Meg sat in a corner of a dark, dirty cell. She had been
brought down to the lower levels of the ship. The stench of urine and feces was
almost overwhelming. But something else was torturing her even more.
Joxer.
She replayed in her mind what Tsao-Li did to him. The
vicious beating. The kick to Joxer's chin. Joxer's body flipping back
through the air, crashing into the ground. His body laying deathly still. Fierce
pain ripped through Meg's soul. Tears flowed down her cheeks.
"Joxer..."
she whispered, her voice trembling. "Oh Joxer...gods, I love you...please don't
be dead..."
Meg suddenly heard footsteps. She looked up. A middle-aged
woman stood above her. The dim candlelight lit her face. It was full of pity.
"Hi." she said softly.
Meg wiped the tears from her face. The
woman knelt down beside Meg.
"My name's Carla."
Meg gazed at the
woman, her eyes full of pain. The woman placed a hand on Meg's shoulder.
"I'm so sorry."
Meg smiled weakly.
"Thanks."
"How did Tsao-Li capture you?"
Meg swallowed hard. She gazed at
the ground before her.
"I-I was walking along with my boyfriend. H-He
and his men jumped us. They beat my boyfriend up really bad. I-I-I don't know if
they killed him or not."
She placed her hand on Meg's face. A tear
trickled down Carla's cheek.
"That happened to me too."
Meg
immediately looked up. Pity filled her face.
"R-Really?"
Carla
nodded quickly. Meg grasped her hand.
"I'm sorry." she said quietly.
Carla sighed. She smiled sadly.
"Thank you."
"AAAAAAAIIIIIAAAAAHHHH!!!!!"
Meg and Carla quickly spun
towards the direction of the scream. A young woman sat by the wall, pulling at
her hair hard. Soon, she ripped chunks from her head. Meg and Carla instantly
got to their feet.
"By the gods..." whispered Meg in horror.
The
young woman's face was ashen. Agony and depression roiled savagely through her
face, her body. It was all-consuming. She shook violently.
"I CAN'T
TAKE IT NO MORE!!!! AAAAAAAAIYAYAIIIII!!!! OOOHHH GAAWWDDS, I WANNA DIE, I WANNA
DIE, I WANNA DIE, I WANNA DIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
She ripped still more
hair from her head. One woman ran over to her, dropping at her side.
"Mirna, STOP IT!!" the woman yelled.
The young woman was
oblivious. She stared at the ground, her eyes bulging out of her head. She had
obviously lost all sense of reason.
"I WANNA DIE, I WANNA DIE, I
WANNA DIE, I WANNA DIE!!!!!!!!!!!"
"What's going on in there?!"
Meg, Carla, and the rest of the women in the cell turned towards the
front. Six guards stood there, armed with swords and crossbows. The leader was a
large, ugly, hairy man. He growled at the sight of the young woman screaming out
in agony.
"Shut up in there!!"
"I WANNA DIE, I WANNA DIE, I
WANNA DIE!!!! I CAN'T TAKE ANYMOOOOOORE!!!"
"I SAID SHUT UP IN THERE!!!"
"I WANNA DIE, I WANNA DIE, I WANNA DIE!!!!"
The guard
snarled. He turned to one of his men.
"Open this up."
The man
obeyed. In moments, all six guards were inside. Four of them pointed their
crossbows and swords at the women. They stepped back. The lead guard walked
towards the young woman. Carla instantly ran forward. She stopped in front of
him, raising her hands.
"Matuk, please don't!!"
Matuk
glared at Carla. He raised his sword at her.
"Get out of the way."
"Please! Don't hurt her!! She's just a child!!"
Matuk bit
his lower lip, nodding. He raised an eyebrow. His eyes turned to ice.
"Get out of the way. Or join her on the whipping block."
Carla's
eyes narrowed. She refused to budge. Matuk nodded.
"Have it your way.
Take them both."
Two guards walked over, grabbing Carla and the young
girl. Meg quickly began to move forward, but one guard stepped in front of her,
crossbow aimed at Meg's heart. He snarled at her.
"Give me an excuse,
bitch."
Meg's anger and fear fought for control. But fear won.
She took a step back. Both women were dragged out of the cell.
