| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I can teach you then. Though you may not like some of them. My people's history is not pleasant.
I can teach you then. Though you may not like some of them. My people's history is not pleasant.
”Well, I can try to learn some, and if something feels like it’s too much for me, I’ll let you know.”
"I can help with the dance part if there's any...I'm a pretty quick study with dance." Ryn adds.
Ulfr chuckles at Ryn's suggestion, Most of our dances you already know, Gladiatrix.
"Ooo, dance-fighting!" says Azura. "All right, I'm not as good at that, but I'm willing to give it a try."
Ulfr looks her over as if evaluating her. Then stretch well and bind your breasts tightly in the morning. If you are not exhausted in two hours I will be impressed.
Azura nods and says, "I doubt that I can manage two hours of constant acrobatic fighting, but I'll do my best. Please don't be disappointed in me. I will respect your culture's arts to the best of my ability."
After a moment's thought she adds, "Zev, what about you? Up to learn some new dance-fighting moves?"
Saersha had been fairly quiet as she considered the space in her townhouse vs the number of people needing to stay there. It would be crowded if they all wanted to stay there over night but it should be sufficient for them to relax at least. She finally said, "It would be rather crowded if everyone was sleeping in my townhouse, unless some of you wished to share my bed with Embyr and myself of course, but to relax and clean up it should work out quite nicely."
"Good to know," says Azura. "I can find other accommodations overnight, but it'll be nice to have a relaxing day with the team."
"Duly noted." Ryn says, flashing Azura a grin at the mention of the accommodation limits. "It will be nice to have a day to just kick around."
Shylei doesn't need much encouragement to launch a couple of limp punches at the same tree Ulfr punched. She eventually stops after bruising one of her knuckles, but she looks a bit better afterward.
----------------------
"Tiri, Jinxie, and Kavi, I would like to offer you a way out of the Grey Maidens and into my employ. The details can be discussed if you are interested."
All three maidens, still clad in full mail, exchange a look before nodding in unison. Jinxie's helmet almost falls off, but she manages to catch it in time (though just barely).
"Given that without us you would have all become the succubus' meals sooner or later I trust you will allow them to leave with no problem if they decide to take me up on my offer?"
The leader nods once. "Treat them well."
"We'll see if we can find other uses for our sword-arms elsewhere."
Embyr wordlessly steps alongside the lust mage, her readiness quite apparent.
-----------------------
"...right, I should get started on cleaning things up." Embyr cracks her knuckles. "I understand there's a guest room that hasn't been used yet--I'll see if I can get enough boxes and stuff moved aside so it can be used."
Saersha was pleased at the agreement with the leader of the Grey Maidens. Had she the space for more she would have considered taking more of them in but given what Embyr had warned her of Saersha thought three would be enough. Saersha felt Embyr step closer to her and reached out to put her arm across her maid's lower back and rest her hand on Embyr's hip where she could stroke it idly.
Saersha hid a smile with her free had at Jinxi's helmet almost falling off. As she looked the three former Grey Maidens over Saersha finally said, "You have decided to enter into my employ so the question now is..." Saersha hesitated a brief moment and then asked them, "What do you want?"
Once the team arrives at Saersha's estate, the first thing that Azura does is shed her weighty mail armor, as always.
"I can help with the re-organizing," she says. "Or if there's a well on the premises I can draw water for cleaning."
Helping Azura out of her armor, Ryn takes the time to stow their gear, changing out of her own armor and rejoining the others.
Embyr is quite welcoming of your incoming hand, responding to it by looping her own arm around your hip. Her grip seems a mite more possessive at the moment.
"What do we want?" Tirri repeats the question, her tone uncertain.
"...no one has asked us what we want." Jinxie continues, her helmed head turning back and forth between her comrades.
Kavi is quite silent. Perhaps she's giving the question some great consideration--or she's just as bewildered as the other two.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Azura takes a little time to look about the household in approval at its pleasing décor and airy atmosphere. "The tapestries are racy, but that's to be expected," she comments with a chuckle.
