It`s a Long Way 8

The dream had started quite pleasantly: Tabea had no longer been restrained and it had been as if she was levitating or as if dozens of hands were carrying her. Then, these hands had washed and oiled her body and it had felt like a caress.

However, after that, she had again felt as if she couldn`t move and when she had tried to scream, she had found herself condemned to silence. All she could see was blackness and it seemed her bed was moving around all the time.

It took Tabea some time until she more and more realized that she had changed, but not improved her predicament. In fact, things had become worse.

Her arms were as immovable as they could be, for they had been wedged inside a leather sheath that enclosed them from near her shoulders to the tips of her fingers. This sheath had laces like a corset and so, it had been tightened in a way her elbows were pressed together and since her hands were trapped inside a stiff single glove, she could not even wriggle her fingers. Straps went from the top of the sheath and over her shoulders where they met at an iron ring that was placed between Tabea`s breasts. From this ring, two more straps went under her armpits and were connected with the armbinder, thus encircling her boobs and preventing the sheath from slipping down.

At the tips of her fingers, the armbinder had a ring and that was fixed to the wall behind her – or rather to one of the bars, for Tabea was sure that she was trapped inside a cage. This alone would have rendered her quite helpless, but her bondage was much harder.

Her legs had been bent and tied ankle to thigh, forcing the girl to kneel. In addition, her knees were tied to the side bars of her cage with leather straps, so she could not close her legs. For no other reason than to make her suffer a little more, her captors had also tied her big toes together with some kind of shoelace.

»Mmhhmmmmm!«

Tabea was still thoroughly gagged. Whoever had restrained her had taken care the girl could not scream or utter an intelligible sound. Her mouth had been stuffed with some wet cloth and above, a leather ball had been wedged between her lips, held in place by a set of tight straps. Two of these were tied at her nape, the others went from the corners of her mouth to her forehead where they met and connected to a single strap that went to the back of her neck, too. A last strap went under her chin, forcing her to keep her jaws as close as possible. Above that, a whole bandage had been wound around her head numerous times.

She had been blindfolded with similar care: a cloth pad had been placed over each of Tabea`s eyes and was secured with another bandage. Over that, a wet leather band had been tied that had now dried and kept her blindfold terribly tight. On the top of her head, her gag strap had a small iron ring. A rope had been threaded under her armpits, brought over the ceiling bars and then had been fixed to that ring, forcing the girl to remain sitting upright and keeping her from lowering her head. All she could do was wriggle her hips, flex her unbound toes or turn her head to the left or to the right.

All she could hear was a constant rattle, obviously that of the cart her cage was placed upon was bumping over some uneven road. Tabea tried to scream, but her tight gag and the noise of the cart made her cries inaudible even for her.

Pater Michele was riding his horse and looked at the small cart. It looked like myriads of others, not more than a wooden box on wheels that was carried by a strong, but homely horse. From the outside, no one could see its contents.

Despite his dangerous mission, he felt good. As a man interested in the world, he liked to travel and was glad the Abbot had given him the permission to get the possible Succubus to its final destination. Since their protection would come from God – and since Dominican monks were considered as poor and therefore rarely robbed –, he only had the cart driver and one paid mercenary with him. But Pater Michele was confident to reach his goal within ten or twelve days.

***

The dungeon had offered no clue about where Tabea had been brought and so, Jelena and Janika sneaked upwards again. None of them had the intention of staying in the dreadful cell any longer. In the main storage cellar, Janika decided that it would be a good idea to take some food with them.

»After all, we don`t know how long we will have to live from the few coins we still have!«

So, Janika knotted some bread, cheese and sausages in her shoulder cloth whilst Jelena watched the door. She thought about how they could get information. But before, they had to get out here, for being considered as thieves sure would not make the nuns open for dialogue.

The nuns still were in the church when they reached the cloister and so, the two girls reached their rope ladder unseen. Back in their hideout, they discussed their further steps.

