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Ch 2. Hawksbarrow

Sleep came a little rough. The mattress was more than a little on the scratchy side, and noisy whenever I turned, or shifted under the blanket trying to get more comfortable. And in spite of my exhaustion, the vision of a four foot tall woman named Tio eyeing me as she set the tray with my stew and bread on the desk, kept playing in my mind. It isn't as if I had never been with a shorter woman, I liked them well enough in my previous life and had enjoyed having sex with them. But with Tio, I wasn't sure things could.. Physically work out. Toss, turn, toss.. Repeat. "Damnit."

Morning came with the call of some infernal feathered beast from hell. It seems that roosters are just a universal torment sent by some malicious gods after all. Milaya must have delivered my laundry late in the night, because I never heard her leave them on the rickety wooden chair by the door. At least they were dry and clean, and I had something presentable to wear. So I slid into my under-robe, pulled up and tied my hakama in place, then wrapped a cloth belt around my waist to keep everything in place. I wondered what Loira would be offering for breakfast as I pulled up my stockings, slid on my sandals and tied them up my calves. With my stomach urging me to go find out, I tied on the greaves and bracers, then pulled on my over-robe, and slid my Naginata and long knife into my belt and made my way down stairs.

In the dining room, there were a couple of tables, one of them occupied with a man and woman in their thirties, wearing well worn, but sturdy traveling clothes. Both the man and the woman had brown hair, almost mahogany in color, and eyes just as dark, and they both had a bit of a weathered look. Their skin was on the ruddy side, and good rich brown that spoke of being in the sun and traveling the roads for days or weeks at a time. There were also plenty of lines around both of their eyes, and an almost permanently tired feel to them.

I nodded to them, politely, and their eyes followed me as I made my way to another table to give them their space while they ate. I sat down and waited, but not for long as Loira herself emerged from the kitchen.

"Morning." she said with a nod. "Breakfast?"

"Please." I confirmed with a nod. She gave back a short nod and turned back for the kitchen, returning with fresh warm bread, cheese and fried eggs.

"I can bring you ale, or watered wine, if you want." She said, eyeing me but not in the same way she had the day before.

"Ah.. would you have anything like herbal tea? If so, I prefer that in the morning."

Loira gave a grunting response and headed back into the kitchen while soft conversation started up behind me. I used my knife to slice the bread in a way that I could then layer the cheese and egg into a sandwich, then took a bite and chewed slowly. It wasn't a lot, but it was good bread, and the sharpness of the cheese went well with the egg.

A steaming mug was set in front of me and I took it, breathing in the herbal scent with a smile. "Ahh.. thank you!" I breathed out in gratitude.

"You are very welcome, master Nazaqi." said a familiar voice, and I turned my head to see the very short figure of Tio at my shoulder. Her hair was covered by a cloth head cover, tied at the nape of her neck, and her bright blue eyes sparkled as she watched me. Her simple dress fit her well, the bodice cupping her c-cup breasts and revealing a pleasant view of her cleavage. The dress flowed down to her waist, hugging her nicely rounded hips and tightly rounded ass, which she was swaying back and forth enticingly.

"Oh.. Good morning Tio." I said, bringing my eyes back up to hers. To which she gave me a peculiar smile as she ran her finger over her collar, then turned and sashayed back to the kitchen, glancing over her shoulder once as if to make sure I was watching her. I shook my head a bit, trying to get my thoughts to line up and march in one direction as I worked on my breakfast and tea. I could swear the girl was flirting with me, but I had other things to put my thoughts toward.

As soon as I had finished, I left a couple of pieces of copper on the table for the tea, and made my way out into the streets of Hawksbarrow. I quickly realized that I had no idea where the Freeswords guild house was. But I got lucky as I passed through the awakening market and passed a guardsman watching over the area while merchants and farmers set up their tents and goods for the day's sales

.

"Guardsman, pardon me." I said to him as I stepped closer. He turned to me and gave me the once over, taking in my foreign clothing and then lifting an eyebrow.

"Aye, what can I do for you?" he asked.

"I just arrived in Hawksbarrow yesterday, and I am supposed to sign up with the Freeswords guild, sadly, I don't remember Guardswoman Dana giving me directions." I said, giving him a slight shrug.

"Corporal Dana, huh? You must have arrived after the noon bell then."

"Just so." I agreed.

"Huh.. no surprise there." He said, and I thought there might be something in how he said it.. "Something to look into later." I thought to myself.

"Well," he continued, turning me by my shoulder. "You follow that road to the second street and turn to your right. Look for the sign of the sword and scroll. Stone building, big place. You can't miss it."

I recited the instructions, and then nodded my thanks and set off.

A little over half an hour later, I was standing in front of the guild building. The guardsman had been correct, this place was one of the larger buildings in the town. Three levels high, and cut stone from base to crennels, it was almost a small castle.

The sign that hung above the two heavy doors did indeed show a sword crossing a scroll, and the lettering was clear, though it could have used a fresh coat of paint. It read "Freeswords of Vahl." across the top, and "Est 937." at the bottom. I briefly wondered if it was a date, or a chapter number, but I shrugged and pushed open the right hand door.

The lobby that I stepped into was quiet at the moment, and I suspected that there weren't many people up at this time of day besides myself and the merchants who had business, or were preparing for the road, so I took my time looking around and getting a feel for the place.

The floors were made of hardwood, polished and waxed to a luster. The walls were of similar wood paneling and held monster head trophies, shields and weapons of various styles, and even a couple of pennants with strange designs on them.

I stepped further into the room, noting the doorways to right and left. Peeking into the right hand one, it seemed to me to be a taproom or lounge. There were several round tables and low chairs made of wood, some were padded, others were made more simple, slat-backed and hard seated. The other door led to a hallway that split to left and right, and I thought to investigate but I was interrupted by a woman's startled gasp.

I looked up and saw a woman in her thirties with sandy blond hair, heavy breasted and full in the hips. She might have been considered plain in her youth, but womanhood had made her rather pleasant on the eyes.

"Good morning," I said. "My name is Nazaqi, and I am here to sign up with the Freesword guild."

"Oh.. oh, yes. I am Arani, This guild's secretary and.. well other things. You are in the right place." She stammered, and then shook her head and smiled. "If you could give me a few moments, I will bring you the forms you will need to fill out."

I nodded and stepped closer to the counter, and only waited a minute or two before she returned, a large book and two pieces of thick paper in one arm, and a mug of tea in the other hand. She settled herself on a stool while placing the mug on the counter and set the book and pages down next, then reached under the counter and brought out a quill and ink pot. Then she paused and looked at me curiously.

"You are.. Literate, I hope?"

"I certainly am, yes." I confirmed and she slid the quill, ink and papers toward me.

"Please fill these out to the best of your ability, full disclosure with our bond that nothing personal or professional of delicate nature will be released to anyone who is not of the Magistrates court." She recited. "uh..oh. Before you begin, have you been convicted of any crimes within Vahl?" she asked hesitantly.

I smiled, and shook my head. "No.. I only very recently came to be in Vahl." I assured her.

"That's good then. Please, don't mind me. I just need a bit of tea to clear the fog in the morning."

I nodded and started scritching out information where there were open spaces. It is a strange thing, knowing an entirely alien language and writing form, and still having it translate in your own head as being your native language. It causes a bit of internal dissonance at times.. But, I figured I would get used to it in time.

I glanced up as the sound of heavy footsteps entering the room touched my ears, and I looked up as a man taller than me, and broader in the shoulders stepped behind Arani wrapping heavily muscled arms around her. She looked up over her shoulder and smiled warmly.

"Mm, Good morning, Husband." She greeted him.

The large man smiled in return, though it looked more like a cracking boulder. He was thick necked, with craggy features. He was also hairless except for his heavy eyebrows and a goatee that was as broad as his chin, and his nose looked like a misaligned potato had been stuck above his shaven upper lip. Still, for all of his lack of handsome features, he wasn't ugly, just.. A bit rough looking. Honestly, he was a bit intimidating, right up until he smiled at her and then he seemed like a big bear.

I turned my head back to the task and continued scribbling, as she passed the steaming mug to her husband, who sipped at it and sighed his appreciation.

"Good morning, my beautiful wife. Who have we got here?" he rumbled out.

"A new applicant." she replied after another sip of her own. "Nazaqi, this is my husband Bentis, he will be testing your martial skills."

I set the quill aside and gave the man a respectful bow.

"I'm honored, sir." I said, deciding on respect being a good start.

Bentis chuckled. "A respectful one, eh? Well. We will see how honored you feel after I find out how skilled you are." He replied with a menacing grin.

I just nodded and took up the quill again, working to finish the page and be done with this part.

"Is Harum up yet?" Bentis asked his wife.

"Eh.. You know Harum. He will let the roosters scream their voices to silence before He thinks it's morning enough to get up." Arani grumbled.

Bentis laughed and stole the mug from her grasp for another sip.

"Well, tell the old codger that we need him for a testing in half a glass." He said, then slipped out from behind the counter and crossed the room to the left hand doorway.

"Nazaqi.. Follow the hall to the stairs, the practice area is down below."

