With a black-clad monk on each side of her, Eulalia was conducted down into the courtyard. She gasped as she saw the seven crosses laying there, now in a semi-circle, awaiting their victims.
She noted that hers was the central cross, with Barb and Siss either side of her, then Roxie and Blaire, then Elise and Cordelia on the outside. “Well,” thought Eulalia, grimly, “Elise’s cross at least will stay empty for a bit longer.”
“Seven crosses for seven witches,” Vulcan grinned as his moment of triumph approached. “And I will get Elise, have no fear of that! She will join you well before I let you die!”
A door opened and the remaining prisoners, under guard, were brought into the courtyard. Cordelia was already nude, but the others still wore the clothes they’d been captured in.
Barbaria and Siss looked crestfallen when they saw Eulalia, and Vulcan noted their dismay. “Ah, yes, Barbaria, this time you have no hope. Eulalia is my prisoner, too. And ‘Quiet Paul’ is laying in a heap of broken bones on the valley floor below. My men will retrieve his body – even if he has another miraculous resurrection, he will be neutralised. I’m thinking of installing another cross, as a matter of fact!”
Eulalia gazed up at an eagle wheeling overhead, determined to keep her mind clear of thoughts of Paul, lest she give him away.
“Something for you to think on, while you hang and suffer,” continued Vulcan, smoothly. “I am in touch with Prince Naraku. My armies and those of Draen will besiege Heidraen, Shevak and his bastard son Pilus will be killed, and it will be ‘Long Live King Naraku!’ With me as his chief advisor, of course.” Prince Naraku was Shevak’s younger brother, and Pilus’ uncle.
“Pilus is no bastard!” flared Barbaria. “He is the rightful heir to the throne of Aestria!”
“Oh, so you were married, were you, when Shevak shagged you and Pilus was conceived?”
“How…..fucking…..dare….you?” Barbaria, her eyes blazing with fury, started towards Vulcan but her guards, with some difficulty, restrained her.
“I think some nails will do wonders for your temper, Barbaria,” sneered Vulcan. “Let her be first!”
“NOOOO!” Roxie was horrified. Was she expected to stand here and watch her own mother being nailed to a cross? And then her daughter?
Barbaria could not believe this was happening to her again. This could not be happening to her again! She fought like a woman possessed, as they struggled to tear her clothes from her. She threatened them with all kinds of retribution, but it made no difference. After some minutes they finally ripped off her loincloth and she stood, nude, before the leering Lord Vulcan. As she stood, panting, her breasts rose and fell with exertion and fear.
Oh, God, no. Please, God, no. She had survived the cross once, she knew all too well what was coming, and she dreaded it. She could not hide her fear of the cross, as every nightmare that she’d had since the Siege of Ystragarth culminated in this one dreadful moment. And now that she was stark naked her terror increased tenfold.
She fought them every step of the journey to the cross. They picked her up but still she kicked and struggled, bit and scratched, screamed and swore. Tears streamed down Eulalia’s face, as she watched. She knew all too well Barbaria’s terror of crucifixion, but she was powerless to assist as Barbaria was literally forced down onto her cross.
The other women watching were in no better state. Siss shared Barbaria’s terror and was visibly shaking with fear. Cordelia had lost control of her bladder, and Roxie and Blaire were trying their hardest not to watch, but they, too, had tears flooding down their faces.
There were five of them trying to crucify Barbaria, but as they tried to stretch out her arm she got purchase on the ground with her feet and three of them went flying. She started to struggle to get up but more monks threw themselves into the fray until Eulalia could barely see Barbaria through the mass of black cloaks.
The mountains echoed with the sound of Barbaria’s screams and curses, but this time they managed to get her right arm onto approximately the correct position. Eulalia saw a heavy hammer rise, and fall.
Four more monks flew over as Barbaria kicked and thrashed in response to the blow. But she was shown no mercy as the nail was driven home.
