Chapter 9

"I fear I may need to tender my resignation, your Lordship."

Roquan looked up from the accounting parchment he was perusing and stared in confusion at his Healer. "Is this a joke, Vanlo?"

Vanlo straightened and clasped his hands behind his back. "I wish it were. However, I feel that events of late have convinced me that I am aging past the point of usefulness to this Manor. If you wish, I can suggest a few colleagues from the Healer Guild that would serve as a suitable..."

"Stop."

Vanlo fell silent, giving his Overlord an even look.

Roquan threw down his quill and leaned back in his chair. "Vanlo... what are you talking about? You look as fit as you did a moon ago. Or a year ago, for that matter."

"Good of you to say, your Lordship. However, it is not my body that matters in my profession, but my mind, and I fear it is no longer sound."

"That's ridiculous."

Vanlo allowed himself a small smile. "As always, your Lordship, your faith in me in certain matters exceeds that of my own. But the truth remains, my mind is not what it was, and it can get only worse from here."

Roquan folded his arms. "And how did you come to this conclusion?"

"Simply this: you have had the Portal serviced, have you not?"

"Yes. And?"

Vanlo sensed the impatience in the Overlord's voice. "I should not, therefore, be having any further incidents of sensing Portal energies."

"And I seem to recall that you did not."

"Yes, your Lordship, until yesterday."

Roquan rose to his feet. "You sensed it again?" he asked in an urgent voice.

"Yes, I have, and stronger than I had before, which can only mean that I am..."

"How close to the Manor do you think it was?"

Vanlo paused and looked at the Overlord with a small, humorless grin.

"Well? How close?"

"We do not appear to be on the same parchment of the scroll, your Lordship," Vanlo said patiently. "Allow me to be more direct: these sensations are clearly phantoms of my mind."

Roquan frowned. "I beg your pardon?"

"It stands to reason, your Lordship. The idea that Portals are opening randomly about the countryside near the Manor makes no sense. Your Portal is clearly functioning properly. This can only mean that my mental faculties are failing. For magic-sensitives such as me, phantom sensations are an early sign of senility."

Roquan drew in a deep breath. "I don't accept that."

Vanlo gave another tiny smile. "Overlords can command many things. But ordering an aging and increasingly decrepit body to restore itself to the vigor of youth is beyond your capabilities, I am afraid. But the sentiment is appreciated."

"Vanlo, stop talking nonsense!" Roquan declared, stepping away from him. "I do not have time for this! The Merchant Clan will be here in days, and the Conclave on the heels of that. Do not burden me with this."

"It is hardly a choice for either you or me to make..."

"Like hellfire it isn't. Resignation rejected. Get back to work."

Vanlo did not move.

Roquan turned around. "Well?"

For the first time since Roquan had known him, his Healer appeared at a loss for words, and his expression was anything other than calm. When he spoke, Roquan was taken aback by the emotion in his voice. "Your Lordship, I am... quite honored and flattered... that you believe my services of such value."

"You're the best Healer that this Manor ever had, Vanlo."

Vanlo took a deep breath. It was the first time the Overlord had ever so openly voiced his praise for him. Vanlo always knew tacitly that his work was appreciated, but it was out of character for the Overlord to pronounce it so clearly. Roquan had indeed undergone many changes since the first of many ills had descended upon him. It made Vanlo's decision all that harder.

"Vanlo, did you consider the possibility that you are sensing Portal energies because a Portal is indeed in use?"

Vanlo hesitated before answering. "Naturally, this crossed my mind, as it would be foolish of me not to consider all possibilities."

"I would prefer that one to the idea that you are losing your abilities."

"As would I, your Lordship."

Roquan stepped up to his Healer. "Then humor me, Vanlo. Entertain the notion again. How close would the Portal have been?"

Vanlo paused, taking another deep breath to clear his mind. "It is very hard to judge, even if my faculties..."

"A rough estimate will suffice," Roquan cut in.

"Not very far. Most likely on this island."

