BH Ch. 03: The Afflicted

He backhanded a metal pitcher from the table which pinged into a wall and glugged its contents onto the stone floor. After two weeks, his supplies must be getting short and it wasn't going to help to waste valuable resources while he raged. Ellis took some steps towards him in order to try and placate him.

'Sir, if you would allow me to enter the dungeons you may come back to Trilisus with us. There is a royal battle carriage outside with one of the best driver's in the kingdom.'

The sentry forced his wheezing laugh again and started to cough. He heaved himself out of the chair, towering over the much smaller healer. 'Can't go back to Trilisus,' he said softly. 'That's where I got exiled from.'

'I see,' Ellis said. 'Well perhaps I could explain to the king...'

The healer started to backpedal as a lecherous look came over the sentry's face and his gaze began to rove over her body. His big arms shot out and grabbed the front of her robes again. Ellis started to protest but his strong hands began tugging and ripping before she could say anything. His strong grip shredded the material like parchment and her breasts popped free. She tried to cover them with her arms but he batted her resistance away and grabbed a breast in each hand to squeeze roughly.

Ellis bit her lip to avoid screaming out, this man was clearly unpredictable and could crush her with his bare hands. She stifled several cries as his hands pinched and crushed her breasts. She turned her head to the side as his face approached more to avoid the stench of his breath then anything else.

'I 'ave decided there's a new payment requirement to go in the dungeons,' he whispered in her ear and licked the side of her neck.

Before Ellis could respond, one hand seized the top of her hand and pushed her down to her knees. The other hand swiftly unbuckled his breeches which dropped to down to reveal a heavy mass of folded flesh that smelt of sweat and infection. The sentry heaved his enormous belly folds up with one arm to reveal a stubby erect penis almost hiding in a crusty bush of pubic hair.

'Suck my cock you stoopid bitch!' The sentry pulled Ellis' head towards his groin, the smell was even worse as she got close and it needed all her resolve not to gag. A disgusting cheese like stench was coming from the sentry's foreskin combined with urine and unwashed body parts.

She was forced to bury her face into his flabby flesh to even reach his genitals. He clumsily tried to thrust his bulky hips forwards to try and force his shaft between her lips but his large torso just banged against her head and almost knocked her flat. Eventually he manipulated her head after a lot of hair pulling and grunts until he could rest the stinking member against her lips.

When Ellis tried to resist, he tightened his grip on the back of her neck until she gasped. As her mouth open, the small nub of his penis invaded her mouth. It tasted as bad as it smelt, a wave of nausea swept over her as salty, bitter tastes filled her mouth. His wiry pubic hair tickled her chin as he moved her head back and forth. The whole length of it only reached her back teeth but it was the foulness of the unwashed areas which started to make her eyes water.

Ellis could do nothing more for fear the grip on her neck would tighten further and cause her vertebrae to snap. She tried to summon as much saliva into her mouth as possible to drown the awful taste. It wasn't long before long strands leaked from the sides of her mouth and dribbled down her breasts. As she started to choke and cough, the obese sentry dragged her hair back and dragged her over to the table.

He sat down in the chair, his belly flopping over his hips. It allowed him to push Ellis' face into his groin more freely as he forced the fellatio once again. He was letting out long wheezing grunts of pleasure now and calling her vile names like whore, slut and harlot. It was clearly getting him off as his foul body convulsed and he took a swig of something from a nearby tankard.

Ellis narrowed her eyes and saw an opportunity to end this debacle. She slowly raised a hand between the sentry's legs, feeling around for his testicles. It felt like she was inserting her hand into a sewer but her fingers eventually found them and began to massage. She started to make movements with her tongue, slipping it around the head of the penis and circling it slowly.

The fat sentry threw his head back, his legs shaking with the pleasure of Ellis' oral ministrations. While his blubbery head was thrown back, she quickly reached for a vial at her belt and uncorked it with a practiced flick of her thumb. She quickly tilted a small amount into the tankard and then withdrew her arm just in time as the sentry looked back down at her.

His eyes bugged and his jowls quivered as a stream of hot fluid erupted from his penis into Ellis' mouth. His hand held her head firm as he ejaculated another four jets of semen into her. He took a massive swig from the tankard, smacking his lips and the pushing her in the face to send her sliding across the ground. He laughed raucously, slapping his thighs and draining the last of the tankard.

