Yesterday, Lavanda agreed to spend more time focusing on completing quests that have been stacking at the guild for a while. When I woke up, she was already out there doing just that. Even without her to train me, I wanted to do something productive, and that is why I was gonna spend the day with Reylia and Phyralia. This time, Tara, and Hybry followed me with the egg resting safely with Gnash in my room. Like that, the egg would stay guarded, and I would know through Gnash’s feelings if something were to happen.

After a light breakfast, we decided that we should go outside the city and find a calm spot where they could teach me some magic spells and things about a pure elf. I already told them my whole story, and they believed me on the spot. At first, I thought it would be a good idea if we could do it here, but they said that it was better somewhere where nobody would be spying on us. The city was safe but information about pure elves was not to be shared with loose ears. If worse came to be, the cult I heard about could discover that we lived in Dawnriver and try to hunt us down.

In that mind, the forest not too far away from the city, where I trained with Lavanda yesterday, was a good place to go. All of that led to a problem I didn’t think about.

To actually get there, we needed a mount as it was too far to go simply on foot. Two days earlier I would have used Lendwrek or Mendry, but without them, I was stuck on foot. I’m pretty sure Lavanda would be kind enough to lend me, Randal if I needed him, but relying on him constantly while he was her familiar and not mine didn’t sit well with me.

As neither Reylia nor Phyralia ever needed one, they never thought about buying one. The expense to keep it fed and lodge would be too high for the amount of time they would need it. In time of actual need, they told me that they just borrowed or rented one from one of the city stable.

We could do exactly that, but I didn’t know how long it would be until my dragons came back, so renting one each time would be too expensive in the long run. Since money wasn’t a problem and I had an actual need for one, officially buying a mount was the best thing to do.

Near the city wall, there were multiple stables that had the reputation of selling reliable mount, so that is where we searched. At least that is what I heard. When we arrived, multiple stables were open for business. On the display, rows and rows of horses and other animals and monsters that I didn’t recognize were up for sale.

With the standard reliable horse, they were also monsters with bird features like wings and beaks. The other monsters that were considered mounts also included big lizards and big cats, looking like lions and tigers.

On the surface, everything was fine. Most of them seem healthy and well cared for, with appropriate muscle and training to do just about everything I need. The problem was their price. From 30 gold for the cheapest and least desirable option to 600 gold coins for the best of the best they could offer. Even the classic horse that I saw just about everywhere cost at the very least the price of Flashbang, the sword I bought not that long ago. And even then these horses were juvenile and not trained. If I wanted something already ready to use and abuse, there was nothing cheaper than 60 gold. For other monsters, their price just got higher and higher, the rarest they were. I had money, but it was not like I was rich, 60 was a lot and far from being pocket money in my coin pouch.

True be told, I had the money to buy one of their trained horse, but that still didn’t cover the cost of lodging, food and care it would need. The hay they feed on was not very expensive when I asked for the market price, but the real problem was care and shelter. My inn actually provided lodging for its customers, monsters and all, but it would still cost a little extra to the price I was paying. On top of that, the amount of need and time it would take me to take care of a horse would be high. As always, my inn offered this kind of service, but if I was to buy a mount, I wanted to at least take care of it myself. Who knows what could happen if I was in the wild with a mount that won’t obey me. It could run away, do something stupid or put us in danger. With these thoughts in mind, it was just better to avoid that problem altogether.

When I asked, the seller said that they were species that required less care, but those were extremely expensive as their demand by noble and rich merchants was high. In his expert opinion, rookies or first-time buyers generally stick with a juvenile horse to learn how to handle properly those kinds of animals.

Looking at the other stable nearby, their offer was just about the same, and I really didn’t want to commit to something as demanding as a juvenile horse. Again, I had the money for a normal horse, but not the desire to work tirelessly just to take care of it.

I also wanted a mount that could fit all three of us if possible. I expected it to become normal to travel with other people, and it would allow them to save some money instead of renting each time. My aim was for either big enough or strong enough to pull a small carriage. In that mind, they also agreed to help with money and food, as it would be used by the three of us. Since it would be something we would use and share onward, we agreed to register it under my name, as I was the one buying it. They could use it whenever they needed it, but as they rarely ever left the city, I would be the one using it the most.

“No luck then.” Reylia said when we exited the last stable. We have been searching for more than an hour for the perfect mount but to no avail.

“If there’s truly nothing, it might be better just to rent a horse when we need it.” I muttered.

