Nova Baiae Rhodri's Story Chapter Six The slave, Rufus
This is a story of erotic fiction meant to be read by adults over the age of eighteen years
Posted by Jean-Christophe: May, 2019
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Ovid soon returns with a steaming bowl of hot stew and a loaf of fresh bread. He places them on the table before me and hurries off to attend to a boisterous group of patrons at a nearby table. I see Aeolus working on the opposite side of the tavern and I am saddened by my thoughts of the young slave's future. I wonder if he has any inkling of the fate that awaits him. In a sense, I hope he isn't aware. Surely, in such circumstances, ignorance is bliss.
The food's enticing aroma reminds me of my hunger and my belly grumbles in agreement. After several spoons of the delicious stew, my stomach settles down and I feel the need to engage Casca in conversation. And there is so much I want to ask him about his slave, Rufus.
However, before I have the chance to ask, Casca breaks a small portion of bread from the loaf and uses it to scoop some gravy from his bowl. He holds it between his fingers and offers it to Rufus.
"Here boy!"
Rufus uses his mouth to take the morsel from his Master's fingers and greedily swallows it down in just one gulp. Then he licks his Master's fingers clean. Casca leans forward, pats the top of his head and tells him.
"You're a good boy, Rufus!"
Rufus grunts his appreciation and licks his lips in anticipation of another tasty morsel but his Master ignores him as he continues to eat. Rufus waits expectantly and watches as Casca spoons the food into his mouth. After several minutes, the slave comes to the realization there will be no more tasty morsels from his Master and he switches his attention to me. He moves to my side of the table and sits in close proximity to my chair. He looks at me with pleading eyes which I find disconcerting. Had he been a real dog I would have laughed at his antics but Rufus isn't a real dog. This is a totally new experience and I don't know how to react. After several moments, Rufus loses patience with me and noisily growls to attract my attention.
"Don't mind my pet, Rhodri!" Casca tells me as Rufus begins to whine. "He's begging you for some food. The greedy brute. He won't give you any peace until you feed him. Best to give him something."
I'm embarrassed to treat another man like a dog even if that man is a slave. But I am a guest on this island and I must follow local customs or risk giving offence. I break off a crust of bread and dip it into my bowl of stew and holding it delicately between my fingers, I offer it to Rufus.
"There's no need to be nervous, Rhodri," Casca laughs at my hesitancy, "Rufus won't bite."
Rufus leans forward to sniff at my offering and finding it to his taste he greedily snaps it out of my grasp. With one mighty gulp it disappears down his throat and he waits for a second offering from me. I have to say that I found the experience erotic and I ask Casca if I can feed his slave another morsel.
"I'd prefer you didn't Rhodri! Unless I'm mistaken, Soterus will bring him a bowl of scraps shortly. I have to watch that he isn't overfeed. Like all slaves, Rufus will eat whatever is put before him."
Casca has opened up the conversation about his slave and I feel encouraged to ask questions.
"Have you had Rufus for long, Casca?"
"I bought him at a slave auction last year, Rhodri. So, I have owned him for about fifteen months."
"So, he was a slave when you bought him? But he wasn't doglike?"
"Oh no! You need to train a slave to act like a dog. It takes time, patience and a lot of training to teach a slave to behave like a dog. It can be trying at times but it's most enjoyable and the training bonds the master and his slave so that they become very close companions. Rufus is a sweet natured slave. He's docile, obedient and very loyal. Aren't you boy?"
Rufus 'woofs' his yes in agreement with his master.
"See what I mean about affection, Rhodri!" Casca exclaims as he reaches out and lovingly strokes Rufus' back. "I'd be lost without my Rufus. He is my eyes and my guide. I'm afraid I spend too many of my evenings in the tavern and I imbibe too much wine. Usually, at closing time I'm not in a fit state to find my way home. Rufus leads me home and keeps me safe in the streets."
"Does Rufus go everywhere with you, Casca?"
"No Rhodri! Because of his fair skin and red hair, Rufus is my nighttime guide. He only accompanies me after dark. He spends the daylight hours locked in his kennel."
"Why is that, Casca?"
"Because of the delicate nature of his skin. As you may know sunlight isn't kind to red-heads. At the very least it would mar his complexion with ugly freckles and at worst it would frizzle and coarsen his hide. So, Rufus isn't exposed to sunlight at all. And I bought Rufus because I fancied his red hair and white complexion. They complement one another beautifully, wouldn't you agree? And I want to keep him that way."
What Casca said makes sense; Rufus would indeed be adversely affected by exposure to strong sunlight. I am impressed by Casca's concern for his slave. And he is correct. The dark auburn hair on Rufus' chest and limbs are the perfect contrast for the milky-white smoothness of his skin. Rufus is indeed a very handsome slave. It appears to me that Casca's affection for his pet is genuine and it is reciprocated by the slave.
"Don't you find that limiting, Casca? Only being able to take your slave out after dark?"
