Dark Sculptor: Dark Sculptor Novel 01 Read online

  She snatched up the silver, and walked off.

  Wow, what a woman, she was just as gorgeous going as she was coming. I just wished I knew why she looked so frustrated and annoyed. I’d definitely stepped in it somehow, and had offended her.

  She came back to the table a couple of minutes later with two plates, a younger girl was with her and carrying two drinks, and she sashayed off after she put them on the table.

  Regina said, “I know you weren’t mocking me, which means you’re from a whole lot farther away than just new to the city.”

  I tilted my head, “Mocking you? I don’t understand, you’re the sexiest woman in the place.”

  She frowned, “Then let me educate you. Every woman up front is of marriageable age, and they all have the magical talent for pleasure. They work here for a while to learn their craft, and earn a whole lot of money while doing so. By the time they’re sixteen they’re married off, as women with that talent are very sought after. What does that tell you?”

  Damn, I thought some of them were eighteen. Glad I didn’t go for one of the older looking ones now.

  “No clue, sorry Regina, you might say I come from a different world.”

  She tilted her head, and this time the smile reached her eyes, “More than might if you still don’t get it. It means I’m a defective, that’s why I’m still here, and I play madam and run this place. No man would have me.”

  “Defective?” I said in disbelief.

  She wasn’t just gorgeous, she was confident, seemed sweet, and was obviously intelligent.

  She explained, “My magical talent James. A defective is someone with a magical talent that doesn’t work right, or not like all the others with the same one. Specifically, mine kind of goes off full blast if I feel the slightest pleasure at all. My talent isn’t supposed to be triggered that way. All those girls out there can control it perfectly, I can’t. No man would want a woman that makes them prematurely blast off from a simple kiss.”

  “Is that common?”

  She shrugged, “A very low percentage of every generation.”

  I considered that, and it almost made sense. A very low percentage of humans back on my world were born with deformities, so why should magic be any different?

  “Wait, so you’ve never?”

  She blushed, and looked away. Suddenly the frustration made a lot more sense.

  I felt like an ass for asking that, it had just come out.

  “Sorry Regina.”

  Regina waved that away, “You had questions, I assume your world is much different?”

  I nodded, “We don’t have magic for one, and our technology is rather more advanced than fire and wheel. Though, I’ve seen some pretty impressive architecture since I’ve been here. What do you know about… everything. Is Sera really an evil bitch?”

  Regina laughed, “I imagine she isn’t love, but I doubt she’s warm and cuddly either, she’s a queen and ruler after all. We invade her kingdom about as often as she does ours.”

  “You don’t seem all that fazed, is it common for people to visit from other worlds?”

  She shook her head, “Not common, but mages have summoned more than a handful over the years, so it isn’t unheard of. I’m also assuming you’re on the run, which is why we’re tucked away in this booth back here.”

  I smiled, “Gorgeous, smart, and perceptive.”

  She blushed, obviously not used to compliments because of her status here.

  I asked, “What can you tell me about Garlis, Dulcier, and Eastguard?”

  I took a few bites, the food was excellent here too, while she explained.

  “Garlis and Dulcier are both cities, about a quarter the size of Malburn, and run by noble dukes. They like Malburn, also have several satellite villages and farms. The villages are run by barons. Eastguard is a rule unto itself, and is there specifically as a buffer against the elves, both light and dark, and faeries. Though there is a baron there, and minimal guards.”

  I nodded, “Faeries are?”

  She shrugged, “Several races, they’re all called fae. Sprites, wood nymphs, water nymphs, dryads, small ones, big ones, no one knows for sure how many sub-races the fae have.”

  “Why is it a rule unto itself?”

  She bit her lip, and leaned out of the booth to make sure no one was around.

  Then she whispered, “The king likes to try out new things with his sculpting, and often uses it to guarantee loyalty and even punish people for infractions by making them abominations. They are sent out of his sight, to Eastguard, to defend the kingdom against invasion to the east. It’s an ugly place.”

  “Sculpting?” I asked, more than a little shocked by what she just said. Why would Maria want me to go there?

  She nodded, “Flesh sculptor talent, although the king is often called the dark sculptor, just never to his face. It’s a rare magical talent, and not one that used to be feared. That talent could be a blessing for those like me, but the king had the few other sculptors in the kingdom killed when he rose to the throne twenty-four years ago, and he would never be bothered to help someone like me.”

  So, I finally had a name for what my magic was. Not a healer, I was a flesh sculptor. But I was also a doctor, a physician.

  I was also disturbed, as I thought through the possibilities. Was that what Maria wanted me to do, go to Eastguard and undo the king’s influence and cruelty? It would start a rebellion, all those people were probably punished and controlled into being loyal because they thought the king was an abusive ass, probably. If I undid his work…

  Could I do such a thing? How could I not do it? I don’t mean lead a rebellion because that sure as hell wasn’t going to happen, but the people there needed to be healed, not be a menagerie of abominations.

  Regina smiled sadly, “The world isn’t all bad you know.”

  “Am I that easy to read?”

