Chapter 7: Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

Jasmine was there waiting for us. I went into the healing chamber first and then Amanda did. While she was in there Jasmine took me to the shower and began the process of cleaning me. After that long on Chaos, it was a long process which Amanda took over cheerfully once she came in to join us. Jasmine disappeared shortly after that, and I began in earnest to work on our reward and cleaning Amanda. We didn’t get out of the shower without using a restorative.

We had dried ourselves and Amanda was sitting on my lap simply holding on to me when Jasmine came to join us. Jasmine helped Amanda up and then was on me like white on rice. I saw Amanda watching us. She was no doubt wondering why we were rolling all over the floor and screaming at each other as we continued on.

That lasted through three restoratives, and then we joined Amanda in bed for the rest of that day and night. Amanda’s curiosity gave way and she asked. “Why is it like you’re fighting when you’re making love?”

“We are vying for the superior position with each other. Jasmine comes from the wilds of Cassandra. She is a warrior and a warrior never surrenders willingly, but as a woman of Cassandra, she also has to submit herself to me. Likewise, as her Hero I have to both take her and give her pleasure.”

“It is frightening and exciting to watch the two of you,” Amanda was breathing harder as a flush came over her body.

“That, my dear, describes it best,” Jasmine said.

“Could we do that?” Amanda asked me.

“I have trained to be a fighter, a warrior and I am your Hero here to take care of you and your desires. The screaming of battle cries is up to you.”

That was all she needed, and we rolled off the bed onto the floor. I would need a couple of restoratives or a trip to the healing chamber to repair my back where I had fallen on the floor. It was different with Jasmine, but Amanda was not Jasmine.

It of course was all enjoyable, and we continued on that path for the next four days. With the restoratives you simply did not need to sleep but eventually even they would not stop your body and its need for real rest. I was dead to the world for two days they told me when I woke. I felt better than I had since I came through the portal.

Jasmine had spent the extra time I was on Chaos investigating the questions I had left her with. I would have to try it out to see if it would work was her final response. But for now the only work was for pleasure, and I continued with both Jasmine and Amanda for the next five weeks.

Amanda knew of our discussions and one morning came out, kissed me and said those magic words. “Get dressed, take a restorative and get ready.”

I went and stood next to the portal to Chaos and waited for her to say her magic words. She did. “I’m pregnant,” and she was gone.

Now was the moment to see if I could bend a rule or not. The pains were intense and Jasmine came over to me and pushed me through the portal to Chaos. It opened and just as I was going through, I started to slip. I reached instinctively for Jasmine and then next thing, I knew was my pains were gone but Jasmine was standing next to me. We were together in the vault at a bank on Chaos.

I looked at her and she looked at me. “How do you feel?” she asked.

“No pain,” I replied. “How are you?”

“I feel fine. However, I don’t think I want to stay here. Take me back and then you can come back.”

I took her hand and went to the portal. It wouldn’t open for me. “What’s wrong?” She asked.

“The portal won’t open.”

“That doesn’t make any sense. Maybe you need to get your box, put it away and then get it again and put it away.”

So we tried that along with everything else we could think of. I asked “What do you do when you get ready to send me on a mission?”

“I have to tell the powers that be that you will be going, and that you will bring a Damsel back with you.” Jasmine said.

“You can’t do that now and your going with me like this makes you a Companion and not a Damsel.”

“We could be stuck here,” she thought out loud.

“That is a distinct possibility. Or we might have to have a Damsel to activate the portal.”

“That might work. But for now we can’t test that until we have a Damsel.”

“Did you want to go to Chaos?”

“I chose Caretaker because I knew I would die if I came as a Damsel. It’s against my nature to be helpless.”

“Well then you’re a Caretaker who is now a Companion. All of that training you wanted to do with real weapons is now possible.”

“We don’t have a Damsel to rescue.”

“We’re free agents.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means we can take our time to do what we want. I can build my network of friends and associates without worrying that the Damsel might be killed if I don’t go and find her.”

“Will I get to fight?”

