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

Author: A Strange Geek
Title: Amanda's Choice
Summary: A 14-year-old girl with a troubled home life is swept away to
another world by an older female lover, where she must make the
ultimate choice between love and freedom.

Part: 11 of 19
Keywords: Ff, magic

Note: Story codes are for this Chapter. See Chapter 0 for complete list
of codes

Copyright A Strange Geek, 2005

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:

/~A_Strange_Geek/novels/AmandasChoice/Chapter11.html



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

Rennis was glad with Roquan finally concluded their discussion for the
time being. Despite the fact that Rennis finally felt that the thick
wall that was Roquan's stubbornness had shown signs of the first
cracks, he was anxious to see Yanna before his stay was done. He had
missed seeing Yanna the day before, as Roquan had kept him until well
into the midday meal, and Yanna was gone from the Healer's office by
the time he had arrived.

Yet Yanna had managed to send him a note, using another slave as a
courier for her, a tiny piece of parchment which he extracted carefully
from his soiled satchel. It was speckled with Disalla powder, and he
was careful not to get it on his fingers, lest he had to wash it off
and risk distracting his mind with other things that were best left to
the evening hours. The note was short and simple: "meet me in the
Healer's office shortly after midday".

Rennis read over the note one last time and set it aside, smiling to
himself. Perhaps he would spend his evening with her, if Vanlo was
amenable to it. It was far too long, he believed, since Yanna had had
any real sexual contact with anyone other than another slave. As odd as
the girl was sometimes, she at least deserved that.

He snorted in amusement. "I'm getting as soft on my slaves as Roquan is
with his," he muttered to himself with a wry smile.

He again reached into his satchel and extracted the pouch, shaking off
loose Disalla that was sticking to the outside, the flecks of
gray-black dropping back into the satchel. There was no point in
worrying how much dirtier the inside of the satchel became, for it was
already a loss. He would have to find a towel in which to wrap his
effects when he was ready to head home.

He turned the pouch in his hand, the monogram of his Manor woven into
the fabric near the mouth. He tugged on the loose drawstring to close
the pouch, only to have it come off in his hand with a soft snap.

"Oh, /hellfire!/" Rennis cursed, sighing deeply. "Nothing about this
trip has gone right."

He carefully bunched up the folds of the top of the pouch as best as he
could and slipped it into a pocket of his shirt, drawing his tunic over
it. He would just have to hope not too much of it stained his clothing
before he could give it to Yanna.

He glanced out his window, and impatiently waited for the midday hour
to come.



The air had become a sweltering steam bath by the time Sirinna walked
Amanda over to the Healer's office. So hot and sticky was it that
Amanda did not even truly notice she was still naked, and even without
her gown she was perspiring. Sirinna was sweating as well, but she did
not appear to pay it much mind, having grown accustomed to the tropical
heat and humidity.

Amanda was grateful to enter the much cooler interior of the Healer's
chambers, and it was not until after Sirinna had left her that she
became aware of her nudity again, and resisted the urge to cover
herself up as she nervously advanced into the treatment room, her eyes
darting back and forth.

"Hello again, Amanda."

Amanda flinched and jerked her head towards the sound. "Oh, um, hi,
Yanna," Amanda said.

Yanna stepped more fully out from behind the curtain at the last of the
examination tables, holding a small glass vial in one hand that gleamed
in the hazy sunlight. Amanda looked at her, then glanced off to the
side towards the other door, the one leading into the lab.

"We're alone, like I promised you," Yanna said brightly. "And we have
the office to ourselves until we're done."

"Are you sure?" Amanda asked, eying the vial anxiously. "I-I really
don't want anyone walking in on this."

Yanna walked up to Amanda and gently took her arm. "It's perfectly all
right," Yanna said, slowly coaxing Amanda to the examination table.
"Master Vanlo is out for his walk and will not be back until later."

"A walk?" Amanda asked in surprise. "In this heat?"

"The heat does his joints well. And he walks along the shaded paths
along the edge of the Manor."

Yanna led Amanda around the back of the curtain before letting go of
her arm. Amanda looked at the examination table and swallowed, her
pulse quickening. Before coming here, she had some lingering arousal
from watching Tanyee in the Circle, but now she was just anxious. She
was still not looking forward to this at all.

She looked back behind her, biting her lip. She saw that the entrance
from the outer chamber was hidden from view from behind the curtain,
but not quite the door to the lab. "Yanna, a-are you sure ..."

Yanna took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. "It will be all
right," Yanna said softly. "Please, trust me."

Amanda gazed at Yanna, who smiled back at her. Finally, Amanda uttered
a short sigh and managed a small, weak smile of her own. "You're right,
I'm being silly, aren't I?"

