With my bare/bear hands

[Mini Magi]

Making medicine was so easy in the stories. A bit of magic here, some pretty herbs there, and boom. A liquid that worked in an instant. Yul knew better though. Actual helping medicine that worked took a lot more effort, chemistry, and some dangerous ingredients too. And even then it wasn't going to work against everything. That's why elixirs were either rare, or ridiculously expensive... or fake. But his products weren't at the mercy of some mage, and honestly everyone with a few extra braincells and good memory could make them. The cost came at the work he had to put into making them. Now wanting to make more fortune by getting access to better ingredients, he had no other choice. He needed an assistant. But no one with a free will and ideas of competing with him. He needed someone... obedient. It was already mid day when he arrived in the halls not far off the town center. The sky was cloudy, it was still warm, and the smell of food was in the air. Wasting no time he went to a slave merchant.

The building was in pristine shape. Not one of the usual cobblestone buildings, but instead it had smooth walls. A couple just came out of the store with a large cat man in tow when he entered. And the slaves themselves were arranged at the walls of a large hall, each in their own decently sized cage. "Greetings." The owner, or at least a trader of this establishment approached Yul. Oddly enough, he didn't react to his eyes. Probably has seen and done things worse. "Sup? I'm here for the most obvious." The merchant nodded to him and rubbed his hands, but despite the smile his words weren't as kind. "Excuse me sir, but the merchandise here at this store is rather expensive." As a symbolic slap with a white glove, Yul just grinned at him and put a small pouch full of gold coins onto the hands he rubbed, much to the surprise of the merchant. He opened it, and lowered his head. "I apologize for my rudeness. Now then. What sort of slave do we seek today? Labor slave? Combat slave? Or perhaps you'd like a sex slave?" Handing him the bag back, he took Yul around the store. "Mainly a labor slave, but I wouldn't mind a pretty face. But... Do you have any others? The ones on display here lack a certain something." A bit unsure what to do with the answer, the merchant did pick up on the latter part at least and guided him to the back of the store, and down the stairs. This part of the building was more like a prison, with cells and chains holding the slaves in place. The merchant's lantern was the only thing that gave light in these halls to further lower the chances of escapes. 

 

Edited July 19, 2021 by Lusterless Nova

[Thatannoyinggod]

As the hustle and bustle of the street goes on, and the various sales being made in the slave trade shop, down below in the basement area it is quiet and dark, save for the sounds of chains rattling and a rather bad sounding cough. The slave sat in her cell, her back pressed against the cold stone wall. She was in the far back portion of the cell block, the other cells empty beside hers. Every few minutes, her head jerked down as she coughed, her voice raspy from the continued cough and lack of water or medicine. She stopped bothering to cover her mouth, letting the saliva and other expelled fluids fly onto the sack cloth "dress" that she wore.

When a light suddenly winked into existence in the dark, musty place, she squinted when she looked it's way, even the still far off light offending her eyes. Sheraz tried to sniff at the air, but the heavy scents of sweat and her own sickness flooded and clogged her senses. The merchant leading the customer tried to go right past her cell, having already decided that her illness would take her within the next few days. Her dirty, loose hair was covering most of her face, but when her eyes met the dark eyes of the customer's, she gave him a flash of the defiant beast that dwelled beneath her before donning the blank, unimposing face that she had worn for so many masters for so many years. 

 

[Mini Magi]

Oh? Now what did we have here? Yul couldn't tell until he saw her, but it felt like there was something interesting in the air. Just a bit further in and he found the source of this feeling. There was a girl in one of those cells. Notably bigger than him, and... in an odd state between wrath and weakness. "Oh? What's with this one?" The merchant looked at Yul in a bit of shock. On a side note: "Got him!" thought Yul as he finally got the reaction he wanted. "Young master, I really think-" "You're not here to think. You're here to sell, aren't you?" The merchant couldn't disagree here. Plus, it would be better to sell this one off quickly. After a bit of back and fourth, Yul handed him the appropriate amount of coins to buy her, but had one more little command. "And I don't suppose you have the key to her cell, do you?" He couldn't! The merchant had a feeling that something bad was about to happen, but... He sighed. It wouldn't be his problem, and he wouldn't have to bother with this girl for at least a while even in a worst case scenario. With that, the merchant left and gave Yul a key. "Pleasure doing business with your fine establishment. Care to leave us alone for a bit? And borrow me the lantern okay?" This was all fine with him. The merchant did as told, then left. Yul waited till he was out of the area, then turned to the girl now that they have some private time.  

Yul came a bit closer to the cage and gave the girl a closer look. A lung infection, dehydration, and general exhaustion at least. Probably more. "Sup?" He grinned at her. Where others would try to arm themselves against her with at least a shield, he was perfectly calm. Playful even. "You're not so mad you forgot how to speak, did you?" In hindsight, he probably should have checked that detail sooner. But oh well. And in her defense, her health has been neglected for some time it seemed. Reaching into his pockets, Yul took out a leather bottle, gave it a little shake to let her hear there was something inside "Want some?", then tossed it inside, aiming for just the right spot beside her before she could reply. The need was obvious, and he might as well start on a good note. Inside of it was water. Simple, but he figured she wasn't in the mood to be picky.

