I was a mage but normal magic did not really interest me. Instead I created and animated toys. I guess in some ways I was an artificer. I was only twenty and just finished my training with my master. I moved here because there were fewer mages. My shop had been a stable for an old tavern. I used wood or stone to create the toys.

In the front of my shop I had two stone knights that stood almost three paces tall. Between them were six wooden elf archers two paces tall. Those were for display, even though they put on shows a few times each day. Inside where the stalls had been were show areas for dolls or toy soldiers or animals.

In the middle at the back was my work area and between stalls and in the isle in front were shelves with dolls and all types of soldiers and animals. I had even began to create animated stuffed animals. There was a long loft up and to the left which was where I lived. The hard part had been making a water closet but I had done it.

When I first got here there had been six mages. The old king was sick and dying and his grandson was getting ready to take his place. He was not known as a good, fair or nice man. Six months and the king was dead. The new king was issuing proclamations almost everyday. Four of the six mages were declared enemies and fled and the other two died suddenly.

I began to carve a dozen special soldiers or rogues from a light wood. I also made a dozen pace and a third, stone dwarves with crossbows and steel axes. All the threats and bullying and stealing from shops seemed to ignore me. Even the tax collector did not enter my shop. I stopped the knights and elves from doing their shows and waited for the axe to fall.

Not many people came in and I was forced to think of another way to make money. I made small people a half pace tall that would clean houses. I made charms to keep a woman from getting with child since it was now against the law to sell the herbs. There were tiny mage lanterns that were carved from stones.

I was shopping when I saw king’s soldiers trying to rape a woman. That was enough and I murmured and gestured and they screamed and fell to writhe around holding their crotch. First there was smoke and then fire burst from their uniform. That only made them scream louder which drew more soldiers.

I moved back and into an herbalist shop to watch as each new soldier that touch one of the old was infected. From several soldiers it became more than a dozen. I slipped out the back and returned to my shop. There would be another proclamation before the day ended. That night I slipped out with all my larger creations.

We walked in the alleys and smaller side streets. I had made very small stone dragons that flew ahead to any street lantern and put them out. The six soldiers guarding the king’s tax building died as a dozen bolts slammed into their chests. The rogues moved forward to remove the bolts and take everything they had before dragging them into a alley.

A huge knight kicked the door open and the dwarves rushed in with their axes ready. I followed but the building was empty except for the large iron lock box. One blow from a axe and the lock was broken. I opened the box and took the bags of coins before I turned to leave. I let a knight carry the money and led the way through the streets to the Keep.

The two guards were yanked back and into the shadows by rogues. They did not have time to sound an alarm before they were killed. We slipped in and my dwarves hunted the guards on the walls. The rogues slipped into the soldiers barracks to kill them silently. We left the gates open and returned to my shop. I cleaned everyone and everything before I used the tiny people.

I used some of the toy horses and wagons and sent them out. They left money at every house and returned before the mid of night. After the last returned I was ready to sleep when a girl slipped out of the shadows. She had dark hair and from her clothes she was homeless. She was in her late teens and grinned when she looked at me, “I saw what your did.”

I looked at her and she put one hand on my chest and pushed me back and into the building. She looked around, “bath and bed?”

I turned and led her to the stairs up to the loft. I pulled her to the water closet but turned before I opened the door. I gestured and she stiffened as her clothes crawled off. I looked at her naked body and cupped a breast and then rubbed the nipple. I smiled and turned her and rubbed her butt before I gave her a gentle push, “take your time.”

She looked back as she opened the door and smirked, “that is what I was going to say in bed.”

I grinned as she walked into the water closet. I went back down and used an illusion to hide the dwarves, rogues, elves and knights. I turned the lights down and went back up and waited by the bed. The girl came out clean and smiling as she swayed towards me like a temptress. I undressed before she reached me and pulled her close and kissed her.

I laid her on the bed and kissed down her body while she shivered. I pushed her legs open and licked through her pussy and she sighed and lifted her hips. I kept doing it and then began to wiggle the tip of my tongue on her clit. She moaned and lifted her hips as she began to shiver and shudder. When I started to nibble and suck she gasped and arched her back, “ooohhhh!”

I moved up and pushed into her very tight pussy. She put her arms around me and hugged me. I fucked her with short grinding strokes and it was not long before her pussy was slippery. She wiggled and humped and kept moaning and I finally pulled almost out of her. I buried my cock in one long, deep thrust and she clutched me, “yyyeeeesssss!”

She jerked and spasmed as I kept fucking her. A few minutes and she was thrashing around, “aaaahhhh!”

She twisted and bucked while her pussy constantly gripped my cock. I began to fuck her hard and plant my cock and press. She was clinging to me when I finally shoved into her. She gasped and held me as I pinned her under me and pumped huge spurts of sperm. She jerked and squirmed when she felt the warm cum gushing into her, “mmmm!”

