The old guard stood by the gate, a desolate sense of boredom hovering around him like a storm cloud. Part of him wondered what the hell he was doing there. Afterall, the steady flow of traders was more than a single, broken down soldier could handle and it wasn’t like he was searching carts. It meant that he was there for no good reason and that rankled him. It wasn’t like he was going to turn someone away. And how could he? A quick argument with no backup? Realistically, anyone could come into the town and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do about it. He was a show piece. Part of the “display”. Which made him a bit fatalistic. Until he saw the rock giant. The creature was almost nine feet tall. Lumbering. It had hair on its head, a rough shadow of beard, but was dressed almost exactly like you would expect for a rock giant. A shaggy, fur breechcloth covering its lower half, a breastplate made out of an orc shield, beaten into shape, probably with a rock, and then tied over the chest with ropes. A huge club was casually held in one hand, swinging back and forth, and it carried a sack that was slung over its back.
The old guard stiffened with alarm. Rock giants were not known to be intelligent creatures. They weren’t exactly violent, at least not until you pissed one off. But the last thing anyone wanted was one of them wandering around through the market square. The gods only knew what the bloody thing would do. It could be something as simple as deciding it wanted an apple from a fruit stand, and because it had no idea that it had to pay for that, it might just take it. And then what?
Worse, the old guard didn’t know what to do about the situation. Rock giants spoke the common tongue, but on a level of a three-year old human. How to tell the thing it wasn’t welcome? The old guard grimaced, but then noticed the Rock giant wasn’t alone, which both made the situation more bizarre, but also offered a ray of hope. If the giant had fallen in with companions, maybe they had a rapport. Maybe they could tell the thing to wait outside the walls, where it could do less damage.
The first of the companions was a middle aged man with a grey goatee. He was dressed in a mismatched outfit that was partly leather armor, and the robe of a mage. It was as if the man wasn’t certain. Either way, he wasn’t armed, which made the old guard lean in the direction of “magic user,” because only a freaking moron would be walking the trails these days without a weapon. What if you met an angry rock giant?
It never occurred to the guard that maybe the rock giant was the man’s weapon. Mostly because he was immediately distracted by the second companion, a woman of such remarkable beauty that he was momentarily stunned. She was young, in her mid-twenties, a brunette, with perfect alabaster skin. And he knew it was perfect, and alabaster, because he could see almost all of it. She walked along next to the pseudo-mage in a set of strange, but rather fetching heeled sandals that turned her walk into this intriguing, hips swinging swish that only got better the closer she got. Her mouth was curled upward at the corners and her smile was like a ray of sunshine, full of warmth and happiness, with a subtle promise of hedonistic delights. Though, the old guard admitted that the full body harness she was wearing might have been skewing that perception. Because obviously, she was a slave. She had a collar. And everything.
The leather straps encircling her perfectly curved frame crossed above her bared breasts, metal piercings glinting at each nipple. Another band wrapped around her just below her breasts, lifting them and even tightening her bodice. Maybe even uncomfortably. More straps above the navel, and then right above her sex, drew the eye downward. Of course, the old guard could see the sweet, slick flower, catching glimpses of the pink folds with every step she took. Her clitoris was pierced, a dangling set of gems teasing her folds as she walked. Her thighs were slick, but the harness continued down her legs, soaking up the fluids that seeped from her over-stimulated sex. Her arms were bound behind her back, but she didn’t look as if the position bothered her. In fact, she was clearly having a robust conversation with the pseudo-mage.
“But Bob,” the old guard heard her say as the three of them got closer. “I don’t understand. I’ve never needed to be able to do it before. Why does it matter now?”
Bob, who was clearly the pseudo-mage, because rock giants didn’t have names, at least ones people could pronounce, glanced at the girl and smiled. “Because it’s a skill worth having, Talli. What if you want to try a new recipe?”
Talli blinked in confusion. “Wouldn’t someone show me how to cook it?”
Bob laughed. “There are books of recipes, Talli. You read the instructions and then you can replicate the process.”
The girl looked confused. “Wouldn’t not having someone show you make it easy to mess up?”
Suddenly the rock giant looked over at the girl, smiling. “You shouldn’t use a double negative, Talli.”
The old guard’s jaw dropped. It… it spoke.
Bob sighed. “That’s why you check the recipe, Talli.”