"It's okay to be nervous, Amanda," Yanna said.

"Master Vanlo would probably laugh at this."

"Well, I don't intend to tell him. I'll simply report that you were
very good and you gave me trouble at all."

Amanda gave Yanna a relieved look. "Just so long as you tell Sirinna
that, too."

Yanna chuckled. "Oh, of course, Amanda. Now, let's get to it."

Amanda nodded and after only another moment's hesitation, she pulled
herself up onto the examination table and lay back, her heart thumping.

Yanna undid the stopper, which came off with a pop. "You'll feel a
tingling at first," she said as she poured out the contents into her
upended palm. She paused and then smiled knowingly. "But you'll be
distracted from that in short order."

Amanda just nodded again, not trusting her voice to work.

Yanna put the empty vial aside and flexed her fingers against her palm,
the oily fluid squishing against her skin, coating it liberally. "Now,
if you would spread your legs for me, please, Amanda. The wider, the
better."

Amanda drew her feet up to her body and tipped her knees to either
side, her legs visibly trembling.

Yanna swiftly drew her oiled hand over Amanda's mound, and immediately
started to work the Kaylaxxa into Amanda's virgin folds. At once,
Amanda felt a flash of intense heat on her tender flesh, which quickly
gave way to a maddening tingling, like a limb that had fallen asleep
and was coming back to life. Yanna's fingers sank between her labia,
pressing firmly, though the slickness of the Kaylaxxa made her hand
glide. Amanda felt the stimulation from the simple, oiled touch
generate a spark of arousal in her, and it seemed as if it was not
going to be so bad at all.

The next second, it hit with such force that she felt as if she
couldn't breathe.

Amanda uttered a long, shuddering gasp, her hands clutching the edge of
the examination table. She had no warning. It was just there. A
rocketing buildup, barely a few blinks of an eye, and she was at the
edge and then over, her pussy throbbing wildly. Finally her throat
unlocked, and she let out a breathless moan, panting hard, her body
writhing under the sensual assault.

"Heavens, have you cum already?" Yanna said with mild surprise, her
fingers continuing unabated against Amanda's helpless slot, which now
glistened brightly with Kaylaxxa. "You must be rather sensitive to it.
Some people are just that way."

It also helped that Yanna had made this one vial a double-concentration
of the Kaylaxxa. She intended to make sure that Amanda would need to
stay a little longer to recover from this, preventing her from leaving
at the crucial moment. In addition, Yanna admitted quietly to herself,
it amused her to see the outworlder girl like this.

No sooner than the one orgasm had begun to fade that Amanda soared
upwards towards another with a speed that made her clench her teeth as
she hung again at the edge of climax, her body tensing and then letting
go, shaking as a second orgasm crashed through her body, making her
hips buck against Yanna's hand.

This time, Yanna could not hide her smile of amusement, though Amanda
was in no condition to notice it. "Goodness!" she cried softly, trying
to sound astonished.

"Oh ... my ... God ...!" Amanda gasped, barely coherent as her cunt
convulsed, Yanna's fingers stroking her hard and deep.

"Master Vanlo may have to adjust this for you if you ever need it
again," Yanna commented. "All right, Amanda, hold on, I have to do it
inside you now."

Yanna plunged two fingers into Amanda's tunnel. Amanda threw her head
back and squealed, rising and cresting to a third orgasm that pounded
hard and pulsed around Yanna's fingers. It was barely finished when
Yanna thrust her fingers in deeper, twisting them around and back,
triggering the climax to begin again, leaving Amanda panting so heavily
she felt momentarily dizzy.

"Just another moment, Amanda, almost done," Yanna said.

Amanda uttered a strident cry as Yanna touched her somewhere deep
inside her, somewhere very sensitive that Sirinna had managed to touch
during their intimate moments, causing her pussy to throb so hard she
saw stars at the edges of her vision.

Yanna was very tempted to linger. She was finding this to be very
entertaining. Yet she was so close to completing her plans that she did
not want to risk giving herself away. She extracted her hand from
Amanda's cunt and grabbed a towel to wipe off her hand. "There! All
done!"

Amanda gave a long, high-pitched moan as her climax wound down at an
excruciating crawl, her fading throbs leaving behind a substantial ache
in her pussy. Her muscles began to relax, her legs unfolding. Yet as
her thighs began to close against her still hyper-aroused cunt, it sent
her skywards again, tripping her over into yet another orgasm, though
not nearly as intense as the others had been.

"Oh God ..." Amanda whimpered, breathing hard. She waited for her
climax to again fade, and started to unfold her legs again, only to
rise again. "Ohhh ...!"

