The not so great escape

Story by sisco on SoFurry

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#2 of Heat side stories

Well it's been a while, this was going to be the next in my heat series but the tone is much darker so it didn't quite fit in. I hope people enjoy it anyway, I wrote it as a stand alone story. Part 2 can be found here as part 10 of heat http://www.sofurry.com/view/564456#773339095 you don't need to have read heat to understand it though

Coverart by the super talented blondehusky who is taking comissions see his journal here https://www.sofurry.com/view/588766


Time, he'd lost track of it. Stuck in his cell alone with nothing to mark the passage except the infrequent meals he received. Still it was better than the first few days of his capture, he had been tortured for information for what seemed like months, but was probably days.

A dragos officer had wanted to claim his as a slave, however his unwillingness to break had meant he was unsuitable. The officer had ordered that he be sent to a mining camp. Promising that as soon as the war was over and he had time he would claim the human and break him.

The human had been captain of a Human Republic destroyer, his ship had engaged in a desperate battle with a dragos cruiser and battleship. In the end the human rammed his ship into the battleship leading to the destruction of both. The dragos cruiser had picked up his escape pod before retreating to their space.

A few days ago he'd been transferred to this cargo vessel bound for the mine he was to be imprisoned in. He'd been shoved into this room, which was basically a box with a toilet, not even a bed. He'd had to choose between curling up on the floor or sleeping perched on the toilet. He'd opted for the former.

Food had been pushed into the room twice a day and the glimpse of the green scaly three fingered claw, pushing the plate, had been the only contact he'd had with anyone. Still at least his wounds and bruises were beginning to heal nicely. He could finally open both eyes fully. The only thing that was bothering him was the pure boredom of sitting alone in a room.

As he sat trying to guess how many miles he now was from the nearest human colony the door to his cell opened and two guards stepped in. Armed with plasma rifles, wearing the red leather uniform of dragos soldiers they positioned themselves either side of the doorway.

From his place sitting with his back wedged into the corner of the room he gave them a smile. "Ah you boys must be the bell hops. It's taken you quite some time to bring my luggage up. Oh and while you're here I'd like to complain about the lack of mint on my pillow, and the lack of pillow..." He was interrupted by the back of one of the guards hands smacking across his face.

"Oh, now that is the last straw, see if I stay here again. I'll be writing to your manager with my most severe complaint at your lack of service. You didn't even ask me if I'd had a nice ..." This time his tirade was broken by a heavy leather boot to his chest which left him coughing and gasping for breath.

"Slaves don't talk unless spoken to." The guard informed him.

Richard coughed again and then grinned. "Well as you are talking to me now. I assume this slave can tell you that your red leather uniforms make you look like you're dressed as giant dog cocks..." Another backhand from the guard cut him off again.

"Slaves don't insult their masters." The guard stated his voice still even and unemotional.

"What's the matter, poor master not smart enough to think of a witty reto..." This time both guards delivered a firm boot to the chest, leaving Richard sprawled on the floor gasping for air.

After a few seconds one of the seven foot tall brutes reached down and lifted the human to his feet. Richard took a deep breath struggling to stay on his feet he still had his pride after all, it was probably the only possession he had left. He stared into the cruel golden eyes sitting astride the curved beak of the dragon, seeing his own hatred reflected in its eyes.

"You are to be transferred to the mine at Kalros. There you will learn to work and you will see why your masters don't need to bandy words with the likes of you to remain your masters."

Richard smiled, "So, as you are bandying words with me I assume you are no longer my master."

"You really don't learn do you slave!" The guard snarled and then lashed out with his right arm. This time Richard was on his feet and ready, the guard was way too confident and wasn't expecting the human to block the blow. With the speed of the truly desperate Richard drove his elbow into the stomach of the dragos. Stepping smartly to the side he put the guard between himself and the other dragos. Then grabbed the rifle from the guard's hand. Turning it on the two he gunned them both down.

The entire move had taken less than three seconds. He jumped out into the corridor only to be cut down by a barrage of stun bolts. He fell to the floor his body in spasm as his lights went out.

He awoke with a groan, his muscles ached with a dull throbbing pain. Dragos stun bolts were designed not just to put you down, but to punish you for standing up in the first place. He looked around to find himself in another cell, a simple square with nothing but a toilet and a door. The human groaned loudly as he struggled to his feet, the room spun around him as the pain arched through his muscles.

"Hey," The voice came as a shock to him, it was the loud whisper of someone trying to catch someone's attention without shouting too loudly. "Hey, are you there?"

Richard looked around again, this time he noticed that the door wasn't just a smooth flat panel. It had a vent a few inches off the ground.

He groaned and gasped in pain as he crotched down, his joints screaming at him. He peeked through the vent and out into a corridor on the other side of which was another door. He could just make out a pair of eyes and a face looking back at him.

"Hi, you're new here aren't you?"

"Yeah, I am. So far I'm underwhelmed by the welcome party." Richard replied putting his shoulder against the door and finding as comfortable spot on the floor as he could. It had been weeks since he'd had someone to talk to who wasn't likely to beat him.

"Sorry about that. They... I heard the guards talking when they brought you in. Did you really kill two dragos?" Richard could hear the pure awe behind the voice. He couldn't make out much of the face from this distance. It wasn't human of that he was sure, Richard wasn't sure if the owner of the voice was young or just too peaceful that such an act impressed them so much.

"Well yeah two on that ship, I killed a lot more in the first dragos war." He replied and then asked. "So where are we?"

"You're on a ball of ice called Kalros." The voice replied. "Is it true that the Dragos annexed Lapros?"

"Not unless they annexed it faster than any world has ever been annexed. I was there before the battle, they haven't even attacked the planet. It's quite a beautiful world are you a lapine?" The human asked although he was now certain of the answer.

"Yeah, my name's Kal."

"Captain Richard Jenson, nice to meet you Kal. How long have you been here?"

"Five years, my family was travelling back to Lapros from Prime. The ship we were on was taken by dragos slavers." As the rabbit replied the human could hear the pain in his voice.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen."

Richard's couldn't believe his ears, he knew the dragos we cruel but to send a child to labour in a mine. "Are your family here too?"

For a few seconds there was silence before eventually he got a reply. "No... I haven't seen my parents or my sister since the day we were caught. They... they said I was too young to be a good slave. So they sent me here, sent me here to die."

Richard put his hand against the vent put his face up close to it. "But you didn't. You must be tough, tougher than most of the soldiers I've met."

"I'm not tough. I just do what I'm told and keep on the good side of the other prisoners."

"Has anyone ever escaped from here?" Richard asked resting his head against the door. His eyes locked on the rabbit across the corridor, growing up in a dragos prison and surviving. The rabbit might be humble, but the human knew somewhere inside had to be a core of solid steel.

"Kalros is a frozen wasteland, it's so cold that anyone outside for more than a few hours would freeze to death. They don't even have a wall around the camp, they don't need one. Anyone running away would freeze to death." Kal replied quietly and then added. "I've known a few that ran away. The guards didn't even bother to stop them. They knew that they weren't escaping, they were killing themselves."

"There must be a supply shuttle that docks from time to time." Richard said hopefully.

"Yes, but they only land when we are down in the mines and there is a gun battery and shield. Even if someone got to the shuttle they'd never get away." Kal replied with a sigh. "I've heard a lot of people talk about escape over the years. No-one has ever actually escaped."

