Stripes and Chains 13 - Pleasure and Punishment

Story by Silversmith on SoFurry

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#15 of Stripes and Chains

Character are (c) me

Setting is (c) DragonTalon


"How did it happen?" Kelsura's inquiry was crisp and sharp. The orange dragoness, copper hair pulled back for once in a pony tail half charged half marched into her office. Her gold tiger slave, Benjamin, was still in tow. The others had been dismissed for the rest of the day. "How did Boreous die?"

Her senior assistant Gran, a dragon of simple red color with horns that swept back over his shaved head, cleared his throat. "Ma'am, his skull was crushed."

"His skull was crushed?" She repeated, looking to her other assistant Torin.

Torin, gray with black spots and straight horns pointed back over an equally clean shaven head nodded. "The exact report details he had...too much to drink, grew rowdy, tried to pick a fight with one of his guests and pushed him back into one of his statues. The statue was not secured to its stand. The individual stumbled backwards into it's feet and...well...gravity did the rest. Boreous happened to be in just the right-er that is wrong place at the wrong time. It landed with enough force to crush his skull."

Kelsura blinked at the two of them. The irony was palpable. Then she smiled, turning to look down at her slave, almost forgotten on his knees next to her. "Do you think he got what he deserved, Benjamin?"

The tiger started, the question completely unexpected. He sputtered, attempting to choose his words very carefully. His first inclination was to answer no. But, he knew, that would be a lie. Boreous got every thing he deserved. Benjamin thought back to the revelation that those statues were once living being, how Boreous had snuffed their lives on a whim of greed and pomp. Remembering it still made his blood boil, even a year later. He had gloated over them. Mistress had said his time was coming, but he doubted any one expected the end would come at the gilded body of a former slave being his undoing. "Yes." Benjamin finally said, an edge to his voice.

Both Gran and Torin gave him a hard look. Kelsura chortled softly. "Why?" she asked.

Benjamin was once more caught off guard. He hadn't expected to be part of this conversation. It was a tad bit frustrating. "I- well you said-"

Kelsura held up a hand, calling for his silence."No, Benjamin. Not what I said about him, why do you think he deserved this?"

He sighed, rolling his hands nervously in his lap. "Any time he spoke with some one at that party he would steer the conversation to being about him. He didn't seem to care, really, for any one else. He was selfish. Cruel. What he did to Tula..."

"You remember her name?" Kelsura was, admittedly, a tad astonished. Tula's existence and fate had been a passing piece of knowledge to her, she had barley tucked the slave's name away in her memory. She found what Boreous had done to her to be wasteful, distasteful even. But, dragons had the right to do what ever they wished with their slaves, and so the fate of Boreous's slave had not been of any great importance to her. She looked at her tiger, the way he tried to hide the glower on his face, how the colors of his being swirled in hues of blue, yellow and red; sadness, fear, and anger. Kelsura frowned.

Benjamin began to fidget. He hated thinking about the horrid things some dragons were not just willing to do, but that some took enjoyment out of delivering. How any intelligent creature could enjoy bringing pain, fear, and even death to another was beyond his comprehension. It would be easy to write it off as psychopathy, but it wasn't. Dragons knew exactly what they were doing, and literally considered it all acceptable. Not out of some mental instability, but because they instinctively believed it was acceptable.

"Calm down tiger." Kelsura said soothingly, brushing her hand through his hair, significantly longer than where it had been on his arrival. She could see his emotions twisting into an ugly brown mire, smell the sweat forming under his fur. The revelation of what Boreous had done had really scarred the poor fur. She cupped his chin with both hands, tilting his head back to look up at her. "You have nothing of the sort to fear from me. Have I not been good to you?"

"Yes Mistress." He swallowed. He began to purr as she stroked a hand back and forth along his neck, plucking at sensitive nerves under his chin. He would not say she had been exactly good. She had enslaved him, rapped him, stripped him of his past. If he were being honest with him self though, the last was for the better.

Benjamin had once been a citizen from the Middle Empire. The central territory of the South Eastern Consortium. A group of three states, separate in culture but united under the belief of following the traditional and old ways from before the Great Retreat and remaining separated from the Furry Republic. He had been an ambassador, or sorts, sent to the Dragon Empire to observe their life and culture when the Consortium had decided after decades to open it's borders to limited trade and travel. In truth he had been labeled a traitor for the simple act of speaking at length with a Republic Armed Guard recruiter, tried in absence on his way to the Dagon Empire, found guilty and stripped of his citizenship and sold to the dragons. Kelsura had been the one to purchase him, an auction had been held before he even arrived and it was her money that went the highest. Looking back over the past year, some of the horrible experiences he him self endured, it could have been some one far, far worse.

Kelsura had been good to him. She had been good for him. Benjamin had never wanted to be a politician of any sort. He had served in the Middle Empire's Territorial Guard. Service was mandatory for all citizens of the empire, royalty and peasantry. He had deeply enjoyed his time in the Guard. Learning to use a sword, spear, and bow had been highly exhilarating and he found the high structured life style motivating. His parents had disagreed. Both his mother and father were merchants, and had been among the first to start trade negotiations and establish routes out of the Middle Empire into the republic, and no son of theirs was going to be a dirt slogging soldier.

Kelsura felt differently. She had recognized in him strong martial attributes. She had no need for an ambassador, able to handle all negotiations her self. There was always room for more guards though. With her promotion came a raise, a hefty one. Enough she could afford to move out of Remus's vacation home and into a large place of her own, one far larger. Perhaps she would even buy Boreous's lair once it was on the market. What she also needed was a new champion. Walter was loosing too often now, no longer as spry as he used to be. The old goat could still throw a punch hard enough to shatter bone but he was too slow now to put it to good use. She had seen watch Benjamin could do, and with a little work could do much better. Perhaps, one day, he would even lead her guard, once Claudius was too old.