She hung, body quivering, then uttered a staccato "Uh! Uh! Uh!" sound
as she gave way to another weaker but still draining orgasm, her body
jerking with each pulse.

"Oh dear," Yanna said, clicking her tongue. "Here, Amanda, draw your
legs up again, keep them spread apart."

Amanda groaned, dazed, her pussy starting to build again. She drew in
her breath and held it as she did as Yanna instructed, letting it go
when she spiked upwards again. A few seconds after spreading her legs
apart as far as they would go, it relented, and she slowly fell back.

"You're going to be very sensitive for awhile now," Yanna said. "You'll
need to stay here a little longer to recover."

"Wh .. what ... w-went wrong?" Amanda croaked, her voice barely
audible.

"Nothing, actually," Yanna said. "Like I said, you're just a little
more sensitive to it than most. Just lie as still as you can if you
don't want to cum anymore."

Amanda believed she had had enough orgasms to last her for the rest of
the day. Perhaps several days.

She was absolutely stunned. It was the most intensely sensual
experience she had ever had. At one point she simply lost count; it was
as if she were having one continuous orgasm. It had overwhelmed her
senses and driven her nearly mad. Yet part of her almost wanted to try
to close her legs up again, just to see if she could trigger another
one. Already she felt a mild level of stimulation, the littlest
movement threatening to drive it higher. Even her breathing seemed to
effect it, going a little higher with each intake, falling back by the
same amount as she exhaled.

Yanna smiled down at Amanda. "Don't worry, we didn't do your cunnie any
damage," she said. "Does it ache a little?"

"Yes," Amanda said. Breathing through her mouth had dried her throat.
She let go with a small spate of coughing that turned into a gasp as it
triggered her pussy again, the weakened but still potent orgasmic
throbs making her body jerk in response.

"The ache will fade rather quickly," Yanna said. "Just lay still, keep
your legs open, and don't move too much."

Amanda glanced down at herself, where her trembling thighs lay in a
wide "V" before her, her feet tucked against her, the muscles beginning
to ache themselves from being stretched. "I-I'll try," Amanda said in a
breathy voice. "How long do you think ...?"

"Yanna, are you here?"

Amanda bit her lip hard to suppress her gasp, but her body flinched in
response to the sound of the male voice from the outer chamber, and she
felt herself rise precipitously for a few moments, and then slowly fall
back.

Yanna gasped, looking stricken. "Oh no!" she whispered. "Master
Rennis!"

"What? Who ..." But Amanda trailed off as she vaguely remembered
Sirinna mentioning about someone named Rennis, another Overlord
visiting the Manor.

At the thought of an Overlord finding her like this, even one that was
not Roquan, filled her with dread and embarrassment.

"Yanna?" the voice came again, closer, more insistent, and impatient.

Yanna sighed and started to step away from the table.

"Yanna?! No, wait!" Amanda whisper-shouted.

"Shhh!!" Yanna hissed. "I have to! He's my old master! Now, just hush,
and he won't know you're here."

"But, I ...!" Amanda's words were cut off as her movements triggered
another, but thankfully weaker orgasm, the throbs dull and lackluster,
though adding to the now distinctive ache that seemed to reach deep
into her vagina.

Yanna quickly emerged from behind the curtain and jogged to the center
of the room, just as Rennis entered. "Oh, there you are!"

"I'm sorry, Master Rennis!" Yanna cried. "I was busy."

Rennis stepped up to his former slave, smiling broadly. He then glanced
back the way she had come, tilting his head to one side as if trying to
see past the curtain. "A patient?" he asked casually.

Behind the curtain, Amanda tensed and held her breath.

"No, Master Rennis," Yanna said quickly. "Just doing some inventory for
Master Vanlo."

"Ah," Rennis said, and promptly turned his head away. He opened his
mouth to speak, but paused and glanced about the room. In a lower voice
he asked, "Are we alone?"

"Yes, master, we are," Yanna said. "Master Vanlo is out for his midday
walk, and I was about to head out for the meal."

"I don't want to keep you, Yanna," Rennis said. "I know you have
important things to do for ..."

"Yes, master, very important," Yanna said in a rush, her voice low and
conspiratorial. "I understand how very important it is."

Rennis paused at this for a moment, surprised at the young woman's
enthusiasm. "Well, that's very good to hear. That's a very good
attitude for you to have, Yanna."

Behind the curtain, Amanda's breathing had managed to calm to something
near normal. She gave her legs an experimental flex, bringing her knees
together. She got about halfway before she rose again, making her draw
in her breath quickly, heart pounding at the thought that she had been
discovered when the conversation paused.

