《Wisher Beware》


 Chapter 1 On the Road

    Book 1: CAVEAT VOLTOR


    We all wish for things. Some desire improvement, others yearn for power and wealth, and many indulge in carnal fantasies. It can be seen as a harmless and in some cases quite useful activity, enjoyed in moderation.


    But one must beware. Wishes have a cost many do not know.


    Sometimes wishes come true, one way or another.


    A lone dry branch cracked under my foot and I froze, listening in quietly. The Forest was all around me, full of noises. With shaking breath I kept carrying a yoke with two empty jars on my shoulders. The woollen tunic was damp from the recent rain, but that is not why I felt the colds. My Ma and Unca always told me that Forest wasn¡¯t for us. For the Things lived in Forests. Hungry Things. They were not like masters and pleading for your life will help you none. Nuh uh. I hated this feeling of emptiness inside my gut, making me look behind my back all the time, but it¡¯s all I had.


    Only wers could go here alone. They were strong and quick for they were blessed by Gods. Some were even stronger and looked different. Not like us. They had tails and fur, claws and paws. And then there were Wermajes. They were strong, hairy, and could throw fire at you. Or whisper to their swords and shields and fill them with magick to strike at anyone they want. They said they are descendants of Gods, but I think they are just a bunch of old hags, licking each other¡¯s cunts to feel even more important.


    One of the wers was supposed to guard me. Not from the Things, but so I wouldn¡¯t run away. The shrivelled dick walked me to the water once, kicking me every time he thought I was too slow. Then he figured I was too cheap to guard, too weak to escape, and his food too tasty to be left alone. Told me to stick to the path and hurry up, and not to have ¡®any funny thoughts¡¯. Said he didn''t want to explain to the merchant why a yoke was sticking out of his merchandise ass while braying like one. That limp noodle thought himself a funny man.


    Feeling a little bit better, I started looking for an easy way downhill. Whatever path we took before was nowhere to be seen with scratchy bushes everywhere I went. I wasn¡¯t stupid and, after the previous trip, knew that I will be walking back with two heavy jars of water. Uphill. Without anyone kicking but also without anyone close to scare the nasties so I had to walk carefully.


    After some walking around I found a shallow slope with barely any trees around. The spot was open and out of place, like some God decided to plough this forest and got lazy a few breaths after. Good spot found, I started to go down slowly, making sure that the wet ground won¡¯t slide under me. The ground was risky even here, there were spots all over the place, where the fresh ground was seen, whatever that grew on it before falling down under its own weight. Especially around that cave at the end of the ravine. With green light shining from within. Tiny and round.


    Like a hungry eye of the Thing.


    Jars rattled on the ground as I sprinted to escape. My feet slipped in the mud and I fell face-first into shit-brown sludge, my mouth frozen in a silent scream.


    Death tasted like dirt.


    With a low whine escaping my throat, I tried to crawl, trying to get as much distance from the Beast, but my legs didn¡¯t listen to me anymore. Dread spread across my body and, with legs already taken, rolled over my chest like a heavy boulder choking my breath. Unable to breathe and move I curled up and squeezed my jaw and eyes as hard as I could. The sounds my heart and my throat made were loud enough that I wouldn¡¯t be able to hear anything. At least until Its teeth would find my flesh. Hopefully, it would be quick.


    Time crawled with my heartbeat.


    And then it crawled some more. And more. Soon my chest could breathe again and I opened my eyes just a bit. The Forest was loud. There was no maw ready to clamp down on my side. Jars and the yoke lying an arm away from me splashed with dirt. I lifted my head higher and glanced at the cave, my hands shaking. The cave was still dark and the eye was still glowing green within. Alone. Not moving. Scrambling I reached for the yoke, Thing or not I would be as good as dead if I return without it. I kept the cave well within my eyes, but the glow didn''t move one bit. As if It refused to see me as food. Or wasn¡¯t an eye at all.


    Filled with courage, either from moving legs or the long yoke in my hands, I decided to chance it.


    ¡°Aeeeeeugh!¡± My threatening howl didn¡¯t budge the glow either. Unhooking the jars I grabbed the yoke like a spear and slowly moved forward. As I approached the cave it became easier to see, especially with the glow shining from within. It wasn¡¯t even a normal cave either, with walls made out of iron. Definitely not a Forest cave, not even our cave. It was probably a wer armour! Only they could be rich enough to afford something like this and big enough to wear something this huge. Maybe a giant wer. I remembered one of the slaves at the farm was telling me he saw an army passing by with armour even on horses. What an idiot, no one would spend so much iron on an animal.


    My eyes glanced at the bones in the corner and then down at the floor. Whoever it was he died long ago from a slingshot into the eye and a pick to the forehead. The floor was clean, very clean. No one was here for a long time. I finally breathed out, licking dry lips, put the yoke aside and set my gaze fully at the magickal thing.


    A fruit, no, the Fruit was cradled in some sort of metal bowl with spider legs, that raised it like an offering. It was glowing. A grin split my face and my hands started to shake. Everyone knew that magickal Things have glowing eyes. That means magickal trees make magickal Fruits! And this Fruit was more than just magickal it shone like a torch with a colour of spring grass. I could easily tell this fruit was full of health by the colour alone! Not wasting a single breath I snatched it and sank my teeth into it.


    The juice burst into my mouth. It was the tastiest thing I have ever tasted.


    I greedily sucked at it so that not a single drop would spill. The magick was in the taste as well, biting on my tongue and spreading deep inside my body. Even though I tried eating it with as much care as possible to stop any more accidents, the Fruit was gone in an instant. But the feeling of power remained. I closed my eyes to feel it better spreading from my core to the rest of my body. It spread to my arms and legs and from there into my back. As it was moving up to the head I¡¯ve felt it. The knowledge poured into my body. My legs, my arms, my fingers they all knew something my head did not. Subtle motions, sharp like a warrior¡¯s sword. Reactions to threats unknown. I smiled at that, for I¡¯ve felt the magick travelling into my head, cradling it, gently brushing against my senses. Soon the full knowledge of this magick will be within my grasp.


    It was probably healing magicks, or these that shape the body or the earth. Or even flight. I always wondered how the birds felt, to be able to go anywhere you wanted.


    Whatever it was, it was powerful.


    My hands moved. Fingers performing their own dance. To bring forth the unseen.


    The unheard.


    With my hands clutching tightly I started to laugh. My laugh was unbound, desperate, demented. ¡°BARREN SON OF A WHORE!¡± My foot smashed into the pilot¡¯s skull breaking it to pieces, ocular implant rolling somewhere.


    Tears came to my eyes, ¡°I was supposed to get it!¡±


    To become one of them. To wield the powers unbound.


    ¡°And what did I get? Ability to play music? To be a performer? A slave work to begin with! What is a Gee-Tar anyway?¡± I yelled at the sky through the opening.


    The knowledge was¡­ weird. Full of holes like a beggar¡¯s garb. Full of words, sounds, and meanings, but completely lacking any visual parts. Like a memory of a blind person. I knew the ¡®guitar¡¯, I could play it well. If someone would show me an instrument I would tell if it''s a ¡®guitar¡¯ or not. But without it¡­


    ¡°What kind of drunk imbecile ties a bucket to a lyre and calls it an instrument!¡± My fist hit the wall.


    I could even play another more ¡®exotic¡¯ instrument. My head was full of lines, triangles, and squiggles that hurt to think about, but somewhere there was a board you could hang keys on and they would chime a melody. Truly a method of torture for performers and listeners alike.


    A dark thought ran through my mind. There were other, similar, professions that provided pleasure to their clients¡­


    ¡°What other skills did I get? Let me guess - how to be a prostitute? Huh? Sucking off dicks and cunts for my master?¡± I listened to myself, ¡°FUCK!¡±


    So much magic wasted for something so stupid. If I knew what it was, it would be sold on the bazaar instead and would pay not only for my freedom but for my family and a thousand slaves to do all my work until I died!


    My stomach gurgled. ¡°Fucking great!¡±


    Fairy tale time¡¯s over, I grabbed the yoke and stormed out of there. Quickly hooking back the jars I made my way to the river below. I had to hurry as the sun was getting low and I had no idea how many trips the merchant would demand from me. Extra work was the best outcome, he might get annoyed at my lateness and that would mean I would get the extra work and thirty lashes at least. The old dog was skilled, his lashes would sting like a whore unpaid but leave no lasting marks on the back.


    With jars heavy from water, I trekked back trying to spot the road up ahead. The house roads of the Emanai Manorat were made well. They were smooth, flat, and straight. They would cut through forests like this one without any change of direction. Too bad they did the same for hills as well, helping to push carts up the hill nearly broke me on the first days of the travel.


    Soon I¡¯ve managed to get up to a more flat area. Lazy fuck was napping at the tree with no care to the world. But when I came closer, steps heavy from the extra weight on my shoulders, he stirred awake. He got up and stretched without hurry. Good. That meant my detour went unnoticed.


    ¡°What took you so long, boy?¡±


    ¡°Fell.¡± I¡¯ve kept my answer short. With my thoughts still in turmoil, I didn¡¯t want to snap at the guard and get myself brained for it.


    His yellow feline eyes glanced on my dirt-stained tunic and then on to the jars looking for cracks, while I was trying to figure out what ¡®feline¡¯ meant. ¡°Well stop lazing about then, get moving!¡±


    I had to travel one more time to bring enough water. He chose the path this time and followed me along grumbling about my slowness. The path was shorter but more treacherous than the clearing so I was drenched in sweat by the end of it. I¡¯ve kept my silence about what happened. I wanted neither to return there myself nor share it with the hypocrite.


    By the time I finished, it was late. Merchant and the rest of the guards already ate, and whatever leftovers they had were long consumed by others. Not that I had any chance of getting some myself, if I was around, but the smells were nice. Especially when they roasted that salted meat with greens.


    Wiping off the drool, I hurried up to grab my ration and then glanced at the area where other slaves were preparing to sleep.


    We were split into three groups as usual. The wers were chained down for the night. They cost more and had the strength and speed to escape. While we were simply left alone. I glanced at the guards; any laziness aside, they knew what they were doing. Running away would be extremely foolish, not only I didn¡¯t have anywhere to run to, nor would I be able to run far enough. And justice was always swift.


    I frowned, why was I even thinking of running away now of all times? Many of us were actually looking forward to the city. The life of a city slave, even the one working for the city itself was leagues better than on the farm. Or, gods protect, in the mines. Apart from guaranteed food, many had breaks and some could even earn a bit of money on the side and eventually buy their freedom.


    Or so my uncle said to me before I left.


    Hopeful dreaming aside, I knew that my future well-being would solely depend on the character of my future master. But that is not something that I could change, so it was pointless to think about it anyway. I looked at the barley bread in my hand. An exquisite form of nutrition, well seasoned with ash and soot, and with the consistency of a brick. Smiling bitterly I remembered the taste of the magic fruit. It was full of opposite flavours sweet but sour, fresh but somehow hot as well. Perhaps I would be able to make my life better with that ¡®guitar¡¯.


    Speaking about performers, I glanced at the cart. There was the third group. Just a few - pickings at the farms were slim. Both girls and boys had much better, unblemished skin. Girls were a little older and boys younger; some looked scared, others resigned, but all looked healthy. Their fate was obvious and unenviable. I shuddered. I could have been there as well due to my age and health; fortunately, I was ¡®too scrawny¡¯ and ¡®unsightly¡¯ according to the merchant. It was the best thing he had done for me.


    My stomach gurgled again. Swearing to myself I ate the bread. Somehow the taste was the same and yet worse than all the other times I had to eat it during the trip. The freshwater made the process a bit more bearable. If I get runs from that fruit I would walk through that damn forest at night and shit in that spider bowl.


    After washing down the last pieces, I hurried to join others. Most of the faces were unfamiliar to me, merchant visited multiple farms, but I quickly found an open spot near some that I recognized. Not wasting any time, I quickly snuggled in between the bodies. No one said a thing. It had become our silent nightly ritual by now. The most imminent concern of every slave was food and rest. And warmth, here in the open.


    Surrounded by warm bodies, lying on the soft grass, and tired from daily tolls I quickly fell asleep.


    I had a pleasant dream. It was nice and soft, full of stars and me flying. Full of joys: discovery, confidence, and safety. It was also absolutely nonsensical, thus my awakening in the chilly morning wasn''t filled with the feeling of a loss such dreams usually brought. Just a small memory of contentment and a spark of promise for the future. Snickering to myself about fleshy beetles digging wormy holes...wormholes so they could hop from star to star, I got up. My body complained quite insistently and not from the lack of warmth, most of it was gone already. Apparently, the empty spot I¡¯ve taken yesterday was empty for a reason: my bones and muscles ached from every move.


    The caravan was slowly waking up, but I still had some time to myself. I glanced around doing some stretches to dull the pain and warm myself up. An idea came up to me yesterday and, before we would leave, I wanted to see it through.


    Unfortunately, I needed a tool for that. My rested mind was full of problems and solutions; a slave randomly trying to grab a knife or even an axe would raise an alarm. Even something like a shovel would attract unwelcome attention. But an iron stake should work, even if a little blunt for what I needed. There are always some lying around to anchor the chains or the cages.


    Grabbing one from the cart I tried to be as quiet as possible not to wake up the slaves sleeping on it. It was still awkward to be around them: what do you say to someone who has little hope when you are so full of it? What do you say to a broken man while you stand solidly on your own feet? It is so much easier not to have a conversation in the first place. I glanced at the closest sleeper, a lithe girl with blond hair long enough to hide her face from view, sighed inwardly and turned away.


    Looking around for the most appropriate tree, I pinched the edge of the stake and run my fingers down the blade. Appropriate target found I hacked at the trunk; stake went in fast, easily chipping the bark off. Cringing at my sloppy work, I dialled down my efforts and quickly peeled off a vertical strip. No point killing the tree in the process. My work done, I¡¯ve stepped away with my mood rising back up again. Landmark. A spot this big won¡¯t grow over and leave a scar, easily visible from the road.


    A promise to come back.


    Snusmumriken


    Since I had it asked more than once here is the picture of a human yoke:

 Chapter 2 The City

    We went at a steady but brisk pace: the merchant wanted to enter the city tonight. As I trudged along with others I couldn¡¯t stop my emotions. I was jittery. Surprisingly most of my jitters didn¡¯t come from anxiety anymore, but from anticipation.


    We were heading to the big city. A place full of magic!


    Which was kind of weird. Magic was all around us. It was in the wild forests around us, ready to eat the hapless traveller. It was in the hand of a slave master, lifting an enormous whip. In the eyes of the guards, letting them see in the dark of the night. It was everywhere! Everywhere except for us! Magic was the reason for our state. While there were plenty of wer slaves on the farm, they were also weaker. As if magic was telling them they didn''t deserve it. What a bitch.


    And yet my addled brain was excited.


    My cheeks aflame, I hung my head in shame. I felt stupid. I probably looked like some of the adults obsessed with someone, who didn''t return their affections. I¡¯ve seen a fair share of idiots giving away their food or doing extra chores in the vain hope of getting something as little as a glance. Hell, I¡¯ve seen male masters bending over for the farm Domina like worms, nearly kissing her feet. I scoffed at them in my mind, feeling myself above such idiocy. And yet here I am running like a puppy, tongue-lolling, toward something that made my life miserable.


    I wonder if they have magical buildings.


    Why does it even matter to me so much? What is the difference if the buildings have glowing squiggles on the walls if I still end up sleeping in a barn on the straw? What use are the enchanted swords, if just touching one will get me executed? Will my back feel happier being whipped by a magical lash too?


    It does the impossible.


    What it does is make my life impossible. Period. End of the discussion.


    It shouldn''t exist.


    Ah, finally my brain and I are on the same wavelength. This world would be much better with it gone forever. Just imagine a world without magic. Everyone is equal. No one could tell you what to do. No one to take away from you what is rightfully yours. No one to belittle you for your ancestry.


    It doesn''t follow the laws, which makes it curious.


    That is indeed interesting. I snickered to myself, I wonder if I can report magic somewhere to get it executed. Or at least get it to behave. Jokes aside what is magic? Perhaps my hunch was onto something and studying it closer would help me in the future. My mother always taught me to know what I am doing before attempting it. Whether that was about using a hoe or speaking to a guard or a master. Perhaps magic would be the same, and knowing it better would help me speak to it in the same language.


    I sniffed the air, it smelled of the sea. Looks like we were getting closer to the shore.


    Now that was an interesting thought. Interesting because I had abso-fucking-lutely no idea what sea was before. I¡¯ve never been ¡®to the shore¡¯ nor smelled the breeze, so why the hell do I know it? How many memories did that fruit have?


    I glanced around. The road was well away from the forest now but some trees remained on each side, providing blissful shade from the sun. There were few farmlands in sight, similar to the one I¡¯ve spent all my previous years on. My eyes turned back to the trees. Some of them I could recognize on sight: oak, cypress, ash. Some I could not beyond the point of ¡®it looks like a tree to me¡¯. I frowned. This knowledge had some glaring gaps in some places and extreme detail in others. I knew that our farm had hundreds of European olive trees, but the fine specimen of plant life in front of me, with white bark and deep red pine needles, was apparently ¡®tree, maybe¡¯.


    This too would require investigation¡­ Got to keep thinking positive. At least I was aware that there are gaps in this knowledge now, rather than later. Moreover, this knowledge was very reactive. A simple glance around gave me this much insight. I can only shiver in anticipation of what a true city would bring. They said it was full of everything: people, building, knowledge.


    Full of magic!


    Occupied by my circular logic, I¡¯ve missed the road passing over a hill. Stumbling a bit, with my feet trying to catch up with the descending ground, I lifted my head and gasped. The city! My entire view was filled with buildings! This far away they looked like a pile of bricks lying on the ground. There are probably at least a thousand people living here! ¡­ OK maybe more. From the corner of my eye, I spotted a river, the same one that followed the road all this time. It flowed onto a tall bridge that took it directly into the city. But engineering marvels were fine, they made sense.


    On top of the city, close to the hills it was hugging, was something that made no sense at all. An array of gigantic, comparing to the buildings, marble towers. Floating in the air. Defying the gravity.


    Like a magical crown. Striking a sharp contrast in the evening sky.


    My mind and I were stunned speechless. My legs were smart enough to keep moving, however.


    This! This is exactly what I needed to see. This is true magic! Not the one to abuse and punish, the pure one - the one used to build. To create! Whoever made these knew real magic. You didn¡¯t need to be a genius to understand that anyone could throw a stone but to build a building out of it took skill.


    If I could only get myself close to one of the mages living inside these towers! Or maybe the ones who lived inside didn¡¯t know a lick about how to make these and were simply rich? I needed more information and very little ability to do anything at this moment.


    XXX


    I learnt a new thing about cities. Or, more specifically, Samat - it was loud. Roads that were wide enough were filled with people running back and forth, peddlers and barbers calling for customers, and others either laughing or swearing at each other. And each of them was competing to be the loudest and the most obnoxious. Small streets, ones not filled with jars, baskets, and other rubbish, were filled with beggars moaning from hunger and whores moaning for money.


    It also stank like an outhouse.


    Walking through the streets I¡¯ve realized how different the farms were from the city. Most of the people I¡¯ve seen wore garbs similar to mine - a set of a linen shirt and a woollen tunic tied around the waist. What differed was the quality. While many wore something like I did and tied it with a rope, others wore cleaner clothes and better fabrics and had actual belts to keep them secure. Very few actually had open robes tied with a sash instead, like our merchant. Probably to show off how wealthy they were to afford three pieces of clothing at once. Rich fucks.


    The merchant dumped us at the bazaar. Judging by the conversations, which I was unfortunately too far away to eavesdrop on, the person receiving us was either his colleague or a family member. Very little haggling, no screaming, and no money changing place. When the merchant stayed at our farm he had spent the entire day cajoling better prices from the Domina.


    Whatever was happening it wasn¡¯t happening tonight. We got locked inside a spacious room with large arches covered in bars, both for ventilation and observation. Apparently, this was their slave storage room, and not for slaves like us either. The walls were filled with, thankfully, empty chains, manacles, and other fetters. I clutched my ration for the night and thought about my next plan of action.


    Bars were thick and skillfully placed. Whoever built this built it for men ten times stronger than me. So that was out. I glanced around. Most of the present were part of our group with few others sticking out like sore thumbs: they were crippled, sick, or old. Looks like we won¡¯t be sticking around for long. My mind made, I headed out to one of these old-timers.


    ¡°What do ye want, merk?¡± My fist clenched at his response. I¡¯ve miscalculated - while the old coot looked like us he was a wer.


    ¡°I wanna know what will happen tomorrow¡± I buried whatever pride I had for now. Making a fuss will get me nowhere.


    ¡°Ye wanna know? Ye gonna get sold, idiot.¡±


    I showed him a piece of bread, ¡°I wanna know how I will get sold¡±


    He squinted his eyes at my offering, and then glanced at the other half. Fat chance, I glanced at him and then at the other ¡®veterans¡¯ nearby. I am gonna pay but I won¡¯t starve.


    He grunted. ¡°Ye talk funny, like ye one of the Manor slaves, merk. But yer tongue will get nowhere. None of them come to the low city.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°Who does come here to buy then?¡±


    ¡°Dunno, sometimes a civil to get more latrine cleaners or road builders.¡± He grinned with a toothless smile. ¡°And sometimes a captain for barge pullers!¡±


    I gulped, the message was obvious.


    ¡°Don¡¯t look at the buyers, merk. Look at the seller and how much he grovels,¡± he swiped the piece from my hands and turned away, stuffing the bread into his mouth.


    XXX


    I woke up in a broken mess, my body screaming at me to do something. My stomach roiling inside of me, screaming for food. I tried to school myself into some shape, hoping that the food would come soon. Yesterday¡¯s exchange had cost me dearly: the nanites inside my body were barely functioning as is on the meagre fuel I¡¯ve given them. And yesterday I made my meal even smaller. If this trend continues my body would eat itself alive. For nutrition.


    My soreness got lost, forgotten in the background. I¡¯ve stopped myself. Nanites? To make my body stronger, healthier, better¡­ Do I mean magic?


    No.


    Whatever it was within me now had nothing to do with magic. To it, the magic was unknown, a curiosity. One might say it was the opposite of magic, but it wasn''t either. Through my knowledge, I was aware that, while everything was based on understanding, it didn''t shun not knowing. It embraced it as a promise, as another possibility to understand. As something to conquer and dissect.


    Warlike thoughts aside. I had another opportunity for myself to explore. If I play my cards right, the increased food intake won¡¯t be an issue. And increased muscle growth, bone density and ligament strength would pay back original investments with incredible interest. I don¡¯t know if I will grow strong enough to be on par with a wer or even a full wermage, but that won¡¯t be the end of it. I decided not to dwell on that for now, one step at a time. First get food and get better, then worry about how to get titanium and nitinol.


    The guards and more slaves came with the food. I was expecting a mad scramble, planning to myself how I can get a bigger chunk, but they got us organized and distributed food evenly. It was probably for the best, I was at my weakest at this moment. And they even brought porridge! Which kind of made sense: we weren¡¯t travelling anymore, so kitchens were nearby, and they wanted us in the best shape. It would seem that there will be an auction in the afternoon.


    Well. That was my plan as well, for the time being, no disagreeing there. I mean what kind of idiot would say ¡°No, I will not eat and rest! It is below me.¡± Smiling contentedly I laid back on the floor, and let my body recover as much as it could. I had to be in my top shape tonight.


    The bazaar was slowly picking up in volume with everyone yelling yet again, praising their goods and slandering their competitors. We were located right in the middle of the commotion as if a bazaar grew all around us. It made me wonder if we were the main event for the day with shrewd traders using it as an opportunity. This was actually worrying, it is hard to judge the crowd. Moreover, any of my actions would yield absolutely unpredictable results. This amount of attention was rather unexpected: none of the slaves from our farm were skilled in any urban trade. Maybe milling grains but even donkeys could do that.


    It was hard to judge how many people walking around were actually slaves, ones with obvious chains and collars were just the tip of the iceberg. But I had a slight suspicion there still weren''t enough.


    XXX


    Apparently, if you are a rich fuck, you can spit on normal procedures. I mean how would you get the best product and the best price? Exactly you ignore the auction and buy in bulk ahead of time. The old slave was an asshole, but he was honest. This was the biggest show of grovelling. A merchant can sing you praises and kiss your shoes day in and day out, only to fleece you dry afterwards. It is when he lets go of a bigger profit in your favour - he means business.


    The transaction was probably already done in some backroom. By the time the delegation actually reached us the monies were already counted, hands shaken, and wine drank. Unsurprising, I glanced at the slaves around us, they didn''t come here expecting skill, they were looking for hands.


    Buying people in bulk aside, this was my moment.


    I cleaned myself as much as I could, wondering what I could do more to increase my chances, while the merchant spent his time praising each of his new merchandise. Huh apparently Tok, that fixed a leaning fence once, was a ¡®carpenter¡¯. Well, that didn¡¯t matter, I settled in a position that I deemed as radiating health and cast my gaze full of honesty. I think the merchant picked up on that, saying how healthy I looked and that I would definitely live to serve another fifty years at least. Well bite me, just because wers can live longer doesn''t make our lifespan short.


    Besides I wasn''t planning on dying so soon anyway.


    Whatever the agreement they had it definitely included a set number of murks. I was chosen, not the first, but not the last either. Surprisingly, the blond girl from the cart was picked as well. Evidently, she wasn¡¯t a wer¡­


    As we were walking to my new place to live, I¡¯ve realized something interesting. The ones, who bought us, were slaves as well! I shook my head ruefully, how many slaves were in this city? Are there actually free people living, or everyone was a slave of someone else. Living without realizing that the whole system was like a giant snake biting its own tail? Slavery this expansive would kill any innovation. Who would bother trying to automate anything if you can just buy a slave to work in perpetuity? Why would you invent more efficient designs if you never have to pay artisans? This place was stagnant. It might not look like a swamp, yet. But it would be. I don''t know how soon, perhaps in a few generations¡­


    Ah.


    It made a little more sense now. Yes, this place would most likely rot from within in a few wer generations. Which in years would mean centuries, or possibly millennia, depending on how long wermages lived. And I can bet my bread on the fact that they lived at least as long as wer.


    My musings were interrupted: something was off. The stench was almost gone. I looked around, the city was seemingly the same, yet the air was fresher with a tint of river wetness. My surprise was equally shared among other slaves.


    ¡°The upper city has a sewer system,¡± The slave, that was leading us, said in a gruff voice, ¡°No shitting on the streets, or throwing piss out of the windows! Use the latrine when you are in the villa or a public one in the city.¡±


    Well, that was definitely an improvement, anyone would hate smelling shit all their lives.


    ¡°Any questions - you ask the slave in charge of you, or you come to me, Sulla, I am the procurer for the estate.¡± He scowled at us, ¡°As long as you won¡¯t waste my time, you will be heard.¡±


    I looked at him, trying to memorize his appearance, unfortunately, a generic one. An ageing man old enough to have short grey hair and a beard but young enough to still kick ass. With very pointy ears. A word elf came to me but I scoffed at that. Elves were supposed to be lithe. This one probably used his chin to make sure the bricks were square.


    We crossed a rather large river and headed deeper into the city, buildings getting prettier with every block we passed. Unfortunately, instead of climbing further toward the pillars, we turned left away from the biggest crowds of people. I sighed. Well, that was a bust. In the daylight and so close the towers looked majestic. Some of them were actually standing on floating islands, while others looked like they simply decided to sprout in the middle of the sky. Most of them were floating alone, while a select few had a bunch of tiny islands orbiting around them. Like tiny satellites.


    Mark my words, one day I will be there.


    As we went on, the buildings changed. The Low city had tall buildings with three and sometimes even four rows of windows on each side. The central region was dominated by smaller houses that traded all their windows for a large gate in front. One of them was open when we passed by and I could see an inner courtyard within. Back then I thought these were the houses of the rich. And now I was looking at a wall. It wasn''t the city wall, these were further away and much taller, it was the fence. And it surrounded an area the size of an entire city block.


    Well, I didn¡¯t get the mage, at least I got the rich.


    After ushering us inside through the servant gate, Sulla fetched few more people out to get us organized. The mysterious owner of the estate didn¡¯t even show up! I wondered how much was actually done within this estate that never even reached Domina¡¯s ears. Now that I think about it I don''t remember seeing my last one at the farm either. From far away yes, but never up close. Probably for the better.


    From the drop off in bickering, I guessed that we got our assignments. While I understood my position, but could they not bicker closer to us next time? I wanted to be at least nominally present when my fate is being decided. Following the gestures I moved to the one, who would be in charge of me from now on, already standing with a few selected slaves beside her.


    I think my luck is back with me again, apologizing for her previous blunder. My new boss was tall, on par with few adults and taller than the rest. Her tanned skin contrasted nicely with her platinum-blond hair, cut short like the rest of the slaves. Her ears were elongated, round and fuzzy with hair, which ousted her prominently as wer. But that wasn¡¯t important because she was smiling at me with a warm and friendly smile. Years living on a farm taught me enough in the nuances of smiles. It was very common for a slave to be promoted and immediately get drunk with power over others. Not knowing their slimy smiles could be deadly.


    ¡°Hello. I am Irje, what is your name?¡±


    I smiled back. The names were usually given to us, either from the job we did or by the whim of a master. I ignored the names I was known by on the farm in favour of a much older one, one given to me by my mother.


    ¡°It is nice to meet you. My name is Erf¡±

 Chapter 3 Settling In

    I am beginning to suspect that the state of mental dissonance is becoming a new norm for me. During introductions, Irje asked me how old I am. I couldn¡¯t answer. Something so mundane was apparently beyond my mental grasp. Not because of any lack of arithmetical skills, like Irje assumed, but due to the sheer quantity of years now present in my mind, most of them still cloudy. For me, the question was as complex as precisely answering how many steps I¡¯ve taken in my entire life.


    But on the other hand - math. All these musings about age, data and arithmetics stirred yet another facet of knowledge within me. However, while others were inherently limited by the lack of visual background, the math simply wasn¡¯t. Any visual parts were derivative from the most basic components, thus allowing my brain to generate them from scratch if necessary. It actually gave me a new appreciation for the other morsels of information that nanites have been slowly installing into my brain.


    ¡°¡­Erf and Yeva will be washing the fabrics,¡± Irje¡¯s strong voice interrupted my musings. Apparently, I will be working with the silent blond girl from the caravan, who would have thought. ¡°While Sela and Yao will work at the dying vats.¡±


    I glanced at the other two girls, that Irje managed to appropriate. Like me and Yeva they looked young. I wonder if Irje has an eye for young help, she is definitely friendly to all of us, especially me and Yeva. Neither wanted to participate in the conversation, however, most likely still being apprehensive about the new place. Or amusing themselves with their own thoughts like I did.


    ¡°We will only perform a single job?¡± I said, breaking off her monologue.


    ¡°Yep!¡± Irje instantly perked up, ¡°You are from the farms, right?¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Farm slaves often ask the same question?¡±


    ¡°They do, they are also more lively than the usual newcomers,¡± she said. ¡°Anyway. This is not a farm but the rules are strict. While you only have one job to do, it is usual that it would take you most of the day to finish it. If you do your job right, you will have longer breaks; slack off, and you will get lashes.¡±


    She wasn''t just welcoming but stern too. In hindsight something like this is to be expected, you can¡¯t be just a friendly supervisor and not have someone abuse that friendship.


    XXX


    Few days have passed since then. While I had a single job, I started off doing only parts of it by assisting other slaves. I was actually surprised that such a large villa had a dedicated work area, I expected something like this to be outsourced to the multitudes of workshops in poorer parts of Samat. My questions revealed a peculiar tidbit: every Manor family had a monopoly on a specific trade or job. Like managing a city. Or, in my case, being responsible for luxury textiles.


    Most of the wealth in this house came from buying cheap unprocessed fabrics and yarn, cleaning it, dyeing, and then selling it with a ludicrous markup. And all that was done with cheap, mostly unskilled labour. Truly, whoever came up with this idea was shrewd. The Manor most likely bought or even employed artisans to further expand the business, but they were likely few and would still act like powerful wealth multipliers to an already lucrative cash cow.


    I smiled, carrying the water yet again now for the washing basins, this was good. With my slowly expanding knowledge, I held no doubts that I could make an appropriate ¡®invention¡¯ that could quickly propel me from the ranks of unskilled labour to an artisan. I poured the water. They were much wealthier and were held in high regard. Many even owned slaves themselves while still being a slave.


    Grabbing the bolt of woollen fabric, I tried to recall how they made it at the farm. As far as I could tell they had very basic looms, gravity-assisted and static, with people doing most of the work. Most of the cloth was made this way, and automating some of the processes would make fabric faster, or even of better quality. I needed to ponder more about it. My mind knew that it was possible but the precise schematics escaped my grasp.


    I had a sinking feeling, that this was due to the fact that the knowledge within me considered all this technology as outright ancient. Forget electricity, they didn''t even have steam power!


    I grabbed the soap and frowned. No wonder it was only used for clothes, this vile concoction was gooey and foul. I cringed but decided to taste it anyway - not out of some masochistic tendencies, but to test for pH. Yuck. Yep, as I suspected, it was also alkaline. Not only they have used some rancid animal fat but also overloaded it with wood ash. Think of the slaves, it is not enough that it just works. Ratios people! Learn them, use them, and stop making garbage products like this!


    They probably didn''t even know what chemistry was.


    ¡°You know you won¡¯t die from this, right?¡± Large yellow eyes looked into mine.


    The jar of ¡®soap¡¯ fell on the ground. ¡°Irje! You¡¯ve startled me.¡±


    ¡°Don''t, you will end up puking it out and only going to get sick for a while.¡±


    I waved her off, ¡°It¡¯s not that. I am just concerned how shitty this thing is, does Sulla buy the soap from some sort of a fraud?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean, it is a normal soap,¡± she frowned, ¡°Or are you talking about the expensive soaps from the north? How mad are you to think we will use these for work.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess these are imported from far away, usually much harder and don''t burn your skin if you use it long enough?¡±


    ¡°You talk like you know a lot about it,¡± she said squinting her eyes.


    I smiled ambiguously at her, ¡°Well, I know just enough.¡±


    She matched my smile with a grin of her own.


    Suffice to say, I didn''t waste this opportunity to convince her into helping me out. She agreed surprisingly easy, however.


    And so Irje and I started on our task of improving the soap. I wasn¡¯t worried about her stealing my ideas, even if she did, there were plenty of recipes, and we had to contend with the bare minimum anyway. The lye made from ash was also extremely inconsistent, which made my participation much more important, the ability to taste test was invaluable in setting proper ratios.


    Not that Irje was just an observer either. While she was my sole connection to the rest of the household, she had more than pulled her weight by getting the materials and tools. She obtained ash from the slaves manning the basement furnaces, and tallow from the kitchens. She was even able to acquire glass bowls to avoid the damage from the caustic lye.


    Unfortunately, we still had to do our tasks as all this experimentation was consuming our free time.


    Yet another thing I was grateful for.


    ¡°Y¡¯know Irje,¡± I said while stirring the mixture.


    ¡°Hmmmm?¡± she responded behind my back.


    ¡°While I am extremely grateful, but what made you invest so much time and effort into this?¡±


    A hand ruffled my hair. ¡°You mean apart from you knowing what you are talking about?¡±


    I tried shaking her hand off while continuing to mix. I failed.


    ¡°Yes, apart from that, I could have just been telling lies.¡± I huffed with annoyance.


    The hand stopped for a second and then continued the molestation.


    ¡°Because you aren¡¯t stupid. Because I know what you want.¡±


    Okay, dangerous territory here, ¡°What I want?¡±


    The hand moved away.


    ¡°Freedom,¡± she said walking around the pot looking into it. ¡°All your lies could¡¯ve achieved were uncountable lashes and my disdain. And I would make sure you wouldn¡¯t like either.¡±


    She glanced at me. ¡°And your truth could earn you not just money, to get yourself free, it would earn you a better status.¡±


    ¡°Why would the status be that important?¡± The mix was slowly turning into a pudding, ¡°also take a look at this texture, this is the time you would want to put it into a hot bath.¡±


    ¡°Because freedom isn''t guaranteed.¡± She helped me move the bowl, her voice impassive like she was talking about the weather. ¡°With your skills being known, your price of freedom would also grow. Domina would also have to agree to let you go. And, if she does, there are always shady individuals trying to earn a quick coin with illegal slave trading¡±


    Huh. Apparently, even countries with legalized slavery can have that.


    She continued, ¡°But if this works, you will most likely be too important to use for something like warming your master¡¯s bed, or breaking your back lifting things all day.¡±


    I sent her a grateful smile. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Besides, you do realize I expect to be paid for my work here?¡± she raised her eyebrow.


    ¡°But of course, you will be paid beyond the knowledge I provide,¡± I jokingly bowed, making her huff. ¡°Considering it would be you, who will present it to Domina first, it is me who is hoping to be paid in the end.¡±


    ¡°Well, that is, in itself, a risk.¡± She said.


    I frowned. ¡°Is she that kind of character?¡±


    ¡°No. If she was, I wouldn''t have bothered with this affair anyway.¡±


    As I¡¯ve said before - I was lucky to have her as my supervisor.


    XXX


    It took us a few tries to consistently make proper soap. It is surprising how such a simple process could easily go wrong. Working on it made me appreciate the actual inventors even more. They had to wander blind into this, while I had a map and a compass and still stumbled through.


    Irje was happy with our results and, I suspect, from having her trust in me validated. But we both agreed with some reluctance that this wasn¡¯t enough. Soap was still a niche product. Even without a rancid smell and hard effect on the hands, it would be only used for washing clothes at most. The populace at large still treated soap as an industrial-only product. As such while our skills would be recognized, they wouldn''t be noteworthy. And it would be mostly used by slaves, as such many masters didn''t care as long as it worked.


    I didn¡¯t despair for I already had my eye on something more. A fancy soap. Rich with flavours and made from plant oils instead of rendered fat. A luxury product. Something that is already known by the wealthy and imported from elsewhere. My first goose laying golden eggs.


    For that, I needed better reagents. Better, cleaner oils. While we used our soap stockpile to obtain more materials, some were hard to find. Wood ash was okay but wasn''t the best. And I had no idea what alchemists here called soda ash.


    ¡°Is there are any glass-makers that make clear glass?¡± I said out loud.


    Beside me, Yeva flinched at my non sequitur. I quietly said ¡°Sorry¡± to her. Other slaves were working further away from us, but they paid us little attention. I haven¡¯t even learnt their names yet. Their standoffish demeanour was apparent since Irje, for some unknown reason, was obviously treating newcomers better than the rest. And it was further directed at me for my rapport with her.


    My soap had placated them somewhat, but only so much. Instead of glares they simply ignored me now, which was fine by me.


    ¡°You are trying to go into glass-making?¡± Irje responded nonchalantly, correctly assuming I was talking to her.


    ¡°Nothing so ambitious, I just need something that they might use.¡±


    ¡°Stop dreaming about weird ideas, These are rare and only sold by merchants¡± She waved me off.


    I thanked her and sighed inwardly. So much for that, I guess. Worst comes to worst this is a city close to the sea, I should be able to get some from the kelp at least. Who knows I might eventually expand into glass-making, although I wasn''t sure that I would need the money that much to spend so much effort on it. Perhaps use it as a bargaining chip down the line.


    ¡°Umm, you are Erf, right?¡± now it was Yeva¡¯s voice that startled me from my thoughts.


    I smiled back at her and, seeing the lack of response, mentally smacked myself. ¡°Yes that¡¯s me, how can I help you?¡± I kept forgetting that these blue eyes of her were blind. No wonder she let her curls hang freely down her face quite often.


    ¡°I wanted to thank you, for the soap.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I couldn¡¯t stand the smell and hoarding it to myself would¡¯ve brought me nothing but trouble.¡±


    Blind slaves were rare. These, who were born blind, usually didn¡¯t survive. It was more likely that she lost her sight fairly recently, and got sold off as a result. Considering she and I were bought together it showed how cheap my price was. Luckily Irje took good care of her, I¡¯ve seen them walking around letting Yeva memorize the layout of the work area. She also was very good at washing, since we weren¡¯t cleaning the stains but the leftover animal oils and other residues, her improved sense of touch helping her feel the grease.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t just the smell for me, I was afraid my hands would numb as well,¡± her voice was just a whisper now.


    Since she wasn¡¯t doing other things, she was washing all the time instead, turning her arms red. I didn¡¯t want to imagine what keeping your hands submerged for hours in the diluted lye would do to them. Especially for her, who already lost one of her senses.


    I gently touched her elbow. ¡°You are welcome, then. I am glad to have been of assistance and you could ask for it again, anytime.¡± Kindness was rare among the slaves, with everyone looking out for themselves. I didn¡¯t want to contribute to that myself.


    She fidgeted for a bit. ¡°You talk oddly, are you from far away? Is that why Irje likes you?¡±


    I rubbed my chin in thought. ¡°Do I, really? I was raised on the farm eight days away from here, on foot. Can¡¯t tell if that is far away enough since that is the furthest I¡¯ve been so far.¡± Yeva twitched at the sudden loss of contact and I quickly put my hand back. Touch was an important way for her to tell that I was still around.


    ¡°That¡¯s probably far enough¡± she conceded.


    ¡°About Irje. I think it¡¯s mainly because we are working together. Because we both contribute to a common cause we are invested in we subconsciously¡­ err, we have a gut feeling that other¡¯s company is helpful.¡±


    ¡°So, it is because you both have something to give¡­¡± She said sullenly.


    ¡°That is in our case, yes. But it doesn''t need to be that way. Sometimes even a willing listener is more than enough.¡±


    She turned to me. ¡°Will you?¡± her intentions were rather clear.


    I patted her arm. ¡°Don''t worry, we are in this together.¡± Humans are social creatures and Yeva had spent an awful amount of time isolated. It was no wonder that she would grab this chance once the ice was finally broken.


    We moved on to our work, occasionally speaking to each other. I tried to keep my words short but would slip up occasionally, she took it in stride, however, and would instead ask for an explanation. Sadly, life gave the worst cards to better people. I could''ve cured her blindness eventually if I had enough nanites to share. I didn''t consider myself so altruistic to do anything right now, however. Performing something like this could easily get me persecuted or, even worse, experimented upon. Not only that, but the amount infused into me was at the absolute bare minimum and, as such, critically low.


    The storage apple contained just enough to jump-start the process. It would be my actions in the future to see it continue. The progress was going fortunately smoothly, with constant meals throughout the day, I finally got myself out of the starvation phase. The nanites were still improving my strength, but now that the body itself didn¡¯t fight them for resources they could do it more efficiently. Which meant I could reallocate some of them for targeted body modification.


    Possibilities were endless.


    It was late evening by the time I finished taking stock of the internal workings of my body, with everyone asleep or close to it. As I suspected, my body was healthy with an apparent increase in many aspects like flexibility. Unfortunately, all the stretches and exercises made me sweaty. I sniffed my shirt. Yep. Disgusting. Having one set of undergarments was bad and this made it worse. Luckily, I had access to something that would clean me and my clothes without making my nose fall off from revulsion. The nights were chilly enough that I would have to put my tunic on but warm enough to have my shirt dry in the morning.


    Decision made, I headed back to the washing vats, humming to myself. I was beginning to take control of my life and it did wonders to my mood. I inhaled the evening air, the breeze fresh on my skin. I smiled. It was so easy to forget the air existed when you were tired, busy, or burdened with heavy thoughts. It was just something you did not to die. It was in such moments of peace and calm that minute fragrances came out. I threw my shirt into the vat and splashed the water on myself, taking in the crisp air. It contrasted nicely with the salty freshness of the nearby sea, the thin fragrance of trees, and an earthy smell of smoke.


    I let my worries wash away like the grime from my skin.


    I took my shirt and washed it well, using the soap I¡¯ve made. There was something alluring in not just using your own tools, but the tools made by your hand.


    I took in the noises of the night.


    The night replied to me with the buzzing of the bugs, the flutter of the wings, and the rustling of the grass.


    And Irje¡¯s hiss.


    ¡°Wait. You are a boy?¡±


    I looked at her askance, the moment broken. I followed her gaze down between my legs and back to her face again, unsure what to say to something so obvious.


    ¡°Yes?¡±

 Chapter 4 Irje

    My confusion grew stronger when she just stormed off. I kinda got that boys and girls can be easily confused, especially when we are young. Both tend to wear similar types of tunics and have similar short hair. And in the case of poorer classes and slaves alike, many girls outright wore male tunics - they were a bit shorter, which kept them further away from the dirt on the ground. It is only with age, or with wealth, girls would eventually stand out.


    But that¡¯s what was actually confusing, generally, people guessed in the opposite direction. Children and teenagers alike were seen as ambiguously male until they have shown otherwise.


    Irje came back huffing with a bundle in her hands, which she unceremoniously shoved into mine.


    ¡°Here, put this on, quickly!¡±


    I took a bundle, it wasn¡¯t a male shirt, but a female one. A shift if I recall correctly. I raised an eyebrow, did she want me to crossdress?


    ¡°Hurry up!¡± She said


    I put it on, it was a bit breezy, but would be virtually identical to mine under the tunic.


    ¡°Can I ask what is this about?¡± I was fairly sure she wasn¡¯t embarrassed seeing me naked. She wasn¡¯t really blushing and, from her age, she should have seen plenty of flesh. Girls loved to ogle, I¡¯ve heard the giggles when we all went bathing on the farm.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be seen like this!¡±


    ¡°Like what? I always look like this.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! Come.¡±


    It¡¯s not like there weren¡¯t male slaves in the working area, there were some even under Irje¡¯s command. Unfortunately, the more I probed, the more frustrated Irje got. Making her responses snappier and unintelligible. Eventually, I stopped bothering her in order not to really annoy her this time, and let her guide me around. This gave me some time to realize that I haven¡¯t seen her frustrated ever before. Irje was always sure of herself. Both when she was friendly, or strict. Even when she was angry a couple of times.


    This was something different. I knew she was smart enough to realize, whatever happened, I wasn¡¯t at fault. Almost like she made the blunder herself and I was the reminder of it. Moreover, I was something she couldn¡¯t get rid of easily, now that we started our venture together. I cringed inwardly. Hopefully, whatever it is, it won¡¯t strain our relationship too much.


    Eventually, we reached the communal room, where most of the slaves slept. She stopped me at the entrance.


    ¡°Where do you sleep?¡±


    I wordlessly pointed at the hay mattress I¡¯ve been using all this time. Right in the middle of the room. And the only one left empty by now. Irje groaned, looked around and, apparently, came up with something.


    ¡°Come.¡± She said.


    Yep. She was definitely trying to hide me like I was some broken plate.


    We had arrived at another building nearby. It wasn¡¯t a barn, thankfully, it actually reminded me of the buildings I¡¯ve seen in the low city.


    ¡°Come on in. You will sleep in my room for now¡±


    ¡°Are you sure all this is necessary?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. Now, I want you to promise me that you will keep this a secret, OK? Not forever just for a couple of weeks.¡± She said. Leading me up to her room.


    ¡°I will do my best, you don''t expect me to act like a girl, do you?¡± I said looking around.


    Her room was modest, there was little in terms of room and furniture. Just a mattress on the floor, a woven chest for storage, and a tiny table. A bundle of herbs to keep the air pleasant. One could say the only thing the room provided was privacy, but it was, in its own way, cosy.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t, I have a feeling you would attract even more attention that way,¡± Irje replied. It looked like me arriving to her room, or agreeing with her plan calmed Irje down a bit, but she still sounded frustrated.


    ¡°So, what would happen after a few weeks?¡±


    ¡°The soap would be ready, and you will get an artisan position,¡± she said digging inside the trunk. ¡°Here, use this as a bedding for tonight we will get you some more padding tomorrow.¡±


    I caught the blanket flying at my face. ¡°So I won''t be under your command anymore?¡± It was starting to make sense now, although I still felt like she had overblown the issue.


    ¡°I am glad, that you are using that head of yours.¡± Irje took her belt off.


    ¡°Why is it an issue anyway?¡±


    A tall bundle of wool and arms grunted at me. I helped her take the tunic off. Without any way to open it her sizable breasts made it extremely difficult. Doing so every day would have been torture.


    ¡°Thanks. And you don¡¯t know people well, do you? I got my position through hard work and I intend to keep it. And I¡¯ve seen slaves getting demoted for less, it all depends on how you say it, and in what mood masters or Domina are.


    I hummed ambiguously watching her undress. Irje had an ingenious approach to bust support and the lack thereof, she had a wide sash tied right under her chest transforming her shift into a medieval-style negligee. Granted it was made out of linen and thus resembled it in form only. It did, however, highlight her figure wonderfully. Her height didn¡¯t make her lanky: she had well-toned arms and legs. Combined with wider hips and shoulders Irje stood like a good-looking and, in some places, rather shapely female warrior.


    One, with a raised eyebrow, looking curious when I would actually start getting ready to bed.


    As I hurried up to make my new mattress I heard a soft hum from Irje. I glanced back to see her smiling at me and froze. I knew that smile, the smile of someone who likes something and wants it for themselves. And saying a polite ¡°No, thank you,¡± wouldn''t probably work here.


    I swallowed hard. I hated these smiles.


    What I also hated was my mind¡¯s indecisiveness. Numerous times, in the last couple of weeks, I¡¯ve found myself split with conflicting thoughts and the ones I had right now were prime examples of it. I felt the sinking unease of what is about to occur and, at the same time, a feeling of anticipation about it. I stood here like an unwilling prey and had thoughts of a hungry predator inside my head.


    I¡¯ve had enough of it.


    Something snapped in me, and the sinking feeling just vanished, gone like a sandcastle in the storm wave. No more. Why am I still thinking like a manual slave, who had to accept anything coming his way from people above him? I was not just a farmhand anymore. I was Erf, the budding soap-maker and a future ¡®inventor¡¯. I had many paths open in front of me. Paths of choices and possibilities highlighted by my newfound knowledge.


    I shook myself away from the ¡®deer in the headlights¡¯ stance.


    Irje was aware of this and my prospective status. She had proven herself to be smart enough to realize she can¡¯t just bully her way in with me anymore. And if she persists, well, two can play this game as well.


    ¡°You know, from all this running I think I¡¯ve pulled my leg,¡± Irje said suggestively with a faint smile on her face. I guess me shaking my head spurned her to act.


    ¡°You did?¡± I wondered out loud, my curiosity piqued at her roundabout approach.


    ¡°Mhm, And it was all because of you,¡± she leaned back on the wall behind her. ¡°So you have to help me out with it. Come here¡±


    Ah, so you went for a horny lady and naive boy, huh. Well, let''s play along.


    I stepped closer to her, my face a mask of curiosity. ¡°You want me to kiss it better?¡±


    ¡°Kiss it better?¡± Irje stumbled for a second, her eyes going wide. ¡°Mmmmm. As usual, you have a way with that tongue of yours,¡± she grabbed the bottom of her shift pulling it tight against her body. The curves behind it made a wonderful sight. Too obvious to conceal but still fully covered, making it more alluring.


    ¡°Well, they always say you need to kiss it for the pain to go away.¡± Up close, our apparent height difference was even more obvious. Her bountiful breasts were right above my head, easily obscuring her face from my sight.


    ¡°No wonder Sulla bought you.¡± A soft murmur reached me from behind the twin peaks. Her breathing was starting to get heavier now.


    ¡°Wha-¡± my question was suddenly interrupted by Irje¡¯s arms pulling her shift high, higher than her waist. Standing so close, my view was filled by a tanned canvas of flesh with a golden crest in the middle. As suddenly as her dress rose, it fell back down, behind me, plunging me into the under-dress twilight. The linen of her shift was very thick, taking most of the light with it.


    A smell reached my nose. It was faint, Irje probably rinsed herself not that long ago it seemed, but my brain recognized it as something quite familiar. Something that belonged here, even though it reached my nose for the first time in my life.


    My hands reached outward and met her legs. They were full of muscle but still soft to the touch. The legs of someone who used them to perform tasks day in and out, without giving in to leisure nor trying to go beyond with extreme exercises. My palms slid upward, until they caressed her hips, allowing me to feel her movements and to know her position in the darkness.


    ¡°Show me,¡± her hips twisted slightly outward as if trying to push what was between them closer to me. ¡°How you kiss it.¡±


    I smiled to myself and slid down. Way down, until my face was level with her knees, my arms trailing behind, but still above my head.


    ¡°What? Where are you-¡± She sucked her breath in as my tongue touched her inner knee and slid upward, leaving a short wet trail.


    I turned back and placed a soft kiss on the wet patch of skin. ¡°You said your legs were hurt,¡± I said with my mouth nearly touching her, my breath making her shiver. Kisses started again, slowly tracing the trail I¡¯ve made with my tongue.


    ¡°But-¡± Once again her attempt at talking got sidetracked as I made another trip up her leg with my tongue. ¡°-Mmmmh.¡± This trail started where the previous ended and went even higher up her leg, making my final destination quite obvious. I kissed her leg once more as her breathing went harder and harder, anticipating where my tongue would go next.


    ¡°Aaaah¡­ go on¡­¡± Her leg twisted in my arm, giving me better access to lick her inner thigh. Her musky smell got stronger as I got closer to the source. I placed my arm on her other leg and pushed slightly, making her moan. ¡°You are¡­ so close¡­¡± I left her mumbling commentary aside, My final kiss put me high enough for me to feel the hair around her mound with my cheek. I didn¡¯t slow down, anticipation didn¡¯t work if you can¡¯t predict it, and to predict something like this pacing was the key.


    The final lap of my tongue went on past the inside of the leg, heading straight for her opening and leaving a generous trail behind. And then, made a sharp turn upward, sweeping around her outer lips.


    Is it me or did I hear a tint of frustration in her moans?


    Once again I made a trail of kisses. While the ones I¡¯ve placed on the leg were soft, the kisses around her still-hidden petals were much harder. I pushed my lips deeper, making Irje feel the pressure in her core through the skin, especially on my final kiss just a tinge away from where her clit should be. There were no moans nor mutterings anymore. Irje was panting hard, waiting for my next move.


    Good.


    I slid back down again and lapped on her other leg with my tongue. Irje choked on her breath and made a noise that was somewhere between a moan, a groan, or a whimper. ¡°Nnnnooooo¡±. Her legs tried to clench and rub themselves, locking me in like a vice.


    ¡°Now, now, we can¡¯t just leave the other leg jealous, can we?¡± I pried myself away, deliberately speaking far away from her skin, depriving her from the sensations my breath usually brought. I got a quiet whimper as an answer, and the legs jerkily relaxed again, spreading a bit wider than they were before.


    She was much more responsive to my ministrations this time. I didn¡¯t even need to embrace her with my arms as much, trying to listen to her body¡¯s feedback, allowing me to explore her lower body with my touch. Just as her well-toned legs, her ass was equally fit. Bouncy enough to keep its shape, but pliant enough for my fingers to find purchase and squeeze hard, making Irje moan.


    I placed my arm again, now on the previous leg. This time around she answered my unspoken demand without question, shuffling her legs wider apart. This stance was much more explicit, giving me full access to her aroused petals, but also more unstable, making her legs work harder to keep herself open for me.


    It was obvious how stimulated Irje had become in the meantime. When my kisses brought me back to her entrance, I was met with not just the smell of her arousal but also the heat coming from her folds, flushed with desire. I inhaled her smell and breathed out, tickling her core with my breath. A soft moan came from her and the hips twisted out, pushing her mound closer to me, begging for my touch. In the dim light, my now-accustomed eyes could see her lips open up for me, exposing the glistening folds within.


    My tongue accepted her invitation, slowly trailing the edges of her inner lips, exploring, and memorizing every nook and cranny of her folds. Having her wantonly open to me like that stirred something inside of me. Something primal. Even doing nothing but giving, I felt her succumbing to me, filling me with animalistic satisfaction. My senses feasted on her body: my eyes cast on her toned curves, my arms hugging her in the most intimate ways, my mouth bound in a passionate kiss with her core.


    I could hear Irje¡¯s purring in satisfaction and felt her mound moving with my tongue, trying to anticipate my movements. My hand gently slid up to her flat stomach, while the other one wrapped around her leg. Stabilizing myself against her body, I let my tongue trail down to her opening, drenched with her juices. Her taste was magical. Letting her juices flood my mouth I lapped at her folds, slowly moving upward until had reached her nub. I dragged my tongue over it, glazing it with her juices and my saliva.


    ¡°Mmmmmmmhhhhh!¡± Irje jerked forward, fruitlessly trying to smash herself into my face. I gripped her harder and started lapping at her clit, slowly learning her tells and timing my pacing by her responses. ¡°Yes¡­yes¡­yes!¡± Luckily for me, she was already aroused enough and extremely responsive to my moves. ¡°That¡¯s goo-¡­t-thats great!¡± My gentle but insistent tonguing of her button was quickly causing her to reach her peak. ¡°K-keep¡­m-m-movin!¡­¡± I could feel the hood of her nub starting to fill up, her inner lips twitching with the heartbeat, her legs trembling violently. ¡°D-don¡­stoo-op!¡­¡± I kept my pace unchanging, my tongue sliding back and forth across her nub, as her legs¡¯ twitching became more and more erratic. Soon Irje started to quiet down, even her gasps becoming more and more shallow. As if she was trying to sneeze.


    Gotcha.


    My tongue went on exploring her folds once again, eliciting a keening wail from Irje, full of frustration and demand. Her knees bent down and up trying to find a solid stance and bring my face back up to finish her off. I happily savoured her quivering core covered by the silky hair, while she was stuck in the agonizing feeling of losing her edge.


    ¡°You dried-up prick!¡± Irje swore and I felt her shift. Her hand grabbed my head through the shift and pulled me in, smashing me back against her mound. She panted, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to just- Whoa!¡± without her arms to support her against the wall, her already weak legs couldn¡¯t keep her stable, easily buckling under her.


    We fell down onto her mattress in a bundle of arms and legs. Untangling myself, I sat up and was presented with an irresistible sight. Irje was lying in front of me: her dishevelled shift bunched up, revealing her naked legs, spread apart. I idly noted that it was her natural colour of the skin and not just a tan. In the centre, her pussy lay open to me, surrounded by pale blond fuzz; her folds, slippery with arousal, demanded my attention. Her nipples - hard, poking through the shift. Her lips - full and red; a bite mark on her fist. Her breath - panting with desire.


    Her eyes - searing, trying to focus on me.


    I lunged at her. My arm cupped her mound, keeping the flames burning hot. My lips on her mouth. My tongue, coated with our fluids, met hers, dry from the panting. She responded to my kiss greedily, her core melting into my hand. Slowly Irje ceased the demands of my attention and relaxed once more into my arms.


    I broke the kiss and caressed her cheek with my free hand. ¡°Don¡¯t rush it,¡± I said looking into her half-glazed eyes. ¡°Trust me,¡± her gaze slowly turned to my moving lips, my other hand keeping most of her attention away. ¡°When did I ever fall short of your expectations?¡± I trailed wet sucking kisses on her cheek and the side of her neck, making her moan with every single one. ¡°Relax, and let me do the rest,¡± I murmured softly into her furry ear.


    ¡°Uhm,¡± her ambiguous noise was confirmed by a small nod, her eyes unfocused once more. I smiled and headed back down trailing kisses along the way. Even with her agreement, I knew I had little time until she couldn¡¯t wait any longer once again. Placing soft kisses on her taut stomach I wondered how extremely responsive she was; my mind taught me about foreplay, but she was acting like she would run out of fuel any minute now! How are we supposed to have sex if she intends to sputter out in a mere fifteen minutes?


    I started edging her again, adding a bit of variety with every step. When my tongue reached her folds, she placed her hands on my head again, but this time, instead of a rough treatment, Irje simply raked my hair with her fingers. Grateful for her show of restraint I¡¯ve decided to give a gift to her in return and end this with a bang.


    While my mouth was latched to her mound, tongue lapping at her nub, I gently started stroking her opening with my fingers. My touch was gentle at first as I tried to lubricate them with her juices, and it was met with approving ¡°Mmmmmmmh¡­¡± Steadily I inserted two fingers into her, curving them back as if trying to touch the clit from the inside. I started moving them slowly, letting Irje relax from my intrusion first but, eventually, I picked up the pace. ¡°Mmha¡­ahh¡­ah¡­Ah¡± Soon my fingers started to out-pace my tongue, she was already overly sensitive from the outside so I had to catch up. ¡°Hah¡­Ah¡­Agh!¡­Ah!¡­AH¡± I didn¡¯t slow down my lapping this time, intent on letting her come. My strokes were broad and enveloped her aroused nub entirely, dragging as much of my tongue across it with every lick.


    ¡°AH!¡­AH! AGH! AAAHMMmmmmmm-!¡± Irje smothered her scream with her fist, my fingering pushing her over the edge. Her opening squeezed around my moving fingers sucking them inside, noises turning from sexy and intimate to lewd and moist. My shirt and I, and everything around us got drenched from her overflowing juices. Irje¡¯s body arched upward like a bow, hoisting me up with it. I didn¡¯t stop my ministrations, however, ¡°-mmmm!¡­mmh? MMMHMMM!-¡± My tongue pushed her even further, dropping her down into the soaked mattress. Her legs, once again, squeezed shut around my head, her fingers pulling at my hair with abandon. Her mound, glazed in our fluids, thrashed in front of my face.


    Her erratic motions pushed my head away from her petals, but my tongue had done its job already, her button would be too sensitive to continue right now. While I was enjoying the process immensely, having Irje twist and moan at my whim, I was starting to feel a certain discrepancy between what my brain was telling me should be happening and what was currently trembling in my arms. ¡°-MMM!MMMMHMMHMM!-¡± Unfortunately for Irje, my wedged head kept her legs slightly apart, as such my fingers were still inside of her, moving at a rapid pace keeping her core ablaze. And quickly reaching over another edge.


    ¡°-MMMHGAAAaaaaaa!¡± Her hands stretched out cupping her tender mound, letting her scream loose. Legs, twisted around each other, shook and trembled. I licked my fingers, pleasantly surprised with the outcome. If there were mermaids in this world, Irje was looking like an orgasming one right now. A smile crept on my face, now she was warmed up and ready. We could begin, just as soon as nanites would flush her refractory period out¡­


    Wait a minute.


    A hand met the face with a wet splat, covering it with Irje¡¯s fluids. I sighed to myself realizing my mistake. Knowledge in my mind was insidious. I glanced at Irje. She was lying in front of me basking in an uncontrollable bliss: her eyes unfocused, a grin on her face, her slightly twitchy arms and legs were spread out, showing off her glistening and naked groin without a care in the world. I absentmindedly stroked her collarbone and fished out one of her breasts from her dress, letting the palm of my hand rest on top of it, earning me a blissful smile. It was hard to remember that this satisfied wreck of a woman was magical, even if slightly, she had animal ears, and the moist fuzz over her mound was actually closer to fur. The magic within her was also subtle, it made her strong and resilient, long-living and healthy. But it was also important to remember that she wasn¡¯t a part of The Collective, had no nanite integration, and wasn¡¯t linked to her bioship.


    I smiled, idly circling her nipple with my thumb. She was just a magical girl. Magical girl with big, gorgeous honkers. Letting silly thoughts take me away from existential questions, I glanced at the prize in my hand. Her perky nipple was still erect, just a tiny bit darker than her skin; her puffy areola pushing it out even more, rubbing into my palm as if asking to be sucked. I obliged, evoking a soft moan from Irje and a weak shuffle of my hair. I sighed inwardly, my mouth full with her flesh, she was still out of it.


    I detached myself with a wet pop, ignoring a tiny whine from her, and got up. I still needed to make my bed for the night, and Irje would be out of commission for a while. The entire floor was in disarray with everything scrunched up into a pile around us. I scratched my head, I didn¡¯t realize we were that rowdy.


    As I was fixing the room into a presentable state and making my new bed ready for sleep, I was reallocating my nanites so they could start making certain modifications to my body. I knew what I got myself into: a few years ago, my uncle, humming wisely, told me to be wary of the females, especially wer. He said that they all played nice until they got you between their legs and then you were done for. Mother was scandalized but didn¡¯t refute it, thus cementing my opinion. While I was welcoming Irje¡¯s future attempts, her performance today was rather short and left me wanting, but I had no desire to get her pregnant yet. I heard that wer had a much harder time conceiving but didn¡¯t want to risk it. Not at my current social level.


    I will have to ask her at a later time about it.


    In the meantime, my mind presented me with an apparently widely utilized solution that was quite easy to implement. Semen had two major components: reproductive cells and the viscous medium, which kept them nourished and provided ideal living conditions, especially in a rather hostile vaginal environment. The design was quite peculiar by itself, it skipped simpler and similarly effective solutions, like shutting off cell production and, instead, went off to modify the medium composition. It mainly changed the sugar production into some sort of a sweetener indigestible to sperm cells, starving them.


    A rather convoluted setup, especially since it made it extremely sweet in turn, and, therefore, had to increase the overall fluid amount to dilute the taste. Yet, my new memories were adamant that this was the best solution and I didn¡¯t argue much. I was starting to become aware when my knowledge was still insufficient to make my own designs.


    Occupied by my body design I stopped paying attention to the puddle of a woman behind me. As I was spreading the blankets, Irje threw at me merely half an hour ago, my ears heard the telltale plop of a wet cloth. Glancing back I saw Irje¡¯s drenched shift lying on the ground and the naked wer pouncing at me.


    I collapsed down on my mattress, enveloped in a warm, intimate but tight hug. Her legs wrapped around my body keeping us close, her arm wrapped around my head, plunging my face into her pliant and soft breasts. I inhaled her scent, quickly relaxing inside her bosom, surrounded by her flesh and listening to her peaceful heartbeat.


    Her other arm was deftly pulling another blanket over us in the meantime.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep in my bed, it¡¯s too wet.¡± She said with accusation.


    I wordlessly raised my eyebrow from between her hills.


    ¡°Shut up. It¡¯s your fault.¡± It was the first time I¡¯ve seen her blush and look away. She was indeed awkward about certain things. Trying to maintain her authority even now, when it would have been much easier to accept it and let it go. Besides, after everything we¡¯ve done tonight, it¡¯s not like I would¡¯ve refused her sleeping in my bed.


    I gently wrapped my arms around her and nuzzled deeper. With my acceptance clear, Irje sighed contentedly and relaxed her grip on my body. Poor thing. I probably underestimated the amount of scrutiny she got as an overseer. I hoped she has a friend or a confidante.


    ¡°That was amazing¡­¡± Irje breathed, slightly squirming around me. Probably remembering the sensations.


    ¡°I told you, you could trust me.¡±


    She grabbed my face and pulled me closer to her, ¡°I hated everything you¡¯ve done to me, you prick! But-¡± She passionately kissed me, ¡°-but that ending made it worth it all.¡± I could feel her mound slowly grinding on my thigh. ¡°Thank you-¡± her tongue battled with mine ¡°-for this night.¡±


    Looks like she had some fumes in her tank left over. ¡°You know that there is always more.¡± I wiggled my eyebrows, making her gulp in anticipation. ¡°For example¡­¡± my fingers reached out, grasping her nipple.


    Very gently but firmly I pulled her closer for another kiss, my fingers mimicking my tongue movements.


    Irje shuddered and slumped on me. Fuck. This was getting ridiculous.


    ¡°Eh heh heh¡­ Divine horns, Sulla must have spent a fortune on you¡­¡±


    I perked up, my desire inconsequential, ¡°Is that why you thought I was a girl?¡± I really didn¡¯t want to hear the answer, but the information was crucial.


    ¡°Well¡­ that money pincher never bought a guy like this before!¡± She vehemently protested. ¡°But as soon as I thought about it, I realized he bought you for a reason,¡± She licked her lips, ¡°I was right of course-¡±


    ¡°And what did he buy me for?¡± I interrupted her ramblings. I heard why Sulla bought me and Yeva. Merchant words like ¡°Buy two! Get four!¡± were quite clear.


    ¡°Well companion slaves, you know, for sex,¡± Irje said like it was obvious, confirming my fears.


    That, was¡­ unfortunate. I needed to finish the soap and get out of this status of mine as quickly as possible. Whoever Domina was, I would be unable to act as I did with Irje. It would a boon if she didn¡¯t have any crazy kinks that would leave me tortured or broken, and a blessing if she was beautiful. Many wer were, magic saw to that. But even all that was undesirable in the grand scheme of things.


    ¡°So¡­ I was bought for her?¡± I asked to confirm.


    ¡°Of course not, silly. Domina doesn¡¯t need slaves like that,¡± Irje waved me off. ¡°All four of you were bought for her two husbands, who are away at the moment.¡±


    My thoughts screeched to a halt, and only one thing got stuck inside my head.


    What?

 Chapter 5 Thoughts on the Future.

    I didn¡¯t sleep well this night.


    The cause of my turmoil snoozed softly into my chest, unconsciously using me as a body pillow so that she wouldn¡¯t lean on her boobs. Irje was kind enough to alleviate my most immediate disquiet by stating that it would be quite some time until the masters arrive. As Domina¡¯s primary husbands they represented her will everywhere, while she could wield her power here, in the capital.


    Which meant that one was quite often gone on merchant trips securing trade agreements with other countries. The other one was leading forces somewhere, either to strike at other countries and secure more slaves or to thin out the magical beast population, lowering their incursion rates and harvesting their valuable flesh.


    Domina was both generous and shrewd and made sure they would have a contingent of slaves to serve their most imminent and continuous needs. Whether warming the bed or writing the missives in other languages. While I was somewhat baffled about it, politically, it made sense. Not only it insulated her husbands from the outside influence, but Domina would also have her agents in each retinue as independent ears. As they say: trust, but verify.


    That is where Irje¡¯s assuredness came from. There was no way Domina would get fresh slaves for either of them until they have been vetted and screened, and thus Sulla always bought them well in advance.


    I realized how badly I¡¯ve underestimated Irje¡¯s position. Supervisor of the dying vats my ass. Her actions in observing this new batch of slaves could not only make or break her but might have a lasting chain effect onto the husband-envoys and eventually on Domina herself. She was so wound up on a constant basis that it was no wonder how quickly she passed out yesterday, dozing off mid-sentence.


    Well, all that was great and informative, but I was still stuck here with just a single project to get me out so far. Irje assured me that Domina would see the use in my soap, but I needed more options. Unfortunately, everything that I¡¯ve come up with so far needed the resource I didn¡¯t have. Time.


    I briefly thought about running away and heading back to the crash site but discarded that idea. First of all, getting out unnoticed was nearly impossible, while no one would acknowledge me in the city, walking alone through the wilderness would not only raise eyebrows but would also paint a huge red mark on my back. Even though Emanai had large walls surrounding its borders, to keep the magical beasts at bay, there was a chance that some snuck through. Even wer would rarely travel alone.


    Secondly, the state of the crashed shuttle itself. What I remembered seeing was just a tiny core of the pod. Metallic cage designed to house the machinery. Living carapace and all necessary components were either burned away during entry or decomposed from the disuse long after.


    And finally, the navigator didn¡¯t suffer any injuries during the crash. I had no idea what happened to him but I knew that he choose to end his life by harvesting his gene-nanites into the containment fruit. If he chose to do so instead of establishing some sort of an outpost first, it would be unlikely that I would be finding anything there, which would grant me immediate power.


    I tried to think of anything that I could try to ¡®discover¡¯. I was thinking about a loom before but that would not only take time but require some more substantial investment than plant oils, soot and elbow grease. It would require lumber to build and a trip to a blacksmith to make more intricate parts.


    Biological compounds might be easier to discover, for example trying to find a simple antibiotic would just mean I had to shuffle through mouldy leftovers, which as a slave was an easy task. However, I had suspicions that penicillin won''t be met with jaw-dropping success in the lands of magical people who had magical resistances to common sicknesses.


    I lived in an ancient society, as such, while the culture was abundant, the bias was still firmly on one¡¯s status. I couldn¡¯t just walk out in the open and start spouting knowledge I had. At best I would be ignored. Trying my hand in music would simply firmly establish my current status. Here music was for pleasure. Like sex. And the musicians for others were seen as those who sold their bodies. Granted, there were, most likely, artists of renown that had many wealthy patrons, but that was also true for the prostitutes.


    The only things, that were immediately available to me right now, were my body, which I was actively trying to avoid from being used and nanites. Most of which were finishing up the task I¡¯ve set yesterday, making my balls tender.


    And the naked cuddle-bug in my arms, but I digressed.


    Idly playing with Irje¡¯s hair, I thought about the machinery within my body. The possibilities it gave me were vast and, at the same time, extremely limited. Since they relied on my body to restructure itself, most of the easily available options were to simply enhance my current body or modify it within human standards.


    There were certain augmentations that were above and beyond standard human development. Prime examples were my newly installed knowledge and tingling nuts. But these augmentations were polished through the thousands of hours of research by the civilization with immense technology at their disposal. I could slowly implement them myself, as I become aware of them and after a very selective diet, as long as I needed them of course. I could start growing the cerebral ports, but I had nothing to plug myself into, nor a sufficient amount of gold in my food to make connectors.


    The takeaway was, while there were many, I couldn¡¯t make my own or modify existing ones, within any reasonable time frame and resources.


    Then, there were outright No¡¯s. I couldn¡¯t just steal biology either, just because I had a magical being at hand I couldn¡¯t simply copy their magic organs or whatever made them the way they are. To do that I had to establish a laboratory, collect specimens and, possibly, even perform few dissections. Only then could I attempt to replicate anything my nanites weren¡¯t already preprogrammed for.


    But I could fake small things, however. I am not sure if I could make my eyes feline or grow a tail, but I could try to do something simpler. Like ears. Shift a bit of cartilage, promote some growth. As long as I had a good example of what wer ears could realistically look like I could copy that and even disguise myself as a wer. Which would let me do many things discreetly.


    And where would I find a set of beautiful, genuine wer ears? I smiled slightly and moved Irje¡¯s hair away, revealing hers. They were round and had pale-blond fuzz upfront, blending with her hair, but darkening in the back. Very feline. Like a-


    I loudly snorted, unable to contain myself. This cougar lady had cougar ears!


    Roused by my sounds Irje languidly stretched. ¡°Mmmmmmmm!¡±


    ¡°Sleep well?¡± I watched her move in front of me, unashamedly.


    ¡°Mmm, I haven¡¯t felt so rested in ages!¡±


    ¡°You say it like you haven''t had sex for a while.¡± I raised my eyebrow.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t had a fuck like this ever,¡± she huffed incredulously, glaring at me. ¡°Do you think I am rich to afford someone of your skill?¡±


    ¡°For starters, Sulla bought me for a pittance as a murk,¡± I said rather pointedly, making her flinch. I sighed. ¡°Sorry about that, but this was my first time with anyone.¡± I scratched my head. ¡°I might¡¯ve gone a little overboard, but that wasn¡¯t anything special.¡±


    She goggled at me, ¡°Yer shitting me,¡± and then licked her lips. ¡°You mean there¡¯s more? Eh-heh-heh.¡±


    ¡°Down, girl.¡± I lightly smacked her butt, my nanites were still at work, ¡°What I meant is that most of it was you. All I did was listen to your body and gave it what you craved.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps that''s what separates the Companions from prostitutes, you make it sound so easy.¡± She hummed and then looked away. ¡°You can probably become one easily enough, you know. It won''t matter even if you have a distaste for men, since women rule the country anyway.¡±


    I caressed her chin and gently turned her to face me. ¡°But then you won¡¯t be able to afford me~¡± I teasingly told her as she nuzzled into my palm, making her blush. ¡°I will keep it in mind, but only as a last resort.¡±


    ¡°I would expect a personal discount then.¡± She winked back, making me smile and forget my gloomy thoughts.


    ¡°Makes me wonder¡­¡± I mused out loud.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°What do you consider as average sex. I thought it was quite common back at the farm.¡±


    She thought for a second. ¡°It is, common that is, it brings pleasure and most seek it out quite often. It is also usually one-sided, with either master scratching their itch or more well-off slaves trading it for favours.¡± She sighed. ¡°I didn¡¯t even realize you can have so much more pleasure. Especially from a guy, your lot tends to finish way too early even for me.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± A grin split my face and Irje quickly backtracked, realizing the hole she dug herself into. ¡°A-anyway, we have to get dressed it is getting bright enough to work!¡±


    As I got up myself, looking for my tunic, I saw her picking up the sordid mess of her shift with an outstretched arm. She cautiously sniffed at it and made a grimace, throwing it back on the floor. Tying up the rope around my waist, to keep my tunic snug, I looked at myself: as I suspected the shift, Irje provided for me yesterday, was virtually impossible to see under the outer dress.


    In the meantime, Irje was busy digging through her chest once more, her naked ass swaying with her movements. Her breasts perched slightly on the edge of the container. I shook my head in exasperation. Damn minx. Despite her words to the contrary she managed to keep my eyes wandering without even trying to.


    She dug deep, curving her back and my mouth went dry, seeing her blond mound emerge from the shadow between her inner thighs, teasing me mercilessly.


    Well, she left me dry yesterday and it was a prime time for some payback.


    With my newly acquired knowledge of her body, my teasing fingers gently brushed on her thigh. They slid high gliding just outside her lips. Inside the chest, Irje jumped with a loud ¡®Thunk¡¯.


    ¡°What are you doing!¡± She hissed at me, rubbing the back of her head.


    ¡°Do you need any help?¡± My face was an image of innocence, while my fingers slowly massaged her butt.


    ¡°No! S-sto¡­¡± She bit her lip when my knuckles ran through her fuzz.


    ¡°You know, you should hurry up.¡± I softly said into her ear, as I traced the fingers around her nether lips. ¡°It is getting bright and you need to work soon.¡±


    Her glare faltered at my persistent touch. Shakily, she started to pull out her other shift, her attention clearly elsewhere. The shift looked old and obviously smaller than the other one, but breezy enough for her to put it on without trouble. I let my hand explore her glistening folds as she pulled it over herself. Her legs subconsciously spreading out under my touch while the falling skirt of her shift obscured my actions from view. By the time she was done with her sash, her face was flushed and her eyes half-lidded.


    I passed her the tunic with my free hand. She took it and shot me a contemplating glance. ¡°It¡¯s almost time to go.¡± I urged her to move before she decided to jump my bones instead.


    Irje quietly nodded to me, panting shallowly and started to put on her tunic. It took her few attempts as her legs began to shake somewhat, but she soldiered on as I expected from her. As she was fishing her arms through the tunic, fighting with her bountiful chest for space, my hand slithered away from her.


    ¡°Wha-¡± Irje froze mid-move.


    ¡°Oh! Would you look at the sun!¡± I said with fake urgency. ¡°It is time to go!¡±


    ¡°What? Wait¡­¡± Irje redoubled her efforts to put the tunic on. Getting stuck in her panic. ¡°No! Come back!¡± I could hear the cloth starting to rip forcing her to stop pulling so hard. ¡°Damn you!¡±


    ¡°I''ll see you in the yard when you are ready!¡± I called from the door.


    ¡°ERF! Get your pr¡­ get back here! Right now!¡± the closing door muffled her screams.


    I shivered, walking outside, hopefully, my prank would not bite me later. Too much that is.

 Chapter 6.1 Payback?

    My first priority of the day was checking on the soap. Yesterday, Irje and I succeeded in making the final batch that we agreed to present to Domina. I shook my head ruefully, this entire ordeal started over the fact that I wanted to test the most recent product on my own shirt. Well, whatever happened, happened. I carefully glanced back but my doom hasn¡¯t reached me yet.


    No, I was definitely not worried. Not at all.


    As expected, the batch was doing its final curing nicely. It was already in great shape and worked decently enough, but I wanted to give it a few more days so that I would have the best possible offer.


    With my spirits lifted, I headed back to the washing vats so that I could start yet another day of chores. I took my time walking, redirecting my nanites to work on my ears. Preemptively, I brushed my hair over them. They still looked human but soon they would look like Irje¡¯s and it was better to start hiding them early instead of explaining myself later.


    I noticed Yeva standing near my previous sleeping quarters all alone. Curious, I came over.


    ¡°Oh, hello Irje.¡± Her voice made me spin but there wasn¡¯t anyone else around.


    ¡°Uh? Hello.¡±


    Yeva gasped at my voice. ¡°Erf! You surprised me, sorry, I thought you were Irje.¡± She frowned in confusion ¡°You smell like her.¡±


    ¡°She gave me her old shirt.¡± I decided to stick with a truthful non-answer for now. I promised anyway.


    ¡°Do you know where she is? She usually helps me in the morning.¡±


    ¡°As a guide right?¡± Seeing her nod I placed my hand on her arm. ¡°Let me help you, we are working close together anyway.¡±


    Yeva let me guide her, easily walking beside me. She had plenty of experience, but her face was still scrunched in deep thought. ¡°Won¡¯t she be looking for me if I was gone?¡±


    I hummed. ¡°Something tells me she would be looking for me first.¡±


    ¡°Oh! You made the best soap yesterday, right? She was probably busy with it.¡±


    ¡°There are three steps up, one step in front of you. And yes¡­ you can say that.¡± I was lucky that she was blind, I didn''t snicker, but I couldn''t stop a grin from appearing on my face.


    ¡°Thank you, how is it, can I touch it?¡± She skipped over my vague explanations to my relief.


    ¡°You know, what. Here.¡± I broke up a small bar I¡¯d taken into two parts and handed her the larger piece. I went on speaking, pompously, ¡°As my washing assistant I need you to test this soap and report to me on its capabilities!¡±


    Yeva gripped the soap and gingerly smelled it, completely ignoring my attempts at humour. ¡°It smells so nice¡­¡±


    ¡°Keep it,¡± I repeated, breaking off her concentration. ¡°It should last you a couple of days for sure.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± She gripped the soap hard in her hands.


    ¡°Absolutely, you would be the best judge I could have.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Erf! I won¡¯t forget it!¡± She smiled brilliantly in my direction. And then turned to the side.


    As I was about to ask her what¡¯s wrong, a hand gripped my collar and lifted me into the air. Turning me around to see a rather cross Irje.


    ¡°Meep.¡±


    XXX


    I landed onto the sacks with an ¡°Ooomph.¡±


    ¡°You have a lot to explain, mister.¡± Irje leaned over me, hands akimbo. I mentally sighed with relief, she wasn¡¯t single-words-only angry.


    ¡°Well, I thought it was a good idea for a payback.¡± Operation ¡®It¡¯s not me, it¡¯s you¡¯ go!


    Irje sputtered, ¡°Payback? Whatever for!? I didn¡¯t do anything!¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± I shook myself off and stood on a sack to get to her eye level, crossing my arms, ¡°Someone managed to blissfully pass out yesterday, leaving me high and dry.¡±


    ¡°Guh.¡± My statement managed to knock some wind out of her sails. ¡°But you knew that I would¡¯ve made it fair tonight!¡±


    I tried to look as innocent as possible. ¡°I, er, wanted to make sure?¡±


    She narrowed her eyes, ¡°Is this one of your tricks again? Mister Its-my-first-time-I-swear? What did you do?¡±


    ¡°Well it was, I mean, it will be my first time,¡± I mumbled to myself. ¡°What do you mean? You¡¯ve felt everything I¡¯ve done to you.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t get off!¡± She hissed. Well, that explained why she took so long. ¡°I mean I did, but it was nowhere close!¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it kind of given?¡± I tilted my head in confusion. ¡°What I¡¯ve done yesterday required all my arms and my mouth. You are flexible, but not that much.¡± I scratched my head deep in thought. There is also a difference from who does it.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± She asked with guarded curiosity.


    ¡°Have you ever tried to tickle yourself? Hard isn¡¯t it?¡± Seeing her nod I added, ¡°That is because you expect your own touch. If everything is equal, you would feel the touch of another person much stronger than your own.¡±


    She silently traced her collarbone in contemplation, mirroring my movements from the day before, ¡°Does it mean I won¡¯t feel like that by myself?¡±


    I gently reached and started to massage her shoulders. ¡°No, everything is relative, you are just not as wound up as you were yesterday.¡±


    Irje sighed and relaxed under my touch, accepting my unspoken bribe. ¡°You still owe me for this.¡± She hummed after a few minutes. And then, licked her lips, ¡°Tonight.¡±


    ¡°Who said I haven¡¯t started already?¡± I wiggled my eyebrows at her.


    ¡°Your touch is nice¡­¡± Her eyes grew wide, ¡°You meant the morning?! You prick!¡±


    She lunged, tickling me to the ground. We fell down between the sacks laughing, our bodies entwined in a playful tussle. I was not the victor that day. Irje quickly restricted my movements using her body and I found myself pinned, her fingers viciously attacking my ribs.


    ¡°That¡¯s it! I give!¡± Forgive me mother, but your son is weak.


    Irje relented, sitting up on top of me victoriously. ¡°Are you sorry, for what you have done?¡± she asked me from above, grinning.


    ¡°Yes, I am sorry,¡± My hands enveloped her legs, which were pinning me to the ground. ¡°I will make it up to you,¡± my palms massaged her thighs, gently working on the knots in her muscles. ¡°Tonight.¡±


    Irje slapped my hands away. ¡°As pleasant as it feels, we have to get back to work.¡± She sighed and got up giving me a hand. ¡°You are lucky I am your supervisor, I could easily explain our absence by me punishing you. Which I did, did I not?¡± She pointedly glared at me, making me nod frantically. ¡°But if we take too long, others will notice. Come.¡±


    I dusted myself off again and joined her.


    ¡°Irje,¡± I said as we were reaching the doorway of the storage barn.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    My hand snaked itself around her waist. ¡°For all it is worth, I am new to all of this, so please excuse my fumbling, if you can.¡±


    Irje hummed in in a mock contemplation and then smiled. ¡°Very well, but don¡¯t test my patience too often like that or I won¡¯t forgive you.¡±


    ¡°Point taken, but-¡± my hand slid down ¡°Do expect me to improve a little as well.¡± I pinched her butt making her squeak.

 Chapter 6.2 World Mismatch + Interlude

    The day went on without anything extreme happening. Apparently, Yeva got word about me possibly being punished in the morning and decided to leave me to myself. I would have told her not to worry but decided not to bother. Besides the said word being potentially from Irje herself, I needed my newly-found seclusion.


    Ostracized by other slaves, I let my hands work as my mind was occupied by something else. Nanite modification of my ears was coming along more than nicely, I was actually surprised how quickly I could change the flesh of my ears. I wasn¡¯t even talking in terms of days but mere hours. After few hours of playing around, I moulded them back into a human shape, confident in my ability to shift them back whenever I would feel necessary.


    And then I started to plan.


    Thing was, I was a little worried about doing ¡®I am a wer¡¯ overture in front of Irje for now. After the ¡®I am a man¡¯ fiasco especially. Not only that but there would be yet another slave that was aware of my origins - Sulla. I¡¯ve barely even met the man, and risking my wellbeing on the mood of a stranger was a folly.


    In fact, it wasn¡¯t just folly, but I shouldn¡¯t be even thinking about coming out as a wer here. Growing ears would allow me to appear as wer outside of the mansion, in case I needed to escape. As such it was essential that no one here would know about it. Sorry, Irje but it''s for your own good. I don¡¯t want to implicate you if I have to leg out of here, nor compromise my chances if I misjudged your loyalties.


    I needed to get out of the manor, for one reason or another and, most specifically, alone. I frowned in thought. I had to be extremely careful in how I should word it to Irje. I knew it wasn¡¯t that unusual for slaves to go outside, and none had done so with any guards keeping eyes on them. Problem was, they all went outside for a reason. Even if the reason was as mundane as a simple visit to public baths.


    Sighing I took a mental count on my finances, making Yeva twitch as she worked. All preliminary batches of soap were either sold or exchanged for reagents by Irje. While we split the money I have generously used my share to buy better stuff. It would have been easy to look back and call myself foolish, but I did not. Even in the hindsight, the expenses were necessary. Without them, the current batch would have been impossible. Unfortunately, spending the leftover money now on something frivolous would probably make Irje suspicious or, maybe, not.


    As I was contemplating on how to breach this subject a hand softly touched me. ¡°Hey,¡± Yeva quietly spoke to me, ¡°Do you wanna talk?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Oh, sorry I got lost in thoughts.¡± I patted her hand comfortingly. ¡°Thanks. I am fine, just thinking about the future.¡±


    She smiled at me. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your soap will definitely catch the attention of Domina. I am sure of that.¡±


    Well, I wasn¡¯t really worried about that, but I appreciated the vote of confidence anyway. Now, that I think about it.


    ¡°How was it?¡± I asked her, curious.


    From all the people around me, I expected her to give me the best review. She wasn¡¯t gaining anything from its success like Irje, nor was her opinion clouded by some bias other slaves had around us. Her heightened sense of touch, long time using it, and experience with my previous attempts, as well as the original garbage, gave her all necessary tools to judge my product and judge it well.


    ¡°Oh, it is really great!¡± She assured me. ¡°I think my hands are feeling better than the day before.¡± Yeva rubbed her fingers, smiling. ¡°They are so soft now¡­¡±


    I smiled, at her endorsement, but noticed as her excitement grew dull and was replaced with fidgeting. Ah.


    Glancing around, to make sure no one was within the earshot, I quietly asked her, ¡°But it''s a bit worse at cleaning isn¡¯t it?¡±


    She nodded very slightly, but then grabbed my hand. ¡°But that¡¯s okay, with it I don¡¯t have to take breaks! It is still faster at the end of the day.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± I patted her head. ¡°As you noticed, I¡¯ve expected this anyway. It is normal that, sometimes, you have to sacrifice certain things, in order to get something else.¡± Like my finances.


    ¡°But, does it have to?¡± She stubbornly leaned into my hand as I tried to take it away.


    ¡°In this case, yes,¡± I continued. ¡°The reason why your hands are feeling soft is the extra oil in the soap. Which isn¡¯t helping you clean. Old soap was nasty because it had too much lye instead.¡±


    That actually gave me an idea.


    ¡°I wish I got something back for my eyes,¡± Yeva murmured, interrupting my thoughts.


    ¡°You did.¡± She looked pitiful, but I didn¡¯t want to let her wallow in it. ¡°Because of your lack of sight, all your other senses are much sharper now.¡± She tried to speak but I continued, ¡°I know it is nowhere sufficient enough. But that is what got my attention. It is also the reason why I always gave you my latest batches of soap.¡±


    That brought her attention.


    I continued, ¡°You didn¡¯t think I gave them to you just because I pitied you, do you?¡±


    ¡°No?¡± She tried to shake her head, although uncertainly.


    ¡°Exactly, I gave them to you because I valued your abilities. Because I knew that there will be no one here with the sense of touch as sensitive as yours.¡± I moved in and quietly whispered into her ear, ¡°I believe even Domina can¡¯t compete against you in that aspect.¡±


    I was rewarded for my actions with a large blush and a happy giggle. Good. There is enough misery in the world as it is.


    Suddenly, Yeva grabbed my hand and yanked it off her head. Before I could ask her what was wrong, somebody leaned on my shoulder.


    ¡°I sense Irje behind me.¡± I proclaimed without turning, to no one¡¯s surprise.


    ¡°Hmmm, and what gave me away?¡± Irje¡¯s curious voice came from high above. Was she stepping on me?


    I inhaled deeply. Yeva was right, she did have a particular flavour. I guess I was desensitized from it in the morning.


    ¡°Your scent.¡± I ignored her embarrassed squawk, ¡°Were you looking for us?¡±


    My head received a slap for my attitude. ¡°Just got curious about what you two are scheming together,¡± Irje said.


    ¡°You know. The usual. She was giving me an expert opinion on the latest batch.¡±


    Yeva shook her head. ¡°You should be more polite to your superiors, Erf.¡± She said.


    Irje laughed, rubbing my shoulder. ¡°You hear that? Listen to her!¡±


    I grabbed my chest as if I was stabbed. ¡°Et tu, Yeva! What did I do for you to betray me!¡±


    ¡°And now he is speaking in tongues,¡± Yeva replied, to Irje¡¯s inordinate mirth, while showing a small teasing smile herself.


    We traded barbs for a while, or, I should say, they both took turns in trying to tease me. While Irje took to the task like a fish to the water, trying to pay back for all that teasing I¡¯ve done to her overnight, Yeva was much shyer about it in the beginning. I took the teasing in stride, mollified by how quickly she had come out of her shell.


    But I still had a problem to solve.


    ¡°By the way, Irje¡­¡± I said as the previous chuckles died off, finally turning my head toward her. And freezing.


    ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± An amused Irje smirked at me from above. She wasn¡¯t rubbing my shoulder, she wasn¡¯t even stepping on me. Damn minx was grinding herself on my body this whole time! It is a good thing Yeva was blind, although it was probably why she was doing it in the first place.


    No wonder I could recognize the scent so easily.


    I rolled my eyes at her. ¡°I need your help.¡±


    ¡°With what?¡± in such close proximity I could feel her tensing up.


    ¡°With soap,¡± I sighed. ¡°While speaking to Yeva I¡¯ve realized there are things I could improve even further. But that would require unusual ingredients, like the glass-making we were talking about before,¡± Yeva perked up at my mention, listening intently.


    Irje relaxed but still had a frown on her face. ¡°And I said that you are unlikely to buy this stuff here.¡±


    ¡°What I want to look for is similar mixtures or even herbs. Perhaps I can find a replacement either on the market or even growing somewhere near the sea.¡±


    ¡°You want to go out and take a look yourself? Why didn¡¯t you just say so?¡±


    Irje¡¯s blunt response had actually left me sputtering, ¡°You mean I could¡¯ve just asked?¡± I think I heard a quiet snicker.


    ¡°Well, no. Not usually. But, in your case, I am aware why you want to go out and find it reasonable.¡± She mused.


    Well, thanks for small mercies, I guess. ¡°So I could just tell you and go?¡± I asked.


    Irje waved me off. ¡°Nothing so simple as that, first of all, I need to get you the Manor seal to wear on your neck.¡± She looked at me pointedly, ¡°Because you don¡¯t want to be abducted and sold into slavery twice.¡±


    ¡°And then?¡±


    ¡°And then you have to get your tasks done early for the day.¡± She put her hands on the hips. ¡°No matter what I think about your project, I won¡¯t let you slack off.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s fair,¡± I conceded. ¡°It is, honestly, still feels too easy to me somehow.¡±


    She looked down at me, her gaze unreadable. ¡°On the way back make sure to pass the Western wall, that runs along the old quarries.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said seriously, letting her know I took her words to heart.


    And then I smiled, ¡°Yeva has told me that last soap makes the touch softer, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± My hand crawled up her leg and pushed her mound back against my body. I felt the trails of moisture along her thighs, looks like my promises had taken root, someone has been excited for hours.


    It was her turn to sputter and wiggle.


    Irje beat a hasty retreat soon after. Things quieted down as we went back to work, but the silence, this time, was different. There was a small smile on Yeva`s lips. It turned the silence from morning awkward into evening peaceful. Content with the day past.


    As I was walking her back to the slave quarters Yeva spoke.


    ¡°That tongue, that you used, what did it mean?¡±


    ¡°Latin?¡± I answered automatically, ¡°Nothing much, it was just a form of saying ¡®you too¡¯¡±


    She hummed. ¡°Is that your native tongue? Where they have taken your family from?¡±


    ¡°No, I was born here, within the Emanai. And Latin is a dead language.¡± Seeing her confusion I went on, ¡°It is the language without people, who can speak it.¡±


    ¡°But you spoke it?¡±


    I ruffled her hair. ¡°Unfortunately I just know the words, I don''t know the language.¡±


    I bid her farewell soon after we arrived. I could see Yeva was disappointed, Irje and I were clearly her only friends in this new place and time spent with us meant less time for her to be alone. At the same time, I wouldn¡¯t dare to risk the third coming of Irje either. I made my amends to her by fixing her hair and promising that I would pick her up tomorrow as well.


    As I left the slave quarters behind me, the serenity of my mind was disturbed by intrusive thoughts.


    This world made no sense to me.


    Latin was unknown here, but some words clearly had similar meanings. Initially, I assumed they were false cognates but it wasn¡¯t just Latin either, here and there words would pop up that had a striking resemblance or being outright copies to multiple language families. Most were Indo-European like the open dress, often worn by the female upper class, was called ¡®kaftan¡¯, which my mind clearly stated as Persian. While the fish we would get sometimes, that I called carp to myself, had a Turkish name ¡®sazan¡¯.


    I walked into the room, deep in thought. It wasn¡¯t just the language, that gave me trouble. What about plants, animals, people? Similar shenanigans were happening there as well. I sniffed - even the herbs in Irje¡¯s room were alien. My mind marked many of them as alien and unknown while some were clearly Terran and natural. But I wasn¡¯t on Terra, at least I didn¡¯t think I was - the moon, while also single was wrong as well, with its red-brown hue. Not to mention the lack of technology or the presence of magic.


    I let the helpful hands divest me from my tunic. Where was I? When was I?


    The loaned under-dress was yanked from me as well and I was pushed back onto the mattress, naked.


    ¡°You walk into my room and pay me no mind?¡± Irje loomed over me, still in her shift. ¡°If I didn¡¯t know you better, I would¡¯ve thought myself forgotten.¡±


    ¡°Irje! I, ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Shhh.¡± She had no time for my explanations, her eyes busy raking over my body. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I know how to get your attention.¡± Her lips spread in a lascivious grin while her hands pulled her top down, ¡°You thought I wouldn¡¯t notice, did you?¡±


    I stared in a trance. Her arms, as she fished them out of the sleeves, did wondrous things to her already exposed breasts. Making them sway, squeeze, and press against each other. Her nipples moving in a tantric dance.


    ¡°Oh. Is someone getting excited?¡± She stretched her arms up and away, pushing her chest further out, enjoying the speed of my arousal from her hypnotic movements.


    I tried to swallow, my dry throat making the sound quite obvious. It only made Irje more brazen.


    Without taking her eyes from me, she slid down slowly, leaning forward a bit. Kneeling at my legs. My breath hitched as her perfect breasts took their full shape, her nipples grazing my thighs lightly.


    And then she started to crawl.


    My hands gripped the bedding as my body grew taut. My dick at full mast. Irje purred in satisfaction from my torture as her bountiful flesh slowly advanced forward. She moved her back as well either letting her breasts settle over my legs, tickle them lightly with her aroused nipples, or tease a specific spot by swaying over it.


    After what felt like an eternity, she climbed to my stomach and I got a front seat view of my shaft slowly disappearing inside her cleavage. Her soft pliant flesh gently caressing my hard unyielding shaft all around its length. Irje leaned down and kissed my skin, sending shivers through my body. Her breasts smothering my painfully hard arousal.


    She peeked at me and licked her lips. ¡°I think it is time for something more,¡± Irje breathed, feeling me twitch and grind across her skin. I nodded frantically, my mind engrossed by the delectable heat of her breasts wrapped up around my dick.


    Unfortunately, she started crawling once more. I sucked my breath, feeling the cold air on my package, while Irje¡¯s now-puffy areolas slowly, sensually dragged across my chest. She giggled when she made our nipples meet, our bodies quivering together from the touch. And then she leaned backward, standing on her knees right above my waist, bit her lip and teasingly but slowly pulled her dress up.


    Numerous streaks glistened on her thighs. Irje¡¯s needy pussy was absolutely flooded with her juices, which already started to drip on me as well. Looks like someone has been hiding her excitement.


    ¡°You kept me like this the whole day.¡± She panted. ¡°Now, be a good boy and give it to me.¡±


    Her hand slid down to her lower lips as she carefully started descending, legs trembling. Irje¡¯s outstretched fingers guided my tip toward her slippery entrance. I gasped as I felt her core giving me a gentle but feverish kiss.


    ¡°Yesss.¡± She moaned impaling herself on me. The scorching velvet, wrapping around my head, almost brought me past the peak. ¡°Oooh, just like that.¡± I could feel her squeezing me tighter. ¡°Mmmm, oh, Oh! Fuck!¡± She collapsed suddenly, plunging herself fully on me with a wet slap, shaking. ¡°So full.¡± She gasped quietly.


    My hands went to her thighs to support her, but she pushed them aside, pinning me.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t over, yet,¡± Irje growled, rising up. Slowly but surely she started to bounce on me, quickly picking up an incredible pace. I watched as her full lips, fuzzy like a peach, swallowed my shaft on every descent. I listened how her mound slapped into my flesh with reckless abandon. I felt her inner folds gripping my dick, as she rose up, unwilling to let go. I relished in her breasts smothering my face, one of her nipples dancing around my lips with every shove.


    Her laboured breath. The beads of sweat on her flat stomach. The weight of her body in the hands that pinned me.


    Her face, hidden by the tousled locks of hair. The lust in her eyes, still shining through.


    We locked our eyes as I was nearly lost within these sensations: her lack in skill was nearly matched by her unending vigour.


    But I wanted more.


    It took only a few more moments, and a couple of helpful thrusts, for her to reach another peak again. I took my cue, as she collapsed, to roll us over. Scrunching her dress and pushing her lower back high in the process.


    ¡°Up to your tricks again,¡± Irje quietly mumbled, basking in the afterglow. And spread her knees apart, inviting me back in ¡°Heh, show me.¡±


    Every day she trusted me more and more with her body.


    In response, I thrust in shallowly, gently, and at an angle. The tip of my dick grinding against her G-spot, ¡°oh! Fuck!¡± and yielding appropriate results. My shallow attention quickly caused her to wrap her legs around me, trying to push me deeper inside.


    ¡°Come on,¡± Irje softly whined, ¡°Fill me up!¡±


    My shaft sunk into her flesh deeply, making her groan in satisfaction. But, instead of pulling out, I flexed my muscles: twitching inside, ravishing Irje from deep within, seeking more of her pleasure.


    I knew I found it when her eyes rolled back, fingers slacking around my arms. I smiled in satisfaction to myself. Combined with extremely exhaustive knowledge installed into me and my extensive list of Irje¡¯s responses, I knew how to play her like a fine-tuned instrument.


    And it was the time to play the final cadence for the night.


    I plunged in hard, listening to her ¡°Harder!¡± cries and began a powerful rhythm, making sure that I would hit every sensitive spot on the way in and out. I now knew the beat of her core that made her sing the loudest. And I demanded nothing less.


    I stayed strong as she coiled around me, telling me to ¡°Fill me up!¡± and ¡°Don¡¯t spill a drop!¡±.


    I kept at it as she raked her fingers on my back, drawing blood.


    As her moans rose up in pitch and volume.


    While she bit into my shoulder; her scream muffled.


    I ravaged her, as she melted under me, her body quivering.


    I didn¡¯t stop when she hiccuped from bliss, the wet and loud slaps of flesh turning into a lewd squelching noise.


    With an animalistic grunt, I buried myself deep inside her. My toes curled as I erupted into the nearly insensate wreck, that once called itself Irje, with my seed. My primal mind ecstatic with my conquest. I felt her twitch but, by now, it was impossible to tell if my violent release made her come or was she cumming all this time non-stop. I, probably, won''t know until tomorrow.


    I let myself collapse onto her body, exhausted. Irje was worse off today than she was yesterday, but this time I¡¯ve enjoyed my meal to the fullest as well.


    Smiling, I listened to her loud heartbeat, slowly falling asleep as it grew calmer. Today was a good day.


    And I had great plans for the future.


    Catriona Emanai Aethil


    The door closed behind her, sealing the chamber. She glanced at the glow of the runes as they activated, feeling the Flow Sparks vanish from her sight, and only then allowed herself to relax. Groaning, she rubbed her central horn to ease her headache, while her tail, with practised ease, dragged a large golden sofa behind her. Noble Emanai, or Cait, as her children called her in the privacy of their chambers, hated using the negation vaults. Frequent use of such facilities to shield oneself from precognition meant that you were planning or hiding something extremely important.


    Which they did. Magistra, within a similar vault, had quietly disclosed her plans on stepping down from her position. She held the power over the families for more than a thousand years and grew tired of the burden. By tradition, her Ministra would take her spot but it would take years until a new Ministra would be appointed.


    Cait sighed, lounging on the sofa, years of political turmoil were fast approaching with every family trying to subtly upstage other nominees while praising their own. Her twin children made the right choice descending away from all of this, her son sensing something in the Flow and taking his sister with him. She would praise his acumen the next time they meet, they were centuries away from being nominated themselves, but old enough to be in the spotlight and get smeared in the political crossfire.


    A complex glowing shape flashed in the air, she traced it out, wiping it from existence, and pulled out a full glass. It was a pity he was born a male. Someone who can read the river of Fate so well would have little trouble in leading the families. Her daughter was strong but she lacked finesse, spending all her time researching magic. Power was a necessity in their society but so was the ability to apply it with pinpoint accuracy.


    She was also naive, with few pointed words from her brother and off she went with him playing make-believe, like children less than a century old. If Cait wasn¡¯t personally in agreement with her son she would have never let them do something like that.


    Perhaps she should wait in meeting them, let her kids stumble for a bit. They learn how to get up better if they aren¡¯t coddled.


    She sipped her drink making her pain recede. Fertile Mreea, watch over me, she thought. I came here to plan and all I do instead is worry about my children. Such is the fate of a mother, I guess.


    A small gesture of her wrist and the quill was in her hand. She quickly started writing her notes, Cait couldn¡¯t scry the future from the confines of her vault but she didn¡¯t need to. She had the utmost confidence in her memory doing all the necessary preparations beforehand. And if she needed something else, well, the vault was full with notes she had been writing her entire life. She would be fine.


    Headache was gone but something remained. She frowned, this feeling of unease was what brought her here in the first place.


    Something happened to the river of Fate, and she had no idea what. Her tail slammed into the floor out of frustration. It was something recent but yet not. Like a child born with the soul of an ancestor, but yet not.


    She gritted her teeth. Whatever it was it threw a proverbial rock into the River, ripples spreading everywhere. Turning all predictions even murkier. And worst of all, it was absolutely invisible to the Flow, like it had nothing to do with magic!


    Her quill stopped. Absentmindedly tapping it for a moment, Cait summoned another, clean, scroll.


    She had some missives to send out.

 Chapter 7 First failures

    Irje


    She was stuck in the honey.


    Irje sighed, willing her hand to stop its movement down. Where did I go wrong?


    She thought about that day when it all started. How she griped, in the confines of her mind, at Sulla for buying two murk girls. Irje had seen plenty of them in her life. Most did not last a single year, usually until the masters went into the heat. How she promised herself to take better care of them. To, at least, make their current time less challenging.


    Curse her bleeding heart.


    She thought about her first real talk with Erf. How she thought ¡®she¡¯ was trying to end ¡®her¡¯ life, and saw the artisan¡¯s anger at a shoddy work instead. How she jumped at the opportunity, eager to divulge the secrets for herself.


    Curse her greedy eyes.


    Erf.


    Erf was a mystery. What was initially a scrawny child, with a quick wash and a few meals, turned into a beautiful youth. Juvenile face crowned with intelligence and tempered by wisdom, unseen in those who haven¡¯t lived for half a century at least.


    Erf was weird. What others coveted, he gave. He gave and gave without asking back, content with a pittance. He gave her knowledge of the artisans, which could turn her life anew as well, without her ask, or beg, or threat. He gave and gave, and she just took. But Irje wanted more, intrigued why a Scrooge would buy a male for pleasure.


    Curse her nosey curiosity.


    She wasn¡¯t a child for quite some time herself. She followed Domina when Manor Matriarch gave her the permission to establish a branch house, a great honour. She had seen and had had plenty of sex over the years. And thought herself knowledgeable in it. Sex was all about pleasure. One to give and one to take.


    She''d had plenty of partners herself. Girls would be more knowledgeable, but many weren¡¯t willing to give, just trying to take themselves. Guys were easier to encourage, but many would have no idea how to please her or quit halfway. While those who did know would develop weird ideas about their status, or outright try to use her.


    So she set her eyes on those younger. They were full of stamina, oh so willing to please. And naive enough so that she didn¡¯t have to worry about them plotting something behind her back.


    And there he stood in front of her, ogling her assets, eyes big like a fawn in front of a hunter. Ready for slaughter. She went in of course. Hoping, wishing that he would give with the same generosity as he did before. He did. Erf gave her what her body wanted. The only problem was that she didn¡¯t even know the boundaries of her need before.


    He crossed them, and then he promised more. Next night.


    Why would she refuse? How would she refuse?


    Curse the fire of her loins.


    She hasn¡¯t been so randy ever in her life. Not even during the yearly heat all wer went through. She didn''t understand half of the words he said about the ¡®psychology¡¯ of anticipation. But, whatever it was, it was working. She had spent half of the day coming up with various excuses to run away, and the other half fantasizing about the evening.


    How she felt envious seeing Erf and Yeva working together, talking quietly. She barged in, of course, unwilling to lose to her. Sex was nice but she would not give up their daily conversations. Erf didn¡¯t notice but Yeva pulled back a bit from that. That wasn¡¯t her intention. Irje promised to make up for that with her later.


    And then there was the night. Irje smiled pensively, her hands exploring: Yeva was busy right now, Erf was gone in the city, and she couldn''t feel any other Sparks around her. She could remember how the night started, but not how it ended. The night turned into a dream, and a dream turned into a blissful morning. And trying to remember in detail only made her body yearn for more instead.


    With a sad smile on her face, she looked back on her past self. It started like every other interaction with Erf: she would come over him thinking herself in charge but, instead of a door to bash, her fist would hit a waterfall. The water that was Erf would bend, wrap around her, and then overwhelm her with his presence, with his gifts, leaving her defeated yet wanting more.


    Irje realized how far gone she was on the next night. She told him that she wanted to take it easy the night after and recover, and Erf, the prick that he was, simply accepted! She lay there in disbelief, watching him snooze. Her hands hard at work. But that wasn¡¯t enough. She crawled over to him then, her face burning in her shameful acceptance. Not to ride him for another release, but to cuddle for a restful sleep.


    She was seeking a delightful snack and she fell into a huge vat of honey. And she couldn¡¯t stop eating as she sank deeper and deeper.


    She was bound to him. When he finally took her he broke what Irje was. He broke her and then he built her anew. But, in doing so, he left his name within.


    Her hands were all around her body now, mimicking his touch, trying to fill the void she felt between her legs, scratching the itch only he could scratch.


    ¡°Oh, Erf. What I am gonna do with you?¡±


    XXX


    I was in deep shit.


    ¡°Stop! You freak!¡±


    A rock smashed into the ground nearby, making me stumble, but I kept running. I couldn¡¯t afford to fall right now with one of my arms holding what was left of my ear together, trying to staunch the bleeding.


    I jumped over a merchant¡¯s cart as people shrieked nearby, twisting my path while I was hidden from sight.


    The crowd parted too slowly for me, only giving a clear path to my pursuers, so I had to improvise.


    If I wanted to stay alive that is.


    ¡°After him! Don¡¯t let him get away!¡±


    Running away from adults was hard. Trying to run away from wer was impossible. But somehow I managed to stay ahead and I wasn¡¯t giving up early.


    I pushed a gawker aside, giving myself a change in direction as I turned into a side street.


    ¡°That''s a dead-end! Follow him!¡±


    Fuck! I saw three walls around me, the only exit at my back. The asshole knew this place.


    My foot crushed a box under it as I jumped high, slamming into the wall. My fingers dug deep into the clay gaining purchase. I pulled myself up and over the edge panting.


    ¡°Merk is on the roof!¡±


    Groaning, I got up and kept running, gaining speed. Wheezing from exertion; lungs on fire. The roof was moderately empty giving me a straight path.


    I could feel my new muscles coiling inside my legs as I ran toward the edge of the roof. On my last step, the condensed flesh released its stored energy launching me into the air, as I jumped from one roof to another.


    Across the twenty-meter wide street.


    I dropped myself into a roll as I crashed into some baskets on the other roof. My body screaming at me about splinters. My nose choked by the raised dust.


    ¡°Divine horns! How did¡­ don¡¯t lose sight of him!¡±


    Once more I pulled myself together. The promise of future bodily harm or death was a great motivator. I limped over the roof looking for a way down. Up here I was visible from kilometres away and I didn¡¯t have enough stamina left to continue running.


    I dragged myself over the edge and dropped down like a sack of potatoes, ignoring the far cries from my pursuers. I got up in a small passage between the buildings leading to yet another street. My nanites flared up within my body, as my hair turned from sandy blond to Erf black, my leftover ear turned human once more.


    Walking out into the street I tried to pick up my pace, but my body was fighting me with every step, not used to the extreme stress I put it through.


    Half-running, half-limping I moved away looking for a nice turn or a nook, somewhere where I could break from sight long enough. Fearful of yet another cul-de-sac.


    I could hear the cries growing closer as I found a twisty little passage leading to some other crowded space, very clearly marked by some merchant or a rich guy standing beside it and reading a book. And wearing the most dazzling red dress I¡¯ve seen a guy wear.


    Standing out from the grime of the street like a sore thumb. Or a quest giver in a game.


    I had no time to admire him nor his robes, so I limped past him with a single bow. Just enough to be ignored in return.


    A street urchin, running from his pursuers squeezed through and sharply stopped.


    I could hear the screams behind me and the loud murmur of the crowd in front of me.


    The hungry Erf hunched himself and started walking, slowly. My eyes, glanced around, looking for a snack or some charity. My hands shook from malnutrition, cradling an old disfigurement.


    My teeth sunk into my lips to stop me from wheezing, my tunic hid the rapid beat of my heart.


    I walked into another alley looking for some scrap, or a dead rat.


    And ¡®accidentally¡¯ fell into a basket, when no one was looking. And waited.


    ¡°Which dried up cunt did he fall into?¡± A voice yelled not that far away.


    ¡°The freak disappeared, I swear if not that rich pri- MMMmmmpf!¡±


    ¡°Shut yer trap!¡± Someone else hissed, ¡°And next time watch who is standing in your way!¡±


    ¡°MMmmmmmM!¡±


    ¡°I said shut it! Did you see his tail? Or the horns? If you like where your head is attached to I suggest ye don¡¯t swear on a wermage!¡±


    I didn¡¯t realize I had such an unlikely help.


    ¡°Shite. So how are we gonna catch the merk?¡± the voices were much quieter now.


    ¡°We don¡¯t, you idiot. If he has that kind of help, I won¡¯t get my hands dirty with him. Did he steal anything?¡±


    ¡°No, he was just walking around with his fake shit. Tryna to look like us.¡±


    They spoke some more before leaving, but I didn¡¯t listen to their bickering anymore. I heard all that I wanted to hear.


    So, my attempt at impersonating a wer failed catastrophically. And the worst part of it was that I had no idea why. I¡¯ve done all the precautions I could think of. I¡¯ve spent extra time in the morning observing Irje¡¯s ears, I¡¯ve spent most of my time travelling across the city looking for similar wers with cougar ears. I¡¯ve even found a male that had identical shape and colouration of ears as I spend my time memorizing available products on the market.


    I took my time finding a good quiet spot to reveal myself. I actually thought myself overly paranoid to simply walk around with my new ears on display first, before outright claiming myself as one.


    The first wer to properly glance at me simply freaked out, while the next tried to grab at me. I was extremely lucky he expected a normal speed, strength and response time from me, his magically enhanced fingers swiping past my neck and ripping my ear outright.


    So now here I was, hiding. My hair and leftover ear turned normal, but I still needed time to fix my Van Gogh impersonation.


    I pulled out a pouch, biding my time, with my hard-earned pittance of a few bronze cuts and rolled a single coin in my fingers. Emanai had a well-developed coinage with bronze assisting gold and silver to make the cheapest purchases. Although calling it coinage would be a stretch. Coins or as they were called ¡°cuts¡± were the smallest denomination as they were literal cuts from a larger piece. Expensive purchases were done with metal ingots that usually held the shape of an equally priced item. Like a knife of a hide.


    I pinched an edge of the coin and dragged my fingers along it. I got an awkward blade but with a nearly monomolecular edge to it. Coins were constantly in use, so it was no wonder that they had used the least reactive alloys they had available, giving me the best attempt at a surgical scalpel.


    Luckily I didn¡¯t need to do an extensive surgery. I only needed to clean any dirt and the tissue ripped beyond repair, and let the nanites heal the rest.


    Hissing slightly from pain, I decided to stop bothering about wer issue. From now on any similar experimentation was strictly forbidden unless run across a known and friendly element first. Of cougar variety, for now. Especially since the rest of the day had been rather successful.


    While I¡¯ve managed to notice a decent amount of chemicals and mixtures, that I could potentially use, nothing really sprung to my mind so far, but the trip to the salt marshes near the seashore have proven to be extremely fruitful. The same pouch that stored my coins also had a succulent branch from a bush that I''d found.


    With my other paths currently blocked off the only way I could progress for now was to impress the Domina. And If my current batch would somehow fail to impress her, a batch made out of these definitely will. And more.


    It took me some time to heal my injury, and even more to get back on my feet.


    After everything that happened today, I decided to cut my explorations short. My ear was quickly folding itself back into a proper shape as I left the trade districts behind me, returning to the fancier parts of the city. My plans on checking the quarries, as Irje recommended, cut short.


    There were people out there keeping an eye out for someone similar to me, and I had no intentions of risking my skin twice in a day. Especially since my body had used up most of its resources by now.


    By the time my weary legs dragged me back the sun was setting. It was kind of surreal but I felt a sense of relief as I walked through the slave areas of the manor, a snack in hand. That how it gets you. For a small price of your own self you get food, shelter, and the comfort of not worrying about another day. And protection from those who wish to do you harm.


    And I, like Savage John, wanted none of it. Fortunately for me, my passion was tempered by pragmatism, I would use this system for as long as I needed to. I will scrape and bow until I didn¡¯t have to. I will dance their tune until I could play my own.


    And then they shall listen to the music of my soul.


    I walked into Irje¡¯s room as she was working on her clothes, making her turn her head. Recently she started wearing her old shift to bed instead, grumbling about being sick and tired from washing her day clothes all the time. It was still in good condition but she definitely grew out of it quite some time ago. It was still loose enough to be comfortable as sleepwear, but her butt had a fortunate tendency to pop out suggestively from time to time.


    She opened her mouth to say something but, seeing my state, thought otherwise. I smiled sadly at her, It was nice to have someone, who understood my current state just from a glance alone. I was grateful for the silence between us, it allowed my mind to forget the rush of the day, to relax in the comfort of understanding. We looked at each other in silence, until I started to take off my tunic. My mind was still too agitated to ask questions now; a rest would do me good.


    Unfortunately for me, Irje understood my actions differently. Or had plans of her own. As I was placing my tunic down I heard the rustle. I looked at her and, once again, froze. Irje, without looking away, bent down from her sitting position to stand on all fours. Her back facing me. Her legs slightly apart to give me an unobstructed view of her blond peach, which her small shift was unable to cover in such a seductive position.


    She stood like this in silence, her body invitation clear, her head turned back so she could watch me. I didn¡¯t know if she assumed that was my intention, was trying to distract me from my thoughts, making up for something, or simply seeking pleasure for herself. What I also didn¡¯t, was care.


    A beautiful girl was in front of me, crawling, her entire form in a quiet, begging, proposal. A perfect distraction for my mind, a willing companion for my tired body.


    I walked up to her feeling her gaze on me. One of my hands slid her shift higher, exposing her bronze back, while the other cupped her mound, feeling the scorching heat within. Irje didn¡¯t move or say a word as my hands went on exploring her body. As they slid across her stomach, fingers circling her navel. As they stroked and cupped her swaying breasts, her nipples pinched. She watched me quietly as I massaged her thighs and butt, although I could see her relaxing under my touch.


    Irje¡¯s biggest change of expression came later when my hands gripped her ass and my thumbs spread her pussy apart, revealing the pink inside. I could see her flush scarlet as she kept her eyes on me, her lower lip bitten.


    Emboldened by her lack of response, I descended down on her, planting a deep kiss into her core. Irje finally squeaked as I sucked on her inner petals, making sure every crevasse was properly wet for what was coming. Pulling myself away as her legs begun to tremble.


    I fished out my hardened dick, ready for action as I admired my work.


    My hand slid over Irje¡¯s back and pushed her gently but assertively to the ground. Her head now laid on the mattress, her breasts squished underneath, as her ass rose even higher, lining up perfectly with my shaft. In silence, I pulled her hands back to me and placed her palms on her buttocks, my intention obvious.


    Irje, while still looking at me from her awkward position, whimpered slightly but obeyed. Her fingers mimicking mine just a few minutes ago. Spreading apart her lips for me to enter.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± My soft murmur made her shudder, which was intensified by my tip gently grazing at her folds. Aided by my hand, I let my shaft rub against her entrance as she moaned slightly, her hips trying my match my movements and impale herself on me. I heard her groan as my hand gripped her hip and stopped her movements, I felt her wetness as her opening leaked her juices all around my dick.


    I felt her heat as I slammed deep inside of her.


    Irje¡¯s gasps were interrupted by our skin slapping against each other. My fingers dug deep into her butt as I tried to plunge myself as deep as possible. My other hand greedily exploring her body, as she braced herself against the mattress trying to push herself as deeply into me as she could.


    We didn¡¯t make love to each other. We fucked. Our actions, full of aggression and animalistic desire, let us vent our emotions through force. The stress of our daily lives released in the throes of passion.


    I remember her grunt and moan my name as my hand pawed her breasts. As she shook and screamed in my kiss while my fingers rubbed her clit mercilessly, my shaft pumping in and out of her in abandon. As I groaned myself, filling her to the brim with my seed. As we lay together, bound in the afterglow, my dick still within her, keeping her full, and stopping any leakage.


    Yeah, we definitely needed that.


    ¡°Irje,¡± I said as we lay together a few minutes later.


    ¡°Hmmm?¡± She was curled around me, her legs wrapped up against mine, enjoying the warmth of our bodies.


    ¡°Tell me about yourself.¡±


    ¡°There isn¡¯t much to tell.¡± Her finger roamed my chest. ¡°I was born into the Kiymetl manor, my mother a companion slave herself. I was lucky enough to grow up unnoticed in the large manor, but when I heard that Domina¡¯s daughter was granted a new manor I saw my chance. I followed her knowing that there would be plenty of important positions to fill.¡± She turned to me grinning, ¡°And I was right!¡±


    I smiled back at her and ruffled her hair.


    ¡°What is more mysterious is you,¡± Irje continued, looking intently at me. ¡°Where did you come from?¡±


    ¡°Would you believe if I said I grew up on a farm merely a week of travel away from the city?¡± Irje squinted her eyes at me for that. ¡°But it is a truth. Just like your story, mine is devoid of anything important. The only difference between us was that I was sold to a merchant, apparently to recover some funds either the Domina or her family incurred.¡± It was harder to smile. ¡°My mother and my uncle stayed behind, I wonder if they are alright.¡±


    She patted me. ¡°You could buy them out yourself soon. With all that knowledge you have but don¡¯t talk about much.¡±


    I took her hand in mine. ¡°Thanks, I sure hope so, at least as soon as I earn the freedom myself. And my knowledge was just a lucky accident I believe. Just think about it as a wise man that taught me a few tricks. Tricks that, while immensely useful, have glaring holes within them.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked curiously.


    ¡°Well you for example,¡± I said, making her blink. ¡°What are wer? What is the difference between you and me?¡±


    ¡°You know I don¡¯t think about you like that¡± Irje murmured, I could see her growing uncomfortable.


    I stroked her chin affectionately. ¡°I know, but I also know that there is something that I don¡¯t understand, and even if you can see past that, others won¡¯t. And I need to be ready for that.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your Spark,¡± She murmured as she leaned into my hand. ¡°They say you don¡¯t have the magic inside of you. That¡¯s why your bodies are so weak.¡± She glanced at me, trying to measure my reaction and slowly continued. ¡°It is why they call you Wermurks, or Murks for short.¡±


    ¡®Or merks in spite¡¯ I thought to myself.


    I planted a quick kiss on her as thanks for the candour. ¡°What are Sparks?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t sense them?¡± Irje¡¯s surprise was obvious.


    ¡°Sense what? And where?¡±


    ¡°The Sparks are within us, all Wer can sense theirs and the others. That is why they call us Wersparks, for we are Sparks in human form. It is the magic that fuels us, that makes us who we are. You mean you can¡¯t sense them at all? Even mine?¡± I could hear her disappointment about the last part.


    Huh. That explained how they knew I wasn¡¯t a wer.


    ¡°The only way I can distinguish wer is when they have a tail or cute ears.¡± I brushed my finger against her ears to prove my point, making her chuckle softly.


    ¡°But what about Yeva? She can sense me.¡±


    ¡°She can smell you.¡±


    ¡°Shut up! I wash regularly!¡±


    ¡°And her sense of smell is through the roof. The smell is how she tells us apart. She might not even know if you are wer or not, or I for that matter.¡± I scratched my chin. ¡°Probably why she is so withdrawn, it¡¯s much harder for her to gauge threat from others.¡±


    We went on talking about the Sparks. Irje went to extreme lengths trying to explain what Sparks were to me and how they felt, but without any reference, it was all flying over my head. I didn¡¯t let it bother me that much, compared to Irje¡¯s growing frustration. I knew that no matter how much she tried it was like trying to explain sight through smell or smell through touch.


    Since I never had that sense to begin with, and the nanites were equally unsure what it was, I felt nothing about the fact that I lost the magic lottery. In fact, I¡¯ve spent more time trying to calm down Irje instead. What did the trick was me stating that her feelings about me weren¡¯t affected by my lack of a Spark and similarly my emotions weren¡¯t affected by my inability to sense hers.


    What really was important wasn¡¯t my ability to wield magic, it was the fact that there was information, that was considered common knowledge in this world, which was still unavailable to me. And, worst of all, didn¡¯t rely on things like logic to decipher. I had no idea wer could sense each other until Irje told me, and that lack of knowledge nearly got me killed today.


    How many more things I was blissfully unaware of? And how many of these have the ability to get me killed or worse? If simply shifting my ears and walking around was enough to call me a freak and nearly claw the windpipe out of me, what would a full disclosure of nanites bring? What about the knowledge in my head? And that was only my body. Had no idea what the crashed shuttle still contained. And since there was an escape shuttle - what about the bioship that is probably orbiting this very planet as I thought.


    I nuzzled into Irje¡¯s sleeping form as I let myself relax. I have to be more cautious and establish a name for myself first, I¡¯ve decided. There was little gain and everything to lose in rushing things. I will take my baby steps, gain the approval of Domina and work from there, chess piece by chess piece.


    The morning started as usual, except Irje disappeared somewhere once again, busy as she was. I picked up Yeva and we went on to work. We worked fast together, especially since I¡¯ve spent most of my morning telling her about my previous trip and things that I¡¯ve seen around. I decided not to tell her about the chase, but even without it, there was plenty to say.


    I told her about the yells of the merchant quarters, the constant murmur of the busy streets, the screams of seagulls on the shore and the slow rumble of the sea. I heard her laugh listening to how I ran from the hungry birds and I saw her swallow as hard as I did when I saw that stall with juicy snacks.


    I lived through the brightest parts of my yesterday again, and, with my words, so did she.


    It was during one of my monologues that I spotted us getting company. I trailed off observing the newcomers with caution.


    In front of me stood Sulla with two redhead warriors beside him. Their hair was long and, apart from luscious ponytails, was braided into two braids that fell onto their chest ending in bone rings full of engravings. The mark of free men.


    I excused myself from deathly quiet Yeva and stood up, bowing. These were most likely the family members of the manor that choose a martial path. Both shared a family resemblance and the colour of their hair.


    But it was Sulla, who spoke instead, while both warriors kept staring at me, ready to strike.


    ¡°Domina has summoned you.¡± His words were blunt and demanded nothing but compliance.


    I silently bowed again and made to follow, allowing the twin warriors to trail behind us.


    There was no point in freaking out, and their actions, however menacing, were exactly what I was planning all this time for. Right now I was a pawn, that was invited to the queen¡¯s court.


    It was time for my promotion.

 Chapter 8 Meeting Domina

    It was my first time inside the inner courtyard. As we walked the large utilitarian buildings gave way to the trees and the bushes. Which in turn opened up to an entire wooden villa sequestered deep within the natural landscape. Whoever planned this knew his trade since a few trees, bushes, and strategically curved roads were enough to make it look like the inner building was located somewhere deep inside the forest. Rather than the capital, it was actually at.


    Other servants walked past us, as we entered the building. They didn¡¯t gawk at us, which relieved some of my worries. Whatever was happening was most likely not that unusual for them. Our pace was brisk but not rushed. Which allowed me plenty of time to observe the inner life of the wealthy.


    As far as I could tell the main design was emphasizing quiet, serenity, and natural comfort. The hallway that we walked through was clearly intended for servants. And, occasionally, I could glimpse an inner courtyard deeper within the building. Full of plants and running water and devoid of people. Very zen.


    I wondered if the palace reflected the character of its inhabitants, or was it just a nod to the current fashion. It was impossible to tell right now. The warriors following us were rather aloof, content in watching me like two hawks, but otherwise not showing any aggression. While Sulla showed his no-nonsense personality on the first day. Even leading us today with his grim determination, his beard jutted forward like a nose of an icebreaker.


    Soon we approached a large hall. Sulla quickly but silently opened the doors, glowing with some sort of runic script or complex geometrical forms, depriving me of a chance to observe some real magic up close. And ushered me to enter.


    I walked in, noticing that the warriors took guard at the door, and bowed, going down on the knee as the custom required. My sight was cast downward, preventing me from seeing the entire hall, but I could still notice minute details on the floor around me. Tiny scripts on the wooden floor surrounding columns, occasional lines in the corners or on the walls nearly invisible to sight.


    This room was clearly trying to look mundane but wasn¡¯t. I wondered how hard it was to clean it with so many drawings everywhere or maybe I was just paranoid and was staring at the cleaning runes all this time.


    I could also feel that this room was used for dining as well. The vivid bouquet of smells assaulted my nose as soon as I entered. My bow was quick to hide my swallowing. Whatever was here was no simple bread and grub I was accustomed to. My mind teasing me with names of fruits and delicacies that had similar smells. The faint tinge of citruses, the sweet taste of meat cooked to tender perfection. The buttery aroma of bread, cooked without dirt additives.


    ¡°This is him,¡± Sulla¡¯s voice brought me back to life.


    ¡°Bring him closer,¡± A soft, melodic voice answered him back. She sounded young.


    I got up and lifted my eyes, walking inward. As I suspected the hall had tables, filled with food. The semi-circle they have formed clearly pointed where I should stand, easily observable from every table. Although there were guards and servants along the walls, Irje included, only a single table had an occupant, the central one.


    Domina didn¡¯t just sound young, she also looked young as well. For someone to lead an entire manor that is. Wer usually were on the larger side, but she was quite the opposite. Her form was rather diminutive even for my standards. Her red hair was long and braided similarly into two braids and a ponytail. Although her braided circle pendants were clearly carved from two solid gemstones.


    Each one of them probably cost more than the entire batch of slaves Sulla bought.


    She also had the most expressive eyebrows I¡¯ve ever seen, thick but neatly trimmed otherwise. Her almond-shaped yellow eyes, calm and inquisitive, observed me with warded curiosity. Her large and foxy ears straight and facing me, judging by Irje¡¯s ear positions I had her undisputed attention.


    But it wasn¡¯t just her diminutive elegance that entranced me. She was lying on a dining sofa, large and comfortable, with one of her arms propping her head upright. The other leisurely playing with a golden orb floating between her fingers. Glowing blue symbols appearing sporadically on its surface and in the air above it. Her kaftan, black with golden embroidery along its edges hugged her figure provocatively, hiding everything from sight but the curves of her body. Letting a single appendage out. Her tail. Her enormous fluffy tail, fiery red with a white tip at the end.


    I swallowed. She was a wermage.


    I bowed in front of her once again standing in the centre of the room.


    ¡°Your sight is in my heart.¡± A common first-time greeting, a very polite one. But I wouldn¡¯t ruin my chances by being rude to her for no reason. Apart from being a small cog in the suppressive system, she had done me nothing wrong so far.


    ¡°Hmmm, so you are the one who made these.¡± I noticed her picking up a piece of the soap I made. ¡°Impressive.¡±


    I sighed mentally from relief and begun to speak, only to be interrupted by her.


    ¡°But, why are you really here for?¡± Her words sent me in a loop.


    ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± There was a clear emphasis in her words but I still wasn¡¯t sure what it meant.


    I scratched my head. ¡°I had no idea or a plan to end up at your manor specifically if that is what you are asking. I was hoping to land in a wealthy household, yes. That way my potential skills would be more likely to be appreciated.¡± I glanced at her trying to gauge her reaction, but she was busy watching the orb. ¡°A woman of your calibre has plenty of hands and wealth as such, what others see as an unnecessary risk for you is a mere gamble barely worth worrying about. And yet the potential benefits are the same.¡±


    She hummed, mollified. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was the denial of any plot, or my attempts to stroke her ego that did the trick.


    ¡°And what do you intend to gain? What is your plan for the future?¡±


    ¡°I would start with basic necessities,¡± I ventured. ¡°Freedom too. Financial first, if you let me make the soap for you. Then freedom to choose my work so that I could make more than just a soap.¡±


    ¡°Just that?¡±


    ¡°Well personal freedom at the end of it, of course.¡±


    She plucked a grape her face placid. ¡°Truly. And why would I release you then? Especially,¡± she nodded at Irje ¡°since someone mentioned your skills as a companion are vastly greater than the soap you are making.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop but glance at Irje myself. She stood quietly avoiding my gaze, her face red. I forced myself to turn and pay attention to Domina instead. What happened, happened and freaking out over Irje¡¯s spilt beans was useless right now. I would gain nothing but ruin my tentative position.


    Domina watched me, I dare to guess even approvingly. ¡°So?¡±


    ¡°The soap was just a beginning. The only reason why I couldn¡¯t show my skills to you at this very moment is that most of what I know would require time and ingredients to make. The soap alone took us weeks to get correctly. I wouldn¡¯t dare to offend you with mediocre results.¡±


    ¡°Can you read?¡± Her question kicked the air out of my sails. I¡¯ve seen the script they used, while looking familiar it wasn¡¯t a complete copy of any alphabet that I knew of.


    ¡°No, but-¡±


    ¡°Can you write?¡± I could but there is no way I would show her that kind of knowledge yet. Especially since they would look like squiggles to her with no one to confirm my skills.


    ¡°I can count and more¡±


    ¡°You can count and yet not know the letters?¡± I saw Sulla shuffle behind her looking sceptically at me, but he kept his mouth closed. Unwilling to interrupt his mistress I mused.


    I frowned for a moment. ¡°I was taught to count using separate symbols, different from the alphabet.¡±


    She looked at me oddly. ¡°Alphabet?¡±


    ¡°The collection of all letters that are used to write words.¡±


    ¡°You meant Virtana.¡± She waved me off, her confusion gone, and plucked another grape. I guess I now knew the first letters of their alphabet. ¡°And why were you taught such a method if one can simply use letters to express any number they desire, thirty more symbols just to count would be a waste.¡±


    One thing I could tell about her right now, that she was only slightly curious. Not about any knowledge that I had, but myself as an entertainment. I stood in front of her, as she leisurely ate her fruits; and amused her with my stories, like a slightly stale TV show, turned on to relieve the boredom. I didn¡¯t let it gall my pride, I wasn¡¯t that prideful. With her every response I learnt more about this world. And, in turn, with every moment of me speaking back to her, I had yet another chance to pique her interest.


    ¡°Speed would be my guess, and there are only ten symbols.¡± From her description, I realized that they still had an alphabetic numeral system, like Greek or Cyrillic. Yet another grain of knowledge. Yet another hold for me to grab at: there were many reasons why the Hindu-Arabic system was much more common.


    I heard Sulla scoff.


    ¡°And if I had three shipments of wool, a thirteen hundred twenty bolts on two of them, and a fourteen hundred seventy-five on the last one,¡± She read from a parchment on the table, clearly amused. ¡°How much tax would I pay for all of them?¡±


    ¡°What is the tax rate?¡±


    She blinked, clearly not expecting such a response. ¡°One for forty measures. For the manor of my rank.¡±


    ¡°So two and a half per cent on forty-one fifteen,¡± I mused quietly, and then said louder: ¡°A hundred and two bolts and thirty-five over forty.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure how they counted fractions here, but it was unlikely that she would understand the notation I was used to. I was vaguely aware that alphabetic systems counted everything below one as a sum of common fractions like a half, a quarter and so on but I had no idea how their system worked exactly.


    I chose the middle ground.


    ¡°How long is the single bolt of cloth?¡±


    Domina turned away from the uncomfortably looking Sulla and looked at me once more. ¡°Two hundred arms in each.¡±


    ¡°So that would be a hundred and two bolts, as well as a hundred and seventy-five arms of loose cloth,¡± I concluded, happy with a neat answer.


