Sword Saint Book Two Incomplete Chapter 7 I am
- 3 years ago
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It wasn’t, but it certainly felt like fifteen minutes later when someone shook me awake. I was dry for the first time in days and ravenous. Chandra knelt beside my bed with a bowl of steaming stew, a mug of ale and a large chunk of bread.
“Thank you.”
She helped me sit up and snatched a pillow from a nearby bunk to prop behind my back. “My Lord, you have to be careful that you do not do too much. If your strength would have given away while on that cliff face, you would have died,” this she said quietly but with conviction.
“You think that I should have let him die on that ledge?” I asked between mouthfuls of stew. Eating the stew was harder than it should have been. Every movement that I made took effort. My hands shook noticeably.
“Yes, My Lord. You are too important and they would not have done the same for you. Remember that we are at war with them. You just risked your life for someone that we might have to kill next month.”
“You’re probably right, but I couldn’t just stand back and watch him die there.”
“My Lord, saving a wounded man is one thing, risking your life to do so for an enemy is another.” She whispered furiously.
“So, risking my life to save anyone is not allowed?”
“No, My Lord, you are too valuable to risk,” she felt serious.
“Even you?”
She slapped my arm lightly, “I’m serious. You risk too much. You attack too much. And you treat the nobility too harshly. You need to be more careful.”
The worry in her voice caught my attention. “I’ll try.”
“No, you won’t, as soon as someone irritates you, you will lash out and stir up more trouble. Just like you did to the prince. You taunted him and forced him to try and kill you.” Her frustration and anger warred against my obstinacy.
“True, I did. Ok, I will make an effort to restrain my disdain for the idiots.”
“You just did it again.” Now she was getting mad at me. With reason, I supposed.
“What do you want from me, I said that I would make an effort and I will.”
“I want you to not antagonize so many people. That and you will have to apologize to Steven’s family and Michael’s family and Duchess Polyantha, and my father and Sister Cynthia. And probably more people that I don’t know about.”
“Wait, I’m tired but why would I have to apologize to Steven’s and Michael’s families? And your father, why him?”
“You should have introduced yourself to him, also you killed some of his men when he sent Allay to arrest you. Also, you have been traveling with me.”
“He could have sent for me,” I defended lamely. I got the sinking feeling that she was right and I had some explaining to do. “Besides, weren’t you dedicated to the temple. I didn’t know that your father was still involved.”
That got me ‘the look’.
“Ok, I admit, that was dumb. I should have talked to your father earlier.”
Looking pensive, she searched my face for something.
“What?”
“What are you going to tell my father?”
Shit.
“Tell him that is at war with Kalabar and maybe Fairview too.”
Chewing her lip, she smacked me again in the arm, this time hard. “Not that, be serious.”
“I was. You never told me what you wanted from me Chandra. I am content to be your teacher as long as you want. If you desire something more, tell me.” I refrained from rubbing my shoulder. Damn, she hits hard.
She just kept chewing her lower lip in indecision. She still wasn’t ready, at least enough to say one way or another.
“It’s ok, I’ll still be here, you don’t have to tell me right now. What time is it?” Chandra looked relieved and sad at the same time. Seeing this, I had to say something, “Chandra,” I said to get her attention. When she looked up at me, I put down my bowl of stew that she hadn’t given me much time to eat.
“I’m will be here for you when you decide. Take your time and do what you think is best for you. Ok?” Gently. I kept it gentle for her so that any pressure that she might have about what she wanted to do came from her.
The more time that I spent around this amazing young woman, the more that a long term relationship seemed inevitable and that meant marriage. I loved her, I just didn’t know if I was ‘In love with her’. Not that I considered it a bad thing, but she still had some growing up to do and she was fixated on me. For that, there was nothing that I could do. I needed someone to talk at length about her options and that could only be Mother Browynn. Hell, I needed someone to talk to regardless, the high priestess of our shared Goddess ended up being the one that I trusted the most.
