Toofy Ch. 06

Author's Note: There's some darker parts to this chapter. Reluctance plays a big role, and there are references to rape. (Not depictions. I will never write something like that.)

This chapter is all about power plays, so expect what comes with that territory.

---

Her feet ached as her paper-thin dress shoes slapped against the uneven cobblestones. She drew looks and gasps as she ran, holding her skirts off the ground, trying to keep focused.

Her mistress had given her an urgent task, and so she would perform it.

The bells for the afternoon prayers began to toll as she turned down the right street, heading for the largest and tallest building in the city, apart from the emperor's palace.

She skidded to a stop on the threshold, putting one hand to her chest as she tried to regain control of her breathing, of her frantic heart. She steeled herself, trying to look like her mistress did before she suddenly sent a forked word into someone's ear.

Then, the little handmaiden entered the building.

The statues of the gods loomed over her. Even with downcast eyes, she could feel the judgmental stares, see the long shadows cast over her. Feel the guilt of the sinner as she crossed into their threshold.

An acolyte approached her, "Oh, hello there. Have you come for prayers, miss?"

She looked at her dishevelled uniform that had drawn the woman's eye, and shook her head. "I must speak with Lord Yu, immediately. I come on behalf of Madame Sai."

"I am afraid Lord Yu is cloistered at this time, miss." The acolyte said fluidly, "Perhaps Lady Efina can assist your mistress."

"L-Lord Yu will see me." Arina forced herself to be brave. Her mistress needed her. Had given her explicit instructions. "He will, when you mention my mistress' name. If he does not, then remind him that sending succubi to kill a neko is never going to succeed."

The girl breathed in sharply, "A... N-neko? You serve Twenty Four?"

"She is enraged." Arina glared at the acolyte, whose entire attitude immediately changed. She was no longer the calm grass blade in the wind. She was utterly, completely, without reservation, terrified.

The woman curtsied to her, and then, to Arina's astonishment, took off at a sprint.

She moved beside the doors, waiting awkwardly, unsure what she was supposed to do until an answer came back to her. The pews were generally reserved for those in prayer. There was no receiving area.

Arina's anxious eyes roved over the temple. Taking in the gold and silver pillars, depicting the tenants of the temple. The struggles of the gods to bring order out of chaos, creating the world.

Some of the stained glass windows depicted tales of various saints, but most were dedicated to telling the story of how the current pantheon killed their forefathers, finally destroying the grip of chaos on their world.

The saints were their champions. Chosen warrior magus who used their gifted powers to fight against the corrupting influence of chaos, preventing the return to those dark and early days.

Her gut twisted nauseatingly.

It was pointless to protest that her mistress was not an agent of chaos. Twenty Four would be proud to be acknowledged as such a thing. She'd grin lopsidedly and do something improper, before giggling.

Yet, she was raised here. Her knowledge of the world was the vast ocean of an educated woman, trained in every level of culture. More than a passing familiarity with everything from flowers to religion and war.

How was it possible that Twenty Four embraced chaos so readily?

The taint of the betrayer gods.

A horrible stain that now took root in Arina's own soul, dooming her eternally. She was now a sinner, and nothing that she could do would change it. She could not deny the sin that pierced her entire being.

She would be cursed upon her death, and yet... She could not turn away from the path that she now found herself walking down.

"Where's the li'l bitch!?" A slurring voice roared, and Arina went white.

She saw Lord Yu, angry and drunk, stumbling into the main hall. The same acolyte as before, trembling in fear with a red mark across her face. Struggling not to cry as she pointed Arina out.

She smiled sadly.

Arina was terrified, and just desperate not to wet herself when he spoke to her. However, she could imagine her mistress. Back arching, and letting out an angry hiss.

The lord lumbered over to her, grabbing her clothes and lifting her into the air, "You dare to threaten me, wench? Lord of this temple!?"

"M-m'lord. I do not dare." Arina struggled, feeling her breathing, trying to control it as a frightened tear roll down her cheek. "I have come on behalf of Madame Sai. I... I am her representative. Do... Do you mean to harm me?"

"Bitch." He cursed and tossed her to the ground, "Speak up."

"The succubi. Elia."

He groaned, "Shit. She failed, didn't she?"

