Astrid's mind was awake long before her body was.
Pieces of the night flashed through her mind, forming a cluttered strand of events she desperately tried to place in chronological order.
She remembered being in Hiccup's hut during the storm. They'd had fun, mapping, chatting like they always did when they were alone together. And it had been peaceful, even with Thor's wrath raging outside.
She'd been drinking, she'd fallen asleep. She'd slightly awoken when she was in his arms, but pretended she was asleep, just so he'd keep carrying her. She'd nestled herself into his bed, somewhat disappointed he didn't crawl in next to her. There was a short period where absolutely everything was perfectly okay...
Then there was… yelling.
The sound of a Night Fury's blast.
Chains rattling.
She'd… she'd tried to stop it, hadn't she?
Yes! She'd watched them bind Hiccup, then she'd killed… She'd killed them. Well, some of them. There was more fighting…
She had one right in front of her, on the ground, cowering in fear. She was about to finish him off before a cracking pain in the back of her skull rendered her useless.
After that, nothing.
She groaned, a centimeter of movement on her part was quick to prove that she'd indeed been struck in the head. A shooting pain rattled through her skull and down through her body. Before she could open her eyes, a voice called through the darkness.
"Astrid?.. Astrid!"
It was one she recognized instantly, and quite frankly, the only voice she wanted to hear in that moment. Her eyes fluttered open to, thankfully, a dark room, when her vision adjusted she was greeted with the sight of Hiccup looking down at her.
"H... Hiccup?"
He ran a gentle thumb across her cheek, swiping hair away from her face.
"Thank Thor you're okay…" He responded softly, a relieved look bloomed across his face.
"Wha… what-" She started as she tried lifting her head, but was cut off by another wave of shooting pain.
"Careful! Don't move too much-" He commanded, Astrid realized then that he was holding the back of her head, the source of the pain. "You were struck with a chair, you've bled quite a bit, but I think it's stopped."
With a burst of energy, she managed to push herself into an upright position, Hiccup's hands following her in case she were to collapse.
She groaned again, as a sudden lightheadedness followed the action. She immediately reached behind her head, feeling the wound for herself. There was a large section of matted-down hair, upon pulling her hand back and observing it, there were flakes of dried blood coating her fingers. Another fatigued wave crashed through her body, and she noticed a persistent ringing in her ears.
She rolled onto her hands and knees just as another jolting pain rang through her ribcage, she grabbed at it blindly, gasping at the sensation. Hiccup then remembered how the red-haired hunter had kicked her so violently after she'd been knocked out. At least she hadn't felt it at the time.
There was convulsing in her abdomen. Hiccup watched her in concern.
"A-Astrid… are you-"
Her head snapped upwards to scan the room with great haste. Before Hiccup could say anything else, she was scuffling towards the bucket along the far wall, retching the contents of her stomach into what, he hoped, was an empty pail.
When she pulled back she wiped at her mouth in disgust and turned to view the whole of the room they were in for the first time. Hiccup watched her eyes widen with fear when she realized they were in a cell.
She started panting heavily as she spoke, "Hi-Hiccup…. Hiccup where… where are we?... Who brought us here?! Where are they taking-!"
"Shh!" He husted, scuffling over to where she now sat. "Keep your voice low."
She took another moment to catch her breath, seemingly coming to a realization seconds later, she looked at Hiccup with grim eyes. "The hunters… the ones that broke into your hut…"
He frowned, then nodded.
Her eyes studied the cell door for a moment longer, then flickered back to look at him. "Tell me what happened."
He did. He told her about the attack, the way Toothless was left behind in chains, how they were stolen from The Edge and taken to a foreign ship. He told her how the bounty hunter, the one who they'd encountered just a week earlier, was behind all of this. He told her what happened to the hunters who'd failed their task…
She slowly took it all in, letting him speak until he'd filled her in on everything he knew. But questions still raised in her mind.
"So… this Krogan guy, he's the one who orchestrated this? Not Viggo?"
