Jump Chain Gothic 5 - Merlin
Part 4
Darkling Woods. Albion.
While we weren't that far from the castle, in fact it was visible from here, these woods were known to be used for secret meetings and criminal activities, and while they were patrolled the foliage was very dense in many places meaning that even an experienced tracker could pass within half a dozen meters of someone they were hunting and never see anything.
Right now there wouldn't be any secret meetings as it was a bright, sunny day, and there were lots of Camelot guards going about making a lot of noise, as were some other people. The people making most of the noise were the beaters, who were not to be confused with beaters in the quidditch game
These beaters were a well organised team of men that had the responsibility of driving the animals out into the open so that we could shoot them crossbows. Which didn't seem very sporting to me, but this was a time of savagery for mankind despite how cultured some people could be.
I knew that by walking in formation and spreading out a certain amount, beaters could successfully flush game in a specific direction. I also knew that any team of beaters would be led by the keeper, again not to be confused with Quidditch player, who was a man that knew the the area exceptionally well.
In order to drive the game in the desired route, beaters made noise by clapping loudly, using their voices, or by cracking sticks on nearby objects. Experienced beaters, such as those here today, had trained dogs with them and these dogs will be tightly controlled so that could guide the humans to where there was prey, but they didn't go chasing after anything unless command to.
Thinking about all that made me realise that this sport had dogs that would chase prey, beaters with sticks, and a keepe. Had JK Rowling at least part based the sport of Quidditch on medieval hunting? Quidditch did seem to be barbaric and pointless, much like hunting. More likely I was just over thinking things again.
"That's an impressive sword" I heard the prince say "Yet I don't recall you ever using it".
While I could have left my dragon forged sword in the Cosmic Warehouse were it would be safe, there seemed little point to having such a potent weapon and not keeping it close for when I needed it, and it was not a matter of if, it was when. At some point during my decade in this world I would be attacked by someone or something that couldn't be killed by mortal weapons or even near-ascended powers.
As such it seemed wise to keep it close. However since it could kill what normal steel couldn't, someone might notice its special properties if I used it too often. So I carried a more normal sword as well, one that would work fine against man and beast of the mortal kind.
"It was a gift of sorts" I told the prince "It was made for me to be used only by me, and against worthy foes".
Arthur seemed to accept that explanation.
"So you always carry two swords" he said.
I just nodded, and then lifted my crossbow as the dogs began to bark frantically. Something was coming right at us, which was strange given that we were a large group of people with lots of weapons, and we had dogs. Yet despite this a wild boar was running right at us. It was must have been driven into a frenzy by all the noise.
My training took over and I lifted my crossbow even as other people dived for cover. I was about to fire, only Prince Arthur got their first. The rampaging animal dropped and skidded to a halt mere few meters away from me.
"A successful hunt!" the prince called out.
Apparently that was it. Yet it to me it seemed like a waste, lot of effort and noise all for one dead animal. I didn't find that at all satisfying.
(Line Break)
Camelot. Albion.
After a morning spent hunting, and an afternoon spent training my muscles ached, and while my Evercleansed Perk kept me clean and stopped me from stinking up the place every time I got sweaty, it was still better to clean myself at times because while I might always look shower fresh I didn't feel it it all time.
Besides while the perk wasn't much of an issue when you had access to the superior hygiene products and facilities of the future, in a swords and sorcery setting it would seem odd for to be so clean all the time and never be known to bathe.
Although I had noticed that the people in Camelot looked more clean and healthy than one would expect, so either people did have better hygiene in this day and age than I'd been led to believe, or this wasn't actually my world in the past . Judging by the show this was a more romanticized version of medieval England.
Not that it really mattered to me. It wasn't as if I could forward to check as while I actually had a time machine, I'd pinched Janus's time travelling puddle jumper from an alternate universe, that was locked up in the space dock, which was good as it didn't do to leave time machines lying around.
"Your bath is ready" Cameron told me.
I began to strip off behind the screen, because that was what the thing existed for rather than because of any shyness. There wouldn't be much point living in this setting if I didn't at least try to act like I belonged here, at least for as long as it amused me.
When I stepped out from behind the screen, while wearing only what passed for a towel in this world, I saw that Cameron was standing by the tub while totally naked, and holding a washing cloth.
"Not that I mind" I said to her "But why did you undress?".
"I'm going to wash you" she told em "And I don't want to get my clothes wet".
Okay well that made sense, and while she was practical about the whole thing I couldn't help finding her behavior to be arousing, which soon became noticeable, and Cameron didn't pay that part of me any attention as I got into the bath.