"C'mon,
Balus." said Matuk.
The guard confronting Meg nodded. He turned and
left. Meg's sapphire eyes narrowed.
"I've got your number,
Balus." she hissed under her breath.
Meg watched as the two women
were manacled to the whipping posts. Other women watched as well. Some turned
away. Carla gazed at the young woman in front of her, who was still screaming.
Tears came to her eyes.
"I'm so sorry, Mirna."
Two guards
approached the women from behind. They drew their whips back. Carla braced for
the pain.
CRRRRAAAAK!!
The whips tore into the women's
backs. Carla squinted her eyes shut, biting her lower lip hard. Mirna screamed
even louder. And so it went. For what seemed like an eternity, the two guards
continually whipped the backs of each woman. Horrific screams came from Mirna.
Some of the women in the cells began to cry quietly. Meg turned around, running
to the back of the cell. She leaned against the wall. Tears streamed down her
cheeks.
"By the gods..." she whispered harshly, her voice trembling.
"Philemon... hurry!! Hur...ry!!"
Meg then slid down along the
wall. She lowered her head, and began to sob.
Tsao-Li gazed into
the bright, mid-morning sky. A few bright, puffy clouds floated about. A new
day. And money to be made. He took a deep breath, and let out a sigh of
contentment.
Chang-Su walked up to his side. He spoke.
"Dabros
has arrived."
Tsao-Li smiled.
"Good."
Tsao-Li and
Chang-Su walked around to the other side of the slave ship. Dabros's ship was
approaching. In a short time, his ship pulled up alongside the slave ship. A
ramp was extended from the slave ship to that of Dabros. At that moment,
Autolycus and Maria appeared, along with five armed men. Two of them carried
small wooden chests. They began to walk across the ramp. Tsao-Li and Chang-Su
walked up to their end of the plank. Tsao-Li smiled.
"Good morning,
Dabros."
Autolycus let out his cheeriest smile.
"Aaaaah!! Good
morning, my friend! Beautiful day, isn't it?"
Tsao-Li nodded, returning
the smile.
"Yes, yes it is."
Autolycus, Maria, and the five men
boarded ship. Tsao-Li and Autolycus shook hands. Tsao-Li looked at the wooden
chests being carried by the two men.
"Ah. The payment."
"Yes, my
good man. Shall we go to your office?"
"Absolutely. This way."
"Keep shoveling!!"
Meg turned towards the guard.
It was the same one that had threatened her last night. Balus. He glared at her
with malice. Meg turned towards Carla. She was barely able to stand. Only her
shovel kept her upright.
"You all right?" Meg asked, her eyes full of
concern.
Carla nodded slowly. She managed a weak smile.
"Never
better."
"I said KEEP SHOVELING!!"
Meg turned towards the
guard, her eyes flashing in an ever-deepening rage. But Carla grabbed her arm.
"No Meg."
Meg stared at Carla in disbelief.
"B-But
you're-"
"I'm okay." Carla stated with quiet intensity. "Let's
not invite any more trouble."
Meg saw the look in Carla's eyes. The
deep, all-consuming fear. Meg fought down the fury and nausea inside her. She
nodded once in acknowledgement. They went back to work.
Shoveling feces.
Flies buzzed around their heads as they shoveled the human excrement,
dumping it into buckets. Balus and another guard stood watch while the two women
continued to work in the dim candlelight. Meg had to use all her will power to
prevent from throwing up on the spot. She could see hundreds of maggots
burrowing and squirming in the fecal matter. Meg closed her eyes, and made a
silent prayer.
Tsao-Li smiled warmly, counting the last of the
money. He looked up at Autolycus.
"Thank you."
Autolycus bowed
his head slightly.
"No problem, my friend."
He got up, and
walked over to a window. Autolycus saw the last of the women enter Darbos's
ship. He turned to Tsao-Li.
"Well!! I see that you're a happy man."
Tsao-Li nodded.
"That, I am."
He turned to Chang-Su, and
another man.
"Take these chests below."
Chang-Su nodded.
"Right."
The two men picked up the chests and left the cabin.
Autolycus turned to Maria.
"Leave us for a moment. Take a break."
Maria nodded once. She left the cabin as well. Autolycus turned to
Tsao-Li.