"That's neither here nor there, right now." She said allowed to her self. Gran and Torin raised a brow at her seemingly sudden out burst. Benjamin looked up at her curiously. She stroked him behind his ears, leaning down to place her nose close to his. For a moment she gazed into his big, golden-black eyes. Her ice blues were entrancing, leading him to follow her willingly as she softly pulled on his leash, sitting at her desk with him kneeling at her side. She handed him his own leash. He took it hesitantly, reassured by a stroke of his head.

She leaned forward, steepling her fingers as she looked from Gran to Torin. "Boreous is dead and I'm his replacement. Covered." She let out a sigh. "Now...tell me about this impending migraine. The Consortium has actually declared war on the world? Not just the Republic and the Empire, the entire world?" There was a hint of mirth to her voice that rose to a soft laugh. She was joined by the other two. Benjamin found himself rolling his eyes. Not at them, but at the arrogance of his former Emperor. Chu: the Child King.

Chu was barley more than a cub. His coming to the throne had been questionable out best, and resented at worst. The Middle Empire had long been a more matriarchal society. Women served in positions of power more often than men. An aspect of societal evolution, left over from their long since passed evolution from quadrupeds. Female tigers reared the cubs until they wondered off to be on their own, males simply provided the means for procreation. Though sociable animals, males the dominant of the two sexes, their roles would change as their species did. Walking from four legs and then upon two, females became the more responsible, and so the leaders. Their empire had been ruled by an Empress for centuries. Chu was the first male to sit on the thrown since before the Retreat.

"Emperor Chur's exact wording, as far as this declaration is written," Gran produced a roll of vellum, bound on both ends to ornate, tiger headed rods. He unrolled it on Kelsura's desk, turning it to face her. The script was not the basic characters used in both the Empire ad the Republic, but rather in Scrape, the language that evolved from territorial markings. "It says 'In Centuries past we were once the Great Empire, and so shall we be again. To the Republic, who both mocks and spurns the ways of their ancestors, we have watched you these ten years and deem you as having only one hope of Salvation: you will surrender and give of your selves to the Great Empire of the Golden Panther. Refusal will be met with the Sentence of Three Generation. Only your infants will be spared to inherit the world. To the Empire of the Dragon we declare total annihilation. You are beyond any form of salvation or redemption. Your existence shall be ground to ash, your eggs shattered. We will paint the ruins of your empire red with your blood so the ages shall remember you as nothing more.

Decreed by the Divine Chu of the Empire of the Golden Panther."

When Gran finished there was a moment of silence. Eyes shifted between the dragons as they regarded one another before bursting out in laughter. Kelsura was double over the front of her desk, laughing into her arm as she banged her fist. "That's-that's insane! Empire of the Golden Panther? Is that what they're calling themselves now? W-why didn't we hear any thing about this sooner. " She asked, laughing so hard she was nearly choking on her own words. She took several calming breaths. "Where were our informants? Why did they not send early word? Why are we hearing about this now, direct from the...Empire of the Golden Panther?" Her eyes were narrowed, she had a stern expression over her muzzles as she shifted her glare from Gran and then Torin. All mirth and laughter had left her, not so much as a tickle in her throught.

"I..." Torin cleared his throat. "Regret to inform you that every single one of our informants, plants, and any one who took money from us has been discovered and executed. They were...delivered to us."

"Delivered?" She arched a brow, her tone one impatiant.

"In pieces." Torin finished, stepping forward. "All of them. Every single one of them were delivered to the Empire, no specific address, but with a note saying which...er...limb belonged to whom, and why they had been killed."

"It was a message meant to intimidate." Benjamin spoke up. All eyes turned to him, so quiet and nearly forgotten. Nearly, Kelsura had been gingerly scratching between his ears soon after she had stopped laughing. All eyes were on him now. Three dragons stared down at him, making him shrink on the cushion he was kneeling over.

"Benjamin, be quiet." Kelsura said, she pushed him down by his head. Down until he was prostrate on the floor. She sighed then, turning her attention back to Gran and Torin. Leaning forward over her desk she clicked her claws across its surface in thought. "I trust military intelligence is aware of this development?"

Gran and Torin both nodded. "Zeke, Matilda, Zoriah, and Hurshal have all been informed. They've already dispatched their fastest messengers to the front camps."

Kelsura gave a satisfied nod, standing, taking Benjamin's leash in hand. "Then there is little else we can do. Our job is to observe the social changes in furries. Military Intelligence will handle this matter of war. Gran, Torin, start setting up as many new connections as you can. I want as many eyes as we can get back into the consortium, if not directly than as close as possible."

"Miss Keslura there's one other th-"

"It can wait." she said, holding up a hand. She gave a tug on on the leash, Benjamin following behind her out of the office. "If its about the consortium we'll have a full debrief after dinner. For now, I'm going for a bath." She shouted back.

Benjamin heaved a sigh. He wasn't sure if that had been a close call. He had spoken out of turn. Giving an small whimper he looked up behind his mistress, attempting to draw her attention. "Speak." She said curtly.

"I'm sorry Mistress. I didn't mean speak like that." She said, leading him past the door to her room. He looked up curiously. Were she not going for a bath? Likely she was leading him back to the waiting room first.

"I'm glad you did." She said. "I was wondering if I would have to...convince you to speak about your past home. I can assume now that you're willing to volunteer any thing you know?"