    ¡°I also-¡± I tried to dig inside my pouch only to be interrupted by the wave of her hand, gesturing me to wait. I watched as she turned back and looked at Sulla once again, laying still. The tip of her tail twitching slightly.


    After few more seconds, he nodded at her, exhaling slightly. And then her gaze was on me. Her yellow eyes boring into mine, sucking me inside.


    Slowly her tail started to languidly move, drawing giant infinity symbols in the air.


    ¡°Hmm. So you do know how to count.¡± She wasn¡¯t looking at me with mild interest anymore. Her gaze wasn¡¯t of a bored noble but of a calculating merchant. ¡°Who was it, that taught you this system of counting?¡±


    My mind was full of gymnastics once again, trying to present as little information about my nanite body as possible. She asked for a person, and I had no idea what the Navigator name was, nor whoever coded the first nanite batch. What I knew was the name of a person who made the system popular.


    ¡°Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi¡± My statement made her blink, arch her eyebrow and frown at the orb in her hands. Was that some sort of testing device? Did I fail yet another magical test?


    ¡°Al¡­gorithmi¡± She murmured slowly, accepting my statement. ¡°And where is he now?¡±


    ¡°Dead.¡± Probably had been dead for millennia at least. ¡°I don¡¯t know anyone else. As far as I can tell I am the only one.¡± I added to prevent any other disappointments in the future.


    She leaned back contemplating. ¡°So you are the only one, who knows about this system?¡±


    ¡°As far as I know, yes.¡± Technically correct, I didn¡¯t know anyone. ¡°But it won¡¯t stay hidden if widely used, and it is not useful unless it is used. If you desire knowledge that is more lucrative in secret, I have that too.¡±


    Her brow rose up, intrigued. I quickly reached for my pouch only to be interrupted yet again by the wave of her hand.


    ¡°Domina?¡±


    ¡°You said it was a secret knowledge?¡± She stared me down, fingers tight on the orb.


    ¡°Yes, as far as I could tell as I explored the city yesterday, it is not known at least in Samat, perhaps across the Emanai as a whole.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± She leaned back. ¡°Leave us.¡±


    I tried to rise. ¡°Not you. Everyone else.¡± Only to stay in place, watching everyone around us leave.


    The hall grew quiet without the breath of many people within it. I shivered feeling open and vulnerable, like a fly in front of a hungry spider. A very foxy spider, that was lounging in front of me, her tail waving back and forth. Eating grapes like a proper spider should. Observing me.


    As if waiting for something.


    I raised my eyebrow in a wordless question, making her smirk.


    ¡°Some of them will know of what you will say here,¡± She reasoned. ¡°But they will know it from me and only if they need to.¡±


    I bowed my head in half-nod. ¡°Ah yes, operational security. You can¡¯t spill what you don¡¯t know.¡±


    She chuckled ¡°Your words peculiar but apt, I remember Irje saying something similar about your manner of speech.¡±


    ¡°Are you close?¡± I asked, emboldened by her friendly attitude.


    ¡°She is a useful part of my household.¡± The slight steel in her words made me mentally pull back. No need to be hasty. She continued. ¡°Are you close?¡±


    ¡°I consider her a friend, first and foremost. It is through her actions that I even have this audience right now, forgetting what she had done for me would be impossible and selfish.¡±


    Honestly, with what she had managed to do for me, her slip up today was not even an issue. And, objectively speaking, it was as much of my fault, as it was hers. Our nightly escapades were anything but silent.


    ¡°Good. You should remember that. Just as you will remember that all you have is through my goodwill alone, and no one¡¯s else.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Now, the secret?¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± I fumbled with my pouch, suddenly extremely self-conscious ¡°A fair warning this might look underwhelming.¡±


    ¡°Go on, out with it.¡±


    I opened the pouch and fished out a somewhat wilted branch of a succulent I¡¯ve picked up yesterday.


    ¡°This plant grows only near the saltwater, it drinks it and the salt stays behind.¡± I quickly rushed with the explanation seeing her frown. ¡°As such the ash of this plant is different from the plants that grow on freshwater. Soda ash.¡±


    I licked my lips and quickly glanced at her. I still had her attention. Good.


    I moved on, ¡°Personally, as you would expect, I went out looking for it to improve my soap even more, to make it even softer than it is right now.¡± I cast a quick glance at her butt. ¡°Much more gentle to wash the long hair.¡±


    Her tail made a twirl and landed in her arms. ¡°A product for a specific client.¡± She mused, stroking her tail.


    ¡°Exactly, a unique product. Found nowhere else.¡± I continued as she nodded, confirming my knowledge about the soap here. ¡°Fragrant and exquisite, with a price to match.¡±


    She smiled, ¡°And cheap to make.¡±


    I shared her smile ¡°The market is yours.¡±


    ¡°You speak like a merchant.¡±


    ¡°As far as I know the manor is famous for its deals in textile. It is expected that Domina would be the best in that regard. As such I speak to the best merchant in the household.¡± I extended my arm. A figurative olive branch in my palm.


    She took the branch from my hands, her fingers gentle and soft. ¡°You are very generous in sharing secrets, even to me.¡± She mused twirling the plant with her fingers.


    I shook my head ¡°Because their worth is nothing, while they are stuck within my mind. Just as with Irje, a lot of what I can do is simply impossible without your help.¡± I stroked my chin. ¡°In fact, you can consider this as my gift of thanks from the future.¡±


    ¡°Most would not risk so much on a first meeting.¡± She argued instead.


    ¡°That is correct. But remember when I said that it was your wealth that allowed you to take bigger risks?¡± Seeing her nod I carried on: ¡°It is the wealth of my knowledge, that allows me to risk more as well.¡±


    She smirked at me. ¡°Do you know what this is?¡±


    The orb.


    I smiled, expecting her answer somewhat. ¡°Unfortunately no, magic is beyond my current knowledge.¡±


    She quirked her brow at my remark but went on, ¡°This is the Orb of Truth. A personal gift from Gods. I can assume you know what it does from the name alone, although it has other uses.¡±


    ¡°A remarkable artefact, I can imagine how useful something like that could be.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. And through it, I know that you haven¡¯t lied once throughout the entire discussion. A commendable trait I could say so myself, but it makes me wonder.¡± She got up and walked around the table. ¡°How much more is there, in that head of yours.¡±


    Up close she was almost my height. Tiny but regal. She walked with enough poise not to worry about how others would judge her. For all would find her worthy of her title.


    I met her gaze unflinching, a hint of a smile still on my lips. While I had some dangerous knowledge I had even more that I could give.


    ¡°Well, a great example is in your hands already.¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°The plant. It is called Glasswort for a reason. The very same ash used to make soap is also used as a flux in glassmaking. This ash is used in the creation of clear glass.¡±


    ¡°The same glass, that we import from afar.¡±


    ¡°The same glass that could be made from the sand on the shores.¡±


    She hummed, clearly pleased with her probe. ¡°Anything else?¡±


    ¡°Plenty and none. I had plans to make a better loom but beyond that, it is hard to come up with useful applications for my knowledge. I was honest when I said I know how to count and more. Unfortunately, most of my knowledge is rather situational and generally useless.¡±


    She walked past me returning to her sofa. Her tail brushing my chin as she went by. She plucked another grape with an extremely pleased expression on her face. ¡°I should praise Sulla for his discerning eye.¡±


    ¡°He only bought me as an extra, free of charge. It is Irje that picked me from the crowd, washed the grim and made me shine.¡±


    ¡°You disapprove of his actions?¡±


    ¡°I am just stating the truth, and I do feel generous toward her. To praise one and not the other would be a disservice.¡±


    ¡°Then let this be my first lesson to you.¡± Her tone was serious. ¡°You should learn to speak appropriately about your betters.¡±


    I mentally bristled at that remark but kept silent.


    ¡°Staying quiet? Good. If Sulla was in the room when you spoke, you would have gotten nothing but his ire. You would¡¯ve put Irje at odds with him as well, her charge undermining his position. Sulla served me well, longer than you have been alive, and will continue long after you are dead. If I had to choose between the both of you my choice would be obvious.¡±


    ¡°I understand.¡± I really did. ¡°Forgive my words, I let my mouth open wider than my mind.¡±


    My choice of words made her snort. ¡°You really did.¡±


    Nevertheless, I bowed my head. ¡°Please advise me in the future.¡±


    Humming, she pulled out a parchment and started writing in it. ¡°I hope that I won¡¯t, but something is telling me that I would have to.¡±


    I had no words to refute that and nothing more to add so I watched her quietly as she wrote. Eventually, she was done with her task and quickly sealed her missive in a scroll.


    ¡°Here.¡± She passed it over to me. ¡°Take this and head out to the Primary Kiymetl Manor¡±


    Wait. This wasn¡¯t the main one?


    She continued on, not noticing my confusion. ¡°You are to meet Virnan Kiymetl Shah.¡± Her eyes once again bore into my soul like twin yellow lasers. ¡°Remember my lesson. I will not suffer you offending my own teacher. Tell him about your numbers, answer his questions. The rest he would know from the scroll.¡±


    I opened my mouth but, once again, she waved me off. Her mind clearly thinking about something else.


    ¡°Go. I expect you to impress him with your knowledge. I will call upon you in few days when I am ready. And call Sulla back on your way out.¡± She thought for a second. ¡°And Irje too.¡±


    It was hard to refute her when she was giving orders. She was probably born barking orders and demanding to be obeyed. Within seconds I was outside telling Sulla and Irje to head inside. Irje was still trying to avoid me. I sighed, tonight might be awkward once again.


    Still, I had things to do and she already disappeared into the hall anyway. Within minutes I was past the gates my feet taking me into the city at a brisk pace.


    And then I stopped.


    Suddenly.


    Where the fuck is the Primary Kiymetl Manor?

 Chapter 9.1 A Familiar Face.

    I felt the bead of sweat trail down my spine, making me shiver.


    My fingers clenched and relaxed, twitching in a nervous rhythm.


    ¡°Fuck, fuck, fuck. Fuckity, fuck, fuck.¡± My mouth wasn¡¯t far from my fingers.


    I sucked my breath inward, mentally beating myself over once again. What should I do? Return with a figurative tail between my legs and mar my, already sloppy, performance even further? I wasn¡¯t sure Domina would be generous for another lesson.


    Risk my luck? I glanced around, looking at the crowd. I was standing in an open plaza and, as open plazas do, it was filled with people milling, trading, and walking to their destinations. They definitely knew where they were heading, not like a genius over here. Could I ask someone for directions or merely asking something like that was bound to get my neck ripped out as well. Or some other part of my body.


    Speaking about that disastrous chase. My eyes, roaming through the crowd, spied someone I didn¡¯t expect to see at all. The red NPC. Still wearing his brilliant red coat. Albeit now he wasn¡¯t reading, but playing cards instead. By himself. And by the look on his face, he was clearly losing. His tail darting back and forth.


    I shook my head and headed over. He was a wermage, and it was obvious from the crowd as well. He was clearly left alone, despite his eccentric actions. The crowd bending around him like a school of fish around a shark. I would¡¯ve done the same if not for the words of the assholes that were chasing me. From how they worded it he wasn¡¯t just passively in their way, he actively blocked them off, merely seconds after letting me through.


    Suffice to say, I had strong reasons to believe he tried to help me that day. Perhaps, he would again today.


    ¡°Your sight is in my heart.¡± I bowed to him.


    He jerked upward, clearly distracted by his game, and glanced at me askance. His eyes darting from me to the card in his hand. I tried to apologize only to be stopped by his smile.


    ¡°And your name is on my lips.¡± He completed the greeting, stunning me with his attitude. Mother, uncle, Erf is up in the social circles, being greeted with maximum politeness by a wermage himself!


    He tucked the card into his coat and continued speaking. ¡°Although I do not know your name. How about a fair exchange. If you forgive my appearance-¡± he gestured at himself, a rather imposing figure. His long raven-black hair was simply braided at the back, crowned with a solid set of horns. Horns that I couldn¡¯t really place within any species that I knew of. They were large and curved, full of intricate ridges and a tint of blue along the edges. His skin covered in dark scales right where they grew from his head, just above his ears. The word ¡®demonic¡¯ came to mind, exacerbated by his red attire.


    The rest of his face, if one would take away the pointed ears with amber earrings, would fit perfectly on a poster about a good detective in the early days of cinema, still in 2D. 90¡¯s they were called. Also adding to the dashing devil stereotype.


    While I goggled at his continued levels of politeness. He moved on: ¡°-I would be delighted to know your name.¡±


    ¡°Erf.¡± I choked out. Wondering what have I gotten myself into.


    He gathered the rest of his cards, putting them away. ¡°A succinct name,¡± and the most polite way to call an obviously slave name. ¡°My name is Albin Shebet Chasya. Of the House of Records¡±, He pointed out at the trim of his dress, richly detailed with golden quills. ¡°But you can call me Albin. Or Al for short.¡±


    I smiled thinly at him. ¡°How about Albin Chasya, instead.¡± The house name was commonly omitted in personal conversation anyway, but calling him even by his given name was asking to get a neck short haircut. With a rusty blade most likely.


    ¡°If you insist,¡± He grimaced. ¡°So, I assume you were looking for my assistance, am I correct?¡±


    ¡°Ah yes, I was looking for a Primary Kiymetl Manor, Virnan Kiymetl Shah specifically.¡± I waved a scroll to describe my task, happy to steer him away from an awkward discussion about his name. Wondering to myself if this might be the correct time to hit the floor running instead. ¡°If you would be so kin-¡±


    ¡°Come!¡± he was already walking away at a fast pace, waving at me with his sleek but fleshy tail. ¡°I will show you the way, I was bored to death anyway here.¡±


    I swore under my breath and rushed after him. Despite his extremely suspicious attitude, he was actually helping me right now. And he helped me greatly before. I was sure about it now. As such, despite the alarm bells still ringing in my mind, I¡¯ve decided to risk it. Needs must when the devil drives. Or walks extremely quickly being well above two meters in height.


    ¡°Are you new to the city?¡± The Mephistopheles slowed down seeing me huff behind.


    ¡°Ah. Yes. Few weeks.¡±


    ¡°Splendid city, is it not?¡± He was rather talkative.


    ¡°Hah, Yes.¡± I wasn¡¯t, however. I was still trying to catch my breath. This whole meeting was already bad for my heart, sprinting after him through the crowd didn¡¯t help either. And I was still hungry, my body still craving nutrients after the chase.


    ¡°So¡­¡± He drawled, smiling at me conspiratorially ¡°You enjoy geometry and mathematics?¡±


    His words made me stumble. ¡°Wha?¡± Did he just-.


    ¡°No I haven¡¯t read your mind,¡± He interrupted me grinning, which didn¡¯t alleviate my worries at all.


    I scowled at him. It only made his smug more prominent.


    ¡°Finally, a genuine emotion! None of that polite chit-chat!¡±


    I held my glare for a moment, then sighed. I gave up on his exuberance. ¡°What gave it away?¡±


    ¡°Well, think about it for a second. We have here is you, who has very little knowledge of the city in general, and doesn''t even know the location of a Pillar Manor specifically.¡± His hand carelessly waved in the direction of the floating towers. One of which we were approaching ourselves.


    My eyes popped out at the implication. Was it true? Was I really getting an audience within a floating castle of magic? I couldn¡¯t stop myself from grinning. I¡¯ve spent so much time last week sweating at my soap, hoping for a miracle. And here I was, getting my wish granted because I knew how to add and multiply quickly in my head!


    ¡°-who has a missive from the-¡± ¡®Al¡¯ twisted his head, peering down at my scroll, and then continued, ¡°branch house. Now If I was thinking rationally, why would someone send a missive if the messenger doesn¡¯t know where he is going?¡±


    I was going to the floating tower! I wonder how would I feel inside? Does it have an anti-gravity field? Or was is it somehow anchored into the air?


    ¡°And not even paying attention to his guide.¡± He added morosely.


    ¡°I beg your pardon! I was simply overwhelmed with the fact that I am actually heading to one of the Pillars!¡± I quickly tried to apologize, and then, after cautiously looking around, continued. ¡°So why would someone do that, Albin?¡±


    ¡°Well, it is elementary, Erf! It is because the messenger is the missive himself!¡± He went on proudly, making me snort at his choice of words. No wonder he was so willing to talk to me plainly like that. The devil needed a companion, a sounding board for his ideas. He also needed a pipe and a violin.


    ¡°And the math?¡± I urged him on, knowing better what was expected from me.


    ¡°Well, who is Virnan Kiymetl Shah? The old fox has been a well-known party of the House of Trade for the last two centuries. Well known across the city, and I dare say an entire country as one of the most prominent teachers of rhetorics and geometry.¡±


    I sucked the air in, suddenly remembering Domina¡¯s words. Yeah, I should definitely keep my mouth under control.


    He nodded, clearly expecting my surprise, ¡°Indeed, everything makes sense if you look at it logically¡± and winked at me, grinning once again. ¡°No mind-reading required.¡±


    ¡°You seem to know mathematics yourself.¡±


    My statement amused him for some reason. ¡°Well, I do possess some familiarity with it, after all, a man of my status wouldn¡¯t dare to stay uneducated. But what made you think so? An why specifically mathematics and not geometry for example?¡±


    ¡°Your logic. One might say they are part of the same study. Math is inherently logical, and a lot of logic is mathematical. And geometry is simply a form of mathematics.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, Logic and mathematics, language and science. A very bold link for you to make.¡± he mused satisfied. ¡°You know that statement about geometry would probably put you at odds with the Old Fox out there¡± He waved at our destination, which already started to loom over my head.


    ¡°Should I avoid it?¡± That would be extremely important to know.


    ¡°Depends if you can prove your ground, He is old but not senile, yet.¡± I had a sinking feeling ¡®Albin¡¯ revelled in spitting at the social norms. Talking about someone in such a manner, especially to the messenger of the same house. Uncaring if I even bother spilling this to anyone. He probably avoided braiding his hair in the normal fashion for the same reason.


    ¡°What is there to disprove? One is part of the other.¡±


    ¡°Well don¡¯t ask me, I am a historian myself, but what I remember is that they consider geometry more ¡®pure¡¯¡± Yes, he did the quotation marks.


    I frowned. ¡°Pure? They are stuck in two and three dimensions at most, I fail to see how they can easily describe anything in higher dimensions, or anything infinite just as a start. I mean it¡¯s possible, but without heavily relying on math it would take years and it still wouldn''t make sense!¡±


    He looked at me. I actually shivered under his gaze. First, it was blank, then cold, and then amused. And the grin was back. ¡°She is one smart cookie, isn¡¯t she? I wonder where did she find you from.¡±


    I sighed, He was making mental circles around me again. But I gave myself some credit. He had a vastly greater pool of knowledge about this place compared to me. ¡°She is. And perhaps one day I will share my story with you in greater detail.¡±


    We were close to the gates of the compound. Gigantic tower looming above us as if holding the sky itself.


    ¡°Oh, but you must.¡± He laughed heartily ¡°I would be a poor historian to miss such a tale!¡±


    I smiled back at him, bowing slightly. ¡°Until we meet again.¡±


    ¡°Erf.¡± His tone was gentle but neutral, unusually for him. I raised my head. He stood in front of me, his hands in sleeves. ¡°Do you know why they call you murks?¡±


    I frowned at his non-sequitur. What was he about? ¡°Because we have no sparks?¡±


    I really didn¡¯t want to find out that I was wrong and the other shoe was finally dropping.


    ¡°That¡¯s what many think.¡±


    I glanced around, the street was dead. He chose a perfect spot to drop another bomb.


    ¡°We have?¡±


    ¡°Have or have not is hard to tell and beyond my knowledge. But if you do have it is definitely not lit up.¡±


    ¡°So?¡±


    He bent forward, his face close to mine. His eyes azure. ¡°The mind-reading Flow does exist. Luckily, very few know about it, but you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± He pulled back, his voice still quiet. ¡°The mind magic cannot touch you. Any of you. It finds your minds¡­ Murky.¡±


    That was extremely valuable knowledge to have, given at an extremely odd time. Flow? Is that how they called the magic? why are there two words instead of one?


    ¡°Is there a reason, why you are telling me this, right now?¡±


    ¡°Apart from the fact that it is the first time we spoke? No, just thought that you should know.¡± His grin was back. The moment broken. The crowd loud around us.


    ¡°Remember,¡± He tapped his head. ¡°Within your mind. Until you speak.¡±


    Until I speak.


    The orb.


    I bowed my head in quiet acknowledgement. When I lifted my eyes he was already walking away. What an odd fellow. Helpful but odd. Didn¡¯t even set up some method of communication for the future. Or did he think we will stumble onto each other like that again?


    Now that I think about it, maybe he did. And, maybe, he was right too.


    I turned around, facing the gates. I sighed. I counted to ten and then I knocked.

 Chapter 9.2 Tower.

    My entrance was a quiet and mundane affair. Up until I said who I was supposed to meet. First I was met with dismissal, then with disbelief and disapproval. Up to the moment, when someone in charge looked at the scroll and confirmed my task. Then it was disaster and dismay instead.


    Apparently, missives to this person were a common occurrence. Missives with a murk attachment, however, were not. In the true fashion of bureaucracy, I was pin-ponged from person to person, with each unwilling to send me directly to my destination but also afraid to suffer the consequences if my presence was actually important.


    I took it in stride, busy observing the intricacies of the magical compound. The tower loomed above my head. I actually noticed an interesting pattern: magical inscriptions were common, magical items, however, weren¡¯t. If I looked hard enough I could see lines and squiggles at the oddest of places. On the stones around flowerbeds, pillars supporting pavilions. Even on benches in the park.


    Magical items weren¡¯t just around. They were displayed. The main pathway, that I¡¯ve managed to cross thrice by now, each time with a different escort, had twelve glowing orbs acting as lampposts. Spread apart to cover the entire path, and still be visible from any spot. Found nowhere else. Clearly a limited commodity and extreme symbol of wealth.


    Unfortunate. I really wanted to see one up close, and try to figure out how and why does it emit a pale blue flame. I wondered if it released heat as well.


    We stepped into the grand hall, I haven¡¯t seen before. Clearly serving some arcane purpose or a ritual. The walls were spartan but engraved in a myriad of symbols. A giant figure on the ground, full of curves and pointed stars. A giant mandala made out of gold and precious stones. Four pillars at the corners.


    We stepped inside a servant and a guard beside me. And before I could ask a question about what we were doing here, everything turned white. Blinking out the tears from my eyes, I¡¯ve noticed that the door moved from one wall to another. Or we were in a different but similar room. Or I just turned around.


    ¡°Be awed. You have stepped into the Tower.¡± The servant proclaimed pompously, eyeing me like dirt on a fancy cup.


    So it was the second. I ignored his treatment. Wasn¡¯t the first time, I¡¯ve experienced something like that and, frankly, it shouldn¡¯t matter soon, as long as I don¡¯t screw up. Instead, I was overwhelmed by curiosity.


    ¡°We¡¯ve teleported? How does it work?¡± I asked a clearly startled servant. ¡°Does it bend space and link two spots together? Or does it simply break us apart and then rebuild us here?¡± My nanites were present and active, as such I was past the initial concern.


    The servant opened and closed his mouth silently, like a fish. The guard looked green to the face. As if she had eaten something bad.


    ¡°Enough with your gags! Shut up and follow me!¡± How rude. A simple ¡®I don¡¯t know¡¯ would¡¯ve sufficed.


    And so we went higher, climbing multiple floors and innumerable staircases. The servant wanted to lead us to another portal room, but the guard insisted on stairs instead. I didn¡¯t mind the exercise, I wasn¡¯t sprinting like mad and all this walking showed me more about the inner working of the tower.


    Unfortunately, there was plenty to see but no time to actually explore. Hurried by a cranky servant I let my heart break every time we walked past a splendid library, filled with arcane tomes and bored spiders. Or an alchemical laboratory, filled with glowing vials and shrooms that made you glow instead.


    The place was also occupied. I could see the resemblance with my Domina everywhere. We walked through a veritable anthill of red and orange. Foxes of every kind working, researching, arguing. And tails. Lots and lots of tails. I smirked to myself. Two days ago I¡¯ve seen a first wermage. Now every large room we were walking by had at least ten.


    I guess there would be enough clientele for the tail soap line.


    After some time we had arrived. The servant ripped the missive from my hands and disappeared into the office, while I stayed outside with a guard. It was still hard to grasp the social structure of this place. The servant was clearly a slave but yet worked with authority greater than a guard, a free citizen herself. Who was a part of this extended household, judging by her vulpine face and copper hair. Both were wer, most likely, climbing multiple floors in quick succession didn¡¯t phase either of them. And yet, she clearly followed him most of the time, while he clearly accepted her suggestions without snapping, like he did whenever I tried to ask anything.


    I shook my head ruefully and walked toward the window. The social structure was way more complicated than I thought. There were evidently multiple hierarchical ladders without any obvious comparison is status between. Ugh. And I was falling into this bog of interpersonal politics head first at breakneck speeds without realizing it. Up until today.


    She was indeed a ¡®smart cookie¡¯ with her lesson.


    I looked out of the window feeling the fresh air on my skin, enjoying the view in front of me. We weren¡¯t really that high from the ground, forty floors or so. But, since all other city buildings rarely reached past four, the view was spectacular. I could see the manors of the city. Islands of green among the spiderwebs of stone. The river bisecting it like a sapphire snake that was leashed with a multitude of bridges in return.


    The distant port, filled with sails, a tint of salt felt even here. The sea, full of fishermen and traders arriving and leaving. The hills of green around the city with roads expanding away like roots. And like roots they were full with moving carts, constantly supplying Samat with food and other produce. The city lived. And, like a giant set of hearts, seven towers floated above it all. Surrounding a giant open plaza devoid of people. A place of worship and yearly sacrifices to the gods of magic. Useless and intangible.


    My eyes narrowed at a particular detail.


    ¡°The Tower, it is moving.¡± Each tower had an amplitude, floating up and down. Hard to notice from the ground, but standing inside one it was obvious the motion was immense. ¡°But, I feel nothing. Why?¡±


    ¡°Magic,¡± The guard responded and then continued with worry in her voice, ¡°Why should we feel anything?¡±


    ¡°Because we accelerate with the Tower, and yet my body does not perceive acceleration. Does it mean it is actually somehow locked in space and time? But then we would be flying west with enough speed to grind us to dust across the hills! And yet I feel the gravity. Does it mean it somehow selectively warps the world around us? Or does it mimic the pull of the earth instead?¡±


    ¡°Enough! It works because the Gods willed it to be like that! Who are we to question their design.¡± She barked with annoyance in her voice. Her hand gripping a pillar, knuckles white. ¡°And step away from the window!¡±


    I shrugged my shoulders and stood aside while contemplating in my head how something like that was possible. For the first time after my talk with Irje, I grew frustrated with my inability to sense magic. Having it right now would¡¯ve been invaluable.


    A servant exited and left telling us to wait. That was to be expected, from all that I saw I was meeting a rather prominent figure in all regards. Even a letter from his student wouldn¡¯t make him drop everything and meet a slave with unknown potential. We waited more, the guard visibly uncomfortable with my presence until eventually I was called inside. Alone.


    Virnan Kiymetl Shah was exactly like Albin described. I watched him quietly as he peered over my scribbles in contemplation. His face set as his mind worked at the problem in front of him. Not senile. He had large silver ears and fox tail tinted in grey, languidly moving as he lied on his couch in quiet deliberation. Absentmindedly stroking his beard. Circular glasses over the slanted vulpine eyes like a real wise fox would have had.


    He hummed and dragged his stick through the sand covering the entire office floor, turning my three into an eight.


    ¡°It is much more susceptible to forgery.¡± His words calm, a mere statement of the fact.


    ¡°It most likely is. But that is not its main strength.¡±


    ¡°Yes, speed was it? But how a written system would affect your thoughts.¡±


    ¡°Well, just as mathematics itself does, it breaks a large problem into smaller parts, with each number being able to be solved separately and then added together as a whole.¡± My stick moved fast drawing multiple examples as I spoke, showing all four basic operations. ¡°What separates it from the other counting methods that while position matters it also makes it simple. Just as there ten ones in ten there are ten hundreds in a thousand, within their position, they all act the same, you just have to remember the position of the answer.¡±


    He watched me quietly, clearly engrossed in the drawings on the floor, fascinated by division especially.


    I made yet another, bigger example as I continued ¡°And with that as long as you can count to ten you can count forever. You can count numbers large and small this way. Each number after ones is but a sum of fractions, a tenth, a hundredth and so on.¡±


    ¡°And yet it still fails to do what geometry can do with ease.¡± He smirked at me


    I raised my eyes and looked at him smiling slyly. His eyes so narrow they looked like slits.


    ¡°Which is?¡±


    ¡°Diagonals of squares, for example¡±


    ¡°A square root?¡± I arched my eyebrow. Alright, old fox, you wanna play, let''s play. My stick drew yet another symbol. A square root of two. ¡°You mean this?¡± and then I started drawing digits. One, dot, four, one, four¡­


    ¡°Bah! That''s just an approximation, and you simply made up a squiggle!¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but what is math if not a choice¡± I kept writing numbers, making him frown. Human brains were bad as such calculations, I would have had to memorize this beforehand if I was normal. Unfortunately for him, my brain had additional hardware installed, perfectly capable of doing something so simple. I moved on ¡°Whenever we are stuck, we simply move on, inventing new things, assigning something simple to something complex, once the pattern is understood. Besides what about cubes?¡±


    ¡°What about them?¡±


    I drew a cubic root. ¡°They also have a diagonal right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and it is still more precise than that squiggle.¡± He definitely lost some steam there although he was smiling still, engaged in the discussion.


    ¡°And then?¡± I smiled back.


    ¡°And then what?¡±


    I drew the fourth root. ¡°What shape I need to get diagonal of that?¡±


    He stroked his chin in contemplation. ¡°Well you can probably do it with a bunch of squares in succession¡±


    I smiled and drew an n-th root in silence. And got a stick thrown between my eyes.


    ¡°And why would I need something so abstract.¡± He huffed.


    I handed him his stick back, rubbing my nose. ¡°What are numbers if not abstracts themselves. They have no sense of smell, nor taste, nor colour. We can¡¯t grasp them with our senses but our minds.¡±


    ¡°Hmpf.¡± He yanked his stick back. Unwilling to concede. ¡°And what makes you believe that same cannot be done with shapes instead? New forms?¡±


    ¡°Oh, I know that it¡¯s possible. But the mathematics is more than just numbers and shapes. There is calculus: the mathematics of change and motion.¡± I rubbed my fingers together as if rubbing coins. ¡°Compound interest too.¡±


    He sighed at looked at me. ¡°Who do you think I am?¡±


    I frowned, did I say something offensive? ¡°Virnan Kiymetl Shah¡±


    ¡°Exactly. I study math to understand the world! I study geometry to understand magic!¡±


    Truly?


    He went on, ¡°If you want to entice someone with something like that go talk to Aikerim Adal, she still only has gold in her eyes. This is the place of knowledge, not profit!¡±


    I let him vent standing quietly. So her name was Aikerim Kiymetl Adal, huh. Eventually, he sighed and picked up a cup of water as I went on, taking it as my cue, ¡°My apologies for using a wrong example. But then this branch also tells you how a curve curves, or how much area a certain shape takes. The reason I chose interest was that it is very easy to visualize the basic premise using cuts or any other money. A heuristic of sorts.¡±


    A spray of water met my face. What an ungrateful audience. ¡°Are you alright?¡± He was choking a bit.


    He waved me off with a stick, violently. ¡°Don¡¯t step on that!¡±


    I looked at my feet, I almost stepped on the square root sequence that I¡¯ve written. Okay, I took that back, I had a grateful audience, it just wasn¡¯t grateful to me.


    ¡°So, out with it.¡± He continued in a no-nonsense tone as if nothing happened.


    ¡°Er?¡±


    ¡°Your interest thing. Show it.¡±


    ¡°Well, imagine if an interest of a full cost per year¡­¡±


    And so I went, explaining the origin of Euler¡¯s number to a renowned mathematician who had been known for his knowledge more than I¡¯ve been alive. I broke in a cold sweat at the implication, a mere slave trying to explain something so basic to someone like that. Luckily for me, he was in extremely serious mode, absorbing my words like a sponge, not even thinking about something silly like pride. I felt myself closer to his greatness in doing so. Like a child with a time machine shakily explaining things to Archimedes, reading from a cheat sheet. And simply basking in his brilliance.


    Although I wasn¡¯t planning on introducing calculus with e, he was as stubborn as he was willing to learn. And more. Besides, he liked geometry, so I decided to give him a taste of yet another transcendental number, different from pi.


    Albin Shebet Chasya


    He walked briskly through the city, ignoring the crowd that spread apart in front of him. His tail twitching with excitement. A card gripped tightly in his hand.


    All his relatives had different ways of staving boredom off. All boring and mundane. And yet they dared to scoff at his. Braggarts. As if standing in front of a paper covering it in smudges, or sweating at the stone chipping pieces off somehow put you at the forefront of the intellectual elite.


    Him?


    He liked to murkwatch.


    It was so fascinating to find interesting stories among the average. He felt as if he was digging for treasure each time he went down onto the lower city, observing their lives. Some called his findings worthless trinkets and baubles, but he felt they made the history alive.


    Sparkies? They were obvious, their actions so predictable that it barely took him any real effort. He actively avoided doing so in fact, no point in making his life more boring. Wermurks were different, their minds clouded from scrying. Each one a puzzle to solve.


    He had gotten good at reading them by now. For most, he barely needed to even draw a card. For some, he did only to confirm his guess. Precious few surprised him.


    Until today.


    He glanced at the card in hand. The same one that he pulled last, just before they have spoken for the first time.


    The crossed swords.


    The male hand holding the blue blade. Arkshi, The Sky Father, The Protector drawing his blade to strike his wife.


    The female hand raising the yellow. Mreea, The Earth Mother, The Provider meeting her husband in battle.


    The Divine Divorce. The End of Times. Chaos. The card had many meanings each more intimidating than the other.


    He chuckled to himself and spoke, to no one, ¡°How interesting.¡±


    He turned around and stared at the silhouette of the tower he just left behind. Glowing runes flared up and, with a snap of fingers, dissolved to dust. The street fell silent.


    ¡°Well then, the child of chaos. A murk who speaks the language of magic. Walk your life and show me what the chaos really is. Yours might be the most interesting murk story I would ever write!¡± He proclaimed and then frowned. ¡°Although going around his Domina might prove tricky. Well, no matter!¡±


    He turned around and resumed his walk, whistling a tune. Avoiding the still figures slowly coming back to life.

 Chapter 10.1 Return

    I walked through the streets of the city, my eyes without focus.


    My shoulders tense from all the people bumping into me. My ears were indifferent to their curses. I was walking back.


    My head, full of cotton. My thoughts - the echoes of the long dead.


    I¡¯ve miscalculated. Badly.


    In my rush to make a perfect impression, I¡¯ve delved deep into my knowledge. Presenting carefully selected topics for the greatest impact. Totally forgetting about the human factor.


    There is a reason why mathematics fascinated people through the ages. And not the boring part about buying a cart of watermelons over and over again. Math is a puzzle of patterns, and sometimes after countless hours of searching something clicks. And you see in front of your eyes how pieces suddenly start fitting into each other, revealing something greater within. Something simple. Something magical.


    These things fascinated me and kept my mind occupied during my early days at Kiymetl Manor. As the boring days dragged by, with my hands busy with repetitive tasks. And that was with me as a passive viewer, sitting in my mind¡¯s theatre and enjoying it unfold on a figurative screen. A farmhand watching the world explain itself.


    They hit Virnan Shah like a bag of bricks. As he was hands deep in solving my suggested problems.


    Gone was the Virnan the Wise. A knowledgeable persona, willing to humour new ideas. After him went Virnan the Challenger, eager to argue things for the sake of arguing. And I saw Virnan the Student disappear, dead set on learning something new.


    I got Virnan the Child. And I just put a box of presents right in front of him. It was Christmas time.


    What started off as a tentative show of skill, turned into a deranged marathon of numbers. His inquisitive questions wrung my mind dry, as he jumped from topic to topic sampling the delectable bites, but never finishing the meal. Intent on solving things himself, but unwilling to stop any time soon.


    I¡¯ve spent almost a day within that Tower. Three hours were gone walking and waiting. For the next twenty or so hours, he shook me like a piggy bank of ideas. Reluctant to break but hell-bent to get that coin.


    I remembered my feeble suggestions about food, mostly ignored until he called in a few paltry snacks. I saw him screaming through the door that all his appointments are cancelled for the foreseeable future. A sentence that sent shivers of dread along my body. I recalled trying to sleep in the darkest corner of his office, my hand scooping sand to cover my head, as he was bent over a particularly challenging step. Only to be awoken two hours later to him waving a solution to my face.


    To my great fortune, and continuous sanity, he dug wide but not deep. He had a keen mind but this was a new way of abstract thinking and he still stumbled with things like infinities as a discrete mathematical concept. As his general exhaustion caught up with him, I was able to suggest most forcefully, that he needs a fresh mind to avoid any further mistakes. Vehemently declining any ideas of me sticking around through the generous reminders about Domina.


    His reluctance was palpable, but the name of Aikerim Adal held sway even here, so I was let go. Burdened with a golden amulet so that I could leave, and a promise that I would return.


    I was outside of the compound before it reached my body temperature, a cold weight above my heart. Legs pounding dust into the road, taking me away.


    At first, I roamed without purpose. My stiff, unused body enjoyed the exercise, stretching with every movement. Eager to do more. Eventually, my sluggish mind recovered enough to steer my steps toward the manor.


    My life at the manor wasn¡¯t bad, but the cage was still a cage no matter how intricate the golden bars were. What made me so eager to return was that the manor wasn¡¯t the cage itself. It was just a part of it, a familiar and safe branch to sit and rest.


    Before I¡¯ve gone exploring, I¡¯ve talked with Irje about city life and other useful knowledge to have. I also picked up a few bits myself walking the streets later.


    Living in the city was expensive. Scratch that. Living in Emanai was expensive. While food cost varied greatly with your standards and thus potentially affordable, housing wasn¡¯t. Add vagrancy laws to the mix and you had to pay to sleep or spend a night in jail. If you can call a pit in the ground, foul and filled with vermin, into which you were lowered in with a rope, a jail.


    Smaller cities had fewer jobs, and larger cities had higher prices, so most ended up in a vicious cycle of doing the same work, or bouncing between day jobs just so that they could pay for the next night.


    I chuckled to myself, approaching the gates. As far as potential went, in my case, I had much greater chances here than if I walked into this city as a free but unknown farmer.


    That didn¡¯t change my plans for the future. Just made the present more palatable. Or so I¡¯ve been telling myself all this time.


    Besides, I would miss Irje. And Yeva. Aikerim was scary though.


    ¡°Where is your seal, merk?¡± The guard looked tired and bored at the same time. Lucky bastard.


    I shuffled through my clothes trying to fish out the manor seal. My mind was trying to remember where did I put it. I got it yesterday from Sulla, didn¡¯t I? Although I did forget something. Ugh, it felt like ages ago. Well, it is an amulet so where did I¡­


    Aha!


    I fished it out from my neck showing it to the guard. Wait that was the wrong amulet.


    ¡°My deepest apologies! Please excuse my words!¡± It looked like someone shoved a spear through him. His body ramrod straight, eyes bulging. I could see the sweat forming on his face.


    ¡°Eh?¡±


    ¡°Please come on in! Let me inform the Domina at once!¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± The name woke up my sleepy mind. One more wermage was beyond me at the moment. ¡°I mean she knows, she will summon me later.¡±


    ¡°Of course, just please don¡¯t tell her about this!¡±


    ¡°Ah. Sure.¡± I was back on autopilot as I waved him off, walking inside. Apparently, it also worked like a Manor seal. Well maybe that was a Primary Manor Seal or something and therefore recognized in all branch houses?


    I glanced at it. A band of gold covered in script. Within it: large scales, most likely the symbol of the house, with the pillar on the background. All that supporting a crescent moon, its horns facing upward like bull¡¯s. The Symbol of Emanai Manorat.


    Interesting design. Obvious and visible. So that it could be recognized from far away.


    I tucked it back and moved on, quickly heading toward the recognizable shapes of workshops. Looking out to see familiar faces.


    It took me a while to find Irje, mostly because she was actively avoiding me. After few rather inadequate attempts at cornering her, I gave up. She could sit in her funk for a bit more. I still needed some rest time to even have a decent conversation anyway. A few hours doing something menial and boring would do me wonders.


    Like work. I was still tasked to do my chores. Whatever Domina has planned for me it was not a reason to celebrate prematurely and slack off, greatly annoying everyone around me.


    I plopped myself beside silently working Yeva and, without further ado, took half of her share. Making her exclaim in surprise.


    ¡°Erf! You¡¯re back!¡± She moved closer so our bodies could touch. Smiling. ¡°Where have you been?¡±


    I shuddered. Maybe that was a mistake.


    She gasped. ¡°Did something happen to you? Oh, if you don''t wanna talk that''s okay too!¡±


    I smiled ruefully. She was sweet and accommodating. ¡°An old man touched me. Inappropriately. All night. Poking at my mind with questions. Asking for the meaning of life, the universe, and everything.¡±


    She gasped silently at first. Her hand covering her mouth. Then frowned. Then, huffing indignantly, she mock-slapped me. ¡°You and your jokes! I was afraid there for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Hey! You are talking to a broken man here! I am hurt and require tender care.¡±


    ¡°There, there.¡± She patted my head with a small teasing smile.


    ¡°Ah much better. Thank you, Yeva. For your concern. But what I¡¯ve said is true, joking aside. I will tell you about it, but not tonight.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm. Sounds like you had enough of questions.¡±


    I hummed in agreement, and we set to work in silence.


    It was both a calming and invigorating experience. Working side by side. I could feel the tension in my mind unravel as I spent my time in limbo, my hindbrain easily handling all movements my hands required. Which wasn¡¯t surprising as it was the first target of enhancement. Nanites nearly rewriting my Purkinje cell network altogether, granting me swaths of new and expanded old ¡®muscle¡¯ memory. I still surprised myself once in a while with certain movements, that didn¡¯t make sense until I did them. Or the fact that certain sounds made my left hand curl up in weird shapes.


    A guitar would be nice right now.


    Yeva would occasionally tell me things as she worked. True to her word, she didn¡¯t ask any questions and mostly just focused on simple things that I had no problem listening to without much attention. She didn''t seem to expect any of my involvement either, perfectly content on speaking alone. From what I¡¯ve had gleaned in her monologues, Irje had been acting withdrawn to her as well. Poor girl. She just found some audience, only for one to disappear somewhere after getting summoned by the high and mighty, while the other was stuck in her own funk.


    I sighed internally not to spook my partner. Damn it Irje, sometimes you can act like a teenager. At least she had the presence of mind to tell Yeva that I was only temporally gone and not sold or executed.


    ¡°-She just started being snappy for no reason¡­¡± Yeva complained to me in the meantime. Nuzzling into me for comfort.


    ¡°Yes, for no reason.¡± A new harsh voice, full of sarcasm, interrupted us.


    I raised my eyes, trying to remember. Based on faint familiarity this was one of the slaves that been working with us all this time. That has been ignoring me up until today.


    ¡°Yes, I am talking to you, kid.¡± She continued, seeing that I¡¯ve noticed her. ¡°You get called to Domina and suddenly she is yelling at everyone for any simple mistake. The blind got it easy.¡±


    I sighed. Irje wasn¡¯t that bad as far as I could tell. It was more likely that it was the opposite, my presence, as well as our joint project, got her distracted from her original tasks. She just returned back to how she was before. Maybe a bit more eager.


    But that was there. And here I had an angry set of eyes piercing me, and I could see others glancing our way with similar emotions. I also didn¡¯t like the fact that they weren¡¯t just looking at me alone, or that Yeva wasn¡¯t particularly surprised with the outburst, just sad.


    No point guessing. ¡°What do you want?¡±


    ¡°What I want is for you to go and apologize to her!¡± She hissed, finally able to release her frustrations. ¡°I don''t care what you did to get her pissed, I don¡¯t care what you do for her to forgive you. Lick her off for all I care. But I want you to do it now!¡±


    I closed my eyes and gathered my thoughts. ¡°Fine, I¡¯ll do it, but I want something in return.¡± I could¡¯ve mentioned that she should be careful about those who got a personal summons from Domina, especially if the summon was most likely due to my invention. But arguing against emotions was nearly impossible, and I had no desire to escalate it further. Besides, I needed to confront her anyway.


    ¡°You expect me to listen to your demands?¡±


    ¡°Do you want me to do it this very moment?¡± I retorted with a question making her pause. ¡°I want this to be only between me and you.¡± I pointed at them. ¡°And no one else.¡± My hand gestured at Yeva.


    ¡°Fine, but remember kid. Screw up and your skin is on the line.¡± She highlighted her threat by her physical appearance, looming over me. Which was kind of lost on me after all that I¡¯ve been subjected to in the last twenty-four hours. Domina herself included.


    I got up, stretching. ¡°I guess I do have some unfinished business.¡±


    Yeva opened her mouth to argue but I silenced her by patting her head. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, and I¡¯ll see you tomorrow, most likely together with Irje.¡± I felt her nod slightly into my palm, mollified with my promise.


    I set off, my mind engaging in the task ahead. Glad for the rest it got. Arguments popped into my mind and vanished as I tried to plan ahead. Most of them relied on her possible responses and, thus unpredictable. I saw the look on her face before I left. She most likely wanted to apologize but got stuck not knowing how. I wasn¡¯t Domina who expected obedience or else. I also wasn¡¯t sure what exactly affected her the most. Her telling Domina about something I was trying to avoid, our relationship being known, or something else entirely.


    This wasn¡¯t like the case of a mistaken gender. And the suggestion to ¡®lick her off¡¯ won¡¯t likely work as well as I managed to accidentally pull off before. In fact, It might actually have an opposite reaction with her drawing in deeper into the fugue.


    That. Was an idea.


    My pace was brisk but silent. My feet automatically assuming a minor digitigrade gait. The coiled muscles in my legs were effortlessly keeping my heels slightly off the ground. Like a well-oiled mechanism, primed after its test run and now on stand by, ready to act. With my mind actually engaged it was much easier to stalk Irje. I kept my patience watching her move around waiting for a perfect time to strike.


    As I observed her work, the slave words started to make sense. Fortunately, she wasn¡¯t finding made up faults or setting up impossible tasks. Irje was technically just doing her job. The problem was that she was doing an excessive amount of it, not letting herself stop. And, unfortunately for others, her job was to supervise and to make sure the tasks were done properly. Turning her into a micromanaging menace.


    I shook my head silently following her into the storage shed she had inspected less than ten minutes ago. She was burning time. Occupying herself with unnecessary tasks in order to procrastinate on the looming issue. And, based on her previous reactions, the issue was already five steps behind her without her even realizing it. Issue¡¯s hands primed. Ready to strike.


    She noticed me too late, when I was less than a step behind her, my frame finally getting into her peripheral vision.


    ¡°Eeeep! Erf!¡± She turned around, her eyes looking frantically around, searching for an escape. ¡°Look. I-¡± My hand didn¡¯t let her finish, covering her mouth.


    ¡°Shhhh. Not a word.¡± I murmured, pushing her against the post of the barn.


    She tried to move, but my other hand landed on her leg and slid high. Under her clothes, up into her skirt. Finding her lower lips and cupping them as well. My middle finger easily sliding between her outer folds to find a warm but mostly dry embrace of Irje¡¯s inner petals. I let it lay there, teasing her entrance and applying the pressure on her nub.


    Strangely enough, while my presence and my palm on her mouth made her frantic, my later actions calmed her down almost instantly.


    I glanced down at her skirt, pushed up by my arm, revealing her toned legs squeezing my hand as well. And then I looked at her again.


    ¡°You were afraid this would stop?¡± My statement made her blush and glance away. ¡°Well it won¡¯t, I promise¡±


    I could feel her body loosening up and a hint of moisture with my fingertip.


    ¡°But.¡± Her attention was back at me ¡°You have been naughty.¡± She started to tense up again. And I continued. ¡°And naughty girls get punished.¡± I wiggled my finger as I said that making my intention known, drawing circles around her opening, spreading moisture around.


    Irje moaned slightly into my palm.


    ¡°Nod if you agree.¡±


    She took her time, enjoying my touch. Until I stopped. And then she cautiously nodded her head.


    ¡°Good girl.¡± She definitely liked that, my fingers could tell.


    I resumed my ministrations, stoking her fire as I spoke, ¡°Now, for the punishment. The first part - no talking. You can nod or shake your head if I ask you something. Nod, if you agree.¡±


    Her nod was surer this time. Her eyes, half-closed.


    That won¡¯t do.


    I pulled my hand away from her core, making her whine. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be a punishment if you liked every second of it.¡±


    She glared at me but didn¡¯t say anything back, even as I took my other hand from her mouth. ¡°Yes, just like that. You are already doing very good.¡±


    I pulled her deeper in, away from the doors and an accidental passerby. Into the pleasant shade away from other sounds and sensations. I saw her getting more flushed with every step, chewing her lip with anticipation.


    ¡°Remember the first night.¡± My words made her stumble a bit, her eyes looking at the pile of sacks I¡¯ve brought her to. ¡°Remember the sensations?¡±


    She nodded eagerly, her legs squirming together as I pulled my tunic off.


    ¡°Now.¡± I pulled her down, making her sit in front of me. ¡°I want you to do the same,¡± I said as she looked up at me incredulously, her face exactly where I wanted it to be.


    She sat in a daze as I hiked my shirt. My shaft in front of her face. I saw her glance at my hands moving and I placed them on her head.


    Irje tensed under my touch, her mouth opening up, but I simply stroked her hair, paying additional attention to her ears. At her questioning glance, I said, ¡°I am not going to fuck your face, I want you to give me pleasure yourself. Gently. Start with the tip.¡±


    Slowly, carefully, her hands wrapped around my shaft. Bringing the head to her lips. A tip of her tongue poked through her parted lips and gave me a tender lick. Followed by a gentle kiss on top.


    ¡°That is really good, you¡¯re doing great.¡± I praised her as her licks and kisses became more daring. ¡°Remember that the most sensitive spot is the ridge on the bottom of the tip, but the whole shaft is craving for your attention.¡±


    I guided her with generous praise as her lips roamed on my dick. Irje quickly picked them up even as occupied as she was. I hissed in pleasure as she gently closed her mouth over my head, her tongue moving back and forth underneath, grinding on my frenulum. She showered me with kisses all over my shaft only to swallow it whole after, her tongue teasing my opening inside.


    I guided her arms on how to jerk me as she sucked, only to collapse onto the sacks from pleasure mere seconds after. Irje¡¯s lips stayed glued to my dick as she followed my fall, leaning over me.


    ¡°Mmmm, you¡¯re doing so well, it¡¯s wonderful.¡± My words made her even more eager with every praise I said. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was punishment for her anymore, or even from the beginning. It was hard to think when a woman goes down you with such enthusiasm, her hands gently caressing my balls.


    I propped myself up so that I could see her better as she swallowed my shaft repeatedly. My hand once more reached into her hair, but this time she didn¡¯t even stop, fully engrossed in her task. My other hand went further, pulling down her neckline and cupping her breast. It was a crime to leave something gorgeous like that without proper attention.


    She moaned into my dick as I pinched her nipple.


    ¡°That feels good, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Irje made a sound of agreement, the vibrations giving me another wave of pleasure. ¡°You are doing such a good job, I can¡¯t wait to cum into you.¡±


    There was a slight in her rhythm but she kept at her task. Fully intent to get me off.


    ¡°Not a fan?¡± She continued even more aggressively as if trying to hide her slip up. ¡°That is fine ill give you a choice in this matter,¡± I murmured.


    I saw her raise her eyes from the target of her attention to me. ¡°This is still a punishment, don¡¯t drop any of it. Mmmmm. But afterwards, I¡¯ll let you choose if you ever want this to happen again or not.¡±


    She shot me an incredulous glance but I felt her movements turn even more relaxed now. More assured. Content.


    That feeling was the final straw that tipped me over. I grunted as I felt myself explode into her mouth. Trying my best not to pull too hard on her. My eyes wide open.


    Watching her.


    I saw her twitch, surprised by the sudden outburst. Her lips locked, not to make a mess. Her eyes wide, almost bulging like her cheeks. A face, full of surprise.


    ¡°Now your choice.¡± I smiled as I gently lifted her face from my shaft. Her lips holding my dick like the vice, leaving no trace behind.


    ¡°MMMMMM!¡± Irje was very expressive in her surprise, but hardly legible.


    ¡°Now you can spit it out and I will never ask you for it again.¡± She nearly choked from my words throwing me a dirty look. ¡°Or you can swallow it and-¡±


    A loud gulp interrupted my words. I blinked at her and then smiled. ¡°My, such a good girl you are.¡±


    ¡°Did you always taste like that?¡± Apparently, this was the last straw of her silence.


    I gently smacked her butt, ¡°You broke the rule. But, technically, the punishment was over. And it¡¯s is not like I tested it myself.¡±


    She ignored my non-answer. ¡°You mean I could have been sucking you off all this time!?¡±


    I almost blushed from her blunt statement. ¡°You liked it?¡±


    A rather silly question. I could see her smiling, licking her lips, trying to find anything leftover.


    ¡°Liked it? It was the sweetest taste I¡¯ve ever had!¡±


    I frowned ¡°Too sweet?¡± Should I modify it a bit more, diluting it further?


    ¡°Yer kidding me. It was tastier than anything I¡¯ve tried off Domina¡¯s table. And I did sample a lot of them over the years.¡±


    Huh. Apparently whoever designed the modification knew what they were doing. Or maybe that was the accumulation of multi-year research. People get stuck on weird details and sex is just one of them.


    ¡°I guess it was more of a reward rather than a punishment,¡± I mused, making her flinch.


    ¡°Look Erf, I am sorry about that. It¡¯s just Domina. It''s impossible to hide things from her.¡± She said twisting her arms as if now knowing what to do with them.


    ¡°Was it the orb?¡±


    ¡°Ah. No, she doesn¡¯t use it often. Doesn''t need it. I was actually surprised she used it on you. You didn¡¯t lie to her did you?¡±


    ¡°No, I went there to promote myself. Lying would have been counterproductive.¡±


    Irje snickered. ¡°Promote yourself. Sulla trying to count as fast as you did was hilarious. I almost died trying to keep myself quiet. What about after, where did you go?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve told her about glassmaking mostly and then she sent me to see Virnan Shah.¡±


    She gasped ¡°Shah? The Wise Fox of the Kiymetl? Oh wow, you really surprised her with your numbers then, probably more than your soap.¡±


    I smiled ruefully. ¡°And then I went on and tried to surprise him too. Damn old fox.¡±


    A hand smashed on my mouth. ¡°Are you crazy talking about someone like that! Domina would kill you!¡± Irje hissed.


    ¡°No. He talks too much. And no she most likely won''t. At least definitely not for that.¡± Seeing her scepticism I decided to shelve this conversation. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve spent a full day talking to him about it. I could tell you but not tonight: my tongue is dead from all that talking.¡±


    She visibly deflated at that.


    ¡°Hm? You were that curious?¡±


    ¡°Ah. No.¡± She blushed. ¡°It¡¯s just.¡± She was stuttering, her legs squirming a bit. ¡°I was hoping we could continue in my room.¡±


    Her fingers clenched her dress and slowly raised it. Showing me the multiple wet streaks running down her legs from her drenched pussy.


    ¡°Oh, you liked it that much? You naughty girl. Keep it open.¡± She bit her lip and blushed harder. Standing in front of me exposed. ¡°Good girl.¡±


    I brought my face closer to her peach and inhaled its scent. I looked up at her, my hand running over her fuzzy mound. ¡°Do you know why you are a good girl?¡±


    ¡°I did as you asked?¡± She panted


    ¡°That, but most importantly because you asked.¡± I made a gentle peck right over her hood, making her moan. ¡°Instead of avoiding your fears, you met them head-on,¡± I murmured into her slit. Loud enough for her to hear, and feel my breath with her skin.


    I grabbed her butt and squeezed, pushing her closer with my hug. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid of talking to me. We can always solve the problems together. Especially if the problem is between us.¡± I nuzzled into her fuzz as she dug her fingers into my hair.


    ¡°Will you do that for me, from now on?¡±


    ¡°I¡­Ahh. I will.¡±


    ¡°Good girl.¡±


    She shook in my embrace and I saw yet another streak emerge from her folds. I didn¡¯t realize she was this close. ¡°Oh, Erf. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet,¡± I said as I got up.


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    I stroked her chin, enjoying the pleasure on her face. Irje stood still, leaning into my hand. Her hands still holding her dress up. Flashing me.


    ¡°Good girls deserve a reward. Finish what you need to do tonight and meet me in your room.¡± That was my original plan anyway and I was kinda getting excited myself.


    ¡°Uhm. Okay!¡± Answered a flurry of activity in front of me. After few surprised blinks, Irje¡¯s silhouette disappeared through the door.


    ¡°That was fast,¡± I said to my audience. The spiders up in the rafters agreed.

 Chapter 10.2 Sulla

    Sulla


    He stood in her office in silence, watching her read. The scroll with a Golden seal of Kiymetl on it. A slight grimace on her face.


    Nothing serious then.


    Eventually, Domina sighed and put the scroll away. ¡°Mother. She means well but can be overbearing sometimes.¡± Domina said as she stretched on her sofa.


    ¡®A fruit from a tree¡¯ but he kept his thoughts with him.


    Instead, he slightly bowed and asked, ¡°Anything requiring my skills?¡±


    ¡°No. There are upcoming changes to the Divine rituals it seems, but nothing set in stone.¡± She mused more to herself. ¡°Do you know why I summoned you?¡± Another manner of hers.


    ¡°I do not wish to presume.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm, a pity. I have received a missive from my uncle.¡± She moved on.


    ¡°Virnan Shah? So this is about the kid?¡± He obliged her habits.


    ¡°No. And Yes. Not Virnan Shah, my uncle.¡±


    ¡®What? Oh OH.¡¯ ¡°So the kid really knows numbers.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. He is planning on visiting me at any moment.¡±


    Sulla choked. ¡°What the hell did he do?¡±


    Aikerim Adal smiled to herself and stroked her chin. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I intend to find out. And I want to be prepared for the conversation. What have you found?¡±


    ¡°Of course. The merchant knows nothing. I¡¯ve traded with him in the past and know his character. As far as he knows he gave us a free product as a gesture of goodwill.¡±


    Domina grimaced. ¡°That won¡¯t do. What manor is he from? Kishava?¡± He nodded and she continued. ¡°Since you know him ¡ª organize a list of ideas for a worthy response. Something grand enough for them to happily accept and consider the case closed, but not enough for them to get interested. Or worst, remember it later.¡±


    ¡°It will be done. One more suggestion if I may. The kid was also most likely starved by the merchant or even before. I barely recognized him when I brought him over compared to the urchin, the merchant had dumped on me. It was unlikely that he would¡¯ve gotten much from him or the blind girl anyway.¡±


    ¡°Good. That means he is unlikely to remember him in the future. Have you found anything on the so-called Muhammad Algorithmi? Or the Ibnmusa Manor?¡±


    ¡°Nothing. The names are weird, people would¡¯ve noticed them if anyone like that existed. Most likely fake.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm. And yet he believed him existing some time ago.¡±


    ¡°A fake name for the kid alone?¡± He mused.


    ¡°Perhaps, continue your search just in case. What are your other thoughts?¡± She went on.


    Sulla frowned thinking. ¡°Didn¡¯t know the city when was bought. Spent gawking all the way. His knowledge and manner of speech are concerning. For the old dog not to pick up on that it meant that he was most likely silent all the trip, or faked it. But then why would he be sold for cheap unless the manor that sold him was unaware either.¡±


    ¡°A farm manor rarely has the slaves nearby, they spend most of their lives on the fields and in the pens,¡± Domina argued.


    ¡°Perhaps but speech would have been obvious. Either he has been faking it most of his life, only to stop doing it now. Or he started speaking like this very recently. Somewhere between meeting Irje and, maybe, few years before being sold at the farm.¡± He glanced cautiously at her and continued. ¡°It would be presumptuous to assume but-¡±


    ¡°Possession?¡± Domina interrupted. ¡°I know sounds somewhat similar but he is a murk. Why would a magical daimon possess a non-magical body? And why does it have no knowledge about magic, to begin with.¡±


    ¡°A mathematical daimon?¡±


    Domina laughed incredulously at his suggestion. ¡°Sounds preposterous but about right!¡± And then the laughter was gone. ¡°There is another form of mind magic.¡±


    ¡°Inserting memories? But only They are likely to know something like that. Didn¡¯t he deny any plans?¡± He said hesitantly.


    ¡°Most likely. And he denied any plans that he knew about. Knowing Them it is possible he could be sent not against us but to target something else with his presence alone.¡±


    He shivered. He didn¡¯t like to think about Heurisks, much less talking about them. ¡°Should I get rid of him?¡± It was an option too.


    Domina thought for few moments, then sighed. ¡°No. He is too valuable to kill that easily, especially judging by Virnan¡¯s behaviour. And I would not dare to incur Their wrath by removing a pawn of Their making.¡±


    ¡°And if They didn¡¯t?¡±


    Domina shot him a look. ¡°Think who you are talking about, by now They already did. Or have plans in place.¡±


    Before he could speak, the runic circle lit up in front of her. ¡°My Domina, Virnan Kiymetl Shah has arrived!¡±


    ¡°Bring him in.¡± She spoke into it.


    Sulla bowed. ¡°I shall excuse myself, then.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Her word gave him pause.


    ¡°Domina?¡±


    She shot him a sly smirk. ¡°My uncle has requested to see his niece. To talk about family matters. Unfortunately, she is busy right now and only Domina is currently available.¡±


    He shuddered as she continued. ¡°While niece might be encouraged to think about her family, it is Domina¡¯s prerogative to see her own manor prosper, is it not?¡±


    ¡°Indeed, my Domina¡± He forced out. Aware that his presence alone might antagonize the famous rhetor now.


    Virnan Shah arrived shortly. His sight made his eyes bulge and Domina blink in real surprise. Unable to offer proper greetings.


    His bloodshot red eyes covered in dusty glasses shot across the room, He scowled to see Sulla here but otherwise let out a sigh.


    ¡°Are¡­Are you alright, uncle?¡± Despite all her plans, she looked worried.


    ¡°Fine.¡± He huffed eyeing one of the visitor sofas but still standing instead.


    ¡°If you are sure.¡± She answered slowly. ¡°So what caused such a visit?¡±


    ¡°Erf. I want him. Sell him to me.¡± Sulla couldn¡¯t stop but raise an eyebrow. Blunt as he was he never skipped that many steps in the conversation before.


    ¡°So I guess his numbers work.¡± Domina drawled, with a small smirk on her face. Most likely jumping to similar conclusions.


    ¡°Yes. But not for you, easy to forge.¡± He waved at her.


    ¡°He did count rather fast.¡± She wouldn¡¯t let it go.


    ¡°So sell him to me and buy a couple of accountants, for your work they would be faster. I can give you some of mine if you want. They can count the interest for you.¡±


    Domina¡¯s eyes opened wide. ¡°Interest?¡±


    Virnan Shah swore under the breath.


    She continued her smile growing. ¡°You mean that you have discussed financial interest with him. Erf right? And you, Virnan Shah the self-proclaimed hater of mercantile math of the Kiymetl didn¡¯t kick him out?¡±


    Sulla nodded along, agreeing with her. The kid definitely knew his numbers.


    Her uncle looked at her tiredly. And then sighed. ¡°Just give me the price.¡±


    She hummed as her hand reached out for a grape. Enjoying her entertainment. ¡°Well I, as the Domina of my manor can¡¯t just give away something so useful for a paltry sum.¡± He waved at her. Urging her to get on with it. ¡°And what is every Domina¡¯s wish but to see her manor become the primary one upon the next election?¡±


    Sulla shook his head as the room plunged into an awkward silence. She had a flair for grandeur and mischief sometimes.


    Domina, idly eating her grape was smiling. And then she blinked. Smile gone, and eyes wide.


    He nearly had a heart attack right on the spot.


    Virnan Shah was actually considering it!


    The silence was interrupted by Domina choking on her grape. Sulla rushed to help but she stopped him, managing to handle it on her own. Eventually, Virnan sighed.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I don¡¯t know enough about him to offer something so extreme yet. And even if he is then what? My word alone is not enough and if it manages to push the scales you would become my Domina as well. And he would be beholden to you then anyway.¡±


    ¡°A pity,¡± She croaked reaching for some wine.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± Sulla knew that voice. Or lack of emotion from the refusal specifically. He had something.


    ¡°It was a pity, I actually enjoyed our conversation. We¡¯ve spent quite some time discussing your interests.¡± He glanced at her leading on. ¡°For about twenty hours or so.¡±


    Virnan timed his delivery perfectly. As the wine rainbow across the table suggested. Aikerim Adal looked at him askance, wiping off the wine from her chin. Sulla was lucky he wasn¡¯t drinking himself or he would¡¯ve joined her too.


    He continued his monologue, smiling slightly and stroking his beard. ¡°You might wonder why did I allow him to talk about something ¡®routine¡¯ like that but he used a peculiar word describing his examples.¡± He reached inside his black khalat and pulled out a note.


    The note was rough around the edges. Clearly, a piece ripped out from somewhere else. And small enough to contain a single word at most.


    Whatever the word was it was something bad as Domina sucked her breath in.


    ¡°Well time moves on and I must go my dear Aikerim Adal. I have another meeting to attend.¡± He finished loudly and then muttered to himself. ¡°I wanna see that old hag choke on her stupid theories now.¡±


    ¡°Ah, please wait for a second.¡± Domina jumped up, her hand setting the note on fire with a quick trace. ¡°I am extremely grateful for this meeting and, if you don''t mind I would like to give you a proper gift for such private conversation.¡±


    ¡°Ah, but you shouldn¡¯t, it was just a talk. Nothing a Domina should concern herself about.¡±


    ¡°But uncle!¡± Sulla¡¯s eyes were tired from bulging by this time. ¡°As your favourite niece, it is simply improper!¡±


    ¡°If you insist. But you know me, I have enough material possessions already. All I do nowadays is study geometry and teach younglings.¡±


    They stared at each other. As Sulla wondered if it was possible to fall through the floor and disappear.


    Eventually, Domina sighed. ¡°Perhaps he could visit the tower once in a while when he is free and willing.¡±


    ¡°Splendid! But not for a while, perhaps, I need to prepare.¡±


    ¡°What did he manage to tell you for it to take twenty hours?¡± She called after him as he reached the door and pointed at the ash on the table. ¡°Besides that.¡±


    He turned around. His grin, maniacal. ¡°He taught me how to count eternity!¡±


    And left.


    They stood together, in silence. Looking at the empty door. Moments passed.


    Eventually, something jumped into his mind. ¡°Willing?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Willing.¡± Domina said, her eyes unmoving. ¡°I just need to make him not.¡±


    He followed her gaze and stared once again at the door. Somehow what lied beyond it made him anxious. A great unknown that Virnan Kiymetl Shah just eagerly went into.


    "Sulla."


    "Yes. My Domina."


    "No active searches. Observe, collect but don''t inquire."


    "As you wish. My Domina."


    Kid. For three horns¡¯ sake, what kind of numbers did you know?

 Chapter 11.1 Promise

    I sighed as I woke up with a familiar yet new feeling. I opened my eyes, looked down, and, groaning, let my head fall back. Eyes closed once again.


    ¡°Irje?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°Nthn.¡±


    I shivered from a new sensation caused by her voice.


    ¡°Uh-huh. So it has nothing to do with all the questions you¡¯ve been asking yesterday?¡±


    ¡°Uh, nh uh.¡±


    ¡°You are doing great by the way. Very enjoyable.¡±


    ¡°Mmmmmmmh¡±


    ¡°You know. It makes me wonder.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    ¡°The last couple of days have been nothing but great. But today feels very special.¡±


    ¡°U wlkm.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Irje.¡± I continued. ¡°Also out of character somewhat. Almost feels like you are planning something.¡±


    ¡°Ghk!¡±


    ¡°Ooh, that felt wonderful. But really you sure you aren''t trying to get me into a certain mood or anything right?¡±


    ¡°Uhmmm. Nh.¡±


    Damn. That head-shake hit the spot.


    ¡°Oh, please forgive me then for assuming. You know you¡¯ve been very inquisitive yesterday after meeting Domina, I ended up making wrong assumptions.¡±


    ¡°Uhmmmmm.¡±


    ¡°Oh don''t stop! I am almost there.¡± My hands grabbed her head, keeping her in place. I came softly, filling her mouth completely in a well-practised move. The last few days were rather quiet and Irje took it as an opportunity to ¡®milk¡¯ me daily. And, sometimes, even more often. She had quite a sweet tooth apparently.


    I stretched languidly, cracking my eyes. She was enjoying her treat, looking guilty nevertheless.


    ¡°Go on. Spill it.¡±


    ¡°Um don''t be mad?¡± She ventured.


    ¡°I am not mad, more amused. Really.¡± I said. ¡°Unless it is something extremely heinous. Besides I got a very pleasant wake-up. I should at least listen to it.¡±


    ¡°Can I have the soap?¡± She blurted out quickly.


    ¡°Sure, it''s in the chest,¡± I said cheekily.


    ¡°You prick! I meant the production, I want to lead it. You know you have other plans and it¡¯s my chance!¡±


    ¡°So you decided to use the tongue skills I¡¯ve taught you over the last two days. And then even asked about using your chest at the same time to make the experience even better?¡± I grinned at her, making her twitch. ¡°That definitely did the trick, it''s yours.¡±


    ¡°Oh, thank you!¡± She lunged at me with a hug, that I welcomed easily.


    ¡°I mean I would have given it to you if you just asked.¡± I mused, making her grow still in my embrace. ¡°In fact. I would probably asked you yourself if you didn¡¯t. But it¡¯s definitely the wake up I¡¯ve gotten that changed my mind.¡± I finished as she laughed.


    ¡°Oh? An here I thought I had to try harder. Maybe use some other tricks,¡± She mused, picking up on my teasing tone.


    ¡°Erm,¡± I swallowed shifting my eyes, it was my time to stumble. ¡°Maybe I should think about this a bit more? It is an important decision.¡±


    ¡°Oh no! And how could I encourage you not to change your mind?¡± Irje followed along, grinding on my leg.


    ¡°But it¡¯s not the mind you need to change.¡± I pushed us apart winking at her. ¡°You see.¡± I glanced downward. ¡°The mind is willing but the flesh is spongy and bruised.¡±


    She followed my gaze and broke in laughter once again. Uproariously, with her head tilted up. It did wonderful things with her body.


    ¡°There is only one way for you to do it,¡± I said as she got a hold of herself. Pushing us just a bit more apart. ¡°You got to be very gentle. In fact, you can¡¯t touch it just yet.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°Remember that morning when I left you high and needy?¡± I asked. She was sitting properly in my lap now facing me. Her legs wrapped around my torso.


    ¡°Mmm-hmm,¡± She hummed, her eyes closed.


    ¡°I want you to show me what you did after.¡±


    Her eyes popped open, face aflush, as I spread her legs apart. We were close enough that I could still feel her heat and smell her body, but too far to block the view.


    She licked her lips and looked down once again. A small gap between our bodies separated our groins. Enough for her hands to reach. Enough for my shaft to touch when it gets hard once again.


    Her breathing slowly picked up the pace. A hand shakily rose up and enveloped her breast, lifting it lightly. Pinching her aroused nipple. Hard. Harder. A moan escaped her lips.


    It was the moments like this that I understood how resilient wer were. No wonder, that her entire repertoire consisted of rather aggressive sexual acts. It was also no wonder why she responded so well to my more gentle touch. Like a breeze of fresh air, full of warmth, that made even weathered seamen smile and reminisce in their childhood.


    ¡°Tell me what you thought,¡± I murmured to Irje, caressing her chin. A slight touch to the sensitive spots of her neck.


    ¡°I thought of that.¡± She gasped. ¡°About your fingers. Roaming around my body. Showing me the things I have never felt before.¡±


    A lick on her lips.


    ¡°Hoping for more.¡±


    My hand mirrored hers. Occupying her other breast. My thumb pinched her nipple much harder than I used to. Irje sucked her breath, her eyes closed, lost in sensations. Her hips started rocking, picking up in speed when I, instead of pinching, rolled the nipple over my index finger.


    ¡°That! Just like that!¡± She groaned, her hand now mimicking mine.


    Her other hand slid down her stomach. She was trying to grind sitting on top of me but my legs were spread apart, depriving her of the direct sensations she craved most. Worse, swaying on top of my lap spread her legs more, keeping her skin taut and pulling at her core, teasing it instead.


    ¡°Not like that.¡± My voice made her palm stop on top of her mound. ¡°You are supposed to show me.¡±


    Irje licked her lips, dry again from constant panting. Her palm spread apart showing the pink flesh between the fingers. The middle finger on her sensitive spot.


    ¡°Good girl.¡±


    ¡°I remembered your kisses,¡± Invigorated by my words, her tale resumed. ¡°Touching me here. So annoyingly gently.¡±


    She added another finger to the fray as both of them moved rapidly around her clit. Stimulating it. Her pussy responded to her ministrations readily filling the room with moist noises.


    Her scent hit me as her juices started flowing down her legs, lubricating mine. My dick twitched in response as the rocking turned into sliding. My thighs savouring the sensation of slippery flesh gliding over them.


    ¡°I imagined your fingers on my opening.¡± Irje went on uninterrupted. Her twin fingers suddenly spread apart, opening her folds even wider. Giving me a glimpse past her entrance and making my dick rock hard from invitation alone. ¡°Trailing the edges. I craved for your prick doing the same.¡±


    ¡°You are doing great. Feel that desire,¡± I murmured grabbing my shaft and carefully aiming it. My own desire burning hot, yearning for her flesh. ¡°Imagine the feeling of my tip on your lips. Does it feel like this?¡± I continued as the tip of my dick touched her spread opening right between her fingers. Trailing around exactly as she said.


    I couldn¡¯t feel anything past the velvety hot touch on my crown. My heart beating hard in anticipation. Through our groins kiss, I could feel hers beating just as fast.


    ¡°Erf!¡± She cried trying to slam into me and hitting my palm. ¡°Please!¡±


    ¡°Please, what?¡± I pulled on her nipple. My other hand gripped her hip, keeping us exactly apart for my tip to be only slightly inside. Holding us in place.


    ¡°Fuck me! I need you in me!¡±


    My hand pulled hard. Smashing our groins with a wet slap. My shaft roughly impaling her body. Making her howl in pleasure, her entire body twitching. Her legs were painfully tight around my body. I heard the rumble through her room as every loose item around us slid closer.


    ¡°Like that?¡±


    ¡°Fuck! Yes! No! More!¡± Came a frenzied demand instead.


    I grabbed her with both arms, easily pulling us away only to slam her back even harder. ¡°Yesssss!¡± And again. ¡°Fuck!¡± Again. ¡°More!¡±


    My lap, covered in Irje¡¯s juices, offered no friction, allowing me to slide her around with ease. My arms moved non stop, pushing her out and smashing her back in, with a fast-paced rhythm. Irje didn¡¯t slack off either. Her pelvis moved with my pace adding additional motions to our tantric dance. Her hand holding her stable, the other still clawing at her breast.


    Her words quickly turned into grunts, then total gibberish filled with moans. But, in a moment of clarity, she looked at me, her eyes full of lust and greed. Her lips moving in a silent plea. A silent scream.


    ¡°Harder!¡±


    My hands squeezed hard, squashing her butt. My fingers teasing her puckered hole. My legs lifting me up to slam into her as well in a mad frenzy.


    She squealed from my grip, the pace unbroken. And pulled my face into hers. Claiming my lips. Her tongue conquering my mouth. Her hand grabbing hair. A shallow murmur between us.


    ¡°Harder.¡±


    Her back hit the floor. Her legs on my shoulders. A hand close to her neck to brace her, and pierce her harder. Making her moan. Another on her breast again, pinching the nipple from upside down. Making her scream. My breath has been rugged for some time now, my lips drying up without Irje¡¯s tongue to keep them moist.


    ¡°Har-¡±


    I pushed her legs down to her face, folding her over. Her folds indecently lifted up into the air. Allowing me to rise and fall on them like a pile-driver pushing a beam into a freshly ploughed earth. My sweat dripped from my face and fell on her body. Mixing with hers. Our laboured breaths mixed together only to be drowned out by the wet slaps of our flesh. My groin on fire. My mind consumed with the desire to fill her. Claim her.


    ¡°-der.¡±


    My hand pulled her legs together, squeezing her opening in turn. Pushing me closer to the edge. While she arched from new sensations, my other hand descended on her breast once more. I pinched and then pulled, dragging myself into her squealing mouth. Riding on my edge, I let my kiss linger, sheathing in her over and over. Basking in the feeling of her pliant body under me. Welcoming me. Giving me absolute control over her flesh.


    Eventually, her eyes fluttered and focused on me.


    I smiled at her, gave her a gentle peck without stopping our frenzy. And-


    ¡°Mine.¡±


    Came into her.


    I slammed myself tightly, filling her up with my seed. My body shuddering from the plethora of emotions. I felt her muscles coil around me as she came as well, her pussy trying to milk me as hard as her mouth did just recently. I saw her flat stomach bulge slightly from the overflowing cum until it eventually leaked out around us.


    Irje unravelled under me like a vibrant flower welcoming the morning sun. The sweat beaded on her body like the morning dew. Her arms fell apart in quiet bliss as her legs slid off from me. I collapsed on top of her, still breathing hard. My head finding its personal favourite spot inside the volley of her chest.


    We laid like this together. With me still sheathed inside. Slowly coming down from the rush of sex. Irje caught her breath quicker than I did but still twitched randomly as aftershocks hit her body with the echoes of past orgasms.


    ¡°You mean it?¡± She quietly whispered.


    ¡°Hmmm?¡± I hummed, my nose gently burrowed into her breast.


    ¡°That I am yours? Will you take care of me?¡± As her voice grew louder I could hear how broken it was.


    I jerked upward, facing her, ¡°Of course! What¡¯s wrong?¡± my hands gently caressed her cheeks as I kissed her tears away.


    She sniffed looking extremely fragile in my arms. Her hands grasping at me. ¡°Promise me! That you won¡¯t leave me.¡±


    ¡°I promise. Why would I ever do something like that?¡±


    ¡°No. Not like that. Promise me on the Divine Horns of Magic that you won''t!¡±.


    I quickly obliged her request as she held me tightly in her arms, still sniffling. I wasn¡¯t sure how effective such promise was from the mouth of a murk but it mattered to her so I kept quiet.


    ¡°Alright. What is wrong?¡± I asked when she calmed down somewhat.


    ¡°Everything is! If someone told me I would be saying these things a few handfuls of days ago I would have scoffed at them. Called them mad. And yet here I am¡­¡± She chuckled ruefully. ¡°Over these days you gave me the attention I didn¡¯t know I missed. The knowledge that no one in Emanai had before. Even Domina praised me! And asked for my opinions! And you¡­ Erf, every night has been bliss with you in my arms. I¡­ I just don''t want this to end¡­ I don¡¯t want to wake up from a dream like that.¡± Her voice started to crack again.


    ¡°And why would it end? It is just a beginning.¡± I gently said, my hand gently stroking her head, caressing her ears.


    ¡°Do you think I am blind? You come up with ideas that make Domina pay attention. A short meeting after and she is already planning to set up a new workshop! You head out gallivanting to the Primary Manor and return with a golden Gestr on your neck! There are only four people who have these. Four! And all of them are Matriarchs of their own Primary Manors themselves!¡±


    Oh wow, Virnan got me saddled with quite a burden.


    Irje continued, ¡°I know this isn¡¯t your limit. I know you will head out and do more. This is just a stepping stone within your path. Just one of many more. You will go on walking further with me left behind.¡±


    ¡°So, what is stopping you from walking with me?¡± I asked.


    ¡°If you haven¡¯t noticed I don¡¯t happen just to know the hidden mysteries of the world like some do,¡± She grumbled without heat.


    ¡°I appreciate a compliment, but so what?¡± She glanced at me, confusion in her eyes. ¡°You said it yourself, a few days ago you had no idea how soap was made and now Domina herself is asking you for your input.¡±


    ¡°But, you taught me that.¡±


    ¡°Yes. And what makes you believe I would stop doing it?¡± I raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°It just means I, once again, depend on your gifts,¡± Irje murmured softly. Her hands caressing me in a hug.


    ¡°What is wrong with that? Is it wrong to depend on others, or you don¡¯t trust me?¡± Seeing her shake her head I continued, ¡°I depended on you myself, even today, you were simply faster. And I know that I will rely on you in the future. Same with knowledge, just like you, I didn¡¯t invent any of the things I know. Just like you, I was given this knowledge. To deny that you can walk with me would be to deny that I, myself, am capable of walking.¡±


    ¡°Erf, how do you always know what to say to me¡­¡± She murmured, smiling. Hugging me close.


    I nuzzled into her cheek, my mouth close to her ear. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to see you sad. Because I don¡¯t intend to leave you behind.¡±


    I felt the heat coming to her face. I nuzzled closer, my breath tickling her, sending shivers down her body. ¡°Because you are mine.¡±


    ¡°Mmmmm,¡± Irje moaned. Her fingers raked my back as her legs wrapped around me. She pulled my face away only to pull herself close and plant a deep kiss, our tongues entwined. ¡°I am yours.¡±


    She sighed as her hand slid downward, to where our bodies met. Where my shaft was still deep within her. Tracing the boundary between us.


    ¡°Joined together,¡± She murmured as she brought her fingers back, glazed with her juices and my seed. ¡°Mmmmm!¡± She moaned as she licked them clean. ¡°I would give more just to have this treat all the time.¡±


    I closed my eyes. My ears burning hot from the obscene scene in front of me. Damn minx. I gritted my teeth as I made my decision, my balls bursting with heat.


    ¡°Ugh.¡± I pulled out from her with a wet pop, ignoring her arms trying to keep me close. She opened her mouth to say something but it was too late as I already descended near her head. My dick, slathered with our fluids right in front of her face. Making her go cross-eyed gazing at it.


    My hands put her head in my lap, my intention clear. But I wasn¡¯t relying on gestures this time.


    ¡°Clean it.¡±


    As soon as the words left my mouth, she swallowed me whole. Her lips gentle touch at the base of my shaft in case I was sensitive. But firmly locked around it in case she would miss a spot.


    ¡°Good girl.¡±


    Her tongue rolled along my entire length as my balls felt the pressure and heat. Irje wasn¡¯t trying to stimulate me this time, her movements lacked purpose but to leave no spot untouched. Gently sucking to make sure I would stay inside. Swallowing any treat that she discovered.


    I groaned as my hands stroked her hair. ¡°Look at you swallowing my seed with such abandon. Where else would I find someone dedicated as you? Someone as beautiful as you. I am nowhere near done with you tonight-¡± I murmured making sure she kept at her task. Her face buried deep into my stomach, eyes closed. I continued, ¡°-or in the future. Perhaps I should do daily reminders about whom you belong so that you won''t have silly ideas. Hmm? What do you think, kitten?¡±


    She moaned around my length as she tried to pull herself closer into my lap. The rest of her body squirming from my words.


    ¡°You would like that, hmm? Well, we will see what we can do then.¡± I mused.


    My hands kept stroking her hair. Out of sheer curiosity, I decided to scratch behind her ears and received a flood of pleasant noises in return. She was just like a kitten lying in my lap, suckling on my semi-soft shaft. My dick was clean by now but she had no desire of letting it go. Content with its presence inside her mouth.


    I showered her with words of affection and encouragement, slipping in a few promises for the future. Her presence was a bright spot in my current life, grounding me, keeping me satisfied and eager to face another day. There was no reason not to return the favour. Moreover, I knew myself and I knew that I was greedy enough to hold on to her and not let go. Which made her worries useless.


    I sat there in my own bliss. My hands caressing her beautiful face, My eyes roaming along her seductive curves. My dick in wet heaven embraced by her tongue. Soft perpetual waves of suction keeping my sensations sharp. Irje¡¯s lips and nose buried deep into my stomach bringing animalistic feelings of conquest within my mind. My balls buzzing with heat.


    I felt it then. First deep inside of her, right where my crown was. Then my ears picked up the sound. My eyes wide open I glanced down on choking Irje. Her skin red hot almost down to her chest. Her hands around her neck. Strangling her breath, futilely trying to stop what she was doing.


    Irje was purring.


    Not in the figurative sense. But like an actual feline. As my mind briefly wondered how her larynx was developed my hands rushed to pull hers away.


    ¡°No! No no no, please don¡¯t stop!¡± I begged as she shot me a betrayed look. ¡°It is so beautiful! You have no idea how it sounds to my ears. How it feels!¡±


    She looked at me full of suspicion.


    ¡°Does it feel bad?¡± I pressed, as she shook her head in silent denial. ¡°It is wrong to do and would get you in trouble if anyone sees it?¡± A slight pause and blush but she shook her head again. ¡°Were you surprised, or worried about my response?¡± a tiny nod.


    I sighed looking down at her. Irje just laid there shooting me glances only to shy away a moment later. ¡°Does it feel good for you?¡± Another, longer, pause followed by an even smaller nod. My hand caressed her. ¡°Well I love it, would you be a good kitten and do this for me?¡± I moaned as her purring resumed. ¡°Good girl.¡± Only to gasp as she giggled as well, the sensations of her throat playing havoc on my breathing.


    We lay like this a bit longer, so that she could grow used to the feeling. I needed to calm my nerves as well. My hand kept stroking her in a leisurely fashion, scratching her ears once in a while. Irje kept suckling on my shaft as she was before. With the addition of a flesh vibrator teasing my tip non-stop. Her gentle swallowing noises mixed exquisitely with the soft rumble of her throat.


    We were at peace.


    Eventually, the heat inside my balls subsided, replaced by pressure and need.


    ¡°Irje,¡± I said.


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been nothing but a great kitten all this morning. Showering me with your affection and obedience. There will be more in the future, but right now I will give you a treat for your exemplary behaviour.¡± I watched in satisfaction when her eyes zeroed in on my dick when I said treat.


    I raised myself up, almost pulling out of her. ¡°Are you ready for it?¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm!¡± Came an eager answer.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I murmured and licked my lips, getting ready myself. My hand grabbing my dick like a vice. ¡°I want you to open your mouth wide and stick your tongue out. Don¡¯t worry, there will be plenty.¡±


    My dick popped out from the warm confines of her mouth but I kept the tip just above her open mouth. I watched in satisfaction as she positioned herself right below it, her tongue impatiently out. I groaned as the pressure spread across my body along with the faint feeling of release. My grip made sure that I wouldn¡¯t shoot, however. Rivulets of cum flowed down into her open mouth. Her tongue easily guiding my seed inside.


    I tried to hold myself back as she swallowed the first time, moaning in delight. I failed as her lips were stained white from overflowing pressure. I rubbed myself along them as if seeking entrance. Urging her to swallow. Only to fill her once again when she had done so.


    With each interruption, I made a bigger mess on her face. My flow slow but unstoppable. Irje swallowed quicker no longer daring to savour the taste anymore. Sure that she would get a new batch as soon as she was done. That wasn¡¯t fast enough to clean her face, however.


    I watched entranced as she made bubbles with my cum splattered over her nose. Trying to breathe with a mouth full. How droplets of seed dripped from her chin only to land on the white mess over her breasts. Strands of viscous fluid stretched between her valley. I watched her choke, sending the deluge from her mouth down. Flowing like a white river down to her already glazed crotch.


    I pushed my tip into her lips as she started swallowing nonstop. No time to savour, no need to taste. It was no longer about how delicious it was to her. She had a treat and she would take it all, unwilling to waste more.


    A familiar suction welcomed my crown. The time to play around was over. Irje wasn¡¯t receiving it anymore, she was demanding more, greedy for it all. I sighed, made sure that her lips were tight around my shaft and relaxed my hand. I could feel the pressure drain rapidly from me as Irje¡¯s cheeks inflated. Her face a mess of a surprise. But where I failed she persevered. Rapidly swallowing, she quickly managed to meet my freakish backlog. My legs shook as I emptied once again inside of her, nanite modified amounts flowing down her throat nonstop.


    The room was filled with my rapid panting and Irje¡¯s loud swallows. Eventually, the pressure inside my nuts was replaced with a feeling of a suckling void. Almost identical to the feeling after holding your bladder for too long. I jerked leaving the final sputters into her mouth. I guess whatever was storing all this volume needed to recover and return back into a normal shape, just like an overly stretched bladder would.


    I collapsed on the ground, wrung out and spent. Irje sat there in silence her eyed vacant, contemplating what just happened.


    ¡°Whoa. I mean. That was. A lot.¡± She eventually managed to piece it together.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I croaked. ¡°A lot. Too much I think. It would be out of service for the rest of the day. Remind me not to do that again.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I should make sure you don¡¯t clog up like that again.¡± She mused. Her hands trailed her body, spreading my mess around. Like a person in front of the food, that they are unable to eat anymore, but unwilling to leave behind untouched.


    ¡°Har har.¡± I groused. Watching as she spread the goop around her nipple, amused. ¡°Please don¡¯t, it isn¡¯t something that needs daily drainage.¡±


    ¡°If u shay sho.¡± She was already sucking on her breast. I took my words back, she was definitely able to eat more. She was just experimenting with a different plating for her food. My head hit the floor resigned. My eyes closed.


    ¡°So the Domina finally started moving?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yesh.¡± Irje swallowed. ¡°She had been using it herself all this time and was satisfied with its performance. Or so she said. She is willing to start the production for now and leave your secret ingredients as a later product. She would probably tell you all about it today,¡± her voice gained a satisfied timbre. ¡°I just made my wishes known before that.¡±


    ¡°That you did.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop a smile creeping on my face. ¡°What did you suggest to her about the soap?¡±


    Another set of slurping sounds stopped. ¡°The prochesh ish shimple *gulp* you just need resources and a stirrer so it''s easy to adjust later to make more. The potash is the main challenge. The consistency of it.¡± She elaborated making me nod. ¡°I suggested making a large batch of it each time, that way once the concentration is known the rest can be used without problem.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°See? I knew you would pick up on that. And you were telling me that you were unable to keep up with me.¡± A hand reached out and patted my head. I cracked my eye open to see nearly clean Irje smiling down on me.


    ¡°You did.¡± She murmured warmly. ¡°Now get up and get dressed, you will be summoned soon. I need to wash as well.¡±

 Chapter 11.2 Second Meeting

    I walked through the familiar patch between the trees. Heading for the inner compound. Alone. A glint of yellow kept my attention and scared away anyone close enough to see it in my hands. A Gestr she said hmm? Its cold weight pushed down on my hand. One of five currently given away. Allowing me to teleport inside the tower. Only Matriarchs of friendly houses had something like this. And now me.


    I chuckled darkly imagining incredulous Dominas staring down on poor old me. Four wermages wielding immense power, political and magical. And Erf, he has soap. Damned Old fox. I had no idea what he wanted to achieve granting me this, but the wrath of four other Pillars was definitely not on my wish list. Access to the tower or not.


    It was probably magical too. I peered at the script carved into the medallion. It definitely did not resemble the letters of Virtana. Nor did it resemble the straight lines of magical runes, that I¡¯ve seen everywhere. It was full of curves in fact it was mostly curved with very occasional straight line hidden within.


    The only place I¡¯ve seen something like it was the symbols on the Orb. Was it a different school of magic? Mental runes? Was the medallion trying to read my thoughts if I was a wer? No. It was given to very important figures of unrelated houses. Something rote like basic wiretapping would have been out of the question. The repercussions alone if something like this was found, even assumed as a possibility would have been disastrous.


    Was it simply a different form of runes? Cursive perhaps? That would be hilarious. Or was it just a simple script to write down stuff? And the blue glow I¡¯ve noticed from the Orb was it simply telling Domina its readings.


    Another slave let me inside as I¡¯ve arrived. She was in a different room this time around. My companion for this short trek was deferential but calm. Clearly unaffected by the amulet. Probably used to welcoming guests of status well above. I nodded to him politely as I was invited into the small office.


    The soft sand under my feet gave me chills. Awakening the memories I had no desire to relive. Perhaps I should ¡®invent¡¯ a blackboard post-haste if only to avoid them. I could not imagine that they had no chalk anywhere in the ground.


    Domina was, once again, laying down on the sofa and reading a scroll. This time around I¡¯ve paid a bit more attention to the hems of her now green kaftan, only to recognize the same scales I¡¯ve seen on my medallion. The Albin¡¯s words came up to me unbound. The House of Trade indeed. Was that one of his monikers or an official name of the Manor? Future would tell. The rest of her clothes were immaculate, kaftan was open up front revealing a white shirt underneath, both wrapped by a wide belt or more likely a sash. Each carrying a plethora of engravings that probably said something about the wearer as well.


    My observation was broken when she put down her scroll and looked at me. She opened her mouth but noticed the amulet, which made her frown slightly. Eventually, she sighed and gestured to the sofa beside hers.


    ¡°Lie down, we have a lot to discuss.¡± Her voice sounded tired even this early in the day.


    I carefully laid down on the cleanest surface I¡¯ve been this far. Trying to keep my dirty feet away from the fabric. The softness making me uncomfortable. This type of reclining sofa was used constantly by everyone in power as the main way to relax, eat, and talk. I could see the appeal for someone with a tail as soft and long as hers, sitting with something like that would have been awkward.


    ¡°I see you are wearing the Gestr. What my uncle was thinking is truly beyond me, but I guess you managed to impress him.¡± She began as soon as I stopped squirming.


    ¡°I¡­heard the rumours. Should I take it down? Return it?¡± Please say yes.


    She thought for a moment. ¡°No.¡± Damn it. ¡°You are smart enough to recognize the danger of a gift like that. Good. But in this case, the Gestr is a symbol of protection. You are the welcomed guest inside the tower and the welcome extends beyond the entrance. Whoever feels left out by this gift, and there will be many, will have to deal with Virnan himself first.¡±


    That, was bearable. I still had a huge red target painted at my back, but now the issue was not where I would suffer or die but when and where I would be used as a pawn to strike at others.


    ¡°My you look conflicted still. How nice it is to deal with someone who understands fast.¡± The smugness in her voice was palpable. ¡°You have no idea how tiresome it is to explain things to your lessers only to be met with a blank look of incomprehension. Even better. You are to wear the Gestr at all times. Hide it if you want but if you end up being present among the social elite you are to appear with it visible. You will be granted a personal seal of my manor as well. Wear it in the open at all times as the rightful part of my domain. Make sure you are never to be seen with only Gestr.¡±


    ¡°As you wish, my Domina.¡± I sighed internally, called it. Political games had already begun.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± She continued, seeing my turmoil most likely. ¡°I have no desire to show you to the public any time soon. In fact, avoid leaving the manor for a while. Talk to Sulla if you need an ingredient. If you leave to seek something new avoid anyone representing a noble house. That is an order. Buy from merchants, order from artisans but no idle talk, especially with mages.¡± Her eyes stared me down.


    ¡°Of course, my Domina.¡± That was much easier to agree upon. All my previous interactions with wermages have been disastrous so far. Even with Albin. Not only that but her implication meant that she wanted more from me than the soap.


    ¡°Good. Now to the order of business. I assume you are aware that I decided to begin the soap production.¡± Seeing me nod she continued. ¡°Irje will oversee the production. You are to teach her anything she doesn''t know yet, even the plant you have found.¡± She finished bluntly, observing me.


    ¡°Would I be able to offer a suggestion?¡± I ventured. She frowned but nodded. ¡°Can you add Yeva to the team as well?¡±


    Apparently, she didn¡¯t expect that as an answer. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°The blind girl, she was bought together with me.¡±


    She squinted her eyes at me suspiciously ¡°Why her?¡±


    ¡°Personal reasons aside, she has more to offer to the soap production than she ever could at the washing vats. Due to her blindness, she had developed a great sense of touch and smell, which I¡¯ve used extensively, trying to make the last batch.¡± I could see her nodding along, the mask of suspicion replaced by the face of understanding. ¡°She had intimate knowledge with multiple batches of soap that I had attempted before and the ability to select the best products for your needs. Moreover, you should be aware by now that the most critical part of the process is the ratios of the ingredients. It is my belief that she would be crucial there as well. Just like I¡¯ve done in the past and estimated approximate concentrations using taste alone.¡±


    ¡°You have clearly done your research.¡± She mused, her tail swaying behind her. ¡°Very well she would be transferred also. But tell me, what are these personal reasons of yours?¡±


    I blinked. ¡°She is a nice girl and I would feel sad if I knew I could help her and didn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Just like that? First Irje, now this Yeva. Are you gonna help every girl on your path? Remember where your loyalties should lie.¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Not everyone. But we did spend a lot of time together. Just like with Irje. I learnt a lot about them both and do consider them my friends. And I do remember, Domina. Because even helping her you stand to benefit in the process. The only one that potentially lost in this agreement is me.¡±


    Not that I considered the loss of soap production as an actual loss.


    ¡°What about your family? Wouldn¡¯t it be proper for you to help them instead rather than the new friends of yours?¡±


    ¡°If I had an option to I would¡¯ve. But I don¡¯t. As easy it is to help Irje and Yeva right now I wouldn¡¯t risk your wrath suggesting you to interfere in another¡¯s manor life or even buy my family out.¡±


    ¡°You are learning, good. And yet your mind is still at work. No wonder uncle spent so much time with you.¡± She mused, pleased.


    I shuddered. ¡°Your¡­ uncle¡­ is intense.¡±


    She chuckled ¡°He is very passionate about the subject. It is a pity that your numbers aren¡¯t suited for trade.¡±


    I couldn''t help myself ¡°Senile old fox.¡± Immediately earning a full glare, her mouth open to chastise me, but I waved it off not caring at the moment. Whatever I had for pride finally got bruised. ¡°I¡¯ve said worse to his face at the tower and I will say it again next time we are to meet. To disregard an entire system, extremely robust at that, just because it is easy to forge a number. Nonsense! I used simple forms used for the speed of writing, properly drawn numbers are separate and distinguished from one another. Even if someone smudges a number and writes another one there are ways to prevent that.¡±


    I took a short breath as Domina watched me silently, interested. ¡°Take double-entry bookkeeping for example. Everything is separate, everything is clean and easy to read, and, most importantly, every transaction is written at least twice in different accounts. You fudge one number - now you have to seek out its companion and fudge it as well. And if you have access and ability to do something like that then you could have fudged the numbers with the traditional system by now anyhow!¡±


    I stopped suddenly, realizing where I was. Fuck, this sand was annoying. This wasn¡¯t Virnan¡¯s office, it was Domina¡¯s and I had no idea how would she react to my outburst. ¡°I am sorry.¡± I stammered out, keenly aware that my next words might seal my fate once again. If they haven¡¯t already.


    Domina laid on the sofa. Her hand gripping the rod tight. She wasn¡¯t preparing to strike me. Worse. She was giving it to me.


    ¡°Explain.¡± A single word sent shivers down my spine.


    I¡¯ve fucked up again, didn¡¯t I?

 Chapter 12 Fairy of the Forest

    As always Domina was intense.


    But in this case, her intensity has saved my sanity. Instead of gorging on the information, as Virnan did, she beelined to the issue she was interested in, casting aside anything not relevant. She even set aside the numbers that caused my outburst, correctly reasoning that immediate knowledge of them won''t be a problem. I think I¡¯ve shed a tear when she said that too.


    But just like Virnan, she possessed a keen mind. The premise of a double-entry accounting was simple to the extreme: every transaction was entered twice. As a gain in one field and a loss in another. You paid a bill? The billing account got the gain while your cash account got the loss. Simple.


    Aikerim Adal saw past that simplicity. She saw the system of business. The foundation to organize the financial flow of her house. And beyond. She had accountant slaves to do the menial work, but as the head of the House of Trade, it was her duty, no her obligation to know how things worked. And her knowledge showed.


    Although it might be better to call this manor the House of Textile?


    I had no idea how her current accounting worked, but judging how giddy she¡¯d become - it was bad.


    She even started writing down notes herself, listening to me speak. After grumbling at me for my illiteracy and forcing me to be silent about her actions under the threat of bodily harm. I could see the reasoning behind it. A Domina writing down the words of a slave herself was a major faux pas. The fact that she had done it was just another proof of her dedication.


    Or the fact that she still wanted to keep my knowledge strictly confidential. We were alone in her office all this time, and she had no desire to call for scribes, no matter how frustrated she had become.


    Eventually, our detour into accounting had run its course and we returned to the other challenges.


    ¡°The loom you have mentioned before.¡± She mused. ¡°What do you need to make a working prototype?¡±


    I scratched my chin thinking. ¡°A carpenter, smart enough to turn drawings into forms. While I am confident that I can describe the mechanism, I lack knowledge of wood carving. He should also be loyal. The wooden mechanism is the most important part, but also simple and easy to reproduce.¡±


    I folded a finger as she nodded along. ¡°A blacksmith. That one just needs to be good at small stuff. The loom would need a lot of small simple pieces, smaller the better, but these would be worthless without the frame.¡± I folded the second finger and stopped, considering. ¡°That''s pretty much it. Lumber of course to make it and cordage but that would be up to the carpenter.¡±


    ¡°Sounds reasonable. Sulla will inform you when these will be organized. How large would it be?¡±


    ¡°The prototype? Reasonably small mostly to speed up the build. Afterwards? When the carpenter knows the intricacies of the design - it can grow pretty wide. It would have a flying shuttle so that the width of a fabric produced would just depend on how far it can be slid safely. An arm span easily.¡± I finished, stretching my arms across. ¡°Oh, and it would need an operator of course. Properly trained to avoid injuries, but at least one per machine.¡±


    ¡°If it is really as you say¡­¡± She murmured but then shook herself away. ¡°No matter right now. Sounds promising at least. What about soap and glass?¡±


    ¡°Well as it is, the current method is working for the soap, just need a lot of ash, and consequently wood to burn. Glassworts would need to be harvested in large quantities as the amount necessary for similar production would be immense. Might be better to keep that under wraps as well. Could I suggest a personal plot of land close to the sea? Marshes would be ideal and most likely be cheap to buy.¡±


    ¡°I agree.¡± She nodded. ¡°And you are correct, the land would be hard to acquire quietly. But a marshland? Easily. What about glassmaking? Can it run on wood that would provide the ash?¡±


    ¡°Well, that depends.¡± I minced, making her squint her eyes at me.


    ¡°Explain.¡± Came quickly as a result.


    ¡°Well if you wish to make glassware, the wood itself won¡¯t be hot enough. Charcoal, possibly, could reach the heat required but would need a constant stream of air from the bellows. If you want sheet glass, then you would need coke.¡±


    ¡°Sheet glass? Coke?¡± Her hand reached the table only to grasp at the air, making her frown. A glowing rune burst into the air as she traced it, making my eyes widen. Only for the bowl of grapes to slid toward her.


    ¡°Fascinating¡­¡± I murmured quietly.


    ¡°A simple spell,¡± She said around the grape inside her mouth. ¡°My question?¡±


    ¡°Ah, apologies. The sheet glass is exactly how it sounds, a flat sheet of glass. Mostly used as a construction material for windows and mirrors. And coke is to coal what charcoal is to wood. Simply speaking. But, without it, it is extremely tricky to achieve that heat. I wonder if magic could, but that would be expensive.¡±


    ¡°Something tells me it is a bit more than that if you decided to mention something so hard to achieve.¡± She mused.


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just that. The beauty of it that it is extremely flat. The molten glass is poured on top of molten soft metal like lead and cooled off creating a flat and clear sheet. Like a stretched membrane. If the glass is clear enough it would look like nothing is there.¡±


    ¡°Mmm. Yes, I can see the appeal, sounds excessive for now. Although.¡± Another rune sprung up in front of her fingers, finishing it a ball of fire formed inside her palm. ¡°How hot does a fire need to be?¡± She smirked.


    I looked entranced at the casual display of magic. My senses screaming at the impossibility of it. ¡°Enough to turn iron into liquid,¡± I murmured, distracted.


    She frowned, the fire vanished as her hand relaxed. ¡°Perhaps not. Heat like that would be a domain of a battle mage at least and one dedicated to fire. That and the Gods of Magic, of course.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°A pity.¡± My sudden plan for starting a magical furnace dying as soon as it was born.


    ¡°Nevertheless, I am pleased with our discussion, as well as the projects I intend to see successful.¡± Once again there was a demand within her praise, business as usual. ¡°You will be given a reward for your current success with soap, spend it to your heart¡¯s content. You will be awarded more as you continue to impress me.¡±


    ¡°You are very generous.¡± I bowed. The commission was a welcome aspect, that allowed me to explore few things, instead of trying to impress her first to get the funding.


    She watched me quietly for few seconds, then sighed. ¡°Your ideas about finances is another matter. Including your discussions about interest, that managed to fascinate even Virnan Shah himself. You are now assigned to a teaching cadre of the compound, and expected to act appropriately.¡±


    Domina continued as I gawked at her revelation. ¡°I will not suffer an illiterate educator, no matter how groundbreaking your ideas might be. A child teacher will show you the basics, and I expect you to learn them post-haste. You have surprised me with your intelligence all this time, make sure that would continue.¡±


    ¡°A thousand thanks, my Domina. This is truly a marvellous gift.¡± I bowed. I didn¡¯t care who would teach me, the ability to read and write in a society like this was worth a lot. Hell, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it was impossible for murks to learn certain things at all, no matter how much money they would offer. A zero-sum society couldn¡¯t have the rich and wealthy if a bigger class of people wasn¡¯t marginalized.


    A smug smile on her face confirmed my inner thoughts. She knew that I knew, and she was pleased with my response.


    ¡°Aikerim. You are to call me by my name when we are alone. Or in the presence of my uncle, if you manage to actually call him senile in my presence first. Be grateful for my benevolence, but if you dare to say it in front of others I will punish your insolence.¡±


    I bowed slightly accepting it. That wasn¡¯t really a surprise. Nor was it a permission for more. A drop in formality would allow me to concentrate on the topic at hand and explain it to her without worrying about any slight offences. Perhaps a jab at her uncle as well, or even a preventative measure. Who knows how he would react if I would bicker at him only to turn around and bend over in the presence of his niece.


    ¡°You will be given a personal lodging. Sulla will see to that. You will attend to me with your knowledge and will educate my children personally as well. My sons are currently away, learning the trade of their fathers, but my daughter is here.¡± She smirked, remembering something. ¡°Make sure you spend time together. You will teach other members of my family at a later time when I deem the knowledge worthy to be shared.¡±


    ¡°Your daughter¡­¡± I murmured.


    ¡°Teach her well, and I will make sure that you are present during her magic lessons.¡±


    My knee hit the sand, hands clasped in promise. ¡°Your daughter will be taught to topple Virnan Shah himself!¡± I proclaimed as she laughed at my antics. Her voice sounding like bells.


    ¡°Off you go, now,¡± She said while laughing. ¡°And tell someone outside to summon Sulla, I have things to discuss, and plans to implement.¡±


    Yeva


    She hummed quietly to herself as she worked.


    Erf taught her a few of his melodies or, more like, he hummed them during work. But today she didn¡¯t feel like singing these.


    Things were happening around her faster and faster. And all she could do was observe. Blindly.


    Her life was ordinary at first. Like most murks she was born into slavery, working on the fields. Until a spell of a passing wermage robbed her from her sight. She had no idea what they were doing, maybe fighting a Thing of the Forest, or maybe merely playing around like a lot of wer did. All she could remember was a bright flash, heat on her face and then total darkness.


    The only reason she even knew it was a wermage magik was because her previous Domina brought her out and demanded compensation for ruining her property. She got it of course. Domina, not her. And then turned around and sold her off. For pittance.


    She remembered the travel to the city. Even now she still thought that she heard Erf during her travels, but she was almost sure her mind was playing tricks on her. The boy she heard at the caravan was much more snappy and childish. Angry. Like most of the younger kids she had met. But somehow their voices were so similar. Maybe a relative? Or maybe he said that he was brought in from a farm eight days away and she just placed him in her memory? As if he was watching over her even then.


    She smiled at the implication.


    She loved his attention. It was so unobtrusive. It took her quite a long time to stop flinching when someone just started speaking loudly to her, simply assuming that she was aware they were there. Erf was the only one to notice and apologize. And then changed his habits around her, just for her.


    He was the only one to announce his presence, even now when she could tell others apart by their smell and sound. The only one to constantly point out what was happening around her as he spoke, or as they moved. Her walk was surer with him around. When his hand was on her shoulder she would step forward without fear, trusting him to warn her.


    Irje was great as well. She treated her better than anything she had experienced before. But her treatment wasn¡¯t close to his. Irje did this out of pity, she could hear the change in her tone when they spoke to each other. Erf treated her as an equal. He treated her with respect.


    The respect she never imagined to be directed at her ever in her life.


    It felt nice. Amazing really. Just like his hand on her that made her steps stronger, his conduct around her made her mind surer. She was always reminded of the tales of her childhood. Of the magikal creatures deep within the Forest. Most were deadly and evil, some tricky and deceitful. A precious few - kind and watchful. Deep inside, away from prying ears, she thought of him as one.


    But the tales had the tendency to end. And she was beginning to dread that hers was too.


    She could smell Irje all over Erf. While they never talked about it openly, the warmth in their words left little to the imagination. Most of the slaves assumed Irje was simply using him. She had a similar sinking feeling for herself early on. Until she heard them bicker. Until she noticed Irje changing, mellowing out herself. Starting to copy Erf¡¯s manners. Even improve on how she treated her. No longer awkward and clumsy, but assured, calm, with a hint of the same respect he had.


    Yeva wasn¡¯t the only one he was watching.


    She was happy for them of course. They were her friends and if they were happy then so was she. She was just a bit¡­ lonelier.


    ¡°Yeva.¡± A calm voice called her from afar. Speak of the magick¡­


    She felt him approach her. Or she could say she felt the absence of him approach her. Just how unusual he was with his actions so was his body. He made almost no sound as he walked, He had no particular smell that she could call his, at least that she could smell easily. In his non-existence he became obvious...


    Perhaps she should steal his shirt when he finally moves on. That would keep the memory fresh. Maybe after work, before the scents of soap and Irje would bury his.


    He gently sat beside her, while she was lost in her dreams. She could easily guess how tired or distracted he was simply by how hard it was to sense him. Erf was definitely full of energy, but maybe a bit distracted. Perhaps he got some happy news. Her hand wrapped around his, feeling his warmth and the softness of his skin.


    Originally Erf would touch her by the elbow, explaining that he made sure she knew he was around. One of his habits, simple but effective. She was grateful back then. Now, as she grew bolder in his presence, she wanted more. Her first attempts were probably awkward but he never mentioned nor did he minded it. It has become a routine now.


    She nuzzled closer and sniffed, hiding it under a sigh. A rich but familiar smell. Irje.


    Curses.


    ¡°So I just talked to Domina. The soap production will finally begin, and more.¡± He started.


    Her breathing halted. A loud buzzing in her ears. Her heart pounding like an anvil. No. It was too soon. She had plans. What about her? What about his shirt?


    ¡°Irje will be in charge of it.¡± He went on as if deaf to her mind screaming for him to shut up. A dark feeling inside her heart. Hating Irje for all the gifts he gave her. Hating herself for dragging her feet. Hating him for this conversation.


    ¡°I, uh, look I assumed you would be okay with this, but made a suggestion.¡± He was finally growing awkward.


    ¡°What.¡± Her voice was barely a whisper.


    ¡°I asked Domina to transfer you to the soap production.¡± He said and hurriedly continued, as her head swam around. ¡°Not as a manual of course! You would assist Irje in batch formation and you will check the quality of the soap, make sure it is up to standards.¡±


    Ah. What?


    ¡°What?¡± She was unable to say anything else. Her hand gripping his tightly, as her body struggled with outright relief. She still had time!


    ¡°Remember our discussion about soap? Pretty much that. Irje really wanted a position there, so I assumed you would as well. I felt like it was better than to remain here. I am sorry for not asking you beforehand, but I wasn¡¯t sure when I would¡¯ve had the chance to ask such boon again from Domina-¡±


    He was babbling, but that was okay. She could handle babbling Erf. Hundred times better than an absent one.


    ¡°Erf.¡± She couldn¡¯t stop herself from smiling slightly as he twitched from her voice.


    ¡°What?¡±


    She squeezed him harder. ¡°Thank you.¡± Basking in his palpable relief from her words. She was watched for. Recognized.


    She mattered to him.


    ¡°That¡¯s great! Listen I would love to stay and talk, but I still need to go find Irje and tell her the news as well.¡± She felt a shameful warmth for being first to know. ¡°And then a few others.¡±


    She smiled at him. ¡°That¡¯s fine, but you owe me a full tale afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely.¡± Another of his words, but she could guess the meaning. She let his arm go, somehow no longer missing its warmth as usual.


    ¡°Oh, Erf.¡± She called after him. A thought came to her mind.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    She needed to know now before the fear took it away again. ¡°On the caravan. When I was being sent to the city. Were you there? Did you watch over me?¡±


    ¡°Eh? Sorry. Was I too loud? I was sure you were asleep.¡± Came a sheepish answer.


    ¡°No. Don¡¯t worry about it. And Erf.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome?¡±


    She said nothing as she heard him scratch his head in confusion, shuffle for a bit then leave. She felt the salt on her lips, a tear on her smile. The old tales were true. There were fairies in the Forest.


    And one was watching over her.

 Chapter 13.1 New Beginnings

    As I approached my new house, it had finally dawned on me how far I¡¯ve managed to get. Once again on my new knowledge. Once again on something besides soap.


    In hindsight, it did make sense. A new product might attract merchant attention, but the soap was already well-known here. I just brought something from being expensive and far-away, to local and cheap. The ideas that I¡¯ve shared were truly revolutionary. The only reason why I could say that because I knew they weren¡¯t mine. But I had no issues profiting from them.


    If the knowledge I¡¯ve had was forbidden it would¡¯ve had better locks on it. And the stuff I shared wasn¡¯t even the worst of it. I knew how to make gunpowder, TNT, and many other explosives. Most of these were easy to create. I had knowledge of weapons and weapon systems capable of wiping all life from this planet. I knew how to split atoms and collapse space-time into wormhole bridges. I also knew that I will keep this knowledge hidden to the best of my abilities.


    I wasn¡¯t just given knowledge. It came with a bit of wisdom as well.


    I chuckled. Perhaps this knowledge did have locks on it. They just didn¡¯t look like locks.


    ¡°What''s funny?¡± Irje asked.


    ¡°Nothing, just thinking how far I¡¯ve come¡±


    As soon as I knew where I would live, I decided to drag her as well. I wanted her to know the location, I also had healthy assumptions that I would have visits from her in the future. I also couldn¡¯t make heads or tails out of Sulla¡¯s directions and needed a guide.


    ¡°Hmmm, to become a teacher at such a young age. If that was me I would¡¯ve been grinning like a loon for a tenday too.¡± She agreed, smiling as well.


    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t complain. In few weeks I¡¯ve got myself a sexy assistant, and a cushy job. I guess the only thing left is to conquer the world, eh?¡± I retorted cheekily.


    She laughed and smacked me. ¡°Behave yourself. No evil plans for the foreseeable future! I need enough time to enjoy the perks of being your ¡®sexy assistant¡¯ to the fullest first. I do remember where your fingers were roaming the last time. Should I bring oils next time?¡± She said with fake innocence.


    ¡°What? Eager to explore that much?¡± I couldn¡¯t help but raise an eyebrow at her, making her blush.


    ¡°Hey, we came here to see your new place! It should be nearby. Whoa!¡±


    Whoa, indeed. I couldn¡¯t tell if the place assigned to me was due to my own status, or the general status of teachers. Although, from what I heard from Virnan and Aikerim, educators in Emanai were held in rather high esteem. There were internal rankings of course, with the lowest being wet nurses and child teachers all the way to the rhetors of the likes of Virnan Shah. But even the lowest rank garnered respect.


    And the said respect was clearly seen in my lodging. First of all, I was assigned a personal building, with similar houses nearby. Probably lodgings of other educators, or other respected slaves. Like the inner compound, the location was immersed in greenery making it look like a quaint village in the forest.


    Very ineffective as a village, however. My house was just a single room, a bed to sleep and a place to store all my earthly possessions. The other buildings looked similar as well. There were no barns or mills or any other necessary village architecture. All of that was located in the workshops where I¡¯ve spent most of my time prior to now.


    Still, it was a good place. Mine.


    Even if I had nothing to fill it with at the moment. All I had currently consisted of a shirt, a tunic and a pouch with some cuts. Apparently, Domina¡¯s reward stayed with Sulla, who told me that I could buy things through him, or request a small amount if I wanted to head out myself.


    Once again my lack of arguing rather surprised him. Poor guy, it looked like he prepared for hours to defend this position. Instead, I ignored his mutterings about wasteful youths and simply nodded in agreement. It was a win-win situation for me as I thought it through. I didn¡¯t have to worry about keeping the money safe, especially here in a new spot. Nor did I have to worry about carrying large lumps through the city. Eyeing every urchin on the streets as a potential pickpocket.


    And this was Domina¡¯s money. Sulla knew that she gave me that. And I had her ear in private now. If he tried to cheat me and I managed to tattle on him, well his ass was grass. Unless Domina was siding with him but if she did then she could just take my money anytime anyway.


    My thoughts were rudely interrupted by a bronze-skinned missile with a very precise trajectory.


    ¡°There is a bed!¡± Irje screamed, bouncing.


    The bed screamed under her in agreement.


    I shook my head at her antics. ¡°Is it a first bed for you as well?¡±


    She nodded, smiling and stood up, pulling me closer. ¡°Feel how soft it is! It¡¯s soo much better than the hay!¡±


    My hand touched the clean linens feeling the softness inside. Feathers. I¡¯ve never slept on feathers before. The softness of the bed was probably the most solid proof of how far I managed to get so far. This wasn¡¯t a necessity anymore. Or some sort of standard. It was luxury.


    Irje laughed nervously. ¡°Just don''t mention this too much okay? I don''t want to compete with scores of girls fighting to sleep in it every night.¡±


    I bent lower and took a sniff. Freshly cleaned. ¡°Can you smell it?¡±


    ¡°What?¡± she came closer and tried to smell it herself. ¡°What is wrong? I can¡¯t smell anything.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± My arm shoved her hard forcing her to bend over the bed.


    ¡°Wha?¡±


    I yanked her skirt upward, exposing her naked ass to me. ¡°Erf?¡±


    ¡°The problem is, that I grew used to a particular smell over the last few days, and it is missing,¡± I spoke nonchalantly pulling my own dick out. ¡°It helps me sleep y¡¯know.¡± My hand went around her body, sliding over the stomach and moving deeper.


    My fingers raked through her fuzz at her core, as she started to pant. Her back arched downward pushing her slit out in the open. Making it easier for me.


    ¡°So in the future.¡± My hand grasped her hairs, making her gasp. ¡°If you don¡¯t plan on sleeping in my bed that night. You will provide a sufficient amount of your flavour.¡± And slammed myself into her as she screamed into the pillow.


    She was wet enough already not to make it painful, but only barely. Making my rough entrance extremely intrusive. Impossible to ignore. Just the way she liked it.


    I could feel her coming down from the initial rush of sensation so I pulled out and plunged myself again, Spreading her cheeks apart this time. Giving her a new aching feeling.


    ¡°Will you do that for me?¡±


    ¡°Ye-Yessss!¡±


    ¡°Good girl.¡± My hands let go of her as I started to gently caress her reddened flesh. My shaft slowly spreading the deluge of her juices all over her core. I let her rest as she recovered from the whiplash of sensations, as my fingers softly massaged the knots in her thighs and her butt.


    Speaking of which. ¡°Ah, you should bring the oils next time around too.¡±


    ¡°I¡­I will.¡± Her legs buckled as she squirmed around me, I could feel the muscles around her core tensing and relaxing from anticipation.


    ¡°My, what a naughty kitten you are.¡± I pushed Irje forward making her lie down on my bed.


    I bent forward, close to her ear, straddling her ass, my shaft firmly inside of her. ¡°Now, Please bite the pillow, I don¡¯t want to scare my new neighbours.¡±


    XXX


    Fortunately for Irje, the next couple of days were a flurry of activity for both of us, leaving us exhausted by the time the night arrived. As such any new explorations of Irje¡¯s body were set aside until the pileup of work was tackled. The lonely bottle, standing on the table beside my bed, never failed to force a blush out of her.


    Irje found herself tackling the logistical nightmare of a large scale lye production and bickering with potters trying to make water bath pots. In the free time she had she was stuck training the new crew.


    Yeva ended up being extremely helpful to her in this transitional time. My hunch was correct. I had seen how quickly she memorized the layout of the working area to be able to walk by herself, how quickly she started telling us apart, and from a distance too. The girl had amazing memory in addition to her keen senses. All she needed was a way for her to flourish.


    And flourish she did. Irje offloaded to her most of the information that she already knew, while I filled in the gaps as well as teaching her future venues to consider. She learnt the smells and tastes of various reagents while memorizing the optimal ratios we have discovered so far. Making her an irreplaceable assistant to Irje herself.


    All of which made great progress in her self-esteem. She was still not very social, but this time it felt like a personal preference instead of escapism. I also heard Yeva laugh talking to someone else for the first time too. Although it was most likely Irje. Well, baby steps.


    I was busy as well. My time was split between assisting the girls and other small tasks like learning the language.


    The teacher I was assigned was no-nonsense male wer, who came to my first lesson well prepared. And his preparation solely consisted of something closely resembling a rattan cane. What an unsurprisingly archaic system of education. Apparently, children, even of a higher rank were all subjected to a rather harsh learning regiment, with very little room for error. You either got the answer right or suffered the consequence.


    My remarks that it wasn¡¯t an effective method were dismissed right out of hand. This time I wasn¡¯t dealing with a merchant seeking to gain a new edge, or the wise man seeing to learn something new, I was dealing with tradition. And traditionally all children were raised this way. There was nothing to compare it to.


    Hard to argue when there was no evidence to support your cause. Even if the lack of evidence was caused by the lack of attempts at it.


    Unfortunately for them, that meant the bulk of their population grew up resenting to learn new things. Stunting the intellectual progress even more. Some pursued intellectual careers further, seeking not knowledge but fame and status. With very few doing it out of passion.


    Fortunately for me, I knew how the brain worked. And I could affect mine to a much greater degree than anyone. Non-magically at least.


    One of the greatest abilities of our brains is the ability to forget and ignore incoming information. Every second of our life or mind is bombarded with an enormous amount of inputs gathered from the entire body and its senses. Processing everything and retaining it all would quickly overwhelm us. So brains pick and choose.


    And the picking and choosing mechanic has developed millions of years ago. As such it kinda forgot about such crucial parts of life like knowing historic dates and memorizing sets of squiggles that represent sounds.


    To bypass the junk filter in our brain we have developed techniques to make memories easier to record - relating them to something else. In a way of mnemonics, method of loci, and others. Or we had to repeat the process over and over until our brain got the idea that this might be something important if it shows up that often.


    Emanai educators chose the latter.


    I just overrode it.


    The confusion and disappointment of my teacher were evident when I learnt how to read and write in a matter of hours. I still got punished of course. Apparently, for wasting his time, since I obviously already knew all that. I thought of retaliation as I ran away from his yells, but decided to drop it. He did teach me the Virtana and his hits were only uncomfortable.


    Besides running to Domina after each small slight only made my position weaker.


    And now I stood, once again, in her office. With Domina and the carpenter, she had found, peering over my drawings. The carpenter was clearly a part of the Kiymetl family line, by the name of Wrena. As she mulled over the design Aikerim was actually busy looking at my letters.


    ¡°Impressive.¡± She murmured, making Wrena jump and glance at her with slight unease and then stare back at the drawing with newfound intensity. Domina didn¡¯t notice, her eyes glancing at me. ¡°How long did it take you?¡±


    I saw the carpenter¡¯s ears perk up at our conversation, As the rest of the household, she had red hair and foxy ears, although without a tail. Most likely wer. Her clothing was tougher than the usual streetwear but was still embroidered with a plethora of symbols and designs. The scales being one of them. She was a member of this manor.


    ¡°Two days at most, my Domina,¡± I answered properly. deciding to add my own practice later to make it sound more plausible. We were, after all. in public.


    She hummed in response, pleased. And turned to the other person in the room. ¡°Can you make it?¡±


    ¡°Y-yes my Domina!¡± she blurted out. Clearly not comfortable with this level of scrutiny. ¡°He is right, certain parts are better done with metal, but once these are done I can finish it within two days!¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Came an unexpected answer.


    ¡°Domina?¡±


    ¡°This is not a rush job. Make sure it is done properly and notify me only then.¡± Aikerim response managed to unwind the tension in her.


    ¡°Thank you, I will make sure it is made exactly like this.¡± She bowed, and turned to me, pulling a multicoloured whip of sorts. ¡°I have a question for you.¡±


    ¡°And I probably have an answer, er please don¡¯t hit me.¡± I didn¡¯t want to spend the next few hours with my back itchy again.


    ¡°Wha-¡± She gawked and glanced at Domina, who was grinning at me. Did I make a wrong assumption?


    ¡°This is a measuring rope! And I won''t waste it even on my apprentices!¡± She cried out at me, emboldened by Domina¡¯s mirth.


    ¡°Ah is it? My apologies. What did you want to know? And why is it a rope?¡± Upon closer inspection, I could see evenly spaced marks along its length.


    ¡°What are the measurements of this design? And how else would I measure things if not with a rope?¡± she answered my two questions with her own.


    I scratched my head. ¡°I am not well versed in the local measuring system, so I assumed it would¡¯ve been better to leave it under your expertise. I tried to make the drawing as big as they should be made.¡± The size of Aikerim office floor was large enough for that. Unfortunately, the lines were rather thick so I had to make few enlarged drawings as well. ¡°And I thought people measured things with rulers, long straight pieces of wood. or metal¡±


    She scoffed. ¡°Do you have any idea how long does it take to cut a piece straight? A rope is much cheaper and faster.¡±


    ¡°But rope sags as well.¡±


    ¡°Your mind sags! It just means you aren¡¯t pulling hard enough.¡± She retorted vehemently.


    I looked at her, my thoughts flying around, eventually, it all clicked together. ¡°Your tools are not precise.¡±


    ¡°Watch your tongue, merk! I am one of the best artisans in this city. I can carve hair-thin runes into my work!¡± She growled only to flinch almost instantly. ¡°My deepest apologies, my Domina, to yell in your presence.¡± She bowed and glanced at Aikerim, who was looking at me silently.


    ¡°Domina?¡± she ventured.


    ¡°Go on,¡± Domina said. Not to her. To me.


    ¡°My Domina?¡± I mirrored Wrena¡¯s question.


    ¡°I know that look by now. You have something. Spill it. She swore an oath of silence.¡±


    Ah.


    I turned to Wrena first. ¡°I would like to apologize, first. My words had no ill intent. In fact, I would even call it praiseworthy for you to achieve precision without the help of the tools, for it is done purely with your skill.¡± As soon as she looked mollified by my response I turned back to Domina.


    ¡°Precision is an extremely important property of every tool. Right now, as far as I could tell, the tools I¡¯ve already seen don¡¯t look precise.¡± I noticed Wrena shuffling and continued. ¡°They are accurate, however.¡±


    ¡°And what is the difference?¡± Domina replied.


    ¡°Repeatability. Right now the tools can get you close to the target, but if one needs to make ten of something there will be small variations in the results. Higher the precision less variation there is between two products. It can go far enough where it is possible to make items indistinguishable from one another.¡±


    ¡°Who needs that.¡± My ears picked up a quiet mumble.


    ¡°That is a great question. And the loom we are making is a great example of it. It makes weaving more automatic, relying on the machine to make the product, instead of the weaver''s hands. The more precise each motion - the more uniform fabric gets.¡±


    That drew nods from both of them, but I wasn¡¯t done.


    ¡°But just how precise machines can make precise products, they can also make more precise machines. Spare parts that can easily replace originals, because they are identical. And what is extremely important - the machines learn once. Compared to us they won''t forget, and they work from the moment they are built.¡±


    I took a breath and continued. ¡°From there you have mass production. You need a single beautiful trinket - ask for an artisan. Do you want a thousand, a hundred thousand, a million? Ask a machine. Precision is the foundation of the industry. The more precise your tools get - the more exquisite things can be made with them for bronze cuts.¡±


    ¡°Sounds far fetched.¡±


    I shook my hand in a so-so gesture. ¡°It is and it isn¡¯t. I know that it is possible, but it isn¡¯t a miracle pill. Just like with almost anything I¡¯ve said so far, it requires effort to see the results. The only difference is that now you know the possibilities.¡±


    It was time for Wrena to scratch her head. ¡°But how would that make it easier to make piles of things?¡±


    ¡°Well, precision gives rise to another opportunity - complex automation. Knowing and being able to make precise components means that you can make a machine move and work in the exact way you need. Add in raw power from water, wind, or fire and you can have a machine that works by itself. Without sleep or rest.¡± I turned to Domina. ¡°If you need proof, wait for the prototype, and then imagine it working ten-twenty times faster without stopping. Producing cloth as wide as two of me.¡±


    ¡°My, you know just the things to say to entice a lady.¡± Aikerim smiled, her tail slowly swishing back and forth. But soon, that smile turned predatory. ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t embellish your tales too much, or I might decide to test them with The Orb.¡±


    I blinked as Wrena sucked in a breath. Was it really that big of a deal? In my case, The Orb of Truth has been nothing but a great boon so far. Just a single conversation with it active and she dropped most of her suspicions. She hasn¡¯t even pressed me for the origin of my knowledge at all since then, making my preparations unnecessary.


    ¡°Sounds like a great idea really.¡± My answer made her stumble, for the first time in my presence. I didn¡¯t know Wrena that well so her choking could be anything.


    Domina gaped at me for a second, then rubbed the forehead sighing. ¡°Just start working on this, I have other things to attend.¡±


    And left us standing.


    ¡°So¡­ do you still need my help?¡± I eventually said, ending the awkward silence.


    ¡°Ah, yes please.¡±


    Snusmumriken


    Feel free to critique anything you want.

 Chapter 13.2 Work in Progress

    The next order of business was to get the metal components that would move individual threads and compress the weave into a tight cloth. These parts were tiny and wood wasn¡¯t strong enough.


    Sulla led me to the smithies out in the lower city, navigating through the Samat labyrinth with practised ease. It took us some time bickering with multiple artisans until we found one that had free time and willingness to craft a bunch of tiny pieces. The name of our manor and promise of a larger order in the future were enough to get us a decent price.


    While the artisan didn¡¯t really believe me how many we would actually need later, Sulla didn¡¯t let me argue with him at all. Probably under direct orders from Domina, or maybe under his volition. From what I managed to gather, Sulla¡¯s loyalty to the Manor was unquestionable. In his place, I wouldn¡¯t even think about haggling, yet he did, even though money weren¡¯t his nor would he keep the change.


    As we left the workshop behind our backs, the grey muscle-bound elf turned to me and scowled in his usual fashion.


    ¡°Kid,¡± he bit out. ¡°How long are you gonna walk around dressed like this?¡±


    I glanced down at myself. My tunic was in decent shape, I¡¯ve fixed it plenty of times in the last couple of years. The rope holding it was strong and the shirt was hidden anyway. My bare feet were black from the soot of the workshops we¡¯ve just visited, but the weather was warm, it was the beginning of the summer.


    He scoffed at my actions. ¡°You aren¡¯t a manual anymore, kid. But a teacher of the manor. You need to dress to represent your position. Or did you think Domina gave you the reward to waste on baubles and snacks?¡±


    I scratched my nose. ¡°I was hoping to do some other projects with it on the side actually.¡±


    ¡°Then a project can wait. Follow me.¡±


    Luckily for my finances, the place Sulla brought me to sold sturdy but not luxurious clothes. With a definite step up from the quality of my current gear. While my fixes held true and weren¡¯t that visible, over the years the fabric got worn out. And some unwashable stains did accumulate. New clothing looked well done and clean, visibly putting me into a new social status.


    Sandals were annoying, however. I couldn¡¯t comprehend why someone would wear so many straps around their ankles for the sake of appearing proper.


    I did manage to procure a set of glassware: green, cloudy, and expensive. I ordered the ugliest and simplest forms to save on the expenses. I had no plans on drinking or eating out of them, nor present them to my guests. I couldn¡¯t stop and relax right now, expecting my ideas and knowledge to please the Domina enough to simply grant me freedom. There was an uncomfortably unknown chance that all my inventions would only make her keep me forever.


    I needed some possible leverage. Machinery was out of the question, I¡¯ve seen the level of technology they have operated by now. Worse, people around me weren¡¯t stupid either. I couldn¡¯t make some mechanical wonder and expect no one to understand the mechanism or at least notice the purpose of my work.


    Something was necessary that wasn¡¯t obvious from a glance or even after some scrutiny. Something that needed a completely new way of thought compared to what they currently employed. Like electricity and, especially, electronics with binary logic. That was, frankly, the first major step after the discovery of mechanical tools. Even steam and internal combustion used centuries-proven parts to operate. Levers, wheels, gears and screws.


    Something like that would require me years of work and untold amounts of money to make anything even remotely useful. Or a trip to the crash site. The wreck was likely to have some materials or instruments, but I was under more intense scrutiny right now, even if that was to prevent me from spilling secrets not discovering new ones.


    That left chemistry and biology. The leading theory in the Emanai was that the matter was made from four elements, bound by the fifth. Magic. Health was likewise attributed to the balance in these five categories.


    Suffice to say I was rather confident to remain in obscurity tinkering with chemical reactions or making organic compounds. While poisons and alchemy were known as well, my designs wouldn¡¯t be easily copied nor understood. At the same time, the rudimentary awareness of the potency of these things would grant healthy respect to my tools in the future, in the unlikely chance I would need to employ them.


    The glass was a great start, no matter how expensive it currently was. It was inert and easily washable, able to contain chemicals that would gladly eat through the toughest metals. I simply couldn¡¯t wait for Aikerim to set up her own production.


    XXX


    Upon our return, things set off at yet another breakneck pace. Wrena didn¡¯t waste time and managed to make a tiny model to help her plan the build. And I was dragged in as a helping hand immediately.


    Domina was strict about the project security, none of Wrena¡¯s helpers were allowed in so the only other set of hands available was mine. While I had a very faint idea of what most of her tools did, and how to use them properly, I was capable of doing basic tasks while also bouncing ideas about the design back and forth.


    She managed to convince me to make the widest possible loom too. Apparently, current looms were limited in width by the weaver arm length and wider fabrics required a helper¡¯s hand and a lot more time. Exactly what my design ignored with the flying shuttle. While I was still thinking in terms of time, a bonk to the head and a mention that Domina would be more impressed by visible result rather than promises made me change my mind on the spot.


    Fortunately for me, my lessons with Domina¡¯s daughter, Anaise, hasn¡¯t started yet. Obviously, Domina was planning something and also wanted me to concentrate on the loom for now. As such my days went on with me spending most of the mornings with Irje and Yeva, and the rest of the day with Wrena working.


    Irje finished much earlier than I did, but since she wasn¡¯t permitted to help us either she ended up spending her time lounging in my bed until I¡¯ve arrived. Clearly, that was ¡®all for my sake¡¯ and ¡®to make sure my blankets stay warm for me¡¯. I nodded along with her arguments, smiling, and added a few suggestions myself. Now she would try different positions of ¡®keeping my bed warm¡¯ when I came in, just so she can figure out which one was the most ¡®effective¡¯.


    She also turned into a sloth every morning. Trying to pull her out of my bed was a nearly futile effort until she had gotten her morning treat.


    I truly had a cat now, and I was spoiling her more and more.


    ¡°You know.¡± I mused as I settled in front of her in the afternoon, pulling my shirt off my tired body. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking lately.¡±


    ¡°About what?¡± Irje hummed as she tried to scuttle closer to me. Tonight she went with a spread open invitation that was impossible to resist against even on worst days.


    I slid backwards keeping us apart, making her growl. My dick plopped down right on top of her mound. ¡°Soon we will be done with the loom.¡± I dragged my answer.


    ¡°Aaaaand?¡± She drawled sarcastically, her arms reaching downward.


    I shook my head. My, how impatient.


    Smacking her hands away I continued, ¡°I was thinking it will be a perfect time to spend more time with you.¡±


    That put a pleased smile on her face, but her attempts to get me in didn¡¯t stop. Instead, she started gyrating her hips in an effort to catch the tip and slid it inside.


    ¡°Good,¡± I murmured, making her understand that is what I wanted for her to do. I pressed it down, increasing pressure on her sensitive spots.


