The estate was a mess. When Flora went into heat, she and Trace tried to stay as far away from everyone else as possible. When Keith returned, practically dragging Natani, who was also in heat, things got even worse. When Kathrine also went into heat, all the guys practically vacated the house. Not that they were bad or anything, but because they all knew what they would be getting into if they stayed in the same room for more than a few seconds with any of the Keidran girls. They tried their best to keep them cared for, especially Trace, who needed fresh bandages on his arms every few hours. Natani was rather upset, still frustrated that she had to deal with this, just when she had forgotten that it was bound to happen. Eric didn't want to take any chances, and managed to convince everyone to shift rooms around, so that all the three in heat were on one side, and everyone else was on the other. As an added precaution, Zen also cast some basic spells that covered scents to keep the place from smelling strange, and to keep everyone's hormones down. For four days, the entire estate shut down, and hardly anyone moved. Maren and Karen were the only ones who dared walk around, since they weren't at risk of getting pounced on randomly. Karen didn't like that she didn't have to live in fear, hoping for more excitement, but Maren was quite happy to not worry for once. She spent some time talking with Eric, Mike, and Evals while bringing them food. "So, why did you two stick around? I thought Eric freed you."
"Eh, too risky to go anywhere else right now." Mike said. "My family lives on the far side of the continent, and with the war going on, I don't want to get gutted in the streets."
"Yeah, and I actually quite like working with Eric. Sure, he's a bit of a prick sometimes, but at least now, I can tell him no. I feel like he appreciates me more, now that he knows I'm working with him because I want to."
"Right. And it has nothing to do with the fact that as long as you are working with him, you get to stay in a giant mansion with a spa and food service?"
"Perks of the job!" Mike smiled, kicking his feet up. "And, now that we're not slaves, he has to pay us for our work. Eric is rather well off, so he pays pretty well."
Later that same day, she talked with Eric. "Aren't you a slave trader? What's going to happen if you stay here?"
Eric frowned, and turned to the window. "My time here has given me a lot to think about. Sure, I can't change the world myself, but I can change how I do business. The time when the slave trade was most profitable is behind us, and I must adapt to the times. Sure, change will come slowly, but secretly releasing Mike and Evals has given me a new perspective. Mike is… well, like he always has been. Lazy and lethargic. He'd rather sit around and take a nap than actually do any work unless it benefits him. Evals has actually shown some real initiative, taking the lead on a few small projects, like making sure the storeroom is well stocked. You wouldn't guess it, but if you were to use the summoning runes, he has stocked a whole bunch of new items from daggers and bows, to things like blankets, pillows, mana crystals, candles, needles, thread, silk, and a whole lot more. It started with him wanting to make sure we could defend ourselves if someone were to break in again, but he's got a knack for inventory. You could ask him where anything is in there, and he could find it in a heartbeat. I'm glad both of them are still here. For a while, I thought they would abandon me here at the first opportunity, but they've been nice to work with. As for my business, it's time for a change. I can't just release all of the slaves I have, but I have over the past few months updated their control spells, giving them more freedom, more autonomy. Eventually, I hope to not need any control spells."
"Why not just release them outright? Surely a lot of them don't actually want to stay slaves."
"Oh, I'm certain they don't want to, but I am currently restrained by Templar law. Mike and Evals were actually illegally released. I can't do that with all of my slaves without breaking the law, and potentially getting them and myself executed. Maybe things will change as the war goes on, but I can't risk all of their lives right now."
"Someday things will be better. You'll see." Maren said with a gentle smile as she left his room. Richard hadn't been very talkative since Raine left, and Maren understood why. She gave him space, but resolved that they would have a serious talk later. Karen didn't much care for serious talk, instead opting to cause as much laughter as she could when she was helping people. Rooms were usually more of a mess when she left, but no one really seemed to care too much, as it at least was entertaining.
Zen was the only person Maren didn't know what to talk about to. They had very little interaction before they got there, and even less since then. Still, she tried her best to connect with him. "How are you holding up without the link? Natani told me that it was severed a while back."
"At this exact moment, I'm very glad I don't have the link. I still remember the first time this happened after we were linked, it was not pleasant for either of us." His face went bright red as he shuffled awkwardly. "Though… I admit I do miss it. Especially when the Templars showed up a while back. I wish I could have just looked into her mind to see if she was safe, but I can't anymore. I look in there, and it's just… me. If I could have told myself last year that the link would be gone, that Natani was embracing a new side of herself, that I wouldn't be in debt to the Brotherhood, I might have thought I'd gone mad. But… here we are. No link. She's found someone she wants to spend time with more than anyone else. And the Brotherhood has been broken. Without Clovis to run it, the whole operation has fallen to shambles, and they are struggling to get anything done."
"Well, at least you don't have to- wait, how do you know? I thought you were kicked out after attacking Clovis?"
"I have my ways." he said smugly, leaning back in his chair. "The Brotherhood communicates in ways no one else can understand, with not just words, but symbols across the entire continent. A language that has no language. If you look closely when in practically any city, you'll find markings on buildings that can tell you about the area, if it's safe or not, where there's a nearby den, things like that. It's a rather ingenious way of doing things, even if it's not the fastest. Certainly the most difficult language to try and decipher, especially since it changes every so often."
"Well, as a bunch of assassins, you would need a way to talk without anyone knowing. That's… kind of the point, isn't it?" Zen smirked and shrugged. "Well, don't wander too far. Never know when you might need someone who can speak a language without a language." With that, she left Zen, and returned to helping everyone else.