Rules-Free VRMMO Life

Volume II – Beginning the Journey

Chapter 13 – First Night in Fathon

The journey to Fathon was not far, only a day’s march, so we stayed the night at the Priestess’s cabin. After a very enjoyable night (not as enjoyable for Severa, as I punished her as promised by thoroughly using her ass), and a breakfast of leftover Priestess, we set out. Incidentally, it seems that cooking skill can be used to give temporary buffs to people. The Priestess’s meat gave us a +10% movement speed for four hours, and we ate the last of her at lunch, so we got to Fathon in the midafternoon.

As we approached the city gates, the guards started, and then bowed to the two Princesses. “Your Highnesses! We are so glad to see you safe! We heard what happened to your carriage. How did you escape?”

Apparently, the princesses were on a diplomatic mission to human lands, when they were waylaid, the cultists used poison to overcome their escorts, and they were captured and taken to the cabin. Esyae told the guards about the Priestess, and her ritual, and how I came and stopped it. She left out some parts, like the fact that we made the Priestess into meat, but did include how I defeated that adventuring company.

The guards turned to look at me with new eyes, and said, “And who might you be?” They didn’t know what to make of me. High Fame led to guards being friendly, but high infamy led to them disliking you. With both relatively high, at least for low levels, I was confusing them, I think.

I smiled, winningly. “I am a Traveler. I first came to this world within the woods, and came upon the Priestess’s cabin by chance. Fortunately, I was in time to stop her foul deeds. Now, my companions and I have traveled long, and could do with a hot meal and good drink.”

The head guard nodded. “All right, then. If you follow the main road, you’ll find the Lady’s Favor. Not the most expensive inn around, but they’ve got the best food, and the owner’s related to the local priestess of Sharess. Next to it you’ll find the Adventurer’s Guild. If you’re a new Traveler as you say, you’ll be wanting to check in there.”

The Lady’s Favor was a typical fantasy-world type inn, though you could tell it was a fairly high end place, as it was a three story affair. There was a common room on the ground floor, which doubled as a tavern. Well the whole story is pretty cliché, so I’ll skip it. Needless to say, we got two rooms, with meals included, for three nights, paying a total of 10 Silver, 5 Copper for each room. The Princesses got one room, and my slaves and I were sharing the other. The three-night stay was so we could rest, train in classes and professions, and hopefully get transportation to the elvish kingdom, so we wouldn’t have to walk the whole way. We probably wouldn’t be able to afford horses for all of us, but a wagon of some sort should be within our reach, right?

Anyways, once we had checked in to our rooms, the Princesses went to see some of the people they’d met in the city, and my slaves followed me to the guild hall. This was actually a three-story building as well, which is impressive for a medieval city. Probably used magic to help?

Entering the main room, we of course drew stares from people. It is common enough in games, especially with newcomers. When a newcomer has two pretty women following behind him, that tends to draw even more attention. Looking at the desk, I saw that a young man was there.

“Hello there, I would like to see about registering as an adventurer.”

“Just you?”

“Ah, can slaves be registered?”

“I’m afraid not. But if the slave is a former adventurer, their ranking will help yours, and the actions of your slaves will count for completing missions. They are considered to be property, like your sword.”

“Very well. I will register myself, and Severa here will need to turn in her card.”

“For the record, how did you come to have an adventurer as your slave?”

“Her adventuring company, the Black Hand, was working for a Priestess conducting a dark ritual. They attacked me when I interrupted the ritual. She is the only survivor of that group.”

“Oh. The Black Hand was an E ranked company. Well done, for a new adventurer!”

“Well, I am a Traveler. And may I hear more about the various ranks?”

“Ah, well that explains it. As for the ranks, they range from F through A, and then S, SS, and SSS. Everyone undergoes tests in order to determine their ranking. Once your initial ranking has been set, you may increase your rank later through accomplishments, though you will still need to take the tests to have the rank confirmed. Used to be, there was a point system, but we found that people would cheat or outright buy their way to higher ranks, for glory or out of pride, and would wind up getting killed when they took a quest that was too advanced for them. So the current system allows for advancement, but keeps the unqualified from moving beyond their capabilities.”

“And what do these tests entail?”

“A test of skills for warriors and a test of magic for mages. You can choose to do one or both tests.”

“And what other services does the guild provide?”

“In addition to verifying quest difficulty and rewards, we also will buy materials and gear you don’t need, at a fair price based on the current market. For those who have yet to unlock their class or subclass, we have testing services that suggest paths you would be well suited to, and gives you the requirements. In addition, members of the guild may stay at the guild hall free of charge, so long as they are in good standing.”

“Very well, I’d like to complete my registration now.”

“Please fill out this form.”

I filled out the form, and the clerk said that they would have it ready by the next evening. Since the test instructors had gone home for the day, we would come back the next day for my evaluation. “By the way, where might I seek training in various professions?”

“The Tradesman’s Guild down by the Marketplace is where you’ll want to go. They’re closed for the night, but they’ll be open early tomorrow morning. If there’s a profession you want to learn and there isn’t a trainer there, they’ll at least tell you where to go.”

I thanked the clerk, who was apparently named Bill, and left, with Severa and Della in my wake. Severa had been blushing furiously this whole time, since she used to be an E rank, and was now publicly being called a slave. Oh well, she’s going to have to get over it, since I don’t intend on letting her go anytime soon. Neither of my slaves is getting free. A slave harem that I can take with me as we’re fighting? Why hadn’t I thought of this before? Oh yeah, Torgan was a light-type, and would never do such a thing. Good thing Zayn is a corrupt bastard!

Speaking about harems and corruption, I was eager to experience more of both, so we went back to the inn for the evening meal. Nothing overly fancy, just some meat, cheese, bread, and ale, but it was all tasty stuff. You know, that kind of simple, home-style cooking that you can get together in half an hour, but satisfies much more than the little artistic plates at a five-star restaurant.

After dinner, we went up to our room, after bidding good night to the princesses. Once the door was closed behind us, I commanded my slaves to strip, so I could examine them more closely. This was the first time we’d been alone, after all. Of course, I also removed my clothes.

Della had blond hair reaching down to her shoulders, with blue eyes, about 5’6” tall. If I had to categorize her, I’d put her down as the ‘slender’ type. Her curves weren’t too noticeable, but they were just the right proportions, and went nicely with her B cups. She had this innocent look about her, a ‘girl next door’ type. Of course, she was also a big time S, following Loviatar. I noticed a tattoo on the small of her back, just above her butt. The girl actually had a tramp stamp with Loviatar’s symbol!

Severa, on the other hand, was a tall, raven-haired sex machine. Or she would be, when I was done with her. 6’ even, she had curves to make men drool and women weep, which were only accentuated when she wore those leather pants she favored. Her hourglass figure was only enhanced by some nice Ds up top. Unlike Della, who had neatly trimmed her hair between her legs, Severa was shaved. Apparently, she was used to being the dominant one in a relationship, and being forced to be my plaything was an adjustment to her. Her hair was normally pulled back into a pony-tail, but was now loose, reaching down to her waist.

Looking over my beauties, I circled, pinching and prodding them as I talked, making sure to tease them as a bit of foreplay. “As you heard, I’m going to be an adventurer, and you two will be coming with me when I go into the field. We still have to get classes for myself and Della, and you two need professions.”

“I thought ‘sex slave’ was going to be our profession now.” Ah, Severa, thank you for that interruption.

“Severa, bend over and grab your ankles. Della, spank Severa’s bottom while I’m speaking.” I think I’m going to train Severa into an M, and Della into a ‘switch’. That’ll work best, yeah. As the first smacks of Della’s hand against Severa’s rear echo through the room along with Severa’s whimpers, I continue. “You’ll both be having plenty of sex, don’t worry. I’m an incubus after all, and so I have needs. But I want my property to be productive, as well. While I could whore you out, I thought it would be better for you both to learn something useful. So we’ll be going down to the marketplace tomorrow and see what professions are available. And, depending on price, we might even visit the slave market and find another to join our group.”

“Another, Master?” Della spoke up, even as she continued spanking her fellow slave. Her cheeks were flushed, so I could tell she was getting excited by the situation.

“Oh yes, I intend to have a full party eventually. You and Severa will be good for healing and for stealth attacks and other such things. But we could use a true mage or a warrior that specializes in defense. That will allow us to face a wider array of enemies, and provide better safety for you all. As a Traveler, if I die, I will return after a time, but that is not true for those of you born in this world.”

Della nodded, signaling that she understood, and I smiled. “Now, Della, step away from Severa. As a reward, you may touch yourself as you watch.” And with that, I stepped in behind Severa, and spat on my hands using the saliva to lubricate my shaft “And Severa, it seems you need a lesson in what happens to slaves who mouth off.” And I shoved myself all the way inside her reddened ass.

Chapter 14 – Testing

After ‘teaching’ Severa for the rest of the evening, I slipped offline. The 4x time compression was great, since it allowed me to really enjoy the game, but I still tried to log off for a bit while sleeping in game. That let me get food, restroom breaks, and my daily exercise. It also let me check the forums, to see if any new info was posted. Of course, forum surfing was done in my virtual room, so I got the same time compression.

There wasn’t much posted yet about AAO, except people giving glowing reviews of the game, and the high level of realism. I set up my new streaming account on the site, and posted video of my ‘boss fight’ as a teaser. I had a feeling that making a dungeon boss into a Dolcett girl was going to be a big hit. Especially when I linked it to my Torgan account, so my old fans could see the new me.

With that set up, I dove back into the game.

Stretching as I ‘woke up’, I turned, and smiled, seeing Severa still standing where I left her, bent over and grabbing her ankles. I’d ordered her to remain like that all night. Somehow, she’d even managed to fall asleep like that, which was impressive. Looking over to my side, I saw Della’s naked form lying next to me in bed, curled against me. Life was good. A quick check told me that it was 6 AM, game time. The Guild wouldn’t be open until 9, and breakfast wasn’t served until 7. I had some time…

After I’d gotten the spell, I’d cast Sheltered Passion on both of my slaves. Dealing with pregnancy might be interesting later on, but I’d like to be more established before needing to worry about that. So I had no problems enjoying both my girls thoroughly. Thoroughly enough, in fact, that we just barely made it to the Guild at 9, even though it was next door.

Entering, I saw the same clerk, and greeted him. He told me that testing would be done on the second floor, and had an indentured servant lead the way. As we went up the stairs, I talked to the young girl (she had to be 12), and found out that she’d been indentured to the Guild when she was eight as payment for a monster subjugation quest, since her village was poor, and couldn’t afford the reward for the high level request. She still had six years left of her ten-year term, but had been taught to read and write, among other things, so she was actually better off than many in her village.

On the second floor, I went to a desk, and asked for the tests in both magic and martial skills. I wasn’t quite sure what I was expecting. Maybe a globe you touched to rank your magic, or your power level, or that displayed your stats and titles, or some such? Yeah, not so much.

I did the Martial test first. The examiner was a Master rank swordsman, so no one expected me to win the fight. And it was a fight. The best way to determine one’s skill with weapons was to actually use the weapon, it seemed. So I used my sword skills and the wooden blades they gave us, and tried not to make an utter fool of myself. During the fight, however, I managed to land a single blow, which was followed by a window popping up.

Sword Mastery

Basic, Level 1 (0%)

Add 1% to attack and damage with swords. (Increases by 1% per level from here on.)

Chance of inflicting status effects (Bleed, Cripple) increased by +10%

With that, the swordsman nodded, and proclaimed that, while I still had a ways to go, he would at least certify me as being high F-rank with the sword. If I did well with the Magic test, then the contributions of Severa’s former rank should be enough to get me to E-rank, not a bad place to start out.

The Magic test was conducted in another room, which was warded and shielded to keep magic, and its secondary effects, trapped inside. This was important, as new mages could often lose control of their spells. Not too dangerous with me, but when a sorcerer played with fireballs, then that could get very bad, very quickly. It is the same reason why gun ranges don’t have people walk down their lane to check the target. Well, not unless the entire range is clear. Sure, the other people might be aiming elsewhere, but one mistake goes bad, fast.

The instructor was a beastkin, of the Rabbit type. I tried Observing her, out of habit, and was suitably impressed.

Canea Whitetail

Rabbitkin Female

Level 50 Ice Mage

A level 50 was no joke, since I was only level 10. Still, they had to know what would happen if they put a cute Rabbitkin female in the same room with an incubus, right? Well, she was probably sure she could keep my charms at bay. Probably right, too.

“All right. You don’t look like much, but I’m willing to see what you’ve got. What magics are you skilled in?”

“I’m Basic level in both Dark and Charm magics.”

“Hoh. Interesting choice there. Most wannabe mages go for things like Fire first off, so they can do the most damage possible.”

“But neither of us are like that, are we? After all, you’re an ice mage, not fire.”

“So, you snuck a look at me with Observe, hmm? Clever boy. So, let me see what you can do. The setup of this test is simple. Power is important, but not nearly as much as being able to use your spells flexibly and reliably. I’ll be casting my own spells at you, so you’re going to have to think fast. Understand?”

“Got it.”

“Good, give me your best shot, kid. You may begin when you’re ready.”

Immediately, I did the gestures and called out the words to my Darkbolt. Doing this kind of thing takes longer, but generally adds power to the spell. On the other hand, it also provides a handy distraction if you want to try something else, and make people think you’re using a different spell. I silently cast Fruitful Passion on myself, so the bunnygirl wouldn’t notice while speaking, and then silently cast Darkbolt once I was finished with the words, sending a black ray of energy from my hand, which deflected easily off the bunnygirl’s shield spell.

And then I was dodging, rolling forward as ice came crashing down where I was just a moment ago. Since I had already made the opening move, she clearly saw no reason to let me get any more free shots in. I ducked under an ice spear, and silently cast Euphoria on her. I’d rapidly burned through most of my MP, but it was SO worth it. Her shield spell only countered damaging attacks, and I hadn’t telegraphed my spell this time, so she was hit full force by the spell, falling to her hands and knees at the sudden assault of pleasure.

