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Gurak and Rulu hitched up the wagon, giving the orcs a couple of gold coins as thanks for caring for the animal. They headed eastward, it took about a day to go on the road, so they stopped when it got dark out, taking the opportunity to rest that night before making it to the tower in the morning. Far enough away from the road, to not cause any passersby to trigger the wind barrier warning system as well. The pair had learned to get into a rhythm of what they did in routine. Gurak took to cooking, and Rulu took to washing and taking care of other tasks. They shared the laundry chores. Though Rulu tried to insist on doing it himself. Gurak feared his number of undergarments might....decrease, without warning.

Gurak set about cooking, it wasn't anything extravagant or complex. But his use of spices, which he vaguely recalled from some books in his previous life made it a little easier to procure them when they travelled. Most plants were pretty similar, and Rulu was well-versed in what was poisonous at least. So he could always have the lizardman check it before he used it.

Other spices, like salt and pepper, weren't as easy to procure, but, they were manageable. At least they were heading towards a port city soon and the range of goods would be incredibly varied, compared to what he was used to. But that also meant the possibility of higher costs. He had a lot of money to start, but his generous nature was causing his money to deplete over time.

To be fair, he wasn't remotely broke. Far from it. But he noticed how much he was spending, and how he wasn't making any money to replace it. He'd need to figure out how to craft some gear, and start selling it, and improving his skill in the process as well. But he'd need to start doing something. A source of income would be needed sooner, rather than later.

He was broken from his trance when Rulu was grumbling at him. Rulu could smell the meat burning as soon as it started, such was the superior capacity of a lizardman's sense of smell. Gurak noticed the food was starting to burn, and he quickly took it from the fire and flipped it over. He laughed softly and apologized.

"Ahh, sorry Rulu. I'll take the more burnt one." He said, referring to the meat in the sizzling metal pan. "I was just thinking about how we're gonna need to start making money. I have plenty of gold, but it is a finite amount, and I gotta have something to fall back on when it runs out. I can't expect a dungeon to fall in my lap every time I need money." He does look up at the sky, a little hopefully, but if any of the gods in the world heard him, not a single one made themselves known.

He sighs and laughs. Offering the less burnt piece to Rulu who tries to argue, but accepts it after a few moments. The orc took the bone of the other piece and biting into it, making a bit of a face from the acrid bitter flavor, but it was his fault. "I know you guys were merchants and stuff, can you give me any tips to help me out?"

Rulu nods and goes on to explain that, the beastfolk made their money traveling between factions, so to speak. Orcs needed ore to work. Humans needed metals too, as well as other things. Elves wanted nicely crafted clothing, dwarves wanted well-brewed alcohols made from elven plants. He gestures with his hand an 'and so on' kind of feeling. "We just take what each group was best with, and take it to where it'd be the most profitable to sell. "Each of us needs one another, in some capacity. We, as the beastfolk, facilitated that. We went where we were needed. Nothing stops humans, elves, dwarves, or even orcs from being merchants. We're just better at it." He shrugs. "Just like any dwarf can smith, or grow the plants needed for their brews. But, it'd take an exceptional dwarf to be as good as an elf in the same field."

Gurak nodded his head gently and taps his chin in thought. "So I could just....mine my ore and grow my plants." He asks curiously. "But, I'd probably never be as good at it, as a dwarf or elf." He looks thoughtful. There had to be some kind of loophole he could find and exploit, especially about his history of book knowledge, from his previous life. Sure, his memory wasn't eidetic, but it wasn't piss poor either. Alot of what he read back then he retained. Since he had so much free time, books were a great way to fill the various voids in his life.

Rulu and Gurak continued to talk about it. As the night went on, Gurak got a better understanding of things. Copper, for example, was the lowest currency. A hundred copper was worth a single silver coin. Similarly, a hundred silver was a single gold coin. Like the dwarven lady in the adventurer guild had stated. He'd paid a hundred years in advance. Just like she'd said, that must have seemed so odd to her. He nods as Rulu continues. A hundred gold was then worth a single platinum coin. And then there were platinum coins with a precious gem set in them, of varying tiers as well. Sapphire, ruby, emerald and diamond, each a hundred coins worth of the one next in line. Gurak wasn't sure which was which, but was fairly certain the diamond platinum coin was the highest. Or, assumed so, at least. Not like he'd ever interact with them anyway.

Most folks made due with just a few silver a day. On average, you could earn 5-8 silver a day. Usually a silver an hour of work, more or less. If you worked for someone else at least. To get a meal and bedding was 2 silver. Or a single silver for either one. But you could buy the ingredients yourself for about half the price, just a handful of coppers, depending on the food you wanted to make. Meat cost more than vegetables or fruits, but they also were the most time intensive ingredients. It took longer to care for and raise an animal for slaughter than it did to grow something. Likewise, the skill needed to hunt an animal was greater than the skill needed to gather herbs. Homeownership puts one into the platinum or higher range of coins. Rulu had never seen more than a single platinum coin in his whole life.

Their wagon, for example, was probably worth 20 to 30 silver coins. The horse pulling it, another ten or so. Depending on its health and age. So should he ever bump into the individual who originally owned them, he'd owe at least 30 or more silver. But he could just toss them a gold coin or two, and it'd be resolved. There was a crest on the side of the wagon, but not one that he nor Rulu recognized, however.

It was worth it to Gurak, at least. The horse had practically become part of the family in the few days they'd spent time together. He'd have to think of a good name for the equine, perhaps buy it a friend so that the big beast wasn't lonely. Everyone needed a friend, after all.

