Private Tales An old friend of the old king.

[Kalia Oro Khastan]

There was nothing in him, not a single reaction or response to the kiss his old ally left on his mask. This alone made him sad. When he was alive he might have felt something even an appreciation for how deep her devotion ran for him, now it was all so mechanical to him and devoid of emotion. He appreciated it, but what saddened him is that he couldn't feel or express how deeply he appreciated her.

All the same she did provide some valuable information, even more that he could mechanically appreciate. There exist forces in this day and age that could respond to the unleashing of the pandemonium hoards. For such people it would be prudent to keep tabs on them.

They were approaching the outskirts of the village when she awoke again.
He let out a mirthful hearty laugh as she tumbled from his shoulders, he looked down on her, "Ah, it pleases me that you can cause my soul to laugh. Yes, we have almost arrived at the village. Do you have need for anything while we are here? it is not fully nightfall yet so there is still time to peruse their market before they have all closed up."

As he turned to continue walking he spoke again, "If you wish to please me then think carefully about what you might want or could possibly use. I intend to equip you for your services to me, so I recommend you take me up on my offer and request something of me. Think back to your previous life if you have to, what luxuries did you wish you had in the midst of your simple life."

 

[Rebecca Fourtuna]

She smiled with a slight blush of embarrassment at her masters mirth but grinned as he seemed pleased with her antics rather than angered.

Then he asked her a question that gave her pause. There was nothing she had ever truly wanted. As a young girl growing up in the slums then being sold by her parents as a slave she had never really seen any grandeur, and any that she did see was taken and obtained by pirates through murder and schemes that turned her stomach.

But he said it would please him so she pondered. Her old life? She had barely any memory of it.

She remembered Philip. She remembered the times they shared but nothing of her old life as a human girl. Not to mention her complete lack of memory regarding her life as the kings protector. So she walked through the market with only her cloak around her as many stared and gawked.

“I’m...I’m not sure what I could want..” She said finally as every stall she Passed seemed lacking in what she desired. Her cloak was useful and a gift from someone she respected. Compared to that every thing seemed so....useless.

That was when a scent hit her nose and she paused. Cooking meat. Her stomach growled and she looked to her master. An old man was turning a massive hog on a spit towards the center of the market selling its meat by the slice to patrons as they passed.

It had been a few days since she’d eaten and since her last meal of cow at the village he had found her in had been interrupted she was starving. Hard to think on an empty stomach as they say...Well at least she figured someone had said that before though she wasn’t sure where.

“Master may..May I have that?” She asked pointing to the mans stall. Perhaps a meal would give him time to help her think of what she really needed from this place. “She’ll need your guidance.” Is what Kaly had said after all.

 

[Kalia Oro Khastan]

He looked at where she pointed and let out another chorus of laughter, "Yes, of course my dear Rebecca! let's get you fed!"
He purchased a leg of the pig for a few coppers. Judging by the fact that she was attempting to eat a whole cow when he found her he doubted it would be enough, but if she was hungry after the leg he could buy her another one. He took the wrapped package and they found a tree to sit under before he unwrapped it and handed her the greasy cooked leg.

"If you have need for anything I don't want you to be afraid to ask me. I am no longer aware of physical needs so it will be up to you to remind me whenever you require anything.
And if you want some advice, take smaller bites and eat slower. You can savor the flavor and it will actually fill you up more if it takes you longer to eat it.
And also you won't get any strange looks if you don't unhinge your jaw and inhale your food."

He sized her up. She wore nothing but his cloak right now which could draw attention besides her inhuman traits. He didn't mind it himself but if she was to work beside him it would be to both of their benefit if she learned the value of modesty.
He devised a little quiz to possibly begin the process of teaching her. She had no inhibitions otherwise.
"Rebecca... Tell me your thoughts. Imagine you were that man I just ordered that leg from, what do you think he saw when we approached his stall?"

 

[Rebecca Fourtuna]

Rebecca was froze with her jaw unhinged and about to inhale the pig leg when she had paused at her masters advice. “Oh.” She said. Her jaw clicking back into place as she blushed with embarrassment.

It wasn’t that she didn’t know it was terrifying to look at so much as she had simply never thought about it. Now she was aware of all of the eyes on her.

A woman passing with her son had seen the display and had paled, frozen in fear as the child gawked as well. Once she had begun taking normal bites they hurried along. No doubt guards would be coming soon to look at things.

“Sorry..” She said looking down at her feet as she ate with small bites quietly. It was still a savage looking display as she tore at it like a barbarian after a siege but the pig leg had at least not been inhaled. She looked at him curiously at his question and looked down at her own naked body.

Her fur covered most of her legs and arms but her breasts to her flower were as smooth and bare as the day she was born. “Um..they saw me...and you..so...They saw us?” She said quizzically. Her mind was working so hard you could almost see the smoke rising from her ears. Finally all that was left was a thick leg bone of the hog.

