Chapter 9 – Magical Punishments
“Alright, youngin’, strip off and get up again’ the horse,” Sassy ordered as she closed the door to the punishment chamber behind them.
Liz hesitated, rolling her eyes and turned back toward Sassy. “Why do I always have to get naked for this? Do you make everyone get naked? Do other teachers make their students get naked?”
Sassy crossed her arms and returned a flat stare back at Liz, her jaw shifting as though she had a wad of chewing tobacco in her lip. “It’s tradition,” she replied at last, leaving it at that with a lingering stern gaze.
“Ugh! This is freakin’ bogus, man!” Liz spat, turning her back to Sassy and eyeing the triangular wooden device in front of her, and the well-worn leather padding that stretched over the top of it. It was almost medieval when you got right down to it, but at least she wasn’t being made to ride the actual historical version of it. Biting her lip to stifle a choice curse, Liz pulled her shirt over her head and tossed it aside, then started unhooking her bra as she worked her shoes off her feet one at a time, kicking the sneakers off to the side with her shirt. Once she had her bra undone, it too joined the growing pile, and she worked her jeans down her hips, and soon had her panties and socks atop the pile, leaving her naked.
Liz stalked up to the end of the padded triangular device, putting her stomach up against it. She raised her hands in mock surrender and flopped forward, landing on the padding with a dull thump as she spread her legs, raising her head so that her chin rested on the padding. “Do it to me, teach! Show this bad girl the error of her ways!” She’d blurted it out before she could really think about it and realized just how mocking her tone had been.
“Ya’ know I don’t care for that tone, missy,” Sassy said. She snapped her fingers, and Liz felt leather appear around her wrists and ankles, pulling tight with a jingle of the metal buckles. Her legs were jerked a little wider as the cuffs secured themselves to the legs of the horse, forcing her to her tiptoes, and her arms were drawn downward, and a bit further forward, making sure that her behind was raised at just the perfect height for whatever it was that Sassy had in mind.
Just as Liz began to get used to her position, she felt magic swirling around her hands, and suddenly they were forced into fists as thick, padded leather came into existence around them. Her ears raised, and she tugged at the cuffs, looking to either side of the triangle at her restrained hands, seeing the same dark brown leather completely covering her hands in the form of mittens that were buckled in place at her wrists. “Hey! What gives?!”
“Hush,” Sassy said, giving Liz a swift, but light swat against her left butt cheek. “That attitude of your’n has earned ya’ some more punishments, and that’s just the start. If’n ah didn’t need yer mouth to be talkin’ right now, you can be damn sure it’d be full up with somethin’!”
Liz groaned, and blew out her breath as she returned her gaze toward the blank wall in front of her. “Shit.”
“Language, missy!” Sassy snapped. There was a sudden whoosh behind Liz, and then a loud crack of a paddle against her ass.
Liz jerked and squealed, both of her rear cheeks erupting into a hot, stinging sensation. Wincing, knowing from the force of the blow that Sassy wasn’t playing around, Liz rolled her eyes to the side, just barely seeing Sassy in the corner of her vision. “Sorry…”
“Not near enough,” Sassy replied, her boots clicking against the stone floor, spurs jingling as she started pacing back and forth behind Liz. “And ya forgot the count!”
“Crap!” Liz spat, just as the paddle landed against her backside a second time. Knowing that it was only getting worse from there, Liz quickly gave Sassy what she wanted. “One, Miss Sassy!”
“There, that weren’t so hard, was it? Now, first thangs first…where’d you learn that forbidden spell?”
Liz bit her lower lip, squirming atop the horse as her cheeks heated. Sure, she’d been a bit embarrassed at her position before, but thinking back made it much more apparent. She remembered exactly how she had learned that spell. While the master’s away, the cat will play, after all.
There was a faint whoosh behind her, and then a loud smack, her behind exploding with a stinging slap. “Ouch! T-two, Miss Sassy!” she replied almost automatically, her tail swishing in frustration. The first time she’d gotten punished after gaining her feline features had been a learning experience for sure because of her tail, which seemed to have stayed in the way of the paddle. Even Sassy had been getting frustrated with it, and had wound up using some leather strips to bind it out of the way. At least she could keep it under control now…at least most of the time.
“Well? Speak up, youngin’, inquirin’ minds wanna know.”
“I uh…the library,” Liz replied at last. “In the section that I’m not supposed to go to.”
“Uh-huh…and when was this then?”
“Last year, when you went on that trip with Chrona,” Liz said, shifting on her toes.
Sassy sighed. “Shoulda known…of course the kitty’ll get inta thangs she ain’t supposed ta when I’m gone.” The expected swat of the paddle came, landing with a loud crack of leather on flesh.
