Land of Men Ch. 01

Disclaimer: Warning the ideas expressed here are nothing more than the fantastical reaches of my imagination. All characters are 18 yrs old or older. Some sections of this story may be unsuitable for some readers as reluctance and force are expressed through some viewpoints but is not the highlight of the story. The concept was more so meant to be someone who is young and feisty (though totally legal age) who was being introduced to a world they did not understand and how they may respond with the inner fear from misunderstanding and the unknown. This story is just one of the many 'what if' ideas running around in my mind which is being transformed to story format. You have been warned so proceed at your own discretion.

PROLOGUE

Its the year 3018 and things are not as they once were. Men now control the world in ways that many had never conceived before now. As times became more tough through the 20th century on, a time of change came. Money lost all value worldwide. Politics became heated battles. The world erupted into a fit of chaos, until finally one man stepped forth to change it all. His ideals were very unorthodox to most however his new system once put into place minimized much of the atrocities put forth by previous presidents.

He brought forth a form of structure that the nations needed. He minimized the red tape policies and put all of the male race in power making women the lower beings. Their rights were stripped which angered many. However in this exchange they became the most valuable thing in the whole scheme of things. They were the new currency. The more woman you had the wealthier you were.

If you had none then you were left to fend for yourself or find a friend who would split his power with you.

With the new laws of the land all owned women had to be marked. If there was no visible claim upon them then they were free to whomever grabbed them and took them as theirs as long as they were of legal age. No woman was to be touched if they were under 18. Up to that point in life they were to be protected by their father who would ensure his daughter was pure and raised to know their place among men and how to be servants.

However not everyone is happy with this change in power. Many women are strong willed and refuse to accept this new life. Which has given birth to many small rebel groups of women who live in hidden wilderness locations where they plan to one day overturn the law of the land and seize full power from the very men who sought to enslave them.

CHAPTER ONE

Trista glared at the officer sitting in the front seat of the police car as she sat cuffed in the back wearing her dirty street clothes as her body still ached over her endeavor with him. Dressed in a baggy pair of black Gingko jeans with skulls lining the sides and pockets, an old pair of black hiking boots, and a baggy black punk shirt, she looked like she should be headed to jail or prison. Her long hair was dyed back to its original black and had dark candy apple red streaks in it which fell in waves upon her shoulders making her deep ocean blue eyes stand out vividly from a soft angelic face that showed signs of just how hard the last year or so of her life had been.

But in the depths of those same angelic eyes blazed the sheer hatred and determination of a stubborn, strong willed woman.

For the last 3 years she had been on her own within a group of women who all hated the government rule. They were a band of strong willed women who refused to accept the fate of men without one hell of a fight. They survived in secrecy, hidden in the shadows of wilderness areas and surviving off the land as much as they could while plotting on the rebellion of the president.

Trista, like others, refused to allow herself the fate of being a slave to a man she didn't even know. She was not an object nor currency and she would fight til death to stop such a fate.

It had been just a few months after her 18th birthday that she had found out that she had been pre -purchased and would ship out to her new owner on her 18th birthday.

The news hit her as though someone had thrown boiling water over her. She didn't care what anyone said, not the government, not her father, not the cops or anyone else. She was not going to lie down and submit to being some mans dog, to be at his beck and call and please him as he saw fit. She would not allow herself to be used like that. Not to mention her father was far from a kind man and the thought of being slave to someone worst than him was enough to make her tighten her resolve. She thought constantly on the dilemma and how she could escape but her father kept very close eye on her until the fateful day came.

So as soon as she had the chance, she ran.

Her plan hadn't fully come to her before she had actually done it but as the officer escorting her to her new prison of a home pulled out onto the main street she kicked the window out and jumped out of it, catching the officer in total surprise as she suddenly became less of a docile kitten and more of a hellcat in mere seconds. Luckily she had waited until he was in the middle of heavy traffic so before he could pull over to try to stop her, she was out the window. Granted hitting the pavement had been excruciatingly painful, even today she had a few scars from the road rash she had received.

At the time though she hadn't thought to much about the pain as adrenaline kicked into high gear and the only thought that went through her mind was to escape and run for her life or die trying. After nearly getting hit by more than one car, she had managed to get across the highway and dove into the thick forest on the opposite side as she ran as fast as she could. Had she not kept herself fit over the years, there would have been no way she could have survived it. By the time the officer had called in for backup and a search party, she was long gone.

She laid low that day and managed to steal a few items to make her appear as a young boy. That combination along with simple intelligence and being cautious she had made it out of the city and eventually ran into others like her. They invited her into their small colony and together they survived. It wasn't always easy to avoid people and not get caught but somehow she and others had managed, until today. Thinking back on the events she mentally kicked herself.

She had decided to come back to her hometown to attempt to free her younger sister. Tomorrow her sister Deisa would turn 18 and would no doubt be chartered away to some arrogant pig of a man. It really was a stupid idea to do this however she missed her sister and wanted to save her if she could. So she had hopped a train this morning and come home. Once off of the train she had thought to get her sister a gift as well so she headed to the local Belles. That had been her downfall. Apparently two and a half years was not enough time for this town to forget her as the older cashier recognized her on spot and had attempted to stop her from leaving as he had other employees call the police.

