Ginger's Very Important Business
The day was cold and snowy as she set out toward her favorite school of graduatia.
The snow was falling heavily but not too heavily to see through and with a complete lack of wind that made it easy to adapt to.
All over excited children threw snowballs and rolled in the near foot of fluffy whiteness covering the city.
It wasn't unknown for Kanda Sentran to have snow but so soon in the year was a bit rare… especially so deep! Still, it was good for the local farmers, who would benefit from a strong tuber harvest in the spring and summer.
To make it better… there would be no shortage of ice to fill the burrows over winter!
It was on especially cold years like this, following particularly fruitful harvests, that communities could really hunker down together and take stock of things. If nothing else the ever warm greenhouses and hydroponics setups of Shar Essaro would ensure a constant production of berries and vegetables all winter long back home!
The Bringer Of Fertility had already, of course, seen to that through the hard working hands of herself and her fellow Enbria. But that was back home, out of her element…
This was her specialty; the finery and high society of The Capital!
Since Marek had to tend to business at Ta Thinal she was allowed to have the run of the town for the day; stirring up her family connections while two of her fellow Enbria did the same.
She'd already checked in with her aunt and pulled some of her younger works out of storage for perspective before heading off on her own business with a few figurines of middling quality that she would touch up on site.
A gift of the Stasucto was their keen ability to recover even the most botched of works.
To date Ginger had never needed to throw away a failure; only store it and come back later with a more practiced eye, after more inspiration touched her. She refused the usual guard detail, no longer feeling the need for such things even in the worst parts of the largest city in Kanda.
Instead she shined herself up in the family bath, dressed up classy and decked herself out in the finest jewelery her aunt had stockpiled!
A Fine Red Tulo of good wool from the Ducky Isles paired well with a set of jade earrings that her father had presented her just days before. She was, in every way, a walking target as she strolled into one of the outwardmost "Flesh Districts."
Here state and private slaves alike were held and trained for various duties before heading off to the market districts or perhaps even other cities for sale.
While very little selling of people was done in these parts of town it was not unknown… and a young woman like her walking around so exposed and unprotected was like to never return home! … And yet it seemed she was an all too obvious trap.
A target, though she was, she was too good to be true in a place like this.
And so, without any trouble at all while she could FEEL the prying eyes from every alleyway and and corner, Ginger Stasucto strode forth with a sense of confidence.
… And just a twinge of disappointment. While the training sands of her favorite graduatia were underground, selenite windows allowed her to peer down with many other potential customers and spectators to the training.
She gazed with a few others at the men fighting below, hand gripping somewhat tighter at the case she'd carried with her the entire time; her training the last few months making it feel light even considering the contents. “Is that The Heir Of Stasucto, I See?!” The Familiar Voice of Abarus the Master reached her ears.
She turned to him and smiled arms parting as she kissed him on the cheeks and he returned the favor, “It’s so lovely to see you! How long has it been?” “Twenty Months, Almost to the date, Abarus.” She told the man with a warm smile, “I was barely a woman when we last met.” “Indeed! Is your father here, Miss Ginger?” "I'm Afraid Not. I'm here seeking my own line of interest.” she raised the case in her hand; a near modern piece of work she’d had one of her fellow Enbria work up a week ago for just such an occasion, though she hadn’t any idea at the time it would be needed so soon.
“Would you mind we take this inside?” She smiled knowingly. Of course, The Heir Of Stasucto couldn’t be turned down… not when her father’s works lined the halls as they did!
Soon enough they sat in Abarus’ personal chambers, one of his slaves serving her a delightfully hot spiced wine as she reclined by his fireplace and took the chill off.
“I must say, I’m very intrigued by your appearance.” Abarus offered, sitting across from her and reclining on his own lounging sofa. “Are those Jade Earrings I spy? Have you made some connection I’m not aware of, Miss Ginger?” the man chuckled flamboyantly, always a gem to chatter with. “Only a few. I’ve been very busy and my particular business promises to get busier every day… I didn’t want to deny you the chance to be involved.” She giggled girlishly, twirling her striking crimson hair with a finger as she sipped at her wine with the other. “After all, my Favorite School Of Graduatia has everything I need for this particular mission.” “Mission?” He chuckled, fixing her with a devilish gaze “A personal one?” “Very.” her tone straightened immediately at that. Abarus frowned at that sudden loss of humor, “Oh… I see.”
He quickly returned to smiling gently as he handed his drink off to a nearby slave, “I take it that this isn’t for mere entertainment, then.” it wasn’t a question… but an acknowledgment as he sat up and straightened his Timbo a bit. “I hadn’t thought you would call upon our services so soon after adulthood. There’s… someone you need gone?” That DID get her to laugh, a proper scoff that closed her eyes and leaned her back!
“Oh Gods No!” She waved a hand dismissively with a quick laugh, “No, no… fortunately not today but perhaps in a year or two after I’ve developed more enemies… for now my first lover is more than enough to fend off unwanted assaults.” The man relaxed a bit, a small grin as his hand went to his gut and he relaxed again. “Ho… Well, That much is a relief… What did you have in mind?” Ginger sat up and leaned against the side of her lounge, “You sell services AND goods.” She said wryly, “I would like to propose an exchange… Some goods, some services… for Stasucto products.” He rose an eyebrow, “I require… time with a Graduatu… but I’m… very particular.” He smiled. “I see… You ARE a woman grown now, Miss Ginger. But what makes you think that this is the sort of service that we provide?” He chuckled with a touch of mirth. She rolled her eyes, a frown evident on her lips, “As you say, Abarus… so don’t assume that I know so little of what happens in your complex… the stone of the caves may muffle the noise but I’m well aware what you were expanding toward when I was just a girl… Don’t treat me like I’m still one.” she leveled a gaze on him… testing him, “Or should I look to fulfill my needs elsewhere?” “Iii…” He cut in, hands up a bit, “I don’t think THAT should be necessary! We’ve never turned down a Stasucto, not for six generations… This school has worked with your father in particular for many years! No there’s no need to mar that record!”
