Worthy Purchases
By Runneroo

A modest crowd had gathered in front of the raised stage in the market square. Clusters of interested nobles, travelers, farmers, servants, scholars, and more stood in scattered groups, chatting among themselves about the day's wares that they were eyeing and appraising; they all watched a brawny bull--wearing only a leather cowl and leather kilt--tie his goods to the selling posts. He'd secured three individuals so far and was finishing the restraints for his fourth and final product. The bull's back glistened with sweat under the sun as he worked; the subtle sheen in his fur went dark for a moment as a large shadow passed overhead, and the crowd hurriedly scrambled to make room for an immense, hefty, quadrupedal dragon who gently touched down beside the assembly in the square.

"Should...should we have anything to be worried about while you're here, great dragon?" one of the nobles--a tiger--called tentatively.

"I'm merely passing through, and this market caught my interest," the dragon boomed in reply.

"Well, I'm pleased that my inventory has drawn such a crowd!" the bull called over the group--he'd just finished securing the ropes on his last captive and turned to face the assembled potential buyers. "It's a beautiful day to take one of these fine creatures home with you...for a price, of course."

The crowd's murmurings quieted down as the bull strolled across the stage and began his sales pitch, his voice ringing out over the market square while the background activity of the market continued. "We have just four slaves for purchase today, but each one comes with a colorful background and is yours to do with as you please!"

The bull stopped next to an anthropomorphic dragon with gold scales, gray horns, and a large, spadelike tail--the dragon's muzzle, wings, and wrists were all bound, he wore a simple burlap loincloth, and he stood forlornly in front of the post he was tied to. 

"Our first available slave is Pilar, a fine, strong fellow who was once in service to the king," the bull announced. He roughly turned the dragon around and from side to side for the crowd to see how well-muscled he was. "I say 'once', as he deserted his post and tried going into hiding; it took me five days to track him down. He's a crafty one, well-suited to a domineering personality among you."

The crowd muttered among themselves while the bull slaver left the dragon alone and moved onto the next slave: A tall blue wolf who stood meekly before his post. Like the dragon, the wolf's snout and wrists were bound, and he wore a ragged and dirty wrap around his waist.

"Next we have a slave who happens to have some musical talent," the bull declared before he turned the wolf from side to side, displaying him for the crowd. "Known only as Wolf, he was a bard by trade, so you can be assured he has quite the vocal range and set of lungs on him. However, he embarrassed the Duke of Seldon and ended up with a price on his head, which is how he and I crossed paths. You'd be doing the Duke a great service by using this musician for only the most demeaning of tasks."

The nobles in the crowd laughed and sniggered, with some of them elbowing each other and goading one another to place their bids.

The bull's next slave was a horned rabbit with purple and pale gold fur. A gag had been stuffed into his mouth while his wrists were tied to the post he stood in front of, and a ripped wrap hung low on his hips.

"Our third slave for today is something of an oddity, my good people," the bull said, sounding somewhat abashed as he displayed the rabbit. "Cepheus here is an escaped slave who I managed to recapture. He's used to obediently servicing all your needs, which makes it curious why he would run away from his previous master. But the real intrigue about this specimen, my friends, is that while he is a male, he has the unique ability to modify his parts for breeding, should you want to use him that way! Otherwise, he has a strong back and plenty of stamina for menial labor."

A stir rippled through the crowd as they discussed their opinions about the rabbit--the slaver, meanwhile, came to a halt in front of the last slave: A gray and white wolf with pale teal markings in his fur above his wrists. He was bound and dressed like his compatriots, though his posture--his back straight, chest puffed out, and shoulders squared--communicated more defiance and pride than his fellow slaves.

"And finally, we have a thief who has the distinction of stealing the Star of Halea from Lady Odessen," the bull announced as he displayed the wolf. "Àzuen here had quite the career as a burglar, but I managed to capture him within a day, so he may not be the smartest thief. Now, a word of warning--he's feisty and determined, but with the right...motivation, I'm sure he can make for an excellent slave!"

