DAUGHTERS
OF THE SKY
Episode 1 The Slavers of El
Arish
Chapter
7 Ben Aben’s
Collection
Delendria spat through the open window of the cabin and then took another mouthful of water and attempted to wash the task of Ben Aben’s semen from her mouth. She listened carefully for Taria’s return, certain that everything she did or said was reported to her master. She did not want a repeat of the brutal lesson Ben Aben had given her following her attempt to win his confidence through pretended subservience. Now she was subservient, careful not to do anything that might anger her master. That did not mean, however, that her spirit had been broken. She would do as Ben Aben ordered, but she would not pretend to like it; nor would she do anything to encourage him to further degrade her.
Unfortunately, that meant submitting to Ben Aben’s sexual desires and when it came to sex he was amazingly imaginative although he had refrained from a repeat of the anal rape. To refuse him what he demanded was unthinkable. Delendria had no wish to be reminded of his power over her by being subjected to another brutal sexual episode and so she gave him what he wanted, including a lengthy session of oral sex this afternoon. She spat one more time, and then returned to her place by the bed. Taria would no doubt return soon, especially as it was almost time to check on the gryphons.
The gryphons were the only reason that Delendria dared to offer even the slightest resistance. She was playing a dangerous game by allowing Ben Aben to have his way with her, while at the same time not enthusiastically participating in the sexual acts he forced upon her. However, she knew that he valued the gryphons even more than he valued her, and she was the only one who could get the exotic beasts to eat. For that reason alone Ben Aben would keep her alive.
The door opened and Taria entered. Delendria felt no animosity toward the golden-skinned girl. She was only behaving the way any slave would. Her position depended entirely on Ben Aben’s good will and she would have been foolish not to cooperate with her master. For those reasons she could not be trusted. Delendria’s chances of escape would have been much greater if she had someone to help her, but she could confide in no one. Any escape attempt would have to be attempted alone. She could only hope that at some point in her captivity Ben Aben would relax his guard, giving her the opportunity to escape. In the meantime, she would simply have to cooperate.
Taria made no effort to summon the guards as she usually did. Instead she strode to the trunk where she kept her belongings and those she had lent to Delendria and opened the lid. Then she began to busy herself packing her possessions into the trunk.
“What is happening?” Delendria asked. “Are we not going to see Sky and Fire?”
“We will be docking in less than an hour. The flying monsters will be unloaded and taken to the palace.”
Delendria understood. Almost certainly Sky and Fire had been drugged again. She would not be needed to make sure that they ate and drank. She wondered what was going to happen to her.
She got her answer almost immediately. Four guards entered the room. Their leader spoke to Taria. “Prepare the girl. Our leader wants her exhibited before the citizens along with the flying beasts. We will wait until she is ready.”
Taria nodded and turned to Delendria. “Remove your clothing. You must be properly attired for the triumph.”
Delendria hesitated and then did as she was told. To disobey would almost certainly insure painful punishment. Conscious of the eyes of the guards on her slender body she stripped and stood waiting, refusing to cower under their prurient gaze.
Taria rummaged in her trunk and then pulled forth a costume of sorts. If was so revealing it would enhance her nudity rather than hide it. But she had no choice. Under the more than interested eyes of the guards she put on the items that Taria handed her.
It consisted of a filigree covering for her breasts. The twisted wire was cunningly woven so that it outline rather than covered her breasts, leaving her taut pink nipples exposed and curving over her shoulders to provide unnecessary support for her firm flesh. Her loins were covered a thin white loincloth that hung down in front and behind, but left most of her buttocks and thighs exposed. Gold arm bands and anklets were her only other coverings. She felt almost as naked and helpless as she had when she had been completely nude.
She was almost ready, but not quite.
Taria motioned her to sit and combed out her
The four men moved forward and surrounded her. Taria took the chain and led her from the cabin and up to the main deck. There she saw it was as Taria had said. Ahead of her were the docks of a magnificent city that rose on the banks of the river.
She had not expected such splendour and her eyes widened. Away from the docks impressive buildings constructed of white stone or whitewashed brick ran back from the river. As the ship moved closed she saw that many of them were several stories tall. Father back there were even larger buildings that appeared to be temples or perhaps palaces. And there were people everywhere. Delendria had never seen such numbers. Elven society consisted of only a few hundred people and she had never seen more than a couple of hundred Dwarfs. But here there were thousands. They filled the streets and crowded the docks in such numbers that Delendria could not count them all.
Her attention, however, was drawn away from the city to the waist of the ship. One after the other the gryphons were hoisted from the hold in large nets. Neither beast moved and it was apparent that Ben Aben had drugged them again. It was the Dwarfs who did the hauling, under the watchful eyes of a circle of guards. Since their ankles were still shackled it seemed unlikely that the Dwarfs could do much about their situation and most of them seemed completely cowed. Like her, two weeks on board the ship seemed to have taught them the futility of openly resisting.