"I happen to know a friend in Caldonas who could use some of
your slaves."
Tsao-Li's eyes widened slightly.
"Really?"
"Oh yeah. This guy's rolling in dinars."
"Hmmm...Interesting."
Tsao-Li turned around, picking up a goblet
and a bottle of wine. He turned to Autolycus.
"Wine?"
"Why thank
you."
Tsao-Li poured Autolycus some wine. He took the goblet, and drank
a bit. Tsao-Li leaned forward.
"So. Tell me about your friend."
"Well, he's-"
BAAAARRRRROOOOOM!!!!!!
The violent
explosion rocked the cabin. Tsao-Li instantly got to his feet.
" What
the-
BAAAARRRRROOOOOM!!!!!!
Another violent explosion.
Screams and shouts came from outside the cabin. Tsao-Li rushed to the door,
opening it. A swarm of arrows, some of them on fire, rained down on his ship.
They were coming from Dabros's vessel. Several of Tsao-Li's men were hit. They
dropped to the ground, dead. Others ran for cover. Fire erupted from the front
of the slave ship. Tsao-Li saw a large group of armed men rush across the ramp
towards his ship. He quickly turned around-
A foot smashed into his
face. Blood exploded from Tsao-Li's mouth. He flew through the air, crashing
hard onto the deck. Autolycus rushed outside. His features were roiling with
rage.
"Where's Meg, you bastard?!"
Tsao-Li quickly drew a
knife. He got to his feet. He snarled at Autolycus.
"Who are
you?!"
"Autolycus, King of Thieves. I'm gonna give ya a whipping ya
won't soon forget."
Tsao-Li bared his teeth in a brilliant, feral smile.
"You're that whore's friend?! I killed her. Sliced
her throat. Just as I'm going to slice yours."
Tsao-Li rushed
at Autolycus. He somersaulted over Tsao-Li's head. Tsao-Li quickly spun around.
In two fast, vicious kicks, Autolycus knocked the knife out of his hand and hit
him in the face. Blood exploded from Tsao-Li's nose. He staggered back to the
doorway of his cabin. Autolycus's eyes widened in fury.
"You
BASTARD!!"
Autolycus leapt at Tsao-Li, hitting him hard. They flew
into the cabin.
Maria rammed her foot into the guard's face. He
flew off the side of the boat, crashing into the water. Maria turned to
Chang-Su. Her hazel eyes were a roaring fire of hatred and rage.
"Where's Meg?!" she screamed.
Chang-Su drew a knife. He
smiled cruelly at her.
"Dead. Just like you'll be."
Maria's eyes
narrowed into icy slits.
"Meg was my best friend." she hissed.
"You raped her eight years ago, and now you've killed her. I'm going to break
every bone in your body."
Chang-Su bared his teeth.
"Come
and get me."
Maria let out a piercing scream, charging at
Chang-Su. He somersaulted over Maria, landing behind her. She whirled around.
Chang-Su rammed his left foot into Maria's face. Blood exploded from her
nose, and her head snapped back. Chang-Su then executed a vicious, whirling
kick. It hit Maria square in the chest. She flew back, crashing through the door
of a cabin. The door disintegrated into kindling. Her body smashed into a table,
crashing sideways onto the floor. Chang-Su rushed in, knife raised. He leapt at
Maria. She whipped her right leg at him, hitting Chang-Su hard in the side. His
body flew through the air, crashing into a wall. He fell to the ground. Maria
turned towards him, a feral smile on her face.
"Payback time." she
hissed.
Matuk stared up at the ceiling, hearing the commotion
going on above him.
"What in Tartarus?!"
He turned to
three of his men.
"C'mon!! The rest of you, stay here!!"
Matuk and the three men left. The remaining three gazed at each other,
bewildered. The women in the cells stared at the ceiling as well, murmuring
among themselves. Meg knew the attack had commenced. It was time for her to act.
She quickly shoveled up a particularly large pile of feces. Her blue
eyes darted towards Balus, who was staring at the ceiling above him. Suddenly,
another violent explosion rocked the boat. Balus was knocked off-balance. Meg's
eyes widened in fury.
"RrrriiiaAAAAAH!!!"
