[Chapter One](https://www.reddit.com/r/eroticliterature/comments/jqtfxo/vinitus_chapter_one/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf)
“So, literally everybody? The nobles, the ordinary folk…. even the witches?”
Cale and Piadrian walked side by side up the wide, curving, main passageway. It was slow going with Piadrian holding onto Cale’s upper arm for support; he carried a cane in his other hand that looked like a smaller version of the staves the witches outside carried. He never put his weight on the cane, and took care not to let it knock against anything.
“If they ask you to.” Piadrian nodded. “We are servants here, Cale. It would be foolish of you to think this grants you any authority over Vinitus’ citizens.”
“So, I’m a slave then?” Cale wasn’t sure how he felt about that. He’d enslaved people before. Warriors, artisans, healers; even a particularly witty priest. Short of the priest—who’d he’d taken great pleasure in tempting with the kind of debauchery only the heir to Arnax could provide—he wouldn’t wish for any of their lives. Most were dead now.
“A servant is not a slave.” Piadrian’s grip on Cale’s arm tightened beyond what Cale thought the old man capable of. “You’re in this city to serve two purposes, but just as those purposes do not give you power over anybody else, nor do they give anybody else power over you.”
*Two?*
The winding path became a level floor with another inclined passageway at the end of the chamber. Two doors stood parallel on either side of the chamber. A silver ring, encrusted with a motley arrangement of jewels was affixed to the front of the right side door and an iron, warded lock joined it to the frame. *They decorate the knocker and skimp on the lock. Idiots.*
The door wasn’t even locked; Piadrian slid open the latch and pressed his weight against the door; to his surprise, it didn’t budge. Cale pushed against the door and found it to be much heavier than it looked. He had to plant his feet firmly and press his shoulder against the door to force it open. Cale followed Piadrian through he door and found what seemed to be half bedroom and half library before him. An enormous bed—easily big enough for a dozen people—was pressed against the far wall and a smaller cot had been set up next to it. Rows upon rows of bookshelves created aisles that filled the rest of the room. Each aisle had a bench and step stool.
Piadrian moved to close the door then paused as if only now realising that it was too heavy. “I hate to ask, but…”
Cale closed the door, once again straining to do so. Though beautiful, doors this heavy weren’t made for artistic purposes. *Does it keep others out, or Piadrian in?*
Piadrian took a seat on the nearest bench and tapped on the spot beside him. Cale sat down.
“I was a soldier, once.” Piadrian said. “Never so highly ranked as yourself, of course. Battalionlord at the height of my career, honorary shit bucket by the time the magi came for me.”
“The witches said they took you over a hundred years ago.” Cale said. Silence hung in the air between them. “How old are you?”
Piadrian smiled. “I’ll be celebrating my one hundred and fifty-third in two months, assuming I’m still around.”
One hundred and fifty-three. Humans didn’t live that long. Could he be some sort of male witch? *No. A witch that age was still a child.* Cane eyed Piadrian’s cloudy eyes and inhumanly loose skin. *He’s no child.*
“How?” Cale said.
Piadrian grinned. “I’m a fighter.” He inhaled sharply and his knuckles whitened around his cane. Cale leaned forward and caught the weapon a half-foot into its slow arc toward him.
“It was me who chose you, Cale. The Triune will speak to you of destiny. They’ll speak of your divine cock, and your holy seed. I need you to know that it’s all a load of shit. Any man can squirt a baby into a mate.” He looked down to the cane in both of their hands. “This is why you were chosen. You’re a fighter too; more than a fighter; a tactician.”
Cale snatched the cane from his hand.
“There isn’t a Vinit alive who has seen war firsthand.” Piadrian said. “The magi are powerful, but ignorant; most of them anyway. The other fiefdoms don’t know it, but they’d crush us in a year if they stopped fighting one another and focused on us.”
Cale snorted. “The fiefdoms will never unite as one.”
Piadrian nodded. His face was a mix of terror and determination. “You may be right, but they aren’t the worst of my fears. Something is stirring. I can hear it in the wind, see it in the moon’s glow, feel it in the sun’s warmth. A flicker.”
Cale frowned. “I thought I was here to be a servant.”
“A servant of Vinitus’ citizenry.” Piadrian stood and straightened his robes. “And commander of its armies.”
Cale couldn’t tell if he was joking, but he burst out laughing all the same. “You’re insane.” He waved a hand before the old man’s wispy eyes. “You want me to form an army of witches? What’s to stop me leading them out of this city and conquering all of Izar?”
Piadrian’s face fell. “I wish you wouldn’t call them that.”
“What?”
“Witches.” Piadrian said. “They aren’t the monsters most of the world believes them to be.” He paused. “They aren’t the gods they believe themselves to be either.”
Cale stood before Piadrian.
“You will do this.” Piadrian said. “You’ll do it because it’s what you love. I know you aren’t supposed to say that aloud, given how many lives are lost as a result, but there’s a thrill in planning a strategy, outsmarting an enemy, winning a battle.” Piadrian smiled, there was a twinkle in his eye. “Imagine how much fun it could be with magic involved.”