The gryphons were unloaded onto two large wagons and then the dwarfs were marched off the dock and lined up in front of each wagon. It took the guards about fifteen minutes to chain them in position and then it was Delendria’s turn.
Ben Aben marched down the gangway. Waiting for him was a splendid white horse and an escort of guards dressed in gleaming bronze armour. Delendria doubted that it would have been much use in a real battle, but it was splendid to look at, the sun glinting off it so brilliantly that she could hardly keep her eyes on it.
The escort formed up in front of Ben Aben who was dressed in a brilliant blue outfit that was trimmed with gold and studded with numerous gems. On his head he wore a gold circlet and in his left hand he carried a gold tipped lance. He seemed every inch the conquering hero.
Delendria was led off the ship and took her place behind him. The iron collar was still about her neck, but her serviceable iron chain had been replaced by one of gleaming brass. It was tethered to Ben Aben’s saddle leaving his right hand free to guide his horse.
It took a few minutes to get the parade completely ready and then they set off through the streets of the town. By this time word of Ben Aben’s arrival had spread through the city and the streets were lined four of five deep as the procession wound its way through the city.
The Dwarfs dragging the gryphons went first along with their armed escort; ten Dwarfs to a wagon. The noise of the crowd rose as the people lining the streets first exclaimed and shouted at the sight of the monstrous gryphons and then shouted insults at the Dwarfs dragging the wagons.
As Ben Aben passed the jeers and exclamations changed to cheers and here and there a few onlookers threw flowers. Delendria’s appearance on the end of the chain brought a mixed response, some onlookers shouting in amazement and exclaiming at her Elven features, especially her ears, and others commenting on her beauty. Here and there a few lewd remarks were directed toward her along with a number of suggestive comments as to what some of them would like to do to her.
Through it all Delendria looked straight ahead, attempting to ignore the jibes and catcalls directed at her as well as the comments; some complimentary, some insulting, and some obscene that were made about her physical appearance.
The street through the city was paved with perfectly set blocks of stone and Delendria kept her eyes focused on them as procession moved slowly through the city. The street was slightly uphill and the Dwarfs ahead of her were soon sweating and straining as they sought to keep the wagons moving. The two week river voyage had not been especially kind to them as they had spent twenty three out of every twenty four hours confined in the hold, and many stumbled as they struggled to keep going and avoid the whips of the overseers who rode alongside.
For Delendria the going was a little easier, but she soon found that she too was bathed in perspiration. The trek through the city seemed to go on forever, and was steadily uphill. In addition, the desert sun was in its full glory. Ben Aben had chosen late afternoon for his triumphal procession and the heat was almost suffocating. Soon it was all she could do to put one foot in front of the other. Had it not been for the warrior training she had received for most of her life she would not have had the stamina to keep going.
Ben Aben, of course, was oblivious to her suffering. He waved and nodded to the crowd, even calling out every now and then to someone he recognized. Delendria noticed that almost every citizen cheered him as he made his way up the street. It suddenly occurred to her that her master might be someone other than an ordinary slaver, but exactly what she did not know.
The humiliating parade finally reached its climax at the highest point of the city. By this time the procession was passing by grand buildings, some of which appeared to be temples and others fine houses or even palaces. The road led straight to a large arched gateway set in an impressive stone wall that stretched out to either side as far as Delendria could see. The procession marched through the gate and into a huge courtyard lined with trees and well tended flowerbeds. Beautifully sculpted statues of animals and people were scattered about the gardens and a large fountain sent a rainbow spray of water into the air.
Delendria looked at the water longingly. She would have liked nothing better than to immerse herself in it and cool her overheated body. However, she was not given that option. A number of men and women in servant’s livery poured forth from the doorway of what appeared to be a palace. Several of them bowed before Ben Aben and he motioned toward her. Immediately several of them, mostly women, came toward her. They took the chain from Ben Aben’s saddle and led her into the palace.
Inside, Delendria was struck by the sudden drop in temperature. The marble walls of the palace seemed to absorb the desert heat like a sponge and Delendria felt an overwhelming sense of relief flow over her. That was immediately replaced by one of trepidation as she was escorted deeper into the palace. She noted that she was accompanied only by women, and realized that Ben Aben probably felt that his palace was secure enough that escape was not possible. A number of sentries had been posted near the entrance and she passed others stationed at regular intervals. There were no doubt enough guards posted about the palace to ensure that she did not escape.
As she was taken through the palace Delendria tried to observe as many details as she could. If she was to escape it might help if she could remember the layout of the palace.
