Nua looked down at the two clutching their stomachs and rolling on the ground, a human of some bulk could barely breath where the wind had been robbed from him by a sound blow. The wood elf woman however, was trying to rise.

Nua did not tell her to stay down, instead, she made her. The eyes of the hotel’s elites were more numerous as word of the impromptu display spread, nor were they alone, slaves and free servants were watching as well. Nua jammed her boot down on the woman’s throat and looked down at her with ice in her eyes. “Still want to stand up, slave?” Nua asked through gritted teeth.

The woman answered with a choked noise as she tried to claw at Nua’s enchanted boot and found it futile.

“Shout your submission…” Nua ordered as she wailed in her heart. ‘She doesn’t look so different from me! Born at home, we could have been sold on the same block! Let her up! Let her go… let one of your own go you bitch!’ She ordered herself, but pressed her boot harder instead.

The pain went on, the blonde elf woman’s eyes bulged, Nua lifted the pressure off slightly, and the woman went limp, sucking in air, she half shouted, half cried, “I submit! I submit, mistress I submit!”

Nua’s boot came up the rest of the way and went back down on the soft ground.

Nua’s ears twitched as the woman choked out a whisper she might not have even meant to speak. “I’m sorry… Veena… your mother failed you… twice.”

A pang touched Nua’s heart again as she made a mental note of the name.

Solution approached, and dragged the beaten slaves back to their cages and locked them in before releasing another.

On and on it went, cheers became ragged and fewer as the futility of the fight became more and more evident, and muck covered naked slaves were again in their cages, while a nearly completely clean Nua stood in front of them again in the power stance of a soldier. “You’re all weak, pathetic sinners. You failed yourselves, your city, your Prince, your families, everything they stood for, and now you have nothing. However… I’m going to give you a ‘chance’ for something more.”

Eyes shot up and ears twitched as Nua took a few steps forward. “You’re going to be my new mercenary company. Put plainly, you’re shit fighters, but… you were also discipline problems until a little while ago. Doesn’t look like that last problem will continue…” She gave a sarcastic and sadistic smile as she came a few feet closer and Solution fell in beside her.

Nobody argued. “I’m buying the best armor and weapons this city can offer. I’m buying full kits for marching, I’m hiring Headmen grade instructors to work on your sorry asses and shape you into something better than muck swallowing chattels and failures. You have a chance to be more than mere slaves, you get to be soldiers again, ‘my’ soldiers.” Nua’s eyes of gold swept over the silent slaves.

Her left ear twitched when she heard the watchers muttering, and suppressed her sense of satisfaction as seeds sprouted as soon as they were planted.

“Now, you were all such shit soldiers and shit fighters, that I don’t expect you to be any good at this just because I say to be. You need a reason, after all, and the fact that I put your asses in the mud doesn’t quite cut it. So, I will add a little… extra incentive.” Nua slowed her words down and came closer, and lowered her voice as well, drawing the slaves in their cages to lean closer.

“I know slave records are meticulously kept, who is sold to whom. You fight hard for me, you train hard for me, and not only will I pay you, I’ll track down your families and friends, and I’ll buy their freedom. I’ll take off their collars, and let them go. Your wives and daughters will not labor in brothels, your sons and brothers will not die in the mines, your aging parents will not stoop in someone else’s rice paddies. I’ll even start paying them for your service. Or…” She led the word hang ominously.

“I have no use for anyone too stupid to know better. Refuse, and I can sell you today and you can take your chances on finding a new owner. This may be the last choice for the rest of your lives, make it a wise one.” Nua demanded, and went to the far left cage, and stuck her hands through the bars with her palms up.

A muck covered man with a bloody forehead and a broken nose… rose to his knees. He cradled her left hand in his palms, and pressed his lips to the center of it, and then repeated the gesture with her right one. “So I take it your job is no longer ‘Elf fucker?’” Nua asked sarcastically.

He shook his head rapidly, “No… mistress. My job is to serve… I give my oath, and my body, to your will.”

As Nua moved on to the next, she heard him whisper, “Be patient Karlina, survive… I’ll save you…”

One by one, Nua took their oaths of submission, until she had them all. “Now… I guess you’ll need baths again. Though whether that is my fault or yours…” Nua managed a laugh as she took center stage in front of them, “You’ll be fed regularly, and I’m having blankets delivered so that you don’t get sick or freeze, expect to train hard before I start putting you to use. The faster you turn into the kinds of soldiers that don’t get captured, the faster your worthless lives start to have meaning again. Am I understood?”

“Yes, mistress.” They answered with dazed expressions, wide eyes, open jaws, some sitting back in their cages, others holding onto the bars in front of them as her unlooked for opportunity presented itself.

