by Bertina Mars
“Glorious majesty,” she said in a cloying tone. “A billion apologies for disturbing your most magnificent deliberations, but the Earth women are now ready to be viewed.”
“Ah yes, the slave auction, excellent!” the Prince Consort beamed, clapping his hands. He swept forward toward the door. “Come along, Vron. I have been looking forward to this.” He paused, and pointed to the body of the tailor. “Clean that up,” he ordered offhandedly to the House Matron.
Vron and the older woman exchanged wearied glances before Vron followed his master out of the chamber with a heavy sigh. He just hoped that the excitement of the auction would make the Prince Consort forget his recent order to wipe out the Koro tribe.
* * *
The Earth women had been gathered in the main courtyard of the palace as the Prince Consort and Vron emerged into the midday sun. Vron scanned their frightened, confused faces and grimaced. It was a familiar scene now.
Women snatched from other worlds and brought to the palace to be sold into a lifetime of sexual slavery, condemned to become the playthings of the Prince Consort and the other nobles.
Already Vron’s fellow members of the Blood Shark Society had gathered to ogle the merchandise. Fierce and ruthless warriors just like Vron, the Blood Shark Society was the ruling elite of Raja-kell, and under the Prince Consort they enjoyed absolute power without restraint.
Like the Prince Consort himself, most of them had become degenerate and corrupt as a consequence, and many times Vron felt ashamed to be part of their number, though in the distance past the Sharks had been a force for good and stability. But like his beautiful Seema, those glory days were gone forever.
“A most pleasingly fertile looking selection,” the Prince Consort said eagerly, eying up the women. “I must compliment the slaver captain on his selection, already I have spotted a couple I deem sufficiently worthy of receiving my divine seed.”
“They cannot imagine the honour they are due to receive, your Excellency,” drawled Vron, knowing too vividly the gruesome fate that awaited those unfortunate wretches the Prince Consort decided to take to his bedchamber. In many ways they would be better off dead.
He looked out at the women with abject pity, but knew there was nothing he could do to help them now. He had long ago shielded his heart from the pain of knowing how utterly impotent he was against the depredations of the Blood Shark Society. All he could do was offer up a prayer that their future lives would not be too dreadful to bear.
For an instant, he was overcoming by the roiling emotion that churned inside, though anyone who might be observing him would only see a slight tightening of the muscles round his square jaw. Vron had learnt long ago to keep his feelings carefully hidden.
Yet today, he was finding it hard to remain in control.
It must have been the near execution of the serving girl and then the attempted assassination that had rattled his nerves. He shouldn’t have been so fazed of course. It was just a typical day in the life of the Chief of Security. Maybe he was getting too old for all this?
As he brooded upon this and the general misery of his life, his eyes skimmed across the faces of the Earth women, wishing he could be somewhere else. In fact, he was just about to come up with some excuse to go and chastise the Royal Guard for not searching the tailor before he was admitted into the Prince Consort’s presence, when he suddenly saw her.
She was standing near the back of the captured women, a calm controlled presence amidst the visible fear and anxiety of the others. His eyes raked over her beautiful, angelic face, the voluptuous curves of her body and the rich swell of her breasts, barely able to comprehend the sheer perfection he saw in her.
He couldn’t believe he had not spotted her until now, and now that he had he couldn’t stop looking at her. An excitement came over him that he hadn’t felt since his adolescence, and his heart pounded wildly in his chest.
The beautiful, curvy earthling was watching the Blood Sharks with open disgust and exuded an inner strength that Vron had not seen in a long time. He read the quicksilver intelligence in her gaze and realised straight away that her whole body language was poised for escape.
Unlike the other women, who had been reduced to the mental level of frightened cattle, this one was not going to give up without a fight. As he stared at her their eyes suddenly made contact.
A thrill of panic flared in his chest and he instinctively looked away. His legs felt like water and he had to take a few moments to regain control of himself. When he risked a look in her direction again, her attention was now fixed on the auction, which was just beginning.
Vron’s heart dropped and he felt a deep shame welling up inside him. No doubt she thought him a savage barbarian like the rest of the men here, and that made his soul ache.
What was happening to him? Who was this fantastic woman who had such a hold over him? Despite his better judgement, he was determined to find out more about her, and that meant participating in the auction. It went against his entire moral code, but he didn’t care any more. She was the only thing that mattered now.
Chapter 3: Two Lost Souls
Once they had been preened and beautified, Maya and the other women were herded toward a large iron gate that dominated the far end of the dressing chamber. She had found Tia again, and held the poor kid’s hand feeling a rallying of her strength in supporting the other girl. Whatever happened, they were all in this together.
The bitch-faced House Matron had finished bickering with the slaver captain and now inspected the women. When she was satisfied with their appearance she gestured to the Raja-kellan soldier on guard to pull the lever he was stood next to.
Dread sliced through Maya as the huge gate slowly opened, and she tightened her grip on Tia’s little hand. A fresh ripple of fright when through the girls as the gate opened completely, letting harsh sunlight flood the room.
