by Dan Raxor
My right eye, not a flipping clue what the words meant. My left deciphered the pitiful text. The engravings on food cartons weren't needed. The second I hovered my left eyeball over each prisoner, I could see their statistics.
Now… I had just escaped from jail, literally by magic. I also held a magic amount of resources to start freeing fine folks. Getting your ass cuffed, chucked in an enforcer’s aircar, and hauled to a zoo prison had me on edge.
Did I want to free all the innocent ones? Yeah, I did. I was going to look into it once I had a better idea of how Laring operated.
For now, I needed a team.
We arrived at a darker enclosure. The interior contained much the same as the others. A place to wash in a waterfall, a private privy, and then open space to camp out in while you waited for a rescue.
There were about eleven folks in here. All had some wolf features in varying degrees. Most were insanely hairy to moderately hairy. They all were in casual one piece clothing. I was going to say something when Quinish tapped on a device.
One of the females, the only one without any hair on her face shifted to look at us with confusion. She was dejected, hopeless, and surrendered to her fate.
“Her father… he dug underground to avoid his dues. Even removed his implant from the network. He refused to surrender and she watched over closely as his eldest. Eventually they caught him during a random cave raid under the snows. Blind luck or unlucky that he got caught,” Quinish said with disdain.
“And why is she here?”
“Like the piece of shit he was, he hung himself. She didn’t even know him, but as the eldest, with no volunteers…” he let the sentence fester.
“What’s your name?” I asked as she approached.
She eyed me with a curiosity. Her eyes were yellow with dancing flecks of silver. She had large canines, a fluffy tail, and extra wide ears. The rest was a cute young woman.
“Iona,” she said proudly.
I nodded. This information was in my left eye. Being a perv I went right to her measurements: Iona Mershin. A wolfrina - 5’3” 110lbs with a large C-cup hidden by a tight wrap. No kids, on a baby blocker, no husband, no boyfriend, no girlfriend, top of her class banker with a sterling trading record, and her debt was… Holy shit. Ten times a flipping yacht aircar.
“You’re so screwed,” I blurted.
She scoffed, “Not very bright are ya?”
Iona spun to leave when Quinish tapped on the glass. She huffed but turned. “He’s a dimi. Also a tower lord. Show some respect before I have you shipped off in the next five minutes.”
The rest of the interior occupants rushed for the glass. Apparently, you had no rights as a prisoner in this place because Quinish shocked the shit out of all them through a wrist bracelet.
Well, all but the lovely Iona.
“I need help running my wealth. I don’t know much about J or what I should do with it. Oh…” I ran a hand through my hair hesitantly. I found the words mostly because of her fine figure. “And while I’m not hiring you for sex, I find you extremely attractive. While I’d like for us to connect with each other on a natural level, if my species or looks are a turn off to you, best to say no now,” I said.
She huffed. “Humans are fine. I think you’re doing something amazing here. You could literally hire a thousand sex workers for the price of my fee. I think you’re looking for… something more and I respect that. What kind of help exactly?”
I scratched my chin. “Er… I guess it's fairly vague. Surviving in the Jardanain Empire for… Oh, man. You’d be my financial assistant for thirty three years. Your dad was the worst.” She growled. “I’m a better man. If you promise to do your best, and always be eager to help, I’ll make it five years.”
She cried at this. I felt myself getting emotional. “I’ll do anything for that deal.”
“Aye, missy. I believe you. But Iona, you won’t have to do much more than be a loyal bed partner and help this fool navigate his new world. Will you have me?”
“A fool indeed. You can seriously afford this. I mean -”
“Extend her the contract or whatever,” I said in a flippant tone, getting a wee bit emotional.
“Thirty three years, only five with excellent performance. Imprint here and the deal is done,” he said. I was confused until he said, “This is how the Empire works. You give your best offer. There is no negotiating beyond that. Either the prisoner accepts or declines. This is to avoid endless negotiations.”
“I accept,” Iona said, jumping for joy.