[Thatannoyinggod]

She watched as the merchant and the customer stood at her cage, unable to chime in or put any of her thoughts into the situation. The customer looked normal enough, aside from his odd eyes, but she didn't really have much to say about one's looks, thinking about how she must look right now. When they began to negotiate price, she eyed the white haired male curiously, wondering why he would want to purchase her when she was so close to death. When the two finally came to accords, she almost let out a sigh of defeat. Well, at least this one won't have me for too long, I guess. she thought to herself.

As the merchant walked out, she followed him with her eyes until her new owner spoke. She wanted to growl at his arrogant tone, but she didn't have the energy for it. She did give him a small taste of defiance though, seeing as how they hadn't put the slave's mark upon her body yet. Her voice was cracked as she spoke, but one could still hear the pleasant lightness and steel in it that it normally would be if she were properly cared for. "Mad...no. Tired and weak, yes." When the bottle was produced, she eyed him cautiously, not wanting to reach out close to him just yet. She watched as he tossed it beside her, and she had to hold herself back from going after it like a wild animal. She took small sips out of it, reminding her that if she chugged it, she might just make herself more sick. After she took several sips, she finally began to move, standing up to her towering height. Even though she was ill, it seemed to have not diminished any of her looks, her slim muscled body still having its pleasant curves and bust. She slowly moved, not wanting to cause the master to hit her or something, and returned the water to him. "Thank you, Master. If I may know, what kind of slave work do you intend for me?" She slightly bit at the word master before reminding herself of her place, taking on the blank expression and body language of a subservient slave.

[Mini Magi]

God damn. That was a big girl. Sure, he could make out details before, but only now that she came close to his borrowed lantern did he see all the details. She was quite well build too. Could probably crush him between her legs if she wanted. Ideas like that were for later though. First of all, he calmly took his bottle back. "A mix of light work and hunting. But worry about that later. First I'll get you back into shape. Care to list all that is bothering you right now? Like a headache, sore spots and so on?" Yul listened carefully to the list she gave him. All in all it sounded like she had a serious cold. Nothing un-fixable, but it progressed to a severe stage at this point. The fact that she was still alive gave testament to her strength and will. Good~ If he could choose between a doormat or a fighter, he'd go with the one he could rely on. "I see i see. By the way. My name is Yul B. Allwright." He grinned sheepishly. "Get it?" It was perfect, really. Almost as if he had chosen it himself. "So to ease the tension, you are to call me master only when there are people around. When we are between ourselves, stick to Yul. And you are?" Come to think of it, he COULD give her a name himself. A punny one~ "Or would you rather have ME of all people give you a new one?" But she decided to be a spoilsport. Fine. He'll have a chuckle anyway. Reaching into his pockets again, Yul took out another bottle. White in color and with no label, and a piece of cloth on which he poured a few droplets of the bottle's contents. "I need to know if your sense of smell is affected. Can you tell me what this smells like?" He held the piece of cloth away from him, and aaaall the way to her, avoiding breathing in any fumes too by lowering his breath. A moment after she put it close to her nose, her head would get fuzzy, her vision blurry, and Yul's amused voice was the last thing she heard "The correct answer is: Chlorophorm~" before it all went dark.

[Thatannoyinggod]

She tilted her head to the side, almost animalistically, at the odd and short way the small pale male described her work. She gave him a doubtful look when he stated he would help her. She internally sighed, going along with what her new master wished of her. "I have frequent moments where my body feels cold inside, but hot at the same time. I am tired and physically exhausted most of the time. I have a rather bad cough and trouble breathing. My nose continues to leak as well." As she gave the list of her ailments, she coughed several times, making sure to turn her head away from her master. 

When he gives her his name, she doesn't laugh at the joke, continuing the blank slave face that she usually wore for her masters. She struggled to not glare at the arrogance of Yul, but kept her composure. "My name is Sheraz. Though, as my master, you may call me whatever you wish." She was a little confused by the amount of conversation she was giving to her. Maybe she was his first slave? Either way, there wasn't much she could do about the situation. At least he wasn't immediately beating her like a previous one did. When he pulled out the liquid to test her sense of smell, she didn't catch what it was the moment the bottle was opened. That did peak her curiosity. As soon as the vapors entered her nose, she felt the affects. Her vision became blurry, sounds began to sound distant. The last thing she heard before slipping to unconsciousness...was the snarky remark made by Yul.

[Mini Magi]

Heh. Like a falling tree. After a quick note to not stand near her if he did that again, Yul opened the cage and got to work. First of all, he got her off the ground and over his shoulder, then over his neck, carrying her pretty much like a sack. A princess carry was more romantic, yeah, but not when the girl in question was this big. She also weighed more than him (in a respectful way), so no way he could carry her in his arms the whole way. Once she was properly secured, Yul went upstairs, let the slave mark get applied, went out, through the streets, and straight home.

