SPELL SMITH Ch. 1
DARKFLAME STUDIOS PRODUCTION’S
Presents:
Spell Smith Ch. 1
The Apprentice
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STORY CONTENTS: Blood, Nudity, Language, Slavery, Violence, War
COPYRIGHTS: All Characters, Places, and Story are © Allester E. Darkflame 2009
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Two ears about the size of a large pizza slice lifted up on the broad skull of a massive white wolf that rested in some grass along the side of the road. The white fur so fine that a slight mist wafted from the soft hairs like melting ice in the sun. The body larger then even a full sized stallion of largest breed, with muscles flexing here and there along the prone body. Eyes as blue as the clearest ice stared out down one end of the road before the bulky head turned and peered down the other direction. Suddenly its bulk shifted and rose up to all four of its feet. A broad tail swept out from the flanks, bringing the wolf's body a full teen feet from nose to tail tip. Its tail swept side to side, thick and fluffed by the morning dew as still more of that mist flowed from its fur. Its gender held no question as soon as he stretched his flanks back and shook out his body.
His head turned back down his side and peered at the carriage nearby, resting propped against a tree with a lone figured resting on top with a black cloak wrapped around its body and a hat with long and wide brim circling around the central point of the hat with two large falcon feathers perched against a violet strap pressed against the hats central point. The figure didn’t budge, resting on top of the carriages load. A few barrels, two small boxes, three large crates filled with unknown oddities, all of them. It was all covered carefully by a white tarp that was bolted at the corners and sides to the carriage.
“Wake up.” The wolf spoke, its voice deep, throaty and echoing like some great divine beast. He waited for a response and when one did not come, the wolf stepped closer. “Allester! Wake up!” he snapped again, this time planting his forehead firmly against the carts side to rock it slightly.
This time the figure stirred, lifting his head slowly with a sigh. “Morning already Laragin?” Allester asked, his voice a little horse with sleep.
“Two hours past the suns rise.” Laragin responded as he turned and shook out his body. “We advance, or eat first?” he inquired.
For a few moments, Allester simply stretched out his body along the tarp and goods beneath him. Removing his hat and cloak revealed the body of a human, very muscular but with distinctly non-human parts. On the smooth white skin of his cheeks, purple claw marks looked to rip through his flesh like three scars on each cheek. His eyes a deep emerald green that sparkled with mirth and strength. White haired bangs fell in front of his face before his hands, each finger tipped by a sharp claw instead of finger nail, shifted his white-silver locks that swept down his back and ended at his rump. “I think we should… eat first. Go ahead and go on your hunt Laragin.” He said finally, standing in his black velvet vest and white linen blouse with sleeves of black down his arms.
His slacks were made of leather and linen blending, dyed black to match his vest. His feet had nothing to cover them, appearing animal at first glance, but a second would reveal the large claws jutting from his toes and paw pads on the bottom of his feet. A pair of black velvet gloves, without finger sleeves, covered his hands; tucked inside the velvet on the palms and the backs was a sheet of specialized metal to allow catching of blades. As his arms rose up above his head, twin fox ears jutted out from his skull from beneath his silken locks of white hair. Each ear pointed straight up and almost larger then his head. After his stretch, he turned to the cart, revealing nine very fluffy blue-white fox tails that swept side to side behind him in their own manners, like his ears each were tipped by violet fur that stood out against the blue-white of his tails.
Allester hardly noticed Laragin trotting off in to the nearby woods to hunt for his own meal, to busy looking around the cart for the pots and pans. Once found, he swung them over the edge and looked around their small campsite and located the remains of the previous night’s fire. As he set down the pans, he moved a few of the logs in to position in a circle with a few warming stones to ensure the fires didn’t escape to the grass around it. Flint and tender produced from his pocket with his left hand, his right hand picked a few pine needles that were brown on the nearby trees. He stuffed the needles bellow the logs with one end sticking out, a few dried oak leaves were packed around this before his right hand tugged then top end of a cat-tail plant from his hip pouch. A few rubs with his fingers made the cat-tails brown tip flake easily and catch in the ‘bucket’ of leaves and pin-needles.
