Dao Divinity Book 1

by Bruce Sentar

  Dar spotted a number of small fruits growing on the tree. Another dao of heat fruit had grown halfway. It wouldn’t be of much use to him, but he hoped he could find a way to potentially share it with one of the girls.

  He found another fruit that he guessed was acceleration. It had grown but was still only about a quarter of the size to be picked.

  Other fruits had formed, he thought from the trolls, but he wasn’t sure what they would represent. As he watched, one of the fruits seemed to shimmer as another mound around the tree sank. The dao characters solidified, and something within him knew it was complete.

  “Which one are you?” he said, plucking the plump peach-looking fruit from the tree. The characters glowed across the fruit’s skin. He stared at the character, trying to decipher it, but in the end, he had no idea.

  Sasha had mentioned that trolls mostly formed dao around earth, ultimately having greater dao of some stone, granite, limestone, or something similar. So he had a feeling it was something like hardness, weight or durability.

  Simple attributes of the stone seemed underwhelming at times, but the idea of what they could become was impressive.

  Considering his options, Dar decided it didn’t matter what the dao really was. At least, he hadn’t learned of any dao that would hurt him, and he could use the strength it would provide. At some point, he’d need a better strategy as he tried to combine towards stronger dao, but for now, he’d take what he can get and make something of it later.

  If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s turning life’s lemons into lemonade.

  The fruit crunched as he bit into it, and the sweet juices dribbled down his chin as his mind went elsewhere. The dao character formed in his mind’s eye and grew clearer with each bite. He’d forgotten how delicious the fruits were.

  Golden strokes of the character burned into his mind as he realized the heavy dao.

  He licked his lips and wiped his chin with the back of his arm. It wasn’t the most impressive dao, but he could already imagine some fun ways to use it in a fight.

  Looking over at the tree, there were another two fruits from the trolls that seemed almost complete.

  Trolls seemed to be the easiest demons beyond gremlins to access at the moment, and it would certainly be easier to build into the cliffs if he had some type of stone dao. Studying the nearly ripened fruits, he made a note to try to find a few more trolls and see if he could finish them.

  He’d have to find a use for the extra dao of heat fruit.

  As he went to check on the wizard’s staff, he felt a sensation outside of his inner world. Cracking open his eyes, he found Amber very carefully pulling the sheets back.

  “Morning,” Dar said, still feeling tired, despite the sunlight streaming through the windows clearly showcasing that it was late morning.

  “No,” Amber groaned. “You weren’t supposed to wake up yet.”

  Raising his brow, he waited for her to explain further.

  “Sasha sent me in to wake you up… pleasantly. She said you needed to get up, and she removed the rule that we couldn’t lay with you.”

  He almost chuckled, the situation put him so off kilter that laughter was the only response. “Sasha sent you to wake me up with a blowjob?”

  “Yes,” she said dejected. “And I’ve ruined it. This is the best work I’m likely ever to get.” Amber turned to leave.

  Her dejection was hard to watch, and while he still didn’t understand all of it, he was willing to try to help her. She’d shown her loyalty; he wanted her to feel like part of the household.

  “Come back here,” he said, mustering around his feeling on the situation to sound like a command.

  “Yes, milord?” Amber said, turning back towards him but not looking up.

  With a bit more bravado than he fully felt, he pulled back the rest of the sheets, revealing himself ready for the morning. “Sasha sent you to perform a task. Are you just going to give up like that?”

  She looked up at him, her eyes going wide, and she practically fell as she stumbled forward quickly. If he’d had any doubts about if she wanted to do this, he didn’t any longer based on the radiant smile spreading across her face.

  It lifted his mood as well, and he was able to genuinely smile back at her, feeling less awkward about the whole thing.

  He laid back into his pillow as her hot lips wrapped around his cock with enough suction to pull a golf ball through a garden hose. And whatever doubts he’d had went out the window as his body wanted more.