My Terminator began washing me right away, cleaning me carefully while always making sure that her actions were gentle. It took her awhile, too long really, but she began to clean the part of me I wanted to touch, and she made it enjoyable.
"Time to help deal with you stress" she declared.
Which was her way of saying that we would soon be engaging in some sort of sexual activity. For her sex was about helping to keep my stress levels low by helping to relax.
"How? By giving me a handjob?" I asked
Cameron shook her head
"No, not with a handjob" she said as she leaned over the rim of the tub.
I watched with almost detached fascination as her head came down towards my waiting erection, her mouth slowly opening as she moved her body into a position that would allow to perform oral on me. It couldn't have been comfortable the way she was leaning, but this didn't stop her.
The detached feeling vanished as soon as her lips touched the tip of my penis. As soon as that happened I groaned as her hot, wet mouth engulfed my manhood, her lips sliding down the length of man meat. Her head continued to descend until her chin and nose were underwater, which wasn't an issue for her as she didn't need to breath.
She then began moving her head in a slow and steady pace, and she kept this up for a few minutes before her head started coming back up, revealing my cock, which I was not too proud to admit was also enhanced. Although not as much as it could have been.
After a moment the tip of my dick came out of her mouth with a small popping sound. At this point a human woman would be panting for air, but Cameron only looked me in the eyes for a second or to, and then kissed the tip of my cock, with a surprising amount of tenderness.
Not for the first time I noted while she'd always been devoted to me, and she'd always worked hard at pleasuring me, she'd never been this affectionate until now. It seemed that her latest software update had changed her personality, perhaps to better her play the role of servant, as well as bodyguard. She was also designed to learn how to better mimic human behaviour, that combined with the recent software update explained her changing personality.
After some more tender kissing she tilted her head. Then she started kissing and licking her way up, down and around the length of my erection. After doing this for a some time, I had no way of knowing how long it actually was, she began to get serious about making me climax with her mouth.
While her mouth and right hand were now occupied with my hardon, her left hand was fondling my balls. She'd had a lot of practice doing this over the years and as such she knew exactly how much pressure to use, and what kind of fondling would get the best results. It wouldn't surprise me at all to discover the she had hundreds of megabytes worth of data stored in her memory banks that contain nothing more than ways to make me happy through sex.
I moaned a few times as Cameron pleasured me, and I watched as her head bobbed up and down, she was now hiding my cock in her mouth only to revel it again a moment later. Her pace was increasing and her every action was designed to get me cum. Not doubt she'd sensed that the bath water was already getting cold and that I would need to finish before it cooled.
She let me cum in her mouth and barely reacted to it. Once she was sure that I was done Cameron released my cock, before getting onto her knees. She then opened her mouth wide, showing me the baby batter which she had collected her mouth.
Next she closed her mouth, made a visible show of swallowing, then opened it again to reveal that my cum had disappeared. For a moment she seemed more like a pet seeking her owners approval than she did a cyborg killing machine with the appearance of Summer Glau.
"I hope that I pleased you Master" she then said.
"You did" I told her.
She then stood up, she wasn't at all shy about her body and if I'd not just orgasmed I'd be aroused again because of how close she was to me.
"Once you're done with your bath I'll fetch you some supper" Cameron was now saying "Then we can spend some time in Cosmic Warehouse. It will easier for me to do my job if you can be beamed to safety when I'm not around".
Given that her existence revolved around keeping me safe more than anything else, she must not be happy about me going off without her so much, or at least as unhappy as an AI could be. Alas women in this time period simply weren't allowed to do certain things. I knew that the Lady Morgana had gone off hunting and that she'd learned how to use a sword, but she was the king's daughter and could do things other women couldn't.
For the men it was certainly good that Cameron wasn't allow me to b a knight as she'd show them all up, and then be declared a witch because to the people of this kingdom her abilities would seem magical. Not that hunting her would go well for the locals.
"Yes we should get that boat done ASAP" I agreed "I'll also feel better if we have an escape route planned out".
Even if we did nothing to blow our cover it was possible that the castle would be overrun by some enemy like it was a couple of times in the show. I didn't want to end up in a cell, not that I couldn't escape, it would just be annoying to get locked up.
(Line Break)
Hideout. Albion.
The sorceress Nimueh waved her hand over the scrying pool and tried in vain to regain the picture she had just lost. Everything had been fine a few moments, she'd had a clear picture, and it had been a very interesting view. She wasn't normally one for spying of that kind, but she'd indulged herself.