»We can be almost sure she isn`t here any longer. This monastery sure hasn`t got an even worse and more secluded dungeon.«

However, if they just knocked at the door and asked the nuns, these would only become suspicious and sure not give them an answer. Janika proposed to get one of the nuns and make her speak, but this wasn`t practicable either: the nuns usually didn`t leave the monastery and inside, none of them ever was alone for a longer period of time.

»She has been sent here by the priest who baptized her. At least that`s what Alessandro said. Maybe, we could ask him.«

Janika scoffed.

»Well, at least, he has not sworn silence!«

However, it was at least a point where they could start. Since it was becoming dark, they decided to rest at the warehouse for the night and to spend the priest a visit the next morning.

***

 »It`s getting dark, Father!«

It was Angelo, the coach driver. Pater Michele was sure that they could have made two or three miles more, but there was a fountain nearby and the place was as good as any. So, he nodded and spoke some prayers whilst Angelo and Ettore, the mercenary, took care of the horses and prepared a camp fire.

»What about – her?«, Ettore asked the priest, pointing at the cart. Pater Michele hesitated. He had seen how Ettore and Angelo had looked at the naked woman as they had restrained her, following his orders. On the other hand, he had to take care she remained well and alive.

»Well, just never forget she might be dangerous!«

Ettore let out a laugh that told what he thought about women being dangerous, but he did not try to resist Pater Michele`s orders. So, when he entered the cart, he took a long stick with him. On one end, it had a leather collar.

Ettore unlocked the narrow cage Tabea was locked inside. The girl weakly rose her head and produced a faint moan. She was covered with sweat and obviously quite exhausted. He tied the collar around her neck and asked:

»Will you behave, Demon?«

Weakly, Tabea nodded and Ettore released her head and shoulders from the strap. Immediately, the girl collapsed and he prevented her from falling further by putting his rough hand over one of her breasts. He kneaded it and said:

»What a waste if you really had to burn!«

Tabea mmphed. After some hours of travelling restrained and gagged as she was, she was too worn out and tired to try anything, but of course, she realized that her captors had changed: there was at least one man and he was talking to her!

Ettore now freed her legs, all the time taking more advantages of the naked flesh so close to his hands. Then, he used the stick on her collar like a leash. First, Tabea crawled on her knees and ached, but then, she managed to stagger out of the cage and then down the ladder of the cart.

She was still blindfolded, but Ettore directed her to some bushes and grunted something that sounded invitingly. Tabea felt he now held the stick loose and though she could not know if the man was watching, she relieved herself. After a while, he brought her to a warmer place. For a moment, Tabea feared it was the stake the man had mentioned, but it was just a campfire and she was allowed to sit by it.

The man now removed her gag, but left her otherwise restrained and also kept the blindfold in place. When he had pulled the sodden cloth from her mouth, Tabea panted and gratefully drank from the water she was offered from a canteen.

»Thank you!«, she breathed. Again, she felt a hand on her breast, but this time, she heard a voice she knew: Pater Michele!

»Ettore! Don`t let her seduce you! Just let her eat and drink!«

»Well, some men are more affected by women than others!«, the mercenary protested, but he obeyed and took his hands from Tabea, only feeding her with pieces of bread he had dipped into some soup. After the meal, Tabea dared to speak:

»Pater Michele, please. Where am I? And where are you taking me?«

The priest answered frankly:

»I will bring you to a place where other authorities will decide whether you are obsessed or not. I thought I had proven that you are no demon. But this morning – even restrained and unable to touch yourself, even after baptism and inside the sacred walls of a monastery!«

Tabea first had no idea what he was talking about. Then, however, she remembered how the nuns had punished her for refusing to drink: with a tight strap that forced her head back and was connected to a wooden hook in her rear. A hook that moved whenever she tried to lower her head.

Tabea`s cheeks burnt from the memory how she had tried to get some pleasure from that hook. Then, a shiver ran down her spine: obviously, one of the nuns had witnessed this and the matron and the priest than had concluded that this was against nature. The work of someone obsessed by a demon. She gulped. These men would never understand that this had just been a desperate attempt to distract herself from her horrible predicament. Nor would his so-called »authorities«!

