Amber's Enchantment Ch. 05

"Yes, my lord, I do." He unrolled a scroll and placed a clear crystal on it (much like the one Colrit used elsewhere). "These are measurements of mana levels taken from numerous sources over the last few weeks."

Ursala, a witch sitting at the far end of the table seemed unimpressed. "Yes, Ponet, we all know how mana levels change over time. We have the guides to help us keep the levels straight."

"Yes, that we do. In fact, here," he replied, pulling out another scroll and crystal, "are the relevant pages from the current guide. The guides are useful because we, the guild that is, determined long ago that the changes were quite regular and predictable. Once you knew what happened in any 300 year cycle, you knew what would happen in any 300 year cycle. There predictable changes are vital for alchemy, and true magic, to actually work."

Gustavin, a Saurian wizard noted for his keen attention to detail, spoke up. "Ponet, I'd sack your apprentice. His readings aren't accurate."

"Ah, you noticed the discrepancies? My apprentice didn't take these readings. I did; several times. The actual readings are quite accurate." At the gasp of shock, he continued. "That's right. The guide is wrong. Our nice predictable changes have become unpredictable, or so it seems."

"So it seems?"

"Yes. It turns out that I can make some predictions about the mana levels. The salient one is that in 50 years, there won't be enough mana left in the world to light a small candle. There is a measurable drop in mana levels my colleagues, a very significant drop. It's as if the mana in the world is being bled off somehow. If we can't stop it, the world as we know it will cease to exist. There'll be no magic to run our society. We'll be back to stone knives and yeltinskins."

Somehow, the stunned silence that followed was more worrisome than the frantic outburst from earlier.

*****

"This wine has an amazing flavor; one I've never encountered before. Where did you say you obtained it?"

"Be careful, it's also quite potent," Melan Lustren replied to Gastrin's comment. The merchant was sampling one of the latest products Melan had purchased from the mysterious trader. "It's easy to become intoxicated on this." Ignoring his question, Melan continued with her bartering. "I think one case for a bar is very fair."

The pair continued to barter, not so much because Melan was concerned about turning a profit; like all her transactions with the trader, she paid for the wine in copper ingots while selling it for gold. Melan enjoyed the barter process for its own sake. House Lustren had seen an incredible growth in their fortunes ever since the mysterious trader showed up, claiming to be able to provide access to goods varied and unusual. Not everything was something she sold for profit. Some of the things he provided, like the candles that kept the ore rats away, were merely to increase the production of louvet, the traditional source of her family's wealth.

Blood wine, as the trader called it, was the first thing Melan had asked for that wasn't a specific product. She had only asked for a beverage that would be highly alcoholic, have an unusual taste, and that could not be found anywhere else on Destran. The trader had returned with the wine in a matter of days. His claim to be able to obtain anything Melan would need seemed to be very accurate.

His business completed, Gastrin led the loaded yeltins back to the clan's encampment on the edge of the caverns. Once the drovers were set to transferring the cargo to the wagons, he took one bottle to the larger of the four tents that made up their camp. Inside, he announced his presence.

"Guild Mistress (the term guild master or mistress was used both for the leader of a particular clan and the overall leader of the united clans), Lady Lustren has yet again provided a completely new product. I wish we knew where she was getting these goods?"

The older lady, Bestry, looked up from her scrolls, Her eyes narrowed in what could only be called suspicion, as she asked, "And what, Gods foretell, has she managed to find this time?"

"Wine, Guild Mistress, a new wine she calls blood wine. It's supposed to be highly intoxicating."

"Wine? There's no way the Lustren family can be producing wine. Grapes simply won't grow in this cavern; wrong type of soil, I've been told. This means she's definitely trading for at least some of these new goods. The question is, which clan."

"Ma'am, it can't be one of the clans. Each clan has their own assigned trade routes for the duration of the burning times. If someone has decided to change their route, go somewhere new, there will be hell to pay. Anyway, no one in the caverns produces this new wine. It has to come from outside the Helshenti Empire. That, of course, is impossible; at least in the quantities she's managing."

