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Kai’s Questline

A questline where you free fellow slaves? But what’s the reward?

**Logging

Kai – Brewmaster Monk Level 80 – Item Level 740**

Vol’dun’s weather was raw and harsh, downright inhospitable for any species that did not hail from the sandy desert.

Luckily, as it was still dawn, the worst wasn’t there. At most, the temperatures were chilly and soothing on the red-and-white fur. The bristling followed as the wind brushed the fur, forcing a slight shiver through Kai as he looked around.

For a monk, shivering in such chilly wind was ironic… But that same shiver was followed by a sensation, by a wrongness Kai couldn’t put his finger on as he turned.

The Hideaway was nothing but a camp, though it was bustling with life as Kai walked around: Vulperas and… a Zandalari troll. The Alpacas were grazing on whatever dry herbs they could find while the caravan guards were on the round, either riding or walking alongside their hyenas.

The scent of the morning brew, a herbal tea suffused with star moss and imported foxflower, tickled the nose as much as it aroused Kai’s hunger and nervous energy. At the same time, he strutted along the camp, wearing little and yet showing the defined muscles that qualified him as a monk. Bracers; harem pants, fastened with a rope belt and tighter paw wraps; ankle and elbow protections, and even a flask that smacked against his hip.

He didn’t have his trusty staff, though he wasn’t so afraid to be clinging to it… Especially in one place that had been as secure for years.

Still, his nervous energy remained as he picked up the pace and approached one of the fire pits, then sat near it.

A second later, a steamy brew was offered. He nodded, keeping it formal, as he took a deep breath of that minty flavor and sipped, feeling reinvigorated by it. It was everything needed to keep him kick-started on that day as he looked at the Vulpera facing him, Kezu.

White-furred to a fault, with one missing eye and two missing fingers, Kezu looked like he had had one hell of a life.

Slave, then on the run, before he got captured, then he fled again during an assault on the faithless. And yet, here he was, looking like a Vulpera who’d gone over his fifty years, practically an elder with that rough scruff over his chin.

“Have you thought about my offer?” he asked, raising one hand toward Kai, who took another sip.

No one around looked at them, giving the deference a fire pit deserved: each pit was a place of discussion, and if one wanted to listen, they had to sit by it.

Still, with his experience, Kai looked around and then returned to Kezu.

New Quest: Planning the road

The overhanging sign remained, similar to the possibility of accepting the quest.

But his eyes wandered from the NPC to the text, to the reward, and to the strange glitched item whose name couldn’t be read or inspected. An odd question, potentially the first of its kind.

A luck for Kai as he sipped again, and mentally pressed the accept button.

“I have thought about it, and I’m in. What will it be?”

Quest accepted: - Listen to Kezu

The aging Vulpera chuckled, his green eye vibrant with life, while he grabbed a nearby stick and drew on the dusty ground.

The rough map was imperfect, especially accounting for Kezu’s fingers. But the shape appeared in the rusty sand. At the center, there was the Hideaway, located in the eastern cliffs of Vol’dun.

In the extreme west, there was the Bonepit Oasis. North, the Brine Basin and the Crackling Ridge. South, the great pyramid of Atul’aman. And then… A little cross between the Hideaway and Atul’aman, followed by a line Kezu traced while whistling.

Then… One line had joined somewhere further southeast and went up north through the Ridge, Kezu was satisfied and threw the stick away.

“Here we have it!”

“It?” asked Kai, blinking and tilting his head while the older Vulpera passed his hands behind his neck, chuffed by his drawing.

Then… A stop, a raised eyebrow, and Kezu laughed.

“Sands! I thought I’d already filled you in!” he said, waving one of his stubby index fingers before he leaned and pointed, with a working finger, toward the cross he’d made.

“This is the camp you must assault. They’re located behind a pillar and have huddled. Old faithless that still follow Korthek,” said Kezu, spitting on his right. “They’re not dangerous. But they’re a pain.”

“You spoke to me of a plan to release Vulperas from the Faithless. I thought you had a plan for an expedition to the north,” said Kai, frowning a bit.

After years of living with the outsiders, learning from them, and forming a new guild, the Vulpera had returned on the promise to end that questline. A questline that led right into Kezu’s jovial hands.

It was the only one within those times of uncertainty who spoke about beating the last bastion of the Faithless resistance and scouring the slave markets.

The other Vulperas commented about him and told Kai he was an old fool. They’d found him only a few weeks after the assault on the Empire, and yet… He was keen on attacking back.

Plus, it seemed to be the main topic that the Empire was but a shadow of itself. The assaults were few and far between; the slave markets were almost empty. Still, Kai wanted to be in.

“Up north? Oh, we will be right at the Slithering Gulch!” laughed Kezu, jumping to conclusions without an explanation.

“Could you tell me how an isolated camp of Sethraks can lead us there?” asked Kai, grimacing. Though he could guess a link between a camp of Slavers and what was the most dreaded place in Vol’dun for any Vulpera. The Slithering Gulch was as much a hole in the land as it was the main market and city for the Faithless; their stronghold.

“We’ll infiltrate it! Together!” said Kezu, laughing. And Kai facepalmed.

“Here we go.”

“We will go there. I will pass as a slaver with my knowledge of the Sethraks. You, you’ll be my little prisoner. I say I come in to trade for safe passage to the north. I’ll carry your stuff. Then,” explained Kezu, pointing from the cross and following the path to the north. “We will get in contact with all the Vulperas. Once we get enough slaves on our side, I’ll find a way to give you your gear. And then, we will fight our way out, breaking everything!”

“Wait! Wait! Wait! We?” asked Kai, tilting his head and trying to make a rough guess. The zone was hazardous, even for him. “I can kick and fight. I’m sure I can take a dozen, but beyond that? I need a party for that! A healer, a few damage dealers.”

“A… Party?” asked Kezu, tilting his head. Before he snorted, his behavior corrected what Kai was saying. “I can’t take more than one. If I do one more, it might pass. But a complete team? How do you want me to carry your gear?”

Kezu even waved his hands and the missing fingers to hammer his point, enough for Kai to frown and glare down at the makeshift map.

“Besides,” continued Kezu, drawing a sideways glance. “We will have a crew for you! All the slaves on the road and there, we will get them out, give them weapons. And before long, the Slithering Gulch will be an old memory!”

He even clenched his fist and raised it, triumphant in advance, while Kai remained dubious about it.

The aging Vulpera certainly had the guts and the energy to go against the Sethrak, even though he should be more careful and stay near the caravan due to his old age.

Even then, Kai wiped his trousers and stood up.

“So, are you interested? I already got the gear for it!” said Kezu, raising his paw. “And I promise, I’ll reward you for this.”

Kai eyed the paw, then the old Kezu… before he shook the paw.

Objective complete: -Listen to Kezu

**New Quest: Infiltrating the Sethrak camp

New Objective: Join Kezu**

As the new quest rolled and Kezu was already jumping, bouncing, and laughing… Kai checked what he’d been given. Inside his inventory, the item looked like a glitch. It looked like… A collar?

Slave’s collar – Item level ERROR - 1 Armor – 0 Stamina – Gain Restricted Movement

Its stats looked buggy when inspected, to the point that it showed zero stats across the board. It looked more like a toy or something the developer created to troll players than anything else. Kai eyed the toy… Frowned, and-

“Now that you’ve got the collar, you’ll need to put it on for the infiltration. Wait for me there!”

“Wait? What?”

Kai blinked, but already the old Kezu was taking off at high speed. Much faster than even any player could do unmounted. Kai blinked and frowned, then looked at that collar that might have been a quest item. The kind that could not be easily destroyed unless you went through the tedious inventory management.

“Well… At least, I know where I need to go,” mumbled Kai, checking Kezu’s map and then his own, watching the spot located in the middle of nowhere.

The sandy dunes were the worst once you left the Hideaway. There, outside, there was practically no cover. However, with the Emperor’s death, the Faithless no longer explored or pushed beyond their stronghold.

At least, that was the idea while Kai flew southward, ignoring the ridges and the potential monolithic rock as he swerved past them on his Cloud Serpent, a creature hailing from the continent of Pandaria.

The odd sight was impressive, of the green scales shimmering under the sun… Alas, that was the vision that was to be before they were forced to fly down and hide beneath a rock.

“Damn heat,” grumbled Kai, forced to wait. And then to fly from cover to cover, following the ridges he’d been flying above before. With much groan and outcry, he arrived at the location his map pointed at.

The stone depression was discreet, and in the distance, Kai could see fumes and smoke coming from a camp. The sun had not set yet, but it was not going to take long before Kai and Kezu would infiltrate it.

Speaking of the devil, the aged and one-eyed Vulpera was there, sitting on a nearby rock while holding onto a cane.

“Are you finally here? Get the collar on? And remove your gear.”

New Objective: - Prepare for the infiltration

Kai, without skipping a bit, frowned but looked at Kezu’s sharp smile. His eyes were glistening with interest as he waved his hand towards Kai.

“What?”

“Your gear. If you wear it there, you’ll have the Sethraks questioning you.”

“But it’s fine.”

“It’s… Fancy,” pointed Kezu, still waving his hand at the different protections on the Vulpera’s elbows and ankles. The gold inlays were, he admitted, much. But the jade was part of his identity.

“Can I keep them?” mumbled Kai, still poking at the bracers. “They’re important to me.”

“Heeeeeeh. Just give them to me, I’ll keep them for later.”

Kai’s ears dropped.

“Fine,” he relented, pulling the bracers off. Then, it was his turn for his flask. His belts. His pants. His wraps. All down to his fundoshi, he kept it on most occasions. The fabric was almost snug around the Vulpera’s bits as he looked at Kezu, who still waved his hand at him.

New Item Level: 0

“Gimme that.”

“Even my underwear?”

“A loincloth is enough, not some fancy clean-white underwear.”

Kai’s ears dropped again, and so, he whined but pulled the fundoshi, undoing it before handing it away while the Desert’s icy wind brushed his genitals. Uncut, sizeable… And yet fitting to the Vulperan shape. The testicles were snug in a fuzzy, white scrotum… As for his cock, it was evidently uncut and pressed against his testicles.

Enough that it didn’t contrast much with his strapping, but short, physique when he stood before Kezu… And watched him eye him up and down.

“What?”

The old Vulpera didn’t answer yet, though he threw him a loincloth. The linen fabric was brown and a bit dirty, something Kai watched with disdain.

“Didn’t you have something cleaner?”

“You must appear like a slave who has been on the road for days. A dirty loincloth fits it,” explained Kezu, shaking his head. “Have you seen a clean slave?”

“No.”

No, he hadn’t seen a clean slave, even during his assaults on the slavers' camps. So, with a frustrated glare, Kai put the loincloth on.

New Item Level: 1

It was sticky to his fur, but it was adequate in covering his posterior and genitals. Enough that he took one step and didn’t feel the chilly breeze stroking his bits.

“It’s… Okayi- Heh!”

Kai protected his face, but sand still landed on his fur, on his chest, and on his arms. And Kezu kept throwing more at him.

“You must look dirty. Or else it doesn’t work!”

“But I’m dirty!”

“Not enough,” continued Kezu, grabbing more sand with rocks and rubbing it against Kai’s fur.

Despite the Monk’s outcry and frustration, he was… Dirty. His fur was neither pristine white nor colorful red. It had ochre spots everywhere, and with little pebbles stuck in the disheveled fur strands. Something that felt disgusting as he scratched and tried to pick at whatever Kezu stuck inside.

“Ugh. It’s disgusting,” mumbled Kai.”

“Don’t remove them. It’s part of your disguise. Now, where is your collar?”

Kai shivered but looked at the old Kezu, noticing the Vulpera’s tense face. And then, he lowered his head, his ears dropping while he reached for the bag he’d handed to Kezu, reaching and pulling that item.

Even now, the information was all jumbled, mixing up, forming something that was downright unreadable. Stats and details were still giving an error when Kai looked at the item level. But with no further options, he reached for the collar and… Put it around his neck, tensing when he felt it clamp down around his neck, closing and squeezing on the fur.

New Item Level: 0

An item level that was negative? That sounded impossible. Still, Kai shook his head and watched as Kezu seemed satisfied, even huffing and holding onto his sides.

“Good enough,” he even added, pulling a rope out of his own bag.

“Now, come closer. I’ll attach the rope,” said Kezu, waving Kai to come closer.

And Kai, though doubtful, did so. He craned his neck when the Elder signaled him to. And then… With the rope slipping inside the collar and then tied up, Kai felt… Something. A stiffness.

New Status: Restricted Movement

“What’s that?” asked Kai, feeling like he couldn’t move. Or rather, moving was slower, more sluggish, more difficult. It was a debuff, but the collar itself looked so basic that it couldn’t be enchanted to restrain him so.

“That? That’s a collar,” answered Kezu, puzzled and lifting the rope. “You don’t know that?”

“No, it’s… ugh. Never mind,” mumbled Kai, his ears dropping while he watched Kezu reach for his bag and pull out what looked like a paper mask.

“Fine. Okay. I’m putting on my disguise, and then we’ll head there.”

“Your… Disguise?”

Objective Complete: - Prepare for the Infiltration

New Objective: - Infiltrate the camp

As soon as the paper mask landed on Kezu’s head, covering his face, there was a flash of light. Not outright blinding, but enough for Kai to wince before the old Kezu’s appearance disappeared. Instead, it looked like Kai stood before a Sethrak. A Sethrak that looked like any other: no scars, two eyes, no missing fingers.

An illusion that seemed perfect when Kezu adjusted his posture, shook his legs, and then smiled.

“We are ready,” said Kezu, though even his voice sounded different. More slithering. No S had been uttered, but it would, no doubt, come out as a low hiss.

“I am suddenly unsure it’s such a good idea,” mumbled Kai, keeping his head low. More so when Kezu yanked on the rope, suddenly forcing Kai to advance.

“It is,” hissed Kezu.

Yes. A hiss. A confirmation.

Kai followed Kezu, pulled along by the rope. The old Vulpera looked different with the disguise: his steps were larger, forcing Kai to widen his gait to follow up. His tail slithered behind, leaving zigzags drawn in the sand.

And the serpentine head bobbed up and down, showing that the disguise was way more refined than what you could find on any market.

“Where did you get that mask?”

“I created it myself,” said Kezu, his voice chuffed.

“It is impressive. You look like a true Sethrak,” added Kai, tipping his head.

“I know. It was a pain to learn how to make it,” nodded Kezu… Before he stopped and raised a hand towards Kai. “Shh.”

The Vulpera’s ears perked up as he looked around. They were in the middle of the dunes, practically surrounded by nothing. Only the howling wind, no traces of anything. And yet, there was tension in the air.

And then, something appeared from behind a dune on the right, followed by… A light appearing. Here, there was a Sethrak. A Faithless, as they were called. His clothes were shabby and dirty, though less than Kai’s fur, and he raised his lantern high above his head.

“Halt! Who are you?”

“Ah! Praise the Emperor!” shouted Kezu, approaching and, in the way, yanking Kai’s rope.

