Chapter 24 You Can Hear Wagner if You Shake Him Hard Enough

“E-e-erf! Talk to me”

I ignored the whine, busy with my task.

Irje shifted, trying to hug me closer. Her hands reaching for my head. “Please!”

I slapped her hands away, she was already distracting enough. Too bad Yeva couldn’t see my meaningful glances and keep her in check.

“Just say my name!” Irje kept whining.

A sudden squirm. A new tremble and the tongue had lost the grip once again.

“Shtop Shquirmin!” I growled into her, my tongue even deeper inside.

“Yes-s-s-s!” She hissed instead, her thighs crushing my head with renewed intensity.

It is rather problematic to fish out a slick wooden orb, carefully polished and leisurely lubricated. It is extremely hard to do so if it is currently lodged deep inside a squirming amazon that is more eager to seek release rather than relief. It is outright impossible to do so when said orb would hum and vibrate with inner power whenever Irje had a peak, and try to move deeper inside whenever she felt a need.

Frantically, my hand reached out to Yeva. I grabbed her arm and pulled her closer. She was a smart girl and understood my intentions from a scant few movements, pulling Irje’s hands away from me.

Drowning in pussy I attempted another assault. As she was coming down from her most recent peak, whatever magical Flow she was exerting on the toy diminished, and I had to contend only with low buzzing and rotating.

Like an alien tentacle, my tongue went deep, only to curve like a spatula and scoop everything out. Irje keened as my tongue raked hard on her ridges, my muscles stiff to make sure nothing would slip past.

I pulled my face out as the wooden orb fell on the floor. Slathered in juices and glowing with simple and pretty shapes.

Like a childhood corrupted.

“That…was…too much,” Irje panted trying to overcome her shakes.

Yeva quietly helped to wipe her down.

“Indeed.” I grabbed the, once again, rolling orb into a cloth and dropped it into my pouch. “Playing around with this could be dangerous.”

“But… what about magic?”

I huffed. “Flow isn't dependent on sex. Learn to control your emotions and try to isolate the feeling that caused the effects.”

Yeva finished with her help and quietly walked back to me, nuzzling into my embrace.

Irje sniffed. “I know…Look you might think that I am too randy, but it’s not that. It’s magic Erf! I can cast magic. I am a wermage!”

I sighed and sat down beside her lying form. Keeping Yeva close as well.

“You are.” I gently replied, moving her locks away from her face. “There is no question about it, but you said it yourself - ‘not a word to anyone’. I know that today had been an accident, but if we continue to do it rashly eventually someone would find out.”

She relaxed under my touch but still puckered her lips in frustration.

I chuckled, “Don’t pout. I didn’t say that you need to stop training. Just avoid using the toy internally. At least, until I could attach some sort of string to it, long enough to pull it out.”

My other hand was occupied by another head full of blond hair. Yeva was clingy today but I couldn’t fault her for it. Her future had changed dramatically this morning and my presence was the most obvious way for her to confirm it was actually true. Despite Irje’s recent shenanigans.

“Besides, I didn’t just buy you. Domina also agreed to buy my family from the farms, if you want I could ask for yours as well.” Silence greeted me instead. “I see… Well, my Ma would absolutely love to have you Yeva: she always wanted a daughter. And Irje, please behave in front of my uncle Tuk. He warned me about horny wers and would be crushed to know that I didn’t listen to his advice.”

Irje raised an eyebrow. “Well, you should prepare him for the disappointment I am not giving up your bed. And I am especially not skipping our nightly activities if you let him sleep on the floor.”

“Yeah about that…I also got us more room.”

“Erf,” Yeva muttered, “How much did you pay?”

“I paid what I thought was enough to guarantee your freedom.”

“Yeva, notice how he avoided answering the question there,” Irje smirked.

I sighed, “Frankly, I don’t even know myself. It was important and expensive enough for Domina to put a gag order, preventing me from speaking about it in the first place. It was enough to get a few concessions from her in the meantime, however.”

“Enough for her to release me as well as give you another house?” Irje whistled, “That sounds like something you can make happen indeed.”

“Well,” I scratched my head, “She was amenable to your release as soon as she figured out that we all are in a sadaq. Told me something weird about her hearing about it and you training. And it is not a house, but an estate.”

