Ariel
A day out of Berg’s Keep, and our party was finally settling into a rhythm.
I can’t believe how short of a time it has actually been. Only twenty days ago, I announced that Ariel is played by David, a man. Out there, in the immortal world where David lives, it’s only been a week. Not that I’ve spent much time out of game in the last immortal week.
These days my life is the game.
I am the first immortal to ever play as a Whore.
Streaming what I do gives me enough income that I can play full time.
And that still fills me with a tingle of excitement, at least until the butterflies of nervousness fill my stomach.
I had no idea what I was getting into—perhaps I still don’t. Phoenix Rising Whores are not like real-world prostitutes.
It makes sense if you think about it. Immortals often want more than just the physical; they want someone who cares for them, sometimes even someone to be their girlfriend and share their life in game. So that’s what the game caters to and that’s what you need to be ready for to be a successful Whore.
Of course when I made a scene and demanded to speak to the AIs that run the game, I wasn’t thinking about any of that. David was thinking with the other head.
I wanted to be a Whore because it would be hot.
It’s been that for sure, but it has been so much more.
So far, I’ve been able to meet the challenges the game has thrown my way and it has opened my eyes to an entire new way to think about gaming.
My life as Ariel has come a long way since those initial fantasies. Now it’s not just about me. Nathan, Nora and Hulda asked to continue to be part of my adventure. The princess and guild master made that possible.
We were making our first journey out of Berg’s Keep. And as I looked around our party, I could see that we were finally starting to work as a cohesive team.
We were hired to help the Sherwood Foresters explore disappearances northwest of Berg’s Keep.
After, my party, Ariel’s Pride, will split off and visit the village of Staggard’s Green. While I was there for a Beltane quest, I promised I would check in on the village.
<Hold> Joan said into the party channel. I have not adventured with Joan before this trip. She is a level 22 rogue, although her mix of skills skirts the line between rogue and ranger. As far as I can tell, she can track better than Robin and at least as well as Will Scarlet, the two real rangers in the Foresters.
Joan: <Looks like something happened here. Horses frightened, tracks get all confused. Let’s take a look.>
Ariel: <How can you tell?>
Joan: <Dung from more than one horse. Then take a look here. Something large—perhaps someone—was dragged.>
Will Scarlet: <Yes, and you see a couple of wagons and several people turn off the road over here.>
Joan: <We have one person arriving—no this print is clear enough, one person leaving. From the spacing, probably at a run if they were a normal human.>
The rangers argued and examined the surroundings and a pattern began to emerge.
It looked like two wagons had been traveling away from Berg’s Keep when they were ambushed. The wagons appeared to have been driven off the main road toward the mountains. But at least one person, arriving after the ambush, had followed the wagons on foot. This all had happened within the last day, but long enough ago that there was no reason to keep quiet.
“So you think there was a survivor?” I asked.
“Or someone following along closer than we are,” Bandit Robin replied.
Hulda frowned. “One person investigating ain’t like to end well.”
“An immortal might if they wanted to know what happened bad enough. But yes, that’s not likely to be a real smart move, one person going after what takes out two wagons and several people. Unless that person’s much higher level,” Robin said.
“Of course here we are just about to follow along too,” Nathan said.
“We have a whole party,” Robin said, “and we’ll be careful, especially to protect you ephemerals.”
Being responsible for the lives of ephemerals is the worst part of leading a group. Nathan is an artisan mage; he probably could defend himself. But Hulda? She had worked as a bar maid up until yesterday. Sure she is level 17. She has more health than me. And at least she could use a club, but that is it! No stealth, no offensive skill besides Clubs. And if she died? I don’t know what I would do. Hulda is one of the most important people in my life. If I die, I’ll respawn in 30 minutes. If Hulda dies, it’s for good, unless I can somehow scrape together enough for a Resurrection.
It’s not like I have a choice though: I’m not foolish enough to try and change Hulda’s mind once she’s made it up. And she is right: I’m going to need a confidant when things get tough.
