Monsters and Maidens (158 to 164) (Patreon)

[FIRST][PREVIOUS][NEXT]

I'm back! Welcome on board everyone!

[158] [Alice]

Alice glanced into the library, the only library, Baroness Aeris Flirlai’s library. It was small and cozy. It had two tables and three chairs. It was a perfect place to sit in and just calmly read, watch the hours melt away. The Baroness put it to use from time to time, though most of the rest of the time she spent up at her office or somewhere else.

But what was eating at Alice was that the library was being occupied by the wicked hag and her cronies. The three oldest women in the group of offworlders, Miss Dodson, and two others who Alice had not bothered to remember their names. The three weren’t even reading, just chatting away.

Taking a step away before she could be spotted, Alice berated at herself. She knew the trio had set-up shop in the library to mess with her. And though she’d have normally not bothered to worry over it, this lethargy that had taken over their lives in this outwardly idyllic middle-of-nowhere village was sapping her far more than she thought possible.

There was just too much time to think about anything and everything, and it was all too easy for Alice to get lost in thought.

“Is everything alright, my lady?”

“Would you happen to know any spells that could make people want to vacate an area?”

The Valkyrie perked up. “I do have a spell that unleashes a blinding flash of light.”

“Not exactly what I was looking for.” Alice shook her head, walking down the corridor and away from her defiled sanctuary. “Do you know where the other girls are?”

“As of right now, the only group of offwolder women I am aware of are taking classes in etiquette from the Baroness.”

“Just…” A slight frown. “I could’ve sworn you’ve been beside me all day. How did you find this out?”

“I overheard the Baroness’ personal knights talking over coordinating guard rotations with the maidens protecting the ladies for the day.” Helga straightened her shoulders and threw a smile that could have illuminated the whole building. Her wings certainly ruffled and seemed bigger for it.

Nodding a little, Alice could only really acknowledge the young woman was far more attentive than she sometimes appeared. “Let’s go take a look, then.” Anything better than just walking the same cobblestone roads for a hundredth time to try to work around the feeling of everything having slowed down and being wrong in some fashion or another.

Village life did not agree with her.

They reached the ‘second dining room’ and found it being closely guarded by no less than six maidens, three of which sporting the pale blue armor that made Alice’s skin tingle whenever she got too close to it.

Helga moved ahead of Alice in a flash. “My lady seeks to observe the lesson.”

The only reaction they showed was a stiff nod. “Certainly, one moment.”

The tallest of guards stepped through and inside. Ten seconds later, she stepped back outside and opened the door, gesturing for her to step inside. Not Helga, though, which appeared to be protocol, so Alice just held back from adding a comment and followed through.

The dining room had been cleared out of the large table, only the chairs remained. A dozen, each occupied by one of the former students or parents. The women of the offworlder group, and looking just about bored out of their minds. She quickly noticed the half-glazed and unfocused eyes and the distant looks. It seemed things were as tedious here as she’d expected them to be.

“Miss Alice, welcome.” The Baroness gave a slight courteous nod at her, the only perked up smile in the entire room. “We were talking about the proper steps to take in addressing members of the noble houses by their rank.”

She smiled slightly. “Just bow and do that thing with the bending knees. They’ll be slobbering over you, anyway.”

That earned a slight chuckle from the room. The baroness didn’t quite look that amused, but nodded slightly. “A lady is to keep her wits about her, no less when single.” Her gaze was sharp as she turned to the others. “Never accept invitations alone. Always bring at least one other human with you. Not doing so can be seen as an… invitation in itself.”

A rather uncomfortable memory bubbled up for Alice, her lips thinned a little. “Have you talked over owning maidens yet?”

“Considering that aspect of military service will not be of too much importance, I was reserving only a small amount of lessons to it.” There was a slight defensive tone in her voice, only seeming to notice the myriad of reactions the others present had. “Though I take it, this is an important topic to some of you.”

“Why wouldn’t it be? Don’t we get to trust our lives to them at the end of the day?”

“Indeed, though I-.” She stopped herself, taking a slight step back and crossing her arms as she tapped at her chin. She smiled. “You have had a chance to witness bonding ferals and have the potential to bond a maiden yourself. Maybe you could have some insight to share?”

“I-.” Suddenly in the spotlight, she hesitated, but regained her train of thought rather quickly. “They’re people.” She said this and scratched at the back of her head. “Don’t blind yourself to what they are, focus on who they are.”

“All very wise words.” The Baroness nodded. “Let us consider a hypothetical situation. You own two maidens, support types, very poor choices in combat. And you are going to be sent to an area that is expecting a feral rush. Do you sell them to acquire a maiden that could more definitely protect you? Head out with the two maidens? Or disobey orders from your superior and refuse to head out?”

Alice’s head swiveled and focused on the woman in a snap. “I would put the maidens that could die in the field under the care of a close friend and head out without any maidens to protect me.”

That caught the woman by surprise. Her eyes widened slightly. “That would be suicidal.”

“If my superior is aware of my unwillingness and inability to operate without the ones I’ve come to trust as my partners, then the responsibility of the resulting events would be on their shoulders,” she said.

“And why would you be unwilling or unable to operate?”

“Because a maiden isn’t some hammer that can be replaced by any other hammer.” Alice pointed with her thumb over her shoulder at the door. “I can trust Helga is listening to my every word and is just about ready to jump in if I cry for help. If she were replaced by someone else, I would not trust them nor know what to expect from them.”

There was a muffled sound from outside, one Alice could only guess at being a cheer of some sort.

The declaration made the baroness frown slightly. She nodded absently, taking a moment to look at the other women in the room. She must have seen something in their faces, as she nodded a bit more firmly the second time.

“I can see that some of the Hunter’s point of view on things has rubbed off on you.” She finally conceded. “There is certainly some merit to the mindset, but it is undoubtedly going to cause some issues if you were to keep it once having joined the King’s army. Maidens in the army do not belong to you, they are the King’s property.” Her hand gestured at the door. “My knights spent the first two years under my care not being truly mine. Green collars up and until I had earned the right to give them the azure collar.” A slight pause. “You start within the army with the right to a single azure collar.”

“So your initial question was a trap.”

She laughed lightly at this. “I must admit I was curious about your answer.” A slight smile as she cocked her hip. “It is, in truth, a question posed to Hunters. The army is not expected to participate in a feral wave, their duty is in the protection of the Kingdom’s heart and its laws.” She glanced at the others. “Who remembers why the army and the hunters were split apart?”

