Chapter 4: Playing the Game (M/m)

Copper rushed down the hallways of the Society, doing his best to keep his pace at a jog rather than a full sprint so he wouldn’t crash headfirst into any of the other members. The halls were wide enough that he managed not to bump into anyone on the way towards Schorl’s office. He did receive multiple glares of contempt from the other Masters. Such rude behavior was unbecoming of a fellow Master. He didn’t care. Social faux-pas weren’t important right now.

Exploring the market for new jewelry? Take a look at our fine selection at Elegant Accessories! Several fashionable new shipments have arrived to our Canterlot location. Turn in any damaged jewelry for a special discount!* Apply for a membership and vote with our other members on what special items or deals you want to see next! This week’s voted-on jewelry of choice was our carnelian-encrusted bracelets! Stop by within the next three days for a 20% discount when you present this letter.

*discount varies depending on quality

The letter had arrived to him in a black envelope with “Priority Delivery” stamped on the front. No addresses to or from. These types of mailings were usually done by gryphon couriers who knew exactly where to go. The coding in the letter was obvious to Society members, but enough to fool the common pony on the rare chance the letter ended up somewhere it shouldn’t. Most would dismiss it as junk mail. The majority of letters handed to members were structured this way. The places of business in the letters were real. Elegant Accessories was one of multiple different shell companies operated by the Society for money laundering and to satisfy anyone who might investigate the letters. Any non-member unfortunate enough to actually turn in the letter for whatever deal was listed would be “marked” by the Society and eventually brought in for interrogation to figure out how they managed to acquire it. So far, it had only happened once. Journalists were a nuisance.

A black envelope with priority delivery was never a good sign. It always referred to urgent news that was directly related to a major issue with a Master. The first three sentences in sequence began with the letters E, then T, and then S so that there was little ambiguity as to where this letter originated from. “Canterlot location” signaled where the issue was taking place. Referencing unique products generally referred to slaves, but the worrying part was the reference to “damaged” products. A slave had been harmed badly in violation of the Society’s rules. Inflicting injuries and pain were acceptable so long as it never crossed the line to maiming or life-threatening. The reference to “voting” meant that this issue was being voted upon high-ranking members, including Schorl herself. The three-day period gave the time frame the vote would take place.

The thing that caught Copper’s attention the most was the specialty item. “Carnelian-encrusted bracelets” was obviously referring to the Society member Carnelian instead of jewelry. Pony names were easy to slip into coded messages given that most of them are based off a combination of pre-existing nouns, adjectives, and verbs. Fully decoded, this meant that Carnelian was in trouble with the Society and his membership was being put up to a vote. Losing the vote would mean excommunication. Ordinarily, Copper would have considered this positive news if not for the mention of “damaged jewelry.” Carnelian had a number of, to put it lightly, questionable injuries inflicted on his slaves in the past, but this was the first to ever be put to a vote. His wealth and influence had always shielded him from any major consequences, to Copper’s constant frustration, so whatever this was must have been serious. Carnelian might have possibly maimed or even killed a slave, and Copper needed details.

The receptionist desk was stationed in front of the door to Schorl’s office. It was currently being guarded by minotaur at the door and a receptionist sitting at the desk. “Receptionist” being the polite way of saying Schorl assigned one of her slaves to sit there and make token statements to disgruntled members that Schorl didn’t want to deal with while also acting as a verbal punching bag when those statements inevitably failed to satisfy. Not that Copper necessarily disagreed with that strategy. Most complaints by members were frivolous to begin with and didn’t require Schorl’s direct involvement. Her time shouldn’t be wasted with arguments about room scheduling conflicts or clumsy waiters when the regular staff could handle such issues. But this wasn’t a frivolous issue, and Copper wasn’t leaving without answers.

Sweet Mint, a green unicorn mare, was acting as the current receptionist. It was bit odd to see, since Sweet Mint was usually assigned as a maid, and was in fact still wearing her maid outfit.

It’s not a good sign if all the other slaves are busy, Copper thought.

“I need to talk to Mistress Tourmaline NOW!” Copper shouted, hoping an aggressive demand coming from a Master would intimidate her subservient side. Oddly, it didn’t. He felt no fear from her. She was uncharacteristically calm and level-headed in response to his anger. Even well-trained slaves usually felt some fright when a Master raised their voice. The minotaur guard kept his eyes on Copper, but otherwise remained in place.

“What is this about, sir?” Sweet Mint responded in neutral tone.

“You know what this is about!” Copper continued shouting while he presented the letter.

“Yes, Mistress Tourmaline informed me about that. She should be available to see you now, sir. You may enter the office when you’re ready, sir.”

Copper was a bit confused, but made his way into Schorl’s office as the minotaur stood aside to let him through.

That was a little too easy. I expected a bit more resistance than that.

The room reminded the stallion of how a therapist might design an office. To the left of the entrance, there was the standard large desk with a cushioned swivel chair behind it for Schorl to sit in. Against the wall next to the desk were to large shelves of various books. Erotica, anatomy, history, massage therapy, architectural design, runic spellcasting, and some books written in an ancient text that Copper couldn’t recognize. A few file cabinets ran parallel to the bookshelves. On the opposite side of the room from the desk was another door, likely a closet for other files or other miscellaneous items. There were two armchairs placed in front of the desk facing towards the swivel chair for visitors to sit in, as well as a chaise lounge placed against the wall between the bookshelves and closet. The room would have looked like a standard office if not for some of the “motivational” posters, such as the “Silence is Golden” poster with a large ballgag pictured on it.

Schorl Tourmaline was sitting at her desk, which was covered in a mess of papers. A miniaturized Crystal Heart ornament was refracting a small bit of the light coming off the arced floor lamp beaming down on the rest of the desk. However, her eyes weren’t focused on the papers. Her gaze was locked onto Copper since he entered the room. Her emotions were as difficult to read as ever. Despite the haggard and annoyance present on her face, Copper could have sworn he felt a flicker of relief.

“I assume you’re here about Carnelian?” Schorl bluntly asked while gesturing her hand to the chair positioned in front of her desk.

“Of course I am,” Copper responded and took a seat. “You’re the one who sent me a letter about him.”

“You mean one of my slaves sent out a letter updating local members of an important event, as is standard.”

There’s no way this was just a simple community update.

“Black envelopes are supposed to be ‘standard’ for a community message?”

