FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

"I would like to introduce you all to our newest guest," General Galavar said as he stood at the head of the table in the main dining hall. "Please introduce yourself, as these are the fine men and women you will be supporting here from now on."

His warm smile did little to comfort me. I hated speaking in public. I had spent my entire life trying to get away from the spotlight.

"I am Alexis Vaughn." I started, bracing myself against the table as I stood up shakily. Too many enchantments completed during the day, and still some more to add later. "I apologize if I seem out of sorts as it has been a long day."

The dining hall was yet another extravagant room, lit by two large chandeliers suspended from a brightly decorated ceiling and able to seat at least thirty people, though at the moment there were only about a dozen.

General Torim Galavar stood at the head of the table, with a beautiful vixen noble seated to his right. Adrienne Galavar was my employer's wife, obviously of noble birth and I had little doubt that she was responsible for the garish displays of wealth decorating the estate. Still, her eyes were warm and friendly if slightly faded, as if her eyesight was deteriorating prematurely. Perhaps I could solidify my position by offering assistance...

To Galavar's left sat his son Thomas Galavar; a young fox of no more than seventeen years with a broad solid frame and an almost palpable aura of superiority. I would have to avoid him if I wanted to continue working and living here without murdering him. That body though...

Sitting next to Adrienne was the youngest of the family, an eight year old equine female named Diana with bright green eyes that beamed with happiness and youthful curiosity. I had been the same way once, or at least, I imagined I was... No matter; life would soon rob those eyes of their exuberance just as it had done to me.

There were five others sitting at the table aside from myself, who stood woozily beside Davian to my right. Two were twin wolves, each slender in build as their form fitting black tunics revealed, each with some form of visible scar; one behind his left ear, the other on the right side of his jaw. They had the look of mischief about them I noticed that only twins could possibly have, and made a mental note to keep wary around them.

The third was a powerfully built stag whose eyes would have burned holes straight into anyone else's soul, but did little more than make me shiver inwardly. This one was straight up dangerous, not only gauging his expression, posture and size, but also because other than those, it was impossible to read him. Six and a half feet of tightly corded muscle marked him as a foreigner, but from where he hailed I couldn't even begin to guess.

The fourth was a female mouse with a warm feel about her. Her slender build complete with a bust that would have made any straight male drool. The only thing I could read from looking her in the eyes was that she seemed just as willing to provide friendly comfort as she was to drive a sword through your gut. Like myself, she was around five foot eight; another example of how size didn't matter.

All wore black outfits that hugged their varied bodies nicely, making them look like quite a dangerous entourage which I supposed was the point. There were crimson sashes synched tightly around their midriffs with the ends draped down on either side of their tails to trail along behind their feet, somehow making them look more intimidating.

"He looks sickly." Said one of the wolves to his brother.

"Mages are like that aren't they?" The other replied.

"I have simply used too much energy today." I said, waving a hand dismissively. Old attitudes died hard, even in the company of my new employers and their families. "I assure you I am not normally this, 'sickly'."

"Well it's good to finally have a professional mage around." The mouse chipped in with a welcoming voice. I wasn't fooled. At least, I was fairly certain I wasn't...

The meal had begun and I didn't shy away from filling my stomach to the brink and beyond. My metabolism was working as fast as it could to break down the nutrients from the food to convert it back into energy, but even by the end of the meal I wasn't fully feeling back to normal. As the kitchen staff retrieved our plates and cleared the table, I heaved a sigh, trying to let my body recover from both the large use of magic and the equally large consumption of food.

"So what is your specialty?" The mouse asked as she sipped from a goblet of wine. I assumed she was referring to my skill sets.

"Master enchanter, anything regarding telekinesis or psychic force, creating wards," I rhymed off a few of my best skills. "The list goes on from there. I would outpace most, if not all mages in this city."

My skills with magic had been hugely impressive from the start, or at least, that's how I remembered it if the praises from my teachers at the guild were anything to go by, and I wasn't afraid to boast about it. Hopefully it would deter anyone from trying to mess with me as a bonus. At least one of the twins seemed impressed, the mouse as well, but the stag remained impassive and blank. It was unsettling.

"Apologies, I forget my manners." The mouse chuckled after a moment of contemplation. "I'm Serena VanDemore. My partner here is Kabran, and the twins are Sebastian and Skyler Evers; it's up to you to figure out which is which."

The twins nodded to me with smiles that caused the fur on the back of my neck to rise. Kabran stayed silent and motionless.

