Fealty: Trade (1/2)
"You seem quiet this morning, Pachacutec. What is on your mind?"
The tayra shrugged and looked around the countryside. They were on top of a mound and could see the endless jungle stretch out as far as the eye could see, rising and falling over the hills like waves on the ocean. The emperor wondered if Pacha had ever seen the ocean. He would show him someday.
The jaguar mussed the tan fur on Pacha's head. "You know, you only have to be nonverbal when the collar is on. You may speak freely, my pet."
"Oh," the tayra said. "Sorry, your majesty. I've never had an experience like that before, so I wasn't sure how to act. Especially since you still call me your 'pet' when I'm not wearing the collar."
"Do not trouble yourself on words. I say it as a term of... endearment." He almost said 'affection.'
"Oh, okay. Apologies for misunderstanding, your majesty."
"Think nothing of it." He hoped the tayra wasn't reading too much into what he said. "Your advice came in very handy yesterday. Instead of a riot, we had six new recruits. You have pleased your emperor."
Pacha blushed. "Th-thank you, your majesty."
"It should be easier to get men in this city," the jaguar said, peering into the distance to check if he could see it from here. He could just make out the thin white trails of smoke from hundreds of cooking fires. "If I remember correctly, Mayu Llaqta has a population of almost two thousand, and is home to fine weapon-smiths. I think last time I was here I--... Oh. This city."
"Problem?"
The jaguar rubbed his temples. He considered bypassing the city entirely. Unfortunately, he needed to stop to get rations for his troops; donating to the last village's reserves had decreased their mobile supply considerably.
"Your majesty?"
"No, it should not be a problem. Just a pain I do not feel like dealing with today."
"What is it?"
"The guild masters of Mayu Llaqta. Yauri the tapir, head of the Jewelers' Guild, and Sayani the anaconda, head of the Trade Guild. Everything is run by the two of them. They are miserly, narcissistic, and disrespectful to the throne."
"I'm sorry to hear that, your majesty. If I may ask, why haven't you done anything about them?"
"Because they know they're in a good position to bargain. This city is at a crossroads of trade, which holds strategic value for me. They have a standing militia, which holds value for me. And most of all, they have weapons and food enough to supply my whole army. All I have to place against that value is my title of emperor. That is why they can get away with being disrespectful. They know I need them."
Pacha nodded. "So what can we do?"
"I don't know." The jaguar glared at the distant smoke trails. He almost wished they were the black smoke of burning buildings.
"Would you like me to scout ahead and see if there's any way to improve our chances?"
"Not just yet. You can wait until we are closer." He didn't want to stop talking to the tayra just yet.
"Okay. Sorry, your majesty."
The emperor peered at him closely. "You seem unusually apologetic today. What is on your mind, my pet?"
"I..." He shut his mouth and shrugged instead, averting his gaze.
"You have done nothing requiring an apology, so why do you say you are sorry? Speak." But the tayra was clearly determined not to speak. He was looking at everything around him but the jaguar.
"Fine," the emperor said, "you leave me no choice but to guess for myself. You are being apologetic for no reason because it shows submission. Even though you are not wearing the collar, you seek to be submissive to me and you fear displeasing me. You do not want me to be disappointed in you. That means you care very much about what I think of you. People have acted that way toward me before, but only because they are ambitious and want to move up in social standing. That is not a primary motivator for you. No, you just want to be close to me." It hit him. "You like me. You have feelings for me. Don't you, Pachacutec?"
The tayra blushed. "Y-yes, your majesty," he mumbled.
"Yes what? I want to hear you say it."
"Yes, your majesty. I have, um, feelings for you."
The emperor nodded. "Thank you, Pacha. Now, run along and scout ahead. See if there's anything that can give us an advantage during negotiations."
"Right away, your majesty." The mustelid hopped off the platform.
"And Pacha," the emperor said, stopping the tayra before he ran off. "No need to be so apologetic. Understood?" Pacha nodded, tightened the his belt around his waist, and ran toward the front of the column.
