Ardaan-kel

The morning had come and Tyra and Lila were being led through the desert once again. The cold that grasped their nude skin was a distant dream as the scorching heat returned to ravage their bodies. Their naked forms covered in sweat with rapid speed as they felt the tug of their collars forcing them to put one foot in front of the other, endlessly exerting effort to march through the beating of the searing sun.

Tyra looked forward, squinting at the brightness of the sky. As her vision cleared, she saw beyond her captor riding his mount a great structure that stuck out of the monotonous desert horizon. A great walled city, made of pale and beige stone. Towering out from behind the walls were great square buildings with dome roofs reaching up to the blue sky.

“Welcome to Ardaan-kel, slaves,” said Axrogol.

As they got closer, Tyra and Lila could hear clamoring coming from the city like great crowds bustling through crowded streets. It was clear to them that the city was bursting with citizens, likely as the only sanctuary in the middle of the vast desert. This made both of them more nervous.

“Uh, mister?” said Lila meekly, “I don’t suppose we could ask for… something to wear now?”

“I believe you know the answer to that,” said Axrogol.

“Come on!” said Tyra, “Aren’t you trying to sustain our purity or something? This is going to attract attention!”

“I only care for the purity of your cunts,” said Axrogol, “As far as your modesty is concerned, I couldn’t care less! As for attention, that’s a good thing. Let all look upon the prizes I caught for my queen!”

“Please, you can’t walk us through a city stark naked!” said Lila, “We’ll do whatever you want, just please throw us a rag at least!”

“I don’t think I will,” said Axrogol, “You can thank your large-breasted friend for that. She killed one of my men and because of her wanton body I had to kill another. Both of you will be displayed naked for the city as a fitting punishment!”

“That last one wasn’t even my fault!” said Tyra.

Axrogol ignored her and instead gave a sharp tug to the chain leash. Tyra and Lila lurched forward, pulled on towards their humiliating fate. Tyra fumed and Lila sniffled as they were made to march onwards to the city in nothing but their birthday suits.

Meanwhile, Angelica and Athalia stumbled through the desert at a safe distance behind. The two of them looked up and saw the city. Both awed at it for a moment, thankful for any place of refuge from the desert.

“Finally!” said Athalia, “Bet you the other girls didn’t find this place so easily!”

“I just feel bad for Tyra and Lila,” said Angelica, “Will they really be **** to walk through the city naked?”

“Oh right, I suppose you can empathize, can’t you?” said Athalia.

“Shut up!” said Angelica, “It’s not like you haven’t been in the same situation before!”

“Maybe, but I’m not making a habit of it like some others I know,” said Athalia.

“Gods above,” said Angelica, “Forget it. Let’s just keep our distance until we’re past the gates. Then maybe we will try to blend into the crowds.”

The two girls maintained distance as the newly made slaves arrived at the walls. The gates of the city were almost nonexistent. It was simply a great and empty archway through which anyone could enter. A couple guards were posted at the entrance, but they didn’t so much as move a muscle as new people approached the gate. Axrogol held his head up proudly as he rode into the city. Lila and Tyra felt dread in their hearts as the noise of crowds became the loudest. This dread came to a head as they passed by the archway and officially entered Ardaan-kel and saw droves of people before them.

They were led through a busy marketplace. Stalls were set up before sandstone buildings selling all sorts of wares. Food, weapons, and armor could all be seen with their own stalls. But what caught Tyra and Lila’s eyes the most were the fact that many stalls sold slaves. Luxurious tents had girls in beautiful silks dancing exotic dances for eager customers. Others had strong and hardy men in chains with angry men in fancy clothes haggling for their usefulness in mines. Many more stalls had somber looking girls in rags, merchants showing off their qualities, breaking down the parts of their bodies like objects. The whole thing looked terrifying to both girls, but men and women roamed the marketplace like it was completely normal. That is, until they caught a glimpse of Tyra and Lila.

Tyra grumbled as people started gathering around them, grinning as they got eyefulls of their nudity. Lila closed her eyes, hoping she could ignore them all but could still hear their mocking laughter all around her. With their hands chained up, they could do nothing to hide their private parts from the hordes of strangers, nor could they keep their sizable boobs from jiggling with each step, something that delighted the onlookers even more. Both girls blushed furiously, begging that it’d be over soon.

“New slaves from the desert?” a man from the crowd called out, “How much for them?”

“I’ll pay a thousand fangs for them!” said another man.

“Enough, rabble!” said Axrogol as he rode, “These prizes are for the devil queen!”

The crowds seemed to back up a bit, no one wanting to be seen touching the girls. However, their stares remained just as intense to the dismay of both of them. After what felt like an eternity of their naked bodies being under the gaze of the whole city, Tyra and Lila were walked up to a great palace at the center of town. Its walls were beautifully ornate with banners hanging down bearing the sigil of a blank face with two horns. Small vines and other greenery hung over the walls, implying the existence of beautiful gardens inside. Two guards wielding lances stood at the front gate, a pair of great doors made of wood. Axrogol dismounted his lizard and approached, tugging the naked girls behind him.

