Leaving the kids put a sour taste in my mouth, but I was nothing if not pragmatic. Instead, I tried to focus on finding us a place to stay for a night or two. Not that I had any solid leads as to where to go from here in the first place. All I had, going forward, was a weak ass goal of finding Pride his friends, and neither of us knew where they might be.

  But I was sure we would much clearer headed once we got a proper nights sleep. And, I didn't know about Pride, but I certainly could use a real meal. Like, a cooked one. With vegetables. And no visible face.

  Pride's nose came through for us, once again. He lead us directly to an inn in a prompt manner, and I didn't even hesitate to enter the rather sketchy looking building, as I could now smell the food cooking as well, and nothing was going to stop me right then. This building could be filled with thugs and I wouldn't care.

  Though, now that I thought on it, I could probably handle a few thugs all on my own. Shane, The Prick, could probably still wipe the floor with me, but the average Joe would have to work for it now. At least all that raw meat was worth something by the end of it.

  Entering the Inn, I saw that it was nicer inside than I thought, though still far below earth standards...Like, Roach Motel might have been better. But, hell, I had half expected there to be a body in one corner and a bunch of sweaty men swigging beer and shouting in the other. But it was pretty quiet with about seven people seated at random round tables, most of them looked pretty rough, but seemed to be keeping to themselves.

  There was a long bar, large barrels of what I assumed was alcohol along the back wall, and a door leading to the depths of the building, where the fairly pleasant smells were wafting from. I assumed the rooms for rent and the kitchen were back there.

  Behind the bar stood a woman. But a very tall woman. She stood well over six feet and had muscles that made me think I would not like to take a punch from her. She had vibrant red hair held up in a messy bun, and green/blue eyes that surveyed the dining room like a hawk.

  I approached her with as much confidence I could muster. I'd been in enough shady dive bars to know that a little girl walking in was a good way to get you harassed if you showed even a dab of weakness. Then again, I was a demon, and I kept forgetting that.

  She, for her part, did not look impressed. If anything, she looked a little annoyed, probably due to the fact that I had just brought a very large dog into her restaurant. That or she didn't like demons too much.

  "Afternoon." I said, with at least an attempt at a smile. "I was wondering if you had any rooms available?"

  "Aye, I do." She said, her voice higher pitched that I would have thought. "You looking to be here long?" I couldn't tell if she wanted me gone sooner, or was hoping to rent out a room for a longer period.

  "I was thinking about three nights, maybe longer." I said, leaning on the bar, hoping that some of the lookie-loos would get the hint and go back to their own business. "If that's alright, that is."

  "Makes no never mind to me miss." She sighed. "I take it the dog is yours? We don't let dogs in here."

  I frowned and decided to throw caution to the wind. I was tired, I was hungry, and I was down right filthy. I was at an all time low for patients, and the smell of cooked food was way to distracting. "He isn't a dog, he is a person."

  "Miss, that's a dog. Or a monster... Either way, it ain't allowed." She doubled down, also leaning on the counter, towering above me. She didn't look particularly angry, just stating facts.

  "He is a demon. And he is a person. Just because he doesn't walk on two legs does not change the fact that he is a person." I said, with equal confidence. She narrowed her eyes on me, so I decided to turn to the dog in question. "Pride, tell the nice lady that you are a person."

  "I am a person." Pride said immediately, dead pan, red eyes locked on the woman.

  I had never heard a place go silent so fast. So much for the other people minding their own business. I couldn't blame them though, I still found it very odd to see a dog talk.

  "This is Pride. He is my traveling companion, and, like myself, a demon. Though I do understand the confusion." I said, nodding my head like this was all perfectly normal, and the kind of conversation I had everyday. Fake it till you make it, right?

  "Uh... My apologies." Said the muscular woman. I think I may have shocked her into uncharacteristic politeness.

  "So... About that room?"

  Still looking a little unsure, the inn keeper stuttered out a price of two silver coins for three nights. I forked over the coins, glad I didn't have to go though math to figure out what to pay, and the followed the woman though the side door. She led us past the door where the delicious smells were emanating from, before taking us farther down a rather plain and empty hall.

