Part 2: Sold Like a Trinket in the Market

How long she was left there she had no idea. Other than an occasional moan or groan from Shawna, she could believe the world had ended. She sank into a half sleep state, thinking of her past life of freedom. Hating her father for selling her into this existence. The clank of the chamber's door brought her back to the present. Brother Lazaro, Meurte, the guard and an opulently robed man in white stood before her.

"A biter? She looks lovely though," the man in white said. "You can guarantee she is a virgin?"

"See for yourself, my Lord Mayor," Lazaro said, raising the platform.

The man stepped forward to slide his finger into Julia's vagina. She tried to beg for him not to touch her, the only sounds grunts from her gagged mouth as he fondled her sex. His hand ran up her torso, pain flashing through her as it crossed the still painful welts raised by the whipping.

"A beautiful child," he said. "I'll give you two gold pieces."

"Five, my Lord Mayor," Brother Lazaro responded.

"Three and I'll have my police officers look the other way when you bring in that contraband on the Mary Celest next Friday."

"We have a deal then, my Lord," Lazaro said a knowing smile crossing his lips.

"My Lord Mayor," Meurte broke in, "she's not trained. She needs much more training and has earned a severe beating."

"I think not," the Mayor replied. "My son's birthday party is tonight and I think she would make a lovely gift." He turned to Julia and lifted her head to look into her eyes, "My son can be a gentle master. Or a harsh one like his father."

Lazaro released the clip holding Julia's arms to the platform. The Mayor helped her off and steadied her as she tried to regain her balance. He removed the collar that Meurte had placed on her, replacing it with one of his own in the city's livery of white and green.

A tug on the leash and Julia trailed behind the two men, leaving a sputtering Meurte in the chamber. The mayor pulled Julia onto his lap after entering the carriage that seemed to be Lazaro's favorite form of transport. His hands gently massaged her nipples as the two men talked of business. The carriage stopped and the platform began to rise. It took Julia a few seconds to realize that they were on a giant elevator that was raising them up. She looked around as best she could as the elevator passed several levels before coming to rest at the top.

The carriage exited the Temple through a large door and entered a courtyard filled with fountains, trees and flowers. Not even the city's grand plaza was this nice. A more traditional conveyance awaited them near the far gate, the Mayor pulled Julia into the backseat of a large white auto.

"What a waste of energy," Julia thought to herself, seeing that she and the Mayor were the only passengers in the auto. The Mayor shoved Julia to the floor as he unfastened the trousers beneath his robe.

"If I take off the gag will you be good and suck my cock like the slave you are?" he asked. "I can always return you to Brother Meurte's tender care if you'd like," he said when Julia made no answer.

Julia nodded her head, willing at this point to do anything if it meant not returning to that hateful chamber. The Mayor unhooked the gag and pulled it from her mouth. Julia moved her jaw about to ease the tension.

"You should thank me, slave."

"Thank you, um, Master?" she replied.

"Master Lars," he replied. "My son, Elias, will be your true master when we arrive."

"Thank you Master Lars," she said as his hand gripped her hair and brought her head forward.

Julia didn't resist as his penis slipped into her mouth. After the vile taste of Meurte's, Master Lars' was clean and odorless. She followed his instructions as he taught her to suck cock. The sound of Meurte's laugh echoing in her mind whenever she thought to resist. After he had ejaculated into her mouth, he pulled her back onto the seat letting her rest against the edge as the auto made it's way thought the city and up the hill to the Mayor's home.

With a start Julia woke. Master Lars was tugging her leash and pulling her from the auto. A naked woman of indeterminate age stood next to the auto. Without a word she took Julia's leash and led her into the huge white house. Down a set of stairs, Julia began to fear a dungeon as they passed from the area lit by electric lights and into a chamber lit by candles alone. Instead of a torture chamber, Julia found herself in a bath, steam rising from the water.

The older slave silenced her with a finger to her lips when she started to ask questions. She quickly stripped off all of Julia's chains, leaving only the collar marking her as property of the Mayor's house. The older slave helped Julia step into and settle in the bath before beginning to wash her hair. She decided to enjoy it while it lasted, a soothing relaxed state taking over her mind as the slave washed her body. The only time she resisted was when the slave washed her labia. A stearn look from the older slave made her relent. The slave's finger slid inside her coming to rest against her hymen. For the first time the slave spoke.

"My son will be gentle when he takes this," she said.

Again Julia's attempts to ask questions were met with a finger to the lips. The older slave helped Julia to stand, then rinsed the soapy water from her body before helping her out of the bath. A huge soft towel was employed to dry her and she was led into a small room vacant of anything save a small cot and a toilet. A window high on the outside wall giving the room it's only illumination. Julia heard the lock turn in the door even before she realized it had been closed. Looking around the small room she could see no exit except the now locked door. She sat on the cot, finding it soft and comfortable. After failing to reach the window to look out, Julia gave up and laid on the cot. Her only entertainment came from watching the sunlight as it made it's way up the wall. As the sunlight faded to dusk, Julia slipped into a light slumber.

A scream caught in her throat as she sat upright on the cot. The nightmare fading slowly in the dark room. She instinctively reached for the bedside lamp, only to have her hand fall on air where the night stand should have been. In the dim light she could just make out the small cell, a fresh feeling of despair washing over her as realization that this wasn't a nightmare. She tugged on the collar around her throat, wondering how this could be. Just this morning she had been free, the daughter of a seemingly successful businessman, and now a slave to be bartered. She sat back on the cot her shoulders slumped against the wall, unable, unwilling to go back to sleep.

