Harem Tales Part 3, A Tiger's Tale
#3 of Harem Tales
Harem Tales Part 3, A Tiger's Tale
By Nickylion
"Oooh I can't wait!"
The sound echoed down the palace hallway, announcing the cheerful cacomistle far better than any bevy of trumpets could ever hope to. The doors themselves practically leapt open upon his entry. Douglas, the otter attendant, had manage to calm himself down to a mere chuckle by the time I caught up with Cerid, panting and slightly out of breath.
"I-I thought," I doubled over, slowly regaining my breath, "you were supposed-to show-me around!" He glanced at me and grinned this wide mad grin.
"Yes! And clothes! The clothiers of this fine castle are the finest in the land. It makes sense to start the tour here!" I looked at Douglas, who shrugged. Perhaps it was fairly fruitless to argue with the mad ringtail. "And besides, you need new clothes!" I looked back to find Cerid's finger pointed directly at me, his paws already at the controls of the device I recognized from my first day here.
I also recognized that I hadn't bothered to put clothes back on after my bath.
The machine hummed to life, the muscles in my body twitching that familiar twitch as I was pulled and splayed gently out for all the world to see. Crimson flushed my face at that moment, I was sure of it.
Cerid motioned to Douglas, who scurried over and began talking with him in hushed tones. I lay there, trying to look at them, straining to hear the words. Failing that, my head lay back, glancing about the chamber for something to look at while they played and sketched. It was then that I noticed him.
The tiger was leaning quietly against the open door, the dower and grumpy look still plastered across his face. He had watched the entire exchange silently, making no move aside from the angry lash of his tail. Nyseme wore a simple white silk tunic and flowing white pants along with the trademarked collar that every vassal of our Lord Harishalith wore.
I tried to wave, but only managed to a slight wiggling of my fingers and a smile. He responded with a curt nod and glance down and away, managing to look even more sullen and withdrawn than a moment ago. "Hel-"
My greeting was cut off by the shimmering of the new clothes around me and the loud, gleeful, "It's PERFECT!" that resounded across the room, hall, and probably most of the castle.
White fabric coated my forearms. It had the consistency of silk, but stretched and contoured to every curve of my wrists and fingers. A satin white vest accompanied the gloves, left open to show the taught stomach and slender waist, which now bore a thin silver chain, draped across my pelvis. Little rings and chimes lead off of the chain, down the sides of the flowing leggings I now wore, such that I now made noise at the slightest movement. My pants were a flowing silk of an unusual and embarrassing design. A thin line of silk only barely obscured my groin, leaving swatches of fur on either side. The pantlegs were really nothing more than silk sheaths for my own legs, connected and supported by a thin band of cloth.
I took a few cautious steps, listening to myself and glancing at Cerid, who clapped and cheered at every step and chime that I made. My cheeks reddened, which only served to make the cheerful cacomistle's smile broaden to cheshire-cat like proportions. Looking back towards the doorway, the tiger was nowhere to be found.
Cerid bound upwards onto the platform, "Me next me next!" I stepped down and watched over Douglas' shoulder. The otter tapped several large crystals, then began holding his fingers over a number of other smaller glowing crystals. I looked up at Cerid, who now hung in the air as I just had, smiling gleefully. His clothes had vanished just as mine had the moment the machine activated around him. A moment later, his new wardrobe shimmered into existence, matching my own in appearance save for color. His was a bright green. The cacomistle stepped off the pad, jingling merrily with each step.
"Now we match, harem brother!" He clasped his hand around my shoulder and pulled me into an impromptu hug. I could hear the otter chuckling behind me and felt the burning flush of embarrassment begin in my cheeks again. He released me and looked down, or rather I looked up at him. I smiled and he brought a hand up to tussle my headfur, "Now then, let's get back to the room so that we can get you started."
"Started?" The confusion must have just been written across my face, because Cerid laughed and put a hand behind me, urging me forward with soft pats of my rear.
"Yup! Started! You have many things to learn as a member of Lord Harishalith's harem. He put his hand around mine and started tugging me onwards, back towards the main harem room. I tried as best I could to move silently, but with the way Cerid kept tugging me along, I might as well have had a been screaming and yelling like a mad fool for all of the attention I attracted. Everywhere I turned, fellow slaves would look up and smile, wave politely. Some chuckle and shake their head in an amused disbelief, but not a one of them said anything adverse about my new look.