The Guild Mistress nodded her head at the fact of common knowledge. Each empire on Destran controlled one set of cavern complexes beneath the mountains and high plains of Destran. The only way to travel between them was overland or by portal. Overland travel was an act of suicide during the burning times, and since non-sentient creatures were driven temporarily mad by passage through portals, it was unlikely that magic delivered these quantities of goods.

Bestry looked up at her subordinate, only her eyes betraying the smoldering anger she was feeling. "Find out where Lady Lustren is getting these cargos. I don't care what it takes, find out."

"At once, Guild Mitsress," Gastrin replied as he backed out of the tent. He walked briskly towards his own tent, the insides of which were almost as lavish as his superior's. He pulled out a plain, unassuming box and unlocked it with an enchanted key. Several stones, pebbles actually, were inside. He pulled out one, a smooth red stone with blue bands on it. He tapped it once against the lid of the box he'd closed right after getting the stone he wanted. A familiar communication window opened in the air in front of him.

Several seconds later, a face shimmered into view. "Gastrin, it's been a long time. What can House Hustrid do for you?"

"Julian, I need one of your specials. I need to infiltrate a..."

The slaver interrupted him. "No, don't tell me where or whom. Male or female?"

"Not important. How long will it take?"

"I have a male ready now. The usual price?"

"Of course. I'll have the platinum ready within the hour and open the portal to the usual location."

"That's fine," Julian answered, an unpleasant smile gracing his face. "It's always a pleasure doing business with you, Gastrin."

The window closed and Gastrin set about finding the needed bars of platinum.

*****

"Are you nervous, Amber?" Bressala asked, noting the faster pace of her trainee's breathing.

"Yes, Mistress, a little," she answered. "This is a big deal, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes it is, in a way." While Bressala had never thought of the ritual as being a big deal, she was able to appreciate why it would be to Amber. Most slaves would be looking forward to their multiple partner test. Most slaves, however, didn't have any unpleasant memories associated with sex. "Are you afraid of doing poorly, Amber? If you are, I can assure you, I have no worries on that account."

"Not exactly, Mistress. I really enjoy sex and being a slave. I guess I'm a little worried about how my collar will react."

"Your collar?" the trainer asked, confusion clearly etched on her face.

"What if I...you know...react badly for a moment? Will it put me to sleep?" Amber gasped a sob back. "I don't want to sleep...to die."

"You're talking about having a flashback, to that other place, Ravenshore, aren't you?" Amber nodded her head. "There's nothing to worry about. The sleep only comes if you decide in your heart that you don't want to be a slave. A moment of panic because of your memories won't do it."

Amber bit at her lower lip. "Are you sure, Mistress? I mean, there's never been a slave that could have a flashback, has there?"

"Dear," Bressala assured Amber, "if the collar was going to put you to sleep because of a flashback, I think it would have done so during your little punishment crisis, don't you?"

Bressala was referring to Amber's early training when she was keeping her memories a secret. The Ravenshore slave brothel she had been trapped in used vicious punishments to train their slaves. Amber had been terrified that those kinds of punishments would be used by her trainers in House Grantlo. That was simply not the case.

"I guess you're right, Mistress." She hesitated for a minute, not sure if it was appropriate to ask what she wanted to. "Mistress, are you ever...afraid of your collar...of being put to sleep?"

"Not really, Amber. I guess I was, a little in my early days as a trainee. But that was because I didn't really understand about them, the collars, I mean."

"Not even that it eventually will put you to sleep?"

"I see. Amber," she started, trying to find the right words to explain her feelings about that faceless day in the distant future. "when that day comes, it will be because I can no longer be the slave I was meant to be; the slave I wish, with all my heart, to be. That sleep will be a blessing, Amber. I can't imagine life after slavery."

Amber sighed, as Bressala's answer was much as she expected. Unfortunately for the young slave, she could imagine a life after slavery. At times. Amber despaired all that made her so different from the other slaves; from her memories of her former life to her ability to see magic auras. She did find it fascinating to realize just how deeply ingrained into Destran society magic was. Everywhere she looked, the auras of the magic that kept the caves she had come to think of as home running were quite visible.

