Serviettes glued to the side of my neck Solanine pressed his hand to when we made our way back to the Base.
He was laughing at my wounds he had caused as he joked with me.
After being at his mercy for what seemed like most of the night, it was good to actually be out of the stale car and heading for a proper bed.
And to hear him actually enjoying my company and bonding over our shared experience lifted my spirits.
Things were looking good for me. All doubtful feelings had been pushed to the back of my mind as my focus turned to scrubbing myself clean.
Solanine was actually fun to hang around now that we were alone. It was like he was a completely different person.
"You know, you can move your stuff into my room now" his voice echoed in the darkness when he slid his hand from my neck and slipped into the tunnel "play games all night if you want to. "
I choked on my laughter behind him.
"We just had sex. Don't think I'm just going to drop everything to be with you now. We aren't even proper mates yet until you give me a stupid skull. You said so yourself. We'd be... a quarter mates so far."
"A quarter?" his voice scoffed and laughed "well, I'll have to get to it! Then you won't be able to say no to me."
"You're dreaming" I shoved him playfully, only to have him return the same amount of force.
As long as I didn't accept the skull, I still had a chance to escape.
The sex was only the first step to an unbreakable bond between us. The trophy was going to be the last.
I liked this and how kind he was being to me now, but I had a feeling it was only because he could also see that ending in sight.
After I accepted our union, would he go back to the abuse and belittling?
"Here" he chuckled when he stepped into the empty Base and waited for me to join him "you've got paper stuck to your neck."
I moved my hand and felt him tug at the little pieces stuck there. He flicked them to the ground and inspected the sight with a smile.
"I got you good. Imagine what I could have done as myself."
He was proud of the fact. If he had Turned, I wouldn't have a neck left with the way he was biting into it with each orgasm.
Little teeth marks were tolerable.
Solanine was still smirking when we headed upstairs towards his room.
As soon as we were up the top, he flung a hand out to stop me in my tracks and push me behind him.
I couldn't see who he was trying to keep me from, but I could hear thier shuffling feet on the ground just ahead.
"You've been out quite late, So" a voice almost whispered.
It was rough but young. Sounded like it belonged to a guy not much younger than me.
I kept myself behind Solanine. If he was acting this way, there had to be a good reason for it.
Maybe he had some sort of ability that relied on sight to work?
"What can I say?" he shrugged and snorted "just doing my job for the Base and the marvelous leader."
I heard a amused noise in response then felt Solanine move to my left.
"What are you hiding there?"
"You know, a new toy" he replied casually "I don't want it getting any ideas now. I'm just breaking in the cunt. They always are more satisfying when they run, don't you think?"
"Urgh, keep me out of your delusions" the voice darkened "Eagle wanted to talk to you about something. You've been keeping him waiting for hours chasing down one useless thing."
Now?
I cringed at having to be trapped in the small office reeking of sex. Solanine seemed to be thinking the same thing.
"Now's not really a good time...."
"Now is the perfect time" the voice hissed back as it approached "don't let him down because you want to get your dick wet again, So. You can fuck the poor Soul after. They're probably shitting themselves already over how much you've beaten them around already. Take them with you to help explain why you let him wait."
Solanine grumbled but pulled me around so I was walking in front of him.
"Oh, and So!" the voice called.
I stopped before Solanine did, keeping my head low so I didn't make eye contact with anything.
We were sitting ducks in the darkness. I knew what kind of monsters lurked here at this time.
"You both smell like shit" the voice prodded "make it less obvious next time, OK? Emotions make you weak; remember that."
"I will" Solanine spoke softly back "get some sleep, OK? You look like you need it."
There was a little noise before I felt Solanine's rough hand on my arm leading me.
"Don't speak, don't raise your head" he hissed under his breath as we marched to the little platform leading to the office door "don't even think."
"How am I supposed to do that?" I frowned back as Solanine knocked and waited for a prompt answer to open the door.
Solanine's stern eyes met mine when I shuffled in after him. He stood proudly before the desk and kept his eyes up while I lowered mine to the ground.
Solanine nudged me to force them up to the man dwarfed by towers of paperwork. He shook his hand that held a pen, grumbling. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYquEKi0dp
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Another stack of empty yellow, white, and red folders sat opposite the papers.
He looked like a prisoner behind the desk he hunched over miserably.
Was he seriously hand-writing all the Missions out?
"Yes, I seriously am" he replied without looking up at us "lower your voice, it's distracting."
I picked a spot on the back wall to stare at rather than him. It felt rude to be staring down at someone who was meant to be the most feared person here.
