Part 14A

"Little rose, you have gained admittance to a place that interests me. Tell me now how you managed to gain entry," Zoraster said while bringing a finger to his chin and adopting an expression indicating impatience.

Danica felt magic swirling around her and wondered how Zoraster had activated it. It didn't really matter though, because she knew it for what it was — a spell of truth detection.

"I joined them in their bed, though I imagine you know that much."

"Indeed, I believed that to be the case. I simply wished confirmation from the spell that you no doubt feel wrapped around you. Now, describe the nature of the wards."

"They're a combination of Art, runes, and spell weaving. The entire house is dispelled, none can enter without invitation, it is protected from the elements and weathering, and no form of scrying can penetrate it."

"Curious. I knew the mage who owned that house and I never would have suspected him of delving into broader art. I thought him to be of little consequence. A pity he is already dead. Did you discover any books, scrolls, magic items?"

Danica did not want to reveal the secret of the rune table. Her mind worked quickly as she spoke, "I found the laboratory in the basement. The shelves were all empty, and the only other thing there was a worktable. There was a cold room, and its magic was still working. They used it to store food and wine." She hoped glossing over everything would be sufficient.

"Nothing of import then. I had suspected as much, although being prevented from examining the home so close to my power base disturbed me. It seems you have performed a service for me unwittingly, and I find this pleasing. You also go about your tasks without complaint, and perform well. Perhaps you might wish to serve me willingly? Our hunger for knowledge and magic seems to be compatible, and you are quite entertaining — to say the least."

Danica felt anger boil up inside her. Serve you willingly? NEVER! She thought, while keeping her face impassive.

Zoraster laughed. "You hide it well, but I can sense your hatred. No matter, I never expected you to accept. Tomorrow morning I will require your services to transport Marlena. Here is the pattern you will use." He then handed Danica a sheaf of paper depicting some sort of exotic bird against a sunset.

"You will transport Marlena, and remain in my outpost, prepared to return her here when her task is complete. Give her one of your charms so that she may summon you when it is needful. The town is a small one, and my agents have little explored it in years. Spend your time there seeing how things have changed in that time. I will not require a report, though you may speak your thoughts to your amulet, which will record them for my examination. Marlena's task is the true purpose of your visit. Be prepared, should there be the need for a hasty retrieval. Good day, little rose."

Zoraster left then and Danica packed her Satchel of Hasty Departure. With all the Art she had placed upon her jewelry and clothing, she didn't need to pack much in the way of magical devices to feel well prepared.

Danica stepped into her lab then, planning to start some sketches for Marlena's toy based on what she had learned in her encounter with the young couple. However, the true runes swirled through her mind, demanding attention.

Danica had never truly gained skill with the runes, and even now, it took her long weeks of research to imprint a new one in her mind. Danica went to her bookshelves, now nearly full of tomes she had magically copied from the library, and selected a book of true runes. Flipping through the book for a while, she decided to try to use another rune. She chose one for fire and studied it. The lines and patterns of the rune snapped into focus in Danica's mind almost immediately. Something in the magic of that table had opened a pathway in her mind.

Danica put down the book and tore some scrap parchment, placing it in a brazier. She cleared her mind for a few moments, and then traced the rune for fire while speaking its name. The parchment instantly burst into flame. Danica smiled and traced the rune for light. She found it easy, where before it had always taken a lot of concentration to summon up the power of the run. The rune flared into brilliance as she finished the tracing. On a whim, Danica tried something else she had never attempted before. She traced the glowing rune again, altering it subtly. The glow of the rune changed from a natural white light to one of pale blue. Another alteration and the glow changed to amber.

Danica banished the rune with a little laugh, and then turned to a glass of water she had left sitting on one of her worktables. Danica traced the rune for ice and pushed it toward the glass. The water instantly froze — and the glass shattered.

