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Azee's breath was hot and her face flushed as Sinda held her tightly in his arms. Her fur stood on end and her flesh quivered as his hands clutched at her back and kissed her neck. Every once in a while her breath would catch as

Sinda gently nipped her with his teeth.

It all felt so wonderful, Sinda was gentle, yet sure, each moment better than the last. She felt a powerful warmth rising up inside of her as Sinda's hands drifted up and down her back, his fingers fluttering across her rump and the base of her tail. Her nose was filled with the scent of him, the musky scent of his flesh, to the sharp tang of the minerals left behind by the water in his fur. She threw her head back, closing her eyes

A low moan escaped her as Sinda moved from kissing her neck to gently nipping her ear. One of his hands moved to stroke her sides, his fingers tracing gentle patterns in her fur as his claws ever so slightly scratched her skin.

"Ah, stop stop!" Azee giggled as Sinda's hand touched her belly. "Ah! I'm ticklish!"

"Are you indeed?" Sinda smiled, tickling her a little harder. "Just how ticklish are you?"

"Ah! D-don-don't do that!" Azee laughed, nearly falling over as Sinda pressed his advantage. "I, AH! I can't breathe! S-stop it, I'm serious!"

"Alright then," Sinda grinned as Azee's laughter faded, "I think I have another idea of how to entertain you."

As Azee chuckled, wiping tears of laughter from her ears, she didn't notice Sinda lowering his head.

Her whole body tensed up as if struck by lightning as Sinda placed his mouth over one of her breasts, his tongue running gently around her sensitive flesh. The warmth inside her swelled as she let out a long, low moan. Her knees quaked as she allowed Sinda to slowly lower her down onto the collection of pillows and blankets that served as her bed.

Azee squirmed and moaned, her toes curling as Sinda explored her body with hands and tongue. His free hand moved up and down her sides, every once in a while sliding under her rear and holding her hips against his own. She could feel his member, erect and throbbing, pressed against her stomach. She wanted him, she needed him, the anticipation of what was coming was almost too much for her to bear, and yet what he was doing now felt so good she didn't ever want it to end.

Listening to Azee's moans, feeling her squirming beneath him, Sinda couldn't help but smile to himself. He knew how humans tended to treat Shiyan lovers, as little more than toys and giving no thought to their own pleasure. There was a certain sense of pride that he felt as he realised there was a good chance no one had ever made Azee feel this way before.

Azees eyes flew open and she gasped sharply as Sinda's hands drifted across her body, gently touching every part of her. Her chest heaved, her back arched and she squirmed as his hands went lower and lower.

"Oh... yes... Yes, Luke-"

Azee froze as the words left her mouth. Sinda paused as well, propping himself up and staring down at her as she clapped her hands over her mouth.

Forcing a grin onto his face, Sinda raised an eyebrow. "Uh... no, no not quite."

"I'm sorry," Azee gasped. Her eyes were wide as dinner plates as she shook her head. "Oh... oh Sinda... I'm so sorry."

"Oh, so you do remember my name."

Azee buried her head with her hands. "No... no no no! I'm sorry, it... I... I wasn't thinking and it just... it just slipped out!"

Despite the embarrassment in his own chest, and the flicker of jealousy that burned in the back of his mind, Sinda smiled warmly and stroked Azee's cheek. "Oh hush, it's okay, really."

"B-but-"

"Azee, listen to me, it is okay. Seriously, it's fine."

Azee lowered her arms a little. "I-it is?"

"Well yeah." Sinda's smile widened as he met Azee's gaze, his tail wagging. "You told me that the Windhill was the only one you'd been with. Calling out his name, it's natural, trust me. It's happened to me before, and I've learned to deal with it."

Azee managed a nod. "Y-yeah... I guess so."

Sinda stroked his chin dramatically. "You know... I could try and do the voice if you want. Just a moment." Sinda cleared his throat and ran a hand through his hair to try and imitate Luke's hairstyle.

"Well hello, I'm Luke Windhill," Sinda declared, his voice a reasonable approximation of Luke's. "Behold my oh-so-elegant hair, my fancy gun, and a chip on my shoulder so large it's a miracle it fits through doorways."

"Oh no." Azee groaned, covering her eyes again.

Messing up his hair again, Sinda glanced down at Azee. "How's that?"

"It was really good, and I hate it."

Sinda chuckled and leaned forward, planting a kiss on Azee's forehead. "You know you are cute when you're embarrassed."

Azee moaned softly, her face turning red. "Mmmmmmm."

