The Maze (8 page)

“Tell me about yourself,” he began, selecting an apple and chomping into it as he sat down to study her carefully. Keeria just glared at him. “Not much of a talker, huh?  I heard that Trained Ones never shut up.  Is this true? How old are you? 16? 17?”

“I am 18.”

“So, she does talk!  Good, we’re getting somewhere. It’s Keeria, isn’t it?  Now, my lovely, we need to have a little discussion.  You are my captive and so are your friends.  I have all of you in positions such that you must rely on me to take care of your needs and get you out of here.  They are sort of, uh, tied up right now otherwise they would come in to say hello.”

“You think you’re funny, don’t you? I don’t care what happens to them, any more than they care about me. Why didn’t you just get one of them to unlock you if you’re so much in charge?”

“Maybe because I have some ideas that I’d like to pursue.  The first being that you will be the one to unlock me.”

“Like fucking hell I will.”

“You will watch your language, miss.  We are being televised and there are honored guests listening.”

“You can tell your honored guests to go fuck themselves with a big stick.”

“Oooh, temperamental, are we?  I know you heard the screaming before First Sun set.  That was your friend Lina. Do you know why she was screaming like that?”

“I really don’t care.  I followed the sound to find you so I could kill you.”

“Didn’t do a very good job with that, now did you?”

“Must you mock and ridicule me, you stupid buffoon?” Keeria glowered, ignoring the desire to stare into his dark green eyes and kiss his full, sensual lips.  What the hell was wrong with her?

“I will stop if you decide to cooperate.  As for stupid, it doesn’t apply.  I am a Prestige. And my name is Traisk.”

Keeria gasped, disbelieving him.  A Prestige was one of the highest known scholars on Elien, able to speak a minimum of seven different languages and educated in the high sciences.  Keeria was only a Mid-Class, a very high position for her age and experience. Head Trainer had refused her High Class because he was afraid she would grow arrogant.

Traisk observed her reaction with delight.  She was struggling with this inform
ation,
and that would keep her unable to choose a direction for a while. “Why did they choose you and your comrades for the Maze? I’ve never heard of them sending such young ones in. They typically wait a couple of years.”

“We have some problems with rebellion and lack of respect. I guess they got tired of beating us.  Especially me,” she sounded proud.

“I gather you take beatings well.”

“I’m the best.  My sisters aren’t, though.”

“Why? Do you like it?” he asked c
almly
, seeing her shoot deadly looks at him.

“I hate it.  I hate them and I hate you.”  Her voice was low, almost a hiss, reminding him of a pit viper.

“I didn’t do anything to you.  I’m as much a slave as you are. Until I convince you that your best chance to survive this planet is with me by your side, I’m going to just tend to matters as needed.  First, you are absolutely adorable, but filthy. You’re getting a bath.”

He removed the little animal carefully from her lap, setting in on a soft pillow with some food and water. Keeria was amazed at the gentleness with which he handled the creature
and suppressed a momentary grin as the little creature spun around his foot and then plopped on its back for a tummy rub. She figured it must be a female and had no sense, no matter how cute the damn thing was
.  She remembered Head Trainer’s warnings; Strong Men were gifted in the art of seduction. She guessed th
at also extended to prickly rodents.

Tr
aisk turned his attention to Keeria and leaned toward her to pick her up. S
he slapped his face as hard as she could manage.  Traisk remained unaffected and looked at her firmly. “Do that again and you will be sorry.  It’s one thing when you attack my body, but it becomes personal when you go after my face.”

Her hand again struck him sharply as he reached for her.  Sighing, the man shook his head. “Slow learner, huh? First, these get tied,” he announced, producing leather strips to wrap firmly around both wrists, tying them together behind her back. “I would have put them in front, but you would have tried to double fist me.  Comfy?”

“You mother fucking son…”

“Why does everyone assume I knew my mother?  And such language! See this?” He held up his palm to her face and she flinched automatically, accustomed to the frequent slaps she had received from her h
andlers
for her sassiness. Traisk noticed, “No, never to your face.  I promise.  But this will be applied frequently to your derriere.  That’s old earth for backside.”