"Well then I'll be the first!" The human's passionate answer startled the rabbit and himself. "I... have a date."

"A date?" The rabbit's surprise actually suppressed his caution and he half shouted the question. Remembering himself he quietened down and whispered. "You want to escape because you have a date?"

"Well, I want to escape for other reasons too." Richard said and then slightly embarrassed he added. "However, I made a promise to be somewhere and I'm going to keep that promise..."

"Or die in the attempt?" the rabbit interrupted to ask.

"Hell no, why would I die in the attempt?"

"It's what they say in all the vids." The rabbit explained with a chuckle.

"Yeah well this ain't a vid, kid." Richard replied with a smile.

"Seriously, do you really think you can escape?" Kal asked his voice holding a trace of hope. He hadn't laughed in a long time, this human had killed two dragos. He'd fought in wars, maybe he could get out.

"I don't think I can, I know I can." Richard replied with all the confidence he could muster.

"Will... will you take me with you?" The rabbit sounded so hopeful that for the first time the human realised the error he had made.

"I will, or if I can't I swear that I'll be back with a fleet to rescue you and everyone else here." He said earnestly, swearing to himself that he would do whatever it took to make that promise come true.

Before he could say anymore he heard a door open far away and the sounds of footsteps approaching. He managed to scoot away from the door just in time as it slid open. A dragos guard stood in the doorway with his rifle pointed right at him. A second dragos tossed something into the room. "Change into that, slave."

Richard grabbed the item, it was a very thick and heavy, yellow jumpsuit. "Don't you want to step inside and bandy words with me?" He asked as he started to pull off his pants. They were filthy and stinking any fresh clothing, even prison clothing, was appealing.

The guard raised his rifle and sighted along the barrel. "If someone didn't have an option on you, slave, you'd already be dead."

"Ah, but they do and so I'm still alive." The human replied with a cocky grin.

"You may not be so happy about that when your owner returns to break you." The guard snarled at him.

"You're assuming that I'll still be here then." The human replied pulling on the jumpsuit. He looked at the rags of his old clothing. His eye catching the badge on his shirt pocket which proudly stated R.S.S Alexandria. For a moment he thought back to his ship and crew. It had been his first command and he felt pangs of longing to return to her bridge, to argue with his first officer and to shout out some orders of the day.

"No one escapes Kalros, slave, remember that." The guard still had his rifle aimed carefully at the human.

"I'm going to be the first, remember that." As he spoke he bent down ripping the pocket off his discarded shirt along with the badge. He shoved it into the jumpsuit's pocket, it was the only bit of his former life he had left.

The guard motioned him out into the corridor, Richard stepped out finding himself surrounded by armed dragos guards. He watched as the opened the door to the cell opposite and he got his first real glimpse of Kal. Scrawny didn't really describe him, but it's a good place to start. He was short, about five foot tall, also dressed in a scruffy yellow jumpsuit. The fur he could see was pure white, or would be if it wasn't for the dirt smudging in. The inner of his ears were pink, the boy would be quite cute. However, the fear in his eyes triggered paternal instincts deep inside the human. He wanted to put his arms around the terrified boy and tell him it was all going to be ok.

The rabbit looked up at him shyly and with a nervous glance at the guards he whispered. "Hi."

Richard gave the rabbit the most reassuring smile he could, "Hi."

One of the guards snarled at the rabbit making him cringe, Richard found himself stepping in front of the rabbit before he knew what he was doing.

"I trust you learned your lesson about not emptying the mine kart so close to your masters slave?" The guard snarled at the boy, ignoring the human.

"Y... yes Sir." The boy replied trembling a little.

"Then get back to the slaves' compound!" The guard snapped making the little rabbit flee. The guard grinned and looked at Richard. "The commandant wants to see you, this way and don't try anything."

"Me try something?" Richard asked in his best mockingly innocent tones.

"Stop being a cocky cunt or we'll make you regret it human." The guard replied shoving him in the direction he wanted the human to go.

He was lead quickly through a maze of corridors until he was escorted into a small office where a male dragos sat behind a desk.

The guards took up station either side of him, the elder dragos behind the desk didn't look up from the vid screen he was working on. Richard took the opportunity to look around the room. The desk was mostly bare except for the vid screen and a single silver model. Richard instantly recognised it as a dragos fighter, he had fought for his life against many of them during the human dragos wars.

He could tell that the dragos behind the desk was middle aged, his head had a full mane of scaly spikes, leathery skin connected to each spike creating flares and his scales were a much darker green than the young guards. He was wearing a blue dragos naval uniform, the insignia on his shoulder told Richard that the lizard was a wing commander. The most notable thing about the elder dragos was his wings, they were vestigial and certainly would never allow him to fly.

Only one in a thousand dragos were hatched with wings, a throwback to their flying lizard ancestors. They were considered to be highly lucky and were treated as a first class citizen, they were showered with gifts and given the very best in education. Having wings was a blessing it lead to an easy life and fast promotion. Which was why the elder dragos presence was a shock to Richard. At this age the dragos should have reached the rank of admiral leading a fleet of ships. He shouldn't be in charge of a prison.

Eventually the dragos finished working on his vid screen and looked up at him. Golden eyes stared at him across the curved and pointed dragos muzzle. The human could see hatred in those eyes and he found himself fighting the urge to back away. Something deep and primal inside him told him to run from this predator sat before him.

"Ah I see our newest slave has arrived." The dragos voice was eerily calm given the look he was shooting at the human.

"I'm not a slave." Richard snarled finally finding his voice and his bravado again.

"Not yet anyway. I see you have an option on you. That's a pity, I would have enjoyed giving you a long, slow and extremely painful death." The dragos spoke so calmly he could have been commenting on the weather.

"Wow, kill a couple of guards while trying to escape and all of a sudden you're a problem case to be tortured to death?" Richard said trying to retain his cocky attitude.

"Hmmm?" The dragos consulted his vid screen sending a few queries. "Ahh yes so you did."

"That's not why you want to kill me?" The human knew that dragos believed in blood vengeance, but if it wasn't his ill fated escape attempt that had lead the dragos to hate him then what was it?

"No, you could say we are old adversaries. I used to be a commodore, a fighter pilot and commander of the ninth wing of our navy. One hundred pilots all under my command. Until I was disgraced, at what you humans call the battle of Ditrel." The dragos was interrupted as Richard drew a sharp breath. "I see you remember it."

"I'll never forget it, a lot of my friends and squadmates died that day." Richard replied quietly.

"Many of mine too. I had the right tactics, numbers and superior piloting skills of our dragos pilots and yet..."

"Bullshit, the only superiority you had was numbers. We out flew, out thought and out fought you at every turn." Richard positively growled with anger at the old lizard's words stepping forward placing his hands on the desk and leaning closer to look the old guy right in the eye. "You outnumbered us two to one and you couldn't beat us."

The dragos leapt out of his chair, his wings stretching as he snarled, his jaw wide open giving Richard a full view of his razor sharp teeth. "You were lucky!"

"I can see why they re-assigned you, a commander who cannot admit his mistakes is no commander at all." Richard snarled back, keeping his eyes locked on the lizard's not wanting to show any fear.

The elder male suddenly regained his composure and took his eyes off the human. "Take him away."

As the guards dragged the human out of the room he heard the elder male's raised voice issue one final threat. "I don't have to kill you to make you suffer."