  “Fuck, that’s good. But a little less suction—you aren’t trying to suck it off me.” He gripped Amber’s hair and guided her speed and depth. She gave soft moans as she worked him.

  Amber was so into it that he couldn’t help but enjoy it as she started to mix things up.

  Using her tongue to add pressure and different swirls while she moved up and down felt great, and he encouraged her when she hit just the right spot. She worked him quickly to a peak, throwing everything she knew at him.

  He let out a moan, trying to indicate to her that he was close. He could see her excitement as she doubled down, adding just the extra intensity and suction he needed to crest over.

  As he came, she sank as deep as she could go, his seed coating the back of her throat. When he had finished, she sat back, giving his head a few extra licks to get the last bits of his release.

  “Thank you,” he said, feeling more relaxed than when he’d woken.

  “My pleasure, milord.” She scooted off the bed, nearly bouncing over to his dresser with a wide grin on her face. “When you’re ready to get up, we can dress.”

  Grinning at her complete change in mood, Dar had to give credit to Sasha. She had understood what Amber needed, and it had felt right in the moment.

  “Oh, milord. Do you need help again?” Her eyes were focused on his still hard member as he rose out of bed.

  “If you ask every time I’m hard, we’ll never get out of this room.”

  Her eyes went wide. “Truly, milord? I’ve heard you with Sasha, but I assumed that you were using tools.”

  “I’ll let you in on a secret.” He leaned closer, whispering and trying not to laugh as she looked more excited than he’d ever seen her to get the secret. “I use an enchantment to rejuvenate myself.” He gave her a wink.

  “Oh! Well, I do believe we have time for another, milord.” She sank to her knees and held his cock like she was worshiping it.

  He paused. It seemed like she was pushing herself, and he wanted to make sure that it didn’t cross beyond what she was comfortable with. “I’ll be fine. You don’t have to do it again.”

  “No, please! I want to. Truly. I feel powerful making you, the man who wrestled trolls to the ground, weak in the knees.” She looked up at him, still on her knees, a plea in her eyes.

  He stepped forward, placing himself in front of her, and she jumped at the chance. Cupping his balls, she tentatively wrapped her lips around his cock again. When he didn’t pull back, she wiggled further forward, waiting for him to make the first move.

  So, he did. Dar thrust forward, sinking deep into her mouth and enjoying her once again.

  ***

  Sasha smirked as he walked into the foyer. “You seem chipper.” Her eyes slid over to Amber, who had a glowing smile and practically skipped as she walked.

  Scratching the back of his head, Dar wasn’t quite sure how to answer. Since he’d last been with Sasha, he’d been with Cherry and now Amber. While she’d said she was okay with all of it, he was still skeptical that Sasha wouldn’t feel hurt. “Yeah, it was a great morning.”

  He wandered over, wanting to give Sasha some attention. Wrapping her in his arms, he kissed her forehead as she burrowed in close to him. He never could get past just how soft she was to hold.

  Looking up, Amber was already going about her business, working to clean up the nearby space on the way to the kitchen. In Sasha’s presence, she had become secondary and seemed fine with the arrangeme
nt.

  He still wasn’t quite sure what to do about all of it. With Amber, it wasn’t exactly no-strings attached, since it seemed that the sexual acts helped her feel more solid in her role with their household.

  But it also wasn’t a relationship like he had with Sasha or Cherry. He was expected not to show her the same type of constant attention. He felt like Amber should at least sit at the table with them, but he had a feeling that wouldn't be normal in this world.

  “You seem troubled.” Sasha rested her hand on his forearm.

  “Confused might be the better word. I’m not quite sure what to do with Amber now.” He looked off towards where Amber had disappeared into the kitchen as they sat at the table to wait for the food.

  Sasha shrugged. “Whatever you want, really”

  It hit him that she thought he meant sexually. “No, not like that. I mean…” He sighed, knowing Sasha would just tell him to treat Amber like a servant. “I mean how to make sure that she feels valued and not used.”

