Red Dragon

Episode I The Corsair

Chapter 12 Breghnash

“We have to go back for her,” protested Vayasha. “We just can’t leave her.”

“Our first duty is to the children,” replied Shasara, as she moved steadily down the forest trail. She and Vayasha had found a safe way through the ranks of the Hian Dai and they were herding the freed children along it.

“But she will be killed and eaten,” continued Vayasha. Only with great difficulty had Shasara, her elder by only one year, convinced her to leave the area of the Hian Dai camp. “We simply cannot leave her to die.”

“Would you rather we all died, Silent Star?” Shasara asked, using the literal translation of her sister’s name. We must first see the children to safety, then we can go back for your friend.”

“But by then she may be dead. The solstice is tomorrow.”

Shasara sighed. “I know. But your friend was trained as a Shang assassin. She knew the risk she took. She was trained to face death.”

“I will not leave her to die unaided,” said Vayasha defiantly. “I am going back.”

“I too will go back,” interjected Che Sha. “If the Red Dragon dies, I too will die.”

Shasara gave another sigh. She tossed her silver mane. “Alright,” she said resignedly. “I will go back. But one of you must take the children to safety.”

Nether Che Sha nor Vayasha spoke, clearly not wanting to be the one to be left out of the rescue attempt. Shasara decided for them. “You, little sister, will look after the children. I will take the Shang princess with me. That way our parents will not lose two daughters.”

Vayasha opened her mouth to protest, but Shasara gave her a look that silenced the younger sister. Shasara was the elder sister and her word ruled. Nodding her head Vayasha meekly complied with her older sibling’s instructions.

Melissa tried to hold her head erect. She did not want to die like a cringing cur at the hands of her captors. She was being dragged toward the sacrificial altar she had observed earlier. Around her, hundreds of Hian Dai, both male and female crowded toward her. Her captors had to force their way through the thickening throng. At last they reached the platform. Here the crowd parted and she was led up the wooden steps toward the massive bloodstained stump that served as an altar.

She tried to compose herself for the coming ordeal. She wondered if the Dog People would rape her before they sacrificed her. She looked at the cruel phalluses of the males and shuddered. “You’d think I would be used to rape by now,” she thought, “but this is something else.”

She was now in the centre of the platform, just in front of the altar. One of the Hian Dai males held on to each end of the yoke that imprisoned her. Two more held onto her legs. They turned her to face outwards so that the altar was at her back. She found herself looking at the largest Hian Dai male she had ever seen. Largest in every sense of the word. She shuddered. The male’s erect phallus was fully erect and as thick as her arm. The frightening barbs that ornamented it were fully an inch long and cruelly curved. He looked at her and flicked his tongue over his two massive canine teeth.

Melissa willed herself not to tremble. What was going to happen to her would be cruel and incredibly painful. She would try to die as a warrior. And with the sense of honour her father had imbued in her.

The huge male reached out and took hold of what was left of her her blouse with his left hand. Melissa saw that in his right hand he held a long curved knife. The moonlight glinted off its razor edge. The blade flashed, cutting through the fabric of Melissa’s forest coloured blouse. The first cut ripped laid bare her torso from her breastbone to her navel. The next slash severed her belt. It was the work of only a few seconds to remove her trousers rendering her naked and open to whatever the Hian Dai male wished to do to her.

Melissa’s heart leaped into her mouth as she was lifted off her feet. Her legs were pulled apart. Briefly, she wondered what motivated the Hian Dai to rape the females of another species. Then the Hian Dai male stepped between her legs. She tensed, waiting for the first brutal thrust.

Suddenly there was a burst of sound. Melissa felt her legs being released. An elderly Hian Dai male was pushing the sexually excited younger male away from her. Several other older Hian Dai males were shouting in their strange language and pointing at her. One off them rushed up and touched his hand to the space between her breasts.

Melissa’s eyes widened in astonishment. The Hian Dai elders were pointing to the tattoo of the dragon that covered half her torso. Somehow the tattoo had temporarily saved her from her ordeal. Hardly able to believe her good fortune, she watched while the Hian Dai argued amongst themselves.

Breghnash, gnashed his teeth in rage, the sound of his giant incisors rasping like metal. He frothed at the mouth, long rivulets of saliva dripping from his jowls as he fought to contain his fury. He had been just about to ravage the toothless human female when the elders had called him off. Frustrated, but powerless to defy the elders he had waited in restless anticipation while they argued the meaning of the dragon tattoo that covered the human female’s naked torso. They were still arguing even now and the female had been marched off to the cages to await further events.

A deep growl rose in his throat. It had been his right to despoil the female and he had been denied it because of the strange markings on her body. Some of the elders thought of the markings as a sign from the gods, but Breghnash was sure they were no more than decorations and as such should be ignored. He had made that argument, but had been ignored, another sign that his value to the tribe was not properly appreciated. He was the mightiest warrior in a generation and his list of kills was almost legendary. And yet he had been denied the supreme honour, that of violating a female sacrifice in the moments before her death. And this was not the first time his accomplishments had been passed over.

Only a year before he had led a savage raid into the territory of the forest elves. Only he had survived, returning with two female prisoners for the sacrifice. Because his leadership had led to the loss of so many members of the expedition, he had been denied a part in the ritual rape and sacrifice. It was a slight upon his rank in the tribe that he had never forgotten. Now it had happened again. But this time he was not willing to accept the dictates of the elders. This time he would take matters into his own hands.