He stood, waving his hands, “Please! Please! Come!” he gestured toward the door as her pursed lips loosened to a small smirk,
“I think you’ll find that we have a… more than proper selection! And, for you… we have only the best! I’ve got a particular set of good, strong men you’ll love! Generalist bodies, almost six feet tall! Small, genteel penises!” “I want something different.” She told him without standing, instead reaching to the case and setting it on the lounge. “I have a particular interest in a man… He is… nonstandard.” She fiddled with the lock as she spoke; turning the mechanisms a bit, “He is nearly perfect… but he is… endowed quite Darobia.” She explained, “At least so I’ve heard…” “My… so he is… very large then?” Abarus asked, a bit of blush on his own face as he put a hand on his chest. “My own rival claimed its size to such that she didn’t know what to do with it.” She pulled out a long, carved bit of stone… in obvious phallic shape… a comically large piece by the standards of any culture, really. “This… was an art piece… not for use… as you can imagine.” “Of course!” he smiled in good humor, stepping back toward her. “This is what I have to compete with…” The man blinked, seeming confused before realization was upon him!
He shook his head twice, reeling back with a few uncertain blinks and put his hand to his bearded face, “Gods, Surely there’s another way, Miss Ginger!” “Sadly Not!” She responded quickly, immediately… as though it hurt to have to admit it. “And the Heir Of Stasucto shall not be defeated in such matters.” “You’re joking!” “I don’t joke about my job…” “Is this… PART of your job?!” “It might become… though I shouldn’t need to mention–” “The secret lies hidden in these halls, Miss Ginger!” he cut her off!
“I find this all very exciting, personally!” He tittered with a tiny clap of his hands. “I need… to train for this.” she told him quietly “I would imagine so. I think I have a few men worth noting… do you have a starting point?” he inquired ALMOST gently. She cringed a bit, reaching into the padded case and pulling out something not even half the size she needed but still entirely comical in her culture, “This…” He laughed loudly, hand going to his mouth again, touching that hyper curly black beard, “By The Gods… You have been training enough by yourself, don’t you think?” he chuckled, waving her to the door as he stepped to it.
She blushed heavily as she stood and left the case behind, closing it first and spinning the locking mechanism.
“You're lucky… we have a few particularly large Darobia here! They’ve been training for the end of the year games.” “I imagined as much.” “Sadly, the slaves are less common now and we’ve been bringing in more freedmen to play roles BUT… I have a northern coldland daroba… he may work… and a man from the Band of Green!" he told her, walking just ahead of her with a bit of a bounce in every step. “They MUST be gentle…” She snapped!
“I’m NOT looking to get torn and I’ve already had a long day of riding…” She complained quietly...
“I want to relax…” she finished with a touch of grace. “Of course!” The curly haired Kandia giggled as he led her along toward the sound of fighting. Within the pits she and Abarus looked down at the many warriors going through mock combat and wrestling and the like.
She smiled as she stared down at the yard of several dozen hunky warriors tumbling, grunting, running, tousling and fighting.
From the spectator ring up top she could see many other women staring down with equally thirsty eyes; licking their lips as they sized up their prospective fun for the night or considered making a more… permanent purchase. Graduatia were the pictures of physical perfection, the ideal individual warriors bought and trained to put on glorious displays of athletic prowess and acrobatic skill.
Daily they were fed a unique mixture of spiced drinks to give them power and special porridges of barley and protein rich beans to keep them well nourished!
And here, in this particular school, there were special doctors that monitored each Graduatia diet individually to ensure each man was at the very top of physical form!
They were coordinated, obeyed commands well and were trained to leave shallow but properly bloody wounds which required incredible control to execute! And yet each and every one of their performances paled in comparison to her beloved…
What could be done?
Chahua was an engine of practiced destruction.
None of these men could compare to a woman trained in the literal womb…
Still, there was great attraction in it… in the sweating and bleeding of these pinnacles of masculinity and physical sculpting. She bit her lower lip as she stared down at a warrior taking a shallow cut to the side and spraying blood over the ground, grunting and returning to his enemy with a hardy tackle that sent them both tumbling into the sand.
Gently she fanned her face, the smell and heat of the fighting beneath her bringing a sort of warmth to the lowest portions of her belly that she couldn’t chase away.
“As you can see, we’ve expanded our rosters considerably.” Abarus boasted proudly beside her, “I’ve already signaled a slave to bring the two best options for you!” “I’ll… stay…” She said with a bit of a hitch in her voice, staring down at the men grappling in the sand, “Eh... For but a moment.” “Of course, Miss Ginger!” Abarus grinned behind her, wringing his hands. Some moments later, though she’d lost track of time, she sat on a stool in the selection room.
The men were before her… one a tall daroba from the far south… extremely dark skin and long body. Something about his legs she just couldn’t get past… a bit skinnier than she liked.
He had very handsome skin, though!
Shining and sleek and without blemish or many scars!
She could tell from the lack of cuts and scars that he was fast on his feet. Slowly she stood, walking to him and touching him about the body and head, opening his mouth and inspecting his teeth and breath, feeling the musculature of his arms and inspecting the liveliness in his eyes.