In the next moment, I was behind her, flipping up the mage robes she wore, and she was too delirious to notice until I had thrust inside her. She was a very tiny thing, only 5’ tall, but she was surprisingly accommodating. Well, she was a rabbit, so…

Anyways, I let Euphoria wear off as I continued. The little rabbit looked like she was about to get pissed, but then I stroked her behind her ears as I thrust in, hard, and her eyes rolled back in her head. I might get in trouble for this later, but gotta admit I couldn’t care about that now. So I just allowed my mana to regen a little as I fucked the instructor from behind. And then I hit her with Euphoria again just as I was about to cum, blasting inside her as her back arched in pleasure, and she passed out.

A few minutes later, the rabbitkin (Canae was it?) stirred, and woke up. And then she realized that I was letting her head rest in my lap. She sprung up like only a rabbit could, and began looking ROYALLY pissed. “Y-y-you!!!”

Getting up, I smiled at her, and said, “Well, you did say to give you my best shot, didn’t you? I am an incubus. It’s what I do.” Smiling, I tried to use my Seduction to calm her down, or at least keep her from sending too many spells my way.

She looked distinctly displeased, but managed to get control of herself. “Fine, I should have expected an Incubus to do such a brutish thing. And I’ve taken my potion for the month. But when did you learn silent casting? That is a high level skill.”

I shrugged. “I am a Traveler. When I was given information about magic in this world, it said that words and gestures could focus the magic. Since it never said that they were required, I decided to figure out how to cast spells without them, and it worked.”

Shaking her head, Instructor Whitetail sighed. “Damn Travelers. You do understand that most mages don’t learn how to do silent casting until they’re at least E rank, right? And being able to do it while fighting like that, that’s D rank, at least!”

“Well, I was practicing by using magic and not getting killed by forest wolves.”

This just caused her to mutter more, something along the lines of, “Damn Travelers!” After a moment, she shook her head, clearing her thoughts, and said, “All right. I’m willing to certify you as E rank, borderline D. You don’t have the power to go along with a D rank, though, so don’t get cocky. Go and amuse yourself elsewhere. Myself and the martial instructor will confer with the Guildmaster, and decide where to put you. Results will be ready by the time you get your guild card, so sometime in the evening.”

Taking that as a dismissal, I slipped out of the room, and went back to the desk where I’d signed up for the tests. Looking at the clerk behind the desk, I nodded to him, and said, “So, finished my evaluations, and now I’d like to take the Class test?”

The clerk looked up at me, and said, “All right, this one’s simple.” He pulled out a crystal orb on a stand, and said, “Place your hand on the orb, and it will give you suggestions on good classes for you. Pick one, and it will tell you where to go to get the class.”

Reaching out, I placed my hand on the orb, and a screen popped up.

Class Advisor

Role: Face

Analyzing…

Considering your play style to date, there are several classes that may interest you. You may only have one main Class. Actions in game may give you the option to upgrade or change your main class.

Subclasses are specializations of your main class, and are unlocked at level 30.

Suggested choices:

Warlock

A caster class specializing in dark magic and enhancing their own abilities. Capable of using light armor. Can advance into Twilight Master, Hexblade, or Demon Tamer.

Beguiler

An oddity amongst other casters, the Beguiler specializes in Illusion and Charm-based magics. As such, their magical damage potential is extremely low. However, they can wear light armor, and make excellent spies, or politicians. Can advance into Reality Shaper, Mindbender, or Mystic Spymaster.

Dominator

A class focused entirely on stripping others of their free will, and turning them into mindless slaves. Often compared to necromancers, but with living beings rather than undead. Can advance into Legion Mind, Mindslayer, or Master of Thralls.

Blackguard

Often described as the dark twin of the Paladin, the Blackguard focuses on corruption and death where a Paladin might seek purity and life. Can use heavy armor and shields, as well as all simple and Martial weapons. Can advance into Death Knight, Slaughterlord, or Tyrant.

Chapter 15 – Class Change

It didn’t take me long to figure out how they’d decided on the four classes. Warlock was clearly focused on dark magic, and probably had some nasty debuffs and DOTs in their arsenal. Beguiler was like a magical con artist, focusing on charm magics. Dominator looked like a glorified pet class, where everything went into raising your army of minions (except instead of pokemon you had slave girls, I guess). Blackguard was clearly focused on melee fighting, which made sense since I had good sword skills by now.

Each choice basically focused you on one route of advancement. Sure, I could, say, be a Beguiler and still use my Dark magic, but the Dark wouldn’t advance at the same rate as my Charm magic. Plus, you’d get special class bonuses, and maybe even unique spells and abilities. In addition, the three ‘advances’ all looked to be focusing on an aspect of the class itself. The Blackguard’s Death Knight probably focused heavily on survival and debuffs, while the Slaughterlord focused on DPS and the Tyrant probably focused on leadership or something, giving bonuses to party and raid groups.

Considering to myself for a moment, I queried the system for information on classes, subclasses, and professions.

Class Information

Classes in Age of Anarchy Online are not like those in other games. Because of how AAO is structured, most choices are available to players regardless of class, provided they put the time and effort in. Classes, however, provide bonuses to certain aspects, and may also include unique skills. Every ten levels, new class abilities are unlocked. At Level 40 players gain the option to advance their class to an Advanced Class. Advanced Classes have prerequisites you must meet before they can be unlocked. Special actions may unlock hidden or unique Advanced Classes.

Subclass Information

At Level 20, players unlock the ability to gain a subclass. This is not an extension of the primary class, but a second base class. Unlike with your primary class, you must meet certain prerequisites before being allowed to take a subclass. (Example: a Monk who wants to be a Sorcerer as his subclass must have a suitable level of INT, and at least Basic-level skill in one or more types of magic.) Subclasses unlock new abilities every 20 levels instead of every 10. At level 60, players may advance their Subclass into an Advanced Subclass.

Profession Information

Unlike in other games, where you must have a profession to practice a trade (i.e. must be a Tailor to make your own cloth armor), this is not the case in AAO. However, having a profession provides a bonus to certain skills, as well as potentially unlocking unique abilities based on the profession. A Tailor may gain a bonus to their Tailoring skill, and their works will be higher quality than a non-Tailor. Additionally, some recipes and gear may require the Tailor profession to use. You may only have one profession at a time. Changing your old profession to a new one costs more gold the higher level you are, and the more times you’ve changed professions, so it is recommended that players choose a profession, and stick with it. Professions unlock special abilities every ten levels.

Huh. That was actually pretty cool, once you got down to it. Sure, your subclass got slower ability gains, but you could still build a lot of interesting characters. There were a lot of ways to go with that, depending on whether you were solo, a raider, or PVP. And the Professions made sense. Anyone could craft, if they had the skills, but a Blacksmith was going to turn out higher quality weapons than a guy who just took the Blacksmith skill. So, probably meant a bit more damage, durability, or chance of higher grades with the same materials.

That left me with the question of what being a Slave Trainer would give me, once I start working on it. I hadn’t visited the trainer yet, so some of my abilities were still locked.

For now, Della and I needed classes, the two girls needed professions, and we all needed gear. Some of the gear I’d gotten from the dead guys back at the temple would do nicely, but most of it would get sold, and hopefully we could get more stuff. Oh, and maybe visit the slave market to see if there was anything worth getting that would add to the party’s strength.

Well, classes first. I got directions from the clerk, but before we left, I stopped at the counter where you could sell old gear. Time to empty out my inventory a bit. After looking things over, I decided to sell almost all of the weapons and armor. They were all basic stuff, and not worth going to the auction house over. The only exceptions I made was the Priestess’s gear. Since they came off a level 10 area boss, that made them better than beginner gear, and would work fine for Della once she got her class change. Severa’s gear was better than any the cultists had, especially for a rogue like herself, so I left her gear alone for the moment. I kept all the jewelry and other accessories. I was going to grind my Enchantment on them, and put most on the auction house. Anyways, all told, the loot came to an impressive 20 GP. As I thought, that ‘tutorial’ really ramped up the difficulty because I was OP.

Fathon was a decent-sized city for a medieval world, but there was no way they could have a temple dedicated to each of the gods here, even the main ones. Just too many. So they did something pretty smart, and put single building up, where all the gods were worshipped. This was the case in most towns, unless an area had a really high connection to a particular diety. Like a town in the tundra would have a temple of Auril, period. Even then, though, there’d be sub-shrines to different dieties.

Religion in AAO was interesting. The gods were (for the most part) neither good nor evil, but more ‘natural’, I guess. Just like people, the gods had their good and their bad sides. Of course, some HEAVILY leaned one way or another, though. That said, picking a patron deity didn’t mean you couldn’t offer a prayer to other gods, especially when intruding on their domain. Anyone who took a sea voyage without offering a prayer to Poseidon was either an idiot, or one of the truly devout of another god. But having a patron, and praying to that patron, especially when embarking on ventures in their portfolio, was rumored to have an increased chance of good things happening. Like with the Luck stat, no one was really sure just how far that went, though.

At the temple, it cost just five silver for a Priest of Moradin to bestow the class upon Della. It seemed she got bonuses to her divine spells, and some other goodies, I paid another silver to get her a holy symbol of Loviatar that she could wear around her neck over her clothes. That simple action gave her a +30% resistance against hostile divine spells! I was going to enchant that symbol later to help it provide more bonuses.

Now that Della had her class, it was time for me to get mine. This required us to walk a bit, but not too far. Turning the corner into an alleyway just before we got to the marketplace, we descended a set of stone steps into the basement of a certain business. It was a pet store. Not dogs and cats, though they had stuff like that, too, but things like familiars, and even some pets that might be useful in combat. But familiars were pretty useless, except as something pretty to look at, and I had two of those already. And combat pets were expensive as hell, since they were actually damn useful.

Sidetracked again. Down the stairs, we opened a door, and walked into the place where I would be able to get my class, the Dark Shrine. The place was dimly lit, but I could tell this was a one stop shop for dark magic. Almost like a food court, but with one counter selling Dark Magic spellbooks, another covering rituals, one with ritual ingredients, and one with special class gear. In the center was an altar, and I could see fresh blood on it as I moved forward. Being a Warlock didn’t immediately make you evil, but you stare into the Abyss…

Anyways, I went to the trainer, who was this human guy dressed all in black, with a hooded robe and everything. Cliché much? His name was Varric Bane, and was apparently a Level 60 Warlock, according to ‘Observe’.

“Greetings young one. And what brings you to this place of shadow today? And with such lovelies behind you, too?”

“Elder, my name is Zayn Darkmore, and I am a Traveler. I have come here this day to set out upon the path of a Warlock. I captured these two ladies in battle, and they are now bound to my will.”

“Well, well, manners, and yet you’re also willing to embrace the dark! Such a rarity these days. Tell me, boy, what is it that you seek?”

“I wish to do as I please. For that, I need power, both to defend myself and to ensure that any who cross me will regret it for the rest of their lives, however short that may be.”

“Ah, a good answer for one setting out on the paths of darkness. Most of you Travelers that come to me simply look for a chance to slaughter the innocent. They do not realize that dark and light are not the same as good and evil. It merely reflects how far you are willing to go in order to achieve your goals.”

Zayn nodded. This followed much his own thoughts in real life, even though he’d spent ages playing a righteous type in his last game. “Then how should I begin?”

“There is nothing without a price, my child. To become a Warlock, blood must be shed, and you must take in the power of the lower planes. Are you willing to do this?”

“How much blood, and from whom? And what effects will this power have upon me?”

“Hoh! So you know how to ask the right questions, hmm? Well, don’t worry, it isn’t anything like sacrificing someone. Sure, high level rituals call for a sacrifice, but this is just a pittance in comparison. Just cut your arm, and allow a few drops of blood to spill on the altar. And then hold on.”

Right, so this is going to be painful as hell, probably. Oh well, might as well get on with it. I pulled out my knife, and made a quick cut across my palm, before holding it over the altar. Before long, the blood began to drip down. When the fifth drop of blood hit the stone altar, green flames rose up on the altar, and then they rushed into me. Oh yes, this was going to SUCK!

Getting roasted alive is not on my list of top ten ways to go out. And I didn’t even die. Hell, I didn’t even lose any HP, other than what the knife had done. But the PAIN! I thought I heard screaming. Oh wait, that was me. Everything went black for a second…

When I came to, I was sprawled on my back next to my slaves. Neither one had moved to help. In Della’s case, it was probably because I was on fire, and she saw my HP wasn’t moving. In Severa’s case, she was probably hoping my death would free her. It wouldn’t, of course, since I was a Traveler and not a Native. But she didn’t know that. Not yet.

Class Changed!

New Class: Warlock

Class benefits:

+20% with Dark Spells

+20 MP per Level

Light Armor Proficiency

Hellfire Proficiency

Hellfire Mastery Skill

New Spells added!

Chapter 16 – Professional Opinions and Work History

I was pleased with the boosts the Warlock class gave me, so I decided that I'd check the other abilities out later. Looking over to Varric, I said, “My thanks, Elder. I will be leaving the city in the next day or so, and may not be back for some time. Is there a Dark Shrine in the elven kingdom of the Wyrmwood?”

“Ah, so those princesses asked you to escort them back? Oh, don’t look so surprised. The rumor mill’s been quite active since their carriage was found sacked, with their guards slain. And then a Traveler shows up out of the forest, with the princesses by his side.”

“Heh. I guess I’ve made a bit of a name for myself, on accident.”

“Well, don’t worry about it. At any rate, yes, there’s a Dark Shrine in the capitol, but I don’t know where. The elves tend to drop the hammer on things that border on… less pleasant facts of life quicker than human kingdoms do, so it is hidden. But I’ll send word through certain channels, and the Keeper of the Shrine there will get in contact with you if he has any requests.”

Well, that made sense. Nodding my head, I thanked Varric, and then moved over to the tables, to see what was for sale. The spells and rituals were interesting, but I really needed to work on the ones I already had before buying up lots of variations. I did grab one spell, though, for 5 silver (though I paid in copper). It was called Dark Portal, and it allowed me to open a portal to any Dark Shrine I’d been to before.