She knew how the Holy Inquisition worked: they would ask her about her »obsession«, again and again, until her answers would please them. If they didn`t, they would torture her until they did. She would either end up at the stake or die in prison before.

The sheer atavistic will to survive took over in Tabea. She was still tightly blindfolded and had her arms in a sheath, but she knew that the mercenary was sitting to her right. So, she raised her right leg and kicked him. The man grunted and Tabea jumped up.

»Help! Help! Please, somebody help!«

She ran away, not even knowing where the street was. The collar with the stick still dangled from her neck and after a few yards, Angelo managed to grab the other end. The sudden pull on her neck made Tabea slip and she landed on her backside. Before she could get up again, the man had stepped on the stick and held it down with all his weight.

Unable to rise, Tabea blindly kicked in all directions, screaming and cursing. Now, Ettore had reached the scenery and since he was a skilled soldier who could see what he was doing, he managed to grab first one of her ankles, then the second. Tabea squirmed, but the mercenary just twisted her joint until she screamed and pleaded for him to stop.

They dragged her back to the cart and there, Ettore took one of some precut leather thongs that were dangling from a hook. Quickly, but nevertheless thoroughly, he tied Tabea`s ankles. Then, trapping her feet under his arm, he methodically worked his way up her legs: he tied her midways at her lower calves, above and below her knees and at her thighs. Then, he said something to Angelo who had watched the stronger man rendering her helpless.

A moment later, Tabea felt him push his hand between her bound legs. She opened her mouth to protest, but now, Angelo grabbed her hair and stuffed the cloth, still damp with her saliva, back into her mouth. He then tightly reapplied the ball-gag and the bandage. All the time, Ettore roughly massaged her clit and labia. Then, keeping his right between her legs, he heaved her over his shoulder, spanked her buttocks a few times and then carried her back inside the cart and into the cage.

»Get me the long strap!«, he ordered Angelo. Then, he placed Tabea on her belly and sat astride on her butt. She tried to buck, but he just was too heavy and with her arms and legs tightly bound, she could not prevent him from grabbing her hair and arching her head back. His other hand, he shoved under her to knead her breast.

Angelo tied the strap to the ring at the top of her head and then threaded it over one of the bars above. Then, he brought the string down again and pushed it through the ring at Tabea`s fingertips. He then pulled the slack out, forcing her to raise her bound arms by allowing her to lower her head a bit. Ettore let her breast go, but only to grab her ankles and bend her legs upwards.

»Uuuhhmmmph! Nnnngggg!«

Meanwhile, Angelo had put the string over the roof bars another time. Ettore took the dangling end and managed to push it between her bound legs. Then, the two men adjusted the rope until they were satisfied. When Ettore tied the string off, Tabea found that the two men had worked with cruel efficiency: Her head wasn`t pulled back painfully, but she could just not rest her chin on the floor; her arms were pulled upwards so her shoulders slightly ached and her legs were pulled so high that most of her weight was resting on her boobs.

»That should keep this Succubus from trying such things again!«, Angelo said and Ettore added:

»Maybe, tomorrow morning, she will behave better!«

Then, the two men left the cart, leaving Tabea alone in her predicament.

***

The next morning, Jelena and Janika got up before dawn and went for a public well to wash themselves and make themselves as presentable as possible. Then, they went for the Dominican monastery, but the janitor told them that no women were allowed except for the church during mass. Janika sighed.

»You know, it`s about the Black that got baptized by one of your priests two days before.«

»Yes, of course, Pater Michele!«

Now, Janika showed her most friendly smile and let her shoulder cloth slip a bit, allowing him a look on her cleavage. The janitor was an old man, but he wasn`t a monk and so, he looked and told them he had watched the ceremony and that ›Innocentia‹ had been brought to the nuns of Santa Eulalia.

