Trials of Enchantress Ch. 01

Tia woke up when iron bars of the cage she rode in struck her head after a particularly heavy bump on the road. Her neck was stiff, her stomach empty and her eyes wet from a night of crying. All in all -- as a slave should feel.

She was a fresh graduate of the Nirnhall Academy, one of the more prestigious arcane academies in the kingdom of Alamar. As such she was indeed a mage, an enchanter to be precise. She knew how to apply a freezing glyph on a meat merchant's basement or a sharpening enchantment on a soldier's dagger. She didn't however know how to throw powerful fireballs at people or how to apply a camouflage spell. She was not a battlemage, and she never even entertained an idea of harming another human to survive before last few days. Before the village where she went for internship at the edge of her kingdom was raided by northern berserkers, by Itenians.

Now her future as a female slave in the Itennian Empire was between two possibilities: she either becomes a farmer in one of their rural clans or becomes a brothel girl in one of their brothels. When one of the slavers have asked what her trade is, she said that it was sheep herding. The last thing she wanted to do was enchant blades that would take lives of her own brethren, that could harm her own family. She would rather die than do that.

Now, knowing her rotten luck she was halfway sure she would become a brothel girl. From some of the talks she overheard, slavers estimated to reach closest market in three months and judging by her appearance of twenty two year old, five feet four soft skinned but healthy black haired city girl they expected her to be sold at the local brothel at increased price.

Tia hated it, but she also was not the kind of person to just lie down and die. Over the course of the last few days she entertained an idea of applying an enchanted tattoo on her skin. Something that would protect her from catching a transmitted disease in a brothel for once.

There was a caveat though. Even when working with homogenous metals and alloys there was a decent chance that enchantment would fail. Failing an enchantment on a metal item meant that the metal would melt, vaporize, or even explode. Failing an enchantment on human flesh meant that that human would be hurt, crippled or dead. And the more inhomogeneous the material is the easier it was to fail. Human flesh was extremely inhomogeneous and pulling this off in such conditions would make even archmages impressed.

Tia got to the point that she didn't care if she got crippled or dead though. She would rather die trying than not try at all. She bit her own thumb and used simple enchantment to turn a drop of her blood into a needle with scarlet ink. Then she started carefully applying glyphs, runes, and sigils under her skin.

***

After two months of painful and careful procedure all the glyphs, sigils and runes were finally applied. To Tia's content they were not very visible, at worst looking like red watercolor on her skin. She examined every rune final time. The enchantments were very ambitious, easily the most powerful she has ever done, or for that matter seen. Even enchantments on the gear of royal guards were less elaborate.

In addition to protective enchantments against diseases there were enchantments that would increase her muscle control, finesse, strength, flexibility, and robustness almost half a dozen times, there was an enchantment that would make her mind and eyes many times more perceptive in general and perceptive to human body language in particular. She also applied enchantments that made her own body much more adept at controlling her body language. She had seen similar enchantments used in gear of the royal guards and highest-ranking merchants and diplomats.

The most powerful was the enchantment of control though, the one she had developed herself. She significantly increased the agency over her own body, giving herself an ability to control her heartbeat, her metabolism, her hormones even her synapses and then tied this enchantment with other ones through multitude of complicated triggers. If her theory was correct this should make her enchantments multiple times more powerful than the ones the royal guards and high merchants employed and could potentially even increase her lifespan, and if her theory wasn't correct, she would have very quick and agonizing death that would start with her becoming completely blind.

Tia looked at the starry sky, took a deep breath and then activated the enchantments.

The colors of the world became deeper, allowing her to see objects that she couldn't. The movements of slaves sleeping beside her in the cage became slower. She didn't feel any pain, bursting limbs or burning skin. Her body became lighter, the air became easier to breathe. She could hear the heartbeats of other slaves in the cage.

Now it was about finding a suitable opportunity to either escape or acquire the freedom. For the first time in many weeks Tia didn't have trouble falling asleep.

