Out of the wilds and back to civilization. Although it's a civilization that seems less and less civilized the longer John spends inside the city.
No sex, but fond thoughts and memories of sex in this one. The ladies in John's life love to tease him too... and sometimes he teases himself too.
Two days of training, both with spear against sword and magical theory against fatigue, saw them making their way back on to the road just outside of Shiner's landing. John's worry of Zynga's prank causing a rift had been misplaced. Jennaca's retaliation had begun a friendly war between them. Corsa and Jennaca teamed up against Zynga more often than not, which made the imp sputter and curse and come up with new ways to torture them. John thought he and Artesia were safe... until he found extra rocks laid under his bed role on their final night in the wilds.
"They won't let Sasha through the gates," Jennaca said as they spotted the four foot high timbers that served as the city's outer wall.
Zynga snorted. "That's hardly a wall."
"Tall enough to keep you out," Artesia noted.
Zynga sneered at her.
"Perhaps if we tied a rope around her?" John suggested.
Jennaca gave John a look that made him realize how dumb he sounded.
"Okay, well... what do we do?"
"I'll wait outside," Jennaca said.
John looked around. The ground surrounding the road was wet to the south. The north of the road it was swamp broken by small islands with tall tree and pits of mud covered in grass and moss. "Out here?"
"I can't sleep on beds," Jennaca said. "They don't feel right."
"How will we find you?" John asked. "When we leave, I mean."
"Really?" Zynga asked.
"What?" John asked.
"You probably won't," she said and winked at him. "I'll find you."
"Or you could remember you bonded her to you when you busted a nut inside her cunt," Zynga reminded him.
John twitched at Zynga's choice of words. He looked at her and then looked to Jennaca.
Jennaca's eyes were wide. "You can do that?"
John opened his mind to her and felt her awe and excitement. He also felt her budding lust. She liked the thought that he could keep track of her. He nodded. "Yes, I guess I can."
"Oh wow... so I couldn't run away from you if I wanted."
John forced a chuckle. "You could, but I'd know which way you went. Not that I'd follow you... if you wanted to leave me, I mean."
Jennaca winked at him. "What if I wanted you to chase me?"
Artesia coughed and nodded at the approaching gates. The outer wall might have been enough to stop a toddler— or a halfling— but the gates themselves were made of proper wood and held within a stone gatehouse.
"Yes, well... if you insist on staying with Sasha, we'll find you when we're done here," John said. "Or sooner, if I need you."
Jennaca smiled. "It's nice to be needed."
Zynga rolled her eyes.
"Come, Sasha, let's see how the swamp's changed since we were last here. I know you liked when I cooked up that alligator you hunted."
Sasha bounded off to the north, leaping from one firm spot to another with ease. Jennaca laughed at the great cat's playful antics and she followed behind, splashing in shallow water when she couldn't match the tiger's leaps and bounds.
"Hunted an alligator?" John asked.
"She's big enough," Artesia said.
John shook his head and turned to look at Corsa. "Lady Corsa, come... join us up here. And, for safety's sake, let's go back to calling you Zephira."
Corsa smiled and climbed up to sit on the outside of the bench beside John. She leaned into him and signed her agreement.
John felt better with her slender body pressed against him. He was becoming so accustomed to the half-elven almost princess that any plans he considered for his future always had her in it. Jennaca was there as well, with Sasha always at her side. Or, often, with Jennaca reclined amongst pillows wearing the most scandalous clothes and sashes while Sasha lie at her feet. He wondered if it was because he cared for both woman or if it was because of the magical bonds he'd formed with them.
Jennaca's was a magical contract, insuring her place in his thoughts. Corsa was only a connection they shared because she taken to insisting she drained him with her mouth every time they lay together. Like every other woman that had tasted him, Corsa was addicted to his cum. His Mistress had gifted him with not only his half-infernal nature, but also a magical cock and seed that any woman who tasted him found more pleasing to her palate than the finest wines or sweets.
Artesia was present in his fantasies of the future too, even though he had never bedded her. Unlike his delicate princess or his ravishing huntress, the scarred but beautiful warrior was glowering and menacing in his thoughts. She was always wearing the heaviest armor she could find and decked out with weapons.
The guards at the gate paid them no mind as they rode through, other than to do a double-take when they realized Zynga wasn't a child but a halfling. Artesia drove past the first two taverns and took the left fork in the road through Dilly to stay away from the docks. With the markets and tanners behind them, they settled for the third tavern she saw. The sign bore the emblem of an ale and the carved and painted name, "Black Oath."
She drove the wagon in to the yard beside the tavern and waited for a stable hand to come out from under the eaves of the stable. He approached while looking the wagon up and down. John was already busy securing his books in his pack and not paying attention until he heard the stable hands voice. It wasn't a boy's voice, it was a girls.
"It'll be three silver for the wagon, one for the horse," she said.
"That's steep," Artesia bartered.
"That's a big wagon," she countered. "It's early still, others will pay the same. I don't set the price so don't waste your time arguing with me, just leave if you don't like it."
"What about your time?" John asked.
"What?"
"Arguing would waste your time too, wouldn't it?"
She shrugged. "I got two horses to tend. Both have food, water, and I rubbed 'em down good. Short of standing with a shovel under their butts waiting for something to drop, I got nothing better to do."
John opened his mouth but Corsa touched his thigh. She smiled and shook her head.
John chuckled and nodded. He fished into his pouch and handed her five silver pieces. Corsa frowned but John nodded. She shook her head and handed one back to him before turning and offered the silver to the stable girl.
She took it and pointed just past the stable. "Pull it over there. I'll get your horse cared for and you can head in to the tavern."
"Thank you," he said and waited for Artesia to move the wagon and then set the brake. He finished collecting his pack and locked his empty crate before climbing down after Corsa. Zynga had slipped off the other side already. He spotted her slipping away and cleared his throat.
"Zynga, wait!" he called.
