The Adventure of a Lifetime by D.A.Sanford - HTML preview
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Character sheet
Rick Rick on Randan Azael Azael on Randan Margret The Great Mage
I am a sucker for contests that you entered to win a prize. Before they would draw the winner, I always knew that I would win. Never did. I still entered, I still dreamed, I still lost. Yes, I’m a sucker for those. You would think I would learn.
There was a science fiction convention in the city that was going to have my favorite author signing her books. I wanted to be able to tell her how much I loved her books but there were a few endings that would have been better with a few tweaks.
As I was waiting in line, I saw a large poster on her desk. Win a wild vacation that you may never want to leave. Fill out this form and drop it into the box. I’m going to win that.
I got my signature and tried to tell her about the revisions she needed to make but the line and her look told me that I needed to move along.
I filled out the form and noticed the draw date of a month from now. Also that the author would be with you on that vacation for a one on one discussion. My imagination went into high gear and started to plan that encounter.
All I could think about is winning. That is my usual pattern. I do have the small reality voice in my head that told me that I was not going to win. I counter with , I can dream, can’t I?
I was settling in for the night. I had my music playing softly. I had her latest book on my reader. This will throw you but I do not have a glass of wine. I find nothing more satisfying than an almost freezing thermal tall mug of water. Nothing is better.
Getting a few pages into the book, there is a knock on my apartment door. Reluctantly, I get up and go to the door. Through the peep hole, I see an official looking man in a black suit, holding a large envelope. I am curious so I open the door.
In an almost robot manner, the man asks for my identification. I show him my driver’s license and conceal carry permit. He looks at both and is satisfied. He hands me my cards and the envelope.
“All necessary information is inside.”
With that, he doesn’t say another word. He turns and walks away.
I’m shaking my head as I close the door. Looking at the large manila envelope. I go back to my chair and set it on the coffee table. I stared at it for a while and then picked it up. All the outer envelope had was my name and address. I open it and my heart jumps.
“This is to notify you that you have won the contest for the once in a lifetime wild vacation.”
The rest of the letter tells me that I need to be at the location with this letter, The strange thing is that it is telling me that I am not to bring anything more. All will be provided. I was to be there tomorrow. I am elated. I finally won something.
Why tell me the day before? I really did not have anyone I needed to tell. I pay my rent ahead by a month. That won’t be an issue. What the heck, I won. I’m going.
It was a long night but I took the bus to the address. It really was not that impressive. A historic brownstone that was restored but it still was an old building. I went in to the lobby. It surprised me. It was like a high security military base.
They had my picture. I pulled out my wallet to show my ID but it was confiscated. I was told that I would get it back when I returned. Then I was escorted to an office where the author welcomed me.
“Welcome Mr. Brown, can I call you Rick?”
“That will be okay. What the heck is going on?”
“All your questions will be answered but first, we need to have you looked at by our doctors as a precaution. We need to find out if you are in good health.”
I am ushered out to another room where I am poked and prodded. There was a lot of questions. I’m now getting worried. What is the destination of the vacation that I need to go through all of this? It better be good. After all was done, I was told that I was in good health. Then I was escorted back to her.
She looks at her laptop and comments to herself, “Good health, that’s perfect.” She closes the lap top, leans back and says that this will be an adventure on an epoch scale. She tells me that I stuck out at the signing.
“There were a multitude of people that commented on what the books meant to them. A small few had ideas of new books. You stood out because you were offering rewrite suggestions that really made sense. You really know my genre. This is going to be hard to accept but most of my stories are from my real adventures.”
Almost all her books take place on the planet Randan in a faraway galaxy. She has to mean that the adventures are real but here on this world.
“:That is not correct..” She tells me.
“What you thought when you surmised that my adventures were on this world.”
I think that this is fucked up. I know that I did not say that out loud.
“No, you thought it out loud. My species can read minds from those who cannot shield their thoughts. I figured that you would have gotten that. My main characters all had this ability.”
Suddenly I get a bad feeling about this.
“I thank you for the prize but I now know that I don’t think that it is in my best interest.
Nice meeting you.”
I get up and find that the door will not open.
“You evidently did not read the fine print on the card you filled out.”
She opens her lap top and brings up my card. On the flip side, it does say that if you enter this contest, you are contractually required to go on the trip if you are chosen for the prize. Upon examination, you are obligated to leave with Azael Windwillow on that said trip.
“I am from Randan, my stories hero is me. My real name is Azael Windwillow. Vickey Dew is my pen name.”
She shifts into that character. A felid, a very deep black fur with a satin glow, with her iconic one white whisker. Even though she is still in the office suit she was wearing, all my mind could see is her scantily clad perfect figure that does not have those enormous breasts that others write about. They are a little more than the perfect handful. I am stunned to see the character that I have been in love with since the first book I read of hers.
She is standing right in front of me and is smiling. I do not care if she can read my thoughts. The character I love is real. I had to sit down.
In her true form, she sits next to me.
“I picked you personally. In all the book signings I have done. People’s thoughts leak. I have heard everything they wanted to do to the character. I am sure you know what they thought. Not those adventures but the sex was their only thought. You are the only
one that I felt had true love for Azael. A want that could not be fulfilled. You wanted to protect her even if it cost you your life. I felt affectional desire.”
To hear my innermost feelings spoken by the one that I love, who up to now, was just words on a page. I don’t know what I should do. I actually am hugging myself and rocking. I am overwhelmed.
“I will follow you anywhere!” in my now shaky soft whisper. I break down when she puts her arm on my shoulder and tells me that it is alright.
“I have never had anyone that loved me for me. I hope we have a long time together..
Now, there is a crisis on Randen that I need to go and help. I have never had a permanent companion through any of my adventures. I now feel that I need that support. Wasn’t that one of the suggestions you were making. I need someone that has my back. I know that it is you. Want to go?”
She did not need to ask. Knowing that she can hear me, I think I need to change my clothes. These will not stand the climate and terrain. Azael takes my hand and leads me to another room that has all the things that we will need.
Azael starts to pick out my clothes. I actually am an average build. Toned but not ripped.
I always saw that those that are ripped don’t think very well. They are more interested in themselves first. Azael’s safety is mine.
I am given what would be called a tomb raider style outfit. Brown pocket pants, tan shirt, vest and hat. I can tell that she is writing in her mind. I am presented with a dual holster with the lightning pistols from her books.
She steps back and twirls her finger to have me rotate. “Those shoes are not right. You need a pair of scuffed tan lace up tall boots. What size are you?”
I tell her that I am size twelve US. Immediately she disappears between the shelves and brings out a pair of thirteens.
“You need a little room. Thick sox for the cold region. Try these on.”
They are very comfortable and I say that I like them.
She now hands me something that looks like a large flask.
“This is going to be your signature piece. Almost a running gag that I think you will enjoy. Take a sip.”
I unscrew the cap and take that sip. I can almost feel the ice crystals in the purest water that I have ever tasted. She tells me that even on the hottest days, that will never run out of that ice water.
“People will want to take a sip and will be disappointed. Some will try to take it from you but will find that the next sip will be instant death, deadly poison. The flask will always return to you. We both will be sustained by it but even I will not be able to keep it. I will not be poisoned but it is yours.”
I can’t resist. I take a long drink and hand it to her. She takes a drink and holds on to it.
Withing a few seconds of recapping it, it was back in my inner vest pocket.
Now something that I never expected, she gets on her clothes. However she did not leave, she stripped out of this world’s clothes and without concern. I thought that she is perfect. She is exactly what my mind saw when I first read about her. She turns and smiles.
Her garb donned, she poses for me.
“You are exactly who I fell for. Will you allow me to follow you. Even if it means giving up my life both here and on Randan.”
She knows that it is the most sincere thing that she has ever heard in her life both as an author and an adventurer.
“I will not accept forfeiting your life in both worlds although you may need to become my companion here as well.” She has that coy smile. “The word has gone out with the fact that you won and that we are going to travel on a long adventure.”
Now we walk to the next room’s door. She asks me if I was ready and she opened the it without waiting for my answer. There, on the other side is a rustic room, it’s her mansion’s bedroom. I recognize it from the description. I read about it in many pages that are contained in all her books. I blush and she notices.
We step outside of her room and she yells for Margret, her fox war maid. She is a tease that you do not want to get on her bad side. She almost magically appeared.
“Yes mam.”
“This is Rick Brown. He is my very close friend. He will be accompanying us on our new mission. Treat him as you would me.”
“So you want me to spend some nights with him?”
Azael, in a tone that I know that they are playing around with me.
“Don’t you dare! He is mine forever. You can’t touch him.”
