Chapter 1 - Helpless
Ivy;
I open my crystal blue eyes and scan the room around me, to my surprise finding a somewhat familiar scene. Smooth stone walls, a massive roaring fireplace flickering wildly off to the side, and finally there he is. The man who melts even my hardest exterior and causes my core to moisten at only the mere sight of him.
His name is Adomis... and he will be the death of me.
With his great muscular body and dirty tan colour skin, I watch practically drooling over him as he sits chatting with several of his men casually around a large wooden table located right in the centre of this drafty place.
Oh, how I HATE him.
These bastards actually have the audacity to go on enjoying themselves, drinking and laughing even after the recent raid they had just perpetrated on my peaceful village; my home, only hours earlier! Hundreds of my friends and fellow villagers pointlessly massacred and for what? So these arrogant fucks can sit here drinking and laughing? Oh how I wish I could make them pay; every single one of them!
My legs are frozen and I look down to realise why. I’m currently kneeling down on a cold stone floor in a long torn white dress, stained with sweat and wafting with the stench of fear.
As I try to move my hands down I let out a slight gasp as I suddenly feel the cold steel embrace of the iron shackles wrapped around both of my tiny wrists. Looking up, my suspicions are confirmed much to my disappointment and even as I try to pull at the long chains that my restraints are attached to, I find they’re fastened too tightly. Its no use, I’m not going anywhere anytime soon.
Now I can feel the fear beginning to stir from deep within me. I can already feel my pulse rapidly increasing with each shallow breath I take into my lungs. Its difficult to prevent myself from panicking, but I try pointlessly to control my emotions and not freak out, given my current situation.
So I’m chained to a wall, wearing nothing but a thin, revealing dress... So I’ve been taken prisoner by a vile and ruthless killer and his army of loyal followers... So what? There’s no reason to panic, right?
Wrong!
Just as I begin to calm myself, one of the more eager of the soldiers loyal to Adomis casually marches over towards... us?
That’s when I notice the other girls all chained to the wall either side of me! There are three others, all local girls I recognise from my village! Now I can feel my stomach doing somersaults and an overwhelming wave of nausea consumes me and I struggle to breathe.
What the hell is going on here?
Before I can open my mouth to even enquire, the soldier stops before the woman to the far left and smirks as he begins unlocking the shackles holding both her hands above her head.
Then I realise it; I recognise her! Her name is Bridgett and she’s the nineteen year old daughter of the local baker in our village! With her incredibly petite frame and large brown puppy-dog eyes, she looks far younger than she actually is and unfortunately for her, far more vulnerable as well.
The other girls all seem terrified and cower whimpering as the soldier unlocks one of Bridgett’s shackles, then working on the next to release her from her iron restraints.
But their fear is nothing in comparison to Bridgett’s!
"No please..." she whimpers beneath him.
Her head turns and her wide brown eyes stare back at me with desperation as she pants her fearful breaths rapidly, over and over. I can see her entire body visibly shaking as the last shackle is released from around her left wrist and she falls down onto both her knees, immediately crawling away from the soldier in a feeble attempt to escape him.
I watch helplessly as the soldier chuckles devilishly and grabs her by her long spiralling red hair, pulling her up and forcing her onto her feet.
“Aah! No, please... let me go!” she begs, holding at her head in an effort to lessen the pain she is going through from him pulling her hair so violently. “Please don’t! NO!”
But the soldier seems to ignore her desperate pleas and only grins back at her as he speaks with his hoarse voice.
“Shut the fuck up, whore!” he pulls her head in closer toward his face as he speaks the next part, “You belong to us now!”
With her wide eyes filled with horror, Bridgett shakes her head as the soldier suddenly bends down and flicks her tiny frame up over his shoulder with ease, holding onto her by her thighs as she kicks and continues to plead with him to be released.
“Stop this, please...”
But her words seem to mean nothing to the lustful pig, now holding onto her, turns and marches across to the far side of the room with his prize still kicking and screaming.
The sickening feeling in my stomach is worsening now. I can’t help but watch as he carelessly throws her down onto one of the nearest flat surfaces and then proceeds to climb on top of her, mercilessly tearing away at the minimal fabric of her dress to reveal the most private parts of her body. She is screaming out for help, help that will not come...
“No...” I feel myself speak barely a whisper as I continue to watch him molesting her less than ten metres away from where I am chained to a wall.
But I can do nothing. I am unable to help her as the bastard on top of her then begins removing his own clothing, all the while grinning with delight at Bridgett’s obvious fear.
“Stop! Please stop!” Bridgett is begging him for mercy; mercy he is clearly not willing to give.
Something builds up inside of me and I can’t prevent it from coming out. As my heart thumps loudly inside of my head, I somehow summon up enough courage to speak... no, to shout!
“STOP! Get your hands off her you cowardly bastard!”
The words practically escape my lips without even needing my permission and I am equally surprised by this as I do it a second time.
“Get off of her! What kind of a man forces himself onto a helpless woman against her will? Get the fuck off of her!”
My entire body is rigid and tense as I pull in a desperate fury against my chains rooted to the wall behind me. My knees are keeping me balanced as my slender arms work like they have never worked before to free myself from my restraints. Not that I could of course, but I wouldn’t stop myself from fighting this.
This was wrong!
Amidst all of my fury and focus on what was happening to Bridgett at the other side of the room, I hadn’t noticed the figure approaching me out the corner of my eye. By the time I had, it was too late and I sucked in a sharp breath as he stopped right in front of me, kneeling down to my level and peering into my tear-filled eyes with such malice.
I couldn't help it... I froze with fear.
“Keep your mouth shut!” he spat spitefully with his narrowed eyes looking down at me with such disgust. “Or I’ll be happy to do it for you.”
Without thinking, my body reacts on pure instinct and before I know what I’ve done, I spit my saliva right into his eye with fury and obvious defiance.
Oh no...
As soon as I’ve done this, I realise it was a big mistake!
The soldier in front of me equally retaliates with anger and lifts his right hand, slapping his massive palm across the left side of my face and pushing my face to the side with such powerful force. Blinking rapidly for a moment I can see nothing but spots as I open my eyes wide and groan at the immense pain coming from the side of my head now. I can feel a small tear on the left side of my lower lip as the taste of blood begins to flood into my mouth.
Then a voice speaks, one that causes my entire body to tingle with an unknown sensation. His voice is deep and commanding, unlike any other I have ever heard before.
“Easy on the merchandise, Tully.”
It was Adomis!
As I slowly turn my head back to face forward, I peer over Tully’s shoulder just in time to notice Adomis’ dark brown eyes staring straight at me! It lasts only a second or two before he then turns his head again and continues on with his conversation.
Then I glance up at the man knelt down before me, the one who had just slapped me; the one I now know is named Tully and I glare at him defiantly.
“He just saved your life!” Tully taunts with a smirk.
I’m startled as he grabs me around the throat suddenly and pulls me in closer toward him; close enough for me to feel his hot breath fanning out across my face as he speaks.
“Don’t think this is over, you little bitch...” he pauses, narrowing his grey eyes before adding, “I’m not done with you yet!”