The best thing I could do for Hulda was pay attention and stay alert. Whatever ambushed the wagons might return. Although as we followed the wagon tracks from the main road, it looked like whoever ambushed the wagons was long gone.
Soon, Robin called a halt. “It looks like the wagons go off that way, but several people—I make it around 10—continue this way. What do we want to do?”
“Which path does the survivor take?” I asked.
Robin, Joan and Will knelt to look at the tracks. “Looks like they continue and don’t turn off with the wagons,” Will said.
“Ya rangers could go scout the survivor. An the rest of us could go see what they done with the wagons,” Hulda suggested.
“Don’t split the party!” Robin and I chanted in unison.
“Although,” I said, “Hulda has a point. It will be easier for a small group to track. And if they do find something, a small group with Stealth is less likely to get dead. I’m suspecting the wagons will either have been disposed of or hidden.”
Robin nodded. “That’s true. So, which group would you go with?”
“I have enough stealth to join the scouts. If I won’t get in the way, I would like to be there when we find the survivor.”
“As like to be a fool who stumbled into the ambush as a survivor,” Joan countered. “You won’t get in the way, so come with us.”
Robin motioned to Will. “Stay with the larger group. They should have at least one ranger.”
And so we were off.
The rangers periodically stopped to find the trail. I couldn’t see anything. <So how are you tracking this?> I asked.
Joan: <Just curious, or do you want the skill?>
Ariel: <I certainly wouldn’t mind the skill.>
Joan: <I have Teacher, so let’s see what we can do. Actually talking through it will help Teacher work, so I’ll answer your question too. See here, there is a twig that is broken. And then you can see a bit of their heel in the ground here. That’s from the one you hope survived.>
<You can see it’s from someone following behind because the same heel print disturbs this older print here.>
She continued to point out signs of the trail as we made our slow progress.
We had been stuck for a couple of minutes. Robin was frustrated. <What I wouldn’t give for a trained dog at this point. Where this bramble caught has got to be a good scent marker. But I can’t tell where they head out from here.>
Joan: <Yeah, a dog would make this easier. I think it’s off to the left, but I agree it’s not obvious.>
Giving them what they wanted would be humiliating, but I probably could smell as well as a dog if I worked at it. <I might be able to help. I have a skill that should let me match noses with most animals.> I blushed. <Although between the humiliation of going around sniffing like a dog and how it’s all tied into my lust response, I bet I end up worked up.>
Joan: <This is not the time for that sort of game.>
Bandit Robin: <Oh, I don’t think she is playing a game. If you watched her with the gnoll ambush, you know that is no joke, either in how worked up she gets or in how useful it is. Give it a try, Ariel.>
He was right: I had stumbled onto the idea of using Smell of Sex under combat conditions when the gnolls attacked us on the way to Staggard’s Green. Without being able to know where my enemies were from the beginning, we would have been overrun.
And so there I was, nose to the ground with Smell of Sex on maximum. It worked. I could smell fear sweat and a little blood where the bramble pricked a man’s skin. I think he was human.
Then I sniffed around and confirmed Joan was right that both the older and new tracks go off to the left.
And then I took a close sniff of the older prints. <Follower seems like a human. But the ones he is following are really rank. I do not think I’ve smelled anything like that before. Not human; not gnoll.>
Bandit Robin: <Well, that’s interesting now isn’t it?> Robin’s theory was that the disappearances were related to the conflict between the gnolls and humans. If I didn’t smell any gnolls, that connection was less likely.
Sniffing around like a dog was just as humiliating as I expected. So was my reaction to the smells. The primal nature of tracking by smell had me starting to get excited.
A few minutes later Robin commented that the prints appeared to be getting fresher. My nose confirmed that the follower’s smell was getting stronger.