While Saersha heads off with the Gray Maidens to decide on their future, Azura and Ryn find Saersha's bath—a shallow indoor pool, really, in the style of old Taldor: Steps descending into warm water with pillars supporting a roof decorated with constellations.
"All right, I was just expecting a washtub," says Azura. She shrugs off her sweaty gambeson and tosses it to one side, leaving on her undershift. "Um. I guess we should let everyone know to just toss their laundry in the pile to one side and I'll clean it with magic later? Shall we try the water now, Ryn, or see if the others want to set up a rotation?"
"She's got excellent taste." Embyr knowingly nods with a mischievous smirk.
"I guess just let folks know about the laundry situation," says Azura to Embyr. "So... how are you enjoying your new life? It's got to be quite an adjustment. Being a lady's maid and also her companion... but it's better, isn't it?"
"Oh, undoubtedly." Embyr nods and starts stripping out of her gear.
"I'll admit, I wasn't expecting to end up this way..." She says as she puts her boots aside. "...but at least I can tell Mom what I do for a living without lying, for once."
"I must admit that it does strike me as a little odd," says Azura as she assists Ryn in getting ready as well. "Saersha does influence your situation of money and having a home... but she wouldn't abuse it. Still, it must've been in the back of your mind at least a little, that you want to keep her happy to keep your new place. That was probably awkward for a little while, huh? Well, never mind, you two clearly have a very close relationship now and Saersha wouldn't take advantage of you like that. She really does care about you."
Azura lets out a sigh and then says, "Screw it, I'm goin' in." She peels her undershift up over her head, leaving her naked, and tosses it onto the pile with her sweaty gambeson, then steps gingerly down into the pool. "Water's warm—probably comes down an aqueduct open to the sun?" she comments as she descends into the water. She ducks her head underneath briefly and then comes back up, pushing her golden locks back with her hands. "Uuugh it's good to get that sensation of the water lifting away all the cares and problems of the day."
"The power dynamic in this relationship was a bit... uncomfortable at first, I'll admit." The rogue nods, her expression pensive... up until it's time to get in the water.
Embyr quite openly ogles Azura as she slides into the tub, shedding her own gear in a hurry to join her.
"Haven't had a chance to ask her myself. I just figured she has some sort of magical gizmo or thingamabob to keep the water warm or cold whenever she wants installed somewhere."
Ulfr quietly helps with the rearranging of things and helping people get settled. He then starts wandering the house to see if he can find a nice corner to curl up in. He quickly find an abundance of nice corners. To many, in fact. There isn't a corner in this place that isn't nice! He walks the house with his arms pinned firmly to his sides fearing that he'll soil whatever he touches.
Eventually he smells warm water and follows his nose to what he hours is a bath. Or kitchen; he could wash up there too. He enters and is startled by a group of stripping women! Ah, umm, sorry, ladies. I'll come back later. he stammers.
Saersha was pleased at Embyr's possessiveness of her Mistress, it was good to be wanted, and she let her thumb stroke Embyr's waist gently in teasing circles. That the Grey Maidens had not been given many choices in life did not surprise Saersha but she hadn't expected them to be quite this helpless. Saersha considered them carefully as she thought of what to say. After a moment or two of thinking Saersha said, "Alright, for example, do you want to continue being soldiers of a fashion, say guards for myself or my residence? Would you prefer to learn to do something else like being a maid or a groundskeeper, not that there are a lot of grounds to keep here. Is there a trade you would like to learn?"
Saersha watched the three carefully as she spoke to see if she caught any indication of something that would catch their interest. She decided to also add, "Another thing to consider is do you wish to be my lovers or not?" Saersha turned her head as she turned Embyr's face towards her with her free hand. She leaned in to kiss Embyr soundly on the lips before breaking it and turning back to the former Grey Maidens, "There is no requirement either way, and you would always be subordinate to Embyr here."
