Casus Belli Ch. 08: Spoils of War

This is the story of a young Kangess being forced to submit to the victorious orcs.

Cautionary (for series): non-consent, reluctant, violence, straight sex, inter species sex, anal sex.

Cautionary (for chapter): non-consent inter species sex.

Setting: Nigawa, planet Mundea (Galeon III), year 3647 (local)

Note: a map of Nigawa, and a floor plan of Bromodin keep, are available, the link can be found on my profile page.

Characters:

Kangess Cassandra, human female, 21 years old, heir to the throne, female lead

Sir Brando Boruga, human male, 27 years old, Cassandra's betrothed

Denora, human female, 24 years old, Cassandra's servant

Vala, human female, 22 years old, Cassandra's servant

Syldan, human female, 19 years old, Cassandra's servant

Leavy, human female, 21 years old, Cassandra's servant

Moiga, human female, 23 years old, Cassandra's servant

Polly, human female, 18 years old, Cassandra's servant

Bashuk, orc male, 32 years old, Green Vale Orcs Warlord

Kurgan, orc male, 27 years old, Bashuk's guard

Kasho, orc male, 26 years old, Bashuk's guard

Yakha, orc male, 26 years old, Bashuk's guard

Batul, orc male, 25 years old, Bashuk's guard

Durgat, orc male, 25 years old, Bashuk's guard

Bolar, orc male, 24 years old, Bashuk's guard

Casus Belli 8: Spoils of War

The Prize

Cassandra observed the gathered nobles from her throne, looking confident, but inside she was terrified of what was coming. The nobles, except for a softly crying girl here and there, seemed to be in control of their emotions too. Behind them the female servants were gathered, and basically looking ill at ease, but not anxious. The children of the nobles were a mixed bag, with the older ones looking scared, the young ones looking uncertain, and the little ones playing with each other, clearly oblivious to the dark mood holding the grown up world around them in its grip. Time crawled by, and the tension in the hall became almost palpable as the hands on the huge wall mounted chronometer approached noon.

Noon came and went though, and her skin started to crawl, the feeling of apprehension becoming more intense with every passing minute. The hall had first become more silent the closer to noon it got, but now a faint murmur had returned, and it was slowly rising in intention. Then, suddenly, silence descended again, and a moment later the large doors into the main hallway opened. In came a Royal Guard, moving at a trot. She watched him approach along the runner, then ascend the steps in front of her throne. The soldier turned out to be a lieutenant, and he took a knee in front of her, "Your highness, the orcs, they have arrived," he announced somberly.

Cassandra swallowed, and then she nodded, "Thank you lieutenant, please return to your unit, and order any guards still remaining inside the keep to leave with you." The soldier nodded, and then he got up and left the same way he had come, at a trot. The murmur inside the great hall rose sharply. There was panic in the air, and she got up from her throne. "Please, remain calm!" she said loudly, with all the authority she could muster. To her surprise calmness returned almost immediately, and after a moment she sat down again. In her mind she was back at Bragstone, now over two months ago, facing Bashuk. It wasn't a confidence boosting memory.

She had berated him, told him he was a cruel barbarian, a filthy pig, and a stinking animal. She had even threatened to see him gelded. The young Kangess felt nauseated. Today would be payback, and suddenly she didn't feel so certain anymore about not getting executed. Panic started to rear its ugly head inside her mind, but before it could consume her the large doors at the opposite end of the great hall opened up again. Orc warriors started to come in, and somehow their actual arrival smothered her starting panic. They were armed with large axes, and wearing leather armor, and as she watched two of them positioned themselves at the opposite end of the runner, on either side of it.

The next pair then repeated the move, some two yards closer to where she was sitting. The group moved ever closer along the runner that way, splitting off a pair of warriors at two yard intervals, thus creating a corridor all the way from the entrance to the podium. Movement inside the hallway beyond the entrance caught her attention. A large group of huge orcs was approaching, with an even larger orc leading them, and she felt her muscles tighten as she recognized Bashuk, and also the two chieftains at his sides. The other orcs in the group were as tall as the two chieftains were, so she concluded they had to be chieftains too, and that she was probably looking at the command core of the orc army.

