Outlander

Chapter 15

I reached down to help the gorgeous woman to her feet. As we walked from the room, she asked, "What is your name, my lord?"

"My name is Shaun Kaughman, and my mate is the otter beast-man Petarina Lontra. Please don't call me lord. It makes me uncomfortable. Also, you're free now, so you don't have to serve anyone," was my reply. I noticed the women had found clothes to wear in the guard room when we arrived.

I was happily surprised Petra found her armor and katars in a chest. She gave me a peck on the cheek just before handing Nadine a simple white dress. I approached the closed sanctuary door while the two women started to whisper to each other. I was surprised to find several people crowded near the door when I pushed my senses through it. A familiar unease passed through me from their malice.

"Petra and Milla, can you come here a second," I called out. I was surprised to see Nadine accompany them, but let it go. I pushed into Shalyndria's cord and checked on where she was. Since she was seated in her study worried sick, I tried to communicate with her like I had Petra, "Princess, did you send any guards to the Church to back me up?"

While she processed my new ability, I turned to the women before me, "We have a welcome party. I caught eight people just on the other side of the door." I heard Shalyndria's voice in my head and dove back into her cord.

"No, I'm still waiting on more to arrive. The ones sent to the market haven't returned yet either," was Shalyndria's reply. While mulling over my options, I heard a loud thump. I was taken aback by the sight before me when I opened my eyes.

Nadine had a blissful smile on her face, but the fangs poking between her lips surprised me. However, the biggest shock was behind her. Emerging from the bottom of her dress, Nadine now had a thick snake body extending some 20 feet behind her. When she spoke next, her voice had taken on a pronounced hiss, "Aaahhhh, that feelsssss ssssso much better. The knightssss forced me to take that form ssssince I joined the Church."

I blurted out the thought stuck in my head, "Why do you have fangs if you're based on an anaconda? I recognize the scale pattern on your tail." I twisted my wrist, using the pain to get my train of thought back on track. Reassessing the locations of the slavers on the other side of the door, I made a plan. After dropping my pack, I pulled out the breaching charge and detonator. Meeting Nadine's eyes, "Nevermind, that was an idle thought stuck in my brain." I looked at my lover and our friend, "This charge will destroy the door and discombobulate anyone within several yards, hopefully killing a few for us. Once I push through the door, Petra, I want you to follow me and turn to your right. Use magic to take out targets starting from that side while I start from the left." After her acknowledgment, I turned to Milla and asked, "Are you ok, killing? Or would you prefer to sit out and heal us?"

Milla lowered her gaze to the floor, "I can't kill people. I'm sorry, Shaun." Petra wrapped the teary cat-woman in a tight hug

I responded with an embrace of my own, "No problem, Milla. I noticed you stayed out of the fighting before and just needed to know why before we attacked."

Nadine spoke up behind us, "I can take her place, Sssssshaun. I would love to work beside you."

"I could use all the firepower we can get. Follow after Petra and take out the three in the middle with magic," I smiled as I waved her forward. Once they understood what was to happen, I attached the breaching charge to the door and had them stack behind me clear of the door. Once Milla had the other women down the stairs, I activated the detonator and waited the five seconds before it exploded.

Before the dust cleared, we rushed through the door. I took note of the red cross on each man's armor as I went left and swung around to shoot my targets. I was stunned when my first shot was dodged. Activating full physical enhancements, I tried moving behind him. His speed matched mine. I was glad I chose my plate carrier when the ceramic plate and Kevlar weave absorbed a blow from behind.

I pushed even more mana through my channels, and then I jumped, so my back was against the wall. I unhooked the M4 and placed it on the ground as three knights approached. I took a moment to check on the girls as I pulled my kukris from their sheathes. Petra had her two foes locked in a sphere of water, waiting for them to drown. Nadine hadn't listened to me, however. Two knights were wrapped together in her coils while she fought the third with a stolen longsword.

I chose light and shadow for my blades as I settled into my stance. "Magic enhancements will give you the edge against most enemies. However, if you face someone trained and capable of using enhancement, unless you're a match for skill, you will die," Ran through my head. Words Petra told me the day we met, I hadn't fully believed them until now. Watching the knight avoid rounds going over 3000 ft/sec drilled the words home. Deciding to make the first move, I rushed forward, slipping behind one of the armored knights.

