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Subject: {ASSM} The Overlords' Gambit 04/36 (MF Mf Ff ff Mdom Fdom toys bd rom magic oral rough
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Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2007 01:10:05 -0400
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<1st attachment, "Chapter04.txt" begin>

WARNING: This is a work of erotic fiction. It contains depictions of
nudity and graphic sex.

Author: A Strange Geek
Title: The Overlords' Gambit
Universe: Narlass Chronicles
Summary: Amanda is again pulled into events that grow beyond what she
ever imagined as the Overlords plot against the Emperor, for the
changes in Oceanus will bring changes for herself as well.

Part: 4 of 36
Keywords: MF, Mf, Ff, ff, Mdom, Fdom, toys, bd, rom, magic, oral,
rough, spank

Copyright A Strange Geek, 2007

Feedback welcome! Please email me at astraYOURngegeek@comMINDcast.net
( lose YOUR MIND to email me )

Or to send anonymous feedback, use the form at bottom of HTML version:

http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/A_Strange_Geek/www/novels/Gambit/Chapter04.html



---------------

"You must be Vanlo."

If anything more was needed to convince Vanlo he had suffered ill
effects of some badly-conceived potion, it was when he was startled by
the voice behind him. His body jerked, causing the contents of a ladle
to miss the intended vial and spill over the table. "Oh, goodness,"
Vanlo muttered as he hastily tried to wipe up the mess before it could
drip over the floor.

"Here, allow me."

Vanlo was further startled when the rag he held was abruptly yanked out
of his hand. He staggered back a bit and had to grasp the back of a
chair for support as his eyes fell upon the fair-haired young man
before him.

"No need for you to trouble yourself with such things now," said the
young man as he flashed a grin at the older Healer. "Not that I'm
finally here."

Vanlo paused a moment, quickly growing steadier on his feet. In a
bemused voice he said, "Indeed? Have I been sent someone to handle
menial tasks about the office?"

The young man laughed as he stood and glanced about for a moment, still
holding the rag. He flashed another smile at Vanlo. "Well, I don't know
about 'menial' tasks, but I certainly will do whatever comes along with
the job."

Vanlo gave him a confused look. "Job?"

The man gave Vanlo a short bow. "Lanno G'sallan, from the Healer Guild,
at your service." His grin widened as he folded his arms across his
chest. "Or rather, to /be/ your service from this point on, soon as you
show me where everything is." He glanced at the rag for a moment and
looked around again. "And introduce me to your assistants."

Understanding now came to Vanlo's face, as well as a twinkle to his
eye. He smiled gently at Lanno. "Ah, yes, now I understand. You are
here to replace me."

"Got it in one. But then I would expect nothing less from you."

"Oh? Has my reputation preceded me?"

"Oh yes, your name has been quite well-circulated at the Hall."

Vanlo smiled and stroked his beard thoughtfully. "Goodness. I do hope
they have been keeping the insults about me to a minimum."

Lanno laughed again. "Your dry sense of humor was one of the things I
was told about."

"You are quite sure that was not 'warned about' instead?"

Lanno smirked. "Do you wish to continue to regale me with your wit, or
show me about so that I may get right to work? I am sure a Manor like
this has many things that need to be done." He glanced at the large vat
containing a recently made batch of Kaylaxxa salve, his smile widening.
"Hmm, I appear to have arrived at just the right time."

Vanlo regarded the young man, a look of concern crossing his wrinkled
face for a moment. Lanno appeared to notice this and raised a quizzical
eyebrow. Vanlo immediately dismissed the look from his face and
continued. "Yes, indeed, I was planning on beginning the Kaylaxxa
distribution today. You are welcome to assist me. I can take the
opportunity to show you where everything is."

"Assist?"

Vanlo noted both the confusion and wariness in Lanno's voice. "Hmm,
apparently the Overlord was correct in his assessment of Imperial
interference with commerce and communications in Oceanus."

"I am sure I do not understand a word of what you are saying, Vanlo,"
Lanno said with a wry grin.

Vanlo paused another moment, feeling somewhat put off by the young
man's demeanor. He tried to disregard it for the time being. The young
man was like most newly-minted masters of their craft; self-assured and
overeager. "It is most regrettable that my latest missive had not
reached the Guild Hall. You are likely still under the impression that
you are here to replace me."

"Are you saying this has changed?" Lanno asked, his smile fading.

"Yes. I have decided to stay on as the lead Healer at the Manor."

There was a pause. "Lead Healer," Lanno said tonelessly. "Which would
make me ... the /assistant/ Healer."

The tone of Lanno's voice was slightly cool. Vanlo did not take this as
a good sign. "My apologies for this turn of events. There has been much
happening at the Manor that is beyond the normal scope of ..."

"With all due respect, Master Vanlo ... I did not become a master-level
Healer so that I may 'assist.'"

Vanlo caught the sneer in the undertone of Lanno's voice. He did not
like it one bit. While he realized that it had been his fault that he
had lost his Farviewing pearl some time ago and thus could not Farview
the Guild Master to head off Lanno's departure, he did not care for
Lanno's attitude. It was one thing to be disappointed; it was another
to border on disrespect.

Vanlo was loathe to call him out on it. They were both Master level,
even if Vanlo had far more seniority and experience.

And in truth, Vanlo had made the decision to remain in his position
only recently. He actually had not expected his letter to reach the
Hall in time. It had been a combination of his desire to continue to
work on the matter of the illicit potion plus his lack of confidence
that someone from the current generation of new Healers could handle
the responsibility of the position.

