TRC - Lord of the Glass Desert Ch. 01

Welcome back everyone!

Book III... Wow, it's still hard to believe I'm saying that but yet here I am.

Just a couple of quick notes before you jump into the story.

1. For those of you reading The Runesmith Chronicles for the first time I strongly recommend starting with the first book, here on Literotica that is just The Runesmith Chronicles (it was supposed to be Oni and the Farmer, oops). Mostly so you have a better understanding of how things like the magic system works and what's going on as I often reference earlier chapters/books.

2. The world of The Runesmith Chronicles was originally inspired by Monster Girl Encyclopedia. But other than the girl's love of sex and semen and always wanting a 'husband' the world and lore are very different.

3. Butt stuff and backdoor action are squeaky clean in this fantasy world and scenes are based upon that premise.

4. Finally, since we are dealing with non-humans any and all persons/creatures involved in a sexual act have reached the age of sexual maturity. e.g. A slime splits off from its parent and reaches full maturity within seconds.

All chapters are Proofread/Edited by oldfart and 2muchdiggity unless otherwise noted.

On with Book III: Lord of the Glass Desert!

Enjoy!

-Blu

---

Prologue

The young knight sat on his bed, wringing his hands as he stared at the door to his room. The snarl on his face was as much from his surroundings as his purpose. He was used to clean rooms, soft beds, good food, and fine ale. It galled him that the dingy, run-down inn was all he could afford after journeying all the way out to this Goddess-forsaken city on the edge of the Great Desert.

Reaching down, he ran his fingers over the pouch on his belt, assuring himself it was still there for the hundredth time that night. The coinpurse was on the verge of splitting its leather stitching, but every coin was already spoken for and none were meant for his personal comfort. He would need to be tight with his remaining money on the way back to Lantaris; paying to have a man killed wasn't cheap.

His mouth split into a rictus grin as he imagined himself sitting astride his warhorse in full armor one day as a messenger approached. Perhaps Corrin and Balthus would be there as well to share his moment of victory with him. He would take the slip of paper from the messenger and read it aloud so the other two knights would know the deed was done and ogre's pet was dead. In his daydream he threw his head back, giving thanks to the Goddess and laughing with glee toward the heavens. Back in his room, he caught himself before doing the same thing.

That note would signal the death of his last tie to the large blue-skinned woman. Never again would he have visions of the smirk on her face as she mocked him with that blasted magic shield of hers. Never again would the bile rise in his throat at the memory of her condescending farewell before knocking him to the ground. Never again would he wake up clawing at his bedclothes as the memory of his breastplate caving in and stealing his breath invaded his dreams.

The knight gasped, drawing in great lungfuls of air, the strength of his recollection making him feel like he was suffocating. Once he calmed himself, the grim smile returned. That feeling of terror would never haunt him again once the ogre's boy was dead.

He stared at the door to his room again, waiting for the guide who would take him to the man who would make things right.

A few minutes later there was a soft rap on the door.

"Enter."

The knight grimaced at the sound of his voice. When he challenged the ogre it had been clear, full of the Order's pride and the Goddess's power. He blamed the raspy, gruff noise that emerged from his throat on the dryness of the air of this desert city. It was easier than admitting his quest for vengeance had stolen his pride. He hadn't felt the Goddess's power in a long time and didn't know if she still watched over him.

A small part of him hoped not. Her Divine Perfection didn't need to witness him in such a sorry state.

The door opened without a sound and a woman silently slipped inside. The man scowled in dismay at the girl's appearance.

She turned and closed the door behind her. The cat-girl's black-tipped tail had oblong stripes across the top and the tail's pattern continued up until it met the olive skin of her back where the fur ended. Across her skin were darkened spots that must have resembled some kind of desert cat. The girl's ears were tawny-grey but when she turned around the candlelight shone on the bright white fur inside. Similar to her ears, her front was significantly lighter, comparable in tone to the fair-skinned women back in Lantaris. Rings of the shaded skin made their way down her arms and legs as a few encircled the base of her neck, the largest running from shoulder to shoulder and looking like large see-through necklaces. The backs of her hands and tops of her feet looked normal but her palms and soles were black as coal with the coloration extending partway up her calves and the inside of her arms. Aside from the small black ring adorning the bottom of her ear, her only other clothing was a belt with a few pouches hanging off it and the slave collar around her neck. The candlelight reflected eerily in her eyes as she stood there, patiently regarding him.