Meg hurled her
shovel's contents at Balus. The feces flew into Balus's face, eyes, and mouth.
He let out a gurgled scream, staggering back. Meg ran up to him, shovel drawn
back. Her sapphire eyes were afire.
"Eat SHIT!!"
She
swung the shovel hard into Balus's face. There was a loud crack as his jaw
snapped. Balus flew through the air, crashing face-first into the ground. A huge
cry of rage and satisfaction erupted from the other women. The two remaining men
quickly raised their crossbows towards Meg. Carla dove at Meg's feet, picking up
Balus's discarded crossbow. She fired at the men. The arrows tore into their
chests. They flew back against the cells, dropping onto the ground, dead. The
cries of rage and satisfaction from the women grew deafening. Meg ran over to
Balus's unconscious body, taking the keys from his belt.
"Listen
up!!" Meg screamed. "LISTEN UUUUUUUP!!!!!!!"
The screaming
and cursing subsided somewhat. Meg spoke again.
"All right!! Listen!!
We are being rescued right now by King Philemon and his army!! Go after
only Tsao-Li's men!! Got it?!"
The women shouted their
acknowledgement.
"We got ya!!"
"DEATH TO TSAO-LI AND HIS
MEN!!"
"SPILL THEIR BLOOD!!"
Meg rushed over to each cell,
opening them. The women stormed out of each cell screaming and cursing the name
of Tsao-Li. Meg ran over to Carla, helping her up. She smiled.
"Thanks."
Carla smiled in return.
"No. Thank you. That's a heck of
a swing you have."
Meg raised an eyebrow, her grin growing wider.
"I swing a mean ax at home. Let's get outta here."
Chang-Su went flying through a window. He crashed onto the deck.
Maria burst from the cabin. Her face was full of demonic glee.
"C'mon,
ya sonofa-bacchai." she growled eagerly. "On yer feet."
Chang-Su slowly
got up. His eyes widened in fury. With a piercing cry, he swung his foot hard at
Maria several times. Maria quickly blocked the kicks. Chang-Su then threw a
series of violent punches at Maria, who effortless blocked them all. She
suddenly grabbed Chang-Su's arms and rammed her head into his face with all her
might. His head snapped back, blood erupting from his nose. Maria rammed a knee
into his side. Chang-Su's eyes bulged out of his head as several ribs cracked.
Finally, Maria rammed her fist hard into Chang-Su's face. He flew through the
air, crashing into the side of a cabin. Chang-Su fell to the ground. Maria
cracked her knuckles. She approached him.
Chang-Su lifted his head. He
saw a discarded knife laying before him. Chang-Su quickly snatched it up, slowly
rising to his knees. He grimaced in agony. Chang-Su glared at Maria in fury. She
raised an eyebrow, grinning eagerly.
"Yeah!!" she hissed. "Bring it
on!!"
Chang-Su let out a harsh cry, rushing towards Maria. He lunged
at her. Maria grabbed his hand, violently turning the knife back towards its
owner and down. Chang-Su's eyes bulged out of his head as he felt the knife
burrow deep into his groin. He let out a long, strangled cry. Maria cackled with
glee.
"Oooooooh yeah!!"
Maria swept Chang-Su off his
feet, lifting him high above her head. Her teeth were bared in rage. She let out
a piercing scream, slamming him down with all her might into her knee. There was
a loud crack as Chang-Su's spine snapped. Maria tossed him off her knee. He fell
to the ground, dead. Maria rose to her feet, watching Tsao-Li's men and
Philemon's fighting fiercely. She looked out into the waters, and saw King
Diates's ships approaching. Her eyes narrowed in fury.
"Tsao-Li..."
She ran off.
Tsao-Li rammed his fist into
Autolycus's face. Autolycus flew back through the air, crashing into a wall.
Tsao-Li glanced outside. His men appeared to be losing to Philemon's. He knew he
had to escape. Tsao-Li leapt through a window. He landed hard, rolling over and
over. Finally, Tsao-Li got to his feet. He ran through the midst of fighting
men. Autolycus got to his feet, shaking his head. He looked around. His eyes
widened in anger.
"Oh no you don't!!"
He ran outside,
picking up a discarded sword. Autolycus spun to his right. He saw Tsao-Li fleeing
through the angry mass of fighting men. Autolycus took off after him.