No wonder that people in my time worried about the abuse of a teacher and a pupil. I can see how taking advantage of ones student would happen all too easily in a one on one relationship. That the two of us were off on our own and spent most of our waking time together didn’t help the situation at all. Sleeping hours too.
“You can ask my father to court me.”
“What?” Talk about a derailment. Here I thought that she still needed more time.
This time she said it without the blush, and hit me again, “I said that you can ask my father to court me.” This time, I did rub my shoulder.
“Ow. What did I say about hitting me? Yes, I heard you, I was just making sure that I heard you correctly. What about me as a teacher, do you want to keep me?”
Ah, that look. “I’ll take that as a yes. You never did tell me what time it is and how long I have been asleep.”
“You never asked, My Lord.”
“I’m asking now.”
“You have been sleeping since last night. It is about a candle after noon.”
Ten candles to a day so each is two point four hours. That would make it two-twenty. No wonder I am famished.
“How is Soldier Kern?”
“Are you?”
Am I, what?
I must have looked clueless, since she slapped my leg saying, “Going to ask my father.”
“Oh that, I haven’t decided.”
Apparently, that was the wrong answer, since I ended up wearing the remains of my stew on my head before she stormed off.
“Chandra.” I barked.
“What?” She stopped a few steps away but faced away from me, I could hear the tears in her voice.
“It would be a great honor for me to be allowed to court you. I apologize for being thoughtless.” I was, and not just because of my lunch dripping down my face.
“Really?” She still didn’t turn and face me.
“Really.” That was when she turned and beamed at me before she skipped to the door passing Postulant Dina on the way out.
I used my blanket to wipe off the mess that she made while Dina approached me.
“Milord, Sister Emily sent me to ask how you are doing.” Here I sat, naked using my blanket to rub food out of my hair while still coveingr my lower half with a timid Postulant looking at me expecting an explosion caused by my own Postulant.
“Tired and still hungry. Would you bring me some water to wash up with, and another bowl of stew please?” Any dignity that I might have had flew out the window with Chandra’s actions.
“Yes. Milord.” She took my partially refilled bowl and hurried off, thankful that I didn’t take Chandra’s outburst out on her.
The mug of ale and what little of the stew that I ate before she dumped it over my head helped take the edge off of my ravenous hunger. I munched on the bread until Dina returned, it at least was decent unlike the swill of ale that they offered me. Good ale, I liked, bad ale no. Unfortunately, the water tended not to be drinkable in medieval cultures unless boiled and I didn’t want to wait for that, so I suffered through the ale.
What did I really want from Chandra? I avoided this issue as much as I could since she was training under me, but she her constant presence made me think about it, repeatedly. I liked her a lot. If I was honest with myself, I would do anything for her, but did I want to get married? How would we be with each different if we married than we currently were? If not her, what serious prospects did I have in this time? Also, can Sisters marry? I thought so, but I still did not know the dynamics of the situation. We needed to talk about what she wanted from life. There was also a war that we are about to get embroiled in, and taking her into combat scared the shit out of me. I honestly don’t know how I can bring her with me except that she chose this life and this is what she wanted. Denying her, her choice of vocation felt wrong. Then there was Kassandra, Chandra dedicated herself to Her and I didn’t have the right to prevent Chandra from serving Her.
Mother Browynn and I needed to talk about what is expected of me and what I can do with and about Chandra. There just wasn’t anyone else that I could trust except for maybe Lady Janice, Chandra’s great-grandmother. Either of them would have her best interest in mind, not mine. Not that that would bother me, I would think of her first too.
Chandra practically begged me to restrain my opinions of the people that I dislike. I knew that she had a point there, I acted the part of an ‘Ugly American’ all too often. That I had the physical power to back up my arrogance only made my actions worse.
She’s right in that I owed an apology to some people, no matter how much that I believed that they were wrong. I still acted the bully. Bully was a good word.
“Milord, I have your stew and ale.” Hell, I was so lost in thought that I didn’t even hear Emily’s apprentice approach.
