Training Fort

[Red Gypsy]

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Gypsy gave a nod as she moved on to organizing the weapons used during the previous training session, "The soldiers here will keep their mouths shut. Tell Lareth that I suggested he tell the father, he'll see to it. He'll tell you that I usually run him around the grounds alot harder than I did Tamlin. And I fight dirty with him. Rank has no privileges or special treatment in a fight or in the practice ring. In a real fight, it only gets you killed," she told her softly as she finished with the staffs and moved on to the practice swords.

She knew it was probably rude of her to keep moving like this, but she knew that if she stopped moving she'd start thinking about Kal being gone. She just knew that she had to keep moving until it didn't sting so badly.

But she did finally pause to turn to the woman with a small frown, "Take my advice and hire the Incubus for sparring. If the boy's father is that important, you'll be a target eventually, no matter how secret the relationship is. I'd recommend the one who goes by Sulfur. He's the son of Ash and a damned good fighter. He'll even be able to teach you some dagger work as well. He's not easy to get a contract with, but mention that I recommended him to you and he'll accept it," she suggested to her, hoping she'd take the advice.  

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"....I will take your advice to heart, but soon I will not have to worry. I just hope I can see my son trained before 'that' time comes."

The womans words were cryptic and she offered nothing more before she bowed.

"Oh....here comes my son now."

Tamlin had a sour look on his face and a few new bruises. Seems like he had trouble in the showers, but he said nothing.

"Well whats the schedule woman? Give it to me so I can leave already."  

[Red Gypsy]

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Gypsy raised one eyebrow at the boy's attitude then smiled at him. The sweet smile should have been a warning to him, "You're to be here for four hours every day, starting at noon. We'll see how you do with that for a while then I'll see about shifting it," she told him then winked at his mother, "When you head back to the castle, would you let Lareth know that his sister-in-law needs him to come by for his own practice tomorrow evening?" she added, knowing full well how the boy would react to the fact that she was the sister-in-law mentioned.

"He's not going to avoid me trouncing him tomorrow. He was lucky I gave him tonight off to take care of his charge," she added then gave them both a nod and left to head down for her own shower.  

[Hot Champion_of_justice]

Tamlin simply gave a shrug to Gypsy before he walked off. His mother sighed and bowed.
"I will pass on the message. Thank you and have a good night."

She hurried after her son and when they were out of sight there was a shout from Tamlin as he was smacked for being rude.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

[Red Gypsy]

The soldiers in the fort let Gypsy have the showers to herself, one of them laying out a fresh set of leathers for her in the changing area before they all left her to head to the mess hall for the afternoon meal. She let the water move over her for a long time then got out and dried off, pulled on the fresh leathers and braided her hair back.

Then she joined them all for the meal, hesitating before she sat down to look them all over, "When Tamlin comes back tomorrow, there will be no more extra bruises. Boy needs to learn, yes, but he needs to learn the right way. You lot are Lareth's finest. Show the boy what it means to be the best. Give him a reason to want to learn," she told them simply then sat down to start eating.

She'd basically moved into the fort, earning their respect as she lived the same life they did and ate the same food. She knew there wouldn't be any more bruises for the boy to explain. But they'd also talk to him now, actually help him out since he seemed to need it.  

[Hot Champion_of_justice]

Early the next day, Hal and Lareth appeared at the fort with Tamlin.
Now it was customary for the father to give his son to the army, but when the two distinguished males came striding up, no one batted an eye lash, but all thought, this was Lareths love child from somewhere.
The king had been notorious for his...chasing of women.

But truth be told, this young man was Hal's son.

During cleanup after one of Lareth's parties, Hal allowed himself some of the masters special brewed drink. Lareth drunk from the last bit of the party, stumbled upon Hal and insisted Hal drink with him. A poor mistake as both ended up very drunk and a small after party began.

It was there Hal met the Succubus who would become his secret lover and the mother to his heir. It was a good relationship as the woman wasn't clingy and it left him with enough time and space to work in the castle and continue his duties.

