Noah, having fled the city of Colbrand, leaves his friends behind with his mess.
Homefront
Alexis Veres sat alone in the dark, warm enough not to shiver, but too cold to be comfortable. Her arms were bound in iron shackles, hurting her wrists, and the stale air of the dungeon made her nauseous. She was seated in a chair with uneven legs, at a table that had been made from the roughest wood available and would give a splinter with every touch. A heavy door, locked tight, stood at the end of the small stone room.
As uncomfortable as she was, she appreciated the quiet. It gave her time to process everything she had just seen. It was Knight’s Day, and just hours ago, she had watched Noah defeat Prince Seraph in battle, then proceed to torture him until he attempted suicide. Soon after the fight ended and Noah disappeared, Alexis was arrested, and she feared Sophia had been as well.
Interrupting her thoughts, the door to the room opened, and an old dwarf entered with a lit candle. “Lady Veres, do you know who I am?”
“Sir Marcus Berholm, Royal Adjudicator,” Alexis replied, trying to keep her voice steady and her fear in check.
“That is correct. When the king needs to know things, I am the one who finds them out. Right now, the king needs to know everything you know about Sir Noah. In a just world, you and I would be enjoying this day, celebrating with our fellow knights, but instead, you and Lady Rosege are locked in here, and I have the task of acquiring every truth and secret you hold. Were Sir Gradius still in charge of interrogations, the two of you would have lost your fingernails already, but I do not believe in such draconian measures.”
He then reached into his robes and pulled out a small glass bottle. “This is a potion you wouldn’t have learned about at the academy, as we no longer have the means to produce it. It is a truth serum. A few drops of this would have you spilling every secret you keep buried in the depths of your soul. I have been authorized to use this on you and Lady Rosege should you fail to give me what I want, and any other methods I see fit to get my answers.”
The mentioning of Sophia sent a tremor of fear through her, but Alexis steadied herself. “You won’t need it,” she said softly, with tired eyes.
“Oh?”
“He knew this would happen. He knew that someday we would be questioned like this. He even mentioned a truth serum being used on me. He saw it all coming.”
“Sir Noah, you mean?”
Alexis nodded. “He made me and Sophia swear that we would never reveal his secrets, not to anyone, but he offered an exception. He told us to sell him out if it guaranteed our freedom and safety. He said he didn’t want to force us to choose between him and each other.”
“So he knew that you would inevitably be questioned for the things he did. Did you know what it would be for?”
“No. Sophia and I had no idea what he planned to do to the princes and their friends. He kept us in the dark about a lot of things.”
“Do you know what he did to Henryk Schtern, or the whereabouts of Mark Saveat?”
“He looked me dead in the eye and told me he had nothing to do with them. I guess I was a fool to believe him.”
“I want you to start at the beginning. Tell me how you two met.”
“We met last year on a ship heading down the Paleon Channel from a town named Took. At the time, I was tracking a pack of ogres that had ransacked my family’s territory. The ogres attacked us, and we ended up fighting side-by-side. His skill was incredible. It took everything I had just to keep up with him. We ended up exterminating the whole pack together, then separated after that. He continued on his way to Colbrand, and I had to return home.
We met again several days later, enrolling into the academy.” She gave a dry chuckle. “We became friends out of mutual respect for each other on the battlefield, and because neither of us had anyone else to talk to. We were stuck together like that for the whole year.”
“What did he tell you about himself?”
“Very little, unfortunately. He was quiet; we both were. The things he initially told me about his life, I later found out were all lies. He claimed to be the son of a mighty adventurer and told me what it was like growing up, about his family, but none of it was true.”
“But you knew that for a while, didn’t you?”
“I had my suspicions. I could tell that there was something strange about Noah. I sensed there was so much he wasn’t telling me. Even now, I’m still trying to figure out the truth from the lies.”
“I understand there were some incidents involving him at the academy. I’ve heard them retold from others, and now I want to hear you explain it.”
“It started when he sparred with Lady Zodiac on the first day. I wasn’t there to see it, but everyone who witnessed it spoke of him like a god. Not to be outdone, Prince Seraph attacked Lady Zodiac, but failed to match her as Noah did. When dueling was introduced, Seraph immediately challenged Noah, and he refused, treating the whole thing as a children’s game that he could just ignore.
There was bad blood between me and Seraph, so I took Noah’s place. Seraph almost killed me, but lost on a technicality and was forbidden from challenging Noah again. Prince Galvin then pitted Henryk and Mark against him, and they didn’t stand a chance. When Galvin challenged Noah, Noah demanded they wager Sophia.”
“She was Prince Galvin’s betrothed at the time, correct?”
“Yes, and he loved to torment her. He used her as a slave, made her watch as he violated women, and hit her when she spoke out of turn. I was looking for a way to break the engagement and save her from him. Noah beat me to it and ended up pulverizing Galvin.” She spoke the words while staring off into the distance with a slight smirk on her lips, only for it to disappear. “Then… he and Sophia spent the night together. We all heard them. At the very least, he succeeded in breaking Galvin’s hold over her.”
“I recall rumors of him taking part in some strange performance at the Knight’s Sheath.”
“Apparently, many cadets wanted some bedroom advice, so he gave it to them, and then some. The first part was actually a very informative lecture on the human body. I was there to see it and came away knowing more about myself than I thought possible. I decided not to stick around for the live demonstration.
Everything was peaceful for a while, then out of the blue, Henryk was struck with paralysis, and I heard rumors about Mark acting strange. Then, one day, I learned about Noah’s… performance… with Duchess Herald. Noah revealed that the Knight’s Sheath had been destroyed and that Galvin was the culprit. His stint with the duchess was an act of vengeance to humiliate them both.
After finding out about his mother, Galvin tried to kill Noah, and chased him into the slums. He claimed he abandoned him there, and Galvin was attacked by vagrants, but deep down, I knew Noah had done something horrible to him. I suspected then that he had a hand to play in the fates of Henryk and Mark. I thought that was the end of it. I thought the worst was behind us. But, today, I noticed Noah and Seraph were missing, and I figured out what was going on.”
“You were a witness to his fight with Prince Seraph. You heard the things he said. According to Tarnas and others, he referred to himself as a ‘spirit’ that had lived for thousands of years. What can you tell me that?”
Alexis gave a bitter laugh. “Believe him. Noah constantly lies, but the words he spoke then are words you can believe. After defeating Galvin in the duel, Noah revealed to me that he was older than he appeared, much, much older, and right before we were knighted, he let me and Sophia in on the details.
He wasn’t born in our world; he simply arrived here. The young man you see is merely the form he takes. He sheds bodies the way a snake sheds its skin, and even if you kill him, he immediately gains a new body somewhere else. He is an ancient being, possessing knowledge and tools from other worlds, and told me straight to my face that he was alive long before I was born, and would be alive long after I died.”
“And now he has defected with one of our best knights. Do you know where they are going?”
“He told me that they were going after Sir Valon Zodiac, to try and break Noah’s curse, but he didn’t tell me where exactly they were headed.”
“But should he ever return, I need to know if he is a threat to this country.”
“Noah is neither friend nor enemy, because he simply doesn’t care, and if you act foolishly… pray he decides to kill you quickly.”
“You act like he is above blame and consequence.”
“And you act like he is a normal person. I made that mistake; we all did.”
“You claim he doesn’t care, but he performed unspeakable crimes because his favorite brothel was burned down.”
“He told me he didn’t care about the brothel, just about the notes and research the proprietress owned. He came to Colbrand looking for answers about his existence, and Seraph and the others took that away from him. I don’t agree with what he did, but the fact remains that he warned them repeatedly not to antagonize him, and they stepped on the dragon’s tail.”
“Is that the stance you are taking?”
“My stance is that I did not aid Noah in his crimes, nor did I know about them. Right now, I wish I could give him a black eye for putting me in this situation.”
“You claim that you and Lady Rosege had no knowledge or participation in Noah’s actions, but the fact remains that Princes Seraph and Galvin, who you admit to having unfavorable relationships with, suffered at his hand. You even admit that he annulled Prince Galvin’s arranged marriage, something that you yourself wished to do. Prince Seraph almost killed you in a duel, and Noah has now done the same thing to him. The argument could be made that his actions were for your benefit, and possibly at your behest.”