Just then, Will interrupted on the all party chat: <We found the wagons. The good news is we’re safe.>
<Bad news is they were all destroyed. Big fire, seven, maybe eight bodies. Two wagons. Looks like all but one horse escaped or was taken.>
Robin: <So, you figure an ambush? They killed the merchants, took the valuables, and pulled the wagons off the road to make it less obvious?>
Will Scarlet: <Yeah, that would fit.>
Ariel: <So, what about our survivor?>
Robin: <I think the survivor theory is looking less likely. I’m guessing someone stumbled along and is hoping to find out what happened, much like we are. But we will find out.>
Will: <Want we should pick through things here and see if we can find any clues?>
Robin: <Yeah. It’s starting to get mountainous here, no good for a large group, so no need for you to join us.>
And so we continued, the grim fate of the merchants weighing on our minds.
<Hold.> I sniffed again. <I smell someone over the next rise.>
We crept up and carefully looked over the top of the hill.
Joan: <Ah, fuck.> Below us, three orcs circled a young man. The orcs toyed with their prey. He moved to duck between them. Just as it looked like he would get past, one of the orcs dashed toward him and he had to retreat or meet the orc’s tusks. The orcs sure could move fast when they needed to.
Ariel: <Figures orcs would smell that rank. Can’t say that’s ever going to be a smell I look forward to.> Although I realize it could be. I was already turned on by the primal experience of tracking them down by their scent. I realize that with the right stimulation, even just the smell of orc could turn me on.
But I didn’t have time to think about how powerful the game skills were at affecting our perceptions. <Can we take them? Save the man?>
Robin: <We can try. I’ll stay here and set up to take a shot. You and Joan circle around and we’ll hit them from three sides. If they are focused on him, one or both of you might even get the Back Stab.>
The agony of waiting stretched out as we slowly snuck into position. I was afraid that at any moment we would hear the man’s final scream. The orcs were having too much fun to make it quick. If we did not intervene, his end was inevitable. He had already been blooded, fang and knife marks on his skin. I could smell his blood under the more dominant scents of his fear and the orc’s battle lust.
I just hoped I could keep my own arousal under control. If the orcs had a good sense of smell, my own excitement could give us away.
Eventually Joan and I were in position for the final dash. We waited as the orcs circled a little closer, and then it was time. I heard the twang of bandit Robin’s bow as Joan and I lunged forward. My dagger sunk into the meat of my target’s back. I followed up with Ice Shard.
These fuckers were tough. Even with the extra damage from Back Stab my target was not slowing down. He turned, ripping free of my casting dagger as his claws raked my leather.
And then I tripped. Shit, that was going to be a costly mistake. The orc was on top of me in an instant. I had one chance before his fangs closed on my throat. I still had an arm free. I reached around his bulk and stabbed him with my dagger. The dagger wasn’t going to do much on its own, but it would act as a magical channel. I cast Steam Blast with all the mana I could channel. Steam Blast is an area effect spell that spreads out toward a group of enemies from the focusing object. That focus, the tip of my dagger, was several centimeters in the orc. And so the entire super-heated blast of steam focused into the guts of the orc on top of me. At any other moment, the smell of parboiled orc would be nauseating. But with him on top of me and his fangs against my throat, it was the best smell ever.
Casting Steam Blast that close was not without its cost. My hand and arm were severely burned both by leaking steam and by the heat of my dagger. I was incapacitated by the pain. But so was the orc on top of me. Without healing he wasn’t going to last long.
I was definitely the weakest link in our small group: Joan and Bandit Robin had several levels on me.
Given their experience, and our initial surprise, the outcome was inevitable. But the orcs made Joan and Robin fight for their victory.
Eventually, Joan finished off the orc that was pinning me down and lifted him off me. She gasped when she saw my arm.
Joan [full party]: <Mary, get your ass over here. Ariel may have burned her hand off.>
Mary: <We’re on our way already, 30 minutes out.>
Ariel: <I may have this once my mana recovers.>
“I have Life Magic,” I gasp. If I had realized how rough my voice would be from the pain, I would have stuck with chat.
