“None taken. It was nice to see you again my Duke.” Zack said as the door was closed. I bolted it locked. “What have you got Gryff?”
The room was a square table with a dozen chairs around it. The walls were decorated with paintings and a torch hung by the door for light. Besides that, the room was pretty sparse and very brown. I tossed my bag onto the table. I opened its clasps and fished out the bible.
“I need a hundred and fifty of these,” I said handing him the bible. I then pulled a second bag out of my first sack for when he finished. “Exact copies, do you have all the supplies?”
Zack nodded that he did as he unpacked his own bag. Three large jars of crushed tree bark were placed onto the desk. The mage then thumbed the bible and pulled out a fourth jar. He cleared a spot on the table and started a quick chant that was muttered as he weaved his spell. I saw the tendrils of brown magic leave his center as the catalyst was pulled into the spell. I was not sure if he would do them all partially at once, or one at a time. In this case, it was a slow build of a hundred and fifty replicas all being created simultaneously. Five minutes went by and with a finality, Zack released a breath he had been holding.
“That was the hard part. Creating that much from scratch is intense. Luckily I am not a novice and have years experience doing this. Even produced thousands of spines, covers, and pages at once before. The actual text is much easier. I simply need this,” Zack said as he uncorked a vial of green tree worm blood and poured it onto the table not far from the books. “And then a spell and were done.”
A new mumbling chant started. The blood splashed onto the original bible and I panicked for a brief moment. The green goo drained through the book and out of the bottom leaving no stain or marks. The green bloop then lifted all the textless books from the bottom into the air and crept through the pages and up to the cover. The blood then added the title and the books settled. They were exact replicas. Fifty more than I needed. And if I guessed right they were worth more than Vin itself. I bagged them all and turned to Zack.
“Thank you, Zack, speak of this to no one. If you do the magic may kill you. Sorry, it is that important.” I said as I clutched the bag to my chest. I slung my other bag over my shoulder and left the room for the second floor. I walked down a few hallways until I found the decorative staircase I remembered from before. I stepped up to the second floor and walked down the fancy hallway towards the Duke’s courtroom. Six guards let me pass and I was announced.
Inside the room was the Duke and his family. Including all the children at their own table. I was given the head seat. That was nice of him. Which, of course, I couldn’t accept. As greetings were given at my approach I circled behind Riza who cast a side eye at me.
“I insist,” was all I said as I easily lifted the two hundred pound man and his chair. I placed him at the head of the table and took my spot beside Bella.
“You are too kind my Emperor. You do my household proud. I hear you will be stealing another daughter away. Bella has said little else,” the Duke said and I blushed. I looked around the table trying to figure out who Trish was and came up empty. “She is not here, she insisted on spending extra time getting ready. While I am soured she will not be a wife, it was thoroughly explained to me and I also am not one to question a man's love life. This, from my understanding, is not a slight but a boon to me and my Bella. As well as Lady Rain who is also missing. For now, let us enjoy our meal. I heard you like bacon, so we are having breakfast for dinner!”
I gasped when my plate was uncovered by a servant. It was eggs with runtlet. A common dish and one of my favorites. Yes! “This is perfect, my… I guess dad works. Not to be corny, but you’re the closest thing I got to one. No crying at the table Bella.” When I said this Riza and his wives burst into laughter.
“She has always been a crier, we have scolded her exactly the same way for years. It warms our hearts to see her glow with child and happiness.” Lady Ona said.
The dinner progressed quickly because we were having such a good time. I was sitting on my bag of bibles nervous about them. Desserts came which were strawberry tarts. They were delicious and I was on my third helping when the announcer banged a gavel to the floor.
Lady Rain and her daughter Lady Trish were announced. I looked up to see the women enter the room. Bella mumbled to me that I needed to greet them and bring them to the table. I left my seat and stuffed my bag into the Duke's arm and nub with a warning. “You die before you lose this bag, it is worth more than you can ever fathom. I will be back for it in a moment. Actually, Dina secure the perimeter, no one else allowed in,” I said and he saw the seriousness in my eyes. He did not countermand my orders and gulped at the indication of my words.
