Mercy Makes Three of a Kind Ch. 02

"I... um... don't...." Alice was trying to say, clearly at a loss for a polite way to decline the offer.

"Oh! I can help!" Kelsey said ambitiously, while raising her hand like she was in school.

"Mmmhmmm, I might just take you up on the offer." Charity said to Kelsey in a seductive tone before returning her attention to Alice. With confidence, Charity casually brought her left hand from Alice's side to her left breast and reached over to grope her right breast with her right hand.

Alice looked like a mouse frozen in front of a cat. "The thing is... that pretty white girls like Alice here, with the sandy blond hair, and the big Rrrack!" Charity visibly squeezed Alice's tits, and seemed to relish the word rack by really rolling out the R.

"Ohh" Alice tried to hold back a moan. She was biting her bottom lip.

"Those are the girls that Rrreally do it for me the most." Charity said, again doing the same R sound for the word really. Then she released Alice.

"I've soaked enough." Charity then stood "Come with me, little slave. I've been too generous to you today. I need to fix that. As for you ladies. Enjoy my hospitality. Mercy, I hope tonight we can catch up a bit. Alice, I want you to think about my offer. You just might see the world in a new way." Charity said. Then she gave Mercy a smile, Alice a wink, and she walked out of the room with Mindy crawling after her.

I found I was staring at the sway in Charity's steps. She walked with such confidence.

The rest of the bath was surprisingly casual. By the time Charity and Mindy left, Kelsey and I had finished washing ourselves. Mercy was done also; Mindy had washed her. Mercy was leaning back, both elbows resting on the pool's ledge. She seemed to be lost in thought. It felt like the conversation she had with Charity had created a dilemma in her, and she was trying to come to a decision.

I was wracked with my own thoughts in the silence. Poor Mindy. Charity said she was an adventurer too. Mindy looked so young. It was hard not to see the similarities in Mindy and Me, or Kelsey and Alice. We were young adventurers. What would happen if we crossed the wrong people here? Would I end up like Mindy? I need to get out of my own thoughts.

Alice shook her head. Maybe she was stuck in her own thoughts. She was the only one still dirty, and she took the moment to get washed before Mercy 'helped' her.

Mercy was finished changing before the rest of us. "Don't take too long." She spoke on her way up the stairs.

"I just can't believe it. We're staying at a slave training house. Did you see that poor Mindy girl." Alice said to Kelsey and me. It was pretty clear she was the most upset seeing the girl crawling around.

"It's weird, you always hear about slavers and slave markets. I never thought I'd be seeing so much of it. Were they doing this stuff back in Millerton and we just didn't know?" I voiced my concern.

"This is hopefully just temporary. That's what Mercy said before we left. That she had a friend who could get us up and going here? She said that... right? Either way, we can't be getting involved with that stuff. Let's just keep to the clean jobs, and we will be okay. Okay?" Kelsey said.

Somehow, her words made me feel better. Now only if I didn't show so much skin in this damn outfit.

****************

"How the hell did these morons get this far with the stuff." Mercy stated more than asked, as we approached this abandoned-looking building way on the east side of town.

It was now about late afternoon when we got to this shabby looking building. Thank goodness Mercy knew where we were going. I'd peeked at the detailed papers that came with the job. I had no clue the names of the streets or the local lingo. Mercy had first brought us to a downtown market. From there she had us branch out looking for anyone who had a neck tattoo of a rose.

"Did you happen to see the tattoo Mindy had?" Alice had asked me, while we were watching. I think the whole situation in the bath house had her rocked. I knew slavery was always a big concern for Alice. Here we were seeing a lot more of it than we ever had in our relatively small town.

"Yeah, I saw it. I'm guessing these 'Fire Thorns' are a pretty big deal here. I've actually seen a few wanderings around." I said, and slyly pointed one out.

It was Mercy who spotted our mark and had me tail him. As we all travelled in a loose line behind the guy, it became clear we were heading in the right direction. More and more people in the area were sporting the same tattoo. It was not a very good tattoo. One of the bozo's even stopped to hit on me. He grabbed my ass and tried pulling my vest string. He wasn't too talkative after I kneed him in the crotch.

