A Monster Life

15 - Master and Slaves

'Shark?' Iphigenia scratched her nose. 'I've never seen one but they're supposed to be dangerous fish, right?'
Ulric stared at his new ability. 'Big, dangerous fish.
'Maybe you can swim really well now?' Elzbieta said.
'Maybe.' he said and tried to turn his tail into one of a fish. 'Doesn't seem to be a shifting thing. Which I'm not sure I'd enjoy anyway.'
Iphigenia looked at Kaui. 'He received it through your bond, any idea?'
Kaui glanced once at Ulric and shook her head. 'I don't know.'
Ulric hummed and rubbed his nose. A too familiar scent prickled his nose. 'Crap, there's Sweetweed around here.'
Kaui sniffed the air. 'Are you sure? I don't smell it.'
'I'll never forget that stench even when I want to.'
She stood up. 'Where?'
He pointed. 'That direction.'
'But it's all forest in that direction. Sweetweed only grows in the open field.'
'Maybe it's lost?' he said. 'Although I do smell other flowers too.' He sat up. 'Oh shit!'
Iphigenia looked at him. 'What's wrong?'
'I smell the forest!'
She frowned. 'Don't we all?'
He covered his nose. 'No, I mean I really smell it! Every little thing!'
Kaui knelt in front of him. 'Do you smell the different trees? And the ferns and nettles and every plant? And the animals?'
He nodded. 'Ah! I know!
'What!?' asked Iphigenia.
He looked at her. 'In my world we found out sharks have an excellent sense of smell.' he said and looked at Kaui. 'So do pigs.' He groaned. 'I mean, I'm not saying you're one, but.'
She shook her head. 'We know we have a better nose than most other species.'
'So you can smell the tiniest thing now?' asked Elzbieta.
He rubbed his nose trying to tone down the barrage of information it sent to his brain. 'I don't know how tiny, but I can smell you girls even clearer through your clothes.'
She blinked. 'Even clearer?'
'Ah.' he said and flattened his ears. 'I didn't say anything before because I didn't want to cause any embarrassment.'
She blushed. 'Well now.'
Iphigenia laughed. 'Will you even be able to keep cool with us three around you?'
He cleared his throat. 'I already trained myself into ignoring certain scents for precisely that.'
She grinned. 'Oh, this will be a challenge I'll gladly take up.'
'Wait wait wait!' Elzbieta said as she blushed even more. 'Let's go back to the beginning. Ulric's new ability has been identified and hopefully has more use than smelling, ehm, everything. We need to discuss what we're going to do from here on out.' She looked at Kaui. 'You could have just told us what you feared.'
Kaui fiddled with her dress. 'I didn't know any better.'
Iphigenia looked at Ulric. 'Well, for better or worse, she's part of us now.'
Kaui looked up. 'I can put my alchemy knowledge to good use, create potions for attack, defence, enhancements. And I can cook very well.'
Ulric chuckled. 'I'm always interested in that last thing.'
'You realise we can face danger at any time?' Elzbieta said.
Kaui nodded. 'I'd rather do that than live in oppression every day with a chance of a repeat of what Ulric saved me from, or getting a husband I don't even like to escape being a slave. My heart told me you were my chance to get away when we met, and I finally had the courage to leave with the merchant's carts.'
'Then it's settled.' Iphigenia said. 'If you can handle the bond effect as well.'
Kaui blushed hard and Ulric cleared his throat. 'Let's not force the situation on her. I'd feel no better than those disgusting orcs.'
Iphigenia nodded. 'So, where are we going to go next then? And although we had great help from Kaui I doubt we'll be as lucky next time. Unless you plan on waiting every time to save a damsel in distress?'
Ulric chuckled. 'I don't. But I don't know anything of this world. All I can think of now is the start of a joke. A human adventurer, an elf knight, an orc alchemist, and a possessed bloodwolf walk into a guild.'
'Oh, that's it!' said Kaui.
Ulric looked at her. 'There's a joke like that for real?'
She chuckled and shook her head, and looked at Iphigenia and Elzbieta. 'You have groups of people that go around doing work for hire, right?' she said and they nodded. 'It's the same here. With me joining you we can pose as a group, although we'd have to claim you two as tare fighter slaves.'
Iphigenia looked at Elzbieta. 'That could work, and we're sort of enslaved to Wolfie anyway.'
'If by chance we encounter humans or elves we can tell them the opposite.' Kaui said. 'But like this we can move around more freely in demon territory.'
Elzbieta nodded. 'I can agree with that. We need to earn some money as well eventually and just maybe by doing some quests we get more insight on where to find the demon lord.'
Kaui looked at Ulric. 'I'll be your translator whenever we deal with demons, keeping Iphigenia's ability secret. They might reveal things in conversation when I'm not around and they think you won't understand.'
Iphigenia grinned. 'Looks like we found ourselves the brains of this outfit.' she said and Kaui blushed.

