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Sold

The idea of being sold is a surreal experience. I had understood everything that had just come to pass. The evidence of it was still present in the chains that bound my hands and legs. But the idea of losing autonomy, let alone to a talking lion after being sold by talking dragon-men, was very difficult to grasp.

My body felt like it was floating, nothing felt quite real. I still didn’t know what really happened. Had I really died? Did those lizards really save me from the afterlife? There wasn’t a reason to believe a word that they had said. But what else did I have, other than their word? I had no memory of how I had ended up here, and the reality before me was confusing and absurd.

But one thing I do believe. In both fantasy and reality, those who sell slaves, let alone buy them, would not be trustworthy.

As we made ourselves out of the stifling heat of the auction house, I was temporarily blinded by the bright glare of this, apparently, otherworldly sun. The moment I opened my eyes, I was startled by what I saw. Although the sun was the same, I was shocked by the enormous broken moon visible in the morning sky. It was large, yet unusually bright. It was close enough that I could make out divots and mountains on its surface with my naked eye. Oddly, despite its size, it didn’t seem to have dimmed the daylight. How could something so large be logically so close to this world?

But before I had time to study my surroundings any further, I was suddenly overcome by an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. My senses dulled, my eyes blurring the world around me as a haze spread in my mind. Suddenly I heard her voice, it was crisp clear and so enticing like cool, mountain spring water appearing in a desert.

“Darling boy, we would have been so beautiful together, don’t you think?” a soft, melodic voice whispered in my ear. The voice was like an echo in the dark, enticing and enthralling; a marker to be used by the lost to find their way home. It was the light at the end of a long, dark tunnel. It was an invitation away from the misery of the present and a lure for a comfortable future. “Oh you darling, beautiful, boy…”

I pictured myself with her, lost in her touch. She wrapped her arms around me as I nestled deeper into her arms. I could smell a strong scent of lavender, and the feel of the softest silk on my skin. I felt her lips brush against the surface of my collarbone. I felt the brush of her fingers as she traced them up my arm. Her touch felt safe and warm, like home.

“So safe,” she whispered in my ear.

Her touch felt reassuring. It felt as if all was good and right in the world.

“So right,” she whispered softly, her breath tickling my ear.

She felt like home.

“Welcome home,” her voice echoed through every crevice in my mind. “Don’t you want to stay?”

Most of me wanted to say yes, but distantly a part of me wondered at the sensations I felt. Everything felt so good, but so dissonantly different from the reality I was living just before. It was that wondering voice that managed to speak.

“Who are you?” I asked, pulling every so slightly away from the fantasy. I felt her hand stiffen with surprise.

“What…” I heard her whisper before her voice, and her touch, vanished.

“Do not cross that line, Eloise,” a deep, angry, guttural voice pulls me out of my reverie as I suddenly feel sharp nails pressed firmly against the back of my neck. “I would be in my right to rip out your throat with my teeth.”

My senses quickly returned to the way it was. The world was suddenly bright and full of color, the fog being lifted as fast as it came. To my surprise there was no one close to me save the lion-man who had purchased me. I looked up to find the vixen who also made a bid for me standing no more than ten meters away from us alongside her muscular escorts, a fan of ostrich feathers covering her face. Wasn’t she just next to me? Could all of that have just been in my mind? Or had she just managed to move away to a distance in a blink of an eye?

“Merely a jest, Avajin. I would not dare contest a bid sanctioned by the Guild of Chains,” the woman said with a slow, sultry, drawl. She was dressed in ostentatious silk finery, with a shocking combination of vivid colors that would put the most beautiful peacock’s feathers to shame. The vixen from the auction waved her fan away, revealing a human woman’s face. She had sharp, almond shaped eyes, with a black diamond pupil on an amber sclera sea. Flowing black lines painted around the corners of her eyes and formed into fanciful shapes at the corners. She had a long, thin nose, with a wide mouth offset by thin, ruby lips that pulled at the corners. Her face was painted white, with powdered rouge applied liberally on her cheeks. She would have been the most beautiful woman I had ever seen, if her smile hadn’t been so menacing, her mouth lined with sharp teeth.