“When you are up to it, meet me at the training grounds.” She nodded and I went outside to ask directions. I thought that the grounds might be near the barracks and was proven correct by one of Allard’s men. I had been resting to recover as much of my strength before I started exerting myself again and thought that enough time had passed for me to return to my normal training regimen. I began stretching and continued until I felt comfortable enough to start working hard. Micro-focusing on a...
Celia’s infection cleared up completely a week before we entered the capitol. The scars she wouldn’t let me see but Chandra assured me that they were slowly fading. I knew that I couldn’t wait much longer for a; very long, very hot bath. It had been four days since my last one at a small town’s inn. According to Allard’s writ, he was supposed to take us straight away to the king, but since we didn’t enter the city until after nightfall, he agreed that we could stay at my house until we were...
We woke, it wasn’t quite dawn yet with the sun under the horizon gently lighting the morning sky. I wiggled out from under Celia’s grip and slipped out of the bed following Chandra as she exited the small water closet. We dressed, quietly washed and left the room without disturbing the still sleeping strawberry blond. Breakfast was a subdued affair, she was too nervous to contribute anything meaningful. “You will be fine, just believe in yourself.” *Mumble. “You’ll be fine, trust me.” I...
The weather remained overcast with the breeze gusting from the east. Celia rode with Chandra most of the time while I tended to ride with Sister Emily. Emily taking her charge to task, quizzed Dina on what she had learned from Allard the previous day at every chance possible. Until the third day of travel, Celia braved the brief but potent showers at the first sign of truly dark clouds that rolled all too fast in our direction. She bolted into her carriage and I caught Chandra looking...
I knelt by Konnor’s head as he lay crumpled on the ground in front of the royal stables. He was in agonizing pain and undisguised hate flashed from his eyes. “I will heal you so you don’t die, ONLY if you give your word that you will not prevent us from leaving your lands. If you go back on your word, Morgan will be the one who suffers, not you.” He would, his son would suffer from the lack of having a living father. But, the prince took my threat the way that I intended him to take it. “I...
Waking up with two beautiful naked women draped across your chest is a wonder, one I hope never get used to. Granted one of them was snoring lightly. Not that I will ever admit to it public, so I continued to lie on my back, replaying my memories from the previous night. They were insatiable, I don’t think that I could get it up again this morning with a crane, not that I would take back last night for a million dollars. Goddess help me. How do I not treat Chandra like a lover instead of my...
Introduction: Batwoman goes in search of Selina Kyle aka Catwoman, only to find her fill-in, Holly Robinson. It was all going so well. A simple looting of a rich persons home of a few baubles, and what not. Yep, everything was going so well until she found herself blacking out from something hitting her. She groaned as she came to, her vision blurry as she looked around. Where am I? she groaned, then tried to move only to find herself hanging from the ceiling and shackled thoroughly. ouuuhhh…...
She groaned as she came to, her vision blurry as she looked around. "Where am I?" she groaned, then tried to move only to find herself hanging from the ceiling and shackled thoroughly. "ouuuhhh..." she groaned in pain. "As to the where, you're in an adult toy factory. As for the why, because I saw you and decided you might be the one person that can give me what I want." Stepping from behind the hanging woman, Batwoman let the fingers of her left hand trace Holly's right thigh...
I continued down the hill following the stream until it abruptly fell off the side of a short cliff. The sheer face didn't even have any vegetation just a few exposed rocks. The risk of injury from sliding against the jagged rocks seemed too high. I needed to find a different way down. Choosing another path to follow I ended up climbing a few hundred feet. All the while trying to keep the stream within hearing distance. Near the bottom of the hill, I spotted an old overgrown path. The...
"Do you live by the lake?" I thought that I knew how to get there from here. "It's on the other side of the lake. Gamma's farm is easy to find." That caused her tears to start up again, but she looked like they were not going to overcome her this time. "Is that where you lived?" She shook her head no. I helped her mount my new horse, then grabbed its reins and started off in the direction of the lake. "How did you end up with the slavers?" "They attacked my father's farm and...
