text: [Themes: grimdark fantasy, fantasy, serious]
  
  While you aren't going to defy direct orders you figure you can at least lessen the gnoll attacks and keep the svelk out of your hair at the same time. Alison is certainly supportive of the idea.
  
  You tell the svelk leaders what you want done and how you want it done. You get no dissension or even any grumbles. They either realize you mean business or they're all silently conspiring against you to strike at a later time. Probably both, but for right now its enough that they just obey your orders.
  
  The next few weeks are relatively calm ones. The svelk are doing a good job of keeping the gnolls so off balanced that they haven't been attacking. The troops have enjoyed the respite from battle, though you're a bit bored by the continued lack of it. Still, you're getting a bit of enjoyment out the svelk having to do all the grunt work and follow your orders.
  
  Eventually the svelk start losing some of their number and that's when the complaints begin to start. Naturally they choose the one captain that is most likely to get under your skin...
  
  "What?" you ask when Eldolith enters your tent.
  "My comrades and I wish to discuss the terms of our current assignment." Eldolith says.
  "Terms? There are no terms. You are to continue harassing the gnolls. What don't you understand? It's a simple enough task even for you."
  
  Eldolith pauses. She wants to say something insulting. Something derogatory, but she can't and she knows it.
  
  "Are we really so loathsome to you?" she asks.
  "Hah! Is this a trick question? I mean you are joking right?" you reply.
  "No, I'm being quite serious. I mean I know what you're doing, we all do. You're sending us out to fight the gnolls day after day with barely any rest. You're hoping that we'll either all get killed off, or we'll all just end up leaving."
  "You don't miss a thing do you, guess that's why you're part of the higher born eh? Hey, you're mercs, if you don't like the job you can always quit right?"
  "Right, and we already protested about our less than stellar position on the Felkan Front. If we leave this job under the same circumstances, well it isn't very good for our mercenary reputation now is it? Even if there is it the truth that the Empire is just using us as cannon fodder because they ran out of orcs!"
  "You're breaking my heart and the hearts of everyone else that has great love for your kind, oh wait nobody likes your kind. Get out of my tent, I've got nothing more to say on this matter..." you say and wave your hand dismissively.
  
  Eldolith is beginning to get angry. She can't even form a sentence. Instead she looks behind her and goes back to the entryway of your tent and makes sure it's closed. Then she turns around with a hostile stare.
  
  "Seriously? You really think you have a chance? Alright then, make your move." You remark expecting Eldolith to attack you.
  
  Instead she takes off her sword sheath and begins unstrapping some of her armor.
  
  "What the hell are you doing?"
  "I'll be doing you in a few moments. That is what you want isn't it?" she says.
  
  It takes you a moment to collect your thoughts before you can answer.
  
  "While I won't deny your beauty, if you think you can fuck your way out of this situation, you're sorely mistaken."
  "No, I don't. But we have to come to some sort of compromise." Eldolith says and finishes removing most of her clothing. She gets on all fours and begins crawling towards you in a seductive motion. You might not want it to, but this situation is definitely arousing you. Its not really Eldolith physical attractiveness though, it's the opportunity to see this svelk so humbled that she has no choice but to debase herself before you like a common whore.
  
  "Okay...so what did you have in mind?" you ask as you look down on Eldolith who is now kneeling before you and starting to unbuckle your own belt.
  "Oh perhaps maybe you could rotate the attacks on the gnolls? Like every few days perhaps your troops could launch raids on the gnolls instead? It isn't like...(mmmm) you can't spare a few. It would break up their monotony of not doing anything and we can get a chance to... (mmmm) rest."
  "Ahhh, alright alright, just shut up and keep doing what you're doing." You say and just let yourself enjoy being serviced and imagining that it's really Mistress.
  
  The next day you approach Alison about the new plan. While she isn't opposed to the idea, since she thinks the troops shouldn't get complacent anyway, she's a little puzzled by your sudden change.
  
  "I thought your plan was to force the svelk to leave or have them all slowly get killed off by the gnolls."
  "Eh, like you said. We probably shouldn't let the troops get too complacent. Besides, the occasional foray into the gnoll occupied land isn't really breaking orders."
  "Uh huh." Alison says with a minor smirk.
  "What?"
  "Nothing."
  "No, you've got something to say, so say it." You say with accusation.
  "Sheesh, kind of defensive aren't you? I don't care if you're sticking it to that svelk captain. I told you long ago when we started having our own intimate encounters that we didn't have any hold on each other. So enjoy your little svelk piece of ass, I know you have...a preference for that."
  
  Alison's remark makes you angry.
  
