Chapter 4

Highfort!

The high and sturdy stone walls and towers that gave name to the city loomed high above other buildings. In the city itself, you could always see a mass of people crawling down its wide streets, rushing to do their business. On almost every street corner you could find an entertainer of a sort, a bard singing to the cheering crowd, a jongleur showing his acrobatic skills, or a trickster pretending to do magic. Pushing through the crowd, you would hear merchants of every type, shouting praise about their goods. Trinkets and carpets from Fluvia, fancy clothing from Nessia, or maybe some exotic pet from Ashad? They had it all. Here and there, you could spot a shiny carriage rolling down the street, pulled by horses that showed the colors of their Lord, usually headed towards the rich part of the town, the place where the richest among nobility had their mansions and where the Royal Palace stood proud in all its glory.

Vistania’s capital was truly a city of splendors. A city of prominent trade, home of the Royal University, and a home to tens of thousands of its citizens. Anybody who wanted to be noticed by the King, by the nobility, by the royal mages, or by the scholars from the University, had to come to Highfort and get a taste of its society. And it is right there in one of Highfort’s main streets where one could spot a familiar carriage, even though this time it was not being driven by its usual driver...

“You need to be very mindful of your manners here ... Do not embarrass me!”

“Yes, Mistress.”

“This is a sophisticated society, and they can’t wait to see someone humiliated.”

“Yes, Mistress.”

“We will find ourselves in the company of nobility, possibly even royalty, and in the company of other mages ... It is important that we present ourselves in a good way.”

“Yes, Mistress,” came the reply in the same monotone voice he had been using for the past few minutes.

Fiona reached out and smacked Magnus on the head.

“Ow!” Magnus yelped, rubbing his head.

“You are not taking this seriously!”

“You know, that was totally not ladylike ... You need to mind your manners while we are here...” Magnus said, meeting Fiona’s scowl with a grin.

“You are hopeless. I’ve even decided to treat you as an Apprentice only, since we will be in the company of other mages, and it wouldn’t do for them to see you as a servant. They would use it for years as a way to mock you.”

“I appreciate it, truly,” Magnus said, taking her hand and caressing it gently.

“Oh, you will be paying for it for days ... or rather nights to come,” she said, smirking.

“So what exactly will we be doing here?” Magnus asked after a while.

“I need to make an appearance at the Royal University. I have made a name for myself in the potion-making. But we will also stay for a while. I am thirsty for some high society life and gossip ... And you never know when some of these rich bastards might need the services of a refined sorceress such as myself.”

“Where will we be staying? In some fancy inn?” Magnus asked.

“No ... no inns while we are here. We will be guests of my friend, Lady Charlotte. She doesn’t really belong to the top layer of nobility in Highfort, but she is important enough to get invites to all sorts of high-profile events, so we can tag along,” Fiona said with enthusiasm.

The carriage stopped in front of a mansion in the more prosperous part of the city. The inside of the mansion was decorated with style and taste, with just a hint of splendor. Fiona and Magnus were soon ushered into a salon and offered refreshments.

“Fiona, my dear!”

“Charlotte!” Fiona replied, embracing the woman and kissing her cheek.

“You have been away from noble circles for so long I was afraid you have joined a barbarian horde!”

“Well, I was tempted!” Fiona said, joining Charlotte’s laugh.

Magnus observed Lady Charlotte, the Lady of the house apparently, with his appraising look. She was a relatively tall, curvaceous, and attractive woman in her late thirties, by his judgment. Her creamy skin, so much like his Mistress’s was contrasted by her raven black hair that reached below her shoulders. She looked very graceful and dignified, yet even that was contrasted by her language use...

“And who is this lovely young man?” Charlotte said, turning to Magnus. She eyed him from top to bottom, her eyes glinting.

“That is my Apprentice, Magnus.”

“You lucky bitch!” Charlotte exclaimed, pursing her lips.

“Ah, shut up!” Fiona laughed. “He really is my Apprentice.”

“I see...” Charlotte said. “I am Lady Charlotte, Magnus. Welcome to my home.”

“Thank you very much, Your Ladyship,” Magnus said, taking Charlotte’s hand and kissing it “I hope we won’t be a burden to you. I already feel bad for imposing on a Lady of such beauty and elegance.”