"Mmm." He nodded "Mistres...they're not home any more. My home is...here. I don't feel I owe them any thing. And if Emperor Chu has declared war on the world, it would be the most foolish thing any of our- I mean their emperors has ever done."

"I don't know about that. We think most furries are foolish. It would certainly be the most foolish thing any one of you has done in a long time, at least since the Republic tried to war with us. That nearly cost us the front line." She stopped at a set of double doors. She stood, poised, waiting for...what? They lead to the slave bathes. She wasn't taking him back to the waiting room she was. Benjamin started with realization. She was waiting for him. He hurried around in front of her, sitting back on his knees as he pushed one door open then the other.

There was soft laughter. Giggles and splashes. "Ah. You're still here?" Kelsura asked with bemusement, watching as her lions ran about through ankle deep shallows, chasing after and splashing one another.

"Mistress!" they called jubilantly, sliding down to their knees in front of her. All of them panted, struggling to contain their apparent exhilaration, obviously happy to be home and in familiar space.

"And...?" She looked at them with amused indication, smiling brightly and giving her metal leash a shake. All eyes turned to the tiger.

"And Benjamin." Lute was the first to say, the others following with warm smiles and soft greeting, each crawling over to him, kissing the feet of their mistress as they passed her legs before each giving him a soft nuzzle under his chin.

"He's here for a bath." Kelsura said, stripping her cheongsam from her shoulders and stepped out of the leather clothing as it hit the floor. "As am I." She smiled.

Bath times were a favorite of Kelsuras. She loved the water and would have a full sized heated pool if she could afford it. She considered her self very lucky to have even a heated bath for her self and her slaves She waded down the natural pool, carved and level out to a soft slop, the water growing deeper with each step until it was knee high. She turned and sat, the water rising up to her chest. The girls were already scrambling, grabbing a small wooden table from storage and setting it in the water where the dragoness had chosen to sit. Flute had left, returning moment later with a bottle and a glass, setting both down on the table and carefully removing the cork. Benjamin recognized its contents. The way it slowly pored into the glass. Blood, kept warm via some ancient enchantment either on the bottle or perhaps the stone that was was pressed into the ribbon wrapped around the bottle's neck. Kelsura was looking over at her tiger, devilish smile spread out over her muzzle. "You remember our first bath?"

Benjamin understood the hint. He cralwed down through the water, half swimming by the time he cot to her, sitting down between her legs and leaning back against her. He blushed as Drum and Flute sat down on either side, both eying him lasciviously. Kelsura smirked. "Down girls." she chortled, taking the glass and sipping lightly. "Oh," she eyed the bottle with delight. "Flute you made an excellent choice. This was from the stock Remus sent with us?"

The lioness beamed under the praise of her mistress, nodding enthusiastic. "One hundred bottles with us did he send. It is his choice, not mind, that you should commend."

Benjamin visibly cringed at Flute's little verse. Kelsura took another sip of the warm unicorn's blood. "You really do not like their rhyming speech, do you tiger?" she asked, running wet fingers through his hair.

"No mistress. I find it annoying." he answered softly.

Kelsura set the glass down, lifting a bar of soap and handing it to drum, who got to work lathering up her hands with it. "That's a shame." she said, pointing the lioness to start with Benjamin. "I find it entertaining. I do believe I've given you quite the liberty to ask they not speak as such out of my presence"

He shook with surprise. He shivered as she chuckled and ran a claw up his chest, turning it to press under his chin. "Did you think I did not know?" she asked, turning his head to look back at her. "I know every word a slave speaks when I am not present, and how you speak it. Dragons delight in word games, and we are just as happy as we are frustrated when some one out smarts us or finds a loop hole. But, for a slave to exploit one? And so readily? I was both impressed and livid. Consider it a reward for being such a smart pet that I let it continue. But here is the trade off: you will show and say absolutely no objection when I am present."

"Yes Mistress. I'm sorry. Is...there any thing I can do to make up for it?"

She shook her head. "No. There is not. You'll just have to suffer. Drum? Make him suffer." Kelsura giggeled along with her pets as Drum half pounced on top of Benjamin, wedging her self between him and Mistress. She forced him forward, emptying an entire bottle of scented oils over his head and down his back, scrubbing her fingers through his fur and press the scent into his skin.

"Lavender flowers are a favorite of our Mistress. I'm sorry if this causes consternation, but she likes the scent to linger. Please forgive me beloved Benjamin, for the abrasiveness of my fingers." Drum scrubbed along his back and scalp vigorously. His cringing was more from the doggerel rhyming than from the wash, which actually felt good. He gave a prolonged sigh. This was his life now.

Harp was lounging on her side just over the edge to the spring, smiling softly as she watched. Her ears twitched then. "Mistress?" She inquired, speaking softly.

"Speak." Kelsura murred softly from the attention of two of her cats combined with the soft, delicate taste of unicorns blood. "Mmm...a pure oat diet really sweetens the taste."

"Mistress, to help you relax and calm, allow me to use my voice and play song? For the soul, a soothing balm." The lion smiled, leaning forward on eager knees. Harp, along with the rest of the girls, had her instrument with her, set to the side and out of the way.

Kelsura nodded, smiling softly. She tapped Drum on the shoulder before her hands began to wonder. She knew her pets were eager with their male around. She could smell the arousal, see the pink and light red hues swirling on the surface of their emotions. She looked down at Benjamin. There was the soft green of calm, swirled with thin ribbons of the same soft pink and red. She watched as the pink flared brighter when he caught Lutes eyes, swirling stronger when he looked over to Violin. Good, she thought, he was starting to truly accept them. "That would be wonderful Harp, do so." she nodded.

