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Tablet Master

Chapter 9

Keyfay

The pain was intense as her body took shape before her master. She growled low with her fists clenched for a moment before it subsided.

A stunning Elf stood before her, his skin looked smooth, and his bright emerald eyes staring back at her seemed impassive. “Cast your cleansing spell on me," he said sternly.

She looked at him, disoriented and confused, but words came to mind and she knew what to say and how to say the words to perform the spell requested. 'A cleansing spell,' she thought, examining the Elf from head to toe. 'He really needs it indeed.'

The Elf wore a thick camouflage military like outfit with multiple pockets, but he was covered in blood, dirt and dry leaves. He stood a little taller than her, held a short sword in his right hand and the Tablet in his left hand.

'I know what this Tablet is,' she thought. 'This one was merged already.'

“Today," the Elf said.

'I should be compelled to obey his commands, but I don't feel any pain yet,' she thought. 'Why do I know this, but can't remember who I am?'

“I order you to cast your cleansing spell on me, now!"

'This doesn't feel right,' she thought. 'Why am I purple?' She looked at her clawed hands before examining her body. She was covered with fur and that seamed off and abnormal. The entire façade of her body was mostly white with a faint shade of purple, from just under her nose, down around her cheek, neck and front, ending in points between her thighs. The rest was all dark purple with black stripes, even her long and thin feline tail. She had long pointy ears and short bright red hair. She wore a dark blue one-piece body suit and carried two long Katana swords in her back.

The Elf's eyes grew wide as he gulped before taking a few steps away from her. “Keyfay? … Why aren't you obeying my command?"

Keyfay scoffed. “It looks like I don't have to," she said with a happy grin. “I know the Tablet should compel me to obey, but it looks like the current configuration doesn't enforce that rule."

The Elf examined the Tablet nervously. “What rule is this exactly?"

“Rule #5 stipulates that the summoned creature must truthfully obey and answer every orders, requests, questions, and commands given by the Tablet Master," she said as the knowledge and the words simply came to mind.

“How do you know this about the Tablet," he asked. “You had no memory of who you were and what you did for me every time I summoned you before."

“Every summoned creature has one of the rules altered or ignored when summoned alone. When two or more Tablets are combined, more rules may apply, and another rule will be altered or ignored. There's quite a lot of possible combinations."

“I order you to sit, now," he said.

“Why would I do that," Keyfay said with a malicious grin on her face.

“Do you know how to separate the Tablets."

“I do," she said, “but why would I tell you, since I know you'd simply be able to control me again? Although I don't remember anything of you, me or anything else."

She took a step closer and reached for the Tablet, but he pulled away swiftly. “Don't touch it," he said. “You can't touch it anyways."

“Who's the other one in there?"

“Why should I tell you?"

“Because if you don't, I will kill you."

The Elf frowned. “You can't harm me," he said.

“Can't I?" she smirked, unsheathing her swords slowly.

The Elf held the Tablet before him. “Saïna-Mikeysharadÿss!"

A magnificent and very large white tiger appeared next to her, growling low as it too seemed to brush off the pain of materializing.

“Saïna," the Elf said. “I order you to roar, now!"

The tiger looked at him with its head cocked slightly to the side. It took a moment, but the tiger roared.

“Now lay down and roll over," he said to the tiger.

“What's going on exactly?" The tiger asked, not rolling over.

“Shit!" The Elf said before reading the Tablet again. “Saïna-Mikeysharadÿss!"

The white tiger disappeared.

“Now her name is gone," he said, sighing deeply.

“It will only reappear in 24 hours," Keyfay said, sheathing her sword back.

“Yeah, yeah I know that much," he said. “It would be 10 days if she was killed."

Keyfay gently took the Tablet from his hands. He didn't resist but looked at her with his jaw dropped.

“I'm free of any Master," she said. “I can't take the chance of you sending me back in there. What's your name?"

“Naäthani," he said. “You can call me Nate."

“Well Nate, you're not so unfortunate in this since it looks like we're still bound. I would run away and summon Saïna myself but no matter what I do, this Tablet can't be taken away from you by more than one kilometer and I still can't go further than that either, so basically, you're stuck with me in a maximum possible radius of 2 kilometers. Questions?"

“If I'm the master, why do you act like you're the mistress right now?"

“I'm not sure why and I guess I'm reacting instinctively here, but any master slave relationship feels wrong to me," she said. “You're free to do whatever you want, and I have no intention of treating you like a slave, but we are trapped together no matter what."

“Not true," he said. “You could let me unsummon you and I wouldn't be stuck with you anymore."

“Indeed, but then I'd be alone in the Tablet and although I don't remember anything from being in there, I know it to be very unpleasant. Why don't we work together instead and try to find more Tablets?"

“Could you at least clean me up with your spell before the smell starts attracting other predators?"

“What happened to you anyways," she said before casting her spell.

“Just got into a fight with the previous owner of the second Tablet," he said as the spell cleansed him completely. “Last time I had you summoned, you were going to teach me that spell, but we caught glimpse of the other Tablet and decided to wait. Would you like to teach it to me?"

“What do I get in return?"

“I'd teach you a spell, but I honestly don't know it you'd forget it like everything else ass soon as you'd go back into the Tablet."

He sat long in the grass and sighed deeply. “This is not how I envisioned things would be after I got my hand on that second Tablet, but at least the view is magnificent."

