The next day actually wasn’t anywhere near as horrible as I’d imagined it to be. I’d imagined that arriving back at the pool, Alaina was going to relentlessly torment me once again, while Laulaia looked on indifferently, but that never happened. Instead, I got to spend a few minutes in my male form, while the girls kept to their Ritual of Seed and Soil, and then I was left alone to rest as a woman again, and rest, I did!
All day, all I did was sleep, as my mind needed the time to settle itself and heal from all the shocks and unnatural experiences it’d suffered recently. I’d always thought losing my wife was the hardest thing I ever had to deal with and accept in my life, but losing my manhood was just as devastating. Losing my freedom, even more so. My brain was frazzled, my emotions were raw, and unfortunately – thanks to the accidental command of Laulaia’s – I couldn’t even complain and gripe over the situation. All I could do is silently endure and pretend everything was honky-dory!
“Wake up,” Alaina ordered, nudging me slightly with her bare toes. “It’s almost time to go, and you need to eat something to keep your strength up.” As she handed one of our small concrete bowls down to me, with some sort of mushed oats or grain in it, the compulsion on the neck collar was forcing me alert and awake.
“Thank you, my lady.” Yawning, I leaned up – that was basically the only difference between how I slept and sat. Either way, I kept my knees wide and my ass on my ankles. The only difference was whether my torso was basically vertical, or horizontal, so all I really had to do was lean up and take the bowl, and I’d went from sleep-mode to sit-mode, in one tiny movement.
Eating the oatmeal, it was rather nasty. Whichever of the girls had prepared it, it was half-cooked, unseasoned, lumpy, and dry. For a change, I was rather happy to have an altered body, as in this case, it meant I didn’t have to eat much of the stuff before I was full. Once I’d finished forcing myself to gulp as much of the contents down as possible, I eased up and carried it into the pool with me.
Now, I won’t say I’ve gotten as addicted to soaking in the pool as Laulaia has, but I will admit, I find it to be a rather enjoyable experience. The magic in the water sooths sore muscles, untangles knots from a woman’s hair, and almost instantly removes any sort of dirt, grime, or stains from anyone, or anything, that dips in it. Honestly, when – or even if – I ever get to build myself a home in this world, I’d like to have it with one of these damn pools in it!
“Come on over here and have a seat once you’re finished.” Laughing lightly, Laulaia sat cross-legged on the ground and patted the floor in front of her. From the way she was smiling, it was apparent she was in a rather good mood.
“Of course, my lady.” Rather than make her wait – after all, I was really just indulging myself in the warmth tingle of the pool, rather than actually trying to clean myself in it – I eased up and swayed as sexily as possible over to her. No need to half-ass walking, just to ruin her good mood and maybe get myself in trouble!
Swish. Swish. Swish. I swayed my hips seductively from side to side, causing my breasts to rock back and forth gently as I slowly closed the distance between us. Stopping a few feet in front of Laulaia, I took a moment to arc back, stretching my arms high above my head, to openly display – and make myself available – before her. When Laulaia didn’t reach out to take advantage of the goods I was offering, I finally turned and assumed the proper sitting position in front of her, leaning back with my legs wide apart and my wrists comfortably resting on my ankles.
“If I had a good pair of scissors, I’d cut your hair.” Lifting the massively long locks between her fingers, Laulaia began to comb through them with the rough wooden comb I’d carved for her, at what felt like a lifetime ago. “Don’t get me wrong,” she laughed, lightly, “I think the long hair looks gorgeous on you, and it helps highlight you perfectly – like a natural cloak. It’s just I’m not certain that having such length is really something which you want, since you’re going to be running from the dead tonight.”
“Just make certain you don’t let any of them get close enough to grab it,” Alaina advised, making it sound so simple.
“I’m going to braid it, to help with that,” Laulaia said. “You and Shadow get all our gear ready, and then keep a watch out for any trouble outside. As soon as we’re finished, we’ll come up and join you, and if it’s dark enough by then for the boogermen to go inactive, we’ll head out and see if we can clear the dead tonight.”
“Certainly, my lady.” Alaina shuffled off to ready our packs and carry everything up the steps with Shadow right with her.
We sat in silence for several long minutes, with Laulaia brushing and braiding my hair, until she softly whispered, “I’m sorry,” from behind.
“My lady?” She’d spoken so quietly; I wasn’t entirely certain I’d heard her correctly at all.
“I’m sorry for the way Alaina’s been treating you,” Laulaia repeated, just a little louder than before. Was she trying to make certain Alaina didn’t hear her?
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
“It’s…” Unfortunately, the command to not complain kept me from venting the truth of my feelings to her. Sighing deeply, all I could ask was, “Why? Why is she being so harsh?”
“She has to,” Laulaia sighed, as she stopped running the brush through my hair. “Or, at least, she feels like she has to. The Lady of Life has warned us a little about what to expect once we arrive in the human lands, and I can’t protect but one of you. Alaina had suggested that we make you my personal guard, and let you remain in male-form to watch over me and keep from having to deal with the worst that the people have to offer, but I couldn’t do that. Not for the sake of the future,” Laulaia barely whispered. Her voice was shaking – was she crying?
