Part 2

"Master, is this truly necessary?" Shaasta protested, as she and Hansen were guided down the stone steps to the processing lab beneath the Southern Rose pet shop.

Frelic gave a light tug on the leashes clasped to the Elf and Squirrel's collars to hurry them along, "Yes, my dear brats. This is indeed truly necessary. Now that I am one thousand and thirty-five gold pieces poorer, I am determined to protect my investment."

"But you need not worry," she countered, "I give my solemn promise that I will not run away. And you know good and well that I am always true to my word."

"That is not what I am worried over, sis," Frelic told her, "I know that neither of you would run away from me. We are doing this to protect you from the possibility of being stolen by slavers ever again. The only way to ensure that is for the two of you to wear my mark on your bottoms."

"But how can you know that a brand will deter a slaver?" she asked, "What would stop one from removing the mark, as you yourself did for me after my escape from Mistress Triniti?"

"Honor would stop them," Varo, the Furling Wolf who owned the Southern Rose said, "Odd as it may sound, Slavers do possess a sense of honor. Should one who is taken have a mark of ownership, the captor will not remove the brand and will, in fact, take the captive under protection to eventually be returned to his or her rightful owner."

"This is done out of respect for the owner," Lilieblume added, "out of respect for the time and expense invested in training and conditioning the pet or slave to serve submissively and faithfully."

They reached the bottom of the stairs, and passed through a set of double doors into a softly lit chamber that was decorated in a traditional dungeon motif. Hansen was grinning with amusement as his bright eyes scanned the room, while Shaasta gazed nervously at the collection of torture and taming devices set up down here.

"Ooh!" the Furling exclaimed, his eyes filled with awe at the scene before them, "This is really neat. Do you actually get to use all of these things, Master Varo?"

The Wolf chuckled and shook his head, "No, little one. Much of what you see here is merely for show, to add the proper touch of atmosphere to the lab, at least the toys that were designed to cause permanent injury or worse."

"Just atmosphere," Shaasta echoed Varo's assurance, now noticeably more at ease, though still nervous about what was to occur down here. She rubbed her bottom in anticipation of the searing it was soon going to receive so soon after the paddling her brother had given her as part of her inspection. She had more questions, but those would have to wait, a few minutes at least, as they were ready to begin their final processing.

Master Varo stood between a pair of cushioned examining tables, which were fitted with leather shackles at the corners, iron rings fitted with sturdy chains at the front end; and like with the display pads out in the show room, a pair of heavy chains hung suspended from the ceiling above the tables; one with an iron hook on the end and the other featuring another shackle, "Bring your pets forward, Master Willowpaw," he instructed.

Frelic led Shaasta and Hansen over to stand before the Wolf, and released the clasps attaching the leashes to their leather collars; then gave them each an affectionate and reassuring pat on their behinds before Varo and Lilieblume, the Wolf's Halfling pet helped them get comfortable on the examination tables.

With the two new pets lying face down, Varo and Lilie secured their wrists and ankles in the leather shackles at the corners of the table so that their legs were spread wide, and Hansen's bushy tail was bound in the overhead shackle and pulled up out of the way, so that once again, their most intimate treasures were visible for all to see. Finally, the Halfling slipped thick pillows underneath them to help thrust their bottoms up a little more, while Varo clasped the other overhead chains and the ones at the front end of the tables to the rings in the pets' collars, so that they were completely immobilized.

Varo padded over to a storage cabinet and extracted a number of syringes, needles, vials, flasks, cannisters, and a pair of small round wooden paddles; all of which he arranged neatly on a cart and wheeled over between the two tables. He and Lilieblume each took a syringe and mithril needle, and broke the seals on a couple vials of a thick blue liquid, which was drawn into the syringes.

"Vitamin solution," the Halfling reminded Frelic, answering the question he really wasn't going to ask.

The wizard nodded politely and smiled, "Yes, I remember, the same formula your Master gave Mistie earlier."

