“Why the hell didn’t you tell me?” I roared at my friend in orc. He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled at me.

“I thought you’d be mad,” he said sheepishly.

“Why in the fire would I be mad?”

“Fire?”

“I want to use bad words, but you haven’t taught me any yet,” I said, slapping his shoulder. He stood in my office. I had Redwood fetch him the moment that the wolf man had spilled the beans. All three had ran off shortly after. Did this town have a school? I would have to build one. Maybe Uta could be a teacher. My mind drifted to the idea of her in a miniskirt and tight blouse. Maybe a small pair of glasses on her nose. That would be hot as hell. Thigh high stockings and heels, her sitting on the desk making the skirt ride up slightly. Back on track Alex. I shook the thought away; my mind was drifting again. Did being Lord Savage for so long make my mind worse? Like taking meds and then going off them suddenly. I would have to test that. "Are you going to set her free?" I asked.

"I would like to. It costs a gold to do, and I won't have that for a while." His face fell as he spoke.

"Fuck that hard in the ass." I said in common. “Gorloth set that woman free. When is the caravan getting here?” He just looked at me a slight tear in his eye.

“They got here three days ago.”

“Fucking hell, People need to tell me this shit. I had plans after all. Get Orga, I’ll get Uta and some of the others.” He took off at full speed out of my office. I sent a runner to go get the wolves and headed to home.

{Uta}

She was sitting in the study reading a book when her Darlin came in out of breath. Did something happen to him. “Get Gen, gather the girls.” Her heart began to beat faster. What was wrong?

“Slow down Darlin. Tell me what’s going on.”

“The slave caravan is here, and that fucking collar is coming off today,” he said, with a smile on his face. She started crying touching the collar around her neck. He was setting her free like he had done to Lily. She would be free. Before he left, she pulled him into a deep kiss and held him close for a long moment.

“You better rest Darlin. We have about four days to get this done.” He nodded, but still looked excited.

“Did you know that Orga was pregnant?” he asked, a slight frown on his face. She just nodded and smiled at him. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It wasn’t my place,” she said, putting her hands on her hips. He just smiled at her and kissed her forehead. Soon Uta was walking to the slave caravan, Lily held Gen, Yen and Mai were walking near the back of the group. Mai looked worried and kept looking around. They were taken into a tent and Gen went first. His collar hit the ground and a deep pain started in Uta’s gut. It was uncomfortable like bad gas, but quickly grew to a deep burning and a slight headache formed. The slave master came to her and undid her collar. The pain lifted and she reached up to feel bare skin. She had that thing around her neck for the past year and hated almost every moment. That was until Alex had taken her in. Now she was free. She just sat there crying. She was free. Yen touched her shoulder and then Uta smiled as another collar hit the ground. Uta looked at it and an idea hit her. She needed to make sure Gen stayed by Alex’s side. There was only one way that could happen. She grabbed Yen collar and turned to her brother. “Gen put this on.” He looked at her worried.

“Big sis Uta?” He asked.

“Big brother will protect you no matter what and this will make sure he does.”

“Do I get a say in this?” Alex asked. She refused to look at him right now. Her eye were focused on Gen.

“Put this on,” she commanded, her little brother started crying but stepped forward.

“Hold on Uta.” Alex demanded. She was free though and he couldn’t order her. If her brother was free, Alex may not want Gen to stay with them. This was the only way. He needed this collar. She held it to Gen, and he put it around his neck still crying, before anyone could stop her, she pulled the control coin and smiled turning to hand it to Alex. “Why did you do that Uta?” He asked in outrage.

“Because he needs you. You can keep him safe, teach him, help him to become strong.” That and she was worried he wouldn’t invest in the boy if he was free. Lily was crying and Yen just stood there nodding. Uta knew she was right. She pushed the coin into his hand and kissed him hard before he could protest.

“Big sis Lily?” Gen asked Lily, looking up her still crying. She swept him up into a big hug.

