Merhogs n Nagas 2

"Welcome to Nagaina."

Sonic did as he was told and his eyes widened and his jaw dropped at what he saw.

The palace was immense in size. Sonic had never seen a royal home before, but this was more than what he would have ever imagined. There had to be at least 75 rooms that he could see and that was only from the front, at a distance! Most had to be bedrooms, but that didn't detract from the glamour of the place. The building looked like it was constructed out of the most beautiful grains of sand, and considering that the Nagas lived in the desert, it made sense.

Yet Sonic knew enough about the land to know that the Nagas and the people who lived here never thirsted or went without water. Where it came from, he didn't know, but at least he wouldn't go thirsty out here. That and as a merhog, he had a connection with water that he couldn't deny. How he longed to simply sink into at least a pool or a river and let his body feel the liquid as it surrounded him. He never set his sights for the ocean anymore; it'd only break his heart even more so to actually see his home world yet have it out of reach. It had been far too long since he last truly swam, anyway.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Mephiles asked, still grinning at the boy's expression.

Sonic instantly shut his mouth, blushing slightly from embarrassment. He couldn't find his voice, so nodded instead, making sure that the Naga felt and saw the action. He was far too shy for his own good and that attribute was one of the reasons he had been sent back to the caravan twice before. All the other times he'd been sent back was due to the fact that he'd played his part and was no longer of use to his masters at that time. Sighing softly, he hoped that he could please this new master, this king of a race, especially now that Tails was with him. He didn't want to be forced to leave his friend.

The four soon made their way inside, the hedgehog's eyes practically bugging out on everything he laid them on. The inside was more lavishly decorated than he could have ever dreamt of and it made him slightly excited to live in such a place. That is, until he remembered he was a slave and would probably have to clean the place. Not really wanting to think anymore, he simply continued to enjoy the images around him, though the glossed walls and the torches made him feel as if he were entering a tomb.

The Nagas turned into a room and Sonic nearly cried for joy. A bath. Whether the two had gotten word ahead of them about the slaves or it was just always full, he didn't know. But he was happy to see one. It would not only clean him and Tails, it would help sooth their aching and ripped muscles. Carefully, Mephiles set Sonic down on the tiled floors, Knuckles doing the same with Tails, setting the boys next to each other. Sonic leaned against his fox friend, closing his eyes. Maybe being here wouldn't be so bad.

Time passed quickly and soon both boys were soaking in the warm water. Sonic could see Tails' tails twitching back and forth happily underneath the misty water and grinned. He had to agree with his own shark-like tail that it felt good in here. The sweat, cum, mud, and blood was all washing away as he gently scrubbed his body, avoiding his backside as he didn't want to make the burning ache he had felt earlier return, despite how much it needed to be cleaned.

Both boys jumped when the door to the room was suddenly slammed open, a female Naga huffing and bright red in the face. She glared at Knuckles and Mephiles, both males smiling sheepishly at her. Sonic had to admit she was pretty, for she was a hedgehog as well. Her tail was a lovely shade of deep pink, while her quills and fur were a soft pink. Her eyes shone like jade, which went well with her natural peach arms. She wore gold jewelry, bracelets on her wrists, a gold earring from one ear and a gold chain belt around her waist where fur met scales. In the short pink hair sat a red headband with a matching tube top to cover her chest. (I'm nearly dying right now by trying to compliment her.)

"You two are in so much trouble!" she glared, hissing. "Not telling me you were back! And with slaves. Ugh, I ought to beat both of you!"

"Amy," Mephiles said quietly, "we would have notified you as soon as we were back, but we needed to get these two boys into the water immediately."

"Why?" Amy asked, pouting.

Knuckles cleared his throat. "They…did not receive the best of care in the slave trader's hands. He allowed his guards to… freely use the boys."

The pink Naga's expression immediately changed to one of compassion, mixed with a twinge of disgust. "That's so mean! You poor little things! Let me take a look. I'll help you feel better."