"Ooops," Danica muttered. She spoke the words of a telekinetic cantrip, but used her hidden mental powers more than the spell to gather up the shattered glass and ice to deposit the shards in a waste bin across the room.

Danica tried several other runes, and to her delight, found that she could command them all with ease. She longed to test more — the runes from the table she had never seen before — but she didn't want to reveal them to Zoraster. She already brought too much power to the madman in her tasks without giving him more. She assumed he was always watching, and refused to reveal the new runes.

Not always, Danica thought. She knew that when within in a dispelled area, like Layla and Daniel's house, neither the charm around her neck nor scrying magic could spy on her. The Spell Engine also protected her from Zoraster's prying eyes.

Danica smiled and knew how she would test the other runes that now burned in her mind — but not tonight. She pushed thoughts of the runes away for the time being, not wishing to reveal too much to the mad Archmage with her experiments. Instead, she picked up pen and paper to begin work on Marlena's toy, as she had originally planned.

She concentrated on the balls of the toy, thinking carefully about what materials she should use. Wood — and even clay — wouldn't provide the texture she wished to attain without a lot of magical enhancement. Considering the problem for a few minutes, she sketched and made notes while mulling over the problem.

She first thought of glass marbles, but realized they would be far too heavy. Hollow glass balls would be perfect, she thought. She smiled and thought Grant could help her with that. They could help me in other ways, too. It's been too long since we were together.

Danica thought more about the feeling of the orbs while she caressed and explored Daniel. They felt somewhat connected from above, yet able to roll beneath her fingers. Enclosing them in tubes of felt sewed to allow movement would work. She thought that the felt ends should join at the top, leaving the enclosed glass balls dangling like a small boa.

That solved the internal feeling. Now, she needed to decide how to simulate the external texture. After a few minutes, she decided that lightly brushing the felt with a pliable resin would work best. Some careful stitching would give it the proper texture and attached feeling.

Danica located some felt and a pair of marbles, quickly cobbling together a crude version of her idea. She swung the marbles back and forth, bouncing them off her forearm, and felt that her plan would work.

It took only a short time to sketch out the rest of the toy with this part firmly settled in her mind. She sat back with a satisfied grin and looked over the list of people she would need to speak with. She had a few unique ideas she wanted to use to make the whole thing look more attractive in its non-magical form, instead of a hodgepodge of leather, wood, and felt.

Feeling the lateness of the hour creeping up on her, Danica yawned and went to her bed. She knew that she needed to get up early to transport Marlena in the morning.

A knock on the door startled Danica. She pulled on a robe and went to the door, expecting to find Zoraster standing there scowling at her. She found Marlena waiting outside instead of the Archmage, however.

"You're supposed to take me somewhere," Marlena said.

Danica yawned. "Yes — I'm sorry. I'm ready — I packed everything last night. Give me a moment to splash some water on my face and get dressed, and we'll be going."

"May I look around your lab while you dress?"

"Of course, I won't be long."

Danica quickly dressed, taking some of the alertness drug for good measure to chase away the sleep fog in her head. She walked into the lab and found Marlena looking over Danica's notes from the previous evening. The illusionist couldn't help but know what the notes represented, because every page plainly indicated what Danica was making.

"I wish I understood this. This is the freedom Zoraster will grant me if I'm successful in my task — a small lab and library of my own. I was so dedicated to illusion that I ignored everything else. There is little for me to do here except learn, so I thought I might try to expand my knowledge."

"If you ever need any direction or assistance, my door is always open. I would connect all your studies to your study of illusion at first. If you want to craft an item, make it one dealing with illusion. If you wish to create a unique spell, make it one of illusion. Do the same if you plan to brew potions or anything else. It would be a good stepping-stone. I've found that approach makes things easy for me as I transition from one study to another."

"Thank you, I'll try that. I might take up that offer for assistance as well. It's all quite daunting. It makes me nervous to even think about it."

Danica smiled and pointed at her notes on the table. "Let me finish this for you and you'll have a way to relax."

