Rose
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Guessmyname
- Posts: 3301
- Joined: 28 Apr 2005, 21:07
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Guessmyname
- Posts: 3301
- Joined: 28 Apr 2005, 21:07
Alex gets a new job, gorgeious wife, huge house...
Joa gets...not...good...things...happen...to...her.
The silverback thrust the crutches into Joa's hands. She looked at them. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell are those?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey are what's going to allow you to live├óÔé¼┬Ø George said. He walked out, saying over his shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôwe are moving out in two hours. You'd better start walking├óÔé¼┬Ø. Joa slowly moved to her feet, still sitting on the bed. Her body screamed with pain as she slowly levered herself onto the crutches. She started to hobble through the room, pain shooting through her many holed chest with each step. Joa gritted her teeth and got on with it, knowing that death was coming if she couldn't keep up with an army at march.
She shouldn't have worried as much. The silverback army was slow. Very slow, especially compared to a fleet footed Imperial army. Despite her wounds, Joa managed to keep up with the back of the column as the silverbacks marched over the mountains, towards a harbor they had carved out for themselves. Just because it was easy to keep pace didn't mean that it was painless. Every single step made pain shoot through Joa's chest. Two of her wounds reopened, but she bound them closed as best she could. After the first long, hellish day the army stopped. They had only managed to go about half the distance an Imperial army would have under the same circumstances.
Joa collapsed into her cot. She rolled over, her mouth open in a silent scream. She felt her chest and brought her fingers away, tinged red with blood that was seeping through the bandages. It felt like she was just draining out through the holes. Then George walked in. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou survived the first day├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôHere├óÔé¼┬Ø. He tossed her a vial. Joa looked it over. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked, her voice croaky, her throat almost completely parched. ├óÔé¼┼ôHealing vial├óÔé¼┬Ø George said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'll need it for tonight├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôTonight?├óÔé¼┬Ø Joa asked. But George was gone. She pulled the stopper of the bottle and drank it down. After a moment the draining feeling stopped and she closed her eyes, falling asleep. Not quite comfortably, but she managed it.
Alex walked into Smithers room, feeling very nervous. The Generals letter had been very cut, simply saying ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to debrief. Come home├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex felt very happy to be home, even without...Joa. Another shot of pain stabbed through his mind. ├óÔé¼┼ôAh, Alex├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said, smiling from behind his desk . Then his smile faded ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm very sorry about Jonathan's death├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut you should be glad to hear that his death has bought us the war├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe recent reports├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Silverbacks are routing out of the Eastlands. Whats left of their army has hit the boats and is heading back to the Southlands├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôThats...thats excellent├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd though there has yet to be a major drop in the quality of their arms and equipment├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have optimistic projections about the quality dropping very soon, now that we have taken the mines from them├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Alex closed his eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats my new mission?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMarriage├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said. ├óÔé¼┼ôExcuse me?├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex asked, confused. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was the other thing I wanted to congratulate you on. Not just you're Marriage but also on you're choice. The Shogun's daughter! I don't want to ask what crazy thing you did that made the Shogun think you were a good choice for his daughter├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Eastlander├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said. Alex felt the burning desire to correct him. It was called Nippon. But Smithers was still talking ├óÔé¼┼ôthey have becoming more and more cold with us over the last year. We were worried they would switch sides, and that would be disaster for us. But now you have cemented that alliance. I couldn't have done a better job if I had chosen it myself├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Alex felt a strange glow in his stomach. It was pride. He stood up a bit straighter and said ├óÔé¼┼ôThank you, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø. Smithers nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe last thing I'm giving you...is this├óÔé¼┬Ø. He handed Alex a paper. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the-├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex muttered. He read it. Then he started to laugh. ├óÔé¼┼ôThank you├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said ├óÔé¼┼ôI...you don't know how much this means to me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Smithers smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôThe war is doubtlessly going to end in a victory for our side in fac-├óÔé¼┬Ø. The doors burst open and a courier ran into the room. ├óÔé¼┼ôGeneral!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted, handing the general a paper. Smithers read the paper quickly. Then his face split into an even wider grin ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose I was right├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex looked up from his own paper ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a report from Stelvi├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Alex started to groan inwardly. Every single bit of news from Stelvi over the past few weeks had been-. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe pushed them out├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe pushed the god damned Silverback's out of the pass!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex's face started to split in a grin as well. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats...├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôthats incredible!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts a complete rout├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said, pulling out a ensure and rubbing it over his map. He updated the lines. There was a lot less red on it now. ├óÔé¼┼ôGo tell you're wife the good news├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd enjoy you're life a civilian├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers reached out his hand. Alex took it. ├óÔé¼┼ôHave a nice life, Lord Alex Winfred Mayflower├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex turned around and walked out of the office, smiling.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhats the news?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lucy asked. It was still strange to see her in a dress. With makeup on. Alex blinked and shook him self slightly ├óÔé¼┼ôI just got Honorably Discharged├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd given a large estate on the Delta├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lucy gasped ├óÔé¼┼ôThats...thats great!├óÔé¼┬Ø. She stood up and hugged him ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can finally get some time alone together├óÔé¼┬Ø she whispered in his ear. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats right├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex paused ├óÔé¼┼ôLucy├óÔé¼┬Ø. He had almost said Joa. What was wrong with him? Joa was dead. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go to our new home├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Lucy smiled, stepping aside and taking his hand. They called a gondolier. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't service-├óÔé¼┬Ø the gondolier started to say. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know what├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't care. Lets walk├óÔé¼┬Ø. He walked away from the gondolier.
Joa was shoved into the room. It was very long, stretching down the side of the ship. It had windows, though they were small and waters often splashed through them. There were nine other women in the room, each sitting at their beds. The silverback shut the door behind Joa and locked. Joa blinked, looking at the other women. Water splashed onto her, slipping through the window. That woke Joa up. She ran to the nearest bed. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôHey whats you're name!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The woman looked at her blankly. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats you're name!├óÔé¼┬Ø Joa said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to work together to get out of here├óÔé¼┬Ø. The woman turned away, not talking or even making a noise.
Joa looked her over. She wore ragged pants, a ragged shirt and front what she could see had no other injuries on her. None on her head, so she wasn't a brain damaged person. Joa shook her ├óÔé¼┼ôCome on!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôSay something!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The other woman lay down, ignoring her. Joa looked at the other women. They were all sitting silently, staring at nothing in particular. Joa looked around the room for something...anything. Then the door opened. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you doing!├óÔé¼┬Ø A silverback shouted. Joa spun around. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet away from them├óÔé¼┬Ø the silverback cried. He ran up and smacked Joa. Joa staggered, her head spinning. Then she slammed her elbow into the silverback's solar plexus. The silverback doubled over, wheezing. He gasped something in his own language.
