I was extremely pleased with little one as we finally left my ship and headed out into the spaceport. Though she had been hesitant at first, she had responded extremely well to the petting part of her training and I felt we were growing closer already.
I was especially pleased at the way she’d allowed herself to be penetrated and filled by my candalla. The pleasure of coming in her hadn’t been as intense as it would have been if I had been using my cock and planting my seed in her belly, but a male Korrigon’s tail has many sensitive nerve endings and it was quite pleasurable for me, as well as for my candalla.
And from the way she had reacted, I thought it had been pleasurable for little one as well. Her breathing had been coming short and fast and her nipples had been tight when I stroked them. Her pussy had been wet even before my candalla had begun stroking his lubricant over her soft inner folds.
Speaking of that, I was going to have to keep an eye on my tail in the future, I told myself. He had grown extremely fond of little one much more quickly than I would have believed possible. In fact, he liked her so much that he continually sent signals, begging that we should breed her and fill her belly with new life. I had firmly explained to him over and over that little one was not a Sex Pet, but he seemed to want her to be one very much.
I had to admit, I had been wishing that myself. No matter how much I reminded myself that it was morally wrong to take a being with a lesser mind sexually, I couldn’t help feeling attracted to the curvy little Earth female.
The thing was, she didn’t seem mentally inferior. Oh, I knew she didn’t have the capacity to control machines with her mind or to look into the mind of another, the way I, as a Korrigon, could. But she was quick and witty and not afraid to stand up for herself—I valued all those qualities in a female.
She’s a pet—just a pet, I reminded myself sternly as I tightened my hold on her leash. It was adjustable with a length that could be extended quite far, but I was keeping it short, to have her near my side for now. I didn’t want to risk losing her in the spaceport.
F’too’sh Beta is safe enough as long as you stay in the main Great Hall area and just peruse the shops and stalls along its perimeter, but there are some very dangerous and dark alleys that lead off the Great Hall where not even I would like to go alone. Still, little one was safe enough as long as she stayed with me and I was happy to show her off.
She walked beside me, her eyes wide as she took everything in. She was wearing a clear rain sheath which she had begged from me before we set off from the ship—which I had at last, reluctantly provided.
“Please, Sir—I’m not used to being naked in public,” she had said, her big, brown eyes filled with pleading. “I know I’m just a pet and you think pets look ridiculous in clothes, but what if I get cold? I need something to cover me.”
I was reluctant to cover her lovely full curves, but I had at last allowed the rain sheath, which would shield her sensitive skin from any drafts. The covering showed her naked form fully while keeping her protected—I thought it was an excellent compromise, though little one had muttered under her breath when I put it on her. She was a sassy little thing at times—I ought to punish her for it, but I found I rather liked it.
Her need for covering did remind me that I would have to synthesize her some furs before we set foot on our next destination, O’nagga Nine. The Naggians had freezing temperatures across most of their world and lived in towers made of ice. Little one was too fragile to allow her on the surface of that world without plenty of protection. But for now, we would simply enjoy the spaceport together.
Though it was a primitive place, there was much to see at F’too’sh Beta. Worm-like Ya-Kat-Tee sellers shouted their wares and waved the colorful wands that made edible candy bubbles in the air on one side of the entrance to the Great Hall. (I stopped and bought a wand for little one, for the pleasure of watching her blow and eat the candy bubbles.)
On the other side of the entrance, a group of Slouthian traders hawked sex spices of all kinds and intensities. The Slouthians waved their twelve-fingered hands in the air appealingly, each finger coated with a different colored spice. It made for a lasting impression and it was only the beginning of the vast spaceport.
There were also members of many of the Twelve Peoples present—the humanoids whose planets had been seeded by the Ancient Ones, as they believed.
I saw Vorn warriors with their reddish skin and short, sharp horns talking to Braxians—a fierce people with blue hides and white-on-black eyes. Their horns were more like my own, curling back from the temples.
Standing in front of one stall that sold jewelry was a Majoran male haggling with the merchant. His skin was a pale green, but as I watched, it changed gradually to red—no doubt reflecting the moods of his mate, who stood quietly beside him, waiting for him to make a bargain for the pieces she wanted.
I shook my head at the sight—though I believe in the right of lesser creatures to live as they wish, Majorans are absolute slaves to their females’ least whims and desires. The color of their skin even changes to match their female’s moods!
It was far better, in my estimation, to act as we Korrigons did. When we found a female we wished to mate, we drew up a temporary mating contract and stayed together for only one year, unless we had a child. After the year was up, if no child was conceived, we were free of each other.
If the union did produce a child, the partners could choose to remain together, though most did not. They would each take part in raising their mutual offspring until he or she reached adulthood, though they were still free to leave the union at any time. It was a far better system than the one most of the primitive Twelve Peoples practiced.
“Oh—who’s that? I mean, what kind of Alien is he?” little one asked me in a low voice, as she pointed to the Cantor across the hall. He was spreading and flexing a pair of vast, deep blue, feathered wings which sprouted from his back as he tried out the new feather oil a dealer was trying to sell him.