She screwed up her face, which only made her more endearing. “What’s a double negative?” She asked, even more befuddled.
Bob shook his head. “It’s grammar, which is also why you need to learn to read. So that busybody know-it-alls can’t hit you over the head with it.”
The rock giant seemed amused. “It’s not a weapon, Robert. It’s merely a tool that provides elucidation when communication is not verbal.”
Bob eyed the rock giant with a slightly annoyed expression.
“What does ‘elucidation’ mean?” Talli asked, her cheeks cheerfully as pink as her… um… other parts.
“It means someone’s being pedantic,” Bob snorted sarcastically.
“Robert,” the rock giant chided. Then he looked over at Talli. “To elucidate means to explain, but in a clear manner.” He gave the pseudo-mage another stern look.
The slave girl shrugged her shoulders, which caused her breasts to bounce delightedly. “Well, it just seems silly to me. Learning to read. Still, it’s not like I have a choice,” she muttered, glancing ahead. “Not with both of you on about it.” She glanced at the open gate. “What are we doing here again?”
Bob looked forward, eyeing the gate and the old guard standing there. The soldier was clearly having trouble figuring out who to watch. Which made sense. Next to Talli, Florentino was probably the most serious threat the guy had ever seen. But then again, it wasn’t every day you saw a girl that looked like Talli walking up. The soldier held up his hand in a non-threatening way and it was clear to Bob that the guard had made a decision. He eyed the rock giant.
“Uh… I’m afraid that your… your giant… needs to remain outside the city walls. Robert frowned.
“Florentino can’t come in?” Talli asked, giving the guard a weird look. “Why?”
Bob’s eyebrow went up. “Yes. Why?” He repeated Talli’s question.
The old guard blinked. Was Florentino its name? “Because...”
“Because why?”
The old guard floundered for a second, but then found his footing. “Because rock giants are known to be violent, rather stupid creatures that disturb the peace and create mayhem. We don’t allow them in.”
Bob glanced at Florentino. “Did you hear that?” He asked. “This is because you keep hitting people with grammar.”
The rock giant grinned. “It’s less lethal than using my club, and usually more effective for the stability of long term relationships.” He turned toward the old guard. “Good day, sir. My name is Florentino. I completely understand your perfectly quotidian reaction to my appearance, but I can assure you that I have no intention of either disturbing the peace or creating mayhem. Mostly, I’m fond of good drink, better food, and intelligent conversation. I have funds and am most happy to part with my gold for the previously listed accoutrements.”
Talli scrunched up her face again.
The old guard looked at the rock giant. “What does quotidian mean?” He asked in bewilderment.
“What does accoutrements mean?” Talli added, also looking confused.
Bob sighed. “You’re right,” he told the guard, sounding irritated. “Florentino should stay out here. Before I get really annoyed.”
Talli gave Bob a sour look and stuck her tongue out at him. “Don’t be such a grouch,” she teased. “And be nice.” She looked at the guard. “You too. Florentino is an angel,” she added.
The old guard looked skeptical, but then relaxed slightly. “Well, I suppose if you’re willing to provide assurance against any… problems, I guess I can let you in.”
Bob shrugged. “I can’t promise anything, especially if someone decides to start arguing philosophy with him. But we’ll keep the fatalities to a minimum.”
The old guard blinked. “What?”
Florentino sighed. “Good sir, I will acquiesce to your requirements and promise to comport with all of your town’s standards of behavior.”
The guard looked disturbed. “What does acquiesce mean?” He asked.
Talli nodded. “What does comport mean?”
Bob rolled his eyes. “Let’s go. We need to go shopping.” He moved past the stunned gate guard and Talli hurried after him. Florentino grinned, bobbed his head politely at the old soldier and then ducked as he went through the gate, entering the town.
***
Talli looked around the shop. The wooden floor was sanded, but a little dusty and had it been her old kitchen she would have taken both a broom and a mop to the boards, scrubbing until they were squeaky clean. The products on the shelves were neatly arranged though, as were the ones behind the counter, which she presumed were of higher value and therefore out of reach of thieves. Bob stood there, eyes narrowed, peering at a collection of smaller items, which included jewelry, phallic items, and potions, leaving her to wander through the more mundane items.
