Nermu was of a race of squirrel like beings known as Conem. This particular Conem of red and white fur sighed at his fate. He was riding in a caravan traveling through a vast desert and reflecting on how this mess all started just a few days ago. The summer earthquake came out of nowhere. There weren’t any warning signs for anybody to notice, everything was calm there wasn’t any shaking or animals suddenly running amok, so when the quake struck it took the entire hamlet by surprise. Nearly all the buildings and property of the hamlet was lost to the upheaval of the earth. What was worse was the majority of the townspeople that lost their lives due to the disaster were the skilled and defenders of the hamlet. The cost of rebuilding the hamlet, reviving the dead, and healing the injured was astronomical. There wasn’t any possible way that the remaining townspeople could raise that many crowns fast enough to revive the dead at the cheapest possible price. Even if the money could be raised, there was still the matter of supplying shelter and materials to earn back the money needed to rebuild the hamlet. 
	The mayor was left with no choice had to borrow money from the Arwrol Empire, but the money did not come for free. The Empire required something in exchange loaning money and there was only one thing the hamlet could exchange. The selection of who was to be given up was carefully considered, the village couldn’t afford giving up too much manpower and so those who would be chosen would have to be those that wouldn’t have much of a reason to stay behind. Nermu was one of them, an orphan who was taken in by another member of the hamlet, a rather skilled craftsman of multiple talents. Nermu was expected to do what was for the best for the hamlet and it was likely that he would be resented if he didn’t. What choice did Nermu have?
	So Nermu was sold as a slave to the Arwrol Empire and for a very good price as well. When the appraisers from the Empire came they questioned him on his skills, abilities, and some very personal details. It was bad enough that they had sorcerers that enchanted him to only tell the truth. However it got worse when he was forced to be physically examined. He was touched, felt over, inspected and measured by very skilled handed. Apparently the appraisers liked what they saw as he was told that the price that he would be traded for was quite respectable totaling nearly several thousand Crowns. However even when the prices that the other Conem that would have been sold for were totaled it still wasn’t enough funds to cover the costs. So there was no choice but for both Nermu and another Conem to trade themselves in as Bleser slaves, leaving him with even less control over his own body in exchange for added wealth added to the previous sum they brought in.
	“Nermu are you alright?” a brown looking Conem with rather dreamy eyes of brown asked. This Conem was another orphan named Hewru. Both of them were friends because both knew little to nothing about their parents. Hewru always had his head in the clouds, reading books and trying to do calculations and writing beyond what simple grammar and sums needed for everyday life. The brown squirrel kept himself fed by scribing for the rest of the hamlet. As people needed him to check their budgets, and write up contracts between members of the hamlet, Hewru was able to survive even though he didn’t seem to have a lick of common sense. Still there was rarely any crime in the hamlet and the squirrel didn’t have much of material value in his home. Hewru himself ate very little preferring cheap vegetables or fruit as compared to pricier meat even rarely eating chicken which even the meanest beggar in the land could afford at least every other day.  It was so that Hewru could purchase books of all kinds and the Conem burned through all of them quickly learning many things in the process. Those books were now left behind among the rubble of his old home and those books would probably be sold if they were ever recovered. This possibility never shown itself on Hewru’s face the entire time Nermu watched Hewru through his bright blue eyes. 
	“I’m fine, just a little scared.” Nermu said an understatement at the very least. Nermu was terrified because even though slaves were said to be treated well that still didn’t stop the Conem from expecting the worst. After all they were now property and were likely to be replaceable. Even then there were fates much worse than death in store for them. 
	“Oh what’s that in the distance?” Hewru said pointing to a shimmering wave in the distance. It gleamed and reflected the light from the sun and was too solid to be a mirage. As the caravan approached the wave, it solidified into a vast wall covered with a brown-yellowish metal and a river on the side seemed to feed into it. 
	“That is the capital of the Solacer kingdom, the City of Brass where you’re going to be registered.” A tall black jackal who was likely one of the resident Solacers said. “Better take a good look cause it’ll be the last time you’ll be a free man for a good long while” The Solacer smirked and licked his lips. The batches of Bleser slaves always were nearly snapped up by the higher classes but sometimes the Blesers due to their cost remained in state service leading to enjoyable nights for the guards. 
