TRC - Lord of the Glass Desert Ch. 42

Note to readers:

First off, my apologies for the long silence.

Second, those of you who commented saying I was just being greedy or throwing shade because I had not posted in a few months, stop reading, click off this page, and don't come back, or if you do, understand you are unwelcome.

For everyone else, allow me to explain...

In Dec my Dad had a heart attack. Firstly, he's doing fine and he received treatment quickly enough there was no damage to his heart. Being a good son, I spent the next month with my Mom and Dad helping them out until he came off driving/lifting restriction. When i returned home in Jan I thought my marriage of 26 years was ending and my attention was largely directed toward that. Working to repair my marriage triggered my wife to have a nervous breakdown and fall into a deep, but thankfully brief depression. We spent most of Feb and some of Mar figuring out how to fix what was broken and what our marriage is going to look like in the future. As of writing this we both feel that our relationship is stronger than it has ever been.

This is just the cliff-notes of what's been going on in my life keeping me from posting. During all this, I still needed to pay the bills and so those projects became a priority during all of this while my readers here fell by the wayside, and for that I am deeply sorry.

I won't promise this won't happen again because life is life, and sometimes it throws a bunch of shit your way all at once. But, I will say I greatly appreciate you sticking with me.

My most heartfelt thanks

-Blu

(And now, on with the story!)

Kal spun to face the oni's direction. "Ikuno. No."

"Um, Sir?" Olvo cautiously asked as his new employer stood glaring at a wall.

"Kal can speak to us over long distances," Kashka told the office manager, "and Ikuno gets upset at the mention of his new wife. Captain Kolas informed us of how Silvermoon's laws work."

"Then you know the marriage can be annulled?"

"What? No," said Kal, turning around. "How?"

"Silvermoon's laws make it so that a son inherits his mother as a wife when his father passes away. This ensures the widow is cared for after losing her husband, especially later in life. The arrangement seems awkward to outsiders, but it works. However, if the widow decides to take up with another man, then the 'marriage' to her son can be annulled as long as their marriage was never consummated," Olvo's face wrinkled in disgust. "I can submit the paperwork to annul the marriage to Mrs. Darrow, but submissions to the city's administration often take several days to process. I wanted to speak with you about this now as I assume once Holm has gone over all of your holdings, you will want to inspect your new properties, including the estate where Mrs. Darrow lives."

"Should you really be calling her Mrs. Darrow?" asked the cat.

"Let's not go there," said the mage. "Calling a woman I've never met Mrs. Kal just feels wrong."

"I could use your surname instead," Olvo offered.

"I don't have one. The closest we had to surnames was our professions in the town where I grew up. Were I still there, I would be known as Kal the Farmer. I suppose it would be Kal the Wizard or Kal the Mage now. But since I'm the only mage in town, and thus master of my profession, they call me Master Kal."

"You don't have a family name?"

"My parents were both farmers. So, my family name would be 'Farmer,' along with every other farming family in the area, regardless of actual relation."

Olvo thought for a moment. "No, 'Farmer' won't do. I respect those who work the land to make the food I eat, but the title holds little weight in the merchant business. Would you consider, perhaps, Warlock, or Magus as a surname? It describes your profession and will let those we deal with know there is power behind your name."

"Warlock is just another word for wizard and Magus feels pretentious. Besides, I specialize in creating and modifying runes," he said, holding out his bracer-covered arms.

"Runemaker? Runeweaver?" Olvo suggested.

"I like Runeweaver-"

"Kal," Kashka called, getting his and Olvo's attention. The mage looked over to see her giving him a look like he had said something exceptionally stupid. Even worse, he could feel a similar look coming from Ikuno over the bond. "Kal, you're a Runesmith. Just call yourself Kal Runesmith."

"I'm with the lady," said Olvo, "'Runesmith' feels like a strong name that will hold power when making deals. People will consider carefully before trying to swindle a Runesmith."

"But... I liked Runeweaver, and I'm sure Anika would have probably loved it, Bea as well."

"It's your surname, Sir, and ultimately your choice. But do you want to invoke images of a woman sitting in front of a loom making a blanket, or do you want people to think of a man holding a glowing, fiery rune in a pair of tongs, laying it on an anvil and forging it to do his will?" said Olvo.

