On Another World

This is my first effort at Sci-Fi Fantasy. It will include a few made up words and names. If you are curious, I will be adding a short pronunciation guide at the end of this story. This tale is very loosely based, and I do mean loosely, on some of the writings of Edgar Rice Burroughs and John Norman...combined with my own sick, twisted imagination.

This story is a work of fiction. How much is fiction or not, I shall leave it to the reader to decide.

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My name is...or should I say was David R. Davidson. I am descended, though indirectly from the famous Davidson brothers who with a certain William S. Harley started a company in 1903, building motorcycles. I was born and grew up in California and, to nobody's surprise became a biker at a young age.

Throughout my younger years, I was also fascinated by all things military and joined the United States Marine Corps at 18. I was good enough and lucky enough to get into the Marine's elite Force Recon, the Marine's version of Special Forces, much like the Navy Seals or the Army's Green Berets. At that time, I also became interested in martial arts, almost to the point of obsession. I mastered, in seemingly little time, Taekwondo and Kempo and even won quite a few competitions. At the same time, after watching a few old Japanese movies, I also developed an interest in the katana, or as it's often referred to as the Samurai Sword. And, even became something of an expert with it.

I, myself had become what my officers jokingly referred to as a lethal weapon. I conducted many missions for the Marines and my country, most of which were and are still highly classified. Then, after 22 years, I started to become disenchanted with those who were in charge of my country and the military, so in late 1992 I retired and returned to the biker lifestyle. I joined a motorcycle club and after being a prospect for nearly a year and a half, became a full member. During my patching ceremony, I was christened DragonSlayer for my extreme enjoyment of playing Dungeons & Dragons as a kid. That was eventually shortened to DS.

Some years later, past my 50th birthday, I made an appointment to see my doctor. I had read somewhere than at my age, it's a good idea to be checked out occasionally, I had a complete physical. Near as I could tell everything went swimmingly well. A few days later, the doc called and asked me to come in and discuss my blood-work. He came in as I waited in his office. I could tell right away by the look on his face, the news was not good....

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Four years later:

The pain had become unbearable. I had been fighting a long losing battle with pancreatic cancer. The end was near. I had a few days at best. Or worse, depending on one's point of view. I wanted it to be over. My shriveled body lay in a hospital bed at a hospice near San Diego. The cancer had spread and was consuming my entire body.

My only joy in my last remaining days was reading. I read on a computer, scrolling though the stories with a mouse, as I no longer processed to strength to hold a book for any length of time. The last story I read was "A Princess of Mars" by Edgar Rice Burroughs. A fanciful tale of a former Confederate cavalry officer of the American Civil War, who was somehow mysteriously transported to Mars and became a great warrior and hero of sorts there. The story filled my dreams in what little troubled sleep I could get.

That night, I lay awake, begging death to come take me and end my suffering. The morphine no longer eased the pain very much at all.

I suddenly heard a voice. "Enough!" The pain vanished completely and I felt nothing, literally nothing.

Is this death?

I wondered. I opened my eyes to find that I had no eyes to see with. How could I see? There were two men talking to one another there. I could hear them, but how? I had no ears. My body, everything was gone. Only my consciousness remained. But these were not men, not human anyway. They looked like small grey aliens from movies and TV I had seen. These two, unlike the movies, were dressed in jump suits that were as black as night.

"The sickness has been eliminated." The first said. "And the body is being regenerated to its prime and modified."

I thought he was speaking to me, but learned otherwise when the second said, "Yes, but this will take time...We waited too long."

"No." The first said, "We still have time."

"What of the data download and the transportation difficulties?"

"It cannot be helped. His species will always have that particular problem. He will remember all, eventually."

Then it seemed as though some one turned the lights off. Nothing but, blackness everywhere. At that point, consciousness left me....

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"My Lord, I am for thee." Said a sweet sounding, lilting feminine voice.

"Hmmm?" I muttered.