Roquan's eyes became ice as they shifted away from his Healer. "And now what is the Emperor up to?"

"Your Lordship?"

"It stands to reason, Vanlo. He is attempting to disrupt this Conclave."

Vanlo stroked his beard. "Forgive me, but is that not a rather large conclusion to jump to on scant evidence?"

"Z'haas is not a stupid man. He knows of the Conclave. We are fools if we believe that the Emperor will sit idly by as plans are drawn up against him."

"That may be true, your Lordship, but..."

"Nothing else makes sense! He is the only one with the resources to open Portals of that nature on demand. He has already shown a willingness to bastardize the slave trade. I would not put it past him to bastardize this as well."

"That would imply that we have another Imperial agent on the island focusing the Portal energies with an appropriately enchanted pearl," Vanlo pointed out. "And yet, what would this accomplish?"

Roquan raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

"Consider: A Portal could not be used to bring an agent to the island, for it requires a pearl as a focus, lest he risk being dropped in open ocean, in a tree, or some other dangerous place. Thus the agent would need to be here already. In which case, what is the point of opening the Portal?"

"To send something back," the Overlord said darkly.

"Then the Manor is safe. The wards in place will alert you if someone brings a pearl onto the premises imbued with such magic. Thus, again, we are left with the original question of why open such a Portal in the first place? There is no logical reason for it. You see, your Lordship, I have already thought of these ideas. You see why I rejected them, and came to the conclusion that I did about my mind."

Roquan sighed deeply. He still refused to accept it. He felt Vanlo was too important a part of this Manor to give up without a fight. Even if that fight was with Vanlo himself.

"Vanlo, I was quite serious when I stated that my time is limited. I cannot afford to take time to review suitable candidates for your replacement. Surely, even if your mind is deteriorating, it cannot be doing so at such a pace that you cannot execute your duties until the Conclave is over."

Vanlo considered this thoughtfully before he spoke again. "And, naturally, you will not use that time to convince me to change my mind about resigning."

Roquan allowed himself a small smile. "Of course not, Vanlo."

Vanlo grinned. "You are a horrible liar, your Lordship."

A small smile came to Sirinna's lips as she watched her Trainee from a short distance away. She held the girl's cuffs and chain in her hands, having left Amanda unfettered for this session. She also left her with no specific commands or tasks, and simply sent her into a bevy of other slaves that Sirinna had gathered. It was up to Amanda to find ways to please them.

To Sirinna's satisfaction, Amanda was doing quite well. To her surprise, the girl appeared to be enjoying it as well.

Amanda was on all fours. Her body rocked back and forth as one of the male slaves took her from behind. He gripped her hips fast in his strong hands, moving her at his own desired pace and rhythm. Amanda simply gave into it, panting through her nose as her mouth slid up and down a second slave's cock. Under her, a female slave let her fingers gently stroke Amanda's womanhood as her sex moved back and forth over the slave's hand.

As Sirinna watched, another female slave poured cool water over Amanda's back and head. Other slaves similarly attended to the males. Amanda moaned in relief. It would have been unbearably hot that afternoon without this bit of occasional refreshment. The coolness of the water made her nipples harden and rise. The female slave under her took advantage of it, tugging at them with her fingers.

"Mmmrrgh..." Amanda moaned in earnest, her breath growing shorter as she slowly rose.

Behind her, the slave let his breath go as a deep sigh. His body tensed as he stepped up the pace, until he was pounding into her. Amanda's head bobbed up and down on the other slave's cock in a frenzy at her rising excitement.

"Easy, Amanda," Sirinna said. "Not too fast. Don't let it run away with you."

Amanda closed her eyes and struggled to rein herself in. She still could not believe she had reached this point. While she still did not crave sex as the other slaves did, once she was able to get herself motivated and get into it, she was better able to just lose herself to it. It was the easiest way to cope and to perform as a slave was expected to perform,

The slave behind her groaned in earnest and tilted his head back as he came. He slammed himself forward, and let himself pulse hard inside her. The slave under her stroked her clitoris faster and faster, and it was everything she could do to keep herself focused.