'You suck cock well,' the sentry wheezed. 'You should be whore, not a healer.'

Ellis ignored the comment, spitting out the lumpy, congealed ejaculate from her mouth. She reached for a vial of clear fluid and took a swig, rinsing around her mouth and wincing as it stung. There was no telling what kind of bacteria was in that man's nether regions. Dolseed oil was a natural agent to kill bacteria in the mouth. Ellis rubbed more on her lips, the harsh taste was much more durable then what she had previously had in her mouth.

'Ere! Swallow that back up! Too good to spit out!' The sentry went to stand but his eyes bugged as his chunky legs wobbled and he went to one knee. 'What...?'

He belched and his eyes rolled up into his eyes and he slowly toppled backwards. Luckily, most of his obese fat rolls kept his head from hitting the stone floor. In moments he was snoring soundly, his breeches still round his ankles.

Ellis unfolded a small wax parcel and removed two white and green icemint leaves. She popped them in her mouth and crunched them, the refreshing taste of fresh mint eradicating the taste of unwashed sex organs. The sleeping draught she had slipped into the sentry's drink was normally used for horses but could be administered to humans in small doses. Too much would be fatal but it seemed she had got the dosage just right.

She busied herself, not dwelling on what had just occurred.

She looked for a prisoner manifest which might indicate exactly where the Prince was being kept. He would not have been admitted under his real name. Ellis found a large book in one corner and cleared some space on the table. A number of pages had been torn out though or had large gaps where the garrison had not properly recorded patients and visitors.

As she moved the book, she nudged a stack of awkwardly balanced plated and saw a ring of keys underneath. They must be the keys for heading further into the dungeon. The sentry would be no use to her now and she wanted Dray to stay outside to ensure they had a clear escape route.

There was no sign of any other garrison soldiers. There could be more further into the dungeons but she doubted that from what the obese sentry had said about everybody leaving. There were only six iron keys and it didn't take her long to find one which slid into the second dungeon door smoothly and click the lock open.

Ellis peered around the crack in the door and saw only darkness. She quickly rearranged her robes as best she could, covering up her breasts and tying the ripped material into a knot around her neck. She retrieved a small brass candle holder which still had a decent amount of wax left and entered deeper into Darkhaven asylum.

There was little to no natural light beyond the door. A set of spiral stone steps wound downwards. Ellis made her way down and she began to hear the sounds of the patients below. The odd echoing scream, babbling and even maniacal laughter. Her heart started to beat faster in her chest and several times she halted and thought it would be safer to get Dray to escort her down.

She continued though until she reached the bottom. An arched passageway led further into the asylum and the noise was starting to get unbearable. When the pool of light from her candle emerged, the noises suddenly ceased as if the patients knew they had a visitor.

A wide stone passageway, lined with what were little more than prison cells, occupied the depths. Ellis made a note not to stray too far from the centre, she did not want any of the patients suddenly grabbing at her. The first two cells were empty as far as she could see but then the next one was occupied and she nearly jumped out of her skin as the light revealed a pale face pressed against the bars.

It was an older woman of around 50 winters with a dirty, wrinkled face and wild grey hair. It appeared like she was trying to force her head through the bars. She saw Ellis and tears welled in her eyes and she began shaking her head. 'I-I'm sorry they are coming for you my dear,' she said. 'I will miss you when you are gone.'

She then put two fingers in her mouth and drew the corners wide to expose a set of grey rotting teeth. She waggled her tongue obscenely and cackled, withdrawing into the darkness making strange whooping noises. Ellis hurried on, eager not to linger too long in this place.

A Dull thumping could be heard from the next cell along. Ellis reluctantly stepped towards it to cast light upon an emaciated looking man with thinning hair and overgrown beard. He sat cross legged opposite the cell all and was steadily bumping his head against the stone. He stopped when the light was cast over him, turning to look at Ellis with a solemn cross eyed expression. His forehead was covered with scabs and old scars. Some of which trickled blood giving him a grisly crimson mask. He stared at her for a while and then went back to bumping his head against the wall.