	Nermu shivered at the guard’s gaze and thought about his situation. He couldn’t run away as it would be a sure thing that he would be caught and punished with even more time needed to be served before he was freed. Nermu looked at the City of Brass with apprehension.
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	Nermu’s last night free was rather pleasant compared to the reality of what would happen tomorrow. There was a thin broth with actual meat and slightly soft bread; both were flavored with spices the squirrel didn’t recognize. The meal was light and inexpensive to make but it tasted well and when it was time to sleep there was a clean cot with sheets. To the Conem’s surprise he fell asleep swiftly and dreamlessly.
	Awakening was a bit rough as Nermu heard a gruff voice ordering him to wake up and follow. Nermu sleepily rubbing his eyes followed along with the other slaves. They were led to a large pool with multiple attendants and there they were all told to strip and not to resist or it’ll go the worse for them. Some slaves tried to struggle and were promptly subdued and washed. Nermu quietly disrobed and stepped into the water trying his best to cover himself. The Solacer who was to wash him was not impressed with the Conem’s weakness and attempt at modesty. So the cleaner made sure to deliberately stroke around sensitive parts of the Conem’s body making the squirrel shudder and squirm and place bubbles made by the soap in places where they will tingle and tickle with the experience of long practice. Soon enough the cleaner was finished with the poor teased Conem and Nermu was led out of the bath. In another room that was dry from the desert air and the reflected growing sunlight from polished brass mirrors he was dried with rough towels. 
	Nermu was then taken away with several other slaves. Somebody then asked why they were being separated and were informed that they were going to be auctioned off. Those words sent a chill down Nermu’s spine, being auctioned was a horrible fate. It was a fact the Empire would lose money if they only sold and bought slaves at set pricing. So in order to ensure that money kept circulating, the Arwrol Empire also auctioned off slaves. The difference was that not only did the slave have to pay off the amount they were bought in the first place but also the additional amount that the new owner paid as well. All Nermu could hope was that the bidding did not accelerate to high levels. The soon to be auctioned slaves were taken to another room with flat long tables and ordered to lie down on top of them. The slave did so and another attendant approached with a jar. The attendant dipped his hands into the jar and they came out shimmering with some sort of oil. “Wait, what are you going to do with that?” Nermu said.
	“You’re going to need it” The attendant said “The desert air would dry your flesh without it and besides the bidders would like a show.” The attendant then worked the oil into the cherry red fur of Nermu, who shuddered at the thought of appearing nude and oiled in front of the bidders. Soon he was covered in the oil, skin and fur shining in the desert sunlight. The Conem was led away to where other slaves were being held and told to wait until he was to appear. Time passed as one by one each slave was taken away to be auctioned off. Nermu was forced to witness a trembling Hewru taken to be shown to the rowdy crowd. Nermu did not know how far the auction stage was but it was close enough to hear the roar of the bids. 
	Soon it was Nermu’s turn to be dragged up onto the stage and was subjected to a through display. He was forced to turn around, shift his limbs, open his mouth and pose so that the bidders would know exactly what they were bidding on. All while this was happening, the auctioneer was stating his skills like a shopkeeper informing a customer of his wares. To the Conem it was a humiliating experience and then the bidding started. The original price for which Nermu was brought totaled 36,500 crowns, a rather large sum compared to the purses of the bidders gathered. So the bidding was small with additions made in orbs and scepters instead of crowns. Nermu sighed with relief as it seemed that he would only need to work a few more weeks off his contract. Then there was a bid that nearly was more than double the starting bid. The Conem looked up in shock, and saw that the bidder was a plainly clothed Solacer. In the entire room of richly and sometimes extravagantly clothed bidders in Nermu’s opinion, that particular bidder looked shoddier in comparison. However at the sound of the bid made the crowd began to call out in frenzy. The bidding began to inflate to Nermu’s horror as if the bidders were driven on by the sound of a whip. The bidding went up higher and higher and then the plainly clothed Solacer dropped a bid that silenced the entire crowd “three hundred million crowns.” Nobody answered back and Nermu felt sick to his stomach. That sort of amount was nearly impossible to pay off in a lifetime. He didn’t even think there was that much wealth in the world! Another question was who was this person that could casually drop such a sum and not be laughed at?
