Intimancer

“Wait, what?!  Didn’t you just warn us of the dangers of spending money recklessly?”

“Yeah!  What she said!”  Tyr pipped in after Lilie’s outburst.

Even Rick was looking at Sade like she suddenly grew a second head.  She sighed.  “Let me explain my reasoning.  If you all still feel that it is not enough, then we will move on to something different.”

At the nods from everyone, she began.  “Rick was right, we have no protections.  While suddenly spending a lot of money all of a sudden would be noticeable, having a group of hunters pool their wages together is not that uncommon.”  She looked around their small room.  “Plus we have outgrown this room some time ago.  We need our own space to call our own rather than paying to use these thin walls.”

“And you think the benefit of moving is worth the risk?”  Rick asked her.

“I do.”  She nodded.  “In addition, it would be easier to hide our wealth from prying eyes in a building we own and can modify rather than trying to hide it here in this small inn.”

“Aye… that makes sense.”  Tyr said with a sigh.

“We will try to find something close to the coast.  We know how much you love wrestling with the sailors next door.”  Sade turned to Lilie.  “I assume you are living in the dorms at Mya?”

“Oh, um, yes!  Yes.”  She looked down at her feet.

Tyr moved in and wrapped the smaller woman in a fierce hug.  “Ha!  Living with us is gunna be fun!  Just ya wait!”

Sade smiled.  It was good that Tyr was making the effort to make Lilie feel as part of the team.  “While all we have is a promissory note instead of a wagon load of gold to haul around, that should be enough to at least stake our claim on a building.  Plus, looking to see what is available does sound like a fun group activity.  I am ready to depart when you are.”

Hours later the four found themselves standing before a quaint wooden building perched along a small road that ran atop a cliff overlooking the coast.  It was square and two stories tall, with several windows all spaced neatly around its circumference.  There was a ring of trees around the property line that separated the land the building rested upon from its neighbors.

This had been the latest of several homes for sale in the city that the realtor had shown them.  The story went that it had once been a small inn that catered to the more affluent before falling into disuse when the previous owners had passed on with no one to take up the trade in their place.

Sade felt it had almost everything they wanted;  Several large bedrooms for them and possibly guests to all sleep in, a fully equipped kitchen to cook meals, some space for recreational activities outside the bedroom, and some land around the property for them to stretch their legs.  Sade especially liked the interior courtyard garden that took up the centermost space of the building.

“I really like this one.  What do the rest of you think?”  She asked the other three.

Tyr just shrugged her broad shoulders.  “Could use a few more trees, but otherwise it’s fine.”

“Well, it’s close to the coast, if a bit hard to actually walk down to it.  And considerably closer to the university than ‘The Ship’s Rest’ was.  I like it a lot more than the shack in the middle of the pleasure district, that’s for sure.”  Rick said as he crossed his arms.

“Oh come on!  That would have been a great place ta lay down some roots.”  Tyr said with only half seriousness.

“Regardless of the location, the building itself was falling apart.  It would have cost us a fortune to make it fit to live in.”  Sade countered.  Tyr just stuck out her tongue in response for ruining her fun.  “Lilie?”  Sade asked the final member.

The pale woman hugged her arms in thought.  “I do agree this location is the best we’ve seen.  But can we really afford a place like this?  It would take veteran hunters years to save up enough to buy such a property.”

Sade nodded.  “It would be somewhat costly, but far cheaper in the end than if we would have to furnish or hire labor to build or fix any defects ourselves.  So while the price listed is high, the real cost and hassle in moving in is far lower.”  Indeed the building was left in almost pristine condition with most of the original furniture remaining.

“So, we doing this?”  Tyr asked.  Everyone nodded, if they were going to be anywhere, this would be preferable.

Sade had Rick join her when finalizing the purchase.  This caused him to act slightly flustered for reasons Sade couldn't quite figure out, but the process went by quickly.  Before long a contract was signed in his name and mana that designated the plot of land and the building on top of it as rightfully his.