"Mmmrr... mrrruuuhh!"

Amanda's closed her eyes tightly and nearly fell forward as her pussy throbbed. She remembered herself when the cock in her mouth suddenly shoved far into her, almost making her gag. She pulled back quickly, her body shaking as she orgasmed. She was still cumming even after the slave behind her withdrew, some of his seed trickling down the inside of one of her thighs.

Sirinna smiled despite the bit of clumsiness on the part of her Trainee. Now the girl's sensuality was really shining through.

Amanda sensed the change in the slave in front of her even before he started to groan loudly. She reached up and grabbed the base of his cock with her hand and pumped her mouth furiously on his shaft. He uttered several loud moans in a row before his cock erupted in her mouth. Amanda moaned as she was finally let down from her orgasm, and she could concentrate again on the finale. She drew herself closer to him and slowed her movements as he softened in her mouth. She milked a last few drops from him with her tongue, even bringing a small gasp from him and one more weak pulse from his cock.

Amanda let him fall from his lips and swallowed. Her eyes dropped as she panted, her body momentarily weak.

"That was very good, Amanda," Sirinna said as she rushed to her Trainee's side, placing a hand over one of the girl's shoulders. "You've really learned a lot in a short amount of time."

Amanda was still catching her breath. "Oh my... th-thank you, mistress."

Sirinna smiled. "Are you all right?"

Amanda swallowed and nodded. "Yes... it was just... a little intense." She paused, and then slowly rose to her feet. A slave handed her a goblet of water, half of which she drank down greedily, the other half she upended over her head. "And it's hot. The water helped, though."

"Master Roquan always makes sure his slaves don't overheat in the summer."

"Good. It must get really hot here in July... um, I mean, in midsummer." Amanda looked down at her arm, and then glanced over at the rest of her body. "Mistress, can I ask a question?"

"Of course."

"I only just realized this. I've been out in the tropical sun for some time. How come I'm not tan? Or you or any of the other slaves for that matter?"

"Clients tend to prefer fair-skinned slaves. So there's something added to the food here that keeps us that way."

Amanda nodded. She was almost disappointed. She had wondered what she might look like with an even, all-body tan.

Her musings were interrupted when Sirinna reattached her chain to the collar. "Turn around," her mistress ordered.

Amanda blinked in surprise as she complied. "We're done already, mistress?"

"Yes, we're heading back to my quarters now."

"Oh." She felt Sirinna draw the cuffs tight around her wrists. "Are we going to do something else back there?"

Sirinna hesitated just a moment. "Yes, we are, actually."

"What, mistress?"

"You'll have to wait until we get back." She closed the tiny padlocks on Amanda's restraints and picked up the chain. She gave it a firm snap, a little harder than she usually did.

The difference was not lost on Amanda, and she felt a twinge of anxiety that caused her to hesitate a moment before she fell into step ahead of her mistress for the walk back to their quarters.

"Um, mistress?" Amanda asked tentatively.

"Yes, Amanda?"

"I, um, I did do well today, didn't I?"

"Of course you did."

There was a subdued inflection to her mistress' voice.

"Are you sure of that?" Amanda persisted.

"There were a few things that could be improved, yes. We'll go over that during dinner."

Amanda nodded slowly. Her heart beat a little faster. Something was wrong, she could sense it. Sirinna never passed up a chance to critique her performance once they were away from the Circle, usually interspersed with copious praise for her efforts.

She preferred it that way. She did not want to think about it on her own for too long or too hard. Two months of her life spent in Narlass was still inadequate to throwing off Earthly cultural influence. Here, throwing herself into casual sex with people ten years her senior was training to be a slave; back on Earth, it was no better than being a slut.

It was hard for her, sometimes, to see the difference.

She tried to tell herself that it was a different culture here, that what one world considered a detriment, the other considered an asset. She wondered if this was another advantage to being a slave without a past. That was a lot of mental baggage that would no longer get in the way. Yet she still shuddered at the thought of having her memories erased in that manner.