The emperor watched the tayra's tail bounce as he got smaller and smaller. The jaguar sighed. So the tayra had feelings for him. Genuine ones. As a "local ambassador," Pacha had probably fucked many dozens in his career, but a prostitute who falls in love with a client would not be able to have any other clients without feeling remorse. Was this the first time Pacha had ever felt this way about someone?
And what about him? Did he have feelings for the tayra in return? His stomach churned as he pondered this.
"My liege, if I might have a word?"
The jaguar looked down from the royal litter to see a well-dressed capybara walking beside him. His stomach paunch bobbed up and down with each step. It was one of his longtime advisors. "Yes, Cusi, what is it?"
"My liege, I had a question about that tayra traveling with us over the last week. Who is he?"
The emperor yawned. "Surely you've met him by now. You know he's a local guide and a volunteer advance scout."
"Well yes, I know that much. But who is he to you?"
The jaguar peered at him closely. "Explain."
"Well, one can't help but notice how close you keep him. Riding in your litter with you, having hushed conversation with you. Even having physical contact with you."
The feline kept a straight face. How much did Cusi know? Did he simply mean the pats and head scritches he gave Pacha, or the more intimate kind of contact? Perhaps he should be more careful in public. "Is there a point to this, Cusi?"
"Well, my liege, I just don't think it's proper for a commoner to have that kind of audience with the emperor. Especially one we know so little about. For all we know, he could be an assassin sent by another kingdom, tasked with gaining your confidence and striking you down when you least expect it!"
The jaguar snorted. "I would like to see him try."
"He wouldn't even have to overpower you. You are well aware of the types of poisons created by plants and animals of the deep forests. He could paralyze you with just a prick of a needle, then finish you off while you were helpless."
"I find it rather disturbing how much thought you have put into my hypothetical assassination, Cusi. Are you sure it is the tayra I should be worried about?"
Cusi bowed. "It is my job as your advisor to consider all possible outcomes, your majesty. There may soon come a day when you're glad I've considered so many ways you could be killed. You know that if I wished you harm, I would have caused it when you were but a cub." The capybara looked up at him imploringly. "I've known you your whole thirty years. You have known this tayra for only a week. I beg of you, do not trust him. And do not be alone with him."
The jaguar growled. "If I wanted your advice in this matter, I would have asked for it, rodent. Let us speak no more of this." Cusi bowed and slowed his pace, falling back to his spot behind the litter.
The emperor shook his head. The nerve. Why were his advisors questioning everything he did lately? They didn't know what it was really like to lead the empire. They could make all the suggestions they wanted, but their bad ideas didn't cost lives. Their bad ideas didn't have consequences; they only had to lay the suggestion before him and rest easy. He was the one who ultimately had to bear the burden. If they didn't like his actions, they could shut their mouths and bring him better ideas next time.
Like how to deal with Yauri and Sayani. They always seemed to want something even he couldn't give. This time he was sure they'd want the moon. He motioned for one of his servants nearby to fetch him something strong to drink. He was going to need it.
* * *
Pacha slowed down to a walking pace when he came to the river at the foot of the city. A sturdy wooden bridge had been built across it, tall enough to provide some shade from the midday sun. He was sweating after his run, so he slipped into the shadows and went down to the water to cool off. The river gurgled around his feet as he stepped in. Gods, that felt good.
He bent down to cup the water in his paws and take a sip. He'd passed several farming homesteads on his way toward the city, but so far had seen nobody. Maybe they were all inside getting away from the heat and preparing lunch for their families. But no, there were no smoke trails coming from the houses. Only the city itself showed signs of life. It was like the farmers simply left.
As he bent down for another drink he caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Upstream, from the depths of the forest, a small feline in a tan loincloth stepped into view. The stranger had spots like a jaguar, but also stripes. It was a young ocelot. He was carrying a bucket, which he bent down to dip into the water.
Maybe this boy could tell him where everyone outside the city had gone. "Hello there!" Pacha called out.
The ocelot looked up, startled. He locked eyes with the tayra. He wore red face paint.
Pacha scrunched up his eyes. Is that what people look like around here? Why do farmers need red face paint? He caught a glint of light from something hanging from the stranger's belt: an obsidian-tipped sword. Definitely not a farming implement. Before he could ask what was going on, the ocelot dropped the bucket and ran back into the forest and out of sight.