“My, my ... such manners, and such a sweet talker ... Fiona, I officially hate you...”

“Oh, you don’t know anything yet...” Fiona said, grinning at Lady Charlotte and then leaning to whisper in her ear. They both laughed conspiratorially. Magnus squirmed in his spot.

“Well, let’s get you two settled first...” Charlotte said and waved to a servant.

Soon enough, Magnus found himself in a spacious and comfortable room, all for himself. Since he didn’t have the role of a servant, he wasn’t staying in a room adjacent to his Mistress. He became so used to staying in the same rooms with Fiona over the years that he felt completely out of place.

“Enter!” Magnus replied to the rapping at his room door. A small, pretty blonde maid entered the room.

“Betty!” Magnus exclaimed, smiling. The scenes from the village he first saw her in, and scenes of his dramatic fight with Fellcarn rushed through his mind. Betty was a gem they found in that remote village, and Fiona had found employment for her with Lady Charlotte...

“Hello, sir,” Betty said, smiling.

“There are no sirs here, Betty. I am just Magnus.”

“All right, but when the Lady can hear us, I will have to call you sir,” she said in her usual sweet manner.

“So how are you doing Betty?”

“Oh, really good. I like it here. Lady Charlotte treats me nicely ... and fairly. I really am grateful to Lady Fiona.”

“That’s good to hear. Anyway, you don’t need to bother with my needs here, you know I can take care of everything by myself. I will only need the occasional change of sheets...”

Betty nodded.

“Lady Fiona wanted to let you know that she would like you to accompany her and Lady Charlotte to a gathering at The University this evening.”

“Of, course. That leaves the day for me to explore the city.”

Magnus walked down the street, taking in the incredible rush and buzz of the people one could only see in the capital. He had never been in a city of this size, and he was fascinated with the sheer chaos of it all. Looking around, he marveled at the stone buildings that spoke of fine stonemasons and craftsmen who had built them. The number of fine and subtle decorations in the stonework was a true testimony of their talent and effort. Passing through several squares and markets, he would stop to listen to a bard singing a song about a legendary hero and his battles against evil, and the tale of his tragic love. And just when the story would bring the crowd to the verge of tears, the bard would add a happy twist, giving the song a bitter-sweet taste that would leave the crowd hopeful and happy enough to reward his efforts with coin.

At another street corner, Magnus saw a jongleur standing on his hands, and still somehow juggling a couple of sticks.

“My ten coppers say he won’t last another 20 seconds!” a man in the crowd shouted.

“Twenty coppers that he will fall on his ass!” another added.

“Fifty coppers that his dick will fall out of his pants!” a bearded man shouted, prompting a round of laughter.

Magnus turned away and walked to another square where a much larger crowd watched in relative silence. He pushed through to see a pretty girl dressed in an oversized cloak perform ... something.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Prepare to be amazed! I will now show you true magic!” she exclaimed with the confidence of someone who had done the trick many times already.

“There are no energies present, so she isn’t using magic ... Must be some trick that requires her to wear that huge cloak...” Magnus mused, watching the girl float in a sitting position, while apparently holding herself in the air only by the strength of her finger pushing down on a shiny metal stick that stood upright. The crowd murmured with interest and approval as she smiled, showing that she was floating effortlessly.

“There is some kind of a transparent rope she is hanging on!” one citizen said, looking around and nodding, trying to seem smart.

“Hanging onto what? There is nothing above her ... Ah yes, of course! She has a rope tied to the clouds!” the other exclaimed in mockery. A roar of laughter followed, and even Magnus chuckled. A few more ‘clever’ attempts were shot down in a similar way, while the girl kept smiling at the crowd.

“Forget about the floating ... Let’s see what is underneath that cloak!” one of the citizens said with a half-drunken voice. A roar of approval followed, and Magnus could see a hint of worry on the girl’s face.

“Yes, such a pretty face! We want to see the rest of you!” a big-bellied man shouted.

“Show us just a hint of cleavage, we don’t ask for much!” another voice chimed in.

“Now gentlemen, please. Even if I am capable of magic, I am still a lady...” the girl exclaimed, raising a hand in a pacifying manner. She could see the crowd going sour. Magnus guessed she would like to withdraw, but she couldn’t do it without revealing her trick.