This beating wasn't too bad, it didn't feel like the guards hearts were in it. A few punches to the gut and kicks to his back, while he curled up in a ball on the floor, was all they gave him. Not exactly the suffering he was expecting.

A few minutes later they dragged him outside for the first time. The cold hit him far harder than the guards had, it bit straight through his jumpsuit and froze him to the bone in a moment. He struggled to breathe the frozen air, as he shielded his eyes from the glare. The landscape was pure white snow the light of a single distant sun reflecting off it making his eyes hurt to open.

What he really needed was time to adjust to the new environment. That was the one thing the guards didn't give him, shoving him in front of them they drove him in a straight line towards another grey box. As his eyes adjusted Richard stole a glance around the camp. It consisted of four buildings. The large boxlike complex behind him another smaller box building in front of him. A small building to his right and up on a hilltop to his left a shuttle landing pad.

He noticed that there was no fences except around the landing pad. That was heavily protected with a gate at the bottom of the hill and several guard towers around dotted along the fence. Given the frozen wasteland he was struggling to walk through he could understand why. Anyone running away would freeze to death in hours. The only way off world was via the shuttle pad and Richard could clearly see there weren't any shuttles docked. He guessed this prison didn't have its own transport, so his only hope of stealing a ship and escaping would be during a supply run.

Up on another hill he could see a transmitter tower, a thought crept into his mind. However it didn't have time to form before one of the guards shoved him forward. The snow was over a foot deep at least and he could feel his feet and ankles beginning to freeze already. He struggled on until they reached the door of the other building.

He gasped gratefully as they entered the warmth of the shelter a great relief. However, as he warmed up he realised this building was much colder than the previous one. The temperature was just a few degrees above freezing. He was standing in a long corridor with a series of doors on either side of him. The guards marched him a third of the way down the corridor and stopped at a seemingly random door, opened it and pushed the human inside.

They slammed the door behind him, leaving Richard in a room roughly five meters square. He wasn't alone Kal was sat in the corner of the room hugging his knees. Richard gave the rabbit a smile, "See I told you I wouldn't escape without you."

The rabbit laughed a little nervously. "The guards weren't too rough on you, were they?"

Richard sat down next to the rabbit leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes. "Not at all, got a few friendly knocks. A 'getting to know you' sort of beating really."

"So how are you going to do it?" the rabbit asked, his bluntness taking the human by surprise. "How are you going to escape?"

"Right now I have no idea, give me a few days." Richard looked around their cell. "So I guess you're my cellmate huh?"

"One of them yes." Kal replied. "There's Larry, he's a human, Jasper, he's a vulpine, Bruno he's a polar, Danny he's like me and Rex he's a lutrai"

"Seven of us in this tiny room?" Richard exclaimed in disgust.

"Believe me you'll be grateful for them when night comes." The rabbit replied with a smile. "They are nice people, Larry and Jasper were both in the military too. Danny was the cook on the Ryn, the transport ship where I was captured. Rex was a slave for a while before something happened to get him sent here, he won't tell us what it was. Then there's Bruno, the dragos removed his voice box he can't speak to let us know his story. There's an option on him though so the guards keep off him too. The story we heard is that his master used to like to fuck him, had to tie him down to do it. However, one day when he was fucking Bruno's mouth, the clamp on his jaw sprung free and the bear bit the dragos' cock right off and swallowed it."

"Ouch." Richard winced at the story. "Still it sounds like the dragos deserved it."

"Yes he did!" the boy replied with such conviction that Richard knew that he had been though a great deal in the last five years.

"We'll get out of here just as soon as I figure out how." The human said putting a comforting hand on the young male's shoulders.

Kal turned to respond to him when the door to the cell opened. A polar and vulpine entered holding a semi conscious lutrai between them. They were followed by a middle aged human and a middle aged lapine. All of them wore torn filthy jumpsuits similar to the one that Richard had been given.

The polar towered above everyone and Richard could see a pink scar on his neck. He assumed that was created when the dragos removed his voice box. Although bigger than anyone present the human could see he was a lot smaller than a polar should be. In fact that could be said of each of them, they were thin and haggard. Their shoulders slumped and their heads down.

Kal jumped up and ran to them, "Rex! What happened? Is he ok?"

"Aye lad he'll be fine, he's just a bit sore is all. He got a bit of a kicking off the guards the day they took you to solitary." It was the human who spoke patting the young rabbit on the back. "It's good to have you back lad and I see you brought a friend."

"This is Richard, he killed two dragos trying to escape. He says he's going to get out of here, because he has a date." The rabbit said waving his paws in Richard's direction.

The human stood up a little embarrassed by the young rabbit's introduction. "Nice to meet you all."

The human gave him a long appraising look before saying. "Must be a hell of a date."

"It will be when I get out of here." Richard replied with a confident smile.

"I've been here five years, seen all kinds of cocky asses bragging about how they plan to escape. Most of them died in the attempt or went crazy, none of them escaped." The older rabbit cut in. Richard could see a patchwork of scars on the older lapine's face. His jumpsuit hung off his skeleton like frame, his fur was grey. Although Richard guessed that was his natural colour not caused by age. His eyes were slightly glazed and his expression held no hope or humour. This was an animal that had given up on life.

Richard opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by a soft moan by the lutrai. The fox sitting by him took his paw. "Hey Rex, don't worry you're back in our cell. We're going to take care of you ok. Just close your eyes and rest." The otter nodded weakly before his head slumped again his eyes closing.

"Alright Bruno, Danny go and get our rations. Kal go with them. Remember we have a new cellmate we need an extra set." Larry said authoritatively then turned to Richard. "You're new, you're on half rations until Rex is back on his feet."

Richard gave a puzzled expression. "S..sure I guess that's ok."

"You want to get by here you need your cellmates to help you. We look out for each other here, understand? Rex needs help and you are the one in the best state to take a cut in your rations." The other human said as he sat down on the other side of Rex. "As for escape, feel free to try just don't drag any of us into it, ok?"

"Understood." Richard confirmed turning his head to the otter on the floor. The creatures brown fur was matted in several places with obvious signs of blood. His frame was by far the smallest of the group, even smaller than Kal. As the otter moan softly and moved he could see the creatures clothing pull tight in one or two places he could make out the shape of bones, revealing just how malnourished he was. "Is he going to be ok?"

"Of course he is. " Larry said a little too loud and a little too quickly as he stood up again. He pulled Richard into the far corner of the cell and said in a hoarse whisper. "He's not got long, we work all day and get fed rations so small that they wouldn't keep a toddler on his feet. Lutrai seem to take it the worst, he's used to a rich diet of mainly fish and the warm tropical climate of his home. If we don't get some rich food soon..." Larry looked back at the semi conscious otter, before continuing in an even quieter whisper. "then our rations will go down by one persons worth."

"Is there any way to get some extra food." Richard asked a little too loudly and wished he hadn't as Larry shot him a look of pure hate.

"Yes there is." The reply came from Jasper the vulpine, he was looking at Larry his lower lip was trembling a little. In fact Richard could see his entire body was trembling. "It... it's my turn right?"

"Look lad, you don't have to, with the new guy here we can help Rex recover without anyone having to... do that." The human replied trying to give a reassuring smile.

