Toofy Ch. 24

As with the best of illusions, there was a small nugget of truth to be found in it, but Lord Sai had nought to do with Vanhern's problems from that time. His wife was the cause of endless problems for the lord, today, but she hadn't turned her attention to him yet, back then.

What would have happened if Vanhern had succeeded in positioning himself as an enemy to the neko? He had tried to have Lord Sai executed, and the empress sold off as a slave.

That was a future that sent chills down his spine at how close to oblivion he had strayed in his ignorance.

Since her rise to power, the empress had shown all the mercy of a typical neko. That is to say, none at all. If a minister opposed her plans for the future, she didn't attempt to negotiate with them, as her predecessor had done. Instead she replaced them. Giving their lives into the hands of the former slaves that they had kept.

It was ruthlessly effective.

Those who had treated servant and slave alike found themselves suddenly having to work for a living. It was a difficult transition, but approached with the right attitude then you had a chance of not just surviving but rising back through the hierarchies to a semblance of power. You had a chance to make yourself invaluable to the lord that replaced you, with knowledge and experience that they lacked and needed.

If, however, you had treated your slaves as less than a person, then you would generally be dead by end of day. The empress had no need to order your execution, and kept her hands clean whilst removing someone who would surely have been a thorn in her paw.

She used human nature as a weapon, politics as a guillotine, to enforce her vision of the future. Creating an environment for change that was surprisingly stable. There was some general unrest, and many believed she had a hand in the death of orckind, but for the most part exotics were rising not just as equals, but taking actual power, and there had been little bloodshed for it.

Vanhern found himself treading more carefully than he had in some time, but making himself an advocate for the empress had given him a little breathing room.

The slaves that had cared for his family continued to do so, but now instead of providing them with only shelter and food, he paid them to continue to do so and charged them board and rent. He lost a little of his income, and in return his reputation among exotics was blossoming. A worthy investment into the future.

He had not a single doubt it aggravated some of his fellow lords, but if they wanted to set themselves against over half the population of the empire, and their demigod empress who had already demonstrated a mind for strategy, then that was their choice to commit suicide.

Whilst he couldn't predict what the future held, he did know the empire had a strong chance for rapid expansion.

Magic casters had been rare under the emperor, because human magus were rare.

That had been an artificial restriction. Vanhern had gone from employing a dozen at great expense, to suddenly having two hundred apprentices in his employ. The innovation that was possible from having even inept casters in mass employ were astonishing. Recognising it early was vital to growing your power in this new world that the empress was carving out.

In a slave, magical skill was an annoyance, a cause of runaways and violent incidents.

With free men and women, it was an opportunity to tip the scales.

Vanhern might not like his empress. He might even despise the woman. He might be a racist who truly hated all exotics. However, what he was, most of all, was an opportunist. He had been blind when he opposed the empress and crown prince. His eyes were now open, and he couldn't afford to make a mistake like that, again.

The empress was going to make him a very rich and powerful man, indeed.

---

"You screwed up." Saia said stiffly to the pile of stones, her tail wrapped around one leg as she looked at the grave with tears in her red eyes. "Not only did you promise to fuck the shit out of me, you promised to survive, you bastard."

Her hands clenched into fists, nails driving into her palms, the physical pain alleviating some of the grief that was threatening to bury her. "I know. We both said we were just screwing around. You were still hurting from Helen. I had no intention of being anyone's but Toofy's. But fuck you. She actually shared me with you."

She had only even come to the grave because the empress had insisted on it. Saia was more than willing to walk around and never think about Tyre ever again. It was easier that way. She had lost too many people. Killed half of them herself, at Yu's instruction as he tried to forge his perfect little assassin.

Ending him had felt good, and she didn't regret it, but remembering it... She didn't feel anything. Just a deep and hard to describe sort of hollowness.

"You'd understand." She said bitterly, "Everyone else... Death and war were something that had to happen. Something they had to go through, so that they could return to their lives... But for me and you... Death is what our lives were. I don't have anything to go back to. Just some uncertain future where I'm Toofy's wife and plaything. I don't see her using me that way. So what the fuck am I, now? Why did you have to leave me to do this on my own, you bastard?"

The tears struck the soft soil, vanishing soundlessly.