Joa didn't give him the chance to get back up. She kicked him in the face. The silverback flew back, blood streaming down his nose. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou pay!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted, running from the room. Joa stood there, adrenalin running through her blood. It was probably the only thing keeping her on her feet. Then the door burst open and four more silverbacks ran into the room. They were followed by the one with a bleeding nose, who was grinning evilly. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome on I'll-├óÔé¼┬Ø Joa started. But a silverback grabbed her right arm. She brought her left one around to smash against his ribs, but he managed to shrug it off. Another silverback grabbed onto her left arm. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet go of me you bastards!├óÔé¼┬Ø Joa shouted as they dragged her to the bed.
The two other silverback grabbed her legs. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh gods├óÔé¼┬Ø Joa gasped as they pulled them apart and lashed them to the bed. Joa rolled her head back and closed her eyes. The silverback with a bloody nose walked forward and grabbed her pants. He tore them down as he dropped his pants. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou will pay├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Joa opened her eyes, not looking down. She looked at his leering, bloody face and spat in his eye. The silverback grinned and licked a long, slow, trial up the side of Joa's face. ├óÔé¼┼ôSick bastard├óÔé¼┬Ø she gasped. Then it started.
Alex walked into his house. It was...larger then he thought. There were five servants, or so his pamphlet had said, but he could only see three of them in the main hall. Inside the main hall there were two stairwells that ran up and to the left and to the right. They led to the bedrooms, while on the first floor two doors lead to the dining rooms, servant quarters and other rooms. Then a servant walked down the stairs. Alex gasped ├óÔé¼┼ôSandra!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Sandra sniffed, her eyes still read from crying ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're the only one who I...I could work for after...Joa├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex grinned, walking up the stairs to Sandra. Lucy followed.
├óÔé¼┼ôI haven't been able to stop crying├óÔé¼┬Ø Sandra said as Alex and Lucy walked with her through the halls ├óÔé¼┼ôS...he's dead. My master is dead├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut...he gave his life for something we should all be thankfully for├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sandra sniffed ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôthis is you're rooms├óÔé¼┬Ø She gestured to the door they stood next to. ├óÔé¼┼ôThank you├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said ├óÔé¼┼ôLets...lets try to have a good life├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sandra smiled wetly ├óÔé¼┼ôThank you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThank you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to get to work├óÔé¼┬Ø Sandra said, almost sobbing as she walked away. Lucy watched her go, wishing she could comfort her somehow.
Lucy opened the doors and oohed. The bed was...huge. Alex walked in after her, looking at the bed as well. Then his eyes traveled to his new wife. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said ├óÔé¼┼ôEveryone keeps telling me I made a good choice when I married you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lucy looked at him, smiling ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you still think so?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh gods yes├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said, closing the door behind him and grabbing hold of Lucy. He kissed her and began to unbutton her dress. Lucy smiled like an idiot ├óÔé¼┼ôI have you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said softly. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI finally have you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Her dress sloughed off and Lucy fell backwards onto the bed. Alex's lips found her nipple and Lucy giggled ├óÔé¼┼ôI got you├óÔé¼┬Ø she gasped.
Joa slowly curled into a ball. She didn't want to be seen by anyone. She didn't want to be touched by anyone. Even the clothes on her back felt as if they were violating her, just by being there. She wanted to tear off the unclean, filthy rags. But she...couldn't. The Silverbacks were going at it with one of the other women down the line. Joa's hand reached between her legs. They came away bloody. Joa curled her hand into a fist, gouging pot marks into her palm. She would remember. Every touch. Every injustice. Everything. She would pay it back. Every...last...one of them.
├óÔé¼┼ôAlex├óÔé¼┬Ø Lucy gasped ├óÔé¼┼ôOh Alex...├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex rolled over, bringing her on top. Lucy ran her hands over his chest, feeling the scars from battle and the chest hair. Lucy bent down and clung to Alex, her lips pressing against his cheek, his neck. ├óÔé¼┼ôGods├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex grunted ├óÔé¼┼ôGods...gods Joa!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lucy froze. She slowly sat up. Horror was written over Alex's face. Lucy got up, mouth gaping. ├óÔé¼┼ôLucy...I├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex stood up as well ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm so sorry├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAlex you idiot!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lucy shouted. She slapped him. Alex gaped, cheek burning. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Lucy picked up her dress and walked into the bathroom. Alex stood there, holding his pants up.
Lucy was crying in the bathroom. ├óÔé¼┼ôLucy├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said, walking into the bathroom ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm...sorry├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou keep saying that├óÔé¼┬Ø Lucy said, turning around ├óÔé¼┼ôbut you're hung up on a dead woman!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex closed his eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I know├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure you wanted to marry me?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lucy said ├óÔé¼┼ôOr did you want to marry Joa. Don't get us confused. I'm no her!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex strode forward ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not confused├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI love YOU├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lucy looked away ├óÔé¼┼ôYou so sure about that├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said ├óÔé¼┼ôYes. I have never been more sure in my life├óÔé¼┬Ø. He stood right next to Lucy ├óÔé¼┼ôJoa's dead. We all have to accept that├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've accepted it├óÔé¼┬Ø Lucy said ├óÔé¼┼ôHave you?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Alex kissed her. Lucy stepped away ├óÔé¼┼ôThats not enough...but├óÔé¼┬Ø she smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll let you slide...for now├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go back to bed├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said. He and Lucy walked into the bed room. Alex paused, looking out the window into the night sky. He wondered if Joa...if Joa was happy in the life that came after.
Joa gets...not...good...things...happen...to...her.
The silverback thrust the crutches into Joa's hands. She looked at them. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the hell are those?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThey are what's going to allow you to live├óÔé¼┬Ø George said. He walked out, saying over his shoulder ├óÔé¼┼ôwe are moving out in two hours. You'd better start walking├óÔé¼┬Ø. Joa slowly moved to her feet, still sitting on the bed. Her body screamed with pain as she slowly levered herself onto the crutches. She started to hobble through the room, pain shooting through her many holed chest with each step. Joa gritted her teeth and got on with it, knowing that death was coming if she couldn't keep up with an army at march.
She shouldn't have worried as much. The silverback army was slow. Very slow, especially compared to a fleet footed Imperial army. Despite her wounds, Joa managed to keep up with the back of the column as the silverbacks marched over the mountains, towards a harbor they had carved out for themselves. Just because it was easy to keep pace didn't mean that it was painless. Every single step made pain shoot through Joa's chest. Two of her wounds reopened, but she bound them closed as best she could. After the first long, hellish day the army stopped. They had only managed to go about half the distance an Imperial army would have under the same circumstances.