A door materialized as if by magic, sliding open. She raced out and leaped onto my torso, showering me in kisses. “A fraggin rich dimi. Off all the prayers, it was one I could only dream of. You… you won’t regret this.”
“And if I do? Regret it,” I said with a wince.
“She will get paid for time served and can use that to lower her debt. You’ll be given an option for a bonus but almost none give it. All the money you just deposited is exactly that. It is a deposit,” Quinish informed me.
Her yellows locked to my eyes. “I promise ya’ll never get upset with me. For a gal who lives a lifetime, you just saved my life. I’d be raped and killed at those camps.”
“Um…” I set the sexy wolfrina down. “The others?”
“Two more. One you’ll likely decline but she’ll be loyal to the death,” Quinish said.
Iona pouted, but bit her lip to hold her retort. The rest of those in the containment stopped jerking on the ground and we moved on.
Iona accepted my hand as we went back to the platform. We went down a single floor that was twice as tall.
Quinish led us to an aviary of sorts. I saw a single woman perched up on the waterfall.
I rambled and read her sheet out loud. “Danica Fermori. Hawkina 5’ 5”. 130, with wings of a hawk. Golden feathers with white tips. Big D titties. Those look heavy on your frame but they’re real. In great shape, trained in warfare… Exceptionally trained with a whole lot of successful campaigns. Huh. Oh, she refused a mission, a vital mission. A -”
“A mission my entire unit died in,” Danica said, flying down to join us.
She was beautiful, in that amazonian way. Her arms were lean, her thighs thick. Her golden hair matched her wings. Where Iona was plush and soft, she was jagged and hard. Minor scars adorned her face and dark eyes stared at me with lethal intent. I didn’t squirm though. I knew I held all the cards.
“Thirty million J. Damn girl. You lived, but you died anyway,” I said.
She softened her expression and nodded. “It eats me alive. I tried to get them to call off the mission. Those pirates… they’re soulless. It was a dusting of suit mites, a completely illegal tactic. Exposed the entire company to space. All perished. Not even I could have saved them.”
I turned to Quinish. “Offer a full term guarding a tower lord with her life. I also find you attractive and may be interested in pursuing a relationship in a harem capacity. If you do not find humans or me attractive, I understand.”
“A 1192 year term of protecting tower lord Neil Yorky. She must serve you faithfully and offer herself to her lord in all her best protective capabilities?” Quinish asked me to confirm the terms.
I was going to amend the terms to encompass the others too but she said, “I accept.”
Much like Iona, this revelation caused Danica to jump for joy. Hope, her hard features, held hope.
The two ladies hugged each other at the joyous moment, and then embraced me. This moment was why I would be looking into doing this for more of them. Granted, my need for sexy bed partners was reaching a limit. I only had one penis and one tongue after all.
“Follow me, please,” Quinish said.
“Lord Neil. I must implore you to limit your exposure until I can conduct thorough investigations on who is accepted into your inner circle. Is it just us so far?” Danica asked while we followed Quinish to the platform.
The hovering device lowered quickly, zooming int
o the depths of the planet. There were an incredible number of levels, telling me that this planet had a taxation problem.
“There is a splindra coming by. Actually didn’t get her name. Appeared ragged, and worn. I bet she’s researching me,” I said.
Danica nodded. “Easy fix. I can figure out who she was and then provide a report as soon as I’m tied into your security.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“Er… boss, you shouldn’t say thanks to us,” Iona said.
I shook my head. “No, you're not slaves to me. You're my hired team. You’ll have private rooms and be treated with respect. I need a team that can tell me when I give shitty orders. Danica has a very valuable life lesson. Avoid death traps, I can’t do that if I order you around like mindless drones.”
While this wasn’t normally my style, I was buying loyalty with riches I didn’t mind losing. Loyalty that might keep me alive. I found myself kinda partial to living.
Next item on my list would be something besides a tower studio, I felt so vulnerable there. One more lady to inspect and then we could figure out a plan.