They had a robust economy, to have so many iterations of coins. Though he wagered only nobility ever really dealt with the greater valued platinum coins. He could understand why now, he didn't find higher-value coins in the dungeon. Not because they didn't exist, but having too much wealth would've made him a bigger target, just having all the gold they did was in itself theoretically dangerous. Much more than they had and word would spread of an orc with more money than sense and as hard as his adventure had been to his point, it would've been all the worse for it later. Having a platinum-diamond coin would have been amazing, but it would've been so much money that there'd never be anywhere he could spend it reasonably.

At least the coins were marked by a seal of the gods, so it wasn't like it was easily forged. Though COULD they be forged? Surely it's been attempted in the past. He'd have to ask about it. He turned after another bite of his meat, once the burnt outer layer was gone, it was pretty delicious.

"Has anyone ever tried to make forgeries of the deity money found in dungeons? Certainly, dwarves could mine the gold, and orcs refine it into useable material for coins. That's how most countries and kingdoms make their coins I imagine."

Rulu takes a bite of his meat and nods. "Yeah, lots of folks have. But it seems every time someone has managed to make a single coin, everyone involved died in some spontaneous, horrific manner." Rulu scratched his chin in thought. "Not the kingdoms though. As long as it used the seal of their particular kingdom, instead of the deity seal, there was never any issue I've ever heard of." Rulu felt it important to clarify, so Gurak didn't think coin makers in each country were being killed off for just doing their jobs.

Gurak grimaced at the thought. Well, at least that was something he'd avoid trying now that he knew about it. He'd hate to squander the gods' kindness of reincarnating him, only to do something foolish and earn their ire so soon.

Another part of their normal evening rituals, so to speak, was that they'd share a bedroll. Rulu liked Gurak's innate body heat, and Gurak was happy to have someone to put his arm around. It wasn't something he got to do in his past life, so having someone with such a deep affection for him made him pretty happy.

Rulu set up the wind barrier like every other evening, and the pair drifted off to sleep while the fire crackled without wood, charged by Gurak's magical abilities. Another thing that, while it wasn't a common practice, it was likely going to be. Was waking up to Rulu touching his orc dick. Gurak didn't mind, not in the slightest. It was nice to have someone interested in him like that.

This morning wasn't much different from the one before. He awoke the sun barely cresting over the far-off mountains, as Rulu's hands pulled his foreskin back and forth slowly. He lifts his hips and growls softly and then rolls over slowly, pinning Rulu to the bedroll, and grins down at him. The lizardman was naked and already wrapping his legs around the orc's waist. The lizardman's hand guided the orc as he slowly nudged the lizardman's rump, and then sunk into him. The pair moaned in unison as he slowly sunk each inch into the cock hungry lizardman.

Rulu grins up at the orc and kisses along his scruffy chin. The orc laughs softly. "You're so insatiable. It's only been a day." He rumbles out.

Rulu nods and moves his hand up, stroking Gurak's cheek. "The day you feel an orc dick inside of you, I bet you'll want it back again soon too." He laughs and uses his ankles to pull Gurak's hips in closer but pressing against his ass. Both grunt softly.

Gurak didn't need much motivation. His hips pumping slowly and steadily. Kissing all over Rulu's face as they made love for quite some time. The lizardman's moans grew louder as Gurak's thick tool rubbed across his prostate time and time again, before he tensed up and gripped Gurak, his body shuddering and orgasm hitting him, lizard seed streaking across his chest on each hard thrust into him. Gurak wasn't far behind. Another series of rapid thrusts and grunts echoed across the area, and the lizardman was rewarded with a healthy amount of orc cum flooding his guts once more.

Rulu and Gurak panted softly. The orc kissed along the lizardman's neck a few more times. Pressing his body in close he gently started thrusting again. Grinding his still semi-hard dick around inside of the lizardman. Rulu groaned softly and laughed. Gurak perked up his eyebrows and grinned. "Round two?"

Rulu laughs and gently pushes Gurak's face away playfully. "Another time. We should clean up and head to that tower you were so interested in. We should be there before too long." He rumbles and wiggles his hips, even going so far as to clench up around Gurak who lets out a soft moan.

"Mmph, you sure? I bet I could get another in. Or you could try topping me now. I'd trust you to do it." Gurak's lascivious smile was pushed away by Rulu's hand again and the pair laughed. Gurak slowly pulled away with a soft hiss, and the pair walked a few feet away from their campsite. Rulu then conjured some water to hose them off. Gurak wasn't too fond of it, since the water wasn't exactly warm. But it cleaned him off well enough, Rulu cleaned himself up just as quickly. Then using wind magic dried them off just as quickly.

Rulu smirks at Gurak. "I appreciate the offer, but uh, I kind of like things this way. This just feels perfect to me, if I'm honest." The dark-scaled lizardman replied. He presses his body, cooler scales against warm green skin as the sun creeps across them. "I like being this for you. I like feeling you in this unique way. Maybe someday, I'd like to try it." He whispers, nuzzling against the orc's hairy chest as he rumbles happily. "But, for now, I like how things are. It feels...really good, and I wouldn't change anything." The lizardman couldn't blush, or rather, couldn't show it, due to his scales, but, the orc felt that Rulu was blushing, as much as the lizardman could, anyway.

Once cleaned up and dried, the pair put their armor back on. Packed up their things into the wagon and started down the road once more. They made decent progress and in just a few hours at a comfortable pace, the pair saw the tower in the distance. Another hour and they were there.

