FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

When Natasha had said she always wanted to an in depth study of big cat anatomy he didn't realize she had been serious. Benjamin stood on a box, arms up away from his sides. A full body mirror behind him to one side so she could see behind him. He had changed poses several times and in the late hour was growing tired.

As if reading his mind she smiled. "Finished." She singsonged, turning the sketch pad around. He had to marvel at it, his likeness perfectly captured, paired on the sides by sketches of his arms and legs as though the fur had been removed to show the underlying musculature. His teeth and fangs detailed on another page, hands and claws on another.

"Mistress?" A little Pomeranian fur held up a platter, a cup of tea set on a saucer. Next to it was a small bowel about the same size filled with cream which Natasha set on the floor.

"Thank you Gilly. You can play with your squeaky toy now, but do it in the next room." The little dog fur yipped excitedly, bounding off on all fours to a dresser, nosing under it and pulling out a bone shaped of rubber that made a high pitched noise as she squeezed it between her jaws. Natasha twitched at the sound and Gilly gave the dragon an apologetic look before romping off into another room.

Natasha had her own little apartment like lair with in Remus's much larger one. A large central area ringed by several room. One for her self, quarters for her slaves, a personal office, a bathroom, and a 'play room.' Of course with dragons every room was a play room. The bowel of cream was nudged toward him across the stone floor by an ice blue foot. "Tell me about your medical history."

Benjamin stepped down off the box, kneeling and bending over to begin lapping at the sweet, milky treat. He looked at her, licking his whiskers. "Uhhh..."

"History of sickness, past injuries, any mental or physical illnesses that run in your family?" She tilted the cup pick, sipping lightly.

Benjamin sat back on his heels. He had found it painful in the begging, wondering how the Northerners in the Consortium had been able to sit for hours on end like this. Over time it had gotten easier, like so many other things. He thought for a moment. "Nothing out side of the norm. Child age sicknesses. Tigers are strong, we pull through." She nodded. "I broke my left leg once falling out of a tree when I was seven. Oh! This." he said, lifting his arm and parting the fur, a corded scar along the inside of his arm. "Training accident. Spear practice, my partner got too close on the inside parry. The injury wasn't critical. The scar makes it look worse than it was. Thankfully it didn't end my career. Not much of a career." he mumbled.

"A herd you had a brush with Incarcerus Maledeas" He gawked for a moment. "Cage fever" she explained, sipping softly. He sighed, nodding. "Tell me about it. Its rare enough, I know it only affects felines but none here have ever experienced it. Thankfully."

He shuttered. His fur visibly rippled around his neck and shoulders. He could easly remember every agonizing moment. "A feeling of absolute emptiness. Like being dead...but still alive. Abandonment...dread.... I've seen it before, criminals in the Central Consortium are some times forced into it and then left to die of exposure in a cage set some where in public. Their death a public display or entertainment." Benjamin recalled having poked through the bars of one such cage with a stick, poking the ragged tiger who had been caught trying to steal from the imperial palace. He was angry and feral, attacking the stick but ignoring him. He had laughed at the poor fur. That's what you did to those who deserved punishment, right? You laughed at them, you made their lives as miserable as possible before the mercy of death. He was young, had he known at the time but the tiger was going through he wouldn't have been so cruel. "It was like I wanted to die, but death wouldn't come. I could...I could hear my ancestors calling to me from...from heaven? Hell? Some where else? Death its self was taunting me. It was likely in my head but it felt real. Then, what ever darkness I was in was gone."

Natsha nodded, finishing her tea and setting the cup back on the tray. "You have to make the individual feel wanted. Really wanted. You're mistress must feel strongly about you."

That made him smile. It did feel good to be wanted. Natsha clapped her hands together. "Bed time." She announced, standing and stroking him softly under his chin, pushing her fingers down to his collar and taking hold of it to lead him to her bed room. She disrobed, shucking her clothes down to the buff and sliding in under the white sheets, pulling him in with her. She did nothing more than wrap her arms around him and wishing him a good night.

He woke up in the same bed the next morning, still held by a sleeping dragoness. His mistress would do this often, just cuddle with him. He had found it childishly immature at first, a grown woman snuggling an unwilling partner like a stuffed toy. But the first night she had tucked her nose in under his ear, breathing three words that sent reverberations through his very being. 'I love you.' Kelsura was not one who minced words. She didn't hide her emotions. If she was upset with him she punished him. If she was happy or impressed she rewarded him. If she said she loved him she meant it. He only admitted it to himself recently, but from that moment forward he had reveled in her attention. He would grow increasingly Distralught if she wasn't near him. She would use this against him, some times spending weeks on end away before taking him back to her suite in her lair, ravishing him, and then falling asleep with him wrapped in her arms.

Benjamin was reserved, he hid his emotions, only in the past week coming to terms with them. A life time of insecurities and desires compounded by a year's worth of mental training had caused it to spill over. He sighed with content, snuggling down in the strong arms that held him locked to the dragoness. He would love his mistress; enslavement and all.