The room was filled with groans.

Alice’s brow furrowed as her mind latched on to something else. “Wait, I’m not enlisted.”

“Hm? That is correct.”

“How can I legally own Helga?”

“You’re a human female, citizen of the Kingdom. You have the right to have a guard regardless of our status, we all do.”

“Then… they do too?”

There was a sudden collective thoughtful look from everyone present, the only exception being the Baroness herself and the sharp stare she had focused on Alice. There was a quiet warning in those eyes.

[159] [Alice]

Alice wasn’t quite too sure what she was thinking of right now. The idea was coalescing but not there just yet. Women had the right to ‘own’ a maiden to keep themselves safe, regardless of whether they were enlisted to fight the ferals or in the army itself or neither. And one could avoid participating in either if they paid a hefty sum of money to the kingdom.

Her fingers were almost twitching as she considered the possibility. Participating in a cruel system of slavery was morally dark grey at best of times. Taking Helga under her service was already toeing a line she could not let herself to commit to.

But looking at the big picture and the bigger issues was always going to make any effort an impossible task. She had to set up goals, smaller goals, possible goals. A stepping stone to move ahead.

“You look like you are giving some serious thought to something.”

Baroness Aeris’ words snapped her out of her inner monolog. Only now did she notice the other women had been staring at her as well. “I was considering the possibility of not joining either the army or the militia.” She said, glancing at the dozen or so young women currently seated. “And wondering who else might be interested in such a prospect.”

“To legally participate in neither, you would require no small amount of gold.” Aeris said, her eyes narrowed ever so slightly, the warning within cold and sharp. “And you would be putting yourself at a great disadvantage. It would be far more logical to utilize the military as a way to form contacts and amass enough personal power to be able to engage in an economic endeavor without as many risks.”

But was it the right thing to do? “The army works to incarcerate and detain those that break the law, correct?”

“… yes.”

“And is setting maidens free breaking the law?”

The woman’s lips pursed. “Miss Alice, I feel that you are not expressing the entirety of what you are thinking of.”

“I don’t think the Kingdom should have slaves.”

The sign of surprise was expertly hidden in the Baroness’ features. It was barely a twitch of the brow and a curl of the lips, a tension in the shoulders. “You should be very careful with what you say, and to whom.” Her words were carefully crafted to be neutral, but there was a hint there, a warning. “Many a noble would feel obligated to… act, when hearing such a statement.”

Alice reacted quickly. “I didn’t intend to mean any insult.”

“I did not take it as such, miss Alice, but there are others who would not be as willing to let the issue go.” There was a coldness in her gaze as she said this, focus turning towards the others. “To you, Mao’s rebellion may be no more than ink on paper, a long-forgotten event. But the truth is that it is a wound that has not quite closed, the proclamation of freedom for maidens is one that comes with memories of blood and loss.”

With a grimace, Alice had to concede the point. As far as the books had gone, Mao’s rebellion had always been an event with much kept between the lines. The focus had always been on the victories of the kingdom against rebel forces, never detailing the losses or the costs of a civil war.

“I think lessons have come to a conclusion for the day.”

There were no more words. She turned towards the entrance to the dining room and left with barely little more than a bow of her head and a quick step. The first reaction Alice had was to follow, but she stopped herself. The question of whether she understood the complexities of the Baroness’ words took a backseat as she felt a hand tugging at her wrist slightly.

“May.”

The young woman nodded shyly, a slight friendly shake of her head. “I wanted to know more about your idea.”

“It’s… it’s not so much more than that.” Alice commented, noticing the others shifting their focus her way. “It’s objectionable to join the army out of convenience. If this is a world, we’re…” A knot formed in her throat, and she swallowed it. “If we are going to live in this world, then we should try to make it a better one, right?” A slight warmth within her urged her to straighten her shoulders. “I know how it feels to be aimless. Go through the motions, and this is exactly what’s happening right now. The baroness means well, but who here really is looking forward to join the army of a kingdom we barely know, for the sake of finding someone to marry?”

Grimaces were shared all around.

“Well, the Baroness said the army would let us get what we want.”

“I was propositioned by the Baron to bear his child. He said he’d give me anything in exchange for that, and I believed it. But I still turned him down.” That caused more than one face to go pale. “The Baroness is right in that the army would value us greatly. But the focus always goes back to us being human women. Of being baby factories for pure blooded heirs.”

May nodded slightly, closing her eyes as she sighed. “And what’s your idea?”

“Just… work.” That came out more easily than she expected it to. “It’s that simple. We just need to recruit some maidens to help us, officially put them as our guardians, and get to work. If we gather enough funds, we can safely move forward to being independent while keeping ourselves away from having to sell our bodies for the sake of a promise of political weight that would belong to whomever you end up marrying.”

“So what, get rich and use that?” One of the women stood up from her chair, dusting herself as she did. Alice recognized her as Natalie. She’d been the mother of one of the people who didn’t make it. “As if getting rich were that easy.”

“I don’t intend to become a political beacon.” Alice frowned. “But at the worst, it would be an option for at least an honest life.”

“It… it has a time limit.”

Every head turned to May. She shrank a little at that. “The law, um, it says that citizens can only postpone service to the kingdom for a handful of years.”

“It would be an objective measure to how viable this would be.” A quick and fast agreement from Alice as she turned to the others. “If we have no way to pull this off, we would have to either run from the kingdom or enlist. And if we make enough to survive as well as pay the amount of gold the law requires…”

“And you expect us to help with your idea? Do you even have a plan on how to make money in the first place?”

“No clue at all.” A sharp, determined nod. “I only know that it’s the right direction to take, and that the more of us work on it, the better.”

Natalie looked as if she’d been slapped. A slight frown and a sigh. “Do you even know how one could go about recruiting maidens without buying them? What happened with you and… what was her name again?”

“Helga.”

“Right, and who paid for her to be able to become yours? Or did you sell something to be able to afford the cost?”

“I am keenly aware it was only possible, thanks to the Baroness’ kindness. I intend to pay her back when I can.” Alice looked around the room. “And I don’t expect you all to just jump at this prospect. Some or all of you have your own goals and objectives. This is… it’s an alternative.”

Nervous and uncertain looks were shared amongst those present.

May was the one to step forwards. “I want to try it.”

