by Randi Darren
“Not them, Master,” Eva said, stepping up to the window.
“Definitely not those, Lord,” Thera said, stepping up beside Eva.
“What? Why?” Vince asked as the auctioneer continued. Vince took a closer look at those surrounding the centaur.
“High Elves,” Daphne said simply.
They were indeed High Elves. Where Eva was tanned, and Thera more gray skinned, these were all pale. Pale to the point of being like snow. The blue eyes that peered out from their ragged hair cuts were a stark contrast.
They were also rather tall from what he could tell from here. Otherwise they shared all the same features as Thera and Eva. Beautiful, ethereal, sharp eared, and graceful looking.
Now after having seen three races of them, he could tell that the Dark Elves were more muscular, the Wood Elves shorter of stature and more graceful, and the High Elves were far taller.
“Do I have an opening bid of a hundred standards?”
“And? You two are traditionally enemies to the death and yet I see your families working hand and hand daily,” Vince pressed the button to signal a bid on his part.
“Yes, Lord. We do, and are, but that’s…” Thera trailed off, looking to Eva.
“Master, High Elves are the reason Elfin-kind is here on your world. They’re no good. Thera’s family and my own are not foolish enough to ruin a good thing so we combined our families.”
Vince listened to them, but didn’t really care. In a heartbeat he’d combed through the High Elves minds and found all the same emotions Thera and Eva’s had experienced.
No, they were no different.
“-standards. Do I have three hundred?” called the auctioneer.
“And? Last I heard, Dark Elves ate human children, and Wood Elves would castrate men they found in the woods.
“Both of those actions only cemented the early relationship between humanity and the Wastes. Should I blame you for your ancestors actions? I doubt these High Elves here had any hand in the event,” Vince triggered another bid on his part.
Three hundred is cheap for the Centaur.
Karya and Daphne exchanged a look but said nothing. Vince wondered what that was about but didn’t inquire.
Both Thera and Eva were silent at that. Mostly because he was right. Early encounters between Humans and Elves had not gone over very well.
“We will… strive to be as open minded as you are, Lord,” Thera said with a sigh.
“Master, we’ll not fail your confidence.”
“Good. Make sure you pick out the right person for me-,” Vince paused and focused on the auction again. Someone had once again outbid him.
“I wonder what a High Elf, Wood Elf, Dark Elf family can accomplish,” Vince said under his breath.
Pressing the button twice rapidly he raised his bid to six hundred standards.
Thera and Eva nodded their heads, saying nothing more.
“Sold, once again to forty-two. That concludes our auction for the day. I hope to see you all return tomorrow for our back to back special two day sale.”
“Good. Thera, Eva, go round them up like last time. I’ll take care of the bill and meet you in the back with the wagons,” Vince said.
The Elves bowed in unison to him and left.
“We’re alone,” Daphne stated the obvious. Karya nodded her head sharply at that.
“And we’re leaving.” Vince opened the door and left the booth before the two Dryad’s could work their magic.
Vince sent a clerk scurrying to find the manager with the simple message that he’d be back tomorrow. Hopefully the manager would have everything taken care of without Vince’s name being written down on a single piece of paper. Another clerk directed him to a back office where his purchases were being given back their clothes and the paperwork was being taken care of. It was a small office overlooking a warehouse floor.
But it was in plain view of anyone who might look up here which suited Vince perfectly right now. He hoped it would keep Daphne and Karya on their best behavior.
“Hiding is pointless,” Daphne said, annoyance discernible on her face.
“As is running,” Karya added.
“Too bad. I already have a Dryad who hits me with her sex magic. Don’t need all three of you hitting me with mystic mojo,” Vince complained, sitting on the desk.
Daphne glared at him from under her brows while Karya smiled impishly at him.
A young man popped his head in real quick and handed Vince a letter and bolted out the door.
“Wait! For fucks sake. It’d be nice if they waited for a minute,” Vince complained. Flipping over the paper he broke the seal and pulled out the letter inside.
He read it over once and then read it again more slowly.
“You’re afraid,” Karya said slowly. “And angry.”
Vince glanced up at the Dryad and nodded his head. “A problem is coming back to haunt me apparently. A friend of mine is in town. A blacksmith and his wife. They were chased out of the village they live in. In addition to that, it seems the village itself is becoming a mob. They want to head east and burn my house down.”
“Why?” Daphne asked, a confused look on their face.
“If I had to guess, it’s because I bought slaves, then killed a number of bandits who attacked me. Seems the bandits were more friendly with the town than I thought. And that they told someone they were going to rob me.”
Vince crumpled the letter in his hand.
Thera and Eva entered the office at that moment, escorting a young High Elf woman. Her pale blonde hair was shorn in the slave fashion, of course. Bright blue eyes stared straight into him. Unwavering.
Her face was as beautiful as Thera’s and Eva’s, all three of them sharing that strange alien beauty of the Elves.
His two concubine bodyguards had managed to get the High Elf into a long sleeved silky looking pale blue dress. It hugged her from shoulders to hips in an intoxicating way without showing an inch of skin.
