Chapter Six

After hours spent in the cramped cage, staring into the sheet overhead, Flare’s entire body ached. She could jimmy open the cage. It had no padlock. It had no security measures. But she had truly become the pet. She didn’t dare exit the cage for fear of her lover’s wrath.

A smell began to radiate strongly from the room below. Metal? No, burning metal. Was there a fire? Flare turned around in the cage, hesitating to pull the pin that kept the door in its place. Would she really allow herself to be burned alive just to avoid Noel’s retribution?

Was dying really so bad at this point?

Flare shocked herself at the thought. She’d never had a single though even remotely suicidal. She’d always been so happy. She shook her head. She was not going to give up now. Lamy would be sad. As she unhooked the latch, she heard footsteps walking up the stairs and the smell of burning iron getting closer and closer. She began to shake. What sadistic thing did she have planned for her?

Noel opened the door and flicked on the lights. She pulled away the sheet from the cage and Flare’s tan face turned a ghostly pale at the sight. Noel held a cattle brand in her hands, it’s end white hot and smoking. Flare’s breath quickened into hyperventilation and she shrunk into the back of the cage. Noel had an evil smile as she observed Flare’s abject terror.

“Hi there, Flare.” she grinned “Why don’t you come out? I’ve got a special surprise for you.”

The cage began to rattle from Flare’s shaking. She wanted to scream. Wanted to yell for help. Anything to avoid what Noel wanted her to do.

“I was reading more on Elven history during the 18th century,” she began “and you’ll be amazed at what I found.”

She began to pace back and forth slowly, each heavy bootstep making Flare’s heart beat quicker and quicker.

“To properly keep track of their property, they’d brand them like cattle to avoid mistaking one slave for another’s. I figure that would be just perfect, you knife-ears look so much alike after all. Now, why don’t you come out? I promise it’ll only hurt a moment. I’ll be sure to bandage you properly. I would hate for my property to be broken.”

“Noel… please. Y-you loved me. A-a-and I loved you.”

Noel gripped the brand tightly, scowling.

“You… loved me? As in past-tense?”

Flare kept her mouth shut. Nothing she said would provoke a positive response.

“Come out.” Noel said bitterly “Now.”

Flare shook her head, receding further into the cage.

“You know what happens when you refuse me. I’ll tell you what: you come out now and take your brand in a dignified manner and I’ll give you pain meds. If you don’t, I’ll leave you to suffer.”

Flare was so terrified she couldn’t move nor cry. Noel let out an annoyed sigh and placed the brand down, being sure to keep the white-hot end away from any surface. She pulled Flare out by her hair and slammed her down on the floor, keeping a boot on her shoulder.

“Now…” she whispered, picking the brand up again “where do you want your mark? Do you want it… here?”

Noel put it to Flare’s head, stopping just short of her skin. She could feel the overwhelming heat, putting your hands in an oven.

“Or perhaps… here?”

Noel moved it to her belly, once again stopping short. She repeated this pattern over and over, at her shoulder, her waist, even her groin. Finally, Noel settled on a spot, the perfect spot. She pulled the half-elf’s shirt up and opened her bra, letting her large boobs sag. Flare shook her head, trying to struggle free.

“Don’t move too much. Just hold still.”

She pushed the brand right on the top of her right tit, causing Flare to shriek in agony. She kicked and screamed, punching her boot in futility as her eyes streamed with tears. Even the finger break didn’t hurt this bad. Her entire chest screamed along with her as her newfound stamp began to singe into her tan skin. Finally, Noel removed the brand, observing her work. It was going to come in perfectly.

“I’ll leave you here to heal. I want to go and watch some TV.”

Noel’s mind must’ve broken. It was the only explanation. The Elden Ring game she interrupted must’ve completely shattered the mind of what was once her lover. Noel, the one she fell in love with, would never do something so evil.

Flare was left to tend to her wounds herself, putting gauze over her boob with medical tape. She slept for nearly 15 hours, doubtless her body’s frenzied attempt to heal the damage. With each breath she took, the pain swelled and faded. If she could she’d have simply cut her tit right now. That next morning, she did her usual routine, getting ready for another day at college. She felt excited, not only to leave the house but to see Lamy again. It was the only thing left in her life she felt any level of joy towards. Noel had stolen everything else.

She quietly snuck out early without breakfast just to avoid the woman and left for school, arriving an entire hour early. She sat on the bench outside of the classroom, being sure to keep her shirt pulled slightly forward to avoid rubbing her bare breast. Wearing a bra was out of the question. As she watched her nipples poke from her shirt, she couldn’t help but feel like some sort of slut.