That Steam Blast sucked down mana like crazy. I wasn’t complaining though: my respawn binding was all the way back at Berg’s Keep. Waiting for mana to recover was agonizing. But eventually I cast a heal and fresh skin replaced the blistered mess of my hand. It was still tender, but I could hold my dagger again.
Robin had just returned from checking the perimeter. We huddled around the man the orcs were chasing. His clothes doubtless started as the kind of rugged but well-crafted stock that a merchant might wear between destinations. The ambush and conflict with the orcs left them dirty, stained with sweat and blood.
“Thank you! I owe you my life.”
“We’re the Sherwood Foresters,” Robin said, “and we are glad to be able to help. We’ve heard that travel northwest of Berg’s Keep toward the Luthington Pass has been chancy of late. We were hoping to find evidence of what was going on.”
The man nodded. “We had heard rumors of trouble. But we already had a buyer and there were late penalties. My parents and the other merchant are crack shots, and both families had guards”—he begins to cry—“and none of it made a difference. All gone … all except for me and Lissa. And oh, how will I ever find her?”
“We are so sorry,” I said. “I know it is difficult. It would really help if you could tell us from the beginning.”
“Yes, sorry.” He struggled to gain control. “I’m Andrew Carter. Youngest son”—he gulps—“no, I guess I’m the only son. I’m Andrew Carter, and my father and uncle regularly traded between the elven lands and Berg’s Keep.
“We were on our way to Berg’s Keep. We were traveling slow enough that I could step out of the wagon to respond to nature’s call. I heard some noise and ran to catch up.
“When I got there, lots of orcs had mobbed the wagons. Everyone was dead, cut down in cold blood. Except for Lissa. They had stripped her and were dragging her off.”
He broke into sobs. “I was so frightened. I panicked; I just froze—froze completely and didn’t move. It must have been an hour before I did anything.”
“You were very lucky,” I said. “Freezing and not getting noticed was exactly the right thing to do.”
“I guess. But by the time I went after Lissa, they were too far ahead. Around twenty minutes before you came, they surprised me here.”
Andrew was not holding up well. He claimed to be an adult, and I’m sure he was, even if barely. The game takes that distinction seriously. But whereas someone like Samantha Oliver hit her adulthood running, Andrew Carter seemed immature for his age. Perhaps I was too hard on him: he had the kind of day that no one is ready for. Still, if I had to guess he’d be one of those quest objectives who you had to work hard to avoid getting killed rather than an ephemeral who assisted you in the quest.
“I think you might have been trapped,” Robin said. “I was looking around the edge of this little valley. I think they may have spotted you and circled back.”
“Do you think the rest of the orcs know about Andrew?” I asked.
“I’d give it thirty percent chance,” Robin said. “It’s possible, but I think it’s more likely that their scouts decided to take care of loose ends.”
Andrew winced at Robin’s words.
If Bandit Robin was right, that would be good. The less the orcs knew about what happened, the better. They would certainly learn they lost three orcs. But if they did not know that someone got away, they might not take extra precautions.
We looked for over an hour trying to figure out where the orcs’ trail continued. We found nothing. It looked like Robin was right about that too. Perhaps the orcs had scouts trailing their group, and they decided to trap Andrew just where the trail of the main body of orcs was hardest to follow.
Even Smell of Sex failed to help. Sure I smelled orc, and my reaction is strong enough that I think even Andrew got the idea I was turned on. But I couldn’t smell where they were going. I just caught a whiff of unwashed orc against some of the rocks or scrub.
“I’m sorry Andrew,” Robin said, “but we’ve done what we can here. Our best bet is to go back to Berg’s Keep and see if the Bermans and merchants will offer a bounty big enough to get a large force to take out the orcs. When they succeed they can rescue any prisoners the orcs have.”
“Do you think if we looked just a little longer? …” he asked.