It was a weird shop, though Talli had only ever been in one before, and that was more of a trader’s stall. Same concept though. But she was more familiar with buying things like milled flour, or lentils, maybe the occasional pot or pan, than the weird collection of things on these shelves. There were girdles, horse tack, a rack of cloaks, some rather odd looking weapons that she had absolutely no way of identifying, or even of understanding how they were used. But she noticed something immediately. Every single one had a little slip of parchment in a tiny rack, with black squiggles on it.
Words.
“Bob?” She said suddenly. “What does this say?” She asked, nodding toward the parchment. She couldn’t point, since her arms were still bound and folded behind her back. She wasn’t uncomfortable. She was used to being bound. Bob had to keep her that way because if left to her own devices, she’d be on the floor, legs spread, touching herself until her body quivered with delight and she left a puddle of cum on the floor.
And that would definitely need to be mopped up.
Bob turned and walked over toward her. He eyed the little bit of writing. “Bondage Witch Bracers,” he said simply and started to walk away.
“What’s a Bondage Witch?” Talli asked curiously.
The shopkeeper, who had been surreptitiously eyeing Talli, rather than Bob, grinned. “It’s a girl who made a pact with something unholy, and those bracers keep her from using its power to cast spells.”
Bob’s eyebrow went up. “It’s a little more complicated than that,” he muttered. “But close enough.”
Talli nodded. “”And what does this say?” She asked, pointing at another tag.
Bob read it. “That’s a pair of ‘mimic breeches’.”
“Mimic breeches?” Talli inquired.
The shopkeeper grinned. “When you put them on you’re harder to see, especially at night. But there’s a cost. Every minute you wear them a slimy tongue is sliding through your sweet little pussy, driving you mad.”
Talli’s eyes brightened. “All the way to orgasm?”
The shopkeeper nodded. Bob rolled his eyes.
“What?” Talli demanded. “I’m desperate! I haven’t cum in days!”
Bob snorted. “Talli, you had sex with Florentino this morning. And you exploded three times.”
She bit her lip. “Okay. Hours?”
Bob nodded. She moved to another item and tag. “And this one?”
“Talli, I’m not going to read every tag to you,” Bob declared, turning away.
“Breastbinder of Groping,” the shopkeeper said with a grin. “It has an enchantment that protects the wearer against arrows, but an array of phantom hands are constantly kneading your breasts and pinching your nipples.”
Talli grinned. “Sounds useful!”
Bob moved back to the counter. “Don’t encourage her,” he warned the shopkeeper.
Talli winked at the shopkeeper while Bob went back to looking at the more expensive items.
“Those are Robes of Comfort. They’re soft and keep you warm or cool, regardless of the temperature. Unfortunately, the moment you put them on, they become invisible and you covering them up with something else negates the effect.”
Talli wrinkled her nose. “Well, I’m naked most days anyway,” she said. “And this?”
“Mask of Medical Secrets. You get resistance to poison and disease, but the trade-off is that you have a dragon’s cock shoved down your throat.”
Talli blinked. “Wow. How big is a dragon’s cock?”
“About the size of a rock giant’s,” Bob muttered.
“Oh!” Talli said brightly. “I had one of those this morning. So I could handle this!”
“In every hole,” Bob added ruefully.
“What’s this?” Talli asked. “It looks like a cat. Sort of.”
The shopkeeper grinned. “It’s a cat suit. Fetish armor. If you wear it, you’ll get access to a few cantrips and a spell called dancing lights. But every time you cast a spell you become hyperaroused for the next minute. Nothing fancy.”
Bob suddenly pointed. “There. That’s what I’m looking for,” he said simply. “That Stone of Thunder.”
The shopkeeper turned, took the item off the shelf and Talli padded over. “What is it?” She asked, glancing down at the rune carved rock. It was smooth, like a river stone, and vaguely egg-shaped. Bob smiled and pulled out his purse. There was a quick exchange of gold coins and then Bob took the stone.
“This is for you,” he said simply.
Talli looked at it. “A rock?” She asked skeptically.
“An incentive,” he corrected. He held it up and pressed it against her left nipple. Almost instantly the thing began shaking, waves of oscillation surging into Talli’s bosom. She gasped, then groaned. Bob lifted it from her skin and the thing went quiet. She let out a desperate mewl and pushed herself forward, but Bob moved the thing downward. It touched her belly, once more rumbling and he moved it down, all the way to her exposed, wet, dripping slit. It touched her clit and her eyes snapped open wide and she let out a sound that made even the shopkeeper stiff.