“I know what it is, you jerk-off. What's the matter? You’re not man enough to use a whip?”

It was Traisk’s turn to be surprised.  Suddenly, he understood the absurd reactions from the other two girls.  “You have never been spanked before, have you?”

“We were beaten regularly for most of our lives, especially since we turned eighteen,” Keeria spouted.

“Yes, but a spanking over a man’s knee and with his open palm is so much more intimate and personal.  And very humiliating when you realize we can see your sweet pussy very easily, along with everything between your cheeks if you squirm too much. I’m guessing that not very many Strong Men have ever made use of this form of punishment.  I’m hoping this broadcast will show our viewers that it’s very effective and can be quite beneficial for both parties when used properly to correct a naughty female.  Of course, since none of you have ever really been spanked, it explains a lot…”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Let me show you, since you insist on using such foul language.  A spanking is when I pick you up and...” he lifted her squirming body, with her hands tied behind her back, “lay you with your stomach over my legs.  This puts your lovely little curved bottom str
aight up high
in the air, right below my hand.  To make it more interesting, I enjoy baring this portion of you to my sight,” he said as he lowered her shorts to expose her bottom.  “H
ave you ever
experienced this position before? Your comp
anions had not.
  Now I get to see how nice and red you become when I do this.”

The sound of his hand smacking Keeria’s unprotected bottom echoed through the chamber.  She closed her eyes to partition her mind.  But the feel of the bare skin of his h
ardened thighs
beneath her, coupled with his c
allused
hand pausing to stroke her bottom between sp
anks
, made it difficult.  A second, then a third smack fell, followed by more stroking.  His fingers ran lightly across the backs of her thighs before he resumed toasting her bottom thoroughly with another ten h
a
rd
and fast strokes
.

Keeria held her breath, trying desperately not to struggle and distract herself from the partition.  It was easier when the blows were regular and rhythmic, but Traisk’s spanking was both painful and sensual, making the process difficult to separate from.

“You are turning a very nice shade of red, Keeria.  How does it feel?”

“Let… me… go!”

“I can’t hear you.  Your spanking is way too loud,” Traisk said, increasing his intensity and watching as she began to jerk away from the impending swats.

“Please.  Let me go,” she forced out, refusing to allow him to bring forth tears of submission. 

“Since you asked so nicely, I will.  This time,” he warned, rubbing the tender, muscular but soft cheeks of her bright red hind end.  He fought back the erection that threatened to pain him and turned her over to sit on his lap. “I assume that means you are ready for your bath. No, please, allow me.”

Keeria fumed in silence.  Her hands were tied, her feet in bandages.  Of course, he had to undress her. He seemed to enjoy making her feel small and vulnerable and she hated him even more.  Especially since he was so gentle and careful with her.

Masters of seduction. He can conquer you as much with gentleness as with force.

Keeria averted her eyes as he stripped off his own clothing.  He was a beautiful specimen,
a sculpted pillar of marbled muscle
, tanned from training and fighting in the arena wearing only a loin cover, and splattered with scars and brands.  A black tattoo ran up from his tailbone to the back of his neck and looked like skeletal bat wings, marking his
achievement of Prestige
. 
A
nother t
attoo, a fanged viper, twisted around his right bicep and down his forearm, commemorating his win in Ketar.
The cage, however, remained in place and she could only catch a glimpse of the animal hiding behind it.  She had never seen an erect penis; all her trainers had been altered.  She was terrified, but
also
curious.

“You can look at me.  I know you girls don’t have any exposure to intact men. I’d like to show you more, but I’m a bit indisposed right now.”

“And you’ll stay that way until the elders lop it off,” Keeria hissed again.

“That’s not in my plans, little one.  Let’s get you into this water.  It’s a bit hot.”