“I guess we can consider it until the Earl’s knights show up to let us travel safely. The plan was to join the academy in Balet.” Natalie nodded, rubbing the bridge of her nose. “It sounds like a pretty idea, but…” She glanced at Alice and then at the others. “Without at least a good starting plan, I’d rather put my eggs in another basket.”

“That is… a fair assessment. And it's your choice to make.”

There was a sound of a starter pistol in the back of Alice’s mind. Now it was time to figure out what their business plan would be… and start doing research.

[160] [Rick]

“Welp, that must be Balet.”

They had left the ever-present embrace of the heavy forest two days ago, and were now walking down the cobblestone road surrounded by lush green fields that only had a sporadic tree or bush here and there. Rick could see scorch marks all over the place, and judging by the long strips of barren land that ran parallel to the golden wheat fields round the city walls, it seemed they had a purpose of some sort.

The city was… well, by his world’s standards. It felt small when compared to a metropolis. But when compared to the medieval cities he’d seen in pictures, it felt far more… more. The place looked like it had been built with the intention of making it look like a gigantic target practice from space.

On the outermost edge were several concentric rings of barren dirt, separate from one another by long strips of land covered in lush greens. After the fifth ring was where the farmland started, wheat being the most prevalent crop and also being grown concentrically to the city itself. Then came the first wall, a structure that seemed to have been made out of wood. The structure was made out of tall parallel trunks, perhaps a couple hundred meters long and only covering a small portion of the perimeter. From a distance it was hard to make out, but Rick was fairly sure there were no less than hundred people dismantling the thing.

Then came a long stretch of barren land, penetrated only by the road itself, and then the ‘real’ walls, monoliths of stone that must have been at least maybe fifty meters tall. With the rest of the city well hidden behind it. “It looks… well protected.”

“Do the protections go all the way around?” Tomas pipped up, glancing at Victor.

“Indeed they do, since there have been feral rushes coming from just about every direction. Just five years ago, we had a big one coming from the north. The ferals were particularly hardy and troublesome since they managed to bring down a part of the wall.” He nodded in response. There was a certain spring in his step as he walked.

“So you’ve been here when they fought.” Mr. Gabriel frowned as he spoke.

“Just about every citizen of Balet is expected to at least be aware of how the city fights ferals and what to do in case of things going badly.” Victor looked quite eager to answer, smiling up at the frowning old man. “The first perimeter of defense typically involves hurling explosives and incendiary potions at the ferals, the general intention being to funnel them as tightly as possible.” A slight nod, the look on his face as if he were reading the facts off of a book. “Once they reach the crops, the iron rain begins.”

“That sounds ominous.”

“They’re merely spears, thrown spears.” The man shrugged. “Thrown metal spears.”

Rick did a double-take.

“That’s… that’s almost a kilometer.”

“Could you imagine Monica throwing a metal spear? How far would that get?”

All eyes snapped to the feline. Monica realized they were talking about her and glanced back, eyes focusing on Rick. His mind broke down the math, what little he understood of it at least. If Monica had enough physical strength to be able to lift a fully mature tree, then a single metal spear… He suddenly could imagine a cow getting nailed against a wall from a hundred meters away. It made him shudder from head to toe.

Seeing no followup, she turned forward and focused on the cart that was traveling a couple dozen meters ahead of them. She kept sniffing the air and licking her lips, and Rick was mostly sure he was going to run out of boar jerky to distract her.

“Their methods could certainly do with some improvement.” Victor appeared slightly bitter as he said this. “Many smiths end up becoming too occupied repairing the recovered spears after every rush. It can often mean an order gets pushed back weeks if not over a month since the Hunters have priority.”

“What if the ferals survive the spears?”

“If they do, then they get picked off by fliers or attacked from both the walls and from underground during the stretch of land between the first and second wall.” The man just shrugged and sighed.

“What if the ferals don’t feel that suicidal?”

“Then the crops are set ablaze while they are on it. If the fire doesn’t kill them, then the smoke will certainly choke them enough to make for easier pickings. A loss, but one that would have happened if the ferals weren’t driven off.”

“Who pays for the damages?”

The question caused Victor to stumble as he glanced at Kat and put up a brighter commercial smile. “If I remember correctly, the Earl owns the farmland, so it would fall under his responsibility.”

Nodding absently, Rick glanced at the walls and felt a twinge of concern creeping down his spine. The man that had invited him to talk was the same guy who owned those walls, and could give the order for ‘iron rain’ to turn an area into pincushions from a kilometer away.

Rick’s gaze turned towards Monica, looking at the feline as she walked. The last thing he wanted would be to start trouble.

“How does the city handle… feralborn maidens?”

“Black collars are usually kept either to the farms or the secure zone within the walls. But I am entirely unsure how this situation would unfold considering you hold the Earl’s invitation and it mentions Monica.” Victor shook his head at this. “It would likely be best to confirm at the gate, White Claw’s situation is rather unique to say the least.”

“This is going to suck.” Kat wrapped her arms around Lizzy’s neck, the reptilian maiden not quite really paying attention to her and instead keeping her off-yellow eyes darting in every direction.

“If I may.” Freya spoke up, drawing attention as she stepped forward. “I received instructions from the Major to relay a report to the city Hunters. It includes details of Monica’s and sir Rick’s special circumstances.”

“Sir Rick?” Kat barked out a laugh, moving into a fit of giggles.

He just rolled his eyes and continued walking. “One step at a time, let’s… see how Monica handles this.”

“Catnip?”

“She’s already figured that one out. If you’re feeling brave or curious about what she’ll do with it when you offer, go try.” He shot an unamused look at Tomas. The young man paled slightly and vigorously shook his head.

“Wus.” Kat elbowed him with a little smirk.

They continued approaching the city, watching the line of people at the entrance slowly grow. By the time they were reaching the stone walls and stepping into its shadow, there was a gathering of people in front of the wall, and it was growing larger by the looks of it. Many caravans and travelers were denied access to the city and sent to wait at the side. By the looks of it, Rick could spot the guards asking for papers, running into the wall, and then coming back out. Whatever verification procedure these people were having, it didn’t seem that their system was fast enough to keep up with the influx of people.

“This is going to be… stressful.” He muttered as the two plate-armor-wearing maidens approached the cart in front of them.

Both stopped cold the moment their eyes had locked on Monica.

“Shit.” Everyone heard the first guard whisper the word under her breath. Her focus very quickly turned to the cart, and she raised her voice. “Off to the side.”

