It was late into the night when they arrived at the bathhouse. A well-lit sign outside the building read ‘The Alluring Naga-ette’s Teapot.’ Underneath there was a smaller ornate sign that read ‘Natural Thermal Baths: Women and Girls Only.’ A large tile mural composed of many panels circled around the walls of the foyer. Colourful glazed tiles depicted two women who were presumably visiting the bathhouse. In sequence, the panels showed one woman washing the back of the other woman who was sitting down, two women sitting beside each other in a pool with their eyes closed, staring at each other in a sauna, several women swimming in a large pool, two women showering beside each other, and finally both women being massaged by two other women.

Mallory paid someone at the counter, and they went around a few corners before passing through a beaded curtain that led into an area with simple, utilitarian benches. There were shelves lined with wicker baskets.

“Just throw your clothes in one of those and take the stuff inside,” said Mallory as she pointed at the baskets. “One of those girls will come and grab it.” Roland looked in the baskets. They all had the same things: a bar of soap, a towel, and a pair of sandals. He took one off the shelf and rested it on the bench as he began to take his clothes off.

“They’ll wash your clothes while we’re in there,” said Mallory in a muffled voice. Roland looked over at her. Already undressed, she was holding some hairpins in her teeth as she brushed her hair. She pulled it back and tightly wrapped it with a thin band that had been on her wrist. He stared at her as, one by one, she took the hairpins out of her mouth and used them to secure the bun. This candid sight was the most beautiful thing that he had ever seen.

“We’re not supposed to hook up in here, so take it easy with the fuck me gaze,” she said, finally noticing him leering at her. “Also, your clothes aren’t the only thing that smells like it came out of a rezogos' ass. Grab your soap.”

Wearing only sandals, they left the changing room area and entered a damp corridor with uncomfortable orange lighting. There were drains every few feet on the ground and wooden stools next to each of them. Dripping shower heads lined the walls. A faint antiseptic odor hung in the air. This was not the luxurious experience he had anticipated.

Following Mallory’s lead, he sat on one of the stools and scrubbed Eliza's body with the bar of soap he had taken. When he was done, he rinsed the soap off with one of the shower heads. It was weakly pressurized, so this took quite a while. They then exited the showers through a heavy wooden door that opened into a large walled-off space whose only ceiling was the night sky. The area’s main feature was a series of pools surrounded by rocks and small trees. It was chilly out here, but the water in the pools must have been hot as the billowing steam was as thick as fog. They were now standing in a natural hot spring. This must be the main attraction of the bathhouse. Its tranquility was captivating.

There were several other women already sitting in the pools, so Roland and Mallory found a spot where they could be by themselves. Running water, the sound of gentle splashing, and crickets complemented the relaxing sensation Roland felt as he soaked in the pool. The steam and warm mineral water were better than anything he had experienced in the bathes at Serene Castle. Not long after they had settled in, a girl brought them two chilled beverages.

As they sat and drank, Roland explained to Mallory what had happened in Serene, the Star Chamber, and his discoveries during the journey up the Windswept Coast. The entire time, she had her head tilted back with a wet face cloth over her eyes. If it weren’t for the fact that she occasionally sipped her drink, he would have thought that she was asleep. When he was finished, he tried to ask her some questions about her past, but she ignored him. Finally, she got out of the pool and signalled to him that it was time to move on.

The idea of going into a sauna after sitting in steamy hot water for over an hour seemed odd to Roland but walking through the cold night air while dripping wet changed his mind. His shivering hand couldn’t wait to push the sauna door open. Unlike the hot springs, where the only socializing between couples that was taking place was conversation, the naked couples in here were either kissing or lightly groping each other. There was no attempt to be discreet. “What exactly is the appeal of exhibitionism if everyone else is doing it?” muttered Mallory.

When they were sitting the spring before, Roland couldn’t actually study Mallory’s body. Even if the lamp lighting around the pools hadn’t been so dim, the water itself was an opaque milky white. Here, he could focus on individual beads of sweat on her skin if he wanted to. More than heat, lust permeated the environment of the sauna. He felt no shame in staring at her. It seemed natural to, at the very least, be a voyeur in this environment. She didn’t seem to mind either. Of course, it didn’t take long before he wanted more. He ran his hand up her leg and then leaned over and kissed her. She kissed him back at first but then gently pushed him away and stood up smiling. He followed her as she left the sauna.