  "It's not even like that Alison! Its not about sex, its about her utter humiliation and..."
  "Hold on there, I don't need details! Look, I'm just going to tell you this. Whatever arrangement you have with her, just make sure you keep on top of it. Because I know you think you have everything under control, but in my eyes she's just doing what women have been doing since the beginning of time."
  "And what's that?"
  "Manipulating a man with her pussy. And she's a svelk on top of everything else, so that makes her fives times as tricky. I'd watch it if I were you."
  "Alison, I think I have more experience with svelk females than you do, unless you aren't telling me something."
  "Ha ha, you wish. And keeping within that subject, do NOT even think about trying to orchestrate some sort of bizarre three way with us. I'm not into women and I'm definitely not into svelk." Alison remarks.
  "Wasn't planning to."
  "Good, now I guess we better decide which platoon is going to go out there to raid the gnolls."
  
  The plan is set into motion and there are no major complaints from Empire soldiers, it would appear that some of them indeed were getting itchy for combat. The svelk mercs are also satisfied or at least not complaining as much.
  
  As for you, you've been able to sate your desire for battle, by taking it out on Eldolith. You enjoy bedding her whenever you can and you are in no way gentle about it. You're fairly abusive verbally and physically, but Eldolith just takes it in silence, or when you want her to, you make her beg or even thank you for the things you do to her.
  
  And the whole time you're still fantasizing that it's Mistress. You even call Eldolith that sometimes. It gets to a point where you don't even let Eldolith go out on missions, you basically make her your personal "pleasure girl."
  
  A month goes by and the siege on Yaquan is finally successful. A few Eyes managed to infiltrate and bring the walls down from within and from there, Roldan's army did the rest. While you're pleased to hear about a victory for the Empire, your own orders remain the same. You're so busy enjoying degrading Eldolith that you've lost a little sight of what you were born to do. You don't notice it, but Alison certainly does.
  
  "Is this a good time to speak with you?" Alison asks looking cautiously into your tent.
  "Sure. What's up?" you say as you sharpen your sword.
  "I just wanted to tell you that apparently we've been making so many successful raids on the gnolls that they've been pulling back. We could advance and take their territory if we wanted to. I wouldn't be surprised if the surviving Felkans even welcomed us as liberators."
  "That would certainly be a change from how they usually welcome us, which is not at all."
  "Indeed. So...?" Alison asks as if you have something more to say.
  "So what?"
  "Well, I just thought that maybe you had heard something from the Emperor. A messenger from him perhaps. I mean the Yaquan siege was successful and there are no signs that we are needed to support General Roldan's army anytime soon. I mean it's starting to get a bit frustrating just sitting here not really advancing especially when we're beginning to beat back the enemy."
  "Haven't heard anything, so our orders to hold this position still stand. Sorry." You say continuing to sharpen your sword.
  
  Alison stares at you with dismay.
  
  "Yeah." Alison says and starts to leave, but you stop her.
  "Is there a problem?"
  "Just getting restless because I don't feel like I've been actively doing anything lately. You know something YOU used to feel before you became so enamored with your svelk slave girl."
  "So...what? You want me to visit your tent sometime? Because I can do that, but you told me ..."
  
  Alison interrupts you with more exasperation.
  
  "No, contrary to your belief, my world does not revolve around your dick. What I AM getting concerned about is my battalion. I had hoped this command would involve a lot more active combat and less waiting around. If I wanted to do that, I could've stayed in Rask. You used to feel the same way as I remember."
  "Alison, orders are orders, you should know that better than anyone. What do you want me to do? We're supposed to stay put and that's that. All I can tell you is make the best of the situation."
  "Like you have? Look I'm just saying, we've already bent orders by launching raids gnoll occupied land anyway. Surely we can do something similar now."
  
  Alison has a bit of a point.
  
  > stay put
  Alison might have a point, but you're not willing to defy the Emperor so directly.
  
  "Nothing can be done, we're just going to have to stay here." You remark.
  
  Alison throws her hands up in the air and rolls her eyes.
  
  "That's not going to change a thing you know." You say.
  "Oh believe me, if I thought it would, I would've done it a long time ago. I'm just going to say one more thing, and I don't give a shit if this is stepping out of my boundaries. This little arrangement you have with Eldolith is getting out of hand. I can't believe I'd actually start feeling sorry for a svelk, but a couple nights ago when I was making my own perusal of our perimeter I caught her sitting by herself actually crying. I didn't even think that was possible for a svelk. Of course she tried to play it off and told me to mind my business and called me a blonde monkey, but she wasn't fooling anyone."
  "Really? She was crying? Bitch doesn't cry when we're together, glad to hear she at least does though." You chuckle.
  
  Alison is shocked by your gleeful sociopathic behavior.
  
