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Subject: {ASSM} The Overlords' Gambit 03/36 (MF Mf Ff ff Mdom Fdom toys bd rom magic oral rough
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<1st attachment, "Chapter03.txt" begin>

WARNING: This is a work of erotic fiction. It contains depictions of
nudity and graphic sex.

Author: A Strange Geek
Title: The Overlords' Gambit
Universe: Narlass Chronicles
Summary: Amanda is again pulled into events that grow beyond what she
ever imagined as the Overlords plot against the Emperor, for the
changes in Oceanus will bring changes for herself as well.

Part: 3 of 36
Keywords: MF, Mf, Ff, ff, Mdom, Fdom, toys, bd, rom, magic, oral,
rough, spank

Copyright A Strange Geek, 2007

Feedback welcome! Please email me at astraYOURngegeek@comMINDcast.net
( lose YOUR MIND to email me )

Or to send anonymous feedback, use the form at bottom of HTML version:

http://www.asstr-mirror.org/files/Authors/A_Strange_Geek/www/novels/Gambit/Chapter03.html



---------------

Amanda trembled where she stood, the small metal weight that dangled
between her legs swinging back and forth a bit from its slim chain. A
finger occasionally flicked at it, making the weight dance and tug at
the smooth metal ball tucked into her tunnel. Her cheeks flushed with
both the effort of her task and a small measure of embarrassment.

"You're doing very well, Amanda," came Sirinna's voice from behind her.
It was edged with a bit of excitement. "Keep at it as long as you can."

The words barely registered. Amanda was becoming increasingly
distracted. After having done this task for a few days now, it was
becoming easier. At least until Sirinna introduced a new challenge.
Before, she could keep the little ball in her pussy by just lightly
tightening her muscles; now it was taking more effort.

Two other slaves were assisting in the effort that morning as they
stood in the Circle, the roughly circular grass-covered clearing
surrounded by trees in the center of the Manor grounds, where most
training took place. A slave stood on either side of Amanda, each with
her mouth at one of Amanda's breasts. Each was slowly and skillfully
teasing one of Amanda's nipples with her tongue.

"A little more, please," Sirinna said to them. Now each slave sucked
the nipple completely into her mouth .

"Uhhnn ..." Amanda moaned, shivering with pleasure as her pussy grew
more slick from arousal, making it even harder to keep the metal ball
inside her. She could feel it slip a little before she clenched her
muscles again to stop it. One of the girls reached between her legs and
flicked the chain again. The weight tugged once more on the ball. She
kept it inside her, but now the effort was lightly stimulating her and
making it even more difficult to stay focused.

Amanda felt her muscles beginning to ache. Sirinna had told her that
was a sign she should stop soon, but she wanted to push herself a
little further. She clenched and unclenched her hands behind her back.
Sirinna normally removed the leather cuffs from her wrists after
bringing her to the Circle for training, but this time she had left
them on. "Sometimes it's hard to know what to do with your hands and
you might accidentally interfere with the task," Sirinna had told her.

She strained and pulled at the cuffs behind her back as it grew harder
to retain the ball.

There was another reason she wanted to push herself. That morning she
had more of an audience than usual. Most days it was simply the other
slaves that came out to see or assist with training. There were not a
lot of them around anymore, however. Business had picked up
considerably for Roquan after the Conclave, and he had few slaves left
that were without clients. Sometimes Roquan watched, but she had grown
so used to it that she barely gave it a second thought anymore.

This time she had someone watching that she felt a need to impress,
even though she would be loathe to admit it.

Just at the edge of the Circle, leaning against one side of the
decorative stone arch stood a lanky young man with black hair drawn
tightly into a short ponytail behind his head. His eyes were dark and
held a faintly exotic look to them, though they also displayed a
combination of amusement and wonder as they gazed at Amanda. His lips
were curled into a small but pleasant smile, and he cupped his chin
thoughtfully as he watched.

Jollis' name meant "wanderer" in his native tongue, but it hardly
applied at the moment. Having settled down now in his modest quarters
just outside the Manor, he was going to be around for awhile. Roquan
needed a Tradesman, and he needed to be on hand to see that things went
according to his true Master's plan.