“I never wanted him to do something so horrible! I tried to stop Noah from torturing Seraph!”
“Or you made it look like you wanted to stop him, so you would appear innocent. Since your guilt in colluding with the fugitive known as Noah cannot yet be proven, you and Lady Rosege will not be executed as confederates to his crimes against the country.
However, we cannot prove your innocence either, so until he is found, the kingdom cannot risk you two running off and joining him. Therefore, your positions in the knighthood are suspended until further notice, and the two of you shall remain under lock and key until Noah is captured and can collaborate your innocence.”
His words sent terror through Alexis, making her sick. She and Sophia would be imprisoned until Noah was caught? That could take years, if it was even possible for them to find him. Their families might kick up a fuss, but that would only be if they found out. How long would the two of them be forced to remain in the dungeon?
There was a knock at the door, and Berholm got up to answer. Alexis saw a soldier standing on the other side of the door, and he whispered something to the dwarf, who then turned to Alexis. “Come with me,” he said, brandishing a key and using it to unlock her shackles.
She followed him through the dank corridors and up the stairs, out of the dungeon. There, waiting at the entrance, was Sophia, and the last person she expected. “Ah, Alexis, darling, it’s good to see you,” said Madam Cyrilo, standing with Daniel beside her.
It was the middle of the afternoon, granting her enough vitality to leave the Knight’s Sheath. She did so in an extravagant dress, a hat decorated with a colorful plume of feathers, and an abundance of jewelry.
“Madam Cyrilo? What are you doing here?” Alexis asked.
“That’s what I’d like to know, too,” said Berholm.
“Oh Marcus, don’t get sour. The king is aware that Prince Galvin was responsible for the original Knight’s Sheath burning down, and as such, he owes me a favor, a favor which I am calling in. Rather than sitting in the dungeon, you and Sophia will come work for me.”
Alexis felt her stomach twist into knots, with the icy blade of dread slipping between her ribs. Though Sophia had learned to conceal her misery and terror when she was Galvin’s betrothed, she clearly felt the same. They were going to be working at the Knight’s Sheath? A brothel? If she had to choose between selling her body to strange men or waiting in the dungeon, she knew which choice she would take.
“Madam Cyrilo, I truly appreciate your concern, but—”
“And the king has agreed to this?” Berholm asked.
“Yes, as long as I’m responsible for making sure the two of them don’t leave the city. I think you’ll find everything in order,” Cyrilo replied, handing Berholm a contract signed by her and the king.
“Very well then. I’ll leave the two of them in your care. Enjoy the rest of Knight’s Day.”
Berholm walked away, but Alexis’s tension didn’t ease. She felt like she couldn’t breathe.
“Now, now, dear, don’t give me that pained look,” said Cyrilo. “Believe it or not, I’m here at Noah’s directive.”
Her announcement shook Alexis and Sophia from their silent stupor. “What do you mean?” Sophia asked.
“He had a feeling that you two would get in trouble due to your friendship with him, so he asked me to intercede and provide sanctuary. And, though you will be employed at the Knight’s Sheath, know that you won’t be spending any time on your back. He was very insistent on that.
Our resident healer, Rita, ended up finding a… well, I won’t say ‘husband.’ Rather, she’s working privately for a certain noble. Since she’s gone, Sophia, you’ll be in charge of tending to any injuries suffered on the premises. Noah lauded your magical abilities and thirst for knowledge, so you’ll also be serving as my assistant in magic research and experimentation.”
“I tried to fill that role, but unfortunately, I’m really only qualified to be a test subject,” said Daniel with a sigh.
“Alexis, you’ll be helping Lucius, my right-hand man. As well as working the bar, he’s also in charge of keeping the girls safe, throwing out belligerent customers, and running certain errands for me. You’ll help pick up the slack. In exchange, you’ll receive room and board, a stipend for all your hard work, and protection from the kingdom. Now then, come along. There is work to be done.”
Though hesitant, they followed Cyrilo and Daniel into the city, where the Knight’s Day celebration was still going strong. However, a key aspect was missing from the merriment: the knights. They were all busy trying to track down Noah and Valia, but they had to do so quietly, to keep the public from getting alarmed. Eventually, everyone would discover what happened to Prince Seraph, but after last year’s chaos, this holiday needed to run smoothly.
When the four arrived at the Knight’s Sheath, they found it packed full of drinkers, both familiar and foreign. Courtesans were moving through the crowds in lewd and exotic outfits, serving drinks to the legions of customers. The noise of over a hundred men drinking, talking, arguing, and playing cards, combined with aromas of gonlief smoke and various perfumes, left Alexis and Sophia overwhelmed. They were going to be working here?
“Both of you come with me. You don’t exactly fit in with the clothes you’re wearing.” Cyrilo led them away from the fuss to a changing room behind the stage, filled with beautiful dresses fit for nobles, and scanty outfits that left little to the imagination. “Let’s see what we have in your size…”
While hesitant to change their clothes in this new place, Alexis and Sophia swallowed their anxiety and put on the outfits they were given. Sophia wore a sleeveless yellow dress that put her cleavage on display, while Alexis changed into a tight-fitting leather vest that exposed her stomach with a diagonally-cut skirt.
“Well now, don’t you two look lovely?” Cyrilo beamed.
The girls, however, were less enthusiastic, with Alexis covering her stomach and Sophia covering her chest. “I don’t know if I can go out there. What if my family finds out about this?” Sophia yelped.
“I trained to be a knight, a warrior for justice. Is this really my only option?” Alexis asked, crestfallen.
“Oh, relax; you two will just be serving drinks and learning the basics. I gave Noah my word I’d keep you safe. Alexis, you’ll be behind the bar. Just listen to Lucius, and you’ll do fine. Sophia, you’re with me. As the proprietress of this establishment, there are certain clients that I have to greet. You’ll be my shadow, so pay close attention. If I tell you to do something, move fast.”
Alexis and Sophia looked at each other with uncertainty, then reluctantly split up. Sophia followed Cyrilo as she went around meeting with nobles, while Alexis joined Lucius at the bar.
“You’re Alexis, right?”
“That’s right, we met before. You’re Lucius?”
“Correct. I’m sorry we can’t get you started on a slower day, but we need all the help we can get right now.”
Alexis worked hard, mainly pouring drinks and cleaning mugs, with Lucius guiding her through other tasks. It wasn’t long before there was a disturbance at one of the tables. A man was demanding to be “serviced” where he was sitting and complaining about his empty mug, despite being out of money. When he grabbed a girl and started yelling, Lucius turned to Alexis.
“Time to see what you can do.”
“What should I do exactly?”
“Tell him to get out, and if he doesn’t listen, feel free to rough him up a bit. Just keep in mind to leave him in walking condition; otherwise, you’ll have to drag him outside. Also, try not to cause a mess or break any furniture.”
Alexis moved through the crowd to the bearded drunkard, still throwing his temper tantrum. “Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”
“I’m not leaving, especially because some bitch asked! Now pour me a drink before I decide to ruin that pretty face of yours!”
Alexis looked at the table, seeing a bowl of lemons. ‘Noah,’ she thought to herself while rolling her eyes. “Last chance. Get out while you’re still able to move.”
“You got a mouth on you, girl. How about putting it to good use? And show me a little more skin.”
He reached towards her chest, only for the privilege of his fingers to be revoked. Alexis seized his grubby hand, broke the digits, and then jammed a lemon into the man’s mouth to keep him from screaming. She twisted his arm and slammed his head on the table, then took a half-eaten lemon and squirted its juice in his eyes, raising his agony to the next level. Keeping his arm bent, she forced him to his feet and roughly escorted him to the exit. After dislocating his shoulder, she kicked him into the street. As he clumsily scurried off, she took a deep breath to calm her racing heart.
‘Huh, maybe this job isn’t so bad after all.’