Without another word, Wolf and Halfling slid their thick needles into the left cheeks of the two newly purchased pets' upturned and upthrust bottoms, pressing the mithril shafts in until they were buried to the hilt in the soft, tender flesh. The initial puncture hurt, of course, but that was mild compared to the burn of the viscous serum as the plungers on the syringes forced the nourishing solution into their bodies. After an agonizingly long half a minute, the syringes were empty. The needles were extracted from their butts, and then Varo and Lilieblume took the round paddles and landed a couple firm smacks on the area where the shots were administered.

"This helps to work the formula into their systems properly," the Wolf explained to Frelic, as he and the Halfling massaged the blade of the paddle over their patients' behinds.

Shaasta sighed. It seemed as if her bottom was fated to forever be a major focus of attention, "Master Varo," she said, "Does everything always have to be focused on my butt, especially if it involves inflicting pain?"

Varo responded with another swat from the paddle and chuckled, "To put it plainly, my dear love pet," he said, "Yes and yes."

Hansen, who, naturally was aroused by the painful injection and the subsequent paddle smack, couldn't help but giggle at his girlfriend's embarrassed frustration, "Shaasta, dear," he chittered, "That is what a lovely bottom such as yours was made for. Didn't you realize that by now?"

Almost as if on queue, Lilieblume gave him another pair of swats with her paddle, "The same goes with your lovely bottom as well, silly little Squirrel," she reminded him, giving his nether cheeks a hard pinch.

He blushed and smiled, though the Halfling could not see his face from where she stood, "Thank-you, Lilie. Now, what is next in our processing? Is it time for our brandings yet?"

"Not quite, yet, little one," Varo answered, massaging Shaasta's rear with the paddle for a few more seconds, then giving her another swat, for no other reason than because he could, "We have a couple more fluids to put into you first."

"Yeah," Lilieblume added, "But don't worry. We will be searing your ass soon enough."

Continuing with the task at hand, Varo and Lilie set aside the spent syringes and needles to be sterilized and recycled and selected a fresh set, along with vials of a clear liquid. As they filled the new syringes, Varo explained, "This next shot is a dose of what is known as Tempspay." For the second time, Shaasta's and Hansen's aft ends were pierced, this time in the right cheek, and the serum was injected into their bodies. This one though was not as thick as the vitamin mix.

"This is one of the most important shots a pet should receive on a regular schedule," Lilieblume instructed Frelic. "As the name implies, Tempspay prevents accidental breeding. It works on both males and females, and one dose provides protection for a full thirty days."

"I don't know whether or not you plan on making full use of Shaasta's assets and talents, what with her being your sister," Varo said. He removed the needle and as with the previous injection, gave Shaasta's rear a couple swats and massage with the paddle to work the serum in, "But even if you don't use her as a boink bunny, I still recommend giving her monthly Tempspay shots anyway."

"Just in case you have guests that wish to use her," the Halfling explained. "Personally, I see no reason why you wouldn't want to make use of such a lovely little creature yourself. After all, she is now first and foremost your pet, and is expected to submit herself to your desires at any time."

Frelic found himself blushing tremendously at the suggestion. He had been planning on making his sister a personal aide, and had not considered the possibilities of using her as a pleasure pet. It wasn't as if the two had never been intimate with each other before, but that was back when they were still tender tails, first becoming sexually aware and experimenting together as they explored those strange new feelings. He stood beside her and let his gaze and his hands wander over her nymphly body, traveling from her neck, down her back, over the rise of her sweet soft rear, and along her thighs. Here she lay naked before him, now a full grown Elven woman, plush and sexy, being prepared for a lifetime of service and submission to her new master. She belonged one hundred percent to him. Frelic was now her legal owner. He felt a stirring again beneath his robes and tunic as he noted just how perfectly beautiful Shaasta was, and though the thought still embarrassed him, he could not deny that the desire for her indeed burned deep within him.

"I will consider that possibility," Frelic said, "We will see."

