"You absolute failure." His hand slammed against her face, hard enough to make her see stars.
Tea felt her legs nearly give out, and she would have fallen back, but her father grabbed a fistful of her hair and yanked her head back.
"I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"
Her father struck her again, harder this time, his hand smacking across her face, bursting her lip and causing her old, faded bruises to flare back up. When he did finally let go of her hair, she crashed to the ground, shaking and sobbing.
Her father stared down at her with a look of disgust and held up the bag of Bells she had given him. "This is all you managed to get?" He snarled. The bag only had a few spare coins. Not even nearly enough to buy a loaf of bread, much less pay the taxman when he arrived later. "I told you not to come back unless you filled this bag." Her father undid the wrapping and turned its contents over above her head, spilling the coins.
Tea remained on the ground, sniffling and rubbing at her bruised cheek. Copper and silver coins dropped around her, quickly stopping when the bag was fully empty. "I-I couldn't stand out there anymore." She admitted. The pain her father had delivered was nothing compared to the pain in her toes and fingers after she had stood outside for nine hours straight. "The cold… I-I would have died or lost a toe-"
Her father kicked her hard in the stomach. "Then lose a toe." He said coldly. Tea wheezed and clutched at her stomach, struggling to breathe. "You utter failure. You stupid mutt. You continue to be so ungrateful even after all the sacrifices we've had to endure for you?"
"I-I'm sorry, Father…" Tea gasped weakly. "I'm sorry."
Her father growled again and was about to kick her once more, but he suddenly stopped when a hand wrapped around his waist.
"Daddy~" Tea flinched when she heard the crude voice, and all at once her father's look of hate faded away as he turned to his youngest daughter.
"What is it, Chai?" Her father placed his hand upon his youngest daughter's hair, brushing it softly. Despite Chai being an adult, he always spoiled her and treated her the way he had ever since she was young.
"We need to get ready for the big day." Chai sang out. "You shouldn't get worked up over such a minor thing as Tea. After all, soon the folks from the dynasty will be here, and we'll need to make a good impression on them if we wish for them to give us a good review."
Tea weakly cranked her head up and watched as her father pondered Chai's remark. After some time, he nodded his head and patted his daughter once more. "Yes, of course. You're very right. We've yet to even begin the stew, and soon it will be morning. Folks will be passing through here often, and the legendary hero of the south, great dragonslayer Wolf, will also be here. It is of the utmost importance that we remain in his good graces." Then, her father turned his attention back to her. "Go back out there and get to work. There are still three hours of night. That should be more than enough time to see another client."
Tea gave a hesitant nod, and that seemed to be enough. Her father turned and began to head back into the kitchen. Chai remained behind for a moment, and Tea looked up to her sister.
Chai was everything she wasn't. Beautiful, strong, smart, and most importantly, not a freak. Chai was twenty-two and had long and silky smooth, silky-smooth, raven-black hair and a set of crimson red eyes that looked like a pair of blood moons. Her sister was two years younger than her and had a smooth and pretty face, along with a well-endowed chest.
Chai was the kind of woman all the boys in the village wanted, and because of that, their father treated her very well. It was his hope that one day a noble would pass through and he'd be able to sell his daughter off to the family as a bride, securing his own status.
Most fathers dreamed of this goal but lacked a daughter who could provide such fortune. Chai was one of the few women Tea could safely say was destined to be some high-standing family's concubine.
"Why are you just sitting there?" Chai raised an eyebrow, and her pretty look turned sour. "Get up, mutt. Back to work."
"R-Right." Tea pushed herself up, her muscles screaming at her for rest. When was the last time she got proper sleep? She pushed those thoughts down and stepped out of her home. The cold slammed into her once again.
Mordheim was an unforgiving land. The sky was always black, and the ground was always covered in a thick layer of frost. Her home was the land of the cursed and damned, for they had all committed a great sin and were still being punished for it hundreds of years later.
Within the land of Mordheim was a small little village known as Amaryllis. It was placed in the middle of a popular merchants' road. Because of that, the village was often called the Merchant's Rest, for it wouldn't be uncommon for merchants to stop and stay the night in order to get a break from the harsh cold.
Amaryllis was small yet also very well off. All the buildings were well maintained and reinforced with enchanted stone that would provide heat. Various flaming lamps were scattered throughout the square, leaving everything lit up with a bright red glow, and a small barrier was placed over the land, which made it so snow wouldn't fall. A person could stay outside without warmth for a bit of time. Still, even with all the protection, one would find themselves eaten away by frostbite if they weren't careful.
