Free Web NovelThere’s something wrong, why was she not here? Linhart felt her absence from the moment he entered Octavia’s laboratory. The cavernous room was the same as when he’d left it, walls lined with machinery, though it looked like many of the experimental tables and metal beds had been removed with only a few remaining at the room’s center. The temperature was hot to a borderline uncomfortable level, with the light of the massive firepit dancing over the walls, illuminating the space.
There was a girl here, bent over the firepit, stoking the flame from a bucket of charcoal. She was dressed in a beige toga, obviously a Binder. Linhart reached out with his slave bond and didn’t find Octavia anywhere nearby. This was all wrong! She was supposed to be here waiting for him, but she wasn’t here!
“Where is she?” he demanded loudly, catching the girl by surprise. She spun towards him, dropping the bucket. “Where is Stratega Octavia?”
The girl recovered quickly, visibly composing herself. Her hands brushed over her toga in deliberate straightening gestures, which emphasized her fuller figure. Every fold settled as if it were placed with intention rather than chance. Her hair fell over her shoulders in waves of long auburn curls. Then she looked back up, and wordlessly walked towards him. Linhart could see her eyes, magnified by a set of Binder glasses, appraising him like he were a puzzle that had fallen into the peaceful heat of the room.
Linhart thought she must model herself after the Stratega. She emanated an attitude of order and control. She was too quiet though. Is she mute?
As if to dispel his thoughts, she spoke, saying, “She is busy. Finalizing some details before she comes to meet you, Linhart.” Her voice was sweet but logical, and utterly without emotion. That she knew his name caught him off guard, but it does make sense that Octavia had told others of his arrival this morning.
She was now standing an arm’s length in front of him, examining him up and down while making notes to herself under her breath. “You’ve been wounded… by a wild animal it seems?” Linhart nodded. She was right.
The girl spared a single dismissive glance for Zoey, saying, “The Stratega didn’t mention any female Fighters accompanying you, is this your protector?”
“Yes, I am his protector,” Zoey stepped between the girl and Linhart, pressing into her personal space. Linhart felt her anger rising, perhaps to echo his own frustration. She raised her hand as if she may slap this Binder girl, if she got any closer. “Linhart is surprised to find you here, and not his master. Who are you, and why are you here?”
The girl looked afraid for a moment. Zoey was half her size, but Linhart knew how menacing little Fighter girls could be, especially to non-Fighters. She took a step back, raising her hands defensively. “My name is Thalia. I am a student, like you, but I’m serving the Stratega, and she’s asked that I prepare Linhart for her, for when she arrives.” To Linhart now she asked, “Will you allow me to help you get ready for the Stratega?”
“Yes, of course,” Linhart replied too fast. The girl smiled, making a note of the eagerness that had entered his voice. “Then, could you please follow me?” Without waiting for his reply, she started to walk.
She moved her hands in a practiced motion to direct their attention towards a small limestone archway on the far side of the room. There was a pale light emerging from the hall beyond and waves of mist pouring in from some unknown source, and then quickly dispelling.
“I’ll take you to the baths where you can both get cleaned up.” Linhart couldn’t help but admire the way she moved in that plain beige toga. The short flowing cloth emphasized the movement of her hips and legs, enchanting him with each step. This girl is going to make a great magic-user someday.
The entry turned out to be a tunnel with a series of rooms jutting off of it. Each room echoed with the sounds of running water, and its own cloud of steam and scent billowing out into the tunnel. As they walked, Thalia gave them a steady stream of information, like a Hall Magister at a boarding house.
“Here’s the salt room, the lavender room, the clay room, the cedar room… and further down you will find the amenities and toilets. You'll find clean togas waiting there, and you can leave your… Fighter clothes behind to be cleaned.” Turning back to Linhart, she added, “Please, take your time in cleaning yourself. Stratega Octavia has asked that all dust from Fighter’s Green be purified from your body. I will have to go out for a short while, to get some healing ointment for your face. Return to the laboratory when you are finished.”
With that, she walked alluringly back down the mist-filled tunnel, her sandaled feet clacking on the hard stone floor.