    Irje moaned and sped up her pace, only to realize that I wasn¡¯t putting it in either.


    I ignored her furious glare and the rapid movements of her body, enjoying the wet sensations of her lips sliding along my shaft. Her core subjecting the entire length of my dick to the waves of heat moving up and down.


    ¡°I want to teach you.¡± I smiled, unperturbed. ¡°Letters, numbers, anything that you still don''t know. And then more.¡± I frowned for a second. ¡°Maybe teach Yeva some math as well. It would be beneficial for both of you.¡±


    I could feel something in the air. Like a gentle breeze, a tiny shuffle of the sheets pulling closer.


    A whine of a sexy but neglected assistant.


    ¡°Oh, I shouldn¡¯t neglect such a beauty, right?¡± I said with fake realization.


    My musings brought forth furious nods from Irje.


    ¡°Well then. Allow me to correct my mistake.¡± I pushed it in, slipping into her entrance. ¡°And make up for it,¡± I murmured leaning closer to her face.


    She moaned into my kiss, her folds hugging my shaft just as tight as her arms held my body close.


    XXX


    I woke up to an old and familiar feeling. Lately, I would wake up within Irje¡¯s embrace, as she cuddled into me, seeking warmth. The softness of her breasts surrounding my face and her toned legs wrapped around mine turned it into a blissful experience. Even though it took time and experience to untangle myself and get away from the cuddlecat.


    Today my body felt the touch of fresh air. My arms loose. Irje wasn¡¯t in my embrace but the moist feeling of the tongue on my shaft made her location very obvious.


    She was surprisingly gentle today too. Very delicate. Usually, by this time, her lips would be around my shaft and balls deep.


    I laid still, faking sleep, enjoying her new approach.


    Gently, almost as if afraid, her tiny fingers wrapped around my dick, trying to jerk it. Her movements jerky and unsure.


    Wait.


    I sat up startled, eyes wide. Making Yeva yelp from surprise.


    I sat there in silence, suddenly feeling tired.


    Then I closed my eyes and let my head fall down. The pillow silencing my usual thump dedicated for this exact reason.


    ¡°Irje.¡±


    ¡°Yeeees?¡± Came an amused response.


    ¡°What the fuck are you doing?

 Chapter 14.1 An Unlikely Conversation

    ¡°I am not doing ¡®the fuck¡¯ at all as you can feel.¡± Came a cheeky response.


    I groaned and sat up. Absentmindedly patting Yeva¡¯s head to calm her down as well. She was starting to look like a mouse trapped in the corner or a child with two parents bickering. Unsure what to do.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it for now,¡± I told her. ¡°I can tell this has Irje¡¯s handiwork all over it.¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡± Came, once again, meek and unsure response. I sighed and silently gestured at her while glaring at Irje in the meantime.


    ¡®Look what you did¡¯ my actions said.


    ¡°How about this.¡± I ruffled her hair and pulled her in gently toward me. With a quiet gasp, she let herself fall beside me, right where Irje would usually sleep.


    ¡°Relax for a moment, enjoy the bed,¡± I murmured getting up myself. Satisfied that the softness and the warmth quickly calmed her down. ¡°Don¡¯t go anywhere and most importantly don¡¯t worry. I will just catch up with Irje¡¯s shenanigans quickly and then come back. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm,¡± She murmured, softly breathing deeply into the soft pillow. Well, I couldn¡¯t judge her for that reaction. I¡¯ve done the same first time I¡¯ve tried it myself.


    ¡°Good.¡± I stood up and headed outside, smacking Irje¡¯s butt on my way. ¡°You, follow me.¡±


    As soon as we stepped out I turned around and hissed, ¡°Now mind explaining what the hell is this about.¡±


    ¡°I thought you liked her.¡± Irje¡¯s exuberance faded quite a bit.


    ¡°I do, as a friend. I wasn¡¯t being nice to her just to get under her dress. That spot is taken by you.¡± I huffed.


    She looked at me, eyes wide, and then suddenly hugged me tightly. Ignoring my protests by burying me into her bosom.


    ¡°Thank you, Erf. I still don¡¯t know what I¡¯ve done to deserve you.¡± She murmured, squeezing the air out of me.


    After a minute of rough treatment, she finally pushed me away. ¡°But you can¡¯t be my Sadaq.¡±


    An unknown word. I¡¯ve never heard it before. But a sinking feeling in my heart had already betrayed me, whispering morose suggestions.


    A slightly sad smile on Irje¡¯s overall happy face didn¡¯t help either.


    ¡°What? What does it mean?¡± I couldn¡¯t stop but whispering back.


    ¡°You¡¯ve never heard it before? And yet you offered it to me.¡± She chuckled ruefully and pulled me closer once again. ¡°If I was a wicked woman I would have taken on your offer. Wicked and dumb.¡±


    ¡°Would you at least explain to me what is it¡± I groused, placated by her touch.


    ¡°It means a gift of family. A willing choice to join, compared to the bonds forged by blood. Or taken through force.¡±


    I frowned. A marriage? I mean our relationship was still fresh, and we were both slaves so that became rather tricky to do and permission of Domina to begin with. But to refuse it so plainly just like that. It nagged at me.


    But I forced myself to calm down. At least until she could finish her explanation. I can blow my lid afterwards.


    ¡°And why do you say that you can¡¯t?¡±


    She ruffled my head. ¡°Think about it. Between us, who follows who? Who has the personal ear of the Domina and a Rhetor? Who wears a Golden Gestr of Kiymetl like a bauble.¡±


    I glanced at her, unwilling to concede. ¡°So, you only refuse because I have potential? What happened to the promise of being mine?¡±


    I would not accept something rote like ¡®I am a burden to your glorious future¡¯ bullshit.


    Instead, I got a tighter hug. ¡°And I agreed. I will be your Sadaq.¡± She smiled down at me.


    Now I was confused. What was the difference?


    ¡°Is it some power dynamics thing?¡± I ventured. Feeling her nod, I sighed and shook my head. ¡°No.¡±


    It was her time to gasp. ¡°No?¡±


    ¡°Not mine, not yours. Ours.¡± I clarified. ¡°I refuse to have anything less.¡±


    She sagged down in our embrace, but a frown was still on her face. ¡°But what about others?¡±


    ¡°Others?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Who will wish to join as your Sadaq.¡±


    Oh. Oh no. This wasn¡¯t a marriage thing at all. I groaned as the comprehension dawned on me, realizing why there was a clear distinction between hers and mine.


    My position made perfect sense now. She couldn¡¯t take me as her harem, her concubine, her whatever. But I could. So why was I still conflicted about it?


    Ah.


    Hello, my dissonant brain, my old friend. Once again the source of my conflict came from my newfound knowledge. Whatever system it relied on it took monogamous relationships as a default.


    ¡°And If I am unwilling to receive them?¡± I ventured.


    She smiled sadly. ¡°Too late for that. Just from your current achievements, you will end up with multiple propositions in the future. Even those that would not take a simple no for an answer. While I am happy that you choose me; I am afraid that, if you use me as a reason not to take others, there will be those willing to remove me. Permanently.¡±


    I swore. And started to think.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I eventually relented. ¡°You will be in our sadaq. And because it is ours, we will have to agree first before receiving anyone else. Will you be satisfied with that?¡±


    She answered with a kiss instead. ¡°How could I not. You have been showering me in gifts all this time and even now, when I gave myself to you, you still try to pull me to your level.¡±


    ¡°Because it is lonely to be on the top,¡± I murmured. ¡°Because I refuse to treat those I care about as beneath me. Sexy times aside.¡±


    She giggled as I pinched her.


    ¡°Now,¡± I sighed. ¡°Let us set this alone, for now, so you can actually tell me what is going on? Don¡¯t tell me you are already looking for a third?¡±


    She sighed. ¡°I wasn¡¯t, honestly. Even though I saw that you were friendly with her and I liked her myself it was not the reason why I¡¯ve done it.¡± She glanced at me and asked, ¡°Do you remember why they bought you?¡±


    A pit opened in my stomach. An ugly truth that I forgot about as soon as I met Virnan.


    ¡°No,¡± I breathed.


    ¡°Unfortunately.¡±


    ¡°But I am a teacher now, and she is working under you on the soap!¡±


    ¡°Yes, as a teacher you don''t have to worry about it anymore. Actually, you are so high in the ranks that husbands might start feeling suspicious to your rise, in case you will dare to ask Domina to be in her Sadaq.¡±


    I shuddered.


    Irje continued, however. ¡°That doesn¡¯t extend to her, however. She might be important to you and me, maybe even Domina does find her useful. But she isn¡¯t useful enough for her to intervene in case one of them will decide to take her. Domina will likely keep her here and won¡¯t send her out with them, nor would she let the rest of the household use her.¡± She chewed on her lips. ¡°While I am happy to know that, I still want her to be ready in case something happens.¡±


    ¡°Are they coming soon?¡± I asked.


    She shook her head negatively.


    ¡°So you want me what? Prepare her? Teach her the tricks?¡±


    ¡°I want her to have a pleasant first time with someone she trusts and cares about, she told me enough. And your knowledge would help as well.¡±


    I sighed as I leaned back on the wall. Then I slumped down to the ground.


    ¡°This world sucks.¡±


    ¡°You say it like there are others.¡± She sat beside me.


    ¡°There are, most likely. Somewhere among the stars.¡± I looked at the bright blue sky.


    Irje followed my gaze


    ¡°Lands of Gods, perhaps.¡±


    My gaze was unfocused, my mind thinking about Yeva. I wanted her safe, and I wanted her happy. Hell, a lizard brain of mine wanted her body too. And while later was extremely easy to achieve, it was the former that bothered me more. It was easy to think of thousands of slaves treated harshly every day, or the countless others captured at war. Or many more atrocities committed every second. Our brains weren¡¯t simply designed to comprehend large numbers that easily.


    It was much harder when the target of potential misery was lying in your bed. Probably enjoying the softness for the first time in her life. Basking in the minute of happiness.


    I set my mind. She deserved happiness that I could give to her, and it was Irje¡¯s idea, to begin with. And the rest? We will cross the bridge when we get there.


    I stretched and got up. ¡°Very well. I will see what I can do, but I will talk to Yeva first. Make sure she actually wants it.¡±


    Irje smiled at me and gave me her arm. As I pulled her upward I continued. ¡°You, my kitten, have been very naughty today, however. Coming up with such plans behind my back once more.¡±


    ¡°Um.¡± She fidgeted under my gaze. ¡°The oil is on the table, perhaps-¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    She stumbled ¡°No?¡±


    I shook my finger at her. ¡°Something tells me you would enjoy exploring that way too much. So it won''t work as a punishment.¡±


    ¡°But what?¡­ No!¡± She breathed as I walked inside. ¡°Hey, Erf! Wait for me, we need to talk about this!¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I will be gentle and slow, Irje.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s exactly what I am worried about! I mean I wouldn¡¯t mind if it was fast¡­¡± She licked her lips. ¡°You can be rough.¡±


    Yeva perked up on our return but didn¡¯t look perturbed by our conversation. Well, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if she managed to listen in to us talking outside. What also didn¡¯t surprise me that she stayed in my bed, hugging my blankets and pillows around her.


    ¡°But I do mind, Irje,¡± I said gently. ¡°Now-¡± I palmed her mound through her shift, eliciting a tiny mewl from her. ¡°All this can wait for later, perhaps tonight. Maybe in a few days.¡± My soft words into her ear made her growl instead.


    She leaned into my palm. Her heat reaching me through the fabric.


    I let her go, smacking her butt and ignoring her pout. ¡°Right now there is someone else that needs our attention.¡±


    Yeva gulped as I sat on the bed. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind gentle and slow.¡± She meekly whispered.


    I smiled and ruffled her hair. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about what we said. She is just playing around.¡±


    I ignored the grouse in the corner that mumbled something about it being a serious issue and continued, ¡°She wasn¡¯t too pushy was she?¡±


    I ignored the squawk of outrage too.


    Yeva in the meantime blushed and hid her face in the pillow. ¡°No,¡± came a soft murmur, ¡°I wanted it too.¡±


    ¡°And I do find you beautiful.¡± I rewarded her honesty with my concession. ¡°I was just brought up thinking I should be with one person at a time, so I considered myself taken.¡±


    ¡°Well, you went off and made yourself too important now.¡± Another quip from the corner.


    ¡°Yeah, that. Apparently, a single spouse is a luxury of the poor.¡±


    My words made both of them giggle, although I was dead serious.


    ¡°Ah, I would recognize Erf just from his silly words alone.¡± Yeva kept giggling. The corner audience agreed.


    ¡°Now, I don¡¯t want to make it more awkward for any of us any longer, so I would ask one more question, do you want Irje here?¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Irje whined.


    I gestured for her to wait.


    ¡°Umm¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡± I stopped her, ¡°Don¡¯t think, feel. Will you be more comfortable with me alone, or you would want Irje with us?¡±


    Yeva fidgeted for a bit and then asked, her face still buried into the pillow. ¡°Will you watch over me?¡± One of her peculiar phrases.


    I gently ran my fingers through her blond curls as short as they were. ¡°I am watching you right now. I do care about you, and I do like you.¡±


    ¡°Then I would like it to be just us. Sorry, Irje.¡± Came a soft response.


    ¡°Awww,¡± Irje whined but there was little heat in it this time. She understood. ¡°But what about a treat?¡± Or maybe she didn¡¯t.


    ¡°You heard her. Out.¡± I waved her off, grinning.


    ¡°But can I have some fun afterwards?¡±


    ¡°Of course you can. Your punishment will be lots of fun.¡±


    ¡°Erf!¡±


    ¡°Now shoo.¡±


    Snusmumriken

 Chapter 14.2 Yeva

    She huffed at me but left. While I continued to stroke Yeva¡¯s hair as she giggled. Eventually, she calmed down and started fidgeting.


    ¡°Umm. Are we gonna start?¡± She finally said, blushing up a storm.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± My hand went in for another pass, gently brushing her ear.


    ¡°Umm, the thing, Irje was bragging about.¡±


    My fingers started to gently massage her scalp. ¡°What thing?¡±


    I could feel her blush, her ears red and almost throbbing. ¡°S-sex.¡±


    ¡°Hmmm? And what did the braggart say?¡± I gently pulled one of her hands away from her face only for her to bury it deeper into the pillow.


    ¡°She said that it is the best she ever had. She talked about your tongue and your fingers, how they just know things she didn¡¯t know herself. About your p-pr¡­¡± Yeva whined mid-sentence. ¡°Stop teasing me!¡±


    I chuckled and gently kissed her hand, as I started to massage her wrist as well. My other hand still busy with her scalp. ¡°Sorry, sorry. And to answer your question we have already started.¡±


    ¡°We did? B-but¡­¡±


    I leaned closer and whispered into her ear. ¡°But why isn¡¯t my dick deep inside your folds, making you scream for more? Why I am not ploughing you this very moment, our bodies soaked with our sweat? Why my tongue isn¡¯t travelling across your body or plundering the depths of your mouth?¡±


    With every word I spoke, I heard her whine, her ears red from embarrassment. Eventually, she started to squirm a bit, her legs hugging my blanket tightly.


    ¡°The answer is-¡± I brushed my fingers over the ridge of her ear as the wave of shivers overwhelmed her. ¡°Because you aren¡¯t ready yet. Aren¡¯t fully relaxed.¡±


    ¡°B-but, I am.¡± Her arguing froze as my hand slid from her hair and gently caressed her across her back. Making her body grow stiff.


    ¡°You see?¡± I gently murmured, resuming my ministrations.


    ¡°I am sor-¡± I didn¡¯t let her speak as I kissed her hand again. Gently shushing her.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this is normal. Your body is overwhelmed with new sensations and doesn¡¯t know what do to.¡±


    ¡°But I wanna do it!¡± She protested, finally turning her face toward me. ¡°I wanna do it with you.¡±


    ¡°Patience, young padawan.¡±


    My answer took her off tracks once more derailing her from the outburst she had. She froze for a second murmuring an unknown word. Giving me a perfect time to lean in and claim her lips.


    Yeva melted into my kiss, her hand let go of the pillow she was holding to grab my head and keep me close. Quickly mirroring my movements. I could feel her almost vibrating from the sensations she was subjected to.


    While she was occupied with my lips I pulled the blanket away, lying close to her instead. My intrusion was noticed instantly and responded to in a swift manner. Specifically by wrapping her legs around my body as well.


    Eventually, we broke our kiss apart, with Yeva gasping for air.


    ¡°You see.¡± I brushed her cheek. ¡°There is no rush, I am not going anywhere so we should take our tim-¡±


    Unfortunately, she decided not to wait at all. And kissed me once more with abandon as soon as she regained her breathing. I returned her passion sighing internally. Did I stumble on another Irje? Was that the reason why they had found so much in common?


    One thing kept my hope. Irje craved release, Yeva craved sensations. She wasn¡¯t kissing me to stop me from talking, trying to speed the process along. She craved the kisses themselves, starved as she was for affection.


    I gave her plenty, breaking it off so she could get a breather. Placing a few pecks on her face, only to return back to her lips afterwards. I let my hands roam on her body but I could still feel the tension every time I tried to go too far. Eventually, Yeva grew satisfied with my attention and cuddled in closer. Swimming in the new experiences she just had.


    ¡°I dunno what is wrong with me.¡± She sniffed. ¡°I want to feel your hands, but every time you touch me I just clench, I hate this.¡±


    ¡°Well, would you clench if I kissed you again?¡± I murmured.


    Yeva thought for a second then a hint of a sly smile appeared on her face. ¡°I am not sure, maybe we should try it out.¡±


    I leaned in again and gave this little imp a gentle kiss. Feeling her hum in response. ¡°I guess not.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. And that is because your body got used to me kissing you. We just have to do the same with the rest.¡±


    She smiled faintly, fingers tracing her lips, and nodded. To shy to say the words.


    ¡°Great! Now, turn over. I will start with your back.¡±


    ¡°My back?¡± She repeated incredulously, complying nevertheless.


    ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡±


    ¡°But what about s-se-¡± She yelped as I smacked her butt.


    ¡°Calm yourself, Irje has been rubbing too much on you. Randy minx that she is. The best way to get you relaxed and comfortable is through massage. Now lie still, relax, give me your legs, and trust me.¡±


    Yeva finally stretched herself prone, her ears red once again, her face buried into the pillow. Her legs lying in my lap. I swiped the bottle that Irje prepared for a completely different purpose and sniffed at it. It smelled pleasant but not strong and would work perfectly.


    ¡°What are you¡­ oooooh.¡± Yeva got flustered when she smelled the oil but my arms on her calves quickly took her attention away. She was young and lithe, but days of work left her long legs full of knots. My oiled hands were hard at work making her squeak and moan. I took my time working on her muscles, making sure I didn¡¯t miss a spot.


    Soon enough my hands rose higher to her thighs. Whatever tension she had from my movement was quickly replaced by a sigh of contentment as I resumed my work on a new group of muscles. And a series of mewls when I pressed on the sore spots, a tiny gasp as my hands gently pulled her shift higher, exposing her butt to me.


    ¡°Umm.¡± I could see her clenching up, her legs clamping down and hiding her core. ¡°Erf?¡±


    ¡°Shh. Relax.¡± I murmured back, sliding her shift even higher, exposing her back. My hands returned to their mission, applying the oil to her back and working in the kinks once more.


    ¡°Mmmmh, why does it feel so good.¡± She moaned, finally relaxing again.


    ¡°Because it was neglected for a while. Like a place you haven¡¯t scratched before.¡± My fingers gently raked over her exposed back sending shivers through her body. I kept working on her muscles, appreciating the sight in my view as well.


    Yeva was small compared to Irje, and about my height. Her skin pale, apart from the sun-kissed arms and legs. Her lithe body looked actually even smaller than mine, and definitely more fragile. Just like me, she was a murk. She had no magic within her body to keep it strong and unaging for centuries. But just like me, she was young. Her body was still full of that spring vigour until the harshness of life would leave its mark on her. Her body was still beautiful.


    She was just like me if I never found the crash site.


    I hated that. I hated the lottery of life that gave everything to some and left something innocent like Yeva destitute.


    ¡°Mmmh, please don¡¯t stop.¡± She murmured as my hands slowed down.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I murmured, pulling the shift off her body completely. My hands went back to work, but I added a trail of kisses as well.


    She gasped, her legs finally starting to squirm, rubbing against each other. As if trying to rub on an itch deep within. Most of her kinks were done and it left me with putty in the form of Yeva on my bed. Fully relaxed. Based on the sounds she¡¯d been making also satisfied.


    Now I needed to stoke her furnace, get the fire roaring inside her core. Although there was one more place with kinks left.


    My hands gently slid across her back, returning to a place I¡¯ve skipped earlier. This time, as I applied pressure on her butt, searching for knots. She didn¡¯t tense up anymore. That allowed me to virtually grope her tiny but pert ass as I worked on the last set of knots. My hands roamed down to her thighs and back again, my fingers brushing close to her lips.


    I felt the heat rise up as my attention brought more and more blood to the region. I heard her sensitivity spiking as gentle murmuring was replaced by louder moans and sharper gasps.


    And then she clenched shut once again, catching my hand between her thighs. As her hands went down to yank mine out, I¡¯ve felt it. A trickle of moisture, slowly spreading out due to pressure.


    ¡°Ah, Erf, I need to-¡± Once again I interrupted her by leaning closer and shushing her with a peck on her earlobe.


    ¡°Relax, that is normal. Your body is reacting to my touch as it should.¡± I murmured softly into her ear.


    She shuddered. ¡°But-¡±


    A lick across the ridge of her ear stopped her protests before they even started. ¡°No buts, that is your body feeling excited. Getting you ready to feel the pleasure.¡±


    She whimpered as I kept kissing her, slowly moving downward. A gentle suck on her earlobe made her moan anew. The grip lessening around my fingers.


    My tongue slid lower, caressing her chin, exploring the sensitive spot between her neck and the ear.


    She sucked in the air in pleasure and I finally felt her body starting to rock and grind.


    ¡°Just like that. Don¡¯t think. Don¡¯t worry. Concentrate on the feeling of pleasure.¡± My hand slid down between her thighs, massaging sensuously the inner areas. Making her body grind harder. But leaving her petals untouched.


    ¡°Mmmmmh! This is so good!¡±


    ¡°You like it?¡±


    ¡°Yes! Please don¡¯t stop!¡± Her face wasn¡¯t red from embarrassment, it was flushed with arousal. A large happy grin on her face. She was still buried in my pillow, but that was simply because she didn¡¯t bother to change her position yet.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t. But do you want more?¡±


    I got a giggle in response.


    My finger brushed on her folds making her gasp and arch her back in pleasure, seeking my hand.


    ¡°How about now?¡± I teased.


    ¡°Yes! I want that!¡±


    ¡°Well, turn around then.¡±


    She rolled over, her breathing hard from anticipation. My hand went with her, trailing her thigh on the outside, only to end up in its previous location as she settled down. Wedged between her legs, a hair¡¯s breadth away from her folds. Keeping the fire hot.


    Her hands rose up to cover her body, but I ignored it for now. My lips finally locking with hers again in a more vigorous kiss. She moaned in response only to moan harder as my tongue found its way in. I let her bask in new sensations.


    ¡°Enjoying it so far?¡± I grinned as she was busy gasping for air once more.


    ¡°Yes! Please, spoil me more!¡± she replied instantly.


    ¡°As you wish.¡± I made a trail of kisses down to her collar bone. ¡°Just relax,¡± Another peck at her sternum. ¡°And pay the attention to my lips.¡±


    She gasped as I veered sideways, my head pushing her arm away, uncovering her breasts. While I wouldn¡¯t say it out loud, but Yeva was nearly opposite from Irje in her body type. While Irje¡¯s breasts were bountiful enough to make her large areolas appear small in contrast. Yeva¡¯s, on the other hand, while not completely flat, could barely fit into my palm. Which made her nipples and areolas stand out even more.


    I trailed my kisses in a spiral trail, getting closer and closer to her nipple. Yeva hand landed on my head and grabbed my hair. She didn¡¯t pull at it, merely wanting to know where exactly I was at any point in time. My hand slid up to mirror my lips, I would not leave the other breast unattended.


    She gasped as my lips brushed past her nipple, my breath gently tickling it. Her back arched as my fingers trailed smaller and smaller circles around the other one. All this time she stayed true to my word. Enjoying my touch without hurrying me along. Even when I sucked her breast in, pulling at it slightly, while my hand tried to grasp as much flesh as the other one.


    ¡°Sooo good!¡± She moaned as my thumb started to roll her nipple around, just as my tongue did. I grabbed her waist with my other arm, arching her against my body. I let my movements linger as her breathing grew harsher and her grinding more pronounced.


    And just as she grew accustomed to my ministrations I switched from sucking to pressure. My thumb and my tongue went in, pushing her nipples deep into her flesh. I pushed and rolled them as she cried in her first release of the day.


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s not forget to equally lavish the other one,¡± I murmured as my lips and my hand traded places. Allowing me to trail kisses on her other breast.


    ¡°Mmmm. Thats¡¯ right, don''t miss a spot.¡± She panted in agreement. Her fingers hard at work raking through my hair.


    Her words were like honey to my ears. While Irje ended up submissive but demanding, Yeva¡¯s previous shyness and loneliness made her accepting and eager but just as vocal.


    I didn¡¯t have to rush in her body exploration. Noticing small but extremely sensitive spots, like when I licked under her breast, right where her tiny mound of flesh met the rest of her body. Or observing her peculiar reactions just as my hand slid upward to meet her lips she didn¡¯t suck on my fingers as many would default to but resolved to kiss every spot on my hand. And then nuzzled into it, inhaling whatever scent it had.


    Soon my exploration trailed down once again. Assisted by my arms she arched her back at me, pushing her flat stomach closer to my face. Mewling on every other kiss, gasping when my tongue teased her tiny navel.


    I didn¡¯t stop my movement down, arriving at the dessert of my feast. Yeva¡¯s tiny butt was firmly grasped by my hands, supporting it in the air. Her head pushing down on the bed curving her body as high as possible, trying to reach my lips. Her eyes, wide open and glazed, stared unseeingly into the ceiling. The curve of her body hiding the rest behind the petite hills of hers.


    Up close, her mound looked even more delicate and fragile. She had almost no growth down here, a smattering of few barely visible hairs just above her slit. Her outer lips, smooth and pale red, could barely cover her inner flesh. A hint of rosy velvet folds already glistening with moisture mesmerized me.


    ¡°You look divine,¡± I murmured, nuzzling into her body to give myself a beautiful side-view. Her limber body made her mound of Venus even more pronounced, hiding nothing behind her legs.


    Yeva shuddered and tried to twist her body again, grinding it into my face.


    ¡°Oh Erf, don¡¯t stop!¡± She moaned at my lack of kisses.


    Now. How could I say no to that?


    My hands squeezed her butt, keeping her steady. I leaned closer inhaling her scent. Familiar yet unique.


    A small peck at the nook of her thigh. A sharp intake of breath from her. A sensual lick just outside of her outer lips. A shuddering exhale. I lavished her skin with kisses, each one eliciting a bigger reaction from Yeva. Yet she didn¡¯t spur me on, content with enjoying what I was doing to her, as long as my actions didn¡¯t cease.


    A tiny breath straight at her core made her mewl and clamp her legs around my head. She was more than ready. I kissed her mound just above her slit, my lips putting pressure on her clit below the skin. I let it linger, moving my lips sideways, feeling the hardened part below rolling around in response.


    Abruptly, my tongue lashed out downward, finally touching her inner petals.


    ¡°Oh!¡± a sharp gasp from above.


    The tongue lapped at her juices and I pulled it back, spreading them around. Dragging the tip over her extremely sensitive spots. Only stopping at the engorged nub I¡¯ve been teasing through the skin all this time. The tip of the tongue dancing on it gently but vigorously.


    Yeva screamed. Hard and long.


    Her hands grabbed my head pulling me deeper into her. Her legs, no longer content with just holding her body, wrapped around me. She pushed herself even higher, using my shoulders as new support. Making my face grind down into her entrance, my mouth away from her clit.


    She kept screaming as she essentially sat on my face upside down. Grinding non-stop. Her pliant flesh all around my face. Her nub rubbing on my nose. Suffocating me, and at the same time sating my thirst. Her juices flowing freely into my open mouth.


    I didn¡¯t stop my actions either, prolonging her peak. My tongue was deep inside of her, preparing her orifice for my later entrance. Stretching her inner muscles and lapping on her juices.


    She latched on to me hard enough to free my hands from supporting her weight. So they reached out outward instead, teasing her nipples once again. Kneading her little flesh.


    I knew I was a breast kind of person. That just meant I loved them all. While some could say she lacked in assets I¡¯ve found her features pleasing and arousing in how delicate they were. Daintily.


    Yeva finally collapsed from her high. Her legs untangled and slid off from my shoulders, letting me breathe once again. She lied down in front of me shuddering occasionally. Her body a beautiful flower, satisfied but unbroken.


    Her hands outstretched, reaching for me.


    ¡°Come here.¡± She murmured.


    I pulled my shirt off and slid down toward her. She wrapped around me, pulling me close to her body, showering me with kisses. I held her close as well enjoying the warmth of her body over mine.


    ¡°You smell so nice.¡± She murmured burrowing into my neck.


    ¡°You mean, I smell like you?¡± I quipped making her laugh quietly.


    ¡°That makes it even better, our smells merged together as one.¡± Her quiet words, spoken into the crook of my neck sent shivers through my body, making my dick twitch on her stomach.


    She gasped in surprise, but a smile slowly appeared on her face. ¡°Do you know what was the most pleasant part?¡±


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    She slid down, her head on my chest. Her hands roaming my body.


    ¡°The sounds that you¡¯ve made as you kissed me everywhere. Your heartbeat, loudest I¡¯ve ever heard from you. The little changes that you¡¯ve made giving me that pleasure. Your tiny grunts of satisfaction when I couldn¡¯t hold myself anymore. I couldn¡¯t help myself but love every moment of that.¡±


    Her hand slid down, her small fingers gently stroking along the length of my shaft, making me twitch in response.


    ¡°And now this, your body responding to mine. Just like mine did a few moments before.¡±


    Her fingers wrapped around my shaft properly. A sudden shift forcing hiss out of my lips.


    ¡°That!¡± She exclaimed exuberantly, her hand growing surer in her actions. Whatever hidden cues she felt from my body, she used them mercilessly. ¡°I feel your heat! I know what you desire!¡±


    A wide grin split her face.


    ¡°And I can¡¯t stop myself from smiling, knowing that you desire me!¡±


    ¡°Yeva.¡± I breathed.


    A finger on my lips. ¡°Shhh,¡± She murmured. ¡°It is my turn now to make you feel nice.¡±


    Her finger trailed down my chin as she slid downward. ¡°I need to know that treat. Irje has been bragging about it for a tenday.¡±


    I groaned, feeling her breath on my stomach. Her kisses, an expert copy of mine, gave her enough ammunition to attack all my senses. Damn that hypocritical braggart. She had a nerve telling me to be quiet about my bed only to turn around and spill my other secrets.


    I made a mental notch to the list of future punishments for her and put Irje aside.


    I had a more pressing matter at hand.


    Namely, Yeva has reached her destination. Unashamedly inhaling my scent. Her hands on my shaft, stroking. Her tongue all around it. Teasing me just like I¡¯ve done to her. I moaned as her tongue brushed my balls. Damn, she was great. It was hard to imagine her stuttering about things she was currently doing with utmost dedication. Knowing her, she would still stutter about it afterwards, while still making me walk funny for weeks as well.


    I laid on the bed, panting. A burning desire raging through my loins. But just as she was returning the favour to me, I made no effort to hurry her along either. Basking in anticipation. Letting her experiment without any reprisal. Afraid to make her first steps into sexuality, as sensual as they were, stumble.


    I could still guide her somewhat, however.


    I clenched my teeth as she pulled my shaft toward her. ¡°I am almost there,¡± I moaned as the tip of her tongue danced on my tip, teasing the opening. My hands shakily reached her hair and raked through it gently. ¡°If you want to get a full treat, put it inside your mouth.¡±


    It was obviously new territory for her. Her delicate lips parted slightly and met my crown in a kiss. Carefully as if trying to eat something hot, she opened her mouth and guided it inside. My legs starting to shake as her lips finally closed on my shaft.


    As my tip brushed against the top of her mouth, she tried to meet it with her tongue. Licking it. On the frenulum, the most sensitive part.


    I exploded in her mouth instantly. My back arched as Yeva tried not to cough on the rapid flow inside her mouth, failing miserably. As I held her head to keep myself inside of her, she tried desperately to catch anything that spilt with her arms. Only to make a bigger mess.


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself. I needed to cum and I wanted to cum into her. So I kept holding her, lavishing praise on her and making sure she could swallow. Every single gulp of hers triggering a new wave of pleasure within me. Only when I was fully empty I let her go, satisfied.


    ¡°Mmmm! So sweet! So rich with your smell!¡± Yeva hummed, busy trying to clean her face and fingers.


    ¡°And it was all because of you,¡± I murmured.


    She shivered, ¡°that¡¯s right, isn¡¯t it? All this delicacy just for me. Can¡¯t miss a single drop.¡±


    I glanced down at the mess on my stomach, ¡°I am pretty sure I¡¯ve spilt a lot.¡± I quipped.


    ¡°Oh, I am sorry!¡± She gasped as if returning to her former self.


    ¡°Shhh.¡± My hand stroked her chin, ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, but you know what that means?¡±


    Yeva fidgeted for a second but my hand didn¡¯t let her succumb back into uncertainty. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It just means that you have to lick everything clean,¡± I suggested as she smiled in return and bent down once again, lapping on our mess. ¡°Good girl.¡±


    Whatever senses she was relying upon to find her quarry were extremely effective. Soon she was done with her task but decided to remain there humming contentedly. I sat up leaving her head in my lap. Enjoying the beautiful sight in front of me.


    But I wasn¡¯t done yet. I still had another task to do for Yeva.


    My hand snaked out and started roaming around her body. She was relaxed enough to let me explore without a single noise of protest, not a movement to escape or even encourage. She lied there smiling as my hands caressed her tiny breasts, as my fingers trailed across her mound, gently pulling her folds open as they went.


    She wasn¡¯t sensitive anymore after her last climax but extremely pliant and relaxed. I could continue without making the sensations too overwhelming and the entire process too painful.


    Yeva stretched in my lap smiling, as my fingers returned to her mound, gently stroking her folds.


    ¡°Do you want more?¡± She mused, ignoring my touch or how wet she was becoming with every single stroke. A striking difference with the morning.


    ¡°Mmm-hmm.¡± I agreed. ¡°To have such a pretty girl in my lap and not desire more? How could I not.¡±


    My words made a bigger impact than my fingers did. Yeva giggled and nuzzled back into my semi-hard dick, gently poking it with her finger. But I continued. ¡°Besides there is another part we haven¡¯t done today.¡±


    Initially, she didn¡¯t respond to my statement, content at playing with my shaft. Then her mouth opened in a silent ¡°oh¡± and she buried herself deeper. The blush giving her away anyway. Subconsciously I placed my hand on top of her head. The other kept teasing her petals.


    ¡°Will it hurt?¡± She meekly asked.


    I thought for a second, absentmindedly stroking her hair. ¡°I will be honest, it might, but not likely. Especially now, after all that we have done getting you ready, relaxed, and wet. ¡°You might not even notice it, overwhelmed by other feelings.¡±


    ¡°Of you filling me?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Of me filling you. Let me guess, our braggart strikes again?¡±


    Yeva laughed quietly, squirming. ¡°Yeah. I asked her once about it and it was nonstop ever since. Eeeep! Don¡¯t tell her I said that!¡±


    I sighed. ¡°A braggart and a gossip. Oh, what poor Erf had gotten himself into!¡±


    She fidgeted, gathering up her courage, then suggested, ¡°He got two pretty girls?¡±


    I hummed in fake deliberation, then laughed myself. ¡°I guess you got me there.¡±


    ¡°Um.¡± Her fidgeting didn¡¯t stop, however. ¡°Can you er, can you s-start now?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± occupied by our banter I just realized she already started rocking her body. My fingers subconsciously had done their duty of getting her to the edge. And keeping her there. ¡°Oh, is someone getting excited?¡±


    ¡°Yes, take me please.¡± And there goes her switch again. Her shyness replaced by extreme acceptance once again.


    I sighed and got up, to position myself at her entrance, my fingers never leaving her mound. Never stopping. Keeping the fire blazing hot to the last moment.


    ¡°Now I can¡¯t tease you anymore,¡± I jokingly moaned. ¡°Asking me directly like that, how can I ever refuse!¡±


    She made a half-mewl half-giggle sound. ¡°Just be gentle, okay? I want to feel you.¡± She softly murmured, spreading her legs apart.


    ¡°Of course. Tell me if it¡¯s too much.¡± I couldn''t stop a frown as my fingers spread her apart. And then some more, getting her used to the stretch. She wasn¡¯t that diminutive that I would break her but she was close and I didn¡¯t want to take any chances. I let my tip touch her spread folds. Holding it with my hand, I slid it up and down teasing her.


    Letting her get used to a new sensation.


    Slowly her noises turned expectant once more and I let my crown dip deeper into her entrance. Making her gasp. I put my fingers back to work again as they teased her body, distracting her from what was coming.


    Rocking gently, I let my tip plunge slightly into her only to pull it back out afterwards. She was once again panting hard, not even realizing that I put us in the perfect position.


    It was probably a good thing that she couldn¡¯t see what was happening down here. Her delicate slit was dominated by the size of my shaft. Just inserting the tip inside was enough to spread her outer lips as wide as they could. Her inner folds equally stretched around my girth, leaving her hardened clit exposed.


    I didn¡¯t ask for her permission, she already gave it a long time ago. I also didn¡¯t want her tensing up for no reason. My hand slid down and teased her lonely nub, pushing her close to the edge once again.


    As soon as she was close I sank in. My motion was gentle but relentless. Filling her up to the bottom as my hands were hard at work keeping her edge high.


    A slight frown brushed on Yeva¡¯s face as I started my movement only to be replaced by laboured pants as I filled her inside out. Luckily she didn¡¯t look to be in pain.


    ¡°Oh Gods,¡± She was hyperventilating as I settled inside of her. ¡°This feels so much!¡±


    ¡°So much what?¡± I asked curiously.


    ¡°Much!¡± Came a laconic answer.


    ¡°Do you like it?¡± I decided to clarify.


    ¡°Yes!¡±


    She wasn¡¯t very talkative anymore. Her hands hugged her belly somewhere just above where my tip was.


    ¡°Can I start moving?¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± She made a few deep breaths, calming herself a bit. ¡°Okay.¡±


    I gently slid out. ¡°Oooh!¡± and pushed myself back into her. ¡°Mnaagh!¡± she held me like a vice squeezing my entire length. Her hands grabbing at my body. Not letting me pull out completely but stopping me from moving too fast.


    I assumed a languid motion and bent closer, lying over her. Instantly her hands sprung up and wrapped around me. She tried to kiss me but it came out sloppy as she panted with every thrust. Eventually, she settled on hugging me as she breathed close to my ear.


    ¡°Okay,¡± She panted suddenly.


    ¡°Yeva?¡±


    ¡°Faster.¡±


    ¡°You are feeling okay and you want me to move faster?¡± I confirmed.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    I turned and kissed her ear, speeding up my thrusting. ¡°As you wish.¡±


    I kept my motion at a constant pace. Combined with the overall sensitivity of her highly aroused body and me adding subtle twitches when I was deep inside of her, it came to no one¡¯s surprise that she came rather quickly as soon as she got used to my presence inside of her.


    I felt the slight sensation of her walls coiling around me.


    The increase of wetness right where we were joined together.


    I also felt her teeth sinking into my shoulder and I heard her scream, making me half-deaf.


    Once again her legs tried to wrap around mine, as she ground herself on me in the waves of her release. The frantic movements of her core pushing me closer to mine as well.


    She collapsed under me, a tinge of my blood on her lips.


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    I chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. It happens. It meant you felt really good and I am happy that you did.¡±


    A lopsided grin in response. ¡°Fairy.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure what she meant.


    But it looks like she didn¡¯t know herself. ¡°Erf.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t.¡± ¡°Cum.¡± Came out in a sequence between her breaths.


    I slowed down, ¡°you don''t want me to cum?¡±


    ¡°Mouth.¡±


    ¡°You want me to cum into your mouth instead?¡± The pace was back on again, this time mine.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I will tell you a secret, you won''t get pregnant from me unless we both want it, I made sure of that.¡±


    Irje waved off my concerns, apparently, wer ovulated once a year. Making them fertile only inside a certain week. The Heat it was called. They were also extremely horny during it. I decided to assume that Irje was extremely horny all year long because if this was her default state I couldn¡¯t comprehend how she would behave while actually horny.


    ¡°Treat.¡± Laconic answer completely derailed my thoughts.


    ¡°Oh no, another one! You will suck me dry!¡± I cried in fake outrage, to the accompaniment of her laughter.

 Chapter 14.3 Results and Uncomfortable Questions

    I scratched myself as I helped to assemble the loom. The new shirt was still too rough on my skin. I haven¡¯t worn it inside the manor at all for this exact reason, wisely deciding to use it only when I had to appear in public or present myself to the people of power.


    Unfortunately, after our vigorous and lengthy activities, I couldn¡¯t find it anywhere in my room. Forcing me to wear a new shirt when it was time for me to help Wrena.


    Despite the discomfort, I couldn¡¯t stop smiling. While the reasons that spurned my morning actions weren¡¯t very pleasant, the outcome was. As I let Yeva explore her sexuality I¡¯ve managed to uncover new facets of hers that I¡¯ve never expected to see. It was fascinating to see how much she managed to hide behind her shyness.


    Or what she hid behind her clothes.


    I was also extremely glad that my attention was welcomed well and eagerly. She even requested another ride on ¡®Erf''s pleasure cart¡¯ after getting that treat. This time I didn¡¯t try any convoluted positions and simply told her to sit on my face. She almost came from that statement alone. And it took her three attempts to do so, as her legs shook so hard from excitement. But a bright smile never left her face after that.


    Even, when I told her that the cuddle time was over and I had to head out and do my work.


    ¡°Listen, Erf.¡± Wrena¡¯s voice interrupted my dreams. ¡°You look like you know your way around wood.¡±


    I blinked at her, not getting what she was aiming at.


    We were at the final stages of assembly, putting already finished pieces together. Blacksmith provided us with a sufficient amount of components a few days ago, speeding up our construction immensely. Through our work, Wrena had managed to progress through multiple levels of behaviour. Initially, she started out cautious toward me, then dismissive. Now as the parts were joined together to show the final mechanism she started to treat me with some newfound respect.


    ¡°I am not sure what you mean, but I am no carpenter myself. I know how to grow trees, care for them. I know the structure of wood. But I don¡¯t have the skills to carve it.¡±


    She sighed with relief and then chuckled ruefully. ¡°Knowing what I do know you can probably grow some giant trees indeed. Probably tall enough to reach the Gods.¡±


    I waved her off. ¡°I can¡¯t say about gods, but,¡± I smiled at her ¡°yes.¡±


    She smiled back and I returned to work, checking the launch mechanism that sent the shuttle between the threads, leaving a thread in its wake. I¡¯ve got to give it to her, she was a master of her craft. Some mumblings and a chicken-scratch for a drawing and she came out with this beauty of a machine. She definitely didn¡¯t brag about carving hair-thin lines.


    ¡°Look.¡± She continued ¡°You know that Domina forbade you from telling anyone about this?¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh.¡± I agreed still working. ¡°And I haven¡¯t. Told anyone that is, yet.¡±


    She groaned at my dismissal. ¡°Fine! What do you want?¡±


    My hand stopped trying to fish the thread through. ¡°Hmm?¡±


    She hissed. ¡°What do you want to keep it that way. Name your price.¡±


    I finally set aside my work and turned fully to her. ¡°What is this about?¡± She wasn¡¯t Irje or Yeva. She also wasn¡¯t Domina either. While I had no attachments to the loom I wouldn¡¯t simply give it away either. Especially to someone who wasn¡¯t hurting for money nor status.


    ¡°This!¡± Wrena threw her hand at the machine. ¡°Do you have any idea what is this?¡±


    I turned to the contraption and then back to her.


    ¡°A loom,¡± I said


    ¡°Cut the act!¡± She growled, only to gasp at my incomprehension. ¡°Wait, you don''t even know what we have made, do you? Ugh, I should¡¯ve found that out before haggling.¡±


    That was interesting. Worth investigating.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I won¡¯t ask for much as long as you tell me what has gotten you so excited?¡±


    ¡°Everything!¡± She cried. Apparently, she was ready to vent a long time ago to someone, and now I gave her that release. ¡°Look how wide is the fabric! Something like that would have taken three or even four slaves to make. I know I recommended it but I didn¡¯t expect it to be done by a single person with such ease.¡±


    She took few breaths and started again. ¡°And speed! Do you know how quickly your machine works? Have you seen the looms in Domina¡¯s employ?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen them from afar, yes.¡±


    ¡°Exactly from afar. Probably not in action. Well listen here, this ¡®loom¡¯ that you call it works as fast as multiple usual looms, and that with the smallest width of an arm at most. Something this wide will weave a hundred times before the old loom manages even a single one!¡±


    ¡°Impressive.¡± I mused, making her choke.


    ¡°You prick! It is impressive and you should act impressed!¡±


    ¡°Oh wow! Such wonder! We are the best.¡± I said in a monotone, barely holding my smile.


    She slapped her forehead in defeat. ¡°I give up. WHY are you not impressed?¡±


    She clearly didn¡¯t give up.


    ¡°Remember my speech about precision?¡± She nodded, frowning and I continued, ¡°Remember how I said that I knew that it worked? Just like that, I knew the loom was going to work. I am not impressed with it because it fell within my expectations.¡±


    I decided to give her an olive branch not to aggravate her more. ¡°Only thing I am impressed here is the quality of your work. I can see your skill in every piece that you¡¯ve made. If you are okay with it I would like to request a few projects to be done at your leisure and in return, I will not share the design with anyone unless Domina demands me to.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡± She slapped her hand into mine, quick to take my offer. ¡°What kind of projects were you thinking about?¡±


    I scratched my chin thinking. ¡°I need a large wooden frame, and, maybe, you can help me find a good mason trading in slate. Do you make musical instruments with strings?¡±


    ¡°Like a lyre or kithara? No.¡± She shook her head.


    ¡°Kithara, yes. Do you know anyone who does?¡±


    She hummed ¡°Yeah, I can get you in contact with one. That¡¯s all?¡±


    Looks like she didn¡¯t like the fact that she barely had to do anything at all. Or just frustrated that she couldn¡¯t provide what I asked herself. Made sense, the more I needed the things she had, the more likely I would stick to our agreement.


    ¡°Oh, I would also need a bed.¡±


    She raised her eyebrows at me, knowing that as a teacher I should already have one.


    ¡°A larger bed.¡± I clarified.


    Something was telling me that I might need it soon.


    XXX


    It was a pleasure watching Aikerim reactions when I was aware of how monumental our design actually was. I took my time memorizing the movements of her tail, the rise of her expressive eyebrows, and quiet noises of approval when I presented to her yet another tidbit of the loom operation.


    I absorbed it all and kept selling like a seasoned salesman.


    ¡°But wait there is more!¡± I pointed out at the mechanism. ¡°If you noticed, I only used two pedals making a normal weave. The other four are set up in a different pattern only pulling a select few threads instead of all odd or all even.¡±


    I trailed off knowing her habit by now.


    ¡°And what type of weave is that?¡± Aikerim didn¡¯t disappoint me, She loved asking questions and tried to steer the conversation so that questions will be asked. Perhaps a habit she picked up from Virnan. That was all he did in my presence.


    I smiled, watching her tail. ¡°A certain weave, usually used for more expensive fibres, like silk.¡± A surprise, pleasure, anticipation. ¡°It makes a very glossy and smooth fabric.¡± Excitement.


    I pulled out the fabric we have already made before her arrival to point her to the different strip within. ¡°Satin. Here is an example of it with coarse threads.¡±


    She came closer, her fingers running on and off the strip. Her tail swayed in pleasure as she tested the material for strength and uniformity and found nothing to complain about.


    ¡°Does it mean you can switch from one to another?¡± she brought it closer where one weave turned into the other without any gaps. ¡°What about other patterns?¡±


    ¡°Each pattern requires a set of pedals. Some can be reused by multiple patterns, or if you wish to make only basic weave two pedals are more than enough.¡±


    ¡°So, how many?¡± came an impatient question.


    ¡°Weaves? There are three standard ones. Different patterns? Like repeating symbols or pictures.¡± I pointed at the scales on my Gestr. ¡°As many as you want. The loom can be modified and patterns can be added or removed at will.¡±


    Domina¡¯s eyes opened wide as she looked at me and then glanced at Wrena, who nodded.


    She sighed and closed her eyes. ¡°How easy it is to make another one?¡± She asked me as she got her bearings together.


    I silently pointed to the carpenter in the room.


    Aikerim shot me a sharp glance and turned to Wrena, with an eyebrow raised.


    ¡°If I can have my apprentices and all necessary parts from a blacksmith we could make one every five days! Otherwise a tenday at least.¡±


    Ouch, way to throw me under a cart.


    ¡°Can we trust them to keep it secret?¡±


    ¡°There is no need to. Now that I¡¯ve made one I can have them make me parts and a frame while I assemble the most important pieces alone!¡±


    ¡°Good, I will send out Sulla to get materials coming, Get your crew together we would need ten, no make it twenty for now. I will update the numbers after these are ready and working.¡± Aikerim stopped and composed herself, turning even more regal. ¡°You have done a great deed for this house. I will make sure your actions today and in the future will be correctly recorded in the history of Kiymetl.¡±


    Wrena bowed deep, smiling. ¡°Thank you, Domina, for your benevolence!¡±


    Huh, apparently it was a big enough deal for her to be satisfied just like that. Maybe there was more to the statement that I didn¡¯t know about. Or maybe the monetary reward wasn¡¯t a thing mentioned in public.


    ¡°Thank you for your work.¡± Domina dismissed her with a gesture, turning to leave. ¡°Erf, follow me.¡±


    Well, I guess I will not be recorded in that book then.


    We walked together to the inner compound. The twilight turning the greenery around us into a dark sea of leaves rustling in the wind. A hidden gesture from her and the runes that I¡¯ve seen all this time burst out in a glow. Just as few patterns on her kaftan did. It was a mesmerizing sight. While runes on the sidewalk were packed tightly to provide more light, the patterns on her dress were sparse. Highlighting her curves and bringing attention to the most important details like her tail.


    ¡°So you gave loom to Wrena now?¡± She murmured walking, ¡°Should I expect you to beg me for a new spot for her? Or should I get a report of her screaming from your room tonight?¡±


    I blushed from her words, apparently, I needed better soundproofing. ¡°Nothing that intense, she is a free member of your household and clearly has enough skill and mettle herself. And our relationship was purely about work.¡±


    ¡°And yet you still gave it away, how much did she offer?¡±


    ¡°I dunno, I only asked of her a few trinkets that I needed.¡±


    She snorted. ¡°All that for a few trinkets. And what would you want from me then?¡±


    ¡°Same things I wanted before I would say.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Including freedom.¡±


    She turned to look at me. An eerie figure illuminated by the blue glow around us. I just noticed that the runes didn''t glow everywhere, only within a certain radius from her.


    ¡°You aren¡¯t ready for freedom,¡± She stated plainly as if commenting on the weather. ¡°Perhaps I should offer you a few trinkets myself?¡±


    Honestly saying, hearing her say these words hurt. It hurt me but somehow made me feel lighter. Like a rejection of unrequited love. The hope was crushed but the burden of uncertainty was gone with it as well.


    I calmed myself down. ¡°You are my Domina,¡± I responded in a polite way, bowing. ¡°If you give me something I will accept.¡±


    ¡°You are showing your teeth properly this time. Good.¡±


    I raised my eyes at her.


    She managed once again to tower over me while being barely above my height. Her ears backwards, flat against her head. ¡°Remember your worth, Erf. And, especially, don''t let others forget about it either. You will be used for pittance otherwise.¡± She turned and continued walking. Her tail once again grazed over me pulling me after her.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard from Sulla that you were interested in Alchemy. You will be provided with a secluded workshop, where you won¡¯t be afraid to disturb others with your fumes.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Domina.¡±


    ¡°You will be provided with a stipend to procure reagents and keep you stocked.¡±


    ¡°You are most generous, Domina.¡±


    ¡°¡­and a cadre of slaves to help with your tasks.¡±


    ¡°That won¡¯t be necessary, Domina. Things I want to try require extreme precision and can produce poisons accidentally. I would end up spending more time making sure no one dies by mistake.¡±


    We walked some more in silence. I smiled listening to the nocturnal birds starting their nightly song. Somehow their songs tonight felt even more beautiful.


    ¡°Do you know that the runes glow through my power alone?¡±


    ¡°I have noticed that the glow extends in a circle, with you at the centre, and presumed as much.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. It is a basic runic script that channels my Flow through it, glowing in response. In contrast to divine artefacts that don¡¯t require a mage to power them, working on their own.¡±


    ¡°Fascinating. Is that is why they are so rare and sought after, compared to the runes I see all over the buildings?¡±


    ¡°Quite so. I will send you the codex on them, who knows you might learn them in few days as well.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Aikerim.¡±


    She hummed and we continued to walk in silence. Her dark figure striking an imposing shape in front of me. Her tail swishing silently, her ears upright.


    Eventually, we reached the inner compound, with people walking past us every now and then, stopping only to pay respects to Domina. At last, we¡¯ve ended up in a guest room with a single table, surrounded by lounging beds around it. Apparently, the room was either always ready or Domina predicted that we would end up here tonight. The table was loaded.


    I inhaled the scents as Domina dismissed the slaves and gestured me to take a spot. Lying down across from me.


    ¡°Tell me about precision.¡± She said gesturing for me to try the food at the table.


    My eyes grew wide. Unbidden, my hand grabbed a slice of fresh bread, another holding the knife already. ¡°When a hard object moves against the soft one, the latter changes shape to fit former better.¡± I started, scooping the creamy golden delicacy in front of me. ¡°What would happen if it is two similar objects that grind against each other?¡±


    ¡°They meet in the middle?¡± She ventured, slightly put off by my eagerness.


    ¡°Precisely!¡± I bit on my contraption and moaned in pleasure. ¡°This is really good.¡±


    ¡°It is butter on bread¡± She responded unimpressed.


    ¡°Well, it is a great butter, Krishna would be delighted.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± her ears perked up at an unknown name.¡±


    I waved her off. ¡°Not important. What is important is that, while they would meet in the middle, they would also form a surface that is easy to move in four directions, since the movement is what caused the change.¡±


    I finished the toast, forming a fist with my hand. ¡°Usually they would make a convex.¡± My palm rubbed the fist. ¡°Concave.¡± I switched the positions grinding the fist into my palm. ¡°Or flat.¡± Hands together.


    ¡°Sounds plausible, but not very precise.¡± She observed.


    I smiled. ¡°It is not. Unless you use three surfaces and grind all three against each other interchangeably.¡± I bumped my fists together and then tried to rub my hands cupped. ¡°If we do that we would end up with pairs that simply don''t match each other, making them change shape again.¡±


    I pressed my hands together. ¡°Until they reach the only possible outcome.¡±


    ¡°A flat surface?¡±


    ¡°No. The flat surface. A surface plate.¡±


    ¡°Sounds menacing, and obscure. What is the purpose of it?¡±


    I grinned, grabbing an apple. ¡°It is flat.¡±


    Domina sighed conceding defeat. ¡°Enough of your plays, Speak plainly.¡±


    I made sure not to spill a drop, the fruit was crunchy and juicy. ¡°To appreciate its flatness, remember that Wrena said she could carve a hair¡¯s breadth runes?¡± Seeing her nod I continued. ¡°A properly prepared surface plate won¡¯t have a difference in height larger than a seventh of that.¡±


    Her eyes grew wide.


    ¡°Across the length of two of me.¡±


    ¡°That is flat.¡± She murmured quietly.


    ¡°What makes it important is that it doesn''t require any complex tools to make, just some paint and scrapers made from hard steel to facilitate the removal of material. Instead of waiting for two pieces to meet in the middle they are painted and rubbed together. The high spots would be stripped of paint and could be scraped off by a craftsman just like I scraped the butter.¡±


    I finished the fruit. ¡°Repeat this process long enough and you would end up with the flattest possible surface at this point. The foundation of many tools as well. Using a plate as a reference and scraping off the imperfections from the target piece would yield an extremely straight straightedge, and later a plethora of rulers. All extremely straight.¡±


    I decided to test the meat beside me. From what I could tell it was a bird or a lizard. Something small but extremely fragrant. ¡°If you have that you can make micrometres, callipers, lathes. Each iteration allowing you to make finer and finer parts.¡±


    She chuckled, eating a grape herself. She really liked these grapes apparently. ¡°And all that from three, what?¡±


    ¡°Chunks of granite would be a great start.¡± I mused. ¡°Hard enough not to weather easily. And if you hit it it would break or chip instead of bending or warping.¡± The meat was also extremely tender.


    We sat in silence once more. Domina was ruminating on my revelations, her tail in a constant loop of delight. While I was ruminating her dinner, my jaws in a constant loop of mastication.


    ¡°It¡¯s baffling really.¡± She murmured quietly. ¡°Your ideas make sense. Most are even too simple to have any mistakes in them. So why this is the first time I am hearing about them? Loom had been in use for centuries, and yet yours left it in the dust in a matter of days.¡±


    ¡°Well, there are two main reasons.¡± I huffed. Lying prone on the lounging sofa. On my back - my bloated stomach accepting no compromises. ¡°You will understand one and won''t like the other.¡±


    ¡°You are rather nonchalant talking about something you already know I won''t like.¡± She observed.


    ¡°Well whatever happens happens but, at least, I won''t be hungry.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Should I have offered you a feast instead?¡±


    I shrugged without moving. ¡°Who knows, might have worked too. A path to a man¡¯s heart lies through his stomach.¡±


    She snorted, bursting out in a small laugh. ¡°I shall keep it in mind, for later.¡± Then sighed. ¡°Go on spill it.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Hmm.¡± I gathered my thoughts. ¡°Here is a thought experiment. What is the fastest route to the Primary manor?¡±


    ¡°Well, if you take the Path of heroes-¡±


    ¡°Ah, ah, ah¡± I interrupted her. ¡°No limitations, what is the fastest route on foot. Period.¡±


    ¡°That. Hmm.¡± She stumbled to answer.


    ¡°There are questions that are hard to solve, but once you see the answer it just makes sense. Creating an efficient mechanism that combines multiple complex parts smoothly can be one of these.¡±


    ¡°That means you didn¡¯t invent it either?¡± As usual, Aikerim was quick to grasp the details.


    ¡°That is correct, I simply was aware of the solution. That is why I gave it away for a pittance as you¡¯ve said. Easy come easy go.¡±


    ¡°You know,¡± She mused. ¡°I¡¯ve thought you naive, but there is a grain of reason in your words.¡±


    ¡°Well, I am happy that you no longer think that.¡± I quipped.


    ¡°I still do.¡± She replied nonchalantly. ¡°I just see the reason why. You will demand proper payment from others from now on. Because the worth of knowledge isn¡¯t counted by how little it matters to you, but how much it matters to others.¡±


    ¡°That¡­ is a fair point. Thank you Aikerim.¡±


    ¡°Now, what is the second reason?¡±


    I glanced at her. ¡°Your uncle spends all his time studying math. Out of his own volition, perhaps, but why isn¡¯t there a job to study new looms?¡±


    ¡°Who would want to do that?¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s why I said a job. Imagine simply paying someone to do nothing but experiment with different loom designs day in and out.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°Sounds expensive. You wouldn¡¯t just assign a manual for this, you would need someone with a good head on the shoulders.¡±


    I nodded along. ¡°Exactly. It is very expensive. Right now prohibitively so. Because any benefit of the improvement will be easily overshadowed by buying a few more manuals and building a few more traditional looms.¡±


    She grit her teeth. ¡°Are you saying I should dismiss all my slaves to somehow prosper?¡±


    ¡°No. I am saying that slavery in general stalls progress across the country. Or even the entire world if others employ similar methods. It is simply not worth it to make more efficient designs if free labour is readily available.¡±


    ¡°So? What Are you gonna do about it?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± I laughed ruefully. ¡°I am pretty sure even you can¡¯t do anything about it, yet. What could a little me even do?¡±


    She huffed. ¡°Then why do you even bother to tell me this?¡±


    I smiled sadly spreading my arms. ¡°So that now you are aware.¡±


    She cursed under her breath and plopped down on the sofa. ¡°Enough of your rhetorics. Finish your damn meal and leave. I expect you at your best tomorrow afternoon for the lesson.¡±


    XXX


    I placed my steps carefully on the cold bricks. The night quickly stripping the heat from the ground.


    A rustle of leaves in the wind.


    A sharp moonlight through the gaps.


    A heavy burden on my soul.


    Since souls were obviously located under the stomach.


    My hand, helping me to carry my burden.


    I shivered when I arrived at my door. Summer was still young and the night winds made themselves known.


    A familiar whine of the hinges.


    ¡°DID YOU USE ALL MY OIL ON YEVA?! ANSWER ME, ERF!¡±


    I closed the door quietly, pressing the back of my head on the solid wood.


    The moon was bright. The night was still young. Perhaps I should enjoy it longer.

 Chapter 15.1 Projects

    We walked together across the manor.


    Irje was heading out to do her tasks for the day. While I tagged along with her to check if everything was doing great. Intent to check on my new facilities afterwards.


    I also wanted to check on Yeva, dreading the upcoming awkwardness. We left on a high note yesterday, but I haven¡¯t seen her since. How would I greet her? Like I did all this time? Or differently, and if so, how?


    Yeva needed a lot more careful attention than Irje.


    Irje was mature and had a lot of willpower and personal experience to keep herself stable and bounce back no matter what. Using it to her extreme advantage.


    She milked me for concessions all the way through the morning, playing up her outrage. It took me a while to catch up to her act. By that time I already promised her two new sets of oils, one separate for massages, massages themselves, and new clothes to show off her status. Surprisingly enough she didn¡¯t argue about punishment, choosing more pragmatic rewards.


    I¡¯ve felt relief initially, assuming it slipped her mind. But then other tidbits started to form a completely different picture.


    She didn¡¯t fear the punishment as much as she said. What she wanted was to struggle. To buckle around until my suggestions turned into demands. Until I had to stop my dallying and make her submit. I didn¡¯t know if that was her upbringing, or she somehow found solace from such actions when they were done by me. Or perhaps she liked to rock her socks off by a hard but loving hand, revelling in the dissonance.


    Suffice to say that the revelation brought her fake outrage to an abrupt but satisfying stop.


    ¡°You know, you didn¡¯t have to spank me that hard.¡± She winced, rubbing her butt.


    ¡°Uh-huh. And you didn¡¯t have to moan that loud when I did so.¡± Fool me once.


    She showed me her tongue. ¡°Worth a try.¡±


    The working area was already bustling with activity. Even without Irje¡¯s watchful eye, people were setting up fires for the water baths. The place looked professional with proper fire spots to collect the ash as well as to hold large pots full of water in a secure manner. A nearby building housed the ¡®sensitive¡¯ materials. The door already unlocked - Yeva was inside.


    I left Irje outside to attend to her duties and headed in.


    The loft was full of herbal scents, copious amounts of Glassworts were hanging there to dry before they would be burned for the next batch. The rest of the building contained the early storage where the soap was curing, as well as the ¡®chemical¡¯ room that produced the lyes in relative secrecy.


    Yeva sat inside, absentmindedly scraping off the crystals after evaporation. Her eyes gaunt. A large pile beside her, she had been at it for a while.


    Well, I definitely didn¡¯t expect to see that today.


    I walked up to her, frowning.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡± My hands descended on her shoulders, massaging new kinks out.


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t sleep.¡± She mumbled, nuzzling into my arm.


    ¡°Do you wanna take a break? I''ll take your spot.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She sniffed, rubbing her face.


    I leaned in and hugged her. ¡°You can take my bed.¡±


    She hugged me back, fiercely. ¡°Idiot. It would still be cold without you.¡±


    I sighed and picked her up with ease, only to plop her down into my lap. ¡°And yet you didn¡¯t come back last night.¡±


    She fidgeted, assuming a better position. ¡°She smelled the oil on me, spent the day telling me about the things she would say to you. I¡­I didn¡¯t want to intrude.¡±


    I stroked her back slowly. ¡°Did she invite you, though?¡± I got a shallow nod in return.


    ¡°That means she was fine with you being present, and there was nothing to intrude upon. Irje was playing her tricks again.¡±


    My voice was soft as I spoke. My breathing tickled her ear with warm air. I could feel her warming up in my embrace as the colours returned to her face.


    Irje found us a few minutes later with Yeva sleeping in my lap.


    XXX


    I twisted my neck in different directions, as I observed yet another building assigned to me. Domina was true to her word. It was far away from other buildings, hugging the outside wall of the manor.


    It was already stocked with a plethora of ingredients and reagents to make any professional alchemist drool. Or a chef. I haven¡¯t seen that many different but dried up lizards ever.


    I went around, inspecting more. A piece of wood and charcoal in my hands to record anything decent, or write down orders as I came up with ideas. There were good finds like sticks of sealing wax or chalk, apparently to draw alchemical symbols. And then there were jars of pickled eyeballs and fermented snakes.


    My first reaction was to throw the garbage out, or donate it to the kitchens so they could make something nice out of it. But I shouldn¡¯t be hasty. The knowledge that was eager to brand this as garbage was the same one that had no idea how magic worked. Which meant that I might be looking at extremely useful magical ingredients and didn¡¯t even know since I was a murk.


    I might need to bring Irje to take a gander at these, with her magical sense.


    Apart from the haphazardly stored reagents and thriving population of rats, the rest of the building managed to break every other safety protocol necessary for a lab. Very little ventilation, dark rooms and centuries-old wooden beams. If I didn¡¯t know better I would have assumed Domina gave it as a punishment or out of spite. But I had a sinking suspicion that this was the norm in this day and age.


    I wonder if wer could be actually harmed by slow-acting toxins and other things like carcinogens. Or their innate magical endurance simply ignored them. The entire healing part of magic needed a closer inspection. Do wer even have cancer? Or maybe they have a magical super cancer? What about autoimmune diseases? Both cases had the body fight with itself. Which side would magic choose?


    Or maybe it wasn¡¯t keeping them healthy but magically waving off the boo-boos? That could work. Would break causality, the second law of thermodynamics and bend the flow of time over the knee. But it would keep them ¡®healthy¡¯.


    I showed my wayward thoughts away for now. Perhaps when I get that codex I would have more leads to follow.


    Right now I had my own personal workshop. Another place to call my own within this manor. And I refused to keep it in such a destitute state.


    Suffice to say I needed glassware, I needed piping, and I needed better reagents. It was unlikely that I could get pure chemicals but I could purify plenty, and synthesize even more. I also needed to renovate parts of the structure, and definitely clean it up a bit.


    The main difference was that I could have them now. The plank in my hands wasn¡¯t wishful thinking anymore. It was an order list.


    The biggest challenge was the nomenclature. I would get cursed at if I asked for sulfuric acid. But the oil of Vitriol wouldn¡¯t even raise an eyebrow.


    I also needed to come up with directions I needed to explore in order to assure my own survival and wellbeing in the future. The name of Kiymetl would shield its golden goose. But it would also make sure the eggs kept coming. Disregarding my future opinions on the matter.


    Explosives were¡­dangerous to create. Especially something simple as gunpowder. I¡¯ve seen how quickly the people around me dissected the ideas that were almost millennia ahead of this civilization level. Something as simple as the mixture of easily obtained powders wouldn¡¯t even last a day under their scrutiny. I wouldn¡¯t even need to tell them ratios even, simply knowing the ingredients was already enough.


    I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if some would come up with reagents themselves even if I told them about oxidation and the rate of reaction. People of Emanai didn¡¯t have advanced technology, but that didn¡¯t make them stupid.


    More advanced explosives could be possible, but many of them were too stable and required detonators themselves. There was another issue with explosives. Psychological one. If I flashed a dagger coated in an oily substance and said it was poison - people would be wary. If I raised a black cartoonish sphere over my head and yelled that I had a bomb - people would be confused.


    Boom hadn¡¯t begun striking fear in people yet. Maybe there were magical alternatives, but as a murk, my attempts at mimicking that would yield similar results as ears did.


    Note to self - find out how deadly magic actually was. Samat had strict rules on weaponry and magic use within its walls. While it made my research harder, it also probably saved my life during the chase.


    As such boom boom was out of the question for now.


    Poisons, yes. Something that doesn¡¯t spoil too quickly but with fast effects. Not too much, I wasn¡¯t planning on becoming an assassin for her either. Few vials for personal use under extreme circumstances. Most likely never.


    Next. Golden eggs. No matter if Domina gave me this building as a gift for the loom I would still expect her to show up in a few weeks for an inspection, or simply demand my report. So I needed a few baubles to keep her placated as well. Something easy. Something like additives to soap to make it even better. Or new things like conditioners.


    I bet that would be a hit with all wers. Even those without tails tended to have long hair with customary braids upfront.


    These were my short term projects. For a long term project, I had much more daunting tasks.


    Personal defence and body enhancement.


    I was aware of three methods that were capable of producing something tangible. I needed advanced technology to protect myself and mine. Unfortunately, two out of three options we unavailable to me at this moment. This planet didn''t have a large industrial complex to produce any tech I wanted on a large scale.


    The second possibility was Bio-printers and Gestation vats. These were part of the living tech, thus relying on nutrition to operate. They were unparalleled in low scale manufacturing of other living tech extremely useful for me: Organic exosuits, modified organs and bio-implants.


    They could produce inorganic components too but were slow at it. Something like that was necessary for an organic-inorganic interface.


    Unfortunately, I had no means of growing one on the spot. A trip to the wreck could provide me with one, but I needed to get there first. I would not put all my eggs in one basket and hope that I will be able to reach it in the near future, or that it would actually have these.


    That left the final method. The slowest, least flexible and personal. And the least conspicuous. Nanite modification. With the supply of mostly pure ingredients, I was capable of slowly upgrading my skeletal structure, muscles and ligaments in order to increase my physical capabilities beyond human limits. That is beyond murk limits and, hopefully, beyond wer limits too.


    And, if I had access to better alloys I could increase my nanite count as well. Which meant faster response time to flesh modification. Large scale regeneration and a plethora of other passive bonuses.


    My fingers drummed on one of the tables. Where would I get titanium?


    My musings were suddenly interrupted by a screech at the entrance. I turned around and saw Wrena. And a rat.


    ¡°I expected you to have a cleaner workshop.¡± She stated, breaking the rat¡¯s neck with her fingers.


    Well, at least now I knew rats weren¡¯t part of the alchemical ambience.


    ¡°Sorry about that. I just got the place.¡± I spread my hands apologetically.


    ¡°Hmm. Well, My rates are reasonable if you decide to renovate.¡± She mused, looking around critically. ¡°But that is not why I am here. Come, I have something for you.¡±


    She didn¡¯t mince her words nor did she expect any retort from me as usual, already leaving.


    I shook my shoulders and followed her, intrigued.

 Chapter 15.2 Anaise

    Anaise Kiymetl Hilal


    She walked through the hallway toward her shame. Her fists clenched.


    She hated her mother so much right now.


    How many years did she diligently study, in order not to besmirch the name of their House? How many tears she had shed stumbling over incomprehensible Flow and obtuse Runes, just to please her mother? How many parties she attended, bored to tears listening to old foxes squabble over who is selling what kind of rock and where.


    She was an adult already! Her Spark was as bright as mother''s! She was the Lady of the House!


    And yet her mother still coddled her! Still treated her as a child. Still called her ¡®little Moon¡¯.


    Still forbade her unrestricted access to the Spell Codex of Kiymetl. Demanding that she would finish her studies first.


    It didn¡¯t matter that she still hadn¡¯t had her Entrance feast yet. To celebrate her joining the family as an adult she already was. It was a mere technicality and gonna happen soon anyway.


    And now she was openly mocking her.


    She hired a teacher to teach her numbers! Numbers! How young did she still think she was!


    Tears almost burst out from the sheer unfairness of it all, but she held. She was after all the heiress, the Lady of the House. And crying while walking in the corridors was simply not done. She had an image to uphold.


    Anaise tried to find out more about her new teacher. And potential ways to minimize her future shame. Information about him was¡­controversial.


    From what she could gather, he was a murk bought recently. That was the only solid piece of information she had. Afterwards, things stopped making sense. Allegedly he was bought for one of her fathers only to be snatched up by her mother instead.


    Why?


    She knew her mother¡¯s schedule. To say she was busy was an understatement. While she was smothering as a mother, she was a perfect Domina otherwise. Smart, ambitious, shrewd. With refined taste. Something Anaise will become one day too.


    To even imply that she was looking for such crude entertainment was to besmirch her entire image. If someone was caught spreading false rumours like that within the manor a heavy lashing would be the least of their worries. Even if it was her.


    She didn¡¯t even want to think about what could happen to someone trying to spread something like that outside of the manor.


    That meant that there was a grain of truth within all this mess. Most likely the part that Domina took notice of him. And now she was trying to push him on her too.


    Gloomy thoughts aside. What could attract her attention? He was a murk. She didn''t hate them, but they were weak.


    Emanai Manorat was well guarded against incessant threats from all sides. A series of walls surrounded these lands. Keeping the magical beasts of the primaeval forests at bay. Even without the beasts, there were neighbours that were eager to attack at any opportunity. And were attacked in turn themselves.


    Suffice to say every resident of Emanai was always familiar with their worth. Some were protectors, those who had the power to keep Emanai safe and prosperous. They risked their lives daily to make sure that walls stood. That trade didn¡¯t stop. Even the flow of slaves. The rest were protected. Too weak but not useless. They served their purpose by serving. Either directly or through their crafts.


    She learnt well from her mother. Anaise knew that even murks could be strong. Their strength came with their numbers. Weak and fleeting, they could procreate at a staggering speed, quickly replenishing the lost numbers. This was the main reason why a large portion of every standing arm was filled with murks.


    But he didn¡¯t have the numbers nor was he a female. And, while murks could sire children with wersparks, children were born with dimmer Sparks themselves.


    As a Domina, her mother chose her suitors with extreme meticulousness. Her Prime father was a mage of great renown. Currently returning from Yusuf with his merchant fleet. The shine of hers and her brother¡¯s Sparks was the testament of their parents'' powers. The other father was no slouch himself. He and the second brother were currently somewhere past the eastern walls. Whenever he returned she could easily pick him out of the hordes of warriors by the size of his bow.


    Her mother interest in him was despite him being a murk, she decided.


    Sulla was mum, unfortunately, albeit unsurprised by her questions. He knew something but chose to keep it secret from her. Or on the orders of her mother.


    One thing sprung to her mind, however. Quite recently her mother stirred up some interest within people of influence through generous gifts of soap of all things. Initially, she thought she snatched a new deal with a yet unknown trader. Only to be pleasantly surprised by a workshop being set up within the manor. Did she steal a prized craftsman from another manor? Unlikely, she hasn¡¯t seen that type of soap before. From another country?


    Mother, how far is your reach?


    And why did she want him to teach her numbers then?


    This curiosity held her inner peace right now. Even when she felt the familiar glow from her classroom.


    ¡°Mother.¡± She bowed unsurprised. Was she here to spy on her daughter¡¯s first class, or to make sure she won''t chase the teacher out?


    ¡°Little Moon.¡± Aikerim smiled. ¡°Don¡¯t mind me, I am simply reading the reports.¡±


    She held the urge to sigh. Mother. Was your reading room on fire? Do you really think I would believe this?


    Her eyes spied a familiar box.


    ¡°Is it really necessary, mother?¡± She sighed.


    ¡°Hmm? No, but he asked for it.¡±


    ¡°What? Did he say ¡®please read my thoughts anytime¡¯¡± She looked at her sceptically.


    ¡°Pretty much.¡± Came an unexpected answer.


    Anaise failed to respond. How do you respond to something like this? Was her new teacher fey-touched? Or simply an idiot?


    She stared at her mother in silence, as she kept reading her notes. The classroom wasn¡¯t a room but a courtyard, open to the sky and the chirping of birds.


    Something was dying outside.


    She chose an easy path. Anaise sat down and decided to simply wait and make a judgement for herself. She hated the chairs of the study rooms, they were uncomfortable and, most likely designed to make sure she won''t fall asleep. Her mother simply brought her recliner here instead.


    He was late. ¡®Not a good start¡¯ she thought seeing her mother¡¯s frown. The dying sounds got closer and more distinct. Something heavy was being dragged. She sensed a few dim sparks moving sporadically, confirming her guess.


    Soon a slave tried to drag a huge ¡®thing¡¯ through the entrance. Tried because he bowed immediately, seeing them. ¡°My Domina, Lady of the House!¡±


    Her mother raised an eyebrow as if waiting for something.


    ¡°Why did you stop?¡± a young voice. ¡°We are gonna be late, oh!. Greetings my Domina. Er, Lady of the House?¡±


    She stopped an eye roll, trying to observe the murk slave. Young, short dark hair. Silver eyes. She couldn''t remember if she had seen anyone with that kind of colour.


    Was he the teacher¡¯s assistant?


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°She is expecting this, now get it in.¡± He interrupted the other slave impatiently. The thing was dragged almost immediately inside.


    ¡®Liar¡¯ she thought. ¡®You weren¡¯t expecting my mother here, and didn¡¯t even know my title either¡¯. Was she too suspicious, or was her mother lied to by a bunch of swindlers?


    ¡°So.¡± Mother¡¯s voice interrupted her thoughts as soon as the other slaves left leaving only them and the murk. ¡°Does this relate to the conversation we had yesterday?¡±


    Anaise goggled. What? This kid was the teacher? He was barely her age! She glanced at the bundle of sticks in the corner. Something she hadn¡¯t felt for a while now. What if she makes a mistake? Will, he hit her? She would die of shame! Why didn¡¯t she buy an older teacher?


    ¡°Ah, no, my Domina. This is slate. I just wanted a blackboard to write on for better clarity. I mean, why sand?¡±


    He also didn¡¯t know a lick of history, apparently.


    Her mother sighed, probably coming to a similar conclusion. Is she finally gonna kick him out?


    ¡°The first magic was written on the sand by the tails of Gods. It¡¯s through their Gift we could claim this land as ours. It is our destiny to keep their gift safe.¡±


    She did not. Kick him out that is.


    Murk scratched his head dumbfoundedly. ¡°Huh, that is rather important. Should I switch back to writing on the sand?¡±


    Domina waved him off. ¡°It is a tradition, not a requirement. But if you expect to be taken seriously in the future you should stick to sand.¡±


    Her mother¡¯s words were true. Anaise wasn¡¯t feeling like taking him seriously at this moment.


    He glanced at her. ¡°Well, I guess I would just need to earn that back then.¡±


    Huh. Apparently, he had a thought or two inside his head.


    ¡°Start the lesson, don¡¯t bother me I am busy with my own work,¡± Domina replied.


    Anaise tried not to fidget, waiting for what would happen next.


    ¡°Right.¡± He dragged that word out. Was that sarcasm? How brazen can he be and yet her mother does nothing?


    He turned toward her. ¡°Your sight is in my heart, Lady of the House. My name is Erf.¡±


    It didn¡¯t matter who he was, right now he was a teacher, and her mother was behind her. ¡°And your name is on my lips.¡± She answered properly.


    He smiled, ¡°Let us start from afar, for now. What is mathematics?¡±


    ¡°A study of shapes and forms that define everything around us.¡± She answered, somewhat placated by the form of conversation. She expected him to write whatever numbers she was supposed to learn on this board of his and demand her to memorize them by tomorrow. This felt almost as if talking to a rhetor. Was he trained by one?


    Maybe that is why mother made her listen to him. Preparing her for the actual study later.


    ¡°Well, numbers are there too.¡± He continued. ¡°But what are these shapes, forms and numbers? Not their names but what are they?¡±


    ¡°They are the building forms of our world, everything Is made out of them. Even magic.¡±


    He waved his hand. ¡°While I can¡¯t argue about magic, but why then can¡¯t I taste a circle? Touch a square? Feel the warmth of four on my skin?¡±


    Anaise frowned, was he being obtuse for a reason? That was common knowledge. ¡°Some things cannot be felt but experienced with our mind. As a teacher, you should know that.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± He smiled instead and waved on to her mother behind her.


    Turning her head she saw her watching The Orb intently. Her paperwork on the table forgotten. Even if she brought it here as a pretence to watch her daughter at least she could make it more believable.


    ¡°The reason why we can only experience them is that they don''t exist in the world.¡±


    A harsh blue line over the Orb. Truth.


    ¡°They are nothing more than a product of our imagination.¡± He continued, ignoring her existential dread. Making the artefact glow with every statement he had done. As if mocking them, telling them that everything was fake.


    He picked up the writing rod, holding a piece of chalk in the other. ¡°Just like tools we have to assist our body with certain tasks, they are the tools of our minds. Created for a similar purpose.¡±


    She hated how her mother simply listened to this nonsense. How did he trick her? Did he switch the artefact? If he did he would be lucky to have a swift death, as long as he returns the Gift back.


    ¡°Then why are they always true? Why postulates are unshaken, then?¡± She challenged him back.


    His insufferable smile has gotten wider. ¡°I can see the family resemblance.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to avoid the question by kissing up to my mother.¡± She was on him now.


    He blinked. ¡°Oh, my apologies.¡± And bowed deeply. ¡°Your mother is wise too, but this time I was talking about Virnan Shah. He asked that question as well in a similar manner.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°The intelligence of your family is quite deep.¡±


    She ignored his platitudes. ¡°You¡¯ve met with grand-uncle? And lived after telling him all was fake?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t tell him all was fake, as I am not telling it now. Math is a language, created by us to explain the fundamental logic of this world. Our minds observed the patterns in our lives and came up with mental tools to summarize these patterns into something simpler. Easier to think about. Concepts. Uniting our perception on the amounts and forms.¡±


    ¡°And the reason the postulates are unshaken is that they are tautologies. They are true by their own definition. And I didn¡¯t just live after telling him all that. I got this instead.¡± He finished, fishing out the medallion.


    Her eyes opened wide seeing the Golden Gestr. Her grand-uncle could grant them even if he never did before. She felt her directed Flow warp through the runic script feeling Virnan''s subtle fingerprints. It was real.


    Her mother broke the silence. ¡°While I¡¯ve expected something like this from you, I find it ironic that you started the subject of numbers by telling her they weren¡¯t real.¡±


    Anaise mind whirred around the revelations and their implications. Whoever he was¡­ Erf had managed to gain the attention of the two smartest people she had the pleasure of knowing. And, judging by her mother''s unsurprised tone, he did so with similar revelations. She needed time. Time to observe him with greater scrutiny.


    While what he said sounded logical, her mind was still fighting it with the years of education she had received already. But now he had proof. A golden seal of approval from someone she was planning to learn from in the future. Just as her mother did when she was young.


    Erf smiled and walked back to the blackboard of his. A flat chunk of slate upheld by a sturdy wooden frame. ¡°The reason why I did it is to break away the expectation that numbers should be able to represent something tangible in the real world to exist.¡± He drew ten symbols on the board. Most of which she never saw before.


    ¡°Because, there are definitely numbers that could not be counted with fingers, or described as a ratio. Disregarding these as impossible or imaginary would leave a large chunk of mathematics out.¡±


    ¡°But what would they represent then?¡± She asked, curious.


    ¡°Anything, really. Numbers are there because we needed to describe basic relationships. As we delve deeper into the logic of it all we are bound to reach a certain level where current numbers are simply unable to go beyond. Choosing to step further we invent new numbers and relationships just as our ancestors have realized that one or two isn''t enough when you need a half.¡±


    ¡°You said it was logical, does it mean you can calculate the truth with it? By creating a new number?¡±


    Erf continued to smile, making her uncomfortable with her question. ¡°Technically we have already done so.¡± As he drew two familiar symbols.


    Compared to the previous ten, that he had carefully drawn, these were a bit haphazard. He drew the lines showing which two of the ten symbols they were. As if it wasn¡¯t obvious.


    ¡°One and Zero. True and False.¡± He quipped.


    She couldn¡¯t stop herself from looking back at her mother. She felt a tiny spark of satisfaction seeing the dumbfounded look on her face as well. The Orb clutched in her hand. A sharp glow of a familiar line above it.


    True.


    Anaise wanted to say something but decided against it. Instead, she rummaged through the table and pulled out a parchment, pushing her wax tablet aside.


    His next words were accompanied by the quiet rustle of two feathers.


    XXX


    ¡°Do you think she would let me?¡± Yeva asked. She sat curled in my lap as I stroked her hair, her gentle breath on my collarbone.


    ¡°We will find out, soon,¡± I ruffed her hair, thinking about my day.


    Contrary to my fears, Anaise was a polite and diligent girl. And the nearly clear copy of her mother. She was similarly short, Her long red hair, and large vulpine ears would make it nearly impossible to distinguish them from the back. She did lack that aura of regality her mother had, but her emerald green eyes shone with similar intelligence as the ambers of her mother. Both pairs crowned by expressively thick eyebrows. Both having expressively fluffy tails.


    Soon my door creaked open as Irje walked in nonchalantly.


    ¡°Oh, you are already back?¡± She blinked seeing us clearly expecting her.


    ¡°Woman, this is my house! Of course, I will be back.¡± I huffed as Yeva giggled in my arms.


    ¡°Very funny, But really how did it go?¡± Her face expectant and curious.


    ¡°Pretty well actually, I was afraid I won¡¯t cut it, but she listened to me diligently.¡±


    ¡°You expected anything else with the Gestr on your neck?¡± Irje looked at me like I was feeble-minded.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I mumbled to the combined snickers of the crowd. ¡°But that means I should teach you as well! You will rue this day in the future!¡± I said with the most convincing voice I could muster.


    ¡°What, learn things that the Lady of the House is learning?¡± Irje ignored my theatrics outright. ¡°Gladly.¡±


    A tug on my shirt. ¡°Umm. Can I learn too?¡±


    ¡°Of course, Yeva. As if I let you slack off while Irje carries the burden.¡±


    A tighter hug. ¡°Thanks. Umm, about the other thing¡­¡±


    ¡°Ah yes.¡± I nodded. ¡°Irje, remember the question I asked Yeva before, about whether she was comfortable with you around? What about you?¡±


    Irje blinked. ¡°Well I brought her over didn¡¯t I? I thought I was obvious. And as you noticed, she is very nice to cuddle. Especially lately, if I could close my eyes it was as if I was cuddling you.¡±


    ¡°Irje!¡± Yeva hissed, scandalized.


    ¡°Now, now. I wasn¡¯t asking about that, I did get that part. I was asking about your punishment.¡±


    Irje¡¯s eyes slowly widened to nearly comical levels as I pulled out a bundle of ropes.

 Chapter 16 The Calm

    Looking like a scared kitten, Irje let herself settle on the bed with our assistance.


    ¡°Um.¡± She swallowed, warily looking at the ropes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about them, they are boiled and shaved, nothing to itch.¡± I gently pushed her flat on my bed.


    ¡°But-¡±


    I leaned in and whispered into her ear. ¡°If you feel like it¡¯s too much at any point, just say a word. How about ¡®purple¡¯ and we will stop, anything else will be ignored.¡±


    She looked into my eyes for few moments. And then she licked her lips. ¡°Maybe not tonight?¡± She could barely hold her heavy breathing as she spoke.


    I shook my head. ¡°No. Tonight. We had pulled it off for quite some time already.¡± I murmured as my hands started to tie her hands together.


    ¡°What are you gonna do to me?¡± She asked, mesmerized by my actions.


    ¡°Anything we deem necessary until we think you have been punished enough. Behave well and we would reward you plenty. Okay?¡±


    I got a shaky nod in return.


    ¡°Good girl.¡± I pulled the rope lifting her arms above the head and tying them to the top of my bed. While she still had her shift on, she looked absolutely delectable and ready to be ravished.


    I noticed another response to my words of praise. ¡°By the way Yeva, I¡¯ve noticed you have been spending quite some time with Irje lately even after work. Have you done anything without me?¡±


    ¡°Umm.¡± She fidgeted and murmured softly, unable to see the look of betrayal on Irje¡¯s face. ¡°We¡¯ve kissed.¡±


    ¡°You did, didn¡¯t you? Why don''t you be a good girl as well and show me what you have done.¡± I murmured as my hands slid down Irje¡¯s body, keeping her attention on me.


    Yeva¡¯s hands stretched toward Irje. The bound amazon gasped as the tiny elfin fingers trailed over her skin. Pale and delicate they struck perfect contrast with Irje¡¯s bronze complexity. It took her few attempts to kiss the tied girl as Irje was panting too hard, twisting around and trying to see my arms sliding lower and lower.


    Soon I heard a soft moan as Irje finally started to pay attention. A quick glance confirmed that they were bound in a sensual but chaste kiss. I smiled at the gentle scene in front of my eyes as my arms were tying Irje¡¯s leg to the other side of the bed. Yeva provided a great distraction, allowing me to work quickly.


    I grabbed the other leg and pulled them apart. As I listened to Irje whine into Yeva, I quickly did my last knot and pulled back, observing my work.


    Irje was fully spread out in my bed, completely bound. Her arms were tied up together, giving her a little bit extra room to struggle and squirm. They also pushed her breasts together and upward, making her prominent assets even more breathtaking, even through her underclothes. Yeva sat beside her, cradling Irje''s head in her arms, their lips locked in a continuous kiss. In contrast, Irje''s legs were spread away and apart making sure that she couldn¡¯t move her lower body just as vigorously.


    Yeva broke her kiss with a cute ¡®Muah¡¯ sound and smiled at me. ¡°Like that.¡±


    ¡°That was beautiful, Yeva. Now do you want to punish her for dragging you into my bed without my knowledge, or do you want to praise her instead?¡± I asked as my hands started moving upward on Irje¡¯s body dragging her dress with them. Revealing her spread and moist pussy.


    ¡°Praise me!¡± Irje gasped, her body arching up helping me to push her dress past her butt. Which I immediately smacked.


    ¡°Tut tut. You are being punished right now, no demands or requests from you.¡± I retorted, then added. ¡°You can beg her if you want, instead.¡±


    ¡°Yeva!¡± Irje mewled immediately. ¡°I''ll do anything, just don''t let him tease me!¡±


    ¡°Anything?¡± The lithe girl shuddered as she repeated that word, I think I know where it was heading. ¡°W-will you lick me? Down here?¡± unbound, her hand sneaked under her own shift as she started to rub herself.


    I smiled and mirrored Yeva¡¯s actions on Irje.


    Irje gasped, looked down on me. Then at Yeva, and down, seeing her hand teasing her petite folds. Then sharply down on her body, eyes wide in understanding.


    ¡°Yes!¡± she panted. ¡°Come here. I will show that prick how it¡¯s properly done!¡±


    Yeva moaned from these words, which, judging by Irje glaring, were directed at me.


    I smiled and decided to play a tiny trick on her instead. A quick modification and I opened my mouth, showing her my tongue, easily touching my own chin with it.


    It was fascinating to see how quickly she went cross-eyed from it.


    ¡°I will kiss you deep.¡± She moaned her eyes locked on my tongue. ¡°Make you really feel it!¡±


    ¡°Oh, Irje.¡± Yeva mewled trying to stop her own body from twitching and jerking. Which made her attempts to sit properly on her face even more challenging. ¡°If you say anything else I won''t be able to hold it anymore!¡±


    I sucked my tongue inside with an audible slurp.


    That pushed Irje over the edge.


    With an animalistic growl, she pushed forward, latching herself to Yeva¡¯s nether lips. She moaned into her rider as my tongue, mimicking hers, slid inside the folds, piercing deep into the opening. Her voice got muffled even more as Yeva collapsed on her face screaming in the personal release. Her body grinding on Irje¡¯s face with abandon.


    ¡°Don¡¯t stop!¡± Yeva keened, her entire body wrapped over Irje¡¯s head like a xenomorph. I wasn¡¯t sure Irje could say anything at the moment but, from my position, I could see her mouth hard at work. It was hard to tell anymore whether she was trying to mimic my tongue invading her or the opposite. We were locked in vicious combat and Yeva reaped rewards aplenty from our struggle.


    Soon our battle came to an end. With yet another muffled scream Irje arched her body in her own release, her legs squirming around, trying to clench my head and failing. With a hiccup, Yeva detached herself falling to the side, insensate. A large grin on her face.


    ¡°Look what you have done to a poor girl.¡± I gently chided her. ¡°Now she can¡¯t praise you.¡±


    ¡°Noo!¡± she whined.


    ¡°Don''t worry, you have been a really good girl so far so I think I would do it in her stead.¡± I rose up showing her my rock hard shaft. ¡°Where do you want it?¡±


    ¡°Come here.¡± She breathed, looking at my tent. ¡°I am sensitive and someone hasn''t gotten the oils yet, I want your seed.¡±


    ¡°Is that a complaint I hear?¡± I mused as I stood over her, pulling her shift even higher, exposing her breasts. ¡°I guess I won''t jam it deep into your mouth then, now you have to work for it.¡±


    I sat down on top of her, pushing my dick between her breasts. My tip barely touching her lips. ¡°Go on, if you want your treat I would suggest you start licking it.¡±


    Irje glared at me, but bent her head down, trying to swallow as much of my shaft as she could, getting only my head inside.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± I murmured as her tongue danced over my head. As her lips moved up and down as much as they could to jerk me without letting go. As she sucked on me non-stop to make sure I won''t pop out accidentally.


    With my hands free I pulled her breasts even closer squeezing my length between them. I kneaded her flesh and pulled at them gently enough not to interrupt her work, but strong enough for her to notice and appreciate it as she always did. Soon I couldn¡¯t stop myself from rocking my body. Making my shaft slide in and out of her breasts, generously lubricated by Yeva¡¯s orgasm from a few minutes ago.


    Speaking of Yeva. As I continued to fuck Irje¡¯s boobs, my tip still finding itself inside her mouth on each thrust; I leaned over to where Yeva was slowly coming back together. Kissing her awake.


    ¡°Hmmm!¡± She stretched blissfully. ¡°Thank you Irje, that was amazing!¡±


    Irje responded with a set of slurping sounds instead.


    ¡°Oh sorry, I guess you are getting your treat?¡±


    Affirmative slurps. How did she manage to do that I had no idea.


    ¡°Now, Yeva don¡¯t sit alone, come to me,¡± I murmured and she pulled in for a kiss. Accidentally grinding herself on my knee.


    I freed one hand and pulled her closer, sliding her well-kissed mound over my leg. I came at her silent gasp into my kiss as her tiny chest smashed into me, filling Irje until she looked like a chipmunk.


    Groaning from the pleasure I let myself fall backwards. My dick popped out from Irje¡¯s mouth only to be captured by another set of tiny lips.


    ¡°Yeva?¡± I shuddered from the sensation.


    She swallowed it all and pulled it out, dragging her lips tightly. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to leave a mess.¡± She quipped.


    ¡°Uh-huh. If you wanted a share you should¡¯ve just asked Irje.¡±


    ¡°Right. Irje, share!¡±


    Lying back, I quietly chuckled, feeling her twist away to avoid Yeva, while the latter made kissy sounds out of my sight.


    XXX


    In the past few days, I¡¯ve gone out every day to go shopping. I had multiple lists to fill up. One for Irje with all of her demands, another for Yeva to not feel left out. And the largest one for myself. Or specifically to stock up on the chemical components.


    On certain days I¡¯ve gone out by myself. Scouting for products and picking up occasional small trinkets. Like a set of wax tablets for Irje to write on. Other times I had to get other slaves to help me carry the purchases. In the beginning, I had few incidents with certain slaves actually refusing to help me until Sulla put his foot down personally.


    Apparently, my current status even within the manor was not well known. Domina kept a very tight lid on me it seemed. For most of the slave populace inside the household, I was simply one of the murks, with only my clothing giving them some pause.


    Meetings with the actual Kiymetl household members were nearly non-existent. Those that were aware of me, were usually sworn to secrecy or enforcers of said secrecy. For the rest, they saw me as furniture most likely. Yet another tiny cog in the bustling activity of the manor.


    Another reason was that I was rarely seen outside doing nothing. I was either at the workshops, slowly teaching Yeva some basic chemistry. Preparing myself for the lessons with Anaise or actually at these lessons. The rest of the time was taken by said shopping and cleaning and organizing the mess.


    My literacy managed to saddle me with yet another task of being pen pals with Virnan. Which actually wasn¡¯t that bad. I¡¯ve used the scrolls to expand Irje¡¯s reading vocabulary and to keep her reading skills sharp. While Yeva listened in, absorbing yet another tidbit of math we were discussing in writing.


    It also helped me a bit with my lesson preparations.


    Today was yet another day. The skies were bright and clear. And the city was loud as usual. Wrena had given me an address of a luthier and I¡¯ve spent a large portion of my day explaining to him what I needed to get done. He knew his craft, and kitharas had at least some resemblance to the instrument I was trying to make. They, however, looked like lyres with a hollow body and strings stretched by the help of two wooden and flexible horns instead of the neck in the guitar.


    It even had six strings as well, but that was because the mystical nature of the number five was prevalent even here resulting in only five defined notes, instead of seven or twelve. I didn¡¯t pay attention beyond that, not exactly interested, past the initial curiosity. I had no plans of conquering the stage, but to scratch that itch my fingers were feeling since that fateful day.


    I whistled a tune as I was coming back, my hands plucking at invisible strings in anticipation. Eyes roaming the streets of Samat. Noticing the changes in my perception. The walls were littered with writings. Before they were unrecognizable and easily blended in with the runic script found here or there. But now I could read them.


    To the surprise of virtually no one, most of the writings were extremely mundane if not even profane. Countless professions of love, solicitations for sexual activities and revelations on one¡¯s enemy morals. The city was surprisingly literate, even if the literacy resulted in nothing more than writing about who was taking it in the ass.


    This posed a stark contrast to my early life on the farm. Most of the slaves out there haven¡¯t seen a single letter in their life. Spending their time working under the harsh glare of the supervisors.


    With my curiosity high, I roamed the city once again. Dressed in a presentable tunic, now engraved with the sign of the scales, and the Kiymetl seal hanging from my neck. My increased presence made me invisible in the crowd. I was part of the city now. The newfound sense of security made me venture further, deeper into the lower city. The parts I¡¯ve been avoiding till today.


    All the way to the Western Wall. Where old quarries were.


    And then I wished that I didn¡¯t.


    From the way that Irje talked about it, I assumed this was the killing ground. We had something similar at the farm, the slaves were either lashed with different degrees of severity, until a certain threshold. Then they were simply tied to the tree at the edge of the forest and killed off. Wildlife picking the corpse clean within days.


    This wasn¡¯t the killing ground, it was an execution ground. In the good view of two major roads entering Samat and the large part of the lower city. Reminding the dregs of society what to expect, lest they break one of the laws of Emanai.


    In a fit of morbid curiosity, I looked up to the one that was still alive. The sign in front of him saying that he attacked his master. I knew what crucifixion was. The knowledge in my mind told me enough to understand the pain and even realize the death came not from blood loss or thirst but from suffocation.


    Weakened, the body would sag down, hang on the arms. Constricting the ribcage and making breathing harder.


    And yet it completely failed to warn me about another part of the ordeal. Flies. Millions of flies. Bound, the person would hang here for days. Attracting swarms of insects for a feast. Driving one insane in the process.


    I turned around and walked fast, unable to forget his face anymore. Unwilling to erase it with the help of nanites. I would keep that with me. A constant reminder of what could happen if I make a mistake.


    I had no plans to let go of my desires. Even if Domina would be unwilling to let me go. I will simply make her instead. Either by greed or by force. Now I just had to make sure that, if I do end up using force, I will make it count. Anything less and I will be back there myself. Yet another reminder for others on the folly of my actions.


    A new thought in the sea of desperation.


    I grinned as I walked. Titanium would be impossible to find. But I didn¡¯t need pure titanium to start. Just a large, pure quantity of something that did. Like titanium dioxide. Rest would be up to my nanites. Moreover, it was used for something else.


    It was a dye. A bright white dye. Something to entice Domina¡¯s greed. Something to explain why I need it.


    I just need to find the ore, most likely ilmenite. With access to the ¡®oil of Vitriol¡¯ I could home-brew a sulfate process to remove the impurities. But that wasn¡¯t the important part of my revelation. A good way to find titanium ores would be to look for deposits of black magnetic sand. Washed out from the ground and deposited on the river shores.


    I didn¡¯t remember any when I was drawing water for the caravan, but I didn¡¯t really pay attention. It might be necessary for me to go and personally look again. Just in case I missed a spot. Even if I found some deposits somewhere else.


    Returning back to the manor I ran into my lab. Hands itching for action. Mind buzzing with the things I could make, reagents I could prepare. The building looked much cleaner now. I eventually decided to move all questionable items deeper into the storage, especially since Irje failed to identify anything that felt outright magical.


    Soon the soda ash from the glassworts would be in amounts large enough to set up glass production. The current glassware I had looked ugly and unwieldy. What I needed was jars with my specifications and not products, brought from across the sea. Right now I had to make do with sub-par tools and ad hoc ingredients.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± a voice behind me made me jump almost dropping the eggs.


    ¡°Greetings, Lady of the House.¡± I bowed slightly. ¡°A conditioner for the hair, to make it smoother.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you use oils instead?¡± She picked up a jar, sniffed at it and made a grimace. ¡°What is that!?¡±


    ¡°The oil helps but other ingredients are necessary to get a greater effect, just like that vinegar. It is more concentrated making the smell stronger.¡±


    She put the jar aside. ¡°Did my mother asked you to do it? Similarly to the soap?¡±


    ¡°No. Both are done under my own volition. Domina has rewarded me for my prior accomplishments, and I seek to reap more by staying useful. Is there something I can do for you?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± She mused and passed me a bound book. ¡°My mother passed this to you. Keep it secret. Explaining why someone like you has the codex on the Runic script would be problematic.¡±


    I took the book eagerly. ¡°You have my deepest thanks.¡±


    She watched me opening the first page. ¡°Why did you want it?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°You are a murk. Why are you so interested in magic that you can¡¯t feel? My mother mentioned the fact that you were even eager to listen in on my magical studies.¡±


    I put the book temporarily aside, but still within my view. ¡°The burning curiosity within me. As you noticed through our lessons I strive to understand. Not to conquer. I do not seek to wield magic myself. I guess not anymore. I made peace with that fact. What I seek is to understand why magic does what it does. For that what I am does not matter, only how I think.¡±


    She looked at me. ¡°You are a curious murk, Erf. The most curious I¡¯ve ever seen. And these silver eyes of yours.¡± Anaise sighed grimacing. ¡°This place smells rather unpleasant right now. When you are done, bring that new invention of yours to me.¡±


    She walked to the door, glanced back. ¡°For I am curious too. And it is called Flow.¡± And left.


    I stood there, unsure what to think about her enigmatic entrance and subsequent exit.


    ¡°Silver eyes?¡± I murmured frowning.


    Suffice to say that my desire to perform chemical wonders was instantly extinguished. My brain was on fire, with my heart barely keeping it cool enough, as I absorbed the information in the book. I drank it like water. Mostly because I couldn¡¯t understand a large part of it. But that didn¡¯t stop me from trying.


    As Anaise said, the magic here was called Flow. Apparently, wermages felt it flowing toward them during the casting process. Full of eddies and vortexes that they had to align in order to achieve the desired effect. The explanation was archaic and convoluted, but I¡¯ve seen it in action already. The trace Domina performed to slide that bowl of grapes.


    The whole process was rather intellectually demanding. The larger and more complex effect was meant more effort the mage should employ to cause it. Explaining why I didn¡¯t see mages floating everywhere nonstop and creating fully written scrolls out of thin air. That is where the runic script became useful. Runes themselves were completely inert. What they did, as Domina mentioned, was forcing the Flow into a predetermined form making said eddies more predictable and, therefore, easier to cast.


    Unfortunately for me, the rest of the book was extremely underwhelming in terms of immediate reward. The book was an enormous list of working patterns, tested through centuries of practice and proven their worth. That''s it. Zero explanation why and no effort to explain how.


    I groaned and closed it, rubbing my tired eyes. I should¡¯ve known where I was. Of course, they had no idea what the scientific method is. While immensely enlightening, this was nothing more than a book on traditional medicine, except for runes. Absentmindedly I wondered if this was yet another plot by Aikerim. To entice me with breadcrumbs and keep me around indefinitely, feeding the knowledge trickle by trickle.


    I stretched and got up. My mind spent for the day. It was already evening, but earlier than I usually came back to my room. I heard the muffled noises as I approached my door. Quietly sneaking inside I couldn''t stop my smile, my suspicions confirmed.


    Irje and Yeva have gotten much closer after my derailed punishment. Initially, I was planning on tying her up and teasing her to my heart¡¯s content. However, on Yeva¡¯s insistence, I asked Irje if she could join too. And Irje agreed. The result completely waylaid my plans, but at the same time broke an invisible wall between these two.


    They weren¡¯t madly in love, before or now. I wouldn¡¯t even call it mad lust either. They were simply comfortable with each other¡¯s presence in the bed. Friends with benefits of sorts. Both willing to give and receive pleasure from each other.


    Just as they were doing right now.


    Yeva, standing on all fours, pushed Irje all the way into the corner of the bed going down on her aggressively. As if trying to recreate what Irje had done to her a few days ago. Or, judging by the wetness around Irje¡¯s gasping mouth and the Yeva¡¯s naked thighs, something that was done to her mere minutes before.


    Taking off my clothes, I placed my finger on my mouth, silently telling Irje to be quiet. Usually, Yeva was the first to notice my presence. Tonight she was too engrossed in her task, her ears firmly shut by Irje¡¯s muscular legs. Yeva¡¯s nose deep inside her mound. Irje smiled at me and resumed her own task of caressing Yeva¡¯s hair and moaning the words of praise at her actions.


    I enjoyed the sight of Yeva¡¯s wiggling butt, leisurely approaching her from behind. Trying to not disturb her, I bent down low and close. Just far enough that my breath wouldn¡¯t reveal my presence. Enjoying the sight of her petite folds, I could clearly see that Irje had done a great job getting her relaxed and satisfied. And their continuous activity had kept her excited and ready for more action. New trails of her juices on the already wet legs were an obvious indicator of that.


    Another set of silent gestures and Irje grabbed her head. Keeping her secure as I slid into her ready opening, filling Yeva tight with my shaft. Yeva shrieked in surprise directly into Irje, making her shudder and moan in return.


    ¡°Ugh. I know what you felt now when I¡¯ve done the same.¡± Irje murmured, satisfied. Most likely referring to either or even both of us.


    Yeva, however after a moment of stillness, simply shook her hips, grinding on my dick. And continued to go down on Irje.


    ¡°I think I know what she wants,¡± I murmured as I slammed into her once more. Making Irje hiss instead.


    The impact of my groin pushed Yeva forward, grinding her into the target of her affections.


    I got another shake of her hips as a response.


    The message was clear. My hands grabbed her tiny waist as I pumped in and out of Yeva. Assisted by my thrusts her tongue made Irje writhe and mewl at an increased pace.


    Irje came. Hard. Screaming into her fist, as usual. And then again in a few more minutes of our continuous assault. Shuddering around Yeva.


    ¡°That it! I give! No more¡­¡± she panted on her third release, desperately trying to push Yeva¡¯s head away. Her legs in violent twitch.


    ¡°What? But I just started.¡± I mused. ¡°Very well.¡±


    My hand slid up Yeva¡¯s body, my palms cradling her chest. Effortlessly, I lifted her up and away from relieved Irje. Yeva was light, but my enhanced muscles made it nearly effortless.


    ¡°Yah. Good time to shtop.¡± Yeva agreed tired. Only to moan as I simply inserted her once again on my shaft, keeping her in the air.


    ¡°Nuh-uh. Someone had gotten me all ready to go and now she wants to quit? How about I fill you up instead like that?¡± I chuckled.


    ¡°Okay.¡± Yeva quickly agreed, relaxing in my arms.


    Apparently, she expected me to do all the work myself. It was actually sexy in a certain way, and definitely not a big deal for me, but if I could spice it up, why wouldn¡¯t I?


    ¡°Irje,¡± I murmured, moving Yeva up and down on my dick like one enormous sex toy. ¡°It sounds to me like Yeva is planning on taking the entire treat for herself.¡±


    ¡°That wicked thief.¡± She said in a flat tone. She was still lying flat on my bed, staring into the ceiling. An occasional twitch of her legs.


    Yeva giggled between her moans.


    ¡°What I am saying is that if she comes first, she would be unable to take it all.¡± I winked. Moving as close to her as I could with Yeva in my arms.


    Irje glanced at us and smirked, seeing how I used Yeva for our pleasure. ¡°If you do that to me next time.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    Despite looking tired, Irje still managed to get up a bit and crawl closer to us. And bury her face into Yeva¡¯s mound.


    ¡°Shooo good!¡± Yeva moaned, and I had to agree.


    As usual, my girth fully stretched Yeva. Pushing her aroused nub even further. Exactly into Irje¡¯s kiss. It was an exhilarating sensation to feel the kiss with my shaft through Yeva¡¯s flesh. The bronze girl¡¯s tongue roamed the pale pink folds of the package in my arms, caressing my dick as well.


    Provoked by her caresses, I sped up the movements. My hands were on fire as I lowered Yeva repeatedly on my shaft eager for my own release.


    Yeva got it worse. Or better. Helpless. Hanging and stimulated from both sides. My fingers kept her nipples sensitive as my dick kept her full. On her way up she would grind across Irje¡¯s mouth. Only to smack her ass into me on her way down.


    It was no surprise that she came before me.


    She sagged even more in my embrace, her legs trembling. Half moaning half gasping. Surrendered to her fate as I kept using her to reach an orgasm of my own.


    ¡°Erf?¡± Irje murmured, expectant.


    ¡°Just a minute.¡± I gasped as I exploded deep into Yeva, filling her up.


    She whined, ¡°But-¡±


    ¡°Look, she can¡¯t escape now. Take as much as you want.¡± I interrupted her mid-sentence. As my dick popped out from the girl in my arms. I hugged Yeva tight, pushing her legs closer to the body. Keeping Yeva¡¯s petals spread wide open in front of Irje¡¯s face.


    Irje took in the sight, mesmerized. Until my seed started to leak out.


    ¡°Oh.¡± Was her only response, as she went in for her treat. Forcing Yeva to squirm, twist and mewl inside my tight embrace.


    After a quick clean up, we collapsed into our bed. The frequency and the intensity of our nightly activities forced us to sacrifice one of our blankets as a sex carpet. To soak up our juices and keep the rest of the bed moderately clean. The blanket, however, required a daily tax in soap. We also pulled the mattress out into the sun during the day, making sure that every evening we would end up on a clean fresh blanket. And every night we would collapse like this in a mattress that smelled like summer.


    While it did require additional work in the morning and after sex, no one complained.


    The bed was cramped for all three of us to enjoy some free space, but once again no one was willing to leave the cuddle. As the tallest of us all, Irje would usually end up in the middle with me and Yeva hugging her close on each side. Our bodies easily keeping us warm through the night as we lied naked together.


    Just as we ended up right now. In a relative calm and an after-sex bliss. Slowly falling asleep listening to Irje¡¯s purr.


    ¡°What was that bundle, that you brought?¡± Irje suddenly remembered.


    ¡°Ah, that? Keep it a secret, but I¡¯ve got the codex on runes from Domina.¡± I lazily replied.


    Irje harshly sucked her breath while Yeva quietly gasped. I guess it was big news for sure.


    ¡°Damn. Can you use them?¡± she replied.


    I shook my head tickling her breast with my nose. ¡°Mages only. At most, I could carve them myself, for another mage to use.¡±


    ¡°So it is useless then?¡±


    ¡°No, it is knowledge. I am already leagues ahead in my understanding of how the Flow works, and that was just from the introduction. Who knows what the future would bring.¡±


    Irje pushed her arm under me and pulled me closer. ¡°Knowing you, quite a lot.¡±


    ¡°Mmm-hmm!¡± an agreement from Yeva.


    I chuckled and nuzzled in closer. Surrounded by the smell of grass and summer. The comforting warmth of my girls. Under the purr of Irje and soft snores of Yeva, I drifted into sleep myself.


    Into my future.

 Chapter 17 The Storm

    My future consisted of pain.


    I hissed as the whip met my naked back. Breaking the skin. My hands gripped the hanging ring harder so that I wouldn¡¯t stumble and fall.


    ¡°Have I not been a generous master?¡± Aikerim snarled behind me. ¡°Have I not showered you with gifts and rewards?¡±


    ¡°You were Domina,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Or did you think my demands were unreasonable?¡± She pressed further.


    ¡°No. My Domina.¡±


    ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you keep your damn mouth shut, when I specifically ordered you to!¡± She growled.


    A chill ran down my abused back. Did she find out that I told Irje and Yeva about runes? No. It happened yesterday and I¡¯ve been with them ever since until Sulla summoned me here. They definitely didn¡¯t talk to anyone. Did she have people watching my hut at all times?


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°What I mean is why I am being accosted about you by Sophia Chasya, the Censor herself!?¡± Aikerim spoke, as she walked around watching my face.


    ¡°I assure you this is the first time I¡¯ve heard that name,¡± I replied, keeping her talking. That occupied her from lashing and allowed me to figure out what the hell happened in the process.


    ¡°And I assure you she was perfectly aware of your name.¡± She said back sarcastically. ¡°Tall. Large horns. Crescent tail? Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I have met only two female wermages, and both of them are in this manor.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes. ¡°And what about males?¡±


    ¡°One, I asked him for directions to reach your uncle.¡±


    She clenched her jaw. ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°Albin-¡± My words were interrupted as she snarled and raised the whip sharply. I flinched expecting yet another painful hit. Instead, a loud crack sounded through the room. Opening my eyes I saw the whip, its metal handle embedded deep into the wooden pillar.


    She walked around me. A creak of her sofa. A tired sigh.


    ¡°Get dressed and sit down.¡± She ordered flatly.


    Carefully pulling my shirt up to my shoulders I turned around. Domina was lying on her sofa, massaging her temples.


    ¡°And do tell me why did you ask him, when anyone on the street would have pointed you in the correct direction?¡± She said resigned.


    ¡°At that time I had no idea, how eminent your Manor was.¡±


    She looked at me, sceptically.


    ¡°Uh-huh. So you, a murk, simply decided to walk up to a prominent wermage and asked him to guide you? You are either more stupid than I thought or you are lying.¡±


    I sighed and sat down, quickly retelling her about his help in my escape and my subsequent meeting. Unfortunately, it didn¡¯t help Aikerim mood much. She just looked resigned.


    ¡°Of all the Houses, of all the mages, why him?¡± She asked the ceiling.


    ¡°Is he from a hostile house?¡±


    She groaned. ¡°And this is the reason why I needed you to keep put. There are no hostilities between the Houses of Emanai. That is the Decree of Gods. While we might have ¡®disagreements¡¯ on how day to day tasks are handled, in terms of national prosperity there is only unity or death. To imply something else is to challenge the Gods themselves.¡±


    Huh. I always thought they didn¡¯t have an organized religion, more like a set of traditions based on magical power and some stories trying to explain where that power came from. Apparently, the rituals run deeper. This felt almost like the Mandate of Heaven.


    In the meantime, Aikerim continued. ¡°It is his personality that rankles me. Their entire branch house is filled with power beyond imagination, wasted on layabouts like him. To think that I have to thank him for keeping you safe is infuriating.¡±


    The room fell silent as I digested the information.


    ¡°So, what happens now?¡± I decided to stop avoiding the inevitable.


    ¡°What happens is that your leisure time is over. Sophia Chasya isn¡¯t an outlier of that branch. The entire Manor of Shebet is full of them. Unfortunately for you, she isn¡¯t lazy like most, but stubborn. Apparently, she had managed to connect the dots between your trip to the Pillar and some of Virnan¡¯s new theories. And had been most insistent to see you during our next meeting.¡±


    She glared at me. ¡°Consider any magical lessons off the table for the foreseeable future. And return the Codex. Instead, you will shadow Sulla around. Observe and learn quickly. Whenever he is busy, you will follow my daughter - in the same manner Sulla does with me. She will provide you with additional reading to get your knowledge up to par.¡±


    An assistant I guess. It was a good thing that I¡¯ve finished reading it yesterday, transcribing it into my mind. The loss of the book wasn¡¯t as devastating anymore.


    I bowed. ¡°Of course, my Domina.¡±


    ¡°Good. When you are following my Anaise learn from her as well. Even if your actions forced me to show you to the public way too early I have no plans of squandering this opportunity.¡±


    ¡°I will. Is such intensity necessary, however, especially learning directly from the Lady of the House? I am a simple murk.¡±


    ¡°You are. That is why you only have five days. If you were of a higher status you would have spent years as my children did. By that time I expect you to perform in a manner that will not embarrass me. Nor will it inundate me with requests for your purchase, like what you have done with my uncle.¡±


    She clapped her hands, summoning Sulla inside.


    ¡°Take him.¡±


    XXX


    After watching Sulla work for a couple of hours, I had realized that he was no assistant. And more like a butler. Constantly somewhere in the background, ready for Domina¡¯s next move. Predicting most of them and ready to handle the others at the moments notice.


    Another fact that I¡¯ve noticed as well was that Aikerim was busy as hell. Her day was full of heaps of documents. Some of these were read or written for her by other slaves. Some she had requested us to do the task. And some she had done herself, even kicking us out on occasion. Apparently, the double-entry accounting integration had been progressing at breakneck speeds. Armed by my own writings she had quickly enforced the procedure across her imminent domain as well as started to share this new invention with other branch manors of Kiymetl.


    And now she was suffering the consequences of that. Both good and bad. She had raked in an enormous amount of political favours both through the gifts of soap and the progress in bookkeeping. But now she was swamped with the birthing pains of the new technology, ironing out the kinks in the system no one but me and her knew anything about.


    She also didn¡¯t forget about my issue so to speak. During the entire day, she would mention certain facts herself, direct me to read a certain part for personal knowledge, or even tell Sulla to explain to me something while she was busy herself. As a perfect butler, he took it in stride showing me no derision nor condescension.


    I was shedding weight, burning through my storage calories, keeping my brain in hyperactive mode, memorizing every minute detail. I could not afford not to. Literally, the history and political situation of Emanai Manorat had been laid bare to me through them. An essential knowledge that I could not afford to miss.


    From the historic and religious approach, the early civilizations were constantly preyed upon by the magical beasts of the world. The stories told of the lucky few communities which had been saved by the gods granting them two Gifts, asking for nothing else but devotion and reverence. Or so I was told. First, they were given the Gift of safety, claiming the land from the savage beasts for murk and wer to prosper upon. The second gift was the Gift of Flow, which made wer stronger and gave rise to wermages.


    This explained the lack of distinct religious class as well as the lack of organized faith. With this Flow all around them and the divine benevolence equated with magical power, every wermage was technically a priest of this religion. Stronger his magic was - more blessed he was seen as. At least by the population at large.


    Which, quite unsurprisingly made sure that these all-powerful individuals were ¡®rightfully¡¯ in power as well. I mean if the gods said so, how could anyone disagree.


    How very convenient for them.


    It also helped me out quite a bit, apparently. Supported and safe by their obvious and visible power, most of the ruling class was less fanatical about it, compared to the rest of the population. Since the blessing of the gods was defined by your magical power, murks were pariahs. And quite a few wers went out of their way to make sure I would know that. If Aikerim, Virnan, or even Albin shared their views I would be dead many times over by now¡­


    Politically, Emanai Manorat was ruled by¡­Manors.


    Quite a surprise if I say so, myself. Sarcasm aside, there were seven Pillar Manors. Kiymetl and Shebet included. Each one, apparently, was granted a third Gift. Their personal floating tower. These Manors made all the major decisions and had their own spheres of influence.


    Trade, Administration, Infrastructure, Capital city, and War. Apparently, the House of War was split into three to make it comparable to other Houses. There were also minor Houses, or simply Manors. The bulk of these kept their own city functional and the lands around it profitable. Meaning my previous Domina was from a branch of that type of Manor.


    All Manors had some sort of representative living in Samat, which was actually named after the Samat family that governed the capital. These representatives were the voices of their Manors and effectively set up the senate of the country. With the important seven having the right of veto as well as other benefits.


    And all that, trickle by trickle, I¡¯ve gotten over the course of a single day.


    The most startling surprise came in the afternoon, however.


    ¡°Seduce her,¡± Irje said.


    ¡°Excuse me, what?¡± I responded, lying in Yeva¡¯s lap.


    ¡°You heard me,¡± She responded, applying ointment to my back.


    I didn¡¯t heal my welts right away, in case Domina might see my back any time soon. Only stopped the bleeding as soon as the shirt was on and numbed the pain. Which resulted in this. Girls didn¡¯t listen to my assurances that it didn¡¯t hurt anymore and decided to help me heal personally. Irje fished out some sort of healing ointment from somewhere, while Yeva provided moral support cradling my head and gently stroking my skin.


    And now, apparently, was a strategy meeting.


    ¡°You want me to seduce Domina? She will eat me alive.¡± I grumbled.


    Every single wermage that I had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting had been intense. And just today I had seen the casual strength of Aikerim. To have an affair with someone like that would result in something being broken. Either my heart, my hips, or she would break me in half for not paying enough attention to her.


    ¡°Gods no. But if you manage to do that it would be great. I meant her daughter.¡± Irje replied.


    ¡°What, you want another one for yourself?¡±


    Irje sighed. Wiped off her hands and turned me around.


    ¡°What I want is your safety, our safety. I know what you are doing is working. I know you are strong, but it would still take years for Domina to let you go. And what gonna happen in the meantime? Are you really that naive to hope that there won¡¯t be another incident like this? Are you willing to risk everything on the fact that Domina likes your knowledge?¡±


    I sighed. I had other baskets with my eggs but definitely couldn¡¯t tell them yet. Simply for their own protection. But that also meant that I had nothing to refute her words either.


    ¡°And how I am supposed to do that? Do you think I am Casanova or something?¡±


    Irje looked at me. ¡°Is that a wermage? And just do the things you¡¯ve done to me.¡±


    ¡°What? As far as I can tell it was you who jumped me!¡± I accused her back.


    ¡°That what you think? I assure you you have done plenty beforehand.¡±


    Yeva caressed my chin speaking gently. ¡°She is right you know. I don''t know how you do it, but it works. Few days in your presence and I started to hate evenings since you would go away.¡±


    I slumped in her embrace. ¡°I was just being kind.¡±


    Her hand raked my hair. ¡°Yes, just. You did it just because, without asking anything in return.¡±


    Irje butted in, ¡°And I know her too, from what you have told me she already has some interest in you. You just need to push a bit more.¡±


    ¡°And then what? What if she decides to keep me and kick you out?¡±


    Irje looked at me like I¡¯ve grown a second head. ¡°Are you mad? She is the Lady of the House. Heiress of the Manor. I want you to seduce her, not marry her.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°This whole mess is pure madness.¡±


    ¡°Look.¡± Irje¡¯s hand slid under my shirt. Caressing me. ¡°Tell me, as you asked us. Without thinking. What do you feel with this?¡± Her fingers wrapped around my dick stroking it. ¡°Do you find her pretty? Would you like to find out what is hidden under that large luscious tail? Hmm? To bend her over and slam yourself inside of her? To hear her choke on your prick, trying to milk you for that last drop?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I grit my teeth. Her words, combined with the actions of her hand made me hard in seconds, ¡°But rushing it like that would backfire.¡±


    Yeva wasn¡¯t helping it either. Her hands caressed my upper body to the silent approval of Irje.


    ¡°None of that.¡± Irje cooed, ¡°Just do what you always do. These Erf things. You will be around her for hours from now on, most likely more than any male of her age. She hasn''t had her Entrance party, so she isn¡¯t swamped by potential suitors left and right. Yet.¡±


    The message was clear. If I had the opportunity to leave any significant impression it would be now.


    Irje wasn¡¯t done, however. Her other hand joining the fun, cradling my balls. The slightly ticklish touch of her fingers sending shivers through my back. ¡°What I want is that you won''t hesitate while dealing with her. If she shows interest - give it, use it. Don¡¯t twiddle your thumbs waiting for our approval, you already have it. And if she calls you into her bed, show her what it is really about. Teach her how nice it is to wake up grinning like a loon. Make her clench her thighs any time you smile.¡±


    ¡°Fine!¡± I growled and pulled her triumphant face on my dick, choking her with my intrusion. ¡°Now finish what you have started!¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± Yeva protested above me. ¡°What about me?¡±


    I looked up at her. ¡°You have been nothing but pleasant tonight, Yeva. So when I am finally done with her.¡± I felt Irje grinning around my shaft. ¡°You can ask me anything you want yourself.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡± She smiled, pulling her own dress off.

 Chapter 18.1 The Diligence…

    ¡®Easier said than done¡¯ I grumbled to myself helping Sulla to get ready. Aikerim was heading off to the Primary manor, taking him with her. Which meant that I will be under Anaise watchful eyes for the rest of the day. Which also meant that by the decree of all-powerful Irje I am about to seduce the socks out of her.


    Unfortunately for me, she didn¡¯t wear any socks. Nor pants. Apparently, both of these garments were designated as combat-oriented and mostly used by mounted units. While the dregs of society would wear nothing more than a tunic and a shirt or even less, The city¡¯s elite wasn¡¯t that far off either in terms of layers. An undergarment dress, a fancy shirt to hide it, and the khalat or a kaftan on top of it all. The length of the garments was enough to fully cover the legs and keep them warm without additional clothing.


    I had no idea how to seduce Dominas-to-be. Hell, I had no experience seducing anyone, whatever Irje and Yeva said. And my acquired knowledge wasn¡¯t of any help at all. It is not like I can take her for a pleasure ride across the star system anytime soon. Or take her to the movies, even 2D ones. She was the cream of this society. Whatever they had available here - she had more than enough already.


    Which didn¡¯t give me any specific ideas, but did help with preemptively dismissing most as useless.


    In fact, I was beginning to believe that there was little to no courting at all happening at that level of power. If Aikerim was that angry about me slipping out, or someone forcing her to give me away; I could only imagine how meticulously she would pick out the suitors for her daughter. And I wasn¡¯t sure how much the chemistry between them would matter, if it did at all.


    I had no idea how wer were courting either, nor murks. Despite scoring both of these without noticing.


    I wasn¡¯t too stupid and I knew that, frankly speaking, Irje wanted a very specific partner, someone who could dominate her in bed without dominating her life. Yeva? Yeva wanted someone who would treat her like a human being, not a broken slave. The reason that I was so successful with both of them was the fact that my new knowledge was established in a society with equal rights. Which was my default in how I was treating them outside of our sexual exploits.


    Anaise was different. She was still an unknown to me at this point. But I knew from her mother that there were already certain expectations in place. She won¡¯t swoon from me simply treating her like an equal. I wasn¡¯t sure yet if it was my status, her mother¡¯s words, or my lessons that have done it, but until I became a teacher, she would have taken even that as an offence.


    Trying to put her on a pedestal would most likely fail as well. As I¡¯ve seen from following her mother, they were constantly surrounded by people willing to grovel at the moment¡¯s notice in order to get a boon or alleviate their punishment. If I mimic these, all I would end up doing is blending into the crowd of their faces. Safe but forgotten.


    Worst of all, she had power in our relationship. Both literal and legal. She could still technically order me to do things and expect them done. While I was shielded from the most extreme outbursts by the fact that I was owned by her mother, and my rank as a teacher, that only meant any punishment would be done after Domina¡¯s approval. And I already knew how high-strung Aikerim could be.


    ¡°Come in¡± a gentle voice answered my knock.


    ¡°L-Lady of the House.¡±


    Her brows scrunched together in a frown, and I cursed myself internally for the lapse in my speech. Screw it, Irje didn¡¯t say how quickly I need to seduce her, so I simply won¡¯t. For now. If the possibility presents itself I will consider it. Getting myself impatient at my inability to come up with anything solid and at the lack of progress will not help me at all.


    I sighed and composed myself. ¡°Excuse me.¡± No matter what, I had to start with some rapport first. Not just her passing interest. And she would definitely smell my anxiety just like she did a second ago. She was the Heiress, reading other people was probably in her blood.


    ¡°You sound different today.¡± She proved my thoughts not a moment after, pointing at the books on the table. ¡°I assume my mother had been stern with you after whatever political blunder you have managed to cause. Judging by your looks and the piles of codices I¡¯ve been told to share with you.¡±


    Well, my looks weren¡¯t exactly because of that. I had standards and I wouldn¡¯t begrudge her for the actions of her mother. However, my stumbling approach was an outcome, caused by them, so technically she was right. She also did speak in a neutral, non-commanding tone that I¡¯ve heard from Aikerim on multiple occasions. When she was interested in my knowledge. And the wave of her tail confirmed that as well.


    It was a prompt for a conversation, which I was happy to accept.


    I glanced at her, giving myself some time before speaking. This was the first time we had been this close in a conversation. Even during lectures, she tended to sit further away and split her attention between me and ever-present Aikerim in the background. I noticed things, that I should¡¯ve paid more attention to before. Like the fact that her ears were a bit larger than her mother''s. On a smaller head, they struck a bigger presence, almost making her look like a Fennec fox.


    A tiny button nose and a small smattering of freckles only enhanced the cute and curious look on her face.


    ¡°If you can consider something that I¡¯ve done without knowledge as a blunder that is,¡± I replied calmly, turning away to check out my reading material. Looks like I will be studying the behaviour in the ¡®polite¡¯ society, more in-depth politics¡­and fashion. Fantastic.


    ¡°Children make blunders like these all the time. Proper punishment is the best way to make sure they will not repeat it.¡± She spoke the words as if reciting them.


    I gave her an unimpressed look. She was lying on the sofa, eating grapes. Anaise was either trying to imitate her mother or the imitation had become a habit by now. Or maybe it was her mother that picked up that habit instead, from her.


    ¡°Are you saying I should¡¯ve whipped you as well? All these times you have made mistakes during my lectures?¡±


    She had the decency to blush. ¡°I am an adult now, I can understand the reason.¡±


    ¡°Would you consider me as someone who can¡¯t? Yet somehow capable in teaching you?¡±


    ¡°Surely she had her reasons to.¡± She frowned, thinking. ¡°How many lashes did you get?¡±


    ¡°She hit me twice.¡± I honestly replied. ¡°And stopped after I managed to explain my situation to her.¡±


    Anaise brightened up. ¡°See! She was generous with you!¡± At my unamused look, she continued. ¡°Even I would be treated similarly if I caused Domina a similar amount of frustration.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make it better for me, instead, it is you, who shouldn¡¯t be treated like this either. Also even if we receive similar treatment, you are still a wermage with a much stronger body compared to mine.¡±


    She fidgeted. ¡°My mother would definitely hold her strength, she isn¡¯t that rash.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± I¡¯ve conceded, the image of the lash, embedded in the pillar, clear in my mind. ¡°But here is a thought experiment. How many murks she had directly under her, that she had punished personally?¡±


    Anaise opened her mouth but said nothing. Instead, she got up and walked up to me. Her tiny hand on my chest. A faint smell of lavender.


    My eyes narrowed as I saw the runes glow on her dress. I wasn¡¯t afraid of her Flow, I was fascinated by it. As she was trying to do something that I couldn¡¯t perceive myself, I scanned every glowing line of her dress. Identifying the patterns. Trying to figure out what they were there for. Not much apparently. From my glance, the glowing parts didn¡¯t help with anything at all. Their main point was to simply glow. To show that the wermage was actively using the Flow themselves. And strike an intimidating figure to onlookers.


    Anaise frowned, then gritted her teeth, only to give up a moment after. ¡°Looks like you are healthy enough, normal healing doesn''t work anymore.¡±


    ¡°I also heard that murks are resistant to internal Flow,¡± I mentioned, stretching my shoulders. I didn¡¯t feel anything beyond the warmth of her palm and my nanites reported that no change has been observed.


    I got a sharp gaze in return. ¡°Who told you that?¡±


    This wasn¡¯t a shared knowledge among the wermages? Or she didn¡¯t know that yet because of her age? Or was it a forbidden knowledge for murks to know? Nevertheless, he got me into this mess so I had no issues returning the favour.


    ¡°Albin Shebet Chasya.¡±


    Anaise sighed once again and returned back to her sofa. ¡°I don''t get it,¡± She said petulantly, falling down dramatically. ¡°You talk brazenly about my mother¡¯s actions, you show no deference to my grand-uncle, and they still seek you out. Even now, casually dropping the name of a House Speaker as if speaking about someone you¡¯ve met on the street.¡±


    I kept my smile hidden. I had a feeling that telling her that is exactly what happened wouldn¡¯t make her feel better.


    ¡°If I can¡¯t get my answers from them, I will get them from the source.¡± She went on, imperiously, ¡°So tell me, why?¡±


    I put the book aside as I looked at Anaise once again. She did strike a commanding pose even while lying down on the sofa. But something was missing. Something was fake. Young as she was, she didn¡¯t look like a spoilt brat expecting everything that she demanded. Anaise looked like or at least tried to look like her mother. Even though that type of majesty came from years and years of experience, she had gotten the basic parts already at least.


    Grabbing the book with me, I sat down on another sofa. Beside hers and near her legs, so that she could do the ¡®looking down imperiously¡¯ part without additional effort. And hummed in thought.


    ¡°What makes people better at their craft?¡± I ventured.


    ¡°Effort.¡± Was an immediate answer from her.


    I smiled and nodded along. ¡°Indeed. I believe that anyone can achieve mastery if one puts enough effort into it. As long as his body can do it. Some say that people can be born gifted, but that is simply a head start, one easily surpassed by the diligence in the future.¡±


    Anaise frowned. ¡°You do not consider my mother and my grand-uncle gifted?¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I will get to that in a moment. Diligence will get you far. It will make you an expert on whatever you sought out to learn. But that alone is not enough to achieve mastery, to be the best among your peers.¡±


    Grabbing the grape, I moved along. ¡°For that you need passion. The burning desire to keep your diligence unwavering. And then more. While a diligent person might be satisfied to learn all that is known, a passionate person won''t. They see the boundaries of their knowledge as a challenge, yet another barrier to overcome. For these, my knowledge isn''t just something new: a curiosity. It is something that can help them to overcome these barriers within their minds. And it is their desire to break these barriers that make them seek me out.¡± Damn, it was a really juicy grape, no wonder Aikerim was munching on these non-stop during our conversations.


    ¡°So what barriers are they trying to overcome?¡± She pressed on.


    ¡°Would you agree with me, if I said that Domina is really enthusiastic to see the Manor prosper?¡± I asked her, only to see her preen from my suggestion.


    ¡°Indeed. She was so great at it, that my grandmother gave her permission to establish a new branch! It is an honour even above of the heiress since you can only earn it through your efforts and not from the seniority of birth.¡± She smiled proudly.


    Truly she was her mother¡¯s daughter.


    I nodded along. ¡°And Virnan Shah finds beauty in mathematics.¡±


    Anaise kept smiling, thinking to herself. Although her smile turned from dreamy into a pensive one. ¡°How does he enjoy it? Is that what makes him so strong?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t really sure about Virnan¡¯s strength. The worst he had done to me was a smack of his writing rod and even that wasn¡¯t meant as a punishment. But I could attempt to answer the other part of the question. In fact, I wanted to. Keeping her engrossed in my conversations allowed me to learn more about her character and mannerisms. It also solidified a more friendly relationship between us.


    Who knows I might come up with some ¡®seductions¡¯ in the meantime too.


    But first, as usual, I had to ignite her curiosity.


    I leaned closer and smiled surreptitiously at Anaise. ¡°What is beauty? Why do we find something pleasing to the eye? Or harmonious to the ear? Or beautiful to the mind?¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t beauty personal? Unique to every individual?¡± She prompted back.


    ¡°It is and isn¡¯t. The finer details are unique to us, but the major part of it is shared.¡±


    She smiled, accepting my conspiratorial look. ¡°Very well, tell me these secrets of beauty.¡± She demanded with amusement.


    Hook.

 Chapter 18.2 …And Beauty

    Hook.


    ¡°To begin this tale, let us start at the source of what decides something is beautiful.¡± I tapped my forehead. ¡°Your mind. You see your body can be seen as the Emanai itself. With your skin protecting you as the Border Walls keep us safe, While your mind makes all the important decisions just like the Summit of Speakers does here in the capital.¡±


    I tapped the book I was reading beforehand, as my example. The bulk of it describing how their form of parliament operated.