Although Tails looked ready to do as the woman said, Sonic cowered as she came closer, practically racing towards them. He whimpered softly, blushing slightly when the sound left his mouth, and sunk lower in the water. He didn't want her to see his whip marks. Amy slowed down immediately, knowing that to any creature other than a Naga, she looked like she was going to attack him. She raised her hands, trying to not look threatening, and made her way to the edge of the pool, where she laid down over the edge so her hands could sink into the water.

"I won't hurt you, I promise," the female Naga smiled, trying to make herself look innocent. "I just want to take a look. Maybe I can fix it and take the hurt away, hm?"

Sonic poked his head out of the water but said nothing, as shy as he was, and looked over to Tails, who looked almost excited at the idea.

"You…you know magic then?" the kitsune asked. He didn't even notice Mephiles and Knuckles leaving the room, so excited at the thought of magic.

Amy nodded, holding her head proudly. "I may be a servant, but I'm one of the best magic casters his majesty has. He's kind enough to let me get an education of that kind."

Tails smiled sadly. "I wish…I could learn more."

Amy raised a brow before looking down into the water. "Ah, you're a kitsune. That explains a lot. I don't think he'd object to me teaching you a few things, but I'll have to make sure first. Now, let me take a look. What's your name, foxy?"

"Miles," the fox said slowly, making Sonic wonder how the other could open himself up so easily. He watched as his friend slowly pushed himself to his feet, wincing as the movements made his back end hurt. He didn't miss Amy's squeal when she laid eyes on Tails' tails and merely watched for what she would do next. She fawned over the soaking wet things before she explained what she was going to do.

Sonic paled as she went on.

Tails, however, quickly nodded and turned around, lifting his tails up and waiting. Amy, seeing this was her cue to go, gently placed her hand exactly where the fox's entrance was. Once her fingers rested on the sore area, she closed her eyes and started to whisper quiet words. Sonic had only ever heard his friend whisper the language and was slight surprised that the magic would be the same between all the races. It made him wonder where they had originated.

Amy finished quickly and pulled her hand away, Tails immediately reaching down to check her work. He smiled and relaxed, moving his legs freely in the water, with no signs of pain on his face. He moved around before he turned to the female Naga and bowed deeply, thanking her as his bangs floated on the water. Amy chuckled and waved it off, saying it wasn't necessary. She then turned her attention to Sonic, smiling gently.

"You've got to be a fish of some sort, especially with such blue fur like that," she smiled. "What is your name, cutie, and what are you?"

Sonic swallowed, playing with a piece of his quills as he stared into the water. He was glad that the water was up to his neck so she couldn't see his lower half. "M-my name….is Sonic. I'm…I'm a merhog…"

Amy blinked. "A…merhog? Really? You're the first enslaved merhog I've ever seen."

Sonic's face fell. "I'm a… h-hermaphrodite. I've…been told that I'm a curse to my kind…" He really didn't like talking to people he didn't know, and it made it even worse to say what he was to them. Maybe that was one reason why he had been thrown away countless times already.

Tails frowned and sat next to his friend, pulling him gently into a hug. "There's nothing wrong with that, Sonic."

Sonic didn't respond, merely continued to stare into the water. He jumped when a calm, warm hand touched his shoulder and he pushed away, immediately regretting the action. He screamed as pain raced up and down his body and Tails had to quickly catch him before he could black out and sink to the bottom of the tub. The merhog clutched to his friend like a life line, burying his head into the fox's chest and tears threatened to force their way out.

"I didn't mean to startle you so badly," Amy apologized. "You sure are jumpy."

"She wants to help," Tails stated. "It worked on me, didn't it? Let her do the same for you."

"B-but…that's…" Sonic couldn't think of anything to say that wouldn't make him go bright red in the face.

"It's alright," Tails said calmly. "I'll hang onto you as she does it, ok?"