Gently Sinda lifted Azee's arm away from her eyes and smiled down at her.

"If at any point you want to stop, you just have to tell me, alright. This is about you, your choice."

Azee's embarrassment faded as she stared up into Sinda's softly twinkling eyes. Slowly the two came together, kissing deeply.

A hint of hesitation remained, nestled in the back of Azee's mind, a feeling that she was doing the wrong thing. Azee forced the feeling aside. She wanted this, and she was not going to allow some twisted sense of guilt to get in her way.

Azee felt Sinda shift his hips. With a shuddering breath she met his movements, feeling his warm flesh pressed up against her as she wrapped her legs around his waist.

For a moment the two looked at one another, a flurry of wordless questions and responses flying back and forth like bolts of lightning between clouds in a storm. Then, on an unspoken signal shared between them, Sinda pushed forward.

A long, low moan escaped Azee's lips as Sinda entered her. She wanted to close her eyes, but she forced herself to keep her gaze locked on Sinda's, enjoying the flickering dance of pleasures that crossed his face. He was panting hard, yet there was a joyful smile on his face, an expression of true enjoyment.

But as Sinda began moving his hips, each thrust sending waves of warmth up Azee's spine, a strange feeling rolled over her. The feeling floated around her mind, like a piece of fluff hanging in the air that danced around one's fingers. It wasn't unpleasant, but rather a desire she had felt before, but never dared to act upon. But this time was different, this time it was her decision to share herself, she was in control. All at once, she decided to go for it.

Sinda grinned to himself as Azee gasped and moaned with each of his movements. She was clearly enjoying herself, and he was only too happy to oblige her. And though he cursed it, there was a single ugly thought that lingered in the back of his mind.

'Next time, it'll be my name she calls out, not Windhill's.'

As Sinda was battling his own thoughts, all of a sudden Azee shifted her body. She was surprisingly strong, and with a yelp, Sinda was flipped onto his back, with Azee rolling on top of him.

"A-Azee, what are you-"

"Hush," Azee whispered softly, leaning down so that her nose was just barely pressed against Sinda's. A low, throaty growl emerged from her as this time she began to move her hips, slowly at first but then with increasing speed and vigour.

Along with pleasure, a thrill shot through Azee. For the first time in a long, long time there were no other thoughts, no concerns echoing in the back of her mind, no embarrassed indignation or hesitation. She was in control! Her movements became almost frantic as she pushed herself harder and harder, pressing Sinda down into the bed as she chased after this fleeting feeling.

Sinda forced himself not to wince as Azee's enthusiasm put more pressure than he was used to on his more sensitive parts. It took a great deal of effort for him not to protest as unpleasant memories came flooding back at the rough treatment.

'It's fine,' He told himself as he stared up at Azee, 'As long as she's having a good time...'

Riding a fresh wave of pleasure, Azee growled again, louder this time. In a rush, she leant forward, sinking her teeth into Sinda's ear.

"Ow!" Sinda yelped. "Too hard, too hard!"

Immediately Azee leaned back, her confidence evaporating. All of a sudden she felt so... exposed, and foolish.

"I-I'm sorry..." She whispered.

"Hey, hey it's fine." Sinda reached up and stroked Azee's sides. "I take it you haven't ever really done it this way before."

"N-no." Azee looked away. "I tried with Luke a few times... but he always seemed to get so uncomfortable. He'd always just... roll me back over, this look on his face like... like something was wrong."

"Some humans think that men are the ones in charge during this sorta thing, especially when they are with one of us." Again, Sinda had to repress a shudder as old memories, long buried, threatened to resurface.

"Oh..."

Sinda smiled warmly up at Azee. "You know, I thought you were cute when you were embarrassed, but that's nothing compared to when you are embarrassed and in charge."

Despite herself, Azee was unable to suppress a laugh of her own.

"I don't want to hurt anyone, just... Is it wrong that I want to decide how... this goes?"

"Wrong? No! Not at all! It's fun!"

"F-fun?"

"Well yeah, sex is supposed to be fun! It's great! Feels good, you're with someone you really like. Plus the noises it makes are really funny."

Again, Azee blushed, though the puppy-like enthusiasm from Sinda made her smile.

"How about this, if it's alright with you, I'll teach you a few things about how to do this without hurting... well, me."

"I..." Swallowing her embarrassment, Azee nodded. "Yeah, okay."

"You'll still be in charge, you just, y'know, need to show my softer parts some mercy." Sinda grinned. "Well... not so soft at the moment."