»We know, but we just come from there and they told us that she`s no longer with them!«

This was stretching the truth a bit and Jelena feared that the janitor would ask why women who had vowed silence would have talked to them. But he was enchanted by Janika`s cleavage. Jelena also bent forward a little, smiled also and said:

»Could you please send for Pater Michele, we just have a few questions.«

After some more hesitating and stripping them with his eyes, the Janitor finally went, leaving the two girls at the closed door. Quickly, they repeated what they had agreed to say: that they had been kidnapped by pirates and just cared if their former co-captive was well and alive.

To their surprise, after a short while, the janitor returned not only with one, but two monks. Jelena curtseyed and a moment later, Janika did the same a bit clumsily. Then, she asked:

»Pater Michele?«

»I am afraid Pater Michele`s not here! However, I am amazed that he has female visitors!«

It was the older one who had spoken. Though he was wearing the same habit as his colleague, he seemed to have a higher rank. He showed a fine smile, but he obviously was really concerned about what Pater Michele had to do with two women.

Janika cleared her throat and repeated their back story. The elder monk nodded and suddenly, he said:

»Well, perhaps, we should continue this in the visitor`s room!«

They were escorted to a small room that was furnished just with a table and a few chairs. The two monks sat side by side and the elder made a gesture to them that they should sit down opposite to them.

»So, tell me about what you have had to endure when on the pirate ship. I am Abbot Lorenzo, by the way!«

Janika noticed that the younger monk who hadn`t been introduced had taken a few sheets of paper and was obviously logging their conversation. The Abbot began to ask about what had happened and they told them a more or less plausible story. When it came to the pirates` cruelties, they left out most of the spicy details. However, it seemed that Abbot Lorenzo was more interested in Tabea.

»So, after what I heard, these pirates kept you without clothes?«

Janika nodded silently and Jelena had not to fake that her cheeks were reddening.

»And they also forced you to do some – well, unspeakable things? You needn`t tell me the details right now, just say if this is true!«

»Yes, it was horrible!«

The Abbot seemed to think about something. Then, all of a sudden, he asked:

»And yet you managed to escape? Naked, chained and gagged, but you escaped?«

»Y-yes«, Jelena stammered, a bit concerned about the change in the man`s attitude. Had he been friendly before, he now looked like a falcon ready to attack the rabbit.

»So, you are telling me that you and your – friend, three helpless women in the hands of ruthless pirates, just enter a boat and sail away? Naked and in chains?«

»Damned!«, Jelena thought. Their story had worked for the fishermen, simple people who just loved to hear a hair-raising story about poor damsels who had luckily escaped, spiced up by the fact that they had been found stark naked. This man, however, had found the plot holes in their story immediately.

Janika now tried to tell him about Bela who had helped them escape, but though Abbot Lorenzo let her speak, he didn`t seem the least convinced.

»So, now, you are telling me this: a man helps you escape, but keeps you bound and gagged and without clothes. Then, he miraculously disappears and leaves you on the boat that shortly after reaches this harbor?«

The Abbot had shortened their story a bit, but even Jelena had to admit it sounded rather strange. Now, the man slowly rose from his chair.

»I say, you came here on purpose! To condemn poor Christian souls!«

This was indeed an unexpected turn of events, but Janika, the former policewoman, acted quickly. In Hungarian, she shouted at Jelena:

»Let`s go!«

She also jumped up and with both hands, pushed the table against the two men. The edge of the tabletop hit the young man at his stomach and Abbot Lorenzo near his loins. Not waiting what damage she had inflicted, Janika grabbed Jelena`s arm and they headed for the door.

Janika remembered that they had walked down over the court and then just a few yards through a corridor before they had entered the visitor`s room. So, getting to the court was easy, but when they were just dodging an elderly monk, they could hear Abbot Lorenzo yell:

»Get these women immediately! Get them!«

The monks and servants, not used to chases within their walls, just looked perplexed. Janika headed for the door. The janitor stepped in her way, but she just punched the old man and then began working on the wooden latch. Jelena, who had fallen back a bit, just reached the entrance and by accident stepped on the janitor`s hand.

