Tichaona didn't know what to expect from the hallowing sounds of death in the Ethereal Woods. As the dragon that the dark figure rode, carried him into the heavy fog, he wondered what was going to happen to him. He didn't have to worry about Tanatswa pursuing him anymore, now he had to contend with his fate as the dark figure took him to her layer. This mysterious woman with blue skin, white frosty hair, frightening eyes and somehow, a pleasant looking face, was all things considered, a paradoxical entity. Her body was veiled by some form of alien black armour with extremely detailed embroidery, etched with things he couldn't tell. Her black miasma, which acted as an aura that engulfed most of her body, made her quite the startling sight. As they got deeper into the woods, Tichaona noticed the various skeletons from different animals, all scattered around as well as packs of wolves that would stroll around, munching on unicorn flesh. The stench of unicorn meat was repugnant, something he would have to deal with as they journeyed through the thick vegetation. The cacophony of ghostly whispers, sounds of heavy thuds as well as change in humidity of the air, made the experience painful for the captive man.
The journey lasted close to 26 minutes which seemed like an eternity for him due the coiled tail of the dragon, pressing on his wounds. The foliage which reminded him of something akin to the amazon rain forest was now becoming less as they headed for a specific route. The route seemed inclined and soon enough, a mechanical station with dim amber lights became visible. It was an alien ship, one that seemed damaged beyond repair with many scraps of metal and other alloys all around it. Regardless of the decrepit state of the ship, it still had running power. Tichaona glanced all around, with stupendous facial expressions. The conical shaped ship which was wedged into the surface of the ground seemed to be reacting to the presence of the dark figure. The dim lights became bright and suddenly, a mechanical mechanism began to do its work inside the ship. In a matter of moments, something resembling a hatch opened. Tichaona looked at the entrance with many concerns, one of them being; would he get eaten and did the definition of bedding him for this dark figure mean that it would lay its eggs inside of him. With only Hollywood films to base his perception of aliens, he definitely thought he was going to be exposed to something grotesque. If only he had a bit of mana reserved, he could have broken free and fled to safety. The dark figure glanced at him and then said, "Dear guest, we have arrived at my sanctuary. Do not be fooled by the outward appearance of my vessel, it's what's inside that matters." Tichaona was more concerned about not being taken inside and wondered why this creature even cared about his opinion. The opening of the hatch was wide enough to accommodate two vehicles and as the dragon trotted up the inclined rail, Tichaona began to pray inside. As soon as they got inside, the hatch closed behind them, making synth sounding sounds as well as screeching metallic locking. Whatever the dark figure intended to do with him, he had no means of escaping it.
The interior of the ship was mostly silver like with large corridors. There were no doors and the floor resembled a highly reflective marble like surface. The dragon reached a dead end which ended up revealing a hatch that opened instantly. Inside there were several caged creatures, behind a transparent glass cage with accompanying food and foliage that went along with the species preferred habitat. The dark figure got off the dragon and it became clear to him that she was very tall. Her height was 7'11 feet. The dark figure then told the dragon, "Mercinia, you may rest. Give me this man. The unicorn meat you love is your reward for tonight." The dragon lowered its tail as she opened her arms to catch him. Tichaona sled into her arms as she disengaged her miasma. Her armour became completely visible and the intricate attention to detail that was etched into its design became extremely apparent. Tichaona trembled as the dark figure held him. The dragon that had released him went into it a vacant space that was adjacent to one of the cages with the animals. As soon as it was in, the vacant space was walled by the transparent glass. Most of the creatures in the room were levels 6 to 10 and they looked like ferocious beasts. The dark figure's level was way above all of them and it seemed as if he could not get a reading. He was then taken to another room by her, which looked more like a living quarters and was placed on what looked like a roundabout sofa. The material felt soft and had a dark grey colour. Unfortunately for the dark figure, her sofa was tainted by the dirt, grime and blood on his clothing. Tichaona pulled himself together by sitting upright after she had released him and darted quickly at his environment. There was a table that seemed to have several utensils. It resembled what you'd find in an open kitchen but there weren't any accompanying fruits to decorate it. The dark figure just watched him and he glanced at her, wondering what would happen. His initial idea was that he would run away, but his legs still needed time to heal. After starring at each other for a while, she finally removed her helmet and facial armour. Tichaona watched her closely wondering what was going to happen and said, "If you intend to eat me, I promise you, I am of a flavour that causes indigestion."
"You seem to misunderstand; I am not going to eat you. Why would I eat my future mate? Besides you have need to worry, I have chosen you to be part of my plans. One thing I will say is that trying to escape from this ship is pointless. Doors can only be accessed by my command. Resistance is futile." she said, placing her head gear on the table.
"So you were serious about that stuff. Well, do your kind, um, do you lay eggs?" he asked, wondering about her physiology. The dark figure quickly walked towards him and raised him by the neck with a choke hold. The dark figure seemed angered by his remark looked at him with venomous eyes.
"A Quendalion woman's body is not to be mocked with a comparison of how animals reproduce. Do not incite my blood lust. I am a violent woman who revels in killing. I will not kill you, but I do not wish to expose you to my wicked side tonight. I may have chosen you as my mate, but you're still a puny man in need of my guidance." she said as she strangled him with one hand. From afar it looked like a bully was dishing out injustice onto a child, as Tichaona's face became extremely veiny as his eyes became bloodshot. As soon as she released him, he fell from the height and crashed into the sofa. Tichaona panted and coughed as he pulled himself together. He became concerned about how he was supposed to converse with her, considering that his little attempt at light humour ended with him being chocked. After he was done coughing, he then told her, "What the hell do you want from me? Why am I being kept here? If you wish to kill me then do it now, I don't want to be a guinea pig or some play thing."