Things calmed down once Daniel started his evening performance. As soon as he began playing, everyone became hypnotized. Mana was radiating from his guitar, entering their minds like a sweet drug. Alexis, who had been silently lamenting her hunger, meant to get something to eat during the concert, but found herself stuck in place like everyone else, losing track of time. Sitting at the bar with Cyrilo, Sophia was in the same state.
The music he played was so different from what they were used to hearing, both the rhythms and the lyrics. Outside of religious hymns and tales of great warriors and battles sung by bards, music was next to nonexistent. What there was had none of the life and energy coming from Daniel’s guitar. Most lyrics went over the listeners’ heads, but the music was incredible nonetheless.
“Madam Cyrilo, did he learn these songs from Noah?” Alexis asked.
“No, but the two of them came from the same place.”
“You mean Daniel is a reincarnator too?”
Cyrilo turned back to Alexis, amused. “I see, so Noah told you his secret. Yes, Daniel is here from another world. I swear, those two boys are gifts from the gods.”
The partying continued long into the evening, and Alexis and Sophia, despite having just finished a year of harsh training at the knight academy, were utterly exhausted when their work shift ended. They were given a room in the corner of the top floor, offering them some manner of isolation from the debauchery happening in the rest of the brothel.
Laying atop their mattress, too tired to get undressed or even extinguish the nearby candle, there was nothing Alexis and Sophia could do but listen to the sounds of fornication. In every room, courtesans moaned, and clients grunted atop creaky beds.
It wasn’t just physical exhaustion that plagued them. This day had been an emotional torrent, starting with the knighting ceremony, and leading to arrests and interrogation in the dungeon. Now they were lying together in a brothel, while a girl down the hall loudly described how she was being sodomized with perverse and sickening detail.
Alexis raised her hand and stared at her finger, the finger where her knight ring had sat for just a few hours, before being confiscated, along with her official sword, enchanted bow, her title, and her happiness. Her despair was not lost on Sophia.
“Don’t worry, this is only temporary.”
“I had it. For one glorious moment, I had it. I was a knight of Uther, a warrior recognized by superiors and trusted to protect this nation and its interests. Then it was immediately taken away. I didn’t even get to wear my ring long enough for a mark to form on my finger. And it’s all because of Noah.”
“It’s not that bad. This is something we’ll look back on and laugh.”
“Sophia, we’re working in a brothel. Our neighbor in the next room has a stranger’s cock in her mouth. Cyrilo said we wouldn’t be working on our backs, but how long can that last? How long will it be until we’re expected, pressured, and even forced to whore ourselves to drunk fools? I don’t want to be staring at this ceiling, wishing I had never been born while some fat bastard climbs on top of me.”
Sophia rolled over and looked at her. “That’s not going to happen. I won’t let it happen to you, and you won’t let it happen to me. Besides, I think we can trust Cyrilo. And if things go wrong, we’ll head for the hills. Maybe we’ll hide with your family or mine, or maybe we can just start our lives together in the countryside. Maybe instead of knights, we can turn to a life of crime. Alexis and Sophia, the Bandit Queens. They’ll tell stories about us.”
Alexis gave a tired chuckle. “Why aren’t you as angry about this as I am? You can’t tell me this is your ideal version of our lives.”
“At the moment, it is.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I mean it. If I was told I would be butchering animals or shoveling sewage, ending every day covered in filth, I would lose my nerve, but if you were right there with me the whole time, it would be paradise. We would spend each day sharing gripes, jokes, gossip, plans, dreams… we would have so much fun. And that’s what we’ll do here. We’re currently working in a brothel, but that doesn’t mean we can’t make fond memories and funny stories for later.”
Alexis gave another laugh. “That’s why I love you. Only you could make working in a brothel sound like fun.”
Sophia kissed her. “Well, I am a healer. I have to help the mind as well as the body.”
Fatigued by the long day, the two women put out the candle and went to bed. Though their situation was not ideal, they could finally sleep side by side. Holding each other tight, not even the moans and cries throughout the building could disturb them.
----------
Fire, it was all around her, and it was all she could see, a ring of flames surrounding her under a black sky. Alexis, lying on the ground, spat out a mouthful of blood. She could barely move, robbed of her strength by pain, and stricken with broken bones and torn flesh. Noah stood over her, his eyes devoid of humanity.
“You brought this on yourself. How could I have been any clearer as to what would happen to those who oppose me?”
“Noah, please, stop,” Alexis murmured.
Noah grabbed her by the throat and held her off the ground. “I’m never going to stop. I will keep hurting you until you beg your death, and then I will hurt you even worse. Then I’ll leave you alive just enough so you can watch what I do to Sophia. You brought this on yourself when you made me your enemy and got in my way.”
“We’re supposed to be friends…” she gasped, struggling to breathe.
“You really think I’d consider an insignificant bug like you to be my friend? You’re a tool for me to use until you break, and Sophia exists as my plaything until she, too, is no longer useful. You, your lover, your friends, your family, your country, your world, will all suffer simply because I decide so.” His grip on her throat tightened. “And your suffering has only just begun.”
“Alexis!”
Sophia’s voice shook her from her nightmare. She bolted up, swinging at an enemy that wasn’t there, and instead finding herself in bed at the Knight’s Sheath.
“Alexis, what’s wrong?” Sophia asked worriedly, caressing her cheek.
“Just a bad dream,” Alexis murmured, gasping for air as though she could still feel fingers around her throat.
“You were saying Noah’s name in your sleep. This is because of yesterday, isn’t it? We haven’t had a chance to talk about what happened. I was told that Noah beat up Seraph and that you were there to watch it. Is it true?”
Alexis sighed and sat up with her. “Noah didn’t beat up Seraph; he literally tortured him. It started out as a fight, but Noah wasn’t going to let it end like one. He’d beat Seraph half the death, heal him, and do it again, all while saying things that chilled my blood. Even when Seraph couldn’t fight back, the pain didn’t stop. Finally, Noah took out a plum and told Seraph that if he ate it, it would poison him, and he’d escape further torment by Noah through death.
I watched Seraph drag himself with a broken back and fingers, sobbing, and end his own life. I watched Noah force a man to commit suicide. The plum didn’t actually kill him, but that’s because Noah wanted him to suffer for the rest of his life. There are times when Noah has disgusted me, horrified me, and infuriated me, but that… that was the first time I actually feared him.
I know it was vengeance for the Knight’s Sheath, and I know that Seraph deserved to be punished for everything he’s done, but still, I didn’t want to believe that Noah was capable of that. What if by befriending Noah, we were just playing with fire? Now we’ve been burned, and next time, we’ll be incinerated.”
“Listen to me. Do you know what one of my greatest fears is? Is that if something were to happen to me, you would do the exact same thing he did. I know you had a thousand different plans on how to torture Galvin every time he gave me a bruise. If something were to happen to you, I don’t want to know what my anger would drive me to do. Don’t be afraid of Noah because he’s human enough to want vengeance. Things didn’t go how you wanted them to, but that doesn’t mean we made a mistake.
Now come on, the sun is up. Let’s start the day!”
Alexis smiled as she watched Sophia get dressed. She was like the sun, and her light and warmth had comforted Alexis for as long as she could remember. After getting dressed and eating, they were ready for work. Alexis joined Lucius behind the counter and sighed in relief at the morning's tranquility. There were still countless men sitting at the tables, but they were quiet and listless after the festivities of Knight’s Day.
“This tea is delicious,” said Alexis, drinking from her cup after pouring for several customers.
“It’s a special blend for nursing hangovers.”
“And what about this?” Alexis asked as she picked up a box of tea leaves.
“That keeps the girls from getting pregnant; all the brothels use it. It’s called Whore’s Root. We brew a LOT of that.” Alexis sighed, something that Lucius noticed. “Not the life you expected when you got out of the academy, is it?”
Alexis looked out the window. “I should be out there, fighting, making a difference.”
“Just doing one doesn’t necessarily mean you’re doing the other. Believe me, I know.”
“Were you in the knighthood?”