He was like a man made of cords underneath his flesh… with just enough fat to cover his bones but little more.
He had nothing of hair on his entire body, all save the tiniest hairs that grow on the skin of one’s arms; unnoticeable on the man from a distance.
She wondered briefly if they were feeding him enough or if, perhaps, his people simply had a hard time putting on fat due to the nature of their hot homeland… one needn’t carry so much weight in the heat, where bodies become slight and willowy. The other man was exactly the opposite in every way!
Fair skinned and covered in northern red hair from head to toe, he stood perhaps a few inches taller and was probably three times as wide in the shoulders; like two and a half men strapped together side by side and combined into one with some strange, yet undiscovered magic!
She could tell just by looking at him that his blood ran hot, his breath fogging into the cool air with every rise and fall of his gigantic barrel chest.
A red beard adorned his face as the sweat from his training glistened over the many ginger hairs that covered his flesh.
Beneath that ginger shag that covered his chest she could see many decent scars... all shallow but showy and beautiful!
His breath was fresher than the dark man’s breath… his teeth considerably better! But she was not there for breath and teeth… not more than tangentially…
“This one clearly sweats more AND has more blood, I can imagine…” “Yes.” Abarus quickly responded, “The Coldland Darobia, they have an abundance of flesh and blood, sweat often and carry the fat very well!” he explained to her quite academically, though both the slaves knew better than to speak if they felt any different.
“When well trained they may fight for hours thanks to their large lungs and hearts but they require much food and discipline, as they are prone to fits of rage…" He paused with a small sigh, "However, THIS ONE is not so aggressive as we’d like, it would seem…” “Is that so?” She wondered out loud, staring between each of their legs, comparing them. Both were quite large… though not at all what she needed to match up with The Bringer Of Fertility…
But it was a suitable starting point!
The Northerner was a bit larger, wider specifically, which she needed to work on.
She really couldn’t get over the southerner’s legs either… “This one is not so aggressive, you say?” She asked, running a finger over the northerner’s glistening chest, “Why?” “He does not say to me.” Abarus huffed at the question.
“But he lacks the same ferocity of his Darobia kin… He claimed once to be a craftsman and not a warrior but look at him.” he waves a hand,
“Obviously from warrior stock!” “All Northern Daroba look like that.” She giggled.
“I will use him today… If I like him I may buy him.” She smiled up at the man, who stared forward with dutiful intent. “Of course! Now, please… let’s take care of a matter of payment!” Abarus smiled, gesturing toward the door as she left the room leisurely. “Of Course! I’ve a very special work I’d hoped to give you, Abarus.” She smiled.
“Last time I was here you showed me a fantastic battle while my father was working on a statue for you.” “Oh goodness! Yes!” Abarus clapped his hands together with a singsong tone,
“Yes, The battle of Martiox against Entwinius! Sadly Entwinius died after honorable combat just months ago… a bad bleed, you see… his foe was untrained. We've commissioned a statue of him but there are few who can match the Stasucto skills and your father has been busy, as you know.” “Mmm… Such a shame. He was excellent.” she nods with a sigh as Abarus nodded solemnly.
A moment of silence among them as their footsteps echoed down the cavernous halls, “That being said… though it isn’t the quality of my own father… I’ve since made a statuette of that battle… I’d like to present it to you as payment for our business today… and to let you know how very happy I was to see the fight!" “Well, I’m sure that I’d be happy to consider it!” He smiled. “I’m sure you will!” Moments later they sat back in front of the fire together, sipping wine and chatting idly while Ginger slowly found her way to the case again. “I had this on the shelf for the last few months but recently I just HAD to get back to it!” she smiled
“And I’m so happy I did! The original was marble but I’ve opted to make this copy… With Jade!” She pulled forth the work… a green stone statue perhaps ten inches tall and just over a foot wide of the two men wrestling each other in full armor and weaponry!
One man, Martiox, tackled into Entwinius as the latter stabbed downward with a punching dagger to cut along the length of his foe’s torso.
“The mid-fight tackle! Oh, Such a beautiful moment! And Of Jade!”
The proprietor put his hands to his mouth, eyes welling up a bit.
As he spoke his breathy tone hitched a bit in his throat. “It’s… truly the successor to your father’s work, Miss Ginger! I really do mean it!” “Merely a trinket at this size.” She lamented, “But I'm sure you may still hold it in your office!” “Not at all, Miss Ginger!” He insisted as he stood up and waved his hands around excitedly before grabbing it and looking at it close, “I know JUST the place for it! How did you even get your hands on such a fine single piece?!” “Oh, I’ve been building my own resources since my coming of age, Abarus.” She giggled before sipping at her wine.
“I’m particularly attracted to a man who happened to find his way upon a Jade source… and his own benefactor owns the land.” “And here you are taking advantage of things like a proper businesswoman!” he sniffed.
“When I first met you I KNEW you’d be the true Heir To Stasucto! Your father must be so proud!” “He does mention it every now and then.” She smiled with a blush, her father's praises hardly ever ceasing.