He was delighted that this meant he could enjoy Amanda's company more
often.

Amanda began panting in earnest now. Her sex was so wet and slippery
that she was having to tense her muscles further. Yet they began to
ache worse, and she realized she was going to have to ease up soon if
she did not want to hurt herself.

Sirinna stepped forward and touched the shoulder of one of the
assisting slaves. Without looking up from Amanda's breast, the slave
reached between Amanda's thighs again and carefully slipped one
fingertip over Amanda's swollen womanhood and began to caress it
lightly.

"Uhhh!!" Amanda cried. It was too much for her. As aroused as she was,
she responded to the gentle touch immediately, her hips shuddering. Her
eyes closed and she lost focus. There was a soft thud as the ball
slipped from Amanda's grasp and both it and the weight struck the
ground between her splayed feet.

"Very good, Amanda!" Sirinna said happily. "I'm very proud of you. You
lasted longer than most would at this stage. I think that deserves a
reward."

On her cue, the slave that had touched Amanda's nub now slid her hand
completely over Amanda's sex, fingers squishing against wet folds. At
the same time, both slaves suckled harder on her nipples, nibbling
gently on them. Amanda moaned loudly and shuddered as she soared
quickly, unable to hold back. She cried out in orgasm, her pussy
throbbing against the slave's fingers.

The slave flicked her finger at Amanda's womanhood, making Amanda's
hips jerk as her climax continued for a little longer. By the time it
had faded, Amanda was breathing hard and feeling a little weak. She was
thankful now that the summer was passing into autumn. While the fact
that the Manor was located in what would be the Bahamas back on Earth
so there was not much seasonal variation, it at least eased the intense
summer heat a bit.

Nevertheless, when the two slaves parted from Amanda, both smiling
encouragement to her before they turned away, she was hot and sweating.
Sirinna immediately freed Amanda's hands and gave her a goblet of cold
water to drink.

Sirinna laid a hand on her shoulder. "You did very well. You're picking
this up quickly. But don't strain yourself. I'll bet those muscles are
a little sore now."

Amanda's pussy did ache, but it was hard to tell if it were just from
the orgasm or from muscle fatigue. She nodded anyway, her eyes flicking
towards the archway to where Jollis stood.

Her gaze found his. Jollis gave a nod and his smile widened. Amanda
smiled back as well, feeling an additional measure of satisfaction now.
The only thing that spoiled it was a lingering feeling of guilt in the
back of her mind that she wished to seek such approval from him in the
first place.

"That's all we can do with you for now, Amanda,," Sirinna said. Amanda
immediately tore her gaze from Jollis and turned her full attention to
her Trainer. "No need to push yourself quite as hard as that, though I
commend you for wanting to do well."

Amanda nodded. "Thank you, Mistress."

Sirinna smiled and played with Amanda's hair. She had been growing a
little bolder with her displays of affection before the others. Not
that the other slaves would do anything about it, but the fact of the
matter was that a Trainer was not supposed to get overly emotionally
involved with the Trainees. Yet rumors were already circulating among
the other slaves that Amanda and Sirinna were lovers. It amused them
more than it alarmed them.

Though occasionally one or two of them would wonder what the Overlord
thought about it.

Sirinna gestured to another slave as she reached down and picked up the
ball and weight. She handed it to the slave. "See that these are
properly cleaned, please?" The slave accepted the object, nodded, and
headed off.

"So what's next, then, Mistress?" Amanda asked after draining about
half the goblet.

"We'll go back to sexual techniques for a bit. I want to start teaching
you how to use your fingers more effectively in a woman's pussy."

Amanda could not help but smile at this.

Sirinna guessed what Amanda was thinking and smiled as well. "Yes, I
know ... and you do indeed do quite well with me. But I need to show
you how to tailor your techniques to others, since everyone is a little
different."

"And this afternoon?"

"This afternoon will be a short session. You're due for your Kaylaxxa
treatment."

