Freeing the flame
#13 of Business Venture in Seeds
This is in the same city as the business series, but time wise set earlier, enjoy a tale of Fire :3
No, this does not mean I will stop writing Zoo Keeper, they will be able to co-exist, so my muse assured me.
I shouldn't have stolen it, it was stupid, but my sister needed some fresh food and I still hadn't been able to find a job.
"Step forward you scum!" the piggish slave master yelled.
Feeling the weight of the chains at my legs I none the less raised them one after the other, only to huddle in the huge pen with all the others.
Near the outer wall of the cage I heard a much more cultured voice ask, "And this is it for today's load? You know I can only cast this once, no point starting if you only cry to me later about stuffing an extra batch through."
"Just cast the fucking spell like we paid you to." the pig-man said again.
Thinking hard I blurted, "Oh shit, spell?"
Knowing what was about to come but, chained as I was to nine others, I was unable to do anything about my fate.
The 'cultured man', a stoat with a few grey hairs, began chanting and I could see slight wisps of light coming off him.
I gasped, feeling the magic work its way into my body but unable to do anything to stop it. Coursing through me it morphed and twisted my wolfish body. It slimmed muscles up my legs, shaping others further, reaching my groin I cried out as it began completely changing my physiology, decreasing my maleness and inverting it, moving organs around internally to suit as well as making new ones, removing others as needed. It didn't slow though, even at the extra work needed, progressing up my frame, reaching my chest, causing a warm swelling sensation as a large pair of breasts swelled into existence. Not stopping of course, it continued up my head and down my arms, changing and softening features to make them more feminine.
Laying there, I groaned and panted, along with dozens of other slaves subjected to the same fate. I was a Mod now, and the implications of what that would mean to the rest of my life filled me with fear.
There was a small consolation, Steel, my little sister, was still free.
"All right all right, move it, come on, get up you scum." the pig was yelling again.
First to rise in my link of slaves, I helped the others to stand and we slowly worked our way to the exit of the pen.
After the spell, we were broken back up and re-linked, according to suitability for sale. Before the day was out I found myself standing on the auction block, still chained to a group of similarly 'built' Mods.
The bidding started and went up slowly, petering out at about the same value as the previous three links. Once it was finished we were herded back to pens to await the buyers choice.
"... and they are all mods?" the old male ferret asked the pig.
"You were told that, now make your choice, since you had top bid." the pig said, reigning in his usual snarl.
"By the goddess, that one there doesn't even look to have reached majority!" the ferret said, looking at me.
"Don't need to any more, new ruling." the pig was snarling now, despite talking to a customer, "Now make your damned choice!"
"I'll take the young one then, the wolf in there." he said, clarifying.
With a small start I realised he meant me.
Another slaver came into the pen, cracked the shackle off my leg and led me out, and was about to put new leg irons on me when the old ferret called out.
"Leave those off, I have a permit. Need them to be doing heavy work in the city." he interrupted.
They paused, checking his permit and grunted, "Ok, let it step forward, you will still need the neck chain, at least until you are sure you have it broken." the pig advised, and secured a large chain to my collar.
"Very well." the old guy said, picking up the free end of the chain, "Come on, time is wasting."
I followed along behind him, quietly, as I was supposed to, until we paused outside a tavern.
The old man turned to me and said, "The reason I need a slave is that I am about to go on a journey by caravan, and they want every member of the caravan able to assist in work or have a slave to do the same. At my age such things are beyond me. Know this, your body will be your own, all I want from you is a full days work for your meals, and they will be good meals. You try to run and..." he raised his paw, palm up, and I saw a burning arc of fire lance from one side to the other.
"Y... you're a mage?" I asked, receiving a firm nod as response, "Fair enough, you want me to work, I will work. If you do treat me bad though, I will run, I don't care how powerful you are." I looked up at him, a fire in me that should be, as the pig said, 'broken'.
The mage just nodded, "Fair enough. Do you have a name?" he asked.
"Flint, everyone calls me flint." I said.
He turned his head to the side a little, "What did your mother name you Flint?"
Tears that I thought had been long since shed completely almost overwhelmed me then, "I don't know sir, I grew up on the streets, all I had was my sister and my pack."
