by Tamryn Tamer
“Yes!” Ka said as she jabbed Brynn and Olivia’s backs with her large soft wings, guiding them toward the road. “Very good idea sister Lysandra! Let’s get all of the sisters, yes! We should also invite Renna, yes. She is a very good girl and will make a very good sister, yes.”
“About that,” Lysandra said as she followed behind. “Maybe we leave her out for today and that way we can discuss it after we gather all of Herald Frost’s wives. How does that sound?”
“Very well,” Ka answered. “We will discuss while we eat, yes!”
CHAPTER 24
Frost was able to relax for the remainder of the journey to Nir.
After the battle, Erena and the other prisoners were placed in holding cells below deck and Captain Cage divided his crew between the two ships for the remainder of the voyage. The captain intended to make a public display of turning in the prisoners when they arrived in Goldsail to ensure that the Swiftwing Company’s reputation suffered. The prisoners would then be arrested and sold into slavery.
Erena was suffering a different, but albeit similar, fate. The fluffy white fox-eared woman was dragged into Captain Cage’s quarters and forced to sign a slave contract with Madam Gardenia in exchange for sparing her life.
Frost did question the validity of a contract signed when the opposing party was threatening to cut off appendages but nobody else did. Despite signing the contract, Madam Gardenia insisted that the white-tailed Kina be housed with the other prisoners for the remainder of the voyage as part of her punishment. But he theorized that Madam Gardenia was simply jealous of the three-tailed woman. A theory that was validated on the day they were scheduled to arrive in Goldsail.
All of the women had spent the morning bathing to get the stink of the voyage off of them. Since they were at sea their only option when it came to bathing was gathering seawater, magically distilling it, and washing themselves with whatever soap they’d brought with them since the rest of the filthy crew clearly didn’t have any. Despite their struggles, all of them looked absolutely gorgeous.
Erena looked especially stunning despite her clear discontent.
“Haru,” Frost groaned as he looked at what the crimson-haired Kina did to her teary-eyed prisoner. “Really?”
“What?” Madam Gardenia asked with a malevolent grin. “I had to clean her up before we made port and the blood wasn’t coming out of her hair. Did you expect me to just leave it?”
“It would have come out in a proper bath and you know it,” Frost said.
“She…she…” Erena sniffled while pointing at her hair. Madam Gardenia had cut about a third of her hair off, leaving it waist length and not-so-coincidentally about an inch shorter than Madam Gardenia’s long ruby hair. Her tails had also been trimmed along with her bangs, revealing a pair of stunning sapphire eyes that rivaled Ena’s in color and brightness.
“Don’t worry,” Iris said supportively. “It’s just hair. It’ll grow back.”
“Such a big reaction for a little haircut,” Jasmine chuckled.
Madam Gardenia and the other three had all changed into extravagant dresses.
Jasmine was wearing an off the shoulder red dress with gold embroidery that reached her knees. It was loose fitting and the skirt was transparent for the bottom few inches, showcasing the outlines of her gorgeous thighs. For shoes, she wore gold sandals that wrapped around her legs all the way to her thighs.
Iris was wearing a dress that looked like something Lysandra or Cassia might wear if not for the provocatively low cut. The gown itself was white with blue needlework along the edges and seams. While the dress reached her ankles, the neckline was so deep that it nearly reached her belly-button. The only thing keeping her from popping out were the laces holding it together. Unlike Jasmine she’d chosen to wear white ankle boots.
Zinnia was outfitted in a very long navy blue off the shoulder dress meant to hide the fact that she still didn’t have any acceptable underwear. The top of the dress was loose to give plenty of space for her breasts but the lack of support combined with the thinness of the fabric made them even more noticeable. The same phenomena happened with the skirt which somehow made the curvy Durra’s ass more enticing.
Madam Gardenia was wearing a surprisingly demure white and black merchant dress with a matching shawl embroidered with black crowns. The top of the dress was form-fitting and showed the tiniest bit of cleavage while the skirt was loose and flowing. She was also wearing black boots and white evening gloves that reached her elbow.