One, Two, Three, and finally Four clicks of the flint on the rocks and three blue sparks caught the fluffy filling from the cat-tail plant, creating a smoldering point that Allester blew gently against to create a larger burn and then flames that gobbled up the cat-tail fluff and moved on to the hardier dried plants. The flames grew larger, and soon enveloped one log and began creeping up along the slightly singed bark. In moments the other logs caught flame and began to be devoured by the crimson tongues tickling along the bark. Allester smiled at his cozy little fire and fed it some fresher grass ripped up from around him to help fuel it on the logs and create a lasting blaze to the flames.
For ten minutes, Allester waited and watched the fire before putting a pot over the flames using a handy iron tripod set up that kept the pot off the flames by a few inches. Standing once more, he walked over to the cart again and pulled the tarp back, revealing one large pot and removing the lid. Its contents a clear and cooked water to ensure purity and clarity. Using a wooden bowl, he scooped out some water and poured it in to the pot, adding four more scoops before sealing the water pot once more. This time he pulled one of the small boxes up and walked back to the flames. Opening the box revealed some salted meat with a few vegetables packed in along side. He tossed these in to the pot, pre-measured to ensure it would create a stew for him that would last all three meals.
The rest of the contents held two small salt cubes, one was tossed in to the slowly boiling pot, the other was placed in to the small grinding stone with a hallowed out crease at its center. Using a grinding stone, he rolled the salt cube in to a thin layer and then added the small leather pouch of flour and rice mix. Grinding it all together in to a fine powder, or at least as fine as possible with such tools, he then added a little of the pot water to the mix and stirred it around until it was a thick paste. Setting the grinding stone back in to the box, he rolled the paste in to small balls and then turned the hallowed stone over to reveal a smoothed and flattened side. Five balls of paste were pressed against the flat side and then covered by the mate to the hallow stone and placed directly in to the flames for baking.
With breakfast cooking, Allester stood up and walked back to the cart. He picked up a sheet of vellum and looked over the list that was written on its surface, marking off the ingredients he had used to supplement his inventory. He then started to perform a check list of all the rest of his supplies and smiled when everything panned out as accounted for. This took all of thirty minutes to perform, as he turned he sighed, noticing a boiling mist overflowing the pot. Quickly stirring down the bubbles, he lifted his ladle out and peered at a few spoon fulls to ensure nothing was burned. Luckily he had caught it just in time and the pot was pulled off the tripod and set near the flame pit to simmer. With the use of tongs, he pulled the stones out of the flames and lifted one, breathing in the sweet smell of fresh rice pancakes filling his nose.
“Perfect.” He commented to himself, not bothered in the least by a rustling in the brush nearby. His sensitive nose already knew it was Laragin, the smell of fresh blood sweet in the air. With his wooden bowl in hand, he ladled out two full spoons and took up his wooden spoon and supped his soups broth and smiled. Two of the rice pancakes disappeared in to his gut along with two full bowls of soup before he wrapped the pot up in a thick blanket to keep the contents warmed until mid-day. The pot and tripod went back in to the cart just as Laragin reappeared from the underbrush, licking his white fur clean of crimson blood. The fire was doused with sand and Allester smiled. “Time to head out, we should be in town by nightfall, yes?”
“As long as we have no troubles with the cart like yesterday.” Laragin responded, his fur bristling as moisture in the air visibly formed mist around his body before it solidified in to large hunks of ice that looked like body armor around the wolfs back, sides, flanks, and thighs; even his forehead and cheeks were crested in ice. His massive bulk moved just as fluidly as he did without the armor, moving up close to the carts strapping posts he waited for Allester to hook six straps in to the sturdy Ice armor. Once in place, Allester looked over the cart to double check that everything was strapped down and in place, and making double sure that the left wheel on the cart had been mended properly and reinforced.