***

The next month was surprisingly entertaining for Tia. One thing she had discovered early was that the enchantment gave her almost preternatural level of grace that briefly attracted attention of other slaves. She could see it in the way the way they looked at her when slavers forced them out of their cages and forced to walk as they do during the day. Tia quickly adjusted herself before curiosity spread to the slavers and avoided unwanted attention.

Tia found it very easy to walk, to breathe, to run if necessary. She found it very easy to foresee the intentions of the slavers and avoid their attention when she wanted to. She noticed things about slavers that she didn't notice before.

Their leader -- a man named Kitto was a very strong fighter and apparently an authoritative leader that put his monetary interest above other things. As the procession continued warriors tended to avoid showing any interest in female slaves. In addition, the slavers took particular interest in making sure that slaves don't suffer from their hands and if any slave had shown signs to aggression this would first get to Kitto and only then would they use any action, be it brief public beating in placed that would not leave any extended injuries but would be painful.

This was a disciplined group of slavers. Which meant that easiest way to escape for her would be after they would sell her, not before. She wasn't a trained fighter, so trying to escape now could be dangerous, even with enchantments she had now.

***

At some point they finally made it to the Edrevur -- one of larger cities in the empire. It didn't take long for the slavers to set up shop. Some of them were taken for wholesale, possibly due to issues with health or behavior, but most were sold individually. She had fallen to the latter category. Tia's group was then forced to run to the closest river and clean themselves. Most of the slaves, Tia included enjoyed the endeavor. Then they were gathered to the market stall and put into a row for presentation.

After some consideration Tia decided that she would rather be taken into a brothel. Large quantity of slaves to oversee might lead to more or easier opportunities to run once she would at least learn local landscape. With benefits that enchantment gave her she might be able to pull off a travelling merchant act long enough to cross the border.

With that in mind Tia shifted her pose and body language. The changes were subtle, in the way her posture shifted, in the position of her shoulders, in the way she caught other people's gazes, but apparently it surprised both the slavers and her fellow slaves. Some of the latter acted as if they had seen the empress herself wearing her rags. Kitto called the man who managed the stall and told him to increase her price from two hundred gold to eight hundred.

People often asked about her, but most of them couldn't afford her. Until a middle-aged woman with red hair and long green dress came to their stall. She was followed by a single bodyguard -- a skinny but high man with a saber. Tia's noted that even with her enchantments she had trouble hearing his footsteps. Dangerous man.

The woman didn't even look at other slaves and didn't trade for long. In the end she was sold for seven hundred gold.

"Come with me," the woman said to her, "Name is Cada by the way."

Tia sensed that the woman was preparing a clever response for whatever next words she would utter. After a momentary consideration she decided to play along.

"Mine is..."

"Your name does not belong to you," Cada interrupted, "You would be wise to remember that. While in the brothel I am the one who decides it, along with many other things and I have not yet decided what it would be."

"Yes, milady."

"I am not a lady, and you would be wise to remember that as well. I have done and endured things that ladies cannot. I am Cada, and that is equal parts title and a name. The name that most people in these streets use carefully."

"Understood."

"Good. You might be more than a waste of perfectly good coins yet. From this point onward you would be called Raven."

Tia nodded when she caught Cada's gaze.

***

Cada eventually brought Tia to the brothel. The brothel itself was mostly a second floor of otherwise an ordinary three-storied inn in the center of the city, which belonged to an aggressive merchant named Cada. Most of the "personnel" of the brothel had to pack themselves in one of the smaller rooms and leave the room mostly for the job. The job implied working as a waitress or cleaner until being hired for "additional service". The food was promised to be healthy and timely -- three times per day.

"There is also an incentive. You see -- about half of the girls in the establishment used to be slaves. Now they are free workers. Half of the money you earn from clients is put into your deposit and once said deposit exceeds amount of money you costed me you are allowed to use it to buy your freedom. Once you do that you would become a free citizen and given a choice to use the money to rent our rooms at much cheaper rates to continue providing service. Most girls use this chance to collect money for the road back and to start life anew. Some have nothing left behind and use this chance to build a sort of career and collect money for retirement. You personally costed me seven hundred goldies. I expect you to earn it back in about two years. Here is a contract that seals the deal, written in common."

