Bookworld Online: Marsh Man

I examined the thing that came out of my chest and had an odd thought. I used Detect Enchantment on it and was surprised by the result after thirty seconds of staring at it, because I had assumed it had to be working to get the enchantments from an enchanted item.

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You have learned the enchantment 'Magic Siphon'. This enchantment pulls latent magic from the target.

You have learned the enchantment 'Energy Storage'. This enchantment funnels magic from a source and into a storage medium.

You have learned the enchantment for 'Blood Pump'. This allows a device of suitable construction and placement to continue blood flow as if the target had a working heart.

You have learned the runes for 'Focus', 'Extract', 'Pull', and 'Push'.

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Oh. Oh, boy. I thought and put the thing down on my lap. Removing it like I had shouldn't have worked. I really should have been dead.

I went over the things I went through and the only reason I could come up with was that I had been treating myself with strength and fortifying potions every year. It must have hardened my heart muscle enough to let number ten potion actually work to seal it, instead of making it a solid mass of muscle.

“What are your thoughts?” The older man asked me.

“It's not an attachment for a heart that only impedes magic.” I said and he leaned forward. “It's a complete replacement for the heart and siphons off your magic.”

He reeled back as if slapped and Farra started to cry.

“It's all right.” I said and reached for her face to rub the tears away and my arm gave out just as I touched her skin. Farra grabbed it and placed it on her face with a sigh as my magic flowed through it.

“Master, you need to rest.” Hanna said.

“I know.” I said and nodded at the device on my lap. “Put that and your notes in a safe place.” I said to the older man. “When I'm better, we can work on altering or disabling the magic portions of it.”

The older man nodded and took the device and the papers. He left with a thoughtful look on his face and Ann gave the other women in the room a calculating look.

“We won't crowd him.” Hanna promised and Gella nodded in agreement.

“Try to not disturb him as he sleeps.” Ann said and stood. “Only wear light clothing and leave him half covered like he is now. He has to recover. Boiling under a blanket with the three of you won't help him much.”

“We know.” The three women said as one as Hanna and Gella went to the other bed to lay down.

Ann smiled. “I'll be back later to check on you.”

“Wait.” I said and she looked at me. “Where do you sleep?”

Ann smiled. “Garret.”

I blinked my eyes at her for a moment, then I smiled. “Good for you.”

Ann laughed softly. “He protected me from one of the newer slaves that knew what my outfit meant.”

I frowned slightly. “The next words out of your mouth had better be that Laughter had a good meal.”

Ann walked over to me and lightly caressed my face. “Garret took his arms and legs and fed them to Laughter first, so that it could make the food last longer.”

I smiled because Laughter was the name of Ann's favorite water beast. “Give Garret an extra pay this week for disposing of the trash.”

“I already did, my lord.” Ann said with a huge smile. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.” I said and she left. I took a deep breath and let it out.

“Sleep, Master.” Farra said and I nodded. She turned onto her back briefly as she moved my hand from her face and slid it down her body to rest it on her abdomen. I did not miss the feeling of her firm breast against my palm.

“Farra.” I whispered.

“I know.” Farra said and turned back onto her side to face me, with my hand on her hip. “We've heard of Mage King and her deplorable behavior.”

“We all want to show you that a woman can be seductive and let you touch her, without it becoming something that would break your vow.” Hanna said.

“We all agreed that of all the men on this ship... or any that we've ever met... that you are above all of them and deserve to be treated as such.” Gella said. “As soon as we get to a suitable port with an administrative building...”

“SHH!” Hanna said and clapped her hand over Gella mouth. “It's supposed to be a surprise!”

I thought about lifting my head to look at her, then closed my eyes instead. “I'm sure it will be.”

Farra slid her hand up to my chest and cupped my other pectoral muscle as she rubbed her cheek on the rough patch of skin on my chest. “Goodnight, Master.”

“Goodnight.” I said and drifted off to sleep.

I didn't wake up for nearly ten hours, which would have been a real problem if I wasn't so weakened and didn't have work to do. Everything was being handled, thanks to my diligence in training my replacements for when I left the ship. I didn't realize that the people on the ship didn't want me to leave and would stay with me.

I opened my eyes and Hanna was tucked under my left arm. My magic swirled through her unfettered and her face had a huge smile on it, even with her asleep. My other thigh was also soaked. My blanket was nowhere to be seen and Hanna still had her underwear on. It was also so wet that it was see-through.

I couldn't decide if having her pressed against my leg was good because I couldn't see it, or bad because I was about to see it when she woke up and freaked out about it. I knew she was going to wake up because I was starting to ease my magic away from her to contain it.

“Uggghhh.” Hanna groaned as her magic tried to keep hold of mine.

“It's time to get up.” I whispered.

“Farra can feed you first this time.” Hanna said in a normal voice.

“Yes! Right away!” Farra said as she sat up in the other bed. She looked half-asleep and tried to jump out of bed, only to stumble and almost fell. She slipped on her pants and tunic, or tried to, and had one arm in the neck hole of the tunic and half of her head sticking out one of the arm holes. She stood with only one leg in her pants and stumbled towards the door.

“Gella, grab her.” Hanna said with a laugh and Gella's hand snagged the younger woman's tunic and pulled her back to the bed. Farra fell backwards over her and as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was asleep again with Gella trapped below her. Hanna laughed again and got up from the bed, went over to the other one, and pulled Farra off of Gella.

“Thank you.” Gella said and sat up. “How can she be so heavy? She's only tiny.”

“It's all muscle.” I said and Hanna and Gella looked over at me. “Muscle is heavier than fat.”

I had learned that years ago when dealing with the male boars in the marsh. It's why they sank when they fell or jumped into deep water.