“Generally, no. But given the severity of the issue, I thought it was warranted. Did you come all this way to interrogate my mailing methods or is there something else?”

She’s insistent on distancing herself from this for some reason.

There was something off about how dismissive Schorl was being about the mail, given the strict guidelines he had been taught about the system. He elected to ignore it as there was something more urgent he needed to know.

“I just want to know what happened. What did Carnelian screw up so badly that excommunication is now on the table? This isn’t the first time he’s been reprimanded, but the fact that his membership is getting put to a vote means this must be especially serious.”

Schorl sighed. “You’re familiar with the slave Cane Sugar, right?”

Copper felt his heart skip a beat. He tried to be calm in his response.

“I am.”

“She’s being treated in the infirmary for a neck injury. Apparently, there was an equipment malfunction when Carnelian was playing with her and it fractured her neck. She was breathing irregularly and passed out. She’s stable now, and there appears to be no permanent damage. She’s been put in a neck brace and I was told she’ll recover.”

“Equipment malfunction!? You don’t seriously buy that, do you?”

“I left that up to the other members to decide. It was only fair.”

Was. Past tense. There should’ve still been two days left for the vote.

“You mean they already held the vote? What about the time limit?”

“The voting members that were already present decided it was better to speed it up rather than waste two more days waiting for other potential voters. They all had busy schedules and there were more than enough of them present for it to be a fair vote. Carnelian will be allowed to stay on as a member.”

No, not again. He can’t get away with this AGAIN.

“HOW!? He strangles a slave and gets to walk away with no consequences?”

“Strangulation and other forms of breathplay are allowed, Copper.”

“Not if it causes fatal injuries!”

“It was an equipment malfunc—”

“That’s a lie and you know it!” Copper stood up out of his chair. “You know Carnelian’s history of infractions. This wasn’t some accidental slip-up made by a new Master. He took it too far because he has no self-control and is trying to hide behind that excuse!”

“I’d watch your tone if I were you,” Schorl glared at Copper. The room remained silent for a good ten seconds while the two of them stared off. Copper’s anger cooled off enough for him to recognize his error. The crystal unicorn’s gaze remained calm but unflinching as Copper yielded and slowly backed down into his chair. Once he was fully seated, she continued.

“The other members debated the merits of his argument and determined he was telling the truth. He said he was using a rope noose on a pulley system. The pulley was set up in the room he was playing in and there are rope marks on Cane Sugar’s neck. Our investigation of the pulley determined it was faulty and, as Carnelian described it, snagged the rope while she was being choked. Because the rope got snagged into the system, Carnelian wasn’t able to lower it and had to cut the rope by himself before calling for help.”

“So there wasn’t anyone else in the room at the time? Meaning it’s entirely his word that you’re relying on. He could have overdone the strangulation himself and then tried to cover it up by sabotaging the pulley himself before he called for help.”

“He ‘could have’ done a lot of things,” Schorl’s tone harshened. “But ‘could have’ wasn’t sufficient enough evidence for the voters.”

“I don’t care what the voters think! You’re the owner of the Society, you didn’t have to put this to a vote.”

“No, I didn’t. But I chose to. Because I actually do care what they think. Ignoring that your ‘could have’ argument wouldn’t be good enough for me either, there’s still something you don’t seem to understand despite me explaining it to you countless times. Our Society is as successful as it is because of the cooperation of many powerful individuals in Equestria. The Society provides for their needs and in return, they use their influence to protect it. If the members started becoming afraid of the Society turning on them, it would fracture the power and influence the Society has managed to maintain.

“So if I were to excommunicate Carnelian, a high-ranking member with many powerful connections to other members, for an accidental mishap, their trust in the Society would falter out of fear that the same would happen to them. And I know you think that it wasn’t an accident, but here’s the uncomfortable truth, Copper: even if you’re entirely right, it doesn’t matter. What matters is that they believe it’s the truth. Even if it was factually not an accident, if the other members believe it was an accident and see Carnelian punished for it, they will see it as the Society mistreating them. You can’t read minds, Copper. You don’t know what Carnelian’s intent was. So unless you have some undeniable proof that could convince the other members of Carnelian assaulting another Master or some other major violation, there’s nothing you can do.”

Copper was feeling desperate. “This isn’t an isolated incident. You and I both know his history.”

“You know his history because you obsess over him constantly. And I know about his history because you frequently pester me about his minor infractions and because I have to keep breaking up your never-ending debates that irritate any other members unfortunate enough to be in proximity. The other members aren’t as invested to your feud the as you are and don’t care. Carnelian has plausible deniability, and that’s good enough for them. If you want to take it up him or the other members, go ahead. Carnelian has been spending his time in lounge room three while I’ve been sorting this out. I’ve already got enough to deal with as it is and I’m far past exhausted with your constant bickering.”

Copper was a bit confused as to why they were even having this meeting if she was so intent on avoiding the issue. However, it was clear to him that this conversation was going nowhere. Schorl wouldn’t budge on this. Likely none of the other members would either.

But I did glean some useful information, Copper thought, a devious idea forming in his mind.

Standing up from his chair, he gave a polite farewell along with a small bow before exiting her office. Despite some of his issues with how this situation was handled, he still maintained a great deal of respect for Mistress Tourmaline. No system was perfect; it was inevitable that some members might slip through the cracks to abuse the Society’s good will. Copper would just have to find a way to deal with it.

Lounge Room #3 was arranged similarly to the other lounges in the Society. Tables and booths were spread around the room, but most were concentrated around the bar area. The bar itself was currently being managed by a pegasus mare, one of the many Society-owned slaves. She was busy taking drink orders from the Masters and handing off completed drinks to the waitstaff, which also consisted of Society-owned slaves. Not all slave duties were necessarily sexual, though that didn’t stop the bartender from being completely nude aside from her collar, cuffs, and wingbinder. The waitstaff were either nude or adorned in some type of kinky outfit. The maid theme appeared to be the most popular, even among the male slaves. There was no shortage of teasing from the Masters as the male maids carried their trays over to the appropriate tables while desperately trying to pretend the erections poking out from under their short, frilly skirts weren’t there.

There wasn’t much in terms of equipment. The elaborate bondage furniture was usually reserved for play areas or private rooms. It mainly consisted of rings embedded in the floors and walls for clipping cuffs or collars onto. Though there was also a spanking bench, a cross, and a stockade placed in a corner for any Master who felt like having a brief play session. Small “pet” cages were stacked up in another corner that Masters could take from for convenience. Copper only saw one unfortunate slave trapped in one. The unicorn mare was on all fours while squeeze into the confined space, placed underneath a table while her Master was comfortably sitting in a chair busy conversing with another Master.