I managed to slide my shadow blade into his armpit. Using the armor as a fulcrum, I nearly ripped his arm off when I continued moving behind him and pulled. I shoved the light blade up under the back of his helmet as I wrenched my other sword out of his torso. Accessing more shadow mana from my core, I decided to try a new spell.

As the dead knight collapsed to the floor, I tried to envelop the other knights in darkness. Cries of surprise from the girls told me I had succeeded, and mayhap used to much power. I closed my eyes and focused on sensing the people in the cathedral. I disregarded those across the room and concentrated on the two within melee range. Figuring playtime was over, I pulled my sidearm and fired several shots at each malevolent presence. I prayed with each trigger pull that they couldn't dodge what they couldn't see.

Once I dropped my spell. I was happy to watch both knights fall, their chest plates a ruin. I turned to the ladies just in time to see Petra go back into the guardroom to get the others, so I confronted Nadine, "I could have sworn I told you to use magic to kill the knights." I pointedly looked to the crushed piles of armor and decapitated body.

Nadine met my eyes and explained herself, "I had some personal issues to work out on those assholes. They are dead, and no one was hurt." Petra and the others came through the door as I pondered what to do with the disobedient naga.

I pushed those thoughts aside for the moment and figured out what to do with the others, "Milla, my mare is tied to the post out front. Take her and go to the Manor. We need everyone here now." I made a snap decision, "Petra, go with her. Do not stop for anything." I got a kiss before they bolted through the door.

I heard crying and fear in the voices behind me, "No, the Baron is worse," "I want to go home," were some of the concerns I overheard. I turned to Nadine as we walked back to the others.

"Don't think we're over you, not listening. Let's try to calm these poor girls down before my backup arrives," I explained. I got a small smile and nod in return. I addressed the group at that point, "Ladies, I know you're scared and have probably been through hell. Your nightmare is over. I do not work for Baron Lichvus. I am Knight Shaun Kaughman of the Imperial Royal Guard, assigned to Princess Shalyndria Mcdonaugh's personal guard." I got a shocked look from Nadine at that point. But I pressed on, "The Princess and her other guards will be here soon to assist getting you all home and ensuring your safety."

Most of them started crying tears of joy at my words. Nadine wrapped a coil or two around the group as she tried to comfort them. I heard her mention my Arbiter mark a few times as I gathered my bag and M4 and sat on a pew to rest

Chapter 16

After several minutes, Nadine coiled around my feet before sitting next to me. I felt my mate through our bond. Petra was gathering the guards at the moment, so I knew help would arrive soon. The freed slaves were sitting in a pew across the aisle, and I let them be.

I pulled from my musing when Nadine asked, "Shaun, I know you are an Outlander. Your strange weapons and clothes are a dead giveaway." I just lowered my head in shame while her melodic laugh rang through the hall. "So, where are we going to live, my lord," was her next question. My head shot up in shock.

"Huh, why are we living together? Didn't I tell you to stop calling me, Lord," was my stuttered response. I wish I could figure this woman out.

Her next comment confused me even more, "But, you are my Lord. I am a nun of the Church, and you are the Lord Arbiter, second only to Cicerene herself. Typically, you and the Pope would have equal status. However, since the Church has scorned the Goddess, in the eyes of true believers like myself, you are above him. As for living with you, I have seen what you can do and where your heart lies. I will follow you till the end. Also, it would be best if you learned more about magic. I am an Arch Mage level True Mage, and would be honored to become your teacher."

"We can talk to the Princess when they arrive," was the only response I could come up with. I was exhausted and slumped back into the pew.

Just as was falling asleep, a small pair of paws covered my eyes, "Guess who?" I immediately recognized Petra's voice.

"Ummmm, Milla," was my first response. "No, then Shalyndria," made her laugh harder. "Greta, why are you here," had everyone laughing. I turned and pulled my mate into a deep kiss.

After a moment, I looked around and saw Terrance and Hank ordering guards around while Milla and Tessa were handling the freed women. Several guards were moving bodies and gathering their armor and belongings, while one used magic to clean up the gore, and another stood by to burn the corpses.