“Just like that…” Yeva murmured, smiling.

“Yeah to have the Domina casually confirming our status in the name of Emanai sounds definitely like Erf al-” Irje suddenly choked, “Wait! What do you mean ESTATE!”

I frowned “A big one with multiple houses, personal cooks and servants. Hold on, are you saying she just officiated our relationship?”

Strong arms yanked me away from Yeva’s embrace and shook me in the air. “Yes, you prick. Are you telling me she gave you something that only a few most prominent members of the manor were allowed to have?”

As I dangled around, taken by the Irje’s whirlwind, my mind was occupied by something else. “You mean we are married?”

“Answer the question! Damn it.”

“Something along these lines, you might also get the ‘finest silks’ and ‘life of leisure’.” I brushed her off as I frowned to myself, “Still, I knew she was the only one, who could do it. But it feels surreal.”

“Heh, heh.” Irje's hands relaxed, dropping me to the floor like a sack of potatoes. Only to be instantly snatched up by another set of hands.

“No.”

“Yeva?” I turned my head.

“I don’t think you understand the importance of this.” Her fingers held me tightly, “What I’ve gotten so far, what I have, and what I am likely to get. I am sorry Erf, but I have no intentions of letting you go anywhere. You are mine, just as I am yours.”

Before I could say anything in return, stunned by her intensity, Irje finally returned from her own la-la-land.

“Wait! Who is going anywhere? No one is going - you are all mine!” Her roar made me chuckle. Perhaps intentionally so, as she continued quietly afterwards, “Look Erf, your head is full of crazy ideas but it is also full of junk. And that is why I am not smacking you for saying something stupid like that. I know somehow, in that weird mind of yours, you actually mean well.”

Irje sat in front of us. “Sadaq isn’t just about who you like or who is a good lay. It is about the future. About family. Safety. I don’t know what the mages care about but I know what we do. All slaves want freedom, but not like you do. They want to be free from harm, free from constantly watching their back, free from the punishments of an angry master. Someone, who can provide all that is the greatest temptation.”

She sighed, “The only reason why you aren’t swarmed with other slaves, plainly begging you to take them in, is because aside from us two, no other slave even knows of your true character. And yes we kept it secret as well. Both to keep you safe from them and to keep our place in this relationship safe.”

Her hand rose up and cradled my face. “You are addictive, Erf. Beyond that freedom, you gave us care and affection. The opportunity to be more than we were before. Opportunity to forget the harshness of life and enjoy the hope of future.” Irje couldn’t help but smirk, “You are also a pleasure to look at, and you dick us well and hard at night.”

“Each one of these would have made many consider offering themselves to join your sadaq even as a third or a fourth and more. And you are all of them. So trust me Erf, I loved what I had so far and I am unwilling to let go. Got it?”

“That’s right.” Yeva nodded along.

I wordlessly pulled them in together. Despite all my notions about love and compatibility, I wasn’t just that to them. They didn’t want me to give them choice - they have already chosen. Quite some time ago without me even realizing it. And I couldn’t fault them for their rash decisiveness either. I simply prioritized qualities that tended to be revealed after some time together, while they put much greater emphasis on the aspects that I’ve already managed to exhibit.

Thus my bumbling thoughts on this matter were akin to me walking back on our relationship already. They didn’t need what I was trying to give them, they already had it. The only thing they needed was assurance and validation.

“I am sorry, and you are right: that was not my intention. I have no experience in something like a sadaq, but I know that both of you will help me in the future just as you are guiding me now.”

Irje ruffled my hair, smiling, “See that, Yeva? How sensible he is? Where could we find another one like that.”

A giggle was our confirmation.

“Since you speak of preventing others from joining our sadaq, does that mean I don’t need to perform the overtures at the Lady of the House? The one I have to personally attend to in the bath. Due to your machinations, I might add.” I raised my eyebrow instead.

“That is because you aren’t getting her into your sadaq, Erf. She won't be interested in the slightest in sharing you with us. And everything, that you can give - she can take already. Including all the gifts her mother showered you with so far. Until you gain your freedom, perhaps even with my help as Domina said, you have to keep in mind who can take everything that you have. And act accordingly so you don’t lose it.”

I sighed. “So convoluted, as usual.”