The freed women rushed up each deck, killing Tsao-Li's guards as
they ascended. They cried out in rage, screaming for the death of Tsao-Li. Meg
and Carla made their best efforts to keep up with the crowd of enraged women.
Soon, they made it to the top. The women burst through the doors, immediately
attacking Tsao-Li's guards. Meg looked at the ship across from theirs. She saw
dozens of Philemon's men surge across the ramp onto Tsao-Li's ship. Meg turned
to Carla, pointing at the ship.
"Carla, that's where we've got to go!!
C'mon!!"
They ran in the direction of Philemon's ship,
maneuvering around the fighting men and women. Soon they entered a clear space-
And Tsao-Li burst forth from a cabin. He grabbed Meg, wrapping an arm
around her neck. He held a knife to her throat. At that moment, Maria and
Autolycus appeared. They stopped instantly at seeing Tsao-Li and Meg. He
viciously yanked Meg back. He edged himself towards a cabin behind him. His eyes
were wild with rage.
"I'll cut this bitch's throat!! Stay back, OR
I'LL RIP HER THROAT OPEN!! I SWEAR IT!!"
He tightened his grip on
Meg's throat. She gagged in agony. Maria and Autolycus slowly made a step
forward.
"You're not going to get away." growled Maria.
Tsao-Li further increased his stranglehold around Meg's neck. She let out a gurgled cry of pain.
Tsao-Li pressed the blade into her neck. A tiny drop of blood trickled forth.
Autolycus's face grew pale. He raised his hand.
"Please...don't do
that!!"
Tsao-Li burst into insane laughter. He glared at Autolycus
heatedly.
"I'll do WHATEVER I WANT!!!"
At that moment,
Philemon and several soldiers rushed forth. They stopped as soon as they saw
Tsao-Li and Meg. Tsao-Li whirled to face the prince. Philemon raised his hand,
motioning his soldiers to stay put. Philemon spoke.
"I'm Prince Philemon
of Boecia. You're surrounded, Tsao-Li. Your men have been defeated. My army and
King Daites's army have joined forces. You are hereby under arrest for
kidnapping, as well as engaging in the illegal commerce of slavery in Boecia."
"This is not your jurisdiction!!" screamed Tsao-Li. "These are
Mirtan's waters!! You have no right here!! Slavery is not illegal here!!"
"It is now."
Tsao-Li spun to his left. A tall man walked forth,
wearing a dark robe. His jet-black hair was combed back. He eyed Tsao-Li with
malice.
"I am King Diates. You are hereby under arrest for the illegal
practice of slavery. And that woman you have hostage is a citizen of Mirtan,
whom you've kidnapped. Surrender now."
Tsao-Li slowly moved back, not
believing what he was hearing. Behind him, on the roof of the cabin, appeared a
form.
It was Joxer.
He slowly crept to the edge of the roof.
Tsao-Li edged back, closer and closer to the cabin wall. His face was hideously
twisted in an all-consuming fury.
"No!!" he screamed. "NO!!
I'LL NEVER SURRENDER!! LET ME GO, OR I'LL CUT THIS BITCH'S THROAT!!"
Joxer raised his sword, moving into position. He knew he would only get
one chance at this.
"I'LL CUUUUUTT IIIIIIIITTTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!"
Tsao-Li screamed at the top of his lungs.
Joxer jumped off the roof.
He rammed the hilt of his sword with all his might into Tsao-Li's skull. The momentum sent all three of them crashing into the ground. Philemon's guards burst forth. They ran
over to Tsao-Li, dragging his unconscious body away from Meg and Joxer.
Autolycus and Maria ran up to them. Autolycus gathered Joxer into his arms,
hugging him tight.
"Yaaaaa-HOOOO!!!" he yelled. "Way ta go,
buddy!!"
Maria gathered Meg into her arms. Meg sobbed bitterly.
Maria held her close, stroking her head.
"Sssssssssh, ssssssssh,
sssssssssh!!" Maria cooed. "It's over baby. It's over."
Meg looked
up at Maria, her tear-filled eyes full of shock.
"W-Who stopped
Tsao-Li?!"
Maria turned towards Joxer, giving him a brilliant smile.