    I moved on. ¡°To do its job correctly, the Summit needs to know what is happening across the country. How the crops are faring and are we getting invaded at any moment or not. Right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Emanai has an extensive network of mail carriages and horse riders that deliver important missives as well as stations in between so they could exchange their tired mounts and keep going,¡± Anaise replied.


    ¡°Good, and your body has a similar network as well sending the missives to your mind every moment.¡± I noticed her sceptical look. ¡°Your back is the main highway of these messages, so you might have heard of people losing the ability to walk or move if they suffered an injury.¡±


    Anaise thought for a second then nodded in agreement. ¡°I¡¯ve heard of similar tales from my second-father. It is an observed occurrence in the hand units that were hit by mages during battle. I guess that makes sense, go on.¡±


    Back trauma across the large group of people¡­maybe the war mages were summoning boulders or something.


    I continued, nevertheless. ¡°So your mind is challenged with an important task, apart from keeping you alive. It needs to receive these missives, create a correct description of what is going on, and then make a decision based on that. The big challenge is to make sure the missives are about the same moment in time. Just like in Emanai, each missive takes a different time to travel. Unlike the Emanai, these missives lack the time stamp of when things have occurred.¡±


    I moved closer to her legs. ¡°So your mind waits, it delays the missives that are coming closer.¡± I pointed at my face. ¡°Until they would synchronize with the missives that come from afar.¡± I gently touched her foot, making her glance downward for a second, only to return her eyes on me.


    ¡°But that means that your mind is always one step behind, less than a heartbeat in the past. You might say that it is irrelevant. Since we are all like that, thus it doesn''t matter. When all are in the past no one truly is. But other objects aren¡¯t. Dead things. That do not think.¡±


    My fingers slipped off her sandal only to throw it gently into the air. Anaise followed its arc with her eyes as I caught it with my other hand. Engrossed.


    My previous hand gently massaged her foot as I went on with my story. ¡°Your mind needs to know how an object falls, how an arrow flies. It needs to know the present, and not the past it lives in. If it doesn¡¯t, you will miss every fruit thrown your way, you won¡¯t be able to dodge the strikes of an enemy.¡±


    My voice was soft but loud enough that she didn¡¯t hear her own sighs of contentment, as she slowly relaxed into my touch.


    ¡°That is why the main task of your mind is predicting the future.¡± I dropped the bombshell. Making her perk up once again. I¡¯ve actually noticed it as a trend among the Kiymetl wermages at least. They always get twitchy when I mentioned anything about the future and predictions.


    Her attention was once again on me, ignoring the increased attention her foot was getting in the process. I was fine with that, I wasn¡¯t trying to distract her with my words, but to provide a soothing, pleasurable background to my speech. Almost at a subconscious level, just vivid enough for her to remember the conversation fondly.


    Line.


    ¡°Your mind does that every waking moment of your life. Indiscriminately. This might be the reason why you think about jumping when standing high above or get invasive thoughts based on the comments of another person. That is your mind trying to predict what would happen if it does these things only to freak itself out by the consequences. Making them memorable.¡±


    I enjoyed the feeling of her soft skin, her toes wiggling at the ministration of my fingers. And yet she still didn¡¯t pay attention to any of it. ¡°Most of these remain unseen, unnoticed. But the correct predictions make our mind happy. Making us feel pleasure. And by correct predictions I mean when our mind finds a pattern.¡± I timed my speech correctly, making her experience a jolt of relief with my last word.


    I slipped her sandal back on, leaning away. Satisfied. Waiting.


    She frowned at the loss of sensation, glanced at her feet and blushed.


    Eventually, she asked, ¡°And these patterns make things beautiful?¡±


    ¡°Pretty much. At least aesthetically pleasing.¡± I allowed only to be surprised by a gentle touch.


    Her foot was inching over to me, already free of the sandal. The one I haven¡¯t touched yet.


    Sinker.


    I didn¡¯t smirk or had shown any visible reaction as I kept talking. My hands picking up her daintily foot into a gentle embrace that promised more. ¡°We find faces and shapes pleasing because we recognize the patterns behind them, how similar the left side is compared to the right or how little deviation is there caused by disease or damage. You might not like a specific song, but all your songs are written with only five notes, combinations of which people felt as most pleasing. The reason they sound pleasing is once again because they have a simple ratio between them. Easy for your mind to pick up.¡±


    Anaise twisted around, leaving her large tail to swish without concern. A white tip brushing against my hands occasionally only to retreat when it did so. Her second leg returned into my arms, as she relaxed over on the sofa. Giving me quiet consent to keep going. I haven¡¯t said anything about this, but neither did she. I still wasn¡¯t sure about my limits so I decided not to push further, content in giving my hands some extra practise in foot massages.


    ¡°Is that why he likes it so much, then?¡± She mumbled leisurely. ¡°Because he sees the patterns, unlike other people?¡±


    ¡°Everyone can see these patterns,¡± I responded as my arms slid over her calves, pumping the blood away from her feet. I noticed her blush increasing as I did so, prompting me to retreat into the safer territories. I had enough time to push my boundaries further later. ¡°What separates him from the rest is the fact that he had studied it so much that what others perceive as boring or challenging, he does without effort. Thus his mind enjoys the wonders of discovery without the struggle that others expend in doing so.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it is why he is so fast with the Flow?¡±


    Well, that was a completely different type of fish I¡¯d managed to catch. Still big and delicious, however.


    ¡°That is probably something you know better than I. My knowledge doesn''t extend past the codex you have given me.¡±


    She opened her eye and looked at me while still lying down. Only to scrunch her nose petulantly.


    ¡°When my mother forbade me to talk to you about Flow, I thought it was a punishment for you. And now you made me feel like I am the one being left out. Perhaps I should limit my own teachings as well so that you know how I feel?¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t.¡± I smiled placatingly. ¡°Your mother is indeed correct, that learning about Flow is my desire. Unfortunately, she thinks that I have to learn to behave among your kind first. Which I begrudgingly agree with, as well.¡±


    I had no issues in telling her about my priorities. Aikerim already knew my fascination with Flow and Anaise would be bound to figure it out sooner or later. Besides it was something that I wanted to know, not needed. They can dangle this information in front of my nose as much as they want. I will only bite if the bait is delicious enough and I had no objections to being ¡®caught¡¯ at that specific time.


    Her lips spread in a victorious smile, showing the pronounced canines within. ¡°Hmm. I wonder how far are you willing to go for me to look the other way?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow, curious. Her words were suggestive but she hadn¡¯t implied anything physical so far, not even acknowledging the fact that her feet were still on my lap. ¡°Well, that certainly depends on what the Lady of the House might ask.¡± I sent the ball back into her own court.


    Her smile turned from predatory into a pleased one, as if she had caught her prey. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that you send missives to my grand-uncle on a regular basis, perhaps you could ask him a few things for me as well.¡±


    I blinked. ¡°I think I might have a better proposal instead.¡±


    ¡°Oh? And what is it? Do tell.¡± Anaise eagerly replied.


    I pulled a Gestr from my tunic. ¡°When I met your grand-uncle for the first time, he gave me this. And told me to return whenever.¡± I smiled as I saw the look of comprehension dawning on her face. ¡°Would the Lady of the House want an escort to see Virnan Shah personally? Perhaps tomorrow?¡±


    Her eyes moved from the golden medallion and looked into mine. Like two precious emeralds. ¡°I think, as my personal attendant, you need some experience in escorting a noble lady around the city. Tomorrow sounds like the perfect opportunity to improve your skills.¡± She slowly murmured.


    My smirk mirrored hers as we descended into the discussion of our future plans. Occasionally disrupted by a conspiratorial chuckle.

 Chapter 19 There

    I stood behind Anaise in the great hall. It was breakfast time, and the most prominent figures of the Manor were busy breaking their fast.


    Aikerim sat in the centre of the feast with two rows of tables on each side. Each accompanied with a sofa. Each accompanied with a posh fox lying on it and consuming the delights in front of them. A sea of tails and ears I haven¡¯t seen since my trip to the tower. Even Wrena was here. Some enjoyed the food. Some enjoyed being present here among the ¡®elite¡¯ occasionally reminding their neighbours how long they have been invited here. Others enjoyed the sight of Domina, their puppy eyes looking awkward on their vulpine faces.


    Anaise enjoyed telling her mother about the upcoming trip.


    Judging by the occasional glare and the twitch of her eyes, unseen by all but directed at me, her mother didn¡¯t enjoy hearing about it somewhat.


    A horde of slaves lined up the walls. Sulla was here as well, standing with the rest in the same manner as I did. I didn¡¯t know how many of them were attendants like us, but most were here to make sure the food remained bountiful on the tables. With occasional slave moving to replace a dropped skewer or to refill an empty glass.


    There were even a few musicians here. A soft and simple melody. Background music, that perfectly suited for something like this.


    Annoyed at the resplendent smells coming from the tables, and perfectly aware of the things Anaise was telling her mother. I let my mind wander off.


    Yesterday had been a very fruitful day. Placated and emboldened by our shared interests, we had spent a decent chunk of our time planning our excursion for today. I even included an additional visit to a luthier for my personal gain. While I trusted Wrena¡¯s recommendations I was still a single murk customer for the distinguished artisan. While I trusted him not to make sloppy work, but I wanted something as close to perfection as possible.


    I already had to compromise and use catgut instead of steel or nylon strings that they still lacked precision and technology to make. Or more advanced organic fibres that required heavy genetic engineering and quite a few specimens of spiders to even attempt. I couldn¡¯t even trust him with making a fretboard, for I would spend more time trying to explain to him how a twelve-note system works instead of simply hammering the frets myself afterwards.


    Needless to say, a tactical visit by an interested Lady of the House of Trade should make him a bit more aware of how meticulous my order was meant to be.


    It also had another purpose, which I kept hidden from Anaise. No matter what words we chose to describe it, we both knew that it was I who will be bringing her into the Pillar. If our social standings were reversed she would have felt grateful. Instead, there was a high risk of her feeling inadequate instead. The heiress of the Manor leeching from the status of her mother¡¯s slave. One thing I wanted to avoid was to have it grow and fester into resentment.


    Haggling for this detour made it more of an equal exchange. Two people of unequal status helping each other out in a manner only they can. Leaving her content with the result, and leaving me hopeful for an excellent instrument. Building up the camaraderie between us.


    And leaving her to stew in the curiosity about the instrument I was so anxious to make.


    I wondered for a second, how a classical Spanish guitar would be received in Emanai. But I could not fathom how the works of Tarrega, Segovia, and Albeniz would fail to generate a response. People like them made the guitar into the instrument of romance for centuries onward.


    I also primed Anaise with a few ideas for the debate with Virnan. Mostly so that she won¡¯t feel lost in the conversation that would undoubtedly result between us. While giving her some personal ammunition to shine in front of her idol. Giving me yet another score of brownie points.


    We didn¡¯t slack off on the Aikerim tasks either. To do so would have cut our budding relationship extremely short. But instead of us trying to dance around each other, unsure of the other¡¯s intentions, Anaise simply gave me the crash course on the nuances, while I devoured the general knowledge from the books.


    It was an extremely intense session, but I was already noticing the returns from it. The major part of the wermage and free wer wardrobe was actually the belt. A piece of clothing, I had seen as the means to keep your other clothes on and hold your purse, was the ultimate symbol of its owner status. The minutiae of a belt or sash design telling everyone a plethora of information, making sure you would address the wearer with the proper decorum. Bought by Sulla, my own was already telling a story, the stitched pentagrams assigning me the status of a scholar.


    I could already guess which werfoxes around me were closely related to Domina, and which were further away, yet still followed her in the formation of her Manor. Just that alone was already telling me that Aikerim had established herself well even before the split. But it was a recent occurrence too, judging by the lack of other bestial forms around.


    After the productive evening, came an extremely productive night. Irje and Yeva sequestered themselves, busy with yet another scheme of theirs. I enjoyed their occasional snickers as I kept devouring the books while drawing runic patterns on a small slab of slate. I got that one exactly for this purpose, small to be held in hands but also quick to erase in case someone barged in.


    The runes I had seen on Anaise dress gave me an idea I couldn¡¯t put aside. Detector runes. My first foray into the runic carving with a purpose in mind. Armed with a pilfered knife and supported by my polished designs, I carved out small beacons in every corner of the house, as well as the door and window frames.


    These were the basic shapes. My biggest and most challenging design found its place on the floor. An array of extremely sensitive runes, that inhibited each other. Theoretically, it would only light up at least three portions, closest to the caster and aimed in the correct direction. I called it FloDAR, a Flow detection and ranging system, capable of triangulating and pointing at the hidden mage trying to do their sneaky business.


    It was extremely basic and barely had any range whatsoever. Maybe ten or so meters around the house. But it was a step forward.


    Not that I suspected any mages doing so near my house, but Aikerim''s knowledge left some suspicions in my mind. Besides, forewarned is forearmed, as Cervantes once said.


    ¡°¡­I shall visit it before my arrival to the Pillar.¡± Anaise finished her tale.


    From the corner of my eye, I noticed Wrena perk up, hearing the store Anaise was heading toward, and giving me a quick glance. Aikerim noticed the by-play as well. The neutral swishes of her tail betrayed by yet another twitch of her eyebrow.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Domina nodded graciously. ¡°Virnan Shah would be pleased to see you. And it would do you good for your upcoming tutelage with him.¡±


    As the crowd murmured their praises to the rising intelligence of her daughter, I received a pointed look.


    She continued, turning back her gaze on Anaise. ¡°Find me when you are back, tonight. I will be interested to know how your trip went in detail.¡±


    Thank you Aikerim, I shall use your name shamelessly and openly to flee the tower once again.


    The morning feast continued with others also informing Domina of their actions for the day or politely requesting her assistance in the tasks ahead. Most of which were very mundane. Although I did notice the undertones of my activity already. Increased supplies for threads and lumber, enquiries about questionable land purchases and unashamed interest in new products.


    Anaise timed her exit well, bidding farewell early and leaving the table while her mother was still occupied with the rest of the family.


    And then I realized a very peculiar detail I haven''t noticed before. People like me crossed the city on foot. Even the army had to dismount within the city. Merchant carts were forbidden to ride the streets during the day, resulting in an evening and morning rush of deliveries.


    Despite the public toilets and the presence of running water through the city, the streets were rife with filth and dirt. Usually waiting to be washed off with the next rain. While my feet were already used to jumping from one clean cobblestone to another, expecting Anaise to do the same would be a stretch.


    Fortunately for the gentle society, someone had come up with an ingenious solution of attaching handles and a cover to the sofa. Turning it into a palanquin, or a litter more specifically.


    So off we went with me walking beside Anaise. Surrounded by eight burly slaves carrying her and two more that made sure she would enjoy the fresh breeze all the time.


    The summer was here, and with it came the unending heat, exacerbated by the moisture from the sea. The smell of civilization, woken up by the glaring sun, made itself present even here among the rich districts.


    We spoke quietly. Intent to keep our conversation clandestine. We didn¡¯t discuss anything secret or important, but it allowed us to drop the convoluted forms we were expected to adhere to in the public. Something that I had already read about and tested by her beforehand. Our topics were random, Anaise would ask me questions that would come to her as we walked, and in return, she would share with me the stories about the parts we were walking by.


    She stopped herself in the middle of such exposition, frowning. Before I could ask what was wrong, she raised her hand telling the carriers to stop and wait. Picking up on the unsaid I stepped aside waiting for whoever decided to greet her. Whoever it was, his position was great enough for her to stop and wait for the approach.


    Speak of the devil.


    ¡°I see you have gotten yourself an assistant.¡± The inquisitive Mephistopheles approached us, grinning ear to ear. Still wrapped in the red khalat of his. ¡°A bit of silver to make your gem brighter?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Anaise replied, carefully. ¡°He is a valuable asset of our household, Your sight is in my heart, Albin Chasya.¡±


    He turned to her as if just noticing. The sly smile not leaving his face as he did so. ¡°And your name is on my lips, Anaise Hilal.¡±


    I observed him as he bowed to my mistress. Taking in his features and applying them to the canvas of my current knowledge. His sash alone held a hundred stories within itself. A scholar, record-keeper and a general, or as it is known here: arms-master. He fought in seventeen campaigns and came out victorious in each of his battles. The list of his achievements was numerous and further obscured by the golden filigree.


    As Anaise had said to me before, he was the Speaker of the House. Shebet - the House of Records as he coined it himself, or the Administration House as everyone else had seen it as. The Pillar Manor. In the eyes of Emanai Manorat, he was one of the seven most influential persons in the country. His words alone could send it into a new conquest, or stop a law from passing.


    To say that this person was loaded with power was an understatement.


    The reasons behind Aikerim frustrations were obvious. Albin clearly had a much higher position than her. The position of Speaker of Kiymetl belonged to Aikerim¡¯s mother. The matriarch of the entire family. And yet he cast a clearly opposite image from the prim and proper Domina.


    The lack of twin braids, that every free citizen wore with pride, wasn¡¯t a snub to the tradition. It was a scoff at their religious beliefs. These braids represented the twin Gifts that made the Emanai. A necessary activity of every wermage during the morning ablutions was to make sure the braids were in the best form and shape. Additional jewellery was a sign of piety and thus rarely omitted as well.


    Anaise herself spent nearly half an hour only choosing hers. Eventually settling on the gorgeous pair of emerald tori, encrusted in gold. Green as her eyes, they made a stark contrast with the red braid that held them in place. A touch of gold to make the transition smoother.


    My mistress frowned, clearly taken aback by the lack in his appearance. ¡°May I enquire what is the purpose of this meeting?¡±


    ¡°I had a wish to meet the both of you. Well, Erf specifically.¡± He replied bluntly, skipping quite a few polite exchanges in the process.


    The twitch in Anaise brow clearly indicated that she noticed that as well. ¡°Perhaps we could meet at a later time? My mother will be delighted to welcome you inside our Manor.¡±


    Translation: I don¡¯t want to talk to you right now, come back later when my mother can cow you into behaving properly.


    Albin scrunched his nose. ¡°And spend three hours talking about politics or similar nonsense? No, thanks.¡±


    I noticed the lull around us as the two bickered about proper etiquette. Glancing around I saw the people continuing to move about in perfect silence. Even slaves that carried Anaise made no noise, yet were perfectly content with the current situation as it was something usual.


    Glancing back at our interloper I noticed the faint glow around his fingers. A rune of silence perhaps? Quite peculiar.


    Albin noticed me noticing and grinned back at me. ¡°A common precaution among our kind, it makes sure no one would eavesdrop on something sensitive.¡± He timed it right as my companion was making yet another rebuttal, leaving her flustered once more.


    That wouldn¡¯t do. He was playing her like a flute and I had no intention of spending the rest of the day with extremely frustrated and annoyed Anaise. Who knows what she might end up doing.


    I gently touched her arm, making her glance in my direction. ¡°May I speak on your behalf, my lady?¡±


    She clearly didn¡¯t want that either, understanding that it meant she gave in to his request to speak with me in the first place. But his status obliged a response, and to let me speak was the lesser of two evils in her mind.


    She nodded at me, full of propriety. ¡°Go ahead, then,¡± Anaise allowed, settling back into her litter.


    I turned back and sighed. ¡°So what do you want, Al?¡±


    My blunt question was met with his loud laughter and the sputtering of my companion.


    ¡°Straight to the point. Good. I understand that Sophia had been eager in meeting you, so I wanted to¡­mediate I guess?¡±


    I raised an eyebrow. ¡°You wanted to apologize for her actions?¡±


    He waved me off. ¡°Nonsense! She is an adult girl and can make her own decisions.¡± I heard Anaise choke once again, this conversation was clearly keeping her unsettled. ¡°Besides, could you begrudge her for being curious? A sickness that affects us all?¡±


    I chuckled ruefully. While the upcoming meeting had an unpleasant taste inside my mouth, I couldn''t refute his words either.


    ¡°I guess I shall make my decision when I meet her,¡± I concluded.


    Albin laughed nervously, ¡°Yeah I feared that as much. It is why I am here so to speak. A gesture of goodwill between our families.¡±


    He fished out a sealed scroll and a large bundle from inside his dress with a flourish. Like a true magician. And passed them both to Anaise with a bow.


    ¡°Please give this message to your mother, personally, upon your return. And please accept this as my personal gift to you.¡±


    ¡°You have my thanks,¡± Anaise replied, woodenly grabbing the bundle, surprised by his show of reverence. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°It is a coil of the finest golden thread, a fitting gift for a Lady on the cusp of her Entrance feast.¡±


    She smiled gratefully, although with a hint of something else, only to gasp as she pulled out the wire. I narrowed my eyes seeing it myself: it was thin but most importantly it was consistent. Unnaturally so.


    ¡°I wonder how was it made.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from wondering out loud.


    Albin turned sharply back to me. ¡°Oh? You are interested? I honestly did not expect you to. Unfortunately, I can¡¯t disclose how it was made. Family business and all that, but I can get you a similar gift.¡±


    Judging by the glare from Anaise I should be definitely interested and demand as much as possible, and maybe share with her afterwards. But I had other plans. Besides if I needed something like that I could spin my own gold thread.


    ¡°Can I get a roll of steel wire? And brass? With varied thickness. And, if possible, have some brass wrapped around some of the steel? Tightly?¡±


    Fortunately for me, the uniqueness of the request made Anaise curious, instead of exploding in my face about the lost opportunity.


    Albin scratched his chin, ¡°I believe it is possible, yes. But that would be at a later time. Take this, for now, you might appreciate it.¡±


    A tiny wooden orb landed in my hands, full of rune carvings. Yet another puzzle to dissect. I smiled at the gesture, while Anaise hissed in indignation.


    ¡°You came to see him, only to give him a child¡¯s toy? Are you mocking us?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Came a surprisingly hard rebuke. ¡°I could have easily gifted him something greater, but it would just as easily end up on your mother¡¯s table tonight. I wished to give him something directly, that won''t be questioned or challenged by others. For that, I have the scroll.¡±


    ¡°But-¡± She started, only to stop when I touched her arm once again. ¡°Erf?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. A child¡¯s toy or not, it is still a curiosity for me.¡± I smiled at her and turned around. ¡°Your gift is welcome, Albin. Although I have a sinking suspicion that all this feels¡­too convenient once again.¡±


    ¡°What? You don¡¯t believe my good intentions?¡± He asked in fake surprise only to smirk, seeing my disbelieving look. ¡°What if I told you that you make a great story to observe in passing?¡±


    ¡°Do you know of corn?¡± I asked.


    He blinked. ¡°I believe I do. It is rare here, however. Why?¡±


    ¡°Take it and heat it in oil. If you intend to ¡®observe¡¯ I expect you to act like it. Including the consumption of popcorn. From a large bowl.¡±


    ¡°¡­from a large bowl.¡± He murmured along, already writing it on parchment.


    I slapped my forehead as Anaise kept goggling at our antics. ¡°No seriously, what are you trying to achieve here?¡±


    ¡°Do you know that I¡¯ve already received seven enquiries about you after our meeting?¡± He mentioned casually, stuffing his writing in his red kaftan.


    ¡°You mean after you spilt the beans to Sophia? Or after she had made a ruckus shaking my Domina for more information.¡± I made a pointed remark.


    ¡°After of course.¡± Which he ignored completely. ¡°It was bound to happen sooner than later. And believe me, it is better if it happened now before you build up too much of your enigma. Judging from your odd request you aren''t simply interested in math alone. I wonder how many recent developments in the Kiymetl are connected to you. Hmm?¡±


    Anaise looked like she was cut from stone, her expression schooled and rigid.


    I simply waited for him to finish his damn point.


    His eyes stopped smiling. Wide-open, they almost looked owlish. Predatory even, unnaturally blue. ¡°Watch yourself, Erf. You are making waves without noticing, and there are forces out there that do not approve of their pond disrupted. There is a trick to this madness, however. First impression matters.¡±


    ¡°So what? You want me to do nothing? Hide in obscurity? Sit inside my cave until I am strong enough?¡±


    ¡°Quite the opposite. You want to be seen now, be a pest to them.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°And what? To be smacked down like a pest then?¡±


    His smile predatory. ¡°Yes! Like a pest. Unless you desire to be eliminated as a threat at a later time?¡±


    ¡°I desire to be left alone instead,¡± I replied unhappily. I already had my hands full juggling Domina and her daughter. Unwilling to imagine what would happen once the fathers arrive. The last thing on my mind was to traverse the minefield of Manor politics.


    His tail poked me in the chest, right where my Gestr was inside my tunic. ¡°If that was your desire you should¡¯ve stopped before sharing your ideas with Virnan. Perhaps even that Kiymetl Soap too. I sense your fingers all over it. But you have a chance now since you are aware of where you are. I have my confidence in you, just keep your splashes small. If you make a large impact you might end up changing someone opinion about you. And you don¡¯t want to be promoted from a pest to a threat until you are ready. Do you?¡±


    Anaise butted in, ¡°Enough of your threats! Our Manor is perfectly capable of keeping him safe. Now. While your gifts are appreciated, the tone of your voice is less so. And we have other meetings to attend.¡±


    ¡°Since the lady insists.¡± He bowed to us, ¡°I shall say my goodbyes to both of you. Safe travels and, if you need my help, my house is always open.¡±


    We were left alone, once again. In the middle of a loud street. The birds were tweeting somewhere.


    ¡°I will talk to my mother about security, Erf.¡± Anaise slowly murmured.


    ¡°I hate to agree with his words, but that might be a good idea.¡± I nodded along, earning a grateful smile from her.


    She fidgeted, slightly blushing. ¡°If you want, I can give you some of my old toys as well. I am an adult, I have no use of these any longer.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I would gratefully accept them then. But don¡¯t rush in throwing these away, childhood is a wondrous time to simply put it away once we are old enough. Keep that child inside your heart. For it is the source of our curiosity and wonder.¡±


    Anaise hummed at my words. ¡°Right now we have places to be, however. Let us continue.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s.¡±


    Anaise Kiymetl Hilal


    She was still reeling back from the disaster, that came from meeting the Speaker of Shebet. Anaise felt the feeling of camaraderie remembering her mother coming back from meetings with that Manor. The frustration on her face was curious back then, and now it spoke volumes.


    She glanced at her companion as he spoke to the properly impressed merchant, asking him about some metal rod to be inserted or something equally obscure and probably important to him and no one else. Just as they discussed beforehand, Anaise made herself known and interested to the artisan, conveying the importance of the task. And now she could sit back and cringe at her previous actions, while Erf was busy discussing shapes and types of wood and glue.


    To call Albin Chasya insufferable was an understatement. She could not refuse his discourse, his status made it impossible. She could not refuse his gifts, the seal on the scroll meant more than security. And now? Now she could not refuse his threats, no matter how much it galled at her to do so.


    Deep inside her mind, she knew that his words were true. The Manors were in conjunction but there were ways around that. A subtle threat, a sudden death, an unfortunate absence. But it grated at her to admit that her Manor wasn¡¯t all-powerful just as much. That a mere name, or in Erf¡¯s case a seal on his neck wouldn''t be enough to keep him safe.


    But now she had to. All because of that stupid werdrake!


    Bitterly she looked down at her chest. Her own Spark looked so dim compared to his. He probably had the brightest one she had ever seen. And the most prominent horns of all. Erf words about gifted children came to her mind. No wonder he acted like a spoilt brat! He probably got everything he wanted on a silver platter from the day that he was born. And skipped all lessons on etiquette too!


    ¡°Shall we head to the Pillar?¡± Erf¡¯s concerned voice broke through her ruminations.


    ¡°Yes, take us away.¡± She nodded at the carriers. Mentally sighing. The day had just begun and she was already tired.


    Even his gift was insufferable! She didn¡¯t know what was written in the scroll and how much frustration it would cause her mother, but she could guess from her gift alone. That was the finest golden thread she had seen so far, bright and clear from any imperfections. Ideal for her dress for the upcoming feast, just as he said.


    For the kaftan that was already made a few days ago!


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about his words that much. I mean I should be the most concerned party here, yet I am not.¡± He interrupted her thoughts again.


    ¡°Oh, and what makes you think I am still thinking about it?¡± She couldn¡¯t stop herself from snapping at him.


    He sighed. ¡°Your frown.¡±


    Anaise schooled her emotions, only to notice a gentle touch on her wrist.


    ¡°You are about to meet Virnan Shah.¡± Erf continued to speak quietly as his fingers did¡­something to her hand. Gentle caresses and pointed pressure making her entire body unwind and relax inside her litter. ¡°Someone who will teach you in the future. Someone who actually matters right now.¡±


    Anaise closed her eyes and stretched as the tension left her body. Enjoying the firm grasp of his fingers on her hand. His soft and quiet voice somehow mimicking the movements. Almost addicting. No wonder her mother valued his company.


    ¡°You might be right,¡± She allowed. ¡°But I expect you to behave as well, we are heading to a Primary Manor and behaving like that brute won¡¯t earn you any favours.¡±


    XXX


    Litter was left behind as Anaise walked into the Manor proper. Taking in the sights in front of her. Sensing the glow of Sparks all around her and, especially, above. Unbidden, she glanced upward. Somewhere out there was her grand-uncle. Perhaps even waiting for them.


    Would he sense her Spark if he looked down?


    She heard a shuffle behind her. Erf was pulling out the Gold medallion, her entrance to the Pillar. She sent her entourage to the slave quarters leaving them alone now. Places, where they were heading, were forbidden for most.


    They walked together, silently. Their movements were proper and fully coordinated. Erf was to the side, prominent enough to make his chest visible to all onlookers. Her own sash full of scales, mimicking his medallion. A statement on their status.


    She didn¡¯t enjoy the fact that he was actually leading her, the Lady of the Kiymetl House, inside her own maternal household. But the gazes she received were¡­ pleasant. Especially when they have done a double-take after noticing the golden shine on her attendant¡¯s neck. Watching her seriously. Memorizing her face.


    Giving her the reverence she ought to have here.


    They walked through the staircases all the way to the top. Apparently, Erf didn¡¯t know the location of the internal portal network. Somehow his words made an impression on his guide enough to give him a guided tour. Or so she assumed from his awkward description. Not that she minded of course. An extended trip allowed her to enjoy the intricacies of the Pillar in greater depth and attract more of the gazes in return.


    Pleasantly appeased with the outcome, she started to explain certain parts and activities of the Pillar to Erf. At least the ones she was aware of. Further enhancing her image to all around.


    And now they stood in front of his office. Anaise felt the Spark shining from within. It was almost as bright as¡­ never mind. The brute wasn¡¯t important now.


    She took her time checking over her dress and hair, making sure it was as immaculate as possible. And only then she nodded to him.


    Erf knocked politely of the door.


    They waited.


    The spark didn¡¯t move.


    ¡°Did you inform him about our arrival?¡± She whispered to him.


    ¡°Eh? What for?¡± The oaf scratched his empty head.


    Anaise suppressed her desire to strangle him. There was no time, she will do it later. ¡°So that he would expect our visit.¡± She hissed quietly back at him.


    ¡°Let me knock again.¡±


    She shivered at the loud bang. ¡°Erf!¡± she whispered harshly ¡°what are yo-¡±


    ¡°Go away! I told you already that I am busy!¡± A loud voice boomed from inside.


    Perhaps she had some time to strangle him right now.


    The soon-to-be-dead murk kicked the door. ¡°That senile old fox! Open up!¡±


    ¡°ERF! NO!¡±


    Snusmumriken

 Chapter 20.1 And Back

    Anaise Kiymetl Hilal


    ¡°You should have seen the look on that old hag¡¯s face!¡± Her grand-uncle¡¯s voice crowed.


    She hid her face with her hands. Her ears were burning with shame.


    ¡°And because of your bragging, I got into shit!¡± Erf yelled in return.


    This wasn¡¯t happening. It was all fake, a dream. She gonna wake up any minute now.


    ¡°She just can¡¯t handle being left in the dust that''s all.¡±


    ¡°That''s all, my ass! And now my Domina can¡¯t handle being shaken down by your rival.¡±


    Anaise opened her eyes to see if anything had changed. They were in Virnan¡¯s office. The dream was quite unrealistic: Erf was trying to choke the Rhetor. She closed her eyes again.


    ¡°If she doesn¡¯t like it she should have sold you to me a long time ago!¡±


    This wasn¡¯t ending. She needed to do something.


    ¡°I enjoy sleeping at night! No thanks!¡±


    Anaise had it. ¡°ENOUGH!¡± She screamed at the top of her lungs. Forcing the disgrace to a halt. Two¡­man-children stared at her, finally realizing that they had an audience.


    The whole room was in silence, interrupted only by her heavy breathing.


    ¡°You!¡± She pointed at Virnan Shah, ¡°are supposed to be the Wise man of the Tower! A master of knowledge, mundane and obscure! Pick your glasses up and fix your beard.¡±


    ¡°And you!¡± She glared at Erf, ¡°are my personal attendant! How are you behaving in front of my grand-uncle!?¡±


    ¡°But he star-¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who started what!¡± Anaise interrupted his feeble rebuke. ¡°What I care about is that we all sit down, make ourselves presentable, and start behaving like you are in a polite society,¡± She glared at both of them, ¡°Is that clear?¡±


    Hearing the dual sounds of agreement, she finally let herself relax and closed her eyes again. Finding her own inner peace.


    ¡°I am surprised with the sudden visit, however.¡± A regal voice said. She smiled, listening to it. That is exactly how she had imagined Virnan Shah to sound while he was meeting important guests.


    ¡°You should be.¡± Came an unexpected reply from Erf.


    What?


    Erf continued, ¡°I¡¯ve told you in multiple letters, that I had no desire to return to this accursed place. However, my mistress was of extremely high opinion about you and urged me to come here once again. To see your excellence in math and, especially, in Flow.¡±


    Anaise blushed at the scrutiny he put her under. Unable to keep her ears straight when Virnan looked at her once again. It was a different look this time. Not from a grand-uncle looking favourably at the younger generation. It was the look of acknowledgement and perhaps a bit of praise too. If not for her knowledge but at least for her political acumen to wrangle her assistant into submission like that.


    And then a sly glance back at her aide. ¡°Hoh? Flow training you say? You don''t ask for little here.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t refusing. Anaise recognized that with an elated heart. He was haggling for more.


    Erf winked back. ¡°How about fair trade, then. I share with you some ideas and you would do the same to the gorgeous Lady of the House?¡±


    She hid her face behind the tail. Anaise heard mountains of compliments before, and yet she couldn''t maintain her composure at an offhand remark coming from him, here, and at this time. It felt different to her, somehow.


    A clap and the sound of rubbing hands. ¡°Very well, but I will be the judge of your ideas.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s start then. In the latest missive, you bragged about finding the formula for Pascal¡¯s Triangle? Right?¡±


    ¡°I don''t know why you keep calling it that, but yes. I used it actually to shut that old hag up.¡± Virnan responded.


    ¡°Please spare me, She is the last person I want to talk about right now. So¡­¡±


    Anaise watched them, mesmerized. Erf had managed to explain most parts to her before, but she still had trouble with things like ¡®infinite sums¡¯. It felt bittersweet watching her grand-uncle right now. The difference in their skills was impossible to ignore. She knew he was smart - she wanted to study under him exactly for that reason. Only now she understood how smart he really was.


    Things that Erf explained to her twice or thrice, Virnan did himself with the tiniest prompt from her companion. Erf words turned prophetic as she watched him work on problems. What she saw as an obstacle, Virnan saw as playthings, giddy at each new reveal that Erf was milking out of that triangle of his.


    While she could concede that idea of statistics sounded useful, things like combinatorics still felt nebulous to her. Or why does it matter that this pascal triangle actually has another triangle on top, that everyone missed so far?


    Judging by the Virnan Shah dancing, it mattered a lot.


    Erf kept digging deeper, however. He went past the negative powers of the inverted triangle, and dove in deep. Between the numbers into the realm of square roots and even more obscure calculations. Even Rhetor himself started to struggle now. But something kept nagging at her in her mind. Something familiar.


    Erf noticed her frown and smiled. Writing yet another formula that he showed her yesterday.


    Anaise sucked the air in, as her mind made the connection.


    ¡°What?¡± Virnan sharply turned to her. His eyes piercing.


    ¡°That part is the formula for the half-circle!¡± She couldn¡¯t stop herself from blurting out. Happy that she managed to keep up.


    Virnan Shah turned stiffly back to the sand, and then up to the grinning Erf. ¡°Does that mean?¡±


    In the perfect silence, Erf quiet whisper felt extremely loud, ¡°What would happen if you integrate both sides?¡±


    ¡°You will get an area of a half-circle,¡± Virnan said back, no longer looking. His stick danced on the floor as he rushed to the conclusion that only he saw.


    Erf watched silently as her grand-uncle wrote and wrote. And then he slowly started clapping.


    ¡°Congratulations.¡± He smiled gently, ¡°You have just discovered the formula for pi.¡±


    Anaise shivered. The silent office gloomed over them all. Virnan Shah, on his knees in the sand, staring at the things he just wrote himself, as if unable to believe that he has just done that. On top of him, leaning on his writing rod, Erf loomed with a gentle smile. Like a God, descended to grant another Gift.


    She rubbed her eyes. The moment passed.


    Slowly Virnan started to chuckle, and then, laugh. Madly. Only to stop as if remembering something.


    ¡°You!¡± he pointed at her ¡°You knew all that didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°Not at all!¡± She quickly tried to deny his accusations. Erf told her plenty, but he didn¡¯t tell her that much. ¡°I just noticed a pattern that is all.¡±


    It was true, but she couldn¡¯t explain it in her words, so she chose Erf¡¯s instead.


    ¡°I see why you brought her along, now. If she is smart enough to see the patterns, she is more than welcome to study under me!¡± he proclaimed.


    A smile split her face. ¡°Thank you! Bu-¡± only to be interrupted by two palms grabbing her from behind.


    Erf. Her attendant, her companion¡­


    Her friend.


    ¡°I brought her here for another reason, old man.¡± He grinned, massaging her shoulders.


    Anaise let his cheek go this time, relaxed in his touch. Watching two of them scribble for hours made her neck stiff. She was also curious.


    ¡°Hmmm?¡± Virnan was curious as well.


    His mouth close to her ear words gentle and stimulating. ¡°I brought her here so that you can take a good look at the one, who will beat you in the future!¡±


    Her tail was back in her face, cheeks and ears glowing red. ¡°ERF!¡± She wailed as her grand-uncle guffawed.


    But somehow, with his hands pushing on her back, she felt some truth in that statement.


    XXX


    Virnan was true to his word. He spent the rest of our time in the tower diligently helping Anaise on her path to become a great mage. I listened in of course as I idly watched the city from the window in his office.


    There was no point watching them most of the time. Whatever they were doing was done internally with Virnan¡¯s words guiding her through the process in a similar way I¡¯ve done with him a few hours ago. He also wasn¡¯t teaching her flashy spells either. Instead, as a good teacher would, he started from the basics. Monitoring her skill, speed, and power with simple tricks like motes of light and flying objects.


    That did extremely little for me, however. Lacking the perception ability to understand his descriptions I felt like a deaf man reading the discussion about music.


    The descriptions weren¡¯t easy to understand either. As the book on runes suggested, there were certain patterns and shapes a wermage could perceive somehow, but the perception of them was all wrong. I expected it to be like a puzzle of shapes that they assembled into a spell. They kinda did, when learning said spell. When casting it, it was the opposite. Apparently, as a wermage was about to cast a spell, the complete shape would emerge almost instantly and they were tasked with unravelling it instead into the basic forms. And yet the complex shape would never appear if the mage didn¡¯t know beforehand how to assemble it in the first place.


    My new running hypothesis was that spellcasting was both conscious and subconscious. First, the subconscious mind would read the flow and quickly assemble it into the shape when prompted to cast. And then the conscious part would be used to what? Power it through unravelling? I heard Virnan mentioning something about avoiding magical exhaustion today, which pleased Anaise exorbitantly.


    And now we were heading back. Anaise sat in her litter keeping the missives from Albin and Virnan close, and the bobbin of golden thread closer. I wouldn¡¯t begrudge her for it. The time of learning has passed but her debut was coming. Maybe that was yet another reason, why Aikerim was so happy with the loom. Or at least why she was so eager to see me try. It was a venture worth thinking more about in the future.


    ¡°Thanks, Erf.¡± Anaise quietly muttered, still smiling to herself. ¡°For making this happen. I don¡¯t know how long it would¡¯ve taken me to get as far I¡¯ve gone today. Without your help.¡±


    Her implication was clear, but I decided to abstain from asking much. It wasn¡¯t time. Nor could she give me anything better than her ear and assistance. But things like that weren¡¯t asked for. Some things could not be requested. Only freely given.


    Instead, I grinned at her, ¡°Too late! By now you have fallen into my plot on learning more about Flow!¡±


    I made a realistic attempt on an evil laugh, while she laughed heartily in return. Her voice light, like tiny bells.


    ¡°You jest, but I wonder if I could persuade my mother to let you into my classes.¡± She said afterwards.


    ¡°I would be grateful but, perhaps, not tonight.¡± I ventured. ¡°I have a feeling that she would be too occupied with the missives and our tale.¡±


    She scrunched her nose, cute and tiny, ¡°Ugh, don''t remind me about him. I hope he doesn¡¯t rile up my mother enough to lock me up within the Manor, just so that I won''t be intercepted by him again.¡±


    ¡°Well, if she does I would simply tell Virnan to visit you instead,¡± I said with a wink to her unbound mirth.


    Just like that, we kept going. Joking along the way about the day behind us. Occasionally even laughing along, her tinkling laughter making the twilight around us a bit more cheerful.


    XXX


    As she promised, Aikerim met us almost immediately after we have returned. Only to stumble, seeing two missives with Pillar Seals on each. Both had the moon and the tower, while one had the feather and the other - scales. Shebet and Kiymetl.


    Suffice to say that meeting had been derailed and we quickly found ourselves in one of the dining rooms. Just three of us. Alone. The tables were full of food, recently brought by the horde of slaves. They vanished as soon as their tasks were done.


    ¡°Take a rest,¡± Aikerim murmured, lounging on her own sofa. ¡°You too, Erf,¡± She added, seeing me move behind Anaise.


    Well, I wouldn¡¯t say no to that. Today was a rather stressful day, and food was always welcome. Especially when it came in small clay jars, filled with steaming meat and vegetables. Mmmh. A perfect way to end the day!


    ¡°He accosted us within the city.¡± Anaise started, seeing her mother break the Shebet seal first.


    ¡°Mm-hmm.¡± Aikerim nodded while reading the scroll. ¡°He does that all the time. How did you find his character?¡±


    Her daughter breathed a sigh of relief, only to frown after, ¡°Obnoxious.¡±


    Domina chuckled, ¡°That he is.¡±


    I pushed another jar closer to me, leaving the girls to talk among themselves. This was bonding time. I was bonding with the food.


    ¡°On the other side, Erf got along with him like bread to butter!¡± Her accusation caught me unawares. I swallowed the piece. Loudly.


    ¡°What?¡± I croaked.


    Two foxy ladies sighed at me. One regal and older, the other cute and younger. Amber and emerald.


    ¡°I can see why,¡± Aikerim murmured, and Anaise burst into giggles, clearly surprising her mother.


    ¡°You should¡¯ve seen him with the grand-uncle too. I had to pull them apart in the beginning! Can you imagine it?¡±


    Aikerim hummed in response. ¡°Did he call him a senile old fox?¡±


    Her daughter gasped. ¡°He did! Right at the start!¡± a grape bounced off my forehead, and I caught it. Wasting food was sacrilege. ¡°I thought I would die of shame right there!¡± the grape thrower and food defiler had the gall to accuse me.


    Domina chuckled, albeit morosely, as she burned the scroll to dust. ¡°It might not be what we agreed on, but you can call me Aikerim in the presence of my daughter then.¡±


    Anaise sputtered. ¡°Wait? You knew it would happen?! Why was I the only one not aware!¡±


    ¡°Because you sprang it up on me during the breakfast.¡± Came a curt reply, causing her to pout.


    Anaise, instead of recognizing her loss, decided to deflect it on me, ¡°And you! You should have told me yourself!¡±


    I stopped eating. ¡°If I did, you would¡¯ve killed me on the spot back then, talking about your hero like that. And then promptly cancelled the trip.¡± I resumed my explorations checking another dish, some sort of pate. Soft but so delicious.


    She scowled at both of us, only to harrumph and turn away.


    Domina continued to ask us about our trip and, especially, the time spent with Virnan, as she read his scroll herself. But I noticed that her mind was not in it. Distracted. Melancholic. Anaise picked on that as well, as she switched to a lighter mood. Telling her all the silliest things that occurred during our trip. But it helped little.


    Eventually, she gave up on the roundabout approach. ¡°What ails you, mother? Is it the letter?¡±


    Aikerim sighed, ¡°While the letter didn¡¯t help, I think I am just tired today. Let us continue tomorrow instead.¡±


    Her daughter nodded and got up. ¡°Very well. Come, Erf. Let us give my mother some peace.¡±


    Well, I had a good run. I still had to finish chewing the latest portion, however.


    ¡°Leave him,¡± Domina commanded. ¡°You can clearly see he is still hungry.¡±


    Snusmumriken

 Chapter 20.2 Epiphany

    ¡°Leave him,¡± Domina commanded. ¡°You can clearly see he is still hungry.¡±


    So she wanted to talk to me in private, instead.


    Anaise picked up on that too and frowned. ¡°If it is about him listening to the Flow lecture, I assure you that he had already read and memorized all the codices, that you assigned to him. He had done it on my request as well.¡±


    Aikerim waved the Virnan scroll at her. ¡°Rest assured, I have no plans of punishment, especially after this.¡± She turned to me. ¡°In fact, you can enjoy the alchemy lab in your free time, and my daughters Flow lessons in the future.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Aikerim.¡± I nodded deeply with a hand flourish. Bowing, while lying on the sofa was impossible. I was actually starting to grow uncomfortable eating while lying down. These daybeds of theirs were angled for comfort, with the end facing the table slightly higher, but my body still wanted to eat while sitting.


    Return of the free time that I could use for chemistry was a godsend. The last couple of days kept me away from my tinkering and I¡¯ve accumulated an abundance of ideas I craved to explore. Especially with how tightly I¡¯ve seen Anaise hold that golden thread.


    Her daughter looked at us for a second, then nodded as if confirming her thoughts. ¡°Please take care of my mother, then.¡±


    Domina looked oddly surprised at her exit. So was I. What did she mean by that?


    The moments passed in relative silence. Aikerim was still thinking about something, while I was still sampling the delights on the table. I let her think, she had clearly a lot on her mind and she gave me permission to continue my feast anyway.


    My new body craved nutrition on levels unheard of by any murk before. All these augmented processes, all that extra growth had a cost. And the cost was mostly in the calories. Fortunately, my body could process a much larger intake as well without leaving me looking like a perfect sphere. And I wasn¡¯t planning to let this opportunity go to waste.


    Maybe I could throw some more augmentations too.


    She rose up sharply, interrupting my meal.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get up.¡± She murmured, stopping my own rise. I chose to sit instead, comfortable in this position. I could still cautiously eat as she slowly paced across the room, ready to get up at a moment¡¯s notice.


    After a few passes, she plopped down on the sofa. Mine. Sitting down in the same manner as I was. I almost choked on my drink. Apparently, the position wasn¡¯t comfortable for her as she pulled her knees up to her face. Her black with gold kaftan contrasted brightly with her red hair. Her long ponytail reaching all the way to her even longer and bushier foxtail, like a waterfall of fire. Her customary twin braids hidden inside.


    ¡°Do you think I am a bad mother?¡± A quiet murmur.


    I quietly put down the cup on the table. The time for eating was over.


    What the fuck did Albin write in that letter of his?


    ¡°No. Just that question alone makes you better than most. And your daughter adores you.¡± I answered calmly but quietly.


    ¡°Liar.¡± She replied, without any heat. ¡°Anaise, my Little Moon, told me about the conversation yesterday. Leaving the other half for this morning. I thought of your ideas as wishful thinking, you know. Dreams of a kid, that had no knowledge of the world around him. Lost in his philosophies.¡±


    ¡°What changed? Was it the letter?¡±


    Aikerim scowled at the smattering of ash on the table but shook her head. ¡°No. It wasn¡¯t the letter. Or, at least, it wasn¡¯t just it. You¡¯ve spent what? One or two tendays teaching my daughter and I get this!¡± She waved the intact scroll from Virnan into my face. ¡°Unending praise of my daughter¡¯s skills from my old teacher! Skills that I could not claim as my own. A promise to teach her, that I¡¯ve spent years trying to wrangle from the old fox myself. I left you in her care for two days. Two! And now she acts as if it was twenty years instead.¡±


    ¡°But it was all done through you, nevertheless.¡± I interrupted her outburst with the same calm voice. ¡°You have seen my abilities, and you made sure that your daughter would benefit from them. Have you not?¡±


    That stopped her short. I knew she would have come up with the same conclusion herself. But not right now. She was too tired for that and too stressed out.


    Gently I grabbed the hem of her dress and pulled her over. She resisted it for a second only to think otherwise and accept my pull. Rolling sideways like a ball, her head in my lap. My fingers in her scalp. Massaging the stress away.


    ¡°Is that what she meant?¡± She murmured.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°When she asked you to take care.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps.¡± I allowed. ¡°She was very stressed out after meeting Virnan. I assumed you might need something similar as well.¡±


    She adjusted her position. No longer wound in a ball. Simply lying on the sofa with her head still in my lap.


    ¡°I understand why she felt comfortable with you around after only two days,¡± Aikerim said with her eyes closed. ¡°I will find you a guard. Maybe more than one. Albin Chasya is correct in his warnings, your worth is more than enough to warrant an escort. Even without the rumours already spreading across the city. Don¡¯t worry, they will be under your command.¡±


    ¡°You have my thanks.¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°Don¡¯t thank me yet. Judging by my daughter¡¯s tale I am willing to assign you as an intermediary between me and the Administrative House.¡± Only to smile wider as I shivered. ¡°You seem to have a much greater effect on him.¡±


    ¡°There is a pattern to his madness. It just clashes with your upbringing.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± She got up and stretched. I could see how her image transformed in front of my eyes. All signs of weakness were gone. A tired mother was no more. In front of me stood Domina. Regal and all-powerful. ¡°There is something else. You have his interest somehow, And I intend to make use of it.¡±


    And the familiar tone was back again as well.


    ¡°And what will you make of me then? My Domina.¡± I played along. My form of the attendant proper.


    A tip of her tail caressed my cheek as if trying to cradle my face. ¡°You don''t need to follow Sulla anymore. Judging by the words of my daughter and my uncle you have a solid grasp of how to comport yourself. Moreover, while you were away I have spent a great deal of effort getting you a furnace. Your projects so far haven''t failed to impress me and I expect the same with glass. Use your free time as you see fit, but assist Anaise when you can.¡±


    I got up and bowed. I knew the cues by now, our meeting was over. ¡°Then I will take my leave.¡±


    ¡°Erf.¡± Her voice stopped me at the door. ¡°I might require your ''care'' again in the future, but this will remain a secret among us.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Aikerim.¡±


    ¡°Moreover.¡± A waver in her voice, a chink in her armour. ¡°I thank you for your words, both to me and to my daughter. And I will keep them in mind from now on.¡±


    ¡°A poet once said,¡± I murmured. ¡°Maya Angelou. Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better. Have a good night, Aikerim.¡±


    ¡°¡­you too, Erf.¡±


    XXX


    It was surprising how intricate a child¡¯s toy could be. But then again it wasn¡¯t just a simple toy either. It was a toy for a wermage child with a purpose in mind. From what I could manage to gather talking with Anaise, the runic arrays on the orb were extremely sensitive so that they would react even to the child¡¯s unfocused attempts at wielding the Flow. Entertaining them and at the same time exercising their supernatural senses.


    Hmm. Food for thought. Would it qualify to be still called supernatural if it was actually a part of their nature? Probably not.


    Nevertheless, if I can decipher it correctly I could improve my detection array. Perhaps turn it into something viable.


    ¡°And yet again he is staring into a trinket of his, instead of paying attention to us.¡± Irje¡¯s merry voice interrupted my investigation.


    ¡°You expect me to sit in my room and wait for your return?¡± I smiled, putting the orb aside on the table. ¡°Leave the man to his toys¡­¡± My voice trailed off as I turned around.


    To say that they looked gorgeous was an understatement. Both of them had a new set of clothes, that I¡¯ve bought for them before. Clean and decently decorated to make even a free wer proud. But that wasn¡¯t the part that I noticed first. I''ve seen them in these clothes previously.


    ¡°My, you look absolutely radiant. Especially Yeva.¡± I murmured. This was the first time I¡¯ve seen their hair so shiny and soft. Both of them were, but Yeva also looked notably more proud. Which turned into outright smugness from my words.


    ¡°I¡¯ve finished what you¡¯ve left behind.¡± She beamed at me. ¡°This is the latest batch of the conditioner and the best one so far.¡±


    ¡°I can see that.¡± I smiled. Her happiness was contagious. ¡°Now come here so that I can feel that too.¡±


    A tiny missile of blond curls hit me head-on, forcing me to stumble to the floor. My fingers raked her hair, easily sliding through the soft pale gold, revealing a pretty face behind. I placed a soft peck on her nose, making her giggle.


    ¡°You¡¯ve done a wonderful job, Yeva. Your hair is so soft that I can¡¯t take my hands off it.¡±


    ¡°Hey! What about my hair. It is soft too!¡± Irje found a perfect time to interrupt us.


    ¡°Fine come here, I will feel your-¡± I turned my head and stopped speaking.


    Once again Irje managed to pull a sneaky move on me. I was sitting on the floor with Yeva in my arms, so Irje''s hair was right in my face. Her pubic hair that it.


    ¡°Go on.¡± Irje prompted. Her fuzzy mound rubbing into my face. ¡°Feel it.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°Really, Irje?¡±


    Curious, Yeva extended her hand only to accidentally slide her fingers right into her folds. Making Irje moan and my face wet.


    ¡°You are incorrigible!¡± She laughed at the antics of our amazon.


    ¡°No, she is just permanently horny.¡± I gave in to her demands and gently rubbed my face between her legs. ¡°Very soft and very horny.¡±


    Yeva pouted. ¡°I wish I had anything down there too.¡±


    I turned and gently kissed her, as she giggled and squirmed away from it: half of my face was already soaked with Irje which meant my kiss was extra moist.


    ¡°Don¡¯t. You are already pretty soft and beautiful down there and I like it that way.¡±


    Yeva bit her lip. ¡°Maybe you should compare.¡± And rose up.


    Before I could say anything I was surrounded by tender flesh from both sides. Delicate and velvety pink on my left. A tiny slit with the promise for more within. And the bold and eager gold on my right. Short and very soft fuzz barely hiding the pink of inner lips poking from within. Waiting to be touched.


    I looked upward. ¡°You are corrupting her.¡± I fruitlessly warned the muscular stomach and two mountains above me.


    ¡°I believe you have a job to do.¡± Yeva made her reminder stick by mimicking Irje.


    Despite all my grumbling, having two girls try to grind on your face was a very pleasant experience. A gentle touch, an obvious desire, and an ever-present smell of lust around me.


    My hands slid up between their legs and cupped their asses. I got a synchronized moan as my thumbs slid inward across their folds and collected their juices, only to gently plunge into their openings. I was literally dual-wielding them, as I moved them closer together and in front of my face.


    ¡°Hmmm.¡± I hemmed, watching them squirm in front of me. ¡°Both of you get best marks on looks. And feel.¡± I added, remembering the previous grind.


    ¡°Now for the taste.¡±


    Yeva gasped as my tongue explored her folds, only to groan when it was time for Irje to gasp instead. I moved back and forth enjoying slight differences in their taste and tiny variations of their voices. I slowly ramped up my ministrations getting them more hot and needy by the minute. Having both of them inside my grasp meant that I could control their pleasure at will. My thumbs held them back from smashing into my face, greedy for release, while the rest of my palms cupped their butts to make sure they couldn¡¯t evade my touch even to the most sensitive spots.


    I timed myself just right, leaving Irje frustrated once again. A feeling that was exacerbated further, when Yeva collapsed down with a wail, enjoying the bliss of her orgasm.


    ¡°Taste is exemplary in both, so the score is tied for now,¡± I said with a pompous voice, still holding Irje¡¯s core in a firm grasp, now assisted by another arm. ¡°But, since Irje cheated with a conditioner, Yeva wins this time.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡± An indignant squawk from above.


    I continued, ¡°Since Irje lost, she gets the punishment. Yeva, be a dear and fetch the rope for me.¡±


    A lithe girl slowly got up, ¡°Okay!¡±


    ¡°Now,¡± I got up myself, raising to the Irje¡¯s chest level. ¡°Are you gonna behave now?¡± One of my hands still deep inside of her, keeping her on tiptoes. The other slowly roamed across her body, with lingering detours across her bountiful chest. Full of gropes and pinches.


    ¡°Y-yes.¡± Irje panted, trying to stand perfectly still. Her hands were behind her back, pushing her chest outward, and her legs shoulder-length apart. I saw the mad glint in her eyes and heard the incessant panting, but we both knew the rules of our little games by heart now. She would endure more than this. And then I will make sure she would get her release, and more.


    ¡°Good girl. Now, I will have a task for you.¡± A bundle was thrust to me. ¡°Thank you, Yeva.¡±


    I sat down, while Yeva stayed behind, her own hands exploring our needy victim. Enjoying her body just as much as I did. Irje¡¯s boobs were glorious, and I slowly and successfully converted Yeva into my camp. At least that¡¯s what it sounded like from the gentle sucking sounds above my head.


    ¡°The task is simple.¡± I continued, tying a loose loop around her knee. ¡°You have to hold the rope till the end.¡±


    The soon-to-be-ravaged cougar crossed her legs, trying to hold the loop in place.


    I chuckled, ¡°Not like that,¡± and threw the rope up. Across the beam.


    Grabbing the hanging end, I pulled. More and more.


    First, the rope went tight. Then it pushed her leg wider, slowly lifting her knee up high. Revealing her lewd folds for me to see, and for Yeva to play with. Her petite fingers were there as soon as she realized what I was doing. Irje squeaked, her face red in shame. Both from her position and from how direct Yeva was while she was so helpless.


    Yet I kept pulling. Soon Irje couldn¡¯t balance herself anymore and grabbed onto me. Burying my head into her cleavage. A cunning plan from someone in her state but I didn¡¯t give up either. Her knee went high and she went sideways, legs wide open in a perfect split. Her foot barely touching the ground with the tips of her toes, just enough to keep her from swinging wildly.


    ¡°Oh wow.¡± Yeva couldn¡¯t help but mutter, fascinated by Irje¡¯s gentle sway after a single push.


    Yeah, I¡¯ve outdone myself today. This was really hot.


    I grabbed the hand of our whimpering amazon and placed it on the rope I just pulled down. ¡°Here. Now it is your time to hold it.¡±


    Irje¡¯s hand wrapped around it instantly, holding the rope for dear life. And leaving herself hanging in a very delectable form.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± I murmured and gave her a passionate kiss. A fitting reward for her eagerness. I let it linger. Our tongues entwined in a tantric dance as my hands kneaded and groped her. With her hand pulled upward, her breasts hang free giving me plenty of flesh to play around with.


    Irje welcomed my kiss with a controlled passion, unusual for her in this state. By now she would be too desperate to simply enjoy the kiss, but I could see in the corner of my eye that Yeva kept her entertained down below. Or was it to the right, right now? It didn¡¯t matter.


    ¡°Fill me.¡± She finally panted. ¡°Her tongue is not enough. I need you inside of me!¡±


    I smiled and switched my location. My fingers trailing Irje¡¯s body as I did so. Suspended, her shiver was exaggerated so much it looked like she was shaking. Or maybe she already was. Impatient minx.


    ¡°Enjoying your treat?¡± I asked Yeva, coming closer to her face and the spread open pussy of our quarry. Three sets of lips, two spread in a smirk and one spread with desire and need.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Yeva giggled. ¡°You should do this more often. She is much more pliable like this.¡±


    ¡°I will teach you some knots later.¡± I patted her head and she nuzzled in. Not into my hand but into Irje¡¯s crotch instead. That started to moisten once again from the topic of our conversation.


    ¡°So soft.¡± She murmured as her cheek slid back and forth through the golden and well-conditioned fuzz.


    Somewhere, far away, Irje groaned.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± I whispered and stood up, throwing my clothes away. After all we had done today, it wasn¡¯t surprising at all that I¡¯ve been rock hard for some time now.


    ¡°Now,¡± I muttered, angling my shaft to the proper orifice. ¡°We need to be gentle with her.¡± An indignant squawk in the background. ¡°So we need some lubrication first.¡± I finished talking and slightly pushed forward.


    My tip met the slightly parted lips. Not the ones filled with desire, but the ones smiling in satisfaction. Quickly picking up on my intention, Yeva opened her mouth and eagerly let me in, covering me with her saliva. I didn¡¯t linger for too long, aware of how wound up the kitten already was. Gently extracting my wet shaft I stopped for a second to appreciate the ropes of saliva that connected my shaft to Yeva¡¯s delicate mouth. And then I plunged it into Irje.


    A wail, that I expected, broke free from the amazon¡¯s mouth. What I didn¡¯t expect was a simultaneous gasp from Yeva.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°I can hear it!¡± She grinned, her ear flush with Irje¡¯s stomach. ¡°I heard you sliding into her! I felt her expanding from your presence! Do it again!¡±


    ¡°Well, if the lady is asking,¡± I muttered and I slammed once again. Causing another moan of pleasure and the giggle of delight.


    ¡°Again!¡± Yeva whooped.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Irje agreed.


    ¡°Fine,¡± Erf gave in.


    I pumped in and out. Sometimes harder, sometimes slower, as Yeva enjoyed the show only she could appreciate. Her face as red as Irje. Both flushed with arousal. A submissive and an audio voyeur. I gently moved my leg, sliding between Yeva¡¯s legs. Into absolutely drenched slit of hers. She definitely wasn¡¯t doing it for show.


    She felt my movements and adjusted her stance, grinding on my foot with abandon. Her ear not leaving its place. A hint of drool on her lips. I wasn¡¯t sure anymore who was the most aroused of us three. Definitely not me.


    ¡°To think that some of that moisture was from me,¡± Yeva murmured.


    Aw. Fuck it.


    I pulled my dick out and pushed it to her lips instead. ¡°Put some more then.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop but pant myself.


    Yeva smiled and swallowed me whole. Twice. Once to remove Irje¡¯s juices and the other time to replace them with her own. Which quickly found itself deep inside our bound toy.


    I was getting close myself and Irje was too, albeit I had no idea how many time she had come already from our combined ministrations. The variation, we had come up on the spot, enticed us beyond the norm.


    I had to give it to Yeva. Her saliva bound us in a new way. It felt like we both were fucking Irje, and I had little doubt that Irje felt the same. Her moans gaining a new pitch after the addition of the ¡®lubricant¡¯.


    ¡°Almost there!¡± She panted. ¡°Please! Hurry up!¡±


    I noticed the hand trembling, her fingers slowly giving in. Only to be distracted by a sharp crack of wood on wood. I glanced down to see the wooden toy rolling toward my foot after it fell from the table.


    Across the glow.


    ¡°Irje.¡±


    ¡°Do it!¡± She shrieked. ¡°In me.¡±


    My eyes were wide. ¡°Irje!¡±


    ¡°Shut up and fill me!¡± She was beyond reason right now.


    Fine.


    I grabbed her waist and swung her away from us. Only to slam her on me. Once. Twice. On the third smash, she came hard. A hiss of euphoria and a shudder across her body. On the fourth, I plunged in deep. Filling her up with my seed.


    She held out for a few more seconds. Then, her hand finally let go and she collapsed into a heap of flesh down at my feet. Slipping off my semi-soft shaft.


    I felt a hug and my dick was once again surrounded by warm wetness. A gentle suckling sensation. Two small arms pulling the petite body tight to my legs. A brush of nipple on my thigh.


    I gently started to comb Yeva¡¯s hair with my fingers as she cleaned me up, my mind elsewhere. Eyes vacant, while Irje twitched on the floor.


    Few moments passed. Eventually, the bronze girl started to regain her senses and slowly getting up. And so did my dick under the pleasant service of Yeva¡¯s tongue.


    ¡°What were you saying?¡± She finally mumbled.


    I sighed and looked at her sitting on a dark floor. Bending down, I picked up the petite limpet, prying her off my leg. And gently lowered her on the shaft she worked so much to get it hard again.


    ¡°Nothing much,¡± I murmured, as Yeva squirmed, relishing the fullness inside of her. ¡°Just that my runes were glowing.¡±


    ¡°What? Is there a wermage near?¡± Irje hissed and Yeva froze in my arms.


    ¡°Not quite.¡± I softly answered, rocking my partner up and down on my shaft, telling her that everything is okay through the movements of my dick alone. ¡°Not quite.¡±


    Yeva finally relaxed and started to enjoy our union.


    Good.


    Now to the elephant in the room.


    ¡°The runes were pointing at you, Irje.¡±

 Chapter 21 New Names and New Faces

    Snusmumriken


    Please, enjoy.


    ¡°Shut uuuuuuup!¡± Irje moaned.


    I couldn¡¯t stop, so I kept laughing. ¡°Only you, Irje!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not funny!¡± The cougar buried her head into the pillow.


    ¡°It does make sense, you know?¡± Yeva gently murmured from the other side of the bed.


    ¡°Yer a meanie too!¡± Irje only blushed harder. ¡°How was I supposed to know that horny meant randy! Who even came up with these meanings, Erf!¡±


    ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± I rubbed her on the back, as we lounged in our bed. ¡°I couldn¡¯t help myself.¡±


    ¡°Do you think it is true?¡± she whispered after I finished chuckling.


    ¡°That I can use magic?¡± The hope in her voice was more than palpable.


    I shrugged. ¡°I believe so. I know you have affected the Flow in some way. Runes wouldn¡¯t light up another way. And they definitely pointed to you among us three. They might not able to sense far but I trust my work this close.¡±


    I could feel Irje vibrating from excitement with every word I¡¯ve said.


    ¡°What does it mean, now?¡± Yeva quietly whispered, ¡°What is going to happen?¡±


    ¡°Irje?¡± I prompted.


    ¡°Right.¡± She pulled herself together. Only to shiver once again. ¡°Erf, you¡¯ve been playing with these runes, can you teach them to me too?¡±


    ¡°I scratched my chin. ¡°To carve runes, yes. To teach you how to use them? Hopefully. The book I¡¯ve received was more of a compendium on runic shapes rather than an explanation of how they worked. I did eavesdrop on Anaise lesson with Virnan already, and most likely to attend her future classes too. I am being optimistic that in the recent future I could teach you more than just runes, but basic spellwork as well.¡±


    ¡°You will?¡± She gaped, only to grin like a loon, ¡°Of course you would, why I am even surprised. Okay then. Not a word to anyone. This stays between us for the foreseeable future. Especially to Domina.¡±


    Yeva breathed a sigh of relief.


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± I agreed, and added, ¡°We will train together, and stay together.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Irje perked up, ¡°Is that fear I smell? Is the little Erf afraid that his sadaq would fly away? You think you can get rid of me that easily? Hmmm?¡±


    I chuckled, ¡°Didn¡¯t even cross my mind. I trust you Irje.¡±


    That shut her up and put a blush on her face.


    I continued, ¡°I said that for her.¡± And pointed a finger at very quiet and very tiny Yeva.


    ¡°What? Oh.¡± Irje sighed. ¡°Okay, come here!¡±


    Yeva squeaked as Irje picked her up and put her right between us.


    ¡°Listen up.¡± Irje¡¯s whispered to her as I cradled her from the other side. ¡°I didn¡¯t bring you into our bed just to toss you aside a few days later. Or do you really think I am like that?¡±


    Yeva broke down, unable to contain her emotions anymore. Barely managing to utter a weak ¡°But¡­¡± in the protest.


    I cradled her tighter, ¡°No buts. You aren¡¯t going anywhere. I need you, Irje needs you too. Especially now after this reveal.¡±


    I didn¡¯t need to be a psychic to understand her feelings of inadequacy. Especially exacerbated by the entrenched mistrust of mages. They stole her sight and now Irje was becoming one of them. Playing with the same fire that burned her.


    ¡°H-how?¡± She sniffed. My statement was clearly not expected.


    ¡°Think about it.¡± I gently whispered into her ear. ¡°How did we find out Irje could control the Flow?¡±


    Yeva snorted. ¡°By her being ¡®horny¡¯!¡±


    Our teasing was still fresh in her mind.


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    I ignored the protest from the bleachers. ¡°Exactly. So now she needs to find out how she is actually doing it. And you will assist her until she gets it.¡± I paused dramatically. ¡°By making her horny over and over again.¡±


    Yeva¡¯s sniff stopped abruptly. A snort, and then another. A little shake of her shoulders grew into a giggle.


    ¡°Wait what?¡± Irje gawked incredulously. ¡°Oh¡­Oh!¡±


    Once again the room descended into laughter. Soon it petered out to be replaced with quiet murmurings and good-nights.


    I fell asleep with Yeva safely inside our cuddle, smiling in her sleep.


    XXX


    Our morning started with a rush of activity. I was woken up by a slave, telling me the furnace was ready, and workers were waiting. I followed him out, rubbing my eyes open and dragging the girls with me. Only to realize how severely I¡¯ve underestimated Domina¡¯s efforts.


    During our discussions, I¡¯ve stated that a remote shop would be more beneficial, allowing much more freedom to build. But Aikerim was of a different mind. This was a new technology and she wanted to hold the monopoly for as long as she could. Even if that meant establishing a workshop inside the Manor.


    Granted, the manor was enormous, but it wasn¡¯t infinite either. As such, I wasn¡¯t optimistic on the scale.


    I was wrong.


    It wasn¡¯t a furnace. It was an entire workshop. Multiple furnaces, as well as few kilns, were surrounded by different piles of fuel and the large contingent of gawking slaves. I quickly started giving out the orders trying to start the warm-up as soon as possible. The task was quickly taken over by Irje as soon as she wrapped her head around what was I trying to achieve.


    Yeva stayed with me as I needed someone to listen to my ramblings as I went along and to tell the important parts to whoever will be in charge of this.


    There was another reason why she stayed close. I wasn¡¯t the only one who noticed the drastic change in their appearance. They were pretty, to begin with, but the new shine on their hair definitely made some heads turn. Add to that a much better complexion and crispy clean sets of clothes and they definitely stood out from the crowd.


    Irje took it for granted, strutting around like a peacock. I wanted to warn her initially but then thought otherwise. As a wer, her body was magically enhanced and flow didn¡¯t discriminate based on gender at least. Which made her as powerful as most wer in the manor, including the free ones. For others there were stripes on her belt, that placed her among the overseers. Even though she was a slave she was too important to fulfil the fleeting desires of some many-times removed grandson. No matter how much some would ogle.


    Unless it was Domina of course, but things were rather cordial between us, so Irje didn¡¯t have to worry about that either.


    On the contrary, Yeva shied away from the risen interest, at least in the beginning. She didn¡¯t have experience of being in charge before or even being in high standing among the slaves. It took us almost half of the day in constant reminders for her to slowly relax once again.


    Luckily I had things both to occupy her and busy myself into. Availability of both coal and charcoal meant that I could literally play with fire. And achieve different temperatures for the experiments.


    Most of them were glass-related and usually were of the boring kind. Make a bunch of samples, let them cool down, tell observations to Yeva, repeat. But the reason I was excited wasn¡¯t for the glass. I also sneaked in a few experiments of my own and performed chemical reactions that I couldn¡¯t easily achieve before, due to the weak or inconsistent fires.


    I had a secret project.


    Two actually. The first one was a dye, another foot into the door of a different kind. If I manage to impress Aikerim with it, I could easily request a gathering trip well away from the city. Along the riverbanks. Hint hint nudge nudge. Totally unrelated to any crashed spaceships and source of titanium for the nanites. Only to gather a key ingredient of a beautiful white dye.


    Hopefully, make her amenable to buying my family too. My thoughts on slavery aside, the quality of life on a farm manor was much lower than here. And that was excluding the Domina, already placated by my results.


    The second one was of a more personal and circumspect matter. I needed chemicals and poisons to protect myself. After some consideration, I decided on a milder approach and start with the sedative kind. There was no regulation on plants and tinctures in Emanai, only the price. Which meant that trying to synthesize my own was a waste of time and reagents when I could just buy a foul looking concoction.


    In fact, there was a thriving market for the exact poisons I was looking for. I guess I wasn¡¯t the only weak individual in the city that was looking for a method of self-defence or was trying to solve an issue quickly. Although some, unfortunately, were looking for a quick release in case things got too far for them to handle.


    It took a shrewd merchant a single glance at me and I was presented with a bunch of mixtures that I was hoping to find. But I didn¡¯t stop looking and acquired quite a few herbal remedies of a ¡®recreational¡¯ kind.


    Now I just had to isolate the active ingredients and purify them. And fewer people knew about my actions, the better.


    Who cares what a weird merk is cooking in his alchemy shop, right?


    ¡°Erf.¡± A voice behind me almost made me drop my tincture.


    I carefully put my work aside. My fault really, shouldn¡¯t have invoked Murphy.


    ¡°My Domina.¡± I bowed.


    Aikerim glanced around, taking in the sight of people working, and nodded to her own thoughts.


    ¡°Walk with me.¡±


    She set a leisurely pace, walking around the bustling activity of the workshop. Observing without interfering too much.


    ¡°What are your thoughts on the project.¡± She finally acknowledged me.


    I passed her a green lump. ¡°Extremely promising. I am grateful for the scale of the workshop. The furnaces are hot and first batches of glass are already being poured.¡±


    ¡°So it is working.¡± She nodded, ¡°You keep meeting my expectations, as usual, what about turning it into glassware?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°That would depend on how quickly the artisans would master glassblowing. I told them to start practising with the test batches such as these, while we are working on a better quality glass.¡±


    ¡°The fact that you consider this as inferior is promising.¡± She threw me the lump back. ¡°But the lack of skilled artisans is an issue we can¡¯t avoid. Esca holds a tight leash on their product and the ones who make them. Are you sure you can¡¯t teach that too?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately no, I know how to make it, but not how to shape it into something beautiful. The scale of the project is working in our favour as it allows them to experiment non-stop. Glass is also malleable and can be reused, so now it is a waiting game.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°Still, I would like to avoid it being seen as a shoddy attempt.¡±


    I scratched my head. ¡°We could try pressing the forms instead. There are plenty of skilled masons and smiths in the country that should be able to carve a stamp engraving. Add to that glass of different colours, including transparent ones and eyes will turn. In the meantime, I would like a little bit of silver. Pure.¡±


    ¡°You have something. Good. Work on that.¡± She waved at Sulla, ¡°Take it. From now on, here and outside, you are the official Alchemist of Kiymetl. This would dim some curiosity around you, as well as explain your previous activity. And your purchases and questions within the city. Hopefully, it would also explain the Gestr on your neck and the status of a teacher.¡±


    I took the bundle from her attendant. Another sash. Another pattern weaved into it besides the now-familiar pentagrams of scholarship.


    Sulla disappeared right away as soon as his task was done. He was way better at that than I was. Or simply had some other tasks.


    ¡°You have my thanks, Aikerim,¡± I murmured once we were alone. She didn¡¯t stop her walk although changed the direction of it, heading back into the inner courtyard.


    ¡°Save it. The position is just that. A name. Your responsibilities won¡¯t change. But it would give me a few options in the meantime, starting with right now. Follow me.¡±


    XXX


    Sulla entered the office, bringing in another person with him.


    I took in his appearance, standing beside Aikerim. Already aware of the byplay that is about to happen.


    A weretiger or sorts. His large frame barely fit into the door. A thin layer of striped fur covered his arms and legs, allowing him to wear a much lighter tunic. Either to keep himself cool or to show off his qualities. The bestial traits were the status symbol for them. The further away they were from murks, or as I preferred to think as standard humans, the more magical they were seen. And therefore, more blessed by the gods of theirs.


    The person in front of me was one of the more blessed kind. Animalistic paws and a long tail, but no ears. Probably a mere step away from being a wermage. But that step was all it took. He was a wer and a captured one. And his clawed paws limited the amount of work he could perform severely.


    Slaves like these would usually end up as pit-fighters, or in his case - bodyguards.


    ¡°From now on you are his help and his guard.¡± Aikerim declared, gesturing at me. ¡°Outside of the Manor you will shadow him, guard him and keep his head attached to his neck. Inside, you will follow his command.¡±


    He glanced at me for a second only to turn back and bow to Aikerim. ¡°As you say, my Domina.¡±


    As if there was any other thing he could say.


    ¡°Good.¡± She turned to me, ¡°You may leave.¡±


    I bowed quietly and left the room, my new guard following me behind. I knew that one was necessary but there were additional issues we had to iron out before that. Mostly on the matter of secrecy of the new research. Just because he was now responsible for my safety didn¡¯t stop him from becoming a liability if he learns what he shouldn¡¯t and accidentally reveals our secrets to the public.


    Domina would most likely kill him on the spot for that, but the damage would be done.


    I didn¡¯t contradict her assumptions either. I felt pretty safe within the Manor. This branch of Kiymetl was still pretty new as such Aikerim had the luxury of absolute authority. She was the true founder of this branch, there weren¡¯t any powerful factions within the Manor, yet. Nor were there any sisters or cousins or aunts, who could claim the right to the title. It was only Aikerim and Anaise. And in case something would happen to them before another daughter or granddaughter would be born then this Manor would simply merge back into the Primary House.


    I also didn¡¯t feel comfortable with another set of eyes snooping on my work at the alchemy lab. Or into my bedroom. Especially with the new development around Irje.


    ¡°What is your name?¡± I asked my follower as we approached the workshops. Due to the large number of slaves working here additional guard won''t be an issue. Besides, it was already being accounted for. The chemical mixes were done in private either by me at the alchemy lab, or by Yeva inside the prohibited part of the soap workshop.


    A huff behind my back. ¡°Isn¡¯t that something you would give me?¡±


    A belligerent. Great. I knew Aikerim kinda rushed with the guard acquisition but I hoped Sulla would do a better job than this. Maybe I should sic Irje on him.


    I stopped and turned around looking at him. His posture was relaxed, yet he still easily towered over my head. His body language was guarded but not overly aggressive. A test I guess. I could see what he was trying to do and didn¡¯t particularly like it. I didn¡¯t really care what he was thinking about me at this point. What I did care about was his lack of caution in trying to test his new ''master'' that early.


    A hotshot for a bodyguard might prove troublesome.


    ¡°Do you see all these people working?¡± I pointed out to the furnaces in front of us. ¡°You are one of them now. If you are eager to stoke the fire day in and day out, you can just tell me.¡±


    He shuffled his feet. ¡°Yer saying they all your-¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡± I didn¡¯t bother waiting for him to finish. ¡°They all here doing what I say. Most of them are happy to do so for I am generous with breaks and food. But I can make exceptions.¡±


    Emanai didn¡¯t really have any labour standards beyond ¡®don¡¯t waste the workers lives intentionally¡¯ but I had my own.


    I continued. ¡°Do not test my status wer. I might be a murk, but I am an alchemist and a teacher.¡± I patted my sash, clearly showing I was both now. ¡°I don¡¯t even need to run to Domina for a complaint. Because her daughter comes to my lessons instead. Something you would realize in a matter of days.¡± I looked him straight into his eyes. ¡°You look fit and strong, I can give you that. But make sure you don¡¯t look stupid in the process. Is that clear?¡±


    ¡°Yes, young master.¡±


    I grimaced. ¡°Call me Erf. I have no desire for the titles.¡±


    I saw his eyebrows rise.


    ¡°Yes, a slave name.¡± I turned around, no longer interested in his face. ¡°Easy for a master to remember and yell. But I don¡¯t care. This name was given to me by my mother, and I have no desire to replace it with anything else. So, I ask again. What is your name?¡±


    ¡°Viter.¡±


    ¡°Good. Now-¡±


    ¡°Erf!¡± A new voice stopped me in my tracks, too important to ignore.


    I turned around and bowed to Anaise. ¡°Lady of the House. What can I do for you?¡± The guard beside me bowed as well, clearly uncomfortable by the frequency of the wermage attention.


    She stopped in front of us. A literal fountain of emotions, judging by the erratic swings of her tail. She was excited, indecisive¡­and embarrassed? What was going on?


    Apparently, excitement won. ¡°I need to talk with you.¡± She composed herself almost immediately as she started speaking, the years of training for sure. ¡°Alone.¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡± I bowed as if we were discussing the weather. And turned to my other companion. ¡°Viter. Head into the workshop and seek Irje inside. Tall, tanned and muscular. Wer, cougar ears. Tell her you were sent by me and do anything she tells you to. I mean it. When I am absent she will be in charge.¡±


    My eyes told him more than I spoke, glancing between him and Anaise. Judging by the audible gulp when he followed my eyes, he got his confirmation on the truth of my claims. Good. At least I will have less trouble getting him to follow suit from now on.


    ¡°Right away!¡± he took off as soon as I stopped speaking.


    ¡°Oh my.¡± Anaise was surprised as well. ¡°I knew Sulla had a rush purchase, but to find someone that eager so quickly is almost unheard of.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± I looked around. ¡°It seems that we are alone.¡±


    Anaise fidgeted. ¡°I think the alchemy lab might be better.¡±


    XXX


    I watched her walk around my lab idly trailing her fingers on the jars. Gathering her thoughts and courage.


    ¡°It appears that you have finished yet another of your projects¡± She finally found a good place to start.


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°The ¡®conditioner¡¯ of yours. I¡¯ve seen its effects.¡±


    I smiled back at her. ¡°I can make you a batch any time you need.¡±


    Now that Yeva figured out the ratios, the rest was inconsequential. A new mix could be mixed in minutes.


    ¡°Well, I will need it tomorrow. My father is arriving a day after and I wish to look my best.¡±


    So it was the time to finally see what the Master of the Manor looked like. It felt weird hearing it now. I remembered my frantic actions early on in the feverish attempts to keep myself safe from their grasp. And now it all felt so far off. Muted. There was a faint shadow of anxiety but that was mostly overshadowed by curiosity and concern. The two male wermages that I already had the ¡®pleasure¡¯ knowing were colourful personas to say it mildly.


    ¡°Very well. You will have the best product before your daily bath.¡± I nodded.


    Bathing was an ever-present aspect of life. While slaves like us would usually head out to the public baths or simply wash in a well. The wealthy usually used the more expensive and cleaner baths, made by the city specifically for their coin. Or used the personal baths right in the Manor.


    ¡°G-good.¡± She stuttered, hugging her tail close to her face. ¡°Because you will apply it yourself. I desire the best result I could get.¡±


    I raised my eyebrow but conceded easily. ¡°As you wish Anaise.¡±


    Bathing wasn¡¯t exactly a private affair. The public baths were always crowded with everyone busying themselves trying to scrub the body clean. The luxury baths were commonly used to meet with friends, discuss new business deals and even have full-on parties filled with food and wine. Even the private Manor bathhouses had a contingent of slaves to clean, scrub and massage their masters.


    The only reason why someone would wonder why I was there was that I was a teacher, not a masseuse.


    Or maybe I was. I guess my subtle touches were finally taking root. Well, Irje and Yeva told me not to shy away from her offered attention. Especially when it might be impossible to do. Besides, Anaise attention was quite pleasant if I say so myself.


    ¡°It will be a part of your training.¡± She kept arguing the point. ¡°My mother would be cross with you if you make a b-blunder in the upcoming meeting due to the lack of knowledge.¡±


    Wait? What? Oh no.


    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me,¡± I groaned, ¡°That the upcoming meeting would be actually in the bath.¡±


    Anaise blinked. ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡±


    I buried my head into my palms. ¡°No. All I knew was that the Censor wanted to meet me, I thought it would be between them.¡±


    She giggled, her previous embarrassment forgotten. ¡°They meet every tenday or so. Mostly to discuss upcoming events.¡±


    She waited until I looked back at her and then grinned. ¡°All of them!¡±


    ¡°Wait what? How many there will be?¡± I couldn¡¯t stop the exclamation.


    ¡°Well think about it. Would you expect two houses to have a clandestine meeting by themselves? Even if they aren''t between Dominas of the Primary Manors?¡±


    ¡°There will be all of them?¡± I sat down resigned. ¡°They will eat me alive.¡±


    They probably could. I wasn¡¯t really looking at meeting another Aikerim from a different House. Being scrutinized by at least seven was worse, much worse. Especially inside the baths. I could keep my eyes from straying away. Could they? Especially that Sophia.


    Somehow being present among the seven naked ladies didn¡¯t fill me with tons of joy. There is a thrill and there is a suicide.


    Unfortunately, Anaise didn¡¯t share my views on the matter, judging by the tinkling laughter of hers.


    ¡°I would expect my mother to keep you safe. But I will make sure you know how to act properly in the meantime¡­¡±


    She trailed off at the end pinking up again, only to turn around and flee the lab with a quick. ¡°Tomorrow.¡±


    I watched her retreating form go. Great. Somehow the fact that I would be taught the ropes by an awkward teenager still in the throes of puberty didn¡¯t fill me with a lot of confidence. Was she a teenager though? Wer and wermage growth and appearance were much slower. I wouldn¡¯t give Aikerim more than twenty twenty-five in murk years, but she was definitely past half a century if not even older.


    Perhaps it was for the best. Domina didn¡¯t show any excessive or lustful behaviour toward me so perhaps others will be the same. Who knows I might look too young for them to see me as a possibility.


    A man could hope.


    A man also needed to plan. Anaise didn¡¯t drop a bomb on me - she dropped three. Ignoring the baths there is also an issue of her father arriving and I needed Irje¡¯s knowledge to be ready.


    It was getting darker and a giggle coming from my house told me where I would find my quarry.


    ¡°I see someone is moving up in the world,¡± Irje drawled. ¡°Getting himself personal slaves, walking around with the Domina and her daughter.¡±


    ¡°Love you too, Irje,¡± I sighed. ¡°Where is he by the way?¡±


    ¡°Gave him my old bedroom, it was collecting dust for a while anyway.¡± She smiled brilliantly at me.


    A tug on my tunic. ¡°Um.¡±


    I turned and gave Yeva a kiss on the forehead, ¡°And I love you as well.¡±


    That got me a blush, a hug and a giggle. I gently lifted her in turn and carried her to our bed. Only to sit down in it with Yeva in my lap.


    ¡°Now, girls. I know today was a hectic day, but I need your help. There is a lot happening in the upcoming days. Especially with Domina parading me to the whole slew of her equally important ¡®friends¡¯.¡±


    Irje whistled. ¡°No wonder she got you a guard, especially this serious about his job. I should follow you outside as well.¡±


    I waved her off, ¡°I don¡¯t think there is a need for that. I believe he is mostly needed to act as a visual deterrent. Just to prevent opportunistic attacks if someone gets an idea. Also, he wasn¡¯t that well behaved in the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Well, you definitely managed to affect him.¡± Her voice gained a certain tease in it. ¡°An angry Erf, I wish I could¡¯ve seen it.¡±


    ¡°Behave yourself,¡± Yeva interjected, smiling herself. ¡°And he isn¡¯t like that.¡±


    ¡°She is right. I didn¡¯t do much. Most of the impact was caused by Anaise.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Yeva quipped, ¡°Anaise huh. Since when did you start calling the Lady of the House by her name?¡±


    I frowned, thinking. ¡°I always think of everyone by their name or their title, but I think today was the first time I actually said it to her face. It¡¯s surprising she didn¡¯t notice, now that I think about it.¡±


    Yeva smiled. ¡°I guess you are already making progress with her.¡±


    ¡°You might be right, even though I have no idea how it happened so fast.¡±


    Irje butted in, ¡°This is what I¡¯ve been telling you all along. For you, it is like breathing!¡±


    I wordlessly threw a pillow in her laughing face. ¡°Then I need to learn how to avoid it.¡±


    Especially if I was going to be presented to a crowd of Dominas. Irje¡¯s willfulness was more than plenty for me, to have someone else even more wilful competing for my time would be disastrous. Especially if someone is a Domina of some house, who grew up expecting to be obeyed. Compared to them Yeva was a fresh breeze of respite.


    Speaking of the cuddle bug.


    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Yeva?¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡± She kept smiling.


    ¡°Why do you look so¡­smug?¡±


    ¡°Maybe I am just happy?¡± She teased me back. Smugness personified.


    I rubbed her head. ¡°Spill it. What did you do?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much.¡± The imp nuzzled into my palm. ¡°She was looking around just as you left with Domina. Extremely curious. Irje was busy so I answered her questions. I might have touched my hair a few times in the process too.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. Just touched your hair?¡± I wasn¡¯t buying it for a second.


    She blushed. ¡°I might have suggested that it works best when applied by the expert¡­¡±


    Irje gasped, ¡°Yeva! You sneak!¡± and broke down in laughter.


    I slapped my forehead. ¡°So you are the reason that I have to accompany her to the baths tomorrow!¡±


    ¡°Sorry?¡± Yeva replied while sticking the tip of her tongue out.


    It didn¡¯t look very sorry to me.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, great actually. I will have some idea what is expected of me in two days. For Domina is dragging me to the baths as the meeting will take place there.¡±


    Irje hummed. ¡°It might not be a bad place for a meeting. I think it would be much better for you if they are all relaxed and pampered.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Irje. That does make me feel better. I do need your opinion on something else. Anaise father: what is he like?¡±


    ¡°Tarhunna Wafiq? Afraid that he won''t like you cosying up to Domina? He is quiet and calculating. You don¡¯t need to worry about him just yet: he isn''t prone to rash actions. You should be more worried about her second husband Ramad Qasam. That one is much more of a fire-head.¡±


    Nobles and their tongue-twisting names¡­


    ¡°Duly noted, but the reason I asked is that he is coming over the day after tomorrow. And I will be standing behind Anaise when she would welcome him back.¡±


    My hands slowly massaged stiff Yeva in my arms.


    Irje nodded at me. ¡°I see why his daughter would be so eager then. He and her brother had been away for almost a year. She is most eager to show her growth.¡±


    The gossip power of my cougar was incredulous. That statement did fit Anaise and actually explained a few quirks in her behaviour that previously flew over my head.


    ¡°So he is like Domina, then?¡± I prompted.


    She waved her hand in a so-so gesture. ¡°Yes and no. He is the father of the future Domina, so he is equally invested in the Manor success, which I could tell you for sure. But he is also the son of Enoch Manor¡­¡± She trailed off, unsure.


    ¡°Thanks, Irje, that does help a lot.¡± I nodded, thinking.


    As the father of Anaise, Tarhunna was quite secure in his position indeed. No matter what happens, it would be his daughter to take the reigns of power in the future. That meant he would be much more forgiving to the attention Domina puts on me, and much more vigilant to Anaise actions. The fact that he was from Enoch Manor - the House of Infrastructure, told me little at this point but did point to me other avenues of research.


    ¡°I will glean more information from his daughter and play it by the ear, then.¡± I eventually added.


    ¡°No.¡± A tiny whisper in my lap.


    ¡°Yeva?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hope anymore, Erf. I need to know.¡± She whispered, her fingers digging deep into my arms.


    My heart clenched seeing her like this and knowing I felt the same merely weeks ago. Unsure. Afraid. Grasping for straws.


    ¡°I will talk to Domina,¡± I tried to assure her, gently cradling her face, ¡°She knows your value.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± She forced my hands away, only to hug me tighter.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust Domina.¡± She growled. ¡°They are all the same, looking only after themselves. Willing to discard you as soon as you are worthless in their eyes!¡±


    Judging by her vehemence, I could guess how her blindness factored into her current view of the world. And I couldn¡¯t judge her for it. In fact, it might be me who is naive in this situation: after all Aikerim never saw me as useless so far. Who knows how she would act if I stop laying the golden eggs for her.


    ¡°The only one I trust here is you.¡± Yeva continued into my chest. ¡°You watched over me all this time! When I was nothing more than a crippled slave. Please, you are the only one I could hope with!¡±


    ¡°But, wha-¡±


    ¡°The guard.¡± Yeva interrupted ¡°He is your slave, right? Domina gifted him to you. Ask her for me! Make me yours!¡±


    I¡­I couldn¡¯t refuse. No matter what my thoughts were on the subject, what mattered really was something else. And Yeva happiness had much higher value to me than my political stance on slavery.


    I glanced quickly at silent Irje, who quietly nodded.


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± I spoke. My voice firm and set. ¡°I will make sure of it.¡±

 Chapter 22 On the Nature of Geese

    ¡°Irje,¡± I spoke with Yeva still in my hands, ¡°What about you?¡±


    She hummed, thinking. ¡°I do have some money saved up if you are planning on buying her.¡±


    That earned her a grateful ¡°Thanks,¡± from Yeva.


    I shook my head, ¡°No. There is no need for that. By tomorrow morning I will have enough. What I am asking is if you wish for the same?¡±


    ¡°You will have enough to buy us both? You know I am much more expensive than Yeva, especially now.¡± Her teasing smile faltered at my unflinching gaze. Turning into a solemn one instead. ¡°And what would you do, if I ask to be free?¡±


    ¡°I will let you go. In fact, I would probably free you as soon as I buy you. Can I do that?¡±


    Irje shook her head. ¡°You cannot. Only a free master can release the slaves. Which in our case would still be Domina.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Then maybe you are better off directly under her. She is more likely to let you go sooner than she would release me.¡±


    She slid closer and enveloped us into an embrace. ¡°That wasn¡¯t the reason I was asking. And yet, I am unsurprised by your answer. Do it. I will not split away from our sadaq.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t convinced, however, ¡°I don¡¯t want you to stake your entire future on a rash decision.¡±


    Irje chuckled and pulled us closer. ¡°You know, for someone so smart you can be so stupid sometimes. I know what I want. And I know my risks. Compared to the time when I decided to stake my future on Aikerim Adal there is nothing for me to worry about. Domina would still be able to release me. And I would also gain similar protection from the rest of the Kiymetl, just as Yeva would. Even though I don¡¯t need it as much.¡±


    Her words nice and soft, close to my ears: ¡°I know you, Erf. I have seen how you treat those who are beneath you. And I know I have nothing to worry about. All for the exorbitant price, that Domina would request for me. The price that you are willing to pay without blinking. All that for me. For us. Do you know how that makes me feel?¡±


    ¡°I know your worth,¡± I replied, ¡°And you are worth way more than what she would ask for.¡±


    Her hug grew stronger, nearly smothering, but I let it be. I felt her emotions through her skin and I saw Yeva melt in the same embrace, a quiet smile on her lips.


    I let the moment linger.


    ¡°Now,¡± I murmured, slowly extricating myself from their affection. ¡°This is all extremely nice, but I need to do some work in the alchemy lab. Otherwise, I might not have ¡®fuck you¡¯ money in the morning.¡±


    Irje let me go laughing. ¡°Why do you always add ¡®fuck¡¯ to everything!¡±


    ¡°Habit.¡± I scratched my chin. ¡°Sorry Irje, since you were planning on doing the Flow training tonight, but I will probably spend the rest of the night working.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± She magnanimously allowed. ¡°I am a patient girl, someone made sure of that.¡±


    That teasing minx.


    ¡°Um,¡± Yeva, ¡°Can we help you?¡±


    I stroked her hair, ¡°Probably not, I need to work with extremely precise temperatures and possibly strong poisons. But you can come if you want to, just don¡¯t spend the night awake.¡±


    XXX


    So off we went back to the Alchemy lab as the sun started to set.


    Lamp oil was expensive to waste for no reason, so the work in the manor was usually over at the onset of twilight. I didn¡¯t care. By my estimation, what I was about to make would be worth its weight in gold if not more. My time and sleep were even more expensive, but I didn¡¯t care for that either. Some things could wait, while others couldn¡¯t. And Yeva¡¯s happiness was the latter.


    Girls stayed around for few hours, as I kept tinkering with reagents and starting up still warm kilns. We mostly chatted to pass time, but I did manage to get a few more tidbits on noble bathing from Irje. Apparently, there could be up to ten slaves present to bathe just one. And I knew the reasons why.


    The hairstyles of the nobles were rather set in stone. Unless you were Albin. All incorporated twin braids up front with either a long ponytail or an equally long braid at the back. Add a tail to the list and you will get an enormous amount of work to do every day. I wasn¡¯t sure if they washed their hair, but they definitely rinsed it and re-braided. Aikerim always looked fresh and clean in the afternoon.


    She was also extremely busy. Spending hours daily in the bath was an impossible luxury.


    Domina probably had up to five slaves working on her hair alone.


    By the time kilns were hot and ready, the night was on. I let the girls go back to bed and started working on my project in earnest. There was sulphur involved and I didn¡¯t want them around when toxic fumes start to seep out.


    I also came to yet another realization during our conversation. I¡¯ve severely underestimated the amount of conditioner I needed to prepare for Anaise.


    Yeva¡¯s hair was almost to her shoulders. The hair of the Lady of the House was well past her hips. Where an equally voluminous tail started.


    Luckily for me, most of the work on the dye was done inside the kiln. I only had to maintain proper temperatures for reduction reactions to occur, leaving me to pursue other projects for the rest of the night.


    Having plenty of easily accessible heat I even decided to improve the conditioner even further. Alchemists of Emanai were well aware of the distillation process thus my lab had the proper tools for it. I¡¯ve used it in the past already to purify my reagents and tonight I¡¯ve set it up for one of the oldest uses of distillation - extracting oils from fragrant plants.


    Something that I could¡¯ve easily bought in the city, but I had no time for that in the morning. I knew that I could finish everything over the night, and stores would open too late for me to show up with a finished product for Anaise bath on time. Besides I wasn¡¯t just looking for nice smelling perfumes but oils that would assist the conditioner as well.


    I had a lot of work ahead of me.


    Irje


    She had an odd feeling, setting the bed with Yeva. It would be the first night for quite some time now, that she would sleep without him. She didn¡¯t feel lonely, just a bit off. Like if a familiar tunic was missing.


    ¡°Um, Irje,¡± Yeva finally broke the silence, ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to thank you.¡±


    ¡°For the money? Don¡¯t worry about it I got the most of them from soap anyway.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Yeva shook her head, ¡°For everything. For looking after me in the beginning. For letting me in too.¡±


    She chuckled and sat down on the bed. ¡°You¡¯re welcome, then.¡±


    Irje could see the lithe girl''s anxiety: twiddling her thumbs, unsure whether to join her on the bed or to keep standing. She did nothing, however, waiting for Yeva to come out of her shell herself.


    ¡°But why.¡± She blurted out finally.


    ¡®There you go¡¯ Irje thought to herself, but said something else instead: ¡°Why what?¡±


    ¡°Why did you do it? I-I mean, I know you¡­me.¡± Yeva stuttered, with a faint blush, ¡°But you like him more!¡±


    She stopped for a moment, unsettled with her own outburst, but pressed on. Almost mumbling. ¡°I like him more¡­and you know it. And don¡¯t tell me that tale you fed to him. I know it¡¯s more than that. So tell me. Why? Please.¡±


    Irje patted the mattress. ¡°Come here.¡±


    As soon as Yeva cautiously approached the bed, her hand outstretched. She carefully grabbed her only to pull her into a bed with a squeak.


    Irje sighed lying prone with Yeva on top of her. ¡°You are correct that there is more. Do you think there will be only three of us in the future? Judging by his growth?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Exactly.¡± She ruffled Yeva¡¯s hair, ¡°There will be others, hopefully only a few, but definitely some that none of us will be able to refuse. Perhaps even Domina herself would order Erf to take someone in.¡±


    ¡°Like Lady of the House?¡±


    Irje snorted. ¡°Hah! He could dream. No, the wermages are an exclusive bunch. A murk won¡¯t sire strong mages, if they would be magical at all. And for them the power of their Spark is paramount. He could¡¯ve ended up as the companion himself, but he made sure that won''t come to pass.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you brought me in?¡±


    She stopped and sighed ruefully. ¡°You said my selfless reasons weren¡¯t enough. What if I told you I had selfish ones? I know how Erf feels about me, about us. But he is naive as a baby. He still sees only the best things in others. That is why I love him, and so do you,¡± She felt Yeva nod and cuddle deeper into her chest, ¡°But that is why someone could easily wrap him around the finger, and I will make sure it won''t happen.¡±


    Irje continued. ¡°And I know that I, myself, might not be enough. Especially as a slave. I would need help. Someone, whom I like, someone who likes me back.¡± Her tone turned sly. ¡°Someone who is grateful and won¡¯t stab me in the back that easily. Someone who shares my ideals, a bosom buddy.¡±


    ¡°You are forming a faction,¡± Yeva observed.


    She gently stroked her ear. ¡°See, even you know this but, I bet, he doesn¡¯t.¡±


    The lithe girl hummed and fell silent for few moments.


    ¡°You said you liked me. Does that mean you liked me before you set all this up? Or that was planned too?¡±


    ¡°I did.¡± She murmured as her hands roamed around. ¡°You reminded me of him from the beginning.¡±


    A huff. ¡°Because I am flat?¡±


    Irje chuckled. ¡°No. Because your hands are just as skilful as his. And so was your tongue after you¡¯ve shared the bed with him.¡± She sighed wistfully. ¡°That first time, when both of you held me in your arms when I couldn¡¯t figure out whether the hands were yours or his¡­But there were so many of them. And tongues! Multiple tongues on my body. Mmmmhmm! I lost the sense of myself, surrendered to the touches.¡±


    ¡°Wait you are not forming a faction¡­you are making your own sadaq!¡± Yeva exclaimed, rising up


    ¡°If I could.¡± She replied smugly, ¡°Besides, it is our sadaq. Erf made it clear.¡±


    Yeva sat up and huffed. Resigned.


    ¡°Did my answer make your worries go away?¡± Irje eventually asked, curious at her stance.


    ¡°No,¡± Came a prompt answer, ¡°In fact it made me worry more.¡±


    Irje breathed in ready to retort, but a hand stopped her short from speaking.


    Right over her left nipple.


    ¡°I see why Erf needs to punish you from time to time.¡± Yeva slowly murmured as her fingers traced the peak through her underclothes. ¡°If he doesn¡¯t, you start to get ideas.¡±


    Her other hand started to slide down. Slowly, unbearably so.


    Irje couldn¡¯t stop a shuddering breath. Half-lost in expectations, half-focused on ten tiny fingers that would make her scream tonight.


    A faint murmur within the fog of pleasure: ¡°I think I should help him. When he is busy somewhere else.¡±


    It felt odd not to have Erf with them.


    Odd, but not lonely.


    XXX


    I tried to make myself invisible, as I waited for Aikerim''s visitors to disperse. Every day after breakfast she would receive the petitioners and missive runners, thus keeping her informed of the everyday problems. I¡¯d been present through these before when I shadowed Sulla. But then I was an unknown scholar slave.


    Now I was an unknown scholar and an alchemist slave. And heads were beginning to turn. If I was beneath their notice before, now I was becoming an important entity in the Domina¡¯s court. Important but still unknown. And that was already making some of them suspicious.


    Fortunately for me, it looked like I was still beneath them to come and talk to me in person. But I¡¯ve seen multiple people murmuring and eyeing me from afar. Great. Instead of whispering in the corners, they should¡¯ve confronted me head-on.


    Just so that I could hide behind the status of Anaise attendant.


    Sulla noticed me too and promptly ignored my presence. Talk about experience. I didn¡¯t care about Albin¡¯s stories, if someone tells me he can read my mind I would believe them.


    But then again all these people accosting Domina were either of higher status or had some immediate news to deliver. I was technically the former based on my request and later based on my status. Which firmly placed me at the bottom of the pecking chain. Exactly as I hoped it would.


    I didn¡¯t want anyone to see what was in the oilcloth bag that I held tightly in my hands. My goldenest goosest and eggest offer that I hoped to barter with.


    Eventually, the crowd was dispersed and my turn was finally up. Sending off the last petitioner Sulla silently gestured me to the door.


    I bowed to him as I passed only to realize that he remained outside.


    Leaving me alone with Domina.


    I knew he was a mind reader.


    But I had to keep myself in check. I was walking on needles the entire morning and wayward thoughts could get me in trouble now.


    ¡°Erf?¡± Aikerim raised an eyebrow, ¡°I don¡¯t recall asking for you.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t, my Domina.¡± I bowed. ¡°I¡¯ve come with a personal request. To purchase some slaves.¡±


    ¡°Ah. I see. News of my husband''s arrival has reached you as well. Very well. What was her name? Yeva? She is yours.¡±


    And her grief was over just like that. A single sentence. A wave of a hand. And Yeva¡¯s entire future direction went the whole one-eighty on the spot. Probably even gained an imaginary component to her current vector as well. A past me would probably be offended at such indifference, but this was what I came here for. And she correctly assumed that as well.


    ¡°My deepest thanks, but-¡±


    ¡°Do not overstep your place. You might have earned my benevolence but you will not demand from me.¡± Her voice was crisp but calm, ¡°Irje is an invaluable asset to my household. Especially now with all the knowledge you have given her.¡±


    Her logic was sound, but it was the logic of Domina.


    I sighed, ¡°I won''t demand or ask for anything, Aikerim. I¡¯ve come here to trade. And it¡¯s not like Irje would just leave, there is plenty of time to train another one, probably more.¡±


    Her eyes zeroed in on my bag as soon as I said the word ¡®trade¡¯ but my last sentence drew her gaze back at me. Even more intense.


    ¡°She isn¡¯t planning on leaving?¡± She narrowed her eyes. ¡°Sadaq. And not hers, but yours.¡±


    I smiled, appreciating the acumen. ¡°Ours,¡± I corrected her.


    Aikerim hummed as her tail slowly resumed its normal routine that I¡¯ve come to expect in our meetings. ¡°An unusual decision. Not unique - there have been fools before. And yet somehow it does fit you. Tell them that I have heard it. Make sure she trains well.¡±


    ¡°I will?¡± I said, unsure what she meant. Irje would probably explain it later.


    ¡°So. You have come to buy these two?¡± Aikerim pressed.


    I nodded, ¡°And my family.¡±


    Her tail froze mid-swipe. ¡°You wish for me to buy them out and gift them to you? You would think their Domina would sell them for cheap?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°It''s a farm manor, and she needed money when she sold me. Even if she asks a higher price they are still murks to her.¡±


    ¡°Just murks? Not like you?¡±


    ¡°Unfortunately, no,¡± I answered honestly. I saw that she was amenable to the purchase already: her issue was with Irje only. And avoiding the truth now would mean that I will get in trouble later.


    Domina nodded to herself, most likely getting the confirmation to what she already assumed as a certainty. Her tail conveying her satisfaction and growing amusement.


    ¡°You have come asking for a lot while expecting to pay with something that is rightfully mine. Did you not?¡± Aikerim returned to our original topic instead. Her voice was full of amusement. I think I¡¯ve spoilt her too much - she even rose up slightly on her sofa to see the bag clearly, a pose full of anticipation.


    Aikerim wasn¡¯t expecting a trade. Just as she said, everything that I¡¯ve made was technically hers. Including whatever was in that bag, it just needed to be unwrapped.


    Like a birthday present.


    Nothing unusual and something that I already suspected anyway. I just needed to make the unwrapping ceremony as memorable as possible.


    ¡°But it is not the money we are trading, are we not? Money can¡¯t buy everything: if I had bags of gold I still wouldn¡¯t be able to walk into the Summit of Speakers and buy myself a spot. At a certain level money loses its worth. And then you start trading favours instead.¡±


    She chuckled, ¡°For all your naivete, you do have some knowledge of politics. A favour for a favour.¡±


    I spread my arms, leaving the bag alone on the table. ¡°You have provided me with multiple codices about it, I simply made sure to read them fully.¡±


    ¡°Or you were actually capable of reading between the lines. So what favour are you offering, then?¡± Aikerim prompted.


    ¡°Two days ago, Albin Chasya mentioned that your daughter will be having an Entrance Feast soon. Even gave her an appropriate gift. I believe my ¡®present¡¯ would compliment it well.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She leaned back with a slightly teasing smile. ¡°Even though her kaftan was already made?¡±


    ¡°Even though the Domina just received a new type of loom: faster and more precise?¡± I challenged back.


    ¡°Perhaps. But if said Domina had plans to make a new dress, the daughter should stay unaware.¡±


    ¡°My lips are sealed.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡± She acceded, ¡°But then it is very bold of you to claim that your gift would be comparable to the gift of Shebet.¡±


    ¡°Their workmanship is praiseworthy but so is the rarity of mine.¡± I saw her urge me on and continued, ¡°You know that nature has myriads of colours of every type, yet some are scarcer than the others. And then there is a colour that is nearly impossible to gain from nature, despite how common it is.¡±


    Her eyes squinted in thought only to open wide after a moment of thinking. ¡°Blue.¡± She breathed quietly.


    Well, that¡¯s the Domina of the House of Trade, textile branch. Who else would recognize the implication so quickly and be properly impressed as well? Granted that was the reason I even bothered to develop it, nothing else would pique her interest as much as this.


    I nodded ¡°Blue. Because nature doesn''t use that pigment, it uses specific shapes to emulate that colour instead. Which makes extraction a useless prospect-¡±


    ¡°You have found deposits of Arksite within the Emanai?¡±


    She interrupted my lecture on biology rather forcefully. Arksite? Was that how they called lapis lazuli here?


    I shook my head. ¡°No. I have made my own. Perhaps with more intense colour.¡±


    I slowly unwrapped the cloth to reveal the vivid blue content within. Aikerim breathing hitched and her sofa creaked and groaned under the grasp of her fingers. It appears that my ¡®present¡¯ was well received.


    ¡°It is called Ultramarine.¡± I slowly murmured, watching her absentmindedly rip wooden chunks from her bed in excitement.


    Heh. Just like a kid in front of the present.


    The goldenest, goosest, and eggest of them all.


    Snusmumriken


    Mined


    and Synthetic


    varieties

 Chapter 23 Surprising Ingenuity

    Aikerim reached across the table and very carefully prodded the blue lump, crumpling it with her fingers. She smudged it on her skin only to laugh awkwardly as she looked at the stain.


    ¡°Can you make more?¡± She murmured.


    ¡°Can I make more? Yes. Can I make a lot or make it quickly - no. It took me all night to get this much made, but it took me weeks gathering and purifying ingredients to get something of this quality. Moreover, it releases toxic brimstone fumes during creation. I can make small batches but anything on a large scale would be very bad for everyone in the manor and especially me.¡±


    ¡°Only you, Erf.¡± Aikerim chuckled leaning back. ¡°All alchemists dream of making gold, and you, in your usual fashion, made all their efforts meaningless in the span of the night. Do you even know how valuable this is?¡±


    I shrugged. ¡°Should be worth its weight in gold at least by my understanding.¡±


    She rose up and stared at me. ¡°More. Arksite is known as a divine stone. Both for its rarity and the celestial colour. Houses fight among each other just to offer some to the Gods. And you walk around with measures upon measures wrapped in some cloth. Like a lump of cheese. How many know of this?¡±


    Yikes. I think I went too far with my present. I knew it was an important and extremely sought out product in the ancient past, but I had no idea it held such reverence within their religion. The fact that they eagerly offered it as a sacrifice to their gods probably made an already rare product nearly extinct.


    ¡°Just me and you. Irje and Yeva were around in the beginning, but I didn¡¯t disclose what I was making and what I was using to make it.¡±


    No reason to throw them under the bus if it ends up biting me in the ass.


    Aikerim sighed and stood up. ¡°Good. Make sure you keep it that way, and I mean it.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my Domina.¡± I nodded.


    After carefully covering up my gift that was still lying on the table, she approached me. Amber eyes piercing into mine.


    Her voice quiet but resolute, ¡°Swear on the Divine Horns of Magic. This isn¡¯t some glass or fancy soap. There are people out there willing to kill even me to get this knowledge. You will be ground to dust.¡±


    I gulped, making her nod. ¡°I swear on the Divinity of Magic.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Aikerim murmured. Her hand rose up and slowly caressed my cheek, ¡°Recently I have grown to enjoy your presence in my Manor. I have found it rewarding and inspiring. Even more so today. I would be extremely disappointed if you end up dead for some inane reason. Or any reason at all.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I would be disappointed too if I died.¡± I quipped, watching her fingers.


    She smiled and walked behind me, wrapping her tail around my waist. ¡°I find myself at a loss sometimes in trying to figure you out. I pride myself as a good master and shrewd merchant, yet you defy my expectations nevertheless. What is it that you seek so much to desire freedom?¡±


    Aikerim walked all the way around and lied down on her sofa, gesturing for me to do the same on the one across from her. ¡°That guard and Irje could keep you safe on the streets, but can you keep them sheltered from these above their status? Even if she would become a freed wer? And how will you keep your family safe?¡±


    I sat down with a boulder rolling off my heart. Once again, Aikerim managed to kill multiple birds with one stone both accepting my request without actually saying it, and enquiring about my agenda. And once again I was at loss on what to say.


    She was right.


    What did I want to do with my life? From a perspective of a murk, I was living in a paradise. I had a roof over my head, food from the kitchens, and loving arms to lose myself into. I had a Domina, but our relationship was odd, to begin with, and now I somehow didn¡¯t mind it so much.


    What changed?


    My priorities did. Or the way that I sought them out. Safety and security were paramount. Both for me and mine. The main difference now was that I didn¡¯t need to seek out ways to extricate my family from their current life of daily tolls. I wasn¡¯t worried that someone would decide to claim Yeva against her will, or even Irje. In a similar way, I didn¡¯t have to glance behind my own back.


    Aikerim still owned me, but the benefit of having a smart master is that you can predict their actions. Even accounting for her previous outburst. She knew how valuable I was to her, and I knew that she knew. But now I had another concern. Now I will have to protect my family and my girls from my own notoriety. And Domina was my best option so far. Especially after today.


    She was already raking the benefits from me by a bucket. Compared to others she had no reason to extort me with my family and every reason to keep said family safe. Every reason to keep me happy. To meet my own demands.


    Just as she was doing right now.


    ¡°So?¡± Aikerim prompted, unwilling to let the silence hang for too long.


    ¡°Remember my worth, right?¡± I murmured, buying myself some more time to think.


    Surprisingly enough that brought a smile to her face. ¡°Indeed, but remember to keep your audacity in check.¡±


    She wouldn¡¯t be Domina if she didn¡¯t say something like this.


    ¡°You mean the lack of it?¡± I raised an eyebrow.


    Aikerim huffed good-naturedly and waved her hand hurrying me along.


    ¡°I want to go personally to pick my mother and my uncle. I am seeking certain deposits and a riverbank would be a good place to start.¡± I started off my list. I still wanted to visit the crash site as soon as possible and having an excuse to explore the river every step of the trip will give me plenty of time to sneak out and plunder whatever was available without anyone noticing.


    Even if she saddles me with ten guards I won''t expect them to follow my every step, especially if Erf develops sudden runs and steps into the forest to relieve himself. Curdled milk no doubt. Probably after eating some beans to scare the nosiest ones.


    She raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°Titania: white dye, better than lead one and non-poisonous. You can even add it to food.¡± I elaborated.


    You can even add it to nanite frames too, what a surprise.


    Aikerim shook her head in exasperation. ¡°If this joke is your idea of request-¡±


    I quickly continued, ¡°It is just one of the things I would look for, I am interested in many things but without taking a look myself I simply won''t know. A riverbank is a great place to start since the river brings all kind of things with it.¡±


    She huffed but relented, ¡°I will arrange a proper escort. Might even send Sulla too. I have a feeling you would offer her mountains. Your propensity to give away valuable things knows no bounds.¡±


    ¡°That would be prudent,¡± I nodded along, completely ignoring her jab, ¡°And a place for them to live here afterwards.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± Domina perked up, ¡°Is that common sense I hear for the first time?¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°My thoughts aside, the family takes a priority.¡±


    ¡°So it is,¡± She nodded. ¡°If I knew that was all it would take to make you sensible, I would¡¯ve bought them days ago. Is that all?¡±


    Shrugging I replied, ¡°Perhaps give me the ability to pursue my own projects and learn about Flow. I will continue my lessons and attend to you or your daughter as I¡¯ve done before, but I would like to spend the rest of my time pursuing projects such as these. Including possible trips to find better products. I would prefer to create and discover, not swim the muddy waters of politics.¡±


    Gesturing at the wrap on the table I finished, ¡°I can try and teach an alchemist of your choosing on how to make it if necessary.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like her previous reaction as well as the religious connotations of my present. The golden egg was burning hot, and I had to be extremely careful with it in the future. Offloading this burden to someone else was an acceptable outcome. Besides I¡¯ve already gotten what I needed. Greed would only get me killed sooner.


    ¡°No.¡±


    Ah fuck.


    ¡°You will not teach this to anyone, but I will elaborate on your future after you are done with your price.¡± Domina¡¯s firmness left me no room to argue.


    I sighed, ¡°That is pretty much it. Safety of me and mine, a roof over the head, and freedom to pursue projects. Very vague, but I believe, as someone farsighted as you are, you can easily meet these requests based on my contributions.¡±


    No point asking for something specific if I only end up hitting similar rebukes. Aikerim was generous enough in the past so I was willing to risk on her to stay the same.


    She scowled at my answer but said nothing in return. Her tail lied flat and her fingers absentmindedly played with the amber ring braided into the red hair. Eventually, her eyes regained focus on me.


    ¡°I want Irje and Yeva to continue working as they were, if necessary I will find someone to replace them later. Both you and Sulla will be busy for the next few days, but after all imminent tasks will be over a group will be sent to one of the Chimgen branch Manors.¡±


    I was getting better at nods and thankful hand flourishes while lying on the sofas. I was also absolutely not surprised that Aikerim knew exactly where I came from.


    She continued uninterrupted, ¡°In the meantime gather more ingredients, but do not make the final product. Do it in secrecy and tell no one about what they will be used for. From now on the alchemy lab will be off-limits to anyone but you. If anyone asks - come up with reasonable explanations, I believe you have a mind sharp enough for that, and then report to me immediately. I will take care of them.¡±


    Yikes indeed.


    ¡°Do you know how Flow affects murks?¡± Her question came out from nowhere.


    ¡°As far as I¡¯ve been told it ¡®finds our minds murky¡¯ and generally aren''t as effective on our bodies.¡± I promptly responded.


    ¡°Who?¡­Albin¡­¡± Aikerim groaned, ¡°Why I am not surprised that he would casually speak about something like that. What other non-public information did he manage to reveal?¡±


    ¡°He only spoke about him being a historian and his desire to listen to my stories. And called you a ¡®smart cookie¡¯ too.¡±


    She raised her eyebrow. ¡°Historian, right. Why Shebet deemed him fit to hold the position of a Speaker is beyond me. Like all males, he has way too much blood in his head and an extreme lack of propriety. What is a ¡®cookie¡¯ anyway?¡±


    ¡°Hmm? A type of dessert. A small sweet cake would be my best way to describe it.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure how to describe the Dutch ¡®koekje¡¯ without possibly digging myself into a new hole on why I knew unknown languages.


    ¡°Smart and sweet, huh? If he had his tongue twice as short he would¡¯ve been a great husband for my children. I do not, however, appreciate these who judge me by my height.¡± She glanced at me to make sure I was listening, ¡°Enough of him, we have more pressing matters at hand.¡±


    Aikerim pressed on, ¡°He is correct about the Flow. And that¡¯s what makes your knowledge special. It is in your head - safe away from scrying eyes both within our borders and outside. And I intend to keep it that way as long as possible. Even if it means that I can¡¯t ask as many questions as I would like to. Even if it means that I have to make sure you keep your mouth shut. Through force or through reason. Fortunately for both of us, you seem to possess a decent amount of sense. And had shown a sufficient amount of prudence, even without prompt. This is why I am explaining this now instead of simply issuing an order.¡±


    Amber eyes almost shining with their intensity. ¡°So that now you are aware.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself from wistfully smiling at her final words. No matter how annoyed she was at my answers she still chose to remember and not dismiss them out of hand. It also shone a great deal of light on her actions in the past. Didn¡¯t excuse her, but explained them nevertheless.


    But that was fine.


    Just as she found solace from the understanding of my actions, I¡¯ve felt the same about hers. Even more so now, as more and more pieces would appear and link the gaping holes in my comprehension of this world.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied, ¡°For your candour with me. I shall keep it in mind from now on, and seek your guidance first on sensitive matters.¡±


    ¡°In fact,¡± I reached into my pouch, ¡°After today¡¯s revelations I want your opinion on this.¡±


    In my hands were two glass tori. Similar in shape to the rings of amber hanging in Aikerim¡¯s front braids. With a blue tint but not nearly as bright as the dye in the bundle. The kilns were hot after tinkering with dye and I had no issue with re-heating a lump of glass and shaping it into a simple form with a bit of colour added in. I definitely couldn¡¯t call myself an artist, but making a simple doughnut shape was well within my capabilities.


    ¡°I was planning on presenting these to your daughter. The colour is a bit diluted, but I believe it still looks presentable. But now I am not sure if it will be a good idea to do so.¡±


    She hummed as she looked at the light through them, slowly turning them around. Her eyebrows showing a plethora of emotions. Her tail was following suit.


    I patiently waited for her response.


    Then I waited some more.


    ¡°Aikerim?¡±


    ¡°Ah, right¡­ Where is my pair?¡± She looked at me almost petulantly.


    ¡°Yours, er, will be made tonight, since you are satisfied with the first attempt? Should I make it more vibrant?¡± I half-mumbled, half-asked her, nodding at the bundle on the table.


    Aikerim sighed. ¡°Not for now. This colour is enough: it is unique to catch the eyes, but not outrageous to attract suspicion. That would be done later and at an appropriate time to garner the maximum amount of influence for the notoriety it would most certainly cause afterwards. Perhaps, as you said, during the Entrance feast. A young Lady of the House, draped in Arksite dress, offering the same cloth to the Gods as a gift of her House. Quite auspicious.¡±


    She was almost salivating by the end of that speech.


    Eventually, she huffed and, with visible reluctance, passed the rings back to me.


    ¡°Very well, give it to her. Since my Little Moon will greet her father and a brother tomorrow. She should look her best.¡± Aikerim thought for a second and continued, ¡°I am quite curious about your reasons behind such a gift to my daughter. Are you trying to curry her favour? Or are you trying to entice her to circumvent my orders once again?¡±


    I met her gaze head-on, ¡°Yes.¡±


    She raised an eyebrow. ¡°Is that audacity I hear?¡±


    ¡°Honesty, actually. You have trusted me with a great deal of knowledge and I responded in kind, by telling you the truth. When I was preparing this gift for you I wouldn¡¯t dare to put all my eggs in a single basket and hope for the best. The security of my family and the girls are too important. If I didn¡¯t get it from you I would have definitely tried my luck with your daughter. Besides I can¡¯t play favourites either, especially ignoring the heiress of the Manor.¡±


    I spread my arms as a gesture of openness. ¡°You said it yourself that you appreciate intelligence and sensibility. Would you prefer an honest discourse or platitudes of a fearful slave?¡±


    Aikerim smirked, ¡°And have you ever been a fearful slave?¡±


    ¡°Yes. At the farms. That is why I¡¯ve been sold for a pittance.¡±


    ¡°You are right, I definitely do not want that kind of Erf.¡± She extended her arm in a now-familiar magical gesture, yanking the jar of wine across the room all the way to the table.


    I kept my eyes on the spectacle until a filled cup flew into my grasp, only to notice the smirking Domina, that enjoyed my cross-eyed look.


    She raised her cup. ¡°I believe my daughter will be amenable to a scribe writing down her notes during lectures.¡±


    It was obvious what kind of lectures she implied. Magical knowledge - here I come.


    I copied her movement. ¡°Said scribe shall write down every word.¡±


    The wine was fresh but young. Full of youthful acidity and tannins. Perhaps a decanter with a wider body would be useful to let it breathe more.


    ¡°You will be given a personal estate within the Manor.¡±


    I choked on my drink.


    Aikerim, extremely pleased with her interruption, continued, ¡°I can¡¯t expect you to house your entire family inside your current accommodations. Especially if you end up working on sensitive projects in the future. A private estate would also allow me to cement your status within the Manor itself. Now and in the future.¡±


    The good news was that she was planning on keeping me sufficiently satisfied. The bad news was that there was still wine in my lungs.


    ¡°Your manor is vast but not infinite.¡± I croaked, rubbing my throat, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to intrude upon anyone.¡±


    She waved me off. ¡°I will expand the Manor walls. Did you really think someone of my status has to worry about the space within the city? You should observe as well, it not often you can see the earth mages shape their craft within the city walls.¡±


    I finally got control over my breathing, only to sigh in exasperation, ¡°You drive a hard bargain.¡±


    ¡°I must.¡± Aikerim words were calm but with a tone of intensity in them, ¡°As I¡¯ve said before I find your continued existence in general and presence within my Manor in particular very rewarding. I don¡¯t think you have understood yourself how much profit your ¡®gifts¡¯ will yield to me and mine. Both monetary and political. When finished, your estate will have private cooks and servants. You can drape your sadaq in the finest silks and have them spend the life in leisure from now on. And yet all that wouldn¡¯t cost as much as the bundle on my table.¡±


    She leaned back and sipped her wine. ¡°Instead of forcing you to come up with inventions that I have no idea about, I will make you want to make them for me. And I will do that by giving you what you have no ability to gain yourself. As you said - certain things are impossible to buy and favour of a Domina is quite expensive. Continue to do so and it will turn into the favour of a Manor Matriarch, one of the Seven that hold these lands under control. Who knows perhaps then you would be able to introduce your ideas to the world.¡±


    I raised my cup in silent acceptance and drained it quickly. ¡°Very well. I hope you will appreciate Anaise''s hair tonight, as well.¡±


    Aikerim mumbled something obscene under her breath and promptly kicked me out.


    XXX


    I walked through the buildings enjoying the morning breeze. A bustle of activity all around me - the Manor was already in full gear of another day.


    Especially the glassmaking area. I could feel the heat as soon as I saw the furnaces. People were hard at work, but the two individuals that I hoped to see were nowhere around.


    ¡°Viter? Where is Irje?¡±


    The wertiger turned around ¡°Good morning, ma- I mean Erf. She wasn¡¯t feeling well so I took her place.¡±


    I raised my eyebrow. ¡°Just like that?¡±


    He shrugged. ¡°I¡¯ve seen her work yesterday, and she allowed me to.¡±


    I glanced around. The furnaces were running full steam and people were busy at work. Granted all these workers spent an entire day yesterday practising whatever their task was, but the fact that someone was around at least to respond and call out for girls or me was enough.


    ¡°Very well then,¡± I nodded at him. ¡°Good job, and keep at it. I will check up on her in the meantime. Do you know where she went?¡±


    He scratched his head. ¡°To the soaps, with the tiny girl.¡±


    I nodded to him in thanks and made my way to the other workshop building, expecting them to be inside. Most of the building was off-limits to the workers so if they sought privacy that would be the best spot.


    Still, Irje?


    I could understand Yeva feeling the unease and spending the night awake. Irje had nothing to worry about compared to her. Or was she covering up Yeva¡¯s anxiety by faking her own sickness?


    My feet picked up the pace.


    I barged into the workshop only to find these two in a rather awkward pose.


    I leaned on the door frame, resigned. ¡°Really girls?¡±


    ¡°Erf!¡± Yeva dropped what she was doing and turned around, facing my direction, ¡°Did it work?¡±


    Irje tried to cover herself up in the meantime, blushing up a storm.


    ¡°Of course. You are mine now, Yeva.¡± I answered. Important things first, figuring out what the hell they were doing in the middle of the day, and skipping work as well, was second.


    With a loud ¡®Squeee!¡¯ a slim blond missile launched herself in my direction. No, this wasn¡¯t a missile but a rocket.


    My eyes wide, I stepped to the side. Not to avoid her but to intercept her impending clash with the door frame.


    ¡°Ooof!¡± We collapsed into a heap. ¡°Please be careful, you almost hit a wall there.¡±


    Yeva hugged me tightly instead.


    ¡°And please don¡¯t wipe your hand on my tunic, it is clean.¡± I quipped.


    She only hugged me tighter, with a small giggle included.


    ¡°You know, I would¡¯ve never imagined hearing these words from a master, especially right after purchase,¡± Irje butted in, standing above us. She finally managed to hide the obvious results from their lewd activities under her skirt, but still looked flushed. Most likely both from embarrassment and arousal. An occasional shuddering breath was very telling.


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me that,¡± I grumbled, stretching an arm toward her.


    She effortlessly pulled us up. ¡°So she kept me to herself, huh,¡± Irje replied somewhat wistfully.


    ¡°What I meant is that I''d like you to call me by my name. Leave the ¡®master¡¯ kink for the bedrooms if you really want oof-¡±


    Another set of arms enveloped us. Squeezing with wer¡¯s intensity.


    Irje let us go quickly after, as soon as Yeva started to tap out.


    ¡°You did it! You crazy prick. I don''t know how but you did it!¡± She kept shaking us, however.


    Chuckling I let her rock us around. Content to revel in the Yeva¡¯s giggles and Irje¡¯s cheers. But certain noises kept emerging. An occasional tremble, a hitch in her voice, a weakness in her arms.


    ¡°Okay, seriously. What is going on?¡± I finally couldn¡¯t let it slide anymore, ¡°Irje, I know you can be quite randy, but it is the middle of the day! Don¡¯t tell me your Heat is coming up.¡±


    ¡°No! I, er, I c-can explain!¡± Irje, once again, turned deep scarlet with her hands unconsciously covering the area between her thighs.


    ¡°It¡¯s my fault, Erf.¡± Yeva sighed with a bit of exasperation.


    I looked down at her. ¡°No, I don¡¯t believe it. Irje is the randy one. You are supposed to be the sensible one. You need to keep her in check or she would get ideas!¡± This was getting dangerous. If both of them start to get each other excited we won''t be able to leave the bedroom for days. Nor did I wish for them to succumb to carnal pleasures either. They were sexy and pleasing to the eye, but what I loved them for wasn¡¯t just their enticing curves and pliant flesh. I loved Irje¡¯s drive and determination, just as I adored Yeva¡¯s sharp memory and honest sincerity.


    Instead, I got a surprisingly loud laugh from the lithe girl in my arms, and an equally loud ¡°NO!¡± from Irje, which slowly turned into a whine.


    ¡°Did I say something weird?¡±


    Irje slammed her hands on our shoulders. Still crimson. ¡°Okay. Erf? Shut up. Yeva? Shut up too, and stop laughing! This is my tale. He told us great news now it is my turn to shine. So last night when you were gone, we decided to practise magic.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh. Practise, ri-i-ight,¡± I drawled.


    Yeva¡¯s silent shakes hitched and she started chortling into my arm instead.


    ¡°Shadap!¡± The vermilion amazon herself, ¡°We¡¯ve made progress during it! Not with the glowing runes on the floor but that carved ball you had! I could roll it around and move slightly at will. That was it Erf! I was using magic! I moved it with my mind! Thank you for carving it for me!¡±


    ¡°Congratulations!¡± I couldn¡¯t stop a smile myself, her exuberance was contagious. ¡°I hoped that we could use it, but I didn¡¯t realize how fast you would progress. Also, I didn¡¯t carve it. It was a gift for me to study: it is a toy for wermage children. They train their Flow using these.¡±


    Irje choked, as the blood drained from her face. ¡°Oh no¡­¡±


    Whatever worry I started to feel disappeared within a second of yet another sound.


    Yeva was laughing again. Unrestrained and irreverent this time around. Her legs buckled and she grabbed on my tunic to hold herself up but otherwise surrendered to her mirth.


    ¡°Oh no. Was it Anaise¡¯s? Or Domina¡¯s? Of Gods, please don¡¯t tell me it was her toy!¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t theirs,¡± I shook my head, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Iwasplayingwithitanditgotstuckinside.¡±


    I blinked. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Itstuckinsideandifeelitanditkeepsmoving.¡±


    It was kinda hard to understand her rapid mumbling. Yeva¡¯s laughter didn¡¯t help my comprehension either.


    I groaned, ¡°So that was the reason you were feeling sick all morning?¡±


    Irje nodded, an atomic blush still on her face. ¡°Yevatriedtohelpbutthenyoufoundus.¡±


    ¡°So let me see if I understood you correctly. You took a child¡¯s toy, used it as a magical vibrator and then lost it inside.¡± At her whine of acquiescence, I shook my head. ¡°Only you Irje. And this toy was given to me by Albin Chasya.¡±


    She frowned at me. Apparently, his name wasn¡¯t as well-known among the slaves of this Manor.


    ¡°Albin Shebet Chasya. That toy was given to me by the Speaker of House Shebet himself.¡±


    Irje sucked the air in sharply.


    Yeva couldn¡¯t. Instead, she kept wheezing.


    ¡°Can¡¯t breathe.¡±


    ¡°Yeva! Shadap!¡±

 Chapter 24 You Can Hear Wagner if You Shake Him Hard Enough

    Snusmumriken


    ¡°E-e-erf! Talk to me¡±


    I ignored the whine, busy with my task.


    Irje shifted, trying to hug me closer. Her hands reaching for my head. ¡°Please!¡±


    I slapped her hands away, she was already distracting enough. Too bad Yeva couldn¡¯t see my meaningful glances and keep her in check.


    ¡°Just say my name!¡± Irje kept whining.


    A sudden squirm. A new tremble and the tongue had lost the grip once again.


    ¡°Shtop Shquirmin!¡± I growled into her, my tongue even deeper inside.


    ¡°Yes-s-s-s!¡± She hissed instead, her thighs crushing my head with renewed intensity.


    It is rather problematic to fish out a slick wooden orb, carefully polished and leisurely lubricated. It is extremely hard to do so if it is currently lodged deep inside a squirming amazon that is more eager to seek release rather than relief. It is outright impossible to do so when said orb would hum and vibrate with inner power whenever Irje had a peak, and try to move deeper inside whenever she felt a need.


    Frantically, my hand reached out to Yeva. I grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. She was a smart girl and understood my intentions from a scant few movements, pulling Irje¡¯s hands away from me.


    Drowning in pussy I attempted another assault. As she was coming down from her most recent peak, whatever magical Flow she was exerting on the toy diminished, and I had to contend only with low buzzing and rotating.


    Like an alien tentacle, my tongue went deep, only to curve like a spatula and scoop everything out. Irje keened as my tongue raked hard on her ridges, my muscles stiff to make sure nothing would slip past.


    I pulled my face out as the wooden orb fell on the floor. Slathered in juices and glowing with simple and pretty shapes.


    Like a childhood corrupted.


    ¡°That¡­was¡­too much,¡± Irje panted trying to overcome her shakes.


    Yeva quietly helped to wipe her down.


    ¡°Indeed.¡± I grabbed the, once again, rolling orb into a cloth and dropped it into my pouch. ¡°Playing around with this could be dangerous.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ what about magic?¡±


    I huffed. ¡°Flow isn''t dependent on sex. Learn to control your emotions and try to isolate the feeling that caused the effects.¡±


    Yeva finished with her help and quietly walked back to me, nuzzling into my embrace.


    Irje sniffed. ¡°I know¡­Look you might think that I am too randy, but it¡¯s not that. It¡¯s magic Erf! I can cast magic. I am a wermage!¡±


    I sighed and sat down beside her lying form. Keeping Yeva close as well.


    ¡°You are.¡± I gently replied, moving her locks away from her face. ¡°There is no question about it, but you said it yourself - ¡®not a word to anyone¡¯. I know that today had been an accident, but if we continue to do it rashly eventually someone would find out.¡±


    She relaxed under my touch but still puckered her lips in frustration.


    I chuckled, ¡°Don¡¯t pout. I didn¡¯t say that you need to stop training. Just avoid using the toy internally. At least, until I could attach some sort of string to it, long enough to pull it out.¡±


    My other hand was occupied by another head full of blond hair. Yeva was clingy today but I couldn¡¯t fault her for it. Her future had changed dramatically this morning and my presence was the most obvious way for her to confirm it was actually true. Despite Irje¡¯s recent shenanigans.


    ¡°Besides, I didn¡¯t just buy you. Domina also agreed to buy my family from the farms, if you want I could ask for yours as well.¡± Silence greeted me instead. ¡°I see¡­ Well, my Ma would absolutely love to have you Yeva: she always wanted a daughter. And Irje, please behave in front of my uncle Tuk. He warned me about horny wers and would be crushed to know that I didn¡¯t listen to his advice.¡±


    Irje raised an eyebrow. ¡°Well, you should prepare him for the disappointment I am not giving up your bed. And I am especially not skipping our nightly activities if you let him sleep on the floor.¡±


    ¡°Yeah about that¡­I also got us more room.¡±


    ¡°Erf,¡± Yeva muttered, ¡°How much did you pay?¡±


    ¡°I paid what I thought was enough to guarantee your freedom.¡±


    ¡°Yeva, notice how he avoided answering the question there,¡± Irje smirked.