As for Erena, the fox-eared woman standing in front of him on the verge of tears wore a loose-fitting white dress that’d been looted from her wardrobe on the other ship. She looked surprisingly innocent as she stood in front of him in her pure-white frilly skirt. Despite how she felt about her haircut, the women did a remarkably good job and she looked spectacular.
“It’s not just a little haircut!” Erena snapped at Jasmine while lifting her skirt to display her hairless nether region. “She made me shave every bit of it off!”
“Wow,” Frost smirked as he caught a glimpse of her pink pussy.
“Do you have any idea how humiliating this is?” Erena asked, scowling at Jasmine as she clenched her fists. “Do you have any idea how long it’ll take to grow my hair back?”
“Not as long as it’d take to grow back your tails,” Zinnia said while polishing off some fruit that remained from breakfast. “What? Don’t look at me like that. We were all thinking it.”
“Are you unhappy with the arrangement Erena?” Madam gardenia asked. “Actually…I do need to decide on a name for you. Don’t I? I already have a Tulip. Maybe Carnation…they are rather common and unsightly. Oh, I know, Periwinkle! You look like a Periwinkle!”
“Lord Sebastian,” Erena looked at him. “You said you were going to purchase me. What can I do to convince you to do so immediately?”
“Lifting your skirt again couldn’t hurt,” Frost playfully suggested, causing the white-haired woman to blush.
“Lord Sebastian likes the hairless look,” Iris said reassuringly. “Well, he seems to like all looks but he definitely prefers hairless.”
“That’s not true,” Frost said defensively as Madam Gardenia scowled at him. “I have no preference either way.”
“You women talk as if you have first-hand experience,” Erena said while looking around the room.
“Because we do,” Zinnia said, rushing over to Frost and wrapping her arms around him. “We love our master and he loves us!”
“Oh,” Erena said, her face turning bright red. “I-is that why you intend to purchase me?”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself Periwinkle,” Madam Gardenia said playfully as she approached Erena. She reached over and stroked Erena’s hair several times. “Hm, your hair might still be a little long yet.”
“Please don’t,” Erena whispered. “I’m sorry.”
“Haru, I’ve showered you in attention these last few days so stop tormenting the girl. You know you’re my favorite Kina. Can’t you be a little nicer to Erena?” Frost asked.
“Whose Erena?” Madam Gardenia asked playfully. “Do you mean Periwinkle.”
“Haru,” Frost chided. “Come on.”
“Fine,” Madam Gardenia said as she gently pushed the girl aside and walked toward Frost, wrapping her arms and tails around him as soon as she was in range. She rubbed her face, body and tails all over him as she embraced him. A fragrant waft of floral scenes permeated his nose as the fox-woman swatted him in the face several times with her tails. “But don’t forget our agreement. We will not be discussing her purchase until you’ve spent a day brushing my fur.”
“And until then you’ll treat her nice,” Frost said. “Right?”
“I will,” Madam Gardenia said. “As long as she behaves.”
“Do you intend to behave?” Frost asked while staring at the fox-eared woman.
“Yes,” Erena answered. “I couldn’t disobey if I wanted. If I were to violate the contract I would
be marked and cursed.”
“Marked and cursed?” Frost asked. “What do you mean?”
“It’s the spell used to seal the slave contract,” Madam Gardenia said. “Upon signing, the contract dissipates. If the contract is violated, the violating party is marked and has thirty days to earn the forgiveness of their owner. If they fail, they are cursed. It starts with mild pain but increases every day until they earn forgiveness.”
“I see,” Frost said while wondering how the magic worked. “And you intend to curse her if she acts up?”
“Of course not,” Madam Gardenia said. “There’s a reason I freed my girls. I’m not a slaver. But the contracts work much better than the old system where everybody was chained up all the time.”
“I can imagine,” Frost sighed.
