Amber's Enchantment Ch. 06

"Yes, sir. I'll get on it right away."

*****

"I'm sorry, Mistress, that I'm such a bother to everyone," Amber sighed as they walked back to their quarters.

Bressala stopped and turned towards her charge. Taking her by the shoulders, she looked Amber in the eye. "Don't say that. You're not as bother. It's not your fault that something about the magic isn't working properly on you. You've done exactly what we've expected of you, under the circumstances. Our Masters will figure this out; they always do."

"Okay, Mistress. Will there be some time for some training before bedtime?"

Bressala smiled at Amber's enthusiasm. "I think we can fit in something, maybe a refresher session."

"Thank you Mistress. That'll be nice."

Bressala hid her concern. She suspected what Inclon had confirmed to Garth; that Amber may be unplaceable. A slave who wasn't sold, unless they were kept as a trainer, rarely lasted more than a year before their depression over their fate led them to fall into a collar sleep. Effectively telling a slave they weren't good enough a slave to be sold was a death sentence. Best to keep Amber's mind off that possibility with some training activity.

Entering their training quarters, Bressala called out, "Thebes, Yolanda, come here please." Both slaves quickly appeared from the training area. "Yolanda, how are you feeling right now?"

"Nervous, Mistress. What if it doesn't go well tomorrow?"

"It will be fine, Yolanda. You've climaxed under the whip more than once already. Tomorrow is simply your official test. Let me guess, you can't even think of sleeping right now, can you?"

The young slave shook her head. "No, Mistress. I'm too nervous."

"Then this will be good for you." She turned to Amber. "Amber, you're to pleasure Thebes and Yolanda. Until they've both had at least two orgasms, you're not to climax yourself. Let's see how your orgasm control is holding up?"

With smiles on their faces, the three slave trainees came together in a mutual embrace. Amber let her hands wander over both the others, caressing whatever part of their bodies happened to be available. She could feel Thebes' cock rubbing against her thigh, noticeably hardening against her. She undulated her body to provide him with additional stimulation while she met Yolanda with a deep, tongue probing kiss. She felt her own arousal building as well, the familiar tingling pressure growing slowly.

When both her partners were panting softly, Amber gently pushed Thebes onto his back and turned away from his face. She allowed him to pull her down onto his cock, feeling the hard phallus enter her damp cunt. Yolanda knelt and allowed Amber to suckle on her breasts, pulling Amber's face tightly to her. Amber let her hands drop to caress Yolanda's ass, occasionally probing her hole. Through all of this, she slowly rocked herself on Thebes' cock in response to his hands moving against her hips, milking it with her pussy.

Yolanda, wanting more, stood and pulled Amber to her own pussy, gasping with pleasure as Amber's tongue lapped at the damp folds, playing at the entrance to her cunt. Thebes had begun to rock himself up and down, thrusting into the grinding Amber. When Amber felt Yolanda's pussy tense rhythmically, she knew she was in for a hard time; Yolanda was using her own, more developed orgasm control She suspected that Thebes was doing the same. A small moan of worry escaped her throat since she knew that both the other slaves, could, if they wished, outlast her in controlling their own orgasm.

Redoubling her own efforts, Amber began to pinch and bite at Yolanda, knowing that such little pains would only increase the slave's arousal. She was rewarded with a flood of new moisture from the pussy she was licking and sucking at. Amber moved her hands up, finding Yolanda's nipples and squeezed them hard, drawing another moan of pleasure. At the same time, she ground her hips in a circle, something she knew Thebes particularly liked.

The coupling of pain and pleasure together overcame Yolanda's control and she was soon shuddering in a failing attempt to hold back from cumming. Amber threw her over the edge with a seemingly savage pinch and twist on Yolanda's nipples. Amber locked her mouth to Yolanda's pussy, catching and swallowing nearly all of her sweet tasting cum. As Yolanda's climax ended, Amber lightened up her oral ministrations to help ease the slave down from her high.

Thebes was also close, though in his case it was because Bressala had silently instructed him to stop fighting his orgasm. Bressala knew that Amber would be unlikely to encounter owners with the ability to delay their own orgasms for any length of time. Hearing Yolanda cum was nearly the last straw, and he shot off into Amber's cunt as she was lapping at the last of Yolanda's moisture.