The red fox looked down at the unconscious otter and then stood up. "You can lie way better than that smoothie. Give my ration to Rex ok?" He didn't wait for an answer the red fox pushed passed both humans and was gone.

Larry shot Richard a look as sharp as a dagger. "You bloody idiot, just had to open your mouth didn't you?"

"What just happened?" Richard replied instinctively taking a step back from the angry man in front of him.

"Look one in twenty dragos are female, that means only the higher ranked dragos ever get to mate. Any dragos assigned to this place is basically never going to get a female. They are always looking for a way to get rid of their sexual frustrations, understand now?"

"You mean he's going to..."

"Yes, look we all have from time to time, except Bruno and Kal. It's the only way to survive, but we don't talk about it, ever! We certainly don't ask the question out loud, let whoever is next make the decision for themselves, understand?"

Richard nodded his understanding and then they were disturbed by the return of the others. Jasper's absence was immediately noticed. Larry kindly kept the details of Richard's faux par to himself. Instead he asked Richard how he'd been taken prisoner. Richard recounted his tail, the battle, the torture and the threat of the officer to come and claim him.

"Worst part is, I don't know if they made it. My people or the troop convoy we were protecting. The dragos who tortured me told me they killed them all. However, I am pretty sure he was lying. Still it'd be nice to know for sure, to know that all this was worth it." Richard said as he finished his story thinking back about his ship and crew and his wolf on one of the other ships protecting the convoy.

"Yeah I know how you feel lad." Larry interrupted with a sign. "I was on a freighter, two man operation just my captain and me. We were doing a passenger run when we were hit by dragos pirates. My captain and the passengers got away in the escape pod while I covered for them. Led the dragos on a merry dance and did my best to blow the ship when all was lost. Somehow even the cockpit survived the engines exploding. The dragos never found out about the missing escape pod. Still I don't know if they made it, for all I know they are still floating out there now a tin can full of corpses."

That was it for stories, by the time Larry had finished speaking most of the others had fallen asleep. The two human's quickly joined them in peaceful slumber, the six of the sleeping pressed together in a tiny room grateful for each other's body heat.

Jasper returned the next morning looking dishevelled, unsteady on his feet and clutching a couple of candy bars like they were made of gold. It wasn't a bad start for Richard with his new cellmates. He soon found out that, while Larry was the boss of the group, Kal was the heart. Every one of the cellmates looked after the youngster like a younger brother or child. He in turn spent all his free time working to keep the group together and happy. As an outsider Richard could clearly see the boy's longing for a family in the way he treated his cellmates.

As the days passed they slowly accepted him into their group. He and Bruno worked extra hard in the mines, filling Rex's quota on the sly, allowing the lutrai to rest as much as he could without the guards noticing. After a few days the otter was looking much stronger and Richard was feeling much worse.

They worked twelve hours a day breaking rocks with the most basic tools extracting a few gems. It was an extremely inefficient way to extract anything from rock. However, it was clear to him that the purpose of the mine was to deal with wayward slaves and not to produce anything of substance.

During the days and weeks that followed he thought of little but escape. He voiced dozens of plans, all of which were shot down by his cellmates. There was always some flaw or obstacle that couldn't be overcome. After the second month passed, his strength began to fail him and so did his resolve. For the first time he started to realise he might be there until he was claimed by death or worse his dragos master.

However, hope sprung forth at an unexpected moment. He was walking with Danny to get their rations for the day. He started out in a straight line only for the rabbit to pull him to one side. He walked the human around the other side of their cellblock. It was a much further walk but with the cellblock in the way of the cruel winds it was far more bearable.

"Sometimes the most obvious path isn't the best one." The rabbit explained as they walked.

As the rabbit spoke Richard's eyes fell on the communications tower on the hill in the distance, about a kilometre away and unguarded. Suddenly his own brain shouted at him, the thought he'd started on the day he arrived returned and this time he finished it.

"You're right, I've been looking at this all wrong. We don't need to escape, we just need to get a message out and we'll be rescued!" The human exclaimed a little too loudly.

"Keep your voice down smoothie." The rabbit warned him. He'd learned that smoothie was what the more furry inmates called humans. He actually kind of liked it and took it as a term of endearment rather than an insult, from his cellmates at least. "Besides, do you think you're the first to think of that? You need an interface device to access the communications tower and even if you had one you would need to break the encryption cycle to send a message that can be understood."

"Any communicator device off any guard would do." Richard said quietly as the two walked. "I'd just need to steal it use it and get it back to the guard before he noticed."

"Sure, real simple. Steal a communicator from a guard, get to the tower in the dead of night, otherwise you'd be spotted. Which means going a kilometre uphill in temperatures of around two hundred and ten Kelvin and then figure out the encryption code transmit a message and get back before you freeze to death." The rabbit muttered sarcastically.

"Did you know that during the dragos human war I was a pilot in a scout fighter?" Richard asked with a grin, he continued without waiting for an answer. "Did you know that part of any scout mission involved breaking the encryption on any communications received? Also that as I would have a dragos communicator I would already have the decryption code I'd just need to hack my way into it. All I need to do is figure out how to get hold of a communicator without the guard noticing for a few hours."

"That part is easy, it's your turn to get some candy." Danny replied as they arrived at the dragos building and entered the small room that the dragos used to dole out the prisoners daily rations. The rabbit nodded at one of the guards. "He's not as rough as most."

Richard's heart sank as he looked at the dragos guard, he knew the rabbit was right. All he had to do was let the dragos use him then steal the communicator while he was asleep. Still the first part was what stuck in his mind selling his body, even for a chance at escape, felt wrong. He'd nothing but respect for the others, doing what they had done to help each other. He had feared the day one of them would let him know that it was his turn. It was somehow worse that he couldn't claim he was doing this to save someone who was starving to death.

Swallowing back the bile that was rising in his throat he strode up to the guard Danny had pointed out. "H...hi."

"What do you want slave?" The dragos replied his voice held the same distain all the guards had. Richard began to doubt the rabbit's advice that this guard was less rough.

"I...want some candy." He hated himself for saying it, especially saying he wanted candy. This was a man on the edge of desperation not someone reading terrible dialogue in some crappy porn movie.

The guard looked him up and down, making him feel even worse. He wasn't a human any more, he was an object and this dragos was looking him over judging his value. What made him feel even worse was that he was actually standing there hoping that one of the guards that beat him would think his ass was worth a candy bar or two.

"Alright, one bar for a suck and two more for fucking you." The guard replied, the bluntness of his response caught Richard off guard.

"Two for sucking and three for fucking." He replied without even thinking.

The guard snorted in amusement. "Alright, two for sucking if you swallow. Three for fucking, but you clean me off before and after. Oh and by clean, I mean with your tongue."

Richard's stomach churned at the thought of letting himself be used like that, his gaze slide down the dragos to his waist where he could see the communicator he needed. "Alright." He said in a hoarse whisper.

"Great, then follow me slave." The dragos replied and then headed out of the room going deeper into the building. Richard followed quickly his eyes down on the floor trying to avoid the gaze of the other dragos. They all smirked as they saw him, knowing that another slave was about to serve one of his masters.

The guard stopped at a random door and entered, Richard followed him in. The room was about the same size as the cell he shared with the others. Only this one had a bed and a comfortable looking chair and a desk. A small dresser and a door, which he assumed lead to a toilet.

The guard turned and gave him a light sniff. "Before we do anything get in there and wash, you stink slave."