"A pleasure to meet you all." I lied. Personally I felt more awkward now than I would have if I just became the hermit of the house, never leaving my room except in the dead of night and not getting personal with anyone.

"You're chased." One of the twins said, leaning forward and resting his muzzle on his interlocked fingers.

"I'm afraid I don't catch your meaning." I said, suddenly more uncomfortable.

"We know a chased look when we see one." Said the other, leaning back and linking his hands together behind his head.

"We all have our demons." I said simply, trying to suppress the childish feelings of fear I felt. Davian seemed to take me quoting him as a compliment.

"Seb, Sky, what have I told you about prying?" Lady Galavar spoke kindly, but it instantly cowed the twins. It would be interesting to learn the relationships everyone shared here, if only to be able to manipulate my surroundings more easily.

"Can you magic me a pony?" The young daughter spoke up excitedly. The pure innocence of her attitude made me remember how I thought I used to be, so I conjured a goblet sized horse made of bright blue flame. It trotted slowly down the table until it reached an awestruck Diana. After a few moments, it vanished in a whiff of smoke.

"Creating living creatures, unfortunately, is impossible for any mage, no matter his skill." I explained. "I do apologize, but may I be excused? I still have much to prepare before I can begin my work properly."

"Of course, Alexis." The general said with a smile. "I would like to check in on your progress tomorrow."

"That can be arranged." I nodded, but inside I growled. I didn't need someone looking over my shoulder while I worked. "Good evening to you all."

I gave a polite bow and left the dining hall, walking as fast as I could to my room in spite of the spinning feeling in my head.

'Alexis?' I thought to myself. 'Of all the aliases you could have used, it had to be that one?' I wasn't afraid to admit that my greatest shame was forgetting my birth name, but that was to be expected from a life on the run. 'Alexis' had become a rather painful memory, be it real or imagined, so it was best left alone. 'So why the hell did you choose it?'

I placed my finger against the keyhole of the door to my room and activated the ward within. To any outside observer, it would have looked simply like I was sliding a key in, but no key would operate in the lock anymore. Additional protection from the guild by living and working in this place still trounced personal privacy, but it only meant that I would need to step up the number of wards I used than when I was a nobody.

Strangely enough, as I dropped myself onto the overly cushy bed to rest, I found myself missing that Doberman that had ravished me so thoroughly just the night before. I couldn't decide if it was knowing that with one round he could both satisfy my physical cravings and recharge my batteries beyond capacity, or if it was just that I hadn't had physical contact for quite some time before him, but it didn't matter in any case. I needed to find a new source of energy for days like this.

Now though, looking at my surroundings, I couldn't prevent my tail from wagging in barely contained excitement. Here I was, living like a noble! And I didn't need to do anything that I wasn't already doing at the old shop!

I allowed my defences to fall finally, permitting myself the rare pleasure of a genuine smile as I stretched out on the bed, revelling in its warmth and comfort. With a little effort and a lot of patience, I thought I would be able to make all of this work. Provided I keep up the disinterested and cold attitude outside of my room, no one should bother me and I'd be free to go about my own business.

It wasn't long before I drifted off to sleep, knowing that I would need to be up again in a few hours to finish the last few wards, but when that was done, I could once again feel secure.

I awoke some time during the night, groggily shifting about under the dozens of pillows both large and small that I had evidently crawled under during my sleep. I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood up, swaying slightly as my brain worked to correct the sudden bout of vertigo that usually came with having used so much magic.

I shuffled quietly to the door clad only in my underwear, intending to remedy the only major weakness remaining around my room. I pulled the door open, happily noting that the hinges didn't creak in the least. My pleased mood suddenly turned sour when I walked crotch first into someone kneeling by the lock on my door.

Suppressing a yelp of surprise, I managed to conjure a bright ball of fire, ready to immolate anyone who tried to attack me, before I realized just who it was that had been knocked onto their backside.

One of the kitchen staff was trembling on the ground, holding their hands over their muzzle to stifle the scream they had obviously been about to release. I recognized the panther from supper as he had been the one who filled my goblet of wine and took away my dishes when I had finished. Seeing that he was about to lose control of himself, I dismissed the ball of fire before grabbing him by the legs and dragging him into my room, pushing the door shut before giving voice to my ire.

"What in the underworld are you doing?" I shouted, confident that my wards would muffle the sound. "Explain quickly or I will begin dismantling you!"

"I-I was... I was j-just curious!" The panther cried out, keeping one arm up as if it could shield him from my anger. "I-I saw t-that magic trick you did! I just... I wanted to see if you h-had any of that mage type stuff! Glowing symbols and floating objects and stuff!"