Amber moaned as her cunt was filled, the warm sensation of Thebes' cum driving her own arousal even higher. When she sensed that he was through spurting in her, she pulled off and bent to clean his cock and balls. Yolanda knelt behind her and started to lick at the juices leaking out of Amber's pussy. Amber groaned as she forced a small orgasm back from the brink it was brought to by fingers accidentally brushing her clit.

With Thebes' cock clean, Amber turned around and prodded Yolanda to lie on her back. Kneeling between her legs, Amber raised her ass in invitation to Thebes. The male slave smiled as he saw Amber's ass literally open up for him; a sign that her anal training was quite successful. He brought his cock to full erection again, a result of his erection control training. He knew he was good for one, or possibly two more erections before he was physically unable to get it up again (only the semi-avian Arvast had 100% control of their sexual organs).

Amber licked at Yolanda's damp thighs, teasing her fellow slave by forcing her arousal to climb ever so slowly. Amber's arms pressed Yolanda's legs down to prevent them from closing or being used to increase stimulation on herself. When Yolanda's hands came down and Amber grabbed them, holding her helpless. Yolanda's struggles were minimal, as she opened herself up to the control.

Amber felt Thebes' cock probe her rear opening and she made little thrusting motions of encouragement. She moaned in pleasure as her ass was penetrated, the moans giving Yolanda a little extra dollop of pleasure as well. Amber decided to let Thebes set the pace for all of them; as he played with her and drove her arousal up, Amanda would do similar to Yolanda, keeping her a little bit closer to her orgasm than Amanda was.

As Thebes caressed and otherwise played with Amanda's clit, breasts and ass, Amanda would increase the attention she was giving to Yolanda's pussy. It didn't take long for all three to be nearing their respective climaxes. Amber was trembling from the effort to hold her own orgasm off in the face of Thebes' aggressive attempts to bring her off. Her training held, however, and she felt Thebes spurting his seed into her ass as she made her final moves with her mouth, lightly scraping her teeth against Yolanda's clit, sending the girl into the heavens as her body erupted in pleasure. Again, Amanda was drenched with Yolanda's female cum; this time as she let go and came herself.

"Very well done, Amanda," Bressala exclaimed as the three slaves came down from their heights. "Yolanda, think you can fall asleep now?"

"Yes, Mistress. Thank you, I feel too good to be nervous."

Bressala smiled at the confirmation that her plan had worked. Tomorrow would be a big day for Yolanda, as her symbiosis training was the last step before her final endurance exam. Within a couple of weeks, Yolanda would likely be sold and be serving a Master somewhere in the Helshinti empire.

*****

"Mistress, the Clan Leader will see you now."

Bestry looked up from where she sat fuming. Not only was she the bearer of bad news, it had cost her plenty to get here as quickly as she did. While portal travel was commonplace for wizards and slave houses, only the most successful merchant clans were able to afford the enchanted stones that would open a portal to any desired location. The Wizard Guild had charged her its usual exorbitant fee to transport her to the clan leader's location (which, like all merchants, wasn't fixed).

Ranslan, leader of the united merchant clans greeted Bestry with the traditional handshake. "Mistress, Bestry. To what do I have the honor of your presence?" His voice didn't betray the unsureness of his greeting. He had never met Bestry; her clan was one of the smaller clans, though successful in their own right.

"Guild Master, I'll get right to the point," she said, after a look over her shoulder to make sure the doors were shut. "I have evidence that Melan Lustren is engaging in trade with someone, or rather something, that isn't part of the united clans."

Ranslan hesitated, not missing the significance of her self correction. Merchants only misspoke when they intended to do so, as Bestry did to draw attention to those words. "What do you mean, something?"

She took a deep breath before answering. "According to our witness, the being she traded with was a shadow; something less than solid in appearance."

"Less than solid? You're not making sense."

"I know, sir, I had trouble fathoming it myself. But, the slave reported that it had appeared out of thin air, without passing through any openings. While it was negotiating with her, its form seemed to waver and shift, as if it wasn't all there. He said it was like watching shadows dance in firelight."

