Two Families and a Contract
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Thentis -- On the crest of the snowy mountain foothills where blackwine beans are cultivated and hoarded away from the mainstream of the rest of the Gorean cities, there lived a metal worker Athos and his companion, and their five sons. His reputation at the anvil was legendary, as was his friendship with his sidekick and cohort,Larus, who had worked the forge with him tirelessly for a good nine decades. The two men were inseparable.
Vedric was born third to Athos and his companion. And interestingly was his father's favored son. During his youth, a pact was made between the two elder men, that would join Vedric and Larus' only daughter, Neva, in contract. In those youthful years prior to Neva's puberty, she was tormented often by Vedric. The common kind of torments that young boys often visit upon young girls -- he cut all the hair off one side of her head. Set her dolls on fire. Peeked under her skirts on more than one occasion. And tied her to a tree and left her there for an entire day, until the girl's mother had come looking for her.
Years later, Athos had been in an unfortunate accident in the forge, that had left a good portion of his flesh burned beyond recognition. And as the elder man lay dying in bed, he made his favorite son swear on his honor that the contract with Larus' daughter be fulfilled. It was out of love for the old man, that Vedric swore it. And just before he passed on, the joining ceremony took place in the home of Athos. All the friends and relatives had gathered, for the joining...... and later the pyre. Larus mourned the passing of his comrade, as he welcomed his new son-in-law.
Already however, Vedric had developed a taste for slave flesh at the local paga dens. And a reputation for being as charismatic as he was ruthless when using the flesh of such sluts. Once he'd grown used to having women kneel at his feet and pay homage as though he were Ubar, he would never again wish to compromise and allow a woman to keep her dignity intact.
Neva only suspected this of him. But had never been confronted with it. On the night of the joining, he'd taken her to his chambers and fed the young woman much too much ka-la-na, until she passed out cold. She would awaken the next morning and not recall a thing. Vedric however, had slipped out into the night, and done his business with a slut in some dank alley.
For a year this went on -- Vedric's avoidance of Neva. While the two families expectantly awaited the birth of offspring, never to come. He either drowned himself in work at his father's forge, picking up the slack after the old man's death. Or he was constantly off engaged in some raucous entertainment with other fellows at the paga dens. Eventually he'd stopped being discrete about this and as Neva's bitter complaining became too much, he left his Home Stone altogether in search of a new life. One in which the constant temptation to defile Neva so wholly didn't constantly loom over his head. How could a man face his dead father's best friend, having turned his only daughter into a paga-hot sex slave? How could one dishonor two entire families that way?
Year after year like clockwork, Vedric made the journey to Thentis. And year after year it was Neva's desire to renew the contract, per her father's wish. It had been Vedric's father's last wish as well. And year after year, Vedric signed yet another renewal before heading back to Ar amidst the unspoken disappointment of Larus. Someday, he'd come to his senses. He was still young, afterall (at 150 years old!), and needed to sow his wild oats. Someday there would be offspring, solidifying the caste of metal workers in Thentis, and forever binding a pact made between two old men. Someday......... And this is what Larus wanted to believe.
Neva however, was simply jilted. Over the years, bitterness would root inside of her. Was she not pretty enough? Enticing enough? Of course she was! Vedric was just cruel and insane! That had to be the answer.
"Strong men simply need women. This will never be understood by weak men. A strong man needs a woman at his feet, who is truly his. Anything else is less than his fulfillment. When a man has once eaten the meat of the gods he will never again chew on the straw of fools." -Explorers of Gor-
Vedric was born third to Athos and his companion. And interestingly was his father's favored son. During his youth, a pact was made between the two elder men, that would join Vedric and Larus' only daughter, Neva, in contract. In those youthful years prior to Neva's puberty, she was tormented often by Vedric. The common kind of torments that young boys often visit upon young girls -- he cut all the hair off one side of her head. Set her dolls on fire. Peeked under her skirts on more than one occasion. And tied her to a tree and left her there for an entire day, until the girl's mother had come looking for her.
Years later, Athos had been in an unfortunate accident in the forge, that had left a good portion of his flesh burned beyond recognition. And as the elder man lay dying in bed, he made his favorite son swear on his honor that the contract with Larus' daughter be fulfilled. It was out of love for the old man, that Vedric swore it. And just before he passed on, the joining ceremony took place in the home of Athos. All the friends and relatives had gathered, for the joining...... and later the pyre. Larus mourned the passing of his comrade, as he welcomed his new son-in-law.
Already however, Vedric had developed a taste for slave flesh at the local paga dens. And a reputation for being as charismatic as he was ruthless when using the flesh of such sluts. Once he'd grown used to having women kneel at his feet and pay homage as though he were Ubar, he would never again wish to compromise and allow a woman to keep her dignity intact.
Neva only suspected this of him. But had never been confronted with it. On the night of the joining, he'd taken her to his chambers and fed the young woman much too much ka-la-na, until she passed out cold. She would awaken the next morning and not recall a thing. Vedric however, had slipped out into the night, and done his business with a slut in some dank alley.
For a year this went on -- Vedric's avoidance of Neva. While the two families expectantly awaited the birth of offspring, never to come. He either drowned himself in work at his father's forge, picking up the slack after the old man's death. Or he was constantly off engaged in some raucous entertainment with other fellows at the paga dens. Eventually he'd stopped being discrete about this and as Neva's bitter complaining became too much, he left his Home Stone altogether in search of a new life. One in which the constant temptation to defile Neva so wholly didn't constantly loom over his head. How could a man face his dead father's best friend, having turned his only daughter into a paga-hot sex slave? How could one dishonor two entire families that way?
Year after year like clockwork, Vedric made the journey to Thentis. And year after year it was Neva's desire to renew the contract, per her father's wish. It had been Vedric's father's last wish as well. And year after year, Vedric signed yet another renewal before heading back to Ar amidst the unspoken disappointment of Larus. Someday, he'd come to his senses. He was still young, afterall (at 150 years old!), and needed to sow his wild oats. Someday there would be offspring, solidifying the caste of metal workers in Thentis, and forever binding a pact made between two old men. Someday......... And this is what Larus wanted to believe.
Neva however, was simply jilted. Over the years, bitterness would root inside of her. Was she not pretty enough? Enticing enough? Of course she was! Vedric was just cruel and insane! That had to be the answer.
"Strong men simply need women. This will never be understood by weak men. A strong man needs a woman at his feet, who is truly his. Anything else is less than his fulfillment. When a man has once eaten the meat of the gods he will never again chew on the straw of fools." -Explorers of Gor-