As it happened, Kai felt his legs drop from under him as he fell, headfirst into the sand. He spat, he groaned, he grunted. And yet, Kezu spoke as if in a rehearsed charade.

“Please! You must help me! I have to flee to the north! My Krolusk was killed, and now, I only have a worthless slave to my name!” spoke Kezu, his voice heavy with hissings. “Help me!”

“Wait? To whom do you offer your prayers?”

The question was not surprising, but Kai remained on all fours, unable to tell what Kezu’s expression was. But it could certainly be of feigned outrage.

“What? To Korthek, of course! I know his death is a lie, and he shall return to conquer the south! Please! You must help me! I cannot think of living with those bad-mouthed mongrels!”

Such a blatant lie. But Kai remained quiet, spitting more sand and feeling his legs hurt. He could not move them, somehow. So he remained still, listening.

“I know, I know, brother. You told me you have a slave? Please. Come. We’ll help you.”

“Help me? Wait. You’re more?”

“We’re a caravan going to the north. We’ve had our bounty of slaves,” chuckled the Guard, passing a hand on Kezu’s shoulder, patting it. “We need more slaves to rebuild what those savages have destroyed.”

“The sands take them,” mumbled Kezu. “All those Vulperas and their treacherous allies. We must reconquer our home.”

Evidently, it wasn’t the first time Kezu had interacted with the Sethraks. His words seemed enough to undo the guards’ suspicion and have him practically eating out of the old Kezu’s hand.

Kezu, who yanked on Kai’s collar with the rope as the guard guided them towards the camp.

“Move, Slave. Civilization awaits!” spat Kezu, looking over his shoulder.

“Yes… Master,” answered Kai, acting demure though his neck was burning from the chafing. He held onto it, but it wasn’t enough to stop the burn. And… In the end, Kai had to follow, though he felt so slow and sluggish, forced to keep up with the two as they talked.

“So, our forces in the south were wiped?” asked the Guard, prodding Kezu.

“I don’t know. I was a peddler who had a few slaves to my name. Then, those furballs attacked me, thinking I was a soldier. The desert takes them; I am but an honest merchant.”

“We are all honest merchants. Is this one the last?”

“Alas,” moaned Kezu, reaching for his serpentine muzzle. “It is the worst of the lot. I don’t know what I’ll do with that one. I could sell it and remake a name myself, but we’re too far from the markets.”

“You could leave it to us,” said the Guard, closing the lantern as they approached the camp.

It was a sour presence near a monolithic ridge and protected from the harshest winds. The tents were placed in a circle around many fire pits, and the scent of rich stew suddenly titillated Kai’s appetite as he was forced to trudge along, checked out by the Sethraks around. Most looked disheveled, like the Guard, and most acted as if he were fresh meat. Which he was, technically. Something, a realization, that wasn’t sitting well as Kezu talked about him like a coin to be traded. Everything has a price; that’s what one Vulperan says. But being a slave was something different for the monk.

“If you can take him off my hands, I’d gladly follow you north!”

“That’s good. We need more slaves around, way more pets to use. What’s your name, stranger?”

“Essu,” answered Kezu, smiling at the guard.

“Essu. We will have a place for you in the caravan. We must stay strong together in these troubling times.”

“Yes, as the Emperor will,” confirmed Kezu, nodding and eyeing Kai, who continued to look demure with his ears close to his head. “Can you lead us to the pens? I don’t want to hold that rope any longer; my scales are burning.”

“Sure. Follow me,” nodded the Guard, reaching for the rope and yanking Kai.

For a moment, Kai hoped that whatever debuff held him down would be dispelled with the rope changing hands. Instead, nothing happened. And the Vulpera was forced to follow, frowning as they approached a place that definitely reeked.

Illness. Hunger. Piss. Even… Cum?

The scent wronged Kai’s nose as he huffed and growled, watching a stack of bone cages placed one atop another.

Only a handful had Vulperas inside, though… By the look of it, some cages were older and hadn’t moved much; perhaps it was a former outpost.

Nevertheless, Kai growled and hissed when the Guard grabbed him by the arm.

Faithless Guard throws Kai - 2400

“Get inside, you beast,” he said, throwing Kai inside one open cage. And despite Kai being used to fighting and punching people who were bigger than him, he felt like a lightweight when he was thrown. His body smashed against the bone walls. And then, the cage was closed, a padlock locking the door.

Here, he was locked. Blocked… The air itself was chilly, and the absence of a fire pit made it clear it would get worse. Worse, he only had his fur to cover himself, and that loincloth that would do little against the harsh wind. He curled up, holding onto his arms.

“Here we are. Will you join us, Essu? We have enough for another friend to join us.”

“Gladly!” answered Kezu, his serpentine face suddenly bursting with energy and joy.

A satisfaction that contrasted with Kai’s glare and pained breath as he sat against the bone wall opposite the door.

For a moment, the two continued to speak of their presence in matters of meals, but then… They were gone. Guard and Kezu… leaving them in the dark and the silence. If not for the torches placed not far. And for the wind whistling through the bones like an eerie tune.

“Someone caught you?”

The voice was low, rough, gritty.

Kai looked right, finding the next cage empty. Left, there it was. A Vulpera, covered with dark brown fur, looked much worse than Kai. That Vulpera looked famished, with the bones visible under his shaggy fur. He had his two eyes, but his face had received such a beating that the muzzle was going sideways. His hands and legs looked like they’d been scraped.

“Hey. Don’t look funny like that. You will look like me soon enough.”

Kai shook his head, taking a sharp breath. His pain was there, but nothing circulating chi through the wounds wouldn’t undo.

“You’re listening to me?”

Kai continued to examine himself, no open wounds, nothing. So he breathed, feeling somehow relieved. They’d gone through the camp, and none had stopped them.

“Hey, new meat. I’m speaking to you.”

“Sorry, I was checking if I had wounds,” said Kai, sorry, and eyeing his interlocutor.

“Ah, yes. Wounds. No, they’ll not beat you or wound you. We’re too precious,” said the Crooked Muzzle, checking one of his last teeth that had not been kicked or broken.

“Don’t you worry about that. I’ve got a plan,” said Kai, dismissively as he stood up.

Sure enough, his sides were a bit raw. But he was able to stand up and check the bone cage. It was old, probably older than him. But the whole structure was sound, it was impossible to escape by squeezing himself through the large bones forming the bars.

“Ah, yes… Another young guy who thinks he can escape,” said Crooked Muzzle.

“What? We got a new slave?”

“Silence, San,” huffed Crooked Muzzle, looking behind him. “But yeah. We got one.”

Then, Crooked Muzzle’s eyes were back on Kai while the Monk eyed the ‘door’. It was more like another set of bones, fused by some dark magic into a mobile element. But the padlock kept it secured, impossible. And when Kai reached for the padlock, the metal instantly burned when he touched it.

“Oh yeah. Do not touch the locks. They’re enchanted against Vulperas.”

Kai did not answer, but he made his chi circulate through his burned pads.

“Don’t think about squeezing through the bones. And if you’re hitting them, the pain will get you back. Feeding is in the evening, though it is disgusting. Water can be asked, but don’t be too cuntish. Well, until we move to another spot. I gotta say, it is a pretty good prison for what’s worth.”

“Can you shut up?” asked Kai, turning to Crooked Muzzle, who remained pressed against the wall, his muzzle practically passing between the osseous bars.

“I could.”

“I need to think about how to escape,” said Kai, eyeing all the directions. Weakness in the structure? No. No way to dig through the flat stone under the cage. And lifting it? Lifting the whole cage? Absurd.

“Escape? Hey! San! You hear that? New flesh is planning to escape!”

“That’s cute!”

“What? A new slave wants to escape? Am I hearing that right?” added a third Vulpera.

And soon, the whole ‘pens’ were bustling with people idly chatting, laughing… And certainly mocking Kai until a guard approached, smacking his mace against the cage.

“Shut up! Or we’ll throw you to the Krolusks! Got it?”

It certainly worked.

The chatter died down, then stopped, returning to the quasi-silence that had been weighing on the slavers’ pens. A sort of unnerving and painful silence, Kai endured as he continued to glance around.

No… He would have to count on Kezu to get him out.

“Aren’t you lucky? So young and prim. You’ll probably end up with a rich master.”

“Shut up,” mumbled Kai, shaking his head. “I have a plan to get out. With everyone.”

“Ouuuh, a plan,” said Crooked Muzzle, waving his hands. “Give up on it. It’s my second attempt, and San’s fifth attempt. Poor guy only has one finger left.”

His groan was filled with frustration, but he stepped back and finally… Kai was alone.

He didn’t even know his neighbor’s name, but the Monk didn’t need that negativity as he was planning his extraction.

The slave pens were on the outskirts of the camp, and all he needed was for his padlock to be out of the way for him to storm to the commander or whoever was in charge of the camp. Once the Sethrak taken out, they would all disperse and run to the hills.

A sound plan, something he was almost proud of as he sat down and crossed his legs, meditating.

Since he didn’t have much to do but wait, it was better for him to meditate, to focus, to recuperate, and…

“Kai?” a whisper.

“Kezu?” asked the Monk, opening his eyes to see that the ‘Sethrak’ was at the door.

“Shh. It’s Essu,” huffed the old Vulpera, his serpentine eyes going left then right, over to see if any other prisoners were listening. “Are you okay?”

“After being thrown in a cage?” huffed Kai, reaching for his neck. He tried to pull on the collar, to break the buckle, but it resisted. It didn’t break, it didn’t snap… Even when the Vulpera kept tugging on it while approaching the door.

“What was that collar made of? I can’t remove it,” he huffed and snarled. “Now. Get me out and we’ll fight the leader.”

“Be quiet,” commented Kezu, his hands raised. “Nobody can hear this. And remember, this is an infiltration.”

“Yeah. We’re in. Now get me out!”

“Shhh! We must reach their city first. I told you, you must pass as a slave and follow them until we are at the Slithering Gulch.”

“I didn’t plan to go there naked with a dirty loincloth on me. What else will it be, a gag?”

Kezu looked aside, his serpentine illusion transcribing the shame quite well.

“What?”

“It’s not a gag. But it is a peculiar caravan, so you must… Wear this,” said the older Vulpera, producing something between the bars. Something shiny and glittering under the moonlight.

“What’s that?”

“A cage.”

Gilded chastity cage – Item Level ERROR – 3 Stamina – Gain Restriction

“I see that’s a cage. But why? Why would I put that on? Don’t be stupid. Get me out now.”

“It’s necessary for the infiltration. And if it were to break a camp, I could have done so. No. I need you to put this on!”

“But why?”

“Shhh! Don’t wake them up.”

“They don’t care,” groaned Kai, shaking his head. “I won’t put this.”

“If you don’t, you’re putting the mission in jeopardy. I won’t be able to reward you!”

“You… Hrmph!”

Kai put his hands over his mouth, trying to silence the cry that wanted to come out. If Kezu would not reward him, it meant no questline. Nothing. Only… A waste of time that got Kai’s ears to drop and him to relent.

“Fine. But it is the last favor.”

Silence.

“It will be the last one?” asked Kai.

“I can’t promise that. Now put this on before the meal,” said Kezu, shoving the cage into Kai’s hands before he ran away, much like last time.

“Seriously.”

New Objective: - Put the chastity cage on

Again, Kai looked at that item. Without a surprise, even the description was bugged with void characters in place of the fluff text. As for the stats, they were crap. It was supposed to be a trinket, much like his collar, which was obviously meant to go in the neck slot.

Still, opened the cage, took a gulp… And put his loincloth aside.

He approached the cage to his genitals, unsure how he would put it… But the moment the metal touched his uncut cock, it flashed…

Objective Complete: - Put the chastity cage on

**New Item Level -1

New Status: Restriction**

Kai’s expression was one of stupor. A negative Item level? Was it possible stat-wise?

It seemed so as he watched the notification and, at the same time, felt the tense presence pressing on his junk. It squeezed it, it pressed on it… It was almost limiting the blood flow going to his shaft while he moved around. The cage was simplistic with a ring attached around the Vulpera’s balls to tighten them.

Beyond that, the whole metal formed a uniform cover hiding Kai’s cock away. The only slit and detail revealing the Vulpera’s presence was a hole allowing him to urinate. But it didn’t help him much more.

He felt like his cock was squeezed and pressed, with nowhere else to go. More than that, the cold metal was almost burning against his exposed glans… And even widening his legs meant that the cage dug more into his tight scrotum. A pain he wasn’t keen on enduring.

“The reward must be better than anything,” huffed Kai, moving and taking steps in his cage to get used to moving.

One step meant he had to hold his breath; a second meant he had to exhale. A pace he was adjusting to, focusing on it.

Focusing so much, he missed the movements outside the cage and then the shouts.

It was only when a mace smacked against his cage’s bars that Kai snapped out of his trance-like state and looked at the Sethrak facing him. No, with that scar, it couldn’t be Kezu.

“You, beast? Are you hungry?” asked the Sehtrak.

Kai blinked and looked to his left, noticing Crooked Muzzle who was back and shaking his head, negating.

“I… Am?” asked Kai.

New Objective: - Get fed

A whine came from Crooked Muzzle, and a laugh from the Sethrak as he reached for the padlock and opened it.

“Good enough! We got a hungry pet, boys!” shouted the Guard, laughing.

He opened the door wide, but as soon as Kai stepped out, ready to rush… A hand grabbed the rope, and his movements felt sluggish and limited once more.

“A new one. Good, follow me. As for the others, you’d better keep quiet!” barked the Guard at the cages, at the gaggle of Vulperas who were looking at Kai, holding onto the bars.

Was it a bad answer?

Kai was not sure; he doubted it.

And yet, he was forced to follow the Sethrak into one hollow near the ridge. The scent here was even worse than near the pens. And as soon as he entered the grotto, a waft of musky hot air hit Kai in the face.

It forced him to breathe the scent of sex, of ass, of cum… And at the same time, he saw that, within the hollow, there was nothing but a table.

It could have been a temple or a hiding spot. Instead, there was only a stone table with leather straps passed through loops.

The scent around was worse, though Kai couldn’t step back. No, he was forced to follow, pulled, yanked, and forced to sit, then lie down on the table.

“You said… You said you were feeding me?” asked Kai, unsure, doubtful.

“Feeding you, right. Just like we do with all pets,” laughed one of the Sethrak, his voice sounding aggravating and… Raw. And excited. What was so exciting about feeding?

Yet, they laughed and chuckled while securing Kai’s limbs.

Then… The table dropped.

Somehow, the table descended until Kai was practically below knee level for the Sethraks. A vision that was furthermore troubling as someone pulled out a funnel and presented the tube at the opposing end to Kai’s face.

“Wha-“

“Shut up! And don’t do anything or you’ll regret it!” grunted the Sethrak, shoving the tube-like end into Kai’s mouth and forcing it through. Further… And further. Up until he could feel it at the back of his mouth, alongside the reflex to retch and spit it out.

“You’re too rough. We could do without.”

“Nah, it is the fastest way for a newbie,” answered the Guard shoving the tube inside Kai’s throat. A tube that pushed past the uvula despite Kai’s gargle and his terrified expression.

