Page 84 of Crown of Steel

Every year again.

First there’d be the hunt, then the reward. Sex. Lots of it, their needs filled to the brim. They’d play and win, share their trophies, share them as they’d fuck them. Supremacy.

Aristocracy shall live on?

“Brothers of the Alpha Fraternarii, tonight’s the night.” Theircommander sat on a horse. His uniform, made of a blue coat, red piped with white collar and cuffs, white piped and red lapels, blue piped red cuff flaps and shoulder straps, white turnbacks piper red and brass buttons, matched the others’. It was the exact replica of what the elite soldiers had worn in the late 18th century. Riding on his horse, he took his time to look everyone in the eye. “We’re all here.”

Where are you?

I’m here.

“And they—” He waved with his rifle across from them. “Are out there, waiting to be found. They have been bad, and they know it. We’ll hunt them down, won’t we?”

There were cheers from the crowd. Two more horses appeared, their riders wearing identical uniforms and golden masks.

Where?

Here.

“This is for us all. Because we value traditions, show loyalty and respect. We respect!”

More cheers.

I’m scared.

“What are we going to do?”

“We’ll hunt them down!” The crowd hollered.

“We’ll make them yield and punish them.” His horse reared with a loud neigh while the commander raised his arm to the air.

“Punishment, punishment.”

Through the darkness I can barely see. Someone fires a musket and I cringe, fingers touching cold iron that very moment.

“Punishment, punishment!” They hooted.

“Make them yield.” The commander shouted, followed by the eerie sound of movement.

The ground trembles around me.

The battle has begun.

Where are you?

All around them, brothers started running as they started the hunt. A cat and mouse game with only one outcome. A satisfactory outcome,in this case. Of fucking. All around them, everywhere. It would only take a matter of time for the battlefield to turn into one, deranged orgy. The elite would win, its weight heavier on the scale. Its power superior. Just like in real life.

They’d turned unhinged in the name of history.

My entire body trembles and I grab it tight, squeezing the unyielding, cold material as I stay still. If I stay silent, they won’t find me. If I stay silent, he won’t find me.

Except, he always did. Always found me, always punished me, always threw me in and dragged me out.

Always a punishment.

Someone howled and dove forward, another shouted in laughter. The best games in life were those which were cruel. Ones with a single outcome.

The musket fired, its sound a loud bang in the trembling forest as horses passed them by in a run. There were brothers everywhere, the first slaps and moans breezing through the woods. All around them, commoners were falling, showing their white flags in defeat before they’d get what was coming for them.

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