"I can hear you thinking." Natasha teased in a soft voice, mming as she sat up and stretched. She had been awake for some time, simply laying and holding him, watching the emotions swirl around him with her dragon eyes. Emotions could be seen by dragons the way furs could see color. Comprehension, contentment, love; they all swam across his body like ripples pushed through a lake powered by the wind. "Seems like you're extra comfortable." she held a finger to his lips when he moved to speak, listening, his heart could be heard racing in his chest. She didn't need to know what he was thinking. The color that associated most with his mistress was swirling with those of worry and excitement. She could smell his arousal. "So she likes to wake up like that, huh?" She arched a brow. He nodded, blushing.

"M-may I?" he asked, pushing him self up and blushing furiously.

"I'll tell you a secret." She whispered, he leaned closer, nodding. "You don't need a dragon's permission to do that." She smirked as his cheeks grew even more red. She laughed as she stood up. "I have to go to the bathroom first." She smirked. His blush turned into a pale. He worked his jaw and then nodded, opening his mouth. "Lower, it'll be easier if you lay on your back with your head over the edge of the bed." He nodded, turning over onto his back and leaning his neck over the edge. Natasha cocked her head to the side. Some dragons liked to keep slaves whose sole purpose was to act as a mobile facility. She laughed again. "You're serious? I can see the conflict with in you. You think its disgusting and wrong but are willing to do it any ways just to hear how good you are." She turned around, leaving the bed room, stopping just in the door. "You're a good boy Benjamin. Its a shame it took so long for you to realize it."

She stepped out, moving to the bathroom. He could hear to splash on the water with in the toilet and and trickle that followed. He frowned as he sat up. He was relieved and upset that she wouldn't use him. He felt cheated that he had been tricked, used for a laugh. "Now don't look like that slave. I have a perfectly working bathroom that isn't your face. Did you really want to swallow my piss?"

He hesitated. Honesty, his mistress had told him, was the best policy when speaking with a dragon. "No." he admitted.

"Aww, why not?" He could tell she was teasing. Her hips cocked to the side with a fist resting on them.

"Its disgusting." He remembered his first experience. Forced to swallow for the sake of his laugh. He had wanted to vomit for ours after and it took a whole day of water, raw meat, and licking his mistress to wash the taste out.

"Well," she said, crawling up onto the bed, pushing him onto his back roughly, crawling up his form until she was straddling his shoulders. "Lucky for you I clean up very well." She sat down on his face, forcing her pussy over his mouth. She moaned in a pleasure as her eyes widened in surprise. Kelsura had said that despite his having been with her he was still raw. There was nothing raw about the way his tongue parted her lips.

He found her vent easily, his mistress had taught him to swipe with his tongue from the bottom up and push with it when you found the dip. Murring, purring, or humming would make a pleasing vibration felt even deep with in. He began to pur as he tongue fucked her cunt. He lapped, curled, and licked the inside of her pussy, his barbs pricking at her insides. "I'll never get over how your species tongue feels like a thousand little dragon cock all trying to impregnate me at once." she moaned.

A dragons cock had barbs, talon like protrusions that could be extended or retracted at will. He had only ever seen them. When flat a male's rod was impressive and intimidating enough on it own, long and huge. With the barbs extended that looked like a nightmare made manifest. So much weight and expression was places on a male dragon's cock, he took it as a compliment to have his tongue compared to one. He moved faster, sucking on her folds around the extended appendage, his nose right under the button of her clitoris. He nosed at it, rubbing and trying to breath the juices leaking over it. Each time he jerked in reflex from the sensation of drowning she just pumped her hips down, holding him in place.

She lifted off of him suddenly, panting as she pushed a hand between her legs. She turned around, pushing up on her hands and knees. Her tail lifted so reveal puffed up folds, wet with his attentions. She worked her inner muscles to make it wink at him. His already hard cock twitched at the sight. "Fuck me tiger."

Benjamin licked his lips, crawling to his knees behind her. She had a beautiful rump. The scales along her bells and between her legs, under her arms and along her neck was a faded blue-white compared to the deeper frosty edged blue of her main body. It made for a wonderful contrast. He marveled at how her pussy folds were the same faded colors as her under scales. He hadnt had much of a chance to see them with how they were forced into his face. The dripped with both his spit and her aoursal.

"Be as rough as you want, you cant hurt me." She purred. She mound as his length slid in. She was only slightly smaller in frame than he, but he hadn't expected a vice like grip to nearly crush his cock one he was hilted. He groaned in surprise as her muscles clamped down around him. How exactly was he supposed to not hurt her if he couldn't move? "Too tight? A dragoness has controle of every muscle in her body. Every muscle." She winked back as him, relaxing enough that he could move.

He took hold of her hips, length slipping back just behind the head and slowly pushing back in, tip touching a spongy, knotted barrier. He pulled back, faster and slipped back in with a sudden thrust. She ahhed softly. "Come one tiger. Aren't tigers supposed to be fierce?"

"You want fierce?" He growled, finding it easier to get into it when he wasnt focused so much on morality and etiquette. Just as his mistress said, it was easier this way.