Strange. Who was that? Was he a boy, or did his species' small stature just make him look that way? Why was he afraid of Pacha, especially if he was armed and the tayra was not? Who was he collecting water for? Surely not just for himself. And why the red face paint?
Something strange was going on. Should he tell the emperor? Oh yes, that would go well. 'I saw a boy fetching water. Put your men on alert.' It was probably just a member of some nearby forest-dwelling tribe who liked to keep to themselves. Nothing to get excited about. Pacha had only been outside his village a few times in his life, so maybe it was just his inexperience with this area that made the interaction seem unusual. This was probably a normal sight around here.
He decided he'd keep this to himself. No need to worry the emperor with things he probably already knew. Pacha took one last sip of cool water before standing up and continuing his jog across the bridge and toward the city. If it was a rich center of commerce like the emperor said, it would be the biggest and wealthiest city he'd ever been to. Will the capital look like this? He couldn't wait to see.
* * *
"Your majesty! Welcome to fair Mayu Llaqta. You honor us with your presence." The richly-dressed tapir bowed low to the ground, and the anaconda next to him tipped his head respectfully. "Come in, come in!"
"Thank you for your hospitality," the emperor said flatly. He stepped further into the room. Rich tapestries covered the stone walls, with large braziers at the corners of the room providing a warm glow."May I present my personal assistant and negotiator, Pachacutec." He motioned for Pacha to approach.
The anaconda came up and put the end of his tail in the tayra's paw. "Sayani, master of the Trade Guild." He shook Pacha's paw. "A pleasure."
The tapir came up next, his belly jiggling with each step. He presented his bejeweled paw for Pacha to kiss. "Yauri, master of the Jewelers' Guild. Pachacutec, was it?"
"Yes, sir."
"You look vaguely familiar. Have we met?"
"It is doubtful, sir. I would have remembered someone of your prominence."
Yauri's short trunk curled up with his wide smile. "I like this one. Where did you find him, my liege?"
"A small village several days from here," the jaguar said. "If you would not mind, I would like to begin our meeting. My campaign is a time-sensitive one, and I regret that I cannot stay as long as I'd like."
"Very well, very well," Yauri said. "Come, sit!" The guild masters bowed and headed to their finely-carved, throne-like seats at the other end of the room.
Pacha looked up to the emperor. "I'm a negotiator now?" he whispered.
"Had to make it sound good; don't let it get to your head. You have met Yauri before, haven't you?"
The tayra flashed a smile at the guild masters and took a seat next to the emperor on the pair of comfy cushions set out for them. "I'd rather not talk about it," he said softly.
Sayani curled himself into a comfortable position on his chair. "So, my emperor, how goes your campaign? Recruiting is going well, I hope?"
"It is, though never as well as I would like. Yesterday we passed through the small farming village to the north of here and assisted with a food shortage they were experiencing."
The anaconda raised an eyebrow. "Those beggars? They kept sending people to bother us for free food. Bad business, I say. Grow more food next time, I say."
"They will not be pleading for your charity anytime soon," he reassured them, carefully choosing his words. "But as a consequence, my army's food supplies are now lower than I would like. I am hoping to get food, weapons, and perhaps more recruits here."
"I swear I've seen you somewhere before," Yauri said to Pacha. "There are not many tayras in the populace."
"Nor tapirs, sir," Pacha said. "You may the the first I've met."
"I trust the town could part with some food and weapons for my army?" the emperor continued.
"Oh yes, of course," the anaconda said. "But all resources must have a price. Are you willing to pay it?"
"Name your price, and I will say if I think it's fair."
"We would never trade unfairly with you, my liege!"
"Then what is your price?"
"I have seen you before, Pachacutec," Yauri interrupted again. "You go by 'Pacha' for short. Have you been the emperor's personal assistant and negotiator for long?"
"Not very long, sir."
"What did you do before?"
"For years I served as an ambassador for my village."
"Ambassador..."
"Gentlemen," the emperor said with a strained voice. "I am pressed for time. If you will please name your price, we can make the trade and I can leave you two to more important business."
