***
"Thank you, mistress." The leadress of the slave hunters licked her slivern lips. Dana set down the canteen and put one of the womens  Laxagos - it was her brand too - between those lips, lit it up.
It was Danas turn to service the captives. The leadress was last. The others had all already been fed, watered, got a smoke and a chance to relieve themselves.
"May I speak, mistress?"
"Yes."
"I am very grateful that you saved me and my girls from the elves. And much in your debt. We will be convicted and probably sent to the mines or even a rubber plantation in the Far Land across the Endless Sea, for several years. But I want to repay this debt. I owe you my live."
"Whats your name, captive?"
"Kobelle, mistress."
"Why did you enter this criminal profession? And abducted an elve? It was very stupid."
"Greed, I have to confess, mistress. I am under Jalimas strong spell, I am afraid."
"You seem to have no hard feelings towards us."
"Not after you saved us. As I said, we owe you our lives. So, in my hip bag there was a letter. It seemed to be a love letter of a friend, but its a code. I will tell you the code. With it, you can go to the bank of the Silverblue cat in Lashayette. Its a code for an account. The money there is yours. I overheard one of your conversations and knew you have no money of your own."
Dana thought for a moment.
"Very well, I accept that."
The silvern haired woman explained the code to Dana, while she smoked her stick and later relieved herself of her body wastes.
The blonde retied her legs and said:
"I will leave you all ungagged. I dont care about custom and Mistress Tashmals opinion. You may talk among yourselves."
"Mistress is kind."
"Think and talk about greed and your deeds, Madamellettes. No one is too strong under a dark aspects spell. You can still return to the light."    
She left the chamber and headed for the hall of the road inn. It was the second evening after the encounter with the elves. They were still in the forest of Dari. It was the name of the elven tribe, Dana now knew.
Dana knew about banks and accounts, her old inn mistress had an account at the bank in Leibech. Lashayette was expensive, and she couldnt live from Tashmals employers money for ever. So she welcomed this new development.
The booted beauty reached the tavern hall of the inn. It was different from the first achaian inn she had seen, but just as beautiful in its own way. There were few guests. Dana sat down at their table and took her cigarettes.
Marule was standing in front of the tables, playing on her mandoline and singing. Dana knew by now that her songs were beautiful, her voice very good and her handling of the mandoline wonderful. She sang in Achaian, and Dana knew she had composed music and texts all herself. The curled blonde was an real artist. The few guests were listening to her, obviously enjoying her songs too.
Tashmal was eating a piece of apple cake with whipped cream. It was her third of the evening. She and Zusha played Kerkor, the game of strategy and war. Zusha was winning and Tashmals mood was bad.
The Rondaka moved her left flank lance rider and removed Tashmals right flank slave hunter with it. The Achaian sent her a dark look and turned then to Dana, asking her:
"Have you regagged them?"
"No, I think that unnecessary now."
Surprisingly Tashmal didnt object. She stuffed creamed apple cake into her mouth, reached for a left flank spearwoman, and hesitated. She shook her head, took another piece instead. It was a weak move, Dana saw.
She had learned the game as a child from her shelter mother. She had always been good at it. But she hadnt yet played on this journey against one of her friends.  
It was already their second day at the inn. They were waiting until soldiers arrived to take the captives into their custody.  This would probably be the case tomorrow.
Dana took a deep drag of her Laxago  and moved her right bizeps again. Everything in order, it was really perfectly healed.
"Whats for pleasure, tonight, Dana?"
"Sorry, my cute whore, but I got my period this morning."
"Lady Tashmal can join Lady Marule and me in the other room."
"Thank you, Zusha, but we shouldnt get careless. I wont let our blonde heroine sleep alone. I will use my own fingers on my little klish."
"I am sorry I cant do that for you, but you know its custom in Dorania not to have any sex during menstruation."
"Its custom in Achaia too, but no one I know cares. Anyway, I accept your customs in this respect, my beauty."
Zusha attacked Tashmals right flank assassin and removed the red piece. Tashmal sighed deeply and toppled her queen. As it was an achaian made game, it was to be exact the ash- pagenette, the first servant of the Republic.
