Chapter 62 - Return to Fathon

It had been a month since the battle for Duskhaven. When Mirelth’s curse was lifted, those turned into the living dead by her spell regained their ‘living’ status, and were able to leave the city once more. The King, naturally, was grateful to be back amongst the living, but was more than a bit peeved at how the Travelers had behaved while trapped in the city. Rumors that it was a Traveler that had released Mirelth spread through the city, resulting in all Travelers being banned from the capitol unless they had a special passport.

Needless to say, a black market sprang up, smuggling Travelers into and out of the city when they needed to complete quests, or see trainers. The Adventurer’s Guild, which had been based in the center of the market district, shuttered that property and opened a new building outside the city walls. Several craftsmen followed suit, and soon there was a small town’s worth of buildings gathered a couple miles from the city, outside the King’s decree.

After I announced it on the forums, interest in the Shadow Alliance grew quite a bit. After talking it over with people, we decided to go with one guild based in each kingdom for the alliance, at least at first. Aria of the Twilight would represent Wyrmwood, and Night’s Requiem would do for Ograin. But there were plenty of other countries out there, and I wasn’t going to just add guilds to the alliance without vetting them, first.

So that was one of the reasons we were traveling through Ograin again. I left Zephara to be trained by Iqnora in the ways of magic, since she’d been going down the ‘batshit crazy’ path before. Iqnora was happy to do it when I asked her, especially when I promised that Zephara would be making sure she wasn’t ‘lonely’ on those long nights while I was traveling. Zephara, on the other hand, was simply happy to be doing something other than ‘village whore’. The experience she got from that wasn’t as much as questing or killing monsters, but she still gained a few levels over the last month. I still didn’t let her wear clothes in safe zones, however.

Our destination for this next round of vetting the potential allies was the Horde Tribeslands. There wasn’t a set Ork or Goblin Kingdom, but the Tribeslands held many different ork and goblin clans, which all competed with eachother, and often raided surrounding countries. Ograin sat between Wyrmwood and the Tribeslands, so we decided to pass through Fathon on our way, partly for nostalgia, and partly to see if anything new was going on.

For your Charisma passing 500, you gain a perk based on your playstyle: Blessed Lover Sharess smiles upon you, and your relentless pursuit to spreading her teachings to as many beds as you can. Laying with you can remove all diseases, and debilitating effects (Paralyzed, Crippled, Cursed, etc.), including restoring lost body parts. Your lovers gain +10 to all stats for 6 hours. Your Fruitful Passion spell now grants the target a permanent +10 to all stats, in addition to its normal effects. This effect only occurs once per person.

Clearing out dungeons on the way got us to level 50 finally, and my Charisma hit 500 base points, giving me the Blessed Lover perk. Basically, sex with me removes diseases and curses, and even giving people back missing limbs, as well as a decent buff. I decided I wouldn’t mention the new side effect of Fruitful Passion. Being a Stud Horse was bad enough, y’know?

There were sixteen of us as we came within sight of Fathon. Sure, I could have gotten us there instantly with the dark portal, I didn’t want to get in the habit of simply warping everywhere. Traveling brought its own rewards. In addition to the levels and treasure the dungeons brought us (not to mention the increase in skills), there were other rewards to be had. A crew of bandits, likely trying to take over the territory I freed up the last time I passed this way, attacked us, and were beaten soundly.

Six of those unfortunate bandits now marched alongside our horses, slave collars on their necks. We reminded them that, of their band of twelve, they were the ‘lucky ones’. Two others now flanked Hrozne, a Death Knight on one side, and a Skeleton Mage on the other. As for the other four? Well, Hrozne didn’t have all the material components needed for the higher level undead shi wanted, but a level 50 Pale Master (Necromancer) had the Sacrificial Substitution ability, allowing you to sacrifice additional creatures to substitute for the material components needed to create undead. It wasn’t exactly an efficient method of raising undead, as both the Death Knight and the Skeleton Mage took two sacrifices (in addition to the body to be raised) in substitution. Lesser undead, such as basic zombies or skeletons, would only require a single sacrifice. The more powerful the undead, the more sacrifices needed.