"So... how should we go about this?" Alice asked as we staked the place out.

"The building looks to have no second floor. That's good." Mercy began telling us her thoughts aloud. "I suspect there's going to be a basement. If these guys are serious about starting an operation like this, they'll need a big basement."

"Okay" Kelsey said, "What exactly is the job anyway? I don't know too much of the details and I'd rather not get killed because I didn't ask. The only thing I know is we are to collect stolen goods."

"Oh, they are goods alright." Mercy said with a smile. "This here is a small gang swimming in a big pond. You see 'The Fire Thorns' are one of the big players in this city. This dumb rose gang is trying to imitate them and are planning to get into the slave business just like the Thorns. The big problem for them, is they stole from an upscale artificer who supplies slave gear. This artificer put in a request for someone to return his stolen product. We will be that someone."

"Slave gear?" Alice asked.

"Yeah. I don't know yet what type of gear. Most artificers work with enchanters to put the curses on gear. It ranges from collars, shackles, jewelry. We won't know until we find it. The good news is that it was posted just this morning, so I doubt they'll have any whores chained up yet. The great news is that the posting said it only cares about getting the merchandise back. That means we can deal with the robbers however we see fit." Mercy said with a widening smile.

Her smile sent a shiver running down my back.

It wasn't much longer until we made our move. Alice ran a distraction, luring the guard from his post and around a corner to a waiting Kelsey. Moments after he left his post, Mercy and I walked in. Mercy had said to 'walk confidently'. I'm guessing she could tell I was nervous about the job.

Inside, the building somehow looked worse than the outside. There was peeling paint on the walls. Toppled over bookshelves, spiderwebs, and even a few puddles. The whole room stank of booze. There were two people rolling dice, and a third was passed out sitting in a chair.

Mercy, without any hesitation walked to the two drunks, and caved them in with her heavy hammer. I felt their terror run through me. It was effortless for Mercy, and I was again reminded of how frightening she was.

The one who was passed out didn't so much as budge. He must have been so fucked up on whatever drugs they were doing in here. I made my way towards him, dagger in hand. Mercy just shrugged her shoulders and in a low voice said "Forget him. He's probably fucked anyway."

The whole thing had me thankful that Mercy was living up to her name. Maybe she could tell I didn't like to kill, especially when it's not self-defense. Kelsey and Alice entered, and we ventured further into the shithole of a house.

Aside from a rather half-assed wire trap, and a few empty rooms, the locked chest was up for the taking. There was no basement, there was only one other guard, who was just as fucked up as the chair guy. He was snoring in the same room as our objective. Again, we let him be.

The lockbox was pretty heavy, so Mercy carried it out for us. She carried it with such ease, you'd think it was empty. We made our way a few blocks to a safe location, and I was told to open it. Honestly, it's got to be my favorite part of any job. I just love picking locks.

Inside the box was a pile of gold rings. On nearly all of them was a small gold chain, only two or three tiny links long, that led to a small gem. The gems varied in color, from yellow, purple, green, red and blue. Mercy grabbed a handful of them and took a closer look. Alice grabbed one also, holding it up to her face, she started to mumble some incantation. "Ya, there's some really potent magic on these." She said, then tossed the ring back in the box.

"Better get this box back to the guild so we can get paid." Mercy said cheerfully as she closed the chest. "Though I was kind of hoping they had more... exotic stuff."

It was a long walk to the hall for the three of us. Mercy had said that she needed to keep her hands open in case of trouble, so Alice, Kelsey and I took turns carrying the box. The only saving grace to this was that perverts are less likely to pinch your ass while you're carrying something heavy. Well at least for some of us. Kelsey got a pinch from some asshole.

****************

We arrived back at Charity's place, down that wide alleyway in the slums. Still following Mercy, we ascended the stairs to the main room. It was our first time entering the main area, I didn't know what to expect from a place for training slaves.

Inside was gorgeous and huge. There was a rustic look and feel, with the walls lined with bright colored wood. The floor and baseboards were dark hardwood. On the walls there were long vined plants and brightly colored flowers. The room had magic lanterns that illuminated better than any candle could, making it feel like afternoon instead of dusk. There was one small table near the entrance that looked to be a reception. A few couches lined the walls.

