The Guild Master's Harem

by Alexis Ward

  As he heard her call me ‘master’ Leflen looked at me curiously, but didn’t say anything about it. I shrugged. “We’re still in Leflen. Though for the record this is probably a terrible idea.” I said.

  He laughed a high pitched and unearthly sound. “Ah, the things we do for money, no?” he remarked.

  A few days along the passed pleasantly, yet uneventfully. Our days were spent riding and watching the grasslands for threats. Nights were spent with just Yasmina and I alone in a tent, as we further explored one another’s bodies. On the third day the road left the grasslands and plains and wound its way through a dark forest. The road narrowed and the trees grew just close enough together to make it an ideal spot for an ambush. Neflen had warned us of this stretch of the journey yesterday. This would be where the bandits struck, Neflen suspected they hideout was also somewhere in these woods.

  Yasmina rode at the front of the column and I at the rear. Neflen had his longbow on the seat next to him in the wagon, the other two drivers had crossbows, but nothing else. As we got deep enough into the forest that I lost sight of the grasslands behind us, I froze in the saddle as SKILL ACTIVATED scrolled across my vision. Time slowed to a crawl.

  I looked around in confusion until I noticed on my left that there was an arrow about five inches from my face, making its way toward me at the speed of a snail. I exhaled slowly. Saved by my strange ability once again. I sighted down the arrow and saw the archer who had fired it, practically frozen in a standing pose as he reached for another arrow from his quiver. THREE SECONDS scrolled across my vision. Fuck.

  I dismounted and sprinted toward the archer, my sword drawn. Time resumed its normal flow as I jammed my sword up to the hilt through the man’s chest. As I tore my sword free from the bandit’s ribs I heard Yasmina yell a battlecry. I rushed back towards the caravan as the forest was filled with a chorus of yelling and the sound of weapons clashing. The road teemed with bandits, they wore red scarves, some had swords, but most were armed with hatchets and knives.

  Neflen stood atop his cart, weaving and tumbling to avoid the wild swings of the mob around him. When he had a moment to spare, he would loose an arrow into the ranks, or lash out with an acrobatic kick if any of the bandits dared try to climb onto the cart.

  Yasmina was similarly surrounded. She still remained atop her horse, head and shoulders above the bandits that swarmed around her. She glowed with a faint yellow halo of light, some sort of divine protection, as her braided blonde hair lashed side to side as she swung her sword down with precision onto anyone that came into her reach.

  I remained unnoticed on the edge of the battle. It didn’t look favorable for us, despite my ally’s heroic efforts. On the edge of the road, about forty paces from me, I noticed a fat man in a breastplate, as he gestured with his sword and shouted orders at the others. Next to him was a woman with an eyepatch, wearing a red bandanna over her brown hair, with a saber, still in its sheath. The bandit queen that Enam had mentioned?

  I set my sights on the fat man giving orders. Killing him wasn't much of a plan, but it was better than standing by and doing nothing. A moment later I watched as one of the bandits brought his mace down on Yasmina’s knee. The aura of magic around her faded as she cried out in pain. Her cry struck a chord in me and I sprinted toward the fat bandit from behind.

  I closed the gap and my sword separated his head neatly from his body. A guttural scream escaped my throat as his head thudded to the ground and his body toppled forward into the dirt. The female bandit was already fleeing away from me into the trees. I charged into the group of bandits that surrounded Yasmina as she slumped down in her saddle. Some of the bandits fled, others ran for the two wagons that weren’t protected and grabbed what they could as they made their escape.

  The few that remained I kept distracted with my wild two handed sword swings while Neflen dealt them the death blow with his bow. Suddenly no more bandits remained standing. Some still gasped or moaned in pain as they bled out. I ignored them other than to run my sword through the one with the mace that had struck Yasmina. Contrary to popular belief, vengeance is sweet. Just short lived.