“That's it?  They just let us walk off with the deed to the property, just like that?”  He asked, in a disbelieving tone.

“It is a provisional deed for now.”  She giggled.  “Large sums of money are cumbersome to transport at the best of times.  So the contract is finalized first and payment comes later.”

“And they just take us at our word?”

“Oh, no.  The contract has heavy penalties for fraudulent activity.  That is why you had to register your mana.  If payment is not delivered by the time specified, including an agreed apon grace period, the magic will cause a mild backlash within your body to disable you, then authorities would be notified of a breach of a magical contract, and your identity as the perpetrator.”

“And you had me sign it?!”  He shouted while growing as pale as Lilie.  “Why didn't you do it?  You're the one with all the money!  I never wanted that kind of sword dangling over my head!”

Sade wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him softly to help calm her lover.  It seemed to have worked like a charm since she could feel the tension in his spine ease with each gentle caress of her hand along his back.  She really should have explained the situation to him properly.  It often slipped her mind that he was not of the kingdom and still suffered from that strange memory loss.

“My money is your money.”  She whispered softly once their lips no longer touched.  “Forgive me for being overly cautious, but I do not want to leave potential enemies an easy trail to follow.”  At the confused tilt of his brow, she elaborated further.  “Only my name was on the documents for the auction.  It would be easier for someone to connect the sale of ancient and valuable coins to a purchase of a large property if both records had the same given name.”

Understanding bloomed in his expression.  He still looked worried, but not nearly to the same degree as before.  “That’s a good point.  But do you really think it's necessary though?”

Sade bit her lip.  It was a smart move, but there was one more reason for all the caution.  She didn't tell him and the others yet because she didn't know if it was a legitimate concern, or something brought on by stress-induced paranoia.  She looked into his deep brown eyes, he needed to know, she couldn't bear keeping even more secrets from him.  And better prepared for the worst than being caught flat footed.

“On my way back from the broker… I thought I saw someone following me.”

His brows shot up all the way to his hairline.  Before he could ask or say anything she placed her finger to his lips for silence.

“No, I do not know who it was or why.  Yes, I think I lost them in the crowd before I returned to you.  Yes, it all could have been a misunderstanding.  I was extremely stressed after seeing how much we received, same as you.  Did I miss anything?”

Rick shook his head to clear it before sighing.  He looked at her with an interesting mix of love and exasperation.  “Nah, you got all the major points.”  He looked to where the other two women were chatting while enjoying the cliff side view.  “We should discuss the possibilities with the group as a whole though.”

Sade hummed in agreement.  She was glad Rick was mostly keeping a level head in the situation.  It helped clear her own mind and focus on what was most important.

“Regardless of if you were followed,”  He said as if reading her mind.  “We need to pack our things.”  He turned to her with that goofy grin of his.  “We need to test if our new beds can handle our nightly sessions after all.”

Sade's laughter could be heard all the way to the cliff's edge.  That was certainly an experiment she was looking forward to conducting in the evening.

–

“Hey, um, Sade?”

Sade turned to face Lilie while they walked together down the street.  “What is it?”

The other woman flushed slightly pink at her attention.  “I, um, thanks… For everything.  I'm still not sure why you agreed to let me join.”

Sade sighed inwardly.  Where was that self assured shaytoni that had walked into battle against monsters with hardly a blink?  She wasn't sure just how much assurance she could give the healer that she was part of the group in full.  Perhaps after tonight's activities she'll finally relax and stop stressing about her place amongst them.

“Would you prefer I act like a territorial bitch?”

Lilie's crimson eyes widened at Sade's question.  “What? N-no. No no nononono!”

Sade gave a grin to show she was just teasing.  “Then relax.  Even if you were not romantically involved, we all would support you joining our party and moving in with us.”

“But why?! I just can't wrap my head around it.  How are you all so kind and understanding?”

