Sufferance Ch. 02

I knew she was trying to wheedle a way in, and it was working. She'd hit on the mark. I knew they were rivals, and it seemed they knew more of each other than it first seemed, with the way Rausery had paid very little attention to me since I'd been presented by D'Shea. My superior was my sponsor, and she had chosen me. I hadn't had the choice, but it didn't seem wise at all to try to play both sides in this particular battlefield.

"I prefer mine to be able to defend themselves from other Red Sisters sooner rather than later," Rausery stated, straightening up. "I've never seen the purpose in that aspect of her training. I think that's her particular delight. You went through the trials, you came back from the wilderness, and you were initiated by each Red Sister. Why does it need to continue beyond that, hm?"

She leaned in again. "Only to be Jaunda's pet. Do you think that's hurt your ambitions, how high you can climb among us? It might be hard for some of us to take you seriously. There are quite a few lower to middling Sisters who are content where they are licking a Lead's netherlips, because they're still better than the base civilian or any Noble."

I pressed my lips together to prevent saying anything. She was quite good at this. Anger against D'Shea started stirring my gut; yes, this beginning and the hardships that would come with it was her doing, but I shook my head against it.

If nothing else, I'd observed that D'Shea usually had layers within her plans. I couldn't see them all, and it was that ability I wanted to have, to learn that kind of strategy. I already knew how to be a warrior, and a murderer; Rausery might be able to hone those skills, but sooner or later they would plateau. I had plenty of time.

D'Shea had sold some of my time to Rausery, but I would return to her eventually. This had to be for a reason. It was up to me whether I got any benefit from it or just hung here being slapped around.

I realized how fortunate it was for me that Rausery had decided to talk to me.

The Elder chuckled at my next more urgent head shake, at my eyes avoiding hers; she took it that she was reaching me. She wasn't entirely wrong.

She took my chin again to turn my eyes back. "Sirana Thalluensareci. A third daughter, a Court male-player, a decent fighter...and a vengeful victim."

I blinked slowly, kept my mouth shut even as my hands closed to fists.

"So how did you kill your sister, the Priestess-wannabe?" she whispered. "You know, some of us have been curious."

"I did not kill her."

I had orchestrated the circumstances that caused her death. There was a difference, and I'd be foolish to claim direct sororicide.

Rausery straightened up and laughed aloud, her voice echoing briefly off the thick walls, the deep red of her eyes gleaming. "Good answer." She paced side-to-side briefly, looking thoughtful, stopped again to face me. "How was your journey back from where we left you? Memorable?"

Purposefully I remembered things like masturbating by the pool, crushing that spider out of spite of the Goddess, the comforting weight of my House blade in my hand. I recalled the cleansing of the underground water, holding my breath for so very long through that water channel, and my first view of the stunning Consort on the farm.

I did not think about the Duergar.

"The Consort," I admitted. She already knew that story. "I had to do a lot of hiding up until then. The after-effects of the ritual left me..." I let my voice fade.

Rausery nodded, motioning that I continue.

"I finally reached a point where it overwhelmed me."

She smirked. "With such beauty at hand and no deterrents, I can't really blame you."

That only understated how powerful that divine lust had been. Sure, any Drow could understand my attacking the Consort; he was bred to be perfect and arouse our deepest appreciations.

But the Duergar had been as ugly as the other was fair, and there had been plenty of deterrents... yet it hadn't made a difference. We'd still fucked, we'd still fought, and I'd still climaxed before having the presence of mind to kill him.

My horror at what had happened nearly drove me away into exile afterward. It had been a deliberate decision to return to the City and to the Sisters. And it had been deliberate to keep the secret.

"And what do you think of your time with us?"

"I want to learn more," I answered. What I thought of the details did not change that broad fact.

"Do you miss having males around?" she asked, and I blinked at her in surprise. "I'll take that as a yes. I heard that you were quite the cock-hunter at Court."

My eyes flicked to one side but returned quickly. I'd had a burning question not answered yet, and I had to ask. "Do Red Sisters only ever couple with each other...for life? We have the magical phallus, and the hunger with which some use it, it's as if they're... frustrated."

She narrowed her eyes curiously, tilting her head. "What has D'Shea told you?"