Bressala noticed her charge's pensive look, but didn't try to address it any further. "Come along Amber. Your orgy awaits." Bressala noted with a smile that Amber's arousal started at her words. While Amber was very different as a slave, she was clearly a slave in her reactions to all things sexual. The pair walked the corridors to one of the larger training rooms (while much training did go on in the quarters of the trainer and her trainees, there were larger training rooms that were used at times). Waiting for them were several people, both slave and free.

"Masters and Mistresses, this is Amber, presented to you for your pleasure. You may use her as you wish." The formal speech was identical to one that would be used if the House had been providing a slave for a short duration contract, such as an event or party. Amber had already been told that, once placed permanently, her owner may or may not use such a formal presentation to his or her guests.

Amber stepped forward, covering half the distance between Bressala and the people she was to give service to. Gracefully dropping to her knees with her ass resting on her heels, she placed her hands behind her back and bowed her head slightly. Her legs were spread, showing her ready cunt, while her arms being behind her back thrust her breasts, along with their erect nipples, forward invitingly. Two men and a woman moved towards her and encircled her.

Six hands began to stroke her body, drawing gasps as her pussy swelled and moistened with need. As she had been instructed, she kept her position while her body was fondled to high levels of arousal. Soon she was panting and struggling to hold still in the face of the erotic onslaught. Cuffs were placed on her wrists and locked together, ironically, making it easier on Amber, as she no long had to make an effort at keeping her hands behind her. It was with a sigh of relief that she was pulled upright on her knees by one of the men so his cock was in front of her mouth.

Without a moment's hesitation, she licked at it briefly before taking it into her mouth to caress it with her lips and tongue. The hands of the other two continued to tease and titillate her body, driving it to the edge of orgasm and then letting it slide back from the brink. Her breath was coming in panting gasps through her nose as the man in her mouth took hold of her head and started to fuck his cock in it with force, penetrating her throat with each in stroke.

When he came, he pulled almost all the way out, allowing his cum to squirt into her mouth where she could taste and smell him. Amber moaned with each spurt of cum, flicking her tongue against the bottom of his cock to coax his climax to continue even longer. She swallowed greedily, having come to love the taste of sexual fluids, whatever kind they were.

The hands caressing her stopped to pull her to her feet and lead her to a reclined chair. There, the other man who had been caressing her lay back so his head was actually below the rest of his body, his cock hard and coated with precum that had been leaking for a while. The woman guided her over him and pressed Amber's cunt onto his penis. She moaned in need as her pussy was filled and his hands took hold of her breasts. He pulled her forward until she was supported by his hands on her tits. The woman had come around and straddled the chair, her own pussy now level with Amber's head, giving the reclined man a close up view from below..

Amber could feel the man begin to thrust his hips slowly as her face was covered in pussy and she began to lick at it. Her initial enthusiastic lapping slowed as the man admonished her to go slowly and to draw the woman's pleasure out. Hands gripped her hips and held her still under the thrusting cock. Another lubricant covered cock pressed against her ass. Instinctively, Amber eased rear muscles to make penetration easier, allowing the penis to find a home in her bottom.

Both men fucked her with agonizing slowness, making sure to leave Amber unable to cum from their attention without additional stimulation. The one in her cunt made sure to avoid contact with her clit while the one in her rear simply made his fucking slow enough to prevent a precipitous rise on Amber's part. For that was the true test for Amber. Bressala had explained earlier that she would be required to service many people for at least a couple of hours, and none of them would do anything to make her own orgasm easy, or even possible. Through it all, the slave would have to enthusiastically serve and pleasure the very people using her as if she were just a thing.

Amber shuddered with unmet need as she slowly licked the woman's pussy, driving her arousal slowly to climax, while trying to make her own pussy and ass more pleasurable for the men fucking her by adding little twists and gyrations to her hips and squeezing her muscles to increase the contact inside her. Occasionally, she would unconsciously tug at her cuffs as her hands tried to make their own way towards her clit to give herself some relief.