I might as well go along with it. I hang my head and acted disappointed. They looked at me. We all break out laughing.
Margret looks at me and at Azael. She now sees something that she never thought she would see.
“You found the one you have been looking for all your life. Rick, please take care of her heart, or I’ll have to take care of you.”
That was said with both compassion and threatening. It almost had a bit of remorse in it.
Throughout all the books, Margret has been the only true friend to Azael. She was her support. Her words seemed to be her relinquishing that role to me.
“I will never replace your compassionate relationship with Azael.” I tell her. “You will always have a permanent spot in both hers and my heart. Please let me help you to keep her safe.”
Margret takes my hand and gently kisses my cheek. “Thank you. I’ll inform the staff of your arrival and that master Rick has joined us. She walks away and all we see is her tail wagging.
“She likes you already.”
“I hope so. I do not want to upset her or make her think I’m pushing her out. Far from it.
I hope you will still have the same relationship that you have had with her. I love you the way you are. Please don’t change.”
I am surprised when Azael hugs me tightly and whispers that she loves me also. I’m feeling that this will be my world now. Only a short time has passed since I walked into the brownstone but this feels right. It feels like I must have been abducted from here as a baby and taken to my old world. It feels like I am home.
I have my arm being wrapped around by hers. She tells me that I was correct, I was home.
“We will need to go back but now, yes, you are now home.”
There is something that I need to ask. “That setup in the other world. Is that the government?”
“No, those are my hires. They are handpicked from this world as are the doctors. The guard’s man the building twenty four hours a day but the doctors are on call. That world’s governments would use my stores and destroy that world. No, I pay well and those chosen are well aware of the consequences of going against my instructions.
What have my books said about double crossing me?”
I shiver because I have read about just that.
New surroundings that are so familiar It is a totally weird feeling. I have read so much about this world, this mansion. It is familiar but at the same time so unfamiliar. I know the rooms but I don’t know the layout of the mansion. I know that there is a practice field outside. There are two doors. One off the kitchen and one off the main room. I can tell you about most of the details of each but where they are, I only have the vague descriptions.
“Azael, for your next book, why don’t you add a mansion layout map. I know your rooms but not where they are, I have to explore and find my way around.”
“That is the start of adventures. Finding out where you are. Why don’t we go to the practice field. I need to see where you stand with the weapons. That will give me a starting point to train you.”
Finally I know where the field is. I am itching to try out the lightning pistols. I’m a pretty good shot on the target range with my own pistols but the description of the force of the lightning pistol. Blowing holes through a monster. I got to.
“Rick, you are broadcasting like crazy. We will have to work with that but first, there’s the targets.” She yells, ”Clear the range! Lightning pistols being fired. Rick, show me side by side shots either side of center and the next target center only.”
With both pistols in hand. “I’m going to do top and bottom first to get the feel. Then I’ll show you what you want.”
I fire and it is powerful but not like my forty four magnum. I decide that I need to impress them. In rapid order, I shoot both at once. One up and down followed by either side.
Then I shifted towards the second target without moving from the first target. I put two rounds through the center. Then I resisted the urge to do the cowboy twirl. I just holstered them and asked.
“How was that?”
“I knew that you would be a good shot with your pistols. What to try archery?” Azael asks me.
I tell her that I have never even touched a bow and arrow but why not. An attendant brings out a set. It looks well made but what do I know. Azael sticks six arrows in the ground and shows me how to hold and notch the arrow.
Funny, I held it and if felt familiar. Looking at it, I grab an arrow. I take a comfortable stance, notch the arrow and aim. It flew and was a center shot. I think luck. The rest crowded into the bullseye.
Azael and Margret are stunned to say the least. She comes over and stares hard into my eyes. Then she asks me to hold out my hands palms up. She places hers on top of mine. She tells me to close my eyes.
“Concentrate and picture yourself shooting the arrow”
With that, I do what she asks but she is thrown back with force. She is looking at me and says that she has to summon the grand mage.
“There is something very familiar with you and I don’t know what it is. There is a very strong magical signature within you but you should not have it. That’s what threw me back. I have to call in the grand mage. She is the only one that can figure this out. It’s too deep for me.”
She sends out a mental call and is told that the mage will be there in two days. She is told not to take me out until exactly what is within me is found out.
We spend the rest of the day exploring the grounds. Azael shows me the whole mansion. We had more practice with different weapons and I must be a savant. It seems that I am proficient in all the weapons.
The two days went by and the grand mage is here. Without a word she looks at me.
“There is a powerful force coming from you. I am glad that Azael did not try to go any further with her probe of you.. Hold out your hands palms up.”
She does what Azael did. She placed her hands on mine. She put one foot behind her to brace herself but after a minute she broke contact. She was totally bewildered as she looked at me.
“Margret, if you would please, attack Rick full force. Show no mercy.”
Margret turns to Azael who is confused but nods in affirmation.
Without hesitation, she goes full force on me. I have never been in a fight let alone one that is clearly meant to do me bodily harm. As she is attacking, I find that I am countering her and also scoring hits on her. Margret is actually getting angry and tries a different style. That was less effective. I was able to pin her down and the mage called a halt.
The mage has both of us sit. I pull out my flask and take a satisfying drink. I almost had brain freeze it is so cold. I love it. I hand the flask to Margret who also took a drink but exclaimed that it was too cold.
The mage asked if she could have a drink. The look on her face was a combination of surprise and almost horror.
“I’m going to place both of my hands on either side of your head. Please bear with it.
This is of vital importance.”
She does and my head is buzzing. I can feel her as if she is going through page after page on an internet site and going from site to site. Finally she is thrown back.
“Who dares wake me from my slumber?” I hear in my mind. I see both Margret and the mage on their knees. Only Azael is standing but she looks like she is in shock.
The mage is trembling as I hear her thoughts.
“Forgive me, oh lord Elrick. I did not mean to wake you but you were lost on your last exploration in space so long ago. This man has exhibited a lot of your traits. He even has a flask of your favorite drink. Almost frozen water.”
I think that this is totally wrong and I ask what is happening?
“My son, I have been awakened from a long slumber. You are my descendent. You line has been my protectors while I slept. I have a question for you. Could I have a drink of that ice water? I have a great thirst after so long. You’ll have to drink it for me.
I again open the flask and take a long drink.
Elrick sighs and he says that it is just the right temperature.
Now I feel a little schizophrenic having a think conversation with myself. “Now that you are awake, what happens to me? I don’t want to disappear.”
“I was going to wake anyways. I was asleep biding my time in the hope that another traveler found me and I was able to return here. It seems that my wife was the one to bring me home. Razael are you awake my darling?
I am just as surprised as she is when the woman talking is in Azael.
“Yes I am. I felt you and I am finally happy again. Now we can go together to the final life. First we should tell these wonderful children what is their reward?”
Elrick tells me that all his talents are mine including the god magic.
“All my memories are yours. You will start writing them and be a great author on the world that your mate publishes on. Both of you will go on to be extremely well received.
On this world you will both be saviors of this world. As I have been asleep all this time, so have you. The reason you are so attracted to each other is that you are a felid shifter.
I’m going to push you.”
He does and now I am a tan felid. Taller than Azael, I am now extremely muscular. I almost can’t wait to see myself in a mirror but by the reaction of Azael, Margret and the mage I must look good.
Razael tells the mage that she is to devote herself to training me in our ways. She tells Azael that I am her true one. Neither of us will leave each other.
They asked us is we would let them step to the front for a little while. We let them Elrick said, “I was on that last trip. An asteroid disabled my ship but I was able to land on that world. I knew that I would not be able to return here. I needed to wait for as long as it would take for someone to find me. I had to marry a local and when I passed, I transferred myself to our child. That happened over and over until I entered Rick. I felt that he was the one. Then I found the books that you wrote with Azael. I knew that I would come home. I am so sorry to have left you but I thank you that you also waited.”
Razael said that she would have waited until time itself ran out but when Azael went on her first time to that world,
“I felt your presence. That is why I had her run that contest. It’s time to leave these young ones and go to the final life. Know this you two, we will come when called and give advice.”
I suddenly felt both empty but at the same time richer than I have ever felt. All his memories from exploration and his life here were mine. To top that, I knew that Azael is mine. Over eons, we were destined to meet.
Walking over to her, I pull her into a deep hug and a kiss then say to her
“I’m home.”
Things in both worlds cannot be kept secret. One talks with another without looking to see if someone is nearby. A loose word or thought. In this case, this is Azael’s mansion.
All are handpicked to work here but the grand mage travels with her entourage.
One of them had talked to a friend who talked to another and the word was out about the return of Elrick and Razael. It did not matter that I was only the vessel to carry him.
