Woman's World

Chapter 1

For her entire first 18, almost 19 years, she had dedicated herself to her craft and studies. She had become quite a talented individual in the arts of shamanism and several forms of magic. She had become an unofficial pillar of her community. She healed, hexed, divined and sought truths. Rarely did she accept payment. It was not needed. She provided for herself. Her garden provided produce. The small lake near her home provided the fish. Her sheep provided wool for clothing and milk for cheese and butter. She hunted, she gathered, she skinned, she tanned, she wove fabric on her loom and sculpted pottery on her wheel before sending it to her kiln. She wanted, nor needed nothing except for companionship.

Companionship. There was a disaster in the making. Her last male companion tried to use her and steal from her. She had forgotten herself and devoted herself to him completely. She had been warned of that male servant. In this female driven world, she had made the mistake of allowing a male she knew from childhood to manipulate her. Thankfully she had discovered her mistake before things were ruined by accepting a bond with him. A child would have ruined everything. Instead she had two new pets: a lovely, preening songbird, nicely caged and a fat, tawny, lazy female cat, that she had to shock with a little jolt every now and then to get her to do her job and keep the mice out of the food cellar.

Today, Kyoko was loading up her cart and preparing her horse to carry all of her wares to sell in the marketplace. Perhaps I should check the merchants today. She pondered. Not all males were like her songbird. Proof of that was with her satisfied friends Kanae and Chiori. Those two had been nagging her for months to lighten up and make a pick. Her former companion had been given to her as a gift from his mother, for allowing her to raise her. It wasn't often that a mother was able to take in a Shaman/Mage, especially a very talented one. The only gift she could offer her in return was her son as Kyoko's servant and maybe one day her first mate. Children from Kyoko's bloodline would most certainly prosper and Yayoi could proudly claim that she was partially responsible for that.

She groused as she saddled and harnessed her horse to the filled cart. Merely thinking about that spoiled, disloyal little bastard made her want to pluck all his feathers again and make a new headdress. Maybe turn him into the jackass he was and make him work in the fields all season. She smirked at that thought as the morning sunlight filtered down from the canopy from above the road.

As she reached the edge of town, she realized that she would need to make a purchase whether she wanted to or, not. She needed the help, and she unfortunately needed the muscle. She had no choice.

Finally, she unloaded and delivered her wares to the proper merchants and received a nice little purse of 2,000 gold for her troubles. It would definitely be enough to make the purchase she was not looking forward to making. She groused inwardly as she inspected each male, going from cage to cage, ignoring the ones that preened as if they were prized animals on display. She didn't want a proud, useless one like the one she had before. He had been enough trouble.

She came to the end of the long row of merchandise to find one shackled in irons and tied by his neck in his cage. He was tall, blond, had the muscle that she required and when she approached, she could see that he had the most beautiful, familiar looking green eyes.

"Mistress Kyoko, you don't want to get too close to that one. He's been in the mines. He's not suitable for one of your position." The small blonde warned her.

"Airi, I will be the judge of that. Besides I need the muscle. He seems suitable for my intentions. I don't want another useless, preening peacock." Kyoko told her.

"B-But... He's dangerous." She plead. "and he's violent."

Kyoko sighed. "Airi, I have lived on my own for the past five years and I have been perfectly safe. I can take care of myself."

"Didn't you have Shotaro?" She asked a little confused.

Kyoko grimaced and her golden eyes glowed with fire. "That worthless piece of flesh did nothing, but sit around all day and in the end began mating with my apprentice. I do not need anything such as that again. Now, how much?"

Airi nodded. "Yes, Mistress... 175 gold."

Kyoko shook her head at the scant amount and gave the girl 400. She sighed. "From what I see. He is worth his weight. His spirit is gentle and only needs healing. Now, release him." She ordered as she tapped her great-staff on the ground.

Kuon watched quietly as the scantily clad woman dressed in skins, silk, feathers and animal bones spoke to the small slaver just out of his reach from the cage. In her long, raven hair, he could see how if the sun shone just right on her, he could see little strands of dark blue. She was wearing a headdress of colorful feathers and a small animal skull in the center. On her body were tattoos of different animals and runes that ran from her thighs, to her hips, on her belly, up to her barely covered breasts, over her shoulder, and down her arms to her fingertips. On her face, she wore a mask of red makeup that surrounded her beautiful golden eyes. Eyes that gave him a comforting, familiar feeling.

As he was mesmerized by observing this unusual female, his cage was opened. His brow furrowed. He didn't dare speak to her. He didn't want the small blonde to beat him again.

The dark female tapped each of his bonds with her staff, chanted something and they all fell to the ground around him. He heard her hiss when she saw his injuries and watched her glare at the blonde.

She sighed at the ligature marks on his wrists, ankles and neck. She furrowed her brow at the lash marks across his back and his bruises. "This is unconscionable." She murmured as her hands glowed with a green aura and she passed them over the worst of the injuries.

He watched cautiously as the pain, scars and slashes began to fade. The aura emitting from her hands now glowed a cool blue and she ran them up his arm slowly, causing a trail of tattoos similar to hers, to appear on his left arm as a sleeve up to his shoulder.

"Your name is Kuon..." She murmured to him and he flinched as his eyes went wide.

"H-How..." He started and she shushed him with a beautiful smile.

"Come... We have a long ride ahead if we wish to be home before dusk." She gently tugged him by the hand to follow her. "Before that, you will need more suitable clothing and a pair of boots. I also need grain."

"Yes, Mistress." He told her as he followed dutifully. Only one female had treated him so kindly and that was when he was a child. The other had healed him then too. This one reminded him of her.

She scowled at him calling her that. She supposed that she would have to get used to it. Actually, at the moment she kind of preferred it. She honestly didn't wish to hear a male voice call her Kyoko just yet, the wound and betrayal of Shotaro was still fresh. "I suppose Mistress will do." She sighed.

He nodded and continued to follow. By the end of their shopping he was properly clothed in a sturdy pair of boots, a durable pair of leather pants and he carried a large sack of grain to the cart for her. She would make a few more pairs of pants and a few shirts, and a coat for him before winter.

He started to climb into the cart and she told him no as she mounted the large draft-horse. "You'll be riding with me." She told him as she scooted a little forward.

He nodded and mounted just behind her. "Thank you." He breathed out in relief.

Before she had made her purchase, his fate was all but sealed. Had he gone one more day, they would have thrown him to fight for his life with the others. He hadn't eaten or, slept in days. He would have never made it, but she hadn't known that and he wasn't going to tell her. She had been kind to him, healed some of his wounds, clothed him in something other than a loincloth, and shared her mid-day meal with him.