Beyond the sauna was a large indoor pool. She dove in first and he quickly jumped in after her. She playfully splashed him, and he stared back at her smirking. It was quite transparent how she was playing with him, but he wasn’t annoyed. He knew what his reward would be at the end of the night. In the meantime, he swam around like he did back in that cool river at Dire Fortress. When he wasn’t watching Mallory’s naked body move in the clear water, he was admiring the stonework that surrounded the pool. Towering pillars were on all sides and detailed carvings of monsters that were no longer found in Relmgard covered the walls. It seemed like a waste to place such an architectural feat in the shadow of the hot springs’ unassailable natural beauty.

After the pool, they briefly rinsed themselves in a shower before finally drying off. Roland was eager to leave, but Mallory insisted that they visit the last area of the bathhouse which was a massage parlour. “You’re not going to get dicked down by some dude, if that’s what you’re worried about,” she said. “Only women work here. Also, it’s not some rub and plug. So don’t worry about getting finger banged by some butch skank.”

The room they entered had bright white walls and a pair of massage tables in the centre. There was a cart in between the tables that had several tins, bottles, and folded towels sitting on it. Two young girls, dressed in all white to match the walls, awaited Mallory and Roland. They were the masseuses. They directed Roland and Mallory to lie face down on each table. As Roland lay on his stomach, he turned his head to see his masseuse dispensing oil from one of the bottles that was sitting on a cart next to the table. The masseuse then worked her oil covered hands down from the nape of Eliza’s neck to the soles of her feet. It was relaxing but felt like overkill after the earlier parts of the spa.

“Turn over please,” said the girl when she was done stroking and working Eliza’s back.

Roland followed the girl's instructions. As he rolled over to his back, he saw Mallory on the other table doing the same.

Now lying on his back, he studied a painting that covered the ceiling. It showed two half-woman half-serpent beings embracing each other. Even from this distance, the quality seemed amateurish and out of place with the other decorations in the bathhouse. Perhaps they had commissioned this work of art after they’d chosen the name for the bathhouse. He quickly lost this track of thought as the girl rubbed oil over the front of Eliza’s body. He found this part of the massage to be more appealing than when he was lying on his stomach. Now, not only was the massage relaxing but certain parts were arousing. Eyes half closed; he was in a waking dream.

When Roland thought she must be finishing, the girl placed a small, folded towel over his stomach. This confused him, so he looked around to try and understand what was happening. Mallory was gone. Out of the corner of his eye he saw that one of the containers on the cart next to the table was now being heated by an open flame. This wasn’t the case when he first came into this room, so it must have been lit during his massage.

For the moment, the girl ignored the heated container and stuck her hand into one of the tins. When she pulled it out, she had a large pinch of white powder in it. Turning back to Roland, she spread the powder over the upper parts of Eliza’s inner thighs and then over and in between her crotch. She then traced over the same path again, this time with more pressure as she rubbed the powder into Eliza’s pubic hair.

When this was done, she then began stirring the contents of the heated container with a wooden spatula. As he watched, he felt like he was in a dream-like state again and that this wasn’t really happening. The heated container was so incongruous that it must be some sort of symbol that he was meant to meditate on and decipher. Of course, this was real. Using the spatula like a spoon, the girl took out a glob of what seemed to be a blue paste from the container and turned back to Roland.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“Lupi wax, young madam,” replied the girl. “Your companion paid extra for it.”

Before Roland could say anything else, the girl dabbed the blue wax on to a section of Eliza’s pubic hair that had just been covered with the powder. She patted it down with her bare hand as it cooled and hardened. Then, in a single motion, she ripped it off.

The stinging pain snapped Roland out of the blissful state that he had been in since the massage had begun. Strangely, his only reaction was to giggle.

“Please keep your legs open,” whispered the girl, who was already back and ready to apply more wax. He must have inadvertently crossed his legs when she removed the first portion of wax.