He had hoped to be proven wrong on the second count, however.

"I understand your concern," Vanlo said evenly. "I do not like the
situation either. And I do not intend to treat you as an apprentice. In
fact, you will likely take on the bulk of day-to-day operations here."

Lanno nodded at this, but did not appear mollified. "And might I ask
which of our names will appear as the Master Healer of the Manor?"

Now Vanlo wished the man were an apprentice, for he would receive a
sound tongue-lashing on how a Healer does not care for prestige but the
welfare of his patients regardless of his title. He had to wonder now
what new breed of Healers they were producing at the Guild Hall these
days. At first Vanlo was going to offer that both their names appear,
but Lanno's confrontational attitude made him believe that the young
man needed to know his place, master-level or no.

"My name will appear for the time being," Vanlo said pleasantly, though
some of his smile was forced. "That does not have to be permanent."

"I simply must remain in your good graces, is that it?" Lanno asked
mildly.

Vanlo shook his head. "It is mostly a formality. Few people will note
who is the Master Healer of a Manor outside of our own circle. It
should not be a concern to you for now, but I will make sure it is
understood that you have equal standing with me."

Lanno nodded slowly. The implied lesson that Vanlo was attempting to
impart was not lost on the young man. He simply did not like hearing
it. Nevertheless, the smile returned to his face. "You are correct,
Master Healer. I am likely focusing on details that need not concern me
at the moment."

"I am quite glad you understand," said Vanlo, his smile a little more
genuine now.

"So long as you understand that I am indeed intending to get right to
work. I wish to perform my Healing duties now. As you said yourself ...
you do not intend to treat me as an apprentice."

Vanlo stroked his beard. "Hmm. You have a talent for turning words back
upon someone. Interesting."

Lanno smiled at this.

Vanlo did as well, but his was more forced. It had not been intended as
a compliment.

"Thus you shall perform them," Vanlo declared, gesturing at the vat.
"Please commence with the task I was involved in, that of filling the
glass vials with Kaylaxxa doses." He glanced at the rag that Lanno
still held, and then back at the counter where the Kaylaxxa had already
dripped onto the floor. "And in cleaning up this mess. We will need the
vials for this afternoon soon after the midday meal."

Lanno looked askance at this.

Vanlo gave Lanno an even look. "It is the very same task I would be
performing now, and you appeared ready to take up this task yourself
when you arrived. Is there a problem?"

"I had assumed I would summon someone for this and merely supervise. Do
you not have any of the Manor slaves for piddling tasks such as this?"

Vanlo nearly bristled at this question. While he would sometimes employ
slaves to assist, he did not consider any task done in the performance
of his duties to be "piddling" or worth less than his total and most
skilled dedication. In as polite a voice as he could muster, Vanlo
responded with his own question: "Would you consider the actual
application of the salve to be too 'piddling' as well?"

Lanno did catch the intended sarcasm but chose to let it slide.
Instead, he simply gave the older Healer a wry grin. "Oh, no, that is
the most critical part. I fully intend to apply myself to that task
with the utmost care and dedication."

"Ah. No doubt you will."

Lanno would not let that one slide, however. One corner of his mouth
turned upwards. "Do you object to me enjoying my duties, Vanlo?"

"Not at all. I quite enjoy performing my Healer duties. /All/ of them."

"Some tasks simply have a different type of enjoyment, my dear Master
Vanlo."

Vanlo felt a small bit of resentment at this. It was the first time in
a long while that he ever really missed not being able to partake of
the more usual pleasures of the nubile slaves of the Manor, and he
disliked Lanno for making him think about it in the first place. "I am
quite sure you will find ample reward of that type after your duties
are concluded for the day," Vanlo said crisply. "That is the standing
policy for anyone who works in a Manor. On duty, I will expect nothing
less than complete and unpretentious professionalism from you."

"And why would you doubt such a thing? Again, I thought you stated I
would not be treated as your apprentice. You are telling me nothing I
have not already learned several times over."

Vanlo had the urge to say "obviously a few more times were necessary"
but refrained from doing so. He was rather taken aback by how quickly
Lanno had begun to grate on him. He had a feeling that there would be
some tension between himself and his supposed "replacement," especially
if he were younger. Vanlo had no illusions about his own immunity to
feelings of envy or jealousy. Indeed, the events of the past moon were
more than enough reason to make him wish he were a young man again.

Instead, Vanlo conceded the battle of wits for the time being. "Perhaps
a better approach would be a division of labor. We divide up the duties
amongst the two of us, rather than attempting to decide who is above
whom."

Lanno nodded at this. "Fair enough," he said, his voice a little more
friendly now. "I assume I may still take on the Kaylaxxa treatments."

Vanlo did not say a word, but merely gestured to the vat and then to
the empty vials.

"Yes, yes, I know, I will do that task as well. But you will forgive me
if I do not enjoy it as much as delivering the treatment itself," he
added with a small grin, the humor returning to his face.

Vanlo chose not to respond to this. "I wish to retain the more
experimental and research-oriented parts of the Healer position here."

Lanno raised an eyebrow at this. "Research? Here?"

Vanlo smiled. "Research should never be confined to the Guild Hall, as
they do not benefit from field experience. It is not as prestigious as
what the Guild Hall may do, but it is important. And it is something I
have already started and do not wish to transition to another."

"May I at least ask what this research pertains to?"

Vanlo was reluctant to answer, but had no basis in which to keep the
information from Lanno. "I have two extant projects. One concerns a
possible theft of ingredients from my stores to create a potion that
affects one mentally."

