Alchemists Brew

Jeff strolled slowly up the wide street, realizing he was in a high-rent neighborhood. The road was on a bluff outside the city walls of Avincor, away from the stench and noise. The houses were typically surrounded by stone or brick walls, and most were two or three stories. Some had guardhouses at the gates, but only a few of these were occupied.

Jeff glanced at these guards, who returned his stare either indifferently or with a hostile glare. None of them looked particularly tough, but his hand unconsciously patted the huge revolver in its shoulder holster beneath his tunic jacket just the same. With it, he was more than a match for most opponents on this world, he figured. At least, most human ones, anyway, and that thought gave him comfort.

Because not much else was going his way at the moment. Lisa had gone without a note or trace- which seemed to be her M.O. "Don't worry about that one, Stud." Lady Maeriadonna had said, grinning. "She always turns back up when you least expect her."

Then Maer had left almost as suddenly as well, summoned back to her homeland by some dynastic or family emergency or something. And –poof!- he was all alone in a foreign city, in a foreign world.

Maer had left Jeff with a decently heavy bag of gold and a letter of introduction to an old colleague of hers that she had heard was looking to hire on help.

Jeff's had looked up a couple of the more highly-regarded mages in town and researched the cost of getting home. The problem wasn't just the transportation spell itself- that spell was actually pretty straight-forward, though by no means cheap. What was really going to be the problem was for the mage in question to find out where to send him- there were apparently infinite choices of destinations, and singling out his home world was going to be a job in itself, requiring subtle and powerful magics.

Maer had suggested the same thing Lisa once had- adventuring was the quickest way to wealth, or to ingratiating himself to someone with the requisite skill and power to send him home. That, or learn magic himself, the Halfling had told him- an idea he had found both intriguing and disturbing. All he really wanted was to get back home, to a world with cable TV and Charmin and central heat & air.

He arrived at the address he was looking for- a wall of grey stone with a metal gate. The gate had a viewing slot that was currently closed. There was a little gong in a niche, and he banged it with the small hammer provided, producing a rather weak noise.

A startled shout came from the other side of the gate and the viewing slot slid open abruptly. A pair of dark eyes peered out suspiciously at him. "Here now! What do you mean making a ruckus like that? Whaddya want?"

The voice was gruff and the owner sounded like he was nearly out of breath. Jeff stepped back to give the guard a good view of him and nodded a greeting, smiling with as much friendliness as he could muster. "I'm looking for a Mr. Fergus Willsmith. I have a letter here..."

"Yeah? Let's see it- pass it through." The guard sounded annoyed.

Jeff hesitated a moment, then did as asked. The slot closed immediately, and he heard a muttered conversation on the other side. He grinned- he had the impression he had interrupted something- he could hear a woman's voice retreating before the slot slid back open. He quickly removed the grin.

"Wait here a bit, then."

The gate opened after a short while and the guard waved Jeff in. Jeff guessed the man to be about fifty or so, with a lean, wiry build and thick, bushy grey mustache and eyebrows and a sallow, sullen cast to his features. There was a little hut built into the wall, and the yard was neatly mowed and gardened. The guard indicated the doorway of the house with a nod, framed by a pointed arch, with three short steps leading up to it. The house was two stories tall but seemed somehow squat and almost fortress-like despite the many windows on both floors.

"Knock on the door and the maid will let you in. Mind you don't let the goblin too close to your purse." He warned with a snide laugh.

Jeff nodded and walked to the door. Goblin?

The maid wore a surprisingly stereotypical maid outfit- not the first time on this world that he had noted clothing similar to that worn back home. She had short, wavy brown hair and a nice smile, but her brown eyes looked bright and almost feverish. Was she drunk, he wondered? Or stoned maybe?

He took in a pretty good shot of cleavage as he passed her to enter. He noted that she snuck a glance and a wave at the guard before closing the door behind him and wondered if this was who had been at the gate with him- she had to be easily half his age, if not more. She led him to a cozy little room. "Make yourself comfortable in the parlor, sir. The master will be a good while, I'm afraid. Can I get you something?"

He looked at her closely. Her pupils were dilated slightly, and she had a hungry look to her glance. She was definitely under the influence of something, he figured. Her offer was pretty blatant, but he was here for a reason, and didn't want to blow his best chance to get hired on as an adventurer.

