by Ian Rodgers
“Which of the towers am I in?”
“The West Tower, formerly belonging to Master Dominick Krave,” the woman whispered after Dora removed her palm from her mouth.
“Formerly?”
“Now that he is dead, it falls to someone else to take control of it. At the moment, Lord Tiegan is in charge,” she explained. Dora did not miss the glee in the woman’s voice when she spoke of Krave’s current state.
“Ok then. Where is Kari being held? You know, the woman with two Bloodline Traits,” Dora questioned next.
“In the upper floors, near Master Krave’s former quarters. It can only be accessed via elevator.”
“Where’s the nearest one of those?” Dora inquired, but the maid shook her head.
“Even if I took you there, you could not use it. First off, it requires four mages to power it, and they would realize you are not a servant or slave here and apprehend you. And third, only authorized personnel can manipulate the runes to make it work.”
“Who does have permission, then?” Dora demanded.
“Master Krave and now Master Tiegan, naturally, any of the lord’s personal guard, the heads of staff, and a select few maids. It’s programmed into our collars in that case,” the maid revealed.
The Healer noticed the shifty glances the woman was giving, and Dora narrowed her eyes.
“I command you to tell me if you have access to the so-called ‘elevator,’” Dora spoke. The maid winced but remained close-lipped. The half-orc snarled even as her stomach churned at what she was about to do.
“I invoke my authority as a Servant of Naliot to command you,” uttered Dora with a grimace as she did so. “My word is law. Speak and Obey, the chains compel you.”
It had been a long time since she had spoken override codes for a slavery collar. All of them had such a thing, and all slave traders had their own. But most of the passcodes used were similar with only trace differences. This one had been taught to her by Scarrot himself. Supposedly it was a universal override.
Slave merchants needed to have a way to control their merchandise in the event the buyer refused payment or died. That way, the slaver could retain a way to order slaves around even after the contract changed hands. That was why all slave collars had this feature built into them.
Dora hated using this ability. It not only caused slaves discomfort as their will was forcibly usurped, but it also went against all of the Divine Family’s precepts of freedom and choice.
Thankfully her code seemed to work for this particular collar and the maid gasped as the runes flared to life. The gambit paid off as she nodded.
“Yes. Yes, I have permission to use the elevators.”
“Take me there, get me inside, and bring me to Kari’s room,” Dora commanded, and the woman bowed her head submissively.
The walk towards the moving room was a tense one, but no other people could be seen. Upon questioning the maid as to why that was, she explained.
“It’s rather late at night right now. Not to mention that with the city on lockdown due to slaves outside the towers running rampant, few of us are willing to bring much attention to ourselves lest the guards get nervous and decide to detain us for ‘interrogation,’” the maid said, disgust in her voice.
“Then why are you out and about?”
“I drew the short straw for cleaning duties.” Dora nodded sympathetically.
Once the pair reached the elevator the maid hesitated before summoning it. After a few seconds the doors slid open, admitting them. Though the collared mages were surprised by Dora’s appearance next to the uniformed woman, a second round of her slaver passcode silenced any complaints.
“Here we are, Lady Kari’s room,” the maid said after a quick ride up on the elevator.
The door to the extraordinarily blessed woman actually had some color to it that wasn’t grey. A purple claw marked the front of it revealing to all who owned this domain. Although now that Krave was dead, how much longer would it be before Tiegan’s green vulture decorated it?
“Thank you for the help. Don’t tell anyone about this,” Dora instructed. The maid bowed stiffly before stalking away to return to her duties.
As the maid left, Dora rapidly knocked on the door. After a moment a grumble could be heard on the other side followed by a shuffle.
“Who is it…?” Kari demanded as she opened up, only to be pushed back into the interior of the room by Dora. The half-orc quickly closed the door behind her after checking that no one was watching.
The room was rather sparse. There was a four-poster bed with plush sheets and fluffy pillows, while a mahogany desk and dresser stood to one side. A soft carpet covered the floor.