Shalyndria's voice came from behind Petra, "Come on, Shaun. You've done your work, let the others help." I looked and saw her standing there in fully articulated blood-red plate armor and carrying a white staff topped with a dark purple crystal. "Once they finish with the clean-up, Hank and the guards will make sure the women make it to safety. I overheard your conversation with Nadine here." The Princess turned to her, "Miss. Sucuri, you are welcome to live with us at the Manor while you instruct our new Arbiter."

Nadine seemed almost timid in her answer, "Thank you, Princess. While in your home, my skills as an alchemist are at your disposal." She raised her head and looked more herself. Petra grabbed my hand and pulled me to my feet. Shalyndria and Nadine laughed when I fell into her arms like I couldn't stand. I stood with her in my arms and started to walk toward the door.

"I'm taking my mate home. Anyone who is coming should probably follow," I called over my shoulder. I was followed out the door by Shalyndria and Nadine. We loaded into the carriage after Nadine shifted into her human form to fit.

Shalyndria started the conversation by addressing Nadine, "I didn't know any Greater Naga had come to Islenase. I thought you all stayed in the mountains to the far south." We all turned to her, curiosity in our eyes.

"I had a vision that my future would be here, so I traveled here twenty years ago. The Church caught me as a True Mage almost immediately. They tried to brainwash me, but I knew how to fake it. I started to rebel after being sent to Verilant City. They finally got tired of it and locked me in with the slaves the other day." She stopped there and started to tear up. "We were raped repeatedly every day!" Petra went and sat in her lap, wrapping the crying woman in a tight hug. We continued in silence, letting the poor woman cry herself out as we pulled into the Manor

Winston greeted us as we stepped out of the carriage, "Welcome back, I already have the maids preparing rooms for any of the freed women who need them." He then turned to Nadine, "Ma'am, a room has been arranged by Miss. Milla for you. If Shaun would be willing, he can lead you to his old room." I grabbed Petra's hand and pulled her after me. Nadine followed after us, her cheeks still wet with tears.

I heard Shalyndria call after us, "Shaun, I need you and Petra in my study after dinner, we need to talk." I turned to respond until I found a small fur-covered paw covering my mouth.

Petra responded instead, "We will be there. After we drop Nadine off, I'm taking hero here for a full bath. He stinks!" We all laughed at her attempt to dispel the gloom we all felt.

Continuing the routine, I lifted an arm and sniffed, "Nope, nothing but roses here. I think it's her." I made a show of smelling between her ears as I kissed her head, "Yup, for a second, I thought she changed into a skunk-girl." Everyone laughed even harder, Petra's faux outrage adding to the clamor. We walked into the house, still smiling.

After dropping Nadine off in my old room, Petra and I walked hand in hand to our shared space. Once I closed the door behind me, I was slammed back into it by a 5'4" ball of lust. Her hands were everywhere as she tried to suffocate me with her tongue. I spun us around, pinning her in return. As soon as her back hit the wood, she wrapped her legs around my waist.

I broke the kiss and placed my forehead against hers to catch my breath. Once my heart settled, I spoke my mind, "I was so afraid when Terrance told me you were missing. If it wasn't for our imprint, I might have destroyed the city looking for you." I gave her a slow, gentle kiss, "Now, you said something about a bath? I haven't done better than a wipe down since I came to this world."

She laughed as I set her down, "Did you ever ask Tessa where the bathing room was?"

I gathered my toiletries and clean clothes before responding, "I figured there wasn't one. I never got the full tour!" She stopped at my words and whipped around.

I found her incredulous look hilarious and started laughing all over again. She walked over and started smacking my chest, which only made me laugh harder. After a few minutes of play-fighting, Petra pulled me from the room and down the hall.

We stopped in front of an open door. Inside I found benches, buckets, scrub brushes, and several large tubs for soaking. Petra hung a sign on the door to let people know the room was occupied and closed the door behind her. As soon as the lock clicked, her demeanor changed. Gone was the playful, flirty woman I knew. In her place was a timid, innocent girl.

I immediately reacted to her change and wrapped my arms around her, placing my chin between her ears, "What is wrong, my love? I can't help if you don't tell me what is wrong."

She looked up with tears in her eyes, "I have a confession to make. I call you my mate and say we are imprinted, but that is not entirely true. It's not a lie; the imprint isn't complete yet. I intend to complete it now."

She put her finger to my lip when I tried to speak, "I only want to hear your moans and words of pleasure until I say otherwise." The mischievous glint had returned to her eye, so I went along and mimed zipping my lips. She laughed and started to remove my clothes. As my last article of clothing landed in the basket, she sat me on one of the benches.