"I think so, after last week anyways, I can't see this guy having anything to do with him or Ryker."
She looked around the cell, rubbing her upper arms for warmth. "How long have we been here?"
"An hour, maybe longer." He replied, shaking his head. "I don't know where they're taking us, or even what they want from us…"
It made no sense. The words of the guards from earlier echoed through his head, the boy is useless without the dragon.
"They'll find us." Astrid said after a long pause. "The riders will come looking as soon as they realize we're gone. Toothless and Stormfly are still there! Stormfly knows my scent, she could track us from a hundred miles away! Besides…" She reached into her boot, pulling the knife out just enough to showcase it to him. "We can handle these guys."
He gave her a little smile, her confidence igniting some of his own. But doubt was ever present in his mind.
With that, she stood. Or rather, tried to stand. She swayed clumsily as she got to her feet and nearly collapsed when she tried taking a step. Hiccup rose to hold her upright, standing abruptly and grabbing her arms, giving her support.
"Astrid, for now you need to rest. You're probably concussed, you should take it easy while you still can."
She huffed, blowing hair from her eyes. As much as she wanted to disagree, she knew he was right. Defeated, she and him returned to their original positions in the cell. Only this time they sat side by side, backs against the wooden wall as they listened to the rumble of oceanic waves against the opposite side of it.
It wasn't long before Astrid began to feel drowsy again. She'd taken blows to the head before, but nothing quite like this one. Hiccup was probably right about the concussion, but she had no choice but to deal with it. The nausea came in waves, but she was able to keep her stomach at bay for the time being. Within minutes, she'd fallen asleep with her injured head leaning against the hard surface.
Maybe he was right, they should take advantage of their time, Thor knows what they were in for when they'd wake.
"Did… did the others say they'd be gone today?" Heather asked abruptly, talking over the loud gushes of wind that masked her voice.
Her and Fishlegs were quickly approaching Dragon's Edge, and she couldn't help but notice the eerie stillness of the base, even from a distance. Typically by midday you'd see at least someone outside, Astrid training or the twins getting into trouble, but all was still.
"Don't think so," Fishlegs was quick to respond. "They're probably just out doing chores Hiccup sent them to do, you know how he gets when we're gone and the idiots outnumber him." He finished with a smile.
She laughed, "Yeah, you're probably right."
She agreed, but something still felt off. She just couldn't place it. They landed idly on the edge of the stable's landing pad, dismounting and beginning removing their gear. Suddenly, the wail of a Monstrous Nightmare, and his very unamused rider snapped the pair's attention away from their progress.
"HOOKFANG! WATCH IT!"
The pair on the landing strip had just enough time to dodge the flailing dragon as it crashed violently onto the wood, throwing Snotlout nearly ten feet. The boy skidded to a stop before pulling himself upward, glaring at the dragon.
"Snotlout, what in Thor's name is wrong with you?!" Fishlegs yelled, calming a startled Meatlug.
"Those damn Terrors!" He replied angrily, stomping towards the tail end of his irritated dragon. Fishlegs and Heather watched as Snotlout worked to pry something off Hookfang's tail, a few seconds later, the boy was holding up a very disgruntled Night Terror. The creature squaked loudly in his face, before getting loose of his grip and flying away.
Snotlout growled at the little dragon, then continued. "Apparently the cave we happened to stumble into is the party house for the Night Terrors and the Night Swarmers!"
"We?" Heather asked curiously.
"We indeed!"
Heather looked upwards toward the new voice, only to see the twins approaching, far more relaxed than Snotlout had been. The Zippleback landed idly on the platform.
"Quite the spectacle," Ruffnut started, inflexing her voice to sound proper. Though her intrigued expression turned to one of annoyance. "Until someone decided to throw all the bricks we packed into the swarm!" She concluded, looking at her brother.
"You have no respect for experimentation, Ruffnut!" Tuff replied, planting his fists firmly on his hips.
