Beyond Worlds: Mis-taken Hero - 06

"Beri! Titus! Breakfast is ready!" Adaya called down the hall.

"Be right there!" the dog girl yelled back as she sat down hard on Titus's cock and rotated her hips like a belly dancer.

When clothes started coming off last night, the women immediately made it clear that Beri hoped to get pregnant and asked that he only climax inside the dog-girl.

Unsurprisingly, Beri preferred being taken from behind. What was surprising was how easily the dog-girl climaxed in that position. He even whispered a question to Adaya, wondering if Beri was faking her orgasms for his sake. The human assured him she was always quick to come when taken from behind like this. After Titus filled Beri's pussy, the dog-girl rolled into her back and held her legs up in the air. He vaguely remembered that some women did the same thing back on Earth, hoping to increase their chances of getting pregnant.

As Beri lay there, Adaya sucked him into her mouth, cleaning him with her tongue before nursing his cock until he began to harden again. Throughout most of the night, Adaya acted more as a helper than a participant. But later, when Titus started to tire, they had him lay on his back as Beri straddled his hips and sank down on his cock. Not wanting Adaya to be left entirely out, he called her over as Beri began riding him and lifted the more petite woman up, maneuvering her around before placing her sex squarely over his mouth. As he began taking long licks of her pussy, her taste triggered a pang of guilt that he wasn't doing this with Alise before remembering that she specifically told him to sleep with other women on this trip.

Since it became clear that he was about to have sex with Beri and Adaya, he had fended off similar thoughts more than a dozen times.

With his guilt assuaged for the time being, Titus attacked Adaya's sex with gusto, spearing his tongue between her folds and then dragging her slick fluids up to her clit before teasing it for a few seconds. Even after he pumped his last load of the night into Beri's already overflowing sex, Titus kept licking until Adaya grabbed his hair and shoved her pussy against his mouth while moaning through her climax.

It was the only time the Adaya got off last night. As Beri coaxed yet another load from him that morning, Titus wanted to make sure that tonight, the human girl had just as much fun as her dog-girl lover.

When Titus stopped pumping his seed into her, Beri rolled onto her back with her hips tilted up and legs in the air. "You go ahead. I'll be down in a few minutes," she said before noticing the state of his cock covered with his and her juices and opening her mouth in invitation. Titus accepted the offered cleaning but didn't let her lick long enough to start getting hard again.

Downstairs, Adaya had laid out plates with two bratwurst-sized sausages, some rolls, and two eggs. A larger wooden plate in the middle of the table held an assortment of sliced cheeses and jams in small jars.

"Beri?" Adaya asked when Titus arrived alone.

"In her pregnancy position."

"I see," Adaya sighed, "I must admit watching you two last night is making me look forward to a couple of years from now when it's my turn."

"Why didn't you join in more?" he asked, sitting in the chair she offered.

"Because Beri would be heartbroken if I got pregnant before she did. Since I work and she stays home, she thinks of herself as the 'wife' in our relationship."

"I think something similar happens in many relationships between two women back in my world. What work do you do?"

"I work for the post, delivering messages back and forth between people or businesses. I'm quick on my feet and light enough that I can cast a quick spell to walk on snow instead of wearing snowshoes."

"You can use magic?"

"Most humans can use one or two spells, but we aren't all mages like you. Our tailor uses a spell to thread needles or work a shuttle back and forth on a loom," said Adaya. "A few farmers know spells to keep their produce fresh longer. I make myself lighter to help me do my job better."

"I rather enjoyed how light you were last night," said Titus. "Beri and Alise don't weigh much more than you, but I still can't toss them around the same way."

Adaya blushed. "It was fun being manhandled like that. Beri gets a little overbearing after I've had a hard day at work. It helps me cool down and de-stress, but she can't throw me around like you did. I wouldn't mind coming home to that kind of treatment more often.

"After a bad day at work, you want a man to throw you on the floor and fuck your stress away?"

"Sounds good to me."

"I'll see what I can do if I'm back before you get home."

"I'd like that, but Beri will probably go visit Haim for the medicine to induce heat, so you should focus on her," said Adaya, a hint of disappointment seeping into her voice.

"Beri can't have all the fun, and Saili specifically tasked me with spreading my seed."

"The Goddess did?" Adaya asked, her expression skeptical.

"I'm not sure if I should be telling you this, but Saili puts something in the Heroes' bodies that keeps humans and beastmen from turning into demons. The change takes generations," he said quickly as Adaya's eyes widened. "But Saili's protection needs to be refreshed after a time, and that duty usually falls upon the Hero. I may not be the Hero, but I have his body, and, as thanks to Saili for saving my life, I want to help her spread her protection.

"Now that I've said all that, I really think I shouldn't have."

"Don't worry about it," said Adaya as Beri bounded down the stairs in a nightgown and plopped her butt in the chair with the untouched plate of food. "Everyone understands that the Hero has the Goddess's blessing and that she imparts that blessing on those the Hero or their kin are intimate with. I did not know the part about humans turning into demons."

"What was that?" asked Beri, pausing with a piece of sausage halfway to her mouth.

Titus repeated what he told Adaya moments ago.

"Judging by your reactions, I don't think we should mention the part about humans and beastmen turning into demons," Titus reiterated. "I ask that you keep that part to yourselves. The more people who know about it, the more likely it will get twisted into something that could cause panic."

"And if people panicked, you might end up chained to a wall and drugged to stay hard while the entire town had their way with you," said Adaya.

Titus shivered. "That's a sobering thought."

"Titus," asked Beri.

"Yes?"