Bashuk and his two lieutenants entered the great hall first, and marched up towards the podium, followed by this roughly four dozen strong group of chieftains. The latter started to spread out along the length of the runner once they got to where the first nobles were standing, but Bashuk and his lieutenants kept moving closer, while the large entrance doors closed behind them again. Cassandra felt dread increase with every step the huge warlord took towards her.

***

The hall had become eerily silent from the moment the first orcs entered, and now its human occupants were observing the arriving orcs in awe, with Bashuk clearly at the center of their attention. He was indeed looking impressive, even more impressive than he had looked at Bragstone actually. He was wearing leather armor, in a combination of charcoal gray and a very dark red, and on top of it he wore a carrying harness in a medium brown. Many pouches, in the same medium brown, were attached to the harness. Most attention grabbing though was the large collection of weapons attached to it, and the truly enormous sword he was carrying on his back.

The orc leader came to a stop some ten foot from the steps, as did his lieutenants. He then looked up at her, and she noticed the sudden recognition on his face. He clearly hadn't expected to find the young noble woman he had earlier perceived to be nothing but a bed-wench on Nigawa's throne. He crossed his thick muscled arms in front of his huge leather clad chest, "Well well," he said, in that low heavily accented voice she had heard before, "We meet again, 'noble of high status'."

His approach was unexpected, "I wasn't yet a Kangess then," she said, while a wave of sadness passed, "You are to blame for my ascension. Your army killed my father."

He nodded, "Yes, and just in case no one has told you yet, he died like a man, he was a true warrior." His answer surprised her; she hadn't expected him to honor his dead enemy like this, what she had expected was some derogatory remark, or simply disinterest. She rose, and slowly drew her sword. The orcs didn't move a finger in response, they didn't even bat an eye, showcasing their total lack of fear of her. She took the blade in two hands and positioned it horizontally in front of her, then she moved forward and slowly descended the steps, stopping about a yard away from Bashuk, facing him.

Although it wasn't, the line she uttered still sounded studied; "The country of Nigawa surrenders to you and your army, Lord Bashuk." She managed to keep her voice steady, and he just took the sword from her hands, placed the pommel between two fingers, and checked its balance. Bashuk then grunted approvingly, and nonchalantly handed the sword over to one of the two lieutenants standing next to him, who took it and then effortlessly snapped it in half over his leather clad knee. The huge chieftain then threw the remains of the sword to the side, and they clattered as they hit the stone floor, the sound echoing in the silence that had fallen.

It's for your people, she thought, It's for the future you leave behind for them. She sank down on her knees, and bent her head, "Please, Lord Bashuk, have mercy on my people." This time her voice trembled a little.

"I'm a male of honor," he answered, loudly, "I gave my word. If you and the other nobles comply with the surrender terms your people will be spared."

She looked up at him, "Thank you," trying to read his face, and hoping he believed her. Now, with the Nigawan people safe, she could think about the nobles, and more specifically, their children. She swallowed, "I know what we agreed upon, but..." She hesitated, and he looked down at her questioningly. Her voice trembled, "The noble children, they are as innocent as the commoners are..."

He nodded his agreement, "Yes, your cubs will meet no harm, as I promised, they'll be cared for."

A wave of relief surged through her. So now she could finally think about herself. Their eyes locked, "And what will my fate be?" she asked with a trembling voice, "I fear death, but I won't resist."

His eyebrows rose, "You will share the fate of all the noble women, as I told your negotiators you would," he said with a hint of surprise in his voice.

She felt immense relief, but then an entirely new fear descended. She dropped her voice, not wanting for everyone to hear, "Please, my Lord, I'll do as you say, but please, not in here, not with all my people watching." Bashuk took her in silently for a moment, and she felt tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Her voice sounded hoarse, "Please, my Lord, just you then? I'll be really good for your men, spread my legs eagerly for them once I'm in the brothel, I promise." Tears started running down her cheeks.

