Chapter 7

I hope you'll indulge me.

Not every chapter in this volume will be an encounter with one of my great loves or implacable enemies. Sometimes it will merely be a night of carnal bliss that I treasure, with no greater significance beyond its fond place in my memories. This is a story of such a night, though true to form, it lasted through the following day.

The story takes place in Steelhelm, a town barely on the Rhandonian side of the border with Svarlskell. Though Steelhelm's blacksmithing industry made it important, it is in an area of the world almost impossible to render safe. It cannot produce enough food for an expansive population and the treacherous roads make travel in and out difficult, while the local industry makes it wealthy. The incredible thing was not that a gang of bandits had captured it, merely that it had taken one until then to do so.

We were on the trail of the lost city of Milgoghur and gratefully stopped at Steelhelm to stock up on provisions. The tension in the air was like iron, and before long we ran afoul of the gang that had taken over. They'd had a darkling champion and a tentacled...thing they'd pulled out of the mountains. This made them more than a match for the city watch.

For us, they were barely a challenge. The champion and the creature provided some difficulty, but Alia slew the former and I the latter, and the few bandits who survived our wrath fled to the mountains.

Steelhelm was rapturous with gratitude. An impromptu festival of celebration took over the town. While the whole thing was wonderful, what lingers was what the local brothel did for us. Servicing the craftsmen, miners, and merchants who had made Steelhelm its riches, the brothel was far more richly appointed than Steelhelm's rugged mountain location might have implied. From the outside, it looked like a miniature castle, its stones quarried from the local granite.

The first day of the festival, we had fun in the streets, celebrating with the newly liberated townsfolk who were only too happy to share all they had with us. Xeiliope played with the local children, Velena danced to music in the street, Alia flirted with the mayor's daughter, and I sampled food from every street vendor and shop front.

Though the Mythseekers had not reached the height of our fame nor our power—that would happen during that damnable war—we were arguably near the pinnacle of our reputation. For those who'd heard our name, we were admired as academics with a heroic streak. What we did at Steelhelm soon spread through both Rhandonia, Svarlskell, and beyond.

Xeiliope was perhaps the most renowned Axichan in the world. Their people were insular and largely confined to a few islands in the Turquoise Sea. She was a source of fascination, not in the least because of her beauty. She was especially attractive to women, even those without explicit eupheric desires, as her muscular frame and short hair tended to awaken curiosities. Alia, whose desires were almost entirely eupheric, often expressed annoyance at how nearly every pretty young woman we rescued wanted Xeiliope's attention.

As for the little rogue, she too was becoming known. This was normally something those in her profession liked to avoid, but Alia was famous for stealing from the dead. She had grown less reckless, more deliberate in her methods. This only made her a more effective treasure hunter and a terrifying combatant.

Velena, our leader, had settled into the role well. We all trusted her implicitly, and she was skilled at incorporating our areas of expertise. She kept us whole as well, in body, mind, and spirit. That last point was where she would eventually fail with me, but that was still in the future. For now, I loved the three of them as my dearest friends.

When night fell, I was sitting on a boardwalk, sharing a skewer of charred meat with Oddrin when a lovely young half-elf approached through the crowd. As her green eyes met mine, a smile stretched over her face, at once happy, knowing, and filled with promise.

Her strawberry blonde hair was piled high on her head, secured in place with combs made of shell, drawing the eye to her pointed ears. She wore a costume of silk and brocade in greens and golds, a corset around her narrow waist, her modest breasts pushed up with generous cleavage on display. This fell to a skirt that was longer in the back than in the front. Her long legs peeked from the folds with each step, showing off knee-length boots with a prominent heel. A silken ribbon was tied about her graceful neck.

"Master Wizard, my name is Isellynor," she said, bowing. "Mistress Genofeva requests the honor of your presence at Comfort House."

"Comfort House?"

"Mistress Genofeva's establishment. You must have seen it." She gestured up the street, and I could see the castle's parapets peeking up over the other structures.

"Oh yes. Just me?"

"We sent someone for each of you. Now, will you be good enough to follow me?"

I let Oddrin have the last bit of meat from the skewer and followed Isellynor up the street. The little night eft flapped up to the eaves of Comfort House to start his watch. As I arrived, Xeiliope was being led inside by a young woman with black hair, gazing up lovingly at the Amazon with bright blue eyes. I would learn later her name was Vadoma and she had an exceptionally sensitive navel.

The woman at the door was in her early middle age but no less gorgeous than any of the younger women. Her black and red costume hugged her voluptuous frame and her scarlet hair was in a high and complex style. As Isellynor escorted me into the small antechamber that formed the entryway, the older woman gave me a short bow. "Our last arrival. Welcome, my hero. You will enjoy your time in my establishment."

The woman then stood in front of the door and bellowed onto the street. "People of Steelhelm! You have given our heroes the Mythseekers a wonderful welcome! Now it is time for the velvet pleasures of Comfort House! These doors are closed to patrons until sunset tomorrow. If you find you need us...use your hands!"

A lusty roar went up from the townsfolk, and she shut the door with a smile. She followed Isellynor and I through the inner door, guarded by a muscular half-orc woman, into the main room of the brothel.