Considering everything I had seen before, there was a comfort in seeing another human that seemed to hold some power in this insane world. Her two male, and impossibly ripped, attendants stood behind her, quiet and blanked face. Before I could speak, to appeal to the only other human who had spoken to me, my new… master pulled me back using the chain that bound me to him.

“Do not be fooled, boy,” the lion beside me said in a low, threatening tone. His eyes never wavered away from the vixen whose smile just widened in response. “Whatever it is you see, it is a half truth or an outright lie. It is one or the other, never reality.”

The vixen laughed at the lion’s words, flourishing her fan. Her laughs were like little bells that rang in the air, her light, orange and white coloured hair whipping about her as she shook her head. She hid most of her face behind the fan until only her sharp eyes stared me down.

“You should have been my creature, little one,” she said deviously, chuckling from behind her fan. Then to my horror, the truth of my new master’s words revealed itself as she moved the fan away from her face. “It would have been a time. I would have made sure of it.”

Gone was the sharp, devious, yet human face. Fur quickly sprouted from her face, and by the time the fan had fully moved away before her, it revealed a long, orange and white furred snout. The vixen’s human facade quickly, and explicitly, shifted into a fox face.

I startled back in surprise, my eyes widened with shock at the sudden change, eliciting further laughter from the fox woman before me.

“You outlive your welcome, Duchess. It is time you take your leave. Your retinue don’t seem too pleased, after all,” my new master pointed out, drawing attention to a host of guards, both animal and human, near us and surrounding a gaudy, scarlet, carriage. Most of their faces were frowning, but not one had made a move to interrupt the scene before them.

The vixen just laughed in response, her voice tinkled in the air. “I do so hope you will win the next bout, Avajin. I wish for the chance to win this one, myself.”

Once again, she hides most of her face behind her elaborate fan, winking slyly towards me, before she walks toward her waiting retinue. Her dress was so long that it covered her feet, and her gait was so light that it seemed she was gliding down the path instead of walking. Her half naked harem just followed behind silently, entering the carriage after her without even a furtive glance behind them.

I watch as the carriage trotted away, still reeling from the experience. Most of the retinue just marched at an even pace with the carriage around it, not even minding the citizens who were forced to scramble out of their way.

There was something enthralling in the way her retinue moved around her. They seem to defer to her in unison, their actions a harmonious and seemingly choreographed routine. It made me wonder how strict a hand she had in controlling those beneath her. Was that the future I should expect for myself with my new master? Would I be like them, a silent slave that was seemingly devoid of will and personality, save the occasional disapproval or worry?

Never having been controlled like a slave in my life, I had no context as to what I should expect save from the movies that I had previously watched with slaves or subservient people. I knew that some people found that kinky, and yearned for such a life. But I never did.

Although, admittedly to myself, I had a strange feeling I could not quite describe when I had been bound and shaved. The sensation of those dragonmen’s touch and breath lingered on my skin. I could still remember the feeling of the foxman’s surprisingly soft fur on my skin. I held a curious sensation in my chest as I was being pulled further away from the building and into a dusk-soaked town by my new… owner.

Owner.

I froze where I stood, causing my Master to startle at my sudden stillness. The lion looked back at me through intense, golden eyes. A soft smile creeped up his face, a hint of his fangs peeking from between his thin lips. He gently rubbed the chain attached to my collar between his long fingers. I watched him trace his thing, yet oddly elegant, claws on the steel links of the chain. He did not yell nor threaten me, merely just let me slowly pan my eyes along the town.

Countless animal-people moved about the busy streets, their outfits ranging from the extravagant, colorful and tailored clothes that marked their obvious wealth, to the ones who wore the tattered, stained cloth of misfortune. I wonder where I stood in the hierarchy of things - not having any clothes at all. But so far, my fear and disbelief of my circumstances tampered down my shame.

Mammals, reptiles, avians…if I wasn’t so terrified I would have played an adapted version of the license plate game.