"That I may not become pregnant, on pain of death. That I could have all the sex I wanted within the Red Sisters. But that was at the beginning, when I was still...out of control." I huffed in frustration. "She never said if that would ever change, and I haven't been able to ask."

Rausery nodded sagely. "Catching a child is an...inconvenient state for a Red Sister. The Priestesses don't want us to abort, and the Valsharess agrees, to the point that they take complete ownership of one of our Sisters from the time they become aware of her condition until she either miscarries or delivers. They keep the child, and the Sister returns to us."

I absorbed that. It took two years for Drow to carry to term; it was why one of the greatest sins in our society was to attack a laboring Drow, when she was undeniably vulnerable. Every rival she'd ever had would simply wait the two years until she was giving birth and attack then. If left unchecked, all Drow would do that. It would destroy us; we'd die out. Plain and simple, it was a sin against Lolth and our own race, and not to be done. Ever.

But two years essentially kept by the Priestesses as livestock? And they raised the daughter or son?

"They don't...send the child back to our former Houses?" I asked, and Rausery shook her head. "What do they do with them?"

She stared with a face of stone, and I got the distinct feeling that if she'd been D'Shea, I'd have just been slapped again.

"The Sister must be re-trained to get her back in shape," Rausery continued, ignoring the question, "and overall we lose measurable effectiveness when careless fucks result in stuffed bellies."

To my profound dismay, that sounded like a case built for why it was forbidden to ever mate with a male again and I braced myself. The Elder saw it and grinned widely, very amused.

"I was going to add...that we also know our own natures and can live a long time, Sirana. It's going to happen whether we forbid it or not. So, no, it's not forbidden. You can take a real cock if you want to—if you can find the time—but make sure you have also swallowed a contraception draught an hour beforehand or use some other precaution—in another hole, perhaps. I know we've given you much practice on that."

I rolled my eyes at her stab, even though she was right. I could probably take Kerse in my backside and only gasp in pleasure as—

Okay, that imagery was a little too vivid.

She adjusted the glove of her left hand slightly. "Frankly, the need for the Feldeu arose with us. It was made for us, and no one else. There are some Sisters who use only that and don't even take the risk. That's an option as well, just to forego males entirely."

"Not likely for me," I murmured.

Feldeu...so it had a name. D'Shea couldn't have told me that much? I'd long since noticed—by the Abyss, I'd experienced— that this tool had caused a bizarre enhancement among the more aggressive and dominant Sisters—it was actually possible for the wearer of the false phallus to orgasm before the receiver...indeed, she could even force another Sister, cause pain or leave her unsatisfied as punishment, and still get release herself.

As I'd said before, this was unheard of between female Drow partners. On the occasion a faux phallus was used as punishment or to humiliate another, the wearer did not get much physical pleasure, either. Or at least, nothing like this, from what I'd seen; of their eyes rolling back in their heads and constantly moaning while they stroked. Nothing like the all-encompassing orgasm as they slammed it in all the way.

And only the Red Sisters possessed the Feldeu? I wondered about that.

It felt so strange, having this informative, calm conversation with Rausery while still naked and chained to the wall, my fingers numb and my arms hurting. As soon as I had the thought, the pain became very distracting. I tried to flex some blood and feeling back into my limbs but it didn't work; I just grimaced.

"I'll be back," Rausery said flatly, and left.

Wonderful. How many hours would this be? There was little to do but contemplate my aching arms, and I found myself trying to recite a couple rhyming prayers backwards, just to concentrate on something else. I settled down for a long wait.

But the Elder leader did come back as she said, and quite soon. She carried a bundle wrapped in shadowcloth, which she set down next to my discarded garments and shredded shirt. She took a moment to look me over.

"I meant what I said, that I will prepare you for your duty so I know it's done right. D'Shea has too much a liking for the 'sink or swim' method of teaching." She paused, watching me carefully as she added, "I may also use some of our time to teach you to fight back when you do not want to accept the Feldeu."

I hesitated to speak, letting the silence stretch, because I wanted to leap on the offer without exploring it further, and that would be a mistake. "I thought...as the youngest...that I had to."