"A slave reported this? Whose slave?"

"One of my merchants has a contact in House Hustrid. They will rent a special race of slave that is capable of changing the color of its skin to match its surroundings. They make very good spies; very expensive spies."

Ranslan could see how much it pained her to make such an admission. He had never heard of such slaves and could see how a small clan might well be successful with the inside information such a slave could provide. In the back of his mind, Ranslan wondered who else rented such slaves. "Renting slaves? What an insane idea."

"Would you sell such a slave permanently, sir? I wouldn't. I'd want such an asset under my control at all times."

Ranslan shook his head to clear it. "We're getting off track. Just what is she getting from these traders?"

"I don't know all the details, but in this one case, something called blood wine. It's very new, very different, and very intoxicating."

"And thus, very profitable. Is the spy/slave trustable?"

"Yes, sir. One other thing; the trader attacked the slave with some kind of magic device. A non-slave would probably had been killed, from what we can tell."

"How? What did the device do?"

"We don't know. The slave described a spark of some kind, then a feeling like an overly long orgasm that left him unconscious for two days. He's sure he'd have died if not for his collar."

"I'm less worried about a new trade adversary than I am of what this new trader is. It almost sounds like someone from another dimension is making some kind of inroad into Destran. As far as anyone knows, though, Destran is the only world with enough magic to support regular dimensional travel of any kind."

Ranslan was mouthing a common belief among those unlearned in magic. It turns out that travel between dimensions is frequently easier than travel between points in the same dimension; at least in terms of the energy needed to open the portal. This is because, in terms of physical distance, the dimensions are actually quite close. The closer the two points being connected, the easier it is to open the portal. Oddly enough, traveling a short distance is actually harder on the travelers than a long distance. That's why portal shock for captives is so strong; they're actually traveling a matter of a few feet (venturers are trained to resist these affects).

"But there was no portal when the creature appeared, according to the slave. It just faded into view, as if it had always been there and just became visible."

"We need more information. I suspect we'll only get it if we force the issue. We'll have to institute a trade ban on the Lustrens. When she comes to us to have it lifted, she'll have to come clean. I want to know what these beings are, and I want trade with them in our hands."

*****

"You can't do that!" Melan Lustren was nearly sputtering in her outrage. "You have no right!"

The face in the communication sphere looked on with disdain. "Of course we do. By law and tradition, all trade outside your own noble house must be through guild merchants. This blood wine was not obtained through any of our clans, and everyone knows you can't produce wine in your caverns. Until such time as the source of the wine deals with the guild itself, the Lustren family is denied all access to merchant guild services. Any clan that trades with you will be excommunicated and their goods and assets sold off. Any family that dares to trade with you directly will find themselves cut off as well. The same will happen to any slave house that sells you slaves and to the wizard's guild unless all wizard services to you are terminated."

"They won't stand for this, Ranslan. Louvet is too important for a stupid boycott to be allowed to interfere with shipments."

"I think you overestimate your importance, Madam. Centuries of tradition aren't discarded simply because you want make more money. The sooner you cease your illicit activities, the sooner you'll be in the good graces of the guild, and everyone else. The guild isn't to blame in this."

"You'll pay for this, Ranslan. Mark my words."

Melan waved her hand through the image, terminating the contact. Her body trembled in anger. Melan Lustren was used to getting her way; the obstinance of the guild was something she wasn't used to dealing with. "Tewant!" she bellowed.

The slave entered and knelt. "Yes, Mistress? How can I serve you?"

"Summon Vesti to me, slave. He's to come immediately, without delay. Yesterday would be best."

Tewant, recognizing how upset her Mistress was, hurried off with a quick, "Yes, Mistress." At the wizard's quarters, Silen answered the door. "Silen, my Mistress requests your Master's presence right away."

"Oh, come in, Tewant. I'll let him know." Silen walked to Vesti's work room, finding him ending a communication.

"Very well, Ponet. I understand." When the spell ended, he turned to Silen. "Silan, go to Madam Lustren and request an audience with her."

"Master, Tewant is here, requesting that you come and see her Mistress right away."