"Do you know why I prefer night time?" Eagle spoke up as he continued to write and reference his papers.
Solanine remained silent.
Why wasn't he answering him?
"Its because almost everyone goes to sleep then" he continued, locking eyes onto us as he slipped the papers into a folder and stacked them onto a pile I hadn't seen behind the empty one "thier little buzzing minds switch off and become dull whispers. You still hear them, but you can tune them out. It's peaceful."
We remained silent, staring at the wall.
"So..." he picked up a red folder to place beside the papers he flicked up "... when someone is awake during this time, it's really noticable. They are like a scream over a quiet crowd; rude and ignorant, like all of them during the day."
"I'm sorry, Sir, I.." Solanine started but fell silent when Eagle glared up at him.
"I want you to complete this Mission" he filed through the stack of coloured folders to hand him a yellow one ahe quickly took "I have a Base to run, and Souls who don't come when they are called have to spend the night outside."
He made it sound like he was a dog who deserved to be chained up.
"Smart guy" Eagle smirked "he gets the reference. He screams louder than you, Solanine. How come you are trying to keep yourself quiet over there? Have something you don't want me to know about? Creeping around like a traitor?"
"No, Sir" he said quickly "I just don't want to burden you with my thoughts."
"Fucking and beheading?" Eagle glanced up when he started to scrawl on the paper again "I heard you loud and clear on the way in. Honestly, do you think of anything else?"
Solanine looked embarrased. He kept up his proud posture and eyes trained on the back wall.
"So, how come you were out fucking this one instead of being here where you are needed? He's not one of your usual flings, Sol. I get your species have certain needs, but it looks like you're getting a little too attached to Xylosma here."
"No, Sir" Solanine replied again.
"No, Sir" I added.
"Don't defend him" Eagle hissed to me "keep your damn mouth shut until I need you to talk."
I nodded and found the wall again.
My heart was pounding. Adrenaline was already pumping through me from the hostility. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡe2vHR479Mc
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I swallowed the lump in my throat and kept my mouth firmly shut.
"Since you aren't attached to this Soul, you'll take him on the Mission" Eagle spoke to Solanine while ignoring him "we lose Souls all the time to less. You should have no trouble with it if you are telling me the truth."
"I wouldn't lie to you, Sir" Solanine said without looking through the folder "I've been with you for this long. I'm not destroying everything for someone like him."
That hurt.
"Wouldn't you like me to take Pierce instead?" Solanine offered "he's still awake and it would make the Mission go so much more quicker for you so I can be here when you need me."
Eagle smiled at the papers and stacked another folder.
"Nice try. Take the Soul or I'll shoot him right here and turn that yellow folder into a red one."
Solanine was rattled. His eyes widened and glanced to me without him moving his head from the cold grin Eagle was shooting Solanine.
"Of course."
"And I'm giving you two hours for you to get there" Eagle added with a chuckle over the papers he pulled towards himself.
Solanine frowned before opening the folder and scanning over it.
"That's not possible!" he gasped out.
"It is if you aren't distracted" Eagle chimed "get to it then. I'll expect you there at twelve. I'll know."
Solanine closed the folder and led the way out of the room. Once the door was closed, he blew out a breath and powered for his own.
"What's going on?"
"Just keep up" he grunted out and slapped the folder against his palm in thought "fuck."
"Sol..."
"Don't" he warned and halted outside his door "stay here, don't make a noise. I'll be right back."
Instantly, I was afraid.100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuqTCiQSY3v
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I knew that monster lurked these levels at night.
I stepped forward to grab into his arm he shook me off from.
"Don't move" he snapped to me and bolted up his stairs, leaving his door wide open.
I stood there nervously. I was sure the damn beast would be able to smell me from wherever it was around here. Hell, I could even smell myself, and I hated it.
Solanine came storming back down in a new shirt and shorts with a bag slung over his shoulder. He roughly threw clothes at me that almost tumbled out of my grasp and to the ground.
"Get changed" he ordered with a click of his fingers "now."
I glared to him as I peeled off my pants and wiped myself down with them before doing the same with my shirt so I could toss them to him and pull on the new ones.
Solanine bowled the old clothes through the door he yanked shut, powering back down the level with me hot on his heels.
"Whats going on?" I called out "hey! I am still here, you know!"
"And I know that, don't I?" he huffed "just keep up and keep quiet. It is still night."
I had forgotten about the danger in my moment of anger. I boiled bitterly as we both ran back through the tunnel and picked up into a sprint for the cars.
"Not the same one" Solanine barked out when i went for it "this one."