Suffice to say, we caused something of a stir as we passed through town towards the slave market. For once, my harem wasn’t the biggest surprise, but our drow necromancer, riding on a skeletal warhorse, with two undead at hir side. Still, despite the fact that anyone with the ability to detect magic. Emmete rode behind Severa, not exactly pleased to be shown off as a slave’s slave, but unable to complain about it.

When I entered the slave market, I was greeted warmly by Zechariah, the same man who had sold me Yukiko months ago. “Ah, my friend! I have heard great things about you! Helping princesses return to their homeland, saving the lands from undead, drow, and dragons! And all while showing off the fruits of our profession. Your fellow travelers have been eagerly looking for new slaves all across the lands, from what I’ve been told. But don’t expect a discount because of that!”

We both laughed, remembering the first conversation we had, and I said, “Well, it would hardly do to go asking such things, one trainer to another. But I thought I would do you the favor of helping to replenish your stock. Bandits seem to be a perpetual nuisance along the Vermilion Road. These six are the survivors of the latest group to try their hand at it.”

After a bit of haggling, I had sold off the six slaves, and gained 200 GP. After that was done, Zechariah smiled at me, and said, “Well, I would hate for you to come and only take my gold after all we’ve done. Perhaps you’d be interested in adding another to your troupe? There are still quite a few lovelies left, despite the Travelers picking through them. Actually, some of the more enterprising Travelers have been taking your lead, and capturing their enemies rather than just killing them, and with the markets in Duskhaven not yet recovered, we have more exotics than we normally might.”

I laughed, and nodded. “Well, I couldn’t possibly be so rude as to not at least look at your stock after such a speech! Come, show me these exotics, and perhaps I’ll be parting with some of your gold after all!” The last time I was here, I found a Traveler, so who knows what I’d find now?

Out came six creatures, all bearing slave collars. There were only six, but they were certainly exotics to my eye. After I asked, Zechariah began explaining how they came into his market.

Gadriel Lightsworn Archon Female Level 100 Blessed Healer (Priestess) / Divine Songstress (Bard) Titles: Godtouched, Pure Soul, Undead Bane, Demon Bane, Slave

Sualuhn Bloodrazor Pit Fiend Male Level 100 Battle Rager (Barbarian) / Hellfire Sorcerer (Flame Sorcerer) Titles: Ladykiller, Human Bane, Elf Bane, Orc Bane, Sadist, Sexecutioner, Flamesoul, Slave

“The Angel and the Demon over there were in the middle of some kind of blood feud, or whatever, attempting to take over some piddling little town while the country was distracted by Duskhaven’s troubles. They both put out competing requests to the Adventurer’s Guild, asking for their foe to be killed or captured. One group decided to take both requests, and went separately to both the Angel and Demon, convincing them to give them a slave collar that would work on the other. Both of them thought they were so clever, giving the mortals an item that would work on their enemy but not themselves. The clever Travelers betrayed them both, but did so in a way that allowed them to complete both quests.”

I nodded. Most impressive. I liked that kind of thinking. When I asked, I was told that the group, which went by the name Jade Ravens, had left the country, intending to go to the human kingdom of Caledon. I’d have to look them up if I was ever in the neighborhood. At the very least, it wouldn’t be dull.

Deghu Gold Dragon Male Level 20 Dragon / Wizard Titles: Slave

Zechariah sighed as we came to the next one. “This is a sad story. Some real bastards raided a dragon’s nest while supposedly looking for a way to help Duskhaven. Slapped a collar on this kid and drug him off before his mother came back. Used magic to hide their scent, it seems. Only reason I accepted the kid was to keep him from going to one of the worse places, and I don’t bring him out, except to people I know will treat him right.”