The only thing missing to make this room more homey would be an actual window. Instead the only light came from a chandelier which gave off a similar blue glow as the lamp in Dora’s cell.
“Dora? What in the Hells are you doing here?” the raven-haired slave inquired, shock written across her face.
“Don’t be alarmed, but I broke out of prison,” the Healer said.
“What?!”
“Yeah, I got accused of murdering Krave, and am now a convenient patsy,” Dora explained. “Right now, I need your help to prove my innocence and find the actual perpetrator.”
“Oh, is that all? Then look no further, you found her.”
“First, we need to sneak out and find Krave’s corpse so you can use your Divine Eyes of Appraisal… wait, what?”
Dora looked over at Kari in confusion as the collared woman sat down on the bed.
“Yes, it was me, I murdered the fat pig. Hurray, you solved the crime!” Kari said, her words accompanied by a round of sarcastic clapping.
“Bu-How?” Dora demanded, flopping down onto the desk while staring at Kari. “You’re wearing a slave-collar, you shouldn’t have been able to harm him!”
“Funny thing about that,” Kari said as she flipped her hair over her shoulder. “Did you know that magical energy will naturally gravitate towards the most suitable host? And in most cases that means organic lifeforms or their immediate remains.”
“Of course! It’s why Undead and Dire Breed appear in regions with lots of Ambient Mana. Their bodies suck up any spare magic they can.”
Kari nodded along with Dora’s explanation. She folded her hands in her lap as she looked at the half-orc before revealing how she bypassed the collar’s safeguards.
“The first thing you have to understand is that performing a Mana Manipulation ceremony, like the one I had to use to fill up the Aegis Sphere’s key, takes incredible precision not to have spare mana drift around and end up in other people.”
A cruel smile split Kari’s face. “Now, what would happen if, for example, when a vast amount of magical energy is being released into the area, someone ‘accidentally’ misplaced some mana into nearby targets? Like, say, an obese human body?”
“That would cause severe damage to a person’s body!” Dora gasped. “There’s a reason why Healers have to spend so much time learning how to use seemingly simple spells! It needs care and precision. If there is too much mana inside a person, it becomes a poison! And mana from a different person can cause complications like organ failures and tumors!”
Kari gave a maniacal laugh at the Healer’s horrified expression. “Exactly! There was so much raw energy in the air during those ceremonies it was child’s play to direct some of it into that purple clad pig. And you know what else? Despite all my ‘harmful intentions,’ the collar couldn’t pick up on them through the thick haze of magical power saturating the ritual sites.”
“Then, then, what am I going to do?” Dora whispered as she slumped in defeat. Kari raised a delicate eyebrow.
“Pardon? All you have to do is turn me in and your name will be cleared. Easy.”
“I could do that, but do you think I want to throw you under the wagon wheels for that?” Dora demanded, glaring at the older woman. “I actually like you, Kari, and I sure as all the Hells
do not grieve for that slaving slimeball! I was hoping, praying almost, that we could find the criminal and prove my innocence and win your freedom!”
Dora buried her face in her hands. “But that’s all gone up in flames.”
The young Healer could feel tears pricking at her eyes, trying to get out. She resisted. Not now. Not again. Tears were weakness. She had to be strong.
“Not necessarily,” Kari said after a deep pause. Dora looked up, hope kindled in her chest.
“Lord Tiegan doesn’t really care about who killed Krave. He just needs a proper scapegoat to blame and show off to the city. One that no one will contest out loud.”
“You have someone in mind?” Dora asked.
“Better. A whole group!” Kari said excitedly. Her expression turned serious. “Do you know about a cult known as Rapture Dawn?”
“Rapture Dawn… hmm, sounds familiar,” Dora mused. “Oh, wait! Aren’t they the orgy guys?”
