Tenderfoot Part Four: The Academy
“How will we go about meeting this Lord Xavis?” Esmeralda asked as she and Patrisa walked through the crowded stands of the Wundermarket.
“Don’t mention his name in public,” Patrisa said discreetly to her ear. “He has spies of all kinds just listening and hoping to report any tidbit of information to their master.”
“Where are we going now?” Esmeralda asked a bit impatient. They had left an exhausted Lucil tied to a seat in Peter the Peddler’s wagon more than an hour ago. “It seems we are going in circles.”
“We are,” Patrisa replied. “I’m just making sure we are not being followed. I need you to meet someone who can help you learn to properly spell cast. You have talent, but without proper training you’d be more than an obstacle than a help when it would come to storming a palace like the one I plan to raid.
“I was taught the little I know by this person. She will be able to teach you much more than I.”
They finally arrived at a small tent with the words: “Madame Jordanna: Fortuneteller” written on a hand painted sign with the words: “Fortunes Told” written below.
Patrisa and Esmeralda stepped into the tent and Esmeralda was now surprised to see that the interior of the tent was really as small as the tent. It was dark and the only light came from a crystal ball in the center of the room which rested upon a small round table. There was an Elfling woman sitting in front of the crystal ball studying it intently.
She wore a red scarf on her head which hid her hair and donned a dark black robe with runes, but her pointy ears and black pupil-less eyes said she was of the same race as the Elflings Esmeralda met in the Mushroom Forest.
“Sit down,” the elfling said gesturing to the two seats in front of her. She seemed much older than her youthful Elfling body. At a distance she would probably no look much larger than a human child.
“Madame Jordanna,” Patrisa said respectfully. “I’ve come to learn my fortune.”
“Pay the fee, child,” the Elfling said gesturing to her crystal, “and I will tell you your fortune.”
Patrisa took two glowing jewels of magic from her pouch and placed them upon the crystal ball. The ball shined brightly and the jewels sank into the glass ball.
“Very well,” the elfling said. “I will read your sole.”
Patrisa unstrapped her right sandal and placed her bare foot on a soft cushion on the table for the fortune teller to examine.
“Aren’t you supposed to read her palm?” Esmeralda asked and then immediately winced wishing she hadn’t asked.
“Let me guess,” the elfing said knowingly. “A know-it-all tenderfoot.” The fortune teller smiled and shrugged. “I read soles, my dear. They can tell me much more than a mere palm, I assure you.”
She studied Patrisa’s bare sole intently and it was then that Esmeralda realized what pretty feet Patrisa had. The toes were well proportioned and the sole looked very soft. The foot had the fresh look feet have after a pedicure. Madame Jordanna traced the lines of Patrisa’s sole with her sharp fingernails. Patrisa’s foot did not even fidget. Esmeralda shivered realizing that she would be struggling to maintain control with that kind of touching on her soles.
“Yes, I see,” Jordanna spoke as she studied the lines. “You are indeed my former pupil, Patrisa, also known as the Terrible Tickle Scourge. The lines on the sole never lie. I have followed your exploits closely over the years. I see Orion no longer accompanies you and that you seek my counsel to train this tenderfoot protégé.”
”That is correct, Madame,” Patrisa said politely. “If you would teach her the skills she requires, I promise you that you would hear of even greater deeds performed by the Terrible Tickle Scourge.”
“You’ve brought honor and much due notoriety to my Academy, dear Patrisa,” Madame Jordanna said thankfully as she allowed Patrisa to remove her foot from the table. “You and Orion Pax have made mine the most prestigious Academy of them all.”
“Would you accept Esmeralda as your pupil, Madame Jordanna?” Patrisa asked.
“I will decide once I have read her fortune,” the Elfling responded gesturing for Esmeralda to place her foot on the table.
Esmeralda frowned and felt uncomfortable putting a vulnerable foot in a potentially ticklish situation, but it seemed like part of the protocol so she did as ordered and removed her boot and stocking, and placed her pale bare foot on a small soft cushion on the table next to the crystal ball.
Madame Jordanna took the foot in her hands and Esmeralda fought the urge to squirm with all her will.
“Hmmm…” Madame Jordanna said nodding to herself approvingly as she gently touched Esmeralda’s soft sole trying to not tickle the exposed foot. “You have the spell caster in you and the strain is very strong. That is for certain. I sense dormant abilities waiting to be awoken. You’ve gone through your life in your world as if asleep. You have a great role to play in this world. One that is certain to be remembered. I sense that your destiny is entwined with Patrisa and with another person who is not so clear in the reading. A person of great power and wisdom, however I am not certain if that person will harm and hinder you or nurture you and make you stronger yet.”
Madame Jordanna gestured to Esmeralda to remove her foot from the table.
“I accept,” she decided. “Esmeralda will begin immediately and will receive specialized training from my Academy. I will teach her how to use all the tools at her disposition to learn how to survive and thrive among the Realms.”
“Thank you, Madame Jordanna,” Esmeralda said gratefully. “Where is this Academy? Is it far?” she asked.
Patrisa and Jordanna smiled and exchanged a knowing glance.
“Put your hands on the crystal ball and look into it,” Jordanna commanded.
Esmeralda obeyed and she realized that is was not so much a crystal ball for scrying. It was rather more of a snow globe like the ones her mother had at home for the holidays and with which she would play for hours watching the snow fall on a quaint little Christmas cabin.
This was different though. It was a green grassy hill with some small groves of tall pine trees and with what appeared to be a Greek Parthenon on the top. She felt the glass ball glow and had a strange feeling.
The hill seemed to get bigger and more detailed. She could see more features of the marble columns and she could see shrubs and such that she had not been able to see initially. She suddenly felt a sharp tug and instantly she was no longer in the tent with Patrisa and Madame Jordanna but rather falling through the air towards a large marble building that was racing towards her at a dangerous pace.
She screamed as she felt the air race against her face and through her hair. She suddenly felt a pair of powerful arms stop her decent I the air. She turned to see her rescuer and screamed again realizing that the rescuer had horns and large black wings.
“Must be another tenderfoot,” her rescuer said as the continued their descent however now at a much slower pace. “They see horns and they see wings and they automatically assume the worst.”
Esmeralda studied her rescuer and discovered that it was a woman who was helping her reach the ground. It was actually a beautiful woman save the large back wings on her back, the short horns on her forehead and the stern look on her face. She had sexy black curly hair with pretty pale face with chiseled features. Her eyes were large and black and her lips a deep red. She wore black leather armor similar to Patrisa’s but it covered her entire body.
They landed.
“I am Danea, Keeper of the Academy,” she said introducing herself. “I am, as you can very well see, from the Demonus Realm. We are not the evil devils we are painted to be, but do watch your way during your stay because I expect total discipline from our pupils and we will not tolerate less. May I have your name, miss?”
“Esmeralda,” she replied. “And I’m sorry I screamed. I mean I saw many different people like you at the Wudermarket, but I just haven’t got used to surprises.”
Danea rolled her eyes in what appeared to be an apology accepted.
“Follow me to the Academy Hall,” she ordered.
Esmeralda followed Danea up to the Parthenon type building and they walked up the many stairs to the entrance. They went through the entrance and they entered a sort of lobby area with many statues lined up on each side.
“This is the Hall of Honor,” she explained. “The most prolific of our graduates have their statue here.”
She saw creatures of all kinds and sorts, but in the place of honor at the center of the hall there were two statues. One was of Patrisa with her characteristic leather armor with strap skirt and sandals. She was in fighting stance with her fighting sticks Ash and Oak ready to deal with some danger. Below it had a plaque. “Patrisa: The Terrible Tickle Scourge”.