Most places in Mordheim weren't able to create a warm village, for the entire nation was trapped in a blizzard, but Amaryllis was far from normal. It had another name besides Merchant's Rest.
Amaryllis was also called the Red Light District.
Tea looked around and winced. There were so many women dressed in the same loose robes that she had been forced to wear. Many of them were shivering and huddling near the lamps, seeking the warmth the red lights would provide.
Mordheim was extremely large, harsh, and cold. Because of that, when a merchant or traveler would go around the nation, they'd always have to stop in Amaryllis. It was an extremely warm environment and filled with inns, taverns, and pubs. This would allow a merchant, someone who carried tons of Bells, to engage in the fine art of drinking and celebrating, and it was while they were in such a drunken state that they'd no doubt catch the eye of a pretty woman who stood outside. It was the duty of that woman to spend as much of her time with that very rich man so her father would earn something.
Every daughter, save for the favored ones, was tasked with this job, while the sons were taught how to maintain the inns and pubs and, most importantly, how to raise their future daughters to be prostitutes.
Tea hated her life. She hated the hand that she was dealt. She hated her nation, her family, and her father, and she hated herself most of all because she went along with all of it.
She wasn't a person. Not here. She was just a useless mutt that obeyed her master and existed to rut. She didn't try to escape; she didn't fight back; she didn't defy.
Tea sighed and began to walk the streets, finding a lamp she could huddle near. The other girls wouldn't let her join them, for even amongst the life of a sex worker, she was below them in terms of ranking. After all, they were humans, and she was not.
Unable to find any warm spots, Tea decided to just stand near the edge of a block. She was close to the entrance of the town, so perhaps she could snatch up any newcomers, and she could still see her father's tavern.
Her father owned the largest inn, and it was his place that most would go to. He had a stable for merchants to settle their horses or carriages, and his cooking was truly divine. Smoke constantly billowed out of the chimney, and even from where she was standing, Tea could smell the food, her mouth starting to water and her stomach growling.
Soon a special day would arrive. The Long March was a tradition in which the Emperor's best Spell Swords would march across the land, going from home to home seeking out any traitors or rebellion sympathizers. This would also be when they'd collect taxes. Wolf, leader of the Spell Blades, would also be participating in the march.
Whenever such an event like this would happen, merchants would often flock and flood the lands, attempting to stay ahead of the march so they could try to avoid the taxes. This meant their little village would soon be flooded with visitors, and indeed, over the last few days hundreds of people had come and gone.
Today she had already been with three men. With any luck, she'd be with three more. Of course, only those with an exotic taste came to her.
Tea watched as various drunk men stumbled around the streets and would flirt with the women, who were all too willing to walk back with them and spend a few hours in the bedroom with them.
Tea shook her head and attempted to adjust her loose robes, hoping she'd find a way to squeeze some extra warmth out of them. That was when her ears picked up the sound of hooves on stone, and she turned to see someone new slowly riding into the village.
Tea's eyes widened, as did several of the guards and the escorts. They were used to seeing merchants enter on the backs of horses or come in with entire carriages, but the person who was entering through the gates didn't ride on the back of a mare. Instead, they were mounting a camel.
Yes. A camel. A creature made for a warm, sandy environment. That was the beast that was currently marching through the open gates of the village.
The animal was massive and muscular, standing taller and wider than any horse. Its fur was a harsh white due to the amount of snow that clung to it, blocking off its actual body. Despite the cold, it stood proudly, its head held up, and it marched forward at a confident pace, carrying its rider. Said rider was almost as out of place as the camel.
Since Mordheim was so cold, the people who walked its land often wore heavy fur coats and layers of jackets and cloth. Those who didn't were extremely powerful and had enough mana to fight back against the cold, which meant they were most likely a Spell Sword.
All Spell Swords wore traditional robes and carried their masks and would often have a katana hanging from a belt at their sides. Some would also have an extra layer of cloth or a bamboo hat to signify rank, but they often packed light, as their raw mana was enough to keep them warm no matter how cold the land was.
The man who entered wasn't dressed like a Spell Sword. In fact, he didn't even carry a sword at all, or at least, no katana was present on his belt.
He was dressed in heavy wooden armor. Tree bark wrapped around his legs and went up his waist with bits of animal fur and bones connecting them. Vines, like those from a plant wrapped tightly around his waist, and his armor was hand-painted. It was sloppy, with so many clashing colors. Each inch of his suit looked like someone had painted some new scene upon it, and with all the different staples and colors, it all clashed, making it impossible to tell what any of the lines or coats of paint formed into. At every crevice or edge of the armor, hundreds of colorful feathers jutted out, some small, some thick, some fake, and some real. Finally, the man wore a wooden mask carved into the image of a stony face. It was also covered in dozens of layers of paint and had feathers poking out all along it.
