“Are you alright Greer? I did not intend to anger you..” Dem tried to sound contrite.

“You lied to me! When you find good things out there, they need to be sold through me!”

He couldn’t tell if she was seriously angry about the possible loss in profits, or just needed an excuse to cover her jealousy.

“Ah, Greer, believe me that I had nothing to sell you. You know Ina is a glutton. Whatever this was drew her in quickly. She gobbled it down faster than I could say anything over the bond.”

Greer seemed to consider his words, “Alright, but if you are going to.. live with me, you need to always be honest with me. No more leaving out details.” One of her hands had moved to his chest as she spoke, it began to roam towards his collarbone.

He was thankful, she wasn’t so mad she would threaten their ‘deal’, but she clearly wanted a little something from him in return for the unhappiness she felt.

He put his hands on her hips, and drew her closer.

“Of course, I will tell you everything, Greer. You can trust me, you’ve known me a long time.” He started to lean his head down, focusing on her lips. She closed her eyes, waiting.

He kissed her, with as much passion as he could muster, using what little repertoire he had developed. Her arms wrapped around his neck. She pulled herself up and him down slightly, so that they could kiss a little easier. He was still a head or more taller than her.

He needed her to work hard for him while he was gone, finding his parents a place to stay, so he decided to give her something more to think about. His arms wrapped further around her, as they shared a kiss, and pulled he her close enough that her legs began to part slightly around his right leg. Her groin grinding against him, first slightly, and then with greater force. She whimpered a bit, as they continued to kiss. He hoped this was good enough.

Finally, he withdrew, her tongue was reluctant to let him go.

She sighed, “Demneh.. perhaps.. you could stop by my home a little later before you leave with the party?” She looked him in the eye, with a hopeful look on her face.

He gripped her a little harder, “I’m afraid I won’t have time, I have many things to do before I will be ready to go. I needed to also talk to my parents.. about all of this. They are a bit stubborn if you remember.” He paused for a moment, drawing closer for a moment.

In a husky voice he said, “Besides, if I visit your home I won’t get much rest before I leave, will I?”

She chuckled, one of her hands had moved down his back as he spoke and she was now gripping his ass.

“No, I suppose you wouldn’t.” She smiled at that, getting a far-away look.

He sighed, letting her grope him for a moment. This situation with Greer, was absurd. He had no idea she was interested in him in this way. In retrospect, some of her teasing had been flirtaious he now believed, but at what point had she actually started to think of him in this way? She didn’t really talk about her personal life, but he had heard some rumors. Supposedly she tended towards rugged men like Rangers when she was socializing. He considered he was something like that for her, but he was also someone she could control totally through financial dealings. 'Money first', was always her motto.

Ultimately, she had what he needed, and he would do what it took to get his parents safe. She was attractive in a way, but close to twice his age. She definitely took care of herself, as she was on the slim side. A number of clerks, from all the sitting and dining with clients, would tend toward the pudgy. Her bust was still high and full. It could be worse, he supposed. He didn’t like reducing someone he respected to this sort of evaluation, but she had pursued him, not the other way around.

After letting her hands roam for a bit, he called her back from wherever her mind had wandered.

“Greer, I have to go. I’ll definitely see you when I get back.” He tried to reassure her, giving her one last full-body squeeze. She gave his ass a last squeeze as well.

“Alright, make sure to come back. I will have something ready for you when you get back. Also, don’t let that Karmis get her hooks into you, you’re mine. My business partner, I mean” She blushed at that last part.

“I’ll watch out. She scares me a bit, honestly. Do you know what her Class is?”

“The paperwork wasn’t very specific. People with rarer Classes tend to hide their information as much as possible.“

“Alright, see what you can get for that core. Having more would speed up.. our plans wouldn’t it?”

“Yes, yes, that core is beautiful, bring me more like it. The contract will punish them if they steal from your or try to hurt you, but if you really piss them off, they may not care. So be careful. If that Karmis woman forces you..” She looked away for a moment, before speaking again, “Do what you have to. Just come back.”

The irony of this anxiety, about him being taken advantage of by an older woman, was amusing, but he made no comment.

He walked her to the lift. As they went down, she huddled close to him, his arm around her, his hand resting on her hip. Greer had drifted off mentally again. He sighed to himself, hoping all these schemes would work out.

***

After leaving the Tower, Dem rushed around buying basic supplies for a long-term excursion into the Wilds. He bought salt and seasoning, for his meals and for ‘gifts’ for Ina. He bought some emergency trail-rations. It wouldn’t feed him the entire trip, Ina and he would have to hunt the majority of their food, but the rations would help him through the night cycles. He bought some trinkets for holding spells. Each had a piece of a low grade beastcore in it and could hold a cantrip spell. In his case, they would hold an Alarm spell. He could form a network of these trinkets that would allow them some warning throughout the night cycle. He couldn’t think of what else he would need. It was hard to plan for night cycles, you never knew what was going to happen. In the hamlets, a family might have no problems for a dozen rotations before disappearing one night cycle with nothing but a smear of blood left over marking their passing

Finally, his shopping was done, he took a deep breath, and made his way home.

***

His Ma was rumbling, her voice sounding like thunder, as her hands flashed in a myriad of angry patterns, much like lightning. She was lecturing him again, of course. He waited patiently for a moment to speak. She had already spent a great deal of time asking why he looked different and was concerned over his health, but finally she had come around to the subject of his leaving.