Sonic bit his bottom lip before he nodded, letting the fox turn him around in the water so his back was resting against the other's chest. The kitsune nodded to the Naga, who smiled at him and gently, slowly started to reach forward. Sonic tensed and whimpered when her hand touched his aching, burning entrance just below his belly, but made no move or sound of protest. Amy started to recite the magic immediately and Sonic felt his tail tremble as the power coursed through his body. Then the pain, the ache, the hurt…it vanished, as if it had never been there in the first place.

"There," the pink female smiled. "Now that you're both healed, let's move to another tub to clean your hair in. This water's gotten pretty gross." Pushing herself up, she waved for both boys to follow her, which Tails did, having to carry the merhog since his body was still too wet to form his legs back. Leaving the cooling, dirty water behind, the boys came to another tub filled with hot water and climbed in when the Naga told them to do so. She washed Tails' hair first, removing the tangles from the long locks before asking if he wanted them cut. The fox nodded yes and so Amy did just that. It wasn't long before Sonic was staring at a very short haired Tails, he now looked the same way he did when they'd first met, only older.

The Naga did the same with Sonic, letting the soapy shampoo sit in his blunted quills and clean it before she rinsed it out, grooming his tresses a comb designed specifically for hedgehogs, it sharpened the quills while it combed. Still nervous about being around her, the merhog would occasionally tense every now and then when her claws would dig just a little too hard into his scalp. To help ease his nervousness, Tails started to ask Amy questions about their new home.

"You're a servant then?" the fox asked.

Amy nodded. "I work a lot with the king's slaves, so they call me the 'slaves' servant', though that doesn't really make much sense."

"Knuckles and Mephiles are servants too?"

Amy grinned. "Well, they're a little different. Mephiles is the king's nephew and is more like an advisor to his majesty even at his young age, while Knuckles acts more like a bodyguard. Not that the king needs one, but he's still acts as one. He's the muscle in situations when the king can't be there. He's also the only servant that his majesty will trust with the more delicate things of the political world. He's very good at being both the brain and brawn in some situations, but our king is the best."

"Our master, what is he like?" asked the kitsune, playing with some of the suds in the water before playfully meddling with Sonic's tail fin. The merhog smiled and started to pay more attention. He wanted to know what the king was like as well.

Amy couldn't help but smile. "King Shadow is a wonderful man. The best one I know anyhow. He's fair when it comes to ruling. He's never biased and will hear both sides of an argument before he makes a decision. He's firm, but the people love him for the tenderness he shows in his decisions. He's also very calm. I've yet to see him lose his temper. But he's rather protective too, so I wouldn't be surprised if he became very dangerous if something he cares about is threatened. He is the strongest Naga in this nation after all."

"How…does he treat his slaves?" Tails asked softly, looking over at the pink Naga as she began to rinse out Sonic's quills.

The female smirked. "Well, I suppose I should let you two find out. I'm sure you'll be surprised."

"Are they ready, Amy?" Knuckles came into the room, smiling at the now cleaned boys.

"Just one moment," she stated, turning back to Sonic. "Do you want me to style your quills a certain way or anything?"

Sonic shook his head, but said nothing. The pink female giggled and let his quills go before she pushed herself up and waved goodbye to the new slaves, keeping to herself the marks on Sonic's back. The boy obviously hadn't wanted her to notice or to heal them, so she would act like she didn't know. Knuckles instructed them to get out the water and they both obeyed immediately, as they had been taught to do so. They were dried, (which took a little longer with Sonic regaining his legs) freshened up, and put into a clean set of clothes that fit perfectly with the desert's climate. Sonic felt that the clothes were restricting at first, but after a few moments got used to it.

"Follow me now," the echidna stated, waving the other servants away. Sonic walked by Tails' side as they followed the crimson Naga, making sure to avoid stepping on his slithering tail; they figured the male wouldn't have liked that. After a few minutes, they came up to some rather large stone doors and Sonic had to steady his breathing. He looked over to the red Naga, who instructed that they stay outside for a moment before he entered into the room.