"No, not at all! I do have another dog-slave names Brutus. Brutus accompanies me on my daytime outings just as Rufus does of an evening."
"Rufus isn't your only guide-slave?"
"No, I've had Brutus for about four years. He's older than Rufus and is the alpha slave and Rufus serves as his bitch."
"You allow them to breed?"
"Of course! Slaves are lusty animals and they need their sexual relief. In that, they are no different to us. Besides allowing them to fuck keeps them calm and easier to handle. Of course, I use them too. But that is done more as a reward for their good behavior. And occasionally, I also loan them to my friends. You can do things with a dog-slave that you'd never do with a real dog."
"Casca, are there many slaves who serve as pets on Nova Baiae?"
"Indeed, there are Rhodri! Many of my friends have companion slaves as pets. If you think about it Rhodri, it does makes sense to have human dogs. A man can do things to a dog-slave that he never could with agenuine canine."
I take Casca's point. His pointed suggestion there are things you can do with a dog-slave that can't be done with a real dog is a valid one. And it's not only my cock that is aroused by that thought; my curiosity is aroused as well.
"Casca, how do you train a slave to accept living as a dog?"
"Firstly, Rhodri a slave doesn't have any choice in becoming a dog-slave. That's his owner's decision. An owner trains his slave to become a dog irrespective of the slave's feelings. The first thing that needs to be done is to teach the slave to walk on all fours and not its hind legs. That needs to be established immediately."
"And how do you do that?"
"I use a set of training chains to teach my slaves to walk on all fours. I shackle four lengths of chain to the slave's ankles and wrists which, in turn, are fastened to a metal collar locked around the slave's genitals. The chains are short enough to prevent the slave from standing but long enough to allow it to crawl on all fours. And the constant pulling and friction of the chains on the cock ring has the desirable effect of keeping the dog's cock erect. I like to see my dog-slaves showing hard."
"How long does it take for the slave to learn to walk on all fours, Casca?"
"It depends on the individual slave, Rhodri. Some slaves learn quickly; others take longer. Rufus was a quick learner but Brutus was a poor pupil and it took two months to train him to crawl permanently. That's the other thing about training a slave to imitate a dog, Rhodri. You need to be firm and not be afraid to punish a slave if it makes slow progress. I use harsh discipline to train my animals. It's sometimes necessary to be cruel to be kind in your training methods and I don't spare either the cane or the strap. But conversely, it's equally important that you reward a dog-slave's good behavior or performance."
"How do you reward Rufus and Brutus? Do you give them a tasty titbit or something similar?"
"Oh no, Rhodri!" Casca laughs. "I reward them with a hard fucking and they love it. Of course, I enjoy it too but I do it to reward them for being good. It doesn't take the slave long to learn that good behavior meets with his master's approval and that bad behavior is severely punished. He quickly learns that pleasure is a reward and pain is punishment. Once that's established in his mind, the slave becomes docile and manageable."
"Casca! It sounds as though you enjoy training your slaves to be pets."
"Indeed, I do, Rhodri! They are my pets and my companions. In that they differ from my house-slaves who I treat as slaves and not pets."
"Casca, I notice Rufus is strongly built and unlike Soterus' slaves, he's very hairy? Is Brutus similar in appearance?"
"Brutus' body is almost identical to Rufus' body. Except that he is olive-complexioned with dark hair and a tanned hide. I prefer to have a masculine looking dog and for that reason I look for a pronounced musculature, a well-rounded ass and prodigious cock and balls in my pets. And there's nothing more masculine than body hair, is there? I mean a hairy chest is what defines a man and it's the same with a slave."
"Brutus sounds like a fine-looking dog-slave."
"Brutus is quite a handsome animal, Rhodri. You'll have to visit my home and meet him. And who knows, you might like to become better acquainted with him." Casca winks suggestively. "Although I'm not sure Rufus would approve. As I said earlier; he's taken quite a shine to you. Just look at that engorged prick he's sporting."
I look to where Rufus is sitting on his haunches and Casca is correct. He is sporting an enormous erection made more prominent by the wide genital band he is wearing and it points suggestively in my direction.
"You only have the two dog-slaves, Casca?"
"At the moment I do, Rhodri. But I am in the market for a third. Like Karelius, I fancy owning a golden-haired slave but as a dog and not a litter-bearer. I intend visiting the slave market to check out this latest shipment of new stock to see if any meet my standards."
I think back to the unloading of the new slaves I'd witnessed earlier and I remember there were a number of blonds among them. Perhaps one of them is to become Casca's third dog-slave. I shudder at the thought; the idea of living life as such a slave repulses me. And yet, as I think on Casca's obvious affection for Rufus and compare it to Soterus' treatment of his slaves, I decide Rufus' life as a pet is preferable to the fates which awaits Ovid and Aeolus.
"Essentially Brutus and Rufus are my personal pets, Rhodri. However, there's another category of dog-slaves that is popular on the island."