Gurak approached the tower. Knocking on the door gently. No one answered, but there was smoke coming from the chimney of it. So there was a fire being tended, most likely. The tower itself felt like it thrummed with magic, faint, but persistent. Gurak couldn't place why it seemed familiar, but something about it was. The orc placed his hand on it and tried to focus, he felt a slight pain, in his back but he couldn't reach it.

He pulled his hand away and glanced around. He couldn't detect anyone. His wind barrier would never encompass the whole tower. He waited for Rulu and asked him to use his. But he couldn't reach but halfway up the tower, and it didn't detect anyone.

Gurak reached out and stroked Rulu's cheek. He was about to tell Rulu, that he should stay here, but he couldn't protect Rulu if they were apart. He smiles and leans in, kissing the lizardman's cheek. "Stay close, okay?" He interlocks his fingers with the Lizardman's own. Gurak opened the door and stepped inside.

Whatever he expected, this wasn't it. The tower was just a pillar. It had a spiral staircase. The bottom floor had a fireplace, the wood within just embers. There was a chair, a rug, a table with things on it, but none of it looked recently placed. The food was cold, the drink warmed up to room temperature. The bottom floor hadn't been visited in some time, as the heat was dwindling, but it wasn't completely gone. He led Rulu up the stairs. His shield arm in the lead, shield extended. As they cleared the first set of stairs, the second floor looked similar to the first. A fireplace, offset from the one below it, chair, bookcase, rug, and bed. A few more amenities than on the bottom floor. Food on the table, drink in the cup, just like the first floor. Even the fire was just as dwindling as the floor below. He looked down the stairs, just to make sure it wasn't a loop of some kind. He had no idea what kind of magic existed here.

They continued up the next set of stairs. Though as they got closer to the next floor Rulu stopped and tugged Gurak's arm. "I can sense someone. Further up. He seems injured, but I can't determine the extent of it. There's strong magic up there too."

Gurak nods his head softly and releases the intertwined fingers. He needed his axe at the ready. Rulu stayed close behind Gurak. They slowly climbed the stairs. The sounds of combat were distinct. Wood clashing against....it sounded like stone, then a loud thud, only for it to start again. When Gurak crested the stairs. His eyes just peeking over the floor, he saw a bull, a minotaur he would have guessed. Older, but strong, muscular, wearing loose robes, fighting some kind of...golem, in front of a portal. The golem was trying to keep it open, and the bull seemed intent on damaging it. Gurak patted Rulu's side and asked him to stay low, as he stepped up and into view.

Gurak shouted to the bull. "Tell me what you need me to do." The bull glances aside and grinned suddenly.

The bull pointed at the golem. "Distract it, get it away from the opening if you can! I need to break the magic to close it."

Gurak nods his head unclasps an axe head and sends it whizzing toward the golem. The axe head connected, but merely bounced off, the metal wasn't strong enough, or the arm behind it lacked the strength to surpass the hardness of the golem's body. The being, made of crystal, roared in annoyance and turned towards Gurak.

Gurak followed it up with a small bolt of fire magic. "Raging flame, a blessing of Aethos, condense and reduce my foe to ash! Ignition Arrow!" The spell connected, and expanded outward when it hit, like it was dissipated, but, no visible damage was done to the surface of the golem. The golem seemed to roar in annoyance. Gurak stepped forward, and swung around his other axe, knocking it off balance.

While this was going on. The bull was moving to the other side, focusing on the ring of the portal. The magic weaved there 3 separate strands, like a braid. He had to single one out and focused on it in particular. Wind was the easiest for him, so it was what he was attentive to.

Gurak and Golem traded blows. His axe deflected off the strong crystal, and the shield he wore deflecting the brunt of most any attacks thrown his way. The golem knocked him back, against the wall. Rulu, still at the edge of the steps, peeking over just to watch. Saw this and shouted to Gurak.

The golem seeing Rulu, lobbed a cluster of crystals in his direction. It hit the wall nearby and shattered. Rulu shouted and disappeared down the stairs once more. Gurak glanced to the side and felt his heart pounding in his chest, in his face, in his ears. Heating up and burning him on the inside. He tosses his axe aside and puts both hands towards the golem and unleashes a torrent of magic like he'd never felt before. It was dark and full of anger, but somehow held no darkness itself. The magic erupted from his fingers and tore through the golem, not melting it, not disassembling it even, but rather picking chunks off like pieces of a puzzle, but it didn't stop there, it went through the golem, like it was barely even there, leaving only its legs and an arm in its wake. The focused spiral blast continued and hit the portal as well, the weave the bull tried so hard to untangle split at the seams immediately, and the portal blinked out, then the magic blast continued past that as well, and hit the side and roof of the tower finally, disintegrating it just like it had the portal and golem before.

After the blast of magical energy, he turned and ran for the stairs. Rulu was slumped over. Blood trailed from his arm where the crystal had shattered and splintered off. Gurak focused carefully with his light magic and urged the wounds to close, pushing out the crystal fragments by healing the wounds deepest in first. He didn't let up with his magical healing till he was sure there were no more wounds on the precious lizardman. He carefully picked him up and carried him up to the top floor. The bull was sitting on the floor, flabbergasted. Gurak carefully lays the lizardman on the bed on the top floor and drops to his knees beside the bed. He looked over the unconscious lizardman protectively.

So focused on him, he didn't notice the faint blue shimmer over the bull, nor that he had approached. "Not that I don't appreciate the help, but what the damato are you doing in my tower?"