  We were brought to the very end, where she used a key to open the last door on the left. "This'll be it. Be sure not to loose the key, else you will need to pay a gold coin for a replacement fee." She said, removing the metal key from the ring of them she had belted to her hip and placing it in my palm with more force than I really thought necessary.

  However, when she wasn't able to push my hand down. She looked at me worriedly, while I just grinned at her- toothily. Sorry Miss, but your human muscles are no match for my bug-meat-juiced Demon strength. My bad.

  "Breakfast is over by nine, so come out before then or you have to find your meal some place else." She grumped, before spinning on her heal, glaring at Pride for good measure, and stomping back down the hall.

  Pride and I let ourselves into the small room where there was nothing but a thread bare bed, a small table and a single chair, and on the table was a nub of a candle. No windows.

  Well, I had seen worse.

  "Absolutely delightful woman." Commented Pride as he settled himself on the rather splintery floor, taking up nearly all the available square footage.

  I sidled past him and flopped my exhausted self on the bed. It may be a poor excuse for one, but it was still better than sleeping on a hard dungeon floor. Silver linings and all that, you know.

  "You probably should have just let her believe I was a dog. Tristan would do it often while we traveled. It was one of the reasons he gave my race this form, as we could make for good spies."

  I eyed the hellhound up and down with a skeptical eye.

  "I could have made myself smaller." He huffed, not liking that I didn't believe him, before adding: "Admittedly, I was never really great at stealth. Normally such jobs were left to my children."

  Suddenly curious, I asked: "Children? How would that work anyways? Did he go and make you a lady friend?" I added with a teasing smirk.

  Pride glared up at me with those red eyes. "Hardly." He drawled. "I and the other six progenitors do not need such crude measures to procreate."

  "Cellular mitoses then?"

  "When we desired to make another, we just did. Much like a spell, I suppose. It was a weaker imitation of Tristan's- and now your own- creation abilities. We could not do it often, it would drain us completely for several days, and the results were not as powerful as what Tristan himself made: Us."

  "So... I can make demons too?" I asked, suddenly fearful of my own greatness. No way it was that simple though.

  Sure enough, Pride snorted. "As you are now? No. You would die in the attempt. You need a lot of work before you reach Tristan's grand achievements, little demon Mistress."

  "Figures..." I huffed, falling back on the bed. Still, it was cool to think on the possibilities.

  After giving me a moment to ponder, Pride spoke again. "What now, Nyx?"

  "Well, I want to find your friends, but we have a couple major problems: No knowledge of the current state of this world, an inability to read, write, or even understand the value of money here, and maybe biggest of all... We are a pair of solo demons wandering around a world where it seems we are highly discriminated against. I looked, and I didn't see a single demon in this town. But we sure got a bunch of nasty side-eyes."

  "Indeed. So what do you suggest we do to fix this?"

  I got up on my elbows and grinned down at my new faithful servant. "We are going to go get us a slave."

  The next morning, a belly full of mediocre sausages improving my mood considerably, we made our way to the outskirts of town. According to our truly pleasant hostess, it was here that we would find the slave market. From the sour look on her face, I think she hoped we were planning to sell ourselves to it.

  Pride had not protested when I told him about my idea, he just accepted it. Would it have hurt him to be a teensy bit appalled that I was going to become a slave owner! Did he really think it was all just par for the course for me?

  I would have everyone know that being the owner of a slave was, most certainty, one of the ten truly bad things I had never done!

  Wait... Could I even say its ten things any more?

  Still, at this point, why not. After you eat man leather, there was no going back.

  My thought was that we needed to find us a slave that could read and write. I could only hope it wouldn't cost us too much to get that. I can't say I had a working knowledge of what the going rate was for slaves.

  "This place smells rancid." Growled Pride. And that was a real statement to the level of stink right there, given he had spent a bajillion years next to a moldering corpse.

  "My nose isn't as good as yours, but I do smell a lot of incense, so I assume that is to cover the stench." I said as we approached a series of rather large, colorful tents.