I let myself flow from him to the two awaiting ladies. I stretched my arms out in a grand gesture and placed a happy grin on my face. Lady Rain was stern but held together. She was sad, yet happy. I was just glad she didn’t want to shout at me about Una.
Trish was in a long elegant dress. When Bella had said plump I was thinking overweight. She instead had extra curves and larger breasts. Her sandy brown hair went to her chin and she had brown eyes. Trish blushed with dimpled cheeks at my approach. There was no bust on display or revealing legs. The dress was a mix of white, yellow, and blue. My guess her fancy dress was custom created for this very moment.
I told both women they looked wonderful and asked if I could escort them to the table. They allowed it and I politely pulled chairs out for them both. The Duke handed me my bag back and I sat on it again. Talk resumed with Trish sitting to the right of Bella who sat to the right of me. Those two gabbed for an hour while I ate more breakfast for dinner and more desert. A band came out and we did a few twirls with either me holding the bag or the Duke. When the night slowed down I came to a decision. I did not want to risk the bibles overnight.
I excused myself and thanked the entire family at least twice. The Duke escorted me down to the back of the estate where Dina waited for me. I stripped down to my under clothes and handed off my armor to the Duke. I told him to have it expanded for my new size as quick as possible. He mentioned it could be done before I returned. I scurried up her back and I waved goodbye to Bella, Trish, and the family as I left. Bella got in a tissy when she heard I was going. I watched as the Duke calmed her. Sometimes matters of the Empire exceeded love. I assured her this was one of them.
Dina landed right on the portal and the magic of my contract to Rakmar swirled to life. It did not take long for an orange eyed shaman to spawn through a portal. I watched him as he approached uncertain of why he was summoned.
“Shaman accept my white,” I said and sent him a contract for peaceful talks.
This caused the shaman to gasp, never before seeing a human casting yellow magic. “I accept,” the shaman said and we both were covered in a white layer. “Unforina would be most displeased to learn you humans know her magic. Oh, you have a business contract with Rakmar, I can take those.”
“Nope, my contract is direct to Rakmar. Your tricks are best saved for your drooling orcs.” I replied and motioned him to summon a portal. I watched the black magic leak out of his body through Maurta as the portal opened. That was a first. “I will go first.”
I entered the portal and then there was blackness.
CHAPTER 15
That shaman cast a wonky portal, I had the headspins from his lack of precision. I already missed Virtue. We were in cyclops headquarters in what I would best term as a landing room. The portal sizzled to nothing as the shaman stepped in with me. He was disoriented too. The bastard even apologized saying he was a new initiate. Like I cared.
I was led past the titty bar with the ugly triple titty dancers and scornful looks of the patrons. I also did not care for both of them. A few human women were on display but I avoided directly looking at them to keep my anger down. We passed into the backroom and I found Rakmar seated at the exact same table as last time we meet. It was just him, the sha
man, and me this time. I scooted in beside him in the large booth and handed him my bag.
The contract magic completed our transaction and it vanished from our souls. Perfect.
“This asshole tried to steal your bibles I duplicated for…” I never got more into my sentence. My ban on talking about what I was doing for Rakmar was over. He seethed with rage and clawed the poor shamans face. The caster tried to defend himself but there was no chance. He died a violent awful death and laughed the whole time. By the time he perished half his face and most of his neck was gone. Rakmar was drenched in blood. A towel was on the table ready and used to clean off the mess. The crafty cyclops knew he was going to kill the shaman. Probably why he sent a new initiate.
“I am starting to like you Gryff. I know you may think I regret killing that idiot. I have had to use his portals. They give me headaches. I needed an excuse. Thank you for that. Woah…” Rakmar peeked into the bag with the bibles. “I cannot accept all this. You over delivered, which never happens in my deals. What is the catch? No more barriers without quotas. That got me. I couldn’t believe we let that part slip by. Oh well, since we learned of you on Vin your production numbers have been steady with no misses. Hard to complain about that.”