Off in the distance I could barely make out a group of three barns flanking a house. The barns were painted a faded red and the house was whitewashed. As we skirted around a plowed field that seemed to be growing wheat, I noticed that the main house was much larger than Kira's. This one also had a small shed that was just off to the east and one just off to the west of the main house with the main house facing us to the south. For reference directions I was using earth standard. I know that...
I called to the ladies in the house to come out and assist the slaver with the sliced leg and bring some rawhide to tie up the one that was knocked out. The rest I was sure were dead or almost dead. Kira brought me my scabbard and some bread. I pointed to the unconscious slaver; "Thanks. Make sure that you tie his wrists and his ankles tightly, if he starts to wake let me know if you haven't finished tying him up yet." I walked over to the slaver with the massive gash across his left leg....
"What about my sword? It cuts through everything and it glows." "If you say so, My Lord, but your sword doesn't glow. It is you that glows," Chandra responded. She thought for a second and then continued, "Does your sword cut through everything or do you enhance your strength to cut through your target?" I thought about that. She was probably right on that one she knew more about magic than I did. I enhanced my strength whenever I fought. Come to think of it, I enhanced my stamina...
Lady Janice, Chandra’s great grandmother, sat in her embroiderer chair sipping tea and waved me to sit after I thanked her for agreeing to seeing me on short notice. Her room was full of books stacked on either side of her chair, the den, well lit with numerous lamps and a large bay window to her left. The room had the same musty smell of my den plus a stronger odor than comfortable, consisting primarily of talc. “I told you, that you should have married that girl, now look at the...
The rest of the journey home passed easily. Dina split time between her Sister and her new paramour. She captivated Allard, Emily admitted to me later that I had been correct with paring those two together and that it didn’t seem to hinder her lessons at all. After that horrendous downpour the skies threatened but rarely delivered. For two weeks we traveled at a decent pace, stopped regularly and sparred with our guards and each other. All of the guards taking every opportunity to work with...
I went out of my way to act like nothing happened the night before with Chandra. She mostly relaxed during breakfast and seemed to let go my teasing her from the previous night until I told her that I needed to check her wounds. She blanched at that. I led her into the carriage and pulled the curtains closed. I peeled the bandage off her face first. It looked like a week old scratch that so far had healed cleanly. I readied one of the bandages that she had brought and replaced the dressing...
The rain began with a light drizzle shortly after dawn and the flash of lighting promised a harder downpour. The first lightning bolt came from a distance to the southwest. I counted six seconds from seeing the flash in the distance, to the booming sound of thunder that followed. Hopefully the storm would pass by us instead of through us, but for some reason I knew that it wouldn’t, my luck of late wouldn’t allow for that. We entered the mountain pass slower than we had been traveling up to...
Home. Here I thought that I was going to have a nice relaxing afternoon. I was greeted by a small flying body that tried to bowl me over. “Charles!” She exclaimed, while wrapping her legs around my waist. “I missed you.” How she achieved a 40” vertical leap was beyond me. “What brought this on, I have been gone for only a few hours?” I said cupping my hands under her bottom supporting Celia. “I just missed you. What’s an hour?” Celia mumbled into my chest. “That’s ok, I guess. Hours are...
"I may not." The Arbiter said sadly. I just stared at her, incredulous. "Then I will." I sheathed my sword and knelt beside the fallen priestess, her hands were covering the wound over her stomach. There was blood pooling from her stomach, and I could see the pain that she was in. I placed my hands on her blood soaked ones and stared into her eyes. "Let me heal you." She shook her head no. "There is no shame in losing, just in giving up without trying. Let me heal you, Priestess of...
I was glad of the short ride back. The same soldier that brought me the horse met me when I returned. He asked solicitously about my ride, not even mentioning the different livery of the horse. "I'll leave it up to you to return this horse and get yours back. Oh, and soldier, thank him for me would you. I was not in the best of tempers when I left." "Yes, Milord," the soldier responded and mounted the horse that I just left. I walked around the house to the exercise yard and knelt,...