His home was a 2 story building with a basement. Nothing too special about it. The floors were wide enough for a couple rooms, the front door was metal instead of wood like the others, and barred windows decorated all walls. After opening the doors, Yul put her onto one of the patient beds, and went to the counter. The first floor was basically just a few beds with a curtain for all of them, a counter with many shelves and cupboards behind it, and a bench in front of it. A simple, but functional doctor's office, and currently empty too save for his not so little slave. "Let's see... This against fever... This should help with the cough, and..." He looked through all shelves for various medicines. A syrup was his choice against the cough, and it would do well to soothe her throat too while at it. And then of course, his most powerful weapon. A white powder. Bacteria hated this stuff~

Last thing he took with him was a small cylinder, about as big as a finger, cracked it open, and held it under her nose. Ammonia salts~ The moment she woke up, he instantly took a step back, just in case. "Morning sunshine. You missed the slave mark and the welcoming party, but before you mope about that, shut up and take these." First the syrup. It was in a small cup, green in color and thick. While the color was off putting, it smelled... sweet? "This here is against your cough. Try to take it in big gupls so it spreads properly." Then he gave her another cup, this time with water in her hand, and onto the other he placed a pill. "This one is against the fever. And you might as well take it together with this here." Lastly the odd powder. He put that on a spoon, then held it to her. Both the pill and powder were tasteless, though very mildly salty if one was picky enough.

[Thatannoyinggod]

She jolted awake when he used the smelling salts, her eyes almost audibly popping open. She immediately sat up, looking over her surroundings. A hospital? No...not really built like one. As he called her sunshine, her gaze immediately fell onto Yul. As he mentioned that the slave mark was already applied, she realized the all too familiar pang in her right shoulder was because that was where he had it applied. It was an odd place, but she honestly didn't mind it. At least it wasn't in a provocative location like most people did with the slave marks. She was about to protest when she heard him tell her to shut up. Instantly, her previous slave trainings kicked in, and she kept her mouth closed. She took the syrupy medicine and did as he said. She wanted to grimace at the sickeningly sweet stuff. Then she obediently took the remainder of the medicine. She still coughed a few times, but it was far less scratchy feeling and it sounded much better already. She gave a nod of thanks to Yul, not wanting to speak and get in some kind of trouble. 

[Mini Magi]

An obedient patient. His favorite kind~ Way better than the little crying brats he usually kicked out. After she took all her medicine, Yul took the cup and spoon back for now and brought them to the counter. "Afraid I will hit you?" He asked while he walked. Truth be told, he was a bit afraid of doing that. His DA wasn't that effective on brawny types, and she was definitely going to be a problem if she for some reason had to fight him. Luckily thanks to that mark, she pretty much couldn't, but the thought was still there. He came back to her with 2 apples that he sliced up at the counter quickly, a bucket with warm water, and a towel. After giving her the sliced up apples, he put the bucket down and sat on the bed, gesturing at himself as he spoke. "Let me make something crystal clear: I'm a smug, arrogant, handsome, smartass. Not a piece of shit. One is a pain in your ass, the other causes pain in your ass. And I'm the smarter kind of those two. I mean really. What's the point in beating your own slave? Might as well break your sword in two. You get me?." Yul reached into his pocket one more and gave her a piece of cloth, then shook his head. "No worries. This one doesn't have my special Eau de Passthefuckout. I had my fair share of carring you around anyway. Just clean your face up a little and sit up so I get to your back, will you?" Once she did as told, Yul went behind the head end of the bed, pulled up her shirt... respectfully observed the well defined back before him, and began cleaning her up with the soaked towel. "I am at the same time no hero though. You're my slave until you, or we both die. So... Consider what I am doing right now an investment I expect to be paid back in kind with good ol fashioned work. Sounds easy enough, and not that abusive, don't you think?" With her back done, he went on to clean her sides as far as the towel could reach, then her shoulder and neck. Aside from the fact that it was an actual warm towel, and not just a cold one, he also didn't try moving further than her sides. And that was for a good reason.

Once he was done, he went to her side, put the bucket on a stool beside the bed, and held the towel to her. "Do some cleaning up yourself will you? I'll go make us dinner in the meantime. Are you feeling more in the mood for cream stew, or chicken soup?" The respectful thing would have been to go and start walking away. Yul however was not that. Nope. He sat down on the next bed, put his right leg over his left, leaned forward, put a hand on his chin, and observed potentially good rub down about to happen. "Just pretent I am not here."

Edited July 21, 2021 by Lusterless Nova

[Thatannoyinggod]

Since he asked the question, she decided to take the chance and speak up. "Not scared...more expectant of it. A lasting impression of previous...training." She watched as he went across across the room, gathering up various things. When he returned with the apples, she took them and ate them dutifully, now realizing just how hungry she actually felt. She listened to his little speech, having heard similar ones before. And in the end, they always result to beatings anyway. She was a little surprised that he admitted to his arrogance, not many people really noticed that about themselves. She wanted to scoff at his joke about the chloroform, but thought it wouldn't be prudent. She did allow herself a brief moment of rolling her eyes at it though. She took the towel and began to scrub her face and neck, feeling genuine relief of ridding herself of the thick layer of dirt that coated her. She sat up straight and removed the sack cloth garment, letting it fall to the ground to the side. She wasn't shy about her body seeing as it wasn't necessarily hers any more. Hadn't been for a long time. As he wiped down her back, she decided to test the waters a little on just how he would react to things. "Mas...Yul. Do you have anything that I might wear aside from that rag? Or do you want me to continue to look like a raggedy beggar?" 