Now she'd lost the image just as the man she'd been spying on. She didn't get sound so she'd been hoping to see something that would help her understand who this newcomer was. So far he seemed normal aside from the fact that he could disappear from her scrying pool.
She'd sensed his sudden arrival in this land, but oddly no one else seemed to have, at least as far as she could tell. From what she'd seen so far everyone else treated him as if he was exactly what he appeared to be. Yet Nimueh was certain that the stranger had only arrived in this land a mere two days ago.
His arrival had been totally unforseen by her, and that combined with his ability to defeat her scrying told Nimueh that she was dealing with something she had never encountered before. That combined with his minor magical ability, which she could sense, made him a possible threat.
However also saw a potential ally. After all this man was a practitioner of magic living in the heart of Camelot. Somehow he'd even become a knight, or had somehow fooled everyone into thinking he was a knight, either way he was trusted by Uther and a prime position to betray the king.
Nimueh might be able to use this sorcerer as weapon against Uther, as even the most honourable of knights were simply men, and she ways of bringing men around to her way of thinking. But before she approached this man she wanted to learn more about him, and that meant observing him some more.
Maybe he'd take another bath. She wouldn't mind that.
(Line Break)
Cosmic Warehouse. Outside of Reality.
While the robots and Cameron finish putting together the boat I worked on the small satellite that would soon be beamed into orbit. I was using the same space as the machine labourers and my terminator as this was where all the tools were kept. Thankfully it was a large space so we all able to give each other enough room to work.
The satellite I was working on was little more than a thruster, some communications equipment, a few different types of scanners, and a metal shell which would be protected by a kinetic barrier incase of space debris. So it wasn't that big of a device or that complex, but it should do its job.
Its purpose was to give Cortana, who would control the boat my bots were building, a way of tracking me from orbit without the use of a spacecraft. It would also do some mapping for me, which would be useful as I'd checked out some maps in the library and they didn't help to understand where exactly I was. The geography didn't line up with anything I knew, and it was hard to understand the scale of the maps as they were so crude.
However once this probe was up somewhere high I'd be able to get the lay of the land so to speak. Also I'd be able to access the satellite via my omni-tool which should allow me to keep track of things like the movements of armies or even large magical creatures. Which almost certainly would come in handy somewhere down the line.
"Earlier you seem bothered by something" Cameron commented.
Yes I had been distracted just before entering the Cosmic Warehouse. I'd had the feeling that someone had been watching me, but there had been no one around. Perhaps it was the Great Dragon somehow keeping track of my movements with his powerful mind. If he could sense me then it made sense that I should be able to sense him. Although given my limited knowledge of magic I was unable to say for certain.
I was also a little worried about one of the magic users of this world sensing that I was new to this world despite having been inserted by the Jump Chain. I'd been inserted this way into the Mass Effect and the only person to discover the truth about me, without me telling them was Miranda Lawson, and she'd only stumbled across the truth by accident. Although Jump Chan may of had a hand in that. After all the harem idea had been hers.
While the Great Dragon may be the only creature in this entire world who could detect me, because of some sort of anomaly or because he was just that powerful, it was possible that others with magical abilities might be able to sense my alien nature.
Morgana was a seer of sorts and she seemed fine around me, however she should be affected by the fake memories people have of me, were as the dragon wouldn't have been since he didn't interact with people. Merlin might also pick on something, even without the Great Dragon telling him anything.
My main concern was Nimueh, she was a high priestess of the Old Religion, and while I didn't really understand what that meant, I was imaginative enough to figure that she might have some sort of divinity backing her up, which might allow her to detect me.
If so then I was disappointed, as I'd been hoping to be able to sit back and chill for most of this Jump, and thinking about that made me realise that it was possible that Jump Chan had allowed some creatures to sense me in order to spice things up.
"I got the feeling that someone was watching me" I informed Cameron "It might just have been nothing more than a bad feeling".
Cameron frowned.
"Then we should finish this work tonight if possible" she said "If someone is observing us then we need to secure your escape route".
My Terminator looked concerned, she was showing a lot feelings this evening.
"Will the satellite work?" Cameron asked "The boat should be fine as its just a more advanced version of an existing technology, but they don't even have flying machines in this setting".
I'd thought about this and I had a justification as to why this should work.
"In the show there's scene at the very end of the last episode of the last season that is set in what I would call modern times" I informed Cameron "It doesn't last for long, but you can see an old Merlin passing by King Arthur's resting place, and there's also a lorry from a supermarket chain".
Which didn't sound like a vital detail, but in reality it was.
