Green Rose of the Underground Ch. 10

The lustful one who was holding Thix muttered some foul words and keeping the knife pressed tightly against her throat removed his arm and shuffled closer behind her until she felt his body pressed against her. Oh... stupid Thix... and she'd been trying to think, hadn't she? The damned human was so tall he couldn't hold her in the middle without being half bent over. Less leverage now. Still the blade though.

Solène appeared from behind the curtains to the wagon and froze. She kept her voice low, and as smooth as possible, but Thix could still hear the terror in it. Her gaze going from Guy where he lay on the ground, to the brown-haired man holding a weapon at her. She was allowed to gather up her son, and was escorted to her mate. Once they were all within easy seeing, Claude strolled to Gerard's carriage and went inside.

Well. Seemed as if it were option number one. They were being robbed. Any number of items that Claude deemed of interest were carried out from their carriage, and into his wagon. The one that caught her eye, and Claude's attention as well, was a large and very solid looking wooden chest. He set it on the little step on the side of the carriage. After another swift exchange, Gerard hesitantly answered his enquiries, and Claude went across to Theo to search his pockets. A key. Claude waddled his round belly back over to open the chest.

Even Thix, with her very loose grasp on human money, felt her eyes go wide. Gold. It was filled almost to the very top with gold coins. Enough that could have bought her life... well, she couldn't begin to guess how many times over. Thirty? Fifty? A hundred maybe?

Claude started to laugh. A bright laughter that twisted and changed into half-mad guffawing as he stared down at the riches in his hands. In a snap he closed the chest and locked it again, pocketing the key.

Then he started on Guy's wagon. With a good deal less focus and enthusiasm, now that he'd found more than he could have possibly hoped for, no doubt. While he worked Thix once more took stock of everything and everyone. Gerard standing with an empty expression and his arms still out at his sides. Guy with Solène kneeling beside him. She was trying to put on a brave face and quiet the boy's crying that had started up only several minutes after everything had fit together for him. Theo held still by the knife at his throat. His eyes met hers in a manner that was... comfortingly disgruntled. As if to say "Told him. Idiot." Less concerned than coldly unhappy.

There was much less deemed worthy of taking from the little family. Once Claude was done, he went around to their horses. With an expert tenderness and soothing noises, he uncoupled them from their bridles and took them to the front of his wagon. Presumably to begin hitching them.

No one spoke. No one, that was, except for the human man behind her. While his companions were staying keen and mindful of their hostages, he began to speak to her. His voice was soft but through the tone of his voice Thix could hear his lust. His free hand reached down and squeezed her breast tightly.

Before, her body might have betrayed her wholly. In fear of death, and a desire for that which was most a symbolic act of life and living. The sacred pleasure. Now though... as she felt the pain of his fingers digging into her skin, there was the burning response of responding lust, but also there was anger and a sickening fear that came over her heart. She knew better. She was not beautiful to him. She was only a thing. A thing to hurt, and to use. There would be nothing pure or good about it. Rotten.

His hand explored her in pinching cruel squeezes and hard caresses. Thix could not bear to look at Gerard as it took place, and so kept her eyes to the muddy grass between her feet. She hated mud. She really did.

Thank Vorkah, Claude returned when he did. Round plump face aglow with satisfaction. He began once more to chat with Gerard, who nodded along silently and sullenly. Then the man who even now was squeezing and wobbling Thix's bottom spoke up for Claude, who looked thoughtful. Gerard on the other hand, looked absolutely horrified and began speaking rather rapidly. Pleading. Oh no... no, no.

It was strange, how it happened. She grew even more terrified. Her mind and soul being filled up with memories of that dreary horrible house in Frankarland. Of the ugly, boring, cruel old man beating her again and again with that stick when she did bad. It began to blend with the horrible possibilities that awaited her, of all four of them... taking turns, and it did not bring her desire, but only horror.

Then... the fear seemed to snap. Or pop. Like a bubble. There was left only a cold certainty.

Thix tried to moisten her throat, and almost laughed to think how silly that would be since it was still too raw to speak normally anyway.

"S'il vous plaît. Do not hurt me. Please. Monsieur..."

Thix raised her eyes at Claude, hating herself for what she knew what was going to do next.

"I be good. Good for master. Je vais te sucer. Je vais te baiser très bien, beaucoup beaucoup."