I stood there stupefied for a moment before reaching down to grab the front of his shirt, and hoisted him onto his feet. Though he was several inches taller than me and certainly had more weight on his bones, the feline was terrified that he had been caught by a mage, so it worked to my advantage.

"I should carve out your eyes for trying to spy." I growled, inches away from his face; no reason I couldn't be theatrical. He didn't look to be much older than myself, perhaps nineteen or twenty, but with my lack of energy causing nearly the same effects as alcohol, I began to formulate a plan.

"N-no! Please!" He wailed, screwing his eyes shut as if it would save him. "I'll never do it again! I promise! Please I'll do whatever you say!"

"Oh calm down, you idiot." I said as I released him from my grip and turned away. "I'm not the type to disembowel or mutilate. I only get that way when I'm threatened, and since you're kitchen staff, and simply ignorant, I don't feel threatened in the least."

The panther visibly relaxed when I turned around and crossed my arms across my chest, uncaring that I was essentially giving him a full show by doing so. His eyes, once they lifted from the floor and locked on to me, never wavered. This was a good start.

"I'll think of some way to punish you later." I said dismissively as I slowly pulled my underwear down and let them pool around my ankles. "But as for right now, you can put yourself to some use since your timing was so bang on."

"U-use?" He asked, clearly missing the idea altogether. "I'm just staff, how could I be of use to a mage?"

"Sit." I patted the bed behind me as I moved aside to lean against the tall wooden bedpost. The panther did as instructed and sat down gingerly on the bed. It looked like he was about to ask a question when I stepped in front of him and shoved him onto his back, climbing on all fours over him until I could rest my backside onto the bulge formed at his crotch.

"Wh-what are-" I cut him off with a swift kiss, instantly driving my tongue into his muzzle making him let out a muffled squeak of surprise. I noticed, as I ground my backside down against his bulge, that he was getting harder and bigger; a very good sign. I'd be recharged soon enough.

Those hands of his, which had originally been frozen gripping onto the bed sheets to his sides, now gingerly rested on my hips, squeezing ever so gently. In response, I slid one hand down his chest and stomach to pull open his pants, and fish out a quite beautiful uncut cock of seven and a half inches. Beneath the rock hard shaft rested two fair sized orbs; not nearly as large as the doberman's had been, but large enough that I was confident that after a single round, I would be back to my normal self.

Perhaps two rounds, just to be sure...

I broke the kiss just as the panther had begun to get really into it, causing him to whimper in a rather cute way. We shifted ourselves so his legs were no longer dangling over the edge of the bed, and once that was accomplished, I moved my hips forward just enough to take a hold of his cock and slide it back between my legs. A quick word of power was all it took to cover my palm with lubricating fluid, which I hastily used to coat his entire shaft.

"S-sir, I... I don't think t-this is appropriate." He stammered suddenly. I suppose a lifetime of servitude to nobles made sex with anyone of higher standing a tough sell.

"Hush up." I said as I maneuvered the head of his shaft to press against my tail hole. "I would very much like to continue. If you are concerned about repercussions, I can assure you that I will tell no one, and I will not go out of my way to do this again. However," His head popped into me, causing me to groan happily and him to whimper in pleasure. "If you feel so strongly about this, consider it part of your punishment."

When I heard nothing after a few moments of adjusting to the intruder, I took it as a sign of acquiescence and slammed myself down the rest of his length. He cried out in surprise as pleasure, while I sighed in contentment at finally being filled again. His hands squeezed my hips with surprising strength, almost making the task of lifting myself up out of his lap impossible, but rise I did, until just the head of his cock remained inside of me before letting myself fall once again.

Before long, I was in a nice rhythm of bouncing up and down on his slick shaft, propelled upwards not only by my own actions, but of the upwards thrusts of the panther who had clearly begun to enjoy himself. I slid my hands up under his shirt, noting that I enjoyed the softness of his body even though it lacked much in the way of defined muscles. A lifetime working in a kitchen would certainly lead to a little extra mass, but that was of no consequence; this guy was fulfilling my every desire at the moment.

As my legs grew tired, I found that my kitchen cat had more in the way of endurance than I had expected as he continued to thrust up into me, so for now, I was content to simply rest my weight on my arms and looked down to see the slightly rounder-than-average belly constantly shifting in time with his movements. My own shaft drooled onto his fur as it was bounced back and forth with each connecting smack of our pelvises, dragging along his stomach in a very pleasing way.