  I cleaned my sword off and put it away, then helped Yasmina get out of the saddle and down to the ground. Her breathing was shallow and she was unconscious. Neflen lept down off of his wagon and crouched down beside me. He probed her wounded knee gently with his hands.

  “Regular curative magic won’t fix the shattered bone. We’ll need a proper healer or a high priest from her Order for this kind of damage.” Neflen said softly.

  I grimaced. “Is there room for her in your wagon?” I asked.

  Neflen shrugged. “I will make room.” he said.

  The other two drivers were dead. I stayed by Yasmina while Neflen consolidated the most valuable goods into his cart and made space for Yasmina. Neflen showed me how to splint her leg before we moved her. The splint in place, we lifted her into his cart.

  We used the harnesses from the other wagons to add Yasmina’s horse and mine to Neflen’s wagon. There was nothing to be done for the other wagons. We freed their horses and buried Neflen’s other hired hands in a shallow graves. Throughout the process I was numb. The reality of risking my life and those of my companions had hit full force. I vowed to be better prepared for next time, for everyone’s sake.

  Our lone wagon rolled away from the foul smell that marked the location of the battle. I sat upfront with Neflen, alert for further dangers. I did spend an awful lot of time glancing back toward Yasmina, whenever I heard her move or moan when the wagon hit a bump in the road.

  Two days and nights later we emerged from the forest and that afternoon, Yasmina regained consciousness. “Oh-- it hurts.” she gasped.

  I looked to Neflen. “I think we’re in the clear now that we’re out of the forest.” I said. He nodded.

  “I’ll call if I need assistance we should have two days of easy road from here to Pengi.” Neflen said.

  I climbed into the back of the wagon with Yasmina and closed the canvas flap behind me. She laid atop a bed made of small crates with some blankets atop them for padding. There was barely room to walk amongst all the crates and barrels. I clambered over to Yasmina’s side and sat down on the edge of her makeshift bed. “Hey Yas, glad to see you conscious.” I said.

  She sat up slightly, one hand on either side of her injured knee. A faint glow of light emanated from her hands. She sighed. “I can numb the pain somewhat, but this is beyond my ability to actually fix.” she said.

  I nodded. “Neflen said much the same thing when he looked over your injury. We can look for a healer once we reach Pengi. Two more days. I think. But we are out of the woods now.” I said.

  Yasmina nodded and laid her head back onto her pillow. “What did we lose?” she asked.

  “Two of the wagons. The worst is seeing you injured though.” I said softly as I pressed my hand to her cheek.

  Her blue eyes moistened. “Thank you for your concern master. I am sorry I failed and was injured, and am now a burden to you.” she whispered.

  “Don’t be silly. We’re a team. Neflen would have been overrun without you in the thick of things, and then nobody would have lived, or be getting paid.” I bent low and planted a small kiss on her forehead.

  She sighed. I helped her sit up and made sure she drank some water and ate a little food. Soon she was sound asleep again, her head resting in my lap. A few days later we arrived at the walled city of Pengi.

  Chapter 14

  Unlike Zrudale, Pengi was a proper city. Ten foot high stone walls, guards at the gate and on the ramparts. Neflen handed the gate guards his merchant’s license while another guard gave our cargo a cursory search for contraband. Though I wasn’t sure what kinds of goods were illegal in this kingdom. I’d have to ask Neflen later, now wasn’t the time. After the guards were satisfied, we were let into the city proper beyond the gate.

  Neflen always stayed at the same tavern here, The Blushing Boar. He paid for a room for
Yasmina and I as well. Yasmina was mobile, somewhat. She moved with a limp and had to lean on me for support, or use a walking stick. We collected our pay from Neflen and parted ways, agreeing to catch up later with him at The Blushing Boar later that night. My first priority was to find a healer that could work on Yasmina’s knee.

  Yasmina and I made our way inside the local temple of the Order of Light, a much larger version of the same stone building in Zrudale. The building was quite busy, priests and priestesses in flowing white robes, warriors in armor, and common folk filled the main hall, each busy in their respective tasks.