Satisfied by the results of his work, Allester slipped his body over Laragin’s sides and straddled the wolf's back, throwing back his cloak so that it draped over his shoulders. His hat went back down on his head, hiding his giant ears from sight as he took up makeshift reigns that were also attached to two large chunks of ice that swept back from Laragin’s shoulder blades. “Let’s go then, when we get to my villa in town, I’ll make sure you have the coldest spot in the living room.”
Laragin’s sheer size made him a powerful work horse so to speak, sentient as he was, he enjoyed the manual labor to improve his shape and keep his body trained properly. The road was smooth and straight despite being nothing but dirt, it led the travelers through several turns and twists and as the hours passed on, through mid-day to dusk, a sizable town loomed in the distance, but once more; the shoddy craftsman ship of the cart revealed itself as the right wheel hit a rock and cracked. Allester hissed in disdain and growled out his annoyance as he looked off in to the distance. It would take at least an hour to repair the wheel, and they would need it to get to the town.
“Sorry Laragin… looks like your chilly place will have to wait.”
“It’s not a bother, tonight will be cold and welcomed.” The large wolf chuckled with glee. “I will go and find my supper; I believe you should still have some left if I remember how diligent you are about your measurements.”
With a smirk, Allester helped Laragin pull the cart off to the side of the road, spending the next hour and a half fixing the wheel. It was past ten, the gates would be closed to the city. They made camp and waited for the morning to move on in to the city.
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Through the shadows of the night, a lithe figure trotted along a few crates without a sound. The moonlight that shown through the window of the building, revealed soft curves of a woman’s body on the shadow of the figure as she darted around on the ground in search of something special. Short legs and a long thick tail kept her moving swiftly and well balanced while sharp eyes easily picked out shapes in the dark room. First to one box, and then to another, once more to the next and several more she moved to until finally she stopped in front of a large empty cage near a chest of ancient design and even more aged wear around its iron surface joints. She smiled inwardly, pulling a small package from her open vest and began her trade.
Small silver lock picks flicked between her fingers as she worked quickly. She heard a snap in the air with her tiny triangular ears and moved to pull up the lid of the chest. When it wouldn’t budge, she growled and snarled, settling down to return to her picks, but instead realized the room was now bathed in the light of mystic flames. Forgetting her picks she turned to bolt away only to slam face first in to the burly body of a massive ursine. Blinking out of a brief daze, she peered up at the bear just as his arm swept down and scooped her up around the waist and held her to his chest, her back pressed tight to his core and she squirmed in distress. “Lemme go you bloody arse hat!”
“Not likely thief.” The bear said; his voice rumbling as he turned to face a small turtle that looked aged beyond a hundred. “Sir, this river rat tried to steal your treasure. Should I snap her?” he asked.
There was no response at all for several moments, the Turtles old eyes sizing up the sleek otter female in his guards arms. Her body looked fit, slim and well curved for her apparent age. He watched her struggle, her short arms and small hands trying to push her slim figure from the bears steely grip. Her stubs of legs kicking in an attempt to hit his family jewels but falling short by nearly three feet. Finally she leaned down and listened to the giant bear roar in pain as she sank twin rows of sparkling white and sharp teeth in to his arm. However the bear still would not release her and the turtle finally spoke up in a slow tone. “Sla~ve.” He said, drawing out the word.
Immediately the otter female stopped her movements, even released the bears arm from her teeth, blood dripping from them and the male’s wounds as she stared. “You bloody well ‘ouldn’t!” she hissed, her sapphire eyes staring from behind her black linen mask wrapped around her skull just above her blunted and short pointed muzzle. As the bear moved towards the cage, she noticed there were two of them. One contained males of many different species, all of them stark naked. “OYI! N-NO! They’ll rape me fur sure! I ‘ever been touched!” she hissed, her wild flailing beginning once more.
“Ho~ld.” The turtle said in his slow drawl. “Fema~les onl~y. Vi~rgin, more go~ld.” He said after a few minutes of speech.