"Him."
Meg quickly turned to the right. Joxer stared at Meg,
tears streaming down his cheeks. Meg's blue eyes bulged out of her head.
"JOXER!!"
She flew at him, tackling him to the ground.
Meg wrapped her arms around Joxer in a bone-crushing hug. She cried
hysterically, burrowing her face into his shoulder. Joxer returned the fierce
hug, crying as well. Autolycus and Maria looked at each other, smiling. Tears
streamed down their faces.
"We did it." said Autolycus.
Maria's
smile grew even wider.
"Yeah. We did it."
"So. Do you
mind if I take Tsao-Li back to Boecia to face charges there?" asked Philemon.
"Not at all, not at all." answered Daites. "Besides, my friend, I think
Tsao-Li will be spending hefty prison time in both our kingdoms."
Philemon's eyes narrowed in anger.
"After seeing these poor
women, I guarantee that his punishment will be swift and severe."
Diates
placed his hand on Philemon's shoulder.
"Be sure to save a piece of him
for me. Anyone who's committed the crimes he has should never see the
light of day again."
Autolycus and Maria looked at each other,
exchanging huge smiles. Maria turned to Philemon and Daites.
"I-I don't
know how to thank you." said Maria, her voice trembling slightly. "You both
saved the lives of dozens of women. You've given them hope again."
Philemon and Diates smiled warmly.
"It was our pleasure." said
Diates.
Philemon walked over to Maria, placing a hand on her arm.
"Thank you. And Autolycus. We couldn't have done this without
your help-"
"THAT'S RIGHT!! KILL HIM!!"
"SKEWER THE SONOFA
BITCH!!!"
'SHOOT HIM IN THE BALLS!!!"
The four looked at
each other in shock.
"What on Earth...?!" exclaimed Philemon.
They ran outside the cabin. Their eyes widened in disbelief. Meg stood
there, a crossbow aimed at a manacled Tsao-Li. The two guards that held him
slowly backed away from the prisoner. The dozens of women there were screaming
their approval. Bloodlust roiled through the crowd of enraged women.
"KILL HIM, MEG!! SEND HIM TO HADES!!"
"SHOOT HIS BALLS OFF!!"
"TO TARTARUS WITH THE BASTARD!!! JUSTICE NOW!!!"
"WE WANT
REVENGE!!!!"
Maria and Autolycus ran towards Meg. She rapidly turned
her head towards them, pinning them with the most ferocious, animalistic stare
either one of them had ever seen. A horrific chill tore through them.
Maria slowly approached Meg.
"Meg, don't do this-"
"SHUT UP!!!" screamed Meg at the top of her lungs.
Her eyes
pinned Tsao-Li. He stared at her in an ever-growing fear. Meg's sapphire eyes
were boiling with intense rage.
"He...deserves...to DIE!!!" she
shouted viciously.
The crowd of women screamed their approval. Meg
gripped her crossbow harder, her finger encircling the trigger.
"Don't do it Meg!!" shouted Autolycus. "There's another
way-"
"There IS NO OTHER WAY!!" yelled Meg in fury. "He
must DIE!!!"
The crowd of women screamed again. Meg closed one eye,
aiming for Tsao-Li's heart. His eyes widened in terror.
"MEG!!
NOOOO!!!"
Meg instantly recognized the voice as Joxer's. Then to her
total shock, Joxer jumped in front of Tsao-Li. He raised his hands. The
screaming died down. The crowd of women stared at Joxer in disbelief. Joxer
slowly approached Meg.
"Put...the crossbow...down, Meg." said Joxer
slowly, his eyes full of fear.
Meg stared at Joxer, anger and grief
roiling through her face. Her body shook from the intensity of the emotions. She
shook her head.
"No!! No, he hurt me!! He RAPED me!!"
"He's not worth it Meg." said Joxer. "He's not worth murdering."
"Yes he is... Y-Yes he is!! H-He should die!! He's hurt
people!! He's killed people!!"
"If you kill him, Meg, you'll be just
like him!" said Joxer desperately. "You're better than him!! You're a way
better person than him!!"
Meg's eyes narrowed in agony. Tears
streamed down her cheeks.
"He raped me, Joxer. He raped me."
