Of Bonds Forged Ch. 03

Kel's journey progressed easily. While the houses were few and far between in these parts, that they were usually meant that they were well stocked. If they didn't have a lovely lady that could be convinced into coming along, they had food. If they didn't have food, they had sturdy wagons that they didn't need the way their good friend Kel did.

If they didn't have much food or anything that could help on the journey, they often had a bit of jewelry or other heirlooms of value that they were willing to part with. He couldn't even think of an immediate need for them as he shopped those homes but looking for baubles was something he was used to doing and they might have a purpose down the road. He could move from home to home and avoid being seen by the few and far between specks of civilization.

He wrapped his hand firmly around the most important find of his life, comforted by the warmth of it that felt as if a part of him. Indeed, if he concentrated, that warmth would flow through his body enough to ward off the slight chill of the day. There wasn't a luckier man in the world than he, he knew. He went from getting by and being content in that to someone for whom the possibilities now seemed limitless. Kel was unsure of what he even had around his neck. Proof of the Goddess? A piece of magic from the fairy tales of the old world and the whispers in this one? Some piece of technology that he didn't understand that went wrong for the old man?

Kel was only thinking about it now to pass the time. He couldn't remember the last time he thought about it in any depth because what did it really matter? What else matters when you can have anything? What else matters when you have that kind of power? People would give him the shirts off their backs, the last coin in their pockets, and beautiful women would lift their skirts, and all he had to do is talk them into it.

It wasn't so wrong, he told himself, that voice being the only voice he heard these days. Each time, the using got easier, and not just for the power itself. Those scolds of right and wrong and those pangs of conscience early on that he once almost had to beat down lost their effect on him, whittled away a bit at a time in the heady rush of power, the joy of gratification, and the complete lack of consequence. If someone asked too many questions or tried to make a fuss, he knew he would just simply talk his way free of it until, by the end of the chat, they would be apologizing profusely for disrupting his day in such a manner.

And he would let the matter be...if he wanted to.

That was another of the intoxicating aspects of the position in which he found himself. He thrilled when he asked himself the question, How far can I take it? because right now the answer seemed to be, 'As far as I want to.' The question then became, how far did he want to.

These women...these lovely, lovely women that he thought of before looking behind him to see them in the wagon kissing and fondling one another. It wasn't frenzied. It was slow, gentle, and almost sweet dance of roaming fingers and exploring tongues while a couple of the other girls watched while two others just seemed to be content to smile up at the clouds as their heads bobbed a bit with the bumps in the road, which didn't seem to bother them at all.

He hadn't intended to take any of them, but he had to get some practice in when it came to using this gift and the first house he happened by had a lovely copper-haired woman living in it. She was beautiful and very agreeable after a little prodding and he had urges, all kinds of urges these days. Ever since he found the trinket it was like the power within would build. At first it was just a warm feeling and not an unpleasant one, like there was a fire and you were standing just a little too close.

But if Kel left it be that warmth would build and spread outward from the core of his being until his skin felt like it was one big itch that he couldn't reach to scratch. Scratching the itch felt good, the results were fun, and the possibilities it afforded were limitless, so it was something that he could easily live with. The lovely woman with the copper hair led to the others and they were all his now, and happy with it. He was sure that whatever he decided to do with them they wouldn't object to, but he soon realized two things:

First, that while the taking and using was fun, he knew they'd be in the way when it came time for him to chart his course for the future. The women were good practice for him and fun to have around right now, but he didn't need to take them with him. There was much he didn't know about his power and he could explore that with them up to a point, so they still had a use.

The man he fought with over the leavings of a corpse wasn't likely to say anything, so he didn't matter. If he knew he could leave the women wherever and they would be their happy, empty selves that wouldn't care what he did to start with it'd be wonderful, but he couldn't count on it. In that event, they needed to be somewhere it wouldn't matter.

Second, if his journey thus far had taught him anything it was that there were always other girls.