She waited to move until he was finished wiping her down. As much as it was odd for a slave's owner to cleanse them like this, she was thankful for it. Between the medicine he gave her earlier and her body finally getting cleaned, Sheraz was beginning to feel like herself again. She tilted her head at the question and thought about it for a moment. "Cream stew would be preferable to me right now." She took the now quite dirty towel from him and dipped it into the bucket and rung it out, cleaning it up a little more. She looked to him, expecting him to leave to make food like he said he would, but the arrogant little one just sat down on the bed opposite to her. At his final comment, she smirked and scoffed a little, shaking her head. If he's wanting a show...fine, I'll give him a show. 

She turned on the table and stretched out one of her long legs, as though showing it off while her other leg was just placed to block view of her loins, but still tease the viewer. She slowly and methodically wiped down her foot, her tight muscled calves, her thighs that seemed to be the perfect proportion of toned muscle and fat. Every movement was sensual and the towel left her bronze skin glistening from water droplets in the light. She shifted her position so that she could do the same to her other leg. She went over her curvy hips and butt slowly, using the towel to just barely cover herself when she would come to his view. Then she wiped up her tight, toned stomach towards her chest. The slave slid the towel through her cleavage first, making her well endowed breasts jiggle just a little. Then she wiped over them as well, giving each one her full attention. By the time she was finished, the water in the bucket was dark, brown, and murky. Her whole body shone in the light as she poured a little of the water on her head, trying to wash out her hair and untangle the silvery mess.

[Mini Magi]

She didn't simply follow suit. Oh no. She put on a show and he knew it. How she started from the bottom of her body, showing off her legs, practically guiding his eyes on a tour across her body. He remained quiet, letting her do her own thing from start to finish. By the time she got to her hair, Yul clapped his hands calmly. "My girl is sexy and she knows it~" Smiling, quite happy with the display, Yul got up, put his hands behind his back, and went for the stairs. "Since you made that bed wet, probably in more ways than one, finish up your hair and get comfy in another one. I really don't need your cold getting any worse." And with that, he left her mostly to her own devices. Why wouldn't he? She seemed smart enough to know her place, and she wasn't getting far anyway with that mark on her shoulder. Guards really didn't like seeing slaves on their own when it was this dark outside, and she wasn't going to fight any of them in that condition.

At least it gave her time to explore her surroundings. The bed she was in now was one of 6 that were simply arranged at the wall. Each had its own curtain that could be drawn all around it for privacy. The material she was lying on was also not simply straw. It was a genuine mattress, and the 5 other beds had those too, making them quite soft and comfy to lie on. The pillows were soft too, probably full of downs, and so were the sheets. If nothing else, it was a good insight of how Yul treated people physically. A peek over to the counter showed many, MANY bottles. Some small, some large, each having really odd names, such as Amoxicillin, Buprenorphine, or Albuterol, which were usually either in a powdered, or liquid form. There were also symbols on them, but except for the skull with crossed bones, they were difficult to describe. Past the counter was a door, and judging by the sign on it, it was a bathroom. The next interesting things to note were that the windows were proper glass windows with wooden frames, but also barred on the outside, and that the door leading in and out was solid metal rather than wood. Probably with a really solid lock too.

The last thing worth mentioning were the stairs, which were either going up or down. The one leading down had the equivalent of a cell door, made of iron bars, and there was no door for the stairs going up. There was little time to wonder about that though because Yul came back quite quick, holding a quite big pot in front of him that had a ladle sticking out. "I was a bit worried you might not appreciate warmed up leftovers, buuuut I don't think you're in the mood to be picky." After getting close enough to her bed, Yul kicked a nearby chair carefully to her new bed until it was at her side, then put the pot down. It smelled... wonderfully. Like actual food, not something that would equal soldier rations. "And I really understand that you are hungry, but don't eat too fast, got it? Give your brain time to catch up with your stomach, or we'll have another problem on the list." Once he assumed she got what he meant, he handed her the ladle, and went to the previously wetted bed.

Not a sliver of anger was on him right now. He just did his work, taking off the sheets, drying the worst spots with a towel and some ellbow grease, and putting the mattress upright against the wall to help it dry a bit better while he pulled up a new pillow and sheets. "By the way?" He spoke up while putting the mattress back into place. "About your clothes. You'll have to endure those rags for another day or two. I have a good assumption of your measurements thanks to your little show, but I can't guarantee that I get something fitting just right." By now the bed was as clean as the others again, and all that was left was to take care of the bucket. First of all though, he directed hs attention to her again though, looking surprisingly calm considering his position and the work he just had to do. "Worry about getting back to full health for now, and once you are, we'll go do some shopping and talk about your work. Sound good?"

[Thatannoyinggod]

Yul's compliment was surprising, but also pleasing to Sheraz. She even cracked a smirk at it, though she tried to hide it from the odd male. As he left, she continued to finish working out her hair. It wasn't perfect, but it was far more manageable than how it was previously. As she surveyed the room, she found a piece of black ribbon in a trash bin. She shrugged and pulled it out, using the ribbon to tie back her hair from her face. She sighed, still standing naked in the room. She looked to the sackcloth garment with sneer, but guessed it was better than her health getting worse. She put it back on and walked over to one of the other beds. While her body was feeling a little better already, she still needed more rest. 