Keyfay hadn't been paying much attention to her surrounding. She was standing on grass and there were no trees nearby, but that was the extent of her contemplation. She looked around to validate his statement.

They were standing in a short grass clearing, bordered by what looked like wild strawberry bushes before a line of trees forming a crescent west of them. The field had a few stones here and there with a narrow stream going down its very faint slope before falling down a cliff. She wasn't close enough to see below the edge, but the slope exposed a huge spiral shaped city further down below. There was a large river on one side of the city, a thick colorful forest on the other side, and a chain of snow-covered mountains even further away.

Keyfay took a deep breath. The air was fresh and cold, but it didn't bother her much with her fur keeping her warm. “Indeed," she said. “The view is quite beautiful. Which city is this?"

“Praxion," Nate said.

Keyfay sat with her legs crossed, breathing extensively, feeling the breeze brushing through her soft fur, and flicking her tail intermittently, empty minded as she simply appreciated the panorama in silence for a long moment. It was peaceful.

A stroke of her tail caused her to shiver, gently pulling her out of this serenity. Nate's hand rubbed her tail again as she looked at him. She shivered again.

Nate smiled charmingly. “I, unlike you, remember things and I remember how to turn you on," he said, moving at her side.

He stroked a finger down her spinal cord, starting from the neck as he reached to nibble at her ear before his finger arrive at the base of her tail where his hand gave it a long gentle stroke on all its length.

She moaned softly as her head arched backward. She felt very hot all the sudden.

Nate's mouth was all over hers before she could decide weather or not she wanted this. The thought of shoving him off the edge crossed her mind, but as his tongue danced with hers, she found herself returning the kiss.

She moaned. He guided her to lay on her back while his hand reached to rub at her fold with but the thin fabric of her body suit in between his flesh and her clitoris.

She began purring after a moment, grinding her hips at his hand.

He jerked swiftly at her body suit and unsnapped the buttons that held it together before his fingers came into direct contact with her vagina and her clitoris.

She shuddered and moaned loudly while his fingers continued to instill pleasure through her senses as he continued to moan into her mouth, his tongue dancing with hers for a long moment.

She growled in protest briefly when he pulled away from the kiss, only to moan even louder as he nibbled at her clitoris and his tongue swirled inside her.

She grabbed his hair and held his face tight against her fold. The feeling of his tongue swirling all over her clitoris was satisfying and she didn't want to let go even when she felt his attempt to pull away. She held him still. “Don't stop," she moaned.

He bit her clitoris hard.

She shuddered violently, letting out a loud groan and almost climaxed at the same time, but she released him.

Keyfay lifted her torso to rest on her arms for a moment, glaring at him as she mulled over her reaction, but watched him push his pants down. She gawked. Her train of thought shifting completely as she stared at his impressively huge, and not so elven shaped, penis.

It was shaped like a feline's dick, but without the spines. It was coated with tiny scales instead.

Nate chuckled. “I'd unsummon you and summon you back a hundred time to see your face like this again," he said, moving to straddle her.

Her mouth watered as she leaned back, unable to take her eyes off his massive dick.

He slid it between her breasts. They could barely contain it and she wondered, was his dick this big or was her breasts small. He held them tight to squeeze his shaft in the middle as he pushed forward.

She opened her mouth just enough to let her tongue out somewhat.

His tip slid against her rough tongue before prodding at her teeth. She wrapped her feline lips around it and suckled at it before it slid away.

She expected the scales to be rough, but they were so tiny it was still smooth compared to her barbed tongue.

She allowed it a little deeper the next time and again after that. His shaft pushed against her palate as it slid on the length of her tongue.

Nate began to move faster, his long and thick membrane sliding almost all the way out of the tunnel he created with her breast before pushing back into her maw and almost down her throat.

He groaned loudly as she began swirling her tongue and bobbing her head to his rhythm, feeling his shaft pulsing inside her mouth, feeling even bigger and thicker than before.

His moans grew louder as his thrust intensified progressively for a moment before he let go of her breasts to grab her head and pushed forward.

She swallowed it whole, feeling it reach halfway to her stomach, throbbing heavily.

Nate groaned loudly as he filled her stomach with his thick warm cum, holding her face tight against him as he held him back just as much.

His semen tasted sweet and salty, but she didn't taste it much until he finally pulled out as it kept on spewing in a long and continuous jet, filling her mouth and coating her face heavily in the process.

It stopped briefly as he collapsed at her side with his dick on her tummy, squirting heavily twice again afterwards and coating her entire torso as it did.

She slid her hand down her frame, spreading it more as she reached for her fold and plunged two fingers inside her hole. She bucked her hips and moaned to her touch.

She wanted more.

Keyfay moved to straddle him, grabbing his shaft in one hand to try and push it inside her pussy, but his dick withdrew and softened to fast.

“Hey! Come on!"

Nate chuckled. “Sorry babe, once I cum, it just goes away like this."

She moved to his side and bent down to take it in her mouth again, suckling at it and swirling her tongue, but it didn't grow back. It was so small it felt like she was suckling on a soft cashew.

She pulled away with a smack of her lips. “What about me then… and how long before it can grow hard again?"

“It'll be an hour at the very least," he said, sitting. “I can still use my tongue and fingers if you want."

“But I wanted your dick," she said, pouting as she sat on her heels, staring at his tiny cashew. 'How can this little thing grow so big,' she wondered.

