Chapter 1 : An Unexpected Voyage
Solyma bit her nails nervously and tapped her foot on the paving stones as she leaned against the carriage. Where was Hector? she wondered as she glanced over at the clock that stood in the middle of Corannon's main market square.
"I'm so glad you could come," Penelope said from beside Solyma.
"Yes," Solyma said as she glanced over at the elf woman. "I, uh, felt like getting out of Corannon anyway." She had to suppress a shiver even in the warmth of the summer day. It had been over a week since she had woken up from that dream, the dream of seeing the entire world overrun by- She shook her head. By something. "Thanks for inviting me to your party, I don't think I could have come without it."
She really had been lucky that Penelope had invited her to the birthday celebration. It was going to be the event of the year for a good portion of the nobility of Krisephyr and Taladros. The king was sending Duke Quiton as ambassador along with the Guardian Knight and a large escort of the kingdom's best soldiers.
Which includes Kerrith, Solyma thought sourly. She wasn't looking forward to juggling Duke Quiton and the Knight at the same time. Kerrith had, so far, not told anyone about her role in summoning the Corthronos back in Willowsrun. She wasn't entirely sure why he hadn't told anyone, perhaps he didn't want his rather torrid affair with Selene to be revealed. Sleeping with a woman you just met was still regarded as a distinctly un-knightly thing to do, especially when she was someone you had just rescued. Or maybe he really took that promise he had made seriously.
Hopefully he won't let it slip now, Solyma though to herself as more of the caravan began to arrive. Before she had arrived in Corannon it wouldn't have inconvenienced her greatly to leave town in a hurry, but after getting the job and house...well, it would be a hassle she'd rather not go through.
"About time," she said as Hector floated over with a large wooden crate. "Did you get all of them?"
"Yes, I did," he said. "I don't understand why you wanted the wine collection taken with you, you know that moving isn't good for them."
"Did you sell the furniture?" Solyma asked.
"Yes, I wish you would-"
"How much did you get?"
"Four thousand marks," Hector answered as Solyma lugged the crate into the carriage. He winced as she pried open the crate with her dagger and pulled out a bottle at random.
"Want some wine?" she asked Penelope as she shoved the crate underneath the seat.
"Oh, no thank you," Penelope answered, her gaze drifting over to where Laros was talking with Lord Dravon Tanteshal, current Guardian Knight of the Shield. Solyma caught the look in the elven princess's eyes and shook her head. That type of infatuation was never good for anyone, especially royalty and her bodyguard.
"Let's get this show on the road," Solyma said as she climbed into the carriage. "Hector, you going to drive?"
"Yes," Hector said wearily. "I wish you wouldn't drink so early in the day-"
"Oh, be quiet," Solyma said as she clambered into the carriage and pulled the bottle's cork with her teeth. Hector sighed as she spat the cork onto the seat next to her and settled back. She took a long swig from the bottle and adjusted her breeches. It did feel nice to be back in travel clothes, much better than some of the dresses she had to wear when she had been teaching. "Hector? Let's get moving."
"Really? She never acted like that around me," Duke Quiton said to Tancred.
"I know, it was amazing, no, terrifying, to see it," Tancred said from his seat across from the Duke. The carriage they were sharing rattled along the paving stones of the highway, heading north towards Taladros. Traveling at this pace, it would be about ten days until they reached Taladros. "I think the strain must have been too much for her, the poor thing," Tancred said with a sympathetic smile.
"I must say that I was quite worried about her, especially after she disappeared," Adelard said with a shake of his head. "Playing hero, she could have gotten seriously injured."
"I'm just glad that I was with her," Tancred said.
"She really attacked you?"
"Yes, it was terrifying. She started ranting like a crazy woman about how it was every man's fault that she had been transported to Kathaln. She nearly sliced my throat," Tancred said and pulled his collar back to show a large scar running across the base of his neck.
"But, forgive me for saying this, you are a vampire, are you not?" Adelard asked.
"Oh, yes, it wouldn't have killed me," Tancred laughed. "But still, she nearly attacked a servant who just happened to be walking by. We had to restrain her for several hours before she calmed down again. I think it was her mind, she's so fragile, you know."