"Trust me, Master Frelic," Hansen advised, "Shaasta is absolutely fantastic. You may become addicted to her even. I know I am." Once more, the Elf girl's face turned a soft red, and a sweet dampness formed between her thighs as those around her discussed the use of her tail.

"At any rate," Varo continued, "you do not have to worry about Shaasta getting accidentally knocked up now, nor worry about your other pet accidentally knocking up some unsuspecting lass. Just remember to give them the Tempspay shots every thirty days." The second set of injectors were set aside, and Varo then motioned Frelic over to the cart.

"Finally," he announced, "we have one more task before we brand them. He picked up a pair of pint flasks containing a jade green liquid. One flask was handed to Lilieblume, and the other was presented to Frelic. "There is no reason why I should have all the fun with Shaasta," the Wolf apologized, "After all, she is your pet, so you should have the option of working on her if you wish."

Frelic nodded and looked over the flask, "So then, what type of potion is this?" He removed the stopper and took a whiff of the contents, his nose filling with the scent of roses and the sweet aroma that permeates the air right before an electrical storm.

"That is a Potion of Dragon Metabolism," Varo said, "It augments the Gehennite that is used for their weekly cleansings by increasing their metabolism's efficiency to that similar to a Dragon's."

"Ah, I see. Close to one hundred percent of what they take in gets converted to energy." Frelic put the stopper back on the flask, and thought a moment. "Whoever came up with this formula must be quite the genius. I would think that in addition to maintaining cleanliness, a pet that has this stuff in her would probably be able to last a long long time; if you take my meaning."

Varo chuckled and nodded, "Yes, that is quite correct. A pet can play for hours on end with a Potion of Dragon Metabolism in her body. And if you don't want your pet staying up and awake for days, we do have a serum that can counter that particular effect without degrading the others."

"I should hope so," Frelic replied, "I can imagine how hard one would crash the instant the potion wears off; she would probably sleep for days. Now, how is this potion administered? Is Shaasta supposed to drink it?"

"That's one way," Varo nodded, "It can also be administered rectally as well. Truth to tell, it doesn't matter how we get the potion into her."

Frelic laughed, and smacked his sister on the rump, "That sounds just fine by me. We will do it the fun way." He glanced over at Hansen, who was laying there patiently waiting, with Lilieblume standing beside him, her own flask in hand.

"The same goes for him," Frelic declared, "Give it to the Furling the way pets and slaves are meant to take it. Pour it up his ass."

Hansen grinned excitedly, "I wouldn't expect it any other way, Master!"

The stoppers were removed from the flasks and replaced with long, round-tipped applicator tubes. Frelic stood behind Shaasta and Lilieblume assumed her position behind Hansen.

"Go ahead and give them the full pint," Varo instructed, "That is a five day dosage. I'll see to it that you are supplied with the serum to help them sleep."

Lilieblume positioned the tip of the applicator at the entrance to Hansen's aft passage, swirling it around the tight rim first to help relax him and make him more receptive. Frelic followed the Halfling's example and did the same to his sister. Then on the Wolf's mark, the typical count of three, the shafts were gently inserted fully up inside the pets' butts, causing the now familiar gasp and moan in stereo from them.

In tandem, they tilted the flasks up, and let gravity do its work, feeding the jade potions through the small hole in the end of the tubes into the pets' aft chambers. Frelic smiled as he watched Shaasta squirm in her bonds, flexing and moaning as the liquid filled and stretched her inside. He placed one hand on her bottom, and again gently caressed the soft, round flesh, which would soon be seared with his mark.

"Such a lovely tail," he said, "so smooth and flawless. 'Tis a pity it must me marred with a brand."

"Aye," Varo agreed, "It would indeed seem like a crime against nature to mark such a perfect bottom. But considering the alternative, such is the lesser of the two evils."

Frelic nodded agreement, "Yes, it is for the best." The flasks were now three quarters full. He gave his a little shake, trying to speed up the transfer, which elicited another round of pleasured whimpering and flexing from his sister. From the next table over, he could hear a steady rhythm of whines and gasps. Glancing over, he noted that Hansen was thoroughly enjoying the tail feeding.