That feeding… It wasn’t natural; it wasn’t feeding. They were surely about to poison him or worse.

The Vulpera’s heartbeat hastened. His mind raced. He shook his head left and right, trying to dislodge the tube, with no success.

And then, he focused. His chi. His internal energy. If he circulated it through his limbs, it could help them recover faster. But not only. With that same energy, he could have his strength increased tenfold and more. With the same chi, he could do feats no one else could.

And so, Kai made it flow. Instead of regulating it, he planned to have it flow through his muscles, like a cascade, so he could break free from the leathers, so he could step despite the restriction and-

Nothing happened.

His eyes widened as the Sethraks laughed, and some reached for their belts. Again, Kai tried to make his Chi flow. But there was nothing he could do. His Chi was locked, blocked. A surprising result, since he had done it a moment before. And then… He tried to look down. At his loincloth, at the cage below. Was it what was meant by restriction?

“Kezu!” groaned Kai, though the sound came like a gargling while the Sethrak had finished setting up the funnel and… More had started to strip.

Their garbs and pants off, the Sethraks presented their smooth groins, covered with scales and cold. However, as they huffed, breathed, and smiled, pink spots appeared on their groins. Spots that grew and, with it, so followed their slits, opening to reveal the soft, pink insides.

Slits that were widening while the pink spots continued to push onward, followed by… More. Two… Two pink protrusions, two pink erections covered with spines and with a flat tip. Two massive erections that were pushing out from every Sethrak’s erection around.

“Isn’t it cute? It finally gets it!” laughed one Guard, reaching for his left erection to stroke it. The organs were massive, glistening with precum. The lamplights, coming from the lanterns placed here and there, made the angles and spines glisten. As the Sethraks grabbed their cocks, they squeezed their length, their organs, their cocks.

The flat ends were made more bulbous, the spines pressed against the soft skin. But as the hands moved and the fingers released their pressure, the penises returned to their original shapes: threatening, massive, dangerous.

Each organ was practically as big as Kai’s erection, and they were twinned. Hence, all the more dangerous.

“I bet it never saw something as big as that,” commented a Guard, talking about his cocks.

“Perhaps one of those big cows? But yeah, nothing like us!”

“They’re all small, that’s why.”

“They’re all so small?”

“Yeah. That’s why we put those things in a cage.”

“Can I see it?”

“Hey, that’s the new guy’s slave. Don’t break it too hard.”

“What? That slave looks like it can take some abuse. Look at that face. It’s fuckable. Pretty sure it’s a virgin.”

One of the Sethrak even grabbed Kai’s face, pressing and squeezing the features while eyeing the frightened expression on that face. Although, the origin of that expression wasn’t them, nor their mockery, nor the abuse. It was else.

“I am powerless,” thought Kai out loud, his nostrils dilated. His body could not push against the bindings. He could not spit out the funnel. And worse, the Sethraks were planning to abuse him.

A confirmation came when one lifted his loincloth and whistled.

“Oh, fancy cage! Very fancy for the tiny nuts locked there,” laughed the Guard, delivering a flick on Kai’s nuts.

Sethrak Guard hit Kai’s nuts - 2

The pain that followed was mind-numbing. Kai’s breathing turned into a sharp inhalation while his groin was afire. Groin and abdomen alike, the muscles clenching and pulling on his tight scrotum.

Sethrak Guard Pinch Kai’s nuts - 1

The pain continued, searing his mind. Breathing even hurt as spasms took his chest. And with that, the presence of that tube inserted inside his throat was all the more painful to bear as Kai’s nuts were again abused.

**Sethrak Guard manhandle Kai’s nuts – 4

Sethrak Guard smack Kai’s nuts – 10

Sethrak Guard hit Kai’s nuts - 2**

Kai’s eyes were going red, his tears streaking as the pain was not only intense but felt surreal. So surreal as the Sethrak were all around him, practically a gangbang of Snakes whose hisses betrayed their satisfaction as much as their dripping erections.

And then…

It happened. One guard advanced, his twin cocks, both, pointed at the funnel. With his two hands, he was furiously masturbating. His precum dripped from both tips onto the plastic surface. And then… As the masturbation continued, the Guard’s breath quickened and went raw…

He huffed, moaned, and came.

His cumshot, twinned, landed on the inside of the wide funnel.

And for a moment, Kai’s terrified expression remained. Then… There was the sensation of warmth from the tube inside his guts. And… Something hot being pumped inside him.

But it was only the first shot.

All the while, the abuse on his nuts continued, with an incessant log of hits on his nuts. Some even went as far as smacking his cock through the cage. But nothing made him wince, huff, gargle, and gasp as much as the assault delivered on his nuts that were getting sore and painful… And throbbing.

But he couldn’t escape it. The leather straps were too tight, too strong. He couldn’t flee; he couldn’t escape.

So continued the abuse with another Sethrak cumming inside the funnel. That time, the heat could be felt further along the tube, as the fluids descended right into his esophagus and then into his stomach. Cum… Sethrak cum.

Was it what they were feeding him? Was that their fluids? Their cum?

Suddenly, the reason why that cave reeked of cum seemed obvious. And yet, it wasn’t over as another came, though some landed on the side of the funnel. The white cum followed its natural course, but on the outside of the funnel, sticking to the plastic as it descended… Descended… And descended right into Kai’s mouth, burning his taste buds with the raw musky aroma of… Sethrak Cum.

His ears dropped, his face contorted in disgust. It was disgusting. It was raw. It was so salty. His mouth burned, and so did his tongue. But as much as his esophagus and throat clenched to push the cum out… Nothing came. No retching. No throw up.

Only more cum. Cum that was funneled directly to his stomach.

The weight and the warmth were too much, disgusting to experience and even taste from the dripping chunks landing inside Kai’s mouth. But as much as he thrashed and fought and pushed, he couldn’t spit that funnel out.

Gargling only made the pain flare through his throat. Pulling on the bindings made his limbs sore. As for breathing, it was taking a paramount effort for him not to choke from having his airway crushed by the outstretched tube weighing on it.

His eyes were bloodshot, dancing from one guard to another, as the abuse continued.

**Sethrak Guard smack Kai’s nuts – 10

Sethrak Guard smack Kai’s nuts – 10

Sethrak Guard smack Kai’s nuts - 10**

“Look how it squirms, so feisty. How did Essu catch it again?”

“He said it was a slave bought from a merchant. Doesn’t look like so. Maybe it was a bodyguard? Look how resilient it is when I hit its little nutties.”

“It must have been a field worker. Look at the callous on those tiny paws.”

“Men. Men. It doesn’t matter. We’ll break it. We’ll sell it. And we’ll ascend the steps! Right?”

The common roar was almost deafening.

Kai’s ears dropped while the pain continued to come, from the bindings, the hits, the choking. From the cum that was pumped inside his throat and made his belly start to bulge and become… heavier.

It was too much, so much cum. How could they keep cumming thrice already? And yet, they did, not even caring if Kai was feeling well or not.

They kept pumping their enormous shafts, pulling on the skin and the glans until their ejaculation hit the funnel. And then… The gargle. The pain. The fear.

When will it be over? When will they stop? Will he pass out? Will he choke? Will he die? Something as primal as fear ran through Kai’s mind while his eyes darted to see more guards coming… More guards that would pump in? No… They… They dragged a Vulpera, famished, alongside them.

“Hey, that one asked for a meal, too!” said the Guard, stopping all the discussion. All the hits. Respite, at last.

Or so it was as Kai closed his eyes and heard the snaps from the leather straps being undone. Yet, he remained held and stuck as the Sethraks grabbed the tube’s funnel and began to pull it out. A sensation as foreign due to the soft surface sliding upward and outward, pulling on his esophagus. A motion, a slight pull that made him feel nauseous. Sick… In pain.

His eyes were bloodshot. His fingers curled when the tube was yanked out, allowing him to breathe… And retch.

The little time he was given to recover? It was the half-second before the Sethrak shoved him off the stone table, and the other Vulpera, emaciated to a fault, was thrown on it.

“W-What?” gargled Kai, watching the other Vulpera and noticing the lack of a funnel.

Instead, the Sethraks were already pulling their cocks out, rubbing them against the Vulpera’s face… And forcing him to swallow their lengths.

And the Prisoner did, his face contorted in anxiety and hunger. His tongue went and ravished any bead of precum or cum, his fingers danced on the cocks only for the fingers to be brought to his face along with their liquid bounty stuck to the pads.

The Prisoner licked, gurgled, sucked… he forced down anything the Sethraks forced on him while Kai remained on all fours, watching that display in surprise.

And… A hand grabbed him.

“Let’s go back to your cage,” said the Sethrak, huffing. “We’ve got more to do than feed a worthless pet.”

A huff, a growl. The guard yanked Kai, dragged him while the Vulpera tried to stand up, only to stumble from the added weight. And then, to be pulled, yanked until his shoulder felt like it was dislocated.

Yet, his eyes were drawn to the Prisoner, who gargled, his face showing… A hint of joy. Despite the disgusting display.

Kai grimaced but clenched his eyes tight before they exited the cave. In that situation, Kai thought about fighting the Guard. But with the cage and the debuffs still there, he could not do much… Hence, he kept his head low and was thrown into the bone cage again.

**Faithless Guard throws Kai – 1200

Objective complete: - Get fed**

There was less strength applied to the throw, but the pain still flared through Kai’s body as he went into a foetal position, cradling his nuts. His nuts were burning, aching, and certainly had some spots where his fur had been pulled. The burn was there amidst the icy atmosphere.

And worse, something was thrown at him. A rock.

Anger boiled in those eyes. The snarl was visible. The teeth presented.

“May the Desert eat you!” shouted Kai, grabbing that rock and throwing it at one of the walls.

A cry followed, a growl… And then a voice.

“Is that how you treat charity, idiot?”

Kai clenched his eyelids tighter, his tail hugging his thigh.

“I know you can hear me, sand-eater,” said the voice, with that same disgust. “If you don’t want your bread, I’ll eat it.”

“Bread?” asked Kai, blinking and rolling slightly to get a look at the wall.

There was Crooked Muzzle, holding out what looked like a rock. Though, after examination, it was a very dry and rough loaf of bread. Food.

Or at least, something that could be described as food. It smelled like food; it was shaped like food; it looked like food. But something was off when Kai rolled, went on his knees, and crawled closer to the offered hand.

“It is?”

“It’s not moldy,” confirmed Crooked Muzzle, waving his hand. “Are you taking it? Else, I’ll eat it.”

“No, I’ll eat it,” mumbled Kai, reaching out and grabbing it.

He split the bread, hearing the crunch of the dry exterior breaking. As for the inside, it was not moldy, yes. But it was dry… Dry like the desert.

Still, Kai bit into it, and his belly sent him a message: Stop.

Kai stopped.

His mouth halted, his ears dropped, and he sat down. In full display of that stranger, who looked at him with interested eyes, licking his lips.

Crooked Muzzle had, too, a cage. His fur was matted; he was definitely emaciated. Even his claws were broken. But he was salivating… At Kai? No. The bread.

The Monk huffed, extending the hand with both halves of the bread, even the one that was half-eaten.

“Take it. I can’t eat anymore.”

Crooked Muzzle extended his paw and… Only one took one half, sitting down on his side of the bone wall.

“You should eat. Even if it’s hard.”

“I can’t,” said Kai, still shaking his hand.

“You should,” answered Crooked Muzzle, taking a bite, though it seemed the mere act was painful as he gnawed on the bread. He was licking it, softening the bread crumb before swallowing it.

It continued, with Kai bringing the half-eaten part close to his chest, holding it.

“Was that… the feeding?” asked Kai, gulping down and yet, feeling that nausea again.

“Oh… yes. We get this each day,” pointed Crooked Muzzle. “Dry bread, nothing more. If we’re sick or done, they abandon us. So they keep us… Edging. And if we are too hungry, we get sent with the Guards.”

Crooked Muzzle even pointed towards the Guard, bringing back the other Vulpera, whose belly looked rounder and contrasted with his famished look. But that Vulpera didn’t look in pain, not as much.

Then, another was taken.

Kai’s eyes returned to Crooked, watching him salivate on the crumbs again, almost spitting on them.

“It’s your first time captured.”

“It is,” confirmed Kai, though Crooked Muzzle didn’t ask but affirmed it.

“You should listen to me. Eat tonight because tomorrow, we’ll move and you can’t keep food where we go.”

“We’re leaving?”

“North,” said Crooked, pointing towards one wall. “We’re getting to the Sethrak. Oh… More bread, it feels good.”

“You’re…” Kai stopped.

He looked at Crooked Muzzle. Yes, he looked worse than the others. His fur was falling in patches in some places, but he had that gnarly look of resilience. Like a dry stump.

“What?”

“You’re not asking them to feed you.”

“No,” said Crooked, shaking his head.

“You don’t?”

Crooked huffed, puffing up his chest.

“I have some pride. I only ask when… I cannot move.”

Kai closed his eyes for a second.

“It ain’t so bad. You get used to the hunger.”

“And nobody came to help you?”

“Sometimes,” said Crooked. “Adventurers, strangers from beyond Vol’dun. They have the same accent as you. But they’re releasing us, and that’s all.”

“That’s all? You were freed?”

“Yes,” confirmed Crooked, licking his paws. “But you can’t get far without food or water. We always end up captured.”

With that, Crooked even laughed and pointed over his shoulder.

“San, he lived that so many times. Always the same shit. He told the last adventurer it was pointless if he didn’t help him. Guess what? The adventurer kicked him out of his cage.”

Kai frowned and grimaced, silently looking at his food.

“So. No. Don’t get your hopes up, newbie. Eat, sleep. And be ready for tomorrow. It’ll be the worst.”

With that, Crooked moved away, giving Kai the discretion and isolation he desired. More so as he watched that bread again… And decided to salivate on it, fighting the retching just so he could have something in his stomach that wasn’t Sethrak spunk.

-

**Current Item Level: -3

Current Debuffs: Restriction, Movement Restriction, Movement limitation, Cuffed hands**

“FASTER! You dumb pets! I said faster!”

Sitting on their Krolusk mounts, swathed in silk and other fabrics, the Sethraks looked downright comfortable while cooked under the sun. Their insect mounts were cozy as they used the sunlight to warm themselves, their chitin shining from the constant preening.

As for their little feet, they jumped onto the sand without much worry.

Something different as Kai advanced, taking one step and feeling his beans being seared. Too much heat, too much sunlight. Vol’dun’s deserts weren’t tender on the barefoot. And the column of Vulperas certainly didn’t have the footwear for this. Nor the comfort, as they were all aligned, their necks attached and forming a grand chain.

The same was for the cuffs on the wrists and ankles, forcing the Vulperas to walk at a similar pace together.

If someone was too slow, it slowed down the whole column, or put more strain on the chains, to the point that the Slavemaster would come around with his whip.

Too fast… And the slowing-down issue would inevitably happen.

Kai wasn’t at the head of the column but only three Vulperas behind it, forced to keep up the pace.

