Volga the Apprentice: Chapter 4

There seems no better way to start off your morning than finding a beautiful naked woman passed out in the bed of your former master, at least not for Volga. "Somehow this doesn't surprise me," Volga said to himself. "Hey fox girl time to get up," Volga yelled at Kyra.

She opened her eyes casually then let out a big yawn. Rising from the bed Kyra let what little of the covers were around her fall to the floor, showing her slender naked body off without a hint of modesty. Volga couldn't help but stare at her naked form, his hormones flaring up and getting aroused. She smirked and asked, "Get a good look yet?"

Volga then came to his senses and his face burned red. He turned away and awkwardly cleared his throat then said, "What happened to the mat and blankets I gave you to sleep on?"

Kyra, still making no attempt to cover herself, started stretching and said, "It wasn't very comfy. I remembered there was an empty bed up here which no one was using, so I used it."

Volga sighed in irritation and said, "Of course you did."

"Hey Volga, are you still a virgin?"

He turned back to look at her, startled by the question. She was still standing there naked as before. He turned back away embarrassed again and said, "I don't see what that has to do with anything."

Kyra came up to him and wrapped her arms around him, one hand massaging his chest the other slowly working its way down towards his crotch. "You know," She whispered seductively into his ear. "We can fix that if you remove this band off my wrist first."

Volga hearing the last of her sentence suddenly sprang to life and pulled his arms off her and dashed forward. As he ran out the room and headed for the stairs, he called back, "Thou shan't tempt me with your sexcraft, foul seductress!"

Kyra giggled and thought to herself, "Well it's good to see the boy does have a humorous side to him, even if it's a bit droll." She then got dressed and packed her things up in her small bag, ready to go.

To her surprise, though, Volga was not ready to go right that minute. In fact, he was in the middle of making breakfast. Kyra placed her bag down next to the table and asked, "I thought we were leaving first thing in the morning?"

Volga kept his attention on the food cooking at the stove and said, "We are but last night I was thinking, aside from just powerful warriors we will need other strong magisters, ones with some serious firepower like myself. The crystal that contains the wish gems is not going to be easy to crack open. I don't think even weapons of pure adamantite would do a whole lot either so it would be better to have at least a couple more powerful magisters to help with that aspect of things.

"So I figured we could talk it over breakfast and figure out a good place to start looking for such people."

Kyra sat down in one of the chairs at the table and said, "If I am to understand you correctly... You have not the slightest idea whom to recruit for this in addition to myself. In fact, you have no contacts, no friends to call on, no shady associate who can help you put this team of yours together?" She said it as neutrally as she could, but it still came out rather bitter.

Volga hesitated to answer briefly but said, "Yes that's, well that is basically it, you're right." His voice was somber and a little strained

Kyra then realized that Volga was not as perfectly prepared or well planned for what lays ahead of them as she initially thought. He had good knowledge of where to go, a solid idea of what to expect, but no means on how to go about it, any of it. "I may know where we can find two magisters who fit that description perfectly," Kyra said cautiously. "But I cannot guarantee they would join us, or even listen to us but it's all I got. After that, we're going to have to make it up as we go along I suppose."

"Well it's a start at least, what town are they in?"

"Not town city," Kyra corrected. "And they should be in Freymere... somewhere."

Volga turned his attention away from cooking entirely and looked at Kyra. "Freymere?" he inquired. "As in the capitol of Dorgal; Freymere?"

"That's the one."

"Freymere is almost as far south as South goes," Volga started to rant. "We're practically at the north border ourselves, that trip is going to take a couple months unless I can get us some horses along the way." He stopped himself there and then took in a deep breath and let it out slow. Then he said, "You know what, it's fine. This is a lead and I expected this journey to take some time to even assemble the right members."

He finished cooking breakfast then put even proportions on both their plates and set them down on the table. Then he poured some water into two cups handed one to Kyra and held his out and said, "To Freymere."

Kyra grinned and tapped her cup to his saying, "To the city of gold."

Volga and Kyra didn't get too far their first day of travel. Even on the main road the town they left was close enough for them to still hear the sounds of the more riley people. Dusk was upon them, so they started setting up camp just off the road. "You know this journey would be way faster if we bought some horses, you certainly have the money for it," Kyra said.

Volga started setting his bags down on their campsite and said, "Horses wouldn't do us much good."

"And why's that?" Kyra asked setting her bag's down too.

"Because my master never taught me how. When I asked him if I would learn how to ride a horse, he said it was a waste of time, and it was since he later taught me how to teleport."

"Well, that's great then just teleport us to Freymere."