The assembled potential buyers began chattering among themselves again, discussing the pros and cons of each slave, while the bull strode to the center of the auction stage.

"Now, as we start our auction, remember that all sales are final, your payment will be required at the end of the auction, and there are no refunds!" the bull told the crowd. "Bidding for each slave starts at 10 Gilden, and we'll begin with our friend the deserter," he continued, pointing at Pilar. "Do I hear 10 Gilden?"

A mongoose noble raised his hand.

"We have 10 Gilden, do we have 11?" the bull called.

"14!" a leopard farmer responded.

"14 Gilden, do we have 15?"

"19!" the mongoose yelled excitedly.

"19 Gilden, do we have 20?"

"A ruby from my own horde worth at least 50 Gilden," the great blue feral dragon announced calmly.

The crowd turned their heads in unison, staring agog at the dragon who had placed his bid. The bull paused for a moment, then said, "50 Gilden is the price to beat. Going once..."

Nobody made a sound.

"Twice...sold to the dragon with the 50-Gilden ruby!" the bull declared, gesturing at the blue dragon. The large quadruped nodded his assent in silence.

"Next up, the bard!" the bull announced, pointing at Wolf. "10 Gilden?"

"15!" the mongoose called.

"Our friend is determined to get a slave today, 15 Gilden!" the bull quipped, drawing chuckles from the crowd. "Do we have 16?"

A bear in scholar's robes raised his hand.

"We have 16, do we have 17?"

"20!" the mongoose piped up.

"20 Gilden, 21?"

"23!" a badger blacksmith called.

"23 Gilden, do we have 24?"

"25!" the mongoose shouted.

"25 Gilden, do we have 26?" prompted the bull.

"35!" a black wolf noble yelled.

"35 Gilden, do we have 36?" The bull waited, but there were no takers, just a few soft mutterings from the crowd and a defeated sigh from the mongoose. "Going once...twice...sold for 35 Gilden to the noble in red!"

The black wolf waved appreciatively.

"Now for our slave with the peculiar anatomy," the bull continued, gesturing at the Cepheus. "Starting at 10 Gilden, do we have 10?"

"A bushel of onions worth 18 Gilden!" a boar farmer called from the side of the crowd.

The bull paused, considering the offer, then shrugged. "Alright, 18 Gilden, do we have 19?"

"25," the mongoose noble said sullenly. 

The bull chuckled. "25 Gilden, do we have 26?"

"I'll throw in a pint of honey, worth another 20 Gilden!" the boar replied.

"So that's 38 Gilden," the bull calculated. He chortled as he addressed the mongoose, "I think you've been priced out, my friend! Do we have 39 Gilden?"

The crowd remained silent. "Going once...twice..." the bull prompted. "A bushel of onions and a pint of honey from our friend the farmer! And now for our last auction, the thief!"

"25 Gilden!" the mongoose shouted immediately.

The crowd laughed at the nobleman's immediate high bid.

"25 Gilden from our persistent friend," the bull called dramatically. "Is someone going to be cruel enough to deprive him of his last chance for a slave today?"

"A bar of gold worth 45 Gilden!" a voice rang out.

The crowd turned, looking for the newcomer: He was a tall ram in alchemist robes, and he held his lustrous gold ingot aloft for all to see.

"45 Gilden, do we have 46?" the bull asked. "Going once...twice...sold to the alchemist for 45 Gilden in gold!"

The mongoose angrily kicked at the dirt and stalked away, grumbling to himself. The rest of the crowd began to disperse while the dragon, wolf noble, boar farmer, and ram alchemist approached the bull on the stage. The slaver had produced four parchment certificates from the pocket in his kilt, and a white marten notary had also joined him on the platform. One by one, the buyers handed over their goods and money to the slaver, who in turn untied each slave from their post and led them to their new owners. The notary then signed the certificates of ownership and payment receipts, which he would take back to the mayor's office--he simply needed the owners to sign for their new slaves. The dragon tapped a claw to his form and the name Akino appeared in black ink, the wolf's looping signature denoted him as Noven, the boar scrawled the name Paleer, and the ram stamped a purple-inked sigil for Galos the Obscure.