“Well, there are rules about it, but since we know how much I love the rules. I will deal with the powers that be if there is something dreadfully wrong with your fighting. So yes, there is no reason you physically can’t. However, on the down side of this we can’t make love anymore. I don’t want to chance that you would be barred from Crossroads by the portal for being pregnant.”

“Don’t you think we should put the armor back on and take all the weapons we can carry?”

“That, Samuel’s books for me, and the amulet he left. I don’t know how much time has passed since I was last here. However, I would like to see Samuel if he is still alive.”

“I didn’t change the selection for the portal from when you came through last time. We should, in theory, be back in the town near the farm where James and Peter lived.”

I dressed in my armor and Jasmine helped me take everything that was left in the vault. I put my finger in receiver and the vault disappeared. We walked out into the bank where no one seemed to look up from what they were doing and then to the door. The smell was overwhelming as we opened the door and stepped out.

“I didn’t realize how bad it was when you stepped back after opening the door,” Jasmine said before she coughed from it.

“You will get used to it. For now I want to make sure we are in the same town I left. I have an appointment to keep with William. That man knows more than he was willing to tell me last time.”

“Could we get some armor for me?”

“Of course, my dear, but that would be at the other town,” I replied.

“So how are we going to know if this is the right place?”

“I think if we go over to the tavern we might get a clue.”

We scouted the streets out before we stepped into them. It was pretty quiet and we made our way over to the tavern. “Come and let me buy you your first water wine on Chaos.”

She followed me inside and we took a seat at a table with the wall to our backs. A girl who looked to be about twelve came out to greet us a while later. “Two watered wines.”

“Yes, sir.”

She came back a minute later with our tankards and placed them in front of me. I gave her a pinch, and she left. There was some talking going on in the back but Jasmine, and I were just sitting there. I was watching her face to gauge her reaction to the watered wine.

“Oh Lords, he’s back!” I heard called out. I looked towards where the voice had come from. There stood Carrie with the girl who had served us. I could see the resemblance between them and recognized that she was likely her daughter.

“Who’s back, dear?” I heard called out from the kitchen. I knew that voice, it belonged to Peter. I decided to have some fun with him and got up to meet Carrie. I put my fingers to my lips and then shouted out.

“Where is that scourge of a tavern owner? I paid him to release you and this is what he has done.” Carrie was trying to hold in a laugh and Peter now hearing shouts coming from the bar area was on his way from the back.

I bent down and looked in the little girls face. “I’m John, I know your Daddy. Watch the fun I am going to have with him.”

Peter came barreling out of the kitchen wearing an apron. Saw me with my back to him and speaking to his daughter. Jasmine had at this point gotten up and was out of sight of Peter, but she was holding her sword.

“Unhand her,” Peter said.

I turned to face him. “Is that any way to greet an old friend?”

The room was full of laughter then. Introductions were made and I learned that Jess was their daughter who was eleven. Their twin sons were upstairs asleep for the moment.

We were catching up on old times when Jess asked, “Mommy, she is so pretty. Is she what Uncle James and Grandpa William call a cock burner?”

“Where did you hear them call a Damsel that?” Carrie replied in a shocked tone.

“I was in back outside Grandpa and Grandma’s house last summer. The window was open I wasn’t trying to listen to them, honest, Mommy. I just heard them talking about that.”

“I am no Damsel, Jess, but I am what your Uncle and Grandfather said. However, I would like it more if you called me Jasmine.”

Jasmine had defused the situation, and I was sure Carrie would talk with Jess later. Peter gave me a wink, and I smiled at him. So Jess, where is your Uncle James keeping himself these days?

“He has a house out at the farm. Not the big house; he has one all his own. But he is probably off on an adventure somewhere. Were you the one who taught him to fight like a Hero?”

“Yes, I am afraid it was me. But it is Jasmine’s fault really. She is a lot more of a warrior than I am.”

She looked at Jasmine and then back at me. That wasn’t how it worked on Chaos and her mind was processing it.

Jasmine had watched us when we had been here, but she didn’t know the personalities. So we caught up on old times and then Peter helped arrange for us to get some horses so we could go out to the farm. He offered to take us, but I told him that I remembered the way.