This chamber was expansive, and I imagined on a normal night, it would have served as a place for the clientele to await their appointments. A bar took up one side, and behind it, a pretty gnomish woman polished glasses with a welcoming smile. The stone walls were covered in erotic tapestries that I recognized as copies of plates in the Eroticum Kharsoomium. The center of the room was taken up by four ivory tubs, currently being filled with steaming water by a pair of burly dwarf women clad in simple linens. On the wall opposite the bar, a low stage stood, and four soft couches waited.

My companions stood near the tubs, each with a young woman dressed like Isellynor, but each in a different color. My escort led me to them. The look in Alia's eyes was like a child gazing at fresh-baked pastry, while Velena's breath was quick with adorable nervousness.

"This is a nice surprise," I observed.

"Quite a collection of beauty," Xeiliope said.

"I want to keep them," Alia said.

"Welcome, Mythseekers!" bellowed the mistress. "I am Genofeva and this is the famed Comfort House of Steelhelm. If the four of you do not have a night and a day you do not cherish for the rest of your days, I will close my doors in shame."

"We did not do what we did for a reward," Velena said.

Genofeva grinned. "And perhaps if you four weren't so fetching we would not be rewarding you thus. Now, first enjoy a bath. Pemwith!" she called to the gnome behind the bar. "Select an appropriate vintage for our heroes. Something to get them relaxed and ready for love."

The gnome brought up a bottle. "Something special. Axichan vintage in honor of our Amazon savior."

"Let me help you out of those robes, Master Wizard," Isellynor said. She began to undress me. The other escorts were each helping one of my companions. One by one, we were stripped down in this room. Though we were the only ones naked, it felt natural. I was unashamed, even aroused by the appreciative attention.

I was once again struck by the beauty of my companions. I was perhaps most fond of little Alia. Short and slender, she had an incredible amount of power packed into her tiny, lithe body. Whenever she moved, her lean muscles coiled beneath her pale skin, betraying her remarkable strength. Freckles covered her, most on her shoulders, arms and legs. Her red hair was styled into vinelike plaits, collected in a tail that reached the small of her back. The small swatches of hair between her legs and beneath her arms were the same deep red.

Velena was taller than Alia and rounder, thanks to her bountiful and pillowy curves. Her milky flesh was a canvas for her tattoos, the various runes that kept her bound to her powers. Her breasts were heavy, her hips and posterior were full, jiggling softly whenever she moved. Her hair, long and black, was bluntly cut around her face. Her pale eyes, in a nest of black tattoos, nearly glowed. Her body was hairless, the slit of her bare sex already creamy with arousal.

Xeiliope was taller than me, broad shouldered and strong. Her muscles stood out on her powerful frame, making her appear a heroic statue come to life. Her blonde hair was cut short and her eyes were a bright gold. As she moved, my eyes went to the honey blonde ruff between her legs, one of the few soft places on her. A few droplets of desire already clung to the hairs.

As the last of my clothing came off, I was revealed. The comely half-elf had awakened my passion, and I stood at half-staff. She raised her reddish eyebrows when she saw me. "Oh my. I can see why your companions are so...relaxed."

"I would be pleased to relax you," I said, the voluptuous delights of this place addling my senses.

"Master Wizard, I would be honored, but first things first." She took my hand and helped me into the tub, where I lowered myself into the water. It was hot, at the edge of bearable, working steaming fingers into the knots of my muscles.

Then she stood, parting her gowns and securing the tails to her hips. The skirt had become a half-skirt, her bare sex now revealed. The other bathers had done that as well, and now I was fully erect.

Isellynor busied herself, sprinkling fragrant leaves over the steaming water. Then she knelt, stirring the water with one languid hand. "Sit back and relax. I will take care of everything," she promised.

A pretty half-dwarf knelt by the tub, handing me a goblet filled with golden liquid. A moment later, another returned with a tray of fruit and cheese, setting it on a low table by my side. I looked over at my allies. All of them were in varying stages of relaxation, drinking, or eating.

Isellynor gently took my left foot from the water and began to scrub me with care. I sipped from the goblet, a honey-sweet and subtle smoky taste ran over my tongue.

"You see, Belromanazar?" Xeiliope said, holding her goblet. Her bather kneaded the muscles of the Amazon's other arm. "Nothing can best an Axichan vintage."

"I'm sorry I doubted you."

The water loosened my body while the wine loosened my mind. Isellynor was thorough, washing each part of me in turn. As she worked, she steadily disrobed, first her top, revealing modest breasts with tiny, violet-tinged nipples. Then her skirt was gone, with only her corset and boots remaining. Her fingers were light over me, leaving behind tingling pathways of bliss. She ran up my length once, a smile rippling her lip, but she refrained from anything further.

Genofeva went to the stage. "If our honored guests will kindly grant their attention? For the next night and day, your fantasies are our pleasure to grant. No matter what you may want, one of us loves it, so no need to be bashful. However, a little prompting is always fun. Think of this as a menu, but far more diverting." She winked. "And don't be afraid to order off menu."

She crooked her finger and left the stage. A collection of beautiful women filed up to the stage and broke into groups, each one occupying one of the couches. On the first, a dusky-skinned beauty pinned her skirts back as I saw Isellynor do, then sat on the couch with spread legs. A chubby blonde doffed her skirt and top, leaving only her corset, then dropped to her knees to perform an energetic knight's kiss.

A woman with brown ringlets of hair and a creamy complexion removed her skirt and bent herself over the arm of one of the couches. A statuesque woman with raven black hair and crimson skin—a Kharsoomian, I noted with surprise—donned a harness with a false staff and began to take the first woman from behind with brutal strokes.

