It was coming up on noon and the sun baked down on the county fair. Around the pavilion, the heat shimmered off the crops, ground, and even the half-naked bodies of the fair goers as they strolled up and down the aisles. The smells of fried meats and sweet treats permeated everything, mixing in with the scents of pussy and cock.
Merrie was face-down in the center of the pavilion, moaning into the grass as a complete stranger rammed his cock into her cum-slicked ass. He was short but thick. Nothing compared to Bass' immense shaft. Even with his smaller size, she enjoyed every thump of his hips against her buttocks and the death-grip he had on her tail. With every stroke, he would yank up and send bolts of pleasure and pain coursing along her spine.
She could read his mind as easily as a book. He had no shields and their physical contact laid his mind bare to her senses. She knew that he couldn't afford her and he knew it. But, he wasn't different than the dozens of other men and women who fucked her. They just wanted the once-in-a-lifetime chance to fuck an alpha.
Merrie reached out with her mind and slid through his thoughts. He wanted her to whine and shove back on his cock. She relaxed in his desires, letting her body respond to his needs. She jammed her arms into the ground and pushed back, matching his rhythm perfectly so there was never a chance his cock would ever escape her ass.
He gasped with surprise and his cock grew harder. The wet slurping of his penetration filled her ears and she came around the shaft pounding into her ass.
At least this one didn't insist on pulling her ears while he fucked her. She found very quickly that it hurt as much as having them stroked felt good, not unlike having her hair pulled. But, everyone had hair and only bitches had ears. That drew everyone's attention and her head ached from the constant tugging.
(I see,) came Haviston's thoughts through her pleasure, (that you have triggered three lessons already.)
Merrie didn't need to concentrate on the man fucking her. She let her mind drift through her memories before answering. (Three? I only remember two,) she sent a pulse of discomfort, (scenes.)
Amusement. (Some triggers result in a subconscious improvements, mostly to fill in the gaps that your instructor would show by example. Only the lessons that require you to be conscious of a skill will involve your grandfather's “private” lessons.)
She clamped down on the man's cock as she struggled with her growing discomfort. She didn't like what Haviston did to her memories and she dread the next time she found herself on her grandfather's lap.
(Don't worry, Merrie Golddother, I'm not able to concentrate enough to give you the discomfort you deserve.) An image of Bass lecturing Haviston behind one of the wagons rose up through her thoughts. The thriban was furious as he towered over Haviston's short frame. (I'm just bored of listening to his hypocrisy.)
Behind her, the guy groaned and yanked up on her tail. The pressure sent a bolt of pain, but the bright glow of his orgasm pushed away the discomfort. He slapped his hips tight against her ass and gave her a few short, ragged jabs before he came inside her.
Merrie moaned in the right places, pushing back as she enjoyed the feel of his throbbing cock and the hot liquid filling her bowels. (Hypocrisy?)
(The lecture they gave you about using mind control on the bitches. I've seen what spells they have on every item in that mill. There is no way anyone on their hands and knees could retain their personality and will without being remarkable in some manner. It is the same thing as mind control, just using Rendi Kivas' alteration magic to change their bodies instead of affecting the mind directly. Wait a second, he needs me to give a short response and I have to pretend to pay attention.)
The stranger pulled out. “Oh, the Three Gods, that was amazing. I can't wait to bid on you.”
He was lying, but Merrie still spun around into a begging position. She parted her lips mouth and barked once.
The man stared down at her and his cock twitched. With a soft moan, he stepped forward and she took his slimy length into her mouth. The taste of cum and her own pussy smeared across her tongue. She hollowed her cheeks and sucked on it, enjoying as the length grew hard against the roof of her mouth.
(Now he is starting round four,) resumed Haviston, (only two more to go. The problem with reading minds is that you know what is coming. But, there is nothing I can do but listen to him prattle on about ethics and morals. And this is coming from a man who gets off fucking amputated girls and tearing them open on his cock.)
(But what I did was wrong.)
(No, what you did was make them worried that you were being corrupted by my influence on you.)
Merrie gulped at the cock, bobbing up and down before mashing her face into the stranger's pubic hair. She felt his cock jerk against the back of her throat, splattering her insides with a few weak jets of cum.
(And they panicked when they saw you use that spell.) Amusement and pride resonated between them. (But, instead of treating you like an adult and an alpha, they continued their lies and forced you to believe you had did something wrong. Pathetic, really. Both them for using his Presence and you for not being shielded enough against it.)
The stranger pulled his cock from her mouth and she dragged her lips along the bumps and ridges so it came out clean. Stepping back, he pulled his pants back on and fled into the crowds.
Around her, the rest of the bitches were being touched, stroked, and fucked just like her. Cock Diver had her head between the slats of the fence, licking the ass of an older woman while the woman's husband fucked her pussy with short, frantic strokes.
Haviston used Presence as something specific, not just to describe Bass' charisma and personality. (What do you mean by Presence?)
Haviston was bored as he projected his thoughts. (Paladins are holy warriors who aggressively spread the word of their gods. They're sent into hostile environments against overwhelming odds. Their purpose is not really to defeat evil or save the masses, but to lead by example and convert said masses into worship of the paladin's god. However, not everyone really is opposed to be lead by dictators or handing over their cutest daughter for a few weeks of hard fucking before marrying her off. Some of those daughter look forward to being properly gang-banged before settling for someone who paid their dowry. You also have the inevitable traitor, people who play both sides, and the handful of assholes that every community has. Presence suppresses all of that so the morons cooperate with the paladin so evil can be defeated.)