A while later, Lamy appeared. It was like she could finally breathe. Finally, a chance to be around someone safe. Someone who cared about her. Lamy instantly picked up on her distress and sat beside her.

“Was it bad?” Lamy asked calmly

Flare’s lip began to quiver.

“C’mon. Let’s go back to my place so you can rest.”

Flare nodded, doing everything she could to keep her tears in her eyes.

“But what about school?”

“This is more important. I need you safe, ok?”

“Ok.” she sniffled “Ok.”

“Can you stand?”

She nodded, lifting herself to her feet.

“Ok. Tell me if you need help walking or sitting or anything.”

Lamy’s voice retained a gentle calmness throughout the entire exchange, yet she could tell it was a thin veneer hiding a deep well of emotion. What emotion, Flare couldn’t guess. The two walked back to Lamy’s apartment.

“Go sit at the table, please. I can tell you haven’t eaten in a few days. I’ll cook you something.”

“But-“

“No arguments.” Lamy said with that same calm voice “Go sit at the table and then we can talk.”

Flare nodded meekly and sat at the table. Noel would be furious if she knew this was taking place. She counted her lucky stars she could use college as an excuse. In a few minutes, Lamy returned with some meat stew, serving them both.

“How bad was it?” Lamy asked again

Flare stared into her soup and felt her eyes got hot. As though they could communicate telepathically, Lamy knew exactly how bad it was just from the expression on her face.

“Do you need help?”

Again, Flare couldn’t answer for fear of completely breaking down. She shook her head.

“Why can’t you tell me with words?”

Flare shook her head again.

“Flare.” she said “Please look at me.”

Flare lifted her eyes from her soup, looking at Lamy’s face. It portrayed a deep sadness, almost like one found at a funeral for a loved one.

“Flare. You’re safe now.”

Her eyes widened and she completely crumbled, crying as hard as she could cry.

“I’m just…” she wailed “so… scared!”

Lamy herself could barely contain her tears as she listened to her sobbing. It came deep from her diaphragm, cries of such sadness that it filled her entire body. She got up and hugged her side, rocking her slowly like a mother does a child.

“I’m so scared!” she repeated “I’m so scared! I’m so scared!”

“Shhh… I’ve got you.” Lamy said, using every ounce of power not to cry “I’ve got you. You’re safe here. No one’s going to hurt you.”

“She… she… she…” Flare crumpled into incoherent sobs again

“What did she do?”

“She branded me!”

Lamy’s sad eyes suddenly lit with a fire of hate.

“She what?”

“She… she branded me. S-she… she took out a hot cattle brand and she… she…”

Flare broke into hard sobs again, unable to recount all of what Noel had done.

“Flare,” Lamy pleaded “You need help.”

“I can’t! She’ll kill me!”

“We can make sure that doesn’t happen, ok?”

“I’m… I’m sorry, Lamy.” Flare blubbered “I’m so god damn sorry.”

“You’ve got nothing to apologize for. Here, let me get you a blanket.”

Lamy went to her room, draping a light blanket over her body.

“I’m calling the police. I cannot allow this to continue.”

“No! Don’t!” Flare begged “She’ll go to prison!”

“Flare,” Lamy said sternly “she branded you. Of course she will, as she deserves.”

“You can’t!”

“I can’t watch her abuse you like this, no.”

“I’m not being abused… I’m just… she just…”

Lamy looked at her skeptically, waiting to see what Flare would call such behavior.

“I… well… I deserve it, don’t I?”

Lamy’s eyes once again filled with fire.

“Nobody deserves this, Flare.”

“I mean…” Flare looked down at her hands “I am a bit of a bitch, right? I-if I stopped acting so bitchy, she’d stop, sh-she said so. She loves me and just wants me to behave.”

“You’re not a dog, Flare. You’re a person. I’m calling the police.”

Flare reached her hand forward.

“No! I-I have another solution.”

“Oh yeah? What?”

“I’ll…” Flare took a deep breath “I’ll break up with her. She won’t go to jail and I won’t be abused. Everyone wins.”

Lamy squeezed her hands into fists, feeling them shake with rage.

“Promise me you will. If you don’t break up with her, I’m going to call.”

“I-I promise. I promise. You have my word.”

Lamy let out a sigh and unclenched her fists.

“Alright. I suppose I can meet you halfway. Now eat your soup before it gets cold.”