Drum was nuzzling over his head softly, absently mewling and huffing out her purrs like a kitten on catnip. She was truly infatuated with every thing about the young tiger. The absent smile on Benjamin's face as he enjoyed the attention suggesting all the same. Kelsura smiled, congratulating her self. She prided her self on running a cohesive lair, every one in there place, supporting each other if not out right loving one another. Other dragons ran their lairs through fear, or by breeding competition among slaves, each one of them jockeying for their master or mistress's attention. Kelsura preferred efficient and quick order, and the only way to accomplish that was through admiration and respect. She felt a reward was in order, for her self.

Kelsura nodded. "I think it's time I bought a unicorn." she announced allowed. There was a pause in movement from the others. Harp continued to strum despite the skeptical look on her face. Mistress was heavily frugal, never buying more than what she needed. The purchase of Benjamin had been a surprise in and of itself. That though was easily chalked up to her interest in his former home.

"Can...you afford one?" Violin did her best to choose her words carefully. She had hoisted Kelsura's leg up around the two cats in her lap and was busy working the souls of her clawed feet.

"That's not your concern, but I know you may worry since such a purchase is out side of the norm for me. Yes, I can afford it. Your mistress was promoted to the head of her department. I only got the news after we returned." Silence turned to gasps, which turned to smiles, and then shrieks of joy.

Flute threw her arms around Kelsuras neck, nuzzling under the dragon's jawline and mewing happily. "Congratulations Mistress! I'm so happy for you!" she shouted, making Kelsura squint. The dragoness chortled as she pushed the lioness away, pointing her to sit back down and poor another drink. "Will we be moving?" She continued. "I know you mentioned wanting a master suite with a better view."

Kelsura wrapped an arm around both Drum and Benjamin, pulling them close and hugging her pets softly. "I've given it some thought. With the kind of pay my promotion brings I'll be able to afford a lair of our own. Remus has been absolutely wonderful in accommodating us with such a large lair, but most of the space goes unused. Speaking of which, you each need to write him a letter of gratitude for allowing you to share with his home in the mountains."

"Yes Mistress." They all said in unison.

"And the bonus," she said "Should be enough to afford a unicorn. Maybe not one of the white-gold, but certainly a black, perhaps a painted..."

Lute leaned down into the water, slinking up between Benjamin's knees, Kelsura shooed her away. Lute gave a small pout but sat back none the less. She looked up at her Mistress with pleading eyes, her legs shifting subtly. Her mistress smirked, easing Drum away and pulling Benjamin back close. "I get the impression none of you are actually, truly concerned with my new promotion and an impending move?"

"We are Mistress"

"Its just that Benjamin is here."

"Its so very hard to concentrate. "When such a stud is near."

Benjamin cringed. They had moved form speaking rhymes to finishing each others sentences in rhymes. He was ready to grumble when he jolted, a clawed hand wrapping around his sheath. Kelsura had taken hold of his privates, stroking along from his balls to the top of his sheath and back down. "You mean my Benjamin. My stud." She traced a claw around the tip of his sheath, slowly pushing it down around his stiffening cock head.

"Mistress." he moaned softly, leaning forward and pushing his hand between his legs.

"Lute, Violin. Hold his arms up." She commanded, the two lions following her order swiftly and immediately. Benjamin's arms were lifted up out of his lap and to his side. Kelsura smirked as the two sat on either side of her. "You may make use of his hands. Benjamin, you will do what ever they wish."

"Y-yes Mistress." He gasped, his body betraying his wishes. His cock was at full length with only a few more strokes, the head poking up out of the water, the pre clinging to the tip barley noticeable among the drops of water. Lute and Violin took full advantage of the gift just given to them by their mistress.

Benjamin blushed at the touch of hot skin over his fingers. Both of them were working his fingers soft and slow over their slits, eyes closed and faces flushed. He closed his own eyes, panting softly. He curled his fingers, pressing them inside. Both girls gasped.

Kelsura chortled. "Thata boy." She eyed the two to her left and right and then lifted the tiger further out of the water, holding his cock up by the base and in clear view for all. "This is what's really on your minds, hmm? A thick piece of tiger meat?" The nodded, eyes half glazed over. Harp, still playing despite, licked her chops with a clear look of hunger. "Ah, I see. So you would rather your minds be on my pet rather than your Mistress?" she held a cross note in her voice. Harp struck an off note, her fingers fumbling. Lute and Violen stopped. All five of them lowered their eyes in shame. The whole room was quiet save for the cascade of the artificial water fall and the bubble of the heated water.

"We're sorry Mistress,"

"We didn't mean to offend."

"We should have been focused on you,"

"And not on Benjamin."

"We're sorry for the distress"

Kelsura looked at each one in turn, her face impassive. "Front and center." She ordered, pulling tighter to Benjamin. "You stay seated." she whispered to him, smirking for just a moment before clearing her throat. The five girls moved to the center of the pool, standing before the sitting dragoness. "I know just the way to punish the five of you. Benjamin, pick one." Her dead pan expression slowly changed to one of a very malicious grin.

The lions looked at one another, both fearful and confused. Benjamin was going to pick which one of them to be punished first. In a twisted way that was the perfect punishment, to have their beloved tiger cast the die. Mistress was rarely like this, only when she was truly vindictive. Juno had once made the dragon very upset, and had forced Claudius to administer her punishment. The girls were nearly shaking, on the verge of tears, Harp most of all. She had only just been forgiven for her last transgression. All they could do now was look down at the water around their legs.