They entered Sirinna's quarters. Halfway across the room, Sirinna snapped her chain to bring her to a stop.

Amanda's heart pounded. She felt that if something was going to happen, it was now. She felt Sirinna remove her chain, and then waited for her restraints to be removed. Instead, she heard Sirinna move away from her.

"Mistress?"

When Sirinna did not answer after a few moments, Amanda turned around. She caught Sirinna just as she was straightening up after having fetched something from under her bed.

Amanda's breath caught in her throat when she saw Sirinna holding the paddle.

"I need you leave you restrained for a little while longer, Amanda," Sirinna said in a somber voice. "We have to take care of something first."

Amanda's mouth dropped open as she gave Sirinna a frightened look. "But... but you said I did well today!"

"You did, love. Very well. This..."

"Whatever I did, I won't do it again!" Amanda wailed. "Please, mistress!"

"Amanda."

The girl fell silent, her lower lip trembling.

"You've done nothing wrong. You're not being punished. This is something different."

"I don't understand, mistress."

"There's something we call the Traditional Twenty that..."

Amanda gasped. "Oh God, not that!"

Sirinna paused. "You know about it?"

"Tanyee told me. I thought when you went this long without saying anything about it that you weren't going to do it at all..."

"I have to, Amanda. I held off because I didn't think you could handle it earlier. I think you can now."

Amanda swallowed, her eyes flicking nervously to the paddle. "I don't get a say in this, do I?"

Sirinna shook her head slowly.

Amanda sighed despondently. "God, this is going to hurt," she whimpered.

"If the pain lingers too much afterward, Amanda, I will take you straight to Master Vanlo."

"What's the purpose behind this, anyway?

"It's just to show you what true punishment would be like. That's all."

From the look in Sirinna's eyes, Amanda could tell there was a little more to it than that. She had no idea what, so she held her tongue.

"Turn around," Sirinna ordered softly. "And bend over slightly."

Amanda wanted to be defiant. She wanted to give her mistress trouble over this. But ultimately, she didn't. She did not want to ruin everything she had gained up to this point. If she rebelled now, it would make everything she had been trying to do meaningless.

In other words, she had to show that she was a good slave.

Amanda swallowed, turned, and bent over.

"Now, just remain still, eyes forward and open."

Amanda had squeezed her eyes shut. She sighed and opened them again. There was a pause, and then a loud smack as the first stroke came down on her backside.

Amanda yelped and lurched forward. Sirinna grabbed her shoulder and held her still in time to deliver the next stroke. She smoothly continued into the next ones, never varying the rhythm. Each one was delivered skillfully and perfectly, each one a solid strike with the flat of the paddle on one of her ass cheeks, always the one opposite the one that was struck the stroke before.

With each came the same red flare of pain, a stinging that lasted just long enough until Sirinna returned to that cheek, until it became a steady, rising torment. As they approached the tenth stroke, Amanda began to tremble. She squeezed her legs together as her ass blushed brightly.

Past the tenth stroke, to first her surprise and then her embarrassment, heat flashed in her sex. The pain rose higher, and the ache in her pussy grew even as tears trickled from her eyes. At the fifteenth stroke, her tears flowed freely, and her pussy throbbed dully between her thighs.

Sirinna delivered the twentieth stroke and let go of Amanda's shoulder. Amanda sobbed softly but did not cry out. She refused to cry out. This would not break her. She would not let it.

And she categorically denied any connection between her paddling and the wetness in her pussy.

"Turn around, Amanda."

Amanda drew herself up, wincing as her tightening backside muscles intensified the lingering pain in her pink cheeks. She sniffed back tears, taking a few quick, deep breaths. As composed as she could possibly be, she turned around.

At once, Sirinna's gaze flicked down to Amanda's crotch, and then met the girl's gaze.

Amanda swallowed, quivering. "It's not that, right? It's... it's not from the paddling."