The books of lore were neat, but not anything I needed right now. The armor, on the other hand, was something I could definitely use, since I could now wear armor. I didn’t want to blow all my money, especially since we still needed to get some supplies for traveling, get professions, and so on. But I was willing to make a good investment on some decent armor.

Some of what they had was beginner trash, and some of it was way above my level. However, I did see a couple things that worked well. After purchasing them (total of 1 gold), I enchanted them, so I had:

Dusk’s Black Coat

Type

Armor

Rank

Uncommon

Made from the hide of a shadowbeast, this long leather coat boasts surprising defensive abilities. The coat belonged to an adventurer named Dusk before his untimely death due to poison during a game of cards.

Durability: 30/30

Class Restriction: Warlock

+10 Defense

+15% Piercing Resistance

+15% Slashing Resistance

+30% Dark Resistance

+10% Hellfire Resistance

Enchanted: +10 INT

Drakeskull Helm

Type

Hat

Rank

Uncomon

A helmet made from the skull of a Hell Drake. It provides some protection to the wearer, but provides the wearer with resistance to Hellfire.

Durability: 20/20

Class Restriction: Warlock

+5 Defense

+20% Hellfire Resistance

Enchanted: +10 INT

I put the INT enchants on because I was a Warlock now, and needed a lot of mana if I was going to keep any of my nicer things going. I’d almost run out of mana during my bout at the guild, and I’d rather not deal with that in a real fight.

Anyways, my purchasing done, it was time to head out and get some professions for the girls, and unlock the goodies of my profession. So we went to the Tradesman’s Guild nearby to see about what was available. I was expecting just ‘normal’ professions, like Blacksmith and such, but I was pleasantly surprised. There were a couple dozen professions, at least.

In the end, I chose professions for the girls that fit their builds, and what I wanted out of them. Della was a Priestess already, so I made her an Apothecary. This gave her the Alchemy skill, and a couple other things, but most importantly, it made it so she could make potions and diagnose illnesses easier. That would be a big thing, once we actually got out in the wild. Severa, on the other hand, was lithe, and I decided to make her a Dancer. She got a couple noncombat skills (Dance and Acrobatics), but they benefited mainly from DEX, so that fit well with her Rogue abilities. In addition to the training cost, I also paid for some gear (an alchemist’s kit for Della, and a tambourine and a dancer’s outfit made of silk and thin veils for Severa), leaving my purse a bit lighter (mainly because I chose that time to unload some of the copper coins).

By this point, it was almost midday, so I figured lunch would be appropriate. Plus, I wanted to learn a bit more about my pets. We’d go to the slave market after lunch.

Fortunately, the people who planned the marketplace figured that people would need to eat, and there was a tavern nearby. Entering the tavern with my pets in tow, I quickly scanned the room, and found an empty table in the back corner. We’d have some privacy for our conversation, at the least.

After we ordered, I looked over to girls. “All right, we’ve got some time now, so I’d like to hear your stories. We’re going to be with each other for a long time, so might as well learn a few things about you. Della, you start. Tell me about yourself, and how you came to be at that temple.”

<Della POV>

Ah, yes. Telling the tale of my life. I’d mentioned some of this to Master before, but I guess I hadn’t told the whole story, or mentioned it to Severa. Well, it wasn’t like I had anything to hide, any more.

“I was born in the village of Thara, near the border with the kingdom of Caledon. I was the third of five children. My father was the village tailor. We lived a simple life, but we were happy, and had enough to eat, so there isn’t much to say on that point.”

“And how did you end up as a servant of Loviatar?”

Oh, he was going to make me say that? Damn, my cheeks are blushing, aren’t they? “Um, well, when I was twelve, I had a crush on this boy who was a few years older than I was. He… he asked me to spank him. I found that I liked it. Next time we went to the Temple, the priest told us about Loviatar, and it just… fit. I was going to become a priestess anyway, once I got the money for training.”

“And that led you to creating the brothel?”

I sigh. He would have to bring that up again. “Yeah. After a few years, me and a few other girls tried to start a place for men who enjoyed getting pain. We figured putting it next to a temple where a lot of Faheld’s worshippers attended would be a smart plan. Didn’t count on those pricks from Cael-hazad’s church to get so bent out of shape. Just because they value purity doesn’t mean everyone does. The bastards told the magistrate about us, and since we didn’t actually have permits, they shut us down. I left town, and ended up with the Cult since they were leaving at the same time. And you know the rest.”

<Zayn POV>

Della’s story certainly brought things into better perspective. She was an ‘S’ who still craved approval from people, probably because of how old she was, and that crush she’d had. Still, this made things much easier. As long as I gave her people to whip, a few compliments, and didn’t abuse her (too much), she would likely happily go along with everything I said, even if she had a choice in the matter. It is also probably why she’s adjusted to being a slave so easily.

On the other hand, Severa was still fighting things. Sure, it had only been a couple days, but even now, she was looking at me with defiant eyes. She had more internal strength than Della did, but I still didn’t have a handle on what made the girl tick. Sure, I could make her do whatever I wanted, but that would get old after a while. Much more fun to get her to come to terms, and accept her life. I didn’t need to deal with angry women all the time.

And there was that blurb at the end of her status screen:

Perks

Noble Born

Expanding the field, I got this:

Noble Born (Passive)

Born to the nobility. You have a +20% to social skills when dealing with those who respect your position.

Her story was probably an interesting one. Looking over to Severa, I said, “Well, tell me your tale, my pet. How did a girl from a noble life end up at that ruined temple?”

Oh, the girl actually paled at that. Interesting. Can’t wait to hear this story.

<Severa POV>

Oh. Oh shit. He found out about me being a noble? Ah, damn, he must have read my status! Now, can I lie? No, he’d know. And then he’d punish me again. Sleeping bent over, holding my ankles, with that bastard’s seed dripping out of my holes was possibly the worst thing that had ever happened to me. Damnit, why did we ever take that stupid job? If we had picked a different job, I wouldn’t be the slave of this bastard. My only consolation was that he put a spell on us so we couldn’t get pregnant.

I sigh, and said, “By birth, my name is Severa Agitha Rex of House Caledon. My father was Grand Duke Simud Iam Rex, younger brother of King Elmore Legget Rex of Caledon. As the youngest of three, and the only daughter, I was never going to have any real power in Caledon, especially as King Elmore has children of his own. If I had stayed, the best I could have hoped for would be to become some noble bastard’s brood mare or trophy as he used it to gain a little bit of nobility for himself, or to be traded off as part of a political marriage.”

“When I was five, I decided that such a life wasn’t what I wanted. So I began training. I wasn’t as strong as the boys, so I couldn’t do training as a knight, but I learned to handle a dagger, and do it well. When I was fifteen, I stole away from the palace, and began my life as an adventurer. I managed to find a couple good companies, men and women who valued my skills, and didn’t know of my heritage. The Black Hand got to be E rank fairly quickly, because we trusted eachother. And for three years, we journeyed together. I even managed to keep myself pure all that time, until some bastard incubus enslaved me, and raped me over and over again.”

Oh, I shouldn’t have said that last part. But just looking at him makes me angry! I had finally gotten a life of my own, and this man stole everything from me! And now he knows who I am, on top of it!

But the bastard just laughed, and said, “Fine, I’ll let that go this time. Keep your tongue polite when you speak to me, though, or I’ll put it to better uses.” Oh, I knew what kind of use he’d put my tongue to. Practically choked me to death the last time!

Fortunately, I was saved by the fact that Master had finished his food and drink. “Let’s go to the slave market. We still have some time before my adventurer card is ready, and we might as well look around after I finish training my profession.”

Chapter 17 – Slave Market

<Zayn POV>

It was nice learning more about my pets. That Severa was actually related to the royal family of Caledon was something to think on later. If my journeys took me that way, we’d probably have to be careful. It would either make things easier, or much, much harder. Hard to tell.

Anyways, the slave market! It was… pretty much just like I expected it to be. Walking through the door, I was in a nicely appointed receiving room. The way the market worked is that you spoke with an ‘agent’ or ‘hostess’ while relaxing in a private room, and told them the requirements you wished for in a slave. Then they would go and bring in several slaves for you to pick from, and eventually you’d narrow things down, and you could discuss price. There were two reasons for this. First, it meant they didn’t have to have all their product on display all the time, which would drive down their living conditions. Second, it was the time honored tactic of drawing up the price once you hooked your customer on something they wanted.

The hostess showed us into a private room, and I sat on a soft chair, and commanded my pets to kneel on either side of me. Part of this was for my own ego, naturally, but the main reason was theater. Framing the scene the way I wished, to elicit the proper responses both from the slaves, and from the slavers. If the slave reacted badly to my little harem, that told me something. Also, conveying to the slaver that I wasn’t desperate would help keep the cost from getting out of hand.

As a servant brought me a glass of wine, the hostess came in, and said, “Welcome to Zechariah’s Slave Emporium!” As she spoke, I took a moment to observe the woman. She was a shapely red-head, but I could see a slave collar on her. So a trusted slave in charge of sales? Well, sex sells, so I can see the point. “What can we help you with today?”

“Ah, first, I would like to gain training in the Slave Trainer profession. Second, I’m an adventurer, and will be heading out on a long journey. As such, I would prefer to have an additional fighter in my company.”

“Understood. Would you prefer a male or female slave?”

“Female.”

“Any other requirements?”

“I would prefer a warrior of some sort.”

“Very good. I will be back shortly with a selection.” Bowing slightly, the hostess turned and left the room, her hips swaying seductively as she went. Yes, sex sells indeed. This Zechariah was a clever man.

I sipped the wine carefully, not wishing it to go to my head. That wine was provided free of charge was yet another point showing that Zechariah knew his business. Before long, a man entered, and nodded to me. “Ah, so you’re the one Shelly told me about, hmm? Already got a start as a slave trainer, I see, but you need full training, then? Oh, and I’m Zechariah, by the by.”

I got up to offer the man my hand, with a respectful nod. “A pleasure, sir. It would be my honor to learn the profession from one as obviously skilled as you are. I’ve rarely seen a slave market so well run.”

“Flattery! But that won’t get you a discount!” Zachariah laughed, and then said, “Well, the cost to train will be five silver. That won’t be a problem, will it?”

“Not at all.” I handed over the money obediently. No sense pissing off the people I needed things from. Being polite might get me a better deal, after all.

Slave Trainer profession fully unlocked!

Gain +10% to Training

Gain +15% to Whip Mastery

Level 10: Obedience Training – Slaves under your command are more obedient, and better at following orders. Slaves are +10% to actions while following orders.

Hoh. So in addition to the other things, I got a bonus to my ‘training’ and ‘whip’ skills. Guess that made sense. That reminded me, that I’d have to get a whip. Della already had one thanks to the gear we got from the Priestess, but I needed one of my own. More things to buy after getting a new slave. Ah well.

While I waited, Zechariah and I chatted about things. Nothing world shaking, of course, but when he found I was a Traveler, we quickly began sharing information. General information about this world was of little value to him, while information about my world was of great value, since it would better allow him to hawk his wares to the Travelers coming in. Likewise, what I needed was information on this world. No contracts needed, or agreements struck, and I think we each profited more from the conversation than the other realized.

Now the hostess returned, leading in a group of ten women, all clad in basic leather armor, gladiator style. There was a mix of races presented, including three humans, two dwarves, four beastkin (two tigers, a fox, and wolf), and a draconian! I observed them each.

Bruhiel Swiftblade

Human Female

Level 5 Fighter

Kiyabu Yukiko

Foxkin Female

Level 10 Samurai

Taryn Blackshield

Human Female

Level 1 Fighter

Bonnmyl Hammerfall

Dwarf Female

Level 50 Paladin (Defender)

Ember Swiftmane

Wolfkin Female

Level 3 Blackguard

Iraneth Blackscale

Draconian Female

Level 100 Barbarian (Tempest Fury)

Zenobia Lightmore

Human Female

Level 6 Paladin

Abyss Darkclaw

Tigerkin Female

Level 5 Fighter

Iris Darkclaw

Tigerkin Female

Level 5 Fighter

Runmira Stoutbrew

Dwarf Female

Level 15 Barbarian

I almost choked at a couple of the levels seen. Looking over to Zechariah, I said, “I wonder, how did you come across that dwarf and the draconian? They seem awfully high leveled to be slaves.”

Zachariah chuckled, and said, “Well, I never bothered asking too closely, but it seems the dwarf has a bad habit. She gets preachy about the Light and all that if no one orders her to be silent. My personal guess is that someone slapped the collar on her to shut her up.”

I laughed, and said, “Even in another world, zealots will be zealots. And what of the draconian?”

“Ah, well she is a special case. It seems she killed several noblemen’s sons in a brawl. The courts sentenced her to slavery. Normally it would be death for something like that, but it seems one of the dead started it, so the judge gave her the option of slavery instead.”

I nodded. Killing a person could get you in trouble, depending on who it was. Killing the sons of several noblemen? That was going to get you in deep, unless you did it somewhere out of sight, and disposed of the evidence. Just like in the real world. Killing a junky in the alley isn’t going to get much attention from the cops. Killing the President’s son in the middle of Times Square is going to get you killed, if you’re lucky.

“And the two tigerkin? Are they sisters?”

“Ah, good eye! Indeed they are. Unfortunately, their father was unable to pay his debts, and sold his daughters to make good. They can be sold singly or as a set, if you like.”

Hmm. A set of tigerkin? That was certainly worth thinking about. But my eye returned to the Foxkin. That name and class… nah, it couldn’t be. “And the fox?”

The man’s face fell. “Ah. A recent acquisition, and not quite tamed yet. She is a Traveler. I’m not sure, but she may have offended one of the gods, as she suddenly appeared in the receiving room one day, with a collar already on her neck.”

“So she isn’t broken, yet?”

“No, but you asked for warriors. Most of our slaves are here for other purposes.”

“Of course, of course. And what is the price on this foxkin?”