Julia must have fallen asleep anyway, for the next thing she knew the older slave was shaking her awake. She blinked in the light streaming in from the open doorway as the slave clipped a leash to her collar and pulled her upright.

"Do I need to secure your wrists and ankles?" the slave asked.

"No," she replied.

She knew that even if she were to escape she had nowhere to run to. Her father would just return her to the Red Temple and anywhere else she would be treated as bad or worse. She was led up several flights of stairs ending in the alcove of a large, well lit room. From a space in the curtain she could see Master Lars and a rather handsome young man, maybe a couple of years older than herself, saying goodbye to the last of their guests.

"Elias, I have one last birthday gift," Master Lars said signaling to the alcove. "A fresh young virgin."

The older slave pulled Julia from the alcove and toward the two men. She kneeled as they arrived, tugging Julia's leash until she also kneeled.

"Mother, Father, you shouldn't have," Elias said even as he took the leash from his mother's offered hand as she kneeled before him.

"Nonsense," Master Lars replied. "You're eighteen now. You should have a personal slave."

Elias motioned for Julia to stand, his hands brushing lightly over the contours of her face and down over her shoulders. Julia winced as he touched one of the welts still painfully evident on her breasts.

"The Red's should take lessons on how to properly train a slave," Master Lars said. "If not properly cared for those may leave scars. Such a risk to take on so lovely a body."

"You do realize I'll be quite selfish with her?" Elias said to his father with a smile.

"Yes, of course," Lars replied. "I should warn you the Red's say she's a biter, though I didn't find that to be the case.

"I'll take care," he said. "Father, Mother, once again thank you for a wonderful party and all the nice gifts." As he said 'nice gifts' his hand cupped Julia's ass making her jump. "Come along, slave. I'll introduce you to your new home."

Elias picked up a candle on the way out of the room, leading her down a darkened corridor and up another flight of steps. He opened a door and motioned Julia inside. She watched him as he pulled a heavy curtain across the room's large french doors, then turned on a set of overhead lights. He sat on the bed and motioned Julia to join him.

After taking off the leash he indicated that she should lie down. Her limbs trembled as she climbed onto the bed and lay down on her back.

"My father was right about these," he said as his finger traced just below one of the welts.

He turned to the bedside table and removed a jar of something from the drawer. With a smile he began to apply the cool, soothing cream to her welts.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Julia."

"A lovely name, Julia, I like it," he said. "You know that a master chooses his slave's name? I think I'll let you keep it though."

"Thank you, Master," she replied, relaxing as he massaged the cream into her body with a light touch.

"Tell me, Julia, how did you get these welts?"

"I bit the priest that took me from my father."

"Ah, so that's how they came to the conclusion that you're a biter," he said. "I take it your father fell into one of their traps and couldn't pay back a debt?"

"How did you know?" she asked, even as his hands massaged below the lowest welt.

"The Red's are well known for that," he explained. "Offer a loan that they know cannot be paid back, then take the debtor's daughter as payment. Quite profitable I understand."

Tears welled in her eyes. "I can't believe my father was such a fool." Shame, loathing and despair washed over her as the depths of her father's stupidity came crashing down around her. "Just do it."

"Do what, Julia?"

"Take me, take my virginity," she spat out, anger at her father growing.

Elias kept his voice soft and gentle, "If I trust you with a secret will you trust me with your virginity?"

"What?"

"I'll not take that what is not given freely," he answered bending forward to kiss her on the forehead.

"I don't understand," Julia replied confused.

"I'll not take your virginity," he said. "I'll hold it safe for the time being, in return I'll give you knowledge of a secret to hold over me."

"You're not," she started. "You're not going to take my virginity. But why?"

Elias smiled and gave a small laugh before replying, "I'm a member of the Society of Pyrm."

Now it was Julia's turn to laugh, "Surely you jest? The Society of Pyrm is a boogeyman tale to frighten children. Free men striving to free the slaves. It's a dream, or are you going to start a revolt to end the Temples' domination of the government."

"That's the fear of the priests and why the Temples are so frightened of us that they have made being a member of the Society a death sentence."

Julia rolled over, resting her chin on her hand. "Master, if all the slaves are freed then who will do the work? You find very few freemen willing to work the fields and at other hard labor."

"Ah my sweet slave, Taelegard is a free country. They have no slaves, yet are just as prosperous as we," he replied.

"Another fantasy land. They say even to poorest household has electric lights and that the middles can even afford their own autos," Julia retorted, relaxing more and forgetting that she was a naked slave girl.

"I've been there and seen it," Elias informed her. "Only the streets aren't paved with gold and the public fountains spray water not wine.

Elias climbed off the bed and turned out the lights, he then opened the curtains to let in the moonlight before returning to the bed. Julia slid away from him as he stripped off his clothes, convinced that he had just been teasing her and was now going to rape her of her virginity. She was somewhat surprised when he leaned over and kissed her forehead once more before laying down and closing his eyes.

"Goodnight, my slave," he said laughing softly.

Julia lay on the edge of the soft bed, watching Elias in the light from the full moon. His breathing quickly became regular and she knew he was asleep. She thought again about what he had said, was it true that he would leave her virginity intact? What was it he had said, that he wouldn't take something that wasn't freely given? She tried to compare that to her own upbringing, true her family had never owned slaves yet they were around. As she felt sleep overtaking her once more she scooted away from the edge and pulled the blanket over her body.