Chapter 6: The Beast Within

She was very young.

But despite her youth, the Terran had indulged his desires willingly and was now sucking on his massive member like a greedy little piglet desperate for its mother’s milk. The girl’s eyes looked at him in worship as her small pink tongue, and soft wet lips explored every dimple and crevice of his crimson skinned cock.

Her tiny mouth on his immense cock looked obscene.

He pushed the cock in a little more, forcing the massive tip inside her small mouth. Her eyes widened, but he gave her a reassuring smile, and his handsome face made her relax.

The poor girl was completely oblivious of the beast that resided within him.

Like another aspect of his being. A shadow twin. Stronger, faster, and deadlier than he could ever be...

Every time he attempted to get closer to the beast, stronger like it, the twin grew in strength as well. Always stronger, always hungrier. Always pushing him...

Xul smiled at the girl warmly and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. She looked relaxed and remained so, even as he put a strong hand on her neck. She began to softly bob her head back and forth, doing her best to engulf the massive head.

Her small mouth felt wet and warm as she struggled with the heavy cock. Her little pink tongue prodded and explored every part of the engorged head. Her eagerness to please her lord and master would be endearing if Xul cared for such things.

Then his expression turned cold as he started to force the cock inside her throat. Her eyes widened in panic, and tears ran down her cheeks, but he clenched his strong hands behind her head, and forced it in deeper, ignoring her desperate clawing hands on his muscular thighs.

Her xeno anatomy did not allow for his whole cock to enter without damage, but he forcefully pushed it deep inside her throat. As her gag reflexes desperately kicked in and she futilely tried to breathe through her nose, he continued to violate her throat in jolted thrusts. He could feel the shadow beast squirm within him in excitement, calling for violence, and release.

Unbeknownst to her in her relatively short lifespan, her whole life had led to this point. To be the receptacle of his frustration, anger, and lust at this moment was her destiny made manifest. She had been bred and bio-engineered solely for this purpose. As a sacrifice to the shadowy beast that roared its depraved desires within him.

Her eyes were red and watery, and terror tarnished her otherwise beautiful features. With a gentle hand he pushed a lock of her blonde hair behind her ear and stroked her chin where a cascade of tears ran down. Then he smiled at her warmly. A last act of cruelty, as his large hands locked behind her head. Her panic was distinct as her fight-or-flight response went into overdrive, and he savored her fear like a fine wine. She tried desperately and pointlessly to pry his fingers loose with her small pale hands. Then Xul relentlessly pushed his cock all the way through her esophagus and into her gullet. The panicked gagging sounds and hisses of air escaping from her straining throat enflamed the beast within him.

His ecstasy built quickly as the contractions of her throat massaged his massive cock, and her slender hands clawed his legs futilely as he neared his climax.

A last act of oxygen-deprived desperation made her claw at his balls with her weakened hands, which only amplified the beast’s arousal.

With a guttural grunt, he climaxed while pushing his cock down through her esophagus. His heavy and thick load flooded into her, making her stomach visibly grow and completely stealing what little air she had left.

Her hands fell to the ground as the spark of life left her body, and he made a few final thrusts that no longer met resistance, as the last of his ecstasy was emptied within her gut.

He let go of her, and his flaccid cock left her gullet and esophagus with a wet croaking sound, as her lifeless body fell to the ground. Blood ran from her nose and mixed with his discharged desire that ran thick and white from her mouth.

Her destiny had been fulfilled.

The beast was sated. For now.

“Lord Drakarth.”

Her voice was like a splash of cold water in his fiery veins. Xul hesitated a moment to let the shadow twin within him dissipate.

Then he turned his head to look at the lieutenant and commander of his personal guard, Cyrene Shan. A Terran cloned from a rare female member of phase one of the Paragon project, and physically and biologically perfected into the specimen that stood before him. Cyrene’s cold eyes passed briefly over the broken girl at her master’s feet, then back at Xul. Her face revealing no emotions or laying bare any thoughts.

Cyrene had shown great potential from the start, yet had been pushed to even greater heights thanks to House Malliux classified bio-engineering technology. When designing her, Xul had used technology not available to even the richest of clients. The same technology Xul had used to push his own physical boundaries.

