Blood Moon Rising Over The Plains - Chapter 2:The Raiders (3)

With the smoldering remnants of the rocky mountain behind us, we rode through a cloud of dust. The thunder of dozens, if not hundreds, of horse hooves melded into a chaotic rhythm.

Exhausted and limp from lack of rest, my body swayed up and down against the man’s arm as he held me secure. I was so drained that I couldn’t even summon the energy to feel motion sickness anymore. Whether that was fortunate or unfortunate, I didn’t know.

Suddenly, the man yanked sharply on the reins, spinning the horse around. My eyes followed instinctively as his raised fist signaled for the pursuing riders to halt. One by one, the troops came to a stop.

As the man stilled, he turned his head sharply, like a hawk scanning for prey. His hood cast a shadow over his face, obscuring everything beneath his eyes, but the sharp gleam of his piercing yellow irises cut through the darkness like twin blades.

When his gloved hand pointed in a specific direction, his subordinates dismounted without hesitation. They drew their weapons and scattered, disappearing into the dust.

A bloodcurdling scream tore through the air.

“[Aaaah—!]”

The piercing sound made every muscle in my body tense. I didn’t dare lift my head; instead, I huddled deeper into the fur cloak wrapped around me, my wide, unfocused eyes darting helplessly as I tried to make sense of the chaos.

Before long, the subordinates returned, dragging with them a soldier whose face was half-covered in blood.

Whoosh—!

The man extended his left arm, and a golden eagle swooped down with a powerful flap of its wings. The bird landed gracefully, its wingspan so vast that just one wing seemed as wide as the man’s shoulders. I didn’t know if golden eagles were always this large, but this one was unusually massive, its presence almost otherworldly.

The eagle pecked at the blood smeared on its beak, its sharp movements a gruesome sight. Unable to bear it, I turned my pale face downward, staring at the ground. I didn’t need to think too hard to understand what the eagle had been tearing into.

“[Good boy, Har.]”

The man’s voice was gentle as he stroked the eagle’s sleek feathers. He pulled a piece of raw meat from his pouch and offered it to the bird. With a quick motion, the meat disappeared into the eagle’s beak, sliding down its throat in seconds.

I tightened the fur cloak around my face, but no matter how much I hid, strands of golden hair still glinted under the moonlight. It was impossible to fully conceal myself.

The soldier, now kneeling on the ground with his hands bound, locked his remaining good eye onto mine. Despite the overwhelming fear coursing through me, our gazes met, and for a brief moment, I felt an unbearable weight settle on my chest.

“[…Sakmokin?]”

It had been a long time since I’d heard that word. The soldier’s outfit—layered garments of varying lengths, tall boots reaching his knees, a long sword, a bow, and a quiver strapped to his waist—was distinct from the heavy steel armor worn by the soldiers I had grown accustomed to seeing here.

Clang.

The man behind me leaped from the horse with astonishing speed, landing soundlessly on the ground. As the safety strap that had been holding me securely disappeared, I panicked, flailing clumsily before wrapping my arms around the horse’s neck to keep myself steady.

Prrrt.

The horse snorted in protest but calmed as the man patted its muzzle with a practiced hand. Please, don’t move… Even the smallest kick from the horse would freeze me in terror.

The man glanced back at me, still draped awkwardly over the horse, but turned away without hesitation. His strides were long and confident, and his broad back quickly grew smaller as he walked toward the kneeling soldier.

“[…Coming out to greet us personally like this? You must have been overjoyed to see us. Isn’t that right?]”

“[…Hrk. K-Khan.]”

The soldier’s legs trembled violently, his face drained of all color. He looked as though he might collapse at any moment. While they were clearly enemies, the sheer fear radiating from him seemed excessive, even given the circumstances of war.

“[…Hmm. Now that I get a better look at you, your face seems familiar. Perhaps you were there to watch when I was in Jin?]”

“[…!]”

Whatever the man said, the soldier inhaled sharply, unable to exhale.

“[…That damned life as a slave taught me many things. For instance, it taught me patience. Right now, I’d like nothing more than to rip your limbs apart and feed them to the dogs, but look—I’m holding back, aren’t I?]”

Drip.

…I hadn’t expected it to escalate to this. What had the man said to leave the soldier trembling as if he might faint? A part of me wanted to know; the other part wished I didn’t.

“[…Hah! Look at him. The stench of piss is enough to knock someone out!]”

“[…Hah, this is going to make tonight’s drinks taste amazing!]”

The man’s subordinates erupted into uproarious laughter. Shame and terror flickered across the soldier’s face, and he looked as though he wanted to bite his tongue and end it all right there.

The man raised his hand lazily, and the laughter cut off abruptly, as if rehearsed. The speed and discipline of their response was enough to leave anyone impressed.