"Yes sir." I said as I finished writing, and handed the paper to Arani, then turned for the door myself, aiming to catch up to the large man.

The practice area was an open floored room with several sturdy pillars holding up the heavy beams of the floor above. The floor was made of heavy stone blocks that had been worn down to a nearly smooth texture, and only some slight gaps between the blocks. The walls ringing the room were covered in weapons and their wooden practice counterparts. It was all very well made and maintained, in my estimation.

"We will be starting with a sword and long knife, as that seems to be your style." Bentis said as he crossed the floor to the sword staves that hung from racks set into the wall.

"Uhm, Spear, sir." I said.

Bentis turned his head, one eyebrow raised. "Pardon?"

"My primary fighting style is with a kind of spear."

"You aren't carrying a spear." He said, pointedly looking at my sheathed naginata.

I smiled and drew the sheathed weapon from my sash belt, keeping it oriented in a blade upward position, then I drew the sword in a one hundred and eighty degree arch, gave it a clockwise quarter turn and slipped the two handed grip into the mouth of the sheath, and turned the guard back one quarter turn, hearing it click into place. Then I set the assembled naginata vertically in front of me, and rested the curved pommel on my sandaled foot. From pommel to tip, the naginata was as long as I was tall and gave the appearance of an elongated S-curved, black weapon with silver tracery and runic etching throughout both the blade and the sheath.

The look on Bentis' face was.. Priceless. A mixture of confusion and admiration as he came closer examining my weapon from tip to pommel like a child who had found a new kind of candy. I marked him as a weapon junky and the smile he gave me when he finally met my eyes confirmed it.

"May I?" he asked. I nodded and traded him for the wooden practice blade he held.

Bentis stepped away several paces and took a rough spearman's stance, then went through a few thrusts and circular disengages as he stepped backward without crossing his feet. I could tell that he was having trouble grasping its full potential, limiting himself to the typical uses of a spear. His lips were pulled in a grimace as he returned to me, still looking my weapon over.

"Here," I said and traded him back the nagi for his wooden sword. Then I moved away several paces from him, making sure I was also clear of any pillars and started with the first stance that I was shown by one of the ghosts. Weight centered, feet set at shoulder width, knees bent and right shoulder forward and arm extended, loosely gripping the handle near the curved guard. I kept my left hand at the pommel held near my hip, and the tip of the blade at eye level between my own eyes and those of my imaginary opponent. My first attack came as a level thrust, exploding forward as I voiced a "HA!" which started from my gut.

Stance and movement became attack then flowed into defense and the next attack flowing from that one. My naginata was moving in stabs, cuts and spins to thrust with both blade and pommel. Slash, slide, disengage, thrust and on and on for sixteen attacks and defenses, the entirety of which had me moving in angular and circular steps that ended where I had begun, but had taken up almost all of the area I was standing in.

Bentis stood and watched everything with his arms crossed, eyes narrowed in concentration and a quirky smile on his lips the whole time. Then he let his hands fall in front of him and he clapped them loudly.

"That.. was a wonderful bit of dance." he rumbled, and it sounded like he very much meant it.

"The Naginata is a spear-sword, every bit of it is a weapon, and none of it should ever be dismissed as a decoration." I recited.

"Ha!" he thundered. "I should think not. Now then, let's give you a staff and see if that wasn't all just for show." He said, leading me over to the staves and I exchanged my weapon for a sparring tool as I stretched to loosen up. Bentis followed suit and for the next ten minutes we said nothing, but got ready to spar. And then we faced off, watching each other's eyes.

"Ready?" Bentis asked. I nodded and came at each other, staves swinging and clacking loudly.

The next stretch of time was hard sweat and continuous motion. Bentis did not let up on me at all, and it was pretty much everything I had just to stay ahead of him and not take more than the six bruises that I got from thinking that I had him. By the end, when we were both panting and hunched over, we were both smiling and eyeing each other respectfully.

"That.." he gasped, his chest heaving. "Was the best sparring.." he gulped the dryness out of his throat. "I've had.. In a long time."

All I could do was nod and lean on the staff he had loaned me, breathing just as hard as he was.

"Well.. Then if you two are done with your mutual thumping exercise.." came a voice from the bottom of the stairs.. "I was told to be available for a testing."

I turned my head to get a look at the speaker, and saw an old man in a robe with a beard that hung down to his slightly protruding belly. His arms were crossed and he looked every bit the cantankerous wizard. Including, but not limited to the bushy eyebrows, and wild thinning hair surrounding his head like a halo. Or just a case of terrible bedhead. Six of one...

My next test had to wait a few more minutes. I was doing my best to get my wind back, and Bentis and Harum were bickering like two people who had worked together for a long time. But when they were done, I was dragged back up stairs and into a much less open room, cluttered with shelves of books, tomes, scrolls and all manner of.. well. Wizardly things, I guess. Don't ask me what you can do with a stuffed lizard or a jar of goblin hands. I don't even want to know.

He had me sit in a chair at a table and then went to the other side, humming and making other noises while he rummaged around under piles of paper and clothing that probably needed to be laundered, and eventually made an aha of satisfaction before setting a polished crystal sphere on the table between us.

"Right then. Place your hands on the oricalus sphere, and let your mana flow into it." So, I did as he asked, allowing just a trickle of my mana flow down my arms and into the sphere. Slowly, multicolored lights swirled around inside of the crystal, moving faster and faster as I gave it more mana. Harum's expression darkened until he growled. "No, no. Something is wrong. Take your hands off it." he said, slapping at my hands and placing his own on either side of the sphere. Once again lights shown in the depths of the crystal, but only brown and blue rotated around each other.

"Hm. No.. it seems to be fine." he mumbled to himself. "Try it again."

So, I placed my hands on either side and pushed mana into the sphere again. Red, yellow, blue, green and brown lights circled inside of the sphere, faster and faster.

Harum stood watching, pursing his lips and then his brows drew together, the hairs bunching up at the center like reed swords crossing on a practice field. He took a deep breath and snapped. "Enough!" then turned and irritably pushed aside another stack of papers and handed me a quartz rod. "Do it with this."

At this point I was both curious and displeased with his attitude towards me, but I just took hold of it at one end and called my mana forth into the rod. A steady haze formed around the base of the rod near my hand, and then spread slowly up the length until it filled two thirds of the twelve inch length of quarts, and there it stayed, pulsing bright and then dim again.

Harum seemed agitated and his eyes would pin to me, and then away. This went on for a full minute before he stomped around the table demanding that I follow him. At this point, I was wondering how much of him I would have to put up with, and if it was worth it, but follow him I did.

He led me down another hall and down a set of stairs to a door that opened on a dead end hallway. It was about ten feet wide and forty feet in length and had burn marks, gouges and scrapes all down the length. At the other end stood a wooden practice dummy that was well worn and had a few burn marks and splintered dents in it as well.

"There. You see that?" he demanded.

"The pell at the end? I see it." I replied.

He grunted. "Attack it with your magic. Anything will do."

I took a breath and let it out slowly, then focussed on the dummy and called up an earth rune and a short but complex formula, then extended my hand toward the innocently still wooden figure at the end of the hall. A small four inch sphere of stone formed just past the tips of my fingers, and shot down the length of the hall, slamming into the left arm of the dummy and smashing it to splinters, the sphere crashed into the wall behind it and impacted the stone, shattering and leaving a few cracks.

Harum's eyes were saucer wide at this point, then his brow furrowed again and he growled. "Again. Do something else."

So, I thought I would use air this time, and reached for my naginata before his hand slapped mine.

"No. No foci. If you can't do it without a foci, you aren't doing it right anyway!"

I gritted my teeth, thinking "I'm going to land one right in that crooked cheese wedge you call a nose, old man." but I took another breath and put my attention on the dummy at the end of the hall, pouring my anger into the wind blade spell, and gestured like I was making a diagonal upward sword cut. The mana shaped the air just beyond the arc of my gesture and a crescent of condensed air sliced, screaming through the distance following the same arch I had used with my hand, and cut the helpless wooden man in two. The top half slid off the stand and clattered into the floor.

Harum stood there, letting out one long hiss of breath.. Then he turned and stomped back the way we had come.

"Bentis!... BENTIS!" yelled Harum as he raged up the stairs and his feet started booming on the floor boards. "Bentis! What's the meaning of this! Are you trying to pull some joke on me?!?! Sending some.." His tirade ended with both Bentis and Arani coming down the hall at a double pace, looking worried.

"I thought you said this boy was a fighter, Bentis. What in Telor's name were you doing chasing him around in your hall beating him with a stick?"

"I said he had to be tested, Har.. I didn't say he was anything." Bentis defended himself.

"Indeed! Well, he won't be needing to do any of that silly prancing about anymore. I won't have my student getting his hands beaten and broken..."

"Now you hold on right there, you old dust rag. That is my student, and I won't have you sticking him in a closet with your books and weird bric a brac collections to gather dust.."

And the argument began with both Arani and I watching it develop into a full blown storm, right up until Arani clapped her hands loudly twice.

"Boys.. BOYS!"

Silence.

...