"Like to learn Kerkor, Dana?" she asked and waved for a maid. Amazingly, she ordered a fourth piece of cake.  
"I knew how to play, I learned it in childhood."
"Really?" Tashmal smiled, a wolfish, cruel smile. "Then lets have a game."
The Achaians smile faded quickly. Tashmal lost in 21 turns.

***
The group entered the  hall of "To the Drunken elves", an inn in the small town of Box-Balles, five days before Lashayette.
"Strange", Dana observed, "There are no guests, but the stables are full."
Tashmal shrugged. "There are hot springs in Boxes-Balles. Most people come here for them. They are of a healing and refreshing nature. The guests are probably all at the springs. Its afternoon, no meal time to boot."
The Achaian talked to the first maid of the inn, paid her for meal, two rooms for the night, and the tending of their horses, and returned to the others already sitting at a table.
All four women lit cigarettes and relaxed. They had put their water soaked cloaks over a bar near the fireplace. It had rained heavily the whole day.
Their drinks came quickly as usual, a hot Shox with cream - a chocolate drink - for Tashmal, and hot Kaff for the others. They indulged in drinking and smoking for a while, Marule and Thasmal chatting in quick Achaian.
Suddenly, Tashmals head dropped to the table and Marule slid to the side and fell from her chair, collapsing to the ground. Zusha tumbled to her feet and tried to steady herself by gripping the table.
Dana felt sleepy, very much so. A sleeping poison, she realized. She came to her feet. The maids were watching, they seemed afraid. Zusha broke down to her knees, groaning. The blonde meanwhile managed to draw her sword. The maids shrieked in fear. The door to the kitchen opened, and several women, by their various clothing citizens of the town, approached, carrying latexa clubs and ropes.
They were slender and smaller than Dana and Zusha, but they looked all grim and determined. Dana could smell their fear nonetheless. Only one had a sword, but not drawn. Surprsisingly, she wore the achaians army uniform and hat and feather of an officer. She was young, in her long black hair there were silvern silk bands interwoven. She commanded:
"Dont approach her. Just wait. Dont be afraid."
Zusha now collapsed to the ground like Marule. Dana made a step towards the Achaians, but found herself instead on her knees. The young officer approached her and took the sword out of her left with ease. Dana groaned deeply. The young Achaian put a hand to Danas shoulder and gave her a prod, not a strong one. Dana fell like a tree attacked by the axe.  Everything went dark.
***
There were a total of 73 packages in the large hall. All had their limbs sheeted in colored latexa, wore latexagags, and were bound with white rope. And they were suspended from the ceiling by stout ropes around their torsos.
The ladies were very agitated, partly because of their treatment, but mainly because all were very much aroused. Many were swinging about heavily, and screaming in heat into their gags. Often one would cum, only to begin again a short while later.
Dana was aroused like the others, because of the latexa, the gag and ropes, , and not the least because of the sight of so many other attractive packages. Tashmal was to her right, her latexa was blue, as Danas was black. To Danas left dangled Zusha in black latexa with red stripes and farther left, there was Marule in orange latexa.
Facing the dangling packages, there was a big band of musicians, playing a piece of music, a long one.
Before them, an old woman with a strong clear voice had entertained the captives by reading from a book, a very juicy love story.
In short intervalls, the ladies were handled down from the ceiling, their gags removed, and fed with delicious meat, vegetables, fruit, cheese, chocolate and candies, watered with juice and wine, and provided with a smoke of Malego. Naturally, they could relief themselves too. Dana and her friends were now among them for about ten hours, and after them, six more women had been added to the packages.
It was all very strange and bizarre. They knew why they were in this predicament, it had been explained to them, by the First Pagenette  - Mayor - of the town.
Box-Balles was rich because of the Hot Springs. There was a city tax on the use of the hot water which every guest had to pay. Last Week, the High Sarell - senate - of the Republic in Lashayette had decided to forbid this tax, in a turn of politics which the Pagenette had explained but Dana hadnt understood in full. The citizens of Box-Balles protested now against this action by taking hostage every guest arriving in the town.  The tax was redebated as they dangled  and squirmed - as the Achaian had put it - and all would be free soon, to receive free admittance to all inns, taverns, hot springs, pleasure houses and so on of Box-Balles. The woman had apologized every third sentence during her speak.
