Herrinhiyn: Day of the Hunter

I go down the stream until I reach a point where it's joined by another small stream. I see small colorful flashes in the water, which is good. Food.

Now for shelter.

I want something off the ground- a hole in one of these trees or in the branches of one. Something I can watch from without being noticed.

I walk along the banks until I find a tree that matches what I want. It's huge but has branches that go up to the top. There's enough leaf cover that nobody should see me easily. I scramble up, finding a good spot for a hammock and a few good perch points. Some of the smaller critters chirp at me- they sort of look like bats, if bats had bright colors and four wings instead of two.

Satisfied, I start building a hammock out of vines. I recall doing it once when I was younger. It's not hard to weave the vines, and I discover a plant with huge, rubbery leaves while looking for vines. I chop some down and take them up with me, making a nice, springy hammock.

Christ it's nice to not be laying on fucking concrete. Even if I'm on an alien planet.

I start to get up, be exhaustion sweeps over me. The constant panic, sleeping on a solid floor, combined with the stress from today...I'm wiped.

I wake up a few hours later feeling a whole lot better. I open my eyes, then yelp and flinch back. One of the bat things is perched right next to me, watching me interestedly.

"I'm not food."

It flitters off as I speak to it, squeaking. It doesn't seem dangerous, but who knows.

The sun is still up, so I decide to spruce up my tree. I also need to start thinking about what I want to do about the upcoming hunt. Blonde bitch didn't say how they were hunting us, and how they planned to shoot us down. Tranquilizers? Surely not with bullets.

I scout out the area before scrambling down and seeing nothing and no-one, start looking for areas to hide. I know I want something close, but not too close. I can't give away my position by leaving a trail to it. There's a good amount of debris on the forest floor, and walking through it too many times will give my hiding hole away.

I notice a warren of some sort under a prickly bush on my third circle around my tree. It's about three hundred meters from the tree but the stream runs right past it. I scrunch down to look, hoping that some deadly lizard rabbit isn't about to bite my face off.

Thankfully, it seems empty. I don't see any critters.

I half crawl in- the space is pretty large- and try to dig at the earth with my hands. It's soft and comes away easily. A plan starts to form in my brain and I pull out, wiping the soil off my skin.

"I miss my shirt." I mutter to myself.

I'd made a loincloth thing out of some leaves and some vines, but it still wasn't clothes.

I glance up at the sun, but I don't know how fast it was going, or how much time I had. Deciding food first, I set out to making a fishing line and find bait.

Once full- I'd chanced a fire (took foreverrr to start)- I start outlining my idea.

I'll make the burrow bigger- big enough for me and supplies for the day- and then cover up the burrow hole using rocks and plants, leaving a trap door of sorts to give me an exit if needed. It's simple and effective, and if I'm super careful, I won't leave evidence that there is any human presence there.

It takes me several long days, and I mean looong. Fuck this alien world and its weird days. The sun never goes away, and when it does, it never comes back. Also, everything is florescent here. The animals, the plants, the fucking water. Everything. You don't need a flashlight to see in the dark, it's bright as day out anyway!

Anyway, I make my hidey hole. The area is pristine, and with the hatch down, you can't even tell that there is a hole under the spined bush. I did have to break some if its roots to widen the space, but the plant has only wilted a bit.

I'm waiting for the day to end. I'm in my tree base, enjoying a few more hours in the air. I've fashioned a small knife out of some shale stone, and managed to catch a small furry critter, with which I made an actual loincloth out of.

I'm the fucking king of this jungle.

I spend most of the night in my new cave, trying to sleep. It's hard because every rustle, every snapped branch, any noise at all snaps me awake, listening to hear if it's one of the hunters. I hear heavy movement once but I dare not see if it's an animal or a fellow human. Maybe it's a moving tree. Fucking alien world.

I think it's morning when I hear the loud "WHHHOOOOOOO" from a massive horn, no doubt making the start of the hunt. It thrums in the air, a deep and low roar, echoing long after the call ends.

Shit.

I try to relax- nobody will find me here- and listen. My heart thunders in my chest, and for a moment all I want to do is get out of my hole and run as fast and as far as I can. I breathe deeply until the panic subsides and settle down to wait.

Hours go by.

It's a massive area, and for all I know I'm really far from the starting point for them. It's a good thing I've not heard anyone.

Voices.

Shit.