"Did you bring some more for me?" Yanna said. "Of what I need?"

Master Rennis paused again, looking nervously over towards the lab
door. "You are quite sure we are alone, Yanna?"

"Very much alone."

Amanda could not help but listen to the conversation. It was the only
thing she could focus on to take her mind off her still sensitized
cunt. So much did it ache that she simply could not stand the thought
of another orgasm, and she wanted to remain absolutely still. That
meant requiring something else to which to turn her attention.

"I want no witnesses to this exchange."

Yanna nodded. "I understand, master, but we are alone."

Rennis placed his hand over the bulge under his tunic, taking one more
glance before uttering a suffering sigh. "I should not be bringing this
to you like this, Yanna," he said in a low tone of voice, his eyes
hard. "Roquan would consider this contraband."

Amanda's eyes widened.

"I know," Yanna said, her own voice now soft and urgent, though still
loud enough in the silent room for Amanda to hear every word. She
looked up at Rennis with pleading eyes. "But I cannot do anything more
without it. I am out of my last supply."

Rennis looked askance at her. "Already? You do know you are to use only
a single pinch for each ..."

"Yes, master," Yanna said quickly. "A pinch. For each one. I did as you
told me, master."

"Yanna," Rennis said, casting a dark look at her. "You may no longer be
my slave, but you will not interrupt me."

Yanna lowered her gaze and folded her hands before her in a
supplicating gesture. "I'm sorry, master," she said in a sorrowful
voice.

Rennis reached under his tunic and extracted the pouch from his pocket.
As he pulled it away, a loop of the remainder of the frayed drawstring
caught on a button, yanking the mouth of the pouch open and spilling a
small amount. Rennis uttered a soft but vile curse under his breath,
though he managed to yank a foot back in time to avoid getting the
horrid stuff on his shoe. Instead, it sprayed and scattered over the
stone floor.

Yanna lifted her eyes and looked at the pouch with avid eyes.

Rennis handed her the pouch. "Put it away quickly," he said in a low
voice. "If anyone catches you with that, we'll both be in grave straits
with Roquan."

Amanda felt her heart beating faster again. She was having the uneasy
feeling she was not supposed to be hearing this. Yet her curiosity kept
her listening, even as the difficulty with her nether regions was
finally abating, the sheen from the Kaylaxxa fading as it soaked into
her skin.

"I'll put it in my quarters, under my bed, before I go to the meal,
master," Yanna said.

"Understand, Yanna, I cannot bring you any more after this," Rennis
said.

"Yes, master."

"If I have to ... I'll extract you from here somehow and bring you back
to my Manor."

"But my work here?" Yanna said. "What of that? Have I not been good?"

Rennis gave Yanna an affectionate smile. No, Yanna was far from one of
his best slaves. Truth be told, he traded her to Roquan because he had
such trouble finding a client that would take her. Yet she was always
bright and cheerful, and she knew how to please a man in bed. He
actually missed her.

"Yes, you have been very good, Yanna," Rennis said in a softer voice.
"You have done everything that was asked of you."

"Then ... I have succeeded?" Yanna asked hopefully.

Rennis paused, thinking the question rather oddly phrased. "Ah, yes,
I'd say you have succeeded quite admirably."

"Thank you, master!" Yanna gushed.

Her attention captivated by the discussion, Amanda let the tension go
from her legs, letting them slowly unbend and her feet slide down away
from her. Her pussy rose only half-heartedly, and did not remain that
way but faded back within seconds, leaving her with just a residual
tingling.

She did not understand everything she was hearing, but what she did
comprehend made a knot of anxiety form in her stomach.

No witnesses ... Contraband ... Grave straits with Roquan ... You have
succeeded quite admirably ... /No witnesses .../

Amanda was suddenly far more frightened of being discovered than any
mere embarrassment it would cause her.

"Now, Yanna, you better go hide that," Rennis said, looking about
again. "Every moment we keep talking is another moment we risk being
discovered."

To Amanda, this sounded very ominous. Yet Yanna knew Amanda was
listening! She knew they had already been discovered!

"Yes, master, I'll go take care of that now," Yanna said, turning and
rushing out of the room towards the back door in the lab.

Rennis watched her go and sighed. Amanda forced herself to breathe as
normally as possible, certain that he would hear her pants. The
Overlord turned, glancing back towards the examination table at the end
of the row for a moment before walking out.

Amanda listened to his footfalls fade quickly as they left the room,
her eyes wide and fearful. Then she heard nothing, and realized for the
first time what a disadvantage it was not to be able to hear an
ordinary door open and close.