That was all Cale needed to hear. “When do I get started?”
“Starting tomorrow morning you’ll attend classes with the children; there you’ll study each of the fundamentals of magic. In the afternoons you’ll be assisting various magi with whatever tasks they require of you. I believe some intend to seduce you, so do with that as you wish. You’ll recruit soldiers during these afternoons, but only those I know can be trusted to keep quiet.” Piadrian grasped his sleeve. “Oh, Cale…”
“Yes?”
“Try not to let word of this reach The Triune. They don’t fear the flicker as I do, and haven’t exactly given us permission for any of this.”
*Of course there’s a catch.* “What if they want to speak with me?” Cale scratched his beard. “They’ll probably read my mind, won’t they?”
Piadrian smiled at him with one brow raised. “Magi can’t read minds, lad.”
*Oh, no?* Ellie’s voice sounded in his head.
The heavy door swung open and Harriet stood in the doorway, gripping the latch with one hand as if the weight were nothing. She took a knee before Piadrian and looked up at him. “Apologies, sir. I don’t wish to interrupt but it’s nearing dusk and his-“ she glanced at Cale then back to to Piadrian “-services have been requested, tonight.”
“Ah.” Piadrian held out a hand and Harriet took it as she stood. “Which of our noble ladies won the draw for first right?”
“Lady Ashforth, the elder.” Harriet said.
Piadrian’s brow raised so high on his head Cale thought it might break free and scurry along his scalp. “I thought she was, you know… Huh. Perhaps it was just me she didn’t like.”
***
So how does this work exactly?” Cale asked Harriet.
“Isla, care to explain?” Harriet said.
Harriet and her two assistants—Isla and Sybil—escorted Cale through the darkening streets of Vinitus’ inner district. The sun wasn’t yet set, but these streets were never busy.
“Well first your dick needs to get hard.” Isla said. “That probably won’t be easy with Ashforth.”
Sybil stifled a giggle.
“Then you just, you know, put it in and move about a lot till it goes off.”
Cale rolled his eyes. “What I mean is-“
“It’ll happen differently with each noble lady.” Harriet interrupted. “Some will want to talk first, others will get straight to it. Some will want to dominate you, others will want you to dominate them. Some want it rough, others gentle.”
Cale quite liked the sound of that. He’d never been a creature of habit. He liked change. “What about La-“
“Lady Ashforth is a no-nonsense woman.” Harriet stopped walking. “To be honest, I think we’re all a little surprised that she’s requested you. Not once in his hundred years has she requested Piadrian. She uhh, has a wife and several paramours.”
“Oh.” He said, suddenly feeling anxious.
Cale had known one of *those women* before. She’d been a soldier in his army. A scrappy youth that had hidden her gender beneath a breastplate and incredible sword-skill. Cale had looked for her body after his last battle but couldn’t find it. There were simply too many corpses to check. He knew she hadn’t fled though. She wouldn’t have. Her remains would be fertilising the earth by now, with the rest of the heroes.
*Why is it heroic to die?* Ellie asked.
Piadrian had told him witches couldn’t read minds, but he still eyed the three around him to see if they reacted to Ellie’s voice; they didn’t. *You wouldn’t understand, Ellie.*
*Explain it to me.*
*I’m a little busy right now.*
She didn’t reply.
“Cale?” Harriet said with a hint of concern in her voice.
Cale snapped back to awareness. He was standing at a tall, narrow, white iron gate behind which a half-dozen women clad in steel—clutching pollaxes—stood guard. Harriet was frowning at him as the gate opened inwards.
Cale entered the keep grounds, followed by Harriet and the others. “You’re coming in with me?” He asked.
“We’re going to watch.” Harriet said. “The Triune signs a contract with, and collects a fee from each woman that makes use of your services. Our sorority is responsible for ensuring that the fee is paid and all terms of the contract are met.”
They walked through the lush gardens. Grass carpeted the ground and all around them shrubs were trimmed to resemble various animals. A gaggle of volgeese ringed a leafy volcano, a sabre-tooth crab danced with a spotted snail, and in the corner prowled a deadly stalkat. They reached the large, open doors of Keep Ashforth and were waved inside by another group of guards.
They were met at the door by a young woman with spectacles so thick her eyes were magnified to the point of being positively insect-like. They darted back and forth between Cale and the thin wooden board upon which she held several sheets of parchment.
“Sign your names.” She held the wooden board out to Cale. “*Beside* where I’ve marked your time of arrival, not below.”
Harriet, Isla and Sybil all frowned at her. Cale shrugged and signed his name, then handed the board to Harriet who reluctantly did the same.
“Follow me.” The bug-eyed woman said.
***
Lady Ashforth’s bedchamber was twice as large as Piadrian’s, and far less cluttered. The room contained nothing more than a bed, a chest of drawers, and an empty weapons rack. Likely it had been cleared before his arrival. Something else this room lacked was Lady Ashforth. Her steward—who’d introduced herself as Lindy—stood by the door. Cale sat on the side edge of the bed with the witches standing before him.
“She’ll be here any moment, I’m sure.” Lindy said from beside the door.
