{Alex}

We all ran to the dam and waited for Meathead to come with the metal. It didn’t take him too long. He hauled huge beams of iron in his Knight's arms. I called up to him. “Place it as close as you can to the dam.” He did so and everyone started holding hands as I placed one hand on the pile of metal and the other on the dam. Hands were placed on my back, and I started to pull in mana. The flood of mana was quickly used as the mass of iron started to flow like water. My veins started to burn, and I felt the mana slack off. They were starting to pass out. My models were in jeopardy. I couldn’t have that and started to move the metal faster. It made my right eye turn red and I could feel the sparks flying from my hair. The rain stopped hitting me and I risked a look up to see it was converting to steam. Neat. The back of the dam was done, and I just needed to build up the front. More people started to pass out. It wasn’t enough. I needed more mana. “Meathead. I need more mana.” the last few passed out and I felt something large press into my back and then everything went blank. I had the mana of a Knight flowing through my body and it felt amazing. I tasted mint and my nose started running. With that boost I quickly finished the dam and felt happy. I had saved my things. Wait, last time I tried something like this, ah there it is. Ouch. Everything went black as i fell.

I woke in the bed at my home. Everything hurt again. I have got to stop doing that. With a groan I tried to look around. “Welcome back to the world, Hero.” It was Boss. He was sitting by my bed and smiling down at me. I couldn’t feel my mana. I froze and looked at him.

“My mana? I can’t feel my mana.” I was scared shitless. He laughed and I wanted to slap him, but I couldn’t move.

“Relax. You have a mana nullifier on you. Your channels and mana are fine.” I sighed and relaxed. A picture came to my mind.

SKILL UPGRADED: MANA FORGED VEINS LEVEL 17. YOUR MANA VEINS CAN NOW CONDUCT MORE MANA. THIS SKILL CAN NOT BE UPGRADED.

I smiled at that. I could handle the flow of a freaking knight now. It had been worth it. “Why can’t I move?” he laughed again.

“Well, you are a runt. You have been out for a few days and used up every drop of mana in this town. Upside, my brother was stuck in his Knight for three hours.” He laughed hard.

“Food now.” he handed me a bowl of something, and I wrinkled my nose. It smelled horrible, but I was far too hungry to turn it down. I drank as much as he let me, and I lay my head back. I was feeling better, my head a little clearer. “Thank you. How pissed are you?” He looked at me blankly.

“Pissed?”

“The metal.” It dawned on him, and he leaned back laughing hard again.

“Not at all.” I just blinked at him. “The town paid for it. We are just going to run low for a few months. I have sent out an order to get it replaced.” I sighed and smiled. My things were safe, and I still had a job. “Now for the bad news. According to the mages, you can’t use magic for at least a week and your house is a pig pen.” I frowned at him.

“I haven’t had the chance to clean it. I need to get a maid.” he patted my shoulder.

“Sorry no one is willing to be your maid here. Better off getting a slave. There should be some in the next caravan.” Being from America, owning slaves didn’t seem right, but when in Rome. He stood and walked over to my bookshelf, his hand on his chin. “These look good. Just need some paint.”

“I know.” he smiled at me.

“Can I get you anything?”

“Goblin cores and maybe a bit of gold. My bracelet needs a major upgrade and I think the town owes me a better mana battery.” He laughed and left me alone to sleep.

The next evening, I was able to leave my bed and walk around. I went to the inn and was greeted by cheering. It startled me a little and I didn’t like this. I quickly turned and returned home to hide. I just wanted to watch some of the townsfolk try out some of my dolls. That was very unnerving. Meathead came over to check on me. He had heard about what happened at the inn and was worried. I assured him I was well, but not okay with being the hero. Heroes die badly on quests. No thank you. That many people was not fun. He said he would explain it to them and left. I lay down and started playing with one of my dolls. It was very annoying that I couldn’t use mana to work on new ones.

A little over two weeks later I was tinkering on Meathead’s mech. It was almost done when there was a booming knock on the main door. They opened and three large Knights walked in. I could see that two were badly damaged and would require a lot of work to fix. Boss came out to me and smiled. “Slave caravan is in. Go get your maid.”

“I have to work on the new Knights.”

“Go get your maid. I can’t have you getting sick. I need to go too. I have a plan I hope will work.” Boss demined. With a sigh, I got up brushing off my clothes. I went home and got my coins and frowned walking to see a large wagon circle setting up on the edge of town. Tents were going up and I saw almost everyone had slave collars. I felt sick walking in here. A fat oily man walked up to me rubbing his hands together.

“Welcome, welcome. How can I help you?” I knew his type.

“I don’t have much money.” He frowned and started to walk away.

