War Prize

Chapter Four:KATIRINA

      My master was silent for a while, his hands tightly gripping my arms. I wished so desperately to pull away but I could not. I waited for my master to speak. My arms soon becoming numb. Then he let out a booming laugh that caused me to jump slightly.

      "I am sorry your Highness but I must deny your request. This one here is not to be sold. She is my personal slave. The only one I could sell no matter how much I tried. She is very undesirable to say the least. But by all means take you pick of any other girl in my possession. I have no doubt that they shall be to your liking. All of them are pure and innocent." My master said with false cheerfulness. I felt his nails begin to dig into the sensitive skin on the inside of my arm.

       I flinched slightly, staring at the Prince, hoping that he was smart enough to leave with the offer my master is providing. I watched as his jaw clenched tightly. "You choose your words very carefully, for swine." the prince said slowly. "Why do you deny me my wish I wonder? What is her real worth for you to accept death as the alternative to giving her up?"

      "I bought her. She is my property." My master snarled. "I do not give up my property to the likes of you." he growled pulling a gun from his jacket. He stared down the barrel at the prince through the slits of his eyes. "Take the girls you want and leave my ship. I have other deliveries to make." 

        I saw one of the princes men shot forward pointing his gun at my master. My master glanced at the man barring his teeth like some wild animal. My master dragged me closer to himself, his mouth near to my ear. "Don't let anyone kill me, that is an order." He whispered to me. his words echoing loudly in my numb brain as the bracelet took control of my body. 

        I nodded once and stepped in front of my master facing the men. I kept my eyes on the ground, the hood of my cloak shadowing my face. I could feel the power begin to spread through my body, filling me completely.  

        My master spoke again In the slow low voice that the prince had been using. "I shall only ask once more. Leave my ship."  

        The prince was silent for a while. "Kill him. I wish to continue with our journey." He said to his men. "And do be quick about it, I do not wish to have to join you again." 

        I felt the first man move before I even looked up. The first shot was fired, the air crackling with its power. I raised my head staring at the plasma feeling time slow down about me. I watched It move slowly toward me. Yet I knew it would miss me and only strike my master who sat behind me. It was an impossible shot that was both elegant and deadly to the common man. 

        There was nothing common about me though. That is why I reached out my hand and held it before the plasma beam. I felt the air crackle about my hand as I absorbed the energy letting it  fill me. It was a warm energy like any other solar energy I have absorbed, yet the only difference about plasma was that I could fell the atoms buzzing about inside my body like an annoying pest. I could feel the air around me shift as time sped up once more. A good thing too, suspending times takes concentration and energy. I can only do it once or twice in order to receive my first spurt of energy, Then I am in the midst of chaos I can no longer do it. 

        I let time slip from my grasp and snap back into its rightful speed. I stared at the man with his gun raised pointed at my master. His jaw went slack as he saw his target still breathing. I lifted my hand in his direction flicking my wrist in a shewing motion. The man was flown backwards against the steel wall of the command deck. 

        I watched him go slack as he was knocked out cold from the blow. I turned to the rest of the men. Each had a  look of surprise across their faces. Some stared at their fallen comrade while others stared at me with their hands resting on their weapons. 

        The other girls in the room had begun to scream scrambling away into the farthest corner, away from me and the armed men. I blocked out their shrilled voices. Focusing only on the men, studying  them. They each slid into a fighting position yet it was the one caring the swords that was the most comfortable with the position. He was the one I had to fear. 

        I took a step forward removing my cloak from my shoulders, and settled into my own fighting position. I was no where as comfortable as these men, having no training other than what I had seen preformed from the men I had been forced to kill. They each stared at me, no one moving for a moment. Then one pulled out his gun shooting a plasma beam at me. I twirled away letting my hand suck the energy into me as I did. 

        I pushed the energy from my body shooting it back at him. He collapsed as I struck his leg. When he fell two more men shot plasma towards me. I pulled the energy into me as I breathed in, then shot them back with my exhalation. I was moving forward absorbing energy and releasing it. Moving in a dance where my heartbeat was the only music. The men I defeated were either unconscious or wounded. I left none dead, it was my own choice to do so, as I had not been ordered to do otherwise. 

        Then my masters voice rang in my ears. "Kill the Prince." He commanded. My muscles shoved me in the direction of the command. I moved towards the prince, there were very few men left standing, most were on the ground. All because of my cursed ability. 

        I stared at the prince focusing on his body shape to determine the best way to kill him. He was bigger than me, no doubt stronger. I would need to rely on my speed and ability in order to complete the command. I rushed forward toward him, absorbing the energy about me. My hands burst into energy flames that i threw at him. He easily dodged them taking me off guard with his speed. I didn't stop though I rushed in front of him throwing fist out to strike his body. Electricity sparkled about my small fist. The prince dodged my fist, gripping my wrist and pulling me into him. He attempted to hold me still. 

        I jammed my elbow into his unsuspecting stomach. The prince let out a cough his grip slipping for a moment, I wiggled free throwing my fist out to strike him once more. He dodged easily. I throwing my leg up to kick his stomach. I was taken off guard as he grabbed my ankle and yanked on it hard. My balance slipped and I fell hard against the metal flooring. The prince then proceeded to drag me across the floor as I kicked out my other leg trying to strike his head. He sat across my legs, and held down my arms keeping me still. 

        The fool... I thought. I went to draw his energy into me. A technique that i often used to kill. Yet I found myself being blocked. My eyes widened as tried once more. The man felt empty to my extra sense, it was as if their was a wall between us blocking his energy from my violence. I struggled against him, the command to kill him still hanging over my head. 

        Then my muscles went slack, and the fog in my brain cleared. I felt a shiver of pain run down my spine, my back arching in reaction to the odd sensation. As quickly as it came it was gone. My chest rose and fell rapidly as I stared at the prince. He was staring at something on the other side of the room. I tilted my head in order to see what he did. My master sat upon his beautiful leather chair. His eyes staring at me vacantly, his jaw slacked open. A metal sword was sticking out of his throat. The man with the two swords standing behind him a blank expression covering his face.

        I felt the bracelet around my wrist go cold, falling onto the floor with a faint clanking noise. My Master was dead. He was dead. I was free. I glanced up at the prince who still sat on top of me, holding me still. His dark eyes were staring down at me. They were a dark blue color I noted. A blue color that sent a shiver down my spine with the look they were giving me. I had not been freed, I realized as I turned my head away from the princes eyes.  

                                                   I had simply received a new master.