"That is a shame," Adelard said with a sigh and nod. "I was so looking forward to becoming better aquainted with her on this trip."
"It's a good thing I told you, I don't like to talk about her like this but Solyma can be dangerous. It would be best if you stayed away from her, no sense in risking yourself for no reason." And one down, Tancred thought to himself. Now I just have to figure out that Knight.
The trip to Taladros went uneventfully for the most part. Solyma found herself torn between ingratiating herself further with Adelard or spending her time with Jaric. Her decision was made for her when Adelard kept making excuses to leave whenever she approached him. She even thought that he looked a little scared of her. And all the while Jaric had become even more solicitous and reserved around her, not even trying to hold her hand, much less kiss her.
"What did you tell them?" she finally asked Tancred as they stopped for the day at an inn about three days from the border of Taladros.
"What do you mean by that, Solyma?" Tancred said in what he hoped was a charming way.
"I mean that Jaric and Adelard have been treating me like I'm some sort of lunatic-" she stopped and narrowed her eyes at Tancred. He smiled nervously as she picked up her knife from her plate and tapped it against the table. "What did you tell them, Tancred?" she said through clenched teeth.
"I- uh," Tancred stammered as she glared at him. "Nothing really bad," he mumbled and looked away. The entire common room of the inn was filled with members of the caravan. Jaric, Kerrith, Dravon, and the rest of the Knights ate outside and guarded the inn. Penelope and Laros ate upstairs in their rooms while the other nobility did their best to make themselves comfortable in the rather humble room.
Tancred jerked his head back towards Solyma and flinched as she stabbed the knife down in the space between his thumb and index finger. "Just that you were a little insane," he said in a lighthearted tone.
"Nothing like a good joke to make the journey go faster," he said and faltered when he saw Solyma's expression.
"I don't care about what you said to Adelard, he's just good for some money and a decent fuck," she hissed as she grabbed his ear and yanked him towards her. "But Jaric, I like him. A lot. Do you understand?"
Tancred started to nod and winced as Solyma twisted his ear. "I really, really like him," she continued. "Now, tell me exactly what you told him." Tancred swallowed nervously and considered turning into mist. He really didn't look forward to regenerating missing body parts after Solyma was done. "Don't even try it," Solyma said as if she was reading his thoughts.
"I just told him that you were in some tough situations when you were younger," Tancred said slowly.
"Like?"
"It really is funny when you think about it-" Tancred started. Another painful tug on his ear brought him back on subject. "I told him that you were nearly raped and that you were terrified of ever being with a man," he said in a rush.
Heads throughout the inn turned at Tancred's yelp of pain and the sound of his head being thumped against the table. "I should ram a stake through your lying heart right now!" Solyma screamed. "Do you know how hard it's going to be to get him into bed now? Do you?" she yelled, each word punctuated by the thump of Tancred's head. "You're going to pay for this Tancred, you are," she groaned as she let go of his ear and bent her face to her hands.
"This is quite a beautiful estate you have here, my lord," Icarii said as he followed the tall and slender figure of Lord Gamenos Loradros across a marble path. The human mage turned his head to watch as a young human woman, perhaps twenty summers old, walked by in the company of an elf. As he watched, the elf slid his hand down the woman's back to fondle her bottom. "And some...intriguing servants."
"Thank you, Vashel," Loradros said as they walked up a wide flight of stairs to the mansion's entrance. "I take good care of my servants."
"And I am most grateful for your patronage," Icarii said, ignoring the bile surging in his throat from saying such a thing. To think, that the most skilled mage in all of Corannon, indeed, the world, was reduced to serving an elf lord with aspirations for the throne.
"I trust your companion was enjoyable?" Loradros said as they entered the mansion and crossed the mammoth foyer. The foyer was the size of some mansion's ballrooms and was furnished with a lavishness rarely seen.
"She was, my lord," Icarii said with a smile that this time he truly felt. The wench had been comely indeed. She had also born a striking resemblance to Selene, at least for as long as the spell had lasted. "My apologies for the bruises."
