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Chapter Three

"King vs. King"

By

Furry Sith Lord

"So... You will be my slave as proof that you will complete your end of the deal?" Oziah asked as he rested his face upon his hooves folded under his chin. He reached into his desk and pulled out a red collar and tossed it on the desk. I flinched as I saw it but what he had not planned on was that once I wore that 'thing' he would be my slave and not the other way around.

"Yes."

"That proves nothing! Slaves now a days can get away with anything. Giving their oaths then breaking it." he griped.

"What do you mean? The tech prevents a slave from not obeying their master." I replied confused.

"What tech? The collar is just a strip of leather that you put on and I put a lock into the opening so you can't take it off without my key. There is no tech involved." he explained.

"What?! I grabbed the collar and began to examine it. Oziah watched me with a curious look on his face. "It's just a regular collar..." I said to myself as I saw it was just a thick piece of woven leather.

"Something you're not telling me?" he asked.

"Um... where I come from they put tech in collars so that they control the slave and make them ob ey their masters. Guess it hasn't spread here yet." I said.

"It's a novel idea but highly unethical." he remarked.

"Unethical?! Isn't slavery unethical?! Whether you use a regular collar or a tech one, how is one more unethical than the other?" I asked incredulously.

"I'm not disagreeing with you but even among slavery there are limits that must be imposed?"

"Such as?" I asked.

"Ethical and fair treatment of slaves. Even if they are slaves for whatever the reason is does noit mean that we as a society should abuse them."

"So you're a slave master with a heart of gold then, eh." I replied as I rolled my eyes. Oziah rose from his desk swiftly and I lowered my ears as I expected him to throw me out of his mansion. I cursed at myself for letting my advantage slip.

Oziah grabbed the collar then grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me close so he could attach the collar. I just stood there as I felt the buckle being locked into place then he took a small paglock out and attached it to the buckle so it could not be unlocked. He then placed the fingers off his hoof around the collar, making a fist. I could feel his knuckles pressed against my throat.

"You belong to me." He said and I felt my tummy sink. Oddly enough unlock the slave collars I was used to I had complete control over myself. He gripped my arm and led me to a mirror and I saw that his name was edged on the padlock proving I belonged to him.

"If you ever want your freedom you had better keep your end of the bargain." He stated and I nodded.

"Yes master." I replied submissively.

"Two days! You have two days to teach my son to beat me at chess or you lose. You will become my slave for life. Fair enough right? However, should you win... by some miracle. I'll buy you the supplies you need and the tuition to attend a semester at my son's school. Win or lose, you still have to build me this prototype you spoke of and if it turns out to be a lie I'll hunt your family down and humiliate them before they too be come my slaves. Deal?" Oziah asked and he stuck out his hoof for me to shake paws with him.

"And my collar?" I asked as I tugged on it.

"You give me a working model and I will free you but fail or I find out you've lied and you immediately forfeit then you and your family will serve me as slaves forever."

"That's all? I thought that you thought you were a better negotiator? Pretty lame but I accept. However a working model will take longer than 2 days. I need the whole semester to complete it and get it working properly. Give me that and after the semester is over my device will have a D battery run an entire car, without any gas or the alternator, for three days."

"Then you better get used to wearing that collar until the semester is over then." Oziah mused. It was what I had expected and he was in the palm of my paw as his overconfidence was his flaw.

"I have a lot of work to do then. Can you tell me where Lou's room is?" I asked and Oziah rose and pointed down the hall to where my parents slept as adults. I guessed he kept the same room even after his father died.

Lou lay on his bed breathing heavily hoping that his father was not going to call him for a third time. Twice he had walked to the kitchen to grab a snack as he planned what he was going to do to that annoying white tiger then he heard his father shouting and he goes running back only to quickly be dismissed. The third time he was too tired to go anywhere but his room to rest.

"Lou, Lou!!!" Tyger shouted as he charged into the room.

"Hasn't anyone taught you how to knock first?" he grumbled, annoyed at having the pest barge into his room.

"Oh sorry," Tyger said and he ran to the entrance and knocked on the door. Lou rolled his eyes then stared at the white tiger.

"Why are you disturbing me?"