“No, but I was a soldier for many years, fighting the country’s enemies both within and beyond its borders. I’ve done good things… and bad things, often while trying to do good things. When you join the military, knight or otherwise, you tell yourself that what you’re doing is right because you were ordered to do so, even when it’s something you’re not proud of. You dig yourself in even deeper and devote yourself to the cause, because you think something will happen that will make it all worth it, that will reveal why all the bad stuff was necessary.”
“And does it?”
“It can. Sometimes the work pays off, and you can sleep knowing that lives were made better because you swallowed your conscience. Other times, things go wrong, friends die, innocent blood on your hands, and you have to pray that the gods have some kind of plan in the works, because you realize the men up top don’t.”
“I’m loyal to Uther, but I didn’t join the knighthood to simply follow orders. I did it because I wanted to change things from the inside. I want to improve this country for the people who are dismissed and stepped on.”
“And what happens when you’re ordered to dismiss and step on people?”
“I guess… I’ll have to pray that the gods have a plan in the works, just like you said.”
“Well, don’t waste your life waiting for the plan to make sense. I did.”
As Alexis and Lucius manned the counter, Sophia was with Madam Cyrilo in her study. “What is all this?” she asked, looking over a pile of documents.
“This is a project Noah and I started after the old Knight’s Sheath burned down,” said Cyrilo, sitting on her desk in feline form. “While working on various tools and instruments of pleasure, he would recite information from his world, and I would write it down to make up for all my lost research. He made sure to reimburse me financially, emotionally, and intellectually.”
Sophia smiled. “He and I did the same thing. He taught me so much about medicine and the human body, I was able to develop my own special healing magic.”
“Well, that lecture he gave inspired me, and I realized that knowledge is to be shared, not hoarded for one’s personal research. I want to compile this information into books, copy them, and sell them to the masses. I understand that you’re a healer, meaning you’ve received training at the church, and one of their practices is copying ***********ure, correct?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Perfect. Then you have the calligraphy skills I need. Unfortunately, my hand isn’t steady enough.”
“I don’t understand.”
Cyrilo then reverted back to her human form, a withered old woman, shocking Sophia.
“What you see is the result of a curse I fell victim to while searching for immortality. I experience a full life cycle each day, but in reverse. I’m a decrepit hag at dawn, and I’m spry as a doe once night falls. As you can imagine, such rapid de-aging can cause certain coordination and dexterity problems.”
“I see, so both you and Noah are cursed.”
“Ah, so he told you about that?”
“You knew?”
“I learned early on that Noah and Daniel were from another world, but I had no idea Noah’s case was so much more… extensive. Days ago, he consulted me and revealed the true nature of his affliction. When he told me how he had been relying on my research to break his curse, I honestly felt sorry for him. I wish I could have helped him, but what he described was far beyond my knowledge.”
“But do you think it’s possible for him to break his curse?”
“Possible? Certainly. But he’s going to have his work cut out for him.”
“I just hope I get to see him again. I don’t want him to break his curse and disappear without giving me the chance to say goodbye.”
“You have a good heart. I’m sure he’ll wander back through my doors soon enough. Anyway, back to the matter at hand. I want to give you a test.” She looked through the paper stack and pulled out a handful of pages. “These are notes pertaining to sexual health, such as what Noah described in his lecture. I want you to write a brochure of this information that we can sell directly to customers here at the Knight’s Sheath. Your handwriting must be clear, distinct, and readable. There are also diagrams that I would like you to copy. I’ve prepared the materials for you.”
She was given a quill, a bottle of ink, and a parchment booklet of ten pages. “Yes, Madam, right away.”
“Come find me when you’re done.”
Sophia took the notes and stationery into the parlor, where she could set herself up at the bar next to Alexis.
She dove into her work with a steaming mug of tea beside her. Her intellectual hunger gave her fast eyes, swallowing up the information, and then with perfect calligraphy, she summarized it onto the parchment. As Cyrilo deduced, Sophia had undergone much training at the church during her childhood, and copying ***********ure was a common practice. She remembered it as dull, tedious, and unpleasant, but now, she was all smiles.
More than simple knowledge, this came from Noah, making it a priceless treasure for her. It was the same way with her own compiled research. She cherished every page like a prized religious text. She didn’t know where Noah was and when or if she would ever get to see him again, but reading through these notes made her feel like he was still with her.
It also helped that the knowledge was deliciously taboo. She had already heard much of it in Noah’s lecture and experienced it first-hand, but reading and writing it still reddened her cheeks. Copying the diagrams was even more intense. Even though she was in a brothel, she looked around nervously, afraid of getting caught doing something sinful.
It took a few hours, but she eventually finished the booklet and presented it to Cyrilo. “Oh, this is marvelous, dear, marvelous!”
“Really?”
“It’s perfect. Now we can start making more.”
“I can probably make another three today.”
“That won’t be necessary, dear. I have a better method. It’s something that Noah and I came up with.”
She took out a scroll and unrolled it across her desk, revealing long lines of alchemic formulas, or at least the start. Unfortunately, most of the lines weren’t even half-done, several were missing, and the various magic diagrams still awaited drawing.
“What is this?” Sophia asked.
“The idea is to use alchemy to directly copy objects, arranging and shaping the raw materials into perfect duplicates. Noah claimed a similar process existed in his world, called “Three-Dimensional Printing.” Imagine your booklet here on one end, and on the other end, a stack of parchment and ink. They’re made of the same materials, so all we have to do is find a way to rearrange the matter.
Unfortunately, he departed before we could make any real progress, but he left me plenty of notes and knowledge on the field of study known as “chemistry,” and I’m sure we can crack the code together. You helped him with a lot of his alchemy work, correct?” Sophia tried to answer, but all that came out was a squeal of excitement. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
----------
Over the coming days, Alexis and Sophia settled into the Knight’s Sheath and got used to their jobs. Sophia continued working on coalescing all of the knowledge Noah left behind into readable books, and helped Cyrilo develop the alchemic printing technique.
Alexis assisted Lucius with much of his work, from pouring drinks to dealing with rowdy customers and assisting the servant girls in cleaning and other chores. Initially, she had worried that working behind a bar would lead to her getting soft, but the physical requirements of this job reminded her of training at the academy. It was no wonder Lucius needed a helping hand.
However, not everything was going well outside of the brothel. Despite the kingdom’s best attempts at concealing Noah’s fight with Seraph, the story inevitably got out, with more and more details leaking with every passing day.
Though everyone heard Noah grievously wounded Galvin, it was treated mainly as a rumor, as there were no witnesses. Besides, they were more interested in his public fornication with Duchess Herald. The incident with Seraph was different. Plenty of knights witnessed the prince getting ground into the mud and pushed to madness. They could attest to Noah’s cruelty and strength.
Not only that, but Seraph was a real contender for the throne and was recognized for his incredible talent and power. Galvin was simply a bastard prince, the spare of a spare. Seraph was supposed to be a cornerstone for the new age, even if it was Lupin who became king. His horrific and humiliating loss and resulting incapacitation were a heavy blow to the country.
While serving drinks, Alexis would overhear people’s conversations, and many of them were frightful. Two of the three princes were good as dead, and the royal bloodline was in jeopardy. Was Prince Lupin next to meet Noah’s wrath? This fear and speculation were damaging the economy, riling up the church, and hindering Uther’s position on the world stage.
At the same time, Noah’s name was growing in infamy. His skill was on par with Valia Zodiac. He had defeated, cucked, blinded, and castrated Prince Galvin. He’d given a sex lecture at the old Knight’s Sheath and fucked Duchess Herald on stage at the new one. He’d collected a mountain of severed heads during the Red Revelry, then crushed and tortured Prince Seraph. All these events came together to make him someone who invoked awe, respect, and terror.
At a young age, he had accrued more recognition than most gold-ranked knights. He’d even received a nickname from his words spoken while fighting Seraph. On wanted posters, he was referred to as the Wandering Spirit.
At the Knight’s Sheath, he was being spun as a hero. The guilty parties in the original brothel’s razing had been revealed, and Noah’s actions were understood as well-earned vengeance. Daniel, as the Bard of Rock, decided to make lemonade.
