The Quality of Mercy (with Whitebrand)

[MasterGryph]

The wolf sighed, "Alright then, let's get this over with."

---

Though, it wouldn't be easy to get an answer from the dragon's earlier meals. The priestess and kitsune were both dreaming deeply...

In her mind, Miss Grimwald wandered alone through a museum looking for something. She couldn't recall what, though the exhibits were a mix of heroic scenes, crowd scenes, and abstract shapes with a common eye motif. ...Was there something else there, watching her? As she traveled, she noticed that there were no windows or signs of an "outside" - and there were areas where the walls turned strange colors, as if to keep her eyes from adjusting...

The vixen drifted through a starry sky, admiring it's beauty. It struck her that while they seemed to form patterns with their neighbors, were the stars really together, or actually each alone. A chill took hold of her and she curled up as ice began to form around her. Perhaps she'd drifted too far... and yet, there seemed to be something else to see. The blackness of "night" and the "stars" scattered across it... was she actually looking at them from the wrong perspective?

[Whitebrand]

Brand escorted his ladies out of the town for privacy. He quickly resumed his draconian form and snapped them up into his mouth in rapid succession. Clearly they didn't relish being eaten and Brand was really just too tired to enjoy them as much as he might have.

Well...he did enjoy them...they were quite tasty. But that was neither here nor there.

When the girls regained their senses, they found themselves sitting on a couch in a long hall near a great fireplace. Brand himself was in his human form again, sitting in an overstuffed chair by the fire but facing them. The kitsune was wearing a short summer yukata while the girls were wearing rich finery that was particularly skimpy. The air was warm and comfortable and there were trays nearby that were laden with fine food and crystal cups of clear, cold water.

The sorceress was wearing far less...a frilly panty and a pair of pasties stuck to her chest, with a sheer face veil and a collar around her neck. A leash trailed long the floor from her collar to Brand's hand.

"Welcome home, ladies," he said with a wide smile.

[MasterGryph]

The girls all looked around to take in the new setting and their own appearances. Maurice was the only one among them used to wearing fine clothing - while the rabbit and chicken both approved, they couldn't help feel a bit awkward as well. They all tried not to look at the priestess - though of course, only the people who'd been present for the confrontation at the old shrine knew who she was - and needed to quickly fill in anyone out of the loop.

"Well, you certainly know how to show it off," Maurice was the first to speak up and address the dragon.

The kitsune read into the dragon's choice of clothing more deeply. "So, this is the style you prefer?" she said, gesturing at the rescued sacrifices. Privately, she figured that respect for her origins wasn't the only reason she'd been dressed differently...

The priestess fumed, thinking of how things had come to this.

[Whitebrand]

Brand shrugged as an answer to both questions.

”I like women to look their best,” Brand said to the kitsune. ”I am Whitebrand in the draconian tongue, though I go by Brand by those who know me,” he said formally. ”Your turn.”


He leaned back in his chair, comfortably in his element. He looked more relaxed now, tension in his face and shoulders gone. He looked even younger than before despite his size.

[MasterGryph]

"...My name is Mayu,written down, it means "True Kindness." Why my mother chose something so against what she was, I will never know," the kitsune responded hesitantly.

Looking away, she glanced over the other girls. They all indeed looked attractive. She couldn't resist imagining them as cuddle partners - but it wouldn't be that simple. Setting boundaries aside, she was probably still some ancient monster as far as they were concerned. And the simplest way to start communicating would be to live up to that, at least briefly.

[Whitebrand]

"Perhaps because she was naming you and not herself," Brand said. "I think it's a lovely name, and your name strikes me as accurate from what little I have seen thus far. I am pleased to meet you properly, Maya. As you can see the former priestess is being properly punished. Excuse me."

"Ladies, if you like there is plenty to eat," he said to the others as he took a forkful of the salad in front of him. He held the speared greens out in front of the priestess, evidently expecting her to take it. "Please help yourselves."

"The other ladies have been through a great deal," Brand added. "As you have. May I offer you the treasures of my kitchen? I fancy myself a cook of modest ability."

Brand was seriously understating himself, and the smells of the food testified to that. She could practically smell the work he'd put into the dishes.

[MasterGryph]

"Very well."

It wasn't that they weren't interested in the food, but it would have been impolite to start eating without permission. With that given, most of them began eating. The priestess, though, took the offered forkful of greens between two fingers and looked at it.

[Whitebrand]

Brand ignored the sorceress as the others dug into their meals. He helped himself to a chicken salad dish, occasionally spooning some over to the woman on her leash. He barely looked at her, seeming to feed her without thought.