However, despite her physical perfection and killer instinct, the most important was her personality and unrelenting spirit. The iron-will and determination to pitilessly pursue any goal – Xul’s goals - was not so easily engineered.

The bio-engineering facilities of Malliux Apex could create the perfect shell, but not the soul that resided within.

Next to his ebony-skinned guardian, stood a small chubby child in a golden-threaded robe.

His skin was crimson like Xul’s, but his face was flat and noseless, with large eyes, making him less humanoid. In addition to his two main arms, the child also had two smaller arms emerging from his chest.

The true aspect of their species, a Tharxian Noble. Member of the highest caste, unlike Xul who was a Thurkian, the lowest caste. Thurkians who after generations of bio-engineering had come to resemble crimson-skinned Terrans. Albeit bigger, stronger, and faster. The grunt workers and slaves of Mulmasa.

Xul closed his expensive Zhemrian robe before turning to face the child, and smiled disarmingly.

“Lagorn, my prince, it is past your bedtime I believe. How much did you see?” Xul asked, raising a perfectly shaped black eyebrow.

“I saw you hurt that lady,” the child prince said accusingly, pointing with one of his main arms at the naked and broken Terran on the polished floors, while the hands of his two smaller arms cupped his face in horror “why would you do that?”

Cyrene looked down at the child with cold detachment.

Xul knew that with a faint command, Cyrene would draw her energy-infused verithium blade without hesitation and slice the child into two equally sized pieces. An act of high treason, yet all he had to do was snap his fingers.

Cyrene was fiercely ambitious, but at the same time unyieldingly loyal. A rare combination.

Of course, besides her salary – which was substantial – Cyrene also enjoyed all the perks her position as the right hand of the Grand Hierophant of House Malliux entailed.

Access to the newest within technology and bio-enhancement, an army of well-trained troops at her disposal, a literal fleet of ships, and unrestricted access to whatever indulgence, pleasure, or vice she desired, including access to Xul’s personal stable of perfectly bred stock. Like the girl on the floor.

Yet more important than all these benefits was that her destiny was inevitably tied to Xul’s own projection. When he rose through the intrigue-filled courts of Mulmasa and gained the wealth and power that came with it, so did she. And she knew that for Xul Drakarth, nothing short of the mantle of Tharna’kai - King of Kings, would sate his ambition. And even that might not be enough...

Xul kneeled next to the little prince, who edged backward lifting his smaller arms protectively, but Xul put a hand on his shoulder and pulled him closer as if he wanted to speak to the child in confidence. As if he wished to relay to the child, one of the galaxies most well-kept secrets.

“You must understand my prince, that this universe can be a dark and callous place full of monsters, monsters that want to rip the flesh clean off your bones and gnaw on the remains,” Xul spoke with great emphasis as he squeezed one of the boy’s arm with strong fingers. The little prince shook from his words, as Xul continued “To withstand these monsters, you yourself must have the capacity for monstrosity, otherwise your weakness makes you the victim,”

“Do you understand what I’m saying my Prince?”

The child seemed to struggle with his words but nodded obediently.

“And do you want to be a victim of the monsters? Do you want the flesh ripped from your bones?”

The boy shook his head from side to side terrified.

“Good,” Xul nodded, as he gave the child an assuring smile “Then, soon I will take you to the slave pens and teach you how to be monstrous so that you shall never fear the dangers of this universe.”

The prince looked pale “But I don’t want to be a monster!”

Xul laughed. For others it sounded like a warm and hearty laughter, but Cyrene who stood beside the two knew that Drakarths laugh was something significantly more sinister and malevolent.

“You will never be a monster my prince.”

The boy smiled meekly, his small mouth lighting up his flat Tharxian features, and his large dark eyes widened.

“Will you follow me to my bedroom Xul, so the monsters don’t get me?” the child prince implored with a small voice. The meek child had yet to learn that as the heir of House Malliux he did not have to ask, but simply command, and everyone would obey.

“It would be my pleasure, little princeling.” Xul replied, putting a hand to his heart.

Ʊ

When Xul had put the princeling to bed he returned to his office. The expired girl had already been removed from the floors, any trace of the beast’s doing whisked away as if it never happened. The floor was spotless.

Cyrene leaned cross-legged against Xul’s large metal desk, that took an imposing place in the middle of the room.