Near an hour later the door slammed open and a woman who looked to be in her mid-sixties entered. She turned to Lindy before acknowledging Cale or the others. “The room, please.”
Lindy bowed and started towards the door.
“Not you.” Lady Ashforth spoke softly to her, then turned to Harriet.
Harriet narrowed her eyes. “We are required to ensure the-“
“I don’t like strangers watching me.” Lady Ashforth said. “You’ll wait outside or you’ll leave and refund the gold I’ve paid.”
Harriet seemed taken aback. She wasn’t used to being interrupted. She was the one who did the interrupting. She turned to Cale and leaned in close. “I’ll be right outside that door.” She whispered. “If you get into trouble, call out and I’ll bust in here and snap her wrinkly neck.”
Cale nodded. He didn’t know what to make of that. A witch… protecting him?
Harriet, Isla and Sybil left the room. Cale smirked when he heard the clack of the lock. He’d seen Harriet’s strength, felt it. It didn’t matter what that lock was made of. She’d rip the door off its hinges if she needed to get in.
Lady Ashforth turned from away from him as she moved to sit in the padded seat beside the bed.
*What did Harriet say about Ashforth again? No-nonsense. Fuck, what does that mean?* Cale reached for his belt and unbuckled it, then pulled his pants to his ankles and stepped out of them.
Lady Ashforth turned to sit, eyed his cock, then nodded. “Not bad.” She said. “Wasted on me, of course. No doubt you already know my… preferences.”
Cale cocked his head. “So, you don’t want to…?”
Lady Ashforth snapped her fingers at Lindy, then gestured toward Cale. Lindy walked quickly across the room and knelt down before him. She took his flaccid cock in her hand and lifted it up to angle toward her face. Cale felt blood rushing southward. He grew in her hand and was halfway to a full erection when her lips wrapped around the head. Cale groaned as Lindy’s lips moved down the length of his shaft, slowly taking him all in. Her tongue glided along his cock as her huge eyes studied his face, evaluating, judging where he was most sensitive. Lady Ashforth watched her steward. Her hands kept brushing her crotch, but she didn’t let them linger.
“I know the old man is up to something,” she said. “The Triune have never brought a new servant in while the current one still lives. Even if he is too old to breed us, it’s downright disrespectful.”
Lindy drew her head back and let Cale’s cock fall from her mouth. He was fully erect now. She planted her tongue at his base, then gave it one long lick, around and around his shaft in a pattern that reminded him of The Helix.
“Each servant chooses their replacement,” Lady Ashforth said. “and Piadrian is the smartest person in this city. He has a reason for choosing you. What is it?”
Cale barely understood what she was asking. Lindy might not have whatever power it was that made Ellie’s hand feel the way it did, but her studiousness more than made up for it. She was able to intuit exactly what response in him each movement of her tongue would elicit. She was able to bring him to the edge, then ease him back down only to bring him to the edge again.
“I don’t know.” Cale said, feeling Lindy’s suction lessen, allowing his orgasm to escape.
“You do.” Ashforth said in a commanding tone, her arms relaxing on the armrests. “Now that you’re here, The Triune have no need of him. He would tell you his plans right away just in case they planned to… dispose of him.”
Cale grunted. He needed to cum. He held the back of Lindy’s head and fucked her throat; his cock went in easily enough, but it wasn’t the same. She didn’t resist him, but nor did she participate.
*Even the non-magical women of this fiefdom have skills that outsiders do not.* Piadrian’s words echoed in his mind.
“There’s a war coming…” Cale gasped as Lindy’s tongue resumed its calculated movements. *Don’t give everything away.* “with the other fiefdoms.”
Lady Ashforth leaned forward. “Go on.”
“They have been holding talks amongst themselves. Talks of unity.” Cale’s toes curled as he watched Lindy’s cheeks hollow.
“And he wants you to do what about this, exactly?” Ashforth reached out to Lindy and brushed a stray lock of hair back behind her ear.
“I am- was, the heir to Arnax.” Cale’s thighs tensed. He was so close. “My father is spearheading the call for unity. Piadrian thought he might be less likely to besiege a city that his son called home. I think he also hopes that I’ll talk my father out of attacking when the time comes.”
Lady Ashcroft sat back in her chair. She seemed disappointed, but not suspicious. She nodded to Lindy who proceeded to grab his legs and bury his cock in her throat. As she drew back, her tongue spiralled over each and every sensitive spot she’d identified. She continued this pattern until Cale groaned loudly, loosing his seed down Lindy’s throat. They were both breathing heavily when Lindy finally released his cock from her mouth. She wiped semen and saliva from her lips with the back of her hand, then stood up and resumed her place standing by the door. Lady Ashforth stood, so after pulling up and buckling his pants, Cale did the same.
“You’ll be hearing from me.” Lady Ashforth said, gesturing toward the door. “Oh, and if you would be so kind, don’t-“
“Tell anyone what we talked about.” Cale interrupted. “Why is that how every conversation with you people ends?”
Source: reddit.com/r/eroticliterature/comments/jtee35/vinitus_chapter_two
Okay, I’m hooked. How long till the next episode??