The other statue was of a man, but there were few features to distinguish him. He donned a wizard’s cloak similar to Lucil’s with the same kind of runes on the edge. His face seemed to be lost in the shadows of the hood. It seemed to be an important aspect of the character she assumed because it would make more sense to have a statue where you could see the face clearly. She could only make out a thin chin with a narrow all knowing smile. This plaque read: “Orion Pax: The Shade”.
“They’ve done great feats involving magic and tickling believed to be impossible,” Danea said watching Esmeralda’s interest. “Maybe one day a statue of yours will stand among those champions.”
Danea led Esmeralda to what appeared to be a sort of barrack. There were four beds lined up in the room and each had a name at the foot of the bed.
Amber, Indigo, Loanna… and Esmeralda.
Esmeralda was surprised to see her name etched into the fine wooden of the bed.
“How did you know I would be here?” Esmeralda asked. “I mean, I fell out of the sky just only 10 minutes ago.”
“And I was there to catch you,” Danea added giving Esmeralda a wink. “Leave the fortune telling and such to us and concentrate on effective tickling and spell casting.
“Your fellow pupils will be here any moment,” she continued. “You will join them for afternoon classes.” With that she bowed politely and left the room to Esmeralda.
Esmeralda studied her bed, but did not dare lay in it or sit on it. If it was anything like Patrisa’s slumber bed and judging from how tired she was, she’d be out cold well until tomorrow. The ordeal with Lucil had been very tiring. Screaming and falling out of the sky certainly didn’t help.
“I wouldn’t sit down in that bed just yet,” a voice said from the door. It was a young man with pointed ears, a long nose, gossamer wings and silk clothes like those the elflings had. He seemed to radiate a bluish tinge all through his body.
“It’s a slumber bed?” Esmeralda asked feeling she was beginning to understand these things much better.
”Worse than that,” the young faerie answered. “It not only puts you to sleep when you’re tired, it also kicks you out of bed when it’s not bed time. Danea and Madame Jordanna expect all their pupils in bed and sleeping after the curfew hour. Oversleeping is out of the question.”
“My name is Esmeralda,” she said extending her hand. “Tenderfoot,” she added beginning to feel more comfortable with the word.
“Indigo,” the faerie said giving a good firm handshake. “Of the Realm of Fae. A pixie to be precise.”
The faerie was as tall as Esmeralda.
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Esmeralda said cautiously, “but I kind of thought pixies were small little people.”
“Oh we are small and little and proud of it. But so long as we are in the Academy we are all very small. Small enough to fit into Madame Jordanna’s glass globe. So smallness is really relative if you think about it.”
“Don’t let Indigo confuse you,” a female voice said from the doorway. “We’re all the same size because it’s more practical here at the Academy. One size of bed, one size of chair, one size of meal.”
It was another faerie who had entered the room. She looked similar to Indigo just her clothes and her skin shined a faint ocher glow.
“I’m Amber,” she said smiling and holding out her delicate hand. “You must be Esmeralda.”
“Yes,” Esmeralda stated taking the faerie’s hand. “If you are Amber then I have only Loanna left to meet.”
“I’m Loanna,” a gruff voice said as another figure approached. She was also the same size as the pixies, just she appeared to be a normal woman with fiery red hair and a freckled face. She wore brown soft leather boots and a single shoulder dress made out of the same soft leather. “You must be the tenderfoot,” she said giving Esmeralda an iron strong handshake.
”Yes, I am,” Esmeralda said. “You look like a human. Are you a tenderfoot too?”
“Heavens no!” Loanna released a deep and powerful guffaw. “I’m a giantess from the Realm of the Ogrus.”
Esmeralda wondered how tall Loanna really was when a bell sounded.
“That’s us, the beginners,” Indigo said. “Come on, let’s go to class!”
Esmeralda followed the three classmates outside to a pretty garden where they all sat cross-legged on the grass awaiting the instructor.
It was Madame Jordanna in her dark robes and red scarf on her head who appeared with the winged demon mistress, Danea.
”I see you have met your classmates,” the Elfling said smiling with her pupil-less eyes shining. “I hope you come to value their help and that one day you look to each other for support to perform great feats of tickling and magic.
“You might ask why the importance of tickling over magic?” Madame Jordanna asked. “Magic, of course, is the base of power. However, tickling is the base of acquiring magic. If tickling is necessary for us to generate the magic for our spell casting, then proper tickling must have precedence over proper spell casting.
“So, to begin, you must each understand fully what the worst case scenario is for a tickler/spell caster. This scenario is to be tickled aggressively and be robbed of your magic. I can tell you about it, but the only way to really know is to experience it first hand.”
Danea came forth and showed four small straws in her fist.
”He or she who picks the shortest will be the first to be tickled,” Madame Jordanna declared.
They each picked a straw and then compared. Loanna had the shortest. Esmeralda was pleased to see she had the longest.
Loanna shrugged as she tossed her straw away. “Mind as well get it over with,” she said in resignation. “What do I do?”
“You need do nothing,” Madame Jordanna said. “You must just relax and look me in the eyes.”
Loanna did as ordered and quickly discovered that she could not break Madame Jordanna’s penetrating gaze. The Elfling then spoke some words of magic.
Plees netgel nagit, od ton kawae!
Loana instantly fell asleep and fell to the grassy ground with a loud thump.
“Tickling effectively involves capturing and restraining your prey,” Madame Jordanna said as she pulled from her pocket in her robe a handful of small feathers and held them in her palm. “There are physical means, psychological means and then of course there is magic.” She blew gently as they were cast into the air and she again spoke magic.
Gimac lumpes, tilf het nagit!
The small feathers went under Loanna’s heavy sleeping body and they lifted her into the air until she was suspended about waist height. Madame Jordanna then opened Loanna’s arms and her legs until she was spread eagle.
“Once captured we must strive to create positions ideal for each tickling situation,” she explained. “For group tickling, I always recommend a spread eagle position. It offers easy access to all participants.”
Kawae netgel nagit, plees on rome! she spoke.
Loanna’s eyes fluttered open.
”What?!” she exclaimed struggling in her position. “I can’t move.”
“Students,” Madame Jordanna said ignoring the giantess. “Tickle Loanna into total submission.”
Esmeralda looked at both pixies and they obediently went and began to tickle Loanna. Amber was at the armpits and Indigo went for the ribs. Loanna shouted and struggled as they drew deep heavy laughter while they probed and concentrated on her ticklish spots.
Esmeralda went to the feet and removed a boot to reveal a particularly large foot even though she and her classmates were all the same height. She touched the huge soles and stroked them softly. The big foot flailed and Esmeralda realized that poor Loanna definitely had very ticklish feet. She stroked harder now on the sole, taking care to give the curling toes the attention they deserved. Loanna was screaming and shouting as Indigo dug his fingers into her ribs and Amber played with her underarms occasionally tickling her ears and neck.
“Don’t fall behind, Esmeralda, because long stick or not you could be next,” Madame Jordanna warned.
Esmeralda certainly did not want to be next, so she quickly pulled off Loanna’s other boot and proceeded to tickle both feet at the same time. The feet shook and the toes curled but there was no escaping the tickle assault. She dug her fingernails hard into the fleshy parts of Loanna’s soles and she discovered that it had a maddening effect on the giantess. Her laughter was accompanied by shrieks of terror as the tickle onslaught continued.
It took almost fifteen minutes of continued tickling to finally wear the giantess down. Tears rolled down her cheeks and finally a bright red ball of energy appeared above her third eye and her struggling died down until she could no longer feel the tickling and her body went limp.