“Bealcica deal with him.” he called out as a sexy succubus walked over to me. She had long leathery wings, long horns and a whip like tail that seem to accent the way she made her hips sway. Her hooves clopped lightly on the grass making the hairs on my neck tingle. She wore a tight robe that seemed to press her impossibly large breasts up for full display.

“Hello master.” she purred to me. This was a trap, and the bait was epic. I wonder how many men gladly put on a collar just for a chance at her.

“I don’t have much in the way of coin. Do you have a bargain area?” she giggled and jiggled as she escorted me through the tents.

“Are you sure you wouldn’t rather go to my tent for some fun first?” I laughed coldly.

“No. does that ploy work very often to get new slaves?” she stopped and gave me a very real and very evil grin.

“Smart one. Yes, it does. At least one per town.” I shook my head. She stopped acting coy and playful as we made our way to a very dark and shabby tent. Suddenly a messenger ran up to her and whispered in her ear. She looked back and me and smiled.

“Let me guess, Fat Man just told you to do everything to put a collar on me.” she nodded. “Not going to happen. I crossed my arms and frowned at her. She gave a real smile and held open the tent as I walked in. The slaves here were broken and shabby.

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“What are you actually looking for?”

“Cooking and cleaning.”

“I have two that can fill those roles.” she led me to the back where I saw what could be best described as an orc. She had green skin, small tusks, long black hair that covered most of her heavily scarred face. Her body seemed to be more scar than skin. It was clear she had been through hell. She looked up at me with a broken look in her one uncovered eye. She wore a torn and stained tunic. I nodded and looked at Bealcia. “She has a cooking skill.” I nodded. She turned and took me to the corner to see something that I had been dying to see my whole life. Cowering in the corner of the tent was a white-haired bunny girl. She looked up at me with scared red eyes as she tried to retreat from us. She wore the same shabby oversized tunic that swallowed her up. It somehow made her feel smaller. I smiled at her, and she hid pulling her ears down over her eyes.

“How much?” I growled through my grin. Something in her was triggering something deep inside me. I wanted to protect her safe to say this was a new feeling and I liked it even though I shouldn’t.

“The orc and beast are one gold each.” I refused to look away from the bunny girl.

“I want both.” she nodded. We stepped out with the two women. I paid her and started to walk to town. They would need clothes. I was given two small, strange coins.

“These are their control coins. Whoever has these is able to give them orders. You don’t have to have them on you, and they cannot hold their own control coin.” I nodded. The two women started following me. The orc seemed broken, and the bunny was trying to hide behind the orc. I know anything I said now would just be hollow and flat, so I just kept quiet. I went into the clothing shop and put on my mask. I was back to being a friendly normal person. Tailor smiled at me.

“Hello Alex, how can I help you?” she looked past me at the women.

“I was wondering if I could get these girls some proper clothes.” I turned to the orc as she seemed easier to talk to.

“Please get two outfits you like and something to sleep in. I will be back in a short while.” she nodded. “Also please try to keep it under sixty silver.” she nodded again. “Bunny this goes for you too.” I didn’t even know their names. Tailor looked at me puzzled.

“What else do you need to shop for?”

“I only bought one extra bed. I need to get another one.” she beamed.

“I can have Marcous get that order placed for you. Now that you don’t have to go, would you mind looking at some of my pans. They need some love. She took me into the kitchen and pointed them out. She walked back to check on the girls as I got to work.

{Orga Wildflower}

Orga started pulling at common brown dresses. The old woman came back in and waved her over. “Get four outfits each and some nice underwear.” She winked at them and went back. Orga nodded and turned to Lily. “Orga, is it okay?” Lily asked, her voice soft and full of fear. She had been through the deepest hell. Both of them had. Orga shrugged and went to a changing room. The new dresses felt nice and didn’t itch like the rough cloth of the tunic. She picked out a pair of soft boots. Her new master reminded her of a wolf. Something in his eyes spoke of a true darkness. She had evil masters in the past, but something in her new one was wrong or broken on a deep level. She should be worried, but after being used as a toy, she couldn’t care anymore.

{Alex}

I came out and saw the girls in new dresses. The orc had on a nice pair of boots. The bunny was still barefoot. I looked at her with a raised eyebrow. “Did you want shoes too?” she squeaked and jumped.

“Mmmmmaster. Cannn I?” her voice was so soft I could barely hear it. When her mouth opened; I saw cute buckteeth.

“Yes. Shoes now.” her collar glowed, and she quickly moved over to the shoes and started trying them on. She found a simple pair she liked and came back. So, the collars glow when an order is given. Noted. The women placed what looked like four outfits each on the counter. Tailor smiled, folding each, and put them in bags. Each girl had her own bag. “How much do I owe you?” she frowned at me.