"Why does nothing you two do ever make any sense?!" Snotlout boomed.
Heather shook her head, taking the opportunity to leave the bickering three behind as she approached the stable doors. Sliding them open so the vast building was gifted a shred of outside light. Immediately upon this, the group outside was silenced by an ear-splitting noise.
Heather's hands shot to cover her ears, wincing at the noise. But instantly recognized it as a distressed dragon… A familiar dragon. She threw open the doors the rest of the way and ran inside, stopping in the center of the floor as she stared at the source of the wailing.
It was Stormfly. Locked in her cage, stomping in circles and screeching like mad.
"Stormfly?" Heather quavered, looking at the state the dragon's stable was in. There were fresh claw and bite marks on nearly every piece of wood, and spine shots stuck in all directions.
"Wha- what's she doing in here locked up?!" Fishlegs yelled over the screeching dragon, entering stables as Heather worked to open the stable door. "Astrid never keeps her in here during the day!"
As the door was finally unlocked, the Nadder burst out of her confinement and instantly flew out the stable entrance. Causing the other riders to duck out of her way. Heather stared as the dragon flew, but whatever strange feeling she had earlier was now amplified by Stormfly's erratic behavior. Without saying a word, she ran to Windshear and flew after the still-screeching dragon.
The Nadder flew straight to Hiccup's hut, landing on the platform before it and pacing in front of the entrance. Heather landed soon after, and without thinking, ran to the door of the building and drew it open. Her blood ran cold at the sight before her.
"Toothless!"
The dragon was lying entirely chained on the floor, upon seeing the girl, his eyes flickered hopefully. He roared at her weakly, still clearly inebriated in some way. Then, Heather noticed the state of the rest of the room. Two bodies lie strewn across the wood floor, blood coated the floor like a red carpet. There were excess chains, arrows and wood shambles. It looked like a complete massacre.
Hiccup… Astrid…
Heather's breath hitched as she ran upstairs to the loft, hoping to all gods above the two weren't lying slaughtered on the upper floor. Thankfully, the space was barren of anyone. By the time she ran back down the stairs, Fishlegs and the other riders stood in the doorway of the hut.
"Oh gods… " Fishlegs muttered, before moving swiftly towards Toothless to begin undoing the restraints.
Heather looked to the other riders, standing frozen with shock and horror.
"Where were Hiccup and Astrid last night?!"
"T-They stayed behind." Snotlout stuttered. "We haven't seen them since before the storm!"
"Uh… guys!" Ruffnut said, she was outside, looking to the side of the hut. When the others rounded the corner, they saw a large wooden cart sitting aside near Hiccup's forge.
"Was this thing here last night?" Heather pressed, studying the object.
"Nope!" Tuffnut interjected. "Definitely would've noticed the huge dragon-sized cart."
There was more noise from inside the hut, upon returning, the group saw Fishlegs undo the final chain restricting the Night Fury. The dragon fought to stand up, but his legs ultimately gave out beneath him. He warbled sadly. Fishlegs gently rubbed the dragon's head, trying to comfort the stressed creature.
"Who are these guys?" Snotlout questioned, gesturing to the bodies that lay before them. "They don't look like Viggo's men."
"We can't worry about who they are!" Heather assured, fear lining her voice. "We have to find Hiccup and Astrid, if their dragons are here and they aren't, something's seriously wrong!"
Snotlout huffed worriedly, "What should we do? We haven't seen them in almost a day, they could be anywhere by now!"
Heather paused, then resumed with determination. "Ruff, Tuff, search the rest of the huts, make sure they aren't anywhere else on base. If you don't find them, search the rest of the island by air, starting with the Eastern border."
"We just came from there," Ruffnut informed, brows stitched upward in concern. "We didn't see anything!"
"Just do it! Snotlout, you and Hookfang go to the clubhouse and keep watch of the horizon, if you see any ships, prepare for an attack." With each command, the riders went off on their tasks, leaving Heather and Fishlegs alone with the downed Night Fury.