“[…Oh, forgive my subordinates for their rudeness. I apologize. I didn’t think you’d piss yourself this easily. Compared to what I went through, this is barely a scratch.]”

“[…Th-that…]”

“[…Don’t you think so? You must have enjoyed the show. Throwing sewage on me, stripping me bare, tying me to a horse, and dragging me through the streets.]”

“[…I-I didn’t see it. I-I didn’t…]”

“[…Oh, don’t worry. I’m not blaming you. What could a mere soldier have done? You follow orders, that’s all. When they tell you to look, you look. When they tell you to act, you act. Isn’t that so?]”

“[…Th-then…]”

“[…However—]”

“[…!]”

“[…I happen to be in a bad mood right now.]”

Sching.

The unmistakable sound of a blade being unsheathed cut through the air.

I shut my eyes immediately, but the timing is always too late. I had already seen it—the round head rolling across the ground, the fountain of blood erupting into the air, and the body collapsing into the growing pool, convulsing violently.

I clamped a hand over my mouth. Witnessing a living, breathing human being fall at the hands of another—someone of the same kind—was a torment I could never grow accustomed to.

* * *

“Ahh… hnghh!”

The man moved his hips roughly today, even more so than usual. Through many encounters, I had reluctantly learned an unwelcome lesson: if I resisted or tensed too much, it would only make things harder for me.

As his hand slid down my back and lifted me, my body was pulled upright, and my inner walls twitched and tightened around him, instinctively gripping his length.

What once felt overwhelming now seemed to fit perfectly, as if my body had adjusted to him. I clenched tightly around him, as though made to hold him there.

Each thrust forced cries of pleasure from my lips, and my body trembled under the pressure of his hands and lips.

“Aahh… ahhhng!”

As a sweet moan escaped my lips, I bit down hard in an attempt to stifle it. But thick fingers forced their way between my trembling teeth.

“[I’m not in the mood to indulge your coyness today,]” he said.

“Hnghh—”

Saliva spilled from my parted lips, dribbling down as it mingled with his fingers, which coiled around my quivering tongue.

Schk.

Where their dull blades passed, only crimson remained. Unhesitatingly cutting down their fellow humans, they were cold, unfeeling, and desensitized.

My stomach churned violently.

“Aaaaah—!”

“Kyaaaah—!”

“Waaahh! Mommy!”

Adults and children alike screamed as they fell victim to the invaders. Even though their cries carried no words I could understand, the sheer agony in their voices pierced my heart.

Fire spread, blood filled the air, and the village was annihilated in mere moments.

Among the chaos, a man stood tall, his gaze cold and indifferent as he watched the people, their faces etched with suffering and terror.

All I could do was avert my eyes from the horrifying scene before me.

Close my eyes, cover my ears.

Pretend I didn’t see, pretend I didn’t hear.

The man turned me around, guiding my hands to brace against the wall. His large hands gripped my waist, covering more than half of it as he lifted me slightly.

Thwack!

“Hnnngh!”

Each time the man thrust his length into me with force, my body, barely balanced on tiptoes, was lifted off the ground. The concentrated pressure deep inside made my stomach feel as if it were being crushed.

Thwack! Thwack!

The force of his rough movements struck with a bruising intensity as he drove into me. Though he was already buried deep enough to make my abdomen feel stretched and full, he pressed closer, as if there were still more of him to push in.

“Haa… ahh… nghhh…!”

By now, even my toes couldn’t touch the ground. Held firmly by his hands, I couldn’t retreat or escape, forced to endure as his relentless thrusts wrung out cries and moans from my trembling lips.

With nothing else to hold onto, I clawed desperately at the wall, my nails scraping harshly against it. The overwhelming pain radiating from my lower half made me feel as though I was losing my mind.

He showed no mercy, slamming into me with crushing force, as though intent on breaking my very womb. To him, I was nothing more than a courtesan—a plaything meant to spread her legs and beg sweetly beneath him.

Ah… so that’s how it is.

I had been mistaken. Misled.

Consideration? No, this wasn’t a consideration—it was preparation. A prelude for whatever came next.

He must have found my body utterly irresistible. Perhaps it was the novelty of golden hair and blue eyes in this dark, shadowed world that intrigued him.

Thwack!

My vision blurred and swayed. I no longer had the strength to hold myself against the wall, my forehead knocking against it as I was relentlessly pounded.

Yes, this wasn’t lovemaking. It was just… being invaded, over and over again.

What had happened until now—that had been the anomaly.

I chose the invaders to survive. I thought it would be fine as long as they didn’t beat me, as long as they fed me. I thought as long as I didn’t die, it would still be okay.

What’s so wrong with that?

Their grasp was merciless.

I didn’t want to die by their hands.

What’s so wrong about not wanting to die like that, at least not like that?