“You mean aside from the fact that you have terrible luck with people?”  Sade asked and Lilie nodded.  She let out a breath to organize her thoughts and continued.  “It is because of Tyr.”

This caused Lilie to look at her in confusion. “I'm not sure I follow.”

“In the beginning it was just Rick and me.  For one glorious week it was simply the two of us trying to survive during the day and rutting like animals every evening.  Then Tyr comes in like an unstopable whirlwind and before I could even blink, there she was between us, naked.”  Sade chuckled at the memories of those first few nights together.

“My point is that my exclusivity with Rick has long since expired.  And looking back on it, I honestly feel that my life is better for it.  What was originally meant to indulge in a selfish elf’s wish steadily transformed into a partnership where I honestly can not imagine myself without either of them.  I placed my trust in the fact that neither Rick nor Tyr would ever do anything to hurt me.”

She stopped walking and faced Lilie, a calm but serious look affixed to her face.  “The wood elves do not believe in things like monogamy or even marriage.  So instead of being jealous and trying futility to control our love life, I think taking a leaf out of Tyr's book is the wiser option.  I choose to trust those my heart belongs to.”

She smiled and patted the shaytoni’s arm.  “I love Rick.  And I honestly think I love Tyr as well.  One thing that I am starting to realize is that the amount of love I feel for someone is not finite.  The more people you love, the more love you have to give.  If Rick starts to have feelings for a beautiful and spirited shaytoni, why should I get in the way of that?  Who is to say I can not come to love you as well?”

Lilie's eyes began to water.  Before Sade could anticipate what happened next, she found herself wrapped in a tight embrace.

“Thank you…”  Lilie sobbed softly.  “Just… thank you.”

Sade recovered quickly from being suddenly grappled.  She gently returned the gesture and let the other woman pour all her feelings out.  Sade felt a mild sense of nostalgia from once more having someone cry into her breast.  Her heart warmed at the thought that she could ease Lilie’s burdens, even if only a little bit.  The shaytoni had no doubt lived a hard life.  It was admirable to see her achieve so much on her own.

Once Lile’s tears had finally run dry, the two women continued on their way, chatting about more simple topics in an effort to get to know each other better.  In no time at all, the gates of Mya University loomed before them.

After passing through the main entrance, both women made a beeline for the women's dorms.  The goal was to help Lilie pack her things so she could move in with the rest of the group in their new abode.  Sade also wanted to grab a few odds and ends from her own dorm as well.  So the two of them decided to help each other while the members of the party with trouser snakes stayed behind to clean up their recently acquired accommodations.

Sade quickly ducked into her dorm.  She just needed to pick up a couple books she borrowed from the library and then she could join back up with Lilie in her own quarters.

“Well hey there roomie.”

Sade fought to suppress the flinch.  This was her own room, why did she feel like a thief in the night?  She turned to the one who spoke.  “Tess.  It has been a while.”

Tess chuckled from her position on the other bed.  Her dark hair and pale complexion somehow helped her to blend into the gloom that seemed to congregate on her side of their ‘shared’ space.  “Indeed it has.  So what brings our dear star student back to her humble abode?”  she asked in her scratchy, languid voice.

“I just wanted to pick up a few things.  I will be off shortly.”  Sade replied as she started to reach for the items in question.

“Aw, going to leave me all by my lonesome?”  Tess pouted in a teasing manner.

Sade narrowed her eyes.  While they were technically roommates, the two of them had only spent a handful of hours together at most.  They barely shared any classes.  But Sade knew her gloomy looking roommate reveled in being able to have the room all to herself.  Even teasing, this conversation felt off.

“What are you plotting Tess?”

The other woman had the gall to act mock offended.  “Me, plotting?  Oh no, no, nonono.”  She lazily swung herself off the bed and walked towards Sade, that ever present smirk never leaving her face.  “Why would you think I’m doing something like that?”

“Because you do not like talking to people, ever.”

“I talk to you sometimes.”

“This conversation has had more words exchanged between us than the entire school year so far.”