“Remove the cloak! We want to see this ... magic. Even if there is no magic, we will still be happy!” another one shouted. The crowd was slowly getting worked up into a frenzy, demanding to see underneath the cloak.

“Come on! Show us some goods!”

“Please, this is no way to treat a lady, especially one wielding magic” the girl replied, putting some force into her words, trying to dissuade the worked-up crowd.

“Show us!” the laughing crowd demanded. Then, several younger men reached out towards a fruit cart, picking up apples, figs, and whatever else they could grab, and threw them towards the girl whose face showed true panic now. The uproar of laughter that followed the scene lasted less than a second, making the sudden silence even more surprising. The fruit was floating in the air just a foot away from the girl, whose face flinched for one moment only and then reclaimed its composure. The crowd watched with open mouths as the fruit slowly floated back towards the men who had thrown it, picking up speed and finally chasing the running men like angry bees following a bear who stole their honey. The crowd cheered, laughing and applauding. Many among them started throwing coins into a tip box that was soon overflowing.

“That is all for today, ladies and gentlemen!” the girl exclaimed, finding her performance voice again. The crowd started dispersing, murmuring about the magic they had witnessed. Magnus saw another girl bring a large piece of black cloth to cover the view while the first girl took her time to dismantle her trick inconspicuously.

“If I had to guess, that metal rod curves through your cloak and ends in a stool of a kind where you can sit...” Magnus said, approaching the girls.

“Didn’t you just witness my magic, mister?” the trickster girl replied, not looking at him.

“Oh, come on, we both know that wasn’t you,” Magnus replied, smiling. The girl turned to him, sizing him up and down.

“So you are the one who helped me...” she said carefully. Magnus nodded.

“Why? What do you want?” she said, looking at him with suspicion.

“Eh, nothing. I simply didn’t like where things were going.”

“Really? You don’t want coin?” she said, but then quickly added, “no of course ... this is barely pocket money for a mage ... Why then?” she asked, trying to read him. “You expect me to show you gratitude then...?” she asked, her temper rising along with the color of her cheeks. Magnus watched her, perplexed until he realized the meaning of her words.

“Wow girl, you are really paranoid. I don’t want anything from you. I was merely curious about the trick and I am glad I could help you. That is all. Anyway, good luck to you,” Magnus said, turning and walking away.

“Wait!”

Magnus stopped.

“Please ... I apologize ... You wouldn’t believe what kind of proposals men give me ... I am unaccustomed to simple kindness,” she said with regret.

“I understand,” Magnus said.

“I don’t think you do. But anyway, I am grateful for what you did for me ... It wouldn’t have ended nicely, for sure ... Please, let me buy you a drink at least.”

“All right,” Magnus said, after taking a moment to think.

“Lisa, take care of our stuff, I am going for a drink,” she said turning towards the other girl.

“So, mister mage, what is your name?” she said, taking a sip of wine.

They were sitting at a table inside a quite busy inn. Judging by the guests, it was one of those affordable, yet still decent inns.

“I am Magnus,” he said, taking a swig of wine and wiping his lips.

“I am Kayla.”

“So, Magnus ... Are you one of those types that see damsels in distress everywhere?”

“Guilty as charged, I suppose...” Magnus said, making a face. Kayla laughed.

“You seem like a genuinely nice guy ... I don’t get to meet many of those.”

“I am sorry to hear that. I suppose most men just see a pretty girl to take advantage of...”

“Ah, so you think I am pretty?” she said, fluttering her eyelashes and touching her breasts.

“Eh...” Magnus mumbled, his face showing awkwardness and prompting her to laugh once again. It had been a while since the last time a girl unbalanced him like this. He was quite used to the subtleties of noble ladies and women who revolved in those circles, but the blunt directness of this girl was something he wasn’t quite familiar with. He watched her smile at him. She was a small, pretty brunette with nice breasts, judging by the bulge in her blouse. There was also something primal about her and soon enough he felt his loins stir.

“I’ve had the displeasure to meet a couple of wizards in my life, and they were mostly arrogant pricks ... yet you seem quite the opposite ... Are you sure you are a mage?” she asked, smirking at him. Kayla’s wine glass floated to Magnus, and he emptied it in one swig.

“See, I can be a prick too,” he said, wiping his lips and making her laugh once again.