Maybe we could tour the planet. Not like we were short on funds.
The descent slowed, letting my stomach slink back down from the excessive drop. We entered a red light room that reminded me of a reptile section of an aquarium store.
“Fuck this,” I said, shaking my head.
My guide’s soulless black eyes rolled.
Danica huffed. “What species is it?”
“Lamai,” he said with a gruff snippy tone.
I went into the Empire database. Lamai were jealous snake women with an upper half that made a goddess look plain. They had vaginas like a regular woman but positions were… unique. Again, like the splindra they were different. A quick video showed the men wrapped up, the constriction gentle and her hips thrusts leaving him in absolute heaven.
Alright, kinky, and somewhat intriguing. I held up a hand. “Why?”
“Penny is different. She chased a male human actually. He never understood her affections,” Quinish said, walking his tentacles away and forcing me to follow to keep listing. “She was cock blocked. She was okay with being a harem member. For her… it was a need for family. Let me be very, very, clear Lord Yorky.”
“Neil.”
“Neil. I almost never take pity on those fated with debt. Most have an unusual circumstance. I actually think there was no flow to the Empire’s in Iona’s punishment. Her father accrued a debt. His family ceased to pay it, and he hung himself. That debt must be paid.
“Penny… no. She was conned. The male she chased has a wife who runs a processing center for debt. She convinced Penny to leverage herself to buy the praise of the harem. Again, fair up to this point.
“Eventually she fell behind. The mistress of the harem kept reassuring her they would help pay the bills. Penny would only need a few meetings with Mr. Hall to be accepted. Well, those meetings never happened and she went so deep into debt the collectors came.
“Normally that is fine. They repossess, there is a dual fine, and it's serious but nothing too serious. You were conned and actually the system understands that by taking back the items borrowed against.
“Except those items had somehow managed to vanish. All traces to the harem having them disappeared and Penny’s collection was staggering. To the point she was locked up overnight.”
I scoffed and Danica cawed in anger. The bird sound was startling. “We don’t need a weak link.” I saw Iona wince. “I can train Iona, she shows promise. This story doesn’t tug at my heart, it makes me sick. The kind fallacy the Empire still exudes is beyond troubling.”
Quinius wagged a finger, unconcerned by her outburst. He then pointed to Iona. “Investment manager from a mega firm. Sure, she barely got started before she was arrested, but she was top of her class and has a decent track record. Horrible cook, bit of a slob.” He pointed to Danica. “Soldier, personal manager, and security. Horrible cook, bit of a slob.” He pointed about three enclosure away to the left. “Amazing cook, loyal to a fault, sex fiend, and will round out your team because she is a neat freak.”
I raised my hand and said, “Okay, got it. The Empire Database had them as pretty. Introduce me to Penny.”
“You’ve been warned. She was conned because the mistress of Mr. Hall’s harem was jealous of her beauty. Careful, she is about to shed her lower tail and go into a… heat,” Quinish warned.
“Oh… I approve,” Danica said.
I shrugged, not sure what that meant and when I was about to ask I was stunned by a singing beauty under the waterfall.
Wet red hair teased my view, hiding her large breasts. Penny had silky smooth skin without any blemishes. Her stomach was flat with a cute dimpled belly button.
Her hips widened and there was a sleek bare patch above small vagina lips. Below her thigh gap, about mid-femur, her legs joined, becoming a ten foot long fire red tail. She was gorgeous, alluring, extremely alien, and furious we were watching her bathe.
She stormed over to the privacy room. A few minutes later she exited, wearing the standard Empire jumpsuit.
“It is against regulation to spy -”
I tuned her out. I checked over her J fee and ensured she was what Quinish said she was. Twelve years. Twelve flipping years at the going rate for a house cleaner. I shook my head in dismay, realizing everyone was looking at me.
“What’d I miss?”
“I explained you were here to make an offer.”