Fortunately, having traveled all over these parts, he knew the places to go, even if those places were were ones he never would have gone near before. But now he needed a place to be rid of the girls where no one would make a fuss about who they were and where they came from. They would buy him a warm hearth, good meals, a soft bed, and time to decide what he could do, where he wanted to go and who he wanted to be. It was off every beaten path, and a place most people avoided unless they were the kind that had business there and those people were people that most people avoided, too.

So the wagon jostled down the path that really wasn't a path that he knew. One spent time hearing about these places in a dozen bars, taverns, and just places where people brought their own goods and traded whatever they had, telling wild tales as they did so. Several spoke of having 'special traders' on the routes they traversed, saying that they dealt with everything you could think of. Those words hung in the air on their own before they would swear up and down that they had nothing to do with that side of things, so it didn't take a genius to figure out what occupied the silence.

He cobbled the pieces in his mind, off this road here, down that path there, west at this pile of rocks that looked like a fallen statue and head north at the pond. He stayed on the path that he remembered from them and, despite a few necessary backtracks and a couple of stops just to keep his bearings he felt he was making progress. He contemplated the very real possibility that, if the place existed once, perhaps it didn't now, as those types of people usually didn't stay in one place indefinitely. Even if it didn't, he expected that at least it would make a good camping area while he came up with a new plan.

The road droned on, the bare trees passed by, the wagon wheels squeaked in a dependable rhythm, and the miles passed by. The afternoon was drawing to a close and he contemplated the possibility that there was no camp to be found, through its existence being a tall tale, that it had moved on, or that he'd gotten himself and them thoroughly lost.

Then, just as contemplated stopping to reassess his position if not his goal, he saw behind some trees what first appeared to be more trees but revealed themselves to be standing tall and tightly pressed together to form a wall. He followed the hints of that wall that wall to a small clearing just before a gate and two guards standing watch.

His anxiety notched upward for a moment before realizing that the guards were decidedly unkempt and busy talking to each other until they heard his wagon coming upon them. They obviously weren't military and didn't seem particularly good at standing guard, though, to be fair, the place was remote enough that probably very little that was unexpected happened. Judging by how things looked, Kel guessed that this was an old trade post that had been reclaimed and built up after the woodlands spent more than a few seasons encroaching upon it.

One of the guards, a taller man, a bit gangly with a slightly wild beard took some casual steps to meet him well before the wood and iron gate. He found himself smiling as he got close enough to see the wagon's passengers continuing to keep themselves entertained. "What do we have here?"

"Just some friends," Kel announced with a glance behind him. "Some friends looking for opportunities. I've heard that this was a place for all sorts of those."

"And who told you that?" the other guard asked, coming across as definitely the more serious of the two, from his cleaner look, to the way he walked. Kel would have bet coin that he'd had military training at some point. His eyes did linger on the women for just a moment, but he wasn't moved enough by the sight to keep from doing what he knew his job was.

Kel shrugged, maintaining his amiability, but bringing the power to himself should he need it and it excited him. "You hear stories. You hear stories of places where there are no limits on the opportunities that can present themselves to a man who knows how to find them. I heard that this was such a place, so to here I made my way, which is no small feat, I must say. This place was quite difficult to find."

"It's not a public market, man. It's not supposed to be easy to find." the shorter man said firmly. "The man that runs this outpost values his privacy and he doesn't know you, so I'm not inclined to let you in."

Kel couldn't help but wonder, "How do you...?"

The guard cut him off. "He doesn't know you because I don't know you and I wasn't told to expect anyone like you. People don't just show up here appearing from the ether to...trade."

Kel put his hands up in surrender, "I don't know who you think I am or what you think my motive is, but I assure you, I'm not some enemy infiltrator looking to cause trouble. I admit that I'm new to this sort of thing, but that's the extent of the oddity of the situation, at least for me. Perhaps I could speak to the man who runs this place?"

"He won't be back until late tonight or tomorrow. Perhaps you could come back."