Amanda slowly sat up, swinging her legs over the side of the table with
caution. She no longer felt any stimulation, just the constant, dull
ache. She debated with herself whether or not to wait for Yanna to
return or to get out of the Healer office as quickly as possible.
Neither prospect was better. If she waited, she risked Yanna feeling
she had to hush Amanda up somehow. If she left, she might catch up with
Rennis, and he would know that someone had been in the Healer office
listening.

It became a moot point a few moments later when she heard two running,
bare feet quickly pad across the stone floor from the lab and rush to
her table.

"Oh, Amanda, I'm so sorry about that!" Yanna said, slightly out of
breath. "I didn't know he was going to come in that exact moment."

Amanda just nodded. Not "I didn't know he was going to come in", but "I
didn't know he was going to come in /that exact moment/." She knew
Rennis was going to come, just not at that time. She tried desperately
not to look too nervous.

"I'm sure you wondered what was going on out here," Yanna said with a
small smile.

Amanda swallowed. "Uh ... "

"I mean, with all the mumbling between us trying to hear through this
thing," Yanna said, gesturing at the curtain with a toss of a hand.

"Huh? Oh, um, yes ... "Amanda started to say, but was distracted by
Yanna's hand. The fingers were closed, grasping something tightly
inside it. Only a tiny bit was visible outside her fist, something made
of dark blue cloth, with a frayed narrow strip of leather partially
threaded through some holes.

Yanna paused and quickly pulled her hand back, hiding at her side.
"Anyway, that's why I wasn't too worried about him hearing you."

Slowly, Amanda nodded her head. "These curtains ... do block sound a
bit, don't they?" she said tentatively.

"I think so, anyway." Yanna paused and looked at Amanda questioningly.
"Right?"

"Oh, yes!" Amanda said quickly, trying to control the nervous quaver in
her voice. "Quite a bit. I ... h-hardly heard anything. Just like you
said, mumbling."

"Good. For you, that is, so he didn't hear you."

Amanda nodded quickly, anxious to leave.

Yanna smiled. "So are you all recovered? Good to walk out with cumming
again?"

Amanda blushed, but nodded again.

"Good! See, that wasn't so bad. Now you can have sex all you want
without worry. Well, I have to go. I, uh, have something important to
do for Master Rennis."

Yanna backed out of the area with the hand holding the pouch behind her
back and quickly dashed out of the room, leaving Amanda alone.

Amanda heaved a huge sigh of relief, shaking a bit as she pushed
herself onto her feet. She took a few deep breaths to try and tame her
still racing heart before walking around the head of the examination
tables and turning for the exit.

Just before she got to the door, her foot stepped in something grainy
and waxy on the floor.

Amanda made a face and hopped to the side, out of the spill of
grayish-black powder scattered on the stone floor. She took a step
back, nearly falling when her foot almost slid out from under her. She
hopped comically on one foot until she could lean on an examination
table and look under her foot.

Some of the powder had adhered to her skin and melted, forming a
partially slick and partially sticky paste. She clicked her tongue in
annoyance and looked for something to wipe it off. She found nothing,
so she tried to scrape off as much as possible with her hands, and then
swiped her hands against each other to get it off them. This only
managed to make her foot and her two hands uncomfortably sticky.

Amanda just rolled her eyes at her bad luck and headed out of the
Healer's office, wondering what she had done to deserve a day like this
was was turning out to be.



Despite the hot and thick air, Yanna sprinted down the sandy path
leading to her master's quarters. Her timing was slimmer than she had
dared; Vanlo was due to return shortly, as he rarely stayed away the
entirety of the midday hour. If he held off for just a few moments
longer, everything would be set.

She had executed the plan perfectly. She was pleasantly surprised how
well indeed it had gone. She managed to manipulate Rennis into saying
just the right things without letting him speak of what was really in
the pouch that he had given her. Amanda was left with only part of the
story, but it was the part that she wanted.

Yanna felt rather smug. She was going to play the two Overlords'
greatest weaknesses off one another. For Rennis, it was his tendency to
bend the rules and avoid owning up to it when caught. For Roquan, it
was his sense of infallibility when it came to his very narrow view of
what a slave was capable of doing.

And Amanda? Without her, the two Overlords would be evenly matched. She
will help tip the balance.

Yanna burst through the curtain, welcoming the cooler air inside. She
passed by Vanlo's bed and his belongings towards the curtained door in
the back that led to Yanna's bedchamber. As was traditional in any
Narlassi household with a slave, she could come and go only through her
master's living space.