“If she was fully trained, a Traveler sex slave collared with a collar that will remain with them even after they return from death would be worth at least a thousand gold. For a combat slave, at least a couple hundred. Untrained, however, and as a combat slave, I would say twenty gold, and I hold no responsibility for what happens after.”

“And the weapons and armor she appeared with?”

“Included, naturally.”

“Hmm. Twenty is a little much for something like this, especially as I will have to train her while traveling the wilds. Ten gold.”

“Oh, you jest, surely! A traveler’s ability to resurrect from death is worth twice that, at least! Eighteen!”

We haggled back and forth, and eventually settled on 15 GP, 3 SP, 5 CP. With that, I completed the process of transferring the slave collar’s ownership over to myself, and I now had a new slave.

Name

Kiyabu Yukiko

Alignment

Lawful Good

Level

10

Race

Foxkin

Class

Samurai

Sub-class

None

Experience

45000/55000

Profession

Blacksmith

HP

1080/1080

MP

200/200

HP Regen

8.8 per min

MP Regen

2.0 per min

Fame

0

Infamy

0

0 PP

14 GP

32 SP

140 CP

Attributes

STR

74

INT

20

DEX

74

WIS

20

CON

88

CHA

20

Luck

0

Attack

+30

Defense

+50

???

Points Remaining: 0

Titles

Slave

Resistances

Piercing

+30%

Bludgeoning

+30%

Slashing

+30%

Fire

Ice

Water

Earth

Light

Dark

Charm

Enslaved to Zayn Darkmore – Compelled to follow all commands.

Diety

Tempus

Proficiencies

Simple Weapons

Martial Weapons

Shields

Swords

Bows

Light Armor

Medium Armor

Heavy Armor

Qualities

Hurts so Good

Senpai Noticed Me!

Art of the Forge

The Story of O

Lady Luck’s Fool

Gullible’s Travels

Skills

Foxfire - Beginner 2 (0%)

Blacksmith - Basic 3 (0%)

Sword Mastery - Basic 1 (0%)

Sneak - Beginner 1 (10%)

Move Silently - Beginner 1 (10%)

Identify - Beginner 2 (18%)

Observe - Beginner 2 (75%)

Bow Mastery - Beginner 3 (0%)

Taunt - Beginner 4 (0%)

Parry - Beginner 6 (0%)

Class Benefits

+20% with Swords

+20 HP per Level

All Armor Proficiency

Bows Proficiency

Swords Proficiency

Skills added

Level 10: Iaijutsu - +100% damage on first strike when drawing blade.

Sub-Class Benefits

Profession Benefits

Blacksmith

+30% Fire Resistance

Increased quality of works

Increased speed of production

+15% to Identify weapons and armor

Level 10: Imbue Armor – Able to imbue bonuses onto armor

Perks

Able Learner

Strength Focus

Dexterity Focus

Constitution Focus

Improved Race

While I was looking over Yukiko’s stats, I saw another window pop up.

For purchasing another Traveler as a slave, you gain the title Chainmaker.

For being the first Traveler to own another Traveler, the title is upgraded to Master Chainmaker.

+525 Fame (Increased from 500)

+5 to all stats for each slave owned.

Slaves gain +10 to all stats.

Chapter 18 – Guild Card and Second Night

Once we were out of the slave market, I made my way to a decent weapon’s store. Yukiko had a beginner’s sword and armor. While better than anything else my group had, that was still level 1 gear. Not going to cut it. Looking over my shoulder, I said to my new pet, “So, Yukiko, what’s your story? How’d a Traveler end up a slave?”

Yukiko’s head fell, and she said, “Well, I reincarnated my high level character from WOD here. I wasn’t max level, but I was one of the high level blacksmiths in my guild, the Lords of Light. Unfortunately, I ran into some trouble with character creation. The abilities I got turned problematic.”

“Yes, I saw them on your status. Tell me what they mean. In detail, if you will.”

Now she was blushing furiously. Oh, this had to be good!

“Well, ‘Hurts so Good’ converts all pain my character experiences into pleasure. I still take damage, but my avatar responds differently to it than others. ‘Senpai Noticed Me!’ gives me a +100% to any actions I take for 10 minutes after getting praised by someone important to me. ‘Art of the Forge’ gives me the Blacksmith profession, and Blacksmith at Basic 3, and I’m able to repair gear without losing any durability. ‘The Story of O’, um, gave me this collar, and made me start as a slave. ‘Lady Luck’s Fool’ sets my Luck to 0, and it can’t ever be raised. ‘Gullible’s Travels’ means that I’m -30% to discern truth from lies.”

I stood for a moment, stunned, and then laughed out loud. “So your browser history must be pretty interesting, Yukiko. So, why did you reincarnate to AAO?”

“Um, I had a crush on the guild leader, Torgan. He was the top Paladin in the game, you know! After we got the guild achievement for being the first to beat Frostcrown, he announced that he would be reincarnating here. I thought I could come too, and maybe get to know him better.”

“So you chased this Torgan to a new game. Did you tell him you were doing so? Or make any plans to meet?”

“Um, no. I was always shy around the guild leader.”

“So, what, you were just hoping to randomly find this person in the entire game world? And what if he went by a different name?”

“Oh. I didn’t think about that!”

“Don’t worry, pet. I’ll show you things you never dreamed of, even with that kinky browser history. Before I’m done, you’ll forget all about Torgan.”

I was laughing to myself as we went about our shopping. To think that Kiyabu Yukiko, the former Warrior and max level blacksmith, would come chasing after me with some schoolgirl crush. She didn’t even change her name! Anyways, I decided to get just a few basic items for Yukiko, since we could probably get better off drops. Also, I picked up a whip for myself. After enchanting everything, it looked like this:

Tamer’s Magic Whip

Type

Whip

Rank

Common

Damage

1-5

Damage Type

Slashing

A standard leather whip, used by tamers of beasts and men for ages. While the damage is not great, the point is to provide pain as an encouragement for the target to behave. This whip has been enchanted to provide a slight healing benefit to those struck by it.

Durability: 15/15

+20% Aggravation to opponent

15% chance of Disarming opponent

5% chance of tripping opponent

+5 Attack

Enchanted: Heals 1-10 points of damage to target on hit. Costs 1 MP

And for Yukiko, I got:

Brilliant Bow

Type

Bow

Rank

Common

Damage

20-30

Damage Type

Piercing

A common, though well made, longbow. This one has been enchanted with light magic, bestowing additional effects on the arrows fired from it.

Durability: 15/15

+30 Attack

Enchanted: Deals 1-10 points of light damage to target on hit. x2 damage to Undead.

Steel Frost Blade

Type

Sword (Katana)

Rank

Uncommon

Damage

10-25

Damage Type

Slashing

A katana made from hardened steel. The craftsmanship is decent, though not the work of a master. A warrior’s blade. This blade has been enchanted with ice magic.

Durability: 40/40

+30 Attack

+10% to Parry blows

Enchanted: Deals 1-10 Cold damage on contact.

Hardened Lamellar Armor

Type

Heavy Armor

Rank

Common

This heavy armor is made from hardened leather plates, overlapping to provide defense equal to that of steel, with a fraction of the weight. This set has been made in the oroyoi style.

Durability: 200/200

Class Restriction: Samurai

+50 Defense

+30% Resistance to Piercing, Slashing, and Bludgeoning

Enchanted: +1 HP Regeneration/Minute

After finishing the day’s shopping, I stopped by the guild hall again, so I could get my card. To my surprise, instructor Whitetail was by the counter when I came in, with my girls in tow.

“You!”

“Yes, me. I was told that my guild card would be ready by now.”

“Damn Traveler! Look at yourself with your harem! Hey! Don’t ignore me, damnit!”

I did ignore her, as I went to the counter. The clerk looked like he was trying desperately not to laugh, so I cut him a break, and spoke first. “Ah, my name is Zayn Darkmore. I was to pick up my guild card today.”

“Y-yes, of course.” He pulled a card out from under the desk, and said, “You’ll need a drop of blood to bind it to you, after which, it will automatically update your guild status whenever you complete quests or have other achievements of note.” I pricked my finger, and dropped a bit of blood on the card. “Excellent. It appears that you’ve been evaluated as a Rank E adventurer to start. Impressive for a newcomer. You must have done well in your tests.”

“Yes, I think I did well, especially in the magic one.” I looked at the card to see what it said.

Name

Zayn Darkmore

Rank

E

Race

Incubus

Status

Traveler

Level

10

Class

Warlock

Profession

Slave Trainer

Subclass

Titles

The Executioner, The Sexecutioner, Corrupter, Master Chainmaker

So, a condensed version of my status sheet, but this one could be shown to other people easily. And it didn’t give away any really bad information. I’m sure criminal guilds had fake versions available, if I wanted to go that route. Meanwhile, the clerk was still talking, while the instructor looked like she was about to explode due to my ignoring her.

“The guild card is accepted as proper identification in all lands; the Adventurer’s Guild is not bound by national ties. You may store currency on your card, if you wish.”

Ah, that’s convenient. All those coins in my inventory were taking up space. When I put them on the card, I noticed something even more convenient. Instead of just tallying the number of coins on the card, they were converted to the smallest number possible. 14 GP, 32 SP, and 140 CP became 18 GP, 6 SP. When I asked the clerk about it, he simply said that it was part of the card’s magic.

“HEY! STOP IGNORING ME, DAMNIT!”

I turned to look at the Instructor, and smiled. “Oh, I’m sorry, did you wish something, Instructor? I was going to entertain my new slave after dinner, but you’re welcome to join in, if you like.”

“You bastard! Don’t think just because—“

“You know, we probably shouldn’t cause a scene here, a lot of people are looking at you now, wondering why the Instructor is so interested in a new E-rank adventurer.” I smiled wickedly at her. She froze, looked quickly at the attention we most definitely were attracting, and then turned and stormed off towards the stairs, muttering as she did so.

Looking back to the clerk, I said, “I’m going to be heading to the Wyrmwood soon, do you know of any quests leading in that direction?”

The clerk, after he finished laughing, directed me to the quest board, and I picked out a few quests that would work.

New Quest: Bandit Subjugation

Bandits have been causing trouble along the Vermillion Road between Falon and Wyrmwood. Thin their numbers so that merchant wagons can get through!

Rank

D

Success

Kill 20 Bandits

Failure

Give up the Quest

Rewards

Experience

200 GP

New Quest: Merchant Escort

Merchant Silas Horneby requests an escort for his wagon from Falon to Gepheart on the Vermillion Road.

Rank

E

Success

Silas Horneby and his cargo make it safely to Gepheart

Failure

Silas Horneby dies or cargo lost

Rewards

50 GP

Unknown

New Quest: Becket’s Furs

Hunter Becket has a load of 10 furs that needs to get to Gepheart on the Vermillion Road.

Rank

F

Success

Deliver 10 furs to the leatherworker in Gepheart.

Failure

Do not deliver the furs.

Rewards

50 SP

Consequences

10 GP Fine

Relationship with Fathon decreases

(Later)

After dinner, my pets and I were once more in my room. Turning to look at Yukiko, I said, “Now, Yukiko. You told me earlier that you wanted to meet this ‘Torgan’ in game, yes? Well, I happen to know a few things about Torgan. If you endure everything I am about to do to you without logging out, then I will tell you something about Torgan that you will be only the second person in this world to know.”

Oh, how her eyes lit up with both fear and excitement! I was going to thoroughly enjoy this. When she finally nodded her head, I smiled, and said, “Now, strip.”

<Della POV>

Master is so wicked! The Traveler he purchased at the market has no idea what she’s in for, but she’s going to go along with it blindly because she wants to know more about this ‘Torgan’. I can’t wait to see her delicious pain when he takes her. Oh, wait, she said something about having an ability that turned pain to pleasure, right? Well, that takes some of the fun out of it.

I wonder what he’ll do to the girl? And what is this secret? Is it related to Master’s incredible strength?

<Severa POV>

Hah! Stupid bitch gets to take my place tonight! Bastard’s going to rape her senseless. I just hope he forgets about my poor ass for a while. I didn’t think they could get that big, even on an incubus! He must be part horse!

Ugh, I still can’t believe the bastard makes me call him ‘Master’ all the time. At least there are two other girls here who can take some of the attention away.

“Severa, Della, you two strip as well. Pleasure eachother while I entertain my new pet.”

DAMNIT! I’m not even into girls! I hate how my body moves to take off my clothes at his command. I hate it even more that I know I’m only allowed to wear those clothes because it makes me more effective in combat.

No, don’t touch me there you stupid slut! Oh, god, what is my tongue doing? What is her tongue doing? OHHHH!

<Yukiko POV>

Oh. Oh fuck. Fuck fuck fuckity FUCK! I’m going to get raped. That’s what’s going to happen, right? The two other slaves aren’t much help. The blonde looks like she’s about to cream herself in anticipation of whatever’s going to happen. The black-haired one just gives me a look that says, ‘better you than me’. What has this bastard been doing to these girls?

I gulp as I stand there, naked, presenting myself for him. I could log out. I could escape, and make a new character. But I would lose the bonuses from reincarnating if I did that. And I would lose my only chance to find out more about Torgan.

The black-haired girl makes a look of distaste as Master (oh god, I’m even thinking about him in those terms now!) tells the two other girls to go down on eachother for entertainment while he deals with me. As he passes behind me, I feel his hands pulling at my arms that were trying to shield my body, placing them behind my head. He moves my feet shoulder width apart, and then commands me not to move, locking my body in place.

And then I see a sign of a new debuff come up on my HUD. ‘Selfish Lover’? And no duration? That means it will last until canceled? What the—

CRACK! The whip sings in the air before it cracks across my butt. I moan in pleasure, though I notice a red -2 and a green +3 come up. My HP bar hasn’t changed at all. So I could literally be about to die of pain (well, pleasure for me) and I still wouldn’t be able to die. Sick bastard.

Another crack, another moan. And again. And again, and oh GOD, it is so good! I can’t take it! It feels like I’m going to burst any moment now. But why can’t I cum?

