Chapter 8
CHAPTER 8
Aefre
When we board the Luminous Arc , my second is there to meet us.
Kaelin’s gaze goes beyond me and Wild One. “Where’s the other one? The good one.”
“We only have Wild One and not enough UCs or time to buy another at another auction.”
“This one?” Kaelin says pointing at her. “We can’t take her on as a show pet. She’ll be disqualified for biting the other pets.”
“We have no choice, Kaelin. We will have to train her , but just imagine if we can pull this off, it’ll be our greatest achievement yet.”
Kaelin looks at me in disbelief. “You think she’ll rise from the bloody ashes?”
“I think,” I stress my words, “If we can train her, she’ll be the best pet we’ve ever had. She’s beautiful, clever, strong, and brave.”
“All I see are those nice white teeth,” he says, not convinced. “She’s dangerous.”
“Only when provoked.”
Kaelin shakes his head. “One male lost his penis and a good female went out an airlock. This one’s lethal.”
“I don’t know what happened with the other female pet. She might not have been right in the head.” I pat Wild One. “This one on the other hand might have just been unlucky in her captivity with the Octopods.”
Kaelin sighs, resigned. “Well, we can start by making her hair all one color. She won’t win any competitions looking like this.” He spreads her legs apart and, surprisingly, Wild One obeys and he rubs a hand over her fur and parts her nether lips. “At least she’s attractive. Her labia is even,” he says as he runs a finger over her. “Good lubrication.” He brings his finger to his lips and sucks. “Not bad, but has a tinge of Octopod filth. She must have been on their ship for at least a month if not more.”
“They reported two weeks so we can double that,” I say, evaluating her hair. “We shouldn’t hide her. We should let her reputation precede her. Dye all of her fur to match the ombre violet and pink of her hair.” I run my fingers through the vibrant ends, as soft as silk. “We should indulge her wildness. Then we can say we tamed Wild One from the Abyssal Nexus.”
“If that’s how you want to play it...”
“It is,” I say decisively. As I remove the muzzle from her face, I notice it’s partially undone. Someone from the Abyssal Nexus human play area must have tampered with it—perhaps a pet who could read enough Octopod to meddle. A mistake on my part; I should’ve been more vigilant. What damage could she have done if it had been removed entirely?
“Get the collar,” I order.
While Kaelin retrieves her pet collar, I grip Wild One tightly. When he returns, I steady her head with both hands, my thumbs pressing gently against her ears as Kaelin attaches the smooth, metallic collar.
The moment the collar connects to her neck, Wild One screams—a raw, piercing sound. She claws at her throat, her panic unmistakable as the collar syncs with her nerves and brain stem.
“Good human,” I murmur in Imperial, trying to infuse my tone with reassurance, though it does little to calm her.
She thrashes, desperation written across her face.
I tighten my grip as Kaelin begins the synchronization of her collar to our rings. The device lights up, displaying her vital signs in a shifting metallic purple.
Kaelin finalizes the connection, and our rings glow in unison. Then, without warning, he administers a full-body punishment.
Wild One convulses in my arms, her muscles contracting violently as she screams silently.
“You will learn, human,” Kaelin says coldly. “Obedience is survival here.”
“That’s enough,” I say sharply after a few seconds.
Kaelin reluctantly ends the punishment.
We hold eye contact. I don’t need to tell him I thought that punishment was unnecessary. So I let the feeling hang between us for a few seconds.
He breaks the silence by asking, “What are we going to call her? Wild One? It’s a bit of a mouthful, and 427-B is uninspired.”
I study her. “Tell me, Wild One, what do you call yourself?”
Her green eyes meet mine, but she’s silent. Clearly she doesn’t understand, how could she?
I point to Kaelin and say his name. Then, I point to myself and say my own name. Finally, I point to her and ask her her name. I’ve done this a thousand times with a thousand humans. Most of them understand on the first try.
Wild One straightens her shoulders and then says, “Briar.”
It’s unfamiliar and uses a human combination of sounds that I don’t like. “No,” I say, my voice laced with finality. “That won’t do.” I don’t explain to her because it’s fruitless without Imperial, but I speak my thoughts out loud for Kaelin and myself, “No, Wild One, you’re a fire contained, smoldering in the ashes of what you once were… Ash. That’ll be your name.”
Kaelin looks at me. “You don’t think it’s too obvious. Ash and Ember?”
“Not at all. I think it suits her. Look at her,” I turn my gaze towards Wild One and point to her. “Ash. You are now Ash.”
She blinks, quiet for a moment before she replies in her human language—a phrase I don’t understand because I turned off my external translator, but her tone makes her meaning clear: I have a name and it’s Briar.
“I don’t understand you,” I say bluntly. “You must learn my language. I will not speak or listen to yours. Human languages are a weakness, a disease that slows the mind and leads to insanity.”
“Briar,” she says again, proudly, pointing to her chest.
“Ash,” I repeat, pushing her back with a calculated gesture.
“Briar,” she insists.
“Ash.” I raise my ring and press it, sending an intense wave of pain through her body. I watch as she writhes. “Names reflect truth,” I say coolly. “You may cling to your old one, but in time, you will see the truth in mine. Ash is your name.”
When the punishment ends, she slumps in my grip. I point to her chest again. “How are you called?” I ask and then point to Kaelin, and say his name, and then I point to her.
She hesitates, then whispers hoarsely, “Ash.”
I touch my ring again, and she flinches, expecting more pain. Instead, I flood her system with endorphins, watching as confusion replaces her fear.
“Ash,” I repeat softly, allowing the word to settle over her. She understands now. I can issue both pleasure and pain.
I turn to Kaelin. “Feed her and have her washed. I’ll keep her in my quarters in the normal way.”
“Don’t you worry she’ll bite you?”
“No. She’s behaved no differently here than most other fresh pets. Unless I see any deviation, I’ll consider what happened with the human male on the Octopod ship an anomaly. No doubt brought on by how Octopods keep humans. Perhaps that’s what Yellow One was suffering from too. Such a pity.”
“We should never buy pets from Octopods.”
“No kidding,” I agree. I pet Ash between her legs. Her fur is slightly wet from Kaelin’s stroking and I assume from our little disagreement about her name. This bodes well. Humans who are aroused by domination make for excellent show pets. I look into Ash’s curious green eyes and say, “We saved you Ash, and now we’re going to make you a champion show pet.”