The warm glow of the morning sun roused Keiko from her slumber, her ears twisting attentively as the sound of birdsong reached them. "Mmm," she moaned softly, stretching her legs and feeling the comfort of her silk gown and the futon against her fur. For a moment she even believed herself to be back in her solar, perhaps having fallen asleep on a cushion amongst her plants. She rubbed her eyes clear of sleep only to catch her breath and stop her heart as she remembered exactly where she was. The princess of Alhamkara shot upright in bed, finding her captor seated quietly in the corner and regarding her with interest.

"All is well, my lady. There is no need for panic," he reassured her.

"You really do think I'm stupid," she hissed, feeling a leaden weight fill her stomach as the events of the prior day returned to her.

"I meant no offense. You seemed distraught," he replied sympathetically.

"I can't imagine why," Keiko shot back.

"Perhaps breakfast?"

"Humanity curse you, it's not because I'm hungry!" Keiko snapped, adjusting the strap of her nightgown which had slipped down her arm overnight. Seth nodded, outwardly unperturbed.

"I would be interested in what sort of curse that might be," he mused. "I am not here often, so the best I can do for now would be soup. I hope you'll forgive me."

Keiko turned away in disgust and retreated to the bathroom, leaving Seth to exhale heavily, stand upright, and walk to the wall opposite the outer door. It slid away to reveal a single burner, a small sink, a kettle, two tiny cabinets, and a several cubic foot refrigerator that made up what passed for a kitchen in a mercenary’s hideaway. He busied himself with sealed packs of soup base and tried not to think of the royal lady that currently graced his humble bathroom. “It’s just a job. Just a job like any other...yeah, nice try Seth. You’re a terrible liar, especially for a mnyama dog.” Regardless of the inconvenient feelings the unexpectedly compelling princess spawned in his gut, the mission was the same as it had always been: take her, keep her alive, use her, kill them all. “And then go down with the ship,” he muttered, knowing nothing would remain for him at the end. It was fine. His kind was already long gone, consigned to godhood and worship. There was no way he could ever live up to the example of his ancestors.

“The water’s boiling,” a soft voice informed him, his body kept still only by years of conditioning on the streets of the capital. He felt the nerves and adrenal pulse, that twinge of fear whenever something went wrong on a job. She’d snuck up on him.

“So it is,” he answered calmly. “You should have killed me.”

“I...probably wouldn’t make it out of here alive,” she replied, astonished at how casually he suggested his life be thrown away, his sacred life. “Dead man switches? Permanent locks?”

“Don’t think I can tell you that just yet,” he said, pouring water over the miso blocks and stirring before handing her a bowl and spoon. “Give it time to cool.”

“Uh, thank you,” Keiko said, taking her bowl back to her corner instead of moving to the table where Seth had seated himself. She looked down at the bowl, studying the white cubes of synthetic nutrients, strips of seaweed, and a handful of dehydrated scallions that were slowly expanding as the steam rose to tickle the fur of her muzzle. “You really enjoy Japanese culture, don’t you?”

The mercenary looked over from across the room, raising his eyebrows at her. “You know much of humanity, my lady. Most would simply call this ‘human culture’ but you know better. Why is that?”

“It’s my passion, when I have time for personal pursuits that is.”

“Is that so?” Seth asked with genuine curiosity. “What happened to the other human cultures then? The ones that only have a fleeting presence here in Alhamkara.”

Keiko drank a spoonful of soup before answering. It was uninspiring at best, but warmed her belly nicely. “I can only guess, but perhaps they uplifted other civilizations on other planets. I’m sure we were just one of many star systems that were graced by their light.”

The human’s countenance darkened at her altruistic assertion, but the two of them kept to their meals. The tension of the night before was somehow magnified by the banality of their conversation. Seth changed subjects abruptly, done with the discussion of his species.

“I’m leaving soon. Please tell me what you need to make yourself comfortable here, my lady.”

“Within reason?” She quipped sarcastically.

