"You were being literal when you said 'Sisterhood', weren't you, Jayshri?"
The pale, bespiked female rolled onto her side, regarding Elga languidly from behind heavy eyelids.
"We are all Lord Orst's children, yes. Those that still live, anyway."
"There were more?" Elga was mildly curious – there were twenty-seven individuals in this room.
"Hundreds." Jayshri snorted, "And likely to be hundreds more over the centuries. Our lord has a vigorous appetite."
"What happened to them?" Elga stroked her palm down the pearly spines adorning the pale female's flank, eliciting a wriggle and a sigh.
"Orst routinely kills his sons before they reach maturity. The rest of us are brought here when we were old enough to be of use."
Elga frowned, shifting the attention of her fingertips to Jayshri's plump breasts. They were harder than they looked, with an odd, rubbery rigidity to the female's pallid skin.
"Why does he only kill the males?"
Jayshri raised an eyebrow.
"Would you want to challenge him?"
"No." Elga barked a laugh.
"Precisely. Males don't have that much commonsense."
"So Orst kills those that could be a threat?" Jayshri nodded. "What about him?" Elga jerked her chin towards the only male in the company, a timid creature with smooth silver hair, his slender body covered in what looked to be scales in various shades of speckled and lustrous grey.
"Djuei's no threat to anyone." Jayshri was derisive. "And Orst likes the noises he makes." She flipped herself over on to her back, distracting her sibling from her musings. "May I service you, my lady?" Her smile was warm with sensual promise though her eyes remained dark and cold.
"You may." Elga smirked, moving to straddle the female's shoulders. She'd worked out very quickly that every action within this room had a political consequence. As Orst's chosen she had no need to play the games of dominance, everyone automatically deferred to her, but that wasn't to say she didn't benefit from the machinations of the others. In the Sisterhood's hierarchy Jayshri as the most ruthless had been top of the heap for a long time, with Elga's arrival she'd found herself demoted to second. It was a blow to her pride but she was intelligent enough to realise there was nothing she could do about the situation. Any attempt to harm or dominate Elga would result in their lord's anger, not something any rational being would invite. Instead the pale female turned her energies to making herself indispensable to the half-mortal. It was Jayshri who saw to Elga's comfort, bathing her, fetching her food, making herself available to soothe her sibling's frequent arousal. Of course there was nothing she could do when Elga wanted to fuck someone else and this happened more often than Jayshri would've wished. So far Elga had sampled nearly all of the Sisterhood, systematically working her way through the members though there were a couple she kept going back to. Jayshri didn't understand it; the pair were beautiful but not exceptional in anyway. Owon's short pelt was an uninspiring shade of dark tan and Ciik's hair though long was an ordinary sort of black. They both had dark eyes, however, as dark as Jayshri's. No one else had dark eyes... Jayshri couldn't prevent Elga returning to Owon and Ciik for sex but under no circumstances would she let them or any one other see to the more mundane aspects of caring for the newcomer. That was her self-stated realm and woe betide anyone who tried to take over even the most insignificant part of it.
There was a restlessness about Elga though that troubled Jayshri, not least because she had no idea how to combat it. The girl would stare at her hands, flexing her fingers and frowning as if she were trying to remember something. So far Jayshri's tactics at such times had been to offer those fingers the distraction of her body but even she could see that wouldn't work for ever. If she didn't find a solution though she ran the risk of Elga becoming bored or frustrated which would inevitably jeopardise her own position. Perhaps if she could prod the girl to recall more of her past? Maybe the answer was in Elga's memories...?
"My lady..."
Elga accepted the platter of food proffered by a kneeling Jayshri, picking up a morsel of tender meat between her fingertips. Once again she hesitated for a moment before popping it into her mouth, still not quite able to get past the sense that it was a bad thing for her to eat flesh. She shrugged off the thought and bit down, savouring the taste and texture of the almost raw meat. Violet eyes drifted half-closed with delight... Delicious...
Elga finished the meal and as usual nothing untoward happened. Jayshri had said that several of the Sisterhood could change their physical forms but were unable to do so within the room. Orst was not going to risk harm to his playthings from any but himself, and so strong magical wards had been put in place to keep the occupants 'contained'. Elga wondered that if that was the case then had she been able to transform into something else? She simply couldn't remember, though the idea had definite appeal...
