Serena's Inquisition (Open)

[anyaromanova]

(first, I'm sorry if this kind of thing doesn't belong in this forum, just let me know; second, if anyone has any questions feel free to PM me)

Serena was a traveler, a drifter, a nobody in this town. She was a gypsy, raised in the mystical arts of fortunetelling, palm reading, tarot, astrology. But she never did anyone any harm, and she certainly never used any spells or witchcraft on anyone. All she did was use her talents of intuition and observation to make a little money. But when a woman went to her carriage as it passed by and asked for a palm reading, Serena had no idea she was in fact the local minister's daughter. The girl returned several times, bringing with her friends, more and more people wanted to hear her fortunes. And why not? Serena's fortunes may not come true, but they were never bad. That was the thing that set her apart from other fortunetellers... She did not have a gift for knowing the true future, but she gave happy fortunes to anyone who asked. She traveled all over the place, so it wasn't like she was in any danger. And if anyone did call her out on it, she was happy to give refunds. But that was rare. Most people she met knew that it was just for fun, and not to expect anything serious.

But the minister did not see it that way.

Serena's carriage was attacked and her things taken. She was knocked out, and awoke in a cell with her wrists shackled above her head. She was freezing, wearing only a light white blouse and cotton dark blue floral print skirt that went just below her knees. This was what she had worn earlier that day when she gave a palm reading and horoscope to a young well-to-do man. Serena's exotic emerald eyes looked around the cell, which was completely dark, except for a flicker of light gleaming from the cell door's window, which led, presumably, to a corridor lit by torches. She bit her lip. She had been tortured before, but always managed to get off with little more than a flogging. She did not have to be a real soothsayer to know that this was what awaited her now...

Such was daily life for a gypsy - or anyone who did not fit the "Christian" ideal of normality - in 1562 in Germany.

Serena tried to calm herself and focus her energies. She thought if she could just do what she always did, confess to a handful of minor things, bribe a judge or mayor, she could get off with the same penalty that she had twice before, a flogging of fifty lashes...

But she had never had to deal with this particular minister, who unknown to her, was famous throughout the local area, for his distaste for non-Christians.

Serena's arms started to ache after what she assumed were three hours or so. She had been in this situation before. She convinced herself that she could handle it. Just offer them money, and you should be fine, she told herself, as the hours dragged on, and her arms began to ache worse and worse. At times, she dozed off, only to awaken shortly after by the pangs in her shoulders. She moaned softly several times, and finally heard the cell door open...

(tag to anyone who wants to join in)

 

[StFornicate]

When the Minister's courier arrived at the parish hall with an urgent message for him, Brother Jakob couldn't help but smirk in anticipation. He had heard some of the flock talking about the gypsy fortune-teller in town. He had even gone to see her, albeit from the shadows.

For shadows were where he felt most comfortable.

She was clearly a creature of sin. A temptress of the devil, sent to torture these poor common folk with something only the church should provide: hope.

Jakob had already gathered his supplies. He had known it would not be long before she attracted the attention of the authorities. His cart was already loaded with his tools, and the horse prepared. He sent the courier on his way and headed towards the minister's castle, where he was met by the jailkeep.

Jakob kept his hood low. Two guards carried his chests of tools along behind him as the jailkeep led the way into the dungeon. She was being held in the deepest, darkest part, at the end of a long corridor lit only with a few torches. The jailkeep opened the iron door to let Brother Jakob inside. With a single motion, he bid the guards set his chests down and leave him with the gypsy. He took a torch and set it in a sconce in the wall, and gazed upon her from beneath his dark hooded robes.

She was bound by her wrists overhead. Jakob knew this chamber well. He'd saved many souls here, and there were a number of implements set up in the darkness to aid him in his quest...

 

[anyaromanova]

Serena looked at the man, noticing that he had brought several things in with him. She had been through this before too. She had had her thumbs broken a few times by thumbscrews and had hung by them for several hours while she was whipped. She weaseled her way out of that by offering twenty-five gold pieces to her captors at the time. She was not afraid of such things. She appeared calm and cool, though her arms ached.

"What do you want of me?" she asked steadily.

She could not see what fate awaited her beyond the dim torchlight. But this man did not scare her; sure, he was intimidating, with his dark brown hood obscuring his face and burly, muscular physique. Still, she thought if she could offer money up front, she could get off with her usual fifty lashes in the public square.

"I have money. Just name your price. I am sure that it will help your town greatly. Shall we say, fifty gold pieces?"

 

[StFornicate]

Jakob smirked slightly, though he said nothing in reply. Instead, he turned away from her and went to one of his chests. He bent down and opened it, and pulled something out.