Now, Janika had ripped open the latch, but lost a precious second by throwing herself against the door that opened inwards. Cursing, she opened the door and jumped through the opening, but when Jelena wanted to follow her, she felt a strong hand grab her arm.

»Run!«, she yelled and tried to break free, but now, a second man had reached her and helped wrestling her down.

Horrified, Janika looked back and saw that now, the Abbot and two men, obviously servants, had passed the door and were standing on the open court, just a few yards away from her. The Abbot yelled, attracting the attention of two bailiffs who quickly approached.

She spun around. This court had three streets leading away from it, but the closest was from where the bailiffs now came. Quickly, Janika ran for the next closest street.

Just as she could already see the shadows of the narrow lane, she bumped into a large man. He grabbed Janika`s arm and asked:

»Are you a thief, young-«

She pushed her knee into his manhood and yanked her arm free. The man sank to the ground, but surprisingly loud, he yelled:

»Catch the thief!«

Suddenly, Janika was surrounded by people. Two more paid for this with bloody noses, but finally, they had overpowered her and now, the bailiffs and Abbot Lorenzo had arrived, too. The monk silently watched as the bailiffs roughly tied Janika`s hands in front of her and then pushed one of their spears between her elbows and her back. Using this as a handle, they positioned to her sides and half escorted, half dragged her back towards the monastery.

Abbot Lorenzo quickly blessed the people around and then followed the bailiffs. His groins still hurt from where the table had hit him, but what these women had done was more than just a sacrilege. In fact, it was even better.

It was almost a confession.

***

At about the same time, Tabea was rudely awakened by Ettore loosening the rope that had forced her to maintain her uncomfortable position for the entire night. The girl had finally dozed off from sheer exhaustion. She just collapsed on the cage`s floor and even when her legs had been freed, she needed the assistance of Angelo till she could stagger out of the cart.

Again, she could not be sure if the men watched her pee, but to Tabea, such minor embarrassments didn`t count anymore. When she was freed from her gag, she thanked the men and accepted to be fed without any resistance. Only when the meal was finished, she asked:

»Please, Pater Michele, couldn`t you just spare me to be tied so harsh? I mean, there is no way I can escape from the cage, but, please, just leave me ungagged and allow me to see and to stretch my arms.«

She paused and could almost hear the priest think. Obviously, he was considering whether she was just trying to seduce him or if he could indeed follow his good heart.

»Remember what you have said, about me being a human being, just like you!«

The moment she heard Pater Michele gasp, Tabea knew she had made a mistake. Perhaps, the priest believed that at least baptized Blacks were equal to Whites and perhaps, he truly wanted to fight slavery. But he was also a man of God, by the definition of his own century, and as such, he sure would not allow a potential succubus to say such things!

»Gag her again!«, he ordered with a harsh voice and the two men quickly obeyed, sparing Tabea neither the cloth nor the ball gag nor the bandage. Then, she was brought back inside the cage and fixed like she had been the day before. her armbinder connected to the bars behind her, her head to the ceiling whilst her legs were again strapped ankle to thigh and her knees bound to the side bars. This time, however, the men had some more cruelties in store for her.

Ettore once again took the place of a dungeon master whilst Angelo did what he told. The mercenary had stepped behind Tabea and, by reaching around her, was massaging her ample breasts. He kneaded them roughly, but not brutal, whilst Angelo tied a rope twice around Tabea`s waist. Then, he tied a number of knots in it, each some inch apart from the other, and brought the dangling rope to her back. He then slowly, one by one pressed the knots between her buttocks before he threaded the rope between her legs and through her waist rope at the front. He then pulled the slack out, prised her labia to seat the knotted rope there, and pulled again. Finally, taking the rope with him, he left the cage, followed by Ettore who said goodbye with a kiss to each of her nipples. When the door had been closed, he tied the crotch rope off to the bars, so Tabea was fixed on five sides and could barely move at all. And if she did, she would feel the knotty crotch rope even more.