Time was meaningless within the Sisterhood's chamber, there was no way to gauge how often their lord visited. These visits weren't eagerly anticipated as such, there was always pain involved when the powerful male graced someone with his attention, but they certainly relieved the tedium. And it was tedious, nothing to do but eat, sleep, bathe or fuck. Any wonder the smallest act could have a profound significance in this closed world.
Elga jerked out of her half-doze, unconsciously squeezing her thighs together against the aching heat in her groin. Beside her Jayshri was also stirring awake, the musky lushness of the pale female's scent evidence of her arousal. All activity ceased as everyone's collective attention was brought to bear on the room's only entrance. Mingled fear and desire rippled through the Sisterhood - Orst was on his way.
Elga scrambled off the luxurious bed to push her way to the front of the crowd of females already clustered by the door. She bared her teeth at them and they fell back, avoiding her eyes. It was the blonde woman's right to be the first to greet their lord. She spared a glance and a tight smile for Jayshri as her sibling took her place behind and slightly to the side. A fine circle of silver glowed briefly on the dark wood, a mirror to the ward on the outside, then the door opened and Orst strode in.
"Greetings, my lord." Elga's voice was shaky with a desire that was all-consuming but not pleasant. She could feel the male's presence sliding over her body and into her mind, compelling, demanding, irresistible. She wasn't the only one affected in this way: all of the Sisterhood had similar reactions to their sire, finding him unbearably attractive. All except Djuei. As far as Elga could tell the silver-haired male felt nothing but terror when Orst was near.
Lord Orst was dressed casually. He was barefoot, his silky grey trousers were loose and comfortable, as was the matching open-front tunic that draped from his shoulders revealing smooth ivory skin. Even his hair was loose, gleaming pale strands hanging around his shoulders, falling from the high widow's peak to frame an angular face and glowing amber eyes. Orst ignored the others focusing solely on Elga. He lifted a hand and stroked her cheek.
"Daughter."
One word brimming with possession. Elga shuddered, breathless with conflicting urges. She wanted him with her whole body but at the same time... This was wrong...
He stroked down her body, teasing strong fingers over her breasts, her belly, between her thighs. Eyes closed Elga quivered, leaning into the touch, a small but vicious part of her revelling in the jealous sighs and murmurs of her siblings. Orst came to her first! She was his chosen.
Elga heard herself mewl as Orst probed between her legs and into the soft folds of flesh there. She gasped, preventing herself from collapsing only by hanging onto her father's arm.
"My lord. Please?"
Orst sighed, a deep rumble.
"Not yet. You are not ready."
Tears of frustration welled up in Elga's eyes, balanced by an equally strong sense of relief. She wanted yet feared her father's full possession of her more than anything else, but Orst had made it clear from the start he would only take her when she was ready to breed. So far her body was proving difficult in the matter. Since she'd arrived in her father's home there'd been no indication of her fertility. A dim memory surfaced, something about her 'cycles' never having been regular...
The memory vanished, swamped by a surge of pure lust. Orst was stroking deeply and rhythmically into her body, watching her face as the sensations peaked. Elga shuddered, gripping the supporting arm tightly as she climaxed but not to any satisfaction. She sobbed into the silk of Orst's tunic, knowing from experience that that was all he was going to grant her. Fingers under her chin forced her to look at up him.
"Ah, my little one, I know it is unfair to leave you like this," a broad thumb wiped the trail of tears from her cheek, "Djuei." he summoned the male without taking his eyes from Elga's face. "See to your sister's needs."
Elga went to protest: Djuei was weak, beneath her notice, even now he was cringing like some miserable rodent in front of them. She couldn't bear the thought of something that... insignificant touching her. Orst's lips firm and warm against her temple was distracting.
"Go with him." It was an order though delivered with something like fondness. The young woman nodded, reluctantly dragging herself away from her father, shuddering as she slid off his hand.
The look she gave her half-brother wasn't friendly. Djuei cowered, lowering his gaze, every line of his body indicating submission. Elga snarled her contempt then stalked towards the huge bed, Djuei following meekly behind. At the bedside he simply stood there, waiting for her orders, Elga realised. She glared at him again.