"You think you can? I'll make it interesting for you slave: if I cum before you do I'll lick your cock, balls, and even your ass clean, but if you cum before I do...I make you my bitch in every sense of the word before you leave." He accepted her challenge bit biting down on the back of her neck. She hissed in pleasure, rising up on her knees to meet his suddenly swift thrusts, pounding her pussy like a freight engine.

Natasha groaned. She smirked, having released the beast in the tiger. She could feel his jaw firmly around the back of her neck, muscles just as strong as their feral kin. Had she been any thing less than a dragon he might have snapped her spine with how hard he was biting. She shook with each strike of his hips against her back side. Her cunt dripped onto the sheets, a treat for Gilly no doubt. A mix of her dragon femcum and the tiger's strong pre. She could smell it, almost as strong as her own scent. Wild and strong. When he began to slow she snarled, reaching back and digging her claws into his flesh. His mouth pulled from her neck with a yowl. "Oh no little boy, no slowing. If you're about to pop, you pop and accept you loss." He growled. If he kept up at the pace she wanted,he was going to....he popped. The barbs on his cock head spread open against his will, lost in the pleasure of the dragon's tight, wet cunny. He moaned, working his hips, jerking them rapidly while his mind began to fog over. He balls ached and his dick throbbed inside her, spraying his seed over her insides and almost filling her.

Natasha mocked a sigh of disappointment, crawling forward. His barbs pulled at her insides in an almost dragon like way. She suppressed the moan growing in her chest, his cock head plucking at nerves she thought too impossible for a fur to pleasure. He was one big cat. "Go to the drawer. That one there, yes, that one, fetch whats in there, you'll know it when you see it." She smiled as he opened the dresser drawer, taking pleasure in the sudden look of apprehension on his face, the hesitation with which he reached in. She always kept the strap-on right on top of the out fits she liked to put Gilly in from time to time.

"No, no." she chided him as he began walking back over with the dildo and harness in his hand. "I said to fetch it. Put it in your mouth." His fur rippled, he held the cock shapped length of rubber up and looked at it. She choked back a giggle as he tremulously put the tip to his mouth. "As adorable as that is, no. Like a dog carried a bone." She smirked, turning to lay on her side, knee propped up so he culd get a full view of his cum leaking out of her cunt. He turned the dildo side ways, putting it in his mouth. He crawled back on all fours in stead of walking, erring on the side of caution.

When she took it from him she pulled the rubber cock from the metal ring, holding it out with the tip pointed at his mouth. "Suck it, like you're pleasuring a real cock."

He looked at the rubber dick with confusion, his eyes darting up to her and back. He swallowed nervously and then opened his mouth. She thrust the shaft in over his tongue and he closed, sucking. As far as he could remember, he had never sucked a cock. He couldn't recall if the bastard of a calico in the slave house had forced him or not. He did his best, not because he wanted to please Natasha but because he had made a deal. He lost her challenge, embarrassingly fast at that, and he was bound by his honor to keep his word.

"That's it, watch the teeth. Bite a dragon's dick and it might be the last thing you ever do. Yes, like that, you're getting- no, no now its all wrong. Keep your teeth tucked behind your lips, wrap your tongue around it." He blushed furiously as she gave him instructions. If it wasn't obvious before it was now that he was a completely inexperienced cock sucker. She looked at the now slippery wet dildo after pulling it form his mouth. She gave dissatisfied sigh. "Good enough..." she shrugged, pulling the harness up around her hips and slipping the cock back through it's securing ring. She sat on the edge of the bed, rubber dick pointing straight up. "Sit." she smirked.

Apprehension shown on his face as he crawled forward. The dildo was easily twice the size of his own dick. Maybe it was the horror of what had happened, exaggerating his memory, but it looked smaller than the one Distral had fucked him with. In that regard it didn't seem so bad. "Stop stalling kitten." She spoke softly, her inpatients was apparent in her tone but all the same it was not unkind. Standing, he turned around, the act of willfully spreading his ass and crouching over the toy an embarrassment beyond compare. "Its really cute how your balls just hang like a sack on a hook. Now sit." She slapped his ass, taking hold of his hips and pushing him down. He yowled as the barley lubed didldo speared his ass hole, pushing past his colon. His belly had a small but noticeable lump, which began to move as Natasha moved her hips.

The pain was...less than he imagined it would be. With how his belly bulged he imagine it would be like getting speared. While painful, the sensation of her gyrating hips stiring the fake dick in his ass had an oddly pleasing sensation. A point just behind his balls was the most effected. She stopped wiggling and began thrusting, light and slow. The dildo barley moved inside of him. It still made him grimace. He was relaxing his ass as much as he could, trying to ignore the pain and focus on that needle of pleasure that was flaring some where inside him. He wished she would let go of his hips and reach around to stroke his cock, fondle his balls, but she did no such thing. His cock...gods above it had grown harder, now painfully turgid and curving in a way it never had before. Despite the pain he was enjoying it!

He slowly reached back, he paused when she growled. It wasn't a warning, his mistress had made the same sound often enough. Possessive, assertive, dominating. He rested his hand on her neck. "You want it harder, bitch?"