A pair of women came up hand-in-hand. One had smooth, golden skin and long black hair, while the other had a silver cast to her pale skin and white hair. They dropped everything save their corsets, then intertwined their legs on the couch, bringing their orchids together in a searing kiss. I watched them grind against one another with fascination.

Lastly, a half-orc woman with pale green skin came out being led by a rather fetching half-dwarf. The latter sat on the couch while the former hiked up her dress then lay on her belly across the former's lap. Then the half-dwarf slapped the half-orc's rear over and over, leaving behind pale green handprints on the supple skin.

"Do you like what you see?" Isellynor purred in my ear.

"Very much."

"Do you see something you would like? Or would you prefer to see other options? These are more catered to your companions."

I swallowed. I thought of the confidence Allegeth found alluring. I would be frank and honest. This was for me. "I would like a knight's kiss," I said, nodding to the first couple.

She smiled. "We call that a spear-polishing here. May I make a suggestion?"

"Of course."

"It is Yelan you want," she said, nodding to the crimson woman. "She was trained in the Silken Labyrinth of Kharsoom. Her polishing skills are such that a miner may pay a year's wages for a single suck and never regret the expense."

"Yes, then her. But..." and here I felt the heat in my cheeks. "Don't go anywhere. I want you."

She kissed my cheek. "I would hope so. I look forward to whatever you would have me do." She stood, raising her voice. "The Master Wizard would like Yelan's company."

Xeiliope's bather stood. "The Amazon—"

"Is the gnomish bartender available?" Xeiliope asked.

The bartender broke into a wide grin. "For you? Most definitely. Skalmurra? Take over please. I'm going to be fucked by an Amazon." One of the half-dwarves took the gnome's place behind the bar, and I noted that the level behind was clearly sized for one barely over half the size of a human being. The half-dwarf had to kneel to make it work. As for Pemwith the gnome, she joined Xeiliope.

Isellynor helped me from the bath, letting me drip for a time.

Velena raised her voice: "Tell me, Genofeva, are you on the menu as well?"

"For the heroes of Steelhelm? Of course."

"Then you are the one I want."

"Then I am the one you shall have! What about you, little one? How will you start?"

"I'll take her," Alia pointed to the silver-skinned woman, "her," to the half-dwarf administering the spanking, "her," the chubby blonde giving the knight's kiss, "and her," she said pointing to a beautiful woman with brown skin and red hair.

"Is that all?" Genofeva asked with a smirk.

"For now," Alia said with deadly seriousness. "Ask me again in an hour or two."

The mistress chuckled. "How in the name of all the gods do you keep her satisfied?"

"We don't," Velena said wryly.

"We have chambers sized for individuals or for groups. Which would you prefer? Do you want privacy or would you prefer to watch one another?"

We looked from one to another. "We will be in the same room," Velena said.

"That is always more fun," Genofeva said. "Follow me."

She led us into a hallway, and at the end, a door opened into an expansive bedchamber. Two beds stood at either corner, and the rest of the room was scattered with plush chairs, couches, other furniture, everything soft and opulent. A bar in the far corner featured not only liquors but scented oils.

Alia took the bigger of the two beds, Xeiliope the smaller, while Yelan and Isellynor led me to a high-backed chair on a raised section of the room. Velena and Genofeva had a quiet conversation, and I watched a lascivious smile grow over the mistress's face. She issued a few soft orders to the linen-clad dwarves, who bustled from the room, returning with a high post mounted on a base. There were shackles at the top. They set this up in a corner.

Isellynor stood by my shoulder and bent over to tickle my ear with her breath. "Are you ready for your spear to be polished by the best?"

The Kharsoomian approached, her hips winging like a pendulum. She had removed everything save her corset, showing a pliable, yet powerful figure. "My hero. I understand you wanted my services?" She ran a pinkie down one side of her mouth and across her lower lips. "I will fill my belly with your seed." She knelt before me, taking my staff in hand. I groaned. She grinned up at Isellynor. "He is ready. My challenge will be to make this last. I'll not have anyone unsatisfied, let alone one of our great heroes."

The others were beginning. Velena had been stripped and Genofeva was securing her to the shackles. Xeiliope was on all fours, the gnome lustily performing the knight's kiss, or perhaps the cleric's, I was unsure. Alia frolicked beneath a pile of writhing limbs.

"Master Wizard, have you ever lain with a courtesan of Kharsoom?"

I shook my head. "I've read the Eroticum Kharsoomium."

Her grin stretched. "Then you know what delights await you."

No book would have prepared me for what she made me feel. She held me lightly, her tongue fluttering up and down my length. She gave me the feel of a hundred butterflies, their feather touch perpetually making me strain for more but being unsure where to find it or which way to go. She looked to me constantly, her maroon eyes filled with desire, a need to please me.

Her touch grew closer. Now she ran her tongue in short bursts over my flesh. She began to lick, alternating short and long, short and long, covering my staff in a layer of her saliva. Her tongue was agile and strong, cupping me with the dexterity of a hand. When she reached my head, she ran about the crown, each touch an electric caress.

Then, all at once, she sucked me into her mouth. The action pulled a cry out of my throat, my hands gripping the arms of the chair.

"He's enjoying himself, Yelan," Isellynor said.

"Mmmhmm," Yelan groaned onto the head of my staff.