“Regardless… I feel of late that I’ve outgrown the family legacy… I have the need to expand.” “As I can see!” He near-squeaked with excitement
“Well, anything you want to expand into with THIS Sort of craft and material I want to be involved with! As far as I’m concerned, you can keep him!” He chuckled
“No, but seriously, this is far more than any such slave is worth, you know!” “Oh, I’m well aware, Abarus...” She grinned almost darkly in the poorly lit slaver’s office, “And I DO hope that, when the time comes, you’ll remember that.” For half a moment he seemed uncertain… then chuckled almost nervously, “O-Of course.” “So!” She straightened back up, reaching out her glass, “If I like him he’ll be mine and we’ll have a LOT to look forward to in the future!” She smiled girlishly, head bobbing to the side girlishly to make her interlocutor more comfortable. He, in turned, chuckled a bit more genuinely, “Yes! Yes, of course! It’s ALWAYS a treasure doing business with The House Of Stasucto!” he toasted, clunking his cup against her own. Perhaps a half an hour later, after she was allowed to wash herself off again, she stepped into the rearmost chambers of the school.
Her property stood naked in the center of the room just as he had before… but this room was a chamber of finery and comfort; of cushions and a bed and fine furniture for reclining!
She stepped to the tall man as he stood still at the foot of the bed, smiling and running her finger along his chest.
“Talk to me... What’s your name?” She teased, not really caring. “Ulf.” He told her, a short ‘U’ that the Kandia did not really have. “Oolf?” She asked, teasing at his long red hair. “Ulf.” he corrected gently. “I’m told you claim to be a craftsman.” she noted “A carpenter… I make boats…” he told her as she walked around behind him and appreciated a scar across his back. “Boats or ships?” She asked, aware he may not be terribly capable with the Kandia tongue. “Both…” he said simply, “But I specialize in small craft… Boats.” “How long have you been in Kanda?” She asked, pushing him back onto the bed abruptly. As he fell back he looked up at her, tense but not hostile, “Three Years…” “Your Kandia is remarkably good for a Daroba only here for three years… Did Abarus afford you a tutor?” she asked him, looking down at him with a raised eyebrow “I already knew the language…” He narrowed his eyes at her, clearly not appreciating her rhetoric, “I’m a Vaennlandr… not a Daroba…” “Some clan from the north, I imagine?” She laid down beside him as he sighed and stared at the ceiling, “Tell me about the Vaennlandria.” “Vaennlandrs… People from Vaennland…” He turned on his side. “Sure… Vaennlandrs… Where’s Vaennland? Some powerful mountain holding in the Cold Lands?” she teased with a wry smirk, running her finger over a scar on his side. “The Daroba Coldlands… as you call them… That’s Vaennland… All of it. We’re one people.” “That isn’t what my father told me. He’s been as far north as the upper Salvin Territories. He says that it just breaks down beyond there.” She retorted, “Do you have some daroba king or something?” “Queen.” he corrected her simply, turning his head to her, “High Queen Thyrke Hex-Eye Himinndottir; The Questioner. Queen Of Kings. She’s a powerful woman who’s remained undefeated. United us ten years ago.” “She united the entirety of the Cold Lands?” She giggled a bit, running her hand slowly over his glistening chest, breathing in the scent of his masculinity.
They both knew what was to happen, clearly… but they at least had the good sense to loosen up about it.
Graduatia were celebrities in a sense.
She always wondered where the characters came from… the wild and fanciful constructs put in the sands for the amusement of others like herself.
Was it all an act or was there some truth behind the play? “By herself? Just a woman?” “Vaennlandrs don’t think of women like Kandia do. They can do anything they prove themselves capable of it, even lead.
In the north we need to be far more dependent on each other than you southerners.” he chuckled, the first real smile that he’d given her yet. “So how did you get here, then?” She grinned playfully. He paused... “There was a raid… I was fishing in the Glass Strait… got caught up in things between the two sides… My boat capsized and I had to swim for the shore… unfortunately it was for the southern island and I was taken in as a raider when I washed up like everyone else.” he shrugged, “Then into graduatia school.” “Hehe, and you expect anyone to believe that.” She teased. “Doesn’t matter if anyone believes it or not. I don’t lie.” he shrugged again as he relaxed and stared at the ceiling.
“Now they expect me to be a character… a lie…. I won’t be that. I am not the savage you think Vaennlandrs are. So I don’t have the… ferocity that Abarus desires.” “Perhaps that is to your advantage then… you are good with your hands as any craftsman would be? Do you know how to be gentle?” She stood from the bed, back to him as she approached the foot of it. “I’d like to think so.” He smirked. She untied her sash and her Tulo slid over her body seductively as it fell to the ground. “I need you to be… excessively careful… not only am I not fit for your size… I’m training for a much larger man…” She told him reluctantly...
It was almost painful to admit such a thing to a mere slave... but she was quickly learning that such thinking would soon be a dying breed... she had to think differently to survive the coming age.
“And revealing that information to anyone will have you killed… I’ll do it myself.” She was quiet but serious with that last bit… fingers running through her waist length hair gently. He chuckled, having himself won several dozen matches in his admittedly short time with skill and cunning.
Certainly he didn't believe she could overpower him, let alone kill him, “Of course you will.” “If you please me you’ll end up seeing exactly how capable I am… Until then…” She turned and smiled, crawling onto the bed with him again and slowly sliding her body over his own, taking in a deep breath through her nose.
His scent was intoxicating… the scent of a man who literally lived to train and fight… Physical perfection in the palm of her hand! In a sense this was what drew her to Chahua!
The girl was not a human but a weapon… a perfectly chiseled statue of a human being the likes of which needed to be immortalized!
And Ginger was the artist to do it!
She giggled huskily as she slid her body against the man, running her hands through his shoulder length mane of ruddy red! She was, after all, a woman grown!
… It was her right as a Daughter Of Partaneria to have something fun in the background; not held to the same societal expectations as other women her age!
Perhaps there could be a future at her side for this stranger! Marek had so many plans, after all!