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"I thought I made my intentions clear back in the greenery, are you the kind that needs repetition? If I were to end you now, is that what you would want?" she said, rhetorically.
"No. I was just bluffing, I don't wish to end or whatever. I am just not a big fan of being held captive." he said as he looked at her with angry eyes.
"I am afraid you're going to have to accept your captivity for the greater good. In my culture, when a Quendalion woman chooses her mate, unless another woman or the mate can best her in martial prowess, then her acquisition of the man is final. You're under my custody." she said, sound cold in her delivery.
"Well I am from a different culture and women who kidnap men and force them against their will into subservience is considered psychotic and abnormal." he said as her pointed his finger at her.
"Then I believe the women on your planet lack a sense of agency. Quendalion women are not the passive kind." she said as she tapped the table with her hand, 3 times.
"That's just you projecting your ethnocentrism. Besides, if you think I will stay here, you're crazy. I am not going to be your mate and I am not going to aid you in any of your plans." he said, raising his voice.
"I am impressed by your defiance. I am clearly the superior one between us, but yet you wag your tongue at me. Is it feigning of strength or stupidity? I guess we will soon find out." she said, as the table opened up and out came up a carousel dish with an unusual cuisine. The dish looked like it had just come from being heated and was covered in steam. She then took a hold of the dish and then handed it over to him. Tichaona looked at the meal and scorned at the presentation. There were several competing elements. The meat smelled gamey like something he associated with roadkill meals as a young teen, but the vegetables smelled really good. He was a bit hungry, but he decided to toughen it up by giving her a piece of his mind.
"Is this your way of weasling me into some sort of acceptance? Like I eat your food, you tell me what to do and I become your lackey? If you think I will just play ball because you're stronger than me, then you got another thing coming. I have never been one to follow the rules. So let me roam free." he said, with an aggravated look.
"Roam free you say, so that you can randomly stumble upon others on this planet and get yourself killed? You are not that strong, but you have a special gift that will become a trump card against my brother. With me, you can leap ahead of all the competition, but I assure you, it will hurt, but the price for power can never be understated." she said, with a stern look.
"That's the thing, I am a lone wolf. I am sure I can find my way to the top. So, search hard and find someone else to replace me. I am not a willing participant in your plans." he said, stretching out his neck and giving her a defiant look.
"You are also stubborn. How foolish. I will erase this blemish of your character soon, but for now eat. I hope you will enjoy this meal. I have honed my cooking skills to hopefully satisfy your palate. It's a Quendalion woman's pride and joy to know that her future mate enjoys her…" she said, getting cut off when Tichaona tossed her dish to the ground.
"You think you're so self-important that you can change the subject at any time and ignore my grievance? Fuck your dish, it probably tastes like shit." he said, revealing a provocative smug on his face. What Tichaona had not prepared for with his act of disdain was the immediate backlash from the dark figure.
The dark figure grimaced to the point that her fine face became contorted. Driven by rage, she picked up Tichaona by the shoulder and threw him against the wall. The force in that toss was so strong that he passed through the wall and landed splat on the ground, in the corridor behind. The dark figure trotted quickly and screamed out, "I have damaged my home because of you. You insolent fool!" Tichaona heard her and immediately tried to crawl away. After a few attempts, he decided to will his body into walking despite how much pain was resonating in his legs. As he limped walked, the dark figure gained on him with a sprint. With her bare fingers she yanked him backwards and gave him a knee to the gut. That single blow was so painful that he soon enough coughed up blood. She then grabbed his face and dished him several punches. Tichaona's face became seriously disfigured as several of his teeth were knocked out, his jaw got dislodged and his eyes closed up due to swelling. He was whooped hard and incapacitated instantly. The dark figure then stopped herself from delivering the killing blow and gnashed her teeth in frustration. She then uttered in her temperamental state, "Why would you anger me when you're that weak? How will I deal with this fool?" As she went through mental vexation, she noticed the life bar of Tichaona depleting fast. Her few punches were enough to put him in critical condition and she began to regret having lost her temper. She then began to panic and rushed towards a specific room where she kept medicine and other useful solutions. She took a vile with some sort of serum and rushed back to him. She administered the contents via his shattered mouth and worried that in anger, she had completely absolved her chances of defeating her brother by killing this man. Blood continued to trickle out of his body and his health bar was slowly reaching the critical levels. She held her hands together in mental anguish, hoping that the solution would do its wonders on him before he was finished. Within a matter of moments, his health stabilized. His wounds and openings began to clot just as his health began to refill. She sighed in relief and then said, "You are so fragile earthling. As you are now, I could kill you by mistake due to your provocations. I must improve your standing, yes; I must quickly make you strong." The dark figure then lifted his blood soaked body and dragged him to her infirmary. The blood and fragments of flesh that were left behind were quickly tended to by some kind of vacuum cleaning bot that sucked everything that was left from Tichaona's beating. As the ship's cleaning mechanism began to work. The dark figure touched up Tichaona's body by wiping his cuts, abrasions and applied some strange liquid adhesive that would solidify into a cast. Tichaona was now in a state of bodily recovery, but the fact that he was beaten with little to no effort from her meant that there was clearly a huge gap in power between them. Whatever she had instore for him, she was definitely going to commit to seeing it through.