Looking like a scared kitten, Irje let herself settle on the bed with our assistance.

“Um.” She swallowed, warily looking at the ropes.

“Don’t worry about them, they are boiled and shaved, nothing to itch.” I gently pushed her flat on my bed.

“But-”

I leaned in and whispered into her ear. “If you feel like it’s too much at any point, just say a word. How about ‘purple’ and we will stop, anything else will be ignored.”

She looked into my eyes for few moments. And then she licked her lips. “Maybe not tonight?” She could barely hold her heavy breathing as she spoke.

I shook my head. “No. Tonight. We had pulled it off for quite some time already.” I murmured as my hands started to tie her hands together.

“What are you gonna do to me?” She asked, mesmerized by my actions.

“Anything we deem necessary until we think you have been punished enough. Behave well and we would reward you plenty. Okay?”

I got a shaky nod in return.

“Good girl.” I pulled the rope lifting her arms above the head and tying them to the top of my bed. While she still had her shift on, she looked absolutely delectable and ready to be ravished.

I noticed another response to my words of praise. “By the way Yeva, I’ve noticed you have been spending quite some time with Irje lately even after work. Have you done anything without me?”

“Umm.” She fidgeted and murmured softly, unable to see the look of betrayal on Irje’s face. “We’ve kissed.”

“You did, didn’t you? Why don't you be a good girl as well and show me what you have done.” I murmured as my hands slid down Irje’s body, keeping her attention on me.

Yeva’s hands stretched toward Irje. The bound amazon gasped as the tiny elfin fingers trailed over her skin. Pale and delicate they struck perfect contrast with Irje’s bronze complexity. It took her few attempts to kiss the tied girl as Irje was panting too hard, twisting around and trying to see my arms sliding lower and lower.

Soon I heard a soft moan as Irje finally started to pay attention. A quick glance confirmed that they were bound in a sensual but chaste kiss. I smiled at the gentle scene in front of my eyes as my arms were tying Irje’s leg to the other side of the bed. Yeva provided a great distraction, allowing me to work quickly.

I grabbed the other leg and pulled them apart. As I listened to Irje whine into Yeva, I quickly did my last knot and pulled back, observing my work.

Irje was fully spread out in my bed, completely bound. Her arms were tied up together, giving her a little bit extra room to struggle and squirm. They also pushed her breasts together and upward, making her prominent assets even more breathtaking, even through her underclothes. Yeva sat beside her, cradling Irje's head in her arms, their lips locked in a continuous kiss. In contrast, Irje's legs were spread away and apart making sure that she couldn’t move her lower body just as vigorously.

Yeva broke her kiss with a cute ‘Muah’ sound and smiled at me. “Like that.”

“That was beautiful, Yeva. Now do you want to punish her for dragging you into my bed without my knowledge, or do you want to praise her instead?” I asked as my hands started moving upward on Irje’s body dragging her dress with them. Revealing her spread and moist pussy.

“Praise me!” Irje gasped, her body arching up helping me to push her dress past her butt. Which I immediately smacked.

“Tut tut. You are being punished right now, no demands or requests from you.” I retorted, then added. “You can beg her if you want, instead.”

“Yeva!” Irje mewled immediately. “I'll do anything, just don't let him tease me!”

“Anything?” The lithe girl shuddered as she repeated that word, I think I know where it was heading. “W-will you lick me? Down here?” unbound, her hand sneaked under her own shift as she started to rub herself.

I smiled and mirrored Yeva’s actions on Irje.

Irje gasped, looked down on me. Then at Yeva, and down, seeing her hand teasing her petite folds. Then sharply down on her body, eyes wide in understanding.

“Yes!” she panted. “Come here. I will show that prick how it’s properly done!”

Yeva moaned from these words, which, judging by Irje glaring, were directed at me.

I smiled and decided to play a tiny trick on her instead. A quick modification and I opened my mouth, showing her my tongue, easily touching my own chin with it.

It was fascinating to see how quickly she went cross-eyed from it.

“I will kiss you deep.” She moaned her eyes locked on my tongue. “Make you really feel it!”