There was always room for another pair of hands!
The snow was falling heavily but not too heavily to see through and with a complete lack of wind that made it easy to adapt to.
All over excited children threw snowballs and rolled in the near foot of fluffy whiteness covering the city.
It wasn't unknown for Kanda Sentran to have snow but so soon in the year was a bit rare… especially so deep! Still, it was good for the local farmers, who would benefit from a strong tuber harvest in the spring and summer.
To make it better… there would be no shortage of ice to fill the burrows over winter!
It was on especially cold years like this, following particularly fruitful harvests, that communities could really hunker down together and take stock of things. If nothing else the ever warm greenhouses and hydroponics setups of Shar Essaro would ensure a constant production of berries and vegetables all winter long back home!
The Bringer Of Fertility had already, of course, seen to that through the hard working hands of herself and her fellow Enbria. But that was back home, out of her element…
This was her specialty; the finery and high society of The Capital!
Since Marek had to tend to business at Ta Thinal she was allowed to have the run of the town for the day; stirring up her family connections while two of her fellow Enbria did the same.
She'd already checked in with her aunt and pulled some of her younger works out of storage for perspective before heading off on her own business with a few figurines of middling quality that she would touch up on site.
A gift of the Stasucto was their keen ability to recover even the most botched of works.
To date Ginger had never needed to throw away a failure; only store it and come back later with a more practiced eye, after more inspiration touched her. She refused the usual guard detail, no longer feeling the need for such things even in the worst parts of the largest city in Kanda.
Instead she shined herself up in the family bath, dressed up classy and decked herself out in the finest jewelery her aunt had stockpiled!
A Fine Red Tulo of good wool from the Ducky Isles paired well with a set of jade earrings that her father had presented her just days before. She was, in every way, a walking target as she strolled into one of the outwardmost "Flesh Districts."
Here state and private slaves alike were held and trained for various duties before heading off to the market districts or perhaps even other cities for sale.
While very little selling of people was done in these parts of town it was not unknown… and a young woman like her walking around so exposed and unprotected was like to never return home! … And yet it seemed she was an all too obvious trap.
A target, though she was, she was too good to be true in a place like this.
And so, without any trouble at all while she could FEEL the prying eyes from every alleyway and and corner, Ginger Stasucto strode forth with a sense of confidence.
… And just a twinge of disappointment. While the training sands of her favorite graduatia were underground, selenite windows allowed her to peer down with many other potential customers and spectators to the training.
She gazed with a few others at the men fighting below, hand gripping somewhat tighter at the case she'd carried with her the entire time; her training the last few months making it feel light even considering the contents. “Is that The Heir Of Stasucto, I See?!” The Familiar Voice of Abarus the Master reached her ears.
She turned to him and smiled arms parting as she kissed him on the cheeks and he returned the favor, “It’s so lovely to see you! How long has it been?” “Twenty Months, Almost to the date, Abarus.” She told the man with a warm smile, “I was barely a woman when we last met.” “Indeed! Is your father here, Miss Ginger?” "I'm Afraid Not. I'm here seeking my own line of interest.” she raised the case in her hand; a near modern piece of work she’d had one of her fellow Enbria work up a week ago for just such an occasion, though she hadn’t any idea at the time it would be needed so soon.
“Would you mind we take this inside?” She smiled knowingly. Of course, The Heir Of Stasucto couldn’t be turned down… not when her father’s works lined the halls as they did!
Soon enough they sat in Abarus’ personal chambers, one of his slaves serving her a delightfully hot spiced wine as she reclined by his fireplace and took the chill off.
“I must say, I’m very intrigued by your appearance.” Abarus offered, sitting across from her and reclining on his own lounging sofa. “Are those Jade Earrings I spy? Have you made some connection I’m not aware of, Miss Ginger?” the man chuckled flamboyantly, always a gem to chatter with. “Only a few. I’ve been very busy and my particular business promises to get busier every day… I didn’t want to deny you the chance to be involved.” She giggled girlishly, twirling her striking crimson hair with a finger as she sipped at her wine with the other. “After all, my Favorite School Of Graduatia has everything I need for this particular mission.” “Mission?” He chuckled, fixing her with a devilish gaze “A personal one?” “Very.” her tone straightened immediately at that. Abarus frowned at that sudden loss of humor, “Oh… I see.”
He quickly returned to smiling gently as he handed his drink off to a nearby slave, “I take it that this isn’t for mere entertainment, then.” it wasn’t a question… but an acknowledgment as he sat up and straightened his Timbo a bit. “I hadn’t thought you would call upon our services so soon after adulthood. There’s… someone you need gone?” That DID get her to laugh, a proper scoff that closed her eyes and leaned her back!
“Oh Gods No!” She waved a hand dismissively with a quick laugh, “No, no… fortunately not today but perhaps in a year or two after I’ve developed more enemies… for now my first lover is more than enough to fend off unwanted assaults.” The man relaxed a bit, a small grin as his hand went to his gut and he relaxed again. “Ho… Well, That much is a relief… What did you have in mind?” Ginger sat up and leaned against the side of her lounge, “You sell services AND goods.” She said wryly, “I would like to propose an exchange… Some goods, some services… for Stasucto products.” He rose an eyebrow, “I require… time with a Graduatu… but I’m… very particular.” He smiled. “I see… You ARE a woman grown now, Miss Ginger. But what makes you think that this is the sort of service that we provide?” He chuckled with a touch of mirth. She rolled her eyes, a frown evident on her lips, “As you say, Abarus… so don’t assume that I know so little of what happens in your complex… the stone of the caves may muffle the noise but I’m well aware what you were expanding toward when I was just a girl… Don’t treat me like I’m still one.” she leveled a gaze on him… testing him, “Or should I look to fulfill my needs elsewhere?” “Iii…” He cut in, hands up a bit, “I don’t think THAT should be necessary! We’ve never turned down a Stasucto, not for six generations… This school has worked with your father in particular for many years! No there’s no need to mar that record!”