It really didn't help that the first month of being on her own she had stolen from 4 Belles stores and her owner had also posted a reward for her return. No doubt they had a pin up of her face in the break room with the reward stamped on her forehead. Cursing she had made a run for it, letting her cap fall from her head as she shoved customers out of the way and headed for the doors. She would have been better off if she had made a dash for the roof and jumped to the next building to escape but that thought hadn't occurred to her at the time.

Once she had reached the parking lot, the police cars had pulled into the parking lot and spotted her. She had nowhere to go as police yelled for her to stop and other men, bystanders, at the scene, made a grab for her so she made a mad dash behind the building and headed towards the creek across the small pasture. Just before she reached it a police car pulled in right in front of her and blocked her escape route. Slamming into the side of the car, she barely had time to regain herself and turn to run the opposite way before the cop was out of his car. Just as she had found her barrings she heard the officer warn her not to run.

Sadly she wasn't smart enough to listen. She screamed a vicious "screw you piggy!" over her shoulder as she turned to run, seconds later there was a terrible pain that started at the back of her thigh and radiated through her entire body as it went stiff and her mind began to buzz. She was unable to move or do anything except fall face first into the hard pavement. The bastard had tasered her and it hurt unlike anything she had ever experienced in her entire life. Before the pain could fully subside he had cuffed her hands behind her back and put chained cuffs on her ankles and was shoving her into the back of his car.

So now she sat, still in a bit of a daze as this evil cop drove her to the man who had purchased her over a year ago. Lo and behold as fate would have it this was the same bastard she had escaped from the very first time. Apparently he had learned from his mistake. She had no idea what awaited her but she was sure she wouldn't like it. Gazing out the window with her mind blank, she felt a shudder run through her as moments past and she noted the huge Gothic looking mansion they pulled up to. So she had been sold to Count Arrogant-ula.

As the car pulled to a stop near the entrance way to this evil looking abode, the officer stepped out and waited by her door for her buyer to appear. She however was waiting on tiny bats to fly out of the windows and a puff of smoke to arise at the steps with lightning crackling across the sky. The thought just fit her mood too well as she still mentally kicked herself over everything that had happened and how fate had somehow managed to come back around and bite her in the ass, or rather the back of her thigh with what felt like ten thousand volts of electricity.

Sighing to herself she laid her head back against the seat and simply waited quietly for the time being as it wasn't like she could really do anything in her current situation.

Vaiden Nathaniel Dra'kar walked purposefully down the front steps of his home and to the awaiting officer. Happily he greeted the officer and spoke with him briefly on things. Hearing of the fight Trista had put up yet again, made him realize just how hard he would have to work to break her down so he could remold her.

It was rare that he had the opportunity to get his hands on a feisty spirited girl so the challenge when presented always thrilled him. After assuring the officer he could handle things from here on, he sent the officer off to claim his reward or enjoying some of his girls and then turned his attention to the beauty in the backseat of the car.

Trista felt the heated gaze of someone watching her within moments of Vaiden turning his attention on her. Hearing the click of the door handle as it was beginning to open, she looked up and felt shock swim over her. As the door opened, her gaze fell upon a rather handsome man who couldn't be any older than his mid 30s. Granted for her that was old but still it wasn't as old as she had expected him to be and he was surely more inviting to the eyes than she had expected. For some strange reason she had pictured in her mind that her buyer would be this balding old man covered in wrinkles and who loved to do perverted things to young girls.

However the man before her didn't fit that part at all, well maybe the doing the perverted things to young girls part but not the other. This man had an air of refinement to him. His ebony hair was slightly longer than shoulder length but only by a few inches. It fell in ever so slight waves about his face as he looked in at her. His face held a rugged yet regalness to it as a dark beard ran in thin lines along either side of his strong jaw to come together to form a goatee that framed grinning lips.

It was his lips alone that pulled her out of her quiet examination as she realized he was rather amused with her at the moment. Seeing him grinning at her she darted her gaze up to meet his eyes in a challenge. The moment her gaze locked with his, she verified her claims of his amusement as his eyes laughed at her while they held an air of wisdom to their dark ocean green depths. Instantly she felt in the very depths of her soul that he saw right through her. It was a feeling that ran a chill down her spine and made her shiver.

"Now seeing as how I have your full attention, at least for a mere moment, I will be nice and give you a choice as to how this day shall go. Its rare that I do such things however I feel like making this one exception for now, even though i ought to severely punish you for running from me. However that can always come later." He paused to grin and watch her expression as he noted a wide range of emotions skimmer through her all at once. He always enjoyed first meetings and first days with his slaves. They were never the same twice in a row and more times than not, they were interesting to say the least as he learned so much from one day about each girl then a lifetime could tell him.