"I've got two days to teach you to beat your father in chess." Tyger explained.

"What?!" Lou said incredulously then he saw the red collar Tyger was wearing. "What is that?" he asked as he pointed at the collar.

"Oh, I'm your father's slave, don't worry I figured out how to win my freedom but I'll need your help."

"And why should 'I' help you?" Lou asked sternly.

"Well... if you don't then I'll be your dad's,"

"Father! You mean." Lou interrupted to correct him.

"Right, father's slave forever and I'll be with you forever and ever and ever and..."

"Alright, I get the point." Lou said after he groaned and he pulled one of his pillows to cover his face. He heard the soft footsteps as Tyger walked over to him and took the pillow and put it back in its place and made the bed. Lou watched him suspiciously.

"You act like you've done this before?." Lou said and Tyger began nodding.

"I have. I was a slave when my family sold me but luckily I had a father that loved me and set me free and made me his son." Tyger kissed Lou on his head and the deer blushed.

"What was that for?"

"I don't think you're the bad fur you want everyone to believe you are." Tyger said and the whole meaning was lost on Lou. Little did he know that Tyger suspected he was one day going to be his father and be the one to free him. He kissed his father as a sign of thanks though Lou would probably not realize it.

"So what's the plan?" Lou asked as he pointed to a chess game he had boxed on a bookshelf. Tyger retrieved it and began to set it up on the bed. Lou sat up and turned to face him.

"We are going to build on your strengths. You're good at planning and seeing the overall outcome." Tyger explained.

"How do you know that?!" Lou asked suspiciously.

"Because I already beat you and I know your weakness. I figure you take after your father so basically you will be playing against yourself. I'm not saying it will be easy, but we can start with that and build on that. How would you beat yourself if you were playing yourself?" Tyger asked. Lou looked at the board in confusion as he thought about what Tyger said.

"EW, I can't..."

"What?!"

"EW... I used your initials instead of your full name. It's just easier that way." Lou lied and hoped Tyger would not see through him. Tyger looked at him skeptically but let it go as Lou turned his gaze back on the board. Lou sat in front of the white pieces.

"If you were playing yourself, what would your opening move be?" Tyger asked.

"As I was trying to tell you, if I played myself I'd know the moves that I'd make so it's not fair."

"Yes it is! Because when you play the other side you need to figure out how you could foil the you on the white side. It will show you the flaws in your thinking and give you an idea how to make better moves. Go ahead and make your opening move." Tyger ordered and Lou hesitated then finally moved a pawn. As soon as Lou's hoof released the piece Tyger spun the board so that the black pieces faced him.

"So that's an interesting opening move. Any ideas on what move you should make?" Tyger asked and it took Lou less than a second to move a pawn in response. After he moved, the board was spun again so now the white pieces faced Lou.

"You gonna let him get away with that?" Lou studied the board and started anticipating what counter moves he could make depending on how he decided to move. The more moves he made and the more the board was spun the more he realized what the tiger was doing.

"You son of a bitch," Lou cried as the whole thing was becoming clear to him.

"Don't talk about my father like that." Tyger jeered. Lou was too busy to bother listening to Tyger. Lou played on and on until he saw no way for either side to win. He laid both kings down at the same time to call the match a draw.

"Great job on your first attempt. Wanna play again?" Tyger said as he set up the board. Lou was ready to say 'no' but then Tyger glared at him as if he had no choice. He played two more games against himself and each time he came to a draw.

"Come on, you can do better! Are you so weak that you can't win a simple match without cheating?!" Tyger mocked and Lou gave him a cold hard look. "Where is the 'I never lose' attitude that the Antler's Conglomerate is known for?"

"The what?!" Lou asked.

"Sorry, what is your business called again?" Tyger asked.

"Antler's Weapon Corporation," Lou said, starting to show that he was getting fatigued.

"Right, the AWC. So show me what makes the AWC so great. Show me the Lou Cervus-D that says 'I don't lose' ever!!!" Tyger cheered and with a determined look, Tyger had him play one last game. He came close to beating himself but it turned into another draw. Tyger left him and Lou laid down to nap.