  Regina shrugged, “I’m good at reading people. You should consider picking up one of those girls, they could do a lot worse than a man generous in spirit. The people are both good and bad, just like your world I’d imagine.”

  I nodded, it was just that it seemed worse when adding magic to the equation, but there were plenty of butchers on my world too. What difference did it make, between a fireball, or killing with magic, as opposed to killing and torturing with a knife, gun, or killing with bombs. It just seemed more savage to me, because magic was something new to my mind, but I had to admit she was right. People were people, magic or not, there’d always be abusive assholes in the world.

  We talked for a long time that afternoon, and the time flew by. I found myself actually enjoying myself for the first time in I couldn’t even remember when. She was stunning gorgeous, curvy, and beyond alluring. I got lost in her green eyes a few times, and she had the voice of an angel, but that wasn’t what did it. She was smart, funny, and as sweet as she should have bitter for being born with crippled magic. It was her genuine warmth that truly made her beauty alluring, and had me laughing more than once, something that Sandra had lacked in her flirty banter that always sent me to running.

  Her depth of knowledge was quite impressive on the goings on in the kingdom, not only in the cities, but in the noble circles as well. She’d confided in me when I asked, that many soldiers and guards visit this place for the obvious charms of the ladies here, and all of them talk freely to the girls.

  I was fairly sure she was enjoying my company as well, and I was reluctant to leave. I’d felt alone and isolated on this world since I got here, and untrusting about the people around me. This house of ill repute so to speak, had taken me by surprise. I could hardly believe I met such a magnificent woman here.

  But she didn’t owe me anything, and the longer I stayed in the city the more dangerous it would be. It was already close to midafternoon, and it was time for this pleasant diversion and conversation to come to an end. Reluctantly, I got down to it.

  “How would I get there? Eastguard I mean.”

&n
bsp; Regina smirked, “The eastern road, it will take you right past Dulcier too. There’s several stables where you can buy horses right outside the city gates, if you have the coin. Why would you want to go there?”

  I liked her, and decided to take a chance, I was heading out of the city anyway.

  “Regina, would you like me to fix your magic?”

  She stared at me in shock, and then looked rather confused and angry.

  Chapter Seven

  I saw the explosion coming, and quickly held up my hands in a peace gesture and spoke quickly.

  “I’m not playing, or being cruel. That is my magical talent, and why mage Irwin summoned me. I believe his plan was to kill me, as soon as he was sure the king would recover from his illness…”

  I wound up telling her the whole story, and she looked rather fascinated.

  She nodded, “More than anything I would James, but what will it cost me?”

  I smiled, and winked, “The joy of your company was quite enough.”

  She raised an eyebrow, “You don’t want to be my first?”

  I smirked, “Of course I want to, I already told you I was interested. You’re a stunning woman Regina, and far more than just your looks. If anything, my desire for you has grown over the last two hours, but I’m not such a cad as to hold your future happiness against my longings. You know I’m attracted to you, what happens is up to you, and has nothing to do with me healing you.”

  Her eyes softened, “Really?”

  I nodded, “I prefer sleeping with an equal, though I did offer to pay earlier, but blackmailing you between the sheets isn’t an option for me at all.”

  She smirked, “Blackmail can be fun.”

  I groaned, and she laughed teasingly.

  She said, “In that case, I would be forever grateful, but only if I can pay you for it, with a cost of my own choosing.”

  I narrowed my eyes, “What are you up to?”

  She grinned, “You’ll have to heal me to find out, and the price is non-negotiable, I’d of course have to pay it.”

  I sighed, somehow, I didn’t think she was offering me her body, despite her playful innuendo and my cock’s vote in that direction.

  “But you won’t tell me beforehand?”

  She smiled brightly, with her lips closed. She was killing me.

  I reached out with my magic, and brought up her information. It wasn’t even hard to find the problem, I tweaked her DNA, where her own pleasure would trigger her gift at full blast. It was very strong too. After that, I sealed the change with a rush of my own magic.

  She closed her eyes, and shivered.

  I said, “Done.”

  She got up, circled the table, and kissed me. Passionately.

  I moaned into her sweet mouth, and put my arms around her, but she danced away from my grasp.

  She smiled impudently, and her voice was just a little sultry and breathy, “Just checking to make sure.”

  I sighed, this woman was going to drive me crazy, I still wanted to put my hands on her and explore those curves.

  “So, what is it I get exactly?” I asked curiously.

  She smiled, “I’m going with you.”

  My mouth dropped open, “Why?”

  She shrugged, “Because you need a local, and we could talk for days and still not scratch the surface of all the little things you need to know about our society, manners, how to treat equals, how not to stick your foot in your mouth like when you walked in here and didn’t understand about me. What to bribe guards with depending on what kind of guard it is and their situation. Haggling, the prices for things so you don’t get ripped off. The dangers on the road. There are a million little things us natives take for granted, and you know virtually none of it. Even after two hours, you just know a little geography and history. You need help, someone to help you plan, point out dangers, and answer your stupid questions which will give your foreignness away to strangers.”

  I frowned, and studied her for a moment, until she blushed and looked down. That was interesting.

