The Next Game Master Pt. 02

She smiled, "Very nice."

She rode back to talk to the others. About an hour later Gardener rode up, "I was half a step from coming out there and kicking your ass. Now I feel like the fool."

Raven looked at him, "Do not feel like the fool. I needed everyone to have genuine emotions their characters would have. I always have the party's best interest at heart and I needed Marshal in his role. I forced it. Just like his sex with Lirana.

He did not know he was bi because he never tried. Now before you ask. No. I didn't but I did not grow up in your environment. I had a relative, an elder try to rape me as a child. He got close but did not succeed. He is in jail minus half his cock.

My mother caught him and come to find out he raped her as a child. Nobody challenged what she did. Things are very black in white here. Dungeons are rare because you have to feed them and they draw rats. It is live or die, jail is rare."

He nodded, "This goes back to you wanting to ensure no woman is scared for the rest of her life by a bad sexual experience."

Raven nodded, "Especially when they have to be virgins and go through it over and over again in every life. What I showed was the right way to take a girl anally. So even the gay males learned to not hurt each other."

He sighed, "You going to keep doing this?"

Raven smiled, "Just assume if I am doing something that is upsetting you there is a reason. That is what my character would do. Remember you are not your character. Aspects of your character are different. Your willingness to kill without so much as a second thought. Live or die by the blade and watching your comrades' backs.

I do it as well. Putting myself in danger, the night I first drew the sword. Doing crazy acrobatic leaps onto the back of a burrowing dragon. I would not want to do those things; I would not be very skilled at either of those things. My character is."

He nodded and smiled, "I did what you needed me to do because that is what my character would do. If he felt a party member was threatening the group."

Raven smiled, "You noticed the barbarian and rogue did not come up asking questions. They might have had some but they remember I just took them through hell and we are a little more than a day away from a major milestone. I would not jeopardize it.

When he came over to talk with me, I told him what to do with me. Send me back to camp. Send me scouting. I gave him direction. Twice. He had to go back and smooth any ruffled feathers. But I showed them he was clearly in charge even with a loose cannon like me.

But this loose cannon shot the eyes out of turkey and gave it to them so they could have a meal with meat in it. Instead of dry rations. I am establishing reputations for the group. Me being the woodsy and inventive type with a chip on my shoulder about certain things."

He cut me off, "Chip on shoulder?"

He thought for a moment. "It is like throwing down the gauntlet and daring the man to a duel. Ranger style and usually a fistfight."

He nodded, "In matters of the party you defer to him. In matters of nature and survival, you make strong suggestions to him that he takes because that is your area of expertise."

Raven nodded, "I do not tell you how to fight. I have reminded him to use lay on hands to keep you from bleeding out."

He nodded, "I appreciated that. I should have thanked you then."

Raven smiled, "I did it for myself and for you. I did not want to have to go back and get you. I also needed people to understand their characters better. Which meant giving you, those struggling, a glimpse of what your character can do. Something you could refer back to if needed."

He chuckled, "You have done a lot to help us to learn from our mistakes. This time it was about our trust that you had a purpose to your actions. You did and they make sense now."

Raven smiled, "Next life if you decide to play a ranger. That role-playing episode got us more experience. Will put me into level 6. She told me the first-ever. You guys are not that far behind me. I just advance a little sooner than you do. You can only impress and shock the Goddess at what you do so many times. Soon she expects it from you."

He nodded, "Things like getting us past those assassins on the first try."

Raven smiled at him, "Yes. Getting you to fall into your roles and flesh out your character. I didn't get you past them, we got past them because you all adapted to embrace your characters. To let you learn from the mistakes you made in the past.

Creative use of spells. She laughed when I chose that spell then I explained all of the things I could do with it. We annihilated them with first level spells and barrels of oil. That softened them up for you guys. We did what casters are supposed to do and we did it in dramatic fashion and with flare."

He smiled, "That ground slingshot of yours is something you have seen where you are from?"

Raven nodded. "Things like it. You have to adapt to the materials you have. I have seen all kinds of crazy contraptions. I know how to make siege weapons but my character would not.