“Don't be sad little kitty," he said, petting her head as he stood up. “I'll fuck you so hard later you'll never want any others." He pointed his finger at her with a wink. “Your words, but you wouldn't remember."

She frowned.

“If it's any consolation," he said, fixing his pants, “this was a first between us. I never fucked your breast and face like this before, and it was amazing."

“Better than my pussy?" she said, standing up.

“Nah, it was just different," he said. “you're amazing. No matter how I fuck you, it's always amazing."

“Well if it makes you feel any worse," she said, snapping the buttons of her body suit, “it was delicious… and interesting, but not satisfying. I expect you'll do better next time."

“I promise I will," he said with a grin. “What would you like to do now?"

She looked at the spiral city, standing still for a moment, pondering her answer.

She had no idea what she wanted to do, other than to feel him inside her, but she had to wait for one hour. 'I guess this is what I want,' she thought. “I want to wait one hour," she said.

Nate laughed. “Fair enough," he said after a moment. “How about we climb down this cliff, which should take just short of that and then we can have sex again."

“Okay," she said with a narrow smile before walking closer to the edge.

Nate was only half right. It would take Him one hour to climb down. She jumped down straight from the top and landed on her feet unscathed, but she couldn't have done so with him in her harm.

'The Tablet,' she thought, looking up at him as he barely initiated his descent. She'd forgotten it in the grass where they had sex. She jumped and locked her claws in the rocks before climbing fast. He was roughly a fourth of the way down when she crossed path with him.

“You forgot the Tablet up there, haven't you?" he said.

“Yep," she said. “I'll still be down there long before you."

He laughed. “I was told about a secret path into a cave near the cascade. You can try and find it while you wait for me down there."

“Okay."

She jumped next to the stream and landed besides the cascade waterfall with the Tablet. Looking up, she saw Nate wasn't even halfway down.

Keyfay looked around for a moment but couldn't find the secret path until she noticed a faint blood scent and followed it around a large dead tree that grew straight out from the base of the cliff. The tree was hollow, and the path could only be seen from the opposite direction from the cascade, and only by looking slightly from above the ground or by climbing the tree.

The path was a crack in the rocks, reaching a few hundred feet up, but it was barely wide enough to fit a hand anywhere but at the base, where a small person could squeeze through.

She squeezed, and crawled, and hunkered deeper into the path for a few minutes, barely making it past the narrowest spot, but thanks to her feline flexibility, she was able to reach a cave where the blood scent increased tenfold.

The path was slightly downward and exited into the cave from a few meters above ground and the stone was wet and slippery all around. She knew it would be difficult to climb back up, maybe even impossible – of course without claws or magic spells, so she pushed herself out of the narrow path and jumped.

She landed with the grace of a feline. The stench of blood filling her nostrils, but she couldn't see the source. She hid the Tablet under a rock and began exploring.

The cave was much bigger than it looked from the narrow exit above her head. It spread wide and deep but wasn't very high and she had to crouch in many places as she explored. The ground was hard stone covered with slippery moss, but there was no water, 'For the moment,' she thought.

She knew she was getting closer to something as the scent of blood intensified somewhat when she approached a corner. Cramped down on her belly, she slithered through a low opening that angled upward. 'What a perfect entrance to trap unwanted visitors,' she thought as she was about to poke her head out carefully.

Keyfay half expected to be stumped on the head or bashed in the face, but nothing happened. She yanked herself up into another large cave.

She stood on a narrow ledge, bordering a body of water that filled the cave. The water was mixed with blood and she'd see it red if she wasn't currently relying on her feline vision to see well in the dark, although in shades of grey.

The water reached almost over the ledge and would probably spill into the hole she came from if anyone was to bath in it.

She noticed a large curved path on the other side but saw no means to get around the pond of bloodied water. The ceiling was low and there was a lot of stalactites. Some of them were dripping and each drop echoed in the otherwise silent cave.

She touched it with the tip of her toes, jerking away instantly. 'Damn it's cold,' she thought. 'No way I'm going though that!'

As she contemplated going back, she heard a discrete puff followed by an even quieter growl.

She snarled. She had been carefully quiet until this point, but whatever made that sound was trying to be quiet as well. The thought of bathing in ice-cold water to satiate her curiosity was repulsive, but as she heard the chuff again, she couldn't turn back. She had to know what lurked on the other side.

The ceiling wasn't very high, but with enough strength, she could maybe make it straight across with a single jump, however this would make a lot of noise. 'Better than bathing in freezing water,' she thought, anchoring her feet against the rocky wall.

The stalactites moved as she dove across and she hit it hard.

Faceplanting in a rocky moving spike didn't hurt at all, after all, only magic and silver could truly harm her, but drowning was one of the worse ways to go for most Werebeasts. The cold water, although it wouldn't kill her, felt like needles piercing her skin all over.

She huffed and puffed in shock for a moment as she swam to keep her head out. “What the hell!"

The ceiling came down on her and part of it wrapped around her neck but didn't push her under.

“If you came to finish the job, know that I will not go easy," a high-pitched voice said.

She realized her predicament when the creature opened its eyes. It wasn't a ceiling or stalactites, but a large scaly lizard with spikes and wings. 'A dragon!'

“Shit," she gasped. “I'm sorry to disturb you, but whatever it is you think I'm here for, you are mistaken. I'm being curious and was merely exploring this cave."

“Curiosity kills the cat," he said, chuckling slightly.

