Series Introduction

In the Kingdom of Arithrakus, the powerful Order of Magical Studies and Applications serves as the Queen's college of mages. Through their extensive archives of scholarly research and practical experience, the Order effectively controls the study and practice of magic across the entire kingdom. Would-be students apply at an early age for training, and any rogue practitioners who are powerful enough (and brave enough) to get noticed are quickly brought into the fold.

Over the years, the Order has gathered a library of stories from their vast network of mages. Some are first-hand accounts. Some are quite dull, while others are more fantastical. Some have been dismissed as the product of a feverish imagination or a brain damaged by years of taxation from intense magical effort. Regardless, the Queen frowns on these stories being made available to the public. Occasionally, however, one escapes and winds up in the hands of an unscrupulous publisher...

This is one of those stories.

Two Vines, No Waiting

Lina tugged her cloak around her to ward off the wind as she wandered through the Temple District, looking for the shop that her friend Mary had sent her to. It should have been easy enough to find, since most of the buildings in this part of town were still actual places of worship, and hadn't been converted into playgrounds for perverts with more coin than sense.

Not that Lina had either too much coin or too little sense, mind you. But she did have some savings, and an itch that she was having a hard time figuring out how to scratch. And Mary had been so enthusiastic, even if her encouragement was rather short on details. All Lina knew was that the idea of submitting herself to a large, tame, animated plant creature that would make her come dozens of times while she was restrained and helpless sounded like exactly the sort of thing she wanted. Ultimately it hadn't been that hard for Mary to convince her that the whole thing was perfectly safe and worth a try, and so at the end of another long work week, Lina bundled herself up and went searching for this shop.

She finally found it, thanks to the shingle they'd hung out that showed just a simple plant with two stems, twined loosely about each other and topped with flowers. The mark of the Order, the sisterhood that largely controlled the use of magic in this kingdom, was featured in the bottom corner of the sign. It wasn't a guarantee of any sort, and Lina's previous brushes with the Order hadn't always been the most pleasant, but knowing that they'd observed what went on inside and gave it their stamp meant something. That, plus Mary's recommendation, was all she had to go on, but it was enough to make her feel like she wasn't making an enormous mistake.

The sign hanging on the door said 'OPEN', and indeed the door swung open easily. Lina stepped into the shop, still feeling like she might be making a tiny mistake. The shopkeeper, a woman about her age, perked up immediately as she came in. "Welcome! Good evening!" she said. "Please, come in and have a seat. Anywhere you like."

The room was warm and comfortably furnished, with a large fire pit in the center covered by a chimney that rose up through the ceiling. Several soft benches and a few couches surrounded the fire pit, although the place was empty except for Lina and the shopkeeper. Lina sat on one of the couches, taking off her cloak and warming herself by the fire.

"My name is Rae, and I'm the owner of Two Vines. I don't believe we've met, have we?"

"No, we haven't. I'm Lina."

"Oh, a first-timer. How lovely! How did you hear about us?"

"My friend Mary is, uh, a client of yours. She told me about your... services... and convinced me to pay you a visit." Lina looked around the room apprehensively. "You don't have any other customers tonight?"

"No, if there was anyone else here, you'd have found the door locked. We like to be able to focus on one customer at a time. Or, I should say, one set of customers; we're quite happy to accommodate couples or other small groups."

Lina thought briefly about Mary's eager retelling of her visit, and she pictured the two of them together, dangling upside down from some sort of vine and staring into each other's eyes as they– well, Mary wasn't here right now, Lina was. Her eyes refocused on the shopkeeper, who was smiling at her.

"From the look in your eyes, I suspect your friend has covered some of the essentials already. Shall we discuss the fee?"

"Uh, yes, please."

"The basic package costs two crowns. That covers everything important, including our expenses and your safety, and it's what we recommend for your first visit."

"I have to admit, I expected a higher price."

"Well, we do get some side benefits from your patronage. We don't get many customers off the streets in this part of town, so word-of-mouth recommendations are how we find most of our new clients. Besides that, your visit tonight helps keep our friend fed and happy."

Lina's mouth suddenly went dry. "Fed?" she squeaked.

"No, no, don't worry." Rae smiled and placed her hand on Lina's knee. "A steady stream of activity is essential to maintaining the normal life functions of such a creature as we have here. I've been known to partake, myself, on weeks where we don't get enough paying customers," she winked. "I promise you there's no danger."

Lina relaxed, sighing. She opened the purse on her belt and pulled out most of what she'd brought with her, handing several coins to Rae. "Two crowns it is, then."

That was a preview of Two Vines, No Waiting. To read the rest purchase the book.

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