Sacrifices Ch. 06

Sonia took Maya to the park. She was sockless in her running shoes, and it was a warm day.

At first, Maya was grateful to Sonia for removing the sock gag and vibrator. Even being reduced to a pet seemed preferable. However, she soon realised her theoretical knowledge had some holes. For instance, she wasn't ready for the fact that transforming into a dog would start affecting her perceptions, not just her shape. Her sense of smell became much sharper, and dog-like instincts drove her to try to sniff everything.

As a dog, Maya felt Sonia's ownership much more keenly, at an almost visceral level. She kept tracking her with her eyes, basking in her presence and approval. Smelling her made her feel safe, and she kept licking her dirty running shoes and burying her nose against them, to Sonia's amused delight. She knew she wasn't behaving normally, but the urges where so strong she couldn't control herself.

Sonia wasn't sure if Maya was getting into her role, trying to please her, or if something about the magic was making her act like a real puppy, but she liked it. She let her sniff, lick and nuzzle her shoes as she walked her through the park. At some point, she sat on a bench, took out another balled-up pair of dirty, crusty socks, and rubbed them on Maya's nose.

Maya whined and panted, loving the concentrated smell of her owner, making her feel warm and taken care of.

Sonia threw them, and Maya ran and fetched them for her, dropping them at her feet. Sonia was delighted. She loved how far she could take Maya. If she'd ever thought of her as her friend, that day ended it. She was nothing more than a toy for her to play with, that happened to be shaped like a person.

As Sonia tossed her dirty socks for Maya to fetch and chew on, she saw Nicole walking alone with her head down.

"Hey, Nicole!" Sonia said. "Come and join me."

Nicole raised her head, looking for the person calling her, until she saw Sonia. She hesitated for a moment, sighed, and took a seat by her.

"How come you're alone?" Sonia asked.

"Thinking. About yesterday."

Maya came back from fetching the socks and dropped them at Sonia's feet. Nicole smiled at the puppy.

"It's cute. What's its name?"

"Maya," Sonia said. "Just like my... friend."

Nicole laughed, but it was a fragile, muted thing compared to her usual loud, care-free cackling.

"My friends were shocked when I stopped them, but I know magic when I see it."

It was Sonia's turn to gasp.

"What, you thought you were the only one?" Nicole asked. "I even arranged a ritual for the Judges, even if the others thought it was a joke. We got our strength from mutual loyalty. Nothing like what you high practitioners get up to, but it made us strong enough to keep on top. Until now."

"Wait, so there's other kinds of magic than--"

"--the high craft you were taught? Sure. Not everyone wants to depend on a life bond powered by a selfless sacrifice. That's a bit much for most people."

Sonia wondered if Maya knew anything about this. Unfortunately, she couldn't ask her, as she was too busy chewing her dirty socks and rubbing her nose against the toe of her shoes. Admitting she wasn't the one with the power didn't seem wise to her, either. Rather, she wasn't the one with the magic; the power belonged to her.

"Want to play with my puppy?" Sonia asked. "You seem down."

"They're going to want an explanation, and I can't give it to them. Oh, well. At least I can do something fun for a while."

Nicole stretched her shoes towards Maya, and she couldn't help lapping at them and sniffing them, trying to get acquainted with her own unique personal smell.

Nicole laughed. "Just like Maya the loser," she said. "Good name for a pet."

Sonia offered Nicole her socks to play with, but she refused them. Instead, she untied her shoes, took off her own socks, balled them up, and tossed them. Maya ran after them, and brought them to her, licking and chewing them as she dropped them.

"What a silly bitch," Nicole said. "She really loves stinky socks, doesn't she?"

"You don't begin to know."

They both laughed while Maya rolled on the ground, trying to choose which pair of socks to sniff.

Sonia said goodbye to Nicole, took Maya's leash, and headed home.

"Don't think it's over though," Nicole said. "I've nothing against you, but my crew wants to fuck you both up, and, whatever else, I stand by them."

Sonia left, knowing Maya could protect her anyway, wondering how the Judges' magic worked.

At home, Sonia unclipped Maya's leash, and she transformed back into a girl.

"I wonder which is the real you," Sonia said.

"Whichever you want."

Sonia stretched a bare foot, sweaty from her sockless walk, towards Maya's face. Instead of recoiling, she pressed her face against it, sniffing.

To Maya's shock, some of the instincts she had acquired as a dog were still with her. The smell of her owner felt incredibly comforting and safe. She was almost addicted to it. When Sonia dangled her foot close to her, she couldn't avoid throwing herself at it.

Sonia laughed.

"I guess that's the answer, puppy."