Chandra woke me in the morning with tea and some food. Thankfully, she hadn’t let me sleep in this morning. I wanted to talk to Sergeant Robin and leave him with a get out of jail free card before we left. “Will you bring me my backpack please?” She nodded and left me to my morning ablutions before breakfast. Chandra brought my pack to me while I ate. I opened it and retrieved a ballpoint pen and a notepad. Chandra had seen both of them before and I explained their usages, not that I let...
Leaving Kassandra’s Temple interior with a spring in my step, I ran into Emily. “Would you like to go to dinner with me?” “Sure, just let me wash up first.” “Ok, I’ll wait here for you.” I waited while she hurried in to the temple. A few minutes later she came out and I was still floating on cloud nine. “You seem unusually chipper.” She commented as we were leaving the grounds. “I was blessed by Mother Browynn and Our Lady responded.” I gave her a large grin. “Oh, that makes sense.” She...
"Have you told Kira yet?" "She knows." "Have you sent someone to the other steads to warn them of the slavers?" Kira's grandmother just looked at me like I was an idiot. "Mine was the last one attacked, this was a coordinated attack. My granddaughter and I are the only ones left that I can see. If any of the other girls are alive they aren't on their farms." "Can you tell where they are?" "No. I do know that the slavers will be back here soon, and they will come as a group...
We rode at a much faster pace for the remainder of the day. The breaks were shorter, and the time spent walking was cut in half. No complaints came from the girl or from the horses. I still made her keep up her exercises, both mental and physical, for the journey. It was getting to be late afternoon when I noticed that the farms started getting closer together. The terrain was rolling and lush. We did pass one older man on the road, but he scurried off the road and hid before we approached,...
Because of our increased activity, I made sure that we ate very well. This did have a side effect of consuming our food all that much quicker. To alleviate this, whenever we came near a farmer's cart I tried to buy anything that was edible and portable. The farmers, who historically were always short on coin, were ecstatic to sell to me. Since we usually only bought a couple of apples or pears off a cart full of them, we pretty much paid for a bushel and just received the top couple of...
As soon as we were clear of town I picked up our pace. Unfortunately Orlanth was not the best rider, even with instruction. On top of that, Juniper was fast; I had to make sure that we didn't end up miles ahead of the kids without even trying. Orlanth's book was wrapped up and packed on an extra horse that the stable master provided me. The new horse seemed to be more of a plow horse than a riding horse. She did occasionally want to move slower than a brisk walk; otherwise she did not have...
There was a rude pounding on my door, the sun had not even crested the horizon yet. "Who is it and what do you want?" I called from my bed while I wiped the sleep from my eyes. "Damn your eyes man! What did you do to my garden?" Shouted an inconsolable Lord Grant. I dressed and loosened my sword before opening the door. The effete Lord Grant was fuming. His face was flushed with rage, I thought that he was about to attack me with the defoliated twig in his hand. I saw Chandra peek out...
I stopped partway to Duke Dwayne's estates for a chance to regroup. I looped the reins over a tree branch and knelt. I cried for a few minutes before I settled down. The anger had kept me sane enough to do what I had to do. Now that it was gone, my actions left an open wound. I didn't like it. I didn't have to like it. I knew that I had little choice in the matter. Still on my knees, exhausted from my crying, I prayed. Bright Lady, please forgive me. I felt her sad smile while her...
The horse kicking the wall of the barn that I was leaning against was one of the worst ways of waking up in the morning that I had ever experienced. There was a blanket across my legs and my sword was laid on my lap. Meri was nowhere in sight but there were plenty of other women and children already moving to do their morning chores. I slowly got up and stretched when I noticed that Meri was bringing me a bucket of water and a towel, while Kira was bringing me a platter of food. So much for...