She backed off, then opened her mouth. Obscenely, a mouthful of her spit ran down my staff in waves. The sight of it inflamed me, and a pulse of pure pleasure ran from the base of my pelvis to the tip of my staff.

She pulled off, blowing softly on me. "Not yet, Master Wizard. You have so much more joy to experience." She took my coin purse in hand, caressing the flesh as she went back to my staff, sucking me in, her tongue dancing.

She went with aching slowness, each time taking more of me. I'd never been with anyone who could swallow my entire staff, and I'd certainly never been with anyone with a great deal of experience in the act. My companions had been practicing, with Velena the most enthusiastic of them, but they had yet to manage. The way Yelan took me, so methodically, so confidently, I had no doubt that I would experience what I'd grown to crave. I wanted it more than anything.

The lewd sounds she made only enhanced the sensation. The slurps, the way she moaned like she was sampling a delectable dessert. She made me at once feel worshiped, savored, devoured, an act at once delicious and obscene. With each bob of her head, her tongue was busy, swirling over me in an intricate dance that set me aflame.

The liquid in her mouth was a counterpoint, sucking past other sections of my flesh, varying the sensations. I never knew what to expect, only that my entire body was focused on a single point, and Yelan was lord over every aspect of it.

I looked up at the others through a haze of pleasure. The gnome was wearing the false staff, riding a grunting Xeiliope. Genofeva reddened Velena with a series of slaps to her jiggling buttocks. Alia knelt over one of her partners, holding her face to her sex while one of the others toyed with the little rogue's rosebud. Isellynor was at my ear, brushing her lips over me.

I felt a constriction at the base of my coin purse. I looked down and Yelan popped me from her mouth. "You will not finish yet, my lord."

She opened again, taking me to the limit. The confines of her throat closed over me. My companions would retreat here, their eyes watering, their throats spasming as they could not take me no matter how they wanted it. Yelan merely pushed forward without hesitation. My eyes widened in amazement. I was in her throat. I didn't know such a thing was possible. Of course, it had been referred to in the Eroticum but I could never be certain what was real and what was exaggeration. Now, I wondered if the things I had dismissed were indeed possible.

Her lips brushed the base of me. She had taken everything I could give and I had no doubt this was not her limit. I was held, her throat closed over the end of me, her swallows massaging me. Her tongue lashed over my base. She retracted, drooling all over me, and smacking her lips at the apex. She met my eyes. "Now, Master Wizard, I will let you finish."

She took me again and again, and I felt the pleasure like a great thundercloud. The rain filled it, ready to fall, each drop a bright spark of ecstasy. But I could not. Her hand held my purse, keeping my body in that perpetual state of need while her mouth encouraged me to ever greater heights. And what did I see? Her wanton sucking, my most frequent lovers indulging their fantasies.

Her mouth was pure sensation. She picked up speed. My body came off the chair, as though this would give me relief. She refused, filling that cloud with her incredible attentions.

I felt it as thunder, bounding off each part of my pleasure. The bliss, the lightning bliss, was turning to agony as I needed to shed this rain, I needed to fill her, but she refused, her fingers like iron.

Then, at once, she drove me to the hilt. Her throat closed around me, and she released her hold. The sound I made was guttural, inhuman, as the thunder enveloped me in crashing pleasure. My vision vanished, as I fought to retain any control of myself as the bliss tore its way from my body.

When I opened my eyes, she had me shallowly in her mouth, her tongue gently collecting my seed from my staff. She let me go, breaking into a grin, a pearly line dribbling from the corner of her mouth. Isellynor strutted to her as Yelan stood. The two of them kissed, and I watched another strand of pearl drip from the half-elf's lips.

They broke and Isellynor's tongue went to the strand, collecting It, and bringing it into her mouth where she savored my flavor. Her voice was subtly amazed. "Our wizard tastes like rain."

I was utterly limp, breathing heavily. Yelan knelt by the chair again, stroking my leg and Isellynor reclined in my lap, putting an arm around me as she kissed my cheek. "Was that to your liking, Master Wizard?" asked the Kharsoomian.

I nodded. I tried to say something, but no words came.

"I will give you another tomorrow if you like," she said.

I watched Xeiliope be overtaken by pleasure, the little gnome behind her smiling in triumph. Velena was in the midst of her torture, though I think she had been falling to ecstasy the whole time. Alia...I could scarcely tell. I thought she was with another but I couldn't be certain.

"When you're ready," Isellynor said, "what would you like next? Anything you want, including a soft bed and something sweet to eat. I will even spend the night with you if you like. You may hold me." The way she said it, it sounded like this was a momentous offer.

"There is something else."

Both of them sat up straighter, watching me with interest. "Oh?"

"Yes. I'd like..." I faltered. I kept thinking of the last time I had been with Tara. That encounter had stayed dear to me. I wanted it again and this half-elf was the closest I'd been to my Tara since we parted those years ago.

She ran a finger down my cheek. "Shy. May I guess? You would like to sheath that lovely sword in me."

I nodded. "But not...not in your sex."

Her eyes sparked. "Oh! Yes, that sounds lovely. I can take you thus..." she gave my manhood a speculative look. "But I will need some help. Would you allow me to fetch a friend?"

"Of course."

She kissed my cheek. "I will return immediately, my wizard, and we will lie together in the Arthan way." Isellynor scampered off, apparently eager for this decadent act.

Yelan caressed my leg. "Are you finished with me, or do you wish me to stay?"