When he slammed up into me once more, his movements stopped and his body tensed up stiff as a board. I felt my insides flood with his cum and let out a happy sigh of relief, ensuring that he knew he had done well. The panther was panting and sweating, but there was a massive grin on his muzzle that told me that despite his original protest, he was glad that it happened.

As I sat up, I felt the panther's shaft slip wetly from my backside, bringing with it a crushing feeling of emptiness, but also the strangely arousing feeling of cum running down my inner thighs. I swung my leg over the panther and stood, already feeling the effects of our coupling start to restore my energy.

"Make yourself available to me in the future." I said, reverting quickly back to my old self now that the fun part was over. "And I will not need to tell anyone of your mistrustful tendencies of spying."

The happy grin that was occupying my companion's face instantly disappeared, but enough of it remained to let me know that he enjoyed the idea of coming back. He stood up and stuffed his slackening shaft away, doing up his pants with a bashful look.

"O-of course, sir." He said, giving a bow before backing up to the door. "M-may I b-be excused?"

I could tell that he truly wanted to be away from me, likely due to my rapid changes in mood ever since he arrived and fearing that he was more than likely going to say or do something stupid that would make me second-guess my decision to not maim him. It was a reasonable fear, I supposed, and though I thought I wouldn't mind further company for the evening, I decided that his fear and discomfort would serve better. At least then he wouldn't become emotionally attached.

"Be off, then." I dismissed him with a wave of my hand and watched out of the corner of my eye as he hurriedly opened the door and slipped out, closing it behind him. If I focused hard enough I could almost hear his footsteps running down the hall.

At least I had been able to recharge; though I wasn't quite as overwhelmed with energy as I had been after the Doberman had his way with me, a fact that I noted was most likely dependant on the sheer volume of seed involved. Still, I had more than enough to finish the last few wards that I needed to secure the hallway window, so everything else was suddenly nothing to concern myself with.

A knock came at my door, breaking my concentration and causing a growl to issue from my throat. I had been focusing on pouring my excess energy into one of four cantaloupe sized glass orbs that sat on my desk in front of me, intending to eventually use them to enchant the large armoire that stood against the far wall between the bay windows. If I couldn't have a basement room, I'd just need to make my own room upstairs.

Unfortunately for me, enchanting a container to be larger on the inside than it was on the outside was incredibly difficult to say the least, and required excessive amounts of energy that I wouldn't be able to provide in one go, hence storing extra energy in the orbs to save for when I was ready. The wardrobe itself was already covered in most of the symbols of activation and I had partially completed drawing the arcane lines relevant to the enchantment, but I still lacked the amount of energy it would take to fire it up.

The kitchen cat would certainly not be enough of a battery, and when I thought about it, even the Doberman would have needed several weeks of daily milking to get what I needed.

Good thing I was a patient person.

Another knock came at the door, snapping me back out of my thoughts.

I stood up, clad only in a pair of small shorts that accentuated my backside as they were the first things I grabbed from my drawers when I awoke, and walked over to the door, pulling it open with an obvious scowl on my face.

Torvin Galavar, his son, Serena and Davian stood in the hallway, Thomas being the only one who looked perturbed at being forced to wait.

"Ah, good morning Alexis." The general said with a smile. "We are just here to see how you are settling in to your new home."

"A task easily accomplished by an individual, not several people." I sighed as I moved away from the door, leaving it open for the others to enter. "I am settling well, though it is taking much more to ensure my new home is secure than I originally expected."

"You've made this room secure?" Davian asked as he looked around. "I see nothing different aside from the drawings on the wardrobe."

"Magic is not always a visual power." I said as I stood at the end of my bed in front of a storage trunk. "I assure you, I am very thorough with my own security. Though it will take several weeks to ensure everything is up to the same level my old home was at."

"I was told you possessed a rather unique enchanting table." Thomas asked pointedly, as if expecting me to read his mind and assume he wanted to have it shown to him. What a shame I wasn't that kind of psychic.

"I do." I replied, chuckling in my mind when I saw him bristle at the casual disregard for his unspoken request. At least my choice of clothing didn't seem to make anyone balk.

"May I see it?" He kept a civil tongue, but words spoken through clenched teeth rarely sound polite.

I snapped my fingers and held out my arms, the table in its disabled form fell from the ceiling and into my grasp, much to everyone's surprise. I ignored Davian's attempt to ask where it had come from and instead turned around and knelt down, laying the device gingerly on the ground. A simple infusion of power and a gentle caress of its smooth white surface was all it took to activate it.