    I sighed, ¡°Frankly, I don¡¯t even know myself. It was important and expensive enough for Domina to put a gag order, preventing me from speaking about it in the first place. It was enough to get a few concessions from her in the meantime, however.¡±


    ¡°Enough for her to release me as well as give you another house?¡± Irje whistled, ¡°That sounds like something you can make happen indeed.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± I scratched my head, ¡°She was amenable to your release as soon as she figured out that we all are in a sadaq. Told me something weird about her hearing about it and you training. And it is not a house, but an estate.¡±


    ¡°Just like that¡­¡± Yeva murmured, smiling.


    ¡°Yeah to have the Domina casually confirming our status in the name of Emanai sounds definitely like Erf al-¡± Irje suddenly choked, ¡°Wait! What do you mean ESTATE!¡±


    I frowned ¡°A big one with multiple houses, personal cooks and servants. Hold on, are you saying she just officiated our relationship?¡±


    Strong arms yanked me away from Yeva¡¯s embrace and shook me in the air. ¡°Yes, you prick. Are you telling me she gave you something that only a few most prominent members of the manor were allowed to have?¡±


    As I dangled around, taken by the Irje¡¯s whirlwind, my mind was occupied by something else. ¡°You mean we are married?¡±


    ¡°Answer the question! Damn it.¡±


    ¡°Something along these lines, you might also get the ¡®finest silks¡¯ and ¡®life of leisure¡¯.¡± I brushed her off as I frowned to myself, ¡°Still, I knew she was the only one, who could do it. But it feels surreal.¡±


    ¡°Heh, heh.¡± Irje''s hands relaxed, dropping me to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Only to be instantly snatched up by another set of hands.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Yeva?¡± I turned my head.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think you understand the importance of this.¡± Her fingers held me tightly, ¡°What I¡¯ve gotten so far, what I have, and what I am likely to get. I am sorry Erf, but I have no intentions of letting you go anywhere. You are mine, just as I am yours.¡±


    Before I could say anything in return, stunned by her intensity, Irje finally returned from her own la-la-land.


    ¡°Wait! Who is going anywhere? No one is going - you are all mine!¡± Her roar made me chuckle. Perhaps intentionally so, as she continued quietly afterwards, ¡°Look Erf, your head is full of crazy ideas but it is also full of junk. And that is why I am not smacking you for saying something stupid like that. I know somehow, in that weird mind of yours, you actually mean well.¡±


    Irje sat in front of us. ¡°Sadaq isn¡¯t just about who you like or who is a good lay. It is about the future. About family. Safety. I don¡¯t know what the mages care about but I know what we do. All slaves want freedom, but not like you do. They want to be free from harm, free from constantly watching their back, free from the punishments of an angry master. Someone, who can provide all that is the greatest temptation.¡±


    She sighed, ¡°The only reason why you aren¡¯t swarmed with other slaves, plainly begging you to take them in, is because aside from us two, no other slave even knows of your true character. And yes we kept it secret as well. Both to keep you safe from them and to keep our place in this relationship safe.¡±


    Her hand rose up and cradled my face. ¡°You are addictive, Erf. Beyond that freedom, you gave us care and affection. The opportunity to be more than we were before. Opportunity to forget the harshness of life and enjoy the hope of future.¡± Irje couldn¡¯t help but smirk, ¡°You are also a pleasure to look at, and you dick us well and hard at night.¡±


    ¡°Each one of these would have made many consider offering themselves to join your sadaq even as a third or a fourth and more. And you are all of them. So trust me Erf, I loved what I had so far and I am unwilling to let go. Got it?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Yeva nodded along.


    I wordlessly pulled them in together. Despite all my notions about love and compatibility, I wasn¡¯t just that to them. They didn¡¯t want me to give them choice - they have already chosen. Quite some time ago without me even realizing it. And I couldn¡¯t fault them for their rash decisiveness either. I simply prioritized qualities that tended to be revealed after some time together, while they put much greater emphasis on the aspects that I¡¯ve already managed to exhibit.


    Thus my bumbling thoughts on this matter were akin to me walking back on our relationship already. They didn¡¯t need what I was trying to give them, they already had it. The only thing they needed was assurance and validation.


    ¡°I am sorry, and you are right: that was not my intention. I have no experience in something like a sadaq, but I know that both of you will help me in the future just as you are guiding me now.¡±


    Irje ruffled my hair, smiling, ¡°See that, Yeva? How sensible he is? Where could we find another one like that.¡±


    A giggle was our confirmation.


    ¡°Since you speak of preventing others from joining our sadaq, does that mean I don¡¯t need to perform the overtures at the Lady of the House? The one I have to personally attend to in the bath. Due to your machinations, I might add.¡± I raised my eyebrow instead.


    ¡°That is because you aren¡¯t getting her into your sadaq, Erf. She won''t be interested in the slightest in sharing you with us. And everything, that you can give - she can take already. Including all the gifts her mother showered you with so far. Until you gain your freedom, perhaps even with my help as Domina said, you have to keep in mind who can take everything that you have. And act accordingly so you don¡¯t lose it.¡±


    I sighed. ¡°So convoluted, as usual.¡±


    ¡°That is because your mind is busy with numbers and mixtures.¡± Yeva added in, ¡°If you were like the others. For whom a sadaq, a benevolent master, or a lover were the only opportunities to rise higher. Then you would¡¯ve spent much more time learning about it. But do not worry, you have us for that.¡±


    ¡°That I do.¡±


    XXX


    Holding the jar of pleasantly smelling concoction I approached the Manor baths. Only to encounter a commotion on the outside.


    The baths in question weren¡¯t that large: a couple of buildings at most. Mostly because, despite their name, these baths were predominantly used by Domina and her family. The rest of the Kiymetl household was usually permitted to enter during off-hours but most would choose to visit the public baths instead. City baths came in a variety of levels of luxury, some catering to the free wer labourers of the Low City while luxurious few opened the doors to the cream of the society.


    Even Domina herself visited these quite often. Besides the amenities they usually provided, it was a very normal place to meet people of a similar status. Whether you wanted to meet your friends or network with potential business partners instead.


    The baths in the manor had a different purpose. Besides the quiet and the privacy they came with, they also had the luxury of convenience and expedience. A trip to the public bath would take most of the day even for Domina. A trip here would take an hour at most. Even less since she could work while the slaves would comb and braid her still wet hair.


    And that is why the commotion was so unusual.


    ¡°But Young Mistress! What would your mother think!¡± A female wer implored a fuming Anaise.


    Red hair, braids, scales on the red sash. A free wer and a member of the Kiymetl but definitely not high in status among them. A female attendant. Most likely part of Anaise''s retinue that I haven¡¯t met before.


    ¡°I believe I made myself clear!¡± her tail swayed harshly in frustration, ¡°I will call on the attendants when I need them, no sooner!¡±


    I almost stumbled. Hold on. Does she mean what I think she meant? A slave told me she was expecting me here. Does that mean she wants to kick out all her attendants and have a bath with only me present?


    I didn¡¯t know how appropriate that would be, but Irje¡¯s recent words didn¡¯t sound so assuring in my mind.


    ¡°Greetings, Lady of the House.¡± I bowed to Anaise, and then did the same for her attendant, ¡°Your sight is in my heart.¡±


    The wer in question glanced at me only to do a double-take, seeing my livery. Despite the seal of the Kiymetl on my neck, my own sash put me on a level above her, at least within the Manor. Anaise¡¯s smile, as she noticed me, put my status even higher.


    How much of that smile was directed at me and how much was directed at the jar in my hands was still debatable.


    ¡°Young Mentor! Please help me. What she is planning to do is simply inappropriate!¡± She turned her pleas to me instead.


    I turned toward her, my face full of attention. As if I wasn¡¯t sure what the issue was about yet. Buying myself some time to think. Despite my general agreement, I had no idea how to say it to Anaise as well. The faint blush on her face made this even more awkward.


    ¡°Without her usual attendants, it would take too much time! What would her mother think if she knows about it!¡±


    I closed my mouth. And then my eyes.


    Nevermind.


    What she was clearly frustrated about wasn¡¯t the fact that a male murk was staying in the bath with a noble lady. Perhaps there was some grain of salt in Irje¡¯s words. Surrounded by attendants since a young age, my presence near Anaise attracted as much notice as a new brooch would. A curiosity.


    No one would worry about murk in the wermage bath. Unless you worried about the murk himself. I couldn¡¯t force myself on her nor I would be able to do anything that she didn¡¯t consent to and request from me. If I wanted to stay alive that is.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Domina already knows.¡±


    My words caused a great relief to the wer and a frown to the wermage.


    ¡°Mother knows about this?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. I told her to pay attention to your hair in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°A-ah, right. Of course!¡± Anaise shooed away the attendant with relief in her voice.


    Relieved from the burden of Domina¡¯s potential wrath the wer didn¡¯t waste another second to stick around. Perhaps later, when some will put two and two together and realize that a lot of Domina¡¯s recent actions were caused by me, I would be under much greater scrutiny. And most will try to influence me to influence her.


    I actually expected some to start moving by now. Despite the subsequent secrecy, my first meeting had a crowd of spectators. Anyone curious enough should know that I gave her the soap.


    Irje.


    Damn smart cookie indeed. So that is why she pulled the workshop from me so quickly and gave it to her. No wonder she was so surprised when I let it go. Aikerim expected me to struggle, to hold my foot inside the door of a new status. Too bad she hadn¡¯t realized that I was already inside by then. Keeping my foot there only meant that I would be stuck at the entrance.


    ¡°I see you¡¯ve brought a lot, is that much necessary?¡± Anaise interrupted my musings.


    ¡°Yes. Not only do you have long hair, but I realized that you would need extra for the tail as well.¡±


    ¡°T-tail?¡± She blushed. The said appendage eagerly jumped into her arms as if seeking protection from me. ¡°There is no n-need for that.¡±


    ¡°If you insist.¡± I easily conceded, ¡°You can have someone else apply it for you later on.¡±


    ¡°Just head inside.¡± She huffed instead.


    What I saw inside was both expected and surprising. I knew that it would be more luxurious than what I¡¯ve seen in the city. Baths open to the slaves were usually nothing more than giant pools with lukewarm water. Already losing the heat after the free wer were done with it. So I expected something hot and smaller instead. Wermages liked to show their wealth but this was a private area not for the guests.


    I was right on both fronts. And also wrong. There was a bath exactly as I¡¯ve imagined it. Not enormous but quite spacious and capable of seating almost ten people. It was also properly hot and clean with fresh water. What I didn¡¯t expect to see were the other baths in the connected rooms. With different temperatures of water. Some were pleasantly lukewarm while others were refreshingly cold.


    Looks like they knew how to enjoy their bath time.


    Too bad there were no saunas.


    ¡°So, how is it different from oils?¡±


    I turned around to Anaise¡¯s voice and couldn¡¯t help but raise an eyebrow. She was still wearing her shift. While I also wore my underclothes I was here as a masseuse so to speak. A replacement for her usual bathing horde. The reason I was dressed was the fact that I would not be entering the baths themselves but stay outside and provide whatever assistance was necessary of me.


    The reason why she chose to keep her clothes on was still unknown. Especially since she was clearly ignoring my eyebrow.


    ¡°The best way would be to wash the hair, get rid of extra water, and then gently massage it both into the scalp as well as the entire length of your hair.¡± I decided to drop the issue for now. ¡°Keep it on for a bit and rinse it off.¡±


    We moved on with the task, with Anaise being rather awkward and stilted around me. I wasn¡¯t sure what was the cause of it until we washed her hair down.


    The torrent of the water washed over her body. And her shift. The fine but wet cloth eagerly absorbed the moisture and stuck to her body. Leaving almost nothing to the imagination. Neither her small but perky breasts, the cloth tented from protruding nipples. Nor the obvious hint of red between her legs.


    The hint, that was immediately covered with hands.


    ¡°Erf! Don¡¯t look!¡± There was more than a hint of red on her face as well now.


    I quickly turned around, thinking hard about what to do.


    I had a feeling that if I let the awkwardness linger she would bolt like a scared rabbit, most likely putting all this to a halt as well as causing further awkwardness in the future. The noises she was making behind my back were quite telling. As if she was trying to fix the issue as soon as possible with anything available to her. Including a mumble of curses and a smell of burning linen. Did she fireball her shift in order to dry it?


    ¡°I think it might be easier for both of us if I would put on a blindfold. What do you think?¡± I suggested after a second.


    I needed her to feel calm and secure. And that meant I needed her to feel in control again.


    The frantic shuffling behind me stopped.


    ¡°Stay here.¡± She ordered, ¡°Don¡¯t turn around!¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Soon a patter of wet feet returned. And a dark green sash went over my eyes. Most likely the one she wore outside. Anaise was very thorough both in tying the sash as well as checking afterwards that I couldn¡¯t see at all. I had a sinking suspicion there were spells cast right in front of my face as well.


    But the trick worked. Occupied with her work, her confidence returned in strides. I almost felt the awkwardness evaporate with every question I was tasked to answer and every task I was quested to do. Eventually, she was satisfied with her results, grabbed my hand and pulled me back to the bath.


    ¡°I hate pincers.¡± She huffed as I massaged her hair.


    Ah. The hair.


    I hummed in agreement, ¡°You have my sympathies, I¡¯ve heard people getting the treatment in the city. It sounds extremely painful.¡±


    Anaise scoffed. ¡°I don''t want your commiserations. I want you to come up with a tincture to make them all fall off!¡±


    ¡°I know thiols and sulfides could dissolve hair by breaking the disulfide bonds, but I don¡¯t think I could make these easily and these that I can, would be absolutely foul.¡±


    ¡°You know, you could have just said that you can¡¯t without all that gibberish.¡±


    ¡°What about a razor then?¡±


    She hummed relaxing into my hand. ¡°They pull and don¡¯t leave a clean skin behind.¡±


    ¡°Hmm. You need a sharper and flatter blade then.¡± I murmured as I washed her hair off.


    I heard a scoff as my hand was yanked back to her head, and a comb was inserted into my grip.


    ¡°I am the Lady of the House, Erf. I already have the sharpest blades. Oh my!¡±


    ¡°Hmm?¡±


    ¡°The hair, it glides through the comb!¡± Anaise murmured with fascination.


    ¡°Well, yes. That is the purpose of the conditioner.¡±


    ¡°The conditioner makes hair shine and keeps tips from feeling dry.¡±


    ¡°Mine does that, and more.¡±


    ¡°That and more,¡± She huffed as the comb kept sliding through her long locks of hair. ¡°Sometimes I feel like everything you do can be described that way.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, and more.¡± I chuckled back.


    I got a wet sponge thrown into my face for my cheek.


    ¡°So how does it do it, then? And none of that alchemistry jargon.¡±


    ¡°To understand how it works you need to understand what the hair is.¡± I started my tale. Anaise quickly picked up on that, adjusting her position and relaxing even more into my hands. ¡°Our body likes to reuse things that work. One of these things it loves to use is keratin - the flexible kind is in your skin, while harder ones form our nails and hair. Hooves and horns as well.¡±


    I let my fingers massage her scalp once more, in between each stroke of the comb. Despite the excitement at the unknown treatment, Anaise already kept her hair in pristine form. I wasn¡¯t working with weak and damaged strands that would require tender care over the course of weeks. I had a healthy and robust mane between my fingers, that would shine most spectacularly once we were done. Perhaps it already did and I just couldn¡¯t see it.


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bore you with details about its structure but there are two things you need to know. Just as your skin can form goosebumps from feeling cold your hair can be flaky or smooth depending on the environment around it. That is why I was working with vinegar and lemon juice. Their sourness makes the hair close up and form a much smoother surface.¡±


    She didn¡¯t interrupt my monologue. Based on the soft noises of pleasure and contentment coming from her she could be content with me talking about tax reforms of early Emanai, or quoting the laws verbatim. But I had my standards. Besides I¡¯ve already established a routine of pleasure and knowledge with her and it would be a waste to let all that foundation stay unused.


    I also could play surreptitiously with her ears in the meantime. Comparing her responses and slight whines to the ones Irje would make. Both of them were definitely more sensitive compared to the normal human ears. Things I needed my tongue with Yeva, could be easily achieved with just my fingers on Irje, and now I''ve done the same with Anaise as well.


    ¡°The second part is actually similar to soap. But it is working in reverse. The soap likes both water and oils and clings to both, thus forming a bridge between them and helping wash the oils away. Your hair doesn¡¯t like oils as much, but it likes water. Thus I intentionally added something similar that would cling to the hair but would also attract oils as well. It makes your hair hold the oils and maintain the shine longer, They also make it much easier to handle.¡±


    I felt her move under my arms as I finished my story. A jar was wordlessly given to me back. The conditioner by the smell of it. Before I could open my mouth, my senses told me about a new sensation wrapped around my wrist.


    Wet and hairy, and flexible. Anaise¡¯s tail.


    Wordlessly it pulled my hands away from her head and dragged them lower. Much lower. To the bottom of her back.


    I felt her squirm and gasp as my hand brushed on the root of her tail. Her back buckled and her tail rose to meet my fingers. I wasn¡¯t sure how much was it from what my fingers were doing to her tail and how much was her overall state of contentment. But the noises were definitely of the pleasant kind so I kept working.


    It was a quite fascinating experience stroking her tail. Despite the fact of me being blindfolded through it. As far as I could tell the most sensitive region was closer to her butt. Whether that was caused due to shorter hair, a generally sensitive spot, or due to the proximity to other private parts of her body was still unknown.


    The sway of the tail also increased its amplitude. I noticed that quite quickly after few consecutive slaps of hairy wetness across my body. I didn¡¯t complain - I enjoyed the process and her expressiveness. I had no idea when I would have the chance to explore a wermage in such detail again.


    ¡°Umm, Erf?¡±


    Anaise, however, grew quite restless and awkward again. Most likely due to the lull in our conversation.


    That won¡¯t do.


    ¡°Tell me about your father.¡± My fingers finally massaged the conditioner into the tip of her tail.


    ¡°Hmm, why do you ask?¡±


    ¡°Well, think about it.¡± My hands turned around and stroked her back. ¡°I have the favour of the Domina but suddenly a Master of the House returns. I have worked hard to be where I am right now. To have the ability to teach, learn, and tinker. And I do not want my lifestyle to change as much.¡±


    The leftover conditioner worked exceptionally well as a massage oil. She had a pleasant back and a very athletic build, well hidden by her usual clothes. My hands could feel the muscles right under her skin.


    ¡°You, n-n-nnh, don¡¯t sound very ambitious.¡± Anaise could feel my hands as well. ¡°I expected you to desire more.¡±


    ¡°I do desire more, it is that my more lies elsewhere.¡±


    ¡°Well, you should. At least in front of my father.¡± She breathed the response out.


    Anaise ignored my attempts to wash her tail. Instead, she simply rinsed it through vigorous movement inside the bath. Or so I could tell by the loud noise and deluge of water flying everywhere.


    The now-clean tail returned into my lap with a wet splat. The obvious intent behind it.


    I picked up the comb once again. ¡°So he is a person who values ambition in others. I would expect him to be very ambitious himself then.¡±


    I kept working on her tail as I spoke. I could feel her body change its responses to my touch. Despite barely knowing about wermages I had plenty of other knowledge I could borrow from. The knowledge, that was kept fresh due to Irje. But, most importantly, I listened to Anaise''s body.


    Despite the lack of sight, my ears heard her growing desire loud and clear. Her skin met my fingers now instead of them seeking her out. Her tail, once shy and absent, then obvious and bold, now was clingy and demanding.


    Although I seriously tried to comb her tail, the process turned more and more arduous as I had to spend more time untangling my hands from her appendage, rather than untangling her hair instead.


    ¡°Yes-s-s.¡± Her answer gained a hiss when I placed my hand at the small of her back. Her tail was long and the hair was longer. If I wanted to finish this anytime soon I needed to brace myself to keep the comb moving.


    ¡°Erf,¡± She murmured as soon as I was done with my stroke. Her tail tight around my waist, ¡°My father is a very ambitious man. And his biggest ambition is me. The future Domina of this manor. If you wish to stay in his good graces make sure that his ambition is properly fed as well.¡±


    I heard the tremble in her voice, but I also heard the desire. Still unsure of what she wanted, but clearly seeking it out. And, most importantly, well versed in political speech. Even now, despite wading into a completely unknown territory she still attempted to keep her control over the situation.


    But that was fine, it wasn¡¯t like I accidentally stumbled here either.


    ¡°But Anaise,¡± My hand reached out toward her voice, stroking her chin, then ear. ¡°I¡¯ve been feeding his ambition all this time, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    ¡°I th-think it wasn¡¯t enough. You need to give more¡­¡±


    She was so close. She was especially close to me. I felt the warmth radiating from her body, The smell of lavender and chamomile from her hair. The loud beating of her heart.


    Her daintily hands took away the comb from my palm only to grab my wrist, intent on pulling it along somewhere else.


    ¡°Young mistress!¡±


    I heard a snap as the tail flexed around my waist.


    Well, there goes the comb.


    ¡°What is it? I told you I will ask of you when I am ready!¡± Anaise growled in response.


    ¡°A thousand apologies! Your mother has requested your presence.¡± A frightened reply.


    I heard the grinding of her teeth and the final snaps of what was once called the comb, most likely chips by now.


    My fingers resumed the caress of her ear. ¡°Calm down my Lady. Think how surprised she will be seeing your new hair.¡±


    Anaise breathed in and out. ¡°Inform her, I have heard of her request.¡± Her loud voice brought chill into the steamy bath.


    ¡°Of course, young mistress!¡± the servant was quick to scamper away.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like how calm you are,¡± She turned her attention to me.


    ¡°Because ambition is dangerous if not tempered with patience. It is also why I might seem content: I am simply waiting for a perfect opportunity.¡± I pulled out a small pouch and presented the contents to her, ¡°And more.¡±


    It was unfortunate that I couldn¡¯t see her face when she saw the blue tori but if her own mother decided to blue-ball her I absolutely had no intention of getting caught in the crossfire. As such some sacrifices had to be made.


    Besides her gasp of surprise was very cute.


    She chuckled, ¡°And more indeed.¡±


    The tight grip of her tail slowly relaxed as Anaise hummed to herself, most likely enjoying the glint of her new jewellery. Eventually, the tail completely unwound from my body and I heard her getting up.


    ¡°Thank you, Erf. Your gift is most generous.¡± Her voice was warm and giddy. The storm had passed.


    I got up myself and bowed in return. ¡°A fitting ornament for the Lady of the most wealthy House, meeting her own father.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± She eagerly agreed, ¡°Now I need to rinse myself in a colder bath and then get dressed. Please wait until I leave and call for my attendants - I have very little time.¡±


    ¡°Of course, my Lady¡± I nodded toward her voice.


    A pitter-patter of small feet on the tile.


    ¡°Erf?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Anaise?¡±


    ¡°¡­you will come here tomorrow as well.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Anaise.¡±

 Chapter 25 The Guest in the Grass

    I sucked in the crisp air of the morning. A few hours of respite until the heat of the day will make itself known.


    A few peaceful moments were all I had.


    The new day was ahead of me and, with it, a multitude of tasks on my agenda. And the day after that. But this time I didn¡¯t mind it as much.


    My heart was calm.


    Despite the upcoming arrival of Tarhunna and his son, despite my upcoming bath with Anaise. Despite the dreaded meeting of tomorrow.


    Last night we celebrated. Neither Irje nor Yeva had any idea what was the usual way to celebrate the official sadaq and I wasn¡¯t that far off myself. But we were creative. Emboldened by my reception at the baths, I ventured out to the kitchens and requested a set of lavish meals. Of the quick but delicious variety. Arguments of the cooks were silenced by my sash and their worries alleviated when I told them that they could report it to Sulla afterwards.


    We took that food to my house: a quiet feast just for ourselves. We spent that time laughing and talking about the future. I tried to show Yeva how to eat certain desserts that she had never encountered in her life before. That quickly transformed into me feeding her everything as she outright demanded me to. Enjoying her new status to Irje¡¯s chagrin. Luckily she didn¡¯t mind it as much, especially after receiving a few morsels of food from me as well.


    We talked about the new place, girls rife with ideas about the layout and absolutely necessary details that should not be missed. All three of us were in agreement that a more secluded design was much more preferable. Girls wanted more privacy for themselves, and to keep me away from accidentally attracting others by Irje¡¯s own words. Apparently, their possessiveness grew with every day we''ve spent together. Or they were content enough to mention it to my face.


    While I wanted privacy for my projects. My obscurity had already run its course and I had to get ready for my notoriety to kick in.


    Having a private chemistry lab within the perimeter of my own estate would allow me to keep working on my projects without someone ¡®accidentally¡¯ stumbling in. Nor would I need to sneak out at night to do secretive projects, as I¡¯ve done in the last two nights.


    I also needed a safe place to bring in the salvage from the crash, and areas where I could bring some of that to life without others asking questions I was uncomfortable answering.


    Finally, I needed a workshop. A real one. I¡¯d gotten glass and soon I will get decent glassware for chemistry. But now I could do much more. Domina was now both aware and in approval of my projects and my status as a murk helped me greatly in avoiding uncomfortable questions. With that, my worst fears didn¡¯t come to pass.


    Aikerim also read me well. As soon as she found a common ground between our ideals she capitalized on it extremely quickly. And in a way that I wouldn¡¯t begrudge her for it. I wanted the best for me and mine, and by positioning herself as a benevolent master and protector she knew that I would make her Manor prosper by a proxy.


    Which is exactly what I was setting out to do. There was only so much I could create with available reagents and only so many tools I could request from artisans. I needed my own tools and I needed to add quite a few decimal places to precision in the meantime. A task that would usually take centuries and jump-start an industrial revolution. And I was planning to do it in weeks.


    But to do that I needed one of the most important machines of mankind.


    A lathe.


    And not just an average one but the precision lathe.


    Aikerim already started the work on a surface plate. With it, I will have access to flat surfaces, straight lines and precise angles. A lathe would give me the precision of a circle. A gateway to cylinders and pistons, crankshafts and gears. And the most important of them all: rods, threaded rods and screws.


    From that, I could build the first micrometer and add a few more decimal places to the precision of my tools.


    Beyond that lied the madness of the exponential growth. Domina coveted Ultramarine like a priceless treasure. I could turn blue into a commodity cheap enough to make blueprints from. And clad whole armies in Prussian Blue.


    Enough daydreaming. Baby steps.


    Emanai already had bow lathes for turning wood, usually powered by the carpenter. The concept wasn¡¯t new or groundbreaking, but they were made out of wood themselves and relied on the artisan¡¯s skill not the precision of a machine. I would probably have to go through few iterations as well before getting anything I would deem decent. And, once I have the ability to make micrometers, I would be able to improve it even more.


    My feet pushed me forward. Not to the inner courtyard as I was planning before, but to the artisanal workshops.


    Before I would gift the second pair of tori to Domina, I wanted to talk to Wrena as well. I would be waiting until the end of the queue anyway and I was already filled with burning curiosity. And it wasn¡¯t about screws either.


    Yesterday, my sleep-deprived mind didn¡¯t put too much attention to the words of Anaise, but now I couldn¡¯t let them go.


    My ¡®inventions¡¯ were groundbreaking, but I wasn¡¯t surrounded by inept and stupid. I¡¯ve seen Wrena work and she had plenty of tools sharp enough to shave hair. Just because they didn¡¯t manufacture most things en masse wasn¡¯t indicative that they couldn¡¯t make them at all.


    If Wrena could sharpen her chisels someone definitely could make a straight razor.


    Either I¡¯ve overestimated the intelligence of the people, or there was something else at play.


    XXX


    ¡°Ah! If it isn¡¯t the murk himself! It is great to see you Erf!¡± Wrena smiled at my entrance and put aside her work, stretching.


    ¡°One and only. You seem to be in a good mood?¡± I nodded back with a smile of my own.


    ¡°Damn right I am! Look what I am working at!¡±


    I looked around her proud form to see the familiar parts. ¡°A loom?¡±


    ¡°Wrong!¡± She smirked at me, ¡°This is the fifth loom!¡±


    My eyebrows rose up. ¡°Impressive. From what you have told Domina you should still be working on your third at most.¡±


    ¡°Exactly! Even though I expected it to take more time with all the secrecy. My apprentices were up to the task and more. In fact, we are waiting on the smithies to keep up.¡± She freely kept boasting, ¡°And you? Still meet Domina occasionally?¡±


    I nodded ¡°I am heading to see her shortly, and I will inform her about your progress as well.¡±


    Her hand slapped my shoulder, ¡°You are a good murk, Erf. Smart one too. Keep at it and I might take you as my second husband.¡±


    I shook my head in exasperation, ¡°I don¡¯t think mine would want to share me with anyone.¡±


    Wrena tsk-ed, ¡°Young blood. You males always scramble in without thinking through. You have a good head on your shoulders, if you were patient you could have been taken by a well-established woman. Instead, you rushed as soon your status got into your head.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe that was exactly what I was trying to avoid.¡± I raised my eyebrow, ¡°I can assure you, having Domina is already plenty enough for my liking.¡±


    ¡°Your pyre, kid. She would¡¯ve definitely traded you into a good family.¡± Wrena shrugged, losing interest, ¡°As long as you mention my progress, you will be good in my view.¡±


    Traded my ass. After ultramarine, the only thing I could expect from her as a marriage mediator was a life of celibacy. I simply couldn¡¯t fathom who would be an applicable target for me in her eyes due to my perceived worth. Except these like Irje and Yeva - already beholden to her and unable to suborn her power over me.


    All that made Wrena¡¯s arguments moot. I just couldn¡¯t tell her the reasons why.


    Besides I didn¡¯t come here to discuss my lack of opportunity as a male concubine.


    ¡°Yes. She will be pleased to hear how you are implementing the early stages of the American system of manufacturing.¡± I smirked, pulling her from the previous topic.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care how you call it, but it is mine.¡± Wrena harrumphed.


    ¡°Of course. You saw a potential way to improve and you took advantage of it. But that is the name of what you are trying to achieve. And what the surface plate would be paramount for, among others things. There is a lot of potential in your future.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes. ¡°What other things?¡±


    I smiled, pleased with my hook. ¡°That is what I came here to discuss. But before we start I had a question on my mind.¡±


    She waved at me, prompting me to continue.


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen the sharpness of your tools. How come no one is using similar blades as shaving utensils?¡±


    Wrena looked at me oddly. ¡°They are used exactly like that.¡±


    Now I was confused. ¡°Even wermages?¡±


    ¡°Well, no. Their hair is too strong for that. What is this about? Is this about a Master of the House coming back?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it then. And not likely - it was just a passing thought.¡± I waved her off, internally sweating.


    Suddenly my willingness to test the conditioner on Anaise didn¡¯t sound like a great idea. How much did I really know about wermage physiology? I pranced my knowledge like a peacock without care that my knowledge was human knowledge. I assumed I was human because knowledge came from a human. And I assumed that wermages were modifications from a human body because that was all my nanites knew about.


    So far everything that I knew about murks, everything that I knew about myself fit the description of humans. So far nothing that I knew about wer and wermages fit any specific criteria of my knowledge. And yet I still looked at them and refused to see them for what they truly were. Unknown and magical.


    Because for a murk Erf they were normal. And because for the nanite Erf normal was human.


    Good job, Erf. You speak of wisdom and quote the titans, yet act like a bubbling fool sometimes. It was great that the conditioner worked so well on Anaise, but what if it burned her hair out? Or worse? What if affected Irje?


    ¡°So, what other things, Erf?¡± Wrena¡¯s impatient voice interrupted my self-ridicule.


    ¡°Right.¡± I gathered my fraying thoughts, ¡°How good are you at carving gears and screws¡­¡±


    XXX


    Our conversation was productive and, most importantly, calming to my mind. Yes, I had made a mistake in my thinking. But that mistake didn¡¯t cause any accidents. So the best thing I could do was to learn from it and not to wallow in misery and brood.


    Wrena was perceptive of my ideas but Domina¡¯s order came to the forefront. I didn¡¯t mind the delay myself, simply because I had no place yet where I could put her works. Nor did I have any other skilled artisan, who was bound by an oath of secrecy to Domina. She did give me a knife, sharp enough to shave hair, correctly assuming I haven¡¯t stopped thinking about it.


    She also told me where I could find the best carpets in Emanai.


    Carpets were a big deal. Both Irje and Yeva were adamant on that aspect of life. Both expected, nay demanded that I should get many for our future house. And not just random rugs either. Emboldened by my rising influence they agreed that I should have Farshat. These weren¡¯t just made to cover floors. These were literal pieces of art woven into fabric and usually kept hidden away deep in private rooms. Hung on the walls of personal bedrooms and, if you were rich enough, spread across the floors.


    I¡¯ve been in the bath with Anaise and I had no idea what kind of farshat covered her inner rooms.


    Suffice to say Irje was absolutely salivating at having one of these. Yeva was also very amenable to fuzzy and warm coverings that she could enjoy walking barefoot upon. Erf appreciated the aesthetic but felt as if most of it flew over his head. But some things you simply shrugged off and said: ¡°Yes, dear¡± to. Especially if money was not an issue.


    I also needed to come up with a seal. Not for myself as much as for Yeva. The Kiymetl seal on my neck told everyone in the city to what Manor I belonged to and most likely kept some opportunistic hands at bay. An Erf seal over Yeva¡¯s neck would do the same within this manor. The seal would have the weighting scales obviously, to depict it as under the greater protector, but the rest was up to me.


    A tree perhaps. As a symbol of freedom.


    I waved at Irje as I passed the workshops on my way to Domina, noticing Viter nearby. Good. As Yeva kept picking up my knowledge while Irje familiarized herself with managing a new project, my presence there became less and less necessary. I still dropped here and there, observing products and checking out the progress on crucibles that would actually melt the glass before melting themselves. But now I didn¡¯t have to stand there for hours and give lectures on what ¡®crucible¡¯ actually was.


    And the progress was lightning fast. A new stack was being built in the meantime, custom made to exchange heat from the exhaust and preheat the air before combustion. It wasn¡¯t a proper recuperative furnace, but I wasn¡¯t planning on producing a few tonnes of glass per day. Yet. Nor did I have the ability to pump superheated air. Yet.


    As I said - baby steps.


    Suffice to say this allowed me to perform other tasks and I was glad to know that the girls had another pair of claws. Did I trust him with their safety? Not sure. But I definitely trusted him to do his job. That was a life of a slave and he didn¡¯t look too stubborn to risk his life and a rather decent living in comparison to others on something like spite.


    In fact, he was a bit too eager to keep his current place. But that wasn¡¯t necessarily a bad thing.


    Once again the Domina¡¯s public quarters were filled with people.


    I sighed, my detour didn¡¯t help as much as I¡¯ve assumed. Or there were more people today. I nodded to Sulla and headed off to an alcove, waiting for my turn. Expecting something similar to yesterday.


    Except it wasn¡¯t.


    When the current petitioner left, Sulla broke the established queue. And simply dragged me to see Aikerim before others. I watched the faces of the onlookers gawking at me and quite a few frowns from these, who were pushed behind in their place. Seriously, woman. I knew you like yourself some new jewellery, but have some patience! I will be the talk of the entire manor tonight.


    ¡°Finally. I expected to see you earlier.¡± She greeted me with outstretched arms. Well, one arm. Her hand in an obvious ¡®gimme¡¯ gesture.


    I placed the coveted pouch into her palm. ¡°And I expected this meeting to be more¡­ clandestine.¡±


    Aikerim smiled, looking at her own pairs of blue rings, tori, and doughnuts. ¡°It would have been if my Alchemist didn¡¯t discover Arksite.¡±


    When I was making the first pair, I wasn¡¯t sure that they would be received well. So I made only one as a trial. This time around I¡¯ve made a few versions of variable thickness and radius. Some were even small enough to be worn as rings.


    ¡°Your status as an Alchemist could have kept you hidden in obscurity for longer. With Arksite, that obscurity would backfire tremendously. I would prefer these curious to look and find a distinguished alchemist, rather than unknown murk. Hopefully, they won''t dig too deep afterwards.¡± She continued speaking as she spread the gifts on her table.


    Her tail danced as she moved them around. Picking, choosing, contemplating. Relishing.


    Yep, her desires had absolutely no sway in her decisions.


    ¡°So what does that mean for me, then?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much in the immediate future.¡± She picked a pair and put them aside, occupied by unravelling her own braids, ¡°Keep working on your projects, but expect your results to be paraded in a more public manner.¡±


    I picked up the comb and walked around her sofa. ¡°More meetings with the likes of Virnan Shah?¡±


    Aikerim relaxed and let me groom her hair. ¡°Less likely than you think. A few would be interested, but most of them would reconsider after learning that you are a male murk.¡±


    ¡°And I expect you to make sure such knowledge would reach their ears,¡± I murmured along, busy with my task.


    Just like Anaise¡¯s, her hair was healthy, strong, and straight. While I could feel the difference with how the hair handled the comb, that was only because I was looking for it. Despite Wrena¡¯s assurances, wermage hair felt, acted, and looked absolutely human-like. So what was the issue, then?


    ¡°Of course. I want them to know of you, not to be interested in you.¡± She smiled, ¡°Is that how you have enticed my daughter?¡±


    I raised my eyebrow, ¡°I beg your pardon?¡±


    ¡°I almost couldn''t feel your stumble. Almost, but not there yet. Keep working on your restraint - you will need it in the future.¡± Aikerim stretched with a smirk. ¡°I¡¯ve seen how luscious her hair had become. I¡¯ve also seen how furious she was at being interrupted. I can put two and two together, Erf.¡±


    Her revelation didn¡¯t really alarm me that much. From her body movements and tone, I saw the curiosity of a Domina rather than the ire of a parent.


    I split her hair and slowly started braiding it back. ¡°I have to attend to her needs, do I not?¡±


    She barked a laugh. ¡°All that work you¡¯ve done to avoid being a companion slave? No, if you had no inclination for that you would¡¯ve found a way to avoid it.¡±


    I finished braiding in the first ring. It looked really fetching with her black kaftan, heavily embroidered with gold. As if she anticipated this colour of jewellery. ¡°And yet you aren¡¯t explicitly telling me no. Despite standing in her way. So what exactly are you trying to achieve?¡±


    She waited until I switched to the other side and started working on her other braid. ¡°My Little Moon isn¡¯t so little anymore. Soon she will start taking much larger social roles. Soon she will start choosing her husbands-to-be. It is my duty as a mother to have my children ready for the life ahead.¡±


    That¡­was an interesting argument. Not sure that I shared it myself, but if you disassociate sex from love then it holds its own weight. Especially in a society where powerful women were expected to accrue harems themselves. Well, sadaq-at. Putting too much emotional weight on the first time would make the sadaq dynamic more unbalanced with the first husband claiming the ¡®dibs¡¯ above other husbands. Something all these Dominas should be careful to avoid. No matter their power: political or magical.


    Even I made sure to spend time with Irje and Yeva separately, despite having a wonderful time together. Sadaq or not, no one should feel left out in the relationship. It would simply not work well otherwise.


    And that is why a previous experience would be crucial for Anaise. A knowledgeable Domina-to-be would have a much better chance of controlling her husbands, rather than being controlled herself.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want me to be her attendant, you want me to be her teacher,¡± I murmured.


    ¡°I always wanted you to be her teacher. You just keep surprising me with the fields you are capable of teaching.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you interrupted her yesterday? So you can talk to me first?¡± The second ring was finally in place.


    ¡°No. Everything has time and place. Today Anaise is meeting her father and brother after a long absence. I wish for her to concentrate on that instead.¡± She summoned a disk of polished bronze, enjoying her own reflection.


    I glanced at the tool that she used. Soon. But there was something more pressing right now.


    ¡°Does that mean you would interfere with her bathing today as well?¡±


    Aikerim put her mirror aside, only to look at me with an odd glint in her eyes. ¡°Her hair was quite an enjoyable sight. Do you expect me not to look the same for the meeting tomorrow?¡±


    I¡¯ve picked up a ring she set aside and offered it to her. ¡°Please tell me, that you have informed your daughter about this in advance.¡± I really hoped I didn¡¯t have to break this news to Anaise myself. I was out of gifts to placate her with.


    ¡°Worry not. I had faced the brunt of her anger, yesterday.¡± Aikerim smiled, accepting my ¡®bribe¡¯.


    I breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I will provide your attendants with the conditioner before your bath.¡±


    ¡°You will attend my bath yourself.¡±


    Her words made me narrow my eyes. ¡°Are you in need of a teacher?¡±


    Domina chuckled, ¡°I have other ways to ascertain your prowess. Or have you forgotten what Irje was originally busy with?¡±


    ¡°Please be gentle with her, I¡¯ve come to care for her greatly.¡±


    She waved my concerns away.


    ¡°My daughter¡¯s excuse was actually a sound one. I do not believe you had the opportunity to see what my bath could be about. A knowledge that could be important tomorrow. If I would have you as my attendant among the ladies of my status, I would expect you to know where the sponges usually are. I do not believe my daughter has taught you that.¡± Aikerim moved on.


    Yes. That was a good reason, actually.


    ¡°I appreciate your tutelage.¡± I bowed to her, but a thought deep inside my mind was still there. Nagging. ¡°If I may ask. What made you so accepting of my coaching of your daughter? What if she desires more?¡±


    ¡°How old do you think I am, Erf?¡±


    ¡°I do not wish to presume¡­¡± I cautiously approached the social minefield ahead of me.


    ¡°You should,¡± Her words made me stumble in my speech, ¡°An age is a point of power among our kind if you are asked like that again - guess generously and then throw in another fifty years to be sure.¡±


    Domina reclined once again into her regal pose. ¡°Just so you know, I am a hundred and seventy years old, Erf. Some might say it is still young for a Domina, but I know my worth. I expect to lead my Manor just as long. Anaise will take in my stead then. If she grows attached to you, it would be good for her to learn how to let go. A passing of her teacher from old age would be an appropriate experience.¡±


    No wonder Irje outright dismissed my concerns about Anaise. Such heavy disparity in the lifespans would bring a point of view I was not yet ready to tackle myself. That also further explained Aikerim aloofness about my relationship with her daughter. Perhaps she didn¡¯t see me as a tool anymore. But it mattered little. For them I was temporary.


    Who knows, perhaps she was so greedy with my knowledge because she expected me to keel over and die from an old age any minute now.


    ¡°And if a said teacher refuses to die?¡± I threw a probing question.


    She smiled at me. Predatory so. ¡°If said Alchemist finds a cure to prolong his life, I might snatch him up myself.¡±


    XXX


    The harbour was hot, loud, and smelt strongly of fish and salt. The word had been passed over that the ship was sighted near the closest lighthouse. And now Anaise stood on a pier, attended by me and surrounded by the horde of other slaves. While the ship was carrying important passengers and, therefore, little in the way of trade goods, plenty of personal belongings were still needed to be unloaded and promptly sent to the manor.


    She watched the growing outline of the ship, while I observed her instead.


    Her face, full of expectation, was tempered with a hint of frustration. I had no idea how well her mother planned this, but it really did give her a more regal image. Like a patron both welcoming but a little bit dismayed at the platitudes of her subjects. Or it could have been the training that allowed her to channel negative emotions into something more fruitful.


    Luckily for me, her frustrations did not extend to me as much as they did toward her mother. While Anaise was terse with me today, her lack of engagement was mostly caused by awkwardness and, I dare to say, anticipation. My gift from yesterday still had a placating and calming effect on her. Just like her mother, she wore a darker kaftan both to highlight her red hair and to put more attention to the rings of blue skillfully braided in.


    Unlike her mother, she capitalized on the new shine of her hair. The rest of her hair was set in a ponytail more elaborate than usual. A fire-red, gently rolling in the wind on the canvas of the emerald-green sea.


    ¡°It is a delight to my eyes and heart to finally see you again, father!¡± Anaise allowed herself to break her previous decorum and brilliantly smile at the figure that just disembarked from the ship.


    I simply baulked at the sight.


    I¡¯ve heard plenty about the man¡¯s character, but I was absolutely not expecting to see this. Apparently, the quiet and calculating mind was encased in a hulking body, full of muscle and horns of a bull. With cloven feet and ox-like tail to complete the ensemble. Virtually nothing alike with Anaise, except for the green in his eyes and a similar nose.


    I didn¡¯t realize how strong Aikerim¡¯s blood was to be able to override so much.


    As Tarhunna embraced his daughter I let them enjoy the moment to themselves, without listening too closely to their conversation. Most that I could observe right now I already knew: his responses were calm but full of parental pride and joy. Apparently, her appearance wasn¡¯t the only part that shocked him, but her demeanour as well.


    I guess being apprenticed under Virnan raised her self esteem quite a bit.


    ¡°It is nice to finally see you¡­ sister.¡± Apparently, her father wasn¡¯t the only one to be surprised by her appearance. Amalric Karim looked much closer to Tarhunna compared to Anaise, but still kept all animal traits of his mother. Despite his larger frame and the chin of his father, he still had a fox tail and ears on top of his head.


    It really didn¡¯t feel like a coincidence anymore. Perhaps there was more to the wermage genetics than met the eye. I wouldn¡¯t make the mistake again, but, even in humans, mothers provided more than just a half of a child¡¯s DNA. The human egg was filled with different gradients of chemicals. Proteins that told the growing child where it needed to grow head and legs. The boot code for a human program.


    Biological uncertainties aside, that could have been one of the factors why Emanai society was so matriarchal. Manors were clearly of the same type and their power grew with the number of wermages that they had. Wermage females weren¡¯t just powerful beings, equal to the other gender, they were also the only way for a Manor to grow and prosper.


    A hegemony of gender.


    ¡°Little sister,¡± A twitch of Anaise¡¯s tail made me pay attention to the conversation at hand. Was the response too familiar? ¡°Allow me to introduce you to the envoy of Esca! She had heard many tales about our family and agreed to travel with us all the way from Yusuf.¡±


    The name was familiar, but the envoy was a sight to see herself. Dark, raven-blue hair cascaded down in black waves. A pair of large pointy ears poking through, rich in gold earrings. The predatory gaze of her eyes was exacerbated by the black irises and vibrant-yellow sclera. The veil, that covered the rest of her face, made her appearance even more striking. Almost like a falcon.


    But the exotic look of her face wasn¡¯t the only thing that pulled my undivided attention. She ¡®stood¡¯ tall, taller than Irje, but she was much longer than that. The envoy had no legs to speak of. An enormous tail emerged from her flowing robes only to stretch even further on the ground.


    A lamia.


    I didn¡¯t know if she was a wer or a wermage, but such a different body structure was a first for me. Emanai had many shapes and forms among the magical kind. But all of them were fully humanoid.


    How peculiar.


    ¡°May the warmth never leave your house.¡± The envoy bowed low to Anaise.


    ¡°And may the warmth never leave your breath.¡± Anaise politely acknowledged her greeting, ¡°What brings you so far away from your home?¡±


    ¡°Your Manor is well known for its trade across the nations, artisans of my house are always looking for places where they could sell their product, and always on a lookout for new ingredients. But it is through the words and deeds of your father and brother that I realized how lucky I would be to visit your homeland.¡± The snake made a small bow to the mentioned males, receiving one polite and one eager nod in response.


    In the meantime, I tried to stay as still and quiet as possible. The envoy words about artisans brought up a memory from two days ago. ¡°Esca holds a tight leash on their product.¡± Aikerim mentioned to me back then. And for a reason. House of Esca was the manufacturer of glass.


    Not ¡®a¡¯ manufacturer, but ¡®the¡¯ manufacturer. Because there wasn¡¯t anyone else. Until now.


    And I had no delusions that this was just a courtesy trip or a networking one. The snake smelled something. Something enough to slither all the way across the sea to here. Into my backyard. And now I had to make sure she won''t bite.


    The yellow and black orbs of a predator looked again at Anaise. All of her, only to stop on the two morsels of blue on her chest. ¡°And I believe my stars were the lucky ones.¡±


    Fuck.

 Chapter 26 The Face Off

    Irje


    She forced herself to remain calm in the presence of Domina.


    While she had been called upon before and met with her on multiple occasions, this was the first time they had a meeting truly private.


    She should¡¯ve expected it really, Erf was like a fire. He gave warmth, he lit up the path ahead, but he could also burn you just by being close. Gods willing, whatever shenanigans, as he himself would call it, were the cause of this - they wouldn¡¯t be too hot for her to handle.


    At least Domina was in a very good mood. She rarely, if ever, allowed her tail so much freedom to move.


    ¡°Have you been made aware of the news?¡±


    The voice of Aikerim Adal was commanding, but benevolent. Perhaps this was about something for the future and not about what he had done in the past.


    Irje bowed, ¡°I have. You have my deepest thanks for allowing us to form sadaq.¡±


    ¡°Sit,¡± Domina commanded, gesturing at the sofa near the table. Right across the lying wermage eating grapes. ¡°Is that all that he informed you about?¡±


    She carefully sat on the sheets reserved for important guests. ¡°Erf told us about our purchase and a new place, your generosity knows no bounds.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the new place. What do you think about it?¡±


    ¡°Uhm, immense gratitude?¡± Irje really wasn¡¯t sure what she was going for.


    Domina sighed and rolled her eyes. A gesture of her hand and another plate slid over the table. Full of grapes.


    Right toward Irje.


    She goggled at the offered treat and the manner in which it was given.


    ¡°What I meant was how do you like your estate to look like.¡± She clarified.


    Slowly lifting her eyes from the treat onto the treater, Irje kept staring. Domina wasn¡¯t in a very good mood. She was in the best mood Irje had ever seen. She wondered, clumsily grabbing a grape, if Erf had the fortune of experiencing the same. Or misfortune, perhaps.


    ¡°I was thinking¡­private?¡± Irje cautiously ventured. This would be the worst time to say too much and lose whatever Erf had managed to bargain for.


    Domina drummed her fingers in contemplation.


    ¡°Do you still fear my wrath?¡±


    ¡°I belong to Erf now, but you are his mistress,¡± She acknowledged.


    ¡°That is true, yet I have no desire to do so unless you cause something much, much more grievous than simply speaking out of greed. Do you know why?¡±


    She breathed a sigh of relief. Honestly, there was only one reason. ¡°Erf.¡±


    Domina nodded, ¡°Erf. It is good that you still have a head on your shoulders. I was beginning to fear that all these nightly activities have kept you distracted for too long.¡±


    Irje decided to avoid answering that by conveniently eating another delicious grape.


    ¡°He called you precious, you know. His own jewel.¡±


    That was the wrong choice, she realized, as the large grape got stuck inside her throat. Irje swallowed hard, blinking off the tears on her rapidly blushing face.


    ¡°What?¡± She croaked.


    Domina put on a pleased smile and continued, ¡°Precious. The namesake of our entire Manor. We earned our name through the gift of jewels to the Gods. We earned our wealth and our vocation through the trade of the things that are precious to others.¡±


    A cup of wine slid over the table. ¡°Now, I want you to think. I want you to think as if you were wearing my dresses. What could a merchant of all things precious offer to someone who already has a jewel in his hands?¡±


    As she picked up the cup, Irje noticed Domina holding an identical one. She sipped the drink, enjoying the taste of it. She did it quickly this time, not to have another blunder as with the grape. But thoughts didn¡¯t come. The good ones, the ones that she would like herself.


    But Domina was waiting.


    ¡°Offer him more?¡± She finally conceded her loss.


    A thick brow rose up. ¡°Do you think he is the type that wishes for more jewels?¡±


    She couldn¡¯t help but chuckle in response, ¡°No, he is not.¡±


    Despite all his prowess and willingness to please her in bed, Erf was pleasantly resistant to the temptations of acquiring more.


    ¡°Exactly, he isn¡¯t,¡± Domina tipped the cup to her in response. ¡°But you don¡¯t become a profitable merchant if that is all that it takes for you to stop.¡±


    A hand with a blue ring brought the cup to her lips again.


    ¡°A person who already has his precious jewel is in dire need to set that gem in gold.¡± Domina mused, nursing her cup. ¡°So I ask again of you. How do you like your estate to look like?¡±


    She tried her hardest to stop her hands from shaking. Stupid, lovable oaf. What did he offer to her for their safety? How large was his ¡®enough¡¯?


    A part of her chastised Erf inside her mind. For his indiscriminate spending. Another part was busy worrying about the future attention from Domina.


    And the third part couldn¡¯t stop grinning like a loon.


    Sometimes a price was set to encourage someone to join a sadaq. Or to placate the mother or a Domina. A dowry it was called. Judging by the wermage reaction her own dowry was immense. So immense that Domina had to offer back something that was enough to entice most free wer. And possibly some wermages too. An estate within one of the Pillar Manors was not a thing to be trifled with.


    And now she will have hers.


    Suddenly, she wasn¡¯t so sure about Erf seducing the Lady of the House anymore. She wasn¡¯t so sure about many things that she had planned or dismissed for her future too. Their evening lectures came to mind - was that what he meant by exponential growth?


    Irje clenched her shaking hands.


    She chose it herself. The ride was getting wilder by the day, but she was the one who climbed on the back of a young gryff. And she had no intention of letting go. Whether he would carry her to the lands of Gods in the sky, or he will burn her by the nearby Sun. And she would not be trailing behind - hanging on the reins for her dear life. Not for herself, and definitely not for him.


    She won¡¯t leave him alone on that peak of his.


    ¡°I want it big, the biggest you would give.¡± Irje licked her lips, ¡°I want him to have no want within, in space and crafts of his. And give him an aqueduct, he talks about the power of water a lot. Find replacements for Yeva and me both. We are already spread thin between the current tasks, and you know better than us, that what he can give is more than what he has right now.¡±


    She saw Domina absentmindedly rub that sky-blue ring of hers. ¡°Gods¡­¡± She breathed.


    The amber eyes pierced her through. A hiss, ¡°Not a word to anyone.¡±


    ¡°By Three Horns I won¡¯t,¡± Irje fanatically nodded.


    Domina stared at her for a moment and then nodded, ¡°What else?¡±


    She wasn¡¯t even surprised anymore at the continuous acceptance. A mind of an experienced organizer and overseer hard at work, ¡°I want kitchens and servant quarters. Decent and remote. I want the cooks and servants either male or taken, happy to work but nothing beyond that. I want them desperate to keep that status without taking any risks to improve their condition further. Either by gossip or by bed.


    Her throat ran dry from all that speaking. Drinking deep from a cup she kept on going, ¡°I want no ¡®encouragements¡¯ to have someone join our sadaq. At least without our knowledge and acceptance. I am not stupid and I will seriously consider someone who will truly be a worthwhile addition to my new family, but I will not suffer some upstart or worse a backstabber.¡±


    ¡°Truly?¡± Domina leaned forward. ¡°And yet you want him to fuck my daughter?¡±


    The cup of wine froze at her lips.


    ¡°Did you really think that I wouldn¡¯t notice?¡± The wermage hissed, ¡°Or realize who actually was pointing him at my precious jewel?¡±


    She felt a tinge of shame and fear, but she fought them down hard. A different memory was giving her the strength to do so.


    ¡°You made me do it!¡± Irje growled back, ¡°The welts on his back are still fresh inside my mind!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve done it for his safety!¡± Domina roared, standing up. Blue lines flared up all over the room.


    ¡°And so did I!¡± She jumped up herself, easily pushing the sofa aside and towering over the glowing wermage.


    They stood still, glaring at each other.


    Tyrannical Amber and Bellicose Yellow.


    The silence of the room poisoned by the ring of resonating dishes, dancing to the hum of magic.


    A grape fell on the floor. Rolling across the glowing lines of power.


    ¡°Good.¡± Aikerim pulled back, crossing arms over her black kaftan. ¡°That means we are in agreement.¡±


    Irje almost fell over from the abrupt lack of pressure. ¡°Wh-what?¡±


    The wermage plopped back into her sofa, her eyebrow raised. ¡°We both desire for his safety, do we not?¡±


    She opened her mouth, but the words refused to come out. Crazy wermages with their weird thoughts. Carefully, she reached out and pulled the sofa back for her to sit down. But the fire of anger still roared strongly inside her veins. ¡°Was this all a joke to you?¡±


    ¡°A test, actually.¡± Domina calmly drank her wine. ¡°If you wish to become his Prime, you should be able to defend him and his. Whether with strength, wit, or determination.¡±


    Irje huffed but forced herself to calm down. Despite the rancour caused by her words, the underlying message was of approval. At least that what she thought it was. ¡°And? Did I pass your ¡®test¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Almost,¡± Aikerim allowed. She smiled and reached over for a grape.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± The grape was lost inside her open mouth. ¡°For him to educate my daughter in all ways carnal: how good is he in bed?¡±


    This time around, the feeling of fire on her face was much harder to fight.


    XXX


    My attempts to go unnoticed were both unnecessary and unproductive. The envoy with the tongue-twisting name of Shahin Esca Yusuf-ja simply ignored me altogether. She remained content trading simple pleasantries with the Kiymetl ruling family until an appropriate litter would be found for her shape and size.


    Shahin of the Esca clan, from Yusuf. Judging by the name, their clans either spread across many cities, or they were nomadic now or in the past. I wasn¡¯t sure how much this knowledge would help me in the future, but from this point onward I was immensely curious of all things snake-like. Perhaps I should pick Aikerim''s brain about her in a couple of hours.


    In the end, it was actually Amalric Karim, who drew the attention of the crowd on yours truly. While Anaise¡¯s father ignored me, busy with introducing both sides to each other, Her brother couldn¡¯t help himself but frown in my general direction.


    ¡°Tell me, sister,¡± He finally picked up on the fact that she didn¡¯t like the ¡®little¡¯ part, ¡°Why do you have a murk as your attendant? Our mother would gladly give you someone more appropriate for our status.¡±


    I sighed internally to myself. All that care and all was ruined because of some lovestruck fool. His glances at the demure lamia were obvious to anyone. Tarhunna started to speak himself but stopped, seeing the smirk on Anaise¡¯s face.


    ¡°Daughter?¡± He prompted with a smile instead.


    ¡°Erf,¡± The smugness personified turned over to me, sending the wave of luscious fire across the wind. ¡°Tell my family why my mother chose you.¡±


    ¡°My heart is full with your sight,¡± I bowed down low. Away from three pairs of scrutinizing eyes. Buying myself some time and allowing the Gestr to fall out from the neck of my tunic.


    I was grateful to her, for allowing me to dig my own grave so to say. But I still had to tread carefully here. Can¡¯t just start with ¡®Hey I am the murk that made all that glass, please kill me behind the next corner!¡¯, nor could I say ¡®Oh I am just a nobody, here to embarrass the future Domina, who is already cranky by being blue-balled by her mother¡¯.


    ¡°Master of the House, young master,¡± My lips moved on my own with acquired practise, impervious to my sarcastic mind, ¡°This one here is tasked by Virnan Shah himself to assist in the education of the Noble Lady of the House.¡±


    Which was technically true, I just skipped a few details.


    ¡°Master Shah? Hoh¡­¡± Tarhunna¡¯s eyebrows rose as he noticed the gold on my neck. His whole head swivelled down to my waist and back to Anaise. The horns making even a subtlest of his head movements quite obvious. ¡°It appears you have managed to surpass even my most daring expectations. Didn¡¯t he declare that he won¡¯t even look at any applicants below the age of fifty? With all his previous students being well past a hundred years? How are his lessons?¡±


    I quietly faded into the background, content with their exchange. I wasn¡¯t sure how much of his exclamation was the pride of the father but that tidbit was certainly added to impress their guest.


    Anaise hugged her tail. ¡°As a Rhetor, he can be very¡­ intense.¡±


    Intense my ass. The senile fox you have seen that day was a model of a gentleman. We only were at each other''s necks for fifteen minutes or so. There wasn''t even any sand throwing at all!


    The curious head swivelled back to me, ¡°And what did Master Shah say about her education so far?¡±


    ¡°The Lady of the House is being humble. Just three days ago she had pointed out an important solution to one of his problems. Which allowed him to gain a great breakthrough.¡± I spoke calmly as Anaise¡¯s calm persona fought hard to keep her face free from blush. ¡°Master Shah was so grateful that he had promised to teach her both the Geometry and Flow.¡±


    ¡°He is what?!¡± Tarhunna boomed in visible shock, while I received a crimson glare hidden by the fluffiest tail in the city at the moment. ¡°This is great news! A celebration! We should hold a great feast in your honour!¡±


    Once again I stepped away, satisfied at my redirection. Anaise was occupied in trying her hardest to look proper under the barrage of new questions. Her family was busy shaking her for new revelations while trying to be polite with their guest. The snake was trying to look proper and not at all confused by the deluge of obviously important news that she might or might not need in the future.


    Eventually, the custom litter had arrived, and the entire procession set out toward the manor. Even Amalric didn¡¯t bother me afterwards. It appeared like he wasn¡¯t really concerned about my status as a murk rather than the quality of his sister¡¯s attendants. He had shown a similar surprise as his father at seeing the Gestr, but he also didn¡¯t frown in my direction anymore.


    I didn¡¯t know whether that was caused by the actual concern about his sister, or the desire for his family to appear wealthy and influential. But as long as they were busy with their own things I didn¡¯t have to care as much.


    A feast was definitely a great idea. In fact, they should feast every day until the envoy needs to head home and diet.


    As long as Aikerim won''t get the ingenious idea of parading me there too. I should remind her about it tonight.


    ¡°You weren¡¯t particularly honest with my father.¡± Anaise quietly murmured.


    While we were all walking together, the litters were sufficiently far apart. They had taken a significant amount of street space by themselves and having multiple to be carried side by side would take even more. A procession like that would take ages to clear the crowds in front of them.


    ¡°I haven''t said any lies either. All my words were true.¡±


    I got gently smacked.


    ¡°You know what I meant.¡± She huffed good-naturedly. ¡°You intentionally made it sound like something else. Now my father and my brother might get a wrong idea about my abilities.¡±


    ¡°Will they?¡± I raised my eyebrow. ¡°Are you not the youngest student of the senile fox himself.¡±


    Anaise snorted, ¡°Erf!¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I was the image of innocence. ¡°He said it himself. I didn''t even have to choke him that time.¡±


    ¡°Hnk. Stop it.¡± She furiously worked her jaw muscles trying to hold herself from grinning. Her hand holding her tail down.


    I let the moment linger, allowing her to collect herself, but enjoying the process nevertheless.


    ¡°They would arrive at the same conclusions later,¡± I moved on in a more calm manner, ¡°I just made sure it hit them like a pile of bricks now. For a greater impact.¡±


    ¡°While intentionally making yourself invisible,¡± She pointed out, smiling comfortably now, ¡°You ignored my advice.¡±


    ¡°Well, there is a brash ambition and a careful one. But now your father will be reminded of that joy if he will talk to me again in the future.¡±


    She hummed in response. ¡°You are afraid of her? Don¡¯t. She will be received as a guest, but that is all she will be here.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°It is not that I am afraid of her but her arrival feels too convenient to be coincidental. Now I have to watch for her sneaking in the background.¡±


    Anaise rolled her eyes. ¡°Do you really think she will have the permission to wander freely through the Manor? She will have luxurious accommodations for the guests, but she won''t be able to go deeper. Especially as an envoy of our trading partner. Our relations are cordial but not that friendly.¡±


    ¡°That is good then. I guess from my perspective the manor was too open.¡±


    ¡°Because you haven¡¯t gone to any of the places forbidden for you.¡± Anaise mused back.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even realize there were many. I mean private quarters are private for a reason but, beyond that, I simply went everywhere I needed to go.¡±


    That would be important knowledge to know. I didn¡¯t want to cause some faux pas, by stepping into some blessed garden, or a wermage-only pavilion.


    She put her head on her knuckles, looking at me. ¡°There aren¡¯t many because it is you, Erf. As an alchemist, you are allowed to enter workshops. As a tutor, you can enter the inner courtyards. As my attendant, you have even more freedom inside the Manor. And, as Erf, you have all that and more¡­¡±


    Anaise stumbled for a second on her last word. Only for her eyes turn wide as she turned her blushing face away from me. A memory of yesterday, no doubt. But her words made sense to me. In fact, I couldn¡¯t even remember being stopped at the gates ever since I¡¯ve come back with Gestr. I originally thought it was because of the golden trinket, but perhaps it was the Domina who gave me free passage afterwards.


    ¡°Erf.¡± A quiet mumble interrupted my musings. And a lithe hand tugging at my tunic. ¡°I¡¯ve seen the similar rings in my mother''s hair. And soon her hair will follow. Will you¡­are you going to do¡­more?¡±


    I shuddered at the idea. I could feel my hips groan at the possible abuse. With everything sensitive in between rapidly hiding away.


    ¡°Not if I can help it. Forgive me, but your mother is intense. If you don''t mind I can even use your name if she insists.¡±


    ¡°G-good¡­¡± The tugging fingers clenched one last time before letting me go, ¡°That¡¯s¡­ good. She won''t, but¡­yes you can use that.¡±


    She looked adorable, quietly smiling through her blush as her fingers played with the tip of her tail close to her face.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take it against her.¡± My own hand reached out and gently enveloped her own, ¡°Use her actions to benefit you instead. It is like ambition: would you snatch what you can now, or wait a few days for the most opportune moment?¡±


    ¡°So I can get more?¡±


    ¡°Much more.¡±


    ¡°Eeeep.¡±


    Snusmumriken

 Chapter 27 Clandestine meetings

    ¡°Please forgive me for this question, but I¡¯ve got to ask it,¡± I said, relaxing in a bed as two strong arms roamed on my back.


    ¡°What is it?¡± The familiar voice of Domina called back to me.


    My eyes were closed as I relaxed into the massage, feeling the tension of the day disappear.


    ¡°Your husband arrived almost an hour ago, aren¡¯t you curious about his trip?¡± I tried to say it in the safest way possible.


    It is not a very easy thing to say ¡®why are you here with me when your husband just arrived from a trip?¡¯. Especially when I was lying buck naked with a generous amount of oils spread on my back. The massage was decent, however. I could notice the obvious lack of knowledge in anatomy but in general strokes, they were on the right path.


    Just a bit less effective at targeting deep knots and their ilk.


    No wonder all of them were so perceptive to my massage techniques.


    Domina sighed. ¡°I am extremely curious, especially about the envoy. Her arrival wasn¡¯t planned at all. But we will discuss this later.¡±


    Which meant later in the bath, when her entourage would leave us alone. Right after the massage was over.


    It was the middle of the day and I was getting front row tickets to the inner life of the wermage bathing. For my own sake, Aikerim pulled all the stops. Including the most important one - her own time.


    I wasn¡¯t observing her usual bathing routine at the manor. The one designed for efficiency and speed. What we did now was reserved for Domina¡¯s partners and allies. If they would ever prefer to attend her private baths instead of meeting in the city. Which meant that the level of luxury was cranked to the maximum as well as the amenities provided.


    The clandestine discussions during these meetings were part of the norm, which is why a large chunk of soaking and relaxation time would be only shared by us.


    A perfect time to discuss a snake in the garden.


    A perfect time to apply conditioner to her hair.


    ¡°And on the point of my husband. Do you really expect me to meet him right away?¡± The voice of Aikerim continued, coming from my side, ¡°His arrival is a grand affair and both parties have traditions to uphold. It is a show of respect when Domina takes time to prepare herself for the meeting. It also gives them time to relax from their voyage and reacquaint themselves with the Manor.¡±


    ¡°The precious time of Domina, huh. What an interesting tradition.¡± I hummed in thought.


    To be able to display that Domina is showing you respect while at the same time cementing her position as the one above you. Traditions of Emanai had their own particular nuance to them, shaped by the women in power and the magic they possessed. Perhaps there was some weight in Albin¡¯s passion. Unravelling such tidbits of the past and looking back at where they came from.


    I should probably do something for him too, in the near future. His eccentricity aside, the Mephistopheles managed not only to save my hide but provided me with essential information and a training toy for Irje. While promising to supply me in the future with something close enough to be called guitar strings.


    The orb alone had made his assistance extremely invaluable. It was the toy that attracted my attention, most likely dragged over the table by Irje¡¯s Flow. Who knows how many more nights we would¡¯ve spent completely unaware. And if we did find out - how long it would have taken us to see some real progress.


    But what could I give him? What could a slave murk give to the Speaker? Pretty much nothing. Most likely even Erf couldn¡¯t. But Erf could give things to a historian.


    Not a printing press, Domina would skin me alive for something like that.


    But I could tell him stories. Not the tales of the past, for them - unknown, but tales about history itself. He might recognize the similarities in the works of Herodotus and Thucydides. He would also appreciate the ideas of Cato the Elder. But these won¡¯t be gifts. Just discussions on things he was most likely aware of.


    I would start with the works of Ibn Khaldun.


    A man who was considered to be the founder of disciplines that would eventually cover almost all social studies. From sociology and economics to the things like historiography. The study of the methods in developing history.


    I had a feeling he would appreciate it well.


    ¡°That would be enough. Leave us.¡±


    The hands, that I started to appreciate, pulled away immediately.


    Rubbing my eyes, I forced myself to get up and stretch.


    ¡°While all this is pleasant, we have no time for you to simply doze off.¡± Domina continued.


    ¡°Forgive me, but I was actually thinking about an appropriate gift for Albin, as he had assisted me greatly and I cannot appear ungrateful to someone of his status.¡±


    ¡°And what did you come up with?¡± Aikerim promptly asked, getting up from her massage bed.


    Another thing that my front row tickets included was a buck naked Domina. Who was more curious about the words about to come off my lips compared to the sight already burned in my eyes.


    My eyes stayed on her face. ¡°Stories. About history and society. Something not so groundbreaking for a Speaker of Shebet, but extremely attractive for the Historian Albin. You will get a copy of course.¡±


    Aikerim smiled and walked toward the baths. Almost dragging me behind with her tail.


    Looking at her I could see there was not a lot for Anaise to grow into. But hot damn, woman. Spare some sanity for a poor Erf. You might have grown up surrounded by attendants, but I wasn¡¯t. She also didn¡¯t have the same ¡®issue¡¯ as Anaise had. Most likely from the frequency of her public bath visits, which required her to maintain the expected level of customs. Which also didn¡¯t dull with her boldness nor the impact on me.


    Speaking of plucked hairs.


    ¡°Do you mind answering another question of mine,¡± I asked when the red blob resurfaced from the pool of water. ¡°About your hair.¡±


    Just as her daughter, Aikerim had most of her hair braided. And just like her daughter, the braids hid a lot of volume of their hair. With long red bands coming down on her chest and a figurative red cloak at the back, she looked like a mermaid within a risque picture. Just enough to show the curves, yet hiding the peaks of her breasts.


    The mermaid raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard that wermage hair doesn''t get cut as easily, yet it still reacts well to the soap and conditioner,¡± I said as I started to bring all the cleaning and hair-care products.


    ¡°Because it is magical?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± I conceded, ¡°But magical how?¡±


    Aikerim thought for a second then shrugged and offered me a lock, ¡°See for yourself. Do you have a blade?¡±


    Eagerly, I¡¯ve retrieved the blade that I got from Wrena and tried it on the tips of her hair. I¡¯ve tested the sharpness beforehand and Wrena¡¯s words were true - it was sharp enough to cut hair on my skin. Yet not Domina¡¯s. The blade made its way through the hair painfully slow, facing an unusual resistance.


    I pinched the blade, running my fingers through the bottom half of it, and tried again. The blade went through like butter.


    How peculiar.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± She pulled her hair back, surprised at the outcome.


    ¡°Hmm? I used a sharper portion of the blade.¡± I murmured, engrossed in few hairs I¡¯ve cut off. Now, even the original blade was capable of splitting them with ease. Whatever resistance they possessed, when they were still attached to Domina, was now utterly gone. What I had in my hands were just strands of human red hair.


    Curiouser and curiouser!


    ¡°Can you sharpen any blade like that?¡± Aikerim pressed on.


    ¡°Not really. The blade is too sharp to last long - it rusts very quickly,¡± I replied, still occupied by the tiny strands. ¡°To hold a near-monomolecular edge for extended periods of time you need regenerative blades. And you are correct, your hair is magical. Was magical to be precise. As soon as it was cut whatever influence Flow had on it was lost.¡±


    ¡°Regenerative? You mean alive? Or magical?¡± She asked incredulously.


    ¡°Ah, no. The name might be confusing but they simply rebuild themselves from the air. Just like a cup would ¡®refill¡¯ itself if you put it underwater.¡±


    The molecular self-assembly and nitrogen deposition weren¡¯t simple topics to explain in a few sentences. Especially to a person who grew up believing that all matter was made with just four elements and glued together with the magical fifth.


    ¡°And can you make these?¡± Aikerim was relentless.


    I chuckled ruefully, ¡°Not even close. I need tools to make tools to make tools¡­ To even consider something like that as a possibility.¡±


    And by that time any bladed weapon would be archaic at best. But I preferred not to go into weapons research. I had a few nasty vials from a market and a few tiny pouches with neurotropic powder. Enough to kill and enough to incapacitate if I had to.


    ¡°Pity. But I would be extremely interested if you do come up with something.¡± Domina nearly purred.


    I sighed and put her cut hairs aside. And grabbed the lotions instead. Aikerim noticed my actions and moved as well, giving me access to her mane.


    ¡°Honestly speaking. I hope that I will never have to.¡± I spoke as my hands began to work. ¡°I would prefer to make you richer rather than deadlier.¡±


    Aikerim leaned into my fingers. ¡°You will. One way or another. Hope is not enough, and some things require power.¡±


    ¡°Power, yes. But for power to actually affect others they need to believe in it too. To do that you have to show it to them in action. Repeatedly. I would prefer to rely on your power instead, and make it stronger in my own way.¡± I gently tried to steer the conversation away.


    ¡°Yes, I would prefer it too, that you would continue to rely on my power.¡± She sighed but accepted my polite rebuke. ¡°This conversation can wait, for we have other topics to discuss today.¡±


    ¡°Indeed.¡± I eagerly jumped to the pressing matter on my agenda, ¡°The snake.¡±


    Aikerim snorted, ¡°Do not call her that in her presence or when in public. I do not wish to see how you look inside out. Just because my uncle and Albin Chasya let you do it doesn¡¯t mean that every other wermage in the hearing range will let it slide. Especially if you casually refer to them like that.¡±


    ¡°So she is a wermage herself?¡±


    ¡°She would be, otherwise she wouldn¡¯t have come here so easily. Emanai is too cold for them even in the summer. Especially at night. If she couldn¡¯t guarantee her survival with Flow she wouldn¡¯t be here at all. Or she would have a much larger entourage.¡±


    I nodded to myself, as my hands started to rinse off her hair. That meant she was powerful and had a lot of practice in Flow. Heat regulation? Or, maybe, generation. Whatever she did - she has most likely been doing it for years non-stop. Which made her even more powerful in my book.


    ¡°But she did come.¡±


    ¡°She did,¡± Aikerim smiled at the sheen of her hair and passed the comb to me. ¡°And I do not think it is a coincidence either. I had made enquiries to my husband about the flux they might be using. She had most likely been made aware of it.¡±


    I grimaced, ¡°That could be it. For someone well versed in glassmaking even subtle hints about ingredients could be extremely obvious. Especially the ingredients they hold secret.¡±


    She frowned, ¡°I have sufficient trust in my husband¡¯s abilities or I wouldn¡¯t have mentioned it to him at all. Despite his appearance, he is very capable at being discreet.¡±


    ¡°What about your son? He looked absolutely enamoured by the envoy.¡±


    It was time for Aikerim to grimace instead. ¡°That could be a possibility.¡±


    With a groan, she stood up and sat on the edge of the bathing pool. Her tail plopping into my lap with a wet sound. ¡°I hoped he would¡¯ve grown out of that age by now, I guess I was wrong.¡±


    She stopped speaking for few seconds, to hum contentedly at my ministrations, and then grumbled, ¡°The rashness of young males was written even in legends. Can you teach him restraint?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think any teacher can do that. What is needed is time and experience. But what should we do about Shahin Esca?¡± I kept working on her tail as I spoke.


    Compared to her daughter, she had much better control over her appendage. Or she simply didn''t register me as a potential mating material. Her enjoyment was palpable but that was as far as she went.


    ¡°She will be welcomed in my Manor as all guests would be. But the attendant of my daughter will be too busy with his other tasks to appear often. Especially during meals when the guests are invited. I will need to speak to my son about his dalliances. If your words are true then I will have to postpone his tutelage with you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve implied that I am an assistant of Virnan Shah, who is actually educating your daughter. And that he agreed to teach her Flow due to her insight, which helped him achieve a breakthrough.¡± I supplied her with additional details as I gently rinsed her tail with running water.


    Even wet, the tail was a beauty to behold. The water running through the hair made it look like liquid fire flowing through my fingers. Despite our serious conversation, it was an enchanting sight. Despite my notions of human beauty, the additional appendage fit her body shape perfectly. Her athletic back, slim but with a hint of muscles reminded me of what my fingers felt when they caressed her daughter. Minuscule but now-familiar bumps at the small of her back, unusual for humans. Muscles that either helped the tail to move or made it stable instead. Perhaps identical to what we would develop if we had tails to move all the time.


    She turned her face to me with a raised eyebrow. ¡°And how much of that is true?¡±


    I blinked. ¡°All of it, I would expect even the Orb to confirm my words. Your husband is eager for a celebration too.¡±


    Aikerim hummed in satisfaction and turned away, giving me access to comb her tail once again.


    ¡°Despite your reluctance, you have a way with words. It is a pity that the presence of Shahin Esca is throwing rocks under the wheels at the moment. But no matter, Virnan is notorious for refusing students so I would not need to come up with any intricate explanations.¡±


    ¡°Should we stop the work while she is here?¡±


    Her eye came back to look at me. ¡°What day is it today?¡±


    I tilted my head in confusion. ¡°The twenty-fourth of Summer? The day of your husband¡¯s arrival.¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Exactly, the twenty-fourth of Summer.¡±


    No other explanation was given as I was trying to remember any important dates, Anaise¡¯s birthday was coming soon but nothing immediate. Yet she expected me to understand, judging from the profile of her face.


    I intentionally tried to ignore the rest of her profile due to how distracting it was. But still, nothing came up, it was just a normal day¡­


    Ah.


    I smiled ruefully in understanding, ¡°This is a normal occurrence for you isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°Indeed. If I were to stop anything as soon as a pair of inquisitive eyes crossed my door, nothing would be ever done in this Manor. Moreover, a quick cessation of work would actually bring more unwanted attention. Everyone talks, especially if the routine changes quickly.¡±


    Domina stretched and got up, twirling around and admiring the new look of her tail.


    ¡°This is rather effective.¡± She nodded in satisfaction. ¡°Come, Erf. I don''t have a lot of time and neither do you. I remember you mentioned some other glass inventions, unknown to Emanai?¡±


    I rose up myself, ¡°Yes I have a few, you actually want me to start at them now?¡±


    The amber eyes met mine, this time she wasn¡¯t happy, pleased, or satisfied. Domina was serious, ¡°She is a wermage, as such I do not see her risking her life and position to target, steal or kill a murk. But I would prefer to be prepared for everything. Keep at least the guard or Irje with you at all times when you are at the workshops or in the city. And in case she tries political leverage, I would need proof that what we have wasn¡¯t stolen from Esca.¡±


    I nodded in agreement and understanding. ¡°I will make at least two, both yet unknown.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± She nodded, ¡°Let us go.¡±


    XXX


    It was still early afternoon when I walked out of the baths. For the rest of the bathing time, we were surrounded by the horde of slaves. Putting all our clandestine discussions to a halt. As such the rest of the time was spent with Domina getting ready herself and me familiarizing myself with the practice.


    As soon as that was done, she set off to meet her family. While I marched to meet mine. The news about the envoy weren¡¯t received with joy, especially by Yeva, but Irje took it in stride. My cougar promised to keep an eye out for any snakes slithering around, especially if she got close to workshops. She did mildly grumble about the convenience of the visit but resolved to spend her time working as an overseer.


    Both of my ladies also agreed with Domina on the matter of my safety. Demanding a similar promise to always have Viter or Irje with me when I leave the manor or work in the workshops. They even asked me to limit my time in the alchemy lab and come sooner to my home, but the curve of their lips told me that there was another reason behind it.


    In the end, Irje set off to keep order in her domain. While I stayed behind with grumpy Yeva.


    ¡°I hate this.¡± She murmured.


    ¡°I agree, the arrival of the envoy is quite unfortunate.¡± I gently adjusted my stance, letting her sit in my lap more comfortably.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just that. I hate being powerless.¡± Yeva mumbled as she nuzzled deeper into my shirt.


    ¡°Are you really? She is just a guest and you are in my sadaq.¡± I hummed into her ear as my fingers slowly combed her hair. ¡°If she even dares to lift a finger on you she will be punished greatly. Either by me or by Domina herself. You might not trust her but trust me that I can make her do it.¡±


    She chuckled ruefully, ¡°But that is what makes it worse. All my life I feared for my safety. I thought it was the worst feeling in the world. And then you came. You took that from me, and I will be forever grateful, but now I fear again. This time I fear for you and us.¡±


    ¡°Let me tell you something. Something that is not well known among us murks, most likely because wermages do not want it to be known. Murks are resistant to Flow.¡± I slowly started from afar, still holding her close.


    Yeva grew still but didn¡¯t interrupt me, allowing me to keep talking.


    ¡°I¡¯ve learnt about it by accident, first from Albin, the one who gifted me the vibrator for Irje.¡± I felt her tremble in quiet laughter from my quip, ¡°And then directly from Domina. Who explained why she kept my knowledge safe with me. And now I am telling this specifically to you.¡±


    She scrunched her nose. ¡°You don¡¯t want Irje to know?¡±


    I sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t want someone else to know what Irje knows. And hurt her for it. From the words of Albin, one of the most prominent examples of our resistance is the fact that our minds cannot be read with magic.¡±


    ¡°Still, I feel like she should be aware.¡±


    ¡°And that is why I am telling you. Perhaps together we will be able to tell her enough to trust, but not enough for anyone, particularly interested, to glimpse too much. I won''t be holding this private forever. Just until I can protect you, and her, and my family. Myself. Without Domina¡¯s help.¡±


    Her hand reached to my face so that she can ¡®look at me in the eyes¡¯, ¡°Could you?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, I can¡¯t say for sure but, from what I know so far, yes.¡± I gently kissed the tips of her fingers instead.


    She smiled but kept her hands on my face, content with my continuing kisses. ¡°You are a master at stating something outrageous and then turning it into reality. So what have you been hiding then?¡±


    ¡°My knowledge didn¡¯t come alone. It also gave me the ability to raise my strength and shape my body.¡±


    ¡°Like your tongue?¡±


    I let it slide out of my mouth and lick her palm from the other side, making her giggle. ¡°Like my tongue. What matters is that everyone still sees me as a murk. Including those who might wish to harm me. But I won¡¯t get hurt as easily as an average murk. I also won¡¯t die as easily as an average murk.¡±


    Yeva hummed.


    ¡°Did you know that Irje yelled at Domina today? Because of the marks on your back.¡±


    I sucked the air in. ¡°Damn it. Is everything alright? She didn¡¯t hurt her or anything? Domina didn¡¯t mention it to me at all.¡±


    ¡°No. From what Irje told me, she actually approved of her actions. But you see how your silence could have gotten us in trouble?¡±


    ¡°I know, Yeva and I am sorry. But I also know how easily it could backfire. On one of my earliest ventures into the city, I almost got caught by a wer mob because I tried to look like them. I¡¯ve seen and felt how easily something unusual could get you in trouble, lost a chunk of my ear too.¡±


    She gasped quietly at my words, as her hands reached out and checked my ears. Only after finding them whole, she breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°I guess there is a shadow for everything.¡±


    ¡°Two sides of a coin,¡± I chuckled in agreement, ¡°It is hard to predict which option is the best one, all we can do is prepare for everything and make sure the worst doesn¡¯t come to pass. This is why I made it perfectly clear to Domina how precious you both are to me. And this is why I am telling you all this right now. Both because I no longer fear for your safety in telling you this, and because I want you to be aware so that we all can plan better ahead.¡±


    ¡°Very well, I forgive you for your silence,¡± She proclaimed pompously and snuggled back in, ¡°But I still wish to share this with Irje. She fears for you just as much as I did. Or is there more, that you wish to tell?¡±


    ¡°Now that I told you about murks and Flow, I trust you to be prudent with what you say. So please do. Perhaps together we could put her fears to rest. About more things to tell - I can¡¯t really say much, mostly because the words won''t mean anything to you just yet. That is why I¡¯ve been teaching you chemistry and other sciences. Know that I can make my powers stronger than they are right now, but for that, I need to leave the city. This is why I am planning to retrieve my family personally.¡±


    Yeva climbed higher, her lips brushing against mine, ¡°As long as you will promise to come back.¡±


    ¡°I don''t need to promise, because I will be back.¡±


    Her lips were soft and warm. Their gentle touch impossible to resist. I spoke to them forgetting the world around me. Seeking that pliant flesh of hers, and giving in to her responses. A kiss that was not a kiss, yet. Yet so much closer.


    ¡°All these things I do, I do them for us. So that we can be like this forever.¡±


    Her smile was delicious.

 Chapter 28 Consequences

    Anaise


    She felt an uncomfortable pull in her stomach when the dining crowd prattled with oohs and aahs to her mother''s entrance. Especially praising the shine of her hair and the blue in her braids. Anaise was met with something similar yesterday, but today it felt off.


    She listened with rapt attention to the tale of her father, as he was speaking to the entire audience about his exploits. But her thoughts wandered off when others came upfront. All of them spoke of profits, politics and money, They also spoke about it in front of the invited guests as well as the envoy. Making their already dry reports even blander. Even her father, but she missed his voice so much.


    She sighed and rubbed her empty fingers absentmindedly. Somehow that made her even more frustrated.


    Trying to stop herself from fidgeting she glanced once again at her mother. Domina was listening to the reports with a genial smile of a benevolent patron. Aikerim looked happy to see one of her husbands and listened much more eagerly to the reports of others than Anaise did. And yet something was missing. Her now usual giddiness was muted. Especially now, right after meeting with Erf. After getting her hair just as luscious as her own.


    A stray foolish thought flew into her mind, but she smothered it instantly. Mother wouldn¡¯t do it.


    ¡°I expected you to be happier,¡± Anaise mused quietly to her mother when the next delegate had finished her tale.


    ¡°Yes, but the sweet is marred by the bitter,¡± Aikerim just as quietly replied.


    ¡°The envoy, is she really that bad?¡± She kept her face devoid of frowns as if they were speaking about the weather.


    ¡°By herself, not at all. But she came here for a reason and I can clearly see the cause.¡±


    She followed her mother''s gaze. ¡°Brother¡­¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± She sighed, ¡°His infatuation is obvious. Most likely aided by Tarhunna. I would have gladly pushed for it myself five days ago. She would have been a good candidate to give him away to. Now, she is a nuisance.¡±


    Anaise smiled amicably at the approaching lamura, fuelled by the pride for her Manor. Yes, they belonged to a Pillar Manor, but they were still a branch House. A marriage to the prominent House of Esca would have not only boosted their status among the Emanai elite, but significantly raised their ability to trade and, through that, their rank within the Houses of Kiymetl.


    That was less than a tenday ago.


    And now her mother considered them beneath her notice.


    ¡°My heart is full with your sight, Domina, young Lady of the House. Please accept these gifts of our House.¡±


    She kept her smile, despite the slight jab at her age, most likely unintentional. She would kill her brother later.


    Domina nodded, sparing an appropriate glance at the intricate glassware being brought up by slaves, ¡°And your name is on my lips, Shahin Esca Yusuf-ja. As a Domina of Kiymetl, I welcome you to my Manor¡­¡±


    Anaise¡¯s attention wandered off from the polite but usual greetings and gestures of goodwill. But she wasn¡¯t slacking off. While her mother was occupied by talking with the guest, it was her duty as a daughter to observe and read the person. They would share their observations at a later time, so one could gain additional insight and the other - experience.


    The envoy¡¯s Spark was bright and steady. Natural talent and years of practise. The yellow pattern on her dark tail and the tears of gold hanging from her ears spoke volumes about her position as well. She wasn¡¯t a Domina nor a Lady of the House, but her position in the House of Esca was high enough to expect a proper welcome even here.


    Most likely a third or a second daughter. Of high status herself, but without the inheritance given to first daughters. Well educated, strong, and eager to show her mettle.


    Just like her mother once was.


    Flowing robes covered her body, but Anaise could easily guess how much these silks were hiding underneath. Lamuras were already blessed with fertility. And their larger bodies made their curves comparable to her father¡¯s siblings. And some of the more endowed members of the Samat Manor. It was a good thing that Emanai was too cold for them, or the envoy would attract more than just her brother¡¯s eyes.


    Their customary veil brought all of the attention to her eyes, the part they have deemed as most beautiful. It also made reading her facial expressions much harder, but she had lots of practice by now.


    ¡°¡­Our House had always acknowledged the prowess of your Manor. Just as we are blessed by the Gods themselves with our craft, you too were granted the power to fulfil your duty.¡± Her tone was humble, just like the posture of her body. Her eyes were not.


    Domina nodded in agreement, ¡°Indeed. It is the Will of Gods to see us prosper. Just as they guide our gold so do they guide the hands of your artisans.¡±


    ¡°But just as you are seeking new things to purchase and sell, we do not lay idle either. Our House is always on the lookout to expand our craft.¡±


    Even a deaf person could hear what she was aiming for.


    Aikerim leaned forward, smiling, ¡°And, as a Domina of Kiymetl Manor, I might be able to¡­ procure certain materials. For a reasonable trade of course.¡± The twin braids shifted from her movement, dangling the tori for all to see.


    She noticed her brother preen from her mother''s words.


    Shahin Esca sniffed. ¡°Gods did not just give us the ability to make beautiful things. Many had attempted to mimic our art. Most of them will never come close. Only the minuscule few would be able to produce forgeries. Simple in shape and lacking in beauty.¡±


    The envoy¡¯s eyes darted to the presented jewellery as she spoke. Making the implication known.


    Anaise kept her brows straight even as she felt the annoyance within. Yes, their shape was simple, but they weren¡¯t rough to touch or ugly to the eye. And that was just a shape alone. The colour was impeccable and mesmerizing! She fell asleep last night clutching them in her hands.


    The Lamura continued, her voice soft but full of certainty, ¡°What many do not know, that these fakes are extremely fragile. Without Gods¡¯ blessings, they are prone to shatter and would break at any point. If they have not already, as soon as they were made. I would not wish for the esteemed Domina to embarrass herself. If such an accident occurs in front of many people.¡±


    Domina kept smiling. Without moving. ¡°Then, I guess, I should be wary of such fakes in the future.¡±


    It was oh so satisfying to watch the seeds of confusion and doubt take root inside the otherwise impenetrable eyes.


    XXX


    I rinsed my body once again, my work clothes already in the wash bucket. I was fairly sure that I won¡¯t annoy Yeva with my odour but the shirt would need to be washed a few times at least.


    Might have to ask Sulla if I could just hand in my laundry somewhere. Especially since the washers in the city used the exact same ingredients, the smell of which I was trying to get rid of. Specifically fermented urine. Soap was great for washing, but if you wanted your clothes to be extra white, you needed the good ole ammonia. And the easiest way to obtain it was to wait for bacteria to break down urea.


    That is if you needed it for bleaching or tanning. If you were Erf and needed ammonia for nearly everything, you needed a lot of it. And concentrated too. Unfortunately, nitric acid didn¡¯t grow on trees, nor did the silver nitrate. But, once all this is over with, I will have real mirrors.


    The girls will definitely appreciate it. And so will the foxy ladies. Hopefully, it will even be enough to scare the snake away somehow. I would leave the details to Aikerim.


    It was quite unsurprising that I was ambushed as soon as I walked into my house. What was surprising, however, was the identity of the ambusher.


    ¡°Yeva?¡± I smiled as the tiny hands pushed me inside and onto the bed.


    ¡°Shh.¡± She smiled at my compliance, already tugging on my clothes. ¡°Irje and I have discussed some of the new revelations and we came up with a good punishment for you.¡±


    I lifted up my arms so she could pull the shirt off of me.


    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look like a punishment,¡± I murmured, as her fingers traced my stomach, avoiding all important bits. ¡°Or, maybe, it is.¡±


    Satisfied with my overall nakedness and location on our bed, Yeva took no time to straddle my chest. I felt the moisture as she sat on me: Yeva was already more than ready.


    ¡°Yes, a punishment.¡± She hummed, slowly rocking on my chest. Her shift easily covered the place where our bodies met. ¡°For someone, who paid a Matriarch¡¯s ransom for both of us. For someone, who set us free by taking us. Who made us strong by teaching us.¡±


    Her fingers slowly gathered her shift, revealing her folds. Glistening and gently pressed against my chest, yet so far away from my mouth or my, now rock-hard, shaft. The source of moisture, my arousal and my frustration.


    She giggled quietly as she felt my breathing hitch. Correctly determining what caused it and enjoying my reaction to her body. Her fingers stopped as her body moved once more. Sliding up and down on my skin.


    Almost deaf from a loud heartbeat, I watched as her petals shifted from the little friction my well-lubricated skin provided. Giving me glimpses of the shimmering pink inside and hiding it anew.


    ¡°Yeva-¡± I managed to breathe out.


    And the show was over.


    Her shift fell down as her finger pressed on my lips. ¡°Shh,¡± She murmured once again, ¡°Not a word.¡±


    Yeva thought for a second and then smirked, ¡°You have done a lot of good deeds recently and, as you would say sometimes, no good deed should go unpunished. I will tell you all you need to know, soon.¡±


    Her other hand lifted up the shift again. Giving me yet another glimpse. ¡°Did you enjoy the view?¡±


    With my lips still on her finger, I nodded frantically, making her giggle.


    ¡°Maybe I should show you more?¡± Came another teasing question.


    There was more nodding as well as heavy breathing tickling her hand. Somewhere behind her and away from my sight, my dick stood proud. Painfully hard, cold, and forgotten.


    ¡°Good boy,¡± she murmured as her hands begun the striptease once again.


    Despite her not seeing what she was doing, her movements had me enchanted nevertheless. She knew exactly where her body was, and her sense of touch was almost absurd. My eyes crossed when she managed to locate my nipple with her folds. Another quiet chuckle told me that she did it intentionally.


    Another twist of her hips, and her petals gently brushed over it. Forcing the groan out of me.


    Despite the cold and the turgid pain between my legs, I welcomed her movements. As her hands revealed her body, curved away to highlight the profile of her petite chest, her pelvis slid closer and closer to my head, her thighs blocking more and more of my vision.


    Soon all that I could see was the flesh of her inner thighs, framing the rest of her body.


    A wet and hot sensation around my forsaken shaft. Lips sliding down on its length as the hot tongue followed behind.


    I sucked my breath and buckled, trying to insert it deeper into the blissful warmth. Craving the touch of flesh after aeons of cold unfeeling breeze.


    I moaned loudly as the mouth welcomed my intrusion with ease. Purring.


    The shift was dropped somewhere, and the two tiny hands caressed my face.


    ¡°You can be too much for one of us.¡± Yeva purred, as the suction on my groin kept me arched in pleasure. ¡°So we threw dice. Irje got the bottom half, while I had won the top. And I expect to get the most from my win.¡±


    The lips around my shaft smiled as I started to twitch. And, with a wet pop, I was thrown back into the cold embrace of air.


    I groaned. These two minxes would be the death of me! My fault really, I taught them all these tricks myself.


    Yeva grabbed my hands and dragged them across her body.


    ¡°Your hands are mine,¡± She murmured as my fingers brushed across her tiny mounds.


    ¡°Your lips are mine,¡± She continued as her groin slid forward and wetted my lips with her juices. Whetting my appetite for more.


    The smell of her arousal was all around me, and Yeva noticed it too, ¡°Your nose is mine.¡±


    The lips returned to my shaft, now gentle and slow. Expertly keeping me hard and needy.


    Yeva let my hands massage her breasts, my fingers circling her aroused nipples, as her hands slid back down again. Across her stomach and down between her legs. Stopping just a bit short from her glistening slit.


    ¡°And I want that tongue of yours.¡± She murmured, as I tried to keep my sanity in check from the abundance of sensations.


    My fingers gently rolled her nipples while another set of voluptuous breasts dragged across my thighs. My hands massaged Yeva¡¯s chest as Irje¡¯s pawed at my butt, pushing me deeper into her. Yeva thighs, pressing on my ears, made me deaf to everything, but the loud heartbeat inside my chest and the stimulating purr in my groin.


    And the near-whisper. ¡°Would you want to see as well?¡±


    She smiled as I nodded, my cheeks rubbing on the inside of her legs. Her fingers pressed and pulled apart her outer lips. Opening her gentle flower right in front of my face. Rivulets of arousal dripping slowly on my chest. Her inner folds, once tiny, now pink and full from the excitement.


    My tongue slid outward, reaching far. The tip gently brushing on her aroused nub. Making her squeak for the first time tonight.


    That tiny squeak of pleasure, the shiver of her legs around me. Yeva¡¯s taste on my tongue and Irje¡¯s purr on my dick. All these things, already great by themselves, crashed on me and pushed me over the peak of pleasure and into the unstoppable slide.


    My leg, gently but decisively, hooked over and behind Irje¡¯s head and slammed her deep onto my shaft. My palms pressed into the petite breasts eliciting a small hum. My tongue, shaking from my own release, danced on her folds. Quickly turning that hum into a moan.


    I groaned as my balls emptied into the greedy mouth of a cougar. I felt her swallow easily, with just enough suction to make sure nothing would spill out.


    I wouldn¡¯t leave Yeva alone either. She claimed the top of my body and the top she would receive. My tongue, long and prehensile, was more like a tentacle by now. I roamed her folds and crevices. I mixed our juices together only to spread them liberally over her opening. My hands slid down and wrapped over her thighs. They kept them wide open and added just a little bit of pressure.


    Just enough for her to feel as if she was pinned. Just enough to appreciate her new position. And just enough time to get her ready.


    Yeva keened as I pulled on her legs. Her outer lips met mine once more. The coiled snake of my tongue diving deep inside. Her own hands were quick to take the spot, which mine had left behind. Tiny fingers tirelessly working on her nipples. Her mound fighting the pressure of my arms to grind harder into my face.


    Irje purred in pleasure as my legs relaxed around her, but didn¡¯t leave her spot or stopped her ministrations. Aware that I could go for more. Expecting yet another treat. Something wet dripped down on my leg. Lifting it higher I felt the heat and wetness of arousal. Irje whined into my shaft as my leg rubbed on her mound, picking up the speed herself.


    Soon she could hold on no more. While Yeva ground herself into bliss, I felt Irje move behind. A new type of wetness slid on my shaft, familiar fuzz tickling the bottom of my stomach. A moan of the cougar¡¯s content interrupted by a squeak of surprise. Two strong arms of a wermage enveloped the lithe body and pulled her into an embrace.


    They fell into a kiss themselves, riding me non-stop. Irje¡¯s hands on Yeva¡¯s breasts. Yeva¡¯s hands inside my scalp, pulling me into a carnal embrace.


    We danced our tantric dance, full of peaks and blissful downs.


    Eventually, the girls came crashing down. I drank from one¡¯s release while pumping the other one full with my seed. Their own cries of bliss smothered by each other¡¯s lips.


    They collapsed into our bed, panting. Lying naked and insensate. Without a word. Each one of them taking time to come back slowly.


    I lied among them, a semi-broken husk of a man. My nanites working had to put me back in shape.


    I would need a double breakfast for tomorrow.


    One after the other they both stirred and cuddled together into me.


    ¡°That was quite a punishment.¡± I croaked. My mouth was giving me trouble as my tongue was still shrinking in size and spasming from exertion.


    Yeva chuckled ¡°This is what happens if you throw mountains of gold to keep us happy. We simply couldn¡¯t let that slide.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be opposed to multiple smaller sessions over few weeks you know.¡± I meekly suggested.


    Irje scoffed, ¡°And you will get these too. Remember that, when Domina or her daughter will try to put their claws in you.¡±


    Her finger gently traced my skin, ¡°They might be powerful, but most do not know how to please a single man. Content with letting others do the work for them. And to them. But we know what you like. With your help, I will grow strong as a wermage. And, with Yeva¡¯s help, I will make sure that you won¡¯t fall asleep frustrated. No other wermage would offer this to you. Their pride won¡¯t let them.¡±


    ¡°Weren¡¯t you completely unconcerned about wermages before?¡± I asked, hugging Yeva close.


    Irje harrumphed, ¡°I was. Then I talked to Domina and then to Yeva. Someone is apparently more than he appears to be. So all my expectations are now useless.¡±


    I stayed quiet, contrite that it was partially my fault.


    She continued. ¡°I was paranoid that other slaves might steal you. Apparently, I should have been afraid of other wer and, especially, wermages too.¡±


    ¡°If they try to steal me away from you using sex, they would fail.¡± I mused to her, absentmindedly scratching the head full of wavy blond hair on my chest. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t fall in love with sexy Irje. I fell in love with inquisitive and determined Irje, who knew what she wanted and was willing to fight for it.¡±


    I pulled the cuddle-bug closer, ¡°Just like I didn¡¯t fall in love with lithe and pretty Yeva, but the intelligent and curious one, with a sharp mind and tireless memory. And these qualities could never simply be replaced.¡±


    The blushing but happy cougar was also pulled into the embrace. ¡°What matters now isn¡¯t who is trying to sneak into our bed. But those who would actually try to sneak behind our backs. Otherwise, I am planning to enjoy some peaceful time with you and my family. Once the meeting of tomorrow will be over and the snake is dealt with. For now, let¡¯s sleep, tomorrow will be a busy day again.¡±


    Irje


    She lied quietly in bed, listening to the slow breathing around her. Irje spent some time faking her sleep until she was the only one still awake among her sadaq. Luckily she didn¡¯t have to wait that long. Tonight¡¯s activities were extremely vigorous and left all of them drained. Yeva was the first to fall asleep and Erf followed her soon after.


    Irje really wanted to keep them cuddled into her and fall asleep herself, but she made a promise. And the promise she would keep. Even though she felt sick to the stomach for no apparent reason.


    It would be beautiful if she was with his child, but it wasn¡¯t time for it, yet.


    Slowly, carefully, she pulled her breast from his mouth, which was still trying to lick it in his slumber. His fascination with breasts was atrocious, but she relished that simpleminded aspect of his. Caveman Erf he called it. She wasn¡¯t exactly sure what caves had to do with them but it was always funny to see him go lopsided when she would casually press them into him. Or straight-up push one in his mouth.


    Yeva was harder. Her sleep was much more fleeting compared to the slobbering log. But Irje was creative. The log was easily dragged over into the lithe girl¡¯s embrace. The said girl sniffed out the new body almost immediately, her hands promptly let go of her arm and clutched Erf instead. Yeva buried her face into his chest and grinned in her sleep, her previous pillow long forgotten.


    Good.


    In total darkness, she rose from their bed. Her eyes could see a little bit from the starlight out in the window and she didn¡¯t need much anyway. Putting on her shift, she quietly snuck to one of their chests. The one where Erf held what little there was of his possessions.


    A quick but quiet search inside, and Irje pulled out her target. The toy. Apparently given to Erf by one of the most influential people of Emanai. Whom Erf treated like a murk. Honestly, the way he talks is almost as if he was one of their kind all along, just unfortunate enough to wake up one day with his Spark gone.


    No wonder they would accept him with such ease inside their circles.


    His dalliances with etiquette could wait. The snakes and others couldn¡¯t. Besides nausea, she also felt ill at ease. That feeling of uncertainty started with the talk with Domina. Erf was moving faster and faster. Making bigger waves as he went. And bigger predators were starting to notice them.


    She placed the orb on the floor. Right in the middle of the runic circle carved by her lover.


    She needed to move quicker too. She couldn¡¯t sit and wait for Erf to solve the problems by himself, or give her yet another skill. Irje didn''t have what Yeva apparently had. Something that allowed him to confide in her yet kept her safe from prying eyes. The little girl was vague but she could guess what she was hinting at. Irje could sense the Sparks of every wer and wermage if they were close. Perhaps some could sense more.


    She had her own path, however. A path of power. And all that she needed was effort.


    She could barely see the wooden sphere in the darkness, nor could she see her arms. But it didn¡¯t matter. Erf tried to describe the shapes and forms of Flow, but they made little sense to him and even less to her. She couldn''t sense any of them either.


    Irje had no plans to get randy. At least not right now. The morning discussion didn¡¯t just saddle her with the feeling of unease. It also gave her a tiny glimpse at something extremely significant. The hand movements of the Domina, as she moved the plate of grapes across the table. And the cup of wine right after.


    What really mattered was that it was an off-hand gesture. The wermage didn¡¯t even look like she was exerting any will or thought toward the cup, at least not in the way Erf described it. Perhaps she, as well, wouldn¡¯t need to.


    With abated breath, she formed the gesture.


    The toy didn¡¯t move.


    Irje made it again. And again. And again.


    She tried to make gestures as close as she remembered them, and she tried to vary them a bit here and there. Some were done quickly, one right after the other, while others were done slowly and deliberately.


    Moments turned into paces and these made periods of the night.


    She wouldn¡¯t give up that easily, but she wouldn¡¯t stay awake the whole night either. Irje already spent an entire period sitting on the floor and all she got from it was sore legs and loud gurgling in her stomach. At least the nausea was getting better.


    She would spend two more at most. Leaving her with the other half of the night to sleep. In that case, she would simply do it again the next night. If Erf could spend the night to conjure gold for her dowry, so she shall too - to be strong enough and keep her sadaq safe.


    Another gurgle.


    And she would bring a snack too.


    She put her mind back to the task. With lips pressed thin, her arm slowly reached out and stroked her slit. It felt awkward trying to pleasure herself with one hand while the other was fruitlessly gesticulating at the sphere in the darkness. Irje couldn¡¯t get in the mood either. The suckling pit inside her worrisome stomach killed any faint pleasures that her body could feel. Especially after the things Erf had done to her tonight.


    Irje clenched her jaw in frustration, her fury roused by the toy¡¯s continuous inaction. How does it dare to lay still when it wouldn''t stop moving yesterday! She was dying of shame back then, seeing him shake his head while she couldn¡¯t stop her body from responding to this cursed ball.


    Her fingers clenched, highlighted by a dim blue light. Irje silently snarled at the moving orb, demanding it to fall into a pit of shame, as deep as the one she¡¯d found herself yesterday. Wordlessly cursing the glowing curves across the sphere, which were mocking her in their simplicity.


    Oh.


    Irje blinked and tried again. The pain in her legs and nausea long forgotten.


    The night was dark and silent no more.


    A new sound pierced the silence.


    The rolling sound of the orb.


    A new sight illuminated the darkness.


    The grinning face of the wermage.

 Chapter 29 A Hammer and a Knife

    I woke up with a different body pillow in the morning. Apparently, Irje finally had enough of our cuddles and pushed us both away. I didn¡¯t mind it really, it was quite refreshing to wake up as the big spoon. Judging by the big grin on Irje''s face, she didn¡¯t mind our absence that much either.


    A set of cute noises emerged from Yeva in my arms, roused awake by my movements. Her hands wrapped around me and pulled me closer. She nuzzled into my neck only to sigh and hug me harder.


    ¡°This is nice,¡± She murmured sleepily, ¡°Unusual, but very nice.¡±


    ¡°Good morning, love.¡± I pulled her face close and gave her a small peck, ¡°When we get our new place, We will make sure that each of us will get a spare bedroom. That way we can either sleep together, alone, or just the two of any of us.¡±


    Yeva hummed, ¡°You know if you said something like that before I would have felt some worry.¡± Her leg wrapped around mine and pulled me closer, ¡°But waking up like this feels nice as well. I wouldn¡¯t mind sleeping by myself sometimes if it means that we could do this again.¡±


    Her hand slid downward. ¡°But we can discuss this later, I have no intention of wasting this opportunity.¡± She purred, easily guiding me inside of her.


    XXX


    In the end, Irje managed to sleep through the entire morning. She only woke up when I brought her breakfast, understanding that she might be cranky knowing she missed out on the fun.


    My fears didn¡¯t come to be. Irje woke up grinning, inhaled the offered food, and promptly glomped me afterwards.


    The only things I could decipher, trying to crawl out from under the giddy amazon, were that my food tribute was more than appropriate and I should keep spoiling her in the same manner. Might as well drop my other projects too and live as her personal food provider from now on.


    Alas, needs must when Domina drives, and I couldn¡¯t indulge in our little tussle for too long. The glutton had slept through most of the morning and Domina would be mightily irritated if I made her late for the bath. With a few strategic tickling attacks, the mighty cougar was subdued into a laughing kitty mess.


    I passed the kitten over to Yeva, who promptly dropped her on the floor and collapsed herself from the weight of the gift.


    Giving the final kisses to a laughing mass on the ground, I set off to the inner compound. A bustling hive of activity and a plethora of new faces I¡¯ve never seen. It was actually surprising how many servants were either directly under Tarhunna or came out of the woodwork after his arrival.


    The supremacy of fluff and red was now tainted by occasional horns, while lithe frames of the Kiymetl were obstructed by the hulking forms. The former members of Enoch manor, most likely the Tarhunna¡¯s entourage, when he was married off into this House.


    Their height was absurd for my standards. I was slowly growing up, fuelled by constant intake of food and active nanites, but Irje was still a head taller than me. The minotaurs were probably a head above even her. Most of their height was likely due to them being unguligrade and walking on hooves but the rest of their bodies didn¡¯t disappoint either.


    Males were broad with heavy horns and logs for arms, forcing anyone around them to question their own masculinity. The females, however¡­The females were just a little bit slimmer in muscle, even though it probably meant very little, due to their magical strength. They compensated that with a taller posture and vast assets. Very vast assets. Large enough that my appreciation for female form was tinged with consideration for their daily toll of carrying so much weight around.


    There were other nuances like ornamental gold, wrapped on their horns, or the leathery hoof boots present on all, to silence their clopping sounds, but I paid attention to something even deeper. The wer inside the manor looked more distinct than the free wer I usually saw on the streets of Samat. The animalistic features were much more prominent in the population within the manor walls. Especially shown by the newcomers.


    While the wer in the city would usually have a set of ears or an occasional tail, the wer here would tend to have either both of these features or they would be much more prominent. Even Wrena - a wer through and through, lacking the tell-tale tail of the Kiymetl, still had bright foxy hair and prominent ears that would easily make her stand out in the muted crowd on the streets.


    There was great variety among their kind and it was more obvious within the manor - one of the only places where wermages would live. Which reinforced the assumption that both wer and wermages belonged to one race. With multiple subspecies based on their animal characteristics. Close enough to interbreed, but far enough for mother¡¯s genes to dominate in her progeny. The wer were either the ¡®weaker¡¯ offspring of wermages or the wermages were the ¡®fortunate¡¯ result in long-term wer interbreeding.


    But where would that leave murks? Or, maybe, humans as they were? This planet wasn¡¯t Earth, from where humans came from. Nor was it in any stellar system that I was aware of. The convergent evolution was straight out. The number of species present that were considered Earth-like was staggering. To have that many living things evolve into identical copies would be equivalent to me randomly sinking into the ground due to the atoms of my body passing between the atoms of the soil.


    The plants and animals were brought here. Most likely murks were too as humans. But what about the rest? Were wer the original race that lived on this planet? Or did they evolve from humans without Flow? What about the murk ability to resist Flow. Were humans resistant to it from the beginning or was it the response to the local population? Including the obviously magical animals.


    Or, maybe, the genetics had absolutely nothing to do with it, and I should be looking at local horoscopes and animal entrails to divine the true reason of magic.


    Once again a new revelation would shed some light on the issue, only for more questions to arise right after.


    But I had more pressing issues to worry about, compared to the origin of species in Emanai. Specifically, the small procession that had been organized to send Domina to the baths. Just like Anaise, her ¡®ordinary¡¯ travel had a certain level of gravitas. What was considered a walk through the city required a very ornamented litter to carry the Domina and a horde of slaves. Both to cater to her needs during the travel itself and the baths afterwards.


    I ended up replacing Sulla, walking by her litter, in case she needed my knowledge. Which she certainly did.


    ¡°You were unfortunately correct about my son,¡± Aikerim mentioned with a frown, ¡°Don¡¯t seek him out for now, nor divulge as much knowledge to him, as you are prone to do in front of others. At least until I can impress the importance of this to Amalric.¡±


    I nodded in agreement, ¡°Just as with the Dominas we are about to meet.¡±


    She hummed, ¡°Well, until the envoy leaves, perhaps. Speaking about her, Shahin Esca claimed that all glass is extremely fragile unless made by their House. But I had found yours just as strong as theirs. Is there a trick that they hide?¡±


    Glancing at her, I noticed the calculating eye. A glint of a shrewd business shark tasting the blood in the ocean of trade. While I had nothing against the House of Esca, yet, I also had nothing for them either. Moreover, it was likely through their continuous actions that the glass remained an obscure commodity. Envoys like her probably had done many trips in the past, either to procure or even disappear the unlucky inventors.


    ¡°Annealing,¡± I replied, ¡°When you shape the glass into a form, the tension within remains. Or when you cool the glass too quickly. You need to give it time to stay hot enough to release that tension, but cool enough to keep the final shape.¡±


    The shark smiled, ¡°A single word holds the prosperity of the entire House. How quaint. Perhaps I should comprise a list of other Houses¡¯ well-kept secrets and see how many you could answer.¡±


    ¡°And I will meet an unfortunate end how fast?¡± I replied, unamused, ¡°You don¡¯t always need to take away from others in order to be rich yourself. Just as you are doing right now: buy things from one place and sell it in another. And have both sides throw money at you.¡±


    She waved me off, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, that was but a simple musing. I am well aware of how much ire this knowledge could attract. For you directly and my Manor in general. Let us deal with the Esca for now.¡±


    ¡°Good. Because I plan on reinforcing the glass further. I will soak it in molten saltpetre and you will get things that won¡¯t break even if you drop them.¡±


    ¡°Saltpetre?¡± Her tail wiggled from my promise. ¡°You mean the salts that butchers use?¡±


    ¡°The very same,¡± I nodded, ¡°It has many uses, beyond curing meats.¡±


    Aikerim shook her head. A faint smile on her lips, ¡°Alchemists always try to mix the most obscure things together. Your choice of ingredients isn¡¯t that far off from the rest of them. Yet your results are unquestionable.¡±


    I bowed to her praise, ¡°I can explain the method behind it, but not right now: it will take quite some time and our trip is at an end.¡±


    Domina followed my gaze to the luxurious bathing house ahead of us. ¡°Indeed, We have arrived. Come, and remember what we have discussed prior. And make sure to keep your Gestr visible. I plan to intrigue them with you and not to embarrass them by springing it up later.¡±


    XXX


    We had shed most of our entourage at the entrance. The litter carriers went back to the manor while some slaves stayed put to guard our stuff. In the meantime, I¡¯ve found myself surrounded by Domina¡¯s attendants and Aikerim herself. And I used all my conscious effort to keep my eyes on her.


    Because she wasn¡¯t alone anymore.


    Besides the currently naked fox, relaxed in the bath and having her hair and nails done, there were other equally important figures present. All equally naked too. All of them were surrounded by their own attendants, working tirelessly to keep their hosts satisfied. It was a good thing that all of them went into the water quickly, submerging most of their bodies under the fragrant water. Otherwise, with so much abundance of flesh, Erf would need to employ nanites to keep his erection down. And fix a nosebleed or two.


    There was still quite a lot to see even above water. There was a trio of ladies with obviously canine traits yet obviously different among each other. A wolf and two dogs - the representatives of the former House of War, now split into three separate Houses. They weren¡¯t secluded from the rest but they definitely favoured each other''s company, staying just a bit closer together compared to the others.


    Their bodies weren¡¯t that far off to that of Aikerim. Athletic but not imposing in their size. The wolf lady and one of the werdogs sprouted upright ears similar to my Domina, while the third had a pair of floppy ones.


    I sighed internally. She looked cutest among all three, and the floppy ears made that image even better.


    These ears were also similar to the merchant, who brought me into this city.


    She was a Domina of one of the Kishava Manors. This lady, with a cute button for a nose and a gentle face, surrounded by brown of her hair, belonged to the House of Logistics. Their manors made sure all manner of goods were moving to the armies of Emanai and, most importantly, from them.


    A House of slave traders.


    I was probably lucky that Kishava Manor held the dominion of the slave trade and not the Kiymetl Manor. My arguments about slavery would have been rebuked much more strongly otherwise. And I would¡¯ve had a much harder time reconciling myself to wilfully work under someone like that.


    Even now I felt a bitter taste looking at that face.


    So I didn¡¯t. There were plenty of other sights for me to see to soothe my grumbling conscience. One of Tarhunna¡¯s sisters or aunts was here too for example. One thing I could say is that her newborn children would never be hungry and probably the newborn children of her entire manor if she decided to share. It was extremely hard not to ogle at the two monuments to motherhood floating in the water. Large enough to be affected by their own buoyancy.


    She also leaned back to have attendants polish her equally impressive set of horns, making the whole view even more spectacular. Her ginger hair spread everywhere.


    Beside the relaxed minotaur, another horny specimen decided to relax. Her horns were curved and the horizontal irises in her eyes clearly marked her magical ¡®animal¡¯ traits as sheep-like. She was a bit smaller than the minotaur lady yet bigger than anyone else present. She was also the only one to leave all her hair unshaved. While her larger companion clearly had fur on her cloven legs, the wersheep had human appendages, but the fur coverage was much more aggressive in her case. Covering her legs, the bottom of her stomach, and extending upward to her immense chest.


    A Domina of the Samat Manor. The House that ruled this city, and gave the capital its name.


    It was a blessing that the most attention paid to me was from my own Domina. Since I was currently working on her hair yet again. The tiny bit of attention, that the gold on my neck caused, didn¡¯t last long. The few enquiries were met with prepared statements on my position. And, if some of them remained curious they did not show it. They especially did not lower themselves to ask more questions directly to me as well.


    Just as planned.


    I kept myself quiet when they spoke among themselves, their discussion both light and heavy at the same time. They spoke of previous deals and the unplanned divine festival they were still trying to prepare themselves for. Apparently, they had been at it for weeks now with whoever was responsible to deliver the will of the gods stalling yet again. Each House vying for the best day to benefit their own.


    Just as they were discussing favours and the weather, they were also leisurely talking on the matter of war. The current ones as well as the future ones. The trio had been asked constantly about the amount of food and slaves they were expected to ¡®procure¡¯ and current losses in manpower due to battles and hostile wildlife.


    It was rather eerie listening to them nonchalantly throw lives around. Both murk and magical. But I got it. These might not be the actual rulers of Emanai Manorat, but they were really close to the top. These women here were the administrative force behind the power of their mothers and elder sisters. And their priorities were obvious.


    Individual lives mattered little when the whole country was at stake.


    Especially at their level of technological advancement. This world was still a zero-sum game. The land was limited and expansion was nearly impossible. Each country was forced to maintain borders from magical beasts. To expand them, one needed more population to man the walls and more wermages not to get slaughtered when cleaning the forests. All that needed food, which needed more space. Which needed expansion of borders.


    A vicious cycle. Unless you took the food from your neighbours.


    I idly wondered how many nations had to perish to keep Emanai afloat. And how likely it was that the Emanai would follow them soon. From what I could tell, making a new country from scratch was an arduous process. Unless you were rebuilding from the ruins of old. The wildlife was unlikely to cause intentional damage to infrastructure, so walls would most likely remain standing when the country could no longer feed its population. And then there were walls of the city to fall back to.


    I would need to look at the maps, there might be multiple layers of walls within the Emanai just for that specific reason. Most likely built as the country expanded and intentionally left behind to act as secondary barriers. Building new walls into the wild forests would be hard. Clearing out a district from animals that managed to break in - much more manageable.


    ¡°I thought you would bring The Annoyance, Aikerim.¡± a new voice pierced the calm discussions about bread and blood.


    As my Domina scrunched her nose in distaste, I looked up to the new person entering the bath. The Censor looked just like Aikerim described. She was tall. Not as large as the minotaurs of Enoch Manor, but her legs for days easily put her in the top percentiles of the entire city population.


    The large jagged horns on her head were tinted with yellow. A touch of brimstone on the black ridges. I saw only one wermage with a similar horn style, Albin. Unlike him, she had the front braids, four of them in fact. But just like him, her manner of speech was anything but polite. I wondered if Shebet House had some special etiquette standards, or perhaps they skipped them outright. Whatever it was, they certainly had the political clout to do so. The other Dominas in the bath weren¡¯t deferential to the newcomer, but they clearly permitted her behaviour.


    ¡°The one, that you begged for me to bring? He is right behind me, Sophia.¡± Aikerim answered in a similar tone.


    She had slightly bronze skin and vividly yellow almond-shaped eyes. An enormous cape of raven-black hair was still gathered in one large puffy ponytail, giving her an exotic look one could find in the tale of Ala ad-Din. If one would ignore draconic horns and an immense fleshy tail, adorned with a shark-like crescent fin. Sophia Shebet looked young. She looked young and pretty, despite Virnan calling her an old hag every time he could. I could see the hag part was likely due to her personality. And I just now understood the old part. He wasn¡¯t calling her decrepit or ugly.


    He was calling her powerful even when cursing her.


    By Domina¡¯s words, age was a praiseworthy aspect of a wermage. For centuries-old Virnan calling another wermage ¡°old¡± meant a lot more than I initially assumed. It was a begrudging acceptance of her power. Either magical or political. The power of a Censor extended across the entire Emanai, giving her unique authority over the population. Especially in all things religious. No wonder the other ladies here gave her greater leeway to act as she did.


    The yellow eyes zeroed on me. ¡°A murk!?¡± Came an incredulous reply and an obvious scowl.


    Well, fuck you too, dragon lady.


    ¡°I expected you to know what you were looking for,¡± Aikerim sighed.


    Sophia scoffed, ¡°Since when have you started to expect anything from my brother?¡±


    Five pairs of eyes zeroed in on me once again, as Domina slightly sagged under my hands. Well, I don''t have to hide the fact that I knew Albin anymore. I wondered if she was his actual sister or one of his cousins. Both of them held very important positions, and both would benefit if some people would misunderstand their relationship.


    In the meantime, Sophia finally managed to walk into the pool. And then she moved across it. It was an extremely startling sight to experience, as she simply used her tail to propel herself forward while maintaining a standing position. Aikerim¡¯s tail was strong, the tails of the other houses were probably on par with hers. But none of them even held a candle to the size and ability of Shebet tails. From what I could tell, for them, the tails were actual appendages in power and usability.


    The yellow eyes loomed over me. Equally eerie. She didn¡¯t have the deep amber of Aikerim, nor did she had the lighter yellow of Irje. Her irises were unnaturally solid yellow. Both confirming the plurality of the yellow eye colour in Emanai, and subsequently maintaining the uniqueness of her own.


    ¡°And you, somehow, managed to teach that fart?¡± She scowled ¡°He was obnoxious before, and now he is outright insufferable!¡±


    I bowed, ¡°I merely gave him new tools to work with, everything else he had achieved by himself.¡±


    She crossed her arms, pushing her chest upward. Her dark nipples staring me down accusingly themselves, ¡°Don¡¯t take me for a fool. I¡¯ve studied natural philosophy for longer than the Fart was alive! You didn¡¯t give him ¡®some tools¡¯ you taught him a different way of thinking.¡±


    She narrowed her eyes, ¡°A way of thinking that you had no time to invent yourself. Especially the numbers you had given to him. Which means you were taught. By whom?¡±


    ¡°His name was Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi.¡± I eagerly replied. I expected something like this from her, or I should say - Aikerim expected it. We went through possible questions and answers beforehand exactly for this reason.


    Sophia mumbled the name and shook her head.


    ¡°An obviously fake name.¡± Her proclamation wasn¡¯t as assured as her previous ones, however. But she pressed on, ¡°Where did you meet him? Where is he now?¡±


    ¡°I had let you question my slave for long enough.¡± Aikerim sharply intervened, ¡°You asked and he gave you an answer. Which I had confirmed myself as true with The Orb of Truth. Even as a Censor, I would suggest you not to delve too deep in matters of fate.¡±


    ¡°You actually think he is a¡ª¡± Sophia¡¯s next outburst was silenced by the hand on her shoulder.


    ¡°Your rivalry with Virnan Shah had lasted for centuries. But you should be mindful of where your spirit could take you. Some things should be better left unsaid.¡± The minotaur lady spoke calmly.


    Sophia opened her mouth to protest but noticed the eyes on her. She scowled but didn¡¯t finish her sentence either.


    I mentally sighed to myself. I was tremendously lucky that I managed to ingratiate Aikerim far enough for her to defend me this vigorously. If she considered me any less important she could easily wash her hands off of me and let me handle the questioning in its entirety. And I wasn¡¯t sure I would be able to weather it without slipping up myself.


    ¡°Fine,¡± She bit out instead. ¡°How much?¡±


    Aikerim leaned into my hands, her own arm gently playing with a lock of her hair, ¡°I¡¯ve recently heard a very interesting question. For how much gold would you sell a goose that lays golden eggs? He didn¡¯t spend all his time talking numbers with my uncle. As an alchemist of Kiymetl, he was able to produce the soap, you all already tried, as well as the hair products that I currently enjoy.¡±


    The flick of her wrist sent her hairs falling down, showing off their shine and causing the murmur among the ladies. The Samat Domina was particularly interested, Her long but curly hair most likely caused her some issues in the past. Especially since her white mane didn¡¯t resort to growing only from her head.


    ¡°The Divine Ritual will begin on the eighth tenday of Summer.¡± The crisp voice of the Censor wiped the smile off my Domina¡¯s lips.


    And plunged the pool into an outrage.


    Some were more vocal about it with the shouts of ¡°This is preposterous!¡± and ¡°You can¡¯t do this!¡±


    The Samat wersheep shook her head as well, ¡°This is too soon, we won¡¯t have time to prepare for festivities.¡±


    The Censor stared at clearly uncomfortable Aikerim. Expectant. And I knew why - Anaise¡¯s birthday would happen right in the middle of the festivities. Her Second birthday to be precise, as they only celebrated them every ten years. She would officially enter the wermage elite society at its completion. That is why the Second birthday had a different name: The Entrance Feast.


    It was the best present Anaise, Aikerim, and the entire Kiymetl Manor could hope for. The city would be chockful with important dignitaries both from within the Emanai as well as from abroad. And ¡®blessed by the gods¡¯ too. Other Dominas knew this, hence the outrage. Or they had their own feasts or birthdays. That they would not mind to happen in the middle of the celebration as well.


    And now it was thrown at her. All for the small price of Erf.


    Unseen by others, Aikerim¡¯s tail wrapped around my arm, keeping it steady and still.


    ¡°I would be amenable to have him work as a lector for your House. Or we could find some other form of compromise,¡± She finally conceded, her quiet voice nearly drowned by the louder debates all around us.


    ¡°That was not what I was asking for,¡± Sophia pressed on. Extremely impolite with her blunt approach.


    I saw it clearly now, why Aikerim had found their House distasteful. The Censor wielded a significant amount of power, and she used it like a sledgehammer. Every problem for her was just a spike to be driven in, or a wall to be punched through. Ignorant to the fact that she was in the middle of a glassware shop.


    No wonder Albin was running preemptive damage control. She was burning bridges wherever she went.


    ¡°Then you should have chosen a different date for a Ritual.¡± My Domina stood her ground.


    Sophia recoiled from her response as if she was struck, clearly not expecting an outright refusal.


    A wave of relief washed all over me. While I expected Aikerim to hold on to me as much as she could, it was a different thing to actually see it in action. Especially with the stakes as high.


    The Censor stood dumbstruck as the debate boiled all around us. Once again the discussion was re-ignited by the uncertainty of date. With everyone weighing in with different reasons, which would most likely benefit their Manor. While others were either trying to mediate for an equally beneficial conclusion, or even supporting the current decision.


    The tiny mouth closed, lips pressed thin. The water roiling behind from the thrashing of her tail. Sophia huffed, ¡°The decision on the date was chosen as the most blessed one.¡±


    The bath stood still. The debate was over. There were some unhappy faces but no one intervened.


    ¡°Who would be the Host, then?¡± The Slave trader tilted her head. Floppy ears swinging. ¡°We would need to hurry to organize it on time.¡±


    ¡°Since there isn¡¯t much time left, one of the Manors closer to Samat would do.¡± The eerie almonds pierced Aikerim once more, ¡°Chimgen had some struggles in recent years, they would be delighted with the task.¡±


    ¡°So you are planning to disrupt my trade instead?¡± Aikerim hissed, rising up.


    The foxy tail squeezed my arm almost painfully so, while other servants scrambled away from the vicinity. This wasn¡¯t a debate anymore, or polite bickering between honest rivals. This was the time for threats and power.


    Large horns, black with a tint of sulphur, tilted to the side as the tiny mouth spread into a wide smirk. Sharp teeth within.


    ¡°Then you should have done your trading sooner, or you could always do it after,¡± Sophia purred, having found the chink in Aikerim¡¯s armour.


    My thoughts swam, trying to keep up with what was going on. The Chimgen Manor owned the city of Chimgen. And all the neighbouring lands and farms. Including one, that I was from myself. The same one that my mother and my uncle were at.


    Judging by Aikerim reaction, and her tail on my body, this didn¡¯t mean anything good for me.


    ¡°Then I would like to make one purchase before the messengers are sent.¡± My Domina scowled, causing a murmur in the bath.


    ¡°You know very well that you can¡¯t do that,¡± Sophia teased among the murmurs of agreement, ¡°To interfere so brazenly with the will of the Gods. Every Domina of Chimgen Manors will be informed as they should be. And they will be ready to Host the Divine Ritual. However, I am capable of seeing which ones won¡¯t pass the cut. So I might be able to assist you with the purchase. Despite any promises that my brother made, only I can do that as a Censor.¡±


    ¡°So I would be able to choose from these, who are not destined to be the sacrifices?¡± Aikerim shifted, hiding the jerk in my movements, her tail still wound around me. ¡°And what would you ask for this ¡®assistance¡¯?¡±


    ¡°A trade for a trade, of course. You buy yourself some, while I get mine.¡± Came an immediate answer.


    I held still, my mind on fire. That spiteful fucking bitch. She couldn¡¯t get her hands on me and now she chose to sacrifice my family to their gods instead? I felt the nanites shift within my body. The new but yet so well familiar itch between my eyes. Weeks of careful planning, subtle plots and machinations, and a spoilt princess ruins everything because she wasn¡¯t given a doll to play with.


    ¡°You want me to exchange an artisan and a rhetor for few farmers? Have you forgotten to what Manor I belong to?¡± Aikerim was dripping with sarcasm.


    Somehow, her ire at Sophia helped me to calm down somewhat. Her spoken priorities were still mostly about herself and her manor, but the fact that she was venting at her this very moment kept me logical. Her emotions allowed me to restrain mine, and keep my head on my shoulders.


    ¡°Your daughter would be delighted with the Divine Ritual that you will get from this ¡®unfair¡¯ trade.¡±


    I wanted to punch her face, I wanted to punch all of their faces. A tiny voice inside my head whispering the names of different poisons and plagues, enough to turn this city into a graveyard. But I held myself still. The most important part right now wasn¡¯t about caving in the face of the smug werdrake. It was about keeping my family safe. Alive. As well as not dying and not getting my sadaq in trouble either.


    ¡°I will consider your suggestion in further detail,¡± Aikerim ground out.


    Time. Good. I needed time too. To think. To plan.


    Perhaps, to kill.


    The naked, horned, and tailed Jasmine spread her arms, ¡°Just don¡¯t take too long. Who knows, I might get interested in these farmers myself.¡±


    XXX


    I¡¯ve spent the rest of the bath in the fog of a daze. I spoke about soap and conditioner to some, applied it to others, but all that felt muted, inconsequential. Conversations too turned into small talk, but I didn¡¯t care about their problems anymore. My hands moved and my mouth opened and closed. But my brain was on fire, constantly coming up with new suggestions and discarding just as many out.


    I¡¯ve realized that the bath was over when my concoctions were taken from me by the carrier slaves. And I was thrust into the larger crowd of my Domina¡¯s entourage, getting ready to depart.


    Another slave with the seal of a quill approached me. A package in his hands.


    Coils of wire, with varying thickness and composition. Their weight and silver colour felt as if they would burn my hands.


    Amalric


    He walked through the roads of his home, enjoying the familiar sights. He had missed the cold shade of trees all of the time abroad. Yusuf was an unusual place, devoid of vicious animals, but struck with the heat instead.


    The breeze, humid but fresh, brought his thoughts to Shahin. He still couldn¡¯t wrap his thoughts around why his mother acted so distant to the news he brought. To have her travel all the way across the sea and into a climate that was too cold for them. She was clearly enamoured with him. He didn¡¯t just stand a chance to join her sadaq, he could easily become her Prime, and even steer her decisions in the future!.


    She didn¡¯t have a Manor herself, but she was a second daughter. There was always a possibility that an accident would befall the Lady of the House. And her children. Or Shahin could gain her own Manor just as his mother did. She definitely was smart, powerful, and ambitious enough.


    Just a little push and she would be his as well.


    Besides, he had seen her in Yusuf. These thick robes did no justice to her beautiful forms.


    And yet, his mother reacted as if he brought a mere wer to wed to. Despite coddling a murk herself. Even his sister changed. Before he left, she still acted like a child. Eager to listen to his stories and his trips. Father warned him that she would grow up eventually but this was too much too quick. Somehow in just a year, she turned from a small girl, curious but naive, into some sort of a mathematical genius, smart enough even for his Grand-uncle to notice.


    And, especially, to start teaching her Flow.


    His fists clenched.


    He would not be left in the dust. He was a proud son of the Kiymetl Manor. And he would show his worth both to his mother and his sister. And he would start by forging a stronger connection with the House of Glass.


    His feet scraped the ground as he came to a halt. Surprised by the serpentine figure on his path.


    The heart rang loud in his chest and he couldn''t stop his smile. These alleyways were shaded and fresh to the skin. Annoying for a lamura. He could see the faint runic glow from under her robes, providing her with heat. She wouldn¡¯t come here for no reason unless the reason was him.


    ¡°Shahin Esca! It is a surprise to meet you here,¡± He spoke with a smile, his feet picking up the pace. ¡°Do you find the sights enjoyable, despite the cold?¡±


    She tilted her head, ¡°Please Amalric, you do not have to be so formal.¡±


    ¡°Lady Esca, then.¡± He obliged.


    She sighed with good nature at his words, but moved on, ¡°While the air is chill to touch, your land is full of sights I find beautiful to look upon... Especially the lush of trees and the translucence of water. This trip had shown me many things I was surprised to discover... What about you, Amalric? Have you found yourself surprised after your return?¡±


    He found himself distracted by her words. Her speech was always calm and soft. All lamuras were like that. Both in words and life, unless they were working. It was as if they saved all that speed throughout the day only to release it in few hours of impossible activity.


    ¡°Samat is always changing,¡± He easily agreed, happy to receive so much of her attention. Perhaps he has found her in a great talking mood for once, ¡°Every time my feet brought me back to the city, I noticed how much things grew, despite staying the same. Even my own sister. I can¡¯t call her little no more, with how much she grew in just a year.¡±


    Shahin Esca hummed as she resumed her ¡®walk¡¯ beckoning for him to join her. ¡°Indeed, she looked and acted well beyond her years. Especially with her new tutor that caused you some confusion.¡±


    ¡°Oh please forget that,¡± He was quick to move on from his stumble at the docks.


    Sheepishly, he scratched his head, his eyes avoiding her, ¡°Virnan Shah is an established natural philosopher, Rhetor and a master of Geometry. To have him teach my sister is a point of pride. She would definitely grow into a strong Domina herself. I was simply confused why my mother would assign a murk Alchemist as her attendant that is all-¡±


    A sudden rustle of dirt stopped him in his tracks. The tail scraped across the path as Shahin turned to face him. ¡°An Alchemist? Was he not just a scribe to send the missives?¡±


    He shrugged, enchanted by the eyes that looked deeply into his. ¡°Most likely both? He had a golden Gestr on his neck - a seal of free passage into the Tower of Kiymetl. My Grand-uncle, most likely, sent him both to relay his messages and teach her alchemy. Although he seemed too young for that. Perhaps an apprentice?¡±


    The beautiful hand gently touched his shoulder. He gulped from the contact. ¡°Your family truly cares for each other... I can see the love toward them even in your eyes.¡±


    He quietly nodded, struggling to keep his face devoid of heat as she said ¡®love¡¯. The way lamuras could drag their words was almost sensual.


