The Forsaken Hero

My heart dropped as Lord Byron’s words tore through my chest, filled with naked desire and lust. From the cruel twist of his smile to the depraved look in his eye, this lord was anything but magnanimous.

”Slave Hero?” Soltair asked slowly, his eyes narrowing.

The lord smiled, appearing entirely relaxed. ”Of course. Word spread soon before the festival started that the final hero had been found. A slave demonkin, by all accounts. As it teased upon some of my favorite pastimes, I paid close attention. Who’d have thought she’d show up at my doorstep!”

”I see. Yes, Xiviyah, the Fate Hero, is currently my slave. But please treat her as a hero.”

”Of course,” Lord Byron said I a silken voice. ”Such a sweet girl deserves only the tenderest care. I could teach you, if you wish. How to train her to fulfil your every fantasy or beg for your affections.”

He gave me a playful wink. Bile burned the back of my throat.

Soltair stiffened, his eyes flitting to the Beastkin slaves around the room. ”I...dont question your methods, but the slave crest has always been enough.”

”So you admit to at least using that, eh?” Lord Byron chuckled. ”Some consider that...unsatisfactory. Anyone can force obedience with a spell, but true joy is found in teaching one to obey of their own free will. You’ll never know pleasure till they bring you your own whip to lash them, or mew your name, warming your bed before you arrive.”

I stared at the floor, struggling to breath. Soltair silence was suffocating. Why wasn’t he saying anything? Why didn’t he tell him to stop?

”No need to be shy, Sun Hero. You’re only claiming what rightfully belongs to you. Nothing wrong in that. Perhaps we could schedule time later tonight? I received a young, luscious foxkin girl the other day. A sweet thing with a sweet temperament, very similar to the slave hero, actually. I could show you how to instill a little more spice.

”He doesn’t need something like that,” Trithe cried. ”He already has---”

She bit her lip, flushing pink. Lord Byron raised an eyebrow.

”Don’t worry, dear girl, slaves are but tools for their master’s entertainment. Our hero is so hardworking. Whose to say he doesn’t deserve to indulge himself a little. Your place in his heart could never be stolen by a mere toy, could it?”

My vision swam, my breathing coming in faint gasps. My fingers ached from gripping my skirt, my tail a quivering mess. I couldn’t meet anyone’s gazes, especially not Soltair. He wasn’t seriously considering this, was he? He promised!

Soltair let out a dry cough. ”it’s an, uh, interesting proposition, but I’m afraid we’re here on more formal business. I understand you are having trouble with some bandits?”

”Hmm, still a little shy? No matter, you know where to find me. Please, reach out if you have trouble managing her or desire her to serve you in other more pleasurable ways.”

That said, the Lord’s expression shifted to something more serious. But even as the conversation moved on, I couldn’t keep from trembling.

”Now, on the matter of bandits, the word ’some’ is hardly appropriate. By my best captain’s estimate, there might be close to three hundred of them. They’re involved in various crimes, from bribes, extortion, and smuggling to murder and rape. No one’s safe outside the walls, and sometimes not within.”

I recalled the abnormally regular guard patrols that crossed the town on all sides of the river. While it made asking for directions simple, I could only imagine the strain such diligence would have on resources. And if anything got through to this city’s nobles and upper echelon, it was money.

”What’s more,” Lord Byron continued, ”Is that they seem to be well organized and equipped. Simply killing off a few branch members would be far from sufficient, and would likely only drive their leadership underground.”

Soltair nodded thoughtfully. ”That would make sense. How have you managed to gather this information?”

He smiled, some of his bluster returning. ”I have friends in many places. Let’s just say that bribes are hardly exclusive to bandits.” A flitter of anxiety crossed his face and he raised a finger. ”On that topic, I would request that you refrain from bothering anyone wearing a blue armband. Although they might appear like the other bandits, I’ve reached an arrangement with their leadership and keep a close eye on their operations.”

Soltair remained motionless for some time, brow subtly creased. His fingers teased the subtle wrinkles of his pants as he gazed at the Lord. As the quiet tension swelled, I noticed a bead of sweat trickling down Lord Byron’s neck, and I had a sudden realization. Perhaps there was more there to the city’s money after all.

Finally, Soltair sighed and nodded, although his eyes were no less vigilant. ”Very well, but should they get in our way, retaliation will likely be lethal. We don’t have time to mess around with politics and fools.”

Lord Byron’s head dipped gratefully. He lifted a hand and brushed a lock of hair behind his ear, using the motion to disguise his sleeve, which dabbed at his nervous sweat ”Of course. I would expect nothing less from such powerful heroes.” Although his plural use of the title incorporated me, his oily voice made me wish he hadn’t. To him, it was the Sun Hero, and the Slave Hero.

Soltair leaned forward, crinkling his brow. ”Is there anything else? That’s not much to go on.”

As Lord Byron opened his mouth to respond, a richly dressed half-elf slipped through the room, leaning down and whispering in his ear. After a moment, he gave a short nod, and the half-elf left.

”It seems something has come up that begs my attention. If you need somewhere to start, head to the Drunken Lily. That establishment was hit rather recently, and I assigned a few men to the case. Speak with Mistress Bilgon, and she’ll give you permission to poke around.”

Soltair stood, extending his hand. ”Very well. I’ll let you know if we get anywhere.”

”Please do,” Lord Byron said pleasantly. His eyes narrowed, shifting over to sweep me almost...enviously. ”And don’t forget my offers. Such a pretty girl shouldn’t be wasted.”

With another chuckle, he turned and left, letting his slaves see us out. I finally relaxed as we stepped into the sunlight, breathing long and deep. Although it was perfectly swept and clean in the Mansion, I felt stifled with dust and grim, not the mention the ghastly clack of ghostly chains.

”Soltair,” I said desperately, tugging on his sleeve.

”Don’t worry. I have no intention of turning you over. You’re my companion, after all,” he said lightly. A shadow flitted across his gaze, but he quickly neutralized the expression. I stared at him evenly, wondering if he was inwardly recalling his discussion with Trithe. That thought sent a shiver down my spine, and I prayed my resistance wouldn’t grow too quickly. Not if it meant being sold to someone like Lord Byron.

Trithe tossed her hair over her shoulder. ”What an unpleasant man,” she said brazenly. ”Hardly the type of lord my Father aspires to be, but I suppose his people deserve safety. Any idea where that place was?”

”It was near the docks,” I muttered. ”One of the brothels. I’m sure he owns it, too.”

We’d passed it on the way in, so it was a simple matter of retracing our steps. The Drunken Lily positively glowed amongst its competitors, standing out like a polished gem among rocks. A constant flow of sailors, travelers, and merchants passed through its doors, and I could only imagine how many rooms the three-story structure contained. There were likely hundreds of prostitutes in this one building alone.

As we approached, Trithe whistled softly. ”Quite the place. But why do you think Lord Byron owns it?”

”Experience,” I admitted reluctantly. ”It’s easy to tell when a man acts to ensure his own interests and property. But beyond that, do you think someone as greedy as he to send a full team of investigators if he wasn’t personally involved?”

She gave me a long, searching look, then followed my gaze to Soltair. My words weren’t only about Byron, after all. ”Fair point. I just hope they can tell us more than he did, or even finding these bandits might be a problem.”