“And as the sun came on down,
All the revelers gathered around,
They gnashed their teeth and stomped the ground,
For the king’s ransom had been found.
A hundred coins of solid gold,
That was the bounty they were told,
For the treasure, their lives were sold,
Now in the ground, they lay cold.
The man with whom the duchess laid,
On this stage, with toys they played,
Her son’s debt was lewdly paid,
Birthing a memory that would never fade.
With swords and knives, they entered the city,
Ready to get down into the nitty-gritty,
They expected pure simplicity,
Unaware they’d receive no pity.
Under cover of darkness, deep in the night,
They circled Noah, ready to fight,
Like hungry rats about to bite,
And he put them down with all his might.
Noah cut their throats with sharpened steel,
Ending their lives so they could no longer feel,
Coming here, their fates were sealed,
Feeding the soil a bloody meal.
A hundred lives were painted red,
A hundred wives, waiting in bed,
A hundred decaps’ is what he said,
It was the night of a hundred heads.”
Up on stage, he sang his tale to a nonexistent crowd. It was the slow part of the day, the perfect time for trying new and forgotten songs. Down below him sat Lucius, listening and nodding with his arms crossed.
“So that’s what I got so far. What do you think?”
“Well, the bones are there, but you should add more detail. I think… it also needs one repeating line that people will hum to themselves all day.”
“Ooh, yeah, that’s a good idea.”
Alexis watched from the bar, bored out of her mind. There were only a few customers, all the chores had been taken care of, and Sophia was busy working with Cyrilo, so there was nothing to do. Her boredom ended when a man entered the building, a man she had never seen before but had a bad feeling about. He was fat and greasy, like a pig in human clothes, and he had a look on his face that said he enjoyed seeing people suffer. Galvin always had that same look. When she and the man made eye contact, he gained a wickedly perverse grin, revealing two rows of rotting teeth.
“Well now, aren’t you a pretty thing,” he said, taking pleasure in Alexis’s disgust.
“Before you say anything else, I’m not an escort. It’s my job to throw out men who cause trouble. If you annoy me, I will hurt you, bad.”
“Hey, little lady, you can’t work in a place like this and expect not to spread your legs for a paying customer. Come on, show me a smile.”
A large hand grabbed the man’s shoulder. “That’s enough, Ham. You don’t want to walk out of here two TWO black eyes, do you?” Lucius growled.
Ham laughed him off. “Easy there, buddy, I’m just having a little fun. Anyway, you know what I’m here for.”
Lucius let him go and went behind the bar, retrieving a small sack and setting it on the counter. Ham slapped down some dirty coins before taking the parcel. “Pleasure doing business with you,” he said as he walked away.
“What was all that about?” Alexis asked.
“You don’t want to know.”
----------
King Leonard Albion sat upon his throne with his hand over his eyes, trying to block out the light and ease his thumping headache. His stomach was also hurting, another result of the stress accumulating since Knight’s Day. Before him kneeled Adwith Tarnas, his mightiest and most loyal warrior, though his faith in him had always been relatively shallow. Yet despite the distrust he received, Tarnas still kneeled, unmoving, awaiting word from his lord. He would wait all day if he needed to, becoming a living statue.
“How did it come to this? Two of my sons, broken in body and mind,” the king finally said with a weary voice.
“They still live, sire. Though this is a horrific tragedy, we should at least be glad that they aren’t dead. Is the survival of your children not worth a sigh of relief?”
“Galvin’s line has ended, and he’s succumbed to madness. Seraph refuses to eat, and the things he screams during his night terrors... What relief I feel as a father has been swallowed by my despair as a king.”
“But we are not without options. Whether or not this tragedy has been ordained by the gods, it still stands as a sign that we must acknowledge. It is time for Seraph to begin his training. It is time for him to walk the path of Light’s Emissary.”
“I’m afraid that time has come and gone. Seraph lost his magic. He can no longer conjure the power of light.”
“Lumendori has not given up on him yet. His destiny remains one of trials and struggle, but he still holds the potential to bear that weight on his shoulders. His powers are not lost; they wait to be earned. This is an opportunity to remake him into the hero the world needs. I will build him from the ground up, not just to be a great warrior, but to be a good man. The Profane will soon return, and he will be our greatest weapon against them.”
The king got up from his throne and walked over to the window. It was a beautiful summer day, and the city of Colbrand was bustling. But how long could it stay that way? How long would it be until smoke blackened the sky and blood filled the streets?
“The rise of the Kingdom of Zyrga, and the Profane claiming dominion over this world. I’ve spent the last twenty years hoping your prophecy was false, but Lupin spoke to me of concerns he had, fears of an insidious will twisting our destinies, of abominable practices performed in darkness. I fear your prophecy is coming to fruition.”
“Deep down, you and Seraph have always doubted me, but I’m afraid you can no longer afford to hesitate. I need your trust, Your Majesty. I need you to accept everything I told you, or else all that awaits us is destruction. My power alone isn’t enough to stem the coming horrors. You believed me when we first met and restructured the knight academy in preparation, but that isn’t enough. For the sake of the future, Seraph must embrace his destiny as Light’s Emissary.”
The king released a sigh of resignation. “Do as you wish. I’ve clearly failed him as a father, but hopefully, you’ll succeed as a teacher.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
“I’m tired, Adwith, so tired, and I feel like everything is slipping from my fingers. This war with Handent, first it was about retaliation, then it was about expansion, and now we’re losing as much as we gain. On top of it all, you speak of the returning Profane, and now, this demon Noah has crippled my family. Is it possible that he is one of them? Or at least working for them?”
“From what it sounded like, his grievances with your sons were purely personal. However, the things he said still concern me. He called himself a spirit that had transcended death, and claimed to have lived since the age of the Enochians. Though I don’t want to believe it, I can’t think of a reason why he would come up with such a lie. I don’t think he is one of the Profane; rather, he is something else altogether. What did Berholm learn after questioning his friends?”
“After speaking to them, he shares your beliefs. Am I wrong for refusing to? Mark Saveat is still missing, Henryk is paralyzed from the neck down, and my sons are now shadows of their former selves. The only silver lining is that Ziradith has been thoroughly declawed. After the repulsive, sickening things he has done, is it not more likely this Noah is simply a madman?”
“True, it would take a dangerous, deviant mind to do the things he did, but they are not the work of a deranged mind. His crimes required patience, skill, and intellect. Combine that with his physical abilities and combat level, and he is clearly unlike anything we’ve seen before. After the things I’ve witnessed and heard, I have no doubt he is the one who killed the Harajin warriors last year. His crimes cannot be ignored, but we must absolutely not make the mistake of underestimating him.”
“I have no intention of underestimating him.”
On cue, another two gold knights entered the throne room. The first was an elven warrior with platinum hair and an icy demeanor. The second was a human juggernaut encased in the heaviest armor of any knight.
“Gradius!” Tarnas said in shock.
The last time Tarnas saw him, they were battling on the eve of Knight’s Day the previous year. At the time, Gradius had lost his mind and gone on a destructive rampage. He was equal to Tarnas in stature, physical strength, and magic power, but his explosive temper and violent tendencies made him feared instead of respected. His armor was intentionally heavy and cumbersome, leaving no openings to inhibit his monstrous strength and contain his wrathful flames. It had been repaired since their battle, now so heavy that it threatened to crack the tiles under his feet.
“I have decided to revoke his exile and reinstate his rank, but only under the condition that he complete this task,” said the king. “Sir Aithorn, Sir Gradius, hunt down Valia Zodiac and Noah. Bring them back, dead or alive, no matter how far you must pursue them. Take as many men and supplies as you need and depart immediately. According to reports, they have headed west. Gradius, if you wish to serve as royal executioner once more, now is the time to prove your worth.”
Gradius crossed his chest with his arm. “It will be done, My Lord.”
“They will pay dearly for betraying the kingdom,” said Aithorn.
“Tread carefully, men,” said the king. “You’ll not only be chasing the Sword Goddess, but one of the greatest enemies Uther has ever faced. This will be the fight of your lives.”