Taking a step back, I joined everyone in watching the table rebuild itself; the wood turned to liquid wax and began bubbling, lifting slightly off the ground as the legs began forming and growing underneath. They were shaped like the legs of nameless animals with large claws at the ends of paws, something I always found curious as the object continually changed its appearance every now and then as if it had grown bored of the way it looked.

When it reached its height of four feet, the top began spreading itself out to form the actual enchanting surface with the same curved groove in the centre as before.

Once its shimmering surface stopped roiling and bubbling, black lines slowly appeared to break the monotony of white wood. Even I couldn't understand what exactly the symbols represented or what they even meant, but I had done enough experiments to know that I had the gist of it.

Each section of the surface, five in all, represented one of the five elements; air, fire, earth, water and spirit, and depending on where you focused your energy, you could make a sword that burned when touched or a box that could freeze perishable foods.

The entire process only took a single minute, and as I approached it, I felt that familiar hum of energy slowly grow. When I placed my hands on either side of the centre groove, wisps of red smoke coiled upwards and formed an orb that rose two feet into the air.

"Incredible." Davian said with wide eyes.

"Beautiful." Serena gasped.

"That's it?" Thomas didn't sound impressed, but when I turned around, he snapped his eyes upwards and masked his own wonder.

"It is an incredibly powerful device." I snapped. The table had been the only thing I owned that I truly felt like defending. "It is not some gimmicky light show meant to amuse or entertain."

"We understand." Torvin said with an apologetic smile. "Thomas, you will work on your attitude or I'll give the stable hand the week off and have you do his work."

"Understood, father." Thomas didn't look happy, but he apparently found the idea of being forced to do work so far below his standing even worse than being civil.

The table, while we had our little exchange, brought itself to full power as the crimson orb began pulsing along with my heartbeat, and with its full activation, its aura began affecting everyone else in the room but myself.

Davian took a step back, while Serena lost the constant smile she had worn until now. General Galavar stood his ground, but certainly seemed put off by the sensation, while his son almost looked like he would be sick.

"If you are going to retch, young master Galavar, please do it in the hallway." I said with a hint of a smile. This was the first time I had a group of people so near the table that it was interesting to note it seemed to focus more intently on the one who agitated me the most, like a loyal hound defending its master. A very interesting concept to be sure.

"Why does it make my skin crawl so?" Serena asked, a frown still decorating her face.

"As I said; it is an extremely powerful device." I answered. "And I take my personal security very seriously. The aura is designed to keep prying hands and eyes away." In all honesty, I had no idea where the aura came from, but it didn't hurt to make them think that it was my own doing.

"It is good to know that you take such precautions." The general said, giving me a nod of approval, not that I needed one. "Thank you for the demonstration. Now I believe we are keeping you from your preparations, please continue."

'Yes, I shall.' I thought rather than spoke, giving the group a bow in feigned respect as they turned around to leave the room faster than they had entered. Thomas, however, lingered by the still open door.

"How does one of your low standing come to possess such a device?" He asked, already back to his old self now that he was far enough away from the table.

"Inheritance." I said simply. Unfortunately, though I wanted to slam the door closed, he was standing right in the frame, so he would likely be injured by the act, something that would likely irk his father, though I wouldn't understand why. This child needed to learn some respect.

"Inheritance?" He asked, keeping his distance but folding his arms over his chest with a suspicious look in his vulpine eyes. "This is quite the object to give to a child. I can't see any parent or relative relinquishing it to one so young of their own free will."

"So I either killed for it, or simply stole it?" I asked as I stepped slowly forward until I was less than a foot away from the suddenly uncomfortable looking fox. "If either was the case, you would be wise to keep such thoughts and accusations to yourself. I am a highly skilled mage, after all."

He gulped, still trying to maintain his brave façade.

"Unless you want me to drag you in here," I started, sliding a delicate finger along his exposed forearm. "And do oh so many unmentionable things to you."

Thomas's muzzle opened as if he was about to speak, but all that came out was a sad little squeak. His eyes were darting everywhere on my body, either trying to gauge how much of a physical threat I would be or actively checking me out.

"I didn't think so." I said with a smile as I turned around and walked back towards my table, ensuring my silver and white tail allowed for a good view of my backside before pushing the door closed gently enough with my mind that it wouldn't harm the arrogant boy.

"So." I began as I stared into the swirling mist within the floating orb. "You don't like him either it seems. Or perhaps he simply couldn't handle the aura as well as everyone else."

The red mist continued to pulse steadily, not changing in the least.

"If the aura is a constant, however, then why would it not affect me?" I asked, almost expecting an answer. "It could be because of my magical prowess, but if I concentrate, I can't even detect the field that surrounds you."