Then I came to. Where the hell was I? Who was I? I had little memory of anything. I was confused like I never had been in my life. Had I blacked out? Was I dead? It seemed to me as if centuries had passed. I wasn't even lying down. I was standing...on my own. I could remember that I had been ill, very ill and almost nothing else. Most important, there was no pain. I felt better than I ever had in my life. I looked around myself and was mildly shocked. I appeared to be in what looked like a medieval castle, yet with glass windows and modern lighting. I was mildly amused at the way I was dressed. I was in tight, black leather pants, knee high boots made of leather with metal plating and a loose fitting tunic of what looked like black cotton. Inscribed on the tunic, was a golden shield with a winged dragon done also in deepest black. I turned my head in the direction of the voice I heard and stared....

She stood there slightly bowing gracefully to me; her arms held away from her thin, lithe body, hands were palms up. Fear and anticipation covered her face. She was wearing a short diaphanous silver dress-like garment with but one strap over her left shoulder, which revealed much more than it covered. Easily she was one of the loveliest creatures I had ever seen, yet I instinctively knew she wasn't human. I wasn't sure exactly how I knew that, but I was certain. Her skin was the blackest black I could ever imagine. So dark it seemed to absorb all light around it. Her hair, in contrast was as white as snow. Long and silky in soft curls that hung nearly to her hips. Even the tiny bit of fine hair along her forearms was purest white. She waited expectantly.

"And you are?" I asked not sure what else to say.

"I am Qij-jah, the slave girl. My Lord...I am for thee." She said to me in her soft smooth voice kneeling down before me. She looked at the floor.

"Explain." I snapped. I tend to be a little cross when confronted with very confusing situations.

"I was selected for thee because of mine intelligence, my Lord. He Who Leads told me thou art from far away...that our ways are not thy ways. I am to assist thee in any way needed. To help thee adjust to thine new life here amongst us. Henceforth, thou art to be my master if thou art pleased with me. I am thine to do with as thee pleases...or not." The last two words were spoken fearfully.

"Then look at me. Where I come from, it is customary to look at someone when you are speaking to them." I ordered her.

She looked up at me and again I was struck by her loveliness. I was entranced by the beauty of her eyes. They were as deep black as her skin was, but with tiny gold flecks in them. Like the rest of her hair, her eyebrows and lashes were also purest white. In her black/gold eyes, I swore I could see her emotions. At the moment, I could actually feel her need to be any service to me. It seemed to me to be a sort of telepathy....

Interesting

. I thought. Although, I knew she was not actually human, she was by far the most attractive woman I could ever recall seeing. Her facial features were as soft and delicate as any I had ever seen. She was beautiful! "How much have you been told about me?" I asked her.

"Please, my Lord, before we go any further, I must need to ask thee if I am acceptable to thee."

"Acceptable?" I asked.

"To be thy slave, my Lord. If not, I can have another girl sent. But, I am trained to be for thee...I beg thee to accept me." Something in her voice and her eyes desperately pleaded with me to accept her. Something in the back of my mind rebelled against my common sense and told me to accept her offer to be a slave to me. Inexplicably, her eyes changed color. They became a very light grey, bordering on white. To the point, it was difficult to distinguish the irises from the rest of her eyes except for the pupils.

"You will suffice...for now." I said trying to sound indifferent. The truth was I want to get to know her

a lot

better in more ways than one. I mentally cursed at myself. Here I was lost and confused, yet this lovely creature had unknowingly brought out some of my baser carnal instincts.

She smiled at me broadly. "Yes, Master!" She said cheerfully.

Master?" I asked.

"Yes, Master. Now that thou hast accepted me, I may call thee that." She seemed to be almost bubbling with excitement.

"You can call me that? You may it sound like it's some kind of special privilege." I chuckled.

"Oh yes, Master! Thou hast no idea. Remember, Master...our ways are not thine. I promise to explain everything to thee. Here, it is every slave girl's fondest wish to be able to call her man Master. Especially the Qoo-jan. That is the way of the females of my kind." She spoke rapidly, yet clearly.

"The Qoo-jan?" I queried.

"I am of the Qoo-jan...mine race or species." She explained. "Like you, we are not originally from here either. We were brought to this place many thousands of years ago to serve to the Terranians by the Grey Ones."

I remarked. "Apparently, there is a great deal I need to learn here."

That's when I noticed that I was not speaking English. It sounded like no other language I'd ever heard before, yet I understood it fully, even to its finest nuances and inflections and spoke it as if it were my native tongue.