"Sister? What is her name Flint?"
I sighed, "Sir, if we are to go on, I... I think 'Flint' is no longer appropriate." I gestured to myself, "Flinta would suit me better now, I think. As to her name, on the streets they call her Steel." I said, suppressing a grin.
She had always been the strong one, since she first was able to lift a knife she was defending me as I defended her up till then. She had been injured, and when recovering I needed to work three times as hard to get food for both of us, it had proved my downfall.
"Tell me where she is Flinta, I will make sure she is taken care of, if it will make sure you keep your mind on the job." he told me.
My thoughts faltered, should I believe him, did he just want another slave? With a sigh I said, "Barker street, in the old run down bar, she is in the basement. Please, she will need food, but if she is awake she will fight anyone who comes in."
With a chuckle, "A sick girl, I think that can be handled."
"No sir, you don't understand, she was the muscle of our pack, I made the plans she kept people in line. If anyone but me goes down there she would shank them even if she was near death." I confessed.
"A fighter? I know someone who should be able to take care of your little sister without injury to either of them, might even have a job for her. Not as a slave you understand." he told me and I sighed. If his word was good then something good might yet come from this mess.
"Show me proof my sister is ok and you can trust me not to run. She would be my only reason to leave." I confessed.
The old mage pulled out some paper and started scribing on it with a fingernail to my amazement, folding the parchment he called a guardsman he saw.
"Pass this on to Sergeant Rarster please soldier." he handed the note over with a few coins.
"Of course sir." the guard said with a grin, and took off at a trot.
The mage handed me the chain to my collar then, "When you have your proof I will remove the chain completely, for now though, help an old man out by not having to carry such a heavy chain will you?"
It was then, at that exact moment, I realised he was being a hundred percent above board with me, it made our future seem both easier and harder. If something happened to Steel, there was no question that I would run, even if it meant death, but leaving this nice guy would be the hardest part of it. "And 'sir' is a little much, even my students never called me sir. Just Harry will do."
"Sir, I... I can't, until I have this off. Until then, you're my 'sir'." I told him, gripping the iron collar for emphasis.
"Fair enough then Flinta, but you needed my name so you could identify who people were talking about anyway. And you have my word, when I have no more use for you, I will have that collar removed and you can call me by my name." he said solemnly.
With that promise he turned and led me into the tavern. "Ah the old conjurer has arrived, we can start getting this thing on the move!" a voice rang out.
I had to help load the last few provisions on wagons, it was good hard work, but it didn't take up any concentration so my mind wandered, thinking about Steel, if she would be ok.
Everything was packed, we were ready to move but small things kept going wrong, a wheel was loose and needed re-seating, some tack on a set of horses was tangled and needed work.
A flushed soldier ran up to the wagons, "I have a message for Master Harold, from Sergeant Rarsker!" he called.
"There!" I called, "My master is over there." I pointed.
The guardsman didn't even acknowledge me, just turned and headed to my master, spare time on my hands I wandered closer.
"Thank you soldier, good day." the ferret said. "Come over here Flinta, this is your confirmation."
He held the paper up to me. "S... Sir." I stuttered, "I can't read sir."
Giving me a look he began, "Found your little 'hell cat' where you said, damn near took my wolfhood with a dagger, calmed her down, told her your 'flint' had sent me and she passed out on the spot. She is with the carers now, she woke at one point and said something about 'payback'. I will see how she goes, if she still has that much fight in her she could be a good soldier." he finished, I was in tears by then.
Recognising her fighting style and that she would indeed consider payback for me ratting her out I found myself saying, "Thank you." and repeating it over and over, clutching to his robes.
After a while, and another mysterious small problem causing a delay I managed to get control of myself, "Sorry master, I won't let that happen again." I said solemnly.
"I think I can overlook it, come on, I think they may have had that last problem finally sorted." he said with a mischievous tone.
My eyes rose to his all of a sudden, seeing much mirth there as well as some concern, "You didn't...."
He just grinned and said, "Lets leave this city for a bit, let your sister grow and have her own life."
I nodded, happy to do anything he would say, if just for her.
As I took my first step, the chain at my collar broke and fell.