When they were alone again, Zoey went to Linhart to comfort him, her arms started wrapping around his tired sweaty frame. But she found him in such an agitated state that she simply placed her hands on his arms instead. He pushed her off gently, saying, “I’m going to the lavender bath to try to get myself clean. You should clean up as well, and do a good job of it. Give your whole body a thorough scrubbing, wash your hair, and find some clean clothes that fit you. Come meet me in the hot room when you’re done.
And with that, he walked away, not even looking at her as she bowed. She called after him, “Yes, my king.”
* * * * * * * * *
Linhart was too restless to linger in the hot lavender bath for long. The room was small, and the tiled tub, which was dug into the floor, took up most of the space. Vases filled with tiny purple flowers filled every available surface. He found the water made his chest and face burn, so he washed himself off quickly, as best he could, and went searching for a fresh change of clothing. The change room was lined with clean-smelling cedar boards, and well-stocked with baskets of all sorts of amenities for personal care. One wall was lined with shelves filled with linens, almost all of which were dyed the same drab beige color as most Binders wore.
Linhart sighed and pulled on a pair of loose fitting beige underpants. They felt strange to him, and not as supportive as his Fighter underwear, but at least they were clean.
As he selected one of the rolled up sheets of linen, he realized at once that he had no idea how to cover his body with it. Zoey was nowhere to be seen, so he was going to have to try his best by himself. Letting the cloth fall open, he noted that it was not rectangular in shape, as he’d expected, but was cut in the shape of the letter D. He draped the two narrow ends over his left shoulder, tying them with a simple knot, then wrapped the widest part of the cloth around his waist. Even after multiple attempts, he found the material was bunching in places, while there was barely enough material to cover his underwear. His frustration was multiplying. Why did Binders even wear these things?
Holding the trim of the cloth tightly down around his hips, he stumbled down the tunnel, hoping that Thalia would be of help. But when he emerged from the bathing hall into the main laboratory, he found she had not returned yet, and that another girl was waiting for him.
Well, she wasn’t actually waiting for him. This new girl was so engrossed in the clockwork contents of a huge metal cabinet that she didn’t notice him entering at all. Linhart felt foolish calling out for help from this stranger, so instead he wandered to the center of the room and took a seat, where he waited for her to finish.
She picked up each device with an almost restless energy. Examining them one by one, and looking very excited by each. Her short auburn hair and thin build gave Linhart the impression that she was much younger than Thalia, and perhaps even younger than he.
It wasn’t until the metal table he had sat upon gave a loud creak under his weight that her head shot up in startlement. freёweɓnovel.com
“Haaaa, you must be Linhart! Hello, I’m Iris,” she exclaimed, placing the device back in the cabinet and rushing over to him, “Thalia asked me to wait with you for her to return, while she’s out getting the Healer’s ointment. You see, she knows a Healer who makes it fresh every day, and only the freshest ointment prevents scarring.” She smiled and reached out to grasp his hand. Her fingertips were spotted with a dark grease from handling the devices, which she inadvertently rubbed onto his, as she held his hand tightly. Her frame was thin, but lacked the firmness and definition that all the Fighters girls had. She looked different, she looked soft. Her toga hung a little loose on her, the fabric shifting and bunching as she moved, never quite still for long.
Looking at him with sharp gray eyes that appeared huge through the Binder glasses, Iris reminded him of a bird looking in a window. A few blinks later she removed them, placing them in a small pouch that hung at her waist.
“I’m still not used to wearing these. You see, I’m a freshman just like you. Have you found a support partner yet? But you aren’t a Binder, so I guess you’re not in the market for a support partner?”
“No, I'm not. I’ve bonded with Stratega Octavia, that’s why I’m here,” he stated. Despite her restless energy, her eyes and body language didn’t betray what she was thinking. Was she flirting with him? Her face was so pretty. She had round cheeks and a button nose similar to the other girl, Thalia. “Do you know when she’ll return?”