Lanno looked genuinely shocked at this. "Why would someone wish to do
that? And is that not something more for the Overlord to be concerned
with?"

"He does not have the knowledge to determine what potion was created.
Without that knowledge, it is hard to determine what crime may have
been committed."

"Seems strange that someone would go to the trouble to do such a
thing."

"The second project is dealing with removing a scar from one of the
Overlord's slaves."

"A scar? I thought the Overlords prided themselves on picking slaves
that were more or less physically perfect."

"She developed the scar as the result of an injury. I am having trouble
making the last of the scar vanish."

Lanno smiled. "You may want me to help with that one."

Vanlo paused a moment. "Why is that?"

"I specialized in skin ailments at the Hall." His lips curled into a
small smirk. "That and genital health. It was one of the reasons why I
wanted to be assigned to a Manor."

Vanlo had trouble believing that the young man just happened to
specialize in the exact skills that would be considered valuable at a
Manor. It was more likely that he wished a posting to a Manor, thus he
chose to specialize in those areas. Such a thing was generally frowned
upon at the Guild Hall, or at least it had been when Vanlo had been
there. That had admittedly been more than three decades ago.

This definitely did not bode well for the future of the Guild, in his
opinion.

"I will keep that in mind," Vanlo said flatly. "In the meantime, I will
continue solo in my research. I shall also wish you to perform
emergency care if needed. This is the area I feel I am not up to par."

Vanlo watched Lanno for a reaction to this statement. Had Lanno looked
the least bit smug at this admission of inadequacy on Vanlo's part, he
would have dismissed Lanno on the spot and sent him away. Instead,
Lanno did not alter his expression and looked attentively to the older
Healer.

Still, Vanlo felt an inherent antipathy towards Lanno. He realized that
some of this was his own failing. He was naturally reluctant to give up
any part of his duties to someone else.

He had said he would not treat Lanno as an apprentice. Unfortunately,
he could not shake the idea that this is precisely what Lanno was.
There simply was no way that the young man could profess to have even
the fraction of experience that Vanlo had.

"Is there anything else I need to know before I start?" Lanno finally
prompted Vanlo.

Vanlo shook his head slowly. "No. Please go about your duties, then."
He started to turn away, stopped, and returned his gaze to Lanno. "You
will forgive me if I monitor your progress when you first start this
afternoon. It has nothing to do with my impressions on your competence.
I simply feel very protective of my patients here and wish to know that
they are receiving the best care. I am sure you will not disappoint
me."

Lanno simply bowed his head at this and smiled. Vanlo turned and
retreated into the back room.

Some of Lanno's smile faded. This was the kind of prejudice he should
have expected. He knew that the retiring -- correction: /formerly/
retiring -- Healer was rather elderly and could give the younger man
some trouble. It was why he had made it very clear from the start that
he was ready to take on his duties immediately. He wanted to reduce the
banter with the old man to a minimum. He would have to tolerate the
prejudice only once.

Now he would be forced to work with the man every day. He did not like
the situation any more than Vanlo did. He hated the idea of having to
prove himself over and over. He had hoped that securing the master
level would spare him from this once he went abroad and was free of the
stogy atmosphere of the Guild Hall. Instead, it was as if Vanlo himself
were a relic of this.

Lanno sighed as he began the task of measuring out the Kaylaxxa doses.
One thing was very certain: he was going to hold the Overlord to the
tradition of allowing the Manor staff free access to his slaves. He
felt he was going to be earning that little reward every day of his
time here.



When she first walked into the Healer office, Amanda faltered in her
step, nearly coming to a stop. Her Mistress snapped her chain gently
and prodded her forward.

What had stopped her cold just past the reception area was Roquan's
presence in a corner of the room. She had not expected to see him here,
and felt vaguely embarrassed at the thought that he might see her
receiving her Kaylaxxa treatment. It was silly, she knew. She had had
sex with the Overlord several times already, so he was already
intimately familiar with her body.

It was only the fact that the Overlord appeared busy in conversation
with Vanlo -- and thus taking no mind of her or Sirinna -- that allowed
her to turn her eyes from him. However, the only other thing in the
room to focus her attention on just made her feel even more awkward,
despite the fact that she went through this ritual once every moon
cycle.

There were four tables arranged in a row. Three of them were occupied
by other slaves. Two had already been treated, as evident by the bright
glistening of the Kaylaxxa salve on their nether regions. One was
trembling and moaning, her legs spread almost uncomfortably far apart.
As Amanda watched, the slave's moans grew more strident, her back
arching. After several moments of straining at the edge of orgasm, she
let go with a short cry.

Amanda swallowed, averting her gaze. The slave on the second table
seemed in better shape. The glistening from her pussy was not as
pronounced and she looked a little more relaxed. On the third table, a
slave was actively receiving a treatment.

This time, Amanda came to a dead stop and did not respond to the snap
of the chain as she stared.

It was unusual to see a stranger in the Manor unless it was another
Overlord or a Merchant. This man looked like neither. He stood between
the legs of a slave, his fingers deep inside her tunnel. The slave
writhed and moaned on the table, uttering brief cries now and then as
she came and then came again. Her body shuddered with the strength and
speed of her orgasms.

The man himself wore an impish grin on his face. It was clear to Amanda
that the man was quite enjoying herself. She felt herself bristle a bit
as she recalled Yanna, the Imperial spy that had disguised herself as a
slave. Yanna had used the Kaylaxxa on Amanda and had given her a
concentrated dose of it. She believed that Yanna had enjoyed watching
Amanda's predicament. That had irritated her more than the treatment
itself had.