"Benjamin, do you intend to keep me waiting?" Kelsura squeesed her arm around his chest.

"N-no Mistress, I just-"

"Choose!"

"V-violin!" he hadn't thought about it. He had simply blurted the name of the first he saw when he looked up. Violin was standing in the middle, right in front of him.

"The rest of you are dismissed. Get your food, go to bed." Kelsura snapped, jerkin her head for them to leave. Drum, Harp, Lute and Flute scrambled, moving as quick as they could, grabbing their things and dashing out of the door. Once they were gone, Kelsura sighed. "What am I going to do with the lot of you. It's no fault of Benjamin's but you make him suffer in your selfishness. I know I trained the five of you better."

Violin nodded sullenly. "Mistress I have no excuse, I am at the mercy of what ever punishment you deduce. I accept it with out complaint and will do as commanded with out restraint."

Kelsura nodded, stroking under Benjamin's chin, her hold on him loosening. He took a deep breath, a sharp gasp for air. She blinked, looking down at him. "Oh, was I holding you too tight? Why didn't you say something tiger?"

"I didn't want to interrupt." He coughed.

"Silly kitten..." Kelsura chided him, nuzzling her chin into the crown of his head. He grumbled, hating being called kitten. He knew better than to voice his complaint, to be insolent. "As for you, Violin, my little golden lion, my Darling with the Rosined Bow, my selfish little girl" Darling-with-the-Rosined-Bow? Benjamin mouthed to Violin. She blushed. She hadn't been called that in years. Not since Mistress had her play at small concerts for discerning dragon ears. "You ARE going to be puished, but not in the way you may be thinking. You're going to go with Benjamin to his new bunk in the guard quarters. You're going to enjoy your self in any way he wishes, by that I mean any way I wish. You're going to remember that it was your selfishness that denied your sisters their chance, just as it was their selfishness that gave you yours."

"Y-yes Mistress." the lioness hung her head in shame. Every fiber in her being wanted to protest. Almost every fiber. She was with out a doubt ashamed that she had failed Kelsura, put her self before her mistress. She was ashamed that her sisters would not be sharing with her, ashamed with her sisters as well as her self for not acting better. The Siren Sisters shared every thing and so she was deeply ashamed that she would not be sharing Benjamin with them, ashamed he could not share with them. But there was that lustful instinct, her sexual need, telling her how great it would be to have him all to her self for a night. That, above all, made her feel the worst: betrayal of her sisters. She knew they would feel the same once Mistress told them. They would feel as though they had betrayed her, their collective selfishness placing her in the situation.

"Benjamin. We will speak tomorrow at length about the Consortium and its strengths and weaknesses. Tonight I want you to fuck her. Give her exactly what she wants. I want you to be as rough with her as you can be. I want her limping by morning. Knowing you and your idealism- which is something we're going to work on- you might have some issue in enjoying your reward for putting your Mistress first, speak with Juno. She will have something to help you. Both of you, go. Food, then enjoy your selves." Kelsura held her wicked smile as they left the baths. She remained seated, deciding to soak a little while longer and enjoy her self and work this new stress out of her neck. She sighed, saying "Things are certainly starting to shake up around here." She pored her self the last of her bottle.

Benjamin and Violin slowly made their way to the kitchen, slow and plodding. Neither of them dared to look at the other. Violin felt relieved when she found there was no one else in the eating area just beyond the kitchen. Her sisters had already come and left. There a a bench style table arrangement. Benjamin sat on one side opposite Violin. Dinner for the slaves, the carnivores at least, was a single serving of cooked minced meat in a bowl mixed with an assortment of vegetables. Benjamin was already eating his, Violin pushed hers around in dejection.

"You should eat..." He looked up from his bowl, already finished.

"I can't seem to work up an apatite." She pushed her bowl away, folding her arms in front of her and laying her head on them.

Benjamin pulled her food toward him and held a spoon full of it out. "Come on, Vi." He said, doing his best to smile.

She looked up, blinking, a tad perplexed. "Did...did you just call me Vi?"

He stammered, lowering the spoon. "Well, I, I mean that is-"

"It's cute..." she blushed. Her eyes lowered to the full spoon. She hesitated for a moment, then opened her mouth. Benjamin smiled, pushing the spoon forward. She ate, purring softly and giggled when he held up another. "We're not supposed to be having fun. Well, I'm no-omph!" he pushed another spoonful of food into her mouth. She choked and swallowed, coughing, then giggled again. "Benji, I'm series I'm not supposed to be-"

"You called me Benji." he said softly.

She nodded. "It's what we've been calling you." She took another bite when offered, pushing his hand away softly when he offered another. She took the sppon away and wrapped her hands around his. She looked at him, concern in her eyes, longing and desire. "Benjamin, how do you really feel about us? My self and the other lions I mean."

"I don't know." He didn't. He told Mistress he wanted them, he did, but that was carnal. He had spent a great deal of time with each of them over the past year when not held in the waiting room, the area of the lair reserved for new or unplaced slaves. Benjamin wouldn't be going back tonight, he had been placed with the slave guards. Once done eating he would be going to the guard barracks, and taking Violin with him. He had spent time with Lute, learning gymnastic and tumbling, bettering his contortion skills. He already knew how to play her instruments. He learned to play the dizi when he was young, and most other forms of the flute came easily enough. With Harp he learned to sing and dance. Drum was teaching him rhythm, and Lute and Violin had been teaching him on their own instruments. Mistress wanted him well rounded, able to entertain in and out side of a fighting pit. He had grown to enjoy his time with them, even look forward to it. He had come to admire them each. But could he say he loved them? He loved them each like a friend, but romance? He looked at her and felt him self deflate.

