Chapter 24: Patron Journey

I fell unconscious. That much was certain by the three test slaps I just received from Garland the Third. My eyes flutter open with the sting and my vision, blurry, identifies the three people standing in the mud beside me to be Elsa, Garland and the disgruntled Diviner.

Garland puts his arm forward for me, I take it and he pull me up with gusto, he grins and pats my back excitedly. The action bursting a spark of pain throughout my chest. "I think I may have broken a rib." I complain.

Elsa gasps and begins checking about my beaten body. "I've got some herbs back home. I'll make a paste and bring it over." She says, running off without waiting for a response.

Garland laughs, "I believe you did more than break a rib, you killed the Mayor, you killed that bastard Perlman!"

"No, he did not!" The fierce objection came from none other than the Diviner. He stomped his feet in the mud, slinging miniscule projectiles everywhere. "That spirit he conjured, or stolen from the bosom of Anera did the killing! This is not a valid victory, there was outside interference!"

"The rules say that the skills of the Mage in battle are all valid save for those he vowed not to used beforehand." Garland argues, "I believe that summoning spirits is indeed a skill of his."

"It is not! One such as himself cannot begin to manipulate the beautiful workings of the gods. Souls are sacred and impenetrable!"

"Does that mean I'm not a Necromage?" I slyly ask, spying a chance to discredit the Diviners entire argument of hate against me.

"No, do not misunderstand me. You are indeed a Necromage an you will be prosecuted for your vile acts against the gods sacred creatures."

"But if I am a Necromage that means I manipulated that soul doesn't it? Afterall why would a soul randomly want to serve my purpose if I did not manipulate it? Necromages have skills too."

At this he fumes, finding himself caught in a trap. Unless he could find another viable explanation as to how Anselm, a spirit, suddenly became physical and aided me without a skill being used then he couldn't rightly say I didn't claim victory over Perlman. If he refuted my victory, he would be refuting his allegation against me as a vile Necromage and would be unable to prosecute me as he threatens.

Diviner- one Asher- one.

I still had to get away from that whole persecution thing though, but for now I would revel in the flustered red face of the Diviner before me. I had triumphed.

"Hand it over." Garland calls out, equally bemused as I.

"I have half a mind to burn you right where you stand, infidel." He spat, his hands lighting on fire.

A pyromancer? What the hell? The old man Diviner was a Mage as well?

Garland only scoffs and beckons for his hand to be filled even more, "You know damn well you can't without confirmation from the Synagogue. A shame you have to run the burning of every heretic through them now isn't it?"

"I've already sent the message; it's only a matter of time now isn't it? You shan't breathe long."

"Longer than you, old crone." He spits. "Now hand it over."

The fire burning in his hands sputters out and he lazily raises it over his head, waving the guards behind him to come forward. Three of them. One carrying the block, another carrying the axe and the third carrying the most important thing; my money.

"Settle it however you want." The pouch of gold is tossed at Garland. The Diviner gives me one last sneer before turning and leaving the muddied field.

"So how do you want it sir?"

My attention is drawn to the person speaking, it's the guard with the axe. The one with the block had set it down and is now dragging Perlman's limp body to it.

"What?" I mumble, my body still throbbed painfully from the beating Perlman administered to me. My eyes were spinning or was it the world. Not sure.

"Well," the axe mans starts just as his colleague heaves the body of their former Mayor on the block, aligning his head just as so. "You won, so you can have it clean, or you can have it sawed. So how do you want it sir?"

Clean or sawed? Interesting choice variant.

***

I made my choice. It wasn't difficult really. I'm a very curious person after all. After gifting the package to Garland, he equally gifted me with my very heavy pouch of gold tokus coinage. It fit well in the various pockets of the belt he gave me earlier, until now I had nothing other than the dagger to keep in it.

I lingered a while to discuss with him what happens next. It was already obvious to me though; I'd had to be making my leave. Apparently, the normal thing was for me to take over the village, the Marquess in charge of the border county could of course revoke this rulership if they deemed fit. Of course, if I chose to take my place in the Town Hall, I'd be simply wasting good escaping time. The Diviner was out to get me, he'd already sent a letter out for my disposition as well as my burning.

So, the question was who would lead the village. The Diviner couldn't because of religious rules and such, and Garland couldn't because he wasn't attuned to magic, he also was complicit in my apparent heresy, so he would be fleeing the village and possibly the Kingdom even. It's likely the Marquess or Viscount would send someone.

I don't care much for it all. I won't fleeing the Kingdom though; new plan is to make even more money. To become powerful, to practice magic more. In the days I'd been here I only practiced Spirit Summon, and I've only levelled up twice. The fight with Perlman apparently counted as a big enough boost of experience that I levelled up. Level five. It wasn't bad for barely a month in this world, but it wasn't good either.

I keep getting into trouble, and if my fight with Perlman taught me anything, it was that I was only Necromancer in name alone. Power was my goal now, not survival, not food. All that came with power.

For now, I put aside the thoughts of growth and lightly pushed the shack door open. The house was very different from when I first came. The floors were lined with carpets, there were candles up that didn't stink and there was food.

My eyes met Elsa's, she stood at a donated table grinding at something in a small mortar. "Where's Sem?"