The Furling's ass was thrust up higher than before; his furry cheeks clenched and relaxed steadily, hungrily taking in the potion like a suckling kitten. The Halfling behind him was smiling, enjoying administering the potion as much as he was enjoying receiving it. Her hand caressed the right cheek of his bottom, then wandered down to playfully stroke the hard shaft that was again protruding from the Squirrel's furry sheath.

"Oh, Hansen," she giggled, giving his erect member a squeeze, "You are one fabulous little pet, so easy to please. I bet you are going to keep your master busy busy busy."

"Master, Varo," Frelic said, "On our way down here, something Shaasta said started me thinking. Despite that sense of honor you mentioned, she still had a valid point. What would stop a determined and unscrupulous slaver from having a captured pet's brand removed, instead of respecting the mark? After all, a brand is not too difficult to remove, even for a magick wielder of modest abilities, such as I was when I removed the brand Mistress Triniti had placed on Shaasta."

"Answer me a few questions," Varo replied, "First, was Mistress Triniti's mark always visible?"

"Of course it was. It was a typical brand that had then been tattooed over in silver ink. 'Twas clearly visible as the noon sun."

Varo nodded and continued, "Therein lies the problem. A mark like that is indeed a simple matter to lift, even by, as you put it, a person of even the most modest abilities. But now, here is my next question. The first time Shaasta was taken, what was the first thing her captor did to her?"

"When my sister and I were taken prisoner aboard the Bloodlust," Frelic recalled, "We, and several other prisoners were stripped naked, and then Captain Hayes, Ship's Sorceress Mistress Triniti, and Ship's Disciplinarian Lieutenant Tarna paddled our butts."

"And, tell me, Hansen," the Wolf pressed onward, "When Corporal Wheaton and his band of slavers took you and Shaasta, what was the first thing he did to you?"

The Furling remembered clearly as if that incident had occurred mere hours ago, "He stripped us naked and paddled our butts, right in front of his troops."

"And finally," Varo finished, "Do you know why you were paddled first thing?"

Shaasta shrugged, "Could it be because everyone seems to be obsessed with our bottoms and they enjoy spanking us?" she guessed.

Frelic laughed and patted his sister's ass, "I'm sure that could be one of the reasons. I know Lieutenant Tarna seemed to be obsessed with my rear back on the Bloodlust. That bird was always finding the slimmest of reasons to summon me for a tail roasting. However, I suspect that Master Varo may have another theory."

"Oh, it's not a mere theory," Varo corrected him, "Trust me on this detail. Enjoyment of spanking you was only a secondary reason you were initially paddled." He padded over behind Lilieblume, "When they roasted your behinds, both your first owners and Corporal Wheaton were looking for a hidden brand."

Frelic looked confused, "I don't quite follow you, Master Varo," he admitted, "We were totally naked, and a brand is a rather prominent feature, not something that could be easily concealed." The flask was finally emptied, its contents now fully inside of Shaasta. He set the empty flask down on the table between her legs, leaving it docked in her aft port to keep the potion from spilling out while it slowly absorbed into her body.

"Allow me to demonstrate," the Wolf offered. "Bring me one of those paddles and come join me over here.

Frelic fetched one of the small paddles off the cart and presented it to Varo, just as the Halfling was finishing up her task with Hansen.

She released her grip on Hansen's cock and lowered the empty flask to the table, keeping the Furling plugged as Frelic had done to his sister. "It will take a few minutes for you to fully absorb that much potion," she explained, "After that, we can finally get you properly marked."

The Furling nodded and moaned his acknowledgment. With a full pint of the warm liquid stretching his tight little ass, he felt as if he had just become a surrogate mother to an unborn duck. He sighed contentedly, "This will be a regular treatment, Master Frelic?"

Frelic smirked and chuckled, giving the remarkable little slut a swat, which he was finding to be rather addictive, "Oh, most definitely, my little sweet tail. We want to keep your little treasure hole ready for use at a moment's notice."