#mateusdemonemperor

Yes, yes I am.

@mateusdemonemperor

“I would suppose so.” She agreed. Despite her curiosity she made no move to venture closer. He looked more human than the tales she had read mentioned - at least, what she could see of him did. Even so, the thought of being close to water of an unknown depth did not sit well with her.

@mateusdemonemperor

     Honestly, the Mage wasn’t sure what brought him here. It’d been nearly a year since they’d won the war, and yet something still wasn’t sitting right with him. As he approached the seemingly destroyed castle, he could feel the magic radiating from it. That was, odd. He had felt it before he was as close as he was now, but hadn’t been sure this was the source until now. Moving closer, he leaned on his staff a bit as he stopped to look around. There was no way this could be residual magic from the battle that’d been waged here. It was too strong for such a thing.

@mateusdemonemperor

@mateusdemonemperor

It started with a few innocent victims straying too far from their northern neighbor, Kashuan. Not too many, as promised, and no one within the kingdom itself. Just a few unsuspecting hunters, merchants, and scholars who came close to the desert or even crossed it, spaced out so it seemed like sporadic disappearances. The cowardly prince would never notice with how careful he was being.

The next part was the fun part: breaking their wills. The knight held them within the dungeon cells by chains he grew familiar with, sending demons to patrol the rows in case any resistance formed among them. He took away their possessions, clothes, food, and water and had them sit in the dark in total silence. From his own experience with this method on both ends, he knew the weaker wills would become desperate in their isolation, begging for his mercy or even his wrath just to keep their minds from swallowing their insanity.

Those that could withstand the isolation and starvation were broken in more conventional ways. This time, he was at the end of the whip, the knife, the stone, the fire, and both demons and humans feared his ability to wield them with an expert hand. The power trip was enough to send him into ecstasy, the screams they elicited and the rivers of blood that pooled on the floor being the icing on the cake. His lover would be proud to see how far he had come from their very first meeting.

Sure, the most stubborn died, but many still broke, and he could always find more humans.

With several broken, he began transitioning to the next step. He took the ones he now had as pets and marked them, branding them just to let them know their new place in life, their new purpose. He then kept them in what was once the slave quarters, giving them each a room and a wardrobe. While he did feed them immediately after bringing them from the dungeons, he was quick to tell them they would have to earn “privileges” like food or beds or baths. Failure to please him would result in swift and severe punishment.

Aside from a couple incidents, they obeyed his orders, and he played their fears against him, treating them well until they screwed up, making them even more paranoid.

By the end of the whole process, he had five obedient, brainwashed pets at his command. They entertained his wishes on his command, singing, dancing, or even acting as fools for his personal enjoyment. If his sex drive became active, they were there to supply bodies until his dearest demon returned. If his rage overtook him, they were there to take the blows, though he used demons more often in case he killed his target. In return, he played the benevolent, loving master, using new clothes and the more expensive food and other frivolous things as incentives to keep them in line.

Five new pets to stave off the loneliness of the castle until his lover returned. And still no reaction from Kashuan. Everything was perfectly calm in the world outside the Empire. Leon wouldn’t have it any other way.