Merrie remembered how Bass would stop arguments by somehow magnifying his presence. It was a suffocating feeling but she couldn't tear her attention away from him when he did it. Her mind drifted back to how Sable forced her to look at her as she was being scolding for the mind control spell.
(In powerful warriors, their Presence can also force cooperation not just reduce betrayal and conflict. I always imagined it came with some sort of dramatic background music and maybe a montage in those painfully drivel magazines you used to read as a teenage girl.)
Ass Licker crawled over, a smile on her lips. She wanted to clean Merrie.
Merrie turned around and got back on her knees, spreading her legs apart. Cum dribbled down her lips but Licker caught it before it splashed from her labia.
The tongue against her pussy felt good and Merrie gave an honest moan of pleasure as she pushed back against Licker's lips. The teenage girl knew exactly how to please Merrie and she forced her tongue deep into Merrie's wrinkled opening to lap at the cum inside.
Merrie closed her eyes to enjoy it. (She forced me to agree?)
(To be ashamed of your natural ability, actually. A form of agreement like smacking a petulant teenager.)
To her surprise, Merrie didn't feel angry or upset. Instead, she felt dead inside, as if she was in shock. (Why?)
(Because you questioned both Bassimar Sarmo's love for her and threatened her pack. She's been lying to you ever since she first opened her mouth.)
What Sable asked Merrie struck deep. Sable didn’t want Merrie to bind with Bass, Borias, or anyone else at the mill. She wanted Merrie to be alone, terribly alone, until she was sold to the highest bidder. And that bidder would end up being her master, one way or the other. The idea of a complete stranger being her one and only sent a pang of fear and jealousy coursing through her mind. She could never have Bass. She would never truly enjoy submitting to him, not the way Sable gave herself. No matter how much she loved Bass, he would never be her master.
Hot tears ran down her cheeks. She mouthed the words, not caring of Sable corrected her. “Why? Why not?” She was devastated as despair filled her.
Sable kissed her and her own eyes sparkled with tears.
Merrie repeated herself, lips moving against Sable’s.
"Because it would kill him."
The words ran true, said with Sable’s mind and body. Merrie didn’t understand, but she could feel Sable’s conviction in the words. She wanted to ask more questions, but Bass came crashing through the grasses and Sable scrambled off Merrie. She sat down next to Merrie who struggled to get into a begging position. Merrie didn’t know if it would help, but begging for forgiveness seemed like the right thing to do.
Merrie gulped at her suddenly tight throat. (She lied to me?)
(Of course. She is a hypocrite just like her master.)
(But, Dixie said—)
(He told you that Bassimar Sarmo would die in a few short years, didn't he?)
(Yes…) Merrie gasped as she recalled what Kessler said just a few short hours before. (Kessler said Bass would live for centuries.) Things became to click together. (That is why Dixie said something about Kessler ruining something. He lied to me also, didn't he?)
Haviston projected a paternal pride. (Took you long enough. They manipulated you and trained you, broke you and cropped you. They just had to do it differently than the others because of what you are.)
(Why?)
(You're a bitch. You may be a special one, but your home is not at the mill. You are money and fame and nothing more.) Haviston's monotone thoughts echoed in her head.
Merrie leaned back into Licker's mouth but she didn't feel the teenager's tongue or even the soft breath of Licker's breath against her sex. Instead, she struggled with the dull feeling in her chest. It felt like Haviston's hand was wrapped around her emotions, holding them back. (Shouldn't I be upset or something?)
More amusement. (Very perceptive. You should, but I'm not going to let you. Not yet.)
Merrie gasped, her body growing cold. (Why?)
(Because I paid my debt to society. I spent ten years in Abbinkey for my crimes and then another twelve years three months trying to claw my way back into respectable society. I finally found a home that would accept me. But, I still owed Rendi Kivas a year and a day of my life. I just hoped she would never call me on it, but the Kivas family was never lucky. When she came, she didn't give me a chance to deny her. In less than an hour, I was forced to abandoned everything I fought for just to help you.)
He paused for a moment to answer a question to Bass. When he returned, his thoughts were dark. (I don't like you, Merrie Golddother. I don't love you or respect you. I don't think you are beautiful, sexy, ugly, or nauseating. You are just another human mind in a weak body. Your skills and powers are powerful, but you are simply not worth the last thirty-one years I just lost.)
Emotions behind to filter through his thoughts, the first time she experience what went on beyond the deadpanned voice that echoed in her mind. They were sharp, knife-edged feelings that had a clarity that the other alphas didn't have. (I'm going to use you just like Bassimar Sarmo and the others did. But, I'm going to let you know what I'm going to make you do because there is nothing you can do to stop me. You are not going to be upset, frightened, or sad until I decide you are. You will not feel anger or rage until I think it will have the most impact to ensure you never, ever return.)
Merrie wanted to be scared and angry, but Haviston had wrapped her emotions in a thick spell. She couldn't feel anything except for the muted sensations of Ass Licker's tongue in her ass.