	The auctioneer closed the bidding as nobody seemed to have the nerve to go over the last bid. Nermu was then led away from the stand as another slave was brought up. “Who was that?” Nermu said to himself still in shock over the recent events in the auction.
	To Nermu’s surprise one of the guards escorting him answered. “That was the head of the Dune Tribe.” There was awe in the guard’s voice. “They’re one of the richest ruling tribes in the Solacer Kingdom, and they rarely bid.” That did not calm Nermu’s nerves one bit. Then the guard took out some restraints and told Nermu to hold still and to not to cause any trouble. Still Nermu couldn’t help crying as he was forced to kneel with his arms behind his back. His wrists and ankles were bound together, his mouth forced open to be gagged with a bit and then the guard hooded him with black cloth that had some sort of musty scent. 
	The guard looked uncomfortable, the rare number of slaves who cried at this point was always worse than those who fought. At least the fighters were knocked out for this part with the slight magic that was part of the hood. He had no pity for the weaklings that were now slaves but the fact that this particular slave was now brought by a tribe known for their vigorous strength and excruciating sensuality even among the Solacers did make the guard try to explain things. “Look, this only for security so we can move you.” The guard lifted up Nermu and placed him upright in a cage. “Originally the idea floated around that we should crowd all of you together into a cart to speed up moving you because that was never passed because it wasn’t civilized.” The guard closed the cage and left to secure other slaves “It isn’t too bad compared to who you’re going to. Good luck you’re going to need it.” The guard said leaving Nermu alone in the darkness.
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 	Nermu had no real sense of time or really movement due to there being a scent in the hood that caused a slightly woozy feeling. He wasn’t sure how long he had been kneeling there in the cage. Sometimes he could feel that he was being lifted up or being shifted about. The only constant thing was the muffled sound that came through the hood. It was the fearful whimpering and whining of other slaves, and the new sounds of a large city going about its business. Eventually that disappeared and he was left to shiver alone not knowing what was about to happen. Somehow he lost consciousness at some point and knew nothing more. 
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	Hewru woke up in the middle of somebody’s sleeping quarters, his legs and arms bound to prevent escape. Not that really was needed; Hewru had no intention of running away. It would only bring greater trouble than what he was already in. However that didn’t mean that Hewru wasn’t afraid. The brown Conem feared what sort of person was his new owner. A person who would drop such a large amount of wealth just to purchase him would likely have a motive that Hewru might not enjoy. The Conem closed his eyes as he heard footsteps approaching the room. The door opened and Hewru heard a faint exclamation of surprise.
	“What do we have here?” Hewru opened his eyes and saw a fox, one of the Emptor race to be precise. The Emptor was holding a letter in the Canin tongue that had “Open when you see what’s in your room.” The fox opened the letter and read it giving Hewru a chance to observe the person who was most likely to be his new owner. The majority of the fox’s fur was bright orange, the only different shades being brown fur at the arms and legs giving the Emptor the appearance of wearing gloves and socks. The chin, neck and front torso of the fox were white, the kind found on the cleanest of fine linen cloth. The eyes gazing over the letter were blue while the nose following the trail of the letter was black. Only pants were being worn by the fox due to the climate conditions in the desert which gave Hewru an uncomfortable look at the rest of the Emptor’s body. In truth the frame of the fox’s body was slim with his musculature only lightly defined with faint lines his body in the style of a sprinter. 
	“You’re able to read Olyras?!” the fox nearly didn’t believe this as very few people today knew of that language, the tongue of the lost race called the People of Gold. He continued reading and the fox was very much interested in Hewru. I should thank the master of the Dune Tribe for sending me this gift.  “So I think you don’t know who I am. I am the sorcerer Johan and it appears that I own you now. So it appears you were a scribe in multiple languages.”
	Hewru stuttered at first but managed to say “Yes, I was a scribe, it was a living.”
	“I guess now it’s your path to freedom, I do need someone to help me with my notes…” Johan said as he gazed elsewhere. 
	“Notes?” Hewru said.
	Johan looked sheepish “I’m still an apprentice sorcerer and my draconic mentor has been irritated at my script.”