“Yes.” His curt reply had her ears wilting, the golden chains hanging just a bit lower. She wondered why a criminal and her captor would be so expressive in front of her, so ready to speak and exchange ideas at all. Perhaps that mask is a more constant companion for him than I realized, she thought, setting her bowl aside and grabbing her personal tablet. Within a few minutes she’d specified a handful of toiletries and basic articles of clothing that she knew would be necessary for any length of stay with this mysterious human.

“Can I...send it to you?” She requested. He took a moment to fiddle around with his own tablet and to make a change or two at his network terminal.

“You should be able to see my device now. One way file transfer only.”

Keiko sent the small list and waited as Seth watched his screen carefully.

“Are you aware that there are at least three separate countermeasures attached to this file?” He demanded, casting her a suspicious glance. Keiko didn’t respond, closing her eyes in disappointment. He’d found them all in an instant. The mercenary was communicating with someone via his terminal. “Yeah Sybela, you’ve got them now? It can clear the quarantine? Alright, thanks.”

“If you call me at seven in the morning after an op again it better be because you fucked the princess in at least two of her holes, not for a goddamn shopping list.” An aggravated female voice assaulted both of them before the external link was cut. Seth had the decency to meet Keiko’s eyes with a blush on his face.

“I...would not do such a thing, lady Keiko,” he promised, Sybela’s tired tirade having obliterated the high ground he’d momentarily occupied over the tracking programs Keiko had attempted to force onto his device. “And I suppose I’ll give you credit where it’s due for trying to fight back. Don’t do it again if you value the ability to use your hands.”

Keiko’s shoulders dropped but she’d expected this outcome. Seth, if nothing else, was a professional, the sort of person a mnyama hired when goons and extortion just wouldn’t cut it. He would always be watching for royal countermeasures. She decided a new approach was called for. “I suppose your, what did you call her, net jockey didn’t get her jaguar cock? Or perhaps she got a bit too much last night,” she teased. Seth’s mouth dropped open.

“My lady has a mouth of her own it would seem.” He stood and stored the table away, placing his bowl in the sink before approaching her. He’d procured the restraints again.

“I guess I earned this,” she lamented, managing to meet his eyes this time with what was left of her defiance. He nodded.

“I told you I don’t blame you. But play this game we must...until things change,” he declared, securing her wrists and collecting her empty bowl. “I will return, my lady. I ask that you remain patient.” He donned his armor, grabbed his cloak, and left without another word.

-----

Keiko was afraid to look at her lens, to remind herself of how long she’d been there alone in the silence. Her wrists ached dully and her mind was slowly fraying. The ‘sun’ of the walls had already passed its zenith and still the mercenary had not returned. The princess shut her eyes tightly and tried to ward off the heavy fears that pierced deeper and deeper into her conscious thought. What if something happened to him when he was gone? Who would find her in that room if not him? Would she starve first or take her own life? Perhaps bash her head on the sink until she woke no more? Maybe she’d find a way to suffocate or drown herself. Or maybe she’d let the fear of death keep her alive until her final hungry breath, fading away slowly as her kingdom searched for her in vain and eventually gave up. Faster and faster the spectre of death and isolation clawed its way into her mind and consumed her. She was breathing quickly, short panicked breaths. Whining sounds escaped her throat and her eyes darted around the room looking for something, anything to give her the means to escape. There was nothing. Her chest felt like it would collapse with panic. Her entire existence was reliant on Seth and he had abandoned her. With a cry of terror Keiko ran for the door, only to recoil in pain as an electric charge lanced up her arms and made every bit of fur on her body stand on end. The princess collapsed to the ground, curled into a ball, and cried out in dread. She called for her mother, for her father. She called for Idris, for her handmaidens. Before the hyperventilation and uncontrollable shivers kicked in she even cried for Seth. That was how he found her on his return.

-----

This…cannot go on. This isn't a job anymore, Seth's conscious screamed at him as he stared at Keiko. The keening sobs that reached his ears the moment he cracked the door open had his adrenaline up, only for him to be dropped down into the depths of the hell he was surely destined for when he saw her. Alhamkara's regal princess reduced to a quivering young girl, scared for her life. He expected, even hoped for anger in those golden eyes when they saw him. Instead he saw relief and surrender in the brief moment before she buried her head in her arms and tried to become as small as possible, as if to vanish from existence itself. She was relieved that he'd returned to her. He felt sick, vile. He felt like he was precisely the monster the mnyamas hired him to be.

