Finally on the right track to find my little elf, we were moving through Atranth after Mia to the spot where Amber had been kidnapped.

  Terra walked alongside the bunny girl, but after whispering something to her, she leveled up with me and Zoe. “Tobias, can I talk with Zoe in private?” she asked softly. Her voice was definitely the most feminine trait she had, not suited for someone of her posture or look.

  “About what?”

  “Your daily life, what you expect from your sves, stuff like that.”

  It made sense she wanted to learn more about me from someone in a simir position as her, but I was a bit worried about what Zoe would actually tell her. Not that she would say something bad about me, but it wouldn’t really surprise me if she stated that sex with me was mandatory.

  “That’s a good idea,” Zoe gasped. “May I, Master?”

  “Don’t be naughty, okay?” I asked, hoping she would understand.

  She smiled widely, nodding. After I let go of her hand, both girls slowed down to remain at the back of our group so they could talk.

  “Is it far from here?” I asked, getting closer to Mia instead.

  “I-I think a few minutes,” she replied. “I-I need to get to the tavern first and find the way from there.”

  “Will you tell me what happened with details?” I asked.

  “I-I saw you earlier,” Mia stammered. “And… how you treated Zoe and Azura. Then the idea was born, that maybe, you know, you could help Terra and be nice to her too. I wanted to ask, but… I-I was too scared. I-I waited too long and lost my chance.”

  “I tried to find you the next day, but you were no longer at the tavern… I didn't know what to do, and umm… then I saw your friend, Amber, and I… She’s like… really scary, and I was too worried to ask her, but I hoped she might go to meet you, so I followed her…”

  “S-She moved through the streets, a-and they attacked her so suddenly. I-It was so fast… and she was gone.”

  “How many people attacked her?” I asked.

  “Four. Two men and two women. I-I think they used some skill on her because she dropped to her knees before they even reached her. T-They put a colr on her and pulled her into an alley. I-It was so quick… I just stood there watching, and then… ran away. I’m sorry,” she whispered with her head lowered in shame.

  “Mia, it's okay. You couldn't do anything to help her then. But you’re helping now. It’s good that you ran away.”

  She gnced at me for a short moment before she averted her brown eyes without an answer.

  “Could-” I began asking, wanting to know if she could recognize those people, but I was interrupted.

  “He would never do that!” Zoe shouted behind us.

  The whole group stopped, looking at Zoe, who was gring at Terra.

  The orc gnced at me before she bowed her head. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I didn't mean to offend anyone.”

  “She thinks you hurt Mari, and asked me what she did to be punished like that!” Zoe gasped, with outrage evident not only in her voice but in her whole body and expression. “He would never do something like that!” she repeated, shouting at Terra.

  “It's okay,” I said, pulling the succubus away from Terra. Zoe looked like she was ready to beat the orc for even suggesting that.

  “I really didn't want to offend anyone,” Terra said again, bowing her head lower. “I’m really sorry.”

  “No need to,” I said.

  In a way, it was only logical to assume I had hurt Mari. Trying to find out what she had done for a punishment like that seemed like something you really would want to learn in Terra’s position. Overall, her whole behavior seemed like she was trying to adapt to the situation, hence her submissive behavior toward me.

  “I never id my hand on Mari,” I added. “I bought her in a state like that.”

  “In a worse state,” Mari suddenly cut in. “That,” she said, pointing at the big scar running through her face. “Was done by assholes who abuse sves. He,” she added, pointing at me, but then paused when her gaze fell on me.

  She groaned with clear frustration before she turned back toward Terra. “He is a good master, and you really don't have to worry,” she added, murmuring. “He won’t beat you, rape you, starve you, or any other bad shit they do to sves. He’s perverted, but…”

  She groaned again, as if speaking those words about me was physically hurting her. “He’s not bad, and if your destiny was to become a sve, then… he’s decent.”

  “He’s the best!” Zoe added, standing next to me.