“That being said, the contracts aren’t perfect,” Madam Gardenia said. “For instance, she needs to either directly cause harm by attempting to injure me or knowingly commit an act of betrayal. If she told people secrets about us that wouldn’t necessarily qualify as a violation.”
“I wouldn’t,” Erena said, anxiously looking around the room. “I’m not blind. I can see how your master treats demihumans. It’s obviously better if my slave contract is sold to him than any of those monsters at the market. A contract with six hundred thousand hours of work required before completion…they would work me until I’m dead.”
“As long as you understand your position,” Madam Gardenia said sternly. “You will not discuss our activities with outside parties. If you do, I’ll sell you to one of the bog scavenging companies and have you on a wagon leaving the city before Lord Sebastian has time to plead your case. Do you understand?”
“I understand,” Erena answered sullenly.
“Lord Sebastian, the port is on the horizon if you want to prepare to disembark,” Cassia said as she walked into the room. She was wearing a white lace corset, a white string thong, and white fishnet stockings. The white robe wrapped around her covered most of it but since the only thing keeping her robe closed was her leather belt, he occasionally saw some skin as she walked. Attached to her belt was the white scabbard holding her longsword as well as several pouches and a couple small packs. She’d also decided to continue wearing her white collar since it matched the rest of her outfit. Frost also had a sneaking suspicion that she was missing Renna and it reminded her of the emerald-haired troublemaker. “It’s a very impressive city. It was much smaller last time I was here.”
“You’ve been here before?” Zinnia asked as she packed some half-empty liquor bottles into her bag.
“A very long time ago when it was still part of Rilia,” Cassia answered.
“That was nearly a hundred years ago,” Erena said while staring at Cassia. “How old are you?”
“How old do I look?” Cassia asked playfully. “Don’t worry, you don’t have to answer that. All that matters is that my sexy lord finds me attractive. Now, Lord Sebastian, care to join me on deck?”
“Right behind you,” Frost said as Cassia left the cabin.
“I’ll join you as well,” Madam Gardenia said, hooking her arm in his before he could leave without her.
“We’ll be there in a minute,” Iris said while packing away blankets and pillows with the other courtesans.
“What should I do?” Erena asked, waiting for direction.
“Jasmine,” Madam Gardenia glanced back at the cat-eared courtesan. “You’re in charge of Periwinkle. Use her however you want.”
“Her name’s Erena,” Frost chuckled. “Hm, actually. Jasmine, Iris, Zinnia, what are your actual names?”
“Nope,” Jasmine said playfully. “I like Jasmine. It’s better.”
“Fialali,” Iris answered. “But I prefer Iris. It’s easier.”
“My name’s not very pretty. The ones that Madam Gardenia picks are much better,” the dog-eared Durra said while shoving a pillow into an enchanted satchel. “But if you really want to know it’s Denefa.”
“Jasmine?” Frost asked one last time. “Come on. I’m sure it’s beautiful.”
“Ninaela,” Jasmine answered while glaring at him. “Sebastian.”
“Got it, got it,” Frost chuckled. “You prefer Jasmine so call you Jasmine. But Erena prefers Erena. I think. Actually, do you prefer Erena or do you want to go be called Periwin…”
“Erena,” the azure-eyed Kina answered. “Please.”
“Then Erena it is,” Frost said. “Anyway, join us on deck when you’re all finished in here.”
“Get over here Periwinkle and help me pack these blankets,” Jasmine said while ripping the bedding off the mattress.
“He told you to call me…”
“Rule one. We don’t take kindly to tattlers here Periwinkle,” Jasmine said as the other women laughed and packed their things.
Frost followed Cassia up to the deck and was instantly in awe of the view on the horizon.
Goldsail was at least ten times larger than Blackwater with massive ports lining the entire coast. Enormous merchant ships that dwarfed their own vessel were parked at busy docks as hundreds of workers unloaded them. In addition to the ships on the dock, dozens of warships were anchored off the coast as smaller vessels carried people to and from the bustling piers.