“Three, Miss Sassy!”
“And who else was involved with it? Who else learnt it?”
“It was just me; nobody else even knew.” Another whoosh, and another stinging rebuke from the paddle, this one a bit harder. “Ouch, that’s starting to sting! Uh, four, Miss Sassy!” Liz added quickly, hoping she hadn’t been too late.
“It’s supposed ta sting, youngin’. Now tell me who else you drug inta this.”
“I swear, Sassy, there’s nobody else! Nobody even knew I went in there!” There was another crack against her raised ass, and Liz winced, squirming on her toes. “F-five, Miss Sassy…Seriously dude, I didn’t tell anyone!”
“So your a tellin’ me that a youngin’ like you learnt this new, ancient evil kinda spell, an’ you didn’t go practicin’ with nobody or nothin’? You jus knew right then and there how it worked?”
Liz shook her head, adjusting her chin on the padding. “No, it’s not like that. I did practice a few times, but it was only on dummies in the practice rooms, and late at night!” The paddle whooshed again, and Liz stiffened just before it impacted with a loud smack, making her yelp and rear forward. “Owww! Six, Miss Sassy!”
“Uh huh…like Ah’d believe that,” Sassy replied, sounding not the least bit amused. “Who else knows it amongst the initiates, Liz? Ah ain’t foolin’ around here, Ah need ta know!” Liz heard Sassy take a step back, then the paddle flew through the air again, landing with enough force that Liz practically leapt forward, at least as much as her restraints would allow.
“Holy shit! Ouch!” Liz spat, feeling tears rimming her eyes after that strike. Her ass burned and stung, and had to have been a deep red shade, maybe bruised after that one. “Ohhhh…uh…. Seven, Miss Sassy…and I didn’t fuckin’ show anyone that spell! I’ve been learning it myself, damn it!”
“Language, youngin’! What’ve Ah told ya bout that before?” Sassy snapped, sending the paddle crashing against Liz’s helpless ass again, with just as much force as last time.
“OUCH!” Liz cried, whining as the painful fire consumed her backside, blinking away tears. She didn’t need the help of the mittens to keep her hands in fists right now, but she did tug at the cuffs, desperate to free herself so that she could rub her sore flesh to try to ease the pain. Through stifled sobs, she finally managed her count. “Eight, Miss Sassy…”
Sassy didn’t reply immediately, her boots clicked on the stone, and her spurs jangled as she stalked back and forth behind Liz for an uncomfortably long time, as if considering what she’d been told. “Tell me this, then, youngin’…iffin’ ya ain’t been showin’ nobody else how ta work that spell, then how is it that ya managed to learn it so good? Ya know that spell only works on livin’ targets Ah’m sure; won’t work on no practice dummy.”
Liz’s eyes widened and her ears raised, her whole body suddenly feeling as red as her ass no doubt was. “I uh…well that’s…um…”
“Spit it out, kid,” Sassy said, a hint of something in her voice, maybe that she already suspected the answer.
“I…I’ve been practicing on myself, Sassy,” Liz said quickly, burying her face on the padded top of the horse. That first night after she had copied the incantation had been a learning experience to put it mildly, and she’d barely managed to hide the marks the spell had left once she’d finally freed herself just before morning classes had started. She hadn’t touched the spell for over a month after that, but she’d been drawn to it, almost like something was calling her from the ether.
“Ohhhh, Ah see how it is,” Sassy said after a moment. “An just how many times have you been doin’ that, then?”
“Uhhh…six I think, maybe seven…”
“Uh-huh. And when did ya finally realize that no matter what ya did it just wouldn’t work on that dummy?”
Liz felt her cheeks burning again, and she shook her head slowly. “I…um…after the fourth try…”
“Well now, that certainly says somethin’ Ah didn’t know ‘bout ya, kid,” Sassy replied. Liz could hear in her voice that she had a grin on her face. “Now Ah’m reconsiderin’ just what Ah need ta do ta punish ya.”
“It ain’t like that, Sass!” Liz said quickly, turning her head to try to spot her teacher. “I don’t like that kinda stuff! It’s just, that spell, it-”
“It calls to ya, don’t it? If’n ya don’t use it, it wants ta be used,” Sassy said, pacing slowly back and forth. “That’s one a the reasons that kinda magic’s forbidden, kid. When ya deal with demons, nothin’ good can come of it, especially not one like that’en. That’en…he’s a right perverse little bastard…huge big’ol head on’em, though, like twice the size a his body.”