She entered her modest but comfortable bedchamber, taking a glance
behind her before letting the curtain fall across the doorway in her
wake. Quickly she rounded the foot of her bed to the side opposite the
door, carefully balancing the pouch with the Disalla powder on her bed,
wishing that Rennis had not broken the drawstring. She dropped to a
knee and reached under the bed, removing a small metal container,
inside of which was another pouch, this one darker in color and without
any identifying monogram or other marks.

Yanna removed the pouch from the tin and set it aside. She took the
pouch that Rennis gave her and poured its contents into the tin,
shaking it to dislodge as much of the Disalla as possible. With a
growing smile on her face, she took her pouch and opened it. Inside was
a very black powder, darker than charcoal, its tiny grains like
crystals that caught the light, sparkling dimly.

There were only two drawbacks to her plan now. One was that the pouch
was only half full. The other half had already been used, placed into
selected doses of Kaylaxxa over the time she had been Vanlo's
assistant. She had to hope that no one would look askance at being
given a fresh supply of only half a pouch full. The other was the
question of Vanlo's experience. Was it vast enough to recognize the
herb? She could only hope that it was.

Yanna very carefully poured the black crystals into the pouch that had
formerly held the Disalla, closed it best she could, and tucked it back
under the bed. She looked into the tin at the pile of Disalla and
frowned.

Come to think of it, the pouch that Rennis had given her was not
completely full either. Oh, yes, the small amount that spilled on the
floor.

Yanna took the tin and carried it into the sanitary, where she dumped
it into the chamberpot and waited until the transport spell activated
and spirited away the contents to the sanitation field outside the
Manor. In no more than a quarter-moon's time, the Disalla would be
broken down and reduced to their organic parts, all evidence of the
truth gone.

Yanna put everything back under the bed and hurried back to the
Healer's office. There, she carefully swept up the spilled Disalla and
dumped it into the office sanitary's chamberpot, eliminating it as
well.

Yet as she did this, an uneasy feeling came over her.

She was trained to notice small details. Not by her slave master, but
by her true master. The pouch already had the drawstring snapped when
Rennis pulled it from his pocket, which meant it may have opened up
while he was transporting it to the Manor.

Which meant something of Rennis' may have Disalla all over it, most
likely his satchel. If pressed, he could offer that as evidence of his
words.

/Blazing Hellfire!/ Yanna thought vehemently.

Her mind raced. Surely the belongings of his that were affected was
limited. His clothing had no stains on it. Any other items he would
have washed off by now. That left only the satchel that might still
have some in it. She needed to get that satchel from him. It had to be
taken close enough to the morning so that he would not have time to
note its absence to anyone.

After few more moment's thought, a sly smile came to her face as she
thought of the perfect way to do it.



Amanda headed away from the Healer's office quickly, wanting to get as
much distance between her and it as possible. She jogged along the path
as fast as she could stand it, limited by both the heat and how much
her breasts ached bouncing loose against her chest. She at least knew
now why everyone seemed to take things at such a leisurely pace here.

She finally had to slow down when the sweat began dripping from her
body, her hair starting to feel hot and limp against her shoulders and
back, and when she realized that she was getting turned around and
losing her sense of direction. She had assumed that someone would have
escorted her back to the Circle, but then Yanna had run off, and she
had not wanted to stay until the woman had returned.

Amanda was panting from exertion and heat when she finally found her
way properly, catching Sirinna just as she was removing Tanyee's
restraints so she could eat. Both Trainer and Trainee looked up as
Amanda practically collapsed onto the grass next to them.

"All done with the Kaylaxxa treatment, Amanda?" Sirinna said with a
smile, which faded when she actually got a look at the girl. "Good
heavens, are you all right?"

Amanda just nodded, still panting for breath, her face red. Tanyee also
looked up in alarm now.

"Amanda, you can't try to run in this heat," Sirinna admonished gently.
She looked up and raised a hand. One of the serving slaves trotted
over. "Bring some more water out for Amanda here, please."

"Yes, mistress," the slave said, heading off.

"I'm all right," Amanda said breathlessly. "I just wanted to get away
from that place."

"Did something go wrong with the treatment?"

Amanda rolled her eyes. "She said I'm like extra sensitive to it or
something," she said in annoyance. "Figures."

Sirinna could not help but smile slightly. "Oh, did you cum quite a
bit?"

Amanda frowned. She had had enough talk about sex for one day. "Yes,
and let's just leave it at that," she snapped.

"I'm sorry it wasn't pleasant for you."

Amanda said nothing. A few moments later, the slave returned and handed
Amanda a goblet filled with water. To her surprise, the goblet was
cold, so much so that the outside was wet with condensation.

She drank down half the goblet in one go, wincing through a
cold-headache before she could speak again. "I just don't want to have
to do that again anytime soon," she said.