Joa collapsed into her cot. She rolled over, her mouth open in a silent scream. She felt her chest and brought her fingers away, tinged red with blood that was seeping through the bandages. It felt like she was just draining out through the holes. Then George walked in. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou survived the first day├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôHere├óÔé¼┬Ø. He tossed her a vial. Joa looked it over. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is it?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked, her voice croaky, her throat almost completely parched. ├óÔé¼┼ôHealing vial├óÔé¼┬Ø George said ├óÔé¼┼ôYou'll need it for tonight├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôTonight?├óÔé¼┬Ø Joa asked. But George was gone. She pulled the stopper of the bottle and drank it down. After a moment the draining feeling stopped and she closed her eyes, falling asleep. Not quite comfortably, but she managed it.
Alex walked into Smithers room, feeling very nervous. The Generals letter had been very cut, simply saying ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to debrief. Come home├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex felt very happy to be home, even without...Joa. Another shot of pain stabbed through his mind. ├óÔé¼┼ôAh, Alex├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said, smiling from behind his desk . Then his smile faded ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm very sorry about Jonathan's death├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut you should be glad to hear that his death has bought us the war├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex blinked ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe recent reports├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Silverbacks are routing out of the Eastlands. Whats left of their army has hit the boats and is heading back to the Southlands├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôThats...thats excellent├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd though there has yet to be a major drop in the quality of their arms and equipment├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe have optimistic projections about the quality dropping very soon, now that we have taken the mines from them├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Alex closed his eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats my new mission?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôMarriage├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said. ├óÔé¼┼ôExcuse me?├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex asked, confused. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said ├óÔé¼┼ôThat was the other thing I wanted to congratulate you on. Not just you're Marriage but also on you're choice. The Shogun's daughter! I don't want to ask what crazy thing you did that made the Shogun think you were a good choice for his daughter├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said. ├óÔé¼┼ôThe Eastlander├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said. Alex felt the burning desire to correct him. It was called Nippon. But Smithers was still talking ├óÔé¼┼ôthey have becoming more and more cold with us over the last year. We were worried they would switch sides, and that would be disaster for us. But now you have cemented that alliance. I couldn't have done a better job if I had chosen it myself├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Alex felt a strange glow in his stomach. It was pride. He stood up a bit straighter and said ├óÔé¼┼ôThank you, sir├óÔé¼┬Ø. Smithers nodded ├óÔé¼┼ôOkay├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôThe last thing I'm giving you...is this├óÔé¼┬Ø. He handed Alex a paper. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat the-├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex muttered. He read it. Then he started to laugh. ├óÔé¼┼ôThank you├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said ├óÔé¼┼ôI...you don't know how much this means to me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Smithers smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôThe war is doubtlessly going to end in a victory for our side in fac-├óÔé¼┬Ø. The doors burst open and a courier ran into the room. ├óÔé¼┼ôGeneral!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted, handing the general a paper. Smithers read the paper quickly. Then his face split into an even wider grin ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI suppose I was right├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex looked up from his own paper ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø he asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is a report from Stelvi├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Alex started to groan inwardly. Every single bit of news from Stelvi over the past few weeks had been-. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe pushed them out├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe pushed the god damned Silverback's out of the pass!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex's face started to split in a grin as well. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats...├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôthats incredible!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts a complete rout├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said, pulling out a ensure and rubbing it over his map. He updated the lines. There was a lot less red on it now. ├óÔé¼┼ôGo tell you're wife the good news├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd enjoy you're life a civilian├óÔé¼┬Ø Smithers reached out his hand. Alex took it. ├óÔé¼┼ôHave a nice life, Lord Alex Winfred Mayflower├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex turned around and walked out of the office, smiling.
├óÔé¼┼ôWhats the news?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lucy asked. It was still strange to see her in a dress. With makeup on. Alex blinked and shook him self slightly ├óÔé¼┼ôI just got Honorably Discharged├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said ├óÔé¼┼ôAnd given a large estate on the Delta├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lucy gasped ├óÔé¼┼ôThats...thats great!├óÔé¼┬Ø. She stood up and hugged him ├óÔé¼┼ôWe can finally get some time alone together├óÔé¼┬Ø she whispered in his ear. ├óÔé¼┼ôThats right├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex paused ├óÔé¼┼ôLucy├óÔé¼┬Ø. He had almost said Joa. What was wrong with him? Joa was dead. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go to our new home├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Lucy smiled, stepping aside and taking his hand. They called a gondolier. ├óÔé¼┼ôWe don't service-├óÔé¼┬Ø the gondolier started to say. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know what├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't care. Lets walk├óÔé¼┬Ø. He walked away from the gondolier.
Joa was shoved into the room. It was very long, stretching down the side of the ship. It had windows, though they were small and waters often splashed through them. There were nine other women in the room, each sitting at their beds. The silverback shut the door behind Joa and locked. Joa blinked, looking at the other women. Water splashed onto her, slipping through the window. That woke Joa up. She ran to the nearest bed. ├óÔé¼┼ôHey├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôHey whats you're name!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The woman looked at her blankly. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhats you're name!├óÔé¼┬Ø Joa said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to work together to get out of here├óÔé¼┬Ø. The woman turned away, not talking or even making a noise.
Joa looked her over. She wore ragged pants, a ragged shirt and front what she could see had no other injuries on her. None on her head, so she wasn't a brain damaged person. Joa shook her ├óÔé¼┼ôCome on!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôSay something!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The other woman lay down, ignoring her. Joa looked at the other women. They were all sitting silently, staring at nothing in particular. Joa looked around the room for something...anything. Then the door opened. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you doing!├óÔé¼┬Ø A silverback shouted. Joa spun around. ├óÔé¼┼ôGet away from them├óÔé¼┬Ø the silverback cried. He ran up and smacked Joa. Joa staggered, her head spinning. Then she slammed her elbow into the silverback's solar plexus. The silverback doubled over, wheezing. He gasped something in his own language.
Joa didn't give him the chance to get back up. She kicked him in the face. The silverback flew back, blood streaming down his nose. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou pay!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted, running from the room. Joa stood there, adrenalin running through her blood. It was probably the only thing keeping her on her feet. Then the door burst open and four more silverbacks ran into the room. They were followed by the one with a bleeding nose, who was grinning evilly. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome on I'll-├óÔé¼┬Ø Joa started. But a silverback grabbed her right arm. She brought her left one around to smash against his ribs, but he managed to shrug it off. Another silverback grabbed onto her left arm. ├óÔé¼┼ôLet go of me you bastards!├óÔé¼┬Ø Joa shouted as they dragged her to the bed.
The two other silverback grabbed her legs. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh gods├óÔé¼┬Ø Joa gasped as they pulled them apart and lashed them to the bed. Joa rolled her head back and closed her eyes. The silverback with a bloody nose walked forward and grabbed her pants. He tore them down as he dropped his pants. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou will pay├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Joa opened her eyes, not looking down. She looked at his leering, bloody face and spat in his eye. The silverback grinned and licked a long, slow, trial up the side of Joa's face. ├óÔé¼┼ôSick bastard├óÔé¼┬Ø she gasped. Then it started.