  “If you are a stupid sve girl who falls in love with her master, thinking she would have a normal romantic life with a happy end, then maybe you can feel like that, but you’re just an idiot,” Mari hissed at Zoe.

  “Hey, stop that!” I ordered. “Don’t insult Zoe,” I said, looking at Mari. “Mia, please continue,” I added, gncing at her. As we began moving again toward our destination, I spoke to Terra. “I didn't hurt Mari, and I’m not gonna hurt you. I’m not beating, starving or raping anyone for anything. Okay?”

  “Of course,” Terra replied. “Sorry for assuming otherwise.”

  “I understand,” I said, looking into her yellow eyes before I turned toward Zoe. “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” she murmured.

  “Terra didn't know me and was just trying to learn more. That’s good, right? And if you would see Mari, not knowing me, wouldn’t you assume that I did it too?”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know,” Zoe replied. “I just… I didn't like that she even suggested that you would do… something like that,” she whispered, gncing at Mari.

  “What else was Terra asking about?” I asked.

  “Mostly about you. What you do. What makes you happy or angry. And what you demand from your sves. And why I call you Master when you ordered her not to do it. And some vague stuff about our lives.”

  “You didn't tell her about…” I said, suddenly worried that Zoe had said something about my css.

  “No.” Zoe shook her head. “I didn't tell her anything important. Only that we live in Ortas, go to the dungeons, stuff like that.”

  I nodded, relieved she kept that secret. “And what did you tell her that makes me happy?” I asked, suspecting what her answer could be.

  “Sex, of course,” Zoe replied, with a smirk.

  “It’s hard to deny that,” I murmured. “But you didn't tell her anything stupid, like that it’s part of her duties or something?”

  “I told her that you have an amazing big cock, and she should jump on it the first occasion she has,” Zoe replied.

  When I looked at her, agitated that she had said something like that to Terra, I noticed Zoe’s smile and realized that she was teasing me.

  “You little minx,” I murmured, spanking her ass gently.

  She giggled, but as we were approaching the tavern, I dropped the topic and moved closer to the bunny girl. “Is it far from here?” I asked Mia.

  “No, it’s close.” She led us for a few minutes, turning two times before she stopped. “I was standing here,” she said. “And they attacked her out of there,” she added, pointing at one of the gaps between the buildings.

  We approached closer. The gap was just a few feet wide but was leading to another street on the other side. Looking around, I tried to spot anything that would give us any clues, but there was nothing that stood out.

  “If they were waiting here specifically for her, they would need to know where she would go,” Marcy said.

  “Yeah,” I replied, frowning. It was a trap, and they waited at this spot. But if they were waiting specifically for her, how would they know where she was going? “Zoe, can you see anything?” I asked, hoping her tracking skill would help.

  She was leaning low, staring at the ground from up close, walking back and forth around the pce Amber had been kidnapped and into the alley, before she returned to me.

  “The problem is, I can see too many things. It’s a street. There are like hundreds if not thousands of traces here. I can’t tell which ones are the ones we need,” she replied.

  “Mia, would you recognize the people who did it?” I asked.

  “I-I don't know. I-I’m sorry,” she stammered.

  Looking around, I sighed. I didn't know what I was hoping to find, but there was nothing that would help me find Amber. Clenching fists, I wondered what to do. She was somewhere there, probably close, held captive, and who knows what they were doing to her.

  I wasn’t even sure if it really was Malvick. Could it be someone else? Could she have been targeted at random? It was too soon after she had helped us find the b. It couldn’t be an accident.

  “S-S-Sorry, sir,” Mia muttered, staring at the ground.

  “We’ll help as much as we can, sir,” Terra added, looking at me with a worried frown.

  I had helped them hoping Mia would have important information about Amber’s kidnap, but also because I didn't want another girl to end up abused. “It’s okay,” I replied, looking into the alley. At least there wasn’t a puddle of blood there - that would be a really bad sign.

  But that was all I could find positive at the moment. I might never be able to find her. Or not fast enough, before it's too te.