"And what are they, Casca?"
"Fighting slaves, Rhodri. Some masters keep kennels of dog-slaves whose only role is to fight a rival owner's dog-slave in a pit. Of course, these pit dog-slaves are a special type. They have to be strongly built and very aggressive to survive. Often their fights are brutal affairs. I personally don't like them and I never attend a dog-slave fight. I find it distressing to see two dog-slaves whipped by their owners to make them fight and to inflict injury on one another."
They sound brutal, Casca!"
"They are Rhodri. And they are to be avoided."
"Your two slaves are fortunate to have you as their owner, Casca. How do you communicate with Rufus and Brutus, Casca? Are they allowed to talk?"
"No, they aren't allowed to talk in my presence, Rhodri. NEVER! They are dogs and they must communicate as dogs do. That's all part of their training of course. But I do allow them to talk when they are alone in their kennel as long as I'm not present."
Changing the subject, he asks.
"Tell me, Rhodri. What brings you to our island?"
"Casca, I have an interest in classical history. I studied it at college and I have come to Nova Baiae to sample what life was like for an ancient Roman."
"Then you've come to the right place, Rhodri. Here, on the island, we do try to replicate what life was like for a Roman. Whether or not we succeed is open to conjecture but from what we know and read about ancient Rome, I believe we live our lives on Nova Baiae much as the provincial Romans did in towns like Pompeii. To the best of our ability we have modelled our community on Pompeii."
"And you have succeeded, Casca! I've been to Pompeii several times and I'm impressed by the similarities between the two places. Your Senate has succeeded in recreating a functioning Roman community based on what we know of life in Pompeii."
"It's good to hear you say that, Rhodri. There are some who feel we are a depraved society because of our lifestyle. Here, we are free to live as nature intended for us to live and to indulge in those things that interest us the most which in my case, is keeping dog-slaves. We are unashamedly homosexual and I make no apology for that and you'll not find a female on the island. It is exclusively male by design. Although, I do know of one or two of our residents who discreetly have homes with wives and children back on the mainland. There, they live lives as ordinary heterosexual men but here on Nova Baiae they come out of the closest and become their true selves. It's a sad way to live your life though, isn't it, Rhodri? Trying to be both heterosexual and gay."
"It is indeed, Casca. I can't imagine pretending to be other than what I am."
"Very true, Rhodri and what are your plans for the coming days, Rhodri?"
"I haven't made any definite plans Casca. I do intend to take a day trip on a sightseeing galley and I must visit the slave-market. I also have a scholar's interest in slavery in Roman society and how it operated. I am keen to see as many of your slaves as possible and to study their lives."
"You have an interest in slavery? Then Rhodri. I suggest you visit the slave-pens tomorrow morning and watch as the new shipment of slaves are branded and made ready for sale. It's quite interesting to watch as they are processed."
I'm more of a masochist than a sadist but the prospect of watching as the new slaves are branded strikes a chord in me. I decide my visit to the slave-market will take precedence over all my other plans.
"Is the slave-market open to the casual visitor Casca? I mean can I just wander in off of the street and roam around at will?"
"Usually, only those known to Volpiscus, the slave-dealer are admitted. But Volpiscus is a friend of mine. Just mention my name - or Karelius - and he'll allow you to view his livestock."
"Thank you, Casca! That's most kind of you."
"Think nothing of it Rhodri! I'm happy to assist you. Ahh! And as I predicted! Here's Soterus with a plate of scraps for Rufus."
Casca's words cause Rufus to look up as Soterus approaches our table. Eagerly, he scrambles into position on all fours in anticipation of the tasty morsels that Soterus is bringing him. He hasn't eaten since morning and the scraps from the plates of Sotericus' patrons are a welcome change to the unexciting, yet healthy dog-mush that he is fed twice a day by his Master. He can hardly contain his patience as Soterus places the bowl on the floor in front of him. Soterus ruffles the slave's hair and tells him.
"There you are, Rufus! Eat boy!"
Rufus needs no second telling and begins to hungrily eat the food. He uses his mouth to pick the food from the bowl before quickly chewing and swallowing. I look at the unedifying mess in the bowl and see that it consists of chunks of half-eaten bread, boiled turnips, pieces of fatty or gristly meat and other half-eaten food discarded by the tavern's customers and which I can't identify swimming in a cold, grey, oily gravy. It all looks unappetizing but obviously it's to Rufus' liking and soon the bowl is empty and he is licking it clean of any residual scraps or gravy.
He looks imploringly at Soterus in the hope there'll be more tasty morsels for him to eat. But his pleas are in vain. Soterus laughs at him and comments.
"You're a guts, Rufus! You'd eat everything that I put before you. But that's it for tonight. Now it's time for you to pay for your supper. Earlier this evening, your Master gave his permission for you to perform a chore."
Soterus' words intrigue me. What chore is Rufus to perform to pay for his supper? However, before, I ask, Casca replies.
To be continued ..................