There were humans too, most of whom were either well-dressed or nearly naked. All of them wore some type of collar and were attending to various wealthy animal men. I watched with a sense of shock and awe as a wolfman grabbed a muscular human by the neck and pulled him into an obscene kiss. The wolfman’s thick, long, tongue darted into the human man’s mouth. The man leaned back as the wolfman leaned forward, bending the human over his large, furry, yet obviously muscular arms. The human didn’t seem all too perturbed by the act, it was obvious from his thick manhood tenting up the flimsy leather trousers that he wore. The wolfman laughed after pulling away, seemingly pleased by the human man’s reaction.

The others walking the streets didn’t seem all too shocked with the display. In fact, the longer I looked around, the more I found their actions to be the norm. Various creatures either dragged around or were followed by a human. Most of the humans seemed unperturbed by the oddity of walking, talking animals in clothes. Despite the animal people that wandered the street, everything else about the town seemed fairly normal. The stone buildings with wooden frames matched the aesthetic of classic European towns during the 16th century.

In fact, if they hadn’t been upright, talking animals, I would have thought I had found myself in a classic, renaissance town. Little stalls lined the streets as merchants hawked their wares of fruit, meat, and trinkets. More dragonmen walked the streets, this time with armor that fit the shape of their large and muscular, scaled bodies. They marched about with long halberds strapped to their backs. They wore stern faces as they walked about, scanning the crowd.

Even more startling were the occasional displays of what could only be magic. A tall, thin rabbitman in a long, dark red robe walked the streets absent-mindedly, clutching at a tall, thick staff. But what pulled my attention was the floating, glowing book before him. Pages would turn on their own as the rabbit wizard read as he walked.

Moving shapes in the sky drew my eye and I saw several winged birdmen fly by. In the distance, there stood a tall, ivory tower with a blue, glowing crystal hovering atop it. Its shining blue surface glittered in the sun.

It was almost a relief for my senses when I saw a pair of horses. Normal, dull-brown, four-legged horses hitched up to a carriage. I never much cared for horses back in my normal life, in fact they kind of scared me, but right now they were the only familiar thing I had seen all my time here, even more so than the humans.

I walked up and scratched one of the horses behind its ear. I wasn’t much more than a beast of burden myself now, and the chain running from the collar was my yoke. I felt a sudden, deep sense of kinship with this creature. As I stroked the horse’s muzzle, two brown hands pulled it away from me. Before me stood a frowning horseman who started to disparage me for touching his animal.

I felt my Master’s strong paw pat me on my naked shoulder and rub me gently. It shocked me at first, but there was some comfort in it, even if it was only how one might comfort a scared pet.

“All will be well, Heath,” his paw ran across my shoulder and against my cheek, gripping it firmly. “You will be cared for.”

His smooth pads felt oddly reassuring and, for a moment, I almost forgot I was now his property.

There was a click as the carriage door opened and my leonine Master stepped up inside, taking me by the hand to pull me inside.

There were two seats inside, facing each other. My Master sat on one and I sat on the other across from him. The moment I hit the seat in exhaustion, my Master got up and sat beside me on the same side. I shuffled slightly away from him until I was up against the carriage wall. To my surprise, he did not shuffle closer as I had expected.

Master Roxen slapped his knuckles on the roof of the carriage. The crack of a whip sounded outside, and I felt the carriage rumble forward.

“You will have many questions. Rightfully so,” Master poked his claw into the gap of one of the chain links, clearly fiddling with it. It seemed surprisingly awkward, which oddly slightly endeared himself to me. Considering our current circumstances, I should obviously be the more awkward of the two. “But I cannot answer all of them at the moment. I likely will not be able to answer most to your satisfaction. It must be a jarring experience for you. Quite the circumstance you now find yourself in, in a world so unlike the one you’ve known. But if there’s one thing you must understand, it should be this; while we’re together in private, you may speak freely unless I say otherwise. But out in this world, amongst others, you will defer to me as a slave to a master. There can be no exception in this. You will be a duelist now and I have no need for a meek, shrinking violet to serve as a warrior of my Pride.”

My mouth opened slowly, but I quickly realized that I didn’t know what to say. I had far too many questions but at the same time, how could I possibly articulate my feelings as they stood now? I had stumbled into a fantastical world and was suddenly sold as a slave by and to fantastical creatures. What could I ask when all of this seemed so surreal? Fuck, what could I say, let alone ask real, serious questions that I needed to know to ensure my survival?