“Go on then,” snapped the House Matron. “Get outside, and anyone who causes any trouble will be flayed alive and thrown into the tar pits. This is your first and only warning!”
Maya severely doubted the woman was bluffing. She felt her body stiffen and she prepared herself for what was to come. Hesitantly, the Earth women moved through the gate and Maya squinted against the glaring sun and was almost knocked out by the searing heat.
She quickly recovered from the sudden change of environment and focused on taking in her surroundings and finding a possible escape route. What she saw though made her heart sink.
They were now standing in a large open air courtyard beneath a cherise tinted sky. Tropical heat drenched Maya’s body in seconds, and she stared out in wonder at the vast green swathe of rainforest that stretched as far as the eye could see in every direction.
It was almost as awe-inspiring as the colossal red stoned ziggurat that rose up on the other side of the courtyard directly opposite the gate they had just come through. Like the courtyard, it was several hundred kilometres above ground level and glowered down on a sprawling smoke wreathed city that reached out from its skirts across the rainforest floor.
Maya’s eyes were drawn back to the megalithic structure and its immensity and aura of menace almost overwhelmed her. It was the colour of dried blood, and a beam of scarlet light shot up from its uppermost building to pierce the heavens above. Most disconcerting of all, was that suspended inside light several feet above the ziggurat was a large stone head, with an ugly, crudely carved face.
The face was looking out at the rainforest with blazing ruby red eyes, but when the Earth women were marched into the courtyard it slowly turned until it was looking down on them instead. This bizarre spectacle was not witnessed by Maya alone, and cries of dismay went up from the other girls.
“Silence!” rasped the House Matron. “You are in the presence of the Blood God Himself, the supreme power of Raja-kell! Keep yours bowed and your tongues still, or you will invoke His terrible wrath!”
The threat was enough to cow the prisoners, but Maya refused to be
beaten down by some kind of scary looking gimmick. She forced herself to look away from the frightening visage and hunt for a possible escape route.
It was utterly crazy to even try anything, she knew that very well but as she figured it, it would be better to fight and die than end up a slave.
“I shall inform the Prince Consort, we are finally ready to begin,” the House Matron said imperiously to the slaver captain. “Ah, good, the other Blood Sharks are assembling now as well.”
Maya watched as a large group of male Raja-kellans began to saunter out of the ziggurat into the courtyard. Like the slave girls and the House Matron, they were olive-skinned humanoids indistinguishable from Earthlings save for their silver coloured eyes.
They strutted around with an insufferable air of arrogance, yelling out raucously and directing obscene comments at the Earth women. Maya regarded them with ill-disguised contempt.
While the House Matron headed away, the slavers got the auction ready, setting up a selling block in front of the baying crowd of potential buyers. The women were made to stand separately, and Tia got separated from Maya, as the slaver captain grabbed her by the arm and paraded her in front of the so-called Blood Sharks.
Maya cursed the stroke of ill luck because she’d really hoped to get the kid away with her as well, but she knew that wasn’t practical.
All she could do now was to try and get away and then come back for the others if it was at all possible. But she still had no idea how she was going to escape anyway. It all seemed terribly hopeless.
Then, Maya noticed more Blood Sharks arriving from the direction of the city. They were flying up to the auction on sleek one-person flying vehicles that looked very similar to the hyperbikes from back home. She knew how to ride them and these didn’t look much different. Her attention fixed on the flying bike closest to her. It was several feet away and if she ran fast enough she might just get to it before anyone could stop her.
Unfortunately, the slavers and more Raja-kellan soldiers were watching the women attentively, making sure there wasn’t any trouble. It was too much of a long shot to make a run for it now.
Frustrated, she looked away from the bike and back in the direction of the ziggurat. When she did, her heart leapt into her mouth.
Two more men had emerged onto the lower terrace of the building, and were looking down at the proceedings in the courtyard. They were both Raja-kellans and the skinny, creepy-looking one looked like a clown in his multicoloured outfit and gold crown with its exaggerated plumage, but she barely gave him a glance. It was the taller man next to him that had captured her attention.
He stood with a distinctly military bearing, his toned, well defined body gorgeously accentuated by the simple dark uniform he was wearing. It contrasted with the gaudy red and gold outfits the other Blood Sharks were dressed in, and he held himself with a far more reserved and dignified manner than the others.
Her pulse raced faster as she took in his handsome good looks, with his powerful jaw and sleek nose with its slightly flaring nostrils. His mouth was a firm flat line with finely sculpted lips and his short; jet-black hair was slicked back against his skull and complimented with a topknot. Eyes of stormy silver looked out at the world and for the briefest of moments they locked with Maya’s searching gaze.
An electric chill went through her being and she looked away quickly taken off guard by the intensity of feelings that he provoked inside. He exuded a dark energy of immense strength and virility and every muscle in his body seemed to be held tight by rigid discipline.
Maya found herself magnetised by the handsome warrior, and she was certain he was a warrior. He had all the hallmarks of man who had seen real action, just like her dad.
The cold voice of logic frosted over her raging feelings. No matter how attractive and fascinating the man might be, he was still a Raja-kellan and he was on the side of her captors. He was the enemy and she had to treat him as such.
