TRC - Lord of the Glass Desert Ch. 30

"She's in her quarters still. I haven't talked to her yet, and I'm worried what she will say when I do."

"What could be so worrying? Is she from your hometown? Do you know her?"

"None of those. Before I joined the fight, she said I might be the one she was seeking."

"She was looking for you? Any one night stands with a sexy female mage lately? Maybe you have another little one on the way?"

"No, we've never met and unless she looked a lot like you I haven't had any dalliances with random women."

"Like me?"

"In Fazal, cow-girl slaves are used to taxi people around in rickshaws. When I was avoiding Kashka, because at the time she was still trying to kill me, I asked my driver to take me to her stable."

Roka grunted unhappily at the idea of her kind living in a stable.

"It wasn't as bad as you are thinking the stables had a small personal area with curtains for privacy and a bed, and could talk freely inside the living area. They had a bag of oats and clean water. The stable manager knew what my driver and I were up to and asked me to take care of a some of the other girls too if I could. All in all it was a fantastic day, and at the end of it I got Kashka."

"So there's a chance?"

"Roka, they were all cow girls. Does the mage look like a cow-girl?"

"No. She's definitely a human."

"Thanks... Now you have me wondering if I ate a gondas leaf before playing around with them. I'm sure I did, or that they had some in their water...? Dammit, I can't remember. This could be a problem, no daughter of mine will grow up as a slave."

"I'm not impressed with you right now, Kal. You didn't think of this until now?"

"Wait..." he said then got a far-off look for a moment. "Kashka says that the rickshaw drivers and most other slaves went to special brothels dotted around the city when in heat and wouldn't have been at the stables. I heard about the monster-girl brothels but most of them were on the other side of the city, closer to the slums, and never visited one."

"Still, not checking then was irresponsible."

"You are absolutely correct, and I'm ashamed that it took me this long to worry about it. In my defense, I did have an assassin chasing me that day. There were other things on my mind."

"I suppose I can forgive you, but you might need to make it up to me tonight."

"If we get out of The Spine by nightfall I'm going to try spending some more time with Emru."

"That's fair, but if nothing happens, I would appreciate your company tonight."

"Two nights in a row? Getting a little greedy are you?" he teased.

"It's good to be captain," she chuckled before turning serious again. "You should probably go talk to the mage and see what her story is. I know a few of the girls want to chuck her overboard with the rest of the mercs. I'll admit, I'm one of them. We killed all the men that raised a hand against us, I don't see why she should be any different."

"Valid point, maybe I was just easier on her because her spell failed."

"You went easy on her because she said she was looking for you."

"True. I guess it's time to find out why."

"You're sure there were no one night stands with a hot witch?"

"I'm sure."

---

Kal knocked on the mage-woman's door. "I'm coming in," he announced before stepping inside. The scowl that greeted him made clear what she thought of Kal barging into her room. They'd given the woman an identical room to his and Kashka's on The Scarlet Bitch, albeit a few hand-width's larger. Since the mage sat on the bed, Kal grabbed seats off the wall and slotted it into the floor before sitting down.

"First of all, my name is Kal. Who are you?"

"I am Velus Mayreen, third daughter of Baron Mayreen of the city of Draconfeld, south of the Ice Claw Mountains."

Kal remained impassive as she gave her title. He had heard of the Ice Claw Mountains since the ridge ran across the northern part of the continent before turning sharply south just before the Sulerin Desert. The mountains he crossed to get to Fazal were a part of the same ridge but went by a different name in that part of the world. As for Baron Mayreen or Draconfeld, he had never heard the names before.

"Interesting, and why are you looking for me?"

"Because my older sisters have passed away leaving me as my father's only means of producing an heir."

Kal already didn't like where this was going. "You seem healthy and intelligent enough to run a kingdom or barony, or whatever it is your father is a baron of. Why doesn't he name you as his heir."

"It's a Barony. I would have loved love to be named as his heir. But you may have noticed," she pulled the front of her robes apart to reveal a stunning body clad in black leather, "I am a woman, and my father will never name a woman as heir to his land and fortune."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"My father kept throwing suitors at me. Many were pathetic mongrels hardly with spitting upon. Most tried working their wiles on me like I was some low-born harlot, and none were worthy of allowing them to put a child in me.