Richard actually found himself blushing. Washing was something the prisoners had to abandon. They weren't given any water just a bucket to collect ice in. It took hours to melt fully and the group was unlikely to waste any by using it to clean. They all stank and they all got used to it.

"Leave you clothes in there too, I don't want them stinking up the place. You can get them after we are finished." The dragos commanded and Richard found himself unable to think of anything to say in retort. He just nodded obediently and went through the other door. He found a small shower cubicle in front of him and a toilet with a small sink to his left.

For a few moments he just stood there and stared. It had been a long time since he'd seen a toilet, it was amazing what you could miss when it was taken away from you. Shaking the weird nostalgia out of his head he reached into the shower and turned the stream of water on. Then he peeled off his clothes, for a moment he got a whiff of his own aroma, he almost choked on the stink.

He stepped into the shower and moaned loudly as hot water cascaded over his body. The feeling actually made his knees wobble slightly. He dunked his head under the hot stream, gasping as he felt the grime that had encrusted his body start to wash away. This was heaven, he closed his eyes basking in the feeling.

His basking was interrupted, however, by a loud knocking at the door. "Hurry up in there slave, I'm not paying you to wash."

Richard didn't reply, but he did grab the soap and quickly wash his body and hair. Turning off the stream and grabbing a soft fluffy towel he dried himself. He had forgotten how wonderful it felt to be clean. As his guts twisted inside him, he wondered if the guard would let him shower again afterwards.

He found the guard sitting in his chair fully naked, legs spread and a fully erect cock sitting proudly. The dragos had a lizard-like head, a curved beak with two beady eyes sitting atop, slightly too close together for the human's taste. Dark green scales covered most of his body, except his neck and chest which had creamy white scales. The white scales tapered off into a treasure trail leading down to the lizard's crotch.

There two of the largest balls Richard had ever seen sat slightly squashed and straining against a leathery sack. Like all male dragos he had a series of flares acting as a leathery mane around his head. They were raised now to full flare signalling his arousal. The first three rows were full in size, however, as the next few were smaller and as they reached his neck they became just ridges. These ridges continued down his entire body each one about an inch apart.

The human couldn't help but notice the ridges also occurred in bands on the dragos' cock. He couldn't help but wonder how they would feel inside him. He also couldn't help but notice that he had nine ridges along his cock. Which made it one of the longest he'd ever seen, in thickness it was not too worrying, just three of four inches at most.

"Alright slave first of all the cleaning." The guard gestured with one of his three thick fingers down at his crotch.

Richard nodded and trying to think of something pleasant he slipped to his knees and shuffled between the dragos' legs. Leaning down he closed his eyes and braced himself promising himself that this would be the only time he did this. He was only doing this to escape and when that happened this dragos would be either humiliated or killed.

That thought worked to warm his heart a little as his tongue touched the green meat in front of him. He ran his tongue slowly down the dragos' cock, his mouth filling with the musky taste of the meat. The guard moaned deeply and then chuckled, "Hey I didn't say it was time for oral yet did I? I said time for my cleaning."

Richard looked up confused and the guard leaned down with a grin on his face and whispered into his ear. "Start with my feet, then my chest, neck and flares. Then you're going to clean my balls and lastly you're going to use that little pink tongue of yours to clean my anus."

The human's jaw dropped in shock and his stomach turned inside him. He was willing to suck cock and even be fucked, but to tongue bathe one of his captors... It was a step further than he'd thought he would go. However, he couldn't back out now or he'd risk a beating and he'd have to try again with another guard.

The lizard leaned back in his chair and lifted his foot up to the human's face. Richard placed his hands around the leathery ankle as the foot was spread across his face. Two giant toes faced forward and a third huge toe projected out the other side. This was obviously a link back to the dragos' flying ancestors.

Closing his nose as much as he could he ran his tongue over the sole of the foot. The softness of the scales surprised him. It wasn't as rough or unpleasant as he had expected, it was more like silk. The taste was heavily musky with the unpleasant tang of sweat. He could hear the guard above him moaning softly as he continued to lap covering every inch before moving onto the lower toe.

He moved up the foot again licking between the two thick digits, the bitter taste of sweat and grime coating his tongue. In an attempt to speed things up Richard opened his mouth and took one of the toes into it fully, sucking on the meaty digit firmly. This got a loud moan of approval from the lizard. He took the other toe into his mouth and got another deep gasp of approval.

Then he let the foot go, one down and one step closer to escape. The guard quickly held up his other foot, the human had no hesitation this time, he lapped over the sole quickly and then suckled each toe. Before he knew it he was letting go of the other foot. His mouth was filled with the bitter taste of sweaty lizard, he would have done almost anything for a glass of water to wash away the taste.

"Now my chest." The guard commanded, panting heavily, Richard couldn't help but notice the dragos' cock was drooling a river of pre which was soaking the lizard's balls. He sat up higher and leaned closer to the lizard. Starting in the centre of the beast's diaphragm he ran his tongue up to the base of the dragos' neck. He could feel the lizard's thick meat pressing into his stomach. The river of pre starting to run down his stomach and soak the human's cock and balls.

He worked his way quickly across the chest taking surprising care to cover every inch. As he leaned across to do the other side he felt his cock bump into the dragos' huge balls. With growing horror he realised two things; first that he was actually erect and second that the guard had realised it too. A glance up at the guard confirmed it, the lizard had a large grin on his muzzle and was looking down between them both to see the human's cock.

"Now my neck." The dragos commanded. Richard stood up still blushing deeply from his body's involuntary reaction. He leaned over the dragos and as he began to lick the lizard's neck he felt his cock bump against the hard green cock. The guard chuckled again and started to move his hips a little, making his cock slide up and down against the human meat.

As Richard licked the other side of the lizard's neck the guard moved his muzzle to the human's ear and whispered. "If I knew you'd like this so much I would have haggled more."

The human's face burned with embarrassment as he leaned further and began to lick the flared leather on the dragos head. He realised that he'd been rushing through the cleaning and what he was rushing towards were two pre soaked balls and one, musky but hopefully otherwise clean ass.

The guard was chuckling partly because his flares were mildly ticklish and partly because he knew what was coming next. "Now get that tongue to work on my balls, you horny little slave."

Any thoughts of fighting were long gone, instead Richard thought of revenge as he slipped to his knees. The balls were musky and the pre coating them was tangy, however, after the sweat of the dragos' body it was actually a pleasant relief. His tongue lapped over one nut and then the other. He could feel drops of pre as they landed in his hair and on his cheeks.

"Mmmm don't just lick, I want you to suck them." The guard commanded. Resisting was something that Richard had given up on, instead he took one of the huge nuts into his maw. His mouth filled to capacity with the smooth orb and he ran his tongue across it, as he sucked it gently. He got a deep moan of approval from the lizard. The human let go of the orb and then began to suckle the other one. He took his time with this one knowing that next was the most unpleasant part of the tongue bath.

"Time for you to lick Master's ass, slave." The lizard declared pushing the human off and standing up. He lay his chest down on the bed lifting his thick lizard tail up and exposing the creamy white scales of his ass. Richard moved up behind the lizard slipping to his knees and leaning forward. His heart was pounding as he drew closer to the white bud in front of him. He was grateful to see that it appeared clean, as he got closer the dragos' thick tail landed on his head and he found himself forced face first into the lizard's ass.