"I'm sure I could, but my friends and I were really looking forward to a place to get a hot meal and a warm bed, considering." He gave the ladies one more glance and if they weren't looking at him adoringly, they were giving those looks to one another while the taller guard looked on hungrily. "If this isn't such a place, we can..."

"What do you have them on?"

He looked to the increasingly famished guard, genuinely taken aback for a moment. "Pardon?"

"What do you have them on? Whatever it is, it's pretty looks like pretty strong shit."

"Shut up," the other man snapped, giving him a glare that would have wilted a smarter soul.

"What? I'm just asking..."

"I understand words, Gren, so I know what you're asking. That's why I told you to shut up." He took a breath and held it so that he could hold his tongue before jerking his head back toward the gate. "Look. Why don't you go inside, find Adger, tell him what's going on, and find out what he wants to do." When Gren still didn't move, the other added a firm, "Go."

Gren didn't like the tone, but he knew enough to move. He opened one of the gates and closed it with a hard slam and, for the next five minutes or so the two stood there in silence until the door opened again and the first one out the gate Kel presumed to be Adger with Gren following quickly behind without closing the gate, speaking with a speed that common in the babbling of a man trying to ingratiate himself to one in authority. "See, Mr. Adger, I told you they were beautiful, some of the most beautiful women around. I remember seeing one of the women walking when I heading to the tavern one day and, Goddess, wait 'til you see."

Adger had been listening to Gren jabber since he scurried into his sight and it was just about enough. "Gren? Shut up."

His mouth clamped shut just as he drew a breath to say something else. When his eyes darted to his companion on gate duty to see him smirk and not try to hide it, his chin went to his chest and he stared at the ground as he flushed at the command.

Adger focused on Kel first, his hazel eyes looking like they were trying to peel away the layers and see what he was really about. He was an older man of average height and his paunch suggested that he liked occasionally resting on his laurels, but his powerful arms made clear that he didn't stay resting on them all the time. His hair was still dark, but his hairline was retreating. He looked and carried himself as a man comfortable with authority.

"You have business?"

"I do," Kel said with a smile as he proffered a hand. He withdrew it as Adger ignored it, instead choosing to orbit the wagon, examining the women with complete dispassion, as another might examine livestock. Kel realized quickly that there really was nothing else he was interested in, so he nudged them accordingly, though they needed little more than his word at this point. "Ladies, show Mr. Adger how handsome he is and what you have to offer."

They turned to him like predators who suddenly realized that prey was casually strolling by. Several hands gently tugged at him, trying to pull him into the wagon. They were all smiles and purrs and sultry glances, his words and the heat within driving their instincts as the girl with the copper hair unbuttoned the top buttons of her dress, exposing her pale breasts while another sucked two fingers as she would a cock while another brought herself forward and simply made an offer, "Hi, I'm Alix. Would you like me to suck your cock? I'm really good at it. I can tease forever or milk it fast. Either way, it'll be the hardest cum you ever had."

Another woman elbowed her way into Alix's space. "I'm Rose and she has only sucked one in her entire life and I'm the one who showed her how. I'm the one you need. Alix frowned at the intrusion, but as soon as her eyes caught the sight of cleavage and followed the trail down she had simply forgotten what had upset her in the first place.

Adger ignored the offers, instead focusing his attention on the nearly perfect specimen of blonde-haired flesh before him. He caressed his hand down her silky smooth cheek and watched intently as her eyes closed and leaned into the contact, her entire body quivering as she did so. Still silent, he parted from her and began to walk towards the gate. His back to the wagon, his right hand went up and his index and middle fingers gestured towards the gates. The guards opened it hurriedly as Kel grabbed the reins again and got the horses moving forward.

Kel looked around as he passed through the gates and heard them close behind him. What struck him was how normal it all looked. There were people browsing goods, haggling with merchants, or speaking with people about their needs. It looked like any other trade post he'd ever been in.