Esmeralda and the pixies ceased tickling.
Madame took the glowing ball of energy and placed it into one of her pockets. Danea placed her arms under Loana’s exhausted form and the feathers returned to another of Madame Jordanna’s pockets. Danea bowed and carried the tired Loanna back to the barracks.
“Who is next?” Madame Jordanna asked.
”Me,” Indigo said frowning.
Madame Jordanna walked over to him and placed a hand on Indigo’s neck and pressed gently. Indigo went limp and fell to the ground. “Demon nerve pinch,” she explained. “Looks like magic, but it’s not. You need only find the correct nerve and press with the correct amount of pressure. It is both effective and useful, especially when one is running low on magic.”
Danea returned.
“Danea,” Madame Jordanna called. “Please demonstrate the Demon Body Brace on Indigo.”
Danea nodded and lay on the ground with her back to the ground. She then pulled Indigo’s limp body over hers with his back against her. She wrapped her long powerful legs around his and pulled his arms up and over his head holding them tight. Esmeralda was amazed at Danea’s lithe body and her iron grip.
“Total physical restraint without the use of any props or artifacts. It is a demon specialty which can be taught to any race,” Jordanna explained as she pressed another nerve on Indigo’s neck.
Indigo quickly regained consciousness and struggled to test his bonds. He was completely restrained and he shrugged in resignation. “Well, do your worst, girls,” Indigo said bravely.
Esmeralda dug her nails into his ribs and was pleased to see that he was quite ticklish there. His laugh was loud and boisterous and came out in quick repeated spurts not unlike the rhythm of a machine gun. Amber pulled off the silk slippers he wore and scratched his soles causing his laughter to increase. Amber giggled in glee and Esmeralda realized this was not the first time Amber had tickled Indigo.
Esmeralda was slowing becoming more and more successful with practice and she had identified Indigo’s weak spot on his belly and she combined one hand on the belly with raking her hands up and down his underarm. He thrashed and struggled but Danea held him effortlessly in place.
“I think we’ll do Indigo a favor and put him out of his misery quickly,” Amber said ceasing her tickling to his sensitive toes.
Without the tickling on his feet, Indigo managed to speak amongst his rapid fire laughter. “No, Amber,” he begged with wide eyed terror. “Suck on my toes, give me a raspberry, but don’t do that!!!”
Amber smiled wickedly and drew closer. Esmeralda continued her assault while the tickler pixie approached on the opposite side.
Indigo was screaming and begging as Amber approached and it seemed she was about to whisper something to his ear when she simply gripped his head firmly in her arms and kissed his ear.
Indigo went into a desperate frenzy. He was shouting, begging and laughing all in one. Amber began to lick and breathe into his ear and the intensity of the ordeal increased automatically twofold.
Esmeralda’s tickling didn’t seem to matter so much anymore and Amber, true to her word, sent Indigo to merciful tickling oblivion in less than a minute.
Amber smiled and patted Indigo’s bluish, sweat drenched hair. The ball of magic glowed deep red on his forehead and was collected by Madame Jordanna.
“Very nice technique, Amber,” she said as a compliment. “I see in you the ruthlessness required to be a powerful spell caster.”
“Thank you,” Amber said with glee as Indigo was gently carried back to his bed by Danea.
Madame Jordanna pulled from her black robe some beautiful jewelry that seemed to glow faintly. There were four bracelets of dark red rubies set in beautifully worked gold.
“I give these to you as a prize for your exceptional demonstration of technique,” Madame Jordanna said as Amber took them graciously and marveled at their beauty.
Amber placed one on each of her wrists and with the faint glow that she emitted the dark rubies seemed very appropriate.
”The other two are anklets,” Jordanna said watching Amber intently as she kneeled down on one leg to place the anklets on each of her ankles.
Esmeralda was having a bad feeling about all of this and she was about to say something when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
She turned to see Danea had returned. The Demon Keeper placed her index finger to her deep red lips indicating that the tenderfoot should keep quiet and not interfere.
“Thank you so much, Madame Jordanna,” Amber said admiring her wrists and ankles with the beautiful jewelry.
“You’re welcome,” the elfling said smiling. She stepped back to look at both Amber and Esmeralda and continued with her teaching. “Another form of capture is through trickery and manipulation. It is neither magical nor physical in essence and it is the highest level of pre-tickling technique. When combined with proper magical artifacts, this can lead consistently to the path of least resistance to capture and to restrain your prey.”
Amber looked confused, but Esmeralda winced as she saw what was coming.
Twirss gorthete! Sklane gorthete!
Madame Jordanna said the words in a commanding fashion and Amber’s bracelets and anklets glowed brightly and pulled together as if attracted with magnets. She was left standing with her arms restrained behind her and her ankles tightly set next to each other.
“It was a trick!” Amber said pouting and struggling to get free.
“This is a lesson more valuable than any tickling technique,” Madame Jordanna said. “Even Esmeralda, the tenderfoot, has begun to understand. NOTHING is what it appears to be.”
Mars dan gles vorgecen!
Madame Jordanna commanded once again and the bracelets and anklets pulled together until Amber was belly down on the ground in an effective hogtie. Her gossamer wings were folded safely to the side.
“The hog tie. Excellent for one on one tickling and in tight quarters,” Madame Jordanna explained. “Access to all ticklish parts of the body. It makes tickling ears and toes at the same time possible without the use of magic.”
“Also very uncomfortable,” Amber added struggling and trying to get free.
Madame Jordanna gestured to begin but Esmeralda felt a little queasy going at it alone.
“Come on, get on with it,” Amber coaxed. “If you don’t, they’ll have us switch places and I promise you that you will get no mercy from me.”
That comment sort of changed Esmeralda’s demeanor. She pulled off Amber’s slippers to reveal some very small feet. They were probably less than half the size of Loanna’s feet with short little round toes.
She kneeled behind her ticklee with her knees outside of Amber’s knees and with her victim’s soles within easy reach. The moment her nails touched the soles, Amber’s feet lashed out and she let out a shrill shriek followed by fun bubbly laughter.
Esmeralda herself could hardly contain her own laughter as she surprised herself at how much she was enjoying this. She got a better grip on the feet and she raked her nails up and down on the soles of the feet causing the pixie’s feet to buck as a wild animal and for her to fall into waves of silent laughter which just made Esmeralda laugh more.
It was strange for the tickler’s laughter to be louder than the ticklee, but it was so in this case. She tried for the toes and between the toes, but the best place was the soft part of the sole between the heel and the arch.
Esmeralda decided to go for the kill and reached ahead to try her luck with Amber’s vulnerable ribs. She squeezed gently and was satisfied to see Amber scream in surprise and try to futilely twist herself away from the probing fingers. Esmeralda raced still higher to the underarms, but not getting the kind of response she wanted, she returned to tickling the ribs with one hand and the feet with the other. The effect was notable, since Amber’s silent laughter continued but her shaking and struggling became more intense.
Esmeralda felt like she was on a rodeo bull trying to hold on while the bull bucked. She tightened her grip and continued to tickle the sweet spots she had discovered and soon Amber turned from her normally pale white face with an amber tinge to a dark beet red.
It took almost fifteen minutes, but finally Amber sighed in relief and finally a red ball appeared on her forehead.
Like the former red jewels, Madame Jordanna collected it and placed it in her dark robes.
Sleerae reh! she commanded and Amber’s bracelets and anklet’s fell off her and her limbs fell limply to her sides.