"Nazaqi isn't anyone's student until we've all had our say. As. Per. Our. Agreement!" Arani said in a voice that any son would know, and any ice storm would envy. And both of them chewed their points into silence while nodding.

"Good. Nazaqi?"

"Yes' ma'am."

"Please go to the dining hall and wait for us, if you will. You can ask Kartha for something to eat while you wait." So saying, she turned about and led the men into one of the rooms and closed the door.

"She's fuckin scarey." I thought to myself, and walked down the hall, trying to find my way back to the entryway.

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I managed to find my way to the lobby, and then to the dining hall with only one wrong turn that led me to a well supplied cleaning closet. Cleanliness is a good thing, but it wasn't what I was looking for.

I passed three men sitting at a table, talking over mugs of something and heard one of them say. "Hey, Ransin, who's this?"

I just kept walking, and cleared my throat behind a woman who was cleaning dishes behind a short counter. There was a door to her left that clearly led to the kitchens, as I could see pots and pans, and bowls of vegetables next to a deep sink beyond the arch of the door.

"Are you Kartha?" I asked.

The woman turned and set the plate down that she was drying and smiled a little. "I am. How can I help you?"

I smiled back at her and leaned on the counter. "Arani said I could get a bite to eat while I wait for them to talk things over.

"Oh? Are you a new applicant?" she asked warmly. She had dark brown eyes and curly brown hair pulled back into a loose braid that exposed her neck and the indentured collar clasped around it. Just a simple band with a lock that hung above the delightful cleavage of her breasts. Her blouse covered slender shoulders, and draped well over her bust, then tucked into her skirts that hung over well rounded hips. Her cheeks and breasts were dusted with freckles, and over all, she was very kind on the eyes.

"I am. I just got here yesterday." I confirmed.

There was the tread of feet behind me, and she glanced over my shoulder, and seemed to shrink into herself. "If.. you will please choose a table, I will bring something right out to you, master." With that, she quickly turned and scuttled into the back as though seeking shelter.

Just then, I felt a hand land heavily on my shoulder, and one of the men from the table slid up next to me.

"Soo.." he drawled in a tone I had heard far too many times before. "A new applicant, hey? Well, then what's your name, boy?"

I turned full on to him, shrugging his hand off of my shoulder as I answered.

"Nazaqi Hayle. And you are?" I was trying to keep my tone even, but the longer he talked, the more I disliked this fellow.

"I am Ransin, the senior Freesword in Hawksbarrow." He smiled.. and it was a greasy smile. Everything about him was greasy. His hair, his unkempt beard, the front of his tunic, his vest, and his boots.

"You know what that means, noble boy?" he continued, and I could hear the other two sniggering at their table as they listened to the exchange.

"Enlighten me, good sirrah." I invited, playing along for the moment.

"It means that if you are invited to become a Freesword, you will be a JUNIOR member.. That means you will be doing what you are told, and getting the last pick of the jobs." He stated confidently.

"If I tell you to scrub floors, you will scrub them. Anything that needs doing, you will do it until I am happy with it. Understand?"

I kept my face absolutely stoney as I replied.

"Indubitably." Which must have been too big of a word for him to parse by the number of creases in his forehead as he tried to figure out what I had said. The guy had some serious Big-fish-in-small-pond syndrome, and it was making him do and say some real stupid shit.

He was saved by Arani's voice coming from the lobby.

"Master Hayle?... Nazaqi, are you here?"

I didn't break eye contact with the man I was going to start calling Rancid even as I replied.

"I'm here, Arani."

"Please follow me, Nazaqi." She called out, and that is when I turned and left the dining hall, but I heard guffaws of laughter behind me, and I felt my face settle into grim lines.

I caught up to Arani as she waited for me at the end of the hallway, and I must have had some leftover expression on my face. "Did you get anything to eat?" she asked.

"No. I am afraid I didn't. Rancid wanted to have a little greeting talk."

She hitched at the name and did her best to cover a smile, pretending it was a cough. But then she sighed and closed her eyes. "Please, don't take everything he says as the whole of the truth. He does that with everyone." A fact, it seemed, that irritated her.

I kept my thoughts to myself as he entered the meeting room where Bentis and Harum sat at a large table surrounded by chairs.

"Please, have a seat m'boy." Bentis invited.

I joined Bentis and Harum at the table while Arani closed the door behind us and pulled up the last chair, joining us as well.

"Eh.. Firstly.." Harum started off, leaning his elbows on the table top not meeting my eyes. "I should apologize for my less than.. My inappropriate.. Ehm."

"He means he is sorry for being an old snappish grump. Right, Harum?" Arani growled at the mage who flinched like a misbehaving child, but nodded.

"Eh.. yes. Something like that." confirmed Harum. "Even though it is in the guild charter that everyone should be tested to ascertain all talents and skills... ehm. Well, it has been a while since someone.. Anyone, really, has come along who shows aptitude for both magic and prowess in arms in such.." he stammered to a silence. The gray haired man sighed and rubbed at his scalp, possibly in an attempt to smooth his hair, but having the complete opposite effect.

"Honestly.. I.. thought that Bentis was having a bit of a tug at me. Particularly after watching the two of you in the sparring room..."

He seemed to have quite a bit more to say, but I got the gist of it.

"Apology accepted." I nodded to Harum, and then looked at the others. "Anything else, or..can we get to the part where I passed or failed the requirements?"

All around the table blinked and then Bentis laughed.

"I think failure is completely out of the question. You passed, boy. But I do have some questions for you," he gestured to Harum and Arani. "As I am sure they do, regarding who you are, and where you came from." He held up a hand as Harum opened his mouth to interject his own questions, "And yes.. Where you received the training that you have already shown us."

I sighed. "How can I tell them things that even I had a hard time believing?" So.. I had to come up with a story on the fly, committing myself to memorizing my own lie. The truth?.. I knew enough of people that telling the truth would never end well. Luckily, I had the memories of both Maridu and Dalgoran to lean on.

"My father was an oathman to the clan chieftain, in the Elay highlands." I started, but then Harum interrupted.

"Eh? I've never heard of any place called Elay."

"Har. Let the boy talk." Bentis said, hushing him.

"My father was an armsmaster, and my mother was a mage. So I grew up learning everything that they could teach me until my father stepped down so a younger man could teach the clan warriors. When I came of age, I joined the other young men and became a Hasq. It's something like a town militia, but without any formality. I hunted local beasts, did odd jobs while I learned more.

Some time ago, I was sent with a message from the clan chief to the village headmen. On my way, I encountered a strange man, and he looked drunk. He demanded that I give him my horse, but I had many villages to reach, so I had to refuse. I don't know what happened after that, because I woke up in a dark place underground." I decided to tell a bit of truth at this point, "I don't know how long I was down there, finding my way around, using magic to see in the dark and to fight things, then hide, then find food and water, and fight some more. Eventually I found an exit, and from there, the road into town." I finished.

"So.. Here I am, trying to do what I know to survive, and live the best I can."

Arani, Bentis and Harum sat in silence digesting the story that I had laid out. Arani with a sorrowful expression on her face, Harum frowning and mumbling to himself, and Bentis glancing between the two of them. Finally, Bentis spoke.

"Har? What do you think?"

The old mage shook himself from his thoughts and blinked.

"Ah.. well. What he described.. it's..not impossible. Not probable, but not impossible." Harum replied, leaving both Arani and Bentis looking perplexed.

"Meaning?" prompted Arani.

"It's just that.. Displacement magic is one of the great lost magics. If someone is going about casting those kinds of spells willy-nilly.. " Harum just shook his head leaving the rest unsaid, then looked at me.

"You say that you are from this.. Elay.. But you speak fluent Vahlish. How is that?" Harum asked.

I smiled, having known this question would come up at some point.

"I found many things when I was in the catacombs to the southeast. Among them were tomes and scrolls of learning. Moments before I spoke to the merchant Losca, I used a scroll of tongues." I winced. "It was.. Very disorienting at first, but Vahlish is a language I can speak with absolute fluency, though Idioms do not seem to translate so well."

"Eh? So, there is a buried trove of lost magics out there, you say." Harum said softly, his eyes going distant.

I immediately got a chill and shook my head.

"Don't." I warned, which got all of their attention on me. "That place is deadly. Remember, it took me weeks to find my way out of there, and all that time I was fighting or hiding." I shook as I remembered the things I had had to fight, centipedes three times my length, with venom that could have dissolved my leg unless I could regain mana enough to neutralize it. So I proceeded to list out the number of monsters I had fought, from undead to giant insects, goblins and orcs.

"Honestly, I would rather I was able to find my way out of there and back in my homeland.. But that seems not to be my fate."

Bentis sighed and nodded. "I'm sorry, boy. But I don't think anyone in Vahl is going to know any easy way of sending you home."

I nodded. "I had resolved myself to something like that already."

"Well. Then you will just have to get used to being here." Bentis said. "And I don't see as you could have chosen a better way of doing so than joining the Freeswords." he finished, to which the other two nodded their agreement.

"The first thing you will need to do is to understand the laws of Vahl." Arani stated.

I held up my hand, interrupting her.

"I have an appointment with Guardswoman Dana.. to have her familiarize me with the laws."