"This isn't much to go on, but it heavily implies that Merlin is still around in the late 20th at least and maybe the early parts of the 21st Century, and that the technology is the same as in my world of origin" I was now saying "If so that means that while there isn't proper space travel in this setting, there are, or will be, space shuttles and so on, so we should be able to get something to orbit because it is possible in this setting, just not at this time".
We'd know for certain when we tried to get into orbit and it worked or not.
"Teleporting using magic is also possible" I went on to say "So doing so via technology should also be allowed since this setting doesn't outright forbid beaming.
Cameron smiled slightly.
"You're very smart" she praised.
Well I was an 'evolved' human. That had to count for something.
(Line Break)
Chambers. Camelot.
"Master, there is someone here to see you" Cameron told me.
My bodyguard/serving girl had just entered the room, while carrying some cleaning supplies, I'd been expecting her, but no one else.
"Who is it?" I asked.
I put down the book I was reading, this one contained information on many magical creatures, including the dreaded Manticore. I figured that it would be good to gain some knowledge on these fantastic beasts, such as where to find them. I also wanted to know how to kill them in case one started terrorising the kingdom.
"He claims to be a merchant and he wants to make a deal with you" Cameron informed me.
This had my attention.
"Show him in" I instructed.
Cameron opened the door the whole way and a man entered the room. I didn't know how he'd gotten into the castle, and all the way to my chambers, but in the show no one ever seemed to have trouble getting into the Citadel. Maybe he'd bribed his way in.
"Can I help you with something?" I asked of the man.
Judging by the quality of his clothes he was a well off man, and yet he seemed a little nervous, perhaps he wasn't to dealing with knights. Which made me think that he wasn't a noble.
"I have an idea sir knight that could make us both a tidy profit" the merchant told me.
While I didn't know much about economics of this time period I did have the education of a knight and some knowledge of history, as such I did know that medieval merchants like this man tended to trade in exotic goods imported from distant shores, such as spices, wine, food, furs, fine cloth (notably silk), glass, jewellery and many other luxury goods.
As of yet I'd not taken the time to explore Camelot's markets, but I did know that it had a lot to offer, much more than you might think given how dangerous long distance travel could be in this era. Now it seemed as if the market had come to me.
"And what idea would that be?" I enquired.
For a moment the man looked as if he might turn around and leave, but he bravely soldiered on. I wasn't used to intimidating people like, at least in normal conversations, or when I wasn't in some sort of high tech armour. Clearly my Authority Perk was having an effect.
"Your kites, sir knight" said the merchant "I've heard people talking about them".
I'd made a few more for other ladies of the court to amuse themselves with. They must be very bored women I'd figured because all they could do most of the time was stand around while trying to look pretty. Which I was sure suited the vainer ladies just fine, but they weren't all that shallow.
"You want to sell my kites" I said to the merchant.
It wasn't hard to suss out were he'd been going with this. I had an advanced and well educated mind.
"Yes, sir knight" the man confirmed "I'd need instructions for their creation from you, and I'm sure that we can make them cheaply enough for the common folk, with fanicer designs for the nobility. You would of course receive a share of the profits. Which would repay your investment very quickly I'm sure".
Material wealth meant little to me, I had access to replicators, virtual construction technology, as well as a Matter Furnace, so stuff like gold and silver was easy to me to get access to any amount I wanted, so I had to remind myself that other people actually had to work at making money. As such I almost forgot to act as if I actually cared about any investments by me that only involve money.
"How much?" I asked.
The man would need money to pay for supplies and to hire people to make the kites, and he'd have to do that without any guarantees that people would buy them, so he was taking a big risk. I was not as even without my easy sources of money the amount he asked for wouldn't have a big drain even if the investment didn't work out. Besides the risk was far less than if I invested in a ship or trade convoy that went over land. Bandits or pirates were unlikely to steal materials for building kites or the finish product.
"You won't regret this sir knight" promised the merchant.
I was sure I wouldn't because success or failure would make little difference to me. Still I'd make sure that there was contract between us, as if nothing else I'd then learn the man's name, and it would protect the merchant more than me since I was a minor noble. Uther would always favour his knights in any dispute.
"Return this time tomorrow and I'll have your money and a contract prepared" I told the bloke.
He bowed and left, no doubt wanting to get out of my sight as quickly as possible in case he somehow offended me and I changed my mind. Which he didn't need to worry about as I should be thanking the guy, he'd given the idea of 'inventing' a few others things. Nothing major, I wouldn't want to tip the balance of power between the kingdoms, but there were bound to be a few things I could introduce to improve people's lives or at least entertain them. I'd give it some thought.