There was a much larger circular table near a fully stocked bar that was deep in the far corner. That is where Charity was sitting. She was wearing a long silky housecoat. The bright colored housecoat complimented her dark skin. She was going through some paperwork and had a large cup of wine in front of her.

As we neared, Charity looked up and smiled. "I'm happy you've all returned. How was your adventuring?"

Mercy set down a bag with our earnings on the table before she went over to the bar. There she pulled up a small barrel of beer and brought it to the table. Kelsey, always the mind reader, fetched us all mugs. We circled around the table filling our mugs and told Charity about our day, who just smiled.

"Before we all get too comfortable. Maybe I can give you all the tour?" Charity asked.

There wasn't much more to the room we were in. Instead, Charity brought us down a hallway that had many doors on either side that were all slightly open. As we went, rooms were assigned to each of us. Each room had a large bed, closet, dresser, table and chair. There was one double set of double doors at the end of the hallway.

"Through there is where I do most of my work." Charity said. She turned and gave a warm smile. "Tonight, I'm going to be training a new girl and I'd still like your help Alice."

Alice just blushed and tried to not make eye contact.

It wasn't long before the alcohol was flowing and the reminiscence between Mercy and Charity took the spotlight. There were many stories involving their youth together. How they grew up in poverty and overcame this problem or that problem.

Even though I was enjoying the company of my new and old friends, I couldn't help but want to take my share of the money and go gambling. I was in Gran Stoby, and I needed to get out of there. I was having a hard time keeping my leg from bobbing up and down.

Alice was the first to take note of my restlessness. She made a light cough to break up the story telling. "Mercy, would it be okay for us to divvy up the reward?" She smiled her warm smile at me. I think she remembered how excited I was to try some of the new card games.

"I'm so excited. I'm in Gran Stoby and I've gotta see some of these gambling halls," I burst out saying. They all laughed at my sudden show of excitement, Mercy dumped the bag of coins down and separated into five piles. One was smaller and given to Charity. I think that even though her name is Charity, she wasn't going to just let us live there for free.

"Anyone want to join me?!" I said as a used both hands in a shoveling motion to bring my pile of coins to me. Both Alice and Kelsey stood. "I don't know if I want to do any gambling, but I'd like to see some sights," Alice said. Kelsey smiled and downed her cup. "I'm in!"

Now. I'm not one for boasting, but.... I don't know if it's possible to lose money faster than that. It might be a gambling superstition for me, but I think Kelsey and Alice might be bad luck. We'd only made it to the first gambling hall, and in a matter of minutes, I'd lost it all.

We wandered around for a little while and took in more of the beautiful city, but it was getting late. Not only would we need to worry about possibly getting mugged, but there was also a very real chance we'd get lost. So, before the sun truly set, we went back to Charity's.

Inside, both Charity and Mercy were still sitting at the table, drinking and laughing. You could tell they were very old friends. They were sitting across from one another, there was space to sit between them on either side. Kelsey sat across from me and Alice. Charity commented about how quickly we returned.

"That's because Ren sucks at cards!" Kelsey teased me, as she refilled her mug.

"No worries my little pixie." Mercy said to me. "You've just spent all your good luck finding me. Here, I'll lend you my share of the earnings." She tossed me her bag of money. "You'll owe me." She gave me a wink.

Excitement rejuvenated me. This was a second chance to win back my money. A second chance to have fun. I grabbed the bag, and nearly knocked my chair over trying to get to the door. I left my bad luck behind.

***************

This time, I did a lot better. I played dice, my preferred game. This time, I didn't take big risks. I made the money last.... for about two hours. Then I started getting impatient and lost it all. There were these two drunks, one kept trying to undo the silver band holding my vest together, the other kept trying to grab my ass. This garter belt outfit was practically asking these perverts to harass me.

As I made my return to Charity's place, there were no longer four people sitting at the table, but rather two. Mercy and Kelsey, and Kelsey was way too fucking drunk. It was very plain to see, the way her eyelids were half closed and shiny. The way she kept swaying back and forth, and that was before she greeted me.

"Wren, dhere yu ArE. I miSsed Uuu." She managed to get out. Mercy looked to be not too bad.