Despite the pain she was in, Barbaria continued to fight them every step of the way. It took them some time to get her left arm into position, and once again the mountains rang with the clang of the hammer and Barbaria’s terrified, infuriated bellows of agony and protest.
The struggle went to another level when they tried to nail her feet. It was nigh on impossible to hold onto her legs as she kicked furiously, and more than one of the monks ended up nursing severe bruises. But Lord Vulcan had given the order, she must be crucified, and somehow they got her foot flat against the stipes, positioned a nail, and smashed it home.
The final nail was slightly easier, because the fight was beginning to go out of Barbaria, but it had taken a full fifteen minutes before, finally, for the second time in her life, Queen Barbaria was stretched out naked upon a cross, held there by four savage spikes.
“Raise her!” ordered Vulcan, and Barbaria’s only protests now could be vocal as the cross was raised into its position, and dropped, with a thump, into its socket. Barbaria lurched forwards as the cross stopped, screaming in her unbelievable agony, nails tearing her flesh as the movement was arrested.
“Now for my piece de resistance!” grinned Vulcan. He muttered and incantation, and cast a spell at Barbaria. For a moment her nude body glowed in a golden light, and for that instant the pain left her and, in surprise, she stopped screaming. Then the waves of pain hit her again, as did the panic, and she began to scream and thrash once more.
“What….what did you do to her?” Siss glared at Vulcan, her gaze challenging and insolent.
“I have arranged it so that she will live on that cross until I choose to let her die!” Vulcan looked pleased with himself.
There was silence, other than Barbaria’s screams, while Siss and the others digested what Vulcan had said.
“You mean….she won’t die in a day or so? Not even in a week or so?”
“You understand perfectly, my dear. Don’t be jealous, I shall treat you the same. All except Cordelia. You can all watch her die in the normal time.”
“You……you……BASTARD!” screamed Siss.
“Aren’t I just?” smiled Vulcan, “I thought it rather clever.” He paused, then added, conversationally, “Shall we get Cordelia crucified?”
Cordelia wailed in terror as they began to drag her towards her cross.
She noted that hers was the central cross, with Barb and Siss either side of her, then Roxie and Blaire, then Elise and Cordelia on the outside. “Well,” thought Eulalia, grimly, “Elise’s cross at least will stay empty for a bit longer.”
“Seven crosses for seven witches,” Vulcan grinned as his moment of triumph approached. “And I will get Elise, have no fear of that! She will join you well before I let you die!”
A door opened and the remaining prisoners, under guard, were brought into the courtyard. Cordelia was already nude, but the others still wore the clothes they’d been captured in.
Barbaria and Siss looked crestfallen when they saw Eulalia, and Vulcan noted their dismay. “Ah, yes, Barbaria, this time you have no hope. Eulalia is my prisoner, too. And ‘Quiet Paul’ is laying in a heap of broken bones on the valley floor below. My men will retrieve his body – even if he has another miraculous resurrection, he will be neutralised. I’m thinking of installing another cross, as a matter of fact!”
Eulalia gazed up at an eagle wheeling overhead, determined to keep her mind clear of thoughts of Paul, lest she give him away.
“Something for you to think on, while you hang and suffer,” continued Vulcan, smoothly. “I am in touch with Prince Naraku. My armies and those of Draen will besiege Heidraen, Shevak and his bastard son Pilus will be killed, and it will be ‘Long Live King Naraku!’ With me as his chief advisor, of course.” Prince Naraku was Shevak’s younger brother, and Pilus’ uncle.
“Pilus is no bastard!” flared Barbaria. “He is the rightful heir to the throne of Aestria!”
“Oh, so you were married, were you, when Shevak shagged you and Pilus was conceived?”
“How…..fucking…..dare….you?” Barbaria, her eyes blazing with fury, started towards Vulcan but her guards, with some difficulty, restrained her.
“I think some nails will do wonders for your temper, Barbaria,” sneered Vulcan. “Let her be first!”
