Touch of Fate

Chapter 19: Something Wicked This Way

Bright sunlight streaming in through the window finally woke Mike up around mid-morning. He extricated himself from the arms of Jasmine and another two women he didn't recall meeting. His memories of last night were blurry once the wine was brought out. Hopefully, he didn't make a fool of himself. He stood up and tried to locate his clothes and equipment. It was a bit of an ordeal, since garments were strewn across the room in a haphazard fashion.

It was a pleasant surprise to wake up without a hangover, but Mike figured that it must be a product of a youthful body. He vaguely wondered if binge drinking as a teenager might impact his body's development.

After finally locating his pants, he was just about to try tracking down his boots, when a contented sigh from the bed interrupted him. He looked over to find Jasmine sitting up, unabashedly displaying her assets.

She glanced over at Mike with a smile, "Morning hon. Last night was amazing. I haven't seen someone with that kind of stamina before. You really wore us out." She stood and stretched, causing Mike heart to start pounding at the sight, before expertly locating her dress. Once clothed, she poked the two other women awake and had them get dressed as well, before sending them on their way.

"OK hon, you can take your time getting ready. You don't have to be out until this afternoon. Feel free to come on down to the common room when you are hungry. There should be breakfast" She paused, glancing out the window. "Or at the very least lunch available."

"Sure, that sounds good." Mike replied, finally locating his boots now that the rest of the clothes were gone.

While he was distracted, Jasmine swept him into her embrace and planted a kiss on his lips. His mind froze mid-thought, completely unable to respond before she pulled away.

"Be sure to stop by and see me the next time you are in town." She flashed a mischievous grin. "I'll make sure to give you a good discount."

Before Mike could process his thoughts enough to say anything she left.

[Whew, the women in this world are something else. Guess I must have done alright last night.]

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A thought suddenly occurred to him, and he checked his [Status] only to sigh once he saw the new entries. His Minor Endurance Enhancement had ranked up again, and he had picked up a Basic Poison Resistance skill that had already reached Rank 2. He guessed that it must have stemmed from the amount he drank last night. However, it was the new secondary skill and title that really depressed him.

Philanderer (Title)

A true womanizer, you are famous for your exploits in the bedroom. Minor increase to charisma when interacting with members of the opposite sex. (Increased to moderate when equipped.) Moderate increase to performance during intimacy with members of the opposite sex. Minor increase to improvement of related skills.

Advanced Lovemaking (Tier 2, Rank 3)

The art of pleasing a partner during acts of physical intimacy. Provides users with an intuitive understanding of what steps to take to satisfy lovers. Moderate increase to Endurance during intimate acts.

Rank 3 Effects: Casanova Aura

Casanova Aura

Named for the famous playboy who pioneered this ability. Users subconsciously project an aura that attracts and entices those who could conceivably be attracted to them. This has the opposite effect on those who would not be. Moderate increase to charisma when interacting with those whose orientation matches the users perceived gender. Minor decrease to charisma when interacting with all others.

"How the hell is it already at Rank 3?! And what the hell is up with that title?!"

Mike sat down on the bed and sighed. As much as he hated the implications of the skill and title, he figured that the effects could come in handy in the future.

"With this, I should at least be popular with the ladies." He got up, finished dressing and gathering his belongings, and went to look for Morris.

It took some doing, but he was able to locate and wake up the older man. Morris was clearly suffering from a terrible hangover. On a whim, Mike tried out his healing magic on the man.

"Thanks, I really needed that." Morris grinned gratefully. "Mages really have it easier."

After a quick exchange, they agreed to meet down in the common room shortly. The tavern was much quieter in the daytime. There were only a few simply dressed women tending to a handful of people apparently eating lunch. Mike noticed that as soon as he entered the room, the women started watching him carefully, in an almost predatory way. The male occupants noticed their change in demeanor and almost as a one glared at Mike with a degree of hostility.

He could only sigh. [I guess I'll have to start getting used to this, unless I can figure out a way to turn off passive skill effects.] He decided he'd have to look into that later.

Mike and Morris found themselves a table and ordered food. It turned out to be a thick vegetable and meat stew with a chunk of dark bread. To Mike, who had spent most of the last month either eating trail rations or at a military-style chow hall, it was delicious. He ended up getting seconds and thoroughly polished both sets off.