“Oh, Irje.” Yeva mewled trying to stop her own body from twitching and jerking. Which made her attempts to sit properly on her face even more challenging. “If you say anything else I won't be able to hold it anymore!”

I sucked my tongue inside with an audible slurp.

That pushed Irje over the edge.

With an animalistic growl, she pushed forward, latching herself to Yeva’s nether lips. She moaned into her rider as my tongue, mimicking hers, slid inside the folds, piercing deep into the opening. Her voice got muffled even more as Yeva collapsed on her face screaming in the personal release. Her body grinding on Irje’s face with abandon.

“Don’t stop!” Yeva keened, her entire body wrapped over Irje’s head like a xenomorph. I wasn’t sure Irje could say anything at the moment but, from my position, I could see her mouth hard at work. It was hard to tell anymore whether she was trying to mimic my tongue invading her or the opposite. We were locked in vicious combat and Yeva reaped rewards aplenty from our struggle.

Soon our battle came to an end. With yet another muffled scream Irje arched her body in her own release, her legs squirming around, trying to clench my head and failing. With a hiccup, Yeva detached herself falling to the side, insensate. A large grin on her face.

“Look what you have done to a poor girl.” I gently chided her. “Now she can’t praise you.”

“Noo!” she whined.

“Don't worry, you have been a really good girl so far so I think I would do it in her stead.” I rose up showing her my rock hard shaft. “Where do you want it?”

“Come here.” She breathed, looking at my tent. “I am sensitive and someone hasn't gotten the oils yet, I want your seed.”

“Is that a complaint I hear?” I mused as I stood over her, pulling her shift even higher, exposing her breasts. “I guess I won't jam it deep into your mouth then, now you have to work for it.”

I sat down on top of her, pushing my dick between her breasts. My tip barely touching her lips. “Go on, if you want your treat I would suggest you start licking it.”

Irje glared at me, but bent her head down, trying to swallow as much of my shaft as she could, getting only my head inside.

“Good girl,” I murmured as her tongue danced over my head. As her lips moved up and down as much as they could to jerk me without letting go. As she sucked on me non-stop to make sure I won't pop out accidentally.

With my hands free I pulled her breasts even closer squeezing my length between them. I kneaded her flesh and pulled at them gently enough not to interrupt her work, but strong enough for her to notice and appreciate it as she always did. Soon I couldn’t stop myself from rocking my body. Making my shaft slide in and out of her breasts, generously lubricated by Yeva’s orgasm from a few minutes ago.

Speaking of Yeva. As I continued to fuck Irje’s boobs, my tip still finding itself inside her mouth on each thrust; I leaned over to where Yeva was slowly coming back together. Kissing her awake.

“Hmmm!” She stretched blissfully. “Thank you Irje, that was amazing!”

Irje responded with a set of slurping sounds instead.

“Oh sorry, I guess you are getting your treat?”

Affirmative slurps. How did she manage to do that I had no idea.

“Now, Yeva don’t sit alone, come to me,” I murmured and she pulled in for a kiss. Accidentally grinding herself on my knee.

I freed one hand and pulled her closer, sliding her well-kissed mound over my leg. I came at her silent gasp into my kiss as her tiny chest smashed into me, filling Irje until she looked like a chipmunk.

Groaning from the pleasure I let myself fall backwards. My dick popped out from Irje’s mouth only to be captured by another set of tiny lips.

“Yeva?” I shuddered from the sensation.

She swallowed it all and pulled it out, dragging her lips tightly. “I don’t want you to leave a mess.” She quipped.

“Uh-huh. If you wanted a share you should’ve just asked Irje.”

“Right. Irje, share!”

Lying back, I quietly chuckled, feeling her twist away to avoid Yeva, while the latter made kissy sounds out of my sight.

XXX

In the past few days, I’ve gone out every day to go shopping. I had multiple lists to fill up. One for Irje with all of her demands, another for Yeva to not feel left out. And the largest one for myself. Or specifically to stock up on the chemical components.

On certain days I’ve gone out by myself. Scouting for products and picking up occasional small trinkets. Like a set of wax tablets for Irje to write on. Other times I had to get other slaves to help me carry the purchases. In the beginning, I had few incidents with certain slaves actually refusing to help me until Sulla put his foot down personally.

