EXTRACT FOR
The Challenge
(Fiaine Cluiun)

"I can't give you what you're looking for, but perhaps there's another way." Mistress Joanna leaned back in her chair as a pair of skimpily clad slaves, one male, one female, laid out the trappings of high tea, ranging from small, dainty cakes, to a China teapot, with delicate matching cups. 

Kathy, in a soft peach summer dress, knelt on a thin but comfortable cushion. "Oh?" Her heart raced as she took one of the white cups with their faint floral pattern. "And thank you for inviting me, ma'am." Over the past few years she'd enjoyed more than a few scenes with Mistress Joanna, but the fem domme's style was far too gentle for Kathy's tastes as they'd both come to understand after the first year. 

Despite that they'd remained friends and she'd occasionally indulged in a flogging from the domme when the itch to play threatened to spiral out of control. 

"Robert, my tablet please."

"Yes, Mistress." The man bowed before turning with an elegant grace and slipping out of the room. 

"You've always been welcome at my table, girl." The woman paused as she glanced at the female slave who busied herself in keeping the high tear presentable. "You've heard of the Citadel Forum, I believe?" 

"Yes, ma'am." Kathy smiled. "A private forum for those in the lifestyle."

"It's a little more than that, and to use it directly you need to be vouched for, which I'm prepared to do for you considering the time we've known each other." She sipped the tea. "I wouldn't normally suggest this but there was a post, more of an advertisement to tell the truth, that I think would appeal to you."

Kathy went through what she knew of the Citadel. All members were vouched for. In this day and age, it was easy enough for those with the right skills to double check would be members and no one was allowed to post or reply to posts without going through a series of checks. "In what way, ma'am."

Robert returned with the slender silver tablet, eased to his knees, and offered the device to Joanna. The domme took it, dismissing Robert and the silent female with a wave of her delicate hand. Only when they were alone did she activate the tablet and pulled up the right screen before she offered it to Kathy. "It would be easier if you read it for yourself."

Curious Kathy turned the device until the forum, and the particular post Joanna wanted her to read, came into focus. Her brow furrowed at the title.

Seeking adventurous female masochistic submissive for the ultimate challenge.

Her eyes narrowed but she continued to read. It wasn't the first time there'd been a bait advert but those, on normal channels, she'd learned years ago to stay well away from. Even with the advantages and improvements in medical care, only a fool would jump into a situation without running security checks, watching for those who might try to harm submissives and even some dominants.

Sadist seeks female masochistic submissive to endure a single day and night in the hands of a true male Sadist. She will be put to the test, starting with gentle bondage and flogging, then slowly ramped up to use some of the cruelest of delights. 

Alright, so far it was the normal bluster she'd seen a hundred times from dominants who thought using a heavy flogger fell into the realms of cruel delights. Still, she'd learned to trust Joanna and continued reading without rolling her eyes. Disrespecting the domme wasn't on her list of things to do, besides Joanna didn't deserve that type of treatment.

Details followed the initial paragraph. If the man understood the things described in the advertisement, then it would be difficult to find a willing and experienced playmate. What he wanted would hurt far more than Joanna or any of the other dominants she'd met, were capable of inflicting. The idea of facing the successively more painful delights sent a tingling heat through her body as arousal pooled between her thighs. 

Kathy licked her bottom lip as her mouth dried out and heart raced. She lifted her gaze to meet Joanna's then returned to read the final part of the post. 

If any applicant successfully completes the challenge, they will be rewarded with $50,000 and any and all medical expenses covered. If an applicant wishes to stop at any point all they must do is call out their safe word or use the pre-arranged signal, and the challenge will immediately end.

"Fifty thousand? Is this serious?" She caught Joanna's gaze. "Sorry, ma'am. It caught me off guard." She lowered the tablet. 

"Nothing to apologize for, my girl. And he's perfectly serious. According to the forum admin the poster is legitimate, and this isn't the first time he's invited submissives to face his challenge. No this is simply the first time he's posted it on the Citadel." The domme smiled. "When I saw that I did my own checking and the challenge is a brutal one, though he does ramp up, bringing the sub up the levels he's more interested in, but not without that preparation work." She set the cup down. "There's more, pieces that aren't in the ad. Applicants go through a screening, including answering a questionnaire. He arranges for them to go through a physical, to check for any inherent issues, all paid for so there's no impediment for those who are short on cash."

Kathy took a second look at the post.

Was it worth the risk? It wasn't as if, in this day and age, she had to hide her everything she did from work. The law now made it illegal for a business to discriminate against those engaging in adult, consensual activities unless it actually prevented them from working. Fortunately, if she applied and was successful, she had enough paid time off to be able to arrange a few extra days off to recover both emotionally and physically. 

Places like the Citadel were kept private because there were always those who were willing to try and blackmail people like herself. Rumors spoke of other reasons, darker ones, but then again life was always full of rumors. It didn't make them true. 

Her skin tightened as she let the idea settle, her mind all too willing to offer a dozen scenarios with help from the posting. The toys and devices mentioned, combined with her own imagination, threatened to turn her into a squirming, trembling, masochist ready to jump headfirst. She forced herself to breathe and think through the possible issues. It couldn't be a trap they way some might have thought, not when the poster had been through checks, and certainly not with the details the admin would have on him. If he turned out to be an internet monster, then he'd be caught.

Or already would have been given that he'd run such ads before. 

Would there still be risks?

Of course, she wasn't a fool, but the questionnaire and medical checkup would give her time to pull out if she stumbled across anything that indicated it was a trap or a means for some underground trader of human flesh.

"Think it over, and if you're interested, I'll arrange for you to have access."

Kathy smiled as she handed the tablet over. "I don't need to think it over, ma'am. I'm interested."