“I think I like you mage Magnus,” she said, standing up and pulling him to his feet. “Come, I have a room up the stairs,” she said and led him to a small room on the first floor. Once inside, Magnus leaned in to kiss her, but then he was met by an aggressive assault on his lips and tongue. Kayla kissed him hard, standing on her tiptoes and already taking his shirt off and then grabbing his pants with hurried motions.

“Well, this girl isn’t much for foreplay it seems...” Magnus thought, starting to feel the same animalistic desire that had Kayla in its grips. He took her shirt off, almost ripping it, and in a split second, they both undressed each other, never breaking the aggressive kiss. They stumbled towards the bed and Kayla lay down, pulling him between her legs. Magnus speared inside her already wet pussy, skipping his usual repertoire. They both felt pure and wild carnal desire, devoid of any subtlety. Magnus thrust into her pussy, responding to her obvious need for a hard cock to fill her womb. It was as simple as that.

“Yeah ... fuck me, fuck me now!” she hissed, feeling his forceful thrusts and biting his shoulder hard.

“Aghh!” Magnus grunted, the pain adding to his animal instinct. He felt an aggressive desire to push deep inside her and he fucked her hard and fast, her body meeting his thrusts with the same aggression and wild lust. They held each other’s eyes, seeing intense desire there. Magnus lifted her up, feeling her legs close around him, and started fucking her in a standing position, his crotch meeting her ass cheeks with loud slapping sounds.

“Yesss, faster! Harder!” Kayla moaned, her orgasm approaching in the same forceful manner.

“YES, YES!! Fuck me harder ... HARDER!!” Kayla screamed, shaking in orgasm and feeling Magnus’s cock impale her forcefully, her whole body bouncing up after every hard thrust of his hips. Impeccable in his timing as always, Magnus fucked her vigorously through her orgasm, giving her maximum pleasure. Then, feeling her orgasm subside, he took his cock out as his own orgasm exploded.

“AGGH!” he cried out, rubbing his shaft on her pussy as he kept spurting rope after rope of seed on her triangle, on her breasts, a few of them reaching her chin. His spurts were so forceful and copious that her whole chest was dripping with cum.

“Gods! If only I have known, I would have fucked way more mages...” Kayla exclaimed as they both lay on the bed.

“I’d like to think that I am special,” Magnus said, chuckling.

“Do you, now ... But I have to say, that was truly amazing...” she said, rubbing her breasts that were still covered by his seed.

“Was? We have just begun!” Magnus said, getting on top of her and thrusting inside her once again. He was determined to show her the true power of a mage’s libido.

“Ahhhhh, yes!” Kayla hissed and enveloped him with her legs once more.

An hour later, they were both exhausted, sweaty, and completely smeared in each other’s fluids.

“Damn ... We desperately need a bath,” Magnus said, still recovering his breath after the last and the most intense fucking of all.

“Play you Hammer, Sword, Rope?” Kayla asked. “The loser has to go down and ask for a bath to be brought to the room.”

“All right, you are on.”

“Damn it!” Magnus exclaimed after his sword got trumped by Kayla’s hammer. “Best of three?” he asked hopefully.

“No way ... You lost and you need to go down and ask for a bath,” Kayla said, laughing.

“Fuck...”

That evening, Magnus found himself in a carriage with his Mistress and Lady Charlotte.

“Sweep them off their feet, my dear. Show them what we women can do for science,” Lady Charlotte said.

“I will. But I doubt many people there will be interested in the potions and science. I bet it is just an excuse to show up at a society event and pretend to care about education and science,” Fiona said, sighing.

“Yes, that is probably true ... But you never know if some of the more influential nobles might show up,” Lady Charlotte said wistfully.

“Please remind me why I need to be there exactly?” Magnus said.

“Oh, don’t be such a caveman, Apprentice. It is a chance for you to show up in some society circles, a chance for other mages and nobles to learn your name. Last but not least, you have a chance to be the escort of such magnificent ladies like Lady Charlotte and myself,” Fiona said, winking at Charlotte.

“Right. I will be next to the buffet table ... for protection purposes, of course. Someone might decide to try stealing the most important part of the event,” Magnus said, grinning.

“You are incorrigible. You will take my hand and meet all the other mages and nobles present. I need to introduce you properly and put some worldly manners into your thick head,” Fiona said, glaring at him. Magnus groaned. He didn’t like mingling with stuck-up nobility ... well except in one particular way ... but he had to admit she was right. He would need to learn to be a part of those circles.