Alex walked into his house. It was...larger then he thought. There were five servants, or so his pamphlet had said, but he could only see three of them in the main hall. Inside the main hall there were two stairwells that ran up and to the left and to the right. They led to the bedrooms, while on the first floor two doors lead to the dining rooms, servant quarters and other rooms. Then a servant walked down the stairs. Alex gasped ├óÔé¼┼ôSandra!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Sandra sniffed, her eyes still read from crying ├óÔé¼┼ôYou're the only one who I...I could work for after...Joa├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex grinned, walking up the stairs to Sandra. Lucy followed.
├óÔé¼┼ôI haven't been able to stop crying├óÔé¼┬Ø Sandra said as Alex and Lucy walked with her through the halls ├óÔé¼┼ôS...he's dead. My master is dead├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI know├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut...he gave his life for something we should all be thankfully for├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sandra sniffed ├óÔé¼┼ôWell├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôthis is you're rooms├óÔé¼┬Ø She gestured to the door they stood next to. ├óÔé¼┼ôThank you├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said ├óÔé¼┼ôLets...lets try to have a good life├óÔé¼┬Ø. Sandra smiled wetly ├óÔé¼┼ôThank you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôThank you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex nodded. ├óÔé¼┼ôI need to get to work├óÔé¼┬Ø Sandra said, almost sobbing as she walked away. Lucy watched her go, wishing she could comfort her somehow.
Lucy opened the doors and oohed. The bed was...huge. Alex walked in after her, looking at the bed as well. Then his eyes traveled to his new wife. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said ├óÔé¼┼ôEveryone keeps telling me I made a good choice when I married you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lucy looked at him, smiling ├óÔé¼┼ôDo you still think so?├óÔé¼┬Ø She asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôOh gods yes├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said, closing the door behind him and grabbing hold of Lucy. He kissed her and began to unbutton her dress. Lucy smiled like an idiot ├óÔé¼┼ôI have you├óÔé¼┬Ø she said softly. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI finally have you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Her dress sloughed off and Lucy fell backwards onto the bed. Alex's lips found her nipple and Lucy giggled ├óÔé¼┼ôI got you├óÔé¼┬Ø she gasped.
Joa slowly curled into a ball. She didn't want to be seen by anyone. She didn't want to be touched by anyone. Even the clothes on her back felt as if they were violating her, just by being there. She wanted to tear off the unclean, filthy rags. But she...couldn't. The Silverbacks were going at it with one of the other women down the line. Joa's hand reached between her legs. They came away bloody. Joa curled her hand into a fist, gouging pot marks into her palm. She would remember. Every touch. Every injustice. Everything. She would pay it back. Every...last...one of them.
├óÔé¼┼ôAlex├óÔé¼┬Ø Lucy gasped ├óÔé¼┼ôOh Alex...├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex rolled over, bringing her on top. Lucy ran her hands over his chest, feeling the scars from battle and the chest hair. Lucy bent down and clung to Alex, her lips pressing against his cheek, his neck. ├óÔé¼┼ôGods├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex grunted ├óÔé¼┼ôGods...gods Joa!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lucy froze. She slowly sat up. Horror was written over Alex's face. Lucy got up, mouth gaping. ├óÔé¼┼ôLucy...I├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex stood up as well ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm so sorry├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôAlex you idiot!├óÔé¼┬Ø Lucy shouted. She slapped him. Alex gaped, cheek burning. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm sorry├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Lucy picked up her dress and walked into the bathroom. Alex stood there, holding his pants up.
Lucy was crying in the bathroom. ├óÔé¼┼ôLucy├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said, walking into the bathroom ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm...sorry├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôYou keep saying that├óÔé¼┬Ø Lucy said, turning around ├óÔé¼┼ôbut you're hung up on a dead woman!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex closed his eyes ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I know├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôAre you sure you wanted to marry me?├óÔé¼┬Ø Lucy said ├óÔé¼┼ôOr did you want to marry Joa. Don't get us confused. I'm no her!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Alex strode forward ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not confused├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôI love YOU├óÔé¼┬Ø. Lucy looked away ├óÔé¼┼ôYou so sure about that├óÔé¼┬Ø she said. ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said ├óÔé¼┼ôYes. I have never been more sure in my life├óÔé¼┬Ø. He stood right next to Lucy ├óÔé¼┼ôJoa's dead. We all have to accept that├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. ├óÔé¼┼ôI've accepted it├óÔé¼┬Ø Lucy said ├óÔé¼┼ôHave you?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Alex kissed her. Lucy stepped away ├óÔé¼┼ôThats not enough...but├óÔé¼┬Ø she smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll let you slide...for now├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôLets go back to bed├óÔé¼┬Ø Alex said. He and Lucy walked into the bed room. Alex paused, looking out the window into the night sky. He wondered if Joa...if Joa was happy in the life that came after.
He would have been if the Eastlanders had given the Southlanders time to figure out their general was dead. Insted they smashed into the side of the Southlander army. Fight first, ask who leads you second, is how it works.Maelstrom wrote:Wait, by killing the general doesnt that mean he is now in charge of the Southlanders, like when he killed the other dude?
I'm on a roll! Nasty things are easy to write...for some reason.
But fear not! Joa gets her commupance and it was VERY satisfying to write. So I hope its equally satisfying to read...
George walked into the broth room. He had checked back a week ago when the voyage had started. Joa had been literally kicking and screaming, and the crew members had to come in groups to get their fun. Now Joa lay docile on the bed, her hair spreading outwards in a halo around her head. It was growing to its full, proper length now that she had stopped cutting it. George frowned. He could count her ribs and she looked more like a rail then a woman. Then he saw that she hadn't been eating. The bowels of food they had been giving the whores had been slid under her bed. ├óÔé¼┼ôJoa├óÔé¼┬Ø George said. Joa sat up ├óÔé¼┼ôYes master?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. George marked that as another mark for her, obedience was a virtue. Joa had made amazing strides in just one week.
George smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know what to do├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Joa nodded, crawling on hands and knee's over the bed. Then she undid his belt. The first crewman who had asked for her to do this favor had found his testicles bitten off. Joa had been beaten, not that George enjoyed beating her. But she had to learn obedience. George sighed as Joa did her work. She had learned from the beating. Joa finished up, licking him clean, and George pulled his pants up. He looked at Joa thoughtfully. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôCome with me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Joa nodded, standing unsteadily. She had been laying so long.
George walked down the corridors of the ship, Joa following obediently behind him. The voyage was taking a while. Southlander ships were...not the best compared to the Eastlanders. George tried not to think of that when he arrived at his rooms. He opened the door and let Joa into the room. Joa looked around, her face pinched. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is my quarters. This is you're quarters now. When I ask something you give it to me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Joa nodded meekly. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow eat├óÔé¼┬Ø George said. Joa nodded. George sighed and left the room. Once she was sure he was gone, Joa started to examine the room, walking with perfect sea legs.