The girl approached the two, "Is it dragon root?"
"I-I don't think so," Fishlegs replied as he studied an odd wound on the dragon's neck. "It's effects would be more severe, this is a tranquilizer I've never seen before…"
With that, Fishlegs stood and hurried to Hiccup's desk. Picking up a blank sheet of paper and charcoal.
"What are you doing?"
"Sending for Stoick," He said, not looking up from the writing. "Even if we do find Hiccup and Astrid before he gets here, these guys clearly aren't Viggo's men, we'll need all the help we can get."
Heather suddenly got an idea, she exited the hut once more, looking for Astrid's erratic dragon. Stormfly was now perched atop Astrid's hut, looking out at the sea with intensity. Heather looked back at Fishlegs.
"I'm going to track them!"
"What?" He questioned, rolling the now-completed scroll.
" If they were taken, Stormfly can track Astrid from anywhere in the archipelago, it's best I go now while her scent is still fresh!"
"You can't go out there alone! What happens if you find them and you have a whole armada to fight?!" Fishlegs protested.
"What happens if they're taken out of Stormfly's range, and we never find them!" She yelled, getting emotional once more.
"Heather," Fishlegs said, voice slowing to a soothing tone, "You and I both know a ship can't get that far in one day. Hell, it can't go that far in three days! We're gonna find them, just… let me come with you, okay?"
Heather sighed, but nodded. She looked to Toothless, the poor dragon nearly incapacitated again. "What about him?"
"Meatlug and I can carry him to the clubhouse, Snotlout can look after him until we get back."
"...Alright." Heather responded softly, rubbing her upper arms nervously.
Fishlegs put a comforting hand on her shoulder, "They're okay, Heather. Look what they managed to do with these guys, Hiccup and Astrid can handle their own until we rescue them."
Heather glanced at the bodies. Suddenly filled with reassurance, but a hint of dread refused to dissipate.
Hiccup and Astrid jumped as they heard the door at the end of the chamber suddenly open, followed by the heavy footsteps of multiple guards approaching their cell.
Neither were positive how much time had passed since their arrival on the ship, mostly due to the fact that there were no windows where they were being held. Astrid was just grateful that she'd had a while to rest, the wound on her head still rattling pain through her skull and down her neck, but she tried her best to push it aside.
Two guards suddenly came into view in front of their cell door, both holding razor-sharp spears and wearing masks that covered their features, much like the ones who had taken them. Without saying a word, one of them moved to unlock the door.
Astrid's eyes flickered to Hiccup's, the two understanding what needed to be done.
When the cell door was opened, the guard finally spoke.
"Out. Both a ya."
Astrid huffed, struggling to make it to her feet, but she complied. Walking out first and being pushed forward by one of the men. Hiccup followed behind, moving after Astrid and the guard with one behind him as well. He took a short moment to study the men, both a considerable size, definitely larger than the red-haired hunter and his partner had been. Chances were they'd since been commanded to send the bulkiest men when handling them.
They approached the end of the hall of cells, the guard behind Astrid using his spear to slide the door open in front of her. Beyond it was a staircase, likely leading to the top deck.
When Astrid didn't move immediately, the guard shoved her forward.
"Go on!"
She glared at him over her shoulder, then began moving up the stairs.
Hiccup's heart pounded in his ears as he followed behind. Anticipation getting the better of him.
Astrid moved almost comically slow with each step, causing the impatient guard behind her to shove her forward once again, this time she fell, curling over and bracing herself on the wooden steps. She took the opportunity to slip her fingers idly into her boot...
"Get a move on will ya?!" The guard yelled in frustration.
It was a mere second later that Astrid silenced the bulky man, swinging her arm around and slicing the dagger across the thick skin of his throat. Blood spurted from the wound and across Astrid's chest before the man fell backwards. Hiccup just barely managed to step out of the way before the guard's massive body slammed into his partner, causing them both to fall violently to the bottom..