"My lady," he whispered, only then remembering to secure the locks. That's twice in one day. Damn this woman.

"Seth," she gasped, still breathing as if she'd sprinted a mile. "Seth…"

"Don't, please." He dropped the pack he'd acquired to the floor and knelt at her side, undoing her restraints and chucking them away without a care. "Did you eat? Did you drink?" When she didn't respond he moved quickly to the sink and filled a mug with cold water. "I'm still getting used to the fact that the water is clean and drinkable again. A testament to your influence. Here, my lady."

Seth handed her the mug only to feel the knives of guilt twist further as her shaking hands spilled half of the liquid on the floor and her fur. The demon in his mind told him he could have spared her, were here a good human like in the stories. He could have shot Markhan in the back of the head and finally earned something of a noble death at the hands of the rest of that bastard's gang. But no, he was selfish. He wanted far more than just one head, one trophy. And now Keiko was suffering for it. Most of the water was wasted by the time the clay dinnerware reached her lips. "Lady Keiko."

She yelped and recoiled from him as he reached for her hands in an attempt to help replenish her body's moisture. Looking closer he saw patches of singed fur and red, inflamed skin barely visible beneath. "Why would you...I told you it would hurt you!"

"I was afraid, you bastard!" She yelled in a sudden burst of righteous anger, the real Keiko, that quickly faded back into the shaken wild dog before him. Seth removed his helmet and mask and collected the cup from Keiko's paws. He silently refilled it and knelt before her again, his usually keen eyes glazed over with self consuming thoughts.

"Please, my lady. Allow me to assist you," he requested with little inflection, bringing the cup to her lips without touching her body. Slowly Keiko leaned forward, her parched throat and cracked lips overwhelming her disdain in the moment. She drank slowly, soothing the dry pain of her hours long panic attack. When she was finished he returned with another cup. She drank that one too. "I have lunch, but we should take a look at your wrists first," he said. She didn't bother replying.

Seth inhaled sharply and rose from their kneeling position, replacing the mug and divesting himself of his armor. Keiko's gaze wasn't focused on him, but she could smell him. It must have been another dry and hot day. She could only imagine what it was like in that suit, and was in no state whatsoever to feel embarrassed at or appreciate the form of his body, momentarily clad in compression shorts and an undershirt before he changed and withdrew a medical kit from the pedestal on which his armor rested when not in use. No space was wasted in his sanctum.

"May I touch you, lady Keiko?" He asked hesitantly as he knelt before her again. "Just your wrists, just to treat the burn. You have my word." The look in her eyes was inscrutable, hiding the turmoil within from his gaze. Eventually she held up her wrists for him and he took her left hand lightly. Keiko felt her ears flush with blood as his skin came into contact with her pads for the first time. She looked intently at the walls as he rubbed disinfectant over the red ring of affected skin. Keiko winced and whined in spite of her desire to remain stoic before him. "I'm sorry," he whispered, wrapping her wrist with a sterile white bandage before repeating the process with her right arm. That done, he immediately removed himself from her personal space, stashing the kit and busying himself with the large, nondescript backpack he'd acquired on his journey.

"Is there...anything to eat?" Keiko asked quietly, finally calm enough to feel the demand of her stomach again. He nodded.

"I didn't think the protein blocks would be to your highness' liking. Curry? There's a nearby family that sells it out of their lower floor," he said, withdrawing another bag from the pack, a well secured plastic thing that contained a handful of containers and paper wraps. The moment they were opened the smell alone compelled Keiko to join him, finding puffed bread, ground seasoned meat, and a yellowish-brown curry sauce that smelled divine.

"I thought everyone ate synthetic now," she murmured, ripping a small piece of bread from the whole and dipping it. Seth seemed hesitant to speak of mundane matters with her but eventually answered.

"When times are hard or when they sell out I'm sure they do. It's cheaper, more nutritious, balanced. But the consumption of meat goes back before your kind could even walk on two legs, before my kind oversaw this planet and began the uplift of the faunum...if you believe the stories."