"Stay, please."

Her smile softened. "I am pleased to stay." She leaned over and kissed my staff. She looked up at me, her maroon eyes sparkling with mischief. "What will I be doing while you despoil fair Isellynor?"

"I have an idea...I want to try something."

She sat up eagerly. "Is this a wizard thing? Magic?"

I nodded. "Something a recent love taught me."

"She is a lucky woman. Would you tell me about her?"

I talked about Allegeth as Yelan listened, rapt, until Isellynor returned with the golden-skinned woman with the black hair. She was small and slender, only a bit bigger than Alia. Her almond-shaped eyes lit up as she saw me on my throne.

"I was so pleased to receive your summons, Master Wizard," said the young woman. "I'm Mei. Isellynor told me that you wish to take her Arthan fashion and that I am to help."

"You're beautiful," I said.

She smiled, giving a curtsey. Her accent was unfamiliar, soft and liquid. "Thank you." She turned to Isellynor. "You were right. He is adorable."

"Take your clothes off," the half-elf scolded. "Give him a look at you."

As with the others, Mei stripped until she wore no more than her gold and black corset. Like everyone else here, her sex was bare, and though some of them I imagined came by it naturally, others likely groomed themselves to be such. I found I liked it. She knelt by Yelan and gave the Kharsoomian woman a friendly kiss. "You worked your magic on him I see."

Yelan preened. "A wonderful bit of work." She stood. "I will fetch what you need. And I think we could all do with refreshment."

The crimson woman went to the bar, filling a tray with goblets, a bottle, a bowl of something, and a crystal decanter. I turned my attention to the room. Of the others, only Xeiliope had changed acts. She now wore the false staff and she had mounted one of the half-dwarves while the gnome knelt close by, giving encouragement.

Yelan returned, setting the tray on a table. The bowl was filled with berries crusted in sugar. She plucked one from the top and brought it to my lips. "Open." I obeyed and she popped it in my mouth. The sweetness exploded over my tongue, followed by a subtle tartness. She kissed me then, her tongue collecting a touch of sugar. I tasted myself on her lips, and she was right. I was like rain.

She then opened the bottle and filled the four goblets with wine. "You'll need this," she said to Isellynor, "when you take that beast inside you."

Isellynor accepted the wine. "I won't sit down for a day." She glanced at my staff, where life was beginning to return in languid pulses. "Perhaps two."

Mei sighed. "I'm jealous."

I sipped my wine and Yelan fed me another sugared berry, this time putting it between her lips and giving it to me in a kiss.

"Our wizard said he had an idea," Yelan said with a grin. Then, to me, "Will Mei be involved?"

I nodded. "It will take two of you."

Mei clapped. "I can't wait."

"First we need him hard," Isellynor said. "I can think of only one way to truly honor the hero of Steelhelm." She leaned in, running her tongue down my length. After Yelan's virtuosic technique, Isellynor was clumsy, but a beautiful woman's mouth on my staff will always provoke a reaction.

Mei then ran her tongue up the other side. Now the two of them were working, and I was once again fully hard, shining with their spit and my juices. They went to my base, then to the top, their tongues momentarily swirling over my head, then their lips met over me. Yelan fed me another berry, and I sighed, never feeling so taken care of in all my life. The wine was rich and complex, with smoky notes that counterbalanced the sweetness of the berries.

"Now now. He's already had a mouth," Isellynor scolded the eager Mei. "He's to finish in me."

"Greedy cow," Mei teased. She retrieved the crystal decanter from the tray. "Get ready."

Isellynor went over to the nearby couch and got on all fours. Mei slapped her on the ass once, then poured a bit of the liquid inside the decanter into one hand. I saw now that it was an amber-colored oil, redolent of sandalwood.

She spread the twin hemispheres of Isellynor's buttocks apart, revealing the dark lavender circle of the half-elf's rosebud. Suddenly, my desires were real. This was going to happen for me. My limbs began to tremble and my staff strained to be inside the delectable creature.

Yelan touched my chin, bringing me another berry in her sweet kiss. "You are going to get all you want, hero," she purred as we parted.

I watched Mei massage the rubbery ring with a finger, gently coating it in a thin layer of the amber oil. She teased, running in circles, then over the puckered opening. The half-elf let out a groan, moving her hips against the human's attention. Mei fetched a bit more oil, and now her finger was insistent. She pressed against the ring, and Isellynor pushed back. Mei's finger, to the first knuckle, was inside the half-elf.

Isellynor went down on her elbows, raising her haunches, her hips moving in circles. Mei probed in and out, gently working her finger in, coating her opening in the oil. A second finger joined the first, and Isellynor moaned happily.

"Three," panted the half-elf. "I'll need at least three."

Mei slapped Isellynor's buttocks hard. "Greedy cow," she said again.

Isellynor almost chuckled, but a moan of pleasure swallowed it. "Three, Mei."

Mei grinned wickedly at Yelan and me, putting four fingers into her partner. Isellynor squealed. "Yes, like that. Loosen me."

Yelan fed me a berry and I gulped my wine. She set her goblet down. "Is she ready?"

"As ready as she will be," Mei said, fucking her four fingers in and out of the puckered opening.

Yelan retrieved the oil and coated her hands. She knelt before me and smiled. "Now to prepare you."