Shuffling could be heard on the deck above them.
"Come on!" Astrid commanded, grabbing Hiccup's wrist and pulling him down the stairs.
The slaughtered guard lay motionless atop his partner, who writhed beneath the large man trying to free himself. Astrid watched him carefully as her and Hiccup descended, gripping her dagger firmly into her palm. Just as they were about to make it to the bottom of the staircase, the man succeeded in pushing his now-deceased partner off of him, he flipped over, reaching across the ground for his fallen spear.
When he'd nearly grabbed hold of it, a searing pain shot through his palm. A dagger had been thrown and lodged into the back of his hand, the blade protruding through the other side. The guard groaned helplessly in pain.
The pair wasted no time, Hiccup scooped up the fallen spear as they ran, holding it tightly as the two sprinted towards the door at the opposite end of the chamber.
As they passed cell after cell, Astrid glanced over her shoulder at the staircase. More large forms were beginning to descend the steps, gasping at the sight that greeted them when they reached the bottom.
The fallen hunter was grasping at his injured hand, but stared at the two riders with hatred in his dark eyes.
"STOP THEM!"
The sound of rapid footsteps behind them echoed off the narrow walls. Finally, they'd reached the double doors at the end of the hall, pushing them open and slamming them shut once they'd entered. Hiccup swiftly weaved the spear between the handles.
Moments later, the hunters pursuing them had caught up, slamming against the thick wooden doors and pounding at the material when the spear blocked their entry. Hiccup and Astrid pressed all their weight against the wood.
"H-Hiccup!" Astrid exclaimed through gritted teeth. "I can hold them! Find another weapon!"
He was hesitant, but nodded. Stepping away from the violent scene and running into the unknown room. Astrid screwed her eyes shut, turning her back to the doors and using her legs to push hard into the material.
Through the deafening yells of the guardsmen and incessant pounding at the door, Astrid heard a sudden thud come from the space in front of her. Opening her eyes, the first thing she saw was Hiccup's body, lying lifelessly on the wooden floor. A mysterious looking dart stuck into his chest. Astrid shuddered, eyes lifting to the center of the room.
It was him… The bounty hunter.
Krogan.
He stared at her indifferently as he loaded another dart into his blowgun. Before bringing the contraption to his lips and shooting in her direction. She lifted her arm to block the critical strike, but gasped in pain as it stabbed into her wrist.
She blinked, watching as blood seeped into the fabric around the impact. Within moments her eyes felt heavy, and her strong legs gave out beneath her as she hit the floor. The last image she saw before blacking out, was Krogan's blurry form appearing above her…
Astrid's senses came to her slowly, one at a time.
She felt the pain still ringing in the back of her skull, though now it was dulled. Most likely due to the tranquilizer.
However, a new sensation was becoming clear. The feeling of warmth on her skin, like laying out in the sun on a summer day, accompanied by the occasional light breeze. She could feel the rays tingling across her body, most notably across her exposed areas. Her face, her biceps, across her hands and down her fingers, over her shoulders and collarbone, but she felt it most around her abdomen. The heat traveling beneath the surface and warming her insides in a comforting way she didn't realize she desired…
Wait- her collarbone, her abdomen…
Where was her shirt?
"Pale as a ghost, isn't she?"
"Skin's flawless if ya ask me."
There were other sensations becoming present. While the sun warmed her, she felt the hostile grip of large hands restraining her arms and legs. There were so many pairs she couldn't tell where one person's ended and another's began… And the voices, gruff and unforgiving. But giddy, like children unwrapping a present on Snoggletog morning.
She tried desperately to open her eyes, but the drug in her system rendered it useless. She could do nothing but lay there as she suddenly felt yet another pair of hands fiddle with the wrapping of her breast bindings, having trouble deciphering exactly how to work the article.
"Figure it out will ya!" Called an impatient voice, "Can't remember the last time I saw a pair of tits!"
"Why don't ya just look in the mirror?"