***

The decision to head into the canine beastfolk territory was made easily as they were near the border, and the four kept close to a road they came across later. Iphigenia noticed Kaui kept glancing at Ulric and smiled mischievously as she ran her fingers through his neck fur. 'You want to feel his soft fur?'
Kaui blushed. 'I was thinking he needs something to wear. For in public.'
'Ah, you're right.'
'Indeed.' said Ulric and walked straight up. 'It's easier to walk on all fours but I'll have to walk like this when we're not alone, and I can't go around naked.'
Iphigenia smiled up at him. 'And frighten the women into arousal with your big pair of balls.'
He coughed and cleared his throat while Elzbieta and Kaui glanced at him and blushed. 'I don't think that would actually happen.'
'We need to find you clothing without us being seen first.' Kaui said. 'We might have to steal some.'
'Rather not if possible.' said Ulric. 'We could be recognised as thieves.' He mentally adjusted his nose and sniffed the air. 'I think I smell a home of sorts. Not sure though since I smell nothing fresh.'
'Let's have a look then.' said Iphigenia. 'We might find what you need.'
Ulric led the way towards an abandoned and overgrown cottage hidden partially in the edge of the forest. He pushed against the front door and it swung inwards before it broke loose from the bottom hinge it hung on and fell onto the floor. 'I doubt there's anything useful here.'
Elzbieta discovered a closet in the back with some clothes still in it. She held up a plain dark blue skirt. 'Although it would cover you and won't obstruct your tail, I don't think this is you.'
He shook his head quickly. 'Not my colour.'
A thick folded black fabric lay at the bottom and she picked it up and unfolded it into a large cloak. 'This is better.'
'And it's definitely your colour, Wolfie.' said Iphigenia. 'You'd make a real impression in this.'
Ulric took the cloak, tried it on and pulled the hood over his head, revealing only the tip of his muzzle. 'I've joined the dark side now.' he said and Elzbieta raised an eyebrow. 'A saying in my world, never mind.'
Kaui found a bag to replace the one she'd lost after the attack and took some rags with her after they found nothing more useful.
'I think we'd better travel on the road now.' said Kaui. 'It'll be less suspicious when we reach a city and we can see how others will react when we encounter them on the way.'
The first ones they encountered were a bunch of bandits. The leader, a brown furred canine wearing an ornamental hat with long colourful feathers, grinned wickedly wide as they stepped out onto the road in front of the four. 'Good day, folks. Might I persuade you to hand over your valuables.' he said and eyed the girls. 'Or otherwise do me and my men some valuable service? We don't discriminate against women of other species.'
His men chuckled until Elzbieta and Iphigenia drew their swords and their leader's feet no longer reached the ground due to him hanging by his neck from the paw that gripped it. A pair of glowing red eyes growled low at him from the shadow of the hood. 'I guess not.' he barely wheezed.
Ulric looked at Elzbieta. 'You said we needed money, right?'
The four watched the bandits scramble back into hiding after they had emptied their pockets. 'So, we won't have to worry about those kinds of people.' Kaui said while she separated the coins from buttons, small pebbles, and lint. 'I hope regular folk won't react in the same way though.'
'As long as regular folk don't try to rob us or assault you girls, they won't have to worry.'
'Or any women trying to assault you.' said Iphigenia and grinned.