----------
Sophia stood with Madam Cyrilo in her study, the two looking down at a large scroll they had long toiled over. On one end of the scroll, Cyrilo placed Sophia’s booklet, and on the other, a stack of parchment. She poured a bottle of ink onto the top page and a smear of glue. “Would you care to do the honors?”
Shaking with anticipation, Sophia put her hand on the scroll. “Molecular Replication.”
The stack of parchment began to break down as if being regurgitated in an invisible stomach. The puddle of ink moved through the papery mass, organizing itself into letters, numbers, and pictures. It took a minute for the process to finish, with an exact copy of the booklet sitting on the end of the scroll, surrounded by excess parchment material and unused ink.
“Savor the moment, Sophia, because, for the rest of your life, you’ll be able to tell people you were there to witness the birth of the Age of Knowledge.” Cyrilo then picked up the copied booklet, only for it to immediately fall apart into dust. They'd replicated the molecular arrangement, but the bonds between the molecules were another story. She gave a dry laugh. “Well, you’ll witness the birth eventually. But, unfortunately, it seems that the formula still needs some work.”
“I really thought we had it this time,” Sophia sighed.
“Oh honey, you have no idea how many times I’ve said those exact words.”
“I still think this algorithm here on the fifth line is spotty. It cycles too much energy through the stabilization sequence.”
“I told you, if we take out those three runes, we’ll just be left with a pile of ash. The problem must be the ink. Did you get the volcanic ash from Vandheim?”
“Yes, but I couldn’t find any shark blood, so I had to use northern mountain slime mucous as a substitute.”
“Wait, northern mountain? Well, there’s your problem; we need slime mucous from the Mortho Highlands.”
“But Mortho slimes eat too much wormwood. It’ll clash with the Makara vellum and destroy the scroll.”
“Once we have a proof of concept, we can go back and make alterations. Let’s focus on getting it working, then worry about the scroll later.”
Sophia sighed and rubbed her eyes. “I suppose so.”
“You look tired. Go get some fresh air,” said Cyrilo.
“Thanks,” Sophia replied. She left the study and went out into the parlor.
Though tired and frazzled from repeated trial and error, working on this scroll was some of the most fun she’d ever had. She loved debating over proper ink ingredients. She loved looking over pages of formulations. She loved tinkering and adjusting her work. She loved the magical tedium. She found Alexis sitting in the parlor with Daniel, helping him roll cigarettes. Sophia pulled up a chair right next to Alexis and sat down while leaning against her.
“Don’t mind me; I’m just going to take a nap here on your shoulder.”
She then closed her eyes and began to snore loudly, with Alexis trying to maintain a straight face. She’d tremble with each giggle that escaped, encouraging Sophia, who started blowing air down into her cleavage to tickle her.
“Ok, that’s enough!” Alexis laughed as she pushed Sophia off.
“Sophia, glad you’re here,” said Daniel. “You can settle this argument we’re having. Alexis says a dragon could beat ten thousand ducks in a fight, and I disagree.”
“Don’t bother asking how we got into this argument,” Alexis sighed in exasperation.
Sophia took a breath. “Do the ducks have a plan?”
“Their plan is to go for the eyes and then clog its throat, so it suffocates.”
“That could work, but then I suppose the question turns into ‘How many ducks would it take to choke a dragon?’ and ‘Can a dragon’s breath clear its throat of the ducks?’”
“But ducks can’t plan,” Alexis argued, “that’s my problem with it. If the question was whether a dragon could beat ten thousand birds that that are known to coordinate their attacks in the wild, then that routine is possible.”
“Ok, the dragon can also have a plan, so it’s fair. They’ve both come into this fight with a tactic in mind.”
“Then the dragon still wins every time. Ten thousand ducks could never catch up to a dragon, and its breath would annihilate them from a distance.”
“Well, where are they fighting?” Sophia asked. “Is it just the open sky, or is it like a dueling ring?”
Daniel paused, trying to come up with a fair fight venue. He then saw Lucius enter the parlor. “Hey Lucius, can a dragon beat ten thousand ducks in a fight?”
“Do the ducks have a plan?”
“You bet your ass they got a plan!”
“Enough about the ducks!” Alexis groaned.
A similar sound of discomfort drew Sophia’s attention to the bar, where Bella was sitting face-down beside a half-empty bottle. She'd seen Bella spend more and more time at the bar, and it wasn’t to lure customers.
“Bella, what’s wrong?” Bella grunted in refusal, but Sophia wasn’t going to give up. “Come on, you can tell me.”
“I miss my darling!” Bella whimpered, still with her face pressed to the counter. “Tomorrow is supposed to be when we’d have our usual meet-up, but he’s been gone so long!”
“I know how you feel. I miss him as well.”
“I used to love this job, but it’s become so hollow now. Even if, by some miracle, a customer manages to make me cum, it’s like, ‘so what?’ It’s hard to go back to pleasuring lazy nobles after I’ve had the best.”
‘I know how you feel. I miss him as well.’ Sophia came so close to repeating the words, meaning them even more the second time, emotionally and physically. She loved Alexis and planned to spend the rest of her life with her, but part of her heart would always belong to Noah. Still, even if her heart were greedy, she wouldn’t let it intrude on the happiness she had with Alexis.
She sat down on the stool beside Bella. “Maybe it’s time for you to start looking for something real. Deep down, I think what you miss is the stability of consistent affection. You want to have someone who’s always there for you.”
“I don’t want ‘someone,' I want my darling.”
“Well, he’s gone, so you’re just going to have to make do with someone else.”
Bella then raised her head and stared at Sophia with bleak eyes. “You know where he is, don’t you?”
“I wish I did.”
“Your lying.” The words, though spoken softly, dripped with venomous accusation. Bella lashed out and grabbed Sophia’s wrist. “Tell me where my darling is. Tell me now.”
“Bella, I don’t know where Noah went. Hey, you’re hurting me!”
Bella got up, gripping Sophia as tightly as she herself was gripped by madness. “I must go to my darling. He needs me. I help him relax. If you’re keeping me from him, I’ll make you tell me.”
“Let her go, NOW.”
Bella turned to Alexis, appearing beside her as though teleporting and glaring with a murderous intent in her eyes that rivaled Bella’s. They stood like statues, each silently daring the other to move, with the atmosphere growing heavy.
“Hey, that’s enough! Both of you!” Lucius barked.
“You were there with him the day he left. You’re why he’s gone.”
Had sanity ultimately left her? Or was she looking for an excuse? Whatever the reason was, she let go of Sophia and tackled Alexis, the two rolling across the floor and strangling each other.
“Daniel, stop them!” Lucius shouted as he ran over.
Daniel got on the stage, grabbed his guitar, and began to play. The song he played had no name but was his most magically powerful. With the aid of several enhancement gems, he had managed to silence a citywide riot, and the effect here was the same. Bella and Alexis became docile, hypnotized as the music overwrote the violent flow of their mana.
“Lucius!” Daniel said, shaking him awake from the effects of the music.
“Right.” He walked over and scooped up Bella. “I’ll put her in her room and let her sleep this off. We’ll talk about this later.”
The next day was the first ‘Saturday’ of the new academy year, and cadets were flooding in to drink, fuck, and investigate the rumors. The Knight’s Sheath was already a premier brothel before Noah and Daniel arrived, and now it was legendary. Young men would enter, see the infamous stage, and cover their hearts as though they were walking on holy ground.
The horde of customers left Alexis up to her eyeballs in work. Most of the cadets wanted to avoid trouble and didn’t hassle the women out of fear of getting kicked out of the academy, but mugs were emptying faster than Alexis could fill them, and that wasn’t the only thing wearing her down.
“Hey, something wrong?” Lucius asked as Alexis slogged her way up from the cellar with yet another cask of Knight’s Ambrosia. One would think she was simply exhausted from work, but Lucius had learned pretty quickly that she didn’t tire so easily.
“It’s nothing,” she sighed.
“Come on, out with it.”