»I think, today, the road will be quite uneven!«, Ettore said before the two men left the cart. A few minutes later, the little caravan continued its trip.

Pater Michele, who often went on trips on horseback, could handle it to make his horse follow the road and to say his prayers at the same time. He had some concerns about the woman – or demon? – on their cart and so, he was lost in contemplation as they slowly continued their journey. He had no eyes for Ettore, who was riding close to Angelo and was talking to him in a lowered tone:

»It`s really a shame if this lovely pair of tits would end up at the stake!«

»If she really is a succubus, it is the only thing the church can do!«, Angelo answered. He also loved to look at and sometimes touch their captive, but unlike the mercenary, who had seen too many battles to still be very superstitious, he believed in Pater Michele`s warnings. He crossed himself, causing Ettore to grunt.

»Maybe, she`s a demon. But she`s definitely a nice piece of meat!«

He grinned and padded Angelo`s shoulder. Now, the cart driver grinned, too. He liked it if the battle-hardened man considered him as equal and spoke to him like a man. He oppressed his concerns and said:

»She definitely is – but Pater Michele warned us!«

He waited for Ettore to laugh again, but instead, he reached under his shirt, producing a silver amulet. It showed a person on a horse and Ettore said mysteriously:

»It`s Saint George, the patron of us knights! This amulet has protected me from evil since I got it from an eremite in the Holy Land!«

Actually, it had been a junk dealer in Rimini where he had gotten it from. In addition, Ettore had never in his live left the Italian peninsula, but since he was a veteran of 40 years, the naïve 19 years old Angelo would have believed him if he had told him that he had single-handedly killed a dragon.

»Since I have this amulet, I survived 13 battles without more than a few scratches! I am quite sure it will be stronger than the power of any succubus!«

He kissed the silver and then allowed Angelo to touch it, too. The young man, addicted by Ettore`s confidence, suddenly felt stronger, too. But then, he shrugged:

»Anyway, Pater Michele won`t let us have some fun with her!«

Ettore nodded silently, looking at the priest`s shorn head. He had seen clerics die and knew they were bleeding like others, but even he shied back from killing a monk. However, he had an idea where he and the boy could have some fun with the girl and afterwards would have more than enough money to get an indulgence for knocking a monk unconscious.

And somehow, Ettore was sure that, sooner or later, he would be able to persuade Angelo to join in his plan, too.

***

Since the 13th century, it was mainly the Dominican monks who worked for the Holy Inquisition and therefore, this monastery had a veritable dungeon. Inside a cell, Jelena and Janika were locked together. Janika`s clothes were in rags, but other than they had been chained to the wall by one ankle, they had been left unrestrained so far. Of course, the two girls discussed their chances, but they had attacked two monks and resisted their arrest. Even if there would be no further accusations, their fate would not be easy.

It seemed, however, that Abbot Lorenzo wanted to let them stew. Since their capture, the hours had passed and nothing had happened. After some time, the little lid in the door had been opened and they had been given some bread and water, but the man had not spoken a word to them.

»They are planning something really, really terrible!«, Jelena said gloomily. Her voice slightly trembled and Janika could not hide her own fears completely when she answered:

»I hate it when you are right!«

The two women hugged and held each other in their arms. Then, they were interrupted by the door opening. Abbot Lorenzo stepped in, followed by an armed man. In the corridor, Jelena could see at least three more men waiting.

»I have prayed a long time and sought answers in both the Holy Bible and the writings of other authorities and now, I have finally decided what to do with you two!«, the priest solemnly announced. Jelena just lowered her head, but Janika tried to present herself as brave and answered boldly:

»So, you will accept our apology and let us go?«

Abbot Lorenzo chuckled before he became serious again:

»If it would be just the fact you have attacked me, I could easily forgive you! However, there are much worse things you two have done – or maybe, you have been forced to do! Well, there is only one way to find out! Get them!«

The last words were meant for his men who now approached the two girls.

***