There was a small stage set up at the end opposite the entrance. It was smaller compared to the “performance” rooms, mainly used for small-time impromptu displays or for the more professional performers to practice routines while a small audience watched. It was currently empty. Two minotaur guards were near the entrance keeping an eye on the members. Most of the members were gathered around the bar area, including a dark orange unicorn stallion.

Carnelian was sitting alone on a stool, but oddly no drink. He sat there, both arms on the countertop, staring down. Copper could feel the stallion’s emotions as he approached the bar. The unicorn Master was seething with rage. Copper noticed his hands were slightly shaking. While looking calm on the outside, Copper could feel that this stallion was holding back a lot of anger. He also felt an undercurrent of shame as well.

I guess avoiding excommunication still has some down sides. Not just the stress of having your fate put up to a vote, but also the hit to the ego. Very rarely do Masters get excommunicated. Even being considered makes the Master look ineffectual and thus a pariah. No doubt that even though he was spared, a lot of the other members must view him as an embarrassment. I almost feel sorry for him.

Copper took a seat on a stool next to Carnelian. Surprisingly, the unicorn didn’t react. He continued staring at the countertop; lost in thought and oblivious to the world around him.

“I guess blatantly ignoring the Society’s rules didn’t work out in your favor this time?” Copper said in the smuggest tone he could manage.

I need to get him on edge and defensive.

To his credit, the unicorn stallion managed to maintain a neutral composure when he turned to face his detractor. Copper assumed that the unicorn was trying to play nice as he was still in hot water socially. That didn’t fool the earth pony’s empathic abilities. Contempt was pouring through Carnelian as he responded.

“You can save whatever diatribe you’re about to unleash. I don’t care about your worthless advice on ownership and never have, and while playing this game of you preaching to a brick wall was entertaining in the past, I’m not in the mood for verbal sparring at the moment.”

I figured he would be eager to vent at me, but it seems he’s going to try to bottle up his emotions instead. Still workable for me as long as I don’t let him disengage. I can’t give him a chance to cool off.

“If you want to ignore your failed attempts at being a Master, we could always discuss your failed attempts at being a business owner.”

Copper aimed at another weak spot. His under-the-table dealings with Steelshoes Industries had recently come to fruition. He had read the news articles about Carnelian “stepping down” which in business terminology means “shareholders voted him out and didn’t want to make a fuss.” Copper had spent the better part of two years convincing shareholders in the company ditch the unicorn in exchange for a good deal on his own trade routes and transportation. Steelshoes Industries would pay a reduced fee to ship products and all they had to do was let go of a company president whose position was mostly public relations; largely to play salesman to the higher-ups of other companies and act as a figurehead for the company. Carnelian wasn’t even particularly good at his job, it’s just that his position was given to him by his father, the previous president. He stayed where he was more as a matter of tradition. He could be easily replaced. It was a very profitable deal for the shareholders with little sacrifice on their part. Copper was more than willing to take a financial hit if it meant sticking it to an uppity Master.

Though a dreadful thought occurred to the earth pony Master. The timing of Carnelian losing his company and his incident were suspiciously close.

Was this my fault?

“Fuck off!” Copper’s thoughts were cut off by Carnelian’s outburst.

That’s new. I’ve never gotten him to swear at me before. He usually likes to maintain the appearance of civility whenever he speaks. He must be really out of his element. I’m detecting a lot of anxiety along with this anger. An almost primal fight-or-flight style adrenaline rush. Attacking his self-worth is wounding his ego to the point where he feels compelled to defend himself instead of letting it go. Good.

Copper continued. “Does it bother you that much to know how easily replaceable you were? That the only reason you were kept around was because daddy said so and nobody wanted to make a fuss?”

Carnelian slammed his hand on the table. The ambient background conversations had dimmed as multiple heads turned towards the two stallions. Carnelian didn’t seem to notice or care. Copper did, and he was glad for the attention.

“My family controlled that company for over a century! It thrived under my care for over twelve years! Don’t pretend you know anything about me just because some power-hungry traitors decided to steal my birthright! It will crumble without me, just you wait!”

His anxiety spiked when I mentioned his father and now he’s put a particular focus on his family heritage. Possible inadequacy issues? Failure to live up to his legacy? Yes, some part of him must feel at fault for losing control of his company and his ego is trying to pin the blame on something else. He doesn’t want to feel like a failure. He doesn’t want to feel lesser than others. I need to make him feel both.

“You really believe you’re that important, don’t you?” Copper replied. “If the company actually needed you that badly, they’d never have gotten rid of you in the first place. I’d say it was less about being power-hungry and more a realization that you were unnecessary. Though it is a bit humorous to see you calling others power-hungry given what you’ve done.”

“What I—"

“Your entire life has been nothing but a desperate series of power grabs so you don’t feel worthless. It’s no wonder why you don’t care about the rules of the Society when it’s all just a means to an end for you.”

His repressed anger is becoming less and less restrained. I have to keep the momentum going. Can’t let him get a word in. Interrupting him will undermine his control and keep his anger focused on me.

“I have—"

“You’ve already broken the rules several times with the mistreatment of your slaves, mistreating them makes you feel superior about your own pathetic existence. It’s no surprise that Cane Sugar had to be hospitalized shortly after you lost your company. Did nearly killing her give you some twisted sense of power to make up for your lack of competence in the business world?”

“IT WAS AN EQUIPM—"

“I happened to meet with Cane Sugar before she became a slave.”

“I DON’T CARE AB—"

“It’s funny to me how she was able to successfully run a business despite not actually wanting to be in charge. She had a level of discipline and work ethic that you lack.”

“DON’T COMPARE ME TO THAT PATHETIC CU—”

“Is that also why you hurt her? Because she’s better than you?”

Copper could feel it coming before it actually happened. He had pressed every button he could on the Carnelian’s inadequacy issues. Saying the unicorn was beneath a slave was the last straw. The unicorn’s ego couldn’t handle a blow like that. So naturally the unicorn decided the best solution to defend his ego was to silence the attacker. Conversation wasn’t working, so why not just rely on what had always been successful in managing his superiority complex?