The cart-owner did not seem in an argumentative mood when there were five more guards hurrying up to join their companions. Each of them wielded lances four meters long, made out of a pale blue metal and with a wicked sharp tip. They stood in formation a good ten meters in front of them.

Monica began to growl.

Everyone present flinched.

“Sir, is that White Fang?” The apparent leader of the group asked loud and clear, her hand doing very quick gestures at the knights.

“She’s telling them to not show aggression.” Freya whispered under her breath.

“I am. Name’s Rick Cross. I have the Earl’s invitation.” Reaching into his backpack, he pulled out the piece of paper the Baroness had signed as proof of having received the invitation through the radio system.

“We were informed of the circumstances involving your maiden.” The maiden kept her tone clear. Her hand gestured to the area not too far off from where everyone else had been made to stop and wait for entry. “If you will please settle down there, we will inform the Earl and take measures to avoid your maiden from being… agitated… while traversing to the Earl’s castle.”

Rick could almost hear the crowd gulp collectively.

[161] [Rick]

“Pets.”

Rick sighed for the hundredth time, hand reaching out and leading Monica’s head to lie on his lap as his fingers stroked her hair. He huffed and glanced back at the gate. The soldiers had been far quicker in processing the people there and moving them into the city. Victor and Kat, in particular, had been quite happily allowed the fast pass through and into the city while Rick, Dia, and Monica were left outside to wait.

The other people had been quite happy to not make any loud noises or sudden movements. A couple times someone new had shown up and started to make a hassle up until someone else would hurriedly approach and discreetly point their way.

It was a bit amusing how quickly they would become thoroughly compliant with the guard’s instructions.

“It’ll be alright, sir.” Dia spoke softly. She’d been seated right next to Rick and not moved an inch as if this were just another normal day to her. “The city must be having an uproar over your visit, preparations would take some time.”

“That is not very uplifting.” He shook his head, glancing at her for a moment. “Are maidens as strong as Monica that rare?”

“Yes and no.” Her hand lay on the part of his lap, unoccupied by a needy feline, an unsure smile on her lips. “What is truly rare is that she is feralborn. Maidens that are at her level of strength are often too dangerous to be successfully captured and bonded. Even once contained, they generally don’t bond easily or at all.”

“What about the fiving coins?”

Dia grimaced. “A feral that is fived is still a feral, their instincts do not change. I have heard of cases of successful bonding after the feral was fived, but there is no glory or honor.”

“And even when they succeed, they’d keep the maiden locked up for months until considered ‘safe’ while being trained.” With a sigh, Rick noticed a sudden increase in activity at the gates. Two dozen knights wearing particularly bulkier armor were stepping out and ushering everyone away from the gate. “Seems it’s our turn.”

Though he wanted to stand up, Monica was quick to hug his hip and start purring as she rubbed her cheek against his stomach. The human became effectively trapped now, and he could only feel increasingly flustered and uncomfortable as the twenty odd knights were approaching. Not that the cat appeared to care.

It was surprising watching the knights. They were all women, some barely over a meter and a half, yet all of them were able to move swiftly despite wearing thick layers of armor. It was as if the whole thing weighed nothing. The pale blue pieces of metal were far sturdier than the ones worn by the maidens the Baron had taken to hunt him down. These were at least several times thicker and covered the whole body. There was also an odd buzzing that made his hairs stand on edge the closer they got.

In the front of the procession was the only maiden without a helmet. Her hair was a pale pristine green, shimmering as if made out of jewels. She looked at Rick with hawkish focus. Her face was a conglomeration of sharp angles and statuesque beauty. And she appeared no older than he was.

The moment she’d been within thirty meters of him, Monica stopped purring.

Twenty meters. Monica’s shoulders tensed, one ear twitching in the knight’s direction.

Ten meters, the feline growled.

All knights stopped dead in their tracks, though the leading woman looked neither startled nor put off. It was hard to read the others other than by their body-language. The whole unit appeared closer to readiness to start a fight than run off, and that alone told Rick this was a different kind of beast than the Baron’s knights.

“Don’t.” Rick pinched Monica’s ear, and the sound stopped, though she looked no less ready to spring into action.

“Sir.”

The woman leading the knights lowered herself to a knee, bowing her head. The other knights followed with synchronized ease. Rick could feel not an ounce of animosity from the leader. Rather, he felt like he was looking at a blade or a gun laying on a counter. There was no direct sense of threat directed at him, but there was a heavy sense of looming danger from her very existence, as if he might cut himself from approaching the wrong way.

“I am royal knight captain Deneva. I have been tasked to guide you to the Earl’s castle.”

So this was a royal knight? “Erm… thank you. Monica? We need to move.” He patted the feline’s head, and she looked up at him for only a moment before glancing sideways at the knight. There was something there. Even if the knight herself had kept her gaze to the ground, Rick could feel the air had become charged for a split second.

Monica proceeded to stand up.

Without letting go of Rick’s waist. He held back the surprise as she proceeded to bridal-carry him and hold him close against her chest, looking down at the knight with narrowed eyes.

“Monica.” His tone had a warning in it.

“No.” she replied in the same tone, not turning away.

Rick flustered. “You… will have to excuse her, she is very protective.” He glared at the feline, but she was having none of it, focused exclusively on Deneva’s bowed head.

“It is not a problem.”

Deneva stood without looking at Monica, without meeting her gaze, without so much as a single threatening move. Her gaze remained on the ground as she turned around and headed back towards the city. The other knights did not move. Neither did Monica. “Follow.” Rick pointed ahead, pushing down through the awkwardness as best he could, given the circumstances.

Monica let out a grunt of annoyance, and obliged.

The knights waited until after Monica had walked past them before rising from their half-kneeling position and following from behind, keeping a distance of a dozen meters or so, just about the same distance Monica was keeping with Deneva. It was a chorus of synchronized thuds and clanks of armor, and Rick could feel Monica growing tense as she got closer to the gate.

Her unwillingness to put him down increased by the second. He considered struggling and making it clear he wanted off, but he also knew that doing so would make her that much more wary of her surroundings and the knights. It wasn’t that she was scared, she did not trust them.

The gates were empty, the other guards gone and out of sight.

As was the rest of the city.