  “I agree, I need all of that. More than that, I want and need companionship on the road, and someone I can count on. You are all that, and more than that I immensely enjoy your company. But, you know I’d have done it for free, so why help me?”

  She said, “I want to help you. I also owe you a great debt, whether you see it that way or not, I know the true value of what you just did for me.”

  “So, you’re doing this for your honor? I mean, you could stay here, perhaps marry into a rich family now, can’t you? Please don’t take that the wrong way, I’d love your company, I just want to understand why it’s important to you.”

  She looked thoughtful for a minute.

  “I don’t want that. I don’t want to be a trophy sex machine wife for a rich snobby asshole. Yes, I’d have given much to be that, when I was fourteen and found out my powers were rubbish, but I’ve grown up a lot since then, and seen and heard things. Money isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, and I’m happy with who I am. That’s just one of the reasons, the other two are mine to keep, perhaps I’ll tell you one day, but not today. I want to help you James Cook, for what I owe you, and selfish reasons of my own. Take it or leave it.”

  I really liked the way my full name sounded falling from her lips, it was like her smoky voice caressed it.

  I nodded, “So, we should go then?”

  She looked startled, as if surprised I’d caved in so fast. It wasn’t exactly a clingy thing, but she was the first person I’d met here that I wanted to spend any time with, and I hadn’t exactly been excited about the idea of being on my own again in this strange world. Now that I was sure she had other reasons, perhaps simply to get out of this city herself, I was more than okay with her coming along.

  She nodded, “Give me ten minutes to pack and say goodbye. We’ll need to pick up packs, camping gear, and food for the trip on the way out of the city, we’ll pick up horses outside. It’s not a short ride, and we won’t find an inn every night. Especially not tonight, we won’t get more than twenty miles or so before dark.”

  I replied, “Great, I’ll wait here? Oh, and I hope you can teach me to saddle a horse.”

  She giggled, and nodded, as she slid out of the seat and headed off.

  Damn, what a woman, she was a force of nature, but didn’t come off as pushy. Rather, she was sweet. I have no idea how she managed that, she just did. She wasn’t a naïve woman in the least, but she was very new to flirting and being complimented, and I quite enjoyed making her blush.

  When she turned her head around and looked over her shoulder halfway to the door, I lifted my eyes up a few more feet to meet her green ones, totally busted.

  I smiled sheepishly at her mock glare, but her twitching lips told me she was pleased that I’d been staring at her tight juicy ass and long sexy legs. I sighed, and adjusted myself when she rounded the corner, this was going to be interesting.

  I was both excited, and in a good mood. I tried not to analyze that too much, but I truly did enjoy her company, probably more than I should’ve been.

  By the time we picked up foodstuffs, packs, a tent, flint and steel, water skins, soap, spare clothes for me since I only had what I was wearing, and made it outside to purchase horses, it was past mid-afternoon. We had about four hours of daylight left when we started, which would get us our projected twenty miles easily enough, maybe even more if we cantered at times.

  Spending time talking with Regina as the horses walked, was as easy as breathing. We had almost nothing in common, but that meant we had a whole lot to talk about. She smiled freely, and was light hearted in a way that was catching, even more so than back at the brothel, as if she’d been freed somehow, and I found myself laughing along with her more than once.

  She was still plenty distracting in her riding leathers, but a lot less so than she’d been in the tight revealing dress she’d been wearing as the brothel madam. Or… maybe I was just becoming accustomed to her beauty, and
just saw her instead of a hot body and a gorgeously angelic face. I wasn’t normally a shallow person, but I was a man, and it took time to get used to being around her stunning beauty. Naturally and without enhancement, she was more than a match for the flesh sculpted queen, to put it in perspective.

  I usually didn’t like talking about myself, but she insisted I talk about my world and life even as she told me about this world, in an equal trade for trade type arrangement. It wasn’t that different in the end, but some of the subtler parts of life were drastically different.

  Given how late we left the city, we didn’t pass anyone going our way, nor did anyone pass us, but we did see several groups of horses and wagons heading toward the city about an hour out. It was a bit tense for me, but the wagon or caravan guards didn’t give either of us a second look as we rode past them.

  The terrain itself that first twenty miles was mostly flatlands, grass plains, and a whole lot of farms, no doubt to support the large city. There were copses of trees as well, but they could be called woods at best. From what I understood the woods would thicken into larger forests the closer we got to the great forest. We were very much in the bread basket of this continent.

  The sun was low on the horizon, when we stopped that first night, and set up camp about twenty yards into the woods from the road. She was a lifesaver, I’d never been camping in my life, and somehow she managed to show me how to do everything that needed doing, without teasing or bruising my ego. It was the reason she was there after all, or one of them.

  It was after dark by the time we had the food cooked over the fire, and we sat down to share the first of what I hoped to be many meals together on the road.

  A strange thought occurred to me.

  “How is it you all speak English?”

  Regina giggled, “We don’t, you’re speaking Desali. From what I understand it’s part of the summoning ritual the mages use, to ensure communications is possible with the summoned.”

  I frowned, and tried to wrap my head around that, it felt like I was talking English, and so was she.