“My noble lords, I bring you ripe fruits from Earth,” the Yojaridan slaver captain called out to the crowd. “All these beautiful lovelies have been specially selected for your pleasure. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed!”
With that, he brusquely forced Tia up onto the selling block. The girl stared out at the men in absolute terror and tears ran down her eyes as the slaver captain started the bidding for her.
Maya’s stomach twisted with anger as she was forced to watch the spectacle. Unable to interfere, she focused on her own escape, biding her time for the right moment. As she waited, Tia brought a good price even being the subject of an intense bidding war between several of the Blood Sharks that threatened to break out in a full-scale brawl.
As it was though, the brightly coloured guy standing with the brooding man who had taken her breath away interceded and bought Tia for nine thousand rubies, which put a wide smile of the ugly face of the slaver captain.
He fawned disgustedly over Tia’s new owner and Maya quickly figured out that this was the so-called Prince Consort. That made sense now.
The moody guy must be his bodyguard, she mused to herself, again raking her eyes over his broad shoulders and imaging kissing his olive-dark skin. He’s more alert than the others, always on guard, always watching.
She quickly looked away in case he caught her checking him out again. She didn’t need any distractions right now, and he was definitely a distraction.
After the frightened Tia had been taken into the ziggurat by a couple of the guards, the auction continued in full swing. One by one, the girls were led up to the selling block to be auctioned off and each of them found enthusiastic buyers. Maya was the last of four prisoners to be put up for auction and she prepared herself for action. If she was going to make a break for it, it was now.
“Now we come to Number Eleven,” the slaver captain called out as he grabbed Maya’s arm and pulled her onto the selling block.
“A curvy little piece and plenty of meat on the bone, those breasts are round and juicy and could be played with for hours. Shall we start the bidding at a thousand rubies?”
Maya ignored the sexual insults and leers directed her way by the Blood Sharks and kept her eyes on the laser pistol the slaver captain carried in his gun holster.
Her heart pounded with all the force of a sledgehammer against the inner wall of her chest and taking a deep breath she suddenly lashed out when the slaver least expected it. She snatched the gun from his holster before he released what was happening and levelled it at him.
“Don’t move!” she snarled, “or I’ll fire!”
Though there was enough conviction behind her voice, she very much doubted she could gun him down in cold blood, regardless of how vile he was. She had training in firearms when she enlisted for the Space Marines, but she hadn’t stayed in the service long enough to see real action and killing someone who wasn’t armed was one step she was unwilling to take.
“You insolent bitch!” the slaver thundered. “Give me back my gun!”
Regardless of the danger he lunged at her. With lightning speed she lashed out with her leg and aimed a savage kick straight into the slaver’s chest. It was one of the many self-defence techniques she’d learnt off her dad and it was designed to knock the breath from the slaver’s body.
It did the trick, and he staggered back. Waving the pistol around, Maya kicked off her heels and darted barefoot toward the vacant flying bike.
“Stop her!” yelled the slaver captain as a great gale of laughter and cheering went up from the Blood Sharks. They were clearly greatly entertained by this unexpected development. Maya ignored them, her attention fixed on the bike and her one slim chance for escape.
One of the native guards suddenly appeared in front of her his energy weapon raised. It was a sleek rifle like mechanism with a bayonet fixed on the end of it. The soldier looked ready to shoot her down stone cold dead, but she struck out with the butt of her pistol before he could do so, sending a clumsy swipe across his temple.
He grunted an
d staggered back lost his balance, falling ignobly onto his butt. Relief surged through her and she bolted past him. Just when she thought she was clear of him though, he jabbed out clumsily with his bayonet.
She felt a searing pain in her lower leg as the tip of the blade punctured her skin and she let out a sharp yell, dropping her pistol in the process. She felt the sticky drizzle of blood running down to her foot.
Despite the wound she lurched forward, almost inches from the waiting bike. Panting hard she grabbed its handlebars and attempted to climb onto the seat. A blur of dark grey shot towards her from the corner of her eye and suddenly immensely powerful arms wrapped themselves around her chest and pulled her away from the bike.
A body of iron hard muscle pressed against her and with a sinking feeling, she realised who was holding her.
“That’s enough now,” a deep, silk soft voice purred into her ear.
“Excellent Vron,” the Prince Consort called out as he sauntered towards them. “That was a most entertaining show.”
Maya tried to struggle but it was impossible to free herself from the iron grip of the man called Vron. His close proximity made her tingle in a way that wasn’t appropriate for the situation.
“Let me go,” she said in a surly voice. “You have no right to do this.”
“I have no right,” Vron said quietly, his voice so close to her ear, it sent shivers down her spine, “but the Prince Consort has. Anger him and you’ll be sacrificed to the Blood God.”
She bit her lip and glared at the gaudily dressed man as he reached them. “For a big girl, she runs as fast as a cyber-jaguar.”
“A thousand apologies your Excellency,” the slaver captain said in a servile tone. He had lumbered over to them with his grubby hands clasped in front of him in supplication. “This has never happened before! I will have this rebellious cow executed at once!”