The smokers, have a general understanding of them and have seen portable ones. Just have to get the heat high enough and smoke to stay in the area. Have to watch what wood you burn in them so you do not use anything toxic. Knowledge nature."

He nodded and rode with Raven for a while before speaking again. "You got the goddess to kick me in the ass about Lirana?"

Raven shook his head, "That was her own doing. She knew what I said was right about group dynamics and repairing those bridges."

He nodded, "Well we are working through it. We plan to have a Lirana double penetration party of our own."

He smiled, "The goddess told me I would get her pregnant if I fucked her after her pregnancy. I told her that I could really fuck the group dynamics. She is one lady with three guys and I am one guy with three ladies. Balance.

We worship the same goddess and I owe her a good fucking. She did ride me but she is a novice. I teach her a few things she teaches you. You can carry it forward into the next life."

He chuckled, "You really that good?"

He smiled, "I got the goddess to wail once. That was without my cock. I know how to get women to build up to big orgasms and ejaculate. I will look to give a lesson or two at the beginning of the night. You will get to see my second invention, technically. The device you tested was my third. He looked at me, "What did it ejaculate?"

Raven smiled, "Female fluid from the cunt. Female ejaculant if you will. It collects what she is putting out and when she comes like that, she is coming in 1-3 cocks. All the ones penetrating her and the external cock if the internal toys are cocks. It collects in the sack and if she ejaculates it is all funneled through the 1-3 holes. If we can teach a barely sentient device to make a woman ejaculate, we can teach you.

Flar would have an issue with it. He is built like a beer can. You have seen him so I do not need to tell you what that looks like. Speaking of Flar. He has been rather quiet today. Did the goddess throwing him down and fucking him make him lose his tongue?"

He laughed, "I do not know but she knows how to stroke a cock. I will have to go talk to him."

Raven nodded. "We have a campsite coming up. I can see the clearing from here. He nodded and headed back.

They got bedded down and Marshal came over, "You and Ersa are the only ones who cast spells. The two of you hit the sack. Shia has the first watch."

She came over and handed him a bag, "Just over 8,000 gold pieces each. We have another 15,000-20,000 from the other assorted junk. The carriage could be worth quite a bit. The frame and ornamentation appear to be solid gold."

He sighed and went to sleep. For once he was left alone with his thoughts and slept. He was awoken when Shia crawled up next to him. She smiled and he went back to sleep. He woke in the morning and change out a couple of spells.

He got mounted up and Marshal was still sleeping. He rode over, "Marshal!"

He rose quickly and banged his head on the wagon with a groan.

Marshal looked at Raven, "What?"

Raven looked at him, "You should be dressed and ready to ride. Put Gardner in charge of getting people moving this morning."

He looked at Raven, "Where are we going?"

He looked at him, "Scouting. We are moving into your neck of the woods. After yesterday's patrol, it would look very proper to be with the scout to avoid any further problems. It is highly likely we will run into more than a squad coming to find us."

He got up. He was naked and slid his cock out of Lirana's cunt. Raven looked at him, "Get cleaned up first. No good to go before a potential ruler smelling like a Paladin that just walked out of a brothel."

He nodded. He was doing a half-ass job as he looked tired.

He went to Ersa, "Can you clean up the Paladin. He smells like he crawled from a brothel this morning."

Ersa shook her head and walked off. Then nodded while wrinkling her nose. She got him cleaned up with cantrips. He got dressed and we were an hour behind normal before we headed out. Raven looked at him, "Enjoying Lirana's company I see. Raven Scout road. Without a goddess standing over you. What did you find out about this town?"

Marsha looked over, "A Duke controls this area. A Duke Reinhardt. He has been at odds with a few barons and a count in his duchy including yours. There is a miniature civil war going on now. At least it appears that way.

The King is threatening to move troops in and seize control of everything if he does not get things under control. It may already be in progress. I do not know. In short, we are walking into the unknown."

Raven shook his head, "A shit storm!"

They rode along at a slow pace for about 3 hours and the raven came back a few seconds later than normal. "Lots of men on horses. Too many."