  "By the Emperor, even when I served with fucking Kane, I never heard him speak in such a manner. Look I know most of what we do for the Empire is pretty ruthless and merciless. I also know you're probably among the most cold hearted when it comes to such things. But what you're doing is..."
  "What am I doing Alison? What am I doing that is oh so terrible? Didn't you tell me years ago that you've run into Empire officers that take advantage of underlings via sexual favors?"
  "Yeah, and I never said that was right either. Also I said sexual favors. The key word being sex. Whatever it is you're doing to Eldolith is going beyond sex and you know it."
  "So what? She's a svelk anyway. She's not even a proper Empire citizen, let alone soldier. Hey I'll tell you this, the svelk would treat ALL of us like I treat Eldolith if they could get away with it. I know that from experience."
  
  "So that's your excuse? Because a svelk woman was cruel to you, you're going to act like her? You're going to act like a svelk?" Alison says which causes you to grab her by her throat and slam her to the ground.
  
  Alison's eyes widen in fear when she sees this person that she thought she knew stare at her with a murderous rage and squeeze tightly around her throat.
  
  "Don't you EVER fucking accuse me of that. EVER. You do that again, and you'll be in this tent right along side that svelk cunt. We'll have that three way you said you didn't want. And you know what? NOBODY is going to do a damn thing about it, because I'M in fucking charge here. Got it?"
  
  Alison continues to stare as you slowly release your grip to she can talk.
  
  "Got it." She answers.
  
  You get off of Alison who can't leave your tent quick enough.
  
  Later you begin to feel like you went a little too far with Alison. You really didn't mean to, but her words just set you off. She should've known not to compare you to a svelk. The next day you try to speak with Alison, but she's very distant. She doesn't want to talk about what happened and as far as she's concerned the pair of you should just keep things professional now.
  
  "Alison, I didn't mean..."
  "If you really do have any sort of respect for me at all, you'll just leave me be unless its concerning military matters." Alison remarks.
  
  You back away from Alison, you realize you've destroyed your relationship with her forever.
  
  You go back to your tent and begin pacing back and forth thinking about your mistake. The more you think about it, the angrier you get. You're angry with yourself mainly, but then you realize something.
  
  Eldolith was the initial aggressor in your arrangement. Not you. This might've been a set up right for something else right from the start. It was Mistress! She did this! She was jealous of your relationship with Alison, so Eldolith was sent to fuck it up.
  
  Even worse, you fell for it all and you hit the final nail in the coffin yourself.
  
  Now seething with fury, you storm out of your tent and head over to the svelk encampment. The svelk barely have time to realize who is attacking them before you cut down several of them. You start shouting for Eldolith to come out along with how you intend to
  
  The Empire encampment at first thinks gnolls are attacking, but when some of the troops arrive and see you massacring svelk, they aren't entirely sure what to do.
  
  "Sir, calm down! I know you don't...Ack!" a soldier says, trying to restrain you, but only gets a sword in the stomach for his trouble instead. Another soldier tries to reason with you, and you cut him down too. You're completely unreasonable at this point and the only thing that's going to stop you is either your death or Eldolith's.
  
  As you set fire to three more svelk with a fireball you begin laughing at the carnage you're causing. Still you aren't going to be truly happy until you find Eldolith.
  
  And then you see her running in the distance. You cast a lightning bolt at her, which drops her instantly. You know it isn't enough to kill her though, but that wasn't your intent anyway. You pull out your dagger and walk towards her.
  
  "It's time to learn another lesson Mistress. And its gonna hurt you a lot more than it will me." You say.
  "I'm...not Mistress...you crazy monkey..." Eldolith manages to utter.
  
  At this point you don't even hear her. Indeed it's probably not only irrelevant at this point, but most likely unclear if you're even mentally in the present because all you can see is Mistress' face. You saw her face on all the svelk you killed. You enjoyed killing her over and over. And now you're going to enjoy killing her again.
  
  Or at least you would have if a arrow through your neck didn't stop you first.
  
  You gasp and clutch at your throat before you slump down to the ground a few inches away from Eldolith.
  
  "Shit! He's dead!" one of the Empire soldiers remarks.
  "Hm. I'm surprised myself. It's been awhile since I used a bow." Alison answers.
  "You killed him! You really killed him!" another remarks.
  "Yes, but he needed to be put down. You saw him kill Empire soldiers." Alison says.
  "But wasn't he the Emperor's right hand man or something?"
  "Yes. Are there any svelk left alive?"
  "No, I think he killed them all."
  "Not all of them." Alison says.
  
  Alison takes aim with her bow again and aims for Eldolith who is just starting to shake off the effects of the lightning bolt. She slumps down dead as well.
  
  "Okay this is what we're going to do..." Alison says when turning towards her soldiers.
  
  Alison neatly explains away everything with a gnoll attack. It also helps that the gnolls did attack soon after this incident in greater force than before. Fortunately for Alison she's well respected and liked by the soldiers so nobody ever contradicts her story. Not to mention they're glad to be rid of the svelk and to a small degree you as well given how fearful they all were of you.
  
  Still, part of Alison always regretted that it had to be done at all.