The Morning Reaping

Awake long before dawn, Marianna stepped out of her house in the dark of the early morning and made her way to the bakery next door to take water from the well. The smell of fresh bread wafted through the air and she decided that once they had seen the bandits off with their ill gotten goods, she would treat herself to a nice fruit tart or perhaps a honey glazed bun.

Reaching the well Marianna lowered the bucket down on the hook, turning the winch that lowered it to the water below. She heard the soft splash and the bucket entered the water before turning the handle the opposite way, raising it back up to her. She emptied the well’s bucket into her own and carried it back to her house. She would use the water for drinking, cleaning and washing and it was common for her to make multiple trips a day to the well for more water.

The water that settled below the town came through tunnels from mountains to the east of Meadowfort. The tunnels were not naturally occurring and those who had gone down the well told of a complex water system made of metal aqueducts. The work of the deneril plain to see.

She poured some water into a basin in her kitchen and began to wash her face and neck wiping with a small cloth. Marianna had pretty regular baths but this morning, all she needed was a quick wake up rinse. She then helped herself to a small cup of water from the barrel and raised it to her lips.

Just as she was about to drink a familiar rumbling. Marianna took a large sip of the water, grabbed her sword and ran out of the house. As she left her house she saw the other villagers making their way to where the cart was sat in the center of the village. Her run slowed to a trot when she noticed something peculiar about the others. The way that they were walking was sluggish. Their arms hung limply at their sides and their feet were catching in the dirt like it was an immense effort to move.

“What is-?” Marianna quickly stepped out and grabbed Palema, the baker's wife, before she stumbled to the ground. “Are you alright, Palema?”

“Oh...Marianna. It’s you. How are you?” The young woman’s eyes seemed to struggle to focus on any particular point.

“Palema?! Can you walk?”

“If you want me to, I can!” Palema pulled herself free from Marianna’s arms and began making her way to the carts with the rest of Meadowfort.

Marianna stood there for a moment blinking in confusion before following after Palema. She arrived just as the bandits rode their lepsi into the village center. There seemed to be less than last time but Marianna figured the bandits probably thought the village cowed by fear already. She noticed the urken from the day before sitting on his mount before the crowd of bandits but to his side stood the largest aeln man she had ever seen before. The lepsi he rode was similarly huge, bigger than any lepsi she had seen before. The kind that most people around Meadowfort were familiar with would probably have been crushed by the large man’s bulk.

The man was clearly the bandit leader, Ungonius Hammer Fist. His bald head and face were crisscrossed by countless scars and as he grinned at the crowd of villagers , Marianna could see his twisted rotten teeth.”

“Greetin’, people of Meadowfort. As I’m sure you hav’ guessed, I am Ungonius. Your new lord.”

He leant forward on his mount and idly scratched the lepsi’s ear. “I am gladdened that you hav’ decided to accept the protection of me and my lads. I am sure you will not regret this one bit.”

Many of the bandits snickered at the comment. Ignoring them Ungonius continued.

“I think a truly fitting act that would cement the alliance between me and mine with you good folk would be for you all to go to your knees. Kneel before me.”

To Marianna’s horror, the people of Meadowfort did as he prompted. Not all at once but in small groups, they fell to their knees. Palema and her husband went down not too far from her and to her shock, she saw her good friend Serepia go to her knees.

There was a thumping in Marianna’s head and she got the intense feeling of wanting to follow suit. The feeling of wanting to prostrate herself before the brute of a bandit leader. She sucked in a deep breath and steadied herself, willing the urge to pass. There were only a few others still standing most notably Omlin whose fear filled eyes darted everywhere.

“Hahahaha! What did I tell you, Kazo?! Finyi has really come through on this one!” Ungonius laughed at the sight of the majority of the town on their knees, “Nearly all the blighters are kneeling and those who aren’t….well it's only a matter of time.”

Ungonius looked into Marianna’s eyes and smirked. He dismounted his lepsi and approached the knelt villagers. They looked up to him with dull eyes and made no movement as he walked amongst the crowd.

“Oooo. ‘eres a good one.” Ungonius chortled as he stopped in front of Palema, “Up you get, missy.”

Palema stood up before Ungonius and smiled pleasantly at him.

“What’s your name?”

“Palema, my lord.” She sighed.

“Well Palema, you are going to come with me.” Ungonius offered his hand and the young woman instantly took it. Ungonius tugged on her arm and pulled her into a hug, her bottom pressed against his crotch.

“You smell good Palema. Like fresh, hot bread.” He nuzzled the smooth incline of her neck holding her body against his with one hand. His other hand came around from behind and slid over her stomach and up to her considerable bosom. He palmed one of her breasts, feeling their weight in his hand.

“How about I unwrap you and just eat you whole?”

“Anything you want, my lord.” Palema moaned. Next to her Palema’s husband knelt motionless, not reacting to the sight of his wife being groped.

“Come with me then.” Ungonius growled before nipping her earlobe.

“L-let her go!” Marianna stepped up to Ungonius, her hand on the hilt of her blade.

“Why?” Do you want to come instead?” Ungonius laughed as he continued to massage Palema’s tit.

“You have no right!”

She began to draw her blade but Ungonius suddenly gave out a sharp order.

“Drop it!”

The pounding in Marianna’s head picked up in speed for a moment and she let out a yelp and immediately dropped her sword which clattered to the floor.

“Not quite yet…” Ungonius murmured to himself.

“Y-you won’t get away with this.”

“Don’t try and stop me.” Ungonius said as he began leading Palema back to his lepsi. He lifted her up onto the saddle before climbing up behind her. “Kazo! Take another one. I don’t plan on sharing.”

The urken named Kazo’s eyes flickered towards Marianna for a moment before he dismounted and stepped into the crowd. He looked around for a moment before he settled on one particular woman.

Serepia.

Kazo pulled the ex-adventurer to her feet and led her back towards his mount. She came without any fuss seemingly content to be led off by the bandit.

“No! Please! Don’t take her!” Marianna cried out after the urken. She couldn’t move her legs but she reached out desperately towards Serepia who went up onto Kazo’s lepsi with no fuss. “Let her go! She has a husband! No!”

As this was all going on a few of the bandits had hitched their lepsi to the cart of supplies and with an order from Ungonius began leading it out of the village and towards the ruined fort. Tears rolled down Marianna’s face as she watched the bandits leave with Serepia and Palema.

“Don’t worry, little lady.” Ungonius turned in his saddle and yelled back towards Marianna, “We’ll be back for you in time.”

Marianna fell to her knees and wept.