“That’s the thing… it’s metal from the outside but feels strange from the inside. It feels like… flesh, warm and wet… like a tongue. It’s twitching constantly,” Luna revealed.
“Oh.”
“It basically feels like someone is slowly licking me all over the area, all the time,” Luna said.
“Now that’s kinky,” Iowen evaluated.
“It’s worse… sometimes it extends in and it all starts vibrating. I can’t even stand when that happens. It lasts for like ten minutes and there is no regularity to it,” Luna explained.
“So that’s why you sometimes just flail around… still, that should be plenty to push you over,” Iowen breathed.
“It doesn’t… I feel the tension, it builds up to the maximum and then just stays jumping around it, never goes over,” Luna finished.
“You really pissed off someone you shouldn’t have,” Iowen concluded.
“Yea.”
“Guys, I know this is going to be really weird and awkward, but I need you to look at something” Iowen said as she entered the Albertti brothers room.
“You know we love weird stuff,” Erik smiled.
“Hi, I’m Luna,” Luna entered the room, her face red from embarrassment.
“Ah, monster girl! Nice to meet you! We are Battista, Alfons, Robert and Erik. All Albertti,” Battista greeted Luna.
“This is a bad idea,” Luna tried to back off. Iowen stopped her with a hand.
“Stop acting like a virgin,” Iowen pushed Luna forward.
“Calm down, we don’t bite,” Bat smiled.
“I do,” Luna grinned, showing her teeth.
“That was a figure of speech, through which I attempted to express that we intend to cause you no harm and would like to be friendly and helpful, so you have no reason to be afraid of us,” Battista explained calmly.
“You will make her fall asleep, Bat,” Robert laughed.
“Whatever,” Iowen cut them off. She pushed Luna to the middle of the room.
“We need to get rid of this,” she announced and pulled Luna’s pants to her knees. Luna covered her face with hands to hide the embarrassment.
“Now that’s an interesting piece,” Alfons breathed.
“He means the panties,” Erik filled in.
“Not that your legs wouldn’t be spectacular, of course,” Robert added.
“Please sit down on the table and spread the legs so we can see it closer,” Battista asked Luna. She didn’t move and so Iowen forced her to do so.
“What do you think, Alf?” Battista asked after a few minutes of studying it.
“Transmutation at a level I haven’t thought possible,” Alfons breathed.
“It truly is amazing,” Battista concurred.
“Tell me you can remove it,” Luna whispered.
“I don’t know… need to study it for a while.”
“How long?”
“Make yourself comfortable,” Battista smiled.
“UGGGH…. Oh no… UHHH!” Luna started shaking and moaning hard.
“What’s happening? I haven’t done anything!” Alfons looked confused.
“That’s what the device does,” Iowen chuckled.
“Oh… well, at least we get to examine it when it is active,” Bat evaluated.
Luna wanted to protest, but was moaning and shouting too strongly for it to be audible. Erik and Iowen held her down, while Bat and Alfons continued working in it.
Luna wished it was a dream, nightmare, hallucination or anything other than the reality. It wasn’t. The vicious grin of Iowen was there to remind her it is as real as it gets.
“Well, no good news I am afraid,” Alfons summarized their findings after a couple of hours.
“Please tell me he is lying,” Luna turned to Battista.
“He isn’t. The device is unlocked by a specific set of symbols which only the owner knows. It is otherwise irremovable and it has so much magical force compressed into it that any attempts of forceful removal will likely make it explode,” Battista concluded.
“Explode? How much?” Luna asked.
“It would definitely annihilate your entire crotch area and likely the closer surroundings, likely us as well,” Alfons estimated.
“So, I carry a bomb at my crotch… awesome,” Luna breathed in despair.
“That is a succinct summary,” Battista agreed.
“Do you know of anyone who can help me?” she probed.
“Well, the device should run out of power in a few months, at most half a year. Otherwise, there is the person who put it on you and some excessively powerful magicians may be able to do something about it,” Battista evaluated.