"No need to apologize," Loradros said as they entered his study. The elf sat behind his desk, a massive thing of oak and mahogany. "Now, to discuss these services. You will be able to summon sufficient forces for my plans?"
"Of course, my lord," Icarii said, fuming silently when he was not offered a chair. "As many as you wish." Icarii bowed and slowly left the study, letting the door swing shut behind him. Loradros sat behind his desk and surveyed the latest report of crop yields from the eastern portion of his holdings when he heard the door open again.
"The...associate has been paid?" Loradros said without raising his head from the report.
"Y-yes, my lord," Derwin, Loradros's latest secretary, said. How does he do that? Derwin thought as he stepped closer to the desk.
"He has been given his intructions?"
"Yes, he will follow them exactly or he knows he will not receive payment."
"Good. You are dismissed. You have until tomorrow to enjoy yourself with the servants."
"Ah, thank you, my lord," Derwin said as he bowed and backed out of the room. Inside the study, Loradros spared a moment from his perusal of the report to smile briefly.
Solyma jerked herself upright, feeling a scream caught in her throat as she struggled for breath. She panted and wiped the sweat from her face with the back of her hand, trying to forget the nightmare. She grunted quietly as she kicked the tangled sheets from around her legs and stood up.
A faint breeze was blowing from the just ajar window, stirring the curtains and billowing them into tenuous shapes. The breeze carried the faint sounds of the Knights making their patrols and the sounds of the horses sleeping. If she closed her eyes and imagined, she thought she could smell the forests of Taladros carried on the breeze. Shaking her head at her sentimentality, Solyma pushed aside the curtains and looked out, nothing seemed amiss.
"Hector," she called out softly. There was a faint gust of air and she felt Hector floating by her shoulder.
"Yes, Solyma?" he said.
"Has anything been happening?"
"No, nothing unusual at all. Did you have another nightmare? I can make you a drink."
"Y-no, no thank you," Solyma said as she looked back out the window. She smiled suddenly and turned to face Hector. "Is Jaric on guard duty right now?"
"I don't believe so, he's just polishing his armor and sword," Hector said slowly. "What do you want me to tell him?" he said with a sigh.
"Just get him near the door," Solyma said with a grin.
"I should tell you that relationships built on lies never last."
"Just go, alright? The quicker you do this, the quicker you can get back to your models."
The polishing cloth slid over the sword's surface easily with a faint swish. The sword itself gleamed like a mirror in the dim lamplight of the common room. Jaric smiled at a job well done and spun the sword, checking its entire surface for any missed areas. When he was satisfied that it was polished completely he slid it back into its sheath and rose.
"Sir D'Allovet?" Hector said as he floated over. "Could you spare a moment of your time?"
"Of course, Sir Hector," Jaric said with a smile. He liked the familiar a great deal, Hector posessed all the traits needed to be a knight. He was quite sure that the familiar would easily qualify for knighthood if he ever wanted to. Knowing that such an honorable and good person was faithfully guarding Solyma set his heart at ease during those periods when he had to be away from the caravan. "What is it that you need?"
"I was hoping for you advice regarding one of my paintings, I am not sure what the placement is of the towers on the royal palace."
"I'd be glad to help." He followed the familiar up the stairs to the second floor of the inn. They stopped by the easel Hector had set up just outside Solyma's room. Ever faithful and vigilant, Jaric thought approvingly. "Oh, yes," he said. "You've got them exactly right. Except that this tower has a window," he pointed, "there."
"Ah, thank you so much," Hector said as he picked up a paintbrush. "It was just one of those details which I couldn't let go."
"I'm glad to be of service," Jaric said as he turned to go. He froze when he heard the soft cry from inside Solyma's room. He glanced at Hector and drew his sword. The familiar picked up his own sword and floated behind him as he pushed open the door.
"N-no, stay away," Solyma whimpered from the bed. Jaric surveyed the room and saw no one. As he bent to look at Solyma he saw that she was asleep and in the throes of a nightmare.
"My lady, please, wake up," Jaric said softly. He reached out and gently touched her shoulder, drawing back in surprise when she sat bolt upright.