As he thought about it, he realized that what he'd sort of expected: caged people being bartered in the open was probably a dumb thing to expect. No doubt everyday travelers came through, not to mention the rare military patrol. For them, it all had to look normal, and it did, save the extra guards spaced throughout the grounds. Kel's reverie stopped when Adger did. He bought the wagon to a halt about a dozen feet behind Adger as Adger himself turned to face it.

Kel hopped to the ground and smiled once again while not bothering to proffer his hand this time. He looked around before noting, "This seems like a very well-stocked post, considering how hard it is to find. Seems like an active trader could find...almost anything here."

Adger's delivery was smooth. He had to market this place and all the goods within to people far more important than this one and had done it so long that almost every word he spoke had the cadence of a salesman. He looked the man up and down, pausing for a moment on the talisman around the other's neck. "Freelancer? Outlaw?"

Kel blinked and blew out a quick puff of air to buy himself a second to think without looking away from Adger because he thought if he looked weak or uncertain things might sour quickly, so he picked the option that most seemed to fit the moment. "Outlaw."

He resisted the urge to clear his throat, hoping he put the right amount of conviction in the word. He had the talisman, of course, but he wasn't completely sure that he could focus enough to make it do exactly as he wanted on a sudden whim. Aside from that, it was a formidable weapon, more so if he kept it to himself until and unless it was necessary.

Adger gave him a knowing nod and Kel took that as a sign to press forward, "Well, you can see how beautiful the young ladies are and I can assure you that they won't be missed." He couldn't help but smile at his own cleverness "No one even knows they're gone actually."

"Let's not dance with one another and pretend that this place is not this place and that you haven't heard of it because it is what it is and because you're here with the cargo that you are. So, with that out of the way, what is it your seeking here?"

"Not much," he said plainly, a bit of his bravado returning. "Just a place to stay for a time."

"With the women as payment then?"

"Certainly they'd be part of any arrangement we would make."

"No."

He was taken aback, unsure of what he heard. "No?"

"No." He crossed his arms before him. "I know you were told, and the guard was quite correct that we generally don't deal with people not already known to us, and here comes a stranger just riding up, pleasant as you please, with a wagon load of, shall we say politely, good fortune. This place makes its own fortune and we look upon such unexpected events with suspicion. Surely you can understand."

He took the explanation without offense. "Of course. All I can do is assure you that I am only what you see, an...outlaw who has come to do business."

"Fortunately or not, this isn't a determination that I have to make. I keep this place running smoothly when Lord Solos is away. I expect he will return as soon, but, until he does, I can make no deals with strangers, so I'm afraid I can't help you, aside from inviting you to return when he does and he can decide what business, if any, will be done."

Kel didn't hide his disappointment. "The guard told me tonight or tomorrow."

"At the earliest."

He still saw a chance to make a deal. "I completely understand, but it is quite a trip back to a bit of civilization, and I'm afraid that I only have camping gear for myself. I simply can't take care of these beautiful women for how ever long it might take for your master to return." His head twitched in their direction. "In return for your good graces in letting us stay here, perhaps you and the men might like to sample the merchandise?"

Adger was firm. "No. That doesn't happen because it tends to create a perception by those that offer the sample that we're somehow obligated to make a deal afterwards. You and your companions can certainly stay, but not by trading on whatever...skills the women might have."

Kel wagged his forefinger and smiled. Now he was on more sure and certain footing. Hustling over to the wagon, he climbed up just far enough to reach the pack next to where he'd been sitting to retrieve it He returned to Adger before he opened one of the larger pouches to reveal the jewelry and other odds and ends from his most recent travels. "I expect this will be enough for a few nights?"

Adger's tension left his frame as he looked at the collection, happy now that there wouldn't be further argument because, as so many other people didn't seem to understand, they were in a place where people not them made the rules so there was nothing to argue about. And, when the prospect of an argument vanished, so did the likelihood of physical confrontation. He could also go back to doing more or less what he usually did, so his tone became one of practiced joviality.