"Amanda, move along," Sirinna said urgently into her ear, giving Amanda
another snap of the chain and a light swat to her rear.

Amanda finally moved toward the empty table, though her gaze continued
to hover over the young man. She stopped by the side of the empty
examination table and waited as Sirinna removed her cuffs.

Amanda continued watching the young man as he withdrew his fingers from
the slave and gave the young woman a smarmy smile. "You make such
lovely noises while being treated, my dear. It will be my pleasure to
do this again for you next moon."

The young slave girl managed a small smile at him. She tried to close
her legs, only to shudder and moan as it triggered another orgasm.

The man chuckled at her. "Now, now, take it easy. Your sweet little
pussy is just a tad sensitive now. Best not disturb it for now. Unless
you like having those additional orgasms." He winked at her.

"Amanda."

Amanda blinked. She finally tore her gaze away from him and turned it
towards Sirinna.

"If you're wondering who that is, Master Vanlo had sent for an
assistant. That is most likely him."

"I already don't like him," Amanda said without thinking.

"/Amanda!/" Sirinna whisper-shouted in both shock and reproof.

"I'm sorry, Mistress."

"You will treat him with the same respect that you show Master Vanlo."

"I will, Mistress ... I really am sorry, I don't know what came over
me."

Actually, she did know. While she had been watching the young Healer
and forming a bad first impression of him, Roquan had begun
scrutinizing her from across the room. There was a bit of a
disapproving look on his face, as if he somehow already knew the
opinion Amanda had formed of the man.

/The way he can read me so well creeps me out sometimes,/ Amanda
lamented to herself.

Sirinna removed the chain from her collar. Amanda turned and climbed up
onto the examination table. She felt very nervous, as if this were her
first time receiving the treatment. Since the time with Yanna, she had
received her treatments from either a fellow slave in Vanlo's temporary
employ, or Vanlo himself. In the latter case, he had approached the
task with such academic aplomb that it had not made her nervous at all.

Amanda liked Vanlo. He was something of a grandfather-like figure to
her. She never truly had a grandfather, so she was guessing as to what
it was like. Suffice it to say, Vanlo was someone she trusted a great
deal. She was supposed to be respectful towards everyone she met. Vanlo
was one of the few that she felt had /earned/ her respect.

As Amanda arranged herself on the examination table, she turned her
head in time to see the Overlord walk out of the office. Amanda
half-expected that he would be waiting for her outside the office to
ream her over her behavior.

"Now who is this sweet young thing?"

Amanda gave a start as she felt a hand touching the inside of one thigh
as the words were spoken. Her head jerked back and she just barely
managed to avoid pulling her leg away from the touch. Instead, she
tried to steady herself and smile up at the man as his fingers played
lightly along the smooth flesh.

"This is my Trainee Amanda, Master," said Sirinna.

"Lanno G'sallan," he answered smoothly. He grinned at her. "And you
must be the famous Sirinna."

Sirinna smiled at this. "You're most kind, Master Lanno. Thank you."

"Oh, but that is from the Overlord's mouth, not mine, my dear. He
appears to think the world of you. You will forgive me if I do not do
your treatment. Roquan asked that Vanlo do the honors."

/Even Roquan doesn't like him,/ Amanda thought with a small degree of
triumph.

"I understand, Master. I will take the first table that becomes
available."

Lanno grinned and let his hand play along Amanda's thigh, drifting up
towards her pussy. Amanda trembled slightly. Lanno turned his gaze
towards her inquisitively as if he had picked up on this. Rather than
back off, however, he gave her a wry grin, a wink, and draped his hand
lightly over her mound, one finger idly prodding at her womanhood.

Amanda uttered a small gasp and swallowed. Her folds became damp after
only a few moments, as conditioned now as she was to respond quickly to
direct erotic stimuli. Very soon his finger slid over freshly slick
flesh that was growing steadily more aroused from the touch.

Amanda moaned softly. Inwardly, she resented how her training had made
her body betray her. When she had first started, she at least had to
like her potential partner somewhat, or find something about him or her
that aroused her. Now her body responded to simple touches or a few
spoken soft words.

It was precisely how she was expected to react as a slave. This was
precisely why she hated it, at least now with this man.

"She responds quite satisfactorily, yet she appears so young," Lanno
commented to Sirinna. He eased two fingers into Amanda's tunnel and
stroked her womanhood with the pad of his thumb. "She cannot be any
more than fourteen."

"F-fifteen," Amanda immediately said, her voice slightly breathless.
When Sirinna gave her a reproachful look, she added quickly and more
respectfully, "At least I think I may have reached my fifteenth
birthday, Master Lanno."

"A spirited one, too." He thrust his fingers in and out of her in a
rapidly increasing rhythm.

Amanda started panting as the pleasure rose from her sex. The arousal
he had sparked spread through her body, her skin flushing and her
nipples rising to points. Not long after, Lanno's free hand cupped one
of her orbs and flicked at the hard nipple. Amanda shuddered and
moaned.

/Gods, why is he doing this?/ Amanda thought. /Just because he can?/

"She's been taking to her training very quickly, Master Lanno," said
Sirinna. "I'm rather proud of her."

"And well you should be, Sirinna. And she is quite pretty as well. Is
she the only Trainee? I don't recall seeing anyone else collared."

"Yes, she's the only one."