Marlena blushed and covered a giggle with her hand. "I'm anxious for your magical toy, though it embarrasses me. I can't wait to have one of my own."

"I'll concentrate on it then," Danica said with a wink. "Shall we go then?"

Marlena nodded and took Danica's hand. Danica spoke the words of the teleportation spell with the pattern firmly in her mind, and they walked the corridors of magic.

The first thing both women noticed was the oppressive heat. The air was heavy with moisture. Both women gasped at first, and it took them a few moments to adjust to the hot, humid atmosphere.

"Gods, it's hot," Danica exclaimed while fanning her hand in front of her face. A woman with long, kinky, curled hair walked into the room and bowed as Danica finished speaking. The woman's skin reminded Danica of coffee with a lot of cream — dark and exotic. She had a nice figure, which was easy to see considering her revealing clothing. The woman wore a top that hung from her shoulders by thin straps and barely reached below her breasts. A sarong tied around her hips left little to the imagination. Both articles had a pattern that looked like flowers and flower petals, dominated by orange.

"I was told to expect you, and to tell you there is clothing in the drawers there more suited to the heat. I am at your service here. If you need anything, just call and I will come. You may call me Tonda."

Her accent and the way she spoke indicated that she probably wasn't speaking her native tongue. "Thank you, Tonda. We'll call if we need you," Danica responded.

The woman bowed and Danica couldn't help but admire the sight of her hips swaying as the woman strutted out of the room. She had a full rounded bottom — not large, just full — and the way it moved when Tonda walked made Danica salivate.

Danica went to the drawers to dig through them. She quickly found a sarong and top she believed would fit and flung them on the bed. She started to pull off the stifling clothing she wore and turned to Marlena, gesturing toward the drawers.

Marlena went to the drawers to find something that would fit her as well. Danica asked her, "So, what is your task — if you can talk about it?"

"I'm to observe a temple in the jungle on this island. I'm supposed to use my magic to explore the temple."

"Island, hmm? I wasn't told anything about where I was going. Your task sounds simple enough," Danica said as she shrugged off the last of her clothing and reached for the sarong.

Marlena turned back to Danica, having made her selection from the drawer. Her eyes lingered on Danica's nude backside for a moment, and then she asked, "How did you transport us here if you didn't know where you were going?"

Danica tied on the sarong and pushed her hip out to the side, looking down her body and liking the way the sarong looked on her, though not particularly enamored with the drab, beige color. She nodded in the direction of the pattern room and answered, "You memorize the patterns. They're unique, and you can teleport with that image in your mind. I asked the same question at one point, before I could use the teleportation spell."

Danica pulled on the top as Marlena undressed. Danica tried to avoid looking at the woman, knowing she was nowhere near comfortable with another woman seeing her nude, especially considering that she knew Danica found her arousing.

Marlena looked stunning in the clothing, though the color suited her no better than it did Danica. "My task isn't much of a task at all. I'm supposed to observe the town and report back. He didn't give me any more specific instructions than that. I think he's just giving me busy work," Danica revealed.

"I should be going. I was told to hasten into the jungle and to the temple immediately upon my arrival, and not to be seen outside the house at all."

"Good luck. Be safe," Danica said, and handed over the charm that would summon her if necessary. Marlena had used one before, and knew all she needed to know about it.

Marlena smiled and said, "You too," before walking out of the bedroom. By the time Danica put away her own clothing and walked into the main part of the house, Marlena was already invisible. Danica felt a touch of air against her cheek and knew the door had opened and closed. She marveled at the other woman's command of illusion. Danica neither had seen the door open, nor heard it, and she was looking right at it.

Danica noticed Tonda seated off to one side, sipping something. "I could use a drink too."

"It is fruit juice. I shall fetch you some if you wish," Tonda said, putting her cup down in preparation to stand.

Danica waved her hand in a dismissive gesture. "It's alright, I'll get it myself. You can relax. I'm used to taking care of myself."