"By the Tyrant..."

"Alright so, first thing is: nibbling is fine, great even, just, don't try and take chunks out of me."

"Okay."

Sinda cocked his head a little, presenting his ear to Azee. "Here, try again."

Slowly Azee bent down, and as carefully as she could, nibbled on the tip of Sinda's ear. She was surprised when she felt Sinda gasp a little, a shiver running through his whole body.

"That's better... just nice and -ah- gentle like that. Now, instead of bucking up and down like you're a hound with a stung rear end, try just rolling your hips."

"L-like this?"

"Yeah... Yeah that is good... real good... Now, ah, there are lots of fun places you can nibble. Let me show you."

In moments the tent was once more filled with the moans and groans of passion.

***

As he stepped down from the top of the tower, Luke's mind still rang with Chess' words.

'Does Azee really think that I... I would treat her like one of the others if she... rejected me?' Luke frowned and shook his head. 'No, no way! She might be mad at me, but she couldn't think something like that.'

'But why wouldn't she?' Chess' voice rang in Luke's mind, as clearly as if it were her speaking those words. 'What do you suppose she sees when she looks in a mirror? The creature that you love? Or a pelt, in a nation where her life is entirely subject to your whims?'

"And so what if she does see that?" Luke grumbled out loud, kicking a stone off the edge of one of the plateaus and watching it spiral down to the ground far below. "I treat my slaves well! They're fed, given enough water, good straw, the overseers know not to treat them too harshly. I'm better than my father, dammit all I'm better than any other ranch owners in the whole bloody country!"

'This is why you can't give the pelts even an inch, they will always demand more! They are greedy and selfish brutes, who would gladly kill us all for what we have built!'

Luke's father had spoken those words to him after a slave had taken Luke hostage. Luke had been playing with Azee when the slave had asked Luke to loosen his collar a little, saying he was struggling to breathe. When Luke had loosened the collar, the slave had grabbed him and held a sharpened fragment of metal agaisnt his throat, cutting his cheek in the process. Had it not been for Comb sneaking up behind the slave and shooting him in the back of the head, killing him instantly, Luke may not have survived.

Luke still bore the scar from that day, and it had taken a long time for the nightmares to cease. He still clearly remembered his father's lecture.

'The pelts can never, ever, be allowed to forget what they are, their place in the order of things. Their purpose is to serve us in all things, to cater to our whims, no matter how small. We are their wardens and masters, and they should be thankful for each moment we allow them to breathe our blessed air and tread our holy soil..'

"Damn straight!" Luke snarled, his hands clenched so tight they felt like they would bleed as his anger and frustration boiled over. His mind raged out of control, the wisdom and advice Chess had given him mere moments ago swept aside by righteous indignation and humiliation. "Why can't they just... be happy with what I've given them?! Why do they have to complain and moan all the time, the ungrateful pelts-"

Luke froze in place, a chill running up his spine.

'By the lord...' Luke looked down at his hand. 'W-what... what in damnation... did I just say...'

A cold sweat covered Lukes's body as he was gripped by fear, not of anyone or anything, but of himself. His skin, his very flesh, crawled as the words echoed in his mind again and again.

"Is that... really how far away I am from being... a monster. Sh-she's right, Chess... Chess was right. Azee... was right."

He shook his head, trying to stop the screaming within his own mind.

"Windhill? What in damnation are you doing?"

Luke looked up sharply to see Eloise standing a short distance behind him, hands on her hips. She cocked an eyebrow as she looked Luke up and down.

"Having fun with our host?"

"What? Oh... no." Luke looked down at the ground.

Eloise opened her mouth to speak, but a single glance at Luke's face made her reconsider for a moment.

"Witc- El-Eloise I..." Luke tried to speak but was unable to meet Eloise's eyes.

"What is wrong with you?" Eloise stepped forward. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Luke looked down at his hand. "Not a ghost... a monster"

"A monster? What are you talking about?"

"You were right." Luke sighed heavily, his shoulders slumping. "What you were trying to tell me... what Azee was trying to tell me... you were right."

Eloise could do nothing but stare. For the first time in a good many years, she found herself well and truly surprised.

With a groan of frustration, Luke grabbed a handful of his own hair. "I just wanted her to be safe!"

"But safe isn't enough."

"I know that! But if I try to set her free... she could get killed! And it would be my fault! Whether it is right or not doesn't matter, I own Azee, she is my responsibility! If she gets hurt, or Lord forbid, dies, it's my fault! And if something truly bad happens, it might not just be her who gets killed, but the rest of the slaves, just like Cha-"

Luke stopped short.

