A Slave to the Servants Ch. 30

It should not have surprised me when he pounced on me. Squealing girlishly, I was pushed onto my back and Evan's tongue was forced between my lips. I flicked my tongue playfully against his and felt his razor sharp secondary teeth. My show had excited him perhaps more than I intended.

Evan broke away from tasting me for a moment and I looked into his eyes. The pools of blue were utterly feral as he dipped his mouth to taste my ear. Laps of his tongue went down my neck until he reached the collar. Skipping the metal he went further down to suck relentlessly hard on my nipples.

I felt the growl and his sucking became more frenzied. He wanted milk and I had a feeling my breasts would give into this desire. I buried my fingers in his hair and turned the long strands around my fingers. Sharp teeth scraped the underside of my breast as Evan viciously pinched the other nipple. It was a warning and I groaned releasing my hold on his hair. This was his reward and this was how he wanted to take it.

The tongue bath did not finish once Evan had gotten what he wanted from my tender nipples. He went lower, exploring my belly button and then lower still. It was a surprise when I was dragged to the edge of the bed. My legs were laid over Evan's shoulders and he continued his feast on my flesh.

"I like it when they stand out like this," Kein said eyeing my erect nipples.

The ruddy red flesh had been primed by Evan's mouth. Kein played gently with them and I saw his teeth drop as a drop of clear fluid started to bead on the tip. Evan moaned into my cunt as Kein's mouth dropped to devour this essence. They were connected and both getting something they wanted.

My clit and my nipples were so sensitive, but my men played with me gently. I peaked again as Kein moved to straddle my chest and Evan's cock plunged into my cunt. The oil was dribbled all over my chest and Kein rubbed it in with his long shaft. Evan stood and took my lower half as he grinned watching his Brother in ecstasy.

It didn't take long for the last two men to find release. They'd been excited and ready the entire time. This was probably the fastest we'd ever finished together.

I lay on the bed thoroughly sated as we slowly recovered from our encounter.

"Thank you," I whispered to the group reaching out to stroke the man closest to me.

"Just promise us you will be careful with whoever they send," Evan begged.

"Don't do anything to anger them," Kein said softly.

"You are family to us," Damien said sounding worried. "If they treat you with disrespect, say our names and tell them you are family to us."

I smiled at all of them and promised sincerely to be very careful and to not make any mistakes.

The next day passed slowly at the Keepers, as did the one after. Hannah had not been able to tell us exactly the day she would take us. We had just been instructed to stay ready.

"We shouldn't swim," Rose had said quietly to Basin on the first day. "If they came and we were in the water..."

Damien and Basin agreed with her. They told the Slave Keepers we were not to swim again until they cleared it. I was elated Damien was allowing the escape to happen.

Instead of swimming, Rose and I sat on the beach with Fuji in the afternoons.

"We wish you could come with us," Rose had whispered to her as we sat on the beach several days into our vigil, but Fuji wasn't bothered.

Her men didn't have any desire to change their lives. They were perfectly happy here, so she was also. Their happiness was her only measure. She was a mirror of their thoughts and wishes.

"You three," a Keeper announced suddenly from beside us, "come with me."

Looking up I saw one of our Keepers with two men I did not recognize. The two men were well armed. Their clothing was different from Warriors in the compound or the shopkeepers in the village. They looked rugged with thick vests and shirts patched many times.

We stood and followed the three men up the sandy incline and through the room for dancing and relaxation. They kept walking and we went though the room we worked in during the morning.

We were led out into the bright sunlight toward the entrance to this compound. Several men stood around. Rose and Fuji both looked down. I did, too. Without Damien here to defend my rights, I felt it best to follow the flow.

"Thank you, Keeper," I heard an unfamiliar voice say, "we will take these beings off your hands."

"Just give me back my Brothers unharmed!" the Keeper demanded fiercely and I looked up.

The Keeper's family was all on their knees with swords at their throats. The family that held them looked as mean and dangerous as any I'd ever seen. A second family was doing the talking.

"Come, Rachel," a man said as he reached out to grab my arm, "bring your friends and we must be gone. Hannah sent us."