"Um, no. I'll be fine, thanks."

"Can I take your jacket?" She reached with both hands toward his lapels, and he caught them gently. He didn't want to expose the shoulder rig.

She giggled. "Bashful, are you? The master likes me to make his guests welcome. Are you sure there's nothing I can do for you?"

He let go of her hands, and they immediately dropped to his crotch.

"Damn, girl!" He said to softly as he felt his prick begin to stir under her urgent rubbing. "Um, you're sure your master wont mind?"

She giggled as she sank to her knees in front of him. "He would insist."

She had his pants down to his ankles in seconds, and she kissed his cock in welcome as it rose to greet her. The door to the parlor was wide open, and he bent his head to look out it. Regardless of how the master wanted his guests welcomed, Jeff would rather his first impression be a little more sophisticated than this- but on the other hand, the maid had a nice little technique- at the top of his cock she would waggle her head around the knob two or three times before bobbing down the shaft a good way. She kneaded the base of his cock with one free hand, and the other gently cupped his balls.

She pulled away suddenly and led him over to a chair by his dong. She leaned over the chair and flipped up her skirt. She was naked beneath, and her puffy cunt lips glistened.

He growled softly as he placed his knob at her entrance and pushed gently. She was warm and wet around him, and felt nicely stretched. He thought again of the scene at the gate- he was certain he was finishing what the gate guard had started. Tough luck for him, Jeff thought as he started pumping with a purpose.

She was a moaner, and he leaned forward and covered her mouth, looking anxiously again towards the door. She sucked his middle finger into her mouth and began treating it like she'd just treated his dong.

Wanting to get this over quickly and aware she was already close he reached around her and found her clit. He was thrusting so hard the chair was lurching a few inches with each thrust, and he leaned forward to nuzzle her ear.

"Come for me, baby." He urged. "Come on- let me feel you come."

She groaned around his finger and he felt her pussy muscles clenching at him. He let his own load go a few thrusts later with a satisfied groan. She was a nice piece of ass, he thought. She turned and gave him a warm kiss, and while she did so she wiped his dick clean with a rag she had produced from somewhere.

She knelt and pulled his pants back up for him, and he buttoned them and buckled his belt as she straightened her own attire. She gave his crotch a pat and turned towards the door. "I'll get you something cool to drink, Sir." She said, smiling as she left the room.

The parlor contained several stuffed chairs and a wide variety of decorations. On one wall a variety of paintings of fantastical creatures vied with a collection of painted masks- not at all barbaric but finely crafted of wood and metal and one that might have been ivory or bone.

On another wall a bookshelf stood, the books separated by numerous busts and small statues of military-looking figures. A few of the books seemed to be in English- which never ceased to amaze him- how had modern English come to be the dominant language on this world so far away from his own- though the locals simply called it as the 'common' tongue? But many of the books were in languages strange to him.

A large map covered the other wall, and he moved to it and began to study it. It seemed to be a map of the continent on which Avincor stood. He studied the map carefully. Avincor was prominently marked on the Eastern side of the continent, and he noted the river that quickly led from there to the broad body of water marked 'Magoyan Sea". Up and down the coast were a number of cities, though only one was marked anywhere near as heavily as Avincor, which he assumed was a measure of size.

His attention on the map, he didn't realize at first that someone had moved quietly up beside him, and he jumped away, startled. The goblin smiled at him.

It was plainly a goblin, though he had never seen one before. It was short and scrawny and had greenish skin and darker green hair, almost black. Sharp, pointed teeth were displayed in the smile, and he realized with a start that it was female.

He suddenly realized that his gun was in his hand- though he didn't remember drawing it. All that practice must be paying off, he thought rather sheepishly as he lowered it to point at the ground.

If the goblin realized the gun was a weapon, it hadn't been intimidated by it, he noted. It had yellow eyes and large pointed ears. Its features were sharp and it looked gaunt. It wore some sort of silk loin cloth/skirt thing belted with a thin gold rope or chain and a sort of short tank top of the same material. It had smallish, pointed breasts and its midriff was bare, displaying a startling series of scars that looked like claw marks, bisecting the navel at a sharp angle. How had it survived that wound? He wondered idly.