Joxer drew closer. His face was filled with overwhelming concern and
pity.
"Murdering him will not ease the pain. In fact, it'll get
worse. Remember what I went through with Criton?? Remember?? If you kill Tsao-Li
now, your nightmares will be a thousand times worse. Tsao-Li will be in your
nightmares for the rest of your life. I'll stake my life on that Meg.
You, of all people, don't deserve that."
Meg let out a low cry of
anguish. The crossbow trembled in her hands. Joxer drew even closer.
"I
love you, Meg." he said softly. "Let's walk away from this. Give me the
crossbow. Please."
Meg trembled even more. Joxer eyed her
steadily. Meg gazed into the eyes of the man she loved. Meg saw the overwhelming
love and pity in his eyes. It overtook her. Meg began to sob.
"Oh
Joxer-"
She lowered her head and the crossbow. Joxer rushed over to Meg,
taking the crossbow out of her hands. Maria ran over to the pair. Joxer gave
Maria the crossbow. He took Meg into his arms, holding her close. Joxer kissed
Meg on top of her head.
"Let's go home, sweetheart." he said softly.
Joxer began to lead Meg away from Tsao-Li.
"YOU WORTHLESS
WHORE!!!"
Meg winced at the words. Joxer gripped her tighter. Maria
spun towards Tsao-Li, enraged. But Joxer raised his hand.
"No, Maria!"
he said firmly.
Maria growled, holding her ground. Joxer and Meg
continued to walk away from Tsao-Li. His eyes were wild with fury and hatred.
"You're a worthless, shit-stained WHORE!!" Tsao-Li screamed.
"I SHIT ON YOU!! YOU DISGUSTING, WORTHLESS BITCH!!"
Something
inside Joxer snapped.
A savage, overwhelming fury erupted from deep
within him. In seconds, he was hurtling towards Tsao-Li, screaming at the top of
his lungs. Joxer rammed his right fist with all his might into the side of
Tsao-Li's face. There was a loud crack as his jaw snapped. He flew through the
air, crashing hard into the floor. Tsao-Li slid to a stop and lay still. Blood
flowed from his mouth onto the deck. Maria and Meg stared at Joxer, overwhelmed
with shock. Gasps came from the crowd of women.
Joxer glared at
Tsao-Li's still form. His face was twisted in hatred.
"That's my
woman you're talking about." he hissed.
Francisca handed
Autolycus the cup of tea. He smiled.
"Thanks."
Francisca winked.
"No problem."
He turned to Maria, raising an eyebrow.
"Wow. I never thought that Joxer, of all people, had such a
vicious right!"
Maria chuckled heartily.
"Neither did
Tsao-Li. That's what happens when you push people too far."
Meg smiled
warmly into her cup of tea.
"Yeah. What a man."
Maria looked at Meg, eyebrows raised.
"I second that."
Autolycus raised his cup of tea.
"A toast, I say. To Joxer The
Mighty!!"
"Here, here!!" exclaimed Maria.
The four
friends raised their cups of tea, touching them together.
"To Joxer
the Mighty!!" they exclaimed.
The four friends drank their tea. Meg
got to her feet.
"I'm going up to my room. Joxie's waiting for me."
Autolycus got up as well. An evil smile crossed his features.
"Oooooooooooh!!
Joxie, is it?? Ho-ho-ho-ho!! Boy-I'll never let him live
that down!! Hahahahahaha!!"
Meg's eyes narrowed. She
walked over to Autolycus, poking him hard in the chest. Autolycus gasped in
shock.
"Hey!!"
"That's my man you're messing with,
Mister Stinky." warned Meg in a cold voice. "You keep your grimy paws
away from him."
Meg grabbed Autolycus's collar, yanking him close. Her
sapphire eyes bored into his.
"Got it, Stinky??"
Autolycus swallowed hard.
"Y-Y-yes ma'am!!"
Meg grinned
mischievously.
"Gooooooooood!!'
Meg suddenly hugged Autolycus
tight. The King of Thieves stiffened, shocked at this sudden show of
affection. Meg then kissed him on the cheek. She pulled back, a brilliant smile on her face.
"Thanks, Auto. For everything."
Autolycus
smiled warmly in return.