"The mistress knew her, before the attack began. She could not succeed." Arina said bravely, praying to any god that might hear her heretic soul that it was true. "However, she is willing to overlook it, if she may purchase the woman."

"Purchase?" Yu's face screwed up, "What? No. Not happening. She can have one of the other's. Elia is mine to fuck."

Way too drunk.

"The offer is three casks of wine, sir. But it is not negotiable for another slave. Elia, or none. That is the desire of Madame Sai." Arina found herself saying.

"Casks? Plural?" Yu was caught by surprise, "A most generous offer. Since when does the mistress of a household have such leeway? Lord Sai will be angry. Go away, little thing."

"Lord Sai has been arrested for the death of Lord Elatham. The estate falls to his mistress, sir." Arina said, voice shaking.

"They arrested him. Shit." Yu said tiredly, all the life suddenly leaving him. He waved a hand, "Fine. The cat can have the devilchild."

"A receipt, sir." Arina insisted, remembering her instructions.

He nodded and waved to the acolyte, "Take care of it. I'm going back to bed. Someone has to sleep if the Thunderstep is about to go to war with the palace."

"Thunderstep, sir?" Arina asked, remembering how her mistress had ordered her to discover all that could be, of her master.

He looked at her tiredly, "Lord Sai. It is his title, but... Speaking it aloud is a crime. I would try and forget you ever heard it, little girl. People have been killed for less."

The man left, all his energy gone.

Arina stood up slowly, dusting down her dress. The acolyte assisted her, apologising profusely for the actions of the lord. Begging her not to mention it.

As if she would be brave enough.

---

The succubi groaned, grabbing at her throat as she felt a ring of fire burning it. There was nothing there, but she felt it all the same. Enough pain that she nearly dropped the glamour.

Her owner had changed.

Her mistress hissed at her, and she gave a timid little curtsy. Despising the creature she was supposed to be imitating. How could a human of all things be such a pushover? They were born to rule the other races.

The guards escorting them didn't seem to have noticed the slip.

The two of them were led into a large and intimidating hallway, where the mistress immediately didn't curtsy, but actually went down on her knees and bowed her head to the ground.

Elia followed suit, but was utterly confused.

She wouldn't have expected that cat to show anyone this kind of respect. Would have expected that she would have preferred to die than to submit.

The glamour around Elia wavered, and then collapsed.

She jerked her head up, red eyes glaring over towards a guard leaning in a shadow. He put a hand on his sword.

The mistress spoke, "If you intend to slay my property, sir, I would prefer it that you did so after I have finished paying for it."

"You dare to bring a succubus here?" A man a long way from them said angrily.

The mistress stood, but put a hand on Elia's shoulder to keep her put. "She is acting as my servant. Nothing more. I am afraid, sir, that I was injured quite recently, and quite badly. I require the attentions of someone who is experienced beyond human needs."

Elia's eyes widened as she suddenly realised that the mistress wasn't speaking in the third person. She was sounding polite, trim and proper, and insulting the fuck out of everyone in the room.

"What could you possibly require that a human could not provide?" The distant man scoffed.

The cat's tail brushed against Elia's face comfortingly, "Magic, for one, sir. As you insultingly have observed, I am not human. Thus, I require magic to heal correctly. As the sir is aware, succubi drink in sexual energy and convert it to magic. I am feeding off her, to restore my strength."

Elia's jaw tightened.

She hadn't noticed it, but the cat wasn't lying. She really was trickle-draining the succubus' magic. Without even asking her first. Seemed her mistress had a different idea of their relationship.

"The succubi will be expelled." The man said, "That is the will of the emperor."

Twenty Four's tail swished, and she made a pouting face, "That's not what he said. He said he wants to see her. Isn't it a crime to lie about the emperor's words?"

Elia breathed in sharply.

The attendant pointed a finger, "You dare to -"

"Don't bother, human. She can hear him whisper." The neko growled, and took a step forward, "Every word. She is a neko. The ears are not just fluffy, you fluff-brained idiot."

Elia cringed, bowing her head, "Mistress. It would be better that I recede."

"Fuck that." Twenty Four swore, "That one is looking for an excuse to kill my property. It has quite annoyed her. He thinks of Toofy as a slave. She is the fucking Madame Sai! Head of the House of Sai! She will be afforded the respect of her station!"

The entire room went silent.