"I do," Keiko affirmed. "But it makes me happy to hear that families have that choice."

"Options are valuable, my lady, from a family's dinner table to my own profession." His throat felt tight as he tried to swallow a bite of his own meal. They couldn't paper it over for more than a few minutes.

"Seth, I can't take this. Please just give me back to the palace, or to whoever hired you if you must. I can't...I just can't," she pleaded, feeling a tear slide down the fur of her muzzle to drip onto the table.

"I'd be signing my own death warrant, or yours," the mercenary replied.

"At least I'd know the time and manner of my death! You took me from my golden cage just to stash me away in your dark sanctum. It's like I don't exist anymore. Whatever you hoped to gain from me, I'm not strong enough to survive it. Take your money, mercenary."

Seth could feel the tendons of his jaw ache as the pressure between his teeth built with each passing moment. His stomach had tied itself in knots, indicating lunch was more than over. His breathing was shallow and rushed. He could practically feel the judgment of his ancestors crushing his shoulders. "Fuck this."

The human stood quickly and turned to open the panel to his network uplink. After establishing a secure connection he contacted his crew. "Talon, Argos, what's the story with Markhan?"

"Where the hell have you been, Seth? We've been trying to get in touch with you since last night! Did you see the vids? What the hell were you thinking with that Trang'aul shit? The Sekhama slaughtered them like pigs!"

"By the wise ones, Talon, give the guy a chance to talk, you crazy bird." Argos' low, rumbling voice finally silenced the excitable cassowary. "Seth, Markhan wasn't happy when we told him you intended to lay low instead of immediately delivering her, but after the Sekhama op last night he's content to wait for now. You were right, man. He actually thought they blindsided us."

"Figures. Argos, Talon, split the advance payment between the two of you. Sybela already got hers and I still have work to do."

"What?" Talon squawked. "Seth, what's with you, man? I thought we were going to booze it up! We kidnapped the bloody princess! You feeling alright?"

Keiko watched, spellbound, as Seth's face showed bloody murder. "Shut your beak or lose it, Talon," he growled.

"Woah, what the hell, man?"

"Talon, just give it a rest," Argos advised cautiously. "We got paid and that's what matters. Besides, you weren't on the ground. You didn't have to take her. Poor girl, wonder what the hell Markhan wants with her anyway. He's paying us enough we could take a couple years off, grab a little place somewhere at the base of Antares, rub shoulders with the elite. Seth, just ping us when you're ready. You know the channel." Argos killed his and Talon's link, leaving only Sybela's channel, humming faintly with static.

"You're having second thoughts, aren't you?" The jackrabbit finally asked.

"Not about the end goal."

"Seth, get a hold of yourself. You're going to get yourself killed. I know what's going on and I've seen it before. Don't be a fuck up."

The human rubbed his temples. "We'll be more successful if she joins us willingly," he replied. Her furious response came in an instant.

"That shit about fucking her was a joke, you hairless ape! I did not sign up for this! You want to get eaten alive by the Sekhama that's your fucking problem but I'm done, Seth. This is not what we agreed to!" Silence carried over the line for a full minute before Sybela spoke. "I was almost getting used to running with a crew again. If you live long enough to reclaim your sanity then call me, you stupid monkey."

Seth rammed his head against the wall as his terminal went dark. He slowly pushed it back into the wall and allowed the LED panel to cover it again. When he finally turned to his left he found Keiko looking at him with her hands clasped in front of her.

"I don't deserve that innocent look of yours," he asserted.

"I'm not so sure you deserve a look of hatred either," she whispered. "You're planning to betray Markhan. He's the one who hired you?"

"I'm surprised you know him," Seth admitted, still leaning against the wall. He felt pathetic.

"Of course I know him. The Wildfire has become impossible to ignore. Every week they seem to bring another block or building under their control. Another bribe changes hands, another backchannel is opened at an arms manufacturer, another citizen of my country dies from tainted azure, another Sekhama is killed in the line of duty...and Markhan is at the center of it all. How many have you killed for him?" Keiko demanded, swinging back into anger as Seth refused to stand up to her tirade. He shook his head.