Hal had hoped the boy would follow in his footsteps, but when it turned out the boy wanted to pursue other ventures, Hal accepted that and understood he would be the last to serve Lareth, so he did his best each and everyday.

Hal looked over to Tamlin and smiled.

"I know you will do just fine. Good luck and make your mother proud."

Hal went to whisper to his son.

"Because I was proud the moment you came into the world as my son."

Hal stepped away after he fixed his son's shirt and Lareth stepped forward.

Lareth didn't care if people thought Tamlin was his illegitimate son. Talk like that always made for interesting gossip anyway. To play up to the gossip he placed his hands on Tamlins shoulders and grinned as the young man gave him a dirty look. He kept his voice to a whisper.
"Oh if you were my brat I would smack you for such a disgraceful look. But good luck boy. Perhaps Gypsy will teach you manners and how to not lose terribly in fencing. Make your folks proud."
Lareth ruffled the young mans hair affectionately, before shoving smacking him on the back and letting him go with a tearful look, as if he really was a caring father.

Tamlin wished he could swing at Lareth for the stupid comments and for putting on such a stupid air. He walked towards the group awaiting him and over to that irritating woman Gypsy.
He gritted his teeth as he remembered what his father told him the procedure was.

Tamlin stopped in front of the captain of the guard and by Gypsy and bowed courtesously.

"I am Tamlin......with my fathers permission, I come as a 'son of the realm' to serve in his royal highness's army. As your new 'son' please teach me to protect my new found family, that is this realm. "  

[Red Gypsy]

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Gypsy gave a nod to the boy as Galen finished the ritual with the cheek kisses and formal words to accept him into training. Meanwhile, her eyes moved from Lareth to Hal and gave the older demon a small nod, knowing that she didn't have to do anything else to reassure him about his son. As for Lareth, well, she waited until Galen lead the boy inside the fort to introduce him to his new 'brothers' then flashed a grin at the demon king, "We're still set for after you return, Brother. Then we're working on that overhand swing of yours," she called out simply then turned to head into the fort.

They both knew perfectly well that her sparring sessions with Lareth were more about him making sure she was alright here than about actually helping him with his fighting abilities. He was now easily as good as she was, but they fostered the idea that he wasn't that good so that others would underestimate him in a fight.

Now, though, she had the boy to concentrate on. And within just a few hours, she already had an 'incident' to deal with between Tamlin and one of the bigger soldiers. The soldier, she disciplined harshly. After all, he'd been being a bully and she didn't put up with that kind of behavior. Then she turned him over to Galen, who did much the same as she had. Then she got the others out and started them on laps in full gear for not stepping in to prevent the bullying.

As for Tamlin, she set him at the pells, directing his movements with a heavy practice blade. She knew full well that he'd expected a little coddling after getting a black eye, but she'd knocked that one down flat by telling him exactly how he could have prevented getting the black eye in the first place.

After the pells, she called all the soldiers in, ordered them out of their gear, and put them to practicing hand-to-hand, directing Tamlin to take his place with them. She was treating him as she would any of the others, just as Galen would when he got them inside for the classroom stuff they all had to learn.  

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Lareth lazily waved to Gypsy as he and Hal left.

Tamlin was having quite the morning, as his new 'brothers' were already bullying him. Not because he was given over to the army by the king himself, but because he was skinny and weak looking.

As they were exercising to loosen up, he got into an argument with his 'brother' about some comments about his mother. He knew how she looked and didn't find anything hot about her, but when remarks about the hotness about one's mother and how they would make her do things, got Tamlin angry.

Of course being a scholar more than a fighter, got Tamlin a black eye and a scolding from the others as because of him, they were now being made to do laps.

Then the scolding from that woman grated on his ears and he gritted his teeth and simply nodded.

Then it was the pells and then into hand to hand combat.