"The two of you are much more pleasant than the last. He was a..." Tonda paused and appeared to search for a word for a moment before continuing. "He was most unpleasant and ordered me about like a trained monkey."

Danica rolled her eyes. "Unfortunately many men are like that. Zoraster seems to attract the worst of the lot as well."

"It would seem the women are of a different sort," Tonda responded with a smile. "Our native dress is most pleasing upon you. Although, the top is a bit tight, I think. The color looks wrong with your hair."

"I might have to do something about that. Yours is perfect I think."

Tonda's smile grew wider. "I dyed it myself. I could do some for you and the other if you would like. I believe green would suit you both well."

Danica noticed how Tonda referred to her and Marlena. "I'm Danica, and the other woman is Marlena. I'm sorry for not offering our names."

"I wondered when you would remember. Danica it is, then. Allow me to show you where the fruits are so you may make more to drink, should the pitcher be empty. Then I shall go to work on your clothing. In the bedroom, you will find a box atop the dressing table. It has stones for your needs. My people trade mostly in goods, but gems and stones are used as well, since your people have come. The jade and pearls are most prized."

"Thank you," Danica said as Tonda led her to the kitchen to show her how to make the exotic fruit drink.

Danica finished her drink and then took some jade beads and pearls from the box in the bedroom. The gems were of high quality, and Danica assumed that they were worth a lot. She assumed that she would quickly discover the value of the gemstones.

Danica reached into a satchel she had brought with her, one not enchanted with magic, and selected a small purse on a thin leather belt. The purse, like everything in the satchel, was enchanted with the holding enchantment and would hold much more than physically possible. She emptied the jade and pearls into the purse and then went outside.

Though Danica recognized that she was on an island, it was obviously a very large one. She was not far from the sea, but there were none of the foul smells that she associated with the sea in other places. Apparently, the people here didn't toss their garbage and offal into the sea, forgetting that the tide would bring it back to them, as so many did.

Stepping away from the house, the warm ocean breeze blew across Danica's skin. The wind offered respite from the hot, humid air despite its warmth. The abundant vegetation was a combination of seaside plants like palms, jungle trees, and planted gardens.

Danica saw wide stretches of pure white sand along the water, and the water itself was a clear, vibrant blue. Most of the houses were round, apparently derived from huts. There were a few common structures, such as Zoraster's outpost, but the majority of buildings in the town shared the odd native design. Danica thought it likely that the interiors consisted of a single round room, and didn't think she would like living in one very much.

Zoraster's outpost was some distance from the heart of the town, and as she moved toward the center of the clustered building, Danica noticed that she was a rarity. Almost everyone she passed was dark of hair and skin — most much darker than Tonda was. She received only a few odd glances as she walked through town, however.

As she reached the area where the houses were most concentrated, Danica noticed something else as a couple passed by her. A strong breeze revealed that the people here wore nothing beneath their sarongs. Danica's eyes widened when she saw the size of the man in front of her before he slapped his sarong down and cursed in a language Danica didn't understand.

The curse alerted Danica that she needed to use her magic, or she was likely to understand nothing anyone said to her. Danica stepped into a shadowed corner and quietly cast the spell, not knowing how the people here would react to magic.

Danica didn't see any shops, but found an open-air market displaying wares. Danica also noticed a few people, darker even than the rest of the populace, who were completely unclad as they walked toward the market. These people went directly to the market and nowhere else. They appeared somewhat nervous to Danica, and left with whatever they traded for as quickly as they had arrived. All of them came from, and went back toward, a thick jungle not far from the edge of the town.

Danica thought that her task here was senseless, as she had suggested to Marlena. There was little of any real interest to see. The town appeared almost artificial in a way, as if someone had moved the primitive here and shown them how to act like townsfolk. Danica really didn't have any reference to determine if this was normal, or if it was as odd as she considered it.