"Between him and his intermediaries? More than I can count."

"You bastard!" Keiko yelled, leaping over the table and tackling him out of the chair, thinking of the funerals she'd attend for those who'd given their lives in the crown's service. "Tell me how many Sekhama you've killed!" She punched him square across the jaw. Her knuckles screamed in pain but it felt good. He'd made no move to stop her.

"Just one, my lady," he said, working his lower jaw as the dull throbbing of her assault faded. The furious orbs of gold demanded his complete answer. "You're far more beautiful when you're angry."

"FUCK YOU!" Keiko roared, striking him again. Seth couldn't help a smile as she winced in pain. His face stung, but he bore it without complaint. Seeing her full of life was far preferable to the sobbing girl he'd found on his return.

"So even my lady can swear when pressed? For what it's worth, I'm sorry. He was the only one skilled enough to corner me, to cut off every last one of my escape options. We fought. He won. The only reason I'm alive today is what you witnessed back in your solar. His firearm proved ineffective, gave me enough time to draw my own. It was instant, lady Keiko. He felt no pain."

"His family felt more than enough!" The wild dog yelped, scratching him deep across his right cheek with the claws of her left hand. The smell of blood met her nose immediately as his crimson essence dripped from her hand and his face, splattering onto the floor. The maiming stunned them both into momentary silence before Keiko gathered her wits and jumped off of him, leaving the mercenary to press a hand to his face and admire the sheen of blood as he lay there.

"I…probably deserve that," he admitted softly.

"Why didn't you stop me?" Keiko cried. "I wasn't holding down your arms or anything! Your face!"

"Has gone far too long without blemish for my line of work. They are a few of us who bear scars from the Sekhama. Most just die when they face them. A wound from the heir of Alhamkara is something else entirely. You honor me, my lady."

Seth felt himself deflate hopelessly as Keiko gave him a look of pure loathing and confusion, retreating to the bathroom without another word. He was left to clean and bandage himself without her. He sighed. "I'm going to need that mirror though."

Keiko had but a moment to try to sort out which of the many emotions within her should reign primary. She was furious at Seth for all he’d done, for taking her, for killing Yeltar, for leaving her alone. But she was curious too, curious at his humanity, curious about his vendettas and past, curious as to why he was keeping his own crew in the dark about his intentions, curious as to why he was treating her so well for a captive, curious as to why he tried to avoid killing Sekhama. Beneath it all she felt guilty for having given into her baser instincts, for being like him and the people he worked for, for hitting him and for clawing him. “What an infuriating, unforgivable hu-” she was cut off as the door she’d been leaning against suddenly moved to the side and left her without support. Even so she was prevented from falling backward by Seth’s tactically placed shin, propping her up as gently as he could manage with his leg on short notice. “Can’t you just take a hint and leave me alone!”

Her answer came in a drop of blood that fell from his wound to land in the fur of her head. She tilted her head back and met his gaze. Were all humans this expressive with their eyes? Keiko couldn’t help but wonder.

“I didn’t mean to disturb you, my lady. Your message was clear enough but I must make use of this room. The rest of the safehouse is yours, if you wish.”

“This can’t go on, Seth,” she told him as another drop landed on her muzzle, filling the front of her skull with his scent. He helped her to her feet as she steadied herself in body and mind. “I am unwilling to play the role of victim and you seem unwilling to play the role of captor. Why did you take me?”

The mercenary seemed willing to entertain her request now that he was dirtying not the fine floors of the rest of the small space, but the easily cleaned ceramic tile. After a long moment he nodded to her. She gasped. “I am in agreement, lady Keiko. I will never understand why they paint you as such a fragile flower for the public.”

“You saw why,” she whispered as he stepped past her and activated the tap, splashing cold water on his face and hissing as his wounds protested. When he looked up he could see the dark red pinpricks of severed capillaries within each claw wound.

“That...is going to leave a mark,” he muttered to himself, glancing just past his reflection as Keiko approached him.

“You should go to a hospital,” she tried. He shook his head.

