Author's Note:
This is a "men's fantasy romance" written to be reminiscent of the old Sword & Sorcery stories of the 20th century. There is explicit sex, non-consensual sex, and graphic violence contained in this story. This is set in the "City of Scum" setting created by the Literotica author
StillStunned
, and I thank him for allowing me to play in his playground so to speak. While reference is made to characters, places, and events that have happened in other "City of Scum" stories, you do not have to have read those to be able to enjoy this story. In the spirit of the old grimdark S&S stories, this DOES NOT have a happy ending.
You have been warned.
We pick up as Eiristos and Theophania start out on their adventure.
Chapter 2
Eiristos checked over the gear that had been delivered earlier that day. It was everything he had asked for, and all the items were of high quality. Much higher quality than his old gear, actually. Besides the sturdy clothing, there was even a set of the dark hardened leathers the Waterfront Widows wore as armor. Somehow, Theophania had even found a sheath and belt that fit his sword. She had only left briefly that morning after they had eaten, after spending the night laying in bed beside him. When she returned, she had the sheath and a spear taller than she was. A dancer's spear if he wasn't mistaken. He had seen a group of performers from the Southern regions use these long ago when he was a child.
The morning had been filled with the two serving women, Marguerite and Nell, measuring him with pieces of string before running off. They both seemed crestfallen when Theophania had told them hands off for any
activities
other than that and bringing the tray of food. Now, with fresh clothes and bandages, Eiristos was feeling more himself.
The early evening sunlight was already coming in through the room's sole window, and he wondered if they would leave first thing in the morning.
"We leave this evening, too much time has already passed." Theophania pointed the haft of her spear at him as she spoke.
Shouldering her own pack, she walked through the door of the room.
Eiristos grabbed his backpack, picked up the satchel with the healer's kit he had requested, and made sure his lock picks were attached to his belt in their pouches along with the sword and his dagger. He followed Theophania as she hurried out of The Beekeeper and into the street.
The evening mist was already gathering in the narrow alleys, and before long the ghouls would start making their appearance. He wondered if they even had time to make it out of the city before it was fully dark. Still, the woman strode swiftly and confidently down Low Street, heading away from the waterfront and towards the distant city gates.
*************
Theophania let out a huff as she quickly walked down Low Street. They were passing the Neckless Nag. The Queen should have had that place burned to the ground after that incident in which some scum had attacked Gienna with the power of the queen's own dagger.
Gienna was still having nightmares about the incident, and while the queen had ensured that the rat who had committed the attack would suffer until the end of his days, the fact the Queen had even left him alive galled her.
Theophania huffed again at the thought. Not that the past two nights hadn't been enjoyable. Caeren's girls were well trained to satisfy her desires, but since they were not whores, regular assignations with those two weren't always possible, and she simply couldn't stand most men. However, the feel of a man inside her was something she often craved. While Eiristos was average in height and build, there wasn't an ounce of fat on him. His long dark brown curly hair, currently tied back with a leather thong, framed his lightly tanned face well. His beard was well trimmed and had felt quite good against her. Even though he was more distant and withdrawn than most others, he seemed like he might be worth keeping around for regular use.
She drew her attention back to her surroundings. The First Blade of the Waterfront Widows being taken unawares was not something she was ever going to let happen. The evening mist was thickening, but the city gates were now in sight. She continued up Low street for two more intersections, then turned into a narrow alley. She turned briefly to make sure Eiristos was still following behind her as she proceeded down the alley to a gate. Withdrawing an iron key from her pouch, she unlocked it and motioned Eiristos to go through. Locking the gate behind her, she turned to him. "Walk down the alley to the third door on the left. I'll be right behind you."
While the spare leathers she had found for him were not the best fit, as there were no men in the Widows. Still, they fit him well enough that she got a clear view of his ass as the armor pieces pulled his braies tight against him. Following her instructions, he proceeded to the correct door and stopped. She stepped in front of him, withdrawing a different key from her pouch to unlock the door. She hurried them both through and locked this door behind her as well. There was some dim light in the narrow passage they stood in from a window high in the wall behind them. She pulled an unlit torch from a bracket on the wall and handed it to Eiristos. "Light that."