Kal was taken aback by the powerful imagery Olvo conjured as much as the almost zealous look in the man's eyes. "First, we have a friend who is a spider-girl, so sitting in front of a loom was not what came to my mind when you suggested Runeweaver."

"But here in Silvermoon, and likely in any city, that will be the association, whereas 'smith' implies the strength, endurance, and power of a blacksmith."

"Kashka? Ikuno? What do you think?" Kal asked.

"I love it," the cat replied with little hesitation.

"I'm not as fond of the name. Not because I don't think it sounds good, it does, and I think it fits you, but because I knew you as a farmer first. It feels like you are shedding that last little bit of the man willing to give up his newfound magic because he loved me."

"I haven't been that man for a long time, Ikuno," said Kal, his voice subdued.

"I know. You were little more than a boy then, infatuated with his new power and his first love. I'll forever keep a place in my heart for the clueless young man who showed up at my cave, but I am so intensely proud of the man you have become. I think Kal Runesmith is a strong and fitting name for who you are now."

"A simple yes would have sufficed," grumbled the mage as he reached up to wipe the beginnings of wetness from his eyes. His reaction to Ikuno professing her pride in him caught him off guard. "It's going to take getting used to Runesmith being who I am, not just what I am."

"You'll manage, I'm sure of it. We're at Thiben's house. Love you. See you in a little while," she sent. Kal caught the image of Thiben opening the door to his house and calling his kids and Kiho before the oni dampened the connection.

"Love you too," he said under his breath before turning to Olvo. "It's been decided. My surname will be Runesmith from this point onward."

"I think you made an excellent choice, Sir, and we shall start drafting contracts and agreements in your name. I'll get the proper paperwork submitted to the city's government so they will recognize you as a business owner. Like the annulment, it will probably take a few days to be official. Afterward, there are some documents you'll need to sign in person at the administration offices to pay taxes and such, but those merely need to be taken care of before you leave Silvermoon's lands.

"As for Mrs. Runesmith--"

"Nope, nope, nope," said Kashka. "I know a few minutes ago I said calling her Mrs. Darrow felt strange, but calling her Mrs. Runesmith just feels wrong. Ikuno and I have more right to that title than she does."

"It's merely a consequence of Mr. Darrow's death and Silvermoon's laws," said Olvo. "I don't see--"

"Olvo," called one of the female office workers.

He turned around and glared at the woman, snapping, "Why are you interrupting me?"

"Don't argue with her on this. It's a woman thing."

Olvo stared in disbelief. "You have never spoken to me in such a tone."

"I've never felt the need to, Sir. But you were about to say something that would have severely upset our new employer's lady."

"I won't condone you calling out your superior," Kal said to the woman. "But in this situation, I think she's right, and she just saved you from a serious blunder, Olvo."

The manager's eyes darted to Kashka and saw the anger in her eyes. It didn't appear to be directed at him specifically but instead was a general anger about the situation with Kal's wife. "I won't say I understand, but I do apologize," he said to the cat with a small bow.

"I accept your apology. Just get that annulment paperwork done," Kashka growled. Seeing the concerned look on Kal's face, she sighed. "Sorry I'm so grumpy. I'll be upstairs if you need me."

"The locksmith will be here later today to change the locks," Olvo called out.

Kashka looked back at Olvo and shrugged as if it didn't matter before going up the steps to the second floor.

To Kal, he said, "I'm considering putting magic locks on the office. By your leave, that is."

"I get the impression that she is quite skilled at handling magical traps on locks," said the mage. Memories of Bozun and a dog-girl training Kashka to detect the nearly imperceptible scent of a magicked lock bubbled to the surface of The cat's mind. Despite pushing away the memory, Kal caught a flash of Kashka bent over, retching from the sickness spell triggered by a lock's trap as Bozun viciously beat her.

Kal blinked a few times as the cat slammed the door on the memory as well as the upstairs office.

"Sir? Is everything okay?"

"I hope so. What next, Olvo?"

"Your wife."

"Please stop calling her that."