  From the crowd a short woman in a white robe approached us. “Welcome to the Light travellers. I am Tara, a priestess, is there something I can assist you with?” she asked. Her hair was a bit lighter than Yasmina’s, closer to a platinum blonde and her eyes were brown. Most notably, she was shorter than Zemma, which probably put her at under five feet tall.

  “My knee. Direct hit from a mace.” Yasmina said as she leaned on me.

  Tara looked her up and down. “Hmm. I am one of our most skilled healers. Let’s find a side room and have a look at that injury.” she said. Tara led us out of the main room into a small room with a bed on one side and shelves of various herbs and ointments on the other. Tara gestured for Yasmina to lie down on the bed. “Do you wish your companion to stay in the room?” Tara asked Yasmina.

  Yasmina nodded. “Yes.”

  Tara nodded then looked to me. “How steady are your hands sir? Her joint appears swollen and I’ll need to begin by cutting away a portion of her pants and then we’ll see what needs to be done. A second pair of hands could speed the process along. I hope you have no squeamishness around the sight of blood.” she said.

  “I’ll do my best, if you’re asking me to assist you.” I said.

  Tara instructed me to wash my hands in a basin on the shelf, and then she emptied it into a drain in the floor and refilled it from a jar. Then she cleaned her own hands. I had expected her to use magic like Yasmina could, but Tara’s skill set seemed entirely mundane.

  Functionally she was a surgeon and from her demeanor, she seemed competent, though I wouldn’t really know what a skilled surgeon’s work looked like compared to one who was less skilled.

  A long while later after feeding Yasmina some herbs that put her to sleep. Tara worked by making minor cuts into Yasmina’s knee at varying angles, till she removed a splinter of metal. Tara double checked that she had gotten all the debris out and done all she could, then wrapped Yasmina’s knee into a sturdy clean splint. “That’s the best that can be done. Unless you want to cut the limb off and try to grow her a new one, or look into getting a dwarf made prosthetic.” she stated.

  I shook my head. “I can’t make those choices for her. Is there no magic that can be used?” I asked. Yasmina was still asleep in bed, though the herbs would wear off soon.

  Tara shook her head. “Healing magic is only good for surface injuries, bruises, cuts, not issues of the bone. In rare cases, a limb can be regrown if it’s lost, but the limb is never 100% after that. She’ll have more mobility this way, after a recovery period, which she should be able to speed up by regular applications of her own healing ability. A prosthetic would be ideal, but that has its own issues. Custom manufacture, upfront costs, etc.” Tara explained.

  “How much do I owe you?” I asked.

  Tara shook her head again. “Nothing. The light shines equally on us all, regardless of our fortunes.” she intoned.

  “Very well. Can priestesses drink? We’re staying at The Blushing Boar, if you want to come by later, our treat.” I looked at Yasmina as she stirred in her sleep.

  Tara shook her head a third time. “No drinks, but I wouldn’t mind some proper food. My shift won’t be over until after dark. See you then. She should wake up soon and be able to move about. Walk her back to the Inn, but she should stay off that leg as much as possible this week. Don’t forget to change the bandages, and she may need help with bathing.” Tara said.

  “Alright. See you then. I’m sure Yasmina will want to say thank you in person.” I said.

  Tara nodded, then left the room to tend to her next task. A short while later Yasmina woke up and we returned to The Blushing Boar.

  Chapter 15

  Yasmina and I climbed the stairs in the common room and made our way to the room Neflen had bought for us. Stairs were slow going for Yasmina, but she insisted on getting out of her armor and road clothes, especially if we were going to eat dinner with Neflen and Tara later.