The moment they’d stepped inside, the feeling of emptiness struck Rick like a hammer. The streets were clear of people, the windows were closed. Nothing moved besides themselves. The architecture reminded him slightly of the houses in Seledo, thick walls and reinforced doors and windows, a large room between each building. The structures were shorter near the wall, but no less fortified. Rick could see the buildings became taller the further into the city one went. There was a lingering smell in the air that Rick couldn’t quite place, not a nice one, but not horribly unpleasant either. It just made his nose wrinkle.

And for a fleeting moment, he could’ve sworn he saw people amongst the roofs or the top of the walls. But it was such a brief thing he could’ve easily convinced himself he’d imagined it.

Monica’s left ear was locked onto Deneva, the other rotated every which way. Her gaze had not left the royal knight’s back for even an instant. Her steps were quiet and measured. She inhaled through her nose with deep sharp breaths, nose twitching as her head would rotate in one direction or another just ever so slightly enough. But never looking away from Deneva, the Sabertooth’s tail keeping deadly still.

The procession walked through the empty streets, only moving through the widest cobblestone road available towards the castle.

A door closed, the sound sharp and loud within the otherwise dead silence

Monica snapped her head in full in its direction, inhaling sharply and letting out a roar that rattled Rick’s skull. Several muffled shrieks could be heard from within the buildings around them.

The human blinked and suddenly realized the knights had pointed their lances at Monica. The movement had been swift, silent, instantaneous. Deneva had stopped dead in her tracks, her back still turned to Monica, but her hand on the pommel of her sheathed sword. The air became thick with danger, the silence sharp.

The feline’s ears flattened against her skull, lips curling into a snarl.

“Monica!” Rick let out the word, not quite a shout but putting every ounce of anger into it he could summon. It startled her, forcing her to hesitate and look down at him for the briefest of instants before locking back onto Deneva. “Monica.” He repeated, now wriggling within her grasp and kicking his legs.

She didn’t try to stop him this time, her expression confused as she hastily moved to stand slightly in front and between him and the green-haired knight.

“Let’s not escalate this.” He’d stumbled once on his feet, turning his focus to Deneva.

She peered at him over her shoulder, a single eye focused on him and the intensity behind that single look feeling as if it could punch right through him. The gesture was the barest of nods. The twenty maidens behind them simultaneously raised their spears to point them back to the sky, standing stock still and at attention once more.

Reaching out to grasp Monica’s claw, he gave her an intense frown. “No hurt.”

The maiden didn’t look pleased about it, turning her glare back to the back of Deneva’s head as she snorted. “Monica protect.'' She chided him with a slight squeeze of her paw.

He could only sigh.

They continued their quiet procession to the Earl’s place.

[162] [Rick]

Rick looked at the Earl’s ‘estate’ and felt that the proper term would have been ‘fortress’.

It was surrounded by its own smaller wall, and there was a wide open space right behind the only entrance. But within the smaller set of stone walls was a structure that looked just about ready to take head on a nuclear bomb and stay standing. The dark gray walls of the building were oddly angled inwardly, like something that had attempted to make those approaching to imagine it had been inspired by a pyramid. With at least three or four stories tall and without any windows short of the very narrow arrow slits. And though there was no stone “peak” to speak of, Rick could certainly recognize the radio tower that emerged out of the top.

As well as the eight winged maidens that were perched at several points of the metal tower, each of them looking down at them with intensity. Rick could almost imagine how quickly they could shoot him down if they so wanted.

Monica as well, because she moved to stand directly in front of him and growl at the winged maidens on the tower.

Three of them spread their wings and jumped off, quickly vanishing from sight as they soared elsewhere. The fourth took a heartbeat longer, her wings larger than the other three, a deep blue that almost made her melt into the light sapphire of the clear sky above.

There were no other guards besides Deneva and the knights that had been escorting them through the city. She marched unerringly towards the gates, unflinching as they opened, seemingly on their own. “This way, sir.” She declared once the heavy metal doors of the fortress pried open for them.

Monica stopped at the threshold of the door.

The growl came back.

She was standing stock still, for the first time in the whole trip up the city, no longer focusing on Deneva directly but on the corridor ahead. Her claw grasped Rick’s hand and she would not take a single step more. “Bahron.” She declared with narrowed brows and tightened fists.

Rick grimaced, feeling suddenly several dozen eyes locked onto them and watching their every move. He knew all too well what she was concerned about. He himself did not like this meeting whatsoever. Just being here sent his mind reeling straight back the Baron’s dungeon, and it clearly did so for her as well.

“Monica.” He took his free hand and lay it against the back of her furry hand. He looked up into her eyes and slowly stroked her wrist. With a deep breath, he pushed his concerns down. Whether this was a trap or not didn’t matter. It was too late to back down now, and if things got messy, they’d tackle them as they came.

Taking half a step backwards, he nudged her paw and tugged a little. “Rick protect Monica.”

Her ears flattened against her head, focus flicking once more between the fortress, Deneva, and him. She wasn’t happy about this one bit, yet she took a step forward and into the fortress. Needing Rick to urge her for two more before he could finally turn around and lead the way.

He noticed the green-haired knight had been staring at him ever so slightly, but her silence continued. Rick felt like he was being quietly judged.

The corridor was relatively wide, and it led into a large circular chamber that made every alarm in his head go off as it looked like it was exactly designed for an ambush. The walls at either side had slits in them, with people standing behind them. The door in front was partially out of sight since it was behind a wall. Attempting to rush through would mean having to move around or over that wall, and throughout the whole distance those standing behind the arrow-slits would have had a grand time shooting them down. He held back the grimace, following Deneva as she opened the doors leading out of the ‘entrance’ area and into a larger chamber.

It was far better illuminated than the corridor, the light poured into the room from narrow windows up the walls, yet the light appeared amplified somehow, bathing the area with a clear natural glow that made the otherwise dreary locked chamber appear so well illuminated it might as well have had tall open windows instead.

But his focus on the marvel of light manipulation was cut short when he noticed a lone figure standing in the center of the room. A human, the very first thing Rick noticed was how the man stood with a certain degree of poise, wearing a deep blue set of clothes inlaid with gold and silver that sparkled under the rays of light. The man’s face was a study in round contours, an attempt at making something spherical appear slim and long, his black hair framing the sides of his face and hiding the true form that his plump cheeks betrayed, anyway.

The man was short, short enough he wouldn’t have been able to look Rick eye to eye if not for the set of heeled boots he wore, the only leather on him. The rest of his body freely flowing within the soft garments and shirt, both loose enough to make the portly proportions become harder to determine in full.