Lanno chuckled as he squeezed Amanda's nipple between thumb and
forefinger, rolling it back and forth and tugging at it. The fingers in
her pussy sank deeper and thrusted harder. Amanda closed her eyes and
moaned deeply, her body rocking in perfect time to his movements.

"At this rate, she won't be for much longer," Lanno said.

"That may well be true, Master."

Even as distracted as she was, Amanda could catch the bit of
disappointment in Sirinna's voice. She did not want Amanda's training
to end any more than Amanda did, since it meant they would be separated
once Amanda was contracted to her first client. Even as much as Amanda
wanted to gain the privileges that came with graduation from Trainee
status, it was a day neither one of them was looking forward to, or
tried to think about very much.

She felt Lanno's fingers suddenly twist inside of her and probe a bit
harder into her. They touched her inside her tunnel at her most
sensitive spot, making her gasp, her back arching sharply. She felt
herself strain at the edge, uttering a high-pitched whimper, until she
finally came crashing over the side. She cried out as she throbbed, her
pussy pulsing hard around his fingers, squeezing them, her hips jerking
slightly.

"Mmm, very well-developed muscles for someone so young as well," Lanno
said with a grin as he thumbed her nub again, prolonging her orgasm as
long as possible and making her pussy squeeze his fingers again. "I can
only imagine what that would feel with something else in there instead
of my fingers. Or perhaps I will have to find out one day."

After her orgasm had finally faded to where she could think coherently
again, she opened her eyes in time to see Lanno wink at her.

"We only just started muscle control," Sirinna explained. "Though I did
think that she would pick it up rather quickly."

Amanda was still panting lightly when Lanno finally withdrew his hands
from her. Amanda shivered slightly. Despite the pleasure she
experienced, she felt uneasy, as if he had violated her somehow. It was
a silly notion; she was a slave, and Manor staff had the privilege to
request pleasure from the slaves. If she had refused, she would have
been severely punished. Transgressions like that were tolerated less
and less with each passing day as her training progressed.

No one else had made her feel this way. Not when Roquan took her on
occasion, or when she was offered to a merchant passing through the
Manor. And certainly not with Jollis, though that may be considered a
different story. She had not felt that way with the Overlords when she
had serviced them during the Conclave, save for Freya, but that was
again different circumstances.

She looked up at him. There was just an inherent wrongness to him that
made her feel uneasy around him.

"As much as I would like to continue chatting with you two," Lanno said
as he briefly stepped away from the table and fetched a vial of
Kaylaxxa from a nearby shelf. "We do have a little procedure to take
care of."

"Master Vanlo is calling me over for my own treatment, Master Lanno,"
said Sirinna. She looked down at Amanda. "Now, Amanda ... I'll just be
over here." She dropped her voice to a whisper. "Behave yourself."

Amanda inwardly sighed but just nodded at Sirinna. Her eyes followed
Sirinna towards the far table, where Vanlo was gesturing to her with a
warm smile on his face. For a moment before he turned away, his gaze
shifted to Lanno. Amanda wondered if that was a look of displeasure on
Vanlo's face at that moment or if it had been wishful thinking on her
part.

"Now, Amanda ..."

Amanda's gaze snapped back to Lanno. Lanno was emptying the vial of the
glistening salve into one hand.

Lanno grinned. "Spread your legs nice and wide for me. Just like you
would for a Master or Mistress."

For a few moments, her old streak of defiance resurfaced, the same one
that Roquan had hoped would be gone for good. It made her instead move
her knees closer together and hold them there for a very brief moment
before finally dropping them to either side of her, baring her pussy
completely for him.

It was not lost on Lanno. He paused as well, his eyes flicking to hers.
He gave her a knowing smirk. "You are indeed quite spirited, aren't
you?" he repeated, but in a less amused voice this time.

Before Amanda could think of an answer or a reaction, Lanno abruptly
slapped his hand against her pussy and began massaging her folds
deeply. The Kaylaxxa salve made his fingers very slick, sliding over
her flesh as if it had been bathed in oil.

Amanda gasped loudly. Her pussy rose like a rocket and exploded,
throbbing so hard that she almost could not breathe for a few moments.
When she finally did pull in air, she let it go as a sharp cry.

"You may be learning a great deal under your Trainer, but I imagine you
are quite the handful for her. And for the Overlord."

Lanno's fingers squished up and down her slit, driving her quickly to
another orgasm as her pussy grew hypersensitive from the Kaylaxxa that
now coated it. It was like a constant and never ending stimulation from
within, her nerves electrified and firing madly. Amanda could not speak
a single coherent word, as much as she was moaning and whimpering from
the constant orgasmic assault.

Had he used a concentrated dose like Yanna had, or was it just her own
perceptions?

Lanno grinned at her. "I've known a few slaves like you, believe it or
not. Young, sexy, and full of fire. I find those kinds to be a real
handful myself. But you know what? They turn out to be the best."

"Uhhhnnn!!" Amanda groaned as Lanno's fingers made her cunt pulse in
another climax. She writhed in desperation on the table, the
stimulation never fading so long as he touched her.

"And I like nothing but the best, fiery one."

First two, then three fingers plunged into her tunnel. Amanda jerked
once as she came again, her pussy spasming around his fingers tightly.
He probed deeper into her, causing her orgasm to simply continue until
she was barely coherent.

Finally, it was over. His fingers emerged from her with an almost
comical squish-pop sound. Her entire mound glistened brightly. She
panted hard, her breasts rising and falling with her breath, then
jiggling a bit as she crested over again. Her pussy did not throb quite
as hard this time, but she was still so sensitized that she had to keep
her legs apart until it subsided.