The woman was easily the shortest monster girl he had run across, but the way she moved immediately made him think she wasn't a child. There was also a strict rule in the city about slaves being forced to go nude before they were of age. They allowed every other amoral act within the city walls; he couldn't fathom why the King's court decided to stop there.

Slaves were everywhere in this Goddess-forsaken city. Male, female, young, old, fit, or withered, you could see a slave of each kind in just a few minutes of walking down the street. Human slaves were the most common and required to wear a loincloth. Female slaves had tops as well, but it was up to the owners, no laws or edicts required them to do so. The occasional monster girl slave was always completely nude. The day he arrived, the knight was shocked when he saw a large woman with horns and cow or oxen's legs pulling a small two-person cart down the street. No parents covered the eyes of their children as the naked woman passed. Even a group of boys at an age where girls were becoming interesting didn't even spare a second glance at the bovine-woman's massive breasts. It wasn't long before he realized that the people here didn't pay attention to the monster girls any more than they would a horse or oxen, they were merely livestock who were able to speak and use tools.

Surprisingly, you wouldn't find monster girls at any of the city's brothels, only the poorest and most desperate of men would stoop so low as to sleep with something besides another human. The occasional low-class inn would offer one of the mixed-breeds but only if their human girls were all occupied. This supposedly did not apply to succubi as the most expensive place to purchase a companion for the night was the closest to the palace and staffed entirely by the demonic seductresses.

He wasn't at the best inn in town, but this place was a far cry from the worst and well above those that would employ the half-human abominations.

"Sir Galen," said the cat-girl as she continued to study him. It was a statement, not a question.

"You're a little young and not human enough for my tastes. Leave," he growled.

"Despite my size I assure you I'm more than old enough," she replied. "I'm here to lead you to my master, Bozun."

Her flippant remark made the knight regard her more closely as did the mention of the assassin he was to meet. Slaves were not allowed to talk unless specifically commanded to do so. "Does he mean to insult me by sending one of your kind to fetch me?" Galen asked, scratching at the scruffy beard on his chin. It had been weeks since he last purchased a shave in hopes of conserving his dwindling money.

The woman shook her head as an ear flicked involuntarily. "Slaves are ignored out on the streets, but my master is well known. I will be leading you the back way so as not to be seen."

The knight rose from the bed, "If an assassin is well known then perhaps I should question his abilities."

"Perhaps his abilities are beyond needing to hide," she said, lifting her chin and glaring up at him.

Galen's eyes narrowed as he resisted the urge to backhand the cat and remove the smug look from her face. Unfortunately, his hopes of killing the mage fell apart without her.

"Let's get going," he grudgingly conceded.

She nodded, a hint of a smirk tugging at the side of her mouth, "Follow me."

---

Galen hated slums and avoided them whenever possible in his travels. The unwashed bodies, rotten food, blood, piss, and manure and all combined into a stench that turned his stomach. To him, Fazal was nothing but one gigantic slum, even the gilded palace in the center of the city. Once the ogre's boy was dead, the Goddess could burn this city to the ground for all he cared.

Back in Lantaris, the Holy city used dim light stones embedded in the pavement that collectively lit the streets without being too disturbing to the city folk. Fazal had opted for metal posts about half again his height and spaced further apart with much brighter light sources. As they moved further away from the palace the magical light stones were replaced by torches

The cat-girl led him on a twisting and winding path through the streets that nearly confounded the knight's sense of direction. She was at least courteous enough to have them cross at the intersections. Much like Lantaris, there were steppingstones at each crossroad spaced so a carriage could pass through in one direction and a pedestrian could cross the road in the other without worrying about putting a foot in horse or oxen droppings. Annoyingly, the cat-girl could easily leap across these smaller side roads and would stand waiting for him on the other side.