It was not the fact that Azael was the same. This world is abuzz with the fact that they have returned. It was also pointed out that we had derivatives of their names as ours.
Destiney fulfilled.
We are getting requests from royals, to the influential, for an audience. The blatant part is that all are requesting that we come to them as opposed of them coming to us. Going to them will make us subservient to them. Not that we care about that. We will not be manipulated to their advantage.
Our common answer is that I am being trained. If they want to talk, make an appointment.
Speaking about training, I know that my previous life was lack luster compared with life on Randan. I need to be train in my magic aspects but there is an urgency for me to grasp the basics of magic. I have the integral knowledge of the mechanics but the control is what I am lacking. The magic Elrick has endowed me with is so powerful, it can destroy nations without the control. They are on the apocalyptic scale.
I shudder to think that my lack of control would kill my kin.
BUT
I’m only a living being, not a god.
“You are killing me” I tell the mage. Trying to divert the issue I ask her,
“I can’t keep calling you the mage. What is your name?”
“I let you get personal but my name is The Grand Mage. I will let you just call me mage.
Get your control in order and I may let you call me by my childhood name. Until then, let’s start the exercise again.”
Why is she using a riding crop to keep my attention. I will admit that when she comes into view, my attention is solely on Azael.
I have been getting to the point that she will let me start with water magic. Mainly I am restricted to being a garden hose. She is leading me around the garden. I get a hit if I harm a flower. Now I can become a sprinkler but, not satisfied, she will have me bring it down to the equivalent of a dripping faucet.
When she is not on me, Margret is now bringing out exotic weapons to try to mess me up. Most, after looking at the particular weapon, I can use them with great proficiency.
She is delighted when she brings out something that I cannot figure out at first. She is just as vicious when she can strike me.
There is one thing that will get her pissed. It is when I hesitate going full out at her when I am getting the best of her.
“Don’t you ever hold back. There are women out there that will not hesitate to kill you.
Especially now that the fact the you are Elrick. Killing you would make them famous. A person to be feared. Once you start to fight, fight to kill.”
I have some new scars but she has to fear Azael. I think that she has been told that a few arm and chest scars are acceptable. I still cannot deliberately mark Margret. That was until my love told me that she is a closet masochist.
“She’ll love you forever if you can sting her. She can take it. Margret will be mad at me for telling you this but if you were able to get her into a restrained wrestling hold and pin her. She will need to leave the field quickly.”
We go at it with swords and I was able to cut her butt. I told her that she wanted to have me actually go full force. She threw down her sword and went hand to hand. I was now comfortable in this form. This lasted for a few minutes and then I saw my opening.
Sweeping her legs out from under her. I was able to pin her to the ground. I’m holding her wrists and sitting on her legs.
“Do you yield? I ask her and she tries to escape the pin but I hold fast. “Say I yield master Rick.”
“I yield.”
“I did not hear the right words. You yield to who?”
“I yield to you master Rick.”
Letting her up and true to Azael’s word, she excused herself and ran off. Azael smiled at me.
I look at her and say, “Only you. What you have between Margret and you, does not scare me or bother me. As long as you remember me. Now go see if she is alright.”
Almost dusk, when I have had my afternoon beating by the mage. Margret comes out and waits for the mage to dismiss me for the evening. Margret comes over to me and says thank you.
“I was worried that I would be pushed out. Azael rescued me a long while back. She has been my very best friend for most of my life. I did have a lot of animosity towards you as usurper of my position as the center of her life. I now ask you for your forgiveness for mistrusting you. Azael told me that you sent her to me.”
Watching her demeaner, she is bearing her fears and acknowledging that they have been assuaged. I take both of her hands and look directly into her eyes and tell her that there is nothing I would do to hurt both Azael and her.
“You are a vital part of her life. There is only one thing that I will warn you about. as I will not come between you and Azael, I will not allow you to come between Azael and myself. You heard from Elrick and Razael, we are destined mates. I respect your relationship but will not hesitate to break you away from her and return you to just another servant if you try to separate us.”
My tone was meant to let her know that I was the one that was making the rules here. I finished by telling her that I really don’t expect her to overstep her bounds and hurt Azael. Then I ask her, “Do I make myself clear?”
She acknowledges my position by saying that she hears me. I then do something that she did not expect. I hugged her and told her that I did not want to see even her to be hurt. I told her that I cherished her as a mentor. I later took Azael aside and told he exactly what I told Margret. That I would know that she would not betray what I told her were the limits.
At the same time, I do remember some of the things that Margret has done when someone came close to Azael. I feel that I must express my concerns to Azael, especially now that the book worm in me remembers scenes from a lot of her books.
“Azael I have read all of your books at least twice. You wrote how she undermined your other relationships. I would like you to really sit down with her and spell out what I know.
I do not know if they know of your writings but you need to tell her that I mean it. It may
hurt you. That is why I wish you would spend the night with her. I do not want you in the position of having to choose which way you will write the next book.”
That hurt me but I had to explain my feelings. That is why I will not object to their relationship. That is why I have made up my mind. If it comes down to it, I will leave this world, go back and retrieve my wallet. I will stop and donate my copies of her books to the library. Then I will disappear into the furthest end of that world and live my life as that hermit.
That thought terrifies me. I have learned how to block leaking thoughts but I also really do not care if they leak. I have found my life but the old contest me is telling me that I may lose this contest.
I sent a thought message to Azael telling her that I did not want to hear any of what they discuss. I did not mean to hurt either of you.
Another sleepless night. My brain just would not shut up. All the scenarios that ran, went from me going home to waking up in the next world. To say that the morning was going to be interesting is an understatement. I knew that all that was broadcasted. The only thing that I do not feel upset is the thought that I would open a door to my apartment if they offered their bodies as bribe to get me to stay.
The morning was interesting. All the servants of the mansion looked like they were walking on eggshells. I was informed that the grand mage has taken both of them into a room and ordered everyone to stay completely away from that entire end. Morning training did not happen. I wandered the area.
I actually tried as was successful in opening a door to my apartment. I went in. It was mine but it was like it was not real. It was not mine. Something in my heart broke and I closed the door and wept. I don’t want to give this up but I once again open that door. I messed up her world. I delivered Elrick home. My job was done. I’ll go. I reopened the door and stepped through. I took off my holsters. I’ll leave them at the brownstone tomorrow. As I was getting ready to close that life, close that door, the mage came running and begged me to come back.
“The strife I caused,” I told her, “Was too great. I have only been a minor background character who wanted to be a main but that only brought hurt to the mains. I have returned to my proper position, just a dreamer who knows where he belongs.”
She tells me that I am a main character. I am needed. Azael is completely broken.
Margret has tried to commit suicide to the point that she has to be restrained.”
I stop her there, “You have just proven my point. If I had not entered that contest, your world would be normal. They would be happy now.”
“At least be a man and come back and tell them why. Listen to them and if you want to come back here, I will guaranty your safe passage.”
Reluctantly I agree to return but only to say goodbye after I listen to them. We go back through the door and walk silently back to them. I wanted to throw up, but I walked into the mansion.
“Both of you get this one chance at this.” The mage tells them. “You heard his thoughts.
He has been taught how to block leaks so we need to keep that in the forefront. He has read your books, Azael. You yourself wrote about Margret always alienated you against your potential mates. You have told the world that you knew and went along with it.
Those gave you the same acceptance that Rick gave. In each, you told those men that Margret was a masochist with the same match ending.
“Rick, did she tell you that?”
I said “Yes she did. It was at the match’s end that it hit me that it was your first step on getting a rid of each character because you chose Margret. I came back at the behest of the mage. I was in my apartment and she asked me to come back here to explain my actions. I am not going to make you choose, I chose to go back to my old life. I’ll let your readers know that I had the most wonderful time but I tell you that if you run another contest, I will tell my story. I will go to the government to tell them about the brownstone.
What the mage did not see is I left my holsters and pistols in my apartment. Those will go to the government to prove my claim.
Azael I truly love you and will not forget you but I must go before I become just another man you toyed with and cast aside. Margret, you don’t have to make those moves you made. You at least, for this man, will not have to do that. Now I will listen to what you have to say. The mage has said that she will make sure that I can go home.”
I sit next to the mage. Neither of them was saying a word.
“Mage, that says it all. Would you please open the door to my home.” I get up and the mage starts to open it.
“Don’t go, I beg you.” Azael pleads. “It is true that I did use those tactics in the past.
Many times more than I wrote. Margret was only looking out for my best interests. I never loved them. I love you. That is real.”