The bear turned and waddled away from those cages, reaching his free arm down to pick up his master and walk from the building in to a smaller room. Another cage was here, this one contained nude females from only a couple of species, along with children, all of them wore collars around their necks. Her squirming never stopped, even as she was tilted to an angle while the bear sat his master in a comfortable chair. She was not happy with her future and once more bit the bears arm, roaring in pain he stood straight and held himself back, but finally her kicking legs scored the hit she wanted, and as the bear doubled over in pain, she thought she was free!
Alas, her hopes were dashed, much the way her head meat with the bars of that cage. Such a blow that blood splattered from her skull and soaked her masks fabric while she went limp in to unconscious darkness. The Turtle looked displeased at this, and waved his hand. Two more servants rushed in, minks, quickly working the brown leather vest, white wool shirt and makeshift bra from her top. The bear was already yanking her leather skinned brown pants off of her legs along with her cotton undergarments. Once she was naked and her curves on display, the minks snapped a strong collar around her neck and the bear threw her in to the cage nearby.
The Turtle sighed as his head slowly moved side to side “Pi~ty, su~ch waste. Bu~t Vi~rgins rare~. Go~od mone~y.” He said, smiling a toothless smile as he looked over at the bear. “Pro~tect from ma~les that one~.”
Nodding his head, the bear turned to tend to his bleeding arm, wrapping several sheets of linen around the forearm. He looked back at the nude otter in her cage and curled his upper lip up in anger and disgust, even as the females fawned over the wound in her skull, attempting to stop the bleeding that the Master never noticed.
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Allester sighed as Laragin trotted up to the North gate of the city, the walls still closed and barred. “HEY! It’s ten movements of the sun already, why are the gates closed?” he called out to the guards in the tower. Noticing a couple standing at the base doors to guard the entrance.
Neither of them paid him any mind but the guards in the tower called down “Slave auction in an hour, all gates are closed in case of escapes.”
Snarling through his teeth, Allester raised his voice once more “You deny entrance to the Master Spell Smith of these lands?”
Quickly the two guards by the towers snapped to attention and marched over to Allester and inspected him as he removed his hat. Every guard knew his face thanks to the King’s decree that all Spell Smith’s should be known. The guards rushed back to their positions and called up for the gates to be briefly opened for the single admittance.
The right side of the wooden double doors creaked open a portion, slowly at first, but then soon gained momentum and was held open for Allester and his wagon to pass through. The doors closed behind him, but he continued to move towards his villa, eager to be in his own bed once more… at least one of them. Two streets down on his right and left, passing the Inn marked as the Dove’s Dance. He noticed a crowed gathered in the town square and remembered the slave trade of the day. It was a despicable trade, one his merchant life style accepted, but would take no part in… or so he thought.
His head turned at a loud noise on the stage, and he saw a rusty colored otter female being dragged on to the stage. She was trying her best to plant her feet on the makeshift stage of wood, while her right arm covered her hefty bosoms of cream fur tone, and her left paw cupped her crotch to guard her privates. She was loosing the battle to the burly bear that dragged her foreword by a leash attached to her collar. A wild plume of crimson hair spilled down her shoulders with an untreated wound on the right side of her head still bleeding slightly from all her fighting.
A large badger stood on the stage calling to the crowd with a laughing snarl and show of teeth. “What do I hear for this feisty little wench? See the bandages there on my companion? Caused by her! She’s the perfect beast to be used to break in your new bondage gear, or round out your bed notched with a wild ride! Ohh, and did I mention gentlemen? The slave is fresh! Never had a male ‘tween her legs, and far as I can tell by smell, she’s there abouts twelve or thirteen seasons!”
The otter halted with a snarl, her face written with shock “Bloody ‘ell! You brute I be twenty seasons!” she hissed, only to receive a swift punch to her gut by the bear, crumpling down to the stage with her arms around her stomach, revealing her breasts and crotch to the audience only briefly before she once more covered herself after the initial shock.
“Quiet slave, younger girls sell for more.” The bear growled under his breath as he grabbed her red hair and hauled her back to her feet.
