Solution blew out the candle, and went back to the bed ignoring the two now that they had been secured. The demon-elf’s red eyes could see very well, if not quite perfectly, through the darkness. Outside as rains poured hard, she thought of the others of her city. ‘I wonder… how many are down there in the lower districts, shivering in the cold, still waiting to be sold. How many are already dead by suicide out of misery and hopelessness. How many are going to tribute stations?’ It was an ugly question, thunder rolled outside and the pounding rain flooded the grounds of the upper district before rushing to the lower. Priceless lay curled up beside her, warm within a warm room with a roof over their head. ‘Even with a cage… with a monster in the same room, or two… or a monster and a goddess… even as a possession, I’m lucky, and shouldn’t be.’ She cursed the self pitying thoughts and shut her red eyes, her ears twitched when she heard the body of her mistress stir.

It wasn’t hard to tell that much, she was drawing her ‘Teacher’ closer to her. ‘How does anyone do that… with that? What’s wrong with her?! Isn’t she scared?!’ Kaiji cursed herself, for her fear, and for the way she felt herself drawing Priceless closer against her body, and for using the soft brown hair of the slave against which she lay, to catch the tears she despised until she finally fell asleep to Priceless’s wordless, comforting touch.

w

Her eyes flew open before the sun had reached her horns, and for a moment overwhelming terror struck her that she might have overslept, she felt her heart race and lungs pound, her chest expanding so far and so rapidly, that Priceless began to stir against her.

“Mrfrmn…” Priceless murmured, and Kaiji began to relax almost immediately, in the bed the mistress shared with a monster, nobody had moved. It was only after wakefulness began to settle in that Kaiji noticed something that, to her, struck like thunder from the night before. ‘Priceless… took the door side of the cage, she put herself between me and… that. Coward? She’s a coward? What does that make me… other than in her debt?’ Kaiji wondered, and gently began to shake her awake, whispering softly into her ear.

Priceless woke up slowly, but when she did, Kaiji asked, “Is the door locked, can we get out?”

Priceless tested it, and found it opened easily. While crawling out of it, she whispered over her shoulder, “To let us get to work right away… quick, get dressed. We need to order breakfast, ensure the baths are ready, ensure the ones in the stables are armed, fed, and ready to move. We must be done before the mistress wakes up.”

“Right.” Kaiji whispered, and exited as quietly and quickly as they could.

They moved swiftly, Kaiji rushed to the dining area downstairs as Priceless went to the desk to order the storage areas opened and equipment brought out to the slaves in their cages.

It was while placing that order, that Kaiji encountered Karlo. Or rather, he encountered her. “Lady Kaiji… you’re…” He started to say, and blushed as he cut off his words.

“Dressed, yes, my owner kept her promise about clothing, used to seeing ‘more’ of me already, sir?” Kaiji asked with a downward look.

He looked down as well, “Lady Kaiji…” he began to say, but she shook her head violently.

“She’s dead, please don’t use her name, you’re a free servant and I’m a slave, just call me ‘Kaiji’ or just ‘slave’ even just call me ‘bitch’ if you want… just please… sir… I beg you… don’t call me ‘Lady Kaiji’ anymore. It would be less cruel if you beat me. Now please, I have to order breakfast for my mistress.”

“I… oh. I-I’m sorry Kaiji. It’s just.” He stammered, and she reached up and put a finger to his lips.

“Don’t, sir. Don’t speak to the dead, if you have to, pretend Lady Kaiji is still out there, happy somewhere, and I’m just a slave that looks like her. OK, sir?” She said it softly, and before he could answer further, she went on.

“Two orders of eggs, an order of sausage and a steak, also two orders of tea…” Kaiji went down the list, and as soon as Karlo had finished writing it down, Kaiji bowed, “Thank you, sir.” She said, her hands reaching just above the knees with her bow, and then she made her exit, not seeing that his eyes lingered on her retreating back.

By the time they returned to their mistress’s room, the pair were up. “See, I told you they didn’t run.” Solution said, waving her arm out in their direction as they entered and prostrated themselves.

“And you were right, Teacher.” Nua said succinctly, inclining her head to Solution before putting her hands on her hips and squaring herself off in front of her possessions. “Now, just where have you two been?”

Kaiji and Priceless prostrated themselves in almost perfect sync, before Kaiji spoke up, “Mistress, forgive any wrong we’ve done, we weren’t fleeing… I’d… never run away. We awoke before you, and began to work. The baths are heated for your early use the way you like, breakfast is on its way, the Breakers are being fed, armed, bathed, equipped, and everything. I just… didn’t want to fail you again. That’s all. Should we have done something different?”