  I must at least try, and with Mia proving not really helpful, I decided to test my other option. My only other option. “We’re going to meet Kalista,” I said to the whole group.

  Heading to her house, I expined to our new companions that she had helped me in the past, and she knew a lot about what was going on in the city.

  While I didn't want to take everyone with me inside, I wanted to take Zoe and Mari. But then Azura wouldn’t agree to leave my side, and I wasn't sure if leaving Terra and Mia alone already would be a good idea either. So, I didn't even suggest that, and we all just approached Kalista’s house.

  When she opened the door, she took a quick gnce over all of us and invited us inside.

  “I see that your group is growing quickly,” she noted, gncing at the women that hadn’t been there during our st talk.

  I just nodded, realizing that I wasn’t even sure what I wanted to ask her. ‘Do you know if Amber was kidnapped?’ sounded like such a stupid question.

  “What brings you to me?” Kalista asked when I hadn’t answered her previous statement.

  “I have a few questions,” I replied.

  “Go on.” She shrugged.

  “Have you heard something about Amber tely?” I was watching her carefully.

  “Why would I hear something about her?”

  “I’m looking for her.”

  “Oh, did you fall in love and she went missing?” Kalista asked, smiling.

  “She just went missing.”

  “Maybe she ran away to another city. Not like something was really keeping her here.”

  “So, you didn't hear anything about her?” I asked.

  “I’m not keeping track of every person that lives around.”

  “Only about those who are important?”

  “Something like that.”

  “Have you heard something unusual in the st two days?” I asked.

  “Should I?”

  I sighed, realizing that she wasn't going to answer any of my questions. She was just trying to learn as much as she could from me. “You’re not going to help me, are you?” I asked.

  Kalista smiled before she replied. “I don't work for you. I’m not sure why you thought I would help you. The st time I got an order to do that, so I did. But this time you’re here on your own, aren’t you?”

  I didn't reply, but my frown was probably enough to give her the answer.

  “I’m not selling information either,” Kalista continued. “So the best I can do is - if you tell me something useful - I’ll put you in touch with Sage. Maybe you can convince her to help you,” she added with a shrug.

  “Is she in Atranth?” I asked, surprised.

  “Yes,” Kalista replied. “Tell-”

  “Heya, handsome,” Sage suddenly said. As I turned around, she was standing behind me in one of the doors.

  “Oh, come on!” Kalista gasped. “I was trying to get something out of him. Couldn’t you wait a moment longer?”

  “What brings you here?” Sage asked, completely ignoring Kalista. “You missed me?”

  “I was too busy to even think about you.”

  Sage snorted. “With flirting skills like that, I start to understand why you surround yourself with sve girls. And I see three new cute faces,” she added, staring at Mia, Terra, and Marcy.

  “Maybe I just don't want to flirt with you.”

  “Your mistake,” Sage replied. “How did you get those two? I thought you were broke.”

  “It’s a bit more complicated, and I don't have time right now for talking,” I replied.

  “Tsk, tsk, tsk,” Sage said, shaking her head. “There's nothing like telling me you're desperate for my help so I can squeeze more out of you in return.”

  “So, you are going to help me?” I asked.

  “I’m not cheap,” Sage replied.

  “You know that I’m broke.”

  “We can always think about different ways you can pay it back,” Sage offered, getting close to me. Her face was just inches away from mine as she stared into my eyes.

  “Are you that desperate to sleep with me?” I asked.

  Sage ughed, while maintaining eye contact the entire time. She was beautiful, her young enhanced face was like a model’s. Yet, there was something dangerous in her eyes. Or perhaps I was just imagining it, knowing she was a bit crazy and could kill me easily.

  “Maybe I would use it to make an obedient puppy out of you that would lick my feet,” she said, after calming down from her ugh. “Or I would need your help with something else. Or maybe I would just want to ask you a few questions. I won’t tell you now. But as you are so desperately begging for my help, if you really want it, then you must agree to it blindly.”

  “I don't remember begging,” I replied, staring into her eyes.