Tess tisked in annoyance.  “Damn… You really are as smart as people say.”  Her easy smile returned.  “Ah well, my job was to distract you long enough for the others to show up.  Hope this was enough.”

“What are you-”

A pounding at the door interrupted Sade before she could interrogate her scheming roommate further.  The knocks got louder until some genius decided to check and see if the door was actually locked.

It wasn’t. 

Several figures spilled out onto the floor when the door suddenly swung open from the released pressure they were putting on it.  “We got your message.  Is she still here?  Are we too late?”

“... Hattepaa?”  Sade asked one of the fallen figures.

“Sade?  Sade, you’re here!”  Hattepaa shouted and jumped up to hug Sade fiercely.

“What are you doing here in my room?”  Sade asked.  Looking around the woman grappling with her, she recognized the rest of the group as her fellow classmates.

“Well, we wanted to ask you something.”  The beastkin woman said as she finally released Sade.  “It’s well… All of us think you are super smart.  And your advice has helped me so much before.  Plus you’re not…”  Her voice trailed off near the end, unable to find the right words.

“A prick?”  Tess offered.

“Yeah, that.”  Hattepaa said with mild uncertainty.  “You are smart, kind, and well… we all want to start a study group with you!”

“A… study group?”  Sade looked to the near dozen other students crowding around her.  “And you all want this as well?”

“Of course!”  A young man shouted from the rear of the pack.

“We’d be stupid not to.”  Someone else piped up.  The whole room was filled with murmurs of agreement.

Sade turned to her roommate.  “And I suppose you wish to join as well?”

Tess just chuckled.  “Duh!  No way I’d pass up an opportunity to get stronger.”

Sade groaned.  She could already feel the little amount of spare time she had dwindling away to nothing.  Those few precious moments of freedom were set aside for getting stuffed by Rick, Tyr, or possibly both at the same time.  She needed those!

But her classmates also needed help.  Sade was a somewhat selfish person, even she could admit that, but she knew she would regret telling her fellow students ‘no’.  Plus, Hattepaa’s puppy eyes were just so damn compelling!  That girl had a unique magic all on her own.

“Fine.”  She agreed.  “But I will need to find some spare time in my schedule.  Got it?”

Everyone nodded their heads.

“Maybe we can meet right after classes, when you usually head to the library?”  Hattepaa suggested.

Sade had to agree, that was a good time to meet.  It would cut into her own study time, but she figured the tradeoff would be worth it.  “Very well.  Let us meet at the library after the end of the day’s classes the day after tomorrow.”

The group cheered, happy that they managed to peer pressure one of the top students into helping them.  It was then that a certain shaytoni walked in on the crowd from the hallway.

“Hey Sade, I’m all packed and ready-”  She paused, taking in the scene before her.  “Oh?  What’s this?  Already getting the orgy started?”

“O-o-orgy?”  Hattepaa stuttered.

“Oh ho!  Does our little Sade enjoy things like that?”  Tess laughed.

Sade’s face flushed.  She looked at the group gathered and saw more than a couple hopeful faces.  This was not how she wanted her reputation at this school to go.  It was better to cut this out from the roots.

“Really, Lilie?!  Really?!  You are just as bad as Tyr!”  She turned to the group, giving an especially fierce glare to the ones who looked a little too into the idea of a study/sex party.  “Anyone who actually believes I would condone that sort of behavior within school grounds will be my own personal target for me to demonstrate all the various attack magic we study.”

Her words seemed to cow the eager fools.  It helped considerably that she meant every word.  While her heart always had room for more people to love, she still preferred to be selective in who she slept with.

Lilie still snorted with amusement.  She gave Sade a look that said she caught the glaring loophole in her threatening statement.  While she thankfully didn’t say anything, it seemed that Sade would have to teach their new companion exactly what happens when their teasing goes too far.  And Sade had no problems in waiting for the perfect moment to enact her revenge.

It was one of the reasons she attended Mya University after all.