That caused a bit of a rustle among the three. Arani and Bentis looked slightly uncomfortable briefly, but it was Harum that responded.

"Aye.. She will be a good choice for that."

"True." agreed Arani. "More than that, every one of the guild laws are based on the laws of Vahl, but with our own particular rules regarding conduct and how contracts and promotions are handled. I will give you a copy for you to read later."

I nodded my thanks.

"Ah. Good then." Bentis finally broke from his mood and spoke. "Regardless of your obvious ability, you will still be required to train here with myself at least one day every week."

"And one day with me." broke in Harum. Bentis shot a glare at the wild haired mage, but Harum wasn't about to give in. "He has incredible magic potential, and I won't allow him to let it go to waste on being a meatheaded, club swinging mountain ape."

Just as Bentis was starting to stand up, taking a deep breath to continue some long chewed argument, Arani spoke up.

"He will do both." A proclamation which brought the gaze of Bentis and Harum both snapping to her.

"He will practice with Harum one day, and Bentis the next." She continued. "He will also spend half of one day in seven learning from me." She said firmly, staring them both down to the point that Bentis sat slowly and nodded. I could see, in that moment, who actually ran the guild house. Though I thought that there was something underneath this command that she had, and I was curious to know what was going on.

"Nazaqi will need to know the customs of Vahl, the politics and geography." She glanced at me apologetically. "Please do not take offense to this, Nazaqi. But if you are to be a Freesword in Vahl, I think it would be to your betterment if you were as educated as possible."

"I agree." I said, nodding to her, which seemed to surprise her, and the others. At this point, the Freesword guild was starting to sound like a sword and magic users agency combined with a trade school.

"Without understanding the people I am trying to help, I would just become a different problem. No?" I asked her, which brought a satisfied smile to her lips and a grunt of acknowledgement from Harum. Bentis though was silent as he digested it, but he did not object.

"Good." said Arani. "Three days out of every seven, you will spend time learning from one of us. If you take a contract, it will take priority, of course. A Freesword is one who takes contracts for the coin, as well as the notoriety, after all."

A thought came to me, but I did my best to keep my expression smooth.

"And how much of my time will I need to spend cleaning floors and washing up here?" I asked.

"The only time you need to spend doing repair work or cleaning is If you cannot afford to rent an apartment or stay at an inn. The Freeswords guild houses give you use of one of the rooms we have available for guild members. But that will mean putting in effort to help us maintain the guild house as compensation." Arani replied, "And there are some dues that must be paid to the guild of course. Those dues cover the upkeep of the guild, and training costs as well as any legal representation the guild needs to provide on behalf of our guild members. Those dues can be paid ahead of time, or a little at a time, but they have to be paid yearly."

"Like taxes." I interjected.

"Exactly." Arani confirmed.

"How much?" I asked.

"Two gold per year." she stated. "Which, if you are active and hard working, will be very easy to pay, if you consider the amount you could potentially make."

I reached into my bag and pulled out two thick gold coins, sliding them across the table to her. She picked them up and turned them in her hand. "Are these from your homeland?"

"No. I found them in the catacombs I mentioned." I admitted. "So I have enough money that I will not need to stay in the guild house. I have a room at the Crow and Shield, and I will be staying there for the foreseeable future." I stated.

"Well, then that exempts you from any labor duties in the guild house." Bentis put in. "But you will still need to report for training unless you are fulfilling a contract."

"I can do that." I agreed. "How long until you know I can take a contract?"

"Oh.. well, you can take a contract at any time. But some contracts are only for those who have proven they can be trusted to fulfill them."

"That's fair." I said.

"Alright then," said Harum, slapping his hands down on the table and pushing himself to his feet. "starting tomorrow, you will be a probationary member of the Freeswords guild. Be on your best behavior, spend some time getting to know Hawksbarrow and its people. Come by tomorrow, and you can pick up your amulet that will identify you as a Freesword. You will want to take that to the city hall to register there."

Bentis and Arani also stood up, and Bentis looked at me. "Take one piece of advice, Nazaqi. Stay clear of caravan guards. Most of them are fine people. Some of them are even Freeswords that have taken a contract in order to help them relocate, which is one of the privileges of being a Freesword. But some.." he sighed. "Some are just mercenaries. Not disciplined enough to be soldiers of Vahl, and not scrupulous enough to be Freeswords."

I thought that over and recognized the type. "I will do that, Thank you Bentis." I told him, honestly.

After that, I received a hand copied list of the code of conduct and guild laws. Most of it was about contract laws, when and who I could accept contracts from when I wasn't accepting them through the guild, and the legal responsibilities of both Freeswords and the guild.

I found it amusing that it was clearly spelled out that the Senior Freesword member, under the chapter leader and advisors positions, was responsible for making sure all maintenance was performed. Though it did not absolutely state that the senior member had any rights or authority to require other junior members to perform those tasks.

"Heh.. Rancid is going to be hitting a wall with me." I thought with a smile as I left the building.

I passed through the market again on my way back to the Crow and Shield, and caught a glimpse of Guardswoman Dana walking through the market. I doubled my pace and slowed to walk beside her as she was admiring the weave of some material that she was fingering.

"That looks pretty, but that one over there would bring out the color of your eyes better." I said, pointing past her. Dana turned toward me with a frown until she recognized me, then smirked as she looked me up and down.

"Well, And who are you? I thought I had heard a familiar voice, but I expected to see a great deal more dirt and grime."

I covered my heart with my hands, playing up a wound. "Augh.. the pain, the agony.. She wounds me with such words!"

Dana laughed, covering her mouth. "I thought you said you were a Freesword, not a stage man."

I cut the act and tilted my head, enjoying how her eyes sparkled with her laughter. "You mean to say that I can't be more talented than.. Oh, what were the old fart's words.." I did my best to capture the way Harum phrased it. "..a meatheaded, club swinging mountain ape."

Her green eyes lit up and she laughed harder into her hand. She finally gasped out "Harum! That was Harum, by the goddess."

I laughed with her and nodded. "Ah, so I did manage to capture the essence of the old crank. Good."

"Oh, don't take him too personally. He's a good man.. Eh, after a couple cups of tea and several hours of being awake." She soothed.

I nodded and gestured toward the rest of the market. "May I escort the fine guardswoman today?"

She glanced at the position of the sun and sighed. "I'm afraid not, sir silvertongue, the Bolder-than-he-should-be." she admonished, though I thought there might be a chance that my charm was having a slight effect at least.

"Well.. Then at least there is tonight. Dinner at the Crow and Shield?"

She sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry. The Senior corporal is at home with his wife and child who are sick with the chills and cough. I am on night shifts until he can return to duty."

"Oh.. uhm. Is there anything I can do?.. Some herbs I can bring?"

She thought about that for a second, eyeing me and probably gaging my sincerity.

"If your offer is sincere, check with the herbalist." She pointed toward the west end of the town. "Near the river, just outside of town there is an herbalist's shop. Tell her the symptoms are chills, cough and aching joints."

I nodded. "Will I still see you at the Crow and Shield?"

She smiled a little, eyeing me. "When I can, Freesword."

I nodded, accepting that as enough and immediately set out to look for the herbalist. It took me a couple of hours, but I finally located the herbalist in an old house with straw sheaf thatching, and a garden of run amok herbs. Flowers and small fruit trees. The herbalist, a woman in her fifties, was among those herbs, plucking and trimming this herb and another. It seemed almost at random to me, but she was the herbalist, and not me.

"Pardon me," I called out from the woven stick fence that separated her wild garden from the road.

She looked up and nodded.

"Hello there, what can I do for you?" she called back.

"I was asked to find you, and see if you have anything to help a woman and her child."

She stood up, dropping a pruning knife into a basket with the herbs that she was gathering.

"Come in, and tell me about them."

I walked under a lattice arch with vines crawling over it, and drooping honeysuckle blooms swaying in the light river breeze. When I got close enough to talk, I introduced myself.

"My name is Nazaqi, I am very new here, but Guardswoman Dana asked me to find you and bring herbs for the senior corporal."

Her tentative expression lightened at that and she nodded.

"The symptoms?" she asked.

"Chills, coughs and aches in the joints." I recited.

She nodded and waved for me to follow her inside.

Though the outside of the house appeared to be in a state that could be mistaken for being near abandoned, the inside was well worn, but also well taken care of. The floors were clean, the shelves and furnishings looked solid and the old cat that slept on the table in the sun was well fed and healthy looking.

"So, Corporal Themier was being too stubborn to come see me himself." she mused.

"I'm sorry, but I honestly don't know any of the circumstances." I said.

"Oh, no. Don't worry yourself. My son and I have had our tiffs, and we will get over this one. But that girl he married is twice as stubborn as he is." As she talked, she gathered sprigs of this and that, and a few leaves of another sort, then placed them into a stone bowl and ground them with a wooden mallet. The names for them came to me in a moment, a mortar and pestle.

"Are you an alchemist?" I asked innocently.

She glanced up, looking into my curious eyes.. And then laughed. "Oh.. dear, no. I haven't a jot of magic. I just know every herb and remedy that the goddess has provided this land, and have worked long years to cultivate the herbs and flowers that can make them." she said.