"I can't. The only way I can only teleport somewhere is if I have been there before and have a solid image of it in my head, or if I can see it directly. Besides I don't know if I can teleport myself and another at the same time; if I tried without practice too much of you may be left behind."

Kyra sighed and started walking off, "I'm going to gather us some firewood, I guess. While, I'm gone, feel free to pitch our tents."

When Kyra returned, with a bundle of logs and broken tree branches in her arms, she found the tents still unpitched and just sitting out in the open ready to be set up. She dropped the logs on the ground and asked sarcastically, "You're kidding right?"

Volga went to speak but Kyra held her hand up to stop him and said, "No wait let me guess, your master never taught you that either, since it too was a waste of time?"

Volga shrugged his shoulders and said, "Yea, more or less."

"You know what its fine, not even cold enough to need those tents. And we have enough fire wood to keep the flame going all night."

"Yeah that sounds pretty good to me too, with winter over and spring here, we only need a good fire on the colder nights. I'm not looking forward to hauling around these tents the whole trip anyways."

They said nothing more and Kyra set up the wood for the fire. Volga ignited it with a small fireball. They sat down around the fire and Kyra asked, "Can you hunt?"

"No you?"

"Only treasures and sparkly things, but not food I'm afraid."

"Well, then it's a good thing I stocked up on foods for this trip. I can keep most of the stuff from spoiling for a fair amount of time; but we should stop by whatever towns and travelers Inns we come across along the way to either stock up on food or save on what we have."

"You know, now that I think about it, we could have just hired someone to take us to the capital. A ride around in a wagon would be slower than an individual horse but faster than walking. We could still do it too."

Volga turned his head back to the town; he was considering it. He kept staring at the town thinking about it but eventually turned away and said, "No the money my master left me behind was his. I will use what I need of it but I don't want to rely so much on it. I feel as if using it too much, means I'm still relying on my master, even now that he's gone. So I have to stop relying on him so much as if he's still here."

"So should we start learning how to hunt so you don't have to keep using your masters, old money?"

Volga smirked and said, "I said I don't want to keep relying on him so much like he's still here, not that we should travel like we're penny-less."

Kyra giggled, it was the cutest thing Volga heard. He reached for his bag as a purple blur streaked past him and launched into their camp fire. Whatever it was that went into the fire, exploded into a purple smoke seconds later. Volga and Kyra stood up and rushed to get away from it but they had already breathed it in and had not gotten more than a few steps before falling to their knees. Soon after they both lost consciousness.

Kyra woke up with a monster sized headache with her hands bound tightly behind her in a chair. Her vision was blurry but soon cleared up and she could see Volga tied up more tightly then her in another chair across the room. From what she could see they were in a small cabin in a backroom, a single table with a few burning candles was in the room with them.

Soon enough a small group of five men in dark clothes made of silk came in. "So you guys took my advice on the silk wardrobe after all," Kyra said casually. "It feels nice on the skin doesn't it?"

"It doesn't do much for style but yes it does feel good," Petras said coming into the room. He was a tall man with handsome rugged features and a unique scar on his left ear. He was wearing a dark silk outfit just like the others. "But we don't have to worry about that here, no one but us for miles."

"I'm assuming we are in your little hide away cabin just, what eight miles east of the town you caught up to me in?" Kyra asked taking another look around the room.

"Yes, very good you remember well," Petras said cheerfully. "Well you and I shared some special moments here after all, I would be hurt if you didn't recognize the place."

"Well then I guess for old time's sake maybe you will let us go?" Kyra asked with a smile.

"You know I am in a pleasant mood tonight, so tell me where the painting is you stole from us-"

"I didn't steal it from you I stole it from the church," Kyra interrupted. "Though I must admit stealing from a church was probably my lowest point, not like they needed the extravagant thing anyways."

Petras dragged out an extra chair that was sitting behind Kyra's view and sat down in front of her, crossing one leg over the other. "Semantics my dear, yes your master craft stole the art, but it was my teams hard labor that got you in there in the first place and covered your trail. Anyways the point is that painting was worth hundreds in gold and you decided to run off with it instead of returning it to us to split evenly.

"But I'm willing to overlook that and let you go if you tell me where it is. You and I spent one last romantic evening in bed because I will admit I did miss you."

"And what about my friend over there?" Kyra asked nodding toward Volga who was still passed out.

Petras glanced over to Volga then back to Kyra and said, "Your friend over there did some serious hurt on my boys back in that ally, it's only fitting we pay him back."