After what seems like hours, but my HUD tells me is only twenty minutes, I’m panting hard. I can’t see straight from pleasure, but I still can’t cum! And then I see that, sometime while he’s been playing with me, he managed to undress. And I see the largest cock I’ve ever seen outside of virtual porn.

I can see my HP drop as he slams into me. Not enough to worry about. My regen will take care of it shortly. It should hurt, but Master’s figured out how to use my traits against me. I feel nothing but bliss as he pounds me, to the point where I can barely even think any more. And then, he leans forward, and whispers in my ear, “I AM Torgan!” Then the debuff goes away, and my mind flew away.

Chapter 19 – Preparing for a Journey

The next morning, my pets and I had gathered in the Inn’s common room to enjoy a nice breakfast. It was simple fare, just some eggs, bacon, bread with butter, and mead to drink with it. Tasty as hell, though. Too many people go and try to make things ‘fancy’ and end up overcomplicating things. There’s a time for fancy dishes, but a simple meal can do a lot to help a person’s mood. And I was in a good mood. I found that you get a small amount of XP for performing acts related to your profession. So me training the girls last night gave me a couple hundred XP. Not much, but still something.

While we were eating, the Princesses came down. I smiled when they came over to my table, and we began chatting about how we’d spent the last couple days. The fact that I’d gotten to rank E in my initial assessment by the guild was impressive to them. I also mentioned that I’d taken a couple quests out towards Wyrmwood, so we’d be able to start moving before too long.

As for what the priestesses were up to, they had been training, it seemed, so that they could better defend themselves if trouble came up. We agreed to check in with eachother tonight at dinner, but be prepared to leave the city tomorrow, if need be.

Of course, leaving on a journey isn’t exactly simple. We needed supplies, and preferably transportation. I had considered buying horses, but strong horses, capable of carrying a rider over long distances would not be affordable just yet. But a wagon and a couple draft horses just might be. And then there was the issue of supplies. Food, water, and feed for the animals. Plus, survival gear like tents. Lots of stuff to buy.

After breakfast, we returned to the marketplace. This time, however, we visited more of the ‘mundane’ shops. The Princesses would take care of their own supplies, but that still left me with the burden of paying for the rest (after all, any funds my pets had made since I got them went directly to me). Fortunately, I wasn’t without resources. And by resources, I mean a gamer’s ability to sniff out cheats.

A bit of asking around told me that Brum Farshade and his wife, Airhy, were trying to have a child, but things were ‘difficult’ since Airhy had been injured early in life. A bit more asking around (and a couple drinks), and I found out that Airhy was actually sweet on this guardsman and had been taking an alchemist’s work to keep from getting pregnant. Now, none of this was my business, but Brum was the guy who ran the stables, and so when I introduced myself as a servant of Sharess, who had come after hearing of his difficulties, I was able to get a discounted price on a pair of draft horses, a wagon, and harnesses, in return for the blessing of the Goddess upon their bed. I cast Fruitful Passion on the husband, and told him that, so long as he lay with his wife, and no other, before the new moon, then he would have the child he sought.

After that, a trip to the general store was in order. A lot of haggling ensued, and my Negotiation skill went up to Beginner 6. But I managed to get rations and feed for ten days, canteens with water for 4 days (which we could refill along the way), tents, bedrolls, a healthy supply of rope, and other sundry supplies. Honestly, boring stuff.

Anyways, all the supplies cost me 10 GP. But we’d be ready for pretty much anything that happened. After that, I went to talk to my two contacts for the quests. Hard to deliver goods or escort merchants without speaking face to face, after all.

I started with Hunter Becket. Becket, as it turned out, was a Halfling, a half-human. Looked like his other half was goblin. He also was missing the better part of his left leg. But whatever. He was most happy to talk to me once I explained I was here about the quest.

“Ah, good! I was supposed to source ten Black Forest Wolf pelts for the leatherworker, but got caught in a storm, and my wagon wrecked. I was barely able to save the furs. Then more wolves attacked me, and I ended up in this state. A merchant brought me to Falon, and now I’m stuck doing chores at the temple until I can save up enough for some healing.”

After a few mindless pleasantries, I received the 10 furs, and stored them in my inventory.

Oddly enough, I found Silas Horneby at the slave market. Turns out, he was a traveling slave trader, moving ‘goods’ from one area to another. We actually had a good chat over lunch in a private room. The guy wasn’t a cruel bastard. Most of the people who were put in his keeping were sold to pay off debts, or because they’d broken some law. He tried to find them good owners, and had actually developed something of a reputation along those lines.

For my part, I simply told him stories of my adventures back in WoD. The game settings said that Travelers came from another world, so that’s what all the NPCs believed anyways. Made it so I could tell some of my early adventures without drawing too much attention.

Small talk out of the way, we agreed to move out tomorrow morning.

“I hope things will go smoothly. These bandits on the road lately…”

“Yeah, I heard about them. Are we expecting trouble? More than the usual?”

“Well, one of my cargo is the son of a bandit leader. The little prick was caught trying to raid one of the storehouses here in the city. City leaders want him gone, and they paid me double the normal rate to try and get him elsewhere.”

“Ah, so we can definitely expect trouble, then. My pets and I have stocked up on supplies already, so we’ll be ready to go in the morning. Do any of your slaves have combat training? If we come into a tight spot, it’ll be good to know how many blades we can rely on.”

“A couple. But the only one worth talking about is my personal slave, who is practiced in defensive magics.”

“Right. Hopefully we won’t need it, but it is good to know that there’s someone strong behind us, in case we get attacked from both sides. We’ll have to assume that they’ll lay ambushes.”

“Yeah. Fortunately, your group aren’t the only guards. There’s another party of adventurers who also accepted the quest.”

“Excellent! Then let us hope that we’ll have enough numbers to keep the bastards’ heads down.”

After agreeing to meet at the city gates the next morning just after breakfast, we went our separate way. Pets in tow, I headed to the training hall. Why? Because I wanted to grind my skills some more. My Sword skills were already quite good for my level, so I started raising my other masteries, with the Dagger, Whip, and Bow. The others were also working on their weapon skills, even Della. We’re going out into the wild, so we need to be ready for things.

Honestly, apart from grinding my masteries, the practice was really for Yukiko. From what she had said, she’d been enslaved directly out of the tutorial, and it was only by doing a LOT of service-based quests that she’d managed to get to her current level. So she had no combat experience in this world. And even in WoD, she was a Blacksmith first, and fighter second, so her combat skills needed the work badly.

Finally, it was about time for dinner, when I had promised that we would meet the Princesses again to discuss our plans. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to return to the inn directly. Why? Because some idiots had noticed my good fortune (three female slaves following a guy around attracts attention), and decided it was their place to make me share the wealth, either by giving them the girls, or paying them with my deep pockets. I used Observe on them, and laughed.

Thief

Human Male

Level 8 Rogue

There were seven of those, but the eighth proved to be much more interesting.

Zephara Void

Half-Elf Female

Level 15 Flame Sorceress

Title: Chainbreaker

Bounty: 500 GP

This wasn’t an NPC leading these goons, but a player! And that Chainbreaker title sounded like the opposite of mine. Probably meant she went around freeing a bunch of slaves. And no doubt killing a bunch of people along the way. No other way a Level 15 gets a 500 GP bounty on them.

The group tried to cut us off, four ahead and four behind, with the sorceress behind us. Poor bastards. Then this Zephara spoke. “So, this is how it is. You give me the girls, and I’ll make your death quick. You resist, you burn slow. Either way, I’m going to kill a sicko like you for taking slaves.”

I simply laughed, and said, “Oh, really? I’m so going to enjoy this. So tell me, how many innocent slave owners have you killed?” I didn’t really care. But her talking was convenient to me.

“Innocent?! You ba—MPH!!!” See, this is why you don’t monologue. Wannabe freer of slaves just got a mouth full of tentacle, with the other two binding her in place. Level is important in this game, but skills and control are more important. This idiot hasn’t even mastered silent casting, it seems, since no fire comes out when she struggles against the tentacles.

“Yukiko, keep the three behind busy. Severa, help her out. Della, buff and heal them. Let me know if the cocky bitch gets free or starts using magic.”

“””Yes, Master!””” All three reply at once. Severa especially looks to be happy to have something to take her frustrations out on.

I turn back to the four in front, and decide to make it quick, rather than play around. Don’t give your enemies openings they can exploit! With a cry, I leap at the closest of the four and perform a beautiful iaijutsu slash, if I do say so myself. While the thieves may be a decent level, they’re glass cannons, focusing mainly on DEX. The thief didn’t even have time to know what happened, as his head separated from his body.

The death broke the thieves’ stupor at the sudden onslaught, and they began to attack. In the back, one of the thieves looked to be trying to free the sorceress, but unfortunately he was hampered by the presence of a dagger in his throat and kidney, care of Severa’s de-stealthing form. The other two tried to get to her, but were blocked by Yukiko’s blade, which took off one thief’s arm in the first swing. The other managed to slip his blade into Yukiko’s side, but the wound was healed almost instantly by Della.

As for my three? Well, they were having even less fun than those guys. Instead of the Sun Blade, I held my Sacrificial Dagger in my off hand, and buried it in the chest of one of the thieves. I crouched into a spin, missing a sword aimed at my neck, and slashed out with Munsuraisa, taking out the remaining two at the knees. A moment later, each had been slain by the dagger.

By the time I was finished, my pets had ended their play, as well, leaving only the sorceress to deal with. And I knew just what to do with HER! Reaching into my inventory, I pulled out one of the cheap copper chain necklaces I’d stripped from the cultists, but never sold. The reason I never sold them was because they made good for nice, classy slave chokers. When I slipped the necklace around Zephara’s neck, a flurry of messages appeared, as combat had ended.

From sacrificing your enemies, you gain 8 DEX!

You have defeated Thief x7! You gain 800 XP!

You have defeated known outlaw Zephara Void! You gain 1000 XP!

You have defeated a target with a bounty on their head! You gain 500 GP!

For enslaving a registered Adventurer, you gain 98 PP, 6 GP, 7 SP, and 5 CP from the enemy’s Guild Card.

For continuously enslaving, sacrificing, and eating people in a short time period, your alignment has changed to Chaotic Evil.

Smirking as I dismissed the windows, I looked at Zaphara, and with a snap of my fingers dismissed the tentacles. “Poor Zaphara. Picked the wrong person to fight, didn’t you?”

“You BASTARD! I’m going to kill you!”

“Zephara, strip naked, and hand all your belongings to Della. I forbid you from logging out.” Honestly, I wasn’t sure whether that would work. Surely the company would have put in some kind of safeguard? Well, charm and enslavement magic does work on the character’s mind, I’d found that out from Yukiko already, so it just might keep a player from logging out. There’d be the forced log out if they stayed on long enough to risk their health, but then they’d still be in the same trouble once they logged back in. They would be forced to either live as a slave, make a new character, or quit the game entirely.

Zephara kept up a constant stream of abuse as she got naked, but was unable to log out, even though I saw her trying to make the motions to press the button on her menu, but stopping herself each time. “Zephara, place your hands behind your head, fingers laced with one another.” That shut her up as she was forced to present herself for the whole city. “Now, you’ll be happy to know that this will be streaming very shortly. But for now, it seems I have more business before dinner. And do not speak until told otherwise.”

When I led her to one of the local brothels, she looked panicked, and tried to beg as much as she could with her hands clasped behind her head and being unable to speak. This particular brothel enjoyed the patronage of many of the city guard. Given that she was a notorious outlaw who (until recently) had a high bounty on their head, she was sure to be popular. So I was happy to get another 50 GP for her.

Della looked puzzled as we walked back to the inn for dinner. “Master, why didn’t you just keep her, or at least rape her before selling her?”

“Well, unlike Yukiko here, I doubt she enjoys the thought of being a slave, especially as she was going around freeing slaves all over the place. Now, that wouldn’t bother me, but Travelers can be an annoying bunch, especially when they’re pissed off. So it would be more trouble than it was worth to keep her. Especially since once she is forced to return to the world we Travelers come from, she most likely won’t be back, at least not in that form. She may still return to try and cause trouble, but it will take her a very long time to catch up and find us, and she’ll be far weaker for it.”

“As for why I didn’t rape her? I don’t want to spoil the experience for her clients. You might not have noticed, but she probably wouldn’t be quite the same after I took her.”

“You’re evil, Master!” Yukiko giggled.

“Actually, yeah. Seems all my killing, slaving, and sacrificing has caused my alignment to change. Go figure. Anyways, let’s head back to the inn. That fight worked up an appetite.”

Chapter 20 – Setting Off

Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy. We did cause a bloody mess in the street. So we had to answer a few questions from the city guards, but seeing as how they were trying to kill me and steal my property, there weren’t any real problems.

By the time we finally got back to the inn, dinner had started. Smiling as I saw the Princesses, I went and joined them at their table. “So, ladies, how was your day?”

Looking at him, the sisters giggled, and Esyae said, “Well, we went to the temple to talk with some of the people there. Setting some affairs in order, since we likely won’t be able to leave the Wyrmwood for some time after this.”

Aravae nodded. “We normally would go traveling every few years, on diplomatic missions to the neighboring kingdoms. Unfortunately, the recent events mean we won’t be able to do that for a while, not until we get stronger again.”

“Again?” Oh, so they were originally stronger? I’d thought that their levels were pretty low for royalty.

“Yes, we were originally much more powerful, as were our guards. But poison and cursed drink weakened them and us, leaving us as you found us.”

“I see, is there a way to reverse the curse?”

Esyae shook her head. “Unfortunately, no, now that it has run its course. We can, of course, get stronger again the normal way, but that will take time.”

I nodded. That made a lot of sense, actually. “In that case, why don’t you join my party for the trip to Wyrmwood? We’ll be fighting monsters and bandits, so it will help you regain your strength.”

Aravae smiled. “Sounds like a plan.”