Despite her better judgement, Eloise stepped forward and hesitantly put a hand on Luke's shoulder. "Look... Windhill... I may not like you, but even I have to admit that... it's not like you did nothing for Azee. She knows you care."

"I don't just care. I'm... I'm in love with Azee."

Again Eloise found herself surprised. She'd seen it of course, the look in Luke's eyes when he saw Azee smile, the longing glances when he thought no one was looking. Eloise worked long and hard to bury her human emotions, they'd brought her nothing but pain after all, but she still understood them. Luke's feelings for Azee had been obvious, even to Eloise; his attempts to care for her, however inept, made it clear his attachment was more than just a young man's infatuation. But to hear Luke, a Windhill, a highborn human, cursed by the Tyrant's damnable canon, say that sentence, left Eloise speechless.

"I love her... and I've hurt her. Everything I have done has hurt her." Luke gritted his teeth as he spoke. "I never wanted to... I swear it... I swear I never meant to hurt her... and yet..."

"She's alive."

Luke looked up as Eloise squeezed his shoulder gently.

"Look, Windhill... Luke... The truth is, you're... well you're a bad person. You own a ranch where your slaves are worked day in and day out, where girls, women, just like Azee, are bred like animals and have their children sold. You treat Shiyan, beings that are so very much like us, as little more than farm equipment. And you do this, despite being in love with one of them."

Luke made no attempt to argue with Eloise. Instead he seemed to shrink, like a turtle withdrawing into its shell.

"Everything you own is the result of you and your family doing terrible, awful things. You are a shit person, and it should not be a surprise that you've managed to hurt Azee."

Eloise took a deep breath. "And yet... she is still alive. Despite her being far too smart for her own good, spoiled, and impulsive, in a nation where each one of those aspects could easily get her killed, she is still alive and healthy. Despite everything... you have managed to protect her for the most part."

"I've tried." Luke raised his head a little. "I just wanted-"

"Don't misunderstand me Windhill," Eloise interrupted. "It doesn't matter what you wanted, it matters what you did, and what you did is unforgivable. That... having been said, the fact that you seem to finally be coming around to understanding is... commendable."

"Truly? You think so?"

"Just shut up for a moment and listen. You've spent your whole life profiting off the pain and suffering of others, and you're going to be on trial for what you have done for the rest of your life. But maybe you can still do more good than harm."

"And that... will bring Azee back to me?"

"Oh for-" Eloise took a calming breath before continuing. "That is her choice. The fact of the matter is, she has a lot of very good reasons to be angry with you. If I were her you would be long dead by now, however Azee is a kinder soul than I."

"So there is a chance?"

Luke's excitement irked Eloise. "I think it possible, though exceedingly unlikely. Keep in mind however, Windhill that if ever she does manage to forgive you and decides to take you back, whatever relationship you end up with will be fundamentally different than anything it has been before."

"I understand that, but... I just want to fix things, get them back to... if not the way they were, something better."

"You can't just 'fix' something like this!" Eloise's voice carried a heavy note of exasperation. "How do you not get that? She's furious with you, and has every reason to be!"

"I know."

"Well if you know, then act like it! You should-" Eloise paused for a moment, a villainous idea sliding into her mind like an eel.

"What, what should I do?" Luke pressed.

"Why, you should go talk to her, of course."

"I... Yes, you're right." Luke took a deep breath and nodded. "Tomorrow, I will have a talk with her and try to fix... I mean... address, some of this."

"Oh no, you should talk to her tonight, while your revelation is still fresh. She's probably still awake, I'm fairly certain I saw a light on in her tent."

"B-but I'm not wearing any clothes..."

"Azee doesn't wear clothes, and it's not like she hasn't seen you like-" She gestured up and down, "-this."

There was something in Eloise's voice that made the hairs on the back of Luke's neck stand up, but he nodded. "I suppose so. Please, excuse me."

As Luke turned and left, Eloise couldn't help but chuckle to herself.

"Sorry about this Windhill, but I have the distinct impression that nothing but a dose of very cold water will shake you loose."

Tossing a piece of catalyst crystal up and down in her left hand, Eloise started walking towards her tent.

"Here's hoping he's not dumb enough to try and do anything foolish to either of the poor pups."

***

As Luke descended the tower, each step he took towards Azee's tent made his heart beat faster.

'Maybe... maybe there is a way to still fix this.'