Danea picked up the jewelry and lifted Amber’s exhausted body in her arms to deliver her to her quarters.
“Very well, done,” Madame Jordanna complimented Esmeralda. “Not bad at all for a tenderfoot beginner. You have quite a bit of potential.”
“Does that mean I’m off the hook?” Esmeralda asked hopefully realizing that all of her classmates were exhausted recovering from their ordeals.
“You have the privilege of the undivided attention of your instructors,” she answered smiling widely. “I understand you have an artifact. A mechanical arachnid if I am not mistaken.”
Esmeralda nodded and removed Silk from one of her pockets. The spider watched all around with its eight mechanical lenses trying to get its bearings. “Peter the Peddler ‘sold’ it to me.”
“A magical artifact is with you because it wants to be with you,” Madame Jordanna explained. “It subtly coaxes its current possessor to be released of its bond to join what the artifact deems to be a more deserving owner. Be it sold or lost or stolen, or bought or found or robbed, the artifact always has an uncanny way to choose their owner.”
“I don’t know how to make it do much though,” Esmeralda admitted.
“I would show you other functions,” Madame Jordanna offered, “but you must allow Silk to follow my instructions.”
“Very well,” Esmeralda said cautiously.
Klis pins a bew, klis pins ti tasf! She commanded.
Silk glowed brightly and looked to Esmeralda as if waiting for her approval. Esmeralda nodded.
The mechanical spider immediately shot through the air and moved around the garden so fast that Esmeralda could not keep track of it. After half a minute, the spider finally returned to it original place. Esmeralda could not notice anything different.
“Take a step back,” Madame Jordanna ordered.
Esmeralda obeyed and she suddenly realized that she was stuck in an almost invisible web. The strands were sticky and strong and she could not break through. She panicked a bit and she only succeeded in getting more tangled up in the web.
“Useful, don’t you think?” Madame Jordanna asked as she touched the web. “And it will only stick to those trapped in the web.” She demonstrated by touching the web with her hands and releasing them quite easily.
Esmeralda suddenly felt like a fly caught in a web. She continued to struggle and only accomplished becoming more tangled until she could not move anymore.
Continuing with the analogy, the spider stepped up to the web.
It was Danea. She stood watching and studying Esmeralda like a real spider ready to attack her prey.
“Show Esmeralda why Demons are feared among the realms,” Madame Jordanna ordered.
Danea showed her bare open hands to Esmeralda so she could see. They started to glow a light green color and she placed her hand on Esmeralda’s boot. The material of the boot melted away and her foot was left bare. Danea drew she blood red finger nails across Esmeralda’s sole.
Esmeralda was certain that they would have to at least cut free her leg to get the boot off and was taken unawares by the tickling to her sole. She yelped and let out a burst of deep laughter.
“Demons have natural entropy and at will they can undo magic,” Madame Jordanna explained. “Your clothes are magic so they recede at the presence of entropy. Interesting circumstance, I think.”
Esmeralda could not respond. She was laughing silly and was unable to even protest. Danea was tickling as effectively as Patrisa but unlike Patrisa who wanted to gently tickle her to submission, Danea was there to tickle her out of her wits.
Danea moved her hands along Esmeralda’s body and the magic fabric just melted away as the demon touched and tickled her. She reached Esmeralda’s sweet spot in her rib cage and she capitalized on it.
Esmeralda decided there was no sense in fighting the sensations so she simply accepted the cruel tickling and laughed along without reservations and without struggling.
She was laughing harder, but she felt a bit more relaxed. This seemed to bother Danea who was tickling now, both feet and ribs making her twist in the web but no longer as violently as she was initially. They had been at it for at least fifteen minutes and Esmeralda felt a second wind of resistance setting in.
“I see you have learned some tricks from the Tickle Scourge,” Danea said with a small bit of frustration in her voice. She pulled back her hands for a moment and reached for something in a pouch. “We’ll have to resort to more drastic measures.”
Esmeralda realized that when the entropy disappeared, the magic took form again. She was again fully clothed. She took advantage of the respite to take deep relaxed breathes.
Danea pulled from her pouch what appeared to be a hair brush. She held it up so Esmeralda could see.
“There is more than one way to tickle,” she said as she approached Esmeralda’s feet. The brush was on her feet in seconds and she could not believe that the brush was capable of eliciting even more intense tickling sensations.
The brush was on her feet while Danea’s nails dug deep into her rib cage causing some pain and very intense tickling sensations. Even so, Esmeralda was feeling the sensations slowly become tolerable.
Esmeralda continued to laugh, but now she was barely struggling in the web anymore. This frustrated Danea even more. Esmeralda had no idea how long she had been laughing, but she was feeling strangely more and more at ease.
Danea finally threw her hands up in resignation and ceased tickling.
“Impressive,” Madame Jordanna said moving Danea aside gently. “To conclude this lesson, let me add that tickling may be conducted using physical means, be it a bodily part or a tickling tool, or in a magical manner. Allow me to demonstrate magical tickling.”
Esmeralda watched as Madame Jordanna pulled a handful of small white feathers from her pocket and blew on them sending them into the air.
Klofc fo sheatfer elef, clekit dan aleve on vrossuriv!
She spoke the magic words and the feathers instantly attacked Esmeralda. They snuck up her sleeves and down her shirt and pants reaching even her feet she believed safe in her boots.
Her ticklish spots were tickled in unison and it made parts that usually were bearable, totally unbearable. She discovered that on the back of her knees and on her neck she was especially ticklish as well as on her neck. She shrieked and twisted as the feathers moved from place to place. The flurry of feathers could give soft tickles with their soft fluffy end where that was more effective and harder tickles with their tips when required.
Weak from the tickling ordeal she began to laugh harder than she ever had. The laughing crescendo coupled with her desperate thrashing that only accomplished making the web tighter yet, finally reached its climax and Esmeralda finally blacked out.
The feathers returned to Madame Jordanna’s hand and she placed them back in the pocket in her robe. A very large and very red ball of energy appeared at Esmeralda’s forehead.
“She’s just like Orion Pax,” Danea said admiring Esmeralda’s resistance.
“That’s why the Scourge wants her trained,” Madame Jordanna said placing the valuable magic in her robes.
“Everyone believes he is dead,” Danea said thoughtfully. “He has not been seen in years.”
“He went back,” the Elfling mistress said as she collected the precious magic ball above Esmeralda’s third eye. “To the land of Manlings.”
“Impossible!” Danea exclaimed.
“I do not know of that word. I only speak of what I know. These are not ordinary Tenderfoot fool we are talking about. The Prophecy speaks of these Manling Masters of Magic. One by one I have been searching for them and I will use them all to serve my ends.”
“What will we do with Esmeralda?” Danea asked.
“Train her,” the Elfing answered.
“In three years, she will be on par with the Scourge,” Danea said as she studied Esmeralda’s sleeping form. "Perhaps even the match of the great Orion Pax.”
“You have three months,” Madame Jordanna countered. “The Scourge needs her for a raid.”
“Three months! Danea said incredulous. “I’d need at least a year. Surely the Scourge understands this!”
“I am insisting on three months,” the Elfing said. “There are events in motion that I still cannot foresee, but for what I can see, Esmeralda must be wearing the spell caster robes in three moons.”
“She has talent,” Danea said. “But she is still so inexperienced.”
“All I have worked for all these years is finally almost in place,” Madame Jordanna said touching Esmeralda’s face gently. “Orion Pax has grown tired of the world he once sought to return to with such fervor. He has realized where he belongs and he will return. When he returns I will have the Three together and I will fulfill the Prophecy!”
To be continued….