Raven sighed, "I taught him to count to 20. Too many means he cannot count that high."

Raven slowed down a little. Marshal looked at Raven as he picked up the pace, "You lead."

Raven moved to a more subservient position. "I will leave my Raven perched on my shoulder."

They rode forward for another 5 minutes before riders came charging forward with swords drawn. They looked at Raven, "Sling that bow!"

He looked to Marshal who nodded. Raven put the arrow away and slung his bow. Another man with 4 bodyguards came riding forward as they stopped. "You the ones who allegedly killed Baron Friedrich?"

Raven rode up to Marshal and pulled out the head in the banner and gave it to him.

He looked at the man, "Everything but the allegedly."

He rode back. Marshal looked at Raven, "We will have words later."

Raven waited for one of the men to go to Marshal and he held up the head by the sides as there was little hair left. One of his men came up to me, "Surrender your weapons."

He looked at him. "Is the Paladin Marshal surrendering his weapons?"

The guard looked at Raven, "No."

He nodded, "Then I will surrender my weapons to the Paladin Marshal."

He rode back and he took out his bag of holding. The guy to the side of him was getting antsy. He looked at him, "I am storing my weapons to give to the Paladin." He took his bow and quiver and slid them in the bag. The guy came back up, "You must surrender them to me."

He looked at him, "Am I under arrest?"

He looked at Raven, "No we just got the word you were dangerous."

Raven nodded, "Then I will go back to the caravan and wait before I turn my family sword over to a stranger."

He rode forward again. "Pull the blade and show me." He pulled it out and they were all staring at the blade. He moved back and talked to the guy again. He looked at Raven. "Activate your blade."

He activated the blade. There was more discussion and he rode back, "Store your blade in the bag for now."

Raven nodded. He sheathed the blade and stored it. He put the bag under his armor. "Raven Tell Gardner big patrol stay with him. Go."

The bird flew off and the guard asked, "What did you do?"

Raven looked at him, "My job. We are providing security to a Caravan. I sent a message back that we encounter a big patrol."

He went over to talk with his boss. He came back and got in line. Marshal and this big man came riding in together the man looked at Raven, "What is your name?"

Raven looked at him, "I go by Sarrion 'The Raven' Black."

He chuckled a bit, "Let me rephrase. What was your birth name?"

He looked at him, "Lukottan Rising Moon, But I go by Raven."

He nodded, "Put that sword back around your waist and your bow back out. I knew your father. I thought the Baron had his sword."

Raven shook his head, "No he managed to make it home before he died and the sword was buried under him in an unmarked grave. We grew some flowers over it. Until the Baron came and had his men kill my mother. She killed a dozen of them but they were a hundred strong.

They then torched the village and killed anyone who did not move fast enough. The crime was teaching literacy and magic."

Raven got his sword back on and the bow slung over his shoulder. The big man looked at Raven's hands, "Pull your gloves off."

Raven did and he looked at the rings. "Where did you get the one with the red stone?"

He looked at him. "It was taken from my mother's corpse and I recovered it along the way."

He looked at Raven, "Your mother?!"

Raven nodded. He looked at the men, "Put your swords away. Ride back to the rest of them."

He looked at Raven, "Marshal speaks highly of you."

Raven nodded, "Praise comes easily from him. I do what I must."

The guy chuckled, "That sounds like bullshit. The son of House Rising Moon and the youngest daughter of the Duke would not raise a subservient child."

Raven looked at him, "No. They just raised one who knew his acceptance in this world would be bitter in either community until I was judged for my skill and not my heritage.

How do you know them? How do you know that my mother was the daughter of some Duke? I am unfamiliar with that. What drove you to ask about removing my gloves?"

He looked at Raven, "That is a ring of wizardry. A coming of age present from my father the Duke. I am his eldest son and by the measure of things your uncle. The gloves were a hunch. She left with her instructor, your father, 31 years ago.

I suspected the 2 of them of being involved. It would have jeopardized my father and your father's friendship if my thoughts were untrue so I kept my suspicions to myself. She was presumed dead with your father."