He yanked the tarp off one further amongst the trees to roll it up and throw it in the backseat. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTVT51xW7MQ
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Hitting the top of the roof, he demanded for me to get in the front.
"Read it over while I drive" Solanine grunted, heaving the bag into my lap and slamming on the accelerator to weave around the trees frantically towards the gravel road "we have, like, no time to do this."
"Why even rush?" I raised an eyebrow when the tyres skidded a little on the loose rocks Solanine sped over "it shouldn't matter if you are a little late."
"And disrespect him more than I already have?" Solonine scoffed "yeah, that'll go done well. Eagle runs the Base well and I'm supposed to be there to help. If anything happened while I was out with you, I'd be a dead man already. We get this done on time and everything will be good. We can't miss our window."
"I don't see why you are panicking so much over something that didn't happen" I pointed out and found the edge of the folder i wedged out from around two bottles of water and a handgun "what's all this for?"
"Read!" he growled but softened immediately "please, Xy. We don't have time to mess around."
Whatever.
I lowered the bag down and tried to steady the folder in my hands. Solonine was absolutely flooring it, hurtling us done the gravel like he had a deathwish.
He slammed on the breaks when the tar roadside appeared. It send us skidding sideways until he wrestled the wheel to force us straight onto the road.
I lowered my head so I didn't have to see the two beams of light illuminating our only patch of road ahead. Everything else zoomed by in a blur of colour out of the corner of my eye.
We were going to fucking die in a car crash before we even got to where he was speeding us to.
And where was that?
I focused on the trembling paper and the words written there. They were barely dried into the paper, smudged in some places I scanned over.
"He wants us to escort someone?" I asked.
I wasn't going to look up at Solanine. I didn't want to see how fast he was driving. I could already hear the car revving and struggling to keep up with Solanine's foot forcing the pedal closer to the floor.
"A very important group of women" he replied with a tap on the corner of the folder where a distant photo was of fifteen women all bent back from the sheer mass that they were carrying at the front, one already with a young child hiding behind its mother's dress "they have things on them called Iron Wombs. They carry the people the Base wants to turn into perfect Souls. We can't mess this up."
"We have to get them from this meeting area to the Base?" I questioned as I read "but this place is several days away!"
"We only have the two hours to get to the meeting area to be taken to them" Solanine said through gritted teeth "we'll be pushing it, but we will make it. We can't miss them leaving or it'll be both our heads."
"We are the security?" I pondered the paper "really?"
"Those women and carrying some important cargo. I think I saw something about one ready to pop."
I found it below my finger and groaned. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdaBf9OixFY
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It was listed as a detailed warning.
"Yep."Due to give birth. Will be a possible risk with the presence of muzzled Que... Que...."
"Quezedorins" Solanine finished for me "they can detect abnormalities with just thier scent. But they do get aggressive if there are any and will try to eliminate them, hense the muzzles."
"There's no picture of them."
"They are quite rare, but you'll know them when you see them" Solanine added "besides, they aren't our Mission. We have to protect the Wombs first."
I paused at his words.
"You mean the women?"
"The women are only the carriers. The wombs can come off if they need to. That is the only thing we need."
That was so cruel. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGbaoxEiHrK
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I felt sick thinking about even seperating a baby from its mother, let alone one not even born yet.
"There is a kid here too" I pointed out "a Flawed Severance."
"Fucking disgusting thing" Solanine spat out "I'll kill it when we get there and save everyone the trouble. That thing is not like me, OK! I don't want you going anywhere near it!"
I held back laughter at Solanine's anger.
"A kid?" I snorted "are you jealous of a kid? Is he the same species as you? Is that why you don't want me near him?" I held up the photo and sighed dramatically "he's so cute and innocent."
"Fuck off" Solanine snapped back venomously, his face wavering a little as the split down the middle of it peeked through "I'll kill that mother- fucker."
He really was speeding now. I saw the needle of the speedometer wound over to point at the numbers closest to his window. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8L6qacff63
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It made me aware of how much danger I was in right now. The lights illuminating the road wouldnt be enough if a car appeared up ahead or there was a sharp bend.
Fuck me.
"Sol" I whimpered now with tears in my eyes and grabbed for the handle above the window "please slow down!"
"Fuck" he hissed and laid off the accelerator to jerk us back "sorry about that, Xy. We're going to be there in ten minutes anyway. Pack up the folder and get ready."
I obediently did as I was told and still kept my panicked grip on the handle.
If the mention of his own species set him off that much, I wasn't going to even tease him about the kid. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ7zNSqvnSx
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I already knew it was going to be a shitstorm when they met face to facsce anyway.
