Mikael strolled down the hallway, a smile on his face. Scratching his damp hair, he felt satisfied; an intense workout followed by a relaxing dip in the baths had left him very content. He'd spent the afternoon sparring with Kristine, his technique improving all the time, constantly picking up tips from the exceptionally talented paladin, and now found himself with a free evening.
He wandered slowly down the corridor, in no particular rush. He'd practiced for the day, and there were still a few hours before dinner would be prepared.
Ah, dinner,
he thought to himself with a playful smile. He had to admit, when he had first arrived in the Sanctuary he wondered what he would do for food. Neither he nor any of the girls struck him as being particularly eager cooks; whilst he knew any of them
could
prepare a meal -- including himself - he didn't see where they'd find the time to do so in a busy day.
He needn't have worried, of course. Food was taken care of by the Gods, as were most of their other basic needs. At roughly the same time every day, shortly after the seventh afternoon bell, food would appear in the kitchen, ready for delivery to the dining area. The most he and his Sisters needed to do was take it in turns to bring the dishes to their companions.
Quintia said that she detected no sorcery in the apparition of the meals, but this did not surprise Mikael. The Gods were above mere magic, the food produced likely by their will alone.
But that was still many hours away, and Mikael's stomach did not demand to be sated. He pondered as to his next move, and after a short while decided to continue to his bedroom. He would make a choice whilst settled there.
His room was slightly further ahead still, and he picked his pace up unconsciously. The Sanctuary was large, though not too expansive to be uncomfortable, and the bedrooms were somewhat scattered throughout. They were all on the same side of the complex, their windows looking out over the wonderful vista of the lake and woodlands, but they were not totally adjacent. Mikael's, for example, was located in an alcove of its own, next to the room where the Cohort placed fond memories of successful undertakings. That contrasted to Melissa's, which was located near the entrance to the potion store and the infirmary, though Mikael had been in the latter only once. Her bedroom might only have been a walk of thirty seconds or so from his, but it still involved two corridors and a flight of stairs to reach.
But Mikael was learning the layout of the Sanctuary quickly. He still had not explored every nook and cranny, but he had more than a rough idea of its scale and layout. He had worked in all of the practice rooms, studied in the library and visited most of the various storerooms. Yes, there were places he was yet to go, but they were not many in number. Indeed, most of the unexplored rooms resided in the area of the Sanctuary used for relaxation, and even there Mikael suspected there was not a tremendous amount he was unaware of.
Eventually he came upon his bedroom door, and pushed it open. Whilst it had a lock on it, he never bothered to use it: any potential visitors were always welcome, and he hardly feared for the safety of his personal belongings here. The evening sunlight was bright as it streamed through the tall windows on the far wall, giving his room a golden hue as he walked over to his expansive bed and thumped down on top of it. He lay there a moment, his legs sticking out uncomfortably on the edge of the bed, before climbing up further.
Thoughts flit through his mind as he lay there, bored, each more ridiculous than the last. Lifting his head, he glanced around; his eyes settling first upon the lush tapestries that adorned the walls, then the balcony that looked out over the lake, before they came to rest on the desk that stood in the corner. It was large and ornate, complete with a well-sized vanity mirror, and he realised he had never sat at it. Such a piece of furniture ought to be found only in the rooms of nobles, not tucked up against a wall in the bedroom of a man who never used it.
He stood, walking over to the grand piece, and ran his finger along the edge.
Such fine craftsmanship
, he thought.
I must make use of it someday
. He paused, turning around, his eyes still scanning his room for something to occupy him. The evening meal was not tremendously far off now, but it seemed silly to wait pre-emptively in the dining hall. If nothing else, his Sisters would tease him for it.
Hurried footsteps in the corridor caused him to whirl to the doorway, and his expression turned to concern as a very flustered Lucinda burst into view. She was standing in the entrance, relief seeming to flood across her face, before stepping through.
Mikael waited where he was, confused by events as his gorgeous Sister quickly pushed shut the door and marched towards him.
"Everything alri..." he said, the sound cut off as she furiously crushed her body against him, her arms wrapping around his back and her tongue pushing vigorously into his mouth. He was startled, but did not complain, regaining his composure and returning the movement, his fingers pressing against the rogue's ass through her cool leather armour.
At length she broke the kiss, staring at him with animalistic hunger, and licked her lips.
"Thank the Gods I have found you," she growled, yanking off her gauntlets and tossing them carelessly to the floor. "I have been waiting all day for this."
She kissed him again, seemingly yet more ferociously as her fingers found the bottom of his shirt, tugging the garment upwards. Mikael pulled away, allowing her to do so, his bemusement at her sudden appearance kept in check by his intense desire.
Lucinda grinned wickedly, unclasping her leather bodice and pulling it from her chest. The cloth shirt she wore underneath hugged the contours of her body tightly, before it, too, slid quickly over her head. Her breasts spilled free, and Mikael grasped them as her hands returned to his body in order to tug down his trousers. Soon his cock stood proud, having quickly grown to full mast at his Sister's evident passion, and she grinned.
"Lie on the bed," she commanded, quickly removing her boots and pants. Mikael did so, not wanting to disobey the woman who clearly burned with ardent desire, and eagerly watched as she undressed.
He laughed as her boots were tossed hurriedly into the corner of his room. "What's come over you?"
She stared at him with something approaching animalistic desire as she pulled her leather pants -- and the accompanying cloth undergarments -- from her long, slender legs. "I was sent to safeguard a caravan from afar, Mikael. The Gods required its passengers - a prince of these lands and a high priestess - to reach their destination safely. Evidently, they have an important role to play."
"A noble cause," Mikael agreed as Lucinda tossed the trousers away, now joining him in her nakedness. She looked utterly resplendent in the evening's golden glow.
