Trials of the Inventor Hero

On Our Way

Lyon looked back at the column of soldiers lined neatly in front of the castle. A hundred and fifty of the finest soldiers and knights stood at the ready to protect their lord on his journey. Truthfully, he wanted to bring more, but to do so would leave the domain vulnerable. That, and the duchess commanded he keep his forces small so that they didn't overburden the Inventor's budding fiefdom.

"Are you certain this is a good idea, father."

Lyon's hard gaze softened slightly as he turned to his daughter. Her pristine armor clung to her limber form giving her a boyish figure. Her sharp, angular face gave her a hardened beauty that was accentuated by the small scar on her lower lip. Her rosy hair was pulled back into a tight braid that swung gently in the breeze.

Her cold brown eyes pierced her father. "Can we truly trust the Inventor?" she asked sternly, "Would our time be better suited to taking his Grace to the capital?"

"Duchess Milieda has made her decision, Hera." He replied coldly, "We are to escort his Grace to the village of Treante."

"But how do we know he can heal him?" Hera spat. "Surely the Saint would be the better option?"

A disgruntled sigh escaped Lyon. "If you cannot see what we all do, then you still have much to learn." He said, "The King has all but forbidden us from entering the capital. He has forsaken our lord to death." Lyon cleared his throat as the servants brought the duke out on a stretcher.

Duchess Milieda followed closely behind. Her nose and cheeks crimson as she ordered the servants about. It was painful to watch the servants maneuver the duke into the large carriage, but it was worse for the duchess. She nearly fell into tears as she watched her husband be flailed around. A red-headed noblewoman gently took her hand.

"At least Lady Gabriella is here." Hera's cold voice softened.

"Agreed." Lyon said, watching the two noblewomen disappear into the carriage. "It's time to leave."

"Yes sir." Hera saluted as she turned to horse around.

Lyon waited until his daughter took her position in front of the wagon, then he blew a long note on his horn. Twenty-five riders charged down the road, leaving the column behind. The rest of the army slowly moved forward with Lyon at the head.

"Archons, let our faith not be in vain," he whispered, "Please."

Regeneration Rune

"I hope everything is to your satisfaction?"

Bella gave the Driver a polite smile as she took inventory of the goods sitting in the wagon. The robotic minions moved the products out effortlessly, giving her enough time to take note of their haul. The Driver kept away from them as he gave her a twisted, nervous smile.

"Everything does look to be in order." Bella replied sweetly, "Please give Lady Aniphrae our gratitude." She handed over a small leather bag.

The Driver didn't hesitate to snag it, and his eyes lit up at the sight of the small golden coins. It was hard to keep her smile as she watched the man pick at the metal coins, but Nathaniel had ordered the drivers be rewarded with gold. It was to keep the Quarmane workers on good terms with Treante.

"It is an honor to serve the Inventor." The Driver bowed, flourishing his arms. "I also bear a letter from Mistress Quarmane herself."

"I'll see that my master gets this." Bella replied, "And please feel free to stop by the tavern. Your meals and room are already paid for."

"The Inventor is truly a generous and kind lord." The Driver laughed. "Mistress Aniphrae has found herself a fine husband."

Bella watched the driver lead his wagon down the road with a stiff smile. Hearing the phrase for the past week made her shoulders stiff. Her heart ached at the thought of Nathaniel taking another woman as his wife. Whereas she would remain nothing more than a servant and concubine.

"Is something the matter?" Seneschal's voice interrupted her thoughts.

Bella forced a smile. "Nothing at all. I was simply going over the list one last time." She replied, "I'd best hurry and get this to Nathaniel."

She quickly ran out of the large garage, fully aware that Seneschal was around her. She was grateful that he didn't continue the conversation. Lately, he's been acting more… human. A feat she blamed the ever-growing dungeon core.

Bella stopped at the door to Nathaniel's workshop and took a deep breath. "Master, I have the list of supplies for you." She called out, opening the door. Her heart stopped at the sight of him.

