This story is based on the John Norman Chronicles of Gor series of novels. (As always, copyrights are the property of the copyright-holder(s).) Translations for Gorean words (those whose meaning cannot be determined by context) can be found at a number of websites. And for those Gor fans who quibble with details or believe this goes too far afield of the Chronicles of Counter-Earth, remember ... this is fiction.
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"I believe I have had enough of Qamar for an entire lifetime," said Marius to Tarana.
Marius was lying naked on top of a table in another alcove. Tarana was applying agrimony and honey to the numerous cuts on his body, the result of his losing duel with Qamar and the aftermath. She was wearing a loincloth, that covered the absolute minimum width of her genitalia. Her nipples were covered by two rings connected by a chain.
Marius had been led to the alcove by Tarana at Trask's direction.
"Magnificent!" said Trask after he had kissed Marius on the lips. "They were enchanted! A performance like that has never been seen in this city!"
Trask did not give Marius back his silks, which was fine with Marius, but he refused Marius any other clothing. Marius was not the only nude slave in the compound, but he appeared to be the only male nude slave there.
"You are too valuable to be sold now," said Trask. "You cannot imagine how much I have profited today. I have been nominated to head my caste. I will have to find some way to reward you."
"You can reward me by releasing me," asked Marius.
Trask laughed. "How amusing you are," he said. "Perhaps you are a tuchuk after all."
Tarana carefully reached between his butt cheeks to apply salve on the inside of his buttocks. Tarana also occasionally fed him chunks of Sa-Tassna left over from the event while he drank Gorean ale, in part to slake his thirst and in part to get the taste of the salty semen out of his mouth.
"I should probably avoid the paga from now on too," he added.
Tarana massaged Marius' legs, calves and feet. Given what he had gone through, the massage felt almost as good as being ridden by a kajira. Almost.
"Tell me, Tarana," said Marius. "Whom do you serve?"
"A girl serves any man," said Tarana. "A girl's master owns her, but a girl is to serve any man."
"How long have you been here?"
"A girl came here in En'Kara. This is the second Camerius I have been here." Which meant she had been there for about 15 Yhn.
"How many kajira are here?"
Tarana thought. "Usually five to 10. As many as 20. Many are not here long."
"What do you mean?"
"They come here. And then they leave within a few days."
Leave within a few days? Was Trask, a physician, also a slave trader? That might come as interesting news to the Caste of Slavers if Trask wasn't trading with them.
"There are slave pens here?"
"No. They are brought in by slave traders. And then after a few days, they leave in slave boxes. The slave boxes come back, but there is something in them. I do not know what."
Having seen a Kurii silver tube, Marius could guess what was in the silver boxes.
"This girl asks your favor to tell a girl something," she said.
"What is it?"
"You ask these questions because you are trying to leave this place."
Marius paused, wondering how much he should tell her. "I do not belong here. I was abducted and brought here by your master."
"Abduction," not "capture," because capture implies permanence. "Who has worth who would not keep his freedom?" was the 13th of the 100 Aphorisms of the Gorean Warrior Codes, which served as good discipline when he needed to focus his mind (in keeping with the 18th Aphorism, "Only a clean weapon can kill cleanly. Only a calm mind can act swiftly").
Marius would submit to Trask's ritual degradations only as long as absolutely necessary (the 23rd Aphorism: "Woe be it to any who yields all! A collar of iron awaits him one day") until he could devise a plan for his goal — to kill Trask.