I didn't want to be caught between that when it did.
The red glow of brake lights and the steady curling plumes of smoke out the back of three parks trucks greeted us when we crunched over the gravel col de sac to park up behind them.
I already saw several silhouettes basked in light gathered together that all lifted thier heads when we climbed out and slammed the doors shut.100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9eW5ItUZHl
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The blinking red bulbs speckled the darkeness around them and made me aware we were dealing with more Souls who could be as unpredictable as Solanine. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnvmOatWkI
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Others were void of any trackers, just waiting patiently.
Solanine really threw force behind his door to make it known he was still pissed about the situation he had been thrown into.
He stomped over the gravel towards the closest Soul who came to greet him warmly.
The Soul had short messed brown and black flecked hair was the only thing not covered by warm clothing. It had on long black trackpants and a dark blue hoodie thrown on top. Rainbow eyes twinkled from the lights illuminating them. They mesemerised me by how unique and beautiful they were.
The cold air froze my arms and legs that didn't have the same protection. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdjce4vCZ38
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I was only dressed in a borrowed shirt and shorts Solanine had thrown to me. He wore the same but didn't look like he was struggling like I was.
"Where the fuck is it?" Solanine prodded his chest when the Soul went to speak "the fucking Flawed waste of space."
"Now, Solo..." a man's voice chuckled nervously.
"Don't you Solo me, Talow!" he spat back as he searched the darkness around him "where's the fucking kid?"
"Keep your voice down" he wrapped an arm around Solanine to take him aside "you need to make the Wombs feel safe on thier trip back. You wanting to murder one of thier kids is going to make them want to do risky things. We've already had to catch one of them who did a runner; the VIP."
Solanine growled and grabbed the bridge of his nose in annoyance.
"Fuck all of this bullshit."
"You're telling me" Talow agreed "you think I want to be here in the middle of the night doing this? He's safe and that's all that matters."
Solanine grumbled and agreed.
Who was 'he'? The kid Solo wanted to kill?
"And who's this?" Talow smiled to me "I haven't seen this one around the Base yet."
"You don't see a lot of people anyway" Solanine rolled his eyes and came over to pull me forward "this is Xylosma."
"Oof, what a mouthful" Talow laughed "part of the family?"
Solanine nodded with a smile.
Talow pulled me into a hug I tried to yank myself out of fearfully. He only laughed and patted me on the back.
"We're all infected here. Solanine needs to learn to keep his hands to himself."
My heart leapt into my throat at the mention.
He had only just met me and he knew.
Was it that obvious?
"Your secret is safe with me" Talow grinned with a raised finger to his lips "but seriously, Solanine, stop touching people. I can't keep burning them when you lose interest."
Lose... interest?
My eyes traveled back to Solanine who had no remorse. He only turned from me to head to the other Souls waiting to fill him in.
Was I going to be thrown to the side now that Eagle was catching on to Solo's attachment to me? I was going to be killed for something I couldn't control?
"Its not personal" Talow patted my shoulder "you seem like a smart guy, just don't go causing problems for me, OK?"
I couldn't get the words out. They lodged in my throat painfully and refused to budge.
"You'll be keeping Solanine in check and making sure all our Wombs make it back to Base safely" Talow filled in as he steered me towards the other Souls "I've marked them with numbers so you'll know which is which. Number one is our VIP of course, so make sure she's at the top of your list. Number five is the one expecting to give birth. She's already started showing signs of labour."
"I don't know how to deliver a baby" I fretted.
"None of us do" Talow laughed back and handed me off to Solanine who looked disgruntled "just tell them to breathe and push or something. We only have two without Iron Wombs, so it should be a breeze."
Fuck.
"OKAY, PEOPLE!" Talow clapped his hands together to stop the murmuring between the Souls and others spread around them "let's make sure this all runs smoothly, OK? 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8C89hbULcX
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I've marked the two most valuable Wombs for transport and seperated them in these trucks" he pointed to the first two "the last one is just a diversion just in case you hit some drama.100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouyN0pVZT0
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Our little escapee who gave us the runaround is number one. The one whose going to pop out the kid is number five. I'll split you into groups so we can hit the road. It'll be a slow trip back, so make yourselves comfortable."
"Can't you just Jump them back and save the hassle?" a Soul moaned out in annoyance to some agreement.
"Eagle only wants me here to report back on who actually turned up. I'm not to get involved in any other way."
"But you've got Solanine here" another spoke up "he could infect the whole lot of them! Then we'd have nothing to bring back!"
Solanine grumbled back at the Soul and went to retaliate before Talow stepped in.