Everything about him was flashy and over the top. He was most likely a merchant, dressing as flamboyantly as possible so as to stand out. Most merchants tried to look eye-catching so people would approach, but this guy had clearly gone over the top because the other girls and even some of the guards backed away when his camel passed them.
Tea took note of him, and by some stroke of luck he seemed to also take note of her. His camel stopped near the street's edge where she stood, and he stared down at her, taking her appearance in.
Tea flinched and instantly could tell he was judging her. His eyes were roaming over her body, taking in the loose clothes she wore and studying the curves of her breasts. Then his eyes would shift to the top of her head, where a pair of thick wolf-like ears stabbed out, as well as the claws that jutted from her fingernails.
She was used to getting looks of disgust. She was a Magical Mutant after all. Only those who had weird tastes ever used her.
"Are you an escort?" The man's voice wasn't as cold as she expected. It held no warmth, but it also lacked disgust. It was casual and deep. He sounded old. Likely in his fifties or even sixties.
Tea gulped back some of her disgust and placed a hand on her hip. She nodded and flashed him her best smile. "I'm whatever you want me to be."
"How much?"
"One bell per the hour, two if you want to hurt me."
The man shook his head. "That's not the kind of escort I'm looking for."
"What?"
"I need an escort to the local stable." The man explained. "I'd like to let old Mono here rest up." He slapped the rear of his camel a few times, and the beast let out a snort. "We've been walking for about twelve days and nights, so he could use a break. Would you mind escorting me to the local stable?"
Tea blinked. She had never gotten such an odd request. Especially as there were dozens of different stables scattered through the town, all competing for business. Eventually she nodded. "Okay? Yeah, just follow me?"
She led the stranger to her father's tavern. His stable was the largest and by far the fanciest. Perhaps her father would reward her for getting him another customer? She doubted it. Still, she helped the man get his camel into it and watched as he stepped down.
"You'll want to head into that building and talk to the man inside. He should be behind the counter." She explained. "He'll let you know how much it costs."
The man nodded and then fished into his armor and flipped a Bell to her, which she barely caught. She stared down at the coin, confused, and the man hummed.
"Blessed be those who offer aid. A deed should never go unrewarded." The man patted her shoulder, and then he headed into her father's tavern.
Tea stared down at the Bell. It felt weird to hold. She was used to performing acts to get coins like these, but to have been handed one for such a small action? The Bell was golden and worn down with age but still worth more than the copper, silver, or bills she'd get. It was warm to the touch, and the image of that man and his words kept going through her head.
Her thoughts quickly became derailed when the camel snorted, causing her to jump. She stuffed the coin back in her pouch and headed back out onto the road.
Hours passed and she watched other merchants come and go. Many picked up the various women that were scattered around. As for her, she only ended up servicing one more person, a particularly fat merchant who barely lasted an hour.
Once he was finished and she left the inn, she found that the sun had risen. This meant it was time for her other job.
Another reason her father's business was so profitable was because he had his youngest daughter working as a server. Many of the men would flock to the tavern hoping to get a chance to speak with her, and when that would always fail, they'd instead take their pent-up lust out on the second server.
That was her. It just also happened that she was a server who you could pay to get a different kind of service from.
Tea made her way back to her home and entered, letting out a sigh of relief when she felt the warmth. She quickly got changed into less revealing clothes that were still pretty scant and then made her way to the other room where the tavern resided.
It was the early dawn, and so the sun was only just now starting to rise. Not like any of them could really see it, however, due to the black, icy sky. Only faint golden rays of light would sometimes cast down, giving them no idea that something had changed.
Several merchants were scattered across the bar or at various tables, all being dotted on by her sister, who would bring them drinks or food. Her father stood behind a counter, cooking various meals with his fire magic and brewing the drinks. He shot her a nasty look when she arrived.
"About time. I was wondering if you were busy chasing your own tail." He stated in a blunt tone. "Deliver these rounds of drinks to the nearby tables; your sister needs a break."
Tea nodded and took the wooden plate. She began to go from table to table, ignoring the eyes that would be on her or the hands that would swat at her body. While she went around dropping off the food and drinks, she eventually saw a familiar man.
The man in the armor was sitting alone. Naturally, no one wanted to be around a weirdo like him. She placed a drink down on his table and was about to leave, but his hand suddenly grabbed her wrist.
Suppressing a sigh, she put on her best smile and turned back to him. "Yes?"
"I ordered two." He said. "There is only one."