Apparently, my current status even within the manor was not well known. Domina kept a very tight lid on me it seemed. For most of the slave populace inside the household, I was simply one of the murks, with only my clothing giving them some pause.

Meetings with the actual Kiymetl household members were nearly non-existent. Those that were aware of me, were usually sworn to secrecy or enforcers of said secrecy. For the rest, they saw me as furniture most likely. Yet another tiny cog in the bustling activity of the manor.

Another reason was that I was rarely seen outside doing nothing. I was either at the workshops, slowly teaching Yeva some basic chemistry. Preparing myself for the lessons with Anaise or actually at these lessons. The rest of the time was taken by said shopping and cleaning and organizing the mess.

My literacy managed to saddle me with yet another task of being pen pals with Virnan. Which actually wasn’t that bad. I’ve used the scrolls to expand Irje’s reading vocabulary and to keep her reading skills sharp. While Yeva listened in, absorbing yet another tidbit of math we were discussing in writing.

It also helped me a bit with my lesson preparations.

Today was yet another day. The skies were bright and clear. And the city was loud as usual. Wrena had given me an address of a luthier and I’ve spent a large portion of my day explaining to him what I needed to get done. He knew his craft, and kitharas had at least some resemblance to the instrument I was trying to make. They, however, looked like lyres with a hollow body and strings stretched by the help of two wooden and flexible horns instead of the neck in the guitar.

It even had six strings as well, but that was because the mystical nature of the number five was prevalent even here resulting in only five defined notes, instead of seven or twelve. I didn’t pay attention beyond that, not exactly interested, past the initial curiosity. I had no plans of conquering the stage, but to scratch that itch my fingers were feeling since that fateful day.

I whistled a tune as I was coming back, my hands plucking at invisible strings in anticipation. Eyes roaming the streets of Samat. Noticing the changes in my perception. The walls were littered with writings. Before they were unrecognizable and easily blended in with the runic script found here or there. But now I could read them.

To the surprise of virtually no one, most of the writings were extremely mundane if not even profane. Countless professions of love, solicitations for sexual activities and revelations on one’s enemy morals. The city was surprisingly literate, even if the literacy resulted in nothing more than writing about who was taking it in the ass.

This posed a stark contrast to my early life on the farm. Most of the slaves out there haven’t seen a single letter in their life. Spending their time working under the harsh glare of the supervisors.

With my curiosity high, I roamed the city once again. Dressed in a presentable tunic, now engraved with the sign of the scales, and the Kiymetl seal hanging from my neck. My increased presence made me invisible in the crowd. I was part of the city now. The newfound sense of security made me venture further, deeper into the lower city. The parts I’ve been avoiding till today.

All the way to the Western Wall. Where old quarries were.

And then I wished that I didn’t.

From the way that Irje talked about it, I assumed this was the killing ground. We had something similar at the farm, the slaves were either lashed with different degrees of severity, until a certain threshold. Then they were simply tied to the tree at the edge of the forest and killed off. Wildlife picking the corpse clean within days.

This wasn’t the killing ground, it was an execution ground. In the good view of two major roads entering Samat and the large part of the lower city. Reminding the dregs of society what to expect, lest they break one of the laws of Emanai.

In a fit of morbid curiosity, I looked up to the one that was still alive. The sign in front of him saying that he attacked his master. I knew what crucifixion was. The knowledge in my mind told me enough to understand the pain and even realize the death came not from blood loss or thirst but from suffocation.

Weakened, the body would sag down, hang on the arms. Constricting the ribcage and making breathing harder.

And yet it completely failed to warn me about another part of the ordeal. Flies. Millions of flies. Bound, the person would hang here for days. Attracting swarms of insects for a feast. Driving one insane in the process.

I turned around and walked fast, unable to forget his face anymore. Unwilling to erase it with the help of nanites. I would keep that with me. A constant reminder of what could happen if I make a mistake.