When and how did I learn this language?

I was completely overwhelmed, yet managed to remain outwardly calm.

"Yes, Master." Qij-jah said. She stood and looked into my eyes. "May I approach thee?"

I nodded, but said nothing.

She moved closer. As she got closer, I took a really good look at her. Her eyes were slanted inward and had a strong Asian look about them. Her ears, now that I could see them clearly, were pointed much as one would imagine an elf's. She was much shorter than I first thought, barely coming up to my shoulders. Then, gently, she put her hands on my shoulders and pulled down ever so softly. I bent slightly, following her lead. She rose up on her toes and touched her forehead to mine.

What happened then was staggering. I could feel what she felt. Her emotions struck me almost like a physical blow, but were not all that unpleasant. I could actually feel her happiness, her joy at being accepted by me. For a moment, her joy became mine. For reasons I did not yet understand, her eyes changed color again. They slowly turned golden brown...and then the color gold bullion...bright and shiny, as if they were giving off light of their own. The joy and happiness I had felt emanating from her became even more powerful and then seemed to mix with yet another emotion, but before I could identify it, she broke the physical contact. She then grinned sheepishly and stepped back.

"Ahem!" a voice interrupted.

I turned and looked, then nearly burst out laughing. There before me was what I could only describe as a wizard. The exact image in my mind of Merlin when, as a youngster, I'd read about King Arthur's court. Complete with long flowing black robe and a tall white staff.

M'lord Dee-Ess...." He sniffled in a voice that clearly indicated he thought himself superior to me. He glanced at Qij-jah and said. "I can see that he has accepted you, girl. Go now and make yourself ready, then fetch the bracelet."

"At once, my Lord." She smiled joyously at me, then turned and fled quickly.

He turned back to me, "I am the Arch-Mage of Terrania, Gilliam. Like the girl, I am here to assist you in your transition." He gave me a slight bow which he clearly disliked doing.

"I guess my first question should be, is where am I?"

"Why Terrania, of course." He said as though this were common knowledge. Seeing that I did not understand, he rolled his eyes theatrically and said, "Come." He indicated a balcony near by and we both walked out onto it.

I was again stunned. I muttered to myself, "Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore." This was very clearly not Earth! The night sky was black with a noticeable purple hue. The stars appeared to be brighter and clearer than I was accustomed to. The moon, I saw was very much like the one I remembered, except that it wasn't alone. To my right was another, much larger moon. This one however looked like it had an atmosphere...land masses, oceans... even forests.

As if reading my mind, Gilliam said, "That is Qoo-jah. The home world of the Qoo-jan. Then he pointed to my left to a dim yellow star, "That star is the one you call Sol. That is where you came here from." The night sky here was so breath-takingly beautiful that Earth's was dull in comparison.

"But, why...." I stammered.

"All will be explained at the right time. I will tell you this much, Qij-jah and myself are the only ones who know of your true origin. And for the time being, that

must not

change." Gilliam's voice was ominously serious. "By accepting her, it might surprise you to know, you have unwittingly spared Qij-jah's life. And, by doing so, you have gained a slave of unquestioning loyalty. Had you rejected her, she would have been put to death. There is much more to her than you know. You've spent time with her...have you not yet actually felt her heart?"

"Yes, I felt something, but I thought that was...."

"No! What you felt were her true feelings. It is how the Qoo-jan are. They cannot hide what they feel, especially when they become a bound slave. If ever there is any deceit in her heart, you will know it almost before she does. I think that is very unlikely though as she is devoted to you already." He smiled. "She has been training since her childhood to serve you. More than twenty cycles."

I was about to ask what a cycle was when the answer popped into my mind like a long lost memory. A cycle was a Terranian year. Although, at something over 700 days was a much longer year than on Earth. Even the days, called cyclics here were also nearly twice as long as those I had known before on Earth.

He led me back inside to a table with several chairs around it and indicated that I should sit. I did so and he sat across from me. "While Qij-jah is preparing, I should further explain a few things to you."

"First..." He continued "...She is yours...completely. More so than you can possibly comprehend right now. She shall be your servant, your valet, your teacher, even your concubine if and whenever you wish it. Once bound, serving and pleasing you will be her whole life. She will even give up her life for you if it ever becomes necessary."