The man grabbing me looked rough. His brown hair was cut short, but you could see several days worth of scruff on his face. The hand wrapped around my arm was calloused and dirty.

"Only Rose and I go," I stated resisting him a little. "Fuji, the cool one, she stays."

"No, she doesn't," he informed me pulling harder. "She knows too much and would be tortured for it."

The Keepers were bound on the ground as the ten men pushed Rose, Fuji, and me toward the exit. Fuji started to become frantic. Her owners had said they weren't leaving, so she would not go.

Fuji started to fight the men and it was over before it began. They bound and carried her as she shrieked. Even that wicked tail she had was rapidly tamed. Rose and I tried to tell them, but they would not listen. We tried to resist them and were toted off in their arms.

I looked up at my captor and noted he didn't look mean or angry, just firm. He had large hazel eyes that darted around continuously. Beneath the fabric of his clothing I felt the strong sinew of his chest. If he wanted to, this man could cause me great harm. Still, I persisted.

"Sir, please, you don't understand," I begged him. "Her owners will not go, she will be alone."

The man looked down at me quizzically for a moment before he spoke. "She will be free, Rachel, just like you. There is nothing to fear in our camp. No one will harm her or disrespect her. Relax and allow us to help you and your friends."

I continued to plead and the man just would not listen.

There were two transports waiting for us outside the Keeper's compound. These transports were larger than I'd ever seen before. Two and perhaps three families could easily fit on each one. They also sounded different. Unlike the quite hum of the transports I had seen, these almost growled.

Fuji writhed and screamed on the other transport and I saw the men gag her. I felt for my friend and tried to help.

"YOU CAN'T TAKE HER," I begged loudly one more time as I was carried onto the transport. "PLEASE!"

"She goes," he said simply, "we have our orders."

This man was as resolute as Damien would have been. Clearly, nothing I could say would change his mind.

Shutting my mouth I looked into the man's eyes. He smiled gently and put me on my feet as the transport raised frighteningly fast into the air.

The transport took off going forward and I had to cover my mouth to not scream. I'd never been on something that accelerated this quickly before. The men all seemed to find my reaction strange.

I couldn't look and stared down at my feet. The transport soared through the air at a speed I'd never experienced before. The growl it had made when on the ground was nothing compared to the roar it made now. Chancing a glance up I saw how far we already were from the main compound. The speed was unreal.

Small hands found my arm and Rose was suddenly against my side. I couldn't tell if I was shaking, she was shaking, or the thing we were on was shaking. Looking into her eyes I could see we were both terrified.

Boots were pulled from a chest on the transport and the men put two pairs at our feet, motioning for us to put them on. I was used to dressing myself, so I took off my sandals and slipped the new boots on. They had a sturdy sole and rose to my mid calf. This was hardy clothing and not what I was used to. As I got used to the feel, Rose just stared at her feet where the boots lay.

"Go on," one of the men encouraged, "it is your body to dress. It will be cold where we are going. Hannah sent these for you to wear."

I grabbed the boots from in front of Rose and put them on her. She didn't fight me, but she wasn't pleased.

Coats were produced and I dressed both Rose and myself. The fabric was very thick and heavy. I chanced a look at the other transport and I saw the men wrapping Fuji's bound form in the protective fabric. I guessed they didn't know what it took to make her cold. They must just be working off assumptions.

The compound was a distant speck when the transport dropped suddenly and I did scream. Rose and I held onto each other as we were swallowed up in darkness. Luckily, our movement stopped a moment later.

Lights flickered on around the transport and I realized where we were. The transport had dropped through a large hole in the desert floor. We were in a cavern deep beneath the surface.

"Shut it up, Thom," one of the guys said.

Our transport went closer to the wall and the man that had carried me leaned over and turned several dials embedded in the rock. The giant hole we'd come through was soon covered by a slab of rock on a complicated conveyor.

I looked around and saw where we were. The cavern was just wide enough for a transport, with a little leeway on each side. I looked over the side of the transport and saw water flowing beneath us.

"Back up, Rachel, the air shield is off." the man named Thom said, "The air shields will come back on when we start to move forward."