Amanda inwardly sighed at this. She still looked towards these
treatments with some small measure of trepidation. Though the few she
had had after that first one -- where the slave that had been the
Emperor's spy had used a concentrated dose on her and rendered her
practically insensible -- had gone without much incident, she still did
not look forward to them. She felt especially vulnerable while it was
taking place.

Sirinna sensed Amanda's consternation and squeezed her shoulder. "It
will be all right. You came through the last one without any real
difficulties."

"Well, except that I couldn't close my legs for awhile without cumming
again," Amanda remarked, trying to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

"That's a normal after-effect of it. It hasn't been as bad as when
Yanna did it to you, has it?"

Amanda shook her head. "No, Mistress."

"And it is necessary ..."

"I know, Mistress," Amanda said quickly, some impatience creeping into
her voice. She was well aware that the Kaylaxxa salve was mainly for
hygienic purposes. It killed pathogens in the genital area and
protected her from infection for up to a complete moon cycle. The side
effect -- that it made the vulva so sensitized that the least pressure
would trigger an orgasm until the salve was completely absorbed -- was
largely intended to make the experience pleasant and thus one that the
slave anticipated.

This didn't work for Amanda. But then again, Amanda was different in
many ways.

Sirinna paused a moment. Amanda looked to her with resignation as if
expecting to be punished now for her impatience.

"Amanda, I may have a pleasant surprise for you," Sirinna said instead.

Amanda blinked in surprise. "You may?"

"I don't know for sure ... but Master Roquan informed me last night
that a caravan was arriving today around midday. Master Vanlo's new
assistant is arriving with it ..."

Amanda looked puzzled. "New assistant? I didn't know he was going to
..."

"Don't interrupt," Sirinna said in gentle admonishment.

"I'm sorry, Mistress."

"As I was saying, Master Vanlo has a new assistant arriving today. The
caravan is also bringing other deliveries to the Manor and one of them
may be the scrolls that Master Roquan promised you."

Amanda had to resist the urge to say "Finally!" Instead, she slowly
smiled and nodded. "Yes, that is good news, Mistress. Thank you for
telling me. I really hope Master Roquan gets them to me as quickly as
possible."

Sirinna gave Amanda a knowing look. "So do I, considering how much
you've been looking forward to them."

"And annoying you in the interim. I really am sorry about that,
Mistress, I ..."

"Shh. It's okay. I understand. Now, let's see about teaching you some
of those new techniques ..."



Jollis watched until the two of them turned away from his position and
headed to the far side of the Circle. He smiled one last time at them
before turning and heading away.

The more he learned of Amanda, and the more he watched her mature not
as a slave but as a person, the more fascinated he became with her. In
so many ways, Amanda carried herself in a manner that was beyond her
years. Yet there were many ways in which she was still a child.

Jollis shook his head as his thoughts began to unsettle him. Fourteen.
Or possibly fifteen by now. So young. So very young to have all this
thrust upon her. And she will still be so very young when she will have
to play her next part.

Jollis clasped his hands behind his back and strolled casually down the
winding path. He passed other slaves as he walked, each one as naked
and perfect as the last. Yet he seemed to pay no attention to them, as
if they did not exist for him.

When he came to the junction with the west-side path and turned his
gaze northward, the direction that would eventually take him to the
Overlord, he paused and frowned slightly.

/Most distasteful,/ he thought. /I should not be having the thoughts
that I am. The plan has been made. It is simply up to me to execute it.
It was never for me to presume otherwise, to presume more knowledge
than my elders back home./

Yet nothing, he felt, had prepared him for someone like Amanda.

He turned up the west-side path and hastened his pace. He should not
let his personal feelings affect his actions. He was free to treasure
Amanda for what she was, a clever and compassionate young girl; he was
free to take his pleasure with her, so long as he did not impose on her
too much or make her feel uncomfortable with him. But beyond that, he
must keep his thoughts focused on his mission. Amanda was to play too
great a role in it for him to take too many liberties, either with her
or with his own feelings.

He forced himself to return his thoughts to his present task.

