Authors notes: current plans. I have 1 or 2 chapters before I post a rewrite of chapter 6. The changes will be minimal and I'll move it into the correct position when the next chapter is ready. So, 18: Alek gets stuck with an arranged marriage, 19: Neesha gets to know Tanalia, 20: Un and Alek go to Kyne's Port and pick up Tsai Ting.

"Hey!" Raiah practically yelled as she dragged Neesha in front of Alek's desk by a horn. She shoved the girl forward, wrapped her other arm around the smaller Tel’ani woman, and squeezed Neesha's breast. Neesha looked chagrined even as she took in a sharp breath. "Did you know Tel'ani go into heat like dogs?"

Alek stared at the half-demon and the overly pleased expression on her face. "Ah, yeah."

Raiah let go of Neesha's breast and grabbed her other horn, moving the poor girl's head around with every word. "She's really horny. Wanna fuck her? I'll hold her down."

Again Alek could only stare as he replayed that in his head a few times. I'll hold her down. Was this a dominance thing? Raiah, with the exception of sometimes not wearing enough clothing, almost never said or did anything sexual, but hold her down?

"Raiah? Would you rather have 1000 gold rounds while everyone else had 1500? Or 500 gold rounds while everyone else had 300?"

"500." She answered with absolutely no hesitation.

Huh. Okay. What other question could I ask? "Work your ass off, but own a hundred slaves or do nothing and have ten?"

This time Raiah tilted her head. "A hundred." Her eyes narrowed, but she looked down and grinned when she found Neesha's tail coiled around her leg. "So are we going to fuck her or not?"

Neesha looked torn between almost hopeful and annoyed.

"How much have you embezzled so far?"

"Twenty-two silver, forty-six copper." Her grin vanished. "Hey! I want to renegotiate that deal." She practically yelled while pointing at him. "I was under duress."

"Hells no. You do realize I take that out of your pay right? I do keep my own notes."

Raiah managed to look offended. "Fine. Whatever. Are you going to fuck my horny little slave while I hold her down or not?"

"No, but I think I finally figured you out."

"Oh? Enlighten me." She finally let Neesha go.

"You're a greed demon. I thought maybe sloth, but it's definitely greed."

She crossed her arms under her breast, which was momentarily distracting. "I am not a…" She froze, physically unable to say the lie. "Fuck, I am a greed demon." She stormed out of the room, leaving Neesha behind.

Alek looked down at a squirming Neesha who stared back up at him, her teeth grinding. "Are you okay?"

Her face twisted into a "No, but I don't want to say no" expression. "It's really bad this time."

"Sorry. Were you coming to see me or did Raiah just drag you in here for fun?"

"Need to see you."

"Okay, what's on your mind?"

Neesha glared at him.

Right, bad phrasing.

She dropped a small bag on his desk that he hadn't noticed she'd been holding. It hit the wood with the gentle clink of coins. "You said I could buy my freedom."

Alek stared at the bag. Then at the girl who was still twitching involuntarily. "You got all the money? While in heat?"

"Some of it. I don't have enough to cover the clothing, but I can work that off."

He pushed the bag back over to her with a sigh. She looked confused. Likely unsure if he was going back on his promise. "I looked up the rules and unfortunately you can't be freed. It would just mean that anyone else could catch you and put you up for auction."

Neesha's eyes widened and she looked like she had just been handed the death sentence.

"I'll look into some Anorian contracts. I don't honestly know if they'll actually grant you any legal protections, but it's worth a shot. Give me a minute to write a note."

She nodded and Alek fished out some parchment and a pencil.

"Take this to the brothel, don't come back until you get an answer unless it's likely you won't get one." He pushed her coin purse back to her. "And get laid, you look terrible."

She pushed the bag back. "Can't spend that money."

He stared at her, she stared back. Alek opened his desk drawer and pulled out a silver. He placed it on top of the letter. "Payment for the service. Don't come back without an answer or with change."

She looked down at the coin, then into his eyes. "Thank you." She bolted.

Alek watched as her tail flowed behind her like an after image. Would all Tel’ani females get that bad with a good diet?

Shit, he left Mallika with five men.

***

"Have you seen Mai Fah?"

Saito looked up from his chieselwork, "ahh?" He looked around the property. "No, now dat I tink about it."

Alek had to stifle a chuckle as Saito's accent wreaked havoc on Alek's native tounge. "Well if you see her, can you have her take a look at the garden? Some of the plants are turning yellow and I haven't the faintest idea why."

Saito gave him a nod and a, "yes, Amo."

Yuii delicately poured two cups of tea. Alek wondered if there was some ritual significance to the action. Master Quwan had never taken any extra time or practiced any deliberate movements while making tea in the way that Yuii was now. She slowly, almost reverently handed him the cup with a small bow. He returned the gesture. She settled down into position and took a slow deliberate sip. Alek followed along, still wondering if he was missing something. She smiled, her cute Anorian eyes narrowing to thin slits.