There was a very very small bathroom set in the side of the wall, with a mirror above a basin. Joa used this first, leaning over the toilet. She stuck her finger down her throat and vomited. She sat back, gasping. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll swallow it├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not going to keep it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Joa pulled back the flusher and a hole on the side of the ship opened, letting the watery vomit dribble out. Joa sat there a moment more. Then she stood up and looked around for food. She found it in the form of a chicken wing that George hadn't finished last night. It was greasy but Joa gulped it down to the bones in a matter of seconds, licking the grease off her fingers greedily. She felt a bit more human after that and started to look around the room.
Then she heard footsteps in the hallway. Joa threw herself on the bed and assumed a position of meek servitude. George opened the door, holding a bowl of food. ├óÔé¼┼ôEat├óÔé¼┬Ø he ordered. Joa took it and drained the soup, knowing that refusing to eat would earn her nothing more then a beating. And she had to avoid that at any cost. No more beatings. Joa, finished with the soap, placed the bowl on the small table in the room. George was urinating in the toilet, not even caring that Joa was right there. Silverbacks, as Joa was sure of , were not even worth the label of subhuman. Animals, who didn't care who saw their privates. Another chilling thing Joa noticed was that every single other woman in the brothel room of the ship was an Imperial or an Eastlander. No silverbacks.
George finished up and turned around. He was still dirty, and yet he forced himself on Joa. Joa took it as best she could, trying to not think about her life before she was captured. It was very hard. George finished up and stood. ├óÔé¼┼ôStay in here├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWere docking in three days├óÔé¼┬Ø. He walked out of the room. Once he was gone Joa bit her knuckle. If she focused on the pain then she wouldn't cry. After a few minutes she felt like she could walk again, Joa stood up. She walked around the room again. In the chest containing George's clothes, she found a flask of water. She drank part of it down, then stoppered it up.
After a thorough search she still didn't find any weapons. Then she spotted something. A crack in the mirror, down an entire side. Joa worked her fingernails into the crack and yanked. A long, horizontal bit of the mirror came off in her hands. She grasped it gingerly, but even so it still cut her palm quite a bit. Joa took a bit of cloth from Georges chest and wrapped it around the base of the glass. She had a knife...of sorts. She slipped it under the ma tress and started up thinking about ways she could explain the broken mirror.
After a few hours George came back in. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happened!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happened to the mirror!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Joa, going into full 'meek' mode, cowered ├óÔé¼┼ôPlease├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I...I didn't├óÔé¼┬Ø. A punch landed on her exposed back and Joa uncurled, groaning aloud. The blow had hit a bruise. ├óÔé¼┼ôDid you break my mirror!├óÔé¼┬Ø George shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was an accident├óÔé¼┬Ø Joa sobbed, the tears all to real. But they weren't tears of fright or tears of pain. They were tears of rage. George grabbed her arms and forced them to her sides. Then he rolled Joa onto her back and yanked her pants down. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Joa moaned as George mounted her. That made it all the worse.
The next day was even worse then the first day. In the brothel part of the ship all Joa had to do was service one of the crew members who was bored. So why was servicing one silverback so much harder? Joa had to sleep next to George, forcing her hands away from his fat neck. She wanted to squeeze him...but they weren't close enough to land. So she forced her hands onto his chest, as she would do a lover. This conjured up an image of Alex so strong it felt like a punch to the gut. Once George woke up, Joa had to service him with her mouth. After that he would go to the bathroom and she would have to run to the galley and grab him some food. She got the scraps, like some kind of dog. Once he had eaten he usually had time to have some 'fun' with her and then Joa would have to dress him. Then he left to do his duties as the ships doctor.
Joa spent those hours stretching and exercising as best she could. It was painful, but she worked her way through it. Then she checked on her fragile dagger. It was still intact, but she moved it to an even safer place, underneath the chest. She checked that she could get it easily and started her exercising again. Then George came back and demanded food. He beat Joa because she hadn't had lunch ready for him at that time. As Joa slowly hobbled down the corridor she squeezed up her eyes. She wouldn't cry. She got to the galley and got food for George. Then when she got back she didn't even get the scraps. George took the scraps he didn't want to eat and flush them out the toilet. Then he had some fun with Joa before leaving to work as the doctor on the ship again.
Joa gasped, turning her head away from the toilet. Her vomit smelled so bad it made her want to throw up again. But she wouldn't keep...what came out of that disgusting thing in her stomach. She grabbed the flush and pulled it down. The vomit dribbled out of the side of the ship and Joa staggered to the bed. She had some new bruises to show for the day and she had to try even harder to not strangle George as he slept. The third day and George was getting dressed. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôToday we are having our disembarking ceremony├óÔé¼┬Ø he was having trouble with one of his buttons. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôShould I wear Gold or Blue to the ceremony?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Joa stood up and walked behind him. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, sliding her hand under the chest ├óÔé¼┼ôThat you look best IN RED!├óÔé¼┬Ø. She slammed the glass dagger into the side of his neck. Then she snapped the hilt off and jerked away. George spun around, blood spurting around the glass shard jammed in his neck. He made an awful croaking noise and clawed at his wound. ├óÔé¼┼ôDIE!├óÔé¼┬Ø Joa screamed, picking up the chair that he had used to sit on and force her head between his legs. ├óÔé¼┼ôDIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!├óÔé¼┬Ø Joa shouted, smashing the chair against his head. George fell on the bed. ├óÔé¼┼ôDIE DIE DIE DIE!├óÔé¼┬Ø It had become a chant, giving strength to Joa's battered arms and legs. The chair broke apart, blood and bits of brain splattered over the wood. Joa dropped it to the floor with a clatter.
She stood there, slowly breathing in and breathing out. George lay on the bead, nothing more then a twisted, mangled wreck left of his head. Joa felt around on his belt till she found the hilt of his knife. She pulled it out and held it in her hand. It was a low quality, Southlander knife. But it was something. Then she did one last thing, for revenge. She pulled down his pants and held the disgusting thing that he had shoved in her face. Then she hacked it off and let it fall onto the floor with a disgusting wet slapping noise. Then Joa turned to the door and opened it with a bang.
Two silverback guards who had been running down the hall, to investigate the noise, were bowled over by the door being yanked open. Then Joa was running over them, not caring that she stepped on their face's. She ran, madly, down the corridor. Most everyone was on the deck, participating in the disembarking ceremony, so Joa made it to the stairs without seeing another Silverback. A silverback guard was standing at the base of the stairwell. He turned half way around before Joa stabbed him in the eye socket. Blood sprayed and Joa ran up the stairs, abandoning the knife. The silverbacks on the deck were too surprised to do much as she ran madly over the wooden deck of the ship.