"Would you make love to Adaya before she goes to work?" she asked, hurriedly saying, "I know that you said it takes generations, but I want her to have the Goddess's protection right now."

"But what if I get pregnant? We were going to wait in between our attempts to have children."

"If it happens, it happens, we'll make do. I love you, and I want you protected."

Titus's eyes lost focus as he received the knowledge that the nanotech in his body could turn off his fertility at will, but doing so wasn't recommended.

"Titus?" Beri asked as he blinked rapidly after the moment passed.

"Saili provides," he said, standing up and stepping over next to Adaya. "Lift up your shirt."

"What?" the woman asked.

"I have a solution."

"To what?" she asked again, even though her hands reached for the bottom of her shirt and pulled it up.

"You have wonderful breasts he said, running his thumb over her nipple before dragging his fingers down to her belly. Titus pushed some mana into his finger and drew a rune over her abdomen. The rune brightened for a moment before fading. "You won't need to worry about getting pregnant for the next few days."

"Oh... well, that's handy, isn't it?"

Beri jumped up and began clearing the table in front of Adaya.

"Beri? What are you doing?" she asked.

"Making you late for work," the dog-girl answered before bending her lover over the cleared table and yanking her pants down.

"Beri?!" Adaya screeched but wasn't putting up much of a fight as the dog girl knelt beside her and reached around to pull her ass cheeks apart. Adaya's rosebud and sex tightened and relaxed as he looked on, either in anticipation or in an attempt to hide from his gaze. Given how wet she appeared to be, Titus went with the first option.

"I had so much fun last night," said Beri, "but I never got to see you drive her wild with your cock. Fuck her, Titus."

Adaya was looking over her shoulder at him, and he waited until she gave him a slight nod of approval before undoing his pants.

"Make it quick, or I will be late for work," she said before looking away.

"No promises," said Titus as he lined his cock up and slowly slid into the woman. "It's our first time together, and I intend for us both to enjoy it." He saw Adaya's mouth working, but no sound came out except a long moan as he filled her.

"I'll help," said Beri. The dog girl slipped under the table, and a few seconds later, he felt her long, soft tongue dragging across Adaya's clit as well as the underside of his cock.

Adaya was tight. So tight that he never built up much speed for fear of hurting her despite the wetness of her pussy. But the stimulation was intense and helped along by the feel of Beri's tongue on his prick and balls.

"Focus on her," said Titus through gritted teeth, "I'm not going to last long."

"Hear that, love? Your flower is so good he can't help himself," said Beri before attacking the woman's clit.

Adaya shivered while letting out little squeaking moans each time he bottomed out inside her pussy. The squeaks grew louder and louder until she bit the sleeve of her shirt to quiet them. After only a few minutes of Titus and Beri's dual onslaught, Adaya's body tightened up and shook as she moaned out her climax. Surprisingly, she didn't get much tighter the way Beri or Alise did when they came. He understood why a few seconds later, when her climax released her, and the woman's grip on his cock relaxed.

Beri stopped licking her lover and instead focused on Titus's cock and balls as he sped up his strokes to a more regular rhythm. After the earlier tightness of Adaya's sex, it took less than a minute before he pressed himself against her ass and painted the inside of her pussy with cum.

"Beri, sweetheart, one more while he's still inside me, please," begged Adaya

The dog resumed licking her lover's clit while Titus continued pressing himself against the woman's ass to keep from slipping out as he softened. A little over a minute later, Adaya bit her sleeve again as her pussy clamped down on Titus's cock. He hadn't gone completely soft, mostly because of Beri's tongue on the base of his prick and the way Adaya gripped him as the dog-girl licked her. Titus rocked into the woman's rear as she rode out her orgasm, trying to make it feel even a little better for Adaya.

"It's been so long since I've been with a man. I wish I could do this all day," she moaned as her climax finally abated.

Titus finally pulled out only to have his cock replaced by Beri's tongue catching what Adaya couldn't keep inside. A few seconds later, she turned around and began cleaning his cock of his and her lover's fluids, which soon made him start to harden again. Despite the pleasure of the dog-girl's mouth, Titus felt like he'd had enough for now and gently pushed her away, saying, "Save some for later."

Adaya used a clean napkin from the table to dry her sex before pulling her pants back up. Now I'm going to have to run through this snow," she said while frantically throwing on her winter clothes. "Love you," she said before giving Beri a passionate kiss with lots of tongue. Maybe human women in this world liked the taste of cum more than back on Earth? She stepped over to Titus, gave him a peck on the cheek, and said, "I'm looking forward to tonight," before rushing out the door.

Beri pouted as Titus tucked his cock back into his pants before returning to her place at the table and continuing her meal.

"What's your plan for today?" she asked.

"Pick up the supplies Alise and I will need for the rest of the winter. I'll probably talk to Haim for a bit since he's the only person I know besides you two in town. I may visit the adventurer's guild again. I should get to know them better since I will be setting out on my own in the spring. I'm also curious if I leveled up since the last time I visited."

"Then let me get dressed and come with you," said Berri. "I have business with the apothecary as well."

---

"Helloo!" Titus called out as he opened the door to Haim's shop, then waved Berri inside before following her.

"Titus! I'll be with you in just a minute," said the herbalist, then turned back to the customer he had been helping and held out a small ceramic jar sealed with wax. "Twice a day, clean your rash with soap and water. Pat it dry, don't wipe it, or you will irritate it more, then apply the salve. If the rash is as bad as you say, the salve will probably sting at first, but that should go away within a few days, and the rash should be completely gone within a tenday."