When he returned to the room, she could tell he was near before he opened the door. Her nose picked up the smell of food...real food! Not just some crappy half molded bread and stale water. She heard her stomach rumble, quickly bringing her arms around it to muffle the noise. She nodded when he told her not to eat too quickly, though she was ready to turn the pot over and inhale it. She practiced self control, eating the soup slowly. She watched him clean the bed up that she was previously on, tilting her head in that confused animal way she has done several times now. When he brought up the subject of clothing, her shoulders slumped in defeat as she was sentenced to wearing the sackcloth for another day or two. It wasn't that she was some frilly girl that wants clothes constantly, she just hated the smell of the sackcloth and the itchy feeling of it. "I suppose it cannot be helped. Thank you for what you have done already. I was sure I was going to waste away in that cage."

[Mini Magi]

Genuine gratitude? My my~ If he didn't watch it, he might start genuenly liking her. "And that would have been a waste from what I see. After all..." He went closer to her, then put his finger on one of her scars. It was now that his aura changed. Up until now he was pretty much as he described himself, high and mighty, with a pinch of humor. But now? It was as if his eyes were yearning, lusting for something that wasn't sexual. A craving only few could describe properly. Animosity. "You've got a score to settle, don't you?" He knew how scars formed, and how they looked like depending on what caused them. Hers were straight, as if cut into her by metal tools. Others were a bit uneven, burst wounds from getting hit by a hard and probably heavy object. Just when the silence and dread were seeminly about to reach their peak, Yul suddenly broke the silence with a chuckle. "Oh don't mind me and my crazy little theories." He put the pot into the bucket from earlier, picked both up, and went heading upstairs again. "Shitter is over there, try to get some sleep, and I'll see you in 8 hours. Cool? Cool. Nighty night." And with that, he left her to her rest.

 

[Thatannoyinggod]

As he stepped closer, she thought he was going to try to flirt with her, seduce her, something along those lines. What she didn't expect was him to touch one of her large scars. She had came to terms with the scars along time ago, not trying to hide them or be ashamed of them, but she hadn't gotten much of the same acceptance from other people. Previous masters would ridicule her for being stupid and maring her otherwise beautiful body. Even then, she had told no body of the truth behind those scars. So when this male who had only known of her for a day mentions that she has a score to settle, she is completely unable to hide her shock.

She looked at him wide eyed, scared of what he might know or at least think he might know. And in a flash, he seemed to shut down the entire moment and run out on her. He was long gone by the time she was able to get a word out of her mouth. "Uh...um...goodnight?" She laid down onto the bed, covering herself with the sheet and falling asleep instantly.

The next day, she was awake before Yul came to wake her. She felt well rested, despite not being used to sleeping on such a luxurious bed. The aching in her muscles seemed to have faded greatly, along with her fever. She felt more energized, and her cough had gone away. When her master walked into the room, she was stretching her body, the morning light shining through the window onto her bronze skin.

[Mini Magi]

The night was quiet, just as it should be, and by the time Yul managed to get down to the first floor again, Sheraz was already up. "Morning! Anything still bothering you?" Since 8 hours had passed, it was time for more medicine. So again armed with syrup, a tablet, white powder, and this time also with a big warm bowl of chicken soup, he went to her side and gave her everything again. She did look quite better already though. Almost a little too good. Sure, his medicine was good, but her recovery was surprising none the less. He crossed his arms, then brought one to his chin as he leaned forward to give her a better look. "Say. Does your type of breed recover faster by any chance?" It was a genuine innocent question, and with some luck she would take it as such. Still. Gifted horse and all that. "Well, unless you have to go to the bathroom, stay in bed until my first shift is done." Not that he didn't want to talk with her, but there were other matters ahead. So Yul went to each bed, closed all curtains, opened the main door, quetly said "Okay. Follow me." to the outside, and the first patient came in.

Over the course of the next 4 hours, Yul always had someone sit on the bench in front of the counter, talk about what ailed them, make some questions, and give them a closer look. It was mostly like any genuine doctor appointment. Except... "So here's the deal. I will put this stuff into you and it will ease the pain. But if you have any drugs in your system, you will basically shrivel up and die. So be honest. Did you take anything?" He said that to a teen who was complaining about being restless, unable to sleep, who at the mention of these consequences admitted having a bad friend. "See wasn't so difficult, was it?" There was little Yul could do against addictions, but he could give him pills to sleep with better... and die from them if he took them for too long or too many at once, so there was that again. Similar processes repeated, and maybe it was because of his first calm behavior, and then reving up the intrusiveness to 11, but people had trouble lying to him.

And while he did have some small breaks in between, it really did feel great when those 4 hours were over and he was free to take care of his latest investment. "Hey Sheraz!" He stretched out, finally feeling more comfortable after those long sitting sessions. After a deep sigh, he began approaching her bed. "If you're feeling up for it, how about we get some shopping done?" He wanted to give her more time to recover, but so far she looked almost splendid~ So long as he didn't make her do the initially planned work, she should be fine having a looong walk through town.

