Human Buffet
2067 Words
"Your highness, victory is yours. The fae kingdom is finally yours!"
Lukius clenched his teeth at the proclamation by the royal vizier of the Xerith empire. The man was annoying as always, trying to use his sweet tongue to sing unnecessary praises.
It wasn't that Lukius was not aware of his own victory. On the contrary, it was already guaranteed the moment he had set his eyes on the kingdom of Autaria. Those high walls and magical forests that protected the proud fae kingdom had dared him to invade its gates and skies each time he set his sights on it. But it would be the terrible encounter between him and the proud fae king that would push him over the edge, resulting in his annihilation of its inhabitants.
With the Autarian blood still dripping from his swords, he scanned the bloody arena, looking for whatever made Bastis, his dragon and himself hesitate when it was time to fly back home. Whatever it was, it had to be something important as it had made him uneasy, making him do the unusual. Returning to the scene of his crimes once the battle was over.
That was just something he never did. With every war won he moved on, leaving his men to clean up the bloody mess, gather the spoils and send his enemies to the afterlife in a brutal manner by setting every dead body on fire.
"Oh, your father will surely be proud! Xerith has spread its wings even further thanks to your relentless devotion to the crown, your highness, or is it commander."
The royal pain kept spewing those useless praises, making Lukius consider slicing his head off and adding it to the pile of the dead Autarians. But thanks to Lukius' own curiosity, the stupid man got to live another day.
Getting back to the reason he stepped back into the arena, his eyes swept across the space but Lukius found nothing worth his attention. Just the lifeless bodies of his enemies that sang of his victory and a line of maidens that had been captured.
He frowned.
"Men, tonight, we celebrate! Now that the fae king has fallen, ours shall be the longest rule!" Magnius, his head soldier boasted, eliciting a smirk from Lukius. A proclamation from any of his men was welcome.
"Here, here, raise your goblets. For tonight, we party so hard the gods will be envious!"
The arena filled up with cheers and laughter that left Lukius standing proud. It was by no means his first victory but the joy on his men's faces was worth the pride he was feeling after defeating the magical kingdom.
"Lukius, your highness, this is your victory. Please do take a prize for yourself, just this once." Magnius walked up to him, but the dragon prince merely stared uninterested at the long line of maidens that was about to make their victory sweeter for his men.
Fear was written on each maiden's face that dared to look up.
"Quite the collection wouldn't you say? I bet you can find one that has the right skill to both warm your bed and your soul. Won't you take a look?"
Magnius was already drunk, otherwise he wouldn't dare make such an offer to Lukius, no matter how close they were.
The dragon prince had to agree though. It was a collection alright, but he had never been interested in taking slaves for himself, especially not to his bed.
"No?" Magnius curled an eyebrow at him, amusement dancing in his eyes but Lukius was not about to change his mind. "Argh, I don't even know why I bother with you. Men! Have your fill. His highness has been gracious to us as always. Here, here!"
Lukius watched as his men hungrily eyed the maidens before picking those they fancied. Magnius too, left his side to join in on the fun.
The arena filled up with female screams as the maidens' reality dawned on them. None was willing to go freely as was expected, but this was what happened in times of war, no one got to choose what happened to them except the victorious side.
As excited as his men were, Lukius was bored, but the moment he turned to leave his foot stopped mid air. That uneasy feeling nagged him once more and something strange willed him to look back. He scanned the human buffet going on in front of him and just when he thought there was nothing there, he saw them.
A pair of furious looking eyes that even when so much was going on around them, that pair stayed on him shooting daggers his way.
She was of average height but seemed taller as she straightened herself up to appear so. Covered in blood and ash with a tattered dress that barely covered her naked body, and yet her beauty was still blinding.
"Wait, beauty?" Lukius stopped himself. He had never thought of any maiden as 'beautiful'. He just never got to that part and wasn't about to start now.
His eyes traveled back to her furious ones. She was still sending daggers his way, no doubt wishing she could send him to his royal grave right there.
"Stop!" Lukius' growl of a command sent all his men freezing on their spots. One of his men had suddenly set his sights on that maiden and was tugging on her arm harshly. Lukius wanted nothing more than to cut that filthy hand on her off and without thinking he stalked towards the pair with dangerous intent. His soldier was smart enough to realize his mistake and stepped away. In fact, all his men fell away when they realized his intent.
Painful moans came up to his ears as he walked past some maidens that lay on the bloody ground. His interest was not in any of those but in the one whose eyes dared him to get to her.
He came up to her and instead of cowering from him, she stood up straighter. Lukius should have felt insulted by the challenge but he found himself feeling more amused than insulted. A chuckle left his lips before stepping closer.
He took her face in his large hand. Roughly turning her from side to side. He felt her resistance to his action but he was too strong.