Its features were hard to identify, but she noticed a squint on his lips.

“Are you wounded," she said, hoping her assumption was correct. “Maybe I can he-“

She held her breath as he shoved her down. Remaining calm, she tried to contemplate her options, but he pulled her back out almost instantly.

“Maybe you can what?" he said calmly.

She inhaled deeply and held her breath momentarily as a reflex in case he'd shove her down again. “Heal… or help," she said after estimating he wouldn't.

“Why would you help me?" he said, releasing her on the other shore.

The creature slowly lowered into the pond, raising the water level well beyond the ledge, causing a flow of water that would most likely fill the other cave she came from.

“Ah! That explains all the slippery rocks over there," she said. “Would you mind me casting a spell to have some light, and also to cleanse this bloodied water off me?"

“Yes, I would mind," the dragon said with only his head poking out of the pond.

She didn't know how deep that pond was, but judging by the size of his head, she estimated he'd probably stood about six meters high.

“All right then, how may I help you," she said, quivering.

“There is something in my back," he said. “I can't see it and I can't reach it. I need you to pluck it out, whatever it is."

“It would be a lot easier with some light."

“Mira Lumos!" the dragon said.

She closed her eyes just in time to avoid being dazzled.

More than the cave came to light as she saw the bright metallic blue color of his scales. He had a large laceration on the side of his face, gushing with blood and a few smaller ones, also fresh.

“You look battered," she said. “What happened to you?"

“This is none of your concern," he said, moving partially out of the water to expose his flank and back. “You wanted light; you have light."

“Not to be rude or anything, but I'm not the one in need of help here so you'd better stop being a jerk and start being a little more amiable if you want me to pluck it out."

“I should use my freezing breath on you and get rid of you for your defiance," he said with his lips curled up to expose his teeth.

“Go ahead then," she said with her teeth chattering. “I'm already frozen from all the blood you lost in that pond – which explains why it was so cold now that I think of it, and your freezing aura keeps me from warming up, but by all means, get rid of me if I'm such a bother despite my genuine and completely free offer to help you. Maybe you'll find someone else to help you eventually."

The dragon glared at her. She stared back, trembling as she held her arms wrapped around her frame.

“You can cleanse yourself," he said.

“It's too late for that now, all the water in my fur has already turned to ice," she said. “I need to warm up first, but this will take time. Let me pluck that thing out and I'll be on my merry way if you'll let me."

“Thank you," he said as the temperature rose considerably. “Let me warm you up while you find that thing."

The cave felt like she was standing in a giant oven by the time she found the source of his problem; a small dagger, lodged between his shoulder and his wing.

He growled as she pulled the blade out and she noticed a faint glow coming from it.

He sighed deeply. “Thank you."

His gushing wound stopped leaking almost right away.

“This blade prevented your regeneration," she said, examining the black blade. “This is quite the masterwork magical weapon; and could you please lower the temperature a tad, I feel like you're trying to roast me."

The dragon changed into a human before her, standing on the ledge of the pond, now a good meter lower than it was. He was naked and looked like a teenager with tanned skin, short messy blue hair and bright blue eyes. She couldn't help but look down.

'Nothing special, seems rather average sized,' she thought. 'I bet he can alter the size of this thing.' The idea ignited all the dissatisfaction she'd been craving.

“Yes, this blade is a very powerful soul drinking weapon," he said, showing his open palm to retrieve the item.

The gesture snapped her out of that craving, but it wasn't entirely off her mind.

“I'd feel a lot more comfortable around you if you handed me that blade," he said, moving his hand closer to her.

She gave him a look. “Only so you can stab me with it and drain My soul? No, I'd feel more comfortable around you if I kept that blade in my hand, besides, I already proved you can trust me by taking it out for you."

“Maybe you took it out so you could stab me again with it and drain My soul," he said, giving her a look back.

“Okay then," she said, handing him the blade. “Will you trust me now?" 'My soul is trapped in that Tablet anyways, I'm not sure this dagger would drink my soul at all, and if it does, one trap is as bad as another.'

“Yes," he said, tossing the blade into the pond. “Now I do."

She nodded. 'Looks like we can both trust each other,' she thought. “What's your name?"

“You can call me Bahkhaarra, or Bahk for short," he said, walking towards the larger path. “What's yours?"

“I'm Keyfay," she said, following him. “Why didn't you change to remove the dagger?"

“Its magic failed to drain my soul and it kept me from regenerating, but also from changing forms."

“Is this your cave?"

“We could say that," Bahk said. “I grew up here, but this isn't where I keep my wealth, although it's worth a lot more to me than any wealth."

“Will you tell me why you got stabbed by a priceless weapon now that I helped you?"

“Maybe, but first I need to show you something," he said, entering another cave.

The cave was very large in every direction and even higher. The opposite wall of the cave was covered with a few sets of skyscrapers carved directly into the stone. There was a stream coming from the top left and based on the architecture, she could tell the stream slithered across every building and on every level like a road or possibly a sewer system.

The entire cave was lit, almost bright as day from just a few cracks in the ceiling, reflecting on the stone surface which somehow amplified it tenfold.

There was windows, balconies and staircases all over the place, but no creatures; no one.

Bahk walked up a few sets of stairs to reach the lowest entrance into the central building.

She followed him into a huge entrance hall with a high ceiling and three sets of stairs leading on either side and one coiled, leading straight up. The place was all stone, but smooth and shining like marble with veins of white all over the place. There was a small table with a potted flower resting on top along with two frames showing similar landscape to the outside where she came from, but no other decorations.