When Gypsy wasn't looking he got smacked and punched with jabs they were not practicing, but to Tamlin this was his initiation he guessed. Payback for earlier, and to see if they could get him to run and cry.

Tamlin was not going to squeal on them as it would just give them more power over him. No, he would remain silent for now. He would learn all he could, and then crush them later on.

'Brother' or not.  

[Red Gypsy]

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The few times Gypsy did catch the others bullying the boy, she set his opponents to doing more laps by themselves. But when it was time to stop for their classes, she sent the others to the showers and lead Tamlin down to collect the books he'd need and see him fitted for leather armor in his size.

Only then did she send him to shower and change, since the others were finished by then, and finally sent him over to the classroom where Galen taught tactics, map reading, negotiating, and such. After that was dinner in the mess hall, then another class on how to handle those of various rank and other races, and finally they were all sent to bed.

Thankfully, everyone was too tired that night to do anything to the boy.

The next morning brought the standard morning exercises, then breakfast, then a class on various weapons that included their history, then lunch, then another round with Gypsy.

Twice a week, she singled out those that required specialized weapons work and taught them for a few hours apiece. Tamlin was not excluded from that. She focused him on daggers, bow, and staff, letting him take the standard sword lessons everyone else was getting.

By the end of the week, everyone had finally gotten her point about not bullying Tamlin and were actually helping him out when he needed it. That lead them all into their one day off that they got each week.

Everyone else went off to visit family and friends. Gypsy, however, stayed behind in the fort, as she always did, and worked on her own fighting practice. Sometimes with sword, other times with the other weapons she knew so well. Today was no different for her and she was easily seen in the practice ring with her daggers, putting on a display that would prove to Tamlin just how deadly a dagger could be in the right hands.

Of course, she was expecting him to be headed home for a visit with his mother, not to be staying behind to watch Gypsy from the shadows...  

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Tamlin eventually was left alone and earned a small place among his brothers as they began to see him not as a boy, but as a fellow soldier. Tamlin could have cared less about how they viewed him, but a small part of him was relieved he wasn’t seen as a punching bag as much anymore.

As they days went on, Tamlin grew accustomed to the grueling routines Gypsy put everyone through as her training was the most difficult. Anything that required physicality was not Tamlins forte. While many of his brothers were being pushed to the limit with not only the training of their bodies and of mind, Tamlin found himself only being pushed to his limits with the physical aspect of it all.
Thanks to his mother and father, everything from ancient history, folk lore, species identification, and basic survival using herbs and such were already drilled into his mind. So most of the time while in the classroom, Tamlin found himself bored.

Today, while all the soldiers went home for a visit to families on their only day off, Tamlin stayed behind. His mother had sent word that she would be out of the realm for some time on some business. To visit his father would reveal who the man was and he wasn’t about to do anything to ruin that, as Tamlin respected his father very much.

He was about to see if he could get something to eat in the village nearby, but stopped as he heard someone in the training grounds.

As he peaked from behind a corner he found himself watching Gypsy.
The fluidity of her movements had him staring from the shadows, as he watched how easy it was for her to make something so hard, seem so easy. As he watched he found himself really looking at her.

Firm and slightly wide hips with a tiny waist, had him wondering about how she looked without her clothes. Her braided hair that was coiled up into a bun had him wanting to pull it down and have it fly around her freely. It was then that the incubus found himself barely breathing as the image in his mind was intoxicating. Naked on a bed, hair splayed around her as she looked to him, a teasing grin on her lips as she beckoned him forward with a finger… He shook his head trying to clear his mind as the thought was totally wrong….Tamlin knew he shouldn’t be seeing ‘that woman’ in ‘That’ way.

Tamlin looked away as he gathered his thoughts together and reminded himself that he was hungry. Unfortunately, it was the secondary hunger. The hunger he hid and was not about to get from his brothers, as no one ever had any energy to do anything to themselves or to each other every night after training. Everyone was always too tired.