"We said we love you. We meant it." She almost sounded like she was pleading.

"I just...why? I don't understand. You don't know any more about me than I do about the five of you. How do you know it's not just...infatuation? Instinct maybe. That's what got Harp in so much trouble. She let her self be lead by her instincts and..." He hadn't realized he had risen to his feet and towered over her until he saw himself reflected in her wide eyes. Eyes that regarded him with both fear and awe. "I'm sorry." He sighed, falling back onto his bench. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to...I'm just, I'm sorry."

"Benji, this isn't the Consortium, or the Republic, or the Elvin Forests, or any of the minor kingdoms and individual states. The Empire is different. I know in all of those places they have their ways, their courtships. So much ceremony, so many procedures and rules. No such thing exists here, not when it comes to love. Did Mistress explain this to you?"

Benjamin nodded "Yeah, and...Vi, um, Violin." he stared down at his own hands.

"You can call me Vi." She smiled sweetly, blushing. "I like it."

"Vi, I just don't know. I really don't...but..." He looked up at her and then smiled "I want to. I told Mistress I want to let go of who I was, be what she wants me to be, be who I want to be. I want to fit in to the role she wants...because ultimately, I know it's what I want."

"You want to love us? But only because Mistress want's you too?" She looked even more dejected than before. "Oh, okay. I guess that's a start..."

"No." She was still cupping his hand, he put his other over hers. "No I want to because I want to. Give me time. I know things are different here but old habits die hard. I already enjoy your company and that of your sisters, I think I'm already starting to enjoy it even more with one of them."

She purred, standing and pulling him up. "I...I shouldn't enjoy this. I really shouldn't but damn it....lets go."

Two bodies crashed through the door of the guard barracks. A tangle of striped and tan fur rolled on the floor after tripping over a loose blanket. They hit the floor hard, Violin bumping her head. She groaned from the pain and then hissed from the sudden shock of arousal as Bejamin bit into her shoulder. "Ah, fuck, ow!" she cried, bunching her fingers into his hair.

"Too hard?" he asked, his voice husky. He looked up to her, nose touching hers and eyes locked.

She shook her head, pulling his back down to her shoulder. "No. Just surprised me, keep going, be rough tiger. Its been forever and a day since I've been fucked properly." She smirked, crying out as his teeth sank into her flesh and muscle once more.

"Wait..." Benjamin pulled back, reluctantly pulling his fangs from her. "I was supposed to talk to Juno, remember?"

"I'm glad one of you remembered." Juno announced her self with an air of sarcasm. "I've been here since before you nearly knocked the door of the hinges and killed each other." Juno, a kangaroo and second in command of Kelsura's slave guard, slaves who were entrusted with the watch and protection of the lair and keeping an eye on other slaves, sat on the double bed at the back of the barracks. She shared it with the chief of the guard and her lover, Claudius. She jerked her head to the side, gesturing to the tiger. "Benjamin, come here."

Benjamin pushed himself up from on top of Vi, who affected a mournful whimper. She giggled when he stopped to look back down at her, licking his nose playfully and pushing him up. He rolled his eyes, playfully pushing him self to his face with a hand in her face. He moved to stand before the kangaroo. "What did Mistress want me to see you about?"

Juno gave the tiger a look over. Before she said any thing she tucked her hand under his chin, pushing his face up. She studied him, looked him over. She took hold of his biceps, squeezing. She pulled his hands up and flexed his fingers. She cupped his chin and turned his head to one side then the other, yanking him forward and reaching up to push his hair from his face, looking into his eyes.

"Um, Ju-Miss Juno. Chief Juno..." Benjamin, as perplexed as he was at her action, did his best to relax. He let her yank him about with out protest.

"Hmm?"

"W-what are you doing?"

"Oh, you looked different when we came back. Subtle difference in the way you stood. I can see why now. You're not perpetually tensed, your eyes no longer have that distant look to them." She smiled, letting him go, brushing his hair back into place and scritching softly under his chin. As she thought would happen, he began to pur. "You've accepted life as it is. It took a long time, longer than the alternative. I'm glad, I would hate to see you broken. Here, from Mistress." She held up a small pine box, the inside was lined with tissue paper and contained a green and a brown seed.

"Seeds?" He asked, his confusion only increasing. He picked out the small brown one.

"Sort of." She said, taking it from him. "It's something the Empire has been working on as a way to curb unpredicted pregnancies in the slave population. It induces infertility in males, the effect is only temporary though. The effect of this latest strain only lasts a few days, but..." She smirked, looking to Violin, now laying across one of the beds, a leg pulled up, every curve of her body on sensual display. "That likely won't be a major problem."

"And this other one?" he asked, looking at the smaller green seed.

Juno chuckled. "This one's for her, but you still take it."

"Umm...take it?"

"Ah, yes. You swallow them, like pills. The green one induces...well that one was for Mistress's primary concern. She was worried would have trouble 'standing up' to the task."

"Wait, you mean it-"

"It makes your cock hard, for hours on end. The only way to get it to wear off is to completely empty your balls." She gave a very devious smirk, handing him a cup of water. "Bottoms up tiger stud. Your lady's waiting."

Two pills and a wash of water later Juno waved good bye. "I'll give you two some privacy. As much as I would love to stay and watch I'm on duty tonight. Oh, one more thing. While the effects of the green seed are almost instant." She smirked, his crotch already swollen. He blushed but made no move to cover himself. "The brown one takes about an hour to work. Violin, I'm sure you can think of a way to entertain him until then?"

