CHRONICALS OF THE BLACK GUARD

by Adrian Nunenkamp

CHAPTER 4

  Kave sighed heavily; his day had not been going the best it could.  
Indeed, he was hoping it wouldn't get any worse.  The waking that 
morning had been one of the most chaotic since his early days as a 
novitiate.  They had come unexpectedly upon a Teth RaiderShip in the 
early hours.  It had tried to run, but didn't get more than a 
light-second away before the far heavier weaponry of their BattleCruiser
rendered it to nothing more than glowing plasma.

  The loss of the Teth vessel upset the Mrrurr-on, as that meant no more
sacrifices could be added to the stock already on board.  That fact 
merely compounded the anger in the dressing down Kave had received for 
his actions during the examination of the female Teth.  His hesitation 
and his obvious reluctance to do anything potentially harmful had the 
Mrrurr-on questioning Kave's fitness to be a Mrrurr-ur.  The Mrrurr-on 
then proceeded to go on about the glory of the Gods, and why they made 
the Iush the great rulers and masters that they were.  Rather than 
inspiring Kave, the effect was to have him start to question his own 
beliefs.

  Once the Mrrurr-on was finished with him, Kave tried to escape back 
to his quarters, his mind awash with conflicts.  He knew about the 
facets of Glory and of Conquest, but yet there were the facets of Honor
and Compassion that he did not see.  The tablets all spoke of the four 
facets, the keys to being a good and just ruler.  Even the Council of 
Elders was made of families dedicated to the four facets, each lead by 
a Priest and a Warrior, married to each other.  But even they and their
policies now seemed full of Glory and Conquest, but devoid of Honor and
Compassion.  He had thought of asking the Mrrurr-on why that seemed so, 
but knew that he would be told that those 'lacking' facets were not to 
be wasted on Teth.  Teth were nothing more than animals for their use.

  Animals... but animals with intelligence.  Animals with emotions, 
fear... animals that were just as alive and as... vibrant... as his own
people were.  He could not see how the declarations that had been coming
 out could apply to them.  They were almost Iush, but yet he was told 
over and over again that they are animals, not people.  Yet the fear, 
the confusion, the gratitude, he had seen the previous day put the lie 
to each and every thing he had been told about them.

  Thinking back to the previous day brought up another question.  Upon 
first seeing the female Teth, he had felt an irrational urge to keep 
the Mrrurr-on from doing anything.  This was not as it should be.  Yes,
admittedly he was curious about her... curious about how she differed 
from his own peoples.  Curious about her culture, and how they thought 
and believed.  In point of fact, he had been looked down upon by other 
members of this ship due to the simple fact that he was a scholar that 
had bothered to learn the language of the Teth.  It was expected of 
the Warriors, so that they could give challenge to the Teth, but not of
the scholars.  It was seen as a weakness for him to bother to learn it,
and he wondered if they were not correct.

  Since meeting the Teth, giving her the cloak of his so that she could
cover herself, Kave found himself not thinking 'rightly'.  Rather, he 
found himself wondering if they should not just leave the Teth be, or 
perhaps to open a dialog....  But that, according to the Mrrurr-on and 
the Council, would be blasphemy.  Even speaking of such would be grounds
for him to be stripped of his position and exiled.  The loss of Honor to
his family would be too great, and it would be a burden that he could 
not bear.

  It was those thoughts that carried his feet not to his own quarters, 
but to the Captain's quarters.  As he looked at the door, he blinked, 
realizing where he was but not how he got there.  He knew the Captain 
was away, on the bridge, and that it was safe to enter.  Still, Kave 
hesitated at the door.  He still didn't understand why he was driven to
see to the Teth's safety, yet he was.  Taking a deep breath, he keyed 
the door and entered the Captain's quarters.

  The first thing to strike his nostrils was the faint metallic scent of
blood, relatively fresh blood at that.  Almost immediately, a sense of 
panic set in, and Kave started scanning the room, looking for the Teth.
The bed was swept clean, excepting for faint spots of reddish brown, and
a larger one about the middle of the bed.  There were signs of a 
struggle, but no signs of weapons being used.