Petra started to dance to a tune in her head. I realized what was going on when her shirt came off while her back was to me. She looked into my eyes over her shoulder as she bent over, dropping her pants and underwear. She kept an arm covering her breasts as she sauntered over to me. I tried turning my head as she went behind me, but got stopped. I heard water fill a bucket, then felt the heat as she warmed it with magic. I felt her hard nipples boke into my back as she poured warm water over my body. Once she finished scrubbing and rinsing my entire body, I was rock hard. She filled and heated the tub before pulling over and helping me step into it.

After I had settled, she climbed in and sat in my lap. She spoke as she started to rub herself along my hard length, "Shaun, today you became my hero, saving us from those assholes. I give my self to you, my hero, my mate, until we are reborn." She kissed me gently after facing me. While we kissed, I felt her reach down and grab my erection. I then felt the entrance to her pussy press against the head of my cock. I tried to say something but was silenced again, "I want this, and you want this. Please stop second-guessing and let me give myself to you." All I could do was nod.

We moaned in unison as I sunk into her dripping wet pussy. She stopped moving when I bumped into her cervix, "Oh, you're stretching me so much." She leaned forward so we could kiss, then slowly started to rise and fall on my hard cock. As she moved faster, I reached up and started to massage her small breasts. She moaned loader is pinched and teased the hard nubs in my palms.

I started to raise my hips to meet her, pounding her sweet pussy harder and harder. I stopped when I noticed the signs she was close to orgasm, making her groan in protest. I stood, keeping her impaled on my cock. I carried Petra out of the tub and over to the wall. Once I had her pinned and her legs wrapped around my waist, I resumed her pounding. I reached around and grabbed the base of her tail. She froze with her eyes wide, then screamed my name and flooded the ground under us when I gently pulled. When her pussy started to spasm, I couldn't take anymore and began to fill her. I crumpled to the floor with Petra in my arms.

She looked into my eyes when our faculties returned, "Now, the imprint is complete. The final condition for the full imprint is to fill my womb so my body can absorb some of your magic. Our connection will be stronger in the morning." I smiled and just hugged her tight.

Chapter 17

Our tender moment was interrupted by a knock on the door. Before I could extract myself from my lover, Tessa's voice could be heard, "If you two are finished annoying everyone, dinner is in an hour, and others would like a chance to bathe." Petra started giggling while I chuckled and set her down. After exchanging a quick kiss, we dressed and headed back to our room.

After dropping off our bathing supplies, Petra left to check on the guards around the Manor, leaving me with no distractions for the first time in days. I considered finding a book to read somewhere in the house but decided to meditate for the time being. I followed my mana channels and noticed they seemed more profound. When I got to my core, something had changed here as well. My core was no longer just a ball of colored light. It now looked like a golden ball of molten metal. I became worried when I noticed the braided cords had disappeared.

Fortunately, as I searched for the cords, I caught movement in my core. Patches of red and blue now flowed in and out of view on my undulating mana. Hoping our bonds hadn't changed, I pushed into my core. There I found a red and a blue sprite dancing around each other. I called Shalyndria's name, and the red sprite zoomed right over. When she landed in my palm, I was treated to all her emotions.

At the forefront, I felt her anxiety and trepidation. Terrance had found something in the Church. I pushed farther, and there I found something surprising. Shame, I backed off, knowing it was something to ask about in person. Knowing she was ok and planning to talk about it later, I pulled back.

A small rustling sound alerted me to a presence in the room, and I opened my eyes to find Nadine watching me from the table. She asked, "What do you see when you meditate?"

I walked over and sat across from the mysterious woman. "Well, I usually map my mana channels then study my mana core. A few days ago, I found cords braided around it. When I touched them, I was able to sense the emotions and surroundings of my loved ones. There was a cord for my imprinted mate, Petra, but also the Princess had one. Shalyndria and I, while caring for each other, haven't progressed our relationship. Hell, I was a virgin till an hour ago," was my response. I responded after she asked if anything had changed recently, "Until I assaulted the Church, my core was a ball gold light. I found everything about it had changed when I started to meditate. Now, it is a roiling ball of molten gold, and the cords are now patches of color that flicker across the surface."