Bahk went up the coiled stairs, through a corridor, another set of normal non-coiled stairs, and then another corridor before he opened a door to what could only be described as a small apartment.

There were only two rooms. The furniture was made of either stone or wood, or a mix of both. Three beds, one table, five chairs and in the opposite corner, there was a basin filled with running water from the stream.

Five humanoid creatures with skin blue as sky with shades of pale green were sleeping in the three beds, two smaller ones cuddled in pair and one taller one curled up alone in one bed. They wore nothing but one set of loin clothes made from vines and leaves to cover their lower part, but the lack of clothing on the top made her guess that one of the smaller ones was male and the other three, along with the taller one was female.

Their face was mostly human with a narrow monkey like muzzle and two sets of thin manes instead of eyebrows, reaching vertically from above their eyes to the back of their hairless skull. Their body was similar as well, except for two pair of tentacles coming out from their shoulder plates. They were as long in length as the creature's height and roughly as thick as the size of their wrists.

“Why are we here," she whispered. “Why are you showing me these sleeping creatures… and what are they?"

“No need to whisper," he said. “They're not sleeping, they're dying."

She moved to get a closer look, but she had no idea what those creatures was and no way to recognise what would be a sign of them being near death.

“Balzamir poisoned their water supply a few days ago," Bahk said, sitting next to the taller creature before taking its hand gently. “She's my best friend and now her entire society will die because of me. I failed her." He looked down in shame before reaching slowly to plant a kiss on her forehead. “I'm sorry Zaa, I tried but he's more powerful than I thought."

Keyfay felt sorry for all of them. She sat next to the smallest one, the male, and touched him to feel his skin. It was smooth like human skin, but he was hot, as if he had a strong fever.

“Are they usually this warm to the touch?"

“No," Bahk said. “Their fever was so intense it put them into a coma and now they're just burning up and they will start dying within hours. Some of the older ones and weaker ones are already dead. I tried every spell I could think of to heal them or to remove sickness, which usually works, but it didn't. It's a very potent magical poison and only Balzamir knows how to cure them."

“Why did he do this?"

“Balzamir claims to own this entire area," Bahk said. “He makes magical potions using components from them. He's been harvesting the Khavi for decades, asking for their blood, the hair from their manes, their skin and occasionally, their kids as sacrifice for powerful rituals. They rose against him once at the beginning some fifty years ago, and once again a few years later, but he swore he'd annihilate their entire civilisation if they were to try again."

“Oh," Keyfay nodded. “Why did they try again?"

“Zaakhipa is one of the nine leaders," Bahk said, petting her mane in a loving manner. “She saved me from a group of trolls when I was two months old and taught me almost everything I know. I wanted to kill that wizard, but she always warned me against it, even after he commandeered her next born. She no longer had a mate and her kids were already old enough she had no intentions of ever procreating again, so she didn't care." He touched her tummy. “Until a few weeks ago."

Keyfay gazed.

“She began plotting a revolution," he said. “All but one of the leaders agreed it was time to revolt against him once more, but no one knew Balzamir had a spy on the council. I know that now because after everyone got poisoned, I saw them; Jhaca and his family, leave with that wizard. I tried my best to find a cure in the past few days, but nothing worked. I went to the fortress and tried to confront Balzamir in hope for a cure, but he refused. He said he would have enough of Jhaca and his family for the time being. I attacked," Bahk sighed deeply, his head shaking. “I barely grazed him before he summoned a horde of hellish creature to defend him. I fought them all, and maybe I could have won if this huge troll didn't show up to protect its master. He wielded a two-handed dented sword imbued with so much magic it crackled with red energy. He almost cut my face in half before I managed to toss him out the window, buying me a few seconds more, but that's when the wizard got me with his dagger. When such a weapon fails to drain your soul, it still drains most of your life out and I knew I couldn't win this fight, so I fled and teleported back where you found me."

“How do you know he has a cure?"

“I don't," he said, “but it doesn't matter anymore. There isn't enough time. By the time I regain my strength and enough energy to cast a few spells, they will be dead."

“What if I helped you. You can use my energy for a few spells, and I can cast many to help us fight that Balzamir guy and maybe we can force him to give us the cure."

Bahk looked at her with tears in his eyes and a glimmer of hope on his face. “Why would you risk your life to help us?"

Keyfay took a deep breath, pondering about it for a moment. She didn't know why, and she couldn't remember anything anyways. “I guess it's just in my nature to help people in need," she said. “Maybe you can help me with my problem afterwards," she smiled.

“I would do anything to save them," he said, standing up. “I can fly very fast and we can be there in less than one hour, but I can't teleport us there, it only works for me alone."

“No worries, but we'll grab something I left near the entrance of your cave and also fetch my friend on the cliff," she said, hurrying towards the exit. “He doesn't know it yet, but I'm pretty sure he'll help us. He's a wizard too."

“Hey Nate," Keyfay said as Bahk swooped down to his level.

Nate slipped and the wind pushed him off the cliff, but he barely had time to scream before Bahk grabbed him and flicked him on his back behind Keyfay.

“What the hell," he said, out of breath.