Laughter ensued, followed by a loud clank, most likely a palm hitting a metal helmet.
"Fuck off!"
Finally, the hands fiddling with her bindings had undone the fabric, pulling it out from beneath her and leaving her chest completely exposed. For a fleeting moment, she felt the familiar warmth of the sun on her skin, before it was abruptly replaced with the feeling of, what were likely multiple, calloused hands groping her fragile mounds.
"Ah, firm little ones, they are..."
"And these nipples," She felt a sharp pinch come to her little bud. "They hard? I think she's enjoyin' this!"
There were other hands moving along her body now too, some slid across her exposed waist, some caressed her still-concealed hips and thighs. The combination of sensation seemed to be enough to finally kick her brain into gear, she fought to open her eyes.
"Flip 'er over! Let's see what kinda ass she's packin'!"
Before her eyelids could respond to her commands, she was suddenly forced face-down into hard wood. Her cheekbone pressing painfully against the surface. She let out a barely-audible groan.
The excited hands did not cease for a moment, they were slowly caressing down her back, it sent a shiver through her body the way the rough skin tickled across her own. But as quick as the hands had moved to ghost down her back, they were firmly gripping the waistband of her leggings, snagging hold of her underwear as well. The fabric was drawn down from her waist to her mid-thighs in the blink of an eye, leaving the last of her intimate places to be on display for the men before her.
" Fuck… Really is our lucky day, ain't it?"
Much like her breasts, hands were suddenly all over her pale globes. Squeezing at the skin roughly, one of them even giving her a firm spank. She whimpered at the foreign pain…
"Oh?.. I think the wench is comin' to!"
Without warning she was flipped back over, her eyes finally fluttered open, but she was forced to squint as the bright sun beat directly onto her face. However, around the bright circle above her was a ring of silhouettes, large men held onto her from every angle, and even more stood by watching the event take place.
Having her sight restored helped to kickstart the last of her remaining senses, the final, and most vital one being her sense of survival. Panic erupted in her veins as she finally realized what was happening to her.
There was laughter, whistles from every direction, the hands on her arms and legs gripped so tightly the appendages were going numb. And in that moment, she was the most exposed she'd ever been. The feeling of dread was escalated when she realized all too late that the men at her feet had succeeded in slipping off her boots and pulling her leggings and underwear off her person entirely, leaving her stark naked for their viewing pleasure.
A large hand gently slapped against the side of her face.
"Wakey wakey little whore! Time to get up and play!"
She stared at the speaker above her, but was unable to make out his features in the brightness of the sun. She grunted, finally attempting to pull at the hands restraining her limbs, but the drug had left her weak, looking pathetic as she strained with all her might.
"Awww, I'm afraid you're not goin' anywhere sweet'art…"
She grit her teeth and growled at the man, hearing the voices so clearly, but unable to even distinguish who was speaking. There were so many of them…
Astrid went on pulling despite it's uselessness, she had to try. Forcing every ounce of power into her limbs, she managed to kick her legs a bit harder, and strain the muscles in her biceps enough for the hands to grasp a little firmer. She felt so trapped, not even by the men, by her own body and it's inability to save her in this horrific situation.
She continued flailing, trying to break free, even with the knowledge that she was outnumbered. Trying desperately to curl in on herself in an attempt to conceal her naked body, but the hands pulled at her limbs in every direction, forcing her to bare all.
" Thor's hammer, just look at those tits bounce! Let her struggle! I could watch this all day!"
Astrid let out an involuntary cry, immediately scolding herself for doing so. She couldn't show fear, she was a warrior!
She finally mustered words, yelling as loud as she could with her dry, raspy throat. "LET GO OF ME!"
"Why watch," Another spoke, ignoring her demands. "When you can touch?"
A meaty hand suddenly engulfed one of her breasts, squeezing painfully and drawing a whine from the girl. She watched helplessly as an unmasked guard suddenly dipped his ugly, scarred face down to her little mound. He locked eyes with her, giving the girl an evil smirk before dragging his large, slick tongue across her sensitive nipple.