Nua looked down at them in silence and let out a sigh, “No, you were being good, you did the right things, did you eat yet, or order yourselves anything?”

Kaiji frantically shook her head, “No, Mistress. We have no right to do that, we eat when you allow us, what you allow us. No other time and no other things.”

Nua put her left hand to her forehead and rubbed it as she shook her head, “You need food in order to function, from now on, order yourselves something as you work, it’ll save time later. I’ll allot two silver per day to you to spend on food, that should be enough, right?” She asked uncertainly.

“M-More than enough! Mistress, food fit for slaves goes for coppers!” Kaiji exclaimed in shock so great that she went from prostrated to shooting up to her knees and staring up with disbelieving red eyes.

Nua shrugged. “Fine, spend coppers, eat what you need though, as long as you get the work done, that’s all that matters. Oh, and add two more things to the task list.”

“Mistress?” Kaiji asked with trepidation.

“If there are people you worked with, people of talent, drive, and ability, who you know, suspect, or hope might have been captured… write their names down and add them to the list along with the family and friends I had you draw up from my Breakers. I’m going to need a lot of competent people eventually, and you should have known at least a few who would be good to have around.” Nua’s casual words chilled Kaiji’s marrow, but she clamped down on that feeling immediately.

‘They’re already slaves if they’re lucky, what does it matter if they belong to her instead of someone else?’ She cursed the stupid feeling.

“As you say, Mistress, should I also make inquiries about the sale of those listed by the Breakers you’ve purchased?” Kaiji asked as she made mental notes about how very, very busy she would be.

“Yes, but take special note of any who were sold into dangerous conditions. They may be a priority.” Nua ordered casually as she stretched out in front of them.

As she stretched, Priceless was again forced to admire the body of her lithe, strong mistress, she seemed an otherworldly sight even first thing in the morning, with her long blonde hair a little bedraggled from her night’s sleep, and ears twitching to catch every sound. Despite all that, her easy shamelessness and perfect, smooth skin that seemed to hold ripcord muscle beneath. Her ice blue eyes were, in a favorable mood, more like the sky above, and when Nua turned her eyes to Priceless, it was to Priceless herself, like she was being looked down on from heaven, by her name giver.

“Priceless, you know this city well, don’t you?” Nua asked, and Priceless nodded from her knees.

“Good, guide Kaiji throughout the city, and meet with Karlo, there are instructions listed on the table about what kind of information I’m looking for, and I’ve set aside a few coins for him to use as bribery.” Nua gestured to the dresser. Several stacks of platinum, gold, and silver coins sat in erect single piles atop papers.

“Each of those has been identified for a particular use, use them as directed, but you have some discretion to use your own judgement about what is a good deal or not. I’ll expect a full accounting of what you’ve used it for when I return.” Nua ordered brusquely, waving her hand away from the coin as if it were ‘not’ incredible wealth being put into their care.

“Of course, Mistress Aiwenor.” Kaiji replied humbly as she looked down at the feet of the one she was going to get her friends sold to.

Nua saw the question lingering behind the solid red eyes, and she felt hatred rise up for herself for what she was about to say, but she said it anyway, putting on her most imperious mask, “As a matter of practical necessity, use the furniture while I’m gone… but… ha- have everything cleaned and the sheets and blankets changed afterward.” ‘I swear… I swear to you Kaiji, Priceless, when I’m finally able to let you go, and I reshape things here, I’ll buy you your own beds and your own everything, to make up for having said such a disgraceful, disgusting thing.’

Nua was about to turn away, when she felt the hand of Solution on her shoulder.

“Well and good, but… perhaps you should get dressed, My Lady.” Solution’s voice was sharp, and when her hand left Nua’s shoulder, it traced over her back, touching her ugly scars, and Nua froze.

“Yes, bring me the robe, and prepare my clothing, Solution and I will be using the baths, after we’ve gone, you can arrange for wash tubs for yourselves, and… I will grant you my trust, that you will still be here when we’ve returned from my task.”

Their affirmations were quick in coming, the robes were on, and soon Solution and Nua were alone in the baths, sitting in the steaming water alone. “This city does not like to rise early, does it?” Nua asked rhetorically as she leaned herself forward, away from Solution’s breasts while the maid demon washed her back.

“No it doesn’t, very hedonistic place.” Solution said casually, “Might be fun for a vacation spot, but… not for me.” She shook her head vigorously. “As a created maid, I find their laxity offensive.”

“I don’t blame you, I mean, I get it, they live on the edge of death, any pleasure might be their last. But as a priestess of the one god, I am amazed they ever get ‘anything’ done at all.”