Joa knocked a guard over, sending him clattering to the floor. Then a silverback swung his sword and caught Joa's calf with the blow. Joa stumbled. Then she hit the side railing of the boat and spun around. The silverbacks were shouting things in their own language, but Joa assumed they meant ├óÔé¼┼ôGet her├óÔé¼┬Ø or some variation of that. Joa closed her eyes, to tired to hurt from her new wound. Then she kicked off the ground and toppled over the side of the railing and plummeted into the ocean. The sticklebacks leaned over the rail, looking at her dissapear beneath the waves. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø One of them asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø his friend responded.
Kerri sat on the beach and doodled in the sand. She loved doodling, even though when she turned around her tail had a way of messing the drawings up. So she just didn't turn around and let her tail swish back and forth over the ground. She had a very long tail, compared to her brothers, but she loved it anyway. Kerri finished her drawing and looked up at the ocean. They said there was a big island filled with savages in that direction. They, whoever They were, also said there was a big land in a different direction with savages who didn't know what a Legislative Branch was. To Kerri that was just sill. Who didn't know what a Legislative Branch is? Then Kerri saw something in the wet sand nearer to the ocean front.
It was a person, laying face down in the sand. Kerri ran forward, her little feet making prints in the ground. She knelt next to the person and looked the person over. The person was very strange. She didn't have fur. She was completely fur less on the backs of her arms and her back. She had fur on her head, but was otherwise fur less, or as far as Kerri could see. She also had very strange ears. Rather then the mobile, furred ears that Kerri and her friends and family had, they were small piggy ears. And lastly she had no tail. Not even a small tail, as far as Kerri could see. Kerri thought it would be worse to not have a tail at all. Even a really long tail, like her was better.
The person groaned and slowly raised her head. For it was a her. Her face was a bit more angular then Kerri was used too, but not ugly at all. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello├óÔé¼┬Ø Kerri said ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWo bin ich?├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman said. Then she looked up and saw Kerri ├óÔé¼┼ôEin S├â┬╝dlander!├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you saying?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kerri asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWas sagen Sie?├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman asked, slowly standing up. Kerri thought about this. The woman was speaking nonsense. How was she to solve this. Kerri's father had always said she was the smartest little girl he knew. Kerri pointed to her house. The woman looked up and saw the house. She said something in her language. Kerri pointed again and mimed walking.
The woman nodded and she followed Kerri to the house. Kerri knocked on the door ├óÔé¼┼ôFather├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI found something!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI will be right there├óÔé¼┬Ø Her father said. The door opened and Father blanched. ├óÔé¼┼ôKerri!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't talk to strangers!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The woman exclaimed ├óÔé¼┼ôMeine G├â┬Âtter!├óÔé¼┬Ø on seeing father. She turned to run. Kerri grabbed her sleeve ├óÔé¼┼ôNo! No!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôFather is NICE!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The woman was dreadfully weak, and now that Kerri looked at her a bit more she was also very skinny. ├óÔé¼┼ôDad├óÔé¼┬Ø Kerri said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to take care of her! She can't speak right!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's an Imperial├óÔé¼┬Ø Kerri's father said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut she looks starved...you're right├óÔé¼┬Ø. He took hold of the woman's shoulder.
Then the Southlander placed his hand on Joa's shoulder. ├óÔé¼┼ôNO!├óÔé¼┬Ø She screamed, clawing at the fingers ├óÔé¼┼ôLET ME GO!├óÔé¼┬Ø. But then her wounded leg failed her and she collapsed to one knee. Then everything that had happened to her caught up with her and she started to cry, pressing her face into the ground. The Southlander said something in his language. The little girl said something as well, her tail tickling the back of Joa's head. The Southlander knelt and picked Joa up as if she was a feather. Then he turned around, hushing Joa's sobbing. It felt so good and warm to be held by someone. She curled up as best she could and felt, for once in what seemed like forever, safe.
Father set the strange woman down on his bed. Kerri tugged on his pant leg ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's so weird!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is she!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's a person from another land├óÔé¼┬Ø Father said as the strange woman curled up on the bed. She was soon asleep. Father gasped. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kerri asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts nothing├óÔé¼┬Ø Father said, his eyes scanning over the woman's back. It was revealed by her shirt crumpling up when she rolled over. Kerri stood on her tip toes and saw what her father saw. Bruises and long cuts ran up and down the woman's back. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...what happened to her├óÔé¼┬Ø Kerri said, feeling sick. Father bit his lip ├óÔé¼┼ôKerri├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôThere are...bad people in this world. Sometimes they...do bad things to people├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut she can't be a bad person├óÔé¼┬Ø Kerri said, looking confused.
Father knelt down ├óÔé¼┼ôI know Kerri├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôsometimes it doesn't matter to bad people whether you're a good person or not├óÔé¼┬Ø. Kerri started to cry ├óÔé¼┼ôDid bad people find mommy?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. Father sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBad people found mommy a long time ago, before you were old enough to know about her├óÔé¼┬Ø. Kerri felt cold ├óÔé¼┼ôWill...Will bad people come for me├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Father said ├óÔé¼┼ôNo...never├óÔé¼┬Ø. He hugged Kerri around the shoulders ├óÔé¼┼ôBad people will never come close to you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Kerri hugged her father back. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow show me you're latest drawing├óÔé¼┬Ø Father said. Kerri perked up ├óÔé¼┼ôI drew it in the sand!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôCome on!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
But fear not! Joa gets her commupance and it was VERY satisfying to write. So I hope its equally satisfying to read...
George walked into the broth room. He had checked back a week ago when the voyage had started. Joa had been literally kicking and screaming, and the crew members had to come in groups to get their fun. Now Joa lay docile on the bed, her hair spreading outwards in a halo around her head. It was growing to its full, proper length now that she had stopped cutting it. George frowned. He could count her ribs and she looked more like a rail then a woman. Then he saw that she hadn't been eating. The bowels of food they had been giving the whores had been slid under her bed. ├óÔé¼┼ôJoa├óÔé¼┬Ø George said. Joa sat up ├óÔé¼┼ôYes master?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. George marked that as another mark for her, obedience was a virtue. Joa had made amazing strides in just one week.
George smiled ├óÔé¼┼ôYou know what to do├óÔé¼┬Ø he said. Joa nodded, crawling on hands and knee's over the bed. Then she undid his belt. The first crewman who had asked for her to do this favor had found his testicles bitten off. Joa had been beaten, not that George enjoyed beating her. But she had to learn obedience. George sighed as Joa did her work. She had learned from the beating. Joa finished up, licking him clean, and George pulled his pants up. He looked at Joa thoughtfully. ├óÔé¼┼ôCome├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôCome with me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Joa nodded, standing unsteadily. She had been laying so long.
George walked down the corridors of the ship, Joa following obediently behind him. The voyage was taking a while. Southlander ships were...not the best compared to the Eastlanders. George tried not to think of that when he arrived at his rooms. He opened the door and let Joa into the room. Joa looked around, her face pinched. ├óÔé¼┼ôThis is my quarters. This is you're quarters now. When I ask something you give it to me├óÔé¼┬Ø. Joa nodded meekly. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow eat├óÔé¼┬Ø George said. Joa nodded. George sighed and left the room. Once she was sure he was gone, Joa started to examine the room, walking with perfect sea legs.