"Oh." I said, still watching her. "Well, I am glad that someone knows these things.

She chuckled and nodded. "So is nearly every farmhand and mother to be, when they need me. Otherwise, I'm just an old woman who putters about in her weeds the rest of the time." She glanced back up to me as she added more leaves and a palm full of chopped roots. She took in my clothing and the weapon at my hip, a slight look of curiosity in her eyes.

"So, where is it you are from Freesword, Nazaqi?" she finally asked.

"Very far away. I just joined the freeswords today, in fact." I answered honestly.

She took my evasive answer and finished grinding the mixture, then reached under the counter she had been working on and pulled out a fine woven cloth and scraped out the powdered herbs and roots, and tapped the last specks onto the cloth, then bundled it up and tied it off with a length of twine.

She handed the satchel to me, and smiled. "Give this to Dana. She will make sure that my son gets it."

"I will." I promised, and I followed her back outside into the wild garden. I looked up at the lowering sun and sighed. I would have to hurry to get this to Dana and get back to the inn if I was going to have a bath and dinner. I waved farewell to the herbalist, whose name I hadn't even gotten, and trotted back toward the town gate. I was met at the gate by another corporal. When I explained my errand, he called over a soldier and handed the satchel to him, sending him running off to the senior corporal's home with it.

I smiled at the corporal and thanked him. He smiled back and shook his head, sending me on my way.

When I got back to the inn, I was disappointed to find that no one was available to help me get a bath together. Everyone was busy with three new merchants who had rented rooms for the night. Bedding was being changed, food was being cooked and drinks were being served by Loira and Tio. Then I had a thought and decided I could do the water heating myself. In my room, I changed into a light bathing robe and grabbed a towel for myself, then headed down the back stairs to the laundry and bath.

Sheets and bedding were hung on the staves that lined the walls of the laundry, and I left my towel on a bench next to the bathtub barrel, then I used the pump and filled the half barrel tub to the brim. I thought about the runes and how much mana I would need to use, and then plunged my arm into the barrel and began.

In my mind, I formed the rune for fire, Nauthiz and linked it top to bottom and back to the rune Laguz for water with a string of smaller runes for activation. Then channeled my mana through that formula and down the length of my arm into the water in the tub.

At first it was sluggish and resistant, but after a few minutes the room was filled with steam and the tub was filled with pleasantly hot water. Perfect for a bath and soak. I shed my bathing robe and poured a bucket of the hot water over my head, then started scrubbing myself down with a bit of soap and a cloth. I didn't need nearly as much scrubbing as I had the previous day, but it was still good to keep myself clean after the sparring I had done with Bentis, and the short run I had done to complete Dana's request.

I finished with a quick rinse, using another bucket of the hot water, and settled into the bath for a soak. As I relaxed in the tub, I started thinking about the way magic worked, and the various ways which I had been taught that they could be applied. All it took, according to the ghostly master that I had learned from, was an understanding of the multitude of runes, and the ability to channel mana.

Not even that, actually. So long as a rune formula was already written down, if someone with enough mana could channel it into the rune formula, then the effect could, potentially take form. It was something that I would have to talk to Harum about the next day, I decided. In the meantime, I started practicing little spells while soaking in the tub, forming balls of fire, air, water and earth, and then briefly strengthening my arms and legs, or enhancing my ears and eyes.

These were all things that I had 'remembered' from my time in the lucid dreaming while I had been encased in the crystalized mana, deep in the depths of the lich's catacombs.

The door swung open and the voice of a man disrupted my thoughts as he and Milaya entered the room, the man complaining loudly.

"I do not see the issue with me demanding the service that I already paid for. I paid for a bath in this inn, and I want it now!"

The man was short and very thick around the middle, dressed in robes of fine cloth and belted around his significant girth with broad sashes of brightly colored silks. His fingers bearing jeweled rings and his flabby neck covered in gold necklaces that swayed back and forth over his chest as he waddled into the room after Milaya.

"Yes, master, of course." she said meekly. "If you would give me just a few minutes to heat the water and make sure it is all prepared for you." she begged.

"Best you hurry up, slave. I am not a patient man!" he demanded.

The two of them came to a halt as they finally noticed me sitting in the tub, and the merchant's brows lifted as a scowl pressed the corners of his lips down around his fat chin.

"I thought you said that the bath had to be prepared, slave. So what is this?!" he barked out.

"M.. mm. Master, I didn't.." Milaya stammered.

"I prepared my own bath." I said over her stammering, as I stood up from the bath, letting the cooling water sluice off of my body and back into the tub. "I'll be just a moment and then you can enjoy the bath for yourself."

Milaya looked away as I grabbed my towel, stepped out of the tub and started drying myself. She was caught between blushing at the sight of me, and her nervousness about dealing with this demanding merchant.

The merchant meanwhile, was watching me with distaste and resentment that I could almost feel, and turned that resentment on Milaya.

"So, you lied about the bath not being available, is it?" he growled, at Milaya. "I think I should have my money returned and have you beaten for lying."

"Master, I promise you, I did not know anyone was in here and everyone is working to make certain that you will be fed your dinner. No one was available to prepare the hot water.. I.." Milaya spoke quickly, trying to sooth the man. I pulled on my robe and tied it closed, as I eyed the fat man berating Milaya. She was obviously frightened by him, and I was becoming irritated by the interaction I was forced to witness.

"Well, now. You are trying to make excuses to cover your lies.. I think I have had enough of both." he said as he raised his right hand over his shoulder, and brought it down intending to slap Milaya across the face with his ring bedecked hand.

It never reached her. With a single step, I crossed the distance and grabbed the flabby forearm of the merchant in a firm grip, holding it in place as I stepped between the two of them and glared down into the fat merchant's eyes. My pale gray eyes bored into his while I steadied my breathing and calmed myself. Still, I pictured the rune for Mind magic as I met his eyes, and formed the string for a spell then let it seep into him.

"You will never," I said in a low growl. "Strike or put your hands on the women of this inn. Do you understand?" My mind flooded into his in an instant, washing over his fragile will and overwhelming it, then seeping into his ego and gripping it firmly like a wolf taking hold of a misbehaving pup by the neck.

Sweat broke out on the merchant's face as he began to shake, but he nodded silently, acknowledging my words.

"Good." I said as I slowly released him, both mind and body. "Apologize to the girl, and I will make sure that the bath is ready."

The merchant nodded once more, and I turned back toward the tub to refill it and heat the water.

"I.. I apologize for my attitude, and for attempting to strike you, girl... it won't happen again." mumbled the merchant.

I heard Milaya accept the apology, and make some other excuses, but I was focussing on using the pump to fill the tub. I felt their eyes on me as I finished, and then pulled back the sleeve of my robe, sinking my arm into the water, once again using magic to heat the water. I heard two gasps behind me when the mana flowed out of my hand and into the water, causing ripples of blue and red light to wash through the room.. Then I was done and I stood up and turned to see two sets of wide eyes looking at me.

"Your bath is ready, master merchant. Enjoy." I said calmly, then walked past both of them as their startled eyes followed me. With my towel slung over my shoulder, I made my way up to my room to get dressed. I was hungry, and looking forward to a good meal and some sleep.

One hour later I was dressed and seated at one of the tables in the inn dining hall. The sun was setting, and the last rays of light faded over the shingle roof tops as I watched through the window at my table. Tio had brought me a large bowl of thick meat and vegetable stew, a half loaf of bread and a mug of water.

I was just sitting, enjoying my food and watching as the townsfolk came and went, finishing up their day's labors and preparing for the evening. A patrol of guards passed down the cobblestone road heading toward the market, involved with some debate or conversation that I could not hear. An indentured man hauled a two wheeled cart full of rough canvas bags from some place to another, and a trio of young local men jostled each other and laughed as they celebrated the end of their work day and headed home to their dinners and beds.

A shadow fell across my table, interrupting the lamplight and bringing my attention up to a thoughtfully scowling Loira.

"Good evening, Loira. The stew is pretty good tonight." I said opening conversation. She nodded her acknowledgement of that, but seemed to have something she wanted to talk about, so I waited in silence, sipping the water from the glazed clay mug.

"Earlier in the bath.." she started, awkwardly. I sighed.

"I'm sorry. It wasn't my place to interfere, but no one else was around to.."

"Thank you." she interrupted, causing me to fall silent and look back up at her. "for defending Milaya. Everyone was too busy to handle the man, and he managed to bully her into doing what he wanted." I just listened to Loira so she could get out what she wanted to say.

"He probably would have done.. Other things, if you hadn't been there. So.. thank you." she finished.

"You're welcome." I said simply. "I would have done it for any of your girls." I scooped up another bite of the stew and chewed it for a moment, then swallowed it. "She's a gentle girl, from what I have seen. I couldn't just stand there and see her get hit and yelled at for something she had nothing to do with."

She nodded.. Her hands fidgeted a bit as though she wanted to say something else, but then she turned and walked away leaving me to finish my meal and turn my attention back to the darkening street beyond the poorly glazed window of the inn.