Melissa crouched in the same cage that had held the captured Silvani she had freed. It seemed that there was no way out. The cumbersome yoke had been removed from her neck, but her wrists had been tied behind her back and she was completely naked. To make escape even more difficult, the cage had been raised six feet off the ground and was illuminated by the light of a dozen torches. She wondered what was to become of her. She spoke none of the language of the Hian Dai. She understood that her red dragon tattoo had created quite a sensation among the elders of the Hian Dai, but she was not aware of why. Nor did she understand why her sacrifice had been halted. Somehow fate had intervened on her side again, but how long her luck would hold she did not know.

She had been imprisoned for an entire day now. The solstice had passed without a sacrifice being made. She wondered if that made any difference. Perhaps the Hian Dai did not hold sacrifices except on special days. She could hope. The next major astronomical event would not be until the equinox and that was four moons off. Fortunately, the Hian Dai had thought to bring her food and water. Although the food consisted only of partially cooked meat she had forced herself to eat it. There would be no chance of escape if she became weak from hunger.

She had already inspected her prison. Since it was constructed only of bamboo fastened together with grass rope, it would not be difficult to escape if she was allowed enough time. The problem was that she had been under constant observation ever since she had been placed in the cage. This late at night there were only two guards, but neither took their eyes from her. There would be little chance of rescue from the outside; not unless there was a major attack on the Hian Dai encampment.

She feigned sleep, hoping that this might lull her guards into becoming lax. She was not tired anyhow. There was nothing to do in the cage except sleep and she had spent a good deal of the day dozing. But the guards seemed very vigilant. Not once did their gaze waver. They were fixated on the cage like a moth circling a flame. Still, she kept her eyes narrowed to slits, hoping that they would lose interest in watching a sleeping captive.

At that moment her guards were distracted by the arrival of another Hian Dai male. She recognized him at once. It was the huge brute who had threatened her with rape on the altar. He approached the guards swaying slightly, as if he was drunk. She saw that he was carrying a large earthenware jug that he frequently raised to his lips.

The huge male wove his way up to the two guards. He growled something in the guttural Hian Dai language and received what Melissa took to be a friendly reply in return. Generously he offered the guards a swig from his jug. Cautiously each guard took a sip and then handed the jug back. Another offer of a drink was turned down by each of the guards. Apparently they did not want to become as drunk as their visiting friend. Seemingly undisturbed by this the giant male turned and wandered off into the darkness, leaving the guards to resume their watch.

Melissa resettled herself. For a few seconds she hoped that something might be about to happen that would be to her advantage. She kept her eyes open enough to maintain a watch on the two guards. It looked as if it was going to be an uneventful watch, but then something usual happened. First one, then both of the guards sat down. A few minutes later both of their heads slumped forward. From all appearances they appeared to be sleeping. Melissa opened her eyes wide. She did not understand what had happened to the guards, but this was too good an opportunity to pass up. Quickly she busied herself with the job of escaping.

Freeing her wrists proved to be the most difficult part. But Melissa’s natural flexibility and superb conditioning allowed her to pull her arms under her rounded backside and get her hands in front of her. Then she put her teeth to work and in a few minutes had worried the ropes about her wrists loose.

Her teeth also proved to be the most effective method of cutting through the grass fibres holding the cage together. It was a time consuming process, but slowly she worked on the strands of the rope until it parted. Then she went to the next rope and the next. An hour’s work loosened enough ropes for Melissa to push aside two of the bars of the cage. It was a tight squeeze, but by contorting her body she was able to squeak between the bars. She moved as fast as she dared without making any noise. Every second she expected to be discovered, but no alarm sounded. Holding on to the side of the cage with her finger tips she dropped the short distance to the ground, landing as silently as a cat. Now to find a way out of the village.

She could not use the escape route the freed Silvani had taken. The rope was no longer there. But climbing the stockade should not present too much of a problem. Keeping to the shadows she crept stealthily toward the walls. The entire Hian Dai camp seemed to be asleep, but she took no chances. The centre of the encampment was illuminated by torches and a few low burning fires, and so she kept to the periphery of the village, working her way steadily toward the stockade. She had a particular part of the wall in mind. During the daylight hours she had noticed that most of the village was surround by a stockade composed of vertical tree trunks set into the ground. Most of these were very impressive, standing at least thirty feet tall. But one part of the wall was lower. That was the section she was heading for.

It took her a few minutes of stealthy skulking, but eventually she reached her destination. This part of the stockade was no more than fifteen feet high. Stepping to the wall she placed her hands around the trunk of one of the vertical logs and prepared to shinny up. And then everything went black.

Breghnash stood over the unconscious body of the human female he had just struck from behind. His plan had worked perfectly. First he had managed to trick the guards into drinking the drugged beer, and then he had simply waited until the foolish human female came to him. He had stood in the shadows watching her approach. As he had expected she had headed for the lowest part of the stockade. She had crept right past him while he hid in the shadows and as she turned her back to him he had taken two steps and struck her from behind. He grinned, exposing his mighty fangs. Now he would take what was rightfully his.

Bending over his victim, he quickly bound her wrists and ankles. Then tossing her over his shoulder, he climbed the stockade. He would take her somewhere quiet. Somewhere where her screams would not be heard. He grinned again. He would need a place like that. There was going to be a lot of screaming. His barbed member quivered as he thought of how he was going to entertain his victim. He wondered how long it would take the human female to die. He salivated at the thought. With any luck it would be many hours. He mounted the stockade, dropped easily to the other side and disappeared into the darkness.

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