The route taken, however, did not help. She was taken up several marble staircases and down numerous hallways, passing through several doors and past numerous men on guard duty. It soon became apparent that Ben Aben’s palace was huge beyond anything Delendria had imagined. Once again she wondered exactly who her master was. It was becoming more and more obvious that he was much more than just some sort of brigand.
After many twists and turns Delendria found herself entering a hall guarded
by a species of Men she had never before
seen. They were huge; standing
at least seven feet tall, but more startling was that their skins were
Delendria found herself in an impressively spacious room. Its ceiling was at least twenty feet high and brightly painted with all sorts of scenes from nature; including depictions of animals Delendria was not sure existed. Even more interesting, however, was the fact that the room was filled with young women, all of whom were extremely beautiful with one exception.
She must have been beautiful once, but now she was enormous, probably weighing close to three hundred pounds, but standing not much taller than Delendria. From her golden skin, black hair, and dark slanted eyes, it seemed very likely that she was the same race as Taria. In spite of her bulk she was dressed in a diaphanous outfit that hid very little of her ponderous body. As Delendria looked around the room she rose from her pile of cushions and lumbered forward. Placing herself in front of the Elf girl she looked at her with distaste.
“So this is the master’s latest pet. What strange taste he has. However did you get ears like that?”
Delendria was taken aback at the rudeness of this greeting. After all she had suffered at the hands of Ben Aben she was not expecting hostility from the members of his harem. She was, however, not about to be bullied.
“I’m sorry,” she replied calmly. “They are the only ears I have. My name is Delendria. May I inquire as to yours?”
The huge woman curled her lip. “I am the Moon Child, mother of the master’s heir and his favourite. He will soon tire of you and return to me.”
“She says that to everyone,” a familiar voice said. “Pay her no attention. She ceased being the master’s favourite the day I arrived.”
It was Taria. The golden-skinned girl was dressed in the same filmy costume she had worn on the ship, but she carried herself with an air of confidence. It was clear that she considered herself to be the preeminent member of the harem.
Delendria had no intention of challenging her. She planned to escape from her sexual slavery as quickly as possible. If Taria wished to remain Ben Aben’s favourite she was welcome to the position.
“Where do I stay?” Delendria asked, deferring to Taria.
The golden-skinned girl smiled. “Over there.” She pointed to one corner of the huge room, near a tinkling fountain. “I will see that the servants bring you some food and drink and make sure you are bathed. The master may call for you today.”
Delendria walked toward the part of the room Taria had indicated. The Moon Child, deprived of her sport, returned sulkily to her pile of cushions. As Delendria crossed the room she noticed that every woman in it was unique.
One resembled the black guards in terms of her height and colouring; another had skin that was milk white and hair that was almost white-blonde. Still another’s hair was as red as a sunset; while one had skin the colour of mahogany. In one way or the other, whether it was skin colouring, the shape and colour of her eyes, or some other feature each woman was exceptional. As Delendria gazed around the room she caught sight of one women sitting with her back turned in front of a large glass mirror. Alone of the women in the room she had not come forward to view the latest arrival when Delendria had entered the room, but it was not her aloofness that caught Delendria’s attention, it was something she found very familiar.
The woman turned and put down the brush she had been using to comb out her hip length chestnut hair. She smiled a greeting as Delendria approached.
“I thought you’d see me soon enough,” the woman said. She spoke in Elvish; the first words in her language that Delendria had heard in several weeks. She swept her hair back revealing her pointed ears and stood up. She stood more than a head taller than Delendria.
Delendria looked at her in surprise.
“You are not
Shebaria.”
“No, I am not. Just as you are not Jantaur.”
“Jantaur,” Delendria repeated. “The Elves of the Wood. I have heard of you, but never thought to see one.”
“Just as I never expected to see a Shebaria,” the Wood Elf replied. She bowed slightly. “My name is Shelandra.”
Delendria looked around the room. “These women. They are so … so…”
“Different?” Shelandra finished for
her. “Of course they
are. Our master is a
collector.”
“A collector?” Delendria repeated stupidly.
“Yes, a collector of things unique and beautiful. Especially any attractive females he can drag to his bed against their will. But I expect you have discovered that for yourself.”
Delendria did not miss the hint of bitterness in Shelandra’s words. “How long have you been here?” she asked, almost dreading the answer.
“More than five years now. Do you know I was once his favourite? Fortunately I am spared most of that now. He calls on me only for a change every now and then.”
“Five years,” Delendria gasped. “But have you not tried to escape?”
“Twice,” Shelandra answered. “But escape from here is not so easy. And the punishment is always exceedingly painful.” She turned to reveal her back and let her robe slip. Delendria’s hand went to her mouth in horror; Shelandra’s back was crisscrossed with more than a score of ugly scars.