“It’s okay. Your big sis Uta is just looking out for you. This will let you stay and play with your dolls.” He wiped his nose and hugged her hard.

“I want to stay with big brother.”

“Idiot, he could have stayed no matter what. He didn’t have to be my slave.” He may have been right, but Uta needed to make sure. This was the only way.

{Gale Tunderhead, Mai}

She had watched everything happen. So, the fox child was not his and yet he was treated like her mates’ child. The fox woman had fought her mate to make sure the child remained his. He would not be cast out so long as he had the collar. So why did the other women want their collars off? Given the choice she would keep hers on. She turned quickly as a man grabbed at her collar. No, she would keep it on. She hissed and jumped back away staring at the tool in his hand. “Now, now. let’s get that thing off you.” No! She didn’t want it off. She wanted to stay with her mate. He had built her a nest and made her happy this morning. Why was he doing this? Was he casting her out? She growled softly and backed away from the mean man holding the tool He reached for her, and she slashed at his arm with a taloned foot, drawing blood. He jumped back saying bad words. She didn’t like bad words and didn’t like that tool. She backed into the corner raising her leg. She would attack anyone who tried to remove her collar. She needed this to stay with her mate. He was looking at her now worry on that cute face.

This novel's true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

“Mai, you, okay?” he asked, she shook her head and pointed at the collar and shook her head again.

“You don’t want it off?” The tiger asked. Lily nodded and hissed at the bleeding mean man.

“Why don’t you want to be free?” Her mate asked. She pointed at the collar and then at the ground. She wanted to stay. If only she had words. She growled and chirped in frustration. Why did they want to cast her out. The boy could stay so long as he had his collar. She would stay too. The bunny walked towards her holding the fox boy. She hissed at them. It was an angry warning. A sound that mothers would give out if anyone was coming too close to a nest with eggs.

“It’s okay, Mai,” the bunny said, pulling back wrapping around the fox child protectively. She looked at them pleading to stay, begging to keep this collar on and remain her mates. She didn’t want to go. Tears started falling and she put her wings up making herself look large and scary. She opened her mouth and tried once more to make a sound, any sound to let them know she wanted to stay here, stay with him, stay with all of them. Something came out. It was soft, weak and took almost everything she had, but something did come out for the first time in her life. After nearly twenty winters she spoke her first word.

“Stay.” Everyone looked at her stunned.

“Mai, you can stay.” Her mate said and opened the flap to the bad tent. She ran out and took off into the sky. She still had her collar. She was still his. She could stay. Tears fell and she couldn’t see through them, but the sky was open and welcomed her. She flew up and up letting her heart lift as she felt happy. She flew for a while letting the tears dry up in the updrafts. When she had calmed down, she looked for her mate. He was walking to the big building that had the big, armored people. It wasn’t the big open one where the others slept, the one he had been spending a lot of time at. This was the one that had the big shirtless man. She landed on a roof and chirped down at her mate. He looked up at her worried. She pointed at him and made an angry face before pointing at herself.

“No, I’m not mad at you. Just not sure why you didn’t want to be free.” She pointed at herself and then at the ground, pointed at the collar and then at him. “Not sure what that means, but you will always be allowed to stay here. This place can be your home as long as you want to be here.” She smiled and gave a happy chirp. He had said this place could be her roost. She jumped off the roof and glided down to him before wrapping him in a big hug. She felt him brush her head and her crest rose up. She was so happy. She could stay.

{Alex}

Well today had been fun. Mai attacked someone to keep her collar on, Uta had forced a collar on Gen, and I was about to talk to Boss about something that could be a gamble for the two of us. I wasn’t fully sure what was going to happen, but a debt needed to be paid and I was going to collect on it.

It was the last day of the slave caravan, and I was in my Lord Savage costume, mask fully in place. Boss was by my side as we walked up to it. Fat Man waddled up to us rubbing his hands together and smiling. He could smell the gold dripping off of us. “Welcome, am I to assume you are the great Lord Savage everyone is talking about?” I just nodded.