	“You’re being taught by a dragon?” Hewru said as his ears perked up at what Johan said. His face was filled curiosity at this new development.
	The fox noted how interested his new slave was at the fact he was being trained by a dragon. Sorcery only appeared within the feline and canine races. The fact that Hewru had a certain sparkle in his eyes was likely due to admiration of magic. “Yes, I think I’ll have to introduce you if I’m going to use you as a scribe but you could use pants.” Johan said. Hewru looked down and blushed at his nudity. “Here let’s get you some clothes and you could use a meal.”
	“You do know I’m a Bleser slave…” Hewru whispered with reluctance not really knowing if he should inform his new master.
	“It doesn’t matter much anyway unless you want to keep on being naked?” Johan said, when Hewru shook his head the fox began to untie the Conem. 
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	Nermu woke up in a bed, not that he was comfortable. His arms were behind his back with the wrists tied together. He tried to move himself upright. However it was difficult as his legs couldn’t create a firm enough base. After a few moments of struggling like this, he got the idea to roll over unto his stomach. He was then able to push himself up using his head. Nermu could then see he was in a bedroom, and the furnishings gave the impression that the quarters belonged to a warrior. There was an entire wall that was dedicated to the tools of weapon maintenance. Nermu then had his attention directed to the doorway, and the jackal that he saw there sent a chill down his spine.  
	The Conem’s senses were sharpened by doing sentry duty in the woods near the town to watch for invaders. The stature of the jackal was much taller than Nermu’s own. The fur was darker than the rarest of ebony wood and smoother than the most polished of fine marble. The jackal’s legs were stout as steel with the impression that they had sprinted over many a league. The dark Solacer had muscular arms that casually hefted a great-sword over his broad shoulders. The jackal placed the blade onto the table meant for sharpening sword giving a view of the jackal’s back, defined with shoulder blades like sharp mountains. The pectorals were wide and developed and the abdominal muscles had the perfection of chiseled stone, resulting in even a weak-sighted mortal to be able to pick apart every detail. Overall it was a body that would have caused master sculptors to weep with inadequacy and lament the insufficient ability of stone and marble to depict the flawless physique that belonged to this warrior. Yet the eyes colored like the oldest of amber held cruel sort of amusement and the sharp white teeth were held in a predatory grin. “So the chief kindly managed to hunt down a little plaything for me” The Solacer said. 
	“I’m not a Toy my name is Nermu!” Nermu said struggling upright.
	“And I’m Adjran but you can call me master, you’re a slave and you’re going to be enjoyed like one.” The jackal pushed Nermu back onto the bed. The squirrel couldn’t fight back not only because of his arms bound behind his back but also the scent that was coming from Adjran. It was a primal masculine musk that caused Nermu to go weak in the knees. The predatory signals that came from it triggered an instinctual fear. “Heh, you look so much cuter when you’re scared.” The jackal said, giving a long slow lick across Nermu’s neck.
	Nermu squirmed under this treatment and knew this was probably wouldn’t be the last time that he’ll regret being a slave. He tried struggling a bit against the Solacer’s advances. All that he got for his trouble was being told by Adjran that it just made him hotter. The jackal began to grind against Nermu, and the fact that Adjran was wearing only a loincloth colored blue and yellow did not help matters for Nermu. It was only a thin covering and Nermu could see hints of what the loincloth was supposed to be hiding. “Now let’s see what my new slave really tastes like.” Adjran said before turning around so quickly that before the squirrel knew it the jackal was breathing down between his legs and Nermu had a face full of jackal meat in his face. 
	The strong musk that Adjran owned was even stronger near his groin and Nermu felt his mind being swamped by it. Nermu felt weak and could not resist the Solacer prying apart his thighs. The passionate breathing of the jackal caused Nermu to rise and Adjran sneered at the small pink rod of flesh before him before assaulting it with his mouth and tongue. Nermu let out a moan as he was tormented by the sudden pleasure that appeared between his legs. He tried to struggle again but his legs were thrust down by Adjran and the jackal began to grind his groin into Nermu’s face. “Yeah keep struggling” the jackal panted “it just makes me hornier.” Adjran gave a few well placed licks to Nermu’s cock causing the squirrel to squirm even more. The jackal was no stranger to the art of pleasuring. He knew where and how to make the squirrel whimper, squirm and squeal much to Nermu’s shame. All while doing this Adjran fondled the squirrel's balls and kept grinding into Nermu’s face. Nermu’s face was soon covered with the sweat and pre-cum of the jackal but he resolved not to release in front of Adjran. The jackal stopped his assault leaving the squirrel on the very edge and Nermu dared not to move, it was likely that any sort of stimulation would set him off. It might take a few seconds but he was sure that he could keep his arousal under control.