Sirinna tried not to visibly react to this. "Here, come closer to the
platter so you can eat with Tanyee. I saved you a bit."

Amanda was not all that hungry, but she knew she had to have something.
She drained the rest of the goblet and set it aside, clicking her
tongue as her hand felt more sticky than it had before. She was about
to wipe it on herself as a matter of reflex when she remembered at the
last moment that she was not wearing anything and just sighed in
frustration.

"What's the matter?" Sirinna said a bit tiredly.

"It's this damn weather! It's too hot and sticky, and I got something
on myself at the Healer office that won't come off and ... oh, never
mind, just forget it," she said sullenly. "You don't want to listen to
me whine."

"Mistress," Tanyee said. "Should we not bring her along when we go to
bathe this afternoon?"

"Great gods, yes, I did not even think!" Sirinna cried. "Tanyee, thank
you. Amanda, I've been horrible towards you. Two days in the tropics
and I did not even think that you might want a bath."

Amanda would have preferred a shower, but a bath did sound good to her.
"If it will wash off whatever I stepped in ..."

"We have a large bathing pool at the other end of the Manor, a short
way from Master Roquan's quarters," Sirinna explained. "Nicely shaded,
with a Mage-enchanted spring."

Amanda sighed. "And not very private, is it?"

"Um, well, no, but ..."

"And does just strictly bathing happen here, Sirinna?"

"Er, most of the time, but ..."

"Only most of the time?"

"Well, the intent is to relax, and some find a nice, slow act of sex to
be ..."

"No."

Sirinna gave Amanda a pleading look. "Amanda ..."

"/No,/" Amanda repeated. She shifted in her seat to try to get more
comfortable, her pussy still aching slightly. "I've had enough for one
day."

"You wouldn't have to participate in it if ..."

"I don't want to do it or see it."

Sirinna was too exasperated to reply immediately. If Amanda had been
her Trainee, she would have been forced to punish Amanda at that point
for constantly interrupting her. And for being obstinate.

"Mistress, might we use the pool back in our quarters?" Tanyee asked.

Amanda looked up. "The what?"

"We, Tanyee?" Sirinna asked with a small grin.

Tanyee smiled gently. "I just thought Amanda might like some company.
If you do not mind, mistress."

"Is that okay with you, Amanda?" Sirinna asked.

Amanda almost retorted that she was glad someone was paying attention
to what she wanted, but she realized that Sirinna was only doing what
she was used to doing. The Kaylaxxa had not even been her call to make.
There was no point in taking it out on her. "Yes, that's fine." She
gave Tanyee an apologetic look and added in a lower voice, "But I do
just want to bathe."

Tanyee nodded. "That's fine, Amanda. It's been awfully hot today, I
could use a bath as well."

Amanda looked at the two of them in silent appreciation, and then down
at the platter with a renewed appetite. For the first time since coming
to this world, Amanda actually had something to look forward to now.



Master Vanlo returned to his quarters first after completing his walk
in order to cool himself, mopping his brow with cold water from the jug
on the sanitary shelf and taking a moment to change into drier robes.
He then returned to his bedchamber to put into motion the only solution
he could invent for his dilemma of obtaining the final ingredient for
his experiment.

He hated to do it this way. A tenet of Healers everywhere on Narlass --
as it was for similar occupations on many parallel worlds -- was "do no
harm". While the harm he intended was quite minimal, it still gave him
a twinge of guilt. It also forced him to violate the Overlord's dictate
yet again.

After adjusting his robes, he strolled over to a small desk off to the
side from his bed, and from a drawer extracted a large, thick cloth
pouch which rattled as it moved. He peered inside to see several slim
objects of metal and crystal of varying sizes, the calibration tools he
used to keep the Viewer tuned.

From another drawer, he extracted the second item that he required. It
was a paring knife, with a small, short blade, but very sharp, which he
used when he needed to prepare certain medicinal herbs or plants by
hand. He turned the knife over in his hands, sighing as the blade
shined brightly in the light. He carefully placed the knife at the
bottom of the pouch, covering it with the other tools.

Vanlo frowned. Even he could see this was contrived. He sincerely hoped
any suspicion it might raise would not come back to haunt him until he
had his results.

Vanlo returned promptly to the office, where he found Yanna treating a
simple abrasion for a slave that had taken a minor fall. He headed
straight for the rolling table that contained the Viewer, placing his
pouch to the side and drawing up a stool.

Yanna soon sent the slave on her way and crossed the room. "Good
afternoon, master," she said cheerfully.

"Good afternoon," Vanlo said evenly, giving her a brief smile. He
reached into the pouch and appeared to rummage in it for a few seconds
before drawing out three instruments, which he arrayed before him. "I
trust the Kaylaxxa treatment with Amanda went well?"