    ¡°I can see that you have great pride in all of them and, especially, her. You have told me many stories about your country and your city. Yourself and your mother. But I would like to hear more,¡± She softly spoke, only to ask right after, ¡°Would you tell me of your sister?¡±


    ¡°It would be my pleasure!¡± He eagerly answered, ¡°Perhaps a warm pavilion would be a better place for such a conversation.¡±


    Shahin quietly bowed and offered her hand to him, instead of simply ''walking'' close.


    He licked his suddenly dry lips. Ecstatic with his progress.


    He almost had her now.

 Chapter 30 Grasping for Straws

    ¡°I need more information, what should I expect from this ¡®Divine Ritual¡¯, what options do we still have?¡± I muttered to the reclining wermage while pacing back and forth across the room.


    We¡¯ve spent no time talking on our way, Domina was unlikely to talk about sensitive matters even with the protection of a silence spell, and I was still in a daze back then.


    She frowned at the way that I spat the name but sighed in response, ¡°It is good that you are focusing on the task at hand, I expected you to lash out-¡±


    ¡°My Domina,¡± I interrupted her, ¡°Aikerim. Can we not spend the time showering each other with praise? Feel free to punish me later for my ¡®brazenness¡¯ but your time is precious and mine is running out. My family is at a stake and I barely know anything about this event, to begin with.¡±


    She didn¡¯t look particularly happy with my cutoff but nodded nevertheless, ¡°This is a Divine Ritual of Gratitude,¡±


    I''ve read about it in one of the books given to me. One of the wermage-centric holidays of sorts. Wer and murks had yearly festivals. The onset of Spring and the Last Harvest celebrated the beginning and an end of the farming season, The Longest Day and Longest Night marked the solstices and told us of the coming change.


    Wermage''s most common festivities were at least ten years apart, many even longer than that. The last Ritual of Gratitude was held before my mother and her brother were born. The next one should¡¯ve been in twelve years or so. Instead of the fifty-five days it was right now.


    Correctly understanding my frown, Aikerim continued, ¡°I was first informed of the upcoming change a few tendays ago, right after your visit to the Primary Manor. Kiymetl had been pushing for this and few other dates back then, myself included, but our attempts had been fruitless. Even soap didn¡¯t help. By today, I had no expectations that it would actually happen on this particular date.¡± She frowned, ¡°This is indeed too soon, there will be a lot of commotion.¡±


    I rubbed my itching forehead, ¡°So that explains why she would choose it. The commotion could help us, since I am the only one who knows how my family looks. But it might also hinder us, and I don¡¯t like the fact that she chose Chimgen that easily. I¡¯ve made no mentions of this to Albin nor anyone else for that matter. Why would she know so much?¡±


    Domina didn¡¯t flinch from my gaze, ¡°I made sure that Sulla would be discreet in his enquiries. If she somehow knew about my interests through him, they would amount to nothing more that I haven¡¯t said during the bath.¡±


    ¡°Was it prudent to reveal your weakness so quickly? What if she was just fishing for the best candidate to hurt your standing?¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t. You¡¯ve heard her say that the decision was already chosen. While she has the power to state the decision, once the statement is made it is beyond her to stop it. And the reason I spoke out is exactly to help our chances.¡± Aikerim looked at me with a glint in her eyes, ¡°By revealing my ¡®weakness¡¯, as you said, I employed all seven Pillar Manors into helping you to buy your family out. Rituals are sacred, but having seven most influential Houses secretly vying for the safety of your family would definitely improve the luck on your side.¡±


    I closed my open mouth, ¡°That I did not realize, you have my thanks. They would try to fleece you for many concessions however if they somehow managed to grab my family.¡±


    She waved me off, ¡°They would be surprised by how much I would be willing to pay for a few farmer slaves.¡±


    ¡°And if Shebet offers more?¡±


    ¡°Then they might be informed by a new ¡®discovery¡¯ by the Kiymetl Alchemist. A discovery that might threaten their ability to prosper. Or, if we feel grateful, a discovery that could help them instead.¡±


    I sighed and plopped myself into a sofa. But the feeling of relief still didn¡¯t come. Things were being done and measures were being taken, but all I could do was sit and wait.


    And I hated it.


    ¡°Will that be enough?¡± I asked quietly, hoping to placate my sense of unease.


    Aikerim sighed, ¡°The slaves that are gifted to the Gods are few in number and are usually young. They are often younger than you. But I will not lie and say that there is no chance for them to be picked. There is also very little one could do in these circumstances, unless one dares to incur the wrath of the Gods. And gain nothing in return.¡±


    I gritted my teeth in frustration as she continued, ¡°Any movements or any attempts to interfere with the festival would be noticed, believe my words for they are more than true. If not immediately, then sometime after. And will be dealt with accordingly. There were Manors in the past that are no more than names in the scrolls, both large and small alike. You do not want to be seen as the one opposing the Gods. I do not want to be seen as the one opposing the Gods. The best course of action is to let the Divine Ritual happen and be ready to strike as soon as it is over.¡±


    I lied there in silence, my eyes staring without focus at the beams of the ceiling. Aikerim observed me quietly, allowing me the time and quiet to compose myself. But the room itself loomed down over me. The omnipresent runes stared back at me. Dull marks of wermage presence. Their patterns felt as if they were carved on my skin, foretelling my fate. And the fate of my family.


    ¡°I need time to think.¡± I eventually gave up on trying to find the perfect solution on the spot, ¡°I agree with you that doing anything rash would be monumentally stupid, but I can¡¯t sit and do nothing either. I will head out to the Alchemy building in the meantime. Even if I can¡¯t come up with anything worthwhile at least I will deal with the snake issue as fast as possible.¡±


    I stood up and stretched, my thoughts picking up speed once some semblance of a course was set. ¡°And by the way - the golden thread is usually thinned by pulling it through series of smaller holes, only to be wrapped around a silk thread. Let me roam the riverbanks and I could turn a silver thread into a gold one. For a fraction of the cost that the House of Shebet incurs by making it.¡±


    She said nothing as I got up, merely acknowledging my statements with a slow but full nod. Deep in thoughts herself.


    ¡°Erf,¡± her voice caught me right at the door, ¡°Pillar Manors never Host themselves, so they would not rise too high above others. Chimgen Manor will bring plenty of slaves and other offerings to choose from, but they will try to offer their best, simply not to look too stingy. Is either of them skilled in crafts or otherwise noteworthy?¡±


    ¡°Just murks. Farmers. Slaves,¡± I chuckled bitterly as I opened the door to the fresh air of the evening. ¡°I am the only one, My Domina. I might share my skills with others, but there is just me.¡±


    I waved at Viter to come over and turned around to face Aikerim. ¡°There is only one Navigator for each ship. One Tree - one Fruit - one Erf. There won¡¯t be less, but there aren¡¯t more either.¡±


    I bowed to her and left, walking past the caretaker slaves wiping wooden floors to the mirror shine. Something that my mother had been doing in the past herself. Perhaps I should have kept my mouth shut, but I didn¡¯t feel like trying to. Not as if she would understand the deeper meaning behind these words anyway.


    ¡°How was the day?¡± I asked my guard instead.


    He shrugged, ¡°The furnaces had been running hot all day. No sign of the lamura.¡±


    I nodded along as I kept walking. Listening to his report about the day. Apparently, lamias were called lamuras in Emanai. Yet another word so close yet different. The lack of her presence deep within the manufacturing area of the manor was expected, but it never hurt to be ready. This is why I had him shadow me everywhere when I would move around. Even inside the manor.


    Especially inside the manor.


    He didn¡¯t look like he minded it much. On the contrary, he was quite eager to follow me around. I wasn¡¯t sure whether that was due to how effortless the task might be, compared to whatever Irje might foist on him. Or he was just eager to establish himself. Being a supervisor or a personal bodyguard was leagues better than turning back to grunt work or worse - life at the fighter pits. Clawed wer weren¡¯t seen as much of a commodity in other areas.


    That, and many of us, that were born into slavery, had been taught a certain expectation throughout our entire lives. Lazy slaves get whipped. A hardworking one behaves as a proper slave should, and with these actions, one is likely to receive better treatment and bigger meals. Freedom too. Either at the end of their life or even earlier, if one collects enough tips from his work.


    I tipped the slaves under my command. Not a lot, so that the practice would cause a commotion within the manor and bring too much heat on me, but enough to keep my conscience placated. Obviously, my stupid generosity was eagerly welcomed, although Irje spun it as the incentive to work hard and quiet. I let her handle the details as she knew the intricacies much better.


    Viter was also included in these payrolls. And that definitely affected his desire to stay under my ''employ''. The only ones who weren¡¯t paid were Irje and Yeva. Mostly because I refused to see them as my slaves, simply mine.


    Well, and the fact that they either held or had access to most of our money anyway.


    My guard stayed outside as I crossed the entrance to my lab. And with him - my lighter thoughts about the day. Everything was fine inside the manor and that was good enough.


    Aikerim had done a significant amount already, but she still cared mostly about her family first and me second. And my family was even lower than that. I had no questions that she would try to do quite a lot to help me save them from their possible future, but she would be unlikely to risk as much as I was. Domina would throw her money, and her influence to solve it, things she has plenty of and likely to recover her losses almost instantly after. But she would baulk at anything that would pose a danger even to myself.


    I walked up to the set of blackboards I¡¯ve ordered for the lab. A chalk already in my hand.


    I needed more power and tools to increase my options. For that, I needed the trip to the shuttle as soon as possible. I had no intention just to twiddle my thumbs for weeks as the whole city would prepare for their fancy ¡®gods of magic¡¯ to ¡®receive¡¯ their offerings. And Aikerim would be extra twitchy if I decided to step off in the direction of Chimgen city anytime soon.


    So I needed an excuse to go. Something insane in their eyes but easily achievable from the trip. Something like electroplating. Especially electroplating gold onto silver or other metals and easily tanking a lot of other trades, including the golden threads. I knew I could probably build my own power generation, even a chemical one. But that meant I would be wasting my time on something that was still present in the shuttle. And the whole purpose was to get to the said shuttle, and not just to gift Aikerim yet another golden egg.


    The nanite containment consumed a decent amount of energy, both to preserve and keep the nanites operational in a user-friendly ¡®installation¡¯ shape. And it worked flawlessly for untold amounts of time. It would still be operational even now. The rest of the interior looked rather beaten up but some things should have retained their functionality, especially if I could jury rig the power source to work like a portable generator.


    Perhaps I would find even more advanced machinery that somehow survived rot and decay, and not waste my time growing it from seeds. Then I might even risk a raid on the Chimgen Manor. Wermages and their gods be damned.


    In the meantime, my hands were drawing formulae on the board. I needed to have my case tight to convince Aikerim why I suddenly wanted to roam a day travel away from Samat. I will have my power source, but I will have to dissolve gold in water too. And for that I needed cyanide.


    Well, depending on how the ball will roll, I might need cyanide for more than that.


    If I was to risk poisoning a wermage, an extremely fast poison with a small lethal dose would be ideal. They breathed the same air as we did. They grew identical hair as humans did. I was willing to bet my chances that they also used mitochondrial respiration.


    My hands kept writing.


    Squiggles on the board as well as notes on the wax tablet. These would not be erased. That would be my shopping list. There were a lot of creative uses of things that had nitro- or azide in their names. While I had no intention of hurting anyone, but a makeshift breach charge might open some doors previously closed to me.


    Especially slave holding pens.


    Absentmindedly I added zinc to the list. Aluminium would be a pain to purify, but zinc metal could be bought. Resultant thermite might be less efficient, but I would be cutting bars and shackles, not solid steel a few fingers thick.


    But I didn¡¯t feel better. The list grew and grew and with it - my frustration.


    Every new purchase looked at me as yet another step I would have to make. Another detour to my family¡¯s safety. All the intricate solutions I could find were most likely riskier than simply waiting for the ritual to be over and quietly purchasing them after. Both for me and my family.


    I gritted my teeth.


    Apart from harebrained solutions, the list contained things with question marks. These I did not know if I could acquire at all. Things that would not be available in Emanai unless the country won the geographical lottery and had readily available deposits. Deposits that they could recognize and, most importantly, mine out of the ground.


    ¡°Oi, Erf!¡± came the burly voice from outside, ¡°The sun has set!¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± I yelled back to Viter.


    I grumbled quietly but set aside the chalk. I desperately wanted to stay here for the whole night, but I could see how far I¡¯ve already spiralled down. The only thing that had good potential was the trip to the shuttle. Everything else after that slid down the slippery slope of destruction and revenge. The blackboard looked back at me with numerous poisons, explosives, and other caustic chemicals.


    Sighing to myself, I wiped off reaction diagrams from the board. Just symbols alone could draw suspicion, the fact that these symbols represented the multitude of elements and not just Water-Earth-Fire-Air-Flow would only waste my time with too many questions and accusations. The only one, who knew some of the chemistry, was Yeva, and even she did not know these squiggles for obvious reasons.


    I trudged back to my home with my bodyguard right behind me. I didn¡¯t notice when, but my retinue changed along the way. Instead of the hulking but mostly mute tiger, I was enveloped with the soft and welcoming cougar. Irje quickly noticed my general state of mind. Or, more precisely, the lack of it, and she didn¡¯t ask any questions as we continued to walk.


    I collapsed into their hands back in our house. My girls listened quietly as I¡¯ve told them the tale of wermage greed and selfishness. Their faces grim and understanding. I lost myself in their gentle touches, speaking without focus as their caresses tried to dispel my frustration.


    Irje shined a light of promise with her own revelation. Apparently, the Sneak had been practising vigorously with Flow any time she had found herself alone and free. And she had a lot to show for her efforts. The ball, that caused her so much trouble previously, easily jumped into her palm. She could even slightly nudge other objects by now, the ones unassisted by the runes.


    The speed of her progress foretold an extraordinary future. The future that she promised to me. The future that I had no desire to ruin with my desperate attempts to save my family. Despite her eagerness to lend me a hand and, especially, to participate if I decide to break horns of a certain werdrake.


    I chuckled mirthlessly at her antics and descriptions of her future grandeur as she unsteadily tried to float the ball around her. If not for the current news, I would have definitely pushed for another celebration, a feast to commemorate her steps into the world of magic. But not tonight. No matter what I would do, it would ring hollow with my thoughts occupied elsewhere.


    A set of small arms cradled my face.


    ¡°You are moping, Erf,¡± Yeva observed.


    ¡°I am,¡± I easily agreed, unwilling to hide my state from them, perhaps unable even. ¡°I was thrown into this pit of manure and all that I could come up with so far is mostly dragging others with me, not pulling my family out.¡±


    I nuzzled into her lap, inhaling her scent. Despite working with the soap chemicals and doing different glass mixes, Yeva rarely had any weird smells on her after work. She washed daily, most likely finding the new smells even more irritating than we could possibly ever do.


    ¡°And worst of all, my ideas suck,¡± I mumbled into her stomach, eager to complain to someone, who actually understood chemistry, ¡°I got ammonia now, but I can¡¯t turn it into nitric acid because I lack the catalyst, and I don''t even know if Emanai has platinum for sale at all.¡±


    Yeva hummed, ¡°You were planning on using that ¡®Ostwald¡¯ process? Because you didn¡¯t have the power for the other one with magnets and lightning?¡±


    I silently nodded, ecstatic with how quickly she was picking up the knowledge that I gave. Irje was learning too, but she was clearly a more hands-on girl and already busy with everyday tasks. Especially now, that she put all her effort into magical training. In the meantime, Yeva soaked up my more esoteric knowledge like a sponge.


    Truly I was blessed by having them with me.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you just make some from saltpetre and oil of vitriol?¡± An innocent question interrupted my tiny spark of bliss.


    ¡°Ah but you see, this actually required me to be smart,¡± I meekly offered, a bit ashamed of my lack of mental flexibility. ¡°I don¡¯t know why I was stuck thinking I needed tons of it right now. Something like that would give me enough material to work with, in a reasonable time frame.¡±


    ¡°Did Yeva just best you in the knowledge of Alchemy?¡± Irje teased, picking up on what had just happened. Only to laugh at the scandalized gasp from the girl cradling my head.


    ¡°That she did. And I am proud for having both of you around. A mage and an alchemist. Soon I will be fighting others to keep you to myself instead.¡± I smiled back at her.


    ¡°And you finally stopped looking like a raisin with all that frowning. Good job, Yeva!¡± Her hand easily covered Yeva¡¯s head, messing up her hair.


    Curly blond squeaked indignantly and slapped the offending hands away, only to turn back on me, ¡°You know well that you would have figured it out yourself. You are just tired, angry, and grabbing at straws.¡± Her fingers gently combed my locks, ¡°These ideas are simple ones. Ideas of the frustrated Erf. Not the usual Erf, that thinks a few steps ahead and in the new, unknown directions, unlike everybody else. Rest, my love. Rest and recover. And I am sure that on the morrow you will find an answer to your problems.¡±


    Her fingers worked wonders on my tired body. Her words, soft and full of gentle emotions carried me to the gates of dreams. I lied there, semi-awake and enjoying the soft hum of their hushed conversations, without trying to recognize any words. All my thoughts had come unwound into a formless limbo, surrounded by the softness of my bed, the supple flesh of my lovers, and the gentle touches of their hands.


    It was easy to let go of my anger and frustration, while surrounded by love. I had cast aside these fuzzy thoughts, content and assured in her promise. I wasn¡¯t alone anymore. Whatever problems I had, my new family would be there to help me out. And together we would overcome it. That, what made the family strong¡­


    Family.


    My eyes snapped open. Fully awake.


    ¡°I will be heading out into the city tomorrow morning,¡± I spoke to the startled girls.


    ¡°Aside from purchases that I might require, I need to meet a certain Devil.¡±


    And explain to him, with crayons if necessary, how much his sister had done fucked up.


    Snusmumriken

 Chapter 31 Scheherazade

    Viter


    The merchant districts were left behind their backs and, with them, the slaves that they took from the Manor. These were currently on their way back, burdened with various salts and tinctures his master had purchased.


    Viter never bothered to understand how all that alchemy worked. He thought it was magical, but somehow the murk could harness it. At least Domina thought he could, which was the only thing that mattered. But apparently, the alchemist traders couldn¡¯t figure out his purchases either. They had visited multiple stores today where merchants had offered products with purer elements of fire or water to substitute whatever compound they didn¡¯t have. Only for Erf to turn them down, despite their vigorous assurances that ¡°your Alchemist master will definitely appreciate these better.¡±


    He nervously glanced once again at his current owner. Hopefully, the murk didn¡¯t lie about his knowledge. Hopefully, Domina won¡¯t punish them both when she finds out if that was true.


    The only consistency he had found in his purchases was purity. Whatever Erf was trying to buy, he was willing to drop enough cuts to get the cleanest and purest product. He would crawl through the piles of coals, pawing almost every piece, to find the blackest and the shiniest lumps. He would argue incessantly with coppersmiths to get weaker metals compared to the stronger brass. Viter even had to intervene a few times to protect the murk from irate merchants, when he would offhandedly call their wares contaminated or plain dirty.


    He knew his master was fey-touched, but at least it looked like he knew what he was doing. Which meant that Domina was unlikely to cut his head out of anger. He wasn¡¯t sure if she was that type of master but he was also unwilling to find out the hard way.


    Despite all that, he was in a great position right now and he would prefer to keep it that way for as long as possible. The moonstruck master of his was of a quiet character. Usually appearing meek until pushed far enough. Overly eager to please everyone and content to spend his time quietly mixing his tinctures, or performing whatever task Domina or the Lady of the House had for him that day.


    No wonder these two girls snatched him up so quickly.


    And they struck gold in doing so. Viter was given a stipend for his work, all slaves under Erf¡¯s command were, but these two held his fat purse. The purse was large enough that he himself wouldn¡¯t be against pursuing the murk. But Irje watched him like a hawk. He saw how quickly she suborned these stipends. Now, instead of the free money given by a naive master, these became incentives to work harder, like carrots for the mules.


    He liked his stipend and the work was easier than ever. And the fact that he had a personal room for the first time in his life.


    What he didn¡¯t like right now was the meanderings of his master.


    He looked around, glaring at all these shifty eyes watching them non-stop. They already passed the craftsmen alleys, full of noise and smoke, and they were approaching seedier neighbourhoods. Ones that were closer to the harbours. Not the marble ones of the upper city, but the smelly ones, full with fishermen and cargo barges. The air chockful with fish and rot.


    ¡°Is this where you agreed to meet your friend?¡± He asked incredulously, shifting his claws out and in just in case.


    ¡°No, but he should be somewhere here anyways.¡± His master answered offhandedly.


    He flexed nervously. Erf¡¯s purse, much thinner by now, was still poking out from under his sash. Worst of all, he saw him shovelling some poisons under his tunic. He wasn¡¯t sure what the small pouches were with, but the little clay jar with a greasy and foul tincture made it obvious. Altogether that meant the meeting might be a rowdy one.


    And he still had to make sure Erf won¡¯t be robbed before, during, or after.


    ¡°Do you want me to mess him up? Or threaten?¡± He offered instead. The quicker they were done here - the better.


    ¡°What? No!¡± The murk exclaimed, ¡°No one is going to threaten anyone, at least not yet anyway.¡±


    He sighed, relieved. One less thing for him to worry about.


    ¡°Besides, if you do that, he would kill you, most likely.¡±


    And in that instant, all that relief he felt just now disappeared. What kind of thug were they meeting that could casually murder these, who belonged to Kiymetl? This was the harbour area, most of the people here either worked directly for one of the Kiymetl Manors or worked for someone, who was. And the spare few, who answered to others, knew well enough to respect and fear the Pillar Manor of Trade.


    The seals on their necks already made them nearly invisible to local thugs.


    Or, perhaps, Erf didn¡¯t even realize that fact. Still, for him to say it so assuredly meant that he either thought the other guy to be that strong or him to be that weak. Viter didn¡¯t like either of these options. There weren¡¯t any easy ways for him to show off his strength inside the Manor. And getting sold off if his master wrongfully assumed him to be weak and useless would be problematic.


    Erf wasn¡¯t his first master. He was however the first master to be that loose with his money and lax in his demands. There weren¡¯t many masters like that around, mostly because these would be quickly stripped of their wealth due to their naivete.


    ¡°Ah, I think I see him.¡±


    He followed his gaze only to notice a rather empty part of an otherwise crowded street. Day workers and beggars alike avoided the deserted hot food store. The cook and owner of the establishment was wringing his arms, glancing listlessly at the sole ¡®customer¡¯ sitting at one of the tables.


    He swallowed. Hard.


    ¡°Hey, Erf? Don¡¯t tell me that he is the one we are meeting.¡±


    Seeing his master¡¯s nonchalant nod, Viter hissed, ¡°Listen, he isn¡¯t a normal wer!¡±


    Erf glanced back at him and at his thumb pointing upward, and nodded, ¡°Yeah, he is good, it is all clear.¡±


    He groaned, nothing was clear in that head of his. ¡°Domina would not approve,¡± he quietly whispered, opting for the drastic measures.


    The murk kept walking, ¡°She is aware.¡±


    He sighed in his mind, as he followed along. Erf was even more important than he realized, to interact with so many Wermages all the time. He wasn¡¯t sure what Erf was tasked to do by Domina, but it mattered little to him. What did matter was that, if he threw his dice right, he could be walking out of this as a free wer. Perhaps even rich too.


    Erf dropped himself into a bench in front of the Noble Wermage. ¡°So, we meet again, Albin.¡±


    Viter sucked the air in, expecting the worst. Was he insane? Does he want to die that badly?


    The Wermage quietly placed a magical talisman on the table, as his scowl grew. Large blue eyes rose up and stared at the murk, only to shift onto him afterwards.


    He took a step back, cautious of the attention.


    ¡°So you have gotten yourself a guard. Make sure that he guards you properly, however.¡± The Wermage slowly mused, only to interrupt responding Erf. His glowing spark shimmered as the table plunged into silence. Obscuring their conversation from him and the rest of the passers-by.


    Viter kept his face calm. Crazy murk probably knew more Wermages than he interacted with throughout his entire life. Suddenly guarding him didn¡¯t feel like an easy task it once was.


    Not that he had a choice in that matter.


    XXX


    I raised my eyebrow at Albin¡¯s actions, ¡°Was it really that necessary to scare my bodyguard?¡±


    Today I was calm. Much calmer than yesterday. I knew how close I came to screwing everything up, and I had no desire to repeat the same process.


    Yesterday I was angry. I was angry at the arrogant wermages, expecting everything to be rightfully theirs. I was angry at the Emanai to allow such a system to continue. But most importantly I was angry at myself. I was angry that it took me that long to remember my family, still slaving away on a farm. I was furious that I¡¯ve spent weeks to keep myself safe, only to realize how much I could help others when Yeva literally begged me to buy her out.


    No wonder Domina couldn¡¯t make heads or tails on my behaviour until I started showing real concern about those that were close to me. Manors were the cornerstones of Emanai. Not the buildings themselves, but the people who inhabited them. Large extensive family structures sought the prosperity of their whole group, rather than individual wealth and independence. They were the reason sadaq-at existed. Polygamous marriages established links between multiple communities rather than catering to the individual desires of a bride and a groom.


    To her, the murk that cared mostly about philosophy and magic was bizarre. Virnan Shah didn¡¯t study natural philosophy because he simply wanted to. He studied it because Kiymetl was wealthy enough not to spend all their efforts on sustenance. Even then, somehow that study fuelled his strength with the Flow and strengthened the Kiymetl in return. And that example was the least outlandish in my own eyes.


    Until Yeva forced my eyes to open. Until Sophia forced my heart to scream.


    The restful sleep had stopped my shakes, which I didn¡¯t realize I had. It silenced the dizzying buzz inside my head, the pressure on my mind, and the screams inside my heart. Yeva was close in her observations but not exact. It wasn¡¯t the frustrated Erf that was lashing out yesterday, it was the young Erf. The murk Erf, who suddenly realized that all this knowledge wasn¡¯t enough. Like a kid, who suddenly noticed that the door to his home was locked for the first time ever.


    I needed power.


    If Domina¡¯s influence wasn¡¯t enough, I will accrue my own. Either with tools - the reagents for which I¡¯ve spent hours to buy. Or with my own connections.


    The historian sat in front of me. The one, who was quite shrewd himself and somehow interested in my self. The brother with an unusually pensive face. Was he already aware of what his sister had done? The last time we¡¯ve met he was awfully worried about it. How much of it was a worry for the arrogance of his sister compared to the speculation of the Shebet Speaker.


    Perhaps he was simply constipated.


    ¡°A guard is not just another slave that follows you around. He needs to be aware of what his tasks might be.¡±


    ¡°It was enough, until yesterday.¡± I replied, ¡°When your sister publicly proclaimed that the Alchemist of Kiymetl had captured the eye of the Speaker of Shebet. While quite forcefully trying to buy me from my Domina.¡±


    I had no desire to rush this conversation. I had no idea how much he knew by now and beforehand. And instantly accusing him of plotting to take my family would do nothing but potentially give him the crucial information he didn''t have before. So I would start from afar. I won¡¯t start as the irate Erf who had his family promoted to the candidacy for the sacrifice.


    Right now, I was the somewhat friendly Erf, still grateful for his previous actions, but somewhat annoyed at the antics of his sister. What Sophia had done could potentially harm my family, but that was still in the future. While Albin had saved my skin previously and jump-started Irje¡¯s magical career. Forgetting his contributions simply because of what another person had done was not a good thing to do.


    If he was responsible I would gain nothing. And if he wasn¡¯t I would simply burn the bridge we had established beforehand.


    Albin glanced at the card on the table, his hands shuffling the rest of the deck absentmindedly, ¡°And your Domina obviously refused. I can imagine that didn¡¯t sit well with Sophia. Don¡¯t worry about your purchase, it is not as fun having you in my House. Especially beholden to my sister, she won¡¯t benefit from the challenge otherwise.¡±


    I blinked. Did he have no idea what his sister had invoked? Or was he simply playing the role of an unconcerned brother? Perhaps, in the wermage fashion, he didn¡¯t even realize the consequences of these actions.


    His reaction was a bit unexpected, but I planned for something like that, however. Or, better to say, my plans were simple and flexible enough not to easily crumble from the first unexpected revelation.


    I came here with a task. A task of getting Albin on my side in the clash against his sister. Simple threats or intimidations would never work. The drugs of the neurotropic and lethal kind were more for my safety if shit hit the fan, rather than as a viable plan to attack anyone, and especially a wermage.


    My most deadly weapon was still my knowledge. I just needed to apply it properly so Albin would consider that keeping me alive and very happy would be the best possible outcome in the upcoming events. And I knew exactly what to say to the one who called himself a historian while the rest of the Emanai called him one of their rulers.


    ¡°I¡¯ve received your gift as well,¡± I veered off the conversation from the sensitive topic for now. No point pushing it yet. I would only lose my possible advantage. ¡°The variety was just enough to give me everything that I will need from them.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± The spark of interest returned to his eyes, ¡°And what are you going to make from them? This question had been on my mind for quite some time, as they are too thick to weave into a cloth.¡±


    ¡°I will make music. Loud, crisp, and clear.¡± I smiled conspiratorially.


    It was his time to blink. ¡°Music? You did all that to replace the catgut with metal?¡± He laughed incredulously, ¡°I was right in my curiosity, Only someone like you would spend an offer from one of the Pillar Manors on something like that.¡±


    I smiled slightly as I spread my hands, ¡°That is what I crave: just to be safe, well-fed, and to spend my time experiencing new things in life.¡±


    While what I said was true, I said it out loud for a reason. Subliminal messaging was important. I was the nice and fuzzy Erf, happy to tinker in my own shop and be left alone as long as you give my family back. Someone, whom you are not afraid to offer help because I would use that help to make things like music. Instead of growing stronger and backstabbing those who pushed me up.


    Albin shook his head, ¡°You actually remind me of some of my relatives, and not the murks I tend to find here.¡± His gaze swept across the street only to return to me, as he rested his elbows on the table. His head supported by hands, which were still holding the deck of cards, ¡°So, have you come to finally share some of your stories?¡±


    I shuddered internally. I wasn¡¯t sure being compared to the Shebet House members was a compliment in my book anymore.


    Instead, I chose the Socratic approach, ¡°Do you know what sets all of us apart from animals?¡±


    ¡°Something tells me, that you aren¡¯t looking for the usual answers. Like intelligence and Flow.¡± Albin immediately played along.


    ¡°While some might argue that, but intelligence is a complex thing with different species coming out ahead of one another in different categories. Many animals trump even us in certain aspects. The same could be said about Flow since there are Beasts that are magical and much stronger than a single wer and many a wermage. Or we wouldn¡¯t have walls on our borders.¡± I agreed, ¡°What sets us apart are tools. We are the greatest toolmakers and, most importantly, we are the greatest tool-users.¡±


    It was actually nice to see him shift from entertaining my thoughts to actively pondering on them. Every other wermage had been dismissive of my knowledge from the start, except him. With others, I had to make sure that my theories would align with their thoughts initially, or at least greatly benefit them from the start. While Albin simply appeared to enjoy my tirades despite my status. Even on a debatable topic such as this.


    It almost made me feel guilty with what I was about to do.


    ¡°Once a person forges a first sword, others follow. First Bow, first wheel, first fire. The first word and first number. For there are material tools, tools of the mind, and tools of Flow. Both runed objects and, most likely, the Artifacts.¡± I kept talking. What set the Artifacts apart from things simply carved with runes was that they required no mage to power them. Like the Orb of Truth, or the Pillar Towers themselves. But despite their rarity and mythical origins they were clearly hand-made. Artificial.


    His grin was back. ¡°So that is how you got the whole Kiymetl abuzz. You gave them tools. No, you gave them knowledge of these tools so they could make these themselves.¡±


    I nodded, ¡°Precisely. I taught my Domina how to count her money faster and more accurately. I pointed to Virnan the factorials and the notion of infinity, which allowed him to delve deeper into the al-jabr of mathematics. The Algebra.¡±


    ¡°And managed to annoy my sister by a great amount.¡± He quipped, ¡°Especially with the numbers. Tell me Erf. What Daimon are you, to know these things?¡±


    ¡°I am no demon, Albin. I am just a murk.¡±


    Huh. Somehow the Red Devil himself was the first to question the origins of my knowledge as well as my humanity. Aside from Irje and Yeva that is. Somehow every other wermage conveniently ignored the potential issue. Until now.


    ¡°So you say,¡± He murmured as one of his hands opened up to reveal a glowing lattice of blue lines. Floating in midair. Crowned by a bold ¡°1¡± on top of it. ¡°And so you think. How interesting.¡±


    ¡°I guess Shebet has their own Orbs of Truth. Or should I say, The Spell?¡± I raised my eyebrow.


    Whatever it was it very clearly resembled The Orb of Aikerim, both in shape and likely in action. But the inner parts were definitely more complex than any runework I had seen before. Rune lines were simple. They were often straight and sometimes curved and gained complex effects either from stacking multiple lines on top of each other or relying on a larger area to carve it out. Both of which had obvious limitations and nasty side effects if you went too far.


    The lines, that sprung up out of thin air, had much more complex geometry. They appeared to rely on all three dimensions in order to force the desired effect. Something that the books never mentioned.


    It looked like I would need to get more advanced manuals in the future.


    The glow disappeared back into nothing, as he closed his palm once more.


    ¡°Every House has its own trinkets,¡± he spoke as the same hand gently brushed his hair past his horns. Quite useful that, the large protrusions easily kept the few loose hairs away from his face. ¡°Do keep it secret, however. Manors like their privacy and talking about it might get you in a very unfortunate spot where neither I nor your Domina could keep you out of.¡±


    I huffed. Albin was apparently my hindsight. Always warning me about things I¡¯d had already done. But I took his words to heart nevertheless. I already had House of Esca at my back, I definitely didn¡¯t want Shebet to join them as well in the future.


    ¡°Well, let us put that away, for now. I believe you were talking about tools.¡± Albin quickly lost interest in interrogating me, most likely placated by the spell of his.


    ¡°I was, and I was also thinking of the things I could provide to others. Especially the ones who generously supplied me with trinkets to study and strings to play with.¡±


    ¡°Hoh, how fortuitous. But do you actually have a tool like that? The one I do not have, but need?¡± He challenged me.


    ¡°Me? A mere murk?¡± I asked in a false mocking fashion, only for him to grin in reply, ¡°Of course I wouldn¡¯t have anything that a Speaker of Shebet might ever need. But I might have something for Albin, the historian.¡±


    ¡°Ah! It was a story after all. Perhaps we should continue this in a more comfortable place? I guarantee you that Sophia would not find out if you would spend the day in one of our outer residences.¡±


    I smiled, ¡°That would be unnecessary. Unfortunately, I have the tasks I need to attend to afterwards. But I would continue this tale in the future. For my first tale, I want to tell you of a historian of the past most ancient. A man, like you perhaps, who wasn¡¯t simply satisfied just to record the history itself. He wanted to understand how to study it, learn the best ways how it should be recorded¡­¡±


    Twin eyes of blue stared at me without moving as I began my tale of Ibn Khaldun, A man who was one of the first to walk the path of sociology, and historiography: the study of methods to develop history as a discipline. My story was short, however, for I did not come here for a full lesson.


    ¡°Fascinated by civilizations of the past and present he studied them as a concept. He recognized the patterns in different countries and different dynasties. Not just as the groups of murks, wer, and wermages that were apart from animals, nor people of one country like Emanai. He saw societies. He recognized the ¡®Asabiyyah: the cohesion and unity of a country as it grows and prospers into the unrivalled power.¡±


    I leaned forward, ¡°And the eventual lack of it, as it declines and dies.¡±


    Albin frowned, ¡°Are you saying that the Emanai might die?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°No, I am saying that it will.¡±


    His hands moved, rapidly shuffling the deck, until now forgotten. A new card slammed on the table, face down, as he scowled at me. ¡°And you are planning to destroy it? This isn¡¯t just blasphemy, this is treason!¡± He hissed.


    I couldn¡¯t help myself, but gulp. Albin took me more seriously than Aikerim. Or, to say precisely, comprehended the possibilities better. No wonder that he was the Speaker.


    ¡°Not at all! It will happen by itself. Sooner or later. With or without my ¡®help¡¯. Just like us, societies have their own lifespans. Emanai is simply coming to an end as they all do.¡± I quickly refuted, unwilling to risk my life with an ¡®accidental magical discharge¡¯.


    He visibly relaxed, but the previously jovial atmosphere was long gone, ¡°And what makes you think that?¡±


    ¡°Your wars,¡± I spoke honestly and calmly. This wasn¡¯t the blackmail, this was an advertisement pitch. ¡°I¡¯ve heard the talks of the Pillar Manors in the bath. Emanai wages wars to obtain food and slaves. It can no longer sustain itself without taking from others by force.¡±


    ¡°This is how the world works. If you aren¡¯t strong enough, someone will come and take from you.¡±


    ¡°But you don¡¯t always have to take from others in order to grow strong yourself. The problem of Emanai is that it is stuck in a Malthusian trap it cannot overcome. With every year, your population grows much faster than the food you gain from your land. Eventually, you have too many mouths to feed and too few grains in your barns. So you are forced either to raid or face starvation. And wars only postpone the inevitable. They thin your ranks and yield the spoils thus giving you the breathing room. But the wall is still in front of you, you simply took a step back to recover-¡±


    ¡°Unless the gods will intervene,¡± Albin interjected.


    ¡°Can the gods feed all of Emanai? Every day? How about two or even ten?¡± I asked, making him halt in his rebuke. ¡°The gods won¡¯t intervene, because if they do, they would kill the Emanai society even faster. As it is not yet ready for a post-scarcity economy. With divine handouts, such country will grow increasingly dependant on them, losing their self-identity and becoming nothing else but pets for their masters.¡±


    Whether they existed or not was a discussion for yet another day. I wouldn''t waste all this effort to end up arguing religion.


    ¡°I know quite a few who would say that is exactly how it is supposed to be.¡± Albin mused.


    ¡°But not you, Al,¡± I said, ¡°Otherwise you wouldn¡¯t care for a murk being chased down the alley. Or entertain his ideas.¡±


    He sighed, ¡°And yet said ¡®murk¡¯ is trying to wrest more, or he wouldn¡¯t start this conversation out of the blue.¡±


    ¡°Because said murk is desperate. For he was forced into a corner by your own sister.¡±


    I could see the gears turning in his head.


    ¡°You¡­You are from Chimgen, aren''t you? And so is your family.¡± He finally exhaled.


    ¡°Bingo.¡± I bitterly smiled as he groaned, ¡°I would have been content to learn and teach, but she is giving me no choice.¡±


    The tail slammed into the ground with a resounding crack.


    ¡°If you have any plans on threatening her, I suggest you to drop them immediately. You might be full of curiosities, but I would not allow you to endanger my family. Even if I have to explain to Aikerim Adal why I had to kill you here and right now.¡± He spoke calmly as his tail slowly scraped the rocks on the ground.


    ¡°No. If I was planning anything of sorts I would not be here at all. Despite my feelings brought forth by her actions, the safety of my family comes first.¡±


    A third card landed on the table in absolute silence.


    He shook his head ruefully, His horns swaying back and forth, ¡°So you will go against Emanai itself, her traditions and religion, and all the gods as well. You will waste your life in doing so.¡±


    ¡°I will do it because I must.¡± I whispered, ¡°I will not cast away my own family.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, Erf.¡± His eyes pierced mine, ¡°Do they speak like you too?¡±


    I jerked back as if slapped, my mind reeling from his words.


    ¡°Do they know as much as you do?¡± He continued quietly, as my fingers clenched, ¡°Or even act like you. And judging from your face they do not. I don¡¯t know why you still cling to the idea that you are a murk. Despite having a body of one. That family, you consi-¡±


    ¡°Shut the fuck up, Albin.¡± I growled, slamming my fists on the table, ¡°Your sister doesn¡¯t act nor talk like you either, but you would protect her nevertheless. I am here because of them, and they have done their best to get me as far as they could! And I will do my familial duty. And fuck these gods of yours, the ones you don''t even bother braiding your hair for!¡±


    He choked on my last sentence, laughing incredulously. But before I could consider if I should punch his face or not the laughter sharply stopped.


    ¡°Three days, Erf. Give me three days to plan and I will tell you what I can do. Stay low in the meantime and do not, I repeat, do not say a word to anyone. Especially to your Domina, or any other wermage. Unless you wish to find out how they treat a possible apostate.¡±


    I gathered myself and nodded shakily. ¡°I will be discreet. But I would prefer not to sit and wait, while the rest of the city prepares for the ¡®ritual¡¯.¡±


    He waved me off, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about Samat preparations. Shebet hadn¡¯t sent the messenger yet to Chimgen and I will make sure she won¡¯t have time to leave any time soon. Whatever plans you might think of - they can wait until my answer. If you have other projects - do them instead, but don¡¯t attract any attention to yourself. And watch. Your. Back.¡±


    I sighed, as the pressure at the back of my mind slowly let go, yet didn¡¯t disappear entirely. I didn¡¯t put all my faith in him, but what he offered was huge. Better than anything I could come up with at this point. He was ambiguous but I couldn¡¯t fault him for it. Just as he said, we were possibly conspiring to challenge their religious doctrines. And he was risking much more than I did.


    ¡°For what it is worth, you have my thanks and my apologies.¡± I got up and bowed. Just the fact that he would stop the messenger for a few days gave quite a lot of breathing room if not to plan but at least to think and rest. And finish other projects in the meantime. ¡°And when I manage to retrieve my family, you will have my gratitude.¡±


    Albin Shebet Chasya


    Their conversation didn¡¯t last long after that. Erf had managed to achieve what he came here for, and he was struggling with a plethora of new thoughts himself. Ideas and, worst of all, expectations that Erf laid down made sense to him. No matter how distasteful he had found them to be, he could not easily refute their possibility.


    Erf omitted the crucial detail, however. Time. The cycles he had described wouldn''t happen overnight, nor in a hundred years. Erf would be most likely dead by that point, but he would still be around. And he could already see the climb of luxuries and corruption across the Emanai Manorat. The Chimgen Manor itself was suffering from a few too many lavish parties that they had indulged in. He wasn¡¯t sure if he should punish their gluttony for what it would undoubtedly cause, or stay his hand for it had brought Erf into this city.


    The sounds disappeared once more, including the retreating steps of a murk and his hapless bodyguard. As the figures all around him had frozen once again, his hand reached out and turned the card face up. The card he drew for his own sister. It had been troubling him for a few paces of the day until the recent meeting had brought him clarity of the events unfurling.


    There were only few Divine cards in the deck. Each with a character of its own. Each - unwilling to come out unless the situation was far from mundane. Each of them - cryptic and two-faced as the Gods themselves.


    He looked down at the image of a crumbling tower. The Divine Consequence promising both retribution and renewal. To crumble old and build anew.


    The second card was for Erf. The Divine Death. The cessation of one, or by one. To kill or to be killed.


    And the last one - for himself.


    The Divine Choice.


    He smirked looking at it. How apt. The scales on the card were nearly identical to the golden ones on Erf¡¯s neck.


    His fingers clenched as if to crumble them but he thought otherwise at the last moment.


    ¡°What have you unleashed, Sophia.¡± He murmured as the hands shuffled the cards back into the deck. The Flow resuming its original direction, no longer disturbed by the draw. ¡°And just where will this take all of us?¡±


    Having met him in person on multiple occasions he was now very familiar with the wake he cast upon the river of Fate. A Daimon of the past, the ancestral soul entombed in a murk¡¯s body. But there was something else. His splashes were beginning to uncover something even greater. Like the scales of a beast that had been slumbering on an ocean floor for millennia at a time, getting ready to wake up once again.


    Time of leisure was over, he now had a lot of work to be done in the upcoming days.


    He couldn''t stop but smirk at the recent memory. "Fuck the gods, Erf? How ambitious of you." He snickered.


    The deck was gone and sounds were back. Albin got up and headed in the opposite direction, leaving some cuts for the owner on the table. The crowd spread apart to give him passage. Fearful of his status and the tail swinging back and forth in a bout of frustration.


    Except for one rushing wer.


    The tail swung like a whip, hitting the wercat on the shins and easily dropping him into the ground.


    ¡°Watch where you are going!¡± He snarled back without stopping as the grimacing wer tried to crawl away.


    Yes. A lot of work, and there were annoyances all around him already.


    Snusmumriken

 Chapter 32 A Mild Case of Scenic Walks

    Shahin Esca Yusuf-ja


    She lounged on a large pillow as the rest of her tail coiled over another one. The sofas of Emanai, even the ones designed for more ¡®robust¡¯ families, were rather flimsy for her. The furniture was yet another example of how foreign this country was. The damp air made nights unbearable, despite them being milder in these lands. While the feeble heat of the sun could barely overcome the chill of the wind. Back home, she dressed in silks outside to shelter herself from the bright sun. Here, she had to wear outer clothes even indoors. Or risk her thoughts to slow into a crawl.


    ¡°I hear that Domina is planning on expanding the Manor?¡± Shahin spoke as she drank hot wine with honey.


    The warmth and sweet of the liquid kept her warm, so she didn''t have to rely on runes all the time. While the actual spell was not complex, maintaining Flow over the entire day could easily drain even someone of her rank. And she had no desire to wake up sick.


    She couldn¡¯t afford it.


    ¡°My mother has a keen mind.¡± Anaise Hilal allowed, ¡°It is no wonder that the Manor would prosper under her watch.¡±


    Shahin was inside one of the winter pavilions, sharing her lunch with the Lady of the House and her brother. Amalric looked rather subdued today, allowing his sister to lead the conversation. An otherwise normal occurrence but she had seen him talk to her before. Apparently, the boy had been talked to. That was unfortunate, but not unexpected.


    That meant they knew, that she knew. And the game was on.


    ¡°I would assume that she is eager to congratulate her daughter¡¯s accomplishments? A new estate perhaps?¡± She probed instead.


    ¡°Is that how Esca honours its daughters, then?¡± Anaise asked in return.


    She smiled, ¡°Indeed. An estate is a first step in acquiring your own Manor after all.¡±


    Anaise eagerly jumped in, asking her about the customs and traditions of her homeland and Shahin let her. The Lady of the House was well-educated and knew her way around sensitive topics. She was also young. Her attempts at changing the topic were laudable but still obvious. That is if one was paying attention. And heard some gossip beforehand.


    Domina was planning a large expansion. A very large one. Yet, judging by Anaise''s reticence in rightfully calling it hers, that was not a future estate of the Lady of the House. Or estate at all. A word here, an unusual meeting there, and surprising whispers all around painted a somewhat odd outcome rather than a luxury estate for an esteemed member of the Kiymetl household. Nor did it look like the usual expansion due to family growth. Shahin tried to acquaint herself with every member of Kiymetl Manor that resided here. And there weren¡¯t that many around.


    This Manor was young and the current courtyards were more than sufficient to house all of them.


    It wasn¡¯t an estate she realized. Something simple like that would have been already built. Or at least the walls and the main buildings would have been in place. Domina was waiting for something else to start the construction, something related to the rest of the city. Otherwise, she wouldn¡¯t have spent so much time meeting with the Samat family.


    An estate, no matter how luxurious, wouldn''t require a collaboration with the rest of the city. A collaboration that most likely implied the necessity for wider roads or even aqueducts.


    But a new manufacturing area would.


    The question was why would Domina hide it under the name of an estate? Was it to hide it from her own family? Or from someone like her? Perhaps, even both.


    She spoke of her homeland, as she drank and ate. The drink wasn¡¯t strong enough to sway her thoughts, but the honey and the meat would keep her body hot and her mind swift for a long time afterwards. Perhaps a combat practice wouldn¡¯t be amiss either. She had to eat quite often since she came over here and her tail was already big enough to hold the heat within. Anything more would only slow her down.


    Shahin wove her story skillfully, both pulling at the heartstrings of Amalric and probing Anaise with accidental words. The young man was confused and subdued. Unsure where to put his trust. With his mind that told him to obey his mother, or with his heart instead. And she would not discourage him from thinking so.


    She told them of the sands and stars. The songs and dances of her sisters, that kept them warm until the fires were hot enough. She spoke to them, but the tale was more for herself.


    Because she knew that she might not return.


    Shahin came here both on her own volition and by her House''s will. Guided by the chillingly precise comments of the Kiymetl delegation. She came here expecting an upstart to subdue or an accidental discoverer to recruit. Instead, she had found a Pillar Manor almost ready to suborn their craft. The rings inside their braids were simplistic but well-defined. Which meant that whoever made them knew exactly what he was doing, but had no experience with it.


    The experience could be gained in time. The colour they possessed - not so much.


    Despite all her efforts, the murk alchemist remained out of her reach. Amalric had been fruitless in his attempts, even in bringing him with the Lady of the House. Anaise Hilal acted rather possessively when any conversation touched her new attendant. And she could guess why judging by how often she would play with her rings. A slave of such mastery would be a precious possession.


    The sounds of a commotion outside interrupted their conversation. Her hosts looked around but, before either of them could tell one of the slaves to investigate, a servant girl was already beside Anaise Frantically whispering something to her.


    ¡°What!?¡± Lady of the House exploded, and scowled not at the flinching servant but at¡­her?


    ¡°Is there something of the matter?¡± Shahin asked.


    ¡°Please, don¡¯t worry about it. I just need to excuse myself for now.¡± Anaise quickly rose.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Shahin bowed to her, ¡°Until our next meeting, perhaps.¡±


    ¡°I should probably assist my sister,¡± Amalric got up as well.


    She bowed silently to him, making him awkwardly turn away from her gaze as if he was guilty.


    Shahin waited until they left her alone with her servants and then extended her arm. The flute was quickly placed in her hand. Absentmindedly she began a melody of her past. One of the first Songs of Fire that all children learnt. It was calm and simple, easy to memorize and soothing to the mind.


    A new slave snuck in as she played, her neck adorned with the seal of Kiymetl, bowing quietly in front of her.


    ¡°What is the commotion outside?¡± Shahin asked after she had finished her piece.


    ¡°There is a slave missing.¡± The girl eagerly reported, ¡°The Young Lady¡¯s alchemist or so I heard.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± She smiled to herself. ¡°It seems that he is quite important, then.¡±


    ¡°Oh yes! Some say that Domina is very fond of the murk.¡± She lowered her voice conspiratorially, ¡°Some even dare to claim that she had summoned him to her baths.¡±


    Shahin held her eyes from rolling as she gestured to her slave. The power of gossip was notorious everywhere, but this was getting to an absurd level. She picked up a small pouch of cuts and threw it into the outstretched hands. The slave girl bowed deeply and disappeared once again with their interaction over.


    She stretched and put the flute away, hiding the hint of a smile under her veil. The grim future of her House was still uncertain. If she would throw the dice right, her sisters would not have to freeze and starve. Aikerim Adal didn''t outright dismiss her upon arrival, which meant that she was not secure in her new product yet. At the same time, ridiculous rumours about the miraculous rise of the murk and possessiveness of the Lady of the House painted the real picture of the culprit. The culprit, that had already managed to stir the entire Manor with his absence.


    Perhaps the Gods would smile upon her and she wouldn¡¯t need to do anything at all.


    ¡°One ship - one navigator, was it?¡± She slowly murmured.


    How apt.


    XXX


    ¡°What?¡± I said, awkwardly putting dildos away, ¡°They aren¡¯t for me!¡±


    Viter kept goggling.


    ¡°It is a present for the girls.¡± I desperately tried to explain myself.


    ¡°There should be a healer nearby, they sell herbs that can raise your spirit.¡± He suggested.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have problems down there!¡± I hissed quietly.


    He raised his eyebrow, ¡°You have the cougar wer vying for your attention. If you don¡¯t have problems yet - you will.¡±


    It was my time to goggle at him, ¡°Wait. You mean they are all like that?¡±


    He turned away, ¡°They are¡­well-known for their appetite.¡±


    I gulped. Note to self: avoid other cougars at all costs. I idly wondered how quickly I would¡¯ve tapped out if I didn¡¯t have the technology of the advanced civilization keeping my dick rock-hard throughout these nights. It would be fun one day to sit down and reminisce about our first days. Try to figure out who wooed whom. And still, come up short.


    ¡°Well, hopefully, she won''t be weirded out by me buying it.¡±


    ¡°In your positions, you don¡¯t have to worry about these things.¡± Viter turned back to glaring at the crowd like a hawk.


    I sighed. His words were true in this society, but that was not what I sought from my relationship. And that was the main reason why I wanted them to grow so much. Just as with hypothermia, where nobody is dead until they are warm and dead, it is love when they can leave at any time, yet choose to stay instead.


    And it wasn¡¯t just my own stance. Navigators needed mindless sycophants as much as they needed screen doors on the hull of a ship.


    In the end, I chose to shrug and continued to stuff the protruding package under the tunic. The recent conversation had eased the load off my mind. This is why I decided to take another detour and visit the merchants once again. Not to buy ingredients, but to purchase trinkets that weren''t on my mind before. Like ordering new amulets to be made for Irje and Yeva, checking up on the guitar progression, and making awkward purchases from a very loud seller.


    At least I could pick up the guitar`s body tomorrow. And sing first songs by afternoon, most likely.


    A stray thought had entered my mind to ask Viter about wermage exploits in bed, but I stayed my tongue. He had been twitchy since he noticed how often I attracted the attention of Domina and Anaise, and the recent encounter with Albin made it worse. I had a faint feeling that he would have a heart attack if I even mention the possibility of bedding one.


    Well, at least I got some interesting tidbits about wer in the process.


    A street urchin bumped into me. ¡°Hey!¡± I barked, trying to maintain balance, ¡°Watch where are you going! Oh¡­¡±


    He didn¡¯t just bump into me, he also managed to leg out of here extremely fast. While clutching my coin pouch.


    Little bugger.


    Oh well, there wasn¡¯t that much le-


    A loud roar blasted my ears as Viter went into combat mode. Claws extended and ready to jump. Scaring all the passers-by around us. He lunged forward as the crowd quickly split apart in front of him, giving him a better path to pursue his prey.


    I sighed as the stripes of yellow and black disappeared into the crowd. So much violence for some measly cuts. I would need to talk to him about using proper responses in such situations. Or even develop standard operating procedures exactly for the cases like that. So that I won''t stand like a peacock as the crowd gawked at me.


    Alone at that.


    My breath hitched as I heard the shuffle behind my back. I dropped to the ground fast and hard, barely avoiding the noose that appeared right where my neck was just a second ago. Without bothering to get up, I booked from the clearing in a similar manner as the urchin did moments before. Frantically pushing my way between the legs of the gawkers.


    I cursed under my breath as I kept weaving through the crowd, not paying attention to the screams and yells behind me. Fucking Albin! ¡®Watch your back¡¯ my ass! He could have simply warned me like a normal wermage being. But nooo! The smarty-pants needed to act all vague and mysterious.


    I kept running as my eyes looked for an alley. A sharp turn and a quick climb, and I will be able to put some serious distance just as I¡¯ve done before. The rest I could figure out later. This was an ambush, and the first rule of an ambush, if you are still alive that is, is to get the fuck out of the ambush zone.


    A glance to the side, a shove to the other and I pushed myself into a gap between the buildings. It wasn¡¯t deep but walls were rife with protrusions. Perfect to scale upward. A few well-placed steps and I threw myself at the wall, easily catching the protruding brick with my fingers.


    My hands pulled me upward with ease. In less than a second, I was already halfway up the wall. Finally getting the first solid grasp on the protruding eaves of the second floor.


    That is when a flying brick smashed into the wall right above my head, showering me in chips of clay.


    A growl from behind and below, ¡°Get back down, merk.¡±


    Damn, this bugger was much faster than the other two. Smarter too. Oh well, plan B it was.


    I dropped sloppily, like a sack of potatoes, landing with a pained grunt and collapsing to the ground.


    A single wer. He was a little bigger than me, but not by a huge margin. No wonder why he was that fast.


    Good.


    I snivelled as my fingers let go of my dagger and braced against the earth. I had no real skill at slashing but he might have. And all that usefulness of the ultra-sharp blade would be gone in a moment if he would disarm me.


    He sniffed as he slowly approached me, ¡°you should have stayed put, merk. I could have made this easy for both of us, but you choose to struggle instead.¡±


    He took his time as he approached me. He was telling me something nasty but I didn¡¯t bother listening to his threats. What I paid attention to was the lack of any seals or medallions on his clothes as well as the plain style of his belt. Whoever he was, he definitely didn''t dress to impress. He also favoured his right leg somewhat.


    Very good.


    I held myself still, waiting for him to get near. My head turned away, facing the ground. The smell of dust and petrichor inside my nose. All my attention in my ears. A murmur of the street nearby, a hissing voice of my adversary. And uneven steps of his feet.


    A step and a drag.


    Step.


    Drag.


    My muscles flexed. Ready to move.


    Step.


    Just as he started to drag his foot, I lunged low at the shin in front of me. The one that he just put all his weight at. My shoulder smashed into his leg as I dropped down once again, planting his foot into the ground with the weight of my body.


    There is a funny problem with our brains. They really hate falling backwards. And they will use all reflexes available to them to ¡®correct¡¯ the issue. It would lock up your muscles and straighten your knees just to push you back into the standing state. Even if the centre of mass was way past your sole foot on the ground. The foot, that was unable to move due to all the weight applied to it.


    But nature always finds a way.


    And bones are designed to be strong with a specific task in mind.


    I heard a loud crack as the shin fractured right beside my head. Both of his bones shattered as he toppled down like a falling tower, squealing like a pig.


    That wasn¡¯t good, however. Who knows, if he had friends nearby.


    Letting go of my brutal prise, my hand reached past the dildos and grabbed one of the tiny pieces of folded parchment. I lunged to his screaming face, my palm covering his open mouth and forcing him to breathe out the rest of his air through the nose. He tried to inhale right after that, planning to scream again, only to be interrupted by my other hand. The one generously pouring the powder right into his nose.


    The wercat snorted and tried to struggle, but I held him down firmly. He was strong, but so was I. And the shock from pain was already kicking in and, in a few moments, the other drug was too.


    I calmly watched as his cat-like eyes slowly rolled up, white froth on my fingers. He would most likely survive if his body behaved like a human one. But the wake-up would be miserable.


    I wiped off my hands on his tunic and quickly scanned the main street from behind the corner. Painfully aware of all the shady faces in the crowd. Viter was nowhere to be seen. I quietly cursed at my overly eager bodyguard and hid again. It was unknown whether he was still chasing the hapless urchin or looking for me back where we split. The important part was that he wasn¡¯t here.


    And staying around with a knocked-out body of a beaten wer was not a healthy way to live.


    A quick search yielded nothing of importance and I sighed as I picked up the unconscious body. Leaving him here would mean that whoever hired him would be much better prepared for the next time. And I had no desire to hide inside the manor for the rest of my life. Fearful of shadows on the street.


    I had places to be and things to do as early as tomorrow.


    I threw him over my shoulders, securing him to myself with his sash. Killing him would have been quicker, but I didn¡¯t waste all this effort only to slit his throat afterwards. Nor did I really wanted to do it either. And here of all places.


    My fingers punched into the wall, making a purchase for themselves. Once again I scaled the walls of this city, but now I wasn¡¯t running. I was merely moving fast toward the Kiymetl manor. I was certain that the wermage politics were the most probable cause of my current trouble, and so Aikerim would have to shovel this pile of shit herself.


    Who knows, she might learn something valuable from the ¡®tongue¡¯ I captured. Or use him as a trading piece.


    I crossed the city, jumping from roof to roof. My feet leaving gouges on parapets from all the weight I carried. My only cost was in calories and shoes. It was an unusual way of travel, I would say, but I didn¡¯t wish to risk being stopped and questioned on my way back.


    The Kiymetl manor was bustling with activity.


    No, let me rephrase it. The Kiymetl was abuzz like an angry beehive.


    I entered the main gate almost unnoticed as Sulla was rounding up redheaded warriors into groups. He stopped barking orders as he saw me with my package. Only to start barking a new set of orders, mostly for others to stay put and for me to follow him. Straight into the inner courtyards, to the heart of the Manor, and the residence of the Domina herself.


    He left me as I walked through the final door, staying outside.


    Leaving me face to face with a livid Aikerim.


    I sighed and dropped the unconscious body on the floor, using him as a pillow to sit on.


    Well, at least I¡¯ve found Viter now.


    Snusmumriken


    As usual, the next chapter will be hopefully next Thursday, August 19. But you can always reach me online.


    In the other news, there are two topics on the after-chapter agenda this week:


    First of all - congratulations to @tounokuraikenja on his birthday jubilee, hopefully, one day I can reach your writing speeds!


    On the second topic - Story Art! Some of you might''ve heard that a new cover is currently in the making (It will feature Aikerim predominantly), but in the meantime, I''ve set up the Ko-fi page specifically to fund more art for the story and some other goodies. As the number of donations has reached a decent amount I am starting to look for a new commission. Your task is to help me decide what character needs to be drawn first. Vote away!

 Not a chapter – Large Cover art!

Snusmumriken

 Chapter 33 Il Principe

    Aikerim¡¯s posture relaxed as she saw me but her gaze was still razor-sharp.


    ¡°Who is that?¡± She demanded, pointing her whip at my makeshift chair.


    ¡°I have no idea at all, my Domina,¡± I said, ¡°But he was very eager to know me quite intimately.¡±


    Her nostrils flared up as I showed her the noose, and the wooden handle groaned in her grip. Her eyes slowly panned back to Viter, making him shrink into himself even more.


    I sighed. Judging by his condition, and the lack of obvious signs of physical punishment, Viter arrived a few minutes ago himself. Just enough for Aikerim to comprehend the situation, issue Sulla to form search parties, and visibly and vocally explain to the wertiger how deeply in shit he was. Judging by his overall rough appearance he was shaken quite literally.


    All that, because some wermages finally decided to start their cloak and dagger dance. How fucking nice of them.


    ¡°My Domina, I want to apologize for the accident my slave had caused.¡± I spoke, ¡°Please allow me to educate him.¡±


    My first words had startled her, but my conclusion made her ponder in earnest. Trying to demand or even request anything from her, with Viter listening in, would yield nothing in return. Perhaps it would get me punished as well for the audacity to do so. This whole act put a bitter taste in my mouth and made my forehead itch, but I had to play by the rules of Emanai. And the rules demanded me to be deferential to the high ranking Domina, and my own owner to boot.


    ¡°Can you do it, however?¡± She asked.


    ¡°There is a first time for everything.¡± I shrugged, ¡°Might as well start now, under your oversight as well.¡±


    Aikerim thought for a moment as her eyebrows raised in curiosity.


    The hand quietly presented the whip to me.


    ¡°Viter,¡± I said, shaking my head at Aikerim¡¯s ¡®offer¡¯, ¡°Have you managed to retrieve my pouch?¡±


    ¡°Yes, master.¡± He sullenly replied, watching our movements like a rat stuck in a corner watching the two cats deciding who will have him for dinner. ¡°The pouch is right here.¡±


    I extended my hand and he threw the pouch. Which I immediately emptied into my palm. A dozen of silver coin ¡°cuts¡± drowned by a handful of bronze. A very hefty sum, for a day-worker that is.


    ¡°There are enough cuts in this pouch to feed and house a whole family for¡­ thirty days. One could live off of it for an entire season alone if they would be careful not to spend too much. A real fortune for a street urchin, and a miserable loss of a normal citizen. I can see why you would be eager to retrieve it for me.¡±


    I could see his eyes focus on me with a spark of hope or, perhaps, with appreciation that I chose to talk instead of using corporal punishments.


    ¡°My Domina, would you tell me how much you could spend on a wer bodyguard?¡± I turned back to Aikerim.


    ¡°On average, an unskilled fighter wer would cost a two thousand cuts of pure silver or eighty cuts of gold. I paid eighty-five for him.¡±


    I ignored her jab, ¡°And if I was being sold - how much would you be willing to buy me for?¡±


    She smirked. ¡°Knowing what I do now: your weight in gold at least.¡±


    Viter choked on her words, but I nodded unperturbed. We both knew she was severely underselling my worth. I would¡¯ve expected this price before I showed her that I could make much more than that in less than a week. But naming something more outrageous would serve little purpose here. Or she did not have enough wealth to offer more than that for a murk.


    I quickly ran the numbers in my head. Judging by the average weight of a gold cut, my ¡®price¡¯ was more than a hundred wer slaves. Extremely impressive, for a murk.


    ¡°What you have to realize, Viter, what matters most is not the face value of an object, but the relative cost. You didn¡¯t save me from the loss of twenty silver cuts or so, you left a bag of gold behind to chase a child through the streets. Imagine yourself drowning and I chose to save a loaf of bread instead. The loaf might be delicious, but incomparable in value.¡±


    ¡°Believe me, I will not make the same mistake again!¡± He said vehemently.


    ¡°You most likely won¡¯t,¡± I nodded as I glanced at Aikerim only to point her to Viter and then to the door with my eyes, ¡°Hopefully, my Domina would agree, but there are more pressing issues to discuss.¡±


    ¡°Yes, the body that you dragged in brings more urgent questions. Sulla!¡± She gestured to him to drag Viter away, ¡°Especially a live one, why isn''t he moving?¡±


    I checked the vitals of my almost-kidnapper, ¡°He is trippin¡¯,¡± I said offhandedly as we were left alone in the room.


    Aikerim glanced at his legs, the eyebrow slowly rose.


    Feeling a little bit awkward under her gaze, I set his leg straight so it didn¡¯t look as bad as it was before, ¡°Umm, he is trippin¡¯ hard. He will recover in a few paces, perhaps a period of time, but he should be quiet for now.¡±


    She huffed and rolled her eyes, ¡°That was a pathetic way of punishing your slave.¡±


    ¡°Because I do not want to punish him but to educate him instead. Aside from his initial blunder, he had made the best possible decision afterwards - informing you as fast as possible. If this is a work of one of the Houses, which I am more than certain about, something like this might happen again. And if I end up being kidnapped with him surviving, I would prefer that he would make the correct choice quickly, instead of wondering whether it might be better to waste more time trying to save me by himself, outright fleeing the city, or committing suicide.¡±


    ¡°If you would let the mistakes slide they will grow accustomed to your softness and will turn lazy,¡± Aikerim said, unconvinced.


    ¡°That is why I am paying them a little stipend.¡± I immediately refuted, ¡°Now I can punish them without resorting to a whip by simply taking away something that they grew accustomed to.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°You can do it because you only have a few of them under your command, and my own gold to waste on something so wasteful. More slaves you have - more time you will end up wasting to coddle them, only to be betrayed in turn. Or you will end up relying on your Prime to do the dirty work for you, soaking her hands in blood to keep yours clean.¡±


    I frowned in distaste, imagining Irje with a whip, but pressed on, ¡°A scholar of the past once wrote a codex. A codex about Power and how to keep it. He wrote it truthfully, without shying away from uncomfortable parts, unlike other writers who chose to write the idealized and virtuous ¡®guides¡¯ instead. He became notorious for his blunt explanations and many people after him were called Machiavellian in his name to highlight their underhandedness. But that was not the point of his codex. He wrote it not to teach those in power to be more insidious, for they already knew that, but to reveal these methods to the common folk. And in that codex, he had asked a question: Is it better to be feared or to be loved?¡±


    ¡°Judging by how you described him, I would expect him to say that the fear is the most appropriate, is it not?¡± Aikerim finally stopped staring me down and chose a more comfortable position on one of her sofas.


    I nodded, ¡°Indeed, the path of fear is safer, for love is more fickle in the eyes of others, while dread would never fail. Yet even he had said that the best course of action is to be both. But above all else, you should never be hated.¡±


    She quietly pondered on my words, absentmindedly consuming fruits from the nearby table. My stomach quietly churned from the sight, the chase and the consecutive parkour across the city with the body of my shoulders had nearly evaporated my energy levels. Once again I was on the edge of starvation, but asking for a snack right now was not a good idea.


    Because Aikerim was frowning more and more. And I knew why. She was beginning to connect the dots that I¡¯ve provided throughout this meeting.


    ¡°So you want to use me making him fear me while loving you for your generosity? Have you forgotten who is giving the orders here?¡± She spoke imperiously.


    ¡°I am not using you at all, or I would not have said all these things out loud. And he already fears your wrath as it is, I just see no purpose in making him hate me with the punishments. The fear that I am the only thing that is holding your wrath would be more than enough. Please consider this as a trade between us.¡±


    ¡°A trade? So far it appears that I will have to do all the work, while you will be reaping all of the rewards. I do not see how this trade would be fair.¡±


    ¡°You would gain a faithful guard that will keep me safe, a task that you had bought him for. You have also gained a useful lever in the future bargaining from this altercation.¡± I nodded at the prone wercat on the floor, ¡°He could not only provide you with some information on who hired him, but you might also trade him for concessions afterwards. Apart from that - ask of me, what is your next desire?¡±


    A plum flew straight at my forehead, which I immediately caught with my mouth.


    She huffed, ¡°Work on your glass inventions, what I need right now is for the envoy to actually realize how little she can offer to us at this time. Which would make her pliant and most likely a non-issue until a full delegation from Esca would arrive. And then we would bargain in earnest.¡±


    Our dialogue calmed down afterwards. Understanding that the crisis was over, Aikerim quickly informed Sulla to stand down the general readiness, which he probably had done already by that point. I wasn¡¯t exactly sure that I was correct in keeping Viter¡¯s back safe from Domina¡¯s wrath, but his position was similar to mine. Stuck between the hammer and a hard place. To do nothing for him, while despising the same things done to me would make me a hypocrite.


    The rest would be up to him, if he betrays my trust - he will be on his own.


    I felt that Aikerim was of a similar mind. It wasn¡¯t as if she trusted my reasoning, but she looked extremely curious to see the results. Most likely intrigued by the other achievements I had obtained in the past with my ''unusual'' tactics. Especially the interpersonal ones.


    In the meantime, I had informed her of my purchases and the altercation that resulted in the current situation, conveniently skipping on the meeting I had between the two. I also informed her of my plans to head out once again. While she wasn¡¯t particularly eager to find out that I was planning to cross the manor walls so soon after, I was able to placate her by agreeing to bring a much bigger group this time around. And yield better results from my future purchases.


    The kidnapping attempt was a surprise, but I would not let it dictate my plans. Especially since I had won the exchange so one-sidedly. Tomorrow might be the safest day to head out anyway. Whoever it was, they would be left confused and missing an agent, or a quick hire, with no idea what went wrong. They would plot and plan, spending their time thinking of something new, while I would roam undisturbed.


    Unless there were multiple parties involved, but that is why I agreed to a larger entourage.


    This also had absolutely nothing to do with the fancy seals I have ordered for Irje and Yeva. Nor the guitar body I had to pick up. Nope, nothing at all.


    Our conversation didn¡¯t last long. I had my own tasks to do, while Aikerim got herself a captive to secure for future interrogations. I decided not to think on how cruel said interrogations would be. If he had succeeded, I would have been in a similar position myself and begging Domina to treat him like a guest would achieve nothing in this day and age. Apart from marking me as extremely naive in her eyes.


    It didn¡¯t matter what my thoughts on these subjects were. Emanai had its rules and expected all to obey them unquestionably. Surprisingly even the highest ranks were beholden to them, which I¡¯ve found quite unusual of an ancient society like this. But that only confirmed to me how high I would need to climb in order to openly and brazenly disregard the norms of society. Something that took Albin centuries most likely, and he was already born with a whole drawer of silverware in his mouth.


    A quick run to the kitchens and I had turned my feet back to the workshop areas. Only to be lifted up by a very angry woman, who proceeded to drag me all the way to the soap workshop as I desperately tried to hold the chunk of cheese in my arms. My coveted feeding time was once again postponed as the two very important girls in my life took their time expressing their dissatisfaction with my shenanigans once again.


    Surprisingly enough, it had taken me much more effort to make sure they would not attempt to skin Viter alive, once he would be released from Aikerim¡¯s mercies. Domina promised me not to touch him, but Irje wanted blood. So did Yeva, judging by the rather vicious movements of her scrapping knife as she innocently enquired when she would see him again.


    And it was Yeva that worried me the most. Irje was loud and rowdy, quick to explode but even quicker to forget. In fact, I had a strong suspicion that most of that ire would evaporate this very night. Yeva was of a different kind. Her lithe body and unassuming presence hid a cunning mind underneath. It took me days of confusion to realize someone had been swapping my shirts every night.


    In order to wear them herself for the next day.


    My yells of surprise were met with a giggle, a tiny tongue stuck out, and a peck on a cheek as thanks. In a matter of a single second, she turned me from being indignant at constantly being itchy breaking in the new shirts to standing there like a fish with the mouth open. Outwardly stupefied but inwardly giddy. Unable to refute her actions anymore and feeling thankful instead.


    A lonely and shy bud that once would tremble from a rustle or a raised voice had slowly bloomed into a beautiful flower, full of happiness and sharp wit. And it warmed my heart seeing her smile faintly whenever I would approach her from afar.


    ¡°Yeva, love, please don¡¯t hurt Viter,¡± I quietly murmured into her hair as she cuddled into my lap.


    ¡°Hmmm?¡± She hummed, ¡°Not even an itching powder?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I put my chin on her head, ¡°The next few days might be hectic and I wouldn¡¯t want him to make another mistake by being distracted.¡±


    ¡°You are too soft, Erf.¡± Irje ruffled my own head as she leaned into me, ¡°If you continue to act like that, many would use you for their advantage.¡±


    I gently smiled, enjoying their warmth. The soft and pliant flesh of Irje pushed into my side and a bundle of heat, that I enveloped in my arms, warmed up my body. I didn¡¯t realize how much I needed that at this very moment. The constant stress of something happening. All that politicking, scheming, and fighting in the streets only to dive right back in as soon as I returned. And I had a feeling they felt it too. And nursed me back with their healing touch.


    ¡°Everyone deserves at least a single chance,¡± I murmured ¡°As Sir Edwin said: ¡®Pity makes the world... soft to the weak and noble for the strong¡¯. But you are right, and I would not give out these chances often. Or more than once in many cases.¡±


    Yeva sighed, ¡°Your weird words again. And here I wanted you to show me some of your more active chemicals.¡±


    ¡°You know that I can¡¯t do that. At least not yet. The safest observations of many reactions are done by sight, and I would be ill at heart knowing that you can easily poison yourself because you couldn''t see what is happening, and unable to touch or feel it either.¡±


    She squeezed me tight, ¡°Thank you. Especially for the ¡®yet¡¯ part. I don''t know how you would achieve it, but I feel like your most outrageous claims are somehow most likely to come true.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that Flow would be able to help much. From my own experience, Anaise attempts had done very little to affect the welts on my back, now that I think about it. But there are other ways around that. These would simply take a little bit more time to accomplish.¡±


    ¡°Speaking of Flow,¡± My hand slid up Irje¡¯s thigh. ¡°Is there a reason you are quite fuzzy down here?¡±


    ¡°Erf!¡± She squeaked indignantly, ¡°Do you know how hard it is to shave it down there?¡±


    ¡°Yes, if you are a wermage that is.¡± I grinned at her, ¡°The Flow inside your body makes your hair harder to cut. Yet another undeniable proof that you are one.¡±


    ¡°There is another undeniable proof that Erf is randy again. And it is poking me in the stomach.¡± Yeva snickered.


    I got a bonk on the head. ¡°And here I thought you are about to teach me some magic. But you simply needed a hand. Or, perhaps, a tongue.¡± Irje purred.


    ¡°No. That¡¯s not it!¡± I tried to fight away the crawling hands, ¡°That¡¯s for later! And we need to get a lot of stuff done tonight. Irje! Are crucibles and the pre-heaters ready? Yeva! I got a new compound from the goldsmiths! The sodium borate would allow us to make borosilicate glass! Help!¡±


    XXX


    In the end, I have preserved my body and my upcoming presents from the very aggressive case of womanhandling. The shreds of my purity had remained intact and the hands receded, albeit only after securing the promise to continue later on.


    My arguments weren¡¯t without reason. We had big plans today. The most recent crucibles were good enough to hold the liquid glass, while the new exhaust system was able to bleed the heat to the incoming air, making the fires hot enough to liquefy said glass quickly and easily.


    The system still had quite a few faults and was unlikely to operate for more than a couple of attempts, but that was not the issue. This was the attempt at the prototype, not at mass production.


    Surrounded by extreme heat all around, and many slaves with the best protective gear we could come up with, we started making something that was most likely never been seen in this world until today.


    The float glass.


    A red-hot crucible slowly turned, pouring the molten glass into a bath of molten tin, spreading across the surface. The reliance on manual labour meant that we had to work quickly both to prevent accidents and to pour it while the surface of tin was still pure and clear. The lighter layer of glass floated on top of the tin allowing the puddle to spread and achieve significant flatness with gravity alone.


    We lost our first two attempts and succeeded with three more when the furnace melted on us. The surviving sheets of glass were carefully placed in the annealing oven to cool overnight, and only then I allowed myself to relax once again. Yet I couldn''t stop grinning as I wiped the flowing sweat from my body, history was being made today.


    I¡¯ve called the day early, allowing the workers and my girls more time to relax after the ordeal. But the day was not yet over for me. I headed to my alchemy lab right after a quick shower. While another step of the ¡°Fuck the Snake¡± plan had been achieved there were still many others to be done.


    A piece of flat glass wasn¡¯t really an impressive sight. Even a piece of very clear flat glass.


    But a mirror would rock their socks off. Or whatever the lamias wore on their tails. Perhaps she would just rattle like a rattlesnake.


    But for that, I needed silver nitrate.


    And for that, I needed alone time with a bunch of caustic reagents to get myself a nice clear cup of nitric acid. Just as Yeva had reminded me about, It was nothing crazy as long as I didn¡¯t need a few litres of it. Yet there was still quite a lot of tedious work. Mostly to purify the reagents and the products. It is as they say: ¡®garbage in - garbage out¡¯. And I had no plans on making garbage anytime soon.


    And while the reactions were quietly bubbling I could do some recreational carving.


    A door opened behind me, surprising me with the unexpected sound. The lab was off-limits to nearly anyone after the Aikerim¡¯s decree. I turned sharply only to sigh and relax as Anaise slowly closed the door behind her. The emerald eyes sparkling in the dim twilight of the evening. Her ears low.


    ¡°You have made quite a commotion in the morning.¡± She slowly murmured.


    ¡°Yeah, it appears that some House wanted to make an unscheduled meeting.¡± I scratched the back of my head. ¡°And it didn''t look like they cared if I said ¡®no¡¯.¡±


    ¡°And yet you are back here, unharmed. Still tinkering with your potions.¡± She nodded at the bubbling retorts behind me. ¡°You are an enigmatic person Erf, almost like a bird. Happy to sing your songs wherever you are yet thrashing wildly anytime someone tries to grab you.¡±


    I smiled as I glanced at the sky through the window. Soon the stars would come out once again. The stars that I have been missing all this time. Or the freedom they represented. Space was vast and free and one would need to be of a certain breed to enjoy it fully. And Anaise was very close in her description.


    ¡°You are right, Anaise. I love the freedom of the sky, but I also know my obligations. And I return to the Manor to craft my trinkets and share my knowledge. For the Manor is more than just a cage. It gives shelter, food, and knowledge I do not have.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± She walked closer to me, her face lit by a nearby oil lamp. The flickering flames shining on her rosy cheeks, full in a sullen pout. ¡°Then how come you have avoided my bath today?¡±


    My faint smile evaporated. Anaise¡¯s bath. The promised one after her mother interrupted her initial plans. And then postponed with Aikerim''s own only to be followed by that fateful meeting of yesterday. And tonight I¡¯ve skipped it on my own volition. Stuck in the alchemy lab where no slave apart from me had access to. Not even the messenger slave to relay the summons of the Lady of the House.


    Whoops.


    Snusmumriken

 Chapter 34 Curves Matter

    ¡°I am sorry, Anaise,¡± I said as I put my rune-carving chisel aside. This was going to be a serious conversation and I needed all of my attention for it, ¡°Despite the plethora of tasks assigned to me by your mother, I shouldn¡¯t have left you like that either.¡±


    ¡°Tasks, hmm?¡± She huffed as her tail swung wildly back and forth, raising up the dust from the earthy floor. ¡°You went on to have a bath with my mother, then met with other Matriarchs-to-be and now you suddenly have ¡®duties¡¯ and ¡®tasks¡¯? Have you found someone else and a mere Lady of the House is now below your notice?¡±


    I took a step back, subconsciously maintaining some space between us, "I assure you, such thoughts had never entered my mind. All I cared about was to attract as little attention as I possibly could, under current circumstances.¡±


    ¡°Ah. Then all is well.¡± Anaise nodded as her lips stretched into a sweet smile. Her eyes did not. The tail kept moving.


    I swallowed. This girl, no, this was a woman scorned. And she did not come here to discuss this logically, not yet anyway. I knew her character and I knew that she would see the truth in my words eventually. The question was: would I survive until then?


    ¡°I just find it quite funny.¡± She began, idly twisting her braid over her finger, ¡°I waste my time by keeping eye on my blabbermouth of a brother, I try to keep the lamura occupied and away from my ungrateful attendant. And what do I get? A bunch of empty words?¡±


    A table stopped me from retreating further as her finger poked me into my chest, ¡°Do you think I am blind? You set off with my mother and suddenly she refuses to elaborate on anything that had occurred there! You spend a day with all the upcoming high-and-mighty and now you are suddenly too ¡®busy¡¯ to attend to me. Not even joining the stupid Flow lesson you have been begging to witness?¡±


    ¡°Who is she?¡± Anaise hissed, her green eyes boring into mine. Ears down and back, as if ready to pounce, ¡°Was it the Censor herself? No wonder you were pushing my grand-uncle so far! You were trying to get her interested in you. Of course, one of the strongest mages in generations! With her blessed tail and horns. She can probably teach you all the Flow you will ever want!¡±


    ¡°Anaise, listen to me,¡± I spoke through her tirade, ignoring the bitterness in her voice. I tried to grab her shoulders, but she easily shook my hands away. Her mouth opened to continue but I kept talking anyway, ¡°I was almost sold the day before!¡±


    ¡°Wha-¡± Anaise froze with her mouth open and I cursed in my head. She clearly did not expect that revelation, which meant Aikerim had kept her in the dark. Great. No wonder she was so pissed. Not that I had shared any of this with her either.


    ¡°You lie! My mother wouldn¡¯t!¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t,¡± I shook my head as my palms had finally cradled her shoulders. Somehow she felt so tiny in my arms, ¡°And trust me, the offered price was quite significant.¡±


    ¡°She wouldn''t sell you for gold,¡± Anaise huffed, but without the intense heat of her previous words. ¡°No matter how much any of them would offer to shower her with.¡±


    ¡°Sophia had decreed that the Divine Ritual will start just a few days before your Entrance Feast.¡± My words made her ears flip upward as she stared at me, wide-eyed. ¡°Just to make your mother part with me.¡±


    I saw the battle of emotions inside her eyes as she tried to look away. The relief from my words, that explained the abnormal actions of the last two days. The fear of loss for the possibly best Entrance Feast she could ever dream for. And the tinge of shame and regret for having to choose between either.


    My hand slid up from her shoulder and gently caressed her chin, turning her head back to face me.


    ¡°The ritual will still happen during your Feast since the time was deemed as the most favourable, and Aikerim did not give me away,¡± I gently smiled to her as my thumb caressed her chin, ¡°About Censor - don¡¯t think so low about yourself. She is only that strong because she had centuries to train and practise. And I don''t need esoteric knowledge of Flow that would require me centuries to understand the nuances. I am a murk, Anaise. I cannot see the peaks of Flow mastery. It is the ¡°stupid and boring¡± foundations that would tell me much.¡±


    She giggled at my description, leaning into my palm. Her ears had slowly relaxed from the ramrod-straight posture of surprise back to their normal upward stance. The tail swung again, slowly this time, barely disturbing the air with its languid sway of satisfaction. A very fluffy fluff of a pleased fox.


    I kinda figured out what type of lessons Anaise was talking about. Virnan was polishing the rough edges in her education, but for him to do that she had to have that ¡®bulk¡¯ education to begin with. I imagined it was close to my literacy lessons and memorization of virtana: lots of repetition, memorization, and lashes. My acknowledgement that they were indeed stupid definitely helped me to placate her further.


    But I had to continue my story, and it was my voice now that started to waver, ¡°That altercation alone painted me as a curiosity among the eyes of Pillar Dominas. It was possibly why I had to avoid kidnappers today. Most likely one of the other Houses, either trying to take me for themselves or to sell me to the highest bidder. And Censor herself was definitely not pleased. Unable to take me from Aikerim, she declared Chimgen manor as the Host. Marking my family as candidates for the sacrifice.¡±


    Anaise gasped, as her tail froze mid-sway. ¡°That greedy bitch.¡± She quietly muttered, ¡°But being close to Gods is a blessing in itself.¡±


    I stared at her, hard. At least she had the decency to flinch away and mumble a quiet apology. I huffed but said nothing in return. It sounded more like a quote from a sermon, most likely designed to placate the sacrifices themselves. Something that she most likely memorized without understanding the implications underneath.


    She grasped my arm, ¡°What can we do? The power of Kiymetl is vast and my word can help yours.¡±


    I smiled at her gratefully, but shook my head, ¡°According to your mother, not much. The Ritual is already set in motion, and any interference will be met with extreme retribution. Aikerim kept me but she is not willing to risk Kiymetl by openly interfering in religious ceremonies for my sake. At this point in time, the best we can do is wait and prepare, and neutralize the curious envoy as quickly as possible.¡± I nodded at the bubbling apparatus behind me.


    Her hand rose up to caress my face, ¡°I see, so that is why you have been stuck here all this time. And why my mother would try to keep it quiet, even to me.¡±


    Her fingertips trailed on my face as she continued, ¡°But you will not hide these things from me. You are my attendant and I demand you to tell me everything that ails you. I do not want to see you waste your time on trifling matters,¡± Her voice hitched as her fingers trailed on my lips, slightly pulling them apart, ¡°I do not want to have my head plagued by angry thoughts, borne from the lack of knowing. And I especially forbid you from getting yourself hurt!¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I spoke softly into the tips of her fingers. I could feel Anaise tremble in fascination as she enjoyed the sensations her hands provided. And I willingly let her. ¡°I will try to be more open and forthcoming, at least with the things that are mine to tell.¡±


    ¡°G-good,¡± She shakily nodded, ¡°And I f-forgive you for not telling me about this sooner.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stop myself but chuckle, ¡°My, what a generous mistress I have.¡±


    The relief was palpable. Anaise had slowly shifted from a confrontational stance to a more touchy-feely one, while I relaxed in her touch as well. No longer wary of her sudden outburst and content to let it slowly play it out. And, judging by how absorbed she was in the process of touching me, I had a rather solid idea of where this was heading to. I didn¡¯t mind, she was denied of her prize for days, but I had to make sure we won¡¯t knock down any caustic chemicals either.


    ¡°S-say, Erf.¡± I heard her speak as I turned all the flames off, leaving the reactions to cool off and stop.


    ¡°Hmmm?¡± I watched bemusedly as her ears slowly fell to the side.


    She ducked her face to hide the creeping blush, ¡°What the Censor had done was inexcusable. But if she acted in a proper manner, would you have tried to gain her benevolence?¡±


    Ugh, Sophia again.


    ¡°Why would I? I would have stayed quiet and happy that none of them would pay any attention to me. If I develop a desire to be shaken upside down for math problems, I would visit Virnan. If I need to talk to a quirky wermage I will speak to her brother, Albin is at least more sensible among the two.¡±


    Anaise giggled, ¡°It¡¯s just-¡± The rest was unintelligible from the mumbling.


    ¡°Just what?¡±


    ¡°She has the b-biggest ones!¡± She blurted out loud only to blush harder. She hissed quieter, ¡°They are huge and well-shaped.¡±


    I goggled at her hands trying to show me some rather explicit curves. Sophia had a well-developed bust but she was nowhere near the true leaders of size and weight. Like the Enoch, or even the Samat. ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Her horns, you dunce! They are the signs of power. And she had the biggest and most exquisite horns in the entire city. Not only that but she has a blessed tail as well!¡±


    The wermages and their weird beauty standards. Apparently, the fatter your tail was the prettier you looked. No wonder that the Amalric was going all gaga around Shahin. She had the tail for days.


    ¡°Anaise,¡± I smiled at her as my hand slid into her scalp, caressing her ear, ¡°I am not a wermage. I am a murk and I am Erf. And Erf doesn''t care about the size of someone¡¯s horns. Erf likes fuzzy ears and fluffy tails.¡±


    She sucked air in, frozen in my grasp. Eyes wide, cheeks red. ¡°Y-you do? B-but they are just ears. All have them.¡±


    ¡°They are cute,¡± I looked into her eyes, ¡°And I very much like them.¡±


    She kept staring at me, frozen from inexperience. Her breathing shallow but quick. Expectant.


    ¡°In fact,¡± My other hand traced her cheek downward, ¡°It is not just the ears that I find attractive. Your skin is soft and pleasant to the touch. Well cared for and full of health.¡±


    Her eyes followed my fingers down to her neck, her blush following close behind. Anaise uttered not a single sound, occupied by my actions, slowly speeding up her breathing.


    Until my fingers brushed her collarbone.


    She squeaked, as her hand gripped my tunic like a vice. Yet without pushing me away nor pulling closer. Just holding me where I was.


    The fashion of the higher class wasn¡¯t very complicated. While the detail was quite intricate, the shapes of clothing were rather simple. And loose, to accommodate the glaring sun and stifling warmth of the woollen kaftan and the linen shirt underneath. Both secured together only with a sash over her waist.


    I could feel the heat in her ear as my hand gently caressed it. I felt her chest raise up and down as my other hand kept teasing her neck. I heard the fibres in my tunic groan in her fist.


    ¡°In fact,¡± I gently turned her face away from my exploring hand and up for me to look into, ¡°I miss not only the feeling of your skin. One thing I¡¯ve regretted most is looking away.¡±


    My fingers gently slid downward, easily pushing the neckline of her kaftan away, revealing more and more of her skin to the still air of the alchemy lab. Velvet and warm to the touch. I saw the glimpse of a new curve emerging, but my attention was on her eyes. Wide-open and dilated. Both scared and eager.


    ¡°During that time together. In the bath.¡± I gently murmured as she made an ambiguous whine, yet refused to do anything else but blush or pant harder.


    I felt as my fingers slowly moved away from the firmness of her sternum and muscles to something softer. Anaise was unlikely to overtake her mother in bust sizes, but what she had was already plenty. Judging by what I felt and the milky view in my peripheral vision, Anaise had just enough to comfortably fit inside my palm.


    I couldn''t ask for anything more.


    ¡°I kept thinking to myself,¡± my finger gently teased her lips, slightly open and dry from all the heavy breathing, ¡°What would have happened if I didn¡¯t?¡±


    My hand kept pulling on her clothes: spreading her kaftan apart and pushing her shirt down. Revealing more and more of her pristine skin. My fingertips slid across the curve of her breast knowing exactly where to go to find what they sought. The pitch of her whine telling me I was on the right track.


    Suddenly the texture changed. The smooth turned into a patch of roughness, a hint of red on a white canvas. Yet another half-moan half-squeal from the fox inside my arms.


    ¡°What would have happened if I just looked instead?¡± I teased her, as she quickly glanced downward only to look back at me still watching her face. Her trembling lips. Her tousled locks of hair on her face, forgotten in the excitement. ¡°Would I have died a happy murk? Or would you have spared my insolence?¡±


    My eyes finally broke contact with hers. And I slowly panned them down, obvious in my intentions. A sudden tremble of her body told me that Anaise was aware of it too.


    I took my time, as I drank the sight in front of me. I¡¯ve seen plenty of naked wermages already, but this time it was different. This wasn¡¯t the display of casual nudity. This was the hidden treasure, shyly revealed just for me to see. Anaise chewed her lip, trembling in the turmoil of emotions within my arms. Still holding me for dear life.


    I lost my breath as I looked at what my hands had done. One, still holding her blushing face. The other - greedily pulling her clothes aside to bare her beautiful and perky breast for me to feast upon. Aroused nipple, rosy and flushed, trembled slightly with every shuddering breath she took. With every tremble of her body. With the quietest of moans that escaped her chewed-up lips.


    ¡°Gorgeous,¡± I muttered, enchanted.


    My thumb gently brushed over her peak, gently rolling her nipple as it moved across. Anaise gasped sharply as she arched in front of me, only to remain standing due to her grip. Finally succumbing to the buildup of sensations I had slowly laid upon her body.


    ¡°Erf!¡± She squealed as her tail flung itself between her legs as if to cover her lower body in the sea of fiery fluff.


    ¡°Yes, Anaise?¡± I softly spoke as my thumb slowly moved backwards, avoiding the hard nipple this time around. Causing goosebumps to spread on her skin.


    ¡°A-aren¡¯t you interested in the magic lesson I had today?¡± She pleaded while trying to squirm away from my touch, ticklish in her hypersensitivity.


    I slowly brought my eyes to her flushed face, a coy smile on my face, ¡°I am, but surely you don¡¯t want to talk about such boring things right now.¡±


    ¡°But you m-m-might be very interested, and I do not m-mind telling.¡± She stammered. Her eyes were locked on my hand hovering close to her breast. Her ears changing positions almost constantly, dropping down with every touch. Perking up with every word.


    ¡°And what if I told you that I am more interested in you?¡± I teased back. Watching her catch her breath in the meantime.


    She grinned in satisfaction and stroked my hair, ¡°I like your answer, but you have to give me a moment to catch my breath. And I do have a story to share, unfortunately. Perhaps, you might assist me with your math.¡±


    It appears that even a few seconds of rest were enough for her to recover. Well, a glowing Anaise looked just as cute as a shy and stammering one.


    ¡°There is only a single chair here, which is also quite dirty,¡± I said, pulling it out from under the table and immediately sitting down on it, ¡°Why don¡¯t you sit on my lap instead?¡±


    Anaise smiled and easily positioned herself on my legs leaving her tail to hang, a few frayed hairs sticking out from the vigorous movements.


    She sighed, ¡°What do you know about Flow?¡±


    ¡°Apart from what was written in that codex and your talk with Virnan? Very little.¡±


    Anaise nodded, ¡°Good enough. As you can expect, I have Flow teachers here in the manor. Not to the level of Virnan of course, but they are¡­decent. Most of the time. Today was not one of these. Not only I was tasked to perform an impossible task but I have to do it or face the punishment. What is more confusing is that I do not feel depletion even this late into the day. Which means that I would either find the answer by the night or not attempt it at all.¡±


    A familiar growl was coming to her voice as the tail started to twitch. Looks like her previous anger was compounded by frustration too.


    ¡°Depletion?¡± I asked. The book forgot to mention it.


    ¡°The sickness of the stomach and weakness of the mind just before you form a spell. It grows stronger if you are about to make many. It is said that a good commander will never be caught off-guard before battle, for her war-mages will puke and vomit in advance.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± I looked at her incredulously, ¡°You mean it happens before you cast a spell?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that is the rule of the Flow.¡±


    I shook my head chuckling, ¡°That I would never have imagined happening. I guess that is why it is magical. Please, continue.¡±


    Anaise huffed, ¡°You know the runes, that means you know the basics of spell-making. The weave of geometric shapes that guide the Flow. While runes are set and quite limited, the spells themselves are shaped at the moment to fit the time and place.¡± Despite her casual description, I felt her frustration growing once again. ¡°To do that you need to be able to imagine custom shapes instead of memorizing basic patterns like in rune-e-agh! Erf! What are you doing!¡±


    ¡°I am listening to you while patting your beautiful tail.¡±


    ¡°Stop it! This is serious!¡± She tried to wiggle her butt yanking her tail out of my hand.


    ¡°Anaise, you are getting frustrated.¡± I softly spoke, ¡°You will not find an answer easily if you are angry. And I will continue to pat your tail until you calm down. Especially since it is so soft and fluffy. Much more pleasant to the touch than a scaly one no matter how blessed it might be.¡±


    She muttered quietly while blushing and looking away. The tail swung around to land into her lap. My hand was placed on top of it without any words. A quiet declaration of consent.


    ¡°Today she didn''t ask for a certain effect.¡± She murmured quietly, ¡°She tasked me to perform impossible, a square that doesn''t have four sides.¡±


    ¡°That doesn''t sound like any square I know,¡± I muttered thinking. ¡°Is that the whole question?¡±


    Anaise scoffed, ¡°A lot more flowery than that but that is just her way of speaking. And I know her well enough to tell the difference.¡±


    We fell into a quiet conversation as she sat inside my lap. I asked her probing questions about the details of her homework, but all of them felt short of providing a solid lead. Her task indeed was that simple and that improbable. The tail-petting proved quite useful, however. Anaise mellowed out with every stroke, humming as I tried the tricks that I had developed in the bath a few days prior.


    ¡°Perhaps it is one of these ¡®life¡¯ lessons.¡± I offered after yet another suggestion had got us anywhere. ¡°They force you to worry about an impossible task only to confirm that it is impossible and that you should know better.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Anaise allowed and then sighed, ¡°But I would prefer to know instead. How can you imagine a triangle with square corners?¡±


    My tail-petting hand froze. The tail wrapped around my hand almost instantly after.


    ¡°Erf? Why did you stop?¡± She squinted her eyes at me, ¡°You know something, out with it.¡±


    Damn it. It looks like she could see the truth through my crooked grin.


    ¡°A triangle like that could exist. Geometrically too.¡± I teased, ¡°You just have to think outside the¡­plane. And recognize that one of the axioms can be rather optional.¡±


    Her tail wiggled around my hand.


    ¡°I wonder if this is what my grand-uncle feels when you tell him yet another revelation of yours?¡± Anaise purred, turning to face me properly, ¡°I wonder how should I reward my attendant for being so helpful?¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I raised my eyebrow, ¡°I am quite surprised by the faith in my solution. It feels like someone is very eager to offer such reward instead.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t question your mistress, especially after telling her so much about your desires.¡±


    Uh-huh. It looks like someone recovered from round one and started to feel the itch again.


    ¡°And to answer your question,¡± She continued, ¡°You have forgotten about the lack of depletion.¡±


    Ah. Yes, that would explain it. Damn cheating wermages, casually ignoring causality with their magic like it is a mere suggestion. I wondered how many fundamental laws they broke on a daily basis just to move a plate of grapes on the table. Maybe it was a good thing that most of the flashy magic was outright forbidden in the city. And wermages weren''t eager to show off either. But I could see the reasoning especially if you end up projectile vomiting in the morning simply because you will move too many plates during the day. I would avoid useless casting too.


    ¡°Erf,¡± She murmured quietly, breaking me out of my thoughts, ¡°There no other slaves around to interrupt us this time.¡±


    In absolute silence, Anaise¡¯s fingers carefully plucked my hand from her tail, lifting it up.


    She licked her lips, ¡°Why don¡¯t you explain this in the way that only you can do.¡±


    Her hands were shaky but determined, slowly bringing my fingers closer to the somewhat dishevelled collar of her dress. The edges of her kaftan were back in the original place, but not as immaculate as they were prior to my first attempt. And now, she demanded a second one.


    ¡°Speak your words as your eyes and hands will tell their tale,¡± The eloquence of her words accented by the heavy blush of her face, ¡°So I can feel what you desire.¡±


    ¡°I will do more, Anaise.¡± I murmured in return, ¡°For I will draw it on your skin. Most perfect canvas of them all.¡±


    Her breathing hitched as my hands reached out to the sides of her kaftan, pulling them apart. Revealing her shoulders as they went. She squirmed in my lap as she pulled her arms out of the falling sleeves, A delicate flower covered in a soft linen shift, with the hard petals of the kaftan lying spread out around her waist.


    ¡°A rule of geometry says that parallel lines will never intercept,¡± I spoke. My hands returned to her shoulders as I began to pull her shift down, ¡°This is why the opposite sides of a square would never meet, no matter how big you make it¡­¡±


    The hem of her cloth fell down, only hang on her already perky nipples that stopped it from revealing everything to me. And yet it made her look even more alluring. The obvious shapes, hidden by the thin fabric. The slight tremble and the sharp rise with every breath. Twin braids helping just a tiny bit to hold the cloth in place. With familiar blue rings in them. All that was crowned by a bitten lip and a satisfied look on her face. Most likely revelling at the cross-eyed look on my face.


    ¡°But that only works on a flat plane,¡± I spoke hoarsely, my mouth suddenly dry with anticipation, a loud beating in my chest, ¡°But there are other surfaces that don¡¯t adhere to these rules.¡±


    A tiny pull is all it took. The linen curtain fell down, revealing the twin treasures it hid behind. Bouncing back slightly from the lack of weight. Perky and pristine. Anaise had an athletic build, not a warrior but a runner or a lithe scout. Her torso was very fit, which only made her breasts stand out so much more. Twin peaks of softness and desire, above the flat of her toned stomach.


    Impossible to ignore.


    ¡°Erf,¡± She crooned, waiting.


    My finger met her flesh, pushing at it softly, ¡°Spherical surfaces for example,¡± A half-moan and a half-giggle told me that she understood what ¡®surfaces¡¯ I was talking about.


    The finger slid across her skin. Sideways, up and back to the original location. Drawing an imaginary triangle around her aroused nipple. ¡°The triangles drawn on these surfaces are special. As the curve continues, any lines, or in this case geodesics, are bound to meet. Even the parallel ones. Which means that you can join the opposite sides of a square into a triangle.¡±


    ¡°B-but they are not lines,¡± She weakly protested.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t from our perspective,¡± My palm enclosed her breast, feeling the heat of her body and the nipple poking through between my fingers, ¡°But if that surface is your entire world, they are.¡±


    Anaise hissed and grabbed my head, pushing my face into her other mound. ¡°Yes-s. Keep going.¡±


    ¡°It is a locally shortest path. It looks like a line If you look very closely at it.¡± I tried to keep myself as legible as possible while trying to catch her nipple with my lips.


    ¡°W-what do you m-mean?¡± She was equally busy trying to do two tasks at a time.


    ¡°Think of the world around us. What shape do you think It is?¡± my palm tried to keep up with movements of my face, greedily caressing her other breast.


    ¡°It¡¯s round, m-nah! Erf!¡± She tried to wiggle again, her legs squirming in my lap. My other hand had reached the base of her tail once again, rubbing and caressing it.


    ¡°Exactly, but yet we see it as flat all around us. Because it is locally flat. Look too close and the curves become indistinguishable from lines, but they are still all around us. Everything is curved, both space and time. And I would expect the Flow to curve as well.¡±


    Not only I expected it, but I knew it did by now. The curvatures on Albin¡¯s spells, the weird shapes of the Orb of Truth and the Gestr on my neck. They all made better sense to me now. They were the same runes that were projected on a different surface! Granted all this was just the tip of the iceberg, but I will chip at it later. I had a much more important task at hand.


    ¡°Feel my touch Anaise,¡± I breathed, my thumb drawing tiny triangles around her pink areola, ¡°Concentrate on the shape itself and see if you can make it. Imagine two people, leagues apart. One in the West and one in the East, both walking North together. Meeting at the pole.¡±


    She kept squirming from my ministrations but I could feel her attention trying to wrest her in a new direction. Leaving me alone and free to enjoy her body once again. Especially her tail.


    I teased her nipple with my mouth, enjoying the texture of her bud with the tip of my tongue. My hand slid down across her stomach gently skipping the bundle of loose cloth on her lap. Moving further down. Toward her knees where the gap of her kaftan revealed the bottom end of her shift.


    I cradled her thigh as my hand started to slid up again, pulling the clothes with it in the same manner as I¡¯ve done with her collar before. The heat inside demanding me to keep advancing.


    ¡°E-erf.¡± She weakly resisted, ¡°i-it¡¯s not-¡±


    ¡°Shhh,¡± I gently stopped her protest, ¡°I don¡¯t need wermage rules to find you beautiful already. And you need to work on that spell of yours.¡±


    She was still shy about her ¡®issue¡¯ down there. But it clearly wasn¡¯t strong enough to overcome her need and arousal.


    Like the waves of an ocean, my hand slid closer only to retreat once more. Gently testing her boundaries and allowing her to get accustomed to the most intimate touches.


    With every caress, the heat grew stronger. With every move, the moans got harder.


    A new grip on my shirt.


    The tail wrapped tightly around my torso. A cloud of warmth and fluff.


    Red hair sticking to the skin glistening in sweat drops.


    The blue sparkle of her tori swaying in her braid, bumping occasionally into the shuddering breast.


    My fingers felt the moisture of her inner thigh. A slight squeeze of her legs in protest. A slight push of my arm with intent.


    Anaise shifted in my lap. Bit by bit her legs spread apart, opening up for my fingers to continue. Tiny and moist petals just at the tip of my fingers. A shudder and a squeak from every accidental brush. But I wasn¡¯t done. My hand kept pushing more and more as her legs gave in to my demands.


    The split sides of the kaftan easily slid apart, while the shift kept rising higher. Revealing more and more of her toned legs. My shaking fingers gently grabbed the cloth and, with a shuddering breath, I pulled it away.


    She squealed as her legs clamped shut, a tiny triangle of red peeking out between her naked legs.


    ¡°You are gorgeous, Anaise,¡± I muttered as my finger gently brushed her little hairs, easily fighting back the tail that tried to cover everything. ¡°And so is your hair.¡±


    ¡°I-it¡¯s improper!¡± She panted.


    ¡°Do you not enjoy my touch?¡±


    ¡°B-but-¡±


    ¡°I do not care for wermage traditions, Anaise. What I care for is a beautiful woman in my lap. A woman who should be able to express herself. If not among the others but at least in front of me. So tell me: do you want me to continue?¡±


    A bitten lip, two floppy ears on the sides, the tail receding from her lap. ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°And I love to see you this way.¡± I smiled back, ¡°Now. I believe you have homework to perform.¡±


    ¡°Only if you help me concentrate.¡± She stammered. Anaise was a woman of contradictions. Full of desire yet plunging into insecurity on occasion.


    Nothing that some experience wouldn¡¯t fix.


    My palm descended on her lap again, teasing her mound until the legs started to relax again, slowly spreading apart. Revealing the slit within. My fingers roamed around, teasing her outer folds with promises of more. I watched enchanted as her body started to demand my touch.


    A tiny nub peeking through. Engorged by arousal. As if questioning why I had left it neglected for so long.


    I smiled as I glanced at her. I licked my fingers, slowly enough for her to notice. And then I finally let them slip between her outer folds, finally scratching that itch she had been craving all this time.


    The chair creaked and groaned as Anaise rocked in my lap. My breath escaped me as her tail squeezed me tight. Luckily it also held me secure against her body and I could keep the constant pace of my movements. Steadily pushing her further and further across the edge that I had been building up all this time. And then I pushed her down the slope of bliss. Hard.


    Her body shook in climax as the silence was only interrupted by the squeaking of the chair and the ruffle of our clothes. Her mouth closed shut as she slid down in her release. Only to loudly gasp for air afterwards. She stared at me wide-eyed as I watched her brain slowly restart from the overload of emotions.


    ¡°T-thank you, Erf,¡± She slumped over me, the mess of ruffled hair covering us both, long strands of her ponytail getting everywhere. ¡°That was¡­ yeah. I believe I needed that.¡±


    I chuckled as I tried to fix her hair and pull it out of my mouth at the same time. ¡°Just relax. Don¡¯t think about annoying teachers or any other distractions. Let your imagination roam.¡±


    She squeezed me tighter but said nothing in return. While I enjoyed the feeling of a nearly naked wermage lounging in my arms, glowing from her bliss. Thinking how far I could push her further as my own raging boner made itself known throughout the ordeal.


    I opened my mouth to speak but a loud crunch rocked the entire lab. I cradled Anaise¡¯s head as the soot from the ceiling fell everywhere. My bottles and vials rattled in the aftershock but luckily remained intact, especially the ones filled with dangerous chemicals.


    ¡°What was that?¡± I said, frantically trying to fix Anaise dress in case we needed to run.


    ¡°That¡­was me.¡± She slowly stated still looking over my shoulder.


    ¡°What?¡± I turned around.


    Well. I had a new entrance now I guess. A decent chunk of the wall was outright missing. Luckily the load-bearing logs were intact. I could see now why Emanai armies could suffer from blunt force trauma to their backs compared to the usual stabbings and lacerations. Anaise was undoubtedly strong, but she was still learning the Flow. A single war-mage could probably do much more than that to the nearby armies.


    ¡°I think we should avoid testing magic in the lab from now on,¡± I muttered.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Um, Erf what is that?¡±


    I followed her finger down. At the rolling object on the floor. Oh.


    ¡°Er, it is a dildo,¡± I muttered, awkwardly scratching my head. It was the one I was trying to carve before she showed up. No doubt the impact pushed it down to the floor.


    She gasped, ¡°You mean this is¡­the male thing?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± This was really awkward.


    She goggled at it, ¡°Is it supposed to be that large?¡±


    ¡°Well, this is an average one,¡± I think I was blushing now.


    Two large green eyes turned to stare at me and then down at my lap.


    ¡°Y-you mean¡­ you have¡­¡±


    Ah, fuck it.


    I grabbed her hand and plopped it on the bulge in my tunic. ¡°Feel for yourself.¡±


    Tiny fingers wrapped around my girth through the tunic, forcing a moan out of my body. Anaise slowly pushed the fabric down to feel the whole outline and then put her tiny hand against it. And sucked her breath in. I watched her entranced as she put her hand over her stomach obviously figuring how deep I could go inside of her. And driving me mad with her movements in the process of doing so. Especially with that tiny gulp at the end.


    ¡°Anaise,¡± I moaned.


    My words made her jump up. Her eyes wide and ears upright. Tail ramrod-straight and very bushy.


    ¡°E-erf,¡± She stammered, ¡°I need to go. I have¡­ tasks to attend to. I believe we should continue at a later time.¡±


    I groaned but forced myself to relax. She was still new at this. And was definitely not as aroused anymore after her climax. Pushing her now would backfire spectacularly.


    It didn¡¯t mean that I would simply let her go without a tease back.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry, I understand.¡± I smiled, helping her to get up.


    I helped her fix her clothes and hair, getting her ready to leave. But, as soon as we were done, I embraced her in a hug.


    ¡°Erf?¡± She asked as she relaxed in my arms.


    ¡°I have found a solution to the issue you¡¯ve mentioned in the bath,¡± I murmured into her ear. My hand lightly rubbing the curve of her lower stomach. Pressing her tight-feeling ass right over my length.


    She said nothing but the slightly reddish ear turned back to face me.


    ¡°It is quick and painless. But it can be very dangerous in the unskilled hands so I have to do it myself. Perhaps during the next bath¡­¡±


    Anaise gulped, but nodded slightly nevertheless, ¡°Promise to be there.¡± She spoke quietly without looking back.


    ¡°I promise.¡±


    She nodded to herself again, sighed and looked around. Her hand grabbed my tunic for a third time and pulled me down with an ease of a wermage.


    A soft peck on my cheek.


    ¡°Tomorrow,¡± She murmured and ran away.


    I stretched and leaned on the door entrance, watching the red tail disappear in the greenery. Standing alone with a tent in my tunic. Then I turned around to look at the second exit in the back. I guess I should cover it with something later, but it could wait for now. It was not important.


    I sighed and picked up the cursed dildo from the floor, swiping the chisel from the table.


    I still had a few things to do before I was going to see Irje and Yeva.


    And I was already horny as fuck.


    Snusmumriken

 Chapter 35 A Feedback Loop

    Despite the discomfort of my loins, Anaise''s visit had been extremely useful in helping me unravel the convoluted craft of runes. While I was still nowhere close to creating custom effects, the confirmation of my theories was blatantly obvious. Said ¡®confirmation¡¯ also lowered the cosy temperature in the lab and blew the chill air on my legs.


    Too bad Wrena was now forbidden from coming over. I guess I will just have to borrow some planks and cover the hole as a temporary measure.


    Right now I was busy. As my halted chemical reactions had started once again, I picked up the chisels and went back to work. Initially, I planned to simply copy the designs over and give it to Irje as a ¡®training tool¡¯ but now I could do much more. With the help of topology, I could analyze the deformed runes on the spherical surfaces and label and identify them based on the examples of the standard runes I¡¯ve seen in the codex.


    Unfortunately, the identification was all that I could do. The runes weren¡¯t simply wrapped around as if they were on a flat surface. There was some set of rules they followed that I still couldn¡¯t easily follow, not without rigorous trial and error. And I definitely had no desire to experiment. At least not with the pieces I was working with.


    Fortunately, since I could recognize the effects, I didn''t need to blindly transcribe all of the runes from the children¡¯s toy. While glow-in-the-dark dildo would be very kinky, that was not what I was trying to create. Besides, it is not like I was working with a very complex example. The toy had very few distinct patterns, mostly comprising of basic move runes and funky light shows.


    It was a child¡¯s toy after all. Not an artefact of immense power like the Orb of Truth. I tried to remember the runes I¡¯ve seen on it, but the curves on that piece were even more obscure. And definitely didn¡¯t have any familiar examples in the rune codex.


    But my musings had come to an end. Concoctions were concocted, acids were acidified, and whatever runes I wanted to carve - carved. I quickly cleaned up the lab and closed the now-useless entrance door. A curious trip behind the building revealed the leftovers of Anaise''s homework. And what was left of two or three trees.


    I shook my head. Any beaver would feel intimidated and cowed by the work of Anaise. Trunks were ripped out of the ground, chewed up and turned into sawdust with dreadful implications of what would¡¯ve happened if I was in its path. I wouldn''t be surprised if the fine red colour of the pile was caused by the finely ground up chunk of the wall my lab was now missing.


    I should probably save that for later. Wood mulch had many uses. And If I ran out, I could always try to encourage Anaise to practise in a nearby forest. Growing girls need good practice with their magical ¡°solid to dust¡± spells. And I would never say no to readily available cellulose.


    XXX


    A sigh escaped me as I¡¯ve met the commotion upon my arrival home. Viter was back, and Irje was busy voicing her complaints. And by the sound of it, there was something more.


    ¡°What is going on?¡± I asked as I walked up to the trio.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, I am just having a talk with your guard.¡± Irje replied after sparing me a quick glance, ¡°Well? He is here, say your piece and begone.¡±


    I sighed again, wasn¡¯t he my guard? Technically it was my responsibility. Especially after the whole overture I¡¯ve done earlier today with the help of Aikerim.


    ¡°He has been very resolute in talking to you tonight,¡± Yeva quietly murmured as she walked to my side, quickly bringing me up to speed with what was going on.


    He went down on a knee, hands clasped. A gesture of loyalty, I remembered myself offering one to Domina. While I¡¯ve done mine in jest, his was more serious. Well, it looks like he appreciated my intervention.


    ¡°Allow me to guard you once again, I swear I will not take another step away from you and I shall guard you day and night!¡± He proclaimed.


    ¡°Are you daft?¡± Irje immediately intervened before I could even open my mouth, ¡°He needs a guard that would pay attention! How useful you would be if sleep is all you would think during the day?¡±


    Well, that was a valid concern. His statement was noble but, listening to Irje, it was obvious that it was foolish too.


    ¡°I will sleep at the entrance, my sleep is light enough.¡± He pressed on.


    Irje groaned, ¡°Males and the empty heads of theirs. Can¡¯t even think a day ahead.¡±


    Hey now. I wasn¡¯t that bad.


    I got a placating pat from Yeva.


    Irje noticed my wry face, ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you actually condone such foolish behaviour?¡±


    ¡°My wife is right,¡± I shrugged, shifting my stance to hide the slight vibration in my pouch, ¡°Your main task is my safety outside of the manor first and foremost. Especially since I have no plans in staying inside. I will not have your attention falter during that time only to have additional security when I am already protected by Irje. If I feel like our safety is at risk even inside my house, I will get another guard or two.¡±


    Irje coughed, agreeing.


    I continued, ¡°Everyone can offer grand gestures. What I need is effort, which is only shown with time. Do remember, I have shown myself as a reasonable master, and if you serve me well, I will continue to treat you in kind.¡±


    Both girls frowned as Viter bowed deeply.


    ¡°That is it? No punishment? You are acting too kind,¡± Irje sniffed.


    ¡°I am,¡± I nodded, ¡°But only once. For everyone deserves a second chance. That would not mean that there are no consequences, however. His stipend will take a hit. I am not one for corporal punishments, but I could always ask Domina for a different guard, if I grow dissatisfied with your service, or by the advice of my wives. Is that clear? Then you are dismissed, I will see you in the morning.¡±


    Cowed by the mention of Domina, Viter quickly bowed and left. Leaving me alone with the girls by my side and a bitter taste in my mouth.


    ¡°It never gets easier,¡± I murmured watching him go.


    ¡°What do you mean? From what I could see, you have it easy. He is eager to work and doesn''t question your authority. I would have called it impossible if I didn¡¯t know that he is cowed by Domina and not by you.¡± Irje replied.


    ¡°I know, I made it so. But I would have preferred to have the willing under my command, rather than the forced.¡±


    ¡°He is willing,¡± Yeva quietly whispered, ¡°For he knows that you are the best alternative he can get. He doesn¡¯t need to fight in wars or do hard labour. And he earns more in food, shelter, and money than many of the free wer that live in the city.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Slaves talk. You just don¡¯t hear as much anymore as you are busy working on your projects.¡± She scrunched her nose, ¡°And entertaining wermages.¡±


    Now it was my turn to awkwardly cough.


    Yeva continued, ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry. With the amount of money that Domina is giving you, you can easily afford to encourage them with wealth rather than with pain. While Irje and I can make sure you would not be burdened with freeloaders. And don¡¯t try to say that you need to do this alone. Not inside our sadaq you won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Thank you. But I prefer not to force others to begin with.¡±


    ¡°Yes, we know.¡± Irje said, gently pushing me inside the house, ¡°But everyone is forced, one way or another. Do you think free wer are truly free? They are beholden to their stomachs, for there is no master to feed and shelter them. They have to work every day to earn enough for a roof over their head and bread on their table. Traders and craftsmen answer to the Manors - the source of their ingredients and often their best consumers. Even our Domina answers to her mother, the Manor Matriarch. Who, in turn, has to follow the rules set by the Gods. What is the difference if you have to work because of the whip or because you are starving?¡±


    ¡°You are right,¡± I sighed, ¡°All of this is a hopeless dream unless one can feed and shelter all.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh, might as well ask Gods for that. And then no one would bother working anyway.¡±


    ¡°Well, they haven¡¯t done so already, which means that they are unlikely to do so in the future,¡± I smirked, ¡°And you will be surprised how many would still choose to work. Some would seek to acquire luxuries while others would strive for even more. Take yourself and Yeva for example. You know perfectly well that you will be provided for. And yet you both still trying to improve, still seeking something more than you have right now.¡±


    I took my outer tunic off and stretched, ¡°In fact, boredom is one of the most important aspects of our minds. No matter how much you have of something with every passing second your mind grows bored and indifferent to it. Forcing us to seek more. Who knows, perhaps without it we would still be hanging on the trees and eating fruits.¡±


    Irje frowned, ¡°Trees? Fruits? What are you talking about?¡±


    I shrugged it off, ¡°I will tell you some other time, I don¡¯t think a single evening would be enough for this topic.¡±


    Honestly, I surprised myself that I had spent so much time talking already, I guess I talk too much when I am stressed or frustrated, and the Viter situation would probably count for that too.


    A hug from Yeva interrupted my thoughts. She managed to set the bed and found me in the room by voice alone.


    ¡°Boredom?¡± She huffed, ¡°Is that is why you smell like a certain fox so much? Are you growing bored with us?¡±


    I looked down on her. She said it without obvious ire but these things should never be left alone to fester.


    ¡°Irje,¡± I murmured, gently patting the tiny grump, ¡°If you get Yeva naked and in our bed in a matter of moments, I promise you would walk funny tomorrow.¡±


    Yeva tried to scuttle away with a squeal, but Irje¡¯s reaction was almost instant. The tall amazon descended on the laughing girl like an owl, only to easily pick her up and start yanking my own shirt from her body.


    Our room was instantly filled with grunts, peals of laughter, and occasional squeals. I absentmindedly pulled my own clothes off, putting the wriggling bag aside, as my eyes never left the sexy battle unravelling in front of my eyes. Arms shot out to pull on the fabric, only to retreat due to tactical tickles of the opposing side. Legs, that started to shine with occasional sweat, coiled over the bodies while these would twist and turn in order to free themselves.


    Yeva was losing.


    She was smaller and weaker but, most importantly, she also didn¡¯t spend all her efforts on escaping. Instead, she chose to die in battle, causing as much damage in return. My dick and I watched the vigorous striptease, cheering for both sides at once.


    But as all beautiful things were this too didn¡¯t last long.


    With a final scream, naked Yeva flew across the room straight onto the bed. Only to be pinned down once again by a victorious Irje. My tanned warrior managed to keep her own shift on, mostly due to the second sash she always wore right under her breasts. Yeva did succeed in pulling her collar down, however, enough to free Irje¡¯s arms and her bountiful breasts. The very same that now were squishing her down in return.


    ¡°How could I get bored from you if you are so full of surprises,¡± I started as I slowly approached the pair on my bed, ¡°in fact I-¡±


    ¡°Erf,¡± Yeva giggled, ¡°Shut up and come over here.¡±


    I gasped in fake outrage as my hand caressed Irje¡¯s butt in silent gratitude. ¡°It looks like we have an actress over here! Acting outraged to get a rise out of a poor Erf. Well, since you started acting, you might as well continue and show us your entire act.¡±


    Another silent pat on Irje and she moved, easily picking up on my intent. Yeva¡¯s noises quickly turned from occasional giggles into gasps of outrage. And for a good reason too. Like an experienced judoka, Irje quickly switched their positions sliding under her lithe quarry. She pulled Yeva''s head between her breasts, binding her arms in the process. While the long muscular legs wrapped around the more delicate ones.


    And spread them apart.


    Right in front of me.


    Like a beautiful pale butterfly, held tightly by a lustful spider in order to seduce her mate.


    The contrast and similarities between both made the view even more exotic. Her tiny chest was overcast by the large breasts of Irje, all four nipples aroused and full. Delicate arms, trying to shield, were gently pried away by strong hands trying to keep her exposed.


    My eyes glanced lower to witness Yeva¡¯s defeat. Unwilling to miss anything. The achingly familiar and delicate flower of her core. Her petals pulled slightly apart by her spread legs, trembling from excitement and struggle. Another carnal flower was just below it. The mound of my cougar: crowned in blonde hair and equally moist. As if daring me to choose either of the two. Satisfy my thirst without limit, drinking from both fountains at once.


    ¡°Beautiful,¡± I murmured through a grin while Yeva squealed, finally comprehending the extremely shameful position she was forced into.


    ¡°Erf! Stop stalling,¡± She whined half-heartedly.


    My hand gently brushed across the skin of her leg, soft and flushed from the previous exertions. She tried to arch her body, fighting against Irje¡¯s hold, as my fingers slowly slid on the inside of her thigh, closer and closer to her mound. Only to gently brush around it and continue upward onto her stomach.


    The only thing she could do is groan in return.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do that Yeva,¡± I crooned as my fingers arrived at the tiny mounds of her breasts, ¡°I promised Irje that I would fuck her long and hard afterwards, and I need to make sure you are a pliant mess by that time. Or you might feel neglected and forgotten.¡±


    ¡°Then hurry up and do it!¡± Her loud rebuke drowned the rattle on the floor. My fingers finally reacher her aroused nipples making her shudder.


    My other palm went past Yeva¡¯s face and basked in the softness of another breast.


    ¡°Irje, honey, You both got me trembling with excitement so much that I need your help.¡± I smiled at the grinning amazon, who shared my enjoyment in teasing Yeva, ¡°Would you please guide me into her.¡±


    Her grin got wider, as one of her hands moved between Yeva¡¯s legs. Her fingers easily finding what she sought out.


    ¡°What? Irje! Don¡¯t!¡± The lithe girl cried out, but it was too late. Two dexterous fingers slid into her folds and spread wide open. Pushing her outer folds wide apart and pulling the inner ones with them. Stretching the delicate skin away from her nub and the moist entrance underneath. Both promising me pleasure and demanding it in turn. Both of them right in front of my raging boner.


    Irje¡¯s other hand travelled down to her own folds. With practised ease, she wet her fingers with her own juices and presented her palm to me.


    ¡°Good girls,¡± I muttered as placed my shaft into her fingers, leaving her in full control when and how I would fill out Yeva.


    The bag rattled on the floor. Runes were working as intended.


    Irje nibbled on Yeva¡¯s ear while panting herself. Her gaze locked on my rod, her hard breath pushing Yeva¡¯s locks around.


    I let her hands pull me in. All three of us groaning in pleasure as my tip touched the delicate flesh. This felt absolutely vivid. I had Irje and even Yeva guide me in like that, but they expected my touch as they did so. And expectation dulled their response. I bit my lip feeling Yeva shake slightly with every touch, her aroused flesh rubbing gently on my tip. I didn''t have to look to be enthralled as I felt the firmer part of her nub twitching on my sensitive skin.


    I felt Irje¡¯s hand trembling too, most likely excited by our responses. And extremely aroused, based on her rugged breaths and constant clutter on the floor. Her quivering grip made me willing to submit while feeling like the most powerful being in the world. Irje¡¯s fingers pulled me down, dragging my tip away for Yeva¡¯s clit. Rubbing our sensitive flesh together, until we reached our destination. Bent from being pushed against her core, my rod quickly straightened out once it reached her entrance.


    Sliding just the tip inside, yet promising so much more for all of us.


    A tiny gasp from Yeva.


    A loss of breath from Erf.


    And a wicked grin of Irje.


    Her grip pulled me in, inserting me into the moist heaven. Yeva moaned our names only to gasp harder as Irje¡¯s hand grabbed my ass and slammed me in, all the way to the hilt. Unable to keep myself steady on my shaking legs, I collapsed on top of my girls overwhelmed by sensations. Using all of my willpower not to explode at this very moment, like it was my first time.


    Two gentle arms embraced me while two others kept manhandling my ass, making me grind into the tiny girl in the middle.


    ¡°Feel it Yeva, Irje,¡± I rasped, unable to control my breathing, ¡°And know that you have no need to resort to tricks. For we are together. You can do it if you want to, but all you would ever need is just ask. And we will find time for it.¡±


    ¡°I am asking now,¡± Yeva almost growled, ¡°Do it.¡±


    I smashed my lips into hers without bothering to answer. My hands roaming their bodies, especially Irje. Making sure that none would feel neglected as I slowly picked up my pace in and out of Yeva. I knew her tells by know as well as her preferences and most sensitive spots. That knowledge allowed me to slowly push her higher and higher, while I would occasionally slip out from her. To maintain that steady climb of a need, and to sheath myself into Irje. Who was just as welcoming to my ministrations.


    I let her scream her first release as my hand had done the same to Irje. But I kept my pace, quickly stoking up her fire yet again. Over and over until I could feel her fingers grasp at me in need again.


    And then I stopped.


    ¡°Erf?¡± Yeva asked trying to get up, her hands seeking my body in the air. Irje just kept lying flat, already used to my shenanigans and sudden stops at the worst possible times. Waiting for my eventual return and trying to maintain her edge in the meantime.


    ¡°I have something for you,¡± I murmured, coming back with the bag that managed to vibrate all the way to the door. That was some decent area of effect and consistent response. Irje would be pleased.


    ¡°A dildo?¡± She frowned as she recognized the object I put in her hand, ¡°Why? I am not horny all the time like Irje. And when I am I want yours instead.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°Just try it once, for me,¡± I asked, ¡°If you won¡¯t like it then I won''t bring it up again.¡±


    She sighed and gave it back to me.


    ¡°I am tired,¡± She smirked, ¡°Why don¡¯t you do it yourself. Just be gentle - I am still sensitive.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I gave her a peck on her nose, And then another one. On her chest. Stomach. Navel.


    Mound.


    I could feel the heat of her core. The smell of her arousal. I took my time gently covering the toy with her juices as my gentle kisses kept her distracted. When I was shopping I made sure to buy them around my size so the toy slid easily between her folds since were waiting for something similar.


    ¡°Not bad,¡± Yeva hummed, ¡°But not great either.¡±


    I chuckled as I pulled back up to her face, ¡°There is a little bit more to it than you realize,¡±


    ¡°Really? But I feel nothing special.¡±


    ¡°Feel this,¡± I murmured as my hand went past Yeva¡¯s face, up to the Irje¡¯s breast. My fingers easily catching the nipple.


    And then I pinched. Hard. Just the way she liked me to.


    Irje squealed, woken up from her quiet bliss, while Yeva gasped in surprise, ¡°Erf! What did you do!¡±


    ¡°I carved the runes on this dildo. The very same that are present on that children¡¯s toy. The ones that make it vibrate and move around. This time it won¡¯t get lost either.¡±


    With every word I said, Irje¡¯s eyes were getting bigger and bigger. A maniacal grin plastered on her face.


    ¡°Heh heh heh,¡± A lustful mating call of a horny cougar.


    ¡°That sounds like a gift for Irje, not for me,¡± Yeva murmured.


    ¡°Really? What if I do this?¡± My hands grabbed her legs and I pulled her off the amazon pillow and onto the bed. Leaving just her head on Irje¡¯s stomach.


    ¡°Be sure to listen well,¡± I murmured as I buried my shaft into the cougar. Twin moans answered my hypothesis.


    The lithe voyeur giggled, ¡°It feels almost like you are in me, I can hear and feel you twitch at the same time! Ah!¡±


    Irje¡¯s hands grasped my ass and slammed me back again, interrupting our conversation.


    ¡°Talk later,¡± She growled, ¡°Fuck me now.¡±


    We set another pace between ourselves. But Irje demanded it faster and harder. I obliged and we quickly turned Yeva into a puddle by trying to fuck each other in the process. Irje eventually pulled the lithe girl off her stomach without stopping our activities and we merged into one bundle. Once again with me and Irje on each side, rutting with abandon, and Yeva, sandwiched between us, feeling the heat of our bodies and probably feeling everything our cougar felt.


    ¡°It almost feels like I am fucking you,¡± Irje grinned as Yeva tried to cling to her falling into another set of convulsions. Getting some choice of curse words in return.


    ¡°Ah Irje, I have almost forgotten about my promise earlier on.¡± I pulled the bag back to me again.


    ¡°Hm? Ah yes, this was quite nice indeed.¡±


    ¡°Oh no, this was just me getting you ready, your present starts now.¡±


    Irje¡¯s eyes almost popped out as I pulled out the second dildo. ¡°Is that¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, this one is yours.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Yeva yelped, ¡°Okay that is it! I¡¯ve had enough!¡±


    We watched silently as she pulled out her still-vibrating toy. Only to sigh in relief and plop on the bed.


    ¡°She might like it but I am not ready to be sore all day tomorrow!¡± She grumbled with a smile, ¡°Thank you Erf, but I don¡¯t want to be broken, finish her off and come cuddle me after. In the meantime, I need to recover.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I chuckled as I scuttled over to give her a peck, ¡°We will finish quickly.¡±


    ¡°I am not even close,¡± Irje huffed at my proclamation.


    I grabbed her hair and pulled her up into a sitting position. ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± I whispered from behind into her ear, as my other hand kept pawing at her breasts, ¡°I will be everything but gentle.¡±


    ¡°So you promise,¡± She purred, turning her head to kiss me, ¡°Now hurry up and do it,¡±


    I captured her still-talking lips, pushing my tongue inside. We let our mouths battle as I slid my arm down her stomach. My fingers teasing her folds and quickly seeking entrance to her burning core. Irje moaned into my mouth as they curved in inside of her, both putting pressure on her clit from inside out and slightly lifting her body in the process of doing so.


    Just enough for me to position a dildo right underneath and slam her back down onto it.


    ¡°Mmmmh, so much better than that stupid ball and it moves almost twice as much,¡± She murmured in pleasure.


    ¡°Really?¡± I smiled back and pushed her down and away from me, ¡°Show me.¡±


    She fell onto her face beside our relaxing and tapped out partner, leaving her ass up in the air. The wiggling toy clenched tightly with her nether lips and her entire body trembling from sensations it gave. It wasn¡¯t all the way in, however, so I pushed it deeper with my hand. And then more, forcing her ass down into the bed and her head into Yeva¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Yeva, sorry love, but could you cuddle with our not so little minx over here. I need you to hold her down for a bit,¡± I asked as my hands worked on Irje¡¯s ass cheeks. Making sure that the toy was deep inside and vibrating all the time from the sensations she received. Her own Flow getting her stuck in a never-ending flow of pleasure. An orgasmic feedback loop, ¡°And the reason why you feel it so much stronger is because I carved two sets of runes on each end. That way you can eventually control not only its position but direction as well.¡±


    And maybe more. My mind had eagerly provided me with images of Irje wielding flying swords, aglow with menacing light. An unbeatable foe for anyone who dares to stand in her way. A warrior of great renown.


    Well, currently, the said warrior chose to keep panting wordlessly, caressed by the delicate arms of our lithe lover. Their ruffled hair thrown around in a mess of satisfaction. One exhausted and relaxed gently playing with the locks of the one being kept on edge with the magical toy.


    The pressure between my legs reminded me that there was one more thing to do.


    ¡°Now on to the promise,¡± I said as my hands retrieved the final item.


    ¡°Uh Erf,¡± Irje twitched as the cork popped open. ¡°Are you actually planning-¡±


    ¡°Shhh,¡± I murmured as my hand spread her ass apart, pouring a little bit of oil in. ¡°I made you a promise, didn¡¯t I? Quite a long time ago. I am sorry that it took so long.¡±


    She shuddered as the oil touched her skin, her breathing growing harsher with every second. A hiss as my thumb spread the oil around, a small whine as I pushed it gently in.


    She clenched around me with a force of a magical girl.


    ¡°Relax my love,¡± I murmured as my fingers kept teasing her hole, making her grow accustomed to my intrusion, ¡°Know that you are in good hands.¡±


    In an unusual show of weakness, Irje grasped at Yeva, burying her head into her chest in a similar way Yeva had done to her before.


    ¡°Don¡¯t break her, okay?¡± Yeva lightly chided me while gently stroking the cougar¡¯s hair. ¡°She is the only family I have now, beside you.¡±


    ¡°I promise, love,¡± I said as I massaged Irje worries away, ¡°She is our family.¡±


    It didn¡¯t take that long for her to relax. My kisses and Yeva¡¯s caresses, compounded with a vibration of the toy inside, quickly turned Irje into a purring puddle.


    A puddle that I slowly pushed my raging and well-oiled boner into.


    ¡°Oooh,¡± She groaned as her feet shook and curled from my intrusion. ¡°Gods save me.¡±


    I gently rocked myself on top of her, slowly sliding in with every thrust, but giving her plenty of time to adjust and relax once more. Mostly for her own sake but partially for myself as well. Irje was tight. Very tight. Magically tight. And I had no desire to lose anything in the process if she would clench her ass just a little bit too hard.


    Usually, the physical feeling would be a bit lacklustre. The tight feeling of the entrance would be followed by the lack of pressure deeper inside, leaving the tip devoid of sensations. But not this time around. Not only Irje had both her holes packed full, but the vibrations spread across her body into mine. Making me aware of just how much excitement she had felt with every thrust I made.


    ¡°That is it, you are doing great,¡± I panted as I started to pick up the pace, unable to hold still both from the pressure on my shaft and the ravaged look in front of me. The greatest pleasure of anal was always of a mental kind. The feeling of submission and the feeling of possession. Her athletic ass, red from my fingers, taking me in fully. The muscles of her back flexing with every thrust. Her desperate hands grasping for purchase.


    The look on her face every time she felt filled to the brim. Excitement. Bliss.


    Shame.


    With a loud groan I exploded into her. Pushed over my peak from her own convulsions. The shuddering feeling of release as her ass greedily took in the entire load I had been building up throughout the night. Her face glowing red with the realization of what had just happened. Waves of emotion with every jet of semen I unloaded into her depths.


    ¡°You came,¡± I gently teased her, ¡°From me fucking your ass.¡±


    With an embarrassed mewl Irje buried herself into Yeva¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Good girl,¡± I murmured slowly stroking her hair ¡°You made me feel so good. And I am happy that you felt the same. It wouldn¡¯t be as great otherwise.¡±


    I showered her in kisses as she came down from the roller-coaster of emotions, making sure to temper any shameful feelings with words of praise. We lingered for a bit basking in each other presence as our bodies cooled down, taking a necessary break to clean up after. Both ourselves and the mess that was our bed.