I had no plans to let go of my desires. Even if Domina would be unwilling to let me go. I will simply make her instead. Either by greed or by force. Now I just had to make sure that, if I do end up using force, I will make it count. Anything less and I will be back there myself. Yet another reminder for others on the folly of my actions.

A new thought in the sea of desperation.

I grinned as I walked. Titanium would be impossible to find. But I didn’t need pure titanium to start. Just a large, pure quantity of something that did. Like titanium dioxide. Rest would be up to my nanites. Moreover, it was used for something else.

It was a dye. A bright white dye. Something to entice Domina’s greed. Something to explain why I need it.

I just need to find the ore, most likely ilmenite. With access to the ‘oil of Vitriol’ I could home-brew a sulfate process to remove the impurities. But that wasn’t the important part of my revelation. A good way to find titanium ores would be to look for deposits of black magnetic sand. Washed out from the ground and deposited on the river shores.

I didn’t remember any when I was drawing water for the caravan, but I didn’t really pay attention. It might be necessary for me to go and personally look again. Just in case I missed a spot. Even if I found some deposits somewhere else.

Returning back to the manor I ran into my lab. Hands itching for action. Mind buzzing with the things I could make, reagents I could prepare. The building looked much cleaner now. I eventually decided to move all questionable items deeper into the storage, especially since Irje failed to identify anything that felt outright magical.

Soon the soda ash from the glassworts would be in amounts large enough to set up glass production. The current glassware I had looked ugly and unwieldy. What I needed was jars with my specifications and not products, brought from across the sea. Right now I had to make do with sub-par tools and ad hoc ingredients.

“What are you doing?” a voice behind me made me jump almost dropping the eggs.

“Greetings, Lady of the House.” I bowed slightly. “A conditioner for the hair, to make it smoother.”

“Why don’t you use oils instead?” She picked up a jar, sniffed at it and made a grimace. “What is that!?”

“The oil helps but other ingredients are necessary to get a greater effect, just like that vinegar. It is more concentrated making the smell stronger.”

She put the jar aside. “Did my mother asked you to do it? Similarly to the soap?”

“No. Both are done under my own volition. Domina has rewarded me for my prior accomplishments, and I seek to reap more by staying useful. Is there something I can do for you?”

“Perhaps.” She mused and passed me a bound book. “My mother passed this to you. Keep it secret. Explaining why someone like you has the codex on the Runic script would be problematic.”

I took the book eagerly. “You have my deepest thanks.”

She watched me opening the first page. “Why did you want it?”

“Hmm?”

“You are a murk. Why are you so interested in magic that you can’t feel? My mother mentioned the fact that you were even eager to listen in on my magical studies.”

I put the book temporarily aside, but still within my view. “The burning curiosity within me. As you noticed through our lessons I strive to understand. Not to conquer. I do not seek to wield magic myself. I guess not anymore. I made peace with that fact. What I seek is to understand why magic does what it does. For that what I am does not matter, only how I think.”

She looked at me. “You are a curious murk, Erf. The most curious I’ve ever seen. And these silver eyes of yours.” Anaise sighed grimacing. “This place smells rather unpleasant right now. When you are done, bring that new invention of yours to me.”

She walked to the door, glanced back. “For I am curious too. And it is called Flow.” And left.

I stood there, unsure what to think about her enigmatic entrance and subsequent exit.

“Silver eyes?” I murmured frowning.

Suffice to say that my desire to perform chemical wonders was instantly extinguished. My brain was on fire, with my heart barely keeping it cool enough, as I absorbed the information in the book. I drank it like water. Mostly because I couldn’t understand a large part of it. But that didn’t stop me from trying.

As Anaise said, the magic here was called Flow. Apparently, wermages felt it flowing toward them during the casting process. Full of eddies and vortexes that they had to align in order to achieve the desired effect. The explanation was archaic and convoluted, but I’ve seen it in action already. The trace Domina performed to slide that bowl of grapes.

The whole process was rather intellectually demanding. The larger and more complex effect was meant more effort the mage should employ to cause it. Explaining why I didn’t see mages floating everywhere nonstop and creating fully written scrolls out of thin air. That is where the runic script became useful. Runes themselves were completely inert. What they did, as Domina mentioned, was forcing the Flow into a predetermined form making said eddies more predictable and, therefore, easier to cast.

