But there was no-one. Sighing, Ty turned back to the view, huddling in on herself, trying to reflect on what had happened, and what she could do. But that proved impossible. She was too hot. Her loins too wet. All she could do was clench her teeth against the troll's prediction that she'd be begging for cock by the end of the journey; and subtly rub her legs together to try and scratch that itch.
Since the descent here was somewhat steep, the road curved back and forth. At every turning was a statue, depicting a variety of femmes in saucy poses. Steph stared at them wide-eyed.
"They're not -- weren't alive?"
"Nah," said the bandit. "That's not something Madame Lerouge does. They're just ordinary statues to encourage people to visit."
All too soon the carriage arrived at the gates of the Palace. The Dwarf hailed two busty but fully armoured women, one an aasimar and the other catfolk, who recognised the carriage and pushed open the gate. Above was a lewd "arch" of more statuary:
A male Kitsune fucked a female Elf doggy-style, while across from them a herm tiger woman did likewise to a female human. The two subs braced against each other's hands, their lips pressed together in an eternal kiss. The whole tableau was larger-than-life and realistically painted, down to the gleaming lacquer depicting the fluids running over their legs.
Ty swallowed as she gazed up at the scene. That was to be her fate, she knew; and fear and excitement tumbled over each other in her stomach. She glanced at Steph; the tiefling's eyes were also riveted on the erotic display, but with unabashed desire.
"Wow..." breathed the red-skinned bard, rubbing harder at herself. The human bandit snickered. They passed beneath it, and the gate clanged shut behind them.
Now they were in the front courtyard, an expanse of pale lavender pavement decorated with arabesques of purple and red. The colonnades at either side were actually caryatids -- naked females of various races, supporting a series of arches. Behind them stood a row of aromatic cedars.
"Greetings, friends!" Ty looked forward again to see a tall male approaching them. He wore purple robes trimmed with gold; his aristocratic features, pale skin, shining blond hair and the tips of pointed ears protruding form it identifying him as a High Elf. The Dwarf pulled up the carriage, and the Elf stopped by the seat to speak with him.
"Time to get down, girls," said the human bandit, grinning. He stood, opened the door to the side, and hopped down, then reached for Ty. She hesitated, but seeing several more amazonian guards encircling the carriage, decided there was no point in resisting now. She took his hand, and he pulled her down, then around to the other side of the carriage, where they joined the Orc with Steph.
"Here they are," the Orc said, pushing the tiefling towards the Elf unceremoniously. The human, on the other hand, gave Ty's furry ass a light swat, encouraging her to join her friend before the Elf.
To her surprise, he bowed slightly, smiling down at them. "Welcome to the Pleasure Palace, ladies. I am Ancalion, chief steward of Madame Lerouge; and I am delighted to meet two such beauties and bring them into our ranks. If you will pardon me..."
He murmured an arcane phrase, then examined them -- using a spell to check that they had the required classes, while feasting his eyes on their bodies. Ty looked back, noticing now that he wore a leather collar, studded with small gems, around his neck, From it hung a polished silver medallion, engraved with scrolling lines in the form of a heart enclosing a flame. Ty noticed that the guards had similar collars, though their medallions were brass.
"Excellent." The tall man nodded in satisfaction. "Bard and courtesan, just as Mistress ordered. You two are perfect!"
The human nodded. "Of course."
"When can we fuck?" Steph whined. Ty looked at her in horror while those surrounding them laughed.
"Soon, my eager slut!" the Elf assured her. To the bandits he said, "Melissa will conduct you inside where I had some refreshments prepared for you after your journey." He produced two small pouches, walking past the girls to hand them to the bandits. "And tips for your efforts, courtesy of Madame Lerouge. You may keep them, or spend them on our entertainments if you wish."
"I'd like to fuck that fox," said the human. "She's been throwing herself at me the whole way."
"No I haven't!" protested Ty, stung to anger. The Elf held up a hand.
"Not until they've been interviewed by Mistress. And" he raised an eyebrow "the vixen is for Mistress' private harem. To buy the time of one of Lerouge's own concubines is... probably beyond you."
The bandit grumbled to himself as the Elf turned back. "Come, girls," he said, putting his arms around their waists and urging them forward. "Let me take you to our Mistress. You'll love being her slaves, I promise."
Ty wanted to struggle, to resist the stranger's touch. She really did. But she found herself trotting along beside him, her tail relaxing from its awkward attempt at modesty. The firm gentleness with which the Elf was moving her forward just made her melt. And the scent of his maleness -- visible through his robe -- that made her ache all the more. She ran her tongue around her dry mouth, and licked her lips.
The courtyard was filled with other people. Mostly customers, she supposed, though a few wore what she guessed were slave collars. Ahead of them loomed a red-roofed porch, supported by marble columns fluted with gold. Huge double doors of red-painted wood loomed within the portico's shade, each marked in gold with a lamp inside a heart.
Two of the guards -- a tigerfolk woman and a centauress -- were following at either hand. Things did look pretty hopeless, and Ty's pussy was burning with need. But those doors filled her heart with dread.