Changing Oneself (Entangled side story)

4, Training

After the servants showed me the basics, I was notified that the two Head Vampires wanted me back in their quarters. Someone else had already taken the dishes of their breakfast down for me, so I knew what probably awaited me when I returned. 

Training... in the way of manners and my 'duties as their pet'.

Oh moon...

I had reached the top of the spiraling staircase when I realized how much shit I had gotten myself in by throwing away that gag. I quickly ran back downstairs and into the kitchen, where I peeked into the open trash can. The gag was buried underneath a bunch of other gunk, and I didn't want to fish my hand in there and dig it back out, much less put it back on. Ew...

It's fine. I'll just lie to them. I'll say I took it off for a split second and when I went back for it, it was gone. 

I went back up the spiral stairs. When I reached the corridor, I stepped down it with anticipation growing as the distance between me and the door to their quarters shrank. I thought about making a run for it. Thought about leaping into the trees to my right. I could do it, I told myself, I could just bolt.

I paused and changed direction, heading for the open wall with the large floor-to-ceiling pillars and the waist-high ledge. I touched the ledge and leaned over it. The treetops whipped their leaves in a passing breeze. I couldn't see the ground below them, couldn't see how far of a jump it was. It'll be worth it, I told myself, just fucking jump already.

I lifted a single leg and planted my foot on the ledge. The door to the vampires' quarters opened, and I froze.

"That wouldn't be a good idea," Ieli's voice carried down the corridor. "It's quite a long drop. And with tree branches in the way? You'll be so banged up you won't be able to move."

I swallowed, staring at the leaves only a few feet below me. My mind hopped frantically between telling my body to do it and telling my body to bail. Ieli already knew what I was trying to do. He knew where I'd land and he would come get me while I laid on the ground in anguish. The jump would be pointless. 

Slowly, I put my foot back on the floor. "Good boy," Ieli praised. "Come here."

I remembered the gag, or lack thereof. I didn't move from my spot. Ieli sighed. "Have you not learned by now that disobedience means a worse punishment?" I clutched the ledge tightly for a brief moment before pushing myself away from it and trudging over to him. I avoided eye contact as I reached him. He tutted as he looked at my face, arms crossed over his chest.

"Where has your gag gone?" he asked. 

"I took it off and left it somewhere for a moment. When I came back, it was gone," I muttered. Ieli stood silent for a moment, and I feared that he would slap me, but he didn't. Instead, he simply grabbed me by the outfit I wore and used it to drag me inside their quarters. 

"I suppose the first thing we should train you on is not to lie to us," he said, yanking on the clothing to throw me into the middle of the room. I grunted as I landed on my hands and knees, quickly getting up to my feet to try and fend off whatever else he was going to do.

As I looked up, I realized that they had a sort of setup in the middle of the room, a few feet away from me. Yenthyr stood next to it, along with a small table that had disciplinary bdsm tools laid out on top. The setup itself consisted of a quick-put-together-and-take-apart contraption made for suspension bondage, with four poles forming a square and supporting a thicker horizontal pole at the top. I paled and took a few steps back. 

"I haven't even done anything," I pointed out. There was no way they were going to punish me that bad over a missing gag. 

"You've proven to us that you're disobedient, rebellious, and unappreciative of the little acts of kindness Ieli has done for you. You also still seem to believe that you don't deserve to be here, that you've done nothing wrong," Yenthyr began. "You also just tried to get our servants to help you escape, which is something we don't tolerate," he reached over to the small table and picked up a thick bundle of black rope. "And we've decided that it would be best if we nip your bullshit right in the bud. We're going to do this training all night, for as long as it takes, until you recognize your place."