Toofy dragged the succubi to her feet, claws painfully piercing her shoulder as she did. "By order of your mistress, you will not leave Toofy's side, Elia."

"T-Toofy?" The attendant stammered.

The neko laughed gleefully, "It is her name, sir. Given to her by her master. The Madame Sai is the Toofy. That is her name, and if you continue to ridicule it inside that festering imagination that you call a mind, I will tear it out."

Elia's eyes widened and she stared at her mistress, at the glowing golden eyes. She was casting. She had to be. She was looking inside the mind of the attendant.

"You dare to threaten -"

"Die."

Elia sprang into a fighting stance, tail flicking anxiously, as the man dropped to the ground. She'd heard his heart stop beating the moment that the mistress spoke. He was long gone.

Toofy paced for a moment, as the royal guards surrounded them, weapons at the ready and drawn. Then she gave her monstrous lopsided smile, "The emperor wished to know if Toofy could be of use. She has inherited Lord Elatham's magic, as she has just demonstrated on that worthless trash. A man who could not even relay the emperor's intent. Twisting his words. Toofy believes she has done as requested."

"Agreed."

The room all dropped to the ground, heads touching stone. Elia couldn't believe it. Her mistress had actually forced the emperor to speak to her.

To actively defend her, of his own free will, or lose an asset that he would obviously like to keep. To control. That was why she'd killed the attendant.

Forcing his hand.

She had just made the fucking emperor do what she wanted. Her mistress was utterly terrifying, and the abuse of power was... Elia needed new underwear. This set was soaked through.

---

The scent of Elia was both comforting, and nearly overpowering. Her Little Saia had done well to avoid making a peep as she had a full blown orgasm when the emperor spoke. His hand forced.

Toofy wanted to suck her tail. See the woman stay quiet, then!

"I am intrigued by you, Madame Sai." The quiet voice spoke from behind the distant veil. Her ears twitched nervously as she heard the anger in it, barely hidden. "Thus, I invoke my right to bed any wife, mistress, concubine or slave, of any lord, for a single night."

It took everything in her not to pull her ears back and hiss loudly in his direction.

She was Sai's, not this arrogant fucker's.

Her mind raced, trying to find a way out.

She could suggest that she was still healing from Elatham, which was true enough. Her soul was scarred, and her body hardly knew it was alive. Yet, the emperor would simply delay it. Probably force her to stay, and be examined by his physicians until they deemed she was ready.

Sai was imprisoned. If he wasn't considered a lord, then the right wouldn't apply. But if it didn't, then she wouldn't have any rights whatsoever. A slave without a master. He could kill her or bed her, and no one would even pretend to give a shit.

If she even dared to pretend she wasn't in heat, then Westcolm would be summoned, and he would sell her out. He would be excited to hear about the emperor wanting to bed her, not revolted or protective.

If the emperor spread his seed inside her, however... She would be killed. No bastard could be allowed to be born. If he didn't do it inside her, decorating her, it would be an affront to the gods. A waste of his perfection.

There it was.

He wasn't threatening to violate her purity. He was trying to demonstrate to her that her life was in his hands, and that even if she manipulated him, he would still control her destiny.

"It may be much for her to ask, but Toofy wishes to know." She began ever so carefully, "Has the emperor had a temple-trained girl before? Toofy was trained by Lady Efina in the ways to best serve her master. These... Require a certain... Constitution. Lord Sai was a warrior. The great emperor, has been protected from such pains."

"You're mewling mouth will not save you, neko." He replied quietly, so quietly only she could hear him. "Who do you think it was that trained Lord Sai how to pick up a sword? He trained beside me. Under the same swordmaster, Lord Westcolm."

She rolled her jaw painfully, out of options.

She might one day have the power to defy the emperor, but that day was a long ways off, yet.

Today, she was just a neko.

She couldn't even make a request to see her master before she had to submit her body to another. She didn't have the right to make any request of any lord higher than herself.

And Toofy was just a fucking slave.

"She has been coughing up furballs, m'lord. She requires bathing. Her succubi can assist." The neko spoke firmly, acquiescing to the demand of the emperor.

"Furballs?" The emperor asked in confusion.

She moved her hand a little, opened her mouth. She made a small retching noise. Her jaw stretched painfully, inhumanly wide. Her tongue curled and revealed itself as far longer than anyone would expect.

The bundle of hair fell onto the royal carpet with a hideous splat.