"Perfectly, master," Yanna said. "I had no trouble with her at all."

"Splendid, splendid." Vanlo removed a small panel from the side of the
Viewer, revealing intricate, small machinery inside, like a clockwork.
He began probing it with one of the tools. "One hopes her enjoyment of
it would make her less reluctant next time."

Yanna wondered if her master had forgotten that she was supposed to go
back once the Portal was repaired. She decided not to remind him.
"Master, I would like to speak with you about something."

Vanlo paused a moment, looking mildly annoyed. He put down the first
tool and picked up the next. "As long as you don't mind me dividing my
attention between you and these delicate calibrations."

"Oh, I can come back later, if ..."

"No, no. Please, do stay and speak."

Yanna nodded. "Master, I was wondering if I might request a release for
me for just tonight?"

Vanlo paused and looked up, surprised at the request. "Release" was a
formal request by a slave to be allowed to serve another for a time. It
was valid only within a Manor, since slaves Abroad were contracted to a
specific master or mistress for the duration. "Release, hmm?" Vanlo
said. With a small, knowing smile he added, "Finally realized you need
more than just an old man's eyes, did you?"

Yanna looked shocked. "Oh, no, not at all!"

Vanlo chuckled. "It was in jest, my dear." He paused again, clicking
his tongue and shaking his head as he found the second tool unsuitable,
setting it aside and taking the third in hand. "Now, to whom might I be
releasing you?"

"Master Rennis," Yanna replied. "I believe he wishes my company this
evening."

Vanlo nodded, gently probing the insides of the Viewer. Without looking
up, he said, "I can certainly understand this." He paused, then sighed.
"No, this is not correct either."

Yanna watched him drop the third tool in frustration. "Master?" she
asked in confusion.

Vanlo looked up, and picked up the shortest of the three tools. "Yanna,
reach into that bag and find me something like this, but shorter, with
a thicker end."

Yanna looked over to the bag and started to peer into it.

"No, no, these things are best found by feel."

Yanna nodded and plunged her hand into the bag. "It would be for just
the evening. I can be back in my quarters by ... /ouch!/"

Yanna abruptly yanked her hand from the back, clutching at her hand,
eyes wide. At the tip of one finger, a bright red line blossomed blood.

"Oh, heavens," Vanlo declared. He stood and glanced into the bag,
clicking his tongue. "I am an utter fool. I left a knife in with the
tools."

"It's okay, master," Yanna said, swallowing, her eyes shimmering at the
sight of her blood dripping from the tip of her finger. "I'll just get
the abrasion salve and ..."

But Vanlo had already fetched a cloth from a cabinet and was handing it
to Yanna. "No, that will not do for a deep cut like that. Here, press
this against it for a moment."

Yanna nodded, her eyes glazed as she obeyed, wincing at the pain, the
cloth now sporting a growing bright red stain.

Vanlo hurriedly grabbed a vial with the proper salve and an applicator.
"Over here," he said, directing her to the nearest examination table.
There he prepared the applicator and placed his hand over the cloth.
"Now, hold your hand still." He removed the cloth and quickly drew the
salve across the cut.

Yanna hissed at the sharp stinging sensation, but it died quickly,
along with most of the pain. The cut oozed one more drop before closing
up. Vanlo blotted this away, and the cut bled no more, the sides slowly
knitting up.

"That should be good as new by nightfall," Vanlo said. "My most ardent
apologies, Yanna."

"Oh, no, master, it's okay ..." Yanna started automatically.

"No, it was my fault. I must finally be getting addled in my old age.
Now, go wash up, there's a bit still smeared on your finger there."

"Yes, master, thank you."

Vanlo watched Yanna head into the sanitary. Quickly he placed the vial
and applicator back in the cabinet, but carried the cloth into the lab.
As he heard the water splashing in the basin in the next room, he used
a small pair of scissors to excise the bloody patch from the cloth,
shoving the rest into a pocket on his robes. Casting a final glance
behind him, he crossed the room and dropped the piece of cloth into one
of the open flasks in his experiment.

There was a flash of steam and a brief coppery smell as the cloth and
blood dissolved into the fluid, where it was dutifully injected into
the rest of the apparatus.

Satisfied, Vanlo returned to the treatment room just as Yanna
reappeared from the sanitary. He paused a moment, his breathing a bit
labored, as the rushing around was more strenuous that his usual sedate
pace.

"I will grant your request, Yanna," Vanlo said. "You are released this
evening to Master Rennis."

"Thank you, master!" Yanna gushed. "I am sure he will be pleased."