She knew Zoraster had influence here, and that alone was enough to make the town suspect. Some of the buildings did appear several years old, however, so if Zoraster's hand guided the town, he was molding some sort of civilization that had already sprung to life on the island.

She went to the market and found a floral sarong and top similar to Tonda's, but more red than orange. The woman's eyes lit up when Danica pulled out some beads and pearls, locking on a round, translucent bead of jade.

"That is most rare. What would you take in trade for it?" The woman asked her.

"Just this," Danica answered, indicating what she had selected.

The woman rummaged around at her feet and produced something, a necklace strung with bits of shell and two odd figurines. "No, please, take these too. Protect you they will from darkness and disease."

"Thank you," Danica responded as she handed over the bead, accepting the necklace. She slid it around her neck, and liked the way it looked. Danica could sense some sort of magic from the charm, although the sensation was somewhat alien. Danica had felt something similar before while holding blessed artifacts, and assumed the magic was godly in nature.

After walking around and purchasing a few more trinkets, Danica decided she had more or less exhausted the possibilities of the small town. There really wasn't much to see.

She decided to go down to the beach, where she drank in the sea air and the beauty of the pristine waters. Men fished and dived from boats out beyond the breakers. Men, women, and children swam and played in the surf. Most were nude as they swam.

Danica decided it was unlikely anyone would find it odd if she changed into her new clothing here, so she did so. She smiled and winked at a pair of young men, both of whom had healthy lengths of manhood dangling between their legs, when she heard them talking about her huge breasts, white as the sand. Their heads and bodies were both shaved completely bare of hair, and Danica found it quite attractive.

She walked down to the water to where it lapped at her knees slightly, and then strolled down the beach. She heard a dull roar after a while, and noticed the sound growing louder. She could see that a sharp cliff rose up above the beach some distance ahead, and the sound seemed to come from that direction. A mist obscured the air there as well.

Guessing the source of the sound and mist — and having nothing better to do anyway — Danica moved toward it. Her guess proved correct when she saw a beautiful waterfall cascading from the cliff down into a pool at its base. The water absolutely sparkled, and Danica could see brightly colored fish swimming in the pool, all the way to the bottom.

She had left behind any sign of other people some minutes ago. Most people she passed were heading back toward the town. Sunset was approaching, and Danica assumed that was the reason. Danica found she could not resist the pool, and pulled off her clothing and purse. With a graceful dive, she hit the pool.

Danica surfaced and flipped her hair out of her face. The water was just cool enough to feel invigorating. She swam toward the falls, the water dropping with strong, but not uncomfortable pressure on her body. Rocks along the surface of the cliff broke the flow of water into many small tumbles, creating a gentle cascade for such a vast quantity of water falling so far.

Danica thought she heard voices, and glanced toward the beach. She noticed two young men there, who looked as though they were arguing. One of them shook his head and walked back down the beach. The other one waved with a dismissive gesture in the direction of his companion and continued toward Danica.

Danica pretended not to notice him, lying back in the pool and floating with her breasts breaking the water like two islands. The stirring water and the thought of the young man coming her way caused her to tingle.

"It is a fine evening for a swim," Danica heard the young man say, and she opened her eyes to look at him. He wore a sarong, but it did little to hide his considerable erection as he looked at her with a smile that gleamed brightly against his dark skin.

"Would you care to join me?" Danica asked with a sly grin.

The young man's smile broadened, and he reached down to pull off his sarong. He stretched for a moment to display his considerable attributes, both his well-muscled body and his engorged manhood. He then took a step and dived, with grace born from years of practice, into the pool. He hit so perfectly straight that he barely stirred the water. Danica could see him swimming with powerful strokes toward her. He surfaced no more than a foot in front of her, smiling.

Danica reached out and ran her hand over his cock, then motioned and turned toward the waterfall. She swam under the falls and sat in a shallow depression behind it. The young man swam in right behind her.