I nodded silently and took a step back. I didn't want to fall off and the air shields on the transports were powerful, getting caught in one would probably hurt.

"Welcome to freedom," another man said smiling at us and the transport took off.

Several of the men stood and stared at us grinning broadly. Rose and I were glued to the spot and scared out of our wits. I watched the men, but Rose refused to look at them. Perhaps her idea was better, looking around was terrifying.

If the transport was scary above ground, underground was a nightmare. The machines roared through the tight passageways. There were places where I felt I could reach out and touch the walls we came so close to them.

There was very little light down here and I had no idea how the driver saw where he was going. It seemed like he must be navigating on memory and not sight. The feeble lights on the transport seemed to barely illuminate the cave as we rushed through it.

I held tight to Rose and she to me. The men didn't understand our terror and in no way showed consideration for it.

"I am Brand, rescued from the Youly compound. What will you do now that you are free?," one of them asked jovially. "I have heard tell that some of our women are going to arrange portals back to Earth. Will you do that?"

Rose refused to look at the man and stared into my eyes looking shocked. That displeased him.

"Come now, you are free. Talk to me, no one will harm you for it. Tell me how you feel."

He was quite a persistent man.

"I do not wish to leave my children," I croaked out.

"Children are important to you?" he asked stepping closer. "Are they important to all humans? I have wondered a long time."

The man's inquisitive nature made me smile despite my fear.

"You have human breeders in your line, don't you?" I asked.

The man laughed and now I had their attention.

"How did you know?" the man named Thom asked. "The women told us he does."

"He is curious," I said wincing as the transport careened much too close to the wall. "Men with Earth breeders in their line seem more curious. Christof has Earth breeders and he was always the most curious Brother."

The men were confused. They didn't know a "Christof".

"He is Damien's Brother," I answered. "He is the fourth Brother in my family."

Their faces darkened and they looked angry suddenly. "He should have known better then," the lead Brother said firmly. "Once he knew he was the offspring of a slave he never should have continued to participate. He should have made it stop."

Our conversation was cut short as one of the men made a sharp sound. Rose and I were ignored as the men drew their weapons and took up posts around the transport.

"Steady, Brothers," the man in front said and then it was like the transport was swarmed.

Creatures that looked two footcrocodileswere jumping on the air shield around the transport. One of them managed to get past the air shield and it came at Rose and me, jaws open. Brand sliced it in half.

The thing twitched and writhed in two pieces for several moments before the lead Brother stabbed it in the head. That stopped it.

The men cursed in volumes about the nasty creatures. Thom called them giles. I vaguely remembered reading about giles. The readings I'd done had noted them as pests in the lowlands where water was plentiful. They could rarely overwhelm a woman, but they could be trouble for men in large enough numbers.

"Ciara," Rose whispered clinging to me.

She looked as scared as I felt. "Hannah sent good men," I whispered. "We will be okay."

Rose's eyes were wide and she didn't look like she particularly believed that statement. We were tearing though a poorly lit cave with our friend tied on a transport behind us. Things were not looking good for us.

After the attack of the giles the men stayed on alert. I was happy they didn't want to talk to us. I wasn't that comfortable with men other than Damien and his Brothers. It would probably take time for me to get over that fear, I mused.

The caves we travelled through eventually opened up a little and got wider. There were places we passed over massive underground lakes. I could see the glassy surface below as we roared over it. I remembered Christof had told me about the underground lakes. He must not have known about the underground rivers and tunnels.

"Tell me," Thom asked focusing on Rose, "what is your name? My name is Thom rescued from the Youly compound."

Rose refused to look up and answer, instead she huddled closer to me.

The man's eyes narrowed as he watched her.

"They trained you, I know. If you looked at other men they put you out to be hurt. If you spoke the punishment was worse. That part of your life is over. We will treat you well in our camp. You will not have this fear any longer. If you wish to speak, you do so. Do not fear, silent human," Thom said with conviction.

Rose didn't look up, she couldn't. I knew that countless moons of indoctrination was preventing her from hearing what the man said. Freedom did not exist the way he said it. Even if Basin had said she was "free", she'd witnessed too much punishment to stray from the rules.