I made my way towards the kitchen when Oziah stopped me. I submissively lowered my ears and head and greeted him awaiting his orders.

"Hello master."

"How is the training going?" he asked. I looked at him and smiled because I did not want to let on that his son still was not ready. I could definitely see improvement but not enough to call him a winner yet. A weiner, maybe, but not a winner.

"Better than expected. I hope you are practicing... or do you need some training from me?" I said getting a dig in but Oziah smiled and patted my head.

"You've never seen me play. What makes you think your protege has any hope to last longer than 4 moves, let alone actually win?" He mocked.

"You have no idea what your son is capable of. While you're busy being an asshole he's been working and will undermine you and turn your company into something more profitable. Mark my words." I stated. I just refused to talk down about my father. Sure he can be a handful at times but I loved him and would stand up for him even if he was too afraid to defend himself from his own father.

"We will see." Oziah replied smuggly. I stared at him as he walked away and tried to remain calm. Even if he was my grandfather he was still an ass and I wondered why my father loved him so much.

The next day I had an easier time training Lou and he was getting better at reading the board. He even beat himself on a couple of attempts. I then started throwing curve balls by watching the game progress and I would occasionally make a move for him. This would force him to think on his feet. I was pleased to see his confidence was growing with each game and by the end of today he would be ready.

Lou looked as if I was leading him to face a firing squad as I gently guided him into his father's office. He tried to convince me to call it off or postpone it, but I ignored him as I continued to guide him. When we entered the office, Lou was sweating and my grip was the only thing preventing him from shaking.

"Are you prepared to lose?" Oziah asked but I was not sure whom he was referring to. If I had to guess it was for both of us. I smiled smugly at him before responding.

"Trash talking is the poor species argument. The moment your opponent results in Ad Hominem attacks, you KNOW you've won the debate." I replied.

"This is no debate. Perhaps you are too soft if you cannot handle the world of chess." Oziah said. Lou sat down and his expression changed instantly as he made his first move moving queen's pawn en passant. This had him move the pawn 2 spaces instead of the traditional 1 a pawn moves. Oziah's expression changed as his son smirked at him and he realized that Lou meant business. This change even affected me because up until that point I was sure he was terrified to face his father but in the style of my father, he had us all fooled.

"Checkmate!" My father squeele with delight as Oziah stared at the board.

"Son of a bitch," he replied.

"Checkmate, checkmate, checkmate," Lou danced with delight and he hugged me as we both jumped up and down at his victory. Oziah stared at the board as his face became redder and redder the angrier he got. He then shifted his gaze towards us and we immediately stopped as he glared.

"It seems I underestimated you both. I offer my congratulations."

"Then you'll keep your word? You'll give me what you owe and you'll build your son a garden... like you promised."

"My word is my bond." Oziah said and he picked up a phone on his desk "Bring it in." he said then hung up. Lou looked at me and I shrugged not knowing what was going on.

"Sometimes you have to lose in order to win." Oziah said and Lou suddenly looked at me and we both wondered the same thing. Had Oziah thrown the game to lose on purpose? Oziah smiled smugly as he realized what we were thinking.

"Hmmmm." Lou mumbled to himself as he thought over the game.

"He's bluffing, you owned him like a bitch," I said

"Watch your language young one!" Oziah shouted at me and I mumbled an apology then changed what I was saying.

"He's bluffing. You played brilliantly but he merely said that so that it appears as if he did it on purpose instead of admitting the truth."

"Good game, sir." Lou said as he stuck out his hand and his father eyed it then shook and smiled back at him.

"Slave, the clothes I bought you for when you attend school are being delivered to your room. Go check to make sure they are your size so we can ship them off." Oziah ordered me and I nodded then swiftly left the room. Before I was out of ear shot I heard Oziah asking his son what kind of grass and plants that he wanted in his new garden.

When I entered my room, I saw the maid folding and organizing my school uniforms. She saw me and smiled.

"I think these will fit you perfectly. I measured you when you were sleeping so I think I got it." she said.

"When I was sleeping?" Don't you have a home of your own to go to?" I asked .

"No, the master provides everything we need. I could start my own family but why when I have everything I need?" She asked.

