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Contractual Obligations

By: Wisty

"Mr. Diciel. It is the first of the month."

The loud knocks resounded through the estate overlooking the vast, expansive vineyard, a slender lynx dressed in a crisp black suit standing at the door. His glasses were dark, his fur well groomed, and his foot tapping in impatience.

"It is ill-advised to keep Black Velvet waiting. He is not known for his patience." The lynx repeated slowly, his voice borderline threatening. In a matter of seconds, a young fox opened the door and nervously looked around.

"M-my apologies. Please, do invite him inside?" He stammered out quickly, his fur bristling a little in paranoia. The words were almost unintelligible from the speed with which they were uttered.

Shaking his head slowly, the lynx stepped aside and motioned to a black Charger with opaque, obsidian-toned windows. "I'm afraid not. He has a reservation for this afternoon, and has requested that you join him."

Nodding slowly, the fox turned on his heel, beginning to stammer out some sort of apology, only to be stopped by a firm grip on his shoulder. "No need for excuses. I was directed to escort you to the car should you be home. As you know, Black Velvet cares little for formality if it is devoid of respect." He spun the fox around and began leading him to the car.

"But wait! I've got to change my clothes! They're filthy and ragged and..."

"That will not be necessary."

The fox swallowed hard and nodded, letting out a small whimper as the loose-fitting summer clothing seemed to constrict around him, suffocating him. Walking along the cobbled path, the fox felt as though he were being sentenced to death. Sunshine, the smell of sweet, ripened grapes, the cool breeze of mid-summer - all too perfect - heralded his arrival to the inconspicuous vehicle. He swallowed hard and closed his eyes, the soft thunk of the door handle being pulled echoing through his mind.

"Welcome, Salve. Please have a seat." A voice crooned from inside the car, sweet and smooth, and quite sinister. Opening his eyes slowly, Salve could see the black leather interior shimmer in the blinding sunlight, the only other occupant in the back seat being a golden-furred kitsune with a soft, boyish face. His heart stopped.

"T-thank you, Mr. Velvet." He stammered quietly, cautiously. Setting foot inside the car, he took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves.

The kitsune smiled as the young fox took a seat, the door slamming shut behind him. "Please, you may call me Taluthus. I understand the harvest has been plentiful these past years on Costa Platina. I thought that perhaps we could discuss some aspects of our business agreement now that your estate has grown quite fat." A chuckle erupted from his lips as he tapped the glass separating the driver's compartment from the back seat.

"What do you want from me?" Salve said quietly, his fur bristling even more now at the disinterested, nonchalant tone of voice the vulpine had adopted. It was unnerving, seeing the once uptight creature so relaxed and calm, especially after nearly five years of silence.

Taluthus laughed again, his bright blue eyes sparkling, his teeth shimmering quite nicely against his black mouth. Shaking his head, he pulled a small bottle out from under the seat and held it up, the familiar gilded label catching Salve's eye. "To celebrate and discuss, as partners should. Would you care for a glass of your vineyard's Chardonnay? It's garnered quite a reputation for being one of the most exquisite wines available." He smiled and uncorked the bottle, the sweet, crisp smell floating through the air. "You'll have to forgive me, but I'm afraid I have neither the time nor the materials available to decant this lovely liquid. The flavor won't be quite at its peak, but it shall still eclipse anything I'm sure you can find. But what am I saying? Of course you'd know this! You're intimate with all of the dealings of this estate."

He poured the beautiful white wine from the dark, signature cobalt-blue bottle, and let it come to rest in a pair of wine glasses, the first of which he handed the Salve, the second he kept for himself. "Now, a toast," He said with a wide grin, "to the continued success of the Diciel Vineyard!" Tilting the glass back, he downed the wine in a single gulp, his slender purple tongue licking his lips in satisfaction.

Taking the cue that the beverage wasn't poisoned, Salve took a sip of his wine, his fingers tensed yet numb around the slender stem of the glass. He couldn't help but stare into those eyes, so calm and collected. What did he really want?