She was alone in his bed when she woke up. She wondered where she was, everything seemed so strange…not a bad strange though. Usually when she woke up it was Mrs Johnson on 147 screaming off her head at her four boys for being late to school again. It was usually to the sound of Clay Brown, the stripper next door practicing his Elvis crotch grabs to Christina Aguilera’s ‘Dirty’. This definitely wasn’t Building 8 on Bertrand Road. It was all so quiet. She’d been here before but she’d never lain...
At least until we went to get our mounts the next morning, that is. We were up and ready before dawn, I sent Meri over to the stable to make sure that the horses would be ready for us to leave when we were done eating. Orlanth and I finished our meal and Meri still hadn't come back, I figured that something was amiss so I had him get his gear and meet me across the street. Instantly, I knew something was wrong when I approached the stable and no one was near it. I could see people...
I reluctantly let go of her hand as she glanced at the door to see who interrupted us. I figured that it was the kids and turned to meet them, Gail was there with the two of them in tow. "Meri, would you take my bags to my room, it is the one on the second level in the northeast corner. Then attend Miss Lori and go where she sends you. You too, Orlanth. After you get settled, I want you to do your exercises, and then you both have the rest of the evening to yourselves. Get some rest and I...
I heard a screech of "What?" coming from the Mother's office, followed by a low growl. I was almost out of the temple before Postulant Chandra caught up to me. Meri and the young petitioner were waiting to enter as I exited. I stopped before Meri, she looked lost and confused. "Meri, I want you to stay here for some training." Her eyes got big and she just looked at me. "You are to stay here and listen to the sisters. There is a set of weapons on my horse; they are for you. Don't...
After the drama of the afternoon, I was wondering what the Wizards would bring. The three of us rode out into the light rain; I could still see the sun through the clouds, so I didn't worry about a pending downpour. Chandra led the way to the guild; it was located on the second level on the western-most part of the ring. I could feel a red malaise encircling the compound, it made me hesitate for a second but I continued on. The guild grounds looked to have numerous adjoining buildings, I...
I now knew enough to get into serious trouble on the dance floor. The carriage pulled up, and I was shooed out the back and told to 'Go practice or something' by Miss Lori. So I followed her instructions and practiced. I was encouraged not to come back in, and they even went so far as to bring me food and drink and a book. Anything, really, to keep me occupied, the household went all-out to get her ready for tonight. Chandra came back looking dirty and tired, so I shooed her off to wash up...
I escorted Megan in, and we found Elizabeth in the sitting room reading a ledger of some sort. I remained standing after leading Megan to a couch. "I need to visit Lady Polyantha. Would it be too much for me to ask of you to entertain Lady Megan for a while until I return?" I asked Lady Elizabeth. She placed her finger on the ledger before she looked up. "It would be our pleasure, Charles. Are you sure that you want to be alone with Lady Polyantha? She does have an unsavory...
Cousin to the queen, damn. "Lord Allard, sheathe your weapons and see to your men. After we take care of them, you and I will need to talk. Just don't do anything dumb, I'd hate to have to kill you." I sheathed my sword after cleaning it off. He looked incredulous but followed my directions. Unfortunately for him, I only left one of his guards unscathed and four with a survivable wound. Two would be permanently crippled because of it, but they'd live. Bright Lady, watch over the souls...
Chandra and I were busy for the next couple of days. The only time we were able to relax was when the tailors came to measure us for the new outfits I wanted us to have. Lady Megan had plenty, according to Chandra, so we didn't have that extra delay. I did not let our schedule interfere with her training; I made plans with the Sisters for us to work on our teamwork. We made it an afternoon at the Temple. Chandra and I needed to learn how to work together as an effective team when push came...
I had a horse saddled for Megan the next morning. "Come, My Lady, I have a horse for you to ride. It seems that the rain has stopped." I bowed grandiosely, and offered her an orchid before she made ready for the day. "You seem to be in better spirits today, My Lord." "Why shouldn't I be? The rain has stopped, and there is a pair of beautiful maidens to ride at my side." I bowed with a flourish to each of them. Chandra looked at me funny when I bowed to her too. "Thank you, My...