"Solanine and Xylosma will be at the back of the truck to give our special ones a little more coverage if anything happens. With the slow speed you'll all be going at, we want to make sure you've got someone who can keep the 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8sFHptFtnl
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Quezedorins in line."
"You don't need to worry about me" a deep voice laughed back with the sound of clanging chains "there are no abnormalities here."
I tried to find the source but couldn't see anything but shadows in the darkness.
"We'll see about that."
"Alright" Talow pulled out a watch to check the time "we need to hit the road. Line the sides, don't touch the women."
There was grumbled agreement as Talow started his rounds, touching each person lightly on the shoulder to give them a designated number.
I felt him touch mine and looked up to see him smile at me.
"Number one."
Was that the one giving birth or not?
I shuffled to the first truck to see it already packed with women. There were five here already sitting on the benches that lined the inside of the truck. The enclosed space also had two rings mounted to the left and right walls that the women kept clear, except for one on the left.
I took my place at the back of the truck and rested my body against the cold metal seperating us from the driver's canopy on the other side.
The woman on my left that was sat infront of one of the rings was actually shackled to it by her throat. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOEm7XovpPz
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I saw that her legs were also bound and had chains running to another ring underneath the bench. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUAWZd2FuXn
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A thin blanket covered her, but couldn't hide the large number one sprayed across the metal Womb strapped around her frame. Other than the spray paint, the red veins and lining inside of her actual womb was visible for all, including parts of her baby's body crammed inside. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAVxF73rMAj
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I couldn't get a good look at it since the woman saw me staring and promptly covered the Womb with the blanket she tucked around herself.
Another person shuffled for the truck to temporarily divert my focus.
They were also shackled, but must have been one of the Quezedorins that were mentioned.
They had the overal shape of a human, but with animalistic features.
Scales covered every part of thier body that was visible around the loose blue shirt and cargo pants they wore.
A thick tail armed with a spine of plating similar to a crocodile's dragged on the ground, swishing the dirt when it turned to feed its own chain from the muzzle it wore through the loop.
Its face was drastically pulled out into a snout that housed four slits for nostrils opening and closing rhythmically. It's slit eyes didn't move from the chain it made sure wasn't too slack.
"Sly" it's deep voice spoke up when another Soul walked towards the back of the truck "lock me in, will you?"
The Quezedorin threw it two padlocks and quickly tossed the chains it held up from its legs through its own hook under the bench.
"About there?" the Soul, Sly, asked when they reached over the muzzle to reach the hook. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDjRREcSuBS
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They were leaning right on its face. The Quezedorin could quite easily harm the Soul if it wanted to, but it didn't.
"Nice and tight" it jingled the locked chain with a smile.
"You'd never hurt us, Jeffy" the woman opposite it smiled back at the antics. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK9Ph8EGrtt
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Only a sliver of her brown hair was visible through the patchwork blanket covering her. I could see her pregnant frame bulging out underneath it that she cradled as she sat. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSBPOAjObf4
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Her eyes were plain brown as well; a hopeful sign that I had nothing to worry about.
"You can never be too sure, Miss Blue" it chucked back to make her smile under a blush.
Sly wasn't amused by the flirting coming from the Quezedorin who leant forward with a smile to the one it called Miss Blue. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡda9RpoTWkQ
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He rolled his grey eyes at them and wedged in on the other side of Number One to rest his head against the truck so he could close his eyes. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIIrkh9DqzR
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Nothing gave him away as someone I should be wary of. His whole body was covered with a black tracksuit pants and jumper that had the hood raised. Even his hair was plain; only brown and void of any crazy colours.
I was relieved that there were no obvious features I couldn't see that would point to him being some sort of monster from the Base, but had to remember that Solanine looked perfectly human on the outside too.
Solanine stepped into the truck and peered around seriously at everyone sat inside. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡesIQJnoHi7
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He started for me but stopped when he was in line with one of the women to his right, only up from me.
His eyes hardened as he looked her up and down and studied the massive blanket wrapped around herself.100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvtu7vn0gVV
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There was someone else underneath it. I could see thier bent back and shape of a leg wrapping around the woman who moved her arms to hold it.
"Disgraceful" he growled at her with a flash of his splitting face before he sat down beside me with a flawless Skin.
"Solo" I warned him with a hand on his knee while he kept his murderous glare on the blanket "don't."
"Relax" he hissed without aknowledging me "Talow already gave me the whole speach."