Gurak didn't even look up. "We were just coming by to see you, well not YOU, but whoever lived here. We'd heard about the tower from the nearby orc village. So I thought I'd come check it out. See what was out here, that's all. We never intended any harm." His eyes never left the lizardman on the bed, his breathing was slow and deep, and he showed no signs of serious injury, yet the orc still held fear in his heart.

The bull looks at the hole in his tower, the defeated golem, and the place where the portal had been. "You did more than check it out. You saved me. I was experimenting. It's what I'd come out here to do, in the safety of the wilds so if anything.....happened, I wouldn't endanger anyone else."

Gurak nods his head. "Will he be okay?" That is all the orc can say after that. Sure, the bull's building was damaged and they weren't exactly safe, but nothing mattered more at this moment than Rulu being okay.

The bull walks over and rests a hand on the lizardman's head. Focusing intently. Then looks at the orc, shrugging. "I dunno. I'm not a healer." The bull grins at the orc after.

Gurak grunted. "Then why'd you touch him!?" He felt anger welling up inside of him, but not at the bull, per se, but at himself for having let Rulu get hurt in the first place.

The bull laughs. "Made it seem like I knew what I was doing huh?" The bull walks around to sit in the chair nearby. He doesn't say much else. Just giving the orc a few moments to think.

Gurak finally looks up. He'd done all he could for Rulu. He'd focused his healing magic on him multiple times since laying him down to check and recheck everything he could. "So...what even was that? I've never seen something like it before." The orc asks, and the bull nods his head.

"Ahh, it was my attempt at teleportation magic, specifically a type of portal spell. I've been trying to weave differnt magic together. But it's only in the beginning stages. Think of it. Portals from one major city to the next, or, a portal to your hometown a months travel away, you're there within seconds!" He raises his arms excitedly. "Ahh, but it's a fairy tale. I can't dictate where it comes out. The portals seem to connect to a random place each time I create one. This is the first where something came through from the other side. Wherever it was, the locals weren't happy about it. That was one of'm. Whatever it was. It looks like you just....made it disappear. Scrubbed it away like a stain in reality." He looks at the orc. "Just who are you?"

The orc blinks, gods he hadn't even introduced himself. "Oh, my apologies." He stands up and kisses Rulu's forehead. "I'm Gurak, that's Rulu. We're traveling. I...we don't have a destination or anything, just traveling." He shrugs softly.

The bull shakes his head. Squints and grumbles. "Fascinating." He says as he watches the orc. "I've never met anyone who could resist my appraisal magic before." He tilts his head, watching the orc. "Not in all my forty years." He watches the orc carefully. "Y...you weren't sent here to kill me, you swear?"

Gurak looks at the bull, he shakes his head. "What? No." He laughs. "We sincerely only came out of curiosity. You can ask the orcs back in the village if you don't believe me. That is if you'd trust us to travel with us there."

The bull shakes his head softly. "No, no. Sorry, it's just my paranoia. I left the mage college in a bit of a huff, they didn't like my unorthodox attempts at new magic and weaving spells together."

Gurak places his hand on Rulu and gives him another magical checkover. No wounds, no broken bones, no damage he could detect with his light magic. Before he turns back to the bull. "We aren't trying to get involved in any of that. We'll get out of your way once he's awake."

The bull nods and walks over to the hole in the tower and focuses, stone manifesting out of thin air and slowly rebuilding the broken parts of the tower. So that there was no longer a hole where Gurak had put one. "Well, let's go downstairs and talk, so we don't disturb him while he rests."

As they went down the stairs. Gurak picked up his axe and axe head, shrunk them back down, and put it on his belt, before following. The bull was downstairs, on the second floor, using his flint and steel to try and light the fire. Gurak walked over and with a flick of his fingers, a small fire started with the wood he let his magic go so that the wood would be the fuel for it.

The bull laughs and smiles. "Wonderful. As expected of an orc. Adept at fire magic!" The bull moves to sit in a chair, motioning to the other for Gurak to sit in, which the orc did. "So, Gurak. You possess fire and light magic, but something else. I can't place it. But it protects you from my appraisal magic. Might I ask what it is?" The bull blinks after a moment, realizing he'd gone straight into questions and laughs. "Blessings on me, I'm a lousy host." He grabbed a kettle and poured some water into it from an urn, and then put it over the fire. He sat down once more. "My name is Zamdor, no surname, I was sold to the mages' school as a child, so my surname was lost." He waves his hand. "Master of wind and earth and ice magics, at your pleasure."

Gurak smiles and nods. "Ahh, I dunno if I should talk about it with someone I just met. Let's just say I'm a little better at magic than most folks where I'm from is all."

Zamdor the bull nodded his head, his fingers coming up to rub his blonde beard gently. He watched the orc for a few moments. The bull's eyes focused on the orc, taking in each detail of the young green-skinned man. before his eyes seemingly widen at an unheard revelation. "You're him....aren't you?"

Gurak's hair started to stand on end when the bull said it and he looked ready to fight, his hand moving towards his axe.

The bull put his hands up. "Whoa, whoa. Not looking to fight." He says softly. "But...you're THE orc, aren't you?" He watches Gurak's expression. "The one who refined orc magic."

Gurak squinted, how in the hell could the bull make that leap? "What makes you think that?" he didn't let his hand loose from his axe handle, keeping his eyes focused on the bull and his body on the defensive if need be.

Zamdor slowly lowers his arms back to the chair armrests. "The spell you used up there. Not the...big one, the fire arrow. I've seen orcs attempt it. Trained a few in the last couple of years at the academy. Very few could get it to that shape, fewer still could get it so precise. Even myself." He'd been teaching for some time, and the spread of the refined magic, coming from an orc village wasn't an uncommon rumor, especially among the mage's college.