Saersha looked at the three women and then said, "Your lives are now your own and I will keep you employed until such time as you want to leave my employment. I will not turn you out, you stay or leave of your own volition."
Saersha noted the others moving through the house and looked to Embyr. She released the maid reluctantly and said, "Please help the others get settled in My Pet, I will discuss things with our new employees in the meantime."
Azura sidles to a comfortable spot to sit and enjoy the warm water, leaning her shoulders back against the wall of the pool.
"Honestly I'm a little at a loss for what to do after all of this running around chasing shards is over," says Azura. "I suppose I could get a home of my own? I dunno, I have a tendency to slide a little too much into decadence if I don't have other goals to keep me busy."
"Speaking of which, if I'd been thinking, I'd have tapped into Saersha's wine cellars before relaxing in the bath, darn it." She pauses for a moment, then says, "I'm actually forgetting everything in my rush to get submerged. Argh." She stands and steps back up out of the pool and goes to fetch several long towels so they'll be nearby later, and a scrub-brush and a dish of soap. She neatly places the towels at one end of the pool, then turns to step back down in with the soap-tray and scrubber when Ulfr arrives at the doorway.
"No worries Ulfr," she says casually. "I can't speak for the other ladies, but I'm not shy. I'm just going to scrub Ryn's back and maybe Embyr's, if she wants it." The bard waves the scrubber in small circles and descends halfway into the pool once more. "C'mon Ryn, you know you like back scrubs." Azura leans to one side and places the soap tray on the edge of the pool. She then points to the pile of laundry to one side and says, "Dirty clothes go there."
Ulfr nods in the general direction of Azura while politely averting his eyes. The consent of one woman apparently wasn't enough if another could object.
”C’mon ladies, into the water before Ulfr gets a crick in his neck from averting his gaze like we’re basilisks.”
The comment burns Ulfr's ears. You are not monsters. I just don't want to complicate matters by assumption. We fight together. I want you to trust me with my eyes as much as you trust me with my arms.
Azura stifles a laugh and says, "I'm just teasing, Ulfr. I appreciate that you're being polite. It's not up to me to say what Ryn or Embyr are comfortable with."
Embyr giggles at Ulfr's bashfulness. "Don't worry about it. Working for Saersha's got a way of... easing one's inhibitions."
-------------------
The three maidens ponder Saersha's questions, exchanging looks with each other.
"I was trained to serve and protect. I see little reason to change that." Kavi finally says, the words coming out as if known by rote. "If you will have me, I will defend the true heir of Eurythnia and Runelord Sorshen."
Jinxie speaks next, her voice small and meek. "...I don't want to bear this armour anymore. I liked to garden before... before..." Her tone starts to waver, but she shakes her head and swallows. "...if you have a garden here, I would like to look after it."
Tirri clears her throat after Jinxie. "My talents would be equally suitable for defending this estate or maintaining it. I will leave the choice of my post up to you."
When the question of being lovers comes up, all three maidens give separate answers.
"I stand ready to serve in whatever capacity you require of me." Kavi nods, her spine straight and stiff as iron.
"...um... I-I don't--I was always told that fraternization was grounds for punishment." Jinxie stammers, her blush practically radiating from beneath her helmet. "But I... I certainly wouldn't say 'no.'"
"...Heiress, with all due respect, the last time I took a woman to bed, she escaped her planar bindings and subjugated the entire unit. Took a lot out of me, too. I don't think I feel comfortable taking things that far at this time." Tirri's posture sags as she speaks, her shoulders slumping.
Ryn takes a moment to fully appreciate Azura's staggering form as she strips off the last of her clothing and gets into the water, grinning as she notes Embyr's reaction, and appreciating the rogue's svelte form as well.