“You ungrateful child! Always disappearing.. Why can’t you just be here with us.. or better yet with some nice girl. Hopefully that mutt of yours doesn’t scare off too many of the girls around here…” She was covering old subjects once again. She would disparage Ina occasionally, but he knew his Ma fed Ina scraps whenever she got the chance. She was as weak to cute things as he was, even beasts.

His Da, sat in the corner, on his usual wooden stool, nodding his head in agreement, though to what specifically, no one knew. Da’s face portrayed his usual flat demeanor. Da’s absolute focus on a singular Path drowned out what little affect one might find on such grizzled face. He wondered what focusing totally and absolutely on Domination might be like, but the thought was awful. He could still fall back on coordinating with Ina some and his various half-attempts at Wilderness Paths, to cast cantrips and maybe his most basic spells, but his new Path and Class wouldn’t allow much deviation if he wanted to actually get stronger.

Eventually his Ma started to slow down and lose her momentum. He finally found time to interject with the good news.

“Ma, I got some news though. These jobs I am taking they pay a lot more. I can find a lot better stuff out there now too. I think I can get you into the settlement a lot earlier than I thought, maybe in no more than a rotation!”

His Ma stopped to look at him, wagging her finger in his direction “I’d rather have you alive and happy than live in that damned settlement.”

“Well I need you to be in the settlement to be happy, so you will go when I can arrange it. Even if I have to carry you myself by the scruff of the neck.” His voice was firm as he could make it.

She scowled at him, “When did you get so big? That Class has gone to your head. What would your Da and I even do in the settlement? Where would I put my garden? Your father would probably keel over and die without a tree to cut down..” She continued making all sorts of arguments, but he knew he had won when she didn’t actually say she wouldn’t move. Da just looked at him, his face its usual blankness.

“Da can continue to work cutting trees outside the settlement if he wants, or he can find work in the lumberyard just outside the walls. You can make this land into a larger garden, maybe sell some of what you grow. Da already keeps it clear. Just because you live in the settlement doesn't mean you have to stay there all the time. I’m sure we can find work for you if you want..” He was about to continue with arguments, but she interrupted him.

“Why don’t you take this spot in the settlement? The girls around here would be very impressed if you had a home in the settlement, you’d have your pick! You could even find a nice young lady from the settlement!” She had an ambitious look in her eye by the time she had stopped speaking.

“Ma, I.. will have a spot in the settlement too, just not with you. This place is just for you two. I can’t live in the settlement without knowing you’re safe too.” He wondered if she would catch on to what he was saying.

“Somewhere else in the settlement? Where?” Her eyes suddenly became slits, and she drilled into him with a dangerous look.

She spoke again, when he didn’t immediately answer, “Who will you be living with?” Her voice at the absolute height of suspicion.

“I will be living with a friend when I am not working. She is the one getting you a spot in the settlement. She is doing me a big favour.” Here it comes, the floodgates were now open.

“SHE! She? She has her own place? She is helping you get space for us? Who is this woman? Wait, how old is she? What do you have to do for her…” She was too sharp. He hoped his Ma wouldn’t connected the dots, but now she was full of awkward questions he couldn't really answer. Da was still only looking at him, hardly blinking.

“Ah, you remember that woman I sell my goods to, in the tower? She has helped me out a lot, as you know. She is willing to help me out in a big way now that I’m bringing in gold! Gold standards! We can all be safe inside the walls. It will be great Ma.” He glossed over as much as he could while trying to sound as excited and upbeat.

It didn’t work, of course.

“How much older is this woman? What do you have to do in return for all this? Is she looking to have children?” The first two questions had her scowling, the last seemed to lighten her face a bit.

“Shes.. younger than you are by quite a bit, only a little older than I am. I’m just her client. She will sell the things I bring in. I will be living with her out of convenience, as she has an extra room. She is definitely still young enough to have children, though that isn’t part of our bargain, Ma.” This interrogation was killing him, but his Ma wouldn’t let him change the subject.

“Demneh, I don’t want you selling yourself to some ugly old hag for our sake.. especially if she can’t have children.” She huffed angrily.

“Ma, she is plenty attractive. If.. we did have that sort of relationship, I would be fine with it.” He just needed all of this to end, so he moved to news that would make her angry about something else.

“Ma, Ma, I’m going back out next cycle. I will gone quite a while with a party. They are paying me a lot to be their guide. Enough to cover getting us all into the settlement for quite a while.” He rushed to get all this out so he wouldn’t have to answer another question about that fact that he was essentially whoring himself out.

“Oh, Demneh! You just got back! This party, they will be just as dangerous as the beasts. Don’t go back out there. We will figure out some way to get us all into the settlement if that is what you want. Look at you, you’re so.. handsome now.. you could have other options..” Her voice trailed off.

She apparently preferred him selling himself to going out in the Wilds. Sadly, he needed to do both. Greer, even with whatever powers of manipulation he now had, would not let him be a drain on her gold. She was too money-focused to have a useless man living off her. He needed a good deal of gold upfront to show good faith on his part. She certainly wouldn’t help his parents for free.

“Ma, I need to go visit Ina, and then get some sleep. Goodrest, Ma. Goodrest Da.” He retreated as quickly as he could out the door, before she could start again. His Da just nodded at him, but his Ma was about to her open her mouth again. He hurriedly closed the door and rushed away, not giving her the chance. Now came another difficult conversation.