Carnelian punched Copper in the face with a right hook. Copper toppled off of his chair and onto the floor. Lying on his back, Copper got a nice view of the ceiling before the silhouette of Carnelian blocked his vision. Copper felt the pain of several more strikes to his face. He considered letting more hit him, but decided that enough damage had been done and moved his arms in place to protect his head. His arms absorbed the impact of a few more punches before Copper felt the weight of the unicorn’s body lift off him. One of the minotaur guards had seen the commotion and had pulled Carnelian off of the earth pony with a chin lock.

Copper relaxed his body and let his arms fall back to their sides. He remained staring at the ceiling as the crowd of Society members circled him, their shocked gibbering filling his ears; along with some members shouting for a medic. He took the pain in stride as blood trickled from his nose. He had just won.

Copper exited the ETS infirmary and headed towards Schorl’s office once more. Carnelian had given him a black eye and fractured his nose. The results had the earth pony’s upper muzzle slightly bent, which was corrected with a metal splint below the bridge of the nose. According the on-site doctor, Copper had been pretty lucky. Nothing broken and no concussion. He chalked it up to his natural earth pony durability.

Excommunication is a rare occurrence in the Society for obvious reasons; not only because Masters are aware of the consequences but also because Masters tended to be high profile ponies with social, political, or financial clout. The Society and its members didn’t usually want to deal with the hassle unless it was absolutely needed. The guidelines were intentionally vague as to what constituted an excommunicable offense. The general rule was that anything that would hinder the wellbeing of the members, which mainly involved serious injuries or imprisonment.

The few instances in the history of the Society where excommunication was deemed necessary involved attempts to divulge its existence to the public, extreme injuries to slaves, and one instance of attempting to steal ETS documents. There were never any instances of a Master assaulting another Master. The closest it ever came to something like that was one instance of a heated argument between two Masters resulting in a slapped cheek. While there were reprimands, the action wasn’t deemed severe enough to warrant excommunication; what happened with Copper was.

His plan had worked, but there were still a few things he needed to settle before he did anything else. It had been a few hours since the incident and he had questions. Sweet Mint was still behind the receptionist desk. She didn’t seem surprised when he showed up. No doubt Mistress Tourmaline had warned her of his inevitable arrival.

“Sir, I understand you’re here for Mistress Tourmaline, but she’s busy at the moment.”

Still completely neutral. It’s like she’s reading from a script. Then again, she probably is.

“Busy for how long?” Copper asked.

“Umm,” Sweet Mint checked the clock on the wall. “Not too long, sir. Another half-hour or so. Mistress is setting something up in her office.”

Copper was curious but decided to not press further. There was no rush to get into the office like last time. He could be patient for this. He’d find out what was in the office once Schorl let him inside. It was probably best to play it calmly this time as he was still feeling a bit of guilt about how he left things during their last conversation. He rested against a wall as there were no chairs in the room for him to sit in. Likely an intentional decision to disincentivize irritable Masters from sticking around the office to annoy Schorl. He didn’t let it bother him and kept his focus on the clock.

The actual wait was around forty-eight minutes before the door to Schorl’s office finally opened. What came out was not a crystal pony, but a minotaur and two other pony-like companions. The two companions were smaller than the minotaur, like many races in Equestria, with muzzles shaped differently than the typical pony and a pair of antlers on each head. Deer. Deer were an enigma within the Society. Copper had noticed their presence, but they typically acted as staff. He had never met one in everyday Equestria the same way he had seen other ponies, gryphons, minotaurs, etc. He had no idea where they came from; they seemed to exist solely within the ETS structure.

The deer and the minotaur walked past Copper, the deer keeping their heads down and the minotaur giving him a glance before passing him. Another figure took a step outside of the office entrance, the crystal mare Schorl Tourmaline. Her gaze turned from the leaving trio to Copper. She was looking surprisingly jovial, a bright smile on her face as she welcomed Copper to enter.

I feel like she would be more upset given everything that’s happened; which only makes my theory stronger.

The office layout seemed to be the same as it was previously when the earth pony Master entered until he turned his head towards Schorl’s desk. The lamp that had been beside the desk previously was no longer there; magic from a unicorn’s horn was acting as the new light source. Copper could only see the top of the pony’s head, along with the horn. The rest of the body was obstructed by Tourmaline’s desk. He could hear heavy breathing.

That must be some form of illumination magic.

“Feel free to get a better look,” Schorl said, gesturing to the area behind her desk.

Stepping behind the desk, Copper got a full view of the pony brightening the room. The pony was almost completely covered in a black latex body suit. The tight-fitting suit clinged to every part of the body it covered. From the look of it, the suit was custom made for this pony. The only open areas of the suit were the two nostril holes at the end of the muzzle, two eye holes, two holes for the ears, one hole on the forehead for the horn to go through, and the area around the crotch (though there was a noticeable zipper around that area which meant that it could be covered up if needed). Based on the exposed privates, this pony was clearly a stallion. Everything else from head to toe was encased in the slick suit. While the suit had eyeholes, they were covered by a blindfold separate from the suit. He was also wearing a posture collar around his neck that was on the outside of the suit.

The suit clamped tightly down on the muzzle, preventing much movement. A small tube protruded from the mouth and Copper could hear air being exhaled through it. Copper couldn’t see it, but the tube connected to the inner part of the suit. It lead to a rubber bulb that was placed behind the teeth. The bulb was wedged between the pony’s tongue and the roof of his mouth, pressing against both. It was girthy enough to nearly fill his whole mouth and lengthwise it reached to the back of the tongue. The tube that protruded on the outside of the suit was part of that bulb; the length of the tube going from the outside of the suit through a hole in the center of the bulb. The whole was big enough to allow air to pass through or for liquids to be ingested, but not much else. He could see panicked breathing coming from the pony, the nostrils widening with each inhale while the tight suit gave a perfect outline of the pony’s rising and falling chest.

The way the stallion was kept in place was fascinating. He was in a kneeling position with both legs. He was kneeling on top of a small square-shaped metal base that was roughly two inches thick. The legs were kept in place by shackles embedded in the base. One shackle above the ankle and another at the upper calf for each leg. There were pads at the base where his legs were settled to prevent major injuries. Each shackle was locked in place with a small padlock.