"This was not my choice."
"I understand." The male lifted his eyes and she was surprised to see an odd, unfamiliar expression flash across his features. "I am a poor second."
Belatedly Elga recognised the look as compassion. She didn't bother to hide her contempt for his weakness and once more he dropped his gaze. Elga glanced yearningly back towards her father who was now kneeling naked on the thick carpet with one of the Sisterhood already writhing in his lap. The female's rapturous moans sparked a flare of intense envy and resentment deep in her gut.
"Let me help."
Djuei's soft whisper brought her attention back to him and she sneered, only this time he didn't look away. "Let me help." he repeated with gentle insistence. A long-fingered hand reached up to Elga's throat, sharply curved nails scratched lightly over her skin and she shivered. She reached out then to touch him, fingers brushing over flesh that wasn't so much scaled as textured, like patterned silk. Elga spread her hand out over his chest, feeling the play of muscles beneath her palm. Djuei looked delicate and behaved timidly but there was strength in his body at least. She scowled, shoving him backwards on to the bed: this wasn't ideal but it was better than nothing...
An unknowable amount of time later, Elga lay on her side, languid and relaxed, and watched her father's continuing labours. Orst's stamina was frightening in its intensity – Elga counted twelve of the Sisterhood used and discarded so far while the rest sat in a circle around their lord, waiting or dreading their turn. Djuei was stretched out behind her on his back, close but not touching, clearly exhausted. Elga half-smirked to herself; her arousal wasn't completely spent – she wouldn't be free of it until Orst left the room - but Djuei had worked hard to take the edge off and it had been remarkably enjoyable... Elga twisted to look back at her sibling. Djuei smiled faintly, slit pupils wide and dark in silver eyes. Elga returned the smile, briefly, then without wondering why wriggled backwards a little until she was just touching Djuei's warm skin. The contact was comforting in a strange kind of way but she was too replete to bother questioning why this was so.
Orst was finished with another female. Tieve crawled away with blue-black blood dripping thickly from between her thighs. She was in pain, that much was obvious, but at the same time she radiated a sated sensuality. This wasn't unusual in Elga's observations. Still kneeling, Orst ran his hand through his hair, absently tucking a hank behind his ear. He smirked towards the bed where Elga lounged.
"Djuei."
Elga felt her sibling flinch, could almost smell his fear, but he rose without hesitation and head lowered, walked forward to submit himself to his sire's will. For the first time since joining the Sisterhood, Elga watched Djuei's face as Orst shoved into the slender body without any sort of preparation. She frowned: that looked... painful. Braced on his hands and knees Djuei bit his lip 'til it bled but made no sound as his sire thrust hard and fast. Shortly though Orst grew tired of the silence. He rammed into his son with greater and greater force until finally Djuei couldn't help but vocalise. He whimpered, a choking sob and Orst came, head thrown back, ragged claws sunk deep into the young male's shoulders, smearing mauve blood over his mottled skin. Orst pulled out and Djuei fell forwards to lie motionless on the furs.
Elga barely noticed her sire's last choice of female lower her head to his groin to lick him clean; her attention was riveted on Djuei's still form. She'd watched Orst use the silver-haired male before without batting an eyelid, she couldn't understand why she felt so anxious for him this time.
Orst allowed last female to pleasure him with her mouth, then finally satisfied he perfunctorily dressed and left the room. Djuei hadn't twitched from where he'd fallen but now as the door clicked shut and Orst's overwhelming presence receded, he rolled onto his side, gingerly curling in on himself.
"Djuei?" Elga slid off the bed and padded cautiously towards her sibling. She could hear his rasping breaths from several paces away. "Are... you all right?"
"Leave me." He shuddered, curled in tighter around himself. "It will heal."
She felt Jayshri's hand on her shoulder.
"He's not worth your concern, my lady. Come, allow me to bathe you..."
Elga let herself be led away but she couldn't help looking back over her shoulder at the huddled form on the floor and thinking she should be doing something...
© 2005 February 2nd Lutra
© 2005 WaveWrights