“How will we go about meeting this Lord Xavis?” Esmeralda asked as she and Patrisa walked through the crowded stands of the Wundermarket.
“Don’t mention his name in public,” Patrisa said discreetly to her ear. “He has spies of all kinds just listening and hoping to report any tidbit of information to their master.”
“Where are we going now?” Esmeralda asked a bit impatient. They had left an exhausted Lucil tied to a seat in Peter the Peddler’s wagon more than an hour ago. “It seems we are going in circles.”
“We are,” Patrisa replied. “I’m just making sure we are not being followed. I need you to meet someone who can help you learn to properly spell cast. You have talent, but without proper training you’d be more than an obstacle than a help when it would come to storming a palace like the one I plan to raid.
“I was taught the little I know by this person. She will be able to teach you much more than I.”
They finally arrived at a small tent with the words: “Madame Jordanna: Fortuneteller” written on a hand painted sign with the words: “Fortunes Told” written below.
Patrisa and Esmeralda stepped into the tent and Esmeralda was now surprised to see that the interior of the tent was really as small as the tent. It was dark and the only light came from a crystal ball in the center of the room which rested upon a small round table. There was an Elfling woman sitting in front of the crystal ball studying it intently.
She wore a red scarf on her head which hid her hair and donned a dark black robe with runes, but her pointy ears and black pupil-less eyes said she was of the same race as the Elflings Esmeralda met in the Mushroom Forest.
“Sit down,” the elfling said gesturing to the two seats in front of her. She seemed much older than her youthful Elfling body. At a distance she would probably no look much larger than a human child.
“Madame Jordanna,” Patrisa said respectfully. “I’ve come to learn my fortune.”
“Pay the fee, child,” the Elfling said gesturing to her crystal, “and I will tell you your fortune.”
Patrisa took two glowing jewels of magic from her pouch and placed them upon the crystal ball. The ball shined brightly and the jewels sank into the glass ball.
“Very well,” the elfling said. “I will read your sole.”
Patrisa unstrapped her right sandal and placed her bare foot on a soft cushion on the table for the fortune teller to examine.
“Aren’t you supposed to read her palm?” Esmeralda asked and then immediately winced wishing she hadn’t asked.
“Let me guess,” the elfing said knowingly. “A know-it-all tenderfoot.” The fortune teller smiled and shrugged. “I read soles, my dear. They can tell me much more than a mere palm, I assure you.”
She studied Patrisa’s bare sole intently and it was then that Esmeralda realized what pretty feet Patrisa had. The toes were well proportioned and the sole looked very soft. The foot had the fresh look feet have after a pedicure. Madame Jordanna traced the lines of Patrisa’s sole with her sharp fingernails. Patrisa’s foot did not even fidget. Esmeralda shivered realizing that she would be struggling to maintain control with that kind of touching on her soles.
“Yes, I see,” Jordanna spoke as she studied the lines. “You are indeed my former pupil, Patrisa, also known as the Terrible Tickle Scourge. The lines on the sole never lie. I have followed your exploits closely over the years. I see Orion no longer accompanies you and that you seek my counsel to train this tenderfoot protégé.”
”That is correct, Madame,” Patrisa said politely. “If you would teach her the skills she requires, I promise you that you would hear of even greater deeds performed by the Terrible Tickle Scourge.”
“You’ve brought honor and much due notoriety to my Academy, dear Patrisa,” Madame Jordanna said thankfully as she allowed Patrisa to remove her foot from the table. “You and Orion Pax have made mine the most prestigious Academy of them all.”
“Would you accept Esmeralda as your pupil, Madame Jordanna?” Patrisa asked.
“I will decide once I have read her fortune,” the Elfling responded gesturing for Esmeralda to place her foot on the table.
Esmeralda frowned and felt uncomfortable putting a vulnerable foot in a potentially ticklish situation, but it seemed like part of the protocol so she did as ordered and removed her boot and stocking, and placed her pale bare foot on a small soft cushion on the table next to the crystal ball.
Madame Jordanna took the foot in her hands and Esmeralda fought the urge to squirm with all her will.
“Hmmm…” Madame Jordanna said nodding to herself approvingly as she gently touched Esmeralda’s soft sole trying to not tickle the exposed foot. “You have the spell caster in you and the strain is very strong. That is for certain. I sense dormant abilities waiting to be awoken. You’ve gone through your life in your world as if asleep. You have a great role to play in this world. One that is certain to be remembered. I sense that your destiny is entwined with Patrisa and with another person who is not so clear in the reading. A person of great power and wisdom, however I am not certain if that person will harm and hinder you or nurture you and make you stronger yet.”
Madame Jordanna gestured to Esmeralda to remove her foot from the table.
“I accept,” she decided. “Esmeralda will begin immediately and will receive specialized training from my Academy. I will teach her how to use all the tools at her disposition to learn how to survive and thrive among the Realms.”
“Thank you, Madame Jordanna,” Esmeralda said gratefully. “Where is this Academy? Is it far?” she asked.
Patrisa and Jordanna smiled and exchanged a knowing glance.
“Put your hands on the crystal ball and look into it,” Jordanna commanded.
Esmeralda obeyed and she realized that is was not so much a crystal ball for scrying. It was rather more of a snow globe like the ones her mother had at home for the holidays and with which she would play for hours watching the snow fall on a quaint little Christmas cabin.
This was different though. It was a green grassy hill with some small groves of tall pine trees and with what appeared to be a Greek Parthenon on the top. She felt the glass ball glow and had a strange feeling.
The hill seemed to get bigger and more detailed. She could see more features of the marble columns and she could see shrubs and such that she had not been able to see initially. She suddenly felt a sharp tug and instantly she was no longer in the tent with Patrisa and Madame Jordanna but rather falling through the air towards a large marble building that was racing towards her at a dangerous pace.
She screamed as she felt the air race against her face and through her hair. She suddenly felt a pair of powerful arms stop her decent I the air. She turned to see her rescuer and screamed again realizing that the rescuer had horns and large black wings.
“Must be another tenderfoot,” her rescuer said as the continued their descent however now at a much slower pace. “They see horns and they see wings and they automatically assume the worst.”
Esmeralda studied her rescuer and discovered that it was a woman who was helping her reach the ground. It was actually a beautiful woman save the large back wings on her back, the short horns on her forehead and the stern look on her face. She had sexy black curly hair with pretty pale face with chiseled features. Her eyes were large and black and her lips a deep red. She wore black leather armor similar to Patrisa’s but it covered her entire body.
They landed.
“I am Danea, Keeper of the Academy,” she said introducing herself. “I am, as you can very well see, from the Demonus Realm. We are not the evil devils we are painted to be, but do watch your way during your stay because I expect total discipline from our pupils and we will not tolerate less. May I have your name, miss?”
“Esmeralda,” she replied. “And I’m sorry I screamed. I mean I saw many different people like you at the Wudermarket, but I just haven’t got used to surprises.”
Danea rolled her eyes in what appeared to be an apology accepted.
“Follow me to the Academy Hall,” she ordered.
Esmeralda followed Danea up to the Parthenon type building and they walked up the many stairs to the entrance. They went through the entrance and they entered a sort of lobby area with many statues lined up on each side.
“This is the Hall of Honor,” she explained. “The most prolific of our graduates have their statue here.”
She saw creatures of all kinds and sorts, but in the place of honor at the center of the hall there were two statues. One was of Patrisa with her characteristic leather armor with strap skirt and sandals. She was in fighting stance with her fighting sticks Ash and Oak ready to deal with some danger. Below it had a plaque. “Patrisa: The Terrible Tickle Scourge”.
