“I’m … I’m to share these quarters with you?”

“Yes,” the demoness beamed with excitement, “But small time. Until you get you’re room.”

“Oh. You don’t have one available right now?”

“And safe like this. Can be sure you is safe.”

“Uhh … am I in danger here?”

The demoness scratched the back of her head: “No really … but I want to be sure. No want some male take advantage.”

“Oh, I see. Ok, I can work with that. I guess she doesn’t want me to go free-hunting for supporters right away. Fair enough, I’ll show her I’m not a threat to her.”

“In fact, if I could befriend her, that would make everything much easier for me. I mean, she clearly has influence in this place. Ignoring these tiny quarters, if she can yell at someone like Jens, then she is clearly someone important. Or maybe that’s exactly why Jens gave her such small quarters? Maybe it’s punishment for her insolence? Still, that’s a small price to get away with after yelling at your lord. I shouldn’t underestimate her. She clearly knows what she’s doing.”

“Maybe she can convince Jens to go easy on me too.”

 “Oh … umm … by the way,” I started playing with a lock of my hair intentionally, “I was overwhelmed before, and I didn’t remember your name. I’m terribly sorry, but can you please repeat it for me,” I bowed respectfully, “I’ll make sure to remember it this time!”

The demoness’ eyes shone even brighter as she raised her head up, resting her hands on her hips victoriously. There was no mistaking it, she enjoyed me bowing to her very much.

“It is Mun-Hee! And you’re is Snear-ba, right?”

“Yes, that’s my name. I’m glad you’ve remembered it.”

“Good, this done. Now, let I show you rest need things!”

---

Mun-Hee dragged me all over the castle, showing me all the places of interest in one go. The castle was a large, strange place, with plenty of rooms and several floors. Never before have I seen a castle that big. And, no matter where we went, the halls were always perfectly flat, white, and empty, without exception. It wasn’t the emptiness of the place that bothered me the most though. Now that I had the time to take it all in, I realized the castle was very chilly for some reason. Cold air followed us everywhere, no matter where we went, as if the castle itself had some cold aura surrounding it.

We would occasionally pass a demon or two, and I noticed they were all staring at my neck. Just like the demons I came with. That only fueled my anxiety even further.

“Should I ask her about it? Why is everyone staring at my neck? I’ve heard the demons like drinking the blood out of it, especially the vampires, but they would’ve already done so if that’s what they want.”

“Is it possible that she’s actually protecting me? Everyone stared at my neck back in the chariot too. So maybe she yelled at them not to do it and has taken it upon herself to protect me?”

“It’s just … none of this makes any sense! Why is my lord’s concubine acting as my caretaker? Is this how the demons assert their dominance, by treating you like a child? Is she actually putting me in my place by showing it to everyone else that I’m subservient to her? Is that why she’s walking me all over the castle? Or is she actually saving my life by letting them know I’m in her care?”

“But why isn’t she holding the leash then? Why is she letting it dangle around if she wants everyone to know that I’m her property?”

“Aargh! None of this makes sense! I guess I’ll have to ask her. For all I know, that Jens guy gave up on me already. You’d expect him to show some interest in his new toy. Maybe I’m just not to his liking.”

“Speaking of which, what does this female have that I don’t? How come she can yell at him while he can’t even be bothered to even look at me? There must be something about her that demons like. Something that I’m lacking, and I’m not even aware of it.”

“Some thing wrong?” Mun-Hee asked.

“Umm … not really … I’m just wondering, why is everyone looking at my neck? I mean, everyone stared at it back in the chariot, and here it’s no different.”

She glanced at my neck and then slapped her forehead so hard it made me flinch.

“I is so stupid! I so dumb! Sorry I forget. Come! Take it off!”

She grabbed my hand and rushed on even faster, only to stop after a few steps.

She touched the collar on my neck: “This have key no?”

“Yes. Slaves don’t wear collars all the time. It would interfere with our duties. It’s mainly for display.”

“Where key is?”

“I’d think it was given to my mas … to Jens at one point.”

“Jens … let us get him!”

Contrary to what I expected, finding him in this giant castle didn’t take long. He was in a spacious room filled with all kinds of alien furniture that was as confusing as the furniture in Mun-Hee’s quarters. Jens sat in front of a bar that was unattended.

The speed with which Mun-Hee found him clearly showed she knew where he would be. As expected from a head-mistress.

But he wasn’t alone. The other two male demons from the chariot were also there, together with another male demon I hadn’t seen before. If I’d have to judge the age of a race I’ve never seen before, I’d say he was as old as Jens. But this one was built differently, being somewhat skinny and with a gentler-looking face.

Mun-Hee started the conversation in their demonic tongue. Jens didn’t say much though, the new guy did most of the talking.

Then, that same male took the key out of somewhere. To me, it looked as if he had produced it out of thin air. He didn’t take it from a pouch or anything, it just appeared in his hand all of a sudden. And it wasn’t small enough for him to hide it in his hand.

He started dangling it in front of Mun-Hee, with a sadistic grin on his face. She responded with a loud, reprimanding voice, to which the male retorted in a very low and distorted manner. It sounded like he was talking in a low-toned screech, picking fun at his female rival.

Mun-Hee snatched the key out of his hand and rushed back towards me, irritation more than obvious on her face. Then, she grabbed my hand and started rushing me once again, out of the room.

