Asher's Futa Chronicles

***

Finally! The start of the flashback to what happened at the end of Book 2.

Enjoy!

***

Chapter 3

Six Months Earlier

ASHER

I shielded my eyes from the sun as I watched the massive airship. By the time I made it to the top of The Roadhouse's wall, the dirigible was on the ground and people were pouring out of it like a kicked anthill.

"Who are they?" Remmi asked, but I didn't have a clue, so I kept silent.

Everyone at The Roadhouse stood atop the wall, staring down at the airship. It had landed a good two miles out past the treeline.

"Come on!" I tugged at Remmi's arm. She followed me as we made our way to the lookout's nest on the roof. It was taller than the walls and gave a commanding view of the surrounding countryside.

"Someone's coming!" Remmi pointed.

I looked, and sure enough, a group of people had gathered up and were heading this way. We watched the group get closer and made out at least a dozen riders. They had horses on the airship! At least, they looked like horses.

The riders weren't all human, either. There were several different races, most of which I couldn't recall the names of.

They stopped short of the gate and dismounted. Most wore some sort of armor and at least one weapon. They all looked like they knew how to handle themselves in a fight. Luckily, nobody reached for a weapon.

Instead, the lead rider walked up and pounded on the gate with her fist.

"Hail, The Roadhouse," she said. She was human and attractive in the girl-next-door kind of way. Her voice was loud and clear. Between that and her posture, it was obvious she was used to oration.

"Hello there," Sinjin replied, peering down on her from the top of the wall.

"I am Dilapia, a high seat of The Adventure's Guild and have come to treat with The Roadhouse," the rider said.

"Treat with us?" Angela asked from beside Sinjin. "Why?"

"We wish to formally reopen relations and hopefully work towards reestablishing our outpost here," the woman said, looking around. "May our delegation enter?"

Angela and Sinjin looked at one another with worried expressions. They had pretty much been running everything here; more specifically, Angela was in charge. But everyone looked to them when a problem needed to be solved. We'd just never had an armed group at the gate before.

Larisa, our blacksmith and resident of this world, got Angela's attention and whispered something to her.

"She's telling the truth about who she is," Larisa started.

I'd never been up here when there were a lot of people out and about. Most of the time, I was sneaking up here to look at the night sky or make out with someone. I don't know if it was design or magic, but I heard Larisa's whisper as if she said it into my ear.

"My dad met her once," Larisa finished.

"You sure?" Angela asked. When Larisa nodded, Angela signaled for the gates to be opened.

Cr'eon stood just inside the gates, blocking the envoy's path.

Upon seeing the Daemon, Dilapia's arm shot up, and the entire group froze. A moment later, at some unknown signal, every rider took a knee. Even the horses took a knee! I had no clue how they did that, but it looked pretty cool!

Now that they were closer, what I'd taken for horses was something I hadn't seen before. They had the general shape of horses, but their bodies were covered in some sort of scales. At first, I thought it was armor, but upon closer inspection, it was obviously natural.

The entire group stayed in that position, unmoving as Cr'eon looked on.

"Are those your true intentions?" Cr'eon asked, finally.

"They are, Master Daemon," Dilapia replied, still staring at the ground.

"Then you may enter, but be aware. If your intentions change, or you are false, you will be peacebonded at best," Cr'eon said with an authority in her voice I'd never heard before. Her normal blasé tone was now alive and laced with steel.

"Peacebonded?" Remmi asked me.

"No clue," I said, not taking my eyes off the group.

"As you say, Master Daemon," Dilapia said, and the entire group, including horses, rose as one.

"You think they practiced that?" I asked Remmi.

"Don't ask me. But it looked cool, right?" Remmi said.

"Yeah," I said with a grin.

"Please, join us inside, and I'll make introductions," Angela said.

"Of course," Dilapia said. With a few flicks of her hand, half the group broke off, taking the horses towards the stables while the rest made for the inn's main door.

"We will, of course, need to speak with the new Guardians as well. Are they present?" Dilapia asked.

"Yes," Angela glanced at Sinjin.

"I'll find them," he said.

"Uh-oh," Remmi said in a low voice. "I think things just got a lot more complicated."

"When are they ever simple?" I asked and patted Remmi on the shoulder. "Come on, let's go get dressed. Company's coming."

