"Are we allowed to?" I asked stupidly as Dríade tried again to wriggle out of her bindings.

  "Of course not. Dríade here would kill anyone that got close to her tree." Voras smirked. "So of course we're going to do it."

  [She could try. Not even a Dryad would scratch my scales.]

  "That's..." Zeldi trailed off unsure about what she wanted to say.

  "You okay beautiful?" I asked pcing a hand on her back that I hoped was reassuring.

  "Yeah. I just... I don't know I thought all Livestock would be friendly or something. Tarakona was nice when she nded so why is everyone else so violent?"

  I raised an eyebrow at Tilty but stayed quiet about that part.

  Surprisingly Dríade answered after biting down on the silk in her mouth with enough force to snap it. "You are a sheltered mare ain't ya? Livestock are a prime commodity to anyone that knows about them. Those that survive are either protected or doing the protecting. If you ain't part of those two categories you're either like her."

  Dríade pointed her nose at Tilty.

  "Or you are nothing but a sve to anyone and everyone. You say the big bad Dragon is friendly but who in their right mind would challenge her for anything? Don't get me wrong Dragon Hunters are a thing but if she came across another Deed owner who had a habit of breaking in Livestock would he have the tools to make her listen?"

  There was silence.

  "And ask yourself this. If you had a Deed owner you didn't like would you hide in the corner doing whatever he said or try and kick him on the slim chance he would leave you alone?"

  Again there was silence but this time Zeldi moved to be closer to me.

  "You're one bad owner away from being just as feral."

  Voras stopped Dríade with a sp and rebound her mouth, this time with multiple yers.

  "Don't take what she says to heart Zeldi." Voras tried to remedy.

  "But she's right isn't she?" My mare returned.

  Voras didn't answer her and instead looked towards the old house. "Shall we go look at Dríade's tree?"

  "Answer me Voras! Is she right?" Zeldi raised her voice and stomped her hoof down. "Am I truly sheltered?"

  Voras couldn't meet her eye but she still gave a response. "No. You have experienced the hardships that most Livestock go through."

  That seemed to calm her somewhat.

  "But." Zeldi pushed.

  "But you act too kindly." Voras answered with a sigh that dropped her down.

  "I'm too kind?" Zeldi repeated cocking her head to the side.

  "Yes. I would not have forgiven Tilty as easily as you have."

  "She is not forgiven."

  "She's tied up to a tree with the only thing that she needs to worry about being boredom." Voras spat. "How can you call that fair for what she has done to you?"

  Zeldi's ears fttened against her head. "I don't know I just can't think of how I want to punish her yet."

  Voras switched tactics. "Tarakona if you were in her pce what would you do?"

  [She would be sold to the Master she tried to run from. Then I would spend some of my free time each day watching her suffer. Or if she could actually produce something I would lock her in a dark room with the only way she can leave temporarily being if she gave a decent amount of her resource. And if Master fancied her for a mating dance but I doubt he would.]

  Voras then turned back to Zeldi who was now hiding fully behind me.

  "That's enough." I spoke up trying to end it even though I partly agreed with Tarakona.

  "No! Let them continue." Zeldi said with her face buried in the fabric of my shirt from behind.

  Lowering her voice Voras finished her point. "Zeldi. I thank you a thousand times for giving me another chance so I know this is rich for me to say but Tilty deserves to either be sold or released so she can produce something for Clovek. Leaving her tied like this is fine but doesn't accomplish anything."

  Tilty herself was watching the whole interaction with mild curiosity and chose now to jump in. "I would help with offering my antlers but without the ability to purge the drug from my system I'm afraid I can't do that."

  Immediately my eyes found Dríade who smiled under the silk bindings. Alchemist. That's mighty convenient.

  Like she knew I was asking she gave another nod.

  "That's an option." I said shaking my head. "Maybe if she actually listens but I think I agree with Voras that the Dryad stays bound while we go see her tree."

  [Agreed. But if she breaks out I will freeze the house and smash it.]

  Dríade froze at that threat.

  [Good. You understand your pce.]

  "What is the hierarchy here anyway?" Tilty asked still tied up. "Like is the Dragon in charge or what?"