He gasped for breath, getting a lungful of sweaty lizard ass, as the tail pressed him firmly into the ass. The dragos was laughing as he struggled "Stop struggling human, you are there to clean me, now get your tongue to work."

Giving up his struggles he begins to lick, knowing this is the only way to get through this. The sweaty, salty musky taste flooding his mouth, making him long for the taste of the lizard's pre. Anything would have been better then the strong taste of this ring of muscle in front of him. His tongue working the pucker in circles, he'd rimmed a few guys and even a girl once and tried to put his experience to use.

The guard moaned and gasped as his tongue worked around, sliding into the pucker in front of him. Working it open and pushing deeper inside. Suddenly the pressure on his head was lifted.

"Oh fuck, get your mouth around my cock, slave, I'm ready to fuck that human mouth of yours." The lizard growled as he turned around on the bed sitting with his legs spread his drooling cock dangling between his thighs.

Richard took the green cock into his mouth with eagerness that surprised even himself. The taste of the pre washing away some of the taste of dragos ass. The guard began to fuck his mouth the second his lips sealed around it. His three fingered hands holding the human head firmly as he rutted into the warm maw. The ridges of the cock grated against the human's lips, he realised that soon the cock in his mouth was going to be in his ass.

Richard almost choked as the cock was thrust right to the back of this throat. The dragos fucked his face without mercy, moving faster and faster and then he cried out as the green cock throbbed. Richard choked as heavy jets of lizard spunk flooded his mouth. Remembering his agreement he began to swallow the bitter seed as the guard continued fucking his mouth.

As the cock in his mouth stopped spewing cum he pulled off it, swallowing the last of the dragos' bitter load. Still it tasted better than the ass he'd been forced to eat out. The guard was laying flat on the bed panting heavily, Richard wasn't sure what he should do next so he stayed on his knees. He noticed. gratefully, that his cock had softened somewhat. It was nice to see that his body had some limits.

As he sat there he found himself thinking of Tyler. He hoped the wolf would understand what he had just done and what he was about to do. They hadn't said anything about being exclusive, hell the wolf probably thought he was dead. After over two months the lupine had every right to have moved on.

His thoughts were interrupted by the dragos, "Hey grab that bottle of lube and get your ass in this bed."

Richard followed the thick pointing finger of the dragos to see a small bottle on the desk. He noticed a small pile of candy bars next to it. Nice to see his 'client' had already set out his 'payment', the human thought bitterly. He grabbed the small bottle and sat down on the edge of the bed handing the bottle to the lizard.

The guard grabbed the bottle and squeezed a generous amount onto the tip of one of his digits. He looked at the human, "If I was you I'd turn around so that I can use this on your ass now, otherwise I'll fuck you without it." It was an effective threat and Richard quickly lay face down on the bed. For just a second or two he got to enjoy the wonderful comfort of a soft mattress.

However, shortly afterwards he felt a thick dragos finger start to press against his pucker. He gasped and moaned as the fingertip was forced inside him, stretching him wide. He closed his eyes biting back the desire to cry out, trying to stifle his moans. The dragos only had two very thick fingers and Richard found himself hoping that his Client was only going to use one finger to stretch him, hell one was more than enough.

As the Dragos finger slid in to the knuckle the lizard began to twist and push back and forth. Thrusting into the ass and twisting around working its way around inside the human's ass. Richard found himself moaning out despite himself, as the thick digit pressed against his prostate and a few other sweet spots. It had been months since he'd last been fucked or even jerked off. His body was responding and under him his erect shame was rubbing itself into the bedsheets.

"Oh yeah, human slave likes that doesn't he?" the dragos churred, mocking him as he continued to finger fuck the human. His cock growing fully erect as he watched the formerly proud human squirming as he worked his finger in the tight ass. "Just wait until you feel Master's cock you're going to love it."

Richard was glad he was laying on his front, that way the dragos couldn't see how much he was enjoying the treatment. Without warning the digit was removed, the human moaned softly in disappointment at the sudden empty feeling. He felt the dragos' hands grabbing his ass pulling his cheeks apart. Then he felt something pressing against his lubricated and stretched pucker.

The human bit down on the bedsheets trying to hold back a moan, as the dragos' cock began to slide inside him. The lizard paused after each ridge on his cock slid into the human, letting Richard grow accustomed to the thick meat inside of him. Richard moaned loudly as he felt the guard's hips press against his buttocks and the lizard's heavy nuts rested against his own.

As the dragos began to pull out he could feel every single one of the nine ridges, pulling at his insides teasing his muscles in the more exquisite way. Richard realised that, while the guard may be less rough, being with him was so much worse. He was enjoying it and that made this far worse than just a trade for something he needed. It was a betrayal of his potential boyfriend. He hated himself, but at the same time he couldn't stop himself from groaning in pleasure as the lizard began to rut into him faster and faster.

Two reptilian hands landed on his shoulders, pulling him back into the thrusting. He felt himself being pulled back onto a thick wonderful cock, he loved the feeling of the shaft as it tickled his prostate. He marvelled at the feeling of those ridges on the shaft, he strapped himself around the thrusting meat inside him, desperate to keep it in him.

It was only after he heard the guard sniggering that he realised, the dragos had let go of his shoulders. He was now thrusting himself back and forth on the lizard's cock, moaning and groaning like any lapine in heat. "Mmmm, yeah. I knew you were a cockslut human." As he spoke he slipped a hand under the human and wrapped his thick three digits around the human's drooling shaft. The dragos stopped thrusting holding still while the human impaled himself again and again on the green shaft.

Richard wanted more than anything to stop himself, for his cock to go soft. To force the dragos to take him against his will. However, his body wouldn't let him stop the pleasure, it thrust back onto the lizard meat behind him faster and faster. Its cock throbbed with need as the thick lizard fingers milked it. It eventually gave in to the pleasure moaning and crying out like a bitch as his cock throbbed, spewing warm cum onto the sheets.

The dragos began to laugh as he leaned over the collapsed human starting to fuck him hard and fast. Richard just lay still panting as the lizard used his ass. It didn't take long for the creature to cum inside him, with a churr of triumph and a firm smack to his rump. The lizard pulled out and sprayed a few jets of spunk over Richard's ass, before rolling over in the bed.

"Alright human, you've had your fun now lick my cock clean, take your payment and get out." The guard said panting lightly.

Richard's mind was still spinning as he rolled over, the dragos' cock was only half hard. He licked it clean as quickly as he could and then slipped off the bed as he heard the dragos start to snore. He stepped into the bathroom grabbed his stinking jumpsuit and pulled it on. At least his own stink would cover up the scent of the male who had just taken him.

As he came out of the cubicle he found the guard fully asleep on the bed. He grabbed his payment, deftly grabbing the guard's communicator as he did so and then left at a half run. He shoved the communicator into his pocket and rushed out of the building. He kept his head down as he did so, every dragos he passed laughed as they saw him. They all knew what he'd done to get the candy bars he was holding.

Richard tried to console himself with the thoughts of what would happen to the guards when he was rescued. Still it didn't help, for the first time since he was captured, he'd been beaten and he knew it.

He rushed out of the building, grateful as the freezing cold hit him, taking his mind off what had just happened. He stood still watching the small sun setting for a moment before heading back to his cell. Taking a few moments to compose himself before heading in.