The girl repeated the process until she had removed all of what little pubic hair Eliza had. She then brought over a bottle filled with a clear liquid. Its cap was a glass dropper which she carefully used to extract some of the liquid.

“A mixture of lysum oil and perfumes, softens the skin and prevents redness.”

After applying a couple of drops of the liquid to Eliza’s tender skin, the girl spread it around with two of her fingers. “Open more,” said the girl. She ran her fingers up and down several times, barely stopping short of sliding her fingers inside of Eliza. Towards the end, she took a single finger and worked the folded skin at the top of the opening. Eliza’s body became extremely aroused by this and began to ache for more. Perhaps recognizing that she was about to go too far, the girl suddenly stopped. “That’s good,” she said as swept her hand across Eliza’s sex one final time. She then took the towel from Eliza’s stomach and wiped her hands with it.

Slightly dazed, Roland lay there naked and bare. The room was silent, and Eliza’s body no longer felt any touch. He sat up on the table. The girl had left.

Their journey through the bathhouse had looped back around to the room where they had undressed in at the start. There, Roland found Eliza’s clothes were waiting for him. They had been thoroughly cleaned and were now neatly folded. Mallory was also sitting there, already dressed but still brushing her hair.

“Smooth like a newborn,” said Mallory as she turned to him and smiled. “Anyone who looked at you naked would wonder if you’d even had your first period.”

Roland ignored these gross comments and got dressed.

As they were leaving, Roland asked her, “I suppose it’s just a wonderful coincidence that this curator I’m going to seduce — pardon me — ‘charm,’ has the same sexual idiosyncrasies as you?”

“Truly serendipity,” replied Mallory, taking Eliza’s hand as they exited the bathhouse.

***

Even though it was well into the night, the streets of Valdt were just as lively as they had been during the day. Famished, they grabbed some food at a busy night market before heading back to Mallory’s place.

They began kissing the moment the door to Mallory’s apartment shut. During this, Mallory put her arms around Eliza’s neck and guided them towards her bed. When they got there, they didn’t bother to undress and instead sat down and continued kissing, making out like a young couple that was alone for the first time. Of course, they both had far more experience than a pair of awkward teenagers, but they still found the simple pleasures of open mouth kissing to be enthralling.

Running his right hand up Mallory’s side, Roland stopped at her left breast and squeezed it through her clothing. Not tiring of exploring the inside of her mouth with Eliza’s tongue, but wanting new tastes, Roland began kissing the side of Mallory’s neck. The corner of the glasses that he had been wearing as part of Eliza’s disguise bumped against Mallory’s face as he did this. Mallory smiled and took them off for him. After placing them on the bed stand, she pushed him onto his back and, leaning over him, they returned to kissing. He used this position to reach down and pull up her low-cut dress. As he raised it past her chest, she stuck her arms out so that he could finish taking it off. When this was done, he began unhooking her bra. However, before he could finish, Mallory rolled over, placing Eliza’s petite frame on top of hers. Mirroring what had happened seconds before, Mallory pulled off Eliza’s shirtdress.

Now in their undergarments, they laid back down and continued kissing and feeling each other. Roland pulled down Mallory’s bra straps down past her shoulders and began kissing her half-exposed breasts. Naturally wanting more, he went to remove her bra. He fumbled around with the hook on the back, but eventually got it. Mallory had no such as issues as Eliza only ever wore tight-fitting sleeveless shirts under her clothes, and today was no exception. She pulled it over Eliza’s head, just like she had just done for her shirtdress. She cupped Eliza’s small breasts in her hands and gently squeezed them. This was brief, however, as there was no mystery as to what Roland wanted most. At the bathhouse, he had taken every opportunity he could to stare at her breasts — their firmness, their size, the way they jutted out from her slender figure — he could have spent an eternity watching if she’d let him. She thought he might be searching for a flaw that wasn’t there, but that wasn’t it. He was entranced by the realization that his ideal of beauty existed.