Lanno wiped his hands on a towel. "So, then, dear Amanda, you can
expect me to come calling for you sometime. I am quite sure that I will
be shown a wonderful time. After all ... you do want to please your
Trainer and Overlord as well, don't you?"

Still breathing hard, she lifted her head and stared at him. "I-I don't
understand ... you don't mean you ... y-you ... uhhh ... /uhhhnn!!/"

She came yet again, triggered by her movements just to lift her head
and speak.

Lanno smiled and came alongside the table. "What I mean is, my dear,"
he said in a low voice, caressing one of her breasts briefly. "Is that
all slaves are expected to do their best to please. I would expect
nothing less of you with me. Perhaps even a bit more, since Sirinna
thinks so highly of you."

Amanda just swallowed and looked up at him with shimmering eyes as her
pussy rose and seemed to hover, as if trying to decide whether to cum
again or not.

Lanno grinned and let his hand slide from her breast down her abdomen.
He paused just above the triangle of her sex and lightly strummed a
finger against her.

Amanda gasped as she went over the edge again, another orgasm leaving
her breathless.

"There, I do believe we are done."

Amanda could not speak a word. Her pussy threatened to rise again, and
she closed her eyes and kept herself completely still, willing her
breathing to return to something near normal.

As she lay there quietly, assuming that the young Healer had moved off
to the next slave, she was left to puzzle why he had done that to her.
He had treated her almost as a thing rather than a patient. It was so
far removed from the way Vanlo acted that it was like night and day.

Or was he treating her the way he expected a slave to be treated? Was
that the way that all clients treated their slaves? Most of the
Overlords had been kind to her, with Freya as the notable exception.
But they considered themselves a breed apart from everyone else. Did no
client aspire to treat a slave as well?

The painful realization was that if this were true, what Sirinna had
told her was a lie. She claimed to love her life as a slave, that the
kindness and comfort from clients was something she looked forward to
each time she was contracted out of the Manor.

Or worse, Sirinna was somehow brainwashed into believing that she liked
it.

/That damn Draught,/ Amanda thought vehemently. /I wish I had never
found out about it. I wish I never knew about it. If only .../

Amanda's eyes snapped open and she gasped when she suddenly felt
something lightly touching her calf.

"You /are/ an odd one, aren't you?" chuckled Lanno.

Amanda swallowed, trembling slightly as the movement had made her still
sensitized pussy rise again. "S-sorry, Master Lanno," she said in a
strained voice, struggling to remember her place. "What ... what may I
do for you?"

He smirked. "I could go on and on about what you could do for me, my
dear. But we'll save that for later. Instead, you can simply tell me
something."

His fingers played about her leg, tracing the shape of her calf muscle.
"Um ... what do you want to know, Master?"

He lifted his hand from her, then after a brief pause, ran a single
finger down a slightly deadened area of her skin. "You can tell me how
you got this."

He was indicating the scar. But she was not sure how much of the
incident behind it was allowed to be told outside of Overlord circles.
She had to assume not very much. "Um, a nasty accident, Master. A
crossbow bolt."

"Oh, that does sound nasty," Lanno said, allowing Amanda to hear the
first shred of sympathy from him since she had met him. "Vanlo was
quite skilled to pull you through such a thing I'm sure ... except ..."

Amanda tried not to bristle at the perceived slight towards Vanlo.
"Except what, Master?"

"The scar. It still shows. Unusual for a slave."

"I don't mind."

Lanno smiled at the trace of defiance in her voice. "A client would.
Your Overlord certainly does, I'm sure."

"He never mentioned it to me if he does, Master."

He continued to trace a single fingertip up and down the scar. Truth be
told, Amanda hoped that it would never go away. She wanted the reminder
of the price she almost paid for what she had done. Perhaps in a way
she wanted Roquan to be reminded of it as well.

She couldn't tell exactly what was motivating her. Pride, perhaps? She
did feel some sense of accomplishment for what she had done, even if
another had helped steer her in that direction by freeing her
temporarily from Freya.

Lanno looked thoughtful for a moment, then lifted his finger from her
leg. "I am quite sure that Vanlo has been trying his very best to
remove it," he said smoothly. "He is rather experienced."

"So if he cannot do it, it's likely no one can, then, Master," said
Amanda.

Amanda knew that was blatantly defiant and would likely get her
punished were Sirinna or Roquan to hear how she had spoken to him.
Indeed, if anything it likely gave Lanno something to hold over her
when he decided he wished her "services" for an evening. The fact that
he was not chiding her for her recalcitrance likely meant he was going
to use it to his advantage.

/Just like Freya would have,/ she thought to herself bitterly.

Lanno stepped up to the side of the table and peered down at Amanda,
smiling broadly. He casually cupped one of her breasts and squeezed it
lightly. Despite her feelings towards him, she felt her body tingle in
response. She uttered a sighing moan, followed quickly by a light gasp
as her pussy threatened to spasm again. She strained for a moment
before a much lighter orgasm swept over her, making her pant and
shudder.

"Never underestimate me, my dear," Lanno said, his voice taking on a
more serious tone despite the smile. "And I promise not to
underestimate you."

Amanda stared at him in surprise. Lanno simply winked and turned away
to tend to the next slave.

Amanda turned her gaze from him and closed her eyes, sighing deeply.
She tentatively tried to close her legs. She got about halfway before
her pussy felt stimulated again. No, he had not used any more than a
normal dosage on her, as the effects were already abating. He had
simply been rather aggressive about the treatment.