“Master, this is Elysia.” Eva gestured to the High Elf.
“We believe her suitable, Lord.” Thera had the look of someone who’d been forced to do something, but wasn’t upset with the outcome.
“Elysia. I assume you’re the one selected for your family?” Vince asked her.
“That remains to be seen, my Liege.” Her voice was clinical. “I lack critical experience for the role. I do believe my unique skills will make up for that, however.”
“Oh?” Vince asked curiously. Hopefully. “Can you show me one of those skills?”
Elysia pointed at the paper in his hand. “Do you need that?”
Vince shook his head and held it out to her. “Was in the middle throwing it away, actually.”
The High elf narrowed her eyes at the paper. A second later and it burst into a sky blue flame.
Vince held onto the paper until it licked his fingers. Interestingly to him, there was only the barest twinge of heat on his fingers.
Vince found himself smiling as the flame guttered around his thumb and forefinger and then went out.
“I’m well versed at magic, my Liege. As High Elves usually are, I’m the most proficient at combat magic. There was some thought to training me as a gladiator.”
Containing his excitement was tough considering the circumstances. He remembered distinctly what Seville’s Elf had done, and she had been a Wood Elf if he remembered it right.
“Impressive. Consider yourself chosen. You can show me everything else later.”
“Of course, my Liege. I live to serve as your concubine. I have no experience in the affairs of the bedroom, but hope you will treat me kindly,” Elysia said, a small smile curling her lips before she dropped down and prostrated herself to him.
Chapter 23
The second day of the auction never occurred. The military brass swooped in and purchased everyone. They’d be joining an army that had been brought up from the old Mexican border that no longer existed.
Of course the
manager apologized profusely while saying “business is business.” Vince had no doubt the manager had been paid grossly for his part.
That meant time was up. There would be no further sales until the military decided to stop buying everyone.
In the north, Washington had broken through the lines even further. An entire mounted division slashing their way through the lines and disappearing.
Here at home, the letter he’d received from Deskil was already out of date. It wasn’t Knight’s Ferry who was turning into a mob. But Knight’s Ferry and all of the surrounding towns and villages.
Stories flooded the streets of the evil man who lived in the woods with his slaves, carving up poor human travelers for their body parts.
It was the fact that he cavorted with Wasters that truly sparked the masses though. He dared to treat them as humans. Feed them and clothe them equally.
Mainly an Orc and a Dryad, or so the stories went.
The name was never right, and they simply called him the Woodsman in the east.
Vince felt a growing anxiety gnawing at his mind. He hadn’t gotten what he wanted. He’d never found his accountant, or his farmers. He was also woefully undermanned for actual combatants.
Maybe less than one-hundred and fifty would be useful in a fight.
The rest would only be good for dying, unless he got them trained up. Time wasn’t on his side for that option though.
Train, or build. Not both.
“Train or build…” Vince mused aloud. Drumming his fingers along his father’s desk he looked down at the paperwork he’d put together.
He hadn’t expected to have to choose. Maybe naively he believed he’d have time to build up and then train.
In the end he still had damn near half a million standards. There simply hadn’t been enough time or people. It cost more to buy the supplies to get them through until they could be self sufficient than it did to get the people.
At least he’d managed to secure everything they’d need. Tools, food, daily life things.
Closing the ledger he leaned back and stretched his arms above his head.
They’d gotten in late last night. A peck on the cheek and a hug was about all he was good for when he collapsed into the bed with Fes.
Looking out the window he saw the early morning gloom clearing up, and sunlight breaking through.
Time to start to the day and get everyone moving. First were the collars.
Picking up the metal stamp and his the battery he meandered out of his office.
Thera materialized out of the shadows as he closed the door behind him.
Nodding his head to the Dark elf he moved to the front door and popped it open. Elysia and Eva stood up from the deck chairs on the porch.
The High elf had found a staff at some point during the night. To his eyes it even had a subtle shimmer to it.
“Going to be popping collars today, and giving out orders. Might be best to get whoever is best with infrastructure work out here,” Vince said, walking over to a deck chair and its accompanying table.
Elysia, the ever clinical robot of the three, gave him a blazing smile and was off at a jog.
“Such an eager beaver today,” Vince murmured, setting down the stamp on the table.
“Master, our family is still adjusting to our new brothers and sisters. She is… excited to be in so large a family clan.”
“Yes, Lord. Though we resented it at first, we’ve found we are much more able already.”
“I imagine. That’s kinda the thing with evolution, isn’t it? You each develop traits best suited for your environment. Put it all back together and you’ve got a better product. The sum of the whole being greater than it’s individual parts.”
Vince held up the battery with a shit eating grin. “Who wants to go first? You’re about to watch three Dryads get hit by a lightning bolt.”
Thera and Eva eyed him speculatively. Thera stepped forward and put herself in front of him. “As the oldest, I’ll submit first. Give me your commands.”
She held herself ramrod straight and burned him with her eyes, her hands proffering her collar to him.
“Ok? Hold tight to your collar, and when you feel tired, winded, and like everything is on fire, pull as hard and fast as you can. It’ll be obvious.”