No he thought. "Yes." He said. "Please."

He yowled at the buck of her hips, lifting him up and slamming him back down the length of the shaft as gravity jerked him back down, the pain like an admonishing punch to the inside of his gut for daring to defy the laws of physics, Her thrusting was forceful and powerful, feeling like it might tear him in half. Natasha moaned, the nub studded inside of the leather harness rubbing at her cunt with each pump of her hips, pleasing the right spots and pushed against her hard each time he fell into her lap. She gave a final thrust, rubbing hard and fast against the inside of the strap-on and moaning, claws piercing his hips as she game inside the harness. The final thrust pushing the head hard against that little flare of pleasure, making it explode, the sensation moving up through his balls and along his shaft. His jet of spunk shot into the air, arcing back to land on his own face and tracing a line down his chest and stomach.

He shuttered on top of her shaking form, trying not to move. Once calm she ran her fingers through his fur, coating her fingers in as much of his cum as she could and smearing the rest into his fur. Two fingers, spread and dripping, where held before his nose. The heady scent of his own orgasm filling his senses. On impulse he leaned forward, wrapping his lips around her fingers and sucking and licking them clean. Natasha rested her head on his shoulder, now holding him around his waist and chuckling softly. "You need a lot of work in this area slave. Displease a male and he might just punish you with those spikes ad barbs on his dick." She gave his ear a lick and pushed him off unceremoniously to his hands and knees. He felt empty with the sudden absence of the rubber rod in his ass.

Natasha tossed the harness onto the bed after standing, leaving it for her slave to clean. "Lets get you to the stables then. You should be helping with getting ready to leave. Best if you walk for that." He didn't so much walk as limp. He wished they could take their time, but he knew that wasn't going to be the case when she looped her tail into his D-ring, throwing a robe on over her shoulders.

It was quite a walk. The stables were located closer to the foot of the mountain. With Remus's lair located almost right at the top over the mines a tram had to be taken down to the where the horses and more menial slaves were kept. Benjamin limped the whole way when he walked and grimaced when he sat on the odd miniature open air train contraption. It jostled quite a bit, like riding a carriage. Each jerk of the cart made him bounce, which made him wince. Natasha seemed entertained by his pain as she would chortle every time and roll her eyes, shaking her head.

The stable was more than just that. It was a massive two story complex the size of a concert stadium he had once been to back in the furry lands. He had only seen it once and very briefly upon their arrival before being ushered swiftly by his mistress to the trams. Now that he got a look at it he could see stalls all around and above the smaller ones were evenly spaced sets of very large barred door stalls. One was opened, and trundling along the wide landing leading was the most massive beast he had ever seen. A drake. Creatures that the dragons road on the back of, great winged lizards capable of breathing fire as easily as they could fly. The blue scaled mass of muscle, ridden by a dragon of a slightly darker hue and well built himself with a unicorn in his lap, made it's way to a carved hole in the cavern wall. The opening was large enough for it to spread its wings with room to spare. It let out a resonating, short roar before jumping right into the air and taking off down the slope of the mountain out side. It was one of the most impressive and, oddly, beautiful site he had ever witnessed.

"Beautiful aren't they? Graceful creatures in the air. That particular drake and his rider are rather famous." Natasha blinked, cocking her head as she rested her chin on a propped up arm. "I didn't know they were here, normally I'm told about all arrivals in case of a medical emergency. Must not of been planning to stay long. Maybe just checking with the clerks on the returns of his investments. Oh! No, he must have been speaking with Master Remus directly." She nodded toward the navy blue form on the other side of the stable infront of a set of great wooden and metal braced doors at the front of the grand stable. Kelsura was standing hand in hand with Remus, looking down into his eyes with a look of absolute devotion.

Benjamin noticed a new adornment on both his mistress and Remus. A silver band around both their necks, polished so smooth they reflected the surroundings. She spoke softly to the dragon, who looked both upset and disappointed. "...-orry Remus I can't stay. I would love to more than any thing, but you know as well as I do about the importance of service to the Empire. I'll be sure to visit more often, time permitting." Benjamin heard as he grew closer. She leaned into Remus, wrapping her arms around him and nuzzling along his cheek. He nuzzled her back, both of them growling in a way he had never heard any dragon do so before. It carried with it a tone that made his heart rise.

"Mistress. Your tiger." Natasha said, pulling him forward with her tail, presenting him with a smile. Kelsura blinked at him over Remus's shoulder.

"Go kelp Victor and Claudius load the wagon." she said simply, almost dismissively. Up until then Kelsura had always spoken to him with some regard and a level of pride. Her swift and even voiced command made his rising heart sink suddenly.

"Yes Mistress." He said, pushing off his knees to his feet to help load the spare wagon that would be following her carriage, helping the large horse fur and equally large canine load crate and boxes, more than they arrived with. The extra were heavy and likely containing gifts from Remus to his new mate.