"Right. I'll get a second one." He let go of her wrist, and she scurried away. She took her time, going to the other tables, stalling as much as she could before she eventually returned with his drink. She placed it down and was about to leave again, but once more he grabbed her wrist. "Yes?" This time she did sigh.
"I have two drinks."
"Because you ordered two…"
"I have only one mouth."
"...Okay?"
"I cannot drink both. Sit."
"What?"
"Sit." The man said again. "I was expecting company. Perhaps a chance to trade stories, but it seems no one wishes to approach. Have a seat."
"I can't. I have to serve my other tables-"
The man placed a thick bag of coins upon the table. "All of this is yours if you sit."
Tea's jaw nearly dropped as her eyes stared hungrily at the bag of coins. There must have been hundreds filling it. It was practically spilling out. Even if they were all a few copper Bells, that'd still be more than she earned in her last few months combined. It'd be enough to cover the cost of her father's wrath for a bit of time as well.
She took a seat and instantly gulped down half the glass of ale and raised it up, letting out a laugh. "To trading stories."
The man hummed. He folded his arms and didn't remove his mask, nor did he take the cup of ale he drank. Instead, his eyes went back to her face and then settled on her ears. "Why are you a mutant?"
Tea's joy instantly faded, and her smile vanished. She set the cup down and frowned. "You know how mutants are made, don't you?"
"I do." The man nodded.
"Then that's how. I was in a dungeon for too long and got turned."
"How did such a thing happen?"
"Why do you care?"
"I like stories. I'd like to hear yours. You're one of the first people to speak to me since I've come here."
"Since you've come here?"
"I'm not from this land." The man explained. "I come from the kingdom of Esteria." Tea's eyes widened further. Mordheim was next to impossible to get out of. It was even harder to get into. "I'm on a journey. The stars speak of someone that I must find. Tell me, do you know of any clan called the Hawker?"
"Sorry? No. I don't know a lot, I'm afraid." She had never been given a basic education and barely even knew the name of their region's local Shogun and Emperor. Clan-based groups went completely over her head.
"That's fine. Hmm, I gave you a bit of my story, so what about yours?"
Weakly, she reached up and rubbed one of the wolf-like ears that poked out of her head. She didn't know why this man was so interested in her. Her face wasn't as pretty as her sisters', nor was her body as curvy. Her mutations left nasty patches of fur across sections of her flesh, and she had fangs and yellow eyes.
"I…" Tea stopped. "When I was younger, my sister and I competed for my father's affection." She said quietly. "Here in our village, men will often try and have two daughters if they can. One to marry off and one to… Growing up, my sister and I knew that one of us would be the second. Neither of us wanted that position. I was the oldest, and so by right it should have been me who inherited my father's family name and the right to marry. Despite that, my sister was born beautiful. Even at an early age, it was clear she'd be a gem. Still, she was threatened by me, and so one night she snuck a medical herb into my tea. I blacked out, and when I woke up it was days later, and I found myself in a tomb. A dungeon. I don't know if she knew it was there and knew what she was doing or if she had been trying to kill me and failed. Either way, too much time had passed, and by the time I managed to leave, I was this. As you can imagine, that ruined all chances of me getting married off. After all, I'm a dog."
The man nodded. He didn't seem to regard her with pity or disgust. He still sounded so calm. "I see. What a fate the stars had in store for you. I can see why they had me come here and meet you."
"What?"
The man never got a chance to answer as a loud yell echoed through the tavern. Her father had finally noticed she wasn't passing out drinks. She quickly stood up and made her way over to him, trying to explain, but he cut her off and dragged her into the back. None of the other merchants bothered to even so much as glance her way as her sister went back to serving them.
As soon as they were in the back and out of sight, her father smacked her hard across the face and grabbed her by one of her ears, twisting so hard she was afraid it'd be torn off. He began to kick and punch at her again.
"Useless mutt. You ungrateful little shit. Your sister has been working her ass off while you sit and chat? Do you have any idea what shame you bring upon our family, you dumb beast? I allowed you to stay, to have a roof over your head and a place to sleep and eat, and you repay me by being a lazy dog that can't even do her one job."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry-"
Her father sneered down at her and shook his head. "Ungrateful. Useless. Stupid. Get back out there. Do your job. And do it properly."
"Yes, yes, I will- I'm sorry, I'm sorry."
Her father almost kicked her again, but he stopped when a loud squeal broke through the room. Chai threw herself around her father and jingled a familiar-looking bag of coins in front of him.
Tea looked up weakly at the money the man from earlier had offered her. Her heart sank as her sister began to speak.
"Daddy! We did so well; this man gave me this! He said it was for our tavern being so nice."