“I have returned!” said Axrogol, “Let me in and inform the devil queen that I have worthy trophies for her collection!”

“Welcome back, master Axrogol,” said a guard, come on in.”

He opened the door, where inside there were two more guards who nodded and stood by to let the trio pass. Axrogol chuckled as he pulled his two prizes into the palace. Tyra and Lila looked up at the ceiling as they entered, feeling shade pass over them for the first time since entering this world. And yet it brought them no comfort, only the unceasing anxiety of what awaited them inside.

***

As they saw Tyra and Lila led inside the city, Angelica and Athalia rushed for the entrance, eager to be within civilized borders. For a moment, Angelica worried that the guards might stop them from entering , but like they did for the man who had captured her friends, the guards did not budge as the two of them passed under the archway. Angelica looked surprised.

“The guards don’t seem too bothered with security,” said Angelica.

“Perhaps we simply don’t look like threats,” said Athalia.

Angelica questioned that logic, but didn’t worry over it. She wanted to continue following Tyra and Lila to see where they would go. It didn’t take long for Angelica to look ahead and see the crowd that had gathered around to ogle her two friends’ nudity. She cringed as unpleasant memories of her own naked adventures of the past few days came rushing back to her. She tried to distract herself by looking elsewhere, but was met only with the endless stalls of **** merchants. This was not a pleasant view for her either.

“What in the hells?” said Angelica, “How can the people of this city walk past slavery like it’s no big deal?”

“Different world, different culture,” said Athalia, “Besides, we had slavery in our world too.”

“Maybe in the land of shadows, but not in any good place!” said Angelica, “Any place not filled with demons or orcs had the right sense to ban slavery!”

“Hate to break it to you that your morals aren’t shared by every world,” said Athalia, “Besides, you never know. Maybe some of the slaves enjoy their lives here!”

“How can you say that?” said Angelica.

Angelica looked around her in disgust. The fact that she was surrounded by people selling other people like livestock made her sick to her stomach. But within her glances she caught sight of a dancing girl on sale at a **** stall. The girl met her eyes with a feisty glance, reached down to the silks covering her breasts, and tugged them down for a moment to flash her nipple at Angelica. Angelica became flustered immediately, not knowing what to do.

“Looking around?” said the dancer, “Don’t bother with the ‘exotic’ sad sacks down in the square. Their sellers will tell you they come from far off lands and don't know the common tongue. In truth, they were desert trash the merchants stumbled across and they don't speak because they're too shy. A **** with a working tongue is far more useful. Buy me instead.”

“What?” said Angelica, “You’re a ****! Why are you selling yourself?”

“My owner, the man who sells me, is awfully busy most of the day,” said the dancer, “So I have to make do marketing myself!”

“Well, aren’t you an obedient little **** then!” said Athalia.

The dancer giggled. Angelica flashed Athalia an angry look before turning back to the **** girl.

“Listen, we need your help,” said Angelica, “Please tell us where that bald guy is taking those girls. If you do, maybe we can help free you!”

“Free me?” said the dancer, “Why would I want that? I’m quite happy where I am.”

“What?” said Angelica, “But you have no freedom! They’re selling you like cattle! How can you be okay with this?”

“Freedom is overrated,” said the dancer, “I am fed, clothed, and housed. On top of that, there is a pleasure in service, don’t you think?”

“Maybe for slaves like you,” said Athalia, “Some of us are born with greater purpose!”

“You are wearing a lovely dancer’s outfit!” said the dancer, “And those horns, are they real?”

“Of course they are!” said Athalia, “For a **** you do have an eye for the qualities that make women like me of higher standing!”

“Wow, just like the devil queen herself!” said the dancer.

“Devil queen?” said Angelica, “What devil queen?”

“She lives in the palace at the center of the city,” said the dancer, “That’s where the bald man is going too. Axrogol, he is called. A blood mage in The devil queen’s service. She is the most powerful person in Ardaan-kel. I thought you were one of hers too given the horns.”

“Hmm,” said Athalia, “Well, good job, ****. And good luck whoring yourself out some more. Let’s go!”

Athalia grabbed Angelica by the wrist and dragged her away from the **** girl who continued dancing without care. Angelica was caught off guard by the sudden tugging.

“What are you doing?” said Angelica, “If you have some plan, leave me out of it! I can still help that poor girl!”

“Oh please,” said Athalia, “I told you once and I’ll tell you again: I’d gladly leave you to **** by naivety but I have a plan that you need to be part of.”

“And how am I supposed to trust you?” said Angelica.

“Trust that I want to make some damn progress!” said Athalia, “We’ve been walking through the desert for close to a whole day by now. I’d like for us to move forward with completing this challenge and getting out of here. And don’t you want to save your friends, girls who actually want to be saved? Do you have your own plan to get to them?”

Angelica hesitated. “You have a plan to get them?”

“I do, and unless you have another, I don’t think you have any option but to follow my lead,” said Athalia.

