weightlifting paraphernalia. The other prisoners who had been watching her scattered as the flying predator dove toward her. Raze, however, didn't run—instead she grabbed a five-kilo plate and hurled it like a discus at the thing swooping toward her. The plate struck the creature in the head, and with another shriek, this time of anger and pain, it swerved away.
Maro got to his feet, still bewildered by the swiftness of it all. Around him, other prisoners were rising also. They immediately resumed whatever it was they had been doing before the attack. No one showed much surprise or reaction. Maro looked questioningly at Scanner.
"Dragonbat," Scanner said. "One of Omega's larger and more unfriendly lifeforms. Every now and then they like to drop into the yard for a snack."
Maro looked at the towers, where the guards were grinning as they watched the prisoners. He heard Scanner add, "The guards' weapons always seem to be out of ammo when it happens."
He looked back at Raze, who had calmly resumed her workout. "Looks like it picked the wrong meal this time," he said.
Then he felt a cold chill run up his spine as Scanner said, too casually,
"Someone's coming to do you."
That confirmed what Maro had anticipated. Somebody would be testing him. He relaxed, his senses alert, waiting for whatever form the attack would take—
"Well. What have we here?"
Maro turned slightly to view the speaker. He did not let his surprise show; if anything, the man was even more innocuous-looking than Scanner. He wasn't a dwarf, but he wasn't much larger. And he had the face of a saint— smooth skin, no wrinkles except deep laugh lines, and electric green eyes. The snide voice didn't go at all with the face. Maro couldn't figure out how old the man was; he could be anywhere from twenty to forty. He was sure, however, that the saintly appearance was misleading. Looking like he did and still being alive in the Cage, he had to have something going for him. Some kind of martial art, perhaps?
"What a sweet ass you have," the saint said. "I'll just have me a piece of it."
Maro tensed. Rape in a crowded prison yard didn't seem likely, not with guards watching. But something was going to happen… He couldn't stop looking at the man's eyes. They were so green that they seemed to glow, to expand somehow, filling his vision…
And suddenly, with no sense of transition whatsoever, he was no longer in the yard. He was in a seraglio — a huge chamber with satin wall hangings. He was nude and chained face down on a large bed covered with black silk sheets. He twisted his head, and could just glimpse the dwarf standing behind him. He was wearing leather trappings and robes now. He stood behind the bed, chuckling, and parted the robes slowly to reveal an enormous erection .
Maro struggled, but the chains held him firmly. His mind was dazed—where was he, and how had he gotten here?
It's not real, he thought, and suddenly knew that was the truth of it. Maro took a deep breath and let it slowly escape, then began to set his mind in the Defense Cast he had learned from the Soul Melders —
The dwarfs laughter grew louder and louder. Maro could feel the man touching him, stroking him lasciviously. He forced himself to divorce himself from the feelings of revulsion and outrage, to reach within himself for the strength necessary to fight…
And then, just as suddenly as before, he was back in the yard. He staggered backward as though he had just broken free of a tether. He could feel sweat running down his face. The dwarf had not moved, but there was a look of shock on his face. Then, as Maro regained his balance and stepped forward again, the shock was replaced with fear. The dwarf turned and ran.
Maro saw Scanner and some of the other inmates looking at him with new-found respect.
"Amazing. Nobody ever did that to the Mindfucker before," Scanner said softly.
"He's one of the strongest empaths in the galaxy."
Maro turned slightly to look at the
Maro got to his feet, still bewildered by the swiftness of it all. Around him, other prisoners were rising also. They immediately resumed whatever it was they had been doing before the attack. No one showed much surprise or reaction. Maro looked questioningly at Scanner.
"Dragonbat," Scanner said. "One of Omega's larger and more unfriendly lifeforms. Every now and then they like to drop into the yard for a snack."
Maro looked at the towers, where the guards were grinning as they watched the prisoners. He heard Scanner add, "The guards' weapons always seem to be out of ammo when it happens."
He looked back at Raze, who had calmly resumed her workout. "Looks like it picked the wrong meal this time," he said.
Then he felt a cold chill run up his spine as Scanner said, too casually,
"Someone's coming to do you."
That confirmed what Maro had anticipated. Somebody would be testing him. He relaxed, his senses alert, waiting for whatever form the attack would take—
"Well. What have we here?"
Maro turned slightly to view the speaker. He did not let his surprise show; if anything, the man was even more innocuous-looking than Scanner. He wasn't a dwarf, but he wasn't much larger. And he had the face of a saint— smooth skin, no wrinkles except deep laugh lines, and electric green eyes. The snide voice didn't go at all with the face. Maro couldn't figure out how old the man was; he could be anywhere from twenty to forty. He was sure, however, that the saintly appearance was misleading. Looking like he did and still being alive in the Cage, he had to have something going for him. Some kind of martial art, perhaps?
"What a sweet ass you have," the saint said. "I'll just have me a piece of it."
Maro tensed. Rape in a crowded prison yard didn't seem likely, not with guards watching. But something was going to happen… He couldn't stop looking at the man's eyes. They were so green that they seemed to glow, to expand somehow, filling his vision…
And suddenly, with no sense of transition whatsoever, he was no longer in the yard. He was in a seraglio — a huge chamber with satin wall hangings. He was nude and chained face down on a large bed covered with black silk sheets. He twisted his head, and could just glimpse the dwarf standing behind him. He was wearing leather trappings and robes now. He stood behind the bed, chuckling, and parted the robes slowly to reveal an enormous erection .
Maro struggled, but the chains held him firmly. His mind was dazed—where was he, and how had he gotten here?
It's not real, he thought, and suddenly knew that was the truth of it. Maro took a deep breath and let it slowly escape, then began to set his mind in the Defense Cast he had learned from the Soul Melders —
The dwarfs laughter grew louder and louder. Maro could feel the man touching him, stroking him lasciviously. He forced himself to divorce himself from the feelings of revulsion and outrage, to reach within himself for the strength necessary to fight…
And then, just as suddenly as before, he was back in the yard. He staggered backward as though he had just broken free of a tether. He could feel sweat running down his face. The dwarf had not moved, but there was a look of shock on his face. Then, as Maro regained his balance and stepped forward again, the shock was replaced with fear. The dwarf turned and ran.
Maro saw Scanner and some of the other inmates looking at him with new-found respect.
"Amazing. Nobody ever did that to the Mindfucker before," Scanner said softly.
"He's one of the strongest empaths in the galaxy."
Maro turned slightly to look at the
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