  It was the sound of a faint whimper that finally caught his attention.
On the far side of the room, in a corner, was a mass of bedclothes.  
The whimper came from over there, and they were just large enough for 
someone to hide in.  Being very careful, Kave approached the mass of 
cloth, not sure what would happen when he got within striking range.  
He was not a Warrior at all, being better suited to books than to 
fighting.  Hesitantly he kneeled, and addressed the pile.  "Teth?  You 
there are?"  Almost idly he noted that the scent of blood was stronger
here.

  Another whimper and a shift in the cloth was all that answered him.  
Tentatively, he reached out and hooked the cloth with a claw, intending
to draw it back.  In that moment, what he presumed to be her body 
flinched back as far as it could against the bulkhead behind, and her 
voice wafted up from the midst of the pile, "Noooo!  Nooo!  Please!  Not
again!"  After that outburst, the sound of muffled crying was the only 
sound he heard, besides the beating of his own heart in panic.

  "Teth... I it is.  Kave."  Again he tugged gently at the cloth, 
starting to pull it from where he suspected her head was.  The 
whimpering increased at the movement of the cloth, and he saw that he
had guessed correctly.  Her head was indeed where he thought it was.  
There were fresh tracks of blood on the fur that he could see, spotting
the white and black alike.  Light furrows were drawn over one eye, 
spaced about as far apart as the Captain's fingers.  The first thing 
that he saw that truly worried him, and drew a hiss of sympathy that 
caused her to flinch, was the puncture wounds that appeared to be a 
severe bite where the neck and shoulder joined, piercing the muscle 
there.  The wounds had bled copiously, but were not bleeding any more. 
He didn't ask what had happened, it was fairly obvious that the Captain
had bitten her.  The more he exposed, he saw that her body was now 
covered in a light lattice of scratches that had drawn blood.  In 
addition, and even more troubling to him was the fact that her index 
finger on what he knew to be her dominant hand was gone to the second 
knuckle.  That wound, like the ones at her neck, were ragged and 
untreated.

  Trying to soothe her, Kave reached for his pouch, seeking the medical
supplies within.  Somewhere deep inside of him, a kernel of anger, an 
emotion strange to him, kindled like a small flame.  How dare she be 
treated in such a manner?  How dare she be tortured like this, and have
her dignity stripped further than it had been already.  As he worked on
cleaning and sealing the major wounds, her eyes started to loose a 
little bit of the glassy look that they had had when he first saw them 
again.  "K... Kave?"

  "Yes, Teth.  Kave it is."  Though he was concentrating on trying to 
heal her wounds, there was no way he could miss the fact that some of 
the tension left her body with that confirmation.  "You fine will be.
You still remain.  Heal you, I."

  From Vitun, a softer sobbing started.  "How... how could you leave me
with that monster?"  As she spoke, her body started trembling violently,
making Kave's ministrations harder to complete.

  "He monster not.  Warrior great is he."  Finishing with the wound on 
her shoulder, Kave took Vitun's right hand and started to treat the 
stump of a finger.  "Iush he of honor great," even to his own ears, the
conviction in his voice was lacking.

  An almost hysterical laugh greeted that declaration.  "Oh, really 
Kave?  Let me tell you what this 'great and honorable warrior' did to 
someone that could not even defend herself!"

                            * * *

  As the door closed behind the young priest, Vitun pulled the cloak 
tighter around her.  The room was opulent, yes, but not opulent in a 
comforting way.  Rather it seemed a shrine to the conquests of the 
Captain of the ship.  Feeling a shiver run through her body, Vitun 
calmed herself, then started to look around, to find anything she could
 use to escape this prison.  Her eyes first landed on a pair of rather 
large swords on the wall, above the bed.  Moving closer to examine them,
she noticed that they were magnetically locked to the wall, and unless 
she had the code, she would not be able to pull them down.  Her next 
thought was of the various urns and decanters about the room.  Most of 
them were gold or silver, and would provide at least a temporary weapon.