“I’m not a fighter,” I suddenly managed to whisper out. “I… I tried out for my high school wrestling team once but I never made it past the first meet.”

“If I wanted a wrestler, I would have gotten a bear and not a human,” Roxen flashed his golden eyes at me. “It was your vocation as a fledgling Geomancer that interested me. Of all the slaves in their docket, it was my luck to find a diamond in the rough.”

“A…” I blinked at his words, “...a Geomancer?”

“The Guild of Chains advertised you as such,” Roxen retrieved a slip of paper from his coat pocket and unfolded it. “A fledgling Geomancer pulled from, as your kind had called it, Urth.”

“Uh…”

“Of course, they meant it in the simplest of the mystic Arts. In most of their actions, they tack on details like that to make potential bed slaves in the docket more appealing. Most see the art as purveyors of little parlor tricks that the caster can perform for their masters when not warming their mattress. But Geomancy… what most know of it as now is a superficial understanding of the Art’s true potential. Very few have heard of a single champion Geomancer among the nobles, let alone one used in the arena. Unless you delved deep into our troubled history, very few have heard of ones being used as a Champion. If we can train you to harness it properly…”

“Fuck!”

“Hm?” the lion startled before he suddenly chuckled, lightly tugging on my chain. I shifted in my seat from the action, my hands automatically pulling up to clutch onto the chain in turn. “Such uncouth language from my slave! Do not worry, I find it quite charming. As long as it’s just between us, of course.”

“No, no, no…shit! I…” I swallowed, “...I’m gonna say it now, because I know, I fucking know it’s going to come out sooner or later and, oh fuck!”

Roxen leaned in and pulled me towards himself. I had a distinct feeling that despite my resistance, it didn’t take much effort for him to pull me close and wrap his large, sizable arm around my bare shoulder.

“It’ll be okay, you must calm yourself,” Roxen firmly rubbed his face up against my cheek like a cat. “Whatever it is, we will work it out.”

“I’m not a… uh, Geomancer,” I said firmly. “I’m a Geologist…or well, I got an A-Minus in Geology 12 and was going to university to get my Bachelors in Geology but…”

“Geologist?”

“Someone who studies the science of the earth, it’s not-... I just like rocks!”

“Ah, so you’re experienced in the natural sciences. Enough to have been accepted at a university? I have heard of such a place from previous humans from Urth. As I understand it, that is quite an accomplishment. I have purchased a rare slave, indeed!” Roxen scratched his chin, a wide, toothy prideful smile was pasted on his face. “I am certain that will be useful, somehow. Regardless, Geologists sound quite similar enough to Geomancers, does it not? Surely it’s just a different word your people use for the same Art.”

“Geologists don’t fight in an arena!” I exclaimed before I startled at a sudden realization.

I blinked slowly at the talking lion before me. It hadn’t struck me as unusual until just now, but we were both speaking English. In fact, those dragonmen had also spoken in English. Most of the writing that I saw in the streets was in English. That didn’t make any sense… that the words still all made sense.

“We’re both speaking the same language,” I pointed out dully.

“The Guild of Chains enchant all of their slaves with a language spell, unless requested otherwise. There are nobles who are aroused by having a terrified human who can’t understand their new world. But, I am among those who find that…excessive. I hold the belief that there is more joy in stoking mutual pleasure between master and slave. Some are aroused by the fear they inflict. I relish in the lust I inspire. As you’ll soon understand.”

Shivering, I once again drew back and recoiled up against the wall of the carriage. I wasn’t sure what thought was worse, being forced to fight or to be that kind of slave.

“I haven’t even… but I’m not…” I quietly mumbled to myself, my body shivering from the fear and the cold.