"So...I'll tell you what I know about you," he said to the kitsune. "Local legends describe you as a terrible, powerful mistress of illusion and predation, consuming travelers and soldiers alike. At some point a "hero"...the identity varies depending on the teller...sealed you away. Many have sought you out to try to harness your power, there are the usual tales of curses on those who try, et cetera ad infinitum. The would-be priestess here managed to find you and hired slavers to bring you lovely women as sacrifices or servants. I'm guessing that the tales are more descriptive of your mother than you. So...are you feeling up to talking about what really happened? Or is it too personal?"

[MasterGryph]

"Well, it's not a surprise that the story has lost detail over time. I didn't understand all of it when I lived through it, but I could fill in some of the gaps...I'd rather not elaborate on some things." Mayu responded, "Though it will be awkward, having such a long conversation in front of a crowd who can't understand," she said, eating a piece of chicken.

[Whitebrand]

"We'll have to find a common language or you'll have to learn a few modern ones," Brand agreed. We'd best talk later, then. I think we're being rude to our other guests."

"Sorry, ladies," Brand said to the others. "Rude of me to go on in Sylvian when none of you can understand it. Languages have changed since the time of her imprisonment, so she doesn't know any modern ones. I'll be happy to take you on a tour of my home later."

He continued to feed the ex-priestess while the other ladies ate.

[MasterGryph]

"I've been wondering, exactly how did you convince her to go along with this?" Bianca asked. Everyone seemed to be starting to relax a bit.

[Whitebrand]

“Pretty much the same as for you,” Brand said. “The circumstances around her binding are obscured by time, and I felt that she would best be protected here. At least until she gets back on her feet. Beings like she and I should stick together. When I realized she wasn’t malevolent I decided to take her in along with you.

“The only difference is that I mean to keep you as long as I can,” he added with a grin. “I can promise you I’ll win you all over before too long.”

[MasterGryph]

Well, that made a sort of sense, as far as it went. The kitsune hadn't done anything evil since waking up, and had apparently even asked for their opinion about something...

"So, that would mean you don't plan to keep her for long?" Maurice prodded Whitebrand's statement, "Hmm, I hadn't picked that up before. Anyone else?"

"Uh, not really," Bianca mumbled. She could think back to what had happened, but it hadn't made a lot of sense the first time. Maybe there'd been some kind of accord reached during their fey conversation, or maybe the vixen had only been scared into compliance in the face of something that seemed bigger, stronger, and too fast to run from. 'Great, now I'm feeling sorry for her. Would she even know what to do with minions and sacrifices?'

[Whitebrand]

"As much as I'd love to keep her, we're a little too close in power level," Brand shrugged. "Sooner or later we're going to end up butting heads. Or powers. Things like that can get ugly fast. Of course I hope to win her over like I will you, but it's less likely with her.

"If she were a dragon it would be different," he added. "But she's not so eventually she'll want to leave and I won't stop her."

[MasterGryph]

"Oh, this sounds interesting," Maurice noted, "What about the situation would change if she was a dragon?"

[Whitebrand]

"If we were interested in each other there would be a dominance fight," Brand explained. "Partly to determine how well one could potentially protect the other. It's possible that a strong enough dragon could have multiple mates as long as they all got along. I fancy myself quite strong...but there aren't any dragonesses around here..."

That might explain quite a bit about his attitude about humanoid females...he was so much stronger than most mortals that he probably felt that no "dominance fight" was necessary.

[MasterGryph]

If they all got along, huh? Three of them had already had a while to get to know each other, and the harpy seemed harmless...

With each of them having their own thoughts about the implications of the dragon's words, and how to spend their time from here on out, the conversation quieted down as they focused on their food.

"Well, you've certainly proven yourself as a chef," Bianca spoke up.

[Whitebrand]

Brand actually beamed upon hearing the compliment. He continued to feed the ex-priestess between helping himself to the meal as well. He happily served up seconds if the girls wanted any, and finally presented the dessert: A multi-layered cake with jellied frosting between the lairs and covered with cream cheese flavored icing. He kept the servings small, which was good because it was quite rich.

"I pride myself on my cooking," Brand said as he cut the cake up. "One of the things I love doing."

[MasterGryph]

"Actually, it's something I enjoy as well. Perhaps you could teach me a bit," Brie said with a smile. After a few seconds however, a puzzled look fluttered across the rabbit's face, "Although I must wonder... how do you get the ingredients?"

[Whitebrand]

"I buy meat from the local merchants in my valley and grow some of my own plants," the dragon explained. "I'll be happy to give all of you a complete tour if we don't eat ourselves into a coma. In which case it can wait until tomorrow. After the tour, I'll show you around my kitchen."