"Someone was here- there was a fire pit just by the stream. And evidence of someone in the tree."

"They probably heard your loud mouth and bolted. Shut up, I need to listen."

I listen as they walk away, my heart pounding. That was close.

What feels like hours later, I hear the faintest rustle. I freeze, listening.

It's silent, but every nerve in my body is screaming that there is a predator here. Something extremely dangerous. I don't dare move, my body tense as I listen.

More soft rustling. Something is pacing around my spot. I hear leaves move, and the sound of a rock shifting.

Fuckfuckfuck.

FUCK.

It stops, and I hear a soft "hm."

Definitely not an animal.

"What do you think, Ranger?

A dog woofs, and the voice laughs.

"You just want food. Alright, we'll keep moving. Two greens down. Just gotta find the others, eh girl?"

The dog barks again, and I listen to them leave. My body aches from the tension.

Two greens down. This had to be the Raell chick they were talking about. She had to be good to have spotted whatever was wrong with the rock I'd placed.

I shift, placing myself closer to the trap door. If she came back, I could be in trouble. I feel for my slate knife, comforted by it. I'd go down fighting.

A few more hours pass. I faintly hear more voices, along with screaming. Someone got caught. I drink more water, thankful for the woody hollow weed plant I'd found that had made for an excellent water cup.

I hear more soft rustling, and freeze. One of the rocks moves again.

"This is the only area 'untouched.'"

More rustling.

"Someone tried very hard to keep this area clean... but there are signs everywhere else... hm..."

A rock moves again.

"I think..."

I scream as a hand plunged right through my trapdoor, grabbing my shoulder. I'm pulled out and half thrown across the clearing.

A big fluffy Golden Retriever bounces up and proceeds to attack my face with its tongue. What?

Someone laughs, and I try to get up, but then the dog is replaced with a monster. The thing has a scaled head, wings, and a tail. The hand on my throat is clawed, cutting into my skin.

It clips something to my collar, then lets go. I frantically scramble back, trying to get away. I'm stopped when it yanks on the leash it had attached to my collar, jerking my head back.

"How cute, thinking you can escape."

I turn back, remembering my knife. The creature notices my movement and its smile vanishes.

It yanks on the leash, pulling me to it, then grabs my neck and tosses me to the ground. I groan as a scaled and taloned foot shoves my face into the dirt.

"Big tough Ranger, huh?"

The dog barks.

"Not you love. This dog."

It grinds its food into my face, the claws cutting into my neck.

"Think you can take out the Dragon? Ha. You'll learn your place soon enough."

I let out a sob, and it lets me up. Or rather it yanks me to my feet.

The creature- dragon? - starts walking, the Golden bouncing along after. I grab at the leash on my neck, but them I'm pulled forward. I grab with both hands and dig my feet in, but the creature wins out, not that there is any sort of fight, it's way way stronger than me, and I have to follow behind.

I do discover that I can't undo the leash clip, just like the collar.

FUCK.

I follow this monster and its dog, jogging to keep up. Some distance after it stops suddenly, freezing and cocking its head.

It hands the leash to the dog, which holds in in its mouth, tail wagging.

"Stay Ranger. And you, slave. Stay."

No promises. And I'm not your slave, bitch.

The creature- whatever it is- suddenly leaps up into the trees. It lands silently, tail flickering slowly left and right. It leaps again, then again, each jump silent. I look at the dog, which looks back, brown eyes shining.

"Hey puppy. Hey girl. Ranger. Give me the leash?"

The dog wags its tail, but doesn't let go. Oh well. It's a fucking dog. I'll win this fight.

Just as I think it I feel a warning shock. My whole body throbs, muscles seizing for a moment.

'WHUMP'

I yelp as a body hits the ground next to me.

Another green collared man. He moans and thrashes, allowing the creature enough time to leash him too.

"Good girl! Thank you Ranger!"

She takes back my leash, and sets off again.

This time we don't stop, and the other guy and I are dragged to a massive hunting lodge. Outside it, big cages are set up. Most have two or three guys in them. We are dragged over to one with two other men already in it. Both have green collars on.

She opens the cage door, then shoves me against the side. The leash is unclipped, and I'm tossed inside, then the other guy.

I hear the door shut and know it's locked.

The pair head off, as mismatched as anything I know. Big happy fluffy dog and massive scaled terror monster.

"Fucking hell."