"Benjamin. Get yer bandy legged ass over here and quit dragging your tail, you're owned by a dragon for Eilos sake, have a little more pride in your self. Hike it or cut it off!" Victor was standing atop the wagon, his hands on his hips and looking down at the sorry state of a tiger. He nodded when Benjamin hiked his tail up, and then chortled when he saw why the tiger had practically had it tucked between his legs. The fur on his ass was a matted mess. "Oh you'll get used to that." He laughed

Benjamin flushed as he helped Claudius load the last of the gift crates into the back of the wagon, Victor offered him a hand and hefted him up into the back. "Wagon detail?" He asked. Victor nodded.

"And lion watch." Victor replied, nodding toward the grand stable's entrance, a troupe of five lionesses making their way to the wagon. They each smiled at Victor, their expressions turning suggestive when they eyed Benjamin. Victor gave him a pat on the back. "Keep your eyes focused on the job." He teased while sitting down on the wagon's front bench. "Mistress! We're loaded and ready Ma'am!"

Every one was loaded. The chauffeurs horse slaves were hitched and a quartet of regular horses were set to the wagon. Mistress gave one last good buy to Remus, kissing him deeply and licking along his chin before stepping into her personal carriage, joined by Claudius and Juno. The Sirens helped each other into the back of the wagon and with a gesture from Remus the great doors to the stable were slowly opened, wide enough to allow the carriage through.

*****

"Victor, may we talk with Benjamin?" Drum finally broke the silence. It was the second day and the second leg of the trip. The were back on the road after camping for the night. A blanket of lions had kept him warm in the back of the wagon while Victor slept next the fire. They had been serious. Until he fell asleep all five of them had spoken softly to him, telling him stories or singing lullabies, treating him like a dearest loved one.

"Can you please not rhyme?" Benjamin interjected. Victor eyed him and then shrugged.

"Listen to your husband, girls." The horse smirked, the girls giggled. Benjamin blushed.

"I suppose I shouldn't be embarrassed. That's effectively what I am." He sighed, leaning back over the side of the wagon and looking wistfully up at the bright blue sky. He chewed on the inside of his lip. "Why me?" He leaned up, propping his arms open on the edge.

The five sisters, including Harp who was now free of her chastity belt, look from one another and then back to him. "Why not?" they blinked.

He narrowed his eyes in disbelief, leaning forward now. "What about courting, getting to know some one, dating? What about meeting their family? How do you know its compatible?"

"Calm down hot stuff." Flute giggled, holding her hands up. She stuck her tongue out and blew a raspberry at him. He smiled despite him self.

"None of that really matters here. We cant meet your family, and whats the point in dating when you spend every moment of your life together. When in dragon land you do as the dragons do. You like some one, you make it known." Harp smiled, holding a hand out and standing, gesturing to her spot on the bench. She sat in his lap when he took it, the others cuddled up to him. Drum and Violin lifted his arms and placed them on their shoulders. Lute and Flute moved down to the floor of the wagon to rest their chins on his thighs. "You see." She giggled, wiggling in his lap "Stop trying to make sense of it and just enjoy it. You'll understand eventually."

"I already do." He said softly, taking Harp by surprise by pressing his nose under her chin and nuzzling up softly. She blushed, vacant surprise on her face and then she giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry Harp. I only just came to see it the other night. I was just curious as to why, but their doesn't need to be a why. If you enjoy some ones company, if the mechanics are compatible, and you like them, why cant you love them? It still bewilders me, the idea of just saying you love some one while hardly knowing any thing about them, and it probably always will."

Harp sighed with content, licking the top of his head. The other four lionesses beamed to him. They all began to pur softly and just when Flute was about to jump from her seat Victor interrupted. "None of that!" He called. "This is an abstinent trip. Plenty of time in for it later in your bed chamber."

Flute whined. She practically clawed at the floor of the wagon with her feet. "But he smells of a dragon that isn't Mistress."

"Aye and that'll be for Mistress to fix." The horse fur shot back. "Now settle in. Cuddle if you must, but no wondering hands, or tongues, or feet, or tails." Though there were groans and frustrated murmurs, even from Benjamin, now accepting of yet another place, settle in they did. They still had a long trip a head of them.

Another long day. At least Victor allowed them to enjoy the sensuality of each others lips, but it only served to frustrate the six cats. Six horny cats wasnt something Victor wanted, an as they passed through the tunnel to the Capital he was more than relieved to be slowing to a stop. Benjamin looked with a mix of apprehension and curiosity, the were at the same slave house where Mistress had taken him to have his collar fitted. He absently fingered the D-ring on its front. Kelsura stepped out of her carriage, turning to look back at the wagon and catching his eye. She curled a finger to beckon him toward her. He swallowed nervously

"It'll be okay." Violin said softly, putting a hand on his back.

"She wouldn't give us each other and then take you away." Drum reasoned, sounding sure of her self.

"Go on." Harp pushed gently at his back "Don't make her mad, Ben...you'll regret it if you do..."

