Carnal Helotry

[Orin]

A pair of tired golden eyes drifted up towards a lowering loading ramp against the belly of a dark, brooding vessel. The nightmarish ship soared above the girl’s head, sinister and foreboding in the dim ambient lighting; this was her next destination, or prison. She received a nudge from behind and started the march towards the landing pad.

A few minutes passed before the group was stopped abruptly. A checkpoint of some sort seemed to be looking them over before sending each on towards the gloomy silhouette in the distance. The girl exhaled wearily and took few paces forward to keep her place in the queue, letting her eyes fall.

She was about to take another step forward when an arm wrapped around her shoulders suddenly, pulling her out of the waiting line. Her head pivoted left, startled; the masked man stood before her, an unreadable gaze on his face. What was going on? She parted her lips to speak, but the large man brought a finger to her lips, undoing the breather from his mouth and nose with his free hand. A wave of halitosis brushed against her face as he grinned slyly, laying both his forearms idly on her shoulders.

“Well, hello there love.” He wheezed, grazing a finger across her cheek. “You’re just a little too ****able for this lot, aren’t you?”

The young woman shifted backwards, but he took hold of her arm with a powerful squeeze. He brought his other hand around the back of her auburn veiled skull and forced his face against hers before she could react. She whimpered in response, pushing against him uselessly and stifling back a gag as his tongue slid down the back of her throat. Her face burned slightly in embarrassment and friction as the man’s heavy stubble chafed against her chin and lips, his other hand traversing areas that sent a wave of fear and confusion through the girl.

“Handling the produce before sale, Phoon?” A male voice interrupted. “I expected as much.”

Phoon grunted and shoved the girl away from him, keeping one arm in his grip as she stumbled to the floor. “This one stays.” He spat back, returning the newcomer’s stare.

She looked up cautiously towards the new one, bringing herself to a hand and her knees. The man looked young, no more than twenty or so, with a deep tan and hair that she couldn’t decide was either platinum blonde or simply white. His eyes hung languidly upon the man with the mask dangling from his neck, a discerning look hidden beneath the fa?ade. After a pause, he replied.

“Just cross her off the list then, I see.” He nodded emotionlessly. “What do you think about that, dear?”

She choked on her own words as the man’s eyes turned down to her own, just managing an enthusiastic no with a shake of her head.

“She’s rather pretty, this one.” He smirked vaguely in her direction before looking back towards Phoon. “What might you suggest make up the difference?”

The large man hacked once and spit in reply, sending a glare his way. “She’s one in a sea of many, don’t be ridiculous!”

“Ah, just another fish in the sea, no? Why don’t you take the one over there, then?” The light haired man nodded towards a large and particularly unsightly woman in the line. “More your size, as it seems.”

Phoon grumbled and tore the girl to her feet, grabbing the back of her neck forcefully. “She’s mine until I decide she’s not, so **** off, Carsten.” He chuckled and snapped at her neck in a manner that might have seemed playful if not for the circumstance; the young woman squirmed and let out a yelp.

“Alright, that’s quite enough.” He stepped forward in apparent irritation, his left hand subtly lowering to the right of his belt. “Let go of her, Phoon. I’d venture a guess she’d rather keep her lunch.”

A glimmer of metal flashed at the peripheral of the large man’s vision and he heaved the girl back to the ground as his right hand shot to a plasma blade at his waist. Carsten stood calmly before him, a glimmering golden dagger held defensively at his side. Phoon immediately grasped the heavy weapon’s hilt and flicked the power on as he heaved it upwards.

A blood curdling scream ripped through the air as the girl caught her wind back after slamming into the ground, turning towards the scene just in time to hear a loud buzzing noise increasing in volume. Her eyes shot open in surprise as a brilliant arc of crimson energy spun towards her head; a plasma blade. She instantly ducked out of its path and to her right, but a crippling wave of heat slashed across her cheek anyways. She dropped to her side as the weapon skittered across the rusty metal plating lining the floor, her hand reflexively going to her cheek. Her fingers glided against slick flesh and she winced in pain, looking to her soiled fingertips.

“Tch.” Carsten sniffed, taking an exasperated breath as if someone had just further complicated his workday by putting a stack of papers on his desk.

Phoon stood before him, one arm hung frozen at his side, one dismembered and twitching mildly on the ground, his eyes locked in unbelief on the figure before him. He attempted to gurgle something out, but his vocal chords failed him, a glistening blade placed neatly through his throat. The younger male skirted past him casually, leaning over the girl and proffering a hand to her.

“Hello there, my name is Carsten.” He smiled as he sheathed a second dagger before pulling her to her feet gently. “What might be your name?”

“S-Sidney.” She replied through her teeth, still grimacing over the burning in her cheek.

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Sidney. Now then, let’s get that checked out.”