Liz blinked a few times, feeling her shame fading slowly, her curiosity piqued. “Sassy…have you met Arrnor? Have you…used that spell before?” The paddle came crashing against Liz’s ass again, not as hard as before, but still enough to hurt her already inflamed ass. Liz winced, grunting. “Nine, Miss Sassy.”
“We don’t need ta be sayin’ no names like that ‘round here,” Sassy said sternly. “Once ya been in this game as long as me, ya learn stuff ya ain’t proud of, stuff ya never wanted ta know in the first place. Stuff that’s downright perverted and depraved. But…yeah, Ah’ve learnt it, used it a time or two. On nothin’ human mind ya, but still, Ah didn’t feel good ‘bout it.
Liz felt Sassy’s hand on her ass then, rubbing at the swollen, reddened flesh, making her squirm. “Course, I ain’t never used it on mahself neither. Ah woulda never came back after the first time, tell ya true, but six or seven? That takes a little somethin’ extra; not sure what that somethin’ is, but well…”
“I’m not a freak or anything,” Liz replied, though she couldn’t deny the effect that spell had on her. Every time she’d tried it, hours of pain and pleasure, inescapable, almost like the will of its creator had stepped in and kept it going, maybe a little longer each time…with a promise from somewhere beyond the physical world, beyond the ethereal veil in which the Sanctum rested…a promise of more.
“Never said ya was,” Sassy said quickly, her hand leaving Liz’s backside. She stepped back, and brought the paddle to bear against her target once more, but with considerably less venom than previous strikes.
“Ten, Miss Sassy,” Liz said automatically.
“Well now, Ah reckon that might just have tha first part’a that punishment done,” Sassy said. “Ah still think ya need to learn ta be a lot more careful with what ya go diggin’ outta old tomes. Ya didn’t learn nothin’ else Ah should know bout, did ya?”
Liz shook her head quickly. “No, ma’am. I…I didn’t want to risk anything that might be more dangerous until I was sure I could actually do that spell right. Tonight was actually the first time I’ve ever managed to do it on anyone else.”
“What exactly were ya gonna do if’n ya hadn’t managed ta do it right, then?”
“I…” Liz couldn’t find an answer immediately, and closed her mouth. What would she have done if the spell had impacted her again, left her a bound, helpless mess on the park’s lawn in front of those two drug pushers? But…that hadn’t been a possibility. Deep down, as she thought about more, she’d known it would work. She had known for sure that there had been no danger to herself, almost like…like the spell had wanted to target the two of them, had wanted…fresh victims.
“Hmmm…Ah’m guessin’ by that look on yer face that ya just realized somethin’ that scared ya a bit, huh? Kinda gettin’ why we don’t like that demonic kinda magic here?”
“Y-yeah, I think I am, Sass,” Liz said after another moment of consideration.
“For lack of a better phrase, ‘cat’s outta tha bag now’,” Sassy said, walking away from Liz’s back side. She heard the sound of leather creaking, and metal jingling. “Ah can’t exactly pull that spell outta ya now, can Ah? Now, Liz, Ah want ya to make me a promise right here an now. Ah want ya ta promise that you ain’t gonna be usin’ that spell unless you ain’t got no other choice. There’s plenty a other ways ya can restrain someone with magic, and all a them are a lot less perverted. Ya hearin’ where Ah’m a comin’ from?”
“Yes, Miss Sassy,” Liz replied, her head turned so that she could just barely see Sassy going over the various restraints and punishment tools on the wall. For all her talk about perversion, she sure seemed to be putting a lot of thought into what she was doing next, and seemed more than a little familiar with how all that stuff worked. “I won’t use it unless I have to.”
“Ah really want ya ta keep ya word on that, Elizabeth,” Sassy said. “And Ah’m gonna leave ya here a spell ta think it all over. Ah still ain’t happy with you slippin’ out and all, but that’s pretty minor, all thangs considered. Think some time meditation’ on what ya did will do ya good.”
“So you’re gonna let me up and take me to one of the meditation chambers?” Liz asked hopefully.
“Not a chance,” Sassy replied, shooting Liz a sly grin. “Ya done goofed up today, and ya still gettin’ punished, kid. Some quiet time alone will do ya good; course I ain’t gonna just leave it at that. Nope, you’re gonna have lesson in concentration.”
“Oh crap…” Liz muttered, already having an inkling of what Sassy had in mind for her. She tugged at the cuffs on her wrists, looked down at her mitten-encased hands.
“If’n ya gonna be messin’ with magic like that, in our line’a work, ya gonna have ta learn ta deal with that kinda distraction sooner or later. So…” Sassy had gathered what she needed, and returned to Liz, her arms full. Most of it was dropped to the floor beside the horse, but one she kept hold of, a big red rubber ball gag. “Open up.”