She had completely cleaned it of all meat and gristle. She snapped it in half sucking out the marrow before chucking the to halves into her mouth as well crunching away. She finally swallowed and sighed.

“I do feel more full..” She said finally after the crunching stop and she swallowed.

 

[Kalia Oro Khastan]

He nodded, "Yes, he did see us. More importantly, he saw a giant in bronze armor with a female companion wearing nothing but a cloak to cover herself. It doesn't mean much to you or to me, we know the truth. But that man saw a bronze armored giant, possibly a soldier or general from another country, and his concubine, consort, or slave."

"Slavery is illegal in many of these countries, I myself had it done away with in Djedi Akhmis because of its reprehensible uses. But people who see us may assume that I own you, and that is further expounded upon by your inhuman nature and their own racism to a degree."

He waited for her to finish the bones before going on.
"If you look at the other people around us everyone is dressed in clothing, from the rich to beggars, from soldiers to children. You yourself wore rags before they washed away, do you remember why?"

 

[Rebecca Fourtuna]

“My master had given them to me?” She looked slightly puzzled but seemed to have gotten the message at least enough to look at other around her and cover herself with her arms.

“I see..” she said slowly glancing about. “Could you he-help me pick some then?” She asked softly “I don’t guess I would know what to wear..” she said the blush slightly returning as she seemed once again to realize her surroundings, and how much she stuck out. Her tail flicked back and forth nervously as she glanced about begging to notice even more staring.

 

[Kalia Oro Khastan]

That's good, she's somewhat aware of herself. Clothing would be a good start, but he also wanted to give her some light armor. He knew she didn't need it but the aesthetic is what he was going for.
"Of course, Rebecca. What's your favorite color? We'll buy you something functional in a color you prefer and then see what sort of armor you can wear. It wouldn't do for a bodyguard to look like a common villager."

He watched her growing nervousness and self-consciousness. This was good too, and she'll get used to he idea of wearing clothes eventually. But still...
"Think of it this way, we are playing dress-up. You aren't dressing to please them you are dressing to please me. I think it's better for us to look the part of our new role as an adventuring party. We're a team now, Kalia and Rebecca, freelance adventurers. And in reality I am a king and you are my bodyguard. Together we'll become rich and famous!"

 

[Rebecca Fourtuna]

It seemed Rebecca was taking a turn for the worse and becoming quite embarrassed the more self aware he made her. It seemed the way she coped with her abnormal appearance was to put it from her mind completely and yet with her masters words it was slowly returning.

The idea of modesty bringing with it the fact that she would never be truly normal no matter how much she dressed up. Despite the powerful deep, personal insights to herself however one thing rose above them all and took precedent over her mind. Play dress up. Rebecca LOVED to play. “Play?” She asked sitting up and looking at him immediately with an intense look of pure concentrated excitement. “Dress up?” She said circling around her master a few dozen times with enough speed to cause a small whirlwind.

The fierce wind blew around the square. One passing woman had her dress blown up revealing her undergarments. A man sitting close by had quite the look see readying a hoot before an empty bucket caught the wind and flew into his head laying him out cold. “Oi what’s all this then.” The village guard swaggered up. All three of them.

A lanky man with a rusty short sword seemed to be the leader. “Listen here my masked friend. I’m not sure wot th ‘ell that thing is but you better get it under control. Put it on a leash or something..” He looked about at the village as they seemed to be the center of attention. “It’s scaring folks.” He said almost apologetically as he drew nearer and his eyes widened at the masked mans size. His swagger evaporating along with his smug grin.

“P-please..” he asked under his breath so the village wouldn’t here. His eyes wandered from the masked man to Rebecca and rested shamelessly on her bare breasts. Rebecca jumped when she noticed this. Drawing her cloak tightly around her with a growl showing her 4 inch teeth which sprung out at the ready.

“I’m not a thing mister. I am however..still hungry.” She said with a dangerous edge to her tone sinking into a pouncing stance her eyes beginning to redden. It seemed she was quite sensitive about her appearance at the moment.

 

[Kalia Oro Khastan]

Kalia stood up, his size becoming even more apparent as he regarded the little guard. But his tone was its usual civil and easy going.
"Pardon me sir, My partner and I have just arrived from a long journey and she's simply excited to be in a village, she grew up in the countryside you see. In fact I was just in the process of teaching her proper conduct and you provide an excellent teaching tool."

He turned to Rebecca and used his voice to get her attention. "Rebecca, this is a village guard, they're crude and poorly trained but their function is to keep the peace in the village and deal with any trouble makers. Now, to show them that you are not a trouble maker, introduce yourself by stating your name, introducing whoever you're with, and telling them what you are doing. And then you offer your hand to shake. Watch how I do it."
He turned to the guard and proceeded to give an example, "Hello, I am Kalia Khastan, freelance adventurer. And this is not an "it", but her name is Rebecca Fourtuna. We are passing through to buy supplies and equipment for our profession." He stuck out his huge hand to the guard offering to shake.