enemies in our latest
invasion,” she declares, waving her hand in their direction.
Her nails are curved like talons, and are painted green and orange to
match her hooded eyelids.
“ Thank you, Your Majesty.” The two Generals
rise and bow low to the Empress, before pushing back from the banquet
table.
They walk round to the front of the long banquet table
and step into the ring. Slowly, the two Generals walk to and fro in
front of the two clusters of collared Slaves. The young men don't
look up.
The only sound that can be heard in the entire Great
Hall is the Emperor's noisy munching.
“ You!”
Despite General Link's shout, no one steps forward. The
Emperor stops chomping on a chicken leg to sputter with his mouth
full, “General Link is speaking to you! Step forward, Slave,
or die!”
I snap my eyes up to see a stocky young man with
striking red hair glance despairingly over his shoulder before
staggering forward. General Link strokes his mustache and looks down
his hooked nose at the flame haired youth. “What is your
name?” he demands.
“ B-Bain.”
General Link pats Bain resoundingly on the cheek. “You
will fight tonight, Bain. Fight. Well.”
“ Y-yes, s-sir.”
General Link pats Bain on the shoulder before returning
to his seat at the banquet table. The General's touch seems to
unnerve and repulse Bain, who is reeling backwards with a grimace.
A strange, twittering sound emanates from the Empress,
and it takes me a while before I realize that she is laughing.
She looks even uglier when she laughs.
“ Oh General Day,” she calls out in a
singsong voice. “Have you made your choice? What is causing
your delay I wonder? Are none of the Slaves good enough for you?”
General Day jerks visibly at the Empress's veiled
rebuke. The other Generals do a poor job of hiding their sniggers.
Throwing his shoulders back, General Day marches right up to the
cluster of young men and grabs one of the men by the collar.
He drags the unfortunate Slave out to the middle of the
ring and shoves him forward. “This one.”
“ Oh. Excellent choice, General Day. Mmm, this
one looks...like he can perform. He should have excellent control
and stamina,” the Empress smiles, her eyes raking down the
lean, tanned body before her.
I stare at the back of that white-haired head and the
tanned, broad shoulders. The scars down his back ripple as his
muscles tense under the Empress's ravenous gaze. She sighs and licks
her lips as she devours every inch of him with her dark, hooded eyes.
“ Beautiful,” she drawls. “I can't
wait. What is your name, Slave?”
“ Owen,” he answers in a low voice.
“ Well, Owen, let's see what you can do.”
The Empress arches one thin eyebrow at him.
Unlike Bain who is gulping audibly and showing too much
white in his eyes, Owen displays no emotion as he stands in the
center of the ring. He stares unflinchingly back at the Empress.
“What would you like me to do, Your Majesty?” The
challenge in his words is thinly masked by his deadpan tone.
The Empress leans forward on her elbows, revealing more
of her pale, heaving bosom.
“ I want you to satisfy me,” she hisses.
The Generals all seem to avert their eyes as a large
bone clatters noisily to the Emperor's plate.
“ My dearest,” the Emperor begins in a
strained voice, the corners of his eyes and mouth twitching
violently. “This Slave is General Day's choice. It should be
his...”
“ I know.” She dismisses his words with a
wave. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let the show begin,
my—love.”
The Emperor takes a deep breath as if to compose
himself. Forcing a smile, he turns to his guests and announces,
“Right. The show. The show that my—love, is waiting
for. Well, now that our two beloved Generals have chosen their
Slaves, we can all sit back and enjoy the performance. But first,
there is the issue of...weapons. What do you say, Generals? Shall
we present the Slaves with some...weapons?” he asks,
invasion,” she declares, waving her hand in their direction.
Her nails are curved like talons, and are painted green and orange to
match her hooded eyelids.
“ Thank you, Your Majesty.” The two Generals
rise and bow low to the Empress, before pushing back from the banquet
table.
They walk round to the front of the long banquet table
and step into the ring. Slowly, the two Generals walk to and fro in
front of the two clusters of collared Slaves. The young men don't
look up.
The only sound that can be heard in the entire Great
Hall is the Emperor's noisy munching.
“ You!”
Despite General Link's shout, no one steps forward. The
Emperor stops chomping on a chicken leg to sputter with his mouth
full, “General Link is speaking to you! Step forward, Slave,
or die!”
I snap my eyes up to see a stocky young man with
striking red hair glance despairingly over his shoulder before
staggering forward. General Link strokes his mustache and looks down
his hooked nose at the flame haired youth. “What is your
name?” he demands.
“ B-Bain.”
General Link pats Bain resoundingly on the cheek. “You
will fight tonight, Bain. Fight. Well.”
“ Y-yes, s-sir.”
General Link pats Bain on the shoulder before returning
to his seat at the banquet table. The General's touch seems to
unnerve and repulse Bain, who is reeling backwards with a grimace.
A strange, twittering sound emanates from the Empress,
and it takes me a while before I realize that she is laughing.
She looks even uglier when she laughs.
“ Oh General Day,” she calls out in a
singsong voice. “Have you made your choice? What is causing
your delay I wonder? Are none of the Slaves good enough for you?”
General Day jerks visibly at the Empress's veiled
rebuke. The other Generals do a poor job of hiding their sniggers.
Throwing his shoulders back, General Day marches right up to the
cluster of young men and grabs one of the men by the collar.
He drags the unfortunate Slave out to the middle of the
ring and shoves him forward. “This one.”
“ Oh. Excellent choice, General Day. Mmm, this
one looks...like he can perform. He should have excellent control
and stamina,” the Empress smiles, her eyes raking down the
lean, tanned body before her.
I stare at the back of that white-haired head and the
tanned, broad shoulders. The scars down his back ripple as his
muscles tense under the Empress's ravenous gaze. She sighs and licks
her lips as she devours every inch of him with her dark, hooded eyes.
“ Beautiful,” she drawls. “I can't
wait. What is your name, Slave?”
“ Owen,” he answers in a low voice.
“ Well, Owen, let's see what you can do.”
The Empress arches one thin eyebrow at him.
Unlike Bain who is gulping audibly and showing too much
white in his eyes, Owen displays no emotion as he stands in the
center of the ring. He stares unflinchingly back at the Empress.
“What would you like me to do, Your Majesty?” The
challenge in his words is thinly masked by his deadpan tone.
The Empress leans forward on her elbows, revealing more
of her pale, heaving bosom.
“ I want you to satisfy me,” she hisses.
The Generals all seem to avert their eyes as a large
bone clatters noisily to the Emperor's plate.
“ My dearest,” the Emperor begins in a
strained voice, the corners of his eyes and mouth twitching
violently. “This Slave is General Day's choice. It should be
his...”
“ I know.” She dismisses his words with a
wave. “Well, what are we waiting for? Let the show begin,
my—love.”
The Emperor takes a deep breath as if to compose
himself. Forcing a smile, he turns to his guests and announces,
“Right. The show. The show that my—love, is waiting
for. Well, now that our two beloved Generals have chosen their
Slaves, we can all sit back and enjoy the performance. But first,
there is the issue of...weapons. What do you say, Generals? Shall
we present the Slaves with some...weapons?” he asks,
Similar Books