***

Everyone was already seated and talking animatedly when Remmi and I entered the large room off to the side of The Roadhouse's main dining room area.

All talking stopped when they saw us.

Thankfully, we'd finally managed to finish refurnishing The Roadhouse with furniture. Now, instead of one big table in this room, there were several. Complete with chairs enough for three times as many people as the main dining room could hold.

We'd yet to use it for anything other than storage until now.

The room filled with the sound of chairs scraping as every member of the guild stood and bowed to Remmi and me.

I glanced at Remmi, whose eyes were nearly as wide as mine. We were both wearing the Guardian armor we'd received from the gestalt when we trained with them last year. It had some sort of magic symbol on the chest that certified us as official guardians. Normally, the symbol was just a lone tower with three moons above it. But it sometimes glowed...somehow.

Guardians were people who had beaten the temple and been chosen to become protectors of the temple and the surrounding areas. Neither Remmi nor I had even been up to the temple since it opened, let alone beat it. So, we were technically impostors.

"I officially greet the new Guardians of The Roadhouse," Dilapia said and recovered from her bow. "I am Dilapia, one of the high seats of The Adventurer's Guild."

"I'm Asher," I started, "and this is Remmi."

"Hey," Remmi said, giving a little wave.

I glanced at her little wave, and she just shrugged.

"Welcome to The Roadhouse," I said, not knowing what else to say.

"Thank you. Would you please join us?" Dilapia asked, motioning to the chairs beside Angela and Sinjin.

I glanced around and saw Cr'eon leaning against the far wall. She was in her full armor and had her massive crossbow slung across her back.

Everyone sat when Remmi and I did.

"From what Ms. Angela has told me, you were not aware of the guild's former outpost here. Is that correct?" Dilapia asked.

I shook my head and glanced at Remmi.

"First I'm hearing about it," Remmi said.

"Well then, allow me to explain," Dilapia said. "From everything I've read in our records, The Roadhouse has been here since The Wright's Temple first opened hundreds of generations ago. It has acted as the last stop and staging area for adventurers not only seeking the temple, but exploring the mountains as well."

"That's what we know as well," Remmi said.

"The Daemons of the time invited the guild to create an outpost here in order to support those adventurers. The guild worked hand-in-hand with the Daemons and Guardians up until The Roadhouse closed, which was shortly after the temple closed.

"We have not been needed here since," Dilapia said. "We only just received word of the temple's reopening. Our expedition was put together quickly with the hopes that we'd be welcome here once more."

"We haven't had any adventurers come through, have we?" I asked Angela.

Angela looked at Sinjin, who shook his head.

"We've had several caravans, but no adventurers," Angela said. "And while I've heard people talk of the temple, no one's sought it out that I'm aware of."

"That will change," Dilapia said. "The temple has already begun its calling."

"It's calling?" Remmi asked.

"To serve the temple's purpose of testing adventurers, it will call out to worthy candidates, urging them to make the journey. Those who succeed are made part of The Chosen Army and sent to walk the land in the name of The Administrator. They help keep the peace, and their word is law. There is no greater honor.

"Once word spreads of the temple's reopening, you will be flooded by temple candidates," Dilapia said. "As well as those just looking to adventure in the region. That's where we come in."

"How so?" Angela asked.

"Temple candidates must be registered with the guild before they're allowed up to the temple," Dilapia said. "This was one of the guidelines laid down by the Daemons who first organized this location."

"Why?" I asked.

"Organization and record keeping," Dilapia said. "The success rate for the temple is very low. One of the duties of the guild is to notify the next of kin of those who fail.

"Another is to help the locals living in the area," Dilapia said. "Problems tend to arise when the temple is active. A general increase in monster activity typically accompanies the temple's activity. But, just helping the community in general is an adventurer's bread and butter.

"The closest guild is nearly a week's ride from here," Dilapia continued. "The community here has been on its own for quite some time now. They won't understand how helpful the guild can be until we make our presence known."

"That's all well and good," Angela started. "And, don't get me wrong, helping out the community is a good thing. But we were put in charge of this place. Why would we give that over to you?"

"The administrator gave possession of The Roadhouse to this group," Cr'eon said, indicating my friends and me.