Esyae leaned forward, and said, “Now, enough of that. We want to hear how your day went. So far, you’ve been stirring up a decent-sized whirlwind of activity, you know. They’re still talking about your ‘test’ at the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“Hah! Well, nothing so extravagant, really. Got the details on my quests, did some shopping, and then took the girls to the training hall to practice our weapons. We’re going out into the wild, so having skills is important. Though we were waylaid on our way back by a group of thieves.”

“Oh, and what happened to them?”

“Seems the leader was a Traveler who had gotten it into her head to try and wipe out slavery in the city by killing the masters and freeing the slaves, or some craziness like that. She was a fire sorceress, too. Anyways, we killed her henchmen, and I enslaved her, stripped her of her gear and coin, and sold her to one of the local brothels.”

“Damn, well done! But wasn’t she a Traveler like you? Won’t she leave back to your world like you sometimes do?”

“I used the slave magic to keep her here, for a while, at least. Could be a few days, at least. And even if she leaves, if she returns, she’ll still be a slave to the brothel. The brothel knows all this, of course, so they’ve got her on an ‘intensive use’ schedule to make sure they get their money’s worth.”

“Will she cause trouble for you in your world?”

“Not likely. We Travelers choose a new name and appearance when we go to different worlds. This is not a name or guise I’ve used before, and it looks little like what I do on my world. So tracking me would be difficult.”

We made small talk for a little while longer, and then headed up to our rooms. I’d log out in a little bit, but first, a bit of fun would be in order, as a reward for the girls doing such a good job. Severa, in particular, looks like she needs a bit of encouragement.

(Severa POV)

Ugh. Master’s looking at me again. I can only be thankful he isn’t like some of those sick bastards who like to make use of their slaves in public, just to prove how powerful they are, but we’re going up to the room. He’s going to rape my poor ass again, isn’t he? Wait, I haven’t done anything bad! Maybe I won’t get punished tonight!

As the door closes, I can feel him moving up behind me. Wrapping his arms around my waist, I look down at his arms. They don’t look to be overly muscled, but I know from experience the strength that is in them. And then his breath blows hot in my ear, as he whispers, “Severa, you and the girls have been very good today. So you’re going to get a reward.”

A reward! Yay! “What kind of reward, Master?” I’ve been trying to keep a respectful tone in my voice, if only because my poor ass was torn apart the last time I mouthed off to him.

He didn’t respond with words. Instead, he slipped one hand down into my pants. It wasn’t like before, when he was rough and punishing me. This time, he was being tender.

I could get used to rewards like this…

(Later)

(Mike POV)

After spending some time with the girls, I logged out, but didn’t immediately disengage the time compression. Checking my stream rates, I was pleased to see that my videos were becoming pretty popular. I was also getting a LOT of flak from someone who appeared to be Zahara’s friend IRL. The guy apparently saw my video of me enslaving the stupid sorceress, and was not pleased that his ‘girlfriend’ would be touring a brothel until the chip force logged her out if her body was in trouble.

Sucks to be them. The stupid bitch shouldn’t have tried to kill me. As I was thinking about what I should do next, I saw a window pop up.

‘Theresa Martinez’ wishes to enter your virtual room.

Message as follows: I’m Yukiko.

Allow entrance?

Yes/No

Hoh, so she came calling out of the game, hmm? Well sure, might as well see what she wanted. “Yes.”

The form that materialized in my room was definitely NOT the slim, Asian-looking Yukiko. So this is what the woman behind the avatar looked like. I nodded to her. “Yukiko. Or do you prefer Theresa?”

“Either one is fine Master.” She blushed as the word escaped her lips, almost as though it wasn’t what she intended to say.

I chuckled, and motioned for her to sit next to me on the virtual couch. “You know, I do like it when you call me that. Anyways, what brings you by?”

“Um, well, I just wanted to spend some more time with you.”

This wasn’t going to turn into one of those clingy things, was it? That would really suck. I sighed, and looked at her. “Theresa, what are you looking for? I’m the guy behind Torgan, and Zayn, but that’s in game. Out of game, I’m Mike. You’re a good fighter, and a great blacksmith. And your avatar is a great fuck. But I’m not looking for a girlfriend or anything.” I paused, and then said, “Now, you want to be a friend, I’m down with that. Even a friend with benefits. But I don’t want a girlfriend right now.”

All right. Probably not the most tactful way to talk about it, but hey, that’s me, your basic asshole. At least I’m being honest, instead of leading her on, or doing any of those other dick moves. Seen stuff like that rip parties (sometimes even guilds) apart before.

Theresa looked sad, but nodded her head. “I understand, Master. I… I’m not looking to be a girlfriend. But would Master consider taking me as a slave in this world, too? You know how I got those qualities, right?”

With a nod, I said, “That I can do. And since you want to be a slave, come suck me off while I reply to a few emails.”

(Later)

(Zayn POV)

The sun was hidden behind clouds as dawn broke, signaling the start of what promised to be a very wet day. Needless to say, our party was none too pleased to be setting out just as a thunderstorm started. But we had a few quests to do, so we ate our breakfast, and dressed for traveling. The Princesses had decided to go low key, and were looking like normal travelers for the moment. That should help keep from drawing too much attention to us.

After breakfast, I guided our wagon to the gate where we met the merchant, and the other party. The merchant had two wagons full of slaves, with his personal slaves helping to drive both wagons. The second party had their own wagon, so we were a convoy of four.

While we were sorting things out, I took a moment to Observe the second party, since we’d be working together. Best to have some idea of their party balance before we got into the wilds.

Burnoir Drakegrip

Dwarf Male

Level 12 Fighter

Lora Lohkik

Human Female

Level 8 Barbarian

Solana Presven

Elf Female

Level 10 Ice Sorceress

Oden Flagstaff

Human Male

Level 13 Paladin

Title: Holy One

Harahel Lightwing

Half-Celestial Female

Level 9 Priestess

Cricket

Elf Female

Level 5 Rogue

Title: Slave

Interesting party. If one just looked at levels, then they were all over the place. But maybe the slave’s skills were enough to make them worth keeping around? Or, more likely, she was a sex slave that was marginally useful in searching for traps if the party went to a dungeon. But who knows? I nodded politely to the Paladin, who looked to be the leader of the group. He gave that kind of imperious, holier than thou nod that meant I was supposed to be honored to even be in his presence.

Still, not wanting to be out in the rain more than necessary, we got in the wagons, and set off. If everything went well, it would be a four- day journey to Gepheart. With rain, and inevitable monster attacks, I figured it for five or six days. A lot can happen in six days.

(Later)

The hardest part of escort duty is the constant vigilance. You need to be keeping an eye out for hours at a time, and when a whole lot of nothing is happening, this gets very difficult. It wasn’t possible for someone to be watching everything, the whole day. Which led to a rotation amongst the guards, some checking for trouble while the others scouted or rested.

Of course, ‘nothing’ was a far cry from what we experienced. The forests seemed to be utterly CRAWLING with monsters. Or, and this was much more likely, my quality had drawn in more monsters than was normal for the area. We fought goblins, wolves, and even a group of giant rats. All were put down pretty easily, since we had numbers, and the attackers were relatively weak.

Fortunately, the arrogant paladin insisted that his wagon lead the way, and I was only too happy to be a rear guard. The two main points of attack when you’re on a convoy through the forest are going to be the front and the middle of a convoy. Why? Because that’s how you stop the majority of the wagons. You attack the rear, then the others can drive on, and leave the straggler behind if they wish. One wagon is rarely enough to be worth a major bandit raid. Especially if they have cargo they’re after.

Which meant that, when the ambush eventually came, it was the Paladin’s wagon that rolled over the explosive trap, killing their horses and the slave outright, and severely injuring the rest of them. They were more or less useless for this fight, it seemed.

And then the bandits attacked.

Chapter 21 – Fierce Battle

Zayn leapt into action, his bow in hand. “Severa, scout the woods! I want numbers and leaders! Della, Yukiko, protect the right side! Aravae, Esyae, with me! We’ll take the left!”

The bandits were coming from both sides. There had to be at least twenty of them! Well, at least I’ll get my quest out of the way early on. It was a well-organized ambush, to be sure. I smiled when I saw that the bandits stopped using bows as I moved in front of the cargo wagons. They didn’t know which wagon had their target, so they couldn’t risk shooting blindly into the cages.

I, on the other hand, had no qualms shooting back at them, dropping two before they got into melee range. As I slung my bow to draw my blades, I saw a message from Severa come over the party chat (the NPCs treated this as a special kind of ‘magic’).

Severa: Twenty-five bandits. Ten sword and shield, five archers, nine dual-daggers, and one mage.

Zayn: Kill the mage first, then work on the archers. Don’t take unnecessary risks.

Severa: Understood.

There seemed to be slightly more of the bastards coming from my side than from Della’s side. Ten enemies (five sword-and-board, and five dual daggers) had been closing in, but between Esyae and myself, five of those were out of the fight. Whether dead or just badly wounded I wasn’t able to tell. I stepped up, allowing Esyae and Aravae to fall in behind me. Esyae shot when she saw openings, I tanked, and Aravae kept our health up.

Sure, they might have wanted to get around me, but the first one who tried to get past me and to the elves behind me found Munsuraisa buried in his gut, and was now desperately trying to hold in his intestines. Gotta say, they went full on with the effects of battle damage. Another bandit was sporting an arrow in his shoulder from when he tried to attack me while I dealt with the slippery one, and his shield arm hung limp by his side.

In the forest to the right of the caravan, a scream went up as a mage suddenly discovered one of Severa’s blades in his kidney. The sound ended in a gurgled sputtering, as the mage’s throat was slashed.

Zayn: Well done, Severa. That’ll keep them looking behind them. Della, how are things on that side?

Some might wonder why I asked Della, instead of Yukiko, but the simple fact was that I didn’t want to interrupt Yukiko while she was in a melee. The distraction could be fatal if you weren’t used to it like I was. And even I had trouble with it sometimes.

Della: All right. Yukiko is holding them, for now. There are four swordsmen and five archers on this side, but the archers are looking for Severa. I can’t see the dagger-wielders.

Severa: Last I saw, they were on the left, in a group. Probably the leader. Couple of them had better gear.

Zayn: Name and level?

Severa: Brennan the Menace, Human Male, Level 15 Rogue and Jenny Grimm, Half-Elf Female, Level 20 Rogue.

Zayn: All right. Continue taking out the archers, and support Yukiko when you can. When that side is clear, come over to this side.

So, we had two named mobs in the group? One of them was probably the leader. I’d have to try and take them alive to be sure. Fortunately, I had exactly two remaining enslavement items, a copper necklace and a brass ring. When we got someplace civilized, it would be time to start making my own.

Esyae didn’t try for instant kill shots on the three remaining combatants in melee with me (limp arm had received an unfavorable introduction to Taiyo no Tsubasa in the area of his spine, causing him to fall to the ground, his legs paralyzed). Instead, she focused on picking off the archers on our side, using the melee as a shield to keep them from getting a clear shot in return. By the time I finished off the last of the fighters in the melee, the archers had all been wiped out.

Breathing heavily, I nodded to Severa as she and the others from the right side of the caravan joined us. Thanks to Aravae, I was at full hit points, but fighting in a melee consumes stamina, even if it isn’t a noted stat. The bandit subjugation quest was completed, since twenty bandits had been either killed or put out of action, but I wanted the leader. If we didn’t get them, then there’d be another trap, and the next one would likely get us.

Honestly, the only reason we had done as well as we had against such numbers is that our party of six had two healers, two DPS, and two people who could serve as tanks. Yes, I wasn’t really a tank, but my stats were obscene enough I could manage. The other side didn’t have any healers, and we took out their mage fast. Simply put, they couldn’t compare to a party organized by a gamer.

Striding forward into the forest, I held my blades ready, and called out, “Jenny Grimm! Brennan the Menace! You cowardly pieces of dog shit! Your little friends have all gone and died on you! Are you going to run away like frightened little rabbits? Or will you face me?”

I paused, and then laughed, “No, of course you won’t face me. You’re too chickenshit to do anything without twice the men to protect you! You probably can’t even have a roll in the hay without a wetnurse telling you what to do next! Jenny, you mewling quim, maybe you ought to give up this whole ‘bandit’ thing, since you’re clearly shit at it! So, Jenny Quim, what will you do?”

There is a fine art to trash talking. Too many people think that it is simply yelling random insults. There is some element to that, but in order to properly trash talk, you need to make sure that your target is completely aware of your contempt for them, and that everyone around them knows it, too. The goal, of course, is to get them pissed off enough that they do something stupid. Because then they’re going to make mistakes, which can be used against them. The problem, of course, is that sometimes you can bite off more than you can chew.

Evidently, one of the bandits had the Observe skill, because I heard laughter up ahead as the five remaining bandits walked out of the underbrush, each wielding nasty looking daggers. The woman at the head looked pissed as all hell, but confident. She must have seen my much lower level.

As they walked, I took a moment to observe them. The three scrubs were all Level 12 rogues. But the other two were named, like Severa said.

Brennan

Human Male

Level 15 Rogue

Title: The Menace

Bounty: 50 GP

Jenny Grimm

Human Female

Level 20 Rogue / Ranger
Title: Bandit Queen, Sadistic

Bounty: 200 GP

Hoh. So they had interesting titles. And there was a bounty on them, too! This was getting more and more interesting. And then Jenny spoke.

“I’m going to gut you slow, bastard, and let you see while my husband and the boys play with your pretties there. But if you beg real nice, and tell me which wagon has my son in it, then I’ll make sure not to damage them too much.”

Zayn: Girls, if you could please take out the three scrubs on my signal. I want Brennan and Jenny alive, if possible.

Stepping forward, my blades drawn, I said, simply, “Oh, that won’t do at all, I’m afraid. See, I’m rather partial to the whole living thing, and I won’t allow anyone to touch my girls without my permission. So I’m afraid I’m going to have to defeat you here. But if you’re a good girl, I’ll let your son watch while I rape you.”