  “Oh. I see.” Sasha turned fractionally in her chair to give him her full attention. “She is a servant, Dar. If she pleases you, then you are welcome to take extra care for her. But under no circumstances can she be elevated to a position that would hinder her from doing her job as a servant. You’re giving her a good life, and she’s exceptionally lucky to get to work in your household. You have to trust me on this.”

  “Okay, so, I should treat her well. So things like let her have some nice dresses and pleasant accommodations? And then otherwise order her about and let her do her tasks?”

  Before Sasha could reply, Amber came back into the room with a simple platter of cheese and bread for a quick meal.

  Instead, Sasha looked at him softly. “Remember, we are long lived.”

  Amber didn’t react to that, clearly not understanding that she was somehow related to the statement. Amber simply placed the tray in front of him and folded her hands in her lap as she stepped away with a smile.

  “Thank you,” Dar said, breaking bread and adding some cheese between two chunks for a sort of sandwich. But what Sasha had said stuck with him; he was going to outlive Amber.

  The thought reverberated in his head, and he realized that, whether consciously or subconsciously, Sasha had distanced herself from humans to lessen the sense of loss as she outlived them. They became like a pet to her, loved but not equal.

  He wondered if he would become the same over time, after having to deal with so much loss. He certainly didn’t feel that way now, but maybe in time, he’d become more numb to it. Shaking his head, he focused in on his meal, hoping that wouldn’t be the case.

  Sasha saw how he was eating his meal and deftly started cutting chunks of bread, placing a sliver of cheese between them, and setting it back down on his plate.

  “Thank you,” he said, getting a warm smile in return.

  “My pleasure, though I’d like to know what your plans are today, so I can help with those as well.” She picked a stray shaving of cheese for herself.

  The chair creaked under him as he leaned back to think. “I need to find a weapon, possibly something ranged. I’ll go talk to the spirits at the inn. Give Bart an update. And I think that’s all the big items.” He ticked off the items on his fingers.

  Sasha nodded, then added, “You also need to see Golum and get ‘trained’ on how to manage Cherry.”

  He nearly smacked himself in the forehead. He had completely forgotten about that awful mandate.

  “Shit. Don’t want to, but I can drag my feet for a few days. Ask lots of questions, do very little,” he said.

  Sasha nodded in agreement. “Cherry had already left to go talk to the people at the inn. I suggested she go alone, at least at first. They may be less on their guard, and who knows, she might know someone.”

  “Hah, yeah, that’s not a bad idea. They didn’t seem too keen on me the other day.” He cut a wedge of the cheese to eat on its own; it was better than the bread.

  “Amber dear, come here.” Sasha waved the red-haired servant over to them. “Darius needs a weapon and a message to your father. I think you’d be able to accomplish both, is that correct?”

  “Yes, milady.” Amber reigned in her excitement from earlier and bowed slightly. “From watching my father work, I’m familiar enough to buy a quality forged weapon.”

  It seemed running a message didn’t require an explanation.

  “I want you to pass along a message to your father that we plan to leave as soon as possible. It will be the day after tomorrow. Can you tell him that and return with what that’ll change and if he’s found any others interested in joining?”

  She nodded, repeating the message.

  “And what kind of weapon do you want, milord?”

  He wasn’t entirely sure, which was part of why he’d wanted to shop for it himself. But Sasha was right, they didn’t have time for him to do all of it; they needed to get out of the city quickly. “I was thinking about something I could use at range, and then something to replace my sword, but the heavier, the better.”

  “Do you want a maul? They are about the heaviest weapon you are going to find,” she offered.

  But he shook his head. “Something with a blade, preferably.”

  “Okay, then I’ll look for their largest ax, that should work?”

  He nodded. It would have to do, and an ax had other uses in building a town. “What do you think would be the best option for something I can use at a distance?”

  “A bow is the most common, and easiest to carry, but if I may be presumptuous, milord?” She paused until he nodded. “You’d lose any advantage in strength you have, milord. Even as strong as you are, no bow is going to take down trolls without dozens of arrows. A hatchet or a throwing spear might be a better fit.”