The event was ... well, uneventful. Fiona gave a speech about her potions to the crowd of some other mages and quite a few nobles. He almost laughed when she mentioned her special ingredient and then refused to say what it was.

“Thankfully, she doesn’t need my ‘concentrated’ seed for potions that often anymore. I can’t even count how many weeks and months I was sexually frustrated ... Bloody science!” Magnus thought, chuckling. But then his thoughts took him through all the years he had been Fiona’s Apprentice. Thinking about it, he suddenly realized that his Apprenticeship period was almost up.

“Wow ... Has it been that long? I can’t believe it has been almost five years since we met...” Magnus thought, feeling a sudden pang of ... anxiety, hope, and uncertainty. Through all those years, he had learned a lot from his Mistress, and not just about magic but about people, about the world, about sex and pleasure ... They had been in other countries, in many towns, and visiting many noble estates, doing a lot of mage work. She taught him a lot about kinetics and elemental magic, and he knew he was very good at it already. Recently, he started dabbing in healing magic by himself, although he didn’t get very far, as Fiona wasn’t a practitioner of healing magic, so he had to figure it out by himself. She would say healing magic was too complicated, that it took too much effort to do it right, and the stakes were always so high in healing. You might think you were mending something, yet you could be unknowingly doing the exact opposite...

“Lady Fiona, that was an impressive speech,” a man said, startling Magnus from his thoughts.

“Thank you, Your Grace!” Fiona replied, bowing lightly.

“Lady Charlotte, you look beautiful as always, as does our charming sorceress,” ‘His Grace’ said.

“Thank you, Your Grace! It is an honor to meet you here,” Charlotte replied, bowing and then bowing again to the Lady that joined ‘His Grace’ and took his hand.

“Please, allow me to introduce you to my Apprentice, Magnus. Magnus, I am happy to introduce Duke and Duchess Girault,” Fiona said, taking Magnus’s hand.

“It is an honor to meet Your Graces,” Magnus said, bowing lightly.

“Apprentice? So he is a mage too?” the Duchess said, eyeing Magnus up and down subtly.

“Oh yes he is, and a very talented one,” Fiona said, looking at Magnus with pride.

“I see ... Well, I have enjoyed your speech here tonight. So, not to beat about the bush, there is a Royal Ball in four days, and as one of the organizers I would like to extend a formal invitation to you,” the Duchess said, looking at Fiona and Magnus, “ ... and to you too, of course, Lady Charlotte.”

“Thank you, Your Grace! We are honored by your invitation,” Lady Charlotte said, barely hiding her excitement.

“Yes, we wouldn’t dare refuse,” Fiona said, smiling politely.

“What a great night ... Fiona, my dear, I was already losing hope that I would get invited to the Ball, but you saved the day,” Charlotte said with excitement when they returned to her mansion.

“Oh, I am excited to go to the Ball as well ... It has been ages since the last time I had the reason to really dress up...” Fiona replied.

“Hmm ... We do have a bit of an emergency though ... I assume your Apprentice doesn’t dance?”

“No, he doesn’t ... We have four days to teach him all he needs to know for the Ball ... and I need to get him clothes suitable for such an event in this short time...” Fiona said, turning to Magnus who was already groaning in despair.

“It will be so fun to play dress up with him,” Fiona said, grinning.

Tomorrow morning, Magnus was knocking at his Mistress’ room door.

“Who is it?” an exasperated voice said.

“It’s me...”

“Get in, Apprentice.”

Magnus entered the room to find Betty on her knees, servicing his Mistress with her tongue.

“Take a seat ... this will take a while ... Ah, she is amazing,” Fiona said, moaning with pleasure. Magnus watched Betty’s skillful tongue-work bring Fiona to two orgasms. His pants felt very uncomfortable, his cock fighting to break through the cloth.

“Ahhh, give me that sweet tongue ... YESSS!”

Fiona’s moans signaled the last of her orgasms for that morning, and Betty got up to her feet, smiling at Magnus, her face smeared with Fiona’s juices.

“That was great, sweetheart. I expect you in the afternoon, as well. There are other places on my body that would like to feel your amazing tongue,” Fiona said with affection.