(You are going to be a good bitch today. You are going to have fun, get laid, and bring a lot of people joy. And then later this afternoon, you are going to be sold and you are never going to come back here again. I don't care who your new master will be and it doesn't matter. Merrie Golddother will not be the reminder of everything I lost. It is the only way I will be able to tolerate this year and a day that I am obligated to serve.)
(They were going to sell me.) She tried to cry, but couldn't.
(True, but Bassimar Sarmo still has feelings for you and I need to ensure that he will not decide to “accidentally” keep you. Hold on, he is about to storm off.)
Bass strode through the pavilion, his face calm but his emotions seething. “Sable, let's go for a walk and see if we can bring in more customers.”
Sable bounded from the crowds, her face slick with pussy juices. Even with her shortened arms and legs, she somehow drew the attention of everyone as she passed by. After Haviston mentioned it, she couldn't help but wonder if she was using Bass' powers even now.
Behind her, a woman struggled to push her skirt back down in place as she glowed with a recent orgasm. Her mind was bright with the pleasure and Merrie felt her regarding the rest of the bitches as she decided to buy one.
Haviston strolled in Bass' wake, his hands behind his back and a smug look on his face. He didn't look at Merrie, but she could feel his attention against her thoughts. (Presence is subtle and difficult to detect. It also penetrates shields like your natural talent which is why it is affecting you and not me. Try to look away from them and pay attention to how much you want to follow them with your eyes.)
Merrie crawled away from Ass Licker enough to turn around and stepped back to kiss her. As they caressed, she tasted the stranger's cum on the teenager's lips.
(You're looking at them again.)
Merrie realized that she was watching from the corner of her eye. She knew where they were as Bass and Sable as they worked their way into the crowds. As they passed, people turned and watched with curiosity, lust, and unconscious desire.
Moments after they left, she found that she could focus her full attention on Licker. She smiled and broke the kiss.
Licker smiled back and licked her lips. She was feeling self-conscious, not as a female on the ground, but as a bitch who needed an orgasm.
Merrie could do that. With a grin, she bumped into Licker and sent the desire to wrestle across the pavilion. She picked out the bitches who weren't fucking or being inspected.
Licker's eyes brightened as she lunged forward. Her small breasts crushed against Merrie's face as she wrenched Merrie to the side.
Merrie didn't resist. She flipped over and spread her legs as Seven dove between her legs. Merrie's arms flailed around with mock-helplessness as Licker struggled to mount her face.
More bitches joined into the pile and their naked bodies slid against each other as Licker finally got her crotch poised over Merrie's head.
With a sigh of pleasure, Merrie reached up and lapped at Licker's hairless slit from asshole to clitoris and back.
Licker slid down and plastered her body against Merrie's mouth.
Merrie closed her eyes and lapped harder, enjoying the mouths that had clamped on her pussy and breasts. One arm was being guided into the wet hole of Pillow Chest's pussy. She also felt Anal Cookie working the smooth end of her arm between Merrie's buttocks. She was going to slide it into Merrie's cum-slicked ass. Merrie arched her back to give her access, then moaned as the hard end slipped inside her well-trained hole.
Haviston's words burned in the back of her head for a long moment, but she let it slide away as she lost herself in the pleasure of being fucked.
A half hour later, Merrie was leaning against the fence as a teenage boy and his father shoved their fingers into her pussy. The father cupped her breasts with his other hand, rolling her nipple between his fingertips. She moaned in the touch, enjoying the feeling of being used.
Around her, the others were enjoying themselves, their minds bright with anticipation and lust. Piffin was guiding them through commands and Merrie was relaying his thoughts to them so they obeyed with the speed of an alpha. It was cheating, but Sable wasn't around to lecture her.
Just as she was reaching an orgasm on the probing fingers, she felt a new bitch start to walk down the lane toward the pavilion. Merrie focused on the bitch as she came, her mind's eye focused on the bright thoughts as they drew closer. She wanted to look but she couldn't as she was being fingered. With a gentle push, she sent a hard pulse of pleasure into the boy and his father. Both of their minds grew bright with orgasm and they slipped away, blushing as they moved to cover their pants.
A little girl, maybe eight years old, burst out of the crowds and ran into the pavilion. She had black hair and bright eyes. It wasn't the first child Merrie saw at the county fair, but the first that had ever ventured into the pavilion. The little girl spun around and her red dress fluttered around her hips before settling down. “Nana!? Nana!?”
Two more children, two girls and a few years older than the first, joined her as they looked around. They were beautiful children, but they were out of place in the fenced-in area of sex slaves.
And then their mother came into view. Merrie got a brief glimpse of thick, black hair and large brown eyes before she realized the woman was glowing with powerful magic. Gasping, Merrie sat down and stared at the energy. It started at her knees and completed her long, slender legs. The bare skin looked like flesh, but Merrie could tell that it was nothing but hundreds of complicated spells woven together to give the impression of flesh. Her arms were the same way, giving her form when the bones ended at her elbows.
She had been cropped.
Merrie's heart pounded in her chest. She never considered that a bitch could walk again. She blinked and focused on the woman's throat, where she wore a leather collar with a tag poised right above the “V” of her cleavage. She knew what it would say, even though she couldn't read it: Ebony.
Ebony was curvy with an accented hourglass figure. Her breasts strained the black leather vest she wore and her white cotton dress caught on her wide hips. The embroidered red trim fluttered with her movements. She was alluring in the same way all the bitches were; there was an undercurrent of desire in her mind, a constant hunger to be fucked that would never go away.