In fact, I could swear I saw a couple of them staring at my rear when they thought I wasn't looking.
We walked across a small courtyard on the way back. Plants dotted the small opening in the castle roof, creating shade yet letting it remain ultimately an open-air area. A large, three tiered fountain stood in the center of the room, it's waters filling the air with a bit of moisture in an otherwise dry and hot part of the castle. I looked up at the sun beating down upon us through the leaves and shade, and instantly felt the heat of the day.
Cerid noticed and motioned for me to stop for a moment by the fountain. He cupped his hands in it's waters and held them above me, letting the cool liquid dribble out through his fur and down onto my headfur. It was startling at first, the sudden cold against the heat, but I very quickly found myself enjoying it.
"Is it cold?" I blinked and looked at the cacomistle. The look of confusion must have been really evident, because he shook his head and added, "Where you come from, is it cold?"
I nodded, "Yes, it snows all the time in my village. In fact, the first time I saw the desert, I was so scared. I'd never seen sand before. It reminded me so much of snow, but hot. I thought I had descended into hell, what with the heat and the dryness." I shook my head, not wanting to relive those nights on the caravan. Cerid must have noticed that look too, because he soaked a small towel in the fountain, wrapped it around my neck, the cool water feeling most amazing against my fur. Smiling, he then pulled me into a hug.
"It's okay now, Rinn. You're safe, and you will be cared for." The words had a depth to them that I recognized from when he told me his tale. This time, however, they were full of hope, "Now then, let's get going. Wouldn't want you to be late to your first lesson, now would we?
"It's not enough to dress yourself like a girl, you have to dress the new slave up like one too?"
Cerid leaned into me, "Pay him no mind, dear. You look absolutely gorgeous." I blushed and turned with the cacomistle as he regarded the speaker, who it turned out, was the tiger who had been watching me earlier, "You know, my mother once told me that if I didn't have anything nice to say, that it was best to say nothing. Shame you didn't have one that imparted such wisdom, Nyseme."
The tiger grunted, "You know, if it wouldn't get me into heaps of trouble, I'd-"
"You'd what, Nyseme?" He turned and cringed, seeing our Master standing behind him looking quite cross.
"Nothing...Master." Our Master frowned at Nyseme. He then looked up at me and beckoned a finger for me. I stepped forward, walking over to our Master, who cupped my cheek with his hand.
"Rinn, I know this will be unpleasant for you to witness, but I believe you should see how I punish my," he paused and glanced at Nyseme, "Wayward slaves." I looked back at Nyseme, who's face was blanched now. The tiger was trembling.
"Nyseme, Rinn, come with me. Cerid, you're running late for your dance instruction." The cacomistle winced and nodded a quick nod then hurried off. Lord Harishalith chuckled and watched as the ringtailed rear sashayed out of sight, then turned back to Nyseme and myself.
"Rinn, you look most fetching. Cerid's design?" I nodded, feeling that blush that I had just about managed to quell creeping back into my cheeks. "It looks good on you." He turned to Nyseme, his face suddenly a bit more formal, "Will you bring yourself to your punishment of your own free will, or do I need to," he paused, eyes narrowing, "override you....again?"
Nyseme cringed again, his tail slipping around one leg. "N-n-no Sir." The tiger had already padded over to us, head bowed, hands clasped lightly behind his back. My Master, no, Our Master, put his hand on Nyseme's shoulder and firmly guided him in front of us.
"You know the way, Nyseme." The tiger's head shifted almost imperceptibly, the quietest of quiet nods. Nyseme began to walk down the corridor, posture unchanged. We followed suit, our Master's hand on my shoulder comfortingly, letting Nyseme get a little bit of a lead before urging me to follow. "Tell me, Rinn, did his words offend you?" I looked up at my Master, and I must have looked a little confused, "I want to know if you were hurt by the way he talked to you just a few minutes ago."
I glanced down, staring at my vestments, "I, no sir," I looked back up, staring into my Master's eyes, "he did not hurt me. Cerid was the one who took offense at his words. I, just...I am not used to wearing such...things." I gestured downwards, hoping that it would be enough for the jaguar to infer the rest.