She opened her mouth and took me to the hilt. I let out a happy groan, but this was not to be another kiss. She released me, then slid her hands up and down my length until I was dripping with the fragrant oil. She took my hand in hers and helped me to my feet, taking my goblet and putting it beside her. Then she led me over to where Mei was gently kneading the half-elf's rosebud.

Mei drew her fingers away, getting up and making way for me as Yelan brought me to Isellynor. "Come, hero of Steelhelm," the half-elf purred. "Come claim your prize."

I was focused on that lavender ring between her buttocks, glistening with oil. A small trail ran from her, down to her sex, swollen with desire. Mei grasped my staff, lining it up with my target. "Oh, it's silky. Wizard, promise you will use me once before you go."

Yelan pressed herself to me. Her sex was soaking. She leaned to my ear. "Take her slowly, wizard. A weapon such as yours can still hurt even a seasoned professional like fair Isellynor."

I nodded, though I could barely think. My whole body buzzed with the energy of a storm. The rains would return, and I would empty them into this half-elf. Yelan put my left hand on Isellynor's hip. Mei put my right on the other hip.

"Gently," purred Yelan.

I began to thrust. Isellynor's rosebud loosened, swallowing the head of my staff. The half-elf uttered an animal moan, then a gasp. "Oh yes," she managed. "Slowly, my lord."

I thought of when Tara and I had done this. She'd been troubled by the size, but perhaps that had been the haze of love. We'd needed one another and we ignored limitations. Still, she walked awkwardly the rest of that week, and I admit to a small thrill watching the fine elven noble wince whenever she sat.

I felt Isellynor adjusting to my intrusion and I pushed again as she gave another blissful moan. She was tighter than I imagined, like a vise made of velvet. The lightning of her gripping my staff was almost too much to bear, the talons raking me and sparking bright lights of pleasure.

With a grunt, Isellynor relaxed further, pulling me into her body. "Gods!" she moaned. She began to tremble, her hips still corkscrewing against me. I gripped her, matching her movements, driving myself deeper.

Each bit of gained depth brought another moan from her, more trembling in her body. But she was in control of her instrument. I felt her insides gripping me, drawing me in. Fingers of lightning reached out, gripping the storm at the center of me. The sight of Isellynor's back, the laces of her corset in front of me, her hips swiveling with agile need, the decadent noises she made, it was everything I could have hoped for.

I sank into her completely. She gave a sob. I stared in amazement at the lavender ring, gripping the base of my staff. "Take her hair," Mei said, guiding my hand to the half-elf's strawberry blonde tresses. "Pull. Not hard, just enough to hurt. Just enough to tell her who her lord and master is."

I took hold of Isellynor's silky hair, balling my fist, and pulling until she gave a happy moan. Now I was pulling her by hair and hip in counterpoint as I pushed into her. She was now crying out, over and over, "Oh Gods! Oh Gods! Oh Gods!" The shivers branched from her haunches, running through her lower body as I hammered into her over and over again.

She pushed back against me, driving me into her, even as she pulled her head away. Her cries, simple as they were, lost definition, turned into agonized slurring. Her voice was louder, begging me, the gods, anyone to fuck her.

I felt her break beneath me, but she was a professional. She kept up what she was doing, that swirling motion in her hips, gripping me with her insides, milking me with incredible skill. The cloud was too big inside me now, the energy breaking out all at once. I cried out, and flooded her, falling against her body as my staff bucked inside her.

Mei and Yelan embraced me, gently disengaged me from Isellynor. Mei went to the half-elf, kissing her mouth, while Yelan helped me to my throne, filling my hand with my goblet. I gulped at the wine, my hand still trembling from exertion.

Yelan fetched a silver bowl of water and gently washed my staff, anointing it with more oil. "I can clean myself," I managed. "A simple spell."

Yelan smiled. "But this way you have me caring for you."

"That is better."

"Enjoy yourself, Master Wizard. Tonight is for you. Tomorrow as well."

I watched as Mei kissed her way down Isellynor's spine. The half-elf was still trembling in the aftereffects of our lovemaking. Mei then positioned herself at the lavender rosebud and spread the half-elf's buttocks. I stared at the lewd sight of my seed, mixed with oil, drooling from the puckered opening.

Deliberately, Mei ran her tongue up the line of it, collecting it and smacking her lips. "Lovely," she said, grinning at me. Then she returned, her tongue between Isellynor's buttocks, eating the results of our time together. I stared in aroused amazement at the obscene act.

Yelan smiled. "You did not request it, but we suspected you would enjoy this."

"I do," I said, sipping my wine, pausing only to accept another berry from the crimson woman's lips.

In the other beds, Xeilope had slowed down. The gnome sucked at her breasts while the half-dwarf busied herself between the Amazon's muscular thighs. Velena was in the midst of her torture, and she looked to still be in the grips of bliss. Alia...was Alia. Some of her partners were exhausted, but the little rogue was relentless.

"All clean," Mei said, slapping Isellynor's buttocks. She turned to me. "I recall you had an idea."

"Yes," I said. "Yelan, would you please join Mei on the couch? And Isellynor, I would like you here."

The half-elf rose on wobbly legs and Yelan helped her to me. I gently took her in my lap, and she had to sit sideways. She leaned over and kissed me. "I am supposed to be giving you a gift."

"You did."

"I will be thinking of that for some time. I did not think you experienced in the Arthan way."

"A little. With my friends from time to time. Alia enjoys it. And once with...I am leilatha to a noble of Iarveiros."