His cellmates didn't look up at him, they didn't ask what he'd done. They all knew better, instead they moved apart a little making a space in the middle of the group for him to sit down in. He offered up the candy bars to the group, Rex had recovered somewhat and the group shared the bars out evenly.

Then he pulled out the communicator and there was a gasp from the group. "You actually did it?" Kal asked his young face full of hope and delight, and a slight chocolate stain.

"I did, now I need to break into it, find the encryption code and then use it to break into the communication tower and order us a taxi home. Anyone want to hit a club or are we just heading straight home?" Richard said some of his bravado coming back now that he was among friends.

"We're a long way from rescued yet lad." Larry said firmly, he had been very clear about not building up false hope. Still Richard could see his fellow human staring at the device he held.

"Agreed, but one step closer than we were." Richard replied as he began to work on the communicator.

"Why do you have to take it to the tower, can't you just send a message from here?" Kal asked the excitement in his voice only barely masked.

"This is a local communicator only, I'll need to find an access port and attach it to be able to get into the comm system and send a message." Richard explained as his fingers danced over the illuminated face of the device. "Almost...got it!" He declared triumphantly.

"Now to get to the tower and hack in." Richard said struggling to his feet.

"Now? It's night time, the temperature out there is plummeting. You'll freeze to death in minutes!" Larry exclaimed.

"I don't really have much choice, as soon as the guard I borrowed this off wakes up and notices it's gone they will track the device down take it off me and punish us all." Richard said taking a step towards the door. "I need to get out there now before the temperature falls any further. Besides I can't do it in the daytime I'll be seen. It's just a kilometre, I can be there and back before I even catch a chill."

He opened the door saying "I'm going out for a walk, I may be some time."

"The last words of Captain Oates before he froze to death. Not exactly inspiring." Larry replied before he got through the door.

"Oh bugger, didn't think anyone would get the reference." Richard said.

With that he headed out into the cold, it cut through him like a knife. He turned and spotted the light on top of the communication tower. He should be able to make the tower in a few minutes, one kilometre is nothing after all, or that's how he rationalised it. He set off as fast as he could go, the deep untrodden snow outside the camp slowed him down more than he thought it would.

As the cold began to sap his strength he found himself struggling, less than halfway there and his speed slowed to a crawl. He couldn't feel his feet anymore and he stumbled in the snow, landing on his hands, the cold snow freezing them numb. Getting back to his feet he fought on a firm breeze chilled him further. His muscles started to ache as he took step after step.

Part of him wanted to go back to the safety of his cell and the warmth of the group. However, that would be another failure and he didn't think he'd find another way off this ball of ice. Sooner or later he would either die or be claimed by the officer who wanted to break him. Dying out in the snow, while trying to escape, seemed better than going back. So he struggled on step after painful step, as the temperature dropping lower and lower.

He could hardly lift his head as he reached the tower, he fell to his knees. He could see the access port a few meters away. But his legs wouldn't work any more and even if they did his hands were too frozen. He closed his eyes and prepared himself for the death which he knew was minutes away. His head was pounding and his ears were screaming with the cold.

Suddenly he felt two powerful paws picking him up. He was dragged over to the access port, his rescuer held him up large furry paws wrapped around his fingers rubbing warmth into them as a solid warm wall pressed up behind him. He opened his eyes slowly and looked up at Bruno's face. The bear gave a meaningful look at the access port.

Richard reached into his pocket and pulled out the comm device. His fingers still burned with the cold as he tried to work the device. The bear behind him was starting to shiver. Richard knew that despite his natural abilities the temperature would get too low for the bear all too quickly. Bruno had been in this prison for a long time, he'd lost a lot of his natural blubber protection.

He managed to pry the access panel open and with his numb fingers he slid the device inside. Hacking into the system should have been childs play but his frozen brain wouldn't work. It was taking twice as long as it should. Suddenly and almost randomly he entered a new code and it worked, after a few seconds he heard a voice state. "You are on the fleet emergency channel please state your name and clearance code."

"Captain Richard Jenson, clearance code alpha, blue, gamma, twenty. Currently held prisoner of war on the dragos prison planet Kalros." Richard said each word a struggle but the hope and joy of his plan working filled him. Even if he died he could rescue the others. "Trace this call, I am being held with over a hundred others, please help us."

"Captain Jenson, confirm your clearance code." The reply came.

"My code is alpha... blue...gamma...twenty. Please come quick, they are working us to death and worse." He begged, weakly his muscles starting to give out.

"Message received, we have your location. Relief is on the way Captain Jenson."

For a few seconds Richard just stared at the device in front of him unable to process what he'd just heard. "I...I... Thank you." He stammered before slumping back against the bear his tenuous grasp on consciousness finally giving up, the cold world faded to black.

The first think he noticed when he was awoke was the weight crushing him. He opened his eyes to find himself back in his cell. "What's going on?" He asked weakly.

"Bruno brought you back, you were out and so cold." The voice of Kal informed him, he could hear the concern in the young male's voice.

"So you're sitting on me? You're all sitting on me!" The human struggled a little but was unable to move any of them.

"Be grateful lad, we probably saved your life." The voice of Larry came from somewhere down near his legs.

"Yeah, well thanks. I got a message out, they said relief is on the way." Richard informed them and for a few moments he was deafened by five excited people asking him a stream of questions all at once.

Sadly he didn't have many answers or details. Just that his message had been received, they knew where they were and would be coming for them. He guessed it would be a few weeks to a couple of months for them to come. All they needed to do in the meantime was stay strong.

The days began to pass again, the excitement of that day faded, but for the first time in a long time everyone in the cell had hope. They didn't tell any of the other prisoners for fear that the dragos might find out and move them all before their rescue came.

It was a few weeks later that Danny pulled Richard to one side one day on the way back from picking up their daily rations. "Look there's something we need to talk about."

Richard gave the rabbit a quizzical look, he ran through the last few days in his head to see if he had possibly caused any offence without realising it. "Ok, what about?"

"Do you know about lapines heat cycle?" The bunny asked quietly.

"Not a lot of detail, just some sort of inbuilt need to breed you go through once a year." Richard replied a little relieved that this wasn't about him.

"It's a little more than that, our hormone levels start going crazy and we become single minded and lust driven. We need to mate or die... and we need to mate with a minimum of three partners. Without the chemical traces of at least three other partners our hormones will just keep building until they poison our brains and we die." The rabbit replied his voice hushed and serious.

"Is your heat coming up?" Richard asked quietly.

"Yes, but that' not the problem. After 5 years the guards know my heat cycle and they will take me away. It's Kal, he's nearing heat for the first time." Danny said placing a paw on the human's shoulder. "I don't want him to go through his first heat with them. No kid should lose their virginity by being gang raped by a bunch of cold blooded lizards."

"What are you saying?" Richard asked feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Well, he likes you, you're like a hero to him..."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! You mean you want me to... He's just a kid!" Richard exclaimed in a hoarse whisper.

"Yes, but it's not like we have a lot of age appropriate options." The rabbit replied with a frown of annoyance. His voice getting slightly louder as he added. "Look, once his heat kicks in he won't remember anything that happens to him. Rex, Jasper and Larry will help then. Bruno won't cause well he's a polar and they have strict beliefs. However, his first, he's going to remember and he wants it to be you."

"I... have someone in my life." Richard replied desperately, although he started to realise that he was probably going to have to help Kal.