A short time later, the bowl empty of dinner, the bread having been used to scoop the last bits of the delicious stew and consumed, I sat back in the chair and returned to my thoughts regarding where I was at, and wondering what my goals should be. A contract fighter and mage, going out to hunt beasts and monsters that were a threat to the peaceful people of Hawksbarrow.

It seemed, and felt, like a good choice. A solid start to learning about the world which I had been tossed into by a god. The fact that there were undead, and probably dragons and other monsters wandering out there in the darkness of night sent a thrill into me. I had the skills and techniques of a lifetime.. Two lifetimes ground into me by two masters of their arts. Now I had to decide what I was going to do with them. Perplexingly, I had not been given some grand task by the memory of a god that had brought me back to life. I had just been given the skills and knowledge, and then sent on my way.

I wondered what he would get out of this, if it was just a means of his escape from the trap that he had devised, or if he actually meant for me to do something. At that point though, I didn't think I was going to get any answers from him, but the fact that gods actually existed here was one that had me in a thoughtful mood. I wondered if there was some way I could find to talk to them, seek one or another of them out and try to find out what he had wanted from me in exchange for this life he had given me.

My thoughts were interrupted as I felt warm softness pressing against my right arm, and caught a small hand taking hold of the now empty bowl.

"I told her you were one of the good ones." Tio's voice slid into my ear, as her breath moved over the skin of my neck like warmed silk.

"This girl is going to drive me crazy, and get me in trouble with Loira." I thought to myself.

"Oh?" I answered her as she continued to lean into me. "Are you certain about that?" I challenged her statement.

"Mmhmm. If you had just walked out of that bath and left Mila alone with that man, I would have doubted it. But you didn't." Tio countered.

"Huh.. And you think that is reason enough to put me at risk of Loira tossing me out of here?" I said, glancing down to where her full breasts were wrapped around my upper arm, nearly possessively. Then I looked into her blue eyes, which made the little woman frown, and then she laughed, shaking her head.

"Loira says that to all of the men, and half of the women that stay here." she said as she leaned back a little, her left hand still cupping my right bicep, as her thumb massaged my skin.

"She doesn't want anyone thinking that this is just a fancier kind of brothel, where the other girls and I would be used and abused by those who stay here." she explained.

"Oh.. and if I asked Loira, she would say the same, would she?" I asked, narrowing my eyes as she smiled.

She nodded, confidently. "She would. She may own us, but she isn't concerned with whom we choose to have a tumble in the sheets with, so long as there aren't any love sick men offering to buy us, or babies to take care of after we have our fun."

I was doubtful for a long moment, then decided that I could get a true answer at the cost of just a little mana, so I used just a sliver of magic and stared into her eyes, sending my mana and my awareness sifting through her thoughts. I found no fear, or hesitancy in her, I also found a very erotic hunger in the depths, and some very interesting images that flickered in and out of focus. What I did not find was any hint of deception or scheme to entrap and extort me, so I let the trickle of mana fade as I kept my eyes fixed on hers.

"Well then. If Loira hasn't worked you too hard this evening, you will find my room will be unlocked." I said, laying out the invitation. Tio would either choose to take me up on the invitation, or she would not.

At that point, I had been several years, or probably a thousand years for all I knew, without having enjoyed any female company in the way she was hinting at. But I wanted to also consider myself a gentleman.. In my own way.

Tio bit her lip, her blue eyes glittering in the lamplight reflected off of the window. Then she nodded, and stepped away, and walked back to the kitchen, her hips swaying back and forth, and this time when she looked over her shoulder, she smiled as she watched my eyes following the swaying shape of her toned bottom.

Several minutes later, my thoughts were disrupted again as I heard girlish giggles and laughter coming from the kitchen, ended by Loira's stern voice saying something I couldn't distinguish.

"Well. If she does come to my room tonight, I can bet the rest of them already know." I sighed. Then I turned my thoughts toward what I had to do in the morning.

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Later that night as I lay in my bed, still thinking of what I had to do in the morning, I heard a soft tapping at my door. I got up, slipped my bathrobe on and went to the door. I opened the door and peeked out, finding Tio wearing a robe and glancing down the hall furtively. When she looked back at the opened door, she brought her gaze up to mine and smiled.

"Can I come in, Master Nazaqi?" She said quietly. I paused for just a moment, then stepped back, opening the door further for her to enter. She stepped into the room, soundless on her small feet and I took a moment to watch her as she passed. The robe she wore was light, and it slid over her curves in a very enticing manner. Her fiery red hair was down, and unhidden by the head scarf the girls typically wore during the day. It fell down her back, silky waves tumbling down her back to curled ends that swayed between her shoulder blades. When she turned around, I could see the silhouette of her perky breasts through the thin material of the robe, as well as the curve of her hip.

I stood there, drinking in the sight of her like a man who had gone days without a drink, and it took me a moment to realize that I was still holding the door open. I closed it, deliberately slowing myself enough to do it quietly, but firmly. Making sure that the latch closed, and then I turned around and caught my breath. She had let the robe slip from her shoulders and was letting it fall, very slowly, down away from her body.

I think I must have let out a grunt, or some other satisfied noise, because she smiled brightly in the lamplight. There was delight mixed with a touch of trepidation in her eyes. Maybe she was unsure about her earlier assessment of me being 'one of the good ones', fearing that I might hurt her, or maybe it was something else. A worry that she may not be as ready to go ahead with this as she had fantasized? I wasn't sure which, but I took my time enjoying the sight of her standing there in the soft glow of the lamp, crossed with the moonlight from beyond the window.

Since she had taken the first step, giving me such a wonderful view, I thought it would only be fair to return the gesture, so I slowly pulled my robe from my shoulders as I kept my eyes on hers and stepped closer to her, one step and then another as she ran her eyes down along my body. I noticed her hands trembling and deliberately slowed myself even more. Taking my time as I watched her. When we were only a few feet apart, the difference in our size was obvious. Where I stood six inches over six feet in height, broad shouldered, muscles sharply toned and with well defined abdominals, She stood only an inch or two over four feet tall. I seemed like a giant compared to her, and felt like one as well.

She finally pulled her eyes up from my flaccid cock dangling between my legs, and I caught the dark blush and quickened breaths of apprehension and excitement. As she met my gaze, she stepped back involuntarily, meeting the edge of my bed. I matched her step for step, closing the distance between us, and then knelt down, my hands moving to her shoulders and lightly slipping down her arms to rest on her hips.

"Gently, slowly." I chanted in my mind. "I want her to enjoy this. I want to enjoy her." I lifted her up, and sat her on the edge of my bed, but when she started to pull back and move further onto it, I gripped her hips firmly and stopped her, shaking my head. Then I leaned forward, brushing my lips over hers. Once, then again before parting my lips and darting my tongue out to taste her lips and breath. She drew in a quick breath and then I felt her relax, and her lips parted, her tongue slipping out to meet mine, nervously. She acted like this was unfamiliar to her, and the look in her eyes was unsure, but I gave her time to become familiar with it, and soon she relaxed and gave as good as she got.

I released the grip on her hips, though I kept my left hand where it was, my thumb caressing her warm skin, enjoying the smooth feel of her. My right hand slid up along her body to cup her left breast in my palm. My fingers wrapped around her breast, gripping it gently, massaging it and pressing the stiffened nipple between my index and middle fingers which elicited a moan from her. Her eyes fluttered in pleasure as I continued to explore her slowly, taking my time and drinking in every last moan and whimper, her sweet tasting breath catching now and then as I moved my hand to her right breast to give it the same treatment. I felt her hands settle on my forearms, fingers gripping at me and pulling at me as though to say she wanted more.

I broke away from her lips, which caused her to give a dissatisfied moan, and her eyes fluttered open with an expression of confusion and desire in them. I just smiled and kissed her lips lightly once before kissing her cheek, then her jaw, and down her neck. I trailed more kisses across her collar bones, and then over her breasts until I captured her left nipple between my lips, darting my tongue out and flicking at it lightly before sucking it into my mouth and giving it plenty of attention. My left hand slid from her hip, moving around to the small of her back and caressing her skin, then down to her pert little bottom and gripping her flesh firmly, though not roughly. Not this time, not yet. My right hand gripped and squeezed at her left breast, lifting it up and holding it steady while I sucked as much of her breast into my mouth as I could, creating a hard vacuum and pulling, lifting it up away from her. Her hands came up and her fingers raked into my hair, gripping it hard and pulling me into her breast as she opened her mouth wide and moaned in pleasure, gasping and panting, cursing and pleading. I slowly released her breast, though just as her nipple was about to escape my mouth I scraped my teeth over the sensitive nub which pulled a startled yelp from her and then a husky laugh.

My hand replaced my mouth, pinching and tugging at her nipple, sliding my fingers back and forth over the saliva slick flesh, and I returned to her right breast, licking slowly around the areola, then the under breast, paying attention to the whole of it. My left hand in the meantime had lifted her up and slid under her bottom, my fingers brushing back and forth over the hot slick flesh of her mound from below, and I looked up into her eyes as I began kissing my way down the length of her body, breathing in the scent of her skin, earthy and sweet, the taste of a scented soap that was there and gone. The whole of her was intoxicating and I had to frequently remind myself to slow down and enjoy, but the further I kissed and licked and teased, the heavier the scent of her arousal became, and it started getting difficult.