Alexis sighed again. “It wasn’t long ago that I was wearing one of those uniforms, full of hope and ambition, and now look at me. I’m not a cadet, I’m not a knight, and I’m certainly no hero. I graduated from the academy, I trained under Valia Zodiac, and yet I’m on an even lower rung of society than I was a year ago. And a year from now, I’ll be here, watching yet another batch of new cadets come in on their way to living my dream. I’ll always be grateful to Cyrilo for getting Sophia and me out of that dungeon and giving us work, but this is not how I want to live my life.”
“You’ve been working here what, six, seven days? I think it’s a little soon to worry about spending your life here. This is only meant to be temporary.”
“I just don’t want to get comfortable, settle into a rut, and let the years slip from my grasp.”
“Well, I see someone who will cheer you up.”
Sophia walked up to the bar, carrying a massive stack of parchment booklets. “We did it!” she happily squealed as she set the pile down on the counter. “Cyrilo and I figured out how to duplicate items with alchemy! Look!”
“This is incredible!” said Lucius, looking through the booklets. Each issue was an exact copy of the original, even more precise than if they had rolled off a printer.
“And this is just the start. Think of it, every book in the world can now be copied and distributed at almost no cost. Even peasant families can now have libraries in their own homes! Soon, children can grow up with access to more information than all of their ancestors combined!”
“Congratulations, you’re really changing the world,” said Alexis. Despite her sour mood, Sophia’s joy was infectious.
Interrupting the moment, two cadets entered the Knight’s Sheath and came up to the counter. “Pardon me. We heard that a guy here gets up on stage and teaches people how to… you know. Is that going to happen again?”
“Sorry, but that was a one-time thing, and the guy is long-gone,” said Lucius
The boys were disappointed, but Sophia sprang into action. “However, if it’s knowledge about sex that you’re after, this will get you started.” She opened one of the booklets and showed them the interior. “This will teach you what sex is, how pregnancy works, how to avoid it, and everything else that is important. It doesn’t quite cover the naughty bits like technique, but this is vital information, the kind that every person needs to know. Just two copper coins, and it’s yours.”
Although she was excited, her sales pitch wasn’t necessary. As soon as they saw the detailed drawing of what a vagina looked like, the boys couldn’t get the money out of their pockets fast enough. They scurried off with their taboo knowledge, leaving Sophia even giddier than before.
“I’m going to start handing these out to the other customers. With any luck, we’ll be sold out before lunch!”
Sophia’s prediction rang true, but she underestimated the popularity of the booklets. Twice, she and Alexis went out to buy more parchment and ink, and the more booklets they sold, the more interested people became. As the week progressed, a display shelf was set up next to the counter, where the booklets were for sale. It wasn’t long before one was angrily slapped down on Cyrilo’s desk.
“What is this trash?!” the former Commandant Ford thundered.
Cyrilo, sitting behind her desk, was unimpressed by the man’s rage. “That ‘trash,’ as you put it, is information vital to the development of every man and woman in the world.”
“It’s disgusting lies and smut, and it’s poisoning the minds of my cadets!”
“Sir, everything in there is true!” Sophia worriedly exclaimed, standing behind Cyrilo. “We made these to help people!”
Ford turned his bloodshot eyes to Sophia. “You, I recognize you. That’s right; you were Prince Galvin’s betrothed. Do you have any idea how much grief I was given after you slept with that bastard Noah?!”
“That is enough,” said Cyrilo. “I understand that this knowledge makes you uncomfortable. I doubt there is a person in this world who wouldn’t get squeamish reading this booklet. However, the more unpleasant a fact is, the more important it be known.”
“These should all be burned, and the ashes should never see the light of day!”
“Go ahead and burn them; there is no limit to how many more we can make. Besides, the harder you work to keep these forbidden, the more people will want to read them.”
“This is his doing, isn’t it? I was demoted from my Commandant position because of Noah, and even when he’s gone, that bastard is still ruining my life and sabotaging my career.”
“If it will put your mind at ease and prevent further issues, I’ll place a rule that no one wearing an academy uniform can purchase these booklets, but that is the only compromise I’m willing to extend. We are in the process of revolutionizing the way knowledge is shared, and I have no intention of allowing anyone’s narrowminded discomfort to get in the way of that.”
“I warn you; this is an affront to the academy, the kingdom, and the church!”
“And yet, this is just the beginning. I know what I’m doing, so unless you have something of value to say, I’m going to have to ask you to leave, Captain.”
Ford stormed out, but Sophia wasn’t relieved. “He’s right about the kingdom and the church. Alexis and Lucius are strong, but what happens when knights bust down the door to arrest us? Me and Alexis already have a cell in the dungeon with our names on it.”
“I’ve been in this game a long time, and what you and I have developed is nothing short of a game-changer. Though we lack military power, our strength and influence are undergoing a metamorphosis and will reach unbelievable heights.”
“So what now?”
“Now we move on to our next project, an illuminated manu***********, the child born of science and sensuality. I want to put in every scrap of knowledge we have about lust and its mechanics. This is going to take a lot of time and work to get right, but my, oh my, will it be worth it.”
Out in the parlor, Alexis saw the bitter Captain Ford cross to the exit. They made eye contact, and Alexis instinctively ducked. As one of the top-ranked cadets of her class, Alexis had spoken with the commandant multiple times. She wouldn’t be able to bear the shame if he recognized her. He was gone when she finally raised her head above the counter, but the knot in her stomach didn’t loosen.
Despite the captain’s warning, Cyrilo and Sophia continued producing and distributing their booklets. They were sold dirt-cheap, just enough to cover the cost of the materials. The whole point was to make the information available for anyone to afford it, regardless of their financial situation. Along with selling them off the shelf within the brothel, courtesans would hand them out to people in the streets surrounding the Knight’s Sheath, with varied results.
Many young people snapped up the booklets, intrigued by the taboo knowledge. They learned about the biological details of puberty, sex, pregnancy, and menstruation—all knowledge they desperately needed. Others were aroused by the detailed pictures. Several got too squeamish and disgusted by the words and diagrams. The fear of getting caught with such lurid contraband was natural, as while Colbrand had its fair share of brothels, it was a dogmatic city.
As for the adults, their reaction depended on their level of faith, and anger was common. The shared belief was everyone had the six elements within them, and how they were balanced determined one’s health. A positive imbalance would grant magical abilities, while a negative imbalance would result in disease and death. Magic and prayer were the answer to injury and illness, while the study of anatomy was heresy. The body wasn’t meant to be understood, and uncovering its secrets was to doubt the power and brilliance of the gods.
The booklet's focus on sexual health invoked a lot of ire. To the church, giving in to carnality was seen as a beastly trait. Animals mated purely on instinct, so refusing that instinct and ignoring physical desires was seen as the defining act of humanity and showed that one’s mind was ready to receive the will of the gods. People who lived debaucherously and had sex for anything other than procreation were no different from animals humping in the mud. The church and its followers feared the spirits of nature turning them into beastmen and enslaving them to their lust.
As time passed, everything from eggs to animal feces was hurled at the front of the Knight’s Sheath, with numerous petitions and complaints from the church nailed to the door or left on the front step. Though annoying, it could all be washed off, and the windows were enchanted to resist breaking. Unfortunately, it was just a precursor of what was to come.
It was a typical night, and Daniel was up on stage, but Alexis was too busy to enjoy it. The tourists of Knight’s Day were long gone, but it seemed like the customers were getting rowdier each evening. Soon recognizing specific faces, she’d beat them down and throw them out when they misbehaved. At one point in the night, she had a repeat offender pinned down on the floor, standing over him with her boot on his head.
“Over and over, you come here and make my life difficult. Do you just like being stepped on?” she asked coldly.
“Yes, Mistress! I love being stepped on! Harder, please!” he yelped happily. It was the last answer she had been expecting, leaving her momentarily stunned before she was overcome with revulsion.
“You disgusting little worm,” she hissed.
“Yes, Mistress! I’m a disgusting little worm! Punish me!”
Alexis looked around, with countless pairs of eyes gazing back at her. She had assumed that their attention was simply drawn to the violence, but several men, most of them repeat offenders, were looking at her with a hungry expression, as if they were waiting in line for their turn.