Another Quezedorin climbed into the truck to make Jeffy grin wildly and greet it with a happy drawl of thier name and clap of thier hands into a firm handshake.100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡixKKDRAiRR
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The only difference in this one from Jeff's pitch black scales tinted with green patches was the massive pink gouge that ran over the left side of its jaw to reveal the broken pointed fangs underneath.
The one Jeffy called Brue chained itself up to the right of the woman Solanine was fixated on. She leant against the Quezedorin for comfort when it snapped the locks in place, glaring back to Solanine after a quick peek under the blanket.
"If you've got a problem, Solanine, you should switch trucks" Sly drawled without opening his eyes "give some of us time to sleep for once. Number Five could use some extra hands."
"It's fine" he pulled his glare from the woman finally and turned it on him instead momentarily.
Another two identical Quezedorin climbed up and were given the same greeting by both thier friends. These two, Bonbon and Jerra, chained up besides the women and sat there patiently, waiting.
With all the hooks filled, thier huge bodies took up most of the benches around them. It looked like we'd only be able to squeeze in one, maybe two, more Souls around everyone here.
"That's it guys!" Talow slapped the side of the truck when he appeared at the end of it "we need more hands with Number Five, so I'm sending you like this."
He grinned at everyone, the kindness slipping when his expression met Number One.
The back had a tarp rolled down that only had two plastic windows to see through. Others rushed over to weave the loops of the tarp in place down both sides to secure it in place.
There was a muffled groan from outside the truck that cut through the air. It was gutteral and was brief but demanding.
"Sounds painful" Brue commented with a wrinkle of its snout and quick arm around the woman and concealed child he held close to his side.
Banging echoed from the side of the truck that the door slammed shut to just behind our heads, making me jump with some of the women. It rumbled to life and shook the seats beneath us before starting its crawl backwards to line up properly against the road we inched onto.
Solanine was tense beside me. His eyes darted to the kid who peered out from between its mother and its guardian meekly.
The bright purple eyes looked just like Solanine's, but that was the only resemblance. It's skin was pale and had a huge red line down the middle of its face and chin before cutting off at its bulky blue wool-lined jacket swimming on it. The knotted light brown hair was pushed to one side of his face that looked up to his mother wrapping an arm around him. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBuGF9B3ElY
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His little legs dangled from the seat, swinging absent-mindedly before he was pushed back out of sight.
"Who does he look like?" I spoke up.
The mother frowned at me at the question and kept her kid hidden.
"Solanine looks like his keeper" I continued to try and keep the tension between us light "surely your boy looks like another brother or best friend?"
"He took the same looks as an old friend we called Goose because of his laugh" Brue replied gruffly "the kids used to hang around and play together at the old place. It was nice."
"So, not the Base?" I was surprised at his answer "you are being sent to the there from somewhere else? Somewhere better?"
Sly's eye peeked open and I closed my mouth at remembering there was company here I didn't know about.
Anything i said here could be reported back to Eagle. I had to watch how I slandered our 'home' around other Souls that were still strangers.
"Somewhere better" Bonbon snorted now "somewhere where you could see the damn sky and breathe fresh air more like."
Brue snickered with them.
"It is what it is" Jerra shrugged, chains jingling as he kicked a leg out into Jeff's roughly who was salvating as he stared at the Miss Blue opposite him. His tail slapped the ground in his fixation on her lowered face blushing.
"Damn it, get a hold of yourself" Sly shoved Jeff's side "you'll mess up the floor with your slobber."
He went to wipe it but only swiped the side of his muzzle it was dripping from. Jeff leant back against the truck, closing his eyes as he looked like he was trying to force himself into sleep instead.
The truck was quiet apart from the clinking of chains and heavy thudding of Jeff's tail hitting the ground slowly.
I saw Brue's muzzle begin to drip before he reacted to it in the same way. I heard him groan and turn his head from the mother who giggled at his shame.
"God damn you, Jeffy" Jarra growled through glistening teeth at him, kicking him once more which he returned with a wide smile.
Bonbon snorted and laughed before the others snickered along with him. I saw Brue's tail sweeping the ground while Jarra's curled and Jeff's kept thumping. The only one not affected was Bonbon who sat there in amusement at his friend's reactions.
Having them all silently salvating was unnerving me. It made it look like the creatures were starving and waiting for the perfect time to strike when I wasn't looking.
They weren't even talking to each other. Rather than fixating on the woman around them like what Jeff had been doing, they forced their heads upwards or downwards to avoid any contact altogether.
"If you don't stop with the damn tail, I'll cut it off" Sly groaned to Jeff.
"Why don't you quit your bitching and save us all the noise?" Solanine bit back now "if you think that is annoying, you can join the truck behind us when we park up, OK?"