He tilts his head. "And you have the look of a man wiser than his years. It's your eyes." He points out. "You don't look like a lad of twenty summers. Your body does, but your eyes." He waves his hand. "They look like a man as old as myself. Back pain, knees hurting, everything you eat makes your throat burn an hour later." The bull chuckles and sits back in his seat, arms still at the armrests,

Gurak furrows his eyebrows. Did he give off that appearance? "What if I was?" His grip on the axe handle loosened some, his apprehension melting away little by little as the bull spoke.

Zamdor grins and claps. "OH, delightful, we're not dancing around it." He leans forward. "I want to learn from you. A man of your wisdom is a once-in-a-generation kind of thing. Folks barely would look in my direction back at the tower. But you. You jumped in to help, and you didn't even know who I was, or IF you could help. But you offered it, and never even asked for anything after." The bull leans back in his seat once again. For an old man the bull sure was animated when he wanted to be.

The words of Rulu, days before rang in his ears. 'You acted with love, for strangers'

Gurak smiles softly. "I suppose I did just jump in, didn't I?" He rubs the back of his head. "It's a bad habit. I see someone in need of help and I just, jump in, doesn't matter the odds or the situation. I'm there." He laughs softly and rubs the back of his head.

Zamdor nods. "Well, it means a lot to me, that you did. I honestly don't think I could have toppled that beast without help, let alone broken the magic of the portal..." He tilts his head watching the orc. "You have more than two blessings." He states matter of factly. "I can't prove it. But whatever you did up there, I've never seen it before and I have seen every element of magic. Up close and personal. You though, something about you is different." The bull had his theories, but whatever they were, he didn't share them with Gurak. Had he surmised that Gurak possessed void element?

Gurak looks at his feet and sighs. "Y-yeah. I have a few blessings." He scratches his arm, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "It's a long story and, maybe someday I'll trust you enough to tell you. But, that won't be today." He says simply. The bull nods and smiles at the orc. The bull was old enough to know when to stop pushing for information. He had spent a decade as a teacher and gained an understanding of keeping and needing secrets.

Zamdoor watches the orc. "Well, perhaps I can travel with you then." The orc blinks, taken aback, surprised even by the suggestion. "Well the only way you'll trust me is if you see me for who I am. You and the beastkin upstairs seem upstanding lads. The pair of you seem to have a...grasp of magic. But you've never really been trained in it, not saying you aren't skilled. But as good as you were up there, it's unrefined, untrained."

The bull gestures to himself. "I'm a teacher...albeit retired, from the mage's school, once my theories got me celebrated, now I'm exiled." He sighs and laughs. The bull was sure their skills were impressive, from whatever backwoods village they were from, but with his help, they'd become world-renowned, at least, if they wanted to be, with power like that.

"But, their loss is your gain. I'm a wonderful teacher. At least I believed so." He laughs and watches the orc. "You're free to say no, of course." He shrugs. "But, maybe I'll pack up my things and start traveling too, accidentally bump into you, everywhere." The bull smiled big and wide, they could say no. But that didn't mean the bull couldn't just...go the same places. He didn't need their permission, after all.

Gurak grumbles and waves his hand. "FINE...fine. Gods you are persistent." He laughs softly though. The orc, didn't want to admit it, but the shaman back home could only teach him so much, it was a basic education at best, after all. A true magic teacher would be incredibly valuable in his growth, and reaching his potential. He was happy with what Rulu had said to him earlier, about how he'd already achieved what he needed to, but Gurak wasn't convinced, there was a greater role for him to play. Something yet undone.

Gurak leans back. "But you behave yourself." He states simply. "No causing me and Rulu trouble."

Zamdor grins glancing upward at the ceiling, and then sits up, scooting in. "Are you two mated?" He asks, the bull clearly, suddenly interested in the pair, in more than an academic way.

Gurak's face turned darker green. "N-no...not...exactly. We're closer than friends, that much is true." He huffs. "But, I dunno about, mated." He rubs his neck. "I don't even know what that means." The orc admitted, orcs married in their communities, but, perhaps it was something similar, but unique to the beastkin races?

The bull laughs. "Ahh, well if you aren't mated, then I am free to flirt with him?" The bull grins big at that. "He's quite the handsome young lizardman, isn't he? Think he'd like an old bull like me?" The older man continued.

Gurak grunts! "N-NO, he's mine!" His orcs face getting all hot and flustered. Suddenly he felt arms around his neck from behind and the lizard laughing into his ear.

"Am I?" Gurak only saw it for the briefest of moments, but a blue glow radiated off of Rulu when he realized the lizardman's arms were around him. He hadn't heard the lizardman coming down the stairs behind him, and the bull must have seen him and tricked him into talking about such a private matter so Rulu would overhear.

Gurak tensed and deflated. "I don't know." He says and sighs.

Rulu, appearing fully healed, scoots around the chair and kisses the orc's cheek. "Don't worry about it. We're closer than friends, and lovers. I couldn't ask for more, falling asleep in your arms is more than enough to make me happy."

Gurak blushed gently but nodded his head. "Are you sure?" The pair had all but completely forgotten that Zamdor was just a few feet away.

The lizardman nods. "I don't want to deny you the opportunities on this journey, but, that means I can experience them too." The lizardman glances at the bull playfully.

Gurak puts his arm around Rulu and hugs him close. "Nope, I don't like it. All mine." He hugs and laughs. Rulu laughs softly as well.