Saia wanted a fight, needed a fight. She needed something to kill. She didn't know how to deal with the concept of peace, even if it was temporary. She had no one to stalk, no one to hunt. Toofy had intentionally isolated her from that, trying to give her a chance to heal but Saia just didn't know... How.

"Yours was called Helen." She whispered, sitting down. "I promised to tell you about mine. My first love, the one that Yu made me kill. Her name was Karnelia. Yeah, I know. Elia and Karnelia. Fucking pathetic. But she was as much a mentor to me as she was a lover."

Saia idly wrote the name in the soil in front of her, "She died on the Day of the Dead. Couple years before I met Toofy. It was bad. She died slowly. I tried to do it fast and clean, the way she'd been teaching me to, but she saw me coming."

The succubus took a deep breath, "I was never going to tell you, either. Lying is easier... Not her name, not that she was a she. Nothing. Her death is on me. My burden and fuck anyone who tries to take that from me. I still won't even tell the cat, though I expect she bloody well knows. Efina couldn't hide anything from Toofy. Doubt that Yu could."

"She... She was different to me. Quiet. Still desperate for some rough, like all succubi. But if she was bored, or had some downtime, she wouldn't seek it out like I do." Saia winced, "That's one lesson I could never grasp. Stillness. She'd sit down and read a book. Or lie down and stare at the sky. She could spend hours doing fuck all. I just... Can't."

Saia rubbed at her scalp, "I mean, being still, sure. You and I were both skilled at that. Sit somewhere and watch the prey. That's second nature. But watching a kill is different, your mind is active. But actually letting your mind go blank? Fuck if I know how to do that. I... I can't do... Nothing."

She twisted the silver bracelet around her wrist and looked at her own reflection and the cadre of guards a respectful distance behind her. She looked at her own gaunt and sleepless face, "Maybe Toofy is right. Maybe I've forgotten how not to be a monster. I've just got no idea where to even start to try and recover a little bit of what it means to be a person. How did you do it, Tyre? Become Sai's gamekeeper? Was helping a bunch of lords hunt really enough for you, Shifter?"

The succubus stood up, drying her eyes, "Fucking lot of good you are, bastard. You went and died."

She turned around, and a chill ran down her spine as she thought, just for a moment, that she spied a bear of a man stepping into the treeline. It was just a shadow, she was sure. No alarms had gone off. It wasn't him.

Saia walked away from the grave.

---

"She always wanted to be Empress." Toofy said quietly, sitting cross-legged in the doorway and watching the sunset. Her ears flicked back and forth, as she gave a small yawn, "Do you know why she did? Why she decided it would happen, even when she was just a kitten?"

The kitsune dropped into a sitting position beside her, legs stretched out and leaning on their hands, "You bothered to summon me. You never talk to me, and now you summon me and want to reminisce? You're just cute all over, Toofy."

She leaned her head in her hands, elbows on her knees. Toofy looked glum, "It was because of her mother. The only one who really liked her just for being her. It was hard for Toofy, knowing every time that when her mummy left, she was going to forget all about her. Made her mad, knowing the curse was because mummy saved her."

"Eratigan is a sweetheart, too." The fox nodded, clicking their boots together, "Though, she can fuck like a crazy lady. Which, I suppose she is. Immortal because she can't comprehend the fact that she died a thousand years ago. Can't comprehend evil, even when she's looking at it. I can understand Tai's fascination."

Toofy open and dropped her jaw in her hands a couple times glumly. "She's a demigoddess now. Can always remember her mother. Not going to forget. Broke your stupid bitchy curse."

"Of course, Eratigan being timeless would have a particular appeal to Tai. That and her utterly overwhelming magic. Being the oldest human magic user ever born comes with a few benefits." The kitsune continued to ramble, "I've always wondered how much magic she brings to their sexlife. It isn't like they get to fuck that often. Saving you when you were fated to die made a lot of deities angry. But if it can't die, you need to get creative with the punishment."

The neko closed her eyes tiredly, "Mummy's been sent to the Void. Like a kitten sent to bed with no supper. For saving Toofy."

"She doesn't tend to cause much chaos. Tends to make things peaceful by scaring away the fun things." The goddess continued, "So I don't really tend to pay her much mind. Barely even realised that she was Orli's mother before I sent you to find the girl, in my own subtle way. Did you have fun playing with Daen?"

"Toofy will bed the goddess if she lets her mother out of the naughty corner."