She smiled and turned away from the pavilion. She held out her hand and older man took it. She pulled him closer and gave him a kiss, her mind burning with love. She broke the kiss and peered over his shoulder. “Come on, Cassis and Rayne.”
Two boys, twelve and ten, followed behind her. The younger one was staring wide-eyed at the bondage slaves next door as he held his hands over his erection. The older one looked nervously at the pavilion, his face pale and dripping with sweat.
Merrie watched as the mother guided the two boys in the pavilion before she looked around.
Borias caught sight of the newcomers and a broad smile crossed his face. “Ebony!” He vaulted over Seven and rushed over to sweep Ebony into a tight hug.
Ebony's mind flared with fear for a moment, then she relaxed. She hugged Borias back and kissed him on the cheek. “Bori, it's good to see you. Is mom around?”
Merrie gasped as she identified the woman: Sable's daughter. Sixteen years ago, Ebony was on her knees and hands, crawling around as a bitch with the same dull thoughts as the ones around her. Memories Merrie picked up from Bass and Sable overlaid with the elegant woman in front of her. She remembered how she looked when Bass first impaled her pussy on his cock, or the feel of her body against Sable's as the mother comforted her daughter. There were more, ones that she didn't remember seeing before, and they flashed across Merrie's mind in a storm of sex, submission, and love.
Borias stepped back. “No, she not be here. She and Bass be walking around to show off the pretties.”
“I-Is,” she gulped, “is she okay? I heard that she got hurt.”
“Yeah,” he nodded, “she be safe now. It be nasty for a while, but you be knowing your mother and Bass. They be coming out on top.”
Ebony let out a sigh of relief. “Thank the gods. I was so worried. I can't believe you found another alpha. And that,” tears glittered in her eyes, “that Grange tried to kill mom.”
“Is that why you be here?”
Ebony nodded and pulled her husband closer, clutching his arm tightly. “It had been a few years since mother came around to visit and I thought it was time for Quin,” she gestured to the little girl who was squatted in front of Seven as he was being licked out by Snapping Pussy, “to see her grandmother again.” She raised her voice. “Quin, don't touch.”
Quin stood up and sprinted over to her mother. “Mama! She's licking his asshole!”
Ebony's older boy squirmed and looked away with a blush on his cheeks.
Ebony smiled broadly, but her eyes flickered with a much different emotion: longing. “Yes, honey, I know.”
“Why?”
“Because that is what they do. They are bitches.” There was no hiding the sad, haunted quality in her voice.
“Like Nana?”
An uncomfortable feeling spread across Ebony, but she kept it off her face. “Yes, just like Nana.” She lifted her gaze up to Borias. She made a little gesture toward the wagons. “Could you? Please?”
Borias nodded. “I be asking Tabby to get her now.”
At Tabitha's name, fear burned brightly in Ebony's mind. She turned away and nodded. “Thank you, Bori.”
Borias headed straight for Tabitha who was glowering at people from the side of the wagon. Dixie was at her feet, leaning against his mistress as he glared back at Quim who was pointedly staring at him.
The little girl whispered loudly. “Mama, that boy has pointy ears!”
Dixie's lip pulled back. (I hate human children.)
Merrie couldn't help but smile at the innocent, young girl. (Those are Sable's daughter's?)
(Ebony was bought by Claus.) He pictured the older man next to Ebony. (Like some pathetic wimp, he fell in love with her and decided that she was too good to be just a puppy slave. But, when my mistress crops a bitch,) pride filled his thoughts, (they stay cropped. He petitioned to his gods to bring back her limbs, but they wouldn't. So, he blew most of his fortune to get those spells crafted so she could walk again.)
Dixie got up and crawled under the wagon. (Waste of a good bitch, I say.)
Quim inched closer and peered under the wagon. “Where are you going, bitch boy? We call him a bitch, right? He does everything you say? Right? Right?”
(Can I eat her?) snapped Dixie.
Borias finished talking to Tabitha. “Thank you, Tabby.”
“Anything,” Tabitha glared down at Quim who was leaning on her leg as she peered under the wagon, “to get away from the… the…”
Borias grinned. “Womb farts?”
Tabitha glared at him. “I only called Cassis that once.”
“And Bass be bitching you out.” The smile grew wider, “But, if Bass and Sable be playing with the little ones, then you can be sneaking out to join in the blood games. They start in about twenty minutes.”
Tabitha smiled as a growl rumbled in her chest. “Deal.”
She yanked her leg free of Quim and transformed into a wolf. Underneath the wagon, Dixie did the same.
Quim squealed with joy, clapping her hands even as she tumbled back on her rear. “They turned into doggies!”
The two wolves shot out in different directions. Merrie suspect it was to ensure one would escape the little girl's attention.
Quim looked around for a moment, got up, and headed back to her mother.
Borias followed and took them to the pile of supplies. He dug into the boxes, looking for something.
Ebony fretted as she looked back at the bitches, a longing filling her before she tore her eyes away and focused on her husband. She smiled and hugged him tightly.
“Here you be going, no touch markers.” Borias held up a handful of brightly colored woven bands. He turned around and sat on the ground. Quim jumped into his lap and he started to tie it over her upper shoulder.
“Not around the neck, Bori,” whispered Ebony.
