“Why do you hate her?” Eric’s angry question came from behind Blake, as he watched the dragons being led back to her stable in the late afternoon.

Blake turned to face the boy, putting on his best fake smile, “Young master Eric, whatever do you mean?” He asked the boy.

“I saw her nose, you hit her again.” Eric said, furious.

Inwardly Blake seethed, this boy was exactly the reason he had to take such extreme steps, he thought to himself. If only Eric hadn't become so attached to the catgirl, Blake wouldn't be so worried about what the future might hold. Blake wanted to yell at the boy, tell him to stop treating beastmen as if they were people, but outwardly he replied calmly, “I was trying to help her learn how to speak to the other dragons.” He lied, “She cheated, I punished her. It’s part of her training.”

“Well stop trying to help her. Leave her alone!” Eric said, angrily facing down the stablemaster with arms on his hips.

How to handle this, Blake wondered, well, he had already gotten what he needed. First, he’d shown Karla that her new status and influence with the young master and Rex didn’t make her immune. Blake had reminded her who was incharge. Second, he’d shown Rex that if the dragon needed to respect Blake’s authority because he could hurt the dragon’s favorite little slavegirl. And now, he’d also gotten the information he had wanted. Where had this ability to talk to dragons come from? It had been a trick by Rex, and that was a lever he planned to use to finally prevent any chance of Karla replacing him as future stablemaster, Blake thought to himself.

Because, the threat wasn’t completely gone, even if the girl never learned to talk to other dragons, it would make sense to make Karla the new stablemaster. The duke was only required to have one adult war dragon ready in case of emergency, no need to keep two war dragons. If the duke retired Ignatious, leaving the task of being the family dragon rider to his son, the most important dragon in the stable once Eric finished his training would be Rex. If Rex didn’t pay the slightest attention to Blake, instead taking instruction from the catgirl, what purpose did Blake serve? Eric might well ask for Karla to be freed and become the new stablemaster, he’d already demonstrated a deep attachment to the little catgirl.

Blake needed to remove that threat completely. A freed catgirl taking his job? He'd be humiliated, who would hire him if it got out that he'd been replaced by a freed slave? Blake would be ruined. He had to make sure that never happened, he told himself.

For now, he would bow to the young master’s request, Blake decided, saying, “If you wish, I will stop trying to help her,” he said with an injured look. He was already thinking of a new plan anyways.

Eric nodded firmly, then turned to leave, satisfied at having accomplished his goal.

A few days later, Able was sitting at his desk when a polite knock on his open door surprised him. Able looked up, it was Blake, and he’d actually gotten himself looking presentable, freshly bathed and all. What does he want from me, Able wondered. There was no way Blake would put so much effort into his appearance if he wasn’t about to ask for something, Able thought to himself.

“Blake, what can I do for you?” Able asked politely, best to get this over with, so he could get back to work.

“It’s more of a question of what I can do for you,” Blake said with a false smile.

“Oh?” Able asked, surprised.

“I’ve heard that the young master has been trying to find anyone with a portable purified dungeon core…” Blake said, trailing off waiting for a reaction.

Able nodded, “Yes, that’s right.” It was a bit of a hassle to find such a thing, since most towns and larger estates had a fixed PDC in their shrines, there was little need for a portable one. Mostly traveling merchants who visited rural villages might carry such a thing, to help farmboys who couldn’t wait to pick a class and become adventurers.

“I happen to know a traveling enchanter who has one, perhaps you would be interested?” Blake asked, trying to hide his eagerness.

Able thought about it. It seemed a harmless enough thing to grant Blake, he could see no reason to refuse, though he wondered what Blake would get out of this, perhaps he owed a favor? No matter, Able wanted to get the task done, so he said, “Yes, I would be interested.”

Blake’s smile deeped, “Well, the only thing my friend asks in return is a moment of the duke’s time, if you could convince him to attend when Rex touches the PDC? My friend would like to give a presentation of sorts, I assure you, that it will be worth the duke’s time.”

Able frowned, “Well, If your friend has a sales pitch or some such, I suppose the duke is willing to listen if it would get Eric access to the PDC he wants. I’ll ask the duke, to be sure, but I doubt he’ll say no.” Able didn’t like it, but if this was all that Blake wanted in exchange for the favor, it seemed harmless enough.