"A few months ago I left Draconfeld and sought out an oracle. I asked her to lead me to a man worthy of giving my father an heir. She sent me to Silvermoon and said I should take a vessel continuing east from there. No vessels in Silvermoon would let me aboard. They all told me to catch a carriage to Calfera and they might consider taking me across The Great River to Kuji, but no further. There appears to be some superstition about having a woman aboard.

"Darrow was looking for a mage to retake a ship he lost to mutineers. He didn't care that I was a woman and hired me over the objections of the crew."

"It's freewomen they have a problem with," Kal explained. "They don't mind having women aboard as slaves."

"I'm getting the feeling the Scarlet Bitch's crew was not a band of female bandits who slept with the ship's crew then killed them all in their sleep."

"No. The Scarlet Bitch was a slaving vessel, much like this one was. Captain Scarlet broke out of her cage and freed the other slaves. Together they took the ship and have been running as a merchant vessel since. Many of the women are not happy you are still alive after we showed the mercenaries no quarter. I think you should be happy we won. Captain Kolas said Darrow planned on putting you in iron manacles once they took The Bitch back."

"I'm used to women wanting me dead. Usually they are just jealous of my status or beauty. As for Darrow, I'm not very surprised, he seemed like the sort to stab you in the back like he did with the Captain. Had Darrow tried to shackle me, he would have had a fight on his hands. Like you, I don't rely solely on magic."

"I'm not sure I believe Darrow spun some tale about female bandits stealing his ship and you actually believed it, so hold off on your comparisons as to how alike we are."

"You are a magic-user, not some low-born mongrel. Surely we have a fair amount in common. Regardless, I was told to catch a ship to the far side of the country-island beyond The Great River. There I would meet the man worthy of giving my father an heir."

"So you're expecting me to give you a child?"

"No. I'm expecting you to prove yourself to me in a battle of magic. If you can beat me then I would like you to father my child."

Kal stood up suddenly. "Come with me," he ordered before striding out the door.

Velus took a moment to choke back her anger and get up to follow him. Kal's back was as straight as the ship's mast as he marched toward the bow of the ship, occasionally turning to tell her to hurry up. When she finally caught up to him at the bow, he jumped up onto the deckrail then grabbed her arm and dragged her up beside him.

"Ouch! You crude oaf!" she complained before he spun her to face away from him and wrapped his arms around her.

"Be still or I will drop you," he snarled.

She felt his legs bend before launching them both high into the air. One hand had a deathgrip on his arm as the other hastily drew a featherfall rune and pressed it to her chest. The spell didn't seem to have any effect as they continued to fall at the same rate toward the aft of The Scarlet Bitch.

When they drew close enough. Kal shouted, "Permission to come aboard Captain Ratt!"

The two women by the aft wheel turned to watch as Kal and Velus touched down on the aft deckrail to one side of the rear ballista.

"Granted, and welcome aboard," answered the rodent-girl. The stony look on Kal's face stopped her from saying more as he stepped from the railing to the deck dragging Velus along behind. Once out of earshot she turned to Scarlet standing beside her. "I can't believe I'm saying this but he's so mad I almost feel sorry for the bitch," said Ratt as a feline figure dropped to the deck beside her.

"Would you at least tell me where we are going and let me walk on my own!" Velus yelled as Kal pulled her down the stairs to the maindeck. Once on a flat surface she tried yanking her arm free only for his fingers to clamp down painfully.

Kal spun the witch around and grabbed her by the hair before bending her over the deckrail. "Do you see them?" he snarled.

"Ow! See what?!"

"DO YOU SEE THEM?" he shouted, shoving her head down.

Velus blinked away the unwanted tears springing to her eyes and looked down to see a school of sharks pacing the ship. Within ten steps of the hull, shark fins raked the water's surface in every direction. Beneath the sharks swam the paler and much larger form of a gigantic squid.

