EPISODE 10

The Sheikh is Waiting

Sweat covered Anais when she next awoke, matting her fur in the most uncomfortable manner. A sandy fabric clung to her. Even with her sweat, the heat made her want to crawl out of her skin. How did it get so hot? She opened her eyes.

As before, she was on a floor, but this was certainly no longer the cargo hold of a transport vessel. The floor was rough compared to the smooth surfaces she had once been on. It was made of stone, and the walls were some sort of plaster. It looked almost unfinished. Everything around was dirty, worn, and dusty. Up about six meters in height hung a few slotted windows, allowing soft light to trickle into the room.

When her head unclouded from the rough sleep, Anais noticed she wasn’t the only person on the floor here. There were at least a dozen others locked in this room. All women.

The space had a wooden door on one end, no handle on this side. Each of the women wore a very thin garment that covered them neck to toe. The clothes were sheer, revealing the detailed curves of their bodies. She noted a couple of ear-lines of the other women. She appeared to be the only Deklyn among them, but several other species were present. All of them were beautiful in their own ways, fit and with curves in the right places.

The other women hadn’t woken yet, still knocked out by whatever force or drug these barbarians had set upon them. Anais scooted herself into a seated position, bringing her knees to her chest. Someone had dressed her in the same garb as the others. The fabric itched, worsened by her sweat and her movement. It was so hot and stuffy. It was hard to breathe despite the open windows. She had to get out of here. The last few days of a nightmarish life kept getting worse.

Another woman stirred. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, looking directly at Anais. The fabric looked strange against her Elorian features of green-hued skin and blue-black hair, a mismatch to say the least. Even with looking out of place, the woman had an attractiveness about her that made Anais feel inadequate. Not that she wanted any of her captors to note her as one of the more attractive women here. Anais crossed her arms across her breasts.

“Deklyn?” The woman asked her, speaking in galactic common. “I didn’t know many of you traveled outside your home system.”

“We don’t,” Anais said softly.

Understanding grew in the other woman’s face. “Ah. My condolences. Such is the way of the universe. It will not be forever, though. This is only temporary. My name is Tarryh.”

“Anais,” she replied. Were condolences supposed to make Anais feel better? She peeled her eyes from Tarryh and looked to the door. “We have to get out of here somehow. These men captured me, said something about being taken as a wife for a sheikh.”

Tarryh chuckled. “I would make no sheikh’s wife. To them, I have been used.” She shrugged. “But you should know, there is no escape. This city, this entire world, is controlled by the Sekarans. You with your strange eyes and ears would stand out like a glo-rod in a dark cavern. The best you can do is comply with them and hope you, indeed, get paired with some nobility as a lesser wife. You can’t guarantee you’ll be treated well, but at least you’ll have some comforts.”

“I’m not going to be anyone’s wife,” Anais protested.

“You say this now, but you don’t want to end up like me.”

Anais opened her mouth to ask what she meant but closed it again.

“I’ve been traded and sold as a slave several times.” Tarryh shook her head. “You’re not from here. I know. My family sold me as a young girl. Sometimes, it must be done to survive. I understand. You will get used to it soon enough.”

Anais frowned. The woman stopped talking, and a couple of the others woke. She couldn’t let herself become anyone’s slave, minor wife or no. The prospect sickened her. There had to be something she could do about her situation. If she had been taken to some distant world as Tarryh said, it made her situation worse. It meant none of her father’s mercenary guard would be coming to save her any time soon. She didn’t have any resources on her own. There had to be some hope, someone who cared.

Tarryh stood moved closer, draping an arm around her. She lightly rubbed Anais’s shoulder. “There, there. It’s not so bad. There are worse fates in this universe.”

“I just want to be back home,” Anais said in a manner that came out much more like whining than she’d intended. This woman had been sold multiple times as a slave, and yet Anais felt sorry for herself. Her lip quivered, and she sobbed, pulling her knees closer to her chest and dropping her head onto them. This wasn’t fair.

She could hear some of the other women asking what was wrong with her. Tarryh waved them away, strangely protective.

Even though she didn’t know this woman, having a friendly touch brought her some comfort. Being held by a friend was more than she’d had since she’d been captured. Her sobs lasted another few minutes until her eyes went dry again. She had to stop crying all the time. All she did was wear herself out, which would leave her in no position to take advantage of any escape opportunities. Even if Tarryh said it was impossible, she had to try. Which meant having the energy to seize the opportunity when the time came. With one more sniffle, Anais nodded to herself.

Before she could fully regain her resolve, the wood door creaked open, and then slammed against the back wall. Two Sekaran guards bounded in, wearing full armor and holding their laser-repeaters pointed toward the women slaves. Another Sekaran followed them, one without armor but wearing a long, flowing black cape.

The caped Sekaran surveyed the women. “All of you, it’s time to get up. You’ll need to wash your faces and your hands in the bowl outside. When you’re done with that, you will line up single file and get yourselves ready.”

Anais’s ears grew hot. She wanted to claw at this man so badly, but doing so wouldn’t end well. One of the guards narrowed his eyes on her as if sensing her violent thoughts. But who did this caped man think he was, to order her like she was livestock?

Tarryh must have noticed her rage. She squeezed Anais’s shoulder as if trying to calm her or warn her.

“Well?” The caped Sekaran said, voice impatient. “Move it! The sheikh is waiting!”