The long, serrated blade of a knife glinted in the torchlight. He set it down on a nearby table, and then began retrieving other items from inside. Every single one of them designed to inflict a great deal of pain, in a variety of different ways.

But, first things first.

He took a hold of the knife and walked slowly towards her, running the flat of the blade across his palm as he approached her. When he was close enough, he pressed the tip of finger against the edge, just lightly, and drew blood. He showed it to her, before rubbing his fingers together, his gaze moving to her body. She was voluptuous, certainly.

A body built for sin. It would be cleansed.

 

[anyaromanova]

Serena gulped, though she had little to drink for at least seven hours as she could figure. She trembled for a second, then relaxed. It would not be the first time she would be cut. Then she wondered if he was going to strip her. No doubt he would, eventually, but perhaps not now. The key to torture, she knew from experience, was to build up gradually. Hurt the victim a little, just to get them to be afraid enough before the real pain would begin, and by then their resolve would weaken enough to admit to anything...

Serena had seen it before, though never experienced more than the thumbscrews and a lashing. Her mother, and her three older sisters, had suffered far worse at the hands of the Inquisition. She was determined to avoid their fate. She did not know what else he planned, but she had to prepare herself mentally for what she was about to endure...

Little did she know how painful it would get, and how much she would have to endure, before any mercy was granted.

"Seventy-five gold pieces are yours if you let me go," she said.

Her body was quivering ever so slightly due to the frigid temperature in the cell. Her nipples showed this clearly even through her peasant blouse. Despite the cold, she had started to sweat, her body's natural reaction to slight stress.

 

[StFornicate]

There was no reaction from Jakob at her pitiful attempt to buy her freedom. Still he said nothing, holding the knife in front of her. Her shackles jangled lightly from her shivers.

She never saw the blow coming. His gloved fist came out of nowhere, and crashed across her rather pretty face, viciously knocking her head back into the stone wall. He turned and walked away from her, back to the table of implements. He perused them, glancing up at her occasionally, his fingers gliding over the tools.

He went over to the door and rapped on it a couple times. The small window opened from the other side, and with a beckoning motion he summoned a pair of burly guards inside, and led them inside. He showed them to an iron table, with shackles for hands and feet equipped. With only motions, he bid them take the gypsy bitch and bind her there on her back, which was exactly what they did, and not too gently, either.

 

[anyaromanova]

Serena was stunned and pained by the blow, dizzy and weak. She gasped and panted a little, but quickly regained her composure. It was not the first time she had been punched. If all she had to deal with was a beating, she could handle that. Still, she was too dizzy and pained to notice her inquisitor's motions at the other end of the room.

She was a little unnerved when the guards came to the cell and unshackled her from the wall. Their gruff hands felt as though they were bruising the tender flesh of her arms, and she took a few deep breaths to prepare herself for whatever she was about to endure.

Obviously bribery was not going to work, she thought as they laid her on the table and shackled her hands and feet to the ends of the table. Her heart began to pound, not knowing what was to become of her at this point. She took a few deep breaths to compose herself.

"What have I done?" she asked. "What am I charged with? Who has accused me?"

Surely, she had a right to know. Her heart pounded faster, the silence from the guards and her inquisitor - yes, she knew that was what he was here to do - was more terrifying than anything else.

The change of position did nothing for her already aching arms. She grimaced slightly, and gazed up at her captors, waiting for what was to come.

 

[StFornicate]

Jakob regarded her in silence, strapped to the table, begging for answers. He gave no hint of any emotion; indeed, no reply at all. With a motion to the guards, they lifted up one end of the table, and propped it up beneath blocks, so her feet were raised up several inches above her head, her body inclined back.

It would not be long before the blood in her body rushed to her head.

There was a small basin of water nearby. Jakob grabbed a dirty rag and crumpled it, and grabbed her face with his strong hand. Two fingers squeezed her nostrils shut tight, and when she finally opened her mouth to breathe, he stuffed the rag inside.

Another rag was laid across her face a moment later, shielding her vision. Two strong hands, the guards, grasped the sides of her head, holding her head still.

Jakob went to the basin, filling a pitcher with the icy water, and took it to the gypsy. He held it over her body, letting some of it splash out against her, before beginning to pour it over her face, slowly, from her chin, the water soaking the rag on her face and in her mouth, saturating it...

 

[anyaromanova]

Serena trembled violently as her feet were raised. She did not expect this, and she did not know what was in store for her. She struggled to maintain her breathing composure, but as the blood came to her head, her vision started to blue and she started to get dizzy. She grimaced at the sour taste of the rag, wanting nothing more than to spit at the man. She shivered when he spilled the water on her stomach. It was quite cold. When the rest of the water soaked her chin and the rag, she gulped repeatedly, trying to avoid the feeling of drowning. At last, she thrashed her head and cried out, trying to breathe.