Eloise's words still rang in his mind, but he shoved them aside with a growl.

"Chess and the Witch may have a point, but they don't know Azee like I do. I can get through to her, I've gotten through to her before. I just... need her to listen to me."

As he neared Azee's tent, Luke could see that there was indeed a light on within. Azee was still awake.

"We'll get Chara back, and then we can fix everything." Luke muttered as he approached the entrance to Azee's tent. "And whatever the witch wants Azee for, she can forget it. If she tries to touch her I'll-"

Luke paused. He could hear sounds coming from within Azee's tent, what sounded like voices, mixed in with gasping and moaning.

Luke's blood ran cold as he heard Azee's voice.

"Ah! I'm... I'm getting... ah!... close!"

What exactly it was that possessed Luke to push on, even he didn't know. His limbs felt stiff as he stepped forward and slowly pulled the flap open a crack, just enough so he could see inside.

Azee was on her bed, straddling Sinda's waist. Her eyes were locked with his, her breathing coming in pleasured gasps as she rolled her hips back and forth, her tail wagging hard as she bent over Sinda's body, her hands pinning his shoulders to the cushions. Sinda also had a contented look on his face, his mouth open in a panting grin as he stroked Azee's sides with each roll of her hips.

As Luke watched, Azee began to move faster and faster, panting like a runner in a race.

"A-Azee...I'm-"

"It's fine," Azee panted. "It's safe..."

"I -ah!"

With a gasping grunt, Sinda squeezed his eyes closed and bucked his hips hard, his hands visibly squeezing Azee as he let out a low moan. At the same time Azee threw her head back and let out a howl. Her whole body stiffened as she shuddered, her toes clenching and unclenching, her tail straight as an arrow. After a few moments she collapsed on top of Sinda, panting hard for breath.

Luke allowed the tent flap to fall closed as he took a shuddering step back. He simply stood and stared at Azee's tent, his eyes wide and his hands shaking.

After a few moments he spun on his heel and marched stiffly away, not sparing so much as a backwards glance.

***

Both Azee and Sinda panted hard as they lay on top of one another, fingers intertwined.

"That... that was... really nice." Sinda smiled as he gently pushed the strands of hair away from Azee's face.

"Mmmm, I agree."

"By the Tyrant, please don't hum like that." Sinda winced. "T'varo does that all the time."

"Mmmm, don't know what you're talking about, mmmm."

"Stop it!" Sinda giggled, nuzzling Azee's nose with his own. "It's making me feel like I just did this with T'varo."

Azee folded her arms across Sinda' chest and smiled at him. "You mean you never have, you know, been with him?"

"Well... goodness knows he's tried, but I'm not really into him that way, you know. Plus, I suspect he'd want to take notes."

"Yeah... he did mention that. Is it true he used to watch you and Chess?"

"Oh yeah! He'd just sit and stare, like he was watching a show. It was so odd... especially when he'd make these quiet little observations; 'oh, she seems to enjoy that motion, how far apart are your climaxes, would this be more enjoyable if you attempted it from a different position, how much hotter do you think your body temperature is, can I sketch this particular position?'." Sinda shook his head as he chuckled. "Please don't mistake me, I love him, he's a good person and even kinda fun. But I'm not really eager to share my bed with him. I'm not a research project."

"Fair enough." Azee sighed contentedly as she placed her head on Sinda's chest, listening to his heartbeat.

"May I ask you a question?" Sinda reached up and gently stroked Azee's left ear. "Did something happen to your ear? I've never seen anything like this."

"Oh that... Well when we were leaving Lillyvale, this old bastard named Bill Graves, tried to kill me. He shot my ear off and Eloise had to heal it with a rune."

"Healed? With a rune?" Sinda whistled, stroking Azee's ear as if checking to see if it was real. "That must have been some rune."

"It..." Azee paused at the memory of the glowing red runes harvested from Bill's body. "Yes... it was."

Eager to change the subject she looked up at Sinda. "Can I ask you a question?"

Sinda grinned, running his hands through Azee's hair. "Seems only fair."

"How did you get this?" Azee reached out and gently touched Sinda's right ear, where a small chunk had been torn out.

Immediately Sinda stiffened, his hands unconsciously squeezing Azee as he jerked his head back. Sinda's eyes were wide, his breathing short and sharp.

"I- I'm sorry." Azee pulled her hand away.

"It's alright," Sinda said quickly. After taking a moment to calm his heart and his breathing he spoke in a quiet voice. "It's just...bad memories. Really bad memories."