I pushed her back, forcing her to lay back as I licked my way down over her belly, causing her muscles to jitter and shiver. I thought I heard her plead with me, to pause or to hurry, I couldn't tell, but as my tongue slipped over the soft down of her mound and then between her firm thighs, I reached my right hand up and pinned her back down to the bed and took a long slow taste of her juices right from the source. And the flavor of her was like spiced wine and musk, and it filled my head like a drug. I moved both of my hands under her thighs, parting them and pushing them up, her feet landing on my shoulders as I ran my tongue down one side and then up again on the other, tasting her flesh, teasing her senses and then fluttering my tongue back and forth over her labia minora. Then I dove into her, and she cried out in delight as I thrust my tongue into her, my nose rubbing back and forth over her clit as I curled and thrust my tongue inside of her, caressing her soft inner flesh and pulling back to swallow her juices with a grunt of hunger and lust.

Her fingers gripped and pulled at my hair, then shoved and pulled me into her again as the muscles in her belly fluttered, tensed and fluttered again. Her breathing became gasping and her groans of pleasure became whimpers of pleading. Her toes curled and gripped at my shoulders, then lifted and danced on my upper back as her voice raised in pitch and in volume, then suddenly she pulled a hand and stuffed the heel of it in her mouth and bit it as she shook and muffled a scream, her thighs clamping down around my ears like a vice, her hips bucking up against my face as she fucked my mouth with frantic animal lust.. And then she took one quivering breath and relaxed, shivering and shaking as I gently licked around her slit, lightly teasing her skin and caressing her with my hands as I gave her mound a gentle kiss and knelt up to watch her and wipe her juices from my face.

When she caught her breath, she slowly lifted her head and looked at me in a way I hadn't seen before. She looked confused, adoring and slightly afraid all at once.

"What.. was that?!" she gasped.

I tilted my head and gave her a smile while doing my best to hide the smug satisfaction from her.

"You mean, men don't do that here?"

She laughed and flopped back down to catch her breath. "Dear goddess, No! Where did you say you were from? Because, I don't care who I am enslaved to if the men are all like that."

"Eh.. They aren't all like that, but some are." I confessed. "Many don't enjoy doing that, but they just don't know what they are missing."

She reached down and pulled at my long black hair until I followed her demands and lay over her, my abs pressed to her wet heat as she pulled me in to kiss me deeply, her arms wrapped around my neck and her legs gripping my torso, trapping me to her. When she finally broke the kiss, she stared into my eyes and smiled in a heated delirium.

"Thank you, Master Nazaqi. But, I think it is my turn to pay attention to you." she said. "Lay on your back.. Please?"

I nodded and helped her sit up, then lay full length on my bed, letting her get a good long look at me as she crawled up and straddled my thighs, her hands caressing and massaging my hips and abdominals, taking time to enjoy the firmness of my muscles, and get a good long look at the thickness and length of my cock in front of her.

She slowly slid back, moving her left leg between mine and pressing her damp pussy against my leg while her hands took hold of my firm flesh. Two of her small hands, one above the other left only the thick head of my cock above them, the broad ridge of the glans fascinated Tio as she caressed it with her thumb and fingertips, then she looked past it to meet my eyes and smiled shyly.

"I've never.. Had one this large. It's beautiful." she said, blushing.

I smiled back encouragingly. "Just take your time and enjoy it."

She nodded and leaned down, her eyes half closed as she opened her mouth and thrust her tongue out, licking slowly up along the length and breathing in through her nose. For my part, I simply lay back, resting on my crossed arms behind my head and watched her as she studied every bit of my cock with her hands and mouth. I could feel her excitement and enjoyment of it as her hips moved back and forth, smearing her wetness on my shin and calf muscle, and the more she enjoyed it, the wetter she got and the more her hips moved, grinding on my leg in needy little humps and bucks.

She licked all around the shaft, sucking at my skin and down to my testes, licking them and giggling as they moved in reaction. Then she ran her tongue up the length and opened her mouth wide, taking the broad head of my cock into her mouth and flicking at the slit with her tongue. Her eyes were half open, and looking intoxicated as she dipped her head, then pulled back slowly, then dipped further, taking more of my cock into her mouth and sucking a little harder. Her hips bucked as she pulled back again and then pushed down, letting out a breath through her nose and pushing the head of my cock against the back of her pallet, swallowing around my cock once, then again and then pulling back. I groaned low and long at the pleasure of it, and she smiled around the head of my cock as she pulled back up again. She knew what she was doing, and knew what she enjoyed.. So I did my part, and simply watched her enjoy herself to the fullest. My only act of participation was to reach my right hand down and guide her hair back away from her face so I could see her blissed out expression.

Many minutes later though, I could not hold back. She had managed to push the head of my cock into her throat, swallowing around it and sucking hard at my flesh as she pulled back to catch her breath and I caressed her hair, groaning as she sucked hard on the glans and opened her eyes to watch me. My fingers curled around her pointed ear, thumb brushing along the edge as she nearly sucked the life from me. My body tensed and she sucked harder, compelling me toward my release and I gave it to her, flooding her mouth with my cum which she swallowed greedily, taking every last drop into her as I shook and growled out my pleasure.

Then, I lay back, panting and moaning softly as she crawled up and placed her hands on my shoulders, her red hair drawing around both of our faces like a privacy curtain as she looked into my eyes.

"Damnitall, you are good!" I said, praising her. And she blushed, smiling proudly.

"Thank you, master Nazaqi. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"How could I not? You certainly seemed to enjoy yourself."

"Oh.. I definitely did!" she confirmed.

"Good.. because this dance is far from over." I said as my hands landed on her hips, pressing her against my stomach muscles and smearing her juices on my skin. Her eyes lit up in surprise, and delight as I guided her hips down along my stomach toward my hips.

"Do you think you can handle having it inside you?" I asked, a little unsure of the size difference between us.

She laughed, a little afraid, but much more turned on. "I'm damn well going to try!" she answered, and we both laughed as she lifted her hips and settled herself on top of my slowly recovering length, grinding her hips back and forth along the spongy underside of my flesh, covering it in her slick hot juices. My hands went back to her breasts, thumbs brushing back and forth over her nipples and my fingers gripping at her firm, pert breasts as we locked our lips together, kissing each other hungrily, our tongues lashing at each other and our breaths shared and mixing in our lungs as we moaned out a shared primal song of passion.

Tio's hips slid forward along the length of my cock and tilted, capturing the head at her slick opening. I opened my eyes and pulled back from the kiss, watching her face as she rolled her hips, inviting me inside of her. Tio looked into my eyes, blue meeting pale gray as she pushed herself onto me with a wince.

"Slowly, Tio.. don't hurt yourself for this." I admonished.

She simply shook her head. "I want this, master. Please." she begged, and I slid my hands down, thumbs brushing over the sides of her belly as I held steady for her. She rolled and bucked her hips, slowly getting more and more of me inside of her until I felt the head of my cock slip past her opening and inside of her as she gasped and groaned. Her pussy gripped me tightly around the shaft of my cock, clenching and releasing in spasms until she took a long breath and blew it out slowly with a long, guttural moan.

She held still for a few moments, adjusting to the feel of me stretching her out around my girth. Her eyes closed as her inner muscles gripped and resisted, and then finally relaxed. Then she lifted up a little and pushed down, taking more of me inside of her, her panting breaths and the lines around her eyes expressed her discomfort but the way she bit her lip and the needy movements of her hips contradicted it.

"Goddess' mercy, so full!" she gasped. "I.. I want.. More!"

Her words caused me to groan and harden inside of her which, in turn, caused her to whimper and push down harder onto my shaft, then groaning as the head of my cock rubbed against her insides, slipping and sliding along her back wall as she writhed in a mix of pain and pleasure.

I gripped her hips, guiding her and forcing her to take it slowly until she had half of my length in her depths and she reached back, taking my hands, placing them on her breasts just before lifting almost all the way off of me, looked into my eyes and slammed herself down onto my length fully. She let loose a whimper, followed by a moan of lust filled pleasure and then did it again. I watched her, amazed at this little woman using me to fulfill her lust for pain and pleasure both, and it made my lust flood through me in equal measure. She moved, adjusting herself so that she had her feet placed on either side of my hips and began bouncing up and down on my cock, forcing my length into her and I could feel the impact every time the head of my cock pushed against her cervix.

Sweat broke out on her brow, and her gasps and groans of lust and pain filled the room, bounced off of the walls and slid under the door and down the hall. But None of that mattered to Tio, she was fully into her delirious pursuit of her intimate pleasure. Every shock of pain jolted her and was followed by a full body rush of pleasure that she pursued with determination and hunger.

I moved my hands up and took Tio by her shoulders, rolling us both over and pinning her to the bed as she looked up at me with fear and desire. I moved her legs around my hips and began driving into her, thrusting and grinding the head of my cock into her depths as her inner muscles twitched and grasped at my shaft, pulling me into her and begging me not to leave her empty. I began stuffing her cunt with my flesh harder and faster, using her as much as she was using me, and her gasps and groans turned into howls of pleasure that she had to muffle into the covers as she stuffed them into her mouth to quiet her voice.

