The Champion’s Companion 19

Marcos and the girls took a carriage. The slave girls rode with Kaarthen in a wagon behind them. The ship they had chartered for the voyage was a caravel. A long slender ship with a single deck, and a raised half and quarterdeck in the front and rear. The heavy assault infantry detail would also be riding with them back to Pessilberg. After the voyage, Marcos would arrange for a ship up the canal to Mavvus.

Marcos and the women finally stood upon the dock of the harbor. The great adventure into Sellis was finally drawing to close.

“We’re packed and prepared correct?” Marcos asked the ship’s quartermaster.

The man replied curtly. “Yes sir, the ship is manifested and will cast off after our arrival.”

Marcos stayed in the rear of the ship after they boarded. Kaarthen and her angels tried to help the ships officers keep discipline by separating the crew from the women.

For all her worrying and constant head counts, a man could just simply pull one away wordlessly by grabbing a wrist and they would meekly follow. Like Mara, they quickly pounced if they saw an exposed, or unattended cock anywhere. Unlike Mara it wasn’t likely or possible for them to be physically drained from the women’s attentions.

The men weren’t mean, or rough with the girls. It was only too easy to bring one to a dark corner on the ship and push their hard cocks into their soft bodies. Any hole the girls took one in, they greedily worked it until it made its offering before they let go or got off. Men quickly found that the girls were wet at every end and ready as soon as they were.

At any given time, two girls were also secreted away in the heavy assault infantry’s sleeping bay. The room quickly became the wilily women’s secretly coveted place. The huge men were found to be huge everywhere. The soldiers were only too happy to liberally feed them the amounts of cum they desired since they didn’t have duties on ship.

They shoved their massive, thick, meaty cocks into the women and rutted for hours it seemed. No woman said no when a huge cock was on the line and they frequently were hauled out by Kaarthen, or Ein shivering wild eyed and dripping and oozing cum. The women usually never fought, but usually they had to be dragged out.

On her many searches for the elusive ‘cum hoarders’, Kaarthen noticed the robed figure of ‘the Colonel’ shrouded in a black robe and huddle in the very front of the room. Marcos said nothing about it to answer her questions as he stayed quietly in the rear of the ship similarly huddled in blankets found from the bed.

The more than week long journey tested Kaarthen’s patience with nearly everyone. She became the caregiver for a petulant Marcos who refused to leave the back of the ship. She became the ship’s hated woman herder. She had to duel constantly with a fast learning Mara who was intent on fucking all the women herself. She also had to become the entertainer for Ein who seemed much more interested in what the ship’s crew was doing. Only Rinis stayed out of the way, as she usually sat across from Marcos staring intently at his many interesting faces of distress.

Finally, they finished their journey and came to Pessilberg, the home Menthino’s Heavy Assault Infantry. The sun was up and coming to just past noon when they approached the busy port city. Triangular sails of white, red, and blue were everywhere. Square rigged vessels of many other designs swirled around them in a dazzling variety sizes and styles. The sails of the vessels were sometimes unadorned. Other times sigils, or simple stripes were used to mark or decorate ships of merchant or transport fleets.

The shape of the city was a wide deep water bay that surrounded a rocky central island. The island connected to a lighthouse and a man made wave break protecting the harbors further in. The narrow gap the ship headed for was almost directly under the island’s massive fortress.

Instead of one castle, the fortification was a warren of massive whitish grey towers connected to each other in dozens of thick walkways that hung through the air. The number of windows facing them from all of the towers was innumerable.

The distances were short between the towers but the gaps still created an illusion that one could easily miss firing on the castle. Their ship floated under and around the defensive structure to a dwarfed landing for ships. Several other boats of fast sleek designs for the canal were chained at the ready along a few nearby quays. Along other docks large wooden ships of war were moored and being tended by antlike sailors prepping them for their tour.

After Kaarthen had caught her for the last time when making her rounds, Mara found herself sitting with Marcos waiting for them to get to the dock.

Looking closer at the tall lean man she’d been serving for several months she noticed his more reticent demeanor and huddled posture. “What’s wrong Master? This place is of your lands correct?”

“Yes Mara, but a witch lives here.” Marcos said quietly pulling tighter into himself.

Mara looked around wide-eyed. “A witch, Master?”

Kaarthen’s interest was peaked and she too came over to find out what was happening. She saw just as Mara did earlier that he was more uneasy and taciturn then usual. “What is your problem Marcos? The Sage of Pessilberg scares you?”

“Only you women call her that.” He huffed at the white haired Amazon. “We have other more realistic names for her.” Marcos pouted.

The boat was unloaded, the Heavy Assault left smiling and hugging the jittery grabby women, ‘the Colonel’ who stayed at the other end of the ship came out and off loaded and scurried under the sun to a covered carriage.