As soon as he reached her, Danica turned around and put her hands on the rocks, spreading her legs wide. Her nether lips just barely touched the rolling surface of the water in this posture. She turned and beckoned him with her eyes, swaying her ass back and forth in front of him.

"Know a man when you see one," he said and moved in behind her.

Danica gasped when his big cock slid inside her. He had to be nearly as long as her forearm, thick, and uncut. He pushed almost all of it inside her in a single thrust.

Danica moaned as he immediately took her hard and fast, tightly gripping her hips. Danica felt her body responding with astounding swiftness.

He spoke as he thrust, but Danica realized she didn't understand it. Her tongues spell had worn off, but she really didn't care. He soon ceased to speak coherently, gasping and grunting instead as he pounded his manhood home.

Danica came a short time later, an orgasm that started from a deep hidden place inside her and spread through her whole body. She quivered and screamed, gasping for breath, as the young man kept assaulting her spastically contracting depths.

Danica could barely manage to remain upright and avoid banging her head on the rocks or scraping her breasts on them as he maintained his assault while she came. Her nipples scraped lightly against the slick rocks as they rocked back and forth with his thrusts. Danica hadn't even fully registered her first orgasm slowly melting away before she felt the white-hot fire of another building inside her.

She exploded again with a loud quavering scream as he maintained a fast pace, never slowing in the slightest as he thrust his manhood inside her. A look back at him revealed the signs of his impending orgasm to Danica, and then a wave of orgasm caused her to close her eyes again.

Danica growled in protest when she felt him pull free from her a moment later. She turned and saw him stroking his cock over her back. She sent a thought to one of her rings to activate the tongues enchantment stored there. She reached back to part her lips and growled, "Inside me."

"I like that," he grunted and shoved his cock back inside her with a growl, one that Danica matched as it set off another powerful surge of ecstasy within her. A dozen hard, fast strokes later, she heard him scream and felt his cum flooding her depths.

Danica moaned as she felt the warmth spread from her depths throughout her body. His head dropped to rest on her shoulders as his orgasm drained his strength.

After a few minutes, Danica reached back to slap him on the ass. He pulled free of her clinging depths with a gasp, which Danica echoed.

Danica reached back and rubbed her folds, coating her fingers in the mingled cum, and then stood up to suck it off her fingers. With a wicked grin, she knelt down and engulfed his slowly softening cock in her mouth, to suck him clean as well.

He pushed her away a moment later. "Damn woman, you will take my legs out from under me."

Danica laughed, and then moaned, "That was good."

"I've never had one of you before, and no woman has ever let me loose inside her."

"Like it?" Danica asked with a grin.

He just smiled in response. Danica noticed how low the sun rode on the horizon. "Time for me to get back. Thank you," she said and patted his now soft cock.

He just smiled, puffed out his chest, and then swam back toward the opposite edge of the pool. Danica took a moment to wash the cum out of her, and then swam back to dress as well. The young man waited for her at the edge of the pool.

"Go on. It probably wouldn't be a good idea for you to be seen coming back with me."

He just nodded and walked back along the beach. Danica waited a short while, watching the sunset, and then started back as well. The sun had vanished by the time she walked back from the beach into the town.

Danica thought it odd that she didn't see another soul, even though the sun had just set. She shrugged her shoulders and returned to Zoraster's outpost.

The door flew open as Danica reached it and Tonda said, "Quickly — inside. You should not be out when darkness falls."

Danica looked at her with raised eyebrows and stepped inside. Tonda quickly locked and barred the door.

"What's wrong?" Danica asked.

"The striped cat and the snakes hunt at night — and worse things of late," Tonda replied.

"I can handle some rowdy local wildlife. I just finished handling one, and he was indeed quite wild."

Tonda smiled for just a moment, but then said, "Danica, you must be inside when the sun sets. This will not protect you for long against the Nameless Ones." She pointed at the charm Danica had purchased in the market.

"Nameless Ones? What are they?"