The brand

Teysa knew that she was playing a dangerous game with this woman. The Empress probably wouldn't kill either of them intentionally, but she could easily lose control, and some of the devices in this room looked like they were capable of permanent injury. We are the prisoners of a madwoman. One false step will doom us both. She considered her options.

The Pear of Agony sounded horrible. It wasn't anything Teysa had heard of, and that was worrying by itself. It could be tool of, or it could mutilate Aliara beyond repair. As awful as branding was, it was a known quantity at least. If they ever made it back to the surface, a cleric of Agamor could heal brands.

Teysa swallowed her before responding. She tried to meet Aliara's gaze, but the half-elf's face was downcast. "The... the brand. I choose the brand."

The Empress looked downcast. "Well, that's boring. I guess you have no sense of adventure." She cupped Aliara's chin in one hand. "Your lover has chosen to inflict the brand on you. Remember that in a few minutes-- this was her idea." She crossed the room as she spoke, pushing a small handcart ahead of her. Teysa craned her neck to see. The cart was a small column that reached the Empress's waist. It was crowned with a silver bowl, which the Empress cupped between her hands. The drow muttered an incantation and blue flames filled the bowl.

Teysa flinched away. The crackle and pop of the fire had a sharp edge, like a predator's hiss. She knew that she couldn't possibly feel the flames from this distance, but the skin on her cheek prickled as though from a hot breeze. Reaching under the brazier, the Empress retrieved a long metal wand with a circular tip. She slid it tip-first into the flames, then grabbed a handful of Aliara's hair with her other hand. She yanked upward, pulling Aliara's sagging head level.

"Wakey wakey, little bird. Time to decorate you. You don't know how lucky you are. I am an artist, and you get to be my canvas." She grinned. "Don't slouch. It ruins your posture. I need a smooth workstation. If you mess this up, I'll have to start over." She released Aliara's hair and the half-elf's head immediately dipped again. The Empress let out a frustrated hiss and slapped her prisoner hard across the face. "What did I just say? Get your head up, or I'll..." she thought for a moment, then narrowed her eyes. "Or I'll have to give up on marking you and move on to your lover over there."

Aliara said nothing, but her eyes shot open. Slowly, with great effort, she lifted her head. Her eyes were focused, but they stared defiantly forward, not acknowledging her captor's presence. The Empress busied herself with her cart, pulling a variety of metal wands from somewhere inside and laying them end-first into the fire. She brandished one in front of Aliara and swished it through the air. The tip glowed like a firefly as the Empress waved it back and forth, looping complex figure-eights and jabbing near the half-elf's face. Aliara didn't even flinch; she continued staring straight ahead. The Empress shrugged and, without warning, jabbed Aliara in the shoulder.

The hiss of the brand was immediately drowned out by Aliara's pained scream. "AAIIIEEE!" Teysa flinched back at the sound and wrinkled her nose. The smell of burnt flesh wafted across the room. Blinking back tears, Teysa prayed. Stay strong, Li. Please, stay strong.

The skin of Aliara's shoulder was raw and red. It was hard to tell what shape the brand had burned, but it looked like a spiderweb from here. That was consistent, anyways. The Empress did not stop to check her handiwork, but moved on to the other shoulder. She lunged like a fencer and pressed the brand against Aliara with relish.
"AAAAUGGHH!" Aliara's wrenching howl of pain ripped through Teysa's heart. The half-elf was panting heavily now. Sweat beaded her brow and her hair hung lank around her face. After a long moment, she lifted her head again and resumed staring forwards. Teysa's heart leapt. That's my girl!

The Empress pursed her lips and said nothing. Instead, she dropped the branding iron she was holding and drew a new one from the bowl. "Hm. This doesn't bother you? You like being my canvas, yes? Let's make some art." She struck a contemplative pose, then plunged the brand into Aliara's side beneath her armpit. This time, her howl went on and on for several seconds. "AAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!" The drow followed up on the other side without giving Aliara chance to catch her breath. Tossing the brand aside with reckless abandon she drew forth a new one and paced back and forth. She tapped her fingers against the long stem of the brand in agitation before whirling on Aliara and pressing it against her left hip. This time, the half-elf hissed through her teeth like a boiling kettle, but kept her lips buttoned. The Empress's eyes grew wide and her nostrils flared.

"Hm. You're doing well so far. Let's move on." She darted forward until the two women were inches apart, then brought up the brand and jabbed it dead-center onto Aliara's right breast.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" The scream seemed to tear itself loose from Aliara's throat. She thrashed in her bonds and whipped her head back and forth. Teysa felt a tear trickle down her cheek as she watched her lover's torment. The Empress smirked and stepped back. She reached forward and gently squeezed the branded breast, eliciting a fresh scream.

"Let's balance you out, shall we?" She brought the brand up again and laid it against Aliara's left breast, leaving it pressed against the skin for a moment before letting it clatter to the floor. Aliara let out a long moan and sagged again in her bonds. Only a periodic twitch let Teysa know that she was still alive.

"Please," Teysa called out, "leave her be. Please. You've marked her. If you need to continue your art... please, do it to me." Her voice cracked. "Do it to me."

The Empress grinned triumphantly. "My dear, I never leave a work of art unfinished. Don't worry, this will barely take a moment. I just need to put the final touches on." Reaching into the brazier, she drew forth a final brand, this one bearing a flared tip twice as wide as any other. "My mark, you see? The artist's signature."

She stepped back and cocked her head pensively, surveying Aliara's wracked body. Stepping forward, she flourished the brand, then stabbed downward. The red-hot tip met Aliara's flesh just below her navel. The Empress pressed it further, grunting with effort. Aliara let out a terrible howl that trailed off into guttural noise. "AAAAAAUUUUUUUUUUUGGGGHHHHHHHHhhhhh..."

After an eternity, the Empress stepped back and held her chin in one hand, stroking pensively. She looked Aliara up and down. "Well? What do you think, half-elf? Do you admire yourself?"

It was too late. Aliara had passed out.