could whisper directly into Kefir's ear. "Torture. Mutilation. Rape." Each word was said without emotion, without any hint of jest. Clearly, these were words that Ovu was very familiar with.

In order to better view Kefir's reaction, he jerked his head back and returned to a sitting position. "Those are the ones that always pop into my head first. You would be surprised how many welcome death after having their legs broken, or after having been raped. Or both." He spoke with such a matter of fact tone of voice, that even the Nergui may have been sickened by it. He hadn't yet found out how they felt about such atrocities, but hopefully he would at some point.

With all this in mind, Ovu now hoped that he would be successful in what he had set out to do. "Now Kefir, I'm going to say this slowly and plainly, so that you're able to understand. If you continue to refuse to use your powers on behalf of the Nergui, I will subject Ilizi to every single vile act that I can think of." He smirked. "And since you yourself have admitted that not being free is a fate worse than death, I won't kill her. I'll continue to use and abuse her for every moment that she chooses to cling on to her miserable life."  

[Kimaria]

He shuddered, almost afraid to hear what the lion's words would be. The sinister laugh had him recoiling in fear, almost as if expecting a blow to follow. It never came, though. Instead he found himself looking into his dark, horrifying eyes and he wished for death then. Wished for death more than ever before. He was so afraid. So afraid that death, at that moment, would have seemed a blessing.

And then he listed the fates worse than death and he felt a cold fist close around his heart, impressing each word into him so that he might never forget it. He let out a dry croak and pressed himself further against the rock, smearing it with his own blood. His legs were shaking violently and his eyes flicked, almost as if seeking a way out. A way out of this hellish place.

But he was cornered now. Utterly cornered. Ovu had him right where he wanted him and what was he to do but submit?

Ilizi and he were both trapped here. Both prisoners. The only reason he had been treated badly was because he did not want to play any part in the Nergui's evil. But having someone else suffer for that was unthinkable. There would be no good death waiting for him if that happened.

"Okay." He gasped, his body shaking. "I'll do it. I'll help. I'll help. Just please, please don't hurt her. She did her best. She did it but I wouldn't listen. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Just please...please don't hurt her." His heart felt broken as he bowed his head and whispered: "I submit."  

[~Masamune~]

It tickled him to see how fearful Kefir was of him. At the same time though, it almost pained him that there was very little more he could do other than scare him. Once again, he was quite surprised at the immense amount of self-control he had. The fact that he had been left alone with one as weak as this posed such great temptation. It was just as well that the job he had been set was finally complete.

"Good boy." He mused, once Kefir had finally agreed to use his powers on behalf of the Nergui. Ovu got to his feet, allowing his tail to whip steadily from side to side. "See, everyone's a winner. You and Ilizi get to live, without fear of 'concequences', and the Nergui get whatever information they think that your powers will provide."

Although his tone of voice was unusually cheery, his expression suddenly turned very dark. "It's funny really, as the only one who hasn't got what they wanted, is me." Ovu bared his teeth viciously at Kefir, seemingly becoming very angry for the first time in their meeting. "Be warned, you pathetic waste of skin and bones, I will cut you down the moment the Nergui allow it." He snarled. "So if you even think about denying them once I've told them that you will use your powers for them, I will be here to rip out that lying tongue of yours." With that, the bloody red male turned and headed towards the Nergui guards that were undoubtedly nearby, in order to inform them of Kefir's submission.

(( Finished! ))