She pointed, "Furball. Toofy is a neko. She had to clean herself, after she was attacked. His excellency would not find her up to his standards, if she does not have a proper bath."

Her ears twitched and she tried very hard to keep the smile from her face as she heard him dry retching.

If he was going to insist on making her future uncertain, then she was going to reinforce to him that she was not even remotely human. She was going to make it gross.

That and... She wouldn't mind getting to have bath salts, again.

She didn't like baths, but she did like smelling pretty.

"Escort Madame Sai to the House of the Falling Leaves. With her servant." The emperor dismissed them.

---

It had been a long time since Sai had even used his magic.

He had reached for it instinctively when Toofy was in danger, grabbing hold of it blindly, ignoring the costs. Surprising himself with how naturally it had come to hand.

He had hoped that life was behind him.

Now, however, he was once again worried about his mistress. Summoned to the palace to convince the emperor that she was both not a threat and of some use to him.

Sai concentrated, sitting cross-legged. He felt the light begin to glow behind his eyes, the steadying hands of the goddess embracing him, as his senses began to twist and shift.

He could still hear and see his cell.

However, he was also somewhere else. Seeing poorly as if through a dimmed light. Muffled noises around him. The voices were indistinct at first, before snapping into clarity.

"- my tail!" A coal-skinned succubus snarled, red eyes glaring with anger. She was naked, sitting beside a bath, clutching the afore-mentioned appendage and moving it out of reach.

A black-haired woman lay in the bath, and splashed the surface, sulking, "No fair! Toofy just wants to play with her! What's so wrong about that?"

"We're supposed to be getting you ready to fuck the emperor." The succubus shot back, "You know, the guy who could have us both killed on a whim? So save your damned spirit for him."

The dark-skinned woman poured a bucket over the other one, making them splutter and let out a surprised and angry meow. The succubus scoffed, "You're the one who said smelling nice was important. Not my fault you were running around in a forest."

Sai felt some not inconsiderable concern. He had exactly no idea who the newcomer was, but he doubted that they were a palace servant. He also recognised the room they were in just as much.

Toofy had to be in the palace, somewhere.

One of the many small buildings the emperor reserved for his concubines, in all likelihood. Which made Sai sweat in fear. He couldn't tell if she still had her bell. Had the man taken her, seized her as his own? Or was this just another of Toofy's dalliances?

It might just be a way to earn favour. Gods knew that they both needed some of that right now. One imprisoned, almost guaranteed to face execution.

The other, an inhuman slave.

"Toofy hates baths!" His neko warbled, "Hate, hate! She hates getting wet! Stop picking on her, Little Saia."

"My name is Elia. Kinda disturbing that you're still using that one for me, if I'm honest." The succubus said with irritation, "Just because you think it's cute. The client called me that because of his daughter."

The neko splashed the bathwater with irritation, "That's not why. Her master's name is the same. Sai. So Toofy likes the name. What name does Elia like?"

"Elia."

"Not cute enough!" Toofy declared.

So this was Elia, then. Sai had been vaguely aware of the temple girl. Several of his household staff were in the habit of hiring her, because she was both skilled at glamour magic, and roleplay.

It was a taboo. A borderline crime, to use someone else's image, personality, and voice, during carnal activity. Which was likely why Elia was a trained assassin and not a whore.

One of Yu's, not Efina's.

It seemed that Toofy had eliminated that problem for Sai, before he had got around to it. He believed that the infiltration had been instigated by Lord Vanhern.

It was still possible that Castelle was behind it, but unlikely. That one wasn't patient enough to allow the assassin months to integrate into the flow of the estate.

The succubus blew at her hair, "You're testing my patience, mistress."

"Then let Toofy suck your tail!"

Mistress?

It was clear that his neko had once again ignored his orders to engage sexually with someone else. He could let that pass - it was likely a necessity of the circumstances.

Yet, a temple girl wouldn't use that term lightly. Had the cat hired the would-be assassin? Or had she outright bought the creature?

It didn't seem like Twenty Four had made this one fall in love with her, like she had with her handmaiden. There was deference, and a playful sort of lust, but not a deep affection.

At least, not yet.

"No! I'm already dehydrated as it is!" The succubus snapped, "I need to recharge, you stupid cat. If you keep draining me, then I'll bloody starve."