“Six years. You will cook, clean, and help as I deem fit. Half the time you’d spend in the Empire’s labor camps.” I saw her roll her hand. This was as close to negotiating as it got. I wanted her and dammit she knew it. “Uh. And -”
“Lord Yorky, may -”
“Neil. I hate my last name. Lord Neil if you must.”
The squid humanoid said, “Lord Neil, a deal like this is rare to both parties. An extension contract is normal for a Lamai. As a prison manager I can inform you that a Lamai desires commitment.”
I shook my head. I did not. However, I had bound Danica for over a thousand years. She was a guard and likely not clingy though. My finger instinctively tapped my chin.
“I’ll have just the offer. No reduction in time, but a ten million J budget for upgrading our home as she sees fit. If service has been found satisfactory an extension for life,” I said and this did the trick.
Penny eagerly slithered up to the glass with joy filled eyes and said, “I accept.”
There was a wee celebration that was mostly hugs. We headed out of the pits as a team. A team with our own strengths: I was the computer guru, Iona was in charge of finances, Danica was the security, and Penny was the glue that would make us a family.
All that was left was to head home for a boot knocking good time. Except fate was a fickle bitch sometimes.
CHAPTER 4
When the fancy yacht flew in with a temporary crew to deliver my new planetary spaceship, I might have let a mad cackle of joy escape my lips. The ship was a beauty. Of course, there was a way to spoil this jovial sight.
“You didn’t get the space worthy version. It's only about three times the price and good on hydrogen consumption,” Danica said.
I tossed my hands up. “Order it. Tether the damn thing to the tower. Is that why I see those like that?”
“Yeah, keeping a spaceship in space is cheaper. Keeping your expensive ride is a status symbol and super convenient. I’m not going to bother asking if you’re being serious. I ordered a cruiser yacht. Lots of punch, lots of power, and your slush fund just went down five percent.”
“There were billions of J in there!” Iona exclaimed.
I shrugged and Danica said, “Trust me, worth every J. Now. I need to fly. Which I suck at and hate.”
Danica paused, pulling the other ladies close to her. A wing and an arm were around Iona and Penny. “Lord Neil… deserves a reward. I’ve noticed a pitched tent the whole way back up here.”
> “Hey! I needed a crew. And yes I could have just hired sex toys. Instead I hired highly competent professionals. And” I ran a hand through my hair, “you ladies are gorgeous. That’d merely a perk. It’s been a while for me, and I’m a healthy male with desires, so I’ll be honest - won’t say no and you don’t have to twist my arm. But it is completely okay if we let things build naturally.”
All three ladies eyed me like candy. “This is natural. You’re our protector now and we want to show you our appreciation. Ladies, can you give him a worthy thank you?” Danica asked Iona and Penny. They nodded happily. “Please go easy on him so I can have a turn later. I owe him as much as you ladies do.”
“Only if you’re okay with it.” I emphasized.
Iona nodded. “I think you're handsome, adorable, and would love to make you happy. I’m over the moon to the point I want to howl your name. You literally saved my life and could have extorted me for sex. Instead you were honest and open. Yes silly man, I’ll make you happy. I don’t like the bullying from this on though.”
“You answer to me when it comes to security, and I tend to be bossy, deal with it,” Danica said.
Iona was going to quibble or try to assert dominance but thought better of it. The hawkina was clearly her superior in combat. I headed to an awaiting delivery agent, sticking my hand on a datapad, and imprinting ownership of my new yacht.
Now that the ship was mine, I walked up a gangplank of sorts to a door whooshed open.
Off to my right Danica opened a different door, heading to the bridge if I had to guess.
I went inside and was amazed. So… this was not too different from the enclosure of my penthouse. There was a waterfall in the very center, a firepit not far away, and comfy places to lounge. I saw a few strap-in seats on the outer walls but this was a mini apartment.
An intercom buzzed before I heard Danica say, “Take off in three minutes. Slow flight time of ten, unless something happens, and we need to speed up. I’ll need voice authorization to research you, your threats, and potential security flaws, Lord Neil.”