"Who told you that?" Rausery said, and in her tone hung a huge hint that she would bet nobody had.

I was too stunned to reply immediately, but thought about the last eight weeks. D'Shea had said to follow orders from a ranking Sister if they didn't conflict with her own. After the days of abuse, I'd...I suppose I'd taken the demand to submit as an "order," particularly since they could back it up, being the better fighters and often coming in twos, threes, or more.

"What about Gaelan?" I said, also knowing I'd taken some of my cues from her.

"Gaelan," the Elder repeated, frowning a moment as if recalling the face and then huffing a laugh. "Oh, yes. Gaelan found her place early, upon entering the Sisterhood. She enjoys it, and will encourage others to give up control like her. She is a follower by nature and D'Shea is perfect for her." She narrowed her eyes at me. "You, on the other hand, do not truly enjoy it, I do not care whether you climax or not. And you strike me as neither a leader nor a follower. You'd rather work independently, am I right? Not at your best in groups."

She didn't wait for a response but scooted the box over closer to step on it once again, this time unhooking and lowering the chains from the wall.

"We use all types, Sirana. Lower your arms slowly."

I could not rightly do anything else; I sucked in a breath at the pain that shot through them, as the hot/cold rush of blood and the tingles following after it. I was quiet as she kneeled to unwrap the bundle, and I was still when I glimpsed red leather, just before she flipped it open to reveal a uniform.

Rausery picked up a piece that looked like a short red tunic. "Another hand-down, but it should fit. It's D'Shea's task to have one made for you that is custom." She paused at my silence and gestured. "Well? Speak, Sirana. Or I can put you back on the wall and give your regards to our queen."

I looked at the shackles and my black bracers then back at her. "I will wear the red uniform with pride. Thank you, Elder. And... if you will teach me how to protect my ass from a piercing every night, I will gladly learn. You're right, I don't truly enjoy it."

Elder Rausery chuckled and draped the red tunic over her arm before reaching for a small key in a belt pouch. She used it to unlock my shackles, caught the metal before it could fall on my bare feet, and instructed me to remove the black bracers.

"D'Shea's selections do seem to vary. Perhaps I should have tried harder to capture you myself, but I thought you were another Gaelan and I have no need for that. While D'Shea enjoys playing with her pieces on a map, I prefer being close at hand of the events."

She helped me don the red uniform, showing me how each piece went together. The chest piece over the tunic, the bracers, the belt; all of them used sturdy straps that folded down on themselves and somehow stuck, instead of leather ties to hold the armor in place. It made the pieces both noiseless in avoiding the use of metal, and baffling to an enemy in just how it was supposed to be undone.

The leather pants themselves were much softer on the inside, better quality, with sealed pockets containing the molded armor, arranged to allow complete freedom of movement. The boots, even not made for me, were still of a size and nearly the most comfortable I'd ever donned; they would be as silent as the black ones had been.

Rausery returned to me my black belt for now; I knew where everything was on it and it still contained my House dagger. It still denoted me as the lowest rank. Nonetheless, I felt good in this. Very good.

"We'll go over the particulars of your duties for the ball," she said, "and we'll get you a few new tools. Only after you can recite it all to my satisfaction will I show you how you might discourage the opportunists like Jaunda."

********

The particulars of what to watch for and expect at the worship ball, as well as the demonstration of some new tools, took the rest of the day. Because I wasn't yet returning to D'Shea's sector but probably would not get any rest if I found a pallet somewhere between there and here, Elder Rausery put me on the floor in her quarters.

We undressed to full nudity, but before we went into reverie, she sat on the edge of her bed, facing me.

"Put your mouth between my legs, Sirana."

I paused a moment, mainly to recollect that I hadn't done that before. It was something she actually hadn't forced me to do when she tested my worthiness. She hadn't seemed focused on her own pleasure at the time, only my resilience.

"Payment for a secure bed," she smirked. "And for the extra warriors you cost me today. Come here."

I didn't argue; I already knew what it would be like trying to sleep outside of her quarters, and I felt much, much better prepared for the ball thanks to her.