Bashuk took a small step forward, and reached out with one of his big hands, taking hold of her face. He had thick calloused fingers, and she could feel the huge strength in them. His not so little, little finger was below her jaw, and the other fingers were on her cheek. His huge thumb rubbed her brow, with a surprising gentleness. "Hush, girl," he said in a soft voice. Everything in his behavior told her he wasn't going to just tear off her clothes and brutally rape her on the spot, like she had feared he would. Cassandra let out a shuddering breath as fear partly turned into confusion.

The hand moved up slowly, lifting her by her chin, gently but unstoppable, and she got up again. Once she was standing he let go of her face, looking down at her, his amber colored eyes unfathomable. After a moment he stepped back and turned halfway around, and then he addressed his spread out warriors, "Check the slaves!"

***

Only the chieftains sprung into action, confronted the gathered nobles, and started separating the men from the women and children, clearly checking them for weapons as they went. They acted forcefully, but there was no violence or brutality. When they were finished all the men had been herded together on the left side of the runner, and the women and children on the right side of it, in front of the large windows. Both groups were now also clearly separated from the female servants, who were still gathered at the far side of the hall. To Cassandra's relief the orcs hadn't found any weapons, because she had a feeling they wouldn't have looked kindly on any breaches of the surrender terms they had stipulated.

A memory of Driara fleetingly surfaced, making her heart cringe. Bashuk made a gesture, "Now separate the dry ones." The chieftains immediately started selecting the older women, the ones in their mid-forties and up, from the group of women and children they had just created, and sent them over to where the men were gathered. When they were finished over half of the noble women had joined the men. Bashuk then gestured towards the group of remaining women and children, "Separate the cubs, everyone not of age yet."

She watched the chieftains start splitting the group, separating the children from the women, with the latter ending up closest to the podium, and the former between the women and the female servants. To her relief the orcish understanding of "not of age yet" proved similar to the Nigawan one. The older children just did as they were told, but the toddlers didn't, they clung to the protective skirts of their distressed mothers instead. Bashuk lifted his hands in a placating gesture, and addressed them in that low strangely accented voice of his, "Your young ones aren't destined for slavery in any form, they'll become wards, and they'll be taken good care of."

Cassandra clenched her hands, and a trembling breath escaped her, because of the tremendous gift she just received. Still reluctant mothers reassured their little ones and then sent them away to stand with the other children. Once all the children, and there were over a hundred of them, were accounted for, Bashuk gestured towards the main entrance of the great hall, and the orc warriors guarding the large doors opened them once again. A small group entered; six orc warriors and a chieftain escorting a young woman and two little children. She gasped loudly as she recognized Burgon Deklos' offspring in them, and she wasn't the only one in the great hall reacting that way.

The small group moved closer along the runner, and initial disbelief got replaced by joy when she ascertained that the two little ones looked to be tired but otherwise okay, and that the same seemed to be true for Driara. The warriors split away to join their brethren guarding the nobles, and the chieftain joined his peers, while Driara led her little stepbrother and stepsister to where the other children were gathered. She watched the good looking redhead give both her little siblings a peck on the nose, and then she rejoined the chieftain that had led her inside. Cassandra squinted as Driara moved close to him, positioning herself to his left, and just a little back, as if looking for his protection.

Driara's behavior was puzzling, and then she noticed the girl's left hand moving up to the big warrior's waist, while she slightly leaned into him, like they were lovers. Her mind tried to make sense of it, but then she got distracted, as another group of orcs entered the great hall. Something was off about this group, and it took her a moment to realize what it was. A number of them moved differently, and were also rather small, for orcs that was. This group was over two dozen strong, and she suddenly realized half of them were females. The group moved towards where the children were gathered, and as Cassandra watched the female orcs split off and mingled with them.

