Enith knocked on the large wooden door and opened it with no pause or further warning. She entered the servant's chamber, raging horny and eager for morning relief. An empty room greeted her. The warrior woman's eyes narrowed in annoyance. She'd already checked the kitchen, the workshops and the other areas of the estate where Martael might have been getting a head start on his morning duties. He was nowhere to be found.
"
SHIT
!!!"
After a quick subsequent search over all three floors of the manor, Enith headed for Silna's study. She found the cocky Sorceress lounging on one of the rooms many sofas. She was wrapped in a silk robe, reading one of her dusty tomes and sipping from a mysterious drink. Enith was furious. The bulky, leather clad lioness marched into the den of books and magic and put her hands on her hips.
"We've lost another one!"
"Another what?"
"
Martael
! He's gone!"
Silna looked up from her reading. She straightened her long, purple hair, brushing loose strands back past her ears. Unlike the red-headed barbarian, she seemed remarkably unconcerned.
"Hmmm, that's unfortunate. Young Marty was just starting to develop some skill with his tongue. Oh well..."
"Oh well??? What are we gonna do?"
"Did he steal anything?"
"Not that I noticed."
"Then let him go. He's obviously chosen a different path. I had a feeling this would happen when he refused the collar."
"We should have put it on him anyway" Enith pouted.
"Uh uh" Silna insisted. "I'll have none of that. It took decades to amass my fortune and build this place. I won't risk it all to become a slaver. A harem of helpless men in bondage would be lovely, but it wouldn't last. There would be a bounty on our heads and a party of adventurers beating down my door in no time."
"Isn't there some potion or spell you could use so this doesn't happen again?"
"That's one of the projects I'm working on. Magic involving desire is complicated. Especially if your goal is to alter someone's proclivities. I've had no breakthroughs, yet."
"What's the plan, then?"
"We will continue our experiments with willing participants and hope the next one is inclined to endure our appetites."
"So, should I...?"
"Head into town and find us a new servant? Yes. I assume there's no shortage of stupid young guys around?" Silna looked up again and noticed the massive bulge in the right leg of Enith's leather pants. She offered her muscle-bound bodyguard a smug grin. "You could even get that taken care of as part of the interview."
Enith liked the sound of that. She smiled back and acknowledged her orders with a respectful bow. "Right away, Mistress Silna."
* * * * *
The curvy amazon took a swig of her beer and recoiled at the bitterness. Enith shook her head, sending her short, red waves of hair flailing around her face.
The Towering Sun
tavern was better known for its job opportunities than its ale, but there was little to do but drink while she waited for the right candidate to come along.
She listened to to the boring chatter of braggadocios men in the background for another ten minutes. Finally, a young male elf strode into the tavern and walked up to the job board for aspiring mages. The large billboards were divided into many sections. Quests, bounties, apprenticeships, etc. Enith had made a listing for an apprentice mage as soon as she arrived. A grin spread across her face as she watched the newcomer read the listing with obvious interest.
Enith wasted no time, rising from her seat and closing the distance to the petite, handsome elf. He had short, white hair, thin arms, but surprisingly strong legs. He was obviously a member of the hill or mountain tribes that were accustomed to trekking long distances. He wore a simple brown tunic, light green pants, and brown leather boots. A white crystal earring hung from one of his pointed ears; likely the mark of his tribe.
"Hello, young one. Looking to learn some magic?"
The young elf turned to confront the large redhead. She was a giant compared to him; much taller with broad shoulders, bulging biceps and humongous thighs. She was decked out in black leather, from her long arm-gloves to the shiny corset that held up her massive breasts and the thick pants struggling to contain her powerful legs. Even her knee high boots shined with leather luster.
The woman carried a throwing axe, several pocketed long knives and a sword at her side. He could see a long spear tilted against the table she'd come from; no doubt her primary weapon. The woman had bright red eyes to match her hair. While speaking, it became obvious her teeth were sharper than most humans. He couldn't help but wonder if she was half Orc.
"No offense, but you don't look like a Sorceress" he replied, folding his arms over his chest.
"I'm not" she admitted. "But I work for one. A very powerful Sorceress, at that. I'm Enith Doomspear, master at arms for Mistress Silna Nightshade."
She extended her hand and the small man shook it. Her iron grip crushed his soft digits, but he refused to grimace or wince, not wanting to show weakness.
"Well met. I'm Aden Valhana."
Enith chuckled. She was pleased to see the little man displaying a modicum of durability. "Follow me, Aden. Let's chat."
They walked back to her table and sat opposite each other. Enith took another swig of her bitter drink before entering her sales pitch. "You wish to learn magic and we have need for a servant. You'll gain opportunities to learn from one of the most powerful wizards in the region, but first you must earn your keep and gain our trust through discretion."
Aden nodded. She was surprisingly well spoken for such a savage looking woman. "I have no problem with that. My people are no strangers to hard work. My tribe has become distrustful of magic in recent times and that's why I'm..."
"Not to be rude, kid, but I'm not interested in your life story" she cut him off abruptly. "They'll be plenty of time to get to know each other if you end up filling the job."