Raven shook his head. "She died less than a month ago."

He thought to himself, "Really!? Royalty stuff again?!"

He heard her giggle at me, "It was not a bad idea she just put you way too close to the top. You would not be accepted in a human court. Most likely. We will see how this plays out."

Raven looked at him, "Well you now have the head of the man who killed your younger sister who was my mother. You did not tell me why was I not told of this?"

He nodded, "Because she knew you would never be welcomed fully into a human court."

Raven nodded, "That actually pleases me. The court would not be fully welcomed into the forests I have traveled."

He laughed, "You are like her. Full of fire."

Raven looked at him, "Like she was. Did she have a falling out with her father? Why would she never mention the fact that she had any family? Even going so far as to say they were all dead? They were married. The ring on my other hand.

The mithril band was my father's wedding band. She told me she stopped wearing hers because it attracted too much attention in a poor village.

I knew it was bullshit because she wore the other ring and it stood out worse. I could at least hide mine. Her wedding band was in the house when they torched it or gone. I do not know if his men found it beforehand or not. She had it hidden fairly well if it was. I did not know where she put it. I looked for it long ago.

They took all of the firewood in town and filled the house. Then with as much oil as they threw over the building it was not worth the risk to search through the ash for melted metal. Her body was inside when they set it on fire. There was nothing left of it."

He sighed, "It would not have been a good environment for you in the city. Half-elves are not thought of highly. The mixing of races. As to why she said that I could not fathom to guess her mind. I am sorry she died that way. At least you got the man responsible."

Raven yelled in anger, "No. I got the man who ordered her execution. There was no one man responsible. There was society, herself, my father, her father, the Baron's men, and the Baron who ordered her death."

The Duke's son looked at Raven in frustration, "What she, your father, and my father have to do with her death?"

Raven looked at him, "My parents for having the audacity to go against the rules of society. To love each other and bring me into this world. My mother for not leaving the area after my father's death.

Your father, he believed the Baron killed his daughter and friend yet let him live for another 10 years?! Last time I heard a Duke was over a Baron. From what I hear the recent wars are in part between the Baron and your father. He let that festering boil of a man live for far too long.

When he came after me he came after my family sword. He counted on society's rules that they would turn me over. He thought I would be an easy kill. He thought wrong. If he was not in open conflict with your father, he would have had a hundred men or more instead of 30. I have not gotten your name."

Marshal sat there cringing as Raven appear to be pissing this man off. The man looked at Raven, "The name is Lars Reinhardt, I am my father's Field Marshal in this conflict. He is your grandfather and will want to meet you. I should prepare him before that occurs.

Both for the fact of his daughter's recent death, your existence, and your anger. I do agree with you that man was left to live too long and father will further regret delaying action against him. Keep it in mind we believed her dead for 10 years. You haven't had that time to mourn. My anger was a lot like yours when word reached us. Your father used to say don't seek veng..."

Raven cut him off, "Do not seek vengeance for vengeance's sake. Seek justice against those who unjustly oppress. Only when the time is right and your skills are up to the task. Learn, live, and love. Those are the words his spirit uttered to me when I retrieved his sword.

I did as he asked. I did not seek vengeance but I got justice against the oppressor. As to the timing, I really had no choice in that matter. My skills were obviously up to the task. As to my anger, I have none against the Duke.

Just at the shackles that bind royalty from taking action when action is needed. But again, that is part of your society. A society that does not want me. I could make that assumption about him by your own comment.

About needing to prepare him about me. Well now, there will be those who will think she died because she could not come home with me. Now I know they would be right."

He looked at Raven, "She was an adult. She could have come home with you. I don't know why she didn't."

Raven decided to change subjects, "They told you I was dangerous. Well, at least they are perceptive. You want to have some fun. Tell that squad leader who the 'insolent' half-breed is. Then watch the color drain from his face."

Lars looked at Raven and laughed, "That I will do."

Gardner came riding in and Marshal waves him off, "Raven return." His raven landed on his shoulders. Lars looked at him, "You train him."