    ¡°That was nice,¡± Yeva murmured cuddling in afterwards, ¡°I should keep you around more often.¡±


    I chuckled, ¡°I aim to please, despite our hectic schedule. Perhaps, when this is all over with, we can have days when we can just do nothing but relax and recover from everyday life. Especially once our estate is built and the family and snake matters have been dealt with. Just imagine a quiet inner garden, full of flowers and birds. Or a cosy room, filled with soft carpets and pillows, allowing you to lay down and relax in any part of it.¡±


    Irje snuggled in from the other side, ¡°I just wish that fate would stop throwing rocks into the pool of life. We could have had that already by now.¡±


    ¡°We will come out stronger out of this,¡± I promised, ¡°And we will be ready for anything else. Anaise had shared with me a few more details about Flow and was quite insistent that I should not skip her future lessons. In fact, that nausea and hunger you have complained about in the last few days were most likely caused by your excessive use of magic. It is like exhaustion after work but in reverse.¡±


    ¡°Huh. How weird.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re telling me,¡± I laughed, ¡°But we will crack that nut eventually. And these toys are just the beginning of it. Make sure to check the runes, From what I can tell their shapes are similar to what wermages perceive when they are casting spells.¡±


    ¡°I see nothing,¡± Irje huffed, ¡°Does that mean I am not actually a wermage?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. Perhaps it is another skill that needs training, or perhaps there is more to the difference between wer and wermages, if there is any at all.¡±


    ¡°What do you meant there is no difference?¡±


    I scratched my chin in thought, ¡°I think that wer and wermages are simply different forms of the same race. Just with varying ability to use magic. Almost like the colour of hair or skin.¡±


    I sighed and pulled girls close, ¡°But my theories aren¡¯t important right now. What matters is that you can use it, and we will help you master it. Whether as a wermage or as Irje.¡±


    The silent hugs were my answer.


    We talked a bit on lighter topics afterwards, until they fell into a restful slumber. But I stayed awake.


    Still thinking as my fingers idly combed their hair.


    Wer, wermages¡­ what were you really?


    Snusmumriken

 Chapter 36 On The Female Willfulness

    Anaise


    She walked to her lesson, deep in thought. The new spell that her teacher told her to master was devastating in its power. She considered herself wise enough to understand that the perils of working on it without oversight far outweighed her own giddiness and desire to master such power. Still, the old crone definitely should have warned her about the possible outcome. If she was looking just a tiny bit less away¡­


    Her fingers clenched into fists.


    It would be prudent for the teacher to receive the lashes instead it seemed. Anaise knew that murks were resistant to the direct Flow, but their fragile bodies would easily crumble from secondary effects. There was a reason why war-mages had trained a very particular set of skills. One would injure more with a flying boulder or a ball of fire compared to an impact or inflame spell.


    She also had absolutely no intention to figure out which category the new spell belonged to, especially by using Erf as a target.


    Worst of all, he would likely die from either of these effects. Murks were resistant but not immune and something like that would just result in a difference between quick and painless or slow and painful death.


    Perhaps a harsher punishment would be required. Her teacher was of Kiymetl descent so execution was out of the question, but some bloodletting would not be. She was sure that her mother would find her decision acceptable, or even order a much harsher one herself. They had fields outside of the city for this type of homework! Moreover, there were plenty of lower rank wermages eager to teach the Lady of the House. Even within their own household. There weren¡¯t many slaves around that could stir so much gossip around Aikerim¡¯s Manor in a matter of days.


    And have such an exquisite touch of his fingers. And timbre of his voice.


    A shiver ran up her spine as she remembered the silver of his eyes. Anaise found herself enjoying his gaze lately. It was¡­different. He didn¡¯t look at her like other slaves, nor her own family members. Her lectures on poise and politics have been most illuminating yet disheartening. She knew how to read the gazes of others by now. Unfortunately, most saw her as a mistress to fear or a Lady of the House to flatter. While the ones in power saw the young wermage, still unfit for her status.


    His eyes reminded her of the playmates she had in the past. Back when her mother was just a fifth daughter of the Pillar Manor. Back when she was just another daughter of the Kiymetl. Now her mother was a Domina of her own Manor and she became the Lady of the House. And all the eyes that looked at her and saw Anaise disappeared. Replaced by the eyes that looked up to her status. Either by their own volition or by the encouragement of their mothers.


    Until now.


    When he looked at her yesterday there was something else inside his eyes. Something more. Not greed but thirst. Not for her status but for herself. And she found herself elated knowing that. The murk that made her grand-uncle listen quietly while he talked. The one her mother valued enough to consider building him an entire estate. And yet he looked at her. Not her mother, not even that greedy werdrake of Shebet with obscenely large horns. Her.


    She liked that very much.


    A hint of a smile came and went away. She had other things to deal with. Planning for her bath will have to wait for now.


    Her teacher watched her storm into the room, ¡°Anger, huh. An unusual emotion, especially for you. I would have told you to rein in your feelings but Dominas-to-be require steel in their hands.¡±


    Anaise¡¯s eye twitched.


    ¡°As long as you do not let it overwhelm you either,¡± Her teacher immediately sniffed.


    ¡°Explain,¡± She immediately demanded, mentally counting to herself the tally of transgressions. Allowing her teacher to gather the necessary firewood for her own pyre. It was a useful trick her mother taught her: show too much of your ire at them and they will cower and scamper away, quickly hiding their wrongdoings. Let them talk and they will tell you more by themselves.


    ¡°I believe you have realized it yourself,¡± The crone shook her head, ¡°You might be a wermage and the young Lady of the House. But that is nothing for the Flow. Some things will always be out of your grasp.¡±


    Anaise blinked.


    ¡°Do not look so confused, child. Our magic is powerful but we are no Gods and you should always know that. That is why each Manor has a Purpose. To Fight and to Shield.¡± Her fingers brushed over the symbol of scales on her sash, ¡°To Trade and to Serve. Without us working as one whole, the Emanai would cease to be. Swallowed by ravenous beasts and rapacious neighbours. Use that anger to serve our Gods and our Land. And know that Flow is but their gift. Take from its plenty but know your place.¡±


    Anaise looked quietly at her teacher for quite some time. Ruminating at the emotions bubbling within. Pondering.


    She lowered her head in a slight bow, ¡°Thank you, wise teacher. I shall commit this to my memory.¡±


    ¡°See that you will,¡± She sniffed, turning back to her usual droning voice of an upcoming lecture, ¡°You should learn to recognize the signs of impossible spells-¡±


    Anaise stopped listening, stuck deep inside her mind. Her usual lectures were rarely useful enough to pay full attention to, the crone spoke verbatim from the codices. Today¡¯s lecture was just plain wrong. And Anaise had other things to worry about rather than taking notes of how the hole in the wall was just a product of her vivid imagination according to the dusty codices.


    She did it. Somehow she did the impossible.


    And now she was going to be quiet about it. She wasn¡¯t like her brothers, nor like her second father. They were males and their loud and boisterous behaviour was expected. Anaise prized herself as a true daughter of her father and her mother. And she knew the value of patience and cunning. A hidden blade could be revealed at any time. A visible one was always known.


    She would need to visit her grand-uncle. Perhaps as soon as this lecture would be over.


    Alone.


    Now that she was officially his student, Anaise didn¡¯t need Erf to enter Virnan¡¯s chambers. She also needed to be very careful with what she would say and having both of them in the same room would be a recipe for disaster. Anaise needed answers without getting uncomfortable questions in return. She also didn¡¯t feel like trying to pry Virnan¡¯s fingers from Erf¡¯s neck yet another time.


    Speaking of Erf, she should¡­include his lessons in her Flow training as quickly as possible. It was almost as if his mere presence alone was enough for her to progress at a breakneck pace. Anaise idly wondered if that is how her mother felt when he gave her yet another invention of his. She could understand their importance, but this Manor was not yet hers and the feeling was more muted.


    Her magic, however, was.


    With a tiny smirk on her face, she picked up her wax tablet. Perhaps she will have him ¡®solve¡¯ more of these impossible spells.


    XXX


    ¡°I am coming with you.¡±


    I slowly turned my head to the chest beside my face, ¡°Um.¡±


    ¡°You heard me,¡± The owner of the chest crossed her arms, pushing it even further up, ¡°I have no desire to learn about you being lost again. Especially by overhearing guards running all over the Manor.¡±


    In the periphery of my vision, Yeva nodded along. It appears the decision had been decided without my involvement.


    I frowned, ¡°Who is going to watch the workshops?¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± Yeva interjected, patting some girl standing beside her. Most likely one of the younger slaves working with glass or soap, ¡°Just because I am blind doesn¡¯t mean I am alone or helpless. A simple guide is all I need. Besides, Most of the work today would be recovery anyways.¡±


    Well, she was right about that. We have pushed the furnaces to their limits and beyond, getting that heat to the levels where it would turn glass fully liquid. Without access to pure oxygen and fuel, our designs were extremely inefficient and melted not only the products but everything else as well. Which meant that today would be spent mostly on salvaging the leftovers.


    Granted that was the experimental furnace we have built to make the float glass. Which meant that other furnaces were still operational. However, these didn¡¯t require significant oversight anymore. The process was simple and repetitive and was quickly grasped by everyone a long time ago.


    The fact that everyone was sufficiently motivated with monetary compensation meant that Irje wasn¡¯t as necessary anymore to watch them like a hawk, nor we were planning on spending an entire day out in the city either. Even if they all walked out while we were gone nothing critical would happen anyway. The most important products, the sheets of glass, were safely cooled down overnight and stored away from prying eyes.


    Still...


    I glanced behind me and sighed. Viter and a dozen or so guards stood waiting for our decision. And somehow I felt that all that horde would be unable to sway Irje, once she had come up with a decision.


    ¡°As you wish,¡± I nodded, chuckling as I received an affectionate pat on the head in return. It wasn¡¯t really a big deal anyway, I was merely surprised by her sudden decision.


    But deep inside I¡¯ve understood her worry. If one of them had an altercation in the city the day before I would be likely ill at ease myself to let them out on the next day. With guards or not. The fact that she simply requested to come, instead of stopping me from leaving, told me that she at least took my plans into consideration.


    ¡°I will show you a proper place where you can get the toys.¡±


    Or not.


    My shattered opinions aside, our group had quickly organized itself and set out to the entrance. Viter was following me with a quiet determination while the rest of the bodyguards had plenty of experience with these types of events. Sulla was also around, most likely being the one who organized the group of guards in the first place.


    I¡¯ve spent some time talking to him too, mostly to familiarize myself with the intricacies of leading a small army or burly men around. But he had shown himself with a cunning mind too. Which I came to be reminded of once again.


    ¡°You need potters,¡± He harrumphed in his usual no-nonsense voice.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°You are looking for artisans to work with soft material, right? Someone who can work with soft clay would be quicker to pick up new skills than if they need to learn from scratch.¡±


    ¡°You are correct,¡± I mulled the new idea in my head, my mind aflame with possibilities, ¡°You should definitely tell that to Domina. They could make the moulds too¡­no I need a smith for that. Not a blacksmith but one that works with delicate shapes. Brass or bronze at least but not gold - would be too expensive.¡±


    I turned to him fully, ¡°Tell Domina of your idea, and that I would require a few potters and one good smith. Smith is very important.¡±


    He opened his mouth to respond but yet another voice interrupted our conversation.


    ¡°Erf? Are you leaving as well?¡±


    ¡°Lady of the House,¡± we both turned and bowed, while I continued, ¡°Indeed, I still have to pick up a few more products today.¡±


    Burly slaves brought her litter over as she lounged within. Ready for her own trip into the city.


    ¡°Well,¡± She glanced over at the horde I have accumulated, ¡°At least you are sensible enough this time around. Don¡¯t dally, however, my mother would like to talk with you in the afternoon.¡±


    She glanced at Sulla, who quickly bowed away and left.


    ¡°Should I report to her as soon as I am back?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No,¡± She shook her head letting her locks spread over her lounging pillow, ¡°You will be informed when she is ready for you. Or she might even visit the alchemy lab herself.¡±


    ¡°Is it about the hole in the wall?¡± I guessed.


    ¡°Wha-No!¡± She hissed as her cheeks matched her hair, ¡°About your work, you dunce! So make sure you are ready for her, and cover it up properly.¡±


    ¡°Of course, Anaise.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± She sighed as her tail jumped into her hands, ¡°Make sure you have more of that conditioner of yours, my hair is starting to get duller. We will discuss my Flow lessons then... And bring the other t-thing you were talking about.¡±


    I smiled with a slight bow, ¡°It will be done, Anaise.¡±


    ¡°Off you go, then,¡± She allowed as her tail dragged itself across her kaftan, pulling it slightly askew, only to brush my cheek with its tip.


    She languidly stretched, ¡°Get your tasks done for I would expect your undivided attention this afternoon.¡±


    Her clothes stretched with her movements and I did a double-take seeing a glimpse of pink within the fabric.


    Did she?


    Her eyes looked at me, full of mirth, a light giggle on her lips.


    She did.


    I stood there dumbstruck as she waved to her carriers to take her away. Watching her disappear past the gates. What did I get myself into? A sinking feeling in my stomach. I felt like I was sliding down a slippery slope into quite a dangerous future. And all my actions so far have only sped up my impending demise.


    ¡°Erf.¡± Two strong hands grabbed my shoulders from behind.


    I jolted awake, ¡°Yes Irje?¡±


    ¡°Why is the Lady of the House is trying to seduce you?¡±


    I felt the fingers slowly digging in.


    I placed a hand on hers, ¡°I am sorry Irje. I know you told me to, but I should have stood my ground back then.¡±


    She huffed, ¡°Don''t be. It is I who should have expected this. Especially from someone like you. And I still think that she is your best option.¡±


    ¡°In liking you, she will keep you safe from other wermages, either due to her affection or jealousy,¡± Yeva spoke as she approached us too, ¡°That Censor is probably just the beginning of your future troubles. And she would be crucial in keeping us safe. We just hope that she won¡¯t decide to take you all for herself.¡±


    ¡°I really wish it would not come down to that. It might be selfish of me but I have no desire of letting you go, nor do I wish to use her for her status only to throw her away afterwards. If I would even survive that.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think that would come to that,¡± Irje intervened, ¡°Besides, wermages tend to have their own cadre of companion slaves whether they are married or not.¡±


    She smirked, ¡°You will have to have us like them in that case.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°I don¡¯t believe that my sadaq should be like that.¡±


    ¡°We know,¡± Yeva touched me gently, ¡°You know. She doesn¡¯t. But that only means it will take her some time to understand and get used to it. That is all. Treat it just like you are treating the seals you are picking up for us. They aren¡¯t for you or us. They are for others not to ask questions or issue demands.¡±


    She smiled gently, ¡°Remember Erf, you are dealing with beings of immense strength and influence. You aren¡¯t ready to face them head-on. Use the soft touch as you were all this time. It doesn¡¯t matter how they call us or what they think of us. What matters is how we feel among ourselves.¡±


    ¡°Thank you Yeva, We should have such conversations more often. If only to make sure that we are both in agreement since such decisions can only be taken together.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Irje glanced around, ¡°This is important and we should talk about this more, but we should do it in the afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Besides, if you really want to look, you could just ask,¡± She smirked as she pulled her tunic sideways, giving me a generous view of her sideboob.


    My hand met my face with a resounding slap.


    XXX


    As I predicted, no one tried to bother us today. It was hard to tell, however, whether that was due to the lack of prepared plans or due to the horde of people following me.


    In fact, the only unwelcome attention I received was when I got dragged in to see the ¡®artisan¡¯ that Irje felt to be ¡®adequate¡¯. I stood there contemplating whether I should accept Irje¡¯s shenanigans in stride or crawl into a corner while two women loudly discussed the dimensions of my package. I did put my foot down when she suggested that I should show my junk for a proper reference, however.


    Only to hear raucous laughter in turn.


    But even that ordeal had come to pass. Forgotten by the new emotions.


    My hand gently caressed the sleek body of the guitar. It was finished, but not yet complete. I still had to install the fret wires and the strings themselves.


    Just like their counting system, Emanai musical instruments used a rather archaic system. Just five tones with the sixth having the double of the first frequency - an octave. And that was for a good reason. These were the ones that sounded the best together. The simplest fractions that our mind had picked up as most melodious.


    But a single pentatonic scale was not enough for me. I didn¡¯t want just happy, easy notes. I wanted them to cry. I wanted my music to have sad and eerie undertones. I needed twelve tones instead of five - chromatic instead of pentatonic. And that meant I had to either spend days explaining the new system to the artisan or a few hours at most, finalizing the fretboard myself.


    I also heeded the half-advice and half-warning of Aikerim. Stirring up even more commotion by giving away knowledge for free was not in my plans today.


    I couldn¡¯t stop smiling for yet another reason. The look of pleasure on Irje¡¯s face as she caressed her medallion. A large silver tree covering the familiar scales. Its meaning clear: she was a part of Kiymetl but not directly beholden to it anymore. Another one just like that was safely inside my pouch.


    For Yeva.


    A tree. A symbol of freedom and power. Knowledge and drive. I initially suggested that we should make a design together but I was instantly shut down and told to think about their desires for a moment. For they desired something of mine. Despite what Yeva said, these medallions were different for them, a symbol of ownership turned into an amulet of promise.


    I also offered to make them out of gold and put gems inside. I had been shut down once again. The Golden Gestr on my neck was sacred. Golden medallions on theirs were dangerous. Not only it would attract some greedy hands, for it alone might pay for someone¡¯s freedom. But they will be noticed more just like I was whenever the Gestr shone outside.


    We crossed the gates and I waved the bored guards off, leaving only me, Irje, and quiet and determined Viter. I set my feet toward my home first to leave the guitar. But the sounds of a commotion made me frown. And then - speed up my pace as much as I could.


    One of the voices belonged to Yeva.


    I rushed into the opening in front of my house only to see Yeva surrounded by a crowd of red ears and tails. Her guide nowhere to be seen. She stood her ground but I could sense how stressed she was already.


    One of the werfoxes turned his head at our arrival and said something. One by one they turned to face us instead. A familiar face among the crowd. Amalric. The recently arrived brother of Anaise.


    What the hell did he want? Especially from Yeva?


    My hand clenched on the pouch. I tried to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach hoping I was fast enough.


    ¡°So here you are, slave,¡± He murmured walking slowly to me.


    Suddenly finding herself ignored, Yeva quietly moved around and joined our side, staying close to Irje. I sighed and passed the guitar to Viter.


    The good news was that he wasn¡¯t interested in Yeva.


    The bad news was that he was extremely interested in me. And not in a good way, based on his haughty looks.


    Great. Just great. Like I didn''t have enough on my shoulders already.


    I didn¡¯t say that, obviously. Instead, I bowed slightly to the delegation in front of me.


    ¡°How can I help the Young master?¡±


    Snusmumriken

 Chapter 38 An Eager Student

    Snusmumriken


    ¡°I have been thinking about the Flow lessons,¡± Anaise took the conditioner off my hands and put it aside, ¡°Do you know why very few murks usually witness them?¡±


    ¡°I would assume that there is no reason for them to learn something they cannot do.¡±


    ¡°You are partially correct. But it is also about status, and many wermages would react negatively, even violently, if you start to ask them questions on magic. Grand-uncle Virnan is an exception but even he took me aside to teach. Some things run deep. And you should keep it in mind if you find yourself at one of my lectures, or have a desire to ask someone about Flow.¡±


    ¡°I see. Thank you for the warning,¡± I smiled at her. I didn¡¯t notice it back when Virnan taught her but now, that it was pointed out to me, it felt obvious. When I explained to him the infinite series Anaise was right between us: listening attentively to both of us speaking and pointing out her discoveries. Yet when it came to her Flow lesson I found myself left alone at the window. With neither of them bothering to explain nuances to me in the process.


    She smiled back at me and turned around, a wave of red flowing into my view. Her tail and hair shining even in the dim light of the bathhouse.


    ¡°As you can imagine my mother intended for you to listen in on my lectures as my servant,¡± Anaise kept talking as she moved her hair aside, allowing me to untie her sash with ease, ¡°You would stand in the corner as if to assist me and not interfere with a lesson otherwise. Even to ask a question. Especially to ask a question.¡±


    Her sash slowly unravelled in my hands, sliding off her body. I looked at her swaying tail, intrigued by the custom cut of her kaftan. Wermages loved to show off their ¡®magical¡¯ parts and tails were definitely counted as such. The kaftan was split into two tails with the cut going high enough to let the real tail out. The shift underneath, from what I could discern between the tail swings, didn¡¯t. Instead, it had a tail hole with a stitched-in ribbon to tie to the tail itself. Letting the fabulous appendage outside without leaving a gaping hole afterwards.


    ¡°While my mother can definitely order someone to teach you, neither you nor her would welcome the issues it would cause. People talk, especially between Kiymetl Manors. Not only will you be faced with additional scrutiny but they might use you to undermine mother¡¯s authority.¡±


    ¡°Even simply observing your lessons would be enlightening for me,¡± I assured her as I slowly folded her sash in my hands. A wide and long piece of cloth, full of embroidery. Great for holding up wermage clothing, identifying their status or position.


    And wrapping over my eyes.


    ¡°You?¡± Anaise turned around to look at me incredulously, ¡°Is that the same Erf we are talking about?¡±


    Unsecured, her kaftan easily parted, revealing more of her thin shift underneath. Making her state of dress extremely informal and inviting to my gaze. Her eyes sparkling with mirth as she noticed mine wandering over her body.


    ¡°No,¡± She smiled, as her hands took the sash away from me, ¡°Despite saying all that, you won¡¯t be satisfied nor content. I know you well enough by now, Erf. You want more.¡±


    The sash slid down from her fingers and softly landed on the floor, ¡°It isn¡¯t in your nature to stay blind. You wish to explore every nook and cranny. To see and taste. To experience it all.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡± I swallowed. Were we still talking about Flow? I wasn¡¯t so sure anymore.


    ¡°I knew you would,¡± Anaise took my hands and slid them on her waist under the kaftan, ¡°So I came up with a better proposal for you.¡±


    ¡°Instead of standing still and listening to some old wermage mumble about common truths,¡± She pulled my hands upward, ¡°I will teach you about Flow myself. Starting from the beginning, I will lead you all the way through. Now, what say you?¡±


    ¡°Aye. I didn¡¯t even realize it was an option.¡± My voice was surprisingly hoarse.


    Covered by her kaftan, my hands slowly trekked up across the fine linen of her shift. My fingers acutely aware of her body heat and the thin fabric that separated me from her skin. The green eyes looked into mine, a lower lip bitten by the pearly teeth.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t,¡± Her voice hitched as my palms slid up under her breasts, my thumbs and index fingers circling the curves around, ¡°Except for you.¡±


    ¡°You will find me a very curious student. Eager to know more,¡± I quietly spoke as my hands made the next move, cupping her breasts completely. Grazing her twin hard nubs through the cloth only to let them settle comfortably between my fingers.


    Anaise took a shuddering breath, but never took her eyes away as if challenging me to keep looking at her. A loud rumble in my palm akin to another one within my chest. A strand of hair, wet from the steam of the bath, stuck to the corner of her lips.


    And then she moved. Forward. Pushing herself into my palms. A tiny whine of pleasure on her lips matching a groan from mine. A grin of satisfaction when she heard it, ¡°Then you will find me a very welcoming teacher. Eager to show you more.¡±


    I leaned in for the kiss, but a tiny finger met my lips instead, ¡°I will require something from you, however. As I¡¯ve said before, no one should know of this arrangement. You can tell my mother if she asks but no sooner.¡±


    Wait so she was talking about Flow all this time? Damn, another minx!


    She bit her lip and glanced away, her ears down, ¡°And you will have no other teacher but myself. Not even my grand-uncle. I might be young, but I have years of knowledge to teach you. The knowledge that he himself had found exemplary! And if you ask me something that I do not yet know - I-I will ask for you, from those who do. And we will learn t-together.¡±


    My lips kissed the tip of her finger, only to stretch into a smile, ¡°Hmmm, Should I learn from a grumpy and senile fox-¡±


    ¡°Erf!¡±


    ¡°-or a beautiful and wise beyond her years'' mistress,¡± I kept talking, ¡°I believe my answer would be obvious.¡±


    My hands slid deeper in and around her body. Pulling her kaftan even further apart and pulling her into a hug. A tiny squeak was all that she could manage before my lips claimed her own. A kiss, initially sloppy, quickly turned into a soft and gentle one as she copied my actions. Her eyelids finally hiding the green from me. A gentle shrug of her shoulders and the kaftan joined the sash on the floor, her body relaxed in my embrace.


    ¡°T-this means, we are in accord.¡± Anaise panted when our lips broke apart.


    ¡°We are. My beautiful mistress.¡±


    A tail slid across my body, clamping on me and pulling me flush with her body.


    ¡°But I also want more lessons of my own. Not the math I usually study from you. Teach me more of that curved geometry.¡± She demanded.


    Now I would be stupid if I didn¡¯t know an invitation when it was right in front of my face.


    Anaise yelped as I easily picked her up in a bridal carry, ¡°Erf! What are you-¡±


    ¡°We shouldn¡¯t discuss such things at the entrance when a whole bath is waiting for us.¡±


    ¡°Wai-¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to listen to my lectures while lounging on a massage table?¡±


    ¡°Well, yes. But-¡±


    ¡°Or just imagine listening to my voice as you relaxed in the warm waters.¡±


    ¡°M-maybe-¡±


    I placed her carefully at the bench near the bath, her legs partially submerged,


    ¡°Just relax, Anaise. I am not going anywhere,¡± I spoke gently into her large yet blushing ear. She clenched her legs with every word, ¡°Everything has a time and place. There is no need for further negotiations at this time.¡±


    My hands slowly unravelled her red mane, letting it spread across her back like a river of red. Her ear pushing slowly on my lips, full of heat. A gaze of green eyes. Different this time. Expectant, not observant.


    Wondering.


    ¡°No¡­¡± her ruby lips slowly spoke.


    ¡°Do you know what makes you so desirable? Or what makes me so interested in learning Flow? Or you, learning math? It is that hidden promise for more. Things that are too far are unfathomable or unapproachable, while things that are always with you are mundane and common. But certain things are just close enough to make you reach for them.¡±


    My hand reached out and scooped some water into a bowl, ¡°They can even make us lose our minds, force us to chase them forever. Making us absolutely sure that we can reach it if we push just a tiny bit further. Take one extra step.¡±


    Warm water trickled down from the tipped bowl. Right on the chest of the heavy-breathing wermage. Fine linen now transparent and clinging to her curves.


    ¡°It was once said that there are four things that we should pursue. Four parts to travel on the road of life. Dharma - dutiful, virtuous and right way of living. Make sure that the road you chose is just. Artha - means of living and prosperity, to make sure that you can weather your path in life.¡±


    I spoke softly as I kept the water pouring. Making sure that the stream would fall on one of the twin peaks poking through the wet cloth. I kept her distracted as I teased her more and more, enough that Anaise didn¡¯t realize my other hand joined as well.


    ¡°The last one, Moksha, is just as important as the first one. Self-realization and freedom from the path you have chosen.¡± I scooped up more water, ¡°But there is one more thing missing.¡±


    The stream moved down on her body, pouring from a height right into her lap. Her legs conveniently spread apart by me. A shudder and a moan were my awards.


    ¡°Kama. The longing, pleasure, and love. For one cannot walk the path with no desire to push them forward. It would be hollow and without purpose.¡±


    Anaise didn¡¯t move as the water exposed the hint of red between her legs. Her tail didn¡¯t block my sight as it had done before, choosing to wrap tightly around the bench. I put the bowl aside, its work complete, as my hands continued to caress her legs. Slowly pushing the wet shift higher and higher. Revealing the creamy skin underneath.


    I stepped down into the pool, unconcerned for my shirt, lowering myself closer to her lap. Her knees in front of my face, trembling. Her gaze looking down from above, anticipating. Her fingers on the marble bench, crushing.


    Note to self, no handjobs for the foreseeable future.


    ¡°You have done great progress on the first two and the last will be something you will reach yourself. But now let me teach you about the third: the principles of lust, the Sutras of Kama.¡± I slowly spoke as my cheek gently rubbed on her inner thigh. My hands slid under her dress and grabbed her hips, pulling her even closer to me. Or me closer to her.


    ¡°Let me teach you.¡± I planted a soft kiss on her skin.


    Her legs clenched around my head, hands combing through my hair and pushing it away so Anaise could see my face, ¡°Your lessons have been most illuminating so far. Do not disappoint me, and remember the promise you have made yesterday,¡± She demanded breathlessly.


    Keeping my head firmly secure, she slowly started to pull her dress higher and higher. Watching my face as the shadows of the cloth slowly revealed the tiny slit in front of me. The thin line of pink, surrounded by creamy folds. A shuddering breath and the cloth was off, revealing the red fuzz above her petals. A familiar scent in the air and heat of her things - the young woman in front of me knew what she wanted.


    And Anaise wanted it now.


    Without saying anything, I let my tongue out. A loud squeak of surprise from her, clearly not expecting my reach, but it was too late. The tip of my tongue slipped through her open guard and reached the treasure within, feasting on her juices.


    Despite her magical ears and tail she didn¡¯t look, feel, or taste any different.


    Just a beautiful girl, seeking pleasure in my arms.


    And I refused to say ¡®no¡¯ to her.


    In the meantime my hands pulled out a knife, fingers pushing on its edge. Emanai knew steel, they were even aware that there were different types of it. But they were still far off corrosion-resistant alloys. So I had a very short period of time while the blade was sharp enough to cut wermage hair with ease.


    ¡°Erf?¡± Anaise asked when I stopped my ministrations.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten my promise,¡± I slowly replied as my fingers gently massaged oils into her skin, right over her mound. Teasing her without providing the same levels of pleasure my lapping tongue did just moments earlier.


    She groaned, ¡°It can wait.¡±


    ¡°It cannot. The blade will be useful for few moments until it would start pulling on your hair again.¡±


    Anaise growled but strategically placed kisses quickly calmed her down. To a degree.


    ¡°I want you to feel it. That burning desire in your body. I want you to experience it and learn the relief it brings at a later time,¡± My hand gently stretched her skin as the blade shaved the offending hairs. My tongue and lips exploring her folds whenever I would stop talking. Keeping her horny and stock-still, almost on the edge of her release.


    Not only did it help to keep her in place exactly where I needed, but it also kept her tail straight and away from my face.


    ¡°I want you to know that this feeling clouds the heads of many. Men and women alike. Know about it. And in doing so, be sure that no one could use it against you.¡±


    My fingers brushed against the smooth skin, devoid of hairs.


    ¡°Your skin looks beautiful, my Lady.¡±


    Tiny fingers joined mine, as she explored her flesh with me. A sigh of pleasure and content. A hand on my chest. A hard grip on my shirt.


    Uh oh.


    She yanked me out of the bath and onto the bench, effortlessly like a cork from a wine bottle.


    ¡°Ana-?


    ¡°Be quiet.¡± She huffed yanking my shirt up.


    Her shift struggled against her rapid movements but Anaise pulled it off without a second thought. She climbed on top of me, her naked form glistening with sweat. Instinctively grinding on my shaft, lubricating it with her juices. Getting me ready in more ways than one.


    Her hand reached out for my manhood but took it carefully enough. Frantically trying to guide it into herself.


    ¡°I don¡¯t thi-¡±


    ¡°Either help me or shut up.¡± She huffed as my shaft slipped out yet again. Her tail, ramrod-straight and out as if to make sure it would not interfere.


    A perfect handle to adjust her position.


    She gasped loudly as my hand grabbed the root of her tail. A wanton moan, full of lust as I pulled on it, twisting her hips forward. Aligning her entrance precisely to my shaft. A throaty scream as I pulled her down, scorching grip on my rod. A hiss of pain.


    ¡°Don¡¯t move!¡± Anaise demanded before I could say anything and grabbed me again, placing a hand on her stomach. A few seconds and she sighed with relief, her hips gyrating gently. Trying new things with me inside of her, seeking new pleasures with each move.


    ¡°An important rule of Flow,¡± She grinned, rocking in my lap, ¡°Remove weapons from a wound, or a healing spell would work around it. Or don¡¯t, if you wish for it to heal a certain way.¡±


    I groaned and grabbed her tail once again.


    ¡°It can wait,¡± I repeated her words.


    XXX


    In the end, the only casualty had been the marble bench. My bones had been non-magically reinforced, while Anaise was nothing but vigorous as she enjoyed the process with the fervour of a first-timer. Something obviously had to give.


    The dust had settled, the foxes were satisfied. And now I sat on my bed all giddy inside. Making yet another lousy twang. The strings I¡¯ve gotten from Albin as a peace offering weren¡¯t perfect, but I had to give him credit - he had no idea of my requirements and he had done a good job by providing me with a vast variety of them.


    Now I just had to pick the best out of the bunch. And keep ignoring the snickering cougar that likened my experiments to the braying of a mule.


    ¡°It sounds a bit like a lyre or kithara, just¡­louder¡­¡± Yeva mused.


    ¡°They are close. You might even consider it to be a descendant of the kithara. And the boldness of the sound comes from the hollow body that enhances the sound of the strings.¡± I eagerly replied as I stretched another string. At least someone was not outright dismissive of my glee.


    ¡°Will it sound similar to it too?¡±


    ¡°Yes and no, I would say. It has similar pitches and more, but it also has things that are harder to achieve, like there are no horns that I could bend, instead I have to bend individual strings.¡±


    ¡°It sounds off, somehow,¡± She furrowed her brows and crawled closer, ¡°Not as crisp.¡±


    ¡°I agree, it sounds like someone is dying,¡± Irje butted in.


    Yeva giggled, playfully swatting in her direction, ¡°They all sound like that when you are tuning them.¡±


    ¡°Ignoring the uncivilized critics on my side,¡± I pushed the grinning face away, ¡°I am surprised that you noticed. And it is intentionally so. The other instruments concentrate on only six separate pitches that work perfectly together with the sixth being the double frequency of the first. An octave.¡±


    I plucked the correct strings as I spoke to make my statements more obvious. Emanai words felt rather odd in me, my lips said ¡®full circle¡¯ while my mind thought of an ¡®eight¡¯, ¡°The difference is that this instrument goes through four octaves. But instead of playing it as if I had four separately tuned lyres, the pitches are more evenly spread apart. Allowing me to strike a chord from any position and expanding the range of melodies immensely.¡±


    My fingers picked up speed as the last string was finally set. I strummed a few chords to confirm that all six were in harmony and kept going without a break in between. The itch in my fingers pushing me to play more and more in the quiet silence of the evening. Losing myself with a happy smile as I listened to the eerie familiar music. That was probably never been heard before in this world.


    A suckling sensation in my stomach, a blunt reminder of a home I somehow forgot.


    ¡°Something like that,¡± I blushed, realizing that I had a quiet audience around me.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± Irje quietly murmured, ¡°I, er, you aren¡¯t planning on becoming a performer slave? Domina supports you well already.¡±


    She waved her hands frantically, ¡°I don¡¯t mean it is bad, it¡¯s very good! Just whom are you planning on using it on?¡±


    I blinked, ¡°No one, really. This was something I wished for myself. For you and Yeva if you like it.¡±


    Irje sighed and shook her head, ¡°Of all the things you chose for yourself is yet another skill to please the others¡­ You need to care for yourself too, you know.¡±


    ¡°This is care for myself. Trust me I will be playing even if I was alone.¡± I smiled back.


    There was a tug on my shirt.


    ¡°Can you play some more, then?¡± Yeva asked.


    I silently pulled her closer and began to play again. I plucked the strings without singing, content with just the music by itself. Soft melodies of Sol and stars spreading through the air as my body quickly adapted to the instrument in my lap. Brand new but painfully familiar.


    A hum joined my melodies. Yeva¡¯s. Another familiar melody but of a different kind. I remembered myself singing similar songs before. When I worked in the Chimgen fields, sweating from the sun and cutting the wheat without stop. Simple melodies of the slaves that made their everyday life just a tiny bit easier.


    My fingers quickly adapted to her voice, playing the correct tunes and she started singing in return. A tiny gentle voice, singing the tale of a young girl that got lost inside the Forest. How frightened she was, only to chance upon the Fairies and not the Things.


    They dressed her white and washed her feet. And took her off into their lands. Away from trying times and deathly tolls.


    I felt her grip and wetness on my shirt. But she sang strong and I didn¡¯t dare.


    And so I played.

 Chapter 39 Intermission

    Aikerim Kiymetl Adal


    She lounged near her table, reading the missives she had received. Ignoring the two figures in the room. Her affairs had been in order and profits were flowing in much faster than last year. The reason had been obvious for a while now. The Daimon. And an unusual one at that.


    She knew of Daimonas. They were too notable to be forgotten even if they would happen once in a thousand years. There were rumours that Chasya twins were two of them and she wouldn¡¯t easily dismiss these either. Especially after meeting Erf. All of them were born wise beyond their years and powerful beyond belief. All of them were eccentric and wilful.


    And yet Daimonas were always a boon to their Manors despite their tyrannical tendencies. They brought respect of the other Manors with their status and skill in Flow while their seed was equally strong. Few Houses were brought to prominence by a Daimon only to grow their renown even further through their children. An occasional heavy-handedness was a small price to pay for the future prosperity of your Family.


    Unfortunately for her, Erf was a murk. His body was weak and so was his seed, most likely. Aikerim was mildly curious, but so far neither of his sadaq had a belly to show. He couldn¡¯t welcome the Flow around him, yet his knowledge was unmistakable. The soap was only mildly popular initially, mostly due to the novelty and her name behind it, but the conditioners pushed both products into a high demand among the elite.


    Demand was so high that she easily financed his furnaces and kilns, and still ended up richer than she was before. Both financially and politically. While the new counting system and the bookkeeping allowed her to plug many holes in her coffers, the existence of some she didn¡¯t even know previously.


    She knew that this rush wouldn¡¯t last long and she would have to start shipping the product across Emanai and overseas to compensate for the drop in demand across the city. But that was fine - these were the products of luxury with low volume and high profits. It would be a trifling matter to add them to her current shipments. And the foray into glass manufacturing already yielded another product of opulence. Based on the description, the new mirrors were ten or twenty times cheaper to make than the polished discs of metal. While being just as many times better in quality.


    Unmistakable and visible quality at that.


    She didn¡¯t even dare to think how much would the ¡®ultramarine¡¯ Arksite sell for. Aikerim had to personally maintain the spell while the slaves dyed the kaftan in the darkness. Just to make sure no one would know of its colour until the Divine Ritual.


    And there lied the challenge of her current situation. She had too much potential wealth on her hands. And this wasn¡¯t just about the safety of her alchemist. Or the knowledge he possessed. She didn¡¯t get where she was today by blindly rushing ahead - every step had been meticulously planned. And the habit had continued since then. Now, instead of just seeing the mountains of gold in her future, Aikerim saw greedy claws trying to grab a chunk for themselves or even take it all.


    She was strong and powerful, but she wasn¡¯t the only one. That meant her Manor had to rapidly grow in strength or she would be forced to hide more and more of the inventions out of the public eye. And that meant more spending, gifts, and bribes. More opulent sacrifices too: Anaise wouldn¡¯t just come out in the Arksite kaftan during her Feast, she would also gift an entire bolt of similarly coloured wool as her first offering. All that to remain in the good graces.


    A divestiture could be plausible too. Aikerim would have never even considered to sell or gift her ventures away, but Erf had made a compelling argument for it. She had no manpower to support all of them yet she loathed to have them stall and disappear. Each one of these products made her life a little bit more luxurious. They would also be immensely valuable commodities to strengthen her position within the Kiymetl while making her House stronger. A lump of gold was incomparable to the stable income for generations. And grateful sisters and aunts would be eager to defend her from other Houses. Or even appoint her as the next Matriarch.


    She frowned while looking at the profits. It still stung her to give so much away. If only she had more daughters¡­


    Something to consider for the future.


    A shuffle in front of her table reminded Aikerim about the uncomfortable present issues.


    ¡°Do you know why I summoned you?¡± She spoke without lifting her eyes off her scroll.


    ¡°The murk lies,¡± Amalric stubbornly replied.


    Tarhunna softly sighed.


    ¡°About what?¡± She put her scroll away and looked down on her kneeling son. He was in that position for a while now - beans forged character. Her husband was beside. She didn¡¯t prohibit him from taking another sofa but he chose to stand.


    ¡°Wha¡ª¡±


    ¡°You said he lies. About what?¡±


    ¡°Everything! He is full of them!¡± He kept digging deeper.


    ¡°He promised me riches. Does it mean he lied about it too?¡± With a snap of her fingers, the scroll smacked him in the face, ¡°Tell me.¡±


    Amalric peeled the parchment off his face, ¡°This is nothing. Give me a ship and I can easily earn as much in a year.¡±


    ¡°In three tendays,¡± She growled, making her son¡¯s diatribe sputter, ¡°And show it to your father, since he is so curious.¡±


    ¡°Aikerim?¡±


    She sighed, ¡°I know you well enough, Tar. You could have stopped him before I had to personally step in myself. Twice at that."


    Her husband shook his horns as he glanced at the reports thrown at them, ¡°He looks to be a grand asset indeed. Important enough to be kept safe. You have my word¡ª¡±


    ¡°No,¡± She stopped him, ¡°your word is not enough anymore since I had to intervene on my own. Now you will have my word as Domina that he is to be kept safe. No one would touch him, unless by my order. No punishments or threats! Deal with me if you see something suspicious and I will deal with him. And if I learn of anything again I will consider it to be a threat to my Manor. And I will deal with it accordingly.¡±


    ¡°But Mother!¡± Amalric pleaded, ¡°he is dangerous! Don¡¯t you see that is exactly what he wants. He will poison your ears with his honeyed words.¡±


    "I will not have my son act like a poppet of a lamura!" She slammed her fists into the table, making the dust fall from the ceiling. Table held. Barely.


    ¡°Shahin simply showed me how much influence the murk has over you!¡±


    ¡°Silence! And you, do you share in his foolishness?¡± She glanced at her husband.


    Tarhunna shrugged, ¡°I trust your judgement, but with all that secrecy around him, one is bound to wonder.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I find it vexing how he manages to attract the female sight,¡± She felt a bit of pleasure watching them cringe from the way she worded it, ¡°Especially from overseas.¡±


    Now that got a real reaction.


    ¡°She would never!¡± Amalric roared.


    ¡°Really? An esteemed daughter of Esca, without a Manor yet well-connected, chose to leave the comfortable sands of her homeland and travel across the sea to woo my youngest son? You are still at least a century too young to have elder daughters run after you like that.¡±


    ¡°House of Trade is well-known and your Manor within it is raising in fame, a marriage between our families could benefit both sides.¡± Tarhunna intervened, while her son gnashed his teeth in anger.


    She would have to work on his restraint more at a later time.


    She pulled in the rushing waters of the Flow and pushed it back as she observed the runes around her.


    ¡°Yes, especially right now. When my Manor had obtained an alchemist that can make glass,¡± She said afterwards, ¡°And that is why I sent a letter asking about the powders Esca used. To confirm if what he said was actual truth or just what he believed as one.¡±


    In the quiet of her sealed room, secluded from servants and with glowing magical seals on the walls, she quietly continued, ¡°And now I have an envoy in my lap as I dance around the curious eyes of my peers. All because my son and my husband said a little bit too much during their trip.¡±


    The sofa groaned when the large frame of her husband landed on it. Amalric had the decency to stay quiet when serious talk began. He was rash and bold but he was still her son. And she made sure he wasn¡¯t stupid. Unfortunate foolishness of youth that all it was.


    ¡°And you chose not to sell him. Are you waiting for a better price?¡± Tarhunna asked rubbing his chin.


    She shook her head, ¡°Esca wouldn¡¯t be able to afford him. And I am unwilling to give him for a pittance.¡±


    ¡°They would not be happy to find out that you know of their secret. Despite the distance, Esca aren¡¯t pushovers. They could easily apply pressure on your mother.¡±


    ¡°Good. That is exactly why I kept it secret. I would¡¯ve preferred her not knowing at all but the other outcome is still an acceptable one. By the time my mother would be forced to act, I will have them in the palm of my hand. In fact, I just need a few more days to make sure she could understand the fate of her House if they refuse to cooperate. Which is why Shahin Esca will be leaving tomorrow to visit our summer estate. Far enough that her tongue won''t reach my son, and her knife - my alchemist.¡±


    ¡°Do you really think she would risk herself for a mere murk artisan? She knows that that the laws of hospitality won¡¯t save her if she attacks you and yours. He might know a lot but Esca had been polishing their craft for centuries. Even if we move all of our assets into glass it would take us years to catch up to their scale, and even longer to their artistry. Enough time to bury us many times over.¡± Her husband asked incredulously.


    ¡°She might,¡± Aikerim slid over a wrapped object, ¡°Because he doesn¡¯t just know their glass. He knows more.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, my dear husband,¡± She crooned as she pulled the cover away, ¡°After spending so long in their lands. How many glass mirrors do they produce. And then ask yourself - how many centuries it would take for Esca to catch up to Kiymetl now.¡±


    The shocked silence was her answer.


    Agrona Samat Ninanak


    She lounged on her sofa, her face unreadable.


    ¡°I find you surprisingly unaffected,¡± Agrona finally spoke to her idle visitor, ¡°The venture is growing in cost with every day and yet you do not seem to be worried about it.¡±


    She leaned over, pointing the sharp tips of her horns at her ¡®ally¡¯, ¡°I have no desire to dig the mud while you eat pears up above. If you are really interested in seeing this succeed then you have to show it. Remember, I am not the one who came here with gifts and offers, asking for the help of a Pillar Manor. I can step away at any point, and lose nothing.¡±


    ¡°Except for the Craft District,¡± The lamura readjusted the coils of her tail, ¡°We both know that Kiymetl already owns the Trade District of Samat. Despite the fact that it should rightfully belong to you. And you know exactly why she is getting that aqueduct.¡±


    Agrona suppressed the growl inside her throat. She had no intentions to reveal her feelings too much, despite the truth in the lamura¡¯s words. Kiymetl had been a sore point for her House for centuries. While other Manors had earned their wealth with honest work, the foxes chose to steal it instead. They would fleece the sellers and gouge the buyers, stuffing their coffers with the gold of others. Even their position as a Pillar Manor had been a slap on everyone¡¯s faces.


    Upstarts had bribed their way with rich offerings. Earning their place not by the blood they spilt nor the sweat they had `shed, but by gold and gems they threw on the altar.


    At least their Matriarch had a modicum of decency herself. Nanaya Kiymetl Ayda had established her reign where the Twin Sisters were close. The slaves of her House pulled the boats from Shara to Nuur and back, linking the two rivers into one route and uniting the two halves of Emanai. And with them - allowing the sea to sea travel.


    Aikerim Adal did none of that. Instead, she simply walked into greatness from a literal nobody, forty years ago. And now Agrona felt her slimy fingers digging even deeper. Purchasing large quantities of raw materials even before they hit the markets. And making waves with their new concoctions for the skin and the hair. Turning heads with the new quality and quantity of their textiles.


    ¡°The same aqueduct that I am now forced to make because of this venture,¡± She retorted instead.


    ¡°I have warned you about the potential risk of sending someone from your own Manor,¡± Shahin argued back, ¡°But we can salvage this and even turn it into our own advantage.¡±


    ¡°Tell me, then.¡±


    Lamura drank her honey-wine, ¡°Despite your claims of my inaction, I just had a meeting with Aikerim Adal. My recent conversations with her son had been most unwelcome and she insisted that I would remain at guest quarters while I am inside her Manor from now on.¡±


    Agrona scoffed, ¡°Do you really think that she will simply forget about me because you have made a nuisance of yourself?¡±


    ¡°Of course not. You know just as well as I do, that if I push too hard she would kick me out, despite any potential consequences it could bring to her Manor.¡±


    She smiled and swished her drink, ¡°No. Aikerim Adal will be occupied with the recent actions of her son. He stepped on her precious golden feathered swan. And now she must be very careful not to have its feathers turn into normal ones. And she will gladly accept your help, especially if you need to hire extra hands to speed up the construction. As a token of goodwill, of course.¡±


    ¡°And that would just make her stronger, faster.¡±


    ¡°In a couple of days, all that construction would be meaningless.¡±


    The wersheep glanced sharply at her visitor, ¡°And what makes you think she only has just one swan? Or haven¡¯t learnt his secrets by now? All this would be a waste if she retains the knowledge.¡±


    ¡°I have done my due diligence, she has three or four at most at this moment. And she won¡¯t dare to have more for a while. That would weaken the position of her swan. Aikerim Adal is smart enough to keep him happy, at least for some time after the recent incident. Or he might even demand it himself.¡±


    She mulled over the words of the lamura for a while, ¡°Kiymetl is very interested in acquiring more slaves from another Manor. So interested that she dared to threaten Shebet while stuffing their more-than-generous gifts under her belt. What are the chances that there are more swans hiding there?¡±


    ¡°None. What she is planning to buy are mere sailors for the golden ship inside her Manor. Family of the navigator that she has. Once again, to pamper her swan,¡± Shahin immediately replied.


    Agrona chuckled, ¡°And make us throw our gold into a smoke. What a thief. Very well, there will be a bigger detachment of workers since I suddenly have some funds cleared up.¡±


    The yellow orbs within the black irises looked hard at the Samat Domina, ¡°Make no mistake, the murk is full of tricks himself. And this could be our last chance at this. Get the best possible person, multiple even, and have them meet me at the Manor. I want them to act fast and hard.¡±


    ¡°These are hard to find, especially quickly.¡±


    Lamura pulled out a scroll, ¡°Get as many as you can. As long as they will succeed in their task. Take this, If Aikerim finds out of my involvement - send my ashes with it to Yusuf. And they will honour my words. Samat will be the first city with glass-makers of Esca.¡±


    ¡°I would prefer it not to get that far,¡± She shook her head but took the scroll nevertheless.


    ¡°So do I. That is why I will be out of Samat for a few days. Enjoying the countryside at the behest of Aikerim, while she handles her family matters.¡±


    Agrona smiled with a satisfied grin. Soon the Kiymetl upstart will learn some humility. While she could boast an achievement of her own. And then she will look at Tarhunna¡¯s face, black with bitter regret for choosing the fox over her.


    Yeva


    She plucked strings of the guitar as she tried to recreate songs from her childhood. The strings were harsh to touch and loud to the ear but the instrument was able to make the notes she grew up hearing. She also got a slight cramp in her left hand from doing so. Yet her fingers kept going.


    ¡°Tell me more about your mother,¡± Irje softly spoke nearby.


    She smiled hearing the concern in her voice. Music, that Erf had played last night, was beautiful but it also woke up the bittersweet memories of her past. And of her mother. She spoke a little bit about her, once she calmed down, but the embrace of her family was warm and strong. And sweet dreams quickly took her away.


    The morning was hectic. All of the glass production was put on hold, yet Erf and Viter were ushered away by a group of guards. Apparently, the estate construction was starting up. The cougar wanted to go as well but he asked Irje to stay with her. Promising to call on her as soon as they will start discussing the layout.


    Irje didn¡¯t argue much and Yeva was quietly grateful to both of them. She didn¡¯t feel like running around the new place this morning. And quiet and restful time in their comfortable bed was a luxury she and Irje couldn¡¯t say no to. Especially early in the morning when the air was still cold and the blankets were extra cosy.


    Add to it the lack of any scheduled work and one would know what a true pleasure felt like.


    ¡°She was one of the musicians at the Manor,¡± Yeva sighed in reply to the question, ¡°Good enough to play when the guests would arrive. My early childhood was full of songs and plays that she would practise every night. To make sure that masters would stay happy with her music.¡±


    ¡°She took care of me as much as she could. Taught me to play so that I would have a task once I grew older. Fed me. You know I don¡¯t remember her eating any time I ate, she would just sit and look at me. Smiling.¡±


    Yeva felt the arms encircle her and she let herself be cuddled, without letting go of the guitar, ¡°And then she was gone. And I found myself on the fields, working for a Domina that I¡¯ve never seen before. All that effort - wasted. The fingers that once bled on strings were now dirty with the mud.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t wasted,¡± Irje gently murmured, ¡°You said yourself of her smiles and I promise you they were honest. You were her joy and in treating you as best as she could she escaped the burdens of her day.¡±


    ¡°I know that now,¡± She slumped in the embrace, ¡°But the heart still aches. And I don¡¯t want for him to do the same. I want to be useful instead of selfish.¡±


    ¡°Is that why you wish to play?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have no desire to pick up the lyre once again, it still brings back bad memories. But this is different. It feels different and sings different. It doesn¡¯t remind me of my mother - it tells me of my future.¡± A smile crept up onto her face, ¡°And it smells of him.¡±


    ¡°You have been helpful many times before, however.¡±


    ¡°And now I have to worry about the Lady of the House, too. It is a foregone conclusion by now that she likes him and will want to keep him around. Which gives him more safety within this Manor and marginally to us as well. But you know well enough how excessive Erf can be with everything he does. And I am not sure how she will see us in the future. And I don¡¯t want to be seen as a leach or have him defend my status from her. Especially when her words would resonate inside my heart as true.¡±


    Irje didn¡¯t reply for a while and she began to play again. Songs that she knew. Melodies that she heard from Erf. Plucking individual strings or chords only to quietly listen to yet another sound. She sat on top of Irje, her back in a warm embrace. The heat of the wer scaring the fears of the past away.


    Until the cold air swept under her body.


    ¡°Irje!¡± She shrieked holding the instrument as tight as she could, her legs flailing in the air, ¡°What are you doing!¡±


    ¡°You aren¡¯t the only one, who wants to practise and be useful!¡± Irje laughed triumphantly.


    ¡°Put me down!¡± Yeva demanded only to hear more laughter from the cougar hellion.


    She fought hard her own emerging grin. Irje will pay. Just as soon as she would return to the ground she will make her pay dearly.


    It was tickle time.

 Chapter 40 Melancholy Interrupted

    Snusmumriken


    Updated Anaise drawing + expressions. Once again art by Nastrpank


    I glanced around at my guard detachment. Aside from Viter, I was encircled by four Kiymetl foxes. Wer, most likely. Hard to figure out since they hadn¡¯t uttered a word so far. Wouldn¡¯t even say their names.


    Perhaps Aikerim found four mutes for my entourage.


    I sighed and turned back to the bustling activity in front of me. A crowd of slaves with occasional reds and whites. Foxes and sheep. All of this was organized for my own sake, yet all I could feel in my heart was melancholy.


    I had a very generous mistress. Both through the eyes of my past experiences as well as the judgement based on the deeper understanding of society. She could have been worse, much worse. She could have tortured me for information or took everything I¡¯ve made for herself without worrying about my well-being. I wasn¡¯t sure how well she would have fared then as I would have definitely retaliated, but that was irrelevant.


    What spoilt my mood in the current situation is the difference in Aikerim¡¯s response. When my family was nominated as the sacrifices, she had been sympathetic to my plight and even tried to ameliorate the situation somewhat. Which I was still grateful for.


    But all that simply paled in comparison to this. It wasn¡¯t my family that was in danger, I was threatened directly.


    And Domina moved with all her might.


    My entire contingent of workers had been sent away for a few days. The kilns and furnaces went cold and dark for the first time in days. All glass manufacture was obviously on hold too. I still had few finished pieces as well as few sheets of glass, but that would be all I would have for a week or so. Even soap was affected, but there was a lot of finished product already so that wasn¡¯t an issue.


    Irje and Yeva had gotten themselves a few restful days too. Which was great news, especially for Yeva since my music had stirred up memories on the dark part of her past. While she handled it rather well, a nice lounge and some gossip between the girls would definitely do her good. I tried to be there for her but there was a time and place for everything. I also didn¡¯t want her to depend on me for everything either. Irje was still the only ¡®friend¡¯ she had so far, if one can even bother to call a fellow member of the sadaq as mere ¡®friends¡¯.


    But the social activities of my wives can wait for later.


    Right now I had the front seats to the first major usage of Flow. And despite the lack of any visual effects, the event still was eye-opening and jaw-dropping to my provincial murk self.


    A dozen or so of grumpy and sickly-looking wermages literally stared walls into obedience. They didn¡¯t chant in obscure tongues, there was very little smoke, mostly from fires and rock dust, and all mirrors were safely stored in my lab. They simply glared at the stone as if they were constipated, and walls moved. The outer walls of the manor, the height of which, while dwarfed by the walls of the city itself, still loomed two stories high above the ground.


    Emanai knew of masonry, they knew concrete and had the magic to shape and form rocks. They were well-versed in architecture and knew their way on grand structures like that. They knew how to distribute the load with arches but with the magical abilities at their disposal they simply opted out for a ''solid mass of stone'' design.


    A definite favourite of guards and wealthy people alike, no doubt.


    And now this tall and thick rock snake was slowly opening up. The manor, like a hungry cell, consuming yet another neighbourhood into itself. I had no idea who lived in it before, but when Domina demands a price it is in one''s interest to accept the purchase. This was an affluent part of the city anyway, whoever it was they probably had other residences.


    And now they had to move because a single murk needed space for his experiments.


    Go Erf¡­


    Actually scratch that. Go Irje. I would have been okay with a single warehouse or two and a private residence with few rooms. Irje went in and haggled something obscene from Aikerim instead. I saw the plans for the expansion and most of the new areas would be technically under my dominion. Despite being called something general like Domina¡¯s Grounds.


    The rest of their magic was quite utilitarian as well. Yet very limited in the breadth of use. Most of the general labour was still done with tools, hands, and backs of the slaves and workers alike, while wermages operated as a magical equivalent of heavy machinery. A single wersheep could turn a pile of rocks and a carefully obscured parchment with runes into a hulking golem. Yet these rocks were brought into that initial pile by murks.


    Mages lifted and placed enormous cornerstones that would establish the perimeters of new walls, yet none of them had moved even a single handful of sand or dirt.


    One could always argue that they saw themselves above the most mundane tasks, but it was definitely more than that. Magic was taxing and it didn¡¯t scale well apparently. Scale down that is. With normal activities, there was always a lower limit where one¡¯s ability to perform it is no longer limited by exhaustion from it. They were limited by hunger, sleep, or time available. Boredom, even.


    Like a difference between running and walking.


    Looking at the frustrated wermages I understood that Flow had a very low bar to be effortless. Or it recovered much slower which was really the same thing but from a different perspective. And not only the exhaustion showed itself more vividly, but it also presented itself in advance.


    I idly wondered if people would have never used alcohol if one would have a headache and vomiting before or during a pub crawl. Or feel the ungodly burn between the asscheeks while ordering the spicy meal.


    No wonder magic was used so infrequently by the very same people who worshipped it. They chose to use their status itself to keep themselves above the rest and use magic only when strictly necessary.


    How efficient of them.


    Not that I could blame them for it. Emanai needed them. Both in terms of power and to stratify the society, no matter how uncomfortable that thought was.


    I knew enough of the childhood slave stories and the books I had read at Aikerim¡¯s insistence. This world did not belong to us. It didn¡¯t belong to wer or wermages either.


    It belonged to the Things. The magical animals of this planet.


    A wolf or even a bear were deadly, but they weren¡¯t as deadly to a wer. But they were mere ¡®murk¡¯ animals. They roamed the forests within the Emanai without significant retaliation and yet every border was well-manned and with walls as big as the one being created in front of my eyes.


    Or so I¡¯ve read.


    Not to defend against incoming armies, which they weren¡¯t really good for. Not to contain the restless peasants within, as very few would dare to venture past, and never to settle outside. They kept the Flow Beasts out of Emanai. Allowing farmers to farm and live in relative security.


    The presence of a magically enhanced population was crucial for such an enormous defensive effort. Walls could be built and maintained with greater ease. Manned with fewer defenders that required food but produced little themselves. And probably had a lesser casualty rate than hordes of murks.


    At the same time, it created a society where the higher class not only had the obvious reason for their status but had enough individual power not to be afraid by the lower rungs of the society. A commoner, villager, or slave might grumble but their current conditions were definitely better than being gored to death by an invulnerable creature. While wermages were unlikely to be excessively brutal with their punishments in order to maintain suppression levels.


    Both of which created a very organized society, banded together against a common foe. With less bloodshed and social tension among the classes. It wasn¡¯t without flaws obviously but it did make them into one of the biggest players in the region. There were no obvious holes I could easily point at and fix to everyone¡¯s benefit. Even my own ideas of ¡®improving¡¯ it were all about throwing knowledge and technology at it. Which would likely hurt at least some layers of the current society.


    Improving such a complex system is never easy or safe. And going at it with a naive approach would result in revolts and civil wars that could easily result in Emanai being snuffed out entirely.


    ¡°Impressive isn¡¯t it. The power of my wife.¡± A strong voice interrupted my thoughts on family, magic, and society.


    ¡°Master,¡± I bowed to the looming figure above me, ¡°Indeed, Domina¡¯s words carry an immense weight.¡±


    ¡°Quite so. But they are hers alone, be mindful when you use her words against others.¡±


    ¡°I thank you for your words of wisdom,¡± I offered back diplomatically, no point getting yet another one after my neck, ¡°Domina had told me the same when she saw me for the first time.¡±


    ¡°And yet she had done so much,¡± He slowly murmured as sounds all around us disappeared, ¡°And I don¡¯t believe that your knowledge of alchemy is the reason. I wonder what the Ladies of the Kiymetl had found in you to offer this.¡±


    Hmm. A concerned parent? Or a jealous husband?


    ¡°Math,¡± I spoke laconically.


    ¡°Math? So the Gestr was not given for you to lead my daughter to her lectures with Virnan?¡± Tarhunna asked curiously.


    I shook my head. ¡°My alchemy caught the eyes of Domina. But my skills in Mathematics made her interested enough to send me to the Wise Fox of Kiymetl himself. After a day and night of heated discussions, I came back to the Manor with this on my neck.¡±


    And I have tried my best to stay away from that accursed place as much as possible. Luckily Virnan had plenty of things to work on for a long time.


    ¡°Seeing it, Domina has tasked me to teach her daughter.¡± I finished my tale.


    He rubbed his chin in thought, ¡°And then he accepts her as a student too. I can see why Aikerim would build it, despite how far-fetched your tale might sound like.¡±


    His head swivelled toward me once again, the horns highlighting every movement, ¡°I have seen the folly of many, however. Blinded by the generosity of their betters. I wonder if you would do the same.¡±


    Words of Anaise came to my mind, the ones describing her father. And I smiled gently, my course set.


    ¡°There is another thing to wonder about,¡± I offered back. Seeing his raised eyebrow I continued, ¡°The estate was the reward for my deeds so far. If I would desire something greater than estate - what would I come up with, then?¡±


    I saw the glint of understanding in his eyes almost instantly. An ambitious man will recognize ambition.


    ¡°You don¡¯t force the bird to sing. You give it fruits and a home out of the golden filigree. Although you are definitely the first one to get that far,¡± His hand brushed my hair, ¡°And good-looking too. My wife has the most discerning eye. Enjoy your new home and know that there are others who would be curious enough to hear you sing.¡±


    Ah. How could I forget. I might have been ¡®sold¡¯ for free as a package deal, but it was Sulla who sent me to Irje. As a companion candidate. And he definitely knew the preferences of our masters. And there wasn¡¯t that much difference between my original height and Yeva¡¯s when we first crossed the entrance of the manor. And both of us were almost as tall as Aikerim.


    I watched silently as he left just as suddenly as he appeared. His task, complete. The intricate leather coverings muffling his hooves. I grew since then, leaving my wife behind and even passing my Domina but, apparently, Tarhunna still found me attractive. Yet he didn¡¯t issue any demands or strongly implied suggestions, merely informing me of the potential opportunity.


    And Aikerim was likely the answer for that. Looks like my original gambit had shown its fruits.


    Still, after the encounter with his son, I expected something else from him. And yet he didn¡¯t. It was almost as if¡­


    If I was but a bird to them. Or at least to some of them. You won''t get jealous if your wealthy wife that runs the entire household has a new bird in her menagerie. Nor would you get worried if your daughter likes it too. And if the praises get too loud you simply get curious yourself. He most likely didn¡¯t make the offer so politely because he cared about my feelings specifically, but because I belonged to Aikerim.


    They were married but it definitely wasn¡¯t a marriage of equals. And trying to take something of hers for himself could easily turn ugly for everyone involved.


    Yet I was fine with them thinking that. Whether this was caused by my status or my race, the disregard for my potential was definitely a boon for me personally. Because, unlike the hordes of other murks and slaves, I had plenty of said potential that desperately needed time to bear fruit.


    Nor did I really care what a bull-legged wermage thought about me. Or maybe I did, just a tiny bit. No one is perfect.


    I cast a quick glance at the construction zone and quickly left, my feet taking a well-familiar path. I had spent enough time ogling mages from afar, and I had no desire to get closer. I haven¡¯t seen anything new for a while now and the words of Anaise, cautioning me not to ask others about Flow, were still fresh inside my ears. That and the fact that one of their servants tried to kidnap me.


    The kilns were cold but I still could ¡®sing¡¯ within my lab. And if I lose my family, they will hear the real songs of a Host navigator.


    XXX


    I made a detour to my house first but hearing the shrieks of outrage and peals of laughter from inside I decided not to intrude right now. My mood was too sombre and I didn¡¯t want to ruin theirs. And my hands were itching to work.


    Shedding most of my guard contingent, me and Viter arrived at my lab. This area was still off-limits for most of the household and the werfoxes were clearly not assigned to shadow me for an entire day. Most likely they were just to show the extra muscle around Samat. Based on how quickly we were left alone - I didn¡¯t think they liked guarding me very much either.


    Better if they were gone, then. Nothing worse than a reluctant guard.


    I paused for a second before I put down the last mirror I had made. The ¡®silver¡¯ eyes gazing at me from the other side.


    Mine.


    Not mine.


    The space was a harsh place for the unprotected flesh. We emerged in a once beautiful creche called Earth, protected from the harsh radiation by the magnetic field of the planet. And our bodies were not accustomed to the Greater Outside.


    There were ways to protect one¡¯s flesh. Most ships grew ablative layers to absorb and shed impacts and powerful rays allowing the passengers inside to skip on the protective clothing.


    Unless you needed unobstructed sight to navigate.


    I probably had a well developed sub-dermal layer by now, allowing me to shrug off radiation with near impunity. Everywhere except for the eyes. Or I would be blinder than Yeva. Instead, the surface of my irises was now reflective, even more so than the mirrors I¡¯ve just made. Granted it wasn¡¯t perfectly flat so it simply looked grey. But it protected me as much as possible without inhibiting my sight.


    Yet another step. I idly wondered as I scratched my forehead if they would call me murk by the time my body would stop adjusting.


    With a tired sigh, I covered the reflection and started to clean up the tables. Until I will get a new batch of float glass this project was done. And lab safety was paramount. I tried to think of anything else to work on or prepare for but nothing came to my mind. Albin promised a reply soon and I had found myself unable to predict what he would actually come up with if he does.


    Samat group was guarded. According to Aikerim, the project I¡¯ve completed would be enough to make Shahin a non-issue. Amalric was probably on a house arrest or worse, definitely not coming to see me anytime soon. Tarhunna was¡­attracted¡­ but definitely not a time-critical issue for now. Perhaps I should plan that Albin would be unable to find anything. Maybe ask Anaise for a trip outside of Samat? Word it as a lecture too if all her attempts at geodesic Flow have been quite destructive so far. Less chance of destroying a building this way.


    Or just forget myself inside the arms of my sadaq? I really wanted to, but my heart was ill at ease.


    My ruminations were interrupted by an unusual shuffle behind me.


    Yet not from the entrance.


    Turning rapidly to intercept my assailant I¡¯d come face to face with the familiar red of hair and eyes of green.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked with the feeling of slight amusement.


    After covering the hole with a plank once again, Anaise pulled her kaftan tighter together and dusted off the dirt. Her tail swinging back and forth with some frustration and¡­excitement?


    ¡°I have found that you gifted my mother with yet another present,¡± She puffed her cheeks at me, her arms crossed in front.


    I turned my head trying to think, ¡°Present?¡±


    Anaise rolled her eyes and thrust her hand to me, ¡°The mirror, you dunce. Now, are you saying that your future teacher does not deserve the same?¡±


    I looked down on her open palm for a second and smiled, ¡°I think you might not know the whole truth, my eager student. That was no present, or I would have framed it nicely and used the cleanest glass. That was a mere prototype.¡±


    A small gasp left her lips and her body went stiff. Before I could comment on her quite exaggerated behaviour, another noise barged in on us.


    ¡°Master!¡± The voice was accompanied by a frantic Viter barging through my door, ¡°I¡¯ve felt a spark inside¡­oh!¡±


    He gulped, seeing my visitor, making me turn my head back. Anaise stood ramrod straight and stiff, her arm frozen mid-reach. Completely ignoring my guard. Her face, as red as her hair, and her tail was the fluffiest I¡¯ve ever seen it so far. The look on her face was to die for and I was thankful that she faced my way and away from Viter. But why did she?


    Oh.


    My eyes slid down the neck of her kaftan, seeing the red of her skin. Looks like someone came in without a shift. No wonder she chose to crawl into my lab through the hole she had made before, instead of simply walking through the main entrance. My, my, someone was feeling very frisky today.


    ¡°Thank you, Viter, for your diligence,¡± I nodded as this was an ordinary occurrence, and stepped closer to Anaise. Unseen to him, my hand slid between the sides of her kaftan.


    In a most praiseworthy fashion, Anaise didn¡¯t make a peep as my palm cupped her core, already wet and hot to my touch. The recently shaved folds clinging to my skin like the softest of kisses.


    ¡°I have forgotten to inform you, that the Lady of the House was inside, but I appreciate your dedication.¡± I kept talking while my middle finger started to curve into her.


    With the corner of my eye, I saw her bite down on her lip as I pushed myself deeper and deeper. I was playing with the deadly fire here but I could feel her arousal spiking with my every action. I could also feel the tiny shakes of her body, her muscles spasming as they tried to keep her standing still despite my ministrations.


    ¡°I, uh, I will be outside then.¡± He stammered, pushing himself out. Apparently, surprising the wermage was clearly not on his agenda for tonight. He didn¡¯t even notice the byplay either.


    Anaise slumped onto me as soon as the door was shut. Her legs shaking around my hand.


    ¡°Erf,¡± She growled, her face more flushed than angry, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare do that again.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± I teased as my finger slid in and out once again, testing for wetness and finding plenty of it, ¡°But I think you have enjoyed it greatly.¡±


    She growled at me but said nothing, her mound grinding into my palm.


    ¡°Just imagine,¡± Keeping my hand in place, I walked behind her. Gently pushing her toward one of my tables, ¡°That my guard can barge in again at any moment. Perhaps hearing a sound from you, or a call from me. Only to see you in my arms like this.¡±


    Her ears dipped with every word I whispered, but the last statement brought forth another wave of trembles from her body.


    ¡°Oh, you liked that?¡±


    A soft whine was my answer.


    ¡°Have you ever wondered how you look right now?¡± I pressed on as I reached for the cloth in front of us. And pulled it down.


    My previous words were true. What I had made before was a simple trial piece, just to see if all parts worked together. This was a proper mirror and not a palm-sized one.


    Anaise made a muffled wail of arousal and shame as she quickly covered her eyes, unwilling to see the full-body reflection of herself.


    ¡°Now, don¡¯t be like that,¡± I gently spoke, ¡°Look how beautiful you are.¡±


    I let her peek through her fingers as my own slowly slid in and out of her body. Catching her eyes in the mirror every time I¡¯ve placed another kiss on her neck.


    ¡°Erf,¡±


    ¡°Hmmm?¡±


    ¡°Stop stalling. Give it to me.¡± she groaned.


    ¡°This?¡± I pulled my clothes up and slid my shaft between her legs from behind.


    I got another growl from her as I simply used it to tease her even more. Sliding it across her folds, without pushing in.


    ¡°I am waiting for you, Anaise. I miss your beautiful face,¡± I murmured in response.


    With a sharp breath, her hands came down from her face. And I pulled her into a passionate kiss before she would get uncomfortable again.


    ¡°Look, how stunning you are,¡± I murmured into her lips, ¡°See for yourself why I made a mirror with your height in mind.¡±


    ¡°You are still stalling.¡± She feverishly accused me instead. ¡°Shut up with your poetry and make me feel good.¡±


    I smiled, ¡°as you wish, my lady.¡± And yanked down her sash.


    Before she could even gasp I pushed her down on the table and pulled the skirt of her kaftan up. All of that right in front of the mirror.


    ¡°Er-mh.¡± Her squeak was silenced by my palm.


    ¡°Shhh,¡± I spoke as I massaged her tight ass, slightly pulling it apart with every movement, basking at the sight of the glistening lips hidden within, ¡°There is a guard outside. Ready to barge in if you make a loud noise.¡±


    My thumb slid in and spread her entrance apart as I carefully positioned myself for a thrust.


    A wermage with her skirt hiked up and bent over the table, her quivering opening, craving to be filled. A sight that a very few murks had ever seen, and even fewer that lived to tell the tale. The mane of her tail, still huge from the recent scare, standing straight up giving me the unobstructed view, the ease of access, and the convenient handle to pull on.


    She hissed as I gripped her tight at the root of her tail, subconsciously rising up on her tiptoes and bending her back. Allowing me to simply slide inside of her.


    I didn¡¯t.


    I pulled her tail, impaling her on me instead.


    ¡°Look at me, then,¡± I grunted as I slammed her on my length again and again, ¡°Watch how I penetrate you with my every thrust. And how eagerly you take me in.¡±


    She said nothing as she panted rapidly from the fast pace I set for her, but her tail wrapped around my arm in a silent demand for more.


    I pulled at her kaftan that was still on her shoulders, repositioning her body just a little bit. So she could see her face, me, and us joined together.


    And her now exposed, bouncy breast, her nipple swaying back and forth with every thrust.


    ¡°This is the look of sex,¡± I murmured as I gently held her face, making sure she did see all of that.


    ¡°This is the pleasure that it gives,¡± I said as I captured her naked breast into my palm and squeezed it lightly, watching her half-lidded eyes pop open once again.


    She was close, very close. Anaise had been riding the edge probably even before she entered my lab and I didn¡¯t let her cool for a second after. But that was fine. I was close as well. This wasn¡¯t just a beautiful girl in front of me, wantonly spreading herself on my shaft. This was the Lady of the House. A princess of a sort. And I was ploughing her doggy-style, in front of a mirror no less. All that was missing was a small crown pushed askew.


    ¡°And this,¡± I said instead, turning her face to the mirror once again, ¡°is the face of a good orgasm.¡±


    She gasped as if she was about to sneeze and finally crashed down. I watched her eyes roll up as she opened her mouth in a silent scream. I sheathed myself for the final time, pushing myself as deep as her buttcheeks would let me, allowing her convulsing inner walls to coax me to my finish only to milk me with renewed vigour.


    I couldn¡¯t help but groan myself as I felt my balls emptying into the satisfied girl in front of me. My shaft pulsing with every spurt.


    ¡°This was¡­more intense than in the bath,¡± Anaise murmured, choosing to remain prone on the table.


    ¡°Because we didn¡¯t rush as much as we did last time.¡±


    ¡°You mean it is better if you stretch it?¡±


    ¡°To a certain degree, but yes,¡± I said as I gently raked my fingers on her back, making her shiver in pleasure. ¡°But quickies like that are also nice. Especially if you have very little time as we did back then.¡±


    ¡°Both are nice,¡± She concluded. ¡°Also, my mother sent me, she said Shahin has left the Manor and is unlikely to come back for a tenday at least.¡±


    ¡°Wait, so you didn¡¯t come for the mirror?¡±


    ¡°Nuh huh. I am taking it. It is mine now.¡±


    I scratched my head, ¡°You know, you should have probably told me about the envoy leaving from the beginning.¡±


    ¡°Uh-huh, and miss out on the rest?¡± Anaise huffed, ¡°Now stop talking and hug me, I am getting cold. And I am not putting the kaftan back on, while I am leaking you all over the place.¡±

 Chapter 41 And This Too Shall Pass

    Snusmumriken


    We had set off in an unusual procession, especially if anyone was aware of what was going on. Anaise recovered pretty quickly and was quite eager to see the new mirror nowhere else but in her rooms.


    As such I was walking first, carrying the bulky and veiled object in my hands. She was walking slightly behind me, almost in deferential formation if not for her noble poise and loud, obvious to anyone, orders and directions. Viter was trailing quite a far distance back, on the orders of the Lady of the House no less. So that we could have a quiet conversation or something.


    Obviously, none of that was because someone still had no shift under her kaftan, that I had to carefully obscure using my cargo.


    I did steal glances at her whenever someone would walk by us. The sudden pause in our dialogue, a conscious hand at her neckline pulling the sides together, or the bushy tail that made sure to never leave the cut in the back uncovered. She was not in her comfort zone as this was definitely the first time she had tried to do it, and clearly hadn¡¯t thought of the consequences as much. Nevertheless, Anaise managed to soldier on, relying on my cover and distraction.


    Just as I was looking back at her, I would notice the green of her eyes finding mine from time to time. Either to confirm my presence, to make sure I still have her present in my arms, or perhaps even to appreciate my own response.


    Her lips would twitch upward every time that I couldn¡¯t keep my eyes on her face.


    Damn minx. Irje was just like that too, even Yeva at certain times. It felt like I was surrounded by peacocks preening themselves as soon as I would pay attention.


    Although, if I would look from the social aspect, females of Emanai, especially of the magical variety, were much more proactive in their everyday life. They were the business owners, traders, and rulers. They were the decision-makers of this land, and someone like Albin was an oddity of the highest calibre. Most likely only achieving his status and rank through sheer power of his magic and sharpness of his mind.


    And yet he was tolerated in his status, not respected. An oddity or worse ¡ª an upstart. I could see why he would act as he did.


    Unlike Virnan, who chose to seclude himself in his studies and support Kiymetl from within.


    But, returning back to the women in question, they grew up in a society that expected them to reach and take whatever they needed, instead of waiting for opportunities. And that showed in their way of living and even treating their amorous ventures.


    Once they were interested in me, their behaviour changed into ¡®capture¡¯ mode.


    Anaise wasn¡¯t trying to please me with her stunts, she was actively learning what caused me to have favourable reactions and then she immediately acted on them. Fishing for my response. And subsequently preening when she succeeded in doing so.


    We ditched Viter as we passed the inner chambers and Anaise breathed a sigh of relief. She picked up the speed and easily sent away any servants that dared to approach us. Allowing us to reach our final destination without any issues.


    Anaise¡¯s chambers weren¡¯t as I imagined them to be. These were her resting quarters. As such, all they catered for was her sleep and the early morning hours of the day. If not for the quality and style of the very few items present it could even be seen as spartan.


    The walls were covered in soft and fuzzy carpets with intricate embroidery. So that is what Farshat looked like. I guess I could see the appeal of having something like that too - not only each one of them looked like a painting, each screamed of wealth yet muffled the noises both in and out of the room.


    The rest of the room was equally comparable. A very ornate bed with soft bedding, intricate windows made out of the wooden lattice, and a well-made chair to sit on. Knowing their reluctance for sitting in chairs, I expected that it was only used when she had her hair done in the morning.


    And that was it. There were no closets full of intricate clothing or chests with jewellery. These were likely stored elsewhere and brought in the morning by slaves. Nor were there any tables to write or ponder upon, just a tiny nightstand to put a bowl of fragrant water. The room was rich by being very specific in its role ¡ª her family was wealthy enough to afford multiple rooms for multiple activities. And accessibility to amenities meant nothing if said amenities were brought to her by the servants.


    ¡°It feels weird watching myself in this mirror,¡± Anaise murmured as I finally placed it near the chair, just as she ordered me to.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I see myself in it, but there is no feeling of a Spark. It is quite vexing.¡±


    ¡°Like seeing a murk?¡±


    ¡°What? No!¡± She turned to me, ¡°It is not the absence of the Spark that does it, I have no feelings like that when I look at you. But seeing myself is somehow different.¡±


    ¡°Uncanny,¡± I nodded, ¡°Your mind tells you what you should see, but your eyes do not. And it creates a dissonance inside of you.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps, but we do not ¡®see¡¯ Sparks. We feel them. As long as they are close enough it is like a knowledge in your mind that another one is near.¡±


    ¡°Just like Viter did,¡± I smirked, making her blush, ¡°So wers can feel it, right? I know they have Sparks, they are even called Wersparks for a reason. What makes them different from wermages?¡±


    She hummed in thought and pushed me onto her bed. Before I could ask what she was doing or comment on the softness of the silks, Anaise cuddled in.


    ¡°Because the Sparks is all they have. While wermages can use theirs to affect the Flow around them. The things that you can see as magic. Just as we can feel the Sparks, so we can feel the ebbs in the current. That is how the runes were formed by the way. Originally they were used to teach the young or to preserve the rare spells that weren¡¯t used often. But it was quickly noticed that they helped to form the spells themselves. And they quickly became a common aid, especially for things that you needed quickly.¡±


    She stretched her hand away, creating a small ball of fire in her palm, ¡°I will not lie, wer have some magic within them. It is what makes them strong. What they don¡¯t have is the ability to project it out of their body.¡±


    I listened quietly as my thoughts whirled around. Irje was probably not a full wermage, I have heard of her complaints that my explanations of runic shapes meant nothing to her. Which meant that she didn¡¯t feel them as wermages did. Yet she could ¡®expel¡¯ her magic outward. Which also pushed her away from being mere wer too. At least by the descriptions, I was given.


    ¡°Have there been any attempts at teaching wer to cast spells?¡± I asked instead.


    ¡°How would you teach the colour to the blind?¡± She answered my question with her own.


    ¡°What about the free wer of the Manor?¡± I kept digging as something was still nagging at me. Things didn¡¯t fit right somehow. ¡°Aren¡¯t they somehow related to the wermage family? They look alike and have similar features.¡±


    ¡°Sometimes the Gods smile on wer mothers so that they could give birth to wermages. It is a great honour and they are usually educated by the wermage family they were subordinate to. It would eventually result in a new wermage line appearing within the House. These young lines usually have a mix of children of both types and they would rely on the other families for education since they usually lack the funds to hire teachers themselves. Only when they start to have wermage-only children do they form a separate household.¡±


    Anaise sighed and continued, ¡°Quite often many of them would have ¡®accidents¡¯ during childbirth, resulting in the death of a child. Even more established families do. Both as the natural way of life and to preserve the purity of their line, lest someone will think their power is waning.¡±


    ¡°A rather harsh approach, but I can understand the reasons behind it.¡± I nodded seriously.


    The family was paramount. And all members would strive to push its glory to the higher ground. And a wer child in a wermage-only household would be a source of shame and weakness. Most likely have a cruel life if they were to remain alive.


    That is if you valued the status of your family above the life of a newborn.


    But all that paled with the revelation I have finally achieved. The wer and wermages weren¡¯t just related. They might see themselves as gifts of their gods to their weaker cousins, but this was a single race! They were selectively breeding themselves to achieve the progeny with all the ¡®Flow¡¯ or ¡®Magic¡¯ mutations or even brand new genes that would allow them to feel, sense, and manipulate Flow.


    No wonder I couldn¡¯t pinpoint whether Irje was wer or a wermage. There was a gradient of power with multiple steps being easily detectable by the affected perception of the individual or their ability. Perhaps there were many ¡®wer¡¯ just like Irje, who could cast magic but were blind to what they were doing. Only to be labelled as wer because of that blindness.


    Or maybe all wer could cast it since they had the Spark.


    Which begat the next question. What about Sparks? Did murks have Earth origins and lacked these mutations or were there silent wermages among our kind. Blind and deaf to the power on their fingertips? Labelled at murks simply because they lacked the ¡®Spark¡¯ mutation that turned others into beacons for everyone?


    ¡°What about murks? Have they ever had wer or wermage children?¡± I asked.


    I knew that murks often were used for the sexual needs of the upper classes. We had all the proper plumbing to satisfy our masters anyway. And I knew that children were born from such affairs. What I didn¡¯t know was their future. The faint memories of my past told me that some were left with the mothers while some were killed or taken away.


    All those that were left with mothers were murks. If there was a mother still alive by then.


    She shifted in my arms, ¡°Wer children are common between the slaves and wermage males. Since the first have the Heat quite often and males are fertile year around. Mothers usually don¡¯t survive them. Some of the children are brought into the family, but they are rarely presented as slaveborn. That would make them slaves themselves, and most Families tend to frown upon their kind in chains. Especially within the same Manor.¡±


    So there was that.


    Hordes of other questions remained, but some parts were finally fitting into places. There were no three races at all, there were just humans and mutated super-humans with variable sets of magical genes. Or if one would look at the world from their point of view there were wermages and their weaker cousins.


    I still was pretty sure that they were from Earth or even the First Colonies. But how they found themselves on this planet, and how they developed magical abilities was still a mystery. Most likely to be lost to time millennia ago.


    Maybe some human developed a magical mutation or even engineered the first genes only to teleport themselves here with an experimental spell gone wrong. Or they were the ancestors of my own ship? Perhaps I was carrying passengers back then. Host Navigators had no human crew.


    The tiny hand disturbed my pondering.


    ¡°Do not worry, Erf. I will take care of you,¡± Anaise confidently nodded, misunderstanding my prolonged silence, ¡°I won¡¯t let anything like that happen to you. My mother might shower you with gifts, and even give you freedom. But I will take you in. And I will make sure that no other wermage would dare to take you. Whether with gold or with force.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t Anaise,¡± I gently pushed her hand away, ¡°A murk taken by a wermage? First of all, your mother would be livid. Might even disown you for even suggesting something like that. And I have no desire to sour my relations with my owner. You don¡¯t need to worry ¡ª I will teach you no matter what. For that is my desire.¡±


    ¡°Yes I can,¡± She stubbornly replied ignoring my other arguments, ¡°If anyone tries to stop me, my mother or anyone else, they will quickly learn how truly strong I have become. As a future Domina, I will make them consider my decisions.¡±


    ¡°And you will alienate everyone in the process,¡± I argued back, ¡°Anaise, I am not going anywhere, don¡¯t burn bridges for something that you already have.¡±


    The green eyes narrowed, ¡°Anyone would be jumping in joy at my proposition. Especially a murk. Why are you still trying to find excuses? Do you consider me beneath your notice? Or do you have plans to be taken by a ¡®real¡¯ Domina?¡±


    ¡°No wermage would willingly take me, Anaise,¡± I quietly spoke anticipating the upcoming eruption, but unwilling to keep it hidden from her either, ¡°For I already have sadaq.¡±


    For a moment she looked at me as if my head fell off. Her mouth open yet without another stream of rebukes.


    ¡°What?¡± Anaise asked hoarsely instead.


    ¡°I had sadaq before your mother told me to teach you all I could¡­¡±


    ¡°Who? It is that cougar wer isn¡¯t it? Don¡¯t listen to the tales of an opportunist! You can¡¯t have sadaq with just one person! And my mother wouldn¡¯t hear of it!¡± She angrily interrupted.


    ¡°There are two, and your mother had already stated that she heard of it.¡±


    ¡°Why?!¡± The tiny arms yanked me and shook me back and forth, the grimace of pain on her face, pulling at my heart. ¡°Why did you choose them and not me!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t, back then I didn¡¯t even know you.¡±


    ¡°Then leave them! They are nothing but leeches on your prestige! Why are you burdening yourself with them.¡± She growled at me.


    I shook my head, ¡°I can¡¯t. They were there when I was alone. When I didn¡¯t have the Gestr, when the Domina didn¡¯t even know my name or my face. They were there for me when I craved for support. When I was just a new companion slave, desperately trying to avoid the fate of a bed warmer for one of your fathers.¡±


    ¡°And maybe you should have been given to him anyway!¡± Anaise pushed me away and got up from the bed. She stood in the centre of the room, looking at the window and away from me in silence. A tiny frame with the eyes of fantastic beasts watching her from the rugs.


    ¡°Out,¡± She choked out.


    ¡°Anaise¡­¡± I tried to say something, unsure what to say myself.


    ¡°I said. Get, Out, Of, My, Sight.¡± Her words rang like a hammer to my ears, ¡°I do not require your services anymore, you may be informed if I change my mind in the future.¡±


    Whatever I tried to say or do stalled as she changed her tone of speech. With a conflicted mind, I walked out as quietly as I could. There was little else I could do to fix the problem on the spot. I couldn¡¯t talk to Anaise for only the Lady of the House was here right now.


    And even if I could, what would I say? What else I did expect from this whole endeavour? I could try to blame my girls as this was their idea, and probably should grill Irje specifically about the minimum amount required for sadaq. But, in the end, it was me who chose this path. And it will be me who will bear the consequences.


    Irje and Yeva didn¡¯t seduce the young and very impressionable girl, wermage or not. Domina-to-be or not.


    Erf did.


    Even if I had the approval of her mother too. Three women plotted and planned and now a young lady was hurt and heartbroken. And all could have been avoided if Erf kept the head on his shoulders.


    And now Erf needed to reap what he had sown.


    Aikerim Kiymetl Adal


    A loud bang of the door made her ears drop in pain as the parchments flew from her table.


    ¡°Mother, I require an audience.¡± Her daughter bit out.


    She lifted her eyes from the missive she had been writing onto the irate daughter of hers, ¡°You do not look like you are in a state for a proper audience. Come back once you have made yourself proper.¡±


    A metal cup rose up and, with a groan, folded into itself. Crumbling into tiny flakes like dry leaf released from a clenched fist. Aikerim goggled at the sight. That was not the power of Anaise that she knew.


    In fact, that was not the power that she would expect from even the strongest mages!


    They might achieve similar results, but none would be as quick in doing so. How fortuitous!


    ¡°I insist.¡± The young mage sweetly smiled. The smile didn''t reach her eyes. The swept-back ears were just another confirmation.


    Aikerim sighed and put the scroll away. While she was unlikely to humour her daughter¡¯s tantrums that easily, but that display of power allowed for some concessions. She was unreasonable, but she was strong now, and strong people were allowed to be unreasonable from time to time.


    ¡°I see that the lectures with my uncle have been most fruitful,¡± Aikerim spoke in a calm manner, hiding her satisfaction at the display.


    ¡°The same lectures that I could only achieve with his help,¡± It was obvious to both about whom she spoke, ¡°And his ideas helped too. So tell me why have you shackled him with parasites?¡±


    Ah, his sadaq.


    ¡°Because I needed something to keep him,¡± She said instead, ¡°I have met with countless people: murk, wer, or wermage alike. And I can tell a thing or two from a mere glance by now. Erf had no fear of me akin to other murk slaves, nor did he have greed for gold within his eyes. And his usefulness grew and grew with every day. Like a channelling spell that you need to control, yet have no idea when it will come undone.¡±


    She shifted and looked straight into her daughter¡¯s eyes, ¡°So when he came asking for them, I took it. For the first time, he had shown some sense and with it the promise of stability. Of course, I would gladly accept his request if it meant that I didn¡¯t need to break my head thinking about how could I make sure that he would bring me more and more gifts and revelations. By showing me that he cared for them he allowed me to be able to manipulate him through them. As long as I keep them happy and content I have no fear of his flights of fancy.¡±


    ¡°You could have given him to me instead!¡± Anaise butted in.


    ¡°Have you even thought about what you just said, foolish daughter!¡± Aikerim thundered.


    ¡°Yes! He is a daimon, isn¡¯t he? All that knowledge and these numbers and ideas of his. No mere murk could know of this! It would take some time but other Houses will quickly learn of this. Add to it my newfound strength and no one would dare to question my choice. And then he will be mine.¡±


    ¡°He will be dead!¡± She yelled at her child.


    And here she thought Anaise was less foolish than Amalric. The young fever was strong in both of them. Why couldn''t they be like their oldest brother?


    Aikerim sighed and continued, ¡°If you even dare to speak about that I won''t even have the time to punish you. My mother, the Matriarch, would simply dissolve my Manor for my inability to educate my children. And then she would be in charge of who will you take, and she would have even less patience for your insanity. Most likely would kill him too just in case.¡±


    In the dead silence of the room, she spoke again, ¡°Which means that you could only take him later, after you have taken your first husband, at least, or have become a Domina yourself. If you continue to grow in your skill I would give you seventy years to achieve that. Much faster than I did, mind you. But by that time he would be infirm and old. Or have been sent to Gods in the smoke of a pyre.¡±


    ¡°But¡­He is a daimon!¡± Anaise weakly protested, her eyes roaming as if she was trying to find something, and failing at it. Desperate.


    ¡°Yes. And he has a murk¡¯s body. And I¡¯ve seen him gawk at what I could do without effort. His body could contain the wisdom of a daimon, but not the magic.¡±


    ¡°Then why did you make him be my attendant? You could have made him teach my lectures and no more. Why did you make sure that I would get close to him while knowing that this wouldn¡¯t last? Why are you torturing me so?¡± her daughter begged her for an answer.


    She sighed yet again and pulled her daughter close, trying to hide old feelings in her heart, ¡°When I was a child, my mother had gifted me a slave. Not as a servant but as a friend. We played together, watched the skies and leaves in the river together. We shared our laughs and sorrows. The years went by and we were inseparable still. But I grew strong and Maya withered away. And when I came crying to my mother, she told me that it was a lesson all along. Do not grow attached to the murks. For they might be beautiful to the eyes and pleasing to the ears but are ultimately fleeting. To do so means that you would burn a piece of your heart with the passing of each one.¡±


    ¡°This is why you never name a child until they breathe for two years. It hurts much less that way. And that is why I wanted him to catch your sight. It is better if you feel it now than to be grieving later.


    ¡°So what should I do, then?¡± Anaise sniffed.


    ¡°Observe him. Learn from him. Find enjoyment in his presence now, if you wish. A Daimon is a gift that should be cherished, even a murk one.¡±


    She gently combed the loose locks away.


    ¡°But know, that this too won¡¯t last for long.¡±

 Chapter 42 The Heartbreak

    Snusmumriken


    I sighed and glanced at my bodyguard, getting a questioning raise of the eyebrow in return.


    ¡°Watch over Yeva, when Irje isn¡¯t around, will you?¡±


    Viter nodded, ¡°Will do. Is something happening?¡±


    I shook my head, ¡°Nothing specific, just the usual unease. And I don¡¯t want someone to target me through her either.¡±


    I had no intention of telling him what just happened with Anaise. Unnecessary gossip aside, what she had offered to me was extremely rash if not even stupid in others¡¯ eyes.


    Yes, she was a female of high standing and could afford to take multiple partners into her sadaq. No one would bat an eye at that. The issue was that her standing was too high. She could probably get ten husbands, as long as they were at least wermages, and of a decent social standing too. Her taking in a mere wer would have caused a furore.


    A murk would be outright scandalous.


    I knew I was no average murk, there was no denying that. So did she and even her mother, so I didn¡¯t expect a huge fallout from this. But the rest of the Emanai did not. If she were to actually do so it would both spell even greater notoriety for me and public disgrace to her position. A major loss for all involved.


    She could have simply kept me around, a personal servant to assist with her diverse needs. Most likely the exact angle that Irje and Yeva were aiming for, a benevolent patron that doesn¡¯t just enjoy the fruits of my labour but enjoys my presence in general. And, therefore, unlikely to harm me or mine.


    Yet she did not. Anaise didn¡¯t want my occasional presence in her life, she wanted exclusive access to me. Whether because she saw me as something worthwhile to bet her social standing on, or out of some deeper insecurity. Perhaps it was even due to her relative inexperience with relationships too.


    She was young and impressionable, and I came at her with the skills honed over the untold amount of years. Knowledgeable enough to use yet still inexperienced to gauge my strength. No wonder things have gotten to the breaking point. Worst of all, I had no idea what she would do in the future. If Anaise was already trying to take me into her sadaq, she might resort to doing something equally as drastic. Irje and I were much sturdier, but Yeva was just one unfortunate accident until there was no turning back for any of us.


    But I wasn¡¯t going to divulge all that to Viter. He didn¡¯t need to know the sordid details of my relationship with the Lady of the House in order to do his job. Nor did I actually expect Anaise to lash out to such extremes. She was frustrated, angry, hurt, but she wasn¡¯t stupid. Anaise might be new to intimate relationships but she wasn¡¯t new to social interactions.


    I chuckled ruefully to myself and set my feet toward my house. Once again I had a ¡®woman¡¯ problem in my life. Aikerim was pleased with my results, Shahin was gone, and Albin was working on Sophia¡¯s problem. But now I went ahead and made an Anaise issue just to keep my life busy it seemed. I had no doubt that some sheep lady had a hand in sending that werecat after me too. Although that was likely due to the fact that most of the decision-making was done by said ladies, to begin with.


    XXX


    Seeing girls in a happy mood felt like the balm on my heart. I was quickly pulled in and got up to date with what happened during my absence. Both the happy parts of Irje trying to lift Yeva and the bittersweet ones about Yeva¡¯s late mother. My attempts at apology were quickly dismissed as unnecessary. In fact, she specifically asked me to teach her my way of playing, both as the gratitude to her mother and to spite the well-established songs of Emanai.


    Which I immediately started on doing by placing her into my lap and guiding her fingers with mine. The warmth of her body and Irje leaning on my back slowly worked at unravelling the tension inside of me. Allowing me to slowly parse through the issues of the day and start working at them with relative peace inside my heart.


    ¡°The new walls would be in place by the end of the day,¡± I spoke as I worked on Yeva¡¯s proper hand positions. I could see she was eager to play and was already quite quick to recognize and identify the correct notes, but the right hand was just as important, ¡°Which means that tomorrow the buildings will be either built or the inner layout will be established. It might be a good time to figure out what we want to have.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be easier to do that tomorrow when everything is in place?¡± Irje hummed from behind.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want us actively planning in front of Samat workers. While Domina and her immediate family are aware of who will be living in it, I don¡¯t want one of the wersheep to put it together and make certain assumptions. I already have plenty of their attention just because Sophia was interested in me, I don¡¯t want to find out how obsessed they would be when they realize that Kiymetl is building an estate for a murk.¡±


    ¡°Or find out about us,¡± Yeva quipped as she kept strumming. Her tip of the tongue was sticking out from the immense concentration she had at her task.


    ¡°Or find out about both of you,¡± I nodded. ¡°It is overall better to draw as little attention to us as possible right now.¡±


    ¡°The way that you say it sounds like you expect to attract a lot of attention later,¡± Irje giggled, ¡°But I have already told my requirements to Domina. A living house with an inner courtyard would give us plenty of rooms and allow us to relax and enjoy life without being visible outside of the estate. And separate kitchens and storage area.¡±


    ¡°Something that both you and Domina would appreciate. You will have your quiet place to fiddle with your plans, while she feels content that you are secure in her Manor.¡± Yeva chimed in again.


    ¡°But what would you appreciate, then?¡± I ruffled her hair.


    ¡°Nice straight paths,¡± She huffed trying to move her head away without stopping her practice, ¡°And an easy place for me to help you with your chemistry. Away from prying eyes.¡±


    ¡°Agreed. I would also make rooms a little bit bigger and taller and have washrooms inside the building. I am sick and tired of walking outside in the middle of the night.¡±


    ¡°That is disgusting!¡± Yeva scrunched her nose, ¡°I have no intention of smelling foul air near my bedrooms. Or worse, inside. If you really can¡¯t hold it that long just grip your stick harder while you run!¡±


    I snorted at her suggestion while gagging noises from Irje made her stance known too.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, love. I have no intention for them to smell at all. I will install the proper plumbing with water traps to keep the smell from coming back, and with the aqueduct, we will have all the water we would need to flush. But showers and a sauna would have to be outside. Just to speed up the construction.¡±


    ¡°If you haven¡¯t noticed, the ones in the Manor already use running water, and I can still find my way there by smell alone,¡± Yeva wasn¡¯t easily placated by my promises.


    ¡°Because they simply wash it away with a stream. While I would use water as a seal to stop the gasses from moving back at all.¡±


    ¡°What is a sauna, however?¡± Irje butted in.


    I smiled back at her, ¡°It is a magical place where all are equal and women turn prettier after each use. But there is no point describing it right now, it is better to experience it when it is done. Anything else?¡±


    She scoffed, ¡°Yes, usual Erf plans. How could I forget? I also asked Domina for the kitchens. That way we can have an almost separate compound to ourselves without too many people coming and going.¡±


    ¡°And then a few spacious warehouses for storage and work areas, leaving the rest of the space empty for now,¡± I concluded.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to use the aqueduct?¡±


    I shrugged and put Yeva¡¯s fingers into a new position, ¡°I don¡¯t know yet. I haven¡¯t decided if I will use it for water only, or make it turn the axles too.¡±


    No point in setting up the waterwheel or a water generator if whatever was powering the nanite container was still in a workable state. No matter how efficient I will make it be it won''t hold a candle to more advanced energy generators.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you use water afterwards anyway?¡± Yeva asked.


    ¡°I can but not under pressure. I can store at the height of the aqueduct and have pressurized water available both for our home and other uses,¡± I couldn¡¯t stop from cringing, ¡°Ordering or making waterproof pipes would be a pain.¡±


    There was a reason for my frustration. Emanai had Iron, steel and copper. They did not have stainless steel that wouldn''t easily rust. And copper was in use, but it wasn¡¯t as freely available as I hoped. This was coin material, for jewellery, and copperware. Not to build pipes from.


    For that they used lead.


    Malleable, easily workable metal that was just a tinge on the deadly toxic side when in acidic environments. Just a tiny bit, that''s all. Suffice to say I had no desire to use such a ¡®barbaric¡¯ system. I also needed solder and direct heat to waterproof any pipe connections I will have. Something that Emanai had zero supply of.


    ¡°I guess I will need a furnace and a forge next, as a start for a metal shop,¡± I groaned.


    Asking a blacksmith for the loom beater comb was one thing. Trying to explain to them the nuances of threading pipes or making straight hollow and waterproof pieces would either get me kicked from the smithy or will saddle me with exorbitant prices. Hiring someone would be much cheaper. Especially since I didn¡¯t need a master smith. I needed someone who was familiar with metal. Someone I could eventually turn into a machinist. Extensive smithing experience won¡¯t be necessary at least at the start.


    ¡°You have no plans to slow down, are you?¡± Irje shook her head.


    ¡°I need tools. I needed glass so that I can store chemicals and glass sheets for nice windows and greenhouses. Now I need proper steel for tools as well as the ability to shape metals with precision.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°I need tools to make tools to make tools.¡±


    ¡°Why would you make a green house out of glass?¡±


    ¡°Have you ever wanted a fresh fruit in the middle of the winter? Or in early spring? Properly heated greenhouses would allow plants to grow all year long, as long as the sun shines at them through the glass roof. They are the houses for the greens.¡±


    Yeva slowed down her practice, ¡°Perhaps you should concentrate on that, rather than metals.¡±


    I chuckled, ¡°I will make sure we will have enough space for a few of them, then. It won¡¯t be an issue now. The first run had been successful and the next ones will occur at a faster pace. We will work on getting better insulation in the future but for now, making it easily repairable and replaceable will do the trick.¡±


    We kept talking like that well into the evening. Adding smaller and smaller corrections to the plans. Our quiet conversation was accompanied by soft melodies coming from Yeva¡¯s little fingers. While Irje chose to simply sprawl on the bed, basking in the ability to do nothing at all but discuss how lavish her future house would be. Occasionally poking me with one of her feet for no reason.


    But all good things must come to an end, and I couldn¡¯t keep my head buried in the sand for too long. No matter how nice it was just to sit and relax and discuss pleasant topics, the issues of today still loomed over me. And through me - on all of us.


    ¡°Anaise came over today,¡± I finally decided to bite the bullet.


    ¡°I can smell another woman on you, Erf. Is that why you were so fidgety all this time?¡± Yeva asked as she kept plucking the notes.


    I guess that sort of revelation wasn¡¯t as dramatic if you have two women of your own who had encouraged you to pursue the third.


    ¡°She asked to take me into her own sadaq.¡±


    Yeva missed the note, while Irje jerked upright.


    ¡°So, what does that mean?¡± The cougar demanded while Yeva sat deathly still and quiet, ¡°What would happen then?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, except there is now an angry and hurt Lady of the House.¡± I sighed.


    ¡°Well, I am not giving you up either, no matter how sad she is.¡± Irje proclaimed.


    In the meantime Yeva put the guitar aside and quietly cuddled in, telling me her own opinion with her actions alone.


    ¡°Nor am I asking either of you to,¡± I replied, while gently stroking the hair of my cuddlebug. ¡°The issue is what should I do and how to avoid her potentially retaliating on both of you.¡±


    ¡°She is hurt not because she can¡¯t enjoy your company, but because she couldn¡¯t take you all by herself,¡± Irje huffed. ¡°While I understand her feelings, I have given too much of my life to wermages already. I will not be giving my love too.¡±


    ¡°Is that is why you encouraged me to take Yeva in? What is it about at least two in the sadaq anyway?¡±


    ¡°Yes, and she knows,¡± I felt the nods of confirmation on my chest, ¡°Sadaq is not a real sadaq until you have three together. While two can say that they are in sadaq - there are still enough ways to dissolve it outside of our control. With three or more, however, only we can break it, or Domina wouldn''t recognize it when it forms. Which means that others can no longer will it away if it fits their needs.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°That is all rather mercantile. As if you didn¡¯t care about her at all back then.¡±


    ¡°I care about her,¡± She spoke gently as she ruffled my hair, ¡°Otherwise I would have never offered that to her. I saw her plight and I saw that you were not indifferent to her. And I could see her perk up every time you were near.¡±


    I heard a small whine of embarrassment within my lap.


    Irje continued, ¡°I am not a wicked woman, Erf. Selfish one, yes. But not wicked.¡±


    I pulled my hand out and dragged her into an embrace, pulling all three of us close.


    ¡°Thank you, Irje. And I am happy that you aren¡¯t. Let''s rest, and then we could consider what to do with Anaise to make sure there is less hurt among all of us. And no more seduction of high-profile targets!¡±


    I got stronger hugs in response.


    XXX


    I woke up with a rather usual experience of having my dick wet. The only unusual part was Irje¡¯s raucous laughter as she disappeared through the door in between Yeva¡¯s shrieks of indignation and outrage. Apparently, she had managed to get both of us horny only to finish me off and leave me alone with a frustrated and extremely needy Yeva.


    Most likely to blunt yesterday¡¯s gloom. Or so I thought as I pushed my lithe lover deeper into the bed, using my entire weight to explore her fully. Her curled and shaky toes told me that I had found my target.


    Bless her noble but horny heart.


    I did ask Yeva to be careful in the next few days before I had to go and ¡®oversee¡¯ the construction. Just to be sure. But Yeva didn¡¯t mind my paranoia, choosing to stay in bed and relax until the hunger would eventually get her up. I chuckled and gave her a farewell peck in return.


    The smug-looking Irje received a well-deserved but inconspicuous pinch when she replaced Viter. She wanted to see the work being done and demanded that they would switch places for the day.


    The construction was proceeding as usual.


    The ¡®usual¡¯ being magically enhanced.


    Apparently, I wasn¡¯t the only one who wanted the mysterious murk alchemist to stay as far away from the Samat workers as possible. My hunch was right on Aikerim trying to keep the estate ''ownership'' hidden. In the end, I didn¡¯t even have to explain my desires to them but to Sulla. Who diligently took my drawn plans and additional details for buildings and foundations in order to relay them to the builders himself. Most likely on the pretence of the orders being directly from Domina.


    Not that I had to explain a lot. Samat wasn¡¯t building everything. Just the walls and structural parts of the buildings. With the internal elements to be filled later by Kiymetl workers and carpenters. Which meant that all I actually had to do was to lay down the position of every building and issue deliberately ambiguous requests like making the main living area designed for the Enoch-type individuals. With a few small rooms thrown about.


    Hopefully, they would think that this estate would house Tarhunna or his relatives, while I get rooms spacious enough to lay plumbing in the floors, and thicken the walls too at a later time.


    The display of magic was still wondrous to my eyes, but my mood soured rather quickly watching it unfold. My thoughts kept turning back again and again to the hurt look on Anaise¡¯s face. And, no matter how hard I tried to look, I couldn¡¯t see her anywhere.


    I saw the waves of red tails in the sea of a crowd, but I didn¡¯t see one as fluffy as hers.


    I stood overlooking the wermages that were building an estate for a slave murk, yet my eyes were trying to see the familiar green of her eyes.


    And say something.


    But what?


    What could I really tell her that wasn¡¯t just another apology?


    Take her in myself? That would be a slap to her pride and status even worse than my refusal had done already. Dissolve my sadaq and hurt Irje and Yeva? That would make me hate myself.


    Sometimes the only way to heal the hurt was to let the time wash it away. Perhaps she was the smarter one among us both, by choosing to stay away while it hurt too much.


    Worst of all, the construction didn¡¯t last as long today, choosing to suddenly wrap up to Irje¡¯s chagrin. I tried to ask around, but was met with the lack of concrete explanations beyond ¡®family matters¡¯. In the end, I gave up and let irate Irje pull me away. Honestly, I found myself unable to care much. I had more on my plate than to try and untangle the intermanoral politics.


    Especially since I was already at the epicentre of the Kiymetl-Shebet storm.


    And I will probably end up mediating Aikerim and Albin quite soon. If he does come up with anything worthwhile for me to bet on.


    We trudged back to my house, where snickering Yeva told Irje that it was her punishment for the morning. I let them playfully bicker among themselves without butting in myself, content to sit in my own funk.


    ¡°Erf. Go do something,¡± Yeva suddenly commanded.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Anything. Go play with your chemicals, come up with another insane idea or something. Occupy yourself. Get busy and take this grump along with you.¡±


    ¡°Hey!¡±


    ¡°And what about you? Do you want to come along?¡± I asked, making her scrunch her nose.


    ¡°I will stroll around. Breathe fresh air and take Viter to guide me. Don¡¯t worry about me every moment like a hen.¡± She gently chided.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I stroked her hair, ¡°For being the sensible one among us. Irje, come on.¡±


    ¡°Awww. We could have other fun instead.¡± She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.


    ¡°Take your toy with you, then.¡±


    ¡°Erf!¡±


    XXX


    I sorted the vials around, mentally checking what I had in stock and how much I actually wanted to have. Irje didn¡¯t even bother to come inside, accusing me of how much the lab stank. Well, it wasn¡¯t like I kept ammonia for its smell.


    I wondered if that is why Yeva never asked to visit the lab. Or bothered to come with us, to begin with.


    The new place will definitely have dedicated ventilation.


    Yeva was right. It was much easier to worry about simple problems. Even ones like where to find nickel or chromium, tungsten or niobium if I were to delve properly into steel alloys. Or bauxite and zirconium if I was planning on handling liquid steel and glass in earnest anytime soon. The answer was simple - I needed expeditions.


    Some things I could buy in large bulk orders. Some I could only buy in tiny amounts as oddities rather than industrial materials and pay a hefty coin for it. Some were virtually nonexistent on the market.


    There was no way I would be buying rubies only to grind them into dust and turn them into a furnace lining. Aikerim will have a heart attack. And then make me have one too.


    Then there was another issue. Scale. Emanai had steel for weapons and armours. Even some tools for master artisans. They did not have enough for farmers, buildings and machines. Every chunk of steel came into existence from countless hours of hammering the bloom into metal. It was similar to other metals and resources. The markets had them, but they were selling kilograms while I needed tonnes.


    Especially copper and steel. If I would decide to skip ahead and start their industrial revolution from electricity, rather than from steam. But it wasn¡¯t likely. At least not on an industrial scale for sure.


    A familiar shuffle had entered my ears and my heart trembled in joy.


    ¡°Anaise!¡± I turned around with a smile on my face, ¡°Look I am sor-hnk!¡±


    A solid punch into my chest pushed the air out of my lungs. I awkwardly looked at the unfamiliar face in front of me. Male, with a full beard, and short hair. A murk or a very human-like wer. And then my eyes went down to his arms, outstretched in front of him and still tightly gripping the dagger.


    With an eerie calmness, I felt the fascination at what he had done so quickly and so effortlessly. The blade went right between my reinforced ribs, deep into my chest. Puncturing my lung and slicing my heart in half.


    Oh.

 Chapter 43 Hear Me Roar

    Irje


    She woke up with a grin on her face and a familiar knot in her stomach. She had already noticed significant progress in her newfound skill but it was not the reason why she was smiling this morning.


    Irje looked down at the bundle of limbs and locks of hair in her embrace. Yeva was there but so was her Erf.


    Hers. Hers. Hers.


    She really liked the sound of that word. And yesterday¡¯s revelation made it even louder. Many would think long and hard if a wermage would offer to take them. Not as a spoil or a night¡¯s lay, but a full invitation to their sadaq. Especially from someone who is destined to take the seat of a Domina.


    And yet he refused in a heartbeat. And chose her instead. Yet again he didn¡¯t care for the potential benefits while worrying about their well-being after refusing the Lady of the House.


    These actions and his behaviour screamed louder than any words would. Making her heart beat just as loud with a sense of assuredness within. She even noticed a similar effect on Yeva too. She had different desires than Irje, preferring the cosy cuddles to the vigorous love-making. Yet she kept trying to keep up with Irje as much as she could, afraid to be left behind.


    Until recently, that is.


    Now she would take as much as she desired, and no more. Withdraw, content in her secure place within his heart.


    Irje smirked and quietly crawled down on the bed. Making sure that the rest of her sadaq would remain blissfully unaware of her actions. Yeva might be content to simply wake up in his arms, but she wasn¡¯t. And Irje was hungry too. And whatever alchemy he had done to his body it turned his seed into the most delicious snack she ever had.


    Apparently at the cost to his fertility. Irje was somewhat worried about that, but Erf repeatedly assured her that the process was reversible and easily so. And so she chose to trust him on that. It wasn¡¯t time for children anyway. Yet. Unless Irje wanted to give birth to yet another slave for Domina.


    And Erf would be unlikely to stay bound for long, she thought as she slowly dragged the blanket up. Revealing the flesh of her loved ones.


    Yeva clung to Erf in her sleep, but that was no obstacle for Irje. She gently caressed the lithe girl¡¯s skin, her skilled fingers sliding on her thighs and butt teasing out the heat from within. Yeva groaned in her morning sleep and buried herself into Erf¡¯s chest, mumbling incomprehensibly. While her mound rubbed into his thigh in order to prolong the feeling that Irje gave.


    Good.


    She knew them well enough by now and knew exactly how she could stroke the fire in their loins without waking them both up. Her fingers gently teased Yeva¡¯s nub only to pull away at a moments notice, making the girl twitch more and more in the search of fleeting pleasure. At the same time, her other hand played with the hardening rod of her lover, pulling and tugging on the skin and feeling it swell into her palm.


    But it was his musk that aroused Yeva even further. Her humping ramped up, as she sensed his readiness in the air. Her tiny slit slid on his skin, seeking to fill its primal hunger and the emptiness within.


    Irje smirked and gently inserted two fingers, making her moan softly in response. Only to pull them out and spread the moisture on Erf¡¯s hard shaft. Her breath hitched as she slowly lined them up together, gently nudging Yeva to sate her burning desire with the exact thing she was yearning for.


    She didn¡¯t feel left out as she did so. Erf was hers. And so was his body. And so, in some way, was Yeva. Irje didn¡¯t feel like she was letting her lover satisfy someone else. Instead, her breath hitched and she felt the loud thumping of her heart while she watched closely as his tip eventually found Yeva¡¯s opening and started to eagerly slide in.


    Irje felt a rush of heat across her body and a shudder followed soon. Watching it unfold in front of her eyes, so full of passion and desire. It made her feel like it was her rod that entered Yeva, and it was her folds that welcomed Erf.


    Her gaze enchanted at the sight, Irje couldn¡¯t help but notice the difference in his movements. Despite being asleep, Erf somehow knew who was riding him and responded in kind to meet the desires of the rider. She knew it firsthand - Irje had done so with him on many occasions and he was much rougher then. This time, Erf slowly slid in and out in a languid manner, gently coaxing the incoming release from Yeva. And making sure he would come somewhere then as well.


    Irje smirked, just as she expected him to do.


    But she couldn¡¯t watch this for too long, or she wouldn¡¯t be satisfied with his treat alone. Irje grasped Yeva¡¯s butt and pushed her in, impaling her deeper. She pulled her out and nearly slammed her back in again and again, giddy with the result she was the witness to. Yeva¡¯s fingernails raking on his chest and the cute panting sounds coming out of her tiny mouth. All of which made Erf groan and bite his own lip in the throes of pleasure.


    She wouldn¡¯t leave him without attention either. As soon as the pair picked up the new speed, Irje switched the target of her ministrations. Her hands and tongue worked on the areas that Yeva simply couldn¡¯t reach. Irje eagerly kissed and licked while gently playing with his balls.


    They moved and shifted as she pushed him further and further to his peak. And, quite soon enough, he did just that. Erf grunted and his balls pulled in while his arms subconsciously reached out to grab, hold, and breed.


    But it wasn¡¯t Yeva¡¯s hips that they grabbed. It was Irje¡¯s head.


    She closed her eyes in glee as he filled her up, her hands milking him to the final drop. His hips jerked from pleasure every time she had to gulp around his shaft.


    In the meantime, Yeva¡¯s moans stopped and turned into a groan of frustration. Her hands reached out to fix the issue, only to find an interloper in her place.


    A heartbeat passed.


    ¡°Irje!¡± The petite girl bellowed, her voice promising nothing but pain, ¡°You!¡­You¡­¡±


    She pulled away with a wet pop and sat up straight. Satisfied yet unrepentant. Like a cat that got the cream and didn¡¯t care about future consequences, ¡°Morning, Yeva, Erf.¡±


    ¡°Mornin,¡± He mumbled, trying to rub his eyes, while Yeva choked from her audacity.


    ¡°You know, you can have him now if you want.¡± Irje teased.


    Yeva flushed deep red and tried to push her away, but it was too late.


    Laughing at the prank done right, Irje was already on her feet and approaching the door. She needed to get ready and make sure that she would see Samat mages move the earth for her estate. Domina¡¯s simple gesture gave her enough hints to start moving things with magic, and Irje was almost drooling at what else she could discover.


    Today was going to be a great day.


    Aikerim Kiymetl Adal


    Her affairs had been in order, they were doing well enough for her to start planning to expand her wool imports. She would need to send envoys to the foothills of both mountain ridges that protected Emanai. Just like the palms of a caring mother.


    The tall and harsh peaks of Sefid mountains turned any Flow creature away on the other side, but the foothills were thin and rich in metals. Enoch House was very protective of the area and the mines within, restricting access to the shepherds to where copper, gold, and silver might lie. While the flat peaks and the vertical walls of the Babr mountains formed plenty of hills but also suffered from the occasional attacks, especially in the autumn, when the incoming cold brought the hungering creatures down.


    Kosenya, the House of Defence, kept a few lookout towers in the region to spot the stragglers but peasants still tried to avoid it at that time of the year. Both of which limited how much wool was produced and available for her to procure.


    Aikerim put the scroll away and frowned.


    Something felt off.


    A sound of commotion outside of her doors was followed by Anaise barging once again. She started to raise her eyebrow but then jumped upward, startled by what she saw. The scrolls and goblets fell on the floor without a second glance from her.


    Her daughter looked sick.


    She tried to say something only to start dry heaving instead.


    ¡°Sulla!¡± Aikerim roared, ¡°Raise the guard! Lock the gates!¡±


    She knew this sickness. ¡®The Battle fever¡¯ that every wermage had seen, and many felt, right before battle. The nausea of the war mages warned generals of what is about to come.


    Her attendant barked the orders to a nearby guard, who took off running, and turned back to her, ¡°What should we do with Samat workers?¡±


    ¡°Kick them out,¡± Aikerim bit out, as she felt her stomach churn as well. Good, that meant whoever would attack her daughter would face her too. And she would make sure to rip them piece by piece while keeping them alive with magic until there was nothing left.


    ¡°I want all that don¡¯t belong to me and mine to be out of the Manor as fast as possible. And quietly so. None should know of this apart from my immediate family. And tell my husband that I summon him here posthaste. Now go!¡±


    Sulla vanished as she pulled Anaise to a couch. Aikerim knew that she still had some time left but that didn¡¯t mean that she would simply wait until then either. While her daughter tried to recover and steady herself, she closed the window curtains and unlocked a large but inconspicuous chest. One that she had placed into every main room of her house and chained down to the floor.


    One of them, in her main meeting hall, stored gold and silver for her to trade with.


    This one stored weapons and armour.


    She picked up a blade and ran her finger on the runes inside, making them glow one by one. Just as the siege runes lit up all around the room. Reinforcing the walls from magical arrows, boulders and fireballs.


    Aikerim stood in front of her daughter, facing the entrance to the room and making sure that the hidden passage was within her view as well.


    She stood still while easily holding a sword as long she was tall with just one hand, and silently dared for anyone to come.


    Irje


    She leaned on the tree, watching the greenery surrounding the Alchemy building.


    The day was not what she had hoped it would be.


    Irje had just started to identify some common movements among Samat mages when they suddenly decided to stop working for the day. She couldn¡¯t even appreciate the splendour of her new home since the only things she could see were dug up land and holes where foundations were supposed to be. Erf surprisingly demanded quite a lot of earthwork done. Especially with the number of sewage pipes that would lead to the main Manor drainage system.


    She couldn¡¯t help but cringe when she had heard workers laughing that they were building public latrines for a garrison or even a whole arm of fighters sick with food poisoning, rather than an estate for someone important. Luckily for her future sleep, all these would be plugged and sealed until whatever system he was talking about would be ready to use. In the meantime, only a single pipe would be enough for the kitchen and outdoor washrooms.


    Erf had mumbled something about burying copper into the ground too but Irje chose to think that she misheard him. Having extra sewage pipes was odd but burying money into mud sounded like drying clothes in the river.


    Worst of all, he was still glum from yesterday and her pranks had barely distracted him so far. She knew that he cared too much, but that was unfortunately one of the reasons why she liked him. And why he chose her and refused to let her go. Regrettably for him, the only way to fix that was to wait.


    Irje sighed, it all could have worked out well for all of them if only Anaise Hilal wasn¡¯t so greedy.


    At least Yeva had the smart idea what to do with Erf, as she sent him out to busy himself with the stinky concoctions. Irje looked around, actually hoping to see the red of a familiar tail that recently got even more prominent across the Manor. Viter might have been ignorant of what had happened but she could put pieces together.


    He didn¡¯t accidentally startle the Lady of the House. No, he intruded on something candid, something indecent that Anaise Hilal wouldn¡¯t show to anyone. Apart from Erf that is. And Irje was irked that it wasn¡¯t her who barged in back then.


    She licked her lips. Perhaps next time she could sneak a peek. If Lady of the House would be able to put her greed aside.


    Irje felt the Spark drawing near and grinned as she turned around. Whoever it was, they weren¡¯t using the road and were approaching rather quietly. But, Lady or not, she would not ignore the intrusion. She was on guard duty after all.


    The intruder didn¡¯t stop her advancing as Irje¡¯s ears went down flat ¡ª she had never seen this wer inside the Manor. Irje crouched into a fighting stance, but before she could bark at her to stop, the assailant pulled a dagger and rushed in. Leaving deep gouges in the ground. A shine of metal within her clothes.


    Irje had barely a moment to grab something to protect herself. She blocked the first strike with her tool surprising the Collector. Only to have the dildo ripped out of her hand and get herself slammed into the ground. Hard.


    She sucked back the air that got knocked out of her, clawing and grabbing at whatever was nearby. Her fingernails breaking on the metal plates. But Irje didn¡¯t care. She needed to kill the bitch.


    Or at least hold her long enough and yell for Erf to escape.


    The dagger plunged into her shoulder and twisted, forcing her to bite her lips in a silent scream. Her vision turned into a white blanket of agony and nothing more. The hot searing pain or ripping flesh made her break in a cold clammy sweat.


    Irje¡¯s entire world was just that shoulder being ripped apart.


    ¡°Where is the blind girl,¡± The Collector wer hissed.


    ¡°Go sit on a spear,¡± She spat at her, only to choke in a quiet sob as the blade twisted again. Unable to hold tears inside.


    ¡°Do you think I don¡¯t know where he is?¡± The cunt mused and Irje¡¯s heart skipped a beat, ¡°The alchemist is inside, and we are here to Collect. Now you can tell me where the blind girl is or I will make you beg so that you will be allowed to tell me again.¡±


    Irje gnashed her teeth in a blind and impotent rage. Breathing shallow as not to disturb the wound and send her in a sea of pain again. All Collectors were deadly, but the real ones were murks. Without a Spark to tell of their presence and armed well enough to make a single cut. Many of them died in the process but all would Collect what they came for.


    Her traitorous mind painted the picture of her lover, choking in his blood.


    Her Erf.


    How dare she.


    Blood trickled down from her mouth as she glared at the smirking bitch. Imagining her crucified or even quartered. And then her leftovers stomped into the filthiest hole there was. And the deepest one she could imagine.


    Smirk turned into a frown as the Collector found herself lifted in the air. A rustle on the path and a flying stick slammed into the cunt¡¯s face, throwing her away from the prone Irje with a force of the impact alone.


    Irje stretched her working arm and the bloodied dildo eagerly jumped into her palm. She pulled herself upward, using it as a handle in the air.


    Wer spat the blood and teeth out of her mouth and glanced at her incomprehensibly, ¡°a¡­wer¡­mage?¡±


    She tried to say something else, do something while still trying to shake off the stars out of her eyes. But Irje¡¯s hand slammed the dildo back into her head. Her magic pushing it faster than her muscles ever could. She felt the skull crack on impact and the Collector fell limp onto the ground.


    Irje hit again and again. Blind in her rage and uncaring for the splatter on her face and clothes. Until she could feel the Spark disappear from the lifeless body.


    Erf!


    Her shaking arm grabbed the bloody dagger from the ground, and she pulled herself upward. Spitting the blood that filled her mouth and pressing the hand to the gaping hole in her shoulder. She would deal with these later, right now she needed to get into the lab as fast as she could.


    Irje stumbled to the door and ripped it out, unwilling to spend any time fumbling with the handle.


    Only to see the blade being pulled from his chest. A quiet gasp escaping from his lips.


    She saw red.


    XXX


    The titanium-laced sprouts pulled at the sliced muscles as the nanite bodies disrupted the balance of ions within my heart, choking it silent before it would beat for another time. I had enough oxygen stored across the tissues of my body giving me some time at my disposal to patch myself up without significant damage.


    I didn¡¯t have a lot of time, so I couldn¡¯t dally either.


    ¡°W-why?¡± I managed to weakly choke out as my hand wrapped around his.


    ¡°Here to Collect,¡± He threw at me.


    ¡°Collect?¡± I slowly started to pull away from the blade, stitching myself as the blade slowly exited the wound.


    My body wasn¡¯t really designed to fight, but it was designed to survive the impact of a rogue meteoroid and occasional space exposure. At least long enough for it to matter. I wasn''t invulnerable: I still needed a suit in space and I will continue to avoid being stabbed and punctured for no reason.


    ¡°Your life,¡± He tried to pull the dagger. Only to jerk helplessly in my grip. I didn¡¯t want to reveal my strength so quickly but the blade had to exit in a calm orderly manner. Through the clearly marked exit hole.


    Great. Someone hired assassins on your ass, Erf. Feeling special? Or just a touch of irony within your heart?


    I wondered who hired him and did they say ¡®Hisss¡¯ or ¡®Baaah¡¯ while doing so. Or was it some other Manor deciding to join on the fun.


    ¡°Who?¡± I rasped. But he didn¡¯t buy into my act anymore, trying to wrench his hands from my steel grip. He was skilled but he was definitely a murk at best and I was fully aware of his presence.


    Pity, I guess I would have to ¡®surrender¡¯ him to Aikerim again for interrogation. But that would likely result in my own interrogation as well afterwards. Tough choice.


    With a loud crunch, the door had ceased to exist.


    I guessed I had an Alchemy tunnel now¡­


    Irje!


    I gasped seeing my cougar bloodied, letting go of the assassin in my hand. Her tunic was red with blood from a nasty gash in her shoulder. I cursed myself as the nanites went into overdrive, trying to stem the flowing blood, No wonder this bastard didn¡¯t care about the Irje outside, he didn¡¯t come here alone.


    She glanced at me, her face enraged, and sucked air in. Somehow pulling every loose flask, jar, and pot closer to her as well. A nearby table grinding on the floor.


    And then she roared.


    The assassin was flicked across my battered lab as if he was hit by an invisible truck. Multiple jars following him in flight as well. I couldn¡¯t help but cringe as I kept the pressure on my wound. A few of these had acids inside.


    Not that it really mattered as he definitely didn¡¯t survive the impact with the wall.


    ¡°Irje!¡± I yelled, ignoring the hissing and bubbling mess while rapidly shuffling through my drawers, ¡°You are hurt! Come here!¡±


    She collided with me, distracting me from my frantic work.


    ¡°Erf, I thought you dead.¡± She sobbed while hugging me tightly.


    ¡°Fuck, Irje,¡± I gasped seeing her close. Her wound was even worse than I thought, it looked as if someone tried to simply dig her flesh out.


    Fuck it. The tendrils squeezed my heart, pushing the blood through the still-damaged organ. I let myself bleed freely as I frantically started to pack her wound tight, trying to stem her blood flow before mine. My nanites would care for me even without my help, ¡°We need to get you to the doctor, now.¡±


    ¡°It is you, who needs to see the healer! The Collectors never miss!¡± She hissed as I pulled the bandage tight.


    ¡°The Collectors thought me for a normal murk,¡± I refuted as I kept working, ¡°A shoddy piece of metal to the chest won¡¯t kill me that easily.¡±


    Only for my legs to buckle under me, ¡°Aw, shit.¡±


    ¡°Erf!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I expected this to happen,¡± I spoke as she helped me down to the ground using her unaffected arm. A mask of despair on her face.


    Looks like I used up all my energy reserves but the task was done. Irje didn¡¯t notice but she was bleeding profusely from her shoulder, wer or not she could only have a limited supply of blood.


    ¡°Go get help. Especially for your shoulder - you don¡¯t have much time! Leave me here to recover, I just need to nap for an hou-¡±


    Irje slapped me, ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to fall asleep now! Stay with me, we will get to the healer together, I am a wer and I will heal much faster than you.¡±


    ¡°Irje, listen to me,¡± I urged my frantic cougar, ¡°I am healing now as we speak, this is how I do it and I need to stay still and recover.¡±


    I gave her a thumbs-up, ¡°I will be fine, I promise you. But you aren¡¯t so go get help, please. I don¡¯t want to survive this attack only to lose you afterwards from blood loss.¡±


    Irje glanced at the linen bandages, already starting to soak through with her blood, and then back at my hand. She finally nodded, looking hard into my eyes, ¡°I will. But if you dare to die on me¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t. Now go.¡±


    She gave me a smothering kiss and rushed out through what was left of the door.


    I sighed and settled into a better position. I could feel my body screaming at me for ignoring the damage for this long. But now I had the time and the peace of mind to do so.


    "Please don''t die on me, Irje." I quietly whispered into the gaping entrance.


    And then I promptly passed out.

 Chapter 44 The Talk

    Snusmumriken


    As an apology, I present you the two new faces:


    Unknown character #1


    Unknown character #2


    As always made by Nastrpank


    I was rudely awoken by someone trying to manhandle my heart.


    There was no real touching involved, so I didn¡¯t notice any intruders. But the unnatural behaviour of my tissues and nanites rang alarm bells through my body. And everything was centred around my heart. Specifically, the spherical area around it compared to the rest of my body. Like two warring states, nanites of each side had pointed fingers at each other accusing the other side of severe malfunctions while reporting nothing but stable conditions on their own side.


    Especially the reports of my heart temperature being recorded as above boiling were particularly concerning. While the other side accused my body of deciding to freeze right here and now. I felt none of these extremes, however.


    Under the intense scrutiny and cross-referencing each side multiple times I had arrived at a startling conclusion.


    My heart was moving too fast.


    And I didn¡¯t mean it was beating fast ¡ª that wouldn¡¯t be such an issue for me to tackle. Worse, everything was moving too fast all the way down to the atomic level. Which is what actually triggered the extremely odd errors. The molecules of my cells were moving at an insane speed as if they were heated to a ludicrous temperature, yet they possessed none of that energy despite the obvious jump in kinetic part. And such odd behaviour would vanish once they were far away from my heart.


    This was beyond odd. It was outright magical.


    Unfortunately for my curiosity, magic was not an option I could easily dismiss anymore. So I couldn¡¯t discard something outrageous as someone speeding up my heart tissues in time to boost the regeneration!


    It sounded like instead of walking to your neighbour you decided to turn the planet under your feet and pull his house to you. Yet I knew that there were oddities between Time and Flow, which meant that this might actually be the answer. I was just ¡®lucky¡¯ that my heart was swarming with nanites, allowing me to detect once again the casual disregard for common sense.


    So we had causality shenanigans and now we got Energy erasure. I could feel the Laws of Thermodynamics quietly sobbing in the corner. Granted there might be a reason for all of that, but for now, all I could do is to shrug and say ¡°Flow.¡±


    But this wasn¡¯t the time to wonder about magical curiosities. I pushed my body back into the fully conscious state, slowly turning on the auxiliary systems that I had shut down.


    I was attacked. Deep inside the Kiymetl Manor, in an area that was off-limits to most of the residents. Granted, anyone willing to kill would ignore the ¡®don¡¯t go there¡¯ order, but the fact that they actually tried to was telling. Worst of all they didn¡¯t just attack me, they hurt Irje.


    And I had no idea if Yeva was safe.


    I broke the surface of the sea of consciousness, but showed no indication I¡¯d done so, and assessed the situation around me.


    Only to feel a large metaphorical weight on my chest disappear. Yeva was nearby and safe but obviously very distressed. And so was Irje, who still looked battered but alive. With clean bandages around her shoulder ¡ª there was no bleeding anymore.


    The literal weight on my chest still remained.


    ¡°You should have been here, and not him!¡± Anaise hissed at Irje. Her hands were planted on my chest, a flicker of blue running through her clothes. Large beads of sweat were rolling down her face, ¡°Some guard you are.¡±


    ¡°She had managed to kill two Collectors,¡± Aikerim grumbled, casually swinging a two-handed sword at the remains near the wall. While dragging a corpse of yet another. Most likely the one that attacked my cougar outside. Compared to her normally dressed daughter, Domina was dressed to impress. An armour made from pale iridescent scales, reflecting every colour of the rainbow whenever she moved. And a fox mask, made from a similar material but emblazoned with red markings, sat on top of her head.


    The wermage battle garb. I had no idea what it was made from but right now it wasn¡¯t important.


    ¡°Irje had done enough to guard my life.¡± I interrupted their conversation, causing quite a stir among all four girls. I knew emotions were running high, but I could see Yeva hiding behind my other wife as two wermages dominated the leftovers of my lab. Irje looked defiant but also exhausted and slightly pale, barely weathering the onslaught from the Lady of the House.


    Both of them rushed to my side, I felt Anaise fingers tense up but she pulled back, letting Yeva and Irje closer.


    Aikerim sighed with relief, ¡°It looks like you are more well than I expected you to be. Even with my and my daughter¡¯s assistance. I wonder what alchemical concoction would cause a murk to heal that fast.¡±


    ¡°It was no potion, Mother,¡± Anaise sighed. There was a faint hint of something in her tone but I had no idea what was that about, ¡°I¡¯ve felt him through my healing. His flesh itself responded to my touch, even fought me. He is no murk.¡±


    Domina turned her eyes on me, ¡°Erf. Does my daughter speak the truth?¡±


    Well, the cat was out of the bag but I didn¡¯t find myself too anxious about it. It was bound to happen sooner or later. The challenge was actually how I could describe it so that they would understand rather than how much I should hide or reveal.


    ¡°My body is stronger, sturdier, and more flexible. But it is still the body of a murk in terms of Flow. I gain my strength from tools that infuse my flesh just as that murk used that dagger while lacking magical strength and claws of a wer. Or like you could make something sturdier by carving appropriate runes in it, or use a different, stronger material.¡±


    Aikerim scowled at my deliberate mention of the assassin, ¡°I will make whoever did this feel the wrath of my Manor! I will make them shed tears, blood, and gold for every drop of yours they have dared to spill.¡±


    ¡°Who are these Collectors?¡±


    Did Emanai has some secret assassin order that I managed to offend somehow? Or did they hail from Yusuf, for example?


    ¡°Each arm of Emanai forces has a special hand unit attached to it,¡± Anaise butted into our conversation, ¡°They are called Procurers. Their responsibility is the procurement of food and supplies for their arm. They are also assigned for ¡®procurement¡¯ of valuable news, agreements with local Dominas, and people. Both alive and dead. Once their military service is over, many of them quickly find similar work in the cities. Where they continue to Collect.¡±


    She glanced at the body in the corner and I could feel her shiver, ¡°There are special teams, or fingers of that hand. Handpicked murks: strong, cunning and quick with a blade. To serve as invisible killers with no spark to warn their quarry. They might be easier to kill but by that time their task is usually done.