But, I was well aware of the darker side of my brain that was also running wild. The carriage was thick with my new Master’s heady musk. It seemed to permeate every space in this tiny carriage, and it was very, very powerful. His voice was deep and as assured as the gait he carried himself with. As I understood it, he wanted me to fight for him. This confused me as his arms were clearly powerful enough to rip me in two if he wanted, despite the fact that he was being surprisingly gentle. So how could I, far smaller and less intimidating than the creature before me, fight for him? And using Geology of all things…

His paw pads ran along my cheek once more, stopping my shivering. His large, strong hands were warm and soft. Sighing, I leaned into the warmth of his palm.

Stockholm Syndrome. Surely this was the first sign of it? Had I always been this mentally weak to quickly succumb to my captor’s advances? Part of me screamed at me to put up some semblance of a fight.

“You were purchased to serve as my champion, not serve those kinds of pleasures, Heath,” my chain went slack, the cold steel brushing against the bare skin of my smooth chest. “These words are not meant to offend as you are quite a fetching human. It is no surprise that I had to fight for your collar. I paid quite the steep price, more than what you might ever know.”

“What kind of fights?” I peered over my shoulder. “A champion fights, right? I already said I’m not much of a fighter.”

“We have a system of challenge for land titles and other things, us nobles,” Roxen cleared his throat. “When one of us wants to press any sort of claim, we build up an army and march it to the challenger’s land. Instead of using that army, we issue a challenge to fight with agreed-upon champions, so that the peasants do not have to suffer. At least, not as much, most of the time.”

“And…” I shook my head, “...I’m going to be one of those champions?”

The lion nodded, “you already are.”

“Why raise the army at all then, if you only need a duel?”

“In the event that someone does not abide by the rules of the challenge. It is rare, but it happens,” Roxen patted me on the shoulder. “One of my house’s long-time rivals…rumors abound that he intends to challenge me for our last holding; the lucrative iron mines of Valuria. It is no secret that it is the only thing that keeps my kingdom afloat. Without it, my Pride will fall. We will train you to be one of, if not, my best champion.”

“I don’t think I can do it,” I muttered, turning my head away to watch the sights outside the carriage. I watched animal children playing like human children outside. The world was so different now, yet many, if not most, things seemed familiar or the same. Considering how new I was to this world, and how ignorant I was of its customs, I could somehow understand the terrible weight of his explanation. Not only had I suddenly been turned into a slave, but also a champion that carried the weight of a nation on his shoulders. “I’m not what you think I am.”

“You are and you will,” Roxen bumped his head against my cheek and rubbed, slowly. His fur felt soft to the touch, and his musk was suddenly more pronounced to my senses. “You must.”

I could smell his musk embedding itself onto my skin as he continued to stroke me with his cheeks. It was not lost on me that the scent was a mark far stronger than the collar. If his actions were anything like the cats we had on Earth, his actions were a clear mark of ownership. I couldn’t even imagine what it would smell like to the other anthropomorphic creatures in this world.

Even if I managed to remove the collar somehow, it was my guess that most of them would know what I was and who I belonged to. It somehow felt as if an invisible brand had been marked on my skin, and cemented my status as a slave.

It was a terrible thought, but also a fascinating reality. It was oddly flattering that someone would think of me as such a valuable commodity to leave such a public brand.

What the hell am I thinking? I asked myself, trying to shake these thoughts from my head.

Whether I liked it or not, this lion, my Master, was the only person I could lean on right now. It was a fact that was messing with my mind, warping my sensibilities.

Suddenly fatigue had finally caught up with me. Being brought into another world and faced with creatures straight out of an RPG had taken its toll on me. I was only awake due to sheer adrenaline, which was starting to fade. The mind could only take so much shock before it had to shut down.

My eyes were drooping, my head was starting to float, and my skin started to tingle with the desire for sleep…

There was no point in arguing right now, I needed to rest. There were far too many things to think about. I knew that I no longer had any space for any new information. I just needed to rest.

For the moment, I surrendered to my position as a slave and leaned against my Master who held me in his strong, sturdy arms. I felt his soft fur brush up against my face, his firm muscles enveloped me, hugging me tight against this large, musky body. I inhaled his dominant scent. It was an earthy tone that was enough to lull me further into sleep.

If I was to be a slave, I would at least take advantage of this momentary comfort.

For now, I let my new nightmare slip away into the land of dreams.