“Sake of the future?” I didn’t understand. If there was some way where I could avoid being this type of lowly, common, plaything, I’m all for it!
“For the children,” Laulaia sobbed. “Alaina has been faithfully performing the Ritual of Seed for months now, fertilizing her soil so she can grow the strongest child possible. I can’t make her undo all that. I can’t make an innocent child suffer, or possibly grow weak or misformed!” Leaning up, Laulaia pressed her soft breasts tight against my back. Hugging me, her whole body was trembling.
That damn ritual! I’d make the whole damn thing up for my own pleasure and gratification, and now it was coming back to bite me squarely in the ass! Alaina couldn’t be a common slave, as Laulaia had to protect her from any man who might want to use her. And Laulaia, of course, couldn’t be a common slave, as she was the one who put the shackles on us and became our owner. I was trapped by my own damn lie!
“Do… Do either of us really have to be common?” Shock and guilt were rippling through my gut, making me glad once again for being altered as I currently was. At least I couldn’t throw up easily with my enhanced stomach!
“The people wouldn’t accept me with two personal slaves,” Laulaia sobbed, shaking her head slightly against my back. “They’re too expensive. Too many rules. Even a wizard like me wouldn’t easily be able to have more than one. We’d stand out too much, and would get into trouble. It’s just not possible,” Laulaia cried.
So no matter what, one of us has to be a cheap, common slave – and Alaina can’t be one because it’d harm the child she’s been preparing to have for the last several months. “Then can’t I simply be a male? I don’t need to stay a female, do I?” If I’m going to be tormented, I’d at least prefer to be tormented as a damnable man!
“Not with your size,” Laulaia sighed, trembling once more against me. “As a man, you’re so large, nobody would ever consider you to be anything less than a guard, and guard-slaves are counted amongst the special slaves. The only way you could be a man, is if Alaina becomes nothing more than a common slave-girl…”
…And she can’t do that, my mind finished for her. Feeling…. Simply overwhelmed – I honestly can’t decide if I’m shocked, or hurt, or dazed, or guilty, or embarrassed, or what the hell I actually am! All I can say is I was feeling completely shellshocked. I was stuck in this own situation thanks to my own selfish actions.
“Why? Why are they so harsh to the slaves? To the Daughters of Life?” My brain struggled to make sense of it all, and was coming up completely blank.
“Demons rule the land,” Laulaia whispered, squeezing me tightly. “It’s why there’s so few children of the other gods within the land, and why the Daughters of Life are beat down and so heavily trained. Over the years, demons have either moved directly into positions of power, or else they’ve taken control of those with power. Darkness rules over the whole land,” Laulaia shivered, obviously afraid, “which is why we can’t stand out and act any different than the people expect.
“We’ve got to blend in. Not make a scene. Survive the winter, and then work our way to the borders and out of the land once the spring thaw arrives. You won’t be able to take up your duties as Life’s Chosen, until we reach the next land over,” Laulaia sighed, tilting her head left and right, to wipe her tears in my hair.
“That’s why Alaina’s been the way she is. You have to be able to endure the rules of the darkness, without giving us all away. Truth is, she’ll probably even get harder on you, over the next few weeks,” Laulaia sighed. Slowly unwrapping her arms from around me, she leaned back and started to slowly braid my hair once again, as if nothing had just happened. “Alaina is trying to take all your hate, so you won’t blame me, but I’m letting her do it. It’s all my fault,” Laulaia snuffled, “so don’t be angry towards her. When this is all over, take your anger and hurt out on me. I’ll bare it all.”
Blame her? Blame Alaina? Blame Casper and this damn world! Demons controlling a whole kingdom?! All the people have been corrupted and became total asses?! There’s so much damn blame to go around, I wouldn’t know where the hell to start when it comes to assigning it! Hell, I’m even to blame for the current state of things, thanks to making up some stupid ritual just to get a damn blowjob!
All I could do is sit and brood in silence, as Laulaia slowly braided my hair and got it ready. “Stand up,” she finally commanded, “and stand with your legs wide apart.”
Great! Standing up, I assumed the first basic position of a jumping jack. Apparently, I haven’t been showing or making myself available enough while just waiting around!
Laulaia tugged my hair in the back, firmly pulling it down to my butt. A moment later, I heard a strange, “Click!”, and then she eased around to stand in front of me. If she’d been crying – as I was certain she had been – there wasn’t any sign of it visible upon Laulaia’s face, as she bent down and pulled the long braid up between my legs. With one smooth movement, she lifted it to the chain shackle attached to the belt around my waist, and fastened it in place there. Releasing the rest of the hair, it dangled freely in front of the shackle, hanging low like some sort of loin cloth in front of my legs.
My own hair had just become a pair of shorts and loin cloth for me!
“It’s not very fashionable,” Laulaia frowned, “but at least it won’t drag behind you, or get tangled in anything. It’s about the best I can come up with,” she admitted, biting her lower lip gently, “so you’re just going to have to deal with it.
“Now, help me just pull mine back into a nice long pony tail.” Turning her back to me, Laulaia stood still, while I tried my best to repay the favor. Long hair is a real pain in the ass! As a man, I used to enjoy seeing a woman with it, but not anymore. Now, I’m convinced – bald is beautiful!