The other statue was of a man, but there were few features to distinguish him. He donned a wizard’s cloak similar to Lucil’s with the same kind of runes on the edge. His face seemed to be lost in the shadows of the hood. It seemed to be an important aspect of the character she assumed because it would make more sense to have a statue where you could see the face clearly. She could only make out a thin chin with a narrow all knowing smile. This plaque read: “Orion Pax: The Shade”.
“They’ve done great feats involving magic and tickling believed to be impossible,” Danea said watching Esmeralda’s interest. “Maybe one day a statue of yours will stand among those champions.”
Danea led Esmeralda to what appeared to be a sort of barrack. There were four beds lined up in the room and each had a name at the foot of the bed.
Amber, Indigo, Loanna… and Esmeralda.
Esmeralda was surprised to see her name etched into the fine wooden of the bed.
“How did you know I would be here?” Esmeralda asked. “I mean, I fell out of the sky just only 10 minutes ago.”
“And I was there to catch you,” Danea added giving Esmeralda a wink. “Leave the fortune telling and such to us and concentrate on effective tickling and spell casting.
“Your fellow pupils will be here any moment,” she continued. “You will join them for afternoon classes.” With that she bowed politely and left the room to Esmeralda.
Esmeralda studied her bed, but did not dare lay in it or sit on it. If it was anything like Patrisa’s slumber bed and judging from how tired she was, she’d be out cold well until tomorrow. The ordeal with Lucil had been very tiring. Screaming and falling out of the sky certainly didn’t help.
“I wouldn’t sit down in that bed just yet,” a voice said from the door. It was a young man with pointed ears, a long nose, gossamer wings and silk clothes like those the elflings had. He seemed to radiate a bluish tinge all through his body.
“It’s a slumber bed?” Esmeralda asked feeling she was beginning to understand these things much better.
”Worse than that,” the young faerie answered. “It not only puts you to sleep when you’re tired, it also kicks you out of bed when it’s not bed time. Danea and Madame Jordanna expect all their pupils in bed and sleeping after the curfew hour. Oversleeping is out of the question.”
“My name is Esmeralda,” she said extending her hand. “Tenderfoot,” she added beginning to feel more comfortable with the word.
“Indigo,” the faerie said giving a good firm handshake. “Of the Realm of Fae. A pixie to be precise.”
The faerie was as tall as Esmeralda.
“Don’t take this the wrong way,” Esmeralda said cautiously, “but I kind of thought pixies were small little people.”
“Oh we are small and little and proud of it. But so long as we are in the Academy we are all very small. Small enough to fit into Madame Jordanna’s glass globe. So smallness is really relative if you think about it.”
“Don’t let Indigo confuse you,” a female voice said from the doorway. “We’re all the same size because it’s more practical here at the Academy. One size of bed, one size of chair, one size of meal.”
It was another faerie who had entered the room. She looked similar to Indigo just her clothes and her skin shined a faint ocher glow.
“I’m Amber,” she said smiling and holding out her delicate hand. “You must be Esmeralda.”
“Yes,” Esmeralda stated taking the faerie’s hand. “If you are Amber then I have only Loanna left to meet.”
“I’m Loanna,” a gruff voice said as another figure approached. She was also the same size as the pixies, just she appeared to be a normal woman with fiery red hair and a freckled face. She wore brown soft leather boots and a single shoulder dress made out of the same soft leather. “You must be the tenderfoot,” she said giving Esmeralda an iron strong handshake.
”Yes, I am,” Esmeralda said. “You look like a human. Are you a tenderfoot too?”
“Heavens no!” Loanna released a deep and powerful guffaw. “I’m a giantess from the Realm of the Ogrus.”
Esmeralda wondered how tall Loanna really was when a bell sounded.
“That’s us, the beginners,” Indigo said. “Come on, let’s go to class!”
Esmeralda followed the three classmates outside to a pretty garden where they all sat cross-legged on the grass awaiting the instructor.
It was Madame Jordanna in her dark robes and red scarf on her head who appeared with the winged demon mistress, Danea.
”I see you have met your classmates,” the Elfling said smiling with her pupil-less eyes shining. “I hope you come to value their help and that one day you look to each other for support to perform great feats of tickling and magic.
“You might ask why the importance of tickling over magic?” Madame Jordanna asked. “Magic, of course, is the base of power. However, tickling is the base of acquiring magic. If tickling is necessary for us to generate the magic for our spell casting, then proper tickling must have precedence over proper spell casting.
“So, to begin, you must each understand fully what the worst case scenario is for a tickler/spell caster. This scenario is to be tickled aggressively and be robbed of your magic. I can tell you about it, but the only way to really know is to experience it first hand.”
Danea came forth and showed four small straws in her fist.
”He or she who picks the shortest will be the first to be tickled,” Madame Jordanna declared.
They each picked a straw and then compared. Loanna had the shortest. Esmeralda was pleased to see she had the longest.
Loanna shrugged as she tossed her straw away. “Mind as well get it over with,” she said in resignation. “What do I do?”
“You need do nothing,” Madame Jordanna said. “You must just relax and look me in the eyes.”
Loanna did as ordered and quickly discovered that she could not break Madame Jordanna’s penetrating gaze. The Elfling then spoke some words of magic.
Plees netgel nagit, od ton kawae!
Loana instantly fell asleep and fell to the grassy ground with a loud thump.
“Tickling effectively involves capturing and restraining your prey,” Madame Jordanna said as she pulled from her pocket in her robe a handful of small feathers and held them in her palm. “There are physical means, psychological means and then of course there is magic.” She blew gently as they were cast into the air and she again spoke magic.
Gimac lumpes, tilf het nagit!
The small feathers went under Loanna’s heavy sleeping body and they lifted her into the air until she was suspended about waist height. Madame Jordanna then opened Loanna’s arms and her legs until she was spread eagle.
“Once captured we must strive to create positions ideal for each tickling situation,” she explained. “For group tickling, I always recommend a spread eagle position. It offers easy access to all participants.”
Kawae netgel nagit, plees on rome! she spoke.
Loanna’s eyes fluttered open.
”What?!” she exclaimed struggling in her position. “I can’t move.”
“Students,” Madame Jordanna said ignoring the giantess. “Tickle Loanna into total submission.”
Esmeralda looked at both pixies and they obediently went and began to tickle Loanna. Amber was at the armpits and Indigo went for the ribs. Loanna shouted and struggled as they drew deep heavy laughter while they probed and concentrated on her ticklish spots.
Esmeralda went to the feet and removed a boot to reveal a particularly large foot even though she and her classmates were all the same height. She touched the huge soles and stroked them softly. The big foot flailed and Esmeralda realized that poor Loanna definitely had very ticklish feet. She stroked harder now on the sole, taking care to give the curling toes the attention they deserved. Loanna was screaming and shouting as Indigo dug his fingers into her ribs and Amber played with her underarms occasionally tickling her ears and neck.
“Don’t fall behind, Esmeralda, because long stick or not you could be next,” Madame Jordanna warned.
Esmeralda certainly did not want to be next, so she quickly pulled off Loanna’s other boot and proceeded to tickle both feet at the same time. The feet shook and the toes curled but there was no escaping the tickle assault. She dug her fingernails hard into the fleshy parts of Loanna’s soles and she discovered that it had a maddening effect on the giantess. Her laughter was accompanied by shrieks of terror as the tickle onslaught continued.
It took almost fifteen minutes of continued tickling to finally wear the giantess down. Tears rolled down her cheeks and finally a bright red ball of energy appeared above her third eye and her struggling died down until she could no longer feel the tickling and her body went limp.