  “Maybe you should start,” Sage said, smirking.

  “You don't even know what I need help with,” I said, watching her face, wondering if perhaps she already knew.

  “I can handle everything you can give me,” she replied, smiling. “But as I said, it’s not cheap. Let’s say… five thousand ryns. No specific return date. In cash, if you manage to earn it somehow. Or, in more fun ways.”

  “I’m not gonna be your servant or your dog,” I replied sternly.

  “Oh, handsome, it wouldn't be fun to force you to do something,” Sage replied. “I want you to do it of your own will. I see this deal like that. Kneel and kiss my shoe now, and the starting price would be four thousand.”

  “Fuck off,” I replied.

  “Okay,” Sage said, shrugging. “No problem at all. Five thousand is still an offer. You get it?”

  “So what? I can just refuse if I don't want to do something?”

  “Wow, look at that. Maybe you’re not only handsome.”

  “I could refuse forever and never pay you back.”

  “If you want to take a risk,” Sage replied, staring into my eyes.

  Watching her face, I wondered about the offer. It was really hard to read her, to know when she was serious or not. What if she was hiding herself behind all this strange behavior? What if that was all just her pying a game to confuse everyone around?

  Was this whole talk about her feet just teasing, or would she really want me to do that? But with an option to refuse, it didn't really matter, I wasn't going to do that ever.

  But if I refused to do everything she asked for, I would be left with a debt of five thousand, which I couldn't pay back. It was way too much for just information from her.

  “Five thousand is too much for a few answers to my questions,” I said.

  “That’s not what I offered,” Sage said. “I’ll solve your problem.”

  “Five thousand to solve any problem I have?”

  “Yes.”

  Sage looked like she was having fun, while I wondered what I was supposed to do. She was Gemma’s right hand, so if someone would be able to really help me, it was her. And if I refused her offer, I would leave Kalista’s house without any idea what to do next.

  I could try to find Malvick, but I didn't even know if it was really him who had kidnapped Amber. But even then, what would I do? Knock on his door and ask if he was holding her captive?

  While five thousand was a sum I would need to work for years to pay off, I really doubted Sage wanted money. That was why she asked for such an amount, so I wouldn’t even think about paying it back in cash and would need to do favors for her.

  There was a chance she already knew what she would ask me for, but if I had a chance to refuse, would it really be that bad? But then why would she agree to that deal? In a way, it sounded too good, giving me an option to refuse any of her demands.

  “Handsome, I’m getting bored,” Sage said, dragging out the words in a bored tone. “Make a choice, or I’m gonna look for some fun elsewhere.”

  “One thousand,” I said, hoping that she would lower the price and we could meet somewhere in the middle.

  “No,” Sage replied firmly. “I already offered you a way to lower the price, and you refused. It’s five thousand or leave this house right fucking now,” she snapped harshly, suddenly staring at me with a threat clear in her eyes.

  “And how am I supposed to agree to that offer?” I asked. “I have no fucking idea what you're going to ask for. And with five thousand, I would never pay you back.”

  “You are the desperate one here,” she replied, giggling, her demeanor suddenly changed.

  I groaned before speaking. “Can't you ask me for what you want already?”

  “I don’t know what I want yet,” Sage replied. “And don’t think I just want one thing. It’s more fun to make a lot of small ones. And I promise you won’t be forced into anything. I’ll just offer you ways to pay back the debt, and we’ll have some fun.”

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I gasped. “Okay, I agree.”

  I hoped she would need my help with something I could do and that her threats weren’t serious. In the end, we both worked for Gemma, and I hoped it would give me some safety from Sage. If she harmed me, she would be in trouble with Gemma.

  “Perfect,” Sage excimed, cpping her hands with a wide smile, looking like a small girl that just got a new present.

  As I watched her, I felt like I had just made a deal with the devil. But if that was supposed to save Amber, then I needed to take that risk. The little elf was gonna pay me for all the trouble, one way or another, when I finally found her.