	Until Adjran smirked “Useless” he said and gave a long slow lick from the base to the glans flicking it.
	“Uahh gah ah!” Nermu cried as he released his seed straight into the waiting mouth of Adjran. The fighter caught every last drop of seed and swallowed. 
	“Heh not a bad flavor, for a squirrel” Adjran said, he left the panting squirrel on his bed. The jackal licked his lips to make sure he had every last drop. “I think I’ll take bath first and then the real fun can begin.” Adjran left the room leaving Nermu alone in the room.   
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	Hewru followed behind Johan, the Conem was dressed in simple brown pants and a plain loose white shirt. “Now I want to see how well you can scribe.” Johan said. Both went into what seemed to be a workroom. The sorcerer took out from some boxes a bunch of papers; the handwriting on the pages was horrendous. Hewru took a look it was written in the tongue of dragons, Draconic but the crabbed handwriting was only slightly better than what some of the townspeople back home had. 
	“Your handwriting isn’t too bad master.” Nermu said, at least there was an attempt at spelling and keeping the sentences in straight line.
	“Then Hewru don’t call me master but just Johan okay?” Johan said, he put one hand behind his head and looked sheepish. “I’m still just an apprentice sorcerer; so really, being called master makes me uncomfortable. So I’m fine just being called by name and I’ll call you by the same.”
	Hewru regarded his owner, he’d read that there were slave owners that treated their slaves the same as any other person. The squirrel had more respect for this Emptor who would call him by name. “Thank you then Johan. Now I’m supposed to copy this?” Hewru said waving the pages of crabbed notes around. 
	“Yes, and they’re supposed to be in Draconic, my mentors specifically want them in that language. Now would you show me your work?” Johan said.
	“I do need a pen and paper” Hewru said, and he was supplied with them. He sat down and began to transcribe the notes into a cleaner form in the script of Draconic. At times he had to ask what Johan had written down in the first place. The paper itself was a simple review table for some lecture that Johan had listened to. After a while Hewru had finished and gave it to Johan to look over. The fox took one look on the work and smiled.
	“Hewru the day I got you is one of the luckiest days of my life.” Johan said “Come on, I need to get us fed. I can’t have you fainted over the ink on me.” Johan led Hewru behind him looking much more cheerful. 
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	   Nermu didn’t really understand the jackal who was now his master. One moment he was just was just raped and the next moment he was cleaned up and given a nice meal. 
	Adjran just asked Nermu a few questions that involved Nermu’s training as a scout and archery. The squirrel had certain times of the month gone into the forest to keep an eye out for any sort of trouble that may have risen. Archery was about his only mode of defense. It surprised Nermu that Adjran ordered him to continue practicing at it though the jackal sneered that Nermu was probably no good at it in the first place. 
	Nermu just quietly finished his meal. The staggering amount of the debt he had to pay back was finally settling into his mind. Now he was a skilled craftsman but even then he wasn’t sure with all his skill that he would ever be free. 
	Then Adjran grabbed him by the wrist. “Now that you’re fed it’s time for us to have some more fun.” Adjran said.
	Nermu didn’t reply, it was going to be a long servitude.