“NOOOO!” Roxie was horrified. Was she expected to stand here and watch her own mother being nailed to a cross? And then her daughter?
Barbaria could not believe this was happening to her again. This could not be happening to her again! She fought like a woman possessed, as they struggled to tear her clothes from her. She threatened them with all kinds of retribution, but it made no difference. After some minutes they finally ripped off her loincloth and she stood, nude, before the leering Lord Vulcan. As she stood, panting, her breasts rose and fell with exertion and fear.
Oh, God, no. Please, God, no. She had survived the cross once, she knew all too well what was coming, and she dreaded it. She could not hide her fear of the cross, as every nightmare that she’d had since the Siege of Ystragarth culminated in this one dreadful moment. And now that she was stark naked her terror increased tenfold.
She fought them every step of the journey to the cross. They picked her up but still she kicked and struggled, bit and scratched, screamed and swore. Tears streamed down Eulalia’s face, as she watched. She knew all too well Barbaria’s terror of crucifixion, but she was powerless to assist as Barbaria was literally forced down onto her cross.
The other women watching were in no better state. Siss shared Barbaria’s terror and was visibly shaking with fear. Cordelia had lost control of her bladder, and Roxie and Blaire were trying their hardest not to watch, but they, too, had tears flooding down their faces.
There were five of them trying to crucify Barbaria, but as they tried to stretch out her arm she got purchase on the ground with her feet and three of them went flying. She started to struggle to get up but more monks threw themselves into the fray until Eulalia could barely see Barbaria through the mass of black cloaks.
The mountains echoed with the sound of Barbaria’s screams and curses, but this time they managed to get her right arm onto approximately the correct position. Eulalia saw a heavy hammer rise, and fall.
Four more monks flew over as Barbaria kicked and thrashed in response to the blow. But she was shown no mercy as the nail was driven home.
Despite the pain she was in, Barbaria continued to fight them every step of the way. It took them some time to get her left arm into position, and once again the mountains rang with the clang of the hammer and Barbaria’s terrified, infuriated bellows of agony and protest.
The struggle went to another level when they tried to nail her feet. It was nigh on impossible to hold onto her legs as she kicked furiously, and more than one of the monks ended up nursing severe bruises. But Lord Vulcan had given the order, she must be crucified, and somehow they got her foot flat against the stipes, positioned a nail, and smashed it home.
The final nail was slightly easier, because the fight was beginning to go out of Barbaria, but it had taken a full fifteen minutes before, finally, for the second time in her life, Queen Barbaria was stretched out naked upon a cross, held there by four savage spikes.
“Raise her!” ordered Vulcan, and Barbaria’s only protests now could be vocal as the cross was raised into its position, and dropped, with a thump, into its socket. Barbaria lurched forwards as the cross stopped, screaming in her unbelievable agony, nails tearing her flesh as the movement was arrested.
“Now for my piece de resistance!” grinned Vulcan. He muttered and incantation, and cast a spell at Barbaria. For a moment her nude body glowed in a golden light, and for that instant the pain left her and, in surprise, she stopped screaming. Then the waves of pain hit her again, as did the panic, and she began to scream and thrash once more.
“What….what did you do to her?” Siss glared at Vulcan, her gaze challenging and insolent.
“I have arranged it so that she will live on that cross until I choose to let her die!” Vulcan looked pleased with himself.
There was silence, other than Barbaria’s screams, while Siss and the others digested what Vulcan had said.
“You mean….she won’t die in a day or so? Not even in a week or so?”
“You understand perfectly, my dear. Don’t be jealous, I shall treat you the same. All except Cordelia. You can all watch her die in the normal time.”
“You……you……BASTARD!” screamed Siss.
“Aren’t I just?” smiled Vulcan, “I thought it rather clever.” He paused, then added, conversationally, “Shall we get Cordelia crucified?”
Cordelia wailed in terror as they began to drag her towards her cross.