Dana had no intention to dangle here for some days, though it had been fun the first two hours or so. She was sure her friends viewed it likewise.
It was night outside. She was waiting for her next round of food and so on. It came about an hour later. Six women were doing the work, servicing three packages at once.
As they suspended the three before Tashmal again, the Achaian  and Dana changed a look. Danas bonds were already loose, as were Tashmals and Zushas, she knew.
Tashmal, Dana and Zusha were lowered to the ground and carried out of the hall, through a corridor, and into a large chamber. It was a toilet chamber, the building being the towns theatre. There were twelve toilets in all. Dana had found these toilets to be wonderful inventions and asked herself, why they were not used in her home country.
The captives leg ropes were loosened.  The Box-Ballians helped them down on the toilets. Tashmal and Zusha immediately started to piss, and after a short moment of hesitation, the blonde managed to do so too.
Their three part gags were removed.  Dana moved her jaws about. A smiling young girl with red dyed hair in curls asked her:
"Whats first, pretty Madamelle? Drink, provision, or cigarette?"
"A drink, please."
She was done with her pissing. Time to act. Lightning fast, she wriggled out of her body ropes, shook the loose bonds of her wrists, and gripped the surprised redhead. She made the sleeping grip at her neck - in the meantime having learned it from Zusha.  The other of her two Achaians, an older woman with blue hair, screamed in fear and alarm. But the music from the hall masked all screams.
Dana attacked her, wrestled her down with ease, and send her to sleep too. She looked up. Tashmal and Zusha had dealt with their citizens too.
They quickly went to work. The Achainans were stripped, tied up with the rope the frrends had worn before, three were gagged with their gags, and on the other three they used improvised ones made out of their Latexa gloves and stockings. Finished, Tashmal said:
"We have to free Marule. It would be very bad manners to leave her here. I have taking a liking to her. She is a good artist, nearly as good as an Achaian."
At that moment, the door opened and the young army officer with the silvern bands in her long dark hair entered. Zusha gripped her from the side and wrestled her easily down on her knees. The young woman struggled.
"Klish!" she hissed.
Achainas seemed to love that word.
She was quickly stripped, put in Tashmals blue latexa, bound and gagged.
"UMMMPH! MMPPH!"
Dana had taken her sword and dagger. Tashmal decided:
"We will march with her into the hall, threatening her while we free Marule."
"And the others?" Dana asked.
"Not our problem, They are in no real danger, and most are having much fun. We will simply free Marule and leave. We will fetch our wear and gear, get our horses, and leave Box-Balles. As a precaution, we take this cute thing here as hostage until we are out of town."
It proved to be easy. Half an hour later, they were out of town on the road, the Sna Imperelle, the greatest road of Achaia, its name dating back from the time when Achaia had been an empire too. Zusha had carried the hostage before her on the horse, she laying on her stomach.
The young woman now stood beside the road, her legs already free. Tashmal removed her gag.
"Whats your name, Leftenette?"
"Antaste, Madamelle."
"No bad feelings Antaste, I think we are quit." Tashmal said, freeing the other from arm and body ropes.
Antaste nodded.
"I wish your town luck regarding this tax."
"Uff! Thank you Madamelle, ohh, uff!"
The girl was free now.
"The bondage made me very hot. You wouldnt care for some fun in the bushes, Madamelle?"
"Sorry, but we have no time. I wish you well."
"I wish you well."
Tashmal mounted her horse, and they continued their journey.
"You Achaians are a strange people," Marule observed.
Dana had to nod to that. Tashmal shrugged. "We are all whores, already forgotten?"
***
"This is ridiculous."
"What, my blonde beauty?"
"These festivities. All in these black masks and dark cloaks like spies in a story, and these silly whispers, louder than normal speaking. And then the letters. I got one again."
"What does it say?"
"Forget it. And this is the feast of a dark aspect? The dark aspects are evil, and..."
"We Achaians know that Dana. But they must be worshipped too, as they are aspects of deity too. I know its different in the empire, but not here."