Those at the front were the healthiest, it seemed. Not only stronger but more square-shouldered, their bodies were fitter, and they were not as famished as the others. But a check over his shoulder and a keen gaze confirmed to Kai the obvious: the further you went along the line, the more sickly or keen to die you were.

He had seen it before, but it was different to be a part of it. To living it. And to imagine oneself in the Vulperas’ place at the end, too exhausted to fight and being dragged on the sands until you were discarded.

A shudder came through, and Kai resumed, taking another step as they were climbing one tall dune. It was not like there were no options, but the Sethrak relished making them work harder. And Kai had to follow, his gaze on his footsteps, while he continued to pull on his bindings.

Moving was limited, even his speed, as for his actions… He could not weave or circulate the Chi through his body. Not at all. If he tried, he felt the strands of energy, but nothing more. Nothing helped him recover from the wounds he received.

Sethrak Guard whips Kai – 200

The whips left gashes on his back, though some were already crusty and dry due to the intense heat. It was painful to bear, but he was not the worse for wear again. Those above had a few whip marks, but they received little.

Behind? The whip sang and cracked like thunder, making him almost relish his position as he continued to advance, now descending a dune.

They were on the road… Somewhere. They were far from their goal, since they hadn’t encountered any oasis yet. But they’ve been progressing at a good pace… Considering the cuffs.

And yet, the mere idea of progress was not a source of satisfaction. Not at all for the Vulperas, whose ears dropped when the Slavemaster approached.

“Follow me!”

The Sethrak holding the chain, on his Krolusk, nodded, and the Slavemaster took it to attach his mount before the column strayed from the constant straight-ahead path. They approached another monolithic rock protruding from the sands.

This time, there were no caves or cages. Only a place that was cool enough for everyone’s paws and large enough to accommodate the column of slaves, forced to sit on the sand. A few were picked, their chains and cuffs removed. Kai wasn’t picked, but the ‘freed’ Vulperas only enjoyed a brief freedom before they were forced to set up the camp in urgency while their masters were waiting, idly chatting.

Amidst them, there was Kezu or Essu.

The name changed, the demeanor, but Kai could see it was him laughing, flirting, and joking with the other Sethraks.

Among them, the Vulpera acted with such familiarity and ease that it was unnerving. In one day, the guy was already talking to the Caravan’s Chief, exchanging pleasantries or eating in his tent.

Meanwhile, Kai was nursing and tending his wounded paws while the Guards ate what looked like a cold salad. Something was more appetizing than cum or… Bread.

A meal they would not share, of course. And yet, they were coming around, eating by the Vulperas that couldn’t move due to the chains, nagging them… Or tempting them with getting fed.

Even Kai.

“Hey, you, aren’t you hungry?”

Kai kept quiet.

“You definitely are. I can hear your belly growling. You want it? Or you’d prefer a Sethrak specialty?”

Kai clenched his eyelids, bending over to check if he’d gotten anything planted in his paw.

“I’m talking to you, idiot.”

“Is there a problem?”

The Slavemaster approached, his boots hitting the sand nearby.

“Yeah. That pet isn’t talking to me.”

“Yes. It’s a new one. Spoken to, Essu says.”

“Essu? Who’s that?”

“The lost one we found yesterday,” explained the Slavemaster. “He brought his pet. But I don’t know what we should do with it… yet.”

“Come on. You should train its throat first. I’m sure it got a nice mouth to fuck.”

“Hmm… If you say so.”

Silence. Awkward silence with the Slavemaster hovering around, and then… The Guard left.

“Try not to antagonize them.”

The Sethrak’s words were almost spat, but he left… leaving Kai confused and frowning and shaking his head before the Vulperas on either side, back or front, turned their heads toward him. They babbled about how brave he was and how that Sethrak always confronted Vulperas. Yet, Kai wasn’t feeling brave. Not at all. Only dirty as he looked down, his ears dropping, and his eyes looking at the cursed gear he had.

Cursed, as he could not remove it on his own. Cursed as it was, it was locked and negatively affecting his stats and capabilities.

The text continued to shimmer and change, to alter with time until even glancing at the description text made Kai’s eyes flare with pain.

So, he returned to the ground. To the sand. To the surroundings. And listening to the pleas and grumbles from the Vulperas.

“Do you think someone will save us this time?”

“My feet are so sore.”

“I am hurting. I am hurting. I am hurting.”

“Hey… Don’t move around!”

“Let me move. Here.”

The last voice was familiar, and Kai’s eyes went over his shoulder, meeting with Crooked. Sure enough, the Vulpera looked not so good, but not terrible. His fur was covered with sweat, but he forced a smile that wasn’t exactly fitting with his broken muzzle.

“See. It would have been worse if you hadn’t eaten.”

Kai stroked his belly in reflex. Yes, he was hungry and his stomach growled, but it could have been worse. He nodded.

“What will happen?”

“They will take a break and nap. Then, we will leave again for an oasis.”

“How do you know?”

“Anyone who tried to escape Vol’dun knows that route. You don’t?”

“I don’t,” admitted Kai, shaking his head. “Wha-“

“Shh!”

Steps. Crooked Muzzle signaled Kai to keep quiet.

A glance over his shoulder, and Kai saw a Guard approach. He beelined right to Kai, watching him… And then, he grabbed Kai by the hands.

“What are you doing?”

“Don’t do anything rash, pet,” said the Guard, undoing the chains but not the cuffs. Then, with one length of chain removed, the Guard threw Kai aside before tying the two next Vulperas together.

Of course, there were outcries, there were stupors, there were questions. But Kai blinked as he was grabbed by the shoulders and forced to stand up.

“Follow me.”

“Wait? Where are you dragging me? I didn’t ask to be fed!”

“Fed?” asked the Sethrak, laughing. “Feeding is for the evening. Kesshak asked for your presence,” huffed the Guard, yanking Kai and dragging him.

They passed by the column, by the Vulperas who could grab and hold him. But none did, as Kai’s feet were burning from the friction before he decided to take a few steps and follow the Guard.

It made the quick walk better, though being watched through the camp was… A pain.

A pain and a humiliation, Kai took by trying to make himself look smaller even as they passed through a tent’s flaps and were inside a tent that was… Richly furnished.

Someone was putting a lot of effort into decorating it, even though it would all be undone and removed later.

Another waste for the Vulperas.

Still, the atmosphere had a hint of the esoteric. Dreamcatchers were attached to the leather, an altar had been set in one corner of the tent. And lazily sitting around a hookah pipe, two Sethraks looked relaxed while smoking.

Essu, or Kezu. And the probable Caravan Owner, since that one was wearing quite the garb, with golden silk and jewels dangling from the fabric like sequins.

“Is that him?”

Taking a puff from the pipe, Essu blew a cloud of smoke into the air and then turned, looking over his shoulder.

“Yes, that’s him. Quite a prize, isn’t it?”

Kai’s eyes focused on Kezu, trying to make sense of what he was doing. His expression was relaxed, a bit satisfied. No. Malicious.

“What’s happening?”

“Silence, slave,” answered Kezu, waving his hand and turning to the Leader.

“Here. Its name is Kai. As you can see, that’s a strong-willed pet.”

“I-“

“I said silence!” shouted Kezu, his voice raw and intense, the slithering all the more marked.

And there it was. Silence.

A few clangs from a carillon, the breath from the Guard. And the chuckle from the Caravan Leader, who hand waved his guard away.

“I concur. It looks like an unruly slave. And you said you’re trading it for your safe passage.”

“And more,” said Kezu, laughing. “Because it is an impressive pet. Aren’t you one, Kai?”

Silence.

“I asked you a question, Kai.”

The Vulpera blinked, but nodded, surprised. “Yes.”

“See. That’s a powerful pet with might. Luckily, the gear I provided stops it from wielding such power. But… It is a raw gem,” said Kezu, waving the pipe and handing it to the Leader, who took a breath.

“And you want me to cut it?”

“Cut it? No, no. No such words. Refine it,” said Kezu.

What game he was playing, Kai was wondering. His eyes were going from the Leader to Kezu, without moving an inch.

“And certainly not pollute it.”

“Pollute it? Can you elaborate? You certainly have the speech of the nobles, but I am not a noble, so you can speak plainly.”

“Plainly?”

Kezu stopped, reaching for the pipe.

“Put it at the front.”

“The front? Of the slaves?”

“Yes,” confirmed Kezu. “It is the best place for it to learn. Oh, and if you can double the rations.”

“You are asking me much, friend.”

“I know, I know. But you would miss my silly jokes and stories otherwise,” continued Kezu. “And… You can confirm my statement.”

“How could I do that? If I free it, it might as well kill me and escape.”

“Certainly. Or it could be weaker than I say.”

The Caravan Leader stopped, eyeing the hookah pipe and then Kai. A long observation, completed by his index finger tapping his lips.

“Well. It certainly needs consideration. But come, pet.”

Kai remained still, his limbs stiff.

“Is it deaf?”

“No. Perhaps it is afraid of taking orders that are not my own,” said Kezu, laughing and glaring over his shoulder. Not glancing, outright glaring. “Follow Kesshak’s orders, pet.”

Kai gulped but nodded.

Whatever game it was, there must be a purpose… Something Kezu couldn’t outright tell, and Kai approached, practically offering his back to Kezu.

“Good. Now… Sit,” said the Sethrak, patting his lap.

Again, Kai glanced over his shoulder, but he saw Kezu signaling him to follow the order.

Soon enough, Kai sat, nervous. And worse, the Sethrak’s hands ran over his body, stroking his fur while forcing him to sit, then lie… And finally curl up like a pet.

“Oh. Its fur is so soft and shiny,” commented ‘Kesshak’.

“Just like I told you. Alas, it seems your Slavemaster whipped him.”

“Alas,” confirmed Kesshak, poking at Kai’s sore and crusty wounds.

The touch wasn’t gentle, but it wasn’t like the Sethrak was drilling the wounds either. It was more of a constant poke that pushed Kai to grit his teeth, huff, and clench his jaw.

“As I told you, it is better to keep it at the front. If it gets whipped too much, it will lose its pristine coat and good price.”

“You are right,” confirmed Kesshak, taking the pipe while Kezu remained calm, reclined, and waved his hand at the smoke clouds.

In return, Kai curled up, yet remained tense.

More so when the Sethrak’s hands stroked him between the ears and along the nape like a pet. It was demeaning, perverse, and worse. It made Kai feel like he had no self left… Nothing of importance to that Sethrak, who seemed chuffed in stroking Kai’s fur.

“So?”

“I will consider your comments. It is certainly a peculiar pet, and I wouldn’t want to have it lose its value before we hit the market.”

Worse, as Kai mouthed a ‘What’s happening?’, Kezu seemed to ignore him.

Ignore him as they talked numbers and estimations for what they could earn with that run, how life was among the Sethraks, or remembrances of the time before the Emperor’s death.

Kezu was perfectly fitting the role, crying or raging over ‘loss’ or regaling Kesshak with demeaning lies about the Vulperas. A distasteful conversation in which Kai wanted not to take part but was forced to.

Worse, he was forced to entertain them as they were to eat.

With their meals, Kesshak had a bowl of… Raw meat. Hastily cut but nothing more, it had been set aside from the root salad with its creamy sauce and the warmed tea.

None of them were picking the meat, not even Kezu, as they ate and chuckled whenever Kai reacted.

It would be too easy to kill Kesshak, to murder him and hide this as an intoxication or something. But so far, Kezu was not moving forward. What was he planning to do in striking up a friendship with that Sethrak? What was he planning to do?

The question would remain unanswered, more so when, finally, Kesshak pulled one of those meat strips and wiggled it above Kai’s face.

“Eat.”

“Are y-“

“Go on, Kai. Eat,” cut in Kezu before Kai could insult the Sethrak.

Still, Kai frowned and looked at Kezu, who waved his hand, encouraging. And… The Vulpera’s ears dropped before he opened his mouth. There, he got the strip of flesh. It was bloody, raw, disgustingly bland, unsalted, everything.

It was disgusting, and one part of Kai wanted to spit it out and retch. The other, hungrier after half a day of walking, forced him to close his mouth and gulp the whole strip without much chewing.

New Status: Fed

“Good pet,” encouraged Kesshak, clapping his bloody hands and producing another strip.

Another encouragement, another gulp, another praise.

Kai’s face burned with shame, more so when another Vulpera entered the room with a coffer. One he filled with the sundries Kesshak had in his tent, starting with his little altar.

Meanwhile, that ‘slave’ kept eyeing Kai while he had to swallow that meat like a pet, getting rubbed between the ears and baby-talked.

Shame. It was such a shame; he wanted to dig a hole and hide in it.

Alas, it didn’t happen, and though his face burned, he played the role Kezu had picked for him…

He played it long enough that the whole room was cleaned up; the furniture pulled out, by the time Kesshak smacked Kai’s rump to push him away.

“Let’s go!” shouted the Leader, eager to stand up and get back on the ride.

No, he almost ran out while leaving Kai and Kezu alone… At least, for a second before Kezu stood up and ran after Kesshak, leaving Kai stunned and… Blinking.

What was happening? Was it still an infiltration?

The question ran through Kai’s mind as he remained on the mat, observing the naked walls, when a series of harrumphs came from outside, and a guard, the same one who had taken Kai from the cohort, entered.

“Come with me,” he ordered, expecting no fight.

And Kai offered none, too surprised and puzzled as he was. His mind raced with questions, but he had no answers… Not as he was pulled back into the cohort, and, as Kesshak and Kezu had been talking about, he was attached at the front.

He felt glares on his back. Heard whispers. Felt tugs on the chains.

Yet, before he had macerated enough to ask what was happening finally, the Slavemaster arrived and made his whip crack.

“Let’s move! Follow me!” he ordered atop his Krolusk, yanking and pulling the slaves, Kai first, onto the exposed sands towards their direction before handing the chains to another peer.

Then… It was the second march.

One that was way worse for Kai. This time he was at the front. This time, he could feel the pull of the entire chain tugging behind him constantly as he walked ahead.

As he trudged, pushed… Pulled, trying to endure the weight that the chain forced on him.

He understood why only the strongest were at the front.

Yet, it was tiring, it was draining. And whenever he looked over his shoulder, putting himself in danger of being whipped, he only received glares and harrumphs.

“What’s happening?” asked Kai out loud.

No answer. Only a sudden tug on the chain narrowly missed him.

“Hey! I asked!” he shouted.

Again, there were no answers.

No answers except the whip cracking and someone else in the column shouting in pain. Well, way more than before. Perhaps it was the effort or the difficulty of the afternoon travel; the sands were clearly hotter, but… The whip continuously danced and bit.

And wounded.

But not Kai… Not as he advanced, trying to endure the chain weighing him down… The pain that flared in his legs, in his arms, in his chest. But not his stomach; his hunger was appeased, somehow.

He was not feeling much better than this morning as the sun was setting in the distance, and the distant mirages of an oasis followed them.

The whispers were louder, too. But he was certain to have heard the words ‘In front’, ‘the red’, or even his name.

Yet, whenever he glanced back. Only glares and silence.

