Surely, this would justify a certain level of stress.
But there was more. Every day, I was subjected to more erotic incentives than anyone on Earth would likely enjoy in a lifetime. Sex was so natural to Khyrians, they were unaffected by its continuous presence. People parading in erotic costumes, bondage scenes in public places, naked bodies in the Therms; these details were background music to the ears they didn't have. They no longer noticed them. I still did, even after ten months. And what about my experiences with Phylla, or Lodel? How could I remain unscathed?
Maybe I should have ignored the temptations of sex, and focused on other aspects of Khyrian life. Easier said than done. For the first time in my life, I was living in a world where my fantasies – what I once considered perversions – were fully accepted, even encouraged. A crew of sexy and smart guys was available at all times to turn theory into practice. How could I swear vows of chastity and lock myself in my bedroom? I was not that brave.
On top of all this, Khiru was the most attractive man I'd ever met, both in real life and in dreams. We'd had amazing sex, and I was convinced he had more feelings for me than he cared to admit. I, for one, was totally enraptured.
These circumstances were enough to justify my foolish behavior. Yet I didn't like the person I had become.
Unconsciously, I was paving the way for a major drama with no one to blame but myself.
Six weeks after Seisha Day, I still hadn't gotten anywhere in my preparations to ensnare Khiru. In my search for a partner who would suitably abuse me, my intention had been to ask Naari, who had all the necessary attributes. One evening, I found him reading in his favorite salon. I tested his mood, which was excellent, and subtly brought our chat around to the subject of sexual games. But when I hinted at the scene I had in mind, he refused.
"Whip you in public, Megan?" he almost shouted. "You're out of your mind. You've never even been spanked. Not that I don't like the idea, mind you, but you have to take these things one step at a time. If you want, we can try a discipline program. But it has to start in private, and you're still a long way from the whip."
That was Naari. Never one to rise to a challenge.
"How long do you think it would take?" I insisted.
"It depends on your reactions. If you like it, we can move from spanking to paddling to whipping in a few months, maybe more. Haste is never a wise idea in those games."
A few months was unacceptable. At best, I could deal with a few weeks, although even such a delay, which would bring us closer to the deceleration stage at the end of our long journey, would put my strategy at risk.
I pouted.
"Oh, c'mon, don't be so disappointed," Naari said gently. "You'll get there if that's what you want. Patience is a virtue, especially for a Southie."
I attempted a smile and I cuddled close to him so he could fondle me as he pleased. In the meantime, my brain was already searching for a new potential partner.
"Why don't you come to my bedroom tonight?" Naari offered, unaware of my thoughts. "I'll show you what a hand can do on a nice bottom like yours."
I agreed. At least that would give me a taste of what I could expect.
When we reached Naari's bedroom, I wasn't particularly in a play mood. I saw the spanking as an experience that would serve a higher purpose, and while I was prepared to analyze it in details, I wasn't ready to like it.
Naari removed my T-shirt, leggings and cotton underwear, which he gently mocked. Once I was naked, he sat on the chair by his desk and motioned me to kneel over his legs. I fidgeted nervously as he readjusted my position so that my ass was as high as possible. Satisfied, he opened a drawer and shuffled something out of it. A few seconds later, he had formed a big knot in the middle of a scarf, pushed it inside my mouth, and wrapped the fabric firmly around my head. There was no more time for second thoughts.
Naari then used rope to lash my wrists behind my back. To immobilize my legs, he looped belts around my thighs, my knees, and my ankles. In a pernicious effect, the first strap of leather also compressed my ass and pushed its bulging globes upwards, ready for his hand.
Why had I ever thought this would help me?
"Now, let's see how far we can go. One."
His palm impacted my right cheek. Damn, it hurt.
"Two."
The slap against my left cheek hurt, too.
After ten, I became agitated. After twenty, I begged him to stop through my gag. After thirty, the first tears came out. My ass was on fire.