Morning breakfast was peaceful. A little too peaceful, I thought. The ladies were going out of their way to be nice to each other and to me. Either they kissed and made up or they were a ticking time bomb. Knowing those two I guessed the latter and I definitely didn't want to be around when it went off. Fat chance of that. The sergeant at the gate was expecting us and presented me with a status report. There weren't any returnees from the messengers that were sent out the day before. Both...
She broke my stare and looked down in shame. "Everything." "Everything," I repeated. She just nodded. I patted the ground next to me and told her to sit. She sat. I laid back down with my hands behind my head and rested my eyes. My shoulder shouted in protest at the mistreatment. "What exactly did you tell him?" I was not all that surprised by her admission. It had to have taken a lot of fast talking on Chandra's part to get him to agree. "That you were a Wizard Lord, that you...
I wasn't sure which was the real Megan, and I would try to figure that out later. It was even possible that it was all just different facets of her personality. I just didn't know. It set me on edge. The first things that I noticed in the mining town on the Fairview side of the mountain were the iron collars. The men in iron collars were quiet, as we rode through town I didn't hear one make a sound. The second was that this town felt off. I couldn't quite place what bothered me, but...
Since I used so much strength earlier, fighting the wizard and then healing myself, I had to put off healing myself again. With Chandra's efforts getting the last of the poison and completely draining the last of my reserves. I didn't even notice that there was some left until I thought about it. I wanted to see if I could heal specific spots, and not use too much power instead of the brute force method that it felt like I had been using. But now that was going to have to wait until after I...
I awoke to the cook moving around in the kitchen well before dawn. I had finally fallen asleep sometime in the middle of the night while sprawled in the overstuffed chair that dominated the main room. She started kneading the dough with the occasional thump against the counter and I think that the thumping is what woke me. I checked my stitches and they seemed to be healing nicely. Cook, that's what she insisted on having me call her, was very generous with her food and gave me a plate of...
I could still hear the rain splattering against the roof above me when I woke. Hector and Armand both snored, and while it didn't bother me much when we slept outside, inside was another matter. I didn't get as much sleep as I hoped, I kept thinking that I left my enhanced hearing on, but that wasn't the case. These two were just noisy. I didn't know why I was up earlier than usual, but quietly washed and dressed. I disliked towel washing in the morning, I never felt clean enough...
I entered the bedroom from the bath wearing only my towel, I found Tara waiting for me wearing a diaphanous blouse that matched her pants. She was about a foot and a half shorter than I was and this girl with her self-assuredness had me on edge. She found another towel and offered to dry my hair. I sent her to see if my luggage had been brought up yet. As much as I wanted her, I didn't feel right doing so now. I didn't oppose casual sex. There were just too many unknowns to this situation....
My irritation with the prince and his inflexibility coupled with his daughter's dumping me left me in a mood. His actions confused me enough that I had no clue what he was really mad at. Fuck both of them. I hoped that food would cheer me up. I needed to be in a decent mood for our mock duel later. It wouldn't be fair to everyone if I wasn't. That still didn't prevent me from wanting to hit something and hit it hard. Tara was waiting for me in my room. It wouldn't be right to take out...
In the corridors of the palace, I passed the prince and he just gave me a quizzical look. I ignored him and I made my way back to my room. I waited to heal myself after I made it to my room because I was not sure that I would survive the aftershock. I carefully removed my clothes and walked into the bath. "Master, what happened to you?" "Tara, would you order some bread, cheese, fruit and ale for the two of us. Also, would you see if you can find me something for sunburn?" "Yes,...