“That is because your mind is busy with numbers and mixtures.” Yeva added in, “If you were like the others. For whom a sadaq, a benevolent master, or a lover were the only opportunities to rise higher. Then you would’ve spent much more time learning about it. But do not worry, you have us for that.”

“That I do.”

XXX

Holding the jar of pleasantly smelling concoction I approached the Manor baths. Only to encounter a commotion on the outside.

The baths in question weren’t that large: a couple of buildings at most. Mostly because, despite their name, these baths were predominantly used by Domina and her family. The rest of the Kiymetl household was usually permitted to enter during off-hours but most would choose to visit the public baths instead. City baths came in a variety of levels of luxury, some catering to the free wer labourers of the Low City while luxurious few opened the doors to the cream of the society.

Even Domina herself visited these quite often. Besides the amenities they usually provided, it was a very normal place to meet people of a similar status. Whether you wanted to meet your friends or network with potential business partners instead.

The baths in the manor had a different purpose. Besides the quiet and the privacy they came with, they also had the luxury of convenience and expedience. A trip to the public bath would take most of the day even for Domina. A trip here would take an hour at most. Even less since she could work while the slaves would comb and braid her still wet hair.

And that is why the commotion was so unusual.

“But Young Mistress! What would your mother think!” A female wer implored a fuming Anaise.

Red hair, braids, scales on the red sash. A free wer and a member of the Kiymetl but definitely not high in status among them. A female attendant. Most likely part of Anaise's retinue that I haven’t met before.

“I believe I made myself clear!” her tail swayed harshly in frustration, “I will call on the attendants when I need them, no sooner!”

I almost stumbled. Hold on. Does she mean what I think she meant? A slave told me she was expecting me here. Does that mean she wants to kick out all her attendants and have a bath with only me present?

I didn’t know how appropriate that would be, but Irje’s recent words didn’t sound so assuring in my mind.

“Greetings, Lady of the House.” I bowed to Anaise, and then did the same for her attendant, “Your sight is in my heart.”

The wer in question glanced at me only to do a double-take, seeing my livery. Despite the seal of the Kiymetl on my neck, my own sash put me on a level above her, at least within the Manor. Anaise’s smile, as she noticed me, put my status even higher.

How much of that smile was directed at me and how much was directed at the jar in my hands was still debatable.

“Young Mentor! Please help me. What she is planning to do is simply inappropriate!” She turned her pleas to me instead.

I turned toward her, my face full of attention. As if I wasn’t sure what the issue was about yet. Buying myself some time to think. Despite my general agreement, I had no idea how to say it to Anaise as well. The faint blush on her face made this even more awkward.

“Without her usual attendants, it would take too much time! What would her mother think if she knows about it!”

I closed my mouth. And then my eyes.

Nevermind.

What she was clearly frustrated about wasn’t the fact that a male murk was staying in the bath with a noble lady. Perhaps there was some grain of salt in Irje’s words. Surrounded by attendants since a young age, my presence near Anaise attracted as much notice as a new brooch would. A curiosity.

No one would worry about murk in the wermage bath. Unless you worried about the murk himself. I couldn’t force myself on her nor I would be able to do anything that she didn’t consent to and request from me. If I wanted to stay alive that is.

“Don’t worry about it. Domina already knows.”

My words caused a great relief to the wer and a frown to the wermage.

“Mother knows about this?”

I nodded. “Yes. I told her to pay attention to your hair in the afternoon.”

“A-ah, right. Of course!” Anaise shooed away the attendant with relief in her voice.

Relieved from the burden of Domina’s potential wrath the wer didn’t waste another second to stick around. Perhaps later, when some will put two and two together and realize that a lot of Domina’s recent actions were caused by me, I would be under much greater scrutiny. And most will try to influence me to influence her.

I actually expected some to start moving by now. Despite the subsequent secrecy, my first meeting had a crowd of spectators. Anyone curious enough should know that I gave her the soap.

Irje.

Damn smart cookie indeed. So that is why she pulled the workshop from me so quickly and gave it to her. No wonder she was so surprised when I let it go. Aikerim expected me to struggle, to hold my foot inside the door of a new status. Too bad she hadn’t realized that I was already inside by then. Keeping my foot there only meant that I would be stuck at the entrance.