“A Cantor—one of the Twelve Peoples—the humanoid species that populate your galaxy, little one,” I told her. “According to their legends, the Goddess of Mercy sent the Ancient Ones to spread their DNA throughout the planets, allowing new creatures to grow in her image. Your own Earth is the only Closed Planet,” I added. “Which is why you have never met any of the others who inhabit your galaxy.”
“Wow,” she breathed, still looking around her with wide eyes. “There are so many weird people here. I mean, so many aliens. But other than that, it’s kind of like a cross between a craft fair and an open-air farmer’s market.”
I didn’t know about the “open air” part. True, the vaulted ceiling of the space port was so high above us it couldn’t be seen, but the entire place was enclosed in a giant atmosphere dome, so the air was definitely indoors—though it was cleaned and recycled throughout the Great Hall continuously.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying the spaceport,” I said, smiling down at her. It was a primitive place, but the creatures here were all doing their best and living their lives. I felt strongly that they should be allowed to continue doing so—though my rival, unfortunately, felt differently. I only hoped the case that I made to Splendara the Third and Thirtieth would be stronger than his.
My candalla waved agreeably as I strolled along with my curvy new pet, enjoying the sights. He was sated for now but he would probably try creeping between little one’s thighs if I let her sleep with me again, as I had the night before. And if he insisted on filling her and coming in her again, it would doubtless ruin my sheets, I thought with a frown.
This reminded me that I wanted to buy her a pet bed. I could synthesize her one, of course, but I specifically wanted one from here—something she could remember her own galaxy by. Besides, there was a certain pleasure in the primitive action of haggling for goods and then paying for them, rather that just creating them out of thin air.
“Come, little one,” I told her. “I think there is a shop not far from here that sells warm, comfortable pet beds. You can pick whichever one you like.”
“Yes, Master.” She nodded agreeably and followed me docilely enough, walking beside me and a little behind me as though she had been leash trained all her life. I congratulated myself again on choosing a sentient pet to prove my point in Court. Little one was so intelligent that only half a day’s training had been enough to teach her most of what she needed to know to be a good pet—that spoke highly for her species.
Of course, I would need to show her a few more things about how to behave in the presence of Splendara the Third and Thirtieth, but I was confident she could pick up Court etiquette as quickly as she had picked up her other training.
We passed a few more stands—one selling flesh-eating plant life from Verberra Axios, where I was careful to keep myself between little one and the plants—and finally found the stand I had been looking for.
It was kept by a merchant from O’nagga Nine, our very next destination. Speaking to him on a previous refueling stop had made me decide to visit his home world and gather data on its inhabitants. He had the pale white skin and dark hair of his kind with distinctive slit pupils and glowing blue eyes that glittered in the overhead lights.
His name was Hs’lx and I liked him, despite the fact that he was from a primitive world—well, at least compared to my own. But then, every world is primitive compared to Korrigon Four.
Hs’lx carried a bit of everything in his stall. Behind him were rows and rows of merchandise of all kinds, from Fruberian chamber pots that collected waste and used it to fertilize fast-growing plants that grew honeybread-fruits for the user’s consumption, to Vornish blades, so sharp they were said to be able to slice a strand of hair in half lengthwise.
“Ah, Overlord!” he greeted me genially enough.
“Hello, Hs’lx.” I nodded at him. “I’ve come back to see you again.”
“And it’s glad I am that you have, your Honor,” he said, grinning widely enough to show the sharp, curving fangs in his upper teeth. Have I mentioned that the Naggians need to drink the blood of others to survive? This trait makes them fearsome to some, but they are quite civilized about it—at least according to Hs’lx—and only drink from willing donors or Blood Whores, who offer a sip of their life-essence for a price.
“And who’s this lovely little creature?” he said, nodding at little one, who was looking up at him with big eyes. Naggians are not as large as my own people, but they are only about a head shorter than we are, which is quite large by the standards of their universe.
“This is my new pet, little one,” I introduced her. “Little one, say hello—this is Hs’lx, a friend of mine.”
“Hello,” little one whispered, looking up at him shyly.
“She’s a lovely one, she is, your Honor,” Hs’lx remarked, surveying her with a nod of approval.
“Thank you—she’s still in the training stage but I’m very pleased with her,” I told him. “She’s a Pure One from Earth—the planet at the far end of the fifth spiral arm that was a Closed world for so long,” I added. “I’ve been told she’s a La-ti-zal—a female with special powers.”
Hs’lx looked suitably impressed.
“A Pure One La-ti-zal? You have excellent tastes, Overlord. Expensive ones too,” he added, eyeing little one with fresh respect.
“I have my standards,” I said shortly. “Little one was simply the best pet shown to me by the Commercians. The moment I saw her, I knew I had to have her.” I looked down at her fondly and stroked a hand gently over her silky fur. I loved the ways it grew so long it was halfway down her back.
