Authors Note: This one took me a bit longer than I expected, but I got it done. The chapters are mostly going to be longer and more story driven now, but that's no reason not to have some fun sex scenes.
Also, I would appreciate any feedback on how I can improve.
*****
The next morning, Anikara stretched and rolled onto her back, yawning at the morning light that was streaming through the partially open curtain that divided Denzik's wagon in two. She reached out with one arm, expecting to feel Denzik still asleep next to her. Instead, she found a pile of discarded bedding sheets. She sat up, glancing around and finally noticed a creaking noise coming from outside. Still yawning, she climbed to her feet and walked to the back of the wagon, sitting on the bench there.
"Morning Ani," came Denzik's voice, straining a little.
"My name is Anikara. And you could have woken me," said Anikara irritably, looking in the direction of his voice.
He was hanging from his arms from an oak branch that stuck from the trunk of a massive tree about three meters from the ground, wearing only his leather trousers and boots. He was pulling himself up so that his chest brushed against the branches rough bark, then slowly lowering himself back down. As she watched, she saw him stop his pull ups and roll his body upside down. He then hooked his legs over the branch and started pulling himself up using his legs.
"Yes, but Ani sounds much cuter," he continued once he had gotten used to the new exercise. "Also, you looked tired. I figure you could use some sleep. Breakfast is on the fire."
"Fine. But you can only call me that in private," she said as she walked over to the fireplace.
As she had found the night before, Denzik was a superb cook. He had toasted some leftover bread from the night before with some finely cut pork and cheese. She watched Denzik as she ate, marvelling at the complete ease with which he moved, no matter how difficult the repetition he did. She was a little disappointed at his lack of a tattoo though; apparently that existed only in her fantasies. Instead, his skin was covered in scars and marks from fights and other questionable activities. He finished with a flourish, backflipping from the branch and taking a bow as he landed.
"You are such a show off," Anikara said, shaking her head.
"I only show off when I have such an attentive audience," the burly man replied, grabbing a cloth and wiping the thin layer of sweat from his forehead.
The elf replied with a "harumph" and went back to eating and trying to look disinterested. Denzik walked over to the fire and threw on a black shirt with silver thread woven through the collar and sleeves. He then sat down next to the fire and began eating his own breakfast.
After a few minutes of awkward silence, Denzik sighed and said, "You really need to learn to relax once every now and then."
"I know," she said quietly. After another awkward silence, she continued much more professionally, "There's one thing I want to ask you. What is wrong with your magic?"
"Ah, that," he said, a little mischievously. "Honestly? I have no clue. It was pretty normal until about seven years ago. No clue what exactly happened, but I woke up in a huge crater where a mountain used to be. My memories from before then were really hazy, until I was eighteen. Actually I'm not even sure how old I am."
"After that, I travelled around for a few months, suffering from a very unusual condition where I would occasionally release massive bursts of magical energy. I heard about the Monks in the Northern Mountains and how they were experts at controlling magic, so I went and found them. Best thing I ever did; they taught me how to control the energy I released, as well as just about every other thing I know."
Anikara was fascinated by his story, especially by his description of the strange bursts of magic he experienced. She asked him to hold his arm out, while she pressed her fingers into it. She worked her way up his arm to the elbow, poking and prodding at his muscle and bone.
"Well, that is interesting," she said, lost in thought. "It seems that the nodes that release magic from the body are completely closed, which is supposed to be impossible."
"I take great pride in my ability to do things that are supposed to be impossible," he said with a grin.
She took no notice of his comment, instead she pulled out her book and began writing, commenting, "The nodes are completely closed, but it also seems that they can be completely opened. That would explain the massive explosions of power. Also, the build up of magic would explain his superhuman strength. Still, I'm going to need to look into this further."
"Anyway, hurry up with your breakfast, I want to get to Copper Cliff as early as possible," He said, standing and stretching.
"What are we in such a hurry for?" she asked, finishing the last of her bread.
"Clothes shopping," he said, whistling to call Nirak.
*
At midday, Denzik's massive wagon and Nirak's massive body rose to the top of the final hill before entering the town of Copper Cliff. Here, the ground was rocky and the trees were short and thin. Patches of shaggy grass burst through the grey stone along the path, which was mirrored by the dull grey sky above it.
"Woah," gasped Anikara at the hamlet before them.
She was right to be impressed; while Copper Cliff was called a town, it was almost a small city and was extraordinarily wealthy due to the enormous reserves of copper ore and gemstones buried in the mountain behind and beneath the village. The city itself was built along an old multilayered quarry that cut into the stony hills that surrounded them. The buildings were placed along neat streets and a collection of canals cut into the rock, which fed into a huge collection of factories and forges at the south end of the town.
The buildings themselves were made from cypress wood and the grey rock that surrounded them. Between the buildings walked a variety of people, mostly dwarves and humans, though Anikara also saw an elf and a group of orcs.