When Naari paused, I thought we were through. As I caught my breath and relaxed, he inserted his fingers under my bottom and brushed my sex.
"Very wet. Good."
I was pleased he approved, and expected a reward. But instead of releasing me and carrying me over to the bed to have sex, he hit me again, harder than before.
I choked both from shock and the renewed pain. As the tears returned, I lost the will to resist. It was stupid of me to try to control a scene as if it was mine to dictate. I had surrendered my power to Naari the moment I had agreed to the spanking; he was the only one who could decide on when and how to end it.
As his hand continued to hit my increasingly sensitive flesh, new sensations reached me. It was like bubbles of booze exploding in my brain and leaving me elated, each blow on my cheeks sending more of them. I became addicted to the flow and anticipated Naari's smacks with delight. I squirmed and moaned, and he hit harder and quicker.
I yelled louder, my voice now breaking through the wet and now useless scarf, and requested more and more and more. Naari's tempo accelerated, and I got into a trance, oblivious to anything but the heat spreading from my buttocks to every other body part, and one in particular.
My sex reacted to every blow with a spasm of its own. Naari's penis, so close and yet unavailable, was pressing against my pelvis, its rigid thickness tempting me. I was aching to climax, but still needed a little help. I begged, and Naari pushed two fingers under my ass, exactly where I wanted them to be.
I came violently, riding Naari's knees like a wild horse and screaming all the tension out.
Then, I slumped down and laughed.
"Oh my, it was good!"
"And you think we're done? Think again, funny girl!"
Although he'd used a stern voice, Naari couldn't hide that he was equally amused, not to mention needy. After untying me, he brought me on the bed and had me lie face down.
His stiff member immediately took possession of me, and revived my desire as if my previous orgasm had been nothing but a teaser.
When both of us were satiated, I turned around to face him. Fatal mistake, as far as my ass was concerned.
"Ouch! It hurts!"
"Lie on your stomach. I have a soothing lotion that will work wonders on your sore cheeks."
The thought of a mere caress was agonizing enough, but I tossed over as requested. Naari was actually very delicate. He massaged the cold ointment into my flesh, and the pain eased, then completely disappeared. Thanks to his tender aftercare, the spanking would only leave good memories.
It would also have another consequence. It proved that I could derive pleasure from pain, and that my plan was feasible. Although it would be harder to take a true whipping, my motivation to succeed would be much higher, too. Just the thought of Khiru watching my naked ass would excite me enough to help me through the first painful moments. Once I'd be beyond that threshold, my only concern was screaming something inappropriate, like Khiru's name. I would need the best gag I could find.
Before shopping for toys, I still had to search for a suitable whipping partner. After Naari's refusal, I tested Vhar. He wasn't as concerned about taking things slow as Naari was, but he had never used a whip on anyone, so he wisely passed. My other friend was Jova, but he was a Southie. Besides, I had a hunch about Myhre not approving my idea, and would rather not tell her until it was too late to stop me.
As I went down the short list of potential partners, I thought of Lodel, the hands
ome but arrogant Northie who'd captured me during Jova's birthday show. Provided he had experience with whips, he could fill the role.
Lodel was a member of the Green Team in charge with coordinating activities in the Twilight. His field of expertise could prove very useful in the organization of a special event attracting members from both shifts.
I needed an opportunity to meet him in secret, but it took weeks before I escaped my daily routine and my too-caring friends.
Every morning, I duly reported to Vhar. At the same time – evening for him – Lodel was probably partying with friends, or at the very least amenable to ending the night with me. I wanted to make this a reward for a job well done, not a rain check. Mornings were not a good time.
Afternoons were not appropriate, either: Lodel was asleep, and the constant presence of my friends was a serious impediment to a solitary excursion. As the long space journey dragged to its conclusion, Myhre, Naari and their scientific colleagues got as bored as the engineers and pilots. They had studied Earth samples as thoroughly as possible, and were now eager to upgrade their experiments with better equipment. While they continued filing their reports and clearing their desks, they grew restless at the prospect of five additional months in space.