"Thank you, young man," said the older lady across the counter as the jar disappeared beneath her layers of clothing.

Titus opened and held the door for the old woman before approaching the counter. "Not even a thank you," he grumbled.

"Why did you do that?" asked Beri.

"Holding the door open for the ladies and old folk was being courteous back on Earth. Is it not here?"

"Maybe among the nobles in a big city, but not for us country folk."

"Especially in winter," said Haim as he turned around and placed a couple of logs into the fireplace behind him. Titus noted that he could see the room beyond through the crackling fire. "You let all my warm air out."

"Sorry, I was just trying to be nice. I had a good morning and wanted to share it with someone."

Haim gave him a skeptical look before turning to Beri. "How can I help you, miss?"

"I would like a potion to put me into heat," she replied, blushing and casting embarrassed glances toward Titus.

"No wonder your morning was so good," said the herbalist while fetching a vial of green liquid from the many shelves lining the walls behind the counter, then pulled some dried leaves from a drawer. Haim set the vial down, then dropped the leaves in a large mortar and pestle on the counter. After crushing them into a fine powder, he poured the vial's contents into the mortar until it became a dark green slurry. Then, he carefully transferred the slurry back into the vial. "Elixir of Lady's Heart leaf. That will be two silvers. And have something to chase it... with..." Haim and Titus watched with amazement as Beris slammed two silver pieces onto the counter, grabbed the vial, ripped out the stopper, and upended the bottle into her mouth.

Her eyes widened, and she slapped her hand over her mouth as her stomach immediately began heaving, but she refused to let her precious potion escape her lips.

"You're an idiot," Haim calmly muttered, pulling a wineskin and cup out from beneath the counter. Titus saw from the burgundy color that it was indeed wine as the apothecary poured some into the cup and handed it to Beri. "Calm yourself, then drink some of this. Swish it around in your mouth, then swallow. Repeat until the taste is gone."

Beri reached out and took the cup with one hand while the other remained over her mouth. After a few seconds of breathing deeply through her nose, she moved her hand and took a quick swig of the wine. After repeating Haim's instructions three times, she drained the last of the cup's contents and exclaimed, "That was awful!"

"Had you listened to my instructions fully, I could have warned you that it tasted horrible and that wine or spirits were the best at washing away the flavor. I understand your excitement, especially if this is your first, but that's no excuse for being dumb."

Haim's voice softened. "Now, this won't be like your normal heat. It will be a lot milder. However, if you have your heart set on a particular man to be the father," Haim glared at Titus, "you should probably stay home and avoid any other men. Now shoo, you'll start giving off a mating scent soon, and I don't want you starting an orgy in my shop."

"Yes, sir," said Beri. She got up on her tiptoes and gave Titus a peck on the cheek. "I'm looking forward to you coming home tonight," she said before heading toward the door.

"Hey, Miss?" Haim called

Beri turned, "Yes."

"Like with your normal heats, it will end the moment his seed takes. If the elixir doesn't take effect, that means you are already pregnant."

"Then I'm hoping it never takes effect," she said before leaving with her tail wagging so fast Titus thought she could use it like a propeller for a speed boost.

"So she's going to be the mother of your first?" asked Haim. His tone was less than friendly.

Titus nodded. "I wish it were Alise, but she wants to wait until after I've done my exploring and I'm ready to settle down. I get it. She wants a life with us and our children. Beri and Adaya just want a child and seem to have taken a liking to me. By the way, what was the reason for that last thing you said to her?"

"I tell that to the women who buy it because I don't want to be called a fraud if they never feel its effects. If you two have already slept together, there is a chance she may never go into heat, or her heat may only last a few hours due to previous activities. So, how are you feeling about your bed companions?"

"I'm more comfortable with it. But I think that's because I still feel the same about Alise today. I enjoy Beri and Adaya's company, but they aren't looking to add me to their family. More importantly, I'm not looking to become a part of theirs. We'll have some fun, get to know each other, and maybe conceive a kid, but in a few days, I'll go back to the woman I love, and they'll return to their lives. Most importantly, I'm okay with all that."

Haim sighed. "When you showed up last night, I thought you were running out on Alise. I guess I was wrong, but, as you put it, I'm okay with being wrong about you. What is your plan for the rest of the day?"

"Pick up our supplies, check out the adventurer's guild. I'm not sure beyond that. Maybe find a small job to make a little money."

"What about using your Hero's blood to make some money?"

"How so?"

"You could sell your dick. Those who lay with the Hero or his kin are granted Saili's blessing. You may not be the Hero, but you are essentially the Hero's kin. You could make some money and have some fun in the process."

"First, you're upset because I might be cheating on Alise. Now you are suggesting I should prostitute myself?"

"Cheating is in the heart, and you made it clear where your heart is. So yes, I suggest you mess around a little and make some money doing it. Isn't that a part of why Alise sent you here alone?"

"Well... yes. But not to make money doing it."

"Then don't worry about the coin. Just go fuck around and have a little fun. The adventurers you mess around with won't mind once they know you have a Hero's blood."

"I'll think about it, but I have supplies to pick up right now."

"Have fun. Drop by and see me later."

"What for?"

"To say hi? Chat? Tell me how your day went?"

"Oh... yeah. I guess I could do that. See you later, Haim."

Haim shook his head as Titus walked out the door. "You'd think the man never had a friend in his first life."

---

Shopping went quickly since there wasn't much he and Alise needed. Titus stopped at Beri and Adaya's and dropped off his purchases before visiting the adventurer's guild. The scent inside the house when he opened the door made him hard almost instantly, even though Beri was nowhere to be seen. There was little doubt that Haim's elixir had worked as he set the supplies inside the door and hastily retreated before the dog-girl noticed his presence.