    ¡°The ones that keep surviving earn a frightful reputation. Some even boast of these under their employ as inevitable as the passage of time itself. Yet, you met one and lived. Tell me, Erf, will these tools also make you live longer than a normal murk?¡±


    That was a rather odd question to ask at this time.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I spoke plainly, still digesting the information about assassins. I felt no need to avoid direct questions anymore. And even less need to outright lie. ¡°As long as my body doesn¡¯t suffer too much damage that is, and has access to food and water to sustain itself.¡±


    Surprisingly enough Anaise chose to glare at her frustrated mother instead.


    ¡°And why am I hearing about this just now?¡± Aikerim bristled at me.


    ¡°So that I could survive something like this,¡± I plainly rebuked her anger, ¡°I might be a bit sturdier than others, but I am still a murk. If they came at me, expecting someone with the vitality of a wermage or even a wer, you would be looking at my cold remains in a pool of blood.¡±


    I sighed and leaned down into Yeva¡¯s lap, ¡°My longevity is no threat to you, Aikerim. My current status aside, you have something that I simply don¡¯t have, can¡¯t have: political clout and influence over Emanai. Capital too, to grease palms and fund ventures. And I am not that stupid to burn that bridge. And I don¡¯t forget favours either. Our long and continuous partnership will keep making Kiymetl rich beyond belief. But let us discuss this later, right now finding the mastermind behind this attack is crucial.


    ¡°They definitely entered my Manor with Samat workers,¡± Domina mused, finally distracted from the previous revelations, ¡°Samat are likely to claim that they had no idea who they were, however. They hire many day-workers for simple tasks and proving they had hired them with intent would be a challenge. Especially since they are a Pillar Manor within their own city.¡±


    ¡°The wer tried to make me say where Yeva was,¡± Irje suddenly spoke.


    ¡°The Snake,¡± I spat, remembering the gouge in Irje¡¯s shoulder and noticing her hands. Fingernails broken and ripped out. What happened outside was definitely ugly. My heart wrenched in pain as I tried to imagine how much did she had to suffer while I was wasting time with that other piece of garbage. And she kept Yeva safe too.


    My face burned in shame. What a lousy husband I was. Every ¡®invention¡¯ of mine was making me more and more notorious, I should have known that Sophia wasn¡¯t going to be the only one to try and hit me where it hurts the most.


    And I should have prepared for it more.


    My forehead itched but I ignored it as the nanites slowly started to aggregate at the recently healed wound. My previous preparations weren¡¯t enough. I needed to be stronger, much stronger. This was a harsh, barely civilized world where personal might reigned supreme. And the time for obscurity had passed. Aikerim would shield me from many attacks, no doubt, but there will be always some who would still risk her wrath if the result was worth it.


    Like the Esca family, whose profit I had endangered with my glass inventions.


    ¡°They weren¡¯t trying to kill me specifically. They were trying to kill all that knew of glass manufacturing. And there is only one outsider who is likely to know enough.¡± I clarified my reasoning.


    The sword went into the ground. The scales rustled quietly as Domina folded her hands on her chest.


    ¡°I will send the couriers immediately and drag her back. The envoy will learn of her failure, and then she will learn of her new fate.¡± Aikerim proclaimed.


    I shook my head.


    ¡°You disagree?¡± She furrowed her brows, ¡°We aren¡¯t talking about a failed slave anymore, show some backbone!¡±


    ¡°It is not about that. They came for me and mine with an intent to kill. And she deserves to suffer consequences. Exactly to make sure that Esca won¡¯t dare to repeat it again while warning others in the process.


    ¡°The collectors chose to interrogate Irje,¡± I kept speaking, while gently rubbing my cougar¡¯s battered hands, ¡°Yet no one came to assist when she defeated her opponent. Which meant that there were likely only two of them. Even if there were more, none know of me surviving yet. Even if someone took a look inside while Irje was gone.


    ¡°Which means that whoever actually ordered the attack: Esca, Samat, or even someone else, they don¡¯t know if they failed or not. So let us make sure that they stay wrong thinking they succeeded.¡±


    ¡°You want me to willingly admit weakness? Why?¡± Domina asked.


    ¡°It would make sure that no one would try to finish the task, giving us some breathing room to get ready. And you don¡¯t need to admit it plainly just make them assume they had succeeded, only to reveal the ruse later in public. Reclaiming your image, while tarnishing theirs as below you in cunning. But, most importantly, because misinformed enemies make mistakes.¡± I smiled, predatory, ¡°And you should never interrupt your enemy when they are making a mistake.¡±


    I could feel the mood lift up throughout the room. Even Anaise stopped quietly sulking, most likely due to my hands caressing Irje while Yeva gently used her fingers to comb my hair in her lap. Unfortunately, my sadaq took priority right now. Especially tortured Irje.


    Now, this wasn¡¯t a discussion about what had happened ¡ª we were planning to take the fight back to the enemy.


    ¡°My, how devious,¡± Aikerim smirked, ¡°And what exactly are you planning to ''get ready¡¯?¡±


    ¡°Food,¡± I blurted, feeling the itch spreading around my chest, ¡°Lotsa food to heal and recover. Apart from that, Shahin appears to be extremely crafty and cunning too. Or she would never dare to come here all by herself. You need all advantages you can get so that you won¡¯t let her slip away. In the meantime, I would spend my time writing down everything I know about their glass and the methods of its creation. Once my knowledge is no longer in our heads, trying to kill me again would be futile. And take the mirrors too, they are ready.¡±


    She walked over to the covered objects in the corner and I couldn¡¯t help but grin looking at her flabbergasted face. Her amber eyes open wide and a delicate hand touching the flat surface in childish wonder. Tail swaying back and forth.


    Anaise huffed.


    Aikerim¡¯s unusual armour spurred me into the new avenue of advancement. Despite its looks, I didn¡¯t think it was ceremonial ¡ª she didn¡¯t come here for a parade. Yet it wasn¡¯t steel either. While good steel was extremely expensive in Emanai, Aikerim could definitely afford to dress in it. Which meant whatever it was it was either comparable or even better.


    And it was likely organic too.


    I was nowhere close to producing my own alloys. I didn¡¯t even have proper ores to obtain metals necessary for alloys, beyond the simple types of carbon steel. And even that would require proper furnaces to melt it fully and cast it. Bloomery steel took forever to make and was nowhere close in consistency.


    Since Domina was now aware of my augmented self, I could grow my own version of armour too. I had no proper templates for an advanced combat body, but I knew quite a few exosuit designs. From simple ones, barely stronger than clothing, to extremely energy demanding ones, that would allow me to multiply my strength tenfold. Most were still out of my reach, but I could start with something simple and upgrade it as I gained more materials.


    Even jury rig it to recharge from a waterwheel or something silly like that. Or carry a shoddy steam engine on my back for constant power production. Coal powered steam exosuits, talk about taking steampunk to another level.


    But that would be for later. Right now I could get a basic layer, strong enough to stop a blade at least a couple of times.


    Good enough to never repeat what happened today.


    ¡°I agree,¡± Aikerim answered, after a slight chuckle, slowly prying her eyes away from her reflection, ¡°It is never a good idea to attack rashly. Very well ¡ª seclude yourself, write, eat, and recover. In the meantime, I have some snakes to hunt and sheep to herd. Daughter, come.¡±


    Domina turned and left, carrying mirrors under her arm, and the sword under the other. I wasn¡¯t sure which one was taller out of all three.


    ¡°Anaise,¡± I called out as she quietly got up and prepared to leave, ¡°I felt your magic on me. Healing. And I saw how much effort it took from you. I thank you.¡±


    She looked back at me, conflicting emotions on her face, but said nothing in return. A quick nod of acknowledgement and a large bushy tail disappeared behind the corner.


    Yeva collapsed as soon as they were gone. Hugging me tight and frantically kissing me while mumbling apologies.


    It took me a moment to understand why.


    ¡°They were likely following me, Yeva. And if you didn¡¯t send me to the lab, they would have still attacked us. Just this time they would have probably got you as well.¡±


    ¡°And they wouldn¡¯t even need to keep me alive,¡± Irje sighed. ¡°I don¡¯t think I would have survived if that wer was trying to kill me from the beginning.¡±


    I cringed, ¡°It is probably me who has to apologize to you girls.¡±


    ¡°You? What for?¡± Irje tilted her head.


    I waved my hands around, trying to convey the nebulous idea in my head into words, ¡°You know. All this was caused by me, yet I couldn¡¯t even protect you at all.¡±


    She smacked me, ¡°Protect me? Have you forgotten who I am? Do you think I am some little boy that needs constant care and affection or he would cry? I would die of shame if I had to hide behind your back. It is I who should protect you all! And I did, didn¡¯t I?¡±


    ¡°And it is them who chose to attack us. You can¡¯t blame yourself for knowing so much.¡± Yeva murmured.


    I chuckled, ¡°You did great Irje. How did you get the upper hand? From the way that you spoke, the other opponent was quite skilful and strong.¡±


    She grinned, ¡°Magic!¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± I got up a bit, interested, ¡°Did you manage to cast an actual spell? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± She fidgeted, ¡°Not quite.¡±


    I looked at her. Then looked some more at the slight pink of her pale cheeks.


    Then I smacked my head.


    ¡°You used the toy again?¡±


    ¡°The dildo.¡± She sheepishly nodded.


    I opened my mouth and then closed it. It took me a few attempts for the words to come out.


    ¡°That is quite a literal approach to ¡®fuck her up¡¯.¡±


    Yeva snickered.


    ¡°Shadap!¡±


    XXX


    The day ended quietly and a new one began. We secluded ourselves in our house, content with licking our wounds and recovering. Apparently, Aikerim applied some healing magic to Irje herself, but she was still recuperating. The scar would likely stay yet she wasn¡¯t concerned about it. The magical healing was good enough not only to keep her alive but it made sure she would not lose any mobility either.


    It wasn¡¯t a blemish to Irje¡¯s eyes. It was a mark of pride.


    In the meantime, I ate and ate, as the scab around my heart swelled and started to grow outward. To prevent any concerns I explained to them the slow and steady growth of the second skin. The inner layer of the living exosuit. Tight and thin, it was a necessity if one needed to perform mechanical repairs in space. Preventing any accidental punctures.


    Then their concerns turned to the fact that it restricted their access to my skin.


    I told them it was removable.


    Concerns vanished.


    Stuff was probably happening both within the manor and in the city proper, but I chose to ignore it for now. Technically I was ¡®dead¡¯ so curious snooping around would be detrimental. And Sulla had all plans for our estate anyway. As for everything else, I had trust in Aikerim. She was smart and Shahin had almost destroyed her most precious asset if I can say so myself.


    One thing I could put my trust upon was the righteous wrath of a merchant nearly swindled.


    My laboratory was wrecked beyond repair. The fact that it was more of a tunnel rather than a building already made it ill-suited for careful experiments. And the liberal mix of anything with everything after that roar made the entire place rather dangerous to be in.


    It had served me well, but I needed to upgrade for quite a long time now. I needed a clean and well-ventilated chemistry lab rather than the musky and damp alchemical room. With running water, proper drainage, and waste removal. And separate waste storage for nastier stuff. No point in killing all fish in the Shara river and the nearby South sea. Dilution is not a solution to pollution.


    So no chemistry for now until the estate was done and all this blew over.


    Just me, parchment, girls, and guitar.


    And lotsa food.


    A well-deserved break for all of us. Especially since neither of us slept well this night. The nightmares plagued us equally.


    Viter stood guard for most of the day, while Irje would bring loaded plates while lazying about for the rest of the time. In the meantime Yeva and I would trade places playing music, She would train while I would take over whenever I wasn¡¯t writing.


    Just like now.


    I was playing a gentle melody while thinking out loud, ¡°I wonder what Yusuf climate looks like, in order for them to discover glass before anyone else?¡±


    ¡°Climate?¡± Yeva scrunched her brow in thought.


    ¡°You know weather and temperature and how does it look like.¡±


    ¡°It is hot and arid. Sands everywhere.¡± A new voice interrupted the idyll.


    I turned around to find Aikerim standing in the doorway. Her thick brows furrowed in a frown, ¡°I don¡¯t like how I am left without warning yet again.¡±


    I scratched my head, ¡°The guitar? Wasn¡¯t Sulla aware of my purchase and Anaise was there when I asked Albin for strings? Desert, huh?¡±


    I wondered if they got their flux from dried out lake beds. Could be quite likely. And easy to discover too. Sands with a natron deposit could probably produce lumps of glass from a mere bonfire of a travelling caravan.


    ¡°No. Your playing is just as surprising as your instrument is odd, but that is expected of you. What I found myself ill-prepared for is that Albin you just mentioned is suddenly very interested to visit my Manor. And talk about you and to you. I do not like these types of surprises, Erf.¡±


    Ah, did he manage to come up with something, then?


    Or, perhaps, he was the one that tried to kill me. Shebet was always too informed to my liking, somehow. But it mattered little.


    My family was at stake.

 Chapter 45 Revelations on the Past

    I put the guitar aside and faced Aikerim fully.


    ¡°I will be honest with you, my Domina. While I am not surprised that he had come to talk, I was not expecting him to come exactly now, nor have I told him, or someone connected to him, about the current development,¡± I shrugged, ¡°In fact, his ¡®timely¡¯ appearance is rather startling to me as well and I would be wary to meet him right now without your presence.¡±


    She walked fully into my house. A stray glance at the large rune carving on the floor turned into a meticulous scan of the room, studying the carvings around the openings. A slight twitch of her fingers and the runes lit up brightly. Three distinct runic arrows pointed at the wermage as if accusing her of illegal use of magic.


    Aikerim shook her head and muttered something derogatory under her breath.


    ¡°You said you expected his response. Why?¡± She decided to continue the conversation.


    ¡°My family. I have met him in the city after the disastrous meeting with his sister. Something that he almost expected to happen by the way, and tried to fix the situation in advance,¡± My fingers reached out and slid across the strings of the guitar, reminding her of the gift I had received from Albin, ¡°I had informed him then that his attempts were nowhere as sufficient.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Domina hummed, then looked at my silent sadaq, ¡°Leave us.¡±


    ¡°Your son had said the same last time,¡± Irje challenged her back before I could even utter anything.


    ¡°And I am not him. If I was planning on punishing him, I could do it in your presence. Now go and let me talk to my alchemist in private.¡± Aikerim cut her off without skipping a beat.


    I patted Yeva as I shook my head to Irje, quietly telling them to leave the room. Politics, politics and displays of power were everywhere.


    ¡°So tell me,¡± She spoke once we were alone, the blazing runes warning me of the silence spell active around us, ¡°Since when have you started to rely on the other Manors¡¯ help in solving your problems?¡±


    ¡°Since I have acknowledged your prowess in letting others do the work for you. You started it by putting other Manors against Shebet. I continued in your manner by making her brother potentially act against Sophia.¡±


    ¡°And you don¡¯t think he would be the cause of yesterday¡¯s attack?¡± She raised her eyebrow, ¡°Using the envoy as the obvious aggressor to further his own plans?¡±


    Aikerim stance barely changed but her tail, ears, and eyebrows were easy to read.


    When she wanted them to be read that is.


    When Domina arrived at my place her stance was neutral, appropriate, and without any obvious emotions visible in her body language. Schooled. And only now I could start to see hints of curiosity within. I was no longer a potentially insubordinate slave that was undermining her authority in her eyes. Compared to our previous ¡®conversation¡¯ about a similar issue she had improved leaps and bounds in her ability to trust me. Or, at least, give me the benefit of a doubt to either explain my reasons or give her enough rope to hang myself.


    I shook my head, ¡°Unlikely. Sophia Chasya wants to have me, and Albin is equally curious. Albeit much more capable of controlling his urges. They want to pick my brain, not stab my heart. Unless she is vengeful enough to deny you of me since she couldn¡¯t get me. Whoever had done this was either trying to silence me forever or diminish your rising power.¡±


    ¡°Yet he is awfully great with his timing,¡± She mused.


    ¡°That is rather usual for him, although I wonder.¡±


    Her ears twitched as the eyebrow rose up again.


    I continued, ¡°What if he doesn¡¯t know, but is trying to find out for sure. Him coming over and requesting to speak with me would force you either to confirm whether I am alive or keep stalling.¡±


    ¡°You think a Speaker of Shebet would drop everything and run to check on you?¡± She couldn¡¯t hold a hint of a smile while saying that.


    ¡°Why not? He did manage to intercept us in the middle of a city, trying to bribe us in advance.¡±


    ¡°What have you told him to be that interested in you? Have you told him about your abilities?¡±


    ¡°Nothing much, apart from very sparse tidbits of my knowledge. Not that he needed much to make correct assumptions before,¡± I scratched my chin in contemplation, ¡°He did call my knowledge demonic, but he wasn¡¯t-¡±


    A loud hiss interrupted my musings as Aikerim pulled on her ears in an act of extreme frustration. Something that I¡¯ve only witnessed Virnan and Anaise do so far.


    ¡°Do you think he wanted to kill me because he thought I was a demon?¡± I carefully probed.


    ¡°No,¡± She groaned, ¡°But that would explain why he is so interested in you. If only he could keep his mouth shut, however.¡±


    I frowned, ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound like it was just a passing remark. Is there something I should know about demons?¡±


    A few more choice words were muttered about Albin and Aikerim plopped down on my bed. Frustrated tail slapping the bedding left and right. She stared at me for a few seconds only to sigh deeply.


    ¡°I guess I should tell you. Especially since I can¡¯t trust Albin Chasya to keep things quiet. Who knows how many know by now. I am actually surprised that you don¡¯t know already, but that might be because you are the first murk to be one.


    ¡°Daimonas are either children of the Gods or the heroes of the old given flesh again. Some even say that they contain the spirit of the Flow itself.¡± She noticed my raised eyebrow and chuckled tiredly, ¡°I know it sounds implausible, that one would be a murk, and it had never happened before either. All daimonas were wermages until you came about. They all had Sparks brighter than the most, but their defining characteristic was their knowledge. The knowledge that they shouldn¡¯t have, but did possess. Including the maturity and wisdom beyond their early years.¡±


    I stood still in front of her. Shocked to the core. There were others like me simply running around? What were they doing? And, more importantly, why did they keep Emanai and the rest in such an archaic state? Did the nanite imprinting fail or did they choose to keep the civilization at this level for some reason?


    I glanced at the window, seeing glimpses of the sky through the wooden screen. Precise memories were fuzzy, but I was sure that my ship had only me on board. And it was alone. I had no idea if there were other crashes before or after me, however.


    ¡°And what happened to them?¡± I asked, turning my head back to Aikerim.


    ¡°They aren¡¯t as common as you think. Even by our standards. Their lives are nothing more than legends now,¡± She glanced up at the window too, ¡°Perhaps they even joined the other Gods and still keep watch over us.¡±


    My hands clenched. Keeping watch, my ass. I could understand not interfering with truly alien civilizations, at least not without extensive study and immense scrutiny. Acting rashly could cause irreparable damage to their culture. But these were humans! They were descendants of these that once called Earth home! To simply let them struggle while reaping the benefits for themselves wasn¡¯t just immoral ¡ª it was outright cruel.


    Unthinkable.


    It was like finding a group of castaways on an island and letting them live there since they managed to make primitive spears and axes and were actively chopping each other to pieces. Or worse, position themselves as god-like beings and enjoy being worshipped as one. And leave, once the entertainment grew stale.


    Unless I was missing something again.


    ¡°I see why I was given so much freedom despite my status now. Not just a slave, but a potential daimon¡­¡± I muttered deep in my own thoughts.


    Aikerim nodded, ¡°Early on I had a faint suspicion that you were one, but your way of carrying yourself as well as the knowledge you possess made it obvious since then. Know that while you stand beside me and my Manor, my wealth and power will aid you in your journeys. You might end up seeing your name and deeds engraved in Kiymetl histories.¡±


    I bowed, ¡°You have my gratitude, but please tell me: what other feats were these daimonas known for?¡±


    The obvious unspoken words were clear to me, but there was no need to speak them out loud. Aikerim feared that I could try to seek better pastures. Especially after the last few days, with constant attacks and the looming threat over my family. All of which made the limits of her power and influence obvious to both of us.


    Yet, apparently, she didn¡¯t dare to lock me up and flog the knowledge out of me. Something, that I initially attributed only to her opportunistic mind of a trader, was also bolstered by the mythical status I apparently possessed. No wonder she didn¡¯t bother to grill me on the origins of my knowledge ¡ª she already had the answers. Or why she stopped Sophia from doing the same later. Which apparently was a moot point since Albin was already aware.


    Perhaps from our first meeting too, he could be uncomfortably insightful.


    Aikerim couldn¡¯t beg me to stay either. Domina couldn¡¯t show herself being weak, her position wouldn¡¯t let her. So all she could do is continue to do what had worked so far as hope that I was indeed grateful enough to close my eyes on previous transgressions. And that was exactly what I wanted her to do.


    She sighed with relief, ¡°Many Manors claim to have a Daimon as their first ancestor, or as one who brought them to prosperity. Their strength and swift rise to power made them into fearsome warriors on a field of battle. While their sharp mind and wit allowed them to win the battles of words.¡±


    I stared at her.


    Aikerim coughed, ¡°There are tales of some that conquered vast swathes of land from the Forests, expanding Emanai borders. While others brought forth new spells, unseen before. Or brought plentiful loot from other nations.¡±


    I blinked, ¡°That¡¯s it?¡±


    She sputtered, ¡°What do you mean, ¡®that¡¯s it¡¯? Emanai would be a shadow of its current self without their might! Our neighbours fear us and pay tribute, and not the other way around.¡±


    I groaned and leaned on the wall, ¡°So much waste! They could have done so much more, yet all they did was take for themselves and for their family. Choosing to indulge in warfare and pillage. Taking instead of creating!¡±


    ¡°That is how the world works. You can¡¯t eat two portions of bread without taking it from someone else.¡±


    ¡°Aikerim, as a merchant you should know it doesn¡¯t have to work that way. Or do you believe that you steal from the sellers and overcharge the buyers?¡±


    I could see I hit a sore point with that. The ears went down and the tail bristled. Elusive fangs, similar to her daughter¡¯s, emerged. It had been a while since I¡¯d seen her this angry.


    ¡°I can see that you do not,¡± I kept talking, not allowing her to speak, ¡°Nor do I, for that matter. For things do not have a set value. And value scales with demand. Gold might be precious, but it is worthless if you are alone without food on an empty island.


    ¡°By buying where there is plenty and selling where there is none you turn a profit. While satisfying both the seller and the buyer. All three would walk out with better rewards than they could otherwise achieve. The seller could sell for more than she could ever get locally, and the buyer could buy for less, or buy at all. And you get richer in the process.¡±


    Tail flopped on the bed as her ears rose up again. A vindicated look quickly replaced the scowl of anger.


    ¡°If only everyone could understand it as well.¡± Aikerim huffed.


    ¡°If they did, you would have a lot more competition.,¡± I quipped, ¡°But in that example, all three would benefit. And the value was created during the exchange. Just as you create value when you buy wool and turn it into clothes. And how much value I added with the loom alone. And for years to come too.


    ¡°And that was just a simple loom!¡± I threw my hands in the air, ¡°That is nothing in the grand scale of things. I can do much more, they could have done as much if not even more than me since they had magic too. So why didn¡¯t they?! It is inexcusable that they chose to spend their time with trifle matters!¡±


    ¡°Or, maybe they aren¡¯t as generous as you are?¡± She mused.


    I walked over and leaned closer toward her face, ¡°Tell me. Would you like to have any food that you desire, anytime? Fresh juicy grapes in the middle of the winter? Spices and sweets? What about the fanciest clothes made from thinnest threads and any colour you fancy? Enough to fill multiple rooms with clothes alone. Have the ability to dress the entire Emanai with just your Manor? In Arksite? Just imagine entire armies¡­arms of warriors walking side by side, all in blue. The glory of Emanai.¡±


    Aikerim listened in rapt attention, eyes wide. Tiny quiet breaths escaping from her slightly open mouth. Eyes on me, tail deathly still.


    I sharply pulled back, ¡°Or would you prefer to have others scrape under your feet, washing splatters of shit from your legs? Hanging fragrant flowers on your windows to mask the unwelcome smells. Slavish in their behaviour lest you end them with your might.¡±


    She recoiled too as if slapped, eyes blinking in confusion.


    I waited in silence, waiting for her to recover. Daring for her to answer back.


    ¡°You¡­Can you make all of that happen?¡± Aikerim finally murmured.


    ¡°Most inventions aren¡¯t just a single discovery but a set of small improvements that allow something previously unfeasible to become possible. This is why I was so keen on precision, or why I wanted glass. Each of these is but a stepping stone that let us rise higher. So yes, I could. In time,¡± I allowed, and then changed my tone back, ¡°Something the other Daimonas had plenty of, yet didn¡¯t.¡±


    And if this was some sort of space attraction like ¡°Plunge into a fantasy world and experience the authentic life of an ancient nobleman!¡± Then I would enjoy aiming a Kugelblitz drive at someone once I find my way to space.


    ¡°You know, with every day passing you make me regret more and more giving you your own sadaq.¡±


    ¡°And I am thankful that you did. Now that we are together they are my responsibility and I have no intention of letting them go,¡± I firmly stopped that conversation, ¡°I wasn¡¯t trying to be useful to get into someone¡¯s sadaq, to begin with.¡±


    ¡°You have done a splendid job of trying to get into Anaise¡¯s.¡± She accused me.


    I cringed, ¡°I admit, I did not expect such a drastic response. But didn¡¯t you yourself agree that I should teach her? Were you aware that she would react this way?¡±


    ¡°I expected you to teach her many things, including the impermanence of murks. Your apparent longevity had smashed my plans at the worst time possible,¡± She sighed, ¡°No matter. Unfortunately, we have more pressing matters than your relationship with my daughter. Specifically the Speaker at my doorstep. What can I expect from the upcoming meeting?¡±


    ¡°Your guess is as good as mine. What I do hope is that he had found a solution to the ¡®issue¡¯ his sister caused. And he is here to tell about it. As we spoke during the private bath, I¡¯ve shared some ideas about history with him that made him rather interested to hear the conclusion of. Especially my beliefs about Emanai''s potential collapse.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡±


    I waved her off, ¡°I am not talking about tomorrow nor a century from now. Rather millennia, based on your lifespans, so at this point, this is just a theory. But a theory that a historian like him would find impossible to ignore. He might not be desperate but he won¡¯t be apathetic either.¡±


    ¡°I wish to know about these theories as well. As soon as possible too.¡± Domina demanded.


    I pointed at the scrolls of parchment on my table, ¡°They are already there, and most of the glass technology as well. I just have to add my theories on how Esca had possibly discovered it.¡±


    Aikerim snagged the scroll but didn¡¯t bother to read it. Instead, she rose up, ¡°Good. Go, tell your sadaq that you are to attend the meeting and meet me at the inner courtyard. Anaise had stalled him enough. And change your clothes, my Manor is safe, but I don¡¯t want anyone to recognize you as an alchemist.¡±


    XXX


    I was instantly intercepted as soon as I left the house. Irje tensed up immediately, seeing the residual frown on my face, spooking Yeva in the process.


    They barely even noticed a wermage walking past them, her nose buried inside the scroll.


    I quickly assuaged their fears by telling them my anger was not about something imminent, but the righteous fury of my likely predecessors. Neither of my girls had heard about them but both agreed with me that it did explain the unusual degree of treatment. Irje even joked that, if I was a wer, Aikerim would have given me her daughter on my second day inside the manor. Only to be smacked upside the head by a huffing Yeva.


    Domina¡¯s revelation had drastically changed the dynamic between us once again. Yes, I was still a murk. But I wasn¡¯t just her slave anymore. Not in her eyes, and definitely not in mine. While she would still issue demands, she also started to pick her battles, recognizing where my opinions mattered more.


    I smiled. For better or for worse, this had become a real partnership between us.


    Yet another step on my path. Yet one more assurance that my sadaq would stay safe even without me around. Her final words confirmed it.


    A walk to the inner courtyard had proven uneventful with the entire manor being unusually still. A hint of worry disappeared with emerging Sulla, who silently waved for me to come inside. He took me to the contemplative Domina still reading my scrolls and was dismissed with but a single wave of a hand.


    ¡°How much of this is true?¡± She quietly asked as we kept walking through the corridor alone.


    ¡°I would need more knowledge on Emanai than I currently have. Census, maps, possibly some historical records but it is likely.¡±


    ¡°Later, then,¡± She acknowledged.


    And I knew why. Or I could guess, based on the loud laughter behind the door in front of us. I knew that devilish laughter. Or, should I say daimonic, for some of his mannerisms and word choices made me rather suspicious¡­ Or he could be a recent descendant of one.


    That would be better, for I wouldn¡¯t need to punch his face in.


    Incensed Anaise rushed past us as soon as we opened the door, leaving chuckling Albin alone with us. Surprisingly enough he was wearing quite an unusual set of clothes. Gone were his flashy khalats and sashes, leaving behind a dark grey coat of sorts that actually covered his tail and pants. Extreme rarity within the city walls.


    ¡°So, you weren¡¯t killed after all,¡± he murmured, throwing a handful of popcorn into his mouth.


    Well, he looked to be in a rather great mood. That bode well.


    Aikerim scrunched her eyebrows, and hissed, ¡°You expected him to survive? Should I assume that you were aware he could be Collected soon?¡±


    ¡°Eh, about a coin toss,¡± He shrugged, completely ignoring her other question.


    ¡°So, did you come here to confirm? Or are you here with your answer?¡± I asked quickly, forcibly pulling the conversation back on track. He already managed to annoy the Lady of the House, and I had no intention that he would do the same with the Domina herself.


    He stood and stretched, using his own horns to pull on his neck. An unusual action that only the horned ones could really enjoy, ¡°You should call your sadaq here, they might be interested to hear about it too.¡±


    ¡°Well, as long as Domina permits, Albin. I could just tell them after this is all over too.¡±


    He smiled and reached into his coat, ¡°Ah but there is a problem with that.¡±


    His hand gently placed an orb on the table. Almost identical to that of Aikerim¡¯s but the pattern was different, even denser too. Was that the Orb of Truth that belonged to Shebet? And why was it here?


    ¡°Since after this is all over, you will be coming with me.¡± The Mephistopheles spoke.


    What?


    I turned to find deathly pale Aikerim staring at the Orb.


    What?

 Chapter 46 Irje

    ¡°Albin! You fool!¡± Aikerim voice thundered in the room, drowning out the crunch of the popcorn, ¡°By the Three-Horned Gods, do you have any idea what you have brought into my Manor? Do you wish to doom all of us as well?!¡±


    ¡°Of course I do,¡± He replied unperturbed, with his mouth full, ¡°It is a perfect solution to his problem.¡±


    I perked up, slowly pulling my hand out of my pouch.


    ¡°A solution that would ruin my Manor!¡± Domina roared, ¡°I have no idea why you have it, and if it is even yours, to begin with, but I have no desire to face the Divine Punishment for your acts of heresy!¡±


    ¡°I have it because it is a Gift,¡±


    A single word forced her jaw shut with an audible click. Anger and fury were quickly replaced by apprehension. The fear remained throughout.


    ¡°Um, can I get a little disclosure here?¡± I spoke out. Whatever that Orb was, it was something really significant to put even my own Domina in such a state. Religion was somehow involved too.


    I knew it wasn¡¯t immediately harmful, Aikerim¡¯s words about Manorial relations weren¡¯t just a boast about the stability of Emanai, It was the ¡®Decree of Gods¡¯ with all that it could entail. Obviously, there were ways to circumvent it, but it was done through intermediaries like Collectors or other hired help.


    I didn¡¯t know what caused it but, most likely, the wermage vs wermage battles grew so devastating to the country that the law was put in place to limit the potential damage. And I could see the reason behind it too - judging by Anaise¡¯s accidental show of power, each wermage was akin to a tactical nuclear warhead. Losing an entire city due to two Dominas duelling for a prized male would be stupid. If not outright lethal for an entire country.


    But that didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t fight verbally, and I couldn¡¯t successfully interfere unless I knew more about what was going on.


    ¡°This,¡± Albin rolled the orb on the table with his finger, ¡°Is a way to get your family now.¡±


    Fully illuminated by the power within, the difference between it and the Orb of Truth was even more striking. Instead of the occasional symbol, dozens of them would dance on top of it, pulsing to some unknown rhythm like a veil in the wind, or flickers of magical fire.


    ¡°Do you think that I would risk my Alchemist to some harebrained plot?¡±


    ¡°What would you do instead, then?¡± He pressed her back, while still crunching on popcorn, ¡°Keep him locked? Wait until the next batch of Collectors would make themselves known? Will you be able to save him then? What about his family ¡ª no matter what you think this is the best method to get them. Safe, simple, and with a maximum chance of success. The problem is ¡ª it isn¡¯t your solution.¡±


    Aikerim seethed, yet didn¡¯t rebuke his words.


    ¡°Look,¡± I intervened once again, ¡°Would you stop talking in hints and actually state what the plan is, and then we can all come up with a compromise that is beneficial to all sides?¡±


    ¡°Ruin my fun, will you,¡± Albin pouted, ¡°But my words about your sadaq are true. I want them here so that they will learn of it in this room from me, and not later and somewhere else. This Gift is a powerful thing, and knowledge of it should never be casually spread outside of the Sphere¡¯s influence. You won¡¯t keep them in the dark but doing so outside of the safety of this room would be¡­ill-advised.¡±


    Ah. His penchant for muting the crowds whenever we spoke. No wonder he could leisurely discuss certain delicate topics with wandering murks.


    ¡°What is its general effect, however?¡± I asked nevertheless. He hadn¡¯t let me down before, but that was between us. I had no desire of risking others for my own plans.


    He smirked.


    Irje


    ¡°This is a Sphere of Negation.¡±


    She shuddered, hearing these words. Not because of the name ¡ª it meant nothing to her, but because of who spoke it. The Domina was strong and the Lady of the House was quickly approaching her in power. Yet the shine of both was dwarfed by the glowing Spark of the Speaker in front of her.


    Irje knew very little about him, apart from Erf had somehow managed to earn his attention. Considering Erf, unsurprisingly. And the toy too, but she chose not to think about that part too much.


    But it was one thing to know of a Speaker of Shebet, and another to be in his presence. Albin Chasya radiated power, both magically and with his presence. Very few could be at ease in the presence of an incensed Domina, within her Manor no less.


    Apart from her idiotic lover. Apparently, his love for snacks had clouded his mind once again. Erf was busy trying to pilfer whatever sweets the werdrake held in his arms.


    She would need to smack some sense into him later, in private.


    In the meantime, Irje hugged Yeva closer and kept listening.


    ¡°The effect is somewhat similar to the Flow Shackles, but while these block the Flow from within, the Sphere blocks it from without. It might not be an ultimate defence against all spells, but it will easily disrupt ones that rely on precision.¡±


    He smiled and turned to look at Erf. ¡°Something like scrying.¡±


    Her lover blinked, ¡°Allowing you to act without fear that someone will learn of it with magic later.¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Albin Chasya spread his arms, showing his travel garb, ¡°And a Speaker of Shebet has an urgent trip, one that passes through the lands belonging to the Chimgen Manor.¡±


    ¡°You are trying to trick the Gods with their own Gift!¡± Aikerim Adal cautioned the two fools.


    Irje agreed with her there. While it sounded like it could succeed, the consequences would be extremely dire.


    ¡°And that might be the reason it was given to Shebet, to begin with. And if they take offence ¡ª I am betting myself and my whole Manor on it. A single murk slave that would travel with me wouldn¡¯t even warrant a second glance.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean a single slave?¡± Irje spoke together with Domina. She said it with unease, yet Aikerim Adal said it with¡­relief?


    ¡°I am damn sure that I am coming with him!¡± She huffed. Yeva nodded in agreement, she was rather reserved in the presence of three wermages but, with Irje¡¯s arms around her shoulders and Erf nearby, she had found some strength to start voicing her opinions. Even if it was done in such a quiet way for now.


    The horned werdrake turned his face toward her, ¡°Did you enjoy the present? You are welcome, by the way.¡±


    Irje flushed red but kept glaring at him. She was Erf¡¯s Prime ¡ª she already saved him once from the Collectors and she would do so again.


    A fluffy piece of the unknown snack bounced off Speaker¡¯s face.


    ¡°Behave,¡± Erf¡¯s arm went around them, ¡°Don¡¯t tease my sadaq. That is my task.¡±


    Albin Chasya barked out a laugh and shook his head. Anaise Hilal huffed somewhere nearby.


    ¡°That is the reason why I wanted your sadaq to be here,¡± He glanced at the Lady of the House, ¡°Because the Sphere can¡¯t protect all. It would shield me as its owner. Or a murk that is already barely noticeable in the Flow of magic. Not another wer and especially not a wermage. We could take her. Yeva, right? But I will be honest, she will slow us down.


    ¡°A good plan is a simple plan. And a fast one too. We go and then we come back. All who know of this are in this room,¡± He crossed his arms on his chest and looked over the room, ¡°And all here are very interested to see it succeed without any problems.¡±


    ¡°And what would happen next, when you do come back?¡± Aikerim Adal asked the most important question.


    ¡°Well, you would pay me back the expense of the purchase. Or Erf would likely do so himself, eventually. I don¡¯t expect to spend that much.¡±


    ¡°And you expect me to believe that you would simply do it out of your own good will? Do you really think I am that naive to accept a free offer from you or indebt myself to your Manor?¡±


    ¡°Good will?¡± He blinked, ¡°What kind of historian do you think I am? I expect quite a tale from him in return for the services rendered!¡±


    Domina groaned and slapped her head. While Irje, and Yeva in her arms, quietly exhaled. And so did Anaise.


    No wonder Erf had been treating him like an equal. She could see something similar between them. Some drive for something more than simple wealth or power. Or, perhaps, it was the same sickness of the mind that affected them both.


    Perhaps he was also a daimon.


    Irje felt something pooling down in her stomach while Domina kept making sure that Speaker was true to his word. And it wasn¡¯t the magical sickness either. Depletion, was it?


    Despite her height and strength, she felt too small right now.


    Albin Chasya chose to forgo his sash so she couldn¡¯t tell how influential he actually was, but Irje didn¡¯t need to. And this Power of a person was someone, that Erf considered an equal to himself.


    And from the way that both conversed with each other, so did the Speaker!


    All that Irje was but a simple wer. She stopped one Collector, but not until the other lodged a knife in Erf¡¯s chest. Winning by surprise no less. Her greatest achievement was in seeing the raw talent of gold in the mud and holding it dearly.


    Irje wasn¡¯t naive to the world. She already had to give up her sole position, knowing that the time will come when someone will take it for herself. And not a moment too soon, for in just a matter of days after Domina had heard of their sadaq, her own daughter decided to lay claim on Erf. And judging by her thunderous appearance, the Lady of the House did not appreciate being told ¡®no¡¯, nor would she simply back off either.


    And now the Speaker. Irje could see that he was treating both her and Yeva with respect, Albin Chasya was one of the few wermages ever to properly return their greetings. Informing them that they were important enough in his eyes, lips, and heart.


    But she could clearly see that said respect was given due to her husband.


    Irje could accept not being the sole wife in a relationship. What she could never accept is to be treated as a Prime in words only. Like one of the pets some wealthy had. They were fed and dotted for in excess and lived lives of extreme luxury. Yet they also grew lazy and fat, unable to catch mice or warn about the intruders. A mere shadow of their former selves.


    Something that she was already becoming right here.


    There was no laziness on her part, well not a lot really. Nor did she partake in gluttony ¡ª Erf was eating three portions for each one of hers! But not succumbing to the life of luxury was no longer enough. She had to grow stronger. Much stronger so that the wermages that Erf kept company to would treat her by the position she took.


    The Prime of the sadaq. The guardian and the protector.


    Right now she felt like a cub. Trying to hiss and mewl at passing horses.


    ¡°Very well,¡± The voice of Domina had pulled her away from bitter thoughts, ¡°Despite the sheer lunacy of your ideas, I can concede that the possibility of success is there. And I would not be a generous master if I didn¡¯t nurture those that are under my command. Especially when it is about the well-being of his family. Moreover, his absence from my Manor would allow me to concentrate on capturing those who dared to betray my hospitality already.


    She frowned, ¡°Same goes to you, Albin Chasya of the Shebet Manor. Know that all will know of the Gift in your possession if something happens to him, and I will use the whole might of Kiymetl to see you suffer.¡±


    Aikerim Adal turned around and faced them fully, ¡°So? What say you?¡±


    Erf scratched his head, ¡°You can guess my answer already. While the power of the Sphere is not something that I can grasp fully, especially the religious aspect, he had managed to convince even you of its effectiveness.


    ¡°But this is no longer my own choice to make either,¡± He glanced at them and smirked, ¡°So will you let me go out on a scenic walk with my buddy Al over here? To the nearest farm Manor, there and back.¡±


    Said ¡®buddy¡¯ once again found his familiarity quite entertaining, especially to the scandalous faces of both Kiymetl wermages.


    Irje struggled to answer. Once again she had found herself desperately clinging to the mane of a flying gryff. Unable to control its rise into the clouds. The fear of the unknown future begged her to tell him to slow down. Not to leave them behind. But she refused to voice that part.


    Because she feared even more that he really might.


    ¡°Go,¡± Yeva interrupted her struggles. Speaking out loud the word that got stuck inside her throat, ¡°Go and save your family, my love. And then come back to us.¡±


    Her arms wrapped around the tiny frame in silent thanks.


    ¡°I will. And then I will rush back.¡± Erf joined in their hug.


    He glanced to the side, and Irje followed his gaze to see Anaise Hilal standing on the side. Her tail twitching back and forth.


    ¡°Come back to this Manor,¡± She spoke for the first time, ¡°Or never show your face here ever again.¡±


    He nodded, ¡°Of course, my Lady. Kiymetl has been good to me, and I would never forget the generosity given to me. Especially with Sophia around, no offence Albin.¡±


    Speaker shrugged, ¡°None taken. In fact, I would prefer it to stay this way. Our conversations have grown much more¡­illuminating, once the shackles of social standings were off. Entertaining too, Gods know that I''ve got too many lackeys already. Eager to kiss my sash and nod with every word I say.¡±


    Erf turned back to Domina and bowed, ¡°I thank you for your acceptance and support. And I am looking forward to all the projects we can do, once I get back.¡±


    She huffed and waved her tail at him, ¡°Then hurry up and go, there is no need to waste time on flowery speeches between us.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Erf nodded, ¡°Albin, when should we leave then?¡±


    Albin smirked, ¡°Have you forgotten what I said in the beginning? We are leaving now. I didn¡¯t come here to inform you of this. I came to take you with me. The Sphere is too important to simply walk with it for a visit.¡±


    ¡°The way that you worded it, you came here to annoy everyone, myself included.¡±


    ¡°A person shows his inner self most clearly when he is surprised. It was quite interesting to observe you, Erf.¡±


    Erf frowned, ¡°And what did you see?¡±


    ¡°Death,¡± A sudden change of Speaker¡¯s tone sent shivers down her back, ¡°There will be death in your future. Unlikely that it will be yours, judging by the recent events. But don¡¯t expect to keep your hands free of blood if you wish to protect ones that are important to you.¡±


    The Arksite-coloured eyes glanced in her direction, and Irje reeled back. Struck by his insight.


    Erf sighed, ¡°I knew that. As soon as I¡¯ve told you about social collapses I knew that there would be no way back. My words will affect the Emanai, one way or another, for better or for worse. And it is quite possible that someone somewhere will die due to the things I will say or do in the future. I just have to keep telling myself that my actions are just, or have others that would make sure that I would not go astray.¡±


    XXX


    The conversation fizzled out after that, with none really willing to continue after final comments.


    Aikerim Adal had found herself busy reading a scroll that Erf wrote, deep in contemplation. While Erf himself was sent out to change into something more comfortable for riding as well as staying unseen from passers-by.


    Driven by Speaker¡¯s demands, the rushed packing was quickly turned into an emotional farewell. And then Irje found herself watching the cart disappearing past the Manor¡¯s gates as she hugged Yeva closer once again. They understood that he would be back, but this was the first time since he came into their lives that they would be separate for this long.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± She said, ¡°For speaking the words that I could not.¡±


    A tiny hand caressed her arm, ¡°I know you could, I was just a moment faster. And I know the feeling ¡ª he is almost scary sometimes, that husband of ours, in his reach for greater and greater heights. One is bound to yell ¡®slow down!¡¯¡±


    ¡°Yet you didn¡¯t, you urged him on instead.¡±


    ¡°I am not you, Irje,¡± The lithe girl bitterly smiled, ¡°I don¡¯t have your strength nor his knowledge to keep up. I learn a lot from him with every day but that only allows me to chase him not to walk in stride yet. But, like you, I do not wish to be useless. So while I can¡¯t protect him, I will support him. And I will wash his worries away.¡±


    She turned her head toward the faint sound of the disappearing cart, ¡°Hopefully I will have enough wisdom to steer him away from most reckless actions. And when he comes back, I will let him rest his tired head on my lap and welcome him home.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t think this is reckless? He is trying to possibly change the fate, divined by the Gods themselves.¡±


    She shook her head, ¡°I am a murk, Irje. Whatever fate was written in the sands, it ignored our plight. I might not be as daring as Erf is, but I won¡¯t stop him when he works so hard to keep his family safe.¡±


    XXX


    She didn¡¯t have pleasant dreams that night, waking up in the morning with Yeva desperately pulling her closer. Irje gently woke her up and left the bed, stretching. The familiar sickness was there, but she didn¡¯t feel happy about it.


    It was not enough.


    Quickly getting dressed, she left the room to face the chilly morning. Her walk grew more and more steady with every step that she took. Back to the familiar slave quarters. To the room, she once called hers.


    Viter opened the door, still getting dressed for the day ahead, ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    She glanced down on his naked chest, and a multitude of old scars on rugged skin, and nodded to herself.


    ¡°Viter, you have been a fighter slave before you came here, right?¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I was,¡± He answered warily, ¡°Why do you ask?¡±


    She sighed and looked him in the eyes.


    ¡°Teach me how to fight.¡±


    Snusmumriken

 Chapter 47 Setting Out

    Snusmumriken


    ¡°Did you really need to aggravate my Domina that much?¡± I asked my companion as soon as we cleared the auxiliary city gates.


    Cart and horse traffic was mostly forbidden across the entire city during the day. There was plenty of odours as is and the streets were already busy with all the people walking back and forth. One had to wait for the dim hours of twilight in order to bring bulk loads. Unless it was a Manorial business, of course.


    Granted, Manors didn¡¯t outright defy the laws set for everyone else. They did however pay for small roads that connected their manors to a few secondary gates around Samat. Roads were kept clean from manure and provided extra funding for the city, while the gates offered much easier passage and less traffic for their renowned clientele. And different taxation too.


    As one could imagine, you had to be rich to participate. And most likely have permission from Samat Manor for doing so, which ensured that only other Manors enjoyed this privilege.


    ¡°Yes, or we would have never left this quickly,¡± Albin spoke from his humongous horse. Its large hooves stumped heavily into the ground. I sat in the cart with the food and gear for our travel - our trip would take a few days there and back and neither of us was willing to sleep hungry in the night. I also had no idea how to ride a horse, so riding in the cart actually made us move faster. Especially since we would need a cart anyway for my family.


    I also didn¡¯t even need to guide my horse, the smart animal simply followed Albin¡¯s horse. Small mercies.


    ¡°The issue with the Sphere is that it isn¡¯t hers. No matter how I would have approached it, it would still be a different Manor trying to wrest away her control. It is why I had shown her the Sphere, to begin with ¡ª I needed her to have additional leverage in this deal or she would have never agreed to it.¡±


    ¡°You wanted her not to fear the uncertainty.¡± I tried to digest the meaning behind his words.


    He nodded, horns swaying along with his long braid. ¡°Precisely. If she sees me as an eccentric my actions stop being dubious and become expected. Kiymetl didn¡¯t earn their fortunes by being reckless, well most of the time.¡±


    ¡°But are they dubious? Your actions, that is.¡±


    He smirked, ¡°Good, you are cautious. There are plenty of people, that even Aikerim Adal won¡¯t be able to save you from.


    ¡°But let me give you a question to allay your fears,¡± He reached into his riding coat and pulled out a parchment, ¡°Look at this map and tell me what you think.¡±


    Unfolding the large piece of leather, I was greeted by a rather oddly-drawn map. I had seen general maps of the city that were carved on tall marble pillars, the waystones, to orient oneself and figure out the direct path to a specific area. From the glimpses that I saw, the Kiymetl manor had even more detailed maps of the manor that had all of its buildings correctly drawn in their location and size.


    This map looked like it was drawn by a five-year-old.


    The Shara river that weaved her way to the city of Samat was drawn as a straight noodle, While Nuur, her northern counterpart, was drawn as emerging straight from the mountain range in the east and then doing a sharp turn in the centre of Emanai and heading straight north from there. Cities were mostly circles or specific buildings, most likely representing the major product. Or even a sole one. And most of the time it was grain.


    Including Chimgen, a tiny picture of a manor with stalks of grain drawn around it.


    ¡°Er, why is it so imprecise?¡± I asked him, pointing at something that belonged in the museum of ancient history.


    ¡°What do you mean? All distances are written down properly.¡± Apparently, my confusion was not something he had expected either.


    I grabbed the map and looked at it again, past the geographical liberties this time. Every object of interest was connected by roads, some even had names themselves. But almost all of them had a note, specifying how many days a trip from point A to point B would take.


    This wasn¡¯t an exact map, yet it had exactly everything a traveller or a merchant would ever need ¡ª whether to expect crossroads, which direction to take and how long the trip would last. Emanai wasn¡¯t a highly urbanized place with a myriad of roads. There were only few major roads that linked important centres, not an interconnected grid of forgettable roads leading from nowhere to nowhere.


    ¡°You had expected one from a bird¡¯s-eye view, didn¡¯t you? I don¡¯t think even one exists of the whole Emanai, you would need a horde of artists to draw it and even bigger piles of gold. And if you try to map it piece by piece, by the time you are over, you would need to start again.¡±


    I nodded along to his explanation, fascinated by what the difference in priorities would result in. Despite the fact that they knew about screws they haven''t realized that one could take the oil press and turn it into a printing machine. As such, books were expensive, so were maps as each one was hand-drawn.


    They weren¡¯t making shoddy maps because they couldn¡¯t draw well ¡ª they were using symbolic representation to imprint the most crucial information down in the shortest amount of time.


    And it worked. Despite their look, I still could recognize and identify what was where from a first glance.


    Emanai was rather lucky in its location. Or I should say the major reason it could prosper so much was because of it. Established in a large, fertile valley, and protected by the twin mountain ranges on each side, while the waters of the South sea and the bay of Tir in the north made it extremely easy to protect the tiny borders it actually had.


    Borders that could make or break any country. There were no neighbours that shared their borders with Emanai. If there were some in the past they had been conquered a long time ago. From what I could piece together, just like many other countries in this world, Emanai was surrounded by Forest. A name given to the real wilderness, rife with magical creatures. Creatures that didn¡¯t care about political borders or treaties. That was their home. And they didn''t ignore a crunchy snack that tried to settle there without sufficient defences.


    It wasn¡¯t an unbeatable foe, however. The fact that humanity hasn¡¯t been wiped out already proved that they could be beaten and pushed back. But keeping the territory while still growing your population was not an easy challenge to overcome. And each country had attempted their own shortcuts to carve out a place in the sun for them. Emanai relied on choke points, while Yusuf used the harsh desert to keep itself safe.


    And I could see Emanai¡¯s previous successes and failures on the map as well. The bulk of the land was crisscrossed with old borders that split the country into smaller segments, easy to defend and recapture if they get overwhelmed. Yet there were borders outside too. Which meant that either Emanai shrank over time or simply met its hard limit in expansion and was finally pushed back.


    ¡°It reached its limit.¡± I quietly mumbled, remembering my previous tirade in front of him.


    ¡°You see it too, don¡¯t you?¡± Albin''s voice spoke to the side, looks like he noticed me zeroing in on the borders as well, ¡°I know of hundreds that wouldn¡¯t even notice that and tens that wouldn¡¯t even understand if I tried to explain it. And that is the reason why I want your willing input and not a forced one. It is not the knowledge that I seek, but a mind behind it.¡±


    I blinked, ¡°Fair enough.¡±


    He reached out and patted me on the shoulder, ¡°Even that quip on the map was telling, in your heart, you are yearning for the sky, young daimon.¡±


    I glanced at the sky above us and nodded quietly. He was absolutely right.


    I didn''t crave to travel, but the inability to do so was a constant reminder in the back of my mind. Some things you notice only when you miss them.


    We rode in silence for a while, mostly because the road we were on finally merged into the Great road. The same one that I walked on foot to be sold off merely two months ago.


    The road was extremely busy this time around. Perhaps it was due to the upcoming Divine Ritual, perhaps it was just as busy back then but I simply didn¡¯t notice ¡ª most of the traffic was heading into the city. Our cart and a horse parted the never-ending flow of produce  ¡ª a giant always-hungry beast, taking the constant toll from the land around it.


    Even the few farmlands was a mistake on my part back then. Now that the summer was in full swing, I could see that all of the lands around Samat were used for something. Back then I recognized the wheat fields and olive orchards, something that I was quite familiar with throughout my childhood. Now I could distinguish other growing fruits and vegetables.


    Perishables. Close enough to reach the city and not spoil.


    ¡°Do you ship ice from the mountains?¡±


    Aikerim was eating grapes quite early in the season. The twin mountain ranges trapped the warm humid air from the sea resulting in a Mediterranean climate, but winters were too cold for the grapes to grow year-round.


    Albin followed my gaze, ¡°No, usually some part of Flow training consists of ice creation for the cold rooms.¡±


    Ah, magic again. That was cheating. Flow was convenient. Unfortunately, it was only convenient for the very top of society.


    I put the map aside and pondered for a bit, drumming my fingers on the wood of the cart. I might be wrong, it might be a fortunate thing instead. Wermages could likely solve any issue they had with magic alone, but the very important detail was that they couldn¡¯t solve all of their issues at once. Manors could circumvent that by a bit, by sharing certain tasks among the growing population of the wermage family, just like the magical refrigeration, but every new wermage added their own demands and issues that needed resolution.


    Flow was an enormous power multiplier, but it was a personal ability that could only be shared via offspring.


    I shook my head, shaking the stray thoughts away ¡ª my course was set. I might have subconsciously been heading there anyway, but it was right now when I was travelling back to free my family, that I finally settled on my plans for the future.


    I also knew that Albin had been a tremendous help throughout my stay in Samat and he deserved some sort of reward for his actions. Gratitude and the likely success of our current endeavour aside, I would still do it. The more powerful people I knew that shared or at least subscribed to my ideas ¡ª the better.


    I stretched, put the map aside and faced Albin who kept riding quietly as I was perusing it. Patiently waiting for me to process the new knowledge and settle in my thoughts.


    ¡°I will be honest, there are many things that I don¡¯t know. Many things that I don¡¯t understand in general or even right around us. Just like some of these,¡± I pointed at the pines with needles of deep burgundy and pale trunks. They were almost non-existent in Samat but once we were further away I started to notice them once again. ¡°But I will at least start. How does a country grow in wealth?¡±


    He grinned and sat straighter, likely expecting a deep discussion and the obvious distraction from the quiet ride. His tail slightly wrapped around the body of his ride for extra stability. Judging by the steed¡¯s lack of surprise ¡ª something he had done quite often.


    ¡°A country profits from its land, and the lands of others that it is superior to. And these things are called trees, if you are talking about these specifically they are from the Forests outside the borders. They are rare here but out there you can walk for days and see nothing but them.¡±


    Interesting, but that could wait for later.


    I nodded at his response, ¡°Precisely. The natural resources of the land, its riches deep in the ground and the ones that grow above are the primary source of wealth for any nation. And the military is an obvious way to make your country richer at the expense of others. And I will probably agree that Emanai had done very well for itself in that regard. But we wouldn¡¯t be talking about that if we didn¡¯t recognize that it wasn¡¯t enough.


    ¡°Emanai is blessed by the fertile cradle it grew within but it is unable to expand further beyond its current borders. Because it is stuck in a loop. You need more manpower to man your expanded borders, which means more mouths to feed and more land to cultivate. A land that you don¡¯t have without expanding the borders. A land that will produce nothing unless you have farmers or slaves to tend to it. Which means even more mouths to feed.¡±


    I patted the map. ¡°Most of Emanai are farms, most of the population are farmers. If I closed my eyes and took a hundred people from all corners of Emanai I would end up with ninety of them being farmers. Ninety per a hundred, per centum, percent. And then there are other labourers like miners. In the end, I expect that each warrior needs ten farmers or slaves just to feed him alone. This is your choke-point Albin.¡±


    He rubbed his chin, ¡°Is that what you were referring to back then about food? Flow can make wheat grow faster, but what you are talking about is increasing the production of the whole country. Even if you make every wermage stand in the fields and maintain the magic, it won¡¯t be enough. And you are unlikely to make any to do so, to begin with.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t even try,¡± I chuckled. ¡°A mere murk telling the esteemed wermages to roll their sleeves and get dirty? I like living way too much to do so. What I am suggesting is the slow and steady improvement of the entire farming sector. As a former farmer slave myself, I can tell you without a doubt that most of the farming is simply done by throwing cheap labour at it. After all, what is cheaper than a slave?


    ¡°What Emanai needs is farmers with tools; steel ploughs, sharp and strong to easily lift the land. And more.¡±


    He turned to face me fully, ¡°And where would you get these ploughs made of steel? And in the quantity to affect the global food production. Steel doesn¡¯t grow on trees.¡±


    ¡°And here I would want to take you back to the original question that I asked. About the wealth. There are other ways to grow wealth than to take it from your land or from the land of your enemies. Kiymetl is a good representation of another way to generate value ¡ª they utilize the difference in the value of products from where they are made and where they are consumed. They generate wealth by making products available.¡±


    ¡°But it also doesn¡¯t make more food either. It just prevents it from rotting in one region while the other starves.¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was just an example, but trade would be a significant aspect later. There is another one that is actually relevant to our discussion. In the end, farming is nothing more than value generation from human labour. You start with land and water, add work and time, and end up with land and produce. Sounds identical to a craftsman turning raw materials into a valuable product, wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡±


    I leaned in closer, ¡°What Emanai needs is the expansion of the middle class. Manufacturing sector. Artisans that would take something cheap and turn it into expensive products. Specialists that would only make a single item but make a lot of them or make them for a fraction of its usual price. All supported by the robust trade network moving the goods everywhere.¡±


    ¡°So you want the Manors to expand their primary trades?¡±


    ¡°Quite the opposite, I was talking about independent crafters. Manors would only need so much product made to satisfy themselves and would default to accumulating wealth in gold and letting it sit in their coffers without use. You want artisans to work for their own profit. Countless farmers working a bit harder to save up for that plough and make the lives of their children easier in return, or even allow some children to leave the farms and venture into the cities and become smiths themselves since there is less need for human hands in the fields and more wealth to be made by making more and more tools for the populace. And I haven''t even started on automation, tools that make products even without workers.


    ¡°Just like each farmer, each one of them will provide little, but they will improve each other, from the work of another. More tools ¡ª more efficient farmers ¡ª more hands available to make even more tools ¡ª even more efficient farmers. Do this long enough and Emanai wouldn¡¯t need to conquer land or take wealth from others at all. For it would dwarf any other country with its wealth. It would be akin of you travelling across the Forest just to take a grain of wheat from some beggar on the street.¡±


    ¡°Wealth generation, nourished by trade, you say? Your Domina might be rather pleased to have you around. Very pleased. Does she know about what you just told me?¡± Albin murmured, his gaze looking elsewhere. Thinking.


    I shrugged, ¡°Most likely, by now. I didn¡¯t have the time to tell her in person, but I left her with my notes to read. This knowledge brings more to the table when it is widely known.¡±


    ¡°It will require a significant amount of money, however. A farmer wouldn¡¯t simply move into the city and establish a smithy or pottery. She would need to have enough silver to purchase materials and land and most likely either know someone to teach her or learn herself by practising for quite some time. No one has that kind of wealth to bury talents of gold into the ground and wait for the golden tree to sprout.¡± He looked at me slyly, ¡°Unless you know some trick for that.¡±


    I laughed, ¡°Of course it won¡¯t be simple. If I could snap my fingers and make it happen that would be quite some magic to have. But it is possible with time, and Emanai has made steps in the correct direction already or the cities like Samat wouldn¡¯t even exist. Throwing money at the masses would be wasteful as you can tell. But we don¡¯t have to start from the dregs of the society, nor simply throw the gold away.¡±


    Even if the shuttle had everything I needed to regrow the ship and if I had total control over Emanai, it would still take generations for a better society to grow. They needed to act differently, think differently in order to become a true post-scarcity civilization and not a horde of people with all their needs met yet without a new purpose in life after.


    But even that would be unlikely. I was not a dictator of Emanai that all had to obey. No matter how beneficial my projects would be, there will be others standing in my way. Some ¡ª because I was a murk, others ¡ª because my growing status and influence would threaten theirs, or make their status less grand in comparison with the growing wealth of masses. Not counting the fact that ¡®generations¡¯ in Emanai was a rather long period too.


    ¡°Money is not magic, but it can make a lot of things happen. But it can only do so when it flows.¡± Albin looked at me with comically wide-open eyes when I said so. ¡°While having coffers full with gold would be beneficial for you in the case of unprecedented events, for the Emanai as a country, that gold is worth no more than the cobwebs it had been covered with for centuries.


    ¡°You need money to constantly exchange hands, forcefully in some cases. Like the Tithe of Safety that all free men have to pay for themselves and their chattel.¡±


    The yearly defence tax, demanded from all who enjoyed the safety of Emanai and in return funded the borders and the army that protected them.


    Albin nodded sagely, ¡°Indeed. If Chimgen Domina didn¡¯t need the extra funds to pay it off, she wouldn¡¯t have sold you in the first place. Quite important.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say I am not happy that the events occurred as they did. I remember dreaming of having a fresh loaf of bread and seeing myself strong, unafraid of the scary trees in the forest. And now look at me,¡± I chuckled as I pointed at the packed food. Albin didn¡¯t arrive at the manor dressed to go ¡ª he came fully prepared for the multi-day trip. Packed with good food and even a few jars of wine for the road. A wermage bringing lunches for a murk. The young Erf would be frothing at the mouth, or quietly pass out.


    ¡°But that is not exactly what I meant. The tithe is in cuts. Not grain, nor skins or sheep. Money. This means that all these farmers that populate Emanai are forced to sell some of their grain during harvest just so they can afford to pay the tithe. At the time when the grain is most available and thus cheapest. That monetary tithe was an important step as it is likely the reason why cuts are so widespread across the country.


    ¡°Farmers don¡¯t need much. They try to make enough to sustain their families, and they rely on themselves to fix their clothes or build a house. Self-sufficient. By forcing them to pay in copper you dragged them into the trade flow. By forcing them to work longer and harder you made them generate even more wealth for the country, both in the tithe that they had to give away and the grain they sold for cheap. All that extra influx of grain meant that now Emanai needed millers and bakers to process it. Carpenters to build mills and bakeries, traders to buy that grain or bread and bring it to a good place to trade. And that is when cities started to grow into what they are now.¡±


    ¡°You know, you are probably the first one to praise the tithe while simultaneously denouncing it.¡±


    ¡°Because I try to look at it objectively,¡± I shrugged, ¡°Many hate it and for obvious reasons too, but at this stage, it is unfortunately necessary. I would suggest trying to shake some of these coffers loose however, the elite is capable of stimulating the economy just as strongly simply due to the sheer wealth they possess. Most likely not with taxes ¡ª I don¡¯t think you will have much success there, but make them spend it on luxuries. Or have more festivals where they can showcase their wealth that is not in gold but in the crafts or buildings that they have.¡±


    ¡°Like glass?¡± He grinned, ¡°Or soaps? Should I call you Erf Kiymetl Mesud from now on? How much had you picked up from that Domina of yours?¡±


    ¡°Like glass,¡± I didn¡¯t even blink at his jest. Mesud? I guess I could call myself lucky. ¡°Although I am not sure she would keep it to herself for long. It is not exactly an arcane craft. Esca had kept it secret for so long only because they actively sought out and removed competition but now, that the cat is out of the bag, it would be wasteful for them to continue. Nor do I think she will spend all her time on something like glass anyway.¡±


    XXX


    And so we kept riding while discussing the possible future of Emanai. I kept slowly expanding on the ideas of Adam Smith. Some ideas were rather general while many were outdated and wouldn''t last the test of time, but I couldn¡¯t dump thousands of years worth of economic knowledge on him. Albin was obviously smart and he easily kept up with my ideas, despite the occasional quips he would provide. On another hand, Albin was obviously not a daimon either. A son or, maybe, a grandson. Or daimonas weren¡¯t what I imagined them to be. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t listen so attentively about ideas that my contemporaries would at most roll their eyes at for stating the obvious.


    On the second day, we passed the tree, gouged rather deeply yet healing well. An unfortunate accident with that spike. I quietly wondered what did the merchant think when he found out that someone sharpened it past the razor¡¯s edge. Probably sold it perhaps, merchants have an eye for oddities.


    Yet I said nothing. We were, after all, in a hurry. Explaining why we had to stop in the middle of the day ¡ª heading out to scavenge whatever was left. I remembered the clearing in the forest, the trees were sparse but alive, which meant that the crash happened many years ago. Long enough to cover the marks, but not enough to grow over the impact site.


    It could sit there for a few more days.


    XXX


    ¡°Are you looking for gold?¡± Albin asked sitting in the chair made of sand, without bothering to look at the levitating meat being slowly roasted by the fireball, ¡°You need to look closer to the mountains.¡±


    He didn¡¯t bring a lot of luxuries with him, most likely the product of his military career. But he was a wermage, so we had flying fire chicken for dinner, sand furniture, and climate-controlled tents. That charmed mosquitoes away.


    No, I wasn¡¯t jealous.


    My estate will have an entire freezer room and central heating, just because. And glass windows to keep any pests away.


    Horses munching on the grass nearby. I had never realised how often these gluttons ate. Albin laughed himself silly when I couldn''t hold the horse on the road and ended up riding the cart into the field.


    I stretched while still standing knee-deep in the running water, ¡°Not gold specifically. I am looking for black sand.¡±


    Fluvial deposits were a cache of knowledge, mostly useless. The river eroded the ground and took small parts of it along for the ride, depositing them in where the flow was slow or bent into a new direction. Just like this riverbank where we set the camp for the night. Through the methodical screening of tiny specks I dug out, I could slowly start to piece together some geological knowledge on the land that fed the Shara river.


    Not that I had found anything worth mentioning. But even a trace amount might be enough to narrow my searches by a wide margin.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think there are any here at all. Nuur has some black beaches, especially near the Babr mountains in the east.¡±


    Or I could have asked the person who lived here for centuries.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± I dropped the ball of mud back into the water and headed back to the shore, ¡°But I was thinking ¡ª we left rather quietly, but what if the Chimgen Domina will mention our visit when she arrives in Samat?¡±


    Was he planning on modifying her memory? Or was that not as a big deal as I¡¯ve had imagined. But we were close to our destination and I didn¡¯t want to leave the question unanswered.


    ¡°She might mention a purchase that occurred a few days before Shebet messenger arrival,¡± The flying lunch landed on a plate, and he got up, cracking his fingers, ¡°But it won¡¯t be the Albin Chasya that she would remember seeing.¡±


    I heard his bones crack as the horns receded. The tail shrank and grew fur while the familiar face of a demon, that I dared to call my friend, was replaced by a new one. Crowned by pointy ears of a guard dog.


    Now I stood in front of someone that looked like a wermage from Kosenya Manor. The House of Defence, that kept the borders safe.


    I had no idea what to say so I raised my eyebrow instead.


    ¡°Magic can be quite useful,¡± He said in his usual way of speaking, a new timbre of his voice making it even odder to hear, ¡°Especially when one carries the Sphere to hide the telling signs.¡±


    My second eyebrow joined the first, ¡°You sound even more weird, now.¡±


    Mages. Really?


    ¡°Ah, please forgive my appearance.¡± The indisputable Albin''s grin was back as well.

 Chapter 48 The City

    Aikerim Kiymetl Adal


    ¡°My Domina, the Envoy was already gone from the villa when the guard arrived.¡± A timid voice spoke.


    The parchment slowly rustled under her fingers as she read the line after line, enchanted. No wonder Albin was so desperate for his attention that he was willing to surrender such a valuable secret of Shebet. The Sphere of Negation of all things! An artefact that could hide one even from the angry gaze of Gods themselves! Aikerim didn¡¯t know what the House of Records had done to deserve such a Gift, but they would be unlikely to keep it for long if she would reveal the truth to the public.


    Erf''s overview on Emanai was concerning no doubt, but the possible outcomes weren¡¯t immediate either. He himself agreed that Emanai was either at the peak of its power or was just approaching it. But it was prudent to ensure the same could be said when her children and grandchildren would stand at the forefront of Kiymetl.


    ¡°Um, Shahin Esca was informed about our arrival, as her rooms were left in a great hurry. A messenger had delivered her words ¡ª as a wermage, she fears unlawful persecution and requests an unobstructed passage home or demands for her voice to be heard in front of the Gods.¡±


    Even the fact that he had brought attention to the issue was already enough, but it wasn¡¯t why she couldn¡¯t take her eyes from the neat squiggles on the parchment. His suggestions on how to break the cycle were.


    Some of the ideas were easy enough to grasp, as the specialization of labour. Something like that was already present within the Manorial system. House of Trade had many Manors within it and infighting was obviously out of the question. As such, each Manor had to occupy a specific niche that only they were beholden to. Her mother, as well as all Matriarchs before her, would dare not to entertain a branch Manor that competed with another branch or, worst of all, had no Purpose. Manors like that quickly found themselves absorbed back into the Primary Manor.


    Aikerim got hers exactly because she could prove to her mother that there is gold in the textile trade.


    Some were much more unexpected, especially the necessity to improve the status of the farmers. Each class in society had a Purpose and farmers had to serve the Emanai by growing food for all. To imply that they needed additional assistance meant that they were either lazy and were unwilling, or weak and unable. And neither of these sat well with her.


    Manors kept them safe from the Forest, staking their own lives for their sake. The lest they could do is give back in equal measure.


    These feelings however were quickly tempered by the numbers he had provided. Aikerim knew that there were a lot of farmers across the country, but she had to accept that up until this moment she had no idea how bad the situation really was. After all, so far it had been working without issues.


    ¡°Allow me to speak to Samat on your behalf! If you desire we could easily drag her over to your feet, clad in Shackles. Or have her ship sunk as soon as she leaves the harbour!¡±


    These divine numbers of his told her the cold harsh truth of why all recent Emanai expansions had resulted in ruin. Why did seemingly small expansions in Emanai defensive arms have such tremendous cost in grain alone. Worst of all ¡ª she was aware of all these numbers. Erf had used her library to learn after all. But they were scattered across many codices and missives.


    Now they were put on one single scroll. Impossible to ignore.


    And then there was the third group of ideas ¡ª the ones that were impossible to refuse.


    As the daughter of the House of Trade, Aikerim would easily agree that she saw her family task as a noble one. Despite what other wermages had thought about it. House of Trade had seen a constant struggle for generations to prove their Purpose as a noble one and to establish new domains so that more Manors could prosper in their name.


    Erf notes were a song of love to trade.


    Plain and simple. They didn¡¯t glorify it or lavish vulgar praise like others quite often chose to do, while seeking her graces without bothering to delve into its intricacies. She could tell that Erf knew what he was writing about.


    However, instead of seeing it as a noble trade just like she did, Erf saw the beast that would move the whole world.


    He would offhandedly mention a single sentence that could easily result in yet another branch Manor for Kiymetl, a single sentence that her sisters and aunts could fight to know about. And the only reason her tail didn¡¯t flinch or her lips didn¡¯t split into a grin was due to her eyes eagerly trying to see the next words that were written.


    ¡°Um, my Domina?¡±


    There was also something else within his notes. Aikerim had spent the last century perfecting her craft and she could sense the glimpses of something else, something even bigger. Not just the system that transported and exchanged goods for gold. There was something big that deserved its own Purpose, its own House. Perhaps, its own Pillar. Something that dealt only with gold and trust. It allowed others to craft and trade and, in return, would see a share in their profits.


    Aikerim could usually predict how much gold she could see from a new venture. With this, she dared not to try. No wonder he was so frustrated by other daimonas. In comparison, they had done barely anything at all!


    ¡°Land, Labour, and Wealth,¡± She quietly murmured.


    The factors of production that were necessary to see Emanai prosper. Land and therefore labour were at their limit. Which left wealth as the deciding factor. Something that she knew how to get and hold on to. Something that she was bound to acquire even more of, due to the help of her Alchemist. And if she stacked her cuts right ¡ª something that she could see multiplying a hundredfold even before Anaise would take the reigns.


    If her daughter would even need to. Perhaps her little moon would grow into a Matriarch of her own. Split away from Kiymetl just like the House of War was split into three a long time ago. She just had to make it happen without too much friction.


    Then there was the issue of Erf.


    The main reason she was able to take a foothold on wool in Samat was her established relationship with shepherds on the outskirts of Emanai. Both murk and wer alike. And the reason she had succeeded where her sisters did not was in understanding that these people relied on establishing relationships to weather the rough times, rather than accumulating wealth. These were poor households and they could not afford to store gold as Manors did, without risk of being robbed.


    What they could do is try and grow relationships among themselves and their betters in order to endure the hard times together. They would share their fortunes during harvest and shearing, offering gifts and welcoming guests, so that when the need came they could get assistance from these they lavished prior.


    But it only worked when both sides would show their commitment. And when they did, these relationships lasted for generations. Aikerim spent her early years slowly building up that bond. Buying more wool than she needed on certain years or using her name and wealth to sway trials one way or another. But now the children and grandchildren of these she helped would only trade with her and no one else. Waiting until her carriers would arrive even if someone else would offer a better price. Thus making sure that Samat would never have a need in wool or linen while she was here.


    And Erf was doing exactly that with her this very moment. Feasting her with new ideas, products, and machines. Generously sharing his wealth of knowledge. And barely asking anything in return. Watching. Waiting. Aikerim knew exactly what he was waiting for while ignoring all her attempts to sway him otherwise.


    She also knew what he sought was no mere title of a freedmurk. Free but bound to the land they lived at. Or bound to the Manor they would call their Patron. He wanted a different Purpose than Servitude. Aikerim could grant him that wish, she was sure she could even do so while keeping him linked to her Manor. The real challenge was whether he would survive the process. For her opinion mattered little if Erf couldn¡¯t prove himself.


    Recent revelations made it very likely, however. She wasn¡¯t sure how strong and sturdy he really was yet but, if he could match a wer in battle, his chances of survival were almost guaranteed. Unfortunately, his recent revelations had made him even more invaluable, making that ¡®almost¡¯ impossible to ignore.


    Another task for Sulla, then. Otherwise, she would not send her alchemist to waste his precious life, no matter how much he asked for it.


    It was for his own good.


    A quiet cough rang inside the room and Aikerim pressed the parchment to her chest. Somehow feeling like a child trying to hide away a treat from her older siblings.


    ¡°What?¡± She barked out, frowning.


    The werfox in front of her bowed, ¡°A thousand apologies, my Domina! But the Envoy of Esca-¡±


    Ah yes, the arrogant lamura that tried to take Erf away.


    Her jaw clenched.


    ¡°She demanded her right to be heard?¡± Aikerim interrupted her guardmaster, carefully rolling the scroll into a storage case, ¡°Very well, she will have it.¡±


    ¡°My Domina?¡±


    Her fingers flexed, gouging the table. ¡°I would not be a good host if I would deny my guest''s right to her voice.¡±


    Shahin Esca Yusuf-ja would pay for her trickery, but not in the way she would expect. And not from the direction she was guarding against. Aikerim and Erf made sure of it.


    After all, Aikerim had a certain dilemma she needed to resolve, and a wermage of a high status that was begging to be used. And she would not be a shrewd merchant if she would pass an opportunity like that.


    Her lips parted in a vicious grin, ¡°Send the messengers so they can start the trial immediately!¡±


    Shahin Esca Yusuf-ja


    She ignored yet another glance of concern from the wersheep Domina. Public events were always about the perception of power and influence, and she would not damn her chances by appearing weak from the beginning. Which is exactly why Aikerim Adal decision to proceed with the trial was so unexpected and concerning.


    Kiymetl was the bereaved Manor. The werfox Domina wouldn¡¯t jump so eagerly into this trial unless she could gain something greater than the public humiliation of crying on the forum about losing her assets in a successful ploy. Either Aikerim Adal was a fool or cared more about cuts of gold than the prestige of her family.


    Or something else was amiss.


    Most likely the Collectors failed at their task and some of the three survived. Perhaps, she had misread her and Domina was prudent enough to secure the knowledge in advance. It would be a setback then but not too fatal. Shahin would most likely be banished from this cold place, leaving some token gold to recompense. And everything will start from the beginning. Esca still had centuries of polishing the craft, and it will take Kiymetl just as long to reach their level. Centuries that Esca would use to grind their fortunes into dust.


    Or she decided to bluff until the end.


    Samat Matriarch sat beside them but not too close. Seemingly busy with the shine of her horns. Not as a support but the insurance. That was unfortunate, She would have to weigh her words carefully for the Samat Manor to put their weight on her side. Shahin knew a lot but not enough to cripple the entire Manor with her words alone. Which meant it could result in them chastising Kiymetl Manor for asking too much, or denouncing her instead for suggesting their involvement.


    She listened quietly to the Censor overseeing the trial. Domina of the Shebet Manor. A werdrake of sorts with large horns tinted with brimstone yellow. And a tail blessed by the moon ¡ª her tail fins similar to the divine crescents. Twitching despite her calm exterior.


    Shahin could easily discern what Sophia Chasya¡¯s prime reason for being here was. The spiteful looks she had been sending at the unperturbed Kiymetl Domina made it obvious to anyone who paid enough attention and knew what to look for.


    Young, hotheaded, and very strong. These made the perfect warriors but poor strategists and generals. She wielded her power like a hammer, swinging it until she would get what she wanted. Most of the time such tendencies were tempered in childhood when one would meet someone stronger or of higher status. Apparently, it wasn¡¯t the case with Sophia Chasya. The werdrake clearly had been enjoying the power of her status long enough and her immense Spark since childhood years.


    The very same Censor that Aikerim Adal rebuked a few days prior, or so she was informed. If she threw her dice right, Speaker might be her biggest ally in this trial, with the current feud brewing up between these parties.


    ¡°We have gathered today to witness the justice being made, while I will be the ears of the Gods themselves!¡± The Censor proclaimed and turned to face the werfox fully, ¡°Speak then. Tell us of your woes.¡±


    ¡°Five days ago, Collectors snuck into my Manor, and I wish to know who was responsible for it.¡± Aikerim Adal calmly spoke amidst the murmurs and Shahin had to restrain herself not to gape in surprise. The werfox was acting like a lunatic, publicly admitting her Manor to be weak! To think that Kiymetl Domina was willing to tarnish her reputation for centuries just to get back at her?


    A surprise passed, replaced by calm determination and cold glee. Good. She would ¡®struggle¡¯ as Aikerim would keep digging her hole deeper. There might be a chance that she would not leave Emanai, not with a lunatic like that after her, but Kiymetl would burn the kindle of goodwill in one great blaze. Leaving themselves frozen for the nights ahead. And then her sisters will strike back, taking back a hundredfold and ensuring the wellbeing of Esca for the generations to come.


    ¡°A grievous assault,¡± Shahin spoke slowly, ¡°My Manor and I hope that none of your family was hurt in this incident. A wermage trying to harm another wermage should be unthinkable. And punished most severely ¡ª for we should not turn to our barbaric past.¡±


    ¡°My family is safe,¡± Aikerim easily played into her hand, ¡°They were after my teachers and artisans. Nevertheless, I wish to know the truth of who was behind it, I even brought my Orb with me to confirm it.¡±


    Even more loud murmurs spread across the forum including some voices of outrage and Shahin straightened her back, lifting the chin up higher. This couldn''t simply be sheer stupidity, whatever Domina was aiming for was deliberate. But she still couldn¡¯t grasp her aim and that didn¡¯t sit well with her at all.


    ¡°Are you saying that we have gathered here because some wer or even murk had been found with a dagger stuck in the chest?¡± Censor spoke incredulously, mimicking the feelings of the crowd, ¡°And to demand the Truth from a wermage for such a petty transgression, to begin with. Have you forgotten that only I can allow such a thing?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kiymetl Domina nodded, ¡°I was hoping that you would. After all, they were targeting the teacher of my First Daughter, my Alchemist, and the bearer of the Gestr of Kiymetl.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± Censor roared, ¡°Are you trying to say she dared to attack him!¡±


    Her tail tensed up as the mirages finally disappeared, showing her the dunes of reality ahead. Censor wasn¡¯t angry that Kiymetl scorned her offers, she was angry because they had that murk and she didn¡¯t. And Aikerim Adal used her perfectly, she annoyed her just enough and then sent all that anger directed at her instead with just a single sentence.


    Shahin wished that she could lash at the Agrona Ninanak, the Samat Domina beside her, but she could only afford a withering gaze. Her scowl hidden by her veil. The wersheep apparently didn¡¯t disclose enough about what actually happened in that bath, perhaps to prevent her from reconsidering.


    And now they were going to pay the price.


    Samat Matriarch stopped fussing with her horns and changed her stance, watching the proceedings with care.


    The werdrake turned around, tail swishing on the carpets that covered the marbled floors, ¡°Answer me, do her claims bear truth!?¡±


    The Matriarch quietly coughed.


    So that¡¯s how it was then.


    ¡°What Aikerim Kiymetl Adal did not mention was that said ¡®alchemist¡¯ had stolen the secrets of our Purpose!¡± She loudly proclaimed to the masses, ¡°By choosing to shelter someone who was no doubt a fugitive of Yusuf, Kiymetl had clearly overstepped their bounds, given to us by the Gods. They are no longer satisfied with merely taking the gold, for they want to take the Purposes of other Manors. First in Yusuf and then, undoubtedly, in Emanai itself!¡±


    The crowd was much louder this time. Aikerim Adal was able to incite the Censor, but she was no slouch in speaking herself, mustering the other wermages behind her cause was not a hard task.


    ¡°What fugitive? He was born and raised here and never spoke to anyone from Yusuf before your arrival. Take the Purpose? If I say my Purpose is to eat will your Manor starve itself? After all, we both eat food.¡± A disdainful remark followed.


    Dragging it further was futile. If the Censor would decree the use of the Orb on a wermage like her, Samat would likely switch the sides. At least she managed to get some new information from it. Shahin suspected he was not from the sands of her people but this was pretty much the confirmation she needed. This wasn¡¯t one of their artisans who ran away or a pupil of one.


    Censor slammed her hand down, ¡°So did he survive or not?¡±


    Aikerim shook her head, ¡°Fortunately, he lived. Apparently, whoever supplied her with Collectors was too poor to afford the real ones.¡±


    Shahin sighed and closed her eyes, ignoring the jab that was aimed at the Samat Manor beside her. If they take offence on such a subtle poke it would be their own fault.


    She had failed.


    But just because she failed once didn¡¯t mean she had the option to give up. The wellbeing of her Manor was at stake. Right now all she could do is to weather the storm of her failure and try and try again.


    ¡°Why are we still entertaining this charade?¡± Samat Matriarch spoke out, ¡°So he didn¡¯t die ¡ª have her pay a fine and let us be done with it. In fact, As the owner of Samat, I can pay in her stead, so that we can finish it quickly and send her packing away from our city.


    ¡°We are discussing a life of a murk anyway, a handful of silver should suffice even if he died,¡± She elbowed someone beside her, ¡°Who knows maybe he already did, from old age. They tend to do that all the time.¡±


    Quiet laughter spread out, initiated by the lackey the Matriarch poked. She laughed the hardest.


    Yes, leaving right now would probably be the best option. The missive was already sent to her Manor, but staying here would not be safe, and Shahin would work her hardest to prepare her Manor for the counterattack.


    ¡°How about a hundred thousand gold talents?¡± Kiymetl Domina brazenly spoke out, making the Samat Matriarch sputter.


    ¡°Have you lost your mind, child? Or did your mother forget to teach you numbers? I think I need to talk to Nanaya Ayda, it looks like your Matriarch doesn''t know how to foster respect in her children.¡±


    ¡°That is his worth to me,¡± Aikerim Adal shrugged, ¡°Or did you think Virnan Shah gives away Gestri to common farmer slaves?¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t make him worth more than a city either!¡±


    ¡°I concur,¡± Shahin nodded to Samat Matriarch, ¡°He is suspiciously absent, despite your claims that he is alive¡­ Can I trust your claims that he is no fugitive of Yusuf? Perhaps it is I who should claim this price from you, for taking what belonged to Esca, to begin with.¡±


    ¡°You claim that he is a fugitive because he knows about glass?¡± Aikerim Adal got up and slowly walked closer to her podium, carrying two pouches, ¡°is this cup made by Esca artisans?¡±


    ¡°Yes, our craftsmanship is unquestionable,¡± Shahin easily recognized one of the gifts she had presented to Domina upon her arrival.


    ¡°What about this one?¡±


    A much simpler cup was presented. It was apparent that whoever made it wasn¡¯t working at this craft for a long time. Yet, it was of clear glass and that was already worrying. They didn''t just stumble on the knowledge they knew exactly what to mix, and had access to good materials too.


    ¡°This is the cup made from the written instructions of my alchemist,¡± Aikerim Adal continued due in her silence, making her feel the chill crawling through her tail.


    So she did secure his knowledge, which means she was much more deadly than she was informed and observed herself.


    Werfox fingers let go of the intricate cup, Shahin flinched from the loud crash as the shards spread across the carpeted floor.


    ¡°It is fragile.¡±


    ¡°It is strong enough to hold the wine, If I knew that the Kiymetl Manor was so barbaric and uncouth to hold their strength in check, I should have sent you leaden cups.¡± She sniffed, ¡°We give these to our children until they learn not to crush every toy-¡±


    Another loud sound interrupted her speech. This time Aikerim Adal threw the second cup into the ground.


    This time around the cup bounced off.


    And rolled on the floor.


    Intact.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t it you, who told me Esca¡¯s glass is strong due to the Gods¡¯ blessings?¡± She heard the voice as the world swam all over her, ¡°It looks to me that the glass of Kiymetl is truly blessed.¡±


    This was wrong. It shouldn¡¯t be.


    ¡°I also don¡¯t remember seeing the glass of pale Arksite made by your artisans,¡± Shaitan with the hair of red lifted up her braids, showing off her braid Rings to the damning murmur of the crowd all around them.


    She heard the buzz of angry bees all over her, the loud heartbeat inside her chest.


    This must be a lie!


    Kiymetl shouldn¡¯t, couldn¡¯t, mustn¡¯t have that knowledge!


    A finger ring landed on her podium. Simple glass, but out of the same pale Arksite hue.


    They did.


    Did the Gods send them that murk as a Gift? It looked more and more likely. But what about her own Manor? Did they anger Gods somehow? What could they do to earn their favour back?! What could she do?


    ¡°Or maybe,¡± a soft clap echoed through the forum, followed by loud gasps and frantic murmurs, ¡°Esca had been hiding something even greater?¡±


    Shahin lifted up her eyes to see her sister in front of her. No, it was just her reflection. Clear like the most polished ones she had seen, made from pure silver and polished overnight by slaves. Yet without any imperfections either, something that even best artisans couldn¡¯t achieve.


    And it was larger than she could imagine being possible. Judging by the loud yells, the crowd thought the same, there have been calls for the price already from somewhere.


    ¡°If he was a fugitive that means Esca can make similar glass mirrors too?¡±


    This wasn¡¯t a trial. This was the showcase of the new Kiymetl offers. Offers that were more than well-received.


    And they both knew it.


    And for all her knowledge of glass-making, Shahin couldn¡¯t even fathom how it was done. Which meant that she couldn¡¯t match them with her own.


    ¡°If only you waited just a tenday longer,¡± the werfox quietly murmured to her amidst the rumbles of the crowd and the shouts of the Censor trying to get them under control.


    ¡°So that you could starve us quietly instead?¡± Shahin bitterly responded.


    ¡°Do you think I am stupid? These mirrors of glass alone could occupy my Manor for centuries ahead. Why should I fight for the apples on the ground when I have an entire tree in my own orchard?


    ¡°So what do you want?¡± She spoke with resignation, there was no purpose to wonder about the different paths she didn¡¯t take. She made her choice and she will walk it with all the dignity she had. ¡°You know well that Esca will not humour your fantastical wergild. Even if we had that much. Will you push for my execution, then? It will be likely ¡ª the Censor is on your side. But will you survive the infamy of a Manor that saw a wermage dead for the sake of a murk?¡±


    ¡°A Life for a Life,¡± Aikerim Adal spoke, ¡°But not in Blood, but in Servitude. It will be short, we are talking about a wermage against a murk afterwards. Fifty years should be of equal trade.¡±


    ¡°And do you think you can demand a Servitude from a wermage?¡± Censor finally started paying attention to what was happening at the centre of the trial. ¡°I won''t have you sour our relationship with Yusuf because you wanted to take one of theirs for yourself.¡±


    ¡°Gods be witness, I won¡¯t. I can¡¯t.¡± Aikerim Adal waved her tail, ¡°But I can let her choose instead. If she agrees, the Kiymetl will not sell the products that Esca already does. There is also a possibility that we will sell our own novel creations through them in time. Provide them with the Arksite glass to make new crafts with it, even.¡±


    The tail swished once more, ¡°Or even share some alchemy. After all, it is not just sand that makes the glass.¡±


    Looking at her, Shahin remembered the words of her grandmother. ¡®Shaitan does not threaten.¡¯ It doesn¡¯t need to. It will come to you through the desert without rattling sabres or shaking spears. It will not come for you yelling threats or hissing curses. It will come with a smile, bringing fire in one hand and water in the other.


    And you will take them.


    Because you have no choice.


    The reflection looked back at her, without a Spark within. As if trying to show her the future of her Manor.


    She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed. Because the future of her House was more important than the humiliation she is bound to receive.


    ¡°I accept.¡± Shahin Esca Yusuf-ja spoke raising her head back up.


    Shaitan smiled for the first time.


    Aikerim Kiymetl Adal


    ¡°If you desire to discuss this in a civil manner, I will,¡± She spoke to her approaching daughter.


    They were the only ones left in the banquet hall, once all the guests had been escorted out. Her triumphant return from the trial had resulted in a grand celebratory feast, ending the already rich day with an appropriate tone.


    Many had previously questioned her decision to seek the trial in private, and some even in public. And nothing would silence these naysayers more than the results she managed to achieve. And nothing screamed about her prowess more than a willing wermage slave. To crush your opponent so thoroughly that they would be willing to offer one of their own in order to avoid further devastation.


    As she had expected, the entire ceremony was a great success. With her household properly impressed and the other Manors properly awed and enticed.


    Except for two ¡ª her own children.


    Aikerim easily dismissed Amalric''s outrage, he was still earning her forgiveness and lamura¡¯s fate might prove helpful for his character, but Anaise would need a different approach.


    Her little moon sighed and took a knee in front of her sofa, her lush tail laying still on the ground, ¡°I wish to know why would you gift her to him, instead of keeping her for yourself.¡±


    She could see the emotions bubbling under her facade. Nevertheless, Anaise held still showing her restraint. Good, she could begin, then.


    A bit of concentration on the runes and the room succumbed into silence, cutting them away from a stray ear.


    ¡°I have thought about your desire and¡­I have decided to allow it.¡± Aikerim slowly began.


    ¡°Then why-¡± Anaise exclaimed only to be stopped by her hand.


    ¡°I have decided to allow it. Not the Emanai as a whole,¡± She thundered at her daughter for interrupting, ¡°And if I were to grant your wish, I will make sure that the other Manors will not make you suffer for it.¡±


    A silence stretched between them.


    Anaise sighed, ¡°So that would make him not just a murk, but a murk that owns a wermage. Ours and other Manors would rightfully question why you didn¡¯t just give her directly to me.¡±


    ¡°Let them. My position is more than secure, especially after the events of today. Yours, however, isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°And what if she gets swayed by his charm? You know that she will discover plenty being this close. What if she decides that further actions are necessary?¡±


    ¡°Do you expect him to be that easily swayed? Especially by her of all the people.¡± She raised an eyebrow.


    Anaise smiled and shook her head.


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Aikerim continued, ¡°And if she gets swayed then all the better. I have no desire to crush Esca as a whole, but to see them join us in strength for good. Perhaps even spearheaded by the Second Daughter of Esca that is seeking to enter your sadaq.


    ¡°I have no time and people to expand into glass-making, not after the revelations I bore witness to,¡± She waved a scroll case and put it back into her kaftan, ¡°And I wouldn¡¯t mind her Manor to take that burden off my shoulders while singing me praises and showering me in gold.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Anaise nodded and got up, ¡°Be well, mother. It appears that I have quite a lot to think about, and even more to prepare for.¡±


    XXX


    We walked out of the Chimgen Manor ¡ª Albin on his horse and me, his ¡®travel slave¡¯, a hooded figure dutifully walking beside him. Our faces neutral, our bellies full.


    Two precious people, riding on the cart quietly.


    A familiar itch on my chest telling me that all that consumed food is being used for its intended purpose.


    ¡°I have seen a lot,¡± I softly murmured, ¡°But I never expected her to act that way. That Domina was outright thirsty.¡±


    ¡°A Spark is a blessing and a curse,¡± Albin sighed, ¡°Impossible to mask or hide, it tells all who are capable of seeing the true strength of the blood flowing in my veins. It is a small mercy that she wasn¡¯t in the Heat, or we would not have left that easily.¡±


    I shuddered, feeling the chill crawling up my spine. Thankfully Anaise wasn¡¯t that intense or I would probably be missing some parts of my body by now.


    ¡°Do you think we are far enough by now?¡± I changed the topic, itchy to end this act.


    He glanced back for a second and shook his body loose. Letting his demonic horns and large draconic tail out from the magical somewhere. Blue glow shone between the scales as he shifted, slowly settling back into a normal colour that I saw since our initial meeting. A werdrake with scales black and tints of blue.


    ¡°Yeah, we aren¡¯t being followed.¡± He finally nodded after his transformation.


    I smiled gratefully at him and threw my cloak away. And turned back to face the cart properly. Shaking with anticipation.


    ¡°Ma, Unca, it''s me. I got you free.¡±

 Chapter 49 On the Road

    With a sigh, I plopped down on the roots. And pulled the cork out with a loud pop. The very same tree, that I maimed a lifetime ago, stood tall above my head. My mom and uncle were fast asleep, cuddled together to preserve the body heat. A common habit among the slaves, even if they were covered by a warm blanket.


    I dared not to interrupt their rest. The early summer months were the most deadly at the farms, the food was low and stale and sickness was just around the corner. Looking for the weakest to consume. But it was over now ¡ª they had plenty of food, easy to digest, and all the rest that they would want.


    The wine flowed into my mouth, strong and sweet. Albin had a great taste and managed to bring a few wineskins along with us.


    For the celebration, no doubt.


    The Mephistopheles in question was busy playing cards by the campfire. I smirked as I took another large sip, judging by his grimace and tugging of his horn he was losing badly once again.


    My gaze shifted toward the lush of the forest. Just a dozen meters away, nor even reaching the river that I could hear splashing even from here, the remains of a shuttle lay half-buried.


    The second reason for this trip.


    I sipped on the wine, with Albin occupied I could easily walk downhill and inspect it to my heart¡¯s content. And then I turned my gaze back and watched the flame some more.


    I knew that I needed to get up, and so I drank.


    I knew that I couldn¡¯t stay here forever, we were travelling slow, but we only had so much food for the rest of the trip. I knew that I might not have an opportunity like that ever again.


    And I had done nothing.


    Who was ¡®I¡¯ anyway?


    And could I call I Erf?


    I didn¡¯t know and so I drank.


    XXX


    Our reunion started with gasps and tears and quickly exploded into hugs, tears, and smiles.


    Why wouldn¡¯t it? After all their son and nephew was back. And he brought safety and food with him, with promises of even more in the future.


    They noticed the differences almost immediately, it would have been impossible to hide them anyway. After all, it is easy to spot things they have never seen in my childhood. No matter how hard I tried it would have been impossible not to notice my new accent, the ¡®fancy speak¡¯ as they have called it.


    Or the silver of my eyes, and the much healthier complexion of my body. For them, in a manner of months, I¡¯ve grown from a kid into a man. I didn¡¯t know what they had thought about my transition but cities were ¡®full of magick¡¯ and I told them about my ¡®wermaje¡¯ Domina who took a shine on a murk and gave me teachers and a cushy job.


    And enough gold to free them.


    Without even breaking my pelvis either, as uncle Tuk had desperately tried to make sure, quietly whispering so that Albin wouldn¡¯t hear.


    I had a feeling Albin heard it all anyway but he made sure not to show it, riding further away from us and acting all distant.


    In the meantime my uncle patted my hips for fractures, just to be on the safe side.


    I also didn¡¯t tell them that it wasn¡¯t the Domina but her daughter that I should be watching out for either. Or a particular cougar that it was too late to hide from. Just to be on the safe side. At least for now, all of that would come to light eventually anyway. But, right now, I wanted them to eat and rest.


    As the emotions had quieted down, I made sure that they would be as comfortable as they could get on a cart without proper suspension. I filled their bowls with rich broth, nutritious and easy on stomachs that saw very little food prior to this. And we slowly started to talk among ourselves.


    And then I fucked it all up.


    It wasn¡¯t what I told them ¡ª I had just started on my early days in the manor, slowly telling them how I reached the city proper and my luck for being sold to one of the Pillar Manors of all things. In my unbound relief I relaxed far too much and did something utterly unthinkable.


    Somewhere during my tale, I started to bicker with Albin.


    Nothing egregious by our standards, but it was enough. For me, Albin was the closest thing I could have for a friend. Especially with all he had done during this time. For them, he was something that transcended power. Chimgen Domina, someone who they considered as the pinnacle of strength, had spent the entire evening literally fawning over him. Including the time when she followed the travelling wermage to personally sell him two of her slaves.


    I had a feeling that if he even gave her the slightest hint she would have spread her legs right there and then.


    Most other slaves probably noticed that as well, including my own family. And now I dared to talk to him as if he was my equal.


    By the time I looked back the damage was done.


    Instead of happiness and content, perhaps some slight confusion, I saw fear. Instead of hugs, I felt them pull away. And call me ¡®master¡¯ instead of ¡®son¡¯.


    I don¡¯t think I would forget the face of my mother at that moment, no matter how much I could try. Even with nanites suppressed, the wine wasn¡¯t working fast enough.


    I rushed with explanations, frantically trying to fix the growing chasm between us, but quickly made it even worse instead. Now their whispers would exclude me as they did Albin. And just like him, I could hear them anyway.


    I heard things like ¡®taken by the Forest¡¯ and ¡®a fairy in his skin¡¯ among them.


    And now I drank because deep inside I knew that they were right.


    How much of me was Erf? How much of their Erf remained under this skin? The skin that I couldn¡¯t even call his anymore. Designed not just to shrug off diseases but cosmic rays as well. The flesh, that only stayed in this shape due to the lack of desire to look like something else. Or the muscles and bones that could do feats impossible to murks.


    Only memories remained.


    Memories that had been diluted by others.


    By my other lives.


    Navigators didn¡¯t die from old age. Obviously, they could be killed, but most of the time they chose to die themselves. An absolute necessity in our otherwise unending lives. Throughout their lifespans, they would accumulate experiences and quite often see themselves entrenched in the old beliefs. While it mattered little if you weren¡¯t making any decisions and simply lived a life somewhere in the stars. But if one was tasked with significant authority, they could not allow themselves to go stagnant.


    They would ensure to have an open mind and continue to be able to adjust to any changes in society. Or they would retire. Either directly by giving up their position or transferring it to someone else or by undergoing a death and rebirth cycle. A cycle that would see their new self emerge with the previous knowledge, conveniently muted enough not to make the entire process moot but allowing a new persona to manifest yet still possess all crucial character traits as well.


    Reincarnation. Made possible with science.


    In the depths of space, Navigators had the ultimate authority. We were the human aspect of our ships, the desire that pushed the tree forward. Even in colonized regions of space, our connection made us stand out among our brethren due to the living Artificial Intelligence fused with our brains.


    Apart from that, there was the unfortunate limitation of human flesh. We simply weren¡¯t designed to live forever. Or even for a very significant time. The body could be made to last but it was the mind that suffered from the passage of centuries. Slowly growing more and more apathetic to the world around it. Drowned with the overabundance of experiences. After all, will you be as excited to hear about the birth of your fourteen-thousands-something-something many-grand-child as you were for your first? What about a new invention after centuries of similar innovations?


    And so we died. Cautiously first, as the first few would pave the new road, and then eagerly as the technology became our culture. Like the Phoenixes of the myth, we would see ourselves burn only to step out from the smouldering ashes ¡ª reborn and full with newfound vigour.


    A never-ending cycle of life, rewritten.


    And I was simply the latest iteration.


    Something that I was trying to ignore all this time. Something that I couldn¡¯t get out of my mind after watching my own mother recoil away from me.


    This wasn¡¯t a standard procedure. Usually, a new organic scaffold would have been provided for me to grow into and to ensure a complete memory transfer to the last moment before death. Whatever reasons I had to choose a different method were likely lost with the final hours of my previous life. Even then the containment fruit was specifically designed to be attractive to many forms of large organic fauna. Large enough to be re-purposed for a new me.


    Except for the first animal that found it was a young murk called Erf.


    Was I trying to get a magical body, perhaps? I didn¡¯t know. What I knew was that nanites had done their job to the best of their limited abilities. Choosing to merge us into one new whole rather than completely overwriting him with me.


    Not a lot of good that did, it seemed.


    The kid that called himself Erf was smothered, drowned in the ocean of memories that were mine. I remembered every year of his life yet I also remembered hundreds of other years, other lives. They were muted, but now his were too.


    I remembered the constant hunger. The biting cold of the winter and the unrelenting heat of the summer. I remembered the back-breaking harvest seasons when we cut the wheat and shook the olive trees. Or the biting rope of a plough that I had to pull for days. Yet I also remembered the lush gardens among the stars. The cities of wood, metal, and plastic. And the never-ending cornucopia that could not contain my burning need to fly.


    To explore.


    I remembered the rough hands of my mother, wiping my tears and cradling me to sleep, just as I reminisced about the gentle caress by the dendrites of my own Tree. The darkness of Forest grew meek on the backdrop of Space.


    I drank the wine as I thought what I could tell my mother where her son was gone.


    Because I had no answer.


    XXX


    The leaves rustled as Albin sat on the ground near me.


    ¡°I had a friend once, a few of them actually,¡± He spoke watching the fire, ¡°Good companions, sharp minds and easy to talk to. Up until they would learn how much power I was given. Worse if it happened when I was away. I had said goodbye to quite a few, when I would head out to battle, and came back only to see a different gaze looking back at me.¡±


    I grunted and passed him the skin.


    ¡°Don¡¯t try to seek the past,¡± He sighed as he took a swing himself, ¡°Trust me, you will not find it. Don¡¯t try to pour spilt water into a jar, plant a seed instead into the moist soil and let the future grow from it.¡±


    I guess I looked like shit for him to start teaching me about life.


    ¡°There are three things you can watch forever,¡± I snarked back, ¡°Fire burning, river flowing, and an idiot making a mistake. Easy for you to say these things, for all I know you got yet another fancy magic under your sleeves. Telling you about the best course of action no doubt. Let me guess it is that deck of cards isn¡¯t it?¡±


    He grinned and patted me on the back, ¡°Some things don¡¯t require magic, my dear friend. Just a few centuries of watching people is enough.¡±


    ¡°Watching people for centuries, are you out of your mind? Can`t you find a decent hobby instead?¡± I asked, incredulous, causing him to choke on wine and start laughing uproariously.


    I hissed and pointed at the cart with two sleeping bodies, only to receive a knowing smile and a glimpse of the silence spell.


    ¡°You know, sometimes you sound exactly like my mother,¡± Albin couldn¡¯t contain his mirth even while wiping his mouth.


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be talking about your mother like that,¡± I grumbled and took the wine back. Only to sigh and drop my head down, ¡°Mothers are precious you know. You need to treat them right. Daimon or not.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think being a daimon matters here,¡± He shook his head, ¡°Most daimonas treat their families well, I mean, without trying to fight the entire Emanai in the process. And the very few that don¡¯t? Well, there are just as many normal people that act in a similar manner.¡±


    ¡°And do their families accept them?¡±


    Albin scoffed, ¡°They establish yearly celebrations on the day they were born. Their mothers are almost immediately promoted to the rank of Domina, with many advisers begging to help her. And if she was a Domina already? Then the next position of a Matriarch will be likely hers.¡±


    ¡°Wermages, right.¡± I rolled my eyes.


    ¡°Wermages, yes. Because, until you came, there have been only wermage daimonas. As such they are only known among them. Look Erf, your family is frightened and that reaction is normal. They simply do not know, and what we don¡¯t know quite often scares us instead. You probably had quite a few unreasonable fears over the years yourself.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but glance at the forest beside us.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± He crossed his hands, ¡°What you need to do is give them time, Erf. Tell them, teach them. So that they could understand that there is that same Erf under all these new titles. Just a bit wiser.¡±


    ¡°Is he?¡± I leaned back on the tree, ¡°Look at me Albin, a murk that had been possessed by the Navigator of the past is not that same murk anymore. You said it yourself, didn¡¯t you? A mere husk that carries his face, replaced by a daimon of all things. How could I ever tell them that?¡±


    Albin grimaced, ¡°That is not what I meant. Yes, I do not see you as a murk, but you are still Erf. Replaced? Nonsense!"


    The tail flexed, moving around as he sat more comfortably, ¡°I have seen a few throughout my life and let me tell you of a theory I had devised. Don¡¯t listen to the tall tales that speak about heroes of the past. Even if you call it an old soul in a young body it is not exactly true. It is your own soul and your own body, but it is your future soul. That is why wermage daimonas are born with the strongest Sparks - their souls already reached maturity even before they were born. This is why they appear wise beyond their years and full with new ideas.¡±


    Albin poked me in the chest with his tail, ¡°They simply borrow from their own ideas in the future.¡±


    ¡°Well, Albin.¡± I swiped his tail away, ¡°Your idea is full of shit. The memories are definitely from the past.¡±


    ¡°I think you drank too much,¡± He nabbed the wine out of my hands and took a swig. ¡°Can¡¯t even tell the difference of what happened and what is ought to happen.¡±


    ¡°Re-eally?¡± I dragged the word out, ¡°Like memories of where the ones and zeroes came from?¡±


    Albin froze mid-gulp.


    ¡°All symbols carry a tale within them. How they were made and how they came into the shape that we know today. Tell me, oh self-proclaimed-historian, why do these artefacts of yours have them?¡±


    ¡°No one knows exactly where they came from, but they have been with us for millennia. Maybe you will discover their meaning in the future and that is where your knowledge came from? Perhaps you will find some ruins with a well-preserved codex?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡± I shook my head vehemently, my hand waving in the general direction of the sky above me, ¡°Stars are not right. These civilizations had been dead for longer and they have been dead not here.¡±


    ¡°Fine! I give up.¡± Albin threw the empty wineskin away, only to have another one fly into his hand all the way from the cart. ¡°Maybe murk daimonas truly are different. Or maybe that is just you. Honestly, that would only make this even more interesting!¡±


    He savoured the wine, ¡°Is that why you used that term ¡®human¡¯? An old name for a murk?¡±


    ¡°More like the name for the origin of all three.¡± I pried the sack from his fingers before Albin would drain it himself. He was a rich man he probably had hundreds of these back at his manor, ¡°Interesting for you, maybe. While I am stuck here watching history repeat itself for no apparent reason. Thousands of years worth of progress simply gone.¡±


    The sweet liquid washed my throat, the numb buzz of my mind blissfully clouding the hurt of my heart.


    ¡°Forcing me to wonder: why, why, why.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but choke at my own words, ¡°Stuck in the world I can barely call my own. And my only real connection is afraid of me. Worst of all, I can¡¯t even truthfully tell myself that I am their real son!¡±


    It looked like the unending stress of the previous days had finally caught up with me, or maybe that was the wine loosening my tongue. I wondered if that was the reason I couldn¡¯t let Irje go. She was the first to truly welcome me in this world. I clung to her just as she did to me. While our reasons differed from one another, it gave us time to ignite that early spark of lust into something stronger.


    ¡°So fucking what?¡± Albin bluntly said, looking straight at me, ¡°Listen to me: your emotions are valid. It doesn¡¯t matter if you are fully their son or just a tenth of one. Or even none at all.¡±


    The tail resumed the poking of my chest, ¡°What really matters is what your heart knows. What it wants. So simply be him. To call yourself unable to ever reach that status is to spit on the name of all adopted children, who welcomed their parents. All these slaves that were absorbed into Manors out of familial love.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± I sagged down, feeling an unusual sense of relief from saying the things I dared not to think about out loud. Whether that was caused by me vocalizing them or Albin acting as a de facto counsellor. Probably both. ¡°Thanks, Al for giving me things to think about.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but smirk one last time, ¡°While being generally annoying to others, it is almost as if you actually care.¡±


    He raised his eyebrow, ¡°I do. I have invested way too much of my curiosity and resources only to see you make some stupid mistake at the end. Like renouncing your knowledge and trying to play murk slave make-believe. And you are a sloppy drunk too.¡±


    ¡°I am not drunk.¡± I stood up only to stumble into the embrace of the tree beside me.


    ¡°My point exactly,¡± Albin stood up as well. Smoothly. Bastard. ¡°I believe it is a good time for a nap, both to let your heart settle and to sleep off the wine sickness. Unless you want me to fix it for you right now.¡±


    His hand extended with a new gesture. Figures, they had a hangover spell too. Double bastards.


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head, allowing my nanites to slowly start working on my intoxication, ¡°I am not pissed drunk yet to need something like that. But I will definitely need to get some water. Sometimes the real magic is to get yourself hydrated enough that you won''t even have a hangover, to begin with.¡±


    ¡°Will you make it to the river? Oh, the-not-drunk-one?¡±


    I stopped at the edge of the forest, thinking quietly.


    And then I nodded to myself.


    ¡°Come on, Al.¡± I said still facing the green of trees, ¡°Walk with me and let me tell you a story. A story of a young murk that feared the Forest. Who desperately wanted strength and peace of mind. His wish was eventually granted, only he had to pay for it with his own life.¡±


    I turned around and smiled somewhat crookedly, ¡°Let me show you where I died.¡±


    Snusmumriken

 Chapter 50 Epilogue

    Snusmumriken


    The rustle accompanied my steps as I walked deeper into the woods, surrounded by birds singing. Despite being here only once, I knew exactly where I had to go. While the river proved to be a good way to orient myself, I could also see the old scars of the impact. The trees grew back but a crater was easy to identify if one knew when they were looking for.


    And in the centre of it, within a clearing in the forest, lied my shuttle. Buried deep into the ground.


    Erf was really ''lucky'' when he found it, the recent rain had caused a landslide, uncovering the cache of the past. At the right time and the right place. It was almost like fate, if either of these things didn¡¯t happen then Erf would go on to live his life unchanged. And the shuttle would remain buried for centuries, just as it was previously.


    And I would never come into existence.


    ¡°Are you really sure you want to go that way?¡± Albin suddenly asked behind me.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I turned around to see my companion frowning, ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°That place¡­ There is something wrong with it.¡±


    ¡°Do you feel danger?¡± I glanced back at the looming darkness of the entrance with a dry branch covering it haphazardly.


    Granted there was very little to hide, aside from the partially covered entrance everything else was still covered by earth and mud.


    I tried my best to listen to my senses, trying to spot the possibility of a radiation leak. It wasn¡¯t something that was likely to happen, however ¡ª the shuttle used a fusion drive as the main power source. But the nanite storage was powered with gammavoltaics and these would be rather nasty if the shielding was somehow damaged.


    Granted, if something did indeed break the casing, it would be unlikely that the rest of the shuttle would have survived in the process too. Gamma rays carried a lot of energy and were a blessing for set-and-forget applications, but no one would use them personally if they weren¡¯t absolutely fool-proof. Even caveman-proof. Radioactive materials were useful but they also demanded respect.


    A bigger concern would be biological contamination. There were sterility protocols for landing on populated planets, but I wasn¡¯t sure how well these were executed during the lithobraking manoeuvres. When the earth-like rock is flying at you at the few kilometres-per-second you aren¡¯t as likely to make sure all surfaces and the air was sufficiently sanitized.


    ¡°¡­Not exactly,¡± Albin''s voice interrupted my musings about how likely my first visit could have started an epidemic. ¡°Just the overall sense of wrongness like a hole that leads to nowhere.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± I scratched my head, ¡°Well can¡¯t really say I am surprised, after all, it was made without knowledge of Flow, to begin with. Humanity has never discovered it except for here somehow. It makes me wonder if the Flow is a local phenomenon.¡±


    Humanity wasn¡¯t that widespread. With the ability to harvest an entire stellar system for energy and resources, the main drive for expansion wasn¡¯t dictated by the lack of space, food, or materials but by the difference in ideologies. This is what caused the Scattering and the emergence of the First Colonies once the fusion technology allowed us to send ships across the vastness of space. Or the second burst of expansion when we managed to stabilize the first wormhole connection.


    Yet we still occupied just a minuscule fraction of our own galaxy or outright insignificant part of the observable universe. And space still held many mysteries unknown to us. Flow was likely just one of them.


    He shook his horns, ¡°Flow is everywhere and does not belong to objects as taste and colour do. It moves through all things, this one included. What differs is the¡­ripples it causes in the river of Fate. Just like murks possess a certain unpredictability in them this is somewhat similar, but on a scale I have never seen before.¡±


    His gaze, the twin owlish orbs of blue, suddenly shifted from the entrance to me, ¡°Wait, you aren¡¯t surprised? So you know what this could be? What is it!?¡±


    ¡°A shipwreck.¡± I rolled my eyes when Albin glanced at the river peeking through the trees. And pointed my thumb up, ¡°Not for water, however.¡±


    ¡°You mean it flies?¡± He asked excitedly.


    ¡°Not anymore it doesn¡¯t. And even before I would hardly call it flying, more like missing the ground,¡± After all most of the ships spent orbiting something else.


    With a loud rustle, the tail quickly followed the descending wermage. The previous caution now forgotten. I shook my head and followed in turn. Albin might be extremely curious now but I didn¡¯t want him to hurt himself on something absolutely mundane, or break something that was still useful.


    He stopped just as sharply as he moved. Standing still at the entrance. ¡°I expected it to be bigger for a ship.¡±


    ¡°It is not designed to travel far or often,¡± I spoke as I walked around him and entered the shuttle, ¡°Think of it as a litter to move from one manor to the other.¡±


    A strange feeling came onto me as I looked at the painfully familiar walls. This was a tiny glimpse of my past, and it wasn¡¯t the best part of it when it was in pristine form. This wasn¡¯t a pleasure craft but the emergency shuttle with an apt ambience. A single chamber, designed for maximum efficiency, looked spartan at best and the added touch of my own skeleton lying in the corner didn¡¯t help either.


    Despite it looking as beautiful as a rusty tin can, it had performed its task exemplary. Which was the defining point of such technology. While the living tech was more pleasant-looking by default and could tackle many tasks and grow into larger roles, the technology made of metal, plastics, and fullerenes shone at handling a single task to the best of its ability. Well, maybe a series of tasks.


    And that is why our tree bioships were alive, for they could heal the damage caused by micrometeoroids or grow into a required shape without the need to visit an orbital shipyard. Yet, when it came to the build-and-forget occasional-use shuttles, a hunk of metal was much less wasteful.


    ¡°And the bones on the floor?¡±


    ¡°Mine,¡± I casually answered as my fingers pulled out the nuclear battery from the receptacle that kept my nanites in the suspended animation. A bit less than three-quarters of fissile material left. Eyeballing the amount of energy it was using all this time gave me an estimate between five and twenty centuries until Erf had walked inside these doors.


    ¡°What do you mean yours?¡± Came a surprised response.


    I shrugged, trying to pry out rusted storage lids. ¡°As in my previous self, you know. ¡®Hero of the past¡¯ and similar tripes. The Navigator, whose memories have merged with the murk slave passing by to gather water. That is where I was made, Albin. A murk daimon that is a mix of both yet neither one of them.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t really surprised at things literally crumbling in my hands. Most of the equipment would be in a similar state of decay. Apart from items that simply weren¡¯t allowed to fail. Just like the battery I already stashed into a bag I brought for this exact reason. But I didn¡¯t stop searching.


    Events like mine or even worse ones were obviously planned for ¡ª the nanite storage could lie dormant for a few thousand years until the battery would decay past the set threshold. If I crashed on a barren planet or in a desolate area for example. Then the nanites would attempt the final shot by trying to recreate a semblance of me. With whatever available minerals were nearby and using the leftover juice of the battery.


    I don¡¯t think anyone had ever intentionally tried that. Even on the planets with easily available water and carbon, this resulted in slimy and grotesque forms that took years to solidify into something resembling a human body. It was hard to say how the psyche could survive something like that, even the psyche of a navigator. But it was a planned possibility.


    ¡°Erf. Daimonas aren¡¯t made. They are born. They come out of their mother¡¯s womb aware of the world around them. They do not act like babes but as heavy drunks slowly retaking control of their legs from wine. Talking within weeks of being born, and reading without learning the letters.¡±


    ¡°And their mothers¡¯?¡± I stopped trying to break into another box, ¡°Have they eaten any glowing fruits during pregnancy?¡±


    Nanites wouldn¡¯t target the pregnant mother, but they would incorporate themselves into the future child. Quite a few navigators chose to be reborn that way. Some even gave birth to themselves just before dying.


    ¡°No, Erf. Dominas had been fruitlessly searching for the reason how daimonas are born, with many trying to succeed by eating certain fruits or drinking potions. Something like a glowing fruit would have been noticed centuries ago.¡± He sighed and scratched his head, ¡°Once again you continue to surprise me, Erf. I am wrong for once. You aren¡¯t a daimon.¡±


    The box slammed into the floor, shattering into chunks.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± I groaned, ¡°Yet another place I don¡¯t belong to. So? What does that make me then? Or, more importantly, what do you think of me now?¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how much scrutiny I avoided with Albin and Aikerim assuming I was a daimon, but I could guess it was a lot. The fact that I was truly alone on this world was somewhat bitter, but not something that would really change my immediate future. It just meant more responsibility on my shoulders.


    The real question now was whether I also got their good graces from that title as well.


    Because one of these wermages stood right in front of me.


    My chest tingled as the scales slowly expanded outward once again.


    Albin scoffed, ¡°When you stirred my curiosity for the first time, I thought of you as an odd murk, perhaps blessed by a generous teacher at most. The idea that I might be looking at the first murk daimon just made you more fascinating at that time.


    ¡°And so an idea that someone other than a daimon could exist and yet connected with our past somehow?¡± His tail swiped the broken shards off the panel, revealing the numbers underneath, ¡°While I commend you for raising your guard up as soon as you were uncertain of my actions, you had forgotten that I am a historian as well! And now I have found myself inside a relic of the past and someone who is personally familiar with all these things. I mean what is this thing?¡±


    I glanced at the remnants of the flexible pipe in his hand, ¡°Vacuum hose for relieving oneself, it sucks the waste away from you.¡± Shuttles didn¡¯t generate their own gravity as such quite a few activities needed certain assistance.


    ¡°Right,¡± He dropped it on the ground and wiped his hands off, ¡°Why don¡¯t you tell me about this shipwreck, and of your people. This is why you brought me here in the first place, is it not? We aren¡¯t in a rush anymore.¡±


    I sighed and sat down on the floor, carefully brushing aside the desiccated bones. And retrieving the optical implant from the crushed pieces of my skull. I took my time, slowly gathering my thoughts and putting aside the uneasiness of today¡¯s events. But things kept going forward.


    Fortunately, right now, I had the best thing I could ask for. Time. My relationship with my family was in limbo, but they were safe. My status was even more out of this world, but I didn¡¯t have to escape from an angry wermage for being a daimon impostor.


    Now I could set these worries aside and tackle them one at a time. And right now I had a listener that tried to settle on the floor in front of me. A listener who moved political mountains to get my family for me, all just to listen to my stories.


    It wasn''t like I would discover anything that would trump the non-daimon revelation anyway. Even the batteries weren¡¯t critical. Yes, they were convenient as hell but this was nothing in the grand scale of things. I could power quite a lot of tools with them early on but they were batteries and thus non-rechargeable. Fully sealed and with no way to leak or refuel. Clean and long-lasting. And I will run them dry in months if I try to hook it to anything on the industrial scale.


    ¡°You said that Flow is everywhere? Well, there is another property that is just as global. Energy.¡± I pulled out the dull cylinder from the rubble on the floor, ¡°I won¡¯t try to explain everything in detail for we will be sitting here for years. But there are three concepts anyone would be familiar with. Work, power, and energy. Work is a great place to start since it is everywhere and probably more common than you even imagine. A person that carries a sack of wheat performs work, so does a horse that drags the cart or a wermage summoning the wineskin. At least I assume it is, there are some shenanigans involved. But at the same time, the river nearby performs work too despite not being alive. It can drag ships or it can turn waterwheels for mills and water hammers in the smithies.


    ¡°Anything can perform work, alive or dead ¡ª because what work actually is, in the most basic form, is the exchange of energy from one object to another via application of force. There are many forms of energy in the world. Energy from food that you use to make your body move, or the energy of water as the earth pulls it down from the mountains.¡±


    All languages tended to call their planet that, or some other variation of soil or ground.


    ¡°Reason why I said that is that humanity, until now, had never encountered Flow before. We didn¡¯t have wers and wermages to fight the predators, but we also didn¡¯t have Forests and Things in them either. So we took another road. We learnt to harness the energy of the world around us and use it to do the work in our stead. And we progressed quite far ahead. This-,¡± I waved container in my hands, ¡°Is a battery, it stores energy in a moderately easy to use form. Just like a long-lasting ration for a caravan.¡±


    ¡°What can it be used for?¡± He took the battery that I offered and carefully looked it around. ¡°Rather heavy for its size.¡±


    ¡°Nothing. Right now it is nothing more than a parchmentweight. It needs special tools that could receive its energy and use it to do the work themselves. Tools that I am unlikely to find here, that I will have to make myself with time. What makes it so useful is how much energy it contains.


    ¡°We have spent millennia perfecting our craft, learning to make better things and use them to make even greater ones. This hunk of metal¡­¡± I did a quick calculation in my head. Just as the other battery this one had been made a long time ago. So some fuel had undergone nuclear decay. Nevertheless, there was still plenty of juice inside, ¡°Can provide an equal amount of energy of at least a million horses running for one day.¡±


    An eyebrow rose, ¡°That is a rather boastful thing to say.¡± Albin smirked.


    ¡°Which is still true, if not even larger. Granted it is not designed to provide this much energy that quickly - it is not powerful enough after all. And doing so would probably melt everything around here anyway. But If I had a metal ¡®horse¡¯ that could use this battery - it would drag our cart at gallop speeds for the next three thousand years.¡±


    He glanced at the cylinder, flabbergasted, ¡°From your description one could say it is an artefact in and of itself.¡±


    ¡°Because it is.¡± I shrugged, ¡°The difference is that this artefact is made by a civilization without knowledge of Flow. That¡¯s all. And that is exactly why I am here.¡±


    I looked around, ¡°I don¡¯t think that many things are still intact after centuries of neglect, but I want to find anything that is remotely usable or even fixable.¡±


    ¡°Like a weapon?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head and got up, resuming my search, ¡°Any high-powered tool wouldn¡¯t last this long. And even if it were I would be afraid to use it for it would be just as likely to explode in my hands.¡±


    ¡°That sounds akin to balls of fire. Quite a few young wermages had burned their eyebrows off while mastering that spell.¡±


    ¡°Most things that have high energy are like that ¡ª quite often control is paramount not to kill yourself. Hmm¡­ yet more rusted trash, there should be a compartment that is specifically designed for extreme-term storage somewhere.¡±


    ¡°What about over there?¡± Albin pointed at the reinforced wall at the end of the chamber.


    ¡°Funny that you asked, that is where the fusion drive is. And I am nowhere ready to tackle that anytime soon. I need to come back with quite an arsenal of tools and materials so that I won¡¯t damage it further.¡± It might even be in a decent shape, especially if the inert atmosphere was still intact.


    ¡°What does it do?¡± He frowned, staring down at that wall as it offended him somehow.


    ¡°It provides energy, just like these batteries. The difference is that if one battery is akin to a food ration for the caravan, the fusion drive is the land of Emanai itself that keeps bringing more food each year. The shuttle¡¯s own little piece of the sun.¡±


    ¡°You mean there is a sun behind that wall?!¡± He took a step away.


    ¡°Oh no, it is very much cold and not working at all right now. It is not something that could start by itself. You are acting surprisingly cautious, however.¡±


    ¡°I feel it,¡± Albin clarified. ¡°Just as I¡¯ve felt it outside but here it is even stronger. You have that feel about you too. A distinct flavour unlike the other murks I¡¯ve met over the years. But here it is overpowering.¡±


    ¡°Well, put your worries at rest. It is inert and has no agency on its own.¡± I glanced at him, ¡°I hope you aren¡¯t thinking anything untoward about it?¡±


    I could eventually build one myself. But I had no desire to do so if I had the chance to get this one working. Especially since it would take me quite some time to get to that level of technology.


    ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know what to think yet.¡± Albin kept staring at the wall, ¡°Did your country die just as you are predicting mine will?¡±


    I blinked, ¡°I don¡¯t believe mine is dead at all, or even in decline so far. The civilizations I¡¯ve used as examples had been predecessors of our predecessors and are long gone by now. And they are well-known among many of my kind.¡±


    ¡°But where are your people then?¡± He finally glanced my way.


    ¡°Not here.¡± I smiled and spread my arms, ¡°I am a traveller, Albin. An explorer. It is what I love the most. And this shipwreck is just a piece that is left of my actual ship. My people are just far far away. Your people too, I believe. For we all came from one place. Probably even founded around the same time.¡±


    I sighed and looked at the ceiling, ¡°But you had found Flow and, in turn, lost the knowledge of your ancestors. Sending you on a path that no one had imagined was possible.¡±


    ¡°You know, a historian in me is giddy. But the general and the Speaker are wary.¡± Albin picked up his tail and brushed the dust from his scales, ¡°If your words are true about the artefacts of yours, and if their knowledge is comparable to yours¡­ How likely is it that they will arrive tomorrow at our borders?¡±


    ¡°Honestly? I do not know. I know for sure that murks are the descendants of humans, and wer and wermages are very closely related too. It is not something that could occur by itself realistically otherwise. That means that they had arrived here already. And gave birth to the countries that you know today. That is one.


    ¡°Then I came.¡± I pointed at the skeleton, ¡°By myself and without seeking this place specifically, but aware that there is a chance that I might find another lost colony ¡ª this is unfortunately common, but most are lost intentionally as they sought independence and seclusion. That is two.


    ¡°Some say that there are only three numbers in mathematics. Zero, one, and infinity. In that regard, a third arrival is not a matter of if but when.¡±


    ¡°And when they come? Could we repel them?¡± He spoke quietly.


    ¡°Cast the orb of truth, Albin.¡± I said in a similar tone, and when the familiar glow illuminated our faces I looked him straight into his eyes, ¡°No, you will not. There are many colonies out there and the pre-Scattering countries are just as powerful. So there is no way for me to say who will find you first and how they will react to your societies and powers.


    ¡°Most will be very interested in Flow. And most likely they will acquire this ability themselves or take plenty of wermages otherwise. Many will be outraged by your societies and will try to change you as well, or even incorporate you into their borders. And if some find you as a threat that is best to be removed? You will simply cease to exist. I am sorry Albin, but this world won''t stay the same forever. I am already causing ripples in it and I am just a single murk with a blindfold on my eyes and hands tied behind my back.¡±


    ¡°How sure are you if you have never seen me in battle? Or other war mages for that matter?¡± Albin asked.


    ¡°Because it is once again the difference in scale. Even if they decide to do something stupid like meet you in an open field, how many murks can you kill before you will grow tired? Remember they have no Forests to keep their numbers small, and all the tools, I am planning to introduce, to never worry about food and even work. Some of them spend their entire lives fucking and making children. For every warrior that you have, they will bring an army¡­ an arm of their own. Each day. For centuries. And they won¡¯t even notice the losses. It doesn¡¯t matter how deadly you are, the depletion and exhaustion will get you.¡±


    I sighed, ¡°For all the gloom I¡¯ve said know that these are the worst possible outcomes, and most likely not going to happen for a few centuries at least. The lack of technology is keeping you obscured as you aren¡¯t generating any radio signals loud enough that other colonies might notice as a sign of civilization. The prosperity of Emanai is still more pressing concern than a few hundred thousand Erfs arriving here and uplifting your entire population in a matter of a generation or two.¡±


    ¡°No wonder I have such a weird feeling about all of this,¡± Albin murmured, scratching his tail. ¡°I guess if you fix this ¡®drive¡¯ it will speed up some of these events?¡±


    ¡°Your magic is bullshit,¡± I grumbled, ¡°Drive itself won¡¯t be noticeable but it will definitely allow some things to happen sooner simply because of how easy and inexpensive it would make them.¡±


    ¡°Is that your plan? To call for another ship to pick you up, or build a new one to return home?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I shook my head, unsurprised that the orb confirming it as truth, ¡°Maybe if I was in my past life I would have. But I am Erf now. And this is my world now too. I might still be a Navigator, but I have wives waiting for me in Samat. My family is here too, and I am unwilling to risk them, and others I hold dear, by inviting yet another party here. Someone who is as likely to make me disappear too.¡±


    ¡°A noble plan!¡± Albin beamed, ¡°Grow strong my dear friend, for you will need it. But first¡­¡±


    He reached inside his clothes and pulled out the familiar orb alight in glowing runes.


    And placed it on the receptacle that once held the containment fruit.


    ¡°Don¡¯t think I am the only one who can sense these ripples, Erf,¡± he spoke to my silent question. ¡°With our trip almost over, we no longer need the protection of the Sphere. Let it keep this place safe and hidden to the Sparks of others.¡±


    ¡°Are you sure about this?¡± I asked. As far as I could tell by Aikerim¡¯s reaction this orb was a very big deal. And he was treating it like a marble. It was a good thing that neither of the Kiymetl ladies was with us here right now ¡ª they would have an aneurysm for sure.


    ¡°That is the most exciting part in all of this,¡± He grinned, ¡°For the first time, I am not! Yet I feel it is something worth taking a risk. You should also keep your status hidden, or at least don¡¯t talk about it to anyone you don¡¯t trust in full. Let them assume. More of them think of you as a potential daimon ¡ª safer you will be in the turbulent times ahead.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t particularly like your predictions, Albin,¡± I grumbled, ¡°Especially since I can¡¯t find this damn storage box.¡±


    The werdrake hand stretched out, pointing at an ordinary panel that I previously assumed to be solid. ¡°Try that one.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think¡­¡± The panel opened with a groan, ¡°Well, I will be damned. Remind me to find out in the future who designed this shuttle. And properly kick his butt. How did you know about it?¡±


    ¡°Same feeling but fainter. Even weaker than you.¡±


    ¡°Remind me to learn about Flow too, this is pure bullshit.¡±


    A tiny container filled with a preservative liquid. And within it were seeds. And something that looked like a white date fruit. The grin split my face.


    Jackpot.


    ¡°Looks like you had found what were you looking for,¡± Albin smirked.


    ¡°A lot of our technology is alive,¡± I gingerly took out the seeds and pushed them under my tunic. Past my tunic into the small pouch I made inside my own stomach. These were actually precious. ¡°A long time ago, instead of forging, carving, or sculpting our tools, we learnt to grow them instead. We started with selective breeding and then transitioned to making them from scratch. Each one of these seeds could grow into a bio-printer of a gestation vat, depending on how large I will let it grow. And it will in turn produce many things that one can find only in plants or animals. Like golden spider silk, beautiful to look at and modified to be extremely strong, Enough to stop an arrow with one layer.¡±


    ¡°Do you really want her daughter in your sadaq?¡± Albin shook his head. ¡°Because that is how you get her daughter in your sadaq.¡±


    ¡°Shut up.¡± My elation could not be interrupted.


    ¡°And this is Harald.¡± I showed him the date.


    ¡°Harold? Sounds like a name. Does it grow into a pet? Or is that how humans reproduce?¡± Came an instant quip.


    ¡°Har har. Very funny. It is a name, but it doesn¡¯t grow into anything,¡± I couldn¡¯t help myself but stop and ponder. This was the final step. The containment fruit gave me the memories and a few abilities necessary for survival. The nanites were too busy and limited in number to offer anything else. This one finalized the process so to say. Not only it had the necessary materials to increase my nanite count, but it also had specialized ones for a much bigger purpose.


    I gulped and took a shuddering breath. It was too late to stop now. I knew that I needed strength. The real strength that separated a Navigator from an augmented human. My family needed that strength.


    ¡°It is named for the king of old. Harald Bl?tand ¡®Bluetooth¡¯.¡± It tasted like a piece of chalk. ¡°For his ability to unite Danish tribes into one kingdom. Just as it will unite me.¡±


    I could feel my body revving up, like the sluggish cog that was given its first taste of oil. Pushing my body to the maximum efficiency.


    And I didn¡¯t care about any of it.


    A tiny flicker in the back of my conscious mind caused a tear to roll down my cheek. My Tree was here and it was alive. Just as the shuttle, my ship crash-landed somewhere on this planet. Unlike the shuttle, she sprouted roots and was patiently waiting for me all this time.


    Lif. My Tree-ship and the AI companion.


    The gentle caress of the dendrites on my thoughts, not intrusive in any means but always omnipresent.


    I closed my eyes and smiled. I was finally whole.


    ¡°If it was that delicious you could have at least shared some. Especially since you guzzled most of my expensive wine,¡± The Annoyance groused in the background.


    ¡°It is an acquired taste, Albin. You wouldn¡¯t like it. It is the taste of home,¡± I spoke with my eyes closed, ¡°By the way, how easy it is to explore the Forest?¡±


    ¡°Deadly. Even wermages don''t set out for no reason. Especially alone or in a small group. Trust me Erf until you can prove you can survive there for more than a day no one will let you out there. Not even with an arm of bodyguards.¡±


    ¡°Prove you say?¡± I smirked, ¡°Punch me.¡±


    ¡°I think that fruit was a bit too ripe, Erf.¡±


    ¡°Go on don¡¯t be a wimp,¡± I patted my chest, ¡°I know what I am talking about.¡±


    It was probably the euphoria of the connection established once again, but I felt invulnerable at that very moment. And I was also eager to see the actual strength of a wermage punch.


    The air flew out of my lungs as the metaphorical sledgehammer smashed into my torso. Sending me flying straight through the shuttle doors and deep into the dirt.


    An exquisite taste of loam and silt with a tinge of clay. For the true mud connoisseurs.


    Resilience aside, there was a slight difference in inertia apparently.


    ¡°Well, I will be damned Erf. Consider me surprised once again.¡± Albin walked out of the shuttle only to see me getting up as if nothing happened. ¡°How?¡±


    I chuckled as I ripped my tunic open. Revealing the second skin that had been forming since that fateful stab a few days ago. The scales already started to cover the extreme shear-thickening fluid of the inner layer. Providing the cut protection as the other layer dissipated any impacts across my body. Preventing the blunt trauma but still imparting the momentum. And sending my ass over teakettle as a result.


    Note to self ¡ª get super grip boots.


    ¡°Nanodendrites, Son!¡±


    Snusmumriken


    EDIT: The story continues in the next book: Ecdysis <- click there.


    This Epilogue marks the end of Book 1: "Caveat Voltor". I hope you enjoyed reading this story just as I enjoyed working on it for the last year! I wanted to reveal a tiny secret that some of you might know already: this book was designed to be read twice. as the early chapters are generously sprinkled with a lot of tiny details that dont make sense until much later in the story (some of them still dont - they are for book 2+) I would encourage you to read it again if you don''t mind and share your experience between both reads. It would be greatly appreciated.


    I would also ask if you can favourite the chapters that you did like and unfavourite the lousy ones so that I can see my weak spots. Ratings and reviews would be as always greatly appreciated

 Next Book

The story continues in the next book: Ecdysis <- click there.