Before Juniper could even ask any questions, Suture glanced cautiously around before speaking in a low voice.
"I have no idea why Hepzamirah needs slaves, but from what I've heard… they don't live long," he said. "Becoming her property is a death sentence, no doubt about it. Meaning you saved me. So, I… I guess…"
His voice trailed off, and he frowned.
"I think I know what you're trying to say," Juniper said."Correct me if I'm wrong, but otherwise leave it to stand… you're offering thanks?"
Suture didn't say anything, but he didn't correct her, and that was good enough as far as Juniper was concerned.
"Though I'm curious," Juniper went on. "Why do you say you've got no idea why she needs slaves?"
Suture shrugged. "I don't," he replied.
"Logic would suggest it to be for the same reason as she had slaves at her last base of operations…" Regill pointed out. "The one where you were and the one where you explained what was being done."
"I don't know if it's the same reason," the dretch muttered. "But… yeah, probably."
Juniper nodded slightly.
"Interesting that there's rumours about her slaves not living long," she said. "Especially if that applies to her current set of slaves… I wonder how that information could get out. Perhaps it's just that she's buying more and more slaves without anyone ever seeing the old ones, or it could be that the rumours are based off what was happening at the Nexus."
Suture shrugged.
"Don't know," he admitted. "I might have done if I'd tried tracing it back, but that wasn't what I was there for."
"What were you there for, then?" Aivu asked, curiously. "Were you trying to find something nice to eat?"
"Like a dragon?" Suture replied.
Aivu looked unsure about how to respond to that, and Juniper worried that the little dragon was horrified… at least until she saw that Aivu was looking very carefully at her own tail, and after some careful consideration gave it a nibble.
"It doesn't taste nice," she said, shaking her head. "So that wasn't it!"
That left Suture a bit taken aback.
"I'm curious, as well," Juniper said. "How did you end up captured in the first place?"
"I was wandering the Lower City," Suture replied. "Searching for something – never you mind what."
Then he frowned. "I mean… it's… how to put it – a personal matter, yeah, that's the right way to put it. So, I was roaming around, chatting with all and sundry, when the slave hunters appeared and started chasing us."
The little demon shrugged. "They threw those who survived in a cage, and brought us here. That's a typical occurrence in the Abyss. Social dynamics. The strong enslave the weak."
"Have you ever thought it should be something different?" Arueshalae asked, suddenly. "That – maybe it shouldn't be that the strong enslave the weak?"
Suture laughed. "What else?" he asked. "This is the Abyss. We're demons."
"Demons don't have to act according to their nature, you know," Juniper said, mildly. "They can, yes – it's the easier path. And I understand if you're cynical about the possibilities of actually changing anything… but you can realize that something is very difficult, bordering on impossible, and want to do it anyway."
Suture looked thoughtful, then shrugged.
"Whatever," he declared.
"What an excellent counterargument," Daeran chuckled. "I'd find it hard to compete with 'whatever!'"
The dretch glared at him.
"What were you looking for?" Juniper asked.
"Don't ask," Suture replied, looking at her suspiciously. "That's none of your business."
"As you wish," Juniper replied. "I was wondering if I could help you, is all… or if you'd prefer somewhere more secure to stay."
"What, and be one of your… whatever, your companions, you'd call them?" Suture asked, shaking his head. "Not a chance."
Juniper spread a paw.
"It's up to you," she said. "But to make sure there's no misunderstanding, I would mean you taking as much or as little involvement as you'd wish, though staying where the rest of my companions are at our base camp. Since that's somewhere you wouldn't be vulnerable to, just as an example… being taken prisoner on a slave raid."
Suture looked thoughtful, then shook his head.
"No," he replied. "That wouldn't – no."
"Well, it's your choice," Juniper said. "Though I'm not sure I'll be able to afford to rescue you again."
That prompted a startled glance, then Suture controlled himself and frowned.
"Right," he said. "I'll keep that in mind."
"And what will you do, now?" Juniper asked. "More of the same?"
The demon shrugged, vaguely. "I'll continue my search, I will. It won't be easy, but I'll prove to her that I'm smarter and wilier than she thinks."
Juniper hid a smile.
"When you do," she said. "Ask Areelu for some means of remaining hidden more reliably."
"I-" Suture began, glancing up at her, then fell silent.