Solution’s hand over her scars provided not the least bit of distress to the mistress of pain, and when her Teacher touched them, she actually felt herself finally able to relax. “You really don’t think they’re ugly?” Nua asked, changing the subject.

“No, from a professional perspective, yes, but as looks go? I don’t even see them.” Solution grabbed Nua by the base of her scalp and pulled her body back, tilting the elf’s head up, drawing not a yelp, but a growl from Nua as she clenched her jaw and her eyes became cold as ice in the steaming bath.

Nua felt the brush in Solution’s hand on her front, it moved over her belly, but it didn’t feel like her maid had cleaning in mind. “Do you want me to find you beautiful…?” She heard the words whispered into her ear, “Did I do such a number on you, little elf… that you want a different kind of devouring from your Teacher. Or could it be, that you want to do the devouring? Do you ‘really’ hate ordering those two around, are you going to become a predator like me?” The brush in Solution’s hand moved up, between her elven student’s breasts, and Nua, to Solution’s everlasting surprise, laughed through her gritted teeth.

“Trying to scare me, Teacher? After everything, did you forget, you ‘killed’ all the fear inside me? Do you think I’m afraid of your touch? Afraid of your lust?” She twisted her head to face the whispering lips. “I’m not, I’m not afraid anymore, Nua Calen Aiwenor will never fear anything but failure. You want me that way, you won’t have to force me.” Ice blue eyes of elf met ice blue eyes of demon, her left hand, the powerful gift of their god through her Teacher, took Solution’s chin in hand. “You’re more powerful than me, teacher, even when I have this… I know that. But I have a goal and you’re getting me to it. For that, I will give you any pain or any pleasure you could possibly want. I’m my own woman now, and will do what ‘I’ choose to do. And if it means I choose to become a little more like you along the way… well I’d like to not be ugly, even if I can’t be as beautiful as you.”

Nua laughed and dropped the left hand away from her teacher’s chin, and Solution resumed washing her student. “My student, you may yet make me very, very proud of you.” She said with a joyful voice and sadistic eyes focused on the back of Nua’s head as she began to brush her hair.

“Teacher, that is one of only three things I want in this life.” Nua said sincerely as she sat between the open legs of her favorite monster.

Such was the nature of their talk, that when they returned to their rooms, ferocity was so lit in the matching blue eyes of the pair, that those they passed who headed for the baths with pleasurable intent, were unable to look at their faces for more than a moment before they averted their own eyes, rather than look into blue terrors.

When Nua entered, she didn’t waste time, she walked past the prostrate women with a sharp order, “Attend me, with armor this time.” She said brusquely as Solution went to her back.

Kaiji and Priceless moved like the wind, feeling the tension building in the pair, ‘It’s, it feels like it felt at Komestra, when we saw the armies coming and… and I knew that we were doomed.’

Priceless moved rapidly with the shirt, sliding the sleeves over Nua’s arms and lacing up the front, her fingers flying up the laces.

Kaiji assisted with the pants as Priceless went for the boots, while Solution tended the hair so that it hung down outside the black shirt. The armor went overhead, and Nua slapped it with her fist, “Good, that feels like it should.” She remarked and then held her hands out for the gloves.

If Kaiji was slower with the left glove than Priceless was with the right, Nua was merciful enough to not remark upon it. Lastly, her cloak and belt with her knives attached, and her weapon of choice, the long serrated blade.

“There we go, now you’re dressed to kill.” Solution said, and slapped Nua sharply on her ass.

“Agreed.” Nua said as she checked the blade and shoved it into her sheath, ignoring the discreet swat like it hadn’t happened.

“We’re leaving, good work, Kaiji, Priceless.” Nua said with such sharpness that, had it been different words, they’d have wept at the fear of wrath coming on them. But Nua extended her right hand, and touched them on the tops of their heads.

At ease with the touch of the giving hand, they accepted the praise, and only then as they were walking out did Kaiji ask a question that she feared.

“Wh-When are you coming back for us, Mistress?” She swallowed hard after the question passed her lips, ‘I’m actually afraid of her not returning… more than I am of her coming back.’ She realized with discomfort.

“When I return, of course.” Nua said without looking back, and with a click of the lock behind her, Kaiji and Priceless were left by themselves.

A few minutes later, outside the window on the far end of the room, they could hear the shouts and marching feet, and knew without a doubt, that their mistress and her monster had truly gone.

Bracer was overjoyed, he wore a broad smile on his face that was only ‘slightly’ influenced by the two girls in the cart whimpering for their mother over and over again. In truth what went through his mind was the sound of clinking coin. ‘Enough to buy a noble title… buy a title, buy status, and maybe I can one day be the Smuggler Prince.’ He indulged the fantasy again, and felt the stirring in his loins and considered ordering a halt so he could have some more fun with his new toys.