He produced a metal striker from a pouch and hit it against the stone of the wall, making a spark that fell onto the unlit torch. With a moment of coaxing the torch blared to life, illuminating a stairway before them that led down underneath the buildings. Theophania led the way, while Eiristos held the torch behind her. This was just one of many passages she knew of and used throughout the city. The common rogues may have their rooftop highway, but she had more skill and knowledge than any of them. According to rumor, the man behind her was the only one that could even come close, and he had a very different skill set to hers. He was a troubleshooter, specializing in locks, traps, and crafting various tools. She bent forward as she walked, so the sheathed tip of her dancer's spear did not scrape against the top of the passageway.
*************
Her leathers held her long shift tight against her skin. While the material was dyed dark enough that the torchlight did not penetrate it, the shape of her body under the cloth was unmistakable. She probably thought the events of the past nights would have him drooling over her. But sex was just that, sex, a physical pleasure. Eiristos didn't understand everyone's obsession with it. Still, it was enjoyable, and a willing partner open to sharing with others and even providing additional willing partners wasn't something to be brushed aside.
He blinked, the smoke from the torch stinging his eyes slightly. The tiny bit of light from the window at the end of the passage they were walking away from provided more than enough light for him to see clearly, so he didn't need the torch. But he was under contract to the Widows, and if Theophania was indeed the Queen's First Blade, that meant she was the queen's personal assassin. A command from her was the same as a direct command from the Widow Queen. He was being given a second chance, and he was certainly going to take advantage of that.
His free hand dropped to his dagger. He had at least made it out of The Beekeeper long enough to retrieve the dagger and one of his inscribers from his modest home near the docks. A home that would be decidedly empty in the days to come, with the loss of his younger brother and his brother's wife. The witch had taught him some basics of enchantment and he had found some old tomes that he had learned more from. The recovery days at the inn had allowed him time to put some minor enchantments on the dagger, so he wasn't completely at the mercy of Theophania or the sword which he was somehow bound to.
The passageway they were walking through was narrow and somewhat low, but dry and ventilated enough that the smoke from the torch wasn't too overpowering. They had been walking for some time and were easily past the city walls at this point. Still, he kept his eyes on the passage and the slightly crouched figure of Theophania making her way down the passage in front of him. Watching her body move wasn't exactly unpleasant, and he felt his body responding to it. Still, they were now on a mission and that came first.
After a few more minutes, they came to an ascending stairway. Theophania withdrew yet another key from her pouch to unlock the door at the end of the passageway. Eiristos noted this. Three mundane locks, with three separate keys. Locks and traps were his particular specialty, so he made a note of every one he encountered. The passage opened into a shed a stone's throw from the city walls. It wasn't fully night, but the sun had set while they were in the passage. There was a small cabin just a few yards from the shed they emerged from. Theophania waved him forward, pointing at it. He guessed this was why she had them leave in the evening. The cabin must be a safe house reserved for the members of the gang as a staging point for missions outside the city.
Following Theophania into the cabin, he looked around as she barred the door behind them. It was sparsely furnished, with only two chairs and a table. There was a pile of clean rushes in a corner of the cabin's only room. While not uncommon, he much preferred having a privy like the small house he and his brother had shared in the city. Chamberpots regularly emptied were acceptable, but rushes... He shook his head. He could deal with it for a single night. Things would certainly get even rougher as they made the way to the old temple and the caverns underneath it.
"Use the torch to light the fireplace." Theophania was already placing her bedroll on the floor of the cabin as she spoke.
He walked to the small fireplace across from the cabin's door. There were small piles of firewood and kindling beside it. He tossed the torch into the fireplace and stacked a few pieces of firewood above the torch's flame. With the torch he didn't need any of the kindling for the firewood to catch. There was also an iron mesh screen beside the fireplace that he moved in front of it to catch any stray embers. Turning around from the fireplace he saw Theophania already had her leathers off and was in the process of removing her shift and hose. He took down the pack she had brought him to get his own bedroll.