“I see you’ve brought a lot, is that much necessary?” Anaise interrupted my musings.

“Yes. Not only do you have long hair, but I realized that you would need extra for the tail as well.”

“T-tail?” She blushed. The said appendage eagerly jumped into her arms as if seeking protection from me. “There is no n-need for that.”

“If you insist.” I easily conceded, “You can have someone else apply it for you later on.”

“Just head inside.” She huffed instead.

What I saw inside was both expected and surprising. I knew that it would be more luxurious than what I’ve seen in the city. Baths open to the slaves were usually nothing more than giant pools with lukewarm water. Already losing the heat after the free wer were done with it. So I expected something hot and smaller instead. Wermages liked to show their wealth but this was a private area not for the guests.

I was right on both fronts. And also wrong. There was a bath exactly as I’ve imagined it. Not enormous but quite spacious and capable of seating almost ten people. It was also properly hot and clean with fresh water. What I didn’t expect to see were the other baths in the connected rooms. With different temperatures of water. Some were pleasantly lukewarm while others were refreshingly cold.

Looks like they knew how to enjoy their bath time.

Too bad there were no saunas.

“So, how is it different from oils?”

I turned around to Anaise’s voice and couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. She was still wearing her shift. While I also wore my underclothes I was here as a masseuse so to speak. A replacement for her usual bathing horde. The reason I was dressed was the fact that I would not be entering the baths themselves but stay outside and provide whatever assistance was necessary of me.

The reason why she chose to keep her clothes on was still unknown. Especially since she was clearly ignoring my eyebrow.

“The best way would be to wash the hair, get rid of extra water, and then gently massage it both into the scalp as well as the entire length of your hair.” I decided to drop the issue for now. “Keep it on for a bit and rinse it off.”

We moved on with the task, with Anaise being rather awkward and stilted around me. I wasn’t sure what was the cause of it until we washed her hair down.

The torrent of the water washed over her body. And her shift. The fine but wet cloth eagerly absorbed the moisture and stuck to her body. Leaving almost nothing to the imagination. Neither her small but perky breasts, the cloth tented from protruding nipples. Nor the obvious hint of red between her legs.

The hint, that was immediately covered with hands.

“Erf! Don’t look!” There was more than a hint of red on her face as well now.

I quickly turned around, thinking hard about what to do.

I had a feeling that if I let the awkwardness linger she would bolt like a scared rabbit, most likely putting all this to a halt as well as causing further awkwardness in the future. The noises she was making behind my back were quite telling. As if she was trying to fix the issue as soon as possible with anything available to her. Including a mumble of curses and a smell of burning linen. Did she fireball her shift in order to dry it?

“I think it might be easier for both of us if I would put on a blindfold. What do you think?” I suggested after a second.

I needed her to feel calm and secure. And that meant I needed her to feel in control again.

The frantic shuffling behind me stopped.

“Stay here.” She ordered, “Don’t turn around!”

“Of course.”

Soon a patter of wet feet returned. And a dark green sash went over my eyes. Most likely the one she wore outside. Anaise was very thorough both in tying the sash as well as checking afterwards that I couldn’t see at all. I had a sinking suspicion there were spells cast right in front of my face as well.

But the trick worked. Occupied with her work, her confidence returned in strides. I almost felt the awkwardness evaporate with every question I was tasked to answer and every task I was quested to do. Eventually, she was satisfied with her results, grabbed my hand and pulled me back to the bath.

“I hate pincers.” She huffed as I massaged her hair.

Ah. The hair.

I hummed in agreement, “You have my sympathies, I’ve heard people getting the treatment in the city. It sounds extremely painful.”

Anaise scoffed. “I don't want your commiserations. I want you to come up with a tincture to make them all fall off!”

“I know thiols and sulfides could dissolve hair by breaking the disulfide bonds, but I don’t think I could make these easily and these that I can, would be absolutely foul.”

“You know, you could have just said that you can’t without all that gibberish.”

“What about a razor then?”

She hummed relaxing into my hand. “They pull and don’t leave a clean skin behind.”

“Hmm. You need a sharper and flatter blade then.” I murmured as I washed her hair off.

I heard a scoff as my hand was yanked back to her head, and a comb was inserted into my grip.

