Page 6

“Go ahead, Tyb. Get this show started,” Cirail laughs.

Tyb, the burly man who seems to be Cirail’s right-hand man, takes something from his belt. A meat hook. In one swift strike, he stabs it deep into Valiar’s right shoulder from the back. Valiar’s eyes widened, but he refused to scream. “Is that the best you’ve got?” he spits.

“Of course not, Val,” Tyb scoffs. “I’m just getting started.”

He lowers a rope from the ceiling with a pulley system and attaches it to the meat hook, then signals to other Raiders. They pull on the rope until Valiar is forced to stand, then get on his tiptoes, and finally hang a few feet above ground. He’s breathing hard, perspiration breaking on his forehead. The most motivated Raiders make a circle around him and start to throw knives at him. Applause erupts when a blonde woman catches him in his right eye. The knife buries itself deep into the organ. When she yanks it out, what was left of the eye comes with it before detaching from the blade and hanging by the optic nerve against Valiar’s ashen face. She hoots and raises her arms in the air, giving the room a good sight of her bloodied knife before licking it suggestively. I turn away, unable to watch any more, only to see Reno lying on the floor with a dick down his throat and a tall woman riding him. He’s moaning, playing with the woman’s tits with one hand and the man’s balls with the other. I don’t understand how he can do it, act like he enjoys it, and even get hard. I mean, the salacious comments aren’t that different from how he used to act back at Elign, but this? It’s something else entirely.

Or is it? I always assumed they were just jokes, that he enjoyed making people uncomfortable with them. But maybe I was wrong. Maybe he was constantly sleeping around and I simply wasn’t aware. I guess he could have been trading his body for resources. Alcohol, maybe. That would track. If only I had made more effort back then, maybe we could have had actual meaningful conversations, and I would know things like that. I should have put my insecurities aside and tried.

A sharp scream makes me turn my head back to Valiar. Blood is pouring from stab wounds all over his body, but the reason he’s screaming is that Tyb just smashed his left knee between two heavy hammers. He does it again and again, reducing it to a purple pulp and protruding shards of bones. Then, he moves to Valiar’s second knee. The woman riding Reno watches through lust-filled half-lidded eyes, moaning louder and louder.

Tyb drops his hammers and takes a knife instead. He slices Valiar’s stomach open. The woman cums with a scream as Valiar’s innards topple to the ground.

I gulp down some more wine.

Reno Thiers

Lira climbs off me as Valiar dies, and whoever’s dick was down my throat is removed after coating my tongue with another layer of salty cum. I give Lira a playful wink, even though I want nothing more than to crawl into a hole and disappear. I hate fucking people even more than I hate being fucked. Sure, it hurts less, but I’m forced to endure that awful, sickening pleasure I never asked for. And if I can’t get it up… I don’t even want to think about it.

My gaze meets Nasir’s, but he averts his eyes, looking disgusted. Being treated like a piece of meat and having to act like I enjoy it to amuse the Raiders is bad enough, but Nasir's presence makes it all the worse tonight. He didn't say anything, didn't even try to stop Dornao from using me. He just sat there, looking away and drinking wine. Of course he’s disgusted by me now, and why wouldn’t he be? I’m nothing but used goods. A fucking cum dumpster. Filthy, too. Maybe he believes my act and thinks I actually want this.

A new set of hands grabs me. “Our turn, little whore.”

Dornao’s men, our guards, have smug looks plastered all over their faces. They would fit right in with the Raiders. Wilson is with them too. Of course he is. He must be so proud of his little stunt during our foraging trip right now.

I smile and let them manhandle me until two of them, including that bastard Wilson, manage to shove their cocks up my ass at the same time.

“Oh, yeah.” I make myself moan. “Split me open!”

“Look at that, the little whore was born for this,” another guard sneers. “If only we’d realized that back at Elign.”

He pushes his cock past my lips, saving me from having to answer. I let my mind go blank, my body on autopilot. I can hear myself moaning and feel my hips bucking, but it’s all so far away, as if I’m watching myself from a distance. It hurts less that way, but I have to be careful. If I let myself dissociate when they want me to talk, they’ll think I’m broken. I can’t allow that. I can’t die.

Everyone has finally gone to sleep, and I’m left alone in the refectory, Valiar’s corpse still strung to his meat hook keeping me company. They tied my hands behind my back like they do every night in case I want to escape.

That’s how I get to sleep since I became their plaything. Tied up, covered in cum, on the cold floor wherever they leave me. At least, I hope I’ll get to sleep. Sometimes someone decides to use me during the night too. I’m communal property, after all, for the taking for anyone who wants a piece of me.

Footsteps resound down the hall. The door creaks open. I remain curled into myself, keeping my eyes shut. Thinking I'm asleep won't stop whoever's coming from doing whatever they want to me, but at least I might not have to put on my little show.

“Reno?” Nasir’s voice echoes.

I stay very still, fighting back the overwhelming urge to cry.

Not that, not him too. There was a time seeing him walk into my quarters at night would have been a wet dream come true, but not anymore. Not like that. He saw me debase myself all evening, get passed around and used, and thank people for every load, and now he wants a piece of me too. Would he stop if I told him it was all just pretend, that I didn’t enjoy any of it?

Who am I kidding? No one cares about what I want, so why would he? The only person who’s normally kind to me. It's too much. Too much.

“Reno?” He shakes my shoulder. “It's me, Nasir.”

As if I didn't know that already. Does he really have to rub it in? I can't pretend to be asleep anymore, but since he's not a Raider, there's no point in putting on my jester persona to entertain him. “Just make it quick, please,” I beg, unable to look at him. I hate how resigned my voice sounds.

“What? No!” Nasir's hand leaves my shoulder as if it had burned him. Of course he's not going to do me that small favor, and why would he? I shouldn't even have bothered asking. “Reno, I won't hurt you. We're leaving.”

His hands move to my back. He's untying my binds. I don't understand, but if I have an actual chance of leaving this place, I'm not going to question it.

Nasir helps me up and through the dark, empty hallways. He opens a door, and fresh air hits my face. I look up at the stars. I haven't seen them in so long; I didn't think I'd ever get to stare at them again. Silent tears run down my face.

It's a cold night, and my stupid outfit is far from enough to keep me warm. The weather was still hot when I got captured. That means I must have been with the Raiders for… I don't know. Four months, maybe? Six? Fuck.