Dilapia smiled in what I was sure was a practice expression.

"Please don't misunderstand," Dilapia said. "We're not here to take over The Roadhouse, but to establish a chapterhouse of the guild. You're in charge; we just operate the guild out of this location. We're a...tenant, if you will."

"But," Sinjin interrupted. "Where? Every building here is taken. Where would you operate from?"

"Oh, from this room, of course," Dilapia said. "That was its original purpose."

"It was?" Remmi asked.

"Yes," Dilapia said with a nod. "When the guild withdrew, all of its facilities were placed in hibernation."

"Hibernation?" Angela asked.

Dilapia pulled an old book from her pack on the table and flipped through it.

"Our records indicate that in addition to this common room, the guild operated a training room, office space, and a small armory."

"I ask again, where?" Sinjin asked.

"The surgery beside the chapel?" Remmi suggested.

"No," Dilapia shook her head. "If you'll allow it, I can show you what I mean."

"Please," Angela said before anyone could chime in.

Dilapia nodded at one of the men sitting at the table.

The man stood and looked around the table. He was tall and wore an orange and black robe. He tapped two others on the shoulder as he stepped away from the table.

The two others were a young man and a middle-aged woman. Both of them were dressed in the same style of robes.

The three made a slow circle of the room, their hands outstretched as if searching for something.

"Here," the young man said, his hand stretched towards the inner wall.

The trio focused their attention on the same spot, and after a moment, relaxed.

"It's here," the older man said to Dilapia.

"Go ahead," Dilapia said.

The trio closed their eyes and once more focused on the inner wall.

At first, nothing happened. Then the wall started to change. It started as a ghost-like image, transparent except for faint outlines. But after a minute or so, the image became clearer.

A large counter appeared, taking up half the wall, revealing offices behind it. Then, there was a door to the left that led behind the counter, followed by a set of double doors to the right that led elsewhere.

"That can't be right," I said. "There are rooms on the other side of that wall. I know, I've had to clean them enough times." I didn't mean to say that last part.

"That's fine, Felix," Dilapia said, and the older man dropped his hands, letting the ghost image fade.

"What you saw was where the guild used to operate out of," Dilapia said. "And yes, there are rooms on the other side of that wall. However, the guild optimizes space where possible. With the approval of the Roadhouse's steward, we will recreate the magical space the guild once occupied."

"What were the double doors?" Remmi asked, breaking the silence that fell.

Dilapia glanced at her book.

"That was the entrance to the training room and armory," Dilapia said. "From what it says here, they were created below ground."

"We've yet to find The Roadhouse's steward," Angela said. "We've been told she's still here, but sleeping."

We'd spent the better part of a month crawling over every inch of The Roadhouse, trying to find this guardian-protector-steward thing known as Miranda. But we'd never even found any hint of her. Supposedly, she required a specific type of magic to wake her up. We either didn't find her, or we didn't have the right kind of magic.

"Ahh," Dilapia nodded. "Well, that complicates things, but it's nothing we can't handle. If you allow us to stay, we'll awaken your steward for you. We must have their blessing before we can move in, regardless. So even if you allow us to stay, the steward may not be so inclined."

I glanced at Angela.

"We could definitely use Miranda," I said. The steward who looked after the villa where the gestalt lived was a snow leopard. It wasn't really a leopard but an energy being who took that shape. He was pretty badass.

"The guardian is called Miranda, then?" Dilapia asked.

I nodded.

"And if Miranda told you to leave, you would?" Angela asked.

"Of course," Dilapia said.

"Would Miranda go back to sleep?" I asked.

"No," Dilapia shook her head. "To awaken a steward, it must be fed until it's full. Once awake, barring catastrophe, a steward is self-sufficient for a century or two."

"What else?" Sinjin asked.

"I'm sorry?" Dilapia asked.

"If we allow you to stay, what else can you do for us?" Sinjin asked.

Dilapia flipped through several more pages of the book.

"Well, as part of the original agreement, the guild would provide the workforce needed for the general operation of The Roadhouse," Dilapia said. "Their wages would be paid out of guild funds, of course."

"Wait," Angela held her hand up. "You're saying you'd provide staff to help run everything?"

"Yes," Dilapia nodded.