He stood, waving his hands, “Please! Please! Come!” he gestured toward the door as her pursed lips loosened to a small smirk,
“I think you’ll find that we have a… more than proper selection! And, for you… we have only the best! I’ve got a particular set of good, strong men you’ll love! Generalist bodies, almost six feet tall! Small, genteel penises!” “I want something different.” She told him without standing, instead reaching to the case and setting it on the lounge. “I have a particular interest in a man… He is… nonstandard.” She fiddled with the lock as she spoke; turning the mechanisms a bit, “He is nearly perfect… but he is… endowed quite Darobia.” She explained, “At least so I’ve heard…” “My… so he is… very large then?” Abarus asked, a bit of blush on his own face as he put a hand on his chest. “My own rival claimed its size to such that she didn’t know what to do with it.” She pulled out a long, carved bit of stone… in obvious phallic shape… a comically large piece by the standards of any culture, really. “This… was an art piece… not for use… as you can imagine.” “Of course!” he smiled in good humor, stepping back toward her. “This is what I have to compete with…” The man blinked, seeming confused before realization was upon him!
He shook his head twice, reeling back with a few uncertain blinks and put his hand to his bearded face, “Gods, Surely there’s another way, Miss Ginger!” “Sadly Not!” She responded quickly, immediately… as though it hurt to have to admit it. “And the Heir Of Stasucto shall not be defeated in such matters.” “You’re joking!” “I don’t joke about my job…” “Is this… PART of your job?!” “It might become… though I shouldn’t need to mention–” “The secret lies hidden in these halls, Miss Ginger!” he cut her off!
“I find this all very exciting, personally!” He tittered with a tiny clap of his hands. “I need… to train for this.” she told him quietly “I would imagine so. I think I have a few men worth noting… do you have a starting point?” he inquired ALMOST gently. She cringed a bit, reaching into the padded case and pulling out something not even half the size she needed but still entirely comical in her culture, “This…” He laughed loudly, hand going to his mouth again, touching that hyper curly black beard, “By The Gods… You have been training enough by yourself, don’t you think?” he chuckled, waving her to the door as he stepped to it.
She blushed heavily as she stood and left the case behind, closing it first and spinning the locking mechanism.
“You're lucky… we have a few particularly large Darobia here! They’ve been training for the end of the year games.” “I imagined as much.” “Sadly, the slaves are less common now and we’ve been bringing in more freedmen to play roles BUT… I have a northern coldland daroba… he may work… and a man from the Band of Green!" he told her, walking just ahead of her with a bit of a bounce in every step. “They MUST be gentle…” She snapped!
“I’m NOT looking to get torn and I’ve already had a long day of riding…” She complained quietly...
“I want to relax…” she finished with a touch of grace. “Of course!” The curly haired Kandia giggled as he led her along toward the sound of fighting. Within the pits she and Abarus looked down at the many warriors going through mock combat and wrestling and the like.
She smiled as she stared down at the yard of several dozen hunky warriors tumbling, grunting, running, tousling and fighting.
From the spectator ring up top she could see many other women staring down with equally thirsty eyes; licking their lips as they sized up their prospective fun for the night or considered making a more… permanent purchase. Graduatia were the pictures of physical perfection, the ideal individual warriors bought and trained to put on glorious displays of athletic prowess and acrobatic skill.
Daily they were fed a unique mixture of spiced drinks to give them power and special porridges of barley and protein rich beans to keep them well nourished!
And here, in this particular school, there were special doctors that monitored each Graduatia diet individually to ensure each man was at the very top of physical form!
They were coordinated, obeyed commands well and were trained to leave shallow but properly bloody wounds which required incredible control to execute! And yet each and every one of their performances paled in comparison to her beloved…
What could be done?
Chahua was an engine of practiced destruction.
None of these men could compare to a woman trained in the literal womb…
Still, there was great attraction in it… in the sweating and bleeding of these pinnacles of masculinity and physical sculpting. She bit her lower lip as she stared down at a warrior taking a shallow cut to the side and spraying blood over the ground, grunting and returning to his enemy with a hardy tackle that sent them both tumbling into the sand.
Gently she fanned her face, the smell and heat of the fighting beneath her bringing a sort of warmth to the lowest portions of her belly that she couldn’t chase away.
“As you can see, we’ve expanded our rosters considerably.” Abarus boasted proudly beside her, “I’ve already signaled a slave to bring the two best options for you!” “I’ll… stay…” She said with a bit of a hitch in her voice, staring down at the men grappling in the sand, “Eh... For but a moment.” “Of course, Miss Ginger!” Abarus grinned behind her, wringing his hands. Some moments later, though she’d lost track of time, she sat on a stool in the selection room.
The men were before her… one a tall daroba from the far south… extremely dark skin and long body. Something about his legs she just couldn’t get past… a bit skinnier than she liked.
He had very handsome skin, though!
Shining and sleek and without blemish or many scars!
She could tell from the lack of cuts and scars that he was fast on his feet. Slowly she stood, walking to him and touching him about the body and head, opening his mouth and inspecting his teeth and breath, feeling the musculature of his arms and inspecting the liveliness in his eyes.