‘ I need to get screwed.’ Tanyi Rokir twirled her pencil in her mouth, clutching the phone to her ear. Her friend Liz giggled at that on the other side of the phone. ‘ I’m serious Liz! It’s been so long I’ve started to have erotic dreams of Mr. D.’ ‘Well. He has been a faithful companion to you, Tanyi. He has earned the right to star in a dream or two.’ ‘True!’ Tanyi acknowledged ‘He has kept me rather warm during those empty nights. And don’t shoot the D as an erotic dream. He’s much better...
A few of the references in this sequel will make more sense if you have read “A Visit From Saint Michael,” but it does stand totally on its own and can be enjoyed even if you have never read the first story. This story centers around non-consensual pain, humiliation and slavery. If such a premise disturbs you, then I would advise you to skip this story. Or you can skim past those sections and read a very interesting tale involving one of the “old gods” of Mexico and much of South...
The acceptance letter wasn’t the only surprise to arrive in my mail box that spring. I was even more surprised when I received an invitation to apply to a Harvard Finals Club, all before I graduated from high school. I was also confused. Finals clubs are for the elite, the aristoclass. Not me. You also join them after you get to campus, not before you graduate high school. When I googled the club there was no information online. The group didn’t seem to exist. I wondered if it was some kind...
A gloomy scene had indeed just passed at the house of M. de Villefort. After the ladies had departed for the ball, whither all the entreaties of Madame de Villefort had failed in persuading him to accompany them, the procureur had shut himself up in his study, according to his custom, with a heap of papers calculated to alarm any one else, but which generally scarcely satisfied his inordinate desires. But this time the papers were a mere matter of form. Villefort had secluded himself, not to...
Patron Saint of a hundred hangovers knows the score of the Game. He doesn’t bother with trifles like friends & family, jobs & jabber, he has all the answers in one cupped hand. Sitting atop a glass mountain with a nose of broken blood vessels, he laughs at all the little people below, scurrying everywhere with so little to show for it. When their disillusioned young approach for tutelage he simply slurs. ‘Comeback to me when you can claim Jack Daniels as Kin, grasshoppers. The road to...
With a screech of rubber the Crown Vic fishtailed around the corner, narrowly missing a homeless man, asleep in a box before crashing into a dumpster, sending a startled cat flying over a wall. "You crazy-assed bastard," hissed the homeless man, stumbling, bleary-eyed from his box. "What der fucks with you? Are you high you mutha-" "Get the fuck back," snarled Bumfelt, almost falling from the car door, he dropped his badge and then his gun. "I'm in hot pursuit you box dwelling cunt. Get the-"...
The car slowed down as it passed. The driver, a bald guy with gray stubble on his face, leaned across the passenger seat and called through the window. “Need a ride, hon?” Kristen ignored him, facing down the street as if looking for her bus. Baldie drove on. It was the third offer she’d had since she’d been sitting here. The guys were creepy, but in a weird way she liked the attention. It meant she looked good, and she wanted to look good — for Patty. Of course, at her age, and with her...
I returned to the temple once the carriage was under way, I wanted to find the Mother before she got really angry. As I passed the common soldiers that would normally be training here, they all saluted me with their hands to their hearts and half bowed. I slowed, nodded back and tried to remember faces. I noticed one of the older men from yesterday's advanced class. I walked up to him and pulled out a handful of silvers in a small pouch." Would you see that his widow gets this, and make...
"Why did you decide to help me?" Since I awoke from my poisoning fully rested I didn't need any sleep. Yolanda, my little ball of energy, finally crashed a couple of hours before dawn and I let her sleep until the sun broke the horizon. "Because, you wonderful man, you returned my best friend. When I was married to that..." Her face clouded over. I just held her close. She was so tiny, I was afraid that I was going to break her. Even though she was stronger than she looked. "Megan was...
This story is told from the point of view of two people, Michel and Sally. Each section is prefixed by name. It is written for my enjoyment and hopefully yours as well. —– Michael: They call me Saint Michael behind my back, some with reverence, some with disdain and others with suspicion. All have a theory about my past but no-one knows the full story of the betrayal of my oath. —– Sally: It all began when my husband and I decided to build a family. I stopped taking the pill and we...