“Of course, Lady Fiona. In the afternoon, I usually need to ... help Lady Charlotte, but as soon as I am done, I will come to you,” Betty said, wiping her face and moving to leave.

“I bet Lady Charlotte is as stingy with orgasms as my Mistress ... How often do you get to come while you provide ‘help’?” Magnus said, following Betty out.

“Rarely ... but I don’t mind just giving them pleasure. Lady Charlotte is kind and fair towards me, and Lady Fiona gave me the opportunity to be here in the first place. And they are both so beautiful...” Betty said, licking her lips. Magnus kissed her lips, recognizing the faint taste of his Mistress.

“If you would like me to ‘help’ you, you just need to ask,” Betty said, looking at Magnus with lust.

“Oh, I have some ideas about it,” Magnus said, caressing her cheeks. “Now, I better return to Fiona, my dancing lessons are about to start,” Magnus said, sighing.

As much as he resented the idea of learning to dance just so he could perform at some Royal Ball full of stuck-up nobles, Magnus took to it surprisingly well. As soon as Fiona and Charlotte started coaching him about posture, balance, and rhythm, he remembered his swordplay exercises ... He couldn’t believe how much alike it was, and how easy it was to apply his swordplay balance and reflexes to dancing. To Fiona’s and Charlotte’s delight, he progressed very well and it all came down to just learning the moves of various court dances ... even if there were so many of them. He ended up sweaty and tired after spending the whole morning learning the moves. After that, finding the right suit for Magnus was Fiona’s and Charlotte’s next project. He had tried so many suits on before he finally had enough.

“I am not trying another suit on, ever!” Magnus said, annoyed.

“Always such a baby!” Fiona retorted. “It is no big deal anyway since we already have a winner,” Fiona said, pointing at the dark blue suit adorned with details and decorations in the color of gold.

“Great. I can go for a walk then,” Magnus said, walking out of the room in a huff. Soon enough he was walking through the city, enjoying the strange sense of freedom he felt just by being a part of a crowd that crawled down the streets of the capital. Magnus took a deep breath. He had probably acted immature. They were doing it for his benefit mostly, but they didn’t seem to realize that he truly disliked those high social circles. Those circles reeked of hypocrisy and pompousness. Nevertheless, he had to learn to navigate them since he had no doubt his future in the mage business would put him in the presence of many high nobles. He decided to apologize later and then take this chore with his usual stoicism. But for now, he just wanted to enjoy roaming through the city and he took a turn towards the poorer part of the city. He already saw enough of the polished, richer part, but the true soul of any city or town was in its poorer part, where ordinary people lived.

The poorer part of the city was nicknamed simply ‘The Corner’, and Magnus was soon able to see why. It was quite cramped with houses that were uneven in size and color, with a mass of laundry ropes that were stretched between them. But it was the overwhelming presence of children that gave ‘The Corner’ its true charm. They were constantly running everywhere, playing their games, asking for coin, and even trying to sell some ‘special’ merchandise. Magnus abruptly decided he could use a drink and he entered the first tavern that crossed his path. Even at first glance, it was obvious that it wasn’t the most respectable place in the city, but he wasn’t going to be picky. He just needed a drink before he returned to the mansion.

“I’ll have a glass of your most drinkable wine,” Magnus said, smiling and taking a seat at one of the few unoccupied tables.

“Right away sir,” the waitress said, smiling back at him.

Magnus scanned the tavern crowd. Men drinking and playing cards, men singing and drinking, men smoking and discussing the politics of not only Highfort but the whole of Vistania, and neighboring countries as well. All the usual crowd you could see in a tavern.

“Joshua! I thought I told you not to bring your ugly face to this tavern!”

Ah yes. He forgot the tavern bullies.

“I am not asking for trouble. I just want to have a drink in peace,” said a small wiry man, taking a seat at the table not far from Magnus.

“Is that so?” a big man with a prominent beard and a beer belly replied. “I was only telling you to stay away from here for your own benefit. You never know if that little wife of yours would use your absence to, you know, help out other citizens!” he added, prompting a round of laughter from the drinking buddies at his table, but some other tables too. “I think I even saw Mick here, getting out of your house once!”

“Pure lies!” Mick replied, joining their laughter. Some of them banged their hands on the table, spilling some drinks on the floor.