"W-where, what?" Solyma said shakily. Her hair swirled around her face as she looked around the room frantically. "Oh, Jaric, I'm so glad you're here," she said with a barely suppressed sob as she threw her arms around the knight and buried her face in his shoulder. "I was so scared. The dream, it seemed so real."
Hector barely suppressed a snort when Solyma gave him a thumbs up sign behind Jaric's back. He shook his helmet and floated out of the room, closing the door softly behind him.
"My lady-" Jaric said in surprise, feeling his thoughts scattered by the feeling of her warm and supple body pressed against his. He flushed at the memory of how her body was revealed by the flimsy nightdress she wore. "How can I help?"
"Please, stay with me, I don't want to be alone," Solyma moaned. She sniffed and looked up into his face, her cheeks shining with tears. "Please."
Jaric nodded solemnly and helped Solyma lie back down. "I will stay by your side throughout the night," he said.
Solyma barely kept from grinning wildly as she closed her eyes. She could feel Jaric's hands on her shoulders as he lowered her back to the bed and adjusted her pillow. Yes, yes, she thought ecstatically to herself as he reached down and- Pulled the covers up?
"Jaric, what are you doing?" she whispered as she opened her eyes again.
"I'm sorry, you seemed cold," Jaric said, pausing in draping the blankets over her.
"There are other ways of keeping warm," Solyma said.
"I could build you a fire," Jaric said and scratched his head. "I'll go ask the innkeeper where he keeps his wood." He was turning to leave when Solyma stopped him by tugging on his shirt sleeve.
"No, no, I'm fine. Thank you for offering," she said, doing her best to keep the disappointment from her voice. Jaric smiled and pulled a chair over.
"I'll be by your side for the entire night," he said with a smile as he sat down.
"Thank you so much," Solyma said as she leaned back and closed her eyes. She smiled contentedly and made a supreme effort to keep the anger she was feeling from showing. Take the hint! she wanted to scream at him as the night wore on and she still couldn't fully fall asleep.
After a few minutes of tossing and turning she decided to play her trump card. Feigning peaceful sleep, she whimpered and began to shake her head from side to side. She kicked the sheets and covers off her body and made sure that her nightdress rode up her legs.
"No, please, someone save me," she moaned, her hands clenched into fists. She heard Jaric rise from his seat and crowed silently with triumph.
"Shh," the Knight whispered as he stroked her hair and gently brought the covers back up. "You're safe. I'm here." He jerked his hand back when he realized what he was doing. What right did he have to caress her soft, coppery hair, she'd probably be horrified to be molested in such a way...He shook his head and forced himself to sit back down. Solyma ground her teeth together and twisted so that the strap of her nightdress fell off her shoulder, revealing the tops of her breasts. She felt Jaric pause and hoped against hope as his hand moved towards her...Only to move the strap back up to her shoulder. Defeated and frustrated, Solyma settled back and let herself fall asleep, her last thoughts cursing knightly manners.
"He didn't even try," Solyma muttered to Penelope and Ismene. The two elves had taken to riding with Solyma. The conversation was good and she was a breath of fresh air compared to the other noblewomen traveling with their husbands to the celebration, especially when she started talking about Jaric. "I was right there," she said and pounded her fist against the seat. "He could have done anything to me. Anything!" She stared gloomily out the window and took another drink from the wine bottle. "Sure you don't want some?" she asked the elves. They shook their heads and continued to listen in puzzled amazement as Solyma went on.
"What sort of man doesn't at least feel up a woman in that state? He could have at least touched me. All he did was stroke my hair."
"That's so romantic," Penelope sighed, a telltale glance towards where Laros rode indicating exactly who her thoughts were on.
"Romantic? Hah. No good if he won't try something!" Solyma made a frustrated noise and slumped back in the seat. "He was still there in the morning, same exact position with his eyes wide open. He didn't even look tired. Gods, what stamina he must have. I bet he could go all night and then some," she mumbled, her voice beginning to become slurred from the wine. Across from her Penelope blushed.
Another day, another inn, Tancred thought to himself as he brushed down his horse. How boring. They had been slowed down by a broken carriage wheel and had arrived at the inn well after sunset. The others had already eaten and gone up to bed in preparation for an early start the next morning.