Rulu pats the orc's head. "Well, I won't begrudge you that. But if YOU wanted to." He glances at the bull now and grins, leaning in to lick the orc's ear once. "At least let me watch if I'm not allowed to be involved."

Gurak's face flushed with blush again. Thinking of him, Rulu and the bull, Zamdor all squeezed onto one bedroll, his loincloth tightened, naturally both Rulu and Zamdor noticed it. The pair started laughing, and Gurak covered his face. "Gods, strike me down, I'm about to die from embarrassment."

Gurak pointed at the bull. "OK, ground rules. Rulu and I will need private time, in the mornings. I...uh...I mean, IF you wanted to....observe from a distance, I wouldn't object, as long as he was okay with it too." The bull nodded and grinned. Rulu looked to Gurak and then to Zamdor, nodding his head in agreement.

"When do I get to join in though?" The bull asked, sporting something of a bulge, and he wasn't doing anything to hide it as he sat across from the pair.

Gurak grunted. "Hells, I don't know. We just met, you old pervert!" The orc was still riled up thinking about it, deep down he kind of wanted to say it immediately, but, he was too shy, far shyer than the bull at least.

Zamdor laughed, his deep voice reverberating off the walls inside the tower, a happiness the old bull hadn't felt in ages filling him up for the first time in ages. "You two are going to be delightful to travel with." He puts his hand up. "I swear I won't make any inappropriate moves, but I'll return any such affections when sent my direction." Zamdor winks at the pair and pats his groin. "This ol bull can teach you lads a thing or two about more than magic, I'm sure. For now, though, let's spend the day resting. Tomorrow, we can set out. I'll let you and the lizard fella pick where you want to sleep. I'll be up on the top floor as that's where I typically rest."

Zamdor gets up slowly and gets the kettle of water from the fire, it wasn't quite boiling, but it was close. He pours three cups of it and adds a mixture of leaves held in small cloth bags, Gurak surmised this was likely a blend of tea. The three sat and talked a bit. Mostly about where Gurak came from. His village, the tragedy, and then how he and Rulu met a few days ago. But had become fast friends.

Zamdor listened intently, asking questions here and there to clarify things, but he never pried too deeply into Gurak's story. The old bull was curious and wanted to know more, but he respected Gurak's desire for privacy. Zamdor was taken aback upon hearing that Gurak's parents had passed away the same day as the tragedy. Zamdor bowed his head and whispered something in a language Gurak didn't recognize.

When Zamdor sat back up, he canted his head and smiled softly. "Ahh, old Minotaur funeral prayer. Roughly translated, it means, 'May those we've lost rest peacefully, but our enemies never know peace, not even in death.'

Gurak nodded his head slightly. Then asked, "I noticed the uh...tower is made of magic, is it like a magical construct?"

Zamdor perks his eyebrows. "I'm impressed you figured that out. It is. The whole thing is made by my earth magic. That's why it was disintegrated when your.....whatever you did hit it. Thankfully it wasn't beyond repair. I just had to replace the broken and missing pieces. It was simple enough." Truly Zamdor had never seen something burn away magic the way that the orc had upstairs, it was completely unfamiliar, perhaps a higher form of fire magic?

Gurak nods his head. "So you can build just...structures with magic? Do they disappear when you run out of magic? Does the building stay because it was made of real stone?"

Zamdor listens quietly and replies. "I can. They do not disappear when I undo the spell as the stone is crafted from real rock. I just reassemble it from down below but infuse my magic into it so it holds the shape. But I use my magic to maintain it, without draining my magic heavily. I just use enough to keep the woven magic together. It takes a slow drain of my mana, but, I've an old hand with using spells, so my mana reserves are quite full. So to speak."

Gurak nods his head. They continued to talk throughout the day, sharing a meal, and talking about themselves. Gurak listened as Rulu shared stories of his childhood, some of the same ones he'd heard while they were traveling.

Then Zamdor shared some. He was part of a traveling merchant caravan, as most beastfolk were, but showed an exemplary amount of magical talent. His opportunistic parents, saw this chance and when they got close to a mage's college, offered to sell their son to them. The school accepted when they realized the young calf had three blessings. Which was quite uncommon. Gurak didn't say anything about his five and when Rulu glanced at him. He squeezed the lizardman's hand, shaking his head ever so slightly.

Zamdor, of course, noticed this, but he didn't say anything about it. Though, the old bull continued. "From there, I was both a student of the school but also a....I guess employee. Janitor of sorts. When I wasn't in class, I was cleaning the school. Practicing my magic. To me, it was just the new normal, standard stuff."

Zamdor shrugs gently. "But anyways. Years later I'd worked off whatever debt I had by working for the school. By then I was one of the most accomplished casters too. Despite my lack of void magic, I could, to a lesser degree weave two elements together, and I've been practicing with the third recently. It wasn't very precise, admittedly, I was disappointed in that, but, it was something no one else in the mage's school had accomplished in the hundreds of years of their records. But, that adoration turned to jealousy, when no one else could replicate my spells and work. I was thought to be cheating or, using some trickery, perhaps a magical artifact that gave me an unfair advantage or skill to accomplish this."

Zamdor sighs softly. "So, about a year ago. I was asked, as respectfully as the headmaster could muster to resign and go elsewhere, that I was more trouble than I was worth now. The school was getting a bad reputation because of me. Folks saying I wasn't the mage I claimed to be. It got to be a whole mess, and thankfully I was glad to leave." He chuckles. "I thought perhaps you were sent by a rival from the college or the parent of an offended student who had failed to perform the most mundane of spells." The bull shrugs a little.