"Well," Kelsura folded her hands in front of her, bending just slightly to look over the kneeling fur. "Its been a whole year. You kneel willingly, you obey with out hesitation, you debase your self for the pleasure of others. A whole year; slow going by any standard. Some would say I'm soft. I prefer thorough. Of course others such as Distral or Boreus would have broken you in a matter of weeks. I say broken: a shell, a hallow form, you would follow not because you want to but for fear if you did not. Do you fear me slave?"

Benjamin lowered his eyes to star at her feet. "I..." He bit at his lip. He didn't, not in the way he would have. The was the fear of admonishment and punishment. The fear of disappointment in his failures. It was the same fear felt by the child to his mother, the employee to his employer, the soldier to his commander. The dog to his master. "No, Mistress."

A smile spread over her mouth. "Why?"

"I have no reason to fear so long as I obey. When you hurt me..." his hand traced over the scabs on his neck. They throbbed, thinking about her and what she had done now a trained response that sent his heart racing. His chest tightened and he felt a spark in his arousal. "Its for your pleasure and my benefit."

She frowned softly, her hand following in the wake of his over the scabs. He shuttered and leaned into her palm. "It's not always for my pleasure, but always for your benefit." She turned her back to him, tail rising. He lifted his neck and the snake of an apendage wrapped loosely under his chin. He crawled behind her. "One year." She said. "Twelve months. Three hundred and sixty five days. Four seasons. I'm sure it feels like a life time ago." What had indeed felt like a life time had only been a short year. He had been brought here head strong, full of his own ideas of worth. A high and mighty attitude and the self important thought he was not equal to those with which he now shard a common bond. The bond of iron around his neck. Kelsura had stripped it all away, whittled it bit by bit like a mason works away unwanted stone, leaving only a work of art.

Her work had been subtle. She had made him accept he wasn't leaving, showed him that obedience was met with reward and resistance punished. The end came with the revelation that if he could leave, he had no where to go. Labeled a traitor, disowned before then by his own parents. In all likeliness they had done it to protect their family name. It was a moment of clarity: his life traded for the sake of honor. He had been granted no chance to defend him self, afforded no opportunity to counter the courts claims. Dragons would have treated him better. He looked to the back of his mistress. They did treat him better. He had been shown acceptance in accepting him self, love for loving others. He had been given every opportunity to pursue what he wanted, to be what he wanted; what he truly was.

"Mistress?" He called.

Pausing, she turned, looking down at her slave. "Yes boy?"

"I love you."

For a moment Kelsura looked down at the tiger with a stunned expression. She watched his blush slowly fade, his eyes had sparkled with an eagerness and devotion over the latter half of the week but now they burned with intensity. "That's the look I want to see. You know by now I love you too." She murred, walking back over, stroking his chin. She crouched in front of him, arms dropping around his shoulders and her nose nestled to the top of his head. She hugged him a moment before standing, smiling cheerily. "Come."

Benjamin was lead into the same room from before. Nothing had really changed. Every thing was exactly as it had been before. April was still sitting behind the same desk and the same dragons were guarding the same doors. "Hello-oh! Oh! Is that- It is!" April, a retriever dog, moved swiftly from around the reception desk and half knelt in front of the tiger. She stopped just short scratching his head, her eyes widening in fright. "I am so sorry Miss. I forget my self."

"You didn't forget my slave obviously." Kelsura smiled, waving April forward.

"I remember almost every one Miss. It's one of the reasons Master has me work the front desk. I never forget a name or a face, Miss Kelsura." The canine smiled brightly as she pet Benjamin at the back of his ears.

Unlike before, where he had snapped at her, he enjoyed him self. He loved how her fingers were finding just the right spots behind his ears, making the twitch. He pushed his head up into her hands, tilting it back as she tickled his chin and giggled. "And I remember you Benjamin Lei Feng."

"It's just Benjamin now." Kelsura said, running her fingers through the tiger's hair. "His given and family name were stripped from him. Apparently his country didn't care for him any more."

"That's...that's horrible!" April exclaimed in shock, unaware that she was now smashing Benjamin's nose between her breasts, holding him so tight he had to struggle just to breath.

Kelsura folded her arms. "Hmm. Yes. All he did was sleep with a girl that wasn't a tiger and spoke to military recruiters in the capital. They labeled him a national and race traitor."

April curled her lip in disgust. "That's it? He fucked a girl and talked to some one from the army? How are either of those things treason?"

Kelsura gave a half shrug. "His country is has some backward laws."

"It's not my country any more." Benjamin mumbled from between April's breasts. The retriever blinked and looked down. "Umm...Miss April. I know I yelled at you last time I was hear...do I really deserve to be smothered for that?"

Kelsura barked with laughter as April swiftly dislodged the tiger's muzzle from between her furry lumps. "You don't have to call me miss, Benjamin. Just April is fine." The dog said while she smoothed Benjamin's silver hair back into place "I'm sorry those things happened to you. Sex and curiosity...honestly.... That's supremely stupid." Benjamin just nodded. The words stung, they were talking about heritage after all, but it was true. The truth hurt some times. "Not like here though." she smiled. "All you have to do here is obey and you'll be fine. Even better if you like being told what to do." She winked.