/I have timed this well,/ Jollis thought. /I will arrive in the middle.
It will make the Overlord much less apt to ask me to leave. Besides,
the Overlord is used to having me around. He will take my presence for
granted, much like he does the presence of his slaves./

He hoped to hear enough of what was being said that he could
conceivably offer his assistance. Then he will have taken the first
step. During the Conclave, it had been the Emperor's hand that had
ruled the day, hovering over all and waiting to strike in the form of
the assassin sent against Roquan. Now that hand had been pushed away,
and it was time for a new hand to guide events where they must go.

Jollis would be the manifestation of that hand.



"You see? We have nothing."

The other Overlord seemed not to hear Roquan's declaration. He was
scrutinizing a parchment in one hand while his other scratched as his
chin, his brow deeply furrowed. He finally lifted the hand at his chin
to his gray hair and motioned as if smoothing it back. He uttered a
derisive snort as he dropped the parchment to the desk.

"Nothing has survived Z'haas' infernal purges," Roquan said, his steel
blue-gray eyes fixed coolly on the other Overlord. His arms were folded
across his chest. "Any leverage that the Overlords have had in the
Imperium is gone."

"Hrm. That would seem impossible on the face of it," mused Overlord
Doran D'jorus as he rubbed at his face. "One would think that he could
not possibly be so thorough."

"Do not deceive yourself, Doran. Z'haas has been planning this for some
time. Perhaps as soon as he had heard that the Conclave had convened."

"Yes, which is information he had no business knowing!" Doran
thundered. "Damn Gronnus' traitorous hide! Perhaps we should have
deposed him when we had the chance."

"That would have bought us nothing. The damage was already done by that
point."

Doran paused, then uttered a long sigh. "So what does that leave us
with, Roquan? What are our options?"

"You have not been listening to me. I said, /we have nothing/." He
gestured in annoyance at the desk and its stacks of parchments and
scrolls. "You have seen it for yourself. We are locked out of the
Imperium."

Doran folded his arms and looked away for a moment, as if lost in
thought.

Roquan turned and strolled across the room. He filled a goblet with
wine and swirled it around as he turned back towards Doran. "You cannot
imagine how frustrating this is, Doran. To spend all that effort at the
Conclave, to risk my very life for it, and then to be able to do
nothing with the support I have received ..."

Doran raised a hand to stop the torrent of words. Roquan appeared
annoyed to be silenced in such a way, but he acquiesced and quieted,
taking a long sip of his wine. "There is always the more direct
option," Doran said thoughtfully.

Roquan narrowed his eyes. "You do not mean a /military/ option? Such a
thing has not been done in over two centuries. Not since the founding
of the nation."

"Sometimes brute force is the only way to solve a problem."

"Barbaric."

"Nevertheless, Roquan, necessity sometimes ..."

"I am not interested in sacrificing lives, Doran. Sirinna almost died.
Amanda almost died. Others of my slaves could have died had the spy
Yanna made a mistake with the dosage of Jonalla she fed to them to sew
acts of disobedience. Now you tell me I should find a way to /order/
people to their deaths."

"Not you, Roquan," Doran said, stepping away from the table, a wry
smile playing at his lips. "That is what we have the Nobility for."

Roquan stared at Doran for a long moment. Finally he shook his head
once and turned away. "Out of the question."

"Is this where your friend Rennis would tell you to stop thinking about
your own ego?" Doran said a bit loudly.

Roquan whirled around, eyes blazing. "Do you think this is what it is
about? Do you seriously think I am looking for glory for myself? If I
wished that, I would have forwarded my own name as a contender for the
Imperial Throne!"

"That is not what I meant, and you know it! Stop being so defensive all
the time. What I meant was that you refuse to admit that we need help."

Roquan raised an eyebrow. "We?"

"Yes, we. The Overlords."

"And you seriously want us to throw our lot in with the Nobility? Do
you have any idea what kind of strings will be attached to that?
Overlord politics is nothing compared to the Nobility of Oceanus."

"And here I thought nothing was more important than deposing the
Emperor!" said Doran, his tone one of exasperation. "Hellfire, Roquan!
If this is still important to you ..."