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	Hewru woke up in a bed that was not his own and he at first panicked because he could not remember why he was there. At first the Conem was about to struggle when he was held tighter by the arms of a fox. Then Hewru remembered that he was now a slave in the service of the in-training sorcerer Johan. The said Johan now pulled Hewru closer to his own body. The brown squirrel tried to remember what happened last night. After they had finished the evening meal, Hewru went back to transcribing Johan’s notes. Then Hewru learned another duty that he had to perform, that of a bath attendant. It wasn’t a physically demanding task. He had to lather the soap, spread it over his master’s body, rinse, and dry. However Johan didn’t want to make it easy for his slave. The fox splashed around making Hewru chase him. Johan guided the squirrel’s hands all over the fox’s runner’s build causing Hewru’s cheeks to blush bright red when his hands touched certain spots. Not to mention Johan was not the only one being bathed, Hewru was being washed as well incidentally by his master who stole some fondles at his slave’s expense. The real shock came when Hewru wondered where he was going to sleep. “Take off your clothes” was what a nude Johan said. Hewru shivered because he had been expecting this ever since he was told he’d have to be sold as a Bleser slave. “If you’re that uncomfortable naked just wear this” Johan had tossed Hewru a loincloth “It gets cold at night here and I’d like a bedmate to keep warm thank you very much.”
	Hewru nodded and wore the loincloth and slid onto the bed of the beckoning Johan. The Emptor snuggled the squirrel and Hewru had his face full of fox chest fur. How Hewru was able to get to sleep he didn’t know but he managed it. Now Hewru called out to Johan. “Umm, Johan it’s morning.”
	“Just five more minutes” Johan yawned. 
	“You don’t have anything important to do?” Hewru asked.
	Johan jumped out of bed “Yes I have to introduce you to my instructors.” Johan said “Now you better get ready in a few minutes.” Hewru hastened to obey.
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	Often at home Nermu would awaken early so that he could climb up the trees surrounding the town’s forest home and gaze on the glowing sunrise. However it seemed to be more difficult for him to enjoy that small pleasure though. One reason was that Nermu was far away from his forest home, the second was that he was tied down on the bed of his master. 
	Adjran had the previous night before after the evening meal and bath tied Nermu up and started to tease the poor Conem. The jackal did not molest the squirrel unlike the previous encounter. In fact Adjran merely gave off a show that Nermu was unable to forget. The jackal first posed and showed off his physique, which with Nermu’s senses that were honed by countless patrols couldn’t help noticing. Each and every chiseled line and curve began to burn in Nermu’s memory as the jackal forced Nermu to gaze and worship the jackal’s body. Then from a chest of belongings Adjran took out a brightly shining studded steel dildo. Nermu shivered and tried to cross his legs, he’d heard about people who got off of anal stimulation, but he never thought it would happen to him. Adjran had other plans; he lubed the dildo with some oil and then began to pleasure himself with it in full view of Nermu. The rhythm that Adjran thrust into his anus was steady and hypnotic. Adjran grunted with the thrusts and hinted towards a mortified Nermu that he should expect things like the dildo up his own hole many times in the future. This continued on throughout the night until they both fell asleep. Now Adjran had woken up far earlier than Nermu had and spent the early morning hours practicing sword drills. He had worked up quite a sweat when he came back to his bedroom and sneered at the pathetic bundle on his bed. The fighter began to let the squirrel loose and told him that he wanted to see Nermu’s weak excuse of archery. Nermu had no choice but to comply.
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	Hewru had followed his master across the Brass City to a particular building. Inside this building were huge tunnels that led away from the city. “Johan why are these here?” Hewru said.
	“Hey there’s only so much room up there” Johan pointed upwards towards the tunnels’ roof. “Eventually we’ll run out of room so the Solacers’ built under the ground, much cooler as well.” Magical lights illuminated the tunnels, so travelers did not stumble in the darkness. Johan led Hewru through the tunnels farther and farther away from the city until they came out to a certain well lit antechamber. 
	“Lady Branvadis, I have arrived.” Johan said.
	Several heavy thuds were heard and to Hewru’s surprise a huge dragoness with yellowish shimmering scales. “Ah, Johan you’re early for your lessons today, and who is this?” Branvadis spoke in the language of the dragons. 
	“I’m just Johan’s slave madam” Hewru replied in draconic as well leading to Branvadis to raise her eye ridges in surprise. 
	“Well Johan it seems you have brought a well read slave with you. What is your purpose in doing so?” Branvadis said to the fox. 
	“Master you’ve despaired of my notes for so long and I’ve received this pleasantly skilled scribe slave yesterday. He would be better suited to making sure my painful notes are in a more pleasant form than my own hand.” Johan said.