The last few sentences made Tia pause for a moment. Cada's body language didn't betray any deception. This might have been a way-out Tia did not consider. Earn her way out instead of fight her way out. Tia was not a trained fighter. She never took a life, never put her own life at stake willingly.

She took the contract and carefully read it. Contract stated basically everything Cada said, adding mostly the fact that the contract would be made void in case of escape attempt. As if reading her mind Cada added: "Contract doesn't detail it, but in case of an escape attempt I would use services of Bono here," pointing at the man with a saber, "and make an example of you. Public beating in front of other girls. Then I would wait until you recover and sell you to the next slaver."

"Why give me such conditions?" Tia asked.

"A motivated girl brings money much faster. In two years, you would double my investment, and potentially become an attractor to my inn for some additional time. You already know how to sell yourself, which is half of the trade already. I am interested in money, you are interested in freedom, I made conditions where our interests align. You can now be stupid and squander this chance or use it."

Tia took the feather and written "Tiara Aloum" on the contract.

"The work starts tomorrow. Your working room would be number seventeen. Your personal bed outside of work would be that-a one near right window. If a client hires you for a night you should sleep with him till the morning in his room. If he doesn't -- sleep in the commons. That is it. Don't oversleep tomorrow.", and then Cada left.

Most of the girls in the commons were busy applying cheap makeup and going in and out of the room. One of the girls however was sending careful glanced at her. She was about two inches higher than her and had long falling yellow hair. Tia guessed she was new like herself and decided to break the ice.

"Hi, I am Raven."

"I... umm... Lola."

"Nice to meet you, Lola. I am new like you. If I can help you somehow -- don't hesitate to ask me. I am... stronger than I look."

"Uh... okay."

Then something unexpected happened. Lola slowly sat down on her bed and started quietly weeping. Not loud enough for other girls to hear, but loud enough for Tia. Tia herself tried to help her or support her, almost failing to notice tears cascading from her own eyes.

***

"Hi, my name's Bertie, I am the barman. You are Raven, right? Here, drink this, all new girls have to do this."

"What is it?"

"An elixir that an alchemist of Cada's prepares. Renders a girl infertile for at least several years. Apparently is reversible after said several years, a girl named Shale birthed a healthy boy after closing the contract. Became a concubine of some noble."

"I see," said Tia and gulped the yellow substance. Her metabolic enchantments wanted to neutralize the potion, but she consciously stopped the trigger. Unwanted children would complicate her life too much.

" Smells terrible. Tastes terrible too."

"Yup. Sorry you have to do that. Here, take this, a glass of water might help. Now, the order of business is simple. You work as a waitress, but try to be attractive. No explicit stuff, just be graceful, send cute smiles, this is an inn first and brothel second. If you attract attention of someone willing to buy additional services sent them to me. I'll call you and give you the keys to a room if the deal is made. The rooms have sound blocking glyphs, but the same glyphs are sensitive to key phrases. If client is hurting you or trying to call "gliora" and one of Bono's men would respond. Glyphs would catch even a whisper of the phrase. Using the key outside of such situation would penalize your deposit."

"I think I got it."

"Hope your first day would be smooth."

"Thanks."

Tia felt nervous. She wasn't a virgin, had her own share of fun in the academy, not to mention that her enchantments would possibly give her edge in bed, but it still felt... at least weird.

That being said she needed the money.

***

In the separate room with sound blocking glyph Bertie carefully brought a tea serving to a table by which Cada sat and was reading selection of males.

"How are the new girls doing?" Cada asked.

"Lola has a lot to learn, but she will manage. The other girl though... she is almost magical. I had half a dozen night service requests from all sorts of people in half an hour of her shift."

"Did you accept any of the requests?"

"Not yet."

"Who is the highest bidder? Anyone who might be offended for extended absence of response?"

"Jarl's younger son. He is nineteen I think. Guess kid is seeking an experience."

"I see. Arrange the service. Pull her out of waitress shift."

"No time for her to prepare?"