Kyra glared at Petras, her mood shifting to anger fast. "He's just a kid you don't need to hurt him. And instead how about I tell you where the map is, sleep with you once more, you let us both go, and we pay you fifty gold pieces now?"

"Better yet," Petras said agitatedly. "We stop messing around and you tell me where the map is! And maybe we'll spare the kid you're so fond of. Maybe even when I'm done with you, I won't let my boys fuck you into the ground."

Kyra shook her head slowly and said, "Just remember, I gave you a choice."

When nothing happened for half a minute, Petras smirked and the other men started to laugh lightly. Then swiftly Kyra rose from her chair, free of her bonds, and turned to grab her chair and break it over Petras as he quickly got up. Before he even fell to the floor, Kyra was running to the door and heading for the main room.

The men followed her. Instead of going for the door outside, she went towards the bedroom. In there, she found the pair of scimitars hanging cross on the wall just above the bed. She leaped onto the bed and pulled them down with ease. She then went for the door as the first man came in blocking her way.

With a quick and well-executed swing, she sliced open the man's throat, blood sprayed out from the jugular as he fell to the ground dead. The next man wasn't too far behind the first. Kyra slashed open his throat as well, this time she was close enough to get caught in some of the blood spray even as the man fell backward.

"Well this outfit will need a thorough washing after this," Kyra said to herself irritated, as she stepped outside the bedroom."

The others, including Petras, were out into the main room now. Seeing Kyra with the twin blades, they pulled out their knives. Slowly Kyra started to step sideways towards the corner when two of the men charged at her, their knives held out in front of them.

They had longer arms, but Kyra had swords where they had knives, and she was far quicker. She dashed at the man on her right and spun half around slicing off his hand holding the knife. Then she slammed the bottom of the sword into his throat and knocked him on his back. The other man, now in more favorable position, tried to lunge for Kyra, but she quickly kicked out her leg and hit his crotch with the bottom of her foot.

He fell to his knees and she sliced across his eyes. She then faced directly toward Petras and his last man. "You know," she said. "You shouldn't have threatened my young friend back there."

Petras and the other man held up their hands slowly backing away from her, as she held one blade up and pointing at them, and the other to her side, stepping forward. She stopped and turned to the other man and said, "I'll make you a deal, kick Petras over here and I will let you run away with your life."

Before Petras could even turn to speak, his own man booted him in the back and flung him towards Kyra; he then turned to flee outside. Petras landed on his knees and as he looked up to beg for his life, Kyra swung the blade and lopped off his head. She then brought up the blood soaked scimitars to her eyes and said to herself, "These things are fantastic, I am so taking them with me."

* * *

Volga woke up with his head in agony, like a hangover multiplied by a thousand. His vision was blurry for the first minute he opened his eyes. When he could see properly, he found Kyra standing in the doorway of whatever room they were in now. Her casual smile kept him from panicking when he realized what had happened and that they were no longer at their camp site.

He slowly rose to his feet and rubbed his head and asked, "What happened to us, after that sleep smoke surrounded us, I mean?"

"Mmm, well those guys you met in the alley where you, uh 'rescued me' found us and waited until we were vulnerable to strike. Then they dragged our unconscious bodies here, tied us in chairs and when I woke up, I escaped the ropes, broke my chair over their leader's head and then ran into the bedroom to grab the twin blades above the bed; after that I killed them all, except one who sold his boss out for his own life."

Volga just stared at her wide-eyed through her story and took notice, for the first time, of the blood spatters on her clothes and the pair of swords hanging around her back.

"Don't believe me come take a look," Kyra said opening the door and standing aside. Volga went to the other (main) room and found it was exactly as she said: Dead bodies lying around in a pool of blood, one of them missing a head. Volga turned away disgusted and headed for the open door leading outside.

Kyra chased after him and asked, "I hope this doesn't change anything between us?"

Volga took in a few deep breaths once outside and thought carefully about his answer. Then he said, "No, I should get used to this sort of thing, even if it is the worst I may ever see, in preparation for the tower. God only know what awaits us in there. Let me ask you something though... Back in the ally, you didn't really need my help did you?"

"No I could have handled it, although it would have been much harder than this situation. Long story short I know this little cabin and after I slipped my bonds I knew there would be these blades waiting for me, and I'm also very well versed in sword dancing; my advantage was overwhelming."

"That sounds like quite the story for you tell me, I mean how you know how to use those swords so well." Volga said.

Kyra stepped outside with a lantern and led Volga to the side of the cabin where five horses were tied up to a long rail. "Not really but I'll tell you anyways, let me just get these horses first." Then she cut the ropes off three of them and untied the other two. She walked them forward and handed Volga the reins to one of them.