His posture from the hips to the head was completely straight. A metal pole from the center of the base ran up his spine to the top of his head. The pole had shackles embedded at the sides which each arm was placed in, keeping his arms straight and positioned behind his back. One shackle at the bicep, one at the forearm, and one at the wrist for each arm. The pole also had two screw eye hooks at the neck level parallel to the arm shackles. The holes through those hooks allowed small chains to be clipped to them which also connected to small rings in the back of his posture collar. Each chain had a very short length and pulled his neck against the pole allowing little neck movement; not that the posture collar allowed for much movement to begin with.

The zipper for the suit that covered the privates started a few inches below the abdomen and went underneath the crotch area up to the lower back. It was currently unzipped, exposing the pony’s cock, balls, and ass to the cool air of Schorl’s office. A large dildo was placed on the base in front of the metal pole and was currently lodged inside the stallion’s anus. The dildo wasn’t attached to the base, but with the stallion unable to stand up from his position, there was no way to for him to get it out. That didn’t stop his body from trying. The stallion’s hole was clenching and unclenching around the rubber phallus, trying to push it out to no avail.

The stallion’s cock was fully erect, the erection being maintained by a metal cockring clasped around the base. A similar ring was also clasped around his balls. There appeared to be a bit of metal sticking out of the stallion’s penis hole. A urethral sound. Copper had experimented with such things in the past. A small smooth stick of metal would be inserted through the urethra and go down the length of the shaft. It made the cock even more sensitive by having stimulation come from the inside instead of outside. On top of all this, there were small square pads placed around the cock and balls. Each pad had a wire that connected to a battery pack placed on the ground next to the base.

Seems to be a TENS unit, or some other form of electrostimulation. Reminds me of what I did with Cane Sugar during her orientation.

The entire setup was impressive to look at, but the most intriguing part was the horn. At first glance, the horn had a typical metal ring around it that was standard magic-nulling tech.

But if the magic was being nullified, then why is the horn still glowing?

Upon closer inspection, he noticed something about the ring. There were stange symbols that had been carved into it. It looked like a language of some sort. While he couldn’t read it, he knew what it was.

“This is runic magic,” Copper said in awe.

The latex clad stallion’s ears twitched as Copper spoke up. The stallion started shaking in his bonds furiously. The base shook slightly, but otherwise didn’t budge.

“mmm! mmmmmmm…” grunted the trapped pony. Copper could barely hear it. Whatever was suppressing his speech was doing a good job. It sounded more like a soft mumble rather than a cry for help. The rapid inhales and exhales from his nostrils were producing more noise than his voice.

It was only then that Copper actually noticed something. Maybe it had been because the pony had been almost entirely covered head to toe in latex or maybe he was too distracted by examining the craftmanship of the device that bound the pony. Whatever the reason, he only just took notice of the colors of the exposed parts of the stallion. Dark orange.

“Is this Carnelian?” Copper asked, taken aback by the realization.

“Obviously,” Schorl replied curtly, enjoying Copper’s expression. She grabbed a remote from her desk. “He was excommunicated, after all. I decided to do something special for the occasion. I’ve been experimenting with a few things, and he makes a good test gimp.”

“mmm! mmmn! nnnmm!” Carnelian’s struggles increased.

“Oh, hush.” Schorl said. Pressing a button on the remote.

The muffled grunting suddenly turned to pained groans as Carnelian shook harder in his bonds. The locks on his shackles were rattling. After a few moments passed, Schorl pressed another button on the remote. The ex-Master’s struggling ceased and his body fell limp in his bonds.

The electrodes on his privates must be activated by that remote.

Copper was having a hard time processing what he was seeing. He had always despised this pony, and here he was, completely stripped of power and at the mercy of another. Copper was feeling like a filly on Hearth’ s Warming Eve. The bondage, the struggling, and Tourmaline’s absolute dominance all tapped into Copper’s carnal desires. He could feel a rush of arousal in his loins, eager to push this further. He resisted the urge, however. He still needed answers.

“How did you learn to do this?” Copper asked, pointing to the horn that was still brightening the room. “He shouldn’t be able to cast any form of magic in this state. The horn blockers block the flow to the horn.”

“You saw the runes, take a guess,” Schorl responded.

Copper tried to piece things together. “I know runic magic exists, but I don’t know the extent of it. I’ve never heard anything like this being used before. Is the illumination spell being cast by the runes?”

“Not quite, the spellcasting is his own.”

She’s getting a kick out of toying with me.

“That doesn’t make any sense. If he has access to his magic, he could use it to escape his bonds.”

“If he has full access, then yes. Like I said, I’ve been experimenting.”

“So the runes are restricting all but specific types of magic?”

“In short, yes. I won’t go into the intricacies of runecasting, but the way it’s arranged is that the runic symbols can be used to draw out specific spells from the unicorn without granting full control. When activated, the runes will force the caster to cast the specific spell engraved on the ring, while still blocking out use of other spells.”

Copper glanced back at Carnelian’s horn. “Isn’t that a bit reckless? It feels like there’s a lot of room for error. You’d have to be careful with the arrangement of the runes so there’s no casting loophole the user could exploit, you’d have to figure out how to limits on the strength of the spell—”

“Hence why I’m experimenting with low-level spells like illumination. It will help provide a foundation for how craft runes for the more complex spells.”

“It’s certainly fascinating but, pardon me, I don’t understand the purpose. We already have spellcasters within our ranks. Even some slaves have been allowed magic use after undergoing the Ritual. The only use for this would be for slaves that haven’t been broken in yet. But when we already have other magic users, the only purpose this would serve is as a party trick. Admittedly, this is an impressive bit of forniphilia, but it seems like a lot of effort on your part. Why are you taking such a personal interest in this when there are other staff members that exist for this kind of research?”

“I’m a bit surprised you’re not seeing the bigger picture here,” Schorl responded. “Being able to force spellcasting from unwilling slaves is a special form of dominance. Lots of ponies in the Society would pay top dollar for this kind of tech. It’s true we have other spellcasters, but not only would this make things more convenient, it might also help us in emergency situations.”

“Emergency situations?” Copper still couldn’t tell where she was going with this.

“Let’s say there was a special slave. One with unique spellcasting abilities that other members couldn’t replicate. One who had magic we needed to use but couldn’t because the slave was unwilling to cast.”

Oh, so that’s what this is all about.

“Like an alicorn.”

Schorl grinned. “Something like that.”