“If you have something to tell me, say so.”

Silence.

“Fine. Cunts.”

Kai grunted, passing a hand across his face while the Slavemaster approached him, his whip almost ready. But it only cracked on the Vulpera right behind him, and the weight on the chain became heavier for a second.

Enough for Kai to almost stop and look over his shoulder, watching the one behind him tug back on the chain while huffing.

“Slow… Slow down.”

Finally. Words.

“… Yeah.”

Kai slowed down, and though the weight remained the same, the whispers lessened.

He still advanced, forced on his legs and arms… Right until after ascending a dune, they only had to walk down a depression leading to an oasis.

The green plants surrounding the blue water were almost a soothing sight for Kai’s aching muscles, and, for a moment, he hastened his pace… before the chains yanked him down, and he stumbled back.

“Bastard.”

It wasn’t the Vulpera behind him, but the shout was enough to get Kai out of his stupor. Quickly enough that when the Slavemaster went up the column, he found Kai back on his feet. A harrumph, and the Slavemaster grabbed the chain, taking it from his fellow Guard.

Then, with the same scowl, he guided the Vulperas toward the Oasis.

“Time for you, pets, to rest. We’ll do a count,” huffed the Slavemaster.

A count?

The question remained on Kai’s lips even when the Slavemaster brought them to a dirty corner of the Oasis. Again, another slave pen. The bone cages were old and the same. The Guards hastily yanked the Vulperas out of the cohort and threw them into the cage.

Kai? He wasn’t different, but this time, he wasn’t outright thrown to the point of falling. But the strength was enough to make him stumble forward before he recovered his balance.

“Hey! Watch out!” cried Kai to the Slavemaster, who… Shrugged and went on with his next victim.

However, there was something better. Kai could see… No, could confirm the cuffs had been removed.

With a glance, he could confirm he did not have the associated debuff. A satisfaction enough to make him grin for a moment. Then echoed the cries from the Vulperas around him, making him frown. He scowled as he approached the cage door, seeing that it had been locked.

The Sethraks were quick to throw the Vulperas aside, sending them rolling after having removed their cuffs.

A display of barbarity that continued until only a small contingent of slaves were kept cuffed and pulled aside.

They were to handle the camp, leaving Kai alone as he stepped back and sat, taking a breath while checking his arms and ankles. The cuffs undone, he was feeling much better, but also… Lighter?

He checked where the metal bit his flesh and-

“Hey. Sethrak pet.”

Kai turned his head towards the voice.

“Yeah, you,” said a Vulpera, another Prisoner inside the nearby cage. He had a few teeth missing, the others yellow, and though he wasn’t as famished as Crooked Muzzle, he was not in his best state.

“I’m not a pe-“

“Don’t care. If you keep running, I’ll find a way to cut your throat.”

“Ru-nning?” asked Kai, tilting his head.

“Yeah. Running. Running ahead, making us work double time for nothing. What do you want? See your master so fast?”

Kai stood up on his feet, feeling he was finally free when he got on his feet. He widened his posture, his arms close to his chest, and his fists clenched.

“Take that back.”

“Or what? You can’t hit that wal-“

Before Yellow Teeth could taunt him further, Kai’s right hand went forward. Not as a fist, but with two fingers outstretched forward that went inside Yellow Teeth’s nose, hitting the soft bones.

It was a full hit. The two fingers hitting the insides with such speed were enough to produce a bleeding and… Make Yellow Teeth yelp.

The Vulpera cried and fell back onto his posterior, holding his nose, which was already bleeding.

“Blasted Desert!” he shouted, his voice noisy. “I’ll fucking kill you!”

“Good. Get on the line,” huffed Kai, grumbling. And grumbling more when heavy steps approached.

“What’s happening?”

The Slavemaster.

Since he was already done with his work, Kai had expected him to leave with his peers. Instead, the Sethrak was by their cages, eyeing Yellow Teeth and Kai, his tongue slithering out and flicking the air.

“Nothing,” grumbled Yellow Teeth.

Kai eyed the guy still holding his muzzle. Then, he nodded somberly.

“Yes, it was nothing.”

“It doesn’t look like nothing to me,” said the Sethrak, eyeing them left and right. But then he reached for Yellow Teeth’s padlock and opened it.

“Wait! Wait! I did nothing!” cried Yellow Teeth, crawling further.

“I don’t care. Come with me, or I’ll feed you to the Krolusks.”

Kai gulped at the threat while the Sethrak had his hands outstretched, as if waiting.

Still curled up, Yellow Teeth held his muzzle. And then, slowly, he stood up. His body was shaking, and his eyes were open wide and fixed on the Sethrak Slavemaster.

He approached, and before he was too close to the Sethrak, the Slavemaster grabbed Yellow Teeth, yanking him away.

But not without turning and offering Kai a glance.

“Beware. Do not break the merchandise, pet,” huffed the Slavemaster, before dragging the kicking and howling Yellow Teeth.

Merchandise…

The word stung while Kai observed the Sethrak moving away… And then silence. Though there was a sensation of weight coming from all around, as Kai could see glares, the eyes focused on him. The people observing him and his reaction.

Something… Somehow, that Slave who went to clean up the Leader’s tent must have told everyone.

“That’s it? You think I’m their pet? Because someone wants to give me head scratches? You think that’s what I want? That I want that creepy Sethrak to play with me like a pet? Really?”

Kai spat those words with all the ire he had. But there was nothing but an awkward silence and Vulperas shuffling in their cages.

“Yeah… I thought so,” huffed the Monk, sitting by the door and waiting.

Soon enough, the slaves assigned to setting up the tents returned.

Followed Yellow Teeth, his glare obvious after the Slavemaster threw him back in his cell. However, the stench of cum followed him, and that liquid dripped from between the Vulpera’s legs.

Still, Kai clenched his jaw and returned to his meditation, trying to make sense of his body.

He could not control his Chi, but now that the cuffs were out, he could… Sense their absence. Much like the weight on his neck or between his legs. They were presences he could feel inside him, like on a map. His proprioception integrated them, much like his gloves, his bracers, or the whole he’d been familiar with ever since he left his monastery.

Even that loincloth was part of it, and he was feeling naked despite its presence, naked as unprotected, as without his gear, without-

“Feeding! Who wants to eat? You? You want another run, fresh meat?”

The Sethrak used his mace to hit the bone cages, forcing Kai to open his eyes on the Guard.

“So? Wanna eat?”

“No, thank you,” answered Kai.

“Tsh. Your loss,” replied the Guard, tossing him another of those rocky breads. It wouldn’t be much if Kai ate it, following Crooked Muzzle’s method. Something he could thank the old Vulpera for, again, as he waited for Kezu.

The sun set, the night came. And yet… As much as Kai waited, there was no one.

“Bailing up on me?” he asked.

Only a growl answered, from one of the caged Vulperas. And so, Kai closed his eyes, trying to sleep.

-

CLANG CLANG CLANG!

The sound almost resonated through Kai’s brain, rattling him as he hastily opened his eyes and stirred from his sleep, going from supine to sitting in a lotus position.

“Hey, Pet! Kesshak wants to see you.”

Whispers, exchanges, harsh whispers came while Kai frowned, but he knew better than to let him wait.

“I’m coming,” he said with a hint of resignation while the whispers continued around. “Yeah, yeah… He wants me.”

The whispers continued while Kai watched the open door and stepped out. He extended his hands, waiting as the typical cuffs landed on them. Heavy, painful to bear. Worse. If he closed his eyes, he could sense the weight.

“Follow me,” ordered the Guard, attaching the cuff to a long chain that linked the Slaves again. It wasn’t a cohort or a walk to the north like three days ago. It was only the daily ritual as the small group was led through the camp.

“Please. Not crap duty, not crap duty, not crap duty.”

“Crap duty? I wish. Krolusks are worse.”

“I lost a finger due to them, that’s true.”

“SHUT UP!”

At the head, the Slavemaster shushed them down, his tongue flickering in the air before he led the group with Kai at the back.

“I wouldn’t mind being on cuddling duty.”

Glares.

“Be my guest,” replied Kai, letting the conversation die down.

Alas, the routine was the same. Those at the front were dispatched to the latrines on the outer edge of the camp. Whether it was to handle the chamber pot or to shovel crap, those Vulperas would smell like death itself by the end of the day.

Then, the Krolusk duty with the guy who’d lost his fingers to one being sent there.

Three were dispatched with the hunters, whose job would be to drag the carcasses back home.

One, always the Vulpera with a patched-up ear, would be fixing the food.

Then, there were the odd duties.

Weapon care, tent clean-up, card player, even whore for the soldiers… Remained then Kai as he was merely dropped in front of the tent, without a care.

New Objective: - Please the Sethraks' slavers

The Slavemaster didn’t even push him inside; he merely stopped, detached the chain, and left.

It was a ritual… Much like the way Kai was expected to crawl inside the tent filled with Sethraks laughing and playing, Kezu among them.

He heard their laughter, heard how Kezu was playing and betting again. He’d somehow earned a pretty sum from what Kai heard from the guards. Enough to ‘buy Kai’ back, it seemed.

Yet, it didn’t seem there was any direction, any plan, for Kai to escape along with the other Vulperas. Whenever Kezu checked on him, it was to see if Kai was wounded, and then leave.

For a moment… Kai thought about it, his hand on the tent flap, then… he turned.

He was at the center of the camp, but most Sethraks were gone or busy.

A few guards would watch the cages; most were hunting, and one would cook beside the patched-up Vulpera. And the remaining would play or drink inside Kesshak’s tent.

Looking around, no one would notice Kai.

Hence, with a hint of fear gnawing at his guts, Kai took one step away from the tent. He could still approach it again, but no. Another step, and another. And another.

His feet led him farther from the tent, to another extinguished firepit. More tents.

“Where would they have put my gear?”

Kezu did not have Kai’s gear on him; he never had. Nor was it in Kesshak’s tent, as Kai had confirmed through checking.

Hence, it had to be somewhere. But though he had a vague hint of the camp organization, he couldn’t say where Kezu’s tent would be. Or if his gear was there.

So, Kai snuck through the camp, sniffing each tent, trying to find his gear. The serpentine smell was often too unbearable, so each tent was a quick investigation, with Kai practically holding his breath before he went to another one.

An in and out he did thoroughly, only taking a break when he heard moans through one of the tents' flaps, indicating someone was inside… And fucking a Vulpera.

As he circled through the camp, he tried to give the slave pens a wider berth, sometimes even passing behind tents. Instead of following the clearly defined paths, he sometimes jumped behind a tent so the guards would not notice him. Or the Vulperas Slaves, busy with getting the pot chambers or cleaning the tents.

But it paid off.

It paid off when, after what felt like minutes of searching, Kai found his stuff.

It wasn’t in a closed tent, but piled up in a spot where most guards stored their gear, so the slaves could clean it up. Once there, it only took a moment for Kai to notice the sparkly green jade from the rather dull gear the Sethraks used.

His bracers… He pulled them out of a crate. They were covered with a thin layer of dust, which he blew off before he opened them and… Tried to fit them.

His arms were thinner due to his limited diet, but-

Gear restriction – Cannot put gear on an occupied slot

Kai’s mouth dropped. Still, he tried to put the bracer on after opening it. But as he pressed the jade against his arm, he could feel a resistance. And the moment he let go, he could feel the jade practically bouncing back… Almost making him stumble as he gasped and blinked.

“What’s that?”

“Hey! What are you doing here?!”

It wasn’t a Sethrak’s voice, not hissing. But the voice had that hint of authority that made Kai throw his bracer back in the crate and turn to face the Vulpera slave.

“Hey, you’re the Pet.”

“I’m not the pet,” replied Kai, frowning and facing the Vulpera who’d been on cleaning duty, a young one. Ignoring him, Kai shook his head and walked, ready to leave the tent now that he knew where his gear would be.

At least, that’s what the idea was until a hand landed on his shoulder.

“What were you doing inside? Cleaning up is my job.”

“I was checking something,” replied Kai.

“Checking? What the sands are you doing? Tell me now, or I’ll call the guards.”

Kai’s heartbeat sped up, and his eyes widened. That Vulpera was threatening him, a puny runt who would ruin everything.

For a second, Kai’s fist clenched and his eyes focused. The Runt had a loose stance; he wasn’t protecting his neck. A clean hit, and he would be stunned. Another, and-

Kai froze, clenching his teeth.

“I was checking the riding gear for my master. In case he wants to hunt with me.”

“Your… Tshh.”

The Slave released Kai’s shoulder, clicking his tongue in disappointment.

“Yeah. Go. Your master must be waiting for you.”

“He is,” replied Kai, bringing his cuffed arms closer to his chest.

For a moment, his heart continued to beat… Fear.

Fear not only of that Runt who could have condemned him to being put in a worse position, or to ruin the infiltration. Not only.

Fear of how easy it had been for Kai to imagine how to kill the Vulpera to get away. He could have killed him, even weakened. But then? What of his duty towards liberating the slaves?

Yet… The more he remained, the easier it was to imagine them as.. Expendables for his plan.

Yellow Teeth no longer acted out, but in the three days stuck there, Kai had already… Punched another Vulpera out of reflex.

“Fuck. Kezu, we need to get out,” mumbled Kai, practically running back to Kesshak’s tent.

No guards, no one stopped him. As he pushed through the tent flaps, he was welcomed by the same laughter and the same jovial attitude.

“Ah! He’s here!” shouted Kesshak, snapping his fingers and pointing at the mat on the ground.

Kai gritted his teeth… But, without a stop, he followed and crawled closer.

Kezu, or Essu, sat near Kesshak, drinking what would be a liquor made from Sethrak poison and fermented fruits. A strong liquor that was shared around while the group of five Sethraks was playing a game on a hexagonal board.

The idea was for them to move marbles and align them into shapes that were supposed to capture the opponents’ marbles.

In that free-for-all game, Kezu was keen and winning easily, racking up the gains while the Sethraks were trying to gang up on him.

At least, that was what Kai expected as he crawled on Kesshak’s lap and had that hand stroking his scalp between the ears or his spine.

“You took your time, Pet.”

“Your Slavemaster might be late?”

“No, he’s usually good at this, right, guys?” asked Kesshak to the other caravan members, who nodded emphatically.

“Fine. But now that it’s here, you’ve got your lucky charm,” said Kezu, taping one of the marbles. “Do you think you can take me on?”

“Of course, I’m a way better player than you,” replied Kesshak, puffing up his chest.

At least, his arrogance was biting him in the back because the pile of purple tokens beside Kezu kept growing with each round.

Then, even as they switched to cards or dice, it was the same…

His luck was almost absurd, and no amount of checks could prove he was cheating.

No, Kezu wasn’t cheating. He was merely lucky, exceedingly so. To the point, Kai wondered how that guy could have ended up as a slave in the first place if he was so fortunate.

The line of questioning continued as the Sethraks played. Kai remained stuck, forced to endure the scratches and touches. One hand went to his posterior, and his expression tensed. His teeth gritted, his body tensed, and… A snap.

“Bring it,” said Kesshak, almost an order to Kai, who frowned but nodded.