“I be knowing. Your little ones will never be bitches.” He glanced up at her. “Not as long as me or Bass be breathing.”
“Thank you. Cassis, Rayne, come here.” When her two older sons approach, she tied bands around their arms. “Remember, this is Blood County. If anyone asks you to try out something, say no. You are still under Consent's protection, but that doesn't mean they won't try other things. No fucking or licking.”
“What about touching?” asked the younger of the two.
“No touching. In fact, keep away from anyone naked. And don't ever, ever take your clothes off. Okay?”
“Mama,” whined the older boy, “I'm not stupid.”
“Yes, Rayne, I know. But I don't want to repeat what happened last time, okay?”
Cassis shuddered and blushed hotly. “I'm sorry, Mama. I didn't—”
“It's okay, Grapa Bass stopped them.” She trembled for a moment before she continued. “And they will never do that again.”
They were a kilometer away from the fair and in the middle of a field. The tall stalks waved back and forth in the wind. Ebony was clutching to a sobbing Cassis, protecting him with her body.
In front of her, Bass stood between her and the corpses of the men who tried to kidnap her son. His armor and sword glowed brightly, but even the glare of magic couldn't hide the sight of blood dripping down the length of his blade. The thriban who kidnapped and raped her repeatedly had saved her. Even though her mother fell in love with him, Ebony didn't think she could ever forgive him until that moment.
Three men had stolen her son. Two died on his blade. Tabitha, the creature that had torn off her arms and legs, was tearing into the guts of the third. He would live but would never walk again.
“But, be careful,” warned Ebony, “There are other children here and you can play all the games you want. And stay on the white side, okay?”
“Yes, mama,” came the chorused response.
Sable barked as she came out of the crowds. She stopped to wag her tail and then ducked between someone's legs as she sprinted toward the pavilion. Her short arms and legs gave her a bounding gait as she ducked underneath the fence.
Quim squealed and surged out of Borias' lap. She rushed over to Sable and wrapped her arms around her naked grandmother. “Nana! Nana! Nana!”
Sable wagged her tail happily and licked Quim on the face.
Bass stepped out of the crowds with a smile on his face. “Hello, Ebony.”
Ebony grew hot with excitement, a lust as she stared at her former trainer. Merrie could tell that she fantasized about Bass even as she struggled to remain human. There was an urge to drop to her knees in front of him; her hands balled into fists as she fought her training. The former bitch ground her legs together and Merrie knew that she was dripping wet. “Hello,” she gulped, “Bass.”
“You look good.” Bass made no effort to touch her.
“Thank you.” Ebony had a blush on her cheeks.
The two stood across from each other. There was an uncomfortable silence even over the din of the fair. Ebony's husband reached out for her, then lowered his hands. A few meters away, Sable wrestled with the three younger children, barking and panting happily.
The children didn't care that she was naked. They didn't see anything wrong with their grandmother without feet or hands. Instead, they squealed and rolled over her, wrestling and tugging on her hair and tail.
There was a strange contrast of the children playing with the naked bitch. Anywhere else, it would have been obscene, but there was nothing more than just a maternal love blended with the cheerful exuberance of a bitch.
Merrie looked back and forth between everyone, her mind still struggling with the emotions that Haviston bound down. She wanted to be happy for them, but she couldn't feel anything.
She caught Bass looking at her. Sheepishly, she ducked her head.
“Merrie,” as Bass' rumbling voice, Merrie shivered with need, “let's go for a walk. Ebony… Sable need time with her grandchildren. Borias watch over Ebony's.”
“Yes, boss.”
Bass lowered his gaze to Merrie. “Come on. I need to walk around some more.”
(Go on,) prompted Sable, happy with her grandchildren playing, (my master needs to be somewhere else. Enjoy the time you have together.)
Ebony never took her eyes off Bass. Lust burned inside her as her gaze lowered down to Bass' crotch. A hunger boiled inside her, a lust of something she hadn't felt in years. Merrie watched as her lips parted and her breasts rose and fell as she remembered submitting to the gray-skinned thriban. Images of submission flashed through Ebony's mind and Merrie could feel the heat growing inside both of them. Subtly, Ebony clamped her legs together as the smell of her excitement—a sweet perfume with a hint of tang—drifted around her.
Merrie felt her own body growing moist with sympathetic pleasure. She wagged her tail to fan her heated sex and crawled over to Bass. Her movement caught the attention of Ebony and the former bitch pictured herself in the same position, then tore her thoughts away with a barely audible sob.
“Good girl,” he patted Merrie on the head. The heavy weight of his palm felt comforting. He was kind and dominating at the same time and she wished she could stay at the mill forever.
She wagged her tail at the remembered pleasure that came from the now dead collar around her neck. It was a different world when she came at the trigger words, but she still clenched down with anticipation. As she swam in the remembered pleasure, a niggling part of her mind remembered Haviston's warning. Was Bass manipulating her? Was he using his powers to keep her happy and desperate to please? She hated Haviston for ruining everything and more so that she didn't know where she was in Bass' world.
When he walked into the lane, she followed. The hard-packed lane between the booths and pavilions was crowded, but there was always a small clearing around thriban. She knew it had to be his presence or just fear, but she kept close to him as he strolled down the lane.