I now am angry as I say to her
“Book three, The search for the monster gang. I forget the exact page but George wanted to leave and you spoke the same words. Next will be an offer to your bed. You forget that I have read your books. In another you convinced one to stay and he got killed in a fierce battle. No thanks. Now Margret will say that she will leave. You are a very good writer, too good.”
“What can I say that will convince you that this is real?” She wailed.
Now the mage has had enough. “Rick, I have the power to invade a mind. You felt is when I probed your mind. Have I deceived you. Has she even wrote about me in her books?”
“Other than fighting some rogue shifters with magic, she has not written about mind probes by you. You have treated me with truth.”
“Azael, both you and Margret will be probed by me. I will get the truth from each of you if I have to rip it from your very soul. I will leave this world to its inevitable demise if either of you refuse. I will live with the help of this innocent man as a human. Azael will you allow me to probe you?”
“Yes”
“Margret, will you allow me to probe you?”
“He’s not good enough for Azael. She is mine and mine alone.”
The mage has grabbed ahold of her and forcefully probes her mind. We can see that she is going deeper and deeper into Margret’s mind. Then we started to hear the mage broadcast.
“She has gone after all the men that you were interested in and after you had them leave, she has disappeared and killed each one. She has poison that she is going to use on Rick. It will look like he died in his sleep of a heart attack. I am pulling out but I am going to need to destroy that portion of her mind. I’m sorry but it is what needs to be done.”
Margret moaned and looked very passive as the mage breaks contact.
Azael is in horror that she never knew how much she was being manipulated. She did not know what to say but froze when the mage put her hands on her. The mage started the probe. I could tell that she again was going deep.
“She deeply loves you Rick. Know this, Azael did not know that Margeret was working on her about you but Margret had started trying to convince her that you were going to make her choose between you and her. The words were what you told her what would happen if Margret tried to break up the two of you. Azael did not believe that you were going to do that.”
The mage pulled out and asked if I still wanted to leave. I told her that I needed to talk one on one with Azael. I really want to know what to do.
“As far as Margret, You said that you destroyed that part of her mind, the part that loved or the part that was sociopathic? “
“The sociopathic side is gone. She still has the love.”
“Will she know what she did now and in the past?”
“No that part is totally gone.”
“I ask you to, if you can, leave Margret with us, for Azael’s sake. If I decide to leave, she still will be able to help her.”
The mage is amazed, then tells me that it will be acceptable. “That is part of the compassion that Elrick was known for. I will allow it if you decide to stay.”
She looks at Azael. “You are guilty of letting Margret have so much control over you.
You were actually a puppet to her. Rick wants to talk one on one with you. I suggest that you remember what you heard. If you want him to stay, do not offer your body as enticement. You were told that I found him in his apartment. He can open doors. Make any sexual moves. He will go through his door and give those pistols away. Know this, if he does, that world will die within the year.”
She walks out the door. I sit across from her.
“With all the writing you did, didn’t you suspect that you were being used? That there was something wrong with Margret? We readers floated that theory on the chat site. I figured that she was fictional but so were you. When she told me to take care of you, when we first met, it had a threat tone to it. I thought it was just the fact that she was no longer the only one within your life. When you told me that secret about her and she enjoyed it, that is when I remembered all those other times you used that line. I, before I met you, thought that it was just a rehash but it wasn’t.”
Azael finally speaks, “You are right. I should have known but my eyes , no I was going to blame others. It was my own fault. I love the adventures but I found that I loved the writing fame on your world more. It clouded my vision and did not see what was happening. I wrote and it felt good. I have no excuse. I would not stop you from returning to your world. I do beg you not to destroy your world. Make it better. You can do it. I have failed you.”
She goes silent.
“I am glad that you only blame yourself because it is, but are you going to learn from it.
Are you going to just trust or listen to content also? Trust is a fragile thing but is the hardest to repair. I still love you and will stay. What you do with Margret is still your business but I warn you. There is no such thing as complete destruction, especially for the brain. In my world there are cases of people with brain damage that caused paralysis, walking again because the brain rewired itself. That part can and may just rewire itself. Be on guard because I will. I am giving her the second chance like I am giving you. I will tell you right now that, if I suspect her mind has rewired itself, I will kill her. Can you live with that?”
She tells me that she can.
“How about we go to my apartment and retrieve the pistols.”
We do just that but I get my original pistols, rifles and ammunition.
I was curious so I turned on the news. All the channels said that tensions were high and there was talk of the world being engulfed in a world war. We look at each other. We may need to find another world to publish her works We make it a point to cautiously open a door to that world, just in case.
Elrick comes back to us and reminds us that he said we will publish and be famous on my birth world.
“You two will be the ones to bring that world kicking and screaming into a world that at least does not always have to fight.”
It is comforting because, Randan is my home but, that world is part of me and to think that it is destroyed would be like Azael without Margret.
Margret seems to be normal but she does not exhibit the underlying resentment. When she trains me, she is no longer trying to kill me. I still get cut, she still scolds me, but now it is slightly different. I am getting used to this aspect of her. Making this her new base line.
I shield my thoughts and have these two Margret files in my mind. I do see mage keeping an eye on her also. I will get together with her later to compare notes but I feel that it will be at a later date that any sign will show. We may need to test her every so often.
For now, Azael is seeing a Margret that is not deceiving her. I am happy for her.
At least the tension is subsiding, somewhat.
I am trying to be with Azael as much as possible. We now really must get to know each other. With the situation that has happened, I feel that we never sat down and introduced ourselves. We need to go somewhere and talk.
“Azael, I want to go to that cabin you wrote about. We need to sit alone, just the two of us and get to know each other. Our relationship has been superficial, good but we need our time. Again, I’m not talking sex. Getting to know each other will lead to it but this will be different from what you wrote. I do not know about you but I feel Elrick is giving me some of his advice.”
“Razael has also been talking and she says that this is how they progressed to the ultimate love that caused her to sleep for those eons waiting for him. I want that. Will Margret be coming?”
“No, I will be taking care of you for as long as we are gone. This will be her first test. You have never gone there without her. I want to train against you. This way I know you and your style. That way, in combat, I will almost know what you are doing.”
All of a sudden, I hear Elrick’s voice telling me to be prepared. A situation will occur that will weld us together.
I gathered the four of us together and laid out the plan.
“We will be gone for two weeks. We will take minimal supplies. Hunt and forage. This way all distractions of a convenience driven life are gone. Both of us have received messages from our sleepers. They say that we must do this.”
Azael says that we will leave before dawn and upon sunrise, we are to shift into our felid forms and just run together all the way to the cabin. Fast for the night and just talk. From that next day until we return, if we want to eat, we must hunt. Depend on each other.
I’m looking at Margret and she looks confused. Even the mage is looking at her. I ask,
“Something wrong?”
“Shouldn’t I be going? I take care of Azael.”
“No, that is the point. We need to take care of each other. Do you understand?”
“I don’t like it but you can do what you want” she said with almost a pout.
I ask the mage to talk with her while we are gone to see if there is any anger or is it that she just wants to come along. I will leave it up to the mage. She can get back into her skull and see if those murderous feelings are trying to find a way out. We may come back and find the mage has taken her away.
Walking in the predawn time, this is the first time that we are truly alone. We are almost strolling in our human form. The sounds and smells are almost like my world but, having read the books, there are some nasties out here. Fortunately we did not see any.
Now dawn was breaking. Azael tells me to shift and take a deep breath. Then do an open mouth pant. I do just that and I am almost in a trance. The smells are intoxicating.
I start to pant and I have to grab ahold of her arm.
“I need to run. I am so high on these smells.”
We take off and run. I find that, unlike the natural animals, I am not running out of energy, neither is Azael. Running side by side, I am actually giggling. I have never experienced such freedom.
Something catches my nose. It is game. We stop and I ask if that could be another humanoid. She tells me that we have a different scent. That is the scent of a deer. I am told that we should push on.
“After having that fresh meat, there is no preventing the need to just sleep. We should push on but I could use some water.”
I hand her my flask. She shivers and asks me, “How can you stand water that cold?”
Taking the flask from her, I take a drink.
“It is just right. Remember I got the approval from my elder. You can’t question.”
Then I race away. She catches up and bursts ahead. I can feel the competition well up and I go all out. I catch up to her, smack her on the butt and ran ahead. Why did I smack her butt? Elrick tells me that Razael is running with me and he smacked her butt.
“Son, take advantage of the situation. I can feel those feelings bursting out in you. Go with it or are you a coward.”
I look back at her and see that she has stopped. I am being looked at but not in anger.
This is the look of something started. She is lightly rubbing the spot and she has a smile. Interesting.