Violin licked her lips, staring at Benjamin with a predatory gleam in her eyes. "Yes miss Juno, I know just the thing."

Juno gave violin a pat on the head as she strode by, looking back over her shoulder toward Benjamin. She had barley snapped the door shut when the lioness pulled Benjamin into the bed, rolling over, and sitting down on his legs in one smooth motions. "All for me..." she murred, taking hold of his prick, so engorged by the effects of the seed it was almost painful.

Benjamin hissed. There were herbal treatments for impotence back in the consortium that resulted in a strong erection but nothing like this. Benjamin felt as if all the blood in his body had been pumped to his dick, the seed also seemed to have the effect of dulling the sensation on his skin. Or, perhaps the way the other one, the one that would prevent him from getting Violin pregnant. He groaned as her fangs nipped at his neck, her hand slowly caressing the length of his full flesh from hilt to tip.

Vi nuzzled under his chin, nipping down along his collar bone, over his chest and pausing. She let go of his cock to run her fingers through the fur over his pectorals. She murred, leaning down, smelling deeply of the scent of lavender mixed with the scent that was all his own. She let out a slow exhale, parting the fur over one of his nipples, licking over the small nub of flesh and then biting down on it.

Benjamin snarled, moving to push her away. She smack his hands to the side and held him down by his throat, relishing in his surprise. "I know what you did to that lizard girl." she said in a breathy voice, licking up along his chin, her lips touching his. The sensual shock that shot up his spine made him shiver and moan, his hips rose into her hand and slowly fell. "I want you to do that to me. What ever pent up frustration you feel in the next hour I want released on me, in me." She touched his lips once more, her mouth parting and her tongue pushing into his mouth and dancing around his.

"Oh gods..." he moaned when she broke away. He panted, trying to look and watch as she slunk back down his form, letting go of his throat. "Vi, that was- oh fuck." He growled as she wrapped her lips around his prick, her tongue pushing down under his length, tip flicking just above the bottom of his sheath as she sucked and swallowed over his head. Cupping his balls she pushed her head down further, all the way until her lips were kissing at the fur meeting his soft, wet flesh. His head was pushing into her throat, she coughed and sputtered for a moment before swallowing to control her self. He moaned loudly, wanting to curl into a ball at the intense pleasure of his cock fitting into the back of her throat.

She pulled off, sucking the whole way, pulling off with a wet pop and a breathy sigh. She moved sit sit over the edge of the bed at his feet, she put on an innocent expression. Big, bright eyes, wet and pleading. "I'm sorry Benjamin." she said, mocking an apologetic tone. "Please don't tell Mistress I ate all the cookies, I'll do any thing."

Benjamin laughed, cupping his hands over his face. "Oh my gods! Seriously Vi?" he looked down at her mischievous grin, her tongue slowly working from one corner to the other, the hungry look in her eyes. "Well," he said as he sat up, voice cracking as he tried not to laugh. They both laughed. "Well, any thing? She nodded. Benjamin smiled, blushing and then turned around. Any thing she said. On his knees, a hand pulling one cheek away form the other he pushed his rear end back into her face. "L...lick it." he whispered.

Violin blinked, she could hardly contain the laughter. The tiger she had watched the past year bumble his way shyly through every sexual encounter, who only recently was just starting to release himself and just have fun, was telling her to do something so many would consider so dirty. She gave him a narrow smile as she placed her hands on either side of his hips, tucking her nose up between her cheeks. "Mmm...Mistress goes crazy with those lavender oils." she murred, surprised that the sweet flowery scent was so heavy, and glad. She would do any thing the tiger asked, almost any thing. No matter how dirty, if it pleased him or Mistress. She rolled her tongue up along the back of his fuzzy balls, between his cheeks and over the soft puckered hole. She delighted in the soft gasp he took, holding his legs and pursing her lips to kiss his rear.

Benjamin let out a soft sigh. He had developed a bit of his own fetish long before his capture, in the capital during school. The first time some one had licked his ass hole it had been a disturbing surprise. It had embarrassed him to learn that he liked it. Here, though, in this world, there was no need to be embarrassed or concerned what others thought of him. He enthralled himself in the sensation of her tongue roughly swiping up and down over his puckered star. He gripped at the blanket under him, whimpering as her tongue pressed and then entered. "Dirty girl." he moaned. His cock oozed with the attention.

"I know a trick." she giggled, licking her lips. He was as clean inside as he was out, thankfully. She'd do it if it wasn't but wouldn't have enjoyed it as much. She sucked on a finger, curling her tongue around it, making sure the fur was good and wet before pressing it to his hole. She shushed him softly when he resisted. "I'm not some great red dragon beloved, relax, you'll enjoy this..."

Benjamin did his best. He trusted Violin, but the last time any one had put any thing big in his rear it had been a massive dildo attached to the harness of a sadistic dragoness who had taken great pleasure in causing him pain, a good reason for why he might be apprehensive about Violin putting any thing beyond the tip of her tongue back there. What she did though, was beyond enjoyable. She had his cock drooling pre with just a few strokes.

"I knew you'd like it." she purred. Violin had pressed her moistened fingered gently on his sphincter, softly pushing and easing the tip in slowly. She gently worked her hand back and forward, pushing more and more in little my little until the whole digit was wrapped tight by his warm insides. She twisted her hand, back and forth, curling her finger, stroking at a hidden button that few males knew about...few out side the Empire at least. "Almost ready." she murred, stroking his length from behind, pumping his shaft to coax the flow. "Gods...that smell." she moaned, cupping her hand under his pointed tip, smearing her palm with the clear fluid and then bringing it to her face. She inhaled, shivered at the smell, and then licked the fur clean of his bitter juices.