The three had spent a more few hours talking and enjoying one another's company. The windows, small as they were in the tower, showed the sun had already disappeared beneath the horizon and night was overtaking day. Zamdor patted both the orc and lizardman on the shoulder before he retired upstairs to his own, somewhat 'private' bedroom of sorts. With the portal gone and the golem creature defeated, it was just a normal room once more.

It was just Gurak and Rulu once again. The horse and wagon were stabled, as best as they could given the situation. Their things were brought in from the wagon, they'd decided to stay on the first floor. Both just felt safer closer to the door, in case the old bull couldn't be trusted after all.

Zamdor didn't blame them for the distrust. He was used to it, after his time in the Mage's college. Teachers there didn't work together, and were often fairly cutthroat, even going so far as to sabotage or steal ideas from one another. Even assassinations weren't out of the question. Rare sure, but, still happened every decade or so. Zamdor went back up to the top of the tower where he slept that night. Giving the other two space to feel safe and free to be themselves. Or even flee, if they so wanted.

After it got later in the evening everyone was in bed, so to speak. Rulu and Gurak spoke candidly about the events of the day. A lot had happened after all.

Gurak held the lizardman close in the dimly lit room. Only a single candle flickered on the table a few feet away while they lay on a bed. The first bed Gurak had ever laid on in this world that wasn't at an inn, truth be told. He'd spent his life on military-like cots in the village. Or bedrolls on the ground. The beds at the inn were nice, but, smelled something awful. A hammock once, but that was a disaster and a half.

"Do you think that Zamdor can be trusted?" The orc whispers to the lizardman. The dark-scaled man nods slightly. Still pressed close to the orc's body, his arm draped over the orc's chest as they held close.

"I think everything happens for a reason Gurak," Rulu whispered back. "You chose our path, it led us here, to him. If we'd arrived a day later, he'd probably be dead. If we'd arrived a day earlier, he'd not have needed our help." Rulu shrugs softly. "We arrived, exactly when we needed to. Your intervention saved him, and changed the course of his life." He smirks at the orc. "Sound familiar? Arriving just at the right time, and changing someone's life?" He gently nudges the orc. Who, of course, sighed and rubbed his forehead with his green fingers.

"Ugh, this destiny bullshit is getting old." But Gurak laughed softly. "S...should I tell him about my blessings and....everything else....Earth and...ya know." Rulu looks at the orc and shrugs gently.

"I can't decide that for you. Those are your secrets, your story, you can share it with whoever you want, or keep it to yourself when the mood suits you. I think he is worthy of trust. But I can't decide if he's someone you could openly tell everything to, or not." Rulu leans up and kisses the orc's cheek lightly. "You've not steered us wrong yet. Granted, we only just started our adventure, however, I feel your leadership is the right call, in any given situation."

Gurak sighs softly, covering his face with his free hand and he nods. "Then I'll think on it a few days." His other arm, around Rulu, hugs the lizardman against his side firmly. The lizardman mmm'd happily and snuggled in closer before they finally settled in to doze off.

The pair slept peacefully throughout the night. Rulu's wind barrier kept active, though Zamdor never came down the stairs, triggering it.

Gurak, as mornings before, awoke to something touching him. Admittedly, part of him worried he was going to open his eyes and see the perverse older bull standing, or kneeling close by and doing it. But, thankfully, when he opened them, it was just Rulu, as usual. He chuckles. "Even here?" He asks softly. The sun's rays were just breaking through the treeline outside and could barely be seen against the inside walls of the tower through the windows.

Rulu nods and nuzzles in against the orc's neck. "Yeah. Your scent always rouses me, especially in the mornings. He grins and glances upwards. "And I can smell him up there as well. Seems he has a similar morning ritual. I can't see it, naturally, but, the taste of sweat of....arousal, is in the air and it's his." Rulu chuckles. "It kinda got me riled up too."

Gurak huffs and laughs. "How did you manage before me?" The orc wonders as he watches the lizardman. Rulu slowly climbed up onto the bed. So they were chest to chest, before he leaned back, taking hold of Gurak's arousal and carefully sitting back onto it with a soft, stifled moan as each inch of orc length sunk into him. Rulu never felt as right as he did when Gurak was hilted inside of him. The whole world just seemed better in that moment.

Rulu carefully rocked his hips. Pushing back and down onto Gurak's lap and then slowly lifting, and then pushing back down. Letting out slowly louder groans as he moves his body. Gurak, did his best to remain silent as well. But his sounds of pleasure were escaping now and then, of course, the sounds echoed through the tower, and another person heard them.

The pair moved in unison like this for some time. Gurak pinned under Rulu as he rode him. Lizard's tail swaying side to side as he pushes down to the hilt each time, clenching up around the orc making him groan. The lizardman saw the old bull coming down the stairs as well, watching from them, the bull sitting there, arousal in hand and stroking it, while the lizardman kept at it.

Rulu glanced at Gurak and then to the stairs, the orc looked too, face flushed with embarrassment, but he wasn't in any mood to stop either. If anything, it somehow heightened his excitement for some reason, and his normally longer morning sessions with the handsome lizardman were drawing to a close sooner than usual. His hands were on the lizardman's hip and length, stroking him quickly.

Rulu must have felt the same, because he didn't last as long as he normally did either, on a downward push, he shudders and groans loudly, before streaks of lizard cum splattered across the orcs chest and stomach. The sudden and wonderful sensation of the lizardman clenching around him caused him to shudder and grip Rulu's thighs, a surge of his seed erupting within the lizardman, flooding his body as it had several mornings before now.