  This place looked like a freaking circus. There were a few tents that were reaching big top standards, but most were average to about the size you would find full of plants at a home and garden center.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  We had barely stepped foot on to the packed earth when a short, greasy, and pock marked man materialized out of no where. He was ringing his hands and grinning creepily. I could take lessons from this guy. "Good morning young miss!" He wheezed in a high pitched, breathless voice, like he was constantly in a state of suppressing a racking cough. "I am Dagrell. It is not often that we have costumers so early in the morning. How may I help you?"

  I have to say, I wasn't sure if it was refreshing or disturbing that Dagrell didn't even bat an eye at the fact that we were demons. May be business was just business, no matter who the customer was. How was a slave trader one of the most polite people I had met in this world so far?

  "I am looking for something cheep and expendable." I stated with confidence. "So long as they can read I don't really care."

  I really did feal gross with this whole situation. But slavery seemed to be common place here, and we were in a bit of a tough bind. I tried to make myself feel better about the whole thing by reasoning that who ever we got would be getting three meals a day, and I would be sure to free them as soon as they were no longer needed... It was still pretty shitty.

  "Hmmm." Said Dagrell, his face falling slightly at the word 'cheep', but he was nothing if not a good business man and slapped the creepy grin back on as fast as it had vanished. "If you do not care too much about how we got them, nor about their condition..." He eyed me up and down for a second before coming to some kind of mental conclusion, nodding and waving us into the sea of colorful tents.

  "Most of our wears are top notch!" He said, starting in on his tried and true sales pitch. "We have everything from tax slaves, to criminal slaves, of course. We even deal in captured monsters, if that is what you need." He said waving to the largest of the tents, where they, no doubt, kept the monsters.

  "I have eaten enough monsters for now, thanks." I said coldly. It was true, but I also wanted it to seem like I was shrewd. Best to make it seem like I was not someone to swindle right off the bat.

  Plus, I had something that he might not suspect: an appraisal skill. It had been a rather useless tool so far, but now it was it's time to shine. It should be able to provide at least enough information not to have me spending money on something not worth my time.

  "Er, yes... As you say." Stated Dagrell a little nervously. Good, if he was afraid, he was less likely to try and rip me off. "Well, back here is where we keep the -ah- less than legal in some countries, merchandise." He said with a smile that I assumed meant I was supposed to find that amusing.

  "All perfectly legal here in the Waring States, of course!" He added, nervously.

  "I'm sure." I said, assuming that this town must be part of these 'Waring States'.

  Dagrell lead us farther into the site, past men just getting up for the day. Some stood, bleary eyed and holding steaming cups of what smelt like varying types of tea. It made me wonder if there was coffee in this world. God, what I wouldn't give for a cup of coffee right now...

  As we came close to the big top, I saw our first conga line of slaves. They were all rather large human men, with tanned and weathered skin, mostly dark hair, and built like tanks. Around each of their necks were leather collars and each of the collars were connected to one another with chains. I saw that their hands were also bound in metal manacles which were also connected to one another with chains.

  "Some of our best sellers!" Dagrell stated happily. "Not what you are looking for, but highly valued. Those ones are strong and good for body guard work or heavy labor... Not sure if any of them could read, however."

  We left the line of men to be lead away by a tall man with a goatee and a whip. Though, he did not need to use it, as a simple tug got the slaves moving just fine. Everyone of them looked defeated.

  "Here are the ones I was thinking to show you." Said our sales rep, approaching a medium sized tent, this one standing out because it wasn't colorful like the others. Instead it seemed to be just stained canvas tarps, barely able to keep the weather out. "These slaves are not good for much... either without talent, or sickly and weak. That sort of thing."

  I suddenly had the feeling that the people beyond this point did not have long to live... No doubt this man would not just let his merchandise die off. sure, they were not worth it to spend money to keep them healthy and alive, but I doubt he would let them go to waste. Mind immediately went to the worst solutions: cruel and deviant masters, monster chow... despicable.

  I may be a demon now, but I did feel for these people. Unfortunately I couldn't save them. Even if I did go on a rampage and free every slave here it would not cure the problem at large, and there was no way I could take care of so many people...

  Maybe I could improve the life of one, however...

  The other side of the tent flap was about what I feared. Even I could smell the stench and the reek of sickness and death here. The walls were lined with cages, and each one held several people in varying stages of death. They coughed, whimpered, or just lay there with glassy eyes. I was enraged at the poor conditions, but was able to restrain myself only because I didn't see any children. I think if I saw a little kid like this, nothing would have stopped me from going on a rampage, consequences be damned.