It surprised me that I had never become curious about this before, but then, I never had any reason to until now. If the aura was, in fact, a constant; putting out the exact same level of energy in its proximity, then I would have been able to sense it if I focused enough, not to mention I would have had to actively work on preventing it from affecting me. Ever since I acquired it though, no such precautions were needed, and until the General and Davian arrived, I didn't realize that it even had that effect on people.

Placing my hands on its smooth surface, I tried to read the powers I used regularly to enchant various objects for work.

A sudden rush of tingling warmth spread up my arms and throughout my body, relaxing every muscle and soothing my mind. I withdrew my hands quickly, the orb pulsing in time with my quickened pulse. It wasn't an unwelcome or evil feeling that had touched me, but calmness and warmth seemed like such alien concepts after so much time spent running and looking over my shoulder; it threw me off.

"So there is something conscious about you..." I said, holding my hands over my chest until the warm tingling faded. "Fascinating."

I almost didn't realize the sound of the bell above my door ringing, signalling that lunch would be served in ten minutes. I wondered if that panther had been the one to ring it, before dismissing the thought entirely; I now had a great breakthrough to research. That would have to wait though, as I needed sustenance if I wanted to continue on. There was nothing more I could do at this point in any case; When I placed my hands back on the table and tried to commune with it again, I received no indications of activity.

With a sigh, I pulled on a pair of leg hugging pants and a tight shirt. If the table wouldn't commune with me for now, I could at least amuse myself by taunting young master Thomas. If his reaction at the door was any indication, I could likely make meals quite uncomfortable for him.

A short walk later, I entered the dining hall, noting that my fun would have to be relegated to some other time. A separate table, closer to the only entrance to the room, was occupied by my five new comrades, all dressed as before in their black fabrics and crimson sashes. The Galavar family occupied the centre table, chatting happily amongst themselves as they ate while Davian gestured to the seat next to him.

"I rather enjoyed the look on master Thomas's face when you pulled out the table." Serena chuckled quietly, ensuring the other table wouldn't overhear us. "I didn't appreciate the sensations myself, but the boy needs something to be afraid of."

"Such arrogance." Chimed in Sky, or Seb.

"Born with a silver spoon." Added Seb; or was he Sky?

Everyone at the table chuckled aside from myself and Kabran, who, as ever, remained impassive as he sat next to Serena.

"I am surprised that a general's son would act with such pompous attitude." I said, figuring that if I was to live and work with these people for the foreseeable future, I should at least try to stay on their good sides by engaging them. "Has he always been that way?"

"He was snubbed by a noble girl of higher standing." Serena said, earning a look of disapproval from Davian. She lowered her head, but was still smiling as she continued to eat.

"It is improper to speak of our employers in such a fashion." The tiger said before turning back to his food.

"Two years older than him." One twin said.

"Had a stick up his backside ever since." Finished the other, causing Davian to growl.

For the first time since I arrived at this house, I felt an honest smile spread across my muzzle. Such an alien feeling it was to have a natural smile caused by humour that I immediately put up my mental defenses for fear that I had somehow become bewitched. It wouldn't have been the first time laughter had almost led to my capture.

"So Alexis." Serena said, leaning over the table onto which her bosom rested, the 'v' cut of the front of everyone's tunics allowing for quite the view. "Where did you come from? You're obviously not from around here or you would likely be famous what with your skills and that table of yours. From what we understand, only a few nobles have sought your services."

"I keep to myself." I said as I ate, not particularly thrilled with the direction the conversation was going. I told myself that after stonewalling them politely for the first week or so they should lose interest and stop asking. "I come from the northern provinces and find myself travelling often. I enjoy seeing new places. As for my fame, or lack thereof, I always request that they keep our interactions discreet. Like I said before; I take my privacy seriously."

"Where have you travelled to?" The twin with the scar on his jaw asked, for once, not followed immediately by a comment from his mirror image.

"The cities of Albern, Novem, and most recently Haldir." I said, knowing that those three were indeed large cities in the northlands. They weren't necessarily the ones I had sheltered in, but they certainly existed.

"Quite the journey for one so young." The wolf with the scar behind his ear commented, likewise without a follow up from his twin.

"I enjoy exploring." I hoped my short answers were getting through to them that I wasn't much for conversations.

"We've seen quite a few places." Davian said as he finished his meal and began sipping at a mug of tea. A servant began clearing the table of used dishes, and I idly noticed a familiar feline through my peripheries. "Some beautiful cities, others harsh battlefields. The general had mentioned the possibility of you becoming one of his personal guards like us, so you would get to explore quite a bit on our travels. Just be prepared to see darkness too."