Copper paused for a bit. He needed to take it all in. Some much had happened in such a short span of time; it was a lot to process. Mistress Tourmaline clearly had greater ambitions on her mind than even he had, and he doubted she would be telling him all this if she didn’t intend for him to be a part of it in some way. Even so, he was unsure if he could go along with whatever plans she had in store without settling things between them.

“Is it possible for us to find a private place to talk?” Copper asked.

“Have you forgotten what room you’re in?” Schorl spread her arms out to emphasize her point.

Copper pointed a finger at Carnelian. While most of his body was trapped in the suit, the ears weren’t, and he could clearly hear everything they were saying.

“Oh, is that your concern?” Schorl chuckled. “I wouldn’t worry about him spilling any secrets. As far as I’m concerned, he’s lost all speaking privileges until he undergoes the Ritual. Don’t mind him, he’s just a piece of furniture right now, nothing more.”

Schorl gave the imprisoned unicorn’s horn a flick and tapped his balls with her hoof. He gave a low muffled grumble. He understood the implied threat behind the action. Any attempt to interrupt their conversation with struggling would result in more shocks to his privates. He was to play the role of a decorative lamp. Deviation from that role meant punishment.

“Very well,” Copper sad as he sat down. “There’s some things we need to discuss.”

“Like what?” Schorl pondered. “As you can see, the Carnelian situation has been dealt with. Cane Sugar is in good health and is set to make a full recovery. You got what you wanted.”

“How long have you known about me?” Copper asked bluntly.

The grin that had been plastered on Schorl’s face deteriorated into confusion. She raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sure what you mean. I’ve known you for quite awhile.”

“About my powers. How did you figure it out?”

“Powers? I don’t know—”

“Can you please stop playing coy and be direct with me this time?” Copper begged.

Schorl said nothing. She laid back in her swivel chair. Her expression was stoic.

She’s no going to admit to anything unless I play my hand. Fine.

“Everything that’s happened today has bothered me. Yes, it all worked out in my favor. I should be satisfied with that, and yet there’s these nagging feelings in the back of my head that I can’t stop thinking about. Tiny details that didn’t make sense.

“The first thing was the letter I received. That was a priority mail letter. Black envelope. Those kinds of messages are urgent, first-day delivery ordeals. You don’t send them lightly. While excommunications are a big deal, they were never a big enough deal to warrant that level of urgency. I’ve never gotten letters like those in the past for other excommunications. Which meant this was likely a personalized message meant specifically for me. So what was so special about this one? Was it because of my history with Carnelian? I suppose that could be true, but that leads to the next issue.

“You told me that you hated having to deal with me and Carnelian. That our arguments were insufferable. You wanted to avoid having to deal with us. So why send me that letter specifically to me if you wanted to avoid that? Why did you let me walk into your office with no resistance? The whole point of that receptionist desk is so that you can filter out those who you don’t want to deal with. Sweet Mint could have easily said that you weren’t there or that you wouldn’t speak with me and there would have been nothing I could’ve done about it. Instead she practically invited me in and didn’t seem the least bit surprised by my appearance, almost like she was expecting me to show up. Yet when I get the chance to speak with you in this meeting that was supposedly meant to alleviate all my concerns, all you did was stonewall me. What purpose could there possibly be in enraging me further with that conversation?

“That’s when I started reflecting on things you brought up while we were talking. Some of the things you said came out of nowhere. It didn’t sound natural to me. ‘You can’t read minds, Copper.’ That was such an odd thing to say. ‘Unless you have some undeniable proof that could convince the other members of Carnelian assaulting another Master or some other major violation, there’s nothing you can do.’ Of all the ways to be excommunicated, why did you highlight an example that had never happened in the history of the Society up to this point? You even told me the room number that Carnelian was staying in after the vote. If you hate having to deal with us so much, why divulge that information? Why direct me towards him when you know what it would lead to?

“The only reason I could think of to explain any of this is that you wanted me to confront Carnelian. The urgent mail to get me to show up as quickly as possible, letting me into your office just to make me angrier, and giving me his room number. You wanted me to goad him into attacking me, and you knew it would work. That’s why you brought up reading minds and talked about how assaulting other members being illegal. You planted ideas in my head, played on my frustrations, and then pointed me in his direction. You were playing me this entire time. So I need to know: how did you find out and how much of this was your plan?”

Schorl Tourmaline’s expression hadn’t changed at all during Copper’s rant. Then it cracked as she gave Copper a smile. Then she started laughing.

Meanwhile, Carnelian started shaking in his bonds once more. More grunts and heavy breathing were coming from the tube in his mouth. Having just heard everything about this, he was desperately trying to plead with the Crystal Mistress. If this had all been just some trick, then maybe that meant his excommunication was invalid. Schorl’s laughter eventually ceased as she picked up the remote again. The gimp unicorn got another thirty seconds of shocks to the cock and balls. The message was clear: there was no turning back.

“Of course you would put the pieces together,” Schorl said to herself out loud, still chuckling a bit. “Admittedly, my plan was a bit rushed and sloppily put together. I was planning to do something like this for a long time and had something more subtle in mind. But then Cane Sugar got injured and thus Carnelian forced my hand. I had to move quickly.”

Copper was feeling a bit relieved that the crystal unicorn’s tone was playful. He hadn’t known exactly how she would take the accusation. Her feelings were one of the few he had trouble reading.

“So it’s true,” Copper said.

“Yes, for the most part. I was hoping you wouldn’t pick up on it. I thought your rivalry with Carnelian would have distracted you, but apparently it didn’t.”

“So you manipulated me into entrapping another member?”

“Oh, please. It hardly counts as entrapment. We didn’t force Carnelian to do anything. His actions were his own. If he had the slightest bit of self-control, this entire plan would have fallen apart. He dug his own grave.”

Carnelian moaned and trembled in his bonds yet again. Evidently, he didn’t think so. Schorl gave him several more shocks. It didn’t matter what he thought.

“But why go through the effort?”

“Because I never liked Carnelian much either. You were correct in that his flagrant disregard to Society rules was a liability. However, I couldn’t just excommunicate him outright. This isn’t like what happened to members like Suri; Carnelian had friends in high places. As I said earlier, the Society needs to appease those at the top to make sure things function smoothly. That’s why I held the vote. If the voted to excommunicate him, great. Problem solved. If they didn’t, then that meant I would need something more concrete. An unambiguous display of Society rule-breaking that no other Master, not even high-society ones, could dispute. A Master attacking another Master within the walls of the Society itself is not only unambiguous, it taps into their fear. They might not care as much about slaves, but they care about themselves. No Master would defend such an action. Thus when I gave the order to excommunicate Carnelian, there was no resistance. I just needed the right pony for the job.”