This is a bit much to take in all at once. A dozen questions began to form in my mind, but Gilliam went on before I could ask even one.

"Then there are the emotional eye pigmentation changes." He said.

"Huh?"

He waved me silent like a recalcitrant schoolchild. "It is very much similar to us blushing, but with the eyes. If the eyes turn grey or white, she is frightened or it could mean sadness. Red indicates anger, golden brown means happiness and gold shows she's aroused...ready for copulation...you know, for mating or any sexual use you may desire. As I told you before, emotionally speaking, she can hide nothing from you.

I wasn't too sure I liked this idea of having a slave. I had been brought up thinking it wrong. And I liked this fellow's casual attitude about it even less. "She's trained all that time to be a slave girl, a servant and a sex toy to a man?" I asked sarcastically.

Another theatrical roll of the eyes. "No, she has been trained to be yours...specifically. We've known for some time that you would be coming. I've known for more than 300 cycles!"

I did some quick math in my head. It came to more than a thousand years where I came from.

How old is this guy? What was life expectancy on this world?

"I wasn't even born on my home world then!" I snapped at him.

Now, why did I say that? Why did I refer to Earth as my home world? And, why did it seem perfectly natural for me to do so?

"Nonetheless." He said haughtily. This fellow was really starting to get on my nerves. "Qaj-jah!" He yelled over his shoulder.

In a moment, a door opened and another Qoo-jan slave girl entered. She walked so smoothly, it was as if she were gliding across the floor. She could easily be a twin to Qij-jah. She might be a tiny bit taller, bit I couldn't be sure. I stared at her, briefly confused...again. She was quite lovely and wore next to nothing. A pair of soft leather sandals with straps that wrapped around her calves stopping just below the knees. A tiny purple wrap around skirt that left almost nothing to the imagination. A strong breeze might reveal whatever she did or did not wear beneath it. Beyond that and a little jewelry, she wore nothing. Her breasts were fully exposed and very lovely to look at. I would guess they were about a 36C by Earth reckoning...pert with nipples that were lighter than the rest of her skin. A dark golden brown.

She bowed gracefully to Gilliam. "Yes, Master?" Then she turned to look at me.

She froze. Her eyes flashed a grayish white. "Master, it is him! It really is him!" The poor girl was terrified. I could feel it. I was beginning to have second thoughts about Qij-jah. This ability to actually feeling other's emotions was turning into a huge pain in the ass.

Right then, another seemingly lost memory popped into my head. I would eventually get used to this thing and even gain some measure of control over it.

Meanwhile, Qaj-jah dropped to her knees on the marble floor. She pressed her head to the floor and stretched her arms toward me. Almost inaudibly, she stammered, "M-M-My Lord, forgive me." By this time, her eyes were nearly as white as her hair.

I look down at her and after a moment, commanded her. "Get on your feet, immediately."

She jumped to feet and stood close to Gilliam still frightened. She started to speak, but I silenced her with a gesture.

"You will never prostrate yourself before me like that again. A simple bow as to your master will suffice. Is that understood?

She nodded, but said nothing.

"This is my home now, is it not?" I looked at Gilliam...He nodded. I spoke calmly. "In my home, we do things my way, all right?"

Gilliam and Qaj-jah nodded as the natural deep black pigmentation slowly returned to her eyes.

A transformation came over Gilliam. Suddenly he seemed become tender and caring. He turned to Qaj-jah and said. "You are here to assist in a bonding ceremony."

"He has accepted the one selected for him?" She asked, smiling.

"Yes. Qij-jah." He informed her, smiling.

"Qij-jah? My Qij-jah?" She asked incredulously. She is to be bonded to The One?"

"Yes, she is to be bonded to him." He nodded toward me. Then, he noticed my apparent confusion. "They are siblings." He told me.

Still baffled, I asked, "The One?"

In English, he said "Later." Giving me a warning look.

Further discussion would have to wait as Qij-jah apparently picked that moment to return. She reentered carrying a small ornately decorated wooden box. She was now appeared to be dressed identically as Qaj-jah save that the short skirt she wore was bright red and not purple. Her bare breasts were perhaps just a wee bit smaller than her sister's was, but prettier I thought.