I look over to the guy who'd fallen out of the tree.

"You okay man?"

"Yeah. She didn't toss me far, just from that lowest branch. Still. Ouch."

"I'm Rhett."

"Daniel, but go by Dan."

"Luke." Says one of the other guys.

"Gav."

"Well, I'd like to say nice to meet y'all but..."

The other two snort, but Dan laughs.

"So, what the fuck is that thing?!"

"Raell. She's a 'Dragon?' And a shapeshifter of sorts, I think. When she got me, she looked as human as you and me, but changed to... that... when I struggled against her."

Huh.

We sit in silence, in part I think due to the fact none of us had been able to talk in two weeks or so. Fucking shock collars.

It's several more hours before Dragon and dog come back, during which pretty much all of the other men are brought in and dumped in the various cages.

She has the final green collared man with her, this one the one I'd seen dragged down the hall on my first day. Also, she's human. Sorta.

This time she has long brown hair, and isn't seven or eight feet tall. As a bonus, she doesn't have scales or wings or a tail. Or maybe she's not the dragon thing. Fuck if I know.

New guy gets the same treatment- tossed against the wall and leash unclipped, then tossed into the cell. She smiles at us all, then calls for the dog.

"Thanks for making it fun, boys!" she calls out.

We all sit, waiting. The new guy- Kyle- seems extra nervous, and paces around. He's also got a handful of scratch wounds, the evenly placed lines a clear sign of the abuse coming from the dragon.

Finally, it seems like all the men have been hunted down and rounded up. A group of people start setting up several odd platform things, and a small forge is built and lit. I see a handful of metal rods next to it, and get a sinking feeling in my stomach.

There are also guys walking around in nothing but a leather body harness, serving drinks and food. One comes close enough to confirm my fears. A scar gleams against his tan chest, the brand easy to make out.

"Oh shit." I murmur.

The dragon, Raell, returns. She drags several more men in, but they get put in other pens.

"Ladies and Gentlemen! Those are all one hundred and five men released! Congrats!"

The gathered people cheer.

"And congrats to Andrew, our winner this year!"

A big burly man steps forward and nods, beaming.

"You may take your pick!"

The guy walks around, ignoring our cage. He picks one of the other men. The man is dragged out and forced on his knees. Raell undoes his collar, and the man puts a new one on him. Then the bend the guy over a contraption and lash him down, allowing the other guy to fuck him.

We all listen to the 'winner's' grunts mixed with the tied down guy's begging and screaming. The crowd ignores it, some even laughing. Those of us in the cages look at each other, terrified.

What sort of twisted fucking world did I end up in?

Some of the people start wandering around, looking at the other slaves in cages. I move to the back where the others are, hunching into a ball.

Someone must complain though, as Raell soon opens the door and grabs Luke, pulling him out and tying him to a frame. She comes back and does the same to Dan, then grabs me.

"You were the underground hider, weren't you? She holds my collar firmly, her strength surprising me. I sort of try pulling back, but she laughs and drags me after, just as you drag a bad dog over to the mess it's made.

She ties my arms up to the X frame, then ties my legs down. I flinch as she runs her hands down my chest to my groin, where she pulls the loincloth I'd made off.

Grinning, she pulls down on my balls, making me groan in pain.

"Nice set! You might do well in the milking barns... but it would be a shame to waste all this muscle. Maybe a plowing dray?"

She yanks my head around, then runs her hands back down my body, a sadistic light burning in her eyes.

She reaches down and squeezes my balls again, making me moan even louder. Her hand goes to my face, where she strokes my beard- no doubt it's scruffy and gross right now.

"Myra. Have this one cleaned up and brought back down. I'll start branding and harnessing and pulling teeth on the others."

They untie me and Myra and goons force me along with the clamp collaring tool. It's hard to escape or fight when you have something clamped around your neck.

I'm brought to a cell downstairs, not much different than the one before. I hear the familiar sound of a hose being dragged out, and flee to the back of the cell.

I bellow as they hose me off. They aren't gentle, and take advantage of using the shock spear to hose off every inch of me.

I'm pulled back out and dried off roughly, which feels weird (you try letting someone else towel you) then brought back up and out. I struggle, but they are capable of wrangling me, and I'm starting to get exhausted.

They bring me to Raell, who turns and smiles.

"Kneel."

Aw hell no.