"Asleep." She whispers, wiping off a bead of sweat from her temple. I find myself a comfortable place on the long fur covered couch Garland stuffed in here and sit.

She walks up to me with the mortar in hand and kneels. "Lift your shirt."

I give her a wary look; I don't like the colour of that paste. "What is that?" I ask, lifting up the shirt as she asked. A bit saddened Garland's gifted clothes got so filthy.

"Just some poultice." She murmurs, dabbing the paste on my many bruises.

She continues this for a while. The action is so soothing I begin to drift off into sleep right there until she speaks again.

"Lord Garland spoke to myself and Sem before the fight began. He told us to pack our things." She stops, setting the mortar aside and sitting on the floor next to me feet. She places her hand on my knee and looks up at me as she speaks, "Just a precaution he said."

I knew what she meant. It was wise that he had them do that, but... "I have to leave still. The Diviner will see that everyone close to me is punished. Garland plans to leave the Kingdom even."

"We have no where but here. No home but this one."

"You could go with him. I'm sure he would have you if I asked."

She shakes her head, her hand straying to her ears. "The wound is enchanted. Moment we cross the border, we are hunted and killed. Or worse."

What could be worse?

"Come with me then." I say. Resolved in the moment. I couldn't have her killed and Sem orphaned, they've done so much for me.

She shook her head and shuffled up me. Sluggishly rising to her feet and setting herself beside me on the couch. My head follows her blue smile as she mutters again, "We cannot hinder you, Asher."

She called me by my name.

"You've already brought us so much fortune, yet there is so little we can do to thank you." Her head falls on my shoulder, her hand caresses my cheek. "Sem, loves you. And so do I."

I see it coming yet I'm blind to it entirely. Her lips on my, between mine. Her hands pulling me in, beckoning that I don't pull away. It's soft, buttery, her lips are. Like milk they pour into mine and I breathe her in. She burns my airways with her scent, it's intoxicating, I can't get away. I don't want to.

I raise my hand to her cheek, cupping it, soft and delicate. I pull her closer and adjust my head for better access to her. Her tongue dances around my mouth, smacking and teasing mine. I accept the invite and battle her tongue for domination.

Before long we pull away, out of breath and high on hormones. I take her in, her inky hair falls to her side, some falling over her face. Beautiful, they were, but they blocked my path. Her dress, blue and light on her skin gave me ample view to her sweat coated skin, glistening in the light. Her breasts entice me.

I took a breath, breathing her in and forgoing any consequence, I took her by her waist and led her to lay down on the couch in another kiss.

I feel her hands elsewhere. On my crotch, pulling down my trousers as we kiss. Successful, she grabs my cock and rubs, simultaneously pushing the trousers down entirely while she pleasured my lips and my cock. With the trousers down she whipped me out of the white linen underwear I'd been given.

She breaks the kiss and pushes me off her, I sit albeit awkwardly on the couch, one leg in another out, she breaths excitedly and grins. Pushing her hair out of the way she falls on me head first. My cock finding refuge in her throat as her head bobs up and down it's shaft. Her tongue expertly paying due attention to its tip.

I shiver with pleasure and set my hand on her head. It's not needed though, she keeps going, taking it deep with each stroke, gagging a bit but never stopping. All while locking her eyes on me.

I see a glint in her eye as she increases the speed of her sucking, intent on pulling out all of me. I moan and grab onto her hair, feeling the rhythm through her head and on my cock. Suddenly she pulls away entirely, her mouth fully away from my cock for the first time since.

She grins and licks the tip of my precum. She pulls her blue dress off entirely, giving me a full view of her, her breasts were round, supple and her nipples aroused. She crawled above me and my eyes widen as she eased the tip of my throbbing cock into her, locking her eyes on mine before simply letting herself fall onto it.

She lets out a loud moan but quickly slaps her hand over her mouth. Right, Sem was asleep. I groan with pleasure and my hands quickly find their place at the side of her waist. She shudders, she's shaking, her insides were tightening with each breath she took and then she starts to bounce.

She thrust me into her several times with her hand over her mouth, barely keeping herself from screaming with unbridled ecstasy. I smirk and choose to spare her the effort.

Taking her by the waist again I repeat the move from earlier and lay her on her back. She gasps, her eyes widen even more when I move back, hands griping her slender waist and begin to pierce her insides. She moans loudly again, her hand slaps back onto her mouth, stifling it.

"Ugh…" I groan as her legs suddenly wrap around my waist pulling me in. I look at her, biting her lips she looks up at me, eyes pleading, no words needed saying. She didn't want me to stop.

Much obliged.

I grunt and slam into her tightening hole repeatedly, with the way her body shivers each time my cock is sheathed inside her, she wouldn't be long. She grips the end of the couch for stability, moans escaping her lips.

Hungry for the feeling, for her, I lean in and kiss her, slamming my raging, throbbing cock inside her in power thrusts, it was a miracle I could do so much after the fight.

She kissed back and moans into my mouth as her juices coat my cock, dripping down my balls and onto the furred couch. My balls contract, pumping a huge payload up the shaft, flooding her insides and greeting her waiting womb, she feels this and can stifle her pleasure no longer.

"Fuck!"