"What happened?" Azee asked without thinking. Cursing herself she shook her head. "Sorry, I shouldn't-"

"No... no it's okay." Sinda sighed heavily and smiled up at Azee, gently taking her hand in his. "I got that when... I tore the tag out of my ear."

"T-tag?"

"I used to be a pleasure slave. They... mark you, with a special tag that they... fuse to your flesh. Some customers wanted to be... serviced at home, so we needed to be marked in a way that would allow us to move around without the Order interfering with us. They also tracked us, making certain we weren't somewhere we shouldn't be or servicing 'unscheduled customers'."

Azee's eyes widened as she stared at the wound. She could only imagine how painful it must have been to pull it out.

"I don't suppose... you've ever been to a pleasure house, have you?"

"N-no."

Sinda sighed again. "No... I didn't think so. Well, in a lot of places, the humans have set up these places where they can go and... work off stress, with one of us."

Azee lowered her eyes."Like the overseers do at the ranch."

"Yeah... something like that. Course, they probably aren't allowed to hurt you, you gotta be able to work afterwards after all. As for us... the humans could do whatever they wanted to us, so long as they paid enough."

Sinda's eyes darkened, his puppy-like enthusiasm fading away, replaced by a half-dead dullness. "My mother was born in one of the free states, and she sold me to a pleasure house when I was six years old. Never found out why. They kept me around for a while, doing dishes, cleaning the rooms... When I was old enough to... be useful, I started working there, but they already had enough male pleasure slaves there, so I was sold to a house in Lordswell, a few days northwest of here."

Again Sinda's eyes darkened, the spark of life all but faded from them. "It was bad... but I learned that I just needed to shut up and try my best not to react to anything, not to draw attention. A customer would come in, you do what you're told, and then you move on to the next. Do it well enough, you probably get to live for another day.

Azee didn't know what to say. All she could think to do was gently stroke Sinda's hair as he spoke. She wanted to hold him, to squeeze him tight in her arms, but there was a part of her that feared that, if she did, whatever seal was keeping these memories bottled up would break.

"I think I was around eighteen when I was sold again." Sinda continued, his eyes open but unseeing as he stared up at the ceiling. "I don't know how old I was, truth be told I don't even know how old I am now. Anyways, I was told I was selected for my 'disposition', to be traded to a higher class institution in the capital. The 'Golden Links' it was called, in Eternity city. It was the kind of place that nobles or politicians or Order members, you know, the folks who couldn't be seen going to one of the 'lower class' places, would go to."

Sinda shuddered. "The creeps who went to the place in Lordswell were bad enough, but they were nothing compared to the rich monsters that visited the Golden Links. I was excited at first, the food was nicer, the beds cleaner, and the chains padded. But here's the thing, at least in Lordswell, both you and the customer knew what they were there for, a quick tumble and then on to the next. But the Golden Links, they wanted to create a fantasy."

"You see, there, most of them wanted us to be 'civilised', to be able to drink tea, to talk, to dance around and pretend like they weren't just there to take us whenever they pleased. I was taught table manners, how to speak eloquently, I was even taught how to play a violin, just so that I could 'dazzle' the customers with my talent, the 'exceptional pelt' that they had had the 'good sense' to have chosen. They enjoyed the fantasy, and then they enjoyed stripping it away from us. And worst of all, once they let their masks of respectability and poise fall, they showed what they were underneath."

Azee wanted to tell Sinda to stop, but she couldn't. She could only listen, fascinated and horrified, as Sinda spoke, his voice calm, but empty of feeling.

"There was this one lady... every time she would come she would promise to buy me, take me away, and set me free." Sinda let out a humourless chuckle. "I was stupid enough to believe her, at first, until I realized that all she really wanted was to see the desperate hope on my face, to know she had complete control. When I stopped indulging in her fantasy, she moved on to another, but not before having one of her bodyguards hold me while she took a table leg and tried to beat me to death with it. I was one of thirty sold to this place. After two years... I was the only one from those thirty still alive."

"That was the thing, you see. There may not have been as many random beatings, or punches to the back of the head, but if a customer did decide to beat you, or even kill you, they had enough money and power to get away with it.

Killing an experienced pleasure slave could cost a dock worker or a soldier everything they owned. But for the nobles? They could kill one of us every single day and it wouldn't matter to them. I've had my jaw, my left arm, both my legs, and my nose broken more times than I care to remember. And each time I'd lay on the floor bleeding, I'd hear the house-master wishing the customer a good day, and telling them that they looked forward to their next visit. Then

I'd be bandaged up and locked in a small room in the basement to heal. The moment I was strong enough, I went back to serving the next gold encrusted monster."