“And it wouldn’t do for a slave trader to get a reputation of freeing slaves, right?”

“Right. And the authorities would have my head if I released a live dragon in the Kingdom after Duskhaven. Of course, I cheated the bastards good, since I only paid a gold for him. Not wanting angry dragons on my doorstep was a quite effective excuse.”

Kamla Nightchylde Human Daywalker Vampire Female Level 50 Spellsword (Fighter) / Ranger Titles: Quick-foot, Human Bane, Ladykiller, Manslayer, Hordebreaker, Slave

“This one didn’t learn to read her contracts before signing them. She’s a Traveler, and was commissioned to do something or other for one of the local guilds, but the events at Duskhaven made it so she couldn’t complete the job in time, and failed the quest. Since she couldn’t pay the default fee, the guards collared her, and sent her to me.”

Meilietae Nymph Female Level 80 Nature’s Soul (Druid) / Fey Singer (Bard) Titles: Broken One, Manslayer, Corrupted One, Human Bane, Slave

“This beauty is a twisted piece of work, let me tell you. Got a taste for human flesh, she does. No telling how many she’s lured to their doom. Apparently, a human raped her in the past, and she’s taken to hunting men because of it. We only know about it because she caught a few Travelers, who reported the incident. The local lord posted a bounty on her, and is selling her through my shop to recoup the cost, with a discount if she will be taken out of the kingdom.”

Gryzer Proudstaff Centaur Male Level 20 Barbarian / Dominator Titles: Sadist, Sexecutioner, Slave, Gelded One

Gelded One Typically performed on dogs, horses, or other animals to prevent them from breeding, gelding is a common practice to use on animals. In this case, it has been used on a person, with magic applied to the wound. Even should this Traveler be forced to respawn, this will continue, until magic is applied to restore his virility. -10 CHA -100% to Seduction against females -100% to resist Seduction from males and hermaphrodites -25% to resist Intimidation or to Intimidate others Is incapable of achieving erection for as long as this title persists.

“Another Traveler. Bastard raped a noblewoman in full daylight, after killing two of her guards. Damn near killed the poor woman, too, before another Traveler put a stop to it. The magistrate decided that since Travelers can’t be killed permanently, that we know of, he’d be made a slave. He’s been gelded, so the raping part shouldn’t be an issue again, unless someone uses magic to fix him, but it hasn’t improved his mood any. He’s sworn vengeance against, well, pretty much everyone. And we don’t know if he’ll come back from being killed with his ‘parts’ intact.”

I shook my head. “Bastard deserves it, for being a fucking idiot, if nothing else. But you can let people know that the condition will remain until such time as someone uses magic to heal him. If you know someone who is fond of eunuchs, you should let them know, as he’ll be more… pliable for them now.”

Zechariah and I laughed, which caused the centaur to glare at me, but he said nothing. Probably because he was ordered to be silent. However, I got a few wonderful PMs from him about how he was going to mess me and my girls up, once his buddies got the gold together to free him. Yeah, right. I chuckled, and then Zecharaiah and I got down to business.

In the end, I gave back Zechariah’s gold, and more besides. But I spent four thousand of my own gold on the angel, demon, and the dragon, and the two hundred Zechariah had given me to arrange a spectacle for the noble family that had been harmed by the centaur: a live viewing of letting the Nymph devour the centaur. But I wouldn’t be taking either one of them with me. Too much trouble there.

Hrozne, however, surprised me by dropping a thousand gold of his own to buy the vampire. A few seconds later, I received a notification that the Aria of the Twilight had a new member.

As we left to head for the Adventurer’s Guild, Zechariah thanked us once again, and made us promise to come back if we passed this way again. Fathon may have been getting more traffic because of Duskhaven being in chaos, but five thousand gold would be enough to make any man one of the wealthiest in town.

As I stepped into the Adventurer’s Guild, I heard a yell, and turned to see a foot-long shard of ice flying rapidly towards my face!

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