There was only a little more time before we arrived at the cabin. A picturesque setting that I could see a familiar touch in. It is a large building that does have that classic porch. There is that porch swing that she has written many a lurid page about the encounters that started on it.
Before I can say anything, Azael comes over to me and tells me that she is waiting for me to slap her ass. She said that Razael told her that it was Elrick that slapped her butt as he passed.
We now are interrupted by a scent that I cannot recognize but Azael does. “Margert come out now.”
She comes out from the woods. Azael demands to know why she is here.
“You’re supposed to be with the mage.”
Margert laughs, “Do you really think she could beat me. The bitch came at me. It was self defense. I had to kill her. To think that she thought she could kill me. The bitch is room temperature. Now I must free you from that leach next to you. You are mine and mine alone.”
She comes at me with a rage. Elrick tells me to use air lance followed by incineration. I tell him that I want to fight her to show her just what a bad decision she has made.
She pulls out a dagger and comes at me. I easily countered her by dodging while striking her wrist with enough force to knock the weapon out of her hand and damage her wrist. She is getting more irate and is almost foaming at the mouth.
“You will die!” she spits out and charges again with her claws out.
I get a warning that she has poison on those claws. I use the water magic I used on the flowers but this time it was like a water cutter. All her claws were on the ground, completely declawed.
“You should stop now before this goes any further.”
She is no longer rational and could not answer. She is now just a feral animal. Margert comes at me with those bloody hands but is just screaming. I hear Azael not asking her to stop. I hear her say
“Rick, for the god’s sake finish this. Put her down.!”
I use air lance. Margret is stopped in her tracks. Her hands try to cover the large hole in her where her heart should be. I then use incineration and she just vanishes. She did not have even a chance to feel that pain. She is now nothing but ash.
Finished, I feel Azael coming for me and I turn to intercept her. I held her until she cried herself out.
“You never knew her illness. She was not well and my entrance spoiled her plans. The crimes that she committed, the murders she did. She got what she deserved. Now we need to call out to see exactly what she did to the mage. Can you reach the mansion from here?”
She can and does. The horror on her face said it all. Margret eviscerated the mage from crotch to neck. There is no one that could do anything.
I hear Elrick say that I need to open the door. The mage has been put in stasis. He will guide me in what to do. I grab Azael and open a door to the mansion. We found where they laid the body. He was correct that the body was in stasis.
Elrick comes forward. He raised my hands over the body. He started an incantation and the injuries started to heal. The mages eyes were starting to show life. In short order all the injuries have been healed. He now breaks the stasis and puts my hands on her head and starts a new incantation. The mage screams and then looks at me with a smile.
“You’re okay.” She says to me. She goes to sleep.
In Elrick’s voice, he tells us that she will not remember her injury when she wakes.
“Azael, it is your task to tell her what happened but you are to tell her that Margret had rewired her brain. This was nothing she could have for seen. Tell her that I have said so.
I, through Rick, put her down. Her soul is now being healed. She will be allowed to live a new life of peace”
I collapse on the floor but was able to say that I had used a lot of mana. I looked at Azael.
“My dear, please help me to my room. I can get most of my energy back if you lay down next to me and we both sleep.”
I wake the next morning in bed with her asleep next to me. She has the most beautiful sleeping face. I can’t help, I start stroking her hair. She stirs and opens her eyes.
“Good morning” she says
“Good morning, Why don’t we go to check on the mage.”
We get up and walk the hall to the room that the mage is in. As we pass the mansion’s servants, they bow deeply. She is still asleep so we quietly close the door. A maid passes. Azael asks her to go in and watch. When she wakes come get us.
I remind her that Elrick told her that she was to tell her what happened to Margret and how she was saved. Azael was beaming.
“I will do just that. That power, you saved her. You were wonderful. I have never heard of such power other than the gods.”
“It was Elrick, not me. I will never claim the power of god. He is not me.”
Later I find that even though I protest, my status has been elevated.
The mage woke up and was worried that Margret was loose. Azael cleared the room and recounted the cabin encounter with her. Then she swallowed and told the mage what she did to her.
“Margret opened a door to the cabin after she killed you. After Rick killed Margret we opened a door to here. Your body was immediately put into stasis as soon as they heard your scream. That is what allowed Elrick to completely heal you. Rick is the only reason that you woke up this morning. You were dead.”
It seems that the memory is still vaguely there because she is touching her stomach and has tears in her eyes. They both hug and the mage cries for a very long time while Azael comforts her.
When she has cried herself out she almost demands, “Where is he!”
I’m in the kitchen area when I see the mage coming at me. With out a word, she has me in a very tight hug and then gives me a very passionate kiss. When she breaks, she thanks me for what I did for her.
“There is nothing to thank me for. Elrick did it for you.”
“If that is the way you can cope, bless you. Elrick has gone on to the final life. That was you channeling his history. He used that spell only one time. That was you. I thank you.”
She goes back into the hug.
Rubbing her back, I tell her,
“Please forgive me mage, but I still believe it was him.”
“Ruth, my name is Ruth. Please call me by my name.”
Azael is astonished. There is no one that she knows that even knows her name. Then she hears. “Azael, you are his mate. I also want you to call me Ruth.”
Then she says. “Regardless of the situation you can call me by my name. Even the emperor is not allowed to call me that. There is no one on this world that has done what you have done. The gods have blessed you.”
“As long as you know that I do not want that fame.” I tell her.
“It is too late. Open your mind and listen.”
Once I did that, I was overwhelmed with the world’s thoughts. My head felt like it was going to explode. Concentrating, I narrowed it to individuals.
“The mage was murdered by a servant but she was brought back to life by Rick Brown, mate to Azael Windwillow Brown.”
I am broadcasting what I hear to both Ruth and Azael. Azael is blushing and Ruth is also. Then Ruth says that she has been receiving calls to be allowed to come to the mansion to have an audience with the Browns.
“These are from the Emperor on down. There are people all over the world that want to meet you. One sticks out. I hear a loose thought from a cast out. It is a male canid. A young teen who was born with a deformity and now has been driven out of his village as the source of its curse.”
I ask her if she is up to going to that young man? She tells me that she has a lock on him.
“Azael, Ruth, let’s start to set the world on the right path. Ruth please open the door to him.”
A club footed teenager is tuned to the chatter about the mage. He is having a wish but he knew deep down that it only happens to the rich. No one can help him.
“That’s where you are wrong,” I tell him as we go through the door. We care about everyone. I was like you. A dreamer that entered contests, hoped I would win but never did. I entered a contest and won a dream, my mate Azael and a wonderful person, Ruth.
Keep dreaming because you have what you wish.”
Lucky he is sitting.
I think to Azael and Ruth. “This will be the last I use this, outside of family which both of you are now my family. I don’t want to be only known for this.”
Taking the club foot in hand, I chant and it is like clay. I turn it to the right position and length. It slowly adjusts to the new position. I am rotating it to loosen it to be normal.
This only took an instant.
He is astounded as he is looking at his leg. It is normal. I have him stand and walk.
“Let’s stretch that leg. Why don’t we walk back to your village. I want to see their reaction. Know this, if you want, there is a position I would like you to fill, if you choose to fill it. I will not tell you what it is but I will ask you, Are you willing to dream?”
We start to walk. I notice that he is smiling with every step. He feels good.
After a few miles, the village comes into view. He is hesitant. Ruth puts her hands on him and looks at him.
“What are you worried about? Walk proudly into the den. Know that nothing can harm you. No one. You have three backing you up. Show them just what they missed. Be proud but also be humble. Show them the compassion that they did not show you.”
Now he is seeing just what he is. He was not his foot. He gets it.
“You must think better of yourself, if you want someone else to think better of you.”
He says he is ready. “I want to go to my former home and retrieve my meager possessions. Then I will go with you. I do not care what you want me to do but know that I will devote myself to it.”
A very proud man, no longer a young man, walks into the village with three people following him. We make sure to let him be the star of this. There is some verbal taunts thrown at him but he stops and walks over to them.
“I forgive you.”
Then he continues to his former home. His parents are out of the house and are clutching each other. They are expecting to be eliminated. Again he tells them that he forgives them.
“You fell to the mob’s beliefs. You gave me life, these three have given me hope. I just would like to retrieve my possessions. Then I will leave this village.”
He finds that they have cleared his room out but what they did not know was the hidden opening he made in the closet wall. In there was a few trinkets and one thing that caused Azael to shiver. There in his hands was a copy of her first book.
We have not exchanged names so I doubt that he knows who she is. She now introduces us in front of his parents.
“I sense that your name is Joseph. Am I right?”
“You don’t like it?”
He holds up the book. “I always wanted to be Lyle. I loved the character. He was rescued and taken into the inner circle. He later fell in battle but died defending his love.”