These orcs were all beyond their prime by the looks of it, and she watched the females start to talk to the older children, and reassure the little ones. They then gestured at the accompanying males, who had surrounded the group of children, and on their cue started herding the children gently towards the entrance of the great hall. Many of the children, especially the smaller ones, were looking back across their shoulders at their mothers as they went, and many of those mothers started to whimper in response. "As I already told you, you don't have to be worried about your cubs, they will be taken good care of," she heard Bashuk repeat his earlier promise.

The concerned mothers shifted their gaze towards him, their expressions uncertain, pleading. "Green orcs don't hurt cubs, regardless of race," Bashuk assured them. The mothers seemed to relax, indicating they believed him, and then they turned their attention towards their children again, who were in the process of leaving the great hall by now. There were some waved goodbyes, and then the large doors closed behind them. Bashuk addressed his chieftains again, "Now select the prizes."

***

She hadn't a clue what he was talking about. The chieftains moved, and then started picking out the younger ones from the group of women, and herded them to where the children had been gathered before. A group of over three dozen of the youngest women was formed that way, leaving behind a group of about five dozen women aged late twenties to mid-forties. She was wondering about the purpose of the whole exercise when movement in the corner of her eye attracted her attention. Driara moved away from the chieftain, looking back at the big orc as she went, and then joined the just created group of younger women.

"Cassandra." Bashuk's voice drew her attention back to the orc leader, and as their eyes met he gestured at the group Driara had just joined, which she assumed were the 'prizes' he had mentioned. "Go join them," the huge orc said.

Him calling her by her name surprised her, and it wasn't just the fact that he knew her name. What she had expected from him was another 'girl', or maybe even some derogatory name, like 'slave' or 'whore', but not her first name. She blinked surprised, and then she nodded, "Yes, my Lord." She did as told, and Driara smiled encouragingly at her as she positioned herself in front of the group of attractive young women, making her feel even more confused. She had barely stopped moving when another group of orc warriors entered the great hall through the large doors. They were about a dozen strong, looked rather dusty, and after a moment she noticed they were escorting five men, men in tattered uniforms, filthy and bruised.

Her heart leaped as she recognized him. "Brando!" she exclaimed, and in a reflex she started moving towards him, but then stopped herself, suddenly realizing her situation, and his.

"Someone dear to you?" she heard the orc warlord ask.

Her eyes darted towards him, there hadn't been a trace of ridicule in his voice. "Yes my Lord, one of them is my betrothed, who went missing in battle," she answered. "We are going to...," she stopped herself, and felt her eyes moistening. "We were going to be wed today," she finished softly. Tears started to form, but somehow she managed to force them back this time.

"I'm sorry," the huge orc said. She first thought he was mocking her, then realized he wasn't, which bewildered her already confused mind even more. He turned his back towards her, then walked over to where the female servants were gathered, while Brando and the other four captives were made to join the group of men and older women opposite the runner. "We are going to set up our headquarters inside this castle," Bashuk addressed the servants, "so we will be needing servants to run it. I hereby offer all of you to stay in the position you occupied before, at the same conditions as before. And should that position for some reason not exist anymore a new, at least equal position will be offered to you."

The gathered females still looked nervous, "And to be clear," he added, obviously sensing the reasons behind it, "no orc male will force sexual acts you don't want on you. You'll be servants, not whores." The huge orc then took some steps back and turned towards the group of nobles standing in front of the windowless wall; all the men and older women, now including Brando and the other four captured officers too. He addressed them in a loud and harsh voice. "You are the people who chose to resist justice, and as a result of that your lives as free people are now over, you brought this upon yourself. You will now watch the proceedings, not watching will be punished, by the whip."

He allowed some time for his words to sink in before continuing, "When the current proceedings are finished you will be led away, to be branded and collared, and then you're going to be put on transport to wherever in Nigawa your service is deemed to be most profitable to us." Cassandra felt both relief and dread, relief because the orcs apparently weren't planning to sell them, and dread because they were going to get branded. In Nigawa enslaving was considered barbaric, and branding was an even more barbaric, if unsurprising, part of that practice. Her eyes found Brando, who was looking stoic, as were the other noblemen, but the women in the group had started lamenting the moment their fate got spelled out to them.