With each step, each of the surrounding houses seemed more dilapidated than the last, though only a handful appeared to be vacant. The number of people in this city was staggering. It was easily twice the size of Lantaris, but the way people packed themselves together he wouldn't be surprised if there was close to three times the population.

They finally came to an area where there were no longer steppingstones or the tall metal sconces, as if the city planners gave up and abandoned those beyond to a lifetime of darkness and sickness from wallowing in filth. Galen stifled a sigh of relief as the cat-girl turned down an alley instead of going further. The miasma permeating the place was getting oppressive.

The feline woman approached a run-down house and entered the front door. Galen grunted in annoyance that she didn't take the time to check if he was still following. He wasn't accustomed to being treated as inconsequential. Inside, he found her waiting for him with her arm outstretched in offering.

"Take this, it will help you see," she said, dropping a small gem into his hand.

The room around him appeared to brighten as the jewel touched his skin. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he resisted the urge to throw the piece of pagan magic across the room and indicated the cat-girl should continue. She led him through a few dust-covered rooms until they reached the kitchen. Going over to a closet-sized pantry, she stepped inside and disappeared through the back wall. Galen's feet stuttered in hesitation, the other times he dealt with illusory walls he was in full armor and holding a shield in front of him. Steeling himself, he followed her through the fake wall into a dimly lit room with a stairway descending below the house. Leading him down, the cat-girl waited for him in front of a door on a small landing at the bottom.

Stepping inside once he joined her, the cat-girl calmly reached up and undid the clasp on her slave collar before moving off to his left where a pile of clothes waited on the floor. She flicked her tail up as she bent over and with the stone in his hand Galen could easily see the woman's sex just below her puckered backdoor. He hadn't been with a woman since Carriston and his body reacted against his will at the sight.

His expression turned into a grimace even as he continued to stare at the woman's rear. That was another part of his life he was looking forward to reclaiming once the mage was dead. Before being defeated by the ogre he never needed to pay for company in his bed. No matter where they stayed a few of the local girls were usually more than happy to bounce on his cock. After his run-in with the blue bitch it was as though someone announced his humiliating defeat to the world and the women who used to warm his bed now gave him a wide berth, including the lusty priestesses of the Goddess.

"I understand you have been looking for me," said a voice from across the room.

Galen peeled his eyes from the cat-girl bending over to pick up her clothes. He wasn't shocked that she was only pretending to be a slave, she lacked the proper degree of submissiveness, but she didn't feel like a simple messenger either.

"Yes," he said, turning toward the man Galen assumed was Bozun. "I need someone dead but am forbidden from killing him myself."

Casually leaning up against the wall on the other side of the room, the man barely looked the part of an assassin in his light, loose-fitting slacks and shirt covered by a pocketed leather vest. Were it not for the man's black clothing, the knight wouldn't be able to pick him out of a crowd. Bozun's skin was the same sun-touched tone as the rest of the city's residents except for a long scar three fingers wide on the side of his head running back from his temple. Whatever made the scar also took off the top of his ear. The cat-girl's earlier quip made sense now. With such a distinctive mark, he needed to be exceptionally good at his craft since hiding would be nearly impossible.

"How much trouble should we expect from this person?" asked the assassin.

"He is a young mage," said the knight, nearly spitting the last word.

"Young, you say? Some scrawny apprentice hardly seems worth my time."

"I am quite skilled with a blade and he was able to hold me off until someone put an end to our fight."

"That sounds more fun," came a sultry purr from beside him.

The knight's head whipped around to see the feline woman's clothing consisted of a black cloak covering a long tunic of dark leather held on by the belt from earlier. Her accouterments only received a moment of attention before his eyes came to rest on hers. On sheer reflex, the young knight turned to face her and squared himself for an attack. Though she showed no outward hostility, Galen's well-honed battle senses told him he was in danger.

Seeing the knight shift uncomfortably under her gaze, the cat-girl's expression slowly turned into a malicious grin.