Robin shook his head. “No. Will Scarlet, Joan and I have all used what tracking skill we have. Ariel has tried her magic. They got away.”
Andrew slumped: he knew Robin was telling the truth.
“And besides,” Robin continued, “ we need to find somewhere safe to camp while there is still light left.”
We received the expected quest notification:
Quest
Escort Andrew Quest: Your party has proposed to escort Andrew Carter back to Berg’s Keep and present his case to the Berman line and the merchants of Berg’s Keep. To succeed, convince them to take out the orcs and search for any prisoners.
Success: Potential for reward if you are able to help take out the orcs.
An hour later, we ended up making camp near the road. Not too near of course: we wanted to find high, defensible ground. I doubted it would help if we were actually ambushed by more than ten orcs, but the immortals could make a stand so our ephemerals could escape.
“And I suppose you’ll be wanting me to take first watch again,” Mary grumbled.
“You are the one who plays with sex disabled traveling with a pack of Whores,” Robin responded.
“Like I had a choice in that. Ariel isn’t as bad as an adventurer as I thought, but this would all be simpler if you all would stop thinking with your dicks.”
Joan laughed. “It’s not my dick I’m thinking with.”
“And you!” Mary glared at her. “You are as bad as any two of them. If you insist, this would all be simpler if some people would stop thinking with their dicks and others would stop counting how many they can get.”
Joan licked her lips.
Robin patted Mary on the back. “One of these days, you’ll see. With Ariel’s help we’ll sleep our way into a victory we couldn’t get without her.”
“So you keep saying.”
I wondered how many more times this conversation would play out. When I first met Mary, I was hurt by her judgment. Back then, she meant most of it. Now, it was a running joke with a grain of truth. I haven’t caught up to the level of the Foresters, although I was close to carrying my weight as a level 16 adventurer. Some day I might help Robin as he predicted. Until then, we tease each other. But I know Mary would have my back, just as she knows I would have hers.
She was an excellent healer, and having her on our team means I’ve only died that once.
Andrew looked so lost that I offered to stay with him. “Do you want some company—I mean not like that, just someone to stay with you? You’ve had a long day, and sometimes being near someone helps.”
“I ought to be able to take care of myself.”
“That may be, but is that what you want?”
After a minute, he shook his head. “No, I don’t think I want to be alone tonight. … I might not be good company though.”
That was okay. Soon enough he was in my bedroll, crying, wrapped in my arms. Of course it’s not like he had a bedroll of his own, and we didn’t carry extras.
As you might imagine, things took a while to settle down when a group
of adventurers traveled with a group of whores. On one side, I heard
Robin’s growl as he tangled with Hulda. Nathan and Joan were on the
other side. Beyond them, I heard Nora talking quietly to Big John Tank.
I was going to be good—really I was. Even without spending mana on Smell of Sex I’d get worked up. But I could keep my hands off someone if that’s what they wanted.
As the night drew on, Andrew grew more excited. That had the predictable effect on me. I think I was hiding it well. And then his cock twitched against my leg. Poor kid; I didn’t need to see to picture the blush covering his body.
I brushed his cheek before he could turn away or apologize. “They are getting me worked up too. I said I would hold you, and if that’s what you want, that’s all I will do. You don’t need to be ashamed if you react to them.
“But I am a whore. If you want me that way, I am here for that too.”
He shook his head. “It wouldn’t be right to indulge my lusts after—” he was crying again.
“Up to you. Some people find that connection after a tragedy reminds them of their humanity. Others don’t feel it would be right. Whatever you do, decide for yourself, not what you think you ought to do.”
He didn’t respond for minutes. “I don’t have a coin to my name. Back home perhaps, if the losses don’t ruin us, but not here. I cannot afford your price.”
“I think you have paid quite enough in blood today. I am here if that’s what you want. We won’t charge to escort you back to Berg’s Keep any more than I will charge to offer the healing I can if that’s what you need.”