"Same here, Ulfr. It's not like the baths in the arena sublevels aren't pretty much open anyway." with a smile the gladiatrix strips off the rest of her clothing, laying it all among the laundry pile and letting her hair out of its ponytail, before getting into the pool, a satisfied sigh escaping her lips as her body settles into the enveloping warmth. "Ooohhh that's good!" she says moving over toward Azura.
Embyr swims over to the side of the pool and takes a bar of soap for herself, taking the time to appreciate Ryn's muscled form as she does so.
"Much better than the Lady's Light, to be frank. I mean, natural sunlight for a start..." The rogue remarks as she lathers up and scrubs her arms.
Ulfr's tension visibly melts as he gets permission to be where he is. He looks to Ryn, That's true, but they didn't trust me then. They couldn't. And I'm pretty sure that includes you. I was dangerous then. In any case, thanks, ladies. I appreciate your trust.
He then starts losing the many straps and buttons that hold his clothes together. Instead of single pieces, they seem to be layered like a series of cloaks. Each is sightly different and bears a certain style of totem or woven art. He lays each by the others with a quiet word to someone, perhaps the people who made them.
Once stripped he proceeds to the bath, now unable to hide the side-effect of stepping into a bath with so many intensely attractive women. He sighs contentedly. It's been a long time since I was truly clean.
Saersha listened to what each woman had to say about what they wanted to do and decided to start with Kavi since she spoke up first. Kavi spoke of wanting to retain her arms and be a guard, which it was what she was trained to do and what she wanted. With an elegant nod Saersha said, "A house guard you shall be then Kavi. I may or may not take you on my travels, if I do not you will be assigned to my residence as a guard. Do you know how to drive a carriage? If so I would likely have you serve as my chauffeur as well as guard at times."
Saersha looked at Jinxie next as the timid woman spoke hesitantly and thought of a way to give her what she wanted. Saersha did not have a garden but she did have a small backyard as well as a servant's quarters in the back so it should be possible to put one in. "While I do not have a garden currently since I have no time to attend to it myself if you are willing to do the work to make one then I believe we can arrange that. It would be a good way to defray the cost of food with three more people to feed. We can work on figuring this out over the next day or so Jinxie."
Saersha then focused on Tirri and considered what the woman said. The choice was not as firm as Saersha expected but it was a choice none the less. Saersha smiled and then said, "Then I will have you do both. I will have you train in housekeeping under Embyr but you will also be at times expected to serve as a guard if needed. Will that be acceptable to you?"
Saersha nodded in acceptance of her new employees reluctance to sleep with her. It did not bother Saersha any so she said, "I will not order anyone to share my bed with me," she directed the first mostly towards Kavi, "nor would I want you to if you were unsure," the second was directed largely to Jinxie, "and after what happened to your unit you are wise to be reluctant," the last was directed mostly to Tirri. Saersha gave her best winning smile at the three and said, "I cannot promise I will always keep my hands to myself, I will promise to do my best to do so and will always respect if you say no to something." She gestured around them at her home and added, "This is your home now and, in a way, I hope you can be comfortable here. If any of you decide later that you would like to join me in bed then I will not turn you away without good reason but coming to me that way will be because you want to, not because I ask you to, and it will in no way affect your welcome here."
Azura takes up a position behind Ryn and starts scrubbing the warrior's back, applying the soapy mixture and then the brush in long strokes.
"I'm sorry to hear that Ulfr. You've definitely had a long journey through anger and pain. I'm glad that extending that trust has helped you on that journey," says Azura to the warrior-artist. "We do live on the edge, in an existence that alternates between leisure and violence. And being surrounded by that all the time, making it your life, can have a pervasive effect. I think we're all kinda fortunate that we aren't consumed by it."
Azura continues scrubbing Ryn's back as she muses aloud, saying, "I knew a woman once who enjoyed being choked while she was having sex. She said that the feeling of powerlessness heightened all the sensations in her body, but also knowing that her partner had to exercise enough control to not actually kill her meant that she was perversely in control of the experience. Somehow the violence in it enticed her, but only when it was a simulation, not the real thing. Some Calistrians have a similar thing going on with their whips and ropes, though for others they just enjoy hurting people."