So April enjoyed being a slave. She wanted to be ordered around? It made sense, she looked completely at home on her knees. Was that how he was going to be eventually? He was more than willing now to serve his mistress, kneel for her, please her, and eventually, he knew, fight for her. April though, the way she smiled and spoke in a friendly manner with one of the dragon's guarding the front door, it was completely normal to her as if their was nothing out of the ordinary. He could tell by just looking at her now she would be at home at any dragon's feet, happy in any bed with one of these beasts. Benjamin had enjoyed his experience with Natasha but...she wasn't Kelsura. He watched the retriever intently, how she snuggled into the guards open palm as he pet her and they talked. She showed him the same affection he showed to his mistress, even though he didn't own her.

"I apologize miss. Master is with another master and his slave at the moment. Toral say's he'll be out in a moment. If you'll allow Miss, I have some work I need to finish at the front desk? I would love to speak more if I could." April gave an apologetic smile and Kelsura sent her back to work with a nod. She turned to her slave.

"Something is on your mind pet. Speak it." Kelsura stroked his hair softly

"Am I going to have to be like that?" He asked, looking up at her. "Will I have to learn to love every dragon?"

Kelsura chortled. "If you don't already love every dragon you probably never will. You're over thinking your place pet. You're required and expected to show respect, but no one expects you to enjoy it. But, as the girl said, it is better if you do. April is a good girl, a sought after slave who enjoys the attention of those better than her and wants nothing more than to see every one happy. At minimum, your place is to make sure dragons are happy, whether you like to or not is irrelevant. Didn't I already tell you this the first time?"

He looked at the floor, pulling his tail up and nervously wringing the fur. "Sorry Mistress. You did, I...its different now.

Kelsura shrugged. "No it's not." she chortled again, flicking his ear playfully. He erfed and rubbed at the tip. A familiar laugh from down hall leading deeper into the building made him freeze. No. No, no. He didn't want to be here now. Not in the building, no this city, not even the same planet. The familiar form of a red dragoness strode through the inner door way, leading a frightened and weary looking raccoon. The collar on his neck was a plane, dull gray but had the luster of freshly polished metal. It was new. When Distral's eye locked with Benjamin every lesson he had ever been taught; every lecture, every study, every punishment and criticism were remembered almost instantly. The burning, primal stare of hunger on her face was like a trigger that brought back forgotten memories in an instant.

"Mistress..." he whimpered as the Red scaled demon stalked forward.

"Distral." Kelsura greeted. The sweetness in her voice dripped with veiled venom. "A new slave, are you sure you can afford it?" She took a step forward, halting Distral's advance. His mistress stood between him and a monster that haunted his dreams for months after his first encounter with her cruel and wicked desires. She was protecting him.

"Oh." Distral pulled the raccoon forward. He whimpered and scrabbled "I was promoted while you were away. Quite a few of us were actually. There's been a restructuring of the office. And...I didn't see your name on the contact roster." Distral smirked, brushing past and flicking the tip of her tail under Kelsura's chin. She walked out of the building before another word could be said, her slave struggling to keep up with her swift gait.

Kelsura's fists clinched into her palms, she shook with fury at the utter disrespect and dismissal of her underling. She had half a mind tear her tail off and shove it right up her ass and then yank the end out through her mouth. She shook, sighed, and calmed her self. Looking to her slave she wasn't too surprised to see the vacant, hallow look in his eyes. Distral had been his first major lesson. It was going to be deliciously ironic when it was the tiger who taught the insolent red dragoness one in turn. She pulled him to her side, half cradling his head to her knees. "The quicker you get your new collar the quicker we can leave." She said, reading the pleading expressing on his face astutely.

Tarkis greeted them just as he had before, with boisterous, jovial, salutations. The process took a little longer too. Benjamin's old collar had to be removed before the new one could be put in place. Removal was a methodical and carefully calculated affair, more so than putting it on. Large shears driven by fulcrums and swings to give it the strength necessary to cut through metal had to be perfectly alined or risk cutting his neck. Several times as the metal cutters were worked through the iron of his collar he had to be moved and repositioned. Once the iron had been cut through it was a simple affair of using a pair of large pliers to widen the broken collar enough that it could be removed.

"So, Miss Kelsura, what will it be?" Tarkis asked, preparing the collaring chair and pulling down one of the vials of the caustic bonding agent. He set it aside as he opened a cabinet, a serious of collars in various sizes, each one jeweled with either red or green gems.

"Black and red." She said, absently running a hand over Benjamin's neck as he sat down, knowing from before what was required of him now.

Tarkis hmmed, shutting the cabinet and fumbled unexpectedly when a drawer he had attempted to open failed to move. He opened the drawer under it and rooted through its contents for a moment before closing it and mumbling. He rooted over the counter under the cabinet before sighing. Benjamin looked up at his mistress who simply shushed him. "CALVIN!" Tarkis roared.

"Here, Master." Benjamin grumbled, rolling his eyes as the calico cat popped his head into the room. Calvin smiled at him and winked.