"It should be important ..."

" ... to all of us, yes yes yes, I know. You said that often enough at
the Conclave. It's time that you /show it/."

Roquan paused and took a deep breath. In her own way, even without
coming out and saying it, Sirinna had been right. The Overlord had
indeed been very stressed lately. He knew he had to do a better job of
remaining calm. Appearing excitable and irascible was not conducive to
a good atmosphere at the Manor. Whatever stress the Overlord was
feeling eventually made its way to the slaves.

"All right, Doran," Roquan said in a calmer voice. "I will not dismiss
the idea of the Nobility. But I want another option first."

Doran looked about to protest again, but simply let go with a windy
sigh. "You are quite persistent, Roquan."

"Thank you."

"I did not necessarily mean that as a compliment."

"I will take it as one just the same." Roquan paused and finally said
in a lower voice, "So you /do/ have another option."

Doran frowned. "Maybe. A very big maybe, Roquan, and not something I
really wish to rely upon."

"Something is better than nothing, Doran."

"Not if it is almost guaranteed to return you to nothing afterward,"
Doran pointed out gruffly. "See here, I do not even know if I can reach
him discreetly enough to ..."

Doran trailed off when he heard a gentle knock at the door. Roquan
quickly put down his goblet. "Enter."

The door opened and Jollis strode into the room. He offered Roquan a
smile and a polite bow of his head. "Good day to you, your Lordship."
He paused and turned his head towards the other Overlord. "And good day
to you as well. I hope I did not interrupt."

"It's fine, Jollis," Roquan said. "Is there something you require of
me?"

"Your leave to greet the caravan when it arrives later this morning, is
all," Jollis replied smoothly. "I understand you will be receiving your
new assistant Healer and other supplies."

"It is about time," Roquan said with an acid sting to his voice, though
it was not directed at Jollis. "You have heard this through your
contacts, no doubt."

"Indeed, your Lordship. I have managed to attain a very good network of
... well, informants is perhaps not the most apt word but the closest I
can think of at the moment."

"Very good, Jollis. Thank you."

Jollis bowed his head again and turned as if to leave, taking note of
the other Overlord's eyes upon him. Just before he was about to step
towards the door, he paused and turned around. "Ah, but there was
something else, your Lordship. Have you a list of items that you wish
the merchants to acquire for you for their next run? Or any goods they
may happen to have with them you wish me to procure?"

Roquan looked thoughtful. "It will take me a moment to come up with a
list of the needed items. Do you wish to wait?"

"Only if I am not intruding, your Lordship."

"Not at all." Roquan crossed over to the table. He glanced at Doran's
thoughtful face as he pulled out the chair from the desk and sat down.
"Have you an insight, Doran?"

His eyes flicked from Roquan to Jollis and back again.

"You may speak freely in front of Jollis," Roquan said before turning
his attention to his desk. He set a blank parchment before him and drew
the quill pen and bottle of ink towards him. "He has been my Tradesman
and adviser since the Conclave."

"Hrm, yes, I thought I recognized the fellow. Good to see you again,"
Doran said.

Jollis smiled and offered another small bow of his head. "But it is I
who is honored to be remembered, your Lordship."

"If you will recall, it was Jollis that procured many of the items that
helped me win over others at the Conclave. And he still continues to
obtain things for me that appear to elude the normal merchant clans.
Now, tell me about this option of yours, Doran," Roquan said as his
quill scratched across the parchment.

"It is a long shot to say the least. It is not something I should even
be considering, and I am ashamed just for thinking about it!"

"Doran, get to the point."

Doran scowled but continued nevertheless. "The Yassa Clan owes a rather
sizable debt to the Jorus Clan. Because of that, anyone from my Clan
can call upon theirs to fulfill a duty as partial payment of the debt."

Roquan looked up. "And you would call upon this in order to help plot a
coup?"

"I would not even think about it, Roquan, if the fellow I had in mind
already had little love for Z'haas! It was my understanding that he
already had a number of like-minded cohorts at the Imperial Palace."