“Where is the cargo?” asked Xul as he sat down in his throne-like chair at the end of the desk.

“Retrieved from Cyndorr. On it’s way to the rendezvous point on Fabkos to meet up with the smuggler.” Cyrene answered curtly.

“And the extraction crew?”

“Scheduled for termination.”

“Who is the smuggler?”

Cyrene pressed a few buttons on her gauntlet’s interface, and a holo-projection of a ruggedly handsome Terran in his mid-thirties was projected from the projector orb in the middle of Xul’s desk.

“A Terran bounty hunter, birth name; Dante Jackson, but goes by the alias Jack DeWitt. Former UFE shock trooper, and part of the Paragon Project phase II.”

Xul nodded and steepled his perfectly manicured fingers and raised his hands to his chiseled chin.

“A colleague of yours,” he commented, although Cyrene was a clone of a phase I Paragon soldier a decade apart from this soldier-turned-smuggler.

“And his employer?”

“Threxia Malavia,” Cyrene replied, pressing her gauntlet’s interface once more, and the projection changed into many different projections of various species “A Chenadie crime lord out of Omicron Station, wanted in 13 systems, primarily for organized crime, regional terrorism, and murder.”

“We used her before?”

Cyrene nodded “On occasion. She is very professional.”

“And why the Terran?”

“He served under the Client in the war, he knows the Haedron system better than most. He deserted the war effort 10 months before the battle of Yipor. In those months and the following year, he was exclusively hiding and flying in the Haedron-Servus cluster. He knows how to avoid anyone there, including Federation agents.”

“And our contingency?” asked Xul, knowing full well that Cyrene was leaving nothing to chance.

She ran her fingers across the gauntlet and a crew of different species appeared. Every member looking leaner and meaner than the next.

“We have alternative hunters nearby, one with intimate knowledge of the Terran, in case of any problems. We also have an agent within Threxia’s organization, ready to replace her at our command.”

Xul nodded contently but offered Cyrene no praise. He expected his henchmen to follow orders to the letter and he had no tolerance for failure. Cyrene knew this better than most.

“When is the Terran leaving?”

“He left Omicron this morning.” she replied.

“Keep your eye on the progress, I want the shipment delivered before the next Virach.”

“Yes, Lord Drakarth.” she replied putting a hand on her heart. It was a gesture reserved to use for Tharxian princes, but Cyrene had adopted it to use with Xul. The obedient gesture pleased his vanity.

A light blinked on Xul’s desk and he pressed a receiver adjacent to it.

“Master Zellious is here to see you Lord Drakarth.” sounded a female voice over the intercom.

A screen on the desk flashed to life, showing the reception of the palatial office building.

In the luxurious reception, made to impress competition and ensnare investors, stood the lesser Tharxian known as Master Zellious, with two Thurkian slaves.

“Your new clothes are back from the tailor it seems, soon everything is set for the royal visit.” Cyrene remarked. Her emerald eyes glinting.

Xul had surprisingly been invited to the grand palace to an audience with the most powerful being in Mulmasa. The Grand Prince, the de jure ruler of the entire Tharxian species.

The royal visit was the reason the shadowy beast within him had needed release, and thus the catalyst for his little escapade this evening.

“I believe none like you have ever been in the presence of the Grand Prince.” Cyrene offered impressed, a small smile forming on her full lips.

“A Thurkian you mean?” asked Xul as he rose from his chair.

She was about to reply but he waved at her dismissively.

“It is hardly a social call, clearly he wants something from me, or try to garner something useful he can use against House Mallix. The question is what? I will have to tread carefully.”

Xul pushed a finger against the intercom “Send him up.”

Xul stood for a while consumed in thought, with Cyrene beside him, quietly awaiting her lord’s command.

Finally, he broke the silence.

“Keep the commandos alert, and have my entire personal guard reassigned to the palace. Make up some excuse like a drill or something. Find an old template in the archives and date it appropriately, and I will forge Prince Drogmoin’s signature, so no one suspects anything.”

Cyrene nodded “Anything else?”

“No, perform what duties you have now, and await me by the Vindicator tomorrow morning. We will fly early so we have time to spare in the Royal city. Any delay would be a grievous and fatal insult.”