"Cooking, cleaning, groundskeeping, everything?" Angela asked.

"It was part of the contract," Dilapia said. Then Dilapia said the one thing that sealed the deal. "And you'd be in charge, naturally."

***

I'd thought The Roadhouse had been busy during our rebuild with two dozen workmen around for months. I was sorely mistaken.

The guild had somehow brought several hundred people with them on that airship. I guess when you can create magic spaces, floorspace is the least of your troubles.

A dozen magic users, each wearing a different color and design of clothing, were currently trying to wake Miranda. Someone had to explain that to me, as it looked like a bunch of people were just standing around, staring at a blank wall.

The kitchen now had a whole staff. Cooks, servers, bartenders, you name it. Sinjin made a show of inspecting what they were doing, but I knew he didn't know what he was doing. He'd only been in charge of cooking because we'd had nobody else before.

We now had a housekeeping staff, complete with a head of house who ran everything. She reported directly to Angela and coordinated everything exactly how Angela wanted it. I'd never seen Angela happier. She was back in her upper management element.

In addition, we had a grounds crew who began to tend to the courtyard and areas surrounding The Roadhouse. They also spruced up the buildings themselves. The place had never looked so good.

Even Larisa found herself with not one, but two new apprentices. The guild had brought a blacksmith, but after speaking with Larisa, the blacksmith had passed his apprentices off to her.

I wasn't sure if Larisa would be able to handle it, but I knew it would be fun to watch.

Patty made a huge impression on the healers the guild had brought and was soon giving classes on her modern medical practices. At the same time, the guild healers were teaching her the alchemy of potion making.

The only one who didn't accept help was Carfen. None of the clergy from the guild were followers of the gray benefactor of the protectorate moons. He was civil, but very firm that it was his chapel, as deemed by Cr'eon. No one seemed interested in converting, so they let him be.

We even had an entire stable crew now. So, there'd be no more sneaking in there for a quickie anymore because there was always someone around! But, Tom (our catbeast) was getting more attention now, so that was good.

Minor annoyances aside, I liked the new company. And not just because it meant I didn't have to clean the guest rooms anymore. But that was a big plus.

There were so many new faces...and so many hotties! It seemed the majority of The Adventurer's Guild was made of strapping young men, women, and whatever some of the creatures were. They all seemed to be fit, and I found myself constantly drooling over someone new I saw.

Remmi had given up on smacking me every time I made googly eyes at a potential bed plaything. She's joined in, making googly eyes of her own on occasion. It was kind of fun comparing notes with her. It was the closest thing to gossiping that I'd done since high school.

In particular, there was a bartender who'd caught my eye in a bad way.

Kurden was a hybrid ice elemental. Apparently, his dad was a half-elf who'd somehow managed to hook up with an ice elemental, who ended up being Kurden's mom. I couldn't imagine how they'd managed to have sex, let alone a child together. But Kurden was as much fun to drool over as he was to talk to.

Kurden was just shy of six feet and built like an ice house. His hair was short and a frosted blue, as were his eyebrows and tight chin-line beard. His eyes were blueish, but so light that they were almost white, like an albino's. They were initially creepy to look at. But, over time, I'd come to find them quite sexy.

It didn't hurt that Kurden was a flirt and a smooth talker. Damn near every word from his mouth was some sort of double entendre. I somehow always found my way over to a barstool anytime he was working, and I was rarely the only one. Kurden had quite the fan club.

Remmi gave up on me after the first day. She knew how my infatuations worked and told me she'd wait until after I'd gotten Kurden out of my system to try and talk some sense into me.

But that had been over a week ago, and I still hadn't been able to talk Kurden into coming home with me. I was starting to get frustrated, which tickled Remmi to no end. But even after taking my frustrations out on Remmi nightly, which she enjoyed playing off of, by the way, I only wanted him more the next day.

"What's wrong with me, Kurden?" I asked as I ran my finger around the sweat ring on the bar from my glass. One of the bonuses of having an ice elemental for a barkeep was that he could chill your drink for you with a touch.

"Uh-oh," Kurden said as he flipped the bar towel over his shoulder and leaned against the bar across from me. "Whatcha got eating you, luv?"

It was late, and there were only a handful of people in the main room. Surprisingly, no one else was at the bar but Kurden and me.