"Calvin were you messing with the collars again? Where's the key for my dye drawer?"

"Did you check your sporan, Master?" Calcin stepped fully into the room. He nodded at a pouch hanging from a chain in front of Tarkis's kilt. The dragon blinked at him before pulling the top of the pouch open. Calvin smiled when his master pulled a small double tumbler tooth key out. Tarkis rolled his eyes and waved the cat away. "Get back to those measurements. I want the numbers in the next hour."

"Yes Master, right away Sir."

Tarkis unlocked the drawer, pulling out a vial and dropper then pulling down a silver collar inset with red stones. It was a short process. Tarkis held the collar with a set of tongues and used the dropper to apply a colored liquid to the metal. The collar smoked for a moment as the silver steel faded and darkened, the splotches where the dropper touched spreading like curling across the metal like ink through water until not a spot of bright gray remained. The steel collar now an onyx black. In a moments time it was set around Benjamin's neck. More time and care was taken with its setting, making sure it fit comfortably instead of just being wrapped and sitting on his shoulders. It was a custom fit, snug but comfortable. It set like a piece of jewelry instead of like a cumbersome restraint.

Kelsura paid Tarkis, thanking him. She stopped just out side the door. Benjamin paused behind her, his hand raised mid crawl. "You can walk from here Benjamin." She smiled.

Benjamin rose to his feet, walking back to the wagon. Victor crossed his arms over his chest. The lion sisters were smiling broadly. Kelsura nodded to Victor just as Benjamin had crawled into the back. He gave the reins a snap, the cart lurched, and Benjamin was thrown forward. Thankfully there were several soft bodies to break his fall, all of whom cried and giggled in joy as their newly promoted tiger fell face first into their arms.

*****

Kelsura heaved a breath now that she was back inside her lair. Her slaves were off in the bathes, cleaning up after the long trip home. She felt she could have done with a bath her self but more pressing matters than her own ripeness concerned her right now. "I want an update on every thing since I've been gone!" She shouted as she burst through the doors of her at-lair office, not bothering to wait for the door slave to open them for her.

Gran and Torin, both dragons and each of whom were live in assistants rose from their desks. They had prepared for this the moment they had been informed by Military Intelligence of the restructuring. It had come with little warning but changes and new developments had made it unavoidable.

Kelsura stopped in the middle of the round office, their desks on opposite sides of the room with her own behind a door on the far wall from the entrance. Her arms were crossed and fingers tapping an arm impatiently"I just heard from the most unlikely of sources that there has been a total restructuring of the Office of Foreign Tactics and Observations? It was implied I was not included. Please tell me Distral is going insane, I'd rather see her put down quickly than suffer further embarrassment."

Gran spoke first, stepping forward and bowing his head. "Forgive us Ma'am I..." He paused when he she flicked her hair back over her shoulders, catching the glint of the mirror polished band around her neck. He made note to congratulate her later "We would have sent a letter but we received news yesterday. You were on the road-"

"I wanted to send a runner to meet you at the Capital's gates" Torin interrupted. Gran huffed at him, Torin returned a hiss.

Kelsura held a hand out. They were friends and equals, but both vied for promotion over the other as swiftly as possible. They were as likely to snap at one another as they were to share a drink and joke. She hadn't the patience to deal with their rivalry at the moment. "Just tell me. Short and simple. I have a certain slave who hasn't had any one on one with his mistress in almost a week."

Torin and Gran both nodded. At the same time they both had a claw on a small stack of papers. Pausing, they stared one another down, lips curled in silent snarls. Kelsura cleared her throat.

"Skirmish?" Torin offered, raising his free hand, not pulling the other off the papers.

"Skirmish." Torin agreed, doing the same.

Skirmish, a simple game. Refered to by many different names, every culture has it's own version. Referred to more commonly as 'stone, parchment, shears' by furries, Skirmish was a hand game involving gestures indicating physical objects, one beating the other and being beaten by another. Two fingers out represented a broad sword, an open palm represent a shield, and a flexed claw represented its self. Sword beat claw, claw beat shield, shield beat sword, simple and easy contest when a coin wasn't handy.

"One, two, three, Charge!" Torin hissed, having thrown the broad sword to Gran's shield. Beaten, he relinquished his hold over the papers and glared at his coworkers back as the forms were presented to Kelsura.

"One of these days," she admonished, shaking her head in disapproval. "I hope you two can stop acting like you just hatched." Both of them lowered their heads after that, each apologizing softly with a mumble. Kelsura said nothing as she read the words written in front of her. They couldn't be true. Disbelief washed slowly from her head to her shoulder, stomach sinking at first with the thought it might be a cruel joke, but there in the bottom corner of each page was the imperial seal. She was ready to leap with joy when she finally looked over the last page nd felt the pit of her stomach drop. She looked up to her two assistants. "These are all accurate and true?"

Gran looked to Torin for a moment, who gestured his head toward the orange dragoness. Gran nodded his thanks. "Yes Ma'am. Boreous is dead, you've been promoted as his replacement...and the Central Territory of the South Estern Consortium has declared open war with the rest of the world."