"Thank you all for your business," the bull said, satisfied, as he received his payment and the marten tucked the ownership certificates into his satchel. "I can assure you that these are all very worthy purchases."

———

Cepheus sat obediently next to Paleer, jostling alongside the beefy boar as the two donkeys they were hitched to pulled their wagon to his farm. The ride from the market had been uneventful--the farmer had been singing absently to himself for the last hour, simply letting his newly purchased slave watch the rural scenery pass them by, until they approached the white rail fencing that lined Paleer's land.

"Well, here we are, home sweet home," Paleer announced as they pulled off of the dirt road and onto the gravel track that led up to his house and barn. "Tell me, boy, have you worked a farm before?"

Cepheus nodded. "Two masters before you, I helped with the harvests and drove the plows. Even got to ride the horses a couple times to help with corralling sheep."

"So you know how farm life is--lots to be done all the time, hard work day in and day out, and you need a strong back for it. I've got a few other hands to help out, so everything won't be all on you. Besides, I didn't buy you for your strength," Paleer chuckled. He rested a broad, heavy hand on Cepheus's shoulder and continued, "Truth of the matter is, I need you to do a much different kind of horse riding for me."

Cepheus looked at his master quizzically as they rode up the gravel track. Paleer winked down at the purple-furred rabbit and gripped his shoulder, kneading the muscle under his hand. "You seem strong enough for it, plus a bunny like you's gotta have the stamina for it, just like the bull said back at the market. So I think you'll be well-suited to it."

"I'll do my best, master," Cepheus said, still a little unsure what kind of horse riding the boar had in mind for him.

"Good lad, I'm sure you will," Paleer said bracingly--he patted Cepheus on the back before returning his hand to the reins, steering the donkeys to the barn. "Although before we get into the particulars of the work, I gotta ask--why'd you run away from your last master before the ol' slaver caught you?" 

Cepheus looked down at the ground they rolled over. "It was...hell at that place. Slaves were beaten within an inch of their lives--others beyond that. Some were locked into crates and starved because they didn't do something the way the master wanted it done. They were little things, almost nothing to really be punished for; he had...well, a penchant for devising creative punishments, and he liked doling them out at every opportunity." Cepheus paused, remembering the dark nights. "And he'd come into the slave quarters so often to use me...not that I minded that part much, he always made sure I enjoyed myself while pleasing him. He had his tender moments..."

"I'm sensing a 'but' coming soon," Paleer said after Cepheus had trailed off. 

The rabbit nodded. "But his wife found out."

"Hmm...that complicated things, didn't it?" Paleer mused, scratching his chin. "What with you being able to get knocked up, right?"

Cepheus grinned thinly. "He was a good master, in spite of his punishments, and I would've stayed, but she didn't want to risk me bearing his child. I learned that it was either my head or his reputation. So I did what I had to do to survive, I didn't have a choice but to run away..."

Paleer grumbled and shook his head to himself. "I swear, there are some folks who should be evaluated before they buy a slave--some people in this world shouldn't be allowed, the things they do to others just because they own them. A slave still has feelings, still has needs."

Cepheus felt a surge of appreciation for his new master; the boar sounded like he genuinely cared, and as they drew closer to the barn, Paleer went on, "I bought you, and you're mine--let's not forget that--but I'm not gonna turn around and treat you like garbage. On this farm, it's an honest sweat you'll work up, but it's also going to be a happy and comfortable life you'll have...for a slave, you know," Paleer clarified as they pulled up next to the barn and the donkeys came to a stop. The boar turned to Cepheus, looking him in the eye as he continued, "I pride myself on two things: putting in a good day's labor and taking good care of my livestock. Now, speaking of the livestock, I need to introduce you to the main reason why you're here and see if you're a good fit for the job."