“I want to be on our way immediately!” He said standing to shout at the crew. Oddly, Marcos detailed a few men to stay and insure no one came up the quayside to disturb them. The ploy didn’t work as he intended. A few moments before the ship was unpacked and Marcos could get the large group away, a guard sheepishly appeared before him and pointed back at a short carriage.

“Compliments from the Admiralty and the governor, your Lordship. The Mistress Admiral of yellow and the Cloud Seer request the privilege of…”

Marcos caught the large man with a wild left hook that to his credit only dropped him to his hands and knees.

“FUCK! I told you! I fucking told you! Damn it. Get away from me.” Marcos ranted at him before finally catching himself.

Marcos wearily moved forward with Kaarthen at his side to the end of the dock were the tiny two wheel carriage was waiting. After boarding and arranging for a boat to transfer the others to a canal ready ship and wait for them, they sped off.

The ride was short and brought them to the nearest tower of the labyrinth. Inside Marcos dismissed the servant who still traveled with them and led Kaarthen up and across the tower.

“Each tower has a role in this navy.” Marcos said once they crossed a sky bridge into a noticeably yellow accented room. “Small fleets are detailed for home protection by various small commands. The other commands have their own fleets, bases, and supply chains. They are tasked with areas of responsibility in zones like the Western among the rich colony islands, Southern along our coast, Eastern on the far side of the world.”

“Menthino is a sea power?” Kaarthen asked.

“Not compared to Dar Delis with its unofficial armada of pirate fleets, or some other western island cities that also maintain various profitable colonies.”

Kaarthen considered this bit, and looked at her companion again. “So what about the colors?”

“Yellow is the Admiral of the South. The Cloud seer is a little heathen who asks bones, and little Dark Mother statues for aid in making good weather. Like I said earlier, as the only god with dominion of this world, Dark Mother controls it all. Despite her theater tricks, unintelligible chants, and weird appearance the cloud seer is only kept around to show complaining fishermen with complaints that frankly we aren’t responsible for it every time some drunk gets blown away in a storm.”

Kaarthen chuckled for the first time in a week. “Oh, which one is the one that scares you?”

Marcos gave the Amazon a raw look. “The damn ‘Mistress Admiral’ She’s eight hundred fucking years old. I can’t…” Marcos paused closed his eyes and exhaled. “She is disconcerting.” He said finally.

“Hmm.” Kaarthen mumbled unsatisfied.

After a few turns along within the tower they stood in front of an imposing set of bronze and wood doors. Marcos paused looking at them. Kaarthen could see rage, anger, and several other emotions wrangle across his face.

“She’ll probably just talk to you. I think…umm…don’t worry…Let’s just get this shit over with.” Macros said and pulled open the doors.

The room beyond was an oddly cold but comfortable circular room. The interior was kept open, naked gray stone and yellow marble made up the floor and walls. Along the back and around the sides of the room dark curtains were hung. The center of the floor had a few pillows around a naked fire pit. Before them, the fire burned slowly with incense rising and two women sat in the middle of the circular room.

The woman directly opposite them across the fire sat tall with her shoulders and back straight. An old Amazon’s white hair and slightly wrinkled pale skin were visible. Clear grey eyes regarded them both intelligently, with a slightly amused look for Marcos. Sitting cross-legged, her body was shrouded by a voluminous yellow cloak over a stiff leather dress. Gold jewelry circled her wrist, shoulders, and neck.

Next to her on their right was a tiny, withered, gibbering, woman who perhaps stood as tall as the one sitting down. She wore a shift with clumps of leather pouches and odd trinkets hanging around her neck and waist. Her hair was white and bushy with age. She hefted her walking stick around waving her arms and stomping her feet, and continued to chant into the fire ignoring them.

Kaarthen could feel the flow of magic from them both she realized. The smaller woman’s was wobbly and infrequent. She tried to look but at it with the Goddess but an external force interrupted her as she tried to slide her mind over. The feeling of a strong hand pulled the vision away. The movement had come from the quiet woman in back who looked at Kaarthen oddly then smiled smugly.

Kaarthen stopped and stared at her incensed. Not used to feeling resistance, Kaarthen pushed blindly without her vision into the force. Then past it, into the smug woman.

“If you don’t want to go in I understand.” Said Marcos from behind her. He used her body as a shield during her invisible struggle he couldn’t feel.

The woman Kaarthen was targeting was starting to sweat. All Kaarthen could feel was cold. She felt as the goddess felt. The amount of power she wielded was insignificant and perhaps too much. The woman struggled to slide against the energies sweeping and lashing against her. She used experience Kaarthen never had and only defended herself with deflecting rubs as the twisting tendrils of power Kaarthen directed arced and snapped toward her. Like Marcos, she was only redirecting the brute force instead of contesting it.