He nodded, smiling and clapping a hand on my shoulder, "That's settled then." He grinned at me, "I do believe we've let him get quite enough of a head start, yes?" I cocked my head in confusion, "He hates being punished," my Master explained, "And he runs as soon as he's out of my eyesight. For some strange reason, he doesn't think I can override Nyseme when I can't see him." The jaguar closed his eyes, concentrating for a moment. I felt the air still around him, as though the world itself was waiting on my Master's next words, "now then little runaway, Go to the dungeon. Kneel. Close your eyes and prepare yourself."
The jaguar took my hand and I felt his power, the cool flow of something not quite there wrapping around my body. Instinctively, I pulled myself closer to him, arms wrapping around the large feline midsection, scared and seeking safety in the body of my Master. Lord Harishalith chuckled, I felt the warmth of his other paw rest itself atop my head, "Do not worry yourself, my dear Rinn. The 'override process' is quite painless. To some the loss of control is slightly euphoric, even." I felt his hand upon my head drift down, cup my chin and lift it up. My eyes opened to look into his bright emerald ones, "Do you trust me, Rinn?" I nodded, "Let me show you then. Override Rinn."
The power I had felt in our embrace seemed to dive headfirst into my collar, suffusing my body with it's glow. I let out a quiet gasp, arms drifting down to my sides. My whole body suddenly felt unnaturally heavy. Even standing was a chore, taking substantial effort on my part not to just slip down and rest. It would feel so good to rest, if just for a little while. "Take my hand again, Rinn, and follow me." My hand floated up to meet his, my gaze managing to look up enough to not trip as my Master lead me away. I tried to make sense of what was happening, but thoughts and ideas, anything contrary to following and holding the jaguar's hand seemed to slip my mind the moment I thought of it. I barely noticed the trip around the castle, nor the wall stairs downward that my Master brought me to.
The power wrapped around my body sloughed away, a giant metaphysical bubble that had been popped, leaving me blinking, not really sure how or why I was here, only that I was. It was a bit unsettling, but that feeling slid away the moment I felt Lord Harishalith's hands on my shoulders, "See, nothing to worry about, little Rinn." I looked back at my Lord and nodded again, my face a mixture of relief and shock. Not knowing where I was, I glanced around, trying to take stock of the dungeon.
The walls were cold, slick, and clammy, quite in contrast to the chapped and rough outer walls of Lord Harishalith's castle. Bone white stone in the walls stood out too. All of the upper castle's mortar and stonework was shades of brown, orange, and red, a testament I assumed, to their procurement. Somewhere outside of my vision, water managed to drip down from stone to floor. Some part of my brain found that disconcerting, given the dry and arid climate above. Still, it was cooler, markedly so, down here. So much so that I found myself unconsciously rubbing my arms against my shoulders.
A small row of cells sat open along the far wall. One 'cell' looked to have been converted into a storage cellar, bottles of wine and water stacked into neat pyramids inside it. The others, while closed, showed no signs of use in a very long time. My vision was drawn to the center of the dungeon, where a number of benches and...implements, lay placed about in a circular fashion. Central in the circle was a large 'X' of wood, bolted by large metal clamps to the ceiling and floor. It looked ominously sturdy, and kneeling in front of it, was Nyseme.
His head hung low, arms hanging limp at their sides. His tunic lay discarded, as were his pants, over a nearby bench. On top of the tunic and pants lay a large leather band of braids of leather, a flogger I believe it was called. I'd seen the slavers use them before on a wayward slave. I shivered and tried to will the memories of his screaming out of my mind.
Lord Harishalith strode up to Nyseme and tapped him lightly on the shoulder, "Rise." The tiger stood wordlessly, giving me a chance to glance at his face, strangely slack, looking off at some point in the darkness beyond and through that 'X.' His eyes, however, were wide with fear, "Step forward before the cross and let me shackle you." His body lurched forward, arms coming up towards the top of the cross. Our Master brought a sturdy looking pair of metal shackles down from the top of the cross and quickly, efficiently, locked Nyseme into them.