There was a very very small bathroom set in the side of the wall, with a mirror above a basin. Joa used this first, leaning over the toilet. She stuck her finger down her throat and vomited. She sat back, gasping. ├óÔé¼┼ôI'll swallow it├óÔé¼┬Ø she muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôI'm not going to keep it├óÔé¼┬Ø. Joa pulled back the flusher and a hole on the side of the ship opened, letting the watery vomit dribble out. Joa sat there a moment more. Then she stood up and looked around for food. She found it in the form of a chicken wing that George hadn't finished last night. It was greasy but Joa gulped it down to the bones in a matter of seconds, licking the grease off her fingers greedily. She felt a bit more human after that and started to look around the room.
Then she heard footsteps in the hallway. Joa threw herself on the bed and assumed a position of meek servitude. George opened the door, holding a bowl of food. ├óÔé¼┼ôEat├óÔé¼┬Ø he ordered. Joa took it and drained the soup, knowing that refusing to eat would earn her nothing more then a beating. And she had to avoid that at any cost. No more beatings. Joa, finished with the soap, placed the bowl on the small table in the room. George was urinating in the toilet, not even caring that Joa was right there. Silverbacks, as Joa was sure of , were not even worth the label of subhuman. Animals, who didn't care who saw their privates. Another chilling thing Joa noticed was that every single other woman in the brothel room of the ship was an Imperial or an Eastlander. No silverbacks.
George finished up and turned around. He was still dirty, and yet he forced himself on Joa. Joa took it as best she could, trying to not think about her life before she was captured. It was very hard. George finished up and stood. ├óÔé¼┼ôStay in here├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôWere docking in three days├óÔé¼┬Ø. He walked out of the room. Once he was gone Joa bit her knuckle. If she focused on the pain then she wouldn't cry. After a few minutes she felt like she could walk again, Joa stood up. She walked around the room again. In the chest containing George's clothes, she found a flask of water. She drank part of it down, then stoppered it up.
After a thorough search she still didn't find any weapons. Then she spotted something. A crack in the mirror, down an entire side. Joa worked her fingernails into the crack and yanked. A long, horizontal bit of the mirror came off in her hands. She grasped it gingerly, but even so it still cut her palm quite a bit. Joa took a bit of cloth from Georges chest and wrapped it around the base of the glass. She had a knife...of sorts. She slipped it under the ma tress and started up thinking about ways she could explain the broken mirror.
After a few hours George came back in. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happened!├óÔé¼┬Ø he shouted ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat happened to the mirror!├óÔé¼┬Ø. Joa, going into full 'meek' mode, cowered ├óÔé¼┼ôPlease├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI...I...I didn't├óÔé¼┬Ø. A punch landed on her exposed back and Joa uncurled, groaning aloud. The blow had hit a bruise. ├óÔé¼┼ôDid you break my mirror!├óÔé¼┬Ø George shouted. ├óÔé¼┼ôIt was an accident├óÔé¼┬Ø Joa sobbed, the tears all to real. But they weren't tears of fright or tears of pain. They were tears of rage. George grabbed her arms and forced them to her sides. Then he rolled Joa onto her back and yanked her pants down. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Joa moaned as George mounted her. That made it all the worse.
The next day was even worse then the first day. In the brothel part of the ship all Joa had to do was service one of the crew members who was bored. So why was servicing one silverback so much harder? Joa had to sleep next to George, forcing her hands away from his fat neck. She wanted to squeeze him...but they weren't close enough to land. So she forced her hands onto his chest, as she would do a lover. This conjured up an image of Alex so strong it felt like a punch to the gut. Once George woke up, Joa had to service him with her mouth. After that he would go to the bathroom and she would have to run to the galley and grab him some food. She got the scraps, like some kind of dog. Once he had eaten he usually had time to have some 'fun' with her and then Joa would have to dress him. Then he left to do his duties as the ships doctor.
Joa spent those hours stretching and exercising as best she could. It was painful, but she worked her way through it. Then she checked on her fragile dagger. It was still intact, but she moved it to an even safer place, underneath the chest. She checked that she could get it easily and started her exercising again. Then George came back and demanded food. He beat Joa because she hadn't had lunch ready for him at that time. As Joa slowly hobbled down the corridor she squeezed up her eyes. She wouldn't cry. She got to the galley and got food for George. Then when she got back she didn't even get the scraps. George took the scraps he didn't want to eat and flush them out the toilet. Then he had some fun with Joa before leaving to work as the doctor on the ship again.
Joa gasped, turning her head away from the toilet. Her vomit smelled so bad it made her want to throw up again. But she wouldn't keep...what came out of that disgusting thing in her stomach. She grabbed the flush and pulled it down. The vomit dribbled out of the side of the ship and Joa staggered to the bed. She had some new bruises to show for the day and she had to try even harder to not strangle George as he slept. The third day and George was getting dressed. ├óÔé¼┼ôSo├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôToday we are having our disembarking ceremony├óÔé¼┬Ø he was having trouble with one of his buttons. ├óÔé¼┼ôGod damn it├óÔé¼┬Ø he muttered ├óÔé¼┼ôShould I wear Gold or Blue to the ceremony?├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Joa stood up and walked behind him. ├óÔé¼┼ôI think├óÔé¼┬Ø She said, sliding her hand under the chest ├óÔé¼┼ôThat you look best IN RED!├óÔé¼┬Ø. She slammed the glass dagger into the side of his neck. Then she snapped the hilt off and jerked away. George spun around, blood spurting around the glass shard jammed in his neck. He made an awful croaking noise and clawed at his wound. ├óÔé¼┼ôDIE!├óÔé¼┬Ø Joa screamed, picking up the chair that he had used to sit on and force her head between his legs. ├óÔé¼┼ôDIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE!├óÔé¼┬Ø Joa shouted, smashing the chair against his head. George fell on the bed. ├óÔé¼┼ôDIE DIE DIE DIE!├óÔé¼┬Ø It had become a chant, giving strength to Joa's battered arms and legs. The chair broke apart, blood and bits of brain splattered over the wood. Joa dropped it to the floor with a clatter.
She stood there, slowly breathing in and breathing out. George lay on the bead, nothing more then a twisted, mangled wreck left of his head. Joa felt around on his belt till she found the hilt of his knife. She pulled it out and held it in her hand. It was a low quality, Southlander knife. But it was something. Then she did one last thing, for revenge. She pulled down his pants and held the disgusting thing that he had shoved in her face. Then she hacked it off and let it fall onto the floor with a disgusting wet slapping noise. Then Joa turned to the door and opened it with a bang.