“No. You will call me ‘Captain Aiwenor’ or ‘Ma’am’ until I say otherwise. Am I clear?”

“Yes, Captain Aiwenor.” They replied together.

“Louder!” Nua demanded as she stood square against them after putting her armor and cloak back on. “Is that the way you answered the coming of the people who took away your lives, freedom, families? Answer me like it’s a goddamn warcry and not like apologetic children.” She growled out to them.

“Yes, Captain Aiwenor!” They shouted loud enough to be heard at the entrance and within.

“Again!” Nua demanded.

“Yes, Captain Aiwenor!” They shouted.

“Again! Put your souls in it! Let your goddamn families hear your voices out there, and know that you’re coming for them, or would you rather hide in a safe cage forever! That’s what you want?! Shout, damn you! Like soldiers!” She raised her voice to them and leaned forward only a little bit.

“YES, CAPTAIN AIWENOR!” They shouted as powerfully as they could, and Nua straightened up, satisfied.

“That’s a start. Wouldn’t you say so, Teacher?” Nua asked the demon to her left.

“Not bad for muck rutters, at least they seem enthusiastic.” Solution shrugged indifferently.

“Ought to make dinner interesting, don’t you think?” Nua asked rhetorically, and didn’t wait for an answer as they turned to head back to their hotel.

Karlo saw the two depart, and remained out of sight, as they passed by in idle chatter, he made his way to the steps. Every breath out of his lungs filled him with fear. ‘Come on Karlo, if they see you, you were going there for a legitimate reason, you’ve got the order forms and need money, it’s not like you’re just ‘sneaking’ in. It’s not your fault if they happen to be out.”

Still, his face flushed and he rubbed it self consciously and swallowed hard when he hit the top of the stairs and headed toward the wealthy woman’s suite.

Every step of his footfalls on the wood seemed a thousand fold louder than they actually were. People in rich clothing passed him by, and though they didn’t ever seem to even notice his presence, every step that closed the gap between him and they made him want to turn and run. He scrunched up his toes within his fine shoes and kept the grimace from his face. “Coward. You’re a coward. Lady Kaiji is in trouble, and even walking there all you can think of is yourself, what do you even have to lose anymore?! Nothing. Nobody suffers but you if you… NO. No that’s wrong.’ He corrected himself and slowed his steps, he glanced over the long rail out into the open area of the grand entrance.

“Lady Kaiji might suffer, if her mistress thinks she ran away… if… if… if…” He uttered with the motion of his lips but no words were given life by breath as one horrible scenario ran through his head after another. ‘But if you do nothing, after what she did for you…’ He swallowed, despite his slowness, he was now standing in front of the door to Lady Kaiji’s personal hell. He could hear faint sobbing from inside.

He reached down and turned the handle, it didn’t move. Karlo slowly raised his hand, hovering it there just inches from the thick wood… and then he knocked.

A moment of silence, the sound of bare feet over floor, “It’s Karlo, I-I’m here on the matters Mistress Aiwenor sent me on.”

Behind the door, Kaiji raised her head from the breast she found herself buried in, wiping her pure red eyes, she looked at Priceless. “I-I’ll do it.” She said, only for Priceless’s fingers to touch her forehead at the center.

“No, you’re a bit of a sight.” She said with a shake of her head, and got to her feet.

Kaiji didn’t argue, she curled her knees up to her chest to hide what of her body that she could, and buried her face in her knees to pour out the cup of bitterness and loss through her eyes.

Priceless approached the door and turned the lock, it clicked right, and she opened it slowly.

She bowed very deeply, “Sir.” She said softly, her hands traveled the length of her bare legs, stopping just at the knee and then moving her hands to the inward facing section of her knee.

“The mistress and her bodyguard are out, but we can…” She paused as he went past her, “...help…” she snapped up straight and ate up ground as he saw Kaiji, “...you…”

Kaiji sensed his presence and heard his approach, and so her red eyes popped open in time to see him kneel in front of her, and reach out to touch her. “Lady Kaiji…” He whispered, panic ran through her like a stampede, she pressed herself flat against the wall, unable to go farther back, she began to inch to the side.

“Lady Kaiji… I…” He started to say, and inched closer to her.

“No! No!” Kaiji whimpered, “Sir please don’t… I’m not allowed, I can’t do that for you I… she’ll be angry…” her head darted back and forth in denial as she scooted along the floor until she found herself in the corner. “Please…”

“You… don’t remember me do you, Lady Kaiji?” Karlo said sadly, his face went down humbly as he walked a few feet away from where she hid hopelessly in the corner.

“No I… I don’t remember you Sir.” She bit her lip as uncertainty became confusion as the free servant went to his knees and prostrated himself in front of her.