“What are those pillars?” Frost asked while pointing at enormous golden rods sticking out of the ocean. The strange rods were over a hundred feet tall and appeared to circle the city while leaving enough room between them for ships to sail through. “Are they markers of some sort?”
“It’s the golden veil,” Madam Gardenia answered. “One of the reasons that Goldsail is virtually impenetrable from the sea. Every one of those orichalcum-lined pillars is heavily enchanted and capable of generating powerful barriers.”
“I see,” Frost said, scanning one of the massive rods. It reminded him of a mage staff and both its physical and magical durability were ludicrously high. It was also enchanted to hell and back with various spells, most of which he didn’t even recognize. “Any idea how they work?”
“No,” Madam Gardenia said while shaking her head.
“They utilize the orichalcum to absorb magical energy over time,” Cassia answered while pulling out her wand. “The towers themselves are enchanted with various spells similar to how one might enchant a wand to enhance fireball spells, but in the case of a wand the enchantment will eventually be depleted while those structures continually absorb magic, replenishing the spells. The people of Nir might call this the golden veil but the reality is that every one of those structures could be used offensively.”
“What stops us from using them against them?” Frost asked.
“The password,” Cassia answered while playfully waving her wand. “With common items it’s completely unnecessary but with powerful ones it’s wise to have the enchanter add passwords. If you’re especially cautious you can also add various keys which are various items that must be present for activation.”
“Interesting,” Frost said as they approached the massive golden posts.
The cityscape circled the entire southwestern most tip of the continent and further to the southwest he could see small islands appearing in the distance.
“Kina and other demihumans live on the islands,” Madam Gardenia said as she noticed him staring at them. “Each clan controls an island, although some clans have several. The Bloodtail Islands are further to the west.”
“Seems strange that the humans wouldn’t take the islands for themselves,” Frost said.
“Niri favors the Kina,” Madam Gardenia said. “Back when Nir was still part of Rilia the Kina made up most of his followers. Thanks to our cunning, the city of Goldsail prospered and Niri became associated with wealth. Naturally, he gained quite a few human followers but it’s never been forgotten that his original followers were the Kina. His prophets and heralds have always insisted that the Kina are to be left alone.”
“That’s why Captain Cage stayed out of your business with Erena,” Fros
t said.
“The Whitetail and Bloodtail Clans are not on friendly terms since their leaders are both true royals.”
“What does true royals mean?” Frost asked.
“They are nine-tailed Kina,” Madam Gardenia answered, smiling wishfully as she stared at the islands. “I saw the king and queen once when I was little. They were traveling in an open carriage and I couldn’t believe how fluffy they were. Their tails were enormous and looked so soft. They filled the entire carriage.”
“That doesn’t really answer my question,” Frost chuckled.
“Right,” Madam Gardenia said. “The clans are divided by color but all the clans are governed by the Kina Assembly. The Bloodtail, the Whitetail, the Blacktail, the Goldtail, the Woodtail, the Redtail, and the Silvertail. Of those seven clans, only the Bloodtail and the Whitetail have nine-tailed leaders giving them more authority than the others. A Kina’s vote is determined by tails.”
“Wait a minute,” Frost chuckled. “So, a nine-tailed Kina gets nine votes? So, if everybody were to vote in their own interests they would simply win every time.”
“Yes,” Madam Gardenia chuckled. “So, the Bloodtail and Whitetail tend to lead the assemblies and court the support of the other clans. One time the king and queen of the Silvertails attempted to court their own votes though.”
“How did that turn out?” Frost asked.
“The Bloodtail and Whitetails joined together to stop the usurpers,” Erena said as she joined them on deck. “The audacity of the Silvertails to think that eight-tails could usurp the divine authority of the nine-tails.”
“Is that what you think?” Madam Gardenia asked. “You have a lot to learn about politics Periwinkle. While the Silvertails lost, they’ve since received preferential treatment from both the Bloodtail and the Whitetail. In the end, the Silvertails benefited immensely.”
“I suppose you’re right,” Erena said huffily. “It was a wise business decision. But it was still audacious.”