"Horseback riding, right?" Cepheus asked.

"Well, horse riding...after a fashion," Paleer countered. He heaved himself out of the wagon and onto the ground before he motioned for Cepheus to follow suit. The two of them walked past the barn and strolled on a dirt path that led to one of the paddocks next to the stable. "So, I've got this stallion, Big Barley--he's a Clydesdale, real big guy, puts in plenty of good work around the farm, but he's been acting out a lot recently," Paleer said as he walked with Cepheus. "And it's looking like he's got only one thing on his mind: breeding."

Cepheus's eyebrows rose. What was Paleer leading up to? He held his tongue, waiting for his master to proceed.

"We've tried everything short of getting a mare for him--keeping him isolated in the pasture, cold washes, and more masturbation sessions than I can count, but Big Barley just won't quit, probably not until he gets himself into a real hole, and I'm not gonna risk his health or his strength by gelding him," Paleer continued--the two of them soon made it to the paddock gate, which Paleer opened to admit Cepheus and himself before shutting it behind them. The enclosure backed up to a stall entrance behind the stable, and there in the paddock was a rack with a leather padded bench, stirrups, and straps. Cepheus saw a burly bear in dusty clothes standing next to the rack with his arms folded against his chest--he nodded at the rabbit and boar as they entered the paddock.

"Thing is, I can't afford to get a mare out here--breeding fees have tripled in the last year alone," Paleer explained. "So I figured the more cost-efficient way would be to put a breeding rack together, then...get some breeding stock." He nodded at Cepheus, who had begun to put the pieces together, and he gulped nervously when he realized what he was being asked--really told--to do.

"So...horse riding," the rabbit forced himself to chuckle.

"That's the long and short of it...more long, though," Paleer quipped. 

"But what about...well, me?" Cepheus asked tentatively. "I can be bred, but I don't want to...get pregnant or anything."

Paleer smirked. "If Big Barley knocks you up with lots of little colts, then so be it--I could probably sell them for a good profit."

"B-but--"

Paleer cut Cepheus off with a stern look and a raised finger to his lips, hushing the slave. "But the more important thing is that you give that horse a good hole to slide into. Everyone's got to pull their weight on this farm, and this is gonna be the weight for you to pull. I'm in a bind here and you need to know your place, lad--Big Barley's setting us back too much for me to be nice about it, so I'll make this simple." Paleer pointed at the rack in the center of the paddock. "You can either get in that there rack without giving me any trouble"--he shifted his finger to point at the bear standing next to the rack--"or I'll get Reston over there to help me put you in it. One way or another, you're getting in the rack, and we'll see how Big Barley takes to you. So, what's it gonna be, lad?"

Cepheus grimaced--while he wasn't entirely thrilled with the prospect of making himself vulnerable for a horse (and a Clydesdale at that) to use him like a cock sleeve, he was even less excited about the possibility of being roughly forced into that position by his master and a farmhand. He took a deep, steadying breath, then shakily stepped toward the rack by himself.

"Good lad. Alright, Reston, get him hooked up," Paleer called over to the bear while he strode over to the stable door.

When Cepheus got to the rack, Reston pulled his waist wrap off and helped him lie on his back on the bench, then secured his wrists in the rough leather restraints and bound his ankles in the stirrups. Once the naked Cepheus was fully cinched into place, Reston helped Paleer open the stable door and the boar disappeared inside. Cepheus pulled against the straps around his limbs testing their strength and realizing there was no way he could get out of them. Noises from the stable drew his attention, and he watched the open door where Reston stood attentively. Cepheus strained his ears--he could hear a soft whicker and a huff, then Paleer's murmurs of "Easy boy, easy...got you something nice to help...there we go, just like that...good man, Big Barley, let's move now...got a pretty little thing waiting for you..."