The badger once more lifted his cone of metal to his lips, his voice easily heard over the laughter of the crowd. “What say you folks? A barely of age tramp, untouched by seed and ready to be screwed like a free whore in the back streets! Do I hear twenty shils for her?”
A cry from the audience echoed his offer, but then two more raised the bid higher, followed quickly by the first bidders increased call. The bidding war went back and forth until the auctioneer called out “I heard two paz for her! Do I hear three and ten shils?!” he asked.
The otter girl turned her head, her tan furred cheeks burning a shade of pink under her fur. Allester couldn’t help but watch her and notice something odd. It was then he heard a call over the crowed “One band.” The crowed hushed swiftly, turning towards the voice, all eyes on Allester who hadn’t even realized he had bid.
Of course the badger on stage was speechless, even the Otter turned her head to stare opened mouthed at the man bidding such an outrageous price on her. After a moments more pause, the auctioneer hissed through his megaphone and called out “I don’t think ANYONE will beat that bid, so we have our little trollop SOLD!” he banged a gavel to a small podium and the otter was dragged from the stage quite literally. She was still shell shocked by the bid that her feet gave out and she fell over.
Allester left Laragin with the wagon and marched to the side of the stage. He already had the single band ready, a coin the same size as his fist with a triangular cut out of the center and runes scribbled on one side reading ‘King’s pure gold’ And the other side revealing a smooth gold ring. The bear offered him the leash to the otter at the same time as Allester offered the band. It was the highest form of currency, equal to a hundred pax or two thousand shils. As the exchange was made, Allester reached down and picked the stunned otter up in his arms. “Her clothing?” he asked.
“Slaves have no clothes.” The bear responded and turned to pull up the next slave from the cages.
Giving a light snort, Allester moved back through the crowd’s side edge and buildings closest to the square until he rejoined Laragin. He laid the girl out in the back of his cart and took off his cloak and wrapped it around her, noticing she had fainted and the wound on her head was bleeding once more from her fall. He tied her leash to the carts ties and then moved back to Laragin. “Home. Now. Quickly.” He said.
“Really now? I thought you hated slavery.”
“No I don’t, I hate buying slaves. But she is wounded, badly and I… just have a feeling.”
“In your pants?” Laragin snickered a hissing noise through his teeth.
“NO!” Allester barked, kicking Laragin’s sides with both of his feet as they moved through the town towards his villa near the castle. “It’s just… something about her reeks of magic.”
“Her slit maybe?” Laragin laughed once more, but again was kicked in the sides.
“NO YOU PERVERTED CUR! I am being totally serious.”
“So am I! I could smell your scent shift the second you saw her tits, you got a thing for her hot body.”
Allester snarled, but remained silent as his villa came in to view. It was a two story building, crafted from the finest stone and corners matched by wooden planks to ensure that the house held its shape. Two large chimney flumes exited from the left and right side of the building, one for the bottom floor, and the other for the top floor. Smaller spouts erupted from the roof as well for smaller heating sources in other rooms. The front door was a brilliant mahogany and the yard around the building was large and fenced in by a stone wall. Several trees erupted from the ground all well groomed and cared for by the gardeners on staff.
Laragin marched right through the front gates and headed to the small barn twenty yards from the house. Once it was inside, Allester was already off of the wolf's back and moving to get the girl. “Lock up please.” He said, even as Laragin’s ice armor faded and the straps connecting him to the wagon were released at the same time.
By the time he was ready to respond, Allester was already gone.
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Slowly, blue eyes parted from the tawny brown colored fur of her eyelids, twitching briefly with a fluttering of long black lashes before finally opening wide and her body jerking up in to a seated position. Immediately she regretted this movement as her entire head went light and her eyes rolled back in to her head as she fell back against soft pillows. A groan rolled from her lips and soon enough she opened her eyes once more and tilted her head to the right. A human woman sat beside the bed, knitting a tight weaved sports-bra shaped top but with thinner straps and a pair of lace cups with wool padding in them. “W… Where?”