The three of us sucked in air. Knowing what had really happened it was hard to hear it spoken but Azael went into action.
“From now on, by my authority as the author of that book, you are now to be called Lyle.
I charge you to live up to his valor.”
Someone hit pause. He is in shock but she continued to talk.
“My name is Azael Windwillow Brown, This is my mate Rick Brown and this is the Grand Mage.”
His parents are broadcasting this encounter. After he has gotten his items, he looked at his parents. He always felt that they had some feelings for him but more sorrow for themselves.
“You did not stop them from calling me a curse and throwing me out. I forgive you.”
We all step out into the square. Everyone in the village was there. Some tried to suck up to him. Before they could, Ruth put up her hand.
“You all now know who we are. Stop trying to hide what you felt. I can sense what each of you are thinking. You are trying to hitch a ride on his good fortune. Forget it.”
Now my turn. “This man has a bright future. I have asked him to join us if he did not want to stay. He has told us that he wants to go with us. Lyle, I ask you to help us find those who are cast out. You were lucky but most are not. The mage will train you to be able to find them. We will make you the person who saves the children, only you can understand their trauma. Only you can shape the lost ones into a force of peace that will make villages like this a horrible footnote to our future history. Now it is time for you to choose officially. Stay here or step into the future. What will it be?”
Azael opens a door to the mansion. Without hesitation and no words, he steps through the door and we follow. The world has heard of that decision and slowly, that village has had its residents move away.
We have bought some large old hotels and those have been placed under Lyle’. His control has produced people not cast outs. They have gone on to help others and to change that practice.
Back to our present time.
Now the word of what we are doing is out. Those elites are now not sending people asking for appointments, they are broadcasting that they are petitioning to meet us at the mansion. All the requests that we perceive to be real we are considering. Those that are just to boost their status are refused. The first one must be with the Emperor and empress.
Ruth has transferred her residence to ours. We welcome her as family. All mansions have royal accommodations. We offer her one of them for hers but she says that she would like one on the same side as our rooms. We tell her that it was our hope that she would. We have grown together.
The royals have been given permission to open a door here and come here with a limited amount of support. They have children but hangers on are to be left behind.
Each child is allowed to bring a friend. They are to be instructed that they can play but they must be just children. Snobbery is not allowed.
It was actually a pleasant visit. No pomp, no grandiose welcome. We kept it people meeting people. After the pleasantries are done, Ruth entertains the empress while Azael and I talk with the emperor.
It was quite obvious to us that he was feeling out where our loyalties lay. I choose to be the one. I’m the new guy.
“Emperor, you seem to be probing as to find out who we follow. I’ll answer you. We will not put ourselves under anyone’s jurisdiction. We have been given our instructions by Elrick and Razael. They are who we follow. Their instructions are to bring peace to this world.”
He does not look like he likes that answer so I ask him what does he think about the return of Elrick’s essence, his soul, to Randan?
“We all heard Elrick speak. We all heard him tell how he got lost. You were able to perform his miracle on the grand mage. It is obvious that you brought him home. He named you as his kin and forced your shift. There is no room to doubt.”
“Then you must know that we are tasked to help the people, not kingdoms. We have no aspiration to reign as rulers of any kind. We want to help for the good. Especially you should know how much being a ruler wears a person down, makes them feel insecure.
You need to wonder when, not if, someone will usurp you. Isn’t this the reason you are here?”
“How could you read me so easily?”
“I told you that I inherited Elrick’s power. The reason the grand mage is here is that she was ordered to train me because his power could destroy kingdoms. Unless you become a tyrant doing horrors we will not come after you or any other leader. I hope that this eases your doubts.”
The emperor seems to relax then says, “What you described is exactly what I have experienced. I don’t really worry about me but my wife and children are always in the forefront of my mind. Any suggestions on how to assuage those thoughts?”
“Very simple” Azael tells him. “Do things that make your people love you. We just rescued a young man after he was cast out as cursed. After fixing the physical defect, we walked him back to that village. Those who taunted him and originally through him out, he walked up to them and said that he forgave them. He now is rescuing others.
The people love him. Just think of what they would think of you, as emperor, with what you could do.”
I say that we won’t tell him what to do. “Ask the people, not the nobles. Nobles are only interested in what is in it for them. I’m quite sure that you can figure out things. Now I will order you to do something. We have cleared trails. They are all safe. You and your wife, not emperor and empress, go for a long walk, a date of sorts. Tell her what I have told you about doing things to make people love you. I bet that at the end of a heart felt walk, you will have a good idea of what you are going to do. I’ll have the kitchen make you a lunch.”
He actually loves the idea. The next morning, we watch the children and they go walking. The order was that they were to be on the trail alone. There was a large blanket in the basket. The blanket is so they do not get anything imbedded in their bodies, while eating of course.
They were gone most of the day. We almost sent out a search party but they came in, hand in hand. They had found the walk very relaxing. The blanket did not work. The emperor noticed a leaf in her hair and removed it. They thanked us for the most productive but totally relaxing day.
The empress told us that it was like they were really dating.
Both expressed their thanks for not telling them what to do other than taking the walk.
They decided that they are going to start walking in the capitol and talking to the people about how they are doing but insisting that they tell us the truth, not what they think we want to hear.
“We will give the credit to the one that suggested it. A reward for the best idea of the year but nobles are excluded from that. They will be required to show what they did to improve their domains.”
It was a very productive week. When they were ready to leave I ask them to just say they came to pay their respects and spend a week on vacation. They left and did say just that.
People are talking because they start seeing them walking and making changes to the country.
With the vacation of the royals over. We have returned to a somewhat normal state which means that Ruth has returned as my task master. After a long session of training, she tells me that I am ready.
“You now have the control needed to be able to not destroy this world. You also have the wisdom needed to determine where to use your powers and how much is needed.
Please make me proud.”
I may be misinterpreting what she says. I ask her “Are you leaving us?”
She crosses her arms and with a stern look calls for Azael. Still looking at me she tells Azael that he thinks that she is leaving. Azael is now giving me the same look.
“You know that men are slow on picking up hints. Rick, Ruth and I have talked in depth about this very subject. Since you do not have a clue to what is happening, you know that I love you. Ruth does to. Ruth would you make it clear to him.”
Ruth comes up to me and gives me a long and sensuous kiss while pressing her body tight to me. Now I admit I have little knowledge on the male to female intricacies relating to bonding but I am quite sure that this does mean something.
When she comes up for air
“I am in love with you. This is not because of you saving my life. This is because of who you are. Let me make it perfectly clear. I intend to be with you forever as a mate to Rick Brown not Elrick. Azael has agreed to share you. I will mate with you but only after you stop being shy and mate with Azael.”
She waves her hand and one of the staff brings out a familiar object. The lunch basket.
“If it was helpful for the royals, it will be helpful for you.”
Ruth puts the basket in my left hand and Azael’s hand in my right and shoves me.
“What, anxious for your turn?” I say sarcastically.
“Yes! Start walking and do not come back until you are ready for me.”
“Yes, oh Great Mage.” She punches me in the arm and we all laugh. It does hit me that I want this, I want it all. I now know that, to quote a saying in the other world, this is going to be one for the books and I am living it.
This is happening.
We wandered down the wood lined path saying almost nothing. Just listening to the world of sounds, sights and especially smells. We were In our natural forms. That black felid with her one white whisker and me a tan felid are walking hand in hand.
It cannot be mistaken, I smell her. I smell her excitement, her anticipation and yes she is flavoring her scent with those pheromones that are emitted to entice a male. It is different from the fertile scent. The memories of Elrick are telling me that she is anticipating what she wants and will take it if not offered.
We come to one of the groomed grassy spots along the path. These are so a person can stop and admire… the vista. I stopped and looked at her. I am going to use this spot to admire her.
As she said when we first met in that brownstone. I was the only one that did not think lust. She saw love in me. There is a reason that I did not have that lust. That’s because I could never imagine that I would be standing in a grassy spot on Randan, with my love.
I look at her and still there are no words necessary. I reach for her and draw her to me.
We slowly are looking each other in our eyes and then we started to kiss. This was not our usual friendly greeting kiss, this was a tongue battle of pent up passion.
We collapse slowly to the ground as our animal sides start to take over. It felt right. This is truly what I was waiting for. I did not just want sex, I wanted true love and this is it. We did not care. Azael started to rip my clothes off and I reciprocated.
Her body is too much for me to resist. I cannot help but to lick, suck and nibble every inch of her. She wants to reciprocate but I am overpowering her. I feel the alpha male come over me and she is responding.