Unfortunately for me, the rest of the book was extremely underwhelming in terms of immediate reward. The book was an enormous list of working patterns, tested through centuries of practice and proven their worth. That's it. Zero explanation why and no effort to explain how.

I groaned and closed it, rubbing my tired eyes. I should’ve known where I was. Of course, they had no idea what the scientific method is. While immensely enlightening, this was nothing more than a book on traditional medicine, except for runes. Absentmindedly I wondered if this was yet another plot by Aikerim. To entice me with breadcrumbs and keep me around indefinitely, feeding the knowledge trickle by trickle.

I stretched and got up. My mind spent for the day. It was already evening, but earlier than I usually came back to my room. I heard the muffled noises as I approached my door. Quietly sneaking inside I couldn't stop my smile, my suspicions confirmed.

Irje and Yeva have gotten much closer after my derailed punishment. Initially, I was planning on tying her up and teasing her to my heart’s content. However, on Yeva’s insistence, I asked Irje if she could join too. And Irje agreed. The result completely waylaid my plans, but at the same time broke an invisible wall between these two.

They weren’t madly in love, before or now. I wouldn’t even call it mad lust either. They were simply comfortable with each other’s presence in the bed. Friends with benefits of sorts. Both willing to give and receive pleasure from each other.

Just as they were doing right now.

Yeva, standing on all fours, pushed Irje all the way into the corner of the bed going down on her aggressively. As if trying to recreate what Irje had done to her a few days ago. Or, judging by the wetness around Irje’s gasping mouth and the Yeva’s naked thighs, something that was done to her mere minutes before.

Taking off my clothes, I placed my finger on my mouth, silently telling Irje to be quiet. Usually, Yeva was the first to notice my presence. Tonight she was too engrossed in her task, her ears firmly shut by Irje’s muscular legs. Yeva’s nose deep inside her mound. Irje smiled at me and resumed her own task of caressing Yeva’s hair and moaning the words of praise at her actions.

I enjoyed the sight of Yeva’s wiggling butt, leisurely approaching her from behind. Trying to not disturb her, I bent down low and close. Just far enough that my breath wouldn’t reveal my presence. Enjoying the sight of her petite folds, I could clearly see that Irje had done a great job getting her relaxed and satisfied. And their continuous activity had kept her excited and ready for more action. New trails of her juices on the already wet legs were an obvious indicator of that.

Another set of silent gestures and Irje grabbed her head. Keeping her secure as I slid into her ready opening, filling Yeva tight with my shaft. Yeva shrieked in surprise directly into Irje, making her shudder and moan in return.

“Ugh. I know what you felt now when I’ve done the same.” Irje murmured, satisfied. Most likely referring to either or even both of us.

Yeva, however after a moment of stillness, simply shook her hips, grinding on my dick. And continued to go down on Irje.

“I think I know what she wants,” I murmured as I slammed into her once more. Making Irje hiss instead.

The impact of my groin pushed Yeva forward, grinding her into the target of her affections.

I got another shake of her hips as a response.

The message was clear. My hands grabbed her tiny waist as I pumped in and out of Yeva. Assisted by my thrusts her tongue made Irje writhe and mewl at an increased pace.

Irje came. Hard. Screaming into her fist, as usual. And then again in a few more minutes of our continuous assault. Shuddering around Yeva.

“That it! I give! No more…” she panted on her third release, desperately trying to push Yeva’s head away. Her legs in violent twitch.

“What? But I just started.” I mused. “Very well.”

My hand slid up Yeva’s body, my palms cradling her chest. Effortlessly, I lifted her up and away from relieved Irje. Yeva was light, but my enhanced muscles made it nearly effortless.

“Yah. Good time to shtop.” Yeva agreed tired. Only to moan as I simply inserted her once again on my shaft, keeping her in the air.

“Nuh-uh. Someone had gotten me all ready to go and now she wants to quit? How about I fill you up instead like that?” I chuckled.

“Okay.” Yeva quickly agreed, relaxing in my arms.