“Hey, there is still one last stable we haven’t looked at yet! Maybe they have an interesting offer!” Phyralia called out.

The stable she was talking about, was a bit further away from the ones near the wall and had a sad, decrepit look to it. The only reason we know it was open was because of all the recommendations and advice I got from the stable owners, this particular shop hasn’t been named once, except when they just told me to avoid it. When I asked about where I could find more options, they all suggested their friend's shop instead.

“You’re sure about this? This place doesn’t appear very appealing to me.” If someone wanted to attract customers, fresh paint and a few signs could have done miracles for that place. Instead, It was almost like they suggested going to an abandoned shop to see what ghost haunted it.

“Maybe, we don’t know until we try. It's not like we lose anything by at least seeing what they offer.” Observing the stable, Phyralia was the most enthusiastic one compared to me and Reylia who didn’t feel like this was a good idea.

“It's that, or we buy one of their expensive horse or even worse, we rent a horse at 2 gold each every time we need one.” Phyralia continued. “Honestly, I don’t feel like being scam by all these stables. It is obvious they have some kind of arrangement with each other. Otherwise, they wouldn’t be as open to suggest their competitor.”

As we didn’t have any better option, we entered the suspicious stable. The inside was surprisingly the total opposite of the outside. It was like opening a book with a sad-looking cover in shamble, only to find the most beautiful and best story inside. The change was confusing.

With clean white walls and a marble floor, the entrance was composed of a single reception missing its receptionist. Paintings were displayed on the left wall, each representing monsters that I never saw before. The right wall also had lots of paintings but instead of depicting monsters, they depicted people of all races.

While we were observing the well-made art, a voice coming from the reception caught us by surprise.

“Welcome dead customers, may I learn what you are looking for.” Behind the counter, a well-dressed old-looking man was looking at us curiously.

“Hum, we’re looking for a mount. Preferably, one that can carry the three of us or pull a carriage.”

“Then you are at the right place, I only offer the best slave and monster available, and I just so happen to have received a new arrival of creatures that could suit your needs. This way please.”

The twins and I looked at each other for a moment. We never thought we would be dealing with a slave trader, and it was apparent that neither of us was comfortable buying slaves. Surprisingly, I was the first to follow him.

Slavery was not illegal but had strict regulations in this country. For example, it was illegal to enslave innocent people and becoming a slave was exclusively for those who committed big enough crime. On top of that, it is not like they were treated as total garbage, they had the right to a minimum amount of dignity depending on their age, sex and crime. Or at least that is what I read when I informed myself about some of the basic laws of this country.

Slaves weren’t what I was looking for anyway, if he had the mount I wanted, then I would have no problem buying from him. If that slaver was confident enough to tell potential new customers that he was selling both monsters and people, then the quality of his products must reach the threshold designated by the country. Otherwise, he could become a slave himself.

The room we entered was bigger than the reception we just come from. Filled with rows and rows of creatures and peoples, each of them was doing their own things. Monsters were sleeping or eating, and men and women were knitting or doing other manual labour.

Contrary to what I expected, all the slaves were free to roam around as they pleased and talked between themselves freely. The only sign that they were slaves, was the collar on their neck. If it wasn’t for that, I would have thought that this was a gathering house or something like that. It was not like they looked exactly happy, but sadness and despair weren’t what I saw when looking at them.

As for the monsters, they all had different levels of freedom. Some were free to roam around, while others were restricted to their cage. Those didn’t look that aggressive, to begin with, they probably just preferred to be left alone. Looking through one of the room windows, I saw that the middle of the whole place was actually an open interior garden filled with animals and monsters cohabiting with each other. Some slaves were even doing some gardening with flowers and plants.

“You are free to look around as you please as long as you do not bother anyone. The same goes for your familiars too” The old man said. “Almost all of them are to sell, so if anything or anyone catches your eye, please do not hesitate and I will tell you their price.” Snapping his fingers two times, a woman in her thirties answered his call.

She was relatively young compared to the old man and had what I would call a magnified face with a seductive maid costume that appeared to be very tight on her figure. It had no effect on any of us, but I was sure that any man would have a hard time keeping his eye away from her.

“Boemie, please do your best to find a suitable monster that could fulfill their demand.” At her master's command, the woman told us to follow her.

“My name is Boemie, pleasure to make your acquaintance. May I learn more precisely what you are looking for?” At first glance, it was obvious that she was a slave. The collar on her neck was surprisingly fitting with the way her maid costume was made. If it wasn’t for it, I would have thought she was a regular employee.