Azael is not responding in the way that she wrote. This is far beyond. Both of us are not thinking, we are caught up in pure extasy and it was our world exclusively. When we couple, it is as if we were liquid. We melted together and were truly one.
It was the height of emotions. If we were to die at that moment, there would be no regrets.
The walk back was again silent. She hung on to my arm and as we walked she had her head against my shoulder. Both of us walking back totally naked and we did not care.
The basket, we found out later when it was retrieved, had a change of clothes in it.
Ruth went wild when we came into view.
“You two look so beautiful.” is all she said.
She led us into the mansion, to the shower and she came in with us. She washed the both of us and then we did her. We did her and she did us all that night. We are now mates, several times over.
In the morning, we emerged to all the staff smiling. There was a lavish breakfast for us.
After breakfast, the three of us went for a walk.
Our first mission is complete. That was to get to know each other.
We now have settled into our life as a family. They have been spending every night in my room. I’m in heaven.
I am almost irritated when we received a request for our assistance. It seems like there is a disturbance, a large group of marauders and these are the vicious kind but they have an unknown hide out.
Wanted dead or alive, that is Azael’s specialty. She always has said in her books that there is no problem guarding them. As a matter of fact, they are on the honor system on the way to the nearest guard post. That is because they are dead.
She now has a permanent crew. She has the hunting and ambush skills and now she has the best two in the magic line. All we need to know is the site of the last encounter.
Maybe something they touched. With that, Azael can pick up the scent. This will be good training for me. I will have her show me what is the scent and we will track.
The reward for bringing them in is great. It will be more than enough to fund Lyle for a year and then some. That is, of course, with our supplement but he knows but we do not say anything and he does not question.
Azael would do at least three of these a year. She is never short of funds and ideas for books. I have told her that I cannot wait to read her next. Jokingly I ask if she knows yet if I fuck up. All she tells me is that don’t and you won’t.
The gang numbers around fifteen. Most are a combination of felid and canid but it is rumored that they have a monitor. She tells me that both Ruth and I will have to make him our priority.
Information given to us says that this was a highway robbery of the passenger wagon coming from the north. It was almost a day away from the village. Not having seen the spot, we would have to walk.
Ruth asks the chief if there is anyone that was there, still in the village. He says that there is. She asks for him to get the person here.
While he is having that done, she tells us, “I have read of a technique for being able to see an area the person saw. Remember when I asked Rick to picture him shooting the bow? I caught a glimpse of the target. It was only a glimpse because I saw Elrick sleeping. If I can get a clear picture, we can open a door to that spot. It will save time.”
That will be a great boon. A chance to get a stronger scent makes the experiment worth it. The chief returned with a couple. Ruth explained what she was going to do and asks if they were willing to help us. They both said that if it would help bring those people to justice, they would let her scan them.
She told them to picture the area and if possible the perpetrators. Ruth placed her hands on the woman and after a little while she switched to the male. She smiled and told them that she now had a very clear view of the site and of most of the gang.
With that she opened a door to the point. It was obvious that this was the spot. Now Ruth had a big smile.
“I did see most of the gang. Azael, you will be able to get a good scent.”
She walks to an area and point. Azael backs away but I just laugh at what we see.. Ruth tells us that she saw the monitor take a dump here. Reluctantly Azael walks over and looks at her fate. She grabs a stick and stirs the pile then draws a deep sniff of the pile.
“I hate this part. Rick, get over here. You need to learn.”
I know that this is training, but also it is payback for laughing. I put on my man pants and dip my finger in the pile. I take a deep sniff but done show how horrible it smelled. Ruth ran over and cast cleanse on me. She looked at me with disgust.
“You know where you stick that finger. Show us some respect.” She was giving me the dirtiest look.
I pull her in and tell her that since she cast cleanse on it, “Can I explore?”
The two turn from me and start to walk. I can’t help myself. I also have picked up the scent. I run between the two, slap their butts and sprint ahead yelling,
“I have the best life.”
They caught up and each grabbed a cheek and squeezed. We walked from there. I had Azael on one arm and Ruth on the other.
There were more and more signs and scents. It was not to much further when the scent veered off into the woods. They are not the brightest because the trail is beaten down.
Ruth has us halt. She concentrates and says that they are not even trying to block leaks. She can hear them. All of them are in the camp. The monitor is complaining that they don’t have enough there to sate his appetite. He is going to forage.
This is my chance to take him out.
“You two keep an eye on the group. I’m going to take out the big guy and will be back.
I’ll make him scream. That will distract their attention. When they start towards me, you attack them from behind.”
They like the plan. I go and find the monitor combing the woods for wild vegetables. I do not feel sorry for what I am about to do because of all they have done. As he bends to pull up a plant, I use water blade to cut his arm off. He screams as needed and then I decapitated him.
Going in the direction that the gang would come. I hear screams and then silence. I come upon the carnage.
“You didn’t save anything for me?” I ask my two.
Ruth tells me that I had the monitor so it made up for these small fries. I told them that the next time, save me one. We now go through the task of broadcasting the information to the emperor and Ruth sent a picture of this place to the nearest guard post.
A door opens and guards come through. Twenty is a little over kill. The chief guard inspects all of them and confirms that they are the gang and they are dead. He asks us what we wanted to do with the spoils.
“Collect all and see what can be returned, if anything. Sell the rest and put the money in the guard pension fund.” Azael tells them.
I figured that because that is her trade mark in her books. I let my thought slip to my two that I may need to borrow the pages as she writes about this adventure.
Azael tells me some important advice.
“Touch those papers and you will learn why you don’t piss off the women who you are going to sleep next to.”
Ruth only says, “Ditto” when I turn to her for sympathy.
“Damn.” And I open the door to the cabin.
They look at me.
“What? I thought that is where you go to celebrate after each quest. Don’t want to celebrate.”
Both rush through the door and drag me through.
We celebrated for a few days. Funny, we washed our clothes and it took those few days to dry. It must have been the humidity. We just had to be naked and wait for them to dry. They did catch me using my sprinkler spell.
After our clothes finally dried, we came back to the mansion. Azael said that she felt the urge and needed to write. Ruth had obligations, as the grand mage, that she needed to attend to. I just shrugged.
“I guess I’ll just wander around and make myself a pest to the staff.” I walk away.
There is a lot to do here but most would encroach on the staff’s jobs. You don’t endanger their job. I decide to do some things with my magic. I need to find an area on the grounds that is out of the way.
Using magic, there now is a smaller version of the cabin here. I love my life at the mansion and the staff but, at the cabin, we do take care of ourselves. This is a space for me to retreat to but it is also a space that we can go to as a family for private times.
This is one time that I need something to do. I open a door to my apartment and gather some of my books, papers is want to use for writing and I get my music.
I was one for gadgets. I make sure I grab the window solar charger. It will run my portable cd player. This is the one thing missing from this world. I have not heard of music here. They will get an awakening. Oldies, symphonies and metal. I did not use the earphones.
You would think that there was an alien invasion. “Flight of the Valkyries” Almost everyone at the mansion came running armed. I’m just sitting on the porch, reading and sipping my water. When everyone stops, I look up from my book, it’s Azael’s latest, and just say, “What?”
Azael dresses me down for not alerting everyone but more important.
“Why not country?”
Now that they know that it is not a danger, the kitchen staff bring out snacks and drinks.
Azael informed them that today was a relax day.
“Everyone is to have fun. This is music from Rick’s world, enjoy.”
I go in and bring out some other things that I used magic to recreate. A lawn bowling set and a few badminton sets. Those, after a few instructions and demonstration, became the source of fierce competition but afterwards back to friends,
That is one thing that I like about Randan. You see competition but comradery afterwards. My old world fights would break out. Some actually span generations of actual hatred.
The music now is slow dance music. I take Azael down on the grass and slow dance with her. After one tune, I grab Ruth. She protests that she can’t do it. I don’t lek that stop me.
Out on the grass, I tell her to stand on my feet. She doesn’t understand but steps on my feet. I hold her hands and slowly move my feet. She is amazed and leans in to hug me tight.
By this time, the staff has gotten the idea and also start to dance. The whole day was fun. It broke up the daily routine. The best part of it was when Azael realized that there was no cabin on the mansion grounds.
“Where the hell did that come from?”
“This is here because we need a secluded sanctuary without going far. Why don’t you and Ruth come in I’ll show you something that will make you put locked fencing around it. You will want to confine it to us.
Not believing me, it showed on their faces. They come in and see the den and rest room. I walk to a knothole and push it. The book shelf swung open but without the expected door opening behind it. A trap door was revealed.
I open it and have them go down first.