“It is still unruly.”

“But it can listen and follow the orders. Can you say the same to all the slaves?”

“No. You’re right, Essu. Pet. Bring the gag, too.”

Shudders.

Kai crawled into the depths of Kesshak’s tent. Midst the canopy that delineated Kesshak’s bed, there was a chest. Inside, the scent of lube and incense was more potent, but Kai endured while he pulled what was asked.

A leather gag, a Vulpera-sized leather harness, knee sleeves, and then… A plug.

It was the first time Kai pulled the gag out of the chest, but the plug? Not the first. The pristine metal shimmered under his touch, its magic almost seeping through, before Kai shuddered and lifted it all, then crawled on his feet and knees towards Kesshak and the players.

“Good pet. Now, if you allow me, my friends,” said Kesshak while nodding to Essu.

Essu, who stretched back and seemed unbothered, not even doing anything as Kai put everything on the floor. Kesshak’s hands ran along his body, exploring his tense muscles under the fur.

The clawed fingers, the soft scales, were rubbing the pectorals, dancing on the belly… Tensing and titillating the Monk’s body before Kai grunted and… Kesshak’s hands stroked him between the ears.

Strokes that did nothing to help Kai’s wounded ego.

Yet, they continued as they pushed him, forced him to lower his head before the hands went on his back, along his spine like a highly praised pet.

“Help me with that, Pet. We need to get you ready for the party,” said Kesshak, grabbing the harness and dangling it above Kai’s body.

Slave’s harness – Item level ERROR - 0 Armor – 3 Stamina – Gain Increased Libido

Kai gulped but presented his arms, allowing Kesshak to remove the cuffs before he slipped the leather onto them. Then, he passed the harness above Kai’s head.

Followed then the buckles that were secured until they bit into Kai’s fur, producing enough chafing for Kai to frown. Yet, there was nothing he could do.

Nothing as he felt the harness settle and the weight press on his body.

Current Item Level: -2

The number echoed through his mind while the Sethrak pulled the knee sleeves that would protect Kai’s knees from scraping and yet… It could be attached to a spreader bar.

**Cursed Knee sleeves – Item level ERROR – 0 Armor – 0 Stamina – Gain Pain Control

Current Item Level: -3**

Those sleeves slipped easily, pressing on the knees and almost squeezing the articulations. They were made of a fabric that was quite elastic, but once set, the movement felt wrong. Even kicking his feet was to be difficult… or impossible.

He grumbled, closing his eyes.

“Come on, pet. Don’t be difficult!”

Followed then… The other gear Kesshak seemed to have at hand to ruin his pets.

**Cursed Butt Plug – Item level ERROR – 0 Stamina – Gain Cleaned orifice

Leather Gag – Item level ERROR – 0 Stamina – Gain Silence**

Kai watched the two objects presented to him, observed them in the Sethrak’s hands, as if they were a choice between the two.

But the truth was, he would have to take the two. He would have to bear the limitation as he pointed to the leather gag.

The Sethrak smiled and approached it, and Kai bent forward, and craned his neck.

Again, no action from Essu; nothing from his potential partner, except that he continued to play, apathetic to the situation. To the Monk getting gagged and bound, to the Monk whose tongue tasted the acrid and salty leather before his jaw was locked by the large buckle pressing inside his mouth.

Only a part of the buckle, of the metal itself, was inside his mouth, but it was so wide, it pressed on the roof of the mouth and the base.

Hence, no metal taste. Yet, Kai felt he couldn’t speak anymore… No, worse. Something he had not used for a while seemed to disappear. No chat. No… Wait. He couldn’t see the text anymore?

His eyes widened while Kesshak continued his due and diligent work, reaching for Kai’s dirty loincloth to rip it to shreds. Another would be provided, but without the dirty leather, nothing covered Kai’s groin, his caged genitals, nor his plump posterior. A posterior Kesshak grabbed it by handfuls, playing with it.

“Are you stressed, Pet? You don’t like it when you can’t speak?” asked the Caravan Leader in a saccharine tone. “It’s natural. You don’t need to speak. Aren’t you lucky? Back home, we rip your kind vocal cords to make sure they keep silent.”

A shudder ran down Kai’s neck. Kesshak’s mouth was too close. So close when it whispered that threat. The Vulpera answered with a squeak, practically an involuntary noise that came forth while the Sethrak continued to play with his posterior, to stroke it… And then to spread it with his fingers.

Between, the buttocks were swampy and warm… Practically an untouched hole. Or so it would have been when the plug Kesshak wielded was pressed against the entrance and… Pushed within.

A dildo. A mere plug. A mere facsimile.

Yet, Kai’s composure broke, and a moan escaped him. Worse, his tail swayed and his legs tensed, his feet kicking before he could sense the first inch going inside. Then, the second. Then, a third. Then, a fourth. A tedious progress that left his hole burning at the rim and from inside. Similarly, that magic he’d sensed before…

That same magic, that enchantment, was flowing through the Vulpera’s body, making it feel like cold water was sprayed through his guts. No, icy water, worse than what you could experience in Northrend.

Unsurprisingly, Kai whined and his hands waved, only for them to be gripped by another Sethrak.

“Hey, watch it. It was about to kick the board.”

“Shhh… Shh,” shushed Kesshak, pushing the final inch of that plug. The swollen last inch slipped inside Kai’s asshole… The shape was evident of a knot, similar to what a canine would get. But it was a perfect way to secure the plug inside, as the rim gripped the knot while a wider base, adorned with a purple jewel, hid the entrance.

Even then, with the toy fully inserted, Kai still sensed his guts were flushed with cold water. He was not getting used to it, not at all. And even as the cold turned lukewarm, his feet weakly kicked.

His hands, still held, were again squeezed by the cuffs. The cuffs that were back, digging into his flesh.

Kai’s eyes danced, checked on Kezu, on Essu, trying to see if the disguised Vulpera would act. But no, he only took a sip from the bottle and smiled.

“Is it prepared?” Essu asked, raising the bottle to Kesshak.

“Oh… It will be. Look at my new Pet. Isn’t it cute? All bound, all caged,” said Kesshak, delivering a flick on Kai’s nuts.

The pain soared, hitting him worse than it had before. And worse? He could not see the text. He could guess he had been wounded, but… He could not tell how much; he could not tell the exact number.

“It’s squirming too much.”

“It is. But that’s what makes it funny. I mean, have you looked at the whores in the Slithering Gulch? No energy, no kicking. They have no… Desires left. I am not looking for a pretty doll, but a nice pet,” said Kesshak, grabbing Kai’s head and practically shoving it between his legs, against his own loincloth and the nascent twin bulges that formed below.

“Right?”

Kai’s nose burned with the scent of Kesshak’s musk. Of all the Sehtraks, somehow, his scent was the strongest. Not that it was pleasing, but as he lifted his loincloth, pulling Kai just enough to do so, the Vulpera’s senses were overwhelmed.

His cocks were massive, bigger than most Sethraks. Than every Sethrak in the camp that had been using a slave out in the open.

Of course, they were twinned, and the flared tips were practically monstrous, same as the spines, but what was worse was the constant flow of fluid that dropped on the mat… or matted Kai’s fur as he was rubbed against them.

He breathed through his mouth, though the sound came out like a whistle and a gargle. He tried through his nose, and though the sound was lesser, the scent was strong enough to make him wrinkle his nose.

Finally, it was a mix of both… Both actions, both breathing, as he had his face and the gag pressed against the Sethrak’s twin erections, who… Decided to act like it was normal.

“Good grief,” said Kesshak, patting Kai’s cheek. “You know. I prefer when the Pets are silent. But their mouths are so useful for pleasing us.”

He did so, pushing against Kai’s gums and teeth, poking at the canines.

“And that’s why you prefer them mute.”

“And that’s why I prefer them mute. Say… Essu, are you still against modifying it?”

“I’d prefer it if it could speak. At least, before we finish the trade.”

“Aren’t you too gentle with your slaves? You must have a stronger grip on them.”

Essu stopped and shook his head, taking a swig of the poisonous drink before handing it to another player. Then, he moved one of his marbles, completing a shape and to capture three marbles.

“I aim to be different. When I capture or break a slave, I dislike breaking their bodies.”

“You do? Wait? Is that the moment you’re revealing your slave-breaking secret?”

Essu smiled, placing his index finger against his lip.

“Only one hint. The mind. You want them to hope… The first days are the most important. You must give them enough leniency and freedom so they can observe their place and establish a plan. But nothing more, not more so they can escape.”

“And how does that help with the slaves?”

“I’ll tell you,” said Essu, finishing another shape and taking three more marbles before he patted his stacks of tokens. “I think that’s a win for me.”

“Again?” shouted another of the Sethrak players.

“Again,” confirmed Essu, grinning from ear to ear. “Now. If you allow me.”

“Wait? Are you leaving?”

“Oh yes. I think someone is waiting for me outside.”

“Someone? How can you tell?”

Essu tapped his nose in an almost comical fashion before he left the tent.

“How does he do that?” asked one player, frowning and examining the board.

“I cannot tell. I mean. I see what he did… But how?”

“You should give up. That’s why I trade slaves with him instead,” said Kesshak, pushing Kai’s face against his erection, rubbing the Vulpera’s nose against the drippy cocks. The stench was pungent, but the liquid was getting everywhere on that red fur.

“Yes, boss. But we don’t have slaves to trade like you!”

“That’s on you,” answered Kesshak, waving a hand over the board.

“Come now. Since Essu will be busy with his messengers, we can have fun with his Pet without him.”

“An ample reward, then,” conceded one player, pushing the board away and getting on all fours.

His partners followed, their slithering tongues sampling the air while Kai was manhandled, lifted, and forced to endure. Forced to go on all fours, too, with his posterior presented to the Sethraks.

Kai tried to squirm and cry… But the sound that came was only a squeak. More than that, his squirming movements made his posterior shake… Attracting the gaze, the hands, and the exploring tongues.

“Since I won the most out of us, I taste the ass first,” said one player behind Kai, his hand digging into the plushy posterior.

“Troll crap. Can you have some respect for me?”

“Only when you’re not a drag. Now, move aside.”

Kai clenched his eyelids, shutting his eyes. However, even that couldn’t stop Kesshak from pushing against his chin, lifting it, and smiling.

“Come on, Kai. If I remove your gag, will you be a good Pet?”

Kai gulped, or at least swallowed what little saliva he had in his mouth.

“Nod once if you can. Twice if you’ll stay gagged.”

Kai… Nodded once.

“Good boy,” cooed the Sethrak, grabbing the ball gag’s buckle and yanking it.

A second later, Kai closed and opened his mouth, trying to soothe the burning soreness.

Then, Kesshak’s finger grabbed his lower jaw, pinching it between his fingers, so he could not close his mouth.

“Open wide, Pet,” said Kesshak, pulling that jaw down… Down until that mouth had to align in return. Align and be in a direct line toward Kesshak’s sizable right cock, to that spine-covered shaft that was dripping, musky… Oh, and certainly generous in fluids.

Kai’s tongue advanced, but as soon as he touched the Sethrak’s finger, it retracted, and his ears dropped.

“Go on. Swallow it. Or I’ll have to force you to. Do you prefer to choke on it?”

Kai’s ears dropped further, flat onto his skull, before he advanced his head.

Kesshak’s fingers left, his mouth was allowed to close, his lips to smack together. And then, he had the cocktip slipping inside his mouth, filling it with… Yes, that flavor. Precum. Salty. Alkaline. Strong. But, the moment that liquid graced his tongue, Kai’s belly felt lighter.

Why?

He frowned, and his eyes danced for a moment. Finally, he noticed something that had returned: the logs.

**Current Item level: -6

Slave’s Set Status: 6/7 – Set bonus removed**

All the logs before were missing, appearing like a jumble.

Even then, he squinted and try to look at them. Well, tried before a hand grabbed him by the back of the head and shoved him forward. His mouth, his throat, his esophagus; they were all suddenly impaled on the Sethrak’s erection while a huff followed.

“I told you I would force you to. Now, look at that; you’re choking on it.”

Oh, more than choking. Gargles resonated weakly.

They followed Kai’s choking and his deglutition, of his throat clenching to usher down what could be an intrusion, what could be food, what could be anything. And yet, had to be a Sethrak’s disgusting and terrible cock.

Yet, Kai’s hands remained idle while his face was pushed down. Down until his nose was scraping against Kesshak’s scutes-covered groin. The serpentine scent was more potent, but the constant flow of precum inside Kai’s throat… And right on his side, on his face, due to the second shaft that was there and rubbing against his face.

He scowled. Or at least, he attempted to despite having his mouth and jaw locked.

But his scowl, the dropped brows, or the scrounged nose all vanished when the Sethrak player behind him grabbed his posterior, dug into it by tracing circles on the flesh… And then, with an expert and excited touch… He grabbed the base of the buttplug.

He grabbed it, wiggled it… And with it, he pummeled Kai’s insides, making his guts flare with pain.

The Monk clenched his eyelids and tried to think of something to help: a mantra, a breathing method, but nothing could work when he could be interrupted by the Sethraks… or manhandled.

“Sweet throat,” said Kesshak with an amused voice, pulling on Kai’s ears, both, to force him out. The spines tickled his throat, making him cough and retch once that shaft was out of the way. Saliva and throat-slime followed, covering the cocktip once it was out.

But then, the other shaft, the other untouched and uncleaned organ, was forced down Kai’s throat, making him choke on that twinned shaft.

His eyes were bloodshot… Worse. The abuse of his ass kept continuing. The Sethrak, handling his posterior, was rough, firmly holding onto the plug. Instead of being slow, he was yanking it in a different direction. Left. Right. Up. Down. In. Out. The yanking was brutal, and the reaction was much expected when the Sethrak huffed at the asshole that was tightening in a death grip.

“Wasn’t it prepared for us?”

“It was a virgin before,” said Kesshak, releasing one hand to wave it. “Do it slowly. They’re fragile, and I don’t want a prolapse.”

“I’m doing it more slowly.”

“Do it even more.”

“How do you do it even more slowly? I’m slow and delicate!”

Kai certainly would say the method used to yank the plug out was far from delicate or slow. Even yanking a cork was a more delicate act than what the Sethrak behind did.

Yet, there was no end until, through efforts, will, and sheer abuse, Kai’s asshole released its grip on the knot-like base.

And so, everything slipped out, revealing a sleek-covered plug… And Kai’s insides that were gaping, weakly clenching, and hurting.

Oh, and oozing. Oozing a clean translucent liquid that felt icy when it flowed out of his ruined sphincter onto his fuzzy testicles.

It was a lubricant or something, produced by the Plug while it cleaned up his insides, Kai had learned.

But the liquid’s presence did not make him feel good about himself or his captor. Especially when the Sethrak behind him inserted two fingers within him… Then a third. Three fingers, and yet he had room to wiggle his scaly fingers inside.

“Enjoying yourself much?”

“He is so tight! Why don’t we buy whores and bring them with us for a run?”

“It breeds bad blood. Plus, isn’t it better to follow Essu’s idea?”

Essu.