Bass said nothing and Merrie wouldn't speak first. She took the chance to look around. To her surprise, the fair wasn't filled with perversions. There were the same type of stalls she saw at any other county fair she visited: farmers selling vegetables and fruits, weavers with their brightly colored blankets and rugs, and even a family selling fried sweets covered in powered sugar. But, there was no question that Blood County's fair was different. Between a couple hawking freshly grown corn and an artist who carved faces in wood, there was a merchant selling hand-made dildos and butt plugs. A woman was giggling as she pulled down her panties and bent over to expose her hairy pussy for anyone to see.
In the center of the lane, a naked woman in her early twenties, was on her knees. She had her mouth open to catch the urine streaming out of a man still holding his beer. On the woman's back was advertising for “Gabby's Toilet Girls, they swallow everything!” The man finished and the slave sucked his cock clean before thanking him. He turned around as if he peed in a woman's mouth every day.
Merrie watched, picturing herself in the same position. The submission of opening her mouth knowing what was coming brought the same pleasure as spreading her legs to obey a command. She gulped at her dry throat and rubbed her thighs together. She was already wet and slick.
A woman came up to the toilet girl, hiking up her skirt. The girl opened her mouth and lowered her body to position herself. The woman, lips parted with her own excitement, sidled up and clamped her thighs around the woman's face.
Merrie stopped to watch as the woman began to pee. The sight of the toilet girl's throat gulping down the hot liquid brought a heat to Merrie's pussy. She wanted to be in that place.
Bass cleared his throat and Merrie blushed. “Come on, bitch.”
Further down the lane, they paused as a line of pony girls came trotting down the lane. They were naked except for the harnesses that set off their small breasts, tight muscles, and trimmed legs. The front four had straps between their legs to hold dildos in their ass and pussies, but the four in the back had their shaved pussies on display for everyone to see. The man leading them beamed happily as he lead them down the center of the lane.
“That's one of Zeb's men.” Bass followed the pony girls with his eyes. “Zeb is a good owner but a bit enthusiastic for her own good. She was a lot like me when I first started.” He chuckled as a man slapped one of the pony girl's asses as she passed. “While she isn't into fucking every hole they have, she has a mean whip.”
Merrie watched the ponies pass. As the last one passed, she turned to look at their asses as they walked. All eight of them were narrow-waited with slender hips. As they walked, they lifted their feet high from the ground and brought them down. Their boots, shaped like hooves, tapped loudly in the ground in almost perfect synchronization.
“Good rhythm, though. Waste of a pussy though but the stallions are almost as hung as me.” He chuckled before heading back down the lane. They circled around the end.
Merrie felt Kessler's bitches before she saw them. Their minds were dull and listless. Merrie thought Bass had broken in his bitches, but see the bare flickers of personality remaining scared her. She crawled forward, ignoring Bass, so she could peer into Kessler's stall.
There were forty of them. Half of them were in wire cages, large but still confining. The other half were on small tables, their muscles straining to retain their balance as potential buyers poked and prodded them. None of them were cropped, though, and their hands were bound in leather gloves.
They were naked except for their collar. Kessler's bitches remained still as they waited for their future master, unlike the playful teasing that Bass' bitches. There was no wrestling or giggles, no moans or licking. Just quiet despair in their glassy eyes.
Merrie felt pity for them. Kessler had broken them more than Bass ever did. There was no love or hope in their eyes. Any joy had been ripped out of their hearts and they looked around with mute, begging silence.
“Well met, Bass,” Kessler was cheerful as joined Bass and Merrie. “What do you think about my bitches?”
“Decent, but are they well trained?”
“They better be. You know what I'm going to do if they don't sell. They all know that.”
There was something about the way Kessler spoke that set Merrie on edge. Even though Bass' shields, his sudden emotions leaked through the cracks. She could feel his anger raging inside him, a bitter hatred for the merchant who spoke casually. She wished she could feel the same anger but Haviston's spell prevented it.
Instead, she focused on the bitches in the cages. They were beautiful, or would be, once someone would take care of them, fuck them, and maybe give them love. She wanted to comfort each and every one of them.
“I know you don't agree, Bass, but I'll prove it. Staple, pull the bitches out of the cages and line them out here.”
It only took a few minutes to get twenty girls lined up on the lane. Crowds gathered around as they waited for a show. Kessler stood in front of them. “All right, bitches, sit!”
As a ragged group, they got into position. There was none of the grace and speed of their movements. Some of them hesitated for a long moment before they sluggishly sat down.
The last one was still sitting up on her haunches when Kessler belted out another command. “Down.”
Merrie had tears in her eyes as she watched them struggling to keep up. There was no fire, no excitement in their movements. They were broken and it tore Merrie's heart to see them struggling.
A murmur rippled through the crowds. Some people shook their heads as they backed away, obviously disappointed.
“Come on, bitches,” snapped Kessler, “put some fire in it or I'll drown the lot of you.”
Next to Merrie, Bass' hands cracked as he balled them into fists. A low growl rumbled in his chest, barely audible over the din of the crowd. She looked up to see his lips pressed into a tight line. The anger burned inside him, the hatred and frustration palatable with their proximity. He knew what would happen.
Bass found the bodies where they washed up on the shore of Maddy's lands. Almost fifty bodies sprawled out on the gravel, their blue faces forever fixed in masks of horror and pain. He looked down to the woman at his feet. Her hands were caught in her collar where she tried to pull it off. The body next to her had the chain wrapped around her neck, the brick at the far end lodged in her armpit.