I felt the power rush from my shackled slave brother's collar and back into the jaguar. His body lurched upwards, blinking in surprise, in fury, in absolute terror, "MASTER!" His scream echoed across the bone white walls just as my Harishalith picked up the flogger and turned towards me, "Rinn, please have a seat."
My Master picked up the cushion that Nyseme had been kneeling on and setting it back down off and to the side, then gesturing for me to kneel there, "Please remain quiet, Rinn. If you feel the need to ask a question, please raise your hand quietly." I nodded and took my seat, hands curling into the fur on my knees as my Master walked back over to the bound Nyseme. The tiger tugged uselessly at the chains holding him.
"If it weren't for this damn collar I'd-" WHACK! The sound echoed as loud as the scream had, cutting off his response. The tiger grunted, turning and wincing at the blow from the flogger. Lord Harishalith grimaced, looking most angry with my slave brother.
"You know the rules, slave. Only answers, no questions or statements. Now then, why did you threaten Cerid?"
The tiger's ears flattened and he looked down. Lord Harishalith began to lightly dribble the leather of the flogger across the broad shoulders, "He insulted my mother and father." The words came out clipped and concise. The tiger's muzzle was a mask of shame and anger. The flogger became a lightly whirling brushing contact with his back and shoulders. "He said...inferred that I had no family." The flogger stopped. Nyseme sagged into his bonds.
"Very good, Nyseme. Now, tell me why Cerid made such an inference." The flogger began to spin again in the jaguar's hand, not touching the tiger yet coming awfully close.
Nyseme winced and shook his head, "I...I mocked his choice of dress." The tiger's ears flattened against his skull again, "h-his and Rinn's," Nyseme braced for the impact of another lash. It never came. Instead, Lord Harishalith placed a paw lightly against Nyseme's shoulder and rubbed it affectionately.
"Good, Nyseme." The flogger went limp again, and was tucked into the sash at my Master's side. Capable and practiced hands traveled the tiger's body, soothing and rubbing the tension. Even from my spot on the floor, I could feel a tingle of the power from ealier creeping over me. Nyseme's body continued to sag against the chains, looking for a moment as though his legs might give out on him. My master stopped a moment later, hands placed against Nyseme's chest, helping him regain his composure, always talking to him in low, hushed tones.
"We're almost done here Nyseme," the words were loud enough to be said for my acknowledgement too, "but before we finish, I want to know why we always end up here?"
"Sir?" Nyseme's voice cracked slightly, eyes widening.
"Of all of my slaves and servants, you, Nyseme, are the only one to merit such punishment on a regular and repeated basis. I would know why." Nyseme's face blanched again.
"I...I can't....it...it...." the flogger lashed across his back faster than I'd seen it drawn. The tiger roared in pain, arching his back, tail dropping low and wrapping around his legs, "I'm ashamed..." the cry was quiet, a whimper of the mighty roar not a moment ago.
I saw my Master's face clench. The flogger landed again. Another roar. The tiger pulled at the chains uselessly, the iron manacles digging roughly into the fur of his wrists. "I can't...please..." it was barely above a whisper now.
A tear rolled down the jaguar's face as another lash was given, and with it, another roar, this one hoarser sounding than the rest. "n-n-nnnoo..." Tears were pouring down Nyseme's face now. Master's too. I felt a sudden urge to get up, to get between Master and Nyseme, even as the jaguar readied his flogger for another stroke. I felt the hum of power and the flogger suddenly burst into bluish white fire. Master looked at me and froze me with a single stare. Not a word was uttered but the message was clear: "Stay where you are." The lash descended in slow-motion, moving inexorably towards the tiger's broad, slightly bloody, reddened, back.
"I WANT IT!" I blinked, shutting my eyes in an attempt to hide the strike. Blue fire blazed across my vision despite closed eyes. The tiger screamed so loud I was certain the entire castle would be running down the stairs at any moment to see what just happened. The scream echoed for a moment, then went mercifully quiet, replaced by the sound of chains clinking as Nyseme's body hung limp in them. Sobs and pitiful moans were coming from the tiger, formed into words, but only barely.
"I want it. Punish me. Hurt me." The sobbing were the only sound in the room now, "I don't deserve...I don't deserve...I don't deserve anything..." I opened my eyes, whimpering myself now. Master dropped the whip, the instrument clattering to the ground on the dungeon floor, and motioned for me to come to him. I jumped into my Master's arms, burying my head into that warm comforting chestfur, shaking slightly. My master never took his eyes off of Nyseme, walking over to him with me in tow.
