Page 131 of Sohut's Protection

Pristine white walls were on either side, and the lights themselves looked as if they were shining through crystals.

Sohut’s life organ skipped a beat.

This was definitely Tasqal territory.

They had a strange obsession with white and crystals…an obsession with purity even though they were so filled with impurity themselves.

As he walked through the open doors, he glanced up at the Hedgerud fighter on a platform above him.

The fighter jerked his head in greeting and Sohut mimicked the movement before continuing to walk forward.

A discreet glance behind him told him the doors were closing again.

As he walked, he kept his head slightly down and his gaze forward as two more guards came up the corridor.

They were mumbling to themselves and he hoped they wouldn’t speak to him. But apart from jerking their heads in his direction in greeting, they said nothing.

So far, so good.

The corridor was leading downward and he realized the rumors must be true.

Sector 89 was a stronghold built underground.

It didn’t take long before the ground leveled out and Sohut found himself in front of another set of doors.

These ones opened without needing a code and as Sohut stepped through them, he shuddered.

There were Tasqals and Hedgerud fighters everywhere.

His mortal enemies.

It was a—Sohut stopped moving, not believing what he was seeing—a sort of pleasure center.

There were chained soephrims playing stringed instruments in different parts of the room and lounging on raised platforms were Tasqals, male and female alike, getting…pleasured.

His stomach turned at the sight and with that feeling followed a fear he never knew he could feel.

His eyes darted across the space, looking at the beings pleasuring the Tasqals…looking but not wanting to see a female with hair like zimsu flowers.

Clee-yo.

As his life organ beat in his throat, he didn’t realize a Hedgerud fighter had approached him.

“You look ill, comrade. Did you eat the klee shells too?”

Sohut blinked.

Phek.

“Klee shells?”

The Hedgerud’s yellow eyes narrowed, and for a second Sohut wondered if he’d just blown his cover with that simple question.

“You must be new,” the Hedgerud said. “Hired for the auction later today?”

The auction.

So, he wasn’t late then.

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