*Odal*

His cheeks still throbbed, but given Cass’s incredible strength Odal expected them to do so for a while. The cuts on his collar had clotted though, it was quite kind of Natalie to wash and examine them for him.

Odal was walking to his home in the Warrior district as he considered the night. Cass was always a pleasure to listen to, her quick wit and rare, dry humor had Odal losing track of time all night. Or that could have been her dress, which was cut more in the style of Haj than of Beergmutar and so had been a much tighter fit.

And then in the carriage, it had been like being pounced on by a mountain cat. A small one perhaps, but powerful and wild. Odal had always knew that there was something hiding behind Cass’s polite demeanor, but to see those claws come out… It had been exhilarating to find her on his lap, pinning him down in that carriage and she had given him a lot to think about.

Not the least of which was Cass admitting her love for her old master. Odal could not understand that, she was free of him, why love a person who owned you as property? More importantly, the last statements that Cass made had lit a fire in Odal’s heart- well, he was honest it was in his loins, but the result was the same regardless. Odal did not see what she said as a flat out rejection, but a challenge. He had to become a better and stronger man than her master, and claim this amazing wildcat for himself.

And, to his good fortune, he saw familiar person walking through the night.

“Warden Rowig,” Odal called out, quickening his pace to meet up with the senior Warrior. “I am glad to see you tonight.”

“Odal,” Rowig nodded in greeting, then squinted in the fading light as he looked at Odal’s face, then sighed. “Try not to anger Lady Cass if you value your life. It wouldn’t take much for those slaps to have ripped off your head.”

“I deserved it,” Odal admitted, he did not entirely understand what Cass had been talking about, but he was sure that he had deserved being hit. He needed to talk to the Warden to prevent angering her again. “And I would hope to beg your help.”

“Oh?” The Warden raised an eyebrow and bid Odal to explain, and Odal gave a rough summary of the night, especially mentioning what Cass said about strength.

“So I was hoping that you could help me grow stronger, Warden Rowig.” Odal thought that Rowig looked incredulous, but it disappeared so quickly into a smile that he was sure he had imagined it.

“Well, until we have glyphs like hers physical strength is out of the question,” Warden Rowig explained carefully. “Her power is magical in nature, and even with glyphs we can never fully match the strength she has as a Stioi.”

Odal, slumped when he heard that. Was it truly impossible? But Rowig’s next words gave him hope.

“However, strength is not just about muscles.” Rowig continued, “There are many kinds, though there is only one I think you could match her in.”

“Which one is that?” Odal asked excitedly, he would devote himself body and soul to this, to gain Cass’s attention!

“Understanding her.” Rowig smiled, “No offence, but you do not have the intelligence to match wits with her in a fair fight, nor the strength of muscles to overwhelm her magic. But by looking into what she has been doing, and understanding all of her actions, you can know what she will do next and gain strength through finesse.”

“Oh, Oh!” Odal broke into a wide and beaming smile, “Your words are wisdom, Warden Rowig! Thank you for your aid to this lesser Warrior!”

“It was no trouble at all,” Warden Rowig was truly generous, waving away Odal’s thanks. “I am always happy to help someone grow.”

Odal said his goodbyes and excitedly moved off into the night. Tomorrow he would examine Cass’s actions and try to understand her better than she knew herself!

*Warden Rowig*

What an incredible idiot, was what Rowig was thinking when Odal ran off like a child. Nearly twice the ladies age and still being led around by her like a dog on a leash… He did not even have the excuses of blackmail on one side and payment on the other like Rowig did. Odal was just a fool.

But even a fool could be used. If Odal was not too stupid, a rather big if, the path Rowig had just set him down would reveal the truth of the woman he had become infatuated with. Rowig might not be able to strike at her directly, but in this way he could lash out at Cass and hopefully leave an opening for him to strike at her.

Rowig started walking towards his own home, having watched Odal excitedly half-run down the road. Rowig was fairly sure that Cass herself was more or less immune to any revenge he could take out on her. Hell, from what he understood from the few things she had let slip about her past she had been the personal toy of a Strioi, or mage in Haj he supposed, that specialized in torture. But Rowig was not like Odal, and Cass was not as untouchable as she would like to think…

That girl, Natalie wasn’t it? Rowig wondered how Cass would react to that girl being abused in front of her. Now that would be revenge for the humiliation that bitch had laid on him, and for killing one of his best friends.

“Ah Odev,” Rowig muttered bitterly. “Should have killed the cunt, or chained her up in that brothel until her mind was fucking gone.”

Still, she had killed Odev. And Odev had been more skilled than he was, and since she was now learning Welde Jagb… To think he had to rely on Odal for this, if this failed he wouldn’t have any choice but to go along with what the bitch wanted and follow her for the next few months, nevermind the bullshit about the rebellion.

*Merchant Ilhue*

Ilhue was glad he had purchased a few of the Sand kids from the brothel for his own personal collection, now that it was gone he had lost his access to the wonderful variety it had had, but at least he had these ones. With their small hands they were even able to do fine work on some of the jewelry he sold that would be too difficult for an adult, so it really had been a win win.

The girl he had in bed with him now was the best at that, and so he always made sure to be gentle with her and never hit her too much. One of the boys had been sold to a friend of his who was not interested in kids, but had his own tastes. That brothel had catered to a lot of different customers, and his friend wasn’t about to use those hot irons on anything but trash from the Sand! Ilhue did not understand his friends fetish, but his friend didn’t understand his either. As long as the subjects were Sand caste though, who cared?

Ilhue yawned and sat up, clutching his head. It was probably a little past midnight, and he had kept the shop closed today to drink and fuck his anger away. He was regretting the first part now that he had a massive headache. He went to get some water but noticed the odd silence, normally at least one of those Sand rats would weeping about now, especially with what he had done to them before he took that girl to bed.

The blood drained from his face when he suddenly realised something. He dropped the glass and rushed to the basement door… Which was open. In his drunken state he had forgotten to lock it! He cursed his rotten luck and quickly started to try and think of a plan… If they went to the Warriors… No it shouldn’t matter, the word of some kids from the Sand against his own? No contest, they would likely be whipped for lying.

Next thing he knew he was screaming on the ground, a red hot searing pain having struck him suddenly. His hands reached down and came back covered with blood, he had been stabbed in the balls!

“Wh- what? Who?!” Ilhue shrieked as the girl stepped out of the shadows with a bloody knife and calmly stabbed him in the eye.

She felt the knife go in and watched Ilhue shudder and die before pulling the blade out and stabbing him again for good measure. She felt his disgusting seed running down her leg and stabbed him again, and again, and again. By the time she had vented her anger of Ilhue’s corpse, the sun had begun to rise.

She lodged the knife in the shredded remains of the body and left.