Following our release, we sit and eat one last meal with Rothol, and talk over what to do from here. It's not much of a discussion. We'll go home, of course. But after that, Liina wants to talk to the guild master in Karshis to see if we can set up a meeting between the guild masters, maybe get our towns to work together, or at least stop fighting, and possibly set up trade between us or something. Anything to form better connections between our people.

In the end, we designate a meeting spot, a particular ruin partway between the two towns, one month from now. If we can get the guild master, or really anyone else to come and talk, that would be best, otherwise, maybe we can just catch up on how things are going in Thanifa.

Rothol makes sure we know that we're always welcome back before handing back all of the gear they confiscated from us two months ago. It's still seriously damaged, but it's mostly still usable. Though Liina is going to need to replace her sword and shield, they took the worst of it. Everything else can come later. As for me, my most expensive equipment is my little earring which is still perfectly fine. Given its size, they never even confiscated it.

So with a last goodbye, we set off for Karshis. It's... almost anticlimactic. It's only about a five day trip, and after making sure to swing past the ruins where we'll meet Rothol again, it's still only two days in to reach nice, populated roads. No bandits, no monsters, nothing dangerous of any sort. Plenty of other travelers and adventurers around. The trip back is a breeze, and we're at the gate to Karshis before I know it.

Only problem, I still don't have a slave crest, so the gate guard stops me immediately. Even when I tell him I'm Liina's slave, he doesn't seem convinced, so Liina has to toss me over her shoulder and carry me into the city to make the point clear enough.

From there, we head directly to the adventurer guild.

When we arrive, numerous heads turn our way. We practically draw a commotion as people from the last quest, as well as a number of the receptionists involved in organizing the emergency quest, Malic included, gather around us.

Malic, his arctic white wolf fur shining as he strokes it nervously, is the first to speak. “We heard you two died on your last quest, what happened!?”

“Now that is a really long story. One we'd like the guild master to hear, actually.” A huge, toothy grin grows over her face. “We've been busy.”

Without any hesitation, they fetch the guild master, and once everyone is assembled, Liina tells our story.

For the most part, no one seems to have the slightest idea how they're supposed to respond to any of it. That's not a surprise. They think we're dead, then we show up two months later, telling a tall tale about basically changing the minds of an entire town of humans.

“In any case, anyone who's interested, we have a meeting set up to talk things over more with their guild master, I was hoping that Brialc,” referring to the lion-altra guild master, “would go so you could talk about the relations between our towns. If anyone else is interested in hearing about things, you could go too.”

After just a bit more to hammer down the time and location, everyone seems satisfied, if confused by the whole turn of events.

“Now, I'd like one slave crest, please,” is the very next thing she says, offering Malic a gold coin from her (extremely) delayed fifteen gold pay for the emergency quest. Hearing her request, a huge smile breaks over my face. She'll be my master again!

Malic chuckles a little, as does everyone else when they see my reaction. “Alright, come on.” He quickly waves on through, to the same back room, where Liina sits me down and cuffs me to the chair just like last time. He hands her the crystal, and without any hesitation, she uses it.

It's not like the previous times, I'm ready for the burn of the magic. I let it right in, only gritting my teeth a little as it over takes my adventurer crest and pushes out the terrifying world outside, so it's just me and Master Liina again. Once she puts on my collar and sets the usual punishment commands, she pulls me up from the chair.

She's my master again.

I'm her slave.

Finally.

It's been two whole months, now I can finally call her Master again!

“M...” I mumble, then gulp. I only slipped twice calling her Master after Rothol set that punishment. I hurt like a bitch and I didn't slip again after that. So now...

Now I can say it again...

“Master...” I look up at her with a shy grin, glad I can finally say it again. She looks back down at me and turns on that big, toothy grin.

“Master!” I cry, and throw my arms around her in joy.

There's a sigh, then she suddenly spanks me.

“Eep!” I squeak, jumping from the sudden hit.