I had suffered at the hands of a particularly cruel group of mage instructors in the guild. A battlefield was an evil place, but the minds of those who tortured children were worse by far.

"I'm certain I could live with it." I said, still not entirely sure how I felt about taking the extra step to become the general's personal bodyguard. Certainly it would be an added deterrence to any hunters, but the level of commitment required would steal away what freedom I had worked so hard to obtain. The only reason I was here at all was for shelter anyways.

"Having a mage around would definitely make a difference." Serena added. "There were a couple of incidents where we had to face down mages with just a charm or two to protect us."

"I imagine that will likely become my first task once I am settled." I said, switching into professional mode and sighing happily inside as the conversation shifted away from my past. "Gather for me one charm each and within a week I can ensure they will provide more protection. Though I cannot guarantee full immunity from magic, they will serve far better than those trinkets you currently possess."

"You make it sound easy." Davian said as the panther finished clearing away the dishes. "Enchanting I mean."

"It is simple." I shrugged. "The most difficult parts are drawing the proper sigils and providing sufficient energy. Hence why after work I need to rest and recharge."

"How long does it take you to recharge?" One of the twins asked.

"How do you recharge in the first place?" Asked the other.

"It depends on the amount of energy used." I explained. "A basic enchantment or two would take but a meal to recover with, a stronger one would take a meal and a night of fitful rest."

I debated with myself whether or not to go further than that, unsure if my admission of needing to ingest a load or two of cum would cause the others to ostracize me or volunteer their services. I supposed they could be accepting of the requirement if it meant they could have their gear enchanted better and faster, but refuse to fuel me. If that was the case, at least I would still have the panther to milk every now and then.

"If I overexert myself," I began, not realizing how long I had been pondering while the others looked on in silence. "A more immediate solution is typically required. I have found that the ingestion of someone's sexual fluids is enough to restore me to full energy or beyond in a relatively short timeframe."

Davian nearly choked on his tea while Serena just laughed. The twins grew smiles on their muzzles and Kabran... Well he was still Kabran. I also noted with amusement the embarrassed expression on the panther's face.

"How on earth did you figure that one out?" The mouse wiped a tear from her eye, still chuckling more at Davian's reaction than anything else.

"Magic needs to be powered by life energy." I said, another smile creeping onto my muzzle in spite of my mental defenses still being up. "It was either experiment with sex, or resort to barbarity and use blood. Personally, I prefer sex. Less of a mess."

"You aren't nearly as, stuck up, as you originally seemed." Davian said, still looking uncomfortable about something.

"Indeed." I said. Obviously 'stuck up' was the best view I could imagine they would have of me, but it was good to know it wasn't quite as bad as I thought it would be. "If you will excuse me, I must get back to my room. Only a few more things to complete before I can be of use to anyone."

I stood up and slid my chair up against the table, nodding to the group before turning to exit the room. Unfortunately for me, the general caught my movement and called to me.

"Master Alexis!" He called, making me freeze in my tracks. I sighed before turning around and stepping up to the main table, interested to find out why I had been singled out so suddenly. Could my earlier forwardness and taunting attitude towards Thomas be coming back to haunt me?

"How may I be of assistance?" I asked, coming to a halt next to Thomas, but keeping my eyes focused on the equine before me.

"You're a mage of impressive skill," He started. "The enchantment you placed upon my sword was more than proof of that as I found out today."

'Get on with it. I have important things to do.' I thought while maintaining a look of interest.

"Would you be able to instruct my son and daughter?" The request took me by surprise, and I instantly wanted to scream 'no'. "They both have the ability, but I've never found a teacher I am comfortable with them learning from."

'I could taunt Thomas more.' I began to think, working through various pros and cons of taking such a task on. On the one hand, it would further solidify my position here and earn me far more trust from the others. If anything were to happen such as a hunter showing up, they'd be more likely to jump to my defense no matter what.

On the other hand though... Children; specifically the spoiled brat.

"Learning to hone magical skills to any degree of mastery takes time." I started, still mulling over the idea in my head. "It can be tiresome, slow and in some cases, uncomfortable or even painful. I learned from the best, and even the best couldn't prepare me fully. It is very difficult for those that lack the focus or natural skill."

"If you can do it, I can do it." Thomas said with an arrogant confidence. I'd need to relive my more painful lessons to come up with ways to make his training even half as miserable as mine was, but I figured it would be well worth it to wipe that smug grin off of his face.