Tamlin knew where he could get his secondary hunger fixed, but there was no fun standing near the smelly stables near the castle listening to the holder and who ever get it on, as he siphoned and fed himself from the sexual energy from them…but a meal was still a meal. He would have to deal with it.

He looked over to her practicing once more and had to slap himself as the image from earlier had come back, but this time she had her arms and legs wrapped around him as he was taking her.

"What is wrong with me......?"
He mumbled to himself.  

[Red Gypsy]

Hot Champion_of_justice

Gypsy finally moved to a stop in the center of the practice ring panting for air and drenched in sweat. She didn't appear to be thinking of anything or paying attention to her surroundings, though that was far from fact. The truth was that she was picking up a different form of energy and was waiting to see what was going to happen.

She did turn in time to see Tamlin in the shadows, though he had his back to her so she turned back to the portal forming in front of her. An Incubus stepped out of it, his gold-kissed skin making what he was obvious.

He grinned as he banished the portal and approached her, "Gypsy... I wasn't expecting to see you here..." he said softly to her then winked at her as she stayed just out of his reach.

"Good to see you too, Ash, but maintain your distance for now. I've got some control now thanks to Lareth, but it isn't perfect," she told him calmly then grinned back at him, "Besides, I have no idea where you're going to put that dagger," she added with a raised eyebrow, knowing full well that Tamlin was watching them still.

Ash actually gave her a playful chuckle as he openly slid the hidden dagger in his hand back into a hidden sheath at his waistband, "I still don't know how you do that. I'm good. I'm deadly. But I'm a full-blood Incubus and very well trained. You shouldn't be able to see my weapons but you still manage it, you little minx," he complained good-naturedly to her before his expression went serious as he looked her over with a more critical eye, "But you're not at your best, girl. You aren't feeding your demon. I know you can go without, being a hybrid, but I can see and feel how hungry it is. You're going to have to do something about that. And yes, I'm offering if you need it," he added more seriously.

Gypsy just shook her head at him, "No thanks. I'm not ready yet. It hasn't been that long since Kal died. I appreciate the offer, though," she told him simply then motioned towards the barracks with her head, "Go ahead and get your things settled in your room. Galen has your assignment but won't be back until tomorrow," she added simply.

Ash gave her a graceful bow and picked up his bag, shouldered it then headed on into the barracks and his room. He had his own room here that he used when he was between assignments.

Once he was gone, Gypsy silently dropped to her knees and lowered her head to her knees. She was struggling with her demonic half, able to feel it trying to come fully to the surface. But right now, the only one who could get her demonic half to recede again was Lareth, and she had no desire to wind up in bed with her brother-in-law...  

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Tamlin wondered who the newcomer was, but from what he saw, Gypsy knew who he was and simply spoke to the new Incubus.
The incubus was no one he knew so he cared not as for why the new demon was here.

Once their conversation was over with, he watched Gypsy as she dropped to her knees and bow her head.

Tamlin raised a brow.
So the magical warrior whom everyone said was stronger than any beast had her moments of weakness. What it was, he had no idea, but her guard was down. It was then a thought popped into his mind.

He could finish her off or He could pop her one, for all the hard paced and grueling training!

Tamlin felt excited as this was probably his only chance. But then he grumbled to himself as that whole honor thing....don't attack when someone is on the fritz.....but then again she always did say, you had to take advantage of opportune moments in order to survive....

Tamlin gathered his wits and implemented all that she drilled into him about sneaking up on the enemy. Since he had no weapon, he was simply going to bop her one.

Once he was close enough, he launched himself at her with a raised fist.

For sure he was going to get that woman!  

[Red Gypsy]

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Gypsy rolled her shoulder to the ground at the last minute and caught his fist in one hand with a soft grunt, his body with the other as his momentum sent them both rolling. When they came to a stop, she was on the bottom and her eyes were giving off a slight crimson glow, proving that she was having trouble with her demonic half trying to come out.