Sated, he consulted Morris regarding their plans for the next few days.

"I have to complete this guild request sometime soon. According to Don, it shouldn't be more than a few hour walk to get to this Dewey Glen. Assuming I can resolve the issue in a day, I should have more than enough time to make it back here before the caravan leaves."

Morris nodded thoughtfully, before grinning. "Alright, I'm going with you, though. No need to thank me, just appreciate my benevolence."

"Whatever, I have a feeling I'm going to end up saving you again, like I did with the orcs."

Morris pointed at Mike with his spoon. "Saving me! I had that orc exactly where I wanted him. If anything, you and your duel interrupted me."

Mike found himself smiling, "Yeah, yeah you were really on the verge of victory from your position on the ground, bleeding."

"Exactly! I was luring him into a false sense of security."

Mike laughed. "Alright, whatever you say. Should we start heading out? We probably need to make it there before dark."

"Yeah we do. This area is pretty safe, but traveling at night is an invitation for disaster. I just need to swing by the local weapon smith and pick up a new primary weapon."

After visiting an out of the way shop run by a large, angry looking man, the two of them exited the northern gate and started walking down the dirt road. Assuming they didn't run into any difficulties, they should be able to make it to the village by early evening.

[While livestock deaths isn't a particularly exciting first quest, I suppose it is a start. I was kind of expecting to do something with herb gathering or goblins, but this works too.] Mike thought to himself as mentally prepared himself for the tasks at hand. [Either way, I can't wait to get started on my first real adventure.]

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

Tillie sneaked through the barn door, easing it closed behind her. A few streams of red-colored light still illuminated the interior, but it would be pitch black soon.

If her parents found out that she was still outside this late, she knew she would be in serious trouble. Ever since the animals around the village started dying, her father had forbidden her to leave the house at night. However, Martha, her favorite cow went into labor earlier that day, and should be giving birth soon.

Ordinarily either her father or mother would stay with the cow and make sure it was a successful birth, but they were both away from home at the moment. Tillie's mother was staying with her aunt, helping her recover from an illness. Her father was called to an emergency meeting at the town hall, and probably would not be back until the next morning. This left the young eight year old girl and her slightly older brother alone at the farm.

Even though she knew that her parents would be angry, she couldn't bear to leave Martha alone at this crucial time. Her brother, Will, failed to live up to his name. Ever since he had come back home from playing one day, claiming that he had seen a demon, he hadn't left the house. No matter how hard she begged him, he refused to go with her to look after the cow. Mentally cursing him for a coward, she continued on into the barn.

Tillie cautiously tip-toed to Martha's stall, wondering if all the animals were asleep. She could barely make out the silhouette of the pregnant cow in the dim illumination. It was strangely quiet, and she started to get worried that there might be something wrong with her favorite farm animal.

As she fumbled for the latch, a faint sulfuric scent, mingled with the coppery tang of blood, tickled her nose. Thoroughly worried now, she threw open the stall door and rushed inside.

She immediately slipped on a puddle of something wet and fell face first towards the floor. Although she managed to catch herself, the lower half of her dress was soaked in the lukewarm liquid. Still on her knees she looked at her hands. There was just enough light left to show her that her hands were covered in a dark, viscous fluid.

A terrible premonition occurred to her as she looked up at the disturbingly still form of Martha, only to fight a wave of nausea at the sight. Something had almost completely disemboweled the poor cow. Blood and viscera littered the stall, soaking into the straw bedding. When she noticed tiny decapitated head of Martha's calf still resting inside her stomach, Tillie couldn't fight it anymore.

A stream of vomit overwhelmed the scream trying to work its way out of her lips, splattering into the pool of blood she was kneeling in. The icy cold grasp of primal fear gripped her, as her mind was filled with the need to get away.

She heard a shuffle of movement above her, and froze halfway to her feet. With her heart pounding in her ears, she slowly looked up at the origin.

A dark shape hung in the shadows of the barn's rafters. Two horrible red eyes stared down at the girl. She tried to scream, but no sound would escape her fear-constricted throat. She could only watch as the dark shape swept down towards her.

The last thing she saw before the darkness claimed her, was a gaping maw, filled with razor sharp teeth.