The Bounty’s Cost

The vehicles came fast, swerving to avoid any major potholes. They had only moments to think and prepare, though prepare how they did not know. Other than a battered sword and a bow with some arrows, they had nothing to fight with.

“That’s gotta be bounty hunters!” Jasper realized with growing dread. “That bitch sold us out to bounty hunters! After all we did for her! The military would have been better.”

The half dozen vehicles rushed up beside Randel on either side and started trying to cause him to panic. Surrounding him, the bounty hunters yelled up at the great dragon, flashing brilliant lights at him that caused him to falter in his step on the uneven ground and growl, coming to a stop.

His growling did not help his passengers prepare. Plugging their ears wouldn’t help as the sound simply traveled through their bodies and holding their heads didn’t stop their brains from vibrating.

Throwing something up at his face, it exploded into a heavy smoke cloud that the dragon had no choice but to breathe. With a groan, the mighty Tunk’ta wobbled, swaying back and forth, bent his knees, and flopped to his side, the trees of the forest around them shuddering from the impact.

Jasper was thrown into a tree with enough force to knock the wind from him. Both Slina and Hero disappeared into the brush while S’re was flung right off the dragon’s back, rolling out onto the road.

The vehicles had stopped by now, a group of men dismounting the well maintained motorcycles. Their thick boots closed around her with gritty scuffles.

Gasping, S’re pushed herself up and looked about in a panic as the armed, rough looking men surrounded her with wicked grins.

“This gotta be her, boss. Looks just like the picture. Danny said she’d be on a Tunker.”

Trying to back away from one man who snatched for her only ended her up in the grasp of another. A small cry of pain escaped her when she was wrenched up against a hard body, held immobile by her arms, which were bound by another behind her back.

Among the bounty hunters stepped an older man. Bald, thick and ugly, some creature had once attempted to do the world a favor and remove his face. Sadly, it had simply added to the gruesomeness of his appearance. Clearly of Rider descent, he could look over her head at the man who held her tight if he wanted to, but his cold, arrogant gaze was entirely on her. Stepping up close to her, he had a ruthless kind of smirk that filled her with dread.

“Now, now, Jarrik,” the man practically cooed his order with a flick of his wrist as though it might gain her trust. “Not so rough with her. This gorgeous prize is worth more than any of you can even count.”

“Yeah, sorry, Garold, boss, but she’s squirming a lot. It’s gonna give me a boner.”

Reaching out, the boss twirled a bit of her messy hair. With a feral, elven growl, S’re tried to wrench free of the man’s grip, snapping at the leader’s hand. That same hand made her regret it instantly, her head swimming from a slap that echoed in her head as much through the trees. If she wasn’t being held with such a bruising grip, she would have fallen over when her body stiffened and her knees buckled.

The next touch was a caress over the stinging redness left on her face. “You come along nicely, beautiful, and you’ll be treated like royalty. But, growl at me again, and I’m willing to take a pay cut for a Tamer with some missing ears.” S’re grit her teeth with a whimper when he mercilessly pinched one of her long ears between his thick, knobby fingers, pulling her straight up to stand on her toes. “You’re still worth a lot, even if you were discounted.”

“Leave her alone!” Stepping out of the brush, Jasper did not resist when the two men nearest him grabbed him with bruising grips. Glaring at them, he addressed their leader. “Look, we’ll go with you. Just don’t hurt her.”

Garold scoffed. “So you’re the Tender Danny was talking about. Got a lot of gall in thinking you’re even involved in any of this. I looked you up, little man. Got a few bounties on you, too. But, as much as I’d like the extra pocket cash, you just aren’t worth it. Though, Danny did ask real nice that we let you go. Lucky little grun’gal.”

At the jerk of his head, the guy behind Jasper struck him so hard over the head that he crumpled face first to the ground like a puppet without strings.

“No! Jasper!” S’re cried out, trying to get free. “Let me go!”

The man pulled her closer, holding her tight to his body so she could feel his bulge against her ass. “You keep squirming, hot stuff, and you’re definitely going to make me hard.”