"Their bellies are full with the meat of Darrow and his mercenaries, but they won't complain if I toss them another morsel. Don't tempt me," Kal growled before yanking her up and marching her the rest of the way to the bow. Men and women alike stopped to watch the two mages pass by.

Once atop the forecastle, he threw her onto the deck and pointed out in front of the ship. "What do you see?" Kal noted a tinge of fear mixed with the anger in her expression as she carefully stood up and looked forward. The mage frowned as she turned away. He was letting his anger get away from him.

"I see rocks and water and sharks--" a burst of air from Emru's blowhole interrupted her, "--and a whale."

"That whale is part of the crew," said Kal. "She has been traveling with the Scarlet Bitch for years now, hoping they will take on a male fare brave enough to give her a child. She would like me to be that man."

Velus swallowed the bile rising in her throat. "Disgusting."

"And that's my problem. I had an encounter with a Sulerin sandworm, and those creatures are truly disgusting. The sandworms and whales share similarities, and I'm working through my own disgust to, hopefully, help her finally have a daughter."

Velus spun around, her eyes wide. "You would sleep with that thing?"

"If you want your heir, you had best hope I sleep with 'that thing.' You see, she has demanded nothing of me and asked only that I try. She has been anxious yet patient, and even with my departure coming up soon has let me approach this at my own pace.

"Now compare it to what you just did. Demanding a mage's duel just to prove if I'm 'worthy.' Let me tell you how worthy I am. You introduced yourself as Velus Mayreen, the Third Daughter of Baron Mayreen of Draconfeld. I'm sure it's an impressive title in your homeland. I introduced myself as Kal. I gave no title or last name. The people in my hometown rarely have last names, as we are often called by our profession. Before I began learning magic, I would have been known as 'Farmer Kal.' Yes, I am the son of a farmer, not nobility, and one of those 'low-borns' you spoke of earlier.

"Lets not forget that you nearly put the crew of this ship, my friends, my companions, and even my lover, back in cages. And either you were gullible enough to buy Darrow's story about the female bandits, or you simply didn't care they were going to enslave these women again and lied to me earlier. From our conversation I'm guessing the latter, but either one is inexcusable.

"I say that you should hope that I sleep with the woman inside the whale leading us through The Spine because she will get a daughter from me before you get your heir.

"It's a sad proof of your character that all of your planning, adventuring, and searching not once did you consider that even if I'm 'worthy' enough to give you an heir, you aren't worthy enough to carry my child.

"I'm putting you off this ship at our next port. You'll get the same gold piece as the rest of the Dauntless and Gazelle's crew. Go back to your homeland, learn some humility, learn some compassion, learn the value of putting in a hard day's work with your bare hands, and learn to enjoy the company of monster girls, because only one of my children is fully human. Then... we'll see about giving you an heir.

"Or just go back and spread your legs for the next man your father picks, always knowing that you came face to face with the man destined to be the father of your future son and you were found wanting."

Kal strode away from the speechless witch toward the stair back to the maindeck. "We will also be keeping these to make sure you don't cause any trouble until you disembark," he said, stepping to the side and revealing a cat-girl with black hands and feet holding up her not just her belt but her harness with her daggers as well.

"No! Wait! Liru!" she cried, reaching toward the cat before stopping suddenly and looking at Kal with pleading eyes.

"Liru?" Kal asked then took a closer look at the pouch hanging from the belt. "You have a bag of holding?"

"Yes. She has been my only friend and companion on this journey. Please... take my spell components and daggers, but let me have her."

Kal untied the bag and held it in his hand. "This goes against my better judgement, but I know what it's like to travel alone with only your bag's avatar as company. Don't make me regret this," he said tossing the leather bag to the witch.

"Thank you," she said, clutching the pouch to her chest.

As Kal and Kashka walked back across the maindeck the cat glanced behind them. "What do you make of that?" she asked. Kal could feel over the bond the witch's outburst over her bag of holding caught both of them off-guard.

Kal glanced back at the woman and saw her staring back at him. Her expression seemed appreciative instead of angry or hateful. Turning back to Kashka, he said, "I think it means there is hope."