I smiled and nodded in a smirk. That stupid shaman had it coming. “The contract was for a hundred, take out your share and hand me back the extra fifty. I only had one bag… Sorry.”
This got a laugh out of Rakmar. “I know your game human, again… What is it you want?”
“I need to go slave shopping, I have seven empty cities and a population I had to reduce to dominate my rule. Is this possible, and can you convert the extra bibles into a trading currency?” I said with a pause. Rakmar slammed his hand into the table. He glared at me for a good while with that single eye. “What?”
“Let me find a new shaman. Virtue disappeared without a word, I sent him with a hundred shamans. Poof gone, do you know what happened to him?” Rakmar asked.
I had a few ways I could play this. Honesty was probably my best option. “He sacrificed your shamans for a slight you did to him. Something about a stripper eating his report.” I said.
Rakmar was not giggling this time. “I figured as much, thank you for being truthful. I never say that to lower life forms. There are rules Gryff, you need a hundred slaves to enter the market. Get those, then ring the portal.” Rakmar said as he ejected a hundred books from the bag. Before he handed me the bag back, he took one book out. “This will cover the cost of the shaman I am assigning to you. Don’t get him or her killed, please. Surviving Unforina’s initiation is hard for the shamans. Use these extra books to buy your slaves. When I have a deal for you next, I will send it to the shaman. Now excuse me, you force me to actually do work.”
Rakmar peeled himself out of the chair and I was left sitting there. I really wanted a whiskey neat. I raised myself higher until the booth table hit my thighs so I could look around and found no waitress or waiter. Probably because whoever he had around me ended up dead. I grew bored and contemplated looting the dead shaman when Rakmar returned with a female shaman in a string bikini. Uh, gross. Where were her clothes?
“This is Rozmak and she was enslaved for her rebellious thoughts. I have tasked her to dance when she is not helping you. The item we traded for provides five years of her contract. To our kind, I got a bargain. For you, she will help open many doors. I find myself able to retire for the first time ever. She is my thank you gift.” Rakmar said with a smile as he entwined yellow magic from her to me. “Use it wisely human. I see you staring at the corpse, it is mine. You will not profit from my killings. Don’t frown, Gryff, it does not suit you. Until later. Rozmak send him home.”
Rozmak asked where we were going and Rakmar provided her details. A portal was spun into existence and I watched the black magic swirl into a large black circle. It was expertly done. Good, I would feel less negative effects from using it.
“Good doing business with your Rakmar, keep in touch,” I said and went through the portal.
∞∞∞
I stepped back into Lakeland with the sun still down and the clouds allowing the moonlight to shine brightly. Rozmak the shaman walked up to me.
“When will my master be ready to travel again?” She asked.
I ignored her question. “If I provide you coverings are you allowed to wear them?” I asked and then inspected our contract myself. It had a lot of leeway. Technically, I could keep her here at my side indefinitely as long as she was employed. The task, what she wore, none of it mattered. I reformed the contract to be exactly what I wanted. There were no loopholes or leeway now. She even had to answer to my wives and their concubines. I was her master and she was my tool to do with as I pleased.
“Are you studying contract magic? That is beyond you kind I thought.”
“There is much to me you will not understand. May I call you Roz?”
“Much preferred, what did you learn from our contract?” Roz asked with curiosity.
“You are my property to do with as I please. What did you do to offend Rakmar so thoroughly?”
“I was a rebel leader captured by a turncoat. We only wanted more food, our young were starving when our planet was overfished. The how of the why matter not, only obedience. I have been dancing for three years now. My collar and contracts bind me to obey and there is no wiggle room. Now I am at your command. I promise to be helpful if you treat me well. I would rather not dance anymore.” Roz said and I didn’t believe her.
Why should I? In the end, it hardly mattered. I would play nice for now and be rude later if I needed to. “Follow me, Bella may not have anything that will fit you but I have a new concubine Trish who looks your size. We will get you dressed, then I will ensure you have orders to not return to dancing. If you anger me though, I will not hesitate.” I said and I called for a griffin.
Gaius landed moments later and it spooked Roz. I did an introduction and the shaman cowered behind me.