Kari slapped her forehead in exasperation. “Oh, you poor sheltered summer child. They’re not just people who hold orgies, they’re a demon worshipping cult that revere the Queen Swathed in Vermillion, one of the Thirteen Demon Lords and embodiment of perversion and vices.”
“Oh. Oooh, those guys,” Dora said as realization glimmered in her eyes. “I remember reading about her in my theology study for becoming a Healer. Did you know that when the Queen Swathed in Vermillion tried to corrupt Nia when the Maiden Goddess was newly born Lady Cynthia ripped out her eyes in retaliation? And to this day no matter what form she takes, the Queen can never alter what her eyes look like? It’s why all of her shapes have to wear a golden veil to hide her hideous appearance!”
“That’s lovely, but we need to focus here,” Kari said, snapping Dora’s attention back to the matter at hand.
“During the ride to and from the dig site I’ve been able to get a few good looks at the people that I pass by. And thanks to my eyes, I’ve identified who’s part of Rapture Dawn within the city. We trail them back to their base, we can gut the cult’s leadership. In exchange, however, I want you to do something for me.”
“What is it?” Dora asked. Kari took a deep breath.
“If I help you track down Rapture Dawn, I want you to free me from my slave collar.”
“What? But I don’t have the authority to do something like that…” Dora trailed off as her protests died. A thoughtful expression came across her. “No, you’re right, I could do that for you! I’m still registered as your handler! And that means I can cancel the contract anytime I wish now that Krave is dead!”
Kari bobbed her head in agreement, raven locks almost flying with the force.
Dora stuck out her hand towards her, and the two eagerly shook hands.
“The deal’s struck, then. Now, before we go and hunt down some demon worshippers, we need someone who knows about Rapture Dawn to fill us in on tips and tricks for sneaking into the ranks,” Kari said.
“I think I know just the person, actually,” Dora said, thinking back to a certain member of the Yellowmoon Menagerie.
.
“Reesh, Kari and I need your help.”
The handyman paused in the doorway leading to his room, a bottle of cheap alcohol in hand. He glanced down at the bottle, then up to the bed which had suddenly sprouted two beautiful women, one of which was supposed to be locked up in one of the towers. Reesh looked back down to the bottle before sighing and entering the room, making sure to close the door behind him.
“Do I want to know how you escaped?” He asked, sitting cross legged on the floor facing the two intruders.
“It’s better if you don’t,” Kari admitted, giving a dismissive wave of her hand.
“Like I was saying, Reesh, we need your help,” Dora said, miffed at the way her male friend was acting. Would it kill him to act a bit more surprised at their daring escape?
Well, not that it was all that difficult. The half-orc was almost insulted by how easy it was to bypass the patrols in the West Tower and then on the way to the Yellowmoon’s barracks. What in the Hells had Krave been doing with their training?
“And what do you little jailbirds need from me?” Reesh asked, taking a swig of his booze.
“We need you to tell us about Rapture Dawn.”
Reesh immediately regretted his decision to drink and choked on the liquid, coughing it up in his surprise.
“What?” His voice turned chilly and a shiver of dread ran down the two young women’s spines as he glared balefully at them.
“It was them, wasn’t it?” Dora said quietly, staring back at Reesh fearlessly. “Rapture Dawn was the cult that tried to sacrifice you. It was they whom you fled from all those years ago. I figured it out.”
She got off the bed and knelt before the repairman.
“Please, help us. We need to know this. With the information you give us, we can frame them for the murder of Krave and get me off the hook.”
His angry expression softened, though there was still plenty of bitterness in his gaze.
“Fine. I’ll help. If you can hurt them, then I’m all for it.” Reesh reached out and grabbed Dora’s wrist, pulling her close. “But after this, do not ever speak of them to me again. Never mention it, never hint at it. My past is my own, and I do not appreciate being used like this.”
Dora nodded. “Of course. I’m sorry.”