The scent of iron filled the room, and she froze at the sight of blood dripping onto the metal table. Nathaniel stared at the blood pooling in his hand, unaware of it running down his arm and back of his hand. An arcane bracelet wrapped around his wrist with glowing runes.

"What happened?" Bella shouted as she ran to him.

She wrapped the wound with a handkerchief, watching it absorb the blood. Fear filled her heart as she stared into his distant eyes, and she reached out to his cheek.

"Nathaniel? Nathaniel!"

His eyes fluttered, sharpening his gaze, and he gave her a warm smile. "Bella, I'm sorry, I didn't notice you." He said, his gaze shifting to his hand. His fingers curled around her hand as his smile faded. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to worry you."

"What happened?"

"I received a book on Healing Magic from Sierra and Aniphrae, and it gave me an idea on a rune with healing properties." He said, glancing at a pile of bloody bandages, "It had some lesser healing spells in there, so I wanted to level up the skill before I started on the rune."

Tears streamed down her face. "You've been hurting yourself?" she whimpered, "Couldn't you have found a better way to train the skill?"

Nathaniel let out a small chuckle. "The idea came to me when I cut myself while making clothes for Sierra and Aniphrae. That wasn't a great idea now that I think about it."

"No, it wasn't!" Bella snapped, wiping away the blood. "We need to get this cleaned and… where's the wound?"

"Already healed." Nathaniel said, tapping the bracelet, "The Regeneration Rune heals ten health points per second, but I suspect that is the max it'll heal since my Healing Magic skill is still below level five." He picked up the knife on the table. "I even made one for gear too."

He struck the table with the knife several times, until there were large chunks missing from the blade. Bella watched as the metal grew back, returning the blade to its former state.

"There is an inherent problem with this rune though." Nathaniel sighed. "For every durability point that is restored, its max durability drops by the same amount. That makes it useful for immediate repairs on the battlefield but ruins the gear's longevity overall."

"Enough!" Bella pulled him out of the room. "You are getting a full night's rest."

Stolen novel; please report.

"Bella, I don't-"

Fury filled Bella's eyes as she pointed into his face. "No, you are coming home." She said coldly, "You are going to eat a full dinner, wash up, then rest for the remainder of the day. Understand?"

Nathaniel nodded solemnly. "Yes, I'm sorry for scaring you."

"I don't want to see you hurt." Bella replied softly, "None of us do." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "I'm telling Ralia about this as well."

"Please don't!" Nathaniel stuttered, "If she finds out then she'll always want to be by my side."

"Consider it your penance." Bella huffed, presenting the letter. "Mistress Aniphrae sent this for you."

Noble Pain

Count Delimaar watched the fire crackle as it drove away the oppressive winter cold. His study was a place of elegance, and he enjoyed the comforts greatly. The trophies of his many hunts hung from the wall. Deer, bears, wild hogs, but his most prized trophies were a pair of satyr heads that sat above he mantle. However, there was still plenty of space for more.

"I'd like to acquire a couple of orc heads." He mused allowed, "Don't you agree pet?"

At his feet sat a single dark elven woman. Her pale gown hung limp across her shoulders, giving him a wonderful view of her supple flesh. It was his decision to cut her silver hair short, to expose her elongated ears. He enjoyed seeing her shiver as he ran his thumb along her lobe. She was a beautiful specimen, but not the Green Lady he was after.

The dark elf nodded slowly. "It is as you say."

"Perhaps the Archons will bless me soon." He said, shifting in his plush chair. "Now that the Horde is making its way south. It's a shame they didn't finish my foolish cousin off."

A twisted smile crept onto his lips as he remembered the news. It was all written down in the King's letter that adorned his desk. To think Milieda had the guts to request aid from their ruler, after she blatantly supported that worthless Inventor Hero, and he was quick to capitalize on it. The money and supplies he donated nearly emptied his domain's coffers, but it was worth it. All he had to do was wait until Kane Sigmund perished, and if it took too long, he could always send someone to assist. All his politicking was bearing fruit.