A soft cough from the door made Jeff turn slightly, though some instinct made him take a step back as he did so to keep the goblin in his line of sight. The figure at the door nodded appreciatively.

"You don't like our little friend, do you?" The newcomer noted with a smile. "Good, good. Scat, then, Elvira." He waved a casual hand at the goblin, which looked from him to Jeff again, and then shrugged. Giving Jeff another toothsome smile, it left the room without a sound.

The man approached with a hand extended. "Fergus Willsmith at your service." He was of middle height, burly with dark, piercing eyes. His neatly trimmed mustache was tinged with grey and he wore a pair of round spectacles. He reminded Jeff of a banker or a business man.

Jeff shook the hand and introduced himself- as their hands met, Jeff felt a strange tingling sensation, like static electricity. Fergus studied him frankly as they spoke. "The Lady Maer's letter said you were a man of some prowess. I take it you know how to handle that hand-cannon of yours?"

Jeff nodded. "I'm all right with it."

"Can I see it?"

Jeff shrugged. He emptied the four cylinders, pocketing the heavy, crude bullets as he passed the weapon to Willsmith, who examined it appreciatively for several moments. "Are you a man of science, then?" He asked suddenly. "Do you know why this works as well as how?"

Jeff shrugged. "Yeah, I guess. If you're asking if I could make another one, or make my own bullets- no I couldn't."

"So- a man of action, then, yes?" There was a satisfied gleam in Fergus' eye as he handed the gun back, and a hint of disdain, which confused Jeff a bit. Did the man think he had him pegged already? And as what- some sort of Neanderthal?

"Do you know any magic, then?" Fergus continued. "Can you cast any spells?"

Jeff shook his head.

"Speak any other languages? Orc, maybe? Elvish?"

Jeff found himself getting faintly annoyed, and remembered how long it had been since he had interviewed for a job back home. "No. But I can read and write, and I have a horse stabled down in town. I'm pretty dependable, and loyal. If you give me a job to do I'll get it done without you having to watch over me." He shrugged. "I get along with most people, and I'm not afraid to get dirty when the job calls for it." He thought he'd covered most of the stuff most employers wanted to hear.

Fergus rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a few moments. "Yes, you might well do. Lady Maer would not have recommended a coward, or a sluggard. I won't insult you by warning you of the dangers if you sign on, but be forewarned- we'll be traveling soon to dangerous places. And there are some tasks I need accomplished in the weeks before we leave that I may need you for...."

Jeff shrugged again, smiling. "No problem. Um.... How exactly does the pay work?"

Fergus waived a hand airily. "You can work those out with my secretary- if you'd like to work for a salary. Or as a full member of the company you'll get a share of the profits from the trip. Your choice." Again that faint tinge of scorn came across.

He realized he had made a mistake- Lisa and Maer had both explained the difference between a henchman and a full-fledged member of an adventuring party-but apparently not a major one. Still, he suspected he had fallen still further in Fergus' opinion- but maybe he could salvage some of that.

"What I meant was, what is the prize we're after, and how many shares are spoken for?"

Fergus leaned forward in a business-like manner, rubbing his hands. "We'll be traveling into the wilderness east of the Hook Mountains. In the ruins of an ancient city called Arisia I hope to find a certain artifact that will is worth a significant fortune. In fact, it may very well be priceless. Right now, if we include you there are four in the party- I would like to include at least a couple more members, preferably three or four. The wizard Celembris will lead us in the field, and will receive two shares, I myself will also receive two, and the rest will receive one share each, with an additional share kept for expenses, bonuses and bribes. The usual arrangements."

Jeff nodded slowly, as if familiar with the usual arrangements.

Fergus smiled. "Good- then I have a few questions for you. You seemed more than willing to do damage to Elvira. Can I assume you have no great love for her race?"

One of the more derogatory terms Jeff had picked up in his time in this world was 'goblin lover'. He wanted to project a certain image to Fergus, so though he had no particular hatred of goblins-he'd never even seen one before Elvira- he shrugged indifferently. "The only good goblin is a dead goblin."

"And do you feel the same about orcs, ogres and trolls- and the other monstrous races in general?"