"But I don't know how to ride," Volga said.

"I can start teaching you tomorrow but for tonight we will just walk back to camp; hopefully our stuff is still there," Kyra said pushing the reins into Volga's hands. Kyra moved ahead and Volga tugged on the reins once while he followed after her; the horse obediently walked beside him.

"It's going to be more expensive to feed and stable the horses at each stop you know," Volga said trying his best to make a valid argument.

"Yes but the journey will be three times faster at least," Kyra countered.

She had a point so Volga moved on, "Alright then how about that story of yours, feel free to add in why those people wanted you so bad too."

"Well," Kyra said thinking back. "After I lost my magic, or rather had it sealed, I felt I needed to compensate for it so I learned how to dance with swords. My dancing instructor, or sword master as some would call him, was rather expensive and after my lessons were complete I had barley any money to get a single meal; and that's when Petras found me. He somehow recognized me as the 'Fox' and offered me a job to steal a very valuable painting.

"It was a team effort and though I wasn't nearly as skilled without my magic I pulled it off. But I had to hide the painting in a safe place before I could get back to them because the city watch was hot on my tail and I was pegged as a person of interest in the theft of that painting. I got back to the crew after the guards discovered I didn't have the painting, at least not on hand, and I played innocent not knowing what they were talking about.

"Anyways I told Petras and the others about what happened, and me and Petras spent some time here in this cabin while we waited for things to calm down back in the city. We were only here a week since the trip took us about as long but in that time I learned about how Petras and the others got me into the church to steal the painting-"

"Wait a second you stole from a Church!?" Volga interrupted.

Kyra just shrugged and continued on, "It was easily the lowest point in my life I will admit. Anyways as I was saying, I had learned Petras and his men killed the three bishops that were on the late ceremony detail; that's why the guards were so desperate to find the thief who stole the art because they thought the same person committed the murders.

"Of course back then I was much more reserved about killing, especially bishops. I may never have been a godly person but the bishops were people who would give up everything they had in service to god and only offered good will towards others from what I always seen of them. To me of all the people in the world you would kill for monetary gain, bishops shouldn't even be at the bottom of the list; they should be off it entirely.

"But after I learned this I snuck off in the night while Petras was asleep, and stole the single horse we rode on and went back to the city. I retrieved the painting in secret and visited the Arch-bishop of the city and returned it to him personally, I told him the truth that I had no idea how things would go down and told him about Petras and his men killing the three bishops. After that I disappeared. Until they found me again the same night you stumbled into the alley, I told them just moments ago I hid the painting; guess they didn't realize I gave it back to the church."

Volga was silent for a time after Kyra told her tale, he waited patiently until he felt it was right to ask her the last thing that was on his mind. When he felt enough time was passed he spoke up asking, "And the killing, when did you become less reserved about that?"

"I don't know, I guess it happened along the way of surviving after all that ordeal. I learned the hard way that some people must be killed, otherwise they will take everything from you," Kyra said cynically. "Anyways what I did back there to Petras and his men, they deserved no less than that. I did give them an opportunity to walk away, but they didn't take it; I didn't directly kill all of them though I let one go and left a few others for dead."

* * *

The two of them remained silent until reaching their old campsite. They found their fire still going with some very small embers left. "Well good news is we were not gone more than a few hours or so from the looks of the fire," Volga said.

"And the great news is all our stuff is still here," Kyra said, her tone more cheery. She turned to Volga and asked, "Think you will be able to get any sleep after all that's happened?"

Volga added more logs to the pile on top of the smoldering embers and re-lit the fire then said, "It may be hard but I might, what about the horses, what are we to do with them? We can't tie them up anywhere so they don't run off."

"They seem well trained, and it's the middle of the night so running off will be against there more baser instinct, at least until morning. Besides if they do and I can't catch them, then we will just continue on foot like before."

Volga didn't respond to her, not until he checked all their stuff, well his, to make sure everything was still there. It all was and he looked at her, still thinking about his answer.

"Alright, alright," he said partially reluctant. "We will try the horses if they don't run off, and if you keep an eye out for any other friends of yours while I try to get some sleep."

Kyra smirked but said, "Yeah that sounds fair enough."

Volga then lay down and was asleep within a few very short minutes. Kyra watched him while he slept, his peaceful face at rest, and she realized that he really was just a boy. He had grown up in a comfortable yet unspoiled life and now he was all alone with no guidance. Of course she knew all too well that many children near or even younger then he were forced to grow up fast but he still had some ways to go.