Isellynor's features darkened momentarily, but it was gone so quickly I was able to deceive myself into thinking I had imagined it. Sometimes I wonder if I had asked her then. If that would have saved the world the pain that followed. But I did not ask her. I was too besotted. She took the sugared berries from the table. "I saw how Yelan was feeding you. Would you like the same of me?"

I nodded and she took another in her mouth, passing it to me. Her kiss was deep and when we parted and I looked into her bright green eyes, I could pretend I saw love there. "Master Wizard, I want you to promise me something."

"Anything."

"You will be cautious. Do not trust too easily."

"After what we shared, I would promise you anything."

"Promise."

"I promise."

Her face lightened. "Now, I believe you have two beautiful women waiting on your request."

Mei and Yelan sat on the couch, sharing a few kisses. "Mei, Yelan. I'd like you to position yourselves..." I thought of the position and realized I didn't have the name for it. I made Vs with my fingers and fit them together.

"We call that the blessed crossroads," Yelan said.

"Liked that, did you?" Mei teased.

"It's a beautiful sight," I said. "But I wish to help."

"A beautiful sight," Isellynor agreed, "but nearly impossible to get right. Angle, power...much technique goes into it."

Mei poured oil over her hand, then gave it to Yelan, who did the same. The two of them caressed their folds, giving them a slick covering. Yelan lay back while Mei spidered her legs between them, bringing her sex down on top of the crimson woman's. Then the two of them began to gyrate, stroking one another with their sensitive parts.

I remembered Allegeth's lessons and I called to my storm. Mei cried out in surprise. A thunderhead had formed where they met, tendrils of gray reaching out to enfold them. Both women watched in shock.

"Wizard?" Yelan asked, momentarily stopping her gyration.

"Don't be frightened," I said. "Keep moving. You will not be harmed."

They continued to move against one another, soft moans coming from their lips. I encouraged my storm, its tendrils reaching inside of each of them.

"Oh!" Mei cried out.

"That is different," Yelan sighed.

I concentrated, feeling the storm blooming within them. Thunder rumbled, sparking a shiver from both women. I encouraged the storm, filling them with the force and energy, setting them on fire from within.

"Gods," Isellynor said.

I looked down at my lap to find I was hardening again. "I am inside them," I said. I felt them with my senses. Mei tasted of fresh cut wood and smelled of rain on stone. Yelan was like spiced wine in taste and smell. I explored them with my magic, flashes of not sight or sound, but of feeling, of knowing both women in an ineffable way.

Isellynor fed me a berry, then, deliberately, straddled me, guiding me into her sex. After the viselike grip of her rosebud, she was perversely soft, and a shiver sounded through me. She sighed. "I will do the work," she kissed me. "You break those two."

I grinned. Isellynor began to roll against me, arms loosely about my neck, soft kisses on my lips and forehead. The pleasure she stoked was more subtle than the breaking sensations previously given. I kept exploring, filling both Mei and Yelan with the energy of my storm and they worked their hips against the ebb and flow of the tempest. Isellynor's strokes went through the clouds in waves, hurling the lightning out to crawl along their bodies.

My own bliss crested suddenly, all at once, and I tightened, filling Isellynor with the last of my juices. Mei and Yelan clutched at each other, shivering at the end of their own pleasure.

I reclined on the couch, Isellynor stroking my hair, Yelan rubbing my feet. I don't know when sleep claimed me, but my rest was complete.

***

I woke up to light streaming through the windows, alone on the couch. Xeiliope was on one bed, Alia and Velena on the other, each of us was disheveled, but we all wore expressions of pure contentment.

"We should save more towns," Alia said.

I chuckled, rising to a sitting position. The door opened, and one of the half-dwarves entered, carrying a tray of goblets. "Borsuna!" Xeiliope said. "Come here. I want another bout of love."

"Of course, my hero. I was bringing up breakfast from the kitchen, but I would be pleased to hand that task off to another."

"Aye, do that. And bring one of your false staves. I wish to use it upon you."

She smiled, a lovely expression on her broad, pretty face. "I will do so. Would any of you like someone?"

"Yes!" Alia sat up in her bed. "Belromanazar, who was that golden woman?"

"Mei."

"Bring me Mei!"

"Anyone for you, my lord?" Borsuna asked. "If you've no one in mind, the entire staff is downstairs, and you may make a selection at any time."

Velena and I exchanged a look. "We will do that."

Borsuna fetched her device and soon was sitting astride a prone Xeiliope. Mei came in, waved to me, and swiftly was in the midst of acrobatic sex with Alia. Xeiliope's bather, the black-haired woman with the pretty blue eyes, brought in a cart of food. Velena and I, not bothering to dress, sat at a table while she served us. The fare was light, fruit and cheese and egg.

"This is madness," I said to Velena.

"Certainly our most perilous adventure." I snorted. We watched our friends while we ate our fill. "Shall we go make our selection?" she asked.

"Let's go."

"Have anyone in mind?"

"That black-haired woman maybe."

"If you wanted a black-haired woman, might I remind you that you have one?"

I laughed. "I can have you tomorrow."

"True," she said. "As much as I enjoy the feel of a woman beneath me, I find myself craving a man. Perhaps I'll have one of them wear one of their false staves?"