Chapter 1

Kal threw his covers off and sat up, hanging his legs over the side of the bed so his feet came to rest on the lush green carpet covering the floor.

"That was rude," said the woman on the other side of the bed as she tossed the linens back in his direction. Reaching for the ceiling of the large tent in a morning stretch, he didn't even flinch as they struck him in the back.

Looking over his shoulder, he gave his companion a questioning look. "Did you stay like that all night?"

The body of the woman glowed white with wisps of light rising from her like ghostly fire. She laid on her stomach with her head resting on her arms because of the four gossamer wings sticking straight up from her back

"No," she said, sounding exasperated, "I didn't want you to get mad at me again."

"I'm not mad at you, Ria, I just worry about you," he said, falling backward so his head came to rest on the backs of her thighs. "You've gotten a few fingers shorter since we left Prentas's tower and aside from killing another will-o-wisp, we don't know how to make you big again."

"Really, Kal? You weren't worried about me getting shorter last night," she said, shaking her bottom back and forth and taking him along for the ride.

Turning his head, he saw her looking back at him with a playful smile.

"I'm gonna bite you," he stated, opening his mouth and moving toward her rear. Ria squealed in laughter, her body shrinking in an instant and turning into a line of tiny glowing motes. Kal's teeth clicked together as the specks of light flew over to his clothing and dove into a small leather satchel on his belt.

"Aww," said Ria, looking down with disappointment at her body's original form of a small aqua-colored sprite. She raised a hand in the direction of the bag but hesitated before summoning one of the specks of light back. Her arm slowly fell, "I guess I'll stay like this for today."

Kal gently put his finger on her back and drew her in, kissing her on the cheek. "I appreciate it, maybe we will get lucky and run across a haunted swamp on the other side of the Great Desert," he said before letting her go.

"That would be nice," she said, fluttering up and landing on Kal's shoulder as he made his way out of his bedroom and into the bathroom over by the entrance to the magical tent. "But at the same time, I hate the idea of absorbing something that was created by stealing people's lives. It makes me feel like a horrible person."

"Think of it this way," said Kal as he touched a rune on the wall and made it light up, "if you come across a will-o-wisp and don't absorb it, then all that lifeforce will slowly be consumed, sustaining the monster between meals. Consider the people who died for it to get that energy; how do you think they would rather it be used? Keeping the will-o-wisp alive to kill again? Or would they prefer to save any future victims, give you emotions, and allow you to get bigger for some fun with your favorite mortals?" As he spoke, water began flowing from a spout above the bath.

"When you put it like that..."

He smiled at the tiny flying woman, "It's not like we need to worry about it this second. I'm just asking that you be a little more cautious about using that energy, but in the end, it's your choice." Stepping under the stream of water, he held out a hand toward her, "Care to join me?"

Ria contemplated his offer for a moment before shaking her head, "I'll pass, but I will get your breakfast started so you can get moving as soon as the sun comes up." Flitting out of the bathroom, she looked up at the ceiling of the tent. The canvas was a rich purple, indicating it was still nighttime outside, but near the eastern wall, the colors were beginning to lighten.

With a command from Kal, the canvas on the outside could also change color and create patterns to match its surroundings. The camouflage was extremely effective and if someone did take notice they would only see a small two-man tent.

The magical shelter was enormous on the inside compared to the exterior. The triangular flap for the doorway indicated the shelter's outer shape and adjusted to the tent's outer size. If Kal made the tent larger, the exterior became round with a conical top it and the doorway turned into a man-sized rectangle. At its largest size, the outer tent's dimensions grew to match the interior and the entrance became two large flaps that took up most of the wall. A couple of steps lead from the entrance to a large foyer with the door to the bathroom located to one side. The foyer opened up into a larger circular area with multiple spaces for more rooms around the inside. On the left just beyond the bathroom lay the largest of the four canvas-walled rooms which Kal claimed as his bedroom. Directly across from Kal's room was his library while the one next to it held Ikuno's alchemy station. Standing alone on the back wall was a second, unused bedroom that Kal kept around just in case he had visitors.