Angelica pulled away from Athalia. Athalia wanted to see if this was a dramatic gesture showing that Angelica would follow her of her own will. Angelica simply stood in thought. She still wasn’t sure if going off on her own would be better now that they were in a city. But everything was so different and new here. The rules weren’t the same. As much as she hated to admit it, she had been foolhardy this whole time and she no longer knew if it would work out for her. Athalia approached her.

“Aren’t you the one who wants us to work together?” said Athalia, “The one who wants us to stay true to each other and trust? Don’t you give speeches about how trust goes both ways? Now’s the time to show you weren’t lying when you spoke like that. Like it or not, I am your teammate right now.”

Angelica sighed greatly. She knew she was right. None of the other girls were here, and even they were losing faith in her. She had to show that she was the leader she claimed to be, one who could trust in her team, even when that team was just Athalia. She looked her in the eyes.

“Alright,” said Angelica, “What’s your plan?”

Athalia smiled. “Come with me.”

The two of them walked to the center of the city. There they caught sight of the great palace with the banners bearing devil heads on them. It couldn’t be clearer that this was the place where the devil queen they had heard about resided. They also came just in time to see the lizard the bald man named Axrogol was riding being led by a boy to nearby stables and Tyra and Lila’s plump butts disappear behind closing gates.

“There they are,” said Athalia, “Now, I’m sure that small brain of yours can imagine that approaching violently will end in disaster for us. You only have that sword and they outnumber and outarm us. So, we’ll need to approach diplomatically, and I know how. First, drop that sword of yours.”

“Are you sure?” said Angelica, “If things go south this is all both of us have to defend ourselves.”

“I understand that I’m endangering both of our lives,” said Athalia, “But one blade will hardly make a difference if we screw up. Since it doesn’t matter anyways, it’s better to present ourselves as harmless to increase the effectiveness of our diplomacy. So drop the sword if you want to get your friends out unscathed!”

Angelica groaned. She hated being unarmed in a place like this, but she had to admit that Athalia made a good point. Plus, even if she could fight through them, she risked putting Lila and Tyra in danger because of it. She unbuckled her sword from her belt and let it drop to the floor with a clang.

“Excellent,” said Athalia, “Now follow along and let me do the talking.”

Athalia walked up confidently to the two guards at the gate. Angelica followed behind, keeping a blank face to feign confidence as her heart beat faster and faster. The guards perked up and readied their lances as they saw the two ladies approach.

“Halt!” said the guard, “Who goes there?”

“Can’t you see the horns?” said Athalia, “You stand before a true devil!”

“Wait,” said the guard.

The guard paused as he observed Athalia a bit more closely. He tapped on the gates, which opened immediately. But instead of the girls being let through, the other two guards on the inside came out and walked around behind them, surrounding them. Angelica looked around nervously. Athalia maintained a proper posture and smile. A guard from behind grabbed one of her horns, which made Athalia lightly slap at his wrist.

“Hey, no touching the horns, ingrate!” said Athalia.

The guard let go of the horns and turned to the others.

“They’re real,” he said.

“Interesting,” said the first guard, “Why do you come here?”

Athalia looked around at the men who surrounded them. She had hoped to diffuse them a bit more with her appearance but it seemed that they were still being quite aggressive. But she didn’t worry. She still had a plan to calm them down.

“As a fellow devil who is a queen, I wished to speak to your lady and negotiate, as it were,” said Athalia, “One monarch to another. One horned lady to the next. You know how it is!”

“Is that so?” said the guard.

“Of course!” said Athalia, “And in case you doubt my intentions, I bring you a gift!”

“What gift?” asked the guard.

“This **** girl right here!” said Athalia, gesturing to Angelica, “Please take her as a token of my gratitude!”

Angelica’s eyes went wide as she turned to Athalia.

“What?” said Angelica.

The guards all looked at Angelica. They scanned her up and down as they clearly showed interest in her body and face. Angelica felt uncomfortable from the piercing stares, and more **** than ever without her weapon. The first guard scratched his chin.

“Very well, devil girl,” said the guard, “We’ll take you to see the queen. You two, take the pink haired **** to be cleaned!”

The two guards behind them grabbed Angelica around her arms, restraining her. It set in Angelica’s heart that this was really happening, and she began kicking and pulling against them to no avail. The other two guards started leading Athalia further into the palace.

“Athalia!” yelled Angelica, “What in the hells is this? You said you were gonna help us!”

The two guards handling Angelica led her down a separate doorway in the palace’s entrance hall, one that led to stairs that descended into a dungeon.

“So, are we giving her to Axrogol?” said one of the guards holding her.

“Of course not!” said the other, “Axrogol got the devil queen two bitches already! And you know he’d just give this one away to her as well. We barely get any! No, we’re keeping this one for ourselves!”

Angelica’s shouts faded away as she was dragged down deeper. Athalia chuckled, happy but not surprised that the foolish hero fell for her schemes. Of course, she had only worked with her up to this point in case she could use her in an opportunity like this. Now that her use had expired, Athalia could go on and do things herself. And once she found out more about this devil queen, she could get herself in a far more favorable position in this new world. That would be one hell of an advantage in the competition.