It was still well before noon when Titus found himself in front of the adventurer's guild. Haim's idea had been running through the back of his head most of the morning in a constant battle with his past self-image. It amazed him that even though Alise loved him, Beri and Adaya thought he was handsome enough to stalk him on his first visit to Lylean, the one female adventurer threw herself at him, and even Haim made his interest clear, when left alone with his thoughts for a little while all of the doubt and worries of rejection Titus knew in his previous life came crashing back in.

Titus stepped into the Adventurer's guild and quickly closed the door behind him to keep the cold air out. The large hearth in the middle of the room popped and crackled as it kept the building warm. To one side of the hearth was the large common room and dining area filled with tables and either benches or chairs, as well as the stairs leading to rentable rooms on the second floor. On the other side of the hearth was the counter where people posted and adventurers turned in quests. Beside it on the wall hung a large posting board for quests. The guildmaster and his staff worked in the area behind the posting board while the space immediately behind the counter held the guild's kitchen.

"Li, was it?" he asked as he approached the counter.

"Well, hello there, handsome. I was wondering if you were ever going to darken our door again," she replied with a flirty smile. "Come to check your ranking?"

"Yes..." Titus breathed deeply and steeled himself for the ridicule he was about to receive, "and I'm looking to make a little coin."

"There aren't many quests right now--"

"Not doing a quest," he said quickly, then took another deep breath. "I was put into the Hero's body when I came to Calar. I understand that those intimate with the hero become significantly more powerful afterward."

Li's eyes lit up. "And you want to sell a chance at that power?"

Titus nodded.

"Let me talk to the guildmaster first, and we'll see what we can do," she said, nearly bouncing with excitement.

"Well, she didn't laugh at the idea," he muttered to himself once the girl disappeared through a curtain made of canvas with the guild's insignia painted on it.

A few minutes later, she came out of the office, looking slightly more subdued but still smiling. "The guildmaster said she would allow it, but with some stipulations. First, we get a percentage of the money that changes hands. Second, you cannot strike a deal and take your customer elsewhere to avoid giving the guild its cut. Third, you must rent a room for the day before looking for customers."

"Customers," said Titus, feeling the word out. There was such a stigma back on Earth about prostitution that part of him couldn't believe he was even contemplating this. His thoughts went to his brief interlude with Brandy shortly before being sent to Calar. Brandy was a street whore, dragged to the bottom and held there by drugs and circumstances until she didn't know or even consider any other kind of life. His situation was vastly different. He wasn't sating people's lusts to feed himself the next day the way Brandy did. He was offering a service with long-term benefits for coins he didn't need. It just so happened that the delivery of said service was very pleasurable.

Okay, how much is your percentage?"

"Three silver per customer. Oh, and the guild determines the price of your services, so you don't undercut yourself.

'Three silver isn't a percentage,' was Titus's immediate thought. "One silver or the room is free. Also, are there any other hidden stipulations I should know about?"

"The guildmaster wants your payment for the room first, so the guild gets its money even if you don't have any customers. The other staff and I will also promote your services, and you shouldn't expect us to do it for free. Two silver. The only other condition the guildmaster had was that if you proved to have the Hero's blood in you, then she and the rest of the guild's staff get a turn with you for free."

Titus looked Li over and smiled. "I don't mind that last part. But how much are you planning on charging?"

"A lot more than a common man-whore would get."

"Ugh... did you have to put it that way? Most of the prostitutes in my world were women and looked down on by everyone."

"Oh, no," said Li, looking very sorry after seeing the annoyed look on his face. Man-whores on Calar are highly respected since many women will never have a male mate in their lifetime. They allow those women to enjoy the fantasy, even if it's just for a night. I can't imagine a woman being a whore. They'd sit on their butts and be bored all day."

"Then why don't men just become man whores?"

"The drugs they take to keep up with their many clients steal their ability to have children. Most men who become man-whores are already sterile from other factors. The drugs also notably shorten their lives."

"Back on Earth, it's a running joke among the men that the best way to die would be balls-deep in a woman. These guys are living that dream, but that's a steep cost. Then again, on Earth, a man's virility is very much a part of their identity. It was rare, but I heard of men committing suicide because they found out they were sterile or had something called ED where they couldn't get hard or orgasm anymore."

"Ee-Dee?" said Li, sounding out the unfamiliar English letters. "That sounds like a horrible disease. Did it not affect women?"

"It was more of a disorder than a disease and specifically affected men. Women had their own problems, but ED wasn't one of them."

"This is fascinating. I would love to sit and talk with you about your world and your previous life sometime. But you had a purpose for coming here. First, let me see your pendant."

Titus handed over the amber pendant and placed it into a square tray lined with felt. She placed a finger on a small gem embedded into the side, and a few moments later, the felt began glowing. After a couple of seconds, the glow faded.

"Sorry, it looks like you haven't gained enough experience to progress to the next level yet," said Li, handing the amber pendant back to him.

"I'm hardly disappointed," he replied, dropping the pendant back into its pouch. "I don't feel like I've made any giant leaps in skill since my last visit."

"That's actually a relief for me. I see so many new adventurers work their tails off only to be disappointed when they don't level up," Li explained. "Let's see if anyone is interested in climbing in bed with you." She batted her eyelashes at him. "Besides me, that is."

"Keep it up, and I may haul you up to whatever room I end up in."