Between them, the tiny woman had been knocked cold when a particularly powerful line of force swept through her unprotected mind. The woman looked up at her. Streaks of sweat were covering her now.

“Enough.” She said weakly and tried to grasp control and arrest Kaarthen’s winding whipping lines and fields of force.

Kaarthen stepped in pushing her bewildering offense into overdrive. She borrowed the styles and techniques Marcos had trained her in with martial arts. They didn’t lend themselves directly but still the woman could only scramble figuratively in the invisible struggle as Kaarthen turned the weight of the world onto her.

A bemused Goddess stepped in finally and Kaarthen felt it as her vision came in and she saw the blind messy attempts she had been making. Without any ability to stop the goddess, Kaarthen lowered her massive energetic attacks. The Goddess then easily demonstrated a simple nullification on the woman and she collapsed.

“I see. That was amazing.” The woman said easing up from her crumpled position. “Please enter.”

Kaarthen was now in a position of control and continued to watch what was before her through the Goddess. She entered and sat across from the women. Behind her, Marcos continued behind her and sat only slightly to the side. “That is gracious of you.”

The woman nodded to her. “You carry the goddess’ essence. The goddess has blessed you in beauty and form also. I’m honored to meet you. It was a long time ago I was given responsibilities to watch over Marcos. Indeed after all my time you were able to push me aside.”

Kaarthen smirked. “I had help. Please mistress admiral, don’t feel supplanted.”

“You’re free to use my name, Janis Vixtorioxx.” The woman said bowing her head.

Kaarthen was surprised. The woman was a Sister was a legend, ‘Janis the Victorious’ the ‘battlefield bleeder’, she had dozens of names from many dozens of stories. Stories mixed around whether she was an unlucky Huntress who constantly fought slavers and always came out on top, or a particularly excellent Warrioress with a knack for finding trouble. Her name was larger than any regional hero of the Sisterhood. Enclaves the world over knew her name. In Dar Delis, a statue of her stood in challenge all over the island protecting temples and purity sites. Stories of her alone or in groups subjugating men and fighting people and things in amazing battles were told as bed times stories to Kaarthen and countless other girls in the enclaves. She was one of the few Sisters whose greatness no one debated, ever.

Kaarthen considered the possible reasons a legendary Sister would be still alive and living quietly here in Menthino as a state sponsored ‘Wave Mistress’ tormenting Marcos.

“I… I am frankly surprised to find you here.” Kaarthen said.

“Of course. I became the Priestess for the Dark Mother. My name spreads her glory.” Janis said leaning back with a proud smile. “I assist Marcos in spreading the Dark Mother’s gospel, but I use this position for a much less local effect.”

Kaarthen nodded. “How generous of you. I was curious about that since Marcos rarely left this country, or talked to people.”

“Yes, that’s part of his shortcomings.” Behind Kaarthen, Marcos cleared his throat. “His focus has always been death and sex. Both are important, but just those two are not our Goddess’ complete manifestation. It’s not his fault. He is an excellent killer and efficiently spreads himself around onto anything nearby that sits still long enough.” She finished almost disgusted looking past her at Marcos who must have been staring back from behind her.

Kaarthen could tell the two had differing opinions on how the Dark Mother much less the aspects of fertility, and femininity were to be worshipped.

Janis continued as though nothing was amiss. “However, I embody femininity and at times fertility.”

Kaarthen turned to glance at Marcos who sat defiant. “I see.”

“While you are here I was to teach you more of magic. You use sight but without it you can be… heavy handed.” Janis paused to massage the back of her neck. “I wish you would stay and learn here with me.”

“Say no.” Marcos hissed from behind her.

“I am a Companion, I cannot.” Kaarthen said slowly.

Janis nodded thoughtfully as if she fully expected that answer. “Then I shall have to accompany you.” Marcos choked and beat that floor with a fist. “It will only be for a short time. You already are quite powerful from frequent use. Most people never see the magic they wield as you do. Usually they start by feeling it. Depending on the vision you have been blessed with, was a weakness. With training, a new style of magic emanation simply by feel alone would assist you and those three you have bound to yourself.”

Kaarthen considered it. “I would be honored.”

They closed the meeting and left the Ambassador and her sleeping cloud seer. Winding down they exited after retracing their steps. The short carriage ripped along and carried them back to the docks. This time a shorter sleeker canal boat waited for them.

The vessel was two-dozen yards long, flat decked, and had a single mast. The women sat along across the benches with Kaarthen’s angels. As they waited for the Ambassador, Kaarthen was pleased to note the ship’s crew was dressed and so far seemed unmolested.

Janis came after a few moments with the tiny woman. The ship’s crew took and stored her luggage. The pygmy carried a tied bundle around her shoulders and the gnarled wooden walking stick.