Liz stared blankly at Sassy for a moment, but knowing that it would only earn her more punishment if she didn’t obey, Liz opened wide. Sassy guided the big ball between her teeth, pushing it deep into her mouth before she buckled it in place. Liz was pretty sure Sassy hadn’t used a ball quite that big before, her jaw opened to the point it felt like it was going to break. She let out a little pained squeal, shook her head, but Sassy just ignored it.
Sassy picked up another leather and steel device, and fitted this one over Liz’s eyes, tugging the strap firmly. The blindfold blocked all light, and seemed to fit the contours of Liz’s face perfectly to ensure she saw nothing.
“Now, Ah wantcha ta understand the goal of this here assignment,” Sassy said, taking on the tone of a teacher starting a lecture. “Ah’m gonna be settin’ up a whole slew a distractions and stimuli to keep ya on ya toes. Ya ain’t gonna be able ta use ya hands, ain’t gonna be able ta see or hear nothin’ durin’ this. Since ya went and bound yaself with ya familiar, ya got a better than average chance a gettin’ outta this little predicament, iff’n ya can tap that bond proper like and let it take over tha stuff ya can’t do. Ya understand, Elizabeth?”
“Yssh, Msssh Shsshw,” Liz replied with a nod, already feeling the first bit of saliva slipping around the gag. They’d done similar exercises before, but she’d only ever managed to get out of the ‘predicament’ Sassy had put her in once, out of maybe a hundred different attempts over the decades. Apparently she was a slow learner, or maybe it was her familiar that was the slow one. The idea was that the familiar, with it being one with her and contained in some kind of ethereal state that was beyond the physical world, could act as a second set of hands, eyes, and even a mouth, even if her physical body was completely restrained, giving her the ability to still use magic while in such a state. The problem was that Liz hadn’t completely mastered that connection, and still struggled to do so. It wasn’t uncommon exactly, some people took decades to master such a thing, but according to Sassy, most people could manage a much better success rate than she had during the training.
“Good. Now, Ah’m gonna leave ya here for a few hours ta thank over what ya did and hopefully ya can find ya way free this time. If not, well…we’ll just have ta practice more, won’t we? Expect a lecture when Ah get back too bout the sneakin’ out part. And I reckon Chrona’ll be stoppin’ in ta have words with ya too..”
Liz nodded nervously as Sassy plucked the earplugs from her shirt pocket, stuffing them deeply into Liz’s feline ears. Chrona was coming too? The head of the Order?! Was sneaking out that big of a deal? Or was it about the forbidden spell?
With most sound muted already, Liz thought the next item, a padded leather hood, was overkill, but dutifully raised her head so that Sassy could tug it into place. The thick padding canceled out any other sound from reaching her ears, and would muffle any cries that escaped the gag even further. She wiggled her nose around the little tubes that poked at her nostrils, and groaned when the laces at the back were tightened up. Sassy finished off by securing the attached collar around Liz’s neck.
Almost sensing Sassy moving around her, Liz began struggling against the restraints immediately, and got a sense for her dark, silent world. Though she was already in the dark, she closed her eyes and began concentrating on the bindings, on her familiar bond, and the spells she would need to use to free herself.
Her attempts were stymied almost immediately when Sassy’s hand slapped her ass, leaving her right cheek stinging from the sharp smack. She knew exactly what Sassy had done: she had slapped her ass just like a horse to get it moving. Groaning into the jaw-breaking gag, she again tried to center herself.
That’s when the first of the tickling came, the familiar touch of feathers on the soles of her feet making her jerk at the cuffs and squirm on her toes. She squealed into the ball, shaking her head as her concentration evaporated before it could properly start. Knowing that they were magically controlled, she couldn’t avoid them, but that didn’t stop her from trying. She hated it when Sassy used the feathers! They were just so devilish!
Perhaps not devilish enough on their own, Liz felt more feathers along her sides and even between her legs, making her scream and tug madly at the cuffs holding her atop the horse. As if that weren’t enough, she jerked and cried out as a light slap of a leather flogger landed against her left thigh, below her reddened ass, followed by another to her right thigh.
“Floggers and feathers?! This is impossible!” Liz thought immediately, an uncontrolled burst of laughter coming out around the gag before it was cut off by a pained grunt as the flogger stung her upper arm. There was no way she could get out something like this! She couldn’t even begin to focus under that immediate, overwhelming assault! Sassy was doing this as pure punishment; there was no other explanation for it!
Hope you all enjoyed that scene; I know I had a good time writing it! Let me know what you thought about it, and the story so far!
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