  Either this slaver did not deal in kids, or he at least treated them slightly better than the others. There were other options, of course, but they were too unpleasant to think about at the moment.

  "These are our cheapest wares." Stated Dagrell. His nervousness seemed to suggest that he had at least some sense that I was on a fine, daggers edge right then. "For obvious reasons. Many may not live too long though, Young Miss. If you'd like I can show you the next-"

  "No." I said, cutting him off. "Just show me the ones here that can read."

  Dagrell nodded. He reached past me nervously, removed a clip board off of a support post, and began flipping through grubby pages as he led us farther into the tent.

  As Dagrell pointed out several slaves, I started using my appraisal skill to its fullest. Many were in deplorable condition, so much so that I didn't even need appraisal to tell me that. Pride followed at my heels, letting out small, irritated growls from time to time which only heightened Dagrell's anxiety. I didn't mind that too much.

  At one point, about half way down the isle, my appraisal landed on one man, with floppy dark hair, almost no muscle mass, and the most vibrant, but dead looking blue eyes. I nearly stopped dead at what I saw in that one's stats, but pushed myself onward. If Dagrell suspected I was overly interested now, he may jack up the price. I wasn't sure that his current fear of me would out weigh his hard earned business sense.

  "It is only those ten that seem to meet your requirements." Said the man as we reached the end of the line.

  "Are you sure?" I asked. His information must not be the best, as I saw a few titles on some of these slaves that he hadn't mentioned that would suggest that they likely knew how to read and write.

  And in the case of the one I had decided to get, I was positive that the slavers information was lacking. If He knew what he had, I was sure the man would not be kept here.

  We made our way back up the isle, me pretending to eye the available slaves. None even bothered to beg to be bought. Either they were just too far gone, or the thought of being owned by a demon was a fate worse than the one they had now. If I didn't feel so bad for them I would have been offended.

  "That one?" I said, pointing to the dark haired man in the back of one of the cages. He sat against the bars, eyes on the filthy dirt floor and didn't even bother to look up.

  "Err," said Dagrell. "He isn't on my-"

  "I want to question him." I interrupted again.

  "I don't think-" this time it was a deep and menacing snarl from Pride that cut off the slave merchant. He went death pale, eyes on the dog that had red eyes and may very well be able to eat him in a scant few bites, and nodded. "Benjamin!" He snapped out into the ether.

  A man of about six feet with a trimmed beard, clean cloths, but also a slave's collar around his neck, hurried into the tent and up to us.

  "Yes, Master?" He said, a slight bow of his head and barely even a flinch at seeing the two demons his master was doing business with.

  "Get that dark haired one, up and out. My customer would like a word with him." Snapped Dagrell.

  The slave nodded, removing a loop of keys from his waist, and fitting one into the lock. A couple of the slaves looked up, but only for a second, before adverting their gazes. Benjamín hurried over to the man in question before dragging him to his feet. Now that he was standing I saw that he was actually quite tall. Benjamín guided him to us.

  "You will answer anything this lady asks." Snapped Dagrell at the slave that my appraisal told me was call Edric Durst Vespertine IV.

  The dead eyed young man didn't move or acknowledge the order in any way, but Dagrell nodded for me to commence the questioning.

  "Can you read?" I asked the man, already knowing that he likely could.

  Nothing.

  "Answer boy!" Snapped the merchant, shaking the mans painfully thin arm.

  "Yes..." He said in a weak voice, eyes still trained on the ground. Dagrell looked surprised and started scanning his notes again.

  "How about write? And are you at least minimally knowledgeable in math's?"

  "Yes." He stated again. "I can do both."

  "You look half dead." I stated, sounding cold on purpose. "If I purchase you, will you even be able to last at least a week?"

  The question wasn't really meant for the guy, merely to make it seem that I only needed him for a week, and therefore, convince Dagrell that I didn't need much, and was not willing to pay much.

  Still, the man answered all the same, some life seeming to reenter him, if only out of confusion. "I don't know..."