"There is no business more important, your majesty," the anaconda assured him. "If I know Yauri, he's calculating our price right now, I say."
"Indeed, Sayani," the tapir said. "Aha! I remember where I've seen him now. It was years ago. I was on my way to the capital for business and stopped in a small village deep in the jungle for a night. There was a small whorehouse there, and the matron suggested I help break in their newest member, Pacha. He was hardly more than a boy then, and had never experienced the pleasures of a cock so big. Why, I remember the tears of joy in your eyes. My, how you've grown!"
"Tears of joy, yes," Pacha said icily. "That's what they were."
Yauri smiled. "I always knew it! And now that you're a little bigger, I bet you can take even more of my cock, can't you?"
"Gentlemen," the emperor said. "This is hardly the time to talk of such matters. Whatever Pacha's past, he is by my side now. As a personal assistant and negotiator. Now, what would you say to one hundred bars of silver for fifty tons of grain?"
Yauri and Sayani exchanged a look. A sly smile crept onto both of their faces. "I'm sorry, your majesty," Sayani said, "but we are not in the market for silver right now."
"Fine. Then ten bars of gold for the same amount of grain. And another ten bars for enough weapons to arm a thousand men. That's twenty bars total."
"We are not in the market for gold, either. Or jewels, before you ask. We're interested in the tayra." The anaconda gave Pacha a wink.
"Out of the question. He is not some commodity to be passed between hands. Twenty-two bars of gold."
"Of course he's not a commodity. He's your--what did you call him? A 'personal assistant'? Yes, I'm sure he assists you in certain matters."
"What are you saying, Sayani?"
"Tell me, my liege, is it still the law that the emperor may only be touched in pleasurable ways by a royal concubine?"
The emperor growled. "Of course. The tayra is not a concubine."
"Then he has not pleasured you? He means nothing to you?"
"No. He means nothing to me." The jaguar could see Pacha shrink slightly.
"Then you will not mind if we enjoy his services," Yauri said. "Is this not a better deal for you? You would be throwing away all that gold, when all we want is some fun with the tayra in exchange for food and weapons. It's practically free." The tapir turned his gaze to the tayra. "What do you say, Pacha? Are you willing to pleasure us for the good of your emperor?"
"I--"
The jaguar snapped his fingers, silencing the tayra. "We are not interested. If you will not accept gold, we will take our business somewhere that does."
Sayani smiled. "And where would that be? What other town within three days of here has enough surplus to feed your troops? By the time you reach another suitable place, your troops will be starving, fighting, leading revolts. You know this to be true."
"Come here, Pacha," Yauri said, beckoning. "You would be saving the lives of your emperor's troops. Surely you would do this for him?"
"Silence!" the jaguar hissed. "He does not want to."
"I'll do it, your majesty," Pacha said softly.
The emperor snapped his fingers at him again. "You will not. Not for the likes of these."
"I only wish to serve you, your majesty. If my services can save you twenty-two bars of gold and the morale of your troops, I would be a fool to put my needs first."
The feline looked at him pleadingly. "What about my needs?" he whispered. "I need to see you safe."
"I'm afraid I can't give you that. Not tonight, your majesty." Pacha stood up and faced Yauri and Sayani. "You swear that your emperor will receive the food and weapons he is due if I pleasure you tonight?"
"Of course," the anaconda said. "Going back on one's own proposal is bad business, I say."
"Then take me." The tayra strode toward the snake. He untied his blue loincloth and let it fall to the floor. The emperor watched helplessly as Pacha went up and kissed Sayani on the lips.
"Oh, excellent," the anaconda crooned. His tail reached up and began coiling itself around Pacha's legs and torso. Soon, the tayra was immobile, his arms pinned to his sides as their tongues danced between their mouths.
"Gentlemen, I will take my leave," the emperor said, standing up.
"No," Yauri said. "You will stay and watch."
"I will do no such thing. The sight of you two sickens me enough without you doing... this." He caught a glimpse of Sayani's two penises starting to poke out from his slit.
"Stay and watch, or you don't get the food and weapons." The tapir leaned toward the tayra and fondled Pacha's sack.
The emperor sat back down and glared at the two guild masters.
To be continued!