“Tell me you know some.”
“Not in person. In the tournament, I believe the only one who would match such description is count Salazar,” Battista replied.
“Are you telling me I am either screwed for half a year, beg for forgiveness or go to spread my legs in front of the count of Xona?” Luna inquired.
“I am afraid so.”
“I know how this sounds, but I need to speak to count Salazar, in private.”
“I will check with him and get back to you,” Katherine replied and returned to the cell.
“What is it about?” Salazar asked Katherine when she got closer to him, putting down his book.
“I don’t know. Tal’Sec is at the door and wants something of you, it has to be in private and he is extremely embarrassed about it,” Katherine summarized.
“Embarrassed? Urushnii are almost never embarrassed,” Salazar evaluated, “sounds like fun.”
“Do I even have to bother telling you that this is extremely risky, given that we have had problems with assassins past few weeks?” Katherine remarked sarcastically.
“Yes, I do pay you for telling me that after all. Now let’s go,” Salazar led the way, Katherine close behind him.
“Do you at least know this Tal’Sec?” Katherine probed.
“No. But I do know Alog of Ghalkel; this should be his right hand if he leads his team. Alog is quite the man, I don’t think his right hand will be too far off,” Salazar evaluated.
“Greetings, Sir Tal’Sec,” Salazar opened up when getting past the door.
“Thank you for accepting us, your highness. Please follow me,” Tal’Sec bowed and motioned the count.
“I have met many men in my life, but you are the first embarrassed Urushnii I have ever seen,” Salazar tossed up.
“I have no words to defend my shame,” Tal’Sec conceded.
Salazar was almost impressed and walked. The Urushnii led him to a cell at a side and opened the door to introduce him. One look told him everything.
“I suppose you would like to ask me to help lady Luna with whatever the issue is,” Salazar evaluated. Everyone in the room looked sideways. The embarrassment was seeping out of them.
“We would greatly appreciate it,” Tal’Sec confirmed.
“Well, let’s see it,” Salazar tossed up and stepped in. Tal’Sec stayed at the door awkwardly.
“UGGHHHG… AHHHH….. noUUUGH,” Luna started again.
“What is happening to her?” Salazar asked in surprise while Katherine turned red. Iowen and Erik held her down.
“This will take about ten minutes. Afterward, she will need five more minutes to calm down. Care for a cup of tea?” Battista offered.
“I guess,” Salazar agreed and accepted the cup. The timing was exactly like Bat said and Luna had wished she just died in the process.
“We were wondering if you have any idea on how to remove this,” Iowen asked softly.
“Aha… oh… well,” Salazar was at a loss for words, “I will look at it,” he regrouped and went to examine the device. “I don’t have good news. I have never seen anything like this before and it is way too intricate to do anything about it without weeks of research,” he concluded after about half an hour investigation.
“Thank you for your time, your highness, we really apprecia
te it,” Iowen bowed.
“I wish I could have more help,” he smiled and rose to leave.
“Why are you still blushing, Katherine?” he asked his captain of the guard as he turned to her.
“No reason, sir,” Katherine refused and looked at the ground.
“You know what this is, don’t you?” Salazar pressed on and everyone turned on Katherine.
“It’s a chastity belt from Hungry Daisy, some of the newest versions with extended functions. I would guess,” she responded.
“How would you know that?” Salazar pried, “I mean, I would have noticed if you ever wore something like this.”
“I have no experience with the advanced models, you don’t pay me nearly enough for that,” Katherine attempted a pivot.
“And with the less advanced models?” Salazar didn’t let her evade.
“I will tell you later in private,” Katherine conceded.
“Very well then, let us go,” Salazar commanded.
“Wait… is there anything you can tell us about it?” Iowen asked.
“Not much. It costs thousands of gold, is supposed to be irremovable and can be active for over a year without a recharge,” Katherine revealed.