“She doesn't look muscular.” Hanna commented as she walked back over to me, letting me see all of her. She had a bush of dark hair between her legs and it didn't quite cover all of her, which was neat. I hadn't seen one like that before. I didn't ask her how she did that, though.

“Women don't develop muscles the same way as men do.” I said and tried to sit up on my own. I felt a little stronger today and thought I could get the pillow braced in time. I didn't and fell back, panting.

“Master! Don't push yourself!” Hanna admonished me and eased me up into a sitting position and Gella was there to brace me up with pillows.

I rested and looked at the two of them. Hanna wasn't trying to hide her obvious show and Gella was in a similar state. When I glanced down, it was just a thick bush of hair and nothing could be seen.

Gella reached out to touch my face. “Only Farra doesn't have a woman's full compliment down there.”

“She's underdeveloped like Hanna, only down there and not in the chest?” I asked and she nodded. “I really need to find the right ingredients for brewing the potions I need to fix that.”

“You won't be worrying about that for a few more days.” Hanna said with a blush.

I thought it was odd that she was okay with letting me see her bottom practically naked, and yet, she covered her chest, even with her top securely in place. “I will fix it. I gave my word.”

Hanna took a deep breath and sighed as she nodded.

“I need a sponge bath.” I said.

Ann was suddenly in the cabin, as if she had been waiting for me to ask. Garret came in a minute later with a wash basin. He saluted, I returned it, and he left.

“I am so glad that he understands my devotion to duty.” Ann said and admired her man's back.

“He's as devoted to his own sense of duty.” I said.

Ann and the other two took off my underwear and I saw that I hadn't been used or abused. The underwear was clean as well. She gave me a thorough sponge bath and then performed the ritual. She enjoyed it just as much this time as she did the first time. She gave me a pleased smile and woke Farra up to take her to the kitchen to get me breakfast.

I was fed in turns again and I used my magic trick to spread the nutrients through my body. Hanna, Gella, and Farra enjoyed it and didn't feel disappointed that I didn't do it after Hanna fed me last. They knew lunch and supper would be a similar experience and they would feel my voluntary sharing a lot more.

Now I had a problem. I was weakened and couldn't move very much. I was also bored. I had been constantly moving and doing things since I had regained my mobility and now I was stuck with not being able to do anything. When I mentioned this, a furious discussion happened between the four women about what to do.

“I'll get a book!” Hanna exclaimed and grabbed the one she had already read and ran from the room. She came back with a smile on her face and held up a smaller book. “The Princess and the Dragon Slayer.”

My eyes widened at the cover and the very accurate depiction of myself in my old mangled skin and Princess Ellen. She wasn't wearing her army uniform and had a fluffy pink dress on.

“Ellen wouldn't be caught dead in that.” I said and the women laughed.

“We knew you would say that.” Hanna said and had Gella ease me back onto the bed to lay down, then she, Gella, and Farra carefully climbed onto the bed. “Chapter One, The Bargain.”

“I'll be back for lunch.” Ann said with a happy smile and left the cabin.

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Montage mode engaged. Skipping miscellaneous details. Speeding up recovery time. Done.

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On the morning of the fourth day, I woke up with Gella firmly planted to my side and my thighs were soaked again, just like every night.

They must drink lots of water when I'm not looking. I thought and then laughed at the thought, because they hadn't left my side at all until I slept and they took turns without leaving the room. I found out that they took baths then, too. They didn't want to cuddle with me while feeling unclean.

“Master?” Gella asked as she sat up and looked at my face. She caught her breath and then she smiled. “You're feeling better!”

I nodded and she let out a yell of delight, which woke the other two women on the other bed.

“Wh-what...” Farra mumbled.

“What's going on?” Hanna asked and sat up, then she saw me. “MASTER! YOU'RE BETTER!”

Farra jumped out of the bed and stumbled, just like she did before, then lunged at me. I easily caught her and she snuggled down onto my chest as she pressed her cheek to the rough skin over my heart. Her tears flowed freely and I hugged her tightly.

“It's all right now. I feel fine.” I said to her and she let out a sob. “Were you scared I would stay weak?”

Farra nodded without lifting her head.

“I would have told you if I was going to be.” I said and she took several deep breaths.

“Master, how... how would you know?” Farra asked and lifted her head to look into my eyes.

“I've had a lot of time with my body in various states of damage. My heart being this damaged was debilitating; but, the rest of me was fine. Once my heart adjusted to the repairs...”

“You're really fine?” Hanna asked, unsure.

“I'll prove it when I can move from the bed.” I said and no one moved, then Hanna moved over to me and climbed onto the bed to rest on both Gella and myself. She hugged me and rested there without saying anything.

“Please.” Farra whispered.

I knew what she wanted and glanced at Gella's and Hanna's faces. They wanted the same thing, so I put my arms around them as much as possible and closed my eyes. I brought up my magic, my completely unfettered and unrestricted magic, and let it flow out. Instead of the steady stream that it used to be, a river gushed out and swirled through them.

They moaned as their magic was swept up in the flow and they shivered as their bodies enjoyed the sensation so much that they soaked my thighs even more. And the bed. I couldn't keep it going, not and have them retain their senses and not ravage me like Helena always did when I shared with her. So, I eased it off and left their own magic churning with need as the flow reversed and my magic retreated back into me.

“B-b-bath!” The three of them said as one and Ann opened the cabin door.

“I didn't hear the word sponge!” Ann said, both excited and happy.

“Get the bath room ready.” I said and let the women in my bed go. “I need a full dress uniform, too.”

“Yes, my lord. It will be done.” Ann said and left with an extra sway to her hips.