That got Mischief's attention. "Ooh. Are we striking a deal, kitten? I do so enjoy... Negotiating."

"Toofy will eat your heart if you touch her without permission." The neko said tiredly, without even opening her eyes. "Not negotiating. That right vanished when the gods took something that belonged to her. Now, it's time for them to give it back."

"Give back Eratigan? It'll happen in about two hundred years time. Who knows? With demon in your veins, you might just live long enough to see it, kitten." The goddess replied with mirth.

"You still think we're negotiating." Toofy opened her eyes slowly, "She admits it, she isn't very skilled with her magic. Just a demigoddess, beside a goddess. But if the Kitsune doesn't help Toofy, then she'll kill the Tammy for real. Not just play with her and break her a bit."

"You know." The goddess' voice suddenly had an edge to it.

Toofy gave a half-smile, "That you fucked her? Half the city knows. Foxgirls scream."

"Don't fuck with me, kitten."

She turned her head to look fearlessly into those orange eyes, flecked with gold. She stared back, unblinking, and spoke sourly, "The goddess fucked with Toofy, first. Did she expect to come out without a scratch? Toofy let the goddess use her. It doesn't mean that Toofy stopped paying attention. If Toofy wants the stupid vixen dead, she'll die. Mischief gave Toofy the death magic, remember? Made the elf think of hurting her. Toofy used it to break the bells. Showed Mischief that the Tammy can run, but not hide. Toofy isn't asking. You stole from her."

"Last warning, kitten." The kitsune admonished.

Toofy smiled lopsidedly, "Yes. It is."

"Fuck." The fox said, giving in. She turned away and kicked at the wooden floor boards. "Fine. I'll find some way to get Eratigan back."

She gave a happy purr, "She meant what she said. When Toofy gets her mother back, she'll bed the goddess. Even if she is a piss-smelling kitsune."

"I fucked Sai." The kitsune stuck her nose in the air.

Toofy rolled her eyes, "He also fucked an orc. She loves her master, but his taste in women is deplorable. Not cute at all. He could have at least bedded the Efina. At least she was sexy."

The goddess cracked up laughing, "You make it really hard to stay angry at you, kitten."

"You need to stop calling her that." Toofy blew at her fringe, "She actually had kittens, you manipulative whore. No calling kitten."

Mischief grinned innocently, "There's always a chance of pregnancy, even when you aren't in heat."

"Two pregnancies. At the same time. One of which was twins." Toofy said blankly.

The goddess shrugged, "It was hardly impossible."

"What were chances? More or less likely than sun spontaneously blowing up?" Toofy raised an eyebrow.

The goddess bounced to her feet, "Looking forward to fucking you. And fucking with you. Enjoy your empire, Toofy. You've earned it."

---

Esme crossed her arms, looking at the ruins and the body on a pike. "Guessing someone had a beef with the temple."

"Taudry has been listening." Her girlfriends replied quietly, "They say it was a lamian. She didn't know that they still existed, but she trusts the source. An elven girl, married to a unigrad."

Esme whipped her head around, "A fucking unigrad!?"

"Mmm. Saint Somebody." Taudry shrugged, "They can't lie, if she remembers what she read about them. No reason to lie, either. Looks like elf empress pissed off a colony in the Tangles. Not colony of lamia, but of... Unusual things. Like the tanukiki we met."

"Shit." Esme shook her head, "Well, doesn't matter. The new temple isn't really a replacement. We're setting it up for the betrayer gods. No bells or slaves, neither. Speaking of, have you heard anything about Empress Tresian? She still hasn't granted our audience. Going to piss Toofy off."

"Letter." Taudry produced a message from down her bra, a scroll like sent by eagle.

Esme unrolled it, and laughed as her blue eyes sparkled. "Oh fun. Toofy has asked me to put my training to decent use."

"Regicide?" Taudry asked, her face dropping.

"Seems like."

The catelf stomped her foot, "No fair! You always get way too wrapped up in your godsdamned work and I'm in fucking heat!"

"You're what now?"

Taudry blushed and looked down, mumbling, "Couple days back. Why do you think I was all over you on the way over?"

Esme put her arms around her and kissed her forehead, "No wonder you've been pissy with me since we got here. You could have told me, so I'd pay you enough attention. This might be a working getaway, but it's still our getaway."

"You have to work. It won't be easy." Taudry shrugged.