There before their eyes is an extremely large open room. On the left side is an enormous bed that could hold more than ten with a lot of room left over. On the right is an open shower and hot tub. Again, large capacity.
The only room door there, leads to the toilet area that was not a cubby hole room.
Off to the corner is various side entertainment devices. They are looking at them and drooling. I’m a guy, I cannot help it.
“Don’t the both of you have things you need to do elsewhere?” I am double tackled.
They acknowledge that I did good but they have some extras they would like. Ruth told us that she was going to make a few things that we would find interesting. She did ask us not to peek.
Azael said that she was going to open her door to the brownstone. She is going to give her guards a list of music, a good system and one of those solar generators.
Now that things have calmed down. We get back into our routines, our training and the people wanting to visit and get advice. They are being screened. There have been a few that actually showed up at our door. They were not happy when we would take their information then say that we would be in touch.
There has been one person who has shown up at our gate. She just sat at our entrance with a handmade sign that said “Please help me.” She is a Lapin. It does look like she has gone through a lot just to get here. We had someone go out and bring her in.
It was obvious that she needed attention. My two immediately took her to the bath and the staff brought in numerous clothing items. The kitchen was making a meal for her.
She was now cleaned and fed, Azael and Ruth were the ones to start the interview.
“Claris, What has happened to you that you were in that condition. Please tell us your story.”
She tells us,
“My husband went on an adventure and never came back. It has been more than a year since he left. The mortgage came due and I could not pay it. I was thrown out that day.
The house was taken along with all my possessions. I went to my relations but they were burdened and could not afford to take me in.”
She heard about us so she made her way here.
Ruth asks her. “What do you want us to help you with?”
Claris tells us that she loves her husband. He would not leave her unless he was in trouble and she would be threatened if he returned. She asked us if we would go with her and try to find him.
We get the information. The general area that he was going to is an area that Azael has been before so she would be able to open a door. It was the site where she and Margret had a fierce battle and they lost Lyle. I remember the book and also remember it because our young man chose that name for his own because of the book.
I know that Azael will want to visit his grave.
After gathering information, the door is opened. Azael knows the spot intimately. Before us is a nondescript wood board stuck in the ground that just said Lyle. I walked to it,
opened my hands towards it and chanted. The board disappeared and an obelisk style monument replaces it.
It reads “Here lays Lyle, beloved companion of Azael Windwillow. Fallen in battle protecting his team.”
Azael is in tears and hugs me, thanking me for the consideration. Ruth produces flowers and they place them on the grave. The three pray for a bit. I stood there and told him that we found out the truth and Margret was dealt with. I told him that I have made sure that the legend is what is written in stone for eternity.
Now that it is done. We start our walk. This is going to be a problem quest. We have to figure that all of the clues are at least a year old. Having to rely on witness’ memories is questionable, unless Ruth reads them. Now deal with memories that are a year old and your mind will fill in the blanks.
We found only a few that remembered him. The one that knew him the best was the postmaster. He would come in every month with a letter for Claris. That was a surprise to her because she never got any.
That aside, we were told that he was in a few months ago. He asked if there was any letter for him and again he was told that there was none. The man says that he remembers him saying that it must be a lost cause. He has not been back since.
At our night camp, I say that now our information is now only a few months old.
“He was writing you. That shows that he wanted to talk but since you never received the letters, you did not know where he was. The last remark he made said that he wanted you to do something but he felt that no reply meant that you did not care anymore so he has given up.”
Azael says that since he was using the same post office, he had been in this area and should still be here. She feels that it has to be a day or two away.
“Claris, Can you speculate as to what he would be asking you about?”
She had no idea but he had been saying that our future has stagnated where our home was. We owed too much with too little chance for income.
“Could it be that he found a new place and wanted you to come to him?” I ask.
After some discussion, we decided to do the only thing that would make sense. She needs to thought call out for him. Most of our people cannot call out anyone every
where but all can call out within a couple of days walk away. Claris should be able to call out to him.
“Chaz, are you out there? It’s Claris. Please answer.”
We all hear a surprised Chaz.
“Claris, is that you? Where are you?”
I chime in and tell him that we are helping her to find you. She never received any of those letters you sent.
“I want you to look at a open section of your area and concentrate on it. We have someone that can read that and we should be able to open a door to you.”
Ruth is able to see where he is and she opens the door. The reaction is priceless. The reunion of these two rabbit people is wonderful to see. While they are hugging, we see on the porch another female lapin.
Normally, that would cause a trouble but Chaz broke and introduced Effie to her. It turns out that he finished the quest and bought this land from the bank. He was not told that it was a foreclosure sale. He came to it and found Effie here. She knew it was being sold but hoped that she could bargain cooking for a room to sleep in. He allowed her to stay.
Chaz started to fix the place up and wrote Claris asking her to come here. After a while, these two fell for each other. Chaz always told her that, if Claris ever came, she would be first in their warren.
Effie comes over to Claris and bows to her.
“I welcome you. If you are of the mind to join us, I acknowledge you as my leader’s first.
You are the female warren leader. I will obey your orders.”
She answers her that she wanted a full warren but could never have it. Now that Chaz owns this place outright, she even would be willing to be the subordinate.. Effie said that it was not going to be.
“Claris, you have been with him for longer. You are the leader.”
That settled, a worried trio look to us. We could see that it was time for the reckoning.
Before they could ask, Azael, in her typical form told them.
“I write about my adventures. Our fee for helping you is that I am allowed to include this tale in my next book.”
Chaz and Effie are in shock because they haven’t realized who we are so I love this part. It won’t get old.
“I guess I should introduce ourselves. This is Azael Windwillow Brown, my wife. This is the Great Mage, my other wife and I’m Rick Brown. We don’t need anything but material for our books. Money quests are only when the rich hire us.”
They insist on having us stay for the night. It was a nice vegetarian meal. Good company and we had a tent. The three of us knew that they would get acquainted tonight. They are rabbits after all.
We did the discreet thing. After dark, we opened a door to the small cabin basement room. The staff does not expect us back for a while, we can use the door to get food.
How do they know?
In the morning, we hear them on the main floor, moving the book case, open the trap door and bringing us our breakfast. The head staffer told us to enjoy but there is a lot of items that we need to attend to.
Then they leave us scratching our heads. They look at me and Ruth tells me that I have to work on blocking leaks. I tell her that she underestimates the powers of our staff.
Later we find that there is a spell on this room that alerts the staff if there is a door made there.
We emerge only to find the head staffer was there to run through what needed to be done.
I tell Azael and Ruth that the next time we will go to the real cabin.
“We have the same spell there.” We are told.
Lyle was in his office. It now has been years since he was thrown out as cursed just because he had a club foot. The village misfortune was really due to nature. Not a curse.
He has vivid memories of wandering in the wilderness, waiting to die of starvation or being a meal for a predator. He remembers hearing about the great mage being brought back to life after being murdered.
“That only happens to the privileged not for the common folk let alone those of us that are trash that is thrown away and forgotten.”
He now smiles because, he was rescued by the very people he heard about through that broadcast. He now does the rescuing. He now mentors those he rescues. The major thing that he now knows is that he cannot rescue everyone.
Lyle learned from those three that rescued him. They showed him the compassion that he did not even get from his parents.
They were not easy on him when they were teaching him but he knew that they wanted him to be the best he could be. He has their basic advice memorized. They said it every time he was down on himself and said that he said he could not do something.
If you want others to think better of you, you must first think better of yourself.
With that, he learned how to read and write. With that he learned that life is what you make it. You can live with the poor me syndrome or you can say “Watch me as I trash your limitations of what I can be. I will determine what I will be. Not you.”
Stumbling through those woods was actually the turning point for his life. Stripped bare of that negative environment, he was lifted out and shown his true path. He now love the fact the there are children that would be dead trash that now are laughing and well fed.
He has the greatest pride when he is able to connect one of his foundlings with couples who want them. He has turned away those who think they can get cheap expendable labor. Having been used, he can smell them out.
Lyle sits here, in a comfortable lounge like office, with a couple that he has finally told them that his investigation into them has shown that they are going to be good parents to the child they wanted.
There is nothing better than the high he is getting when that child, who was tossed out, is in the arms of a couple that will change that child’s life.
His ultimate goal is to put himself out of business. That no one would be thrown out. He is at the very beginning of a system that allows parents that do not want the child to be able to connect with those who can’t have their own.
If that happens, no he thinks as he looks at a happy family leave his office, it will happen or he will die trying. He truly wants to see the time that there will no longer be a child left to die in the woods.
Enough, he has more children to find, nurture and find homes but today. All of them are going to the mansion for a few days of fun. Those people love it when we descend on them.
Both Lyle and the children can just relax and have fun.