Minutes later, he began to work out of his clothes.
I joined him, and we lay there skin to skin. My hand traced the lines of his body. “Is this what you want?”
“Yeah. If you’re sure—”
I silenced him with a finger. “Yes, I am sure. I know you are hurting, and you might change your mind. Whatever happens will happen.
“I’ll help you see the wonderful man before me. It won’t take away the pain and the loss. It might help you remember the good.” He was going to be a challenge. In the immortal world, I doubt I would have a chance. But I am not without experience out there. Empathy and experience as a lover transfers to Phoenix Rising and builds on the skills we have in this world.
I tried my best, but he continued to be passive and nervous. “You really want me?”
What other reason did he think I had for seducing him? I guess that’s not fair. I do want to help him; there is no doubt that my player and I share that desire. You could say he’s just a character in a game, there as part of a quest to help us find out about the orcs. But his pain and loss is as real as anything I might feel, and so I want to reach out and help. But it would be better to do nothing than to fake my interest. He is already vulnerable. Nothing I do can be fake. That betrayal on top of everything he has faced today could destroy him.
So, to offer healing, I needed to honestly desire him. I have a lot of practice building true desire as a Whore. When we look, we can generally find ways to connect with our clients—lust of course, but also a true emotional connection. I focused on those skills.
I smiled at Andrew. “Yes, in this moment, now, I really want you. I promise I will not offer anything except what is genuine from the heart. Our lives will take us apart; I am not promising anything more than this moment. But each moment I offer is something I will treasure.” My voice dropped to a whisper. “Or were you asking if I lust after you?”
“Do you?”
And so I showed him.
Later, after we were done, Andrew asked me, “Do you think Lissa has any chance?” There was so much pain in his voice. I knew the answer he wanted to hear.
But I could not give him that answer. “There’s always hope … but no, I don’t think we will find her in time.” He said they had stripped her. I shuddered thinking about what orcs might want a female prisoner for. “And even if we do find her, she might never be the same.”
I held him tight as he cried against my shoulder. But the day and activity took their toll, and he eventually surrendered to sleep.
I flipped through my notifications before going to sleep:
I was unsurprised to learn that the game was explicitly integrating Smell of Sex into my tracking.
Notification
Stealth has advanced to Beginner 9. Whether it is disappearing in a crowd, or moving silently in the woods, you have a firm grasp on how to approach the problem. You are experienced enough that in many situations, stealth comes naturally.
My Elemental Water magic advanced to Beginner 8. Small Blades advanced to Beginner 7, and Back Stab advanced to Artisan 1. My mind still shied away from my level 16 skill dream that had brought me up to Beginner 10 in Back Stab. Advancing skills unrelated to being a whore was a nice perk of walking the Path of Heart’s Desire, but the dreams were growing increasingly disturbing.
My whore skills also advanced from my time with Andrew.
Notification
Vulnerability is at level Beginner 9. Love and connection can never be a single skill. But they start with vulnerability: offering something of yourself, and accepting the openness that another offers. For you, this is becoming second nature. In many situations you only have to reach out to be ready to give of yourself. You begin to see that there is a skill in receiving vulnerability as well. You cultivate that skill, creating a space where others know that their openness will be rewarded.
As you advance, your doubts about being open fade away. On the horizon you see that you will be able to help others release their doubts even if they do not have the skill themselves.
Notification
Seduction is now Beginner 10. Whether it is the sway of your hips, or a word in someone’s ear, you have the skills to stoke their fires or reassure their doubts. Flirtation, reassurance, openness, and outright lust are your tools. When you put your charms forward, you can quicken even some of the hardest hearts. Will they melt in your hands? Well, you’ve experienced the work of a master, and you’ll do that some day. Your offer will be heard by the heart as well as mind—yours as well as theirs. If there is a word, or a confidence, or a smile that will get through, you surely know how to do that. Will you find the right tool for a given situation? Your chances grow ever stronger.