"Mrs. Darrow then. I shall begin the proceedings for the annulment of your marriage. However, since you inherited her with the deal you made with Mr. Darrow, Silvermoon's laws require that you look after her wellbeing. Once the annulment is finalized, you must still provide her with food and shelter. That said, you are within your right to demand some form of work in return. In the cases with widowers becoming a wife to their sons, this is often in the form of household duties and childrearing. With Mrs. Darrow's case, there are no children to look after, but I feel she has some other skills which you will find useful."

"I'm not sleeping with her until the annulment is final," said Kal.

Olvo's eyes widened. "No! No, that wasn't what I meant at all, Sir. I believe she may have skills that could help grow your business. I do not wish to say more as it may skew your decision, and I feel she has the right to present her own case. As for the other thing... I have heard she is quite skilled."

"As Kashka said, there are many women more deserving of becoming Mrs. Runesmith..." Kal paused for a moment and worked his jaw as if it were stiff. "That feels very strange to say aloud. Regardless, the women I love and cherish deserve the title over a woman I have never met."

"Understood, Sir. I will be off to the administration offices to start that paperwork for you. But before I leave you to Holm for the rest of the day, I should warn you that Mrs. Darrow will throw herself at you."

Kal cringed.

Olvo chuckled. "Perhaps I should mention Mrs. Darrow was notably younger than Mr. Darrow when they wed and is likely around your age or slightly older. She is also quite beautiful."

"That's a relief. Not that I mind older women--"

"You'd better not," Ikuno sent.

"Oh, come on, Ikuno. You don't look a day over six hundred summers," Kal smiled, looking in the oni's direction. He turned back to Olvo, laughing, and said, "I won't repeat what she just told me to do."

"Um, very good, Sir. I'll be on my way then," the man replied awkwardly before slipping around Kal and out the door.

Kal sighed and shrugged, then walked over to where Holm waited with the remaining stack of deeds and contracts.

---

"Pardon my asking, but are you actually six hundred years old?" Holm asked Ikuno once he and Kal finished reviewing Kal's possessions.

"Don't you know it's rude to ask a woman her age?" Ikuno chuckled. "But I'm actually over a thousand."

The workday was coming to an end as the day grew late. After about an hour, Ikuno returned with Thiben and Kiho's letter, but the man left again immediately as Kiho wanted to celebrate the chance to contact her family. Once he left, Ikuno made it clear that Kiho would have happily similarly thanked her and Kal had Thiben been open to the idea.

Kal's head of security arrived back at the offices around noon, followed shortly after by Scarlet and Tavorah, though the elf kept her face hidden with her cloak's hood until they were upstairs in Kal's office.

"The man certainly hated women, didn't he?" said Scarlet as she looked around the room.

"That's not the impression I'm getting," Kal replied. "The sculptures and paintings all seem to be high quality."

"They are," said the commodore. "But the artwork tells every woman who walks through the door what Darrow thinks of and expects from them. I would have hated to be any of the girls downstairs who needed to come up here to ask Darrow a question."

"That rarely happened," said Olvo, ascending the stairs behind them. "Holm and I did most of the conversing with Mr. Darrow. Aside from being a generally unpleasant man, I never understood the women's reluctance to speak with him until now."

Scarlet turned around and looked at Olvo, only to see him enraptured by Tavorah's face. "Fuck," she muttered. Maybe we should go back downstairs for a few minutes," she suggested to Kal. "I think we will need to talk with your employees about some of the issues they may encounter working for you."

Kal frowned at the look on Olvo's face as well. "Especially if Tavorah ends up staying landside with you."

"Don't take too long, Tav," said Scarlet as she made her way to the stairs, followed by Kal and Kashka.

The elf nodded in reply, and the hungry look on her face said she looked forward to what she was about to do.

"It's like the situation with Thiben all over again," Kal growled. "Except I know Tavorah can't turn it off."

"It's our fault," said Scarlet, shaking her head. "I heard him coming up the stairs, so I know you did too, but I wasn't thinking about her pulling her hood back."

"Fair enough," he replied while drawing a rune in the air. The chair sitting behind the empty desk rose up into the air and floated over the heads of the confused office workers before coming to rest in front of Olvo's desk.

The mage sat down. "I need everyone's attention for a moment," he said in a raised voice, then waited for everyone to put down their quills before continuing. "As you know, The Intrepid was taken over by its slave cargo. Commodore Scarlet, here, was the woman who orchestrated the escape and mutiny, subsequently becoming Captain of the ship and changing its name to The Scarlet Bitch.