Esmeralda and the pixies ceased tickling.
Madame took the glowing ball of energy and placed it into one of her pockets. Danea placed her arms under Loana’s exhausted form and the feathers returned to another of Madame Jordanna’s pockets. Danea bowed and carried the tired Loanna back to the barracks.
“Who is next?” Madame Jordanna asked.
”Me,” Indigo said frowning.
Madame Jordanna walked over to him and placed a hand on Indigo’s neck and pressed gently. Indigo went limp and fell to the ground. “Demon nerve pinch,” she explained. “Looks like magic, but it’s not. You need only find the correct nerve and press with the correct amount of pressure. It is both effective and useful, especially when one is running low on magic.”
Danea returned.
“Danea,” Madame Jordanna called. “Please demonstrate the Demon Body Brace on Indigo.”
Danea nodded and lay on the ground with her back to the ground. She then pulled Indigo’s limp body over hers with his back against her. She wrapped her long powerful legs around his and pulled his arms up and over his head holding them tight. Esmeralda was amazed at Danea’s lithe body and her iron grip.
“Total physical restraint without the use of any props or artifacts. It is a demon specialty which can be taught to any race,” Jordanna explained as she pressed another nerve on Indigo’s neck.
Indigo quickly regained consciousness and struggled to test his bonds. He was completely restrained and he shrugged in resignation. “Well, do your worst, girls,” Indigo said bravely.
Esmeralda dug her nails into his ribs and was pleased to see that he was quite ticklish there. His laugh was loud and boisterous and came out in quick repeated spurts not unlike the rhythm of a machine gun. Amber pulled off the silk slippers he wore and scratched his soles causing his laughter to increase. Amber giggled in glee and Esmeralda realized this was not the first time Amber had tickled Indigo.
Esmeralda was slowing becoming more and more successful with practice and she had identified Indigo’s weak spot on his belly and she combined one hand on the belly with raking her hands up and down his underarm. He thrashed and struggled but Danea held him effortlessly in place.
“I think we’ll do Indigo a favor and put him out of his misery quickly,” Amber said ceasing her tickling to his sensitive toes.
Without the tickling on his feet, Indigo managed to speak amongst his rapid fire laughter. “No, Amber,” he begged with wide eyed terror. “Suck on my toes, give me a raspberry, but don’t do that!!!”
Amber smiled wickedly and drew closer. Esmeralda continued her assault while the tickler pixie approached on the opposite side.
Indigo was screaming and begging as Amber approached and it seemed she was about to whisper something to his ear when she simply gripped his head firmly in her arms and kissed his ear.
Indigo went into a desperate frenzy. He was shouting, begging and laughing all in one. Amber began to lick and breathe into his ear and the intensity of the ordeal increased automatically twofold.
Esmeralda’s tickling didn’t seem to matter so much anymore and Amber, true to her word, sent Indigo to merciful tickling oblivion in less than a minute.
Amber smiled and patted Indigo’s bluish, sweat drenched hair. The ball of magic glowed deep red on his forehead and was collected by Madame Jordanna.
“Very nice technique, Amber,” she said as a compliment. “I see in you the ruthlessness required to be a powerful spell caster.”
“Thank you,” Amber said with glee as Indigo was gently carried back to his bed by Danea.
Madame Jordanna pulled from her black robe some beautiful jewelry that seemed to glow faintly. There were four bracelets of dark red rubies set in beautifully worked gold.
“I give these to you as a prize for your exceptional demonstration of technique,” Madame Jordanna said as Amber took them graciously and marveled at their beauty.
Amber placed one on each of her wrists and with the faint glow that she emitted the dark rubies seemed very appropriate.
”The other two are anklets,” Jordanna said watching Amber intently as she kneeled down on one leg to place the anklets on each of her ankles.
Esmeralda was having a bad feeling about all of this and she was about to say something when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
She turned to see Danea had returned. The Demon Keeper placed her index finger to her deep red lips indicating that the tenderfoot should keep quiet and not interfere.
“Thank you so much, Madame Jordanna,” Amber said admiring her wrists and ankles with the beautiful jewelry.
“You’re welcome,” the elfling said smiling. She stepped back to look at both Amber and Esmeralda and continued with her teaching. “Another form of capture is through trickery and manipulation. It is neither magical nor physical in essence and it is the highest level of pre-tickling technique. When combined with proper magical artifacts, this can lead consistently to the path of least resistance to capture and to restrain your prey.”
Amber looked confused, but Esmeralda winced as she saw what was coming.
Twirss gorthete! Sklane gorthete!
Madame Jordanna said the words in a commanding fashion and Amber’s bracelets and anklets glowed brightly and pulled together as if attracted with magnets. She was left standing with her arms restrained behind her and her ankles tightly set next to each other.
“It was a trick!” Amber said pouting and struggling to get free.
“This is a lesson more valuable than any tickling technique,” Madame Jordanna said. “Even Esmeralda, the tenderfoot, has begun to understand. NOTHING is what it appears to be.”
Mars dan gles vorgecen!
Madame Jordanna commanded once again and the bracelets and anklets pulled together until Amber was belly down on the ground in an effective hogtie. Her gossamer wings were folded safely to the side.
“The hog tie. Excellent for one on one tickling and in tight quarters,” Madame Jordanna explained. “Access to all ticklish parts of the body. It makes tickling ears and toes at the same time possible without the use of magic.”
“Also very uncomfortable,” Amber added struggling and trying to get free.
Madame Jordanna gestured to begin but Esmeralda felt a little queasy going at it alone.
“Come on, get on with it,” Amber coaxed. “If you don’t, they’ll have us switch places and I promise you that you will get no mercy from me.”
That comment sort of changed Esmeralda’s demeanor. She pulled off Amber’s slippers to reveal some very small feet. They were probably less than half the size of Loanna’s feet with short little round toes.
She kneeled behind her ticklee with her knees outside of Amber’s knees and with her victim’s soles within easy reach. The moment her nails touched the soles, Amber’s feet lashed out and she let out a shrill shriek followed by fun bubbly laughter.
Esmeralda herself could hardly contain her own laughter as she surprised herself at how much she was enjoying this. She got a better grip on the feet and she raked her nails up and down on the soles of the feet causing the pixie’s feet to buck as a wild animal and for her to fall into waves of silent laughter which just made Esmeralda laugh more.
It was strange for the tickler’s laughter to be louder than the ticklee, but it was so in this case. She tried for the toes and between the toes, but the best place was the soft part of the sole between the heel and the arch.
Esmeralda decided to go for the kill and reached ahead to try her luck with Amber’s vulnerable ribs. She squeezed gently and was satisfied to see Amber scream in surprise and try to futilely twist herself away from the probing fingers. Esmeralda raced still higher to the underarms, but not getting the kind of response she wanted, she returned to tickling the ribs with one hand and the feet with the other. The effect was notable, since Amber’s silent laughter continued but her shaking and struggling became more intense.
Esmeralda felt like she was on a rodeo bull trying to hold on while the bull bucked. She tightened her grip and continued to tickle the sweet spots she had discovered and soon Amber turned from her normally pale white face with an amber tinge to a dark beet red.
It took almost fifteen minutes, but finally Amber sighed in relief and finally a red ball appeared on her forehead.
Like the former red jewels, Madame Jordanna collected it and placed it in her dark robes.
Sleerae reh! she commanded and Amber’s bracelets and anklet’s fell off her and her limbs fell limply to her sides.