Priceless stood stock still, not sure whether to help, or how to help, or to do nothing. Her eyes could only bounce from one to the other and the door, anxiously.

Sensing that fear gave way to confusion, Karlo looked up from where he’d prostrated himself with his head over his hands, and his hands flat on the floor with his legs tucked under his body.

“Lady Kaiji… some years ago, you came here as a guest. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you don’t remember me. I was just a stupid boy, this was my ‘big chance’, and on my first day, I dropped your bag. Rather than yell at me, you were nice. You winked at me and let me pick it up as if nothing had happened. I served you again several times during your stay… I don’t know why, but you were… well you took pity on that stupid, anxious boy. You gave me good advice. You gave me tips for service that to me, were the world.”

Kaiji sniffled and began to look at him intensely, her face canting slightly as she tried to shave off a few years from an already youthful face.

Karlo’s eyes welled up as he began to rise to one knee, “Your tips… paid my grandfather’s debt, I was able to get him into a home, when he died the next year, it was warm, in a bed. Not drowning like some of the homeless in the lower district when the great rains come. When my mother fell ill with the drowning sickness, she had hope, because I had paid for a healer to come. Most… they die in terror, fear, or pain. But she died with a smile, the healer didn’t make it, but… she wasn’t afraid. You made that happen for one stupid, intense, eager boy who had no hope if not for this job.”

Kaiji wiped her nose and cracked a fragile smile. “I... remember the boy who dropped my bag, I thought you were going to cry when it landed on my foot, it hurt you more than me. You’ve gotten bigger, but yes, now that you say it, I can still see the boy in the man in front of me now.”

Karlo’s face turned serious, the smile, weak as it was, was gone. “I’ve… done alright, got better at the job, no bag drops on rich feet. No family left now but… I’m comfortable, even have some savings, and I’ve been using my ears to help me determine from what others say, what to put my money into. I invested in a few apprentice merchants, and bought some land I heard was going to be of interest, I’m not rich but… I want to help you.”

Kaiji looked at him with pity. “What, so you want to buy me? Do you have any idea what my Mistress paid for me? Enough for over a hundred slaves, that’s how much. A hundred people are going to die, so that she could own me, you really think she’ll sell?” Kaiji lowered her face back to her knees.

“Better to forget you ever saw me, forget you saw anything but just another slave on the floor. Forget, like I’d forgotten back then. I’ll be less ashamed, if you’d please… please just forget me.” Kaiji whimpered.

“What if I got you out! If she won’t sell… I can afford a horse, prop the side door open, bring some clothes, a cloak to hide you, nobody uses the side entrance except for deliveries. I know all the schedules, if I got you out and onto a horse… nobody would be looking for that, you could ride south to Da’nak. The other demon-elves wouldn’t turn you in, you know the rules. A slave that flees to the great temple, and remains within its grounds for a year and a day is free. Nobody has ever broken that rule before.”

Kaiji shook her head, “And that’s why they keep patrols out there, and a woman with as much money as Mistress Aiwenor, and a temperament to match… she’d put double my price as a bounty to get me back. And who knows what she’d do to find out who helped me escape. You’d be as good as dead.”

“I can take that risk!” Karlo hissed and reached for holding his hand out for her to take it. “I have no family now, what I had, had their final happiness because of you, if I disappear from this world, it’ll go on without me. But I can’t let you walk out of here in a collar to the stars alone know what fate. Not if I can repay a debt.”

Kaiji reached out slowly, as if to take his hand, and then batted it away, striking the back of it with the back of her own in a graceful but decisive manner. “No. There is no debt. I didn’t do anything, not worth this. Even if I’m not caught, you will be, and whatever I did do… I didn’t do that so that desperate boy could be crucified or consumed or sentenced to the Tlalmok tribute… besides, I swore to my mistress, who saved my life, that I would be loyal to her. I’m her property and that’s all there is to it.” She gave him a fragile, delicate smile, and was so focused on him, that she didn’t see the frantic look on the face of Priceless, or see her going to her knees.

“Lady Kaiji I…” He started to softly whisper.

She snapped, “I’m NOT LADY KAIJI ANYMORE!” She managed to glare for only a moment before resting her chin between her knees.

His mouth closed slowly.

“Lady Kaiji is dead. She died with Komestra, let me cry over her grave in peace. Please…” She fixed him with wide, wet red shimmering eyes, and added “SIR.” She whispered down to the floor, “Escape… is something I won’t try, what I don’t want you to chance for me. It’s sweet, but stupid.”

“Agreed. There are much… much easier ways to commit suicide if that were your goal.” Nua said offhandedly. “Solution?”

Karlo had not turned half way round before Solution got him around the throat, and Kaiji’s eyes darted up to see with alarm that her mistress had come back.