[Thatannoyinggod]

When he greeted her, she was startled a little, having been focused on working out some of the stiffness of her body. "Oh! Good morning mas...Yul. Um, mostly just my body is stiff from the time I spent sitting and laying down. Whatever you gave me yesterday seemed to help quite a lot." There was a little bit of surprise in her voice at the last part, her not having expected someone so young like him to be as skilled as he is at medicines. She eyed the medicine as he got it back out, wondering why she had to take the far too sweet syrup again if her cough was gone, but he was her owner so it was best to obey him. Once again, a shudder went through her as she took took syrup again. His curiosity about her "breed" caught her off guard, but he seemed genuinely curious so she didn't take offense at it. "We tend to be heartier than most humans, especially the bearfolk like myself. I don't know too much specific though, I haven't been around many of my kind in a long while." There seemed to be a slight sadness to her voice when she spoke, but she quickly dispelled it.

When she was told she had to stay in bed even longer, though the sun was up, the slave frowned, going quickly to the bathroom. As she returned to the bed, she was quietly grumbling to herself. As the hours went by, she never really tried to peek through the curtain, using her enhanced hearing to listen as Yul worked. She was shocked at his professionalism, him not being as much of an arrogant ass like he was the previous day...until the younger person came in with issues sleeping. She frowned at his bluntness, but saw the nessecity of it to keep his patient from dying because of stupid decisions. 

She was stretched out on her bed, her arms folded back behind her head when she heard him call out to him. She sat up quickly thanks to her previous trainings, already standing as he approached her bed. She had to contain her excitement at his offer, finally giving her a chance to get out of the uncomfortable rags and fully work out her body. "If you think we have the time for, I think thag would be a good use of it. What all do we need to get?" She would follow him as he would leave, not paying attention to how much of her legs and jiggling thighs were showing thanks to the short sackcloth garment. 

[Mini Magi]

Eager, up, and ready. Okay fine. He would at least internally admit that he liked her. "Groceries, clothes, and a weapon. Simple enough, ain't it?" He gestured her to follow him, reached behind the counter, tossed her a backpack roughly the size of her torso, and took a messenger bag for himself before heading out.

The city itself was by now wide awake. People were doing their own shopping, guards patrolled the area, and a couple groups of children hurried off to god knows where. "Stay close to me, got it?" Yul closed and locked the door behind him, and began leading the way. Luckily for them, people prefered to get out of their way. On one hand there was Yul, who looked not too far away from a demon. And on the other was a woman towering above most folks. Travelling through the crowds was quite easy. And after a bit of walking, they came to their first stop. An armorer. "The fuck are you doing here?" The moment Yul opened the door, one of the smiths was quick to voice his displeasure at this visitor in particular. "Oh please. We both know you only hate me because I usually don't buy any of your shit." But as usual, Yul kept his attitude. "Wait. usually?" It was now that Yul gestured Sheraz to get in, and the gargantuan amazon like woman immediately caught the attention of the 2 balcksmiths working, causing one of them to stop hammering a hot piece of iron. "Yup. As much as I hate your guts, I heard your stuff doesn't fall apart when it's needed. Be a friend and fix her up with something better than that dish rag. I'll go mock your merchandise in the meantime." One quick turn to Sheraz, "You be good and get yourself properly outfitted for combat, will you? And hit him if you have to. He loves it, trust me." He didn't, but Yul just left with a chuckle and began inspecting the knives.

Meanwhile, the older of the two approached. A middle aged man, brown hair, and full but short beard. Since she looked more friendly (though the bar wasn't exactly high considering Yul), he held his hand to her. "Greetings. My name is Victor, and that over there is Flik. Wanna take a look around, or do you want some assistance in finding the proper gear?"

[Thatannoyinggod]

She was pleased at his reasoning for going out, but she was a little confused at the statement of weaponry. Is he planning on arming me? She admittedly hadn't had much weapons training, having been used for...other tasks than combat. 

As they went down the street, she had no problem staying close to him. She nodded to him when he spoke to her. She looked out over the crowds, seeing easily over just about everyone's heads. That was one feature of her body that she particularly enjoyed. When on some errands before, her size was one reason she very rarely got mugged or encountered. As they approached the first stop, she saw that he wasn't joking. She heard the telltale sounds of hammers striking metal, the ringing of the anvils hurting her ears. Every ring made Sheraz wince.

As Yul talked to the smith, she held back a chuckle at the smith's surprise when Yul admitted to wishing to shop there. When her owner indicated for her to come inside, she stepped in, towering over the men here as well. After Yul was done addressing her, she responded in turn. "Yes, Master." She watched the older of the smiths approach her, the held hand out confusing her for a moment. She took it with a respectful amount of strength and shook it. "Hello, Victor and Filk. Assistance will probably be necessary. I would prefer something that is not movement restrictive. On the lighter side. I'm not much one for standing still when someone is attacking me. As for weaponry...of you wouldn't mind adding some plating on some gloves, that and a well balanced knife should be fine. Though I do have a little experience with hammers as well."