Repeating what we told the owner, she led us to a showcase of multiple monsters that could fill the role.

In front of us was a big black wolf, a monster-looking cat the size of a horse, a bird-like monster with white wings and a long beak, and at last was a giant lizard resembling a Komodo dragon sticking to the ceiling and observing all the movement happening in the room. When she ordered them to, they all sat down on the ground and awaited further command. On top of being trained, these were rarer subspecies of monsters we saw at the other stables, making them more special in their own way.

“Impressive!” Reylia commented. “To have them do exactly as you want without resistance. I never thought night wolf could be so obedient!” When she got the chance, Reylia began petting the wolf with great interest in his fluffiness. Burying her face in the comfy fur.

“It is all a matter of training and caring. They know that as long as they do as we say, they are fed and cared for. These are exceptional monsters that could fulfill your demand. Does any of them fancy you?”

Answering any questions we had, we took some time to contemplate our options. It was not a choice to make lightly, as whatever we chose would stay with us from now on.

After discussing with each other, we weren’t able to agree on which one was the best.

“Obviously the Night Wolf is the best choice!” Reylia said. “He’s so fluffy, that makes him so comfortable to be on! On top of that, he is big enough that we can all fit on his back with no problem! Travelling with him would give us both the best pillow and the comfiest of transport!” As I saw earlier, she was really enthusiastic about the wolf. If she had the money herself and I wasn’t the one actually buying it, I was sure that she would have already bought it and be playing with it.

“Dear sister, it is self-evident that the best option is the Runner bird, not only is she fast, but she can also jump high and hover short distances, making her the best in terms of both versatility and speed. I think we should pick the Runner bird.” Phyralia seemed more interested in the Runner bird, as Boemie called it. I did think that it was a decent option, but I thought the other monsters could do better for what I needed.

“I disagreed, if we are talking about speed, then the Puma is better. I’m pretty sure they run extremely fast and can even climb trees like it is nothing. But personally, I think the Kidera lizard is better suited for what we need. Based on what Boemie told us, it can climb pretty much everything, and camouflage itself. Since we are mainly going into forests and maybe the Dungeon one day, not having to worry about where to keep our mount safe could be really good, especially if we need to run away.”

With how much distance we would usually travel, speed wasn’t really a priority in my opinion, and just keeping our means of travel alive was far better. Yes, the other monsters could run away when needed, but with his camouflage, the lizard could stay relatively close to us without attracting attention. That was just an idea. As I didn’t really have any experience in the subject, what Reylia and Phyralia picked was probably more appropriate for what they had in mind.

Our argument continued for a little longer until Boemie caught our attention. It seems that clients arguing over each other wasn’t the best for business. “Ladies, if you wish, I can show you one last monster that may suit your search. This is a brand-new arrival that arrived here a few days ago. If my hearing is right, I believe that none of you will regret it.”

Since we were in a total draw, we agreed and followed her into the centre garden of the place. This entire place was much bigger than I initially thought, the outside of the seemingly decrepit stable did absolutely no justice to this place. I wondered if it could still be called a stable at this point. Honestly, this looked more like a hidden mansion compared to the simple barn used by the other merchant.

“Here.” She said, pointing toward the corner of the garden.

On top of a rock in the middle of an artificial pond, laid a small fox with nine tails or, to be more precise, a Kitsune. The creature was alone amidst the rather busy yet peaceful garden. It seems that everyone was staying away from it, and it did the same.

“This is a Kitsune, normally when monsters arrive, we make sure to give them proper training and teach them to follow orders properly. This one right here had not received such education yet, but she makes up for it in intelligence. With the different levels of intellect that monsters and animals can have, most of those that are domesticated are smart enough to learn how to understand our say and orders. Without that minimum level of intelligence, a subjugation collar is required and mandatory to ensure protection against accident.” She said, tapping the collar around her neck lightly. “Kitsune are far above such simple-minded monsters, although the use of subjugation collar is still required by the law. Kitsune are also great with magic and can increase their size to become big enough to pull a carriage, on top of being fast and agile. Come on, little one, it is time for you to greet your potential buyers properly.”

Waking up slowly from her nap, the small fox, no bigger than the hydra in my arm, yawned and stretched itself until its eyes were fully open. First looking at Boemie, the kitsune then analyzed each of us with its amber eyes until it looked back at the maid. “I have no interest in being someone's lapdog. Unless you are going to bring me a full meal, I will appreciate if you go back to whatever you were doing and leave me in peace.” The voice was soft and feminine, and yet I could hear aggressiveness in it. From its tone, I understand that it didn’t want to be messed with. What surprised me the most was that the voice was obviously coming from the kitsune.