“We have a business offer for you.” Boss said coldly. Fat Man beamed and led us into his tent. He had made a small living room and sat us on one couch before taking the other for himself. The porker was so large that he nearly took up two seats. I let a chain snake its way down my arm and around to the back side of his seat unnoticed.

“How can I help you two. A particular slave you are looking for. Or perhaps I could help you with one of my contacts. I have an assassin of some note in my employ.” I let the chain wrap quickly around his neck cutting off his airway, fear filling his fat face.

“Contract magic,” Boss said coldly, “You will be unable to speak above a whisper for the time of our meeting. You will be unable to call for help or move your body. In exchange you will be allowed to keep your manhood intact. Do you agree?” Fat man squirmed and tried to fight but nodded. I loosened the chain slightly and he gasped out.

“I agree.” Suddenly his arms fell to his side, and he looked over at us, fear fully filling his eyes. I removed my chain and returned it to me shaping it into a centipede and had it walk across the table clicking metal fangs. He just sat there watching it.

“What do you want?” he whispered to us.

“This is a lesson.” I said coldly reaching into my jacket and pulled out a white mask. Shadow’s old mask. She wouldn’t need it anymore. “Three times you have tried to enslave me. Three times you have failed.” His eyes were bugging out as he looked closely at the mask. I reached up and took my own off. I would need my smile to make this point stick. “You know this mask?” I said tapping Shadow’s smiling face and let my own become its counterpart. He nodded sending those chins to wag. “Good. Then you know I made a promise.” The centipede had jumped across and was slowly snaking is way up the man’s leg digging in with sharp pointed claws.

“Please, don’t do this,” he whispered, watching the metal bug moving slowly up.

“You need a lesson though. I sent a message after the first attempt. Did you not get it?” He looked at his crotch and started whimpering. “You did get the message then. So, if I turned it into hamburger, you would not get upset?” He started crying and muttering something.

“Contract magic,” Boss said again, his cold smile matching his icy eyes. “You owe him three slaves of our choosing in exchange for the three times you tried to enslave him. Do you agree?” Fat Man looked from me to the bug making its way up his arm now.

“I agree,” he said quickly.

“Good,” I said, “Now I want to make sure that this warning sticks with you this time. You don’t come after me, my friends, family, this town or any of its people. Do you understand?” I had the centipede lean over to meet him face to face and scrape its jaws slowly sending sparks flying. It was a horrible grinding metal sound. Much to my delight a stain formed on the couch and the air was filled with the delightful smell of his piss and fear. The more scared he was the less likely he is to come after us. This was all about scaring everything out of him.

“Yes. You and everyone in this town is off limits,” he whispered. I pulled my bug back slowly.

“Good.” I said putting my mask back on. Boss and I stood. Boss said with a slight dark growl in his voice.

“I name the following three slave per our agreement. Bealcia Brimstone, Yon Se Hendergo, and Yeomds Tor.” Midna had given us those names. Bealcia would be a help in keep everyone organized and active. Yon was one of their Knight pilots and a man of some skill, and Yeamds was their healer. She would help our Healer as he seemed a bit overwhelmed these days with all the extra people in town. Fat Man looked at us in outrage.

“You can’t do that?” he whispered angrily at us. I lifted my arm and the centipede shot out to an inch away from his face and clicked its jaws madly. He started shaking his head and a much worse smell filled the room.

“You made a deal. Did you want to go back on it?”

“No, no Lord Savage.” he mewed.

“Good, now we need slaves in the future, combat ones. I think you know how much highly skilled combat slaves sell for. Play nice and I will make sure you will paid for them.” I had left a small mithril under the mask to show him I wasn’t lying. “Please send those three to us once you have,” I smirked, “Cleaned up.” We left and luckily the man didn’t try to have us killed. It went far better than we had planned. That was one I would be able to cross off my list, for now at least. I know he would try something down the road, and I would have to keep my word to turn not just his junk to hamburger, but maybe the whole man himself.