They weren't being punished. They did nothing wrong. They were simply in the way of Kessler's profit when he sold the alpha.
He hated Kessler more than anyone else in his entire life. He wished he still had his powers, or at least Lemitri's mandate to destroy evil. For a moment, he considered hunting down Kessler and kill him. It would break too many promises and he would die from the backlash. But, in that one instant, it would be worth it.
But then, Sable would die from the shock and wither away. And Bass could never do that. He stared down at the naked corpses and fought back the tears of frustration.
“That fucking bastard,” snapped Maddy as she stepped over the bodies. Her boots squelched in the mud. "What's wrong with him? At least when I snuff girls, it is the middle of an orgasm, not tossed into the river."
"Greed."
"I wish he would make one fatal mistake and you would kill him."
Bass sighed. "I know, Maddy, I know. But Kessler is smart, he's a baron, and in Blood County, this isn't illegal. It is his right to do this, even if… if…"
"It's wrong."
"I know."
Maddy toed a woman's breast with her boot. "I can't use their meat either. Maybe if I caught them fresh, but now they are spoiled. Nothing to salvage out of this mess."
“Then we give them a proper burial.” Bass turned around. "I'll get a shovel."
“Use my cemetery, Bass.” Maddy wiped her face, "It's the least I can do."
Merrie sobbed at the memory. Bass remembered the scene as if it was yesterday and the stark brutality of the scene continued to tear his heart. Through her blurry vision, she watched the naked women struggling to obey even the simplest of commands, not because they didn't know how but simply because there was no more reason to obey, to live. Their broken minds and shattered wills just couldn't bring the same joy she saw whenever Bass' bitches lined up.
More bystanders backed away, muttering.
Kessler's thoughts drifted through her own. His disappointment was growing with every passing second. He didn't think with his voice, but everything he saw had a price: the cost for his pavilion, the price of his clothes, even the rapidly diminishing value of his bitches. He was watching the crowds as he snapped out commands, watching as they drifted away and his potential profits plummeted even more.
New thoughts rose up in Kessler's mind. The value of some of the slaves dropped to negatives in a flash while others tripled, but new expenses popped up. Fees for disposing of bodies in the fields, bribes for the count's guards to look to the other side, and money to silence the protests from the surrounding farmers. His mind ran with a cost analysis and to Merrie's horror, it became clear to Kessler that it was cheaper to snuff half the bitches to jack up the prices on the other.
She couldn't take it anymore and there was only one thing she could. Merrie focused inside herself and brought up the second spell Haviston taught her. It didn't matter if Bass would punish her, she had to use it. She could recall the runes as if they were burned into her mind. She explored the complicated patterns for a moment then set it up in her thoughts. She pulled her senses deep inside her until she found a well of energy that she felt the first time she used the hook spell. Pulling on it, she pushed her energy through the spell and it lit up brightly in her mind.
Merrie smiled grimly and continued to pour energy into the pattern until she thought it would explode. With a twisting pop, the spell powered up and burst out from inside her with a pulse of pleasure. It spread out from her body, ignoring Kessler and Bass but sinking into the lined up bitches. It continued to spread out, catching the slaves on the tables before it faded.
Her surprise faded as she felt forty minds connected to her own. She knew that she could command them and the realization left her trembling with excitement. It was intoxicating and alluring, even though she knew that Bass would punish her for even trying. She peeked up at him but the thriban was watching Kessler with a frown.
Merrie returned her attention to the bitches in the lane. Their minds were flickers of light in her mind's eye. But, they would obey if she demanded.
She stared at Kessler's back. There was one more part if she was going to help them. She already had a taste of Kessler's thoughts and the idea of delving deeper into his mind sickened her. But, if she didn't, they would die. Clenching with distaste, she focused on Kessler. He had shields but she penetrated them easily. As she delved past the numbers and accounting, she found the part of his mind that was about to give a command. It was already there, an idea of a word.
Merrie reached out to the bitches and prepared them, holding their bodies still until Kessler spoke.
“Sit.”
She exerted her will.
As one, the bitches slapped their rears to the ground. Quizzical looks crossed their faces as they looked around in confusion. They didn't know how they moved or why. The slaves shifted in place as their thoughts stirred from the dark place they had retreated into during Kessler's training.
Next to her, Bass inhaled sharply.
She cringed knowing he would punish her, but then Kessler's next command came.
“Beg.”
Merrie pushed the command out to their receptive minds and felt a draining of her energy. The slaves spread their legs and brought their hands up to their wrists. It was strange to see hands and feet on the bitches. She could almost picture them cropped like herself and it brought a smile to her lips. She wanted them to feel the same pleasure of submission and she pulsed out a wave of pleasure. (Good girls.)
Shock rippled across the bitches as they squirmed even from a wave of pleasure that coursed through their bodies. Tiny sparks rose up from the slaves' mind and Merrie felt a sympathetic pleasure growing in her pussy.
Another command came and she drove the slaves to obey. When they did—not they could resist her—she sent out another pulse of pleasure. As their bodies responded, so did their minds. Merrie wanted to force them to her will, to hammer their thoughts with wave after wave of pleasure until they all exploded into orgasms.