"Nice attempt Tamlin... With anyone else, you'd have succeeded... But I haven't lived for well-over five thousand years without learning to expect attacks from all sides..." she told him simply then closed her eyes with a soft gasp, her hands moving to cover her face as her body arched under him.

Ordinarily, this would be the moment when the 'fun' happened. But she was in pain as she fought with her other half, trying to keep it contained. So far, no one had managed to come up with a way to fuze her two halves so she basically had a part of herself that would literally rip her apart trying to come out from time to time.

But most especially in the presence of particularly strong Demons.

She clenched her jaw and tried to continue speaking clearly, "Why don't you go to the library and read some of the advanced books in there... Galen won't mind..." she gasped out then silently wished he'd managed to land his blow, which had been targeted by accident for the base of the skull. With Tamlin's current strength, it could have snapped her neck easily.  

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Tamlin was half surprised when she dipped her shoulder at last second and both ended up rolling on the dusty ground. What did surprise him was how he came out on top.

"Ah but I succeeded somewhat. I got you on your back as you always have me on the ground when we practice and train. For once, I am the victor. Not you."

It was then he noticed the soft glowing to her eyes and he frowned as he hadn't seen that before. He was going to ask about her eyes, when she gave a soft gasp and arched her body against his. He stared down at her as something was wrong. This woman who did nothing but nag at him and hammer training into his head as if he should know nothing else was aroused and pressing against him. Tamlin felt his hunger rise as the tiny bit of energy was merely a tasty morsel to increase his appetite.

"It seems we are in a predicament."

Tamlin sat on her still, keeping her pinned beneath him as he wickedly pressed his hips forward and down in response to her arching.

"You seem to be wanting something to slake your inner demons hunger....I do not know what type of demon you are as it is very very rare someone fights with who they are."

He leaned in and rubbed against her more.

"I am hungry and not for food.....since you know my kind so well....perhaps you can help me with my hunger as I help you deal with your demon?"  

[Red Gypsy]

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Gypsy gave off a deep growl as he teased at her, knowing that there was something wrong with the offer he made. She just had to remember it. But it was getting harder and harder to think as her demon fought her even more.

She fought hard to think through everything that was hitting her and briefly remembered why this was a bad idea. But he shifted against her and she went out like a light as her demonic half surged forward.

After that, she remembered scattered details. Moving up to kiss Tamlin fiercely and hungrily as she wrapped herself around him, clothes getting shredded and flying, somehow winding up in her room with him over her, then her riding him, more flashes of various positions... And somewhere in it all, Ash came in and helped her put her demon back in containment and pushed her into sleep as he helped revive Tamlin.

In the showers, still thankfully empty, Ash gave the boy a bit of his own energy in a simple transfer while holding him on his feet and introducing himself while silently assessing what Tamlin had triggered, "Her demon is a throw-back to our origins. It only lives to feed. Sometimes, she can channel it to a purpose but there is good reason that she keeps it locked away for now. The only way she'll be free of that is if we can come up with a way to fuze both of her halves together. If I hadn't gone in and interrupted you two, she could very well have killed you. And yes, you can die from feeding too much while being fed upon at the same time. I'd suggest that you keep this between yourself and her alone. Speak to her about it if you must but otherwise leave it alone for now," he explained, hoping the boy would listen.

He looked over Tamlin's features with a critical eye, noting that he was now energized again but still looked deathly pale and shaken, "I should probably mention that she left a note for me in my room asking me to help with your final training. She mentioned that you have the natural moves of an assassin and knew she'd have to have another Incubus finish your training for that. She might be a b***h most of the time, but if you can put up with it and actually learn from her, she'll give you the best chance at survival and a lasting future," he added, hoping to spark some kind of interest in the boy.

But he finally stepped back to shut down the water and wrapped him in a thick towel to dry off, "Now go curl up with her for a bit. She should be waking up in about an hour and will need some kind of explanation for what she isn't going to remember. And do keep in mind that her husband was killed just a few months ago and she's still mourning him," he added then left Tamlin to decide what he was going to do.