Benjamin whimpered, his cock pulsating with the beat of his heart. The little button of nerves just inside his anus, stroked relentlessly by Violins probing fingers, her tips pushing down and working in every direction over his prostate, sent electric sparks up his spine. "Vi." he whispered. His cock was aching. It drooled greater strings of precum with her hand stroking its length. The lioness gave his prostate once final hard stroke and the tiger moaned, gripping the sheets and pitting into the pillow in front of him as he came, a thick creamy shot of strong smelling fluids. His ears twiched over the ringing in them, hearing the lioness moan softly softly just before he felt her warm lips on the tip of his prick. He groaned as she sucked his whole length in, tongue wrapping around it and stroking from hilt to glans, cleaning it of sweat, pre, and cum.

"Ready." she purred, pulling out from under him and sitting on the next cot over. Her legs were open, her folds swollen and spread with arousal. Her own moisture building on the naked flesh and matting the fur between her legs. "No tiger." she said when Benjamin slid down to his knees, tucking his head between her legs. "I don't want your tongue." She turned, lowering her self to her knees on the floor and bending over the cot. Her tail hiked high, legs apart and ass pushed toward him. "Fuck me tiger. Like that lizard at the mine. I heard about how rough you were. You claimed her as if she were your slut. The filthy scaled whore moaned for you. Make me moan, make me cry, make me beg for merc-ahhhh!"

Benjamin snarled, leaning over her form and yanking her arm back, twisting it behind her just as he did with Jetta, the lizard she was mewling about. His cock pierced her cunt from tip to hilt with a single thrust. Her walls reflexively clamped down around him, her body initially pulling away and then settling, pushing back, hips grinding against him. The lioness panted. "Harder..." she moaned. He hadn't even started moving yet. "Twist my arm harder." she whimpered. He blinked, moving his paw from her wrists to just below her hand, twisting around by the bottom of the palm and back of the hand. Her hips rose with her cry of pain. "Fuck me! Gods fuck me as hard as you can!" His hips swung back swiftly, swinging forward just as fast. She jumped, his head hammering her cervix. He wouldn't break though, such was physically impossible with his shape. But the way she cried out in pain suggested differently. Her pained snarl turned into a moan of pleasure as he drew back, making her cry once more with his next thrust. His hips moved faster, growing to a solid rhythmic pace, the pain subsiding as the sensation dulled from repeated blows, the pleasure of her walls being stroked by his flesh eclipsing it.

Violin laid her head down on the blanket under her, thrusting back against him. She loved the pain, her secret pleasure. When he first hit her cervix the pain was nigh on unbearable. She bite the inside of her cheek, grinding her teeth and grimacing to power through, to enjoy it before it numbed down. The way he twisted her arm, held her down over the cot, she smirked as she attempted to push her self up. She gasped, smiling brightly ad eyes wide as he snarled, forcing her back down, bouncing her head on the canvas material. His hips swung harder in response, her arm lifted up and pushed forward. Now her wrist and shoulder ached. She was in her own little heaven, body rocking with his rapid movements. She chanced a glance over her shoulder just to see him falling over, fangs bared. Quickly to tiled her head forward, bearing the back of her neck for him to bite down into. She yowled as his fangs sank into her flesh, near rending it with how her body shook with the violent blows from his hips.

"B-Ben. You're hurting me Ben." he didn't stop, didn't even slow. He snarled in answer, letting go of her her arm and wrapping his around her hips, pulling him up and forward. Violin was worried now, his jaws clamped harder, pushing his fangs into her flesh. She could feel the warm wet trickle on the back of her neck and his tongue swirling through it, tasting her. "Ben, please. I'm serious, its starting to hurt too much I- Ah...." she whimpered as he yanked her back, pulling her up by her neck. He shivered and shook, snorting. She cried out in sudden bliss. His barbs had extended inside of her and a few short stroked had pushed her over the edge of ecstasy and straight into euphoria. Her head swam through her orgasm, barley aware of the wet sensation between her legs, of the milky white leaking out of her and trickling down her thigh. She was falling, falling and stopping as her upper half hit the cot. She purred, reaching down between her legs and running her fingers through the mix of cum and moisture and sweat, feeling with the tips of her fingers his prick slowly pull from her worn cunt. She gave a contented sigh, thoroughly fucked. The cot dipped down next to her as her beloved, fierce and feral tiger sat down next to her. She weakly raised a hand, setting it on his leg.

"S-sorry." he said. "Lost my self."

"You were wonderful." She murred, pulling her self up to curl into a ball, resting her head in his lap.

"As long as your okay." He said, finding himself slowly stroking his fingers through her hair.

"I'm fine. I'll be okay...I'm going to hate my self in the morning." she whimpered.

"Why?" He looked down, concerned and then blinked, remembering. "Oh...right...your sisters."

Violin nodded, cuddling her self as close to him as she possibly good in her position. "I'm so sorry Benjamin. I'm sorry for forcing you to be part of my punishment. You're going to hate your self."

He shushed her softly. "I'll be fine. So will you, so will they. It's...it's a learning experience." He shushed her softly again when she began to protest. "Listen to your beloved." He felt strange referring to himself as such. What he didn't feel was apprehension. He could see himself being their beloved, given time he could see them as his. He laid himself out on the cot he was sitting on, pulling Violin up to rest over his form. He sighed, his prick still stiff as stone.

Violin smirked, slowly and stiffly sliding off of him onto the floor. "I'll take care of it, don't worry." She purred