Oracle

Part 1

The stench of the room was thick with sweat and blood. The coppery tang of the air strong enough that the smell alone could have haunted the nightmares of innocents for weeks. The room was damp too; the thin mattress Jaspar had been thrown on was wet to the touch. What the mattress was wet with was not a question Jaspar had any compulsion to answer. By the smell of the room, it could have been from anything, and Jaspar was blind, unable to see what it was that now covered his fingers.

Hands brushed against him, some gentle, some firm, all dangerous. Voices laughed and teased him, looking forward to breaking in fresh meat. Nails dragged up his back, strong hands keeping him on the mattress as he yelled in pain and tried to twist out of their grip. The dark sinister laughter grew and the hands grew firm as they bound him. The hands were not kind as they twisted his arms behind his back and tied them with what felt like a rope. The rope was rough against his skin and pulled tight enough to cut off the circulation in his hands. It was impossible to tell how many men were there watching his final moments.

Tears ran down Jaspar's face; the men mocked him for them. Some of the hands ran along the bandages which covered his eyes but none tried to pull them off. The operation was freshly done. The operation which had blinded him. The butcher had removed his eyes with skill and care, ready to sell them on the black market. Seer eyes, eyes that could see into the future, which went for a considerable amount on the market.

"Don't worry, we'll be nice to ya boy," leered a gruff voice Jaspar recognised as the guard he had been 'given' to. The surgeon had bandaged his eyes and pumped him full of painkillers before throwing him to the wolves. The words had been dismissive as the surgeon ordered the guard to remove him and take him away to his new home. His value stripped from him with his sight. "Behave and this will be over in no time."

The other voices laughed at this and Jaspar tried to fight back. Rough hands began to touch and grope him more firmly, making his skin burn at the slightest touch. Someone yanked on his hair; another forced a gag into his mouth as he yelled in pain. It tasted foul and made it hard to breathe. His forehead hit something hard and calloused hands raised his hips, more spreading his bottom cheeks.

"Such a pretty colour," a voice teased, fingers rubbing against his entrance but not quite penetrating him. Jaspar hissed as they squirted a cold liquid over his bottom, hands rubbing it into his cheeks and across his thighs.

"Let's get him ready, men," the guard grinned, his voice taking a more sadistic tone. Jaspar clenched, knowing from the pit of his stomach that what was about to happen was going to hurt more than losing his eyes, and possibly even kill him. He let out a silent prayer for someone to help him as fingers pressed against his entrance, jeers growing louder.

Then there was none.

A sharp bang cut through the room. The hands crawling over his skin vanished as there was a loud crash, the most logical explanation being that someone or something had broken through the door. The shouting increased to almost deafening levels as the men moved towards whoever had broken into the room. Six distant gunshots went off before Jaspar heard the guard beg for mercy from the unknown assailant.

"Shouldn't have broken the rules," a rough and familiar voice replied in a nice cold tone. Jaspar's blood froze recognising the voice. This was not a rescue, not this man. This man was the man who had delivered him to the surgeon. A bounty hunter, not that Jaspar had known that when he had first met him. The man had charmed Jasper with his bright smile and words. The illusion was dispelled the moment the man delivered him to his fate. This man was one of the black market's locators, a man who hunted merchandise.