"That's wonderful!" Her father hugged his youngest daughter tightly and swung her around. "You're incredible, Chai. As usual, you've saved our tavern." He glanced back at Tea and sneered. "Why can't you be more like your sister?"
"Oh, Daddy, it isn't Tea's fault. She's a dumb animal. Her brain has likely already mutated. I bet she can't even think proper human thoughts anymore."
"Perhaps you're right."
Tea felt shame and hate, both for herself and her family. With what little resolve she had left, she pushed herself up and made her way back out to the tavern. She silently began to hand out drinks and food, going from table to table. The men were getting drunk, and soon, despite how early it was, they'd need someone to satisfy their urges. She'd get more Bells soon enough.
As she went around the tavern, she once again stopped by the man's table. He still hadn't touched his drink nor raised his mask. He took stock of her, taking in her new bruises, and hummed.
"The stars have seemingly given you another obstacle in your tale."
"I can't talk or sit-"
"Would you like a new beginning to your story?"
"What?" Tea hesitated and glanced back to the counter. Her father was cooking food, but he'd surely blow a gasket if he saw her still standing. "I can't stay-"
"Spiraling towers. Caves that never end. Cities that stretch on like labyrinths. The life of an Arcane Knight has a lot to offer."
Tea's eyes nearly popped out of her skull. An Arcane Knight? The enemy? Was this guy claiming he was a Knight? A terrorist? No way, right?
"The stars said I would find someone." The man continued so easily. "The stars foretold that somewhere along this path I would discover a mighty and proud hound. A great beast able to locate and find the hawk with red wings. The stars have written this story out, and just as they offered me enlightenment, I am here to offer you that same hand. Would you like a different story?"
Another yell went through the tavern as Chai noticed she wasn't doing her job and pointed at her. Her father began to march over.
"Answer," the man said.
Tea nodded just as her father reached her. "You useless mutt-" Before his hand could slap her, the man in the color armor stood up and grabbed her father's wrist. Her dad shot the stranger an angry look. "What? Do you want her? It's one Bell for the night."
The man hummed, and he let go of her father's wrist. After that, he reached up and began to remove his mask. His face was extremely pale and ragged. Sunken in, with a nose that was practically non-existent. His eyes were bloodshot and red, and he lacked hair. He was an ugly mutant.
The man leaned in and whispered to her father. "The stars don't have a story for you." And then his teeth sank into her father's face, a tooth piercing his eye as he tore back and ripped her father's face clean off.
Screams filled the tavern, and all the merchants jumped back as the man spat out the face he ate. Tea watched in a mix of horror and awe as he casually kicked her father and sent him flying through the room, smashing him into the tavern.
Her father gurgled and cried, spasming and clawing at his missing face. Despite how nasty the wound was and the fact that he now missed an eye, he'd live. Just disfigured and hideous.
Several of the merchants made a break for it, and the man allowed them all to escape. His attention was focused on only one person.
Chai was screaming and shaking her father, who was also yelling. She glared back at Tea. "What did you do! What did you do? You stupid-" The man spat out a small glob of acid from between his lips, and Chai screamed in agony as her face began to melt off.
"Oh my." The man hummed once more and placed his mask back on. "It seems your dear family has been injured. How tragic. The youngest, once so beautiful, now will sport an ugly face that no man would love. It seems her value has decreased."
"Why did you do that?" Tea demanded.
"Did you not want that?"
"I-" She gulped. "I hated them… But that was…" She rubbed one of her mini bruises. "They shouldn't have to just suffer." She turned to her father and her sister. "I'd rather they just die for the harm they did, not be forced to suffer as well."
The man nodded and raised his mask. Chai tried to scream out something, but she never got the chance as the man spewed forth a wave of acid, which washed over the two downed people. The wood began to shatter and melt, and both Chai and her father never even had time to scream as they were melted down nearly instantly, leaving not even bones behind.
Tea watched with a blank face as the acid completely tore apart the flooring and bar. She thought she'd feel something, but there was nothing. No sense of joy or regret or even sadness. She watched her sister and father die, and she felt nothing, not even anything positive.
Perhaps it was because she knew she wasn't free. After all she went through, all the suffering and the pain, she wasn't about to escape it. The man would make sure of that. She had a new owner.
"If you need to pack anything, do so now." The man said. "We'll be leaving right away."
"Right…"
"What is your name?"
"Tea… And you?"
"I am Dogante. You may call me Dog."
Tea nearly snorted. "A dog looking for a dog?"
"Indeed." The man nodded. "Now, go get your things. It's time we leave."
"Where are you taking me?"
"Back home. Back to my guild. You're now a member of Phoenix Flight."