[Mini Magi]

A reasonable request. Light armor was no problem at all. "I think I have just the idea for you." He was about to take her away, but a familiar voice chimed in from the other side of the store. "And no top for her, you hear me? I want her to show off that body and give guys uncomfortable boners~" Victor sighed. Not only threw that his idea out the window, he also felt genuine pity. But there was coin to be made. "Plan B it is." Each of the smiths showed her something else. Flik was first and showed her underwear meant for fighters. The main difference was that the bras were made with a different type of cloth, keeping them thin, but at the same time not see through, and tough enough to not tear at the slightest bit of stress. "We have change rooms over there. Feel free to use one. I'll think about the rest in the meantime." And the best part? This was THE moment to ditch that sack.

Flik would later bring her gauntlets of different designs, some of them with spikes at the knuckles, each with a different size and sharpness. Next came shorts and footwear that ranged from shoes to long boots. She looked quite well already as far as he was concerned. Even gave her a respectul nod. But work wasn't done yet. Next came weapons. "When it comes to knives, there are many types. But if you are a beginner I suggest single edged ones. Like the ones over here." Different handles, similar looking metals. Victor insisted on steel over iron, but the rest, was up to her. Lastly the big weapon, so Victor took her with him one more time to the polearms. "If you want one, pick whatever suits your needs." The most popular ones seemed to be hammers and axes. Some even had both, a big blade on one side, and a hammerhead at the other. Again she was free to choose what she prefered so long as it was steel and not iron.

[Thatannoyinggod]

She sighed quietly when Yul had chimed in his requirement, not really surprised that the arrogant little snake would want to use her enticing looks as an asset as well. She was still trying to figure out her new owner. There were times he seemed like a decent person, helping others and...well treating her like a person and not disposable property. And then there were the times that he was a crass, arrogant prick. 

As soon as Filk brought out the underwear and mentioned a changing room, her face lit up with genuine joy and glee. She almost ran over the poor smith as she bolted to the room, snatching the under clothes from his displaying hands. When she put them on, she quickly examined herself in them. The bra piece was comfortable, not digging in her shoulders or arm pits. She had to so some slight adjustment of her breasts as they seemed just a hair too big for the garment. The pantie portion hugged her body with a comfortable tightness, covering her butt while still showing its perfect shape, the waistband resting high on her hips. 

When she exited the room in only the underwear, she looked to one of the open flames of the smithy and promptly tossed the hated sackcloth garment into the hungry flames. She had a very satisfied look on her face as she returned to the men. The shorts were quite acceptable to her, fitting quite well on her. Apparently they took Yul's bones comment to heart, because like the panties, the shorts fit to her snuggly and showed off her ass quite pleasantly to any viewer. As the gauntlets were shown to her, she tried on each one, testing the feel and mobility of them. Eventually, she decided on a pair of thick leather gloves that had studded plates riveted to them. They weren't the most armored pair, but they wouldn't impede her hands ability to grip or such, and the plates could be used to block a glancing blade if needed. Looking over the foot wear, she decided upon a pair of of knee high armored boots.

As she moved around now, there was a slight clunk or thud as she stepped, the addition of the armor with her own strength making even her walking an intimidating force. She looked over the daggers that Victor had advised, thanking him of his expertise. She tested the grips of several, flicking it between a forehand and backhand grip. She eventually happened upon a dark bone handled dagger that had a curved blade, almost reminiscent of a bears tooth. It seemed to call to her, feeling natural to her hands when she picked it up. "This one. No question." Her voice was firm as she said it, as though the large woman wouldn't take a no for any reason. When she was brought over to the polearms, she looked over them with curious face. She had never seen so many weapons like these, especially with so many differing designs. Tucked in the back, she saw the glint of steel that interested her. She pulled out a pole that was the same height as her. One end had a small, but devastating looking hammerhead, with the other end being a steel spike. She did a few test movements with it, controlling it with a comfort that would eventually grow to being quite a bit of skill. She looked to the middle aged man with a grin. "I like it. This will do nicely." She walked over to her owner, standing a bit more confidently than she had that morning. "Well, Master. What do you think?"

Edited July 23, 2021 by Thatannoyinggod

[Mini Magi]

Victor and Flick were satisfied with their work. Where once was a slave stood now a warrior as far as they were concerned. And a damn fine looking one as well if that thought was allowed. Upon being called over, the third male in the room came over (after putting back the knives he looked at earlier), and crossed his arms as he paced around her. "Hm..." He eyed every spot, partly because of the obvious interest, and mostly because he tried to analyze how well it suited her combat wise. "Hmmmmmm..." Something wasn't right. Yul took a few steps back, arms still crossed. "It's okay I guess, but it lacks that special something. Help me out guys, or am I just seeing things?" Victor gave her another look too, though he did so from a more respectable distance. "Well it's not the weapons. The dagger is almost a shortsword, which fits her size. And the hammer has an ideal body height to length ratio." Victor compared some pieces of armor that were left, but shook his head after comparing them to hers. "I get what you mean Yul, but it's not the armor or boots either. I even made small adjustments on the fly to make things fit better."