“Like hell I’d charge our hero.” I rubbed the back of my neck inwardly screaming. I am no fucking hero. She pushed the bags at me and shoved us out the door. Well, being a hero did have an upside. I took the girl's home. They looked at each other as we walked in.

“Can I know your names?” the bunny was looking around the house from behind the orc. She was now dressed in a cute long gray dress. It seemed to swallow her up. Like a child wearing an oversized shirt. The orc was wearing something that looked like a yellow sundress. It left her badly carved legs exposed but was open enough to let her move freely. The orc looked at me blankly.

“Orga.” that is all she said. The bunny peeked around at me and whispered.

“Lily.”

“It is a pleasure to meet the two of you. Lily would you please start cleaning while I take Orga to get stuff for supper?” she nodded and hid behind Orga until we left. I took Orga to the store leaving the outfits behind. “Orga. You are free to speak your mind at any time.” she just nodded at me. We picked up food and returned to find the house spotless. I was actually impressed by the bunny woman. “Amazing job Lily.” She squeaked and hid behind the wall. I barely heard her whisper.

“Ttttt thank yyy you m m mm master.” she was actually shaking with fear. Orga just walked to the kitchen and started cooking. I went to my room and started working on a new doll. After a while a nice smell worked its way to me making my stomach growl. I turned as someone knocked on the door. It was Lily.

“I take it dinner is ready?” she nodded and darted away from me. An amazing meal was on the table, and I went to sit down. Both women just stood in the kitchen. “Are you going to join me?” Orga spoke slowly.

“It is not normal for slaves to eat with their masters.” I frowned.

“Fuck that. Get over here and get some food.” Their collars glowed and both moved to the table. Soon all three of us were eating. Lily picked the place furthest away from me and Ogra just sat across from me. She was still hiding her face and her hair kept getting in the way. “You don’t have to hide your face, Ogra.” She nodded and pulled her hair back into a tight bun showing a nasty scar covering that side. It had taken her eye and left her disfigured. I felt bad for her. Why did I feel bad for her? “Thank you, Ogra.” she looked up at me blankly. “I know that must be rough to deal with.” she just nodded and went back to eating. Lily was looking at me oddly. She jumped when I looked at her. “You are safe here.” I don’t know why I said that. This girl was making something inside me want to save her. This wasn’t like me at all. What the hell was going on? We ate and shortly after the bed showed up. I smiled at Woodcutter and his son as they brought it in, putting it into place. “Thank you for helping me out. How much do I owe you?” Woodcutter put his hands up and smiled at me.

“Nothing. My wife would tan my hide if she heard I took a copper from you.” This was getting old. I am not a hero. I followed them out and noticed their cart had a bad wheel. I quickly fixed it and went back in. Lily had cleaned the table and was doing the dishes.

“You two are free to do whatever you like for the rest of the night.” both nodded and I went back to tinkering. I felt bad that they had to share a room. Maybe I would have to invest in an expansion to the house. It would raise the value, but did I really want to spend the time in an inn for the work to be done? Not right now. Maybe when I left for the convention. I sighed and finished up the engine. My new bracelet had fifteen goblin cores and was gold plated. It made the evenings work much easier. I smiled at its shine. I did have an evil smile, but watching it reflected in gold made it far tastier. I licked my chops and put the part aside. The sun was starting to set, and I needed to lock up. I went out to see the girls sitting at the table. “I’m going to bed soon. Is there anything you two needs?” Lilly looked very worried as she jumped from the seat retreating to the corner. “Sorry you two have to share a room. I will try to get that fixed soon.” Orga just nodded. I made sure the windows and doors were locked and went to my bed, locking my own door behind me.

{Lily Cottontail}

Lily just watched him go. He made her feel like the little bunny she looked like. He wasn’t mean or harsh. He did give them nice clothes and the only time he got mad is when they weren’t eating with him and when she hadn’t picked out shoes. She looked down at the pale gray slippers and smiled. Now that he was gone, she felt better. He made sure the house was safe and even locked his own door. So, he wouldn’t be picking either of them tonight. Lily went to her room and got changed. She had picked a white nightgown with red flowers. Orga followed her and just disrobed. It was indecent that the other woman slept in the buff like that. What if someone saw her? What if he saw her? “Hay, what do you think of master?”

“Nice. Cold heart, but nice.” What the hell did that mean? She jumped into her own new bed. It was soft and clean. It smelled fresh and even the straw was new. She sighed wondering when he would change into the nightmare all men were. She slept lightly fearing him coming out to get them.