"You're wrong, slave." The manacles clanked uselessly to the side of the cross. Nyseme dropped limp onto the ground, and Master let go of me to catch him and guide his mostly limp body down onto the nearby bed of cushions. The jaguar laid him out on his stomach and pointed at a small case on the other side of the room, "you deserve everything you've been given." The case opened and a pair of bottles floated haphazardly down to sit at the tiger's side.
"You deserve every wonderful thing you've been given, my dear slave." The tiger just continued sobbing, burying his head into the pillows, "all the education your family gave you, all the wonderful moments of your childhood, every wonderful moment here." Our Master pulled the tiger up into his lap, laying down and drawing a small brush out of one of the jars, dipping it into the other and tracing lazy lines down the matted and bloody fur of the tiger's back. I knelt next to the pair, watching Lord Harishalith 'paint' the blood and scars away, tears rolling down his cheeks even as he continued to maintain his stoic, confident demeanor. I did my best to smile at him and put my hand on top of Nyseme's.
The tiger looked at me, eyes bloodshot full of tears, and blanched, looking back into the pillow with a face flush with new embarrassment. My master smiled at me, nodding silently as he continued talking to the tiger. "Why do you think that you don't deserve any of this, Nyseme?"
The tiger looked up at him, "he t-told me that I didn't. Ev-" a particularly powerful wave of sobs overtook his body, "every d-day and n-night I r-r-resisted." I looked up at my Master whose brow had furrowed.
"My beautiful, stubborn, wonderful tiger. He can't hurt you anymore, Nyseme. I took care of that, remember?" The ointment was starting to soak into the fur and the skin. Master's hands began to simply rub small lazy circles into the fur, "You won't have to worry about /him/ ever again."
I looked at my master, "May I ask, sir, I mean..." The words failed to come to me easily, but still I dug in and made them come, "What happened to him, Master? Who is this 'him' you talk about?" Nyseme made no motions, just a continued sobbing into the soft plush of the pillows. Lord Harishalith looked at me, eyes that in that moment conveyed a greater depth of sorrow and loneliness than I could ever hope to imagine.
"He was a rival of mine, and Nyseme was his slave." The tiger paused in his sobs, listening just as intently as I was to our master's story, "Just before young Cerid came to live here," my master put his hand to his mouth, "But then, Cerid has probably told you about how he came to live here, yes?"
I nodded, to which my master grinned, "Incorrigible, that one. Absolutely incorrigible." A chuckle escaped his muzzle before the serious face from earlier crowded out the smile, "Nyseme's old master and I competed for political power at one time, you see. And after Cerid's rather impressively bold attempt to purloin some very precious artifacts from me, I was forced to confront this rival." Nyseme cringed, but my master kept talking, "When I defeated the bastard, I went to inspect his lands, his slaves, his holdings, essentially. I found widespread abuse." My lord jaguar's eyes went hard, "Branding, squalid conditions, cramped quarters. These things I expected, for such was the kind of being he was. A soul gallery, well, that was most unexpected."
I blinked again, confused by the sudden new language, "Soul gallery, Master?"
"Show him, Nyseme."
The tiger nodded and moved to sit up. The fur around his eyes still looked wet, and his eyes looked...haunted would be the best way to describe them. Trembling hands reached up and delved into the thick furry maze of his chest-fur, producing a small glowing gem, held in a most intricate of setting of wound gold that looked rather like a small flower. Nyseme cradled the gem in his hands and held it up for me to look at.
"It's all that's left of my friend and first lover. The magic that took him from me..." the tiger's voice broke and he clutched the gem to his chest again, "I...I can't even remember his name!"
My hand rose unbidden to my mouth, eyes wide with shock. Magic of the Name was spoken of in hushed tones and whispered rumors in my tribe. It was a feared power, for in meddling with someone's Name, you toyed with the very fabric of their existence. To take someone's Name in such a fashion...Nyseme's former master must have been very powerful.