Sly muttered something under his breath that he choked on before glaring to Solanine smirking at him.
"Whatever" Sly shrunk back.
"Get some sleep" Solanine mumbled to me and shut his eyes "might be the only chance you get."
Was he being suggestive? Or was it an actual request? It was hard to tell with his satisfied smirk still glued to his face from not-so-subtly robbing Sly of air.
"Get some sleep" he nudged me with his eyes closed "nothing is going to happen."
I took a look to the women watching me and Bonbon grinning at Solanine's persistence before wedging myself into the corner of the seat and trying to doze off with everyone else.
The repeated straining of chains snapped me from the sleep I didn't know I had fallen into. 100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE7mhXARPrU
100Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlH7xKt26QY
The truck was still moving, with Solanine staring in annoyance at the cause of the noise before us.
I saw the women had gotten up from their seats and were all huddled before ours in fear. The child stood up on the seat beside mine and pressed his back to the wall while watching his guardian snap forward in a frenzy.
All of the Quezedorins were yanking against their chains, trying to rip the muzzles from thier faces or tear thier legs free.
They were feral creatures now, snapping and snarling as saliva flung everywhere in thier rage to be free.
"What the hell set this off?" I panicked and stood on my seat to try and put distance between me and the crowding women.
Solanine climbed up beside me, banging on the wall to try and get the drivers attention.
"Number Five is still trying to have the baby" he grumbled "but something is obviously going wrong if they are acting this way."
"Hurry up and stop the damn truck!" Sly pushed through the women to jump up beside me.
"We can't just yet!" someone from the other side hissed back "just hold out a little while longer!"
"Eagle is going to tear your damn throats out if his VIP is killed because you didn't want to stop the damn truck!" Solanine snarled back now with a thump of his fist.
I saw Number One still shackled next to Jeff who was snarling and snapping at the air, pulling against the chains strained to thier limits. She was leaned as far away as she could go, but had already been swiped by Jeff who had cut the skin on the sides of her leg open to make her bleed over the fingers trying to keep it closed.
"Keys!" Solanine demanded Sly "who has the keys?!"
"I don't know! Talow?" he panicked as he patted down his body anyway "you know they don't like us letting the lizards off thier chains! Just choke them and be done with it!"
"And have them turn on the one I focus on?" Solanine snapped back "they won't let up. They'll just try to kill one of thier own, and Eagle needs them all back at Base unharmed. I'm not being the one who gives him a dead Dorin!"
"Dead lizard or dead VIP!" Sly threw a hand out to the woman looking desperately to us while trying to shield her middle that had a claw run along the glass surface "come on! Even I know which I'd prefer!"
Solanine groaned, banging on the back wall with all of his force now.
"I'LL CHOKE THE DRIVER IF YOU DON'T PULL OVER RIGHT NOW!"
He was terrifying when he was angry. I saw his eyes even snap to a blazing shade of white as they bore holes into the truck.
I had never seen that before. Yet again, he hadn't really been to the point of wanting to actually kill me either.
"Hold on!" the voice called back just as the truck veered to the right and sent everyone gasping and tumbling into each other.
I could hear the wheels screeching on tar and had myself pulled against Solanine to save myself from slamming against Sly who was thrown into the side of the truck.
Some of the women fell to the ground, clutching thier middles and holding onto the side of the benches for dear life, crying out.
When we finally stopped, footsteps rushed for the back of our truck to rip off the tarp and swarm the opening with a barrage of concerned faces.
The straining Quezedorin stopped any of them from rescue. Thier swiping claws were unrelenting and almost touching the ones of the creature on the other bench.
"Fuck it" Solanine muttered as he focused on Jeff and Jarra to instantly start throttling the life from them they fought against.
"Go! GO!" Sly urged the women, pushing them to the exit.
They ran and were lowered to the ground to be checked over then stood aside.
Solanine saw how dopey Jarra was getting and how his eyes were starting to roll before switching to Bonbon and Brue.
Jeff and Jarra were still recovering when the rest of the women darted past them.
The last was the mother and her child who she carried and sprinted for the exit with while he reached out for Brue.
Solanine switched again to let Sly through who jumped down to find the keys in the crowd and release the VIP.
She was in bad shape. She hobbled for the exit while still clutching her middle and leg, being lowered to the dirt she had to rest in as Talow attended to her.
Solanine made me go first before coming up behind me. We both slid down from the truck and stood with the others to try and regain our strength.
Everything in me was shaking and jolting from being so close to danger. I was expecting Solanine to come and check on me but saw that his focus was only on himself.