"When I boarded The Scarlet Bitch it was almost entirely crewed by monster girls. Since taking The Dauntless, that has changed, but monster girls will remain a large part of my ship's crews and my business. Right now, The Dauntless is moored outside an Azum city, training the next generation of monster girl sailors.

"This means you will all likely be coming into close contact with various monster girls while working for me. Monster girls under my employ are expected to keep their more alluring abilities in check. However, as in the case of our hooded friend, not all of those abilities can be turned off."

"Is Olvo okay?" asked Holm.

"He'll be feeling wonderful in a few moments but will likely feel very guilty afterward, depending on his relationship with his wife," said Kal. The workers shared some surprised and slightly confused looks.

"Tavorah is up there draining his balls," said Scarlet. "It's why she kept the hood up walking through here. To keep the men from getting a thump on the head for not keeping their hands to themselves, and maybe a few of you ladies, too. Her beauty works on men and women, just more strongly on men."

"The reason I'm bringing this up is that sex is always an issue when dealing with monster girls," said Kal. "Between yesterday and today, I'm sure I don't need to explain what may happen. Most monster girls prefer men for sex but often take women as lovers and find them equally attractive. This means all of you are likely to be propositioned at some time. The other issue is--" Kal stopped as Olvo descended the stairs, his face red but with embarrassment, not anger, followed by Tavorah with her hood in place, "Tavorah," the mage finished.

The elf sighed. "I don't stay in cities for long for a reason, Kal. I'll go back to The Bitch and stay there."

"That's unacceptable, Tavorah. If Scarlet is staying to manage my affairs, then you shouldn't be forced apart on my account. Tavorah is an elf," Kal stated, eliciting a collective gasp from his employees, "An elf does not cause uncontrollable lust like many other monster girls. Instead, their magic enhances their allure and beauty, causing men, and even women, to desire and fixate on her."

"Sex with me in any form will dampen the effect for a time," Tavorah continued, but if I stay with Scarlet and help her in her work here, then even if it is just a quickie every few weeks, I will likely end up sleeping with all of you at some point."

"If you feel this will be an issue with your spouses and no longer want to work here, then I will not hold it against you and wish you the best," said Kal as he took over again. "Understand that having sex with Tavorah or any monster girl is not a condition of your continued employment. There is merely a high likelihood of it happening if you stay, and I do not want to cause friction in your family life because of it."

"I can already hear my husband wondering if she could join us for the night," muttered one of the women.

"That may be arranged," said Tavorah. "But keep in mind that I am Scarlet's lover, and you will need to make it worth her while to give me up for the night."

"Oy, you're making it sound like she needs to give me a good licking before you'll sleep with her and her husband," said Scarlet.

"Oops, sorry. I meant making it worth her while through your hard work."

"What these three are trying to say," said Ikuno from her seat across the room by the door, "Is that working for Kal, and with monster girls, sex is going to happen. Either with you or simply around you, it is going to happen and may happen with relative frequency. If you think you will have a problem working in this kind of environment, we suggest you find work elsewhere."

"But we can't," said the woman who asked about the threesome. "Her and I are lucky enough to work here, but only because we are barren and our husbands let us."

"I am a widower," said the third woman, "my first husband passed before he could give me a child, and I chose to not take another. Olvo was the only person in the city besides a brothel who would hire me." She sighed and looked at Kal. "At least sucking your cock will be more fun than Darrow's."

Kal sat up. "I'm sorry, what?"

"It was our way of keeping our jobs. Darrow would have fired us if we didn't," she explained, her eyes refusing to meet his.

Kal looked at the other two women. They also refused to meet his gaze.

"I'm assuming your husbands don't know?" They both shook their heads.

Kal sat back and sighed. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. I promise I will never demand sex or sexual favors to continue working for me."

"He has me and Kashka for that," said Ikuno as the cat giggled.

"That said," he continued while looking at the widow, "I rarely turn down a woman, but if you approach me, then it is nothing more than a little fun between two adults and will not affect how I treat you as an employee."

"Pfft," Ikuno scoffed, "Don't make promises you can't keep, Kal. Your heart's too big for that."

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"