The wizard sighed, a look of resignation on his face. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I'll go with her right away. Start preparing a bag for travel, Silen. We'll likely be leaving shortly. Expect to be gone for several weeks."

It was clear that Silen was curious, but her training prevented her from asking. As Vesti left with Tewant, Silen began going through his things, making sure to set out enough clothes, personal items and magical apparatus for a trip.

It wasn't long before the wizard and the noble were face to face.

"Vesti, the Merchant's guild is trying to impose an embargo against me. I want your assurance that you won't be honoring such an asinine order."

"Madam, I've already been summoned back to the guild hall. I can't ignore such a command on your whim."

"How can you stand for such high handed actions on the merchants' part? Who died and made them emperor?"

"Actually, lady, the guild could care less about the prerogatives of merchants. We're more concerned with the nature of the goods you've been purchasing from these traders."

Melan look flabbergasted. "What are you talking about? Why would some trade goods and candles to kill ore rats be of concern?"

"Madam Lustren, that blood wine you gave me? It has no mana, none at all. Those strange devices you had me analyze? They drain mana from things; something that's supposed to be impossible. Additionally, they're constructed from materials that don't exist in Destran. These traders are a danger to everything we hold dear."

"I don't understand what the problem is. So the blood wine has no mana. Why is that a problem?"

"It's a problem because it's not possible. Madam, everything has mana in it. The absence of mana is like...a hole in the fabric of reality. A device that can remove mana from things; it's essentially a device for tearing a hole in the universe." Vesti didn't mention the decreasing mana levels in the world in general; but that decrease was his inspiration for calling the mana-less things holes.

"Is anything being harmed by this...lack of mana? I haven't seen any."

Vesti squirmed inside, knowing what harm there was, but unable, thanks to guild rules, to say anything about it. "Just because there's no visible harm now, doesn't mean there isn't any. Just like developing a new potion, you don't use it on people first, you make sure it works properly on test animals first. These things need to be studied, and we shouldn't be creating or bringing more into existence until we're sure they're safe."

"So study them, for Gods' sake. But you don't have to get in the way of my profit. I need to keep the bowls in alignment. I can't do that without a wizard. What will it take, other than closing down my special trading, to get you to stay here?"

Vesti rubbed his temples. "At the very least, we'll need samples of everything you've traded for. We might want to meet one of these traders."

"I'd agree with those stipulations, so long as I have your assurance you won't try to usurp my deals."

"I'll check with the guild and get back to you."

*****

Colrit dripped two drops of the potion on the stone. Through his enchanted monocle, he was able to note the extremely minute difference in color emitted by the potion. He made notes on a parchment to the side, seemingly oblivious to the rocking of the yeltin beneath him. Satisfied, he put the rock away, and pulled another, different looking one out of the bag at his side. He repeated the dripping and recording. This went on for over an hour longer (and had been going on for three hours prior). He then studied his results, frowning with increased seriousness as time went on. Shaking his head, he repeated several of the tests, confirming that he hadn't made a mistake; though it had been decades since he'd made an alchemistical mistake of any kind.

He coaxed his yeltin forward, passing several others until he was beside Heversham's. "Merchant, we have problems," he announced in his gravelly voice with his usual lack of preliminaries.

"What, yet another problem? Something worse than our not being native to Destran?"

"Yes, Merchant. Not being natives won't end life as we know it. People may be disturbed, but civilization will go on, mostly. No, this problem could represent the end of magic; and the civilization that depends on it." Colrit paused to allow his words to sink in. "I've run tests on various reagents. Their mana levels are universally lower than they're supposed to be."

"But, didn't you say that mana levels will drop at times?"

"Yes, but not for all the reagents, and they're predicted by the various editions of the guide. No, every reagent I've tested shows mana levels less than the predicted levels. It's a constant percentage as well; 2%."

"Can't we adjust potion recipes to adjust for this change?"

"Of course, but potions aren't the problem. The mana isn't going anywhere." At Heversham's confused look, Colrit tried to explain. "Look, the cyclical changes represent a moving of mana from some substances to others. In this case, the mana seems to just be vanishing."

"But, the laws of magic. Mana can't be destroyed."