I stroked her hair in comfort and felt her shiver against me.

"Her name is Rose," I told the man softly.

"Is that the name the men called her or it the name she had on Earth?" he asked sternly.

I watched the man's eyes and didn't see anger, only a certain resolve. He called me Rachel so he knew slaves were renamed. This man expected to hear Rose's original name.

"She was named Ruth on Earth," I told him and he smiled approvingly.

"Ruth it is then and what about the poor, bound girl?" the man asked. "What was her name?"

"Always Fuji," I told him honestly, "women from her planet are not given names until they are owned. If their owner wishes to give them a name, they get one."

That gave the man pause. He and his Brothers found it odd. That didn't fit into the way they thought things always were and it confused them. In their experience, everyone was given a name.

"Fuji is from Batra," I tried to explain, "I don't really know where that is. From what Fuji said all the women are slaves. She doesn't know another way."

"She will learn," Thom said with conviction turning his attention back to the void of nothingness we were passing through.

The twists and turns in the cave continued. Eventually I got used to the lack of scenery and the lack of light. The air started to get colder and I felt the chill on my face. Despite being underground it felt like we were making for the mountains faster than I'd ever done before.

The men we were with watched out for attack and protected us, but not the way Damien or Basin did. It was strange to realize that with freedom came responsibility. If I was cold, I had to button my own coat. There was no one who would do it for me.

Water was passed around in something like acanteeneventually. I took a drink and tried to pass it to Rose. She looked at me and took the container slowly, but did not put it to her lips.

"Drink, Ruth," one of the men said, "it is good water and will refresh you."

"I am Rose," she said staring at the floor. "Ciara, please, tell these men I am Rose."

"You are Ruth," Thom said from behind her, "and you may speak to us. There is no owner to hurt you. Drink your water and be calm. You are free now."

The man's assumption irritated me. Damien and his Brothers did not hurt me. They had it all wrong and I was about to tell them. Rose's voice stopped me cold.

"I was free before," Rose said harshly still staring down, "and I was hurt. Basin and his Brothers protect and cherish me. My name is Rose and I want to know where Basin and his Brothers are."

The men all made sounds that told me they felt sorry for us. "Drink, Ruth," the man said in coaxing terms, "do not worry over those men anymore. You must not fear."

I had a sinking feeling in my stomach that had nothing to do with the transport and it's erratic path.

"Where are they?" I asked the man, starting to panic. "Did you take Damien's family and Basin's family or just us? Didn't my female offspring send someone for Rose's family and mine?"

"The slavers," Thom spat out, "were offered safety in our camp. They are being transported separately. Hannah and Kennedy are well respected or such a request would never have been honored."

I stared at the man in the dim half light of the tunnels. He had referred to our men as "slavers" and I had that sinking feeling again. Free men would view men like Damien and his Brothers as no better than the women.

"I am free with Damien and his Brothers," I said quickly taking a step toward Thom. "They said I was not a slave and made me family one night long ago-"

Thom snorted and his eyes flashed, "They told you this? They told you one day you were family to them?"

"Yes," I said eagerly nodding my head, "they said I was family and not a slave. Damien and his Brothers decided on their own that slavery was wrong. I asked to be free and they made me family."

"That was their decision, was it?" Thom asked lowering his voice and sounding slightly menacing. "They told you what you would be and you accepted it. It doesn't sound to me as though it was a real choice."

I was startled by the statement and stared blankly at him. Thom just continued to speak, "You cannot make someone family, Rachel. Family between men and women is a choice. I don't think you ever had the option of choosing another family. You were told where you belonged. This is no different from slavery."

The man's words cut deep for some reason. Probably because there was a measure of truth in them. It wasn't like I had been offered the choice of Damien's family, it was just the only option.

"Drink, Ruth," Thom said, "it is still a long ride to our destination."

It took a several tries for Rose to finally lift the canteen to her lips and take a tentative sip, then a couple of gulps. She looked amazed as she handed me back the container. This had been a first on this planet for her.