  Having marked her first object of protection, Vitun continued to prowl
the room, trying to learn more of the individual that she would have to
deal with.  What she found was even less comforting than the room.  
Beyond a few changes of clothing, it was only trophies and weapons that
she could not access in the room.  Everything reflected the ego and 
cruel nature of her captor.  In the corners, and in various places on 
the deck she found dried blood, of what species, she did not know.

  It was under the bed itself that she found the worst sign of all.  
There, strapped down in a spread eagle position to the deck itself was 
the skeleton of a cub, or what she suspected to be a cub.  It had been 
a wolf breed, at one time, probably no older than in its early to mid 
teen years.  The pelvis showed it was female, and the markings of blood
around showed what the ultimate fate was.  The thought that such a fate
may be awaiting her almost caused Vitun to pass out in fear.  
Unsteadily, she backed away, staring in horror at the skeleton, though 
she could no longer see it.  When her back contacted the wall, she slid
down it, her mind numb with fear and anticipation of horror to come.

  In what seemed no time from when she found the skeleton, she heard the
lock on the door cycle, and the door itself open.  Snapping out of the 
daze of fear, Vitun launched herself towards one of the heavy gold 
decanters, and hurled it where she thought the figure would be.  Just 
as fast as her own movements had been the moment before, a massive 
golden furred hand shot up and captured the decanter in midair, the cold
and cruel laugh she had last heard on the Rhyzan's Fury came again.  
"So... even though you are alive, you seek death?"

  Slowly the Captain stepped into the room, his massive body blocking 
the light from the hall temporarily.  With almost negligent ease, he 
crushed the gold serving vessel in his hand, and tossed it aside.  
"Too bad, Teth.  I intend to have you for quite a while, and when you 
die, it will not be quick and easy."

  Intentionally turning his back to her, the Captain sealed the door 
again then stretched before turning back around.  "Ah... I see the 
Mrrurr-ur gave you some of his clothing, expressly against my orders.  
That... amuses... me.  If you perform well enough, I might give you to 
him after I am done with you, rather than eating you.  Then again, I 
may just kill him and have done, a subject who does not do as he is 
told is not worth having on board."

  The Captain's laugh rang out through the room again as he caught 
sight of Vitun's reactions to those words.  "Oh... ready to fight me for
the sake of this priest, Teth?  You think his 'kindness' was really any 
such?  Or perhaps he was just embarrassed to be around something like 
you."  Seeing the uncertainty grow in her eyes slightly, the Captain 
advanced on her.  "Or maybe he was just making sure that only he and I 
could gaze upon you, so that only we would know what I will be getting."

  Fear once more came into Vitun's eyes, realizing that there was very 
little space between her and the Captain.  Reflexively, she jumped to 
one side, trying to get around the Captain.  With practiced ease, the 
Captain sidestepped and grabbed her by the throat.  Then with an almost
gentle twisting motion, sent Vitun flying into the bulkhead, her own 
skull striking with enough force that she was dazed and started to 
slide to the floor.  Stepping towards her as she tried to recover, the 
Captain once more grabbed Vitun by the throat, and lifted her up.  "You
will learn your place, Teth.  It humors me to allow you to keep the 
cloak.  For now, however, you no longer need it."  With his free hand, 
the Captain undid the clasp to the cloak, allowing it to fall where 
Vitun had fallen moments before.

  With another negligent toss, the Captain threw Vitun to the bed, again
causing disorientation to her.  With deliberate casualness, the Captain 
removed his uniform, what little there was of one, and continued to 
watch Vitun, waiting for her to finally figure out where she was.  As 
she finally raised her head, the Captain pounced upon her body, all 
four sets of claws coming out and raking downwards, leaving furrows of 
blood welling from the points of contact, and ripping a scream from her
throat.  "Yes... that's it Teth.  Scream for your life, and for my 
pleasure."