"Is that... why you're afraid of gold?" Azee whispered.

"I had a nobleman wrap a gold chain around my neck and try to drown me in a tub." Sinda's cheek twitched as angry tears welled up in his eyes. "Ever since then... I can't stand the sight of it. And when I escaped, I tore the golden tag they'd marked me with out of my ear."

"Sinda... I'm... I'm sorry... If this... If what we just did... if it made you feel... if it brought up bad memories."

"No!" Sinda interrupted. "No, Azee, this was wonderful. It meant a lot to me, and I think it meant a lot to you as well."

"It... it did."

"Sex is supposed to be fun, and joyous, and really feel good. But we've both had people that have tried to take this... this part of us, and make it theirs, make it belong to them."

Sinda's eyes flashed, life surging back into them. "But they can't have it! I'm with you and you're with me because we chose it, and for no other reason. The ones who thought they owned us, that they owned our... love, they can hang.

This is mine! And it's yours! I refuse to let them decide what this part of me means,"

"I guess you're right. I'm just... sorry I asked. I didn't mean to bring up something so painful."

Sinda pulled Azee close to him, gently stroking her back. "There is nothing to be sorry about. My past is part of me. Chess helped show me how to rise above it, to face it and defeat it.

Azee didn't answer, instead nestling against Sinda's chest.

"We're both survivors." Sinda mumbled. "We both just... have to do what we can to survive, and try and find what scraps of happiness and freedom we can."

"Yeah..."

"Why don't you stay."

Azee looked up sharply. "Stay?"

"Stay here, with me, and Chess and Rayes and T'varo. We'd protect you, look after you, and we'd send Windhill packing."

"But... what about Chara."

After a long pause, Sinda pushed the hair from Azee's eyes so he could meet her gaze directly. "Do you... really think she is still alive?"

"I..." The words caught in Azee's throat as she tried to speak. "I... hope so. She... she was... I need to find her, before she tries to come and find me."

"You think she would?"

"I know she would. I have to find her before she gets herself killed trying to get back to me."

"What if she's already tried... and failed?"

"She wouldn't." Azee nodded her head, trying to reassure herself as much as Sinda. "Chara isn't foolish. She'd try and find out where she was, try and figure out where to go. It would take time."

"There was an overseer, Mellina, who was a... particular problem for the female slaves. A few of the others wanted to wait until no one was looking and slit her throat. Chara had a better idea. Somehow she managed to steal a bottle of whisky from one of the other overseers, then went out of her way to attract Mellina's 'attention'. Once Mellina had Chara alone, Chara knocked her out. She made it look like Mellani was drunk by splashing whisky all over her."

"Clever."

"She's more than clever! Chara slammed her own head into the wall and broke the bottle over her head so it looked like she'd been beaten. Then she cried out and pretended to be knocked unconscious."

"By the tyrant..."

"Well it worked! Mellina was escorted off the property the next morning and never set foot on the ranch again." Azee's hands slowly bunched into fists. "That's my sister... and if she's willing to do that for others, she'll do anything to get to me."

"I suppose you're right." Sinda smiled sadly. "Well... I would keep trying to convince you... but I think you've already decided."

"I have."

"Still, I imagine you'll stay for another day or two." With an exhausted grin, Sinda nuzzled Azee's nose with his own. "Plenty of time for us to have some more fun."

"You males, all the same." Azee blushed as she ran her claws gently across Sinda's cheek. "You all think about one thing and one thing-"

Azee paused as she noted Sinda's eyes slide closed, followed by gentle snoring.

"Aw... you are all the same."

***

Keeli sighed in relief as she slipped into the cold waters of the Flinton river. The burning need that came with her heat was finally beginning to fade, and the cool water not only washed her clean of the scent, but it felt wonderful on her skin.

The day that she had seen her name on the breeding schedule, Keeli had honestly not been certain she would be able to live any longer. She'd already had eleven children, and had been forced to watch as all of them were either sold, or buried. Going through such a thing again had been an unbearable thought. And yet, by some miracle she still didn't fully understand, this time she had been spared.

Plunging her face down into the water, Keeli took a long, deep drink. The cold water rushing down her throat felt heavenly, the chill spreading through her.