	The dragon let out a chuckle sending a small spurt of flame out her mouth. “Anything would be better than your pitiful script. What is your name child? I prefer not to call you slave all the time if I can help it” Branvadis let out a warm smile, the Conem was gazing at her in awe and the admiration in his eyes sweetened him towards her.
	“Hewru, madam” the squirrel stuttered out and she told him in no uncertain terms to just call her Branvadis but then the dragon took on a stern tone and began to set him to copy out several papers for she wanted to see his work. Then she began to mentor Johan in the arts of sorcery when she was sure Hewru had enough to keep him busy.
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	Adjran yanked Nermu over across the city until they reached one of many fields that were set up for martial training. The Conem was only dressed in a short loincloth; it was the only piece of clothing that the Solacer had given to the squirrel. There was a small crowd at the archery ground; however when the pair came in Nermu noticed that all eyes were then turned to Adjran. Then their eyes came to him and there was a look of pity in each and every spectator.  The jackal was examining various bows and practice arrows in quivers that were hung on one side of the wall. Adjran took a small bow, tossed it at Nermu and sneered. “Here, a little slut like you should be able to handle a useless bow like this.” He then pointed to an empty range and target. “And maybe you’ll manage to even hit that target over there.”
	Nermu’s cheeks turned red with both embarrassment and fury. Not only was that target simple enough for a child to shoot at but being insulted for something that wasn’t his fault angered Nermu. He grabbed at a quiver and set up five arrows in the ground. The squirrel tested the pull of the bow, and there was nothing about it that made Nermu suspicious that the jackal was playing some sort of trick on him. The practice arrows were shot one by one and each flew straight into the bull’s eye. The jackal smirked as the arrows were retrieved and the target was moved slightly back a few feet by mechanical devices. Nermu hit the bull’s eye with every shot. 
	“Not bad, not bad” Adjran said but the tone in his voice gave no indication that he was impressed. “Now let’s see how you handle this.” The jackal pulled a lever and the target moved until it was sixty feet away from Nermu, the normal range of a shortbow. Shooting would now be more difficult because shooting at that range would lower the accuracy of Nermu’s shots. The Conem fired and four of his shots were bulls’ eyes but one landed in the inner rings of the target. Yet Adjran moved the target back another sixty feet and Nermu’s aim suffered with three misses and only two shots hitting the target though they were in the inner ring.  
	Then Adjran moved the target back to the total of 180 feet, the limit of the range. Nermu’s jaw dropped, a distance such as that was usually required only in war and was left to longbow men. He gritted his teeth, now the jackal was just toying with him. Miss after miss came as Nermu fired the practice arrows but he somehow miraculously managed to shoot a bull’s eye from that distance with a satisfying thud. 
	Some sarcastic slow clapping came from behind Nermu and when the squirrel looked behind him it was Adjran doing it with an interesting look on his face. “Well squirrel it seems you’ll have another duty to attend to. You will also practice here every day.” The jackal then whispered though everybody could hear Adjran say “Not that you’ll get any better at it.”
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One Week Later
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	Hewru had settled into a schedule over the course of a week. Hewru each night was Johan’s bed warmer, nothing more nothing less. Then each time the fox sorcerer went to have another magic lesson, Hewru went along to catalogue and recopy the notes that Johan scratched out. While Johan went to have apply magic into practice with a copper colored dragon, Hewru had Lady Branvadis mostly to himself, the dragoness was really rather indulgent to the squirrel. He was also reading the notes as he copied them to another sheet of paper. At times Hewru asked questions about some interesting fact or information that he didn’t understand. Branvadis answered Hewru’s questions on sorcery as it wouldn’t do any harm and she quite liked the enthusiasm that Hewru brought to her lair and it was a conversation, something brass dragons loved. Sorcery she explained was something that was determined by the blood of the person. Many sages and scholars tried to discover what allowed a person to use sorcery. They had all failed but that didn’t stop many people from trying to marry a sorcerer so that their children would also be sorcerers. 