The human woman lifted her head and smiled “Good morning little one.” She smiled an aged smile and stood up to walk to the bedside. “Thought we lost you a minute ago when you sat up and then fell back.” She leaned over the otter, her bodice pressing to the girls own bosoms through a set of thick blankets while she inspected the wound on her head. “Master Darkflame did a good job stitching you up. That wound on your head was terrible; think he saved your life.” She said, and noticed the girls staring eyes lined up with her own bosoms. “Sorry dear,” she said, standing up once more and smiling “Now then, what’s your name? We can’t rightly call you slave.”
Blinking a bit of sleep back from her eyes and reaching a hand up to rub her sore head, the otter sighed. “I’m no slave, but me names Ninalia… me folks calls me Nina or Lia.” She murmured and moved her body to rest her back against the pillows and her head against the head board.
A fire blazed in the fireplace across from the foot of her bed, two dressers were off to her left along with a large cabinet beside a window overlooking a street. To the left of the fireplace a pair of double doors were opened in to a closet and on the right side of the fireplace a door lead out of the room. The right side of the room carried a small washing table with a mirror above it and a smaller table for tea and crumpets with one chair tucked under it and another that the human sat on. Beside the bed on the right side was a smaller table with a book and a candle holder.
“Where is this eh?” Nina asked, peering up at a strange sort of contraption that spun above her head and blew cool air over her body.
The woman beside her smiled softly “This is Master Darkflame’s Villa. My name is Lanel. I’m a lot like yourself though, was once an Elirie in this city… then I screwed up and a dukes son died and of course he blamed me. Master Darkflame heard I was to be put to death and used his station at the King’s ear to arrange another deal, I’d be his private doctor but never allowed to leave his private lands.”
“I see… but wot do you mean ‘like me’? I ain't hurt no one.”
Lanel smiled some and stroked her fingers along the collar on Nina’s neck “You were sold on an auction block dear, you’re a slave. But don’t think that Master Darkflame will treat you like one, he’s very good to the servants, doesn’t ask us to do too much. We mostly just pick up after ourselves and tend to the home while he’s not here. He provides us enough money for food, water, and materials if needs be while he’s away but for the moment I believe he’ll be here for awhile yet… he seemed very worried about you.”
For a moment Nina looked at her compatriot and frowned a little. “But I… I ain't no slave. I’m a free woman!” she huffed and blinked, her ears tilting foreword when the door to the room opened. Her eyes opened wide as she peered at the man that bought her, up close he was much more of a looker then she had thought, the memory of his price for her left her stunned once more, not realizing that the blankets had fallen away from her chest and exposed her nude upper body once more.
Allester turned his head, smiling slightly with his sharp teeth shown off between his thin lips. One hand lifted to rub along his neck while he stared at a suddenly interesting pattern on the wood of the door. Lanel knew what he was doing and quickly took up the top she had been knitting and forced it down Nina’s head, and while the otter suddenly started squirming in bewilderment, she soon stopped when she realized the fabric hid her breasts from view rather comfortably. “I err… Thanks.” She muttered under her breath.
Once more, Allester’s head turned and he smiled at the otter female with a light chuckle on his lips. “Well Miss, you are a slave, a slave to circumstance. That collar around your neck is magically sealed, done by a Spell Smith friend of mine and it won’t come off. Once you’re better though and healed, we’ll make preparations to seek him out so he’ll remove it.” He smiled as he peered at her.
She looked back at him and then ground her teeth as her right hand grabbed a pillow and slung it right at him, although he caught it, she still burst in to a strew of rage. “I ain't no ones slave, ya here? I wont be ya toy in bed, or your bloody wench!” she seethed, staggering back on the bed a little and laying back against the headboard. Lanel’s hands tried to grip her shoulders and pull her back down.
“Now child, rest yourself. You’ll have to deal with being called ‘slave’ by others thanks to that thing and Master Darkflame bought your freedom, show a little respect to the man!” Lanel snapped at her.