“Enough,” I said as I flung Roz over my shoulder and ignored her soft tits touching my back. We mounted onto Gaius and he sped toward the manor. We landed and I stepped off the griffin careful to not trip. Getting down while hauling a wiggling body was tricky. When our feet touched the ground I set her down.
She bolted into a bush as if that would save her from a griffin. “Roz, if he wanted to eat you… which I am sure he does, you would be dead. You are under my protection. Get your green hide out of the shrubs and come to your master.” I said and snapped. It was as if the collar pulled her to me. I saw the yellow magic snake out and retrieve her. Huh, that was nice. “Follow me, touch nothing, and if someone talks to you refer them to me. Emperor Gryff.”
We made our way into the estate and I realized I had no idea which room belonged to Bella. I hollered in the second floor hallway for help when the Duke’s dogs bayed at my commotion. Which caused outside dogs to howl. All doors started to open and one of the Duke’s daughters shrieked at seeing Roz. I was cursing up a storm when the Duke himself made his way to us.
“What is this Gryff?” Riza asked. When he noticed my death stare he corrected himself. “Emperor Gryff.”
Normally I wouldn’t care. Except I literally had an enemy in his stronghold. “This is Roz, my portal servant. I don’t know her limitations on how far, how often or much can be moved yet.” I said.
The Duke stared in shock at our midnight hallway conversation.
“Is she safe to be in my home with my family?” Duke Riza asked almost rhetorically.
“Yeah… If she does any violation she turns to dust. Horde contract magic is brutal to slaves… Speaking of slaves. How many prisoners set to die? I need a hundred to turn into slaves.”
“Actually master. You only need ten for a minor slave market. The best slave market is a hundred though. Most noble cyclops like Rakmar avoid smaller markets.” Roz said.
“If you keep giving solid information like that expect to never
dance again,” I said and Bella poked her head out with Trish and rushed to me. “Bella you are tasked with beautifying this poor thing. Her name is Roz, she is my pet portal summoners. Make her decent please. Go now with my wife. I command it. The Duke and I have important matters to discuss. Actually, all three of you join us once she is decent. Hurry along.”
Roz, Trish, and Bella left for our private quarters. I waited with the Duke while Lady Ona approached. She was the Duchess and current household mistress, so I invited her also. I asked if she could arrange snacks. Because, well, snacks. Lady Ona arrived with three female servants in tow before my wife exited the room. When they did join us Roz was in my casual clothes. I guess that worked.
“Okay follow me, I got a private room adjoined to the bedroom. It used to be a nursery but I converted it for the occasional middle of the night clandestine meetings.” The Duke rolled his eyes as he pushed open a door. Inside the room was much like the other meeting room from earlier. Brown square table that rested on a wooden floor with wood slat walls. A few of the Duke’s defining battles hung from the wall. Two torches illuminated the room as snacks and water were set for us. I picked a random chair. Bella on one side and Trish on the other. Roz stood behind me. “Okay Gryff, what is so important you woke us.”
“The sun only set a few hours ago… Wait, no sense in quibbling.” I said and drank a gulp of water. “Trish, can you cast a silence spell?”
She tried and it was poorly done. I turned and nodded to Roz who understood. She fixed the spell and properly enclosed us. “Oh, sorry my magic training has been limited. The mage academy rejected my application.”
“Okay, the shield is up. Next, I get to show off. This should only take a moment.” I dug into Roz’s yellow magic. I found my contract, nope not what I wanted. Looked for her imprisonment contract, okay I would start with that one. I expanded it, edited it, then I destroyed it. The room burst in a yellow explosion of released magic. Roz staggered and fell. I did not stop though. There, I found the contract that Rakmar had set to her. She was standing again by the time I found it. I studied it for loopholes or weaknesses. I found an exploit, expanded it, and shattered it. A shocked Roz staggered and fell just like before. “Okay, you all witnessed something historic. I broke her contracts with the Horde and the master of Vin. She is now my creature to torment and only mine. She is freed from the Horde. Anything said can be trusted in front of her.”
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