Marule said, lighting a smoke:
"Lady Dana, dont you see the beauty of it? The Achaians worship the dark aspects by joking about them and making them seem ridicilous. Besides, these feasts are fun."
It was the day of Illkelad, daughtergoddess of disguise and secrets, a daughter of Oxerun, goddess of forbidden knowledge.  
The Achaians seemed to have great fun on this day, all clad like spies, masked, and writing each other silly letters, which they try to give to the recipient secretly. Dana had already eight. Most were confessions that the writer loved blondes and big breasts and dreamed of making love with her.
Dana was no longer embarrassed by such things, but she was at the end of her rope because of it.
They were in an inn in a village, near Lashayette. It was late in the evening, and they would soon retire for the night.
Zusha was oiling her sword, one of the slave hunters she had captured in the Dari forest. Marule was writing a new song, humming while doing it.
The blonde and Tashmal were playing Kerkor, and Tashmal had yet to win a single game against Dana.
It was the 11th turn, and Tashmal had to place her reinforcements now, it had to be done before the 12th turn.
She had a cigarette between her blue lips, unlit, and her lips were playing with the filter. As Dana now knew, she hated loosing, and her mood was again bad.
Dana took a schox plate and popped it into her mouth. She had taken a liking to achaian schox.
"You will get fat if you continue like this," Tashmal grunted.
"Really? Like you, after four pieces of apple cake with cream?"
"I had a magical treatment."
"I see. I gather one to eat as much as you like without getting fat? How long does it last and cost?"
"3 months and 100 zarines."
"Thats 2000 dublones. You are crazy Tashmal. And filthy rich."
"I have earned every silver zarinelle of my wealth with hard work. I am entitled to spent it on my pleasure. "
"You should strengthen the center."
"Hmmppff."
The Achaian placed her reinforcement pieces at the left flank, for a counterattack. Dana shrugged and continued her build up for a strong center assault.
"We will reach Lashayette tomorrow," Tashmal said, finally lighting her filmu.
"I am looking forward to seeing it, especially the Alshaonysette." Dana answered.
The Alshaonysette was a giant artificial waterfall whose waters were colored in all shades of the rainbow. It was famous throughout Arankalor, maybe even the world.
They were conversing in Achaian, which Dana, always the quick learner, already spoke quite well.
"My mission will be finished. You will learn from my employer why you are so important. I am curious too. I will only have to explain that we have to sent the latexa and cigarettes for the elves to the Dari forest, worth about 250 zarines."
"Will you employer pay the sum? I know its very much."
"The witches are rich."
"Witches? I always assumed your employer was an Achaian."
"No, my employer is the Ambassador of the witchdom of Albor to the Achaian Republic."
"I see. So you are a spy for the Alboras? A traitress to Achaia?"
"No, my work is no secret.  Everyone knows I am taking jobs from the ambassador from time to time. Albor and Achaia are friends."
"I have no real idea what to do then, Tashmal."
"My employer will know. Dont worry."
"And you?"
"I will take a few weeks well deserved rest.  After that, a new job. There are always jobs for me. They are standing in line to hire me. Thats the reason why I am filthy rich."
Dana removed Tashmals left center dragon rider with a mere spearwoman. The petite brunette blew out smoke angrily.
"And what about us?" Dana asked evenly.
Tashmal hesitated.
"At first, during the early days of our journey, I thought you had fallen hopelessly in love with me, my blonde. But as you learned over time I had my faults too, and am only human, you seemed to be cured. Now, well, it seems more to be the other way around."
Danas heart raced, but her voice was cool, as she said:
"I noticed that."
She mouthed a Laxago and lit it, slowly. Tashmal sighed.
"Oh blonde, you look so HOT when you do that."
The ex maid threw back her hair. She smoked and waited. Her palms inside her gloves were wet with sweat, her heart raced, but she looked like a death knightress, strong and cool.
"Anyway, in case the ambassador doesnt offer you a place at the embassy, you will be my guest until you have decided what to do with your life."
Dana had to smile. Her hand reached over the table and took Tashmals. The Achaian smiled back, her lips quivering a bit.
"If you want to, that is..."
"I would love to, my cute whore."

END OF PART 1