“And you picked me, because you knew about my empathic abilities.” Copper completed her explanation.

“Precisely.”

“But how did you know? I’ve never told anyone about my powers.”

“I’m not going to reveal all my secrets, but the short explanation is that you’re not the only one with mind magic. I use spells to detect the inner thoughts and desires of other ponies. That’s how I’m able to determine who would make good candidates for the Society. When I first met you, I searched your thoughts and picked up on your abilities. I’ve known about you for quite some time.”

“So you’ve had me under your thumb all this time.” Copper chuckled to himself.

“Does it really matter? We both got what we wanted in the end. Besides, it’s not like you weren’t also playing the manipulation game. I’ve known about your under-the-table business dealings as well. Your thoughts, you hanging out with business partners within Carnelian’s inner circle, your shipping routes suddenly changing to accommodate Steelshoes Industries, everything.”

“You analyzed me that thoroughly?” Copper questioned, flabbergasted by the scope of Schorl’s information.

Does she keep track of all members this way? How much has she been tracking?

“As I told you before, I have access to secrets beyond any other member. I’m holding all the cards. It was a good plan, all things considered. I just wished you had handled it better.”

“How could I have handled it better?”

“Your lack of patience hurts you. I told you to wait for an opportunity. Thankfully, you did take it when it presented itself, but you put yourself through a lot of unnecessary trouble.”

“Lack of patience? I had spent nearly two years on it!”

“And yet you continued engaging in arguments with Carnelian that entire time. It was already apparent that he wasn’t going to change, and you already had a plan in place to topple his throne, so why keep up the bickering? Why not hang back and wait for your plan to come to fruition? I wasn’t lying when I said I found your arguments tiresome. All arguing did was make other members see you as a killjoy and boosted Carnelian’s social status as the ‘proper, kind-mannered Master that gets bullied by the wet blanket.’

"That’s one thing Carnelian did better than you. His air of politeness made him more appealing. You lack patience. Those empathic abilities of yours are useful, but the weakness is that you’ve become so dependent on using them that you think with your emotions first, which makes you impulsive. That’s one of the reasons why it was so easy for me to manipulate you. All I did was wait for an opportunity to present itself. Then I made you frustrated and pointed you in his direction, then like a bee to a flower you instinctually set out to get to him.”

Unbelievable. She was thinking this far ahead all this time.

Copper laid back in his chair, taking it all in. He sighed. “So now what?”

“Business continues as usual until the next opportunity presents itself.” Schorl stated matter-of-factly. “This was a thorn in my side for some time and now I’ve finally put an end to it. Time to clean up the mess and focus on bigger projects. Is there anything else you needed?”

Copper thought about it for a moment. “What’s your plan for Carnelian’s ownership?”

Carnelian groaned into his gag and Schorl smiled.

“Twenty-eight! Twenty-nine! Thirty!”

The sound of the cane slapping across the unicorn gimp’s left asscheek reverberated around the room. It was hard to notice under the dark orange fur, but the stallion’s ass had definitely turned a bright shade of red. The poor ex-Master could do nothing but quietly moan into his gag as pain surged through his body with each successive strike.

Copper stopped his onslaught and took a step back to examine his work. He was in another private room in the Society and was now in the process of breaking in his newly acquired slave. Carnelian was still in the latex attire he had been wearing in Schorl’s office, but his predicament had changed. Instead of being locked into a device that made him a living lamp, he was now in a more traditional form of bondage. Chains from the ceiling attached to cuffs on his wrist and kept his arms fully extended above his head. He was suspended roughly a foot off the ground. His hooves were shackled together and another set of chains attached to the floor connected to them. Both the chains from the floor and ceiling pulled at his body, keeping his form straight, as if he was diving into a swimming pool. Simple, but effective. He could lurch his torso around somewhat, but was otherwise held in place.

The crotch zipper for his suit remained opened to allow access to his fun bits. His exposed ass made for an excellent caning session. A large buttplug had been lodged into his hole. It needed to be stretched out a bit for future use. Copper had removed all the toys that had been attached to his cock and balls. As fun as they were, he needed no obstructions for what was coming up.

Copper walked away from the unicorn to grab something off a table that held all manner of kinky toys and devices. Carnelian was still blindfolded and couldn’t see what he’d picked up. The latex clad pony suddenly felt something slip around his muzzle. The strong scent of rubber pierced his nose. He couldn’t see it, but it was a rubber gas mask with a breathing hose that extended about a foot in length. The only air coming to the unicorn was from that hose.

“By the way, this is the proper way to breathplay,” Copper lectured to the ex-Master. He squeezed the tube tightly, cutting off the bound pony’s oxygen. “This way, there’s no risk of neck injuries like with strangulation.”

Copper positioned himself to the unicorn’s side, allowing him to get a view of the gimp’s right ass cheek. Gripping the breathing hose in his right hand and the cane in his left he said, “You’re still uneven. I only did your left side. Let’s go for thirty more! I’ll let you breathe when we’re done. One!”

SLAP! Carnelian yelped into his gag as best he could. Thirty strikes before he could breathe again? He couldn’t make that. Each strike made him groan in pain, causing him to lose a bit of air in his lungs each time. Inhaling did nothing but recycle his old, moist exhaled breath. There was no fresh air to relieve the burning sensation that was building in his chest. His heart was racing. He could feel the lack of air getting to him. His body instinctually struggled to escape his bonds.

SLAP!

“Twelve! Oh, come on! Don’t struggle! All you’re doing is eating up more oxygen. We’re not even halfway there!”

SLAP!

Carnelian was reaching his limit. The fire in his lungs had become unbearable. His chest heaved as he tried to inhale. But there was nothing to breathe in.

SLAP!

“Eighteen!”

The pain was fading and being replaced with fogginess. His mind became hazy. He was losing track of time.

SLAP!

“Twenty-two!”

Dizziness.

SLAP!

“Twenty-five!”

He could feel himself slipping away. He tried to vainly inhale one last time, and was greeted with a rush of cool, clean air. His mind sparked back to life as he gulped breath after breath, taking in as much as he could. He chest was expanding and deflating rapidly beneath the confines of his latex suit as he made deep, but fast, breaths.