"And just how high up is he?"

Doran sighed and scrubbed at his face again. "Not very. Not anymore. I
have heard that while he survived the purges with his life, it was not
with his title. He has been demoted. He is rather upset about it from
what I have heard."

Roquan finished writing up a list of items and stood, holding the
parchment to allow the air to dry the ink a bit more. "That could work
to our advantage. He is already disaffected. He will be more likely to
go along with us."

"Have you been listening, Roquan? The man is a nobody now! And so are
his friends!"

"All the less reason for Z'haas to suspect."

Doran threw up his hands theatrically and turned away from his fellow
Overlord.

"Please, Doran, spare me the drama," Roquan said with clear disdain in
his voice. He stepped away from the desk and handed Jollis the
parchment. "I have listed the items in order of priority, highest
first."

"Ah, thank you, your Lordship," said Jollis. "I will tend to the matter
of the merchants so you are not disturbed."

"It is all for naught, anyway!" Doran boomed. "We have no way to
contact the man. Not with how Z'haas has so tightly locked down the
Palace and the Imperial City that surrounds it!"

Jollis caught the glance in his direction as he turned to leave. He
knew he could have simply offered his services to assist and it would
have been accepted. It was wise to wait just the few moments longer,
and then the transaction would take on a different feel, one more to
his liking.

/Offer your services, and it will be a mere business deal,/ his Master
once said, /but offer him nothing and let him ask of you, then it
becomes a debt./

"One moment, Jollis."

Jollis swiftly turned and faced Roquan again. "Yes, your Lordship?"

"You stated that you have a sizable network of contacts. Does that
stretch as far as the Imperial Palace?"

"Ah, sadly, it does not."

"See?" Doran said, gesturing towards Jollis. "I told you, Roquan, it is
not worth even considering ..."

"But that does not mean that I cannot get a contact within its walls if
I wish."

Doran fell silent, but only for a moment. "And by what magic do you
intend to accomplish such a thing?"

Jollis shook his head. "No magic, your Lordship. No matter what
security the esteemed Emperor has sought to put in place, he cannot
lock out merchants."

"If he were to cut himself off completely, he could do well for a time.
Make no mistake of that, Jollis!"

"Ah, but you speak of such basic needs as food and shelter, Overlord.
Are not the men and women of the Imperial Court used to a constant
supply of luxuries? Would they be so fond of supporting their Emperor
were such things to be abruptly cut off?"

Doran glowered for a moment, but eventually gave a curt nod. "Yes, I
admit, you do have a point. But surely he is checking the merchants
that come and go, and only allowing those that he trusts to enter the
city!"

"Certainly. Then it will behoove me to use one that is trusted," Jollis
said with a knowing smile.

Roquan stepped forward. "Doran, this man has come through on every
promise, no matter how grand that promise seemed. If he says he can
have someone penetrate the Imperial Palace and deliver a message
securely to this person, then I am willing to trust him."

Doran looked askance at the both of them and let go with another long
sigh. "Do I really have a choice in this?"

"Not if you want me to consider the Nobility option, Doran."

"This is madness."

"It is never madness to try to take the simplest solution," Roquan
explained with forced patience. "It is simpler to usurp the throne from
within than it is to wrest control from without by force-of-arms."

"Now, Roquan, I did not say that we would advocate a military
campaign."

"You said yourself that brute force should be considered as a
solution."

"That is why I wish the counsel of the Nobility! Hellfire, Roquan, for
once look beyond your limited horizons!"

Roquan bristled but said nothing to Doran. He instead turned away from
the Overlord and back towards Jollis. "You have your task, Jollis. Find
me someone that can get into the Palace, and Doran will prepare a
message to be sent to his contact."

Jollis bowed. "At once, your Lordship." He turned and left Roquan's
quarters.

When Roquan turned to face the room once again, he saw that Doran had
helped himself to some of Roquan's wine. He was just raising it to his
lips when he saw Roquan watching him. He lowered it and spoke, "This is
an incredible long shot, just so you know."

"And so was convincing the Conclave to come to my side," Roquan said
smoothly.