The name echoed through Kai’s mind for a second before the feeling, the desire, the absolute need to control his breath overtook everything else. Breathe, he had to breathe, to pull back. But when he did, Kesshak’s hand steadied him and kept him from spitting that cocktip out.

Then, that slight respite was taken, and his throat would be abused, whether by the first or second shaft.

Meanwhile, the Sethrak behind kept fingering Kai’s orifice, testing, sampling, titillating it. The Monk huffed and breathed out through his nose, blowing on the scaly groin scales. But there was not an ounce of peace. Not for a moment, so he could collect himself.

Not when one shaft was presented to his entrance, forcing against the tight rim.

A pressure, a friction, and soon… An assault that ended with the Vulpera’s eyelids closing and his mind drowning in the pain from his asshole burning.

He was not used to being taken. At most, he would wear that plug for a few hours. A Sethrak’s cock was beyond a fingering or a teasing. It left Kai’s mind grasping for nothing, for air, for something. Even his tail dropped dead while his knees were trembling. And that… That was only the tip with its ridges on it.

“Oh, you’re breaking it,” chuckled Kesshak, patting Kai’s head.

“What? No! Please! Don’t tell me I’m breaking it! I can’t pay for it!”

“I jest,” answered Kesshak, patting Kai’s head. “A strong Vulpera like you wouldn’t break so easily, would you? Someone so rebellious and eager to fight back.”

Kai’s eyes opened, watching the Caravan leader, watching that tongue flickering, and that devious glance. Did he know anything? About Kai’s plans to infiltrate and free the slaves?

A cold shudder came through him, his eyes widening by the second.

And then, another inch was forcefully inserted. Another that made Kai feel like his belly was bloated and about to burst. His face reddened, and his breathing grew faster… But he was no longer facing Kesshak, no more of that potential threat.

But what was the worst? The threat? Or the abuse?

In the end, it was both.

Both as Kai tried to act demure, choking as he was, while another inch was forced. His belly bulged from within, from below. His groin was afire due to the stimulation, though there was no orgasm, no pleasure, no satisfaction. Only a fire. Only the pain… Only the disgust as Kai felt something warm being pumped inside his mouth.

He gargled it down, unsurprised to feel and watch Kesshak’s cum dripping against his cheeks while more was pumped into his belly, thick and warm. Too much of both.

He still downed it, knowing that there was no other way… or else, perhaps, to have it flow out through his nose? The mere idea made him feel sick and nauseated for a second before he got a grip on his reflexes. Not fast enough, though, to have his throat contract and push against Kesshak’s organ.

“Are you asking for more, Kai? Sure. I can ask your master to have you used as the camp whore. I am sure he would enjoy it,” said Kesshak.

The Sethraks behind laughed.

“It’d be much cheaper than playing and losing to Essu.”

“That, I can agree.”

No. Kai’s face contorted. He didn’t want to become the Camp’s whore.

Already, the others hated him. But beyond that? He did not want to worship the Sethraks. He hated them; he hated their genitals; he hated their distaste for him and his kin. They were his oppressors. Yet, as he clenched his fist for a second, he was able to breathe. Breathe and think.

But what about his plan? What about the idea of saving the Vulperas?

Could he abandon them all? Could… he let the Sehtraks win? Could he betray Kezu?

The whole whirlwind of emotions hit him, and in that situation… His fist relaxed, his mouth opened, and the cock slipped further inside, stretching his stomach while more cum was pumped, while the skin distended and the fur thinned out.

“I’ll ask him,” said Kesshak.

Followed then the grunts of the players behind Kai, of the joyful Sethraks, whose fingers were digging and playing with Kai’s posterior, drawing some drops of blood from his fingers.

His orgasm, so raw and intense, brought him to scratch the precious merchandise. But far from chastising him, Kesshak merely laughed and allowed the Sethrak to cum all over Kai’s fur and inside him, to claim those depths.

To mark Kai as nothing more… But another slave for the Sethraks, another bitch who had gotten his pride ruined by them.

A terrible and humiliating moment as Kai gasped against Kesshak’s groin, feeling his body burning from the tip of his ears to his toes… A shame that burned when he saw a face appear, Sethrak.

“What did I miss?”

-

“Faster! You little bastards! We’re almost home!”

The whip cracked hastily the closer they were, forcing the Vulperas to move faster. To act faster. Their steps were arduous, their breathing raspy, and their voices breaking into groans of frustration.

Yet, the Slavemaster and the guards were around, watching, eyeing anyone attempting to stray from the formation, even though the chains kept them locked.

“Fuck… It’s the end?” asked one Vulpera.

“It has to be… I can’t move.”

“Move, or they’ll beat us! I’m sure I can survive!”

“Good for you… I have a pride.”

“We all have, compared to him.”

The words stung. But so was the constant burn of the scales rubbing against his buttcheeks, spreading them with an abusive strength.

After hours of continuous fingering, it was like his entire asshole was on fire. Like someone had lit a fire under a metal finger and had inserted it within Kai’s orifice.

It burned… it burned so much, yet it was a burn he was getting used to. No, a burn he could rationalize as not so bad.

Yet, he gargled and coughed.

“S-Stop,” he said, his eyes still closed.

Someone had decided that having him wear a blindfold was a good idea. Or to have him dangle from a Krolusk’s side like a flab of meat while abused and molested by a Sethrak.

A ‘method’ to keep the Vulperas in the ranks.

But the subject of that abuse, of that molestation, certainly had a different opinion as he could sense the fingers pumping in and out, stroking what had been described as his prostate. An organ that had grown swollen and sensitive. One whose mere caress from a finger was leaving Kai’s mind abuzz and his sense of self drifting amidst the pain and pleasure.

Midst the sensory deprivation that was forced on him.

He could not see, could not smell… Could only hear what was around, the whimpering pleas and the sounds of… Other caravans?

More Vulperas rambling and crying. More Krolusks walked onto the burning hot rocks.

“Sometimes, I hope Korthek is still with us,” mumbled the Sethrak, fingering Kai.

“Shhh. Saying that out loud is apostasy!” shushed another Sethrak nearby.

“It is. But fuck the sands. I saw him. I was there during the ransacking. They can’t hide it.”

“You couldn’t have been there, moron. Or you’d be dead.”

“Yes, I was. I was a guard before I lost that tail… You don’t want to handle the Pet?”

“Fuck no. My fingers are too sore. How do you keep fingering it like that?”

“Force of habit. I used to have a Pet like him; you keep them abuzz that way.”

Silence and distant cries of someone shouting orders. Clearly, there were more Sethraks. Way more. Were they already at the Slithering Gulch?

Kai couldn’t have been sure.

His days and nights were melding together.

The day spent forced and abused by the Sethraks in Kesshak’s tent or on the road… The nights in the cage, getting more and more glares.

“Yeah. I’m sure they’re all lying. You’re not their Pet.”

Once said Crooked Muzzle. But even then, more now, Crooked Muzzle wouldn’t speak with Kai anymore. Or maybe he was the one who’d fallen. The old Vulpera had been getting worse, and one slave had been abandoned earlier that day.

Kai wanted to cry, unsure he would see the guy… But he had no tears left, and his lips were cracked, his body parched while he was constantly milked of cum, forced continuously to ejaculate until the mere stimulation was hurting like fire.

He’d begged them to stop. But they would not allow him the freedom or the peace. Only more ejaculation, more stimulation, more abuse. More now, as he was gagged, attached by the ankles, knees, and hands, wearing the harness.

“What would you suggest?”

“Hmm?”

“Slave wise. I’ve got enough gold to settle on the lower levels and have two or three slaves. What’s a good slave?”

“Good question,” answered the Guard, fingering Kai’s asshole, his musing audible. “Maybe… What’s your budget? And do you have a business plan?”

“I don’t know. I thought I could join the guards. More now that everyone has left.”

“Bad plan.”

Bad plan. Oh, the words echoed through Kai’s mind as he thought about Kezu’s plan. About the rewards that had been offered to him, what… A few days? A few weeks ago? Couldn’t be months. Could it be?

Still, Kai gargled, his spit dripping on the Krolusk’s scales, he thought, while he heard more Krolusks approaching.

One voice. The Slavemaster.

“We’re setting camp at the door. We can’t bring the slaves inside for the moment.”

“What? Why? It’s ruining our plans. I got money to waste at the brothel.”

“Tell that to our new boss,” huffed the Slavemaster. “But we got the confirmation that some will be paid early so they can have their fun.”

“Oh? Who? Could it be me?”

“I am unsure. Ot’s still being talked about and… Stop fingering that bitch.”

“Sorry,” said the Guard, fingering Kai’s asshole, allowing the Vulpera to catch his breath. “Can you pass him a good word?”

“I will,” scoffed the Slavemaster, before the sound of the Krolusk departing caught Kai’s eyes. As well as the slowing Vulperas.

“What an ass.”

“Yeah. I don’t know what he has for those furballs… He doesn’t want me to finger the toy,” mumbled the Guard.

“Because you keep doing that all day.”

“Yeah, true… True.”

And yet, the fingering continued. It continued well after that discussion. Well after the surrounding shouts died down… It continued so much that Kai was wondering if he would be let go after a moment, or if he could use his legs after the abuse.

And luckily… He was able to walk.

Current Debuff: Restriction – Restricted Movement

Kai looked at the debuffs left after being stripped, then at the place… This time, he wasn’t thrown in a cage. Rather, the Sethraks had attached him to a Krolusk with a rope. His guards were gone somewhere around. The rough stone below, painful on the paws, was enough to guess they were at the Slithering Gulch’s entrance.

They were only a few paces from the entrance, on a ridge practically overlooking it.

Already, a bunch of guards were riding their Krolusks, their belts heavy with tokens they would trade in town for food, amenities, whores, or even gambling.

The Vulperas were kept in cages that were similar to the ones they’d used before, though the camp looked more disheveled and smaller… Perhaps something was changing.

A new boss. Kesshak gave and shouted orders. But there was someone above him?

Kai frowned, pulling on the ropes and finding the knot was loose. So loose in fact, he could undo it.

He could bite as well, since he didn’t have the ball gag… But he preferred to wait and steadily undo the knot rather than showing signs he’d gnawed at the rope, in case a guard returned.

Yet, so far… The Sehtraks were coming and going, yet none checked on Kai. None wondered why a slave was kept around, leashed to the Krolusk. They did not care; they were only speaking about their next meals, what they planned to do, or the promise from their friends to send merchants or carts here, anything to make their forced stay worthwhile.

Kai? He continued to untie the knot. He stopped whenever a Sethrak came or walked by, only to return to it. He could sense the noose loosening and the pressure on his wrist lessening.

A smile crept onto his face, a hint of expectation ran through his spine, before he kept the rope wrapped around his wrists, but held by his fingers.

An illusion. He kept it long enough to confirm no guards were patrolling, and no one was around the gear pile.

It was possible that Runt was around. But could hit his throat to keep him silent. Only Kezu or Essu remained. There were no traces of his partner. He had been quite absent for the last few days… So; it was fair to presume something bad had happened.

The plan was still there, but Kai… had to retrieve his gear first.

A knot in his stomach, Kai dropped the rope. He kept his hands close, mimicking the action of having them cuffed as he walked away from the Krolusk. The insectoid mount did not react, nor did the Sethraks in their tents or those keeping themselves busy.

A gulp, yet Kai’s paws pushed him closer to the pile, to the wide open tent with the crates and with the very crate that would have his gear. He might have to search, but his hope was there.

If he had his gear, he could fight here. If he took the camp alone, he could free the slaves and have them take the Sethraks’ weapons. Maybe they’d find a way to infiltrate the city and break the slaves free.

But the first act was… His gear.

He rummaged through the crates, pushed aside the dull-colored Sethrak gear, the rusty blades. Finally, he found it; the typical jade green. His gear. His equipment.

First among them were his bracers. As before, they were dusty and dirty. But nothing to worry about when Kai pulled them out of the crate with a grin.

“Let’s do this,” he said with unfeigned satisfaction. Then, he slipped his bracers on. This time, he didn’t have any cuffs.

Equipping Jade Bracers impossible – Level too low – Level Minimum: 80 - Current: 67

“What?” cried Kai, watching the notification and then rubbing his eyes. He was… He wasn’t level 67 when he remembered.

No. He was stronger; he was at a higher level. That gear was top-of-the-line, so why couldn’t he wear it?

With fear gnawing at his guts, Kai reached for his belt. It was only a rope belt enchanted to enhance his stamina much more than any other gear. He could feel the energy coming from it, almost overwhelming to the touch. And he slipped it around his waist.

Equipping Brewer belt impossible – Level too low – Level Minimum: 80 – Current: 67

“What is that?” he cried again, his voice more shrill as he reached for his pants, trying to put them on after removing his loincloth. But as he slipped them on, they dropped. And the same error message appeared, making Kai’s eyes widen.

His ankle protection? His chest wraps? Everything he had enchanted, optimized, and reinforced. It was… Pointless.

“Isn’t it distressing?” asked a voice behind Kai.

Familiar, yet it had been a while since he’d heard it. Kezu’s voice. The one-eyed Vulpera was behind, sitting on a crate, ventilating himself with his hand.

“Fhew. You look like shit.”

“Kezu!” cried Kai, running forward. His lips were pulled, his teeth were revealed, and then… His snarl was visible as he grabbed the Vulpera by his clothes and lifted him off the crate he used as a seat.

“What happened to me?! I can’t use my gear! I can’t fight! What have you done?!”

Kezu did not even look Kai in the eyes. No… He did not even act demure or ashamed. He merely pouted. And Kai felt something cold and metallic push against his belly, a spear. A Sethrak spear.

One guard.

“Do not touch him!”

Kai’s eyes focused on the Sethrak, acting protective, on that tense expression. The Guard observed Kai, then Kezu. Then over his shoulders, with the other Sethraks behind. Kesshak was among them. His grin was predatory.

“You’re working with them!” shouted Kai, turning to Kezu. “How could you!”

“Let him go!”

Kai looked at the guard, felt the spear dig into his sides. And then, he dropped Kezu, letting the Vulpera land onto the crate before the one-eyed and scar-covered Vulpera dusted himself off.

Kezu jumped off his crate and walked, though not without signaling the Sethrak to let Kai follow. He saw the elderly Vulpera approach the crate with Kai’s gear.

“You said I’m working for them. But no. They’re working for me,” said Kezu, chuckling as he pulled the jade gear out of the crate to examine it.

“They’re… Working for you? How? When? Why? Why are you telling me now?”

“To break a slave, you want them to hope,” said Kezu, observing the Jade he lifted and then dropped into the crate. “I thought you’d have caught on earlier. But I guess I had to let you… See this.”

“See… See what?”

“See that adventurers are not so powerful anymore,” commented Kezu, pointing at Kai’s cage. “How do you like the gifts?”

“The… Gifts?”

“Or the Slave’s set? That’s how you call it?”

Kai’s eyes turned to the cage. To Kezu… To Kesshak, whose smile grew.

“You dared!”