"She will manage. Pretty sure she has fair share of tricks up her sleeve."

***

Tia stood in front of the door and waited. She was pretty sure that the one inside was the rich, tall, skinny kid that was afraid to meet her eyes in the dining room. He was clumsy when trying to arrange the service with Bertie but the latter made it as smooth as possible.

How should she approach this? She should analyze the situation. What did she observe in his body language, in his behavior? He was to a degree afraid of her, and unsure of himself so maybe should be gentle, but assertive. Be the one who leads the intercourse.

Or maybe not. Kid hated the idea of control in general, hated that others either imposed it on him or acted completely subservient to him due to his status. He hated the idea of other people considering him a kid and trying to manipulate him.

So maybe she should do the opposite -- be honest to him and give him a choice. Stop the masquerade for a moment.

She entered the room. He was tall, almost six feet tall, black hair, freckled face. Quite handsome. She momentarily scanned the room and saw the carafe of water with glass. She slowly approached it and poured two glasses of water -- one for herself and one for him, a sign of equality. She approached him, gave him the glass, and sat beside him.

"I'll be honest, I am new to all this," she said. "I am kinda a new girl here, so you might be throwing too much money for just some pretty face. That being said if you are willing to go through with it I would do my best."

"I... I am willing," he gulped.

"Okay, then let's start from scratch. My name is Raven. This is not my real name, but I have to use it here. I like your freckles; I think they are cute."

"My name is Mark. I think you have... a beautiful smile. It... charmed my heart."

Tia blushed, partially by using her metabolic enchantments. It felt appropriate given the situation, if a bit manipulative.

"I think I was wrong. It was not your freckles. I think you are generally quite cute," and then she kissed him. It was a gentle kiss, exploratory, both for her and for him.

She focused on her perceptual enchantments, to read him, his desires, to make it more pleasant and less awkward for him. He was a gentle albeit nervous kisser, so she led the way. He didn't know what to do with his hands, so she gently intertwined her fingers with his. Whenever he unconsciously opened his eyes she made sure that their gazes would meet, to show connection, content, to reassure him. Whenever he found it hard to breathe she would shift her kisses to his cheeks, to his ears, to his neck before returning to his lips.

Tia found herself surprised by how yieldable Mark felt. He was a tall, sinewy man quite possibly one and a half times her weight, but his hands, he in general felt... almost fragile.

Tia stopped kissing him. He was red, breathing heavily, lying on his back while she had straddled him and pinned his hands to the bed, looking at her with surprise and a little bit of... was it fear?

She couldn't afford to stop though. If she stopped now that moment of intimacy would be wasted. She bent over him and started gently kissing him on his nose, whispering: "Your freckles... they are so cute...", while her left hand moved to his shirt and unbuttoned it with speed she didn't know she could muster. Her other hand kept exploring his body, her enchanted perception helping her read his desires: a caress here, a kiss there, a gentle hug, a reassuring smile. Her deft fingers finally freed his sex, but she kept playing with him, getting him closer and closer to his limit, drunk on the amount of power she had over young man until she felt he is on the very edge. At that moment she met his gaze, slowly descended to his waist and planted a single kiss on the tip of his shaft. Poor Mark exploded with moans and passion all over her clothes.

Tia unbuttoned her own now filthy shirt and skirt and slowly, almost flirtatiously undressed, completely naked. This time she acted differently, flirting, challenging him. Mark was vigorous and young, and partially angry so he caught her hand pulled her towards him, thrown her on the bed beside him and pinned her hands the same way she pinned few minutes ago. Tia smiled, she could have easily resisted the pull, but she knew that she needed to return to him that little bit of control. Mark bent over her, gave her a kiss and then... was he about to lie down beside her? Oh, no you don't tease her like that and leave. Tia caught his waist with her legs pulled him into her sex. Mark was still sensitive and moaned from overstimulation, but Tia was relentless. She used her inner muscle enchantments to massage and stimulate Mark in every way her muscles could and before long Mark exploded a second time, satisfying her as well. His knees were becoming weak, and he dropped on top of Tia.