  I sighed, sounding irritated. "Eating him would not get me much..." I sighed, sounding annoyed. I saw Dagrell grow pale. "Still, we didn't come here for a meal in the first place..." Raising my voice, I turned to the slaver. "Very well, how much do you want for this creature."

  "Ah, may I ask why this one?" He was clearly trying to see where it was that he had gone wrong. If he didn't know about the kids abilities to read and write, what else didn't he know?

  I shrugged. "I just need the man's reading. Why him? My friend here has odd eating habits. Likes to eat people with weird eye colors. He even has me keep one of each eyeball, as a collection... Wanna see?" I asked, somewhat eagerly, acting as if I were about to whip out a jar of eyeballs from my bag. Pride wagged his tail for added effect. I knew we would make a good team!

  "No!" Panicked the merchant, growing almost green now. "That's- that's quite alright..." He glanced briefly at the slaves unusually icy blue eyes and grew a little greener. As for the slave, he didn't react much to the insinuation that, once I was done with him he would be a chew toy for a hellhound with one of his eyeballs floating in a jar.

  "Oh," I said in mock disappointment, pretending to shove something back into my bag. I sighed, and instead drew out my coin purse. "Anyway, how much is he?"

  "Given his state... I'd say five gold coins."

  I glared at the merchant. "I just paid ten copper for a plate of sausages at the tavern, and they had more meat than this kid."

  Pride audibly licked his chops. "How much for this one?" Pride asked, making everyone, including the dead eyed slave, jump. The hellhound was eyeing up Benjamín. "He had meat..."

  "Wha-" Stammered Dagrell, while Benjamín lost all color, backing away from the salivating, talking demon dog.

  I sighed, irritated. "You already have three brown eyes!"

  "So! Why not get both?"

  "No, I am tired of paying for your meals when we can just get them for free. You got those nice green ones from the bandits the other day! Stop being greedy. I just need someone who can read this nation's language. The eyeballs are a bonus, so just be happy about it!"

  "Tch!" Snapped my partner in crime. "You could at least buy one of the eyeballs then..."

  I sighed, and turned to the horrified group before me. Even Edric was eyeing Pride nervously now. "Never get a hellhound. They are worse then kids, I tell yah. I may have spoiled him too much." I sighed, eyeing up Edric once again. "Look, I'll give you two gold. Its more than this bag of bones is worth given he will likely be puppy chow in a week, but I feel bad you had to hear our little family squabble..."

  "Er, ah... you know what, I think that sounds just fine." Stated Dagrell, looking like he wished he had given this job to someone else.

  I fished out the two gold coins, and placed them in the palm of the merchant, who I noted was shaking slightly.

  "I will transfer over the slave contract now." He said, holding out his hand, as if for a handshake. He did not look happy about it. I took the man's hand, then he placed his free hand over our clasped ones after handing the coins to Benjamín. I felt a slight heat, then I watched as a small circular crest flashed on the back of my hand for a second. An identical one appeared on the back of Edric's hand. "There, done. Just a reminder to keep the collar on or buy another if you like. Even in the Waring States, a slave must always wear the identifying collar."

  "Understood." I said, releasing the man's sweaty palm and examining the back of my hand where the crest had faded.

  "Please, come again if you need more slaves. I can, er, even see about separating out the unique eye colors I find for you if you like?" He sounded very much like he would be glad if I never came again. But he was too much of a business man to turn down my continued patronage.

  "I'll keep that in mind..."

  Dagrell walked a lot faster to the exit of the slave market than he had when we were coming in. I took a small, perverse, pleasure in that we freaked him out so much. He dropped another sales pitch about us returning any time, before scurrying back into his nasty slave nest.

  The sun was fully up now, and the day looked pleasantly clear and cheerful. So, I was a slave owner now.

  Edric was back to looking at the dirt once again. I needed to get him fed, and I needed to get him some damn cloths. Well- I looked down at my own pitiful state- I guess we could both do with a wardrobe upgrade. But, with the guys knowledge, I should be able to get us what we needed without feeling like we were going to be ripped off at least.

  "Come Edric." I said, and saw the shock pass over his pale and emaciated face. "They should still be serving breakfast at the inn. Once we get you fed, you are going to earn your keep."