"My lord, I come bearing news." A servant called out.

"Enter Baast." Delimaar barely acknowledged the door open.

Baast's ebony skin glowed red in the firelight. The Touldian wore a tailored suit that formed to his barreling chest, and his maroon-colored hair was pulled back. However, he had never seen the giant man crack a single smile.

"Has my invalid of a cousin finally passed?"

Baast gave a small bow. "No sir, instead we have reports that he's left his castle."

Delimaar let out a deep laugh. "Milieda has lost her mind! Does she think taking Kane to the Capital will change the King's mind." He wiped a tear from his eye. "Perhaps I'll take pity on her and take her as my sixth wife."

"I doubt she's headed to the Capital." Baast replied with a light tone.

"What do you mean?" Delimaar stood up, pushing the dark elf away.

"According to the scouts, the Duke's party is traveling southward."

Delimaar ran to his desk, pulling out a map from the top drawer. He unfurled it onto the desktop, running a finger along the black roads.

"This doesn't make any sense." The Count snapped. "Why are they taking the Southern Caravan Road?" His finger stopped on the large circular mark of a city. "The place it leads to is Rumand, and there aren't healers skilled enough to help him."

His eyes roamed the map in thought, but the only thing that caught his attention was the small village to the southwest of Rumand. An accursed little place that was nothing but trouble to him, especially its lord. A thought suddenly dawned on him.

"Could he be seeking aid from the Inventor?"

"Possibly." Baast replied dully, "No one truly knows the full capabilities of his class."

"Shit!" Delimaar slammed his fists onto the desk. "Have Torman muster our soldiers."

"It'll take time, my lord." Baast said dryly, "It'll take three to four days to gather the necessary supplies and hire enough soldiers. If we want to disguise them as bandits, than it'll take even longer. By the time our forces meet, they'll be within the patrol route of Duke Rumand's guards."

Delimaar fell into his chair as he pulled out a piece of parchment. "I must inform his majesty of this." He groaned. "Then have my guard assembled. Perhaps we can try strongarming the Inventor with help from the royal family."

"As you wish, my lord."

Delimaar stared daggers at the mark of Treante. A string of curses filled the room; each one meant for the target of his ire.

Returning Home

"Are you excited to show Nathaniel everything you learned?" Aniphrae smiled at Sierra as she stripped out of her dress.

Sierra shrugged. "It's only been two and a half weeks." She said, "I haven't changed that much."

"Of course you have." Aniphrae laughed. "You're a proper young lady."

"I'm barely literate."

"That's why your teacher is coming with us. You'll be able to continue your studies when you aren't working at the tavern." Aniphrae said with a smile, but her smile vanished as Sierra undressed.

Aniphrae hadn't paid much attention, but now that things were calm something became apparent. Sierra's undergarments weren't normal. Her clothing had strange designs sewn into the fabric. The strangest was the garment binding her chest. It pressed Sierra's flesh upward, giving her the appearance of a larger bust. The sight of it made Aniphrae reach for her own chest.

"You have strange undergarments." Aniphrae pouted in thought. "Where'd you get them?"

"Nathaniel made them for me."

Aniphrae grabbed Sierra's shoulders. "Is that the lingerie?" she shouted, "Father told me about it, but I didn't realize it could do this." She cupped Sierra's breasts, giving them a gentle squeeze. "Incredible, they look to be a size larger."

"Please stop Anie." Sierra moaned in embarrassment. "I'll let you try it on if you want."

Aniphrae's eyes sparkled. "You're a true friend."

She waited anxiously as Sierra took of the simple garment and handed it to her. Sierra also helped her put it on, and even turned red when she helped Aniphrae get adjusted. With the garment on, Aniphrae ran to the mirror to look at herself.

She stared at her reflection in amazement, especially at the two bulges on her chest. Her breasts weren't prominent, but she no longer had the slender, plain figure. She had curves, genuine feminine curves.