It was not very long, in fact before she could close her legs again and
sit up. As she did so, her body jerked slightly as her pussy spasmed
one last time, but it was very short and abortive.

She idly watched Sirinna recovering on another table. Unlike Amanda,
she was attempting to enjoy the experience, turning it into a little
game of what movements she could make that would just barely trigger
another orgasm. As Amanda watched, her gaze caught sight of Vanlo
gesturing in her direction.

At first Amanda thought that Vanlo had wanted her until Lanno cut
across her vision and stepped over to Vanlo. The two appeared to
converse briefly until Vanlo made a somewhat curt gesture and led Lanno
into the back room and out of sight.

Amanda looked despondent. She felt like she had suddenly regressed to
the point where she had been when she had chosen to stay in Narlass and
become a slave to avoid being separated from Sirinna. She thought she
had exorcised the worst of the rebelliousness from herself, only to
realize that it had simply been covered up all this time. It took a
single brash Healer to bring it back. It was just adding now to her
recent frustrations.

Sirinna finally stirred and returned to her feet. She smiled as she
stepped over to Amanda. "Everything go okay?"

Amanda just nodded.

Sirinna tilted her head slightly but did not say a word. She could tell
that everything was not okay, but decided not to call Amanda out on it
here. She instead retrieved the chain and cuffs, Amanda dutifully
arranging herself with wrists behind her. As soon as the chain was on
and before Sirinna could give it the traditional snap, Amanda turned
and started towards the exit, forcing Sirinna to quicken her step to
catch up.

Sirinna was sure she would be having a talk with Amanda later.

Just as Sirinna was about to snap the chain to make Amanda slow down,
she bumped into her charge instead when the girl came to a sudden stop
after stepping out into the afternoon sun.

"Amanda."

It took all her willpower not to sigh in resignation at the sound of
her name. "Yes, Master Roquan?" Amanda asked in as respectful a voice
as she could manage.

Roquan appeared to scrutinize her for a moment. Amanda was so focused
on his face, attempting again to try to read his intent, that she
failed to note what he held in his hands.

Sirinna, however, had noticed it, and she immediately gave her Overlord
a wide smile.

Whatever Amanda may have thought the Overlord was looking for, she
evidently had passed muster, for when he spoke, his voice was casual.
"I have been waiting for you to finish with your treatment. I trust
there were no problems."

"No, Master, no problems at all," Amanda said in a convincing voice.
Her eyes, however, told a different story.

Roquan picked up on this, but like Sirinna chose not to make note of
it. He nodded once and moved on. "I have been told that you have been
coming along very well in your current phase of training. You've been
surpassing expectations."

"Thank you, Master." Her voice was a bit neutral. Normally she liked
hearing praise. Not so much that it meant she was being a "good slave"
as it was that she was accomplishing a goal she had set for herself.

"Thus I believe that deserves something of a reward."

Amanda looked at the Overlord in surprise. It was not until he had
lifted his hand and showed her more directly what it held that she
understood. When she did, the first genuine smile she had experienced
in some time stretched across her face.

Roquan discovered that he felt good seeing that smile cross her face.
Not that he did not want his slaves to be happy. Indeed, he saw to
their comfort and sent them to only those clients that he felt would
treat them well. But normally this sort of happiness was expected of
them. It was not supposed to come from something "special" that he did
for them

Yet doing this "special" thing for Amanda made him feel good.

Roquan stepped forward and handed the scrolls to Sirinna. "I regret it
is not more than this," he said, continuing to address Amanda directly.
"I will attempt to procure more."

"Master, may I ask a question?"

Technically, Amanda had spoken out of turn. A Trainee was not supposed
to speak to the Overlord unless asked a direct question or granted
permission to speak. Roquan chose to overlook it. At least she had
asked if she could do it first. "You may."

"Do these initial scrolls contain any history?"

"Yes. One of them is a history of Oceanus, from founding to present. It
is largely a summary of major events rather than an in-depth
discussion."

"I understand, Master. It will do just fine."

"As for the others, one deals with Narlassi culture, another with trade
and commerce. That is what I was able to procure for you at the moment.
Lines of trade and communication appear strained at the moment."

"Thank you for getting them for me, Master, I really appreciate it."

This tugged at the corners of Roquan's mouth. "In that case, you can
show your appreciation by continuing to do well in your Training."

"Of course, Master."

"And understand that this is not to take any time whatsoever from your
Training no matter how well you are doing."

Amanda was already nodding halfway through his statement. She was too
eager to get back to her room and take a peek at them. Surely Sirinna
would allow her that before they returned to the rest of her training
that afternoon.

"Very well, then. I will inform you if and when I procure more."

The Overlord turned and strode away. Amanda watched him go, the smile
on her face not altering one bit.

"Feeling better?" Sirinna asked with a small smile on her lips.

"Yes, Mistress, much better." Amanda paused and realized what that had
implied. She whipped her gaze back to Sirinna. "Oh, um, what I meant
was ..."

"I know exactly what you meant, Amanda."

Amanda fell silent. Sirinna had spoken in that sighing sort of voice
that meant she was troubled. Usually it was over something Amanda had
done or said.

Sirinna managed a small smile. "It's all right. We'll talk about it
later, not now."

Amanda nodded, her smile slowly returning. "Thank you, Mistress."



Lanno dutifully followed Vanlo into the back room. He was just starting
to open his mouth when Vanlo turned and focused a steely gaze on him
that made him pause.