“I am the Lady of the House, Erf. I already have the sharpest blades. Oh my!”

“Hmm?”

“The hair, it glides through the comb!” Anaise murmured with fascination.

“Well, yes. That is the purpose of the conditioner.”

“The conditioner makes hair shine and keeps tips from feeling dry.”

“Mine does that, and more.”

“That and more,” She huffed as the comb kept sliding through her long locks of hair. “Sometimes I feel like everything you do can be described that way.”

“Perhaps, and more.” I chuckled back.

I got a wet sponge thrown into my face for my cheek.

“So how does it do it, then? And none of that alchemistry jargon.”

“To understand how it works you need to understand what the hair is.” I started my tale. Anaise quickly picked up on that, adjusting her position and relaxing even more into my hands. “Our body likes to reuse things that work. One of these things it loves to use is keratin - the flexible kind is in your skin, while harder ones form our nails and hair. Hooves and horns as well.”

I let my fingers massage her scalp once more, in between each stroke of the comb. Despite the excitement at the unknown treatment, Anaise already kept her hair in pristine form. I wasn’t working with weak and damaged strands that would require tender care over the course of weeks. I had a healthy and robust mane between my fingers, that would shine most spectacularly once we were done. Perhaps it already did and I just couldn’t see it.

“I wouldn’t bore you with details about its structure but there are two things you need to know. Just as your skin can form goosebumps from feeling cold your hair can be flaky or smooth depending on the environment around it. That is why I was working with vinegar and lemon juice. Their sourness makes the hair close up and form a much smoother surface.”

She didn’t interrupt my monologue. Based on the soft noises of pleasure and contentment coming from her she could be content with me talking about tax reforms of early Emanai, or quoting the laws verbatim. But I had my standards. Besides I’ve already established a routine of pleasure and knowledge with her and it would be a waste to let all that foundation stay unused.

I also could play surreptitiously with her ears in the meantime. Comparing her responses and slight whines to the ones Irje would make. Both of them were definitely more sensitive compared to the normal human ears. Things I needed my tongue with Yeva, could be easily achieved with just my fingers on Irje, and now I've done the same with Anaise as well.

“The second part is actually similar to soap. But it is working in reverse. The soap likes both water and oils and clings to both, thus forming a bridge between them and helping wash the oils away. Your hair doesn’t like oils as much, but it likes water. Thus I intentionally added something similar that would cling to the hair but would also attract oils as well. It makes your hair hold the oils and maintain the shine longer, They also make it much easier to handle.”

I felt her move under my arms as I finished my story. A jar was wordlessly given to me back. The conditioner by the smell of it. Before I could open my mouth, my senses told me about a new sensation wrapped around my wrist.

Wet and hairy, and flexible. Anaise’s tail.

Wordlessly it pulled my hands away from her head and dragged them lower. Much lower. To the bottom of her back.

I felt her squirm and gasp as my hand brushed on the root of her tail. Her back buckled and her tail rose to meet my fingers. I wasn’t sure how much was it from what my fingers were doing to her tail and how much was her overall state of contentment. But the noises were definitely of the pleasant kind so I kept working.

It was a quite fascinating experience stroking her tail. Despite the fact of me being blindfolded through it. As far as I could tell the most sensitive region was closer to her butt. Whether that was caused due to shorter hair, a generally sensitive spot, or due to the proximity to other private parts of her body was still unknown.

The sway of the tail also increased its amplitude. I noticed that quite quickly after few consecutive slaps of hairy wetness across my body. I didn’t complain - I enjoyed the process and her expressiveness. I had no idea when I would have the chance to explore a wermage in such detail again.

“Umm, Erf?”

Anaise, however, grew quite restless and awkward again. Most likely due to the lull in our conversation.

That won’t do.

“Tell me about your father.” My fingers finally massaged the conditioner into the tip of her tail.

“Hmm, why do you ask?”

“Well, think about it.” My hands turned around and stroked her back. “I have the favour of the Domina but suddenly a Master of the House returns. I have worked hard to be where I am right now. To have the ability to teach, learn, and tinker. And I do not want my lifestyle to change as much.”

The leftover conditioner worked exceptionally well as a massage oil. She had a pleasant back and a very athletic build, well hidden by her usual clothes. My hands could feel the muscles right under her skin.