This did not improve Brennan’s mood. He did not seem to like the idea of an incubus raping his wife. Go figure. Anyways, he charged forward, and I gave the signal to the girls. The three idiots didn’t have time to realize what happened before arrows, blades, and magic knocked them to the ground. If they were lucky, they would still live. At least until the fight was over.

Brennan paid no attention to this. He came in, like an idiot, thrusting and slashing with his daggers. I could see where his problem was immediately. He was the kind of guy who leveled up by sneak attacks, and never really fought people head on. Against someone who actually trained to fight (and had sixteen years worth of experience to back it up), this was never going to fly. The question, of course, was how to disable him without killing him?

I decided to just use magic on this one. Cloak of Chaos boosted my defenses. Shadow of Death hindered the bastard’s defense, and Darkbolt blasted him, aimed at his knees, shoulders, and other joints. All while I simply dodged his attacks. Before long, he was panting, wounded, and suffering from about eight different debuffs. And I’d taken about a hundred damage, as I kept parrying and dodging to reduce the damage of his blows when they did hit.

When he finally fell to his knees, I nodded to Severa, who dropped the slave necklace over his neck. Yes, I cheat. And cheating apparently brought the wrath of Jenny down on me.

“You bastard! I won’t forgive you for this!” Seems she noticed her husband’s new title of ‘Slave’. Unfortunately for her, I had no intention of playing fair with her. I hit rapid-fire with Euphoria and Dark Tentacles. She was high level (for me, at least), so she could break free before long. I quickly slipped the Ring of Servitude onto her finger, and the fight was over.

“You see, Quimmy, I don’t play fair. I cheat, and I’m really quite good at it by now. But don’t worry, you’re going to have a lot of time to think about things on our way to town.” And then a bunch of notifications hit me.

You have defeated 25 opponents at or above your level!

You gain 10000 XP!

You have Leveled up!

You have captured wanted outlaws Brennan the Menace and Jenny Grimm!

Gain 250 GP!

Gain 110 (increased from 100) Fame!

Quest Complete: Bandit Subjugation

Bandits have been causing trouble along the Vermillion Road between Falon and Wyrmwood. Thin their numbers so that merchant wagons can get through!

You have slaughtered the bandits that ambushed your caravan, killing or capturing them all.

Rank

D

Success

Kill 20 Bandits

Failure

Give up the Quest

Rewards

3000 Experience

200 GP

As I made my way back to the caravan, I had the girls loot the bodies and make sure there were no survivors amongst the wounded. As I approached the wagons, I waved, and called out to Silas. “Hey Silas, you know which of these slaves is these two’s kid?”

“HAH! The mighty Jenny Grimm and Brennan the Menace as slaves! Never thought I’d see the day! Mace, front and center against the bars!” A thin, sketchy-looking kid, barely old enough to consider shaving, presented himself against the bars. He was clearly disheartened seeing his parents, who he was sure would save him, now in the same boat.

I nodded to Silas, and said, “I figure we have some time while the Paladin and his crew try and repair that wagon and heal themselves up as best they can. So what do you say we have a show?”

Silas chuckled. “Oh, and what kind of show is that?”

“Well, I’m going to sit over here, with Jenny bouncing on my lap, while Brennan and Mace show us some Father-Son loving. The rules of the game are simple. If one of the men tells us where their hideout is, he gets to go on to whatever fate is in store for him. The other man, well, I don’t even want to picture what will happen to him. On the otherhand, if Jenny tells us the location of the camp, she’ll have my word that she will no longer be a slave before I reach Wyrmwood. I’ll even sign a contract to that effect.”

“And what happens to my man and the boy?”

“Glad you asked! Your boy will go on to have fun with whoever Silas sells him to. But he’ll be alive, and I’m sure you can figure something out. Same goes for your man. Might sell him to that paladin over there, to replace the slave you killed with that first blast. But again, he’ll be alive, which is better than the alternative.”

“Or I can just fuck you senseless and get the information that way. Ask my girls, they’ll tell you I’m good for it.”

“Master may be related to a horse, based on size.”

“Thank you, Yukiko. So, what will it be?”

Jenny looked at the terror in her son’s eyes, and the disgust in her husband’s, and lowered her head. “Fine, you asshole, our lair is in a cave not far from the road about two hours from here on foot.”

“See, that wasn’t so hard. Now, Silas, you think you can hold out for a while if my girls and I check the lair and make sure there aren’t any more of these bastards to come and hit us from behind?”

“Yeah, the survivors of the other party look to be almost recovered. We’ll make camp here, since we have to fix the wagon anyways.”

“Good. Brennan, you will help defend the caravan. Jenny, you come with me.”

Chapter 22 – The Lair

There are few things as relaxing as a nice hike through the forest. Especially when you’re hiking with six ladies. Sure, four of them were slaves, and only five of them were happy to be in my presence, but those were merely details!

Anyways, by interrogating talking to Jenny, who I promptly renamed Quimmy, I found out more about the bandit group, and the lair. They’d taken most of the group on the ambush, so there should only be about ten bandits at the lair. I also found that there was an options screen to manage pets and slaves, which allowed me to rename Jenny as Quimmy permanently. Quimmy was less pleased than I was about that.

After a couple hours of walking, we managed to get to the cave where the bandits had their lair. I had Severa out searching for sentries, but there weren’t any until just outside the entrance. Sloppy! They should have had at least one person further out, as a lookout. Sucks to be them, though.

I decided that it would be a good time to level up some of those skills I hadn’t bothered using for a while, and engaged Sneak and Move Silently. Creeping forward, with my bow in hand, I took aim at the ONE guard out on duty, and fired three shots as quickly as I could. Which was fortunate, since while all three shots hit, and were counted as sneak attacks, I wasn’t accurate enough to hit vital points. But three arrows to the chest brought the sentry down, before he could even yell or ring the alarm bell.

After looting the corpse, we continued into the cave, which promptly identified itself as a mini-dungeon ‘Bandit Hideout’. It was a fairly simple cave system, with a few rooms that had doors and walls constructed inside it. Large enough for, say, 30 people at most, but since they were barely a day from town, they didn’t need massive living quarters.

Sneaking forward, I found five more bandits in the main room, sitting around a table. They’d been drinking, and were currently in the middle of playing cards. I checked them with Observe.

Bandit

Human Male

Level 10 Rogue

Bandit

Elf Male

Level 8 Fighter

Bandit

Dwarf Female

Level 13 Ranger

Yzma

Succubus

Level 15 Dominatrix

Kronk

Half-Ogre Male

Level 12 Barbarian

Title: Thrall

Well, fuck. Dominatrix was the female version of the Dominator class I’d had the option of getting, once upon a time. Which spelled bad news for me. And it looked like Kronk was her plaything.

Zayn: Severa, Esyae, I want that succubus taken out first. Swift and brutal. Yukiko, protect them from the big bastard. Della and Aravae, keep us healthy. I’ll work on the three bandits.

Della: Got it.

Yukiko: Hai!

Aravae: Simple enough.

Esyae: Sounds good.

Severa: In position. These people are too drunk to be much trouble.

Zayn: Don’t get cocky. After all, you didn’t think I would be much trouble when you met me, right?

Severa: R-right.

Zayn: All right. On three. One, two…

“THREE!” As I yelled the last word, several things happened at once. The succubus, who had just leaned over to rake in the pot after winning the round (and giving the two men opposite her a good view down her shirt) caught Esyae’s arrow in the eye, followed by a double stabbing from Severa, the daggers slipping through the woman’s ribs from behind, and piercing the succubus’s lungs and heart. Combined with the spider poison I’d let her use, this made for one rather dead Succubus. At the same time, I lunged forward, and caught the elf with both blades, neatly separating his head from his shoulders.

A few seconds later, the half-ogre roared in confusion. As I suspected, he was no longer the thrall of the succubus, and was royally pissed at everyone. The rogue tried to calm him, but got a massive fist to the face for his trouble, knocking him back against the wall. This, of course, got the attention of everyone else in the lair, and so moments later four more people joined the crowd: a dwarf male, two female humans, and an incubus, the last of whom came out of a side room and had, apparently, not bothered to put on clothes before seeing what was going on.

It got a bit crazy after that, but with it being six on seven, and only our six actually wearing armor and having their weapons (maybe the idiots thought it was a fight between thieves?), the actual fighting was pretty quick. After the half-ogre, the incubus, and the first idiot were all killed, the remaining four didn’t want to press their luck.

We had a simple task after that. We’d gotten some more jewelry from the bandits back at the caravan, mainly stuff with a +1 to +5 bonus in different stats. Nothing to write home about, but still useful for what I had in mind. Which was, of course, enchanting them further with the enslavement charm. Goddess, I was loving that thing! No worries about keeping watch on prisoners, or worrying about escape attempts. Slap the thing on them, and they’re done.

I didn’t bother learning their names. Instead, I renamed them Creamy, Knobpolish, Kitten, and Pony.

Creamy

Dwarf Female

Level 13 Ranger

Title: Slave

Knobpolish

Dwarf Male

Level 8 Fighter

Title: Slave

Kitten

Human Female

Level 15 Enchantress

Title: Slave

Pony

Human Female

Level 13 Warlock

Title: Slave

Anyways, once I’d stripped the bodies of the dead, we set about looting the place, with the help of Quimmy and her former subordinates to disarm the traps for us. Most of it was pretty basic stuff. We found some decent weapons and armor (including a set that was definitely elven-made), gear (including something that Identify told me was a travelstone), as well as some goods that had been taken off passing merchants and that the gang hadn’t had a chance to take into town yet, and 50 PP worth in various coins. I split the last with the Princesses, half for me, and half for them, since I have to pay for all my pets.

In the room the incubus came out of, we found something that, well, I was already expecting when the damn fool came out without anything on. Namely, the ‘relaxation room’ for the bandits. There were five women chained up in various positions around the room. One on a table, another bound to a bed, a third bent over in the stocks, a fourth chained to the wall, and a fifth who was secured in a cage. All five were naked, and I soon found that three of them had been raped to the point that their minds were gone. Maybe if someone spent a few months in daily therapy with them, they could get them to the point where they’d be good for anything but sex, but in a world like this? Wasn’t going to happen.

I looked at my girls, and knew that leaving them would not be a popular choice. But we couldn’t take the ones who had lost it with us. That was a good way to get us all killed. So I took the Sacrificial Dagger, and offered a prayer for their passing as I sacrificed them. I was not expecting much from this, but I was surprised by the new windows.

For sacrificing torture victims as you ease their suffering, you have gained a title!

Machiavelli

Whether through fear or mercy, all your actions serve to enhance your power.

+105 (increase from 100) Fame

+200 (increase from 100) Infamy

Increase the effect of Fame and Infamy on NPC interactions by 10%

For Sacrificing the victims, you gain 200 XP.
You gain 7 CHA and 3 DEX from the sacrifice.

Two of the girls had been used more because they were pretty, while it seemed the one that had been bound to the table was the most flexible of the lot. Still, nothing left to do for them. I released the girl in the cage and the one in the stocks, both of whom still had their wits about them. They probably hadn’t been there that long.

Merethyl Pressatra

Elf Female

Level 40 Fighter (Blademistress), Bard

Title: The Beautiful, Nightingale, Slave

Mirelth

Dragon Female

Level 900

Title: The Adorable, Mistress of Ice, The Taker of Life, Bringer of Death, Harrowdale’s Bane, Terror of Gloomspell Lake, Dragon God of Winter, Slave

Or maybe they were just that badass. Both had slave collars on their necks. How in the bloody hell did these scrubs get a FUCKING DRAGONESS as a slave? Before I can decide what to do with these two, however, Esyae and Aravae move towards the elf, speaking in their native tongue.

“Merethyl! How did you come here?”

“Princess Esyae? Princess Aravae? Is that really you? Am I dreaming?”

“No, my friend, we’re here.”

“But what has happened to you? Your auras are so weak compared to when I last saw you in the Wyrmwood!”

“Cursed and poisoned by cultists who wished to use us to summon a Terror. But this incubus freed us, and agreed to bring us home.”

“But what of you? How did a warrior like yourself get caught up in this situation?”

“It was that damn succubus. I was at a tavern, enjoying a meal while I was between quests, and I saw her there. I figured what harm was a little roll in the hay, right? Stupid me. I wake up with this collar on my neck, and the property of the head thief here, some human by the name of Jenny.”

That seemed like a good time to break into the conversation. “Actually, she goes by Quimmy now, since I took her as my slave. I take it you are a friend of the Princesses?”

“You speak elvish?” I nodded, which caused Merethyl’s expression to turn from shock to embarrassment. “Well, as you can see, I’ve gotten more of a roll in the hay than I thought I would. If you’re Quimmy’s master, then I guess that makes you my master, as well.”

“Indeed. So, your relationship with the Princesses?”

“My house serves the royal family. As children, there were few enough of us that were the same age in the castle, and we all played together. Later on, I took up being an adventurer to see the world and win a bit of glory.”

“And ended up a slave.”

She sighed. “Yes. So, what will you be doing with me?”

“How quickly could you make it to the Wyrmwood?”

“On my own? Depends on whether I’m able to get a horse. But perhaps a week? If my gear is not all gone, I had a travelstone to my father’s house, but it is one-person only.”

I nodded, and reached up to unlock her collar. The naked elf looked surprised at that. “You would free me?”

I pulled the travelstone from my inventory, and place it in her hand. “Go to your father, and get an audience with the royal family, if you can. Tell them that Princesses Esyae and Aravae were waylaid and cursed on their way back from Fathon, but that they are in the care of an incubus named Zayn Darkmore, who is escorting them to the Wyrmwood along the Vermillion Road.” I also handed over her weapons and armor, as well. Sending the girl back in the nude would not give them the proper impression.

“And why would you do all this, when you could just take me, and still reach the Wyrmwood?”

“Because it would be no fun if someone like yourself, who is stronger than I am, did all the work as we traveled to the Wyrmwood. But we can discuss such things when we meet again. There’s an empty room with a wash basin around the corner. Clean yourself up before you head off, and don’t forget my message.”