“Ben Aben?” Delendria gasped.
“He only raped me the first time,” Shelandra nodded. “But this was his way of telling me that he would not tolerate a third offence. In any case, escape is impossible. Every possible exit from the harem is guarded by the Zhuar. They owe everything to Ben Aben and cannot be corrupted.
“The Zhuar?” Delendria asked.
“The black guards,” Shelandra explained. “Ben Aben buys them as young men from somewhere in the south and has them castrated. They are then trained to serve in the palace guard. They speak only their own language and owe their loyalty only to Ben Aben.”
“What a horrible fate,” Delendria exclaimed.
“Not much worse than ours,” Shelandra returned. “Although some members of the harem actually seem to like it.”
“Yes,” Delendria mused, thinking of the Moon Child and Taria. She did not voice what was in her mind, that somehow she would find a way to escape, and that one day she would have her revenge on Ben Aben. First, however, there was something she had to know.
“Who exactly is Ben Aben?”
Shelandra looked at her curiously. “It seems strange that you do not know that. He is the ruler of El Arish and we are his humble possessions.”
Delendria’s other questions had to wait. A major commotion shook the harem as a dozen Zhuar entered the harem. It turned out that they were there to escort the Moon Child somewhere and the corpulent concubine was far from pleased. Her screams of outrage echoed through the large room as she protested being evicted from what she considered her private kingdom. It turned out that she was being returned to her people, a strange turn of events, as none of Ben Aben’s concubines had ever been known to leave before. Delendria remembered the little yellow-skinned men and their deadly poison darts and guessed that somehow they were connected to the Moon Child’s sudden deportation.
Once that disturbance had died down Taria appeared again. The resemblance between Taria and the Moon Child was overwhelming. It was obvious that Ben Aben had obtained a replacement for his “collection” before her let the Moon Child go.
“Come,” Taria ordered, holding out a hooded robe. “Your flying monsters are waiting.”
There were four Zhuar waiting outside the door. One of them snapped a chain onto Delendria’s collar and led her through the hallway. Delendria began to wonder if she would ever be allowed to walk free again, but she wasn’t at all surprised. It seemed that she had been on the end of the chain almost forever.
This time the walk through the palace was even longer. It was also mostly underground. As before, Delendria tried to keep track of the route taken, but was soon hopelessly lost. Her Elven eyesight helped in the underground passages, but she was led down several levels and taken through a number of passages that had been hewn out of solid rock. There were so many side passages that it was impossible to keep track of all the twists and turns.
When she finally emerged into the light again she was almost blinded by the brightness of the sun. She found herself standing at the top of a large amphitheatre, but it was an amphitheatre that was not intended for any audience. Instead of seats there was a double row of enclosures with a wide aisle between them. Immediately Delendria heard the scream of the gryphons. Not surprisingly, it was about as bad tempered a sound as she had ever heard them make.
She was escorted toward the stairs and to her surprise found Ben Aben waiting at the top. She and Taria prostrated themselves before their master, but were immediately told to rise. “Come,” |Ben Aben ordered, “let me show you my collection.”
He took the lead and Delendria and Taria followed him down the steps. Delendria was dying to see Sky and Fire, but it appeared that they were located close to the bottom of the amphitheatre. Holding back her impatience, she trotted along behind her master while he pointed out the various attractions.
Delendria had to admit it was impressive. There were animals whose existence Delendria had never suspected. One called an elephant was certainly the strangest creature she had ever seen. As big as a small house, and planted on four massive legs, its nose was as long and flexible as a large snake; its ears were like the leaves of the palm trees that lined the river; and it sported two enormous teeth that curved out from its mouth like elongated boar’s tusks.
Ben Aben was particularly proud of the elephant, but turned to Delendria and made an announcement when he came to the gryphons. “These are now the new pride of my collection and they are the only reason I have not stripped the flesh from your back. You have fooled no one by your pretended subservience, but I have refrained from punishing you because you are the only one who can keep the gryphons alive. I expect you to tend to them every day and still serve me at night. And this time I expect complete obedience. Do you understand your position?”
Delendria fell to her knees and bowed her head, hoping that her servility would convince Ben Aben of her complete surrender. She could not shake the image of Shelandra’s scarred back from her mind. “Yes, master,” she answered. “I will do as you say.”
“I am not convinced of your loyalty, but I will accept that answer for now. Just keep in mind that you can still tend the gryphons even if your back is bleeding.”
Delendria touched her head to the ground and held it
there. How much more could she
lower herself? She had been
kidnapped, raped, and publicly
humiliated. It was hard to understand
how much more Ben Aben expected of
her. She did understand one thing
though and that was that she would sooner die than spend the rest of her
life as Ben Aben’s
slave.
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