“I know you are. And that’s why I’ll help,” Reesh sighed. “Listen closely, because I won’t tell you again. The best way to infiltrate the cult and blend in is…”
Chapter 14: Demons in the dark
“This is so undignified!” Kari hissed over at Dora. Her companion grimaced.
“I know, but this is the easiest way! Just put up with it for now!”
“I’m wearing a leather thong! It keeps trying to put itself up my…!”
Dora shushed the dark-haired woman next to her as they approached a large stone building that hugged the northern wall of Annod Bol.
The structure was in a region that was furthest from the entrance and the six imposing towers as possible while still remaining protected behind the city’s defenses. This area was slightly more lawless than the rest of the city, which wasn’t saying much, and as such it doubled as a slum for the drunks, miscreants and wastrels that seemed to infest every settlement the world over.
This particular building was a seedy tavern used as a front by the Rapture Dawn cult. It had been a simple matter for Kari to pinpoint a cultist with her unique eyes and then follow them, but blending in would require more finesse and preparation. It would be necessary to find enough dirt on them so that Lord Tiegan would shift his focus onto the cultists.
And to do that, a certain dress code had to be adhered to.
“Never seen you two before. New to the city?” a bouncer outside the establishment inquired as he looked the pair of women over.
Dora shifted a bit so the cloak she was wearing moved aside to show off a part of what was being worn underneath.
“Indeed. And we’re looking forward to meeting up with new brethren. The road here was very long and lonely,” Dora simpered, playing her part. Kari huffed but shimmied a bit in place so the muscleman at the door could see under her robes as well.
The man nodded appreciatively and stepped aside, permitting them entry. The two entered, fake smiles plastered on their faces all the while.
“When we’re done here, please smack your friend upside the head for me,” Kari whispered over to the Healer. Dora nodded. Helpful or not, these outfits were ridiculous!
The members of Rapture Dawn could be politely described as “evil perverts.” And in order to successfully bluff their way in, Dora and Kari were forced to wear horrible, salacious outfits.
Dora was in a transparent silk negligee with her important parts hidden by straps of black leather. At least she was still allowed to wear her heavy boots. Her formerly blonde hair hung loose on her head with a passable dye job turning it a messy red. And in the poor lighting her p
ale green skin looked like the result of a disease rather than ancestry. She looked damned good as a perverse heretic, if she did say so herself.
As for Kari, her outfit was nothing but white leather, her modesty preserved only by precise placement of belts, straps, and buckles. Around her neck was a cloth choker that obscured her slave-collar. It all contrasted well with her black hair which had been styled to lie in front of her face like a veil. She was still sexy as sin, but now she radiated a fearsome allure. She looked part warrior-woman, part shaman.
The pair of women stalked over to the bar and ordered drinks, surreptitiously observing their surroundings as they sipped at their drinks. After a quick cast of Detect Poison, of course.
“Alright, where would the cultists meet?” Dora whispered to her friend.
“Attic or basement. Both places are great to hide things from prying eyes,” Kari asserted. Her eyes glowed briefly as she used her powers. Thanks to the hood she wore the shadows obscured their luminescence. She pointed to a door in the far wall.
“I’ve seen a few people with Rapture Dawn’s mark heading through that door, ever since we arrived. I think that’s where we should make our move first.”
Dora nodded and drained her mug for the liquid courage within. As they headed over hands fell onto their shoulders. They froze in their tracks.
“I heard from the doorman that you two ladies are new arrivals to our fair city.”
Dora and Kari turned around to face the interrupter and blanched. The ‘man’ that had grabbed them was wearing a corset and thong, high-heeled shoes, and heavy makeup. Nothing else.
“Where are you from, dear handmaidens of our beloved Queen Swathed in Vermillion?” The transvestite asked, an unsettling smile over his face.
“We trickled over from Patches,” Kari lied smoothly, being the first to recover from their host’s appearance. “Our dear covenant was overrun by meddlesome Paladins some time ago.”