“Nate, this is Bahk," she said patting the dragon's neck between her legs. “Bahk, this is Nate." She looked over her shoulder as Bahk banked left. “You should hold on tight," she said. “We're going to help Bahk defeat a powerful wizard and save his family," she added as Nate wrapped his arms around her waist. “Save your breath, I'll explain when we land. It's a bit hard to speak with the wind at this speed."

Nate nodded, his grip tightening.

Keyfay admired the landscape as they flew high in the cloudless sky for a moment until Bahk plunged to graze his belly at the ground, following a road just large enough for him to fit with his wings closed. He continued to fly like a rocket, thrashing the occasional branches on either side until they reached a fork on the road.

Bahk flopped to the ground and positioned his wing to provide a way down.

“How can you fly without flapping your wings," Keyfay said as she jumped down.

“Dragons don't require our wings to fly," Bahk said, tilting slightly to help Nate stepping off him. “We use our wings to glide and for better control, or to actually fly, although much slower, when we run out of magic energy, but magic is what makes us fly."

“That is a very interesting thing to know," Nate said, holding two fingers to his mouth as to hold on from hurling. “May I inquire as to what is going on here exactly?"

Nate stood tall and proud as he said that, but suddenly lifted his index before taking a few steps back, bending over, and chucking whatever it was that he ate earlier.

He wiped his mouth and came back. “Okay, now you can tell me."

Keyfay laughed as she noticed Bahk's disgusted face and curled up nostrils.

“Whaaaat?" Nate said.

“Nothing," Keyfay said, unable to stop giggling a little.

“You said something about defeating a powerful wizard," Nate said with his lips clenched and his eyebrows furrowed.

“Yes," Keyfay said, recovering. “The wizard poisoned an entire village of Khavi people and we're going to make him pay for it and hopefully get a cure from him."

Nate looked around for a moment. “Did we fly east for the equivalent of a day's walk from Praxion?"

“That's about right," Bahk said.

“Are you out of your minds!" Nate said, holding his hands on his head. “This is Balzamir we're taking about isn't it?"

“Yes," Keyfay and Bahk said at the same time.

“He's the most powerful Alchemist Wizard and master summoner of the entire continent," Nate said. “Not to mention he's the King's personal Advisor and head of the Guild of Wizard. They say he's one of only three Human Wizard in the entire world who successfully achieved immortality through magic, and he must be like a million years old!"

“Catch your breath Nate," Keyfay said, placing a hand on his shoulder. “Bahk's a Dragon, and I'm a Weretiger… purple… weretiger. Why am I purple? Do you know?"

“You said it was due to a casting surge," Nate said, sighing.

“Ohhh yeah… energy surge. Why didn't I control it?"

“You didn't know how. I guess you do now?"

“Of course, I do, but only because you mentioned it," she said.

“What does this mean exactly?" Bahk said.

Bahk had changed his form to human again and put some simple clothes on already.

“It means I can cast all of my spells with much more potency," she said with a grin. “Balzamir won't know what hit him!"

“So, what's the plan?" Nate said.

“We go knock at his door and ask for the cure," Keyfay said. “If he refuses, we take him down."

“Wouldn't it be easier if we caught him by surprise or something?" Nate said, scratching the back of his head.

“Probably," she said, “but it would reduce our chances for a cure."

“How?" Nate and Bahk said in choir.

“You said Balz was-“

“Oh-don't-call-him-that," Bahk said hastily. “He hates it so much he'd kill you on the spot."

“Hrmm… and why should I care? We're about to beat him up, remember," Keyfay said.

“Oh, right."

“As I was saying," she said, looking at each of them in turn for a moment to allow them a chance to speak, but they didn't. “You said Balz… created magical potions and that he poisoned the water supply to infect all the Khavi people."

Bahk nodded.

“It's very unlikely that the cure would be something they must drink, since they're all in a coma right now and unable to drink. If I was to create a cure for something like this, I'd make it a gas of some kind or a cream that can easily be applied on the skin. Also, chances are he has a spell that can cover a large area to cure many at the same time, so if we're going to cure the Khavi, we need him alive and most likely willing to do so. We have to try and deal with him first, maybe even offer him something of greater value." She looked at the Tablet.

“No way in hell am I giving him the Tablets," Nate said, reaching to grab the Tablet from her hand.

Keyfay held on to it and he stepped back.

“Not the Tablet, silly," she said.

“Ohhhh, yeah…" Nate said. “As soon as the Khavi are cured, I can unsummon you and then call you back the next day."

Keyfay frowned. “No. Absolutely not! We simply offer him a creature in exchange. He must not know about the Tablet, but you can tell him all about the prospect of giving him a Weretiger he could harvest given he's strong enough to keep her from running away."

Bahk's gaze jumped from one to the other as they spoke, his eyes big and his jaw slightly dropped.

“We tell him you can control them with a unique power that only you have," Keyfay said. “I'll do as you say to prove it, and you can tell him you own another one, a white one that you'll bring to him after he cures all the Khavi people."

“I'm not sure what this all means," Bahk said, “but it sounds like a great plan. What if he refuses?"

“That's when we attack," Keyfay said. “Bahk, can you look like me in a different color?"

“Yes, of course," he said, changing his form already. The process took many seconds more to complete, but he looked like a male weretiger with golden fur.

“Excellent," she said, biting her lower lip as she eyed him from head to toe. “Now you 'own' two weretigers as proof," she said to Nate with a grin. “Make it convincing and this'll be like catching a tree."

“You'll have to trust me with the Tablet for this to work," Nate said.