"Come now, aren't you going to return the toast? Or are you still too worried about why I'm here?" He laughed slowly, taking out a small piece of paper and placing it on the seat between them. Salve swallowed hard as he looked at the seal decorating the bottom portion of the paper, his heart dropping. Fidgeting in his seat, he nodded slowly as he saw the contract he'd signed so many years ago.

Taluthus smiled and nodded, gesturing for the fox to finish his wine, which Salve did almost immediately, his eyes transfixed by the peeling golden wax seal. "I do believe you recall what this is, Salve?"

"I... I do..."

"Good, then this may come as no surprise to you that as partners, we must fill our contractual obligations. Do you agree, yes?"

"Yes." It had never been so hard to breath.

"Very well. I'm glad you understand at least in part where my difficulty has come from. You see, I have assisted in your success as a grower and distributor of one of the finest wines of the region, and perhaps the world. We had agreed to allocate the revenue accordingly."

"But we need the capital to expand our fields!" The fox burst out frantically, a hand coming to rest on his shoulder as the kitsune shook his head slowly. "Not now. We'll discuss your reasons while at the restaurant. I've booked us a table at Dios, perhaps one of the most elite restaurants on the Costa Platina. Come, have another glass of wine?" Smiling brightly, the kitsune poured another glass of wine as the car rumbled along the dusty country roads towards the city.

After a journey of tense relaxation and guarded conversation, the car pulled up in front of a lavish restaurant set among a picturesque backdrop of Parque Oros. Lying on the very fringe of the densely wooded segment of the coastal city, the Dios restaurant hardly looked out of place. Spire of polished wood twisted and curved upwards like perfectly sculpted tree trunks, smaller spindles of material branching out to support the canopy and give the building structure. The windows were tinted forest green and molded so the light that filtered in danced across the guests dining inside. The entrance was guarded by a door made of polished mahogany, wrought with ornate carvings that were laced with gold and silver.

Salve had heard of this place, but it was even more impressive in person.

"So, what do you think? It's another business venture of mine that's turned out to be quite profitable, and it's still going strong. Shall we?" He said, gesturing for the fox to step through the door of the Charger.

He did so, nodding softly, his mind twisting with curiosity. Why would he be brought here of all places... though the value of ownership was not lost on the fox - was Taluthus trying to brag? It didn't matter too much as he set foot outside of the car, having to squint from the brightness of the perfect day. He walked forward slowly, trying to avoid the pitiful glance the concierge gave him at the door.

"Table for two. Name: Velvet." Taluthus said quietly, the concierge just giving a silent nod before gesturing for them to follow. The dragon was rather slim, silent and sparkling with scales that shimmered of silver. He led them through the doors and guided them around spaciously placed tables, finally stopping before a polished silver door. With a polite nod, he opened the door with a soft click, muttering a quiet and reverent "Your waiter shall be right with you." Wasting no time, the young dragon closed the door behind them with just a soft click, letting the two take their places at the private room.

Taluthus smiled. "Impressive, isn't it? I designed this room personally. It's meant to give a relaxing atmosphere while one chats away their meal. It's so peaceful and quiet, and it blocks out all sound from the outer rooms as well, so we have complete isolation. I also use this to discuss business with my clients, so... Feel free to make yourself comfortable."

Salve nodded in silence before looking around at the room. There were paintings littering the wall, some of various prestigious residences and people from around the country. In the center of the room was a small ding table, decked with a pair of golden candleholders. The silverware looked to be quite heavy and extremely ornate, only a fork, spoon and a knife present. In the corner of the room was a small three-person couch, padded with supple pillows in varying shades of red and black, a nice contras to the tan leather sofa. Overhead, a chandelier hung from the vaulted ceiling, ornately decorated with thousands of glittering crystals each casting a myriad of rainbows over the surrounding white walls.

"Man..."

"Excuse me, Sir?"

