A Mage and a Whore

"http://www.w3.org/TR/html4/loose.dtd">

A few new characters coming up, but no sex. Too bad.

___

     Temple was still lingering at the campsite outside the city walls. He and his companions were leaving in the morning, and had packed earlier in the day. He had elected to stay behind and sleep with the gear, protecting it while his travel-mates got one more night on a bed. Technically their mage, Lycengel, was sleeping at the campsite as well, but Temple trusted the Geno about as far as he could chuck a mountain lion.

     Temple was a paladin to the Sun Father. He needed make a journey from the church he was trained at to the Sunrise Monastery in the east, across to the Sunset Castle in the far west an order to be judged and complete his training. He had, however, been told by many men who had made the trip before him that the travel was more important than the destinations. So when he learned of what was happening in the Ariel Mountains he leapt at the chance to help, even though it took him far out of his way.

     He had heard of the problem from a priestess of the Greater Moon named Livana. She had gone to the Sunrise Monastery for advice. The monks there were very wise in ways that the maidens of the moon goddess were not. It was they that advised she seek out one of the Geno for advice. Temple had volunteered to aid the priestess in her journey. He had little doubt to her wisdom and bravery, but the Goddess of the Greater Moon was a healing deity, and she only had one companion to protect her.

     Her companion did not look like much either. He was wiry, with tatted brown hair and tanned skin. Livana called him Evin. He was spirited and aggressive, but also superstitious and given to suspicion. Temple strongly suspected the young man had been employed in less than desirable fields before becoming Livina’s self appointed guardian. He was small enough, and quick as lightning when he wanted to be. Even Temple had to admit that anyone wishing harm on the priestess would have a dagger in his throat before he knew what was happening. That did little good, however, when being run down by acid-hounds or earthwyrms in the wild.

      It was the suggestion of the sunrise monks of enlisting in the aide of one of the Geno that cemented the paladin’s resolve in accompanying the woman; no one was safe from the deadly element-mages and Temple would freeze in the under-dark before letting a holy-woman confront one alone. Along the way they had picked up two others who wanted to help. One was an elf named Sylvain, named apparently for his hair, the other a druid named Rim, a fiery woman with a very protective antelope familiar. Temple was beginning to think they needed a naga and then their little group would be complete, although he would gladly sacrifice completeness if he could be rid of the Geno.

     Temple was about to strip off his armor and crawl into his sleeping bag when sudden movement caught his attention, a movement past him on the other side of Lycengel’s wagon, the side facing the city walls. He had to lean to one side to see around it, and he could just barely make out a girl darting to the side entrance and pounding on the carriage’s side.

 

     Adeline wished she could take it back. Oh, how she wished she could take it back. She looked at her hand as if it had betrayed her. Why was she even here? Her breathing quickened. Lycen pulled back the canvas flap and froze in place. “A-Adeline?”

     She fell on her knees and hugged him around the legs. “Please… I… I didn’t know where to go… I’m sorry,” she sobbed, “They’re going to kill me… I’m sorry, I-” she stopped making sense about then, her words disguised by loud crying and muffled by Lycen’s robes, which she fairly buried her head in.

     Lycen looked down at her numbly. She was a mess, more-so then when he first met her. Her dress had stepped beyond grimy to flat-out filthy, not to mention ripped, wet, and a little bloodied. She had a variety of fresh injuries, mostly scrapes and dark bruises. What happened to her? Lycen thought, dazedly. He shook his head, trying to clear it. He could not just keep standing there, he had to try and do something about the bawling girl.

     The mage bent down to the whore’s level and wrapped his arms around her, settling her head in the crook of his neck so she was crying quite literally on his shoulder. Adeline flinched somewhat at his movement, afraid he might strike her, but remained passive, letting Lycen manipulate her into his embrace. The mage patted her gently on the back and turned his mouth to her ear. “You’re fine now, girl, relax. I won’t hurt you.”

     Adeline shivered. It might have been because she had heard those words before, and they had meant little, but it also may have been that Lycen’s warm breath had reminded her how cold she was. She sniffed, loudly.

     “Who’s going to kill you?” Lycen whispered softly to her.

     “I… I don’t know.” She squirmed nervously, “A bunch of people… they were chasing me… they…” she trailed off.

     “Why were they doing that?” Adeline fidgeted, suddenly very uncomfortable. Lycen sighed and patted her on the head. “Never mind, you can tell me later. What I need to know is what you want from me.”

     The girl whimpered and squirmed and then began to cry again. “I don’t… I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!”

     Lycen waited patiently as she sobbed incoherently, and then spoke to her soothingly, “Its okay, I’m not angry with you. Did you come to me for protection?”

     Adeline nodded, or at least nodded as best she could while still burying her head in Lycen’s shoulder. “Please… help me. I’ll do anything! I don’t want to die…”

     “We’re leaving in the morning, my companions and I.” Lycen felt the poor girl go completely limp. She really does think she is going to be killed. I wonder what could possibly have her so scared that she would ask me for protection. The mage bit his lip hard, drawing blood unseen under his face cloth. “Come with us.”