Nina stared at the woman and bit down on her lower lip in mild shame. She was right; this man had paid a large sum to get her off the auction house, fixed up her wound, took care of her in his own home, and even offered to set her free once she was better. Inwardly she cursed herself for letting her anger peak like that and her head turned from both of them. “Sorry.” She spat out, trying to sound as if she didn’t mean it, but the tiny tear spinning its way down her cheek told them the truth.
“Listen Miss-“ Allester started.
“Ninalia, or Nina… or Lia.” Nina corrected.
“Nina,” Allester paused smiling briefly, “I’ve arranged for clothes to be made for you that will keep people from thinking you an escaped Slave, but you’ll have to ‘act’ the part while we travel. Even being a Spell Smith myself doesn’t put me above the law.”
He watched the otter adjust the bra on her top, as if not paying attention to him and wondering about the new form of top that hefted her bosoms up but at the same time was made of less material then most others. She fiddled with it a moment, feeling how the weight on her chest was more centered and pushed together.
“Lady Ninalia.” Allester said, his voice sterner and more commanding this time.
She turned her head up and looked at him “Wot?” she asked.
Rubbing his temples, Allester chuckled “South Amarin speech mixed with Eastern Elicint… odd combination and very confusing at times.” He remarked as he looked at her curiously “You’ll have to play at being my slave in public dear, by no means am I calling you slave, but even the Bureaucracy has ‘favorites’ that are permitted clothing and travel with their Masters. I’ll marker you as my chosen so that you are permitted clothing on the streets so long as you’re in my presence. This is only until we can travel to Ducieal and speak with my friend.”
“Du-Ducieal?! That’s a hundred and fifty leagues from here! I can’t leave, not yet!” Nina shouted, grabbing her head in pain as she huffed out a soft breath. Tears began streaming down her cheeks “Can’t leave… not yet.”
Lanel leaned down and hugged Nina to her side, holding her as she wept. Allester on the other hand wasn’t buying this ploy and merely crossed his arms behind his back. “So, what I heard is true, you’re the thief that broke in to my associate’s warehouse.” He paused, noticing the weeping stopped and Nina sit up complacent. “What were you stealing?” he asked.
“Tch, like you’d bloody well believe me.” She retorted, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Try me.”
She turned her blue eyes on him and stared hard, grinding her teeth for a few moments before dropping her arms to her sides. “pfft… soppy mess I dun got meself in to.” She sighed heavily. “Me mum’s right sick, she is. Elirie in town south’a here said she needed wot called Illabel root.” She murmured.
Lanel’s head lifted and she peered at Nina with disbelief. “That root, is used for one thing and one thing only. To cure Albizinine flu, if your mothers caught that there’s only six months before she passes on, but there haven’t been any of those roots seen in decades.” She turned to Allester “Not even the King holds any of them, and you know his garden.”
“Mum’s only got three months left, took me one to hunt down the clues that got me ‘ere.” Nina commented. “Another two months to get ‘ere on foot.” She sighed. “That bastard turtle’s got some of the root ‘old up in his warehouse, great ancient chest he does.”
“Really now?” Allester asked, his mind turning several things in his head before he turned for the door. “Lanel, please make sure her clothes are prepared and on her when I return.”
“Yes Master Darkflame.” Lanel bowed her head and smiled as she rose to follow him.
“Wot? ‘Ey! Where you two ‘eadin’ off to?” Nina paused and looked at Allester, and then her eyes opened “Cor! If you buy that root for me, I’ll be yer slave fer life I will! Save me mum and me body, mind and life’s yours!” she huffed, suddenly on all fours over the bed sheets and blankets, reaching her hand out for him.
Allester just smiled at her “If that’s the price you trade me, then so be it.” He said and turned to walk from his house.
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Waiting on the room with a cage full of naked females put Allester at unrest, irritated at their treatment but unable to say anything for the laws of the land allowed it. He turned his head to the Turtle that sat across from him in a prized chair. The turtle showed little interest in what he had to say about the root, it was obvious the creature knew of its properties and wouldn’t let it go so easily. Now they stared each other down from one chair to the other, Allester’s ears showing no movement but remaining pointed foreword at his host.