Merethyl bowed to me, and said, “I will repay this debt in time.” Then she turned, and walked as proudly as one could when they were naked, sweaty, and covered in men’s seed, and left the room. Watching her go, I shook my head. It was a nice view, after all.

With that, I turned to the last occupant of the little dungeon. “You are Mirelth the Adorable, are you not?” That name got a couple gasps from the ‘natives’ in the room, as well as VERY worried expressions from the new slaves. Seems not everyone knew who (or what) they were dealing with here.

“Yes, I am. What is it you wish of me, mortal? You wish me to be a messenger too? Or are you going to keep me locked in this form, so you can say you had your way with a dragoness like the last incubus?”

“No. I wish your vow that you will take no action against me, or against those under my protection. And, some day, I may have need of a favor.” Cheeky, but when dealing with dragons confidence is best (unless you get cocky).

“And in return you’ll grant to me my freedom?”

“Indeed.”

“HAHAHA! You are an interesting mortal. One who would throw away advantages to make his life more interesting, and dares to ask dragons for favors! Very well, I, Mirelth the Adorable, Mistress of Ice, Taker of Life, and other names do swear upon my power that I will not harm Zayn Darkmore, or those under his protection.”

“Very well.” I reached up, and unlocked the dragoness’s collar. Suddenly, a wave of suppressed power surged forth, and there was no question that this was a dragoness, despite her currently human form. But I was surprised when the dragoness leaned forward and kissed me upon the mouth.

“I give you my blessing, mortal! Entertain me well!” And with a flash of light, she was gone.

You have been marked by a powerful entity! This mark allows the entity to scry on you and observe your progress. It can also serve other purposes.

Current Marks: Mirelth (Dragon Goddess)

You have gained a title!

Dragonfriend

All dragons start at Indifferent or better towards you.

+20% to social skills vs. Dragons

You have gained a title!

Dragon Consort

A dragoness has chosen you as her consort. All creatures with draconic blood can see this as a mark in your aura. The effects of this title change depending on the relationship of characters to the dragon in question.

Chapter 23 – Gepheart Village

“Now, will someone kindly tell me what the FUCK just happened here? Quimmy, how did you scrubs get your hands on a fucking DRAGON? And who is this Mirelth?”

It was Aravae that spoke first. “The histories tell that, back before the Scourge, there were those who knew of its coming, and took measures to ensure that sentient beings could survive it. One such group were the Great Dragons, the eldest and most powerful of their kind. The other was the Areth Imperium, whose magical supremacy was unmatched by any save the dragons and the elves of the Wyrmwood.”

“Areth used its magical might to combat the coming Scourge, and created the Rites of Passing and Preservation. What lands they could not conquer outright, they used the Rites to force people into accepting Arethan rule.

“The Dragons, some of whom it is said lived through the previous Scourge, knew their own ways to safeguard themselves and others from the Scourge. Back then, the dragons were not all as hostile to the young races as they are now, and some sought to share their knowledge with the same peoples that the Arethans sought to dominate.

“This caused the Dragons and Arethans to come to conflict, and during this conflict, Mirelth, who had been called Adorable for her beauty when she took human guise, and was also said to be fair even amongst her own kind while in her true form, was attacked by soldiers of Areth. In her rage, she turned upon the nearby kingdom of Luzan, and killed many of its people. Harrowdale, the most prosperous port city in Luzan, was destroyed with fire and ice, and all the people there were killed.

“But it was in Luzan City that she showed her true wrath. Dragons are beings of immense magic, and when they use rituals, they can do great and terrible things. Mirelth cursed the land with a terrible blight. The people withered but could not die, and the city was drowned in water and became the Gloomspell Lake. Even today, the people of Luzan remain in their deathless, twisted forms, unable to die and unable to leave their drowned city. They have become twisted and evil in madness because of the curse, and few who venture there live to speak of it.”

As she paused for a moment, I nodded slowly. I’d had a feeling something like that had happened given the dragon’s titles, but seriously, you had to hand it to the makers of this game for the detailed history! “And what happened to Mirelth after she drowned Luzan?”

“It is said that a company of heroes under the goddess Loviatar sought vengeance for Mirelth’s rampage. All, it is said, lost kin in the cities of Harrowdale or Luzan. A full hundred and twenty of the strongest warriors, mages, hunters and priests converged upon her lair in the White Mountains. For a day and a night and until noon the next day the battle raged, but in the end, the heroes defeated Mirelth, but had not the strength of arms remaining to finish her, so brutal was the battle, and so many lives had been lost.”

“Fearing that she would regain her strength, and bring ruin upon them all, the heroes used a divine artifact, the Captive’s Torment, given to their leader by Loviatar herself for his piety, to bind Mirelth as a slave and kept her in human form. After that, she passed out of the histories, until now.”

“And what were the names of the survivors?”

“Only four out of a hundred and twenty survived the battle. Kasr Lightshadow, a mage of power even amongst his incubus kin, but known more for mixing light and dark magics than your own… interesting brand of magic. Satheani Hornjaw, mistress of battle and unmatched with her waraxe and shield. It was said that with a sweep of her axe, legions of goblins would fall. Shihon Tehice, master thief and known for hands so nimble that he could pick a god’s pocket without their noticing, or slip a dagger in their ribs before they could react. Their leader, Voghan Shieldweaver was a cleric of Loviatar known for his cruelty and his dedication to vengeance. None slighted him but that they regretted it for the rest of their lives.”

Oh, I could see where this was going now. “And what came of them?”

“Little is known from that time. This was still a hundred years before the Scourge, when all the free peoples had to go into hiding in their thaigs. Much knowledge was lost over that time. But if the Shieldweaver line continued, even by another name, then ownership of Mirelth would have continued with each new heir taking the reigns of her bondage.”

I turned to look at Quimmy. “Well, where did you get the dragon, girl?”

She sighed. “We caught a noble sop from Vozhall in Yzma’s honeypot, like the blademistress. He was a fool, and talked about his ‘guardian’ like she was a toy. They didn’t know what they had. But we couldn’t let that information get out until we were ready to sell her. She’d make us a target for any crew larger than ours. So after enslaving the noble and making sure the dragon was properly ours, we killed him, and left him for the beasts in the woods. That was, oh, about a year ago.”

“And you hadn’t been able to unload her in all that time?”

“Finding a buyer that is willing and able to pay the right price takes time. Doing so discretely so we don’t bring down hunters on ourselves takes more. Now it doesn’t matter, since you freed the bitch.”

“You do realize you’re only alive because you’re under my protection, yes?”

“Yes, damn it!”

I smirked. “Good. Just reminding you. Come on, we’ve taken everything here, I believe. Let’s return to the caravan.”

(Later)

Six days later, we made it to Gepheart. Having extra slaves walking with us slowed us down, even if they kindly ‘volunteered’ to take the place of the dead horses drawing the Paladin’s wagon. Well, two of them were, at any rate. Brennan and Knobpolish had been sold to the Paladin for a hefty price of fifty gold. Quimmy and her two former subordinates stayed in my wagon.

The process of breaking the three women actually got me a thousand XP. Go figure, right? Besides that, the monster attacks we dealt with near constantly got me to level 13! Anyways, by the time we reached Gepheart, Kitten and Pony had been turned into obedient slaves, eager to please. Quimmy wasn’t quite there yet, but she still had the hope of my promise to tide her over, I guess. She still thought she would go free before I got to Wyrmwood. Poor fool. I almost pitied her. But, well, I didn’t.

Gepheart was a crossroads city. The Vermillion Road continued on to Wyrmwood in the East, but the Trade Way ran through the city, connecting the capital in the North with the ports in the South. As such, Gepheart was a bustling city in its own right, even though it was still called a village. Near the marketplace, we said goodbye to the Paladin and the Merchant, delivered the furs to the leatherworker right next door, and I watched as a couple windows popped up.

Quest Completed: Merchant Escort

Merchant Silas Horneby requests an escort for his wagon from Fathon to Gepheart on the Vermillion Road.

Silas and his cargo of slaves safely made it to Gepheart

Rank

E

Success

Silas Horneby and his cargo make it safely to Gepheart

Failure

Silas Horneby dies or cargo lost

Rewards

50 GP

Because of your attitude and the fact you took new slaves while Silas watched, you gain the Slave Trader title.

Quest Complete: Becket’s Furs

Hunter Becket has a load of 10 furs that needs to get to Gepheart on the Vermillion Road.

You successfully delivered the furs.

Rank

F

Success

Deliver 10 furs to the leatherworker in Gepheart.

Failure

Do not deliver the furs.

Rewards

50 SP

Consequences

10 GP Fine

Relationship with Fathon decreases

New Title Unlocked!

Slave Trader

Some people merely own slaves. Some people train them for a living. You actively seek out new slaves for the purpose of buying and selling them at a profit, and have done so under the eyes of a seasoned slave trader.

Buying slaves from fellow slave traders costs -10%

Selling slaves to fellow slave traders gains +10%

Selling slaves to non-slave traders gains +30%

Well, that had its uses, certainly. I’d get the best benefits by selling Kitten and Pony to someone who wasn’t a slave trader, but I’d have to do the work of finding buyers myself. That would be a bit of a pain to do. Oh well, I’d consider it while we did our shopping.

I sold all the weapons, armor, and gear we took from the bandits and their hideout, and split it between me and the princesses. All told, I got 200 GP for my share. A respectable amount, considering the level of the dungeon. I didn’t sell any crafting materials, though. When we got someplace we could rest for a while, I was going to grind my crafting professions along with the girls. I spent the 200 GP immediately, though, buying a Magic Bag that had increased carrying capacity compared to my Inventory.

Since I didn’t intend to keep Kitten and Pony after leaving town, I sold their clothes and made them hold signs saying that they were for sale. In this way, I was able to sell both girls. Kitten went to a nice brothel to begin her new life as a whore. I actually traded Pony to one of the instructors at the Mage Guild in return for gaining some rings that increased magic defense. They were basic rings, only granting +5% resistance to the various types of magic, but I managed to get five of them, four for me and my pets, and one to break down and learn the enchantment for myself.

OK, so at this level, that was really a pretty damn good deal. My various titles and abilities synergized nicely. Also, the instructor was clearly a lonely old man and was visibly drooling over Pony’s body. He said he needed a ‘servant’, but we all knew why he wanted her.

After that, the rest of the shopping was fairly simple. I purchased supplies for our continuing journey, since I decided we were going to continue on the next day, and bought a couple Charm spells.

Charm Magic

Cupid’s Arrow (Level 1, 0%)

Fires a magical bolt at the target, causing them to fall madly in love with a person the caster designates. Does not dictate the victim’s actions. May cause intense jealousy if the victim sees the target of their desire with others of their sex. Duration improves with level. Can be removed with Dispel type magic if the dispeller is more powerful than the caster at time of casting.

Range: 50 feet

Duration: 24 hours

Cost: 50 MP

Dispel Magic (Level 1, 0%)

This relatively simple spell attempts to dispel magic cast on a target or area. A vigilant caster may also be able to counter spells as they are being cast. Dispelling a spell is a contest between the two casters, typically won by the one with the highest relevant Atrribute (INT for most magics, WIS for divine magics, CHA for some magics). At higher levels, provides a bonus to effective attribute for the purpose of dispelling only.

Range: 30 feet

Cost: 100 MP

Seal (Level 1, 0%)

This spell seals the target’s magical abilities, preventing them from casting any spells for the duration. Spells already in effect are not cancelled. Duration goes up with level.

Range: 20 feet

Duration: 30 Seconds

Cost: 100 MP

When we were safely in a room at the local inn, I pulled out the two slave collars from the bandit cave, and identified them.

Slave Collar, Improved

Type

Collar

Rank

Uncommon

An improvement on the basic slave collars found across the world, this collar shows fine craftsmanship, and is made from steel, rather than copper or iron. When in use, it displays the Master’s personal or familial crest, showing who the slave belongs to.

Cannot be used on creatures that are over level 50 at time of capture.

+10 CHA

+200 HP

Enchanted: Return From Death – Once per month, the slave wearing this collar may return from death at the cost of losing a level.

This was the collar that the blademistress had been wearing. It was actually a pretty neat item. The Return From Death ability was clearly something designed for NPCs, since a Traveler would have that ability anyways, making this a very nice toy to use on important slaves.

The Captive’s Torment

Type

Collar

Rank

Unique – Artifact

A divine artifact made by the Goddess Loviatar. This collar has the ability to enslave any being it is placed upon, even gods. This unique item cannot be replicated by mortal hands. The Goddess Loviatar may scry on the wearer of this collar and the surrounding area, no matter what protections may be in place.

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Form Lock – Locks shapechangers into a form of the master’s choosing.

Enchanted: Seal – All magic powers are sealed while the collar is worn unless the master gives their express permission to use those abilities.

Yeah, so I expected it after the story, but this was definitely a divine artifact. And NOT one I was going to be showing off any time soon. It was like in the old Pokemon games. When you get the Master Ball, you wait until you find a real badass legendary pokemon to use it on. So I’ll toss this in the bottom of my inventory and leave it there until the opportune moment.

As I was thinking that, another window opened, displaying a system message that was shown to all players in the game.

World First!

The first Traveler guild has been established in Fathon! The guild ‘Scions of Torgan’ gains 500 Guild Fame! Guild Leader Zephara Void gains 500 Fame!

And then a second window appeared in front of just me.

Guild War!

The guild ‘Scions of Torgan’ has declared war on Zayn Darkmore and his allies! Parties at war may attack eachother without gaining infamy, but may still be subject to local laws.

I sighed. “I guess Zephara got some friends to buy her out of slavery. And it looks like she and her friends have declared war on me.”

Yukiko was giggling. “Still, the Scions of Torgan? Maybe Zephara was one of your fangirls in WoD?”

“You mean like you were, Yukiko?”

“A-heh…”

“But yes, it looks like my old life has inspired some wannabe crusaders to bother me in this life. Guess we’ll have to show them why that is a spectacularly bad idea, no?”

“Oh boy. I haven’t seen you like this since we were plotting the subjugation raid against the Demonfang Guild.”