The Demon King's Favorite

Chapter Four

The ride west was extremely uncomfortable with the chain bitting into my neck, the harsh sun beating down on us and the sand-like air patching my throat and nostrils. By the time we came to our first stop, the pressure in my bladder was excruciatingly painful. They took us out in fours to relieve our selves only to rechain us back like animals when we were done. 

The shackles fell from neck and I was prodded harshly with the blunt end of a spear. My right leg tingled and dragged behind me not because I was injured but because my whole body was half numb from sitting in the same position for hours. Even while relieving ourselves, the male demons stuck with us like glue, watching our every movement. The spear by his side was already posed to throw and I knew one misstep by me will get me impaled.

So no point in trying to escape

We were taking back and reshackled and to my horror, we spent the night in that same position.

***

We had since left all signs of civilization and only few half dead shrubs littered our path. We have been travelling for two days and two nights and I was now faint with hunger and thirst. 

How are we going to be useful to them if they don't feed us.

My lips and throat were parched and my stomach felt like an empty pit."Water" I say hoarsely for the umpteenth time. They show no sign of hearing me or maybe I'm just being ignored.

We come to a stop in the middle of nowhere and I see nothing around for miles. The male demon  who hit me whom I now know as Drusus gets off the wagon. Talking few steps ahead of us, he takes out something like a glowsticks and touches it to the air in front of him. 

Coming over, he starts touching the same object to our foreheads. As it came in contact to my skin, the area tingled and felt warm like something was entering me. Signalling to the driver, we were motioned forward. As we drew closer to the area she touched with the object , I could hear the air hum and cackle with energy.

Frightened, we began to struggling. 

There's no way I'm going near there. 

"Stop it at once or one of you is going to get it!" Drusus threatened. That alone was enough to stop our struggles and we looked around helplessly. 

It felt like passing through a vacuum, my skin suddenly felt tighter and there was a pop sound in my ears but the feeling was gone almost as fast as it came and I stood there with my mouth agape gazing at what I could only remember to be bedtime stories told by my mom.

It was still the same sun but this time, it was shadowed by bright blue clouds. The air smelt sweet and fresh and I couldn't help breathing deeply. There were rows of townhouses and in the middle of it all stood a grande green castle. 

We were ushered in the direction of the castle and I noticed there were very few females of their kinds and the few ones I saw looked mutated. Some had mismatched limbs and others had missing limbs. Demons of different sizes stopped to stare and point at us, talking excitedly. Some of them had a chains in their hand which was linked to the shackles around some humans' neck. They were all cowering, a step behind their respective demons. 

I shuddered in disgust.

What on earth did they do to them..i wondered.

The interior of the castle was even more beautiful and I knew it was only human hands that could have done such intricate designs. I didn't have time to appreciate it's beauty as we were yanked harshly by the chain connecting our necks. The room we were taken into was big and humid with steam and at the middle was a large drain. 

They unchained us and I used the opportunity to stretch and rotate my stiff shoulders.

"Strip!" came the command from Drusus. We all looked at each other in confusion.

"I said strip" he said again backhanding the male human closest to him.

I needed not to be told twice. Off went my coat, ragged jeans and undies and I stood there stark naked. From nowhere, freezingly cold water came rushing out at us and I shrieked with alarm. Not caring if the water was clean or not, I cupped my hand and drank heartily till I was sated. We were each handed a bar of soap and told to bath.

Turning my back to my captors, I tried washing away the grime and dirt from my hair and body as much as I could. The cut on the left side of my face from where I was struck has long since closed and I tried cleaning off the dried blood. Soon the water was shut off and we were handed a piece of flimsy cloth to wear.

What the hell is this? I stare at the clothe incredulously. A loincloth and a bra?

"We don't have all day" Drusus says staring me down.

"No, I'm not wearing that" I say stubbornly lifting my chin.

Before I knew it, I was up against the wall with his hand crushing my wind pipe.

"I'd have killed you but no. I will watch you break. I hope no one buys you and I get you for myself". He sneered into my face.

What does 'get you for myself' mean? 

"Wear it now!"

With tears stinging my eyes, I scrambled to wear the degrading item. The loincloth did barely anything in covering my butt and crotch and I bowed my head in embarrassment.

Smirking with satisfaction, his voice rang clear and loud. "This is your home now and you will listen to our commands with no arguments or you'll be dealt with a punishment so bad, you'll wish for death"

"Now you are going to be auctioned. That's the only reason I didn't hit her for disobeying my orders", he said looking at me "I don't want to ruin the good, less coins for me then"

"There are three types of servants, the builders, workers and the breeders. And I'll be categorizing you based on your built" she says clapping her hands happily. "Time to make me rich"