"What do they call you?"
She remained quiet, eyes still piercing him. The arena had gone deathly silent too. Not even the maidens dared to voice the pain they felt in their bodies.
Lukius waited, he wouldn't ask twice and if she was even remotely smart she would get those pretty lips moving before he lost it.
Just when he thought he wouldn't get an answer, her lips moved.
"They are dead. I'd not dishonor their memory by letting a brute like you call me as they did." She spat, eyes blazing with fury but also a deep seated sadness lingered in there.
"Watch your mouth slave! Prince Lukius is-- My lord?"
"Tell me, did I ask to be spoken for?" Lukius held the soldier who had dared to shout at the maiden by his nape while the fingers on his other hand warmed up with the flow of the soldier's blood.
"My lord I...I" The soldier, obviously a rookie, stared up at him in surprise. His face contorted in a painful look as Lukius twisted his dagger deeper in the soldier's flesh. "F...Forgive me, my lord."
"There has been enough killing, your highness." Magnius whispered by his side, low enough for his ears only. "He's just a foolish lad. I'll see to it that all his enthusiasm is dealt with at his next training."
"I'll have your head if you don't." Lukius withdrew his dagger and the soldier fell to his knees, breathless.
"Thank your hig--"
"Shut your mouth!" Magnius hissed before his boot connected with the soldier's jaw, sending him crashing to the arena's floor. "I'll kill you myself if death is what you wish for."
The maiden's eyes were as wide as saucers and her mouth was slightly open when Lukius turned back to her. She was still looking at his soldier and Lukius found himself hating that sight.
"Shall we try this again?" Struggling to reign in his terrible temper, his voice came out a little strained but it did get her attention.
She only stared at him however. Her lips pursed while her eyes held that unmistakable fury once more. She was defying him and that openly. He hated it.
Lukius placed his bloody dagger back in its sheath without bothering to wipe it and looked down at the dark haired maiden. Her hair was an odd colour for any of her people and if she hadn't been captured within the palace walls, he would have thought she was a slave purchased from from outside Autaria.
Her arrogance reminded him of the fae king and it made his blood boil. If the arrogant king and his queen had not been childless he would no doubt think she was definitely his arrogant spawn.
Without warning he yanked her by her arm and her sharp screams were a satisfying reaction. The shackles on her feet made noise as she decided to fight him but Lukius was clearly not her match and he was going to remind her why she shouldn't upset him.
He dragged her across the room towards the arena's center and once he stopped at the foot of the large pile of dead bodies he hurled her right on to it. Kneeling right beside her, he gripped her shoulder and whispered against her ear. "Listen, little flower." She flinched, another satisfying reaction. "A whole army stood against me and now they are nothing but a pile of rotting flesh. I suggest you don't tempt me at all."
"Then do it!" Her voice quaked but she dared to look up at him, right into his eyes. "I'd rather be a pile of rotting flesh than be forced to pleasure you, any of you!" She spat. Bitterness dripped from her words and the rage in her eyes roused something in him. Even Bastis' low growl could be heard all the way from the arena's roof.
Lukius was actually surprised that his dragon had not moved an inch from where he left him.
"Do it." This time it was a silent plea, one that was accompanied with a stream of tears.
Lukius reached for his dagger, his eyes not leaving hers. He took his time just staring into her eyes that kept filling up with the sparkling liquid. She was a sad and lonely soul, that much he could tell, but it was no reason for her to defy him. Especially when he had asked nicely.
He placed the blade below her chin, using it to tilt her face higher towards him.
"Do it please…" She pleaded while her eyes fluttered shut.
"Where is the fun in that?" He whispered as he withdrew the dagger from her throat and brought it to the side of her face and scraped her tears with it. "There is absolutely no fun in sending you down to Hades so soon. You'll have to be patient, little flower." He brought the bloody blade to his lips and licked off her tears. "Patience." A smile graced his lips when her eyes glowed with fury once more.
She was about to say something but he simply got up, taking her chance to utter anything with him.
His curiosity had been satisfied and now it was time for him to leave.
"She dies, bring me your head and the killer's." Lukius growled at Magnius as he walked out of the arena.
His dragon was already waiting for him when he emerged from the arena. "Let's go home, boy." Lukius was expecting his dragon to lower its neck for him to get on its back, but Bastis aimed for his hand instead. Sniffing it with weird excitement.
"It's just blood, what is wrong with you?" Lukius curled an eyebrow at his dragon but it kept sniffing, paying him no attention. "Come on, we've been here long enough!"
Bastis whined, but still responded to Lukius' stern tone. The dragon lowered its neck and his master got on easily.
"To the skies you big brute!" Lukius commanded while a cunning smile spread on his face.
- Writer