Danea picked up the jewelry and lifted Amber’s exhausted body in her arms to deliver her to her quarters.
“Very well, done,” Madame Jordanna complimented Esmeralda. “Not bad at all for a tenderfoot beginner. You have quite a bit of potential.”
“Does that mean I’m off the hook?” Esmeralda asked hopefully realizing that all of her classmates were exhausted recovering from their ordeals.
“You have the privilege of the undivided attention of your instructors,” she answered smiling widely. “I understand you have an artifact. A mechanical arachnid if I am not mistaken.”
Esmeralda nodded and removed Silk from one of her pockets. The spider watched all around with its eight mechanical lenses trying to get its bearings. “Peter the Peddler ‘sold’ it to me.”
“A magical artifact is with you because it wants to be with you,” Madame Jordanna explained. “It subtly coaxes its current possessor to be released of its bond to join what the artifact deems to be a more deserving owner. Be it sold or lost or stolen, or bought or found or robbed, the artifact always has an uncanny way to choose their owner.”
“I don’t know how to make it do much though,” Esmeralda admitted.
“I would show you other functions,” Madame Jordanna offered, “but you must allow Silk to follow my instructions.”
“Very well,” Esmeralda said cautiously.
Klis pins a bew, klis pins ti tasf! She commanded.
Silk glowed brightly and looked to Esmeralda as if waiting for her approval. Esmeralda nodded.
The mechanical spider immediately shot through the air and moved around the garden so fast that Esmeralda could not keep track of it. After half a minute, the spider finally returned to it original place. Esmeralda could not notice anything different.
“Take a step back,” Madame Jordanna ordered.
Esmeralda obeyed and she suddenly realized that she was stuck in an almost invisible web. The strands were sticky and strong and she could not break through. She panicked a bit and she only succeeded in getting more tangled up in the web.
“Useful, don’t you think?” Madame Jordanna asked as she touched the web. “And it will only stick to those trapped in the web.” She demonstrated by touching the web with her hands and releasing them quite easily.
Esmeralda suddenly felt like a fly caught in a web. She continued to struggle and only accomplished becoming more tangled until she could not move anymore.
Continuing with the analogy, the spider stepped up to the web.
It was Danea. She stood watching and studying Esmeralda like a real spider ready to attack her prey.
“Show Esmeralda why Demons are feared among the realms,” Madame Jordanna ordered.
Danea showed her bare open hands to Esmeralda so she could see. They started to glow a light green color and she placed her hand on Esmeralda’s boot. The material of the boot melted away and her foot was left bare. Danea drew she blood red finger nails across Esmeralda’s sole.
Esmeralda was certain that they would have to at least cut free her leg to get the boot off and was taken unawares by the tickling to her sole. She yelped and let out a burst of deep laughter.
“Demons have natural entropy and at will they can undo magic,” Madame Jordanna explained. “Your clothes are magic so they recede at the presence of entropy. Interesting circumstance, I think.”
Esmeralda could not respond. She was laughing silly and was unable to even protest. Danea was tickling as effectively as Patrisa but unlike Patrisa who wanted to gently tickle her to submission, Danea was there to tickle her out of her wits.
Danea moved her hands along Esmeralda’s body and the magic fabric just melted away as the demon touched and tickled her. She reached Esmeralda’s sweet spot in her rib cage and she capitalized on it.
Esmeralda decided there was no sense in fighting the sensations so she simply accepted the cruel tickling and laughed along without reservations and without struggling.
She was laughing harder, but she felt a bit more relaxed. This seemed to bother Danea who was tickling now, both feet and ribs making her twist in the web but no longer as violently as she was initially. They had been at it for at least fifteen minutes and Esmeralda felt a second wind of resistance setting in.
“I see you have learned some tricks from the Tickle Scourge,” Danea said with a small bit of frustration in her voice. She pulled back her hands for a moment and reached for something in a pouch. “We’ll have to resort to more drastic measures.”
Esmeralda realized that when the entropy disappeared, the magic took form again. She was again fully clothed. She took advantage of the respite to take deep relaxed breathes.
Danea pulled from her pouch what appeared to be a hair brush. She held it up so Esmeralda could see.
“There is more than one way to tickle,” she said as she approached Esmeralda’s feet. The brush was on her feet in seconds and she could not believe that the brush was capable of eliciting even more intense tickling sensations.
The brush was on her feet while Danea’s nails dug deep into her rib cage causing some pain and very intense tickling sensations. Even so, Esmeralda was feeling the sensations slowly become tolerable.
Esmeralda continued to laugh, but now she was barely struggling in the web anymore. This frustrated Danea even more. Esmeralda had no idea how long she had been laughing, but she was feeling strangely more and more at ease.
Danea finally threw her hands up in resignation and ceased tickling.
“Impressive,” Madame Jordanna said moving Danea aside gently. “To conclude this lesson, let me add that tickling may be conducted using physical means, be it a bodily part or a tickling tool, or in a magical manner. Allow me to demonstrate magical tickling.”
Esmeralda watched as Madame Jordanna pulled a handful of small white feathers from her pocket and blew on them sending them into the air.
Klofc fo sheatfer elef, clekit dan aleve on vrossuriv!
She spoke the magic words and the feathers instantly attacked Esmeralda. They snuck up her sleeves and down her shirt and pants reaching even her feet she believed safe in her boots.
Her ticklish spots were tickled in unison and it made parts that usually were bearable, totally unbearable. She discovered that on the back of her knees and on her neck she was especially ticklish as well as on her neck. She shrieked and twisted as the feathers moved from place to place. The flurry of feathers could give soft tickles with their soft fluffy end where that was more effective and harder tickles with their tips when required.
Weak from the tickling ordeal she began to laugh harder than she ever had. The laughing crescendo coupled with her desperate thrashing that only accomplished making the web tighter yet, finally reached its climax and Esmeralda finally blacked out.
The feathers returned to Madame Jordanna’s hand and she placed them back in the pocket in her robe. A very large and very red ball of energy appeared at Esmeralda’s forehead.
“She’s just like Orion Pax,” Danea said admiring Esmeralda’s resistance.
“That’s why the Scourge wants her trained,” Madame Jordanna said placing the valuable magic in her robes.
“Everyone believes he is dead,” Danea said thoughtfully. “He has not been seen in years.”
“He went back,” the Elfling mistress said as she collected the precious magic ball above Esmeralda’s third eye. “To the land of Manlings.”
“Impossible!” Danea exclaimed.
“I do not know of that word. I only speak of what I know. These are not ordinary Tenderfoot fool we are talking about. The Prophecy speaks of these Manling Masters of Magic. One by one I have been searching for them and I will use them all to serve my ends.”
“What will we do with Esmeralda?” Danea asked.
“Train her,” the Elfing answered.
“In three years, she will be on par with the Scourge,” Danea said as she studied Esmeralda’s sleeping form. "Perhaps even the match of the great Orion Pax.”
“You have three months,” Madame Jordanna countered. “The Scourge needs her for a raid.”
“Three months! Danea said incredulous. “I’d need at least a year. Surely the Scourge understands this!”
“I am insisting on three months,” the Elfing said. “There are events in motion that I still cannot foresee, but for what I can see, Esmeralda must be wearing the spell caster robes in three moons.”
“She has talent,” Danea said. “But she is still so inexperienced.”
“All I have worked for all these years is finally almost in place,” Madame Jordanna said touching Esmeralda’s face gently. “Orion Pax has grown tired of the world he once sought to return to with such fervor. He has realized where he belongs and he will return. When he returns I will have the Three together and I will fulfill the Prophecy!”
To be continued….