He was like a man made of cords underneath his flesh… with just enough fat to cover his bones but little more.
He had nothing of hair on his entire body, all save the tiniest hairs that grow on the skin of one’s arms; unnoticeable on the man from a distance.
She wondered briefly if they were feeding him enough or if, perhaps, his people simply had a hard time putting on fat due to the nature of their hot homeland… one needn’t carry so much weight in the heat, where bodies become slight and willowy. The other man was exactly the opposite in every way!
Fair skinned and covered in northern red hair from head to toe, he stood perhaps a few inches taller and was probably three times as wide in the shoulders; like two and a half men strapped together side by side and combined into one with some strange, yet undiscovered magic!
She could tell just by looking at him that his blood ran hot, his breath fogging into the cool air with every rise and fall of his gigantic barrel chest.
A red beard adorned his face as the sweat from his training glistened over the many ginger hairs that covered his flesh.
Beneath that ginger shag that covered his chest she could see many decent scars... all shallow but showy and beautiful!
His breath was fresher than the dark man’s breath… his teeth considerably better! But she was not there for breath and teeth… not more than tangentially…
“This one clearly sweats more AND has more blood, I can imagine…” “Yes.” Abarus quickly responded, “The Coldland Darobia, they have an abundance of flesh and blood, sweat often and carry the fat very well!” he explained to her quite academically, though both the slaves knew better than to speak if they felt any different.
“When well trained they may fight for hours thanks to their large lungs and hearts but they require much food and discipline, as they are prone to fits of rage…" He paused with a small sigh, "However, THIS ONE is not so aggressive as we’d like, it would seem…” “Is that so?” She wondered out loud, staring between each of their legs, comparing them. Both were quite large… though not at all what she needed to match up with The Bringer Of Fertility…
But it was a suitable starting point!
The Northerner was a bit larger, wider specifically, which she needed to work on.
She really couldn’t get over the southerner’s legs either… “This one is not so aggressive, you say?” She asked, running a finger over the northerner’s glistening chest, “Why?” “He does not say to me.” Abarus huffed at the question.
“But he lacks the same ferocity of his Darobia kin… He claimed once to be a craftsman and not a warrior but look at him.” he waves a hand,
“Obviously from warrior stock!” “All Northern Daroba look like that.” She giggled.
“I will use him today… If I like him I may buy him.” She smiled up at the man, who stared forward with dutiful intent. “Of course! Now, please… let’s take care of a matter of payment!” Abarus smiled, gesturing toward the door as she left the room leisurely. “Of Course! I’ve a very special work I’d hoped to give you, Abarus.” She smiled.
“Last time I was here you showed me a fantastic battle while my father was working on a statue for you.” “Oh goodness! Yes!” Abarus clapped his hands together with a singsong tone,
“Yes, The battle of Martiox against Entwinius! Sadly Entwinius died after honorable combat just months ago… a bad bleed, you see… his foe was untrained. We've commissioned a statue of him but there are few who can match the Stasucto skills and your father has been busy, as you know.” “Mmm… Such a shame. He was excellent.” she nods with a sigh as Abarus nodded solemnly.
A moment of silence among them as their footsteps echoed down the cavernous halls, “That being said… though it isn’t the quality of my own father… I’ve since made a statuette of that battle… I’d like to present it to you as payment for our business today… and to let you know how very happy I was to see the fight!" “Well, I’m sure that I’d be happy to consider it!” He smiled. “I’m sure you will!” Moments later they sat back in front of the fire together, sipping wine and chatting idly while Ginger slowly found her way to the case again. “I had this on the shelf for the last few months but recently I just HAD to get back to it!” she smiled
“And I’m so happy I did! The original was marble but I’ve opted to make this copy… With Jade!” She pulled forth the work… a green stone statue perhaps ten inches tall and just over a foot wide of the two men wrestling each other in full armor and weaponry!
One man, Martiox, tackled into Entwinius as the latter stabbed downward with a punching dagger to cut along the length of his foe’s torso.
“The mid-fight tackle! Oh, Such a beautiful moment! And Of Jade!”
The proprietor put his hands to his mouth, eyes welling up a bit.
As he spoke his breathy tone hitched a bit in his throat. “It’s… truly the successor to your father’s work, Miss Ginger! I really do mean it!” “Merely a trinket at this size.” She lamented, “But I'm sure you may still hold it in your office!” “Not at all, Miss Ginger!” He insisted as he stood up and waved his hands around excitedly before grabbing it and looking at it close, “I know JUST the place for it! How did you even get your hands on such a fine single piece?!” “Oh, I’ve been building my own resources since my coming of age, Abarus.” She giggled before sipping at her wine.
“I’m particularly attracted to a man who happened to find his way upon a Jade source… and his own benefactor owns the land.” “And here you are taking advantage of things like a proper businesswoman!” he sniffed.
“When I first met you I KNEW you’d be the true Heir To Stasucto! Your father must be so proud!” “He does mention it every now and then.” She smiled with a blush, her father's praises hardly ever ceasing.