I gave her no mercy, pounding my hips against hers and rolling them, grinding the head of my cock around in her depths and changing the pattern, stimulating every nerve I could find and then returning to hard, deep thrusts that brought the head of my cock against her aching cervix again and again. Every time I did, she howled into the blanket that she had stuffed into her mouth, and then every time I relented and rolled my hips, her legs quivered and pulled at me. Her hands clawed and scratched, and her eyes begged.

"You.. want more?" I panted out. And she nodded eagerly. So I laughed and began pounding her again, faster and harder until I could feel both of our bodies shaking and shivering ever closer to release.

I finally groaned, slamming myself into her five more times and then pushing myself fully inside of her, the head of my cock pressed to her deepest recesses and gave myself over to my orgasm. Tio, wrapped herself around me, clinging to me and shook hard, still screaming breathlessly and silently into my shoulder.

It was probably about five minutes later, still panting and sweating on each other that I managed to lift myself off of her. She still clung to me, so I only lifted up enough to make sure I wasn't crushing the air out of her.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

She didn't reply, she just nodded quickly into my chest. I figured she was going to do her best impression of a barnacle, so I just rolled the both of us and lay on my back again. I was right, she refused to let go of me, and I was content to wrap my arms around her and hold her as we recovered. I could feel her pussy gripping me still, her inner muscles spasming in aftershocks. The surprising thing was that her tightness kept me hard inside of her, and I was very happy to stay right there, feeling united with her in that moment.

"Tio?" I asked gently.

"Hmm?"

"You were wonderful." I said, praising her. And I felt her inner muscles shiver again, her body twitching as though she had just had another orgasm.

"Holy smokes.. This girl has a praise kink." I thought, and chuckled inwardly.

"Thank you, master Nazaqi." Tio breathed out in reply.

"You are welcome, Tio. Will you sleep here with me?"

"If it pleases you, master. Yes." she cooed.

"Please do. I want to feel you with me, and hear you breathe tonight."

"Yes, master." Tio smiled against my chest, kissing my skin, and gripping the shaft of my cock inside of her, causing both of us to moan.

"Did I hurt you?" I asked.

She didn't speak for a little bit, but finally she did. "I... Would you think badly of me if I said I wanted it?"

I chuckled, shaking my head, though she couldn't see it. The lamp had run out and gone dark in the time we were enjoying ourselves. Only the moonlight was left, and that was sliding beyond the edge of the window and lighting the faces of the buildings opposite us.

"No. I will not think badly of you. But, I would like to know more if we are going to do this again." I said.

She nodded, gripping at my cock again with her pussy and rolling her hips slowly. "Yes, master. I think.. I want that. I want you to.. Hurt me.. When you take your pleasure of me."

That had my heart rate jumping again, and my cock twitched inside of her, eliciting a moan from her.

"Master?" she said in a whisper.

"Yes, Tio?"

".... Take me again, please?"

I groaned in lust and lifted her off of me, then rolled her onto her belly and lay over her, pinning her wrists to the bed as I slid back into her and growled into her ear. "Fine.. But when you start begging me to stop, you just remember.. You asked for this." And I started fucking her again, as she shivered and started moaning in shivers of fear and lust.

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Morning Clarity.

Tio;

I woke early the next morning, my thighs and my belly aching and my body covered in sweat and dried cum. I breathed in the scent of him and I, and sighed happily. It had been years since I had a man, and I had missed it so badly. Then this tall, very tall, handsome male had come into Loira's inn.. Covered in grime and filth as he was, I couldn't get the shiver of excitement to stop. I had seen him from the dining hall, and followed him with my eyes as he went with Milaya to get a bath. I had come up with some excuse, I can't even remember what it was, but I needed to see this man. And what I saw.. Oh!

Ever since then, I had taken any chance I could to be near him. Flirting with him or just watching him. It wasn't how tall he was. Though, I do love tall men. It wasn't how muscular he was. I have seen plenty of both.

It was his eyes. They made me feel like I was a deer staring down a wolf and shivering, waiting for the wolf to chase me down and..

My heart was beating again even as I thought of him, and he was laying right there, next to me. Covered in my juices and sweat, smelling of both of us. That thought sparked another shiver to run through me. He had been so gentle, so frustratingly gentle last night.. At least, for the first time.

Then he had managed to get me to admit something that I had always been afraid to say.

I like when a man hurts me a little when he fucks me. I like being used rough.. But only from those few men who know how to be tender as well. And this foreigner, this young human man, Nazaqi. Such a strange sounding name, but also so deliciously fitting.

He had used me, fucked me, forced me to cum for him again and again. Even the first time when I had just managed to get him all inside of me, I was cumming. His flesh, so thick and long that I felt wonderfully full, like never before.

His hands, callused and strong, had held me, gripped me, pinned me down and forced me to endure him, but then they held me so achingly gentle.. Goddess of fertility, what did I ever do to be rewarded with this? Still, I knew it was only for a short time, and I would enjoy every chance to be with him until he went his way, as Freeswords always do.

I slowly rolled to my side, caressing his chest with my hand and felt the ache in my groin and thighs from our passion. I smiled, and forced myself to leave his bed. I would apologize to Milaya and Halit in the morning for having to deal with the cum soaked bedding. But even if they spent the day glaring at me.. It was worth it.

My legs were unsteady as I grabbed my robe and slipped out of Nazaqi's room, and I had more trouble getting down the stairs quietly as my knees kept wanting to give out. But eventually I got to the room that Milaya and I shared. Milaya, ever the light sleeper, woke almost at once.

"Tio?" she whispered.

"Yes, Mila.. it's me."

"Are.. are you alright? Are you sick?" she asked, concern in her voice.

"I'm fine, Mila." I assured her as I grabbed a towel and my clothes for the day. I needed to get a bath before anyone else woke up.

"You.. spent the night with him, didn't you." Mila said.

I didn't know what to say to Mila. She has been my friend since we were sold to Loira almost ten years ago. She knew what I had in mind yesterday when I talked about Nazaqi, and everyone else had already guessed what I was up to, even Loira who had looked at me and just rolled her eyes, giving me a wave of permission. But Mila was a very innocent girl. She had never been with a man. Loira had spent more than she had had to because she wanted to prevent a mercenary from getting hold of her. She told me about it later, and I loved her for it, and worked harder to make having purchased us both worth her money.

"Yes.." I said, as my thoughts circled back to Nazaqi and the question Mila had asked.

"Did.. did he hurt you?" she asked hesitantly.

"No, Mila. He isn't that kind of man. I'm fine. I really am." I answered, trying to reassure her. If she could see my blush in the dark, she would have been very confused. But I thanked all of the gods for the dark that hid my delighted shame.

"I'm going to go wash up and get ready for the day, Mila. You rest a bit longer."

"Alright, Tio." Mila sighed and snuggled back into her covers.

The rest of the day, I had to walk around a bit tenderly. The girls would look at me funny from time to time, but they resisted asking until Shaira set down a pot and put her hands on her hips to glare at me.

"Did he beat you or something?" she demanded when Mila and Halit were out of the kitchen.

"No." I answered, feeling the ache again and the soreness in my belly.. Which caused me to blush at the memory of how he gave me those aches. "He was as tender as a man can be..." I said, straightening my skirts and not meeting her eyes. "At least until I begged him to stop being so nice."

It took a moment or two and then Shaira blushed and gasped out. "Tio!" Then she laughed and hid her face. After which, she didn't bother asking me any questions, and I let her imagine whatever she wanted. It wouldn't be near as good as Nazaqi gave, so I could keep that much to myself. Loira, on the other hand, couldn't meet my eyes that day. And always found something else of interest to look at while telling me what needed to be done.

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Nazaqi:

Sleep was not as restful as I had believed it would be after my exertions with Tio. My dreams were disjointed, but clear. At one point I was looking at my own body through the thick amber of the crystal mana that I was encased in. I could see complex circles of runes surrounding my body, though somehow I felt like they were almost incomplete. The mana glow, trickling in around the crystal and seeping into it as I watched from some exterior point of view, and when the magic faded, and the last rune ceased to glow with power, my view changed.

This time I was standing before another figure, slender and feminine, and this one too was encased in amber. Once again, the array of runes and formulae encircled the pillar of crystalized magic, and seeped into it. But now I could see that the formula was incomplete in a different way, as though the missing pieces had been filled in, only to have other parts removed.

My dreams shifted, drifted and coalesced, bringing me another point of view completely different from the last. It was dark, and I was stumbling through familiar hallways, dashing through chambers and around objects. I stumbled, and lurched up, only to run again. I was being pursued, hunted.

In a doorway, I fought against the things that had been chasing me, lashing out with the only weapons that I had, bare fists and feet, and whatever rusty thing I could pick up from the fallen. I lurched and limped away from the scene of combat, and found a place to rest. I reenacted those desperate moments a dozen ways, and through each encounter was a driving force, a need, a hunger. 'I have to find him. I have to find my way to him. I don't want to die.'

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