Salve turned around to find that Taluthus had taken his place at the table, with a young otter standing at the table, a clipboard in hand. Blushing a bit, he made his way back to the table and sat down.

"May I start you fine gentlemen off with anything to drink?" He asked quietly, his voice slow and measured.

"Of course. I do believe that I would like a bottle of your finest Chardonnay, please?" Taluthus smiled, flashing a toothy grin to Salve who recoiled slightly.

"Very well, a bottle of Diciel, circa 1993. Could I interest you in some hors d'oeuvres or perhaps the chef's specialty gazpacho?"

Taluthus shook his head and smiled. "I'll take my usual. You know I don't wish to fill up before the meal."

"Very well, and for you, Sir?"

Salve stuttered a little, looking around for the menu that was surprisingly absent. He flushed a little and shook his head. "A... A house salad, I suppose." He figured that the salad would be a relatively safe and inexpensive dish, the young fox trying his hardest to tread lightly.

"Of course. Your food shall be out shortly." The otter spun on his heel and quickly strolled from the room, the door closing in silence behind him.

Taluthus leaned forward, slipping his suit coat off and resting it on the chair - normally, he'd forgo business attire, but this was indeed a matter of business! He reclined in his chair, his tails fanning out behind him lazily as he smiled, his blue eyes sparkling in the soft light.

"Now, down to business, I suppose. You know why you're here. I know you do. I could taste the fear, even if you weren't visibly shaking. Now then, what have you to say?" The kitsune smiled, nodding politely as the otter came back with the bottle of wine and filled their glasses with the sparkling, off-amber liquid.

Salve shook his head and bit his lip, recoiling a little in his chair as if trying to shy away from the words. "I-I've already told you. We had to reinvest the money into the farms in order to expand production, and..."

"As is understandable. However, please correct me if I'm wrong... was that mansion always on that property?"

"No, but the workers..."

"...have their own homes. And you had yours. Now it seems as though yours is bigger than it should be. Tell me, how long have you been in business?" Tal hissed quietly, closing his eyes and tilting his head back. "I count twenty-four years. You?"

"T-twenty-four..."

Nodding sage-like, Taluthus smiled. "Very good to see your memory hasn't deteriorated that much. What does the contract say there?" he said, pulling out the piece of paper and laying it on the table, poking the next-to-last paragraph.

Swallowing hard, Salve began to read. "E-every four years, an adjustment of revenue shall occur so that the investor, Taluthus, receives a scaled proportion of capital that equals or exceeds 15% of the previous adjustment, limited to 75% of the total revenue. Failure to fulfill any or all terms outlined herein and the venture shall be revoked or properly liquidated in accordance to the investor."

"And what does that mean?"

"No, you can't take my vineyard, you simply can't! I've spend nearly half of my life cultivating that land, expanding it and making it to what it is today! It's mine, Taluthus!"

The kitsune frowned and sat up now, his eyes narrowing dangerously. "I'm afraid you do not seem to understand the situation, Sal. You see, what we have is a business agreement - I invest my funds and capital into your business to make it grow. That in turn yields returns for me so that I may continue to do what I do. However, I've invested, but received no returns for the last eight years. I was lenient with you at our last meeting, and the promises that I would be paid had me quite satiated. Now, I can tell from your tone that you are less than thrilled to consider giving up your lifestyle, but I'll ask you once more. Do you have my money?"

The small fox's hair bristled at the thought of his livelihood and his life up to this point being taken from him. He growled and slammed his paw on the table, shaking his head. "No! No no no no no! You can't take it, Tal! You can't! It's... w-what are you doing?"

Taluthus reached into his back and nodded, pulling out a small black ink pad and a small rubber stamp. Taking his time, he pressed the stamp into the ink, and then onto the paper, the bold black letters shimmering wetly in the light.