The elf rolled her eyes, "Honey, this is what I do. So, here's the plan. You and I hire some people to rebuild the temple. Whilst they're doing that, we'll rent a hut and fuck like crazy. Then, I'll sneak you into the palace and fuck you in the empress' bed. Then you help me get rid of her. Six months of you, me, and a shitload of sex."

Taudry pouted, "Not that easy."

"It is when Toofy sent me the stuff to bind and raise Astadia. And the draug are intentionally buried beneath the palace. Think the elf would be interested in a little bit of vengeance?"

Her girlfriend looked up at her hesitantly, "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. This is what I do."

"Then can you fuck me here? Now?" Taudry's eyes went big and round, begging.

Esme laughed, "We're getting a room first."

---

"You heard her?" Meeran said, shaking the sand off his cloak before stepping into the relative cool of the underground dwelling. It felt strange, not hearing the ringing of the bell around his neck as he did it. Strange and exciting.

The older neko looked up from where he was leaning over a book, a flattened golden bell lying by one of his hands. He smiled, "Of course. No more bells. The question is... Who was she?"

"She was neko." Meeran said excitedly, "He is certain of it. Her accent, unmistakable. Firm and fierce, like one of ours. Like hooktooth."

The greying neko nodded and tapped the book, "Child of hooktooth, he is sure. There were so many killed, unaccounted for, after war. Yet, the Biscuit thinks he may have found the name of one. Abandoned as a kitten, parents killed. A servant was entrusted with her care, but admitted she abandoned the kitten. Too scared to stay in human lands, but thought kitten's cries would attract attention, ran away on her own and left the child behind."

"Who?"

"Grandchild of Resic. Not yet old enough for the naming, when lost." Biscuit stated, and smiled at him excitedly, golden eyes twinkling. "Minor lady, but was born of Falling Sands."

Meeran stared at him, "A survivor? A fucked survivor of the cursed clan? How is that possible? They sent their green-eyed demons to destroy it!"

"Resic always favoured protecting children over his own life." Biscuit shrugged and leaned back, "He expects we will hear more, soon. He has word that the exotic that has attacked the humans... Succeeded. That they became empress. And they are neko."

The younger neko pounced onto a chair, crouching on it as it wobbled. Golden eyes filled with awe, "A kitten of the cursed clan... Just destroyed our greatest enemy. Freed all of us. Freed us to take back our people and our land!"

"Oh, too hurried." Biscuit shook his head, "If she is empress, she will not want her people to make war on her. And if she is Resic's grandchild, she has a blood claim to rule us. Even if she is Falling Sands."

Meeran rocked his chair back and forth, "A neko empress! And one fitting the fucking prophecy!"

"Don't pay attention to the words of a god, boy." Biscuit said with derision, "They didn't do us any good when the humans slaughtered our kind. They won't do us any good if we are to make certain that our kind stay free."

He shrugged, "I guess. Did you hear what happened to the tauran overseer in east mine?"

"Still picking his skin out of my teeth." Biscuit replied with a smirk. "First place I went to, once my bell fell. Owed that bastard for what he did to my back. I wouldn't be too excited for war, kitten. We might be good at it, but war is no friend to anyone."

Meeran rolled his eyes, "When will the Biscuit acknowledge Meeran's age? He's been fighting the front for more than a decade. He's an adult, and he knows what it is like to stand against the humans."

"They are not our enemy, right now." Biscuit chided him, "Those desperately trying to own their slaves, are. There is much we need to do that is less than fun, before our people will be free. If we do the right things... And not attack empire... Then empire may end up fighting for us."

"Until we stab them in the back." Meeran purred in anticipation.

Biscuit grinned, speaking around the two enormous fangs emerging out of the top of his jaw, "Of course."

---

"Ink's finally asleep." Toofy said tiredly, dropping onto her incredibly soft bed. She considered just lying there, prone, but a hand moved on its own and found her master, dragging her over limply and pushing her head into his side until it moved up and onto his chest.

Sai's arms circled her, pulling her up and into a ball, lying on top of him. He kissed the top of her head lightly, "Well done, empress."

"Toofy." She pouted, "Not allowed to call her that. Not in private."

"Oh? I thought you might like the reminder that you're my superior, now."

"Sai is her master. Now and forever." She snapped, and then winced, "Toofy's had a long day. Sorry. She just... Wants her master. Misses when it was her and her master. Little games."