"Your behavior towards some of the slaves today has been
reprehensible," Vanlo said in a cool and rock-steady voice. "It will
cease immediately."

Lanno blinked in surprise. He uttered a short, humorless laugh. "I beg
your pardon, Vanlo? What on Narlass are you talking about?"

Vanlo kept his sharp gaze on the younger Healer. He stroked his beard
thoughtfully. "Hmm. You truly have no idea what I mean, do you?"

"Not at all. I fail to see what I have done wrong."

"I suppose this is what they are teaching the youth now." Vanlo turned
away from Lanno and strolled towards the door that led to the path to
his quarters. "That slaves are to be treated as things rather than
people."

Lanno gave Vanlo an odd look. "Are you quite serious?"

"Is that what you think, Lanno?" Vanlo asked without turning to face
him. "That the slaves are objects?"

There was a significant pause. "Slaves are considered commodities, you
do realize that?"

"To an Overlord, perhaps. But not to us."

"I'm not following you."

Vanlo turned around. His expression was calm but stern. He kept his
voice steady and never raised it above his normal conversational voice,
but there was no missing the conviction of his statements. "Anyone who
comes through those doors outside are patients. They are either
entrusted to our care by the Overlord or have entrusted themselves to
our care. It behooves us to treat them with respect and kindness."

Lanno had felt some amusement towards this at first, but it was rapidly
fading. "Respect and kindness? My dear Vanlo, I treated the slaves as
slaves. That is how you show 'respect' for a slave."

"I do not understand this."

"Slaves are trained to please. It pleased me to tease and play with
them. Slaves enjoy sexual contact. I gave them sexual contact. So how
was I showing disrespect to them, Vanlo? If anything, I was giving them
exactly what they had expected from me. I would say that was a kindness
as well."

"Perhaps they were not so keen on playing the part of the slave when in
the Healer's office. This is a place for Healing, not slave training.
This is the Healer's Office, and not the Circle."

Lanno grinned. "They didn't seem to mind."

"And you are quite sure of that? You are sure that each slave enjoyed
your attentions?"

Lanno's grin widened. "So this isn't really about the slaves, is it,
Vanlo?"

Vanlo hesitated a moment. "I do not understand what you are getting
at."

"This is about one in particular. That peculiar one named Amanda."

Vanlo stiffened. "There is nothing peculiar about her. She is a slave
as are the others."

Lanno was already shaking his head. "Vanlo, I pride myself on my powers
of observation. You of all people should know how valuable that is in
our profession. It didn't take me very long to realize that Amanda is
rather different from the other slaves."

"She is still in training," Vanlo said, insistence creeping into his
voice. "Naturally you will notice something different. She will not be
as disciplined as the other slaves."

"Yes, that's true, though there is something else about her."

Vanlo stepped up to him. "That is not your concern. That is for her
Trainer and Overlord to determine. You should confine your concerns to
her health and well-being."

"Tell me, Vanlo, is she the one you told me about, the one with the
stubborn scar?"

Vanlo paused a long moment before nodding once.

"I've seen something similar. Fixed something similar. You should let
me take a crack at it."

"We do not experiment on the slaves," said Vanlo stiffly.

Now it was Lanno who bristled. "I would not call what I based part of
my final master level examinations to be 'experiments'," he said
coldly. "I want to make something perfectly clear: I do not need you to
tell me how to do my job. Or how to treat the patients. I would not
have come this far if I were still some wet-behind-the-ears
apprentice."

"I am not stating that you are such. Do not put such words into my
mouth. I merely suggest that, where this is your first time assigned to
a Manor, that there are some aspects of it that you may not be familiar
with. Certainly it was a learning experience to me when I first came
here."

Lanno paused to consider again. He realized that sparring with the
older Healer was going to get him nowhere fast. Vanlo could continue
talking circles around him in that maddeningly calm voice of his. At
least if Lanno could get him riled up to where he lost his composure
while Lanno rigidly kept his, he could gain the upper hand there. But
as it was, it would be nothing but stalemate after stalemate.

Not that he wished to better Vanlo. He simply wanted to be considered
an equal to him. So far he doubted he was getting even that.

As a result of this conversation, Amanda intrigued him even more. Vanlo
had a soft spot for her, that was very clear. If Vanlo had been
younger, Lanno would have suspected that the Healer simply wanted to
keep the slave's services for himself. As it was, he doubted that Vanlo
ever saw that kind of action anymore.

"Very well, Vanlo," Lanno said finally. "I will remember what you have
told me. I will try to better ascertain if the slave might enjoy my
attentions."

Vanlo gave Lanno a look that suggested this is not what he wanted. It
also betrayed a realization that this was all that he was going to get.
He nodded once.

"Good. Now, I have patients to return to."

Without waiting for leave from Vanlo, he turned and headed back into
the examination room.

Vanlo let his gaze linger at the door. He uttered a slow sigh and shook
his head sadly. He truly was not angry at the youth. If anything, he
was sorry for him. Lanno was not the first newly-minted master-level to
think himself on top of the world and all-knowing. If anything, Lanno
reminded Vanlo of himself when he first became a master. Vanlo
remembered having to be taken down a peg or two himself. He simply did
not want to have to be the one to do that with Lanno.

Yet what he did not want to admit -- even refused to admit -- was that
Lanno had been right about one thing. Vanlo did have a soft spot for
Amanda, and he was acting rather protective of her. His wish to exclude
Lanno from helping with Amanda's leg was mainly to protect her rather
than to preserve his ego.

Or at least this is what he believed.
<1st attachment end>


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