"You never know, you may meet the stork of your dreams one day and decide to settle down. You and those two deers could not function without me!"

"Well... you do have a point." I said as I scratched the back of my head.

"Oh, here. I bought you some underwear but wasn't sure if you were fine wearing briefs like other boys do or boxers because of what you were saying. I got you a mix of both. The thing is you owe a pair to Lou for sharing one of his new ones with you. So give him one of yours as a thank you." She said. I found a pair of boxers and decided to be a bit mischievous.

I took a pair of boxers and decided to give those to him. They would annoy him at first because of how weird it feels to switch from briefs to boxers b ut in the long run he'd thank me.

"I'll give him these... after all he does need to loosen up a bit." I replied and she burst out laughing and even had to wipe a tear from her eye.

"Then you can deliver those yourself because I want no part of that."

"How come all the boxers are white? No other colors available?" I asked as I looked through the piles.

"Only baby cubs have colors and pictures to make them feel like big boys. Adults wear white... I thought you were an adult-ish young man." She replied but I was not sure how to reply. This was definitely a different era than the one I live in.

"There is something odd about your little friend there." Oziah said after he was sure Tyger was gone and out of ear shot.

"You mean 'your' slave?" Lou replied.

"He's no more my slave than you are a platypus bear. He just keeps saying things that... fill me with unease. He acts like he knows us but I'm not sure how."

"Is that why you've taken an interest in him?" Lou asked as he looked down.

"Is that jealousy, my son? Are your eyes turning green?" Oziah asked mockingly.

"No," Lou whined slightly.

"You are my son and you always will be. That... tiger isn't even our species so why worry about him?"

"He's a predator! What if he was sent to kill us?" Lou asked.

"Bah, he's a cub. Not even a real threat... maybe... morfe of a distraction to keep us from seeing the real danger." Oziah mused.

"You're sending him to my school?"

"Part of our deal but I want you to keep a close eye on him. I had to pull some strings to get him into the feline dorms. Find out everything you can about him. I want you to pretend he's a brother and you stick close to see what he does and who he hangs out with." Oziah commanded. Lou turned his head and saw Tyger walking towards the office holding something in his paw.

Tyger knocked on the door and stuck his head in. Loiu glared at him.

"Oh, now you learn to knock?!" Lou said with annoyance.

"Sorry, Lou, can I have a word for a second?" he asked.

"Go ahead, we're done here." Oziah stated and Lou followed Tyger into the hall. Lou crossed his hooves across his chest as he glared at the white tiger. Now that he had completed his side of the deal he had returned to his original temperament. That and he was annoyed at the task his father had given him. He had hoped to be rid of Tyger.

"What?" Lou asked sternly.

"Here, it's what I owe you. Thank you for lending me your clothes and now that I have my own set I'll wash and return what I borrowed minus the underpants you said you don't want back."

"That's gross! You're not gonna wash your underwear?!" Lou asked incredulously.

"Of course I'm gonna wash my underwear! I meant I won't give them back like you told me. I'm giving you a brand new pair I got that your father bought me. Here," Tyger gave him the boxer shorts and Lou stared at them in confusion.

"Are you for real?"

"Look I know you're not used to them. They really are comfortable once you get used to them. My first time it took me a couple of days. I'm with you that I prefer briefs but when I wear briefs at school the other boys laugh at me so I wear boxers." Tyger explained. Lou just rolled his eyes.

"Thanks," he said grudgingly.

"Look, I'll make a deal with you. Try them and if you don't like them then I'll keep a regular pair of briefs, brand new, you can have instead. I'll even take those back, wash them, and wear them in shame for being such a bad friend to you."

"A friend?! You are more annoying than a little brother." Lou grumbled.

"Good because that will make us family and I'd like that." Tyger said and he hugged Lou as he stood there dumbfounded. He turned his head as he heard a snort trying to disguise laughter coming from his father's office.

Tyger ran off to help the maid pack while Lou made his way towards the kitchen. He felt like getting a snack as he thought about how to carry out his father's plan. There was something off ab out this tiger and it was not just his white fur. Lou couldn't place it but he was dying to know what it was and he was glad his father had given the mission to him.

To Be Continued...