The man in her ass came first, his grunting signaling the flood of cum that poured from him into Amber's bowels. He extracted himself and was replaced by another woman who licked at the cum seeping out of Amber. Amber twitched at the sensation of being penetrated again, albeit on a smaller scale, by the woman's tongue. This time, the penetrating digit explored every inch of her that it could reach, seemingly devouring every drop of cum that had been deposited in Amber.

As the woman at her face pulled Amber tighter, the hands holding her breasts shifted so they could pinch at her nipples. Little snippets of pleasurable pain jolted through Amber as she increased the speed and force she was using with her tongue. When the woman came, she kept Amber from putting her mouth over the jet of fluid that squirted out of her, making sure Amber's face was drenched in the liquid.

It was only seconds later when the man fucking her cunt came, filling it with his own fluids. As he did, his fingers squeezed her nipples even harder, drawing a small squeal of pain from her. Almost without thought, she milked her pussy around his cock to draw his orgasm out as long as possible. When he finished, hands helped her to her feet and the woman licking at her ass, came around to clean out her pussy. Amber visibly trembled as her arousal was not allowed to diminish to any great degree, but neither was it allowed to rise. The talented tongue delving into her, seeking out the cum that had been deposited there, while Amber stood, eyes half lidded as she endured, and even relished, the sensual torture being given her.

Once her pussy had been cleaned, Amber was led to another reclining chair where another man waited. Or rather, another male, as the person waiting for her was anything but human. Amber recognized one of the male captives from her collaring day, one she had thought at the time as a lizardman. She had since learned that his race was called Saurian, a kind of warm blooded reptilian race. His arousal was very evident, his cock having forced its way out of its protective sheath (a blow between the legs was not especially debilitating to an un-aroused Saurian). Fluid exuded from it, and it throbbed gently in anticipation of penetrating Amber's body.

Amber climbed onto his lap, placing the entrance of her cunt at the tip of his cock. She swallowed in a anxiety, looking at the large size; almost 12 inches long and 3 inches thick. She gave a squeal when he pushed hard on her shoulders, forcing himself into her all at once. The heavily ridged cock rubbed Amber's tunnel, generating a harsh pleasure that throbbed and made Amber gasp repeatedly. She started to clench her pussy against him, trying to increase his pleasure as much as possible. His scaled hands grabbed her tits and roughly caressed them, pinching and scratching at her tender orbs and nipples.

She turned her head towards his, inviting his kisses; an offer he accepted, plunging his prehensile, forked tongue into her mouth. As their tongues caressed each other, Amber felt his hips start to shift, pumping himself into and out of her cunt. As his arousal and need increased, his mauling of her tits became increasingly painful; his scales had befun to flex outward to provide a sandpaper rough surface for his caresses while his catlike claws extended to make his pinches actually piercings instead. All of this merely increased Amber's own arousal. While she wasn't thinking about it consciously, Amber knew what was coming and her body tensed in exquisite anticipation.

As the Saurian cock prepared to cum, small spines along its surface thrust into the soft pussy flesh surrounding it, sending waves of sharp pain through Amber's cunt. With her symbiosis training completed long ago, this added pain was enough to send Amber over the edge into her own climax as the hot cum of her partner flooded her. Amber wiggled on the now spiny penis, milking it for as much sensation, both pain and other, to draw both of their climaxes out as long as possible. Once spent, the spines retracted and the fluids coating his cock healed the minute holes they had left behind.

The next couple of hours passed in a blur for Amber, as more people made use of her for pleasure. Every one of her orifices was used by both males and females, and she even found herself being bound and paddled at times. While none of them made active attempts to help her cum, she did manage two more climaxes by the time Bressala returned to take her back. Covered in sweat and sexual fluids of various types, a bath and some time sleeping awaited the end of her successful testing.

*****

He was very aware of his surroundings. He had to be; if he missed her looking back, he wouldn't be able to slow down enough to let his skin take on a stable color. Anyone looking at him would see a ripple in the air, as it the air itself was following Melen Lustren. In reality, a naked slave of a race very few even knew existed, was following her. His skin could take on the coloration of his surroundings, effectively making him nearly invisible. When moving at a pace faster than a slow walk, the changes lagged, creating the visual effect of the air moving.