Keyfay bowed her head slightly. “I chose to trust you," she said, handing him the Tablet.

Nate bowed in return as he placed the Tablet in his satchel. “Tell me everything I need to know about this wizard, Bahk and those Khavi people…"

Balzamir's fortress was a few minutes away. Keyfay expected to see a huge and magnificent tower reaching to the sky, and surrounded with a wall tall as the trees, and statues that could animate and attack or defend their master, but it wasn't that impressive. The fortress was a simple three-story high cube, roughly ten meters by ten meters with a ditch and a draw bridge.

“That's it," Keyfay said as they approached the ditch.

The bridge was up, but there was a bell on one of the two small pillars where the corners of the bridge would align.

Nate rang the bell once as Keyfay looked over the edge.

“At least this looks like some kind of bottomless magical pit," she said, slightly impressed.

The head of a Troll appeared from over the wall atop from the bridge. “Who goes there and why?" The Troll said with a deep voice.

Keyfay looked at Nate for a moment.

“Oh, hmrm… yeah," Nate babbled. “I, hrmm… I'm Nate. I seek an audience with the great Balzamir."

“For what purpose?" The Troll said.

“I trade in exotic creatures and I was told he'd be interested. I tame Werebeasts."

The Troll grunted and moved away.

“You," Nate said, pointing a finger at Bahk. “Get on all four so I can sit on you, and you," he pointed at Keyfay, “sit against me so I can lean comfortably."

Bahk gave Keyfay a stare. She nodded with a narrow smile.

She sat on one side of Bahk's back as he rested on all four and Nate was leaning against her with one ankle resting atop his knee.

The bridge slowly lowered, making astonishingly little noise despite the large chains shaking their way through the mechanism.

Nate stood up and snapped his fingers. “Heel," he said, pointing both forefingers on each side of him.

Keyfay took place to his left, followed by Bahk a moment after.

The Troll was almost 4 meters in height, his muscles were massive and bulky, and he wore a full suit of impeccably clean and shining red leather. He carried a massive two-handed dented red glowing sword on his back, a green glowing bracer on his left wrist, three shiny gold rings on his fingers and a large set of plain circular earing the size of her fist, made of gold.

She could smell the enormous amount of magic emanating from all these items and couldn't help but wonder what powerful magic they beheld.

'What the hell did I get us into?' she wondered, feeling her stomach twisting a little, not for her sake, but for the life of her newly acquired friends.

“Master Balzamir will meet with you," the Troll said from the other side of the bridge. “You may enter."

Nate walked into the fortress, His Werebeasts on his tail.

They entered a large room with no doors or stairs. It was plain. No decorations, no colors, nothing but a single table in the center with one chair facing a throne like chair resting on a stage.

“You may sit," the Troll said, showing Nate the only chair.

Nate sat.

“I don't usually deal from my fortress," Balzamir said as he walked on the stage, passing right through the wall behind his throne. “However, you claim to trade Werebeast and appears to have two of those with you to support your claim."

Nate opened his mouth to speak as the Wizard sat.

“I trade in magical spells, potions, items or knowledge only," Balzamir said before Nate could speak. “I do not offer gold or services of any kind as payment and I despise wasted time above all. I'm a very busy man so be brief and know that I do not negotiate. State your price and request and I may either accept if your trade is fair or deny otherwise. The least questions I have after your presentation the better."

Nate grinded his throat and stood with poise. “I own many Beasts and these two here are my most recent acquisitions. I'm drilling them to obey my every command and once ready, I will sell them or trade them to the highest bidder. Each of them is worth a hundred soldiers on the battlefield, some even much more. They are obedient and my conditioning on them is unmatched. I came across a powerful Dragon in dire need of help and made a deal with him for he knows a unique spell I've been seeking for a decade. He will teach me that spell if I can bring a cure back to him, one that he claims you possess. I was willing to trade my best beast for that spell, which defines its worth to me, so I am here to trade my best beast for that cure. I have a unique power that allows me to control such beasts, but I will not divulge it unless you were to offer more than a kingdom's worth. My best Werebeast is not with me at the moment, so should you agree to this trade, knowing that the cure is time sensitive, I would leave these two in your hands for twenty-four hours, which is how long it would take me to fetch her."

Nate sat.

Balzamir stared blankly at him for a long moment, then his gaze moved to Bahk and finally, to her.

She stared ahead, vacantly.

“I never saw a purple Weretiger until now," Balzamir said, leaning forward. “Your trade seems fair and I am very much incline to accept, but I do have some questions."

Balzamir walked down the stage to face Keyfay, examining her attentively for a moment.

“Why is she purple," he asked, staring back into her vacant gaze.

“She can cast spells," Nate said, standing up and pinching at her fur. “She turned purple after one of her spells failed to work as intended. I believe she is a flawed spellcaster and she's been purple ever since. She used to be golden like him." He pointed at Bahk. “My best beast is white though and much more beautiful."

“This one's beauty is already hard to match," Balzamir said. “I would have to see that beast of yours to confirm that last statement, but no need. I do not need a stronger or more beautiful beast; this one will do. The fabric of magic is fluctuating in an admirable way all around her and she is worth the cure. Does she come with the swords?"

“No, the swords are mine," Nate said.

Balzamir turned to face Nate, looking down at his satchel.

Nate took a step back, switching his satchel slightly more to his back, away from the man.