Again the shrug. "I can take them or leave them, I guess." He noted the hint of a satisfied gleam in Fergus' eye and wondered what the man wanted from him.

"What about the humanoid races- elves, dwarves, Halflings and the like?"

"Oh, I like Halflings- and elves, too." Maer had been a delight, and there was this little half-elf hottie in the inn he had been staying at that he would have loved to get his hands on.

"I assume, though," said Fergus. "That if you had to work- or even fight- alongside Elvira or some half orc bastard that you could overcome your hatred?"

Jeff scowled slightly. "I am a professional." He said simply.

"Good, good. This may work out very well indeed."

Jeff had taken the room Fergus offered him, but in the next couple of days mostly situated himself in the parlor, by far his favorite room in the house. The maid- Bette- had smiled shyly at him whenever they passed in the house, but for the most part avoided him over the next couple of days, which surprised him a little, considering her apparent interest at their first meeting.

He had several books and an atlas spread out on a desk, trying to familiarize himself with this world when he realized the goblin was again standing just behind him, looking over his shoulder. She had a disturbing knack for sneaking up behind him, but this time he didn't jump or pull his pistol.

She gazed up at him, scrawny arms folded just below her breasts, which had the effect of pulling the material tight over her small, pointed tits. Her face had sharp cheekbones and thick, arching brows, and the slant of her yellowish eyes gave her face an evil-looking cast. She was far from a beauty, but there was something of an exotic attraction about her, he thought.

"Master wants you to fuck me." Her voice was raspy and hoarse sounding, and there was a strange glint in her eyes.

"Excuse me?"

"Master wants you to sucky-fucky with me. He thinks you hates me, he does, so he wants you to fuck me."

"Well, sure- that makes sense." He observed dryly.

His sarcasm appeared lost on her. "Like he made the girly slave suck the gate guard, till you came and she sucky-fucked you instead." She smiled now, exposing those sharp, pointed teeth.

He cocked his head, thinking. "How did he make her..... And anyway, how would you know all this?"

"I read it in his book. He writes in it every day- sometimes more."

Jeff pondered this. "And he lets you read his journal?"

She shrugged expansively. "Master not thinks I can read. Now he wants his potion to make you fuck me."

"Why in the world would he want that?"

"He needs to test potion works when person hates who they're fucking. Like slave girly hated gate guard but was going to sucky-fucky him, till you bumped in. You fucked her good- me and master watched. He gots big plans for potion if it works. He gonna slip it in your drink tonight. See if you murder me or fuck me."

He thought about the feverish look he had noted in the maids' eyes as she had seduced him and nodded to himself. Fergus didn't mind messing with people against their will, apparently- a good thing to know, figured. "So. Does he want me to rape you, or does he get you to take the potion too?"

She dipped her chin in a curious gesture and looked up at him, and her smile was looking more and more nasty. "Silly man. Elvira not needs a potion to want to sucky-fucky. Master knows that." Her tongue slid out of her mouth and she wiggled it briefly. He was shocked to by its length; it was like Gene Simmons' tongue on steroids!

He sat back to consider the goblins' tale. His first notion was to question her motive- why would she tell him- warn him- if she wanted to fuck him anyway?

"Why does he need to test it so bad?"

She turned and walked away, flouncing her then hips and bony ass in a surprisingly alluring manner.

"Follow me and see."

She picked the lock on the door leading to Fergus private hallway with the ease of long practice. She had assured him Fergus was away for the day, but he was nervous. His place in the party was only one of the things he figured he was risking by breaking into his benefactor's sanctum.

The goblin smoothly navigated the hallway, apparently disarming a number of traps as she passed with casual ease. There were three doors at the end of the hall- the endmost and the one on the right had heavy doors. The one on the left opened to what was obviously a laboratory and workshop.

"This one takes a minute." The goblin said, leaning down to pick the lock on the door at the end of the hall. He peered into the lab. Several multi-colored potions were bubbling and percolating over flames, in tubes of various shapes. On a sort of stand was a huge book- Fergus' work-journal?

The goblin pushed the door open and Jeff gasped. A naked woman was tied spread-eagled on a low, round bed. Wait- maybe not a woman- her skin was impossibly black- as black as shadow, and her feet were cloven hooves. But she was definitely, undeniably female.