     Adeline jerked upright and looked him in the eye, clearly startled. That was a big mistake. Those terrifying, glowing amber eyes convinced her currently disordered mind that coming here was a very bad idea afterall. Lycen may have been kinder to her than anyone she could remember, but he was still a mage, and she had no business being anywhere near him. She stood up so quickly Lycen could only sit there and stare, bewildered by her sudden change in behavior, as she began to back away. Right before she could turn and bolt, a firm hand grasped her by the shoulder. She started and twisted around, looking up at the new presence. Her eyes widened like new moons as she found nothing less than a paladin of the sun god standing behind her.

     Temple had missed a lot of the exchange. Really all he had seen was a ragged looking girl collapse at Lycens feet crying, and then the Geno whispering something to her that made her cry more. He caught her wailing that she was sorry, and heard him tell her ‘come with us.’ The girl’s frightened reaction told him enough. He was not just going to stand by while the mage terrorized innocent locals.

     Lycen met the paladin’s eyes as he stood up from the ground. “Temple, may I help you?”

     “What did you do to her?!” He demanded, squeezing Adeline’s shoulder firmly. “I swear to Sun Father if you-” He cut off, not sure what to say. What would he do? He did not exactly have a lot of options. His mind raced, trying to find a way to come between the Geno and his victim. The paladin was not exactly afraid of the mage, but he knew better to anger someone who could summon lightning and erupt volcanoes, especially when he still needed that someone to complete his mission. He took a calming breath, clothing his eyes and lowering his head, rubbing his forehead with two fingers on one had before looking up and starting again. “It is not your place to decide on new travel partners,” he said, carefully, “we all need to make that decision together. There are factors to consider, like the extra supplies needed and everyone’s safety…” Temple trailed off and swallowed hard.

     Lycen eyed him coolly. “You said I could name my price, have anything I want. Well, I want her.” He placed his hand on the shivering girl’s other shoulder, standing toe-to-toe with the much bigger paladin.

     Emotions danced across Temple’s face. He would be damned before he let that sick freak of nature keep an innocent young girl as his personal pet to do who-know-what with right behind their backs in that wagon of his. He balled a fist, then forced himself to relax it.

     Lycen pulled the girl to him gently, and wrapped his arms around her. Adeline was back to being complacent. Well, numb was more like it. She felt him wrap his arms around her and set his chin on her shoulder, but not much else. The Geno continued to talk to the man calmly. “But I suppose you are right. Perhaps we should get everyone together and we can all discuss this as a team?”

 

     After this Adeline found herself sitting on the ground in front of Lycen’s door. She had been told to stay put until Lycen and the paladin got the rest of their friends to make a decision about whether she could come with them for whatever it was they were doing. She hugged her legs to her chest and rocked back and forth. Despite her moment of panic she decided that staying was her best bet. Lycen was traveling with a paladin, that had to offer her a measure of safety. Besides, Lycen had never given her any reason to believe he would hurt her. He had let her go without hurting her. Then again, she had come right back to him. What she had been too scared to tell him was that it was his fault. She shivered and hugged herself tighter.

     Adeline looked up when someone past her. She gasped audibly at the woman crossing her path. The woman stopped and looked down at her. She was gorgeous, breath-taking, unreal. She was in full, flowing healer’s robes in a pristine white. Her hair was iridescent and swept in a bun to the back of her head. Her neck was long and graceful, her skin was clear and almost glowing, and her face, that was something gout f a dream. At least, that is how she appeared to the dirty, shivering whore. The woman looked at her with concern, drawing her eyebrows together and frowning slightly.

     “Are you alright, child?” Her voice was as ethereal as her appearance. Before Adeline could respond the healer kneeled down and touched the whore’s face gently. The woman’s eyes closed and her lips fluttered slightly, almost as if sleep talking. A warm, soothing feeling flooded through Adeline that made her gasp in surprise. When the woman had finished the whore’s bruises and scrapes had completely healed.

     “You have received the blessing of the Goddess of the Greater Moon,” the woman said as she straightened up, “Remember her kindness and keep it alive.” Her statement sounded like a standard prayer. Adeline just nodded, still wide-eyed.

     The healer then breezed past to look around the now abandoned camp. After finding no one there she turned back to the girl. “Do you know where Temple went to?”

     “Uh…” Adeline stammered, “I d-don’t know. L-lycengel left here with a p-paladin whose name I don’t know and th-they told me to wait here and I haven’t s-seen anyone else…” She trailed off and stared at her feet, which were healed like new for the second time in as many days, but were still completely filthy.

     “Hmmm,” the woman pressed a finger to her full, silky lips. “That must have been Temple, I wonder where those two would go together?” She glanced back at the girl. “Will they be back soon?”

     “I-I think so.”

     “Who are you?”

     “N-nobody. I mean, m-my name is A-Adeline.”

     The woman put a hand to Adeline’s head and ruffled her hair. “My name is Livina, I am pleased to make you acquaintance.”

___

A couple quick note about Vale:

Earthwyrms - A type of dragon that looks basically like a giant-sized pink-tail worm lizard, although they sometimes come in other colors.

Acidhounds - A wolf-like creature of a magical nature that is corrosive to the touch and hunts in packs. Much more likely to attack humans than real wolves are.

The Under-dark - The popular vision of hell in Vale. Like our hell it is generally percieved to be below, but unlike our hell it is generally percieved to be cold rather than hot.
Nagas - Human torso, snake body, most features medium between mammilian and reptilian. More about Vale's nagas will probably be explained in-story.
Most of everything else will be explained soon, so stay tuned. Also: maybe sex. We can only hope.