Before boarding the ship, Janis introduced the small woman. “This is Saucrem. She comes from the wild islands far to the west.” She paused and bent to listen to Saucrem’s banter. Ein seemed to really get a kick out of the two’s act. “She tells me we shall have good weather for our journey.”

The two entered as the boat cast off. Ein came forward with Kaarthen looking closer at them. Ein seemed to be fascinated in particular with the tiny woman and marveled at being taller then someone.

Janis spoke to Kaarthen as they crossed the bay. “Like Marcos I have my own habits I have gotten stuck into. I will try to work with you and educate you as well as I can.”

Janis taught her the uses of the energies of the earth, the power of the energies that only effect metal, and the weight of energy that came from overhead. The two spoke and worked bending the many lines of force.

The style of using the various energies was inelegant and more intuitive than simply manipulating the language, deconstructing, and reconstructing what they wanted from things. Mara joined her, happy to learn how to control more of the magic she felt. Without the advantages Kaarthen had to see what was happening, she learned a more effective style for herself and practiced as Janis instructed. Ein also tried it since she was in the conversation. She also added to the lessons what she had learned from Marcos’ library about the nature of things. The revelations helped them all as they sorted out the elemental nature of the energy, and objects around them.

Kaarthen used the energies blindly by touch around them. She and Mara melded and pushed energy out finding fish around them, extended themselves out and slapped the water’s surface miles away, and exploded the odd forgotten objects they found far below in the water.

Marcos sat far behind them and Kaarthen smiled inwardly as she felt him clumsily mimic them. He was quite powerful from his age. Like most of the immortals he railed against, he never expanded from his comfort zone into magic, despite the time and opportunity.

By that night, Marcos stopped the ship and had it pull up to a canal maintenance town. They were able to get rooms for everyone. Rinis became the puppetmaster for the troublesome simpering women. Marcos, Kaarthen, Mara, Ein, Janis, and Saucrem went down to the serving area and Marcos grinned evilly and bought every female in the serving area drinks. Kaarthen wasn’t surprised to see him give nearby women headaches trying to wordlessly mind control them.

Finally, he refined his technique successfully and disappeared going to the stables with his thrall.

“You see? Predictable.” Janis indicated Marcos who wordlessly led out the girl. “He snared one, but it wasn’t what he thought.” She said with a dry chuckle. “I hope no one gets hurt.”

Outside Marcos tugged the girl over to a haystack.

“I got a secret big boy.” She said turning to him.

Marcos pushed her down without even getting privacy. “Ya we all do. Here suck on this. You like that?” He said pushing his cock in her mouth.

She bobbed quickly several times, and after wetting it, she started to really get in to it and stroke it twisting her lips and bringing up her hand to his balls. Her tongue flickered along his head following him as she bobbed over him.

She pulled off him smiled. “Ya big boy, you like how–” She asked before Marcos roughly grabbed her head and jammed his cock back into her mouth.

Marcos roughly fucked her face. “Shut up and keep sucking.” A stable boy came up and frantically started stroking himself. His balls were huge and pulsed. His cock was also similarly stimulated as it drooled and twitched. The shape of it was very long with a huge knobbed head.

Marcos figured he wasn’t paying so why not let the man get some too. “Here, rollover. Get on your knees.”

“I’m not fucking him too unless you pay me!” She said foolishly trying to balk.

“Shut up.” Marcos said and toppled her over before raising up her hips. Under the skirts she wore, he found a tiny hairless girl cock and a tiny puckered little hole. There were no balls, but, there was no pussy either. When he paused confused, he was pushed aside by the stable boy.

The girl panicked as the stable boy mounted her. “uh…uh…Earil its me you gotta stop.”

“No way Rio, I got your secret. You’re working for me now.” The stable boy said fucking her until his cock got into her fully. Under him, the girl groaned as he swirled his hips tightly in circles in her hole. Unsurprisingly, he came after only a minute and pulled out. “If you don’t want the town knowing about this you’ll suck it right now.”

“Ah C’mon.” Rio said getting up and turning to get onto his cock. “We can make some–”

Earil shoved his cock down her throat gagging her. He backed off for her then fucked her face deeply as she kept her mouth open for him. His cock slid around easily and slathered on the thick spit from her throat. “There you go use your face.” He muttered. Already, his cock was rock hard again.

“Well, maybe I should go…” Marcos said dumbly and walked off confused.

Behind him, the stable boy had turned his bitch around and was rocking deeply into her ass again. Walking into the inn, Marcos was treated to Janis’ haughty look of smugness.

“Hey Marcos, how was it?” She asked.

Marcos forced a grin and walked over to clapped her on the back. “Sometimes I feel like an Amazon would be more satisfying.” He said cryptically. A slight tug on her hair made her look at him as he walked away whistling.

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