Lord Harishalith had slipped down onto his knees and up behind the tiger. Rough, calloused hands wrapped themselves around Nyseme and pulled the sobbing being towards the jaguar's own chest, "You feel guilty. Guilty you survived." The striped head nodded forward, ears flicking nervously, "You wonder why you deserved to live and he deserved to be stripped of his soul like he was. So you seek to provoke me, make me do unto you as the dark one did to your friend."
Nyseme's eyes closed, and he choked out a quiet, "Yes, Master. I...I don't deserve to live...I got him...I was the one who betrayed the master, not him. I...I should have been punished."
Lord Harishalith's laugh echoed through the chamber, "You...Nyseme, that is just about the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard." He turned the tiger to face him, then cupped his muzzle in one hand such that Nyseme was staring the jaguar in the eye, "You listen to your master, and you listen well. You are alive. He is still with you. In this," the jaguar's hand pressed Nyseme's against the pendant, pressing both hand and pendant to the tiger's chest. "Should you perish, who will remember his Story? His life is alive in your memories of him. Do not shame him by this self-destructive behavior."
I watched as the look of shock on Nyseme's muzzle melted into a look of understanding, "My lord, I," he paused as though still composing himself, "You are right, Master. I, I beg your forgiveness." The tiger bowed his head, ears and tail laying flat against the ground, just as his arms lay stretched outwards, palms facing up in a show of obeisance.
Our Master nodded, "Take Rinn back to the main harem. You are both permitted the rest of the evening off. Neither of you shall be chosen this evening." I blinked and felt the jaguar's hand on my shoulder, "Rinn, should you have any questions, leave word with the guards and I will find time to answer them. For now, Nyseme needs a friend." The words drifted around my ears, pushing into them as though they were a solid thing, "Can you be that friend to him?" I nodded, "Thank you, my dear snow leopard."
I reached out and grasped Nyseme's hand again. The tiger looked back up at me, and rose slowly up into a sitting position, "W-would you mind showing me the way?" The tiger gave me a curious look and bobbed his head, leading me quietly up the stairs. Our Master followed close behind, closing the thick door to the dungeon with an echoing'click.'
Nyseme tugged at me gently in a certain direction, silently pointing the way as I helped him hobble towards the harem room. A few of the various servants along the way looked a little awed and shocked, but quickly turned and looked the other way as soon as the tiger moved or twitched his head. We had been walking for a minute or two when I realized that our Master was no longer behind us. I looked over at Nyseme and noticed the trickle of wetness staining his cheeks again. A minute or so more of uncomfortable silenced passed.
"I...I'm so su-sorry," the words burst forth just as we turned into the harem room. I'm sure that Nyseme was thankful that at that moment none of the other slaves were about, because the strong silent tiger I had seen stride through the halls this morning was gone, replaced by some broken, sobbing, creature that proceeded to collapse into a pile of pillows beneath the choosing tent. "Sorry...I'm sorry....please...I'm sorry..." I knelt beside him, listening quietly, hand at my mouth unsure what to do. Hesitantly I placed a hand on his shoulder.
Nyseme's body shook quite suddenly, his eyes bursting open and looking at me, raw and bloodshot. His mouth continued to quietly mouth the words, "I'm sorry," over and over again. I set a pillow or two down behind me and settled back on my hindquarters, patting my lap as our eyes met. The tiger caught the motion, and gently slid himself over to me, placing his head in said lap. My body shifted slightly from time to time, but for a good while we just sat there. My hands would stroke down his back and side, and he would softly sob into the fur of my lap, which by the end of this, could most certainly have used a bath again. Eventually, his body ceased sobbing, and his mouth stopped moving.
Shifting out of the way and cradling his head while I did it was tough. Tougher still was getting a few pillows together and sliding them underneath his head without waking him. Not wanting to leave him like this, I slipped in next to the tiger's body, noting how it was more than a little larger than my own skinny underfed body. All the same, my body contoured his rather nicely, my fur against his contrasting in the afternoon sunlight. Not sure what else to do, I lay there, holding the tiger while he slept. My own body began to follow suite, but before I closed my eyes, I leaned into the sleeping tiger's muzzle and gave it a quick kiss on the cheek.
"I forgive you, Nyseme." The smile that crossed the sleeping tiger's face followed me happily into my dreams.