With so many people around, maybe that's why he was being so distant?
"She's in a bad way" Talow muttered when I stood by Solanine looking over the woman's leg "who knows what sort of diseases a Dorin has under its nails. I can Jump her back and...."
"No" Solanine stopped him from grabbing her "we only need her for the Iron Womb. Let nature take its course. We can still deliver what Eagle wants and not have her run off again."
Talow looked to the groaning woman then to Solanine as he got to his feet.
"Seriously?" the woman spat through gritted teeth "you aren't going to help me?!"
"Look, she's going to die either way. Eagle will make sure this doesn't happen again. Shouldn't we do it quick rather than like this? This is something Scalpel can fix. Those Dorin will just stay savage if we put her back in the truck."
"Exactly" Solanine said firmly "we take what we need from her now and keep going."
"We need it to stay on her as long as possible" Talow fretted "who knows the effects taking something so small from on place to another like that would do to it? We have to take it slow."
"Or we could just get Talow to bring Scalpel here and patch her up until we get back? Maybe even needle and thread it?"
Solanine pushed me from the both of them with a hard glare.
"This is something the adults need to talk about" he grumbled to me "it's between the important Souls, alright?"
Immediently I knew I wasn't wanted there.
"Alright" I mumbled back and shuffled to the side away from the groups.
I sat down on the dirt, drawing circles in it and peering to Solanine and Talow quietly arguing over the fate of the woman between them trying to interject.
I heard the bellowing of the other one grow louder as I saw her being lifted from the other truck by four other Souls. She had one under each arm and one around each leg holding them open as they placed her in the dirt.
"The baby is breech!" one Soul called to Talow.
"Just don't fight me on this" Talow warned Solanine before sprinting over to the woman.
Everyone crowded around her as she continued to heave and scream. Her voice echoed into the night and had everyone's attention.
"Lift her up" Solanine marched over to the crowd that parted "move her over there. We need to get all these Dorin in one truck and throw her in with the others."
"But that means only four will be hooked up" a voice piped up.
"Its got to be done. No other way we are getting these Wombs back without them reacting" Solanine replied and snapped his fingers to point out three Souls "you, you, and you; get to moving them into this truck. I've made then dopey so you should be able to just lead them in."
The picked Souls hesitantly moved from the group to head to our truck. One stopped at the entrance and looked to me.
"What about him?"
My heart leapt at the mere mention of me.
"I picked you" Solanine snapped back "unless you want to sit in with them?"
The Soul dissapeared into the truck with the others.
"The baby looks like a fucking lizard" another breathed in disgust "I thought they were supposed to breed that out of them?"
"They are" Talow scowled and snapped his fingers to me to make me rush over.
Blood was everywhere. It stained the dirt and shoes of everyone around the woman trying to find something to grip to as she threw her head back and tried to push.
She was exhausted and shining with sweat. Her mouth was ringed with white and lips cracked, her long hair clumped with her own bodily fluids.
I could see the baby turned the wrong way within her. It definately had lumped skin under the fluid it was suspended in, and a little tail curled between its legs.
"It's supposed to act as a middle man, not be the main feature" Talow spoke while other Souls lifted her head from the dirt and hitched her shirt up further for the Iron Womb to be clearly seen "we aren't going to speak of this failure to anyone. She's going to have it here, then it's going to go to slip under the water quietly."
"You're going to drown it?!" I gasped out to some chuckles.
"These creatures live in the water" Solanine smirked at me "it'll just be going where no-one can find it."
"The woman stays behind" Talow spoke as he looked to everyone around him "we will keep one of the Dorins here too. Once the mistake comes out, give it to them and then kill the woman. She's no good to us like this."
He pulled a handgun from his pocket to hand to the closest Soul. After that, he gestured for the Soul behind us leading the last of the Quezedorin to the other truck to bring the doped creature towards him. He handed the chain to another Soul without a word and let them leave the group to wrap it around a nearby post.
"We should keep going then" Talow rose "I'll let Eagle know to expect you all a little later. Get the women back in the truck and settled. The VIP does not come off her chain under any circumstances, understood?"
"Yes, Sir."
Talow smiled at the response and was gone in the blink of an eye to leave us all standing around the blood spilling further with each heave.
There was nothing we could do. We followed orders obediantly and crammed the truck with women. The Souls sat on the floor between them while Solanine and I had to sit on the edge just to not infect anyone.
As the truck filled with Quezedorin passed usand ours shuddered to life to follow it, I watched as the Soul left behind with the handgun waited over the woman to end her life the moment a new one was born.
ns 15.158.61.6da2