“Regardless… I feel of late that I’ve outgrown the family legacy… I have the need to expand.” “As I can see!” He near-squeaked with excitement
“Well, anything you want to expand into with THIS Sort of craft and material I want to be involved with! As far as I’m concerned, you can keep him!” He chuckled
“No, but seriously, this is far more than any such slave is worth, you know!” “Oh, I’m well aware, Abarus...” She grinned almost darkly in the poorly lit slaver’s office, “And I DO hope that, when the time comes, you’ll remember that.” For half a moment he seemed uncertain… then chuckled almost nervously, “O-Of course.” “So!” She straightened back up, reaching out her glass, “If I like him he’ll be mine and we’ll have a LOT to look forward to in the future!” She smiled girlishly, head bobbing to the side girlishly to make her interlocutor more comfortable. He, in turned, chuckled a bit more genuinely, “Yes! Yes, of course! It’s ALWAYS a treasure doing business with The House Of Stasucto!” he toasted, clunking his cup against her own. Perhaps a half an hour later, after she was allowed to wash herself off again, she stepped into the rearmost chambers of the school.
Her property stood naked in the center of the room just as he had before… but this room was a chamber of finery and comfort; of cushions and a bed and fine furniture for reclining!
She stepped to the tall man as he stood still at the foot of the bed, smiling and running her finger along his chest.
“Talk to me... What’s your name?” She teased, not really caring. “Ulf.” He told her, a short ‘U’ that the Kandia did not really have. “Oolf?” She asked, teasing at his long red hair. “Ulf.” he corrected gently. “I’m told you claim to be a craftsman.” she noted “A carpenter… I make boats…” he told her as she walked around behind him and appreciated a scar across his back. “Boats or ships?” She asked, aware he may not be terribly capable with the Kandia tongue. “Both…” he said simply, “But I specialize in small craft… Boats.” “How long have you been in Kanda?” She asked, pushing him back onto the bed abruptly. As he fell back he looked up at her, tense but not hostile, “Three Years…” “Your Kandia is remarkably good for a Daroba only here for three years… Did Abarus afford you a tutor?” she asked him, looking down at him with a raised eyebrow “I already knew the language…” He narrowed his eyes at her, clearly not appreciating her rhetoric, “I’m a Vaennlandr… not a Daroba…” “Some clan from the north, I imagine?” She laid down beside him as he sighed and stared at the ceiling, “Tell me about the Vaennlandria.” “Vaennlandrs… People from Vaennland…” He turned on his side. “Sure… Vaennlandrs… Where’s Vaennland? Some powerful mountain holding in the Cold Lands?” she teased with a wry smirk, running her finger over a scar on his side. “The Daroba Coldlands… as you call them… That’s Vaennland… All of it. We’re one people.” “That isn’t what my father told me. He’s been as far north as the upper Salvin Territories. He says that it just breaks down beyond there.” She retorted, “Do you have some daroba king or something?” “Queen.” he corrected her simply, turning his head to her, “High Queen Thyrke Hex-Eye Himinndottir; The Questioner. Queen Of Kings. She’s a powerful woman who’s remained undefeated. United us ten years ago.” “She united the entirety of the Cold Lands?” She giggled a bit, running her hand slowly over his glistening chest, breathing in the scent of his masculinity.
They both knew what was to happen, clearly… but they at least had the good sense to loosen up about it.
Graduatia were celebrities in a sense.
She always wondered where the characters came from… the wild and fanciful constructs put in the sands for the amusement of others like herself.
Was it all an act or was there some truth behind the play? “By herself? Just a woman?” “Vaennlandrs don’t think of women like Kandia do. They can do anything they prove themselves capable of it, even lead.
In the north we need to be far more dependent on each other than you southerners.” he chuckled, the first real smile that he’d given her yet. “So how did you get here, then?” She grinned playfully. He paused... “There was a raid… I was fishing in the Glass Strait… got caught up in things between the two sides… My boat capsized and I had to swim for the shore… unfortunately it was for the southern island and I was taken in as a raider when I washed up like everyone else.” he shrugged, “Then into graduatia school.” “Hehe, and you expect anyone to believe that.” She teased. “Doesn’t matter if anyone believes it or not. I don’t lie.” he shrugged again as he relaxed and stared at the ceiling.
“Now they expect me to be a character… a lie…. I won’t be that. I am not the savage you think Vaennlandrs are. So I don’t have the… ferocity that Abarus desires.” “Perhaps that is to your advantage then… you are good with your hands as any craftsman would be? Do you know how to be gentle?” She stood from the bed, back to him as she approached the foot of it. “I’d like to think so.” He smirked. She untied her sash and her Tulo slid over her body seductively as it fell to the ground. “I need you to be… excessively careful… not only am I not fit for your size… I’m training for a much larger man…” She told him reluctantly...
It was almost painful to admit such a thing to a mere slave... but she was quickly learning that such thinking would soon be a dying breed... she had to think differently to survive the coming age.
“And revealing that information to anyone will have you killed… I’ll do it myself.” She was quiet but serious with that last bit… fingers running through her waist length hair gently. He chuckled, having himself won several dozen matches in his admittedly short time with skill and cunning.
Certainly he didn't believe she could overpower him, let alone kill him, “Of course you will.” “If you please me you’ll end up seeing exactly how capable I am… Until then…” She turned and smiled, crawling onto the bed with him again and slowly sliding her body over his own, taking in a deep breath through her nose.
His scent was intoxicating… the scent of a man who literally lived to train and fight… Physical perfection in the palm of her hand! In a sense this was what drew her to Chahua!
The girl was not a human but a weapon… a perfectly chiseled statue of a human being the likes of which needed to be immortalized!
And Ginger was the artist to do it!
She giggled huskily as she slid her body against the man, running her hands through his shoulder length mane of ruddy red! She was, after all, a woman grown!
… It was her right as a Daughter Of Partaneria to have something fun in the background; not held to the same societal expectations as other women her age!
Perhaps there could be a future at her side for this stranger! Marek had so many plans, after all!
There was always room for another pair of hands!
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