"Makes me wonder which of the shards of sin I'll resonate with? Probably sloth."
Ulfr easily takes up the musing mood, Passion is the ultimate motivator, which I seek to understand. Sapients will do whatever they most want at any given moment, even if that thing is to their detriment.
Passions, and especially rage, are inherently selfish. Those of us who are closely tied to our passions must be constantly evaluating our control so as to not cause undue harm.
Thus taught the Shaman Shahil.
He absentmindedly scrubs his arms. I bet he never thought his teachings would make it all the way here.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Universal teachings have a way of sneaking in everywhere," says Azura. "A lot of conflict in the world comes from the intersection of contrasting passions. You want to kill me but I don't want to die; you want me to worship THIS god but I wanna worship THAT god. We get through those with reason. We either discover common ground that allows us to follow our bliss without conflict, or we discover that we have no common ground and that an existential battle is at hand."
"Ryn dear, lift your arms for a moment."
She continues scrubbing Ryn's sides.
"May I just add that I am really glad that you are on our side, Ulfr."
Ulfr chuckles, that familiar, deep sound you raise you haven't heard since before the Lizards. His laugh has been strained recently, but now the warmth seems to be soaking back into him.
And I'm glad to be with you all. You have brought and we have faced challenges I never thought possible.
His skin is literally changing colors as he scrubs, layers of dirt and dried blood from who knows where disappearing into the water. Beneath the filth where's a complex pattern of tattoos and ritual scarification. Theyl tattoos are all blue, like the ones on his face, and form a complex but brutally straight forward pattern across his powerful torso. Somehow a clean and naked Ulfr was MORE intimidating than a clothed, dirty one.
"So tell us a story about one of those tattoos!" says Azura brightly. "I bet each one has a story behind it. I won't ask you to share them all at once."
Ryn raises her arms, luxuriating in the attention as she listens to the conversation. Azura's talent for guiding the course of a conversation was always a marvelous thing to witness, and as she and Ulfr discuss the philosophy of emotions, passions, and violence, she finds herself wondering what shard would resonate with the rest of them.
Ulfr looks down and considers himself for a moment like he's leaving through a book. This one, here. he points out a pair of blue triangles on his right shoulder that come to a point half way down his arm. They seem to frame a vicious looking bite scar. This was one of the first. It is the Mark of Rights. Without this mark the Ancestors will reject any who try to walk their path. It is a symbol of initiation. I earned mine after killing a spirit wolf in single combat at ten years old.
"A spirit wolf?" says Azura as she works her way down to Ryn's legs. "Tell me more about that?"
Ulfr smirks, The proper magical term is Summoned but magical theory isn't something my people are all to keen to embrace. Summoned or not, wolves still put up a fight And if it pops into existence out of thin air, Spirit isn't a bad descriptor.
He starts peeling the grind off of his chest.
And it makes for better stories.
"Was this something for which you felt you were prepared? Or more of a 'good luck, kiddo, if you survive you're an adult now' thing?"
Each tribe is different. I was prepared to a degree, though I doubt anyone can actually prepare you for your first true taste of combat.
"Not really, whatever you had prepared tends to go right out of your head until the violence starts." Ryn says with a chuckle, her body visibly relaxing under Azura's soothing attention.
Azura squats to run her hands down Ryn's corded legs, again making long strokes to smooth out the muscles. "So Embyr, if you had to pick one of the seven shards of sin—which do you think would most closely match to your personality?"
Tirri nods in quiet acknowledgement.
The remaining maidens all nod as Saersha establishes boundaries for companionship. Kavi in particular relaxes her posture significantly.
---------------------
Having been quietly washing herself the whole time, Embyr is a little surprised when Azura addresses her.
She thinks for a bit before a dark expression emerges on her brow. "Envy."
"Growing up poor does that to a girl. Especially in Magnimar."