"Hey! What are friends for??"
Meg turned to
Francisca and Maria.
"Good night guys."
Maria smiled devilishly,
raising an eyebrow.
"Got anything planned tonight??"
Meg raised
her own eyebrow, displaying the same devilish smile. She turned and left the
room. Autolycus sighed.
"Boy. That Joxer's one lucky fellow."
Maria turned towards Autolycus. She raised both eyebrows.
"Hey
handsome! Wanna go out on a date?"
Autolycus grinned. He held
out his hand.
"Why not!! Dinner's on me."
Maria got to her feet,
grasping Autolycus's hand. She turned to Francisca, and winked.
"Don't
wait up."
"Ow!!"
Joxer soaked his right hand in
the cold water, grimacing in pain. It was badly bruised from the punch to
Tsao-Li's face. He growled in frustration.
"Why in Tartarus did
this guy have to have such a hard jaw?!"
"Hi Joxer."
Joxer turned around. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Meg stood
before him. She was wearing her see-through purple nightgown. It was open
in front. And Joxer noticed Meg was totally nude underneath. He swallowed hard.
"U-Um-hi."
Meg walked up to Joxer. She stood before him, her
eyes full of love and gratitude.
"Joxer, you saved my life."
Joxer blushed. He lowered his head.
"Y-You're welcome."
Meg placed a hand under his chin, lifting it. Her eyes narrowed in pity
at the sight of the cuts and bruises all over his face.
"You risked your
life for me." Meg said softly.
Joxer frowned. His face darkened.
"But I let them take you." he said, full of shame. "I-I let them take-"
Meg instantly moved in, kissing Joxer. Her tongue probed Joxer's mouth,
swirling around inside it. She moaned softly. Meg then pulled back a little, placing her
forehead on his.
"You did your best." she whispered.
"Meg, I-I-"
Meg silenced Joxer again with a kiss. She sucked on Joxer's lower lip.
Meg pushed Joxer against the wall. She kissed him for a few more moments, and
pulled back slightly. Meg gazed deep into Joxer's eyes.
"I love you,
Joxer."
Joxer blushed a deep crimson.
"I-I love you too."
"Thanks for being there for me." said Meg quietly, her voice full of
emotion. "Through everything. Thank you for being there through all this. You
don't know what that means to me."
A gentle smile crossed Joxer's face.
"I-I
think I do. I wouldn't be anywhere else."
Joxer leaned back on his right
hand. Suddenly, pain exploded through it. His eyes widened in agony.
"Eeeouch!!"
Meg jumped back, startled. Joxer lifted his
bruised right hand in front of his face. He frowned deeply in pain.
"Oh
damn..."
Meg moved in quickly. She stared at Joxer's badly
bruised knuckles.
"Sweetie, your hand!!"
Joxer grimaced
in discomfort.
"Aw, I bruised it when I knocked out that bastard."
"You didn't break anything, did you?!"
"Naw, naw, I didn't. I
would've known. Just bruised it, ouch..."
Meg grasped his injured
hand.
"Let me see, sweetheart."
She carefully looked the hand
over, seeing the bruises around his knuckles and the top of the hand. Meg tenderly
kissed it. Then, she ran her tongue along his knuckles. She caressed it with her
lips. Joxer swallowed hard.
"Um-M-Meg-"
Meg stopped kissing
Joxer's hand. She moved in closer, studying Joxer's face.
"What else
hurts, Joxie? Hmmm?"
Meg wrapped her arms around Joxer, pressing into
him. She began to tenderly lick the bruises and wounds on his face. She moaned
softly. Joxer was getting very aroused by this.
"U-Um, M-Meg??"
"Hmmmm?"
"W-What are you doing??"
Meg pulled back,
leaning her forehead on Joxer's.
"Remember when I said I had something
planned for you when you first came back?"
Joxer nodded slightly.
"U-Uh-huh."
Meg slid her hand into Joxer's pajamas, grasping his
member. Joxer gasped. Meg moved in closer. She licked Joxer's ear.
"It's
time for a trip to Elysia." she moaned into his ear.
Meg then gave Joxer
a deep kiss, and the two lovers slid down onto a bearskin rug. It was a night
that Joxer would remember for a long, long time.
THE END
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