"Incredible." She whispered.

"Congratulations ma'am." Lei said with a sharp smile. "You have finally matured."

Aniphrae let out a low growl. "I've always been mature."

"Why don't we ask Nathaniel to make you some when we return?" Sierra said, stepping between them.

"That's an excellent idea!"

The Next Day

Aniphrae watched the quaint village go by. Its slow atmosphere felt refreshing from the business of the capital, even Rumand felt slow. However, it wouldn't remain that way.

"Why did we need to dress up?" Sierra mumbled, playing with a lock of hair.

They both wore fine dresses fit for noblewomen, and their hair was styled in waves and curls. They were over dressed for the small village of Treante, but that was the point.

Aniphrae gave her an amused smile. "It's important to dress up for special occasions." She replied, "Reuniting with someone special counts, wouldn't you agree?"

Sierra nodded as the carriage rocked to a halt, and sunlight poured in as the door opened. The two women stepped out into the chilly air and approached the door together. Aniphrae lightly knocked on the door. It opened to reveal a small fey girl.

"Welcome back!" Hope smiled brightly at them. Her eyes widened at the sight of Sierra. "You look so pretty."

"Thank you Hope." Sierra blushed.

Warmth surrounded them as they headed inside. A strong, savory aroma filled the house making their stomachs rumble. Sounds of clanking dinnerware came from the dinning room.

"Should I get Nate?" Hope asked, still taking them in.

"Yes please." Aniphrae chuckled.

"Hey, Sierra and Aniphrae are back!" Hope screamed as she ran deeper into the house.

Both women let out a small chuckle as they followed Hope inside. In the dining room, Nathaniel was setting the table. In the kitchen doorway, they say Ralia and Bella standing over a large, steaming pot.

"Welcome back you two." Nathaniel smiled at them.

"Glad to be back." Aniphrae replied, returning the smile.

Sierra squirmed on the spot. "It's good to be back."

"That's a beautiful dress Sierra." Nathaniel said, "You look like a noblewoman."

Aniphrae laughed, taking Sierra's arm. "She will make a beautiful wife one day." She said with a teasing smile. "It would be a shame if someone else stole her away."

"Whoever you marry will be a lucky man." His words made both women lose their smiles. "Actually, I have something for you two. Hope, please finish with the table."

Hope cheerfully ran into the kitchen as the three of them headed down the hall. Nathaniel led them into a large room that was turned into his sewing room. At the back of the room sat a large wooden rack with an entire wardrobe worth of clothes.

"These are for you two." Nathaniel said, gesturing to the clothes. "This is thanks for helping prepare for the Duke's arrival."

"We were glad to help." Sierra said earnestly.

"Exactly. What wife would I be if I… didn't…" Aniphrae's eyes lingered on the clothes.

She ran, pulling out a hanger. On it was a silky black pair of lingerie with flowery lace embroidery. Aniphrae's fingers glided across the rich cloth.

"That's for you." Nathaniel chuckled at her expression. "I used my [Intuition] to get your size, but I'll adjust it if you need me too." He reached over and pulled out a thin, red dress that sparkled in the light. "I also made you all a set of cocktail dresses."

"You sewed gems into the fabric?" Aniphrae gently touched the outfit.

"They're quartz crystals, actually." Nathaniel replied, "I can manufacture them easier than precious gems. I also have some dresses for you too, Sierra." He gestured to the second half of the rack. "That book you sent was just the thing I needed."

Sierra suddenly felt hot. "I'm glad it was of use."

Aniphrae leaned over, kissing his cheeks. "Thank you for the gifts, darling. Do you mind giving us some privacy. We'd love to try on these dresses." She turned, giving Sierra a wide smile. "Right?"

"Let me know if anything needs adjusted." Nathaniel replied, quietly leaving the room.

Aniphrae pulled a matching pair of undergarments and dress. "Don't simply stand there sister. We need to get ready for dinner." She said with a sultry smile.