So not the armor, and not the weapons? One last look, and he chuckled. "Found it. Gimme a minite. Oh and Flick? I need some cloth, about 3 centimeters wide, about as long as your lower arm, and preferribly black." Yul meanwhile went to the accessory section and runmaged through the gauntlets again until... "Heh. Found it. All of you close your eyes for a minute." Sheraz had luckily no choice but to do just that, and the blacksmiths had their curiosity peaqued, so they followed suit after Flick gave him the cloth. "Now hold still." He got behind her and pulled the ribbon off, ignoring where it was from as they had more important things to keep track off. After tossing it aside, he used the cloth to make a bow around the base of her new ponytail, put a metal armlet over it, and weaved the ribbon into its inner side. "There we go. Okay, everyone look now." The blacksmith nodded, smiled even because yes, that was indeed the missing detail. Yul, excited about her own opinion, simply grabbed the next best polished shield, held it at the handles on the other side with one arm, and brought it up at a distance to her. "I was considering to let you walk around in underwear only, but I think this has more class, don't you agree?"

[Thatannoyinggod]

As both Yul and Victor were talking about the outfit missing something, Sheraz looked herself over, trying to figure it out herself. She thought it looked pretty good. She even felt...disappointment that Yul hadn't approved, which was a weird feeling for her. Her shoulders slumped a little, the confidence she was previously exuding slowly falling away from her. 

She was about ready to go stand in a corner, to wait for Yul to be ready to go when her owner apparently had a revelation about her outfit. When he said to close their eyes, she gave him a questioning look. She was about to ask why, but her slave training kicked in, and she obeyed immediately. She felt her hair being messed with, the mass of hair dropping down against her bare back. Then she felt her hair going back up. Impressively, no hairs were yanked in the process. She opened her eyes, seeing all of the males smiling at her. Did he change my hair style or something? She was about to ask the question out loud when Yul showed her using a mirrored shield. There was now a metal band at the base of her ponytail. It did indeed tie in the entire outfit. She gave her owner a bright smile that made the amazon like female look cuter than anyone could imagine. 

[Mini Magi]

Even she approved of it, so it was settled. "So. How much for all of that?" Yul asked while he put the shield away. What followed was some back and forth with Yul sometimes agreeing, sometimes disagreeding on the prices of individual pieces. But lo and behold, they did reach a point where they were all satisfied, and Yul put a small amount of gold coins into Victor's hand. "If any of these break, I'll come looking for you." To which victor only nodded. "I'll ask for a story first, but repairs are on us of course." One handshake later, Yul headed out again without another word. And while they didn't have many words for Yul, both blacksmiths wished Sheraz luck with whatever she needed that gear for.

Once outside, Yul led the way again, but turned his head to get another good look at Sheraz as she walked at his side. "If you're curious: The reason why I don't like him is because he disguised himself as beggar once to get free treatment. But I can't say his work is as shabby as him. You're looking good~" Very lightly armored, and just the right amount of skin was shown to merely border on nudity. A golden balance so to speak. "Be honest with me now. Do you think you can fight in your current condition?" It would change the plans he had for today depending on her answer. "And I really mean "be honest", not "Tell me what I want to hear."

 

[Thatannoyinggod]

She was still looking herself over in the shield as the two men discussed pricing for her new gear. She performed different poses, getting various angles of her new outfit. She finally finished when they seemed to have come to an accord. As they left, she gave them a smile and a small wave as they wished her luck. 

When Yul finally explained the story behind his dislike of the rather pleasant smith, her eyebrows raised up. "Ah...that makes some sense now. I rather liked them. They do indeed make excellent crafts." She was trying to get used to his repeated compliments of her looks. He seemed genuine in them, but she couldn't tell if it was attraction or pride in his property. The way his black eyes looked her over didn't help solve her confusion either. 

The sudden subject change made her mind screech to a halt, trying to keep up with his twisty turny thought pattern. She looked herself over, giving it actual thought since he wanted her honest assessment. "Physically, I feel fine for combat. Whatever it was that you gave me has greatly improved my health. But it would probably be advisable to give me a couple days to get used to the added weight on me and to get comfortable with the placement of my weaponry. I wouldn't want to start running and trip over myself because I planned a step that fell short because of my boots, or prepare to grab a weapon, only to reach just to the side of it and get struck when I could have blocked." She knew that wouldn't be the answer that he would want to hear, but she held herself confidently as she said it, keeping eye contact with him.

[Mini Magi]

So by now it wasn't a matter of health, but practical experience. Fair. "We'll get you some practical experience then. But later. First we will have to take care of the pantry." With that said, Yul took her to the market. He could cook well, but not only was he running out of ingredients since he didn't account for a slave of her size, he also had to make sure he was well stocked from now on. The merchants had mixed reactions to Yul. Most were indifferent, a few seemed genuenly happy to see him (most likely because he was a paying customer), and others limited their talk to what was absolutely neccessary. Never the less, the big backpack he gave Sheraz filled up quickly with vegetables, produce, fish and meat. A couple spices too.

After they got from one end of the market to the other, Yul pointed to a bench and sat down as soon as they reached it. "Not gonna lie, I really like having a packing mule. No offense of course. It's just that I usually have to carry that bag when it is full." And he certainly was up for the task, but that didn't mean he liked to. Ordered to do so or not, he appreciated this luxury, and reached into his pockets, pullig out 2 thin flasks that fit nicely in his pocket. "Just water." He was absolutely not going to allow any of them to get drunk in the sunlight. "Since we will be here for a bit, wanna know what your work will look like?"