"Yes and would that person want you to let a young male, who has lived hear for five years, have a first time with someone he cares for and will treat him gently?" the rabbit asked and Richard knew the answer. It would be uncomfortable for him emotionally, but for Kal it was probably the best of the poor list of options he had.

"Ok, I'll do it. When do we need to... I mean what happens now?"

The rabbit patted him reassuringly on the shoulder. "Tomorrow, I'll hand myself over to the guards. That should keep them busy while you and the others take care of Kal."

That was it, one short conversation and he'd agreed to start group sex with the teenage boy in his cell. It seemed so wrong to him, however, Danny was right letting Kal go to the dragos with his heat was not an option.

Still the next day passed by uncomfortably, he found it hard to look at Kal or the others knowing what was going to happen after their shift in the mines. As they all returned to the cells, Danny said a few goodbyes and gave Kal a hug before heading out. Richard took some comfort from what the grey bunny had said about not remembering what happened in heat. He wished he could forget what had happened to him at the claws of that dragos.

After his exit, the other cellmates gave the two some room. Bruno and Rex left to get their rations. Richard found himself sitting next to Kal. The young rabbit couldn't look at him. He was trembling a little and Richard couldn't help but reach out placing his hand on the young male's paw. "It's going to be ok you know."

"I know, it's just I never thought my first heat would be in a place like this." The young boy whispered and then turned to look at Richard with a nervous smile on his face. "Still I'm glad you're here to help me through it... and the others too. It's good in a way. Most young lapines go through their first heat with a group of strangers. I get to go with my friends."

They sat in silence for a few moments before Kal asked. "So, what do we do now?"

Richard smiled at the nervous rabbit and reached out gently stroking his palm across the rabbit's soft cheek leaning in he placed his lips against Kal's, kissing tenderly.

The boy kissed back slowly but with growing confidence. He felt the young male's paws begin to stroke over his chest.

Since he had found out what he had to do with Kal he had been worried that his body wouldn't react. As the kiss deepened his fears left as he could feel his body begin the react. He heard the door open as the others returned with rations. The two of them didn't move or stop, however, remaining focussed entirely on the other person. Richard cradled the young male's face in both his hands as he gently slipped his tongue across the young male's lips.

Kal's paws were trembling as they roamed over his chest. Richard was smart enough to let the young male take the lead and set the pace. He let his hands slide down the young male's arms and onto his paws. He squeezed them lightly trying to reassure him. Kal moaned softly into his mouth as he squeezed and the rabbit intensified the kiss, taking the lead pushing his tongue into Richard's welcoming maw.

Just as the two really began to sink into the moment the door opened and three guards burst into the room. Richard's head snapped round, he could see two further guards standing in the corridor. Instinctively he leapt to his feet placing himself between the guards and Kal. The rest of his cellmates joined him.

"We are here for the boy." The head guard said with a snarl.

"I... I haven't done anything." Kal said with a whimper pressing himself against the far wall of the cell as if hoping it would swallow him up.

"Not yet you haven't." The guard replied with a smirk. "We have plans for you slave now come!"

"He's not going anywhere." Larry said snarling as the rest of his cellmates nodded or voiced their agreement.

"You act like he has a choice, he's going and nothing you scum can do will stop us from taking him." The guard said with a growl leaning forward his face just a few centimetres from Larry's. "Did you think we didn't know what was coming for him. We all know what happens to his species, that he would go into heat at the same time as the older male, as soon as he was old enough. Now stand aside so that he can serve his masters."

The human seemed to pause for a moment and then suddenly he spun his head around cracking his skull into the dragos face. "Bugger that!" He yelled as he jumped on the guard bearing him to the ground.

Richard threw himself at the nearest guard getting his elbow into the lizard's midsection and as the creature bent over in pain he caught him with a smooth uppercut sending the guard sprawling unconscious on the floor.

Jasper and Rex had grabbed the remaining guard and the three were tussling and slowly the two appeared to be winning. The two guards in the corridor made the mistake of stepping into the room to get a clear shot. An enraged Bruno took them both out with one powerful swing.

"Grab their guns!" Richard shouted as he bent over snatching up a rifle. He didn't get to use it though as the room suddenly filled with bright lights. Prisoners and guards alike fell to the ground spasming in pain. One of the guards had pressed their panic button and the cells automatic stun had been detonated. As he spasmed uncontrollably he heard sirens going off, soon the place would be filled with armed dragos.

The prisoners were all cuffed and made to stand against the walls of thee cells. Richard, Bruno and Kal on one side. Larry, Rex and Jasper on the other. Richard looked down at Kal, the boy was crying and terrified. He desperately wanted to hold him, tell him that everything would be ok. However, it would be a lie and he couldn't bring himself to say anything but, "I'm so sorry."

Kal didn't get a chance to respond as the commandant arrived at that moment a sly grin on his face. "Well, well, well. Attacking your masters, trying to escape? Did you pathetic weaklings really think you could stand in the way of the will of your dragos overlords?" None of the prisoners spoke, but then he really didn't want an answer.

"Of course you realise I have no choice but to make an example of you." The elder dragos turned to face Larry, he placed his claw on the human's shoulder. "Of course some of you have options on you." With a sudden movement and a loud crack he twisted Larry's head around snapping his neck in one violent motion. "Some of you don't." Kal screamed as the rest stared in horror as the lizard walked over to Jasper. The fox snarled and spat at the old lizard, however, there was nothing anyone could do to stop what they all knew was coming. With another chilling crack the red fox slumped lifeless to the floor.

Rex was whimpering and trembling as the old lizard stepped over to him. "What's this, no standing proud, no futile threats? It seems like this slave knows his place. Still despite his contrite nature I do need to send a clear message to the rest of the inmates about what happens to those who rebel against their betters." He placed his paw on the lutrai's neck, as he did so Rex twisted suddenly lashing out, he'd been working his way out of the cuffs since they were put on him.

He launched himself at the old dragon grabbing his wings with both paws. Two guards pulled him back kicking the wind out of him leaving him on his knees. They raised their guns.

"WAIT!" The commandant screamed, his flares at full mast his wings had several tears where the otters claws had gotten purchase. "I WANT him Alive!" He leaned down grabbing Rex's chestfur and pulling him to his feet. He leaned close snarling "I am going to show you more pain than you ever thought you could feel. I will make you BEG for death. Bring him and the boy!" He ordered as he left the room.

The guards shot Richard and Bruno with a couple of stun bolts and as they lay there helpless. They dragged Kal and Rex out. Richard found himself crying as he could do nothing but watch as the young rabbit kicked, screamed and begged to no avail and then was gone. A guard uncuffed them both and then they were alone.

As he struggled to get himself to a seated position he looked over at the corpses of his two friends. He turned to look at the bear, "If we get rescued I promise you I'm not leaving this place until I kill that mother fucking bastard."

The bear nodded in response patting his chest with one paw signalling his emphatic agreement.

"I hope they come soon." Richard whispered as he tried to keep from thinking of Kal and what was happening to him right then.

How long they lay there, he never knew. Eventually he wiped the tears from his face and stood up. The two of them dragged the bodies of their friends outside, burying them in a shallow snowy grave on the edge of the camp. Richard stood for a moment at the two graves. Since he had been caught he'd thought of nothing but escape, as he looked around the camp he thought of nothing but vengeance.