Into the void

Chapter 2: Mashal

I don't like this chapter. I feel like I am not portraying the people of Mashal correctly. The Foxes are supposed to be cold blooded slavers and everyone else is supposed to be miserable slaves. I really wish i had someone to write this with. I feel like it would be a lot easier to only have to portray one or two kingdoms, not four.

Across the sea Phoebe, the princess of the fox's, future queen of Mashal, awoke from a peaceful slumber. She, unlike Koran was all royal and no soldier. The girl had been raised to rule not fight, they had slaves and soldiers to do those things for them.

She stood and ran her hand through her orangish brown hair before she scratched at her ear, that matched the color of her hair. She would bathe first, as she had not the night before, then she would move onto her studies. She had much to learn before she took her place as queen.

"Leslie!" She yelled for her personal slave as she moved to her closet to choose what she would wear that day.

A small gray furred, black eyed, mouse girl moved quickly into the room. She kept her head down, allowing the sun to shine off the blue metal tag that was pierced into her ear. He blue tag showed she was a servant, a slave, of the palace. She would stay a slave until the day she died.

"Yes, my princess." Leslie spoke in a soft tone, knowing better then to ever raise it against anyone above her station, which was everyone but other slaves. She dreamed of one day breaking free of the ties that bound her, but knew it was a fruitless fight. She was born a slave and would die one.

"Draw me a bath, and if it scolds me this time I will hold you under until you stop squirming." Phoebe hissed as she grabbed her favorite dress and moved to her bed to lie it out.

"Of course, Princess. I would deserve nothing less." With that the mouse quickly leaves to start her mistresses bath.

"Stupid bitch." Phoebe rolled her eyes as she moved to the door of her room. She opened it and smiled as her eyes landed on John, her sworn knight and defender. "John, darling, would you have one of the boys fetch me some breakfast to give to Leslie to bring to me in that bath?"

John, a brown and white furred fox bowed his head in respect. "Of course, Princess. I shall attend to it right away," He lifted his brown eyes from the ground. He was below her in status but not by far, he was a fox after all. The man made his exit after that.

Phoebe sighed and moved toward her bathroom. She just wanted to get ready and finish her studies as quickly as possible. There were many, more important, things she could be doing. As future queen of her people she had to find a husband before she turned eighteen in three months. She needed to marry and start producing pure heirs, as was her duty to the crown, the duty of a princess.

Arthur glared down at the slave at his feet. The boy had been accused of treason. He spoke words of a revolt. The King's brown eyes seemed to darken as time ticked on. He had yet to say a word.

Finally the young porcupine boy sputtered his excuse. "I-I was only repeating a rumor, my king. I would never!" The boy cried as he tried to move forward. A warrior wolf yanked the boys collar back to keep him from the king.

"Who spoke these words originally?" The king stood and stepped down from his thrown. "Tell me and you shall be released."

"The-The cook!" The boy is quick to cry and bow down further.

"Release him. Then bring me the cook." Arthur smirked and moved back to his thrown. The sound of a sword meeting flesh fills the air. Then a thump, followed by silence.

Arthur took his seat and looked down at the beheaded boy. "Remove the mess." He told his personal slave, Coral. The young cat woman was quick to bow and move to fetch what she needed to complete her duties.

John looked around him, making sure all the soldiers were out of earshot before he knelt down beside one of the other field workers. "Someone will come to you tonight." He told her as he helped pick some of the tomatoes.

"Not tonight. Major Castings is paying me a visit." She answered as she picked up her basket.

"You're still screwing that fuck?" The words left his mouth before he could stop them.

"I have children to feed." She snapped and glared at him. "He brings food, and not the shit we are given." With that she moved on. Sure she wanted to be part of the revolution, the revolt, but her family came first.

A small wolf cub moves through the city, the brand on his back on display so everyone knows which fox family he belongs to. He moves quickly towards the market, a bag of coins in his hand to buy what his master has requested. He stops by one of the shops and enters quietly before moving towards the counter.

"What is it, trash!" The man behind the counter hisses at the child. The child sets a piece of paper down on the counter along with the bag of coins. He keeps his eyes downcast, as to not cause trouble. The last time he had met the eyes of a fox he bad been lashed and unable to move for three months. He did not want to go through that again.

"Whore!" The man behind the counter calls to a beautiful bunny stood in the back. She moves quickly to her masters side and takes the list, her own head bowed.

"Fetch this for the runt, and be quick about it or you'll end up in the pub again. I know the men loved you there." The man snickers as he lifts her dress and touches her sensitive parts.

The girl does not flinch. She is use to the crude comments and the way the men treat her kind. She is use to being used. She nods her head. "Yes master, right away." And she scurries off.

A small girl stands off to the side in a brothel. Her old master had sold her there after he had decided she was too slow at her work. The girl keeps her head down, hoping if she does she will be overlooked. She is special, with two different colored eyes. She is what men want to fuck the most. Something pretty and small that squirms and cries out.

"Room seven." One of the older girls speaks sadly as she kneels beside the child. Her dress is missing and she in nude, an obvious sign that she had just been used. She pats the child's head carefully. "Don't scream, they like that, and stay still. It will be over faster that way."

The child nods, her eyes filled with tears. She moves quickly past her elder and up the stairs to serve the master that had bought her for the time being. Her stomach twists in knots and her lip quivers. She quickly reigns her emotions back in as she reaches the door. When she enters, she wishes she had ran when she had the chance. Several men stand there completely naked. at least seven and only two other girls. That meant she would have to please more then one.

Cal, A nobleman among the fox people stood outside a small hut. He looked around several times before moving inside. He could not allow anyone to know what he was doing. He would be marked as a traitor and sentenced to death for it.

John lifted a sword as he heard the door open but relaxed as he watched his friend and master move into the light. He bowed his head and looked down at the several children and pregnant women sat in the corner. They were going to smuggle the group out in the middle of the night. They just had to make it to the caverns.

"The guards will leave their post as the moon reaches its peek. You have half an hour before the next shift gets there. You know what happens if you are caught John." Cal reminds his friend.

"I would sooner die then give up your name, my friend. And I will get them into the caverns before I do so. No one will know who organized this." John promises him.

"Good. I will not be able to help others if I am dead. Is this all you could muster?" Cal kneels before a small, stunted child and holds out an apple for her with a smile. The girl hesitates before snatching it and handing it to a smaller child.

"Everyone is afraid. There have been more raids and such as of late." John answers.

"I know." Cal pulls out another apple and ruffles the girls hair. "Don't worry, cub, where you're going there is plenty of food. You will never starve again." He promises the small girl.