“Oh God…” she groaned in disgust as the man beneath her tried to lick her boot. She grabbed him by the back of the collar and dragged him outside, knocking him into the street with a hard kick in the rear. “Next time I see you, I’ll get a knife and cut something off, something you’ll miss.”
“Ooh, I like ‘em feisty.”
She looked down the dark street at a man that made her stomach twist is disgust. “That warning goes for you as well, Ham.”
“Easy, honey. My boss wants me to pass a message along to your boss. Take me to see Cyrilo.”
“I’ll tell her the message.”
“It doesn’t work that way.”
“Fine, but if you do anything I don’t like, I’ll make you regret it.”
She went back into the Knight’s Sheath with Ham following, doing her best to ignore the feel of his eyes licking her. Finally, they arrived at Cyrilo’s study, and Alexis knocked on the door. “Madam Cyrilo, there is someone who needs to speak with you.”
“Come in, dear.”
Alexis opened the door, finding Cyrilo and Sophia sitting at the desk. Rather than notes or alchemy, it seemed they were going over the brothel’s finances.
“Well, well, well, what brings a distinguished gentleman like you here, Ham?” Cyrilo asked dryly, irked by the stench filling her study.
“The boy is dead,” said Ham, seemingly amused. “Your friend with the bandages said that once he died, there would be room for a business deal between our brothels.”
Alexis and Sophia exchanged nervous looks.
“Very well,” Cyrilo said. She reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a wooden box tied shut with rope. “My friend prepared this for you. Take it to your boss; he’ll know what to do.”
Ham took the box and walked away, leaving the three women alone.
“Madam Cyrilo, the friend you both mentioned is Noah, isn’t it?” Sophia asked.
“The two of you would do well not to inquire about this. Put it out of your minds and never think about it again. Now, back to work.”
Alexis and Sophia exchanged another glance, and Alexis went back out to the bar. After the evening fuss had settled, they cloistered themselves in their room to relax.
“Whew, another long day,” Alexis sighed as she sat on the bed and pulled off her boots.
“Still, it seems like you’re having some fun,” said Sophia.
“Not much. Beating up belligerent customers lost its thrill when I realized many of them were enjoying it.”
“Well, I love this place. Cyrilo and I are doing great work together, and everyone is so nice.”
“You say that because you don’t have anyone grabbing your ass,” Alexis snapped.
“Hey, hey,” Sophia said softly, getting behind Alexis and rubbing your shoulders. “I know this isn’t ideal for you, but we’re safe and surrounded by friends. It’ll get better.”
“I’m sorry, I’m just stressed.”
“Well, of course you’re stressed. We haven’t had any special time to ourselves since we left the academy.”
“That’s because I don’t want anyone hearing us. We had to be so careful when we were in my dorm room.”
“Who cares if someone hears us? There are a dozen other women moaning as we speak! This is the perfect time for us to indulge a little.”
“It just doesn’t feel right.”
“I know something that might change your mind.”
Sophia reached into the bedside table drawer and pulled out an object that perplexed Alexis. She had seen the courtesans and even some female clients brandishing them, but she didn’t know what they did. It was a handle with a round, bulbous head, like a torch, but it was made of strange materials. Runes were written on the side, and upon receiving a tap, it began to shake and hum. Sophia put it to the back of Alexis’s neck, and she sighed in relief.
“Oh, that’s nice.”
“Isn’t it?” Sophia moved it back and forth across her shoulders, using the vibrations to ease the tension in Alexis’s muscles. “I’m sure you’ve noticed our women customers renting these and other contraptions. They’re special instruments of pleasure that Noah helped Cyrilo create.”
“I wouldn’t mind a dozen more of these on my back.”
“Well, Cyrilo does want to make larger ones for back massages, but that’s not what this is for.”
“What’s it for then?”
Sophia pressed it to Alexis’s right breast with a coy smile, stimulating her areola through the leather top. Alexis shuddered and twisted as though she was being tickled, but Sophia stilled her. “Trust me, just enjoy it.”
She moved the toy in small circles around Alexis’s nipple, making her pant in arousal while running kisses up her neck. She paused only to undo the buttons of the vest, allowing Alexis’s breasts to spring free. Now feeling the toy directly on her skin, her panting turned into a soft whine as Sophia pushed Alexis onto her back
The two rolled around in bed, their lips joined in a sloppy union as they stripped off each other’s clothes. Sophia moved the toy over to Alexis’s right breast, using the stimulation to harden her nipple into a supple point, which nestled snuggly between Sophia’s lips. Alexis took the vibrator and pressed it to Sophia’s nipples, making her whimper blissfully. How she writhed and squirmed stirred something in Alexis, a predatory lust.
She grabbed Sophia’s wrists and pinned them above her head, then slid the vibrator between her lover’s legs. The buzzing of the rubber head made Sophia arch her back and cry out, possessed by overwhelming pleasure. Her legs spasmed as the toy hummed against her clit, sending her arousal dripping onto the bedsheets.
Alexis kept her pinned, refusing to let Sophia escape her domination and tormenting her with ecstasy. She sucked vehemently on Sophia’s breasts as though trying to completely inhale them and further drive her lover into sexual delirium. Yet, even when Sophia climaxed, Alexis didn’t let up, continuing the run the vibrator across her glistening gate. Soon enough, Sophia moaned at the top of her lungs and released a jet of liquid lust, shocking Alexis into pulling back.
“Damn!” was all she could say.
“These things are great, aren’t they?” Sophia asked while laughing and panting.
“I’ll say,” Alexis replied.
She lied down between Sophia’s trembling legs and went to town, licking every drop of sweet nectar. Sophia rolled her head from side to side, relishing the feel of Alexis’s tongue swirling around inside her. Though they had only started their intimacy recently, Alexis was a quick learner in how to please Sophia. She tickled Sophia’s majora with her tongue, nibbled on the minora with her lips, and turned her erect clitoris into a lightning rod of ecstasy. The sensual taste, the erotic touch, and the warmth and softness of Sophia’s thighs around her head were wonderful rewards.
“Come here,” Sophia whispered lovingly, inviting Alexis for a kiss.
They lay side-by-side, caressing each other’s naked bodies. Once more, Sophia wielded the vibrator, and she used it to bend Alexis to her will, but at the moment, Alexis was already as flexible as rubber. As it buzzed between Alexis’s legs, Sophia kissed her all over, running her tongue and lips across every inch of her soft skin. Her mouth wasn’t always busy, though, as she’d often pull away so that she could observe Alexis’s reaction.
The way her body undulated in bliss, the way she so cutely moaned with flushed cheeks and a shy expression, it was addictive to watch. Sophia knew better than anyone how bristly and straight-laced Alexis could be, always ready for a fight, always keeping an eye out for enemies. But now, she was just a sweet girl enjoying herself, putting aside her warrior instincts and relaxing. As Sophia told her before, she was a healer, both for the mind and the body, and this was how she cared for Alexis.
She moved closer to Alexis, the two lying on their sides facing each other, holding and caressing with their breasts pressed together, their nipples slick with their combined saliva. Between their intertwined legs, the vibrator buzzed against their pussies. Though their lips were so close, they couldn’t kiss, as their moans of pleasure demanded freedom.
Instead, they could only look into each other’s eyes, whimpering and whining in ecstasy while grinding against the toy. The harder they rubbed, the more intense they made it for themselves and each other, setting off a chain of shared orgasms.
Wrapped in their bliss, they had no knowledge of the seedy slave brothel on the other side of town, bordering the slums. They knew nothing of the magical explosion set off by opening a particular wooden box in the boss’s office. They didn’t see the flames surge out and fill every single nook and cranny of the building and cling to every square inch of surface area. They didn’t hear the screaming of the owners, the clients, and the slaves all burning to death. They didn’t smell the smoke as the entire structure went up in flames instantly.
They’d never know about the horrible things that had occurred there, such as the fate of a certain now-dead son of a shipping magnate, addicted to Elutrin and sold off to this place. All the evidence was incinerated, leaving no loose ends, only ash.
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