“She did not. I only know that she is out making preparations for your stay with us, and that she asked Thalia and myself to care for you until she’s back. Please don’t be upset with me,” she pleaded sweetly, finally releasing his hands, “But I must ask, is there a reason why you’re wearing a girl’s toga?”
Linhart could feel his cheeks heating up, as he realized his mistake. She continued on in a rush of words, “I mean, it looks great on you! I’ve never seen a boy’s chest before. Can I touch you?” She didn’t wait for his reply, before she was running a finger over his bare chest, leaving a greasy fingerprint on his skin. She stopped at the C that had stopped bleeding but the surrounding skin was now turning flaming red and swelling.
Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial level, “Did those bad Fighters do this to you? Poor boy…”
Before Linhart could form a proper answer, a voice rose up from the main entrance to the laboratory. Thalia had returned and she was carrying several bulky parcels.
“Oh Iris and Linhart, you won’t believe what the Stratega is planning,” she called cheerfully, she bustled over to them and placed the parcels on the table beside him. Looking them straight in the eyes, she stated, “It seems we have been excused from all courses for the next seven days. We will be ‘assisting’ her with experiments of great importance.”
The two girls pressed their hands together and began talking, Iris very excitedly and Thalia less so. Linhart didn’t understand half of what was being said. Finally, in hopes of joining the conversation, he interrupted.
“You two are so similar. Are you support partners, by any chance?”
“What?” they both asked in shock and with a bit of repulsion. Then the older one said, “No, Linhart, Iris and I are sisters.”
“Plus, support partners must include one girl and one boy,” added Iris, wrinkling her nose at her sister. “Thalia, do you know if Fighter boys can form a Binder support bond?”
“They can not,” Thalia stated plainly, as she reached into her waist pouch, “Get that thought out of your mind and help me please. These parcels should be moved to the Stratega’s private quarters. I’ve got to treat his wounds right away. This one is worse than I first realized.”
Thalia produced a small glass jar and inspected it. She twisted off the lid, releasing a pungent medicinal smell. Then she looked at him with a smile. “I have permission from Stratega Octavia to touch you while I treat your wounds. Is that okay, Linhart?”
Linhart nodded readily. Whatever Stratega Octavia ordered was more than okay. His frustration gave way to excitement, as he looked into the beautiful face of Thalia. She was hiding it well, but he was starting to see the hint of desire in her eyes and her cheeks. He was also enjoying the erotic glimpses of flesh that these girls were innocently giving him. Thalia’s boobs were so big and he couldn’t help but admire the wide cleavage and ample sideboob that her outfit could barely contain. Iris’s loose-fitting toga had slipped as she lifted the parcels, showing off an enticing sight. Her large rose-colored nipple stood tall on her pleasantly perky tit.
Iris paused and turned to her sister with an unreadable look. “Did she give me permission too?”
“You’ll have to ask her yourself,” Thalia replied. She was already easing Linhart into a lying down position. “I’m going to have to bare your chest for this. Please put your arms by your sides.”
She rubbed her hands together, working warmth into them. Then her palms were sliding over his body. Linhart shuddered involuntarily, and he shut his eyes as her magic hands began to caress him.
They were soft and cool, and as her hands passed over his ribs and shoulder blades, a thrill of energy entered him from her touch. With a final look in his direction, Iris staggered out of the room, carefully balancing the heavy parcels. “I have to check your whole body…” Thalia said, her voice was very low now.
She pulled open his hastily tied knot, and peeled back the cloth until the toga covered only his underwear. Her hand ran hesitantly beneath his underwear, and her voice cracked as she asked, “Are there any cuts here… that I need to treat?”
“No…” Linhart breathed out the single word, worried that saying more would betray his own excitement. Her hand lingered, her magic fingers combing through his thin patch of pubic hair. His dick was standing fully upright, turning the layers of toga into a mountain, but he had long since given up hope of controlling his erection.
Linhart thought he felt her hand moving further downward, just as he was suddenly aware of Zoey’s presence in the room. Had she been there long? She was filled with anger, jealousy, and pain.
“What the fuck are you doing to him?”