Copper had let go of the breathing hose. He knew Carnelian would never have lasted the full length. His empathic abilities allowed him to cheat a bit with breathplay. He could sense the state of someone’s mind. He knew when someone consciousness was fading, and could time it just right to where they reach the edge of passing out without fully crossing the line. He had complete control.

“Not a fan, huh? At least now you have a taste of what Cane Sugar felt. How does it feel knowing you’re essentially lower on the totem pole than her now?”

“mmmmmmnnnn…”

“I figured you’d say that,” Copper chuckled. “You only made it up to twenty-seven. I’m adding another ten because you didn’t last. Take another deep breath, we’ve got thirteen more.”

At hearing “thirteen” the unicorn tried to inhale as hard as he could for the inevitable onslaught only for it to be cut off halfway through as Copper squeezed the hose again.

SLAP!

“Twenty-eight!”

The process continued. The lowered amount of strikes made it easier to keep himself from slipping. The issue this time was that pain. With the dizziness of the previous caning, he lost focus on how much his ass was stinging because he was trying to stay conscious. Having been given a chance to breathe and let his blood flow properly, his nerves were starting up again. And they were on fire.

SLAP!

“Forty!”

Letting go of the hose, Copper watched the unicorn fall limp in his suspension as he sucked in fresh air once more. He decided to have a bit of fun and not do anything for five full minutes. He stood still and watched.

As Carnelian started breathing normally again, he became confused. Nothing was happening. No more strikes from the cane. His air wasn’t being cut off. He couldn’t hear any movement or voices anymore. What was happening? It’s possible that maybe Copper left to either get something else while he wasn’t paying attention or was taking a break. At least that gave him a chance to rest himself.

SMACK!

Copper gave the unicorn a bare hand slap on the gimp’s tender ass. The unicorn leaped in his bonds in a mixture of surprise and pain. The chains jingled around his arms as he desperately tried to rub his ass to try and soothe the pain. But that was impossible. He had no choice but to ride out the pain. Copper had waited for him to let his guard down so earth pony Master could get a good hit in.

Copper walked back over to the table to grab a few new things. “Alright, let’s try something a bit more pleasurable.”

Copper grabbed the unicorn’s exposed cock and began stroking it. With slow pumping motions, Copper slid his hand up and down the shaft, occasionally circling the head of the cock with his thumb. It didn’t take long for it to engorge in his grip. The unicorn felt Copper’s hand let go of his throbbing erection and heard a buzzing noise. His body convulsed as he felt strong vibrations against the head of his penis, far stronger than the slow strokes of Copper’s hand. Copper was using a vibrating wand to aid in the stimulation. He guided the wand all along the unicorn’s phallus, testing every millimeter for particularly sensitive areas. Eventually he resumed stroking the stallion with his right hand while also using the wand with his left, the two working in tandem to push the unicorn gimp over the edge.

It was clearly working. Precum was oozing slightly out of the tip. Copper decided to pick up the pace. His began to stroke at a faster pace while turning the vibration on the wand to its maximum setting. The burning pleasure was taking over the unicorn. The previous torture was starting to feel like a distant memory as his mind focused on the building arousal rising through his cock. The pressure was becoming too much for him to handle. He finally released, sending multiple spurts of jizz onto the concrete floor.

He rode a wave of pleasure, his mind awaiting the post-orgasm bliss that he was accustomed to. But the relief never came. Instead he felt something else entirely. Copper hadn’t stopped. And now the pleasure was rapidly turning into discomfort.

The thing about male orgasms is that they’re typically one full burst, followed by a post-orgasm refractory period. Usually the male halts their body and lets their mind relax into a calm state. However, the penis is incredibly sensitive post-orgasm. Especially around the head. The nerve endings are still on full alert.

Stimulating a cock after an orgasm creates a sensation that’s difficult to describe. Imagine your mind lying down on a soft cloud. But just before approaching a serene rest, you’re zapped repeatedly by bolts of lightning. No chance for rest or relief, just being repeatedly zapped with seemingly no end in sight.

This was the predicament Carnelian found himself in. His sensitive member was being assaulted by unending vibrations. His mind was overloading. He had no thoughts other than trying to escape whatever was tormenting his twitching cock. He was in no position to do so. Lurching his body around with what little movement his bondage allowed him wasn’t working. Copper was keeping his cock gripped tightly in his right hand while pressing the vibrating wand against the head.

The best part about this for Copper was that he could also feel the sensations of pleasure his slave felt. His empathic abilities allowed him to feel any pleasure he dished out to his submissives. Unlike Carnelian, Copper could control how much of it he felt, sort of like how one is able to change the water flow on a sink.

What felt like an hour of torture was in reality only about ninety seconds. Copper had finally backed away from his gimp’s privates and took enjoyment out watching the unicorn’s ragged breathing.

Carnelian was desperately trying to gain his bearings. This was too much. The humiliation, the torture, the nonstop arousal, all of it. To have so much bear down on him in a single day was breaking his psyche. He had always known about the breaking procedures of Society slaves, but only now did he truly understand the insidious nature of the process. There was no resistance he could put up. His dominant personality could not save him. He be broken down and then put back together again like countless slaves before him. There was nothing to do but accept his position and hope for mercy.

Carnelian felt something press up against the tube to this gag. A cool liquid poured through and hit the back of his tongue. He had no choice but to gulp it down. He was filled with dread as he caught the sweet taste. He knew what this was and what it meant. It was passion fruit. It didn’t take long for his flaccid cock to become hard once more.

“Let’s go for round two! This time I think I’ll mix in some breathplay along with the post-orgasm torture!”

Tears began welling up in the unicorn gimp’s eyes as the drops slipped through the space between his suit and the blindfold. The tears sparkled a bit as they reflected light, sliding down he smooth polished surface of latex.

“I wouldn’t complain much if I were you. These are the last cock orgasms you’re ever going to get. After this, I’m getting you fitted for a chastity cage. A spiked one.”

That wasn’t entirely true. Copper would probably let him have another cock orgasm at some point. A year, maybe. If he behaved himself.

“But don’t worry about that. We’ve still got another hour left this session.”

The ex-unicorn Master could do nothing but groan and accept his new fate.

Author's Note

Phew, this took forever. But at least I finally finished it. Thanks to all the readers who stuck around this long! I appreciate the support!