But then Jens finally spoke in a firm voice.

“Why no be her here? Introduce her self and us introduce to her.”

Mun-Hee paused, hesitating for a moment. Seeing that, the new guy started talking in their tongue again.

I saw the frown on Mun-Hee’s face deepen with each word he said. I expected her to burst in yet another fit of rage at any moment, but then, she suddenly exhaled while rolling her eyes, finally calming down.

“Come. Jens is true.”

Still holding my hand, she guided me back to the bar where the others sat. She sat on an unusually tall chair and motioned for me to sit on the same kind of chair next to her.

The others shuffled to sit next to me, with Jens being the only one to stand, towering over everyone else.

The black demon was the first to speak: “May be we start first. She see how us introduce our selves?”

“Is that good?” Mun-Hee asked while touching my hand gently.

“Yes, that’s fine.”

“Good. You start,” the new guy gestured at the black demon with a mischievous smile.

The black demon cleared his throat first: “If any thing sound strange or is no clear is fine to ask. No hesitate to do it. We wish to know each other. I name Booker. I be scholar.”

“Yes. Black scholar,” the new guy confirmed with a huge smile.

“More true scholar on sky. I try to know it. I see you confuse. Ask question. If any thing no clear no be scare to ask. No bad questions.”

I shifted in my seat uncomfortably: “Is that something like a priest, kind sir? You watch the skies to determine their will?”

“No no no religion! Just know ledge no religion. No to know gods. To know sky instead.”

“Too confuse for us bad tongue,” Jens pointed out.

“True. When we learn gooder tongue I explain gooder. So I be scholar for now. Talking of tongue us bad tongue clear. We learn it no long time ago. Bad at it. But we be gooder later.”

“She can help us,” the other, middle-aged guy from the chariot said, “she may show us errors us make. Change them no to be errors.”

Jens nodded his head in agreement: “True. Us talk to her make us tongue better. And we can learn her us tongue too.”

The black demon continued: “Us should see each other like this each day. Talk like this. She tell us where us wrong. Make it much faster. Make that her job.”

Jens nodded once again. Seeing that, Mun-Hee jumped in:

“No sure how Snirba feel with that. She can no feel safe with too much people. Males at that.”

“Another reason why,” the middle-aged demon retorted, “She see we no scary that way. She see no one is to hurt her. She see she is safe here.”

“She see us no demons.”

Those Jens’ words silenced all of them.

“Any way you continue to introduce you’re self,” he gestured with his hand to the black demon to continue.

“No much more. I name is Booker, I is scholar, look at sky, try to know it. That is all. All ways want learn. Know any thing do tell I,” he said while giving me a small smile.

“May I be next?” The middle-aged guy asked no one in particular, “I is be short. I name is Eric and I is diplomat. I help Jens when he talk with timkiks. Two heads is better than one. That is all.”

He pointed at the new guy.

“I now huh? I name is Ira. I job is strange is no real here. I look at things and make conclusions.”

“Like a scholar, sir?” I asked.

“No scholar, it is different. And stop say sir. No honorifics need here. You look strange if you say that. I no learn like scholar but conclude. No remember but predict. No learn what past happen but what future happen.”

“Like a sage?”

That drew a wide grin on his face: “Yes sage! But us sage no like you’re sage. Less gods do with.”

“He no sage,” Mun-Hee countered, “he is dork. No smart just dork.”

That made Ira grin wide. But I noticed a puzzling contradiction on his face. You see, while his grin indicated that he had some malicious intentions regarding Mun-Hee, he looked at her with loving eyes for some reason.

“I like jokes unlike Mun-Hee. Like jokes at other people can take jokes also. No mad like she is. She no bad just no can take joke. She care for you. Next.”

“I name is Jens. I is scholar too but no of sky like Booker. I is scholar for living things. Try to know them.”

“No true,” Ira said, “He is be scholar before but no now. Past scholar now hero. He our hero now. Our champion.”

Looking at Jens, I saw him rolling his eyes, looking as if he’d want nothing more but to run away.

“He kill dragon,” Ira continued, turning his grin towards Jens “That make him hero now.”

“No true,” Jens protested.

“Is true!”

“I just be near when it die.”

“It see you and die.”

Confused, I turned my head towards Mun-Hee, hoping for an explanation. She nodded her head slowly in response.”

“Jens is our champion,” she confirmed, “he kill dragon.”

“He no think he is for dragon is no be challenge to him. No think is worthy. That how much hero he is,” Ira said.

“I no hero I is scholar. Be my all life and continue to be.”

“No more. Now hero diplomat,” Ira kept his grin on.

“You next Mun-Hee,” Jens said, eager to change the topic.

“You learn I name is Mun-Hee. I scholar also. Scholar on how people think.”

“Manipulator,” Ira jabbed, making Mun-Hee fix him with a scornful glare.

“No true I scholar. Learn how they think to help they. You see you’re self Snirba. I make sure you have no problem here. Make it easyer for you. Show you have no thing to fear. But one thing. Ira. He mean. No go close to he.”

Instead of grinning, Ira just smiled this time.

“Soo … you’re all scholars?” I asked, “Have you all met each other at the university?”

“No. We meet here. In this world.”

“Some thing wrong? You look weird,” Eric asked.

“I … I just … you’ve never seen each other before? Before coming into this world?”

“No.”

“Then … how did you all become Jens’ concubines?”