“Thousands of gold? No wonder lady Luciande is so bloody rich. I will need to have her tax returns double checked upon my return to Xona,” Salazar smirked as he started to leave with Katherine.
“I apologize for not being much help, I wish you the best of luck,” Salazar said in goodbye before closing the door behind him.
“Thank you, your highness,” Tal’Sec bowed before Salazar as he passed.
“Raven, Luna…they really know how to piss off powerful people, don’t they?” Salazar asked Katherine while making the way back to their cell.
“About the belts...“Katherine started.
“I don’t care,” Salazar interrupted her.
“Heh?” Katherine was surprised.
“I enjoyed grilling you in there, but what you do outside of work is none of my business and I have no intention of prying into it. I apologize if it looked otherwise,” Salazar explained himself.
“Thank you.”
63
Iowen
“What happened in here?” Raven asked as he entered his original cell and saw it in a state of pandemonium. Pieces of wood, feathers, torn cloth and blood were scattered all over the room. Iowen was just binding Luna with a rope. Luna had foam at her mouth and was shaking uncontrollably.
“I can’t tell you.”
“Is Luna alright?”
“She is stoned.”
“Are you alright?”
“Mostly.”
“Can I help?” Raven asked softly.
“No one else can,” Iowen smiled sadly. She took out a bloodied paper and handed it to Raven. Raven opened it and read the text written in blood:
‘Do what Iowen tells you, Luna.’
“I am listening,” Raven returned his gaze to Iowen.
“First of all, you are to ask no questions about what happened or happens between your match and one day after you arrive in Xona. If you ever find out anything, you are to forget it and never ever tell anyone any piece about anything from this time.
Now down to business, help me pack Luna and her things. Take her with you into the cage you use to travel and stay with her. When she stops being stoned, give her some of the purple cubes she has in her front pants right pocket. Keep her like this until you reach Xona. In Xona, find an abandoned house, buy fifteen female sheep, lock in untied Luna with those sheep and collect her once she has eaten up. In the meantime, go buy her new dress and shoes. For both, find whatever you find to be the sluttiest acceptable piece. Then find a sluttier one. Then find an even sluttier one and take that. Luna’s measures are in her left front pants pocket. I have it written up for you here,” Iowen explained and handed Raven a large sheet of bloodied paper. Raven looked at it and there was an exact write up of what she just told him, written in blood.
“Couldn’t find ink?” Raven asked.
“Yea,” Iowen conceded.
“Alright, I will take it from here. Go get some rest, Iowen, you are barely standing,” Raven commanded.
“That’s it? No questions? No negotiating? No protesting? No overstated gestures? No panic? No confusion? Nothing? Just… alright? Seriously?” Iowen blurted out.
“Would it help?”
Iowen stared at Raven for a second, then threw her hands up in the air and let them fall down before heading to the door.
“Thank you for helping Luna,” Raven remarked.
“I give up! What do you think happened here?” Iowen shouted in exasperation.
“Luna came here, feeling like shit. You came to comfort her with a couple of bottles of hard spirits. At some point, Luna got mad angry and started literally ripping off the dress from her. She destroyed everything she could find in the room other than you. When she got out of it and realized what she had done, she took a fistful of her strongest drugs hoping it knocks her out. When it did, you wrote the two notes with your finger, using Luna’s blood instead of ink,” Raven estimated.
“So… you knew from the start that I lied to you and just went with it?” Iowen probed.
“You are trying to help. It’s just going to be really annoying when Luna pisses herself during the traveling," Raven evaluated.
“Don’t worry about that. She’s got special new panties that make her not to need to pee. Also, don’t try to remove those and just overall, don’t touch them,” Iowen stated.
“This is why I don’t ask questions,” Raven shook his head and went on to tie up Luna. Iowen ran a hand through her hair and went to rejoin her team.
I completely forgot about our match… well, shit.
