Katrina Eluvae [Eluvae - A Lesson in Vengeance

Raaya had not always been a slave. Her bronze skin and long dark hair marked her as one of the tribal desert people, and she had been their princess back when the gods were kind. Times had changed, her father was dead and that would have made her queen. Instead, she walked like a commoner, among the rest of her defeated people. The signs of her new place in life were beginning to show. Her tiny feet, with her perfect toes, were growing hard and callused from days of walking and her thick, shapely lips were chapped from the cruel desert winds. Her hair sat in a ponytail high on her head, the way warriors and peasants wore it to keep the heat off their necks. She was loathe to do it, but after the march had begun the warm, sticky sweat in her hair had been suffocating.
The mountains that appeared on the horizon three days passed had been a welcome sight, despite the fact that Raaya knew not what awaited her when the caravan reached the border keep. Now relief was quickly giving way to unease as her feet touched the sandstone steps that led to the keep's enormous wooden doors. She hesitated for a moment, and was reprimanded by the sharp crack of the slaver's whip at her heels. The tall, brutish man barked at her in the slaver's language, of which she did not speak a word, but it was easy enough to grasp the meaning, and she continued up the steps. At the head of the caravan, the head slaver, Jon, spoke with the gate guards. After a brief exchange, the doors opened and the long line of slaves was led into the keep.
As Raaya walked through the doors, the breath caught in her throat. Outside, the keep appeared modest at best, but inside it was a palace. Flowers and hanging vines hung from endless stories of balconies, walkways, and bridges in a dizzying spiderweb that seems to almost touch the clouds. The stone walkways danced around wide sections of soft grass, tiny pools and waterfalls. Sunlight that had seemed so harsh just moments ago rained pleasantly down on the open palace grounds and seeped into the tall archways that gave entrance to the interior of the keep. Raaya frowned. Beautiful it may be, but it was a prison just the same.
The gawking slaves were ushered forward through the gardens and under the highest archway in the square. Inside the palace was even more impressive. The walls were smooth sandstone, the height of at least three men by Raaya's measurement, and the halls seemed to continue forever. At last they reached a set of doors ornately carved in smooth white wood and inlaid with gold. Another set of guards opened the doors and Raaya and her people were led into a grand throne room that could have held every building in her village back home. They were lined up in front of a dais and the two thrones upon it. The thrones sat empty, however, and the man who greeted the slavers stood from a smaller chair to the right of them.
"Master Tallus." Jon said in the common tongue as he embraced the man, "I am honored to be greeted by his lordship's chief advisor."
Master Tallus was a short man, dressed in sheer fabric and a gold belt over which hanged a massive gut. He greeted the slaver warmly, "Jon, we have not seen you in these walls in many months. We had begun to fear that the desert winds had blown you away."
Jon shook with polite laughter, "War came to the desert, but we profited from the civil disputes of the tribes. Three hundred fresh slaves, and his lordship gets first pick before I make my way into the Green Lands." He led Master Tallus down the line of slaves. "They are from the defeated tribes, most of them are strong and youthful. They will make good guards, servants, or any other use Border Keep would see fit to give them."
Master Tallus inspected each slave slowly. "I have been instructed that we need no more than thirty this time, some new serving girls, since his grace lost his temper with two of our old ones and sent them to clean the stables. Some new guards, and... What's this here?" Master Tallus stopped in front of Raaya. She looked down, but Jon grabbed her by the chin and yanked her face back up so that Master Tallus could inspect it.
"You have a fine eye, sir. This one here was a princess before I acquired her." Jon grabbed the cloth of Raaya's thin linen dress and ripped it. Raaya tried to pull away, but one of the slavers had come behind her to hold her still. Her full, perky breasts fell out as the fabric dropped to her waist. Jon gave one of her soft round nipples a harsh pinch, "She is a rare beauty, and untouched. My healer says she is still a maiden, and I did not let any of my men have her. But I warn you, she is willful and spirited."
Raaya cringed as Master Tallus caressed one of her breasts and cursed under her breath as her nipples hardened at the touch. "A rare desert flower. It just so happens that my lord collects rare things."
Jon seemed taken aback, but Raaya knew it was all part of the game. "I would curse myself a thousand times before I would let one such as this become a mere serving girl." He grabbed Raaya's hands and showed them to Master Tallus, "To have these perfect hands grow rough with kitchen work would be a shame. Besides, I was thinking of taking her for myself."
Master Tallus frowned thoughtfully, "A princess turned serving girl would be a tragedy indeed. But my lord will want her for a different purpose, I think, and will pay well to add such a thing to his collection. I am sure we could find a way to coax you into parting with her." Though his frown remained, Jon's eyes smiled, and Raaya knew he had won.
After much bargaining, Jon consulted with the other slaver's in their secret language, before selling Raaya and thirty-five others. "This many fine slaves at such a modest price. I hope his lordship will remember the sacrifices I have made on his behalf the next time my men need fresh horses." Jon said with a grin.
Master Tallus smiled, "The Border Keep has long been fast friends with your people, sir. We look forward to your next visit." With that, the guards showed the slavers, and all that remained of Raaya's tribe, back out the doors and out of her life forever.
Master Tallus turned to face those remaining. He began to bark orders at the guards, who took slaves with them off to their respective duties until only Raaya remained. She hugged her breasts with her hands and shivered, the cold shackles around her wrists chilling her soft flesh. She met Master Tallus's hungry gaze with her fierce golden eyes. How easy it would be to kill this man... if only there were not so many armed men in this cursed room. Master Tallus smiled at her, then gave what remained of her clothing a yank and it tumbled to the ground. His eyes went straight to the mound of coarse hair between her legs. He reached forward and grabbed her shoulder with one arm, and her hip with the other, pulling her close to him. "So lovely... A pity you are a maiden or I could have you myself before sending you to him and he would be none the wiser."
Raaya gave him a violent shove and backhanded him with a shackled hand. He cursed loudly, stumbling, and two guards ran forward and grabbed her by the arms. "You stupid wench!" Master Tallus exclaimed as he stepped forward, returning her backhand with one of his own. Raaya felt the sharp sting across her face. "Hold her arms up!" Master Tallus said. The guard who stepped forward was two heads taller than Raaya, and she was helpless to stop him as he pulled up on the chain joining her wrists. Raaya's breasts bounced freely. Master Tallus grabbed one of them, twisting the nipple cruelly between his fat fingers. His other hand slid down her flat stomach and in between her legs. "You had best get used to this, because you will be feeling it any time his lordship wishes, and he will not suffer your disobedience as well as I." Her frustrated growl turned into a gasp as he felt the man spread her lips, sliding one thick finger along her entrance. He lowered his head to her breast and wrapped his fat lips around her other nipple. "Oh, our lord is going to enjoy you, little princess. Perhaps when he is bored with you he will send you to me." He pulled his finger out of her and ran it along her lips, still wet with her juices, "How I would love to feel these ruby lips around my cock." Raaya made to bite his finger, but he snatched it away too quickly. He looked up at the guard. "Take her to her chambers with the others. If she tries to resist you, chain her there."