“You, n-n-nnh, don’t sound very ambitious.” Anaise could feel my hands as well. “I expected you to desire more.”

“I do desire more, it is that my more lies elsewhere.”

“Well, you should. At least in front of my father.” She breathed the response out.

Anaise ignored my attempts to wash her tail. Instead, she simply rinsed it through vigorous movement inside the bath. Or so I could tell by the loud noise and deluge of water flying everywhere.

The now-clean tail returned into my lap with a wet splat. The obvious intent behind it.

I picked up the comb once again. “So he is a person who values ambition in others. I would expect him to be very ambitious himself then.”

I kept working on her tail as I spoke. I could feel her body change its responses to my touch. Despite barely knowing about wermages I had plenty of other knowledge I could borrow from. The knowledge, that was kept fresh due to Irje. But, most importantly, I listened to Anaise's body.

Despite the lack of sight, my ears heard her growing desire loud and clear. Her skin met my fingers now instead of them seeking her out. Her tail, once shy and absent, then obvious and bold, now was clingy and demanding.

Although I seriously tried to comb her tail, the process turned more and more arduous as I had to spend more time untangling my hands from her appendage, rather than untangling her hair instead.

“Yes-s-s.” Her answer gained a hiss when I placed my hand at the small of her back. Her tail was long and the hair was longer. If I wanted to finish this anytime soon I needed to brace myself to keep the comb moving.

“Erf,” She murmured as soon as I was done with my stroke. Her tail tight around my waist, “My father is a very ambitious man. And his biggest ambition is me. The future Domina of this manor. If you wish to stay in his good graces make sure that his ambition is properly fed as well.”

I heard the tremble in her voice, but I also heard the desire. Still unsure of what she wanted, but clearly seeking it out. And, most importantly, well versed in political speech. Even now, despite wading into a completely unknown territory she still attempted to keep her control over the situation.

But that was fine, it wasn’t like I accidentally stumbled here either.

“But Anaise,” My hand reached out toward her voice, stroking her chin, then ear. “I’ve been feeding his ambition all this time, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I th-think it wasn’t enough. You need to give more…”

She was so close. She was especially close to me. I felt the warmth radiating from her body, The smell of lavender and chamomile from her hair. The loud beating of her heart.

Her daintily hands took away the comb from my palm only to grab my wrist, intent on pulling it along somewhere else.

“Young mistress!”

I heard a snap as the tail flexed around my waist.

Well, there goes the comb.

“What is it? I told you I will ask of you when I am ready!” Anaise growled in response.

“A thousand apologies! Your mother has requested your presence.” A frightened reply.

I heard the grinding of her teeth and the final snaps of what was once called the comb, most likely chips by now.

My fingers resumed the caress of her ear. “Calm down my Lady. Think how surprised she will be seeing your new hair.”

Anaise breathed in and out. “Inform her, I have heard of her request.” Her loud voice brought chill into the steamy bath.

“Of course, young mistress!” the servant was quick to scamper away.

“I don’t like how calm you are,” She turned her attention to me.

“Because ambition is dangerous if not tempered with patience. It is also why I might seem content: I am simply waiting for a perfect opportunity.” I pulled out a small pouch and presented the contents to her, “And more.”

It was unfortunate that I couldn’t see her face when she saw the blue tori but if her own mother decided to blue-ball her I absolutely had no intention of getting caught in the crossfire. As such some sacrifices had to be made.

Besides her gasp of surprise was very cute.

She chuckled, “And more indeed.”

The tight grip of her tail slowly relaxed as Anaise hummed to herself, most likely enjoying the glint of her new jewellery. Eventually, the tail completely unwound from my body and I heard her getting up.

“Thank you, Erf. Your gift is most generous.” Her voice was warm and giddy. The storm had passed.

I got up myself and bowed in return. “A fitting ornament for the Lady of the most wealthy House, meeting her own father.”

“Indeed,” She eagerly agreed, “Now I need to rinse myself in a colder bath and then get dressed. Please wait until I leave and call for my attendants - I have very little time.”

“Of course, my Lady” I nodded toward her voice.

A pitter-patter of small feet on the tile.

“Erf?”

“Yes, Anaise?”

“…you will come here tomorrow as well.”

“Of course, Anaise.”