Cyrene bowed and left for the door. As she exited, the master tailor and his slaves entered through the tall symmetric doors leading into Xul’s office.

Master Zellious was a Lesser Tharxian. The middle caste of their stratified society.

They resembled the Tharxian nobles in most ways, including their flat facial features, but their four arms were all strong and well-developed, unlike the Tharxian nobles with their mismatched sets of arms. An evolutionary result of the lesser Tharxians’ active lifestyle compared to the idle lifestyle of their greater kin.

Lesser Tharxians were the fundament upon which Tharxian society was built, taking roles as elite soldiers and commanders, as well as other important societal roles that were considered beneath the nobles, but important enough to considered vital functions and stations of prestige. Such as master craftsmen, doctors, engineers, and scientists.

Master Zellious hurried forward, and bowed low, his two Thurkian slaves bowing even lower.

One slave, wearing a metal slave collar, scuttled forward and put a projector on the ground. A hologram of Xul’s impressive physique flashed to holographic life, covering them all in a bluish hue. Xul’s observed his holographic self, looking at the clothing and judging it with a connoisseur’s eye.

Zellious was a true master of his craft and ridiculously expensive, but one could not be frugal when visiting the royal palace. Yet, one had to be careful and find the right balance between opulence and style. You wanted to signal wealth and taste, but not so much that you surpassed the Princes in cost and finish. That would be an insult, from which it could be difficult to recover.

“We brought the sample you requested eminence; the main garment is complete. What is left is the cape and finishes.” the old Tharxian explained.

The other Thurkian slave, a female with clear scars from her master’s whip, held out a rich white garment, every tread and stitching perfectly placed. Xul had no doubt Master Zellious had paid good money for this specimen, as her body was supple and strong. Built for punishment and other frustrations. Although she was no longer entirely young, she was still a looker with a slim nose and full lips. She accidentally looked into Xul’s eyes and her eyes quickly darted to her feet.

Xul lifted her chin with a finger to let his strong gaze pierce her. She trembled beneath his dominant stare, her ample chest drawing in a gasp of air. If he wanted, Xul could have this slave. In fact, he had the power to take this slave right now in front of the craftsman and the male slave. Do whatever he wanted to her, with the two others’ being able to nothing than stare stunned at the spectacle. The thought almost amused him.

While holding the slave woman’s gaze, he let a hand slide across the exquisite white fabric she held. It was a kiwafi. An ancient long loincloth-type garment, usually worn with threaded belts covered with precious gemstones. A remnant of the old slave masters that rose to rule Mamonia and the Tharxian race. The cape that Master Zellious spoke of, the tirak, was a more modern addition that -together with plenty of precious jewelry- allowed the ruling classes to display even more wealth and power.

“Very nice Master Zellious.” Xul said as he moved his eyes from the trembling slave.

The lesser Tharxian bowed “Thank you Lord Drakarth, now in regards to the tirak, the fashion trend in the royal court dictates a northern style cape with precious linings and cross–”

“Only I dictate here, Master Zellious.” Xul interrupted.

The Tharxian lowered his head again obediently “Of course your eminence, merely a comment on the current trend.”

Like most lesser Tharxians the sight of a low caste Thurkian like Xul, who had eclipsed all of them in wealth and power was a difficult realization for all Tharxians, in a society with a traditional and rigid caste system. It had been no different in Zellious first meeting with Xul, in which the older Tharxian had been outright disrespectful.

The following apprehension, imprisonment, and amputations performed on his oldest son, a senior engineer in Zyrilla Industries, which Xul, through Malliux Apex owned a majority stake in, had seen that disrespect rectified. Now the old master showed him respect and compliance as if he was a Tharxian prince.

The respect he deserved.

Xul studied the hologram for a moment, taking in the details, then spoke in a commanding voice.

“I want the chest bare, and the tirak draped over one shoulder in the style of ancient Mamonia.”

Zellious nodded acceptingly, although his expression could not hide a slight hint of disapproval in not following the latest trends.

Brave for a man with five children, Xul mused.

“May I suggest, then, your lordship, the cape to be woven from the most luxurious Zhemerian silk –in deep red of course – and trimmed with verithium and platinum leaf to accentuate your eminence’s elevated station.”