Apparently, she expected me to do all the work myself. It was actually sexy in a certain way, and definitely not a big deal for me, but if I could spice it up, why wouldn’t I?

“Irje,” I murmured, moving Yeva up and down on my dick like one enormous sex toy. “It sounds to me like Yeva is planning on taking the entire treat for herself.”

“That wicked thief.” She said in a flat tone. She was still lying flat on my bed, staring into the ceiling. An occasional twitch of her legs.

Yeva giggled between her moans.

“What I am saying is that if she comes first, she would be unable to take it all.” I winked. Moving as close to her as I could with Yeva in my arms.

Irje glanced at us and smirked, seeing how I used Yeva for our pleasure. “If you do that to me next time.”

“Deal.”

Despite looking tired, Irje still managed to get up a bit and crawl closer to us. And bury her face into Yeva’s mound.

“Shooo good!” Yeva moaned, and I had to agree.

As usual, my girth fully stretched Yeva. Pushing her aroused nub even further. Exactly into Irje’s kiss. It was an exhilarating sensation to feel the kiss with my shaft through Yeva’s flesh. The bronze girl’s tongue roamed the pale pink folds of the package in my arms, caressing my dick as well.

Provoked by her caresses, I sped up the movements. My hands were on fire as I lowered Yeva repeatedly on my shaft eager for my own release.

Yeva got it worse. Or better. Helpless. Hanging and stimulated from both sides. My fingers kept her nipples sensitive as my dick kept her full. On her way up she would grind across Irje’s mouth. Only to smack her ass into me on her way down.

It was no surprise that she came before me.

She sagged even more in my embrace, her legs trembling. Half moaning half gasping. Surrendered to her fate as I kept using her to reach an orgasm of my own.

“Erf?” Irje murmured, expectant.

“Just a minute.” I gasped as I exploded deep into Yeva, filling her up.

She whined, “But-”

“Look, she can’t escape now. Take as much as you want.” I interrupted her mid-sentence. As my dick popped out from the girl in my arms. I hugged Yeva tight, pushing her legs closer to the body. Keeping Yeva’s petals spread wide open in front of Irje’s face.

Irje took in the sight, mesmerized. Until my seed started to leak out.

“Oh.” Was her only response, as she went in for her treat. Forcing Yeva to squirm, twist and mewl inside my tight embrace.

After a quick clean up, we collapsed into our bed. The frequency and the intensity of our nightly activities forced us to sacrifice one of our blankets as a sex carpet. To soak up our juices and keep the rest of the bed moderately clean. The blanket, however, required a daily tax in soap. We also pulled the mattress out into the sun during the day, making sure that every evening we would end up on a clean fresh blanket. And every night we would collapse like this in a mattress that smelled like summer.

While it did require additional work in the morning and after sex, no one complained.

The bed was cramped for all three of us to enjoy some free space, but once again no one was willing to leave the cuddle. As the tallest of us all, Irje would usually end up in the middle with me and Yeva hugging her close on each side. Our bodies easily keeping us warm through the night as we lied naked together.

Just as we ended up right now. In a relative calm and an after-sex bliss. Slowly falling asleep listening to Irje’s purr.

“What was that bundle, that you brought?” Irje suddenly remembered.

“Ah, that? Keep it a secret, but I’ve got the codex on runes from Domina.” I lazily replied.

Irje harshly sucked her breath while Yeva quietly gasped. I guess it was big news for sure.

“Damn. Can you use them?” she replied.

I shook my head tickling her breast with my nose. “Mages only. At most, I could carve them myself, for another mage to use.”

“So it is useless then?”

“No, it is knowledge. I am already leagues ahead in my understanding of how the Flow works, and that was just from the introduction. Who knows what the future would bring.”

Irje pushed her arm under me and pulled me closer. “Knowing you, quite a lot.”

“Mmm-hmm!” an agreement from Yeva.

I chuckled and nuzzled in closer. Surrounded by the smell of grass and summer. The comforting warmth of my girls. Under the purr of Irje and soft snores of Yeva, I drifted into sleep myself.

Into my future.