***

The few other folk on the road stared at them but didn't bother them and they reached a small city some time later. There was no wall around the diverse stone and lime walled houses but there was a guard post at the road leading in. As they expected, the guards stopped them and a grey furred broad faced and short muzzled fat canine stepped up to them with a firm grip on his sword handle. Ulric tried not to imagine him as an overgrown grumpy lap dog. 'What are an armed human and elf doing here?'
'They are my master's slaves.' Kaui said as they had agreed before. 'They're trained to protect him.'
The guard looked at the shadow of Ulric's hood and cold shivers ran down his back. His eyes quickly settled on Kaui. 'What's with him?'
'My master's not from around here and doesn't speak the language. They don't have the right voice for it so I'm his translator.'
'Are you a slave too?'
Kaui nodded.
'You're supposed to wear slave identification.'
Kaui nodded again. 'We've only recently arrived and need to resupply as well.'
The guard glanced at Ulric. 'Don't create any trouble here.' he said and stepped back.
'We won't.' Kaui said while the tension in her shoulders lessened. 'We plan on taking up a quest or two while we're here. To help out.'
He nodded and waved for them to go on.
'Well done.' said Ulric. 'You're our saviour once again.'
She blushed and smiled a little.
Although the four received curious stares from the beastfolk going about their business, they passed unhindered through the streets on their search for a place to stay. Kaui hailed a young girl sitting on a bench and gazing at them. 'Hello, can you tell us where we could find a place to stay?'
The girl with red-brown curls stuck out her arm and pointed at one street. 'There's a large inn a little further but my dad says they're expensive and cheat on your bill. The inn that way is run by a strange lady but she's really nice.'
Kaui smiled at her. 'Thank you.' she said and went back to the others. 'Kids are usually more honest when it comes to finding a place you need.'
They walked further along the streets until they saw a sign of a fist and a knife hanging outside a large house with a wide front door. 'This is it?' Ulric asked.
'It seems so.' Kaui said. 'What does your nose tell you?'
'I do smell lots of food and drinks and many different odours I think are beastfolk but the sign doesn't look very welcoming.'
Iphigenia stepped up to the door. 'Only one way to be sure.'
Inside were several tables with benches and stools and a counter at the side in front of stairs leading up. The place was empty but sounds came from what had to be the kitchen in the back and the four stepped further inside. 'Hello?' said Kaui.
A clutter of quickly dropped utensils on a table was followed by some shuffling and a big canine woman with sleek white muzzle and a large bosom that nearly popped out of her corset came out the door. She halted for a moment at the sight of the four, then moved up close to Ulric and frowned at him with her fists in her sides. Her penetrating gaze didn't falter and he was unsure of what to do. Kaui cleared her throat. 'Ehm, we were just wondering if this was the inn we had been suggested to find.'
The woman didn't break her gaze. 'And I'm wondering if this fellow knows how to be polite in front of a lady.'
'Ah! Ehmm, my master's appearance might not be pleasant to see-'
'And I might not be pleasant if I don't know who's coming in here.'
Ulric pulled his hood back. The woman kept her intense stare into his eyes and Kaui prepared for a ruckus. The woman laughed and slapped Ulric's shoulder hard. 'That's better!'
Kaui let out a sigh of relief and the others relaxed.
The woman grinned at them. 'Thought I was going to throw you out because of a minor thing like that? I've seen scarier things crawling in the back of my cellar.'
'It's also because of your sign that we weren't sure what this place is.' Kaui said.
The woman looked puzzled. 'Isn't it clear that you can get a solid meal here?'
'Ohh..' said Kaui as it dawned on her. 'I see now.'
The woman slapped Ulric's shoulder again. 'Come, sit down. I take it you were in need of a bite then.'
Kaui nodded. 'And a room to stay for a little while. If you don't mind us.'
The woman looked back at Iphigenia and Elzbieta as she led them to a table near the kitchen. 'Why would I mind? It's nice to see three of you again, especially this pretty.' she said and the three girls blushed a little while Ulric smiled. 'I like her already.' he said.
'Again?' asked Kaui.
The woman nodded. 'It's rare, but humans and elves have been here before. As slaves to others to mine or your kind, of course. Orcs have been staying here more.' she said while the four sat down. 'You don't seem to be slaves though.'
'How so?'
'Never seen slaves sit with their master before.'
Kaui glanced at Iphigenia and Elzbieta. 'Oh, but we are. It's just that our master's very nice to us.'
The woman watched Iphigenia and Elzbieta sit close to Ulric and smiled. 'I think I get how nice.' Kaui blushed and she laughed again. 'Welcome to Monna's Inn. I'm Monna.'
Kaui introduced everyone and Monna went to fetch drinks and meals. While they enjoyed their meal Ulric asked Kaui to arrange the room and directions to where they can find quests. 'We have a small guild office at the market square.' Monna said. 'You'll find all sorts of requests there because it's pretty peaceful here and we're rarely in need of tough tasks like hunting wild monsters. You'd better go further into the country if you want those.'
Kaui shook her head. 'We're just travelling around and need to make some money to cover expenses.
Monna nodded. 'You should be fine then. There's still plenty to do because most young folk leave this town in search of fame and fortune.'
Ulric looked at Kaui. 'How are we on money right now?'
'Enough to last us a little while. The bandits had more on them than they appeared to have.'
He nodded. 'Good. Can you ask her for one more thing?'
'Sure.'
'Can she recommend a good tailor?'
Monna smiled. 'If you want a good one that's not too expensive, I have a friend who's a tailor.' she said and spread her skirt a little and pulled at the hem of her corset at her bosom. 'He made this for me and it hasn't ripped like other dresses did before for some reason.'
"I think that actually happened for two big reasons." Ulric thought as he looked at her tightly held furry hills.
She smiled at Ulric. 'I'm sure he can make something that'll last on you.'
Ulric nodded and smiled.