The council sat as the latest report from Fortunia was concluded. The mist had started moving again. They've been expecting this for some time. Mage General Darkfall had regularly included his concerns in his reports. The human was overly concerned in Ulvandia's opinion. Frankly, she didn't care about the mist. She just wanted to get back to her toys. Oh, the fun she'd been having! Back home, she could never get so many excellent playthings simultaneously. So she continued performing her duty here as long as she could stay.

"Currently, we have mages from Deepmere, Dageth, and the elves all in position to repel the mists. We have begun burning the roots, which will only slow the spread. We need the kin to enter the mists," Lord Arthos said.

"How many are battle-ready?" Grand Magus Arwin asked.

"We currently have a thousand who have undergone basic training. The slave runes are very efficient at creating proper motivation," Lord Arthos said.

Ulvandia chuckled. That was very true. She made her toys do such wondrous things to themselves to avoid the pain of disobedience.

"I would imagine half should be a sufficient force to find the mist generator," Lord Tarwin said. "Then we can begin training another batch from our current slave resources. We can gather supplies and have the kin march in two weeks."

As the meeting came to a close, agreement came from all sides. Ulvandia rushed out as soon as she could. She couldn't leave her toys waiting. Trenton followed behind her, a frown on his face.

***

Trenton opened the manse door for his mistress. Ulvandia mostly used him for meaningless tasks. It had become routine, such as taking meeting notes, so she didn't have to. Trenton stared at his single hand. A cripple. He'd been reduced to a mere cripple. His future was gone. Elves did not look kindly on anyone who drifted from their ideal form. Ulvandia had gleefully punished him when he failed any task, no matter how trivial. Ulvandia tromped past him up to her 'playroom.' No doubt the call would come soon. He'd better prepare. This was the most distasteful of his new tasks. Less than ten minutes later, his predictions came true. A kin in a reveling maid uniform came down with a message for him to go to her quarters. Trenton repressed a snarl. She only did this to torment him further. The fucking bitch.

Walking up the stairs, he knocked briefly at her door before entering. The chamber reeked of blood and other bodily fluids. Torture devices occupied most of the space in the rather large room. Only a centralized bed was free of stains. That was only due to constantly changing the sheets. The bed was orgy size bed with a silken canopy covering it. In the center lay a very nude Ulvandia, her blonde hair fanning out around her.

"Ah, Trenton, thank you so much for coming," Ulvandia purred. Trenton ground his teeth and remained silent.

"Please fetch me some of my toys. Perhaps the female dog-kin I bought last week will do. Hmmm," Ulvandia put her finger to her lips as if deciding. "Oh! I think the kitty will work, too." She gave him a wicked smile.

"Of course, my lady," Trenton said stiffly. His stomach acid seemed to drop into his balls at that.

"Hurry up," Ulvandia cooed.

Trenton turned and did a fast walk to the servant quarters. It would be worse for all if he delayed. There were about twenty kin here at any time. All reserved for Ulvandia sick games. They froze as he entered, many of them crying in relief as he passed by.

"You," Trenton said to the dog-kin. He didn't know her name. Didn't want to. He'd made that mistake already. Next, he went to the 'kitty.' She was a very pretty white tiger-kin with red stripes. She'd been in Ulvandia care longer than any other. She was the one toy that Ulvandia didn't want to break... yet.

"Asami," Trenton said weakly. Asami trembled slightly before standing up. She followed him wordlessly as the pair of kin walked to their fate.

"I can handle it," Asami whispered to him as they walked. Trenton grimaced but nodded.

Once outside the door, Trenton placed his hand on Asami before she could protest. A surge of mana shocked into her system as he opened the door. Immediately Asami began retching uncontrollably.

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"Oh dear!" Ulvandia said in a sweet tone. "My kitty is too unwell for my playtime... again. You can leave, my dear. Trenton…" She beckoned him over with a slender finger. "You've appeared to have failed me. You can take her place. Just like last time."

Suppressing a shudder. Trenton nodded as another kin servant came forward to escort Asami away as she reached for him. Trenton didn't look at her. He didn't want to see her eyes. Ulvandia smiled wickedly at him.

***

Two hours later, Trenton limped back to his room. The lashes on his back were already fading due to the healing spell he used. That was nothing compared to the sandpaper rod she used. Blood still trickled from his lower orifice, but even that would soon heal. If only the scars on his mind would fade so readily.

Trenton leaned on the wall as he opened his door. Asami was sitting on his bed. Her golden eyes were wet.