Two silverback guards who had been running down the hall, to investigate the noise, were bowled over by the door being yanked open. Then Joa was running over them, not caring that she stepped on their face's. She ran, madly, down the corridor. Most everyone was on the deck, participating in the disembarking ceremony, so Joa made it to the stairs without seeing another Silverback. A silverback guard was standing at the base of the stairwell. He turned half way around before Joa stabbed him in the eye socket. Blood sprayed and Joa ran up the stairs, abandoning the knife. The silverbacks on the deck were too surprised to do much as she ran madly over the wooden deck of the ship.
Joa knocked a guard over, sending him clattering to the floor. Then a silverback swung his sword and caught Joa's calf with the blow. Joa stumbled. Then she hit the side railing of the boat and spun around. The silverbacks were shouting things in their own language, but Joa assumed they meant ├óÔé¼┼ôGet her├óÔé¼┬Ø or some variation of that. Joa closed her eyes, to tired to hurt from her new wound. Then she kicked off the ground and toppled over the side of the railing and plummeted into the ocean. The sticklebacks leaned over the rail, looking at her dissapear beneath the waves. ├óÔé¼┼ôWho was that?├óÔé¼┬Ø One of them asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôI don't know├óÔé¼┬Ø his friend responded.
Kerri sat on the beach and doodled in the sand. She loved doodling, even though when she turned around her tail had a way of messing the drawings up. So she just didn't turn around and let her tail swish back and forth over the ground. She had a very long tail, compared to her brothers, but she loved it anyway. Kerri finished her drawing and looked up at the ocean. They said there was a big island filled with savages in that direction. They, whoever They were, also said there was a big land in a different direction with savages who didn't know what a Legislative Branch was. To Kerri that was just sill. Who didn't know what a Legislative Branch is? Then Kerri saw something in the wet sand nearer to the ocean front.
It was a person, laying face down in the sand. Kerri ran forward, her little feet making prints in the ground. She knelt next to the person and looked the person over. The person was very strange. She didn't have fur. She was completely fur less on the backs of her arms and her back. She had fur on her head, but was otherwise fur less, or as far as Kerri could see. She also had very strange ears. Rather then the mobile, furred ears that Kerri and her friends and family had, they were small piggy ears. And lastly she had no tail. Not even a small tail, as far as Kerri could see. Kerri thought it would be worse to not have a tail at all. Even a really long tail, like her was better.
The person groaned and slowly raised her head. For it was a her. Her face was a bit more angular then Kerri was used too, but not ugly at all. ├óÔé¼┼ôHello├óÔé¼┬Ø Kerri said ├óÔé¼┼ôWho are you?├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôWo bin ich?├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman said. Then she looked up and saw Kerri ├óÔé¼┼ôEin S├â┬╝dlander!├óÔé¼┬Ø the woman said. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat are you saying?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kerri asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôWas sagen Sie?├óÔé¼┬Ø The woman asked, slowly standing up. Kerri thought about this. The woman was speaking nonsense. How was she to solve this. Kerri's father had always said she was the smartest little girl he knew. Kerri pointed to her house. The woman looked up and saw the house. She said something in her language. Kerri pointed again and mimed walking.
The woman nodded and she followed Kerri to the house. Kerri knocked on the door ├óÔé¼┼ôFather├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôI found something!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôI will be right there├óÔé¼┬Ø Her father said. The door opened and Father blanched. ├óÔé¼┼ôKerri!├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôDon't talk to strangers!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The woman exclaimed ├óÔé¼┼ôMeine G├â┬Âtter!├óÔé¼┬Ø on seeing father. She turned to run. Kerri grabbed her sleeve ├óÔé¼┼ôNo! No!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôFather is NICE!├óÔé¼┬Ø. The woman was dreadfully weak, and now that Kerri looked at her a bit more she was also very skinny. ├óÔé¼┼ôDad├óÔé¼┬Ø Kerri said ├óÔé¼┼ôWe need to take care of her! She can't speak right!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's an Imperial├óÔé¼┬Ø Kerri's father said ├óÔé¼┼ôBut she looks starved...you're right├óÔé¼┬Ø. He took hold of the woman's shoulder.
Then the Southlander placed his hand on Joa's shoulder. ├óÔé¼┼ôNO!├óÔé¼┬Ø She screamed, clawing at the fingers ├óÔé¼┼ôLET ME GO!├óÔé¼┬Ø. But then her wounded leg failed her and she collapsed to one knee. Then everything that had happened to her caught up with her and she started to cry, pressing her face into the ground. The Southlander said something in his language. The little girl said something as well, her tail tickling the back of Joa's head. The Southlander knelt and picked Joa up as if she was a feather. Then he turned around, hushing Joa's sobbing. It felt so good and warm to be held by someone. She curled up as best she could and felt, for once in what seemed like forever, safe.
Father set the strange woman down on his bed. Kerri tugged on his pant leg ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's so weird!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat is she!├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôShe's a person from another land├óÔé¼┬Ø Father said as the strange woman curled up on the bed. She was soon asleep. Father gasped. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat?├óÔé¼┬Ø Kerri asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôIts nothing├óÔé¼┬Ø Father said, his eyes scanning over the woman's back. It was revealed by her shirt crumpling up when she rolled over. Kerri stood on her tip toes and saw what her father saw. Bruises and long cuts ran up and down the woman's back. ├óÔé¼┼ôWhat...what happened to her├óÔé¼┬Ø Kerri said, feeling sick. Father bit his lip ├óÔé¼┼ôKerri├óÔé¼┬Ø He said ├óÔé¼┼ôThere are...bad people in this world. Sometimes they...do bad things to people├óÔé¼┬Ø. ├óÔé¼┼ôBut she can't be a bad person├óÔé¼┬Ø Kerri said, looking confused.
Father knelt down ├óÔé¼┼ôI know Kerri├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôsometimes it doesn't matter to bad people whether you're a good person or not├óÔé¼┬Ø. Kerri started to cry ├óÔé¼┼ôDid bad people find mommy?├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. Father sighed ├óÔé¼┼ôYes├óÔé¼┬Ø he said ├óÔé¼┼ôBad people found mommy a long time ago, before you were old enough to know about her├óÔé¼┬Ø. Kerri felt cold ├óÔé¼┼ôWill...Will bad people come for me├óÔé¼┬Ø she asked. ├óÔé¼┼ôNo├óÔé¼┬Ø Father said ├óÔé¼┼ôNo...never├óÔé¼┬Ø. He hugged Kerri around the shoulders ├óÔé¼┼ôBad people will never come close to you├óÔé¼┬Ø. Kerri hugged her father back. ├óÔé¼┼ôNow show me you're latest drawing├óÔé¼┬Ø Father said. Kerri perked up ├óÔé¼┼ôI drew it in the sand!├óÔé¼┬Ø she said ├óÔé¼┼ôCome on!├óÔé¼┬Ø.
Poor Joa. Alex has just embarrased himself. Joa is having a...much...much worse time of it.