He scratched the back of his neck, looking awkward and trying and failing to find the words, then shrugged. "Just… be careful, that's what I'm saying."
"I could say the same to you," Juniper told him, smiling this time to take away the sting. "Good luck."
Suture nodded slightly, then turned away, and vanished into an alleyway within seconds.
"Was that wise, Commander?" Regill asked.
"He didn't know anything more since the last time we encountered one another," Juniper answered. "But, well… if you want a reason for what I did, it's that he's quite able to understand gratitude – if, perhaps, not used to expressing it. It certainly seems that we'll be able to get information from him in future… potentially, at least. While not letting him go, when he wants to, would prevent that."
Aivu made an inquiring noise.
"So… what do we do now?" she said.
"There's still a couple of the notable slave traders left," Juniper replied. "I want to make sure I've got a complete picture of who's present in the Fleshmarkets – just in case. Then, back to the Nexus."
She looked between her present companions. "Unless there's something else we should be doing?"
Ulbrig shrugged. "You're the Warchief."
"Nothing at the moment," Woljif said. "I'm kinda ready for us to be somewhere else, right now!"
He shook his head. "This place gives me the creeps. I don't think I like slavery much."
"It took a visit here for you to form that opinion?" Regill inquired. "Perhaps it was realizing that there was no possibility of it giving you, personally, an advantage."
"Hey, now, it could," Woljif replied. "If I had the money, I could buy a slave to do stuff for me. I just don't want to."
He shrugged. "I never thought about it before."
"That, I can believe," Regill mused.
"Hey!" someone said, his voice pitched to get their attention.
Juniper looked up, and met the gaze of a tough-looking demon – probably an incubus, by the looks of him – who grinned appreciatively at her.
"I've heard you're on a shopping spree," he said. "Looking to buy slaves, eh? Shame I've just sold off the shipment I captured during the last raid!"
Juniper glanced around the Fleshmarkets, and didn't see any sign of Golarians.
"If they were the type I'm after, I probably bought them," she said. "Though I'm sure you'd have given me a better price, without any middlemen."
"Heh. Yeah, maybe," the demon chuckled. "Or maybe not. I'm Kerz, captain of the Bloody Bitch."
"That's not a name I've heard," Juniper said. "A pirate, I take it?"
Kerz stared at her, then laughed.
"Now that's a question!" he said. "I'm the most famous damn pirate in the Midnight Isles! Kerz-Got-Stabbed, captain of the legendary Bloody Bitch! You must be a landlubber who's never set foot on an airship!"
"Not on this plane," Juniper replied, having a sudden flash of relevant false-memory, then dismissed it. "Or any other."
"Weird way to put it," Kerz muttered, then shrugged. "Well, whatever. You really haven't heard of me?"
"I'm… new to Alushinyrra," Juniper replied, with a shrug. "The only other airship flyer I've encountered so far is Mielarah."
"That nutjob?" Kerz asked. "Hah! Her entire crew must be wimps and weaklings if they haven't slit such a 'leader's' throat or fed her to Ishiar's beasts yet, that's what I say."
"I agree," Juniper said, with a slight smirk. "That's definitely what you say."
Kerz seemed quite willing to bluster, but she did wonder how willing he'd be to challenge her to a fight. If Juniper was any judge, the fact he hadn't done so yet was a good indication that he'd not necessarily be willing.
"You've got wings, and you've got a flying ship?" Woljif asked, curious.
Kerz looked at him, suspiciously. "...sure, and what do you propose I do with all the loot, carry it on my back?"
"It's not just that, either, is it?" Juniper asked. "The ship's for carrying things, but it also stays in the air without continuous effort. You can sleep on board it, for example…"
She paused, thinking. "You know, there's some people of my acquaintance who might like to hear your stories, but they're not with me now. Are you usually found around here?"
"For you, sure," Kerz agreed. "If I'm not sailing out to raid, anyway."
He glanced up at Ulbrig. "What are you looking at?"
"Oh, just wondering," Ulbrig replied, with a shrug. "My warchief can make her own decisions, and I wouldn't want to try and tell her who she could or couldn't speak with. I'm just thinking about how long an airship would last with a griffin ripping the balloon open."
Kerz stared at him for a long moment, then laughed.
"I like you," he decided. "Hah!"