"I admit, no one has ever requested my time for legal advice."

"Yeah well, I am familiar with a few basic contracts, but I thought yours may have some different wording and clauses due to your occupation."

Yuii nodded. "Likely so. Do forgive any intrusion from my roommates though. This is a bit unprecedented."

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Alek nodded in return. The apartment used for Malex's whores was a thing to behold. Alek hadn't really stayed in one place long enough to call anywhere a home for a long while and despite the size being a bit cramped for three people, it was a far nicer flat that he had ever lived in. He sat at a small table in the center of the room, a comfortable pillow under his ass. Yuii sat on her legs. The tea was good and the brief pause was calming.

"Okay." Yuii said, breaking the moment. She slid the silk robe she wore a bit more closed, hiding her delicate collar bones, much to Alek's disappointment. "Time for business. Do you have any specific questions?"

Alek took another sip of tea as he organized his thoughts. "Wording. I can not plan for every possibility, I need something that protects her, but does not limit her."

"Hmm yes. Wording is important. For instance, rape. The word must be defined legally. My understanding of Tel'ani, is that you can not rape a Tel’ani, because the Tel’ani have no rights. You and I perhaps would disagree, but legally speaking, that is how it is here. What is the situation of this person you want a contract for?"

"She is Tel’ani."

"Ah, so my example is more relevant than I had initially thought."

"I told her that I would free her if she paid back her cost. She did, but I apparently can not legally free her."

Yuii nodded and sipped her tea. "Perhaps I can bother Master Malex to see some of the Tel’ani contracts. I'm not sure they serve any legal purpose though."

"You do not think a contract would protect a Tel’ani at all?"

"I am unsure. In a small court perhaps. Or if the reigning lord cared much about contracts, but there are those who will not abide by even a legal Anorian contract."

"Well along that argument, there are people who violate laws against fully protected people."

"True. So best to build the contract in the assumption that it will be obeyed to the letter of the law."

The door shut behind Alek, causing him to turn around. "Oui? Who is the Akumajin?" Asked a taller male Oni-Kai in a close facsimile of Anorian clothing.

"This is Lord Alek Harbinger." Yuii replied in Ityean, subtly letting the man know Alek understood the language. "Alek, this is Tomo Ogiri."

"Pleasure." Tomo said, dropping into a cross legged position next to Alek and offering a hand to shake in a decidedly non-Anorian gesture. "We've never had a house guest."

Alek took the hand.

"We were discussing the importance of wording in contracts." Yuii said.

"Ahh, one time…" Tomo rocked back and momentarily glanced between Alek and Yuii, possibly trying to gage whether or not a humorous anecdote was appropriate. "One time this woman came in." He waved a hand in the air. "Previous employer, anyway, she comes in all pissed and wants to see the little Anorian bitch that caused her husband to break his vows. I asked who the husband was and I knew him. So I asked what the vow was. She yells at me that he vowed never to sleep with another woman. I made a show of considering this and informed her that her husband must take his vows very seriously because he hasn't broken them. She yells at me for a few minutes and I say, 'but his vow is to never sleep with another woman'. She yells back, 'EXACTLY!' And I say…" Tomo put a hand to his chest. "I am clearly not a woman."

Alek chuckled while Yuii hid her smirk behind her tea cup.

"He does have the problem of trying to protect a Tel’ani." Yuii said.

"Oh." Tomo leaned forward, put his elbows on the table, and his chin on his intertwined hands. "That's a more difficult situation. Malex has contracts on all his Tel’ani, but they're really only for in-house use. Practically worthless outside. Our Tel’ani's protection is enforced by the brute force of Gauren, Merlin, or myself." He leaned toward Alek. "And you’re better off with the other two. They'll beat the shit out of anyone causing Malex problems. I'm not a terribly good fighter, so it's straight to the slicing with me." He spread his hands out in an "it can't be helped" gesture. "Any good butcher will tell you there is a discipline to using a cleaver and despite what any Samurai from back home might tell you, a katana is just a glorified cleaver."

"So back up a contract with threat of force is what you are saying?"

"Basically yes. We have the advantage of having chosen this life. Most Tel’ani didn’t. Well, with the exception of two months of the year in some cases."

Yuii nodded along. "I'm always surprised at how many people think we were forced into this."

Tomo nodded his agreement.

"I did have to leave home though." Yuii added with a sigh. "My poor father's heart couldn't accept his little girl's occupation and then the comments from the people in my district, oh poor little Yuii Xen Xiao, she will never know the love of an honest man. It did not escape my notice that those who said that most often had husbands that paid extra to keep my mouth shut."