Just like everyone else, it seemed. The wondrous adventure of a trip to another inhabited planet ended as a tedious assignment. After more than three years away from Khyra, confined to a large, but still restricted spaceship, the whole crew showed signs of gnawing impatience.
Some, like Naari and Jova, would use the downtime to rest, exercise or play intensively, but others were at a loss for entertainment, Myhre among them. While her lifepartner worked out with Naari, Myhre insisted on devoting her free time during the day to the perfection of my education before we reached her home planet.
We spent hours in the fetish Galleries and the Therms, her two obsessions. After two weeks, I not only saw, but tried on every single clothing item befitting a Southie (my preferences were corsets and boots; I loathed the subordinate costumes). Myhre also introduced me to the most commonly used bondage accessories, although she kept some secret because Southies were not supposed to know every trick of the trade. Those shopping trips helped me find the equipment I had in mind for my big whipping scene. I didn't buy them in Myhre's presence, but made a note to return unaccompanied as soon as I had Lodel's acceptance.
After a couple of hours strolling around Skeda and checking out the guys to see how sweaty and breathless they strained to be, Myhre and I inevitably ended our afternoons in the pools or on a masseur's bench. Naari and Jova joined us there later.
I met Phylla again. She had become my favorite masseuse. I found it easy to relax under her warm but firm ministrations, and enjoyed the occasional treat between my legs. Knowing what to expect, I was careful to choose a bench in the rear row, where our innocent games were less susceptible to be discovered. I was always in a good mood when we left the Therms for dinner.
When it came to slipping away, evenings were no better than afternoons. Dinnertime would have been an ideal moment to meet Lodel as he began a new day, but I never had a moment on my own to go talk to him in the Green cafeteria.
After dinner, Myhre usually found an activity to attend: a 3-D movie, a play, a show in the Cabaret, a party in Vazgor Park, a game tournament. When it was time to go to bed and Myhre refocused her attention on Jova, Naari took over. It was easier to follow him to his bedroom than instigating a plot with an uncertain outcome. For a while, I defeated guilt by convincing myself that I was fine-tuning the details of my strategy, and that a little delay meant no harm. But the clock was ticking; in two months, the spacecraft would enter its deceleration phase, and Khiru would no longer have time for idle entertainment. I couldn't dally any longer.
Chapter SIXTEEN
"Whip you in public? Why would you want me to do that?"
Lodel was playing cat-and-mouse with me. With his hands on my hips and his eyes locked on mine, he was going to make me beg for a favor, although it was clear he could scarcely believe his luck.
I had surprised him during his work in the Twilight. It was late morning for him, late night for me. I had convinced Naari that I was too tired and needed a long and peaceful night.
Lodel's small office was located above a bar on the main plaza. From the sole window, he could see people coming in from the park. A very interesting point of view.
It was the first time I found myself in a workspace like this. I had seen many labs and technical units, but never what qualified as an office. In the center of the room, three red chairs, as low as the couches in the cafeteria, surrounded a Japanese-style table. Between the chairs and the window was a standard desk cluttered with touch-screen catalogues, e-papers and a DAT.
A huge mediaframe took up one wall. Reminding me of a television test card, different windows represented locations in the Twilight. I read names of various dungeons, stages in the Cabaret, and number-labeled party rooms. Some of the colored windows were empty; others were filled with names or details of an event. Flag icons blinked here and there.
Smaller digital frames adorned the other walls with photographs of landscapes: a beach, mountains, fields of grain. They all featured a central character: a naked woman kneeling with her hands behind her neck.
Was this decor typically Khyrian, I wondered, or typically Lodel?