"That sounds like fun, but I can't afford you right now," she said, walking out from around the counter. "I'll wait until she has the proof she wants."

Titus gave her a puzzled look. "Can't afford--?"

"Your attention, please, everyone!" she called out to those in the dining area. Li took a moment to make sure all eyes were on her before continuing. "Beside me is Titus..." she paused and looked over at him, "What is your surname?"

"Langley."

"Titus Langley! The Goddess Saili mistakenly took him from his world instead of the Hero. Titus was given the Hero's body and sent to Calar while Saili continued her search. That means spending intimate time with him offers all the same benefits as being with the Hero. The question then is... how much is it worth to seize a portion of the Hero's power? For a single gold piece, you can boost your magic power or increase your prowess in battle. A beastman can sharpen their senses and make their abilities stronger. Indeed, a single gold is a small price for such power.

"Saili doesn't make mistakes," said a human woman dressed as a cleric.

"She didn't," Titus quickly replied, "My old body was dying, and I collapsed where the Hero should have been standing."

The cleric gazed at him for a long moment, looking for any signs of dishonesty before grunting her acceptance and looking away.

The guild's dining room remained quiet for a few seconds before a woman shouted. "Fuck off."

"Valta!" Li snapped, putting her hands on her hips. "You were throwing yourself at him the last time he was here! I expected you to be first in line!" Titus confirmed that the speaker was the same woman who bared her ass to him on his last visit and all but begged him to fuck her right there in front of Li.

"I did," Valta replied, unfazed by Li's anger. "But I was half-drunk too. Nobody's paying some stranger to fuck them when he hasn't proven himself for shit around here." Murmurs of agreement ran through the room, and within seconds, everyone had returned to their meals and cups of ale.

"Maybe your price is a little high?" Titus suggested. Even he felt like an entire gold piece to sleep with him was pretty steep when a couple of copper pieces could get you a hearty meal.

"Nope. Anything less would cheat you, and you should expect the price to increase as more people learn about you."

"Maybe so, but zero customers means zero chance to prove this is a Hero's body. What about giving the first woman to take me up on the offer a steep discount? And while we are on the subject, I'm not interested in sleeping with men, only women."

"If Haim were here, that might be an issue, but I don't think any men working out of our guild would be interested. But, once you prove you are Herokin, that may change."

"Herokin... I like that. I'm curious. Why do you believe me when I say I have a Hero's body?" asked Titus.

"Because I'm jealous of Alise and the woman who takes you up on this offer."

"I don't follow."

"In my line of work, I don't get attached to the adventurers. None of us do. There is almost always a chance they could be killed on a mission, and it only takes getting your heart broken that way a few times before you start looking elsewhere for lovers. Despite that, I felt an immediate attraction the first time I saw you, which made me think you might be special. My reaction also fits the stories of past Heroes. But what proves it to me more than anything is that despite my decision not to get involved with adventurers, I still want you to take me to your room for some fun."

"Pardon me," he said, adjusting the tent in the front of his pants caused by the receptionist's interest.

"Enough about us. We'll have our chance for some fun later." Li scanned the room until her eyes fell on a woman sitting alone toward the back of the room, wearing a strange combination of wizard and rogue's garb. "You should speak with her. Her name is Raithe, and she's a mage. Or at least she wants to be. Raithe is probably one of the most knowledgeable people in Lylean regarding magic. Unfortunately, she has almost no magical power and has developed a hefty set of rogue skills to compensate. Because of her dual disciplines, her rogue skills have fallen behind others of a similar level, and she's been having difficulty finding work. Sleeping with you should put some power behind her magic so she doesn't need to try being a rogue or thief as well.

"Lastly, I don't think you should bring up money. Give her a free ride and see how things turn out. If you aren't lying, this little bit of charity should pay for itself and more, once people see the results. Good luck and have fun," said Li before wandering back to her place behind the counter and leaving him standing in the dining room.

Li hadn't spoken in hushed tones, and murmurs of speculation spread throughout the nearby tables. Titus ignored them and walked over to Raithe.

"I'm not paying you to fuck me," she said as he took the chair opposite her at the table.

"I'm not asking you to," he replied. "Li seems to think you have the most to gain if I'm telling the truth."

"She believes you?"

Titus nodded.

"Then buy us a round of ale. Get two for yourself."

"Why?"

"I know what I look like. You'll need to be deep in your cups before bedding me."

Titus took a moment to look the woman over. Raithe wasn't ugly, but she did seem bland. He had never been a big proponent of makeup, but she could have used a touch here and there to bring out her features. The woman had small breasts beneath her tunic. Their size was, Titus guessed, unintentionally accentuated by the baldric running from her shoulder to the opposite hip that seemed to ignore the mounds on her chest. Raithe's hips were small as well, and the leather pants covering them, combined with her short hair and height that nearly matched Titus's, made her look lanky and tomboy-ish. Topping it all off was a hooded cape with markings and designs that closely resembled those on the robes of the other magic users in the room.

"Is there something about you I can't see that I need to worry about?" he asked. "You aren't hiding a dick in those pants, are you?"

"Of course not, but do you need glasses or something?"

Titus shook his head. "Listen, I'm not going to sit here and say you are the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. But you are being way too hard on yourself. You aren't ugly by any stretch of the word, just... plain and a little awkward. Like you don't care about how you look."

"Why would I? Look around the room, outsider. Do you notice something odd about the people sitting here?"

"There's more men than women," Titus replied after a few seconds

"Right, and since I became an adventurer, you are the first man to sit down and talk with me instead of turning their nose up and walking away. I know I'm ugly."