But someone kicks my knees in, and I hit the ground.

I freeze as she unlocks my collar, but before I can even think of moving, a new one is locked around my neck. Someone else locks cuffs around my wrists and ankles.

I'm pulled to my feet, and clipped into the circular frames I saw before. I'm on my knees, arms over my head at 2 and 10. I try to struggle, but fail. I can't move at all.

Raell walks up to me and grabs my hair, yanking my head back.

"That's a little better. Now."

She pulls a brand from the glowing coals. I start to panic as I see the orange metal tip.

"Oh, shit please no!"

She laughs, but brings the metal up and into my skin anyway. My left pec is on fire, and I scream. She walks behind me, and I scream even louder as my right shoulder blade burns.

As I'm screaming, someone else reaches into my mouth and yanks out some of my teeth. All of me throbs and my vision fades for a second. Then a lot of the pain slowly goes away. My mouth, despite missing several teeth, seems fine. The brands hurt but aren't enough to make me want to scream anymore. I'm aware of a hand on my back, feeling the cooling energy flowing frm the touch.

I'm released from the ties and manage to glance around enough to see that all the other men are being dragged to the platforms and are being branded and having their teeth pulled. I can hear them moaning and screaming all the way as I'm dragged up to a massive room on the top floor.

A fire crackles in the huge fireplace, and several other men look up as I'm brought in.

"Give me a place to lock him down. Raell requested he be put in here."

One of them- a tall blonde guy- points to the huge bed.

"We can clip his hands to the top bannister."

I groan as they hang me from my wrists, facing out towards the doors. My brands flare up, throbbing to my heartbeat.

Blonde Guy looks at me, seeming comfortable with both our nakedness. A slightly different brand gleams softly on his chest.

"One of the greens, huh? Might as well get her toys out. Y'all aren't easy to break."

I hear him and others opening drawers and getting stuff out, but I hurt too much to even want to look up. They quiet down, and I can still hear the screams from the other men as they are branded.

One of the guys walks up to me and dabs ointment on my brand. I sigh as it cools my skin down, murmuring a thank you to him. He glances at me, fear in his green eyes.

"I just wish someone had done the same for me."

His voice is soft, and he shakes his long shaggy brown hair out of his eyes.

The doors slam open as Raell enters. The golden retriever bounces in, tail wagging. It curls up on a doggy bed in the corner, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"Drake! What has you so interested in this wild animal?"

The man leaps backwards, fear radiating off him.

"Nothing, Mistress. Just wanted to prep him for tonight."

"Hmpf."

She walks up to me as he collapses to the floor, bowing over.

"Name, slave."

I stare at her.

"Name. I don't mind beating out of you if need be."

"Rhett."

She nods, her fingers softly running up my skin.

"No tats, no piercings, nice body, nice cock, nice balls... You're not half bad, slave."

"Why... why do you call me that?"

She laughs at my question.

"I thought it was clear. I own you now. I own you just like I own him, and him, and him. All the slaves in this room, I own. Property. Mine. Do as I command. Here, watch."

She turns to the guy still kneeling by her feet.

"Slave, go tase yourself for... five seconds... on the right thigh."

He nods and scrambles over to a table laid out with torture instruments. He grabs the taser and applies it to his right thigh, then proceeds to shock himself.

He counts five seconds, thanking her every time he counts, the pain audible in his voice. After five he puts it back and limps back to her feet, where he kneels.

"See? He- and the others- do as I command because I own them. And you."

"I'm not fucking doing what you say."

She smiles at my reply.

"Even if all I want is your face buried in my legs?"

"No, bitch. Go fuck yourself."

"Ohhhhh, manners... Fair enough. I do love a tough man."

She walks to the table and selects a thick band from it, bringing it over so I can see it. It's about two inches wide, and made from thick leather.

"I do need you moved. I like access to all parts of the body."

The slave at her feet leaps up and lowers a chain down from the ceiling. A bar is attached to it, and I'm strung back up to the bar, hands still separated and still hanging from my arms.

"Much better."

I shake as her hands run all over my body.

She laughs at me, then grabs my balls, squeezing hard. I bellow in pain, and try to twist away. It's no good. She lets up after a few seconds and I pant, shaking a little.

"You don't know all the rules yet, so I'm not going to punish you for them. Nor am I bothering to train you right now. Others will be doing that. Tonight, I simply want to see where your boundary is..."