I knelt on the floor as she sat on the edge of the bed but her muscular thighs didn't open fully until I'd used my hands to part them. She sighed softly as I began suckling on her netherlips, and she put her hands in my hair, removing the band and undoing the plaited braid to spread my hair out across my back. Her fingers felt good stroking my scalp as my tongue darted inside her, around and out and in again.

By the time she was heaving, her back ramrod straight even as she braced herself slightly back with her arms, I had two fingers inside her, was flicking my tongue and using all my tricks to service her. Her hips thrust up and she growled short and low on occasion, but otherwise she didn't make much sound aside from her heavy breathing.

Her legs began to tremble as she pushed against the floor and held her ass slightly off the mattress, tilting her head back as she got closer and closer. I decided to take a risk and essentially do to her as I had with the wizard: I lubed up the middle finger of my other hand and slipped it between her buttocks, penetrating her ring quickly and just as it seemed she was ready to orgasm.

"AAHH!" she roared and she squirted me just like Jaunda could do; my chin and chest were drenched and it was a hot splash that turned chill almost instantly. I could feel her body spasm around my digits, could smell the heightened musk and feel the heat pressed to my face.

I removed all my fingers as her backside touched the mattress again and she stared down at me with bright but unreadable eyes as she caught her breath. I stared back and did not quail. I stayed on my knees and waited, not attempting to wipe the moisture from my lower face and chest—it was a vain effort without some sort of cloth. When she didn't say anything for several moments, I let a small smile show on my swollen lips. "Sounded like a good one, Elder."

One side of her mouth tugged upward and she shrugged. "Hm. They were right, you are pretty good at that. No wonder they all want a piece."

"I look forward to your training," I replied. "It will make me a rarer commodity."

She chuckled, leaning down to touch my own sex. I obediently opened wider for her and her fingers slipped in, but more to test its readiness. She soon withdrew and lifted her fingers just beneath her nose to take in the scent. "I'm sure it will. Stay where you are."

She stood up to retrieve something from a locked drawer in her desk, and I immediately knew what it was. I felt some dismay but hid it behind a neutral face as Rausery strode lazily back over, sat down on the bed again, and lifted one leg to insert her personal Feldeu into herself and whisper a magical word.

Like I'd seen first with Gaelan in the cave, and many others since, the phallus glowed subtly and the shape changed to conform perfectly with Rausery's body, essentially becoming part of her until she uttered the release word—different for every phallus, I understood.

She made a sound of pleasure and stroked her black member a few times before gesturing to me. "Stand up."

I did, but waited, somewhat confused. I didn't know precisely what she wanted; she wasn't giving many cues the way she was bracing her arms again and leaving the rigid Feldeu to sway slightly to one side, just looking at me.

"Get me one of those chairs, the one without arms," she instructed finally.

I looked behind me and saw a hefty fiberstone chair with four legs but no arms. I had to lift it carefully to avoid pulling a muscle, carrying it over slowly and putting it down, hyperaware of my bare feet.

"Good." Rausery stood to sit on that chair, getting comfortable and looking up at me with a half-smile. She looked down at her erection and back up. "Well? You want to get off or not?"

This had to be a trick. The Elder could not be inviting me to mount her and take control, to fuck her like a submissive male. Never mind that this was one of my favorite positions when I'd had free access to male Drow. If I took her up on it, I could not be in my more sane of states.

"I can go without, Elder," I said, my voice betraying my nervousness. "I don't need—"

"Ohhhh no, you don't," she shook her head, her dark red eyes gleaming and her teeth showing like a playful predator. "Get on my lap and get this thing up your twat now, or I'll send you to sleep with my Team Two."

Damn it.

I moved to obey, placing my feet wide apart on either side of Rausery's thighs, hovering over her lap and her Feldeu. For the first time in my life, I didn't feel in control when I straddled a cock from above, but it was still a familiar motion. I held one of her shoulders as I reached between us to aim her erection at my pussy, then slowly squatted down on it. She sucked in a slow breath as I did so, the sensations seeming to be pure pleasure to her as I slowly engulfed her rod. For my own sex, it was still sore as I stretched around it, but the pain was nothing I couldn't handle.

I lifted back up, using my thighs with both hands on her shoulders, and lowered myself back down. She hissed in pleasure again and reached around to squeeze my buttocks.