“I did more than that,” chuckled Kezu, shaking his head. “But I’m happy you’re catching on. But I should thank you. Without you, I wouldn’t have been able to establish such a judicious contract with Kesshak.”

“A pleasure to have such a wily partner in trade. I wouldn’t want to betray you,” confirmed Kesshak, his voice hissy.

“How…”

Kai’s voice died down for a second. Fear, shame, frustration. He clenched his fist and turned to Kezu. His body moved as one, reflexes and anger pushing him to act, as his eyes watered. He didn’t know he had it left in him. He didn’t think he had anything left in that dirty, thinning, and ruined body.

But Kai ran, rushed, dashed, his fist first to have it connect with Kezu’s face.

Or so was the plan when hands grabbed him by the shoulders, yanking him back and down, making him fall in the center of a circle formed by the Sethraks.

“How could you do this to your kin? How could they do this to us?”

“That’s the funny thing,” said Kezu, presenting his hands, his missing fingers. “I had a good master before the rebellion. I had a good life. Then, when you killed him and his family, I was deemed a member of that rebellion. I didn’t want that ‘freedom’ or didn’t care for the others. But you ruined what I had…”

Kezu approached, stepping forth and even squatting by Kai, while the Vulpera watched the Sehtraks approach, presenting the gear they’d used on him. The cuffs, the harness, the knee wraps. Everything.

“You, the adventurers among them. It was through sheer luck I learned you can… Be ruined with that Slave’s set. A few cursed items produced by the Sethraks, and you are broken.”

Those words, he spat them. He spat in Kai’s face, grinning. His saliva dripped over Kai’s brow, forcing him to close an eye, while Kai straightened and looked at the Sethrak.

“As promised, Kesshak. It’s the first adventurer for your Caravan.”

“As desired. Though… I wouldn’t mind having another pet for me,” said Kesshak, his fingers dancing on Kai’s neck. Already, the Sethraks were pulling up the gear.

Optional Objective: Become a good pet

Current** Item Level: -2

Current Item Level: -3

Current Item Level: -4

Current Item Level: -5**

Someone even grabbed Kai’s ears and something pierced them, before weighing on them. Piercings? Yet, the Monk weakly tried to kick them.

Kai kick Sethrak's guard – Avoided

He could not even hit them. He could not even hurt them.

His breath went faster, and as he opened his mouth, the leathery gag was forced inside his mouth, keeping him silent. That taste, that disgusting taste, it was horrible. And the worst was how the logs vanished the moment that gag was placed.

“Don’t push your luck, Kesshak. You’ll have more unless you fail in our contract.”

Kesshak huffed, but his hands went on Kai’s body. On the harness, on the nipples, he pinched. On the fur he stroked. Then… The blindfold was put on Kai’s eyes, blinding him.

“Plus, he’s missing the best.”

“What’s the best? You never told us the solution to the adventurer.”

“It’s a little secret… But if you have enough gear on them… They cease to be adventurers.”

Kai’s breathing went faster as he heard this. He tried to push, suddenly, more so as he had his fingers held.

His fingers were forced to be separated, and something cold pressed on the ring fingers. They were metallic, but felt cold, heavy, and dangerous. The curse could be felt through the fur, and now that Kai was aware, he could sense how the whole gear weighed on him… Pressed on him.

But the moment the ring passed on, something weird happened.

The Sethraks around him moved and gripped Kai, forcing him onto his back. Then, without much ceremony, they began to play and tease his posterior. More than that, they teased his back-entrance, teased where the plug would have been if he were ‘equipped’.

Instead, the hole was wide open and the orifice practically begging for the Sethrak’s fingers… For the Sethrak’s two digits to slip inside and stretch his inside.

Kai gargled. But not only at the cold fingers squeezing through his asshole. He gargled as he saw notifications.

Not the logs, only the notifications that were rolling along.

**Slave’s Set 10/10: Slave’s curse activated.

Current level: 66

Current Objective: - Give up (66/80)**

**Slave’s Set 10/10: Slave’s curse activated.

Current level: 65

Current Objective: - Give up (65/80)**

**Slave’s Set 10/10: Slave’s curse activated.

Current level: 64

Current Objective: - Give up (64/80)**

Like a counter, he saw the notification before his eyes. He heard the shrill ping, deafening him whenever the set’s effect was activated.

And he sensed how those effects, how those curses, those weights, were compounding to heighten the pain and pleasure.

The pain of those fingers grabbing his freshly pierced nipples, yanking on the sensitive and unused nubs.

The soreness in his testicles was caused by being flicked.

The flare when his asshole was overstretched way beyond what he’d been to in the last days.

The shame of having been played so easily, of having let them use him for some foolish hope.

“He’s not so angsty now,” said Kesshak, chuckling.

“That’s how it works… Let them hope. But once you strip them of that hope, what do you think remains?”

Kezu’s mocking voice almost felt distant, followed by footsteps. And yet, the assault on Kai’s asshole continued, flared, worsened.

Another finger, then a wrist. A fist. Kai felt the blindfold go damp from his tears streaking down his face. He was crying; he was abused… Yet, he could only hear the shrill ping.

**Slave’s Set 10/10: Slave’s curse activated.

Current level: 42

Current Objective: - Give up (42/80)**

That ping came faster and faster the more those Sethraks abused him. They fisted him. They played with his swollen and sensitive prostate. They made him cum; he felt it. But they were not done hitting his testicles, pulling on his nipples, nibbling his ears, even licking his earholes to torment and hear him whine.

His breathing was ragged, his chest lifting quickly in shallow breaths as he could sense more Sethraks were coming around, more were piling on the abuse.

**Slave’s Set 10/10: Slave’s curse activated.

Current level: 27

Current Objective: - Give up (27/80)**

Was it a fist? Or was it a cock?

The sense of shape was practically dulled for Kai. Everything was dulled except for the pain and the pleasure. The voices spoke like distant chants or prayers. The touches and caresses felt like nothing if they were not tied to lust or pleasure.

And the pain… Oh, the pain, he was starting to crave it as he felt himself slipping further.

Everything else was dim and dull and extinguished.

His thoughts, his worries, his fears. They were all slipping away. Drifting.

Tears continued to streak, but his body was not his own, so fighting, acting, or fleeing wouldn’t be possible.

**Slave’s Set 10/10: Slave’s curse activated.

Current level: 13

Current Objective: - Give up (13/80)**

Remained then the bliss and pleasure, the massage of his asshole, the constant teasing, the stimulation. The caresses, the stretching, his prostate being squeezed, massaged, even milked. His cock straining against the cage and the burn from it. The soreness of another orgasm being milked out of him, the flaring sensation down his groin as more fluids were forced out of him.

**Slave’s Set 10/10: Slave’s curse activated.

Current level: 6

Current Objective: - Give up (6/80)**

Breathing was hard, more so when some cumshots landed in his nostrils, filling every breath with that musky scent and forcing him, sometimes, to snort and swallow everything. As disgusting as it was, it was something he could feel. Something born of disgust and shame. Another source of pain he could sense as he delved deeper.

His name. Himself. His identity.

Who could he be? Who was he supposed to be? He went here on a mission, but what mission?

**Slave’s Set 10/10: Slave’s curse activated.

Current level: 2

Current Objective: - Give up (2/80)**

What purpose could he have to be in that place, to be fucked, fisted, abused? To have a cock rubbed against his face, coating his fur in Sethrak cum. He wanted something?

Again, doubt. Another source of pain amidst the pleasure was a crop used to smack his testicles. The ping was no longer deafening; it was everything Kai was.

**Slave’s Set 10/10: Slave’s curse activated.

Current level: 1

Current Objective: - Give up (1/80)**

One final ping.

And Kai no longer was Kai.

Objective Complete: - Give up

-

“That’s all for that rescue quest? That’s easy,” said a Vulpera, his fur ochre.

He smiled, unashamed, though he was wearing a cowl over his face and nothing more. The perfect disguise to walk into the Slitherine Gulch while following another Vulpera, who acted as a slave trader.

Kezu was one of the few in the resistance, coming recommended by many, it was said. And even now, the Vulpera acted relaxed as he pulled on the rope.

“Keep it quiet.”

Current Debuff: Movement restriction - Restriction.

“Sure, sure,” nodded the Adventurer, not fighting against the debuff. Though his skills were locked, too. He could feel it, but wasn’t afraid. It wouldn’t be the first time, it wouldn’t be the last time.

Plus, it gave him time to look around the Slitherine Gulch. His eyes discovered, for the first time, the tents used for housing, as well as the structures carved into the stone that formed cozy houses.

Beyond that, the Gulch was alive. Vulperas were around, chained, wearing collars much like his. However, a majority of Sethraks were walking around, dragging their cohorts along.

Since they were on the market, the sole market left in Vol’dun since the Vulpera Hideaway was wiped, gold and trinkets were exchanged amidst the lives.

Riches the Adventurer could feel from a distance, aware of the promise of power, of magic wielded easily.

The Sethraks were talking about Adventurers, saying they found it one to sell or something. Strange, yet… The walk continued amidst the food stalls, of fruits brought from the other regions of Zandalar since the trades had opened up with the Trolls.

Smaller Sethraks, hatchlings, ran along the stalls, kicking balls and narrowly making the Vulperas' porters fall. Those were busy carrying bags of food from one corner of the Gulch to another.

Then, they went past the main market. On either side now, there were the slave Pens which formed a subset of the market. Here, the slave traders were buying and selling while watching the display of talent on makeshift stages. Teeth were examined, tails lifted, orifices presented in some cases, while the Sethraks were nodding along or acting mindful.

“We should break them out,” said the Adventurer, pointing at the bone cages in a corner, where Vulperas were piling up, sick and reeking.

“Not yet,” answered Kezu. “We must reach our contact.”

“Sands,” huffed the Adventurer.

They continued, passing by another preacher whose words were about the return of their Emperor, reincarnated in one of his fellow Sethraks. Emperor Kopet or something?

It was bullshit, as always. So continued their progress through the Gulch, with the structure expanding above, wooden bridges that looked as rickety as those in Orgrimmar.

Then came the sound of the forges, of the potters’ wheels, of the shaved wood.

The smell of spice, of dyes, of hastily prepared food from eateries.

The colorful new fabrics, the sandy clouds from the public sand baths, the tantalizing murals.

The latter were displaying the armies advancing on the Vulperas and the Horde. Presumptuous. But impressive. All Sethraks in the mural had embedded emerald eyes.

“I call dibs.”

“What?” answered Kezu, frowning.

“Nothing. Are we there, yet?”

“Almost,” answered Kezu, leading the Adventurer up the steps.

It was said that the higher the stairs, the richer the Sethrak. If the contact was up above, he had to be wealthy. And so… As the Adventurer followed, ascended the steps. He felt eyes on him. At the same time, he was impressed. And yet worried.

They were approaching the Temple… Yet, they swerved left toward one structure that definitely had a pyramidal shape but stood taller than the others.

The Sethraks' guards nodded to Kezu without asking for anything, letting him through the double door. Inside, the air was cooler, and the sounds of laughter followed. As well as came the smell of heavy perfume and… Semen.

“Where are we?” asked the Adventurer, blinking.

“A brothel. That’s where you’ll be based for the moment.”

“A brothel? Like a whore?”

Kezu nodded.

“But… I’m an Adventurer.”

“You’re not the first, I should present you with your contact there,” said Kezu, still tugging on the rope.

Suddenly, the rope wasn’t as friendly.

Yet, the Adventurer followed and passed through many doors, though the scent of sex was more potent, and the laughs vanished. Rose the smell of wine, of alcohol… And, the moans.

A glance in every direction, to every open door, showed a unique vision.

A Vulpera getting impaled on two Sethrak dicks while embracing whoever was fucking him. A Tauren getting milked into a bowl before the Sethraks drank from it.

A Troll covered in gold, dancing like a pretty whore, while Vulperas played beside him.

Vulperas, they were also around, coming and going with their little hands carrying trinkets, gold, drinks, and whatnot. Enough that Kezu had to wave them away as they approached one last door.

“Here he is. Be ready, Adventurer, for your new role.”

Kezu grabbed the Adventurer by the elbow and then shoved him inside the room before he closed the door, leaving the Adventurer scrambling to get his bearings. The smell was heavy with incense. Their moans deafening.

On a sofa were a Sethrak and a Vulpera.

The Sethrak was wearing delicate garments, white with colorful jewels, and smiled. At the same time, his fist slipped inside the Vulpera’s orifice, slipping inside with much squirting and squelching from the lubricated hole, swallowing the whole fist.

Kesshak <Brothel Owner>

“Another partner?” asked the Sethrak with his serpentine tongue flicking around, his fist punching deeper… So much deeper the Vulpera’s belly was swelling. Showing that fist.

Showing that caged cock, in a flat chastity cage, squirting all over the sofa while the Sethrak continued to fist… And to make the ‘whore’ moan.

“Another partner? Nah, that’s not the thing. I’m here to infiltrate the Sethrak society and get my people free.”

“Oh… Oh. Oh, yeah, the goodie version. I know it works, but that’s getting dull,” answered Kesshak, his fist pulling free with some air while the Vulpera cried and moaned, another cumshot hitting the sofa.

“Kai… Come on, help your ‘friend’ get into its new role.”

“Yes, Master,” answered the Vulpera with a dull tone, slipping from the sofa and standing up despite the wobbly legs.

Kai <Broken Adventurer>

The Adventurer blinked, trembled. He watched the Sethrak approach and grip the rope attached to his collar. His movements stopped entirely. On the other hand, Kai was searching for something. His tail lifted, he presented his ruined asshole, with Sethrak runes drawn on it.

‘Whore’ or ‘Kesshak’s bitch’ were among the words that could be read as he returned with a plug. A plug glowing with an eerie purple energy, something that lashed out in the Vulpera’s fingers, though he didn’t act afraid.

That plug was something wrong, cursed. Even glancing at it, there was nothing but a jumble of text coming forth and… The knowledge that it was a trinket.

Mind-Breaker’s plug – 0 Stamina – Grants: Mental Degradation

“Wh… What is this?” asked the Adventurer, gulping his saliva.

The effect did not bode well, nor was the Sethrak gripping him, yanking him, and forcing him to bend over.

“Hey! I’m not into this! I’m not gay! Don’t! Don’t do that!”

“Always so stupid. Kezu should recruit smarter pets. Even if there’s none left in Vol’dun.”

With a snap, Kai approached with the plug.

He presented it to the Adventurer’s asshole.

The unused Vulpera thrashed. He cried. He kicked. But that plug’s tip was at the entrance. It forced itself onto it, pressing against the tight rim until it was a fight between the two. And then… Of the two, the rim had to lose.

The plug slipped, and the Adventurer’s traits relaxed despite the shrill ping echoing in his mind.

**Mental Degradation activated.

Current level: 80**

“Aren’t we lucky Kezu found this new type of toys to break them?”

“It’ll be faster than with me, Master.”

“Always,” said Kesshak, kissing and fingering Kai like a lover, making the Vulpera squirt and moan. “Now. Let’s finish what we were doing. He’ll be broken when we’re done.

**Mental Degradation activated.

Current level: 79**