“Welcome!”

The man spoke with a boom to his voice that was slightly startling, there was force behind the word, bouncing around the room like a canon that had just gone off. He bowed his head only ever so slightly, the barest amount to acknowledge their presence.

“I am Tylen Vitchatt the first of my name, Earl of Balet, son of Nair the Brave, third of his name. I invite you to my home.”

Rick drew from what he remembered from his conversations with Victor, bowing his head a bit more than the Earl had. “I am Richard Cross, offworlder.” He glanced at Monica, pinching her wrist a little for her to let go. “I accept your invitation.”

She just snorted, returning her focus to Deneva as the knight had moved to stand next to the Earl, lowered to one knee and keeping her gaze aimed at the floor in front of Rick’s feet, unwavering.

“I must ask to be excused, Monica has… much to learn.”

“Forgiven. No reasonable man can expect a feralborn thing to learn proper manners on the road, let alone the span of a month.” The Earl smiled brilliantly, his eyes pausing at how Monica was holding onto Rick’s hand and not letting go. “Normally I would request to have a minute alone, but it seems your maiden may be too uncomfortable here.”

“She is very protective.” He did his best to put up a polite smile. “The last time we were apart…” Pausing, Rick thought through his words carefully. “… there were some unfortunate circumstances that put us both in danger.”

He was all too aware there were such things as truth detection magic. The last thing he needed was to unwittingly set off an alarm somewhere. He was not sure what were the Earl’s goals. He wouldn’t have even showed up if he felt he could’ve gotten away with it without complications.

“Understandable, all feralborns tend to be quite possessive of their first owner.” The man smiled slightly. “I imagine it must have been rather hard to put up with her while not having the adequate resources to discipline her.”

Rick’s shoulders stiffened ever so slightly.

“If you wish, I could assist in distracting her.” Tylen declared with a slight gesture at Deneva. “You must be weary from the road after all.”

“I’m… not quite sure what you mean.”

The Earl blinked, then chuckled. “Oh, I must be the one to ask for forgiveness, I’d heard rumors that your maiden habitually did some… unsavory things to your person. My offer was merely to have my knights spar with White Claw until she tires. If nothing else, a tired maiden is far more easily handled and taught.”

“Be that as it may…” Rick coughed slightly, glancing at the feline who looked more impatient than tense. “… I think this is not a proper situation for it, as Monica does not understand the concept of a friendly spar, and has yet to… grow accustomed to this environment.”

The man laughed. “I wouldn’t worry too much, Deneva is the strongest maiden in my domain.”

It had been said so offhandedly, so dismissively, Rick felt a prickle of anger as his gaze turned towards the green-haired maiden. He couldn’t help but ask himself what powers did she have? How strong was she compared to Monica? Could she really beat the feline? The royal knight had not moved a millimeter, not shown the barest sign of emotion, her eyes still locked on the stone floor in front of Rick’s feet.

The thought was hastily crushed.

If trouble arose, the best card in his hand right now was that no one here knew the extent of Monica’s abilities.

“I thank you for your generosity, sir. I, however, feel it would be counterproductive to have Monica attempt to fight seriously without understanding the rules.” He forced a slight laugh out. “She may attempt to kidnap me and run if she sensed she cannot win.”

“True true.” A nod, he clapped his hands twice. “Please, rest and recover. You are an important guest, feel free to roam, though you will have to inform the knights if you wish to take White Claw on a stroll through the city.”

“I… ah, certainly.” Nodding, Rick glanced at Monica again before pushing his thoughts away from her. “I must admit I am not familiar with the customs surrounding hospitality. Is there any particular requirement needed from me?”

Tylen nodded slightly, the fat of his neck compressing and almost revealing a second chin as he did so. “Considering the circumstances, I believe the safest approach would be to assign Deneva to your personal use. Anyone else might be harmed if your maiden were to do anything untoward. Feel free to ask her anything you might need.”

Somehow, the silence in the room became colder, and Rick noticed the barest of twitches from the green-haired knight. Just a slight flicker of the eyes as she focused on the Earl’s leather boots before lowering her head in a slight bow. “It would be my honor.” She spoke with the same cold and detached voice of precise control, standing up to meet Rick’s gaze. “I will lead you to your room.”

He felt there was an accusatory edge to those words, hidden somewhere.

[163] [Rick]

The room was large enough Rick could easily see the place being used by no less than twenty odd freshmen sharing rent. Though they wouldn’t be able to pay for it even if they squeezed thirty more. He couldn’t spot the modern amenities he would’ve wished for, but it certainly looked… luxurious. The bed was made of wood, carved with iconography of women kneeling carrying plants that grew and spread across the scene, Rick noticed that the closer the carvings were to the head of the bed, the less dressed the women were.

Each of them was carved with a gemstone across their throats, blues, coppers, and golds. As the iconography continued towards the back of the bed, the headrest rose to show the image of a single woman dressed in flowing robes, without a collar, and clearly very pregnant.

They couldn’t have been more subtle about the meaning if they’d put it in bold blinking neon lights.

He had to look away from the bed, a hard task considering how much of a centerpiece to the room it was, and glanced at the other features. A desk, also wood, but carved as if to mimic the castle walls and stone bricks. Paper, actual decent paper, rested on top, blank and waiting to be used. There were drawers he was quite certain were not empty. There was also a washbasin, filled with water, right next to the bed, plated in silver or perhaps metal polished so well it could appear to be the rarer metal.

Monica snorted loudly, blowing air through her nose and rubbing it slightly. She made a face, wrinkling her features slightly as she did. It was only then that Rick caught the slight hint of incense burning. The stick was on a small coffee table on the opposite side to the desk.

Glancing over his shoulder, he spotted the two other maidens that had accompanied him into the room.

Deneva stood like the iron statue of a warrior that’s just about ready to jump into action and fight some gargantuan threat. Next to her Dia remained quiet, head ever so slightly bowed, shoulders shrunk, the pink haired maiden doing her best impression of a wallflower to avoid being seen, heard, or noticed.

“It is… a very nice room.” Rick declared to the green-haired maiden. “By any chance my companions…?”

“The Earl had offered accommodations, but they insisted on staying with… the merchant.” There was nothing in her tone to signify any emotional attachment to the statement, her eyes locked on him and him alone, even as Monica glared and kept herself almost blocking the maiden from being able to see Rick at all. “If that will be all, I will be outside.”