A grunt from afar, and the splatter of liquid on stone broke them of their revelry as the bull gave up his load, though it hit the stone between his legs as he watched the pair. He grins and waves to them. Before heading back up the stairs.

Rulu grinned down at the orc, who was still embarrassed. "Gods, I can't believe he watched us." The orc finally managed to say with a soft laugh.

Rulu smirks at the orc. "I dunno, I think you liked it. You've never finished so quickly, not even our first time. I think some part of you likes him." Rulu grins and rocks his hips slowly. "Do you wish to mount him as well?" The lizardman asks, his eyes focused on Gurak's own. He didn't have to wait for an answer, the orc thought about it and Rulu felt the orc's dick twitch inside of his rump. The lizardman snickers. "YOU DO!" Rulu grins though and leans down, nuzzling the orc. "Perhaps the three of us sharing a bedroll aren't too far off after all?" The lizardman smiles. "I'm not jealous if you are worried about that." He rumbles softly.

The lizard leans over and kisses Gurak's face tenderly. "Everything for a reason." His hand strokes the orc's face. "I'm sure he has something to teach us, that will be invaluable. Besides the obvious lewd thoughts you have of him." He then shrugged and settled atop the orc for a few moments, before they both got up and went outside, the tower was remote enough that they felt safe going out completely nude to clean up after their intimate time.

Rulu again conjured some water to clean them off as best he could manage, they hadn't seen a bathtub, or basin inside, so this was the next best option. A gentle breeze followed like normal, drying their skin quickly, to ward off getting sick.

A bit later, the pair returned inside, Zamdor was downstairs, cooking breakfast in the fireplace. Both were naked, of course, but Zamdor didn't seem too concerned, only Gurak covered himself till he got his clothing on. Rulu didn't care if the bull looked, not that the old man did.

They ate breakfast, fairly quietly, the orc unable to make eye contact with the bull. Zamdor was not sure what to say. Rulu finally broke the silence.

"Did you enjoy the show?" The bull was about to spit out his sausage when the lizardman spoke up. The bull, perverse as he was, still blushed a bit at the words.

The bull glanced aside, not at either of them. "Both of you are quite handsome. You'll have to forgive this old bull for being nosey. I heard the noises, and came to make sure you weren't being attacked, though when I realized what was going on, I couldn't exactly look away." Zamdor looks at the fire. "I didn't have friends in the mage's college, not really. Everyone was out for themselves. You couldn't trust anyone, not with your magical secrets, not with your research, not with your personal secrets."

He sighs softly. "The few times I shared intimacy, were drunken sailors eager for affection from anyone who'd offer it. Or ladies who saw my....size and thought I could satisfy them." He shrugs his shoulders. "This old bull has lived a long life, sure, but I haven't got to live if that makes sense."

Gurak understood more than the bull realized. Though their reasons might have been quite different, in another life, he'd been in much the same position. He'd rarely had time for romantic pursuits, and it was mostly for physical relief than it was romantic love when he'd met with someone intimately.

Gurak didn't say anything, he just stood up from his seat and walked over. He put his arms around the still sitting bull and hugged the old man's face to hairy chest. The bull stopped, his arms dropped to his sides slightly and he just pressed his face in. A blue glow overcame him again, not that Rulu could detect it, and a tear welled up in the bull's eye, but it was blinked away before it could escape. Gurak knew how badly, all he wanted, was to be held some days in his old life. He wouldn't begrudge the bull for wishing the same in this one.

The morning was livelier after that. The three talked more about their lives before, barring the 'previous' life discussion, at least for now. Each of them had a vastly different childhood.

For now, the trio was happy to talk while sharing the first meal. Once breakfast was finished, they packed up their belongings, Zamdor however, didn't. He just let them gather their things, and take them out to the wagon. Once everything of Rulu and Gurak's was loaded up, Zamdor grinned at the pair. "Wanna see how I travel?" He asked, the pair, of course, nodded.

Zamdor focuses on the magic in the tower and it slowly shrinks down, reducing in size till it could fit into his palm. He places the small tower, into a pouch at his hip and climbs up onto the wagon on the other side of Gurak. The tower, once over a hundred feet tall, was now only a few inches and tucked away. Gurak could swear he read about something similar in some tabletop game back in the real world.

But he remembered, what the goddess of light had mentioned nearly 20 years ago. Concepts of magic bled through the cracks in the worlds, and ideas like it were absorbed by the magic bereft world of Earth, as flashes of inspiration or stories. Were all of Earth's fantasy and fiction books based on something like the world he was in, and they were wholly unaware? If he had time to investigate it, surely it'd be a wonderful topic for debate and exploration.

But his train of thought was derailed when Zamdor spoke up, his deep, rich baritone voice pulling him from his thoughts. "Where are we headed next?" The older bull asked. On one side of the orc, with Rulu sitting on the other side.

Gurak looked and nodded in the direction he was facing. "Southward, to the Dwarven port city. We'll see about resupplying and asking around for information. I dunno where to go next, so I figured we'd get some supplies, and decide what we're doing after that." He looks to Rulu and Zamdor. "We, not I." He clarifies. "I'd like to hear your opinions and suggestions." He makes sure the others are aware of it. "It's not just my journey, we're all traveling together. I don't give a damn what destiny has in store, we decide our fates, our own lives." The orc sounded confident when he said it.

But deep down, he felt the words were hollow. Rulu was right, everything he'd done so far, felt like it was destined. Each step before prepared him for the one ahead. Every action led him to something new, and then that would lead him to the next. Like a trail of imperceptible breadcrumbs laid out before him, that not even he could see till he picked it up.