There was no door, but three openings led to two other offices and the staircase. When I appeared unannounced in the middle of the central entrance, Lodel was sitting in one of the red chairs, browsing through a holo-magazine. When he finally felt my presence and looked up, his face expressed comical disbelief. Regaining his composure, he stood up to greet me. In a few smart moves, he managed to position me in front of the desk where he blocked me from moving. He stood so close, I could hardly lift my arms.
Although his attire was more modest than the Renaissance-style costume he had worn at Jova's party, he was still overdressed. At work, all Khyrians wore T-shirts and comfortable pants or leggings. Lodel was dressed in a black suit opened on a gray collared shirt. I later observed that his waist-tight jacket ended in a short tail, much like the old days on Earth. Again, his elegance confused me. It was so out of place on a spaceship.
Remaining calm despite Lodel's burning stare, I told him the reason for my call.
"It's an old fantasy, and I thought you might enjoy helping me make it come true. Can you use a whip?"
"Of course," he shrugged. "But can you take it?"
Not wanting a rebuke, I lied. Lodel probably knew nothing about me or my past, so it would be easy to fool him.
"Of course," I mimicked. "We're not that clueless on Earth. I've played those games and liked them a lot. It should be even better with you; you guys are professionals."
"That's true." Although he tried, he couldn't conceal his excitement. "So you want to reserve a dungeon?"
"No, I want a big event. The Cabaret or a similar place."
"The Cabaret? Why? We'll have as much fun in a theme room. We could choose the Free Territories, you'll fit nicely. I'll invite a few friends and–"
"I don't want a private party. I want to attract a crowd. It's part of the fantasy."
Lodel was thinking. He knew I wasn't telling him everything, and the mystery increased his interest. He wrapped my face in his hands and forced me to look straight at him. I shivered under his touch and almost regretted coming to him, especially if I had to tell him the truth. But it wasn't like I had an option.
"Who do you want in the audience, Megan?"
As I kept silent, he went on: "Let me guess. A member of the Officer Corps, who's suddenly joined the Green shift ... somebody you're dying to impress."
Shit. Did the whole ship know about this?
"Don't make such a face!" Lodel laughed out loud. "There's nothing wrong with trying to seduce a Rhysh Master in the hope he'll top you. I'm right, huh? Khiru's the reason for all this?"
I confessed. If Lodel understood me,
it would be easier than expected. I immediately cheered up.
"Will you do it?"
"Mmm, I'm tempted. But you'll have to ask nicely."
He had used a distinctive Northie voice.
"Please."
"Please who?" He was waiting for me to address him with the mark of respect due to a master.
I hated him.
"Please ... Lodel-mah."
"That's better. You're so cute when you're humble. Yes, I'll do it. Now, how do you plan to get Khiru in the audience? He doesn't go out much, you know."
"I thought you could help me find a way. Isn't there another holiday we could celebrate?"
"There's Play Day, but we'll be almost home by then, and everyone will be too busy for celebrations. Khiru, of all people, won't waste his time watching whipping shows."
"Anything else? Could you organize a party in the Twilight?"
"I could, but we need a better idea. Let me think about it for a few days."
I was so grateful he'd accepted to help me, I gave him my best smile.
"Thank you!" I said, meaning it.
"My pleasure. Now, we haven't discussed the price."
"The price?"
Amounts of money came to mind until I understood his concept of compensation was altogether very different.
"You don't expect me to do this for nothing in return, do you?"
"Well, you'll get to whip me! Isn't that a treat?"
"I might enjoy it, yes, but whipping's not my preferred game. I want you to do me a real favor."
I became uncomfortable. I was ready to spend one night with him, not surrender to his deepest fantasies.
"What do you have in mind?" I said weakly.
"I want you to submit to me for a whole day."
"I can't get away for a whole day!" I protested. "It was hard enough to come here now."
"I don't care how you manage it, but it's a whole day or nothing. We can do it from noon to midnight, Blue time, if you prefer. I'm game."
Again, he left me no choice.
Worthy of a Master: The Tale of a Perfect Slave Page 14