"You. Aren't. Ugly," said Titus, bouncing his fist lightly on the table. "You just don't stand out in a crowd. It's not the same thing. Back in my world, in my old body, I was fat and ugly. I know what you are talking about, and you aren't it. You have to admit that there are a lot of very pretty women in this dining hall and even in this town. The small number of men means they get to pick and choose who they bed. If you don't give them a reason to pay attention, then they aren't going to."

"You mean you weren't some king or noble back in your 'other world'?"

"Nope, I sat at a desk all day staring at numbers. In my old world, food was plentiful. There were stores or clockwork machines around every corner that you could buy food from, food that helped me deal with the never-ending boredom of my work. And so..." Titus held out his hands in front of him in an approximation of where his belly used to stick out, "I got fat."

"Really?"

"I sat at a desk and ate all day as I worked. By rights, there wasn't any other outcome."

"I didn't mean that. I was surprised you weren't trying to tell me some story about how great you were back in your previous world."

"Honesty is usually the best policy. But I don't see anything to gain by lying to you."

A slight smile tugged at the side of her mouth. "Fine then. You've piqued my interest. I'll play along."

"Great! Is there a practice yard behind the building? We'll need to gauge your power before and after, preferably with spectators."

"You really know how to kill the mood, don't you? My magic is so weak I'm ashamed to cast spells in front of people and you want spectators?"

"Remember, I'm trying to make some coin here. I need proof that I am Herokin," said Titus, borrowing Li's word.

"That takes a little bit of the fun out of it, but we can use the practice chamber downstairs. We need to ask Li first."

"Downstairs?" Asked Titus, looking at the stone floor.

Raithe pointed at the stairway leading to the second floor. Tucked beneath them was another set leading downward. She then pointed to another opening in the wall that separated the dining room from the kitchen. "Those lead to our training area."

---

The practice chamber was an oval, stone-walled arena about three times Titus's height and roughly the depth and width of the Adventurer's Guild above. On either side of the oval were curved chambers with windows cut into the stone for spectators, while at the ends, straw practice dummies stuck up from the stone floor. Four thick pillars supported the structure above and provided a small amount of cover from ranged attacks.

Raithe explained that the walls, pillars, and practice dummies were heavily enchanted with protection and reconstruction magic. Small practice chambers like this could contain most spells up to and a little more powerful than a Disintegrate or Chain Lightning spell. In contrast, bigger, coliseum-sized practice chambers could contain or redirect almost any magic and were often used for sports and exhibitions in large cities.

Li rounded up a small group of spectators as Titus and Raithe faced each other on opposite sides of the arena.

"Magic only," said Titus.

"You insist on embarrassing me?"

"I already said I need to gauge your power."

"Before you fuck some into me?"

"We don't have to have sex. But it's the best way without laying our wrists open and mixing blood. Plus," he shot her a lecherous grin while looking her up and down, "I want to."

Raithe pulled the dagger on her baldric out of its sheath.

"That's interesting," said Titus, looking at the weapon.

"A weapon of my own creation. I call it a spell dagger," she said, holding it up. "It has mithril in it, which cost me a hefty amount of gold, but it lets me use the wand in the middle without sacrificing my defense." Raithe sighed, "Not that I ever get to cast anything in a fight." She shook her head to clear away some bad memories before glaring at him. "Whatever. Let's get this over with."

Titus directed a silent question at Saili, requesting any information she might have on the woman in front of him. The story that unfolded in his head moments later was too clear and concise for him to think it was his imagination.

Raithe had almost none of Saili's nanotech left in her body. Unlike many women on Calar, Raithe had zero interest in women as bedmates, and her lack of success with men prevented any re-inoculation of the nanites as those within her body ceased to function. This was part of the reason he and the true Hero were needed. Like DNA, the nanotech's programming was breaking down, and at certain thresholds, they stopped replicating for fear of replicating nanites with flawed or dangerous code. Occasional sexual contact kept her numbers up to this point, but it had been a couple of years since her last bedmate. This was primarily due to a poor self-image fueled by her difficulty casting spells and perceived physical ugliness.

These same shortcomings had turned her into a very precise and talented mage. In her desire to be a proper magic-user and not the fighter-who-can-cast-spells she currently was, Raithe became the fastest caster in the guild and had memorized an extensive library of spells she could use at a whim. While these were impressive feats, she lacked the power to make them effective in a real fight. However, her necessity to engage in close combat gave her a new perspective on using some of the tried and true entries in every mage's spellbook.

Titus quickly saw what Saili meant as the woman cast Fireball. Titus recognized the spell as she drew it and hurried to the side as the spark leapt from her dagger's tip. But, when the fireball detonated halfway to him... it didn't detonate. Instead, it made a 'woosh' as it expanded into about a meter-wide sphere with flames so thin they failed to obscure their caster.

Acid Arrow splatted on the arena's stone well before reaching him.

Fire Arrow made it to Titus, but it was so weak and moving so slowly that he quite literally swatted it away.

"This is your best?" he asked

Raithe growled before sprinting straight toward him, chanting a spell.

Titus dodged to the side as she reared back with her fist. Though he managed to evade her punch, her spell loosed a brief but powerful blast of air that caught his shoulder and spun him around. Titus continued the spin and planted his feet, bracing for another attack when he faced her again.

But there was no follow-up attack. Instead, Raithe stood there staring at her fist and looking miserable.

"That might have hurt," said Titus as he straightened up. "But I feel that is the best you can do."

Tears formed in the woman's eyes as she quietly admitted, "Yes."

"What's frustrating is that you are a better spellcaster than me."