  [Zeldi and Clovek are the leaders. I am mated to them both and Voras is beneath us all. You even moreso.]

  "Noted."

  Voras didn't say anything to dispute that cim and cut Dríade down. She kept the Dryad bound and stuck the cocoon to her back so that she could take her with us.

  I just watched still trying to understand everything that just happened. Sure I knew this was my farm but I always considered Zeldi and Tarakona co-owners of sorts. I never thought they were beneath me.

  Then there was Tilty. That was a problem I was hoping would just solve itself but I knew that was wishful thinking.

  We all started to move towards the house with Tarakona moving her head and she was already there.

  "So just so there's no confusion, is the human good? Like as in a good person or is he just so good in bed you all just arrived and started spreading your legs? Multiple in Voras's case." Dríade spoke as soon as her mouth was freed.

  "I think I like her better with her mouth shut." I joked getting a snicker from the girls."

  "Yes that is so close to the truth you have no idea. But to answer your question Dríade I killed him." Voras gave as an answer. "I killed him after making a deal that if his current livestock brought him back I would become his."

  "Okay and why did you do that? Last I checked you were pretty good at forcing Deed owners to sell their Livestock to you without any deals. Did you go soft?" Dríade taunted.

  "No!" Voras snapped back. "I wanted to see the hope drain from another Deed owners eyes as he realized his life was in the hands of the Livestock he owned. I had stupidly believed they were being mistreated and didn't think he was actually being nice."

  "Aaaaand?" Zeldi prompted. She had broken from her position behind me to rejoin the conversation. "What happened next?"

  Voras bristled. "I honored my side of the deal and became his Livestock. That is all."

  "Hey Master do you mind getting her gift to you out of your inventory? I could have sworn it had another meaning to it." Zeldi asked as nonchantly as she could.

  This time Voras hissed at Zeldi. "That is... Different. I gave him that... As a thank you."

  "Foooooor what?" Zeldi drew out.

  "Oh she did not!" Dríade twisted her neck as far as she could in our direction. "She gave you some clothes? Dam she really is whipped."

  "Nope even better." Zeldi snickered enjoying Voras as she went bright red. "Voras here gave Master a very wet pair of pa...."

  "So what!?" Voras snapped. "He is attractive and treats everyone around him with respect and courtesy. Am I not allowed to find him attractive?"

  Zeldi bit her lip to stop herself saying anything more. Dríade however did not have any reservations. "Oh that's rich. The mighty Voras, killer of Deed owners and free-er of Livestock brought low by simple kindness. What's next? Going to dance for him? Show all your colours while putting your body on dispy for him?"

  Voras dropped Dríade from her abdomen onto the ground and started to drag the bound Dryad with a thread of her silk.

  "I'll take that as a yes." She called out with a mouth full of dirt.

  We came up to the house and ran into a problem. The door wasn't big enough for Voras or Tarakona in her Dragon form. That however wasn't too big of a problem as Voras clicked her tongue in thought. "Do you value this house at all Clovek?"

  "Ummm. Not really. It's not useful right now and everything has been moved out of it. Zeldi?"

  "No I was thinking about making it into something but it holds too many bad memories."

  "Great!" Voras didn't bother expining anything more before she swung Dríade around and whacked her into the wall.

  "Oi! I'm not a hammer!"

  "No you are a pest that thankfully can remake her body so if it suddenly breaks it's of no concern." Voras returned before pulling her back and throwing her again. This time the Dryad went through the wall creating a gap. It wasn't big enough for the spider woman to get through so she pulled Dríade back to do it again.

  "Tarakona maybe you could help her?" I offered only for my Dragon to look like she was enjoying this.

  [She came here to kill you Master. This is justice.]

  Zeldi just shrugged when I looked her way evidently not to concerned.

  Dríade continued to throw insults at Voras as the spider woman used her as a battering ram until there was a gap big enough for the spider woman to get through only for her to ignore it completely.

  "Now that that's sorted what room it her tree actually in so that I'm not walking through the house?" Voras asked with a satisfied smile dropping Dríade onto the ground.

  "You bitch."