Mallory laid back, ready for Roland to take her breasts with his mouth and hands. He leaned forward and licked her left breast, kissed its nipple, and then began sucking on it. While doing this, he used his left hand to stroke and play with her other breast. Mallory lay on the bed with her eyes closed and her arms stretched out. Roland alternated his mouth and hands between breasts, finally able to freely explore her perfect bosom with touch and taste. He lost track of time as he mapped this landscape. Whether Mallory found this stimulating or if she was merely spoiling him was of no concern to Roland. However, his mouth did confirm that she was enjoying it, as he eventually realized that her nipples had become swollen and hard. Brought back into the moment by this, he pulled her nipple with Eliza’s teeth. This must have surprised Mallory, as she let out a moan. He had never heard her make a sound like that before. “Sorry,” he whispered with a smile on his face. He could tell that she was a bit flustered, but she didn’t say anything. Instead, she reached down and started to pull off Eliza’s panties while Roland was still sitting over her. This was clumsy, and they both laughed as he had to squirm Eliza’s legs around to get them off. Once done, he then reached back and pulled Mallory’s off as well. This was much faster.

Completely undressed, Mallory took control as she brushed her hands and lips across Eliza’s exposed body. Roland was initially passive, enjoying how fresh physical intimacy felt in this body. These were wild new sensations that he couldn’t imagine tiring of. Certainly, even if he was in his old body, the passionate embrace of the person whose form he considered to be perfection would have been just as thrilling. Eventually he tried to reciprocate, but Mallory countered his movements with her quick speed. Her combativeness was very playful, and their back and forth became a game that was layered on top of their foreplay. This dance continued until they found their legs interlocked. With neither yielding this position, they began grinding their sex together. The response that Eliza’s body had to the friction from this type of motion surprised Roland. It felt very different than when he was alone and touched himself. This was much more overwhelming. Sparks lit up all of Eliza’s erogenous zones, even those that were not in contact with Mallory. As they rocked their hips, he kissed her but, more than anything, Eliza’s breasts ached to be touched. He leaned Eliza’s chest into Mallory’s to satiate the burning. Mallory must have recognized his need, as she began playing with Eliza’s nipples using her hands and mouth. Roland gasped at this pleasure that his old body never could have known. “I guess we both have sensitive nipples,” giggled Mallory, reacting to the noise he had just made.

Mallory leaned back and lifted up Eliza’s left leg. As Roland lay on his back, she kissed Eliza’s toes, then continued upward. After reaching the upper thigh, Mallory pushed Eliza’s legs apart and put her nose against Eliza’s smooth pubic region. Burying her face, she kissed, licked, and suckled Eliza’s sex. The feeling of her breath and tongue inside Eliza was remarkable. Everything felt both stiff and soft at the same time. Roland clamped Eliza’s legs tightly against Mallory’s head and tried to pull her in deeper. He wanted more and so did Eliza’s body. The waves of pleasure began to increase in frequency. Their crests were also growing in height. Then the electric sensation reached a peak. The bliss was sustained for several seconds but then began to tail off into contentment. He relaxed his legs and Mallory came up to kiss him. The tart flavour of her lips and tongue was very familiar to him.

Mallory rolled over and opened her legs to him. He didn’t begin immediately, instead he sat back and studied her exposed sex. Her hair down there was thicker than Eliza’s used to be, but fine enough that it didn’t hide anything. Like her nipples, it was swollen and begging to be touched. As he got close, Mallory lifted one of her legs back with her hand while using her other hand to pull Eliza’s face into her hips. She knew how she wanted him to satisfy her, and he was also very practised with how to use his mouth and tongue in this situation. Roland quickly went into a rhythm that he had fine-tuned back in Serene Castle. He looked up and saw that Mallory was watching him. She smirked as they made eye contact. Eventually, she took her hand off Eliza’s head. If this was a signal for him to stop, he didn’t listen. Instead, he switched to using only his fingers so that he could move up and kiss her and suck her breasts at the same time. Arching her back, she quietly moaned like before. Then, with a deep breath she relaxed, and he slowed to a stop.

“Come here,” Mallory said, wanting him to kiss her. He just stared at her with one of Eliza’s amused looks.

“Just come here,” she repeated. He leaned in and they returned to open mouth kissing. With that, their lovemaking ended how it began.