Astrid gagged as he started playfully flicking his tongue across the rosy bud, staring into the girl's face as he did so.
He laughed maniacally, pulling himself upwards only to give the breast he'd been teasing a hard smack, causing the now-slick mound to jiggle uncontrollably. The men stared down at her like she was a piece of juicy steak.
"Enough with 'er tits!" A guardsman at her feet yelled. "Let's get to the real treasure…"
She gasped as her legs, that she'd managed to keep somewhat closed at the knees, were violently jerked apart. For a moment, the cool breeze that swept through the air nipped at her sensitive underbits, an area so unused to the sensation of being exposed. But it wasn't long before the odd sensation was replaced with the feeling of rough hands sliding up her inner-thighs.
As fingers inched closer to her trembling quim, she fought with every remaining ounce of energy she suppressed.
"STOP IT!" She demanded roughly, kicking against the pull of their grip. "GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME!
"Well, since you asked nicely…"
She ceased her struggling to glare at the guard that perched himself between her parted legs, looking through the gap in his helmet to stare at his war-painted features. Though she couldn't see much, she saw his eyes draw upwards in amusement. He suddenly raised his large hand, bringing it down full-force to slap her quivering pussy.
Astrid screamed in what she meant to be frustration, but was more so a combination of pain and terror. The men laughed, surrounding voices beckoned the man between her legs, urging him on.
"Just get on with it so we all get our turns!"
"Ya act like watchin' doesn't do anythin' for ya."
"You know how long it's been since I've had my cock in a woman?!"
"No longer than myself, I'm sure!"
"Not to mention one as sexy as her!"
"If ya think sticks are sexy. I like my women with meat on their bones!"
"Ya got a tight little hole to stuff your prick in layin' on a silver platter, and 'yer complainin'?!"
Huff-
"Didn't said that…"
The casual nature of their tone disturbed Astrid to the core.
Without warning, the man between her legs was pulled away by the collar, thrown aside to reveal another, much larger guardsman behind him.
" I get first fuck..." His deep, grumbly voice silenced the others. "She's mine. "
The hostility in his voice went far beyond masochistic horniness. Astrid's chest heaved with her frantic breaths as she studied him. His mountainous form, unreadable dark eyes hidden behind the metallic helmet, a fresh, blood-stained bandage woven tightly around his meaty hand…
Astrid's eyes widened in realization.
There was murmuring from the men above her.
"C'mon, I've seen what he's packin'... He'll ruin her before the rest of us get a go..."
"You gonna tell him that?"
The man kneeled where the previous guardsman had been playing with her, taking up far more space than the smaller one. If she hadn't been panicked before, any ounce of resilience left in her evaporated when she saw him reach for his belt.
"NO!" She screamed, flailing once more, fear replacing rationality. "BASTARDS!"
He'd undone his trousers, she saw him inch them downwards, seeing only a shred of the skin below before she threw her head back, eyes shutting to avoid the horror.
"YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" She screamed raspily, tears forming behind her closed eyelids. "JUST LET ME GO!"
She felt his hefty weight shift over her, his humid breath danced across her neck.
" PLEASE! "
She was nearly sobbing. Feeling defenseless, reduced to begging, forced to bare all.
There was a brush of something hot and hard against her untouched slit.
A final crack of panic bolted it's way into her heart, and she screamed at the top of her lungs. It was instinctive, the only thing in the world that could save her from this nightmare...
" HICCUUUUUP! "
"STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AT ONCE! "
Astrid heard the voice echo through the crowd of men, the hands restraining her disappeared, and the heavy weight of the man atop her was suddenly lifted. There was a brief sound of him tucking his pants back into place, then it was completely silent.
Slowly she opened her eyes, bracing her trembling, partially numb body on the wood surface beneath her. The crowd had backed away from her, but the men who once gathered near her feet had parted to reveal the one commanding them.
It was Krogan.