He instantly noted the fire pulsing through her that his grin was eliciting in her however he duly noted the flittering arousal in her as she looked him over. There was no doubt in his mind that she would try to hide that weaker emotion as hard as she could and give him a hell of a fight. As a matter of fact he figured the battle between them would start as soon as he gave her the simple option which could save herself some pain and misery. Chuckling to himself he continued as he watched her carefully for any signs of what she may be about to do.

"Now seeing as how you have had a tough day already if you cooperate and play nice, so will I. I will be kind enough to be gently and easy on you today and even allow you to rest for a while before i really touch you. But if you don't like that option we can always go with plan B which would entail ma dragging you into the house, probably in pain and gasping for breath while trying to curse me and I promise that by the end of the day you will know the true meaning of pain and misery to the fullest extent of the words. Now lil one, what will you choose?" He said with a grin as he watched the war begin in the depths of her crystal blue eyes.

Trista couldn't help but see red as the words 'lil one' rolled from off of his tongue, no matter how sexy his voice sounded. Really!? Did he have to go there and degrade her before she could even consider his options? He really didn't know who he was messing with and the threat of pain was not scaring her one bit. Glaring up at him, she wished for one second her legs hands were not cuffed so she could show him pain. However she couldn't hit him or even kick him with the cuffs on her so she had to get a hold of her anger and use strategy if she was going to best him. Taking a deep breath, she pulled her gaze from him for a moment so she could compose her anger and get a better hold on herself.

After all he was right she had had a rough day so she was entitled to a little hostility and frustrated feelings towards him, seriously she had been tasered, that was enough to make anyone pissy. Little did she know he was still reading her like a book as she gathered her thoughts before facing him again with a restrained sense of being. "Fine, I'll play nicely for now as long as you keep your distance as you claim," she said to him as she raked a hard gaze over him as if sizing him up for the battle to come.

Vaiden wasn't unperturbed by her at all. If she could ruffle his feathers with a cold sneer and heated glare then she would not draw too many more breaths. Lucky for her he really was a kind guy, at least outside of playing with his girls. He enjoyed pampering them and giving the special treats when he could but when the mood caught him right he could be a very evil sadist. Knowing well she was simply playing her cards in the invisible game going on between them, he nodded at her words as he reached in to grab her arm firmly but not hurtful and helped her out of the car.

Letting her stand against the side of the car, he shut the door and looked her over. She was a hair shorter than him which was nice. She was definitely taller than most of his girls however at 6'3" he still towered over her. She would take some work to truly transform her however for now a hot bath and a set of new clothes would do wonders for her. "Come. Let's get you cleaned up and fed and I will give you a tour of the place and see if we can get you in a little better disposition." With that he slowly ushered her inside, waiting til she was within his walls before uncuffing her ankles and only after warning her if she tried to run or kick him that she would find herself in a dark room, cold, afraid, in pain, and starving.

It was enough to make her stop and think and gave him just enough time to get the cuffs off of her ankles before she was ready to challenge him.

"I am not afraid of you! You can stop threatening me as I assure you it will be a cold day in hell before you get the best of me!" Trista boldly declared as she forced herself to stand tall and gaze up at him in defiance. Inwardly she told herself that if she didn't stand up to him then he would think she was one of those docile weak minded girls he can have his way with and she was not going to let that happen. Though truth was, part of her was scared but she was not willing to let him know that.

Hearing her words, Vaiden couldn't help but tsk her. "I assure you my dear you will eat those words soon enough and normally I would make you eat them right now. However I know more about you than you think and so how about I give you one last warning and enlighten you of how things work around here and then I will put my niceties aside and you can finish sealing your fate for a very interesting day." He said as he stood his full height before her and backed her against the wall as he spoke.

Grinning to himself at the fact she had not yet realized she had cornered herself, he placed his hands on the wall on either side of her body just as he cuffed hands touched the cold wood panels.

Her breath caught as she realized she was pinned between him and the wall. Damn him for entrancing her enough to corner her. Part her of her wanted to lash out so badly but part of her said to wait. At war with herself she listened to his words as he gave her a long run down of the rules of the house.

The fact that he laid down the rules while keeping her between him and the wall didn't really bother her. For the most part his rules were simple and easy to follow as far as not leaving the house and certain sections were off limits to her and she was responsible to help clean the huge mansion. Those things didn't bother her. It was when he started telling her that she had to refer to him as Sir and Master, she had to wear only outfits he picked out for her, eat foods he picked out for her, ask for everything, and eventually after he trained her she would have to present herself to him in a certain manner that he deemed fit as well as keep him pleased. That coupled with the line of "You are mine now, I own you," was enough to awaken her inner hellion. Without even thinking, she glared back at him and then before she could think better of it she spit in his face.

He had expected her rebellion to start when it did. However he wasn't expecting spitting to be her first move. Without saying a word of flinching, he moved his hand swiftly from the wall to wrap his hand around her throat in a tight grip as he pressed her against the wall roughly. "That was not wise lil one, now I get to punish you." He grinned as he used his other hand to wipe the spit off of his face and then used it to slap her across the face. it wasn't hard enough to leave a bruise but it definitely got her attention as she inhaled sharply and started wiggling under his tightening grip on her throat.