Before she could question the command, Vince tapped the battery to the collar and activated it.
Thera’s hands moved and the collar came undone, hanging loosely in her hands.
“There we are,” Vince said with a smile. Taking the collar from her nerveless fingers he set it down on the table. “Time to make your choice Thera. Remain here and build with me, or leave here, and live your own life.”
Thera blinked twice, her dark eyes moving from him to the collar.
“You think on that. Let’s wake up the Dryads.” Sticking the battery to his forearm he discharged it.
From inside the house he heard a yelp and what sounded as if someone had fallen out of bed and hit the floor.
“Ha. That’s what you get. Tease me the entire trip, eh?” Vince said viciously. “Alright, come over here Eva. Let’s get you taken care of while Thera thinks.”
“Master, I-”
“Stop, come here, grab your collar and hold it up. Same instructions,” Vince said commandingly. Eva went silent, obeying his orders as she had to. She held up the collar.
Touching the battery to it he activated it.
Eva lost her grip on the collar as soon as it came free. It clattered to the ground as the Wood Elf stood there panting.
“You alright, Eva?” Vince asked her, turning the battery on his forearm and discharging it again.
He vaguely felt the tree in his chest shifting but only a touch. The real difference was what felt like two other trees. Both in his abdomen, but one reaching into his arms, and the other his legs.
This time there were no shrieks, but he definitely heard another thud.
“Ha,” Vince gloated. Elysia came back at a swift pace. He noticed she’d taken the time to modify her dress for mobility rather than looks. It no longer reached her feet but stopped an inch above her ankles.
“Perfect timing, come here Elysia.” Vince pointed at the place to his side. Thera and Eva were still on his other side. “Yep, stand right there, now grab your collar tight and hold it up. Good. You’re going to suddenly feel tired and like you’re on fire. I need you pull at your collar as hard as you can when it happens.”
“Wait-” Thera said breathlessly.
Vince pressed the battery to the collar and hit the switch. Elysia looked startled as the collar came off with a crack. Her face was flushed and she was taking slow deep breaths.
Turning the battery on himself Vince chuckled evilly, then activated it again.
Something slammed into the door, followed by a yelp, then a curse.
“Vince, stop. We need a break between,” Meliae called through the door.
“You’re in luck then. Next up is Karya and Daphne.” Vince couldn’t stop from smiling and took a seat in one of the deck chairs.
“Elysia, I’m afraid you’ll need to make a choice now. The same one Thera and Eva are thinking on. Do you remain here and help me build, or leave and go elsewhere.”
Setting the battery down on the table he settled comfortably into the chair. He’d spent countless evenings simply watching the woods around his home in this chair.
“Keep in mind I’ll be freeing everyone from their collars. So everyone will be given the choice. If you want to discuss it with your family I understand. If you remain, we’ll need to put the collar back on, but it’ll be depowered. No one will be able to give you commands.
“You three can discuss it elsewhere if you like. I’d understand,” Vince said, looking up at the three elves.
Thera, Eva, and Elysia looked at one another.
The door opened and out came the three Dryads. All three looked like they’d dressed in a hurry. Normally they spent a decent amount of time to dre
ss when given the chance.
Meliae was in front, walking slowly but determinedly to him. Daphne and Karya were hanging off each other and shuffling their feet forward.
“Aww, you poor ducklings. All torn up after three? We still have hundreds to do. Maybe you should take seats,” Vince said with a feral grin.
“You wouldn’t,” Meliae said, her eyes a full shimmering green.
“Oh but I would, and will. You’re going to like it. You’re going to say thank you after every single one. Then you’re going to ask for more, for another one. All sweet like, ‘Please, may I have another?’ And when we’re all done and I’ve stuffed the three of you with as much as I can… well then I’m going to personally destroy you in our bed Meliae while you two watch. In fact, I might even invite the Elves here to watch.
“Consider it payback. Now say thank you for the first three.”
All three Dryads were watching him with three pairs of eyes that were green through and through.
“Thank you,” they said in unison. “Please, may I have another?”
“Of course, of course. Please, have a seat. The Elf family should be coming soon. We’ll be popping their collars next.”
The Dryads dropped into the empty chairs, their wide green eyes fastened to him.
Thera stepped in front of Vince and looked down at him. Her collar was held in front of her between her hands.
“I pledged myself as your concubine. I will abide by that pledge. Please re-collar me. My family will agree with my decision and remain as well,” said the Dark elf, holding out the collar to him.
Eva and Elysia both stepped up beside their “sister” and held out their collars.
“I understand. Glad to have you officially on board. As to your collar, merely put it back on. It’ll simply be a piece of jewelry from here on out.
“Besides, it’s not like much has changed. You had no orders or commands from me to begin with.
“Ah, and here’s your family now. Let’s get started, this’ll take me a while. As we go, I’ll start dispensing orders. Please make sure they’re carried out. Whoever has the best head for writing and memory should get a ledger.” Vince stood up and laid a hand on Thera’s shoulder.