I rolled when I was done and rubbed her back before I helped her sit up. She grinned as she adjusted and then began to rock. I woke to several animated clocks blowing tiny horns and ringing bells. I looked at the naked girl against me and shifted away and got up. I waved and the noise stopped as I stood and went to the water closet.

I came back and got dressed and looked at the girl before I went downstairs. I made a cup of tea and went to open the front door like I had since I got here. Soldiers were walking the street and the few people that were up and out were whispering together. I sipped my tea and finally turned and went to the back. There were a dozen blocks of wood on a bench and I sat and looked at them.

I smiled as I picked up a wood knife. Cutting into the wood was like slicing into butter. I murmured and an image appeared to one side that I kept looking at. Slowly the tiny centaur appeared and seemed to take life. When I finished he stamped his hooves and looked around. I smiled as I used a finger to add color.

I used a tanned mouse pelt to make a belt and a vest. I made a quiver, a bow and arrows and then a sheath for a short sword. I used the handle of a spoon to make the sword before I started a spell that changed it into steel. I put it into the sheath and adjusted it and the quiver on the belt. I picked him up and turned to set him down, “go to the third alcove on the left.”

He nodded and trotted away and Cynthia giggled, “that was very interesting.”

I smiled and looked up to see her sitting naked on the ladder to the loft, “go dress and we can go find you new clothes.”

She stood and ran to the water closet where her clothes had crawled off her. We went out and stopped to buy bread and cheese and then went to a seamstress. I paid her in silver coins which she checked before pulling Cynthia to a curtained booth. I went out front to wait and read a new proclamation. I nodded to a couple of men looking around while talking quietly.

The king had a new tax collector that was bringing in a lot of men. He had ordered all his soldiers to return to the Keep. Every duke, earl and baron were required to send more. Of course the gossip was the nobles were not doing assemblies. I turned when Cynthia stepped out and held out my hand while she clutching a half dozen dresses.

She slipped her hand into mine and we started back to the toy shop. I slowed when I saw the six soldiers of the watch. I nudged her towards the side, “around back.”

She slipped away as I continued and nodded to the soldiers. I stepped into my toy shop and the captain of the watch turned. He growled, “where are the knights and elven bowmen?”

I blinked, “cut up to make smaller toys. Business has not been good and their shows were not working.”

I moved to one of the old stalls, “I have been making kitchen helpers and toy soldiers...”

He took long steps and looked in and snorted, “those are not large enough.”

I looked at the toys, “but children...”

He shook his head, “I am wasting my time. Be warned toy maker, we are watching you.”

He started for the door and I followed as they strode down the street. I turned as one of my neighbors walked to the door. Cynthia peeked in as my neighbor chuckled, “silly bastards are looking for hidden soldiers.”

He weighed a purse of coins, “a strange thing happened last night.”

I smiled, “really? I was busy with ... my new consort.”

He looked at Cynthia and grinned, “I heard.”

She started across the room as I gestured, “so what was the strange thing?”

He looked at Cynthia and then at me, “someone left this purse at my door.”

I looked at the purse, “why?”

He snorted, “I have no idea but I was not the only one. The king’s tax building was raided and the taxes stolen. They say it was done by soldiers.”

I turned and smiled at Cynthia, “that was why the captain was looking for the knights?”

He nodded and I shrugged, “well I have a request for a dozen small centaurs.”

He left and I turned to walk into the shop. Cynthia cleared her throat, “could you make Griffins?”

I nodded as I looked at my work bench, “of course.”

She rubbed my arm, “I know where there are three large trees that have fallen.”

I looked at her, “recently or long ago?”

She shrugged, “a couple of months ago. They are in the river and under the water which is why no one has taken them.”

I grinned and gave her a kiss before I gestured to a sign on the door. It said be back later and attached itself to the door as it closed. She set her dresses on my bench and I led her out the back door. We started walking and I was not surprised to see a couple of soldiers following us. It was an hour walk and then I stood looking at the tangle of trees in the river.

I moved back and forth while trying to see and finally slipped into the water. I touched the roots of one tree and murmured and it twisted and the branches pushed and it rolled free. I gestured and it slowly began to crawl out of the river and up onto the bank. I followed and started checking it. All the leaves were gone and a few branches were cracked or broken but it was sound.

I turned and went back to get the next one and finally the last. I started walking slowly and the three trees began to crawl after me. We returned to the city and came in the back way. I had to be carful placing the trees behind the shop. We went in and I opened the front door and removed the sign. I gave Cynthia coppers to go buy lunch as I changed into a dry robe and put her dresses away.

I started carving another tiny centaur and looked up as the captain strode in. He frowned as he looked at the half finished centaur, “what are you doing?”