The opposite cell sounded like somebody was shivering to death and Ellis saw a young girl wearing a simple white gown standing at the iron bars. Her dark hair hung in lank strands across her face and her uncovered arms and legs were filthy with grime. Her entire body was shaking and convulsing as if she were having some form of seizure. The girl's hands extended beyond the iron bars of the cell as if imploring for help.

Ellis almost went to her until she saw the corner of the girl's mouth twitch and a row of teeth sharpened to points flashed in the light. Just in time, Ellis retreated as the girl's fingers made a grab for her. She hissed, bearing two full rows of painstakingly sharp teeth and casually walked further back into her cell.

Her heart was filled with sorrow for these poor souls who were demented beyond all traces of humanity. The air was pungent with urine and excrement and other musty damp smells which all combined. It got so bad at one point, Ellis applied some sweet smelling ointment to her nostrils and attempted to breathe through her mouth.

She quickly inspected the rows of cells, some were silent, and some were manic. A man sat naked on his haunches, howling like a wolf while a woman in an opposite cell stood silent, staring at the ceiling while cradling a stone wrapped in swaddling as if it were a baby. Another woman lay naked on a cot and thrust her groin in the air as she masturbated vigorously. Opposite, a man stroked an erection with a dead rat in his fist as he cackled gleefully at the show.

In her moments down in the dungeon, Ellis witnessed every ailment of the mind imaginable. Call it deranged, bizarre or even frightening -- the behaviour of the patients seemed almost otherworldly at times. She saw things no other human should have to witness and she vowed to report back to the Circle of Healers in Trilisus and implore they take action against such a place.

She eventually came to a corner cell which appeared different to the others she had seen. No cells were opposite or adjacent and it was much larger than any she had seen so far. It was much cleaner and had a wardrobe and writing desk with two Elven glow stones set into the walls to give the cell a cold cast of light. Two very expensive accessories for somebody condemned to suffer.

Ellis noticed an open journal on the writing desk with a quill that appeared to still be wet with ink. Somebody had used it recently but the cell appeared empty. She set the candle on the ground and tried several of the dungeon keys until one snapped open the lock and she was able to enter. There was no need for extra light here, the glow stones illuminated the cell adequately.

The journal did not contain the scribbles and doodling of a madman. Instead, neatly spaced words formed coherent sentences. She skimmed through the page, eventually finding a passage where the author referred to himself as Herrod. This must be the correct cell but where was the prince?

As Ellis turned away from the journal, the doors to the wardrobe crashed open and a tall, slim man emerged with his arms outstretched and a large smile on his face. His sudden appearance did not so much shock Ellis but rather what he was wearing. He had donned a woman's knee high dress and had arranged his blonde hair in pigtails complete with ribbons. He had even carefully braided his beard complete with beads.

Before Ellis could say anything further, he started to do a small jig on the spot. He pumped his arms up and down while lifting each leg high and to the side. Sometimes a little too high as the dress rucked up and he exposed his quivering testicles and bouncing penis. He finished with a twirl and raised his arms out wide, staring at his visitor in expectation.

Ellis could do the only thing she could think which was clap politely. 'Are you Prince Herrod?'

The man clasped his hands together and a look of pleasure crossed his face. 'Oh! Yes! Yes! Yes!' He answered in a high pitched voice which sounded more like a small girl's then a man. 'I haven't been called the Prince for a long time. It's so nice of you to visit Mommy.'

'Oh! I'm not your mother, the queen is your mother. Do you remember?' Ellis was slightly taken aback by being referred to as his mother. The Prince was clearly older then her for one thing.

Prince Herrod looked confused for a moment, stroking his beard and then looking into her eyes. 'The queen?' This time his voice reverted to a more normal male tone. 'I remember. She put me here! I hate her! I want you to be my new Mommy!'

'I'm afraid I can't be your Mommy,' Ellis shook her head.

'I want to go home now Mommy,' the Prince said ignoring what she has just said. 'I don't like it here. I'm sorry for what I did to those servants.'

Ellis didn't want to know what he had done to the servants but she may be able to play on his temporary infatuation with her. 'We can go home Prince, we have a carriage waiting outside.'

'Marvellous! The prince squealed in his girly voice. 'Would you pass me my journal please?' He swayed on the spot battering his eyelids.