Cepheus heard the heavy clopping of feet, then watched Paleer emerge first with a length of rope in his hands--the rabbit gasped when he saw the horse following the boar. Even for a Clydesdale, Big Barley was gigantic. He towered over both Paleer and Reston as he stomped out of the stable, gently tossing his head and shaking the rope attached to his bridle; the enormous, brown-bodied, white-legged draft horse looked agitated as he was led into the paddock, and Cepheus had only to look between his legs to see why. At well over two and a half feet long and throbbing powerfully, Big Barley's erection stiffly wagged back and forth with his gait, the fleshy, shining pole easily drawing the eye from the hint of the flare at the wide head to the cantaloupe-sized testicles that hung low at the rear. 

"Alright, Big Barley, meet your breeding stock," Paleer said, gesturing at Cepheus. "Breeding stock, this is Big Barley. Let's get you two acquainted."

Before Cepheus could say a word, Paleer led Big Barley to stand by the rack, so the horse could inspect the rabbit for himself. Cepheus stiffened nervously as Big Barley leaned down and sniffed his chest. 

"Just relax, lad, you'll be fine," Paleer said encouragingly while Big Barley kept sniffing and huffing.

Cepheus inhaled, then slowly exhaled, trying to lie looser in his bonds. Big Barley snorted and softly nibbled on the rabbit's fur with his coarse lips as his broad muzzle traveled down from Cepheus's chest to his stomach, then over his groin, where the Clydesdale lingered. Cepheus couldn't help himself--the warm breath, the delicately nibbling lips, the prospect of having such a large animal inspect him so intimately--his own manhood started to emerge from his slit. But rather than be spooked by the rising rabbit cock, Big Barley nuzzled the swelling member and snorted again, this time almost...condescendingly, as if he were remarking, "Is that all you've got? That's cute."
Cepheus tensed again as Big Barley eventually moved from his groin to his exposed anus.

"Moment of truth," Paleer softly noted. 

The horse sniffed intently for a minute, his warm breath puffing over Cepheus's hole and inducing his muscles to relax again. Soon, Big Barley raised his head and curled his lip up, showing his teeth.

"Hey hey, looks like we've got ourselves a winner!" Paleer shook his fist excitedly. He reached up to Big Barley's bridle and unclipped the end of the lead attached to it, taking the rope with him as he strode over to stand next to Reston, still by the open stable door. "I'll let the big man take it from here...and the breeding stock can take it from the big man," the boar chuckled as he retreated to the side of the paddock.

Cepheus's stomach dropped in a mix of both dread and anticipation as Big Barley stepped over him, straddling the rabbit to give him a view of his belly--he looked down to the horse's groin to see Big Barley's cock flexing up and down, slapping against his belly on each upswing. Big Barley then reared up and rested his forearms on the padded stand above Cepheus's head, and he shuffled his rear legs up enough for the head of his enormous cock to kiss the rabbit's puckered hole.

"Oh fuck..." Cepheus breathed, feeling the broad, already-wet cockhead prod his rear entrance. 

With slimy pre flowing freely from his urethra and trickling down his wide shaft, Big Barley surged his groin forward, bluntly pushing past the tight ring of muscle.

"Guuuh!" Cepheus groaned as if the wind had been knocked out of him and he arched his back against the bench--the pain of being spread so much so fast was nearly blinding, only barely dulled by the small amount of pleasure as Big Barley immediately slid his cock over the rabbit's prostate as he kept pushing.

The Clydesdale nickered while he shuffled forward, roughly feeding inch after inch of his girthy meat into Cepheus's hole. The rabbit gritted his teeth and pulled at his bonds in agony, but there was no escaping the sensation of being split so wide open. 