“I can see she is connected to something inside your satchel," Balzamir said. “I assume this is what allows you to control her so you will have to hand that to me as well – and before you try anything," he glared at Bahk, “Bahkhaarra, and you two," he glared at them both, “I can obliterate all of you with the flick of my fingers. However, I appreciate your attempt to resolve this conflict peacefully. I will honor this deal if you accept, otherwise, you may leave, unharmed."

“I accept the trade," Nate said, reaching for the Tablet. “Trust," he said a little louder, “is of the outmost importance and I, also, am a man of my word. I'm sorry for the deception with Bahkhaara, but he insisted strongly to be present during our negotiation and I thought it would be best if he assumed this appearance, please forgive me for this subterfuge."

Keyfay inhaled lengthily and as discretely as she could not to raise suspicions, looking at Nate from the corner of her eyes while Balzamir's attention wasn't resting on her.

“I use a unique binding spell to tame my beasts," Nate said, pulling a corner of the Tablet out. “She is bound to this stone, which is in turn bound to me, but it is also a token of my family's history, a necessary element for the spell until I finish taming her, otherwise she'd rip me to shreds. It is a much better trade for me to give you this one instead. I will save countless hours of work. However, I will require an object that is of great emotional value from you to bind her so that you may continue her taming all on your own, and as a bonus, I will explain a few things to help you-“

“No need," Balzamir said, raising his hand. “I will accept your original offer. I don't have time to tame her and the other one still seems like a fair trade. Since time is of the essence," he looked at Bahk, “I will give you a scroll to cure your friends. If you cast it from the center of the lower hall, it will cover the entire place and more; enough to cure all of them."

“Some of them still died," Bahk said.

“I expect you to deliver the white Werebeast in no more than a day," he said to Nate, indifferent to what Bahk said. “If you fail to deliver, I will find you no matter where you run. Conjurio!"

A scroll appeared in his hand as he offered it to Nate. “This little Dragon is conniving, selfish and incredibly stupid," Balzamir said. “You should be wary about your dealings with him, but don't blame me if he crosses you on that deal you have with him."

“I will," Nate said, taking the scroll. “I will see you tomorrow."

Nate bowed slightly. Balzamir bowed barely before walking away and back through the wall behind his throne.

Nate handed the scroll to Bahk. “Go save your friends and come back for us at the crossing where we landed."

Bahk took the scroll and closed his eyes for a moment before vanishing with a pop.

Nate started walking towards the exit.

Keyfay followed him in silence although she wanted to say so many things, but she had to maintain the masquerade.

“What's your plan now kitty," Nate said as they sat on a fallen tree near the road crossing.

“I'm not sure," she said. “We save the Khavi people and we bought enough time for you to summon Saïna again tomorrow. I can't remember who she is, but maybe she could think of something, or maybe you can just give her to him for a while, while we come up with something better to trade back for her."

“Yeah and be limited to work within a two-kilometer radius," Nate said, snorting. “If you die, you return to this Tablet, but not me. It may not look like it, but I'm scared shitless of this man. He's eon ahead of me in magical knowledge and he has a Troll guard equipped with more magical Items than I saw in a lifetime."

“I'm sorry I put your life at risk," she said, looking down and sighing deeply.

Nate pulled her into a warm hug and planted a kiss on her furry cheek. “I never considered myself to be an Evil person, but I'm not a Good one either," he said. “I'm not sorry and you shouldn't be either. This encounter made me realise many things and it's making me feel something I never truly believed in. You came out of that Tablet with no memories of your past and yet… you offered to help Bahk and saved an entire village of people."

She pulled away a little and smiled at him. “I felt it was the right thing to do."

“I believe it was," he said, petting her cheek tenderly. “I've never been scared like this before. I feel it twisting inside me, the fear, the uncertainty, the doubts," he placed his hand on his chest as though he was in pain. “Keyfay, I feel more alive right now than I have ever been my entire life. I've been afraid before. Hell, I've been terrified on a few occasions, but that's because I was getting my ass handed to me by forces beyond me, yet I managed to survive, but this… this single man terrifies me. I'd never put my life at risk like this before. I would never even consider going up against a Wizard half as powerful as I am for someone I care about, much less one I believe to be many times stronger than me for people I don't even know, yet I feel exactly like what you just said. It was the right thing to do. I don't regret putting my life in danger for Bahk and his friends – whom I never even met. I don't regret risking my life, with you, because of you, to help them." He laughed nervously, his eyes sparkling wet. I've never done something so selfless and now that I have… knowing all these people will be saved because of it, even if it means this Wizard will chase me to the end of this world, and possibly beyond, it makes me feel… Good."

He pushed her down gently as his lips pressed against hers.

She wrapped her arms around his neck, returning the kiss with passion, but as her fingers released the Tablet at her side, she felt it slid away from her fingertips.

“Shaalakh'th Tackyamahk," a voice shouted from behind the bushes.

Keyfay turned just in time to shield Nate from a sudden penetrating attack from a root. The magically animated root went through her side from back to front and grazed Nate in its wake, but he was saved from what would most likely have been a fatal blow.

She roared from the pain, pushing Nate away as she swirled to get back on her feet and to face her opponent.

The creature was a small fairy with silver skin, very long black hair. She was wearing a bikini made from the skin of a white tiger, and she held the Tablet before her.

“Please wait Thea," Nate shouted. “I'm sorr-“

“Keyfay-Mikaellaradÿss," Thea shouted.