The women of my own world tend to keep their hair extremely short. They look, in fact, very like men, with broad shoulders and nearly flat chests. This reminds us that the two sexes are equal in every way, but it was also possibly the reason why I had been drawn to little one with her long fur and her ripe curves and big breasts. She was so different from a woman of my own world—so much smaller and more delicate and much curvier.
“Your new little pet is a rare beauty. But have you visited my home world yet?” Hs’lx asked, raising an eyebrow at me. “For I know you said it was on your agenda while you were in our humble little galaxy.”
I shook my head.
“Not yet—it’s my next stop. I’m only here to refuel.”
“Oh, well in that case, you’d best get your little pet a set of warm winter furs,” the Naggian merchant told me. “You’ll need some outer furs, of course, to cut the blasts of the wind but you’ll also need some thin, ultra-soft inner furs to hold her body heat in. Not to mention a fur hat, boots, gloves, face coverings—”
I could see the wheels in the Naggian merchant’s head turning, calculating how much he could charge me for all this merchandise and I quickly shook my head.
“I’m afraid I already have everything that is necessary to bring little one to your home world with me, Hs’lx. Though I do need a nice, warm pet bed for her to sleep on at night.”
“Oh, well if it’s a pet bed your Honor desires, I have many to choose from!” Hs’lx said, quickly pivoting when he scented a possible sale. “If you’ll come over here to this side of the stall,” he added, motioning. “I have a nice selection of cloud-fiber beds, right beside the Vornish blades. “Do be careful with those, little lady,” he added, speaking to little one who was staring with interest at the displayed blade.
It was sitting on a stand on the counter of the stall, gleaming the deep silver-blue of true Vornish steel and the blade was up, the better to show the fine cutting edge of the weapon.
“That there is sharp enough to slit a strand of hair in two lengthwise,” Hs’lx assured her. “Just take a strand of your own hair and try it, why don’t you? Keep yourself busy while your master and I look at the beds.”
“I’ll want little one to choose her own bed,” I said firmly.
“Yes, but let me show you what I’ve got first, your Honor,” Hs’lx objected. “Your Honor wouldn’t want to give your pet too many options—it might overwhelm her brain.”
“Little one is very intelligent,” I objected. “However, lay out your wares—I’ll see what you have before she chooses one.” I looked down at my pet. “Do you wish to see?”
“In a moment, Master,” little one murmured. “I know I should be kneeling in abeyance by your side, but can I just look at those shiny little toys for a minute? They’re fascinating.”
I saw she was pointing to some bimble-stax—ingenious little building blocks that changed color and shape constantly as you built with them. A builder with a knack could build quite a tall tower with them—if they could fit them together before they all changed shape. I’d had a similar set myself, when I was a boy.
“All right,” I said indulgently, playing out a bit more leash so she could walk around to look at the bimble-stax. “I’ll call you when we have some options.”
“Thank you, Master,” she said, ducking her head obsequiously.
“And you,” I added, to my candalla, which had curved around and was pointing in her direction. “Pay attention and help me choose the right sort of bed for little one. She can’t sleep with me every night or you’ll ruin my sheets!”
Reluctantly, my tail retreated and pointed in the direction of the counter where the Naggian merchant was laying out his wares.
Hx’lx first brought out a big pile of round, furred pet beds…but then he brought out another pile of rectangular ones that had pillows attached. A third pile had comfort foam inserts that were supposed to be good for your pet’s spinal support and a fourth pile had special fabric which wouldn’t stain, even if your pet had an accident—something I had no fear of with little one, since she had taken to using the facilities so quickly.
Many people might have been dismayed by the number of beds to choose from, but variety of choice is yet another thing I love about the primitive practice of shopping. It gives one scope for the imagination. No matter which bed little one chose, I would now have every other kind stored in my memory. So if she didn’t like the first one she had chosen, I could simply use the Matter Synthesizer to make another like one of the ones on display for her to try.
I confess, I got very involved in the process of finding just the right pet bed. I had to feel and examine each kind, committing them to memory so I could reproduce them later if I chose to. Hs’lx also had much to tell me of every single kind of available bed—and some he claimed he could order for a future sale, if I chose to ever come back to his stall. He pulled up digital catalogs on his tablet of wares and we discussed the various merits of every one.
Of course, colors and patterns had to be considered as well, which took even more time, but at last I was satisfied. When I had finally found a selection I thought little one might like to choose from, I turned to ask her opinion.
“The pink one with a cloud-fiber cover and the comfort foam core seems the best to me,” I said, as I turned. “But if you would prefer a different—”
I stopped, the words dying in my throat.
A heap of multicolored bimble-stax lay on the counter where little one had been. And when I grabbed for the leash—which I had fastened to my belt—I found it had been cut, severed as neatly as a surgeon might sever a vital artery. But of little one herself, there was no sign.
My pet was gone. She might be anywhere in the wide, dangerous spaceport and wherever she was, she was all alone.