  Our room was spacious, but spartan. Bed, table, four chairs, sink and bath with running water. I started to fill the tub for Yasmina, then helped her out of her clothes and armor. I lowered her into the water carefully and made sure her injured leg hung off of the side of the tub comfortably. She sighed as the hot water relaxed her muscles. I couldn’t help but admire her naked form while she worked a sponge in gentle circles all over herself. It didn’t take her long to notice me staring appreciatively at her. “I’m sorry master, there has been no one to keep you company at night since my injury.” she said as she blushed. She had noticed my hard cock as it pressed against my pants.

  I dipped my hand in the water and then patted her on her head. “Don’t worry about it, I can be patient Yas. You’re worth the wait.” I said.

  “Perhaps we can find a way despite my injury?” she wondered as she lay her hand on the bulge of my pants where my cock was. I watched as she moved her other hand to her pussy and pushed two of her fingers into her own depths.

  “Yas.. do you want to do this now?” I asked my voice tight with pent up sexual urges.

  “Please, I’m yours to command. Just don’t make me put any weight on my bad leg.” she said huskily.

  I unbuttoned my shirt and dropped it to the floor. “I think I can work with that restriction. I’m going to pick you up and carry you to the bed now, okay?” I asked.

  Yas nodded. I lifted her slim, wet, naked body out from the tub and laid her on the bed so that her head was close to the edge. My hunger for her rose as I leaned over her and unfastened my pants. She looked up at me from the bed, her face upside down relative to me, past my throbbing erect cock and into my eyes. Her fingers found her dripping wet pussy again and her mouth opened as she moaned with self-induced pleasure.

  I took that opportunity to lay the tip of my cock onto her lips. My view of her face was mostly obscured by my body, if her eyes were open she probably had an eyeful of my balls, groin and thighs. Her tongue lapped at my cock greedily while I started down at her, taking in the joy of her wet, naked body as she pleasured both my cock and her pussy at the same time.

  I relished the feel of her wet throat as it constricted around my cock, her tongue writhing on my tip. I began to rock my hips gently, my cock slid back and forth within her mouth as she gasped and gagged for air. I paused. “You okay down there sweetie? Should I continue?” I asked. She nodded enthusiastically and thrust her mouth down further onto my cock. Her hips rocked with pleasure as she added a third finger into her pussy.

  I resumed my thrusting and intensity picked up as an orgasm built at the base of my cock and flowed upward, a wave of ecstasy with every thrust into her mouth. I shuddered and spasmed uncontrollably as I climaxed. Yasmina gagged and coughed as my full length forced its way down her throat and my seed spilled forth. I leaned forward and put my hands on the bed to either side of her as I took deep breaths. My whole body filled with the pleasant sensation of relaxation that came after a good orgasm.

  I withdrew my length from Yasmina’s mouth and she took deep breaths, trying to catch up on lost oxygen. Her face was a mess of her sweat, my sweat, and my cum, which flowed down one side of her face like a slow motion waterfall. “Did I-- please you?” she gasped.

  “Very much so.” I grabbed a towel from the sink and wiped her face clean. “I think we both need baths now though.” I said as I picked her up and carried her to the bathtub.

  Chapter 16

&nb
sp; Later that evening we sat at a booth in the common room of The Blushing Boar with Neflen and Tara. “Today was good sales, lots of dungeon delvers with coins to spend. Might be an enterprise for you and your girls to look into.” Neflen suggested.

  I looked at Yasmina and shook my head. “We’re going to tag along with a well armed caravan back to Zrudale as soon as we can. We still need to handle the lingering bandit problem and recruit to boost our numbers before we take on anything else.” I said.

  Neflen shrugged. “Fair, I suppose. I’ll be headed back in a few days, to get back out into the frontier, if you’re interested? I doubt the bandits will cause much trouble if they recognize us from last time, eh? But I’ll make sure to hire some more bodies, just for caution’s sake.” Neflen said.

  “What do you think Yas?” I asked.

  She took a bite of food. “Not bad. But if we’re going to keep getting into scrapes, we could use a proper healer.” she said as she looked sideways at Tara.