“We~ll… Spel~l S~mith. You~r offer~ is~ Ni~ce. But… not go~od enough.” The Turtle said in that drawn out speech of his.
Chuckling as if he thought the turtle passed up a good deal, Allester rose from his seat and smiled “Well then, I guess five band wont work for you. It’s alright, I just thought I’d come to you first since you are my associate and all. I guess I’ll go to the vender two cities east of here.” He murmured and bowed “Thanks for your time Lord Oswin.”
As he turned, Oswin lifted his hand slowly and opened his mouth just as slow “Wa~it.” He said.
Turning in his step Allester peered down at Oswin “My friend, I really should be going. The sun is down, and the chill is coming. Rain too.” He said.
“Two~ band and S~pell cr~aft.” Oswin said.
Allester’s eyes widened and he hissed, but bit his tongue. It was for a good cause, to save a life. He leered at Oswin and nodded his head but held up his finger “Addendum, you must give me three months time to start on the Spell craft; I must travel east to finish my trade route before the winters begin or else my stock will die off. You know when I agree to a craft I don’t back out, when I return I will start immediately. Deal?”
Slowly, Oswin’s hands moved towards his lap and his head nodded up and down slowly. “Dea~l.” He responded and his left eye looked back at his Bear guardian. “Fe~tch Root.” He said.
Moving back to his chair, Allester reached in to his pocket and pulled out three bands and slapped it to the surface of the table between the chairs. “A third for your willingness to allow me my time.” He said.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
After the four hours of dealing with Oswin, Allester’s return home was a delight, and then some. The moment he opened the door, he found Lanel and Nina standing in the waiting room, Laragin dozing in a mist near the back of the room away from the heat.
Nina stood at her full four feet and three inches of height in a white linen shirt with long billowing sleeves and cut at the chest to put her bosoms on display. A bodice of deep forest green wrapped around her sides and pushed up on her breasts even more then the rest of her outfit. The bodice was embroidered with a few light brown vines weaving a tapestry of blue and yellow flowers around her stomach. From the hem of the bodice, a teal dress swept down from her hips in a wide arch as the material conformed to her hips briefly before billowing out in a bell shape around her thighs and legs. The teal faded as it went further down until its ends transferred to a foam white, making her outfit look like the rolling sea coming in and washing out.
She looked at him, the flames of the rooms light flickering on her brown furred face. When he held up her treasured root, her blue eyes lit up and he saw pastel face paints gingerly applied to her fur around her eye lids, and a thick paste of red on her lips. Her hair pulled back in to a tight pony-tail with three sky blue ribbons tied in to her crimson hair. She rushed up and hugged him, planting an unlady like kiss to his lips without realizing it. Slowly breaking the kiss, with her hands cupping his chin and her eyes staring dreamily up at his face. It took her a moment, but she suddenly spit and shoved him away with her hands on her chest. “Blimey! Sappy piss ant!” she huffed, as if he was the one that kissed her!
All he could do was chuckle and smile. “I had preparations made for our trip; we leave in three days time.” He looked at Lanel as Nina stalked off towards the kitchen as her nose caught wind of stew being cooked. “Lanel… expect a Craft order from Lord Oswin in the week’s time.” He sighed.
Lanel peered at her Master, her eyes wide with shock. “That root is costly, but sir… that? Your choices are-“
He held up his hand to cut her off. “It will save a life, and… it endears her to me. Remember what I told you about her while she slept.” He smiled and sniffed the air. “Smells like Lilim has dinner nearly m-“ a crash from the kitchen cut him off, followed by a raised voice and Nina scurrying from the kitchen, pursued by a matronly raccoon woman with a ladle in her hands.
“And don’tcha let me catch'ya in my kitchen again you thieving river rat!” the raccoon called out as Nina cowered behind the stairs leading up to the second floor.
~~ To be continued…
~ Allester E. Darkflame
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