A curt dry bow of the head, she spun around.

The door closed with a solid thud that Rick was quite sure did not bode well for him.

Instantly, Dia sighed deeply, relaxing her whole body like an unwinding spool of yarn. She didn’t say anything, only walking over towards the bed and collapsing face first into it. The fact that she stayed there and didn’t move or say anything at all was about as sure a sign the whole experience had fried her nerves all the way through as any.

“Monica?” Rick glanced at the feline, raising his hand, the one she was still holding. “Let go.”

The feline looked at him, then at the door through which Deneva had left. Frowning, she did let go. Rick thought that would be that, up and until she walked to the desk, lifted it up, and then placed it in front of the door.

From the bed, Rick heard a muffled groan.

Monica nodded, apparently proud of herself, and sat down on the desk. “Monica protect.” She crossed her arms, smirking from ear to ear.

“For fuck’s sake…”

He really wanted to join Dia on the bed right now and groan into the white silky sheets. Instead, he first turned towards the burning incense sticks and smothered them, dropping them and the ash into the small ash-box they came in. Following this, he moved towards the window and stopped as soon as he realized what he was looking at.

A glass door embedded within a window, surrounded by softly glowing orbs that amplified the incoming natural light. At the other side of the door was a small balcony, with sights to a small garden below. There were metal shutters at either side of the window inside the room itself, they looked too heavy for him to be able to move them.

Opening the door, a soft breeze of fresh air made its way inside, and he sighed, looking down at the garden. It had a small pool of water, surrounded by some bushes with colorful flowers, and the balcony had a set of stairs leading down to the garden. Rick had to wonder what the purpose was, from up there the place looked like it led to a larger garden of some sort, but there were some trees making it appear as if hidden from sight.

“I need to clean up.”

A loud screeching sound nearly made him jump out of his skin, he spun around to see Deneva peeking into the room, face impassive. “I will call for the maids to draw a hot bath for you, sir.”

The door closed, and Monica was now glaring at it.

Had the royal knight just flexed on them?

Monica sprung into action, shoving the desk back into place, this time hurrying to pick up every other piece of furniture she could find to leave on top of it. The feline glared at the door even if she didn’t growl, and Rick was fairly sure she was trying to x-ray vision through the thing to Deneva.

“Is what she’s doing normal?” Dia asked, looking about as exasperated as Rick was.

“Everything’s new with Monica.” His answer came with a long drawn out inner grumble. He just was too tired, the Earl had been right, the trip had been wearing him thin, and Monica had not been much help in that regard either.

Now, if only he could actually believe he wasn’t deep in potential enemy territory, he might even find amusement out of this. As it stood, he was going to have to figure out how to dance around the noble without causing some sort of misunderstanding or insult, while at the same time trying to spot a potential trap. Ah, and he also had to make sure that if it so happened that the Earl was earnest and actually not out to fuck him up, then he had to make sure that opinion didn’t change.

Hopefully gifting him the demon-hog’s fur would earn him some points, Victor certainly thought it would be seen in a very positive light. Still, hopefully things were not going in a bad direction, Rick was sure the Earl wasn’t being openly hostile. If the man wanted them dead, he already had several opportunities to try it.

“You look too tired, sir, you should rest.”

“I wholeheartedly agree.” He muttered, glancing at Dia as she lay on the bed and had done barely the minimum to turn and face his way.

His eyes turned towards the blockaded door and the frustrated cat.

Perhaps Deneva had done that merely to irk Monica, maybe she’d done it to show some of the irritation he was fairly sure she must have felt for being turned into some sort of glorified maid. Or maybe she was just making it loud and clear that the walls had eyes and ears, and he was going to remain closely watched every moment he spent there.

Whatever the case, the sooner he could blow it all off and leave, the better.

Though a part of him wondered about that.

Go where?

[164] [Rick]

With the morning rays coming in through the window, Rick lay in the bathtub and did his best to pretend he was alone. The water was warm, soothing, and his muscles could almost start relaxing and easing themselves into the endeavor.

There was just one problem.

Monica was standing behind him, exactly a twitch away from yanking him out of the tub. Close enough, he could feel the slight movements of her tail as it came ever so close to his head, swishing little sounds. To say nothing that he could quite literally feel her anxiousness oozing through the bond despite his best attempts to ignore it.

“Monica.” He opened his eyes to look up at her, huffing.

Arms crossed, naked, the underline of her bust squeezed and drew his attention as she looked at him then at the tub and then at him again. “Rick no sleep, water bad, Monica protect.” She declared.

She was being a bundle of nerves, and not having any real way to relax her until he stepped out of the potential drowning, he turned his attention towards Dia. “Do you think the Earl has a shower somewhere we could use?”

“If the Lord does, it would likely be in an area of the castle that’s been recently renovated… or in the servant quarters.” She sat at the edge of the bed, wearing a nice white dress, her eyes were lingering on the lump of items that had been dropped off late last night. “Do you really think I should be present during breakfast with the Lord… sir?”

“Monica’s not going to give an alternative.” Rick shrugged. “If she’s going to be there, I want you there too.” His eyes looked up at the feline and sighed. He was not going to be able to relax like this.

Standing up, Monica leaned over to stare at the tub they’d brought in, dipping her clawed hand into the warm water and frowning at it before returning her attention to the very wet and very naked Rick. He almost jumped when she groped his ass and licked his ear, and Monica was all giggles instantly, leaving him to just grumble and turn his attention to the next enemy to contend with: clothes.

Not having any ‘formal’ wear, the Earl had given him some.

And he had a feeling this was going to be a very long day.

“Might as well…” With a dejected sigh, he glanced at the smirking Dia. “Mind lending me a hand?”

“Of course, sir.”

Getting dressed up and looking himself over in the mirror, Rick was left with a sense that he’d been thrown into the early 90s vision of what nobility should look like. Big floopy sleeves, pants with wide bottoms, and a slight dip in the shirt that left his clavicles in view. Normally it would have felt tacky and just… off, but after almost two months of seeing maidens walking around with their collars, wearing skirts and dresses, it seemed that the second and more important objective of the set of clothes was to make it loud and clear he was human, and a male.

“You look good, sir.” Dia said with a slight smile as her hands glowed, combing his hair with a tickling touch. “Would you wish to shave?”