"I told you I could handle it!" Asami wailed as she grabbed him. She gently escorted him back to his bed.

"I know you could," Trenton said, wincing as he sat. He would have cried out, but he didn't want to worry her. How had it come to this? How had he fallen for a kin? The fact that he was in love was no longer in doubt. He'd taken her 'play time' with Ulvandia for several months. It seemed to amuse the bitch. He tried to buy Asami from Ulvandia, but the price she quoted was far beyond his means. Far beyond anyone's means, he would guess. Asami cried as he clutched him. He hugged her back as best he could with his single hand.

"Why? Why do you keep doing this for me?" Asami said.

"You know why," Trenton replied.

"I'm not a mage," Asami said. "I'm just a kin. You should find someone better than me. You could be free of her. She'll never let me go. I'll never be free…" Her voice began breaking at those last words.

"I know."

"We can't even make love anymore!" Asami wailed. Trenton repressed his rage at that. Ulvandia asked her at least once a week if she had sex with anyone. With the slave rune, it was easy to tell if she had lied. The punishment they both received gave them nightmares. Yet Ulvandia didn't stop them from seeing each other. Trenton expected it was another form of torture. To be constantly with someone you love but unable to express it.

"Why can't you forget about me?" Asami cried. "You could live a happy life if you just forgot."

"I could, but I won't," Trenton said as he cupped her face. "I could never forget you."

Asami hugged him tightly as they both lay down to sleep. Trenton ran his fingers through her soft fur as they embraced. Sleep came soon after.

***

"We have to do something!" Azura shouted. She glared at the kin around her. The council chamber was set up deep underground for security, as was the ruling body of the kin. At first, everyone just wanted her to lead, but Azura quickly realized something. She sucked at leading. She had no mental space for logistics. Additionally, for every issue brought to her attention, she would simply shrug her shoulders and tell them to figure it out. Eventually, she just sent everyone to her mom. That earned her a whack on the head. So, a council was set up that included her, her mother, Fatania, and Alenina.

"You've said that. Repeatedly," Alenina said as she scratched her rabbit ears. "I'm all for it. I just want a good plan that doesn't involve sacrificing anyone."

"My plan is fine!" Azura countered.

"Azura," her mother said, giving her a tired look. Your plan was to go to Deepmere and punch the elf."

"And…" Azura asked, confused. Seemed solid to her.

"That isn't a plan. It's hardly a statement," her mother said in exasperation.

"I think I could come up with something a little better," Fatania said. "I've been working with Erwin and the mole-kin for something like this."

Azura just looked at her, a confused expression on her face.

"We've dug another tunnel into Deepmere," the mole-kin said. "With our mana-infused bodies, it was finished in just a few weeks."

"Oh," Azura said. "Well, that's good." Coralline rolled her eyes.

"It's better than good," Fatania said. "The tunnel is insanely long, and the entrance is well hidden. The mages won't find this one unless they get lucky."

"Great, so I take this tunnel in, then punch the elf," Azura said.

"I believe punching the elf will kill her," Alenina said.

"And…" Azura asked, confused again.

"You haven't read any of the reports from Brianna or Zultar, have you?" Her mother said, sighing.

"Nope," Azura said. "Been too busy. Besides, that's what you're all for."

They all gave her a flat look.

"Joking," Azura lied, waving her hands innocently. "What's the problem?"

"The problem is that elf Ulvandia is the elven representative in Deepmere and an honorary member of their council. If you kill her, the elves will be furious," Fatania said.

"Oh," Azura said. Everyone paused, thinking. "What if I don't kill her but make an example out of her?"

"Not sure if that's much better," Coralline said.

"What are you thinking?" Alenina asked.

"I think I could do the opposite of what I do for the kin," Azura said. They gave her a blank look. "What I mean is that I think I could damage and close her mana pool."

"You can do that?" Fatania asked, shocked.

"I think so," Azura said. "That would put the fear of the kin into them."

"It might make them hunt you even more," Coralline said, worried.

"It could also make them think twice before abusing kin," Alenina countered.

"Hmm," Fatania said. "I could have half a dozen rat-kin go with you. Just to be safe. They can be your eyes and ears on this."

"What about any kin she has?" Erwin asked.

"We could try to take them down the tunnel. If we don't have time, we could have Zultar or Brianna buy them for us," Azura offered.

"I suppose this could work," Coralline said slowly.

"We need to work out some more details," Fatania insisted, and they all got down to planning.

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