"What?"

"I've only been doing this for a few months--"

"Months?! You shouldn't be casting anything after only a few months!"

"The Hero's body lets me learn things much faster than normal. You've been doing this for years, and the difference shows. With more power at your disposal, you'd be a force to be reckoned with."

"And you're going to give me that power? For free?"

"I was, but after watching you, I think there is something I want in return."

"Fucking me isn't enough?"

"If I'm doing things right, we will both enjoy that part, so no. I want you to teach me. The woman I'm with, Alise, has taught me all she can about magic. Come this spring, when I leave to explore this new world, I'll need someone to teach me stronger magic and how to use that magic in a fight. After what I saw, I doubt I could find someone more suitable."

Raithe sighed. "I don't understand how you could think that. But, at this point, I don't care. I haven't been with a man in a long time, and if you actually want to sleep with me, then let's do this."

Titus smiled. "Alright then." He turned to the bored-looking spectators. "Be sure to come back in a few hours."

"It'll cost you copper to watch a match like that again," said the woman who told him to fuck-off earlier. "I won't waste my time like this again without some coin."

"Just show up. I promise it'll be worth it."

"Ugh, fine, we're waiting for our party leader to return before we take any more quests, so it's not like we have anything else to do."

---

"Good Luck," said Li as she took Titus's coins and handed him the key to his room. "Tell her I'm jealous," she whispered, glancing at Raithe, who stood a few paces away, feigning disinterest.

Once in the room, Raithe's excitement began breaking down her haughty façade, especially when Titus started slowly undressing her.

"Are you sure you don't want me to just bend over the bed and pull my pants down?" she asked while setting her baldric with her spell dagger on the room's table.

"I'm sure. I asked you to be my mentor in the spring," he said, untucking her tunic from her pants. "I'm hoping we can enjoy more than just each other's company when that happens." Titus lifted her shirt and quickly bent down to take a nipple in his mouth.

"I don't know how you can do that," she said with annoyance as she pulled her tunic the rest of the way off. "It couldn't be much different than playing with a man's nipples." Despite her griping, the breathiness of her voice hinted that she was enjoying his attention more than she let on.

Titus switched to the other nipple as he reached down and started undoing her belt. Once he freed the clasp, Titus dropped to one knee and slowly pulled them down to reveal a bush worthy of a '70s pornstar.

"I... usually keep that trimmed," she said, blushing a deep red as a hand drifted over to block his view.

"It's fine," Titus chuckled, then pulled her pants the rest of the way off before giving her a light shove to make her sit on the bed.

The woman was just as lanky naked as she appeared when they first met, but training to fight in close quarters left her arms and legs toned. Her breasts were barely bumps on her chest but, as he found out moments ago, were very sensitive, especially her hard little nipples.

Raith did nothing to hide her appreciation of his body as he undressed for her, occasionally letting out a low whistle or biting her lip when she saw something she particularly liked. Titus had to restrain himself from preening or posing for her. Not that he didn't want to, but he was too worried he'd look like an idiot.

Once he stood nude in front of her, her face became impassive and disinterested again though her eyes seemed to gravitate towards his cock where it jutted toward her. She didn't seem interested in taking the initiative and touching him, so Titus gave her another slight push, laying her down on the bed as he pulled her knees upward and leaned down with his tongue extended. Her outstretched hand halted his advance.

"No, don't do that," said Raithe, pushing against his forehead.

"I don't mind. I enjoy a woman's taste and scent."

"But I don't, and the thought of you licking me and then breathing on me is gross, even if it would feel really good."

"I have a cleaning spell that will take care of that," he suggested.

"It doesn't help. It will still turn my stomach. Just fuck me. It's what I really want anyway."

"Hard to argue with that," said Titus as he got to his feet and lined up his cock with her entrance.

"Go slow. It's been a long time."

Titus could tell. She was nearly as tight as Adaya this morning, but he was sure she wasn't actively trying to squeeze him like Adaya had.

Raithe's mask of indifference began cracking as the head of Titus's cock slipped inside her. He felt the rough spot on the top side of his prick and slowly rocked back and forth as she adjusted to his girth, rubbing the flange at the bottom of his cockhead over it repeatedly. Although he hadn't gotten very deep yet, Raithe was already panting from the pleasure.

He reached down and began rubbing her clit, but Raithe yanked his hand away. "Too soon," she breathed.

Titus relented and instead began working his cock deeper into the woman.

"Yess," she hissed as his next stroke sunk further into her sex. "I want to focus on feeling you." A handful of strokes later, they both groaned as he pressed the base of his cock against her pussy. "It's been too long," she breathed.

Raithe's sex felt like it didn't want to let him go as Titus slowly pulled out and then almost sucked him back in when he pushed into her. After the third stroke, she felt lubricated enough to start picking up speed. Raithe vocalized her appreciation loudly and often as he began fucking her with long, hard thrusts, to the point he worried someone might complain about the woman's moans.

Titus grinned as he shifted slightly forward. This was Alise's favorite way of making love in the missionary position. She loved the way his pelvis slapped against her clit each time he bottomed out inside her. Raithe quickly discovered the merits of the position, and her cries of pleasure grew even louder. Less than a minute later, she pushed him back and began furiously swiping her fingers across her clit. Within seconds she let out an ear-piercing shriek that echoed around the small room as her pussy clamped down on his cock, and a jet of clear liquid sprayed his lower belly.