“Guys, how was our match?” Iowen asked the Albertti brothers when getting back to their cell. They burst out into laughter.
“I told you she forgot,” Erik laughed at Robert. Robert clicked his tongue and tossed him a small pouch of coins. Battista tossed one to Alfons.
“You were betting on it? Is that why nobody told me?” Iowen asked angrily.
“Tal’Sec tried to find you several times, unsuccessfully,” Alfons grinned.
“Anyway, how was it? You don’t look like we had lost,” Iowen returned to the topic.
“It was kind of easy. We just copied the tactics of Salazar’s team and won pretty much the same way. Rushed the final chest, fortified it and then just camped there until the enemy team ran out of patience and attacked us,” Erik revealed.
“Sounds like fun,” Iowen smirked.
“The audience was booing from minute ten and half of it left before the match finished. The referee gave us six yellow cards before he got tired of us ignoring him,” Erik revealed.
“What does a yellow card mean?” Iowen pried.
“Nothing, he tried to make us do something after we haven’t moved from the fortification for over two hours,” Battista grinned.
“I think he was more pissed about us smoking a water pipe and playing cards,” Robert chuckled.
Iowen just shook her head and went to pack her things.
64
Salazar
“One point zero one? Seriously? What’s with these odds?” Katherine exclaimed as she was going through the papers she had received from the courier on the way to Xona.
“Are you betting on our own matches?” Salazar turned to the captain of his royal guard.
“Of course, I am,” Katherine smirked.
“Isn’t that forbidden? Aren’t you afraid you will get caught! That would be a huge scandal for you! You could undermine the whole team and Salazar too! Why haven’t you told us about it?” Yvonne blurted out in disagreement.
“Chill, I do it under a fake name,” Katherine grinned.
“How are odds on team Raven and team Tal’Sec?” Salazar asked.
“Same shit, no more easy money,” Katherine complained.
“Meh, so much on cheating out the
army rations,” Salazar agreed.
“Wait... are you both doing it?” Mark breathed in surprise.
“We are from Xona; of course, we are,” Tobyn, one of Katherine’s soldiers joined in.
“All the other legal bookmakers got the same odds now, do you know anything about how the illegal ones are doing?” Katherine asked Molly.
“The same, most of them went bankrupt though,” Molly replied.
“Ah well, at least I got enough for the new house,” Tobyn remarked.
“Yea, we have had a good run,” Katherine evaluated.
“Indeed,” Salazar agreed.
“Out of curiosity, how much money were you betting on this?” Mark pried.
“How shall I put it… city treasury is named so because people would be pissed if it were called Salazar’s treasury. I don’t think you want to know the sums that flew around,” Salazar retorted smugly.
“What would you do if you had lost?” Yvonne probed.
“I never lose,” Salazar smiled. Yvonne turned to Katherine.
“If I lost the bets and didn’t die? I guess I would fake suicide and run off somewhere far,” Katherine revealed.
“Why are you staring? Salazar would never lose early, team Ghalkel is so overstacked that they will power through to the finals without even trying and Raven was a bit of a wild bet, but I would have been in plus if they lost in the first round. After the first it was obvious that I was right about Salazar and the Ghalkel team, while Raven and company have turned out to be the strongest team in the tournament,” Katherine explained.
“You think they are stronger than us?” Salazar inquired.
“The Rapacious Reavers can just about match the rest of us, so it’s Yvonne vs Luna and you vs Raven. Yvonne and Luna will likely be a standstill where Yvonne keeps freezing her but cannot really harm her and well, I don’t think you can beat Raven unless you are fighting in a forest. We fight them in Redwall, which is a desert city,” Katherine evaluated.
“Are you sure you aren’t underestimating me?”
“I know you have been practicing when you can ever since you saw their first match, Sal. You don’t know how he uses magic, none of us do. Unless we figure it out, we must assume the worst,” Katherine responded.
Legacy of Dreams: Freedom Page 35