"There you go," he said to the horse, patting it affectionately on the neck as he closed the stall door and walked towards the stable entrance. He sighed at the thought of more animal blood for dinner. Although, pig's blood wasn't as nearly as bad as he had feared it would be. Not nearly as good as what he usually drank, but satisfactory. He had just reached the door when his hearing picked up the sound of someone letting out a held breath. It had come from the hay racks in the second story of the stables. He smiled and closed the door in front of him, making sure not to make any sound as he listened.
"That was close," a man's voice said from the above. "I didn't think anyone would be out here this late." Tancred grinned at the sound of a kiss and the rustle of hay and clothing. He concentrated for a moment and swirled upward in a cloud of mist until he was floating among the shadowed ceiling beams.
"Why'd you want to come out here, anyway?" the man said, a young noble from the looks of it. Tancred floated closer until he could see the young man's companion and would have gasped if he had a mouth.
"Privacy," Ismene said quietly. "Someone would hear us back in the inn."
"Really?" the noble grinned. "We're going to make that much noise?"
Ismene shrugged. "Help me out of this," she said as she began to unfasten her dress. The noble eagerly assisted her, taking the opportunity to run his hands over her back and sides as he kissed her again. The elf smiled in pleasure at the feel of his hands caressing her body and gently squeezing her breasts.
Tancred silently took his normal shape and sat on a ceiling beam to watch as Ismene shrugged the dress from her shoulders and shook out her long golden hair. He stared at the way her pale skin glowed in the moonlight filtering in through cracks in the ceiling.
"You are a bold little thing, aren't you?" the noble said happily as he pulled Ismene's dress of her legs and leaned over her as she lay back in the hay, kicking her underwear off her slim ankle. She merely shrugged and wrapped her arms around him as she kissed him. The noble did his best to continue kissing her while he shrugged, pulled, and kicked off his clothes. Tancred had to give him credit for undressing at an incredible speed.
The noble paused and looked down at Ismene for a moment, wondering if she would do anything besides lying there. When the elf only looked back at him he shrugged and lay down beside her.
"You're so beautiful," he whispered in her ear as he ran his hand over the soft skin of her stomach and up to cup a breast. He traced his fingernail over a stiff nipple and was rewarded with her delighted gasp. "Your skin is so soft."
Ismene sighed deeply, her eyes closed, as the noble bent over her and began to kiss and lick at her small and perfect breasts. She moved her hands to his back and clutched at his shoulders as he moved between her legs.
"What-? Oh, gods," Ismene said in a high gasp as the noble ran his tongue in a light circles around her navel before kissing her stomach gently. Ismene's body quivered in pleasure as she unconsciously arched her back and pressed down on the noble's shoulders.
Ismene's eyes flew open in delighted shock as the noble's lips grazed over her quim, his tongue brushing against her clit as he stroked the insides of her thighs with his fingers. She raised her head off the sweet smelling hay and watched in anticipation as the noble kissed and licked his way slowly down and then back up her leg. Each touch of his lips sent a delicious shiver through Ismene's body as she spread her legs further apart in invitation. "Yes, Arcin, please," she whispered.
Tancred watched as the noble raised his head questioningly and then shrugged to himself. Ismene cried out softly, her legs wrapping around the noble's head as he began to lick at her. The elf girl began to rock back and forth in time with him, her hands buried in his hair as she pushed herself against him.
Tancred could feel his pulse racing as his senses became more and more acute. He could hear Ismene's frantic breathing and the racing of her heart. He licked his lips as Ismene cried out once, briefly, her sweet and clear voice easily carrying to the rafters.
"You smell like honeysuckle," the noble said into Ismene's ear as he raised himself above her and smiled down at her. Ismene's breathing was deep and fast as she kissed the noble, her body pressing against his. "You're so beautiful," the noble said again as he began to ease himself into her.
Ismene let out a long breath as the noble slid into her, her hands tightening for a moment and then relaxing. Tancred licked his lips unconsciously as she raised one slender leg to wrap around the noble's waist, urging him deeper into her as he began to slowly move into her.