As I stand, rubbing my stinging butt with pained tears in my eyes, Master Liina scolds me. “Just because you spent two months without a proper master, that doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on your training. I won't overlook any bad habits you formed in that time,” she warns.

“Y-yes, Master...” Now I want to cry...

“Now, what do you say?” she prompts, pushing one brow up knowingly. It takes a few seconds to figure out what she means, but then I get it.

“Can I hug you?” I ask quietly.

“That's a good girl, come here.” And she spreads her hands. Only hesitating a little longer, I hug her again.

“Master...” I mumble, squeezing tight as she sets one hand on my shoulder, the other rubbing my head gently. After two months of fighting my own stupid, perverted urges, I don't even care. I rub against her fur and inhale her scent deeply. Even if she's dirty and kind of stinky after days of walking, she's soft and smells comforting, easing my nerves and telling me that I'm safe.

Eventually, she pushes me back to separate, and I reluctantly release my grip before she gets impatient with me. “Needy needy,” she purrs anyway.

Oh god that was a mistake I'm I'm so hot now...

“Alright you two,” Malic laughs. “Get on, you've been away for a while now.”

“Oh yeah,” Master Liina thinks aloud. “Yumi, go wait out front. I still have some things to do.”

I blink. Things to do? Like what? “Yes, Master,” I answer anyway. Leaving the room, I head back to the front of the guild and I'm actually kind of thankful. It gives me a chance to get myself back under control after getting way too close to Master Liina and getting all worked up like that.

Just standing and watching the adventurers wandering around, I alternate between tinkering with my Scan and just people watching. It's interesting, seeing the differences in the flow of adventurers through the guild here compared to the Thanifa guild.

Then a man walks right up to me, placing a hand on the wall over my shoulder to sort of pin me there. He's a fox-altra, just like Master Liina, but he's a light blue instead of red. I freeze up as he looks down at me and says, “Hey, there you are...”

My cheeks immediately light up. I'm way too excited to deal with a guy randomly flirting with me out of nowhere! Leaning in even closer, I shiver from the proximity. Under his smoldering gaze, I can hardly form a sentence.

I can't do this right now!

Then he takes a deep, long breath, inhaling through his snouted nose. “Oh my, you're certainly ready to go, aren't you?”

It feels like my face catches fire.

Oh my fucking god he just said that.

He can smell it on me!

I have no idea how to respond, how to do anything but stare as my embarrassment overrides every other sense until the only thing I'm aware of is him, pressing so close, that rich, supple, blue fur right there, his own scent so close that if I just...

Then my mind catches. Lurches when it hits something that's wrong. I shake my head, then I see it.

The human slave hovering behind the blue fox.

The blue fox.

High class adventurer blue fox. With a tall human slave.

The one who tried to kidnap me all those months ago, right from my job at the bar.

My blood freezes, every trace of arousal turning to terror, as I crush myself backward, away from him, into the wall at my back.

Immediately panicking, my breath comes in gasps. He's not going to try again, is he?! We're in the middle of the guild!

Then his hand comes toward me and I don't hesitate at all. I squeeze my eyes shut and pull up a Party window to Scan Master Liina.

His hand touches my face and I shiver, turning away.

“Tsk, looks like some idiot already laid claim to you. I suppose I'll have to deal with them,” he sighs lightly. Deal with them? What does that mean?

Master!

A big hand closes over the man's shoulder. Bright red, with claws neatly filed down. My heart shudders with relief as Master Liina pulls the man back to face her.

“Sir, you are scaring my slave,” she practically snarls. “Stop.” With a single twitch of her head, she commands me to come, and I'm at her side in an instant, sliding behind her somewhat.

Oh god. Fuck. Fuck.

With a hand to my chest, I finally manage to bring my breathing under control.

Holy shit that was terrifying.

But now Master Liina is here to protect me. Everything will be fine now.

“So, you're the one who took my girl. Give her here.”