"I've noticed that as well, but I think we're off topic." Tomo said.

"Right, enforcing contracts."

"I can teach her to defend herself." Alek suggested.

"Always a good idea, but if a Tel’ani hurts or kills someone in self-defense, that makes them the bad guy here." Tomo said, killing any hope his own suggestion gave him.

"Fear?" Yuii said.

"Of what?" Tomo asked.

"Of Lord Harbinger, he is nobility."

"Hmmm." Tomo grunted scratching at his stubble. "I hate to say it, but all the legalities in the world won't do much if the government won't enforce it."

Yuii frowned and Tomo shot up. "Well, I was just here to grab a clean shirt and ask if you needed anything from the market."

"Side pork." Yuii said, her face still twisted in a cute expression of consideration. "Cabbage and ampalaya if you can find some."

"Sure."

Alek swallowed the last of his quickly cooling tea.

"I don't think I'm cut out for legal advice. I like sex better."

"Ha! I think everyone likes sex better."

"Agreed." Tomo said before giving a slight bow to Alek. "Lord Harbinger." He gave Yuii a quick kiss to the side of her head. "I'll be off, Tanyu is in the bath." He marched off through the door.

"You have baths?"

Yuii grinned. "We have a full spa if you're interested."

"Consider me interested."

"Well, you'd need about three hours, I'd have to check my schedule, book the room, get Tanyu in on it, and I'm not willing to go through with that unless you pay for the full service. That is of course going to fully rape your coin purse."

"I think I would be okay with that."

Yuii tapped her chin. "I'll get you a few contracts to look at while I see if I can set the rest up. And I need to find the needles."

"Needles?"

***

Alek felt sated, refreshed, and revitalized. Like he was ten years younger. He walked with a spring in his step and a stupid grin on his face. Nothing was going to bring him down. That feeling was put to the test the moment he found Un on his property building what for all the world looked like a funeral pyre. He watched the armored woman work for a bit before circling around and looking for Saito, Mai Fah, Neesha, or Raiah."

He found Saito with Mai Fah, sorta. She was laid out on a table, her blood soaked clothing in a pile on the ground and a sheet over her body to preserve what modesty could be spared as Saito worked to wash away as much dried blood as possible. The jagged slash in her throat made it clear she was very dead.

"What happened?"

Saito turned to look at him, his mouth a grim line across his face, he turned back to his work. "I'm sorry Amo, I thought the writing project was helping." He said in Ityean. "Raiah had seen her in the tower early this morning. We found a note on your desk that said she would try to be far enough away that the coyotes didn't bother us."

"No chance she was murdered?"

"No. She did it herself."

"What's with Un?"

"Raiah sent Te Neesha to fetch her this morning. She helped search the woods. I feel like Mai Fah would prefer to be buried, but I've figured out why Un seems familiar and now I'm terrified to suggest anything counter to her pyre."

"Okay, you are going to need to elaborate on that."

"Last time I saw Noble Killer in Anoria, she was standing over a pile of dead people."

"I assume Noble Killer is a title. Is she some sort of assassin?"

"No. Personal vendetta I think. However, I heard she died. Three times. I'm not sure if the person over there is human."

"Did you see her die?"

"No." Saito conceded.

"Well, her original plan was to be eaten by coyotes right? So I guess it's fine to let the warrior give the warrior a warrior's funeral."

"Was that supposed to be funny?"

"No, but it did come out weird."

'Thank you for being a decent person. I will try to be far enough that the coyotes don't bother you.' Alek read the note again, but got no other meaning out of it. No reason, no justification, just, thank you for not being a dick, hope the scavengers don't wake you up while they eat my corpse. It wasn't the kind of thing he'd have expected from a suicide note. He picked up the stack of papers. 'Thoughts and Information on Farming Practices from the Kujyo Prefecture of Mizuyamachi by Mai Fah Sung for Lord Alek Harbinger'.

"Thrice curse the thrice cursed gods in hell."

***

Alek stared down at the funeral pyre from the thin arrow slit that served as a window on the top floor of his home. The flames reached high into the air and if the wind shifted slightly, he could even feel the heat from this distance. He felt bad for not feeling bad. Mai Fah had basically been nothing to him. At best, she was a cheap, disabled employee that he didn't need to speak to much. Just a background character in other people's stories. His, Saito's, Un's.

His eyes moved from the pyre to the woman standing watch just far enough from the flames to withstand the heat. She was in full armor, shield and spear in hand. Her face covered by an unfinished mask of some creature, like the skull of a grinning, horned cat. The calluses on her face made more sense now and he wondered what her story was, perhaps Mai Fah had been more than a background character to her or perhaps the background characters were more important. Was Alek himself just a background character in Lothar's story? No. He was a side character at least, not a particularly well written one perhaps. "Or maybe I'm the villain?"