“Anyone treating me would either have to be bribed into silence or someone who already knows I am a human. That list is incredibly short and contains no trustworthy medics. Mnyamas are not worth my time or money...and I will not leave you here alone again,” he vowed.

“It’s my fault. If there’s somewhere you can go, you should go,” Keiko insisted, standing just behind him but not knowing what else to do.

“No.” Seth’s final decision left them both listening to the sound of water hitting the ceramic basin, occasionally tinted red as his blood continued to spill from the jagged wounds her claws had left. Keiko filed her claws, to be sure, but they were nowhere near as sharp or fine as those of feline faunum. They were more than sufficient to tear into unsuspecting flesh, however, and they’d left rugged and bloody paths across the right side of his face. He saw her eyeing them in the mirror. “It’s fine, lady Keiko. They will form scars, surely, but a wound like this will clot and close quickly thanks to the rough tearing of the flesh beneath. It’s much preferable to being cut with a blade, or by that commander of the Sekhama. So long as I prevent infection this is an acceptable injury.”

Keiko could only shake her head at how he talked about his body, like it was a tool. “You should be protected,” she murmured.

“You say that because of what I am, not who I am.”

“I’m not so sure I know who you are anymore either, mercenary.”

“Then might I ask you to open the dark brown bottle inside?” He handed her the medkit he was carrying as he splashed more water on his face. She easily found the bottle of disinfectant and read the label. Her eyes narrowed at the sheer number of antiseptic compounds within, especially the last line.

“This has azure in it!” She yelped, though he remained unfazed.

“Of course it does, my lady. The pure product is an extraordinary compound despite its questionable legal status. Its ability to catalyze tissue regeneration and other biological processes is quite handy in a pinch. The amount used is minute, far below the necessary threshold to gain any sort of high.”

“Will it work on you?” She asked curiously, remembering how her shots had done nothing but deflect harmlessly off his chestplate.

“I’ve never needed to use it before now. Shall we have a bit of an experiment?” He suggested, reaching for the bottle. She swatted his hand away, feeling some amount of responsibility for the now slowly oozing gashes on his cheek.

“Let me,” she insisted, walking to his other side as he turned his head with a shrug, ensuring the wounds faced skyward. Keiko shook the bottle and gently poured the viscous liquid over him, noting how his eyes contracted painfully and his hands gripped the edge of the sink until his knuckles turned white. “By the wise ones, I have no idea why I’m doing this,” she admitted, righting the bottle as his wounds began to bubble, a result of the hydrogen peroxide.

“Because unlike me, my lady, you possess a shred of humanity and its grace within you,” he declared through clenched teeth. She tisked him and hung her head as he invoked the paragons of virtue in their society, humans.

“I don’t have the will to argue with you anymore,” she replied. “What next?” Seth motioned to the first aid kit again, though with his head turned sideways he looked a mite ridiculous.

“I need a sterile bandage. Also there should be a package of topical sutures. They’ll do,” he said. Keiko located the items with ease and replaced the bottle she was holding. Soon Seth had wiped himself clean of excess disinfectant and washed his hands, opening the first suture and applying the clear plastic to his face. Microscopic barbs on the underside of the suture found purchase in his skin, and as his body heat warmed the device it tightened to hold the end of one of his wounds shut. Keiko watched silently and patiently as he closed the gashes as tightly as he could before applying a sterile pad of gauze and some tape over the whole area. He turned to face her when he was finished. “Thank you for your assistance, lady Keiko.”

“Answer my question, now,” she demanded, fixing him with her sunburst eyes.

“The question is not why I took you, lady Keiko.”

“Don’t play smart with me, mercenary. If you’ve nothing to say then be gone and let me regret showing you any sort of compassion.”

Seth carried on, wincing as he tried to grin with the right side of his face. The princess always seemed to have just a bit more fire stashed away somewhere. “The job was to take you, lady Keiko, of course. And you have the right of it. I intend to betray Markhan.”

“Why?” Keiko asked, feeling her heart beat swiftly as their eyes held each other.

“Because Markhan, the Wildfire, and every other mnyama in Alhamkara needs to be put down like the animals they are.”