Ellis turned to retrieve the item and the prince attacked.

He pinned her arms to her sides and yanked them painfully behind her back, tightly securing her wrists with the ribbons in his hair. He leaned over and whispered into her ear, 'It's time to punish you Mommy.'

The Prince lifted Ellis by the waist and carried her struggling body to a bed where he threw her face down. She kicked and scratched at him as he tried to get on top of her until two vicious backhands across her cheeks dazed her into obedience. He twisted her body back onto her front and tore and ripped at her robes, eventually pushing them up her legs to expose her bare buttocks.

He dragged her behind off the edge of the bed so her knees touched the floor and then buried his face into her backside. He sniffed and licked like a crazed animal, taking a particular liking to her anus which he started to probe with his fingers and then lick with his tongue. Ellis was only partially coherent for this part as her vision span and she fought to retain some form of consciousness.

She became more cognizant as the Prince withdrew his tongue from her anus and pushed the head of his penis against the puckered flesh. She thrashed her legs and shouted at the Prince to stop but he just giggled and continued to push until the flesh parted and the head of his manhood slipped inside her back passage.

Ellis gasped out loud, scratching and clawing at the bindings on her wrists to try and get away from the forced invasion of her private areas. The Prince thrust hard, half of his shaft sinking into her hole which made the young healer scream and bury her face in the bed as sharp pain ripped through her. As the prince started to thrust, Ellis let out muted grunts through clenched teeth. He was not gentle as he violated her anus, his punishment was brutal and unforgiving.

With every thrust he started to squeal at her in his high pitched voice, 'Bad Mommy! I hate you Mommy!'

Ellis cringed but could do little to stop him as his weight crushed her. He pulled her braid in his hand and wrapped it around his forearm. The Prince savagely tugged on it, pulling her head back as he thumped his organ in between her buttocks, salivating at her grunts of dismay. His pace was furious and her anus felt sore like a rough file was scraping her insides.

'Oh Mommy! Mommy! I am going to spill my dirty juice into you!' The prince giggled and quickened his pace as his penis jerked and throbbed inside her.

Her screams were louder at that moment then any of the patients inside the dungeon asylum. Her breasts bounced free of her robes as the Prince entered the throes of orgasm and it was some relief when his oily sperm flooded her anal cavity to provide some lubrication.

Both were panting with the effort of the copulation. The prince pulled out his erection and collapsed back on the floor, making weird little windmill motions with his arms.

Ellis tugged her arms, loosening the restraints a little. She glanced back at the prince who was still laying on the floor and was now cycling his legs in mid-air as if he was running. She managed to pull one of the ribbons loose and gained enough slack to reach her belt of potions. The one she wanted was a blue liquid in a small round glass bottle.

Prince Herrod spotted she had got her arms free and made a lunge at her. He gripped the bottle as she laid her own hands on it but Ellis twisted and managed to throw it to the ground. As the bottle shattered, the blue liquid erupted in a bright light and expelled a pungent gas. The Prince took the brunt of it, the fumes immediately made him cry out in despair as they touched his eyes and slid into his mouth and nose.

Ellis kept her face flat to the bed, retrieving part of her torn robe to cover her eyes. She felt the fumes tickling her skin and she heard the Prince start to crash around the room. Cryweed, when distilled correctly, acted as a fearsome deterrent for parasites and also for attackers. It could temporarily blind humans and make breathing very difficult. The Prince had just ingested a vast amount which was going to be extremely irritating for days if not weeks.

She quickly removed the bonds from her wrists, wriggling her arms and shaking the ribbons free. The Prince's ejaculate slithered out of her anus as she moved and she wiped the escaping fluid on his bedsheets where, no doubt, copious amounts stained the linen.

Prince Herrod lay on the ground in a foetal position, his eyes were firmly shut and streaming tears. His nose and mouth also leaked clear fluid and he was snivelling like a child with a cold. Ellis stripped her robes off, the tattered garments were of no use to her anymore. She tied the Prince's hands with his own hair ribbons and then wrapped his arms and legs in her robes which she formed into a giant bandage loop she could hook over her shoulders. A quick inspection of the wardrobe revealed more ladies clothes then men's and Ellis hurriedly picked a plain dress to cover her modesty and re-attached her belt over the top.