The hedgehog bit his bottom lip, not sure what to expect. While he waited, he took in more fully the clothes that had been given to him. It was all a dark blood red color and it was the first time in many years that he had worn pants. He knew that it was going to take a little time to get used to them again. These pants were loose and came to his ankles, covering up most of his paws in the process. There was also a decorate flap of cloth that rested between his legs, as if giving his lower area more protection from prying eyes.

The shirt, however, he wasn't so sure about. He felt it looked rather girlish, but he couldn't deny that it fit him well. There were no shoulders on this shirt, but the sleeves were attached to gold bands on his upper arms, they were long and ended off in a bell like opening. They weren't sheer, thankfully, and the top of the shirt ran directly below his neck, showing off the solid gold choker with a crimson jewel in the center, his new collar. He wore no shoes, as was regular for a slave, so he wasn't uncomfortable without them. He'd worn them once and actually preferred his bare feet.

He looked over at Tail's clothing and found that they weren't much different. Instead of a shoulder less shirt, the fox's shirt collar went up to a little over the bottom of his neck, making his collar harder to see, but didn't look restricting in any way. There was no decorative flap on his pants and the shirt was more like a tunic and went slightly below his hips. It was then he noticed the gold lining on the emerald green cloth and it brought his eyes back to his own, where there was silver instead of gold.

"Sonic," the older teen asked softly, "why didn't you let Amy know about your back?"

"I…" Sonic started, but stopped, not knowing what he should say.

His head snapped to the door when it opened and Knuckles came out, closing it after him. He looked at both of the new slaves and smiled, hoping that it would give them confidence. "I am to leave now, but his majesty wishes to see you one at a time. He will see the fox first, and then you. Do not enter until you are called for, do you understand?"

The last part had been spoken in Sonic's direction, and the litle hedgehog nodded, though it was distracted. Knuckles smiled and turned to Tails, telling him to enter whenever he was ready. They both watched as the snake slithered away until they were they only ones left in the giant hallway. Tails gave his best friend a confident smile and squeezed his hand before he went to the great doors. Sonic bit his lip as his friend was allowed inside, wincing slightly as the doors closed with a bang. It was almost…ominous in sound.

Sonic stood very still, closing his eyes and trying to stay calm. It was hard without anyone else there, but he didn't want to hide and make the king think he had run away. He was grateful that he had been saved from the caravan and at least wanted to show the Naga king that. Even if it was the last thing he did, his new master deserved that. With this in mind, he managed to keep his cool, yet his eyes remained closed. If he couldn't see anything, he felt braver.

Time passed and the azure was beginning to get nervous. Was Tails alright? They weren't doing all sorts of bad things to him, were they? He'd never be able to live with himself if they were. He started to tremble at the thought. What if his master was cruel to his slaves? Not that his previous masters had been very nice, except that one couple at the beginning, but he'd heard stories about slaves that were beaten and raped every day and were still expected to fulfill their duties.

Shaking like a leaf, he almost cried out when the doors opened, a voice from inside calling him in. When Tails didn't come out, Sonic only grew more nervous. Going slightly paler, he swallowed nervously and slowly started to walk forward. He forced his eyes to stay focused on what was ahead of him, despite how nervous and frightened he was. Once inside the room, the doors closed with a slam, making him jump terribly and spin around. His shaking got worse. There was no going back now.

Scared stiff at this point, he struggled to move on, but forced himself to do so. He had to be brave. Tails had been brave, so why couldn't he? He paused in the shadows as he came towards a beacon of light, but a voice commanded him to continue walking forward. Was that the voice of his new master? It was deep, and strangely soothing, but the young male was too far gone in the realms of nervousness to be affected by it. He only hoped that he wouldn't make his master hate him at first sight.

Once inside the center of the room, Sonic stood still as he was told to stop, but his body continued to tremble. He waited silently, as if awaiting his death, staring at the floor as if it were the most entertaining thing he had ever seen. Then the soft command came for him to raise his eyes. Taking in a deep breathe, he slowly raised his head, his eyes taking note of everything he saw. Finally, they reached their destination and Sonic felt like he would faint.