  With deliberate cruelty, the Captain raked his claws again across 
Vitun's body, scoring her breasts with furrows of blood, then raked 
them upwards along her arms, pinning them above her head with one hand.
Her cries exciting the Captain further, and through the fog of pain she
was feeling, she could also feel the Captain's lust building.  "Just 
think, Teth," the Captain said, holding his free hand in front of her 
face, the claws shining lustrously in the darkness.  "You will have 
been my first in many months.  I have been waiting for just the right 
Teth, and you are it."

  A leering grin split the Captain's muzzle.  "Indeed, your eyes are 
like emeralds... perhaps if I were to pluck one of them."  Resting his 
claws over Vitun's eye, he quickly snapped his hand downwards, a shriek
coming from her as pain exploded across her face.  Within moments, the 
pain faded to a dull ache, and she realized she could still see from 
the eye that she was so sure was to be savaged.

  Though she realized the futility of her position, still Vitun tried 
to struggle, which only aroused the Captain more.  Using his free hand 
he squeezed her breast cruelly, even as he used his legs to force hers 
open.  With a deep growl, the Captain started to position himself for 
what he had been desiring since he had first seen this slave on her 
doomed ship.

  The sudden contact against her femaleness was enough to shock Vitun 
back into reality.  "No!  Please!  I've never," her voice got louder and
more panicky as she could feel that the Captain didn't care what she had
or had not done.

  "I know you have not, Teth.  That is what will make this all the 
sweeter for me."  Suddenly, the Captain's body surged forward, forcing 
Vitun onto his maleness, ripping yet another cry from her throat as he 
pierced through her previously untouched flesh.  The scent of blood was
even stronger in the air as he continued to take her forcefully, each 
forward thrust causing her pain, not the pleasure she had heard about 
from friends, his growls remaining constant as he pillaged her body.  
His hand alternately squeezing cruelly, or raking her body, each 
whimper spurring him onwards.

  Just as she thought she could take no more, the Captain thrust himself
forward once more, even harder then before, and bit deep into her 
shoulder.  His lust spilling into her as she could feel her life's blood
pouring from where his jaws were latched onto.  She could feel him
drinking of the blood even as he filled her with his seed.

  Wrenching his jaws from her shoulder, and his body from hers, the 
Captain rolled off of her, then got up off of the bed, looking down on 
Vitun with satisfaction and contempt.  "Not bad, Teth.  You please me 
enough for you to live, for now."  Vitun for her part merely curled up,
holding her hand against her severely injured shoulder.  "What, did you
not enjoy that?  Did you not enjoy your first time, and with the Captain
of a mighty ship, not one of those other worms that you would have bred
with were I not there to take you."  As he continued gloating, a chiming
sound came from the ceiling.  Barking a command in his native tongue, 
the Captain received a reply from somewhere on the ship.

  "It seems we have more quarry to hunt, Teth.  Perhaps you'll have 
someone to join you here, yes?"  Quickly the Captain regained his 
clothing and put them back on.  Just as he was about to leave, he 
turned, looked at Vitun then stepped back over to her.  "Yes... I 
forgot your insolence as I entered.  You must learn that you cannot 
fight back against me, Teth."  Taking the hand he remembered had held 
the weapon when she was on her ship, he forced her to extend her index 
finger.  With a deliberate slowness, he bit his way through the second 
knuckle, causing Vitun to finally pass out.

                              * * *

  "And when I awoke, I wrapped myself in the sheet... I couldn't even 
find your cloak.  That's what your 'honorable' Captain did!"  With each
word, Vitun struck Kave in the chest with her fists.  She was weakened,
so her strength was not enough to hurt him, but the words she spoke did.
"You're all the same... every one of you!  Damn you, I wish you'd have 
let me die!"

  Eventually, she stopped striking him, and instead fell against him, 
sobbing wildly.  His heart heavy, knowing he had left her to this fate,
Kave almost instinctively wrapped his arms around her shaking shoulders,
holding her to him.  He didn't know why he was hurt by her words, and he
no longer cared.  The Mrrurr-on and the Captain be damned, he would find
a way to protect this Teth, even if it cost him his own life.  The 
facets demanded that he could do no less.