She sounded even scratchier, rougher, and higher than usual. Could that possibly sound appealing to them in any way? Thix really hoped. She raised her hand, outward first trembling, and then upwards to affectionately stroke along the arm holding the knife to her vulnerable throat.

"Will do now... so you see I am good Goblin. Do not leave me in these woods. Please?"

She tilted her head upwards, looking into that familiar face that looked back down in a mixture of surprise and evil delight. Thix felt the rain dripping upon her forehead and cheeks as she met his dull brown eyes with her own large red globes. Maybe he knew a little Ruviccum as well. Maybe Claude would translate.

"You can use my throat. Deep. It is tight. See?"

She opened her mouth wide, laying her tongue flat so he could stare straight into her inflamed gullet. An oddly arousing satisfaction flared up inside her at the thought of what that must look like. The man laughed, a dark and wicked sound, and looked up at the make some remark to Claude. She felt his grip go loose. Her hand twisted, pushing the blade away.

Then she bit.

Humans were generally speaking, bigger, heavier, and it many respects stronger. Not all respects.

Humans had very weak, pathetic, jaws.

So, when Thix bit down upon the man's arm, her sharper teeth sank in all the way to the bone.

His scream pierced her ears, rattling around the inside of her skull. She persisted through the pain. The jerking around and flapping his arm up and down only served to shred his flesh between her teeth and quickly filled Thix's mouth with blood. She could have held on longer, but her hand had already shot down her thigh. Her jaw opened again, Thix fell to the ground and was already moving as her fingers lifted her dress.

She was suddenly pulled up short, choking on the tied cord of her cloak as it was tugged tighter, and almost lost her footing. Her wheezing breath felt like fire. Thix wriggled and twisted, ducking backwards and managed to slip out. Her beautiful red cloak fell away to the wet ground, curse them for that too. Move. Fast. Fast as she could ever remember running. Her hand closed around the handle of the dagger around her thigh and yanked it free. Her eyes lifted from the ground in front of her, to her prey. That big fat human. Get rid of the leader. Worked for any kind of animal.

It was odd. For a moment it was as if time was stretching. Thix had a slow image in her mind of Claude's dumbfounded expression, and his body as he took one step back. She took note of the crossbow's short arrow flying past her and embedding in the ground. She drew her arm up, and decided where she would strike. Then brought the blade down smoothly and deeply into the man's right thigh.

It plunged in to the hilt. Thix let go and stumbled away from him and to the side, scrambling to create more distance between them and figure out what to do next. Not enough. The lustful human was on her now, he'd thrown her to the ground and his heavy fist smashed into her face. A bloom of hot pain exploded across her senses, leaving her world spinning, and cutting her cheeks on her own teeth. Smash. Again. Smash.

Her eyes flickered open, saw the rage in those small little eyes. Thix shut hers. Awaiting more.

Instead, she felt her ears go as flat as they could possibly go as the most... utterly horrible noise she had ever heard crashed down with more force than even the human's fists. Her eyes shot open to see Claude writhing around on the ground, his face turning red as an apple. Red as a beet. His eyes round and bulging almost goblin wide, his mouth a gaping cavern as he howled. Not like a man. Not even like an animal. Like nothing she had ever heard, and with Vorkah's blessing would never hear again as long as she lived.

It was a sound of pain beyond imagining. Complete agony. The scream trailed into a hoarse hiss as Claude drew breath only to let out another eerie screech. That was when Gerard rushed into her attacker, tackling shoulder first and knocking her free.

The two wrestled on the ground, and Thix lay unmoving as she watched. She watched with horror as the knife made slashes across Gerard's fine shirt, drawing lines of blood. Gerard managed a slippery grip on the wrist left likewise bloody by her bite and enduring the curses and fighting long enough to look towards her.

"Run! Thix! Go! RUN!"

She scrabbled dizzy to her feet, and obeyed. Her feet carrying her into a frenzied sprint, across the road, through the trees. Into the woods. Thix weaved through the strange twisted trees. Branches catching on the white dress, now stained with splotches of mud, grass marks, and blood. She pulled through, feeling the fabric tear and sag as her little feet hopped over roots. Into the midst of darkness, and sorrow.

I'm a coward... I'm a cursed, disgraceful, murderous coward. Vorkah... Gerard... forgive me.

Tears streamed down her face. Still, she did as she was told. She ran.