This time Doran took a long drink from the goblet before replying.
"This is hardly the same thing! At least there your chances were more
than infinitesimal."

"I will have to trust that fate will be kind to me again."

Doran was silent for a long moment. When he spoke again, it was a
decidedly lower and more somber tone of voice. "This Tradesman of
yours, Roquan. I am not so sure of him."

"He can be trusted, I have stated that."

"That is not what I mean. He is not of the merchant clans. I would fear
for his safety if I were you before sending him on what may be a fool's
errand." He began to raise the goblet to his lips again.

"What are you talking about, Doran?" said Roquan, his face betraying
true confusion.

Doran frowned and slowly lowered his goblet. "So you have not heard?
That several merchants have turned up missing in the most recent
quarter moon?"

Roquan's eyes narrowed. "No, I have /not/ heard this. Is Z'haas behind
it?"

"He would seem the most likely suspect at the moment. He has been
sending the Imperial Guard to harass the trade caravans, I know that.
Even the most basic of supplies are taking forever and a day to cross
Oceanus!"

Roquan considered this for a moment. "What possible motive could the
Emperor have?"

"I have no idea! And that is why you must consider the possibility that
Z'haas is beyond the reach of more 'traditional' means of disposal.
That is why you must consider forcing the issue if he will not yield
any other way!"

"I do not want open conflict, Doran. A smooth transition of power from
within. I will accept nothing less."

Doran uttered a long, slow sigh. "If you let Z'haas go long enough and
let him raise his own army, that will be the only option. But I fear by
then it will be too late."



Jollis' timing continued to be impeccable. He arrived at the gate that
marked the entrance to the Manor just as the caravan was setting up a
temporary camp. Having been a merchant himself, Jollis knew that this
makeshift camp meant they would be gone by morning. Jollis wandered
into the camp and found the leader of the caravan, a short, heavyset
fellow who was short on words and seemed to have little time to spare.

"The Overlord is busy with matters of great import," Jollis told the
man politely. "He regrets he cannot meet you personally. I am his
Tradesman. You may do all your dealings with me."

This was met with a simple gruff acknowledgment. "We jus' gots some
goods ta unload and nae much more'n that. This wasn't our normal stop,
mind ye, but we gots a special order and one craftsman ta leave wi'
ya."

"Ah, yes. That special order would be some scrolls from the Writers
Guild?" Jollis asked hopefully, knowing exactly what they contained and
who they were for.

"Aye. Gots ta wait til we've unpacked, but we gots it."

"Excellent. And the craftsman?"

"That would be me."

Jollis was not as surprised at the voice behind him as most men would
be. He had already sensed someone come up from behind him from the
sound of his footfalls on the ground. He had already tensed in case he
needed to go into combat with a potential adversary. Instead, the
tension was released as a single swift turn and a smile. Jollis bowed.
"And to whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?"

The fair-haired young man gave Jollis a wry smirk, his arms folded
across his broad chest. He fixed two clear, green eyes on the merchant
and spoke in a clear, confident voice. "Lanno G'sallan. From the Healer
Guild."

Jollis' smile widened. "I am Tradesman Jollis. No Clan affiliation,
sadly." He tilted his head slightly to one side. "Would you consider it
a grand insult if I said that you do not appear the part of a Healer?"

Lanno uttered a short laugh. "Many have insulted me far worse before I
reached where I am today," he said, still holding a grin on his face.
"I consider your remark nothing of the sort. Well met, Jollis. And I
will head off your next question."

Jollis raised an eyebrow slightly, a look of amusement on his face.
"Will you indeed?"

"Yes. I am indeed as young as I look. 28 years last moon. And I am
Master level."

"Ah, but would the Guild be sending anything less, truly?"

"Oh, they might, were this simply an assistant's position."

Jollis did not let the moment of puzzlement he felt over this remark
show on his face. Yes, as far as this fellow knew, Roquan had been
looking for a replacement for Vanlo. It had been Vanlo himself that had
requested it. That had been before Vanlo decided that he could still
stay on provided he could share day-to-day responsibilities with
another. It was clear that the Guild Hall had not been appraised of the
change in plans.