Their bodies moved in the moonlight, Ismene making little noise in comparison to the noble's panting. Tancred could see her beautiful and somehow still innocent looking face as she rubbed her cheek against the noble's shoulder and moaned quietly. She began to move her hips to match the noble's thrusts, their bodies faintly gleaming in the moonlight. The noble groaned in pleasure and kissed Ismene's neck as he reached up to stroke her hair gently.
Tancred watched as Ismene tossed her head back and groaned in obvious pleasure, her fingers splayed over the noble's back. Her lips drew back from her teeth as she whimpered and moaned with each thrust.
"Oh, ah, yes, Arcin," she moaned as the noble increased the speed of his thrusts. Her moans matched the nobles as he raised himself on his hands and bucked into her, grunting furiously as she cried out and wrapped both legs around him. She made a cry half scream and half whimper as her entire body tensed and went limp. Ismene lay gasping under the noble as he thrust into her a few more times and let out a long groan, breathing out a shaky breath as he fell into the hay next to her.
Tancred watched, his throat dry, as they lay side by side for a while staring at the ceiling.
"Wait, you're leaving already?" the noble said as Ismene reached for her dress and underclothes.
"Yes," Ismene said quietly.
"I was hoping that-," he said and stopped. "Will you meet me tomorrow?" the noble asked as he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and kissed her neck. Ismene shrugged and removed his arms as she slipped into her dress. "I love you," the noble said as he ran his hands up her stomach and cupped her breasts through the fabric of her dress. Neither he nor Tancred was expecting what happened next.
Ismene's slap rang through the stables like thunder, waking the horses and making them neigh and stamp nervously in their stalls. "Don't you dare say that," Ismene hissed as she yanked on her underwear.
"I'm sorry," the noble said, his cheek glowing bright red. "Why-?"
"Just shut up!" Ismene screamed. "Get away from me!" she yelled and shoved the noble away viciously. The noble gave her a confused look as he pulled on his breeches and scrambled down the ladder to the ground. Tancred watched him as the noble gave one last longing look towards the hay loft and left the stable. His attention was drawn back to Ismene by the sound of her wracking sobs.
The elf girl had collapsed back onto the hay and was curled up into a ball as she wept. Tancred watched in alarm as she tugged at her hair and wrapped her arms around her knees. "Why? Why?" he could hear her moaning to herself. "What am I doing?"
He considered dropping down into the hay as her sobs slowly subsided but decided against it. He silently floated back to the ground and out through a crack in the door before taking a solid form again and walking towards the inn, still hearing the soft crying of the elf girl in the stable.
Icarii finished the weave silently, the threads of magic hanging in the cool air of the study surrounded by a nimbus of flickering light. Blue and red beams of light swirled around the spell as he extended his hands towards the weave and poured the last bit of power necessary for the spell.
"Interesting technique," Loradros said as the spell was completed.
"You are a mage, my lord?" Icarii said as he watched the spell silently breaching the gap between dimensions.
"Of a sort," Loradros said, his golden hair reflecting the light of spell. He lifted one slender hand and traced it along the outer edge of the spell before letting fall back to the rapier that hung by his side.
Together, human and elf watched as the spell finished its task. Crouching in the middle of the room was a hideous shape, half mantis and half dragon. Its eyes flickered with light as it studied the two men standing before it. In a flash it leapt forward, bladed arms slicing in a blurred arc.
Loradros raised one eyebrow as the thing smashed into a rippling wall of magic energy before falling back to the floor. "Very good, Vashel," he said as the creature shook its head and slashed at the barrier before retreating back to the center of the room, it's eyes studying every corner for some way to escape. "You are as good as you claim. Continue the process in the pens, you know how many I need."
"Yes, my lord," Icarii said with a nod of his head as Loradros turned and strode from the room. Behind him he could hear the low hiss of the creature as he turned to face it. "Yes."
Continued in Chapter 2
The World of Alderest - VI - An Unexpected Journey - Chapter 1
Next Story:The World of Alderest - VI - An Unexpected Journey - Chapter 2
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