But then Bob pulled it away. Talli let out a cry of frustration and pressed herself against Bob, shaking. He tucked the stone in his pouch and then held her as she shuddered and whimpered, her thighs streaked with wetness.
“I’m so wet,” she gasped. “I need it so badly! Please! Anything! You can spank me, or whip me! Please Bob? Please fuck me?”
He sighed. “You know I can’t Talli. But let’s go see if Florentino was successful. I sent him to find an appropriate primer, and if you’re a good girl, I will put the Stone of Thunder inside you and leave it there all night.”
She nodded, so frantic and energetically that the shopkeeper knew that he was witnessing hyperarousal. She followed Bob toward the door like a hungry bitch in heat. They stepped out onto the street and practically ran into Florentino, who stood there looking quite pleased with himself. He held a book, which would have been large in Talli’s hands, but looked ridiculously tiny in his.
“I found an appropriate primer. Multiple levels, and teaches easy phonetics in both common and elvish.”
“Elven?” Bob said with a curious look. “Why bother with that?”
“O lamathred nâ toss o 'ôl,” Florentino replied, clearly in another language.
Bob’s eyes rolled. “Elves are racist bigots and speaking their language does not make one cultured,” he retorted.
“But speaking many languages does,” Florentino added. Then he paused. “I presume Talli’s current enhanced state of arousal indicates your success in finding a Stone of Thunder?”
Bob smiled. “It does indeed. She got a quick sample in the shop, and I extracted a promise from her.” He tapped Florentino’s book. “Let’s find a quiet tavern, get some of that excellent food and drink, and then begin.”
Talli, who was still quivering with need, looked between the rock giant and the mage. “Begin? Begin what?”
Florentino glanced at the aroused girl. Slowly, he opened the book he was holding and flipped a few pages in. Talli looked down. A simple shape, made of lines.
“This, Talli, is the letter ‘A’,” Florentino said. “It makes the sounds of ah, ae, aw, or uh, depending on the other letters around it.”
Talli blinked. “It’s… a book that teaches you how to read?”
Florentino nodded.
“And if you do a good job, we’re going to reward you,” Bob said. “I probably won’t need to cast any spells, not with Florentino here. So if you want to cum, you’ll focus on learning.”
Florentino grinned. “In a few hours you’ll be reading simple lines. I promise.”
Talli gulped and then looked back at the shop. “Enough so I can read the tags in there?” She asked. “Because there were lots of interesting things in that shop.”
“Well, we will also need to do numbers,” Florentino said. “But that’s simple enough, since humans use a base ten system.”
Talli blinked. “What’s that?” She asked.
Bob shook his head and held up a hand. “A conversation for a later time. Come on, Florentino. I’m hungry. Talli is horny, and I think we’re all ready for a drink.” He pushed past the two of them, heading for the tavern he’d seen earlier.
Talli kept pace with Florentino. “You’re really going to teach me to read?” She asked.
Florentino nodded.
“Why?” She asked quietly. “I’m a vessel. A power source to be used when Bob wants to cast a spell. I’m kept in a state of hyperarousal so I can be forced to cum instantly, whenever required.” She closed her eyes. “I’m practically shaking right now, I'm so on edge.” She took a deep breath, her beautiful breasts practically surging toward the rock giant. “Why would you waste the time or effort to teach me something I don’t need.”
Florentino frowned. “Because Bob asked me to.” He paused. “And because I want to.”
“But why did Bob ask you to?”
They followed along in silence for a moment. “Because I think Bob is beginning to see you as something more than just a vessel, Talli. You have value beyond your sex. Beyond your ability to power his magic, as incredible as you are at that. Literacy is a gift. Embrace it.”
For a second, when Talli looked at Florentino, her eyes grew dark. They focused. Inside a sullen rage burst forth, a hungry need grasping for a weapon. Tallula, the kidnapped mother and wife, seized hold of that hope, and took it back inside. Talli gasped, shuddered, and let out a low moan of desperate sexual need.
“I hope it doesn’t take too long,” she groaned. “Because if I don’t cum soon, I’m going to go crazy.”
Florentino smiled and patted his book. “I have every expectation that you will soon be satisfied.” He wrapped an arm around the naked, leather-harnessed slave girl, and gave her a soft squeeze. “In every way.”