"Ren! I'm glad you made it back. Kelsey and I were just playing a drinking game." Mercy greeted me. "I think she might be done though. Would you like to play next?"

"No thanks. I'm not a heavy drinker. Where's Charity and Alice?" I asked.

"Alice decided to give Charity a hand in training the new girl." Mercy said with a smile. "They've been gone for quite a while now." It felt like there was a knowing tone in her voice. Something unsaid.

"Maybe I should take Kelsey to bed. She doesn't look too good." I said, looking at Kelsey who now had her chin resting on her chest. I'm not certain, but I think she might've fallen asleep. "I might hit the sheets as well. I'll have to work extra hard tomorrow so I can pay you back."

"Good night you two." Mercy said and filled her mug once more.

I helped drag my drunk friend through the hallway towards her designated room. It was near the end of the hall by those large double doors. The double doors seemed to stare at me as we made our way to Kelsey's room, her arm resting on my shoulder. The closer we got; the more curiosity bit me. Charity's words kept going through my head. "I do most of my work."

We made it into Kelsey's room. It shared a wall with the mystery workroom. Right after I laid Kelsey in her bed, I swear I heard something thump. Muffled voices and maybe something else. I held my breath and closed my eyes trying to hear better, but nothing was very clear. I made my way out of the room and back into the hallway.

I found myself staring at those double doors. My heart was pounding. I wanted to walk away. I needed to walk away. There was this feeling in my gut, screaming at me to go.

I nearly left, but as I was turning, I swear I heard something. I'm just going to have a quick peek. I neared the door. It was locked.

Well, maybe that's for the best...

I reach for my tools. I feel like a tool. Why can't I seem to stop myself from going through with this, why do I hate locked doors so much? It's unlocked in seconds. Now to be quiet.

As I creak the door open, I pick up on three things. The first was a very strong floral scent wafting through. It smelt like a botanic garden. The second big thing I noticed was the low lighting, especially compared to the rest of the building. As it happened, that was more because of the last thing I noticed. This room was massive. It looked and felt like a two-story warehouse. The door led out onto an upper landing. There was a set of stairs that was just off to the left that brought you down to the main floor, where the lighting was much better.

The landing I was on looked down into the bulk of the room. I neared the railing that was around waist height and looked down to see four women. Two I recognized, two I did not. The scene was enough to stop my breath.

Charity was sitting on what could be considered a throne. It was raised up on a small platform to give her a better view of the three girls in front of her. She looked to have thigh high black leather boots, a black corset and matching gloves that went up to her biceps. She sat there legs crossed, leaning back with a stick in her hands watching the show in front of her.

The other woman I recognized was Mindy from earlier. Though if it wasn't for the green hair, I might not have known it was her. She was crawling on hands and knees and had a large blindfold on. Still wearing the collar that had chains going to the cuffs on her wrists. Her legs each had a leather belt that wrapped upper thigh to shin. Essentially keeping her heels near her butt. Because of the short chain from collar to wrists, and being forced to crawl on her knees, Mindy looked to be forced to crawl fairly low to the floor. Her pierced nipple rings looked to brush the floor. She looked to have a blindfold on and was being led by a chain leash that was also attached to her collar.

Beside Mindy was another woman, who had beautiful porcelain skin and very large boobs. This girl was in a very similar setup. She too had a belt around her thighs, keeping her crawling on hands and knees alone. The most noticeable thing she wore was a thick leather mask that covered nearly her whole head. It looked like it only had an opening for her nose and mouth. Looking closely, I could see she did have some sandy blond hair that came out near the back of the neck.

The hooded girl didn't have any leather collar or wrist shackles. Instead, she had coarse rope tied in a way that looped around her neck but did not pull closed to restrict breathing the way a noose would. This rope along with the leash Mindy had were held in the hand of the fourth woman. Another girl I did not recognize.

This fourth girl stood upright, wearing tall leather boots the same as Charity. Around her waist she had a thick leather belt similar to the belts that both Kelsey and I wore, though her belt didn't have the half skirt or the evenly spaced rings. Around her neck she sported a dark choker covered in long metal spikes. The dark outfit complemented her lightly tanned skin and long pink and purple hair.