TERMINATED

"It's such a shame that you had to refuse to uphold the contract. You see, it was legally binding. That being said, you have terminated the contract prematurely by refusing to honor the terms outlined in it. I am repossessing the vineyard. Taluthus smiled wickedly, as a tail lashed out from the table and ensnared the fox's waist, another curling around his shoulders while the third lazily snaked its way towards his feet. "That being said, I shall begin with the liquidation of the estate immediately to ensure that I receive the cut to which I am entitled. I shall begin with management." A vicious chuckled escaped his lips as the third tail tickled at his toes, the second tail looming up above the poor fox's head as the middle tail secured its tight grip around the fox's body. "But one last question for you: do you know why I'm called 'Black Velvet?'"

Before the fox could answer the tail lunged forward, the tip splitting in two to reveal a pitch black, shimmering interior, the hot air escaping from it as it quickly wrapped around the struggling fox's head. Almost immediately, the flesh closed around him like a vice, the soft, slick and silky interior rippling over the frightened fox's head. The motions, aided by the bottom-most tail pushing his body upwards while the last tail restrained him from struggling, quickly forced the fox up to his shoulders.

"You do now, don't you? Good. Now if only you were quick enough to pick up on the fact that no one fucks me over and gets away with it, we wouldn't be having this little encounter. Enjoy your stay while you can." He chuckles nastily and relaxes, smirking as the waiter comes in and nods.

"Here is your water, Sir. I assume that you will need the usual receptacle for clothing?"

"That would be great, Artis. Also, inform your son that I have a new position open for him. I understand he's wanted to get into a business of a little more prestige. This should suit him perfectly, and I know both you and your son are much more obedient than your grandfather. It's just a shame that this poor bastard doesn't have any family to leave behind or take after him. He's going to vanish as just another forgotten stain on the earth, but even that'll disappear after a while." he chuckled a bit as a muffled scream erupted from his tail, the poor fox nearly halfway in now.

Taluthus grinned and pulled his tail back slightly, letting his other two tail free the struggling creature so that he squirm and flail in a vain attempt to free himself. The tight, black-fleshed interior of Tal's tail easily tugging him upwards, the bulges beginning to grow through the rather silky fur of the appendages. Leaning down slowly the kitsune began to taunt Salve, smiling as he utterly enjoyed this domination.

"Does that frighten you? The finality of that, hmm? Well, if you would have paid up, you maybe could have spared your own life. I could have hooked you up with a cute vixen or something so you wouldn't die alone. Money does no good when it does nothing but make the target of a hungry predator." He chuckled and leaned back, hoisting the tail up into the air so that it no longer had to swallow - instead, just allow gravity to do all of the work for him. "No, now you're just going to vanish into my stomach, to be held and digested until you're nothing more than sustenance for my body... I suppose you were useful in that regard."

The fox continued to squirm and struggle as the kitsune embraced the grotesquely bulging tail with the other two, curling around the squirming spire, massaging and squeezing it to stimulate the muscles of the tail, the fox's knees soon vanishing.

Disinterested now that the screams were so muffled by the thick, smooth flesh, Taluthus walked over to the couch and smiled, reclining on it easily as he pulled out his phone. He smiled and pressed a small button on sleek touch-screen, before placing it to his ear.

"Yeah, Black Velvet here. Don't worry; he's been taken care of. I've found a replacement for the Vineyard too. Yeah, but I have no idea what the little shit was thinking. Oh, he wants to tell you something, boss." He chuckled and held the phone up to his tail, smirking as the muffled screams could still easily be heard up close. As his tail slurped closed around the vulpine's feet, Tal put the phone back up to his ear. "Yeah, he's probably thinking it wasn't too great of an idea now. Alright, well, just remember our deal - you get any other enforcers before I'm dead, you'll have your own hands full. Got that? Oh, and don't forget my cut for this job." He said with a chuckle, though a faint tone of sinister severity could be heard behind the playful veil. After a few quick pleasantries and a bottle of water, Tal just kicked his feet back and smiled.

It was a good life when the Don feared his enforcer. It was even better when his stomach was full and he still got to call the shots.