She and I went into the front, neither of us caring that we were nude. Arrayed about the central room, the entire staff of women were in their uniforms of corsets, half-skirts, and ribbons. Genofeva came to meet us. "There you are my rose," she said, kissing Velena. "I trust you enjoyed yourself?"

"Very much. I am a bit sore. I could stand to be more sore."

Genofeva laughed, a hearty sound that filled the room. "I am at your disposal, although I must suggest you sample someone else. We all have skills."

"Tell me...her," Velena said, nodding to the half-orc. "How is she with the," she mimed a staff.

"Sharn? Oh, you couldn't have selected a more skilled wielder. She's quite popular for women who want that sort of thing."

"Send her in, please."

"Of course. With a selection of tools."

Velena kissed my cheek. "Best be careful. If we get Xeiliope one of those staves, you'll be redundant."

"I could finally get some rest." She turned to go and I gave her buttocks a playful smack, enjoying the jiggles that shook her hindquarters. She shot me a smoldering grin and went down the hall. I was now without my allies. I went to the bar where Pemwith the gnome was working.

"A drink, Master Wizard?"

"Please. Something refreshing."

"I know just the thing."

Yelan slinked over, sitting on the stool next to me and kissing my cheek. "Good morning, my lord. I believe I promised you something."

"That's how I want to end my visit," I said.

"A wise decision. I will find you before sunset and swallow whatever remains inside you. Did you want me to fetch someone for you now?"

I glanced around. Isellynor wasn't in the room. I wondered where she was, but didn't ask. I was thinking of what Genofeva said when I found the black-haired woman. "What do you know of her?"

"Vadoma? Oh, excellent choice. Delectable that one. Who else?"

"Who else?"

She gave me a playfully annoyed look. "Master Wizard, you have the services of the finest brothel in either Rhandonia or Svarlskell. One woman is simply not enough. Go on, pick another and I'll bring them both over."

"What of her?" I asked, nodding to a tall woman with a truly impressive chest, long blonde hair, and a mischievous catlike face.

"Zemfira, another wonderful choice. You will love your time with them. If you decide you want more, they will be pleased to help you." She stood up, kissed me deeply, then ran her agile tongue over her lips. "Before sunset."

I watched Yelan go talk first to Vadoma and then to Zemfira. They linked hands and joined me at the bar. "Yelan told us that you would want us?" Zemfira asked. Her accent was thick, her vowels hard-edged.

"Yes."

"We're honored," Vadoma said, holding her hand to me. The two of them took up either side and escorted me back into the room. Zemfira was nearly as tall as me, while Vadoma was smaller than Velena. We came back into the room finding the others still underway.

Vadoma's gaze lingered on Xeiliope, but she recovered well as we made our way back to what I'd started thinking of as my couch. I had Zemfira lay back and I lay against her, my head on her soft breasts while Vadoma brought me golden wine and tiny pastries stuffed with meat. I watched my companions at their loveplay. Unlike the previous night, there was no desperation. Today we were relaxed, languid even.

As Vadoma returned with a fresh bottle, I pulled her onto the couch. She came with a giggle. I lay her on her back, and filled with curiosity, took a mouthful of the wine. Vadoma opened her mouth and I let it dribble into her lips. She drank, then leaned up to kiss me, sucking the residue from my tongue.

I poured a bit on her neck, following it with my mouth. Her squeal turned to a groan, arching her neck to give me access. Zemfira moved behind her, helping her up, her own tongue following mine where the wine went. I took another mouthful, passing it to Zemfira, who shared it with Vadoma.

I poured over the young woman's heaving breasts, sucked it from her turgid nipples, lapped it from her taut navel. Then I found what I wanted, slurping it from her folds, her own taste mingling with the wine, turning it to a musky delight.

I cavorted with both of them, slaking both lust and thirst. When I was finished, I had them fetch the tub, and Mei joined me in the warm water, first bathing me, then gently guiding me inside her. Our loveplay was slow, both of us enjoying the show of my companions. I felt the end of my time here fast approaching and Mei was the perfect partner.

And of course, Yelan found me before it was time to go, and gave me a lovely encore.

The Mythseekers left Comfort House exhausted and fulfilled. Each of us had found something new to crave and memories to cherish. All of us walked gingerly, having pushed ourselves to the limits of our endurance. As we departed, Genofeva and all of the women in her employ gathered on the porch or in the windows of the establishment, waving goodbye and blowing kisses. I caught Isellynor's eye in one of the highest windows. Though her smile was happy, her eyes were sad. I didn't know why then, I would learn later.

I should have asked her.

"I suppose we should find a room at the inn," Velena said.

"We could go back, see if they will let us stay another night," Alia said.

Xeiliope shifted uncomfortably. "I don't want a single thing between my legs for a fortnight at least."

I opened my mouth to joke, when a bird with silvery feathers and golden eyes alighted on the end of Spire, my ironwood staff. Oddrin hissed, lashing his tail at the new arrival. The bird began to sing and in its song I heard a call. Horrible information was clear to me, burning bright in my mind. My heart turned to ice in the fist of pure terror.

I stared at the creature, my companions' voices muddy in my ears.

Velena was suddenly in front of me, worry in her pale eyes. "Bel! Bel, what's wrong?"

I shook the cobwebs from this awful knowledge away. It clung to me, but I had surfaced from the dark. My task was obvious and I could not delay.

I looked into the confused, frightened pale eyes of Velena. "I need to go to Iarveiros right now," I told her. "A...a love of mine...she's been abducted."