Unflinching under the imposing stare of the fox, Boemie and the creature saw each other as a total nuisance to their lifestyle, none of them wanting to give up under the pressure of the other. “If you wish to have so much of a meal, may I remind you that you still haven’t fulfilled your task of the day. The fact that you can speak does not exempt you from doing your work. If you want to eat, you must do your part.” It was clear that Boemie was at least annoyed, but she hid it pretty well since she was in front of customers, meaning us.

Letting out a low growl, the kitsune didn’t appreciate the resistance offered by the maid. “Do not belittle me, the food you offer isn’t good enough for me to even think about doing you any favour. If you want me to consider helping you with anything, you should hire a professional cook or buy better ingredients. I do not understand how any of you can have such a blissful face when eating something I can barely digest. It almost disgusts me how happy you are being prisoners here.”

I could see anger rise in the maid's eyes as the kitsune insulted not only her but the other slaves as well. “I won’t let you insult us like that, we are all doing our best to live and provide as much as we can. We are all doing that, except you. You do not know how good we have it here. If the food here is not to your taste, why not go with the three ladies here? Who knows, maybe you won’t have to our disgustingly happy faces anymore. If you are lucky, they may even give you better food than here.” At that point, she was forcing herself to keep a neutral face, and I could perfectly imagine her spitting in the fox's face if she could have done so without repercussion. Since she was the one responsible for the slaves here, she probably had to restrain herself, otherwise, the owner would not be happy.

Up until this point, the kitsune gave us barely glances here and there, but now we had her full attention, and it wasn’t that pleasant at the moment. It was like she was trying to stare into our very soul. Only Tara seemed unfazed by the assault. “Three pure elves, huh, such rarity might be worth more than that stench here who could attract every single horny man in the area, it's a miracle she hasn’t already done so. One of you even has a plague affinity! I guess this is better than staying here and catching every disease available just by eating the same food as that slutty maid.”

“Ladies,” Boemie retorted before we could say anything. “Normally the price of such a rare monster would be quite high, in the 500 gold I would say, but the lack of training of this one drops the price to a measly 50 gold coin. Though I must warn you, she can be quite picky with her food.”

Reylia, Phyralia and I looked at each other for a moment. That kitsune actually instantly recognized us as pure elves, which was a feat we hadn’t seen yet. On top of that, she sensed our affinities and was great with magic-related things. As a kitsune with nine tails, she was also nine times more fluffy than the wolf we saw before, making her great for travel comfort. I had no doubt that her enhanced size could be quite fast and strong, meaning that speed and carriage were also covered. And with her naturally small size, she could hide and stay safe when we would enter into combat, eliminating any worries we might have. Her character was quite the show, but the subjugation collar stopped her from doing anything too excessive like running away, so there wasn’t any risk of her leaving. Also, if she wanted food, she had to stay with us, so as long as she was ready to work for a good meal, we didn’t think we would have too much problem with her.

With a small nod of approval each, the only thing left to do was get the kitsune agreement to work in exchange for food. If she wasn’t going to do anything for us, then we would go back to the other monsters. We wanted a mount, not a leech.

I approached her and crouched to her level, making sure that our eyes were staring into each other. “My name is Emery, to my left is Reylia and to my right is Phyralia. What’s your name?”

“My parents named me Mizuko.” She said proudly.

“Mizuko, we are in search of a mount for when we will travel. We know a great restaurant that serves delicious food, it is expensive but worth it. If you want to eat there, you will have to serve as our mount whenever we need it. There will be no exception to that. If we need you, you’re with us, if you’re hungry we give you the best food we can. As I will be the one who will use you the most, I won’t always have the possibility to give you everything you want when we are outside the city, but I will do my best.” There was no sugarcoating to the offer. It was simple. If she came with us, she knew what she was getting into. With any other monster, I would have no need for such a transactional offer, for the better or worse.

As she was thinking about it, we continued to stare at each other. Her tails were wagging slowly and softly, something that wasn’t happening before when she was talking to Boemie. At some point, she also looked at the little hydra in my arm and the spider behind me. I knew that she could sense that they were my familiars, and she was probably trying to see if I was worth it.

After more waiting, we received our answer.

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