After she left, I reflected on the events of the last hour. First, I had been face-down in water for over an hour and didn’t die. I even noticed that I only breathed when Kitsken was looking at me. I would focus on not breathing, which felt different than holding a breath. My menu was flashing gray. I pulled it up to check on the runes I learned.

  Runes Learned

  Rune: Heat

  Rune: Flow

  Rune: Clean

  All in all, it is a good haul of runes for a single unobtrusive hot tub. I imagined what I could use the runes for. I thought never having to miss a hot shower would be a godsend. I began thinking of how to combine the new runes with others. I was stalling. There was an elephant in the room that was my mind. A black-haired elephant with a fantastic ass and very nice tits. She wasn’t Vex by a long shot. She was mortal and normal. And more importantly, I could remember the sex this time. That was what concerned me, though. It was a point in the middle. She was back on top, and she must have been close to climax, or at least one of her climaxes. As she reached her peak, I felt a tug on what I felt was my core or my soul. It was like I was staring at a lock. I could see it, a glass door holding back something pure. I knew I could open it if I only had the key. I could feel a key forming, but it wouldn’t finish. She finished before I had another attempt on the lock, but I knew it was just outside my reach.

  I knew the feeling. It was an almost-formed skill. I didn’t know what I would actually unlock, but I couldn’t wait to see what it would form as. I just needed a little more Potential to unlock it. I wondered when I would get the chance to gain some.

  My musing was interrupted by the approach of another person. This one was far less sexy than the last, but no less impressive. Pasha, the barber, stood a good six feet tall. He was a whipcord-thin man who looked like calmly restrained power. His most impressive features, though, were his perfectly trimmed goatee and matching handlebar mustache, both of which looked resplendent in salt-and-pepper gray. I could sense a difference about him right away. His health and demeanor, combined with his refined looks, told me he was at least Awakened. He could have been Ascended, but I doubted he would be here still then. I know I didn’t intend on staying.

  “So you are the one she was pining over? Hrm…I don’t see it, but her wet shift would say otherwise.”

  “I bet you noticed the panties in the dry pile of clothes.”

  “Hrrrmn……I did indeed. A gentleman wouldn’t speak of such things.”

  “To another fine sir in the private confines of a bathhouse? Where else would we speak of such things? She is a nice girl.”

  “She is. I would not see her affections wasted.”

  “I have no ill intent towards the girl, young as she might be. If I’ve caused offense, say the word, and I shall face any recompense, good sir.”

  “Keep your advances reciprocal and be gentle if you must, and we shall have no quarrel.”

  “Indeed. I passed your test?”

  “Indeed. Now I am to make you presentable. Your hair is unkempt, and you need a shave. Please stand.”

  “Might I trouble you for a towel?” I did my best to sound dignified.

  “Here, and dress yourself in these.” He handed me a towel and a set of mustard brown clothes.

  I waited for him to walk out or at least turn, but he did not. I waited another second, and then decided that if he wanted to see, there was not much I could do. I stepped up and felt the water drain away from me. I still felt invigorated from the bath and the ‘visit’. Thankfully, I was able to dry myself while retaining some dignity. The towel was heavenly. Downy soft and slightly warmed. I almost didn’t want to be done with it.

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  The clothes consisted of a set of mustard-yellow pants and a matching shirt. A comfy pair of silk-like boxers were also included, much to my delight. The only problem was the size. I felt like I was a kid wearing my mom’s scrubs. Everything was huge on me. I tied the waist of the pants with the threaded cord and did my best to keep them up.

  Pasha walked up and began to ‘adjust’ my clothes like a dad dressing a toddler. The funny part was that every part and piece he touched seemed to shrink to a perfect fit. I looked down and not only did the pants appear tailored, but they were wrinkle-free. I decided to inquire.

  “A skill?”

  “Several, in fact. My talents lie in perfecting appearances. While the Emir has a reputation to maintain and only the best Gnolish barber and tailors will let him maintain that grace, I do my best to perfect the staff.”

  “The Emir is a Gnoll? What’s a Gnoll?”

  “Gnolls are a type of beastkin.”

  My confused face led him to continue.

  “It is suspected they once were just a group of ascended dog-kin, but they are now a complete race, with Mortals and Willful alike. To answer your implied question, no, it would be inappropriate for one as high as the Emir to be touched by a slave or even a former slave. He would have freed me long ago if that were the case. I tell you this because it is clear you do not know your place and you must learn it.”

  “That sounds ominous,” I replied.

  “Don’t worry, that will happen after I’m done with you.” He added a little edge to his statement by bringing out a straight razor.

  “Ok, now that is ominous. Well done.”

  His expertise with clothing paled in comparison to his skill with a razor. I felt a flowing sensation seep across my face and head. It felt as if I was being massaged and attacked by thousands of tiny razors. After the sensation faded, he pulled out a series of lotions, and the real attack began.

  Back home, his treatment would have cost hundreds of dollars and was only available in places like Wall Street. It beat any haircut I had received to that point.

  “Hrm….you do clean up. I see why she likes you. If you remain as genteel as you have been, the Emir will certainly acquire you. Do well and he will reward you. Do poorly or offend him, and there will be consequences. We are but a few of his property.”

  His statement only gave me a slight pause for concern. It was laced with a not-so-subtle threat, but it also revealed that the Emir had a ton of humans as property. I didn’t know what to make of it. I tried to study Pasha as he cleaned up his materials. I only learned that he was quick yet meticulous. That in and of itself was pretty telling. I would normally suspect that he was afraid of punishment for any lack of effort, but that didn’t seem to fit. He appeared to be the ‘pride in his work’ kind of man. He definitely didn’t fit the build and bill of what I expected a slave to look like. Especially telling was the complete lack of a collar, like the ineffective one I was still wearing. I did glimpse what looked like a scar or brand under a leather cuff on his arm.

  I tried to ‘see’ the mark with my aura sense, but only got him as a complete person, or the cuff alone. The cuff was ordinary, finely worked, and appeared well-worn, but in the end was just leather. I focused on Pasha as a complete person. First, I saw him as he was, purposefully putting his implements away. I continued to focus on him and got an unpleasant surprise, Pasha full-frontal. Yeah, I was shocked to say the least. The oddest part was that Pasha, the object, was standing upright and staring straight ahead like a mannequin. I focused away from the swinging cod and used my mind to manipulate him as you would an object in a CAD program. I could spin and rotate at a thought. I started to focus closer on his wrist, but noticed in my normal sight that he was tying up his tool bundle. My time was up.

  “It has been a pleasure to ensure that you are at least presentable for his eminence. I do look forward to meeting you again. An attendant will take you to the room that has been prepared for you. She is waiting by the door.” With that, he walked out of the Bath. He paused at the doorway.

  “This one is quite young, so do please keep your trousers on and tied.” And with that, he was gone.

  I had no reason to loiter in the steam, so I walked to the door.

  He was right, the girl at the door was quite young. Perhaps twelve by earth years, so around seven cycles or so. She still had that childlike cuteness and innocence about her. Far too young for any engaging activities. She reminded me of one of my co-worker’s kids. All knees and elbows.

  As I exited, she turned and walked down the hall. Her actions were so abrupt that I had to jog to catch up after the shock held me for a pause. I tried to engage with idle chatter, but much like my coworker’s kid, she had no patience for the weird guy crashing her birthday party. She didn’t even give me a name when I asked.

  After about five minutes and three flights of stairs, I was led into a large sitting room. I was not alone.