‘I wonder how long before they break in and give up asking me to stop?’ He pondered that and stroked his chin, it had only been about a week since his meeting with Tlizin, but most of his past toys were near catatonic after a day or two. He glanced over his shoulder at them, ‘Maybe because they have each other, I should start making a habit of keeping two toys with me at all times, they’ll last longer that way.’ He was still pondering this when he set up camp at the meeting place, and waited for the inevitable.

The rest of his camp was busy for only a short while, in the thick forests that people loved to pretend offered ‘some’ small protection from the Tlalmok, it was easy for people like himself to set up waystations, clearings through which those who knew the many paths, could move unseen by those they would prey upon. The thick trees created a comforting canopy that kept the night rains at bay at least somewhat, and long use had led to many small improvements such as drainage areas to keep the camp from flooding, and watch positions from which they could see without being seen. As places went, it wasn’t uncomfortable.

Bracer had one particular spot there established for himself. A tri-wall structure of simple finished wood, set around a rock suitable for sitting. No throne, it nonetheless offered a comfortable spot near where they could make a fire, and it was ‘his’. It was here that he had the white haired twins begging at his feet for something to eat, when the messenger arrived.

A scraggly man younger than he looked, he was the weakest and most pathetic looking of Bracer’s smugglers, and that was for his task, an advantage. Nobody noticed someone who looked chronically underfed and dirty.

“Well, what have you found?” Bracer asked as the messenger shoved the pleading children out of the way with a muddy foot.

They yelped and scrambled aside, still looking at Bracer with desperate purple eyes that were mixed with fear. He ignored the growling their stomachs made, as did they as best they could.

The nasally, wheedling voice of the large nosed, scrawny scum beneath Bracer’s feet, rubbed his hands together ingratiatingly from a kneeling position. “Our contact in the court says that yes, the Prince of Komestra is alive, and yes, he’s going to be a tribute. But I also found out something else.”

“Oh?” Bracer asked with greater interest, he rested his chin on his fist and his elbow on his knee as he looked down his nose at his subordinate.

“Yes, some new rich bitch, a foreigner, has been making moves in Pas’en. Throwing around coin like it was garbage. She bought up a bunch of Komestrans, and got the attention of the Prince.” The scrawny young man began to giggle maniacally as he held onto the precious knowledge a few moments more.

“Well? Out with it. Why does this matter, so somebody else shows up from another city and makes a splash, she’ll either fall or just be another ass licking noble in no time.” Bracer said with a roll of his eyes.

“Well, maybe, but… she bought them as fighters, kinda strange given that she s’posedly said she was a priestess and all but… ah,” he raised his scrawny hand and pointed up at Bracer’s chest, “she’s coming after you. An assignment from the Prince himself.”

Bracer raised an eyebrow and ignored the wild hope he saw in purple eyes staring at him from near the fire. “So what? Even if she brings Headmen from the adventurers guild, they’re not invincible.”

“Sir… she won the ah… job, by snapping the Prince’s orichalcum sword… with one hand… six times. Or so the story goes.” The scrawny bandit blinked and licked his lips, an annoying lizard like tic in the scrawny human that made Bracer often wish to sever the damn thing out of his subordinate’s mouth.

However this had his ear, before he could ask more though, the bandit wisely didn’t force him to do so, and went on. “She was using coins, like these, I got one from our contact. Nobody knows it’s like, but it comes…”

Bracer snatched the coin out of the bandit’s hand as soon as he saw it and shot to his feet. “The Sorcerous Empire.” The two said at the same moment. “Oh by dead gods and dead hope… what the hell is… wait, describe her! Is she tall, short, human, elf, what does her armor look like?”

Bracer spat the questions out faster than the words could reach the subordinate’s ear, and flustered, the pathetic excuse for a man stammered several times. “Ah, well, I-ah, didn’t get a- a good look at her or anything, she left by the time I got there, but I- ah, asked. She’s blonde, long hair, elf, wears black armor, carries a long knife. Black cloak. She has a companion, human, looks like her kinda though, long blonde curly hair, blue eyes, both of em. If they were the same race you’d think the curly haired one was a big sister or somethin. Ah, doesn’t seem to travel armed, but is referred to as a bodyguard. Why… you know em boss?”

Bracer relaxed and shook his head, “No… no I don’t. I thought, for a moment, demons had followed me east, but it’s nothing, nothing to worry about. The sword thing is probably a trick, but even if it’s not… my sword is adamantite, let’s see her try and break that.”