Jollis thought it would be most interesting to see Lanno's reaction.
However, he held off informing the man for the moment. He turned back
and said to the caravan leader, "Please send those scrolls immediately
to the Overlord when you unpack them." After the man gave another grunt
of acknowledgment, Jollis turned back to Lanno. "If you wish, I can
escort you to Healer Vanlo G'tort's office. I would imagine he would be
the best person to fill you in on your duties."

Jollis retained his smile even as Lanno looked a bit mystified at the
Tradesman's choice of words. "I believe there will be little to tell
me," Lanno said as he fell into step beside Jollis. As they entered the
Manor, his smile widened when his eyes beheld the first of Roquan's
slaves. "My last assignment was with Lord K'rylon. One of my
responsibilities was tending to the health of his two slaves."

"Ah, but I daresay you will find many more than simply two at the Manor
here at any given moment," said Jollis in an amused but friendly voice.

Lanno waved a hand dismissively. "Yes, yes, quite understood. But I am
not worried. I am quite looking forward to this position, Jollis." He
paused as they passed a group of three female slaves walking the other
way, his eyes following them, his smile widening. He gave the girls a
jaunty wave. "/Quite/ looking forward ..."

The three slaves had already been watching him curiously, as he was
something they did not see often at the Manor: someone new that was not
another slave. One of them giggled softly and the others smiled,
nodding or waving in return.

Jollis witnessed all this silently, until the girls had continued along
their way, and Lanno's gaze returned frontwards. "Then you intend to
take advantage of the ... fringe benefits?" the Tradesman suggested.

Lanno laughed. "And what man my age in a place such as this would not?"
he declared in a booming, jocular voice, spreading his arms apart
briefly. "Oh, yes, my friend, I am well aware that certain of the
Overlord's staff are allowed their choice of a slave to warm his bed in
the evenings."

"And other things, no doubt."

"Surely you partake of such amenities? You are as much a part of his
staff as I am now."

Jollis paused to contemplate this for a moment. He had not considered
himself doing as such. There was only one slave that interested him,
and that was Amanda. During those times with her, he hardly thought of
her as a slave. Surely he did not treat her as one.

But in the strict sense of it, he supposed that he did indeed take
advantage of the benefit, for it was allowing him to see Amanda, even
if she did not fulfill the traditional role of slave to him.

"Yes, I do," Jollis finally replied. "But at the same time, I consider
it a privilege, so I do not overuse it."

Jollis almost used the word "abuse" instead of "overuse," and for a
moment, Lanno looked at him as if the first choice was what he had
actually heard. It took a few moments for Lanno to realize the truth,
and he smiled again at the merchant.

"Considering what these lovely girls are trained to do, one would think
that it would be quite difficult to overuse them in any way," said
Lanno with a chuckle.

Jollis smiled politely at the attempted humor. Suddenly he felt a need
to be protective of Amanda. He clamped down on that thought, and the
feeling passed quickly.

Jollis came to a stop where a more narrow path branched from the main
northern path and gestured towards a set of buildings in the distance,
just barely visible through the trees of the Manor gardens. "You will
find Master Vanlo's office on the right. I have other things to tend to
today, or I would see you to the door. Good day to you."

He turned and walked away. Lanno raised an eyebrow in his wake before
the young Healer smirked, shook his head, and turned down the path to
the Healer's office.



Jollis was very disappointed with himself.

He had an important purpose. He had many critical tasks to perform. He
had to be the guiding hand, not just of the events that were coming to
pass, but for Amanda as well. That was most important above all else.
Personal feelings mattered not. Amanda had a destiny, and Jollis had
been trusted to bring that about.

And yet ... feelings had manifested for her. Was it wrong to care about
the one whose future he was trying to shape? The very feelings that
would make him second guess his actions were the same ones that were
needed to help bring them about. It was a dilemma with which he now
struggled, yet he felt if he had half the wisdom he should for this
mission, he would have solved it already.

Most distasteful.
<1st attachment end>


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