Titus slowed but never stopped thrusting through Raith's orgasm and began speeding up as soon as she started to relax. Now, it was time to fulfill his purpose for sleeping with the woman. Raithe mewled and moaned, gripping the bedclothes as he began slamming his cock into her. A few dozen herd thrust's later, Titus held himself against her pussy and coated the inside of her sex with his seed.

A strange impulse prompted him to gradually pull out as he continued pumping cum into the woman. His last spurt splashed against Raithe's clit as he slipped free but then immediately reached down and pressed the heel of his hand against her opening, preventing any more from leaking out. With his hand still in place, Titus laid on the bed beside Raithe as she caught her breath.

She glanced down at his hand. "You can't get me pregnant. I took care of that as you were getting the room."

"Saili's blessing doesn't work like magic. It takes time to seep into you and can't do its job if it isn't inside. Besides, I also made sure we didn't have to worry about getting children from this."

"Is that what you meant by saying we didn't have to have sex?"

"Partly, I could have probably masturbated in your mouth, but it would have been less effective. I think the best way is actually back here," he said, placing a finger over her pucker, "since that part is made to take the water out of our waste."

"Gross," she said, "don't touch me there."

"As you wish," he said, removing his finger. "You seem to think a lot of things are gross that, in my limited experience, most women don't have issues with. Why is that?"

Raithe sighed. "It's probably because of my mother. I got my body from her, and she hated her body as much as I hate mine. Everything about me feels gross. I can still hardly believe that you slept with me."

"I wish we had the time to convince you otherwise, but I don't think a few hours would be enough."

"Why so you can put your dick in my ass," she said with a look of disgust.

"Don't let Alise see that look," Titus chuckled, "she thoroughly enjoyed her first time taking it up the bottom."

"Really? It didn't hurt?"

"It was my first time as well, so we did everything we could to make it as wonderful as possible." She was a little sore the next morning, but she made it clear she wants to do it more from now on, so it couldn't have been too bad."

"It still sounds gross," she muttered.

"Then don't try it. Plenty of women have never known the feeling, some of them for the same reasons. For some, it's too painful, which you probably heard. It's not a requirement. I just find the feeling very enjoyable."

"Hmph... How long do we need to stay like this?"

"As long as possible."

Her hips shifted a little bit. "Could we do it again?"

"Possibly. How do you feel about blowjobs?"

"Gross."

"As expected--"

"But... I wouldn't mind trying if you can clean yourself off really well.

Titus smiled, "I know just the spell."

---

Shortly after noon, Titus and Raithe stood in the arena again, but this time, he stood next to the mage since neither of them knew what to expect.

Raithe traced the runes for the firebolt spell as she spoke them, adding power until the last rune settled into place. Even before activating the spell, she could feel something had changed. The mana flowing through her body was no longer an intermittent trickle but had become a river, flowing fast but still calm as she focused it into the tip of her spell dagger.

In front of them stood the straw training dummy with black bullseyes painted on its chest and head.

With the training dummy firmly in her mind as her target, she drew the last rune.

What leapt from the spell wasn't a bolt of fire as much as a bolt of plasma. Even in the fraction of a second before it streaked away, Titus felt the heat radiating from it on his face.

The dummy's protection spell shattered on contact, and the bolt punched a clean hole through the straw before striking the wall behind it. The protection enchantment surrounding the arena screeched and rippled until the firebolt dissipated in a burst of flames.

After a few seconds of stunned silence, Titus said, "You were supposed to cast Fire Bolt, not summon a flaming rod from the center of the sun."

"What the hell was that?" asked one of the spectators.

"The guy must've cast the spell," said the woman fighter from earlier. "There's no way that came from Raithe."

"I won't say I wasn't responsible in some way," said Titus, stepping away from the stunned mage and approaching the spectator's box. Though open to the arena, the shielding that protected the walls passed in front of the viewing window. Before he reached the box, a flood of people from upstairs filed down the stairs, curious about what had made such a racket. "Now I'm over here," he said, then turned back to Raithe. "Fire off another one."

His words snapped Raithe out of her shock. She took a moment before answering. "I want to try a spell I've never been able to cast before," she called out. "Don't be surprised if it fails."

"If it fails, then just cast the Fire Bolt again," he replied.

Raithe waited a few seconds longer for the practice dummy to finish repairing itself and for its protection spell to re-activate before starting to draw and speak the spell's runes.

"No way," said one of the female newcomers dressed as a mage.

"What?" asked another.

"That girl can barely cast cantrips, and now she's trying a level five? This should be entertaining," the woman scoffed.

Fifth-level spells? Titus was impressed Raithe had the knowledge even to attempt a spell that, until now, she had no hope of casting. He honestly couldn't say he had that kind of determination.

Out on the arena floor, Raithe finished the spell. A jet of frost and snow burst from the tip of her wand with hurricane force toward the practice dummy. The blast didn't last long, but everyone heard the dummy's protection spell break again, and when the snow and frost settled, the dummy, floor, ceiling, and walls ten paces in every direction were coated in a layer of frost and ice.

"Holy shit," whispered the mage from before. "did she really cast that?"

"There's no one else out there who could have cast it," said Titus, "And that spell was far beyond what I can cast yet. So, you can't say I did it."

"How much?" asked the fighter.

"One gold."

"That's steep,"

Titus responded by waving a hand at the winter wonderland Raithe had turned a quarter of the arena into. "That's also only one session. She had multiple in the hours we were gone, and I don't know how well sleeping with the Hero works on non-mages."

The fighter watched Raithe shout with glee as a swarm of magic missiles streaked across the arena and hammered into the training dummy. Growling in annoyance, the woman pulled out her coinpurse and counted out ten silver.