“What? She is my slave.” Liina draws herself up taller, just a few inches on the man, facing him down.

“You don't know who I am, do you?” he asks with a condescending smile. I can't see from behind her, but I imagine she's rolling her eyes. Except... my heart starts to sink. “I am Veshic Therfio, sixth son of the Therfio family.”

A noble...

Even Master Liina backs off a little, removing her hand from his shoulder. She spreads her hands in front of me to protect me instead.

“I see, I apologize for my rude behavior. However, I will not give away my precious slave just because you are a noble. You aren't even from Karshis, Sir.”

“Yes, I'm from Montheric,” he says with a thin smile. “And you really do not want to displease us, little backwater town like this.”

There's a moment of tension. Montheric. It's a city-state like Rialetra, but further away, almost a month's travel on foot. But it's much larger and more powerful... What would they do to Karshis if we pissed off their nobility? I don't really know, I'm not sure how the inter-town politics work on Verilz.

Then Master Liina answers. “I am just an adventurer, I have nothing to do with the relations between our towns. You have no reason to threaten Karshis, I could just as easily move somewhere else. No matter your position, I will not give you my property.”

She... would Master Liina really move away from Karshis to avoid him? To protect me?

At her words, Veshic frowns a little, eyes moving to me past her, and I shrink behind her back a little more. Then, “Five hundred gold for her.”

I flinch when he makes the offer. That much money, just for me? There's no way Master Liina would accept, right? She promised!

Turning back slightly to rub my head and ease my worries, she flashes a toothy grin. “Shooting a bit low there, don't you think, mister big shot noble?” She barks out a laugh, which clearly annoys the fox-man.

“That's probably a good portion of your life earnings, adventurer,” he scoffs. “You overestimate her value.”

“You underestimate her value,” Master Liina says, looking down at me. “She's a good girl.” Then she turns back to him again. “Besides, she's worthless to you, she wouldn't trust someone like you.”

His eyes narrow. “Explain.”

Still smiling knowingly, Master Liina says, “Yumi needs a master she can trust to protect and care for her. She completely falls apart otherwise.”

“I care for all of my slaves!” Veshic exclaims, looking offended now. “I'm not like those peasant masters who mistreat and abuse them. Mine are impeccably cared for, anything less would be a disgrace to the Therfio family name!”

That actually catches Master Liina off-guard. “Oh,” she mouths, but the angry fox-man is already moving.

“Joffa,” he says, snapping his fingers at his slave.

“Yes, Master,” the slave man responds, taking a step forward to drop into a low bow.

I wasn't looking at him that closely before, but now it only takes one glance. He's a high rated slave too. He's well dressed and his stoic, unreadable expression is nothing like you'd see on a low rated slave.

“Huh, I guess I misread you,” Master Liina admits. “However, it does not change anything. I will not sell you my slave.”

“I see you're determined,” Veshic replies tersely. “This is not over. I will have her eventually. Joffa, come.” Master Liina doesn't even respond. She stands silently as Veshic and his slave leave the guild.

Once they're gone, I feel like the strings of tension and anxiety keeping me up are cut all at once, and sink to the floor.

“Yumi?” Master Liina looks worried, turning to me. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing. Thank you, Master.” I smile up at her, suddenly tearing up. “Thank you for protecting me again.”

“I promised, I will do my duty as your master,” she responds seriously with a look that makes me want to just melt. “Now come on, let's go home.”

“Umm...” I hesitate, and she raises a brow. “I'm sorry, I, uhh...” Blushing, I stare at her feet. “I think I'm so relieved, I, uhh, don't have the strength to stand...”

That one draws a full laugh from her. “Hahaha, always so needy,” she keeps chuckling, even as she grabs me and pulls me right up off the floor, throwing me onto her back to piggyback me home.

I'm mortified, especially at the handful of laughs that follow us out of the guild, but resting my head on her shoulder, I already feel like I'm home...