“… might as well.” He rubbed at the shadow he’d developed during the past couple days, turning to face Dia and, with a sigh, leaning forward.

The same glowing tickling hands moved from his hair down to his chin and cheeks. It felt as if his face went slightly numb for a split second before he could feel the warmth of her touch. It barely took a second before she called the whole operation complete with a peck to his cheek.

“I honestly had not expected you to know a shaving spell.”

“It’s not a spell.”

“I don’t see the difference.”

“To cast a spell, I need to very carefully manipulate my elemental energy into a stable structure to run my power through.” Dia caressed his chin. “It… is a difference akin to pushing a rock up a hill or tying some pulleys together and then pulling on the rope.”

“So you can get the same result with either.”

“Spells take longer and cost more energy, allowing for less flexibility.”  She replied cheekily, taking a step back.

He didn’t let her escape, taking a longer step and reaching up to her neck. Dia froze, then melted as he kissed her in full. His hands were about to move to her shoulders, but she urged them further up, to her choker. “Not now.”

“I know, I know.” She whispered, leaning into his arms, pressing her head against his shoulder.

The moment lasted about half a second before Monica had moved herself behind Rick, wrapped him into her arms, and harrumphed, play-biting his shoulder opposite to the one Dia had lay claim to. At least she didn’t shove the nurse off this time… progress.

“Yeah, yeah.” Holding back from just sighing, he kept the hug with one hand and used the other to pat Monica’s hip.

There was a knock at the door, both maidens squeezed him slightly tighter.

“Come in.”

Rick forgot about the furniture Monica had piled on the door as it screeched open. Deneva peeked. “The meal is ready, sir.”

“We’ll be out in a second.”

“Certainly.”

Having Dia let go was easy, having Monica do it… not as much. The instant the impassive face and voice of Deneva had crossed the room’s threshold, Monica had gone from just possessive to protective. It was a sharpness, an edge that left her entirely too ready to jump with her claws out and fangs ready.

When they did manage to leave, Rick gestured at one of the bundles and Monica immediately picked it up. The thing was almost as large as she was, but she didn’t really exert herself any, her focus remaining on the green-haired maiden that was awaiting them outside the room.

Since yesterday, Deneva had changed her clothes out of her serious armor and was now wearing… a maid uniform. The skirt was long, flowing all the way to her ankles, with black sleeves and an apron. Her face was impassive, but Rick had the creeping feeling that she was not happy about it. Especially considering her actual job and rank.

He’d call it a hunch.

“This way, sir.” With her hair done into a tight knot, the maiden walked down the stony corridors of the fortress with Monica keeping a good ten meter separation and making sure Rick would be behind her every step of the way.

She led them to a sunlit room with a table about five meters long. It was a rather simple place, with a glass chandelier. On top of the white cloth that covered the table were plates with more food Rick had seen in one place short of when they were processing the monster hog.

“Rick, welcome.” The Earl was at the opposite end, bowing his head in greeting and wearing a slightly fancier version of the clothes that had been provided to Rick. “Protocol normally would have us eschew all maidens and just share a pleasant meal, but I understand your circumstances are somewhat unique. You will have to excuse me as I will request Deneva to stay.”

“I thank your consideration.” He returned the gesture, bowing slightly lower as Victor had indicated was protocol. “I heard it was customary for guests to bring a gift to their host. Last night Victor was kind enough to send my things over, and I have something that I hope is to your appreciation.”

Looking at Monica, he reached for the bundle. She just dropped the thing and Rick almost toppled over. The thing must have weighed forty kilos easily.

“During our trip, my maiden happened to encounter a particularly large boar.” He grunted, moving to drop the thing at the side of the table where the Early could see it. “I lack the knowledge in leather and furs, but I thought its hide might be appreciated by someone with more experience in these things.”

“That… that is just one fur?” The plump man frowned, looking at the man-sized bundle and quickly making a gesture at Deneva.

The maiden approached and Monica’s hackles rose, the growl was low, barely audible. Rick felt his heart freeze in his chest as the expressionless maiden did not waste so much as a split second, grabbing the parcel and turning away with a bowed head and slumped shoulders. With the parcel in tow, she approached her Lord and dropped it.

A flicker of her wrist and she used a small knife to open it.

Rick hadn’t seen where she’d been hiding the weapon.

“Oh my.” The Earl’s expression brightened as he saw the cloth open up and reveal the black fur of the boar. “This… must have been quite the hunt.” With a slight nod, he glanced at the door behind him and clapped once.

Three maidens wearing maid uniforms moved in, took one look at Monica, paled, then at Deneva, and turned chalk white. Only then did they look at their Lord and the fur he was gesturing towards, and they moved with immediacy in their every step, rushing in to take the fur and leave at a speed that would have made a Formula 1 pit-stop jealous.

“I will have to admire it more in detail once it’s been properly processed.” The Earl turned back to Rick, smile wide as he bowed deeper than when he’d greeted them. “This is simply marvelous! It is very rare to find hogs of such a size. A gift most welcome, and one I wish to reciprocate.”

“It is unnecessary. Your hospitality is more than enough.” Rick avoided gritting his teeth, keeping his smile polite and drawing from experience having to talk to potential donors to the university he worked at.

“I insist.” Came the response, he stretched out his hand towards Deneva. “I’ve recently come to acquire a particularly powerful device, a most excellent-.”

“Stop.” Rick did not waste an instant, eyes fixing firmly on Deneva and not on the Earl, the green-haired maiden halting mid gesture as she’d been reaching into the folds of her dress. “Is it a sphere, white and red?”

“Why yes!” The Earl had not noticed, not seen the tension on Rick’s face or Dia. But Deneva had. “Are you familiar with it?”

“I must apologize, but could you wrap it up? Or perhaps place it into a box of some sort?” He spoke hurriedly, his head gesturing towards Monica. “I fear that though I may not have ever used such an item, my maiden has had one used on her and seeing one may… startle her.”

“Oh… oh!” The Earl looked at the frowning tense Monica and nodded. “Certainly, I will have it delivered to your room, then.”

“Thank you for your generosity.”

“Let us eat, then.” The Earl gestured at the table. “Lest the meal cools.”

Rick bowed, he smiled, he kept his expression placid and the conversation light.

And made sure not to forget Deneva had been carrying a ready-to-use pokeball in her pocket all this time.

[FIRST][PREVIOUS][NEXT]