With the next, she felt another drain of her energy. As much as she wanted to, she could never drive all forty of them into orgasm. She could barely keep up with the commands that Kessler barked out in rapid succession.
The crowds grew thicker as people gathered around them. Their eyes were fixed on the naked women rolling and sitting in the middle of the lane. Merrie could feel the sexual excitement rising. She bore with her mind control and drove the slaves to obey with the sharp movements of a properly trained bitch.
Someone began to yell and the noise almost broke her concentration. Merrie looked to see the bitches on the tables crawling off and heading to join the others already in the lane. She tried to push the second group away, but she almost lost control of all of them. She tried again, but she didn't have the skill to control two separate groups at the same time. After a few attempts, she gave up and let the entire pack line up in the lane.
The crowds backed away to give them space. A ripple of excitement filled the air. It was a thick tension. Men and women rubbed themselves as they imagined the naked women serving them with blind obedience.
More commands came, faster now. If it was Bass, Merrie would have no trouble keeping up, but the effort of keeping all of the bitches together strained on her senses. She slumped against Bass' leg as she struggled to keep them moving, to keep Kessler's price high enough he would not consider killing them for profit. She sobbed with the effort, even as she watched all of them moving graceful from one command to the next.
Suddenly, Kessler stopped. He held up his hands and spoke in a loud voice, “Kessler Farms is your best source of cheap, high-quality sex slaves. We specialize in dog girls and our training is second to none.”
Merrie almost lost control and a ripple of emotions flickered among the bitches. She stared at Kessler in shock as applause burst along the crowd.
Kessler turned around and smiled at her before returning to the crowds. “We teach them to obey any command without hesitation. Sit!”
Merrie was already repeating the command before she realized it. As she watched Kessler's bitches crawl into the sitting position, she realized she had been tricked into increasing his prices. But, Kessler's threat was still there, if she failed, the bitches would die.
Bass' heavy hand rested on Merrie's shoulder. The fingers reached from shoulder to shoulder. His thumb curled against her armpit.
Merrie cringed. Shaking from the exertion of her magic and fear of being punished, she looked up at him.
Bass was torn. She knew that he didn't want her to use mind control magic. His position was clear, but he also knew what Kessler would do. His ethics and morals tore into each other and the stricken look on his face would haunt Merrie for the rest of her life.
“Bitches, roll over!”
Merrie wanted to stop obeying, but she couldn't. She couldn't risk their lives, even if Kessler had tricked her. She forced the command through the slaves' bodies. The power drained out of her and she slid down Bass' thigh, barely able to remain on her knees and wrists.
Her eyes blurring with from the effort, she looked up at her trainer. She whimpered and struggled to keep breathing. Forty minds were draining her and she couldn't take much more. Even with Kessler's threat, she couldn't save them all. Merrie looked down to the ground with a sob. She would fail.
Bass' hand grew icy. A searing pain crossed along her skin but it quickly faded as the sensation of icy water poured into her. It flooded down her limbs and pooled in her legs, arms, breasts. With rapid speed, the liquid sensation rushed up and she shivered at the coldness.
She whimpered, not sure what she was experiencing. She shook and her mind spun furiously. She wanted to run, sprint, or jump. She felt like she could race around the world and fight off an army by herself.
“Merrie…” Bass said in a low voice.
She glanced up.
He continued to speak in a low, almost imperceptible voice. “There is always a time when you have to choose between two evils.” His jaw tightened as he struggled to keep speaking.
Kessler barked out another command.
Merrie obeyed and hated every second as the bitched moved into position. The energy continued to suck out of her. Her leg collapsed from underneath her and she slid down Bass' leg as she sat down heavily. She inhaled sharply, trying to get enough air into her lungs but she felt light-headed and dizzy.
“Save the bitches,” came the command from the thriban. As the words came out, so did the icy sensation. It poured into her, drowning her with freezing energy.
Merrie inhaled sharply. He was giving her energy. She didn't know how he could do that, but as soon as she realized it, she found she could tap it just like her own personal store. With a rush, she forced the power into her spell.
Her control over the bitched solidified. Merrie let out a grim smile as she waited for Kessler's command. It came and she was already guiding the bitches into position.
Kessler continued his spiel, selling the bitches that obeyed without question. Every word dug into Merrie's heart, knowing that Kessler had used her, but she had to save them. She would even without Bass' permission, but the former paladin's energy gave her the ability to keep up with Kessler's rapid-fire commands.
The demonstration went on for ten more minutes before Kessler was satisfied that every one of his bitches would be sold. He finished up with a rousing conclusion and then ordered his slaves back into his stall. Most of the crowds reluctantly parted but a few entered the Kessler pavilion to take a closer look.
Kessler turned around and walked to Bass. “I won't pay for that, you know.”
“That was a cruel thing to do, Kessler.”
Bass' energy had stopped and Merrie slumped to the ground. She was exhausted, not only in body but also in mind. She wanted to curl up and go to sleep. She remained leaning against the thick thigh of her trainer, the only anchor she had to her spinning world.
Kessler shrugged. “It's business, Bass, nothing more. Either way, I will make a profit.”
Bass watched as Kessler turned and entered his stall. His hands balled into fists and his knuckles brushed against Merrie's shoulder. There was seething hatred in Bass' mind as he glared daggers at the man's back.
As soon as Kessler was out of hearing, Bass grumbled. “I need to get drunk, now.”