Keeria inhaled sharply, the salt water stinging against both her injured feet and her tender bottom.  Traisk lowered her in further, sitting her on
a
shelf deep enough for the water to cover her breasts.  She looked like she was ready to faint.

“Are you alright?” he
asked, concerned as he poured some cool water into her mouth.

“I’ve never been in hot water before.  I mean, I’ve been in trouble, but… oh, never mind,” she rolled her eyes as Traisk laughed he
artily
at her double entendre.  He had a rather odd sense of humor, another thing she had not been expecting from a Strong Man.  She would give him this much, he put on a good act.  She wondered what he would be like once the show was over.

Traisk lathered a cloth and slowly cleaned himself off, enjoying the heat as it penetrated his muscles
and cleansed his wounds
.  Keeria looked longingly at the soapy towel in his hands.  He noticed. “Would you like me to scrub that layer of dirt off you?”

“I’d like to do it myself.”

“Nope, not gonna happen.  Give me that face.  Oh stop it, you’re acting like a child.  Stay still!” he ordered as she tried to escape the face washing.  She slipped off the bench and went under the water, then pushed herself up, sputtering and crying at the same time. 

“Why are you crying? It’s just water.  Stay still,” he cooed
as he
washed her face and took her hair out of the braid to scrub the dirt and sticks from the thick gold mane.

“My feet.  They feel like they were cut to shreds,” she sniffled.

“They practically were.  Here, lean back and let me do this.  Your hair is amazing,” he murmured trying to ignore the erection building inside of his cage as he began to run his fingers through her hip length curls.  He winced, suddenly pulling away from her.

The crowd laughed.

“What did I do?” Keeria asked as he quickly moved to the far end of the tub and turned on the cold water.  He held up his hand, not answering as he plunged under the icy flow. She stayed silent, watching him fight the pain. “Are you okay?”

“No. Give me a minute.”

Keeria saw his face finally relax and he turned off the water and swam over to rejoin her.

“What happened?” she asked as he resumed his duties of bathing her.  He seemed more distant, detached, and task oriented.

“Nothing.  Let’s just get you cleaned up.”

Keeria frowned. “I might not be a Prestige, but I’m not stupid either.  You were in pain.  Why?”

“When you unlock my cage and you’ll see.  Until then, no more questions. Let’s get you out of here and fix up those little feet.”

Keeria felt herself drifting off as Traisk cared for her.  She wished his gentle kindness could be real, but then she remembered her Lina’s screams.  What did he do to cause them so much pain? She had only heard that type of sound once, when a runaway had been branded. Was he capable of such brutality? Of course he was; he was a Strong Man.

Chapter Five

Traisk walked back to the upper level to check on his other two charges. One at a time, he loosened their bonds and rubbed out their muscles, bathing them quickly in the salt pool and, after feeding them, tied them back on the platform.

“Do you even know the way out of here?  Do you know where the exit will be when it opens?” Suri asked, groaning under his hands as he rubbed her stiff legs.

“Found it the first day.”

“I’ll unlock you if you take me there.”

“You know I’ve claimed Keeria. Don’t you worry though, I will take care of you too.”

“I don’t want to go into a harem or the mines.  Please, let me unlock you,” Suri begged.

Lina joined in. “Or me.  I’ll unlock you right now if you take me out with you.  Please. We c
an hide by the exit and wait for it to open.
”

The crowd was aghast! Two Conquered Trained Ones?  Trainers must be getting soft!  They booed.

“I am to have Keeria.  If I do not succeed, then I will have one of you. The other I will
allow to leave at the end of the game. At least that will give you a chance to choose your stud for breeding, and keep you out of a harem.
”

Nothing was said in return. They both knew their fates had been sealed.

* * *

The Second Sun h
ad risen by the time Keeria awoke. Sometime during the night, Traisk had redressed her feet and reloaded her tray with food and water.  He had even taken care of Churros’ needs.  Carefully, she stood, surprised to find that her feet felt much better. She turned as he entered the room.

“Good Second Morning.  Did you sleep well?”