I handed over the heavy pouch of gold to the Brightwell clerk. The coins clinked in his palms like the tolling of some expensive bell. Nineteen gold coins gone in an instant. He counted them twice with precise flicks of his fingers, then nodded and gestured to the door.
"Contract fulfilled," he said simply. "Mae is yours until the academy pays you back."
And just like that, the three of us stepped out into the crisp air of Sale. The port city bustled around us: skyfaring crews unloading crates, merchants hawking rare wares, gull-like skystream birds crying above the mast-tops of docked airships.
Beside me, Lira still had a sour look etched into her delicate features. Mae, on the other hand, clung to her arm like a child holding onto her mother.
"You owe Max big time for this, Mae," Lira said sharply. "Until we get back to the academy, you'd better be respectful!"
Mae only hummed in response, eyes sparkling behind her spectacles.
Lira sighed, then beckoned me closer with a soft motion. "Baby," she said, her voice lowering a little, "let me explain this situation. I'm sure you're confused."
She slipped her arm through mine, her warmth pressing against me, and began her explanation as we walked.
Mae, she told me, was a dwarven arcane artificer under the academy's patronage, similar to Lira herself, but with even more freedom. Unlike most staff, Mae wasn't required to teach. Instead, she was given free rein to tinker, innovate, and adapt.
"She's brilliant," Lira admitted, glancing sideways at the dwarf, "but she's… impossible."
The two of them had worked together before on a major project: the propulsion system now used on high-end military airships. Lira had discovered an ancient schematic in a ruin, and Mae had followed those instructions to the letter, turning a dusty relic into a sellable, state-of-the-art product.
Mae's contributions had earned the academy thousands of gold coins in licensing fees. But she had a fatal flaw: a taste for gambling, and a habit of borrowing money she couldn't repay.
"Casinos all over the sky islands know her by name," Lira said bitterly. "They know if Mae can't pay her debts, they can sell her to Brightwell. And Brightwell knows someone from the academy will always come to buy her back."
This duty fell to whichever staff member happened to be in Sale at the time. If no one was available, the academy dispatched someone specially.
"Today makes the tenth time," Lira muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. "And apparently she's become so used to it that she still requests expensive meals, good liquor, and comfortable bedding, while a debt slave!"
Mae, far from embarrassed, only smirked. "Hey, if they're going to cage me, at least they can do it with good wine."
Lira ignored her.
She went on to tell Mae about the nature of our relationship. Mae's reaction was immediate and loud.
"Good for you, Big Sis Lira!" she cheered, her voice ringing over the crowd noise. "I'm so happy you found someone who'll take care of you! So, how is he in the bedroom? How far have you gone?"
Lira's face turned the color of a sunset. She swatted Mae on the back of the head. "Th-that's none of your business, Mae! That's between me and your Master!"
Mae only grinned, rubbing the spot. "Oh-ho! So he is my master now? Understood."
Lira exhaled and straightened, her expression sharpening. "Now listen. Before we go back to the hotel, I have a task for you."
"A task?" Mae cocked her head, her rose-colored hair bouncing. "Whatever could that be? Want me to join you two tonight and 'service' my master alongside you?" She snickered.
I nearly choked, but Lira, instead of snapping at her, surprised me.
"We can table that discussion for later," she said coolly, though the tips of her ears were bright red. "For now, we're going to Gorin's Emporium. You're going to help Max find some excellent bourbons for his growing collection."
Lira had told me before that as matriarch she'd seek out new members to join us, but I never expected her to even consider a troublemaker like Mae.
Mae gave an exaggerated bow. "Well, if you chose him, I can't turn down a request. Okay, Master!" she purred at me. "Let's go to the store Big Sis mentioned. You know dwarves are experts on all things alcohol, so as thanks for buying me out of that boring slaver shop, I'll let you in on some secrets."
Much to Lira's dismay, Mae wrapped herself around my right arm, the arm Lira usually claimed. She turned her head and winked at Lira, tongue poking out like a mischievous child.
Lira, falling right into the trap, pouted and latched onto my other arm. "Baby, don't forget about me! That midget has nothing to offer you!"
"Don't worry, Master," Mae said sweetly. "I promise I'll take good care of you."
I couldn't help but chuckle as we made our way through the busy streets toward the alcohol shop. Mae kept poking at Lira, and Lira kept rising to the bait. Trouble or not, the dwarf had a knack for making even a crowded street feel like a stage for her antics.
When Lira revealed offhandedly that Mae was more than thirty years older than her, I nearly stumbled.
Inside Gorin's Emporium, the rich scent of oak barrels and fermented grain enveloped us. Shelves lined with bottles of every hue stretched up toward a vaulted ceiling. Behind the counter, a stout, bearded dwarf polished a glass. His eyes lit up when he spotted Mae.
"Miss Mae," he said warmly, stepping forward. "Good to see you! What can I help you with today?"
"My master here is looking for some bourbons to suit his palette," Mae declared, jerking a thumb at me, "and I'm in need of some standard dwarven water."
"Dwarven water?" I echoed, brow furrowing.
Mae giggled. "Oh, right. Dwarves have a biological need for alcohol. It doesn't have to be strong, but without at least a little we start losing strength after about ten days. Dwarven water's a low-alcohol drink we sip all day to keep our bodies balanced. Won't even give us a buzz."
The shopkeeper nodded sagely, as if he'd explained this a thousand times before. He also didn't bat an eye when Mae called me 'Master.'
Before we got to the bourbons, the dwarf glanced at Mae. "By the way, that guy Dwargon was here earlier asking about you. You owe him money?"
"Yeah," Mae said, rolling her eyes. "Borrowed some at the casino. Promised I'd pay it back once the academy repurchased my contract. Guess I'll be running into him soon."
"Well, just don't get your friends tangled up in it," the shopkeeper said, voice low.
To fulfill Mae's request, I bought several large bottles of dwarven water. She seemed genuinely relieved, and in exchange had me explain which bourbons I already owned.
I pulled the bottles I'd received from the captain out of my [Pouch of Holding]. The shopkeeper's eyebrows shot up. Mae let out a delighted whistle.
"That's a good selection from a genuine collector you've got there," the shopkeeper said, stroking his beard. "We can round it out with some bottles to fill in the gaps. Mae, you going to teach this newbie how to judge bourbon properly later?"
"I certainly can, boss," Mae chirped. She turned to me, her grin widening. "Master, let's try a lot when we get back to the hotel. I'll teach you all about it."
We left the store with ten new types of bourbon, several mixers, and a box of cigars Lira had gifted me. She claimed it was for my "education in potential interests," but from the gleam in her eyes I suspected she planned to sample them herself.
As we stepped back into the street, Mae leaned close to me, eyes sparkling. "Well, Master," she purred, "let's see if your taste in drink is as good as your taste in women."