Keeli knew she didn't have a lot of time. Her fore supervisor, Vali, had given her permission to wash quickly, though not without a sternly worded warning about going missing again, not that Keeli was in any hurry to draw any more attention to herself. While all pelts went through heat of some kind, for males it was called 'rut'. Unfortunately lapine heats were legendarily powerful, and the scent of them could make other females agitated, even aggressive.

But, as it could also trigger more frequent heats in other pelts, most ranches made sure to have at least a few lapine around, to make certain they could breed their slaves more frequently. It was part of the reason why lapines were often looked down upon and bullied.

With a long, heavy sigh, Keeli splashed some water up her arms. It was a rare treat for her to get to spend even a few moments alone.

As she splashed about in the water, enjoying the precious moment of freedom and peace, a subtle rustling behind her made Keeli's ears stick straight up. Immediately her instincts kicked back into full alert and she spun around, arms raised to defend herself.

"H-hello?" She squinted, staring into the shifting reeds, the hairs on the back of her neck standing straight up.

The only answer that was returned was the sound of the river, and the soft rustling of the wind through the bullrushes. Keeli shivered as her instincts screamed at her that she was being watched.

Keeli's ears twitched towards every little noise as she slowly backed towards the shore, every muscle in her body tensed and ready to bolt.

All of a sudden a figure burst from the water behind her. Before she knew it, a powerful arm wrapped around Keeli's torso, pinning her arms to her side. Keeli started to scream, but a hand clamped over her mouth. She tried to break free, to kick and scratch, but her attacker lifted her off of the ground and held her aloft, helpless.

Keeli's eyes bulged with terror as she struggled uselessly. But as she fought, her assailant spoke.

"Shh, shh, it's okay, I'm not going to hurt you."

"MmmmMMmph! MmmMMMmph! Mmphmpmm!"

"I'll let you go if you promise not to scream. I'm-"

With a ferocious roar Fray, exploded out from the reeds along the bank. Keeli's assailant let out a startled yelp as Fray grabbed him by the throat and heaved him up into the air.

Keeli cried out as she was dropped and fell into the water. Emerging, sputtering and gasping, her eyes widened in surprise when she saw that it wasn't a human that Fray held, but a lutrine pelt.

He was oddly dressed, with a short sort of cloak around his shoulders, and a belt around his waist that bore several knives and a long stick. There was no collar around his neck, or bindings on his wrists or ankles, though the telltale scars were visible, even through his fur.

"Are you alright?" Fray asked, barely glancing down at Keeli.

"Y-yes." Keeli nodded quickly.

"And you-" Fray looked back at the lutrine, her teeth bared, a ferocious rumble in her voice as she eased up her grip just enough to allow the lutrine to speak, "- who are you?"

"I-I mean no h-harm!" The lutrine gasped desperately, his feet pedalling the air as he fought against Fray's iron grip.

"Answer my question!" Fray snarled as she retightened her grip a little. "Who are you?"

"Gah! N-name... is... W-Wale..."

"Wale?"

Wale nodded, his eyes wide and bloodshot.

"You aren't from this Ranch, are you?"

Wale shook his head, his mouth open as he frantically tried to breathe.

"Why did you attack Keeli?" Fray demanded, an inferno blazing in her eyes. "Answer me!"

Wale's hands, which had been desperately trying to loosen Fray's grip, fell to his sides as his thrashing kicks grew weak.

"Fray, please, you're going to kill him!" Keeli pleaded as she stepped forward.

"The thought had crossed my mind." Fray snarled, her fur rippling as her maternal instinct shattered her normal calm and swept it away.

"I-if he wanted to hurt me, h-he could have. Please, stop!"

For a few moments Fray considered squeezing the rest of the life out of Wale. But the pleading and fear in Keeli's voice brought her back to reality.

Wale fell limply into the water as Fray released her grip. Grabbing the scruff of his neck, Fray heaved Wale up and out of the river, and with her free hand, slapped him hard on the back.

In an instant Wale began hacking and coughing raggedly.

"What do you want?" Fray demanded, turning Wale to face her, her lips curling back to show her teeth. "Why did you attack Keeli?"

"N-not attack." Wale coughed. "C-couldn't r-risk... scream..."

Fray's eyes narrowed as she held the lutrine an inch away from her nose. "Then what do you want?"

"I'm look-" Wale's explanation was cut off by a fresh round of ragged coughing. After a few painful moments, he regained his voice.

"I'm looking f-for someone, I have a message for them."

"Who?"

"She's a canine, a grey wolf. Her name is Chara, do you know her?"