<div style="text-align: center"><span style="font-size: 18px"><b>▬ ♣ ▬</b></span><br/>
​</div><br/>The trio moved into a warmly lit corridor, stalking the Baron for a good few paces. The two guards positioned at the heavy doors couldn’t help but initially fix their attention on Bahiyya, only to thereafter concentrate on the “spoiled” Tamaska: Something in their expression, this languid fleshy desire, told her that these rugged gentlemen weren’t easily surprised anymore: If this court was a reoccurring happenstance, it wouldn’t be hard to assume they were growing less surprised and more accostumed to the absurdity.<br/><br/>The doors shut with a thud and Tamaska felt the soothing touch of carpet on her hands and knees.<br/><br/>Up ahead, the Baron veered through two heavy-set doors into what Tamaska assumed to be his study: The doors were already shut, barring any inquisitive peek into his private domains from happening.<br/><br/>Emberspike peered across his shoulder at the sex-slave crawling after him like an obedient puppy – his nostrils flared, two jets of his sweetly smoke bellowing around his grinning goblin head:<br/><br/>“<span style="color: DarkSlateBlue"><b>Now ain’t that just ae’ sight, gal? A damn shame I have ter let you go soons -..</b></span>”<br/><br/>“<span style="color: Sienna">You greedy bastard – the troll has been all over you more than you deserve. I remind you, she’s the Barons property, not yours.</span>” Bahiyya chastised, a provocative undertone nestled in her statement.<br/><br/>The goblinoid scoffed derisively at her, but the succubus paid no attention to his verbal objections, instead addressing Tamaska:<br/><br/>“<span style="color: Sienna">Ah, and here we have our little surprise, it seems</span>.”<br/><br/>Tamaska caught sight of one of the ladies’ servants who greeted them when they boarded the coach leading up to the main estate. The black-haired gentleman ahead of them stood with what mostly resembled a large bird cage, a thick drape covering whatever it contained.<br/>The mistress sauntered up and wrapped her sultry lips around the broad-chested sir in a voracious hungry kiss that radiated perversion as much as passion. The lucky recipient seemed to blush in a particularly subservient fashion afterwards, wordlessly giving her the cage.<br/><br/>“<span style="color: Sienna">I shall demand a bed ready for my evening massage, servant.</span>” Bahaiyya cooed:<br/><br/>“<span style="color: Sienna">Kneeling at my bed, scented oil, a little snack and find me a flask of champagne. I am in a good mood.</span>” She curtly instructed. Her servant simply bowed his head with a barely audioble acknowledgement in common before he whisked his presence away.<br/><br/>Her two superiors stopped – Bahiyya took point:<br/><br/>“<span style="color: Sienna">You have served us well, little troll. With our special plans for you, I think it’s prudent to offer you a little gift.</span>”<br/><br/>Emberspike took over, talking through his almost ever-present grin:<br/><br/>“<span style="color: DarkSlateBlue"><b>It’ll be one of ther’ few choices we’ll allow ya’ t’take, and tha’s only because you’ve so far lived ter’ our expectations. So count yerself lucky, fuck-puppy.</b></span>”<br/><br/>The immaculate lady uncovered the large cage: within it, a quite peculiar being blinked, slowly raising itself on its hind-legs:<br/><br/>The faerie dragon was approximately the size of a parrot, and no less colorful: presenting itself as a cross between a lizard, a dragon-pub and an oversized butterfly, this particular thing sported two feathered antennas sprouting from its forehead in black-red colors.<br/>Two pitch-black, lizardlike eyes imbedded in its head caught sight of Tamaska, glaring at her with no pupils of mention. Beautiful, vibrant turquoise scales snuck along the main portions of its body, offset by the creamy scales running along its underbelly. Two fiery, red-orange butterfly wings spread as much as the cage allowed, colors dancing and bouncing onto its nearest surroundings.<br/><br/>“<b><span style="color: DimGray">Well, well, well, doth my eyes deceive me or am I in the presence of one more of your unfortunate toy-things, she-witch?</span></b>” the lizardling hissed carelessly, guiding its head towards Bahiyya but not letting the troll out of its sight.<br/><br/>“<span style="color: Sienna">Tamaska - meet Kumar, servant to his Royal Highness, magical custodian of his estate and general nuisance to his underlings.</span>”<br/><br/>The succubus, who pointedly avoided commenting on the “she-witch” commentary, opened the cage door and Kumar slowly crawled out; perching atop the cage, he bowed his head in what best could be described as a mockery to curtsey:<br/><br/>“<span style="color: DimGray"><b>..also, pest-control, fetch-thing, occasional cynic and the only living thing with a functional thinker inside the poor confines of this “glorious” nation. Books can be written about how humbled I am to serve his “royal highness” – may his anger never find foothold in my worthless being.</b></span>”<br/><br/>Kumar spoke with a sarcasm you could cut steel with; all presented with a sort of perpetual sigh, as if he loathed his very existence.<br/><br/>“<span style="color: DarkSlateBlue"><b>Very funneh; Yer’ such a joker..</b></span>” Emberspike growled with a tingle in his voice.<br/><br/>“<span style="color: DimGray"><b>Oh –pardon me-, for insulting your refined sense of the comedic, colonel Spike. I shall attempt to curb my pitiful insights, for truly do I wish naught to lash your rose-powdered ears with my insignificant musings.</b></span>”, the fey-dragon responded unafraid.<br/><br/>Apparently, Kumar enjoyed some sort of favor at the court, as Emberspike didn’t conjure a verbal retort – the demon in disguise did – however – manage to burn through the remainder of his cigar in but a second, eyes flaring dangerously, his grin turning to a snarl in a heartbeat.<br/><br/>“<span style="color: DimGray"><b>And now I am to babysit your sensual protégé. –Why- Bahiyya, you truly outdo yourself in your poignant selection of relevant tasks so befit my unfit persona.</b></span>”, Kumar effortlessly continued, peering at Tamaska with all manners of skepticism somehow clearly represented in his expression.<br/><br/>“<span style="color: Sienna">He has.. a tongue, as you can guess, slave. But he knows the ins and outs of Bruutheim and we need to keep him occupied lest he’ll cause a riot in our ranks with his “favorable” disposition. All it comes down to is, do you accept?</span>” the succubus continued.<br/><br/>The choice presented some thoughts:<br/><br/><span style="font-family: 'Arial'">♣</span>- She could accept their gift: This new rather spiteful thing could maybe help her understand her position in Bruutheim and provide her with some well-needed advice.<br/><br/>♣ - She could deny the gift: She was given the freedom of choice in this matter, and for all she could know, he could as well be a spy to report on any misgivings of hers instead of a proposed adviser.<br/><br/>♣ - She could let the lizardling decide himself: Not the most independent of thoughts, but with his talkative nature, all she had to do was to remain silent before he presumably went either one or another way.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>