	“A sorcerer casts spells by running magic through pathways in the body. Some call them magic circuits as magical energy flows through these pathways.” Branvadis explained. “As the sorcerer becomes stronger, he develops more pathways throughout the body and thus learns new types of spells and can cast them more times per day. The direction of the pathways determines the type of spell that’s cast and the pathways are eventually able to handle powerful magic being run through them again and again with practice. However one has to have magical circuits in the body in the first place” Hewru had asked how a sorcerer casts magic, and the answer made him frown with the previous lectures from the previous week.
	“So you have to have the potential at birth in order to learn sorcery?” Hewru said, and the dragoness told him yes and that none of the Eualres the group of races that Hewru belonged to, ever in history or legend were sorcerers. Even though people may develop the talent later in life, they were born with sorcerous potential from the beginning. The squirrel was slightly bitter over the fact that his town could only pay for magical help from the empire. The fact was that the Eualres were incapable of magic was what the dragon told him. “Is sorcery the only way to cast magic?”
	The dragon shook her head “There’s divine magic, power that comes from the gods but sorcery is one of the few ways to cast arcane magic. This is power that comes from the universe.” Branvadis looked thoughtful “However those other ways are derived from sorcery. That’s enough for today; I need to prepare for the High Solstice be a dear and pick up that silly student of mine.”
	“Thank you Lady Branvadis.” Hewru kneeled and left the dragon’s lair. He had to find his master; the High Solstice was coming, the longest four days of the year and a holiday as well. There was going to be something special about this particular High Solstice in the Brass City and Hewru was running around in circles helping Johan prepare for whatever it was.
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	Nermu collapsed on the floor with exhaustion. He really wanted to pay off his debt as quickly as possible as he hated the position he was in. Being used for that jackal’s amusement was mortifying. It was fortunate that the Dune Tribe had several crafting businesses; Nermu plied his skill and slowly added the wages that he received to the wide abyss of his debt. The squirrel was also practicing his archery at the range, but what could had been a way to work off his stress was turned into another sick game for Adjran. 
	The jackal stated that Nermu had to learn to shoot precisely in the face of distraction, which Adjran was pleased to provide. The Solacer molested Nermu in front of everybody at the archery range. The squirrel’s cock, balls, ass, and nipples, were squeezed, teased, pinched, licked, and played with by the jackal. Hewru struggled against the powerful canine but his own slim body was no match for the jackal’s chiseled body, and Adjran’s favorite trick was assaulting the Conem with pleasure just as Hewru had lined up a perfect shot. This always left Hewru hot and bothered after every archery practice. 
	Night was even worse, as Adjran loved to play games with his little slave virtually every night. Toys, ropes, leather, oil, all these and more were used. Just last night Hewru was hogtied and suspended over Adjran’s bed with silk ropes and forced to watch Adjran jerking himself off and cumming onto the squirrel for the better part of the night. The worst part of all this was that no matter how much Hewru hated being a slave, his body betrayed him in the worst possible ways by giving in to Adjran’s games.   However the High Solstice was coming up and Adjran was interested in something happening during the holiday. At least that took some of Adjran’s interest off Nermu, still the squirrel did wonder just what was taking up Adjran’s attention.    
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A distance from the City of Brass
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	“So that is the famous City of Brass” A tall armored lion said as he gazed down at the gleaming city below from his horse. Carts of a caravan passed him by as they headed towards their destination. “This is where we are going to spend the High Solstice at?” 
	“Yes my Prince Lennart, the City of Brass’ architecture is perfect for our purposes. We’ll need to pay a visit to the King my Prince.” Another similarly armored cheetah spoke to the lion. Unlike the prince this cheetah went on foot for this part of the trip. Normally he took a ride on one of the carts of the caravan.
	“If it is really necessary Camden, and have not I told you to stop calling me by my title. In the field of travel you are more experienced than I.” Prince Lennart said.
	 “Very well my Lord” Camden said.
	“Cease this, my prince this or my lord that Camden! I would think at least you of all my subjects would at least take an order that would make our lives easier.” Prince Lennart sighed out. It was bad enough with the etiquette at court but having your title being repeated back to you was annoying with every other sentence being spoken in a conversation especially over a voyage.
	“If you say so Lennart… my liege” Camden said.
	Prince Lennart gave his companion a dark look, and hoped that the cheetah would refrain from saying his title every five seconds.