"Ohfuckohfuckohfuckohfuuuuuuuhuuuuuck!" Cepheus panted as he felt Big Barley push past his second ring without a second thought. The horse was thoroughly unconcerned with the rabbit's reaction, he just kept sliding more of his slimy, veiny length inside, stretching Cepheus even deeper than the rabbit thought possible. Cepheus squirmed from side to side, trying for a more comfortable position, but the bonds around his wrists and ankles and the invading horse cock that was demolishing his hole kept him firmly in place.

"He's halfway in!" Paleer called just as Cepheus felt the thick preputial ring pop inside him. "You're doing great, lad!"

The rabbit felt an odd sensation pressing against his abdomen, and, panting and grunting, Cepheus forced himself to look down at his stomach--he could see his belly visibly bulging from Big Barley's cockhead pushing up from his guts. In a daze, Cepheus let his head fall back against the bench, resigning himself to his role as a cocksleeve for the horny Clydesdale who was snorting and huffing over him. 

Eventually, as he lay there on the rack, taking more of the warm, pulsing cock in him, and after straining for so long around the unyielding pillar of flesh that stuffed him so completely, pain began to transform into pleasure. He didn't know how or when it happened--he could just tell that, sometime after Big Barley had begun thrusting, with the ridges of his flare and preputial ring pushing in and out of his distended guts, the agony had abated and been replaced by a satisfying fullness, a sense of achievement, a desire for more, and a rising pressure in his loins. Through the lustful fog that clouded his brain, Cepheus could recall the times he'd felt like this before, when he'd been...

Only able to breathe a soft "Oh" of comprehension, the rabbit dimly realized that he was officially in heat. His insides had rearranged themselves for reproduction without him even noticing, his mind had been so flooded with pleasure. He jostled back and forth in time with Big Barley's thrusts--his own cock, now fully erect, bobbed with him. Primally desperate for both release and filling, Cepheus automatically spread his legs wider to better angle his insides for breeding; the more of the massive slab of meat inside him, the better his chances of the horse siring his young in the rabbit. Big Barley was thrusting in earnest, and Cepheus could feel the horse speeding up his rhythm, wetly gliding in and out of his now puffy and ruined anal ring that snugly rode over the massive horse cock. 

"Oh, I think he's about to pop!" Reston called as he and Paleer watched from the side of the paddock.

Reston was right on the money--after another moment of frantic humping, Big Barley powerfully charged forward again, and Cepheus could feel an overwhelming torrent of cum flood his insides. The thick gushes of cum were so strong and so big that it began to drip out around Big Barley's cock still in his ass. At the same time, Cepheus moaned and climaxed hands-free, his own cum spurting up high enough to splatter against the horse's belly hanging down above him.

"Whoo, now that's a good show!" Paleer called approvingly. 

As Big Barley's seed continued filling the rabbit, thoroughly impregnating him with colts from the depths of the Clydesdale's balls, Cepheus rode the wave of his orgasm, blissfully uncaring that he was on full display for his master and the farmhand, that he'd been used in such a manner. He groaned and shivered in pleasure when Big Barley roughly dismounted and sloppily pulled out of his ass with a loud schlorp, dragging out a rosebud and thick globs of cum. Cepheus panted, lying motionless, while the horse snorted and flopped his softening penis on the rabbit's bulging belly. Hot horse urine began to stream from the extended urethra and splattered over Cepheus's stomach and chest, forming runnels in his groin and neck.

"Oooh fuuuuuck," the rabbit moaned at the warm, pungent, golden shower.

Paleer chuckled as he approached Big Barley and his slave, gleeful at the sight they made. "He must really like you if he's marking you like that," he said while Big Barley continued pissing on Cepheus. "Now, he's going to need you at least three times a day, maybe more...but I get the feeling you're going to be okay with that."

Exhausted and exhilarated, Cepheus mustered up just enough energy to nod and dreamily say, "As long as...you're okay with...a bunch of Big Barley juniors coming along soon..."

"Hoo boy...now you were absolutely a worthy purchase," Paleer grinned.