"With all respect, sir, Diana is much too young for the kind of training I am versed in." I said, looking over to the crestfallen face of the equine. "Perhaps in a few years, after more physical and mental maturity. Magic can easily be affected by mood, and youth is a turbulent time when it comes to emotions."

"I tend to agree love." Adrienne rested a hand on the shoulder of her daughter to calm the young one down. "Perhaps when she's older she could advance. Would you at least be able to provide advice for her?"

"I would." Learning magic wasn't necessarily as painful or arduous as I had made it out to be, but having Thomas to myself seemed like much more fun. That and I wanted him to feel fear. "There is one requirement that must be met if I am to teach either of your children; I am the master. My word will be law when I am teaching. I would hate to see any of this lovely architecture or wonderful decorations ruined by an inflated ego that can't control what power they have."

"You will have their full compliance." Torvin said pointedly, looking directly at his son as if knowing that he would be the type to talk back and ignore suggestions. "Correct?"

"Yes father." Thomas said quietly as he looked down at his plate, clearly cowed by his father's penetrating glare. Oh how I looked forward to getting that response from him once I got to teaching...

"If that will be all, sir." I said with a polite bow. "My settling is complete, so I will begin to draw up plans for young master Thomas's training as well as Madame Diana's tips. As far as times go, I would prefer an early morning routine. I am awake and ready to go at roughly six."

"But I have school in the morning at seven through the week." Thomas pointed out, causing his father to nod.

"The evening won't work?" He asked, and in reply, I shook my head. "The weekends then. Plenty of time to practice, and even more time to recover should it prove too tiring."

Thomas grumbled something incoherently, clearly upset at the prospect of waking up so early on a weekend when he should have been free to sleep in..

"That will work for me, sir." I nodded, for once actually nervous about taking something on of this magnitude.

With my employers leave, I retreated from the dining hall, mulling over the task I had just agreed to take on. I wasn't entirely sure if making Thomas uncomfortable around me would be worth the time and effort involved, but it could still at least be fun. Not to mention the fact that now that I had a guaranteed job and income, I wouldn't need to worry about finding work to keep a roof over my head, so I would find myself with a lot more free time.

"Now, will you be willing to commune again?" My eyes locked onto my table as I entered my room and shut the door behind me; all other thoughts and worries relegated to the 'in progress' portion of my mind.

The orb of red mist floated up from its cradle as I approached it, changing to a soft blue when I was close enough. That wasn't necessarily a sign of the consciousness I thought the device possessed as it had done that numerous times before, but it had taken months before it grew bored enough of one colour to change to something new.

I took that as a good sign regardless, but when I placed my hands on the surface of the table, I still received no signal that it was in any way aware of me. Heaving a sigh of dismay, I removed my hands and sat down on the trunk at the foot of my bed.

"Maybe...Maybe after all this time I'm finally starting to lose my grip on reality." I thought to myself, suddenly feeling drained. "Nine years of running, changing names, changing histories, heaping lie upon lie upon lie..."

But what else was there for me to do? The Guild was relentless when it came to reclaiming its property, be it a student or an item of any level of significance, and I was beyond a useful asset on my own, let alone the table I possessed.

Perhaps taking this job for general Galavar would change that. Perhaps the guild would stop hunting me, maybe they had lost track of where I even was? Surely they would never expect me to start working for a high profile soldier like Torvin. I hoped...

The remainder of that day was spent brooding over the possibility of going mad, and thinking of the audacity of having such a conversation with myself about the subject. Surely if I was mad there wouldn't be enough awareness of it for my internal conversation to even happen in the first place, let alone one that actually made sense.

Still; what sane person couldn't even remember their own name? Or even where they came from? The dinner bell rang, but I was too wrapped up in my thoughts to even notice it; I simply spent my time staring at the enchanting table, willing it to do something, anything that would verify that my mental faculties were running just like any other normal persons.

The sun had set by the time I felt my eyes droop, and I was only just able to pull myself away from where I sat to sprawl out on the bed still in my clothes. The soft blue glow emitted from the orb above the table continued to illuminate the room, giving it a warm comforting feeling before slowly fading as I moved away.

Madness would be a future Alexis problem. The Alexis of the present had to keep his wits about him, but first; sleep.

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Hopefully I'm still doing alright at this. Haven't touched the story in ages! Every time I open it up on my computer my brain suddenly goes 'Ooooh! Youtube!' and I lose an afternoon.

In any case, I hope you've enjoyed this chapter! As always, constructive criticism is always appreciated!