  “Interesting,” Dar said, thinking it over. He hadn’t expected her to put much thought into his request, but she was a blacksmith’s daughter. She knew her weapons and their particular functions.

  “I like the idea of the throwing spear. We can get or make hatchets easily enough, but a well-balanced spear might be hard to get after we leave the city,” Sasha offered.

  He nodded at that. “A few throwing spears it is. Again, the heavier the better.”

  “With your leave.” Amber bowed and turned to leave, a bounce still added to her step as she left the room.

  Sasha stood with a proud smirk on her face. “Look how happy she is. And to think, you wanted to deny her.”

  Dar sighed, shaking his head and giving her a smile. Changing the topic, he asked, “I guess I didn’t need to go do all those things myself, did I?”

  “No, you didn’t; that is what having servants are for.” She rolled her eyes.

  With some of his time freed up, he wasn’t in a rush. “What did Cherry tell you about last night?” He looked around for any of Lady Margret’s servants lingering in the shadows, knowing that his time with Cherry would be less acceptable.

  “That you ran into some trouble. That it was dealt with, but hard on you.” Her fingers eased into his hair and pressed circled into the base of his head.

  Dar nodded and leaned into her fingers. “It also made me realize a few things. I had to do what I did. It was what I needed to do to keep our family stable and safe. I think I’m finally moving on. Leaving my past life behind and embracing what it means to live in this world.”

  “Are you okay with that?” Sasha leaned in, peering into his eyes and looking for any doubt.

  He stared back, putting conviction into his eyes. “Yes. If we are going to start this town, I’m going to lead it. If I can form bonds with my servant by letting her give me a good-morning blow,” he chuckled, “then damn it, I’m just going to have to enjoy it.” He winked at her.

  Based on Amber’s reaction and Sasha’s words, what was most important was making sure Amber felt accepted and was treated well. He would make sure that she had what she needed, as any employer should.

  “I’m glad you got
over that hang-up, because after accepting Cherry last night, I don’t think it is going to stop. Now you’ve got the two of us and a future town that will increase your influence and reach; more dao companions will accelerate your growth. We will also need more servants to help us.” Sasha smiled.

  “Whoa, take it easy. I love you both and I’m working to embrace all this, but at least let a man get some sleep from time to time.” He laughed, feeling a bit overwhelmed at the thought of a huge home in the cliffs filled with many servants bouncing around like Sasha.

  But thinking about the cliffs reminded him of his new dao. “Sasha,” He leaned in close, dropping his voice to a whisper, “I have another dao, the heavy dao.”

  “From the trolls?” she asked, whispering back.

  He nodded and she leaned back, her lips pressed in thought, so he continued on. “With the abundance of trolls, I think forming a greater dao of some type of stone is the most expedient solution; not to mention, such a dao would be invaluable for making a town. I’ll form other greater dao to form my grand, but it’ll be tied to stone in some way with that step. Not sure if it would be limiting myself or if I need to push ahead as fast as I can.”

  Sasha’s mouth opened in surprise before she closed it, nodding. “Yes. Yes, that would be a very good way to create a town. Not to mention, it potentially makes our ability to build into the cliffs infinitely easier. We can focus your second greater dao on something more combat oriented. Stone to ground you in this world is almost poetic.”

  That settled, he leaned back and spoke at a normal volume. “So, what are you doing for the day?”

  “I’ll finish up the orders Margret had for me; if we aren’t going to stick around for much longer, I ought to get those done today.” She said it simply, but there was just something in how she said it that made Dar think there was more to it.

  “What is it?”

  Sasha sighed. “I went out for some cloth this morning, and the behavior towards me was… rude.”

  His brows went up into his hairline. “Crude, or something more?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “More like borderline pitchforks and torches. That rallying cry yesterday of demons and spirits being why the devils came seems to be reverberating. It’ll blow over, but for now, it might be best for me to stay indoors and out of sight.”