Chapter nineteen H.

The Titans Shield.

“So, what do we think?” Titus asked.

“I think we shouldsss gets out of this fucking cold, love.” Branwen said.

“I second that.” Lucius added.

“Fine, level 12 rest area?” Titus asked.

“Much better.” Clymiphae said.

The wash of snow around the Titans shield was momentarily illuminated in a flash of white light as the group was teleported by the dungeon.

Warm spring sun fell on the cloaked group as they appeared on the soft grass around a small pond. A light cool breeze whispered across the landscape.

“Ahhh…This is better.” Branwen said while she removed her cold-weather gear. Stretching her confined muscles as she peeled away her leotard.

The rest of the party followed her example, and soon cloaks and armor fell to the wayside. Bare chests and shorts replaced steel and leather. Light flowing skirts wrapped around the legs of Branwen and Chariklia. Clymiphae’s armor and saddlebags were placed on the benches as the group found spots on the grass to sit.

The white trees dotted the area around the pond. With fruit trees planted farther back around a small cabin. The sky was made to look clear and blue; the few lazy white clouds in the sky perfectly covered the sun to provide just the right amount of shade at the right time.

“So, Lord Eric?” Titus asked again while resting his head on Branwen’s stomach.

“Well there is more going on there then I can figure out.” Lucius said, laying on his side.

Coming over and folding her legs, Clymiphae crossed her arms and rested her upper half on a bench. “He is odd, but kind.”

“We’re decided then, we’ll help him?” Titus asked.

“Yeah, if I didn’t know better, I would think he’s from another world, or one of the other continents.” Lucius spoke while Chariklia placed her head next to his.

“I like him, where he’s from….” Branwen purred, trailing off.

“I don’t know about another continent. I don’t even think there are humans on them. Do you think he’ll help with the free territory?” Titus said.

“He doesn’t seem like he would be opposed to it, but he has plans of his own about the enslaved peoples.” Chariklia said, winding her fingers through the grass in front of her.

“I wonder what lady Rachel thinks of him?” Clymiphae asked.

“Oh, I think she has figured out more about him than even he knows.” Branwen laughed.

“And lady Ashley?” Lucius said.

“Hump…As long as he doesn’t hurt a Kitsune he’s fine.” Titus said, shaking his head.

“Right, and the dukes?” Clymiphae asked with slight concern.

“That…Albillac will no doubt be gathering intelligence on him as we speak. He is always well informed.” Lucius said, rolling onto his back.

“Wintershore?” Branwen purred at Titus.

“He’s more of an unknown, he always wanted Ashley to grace one of the Prince’s beds. And prince Leonard the third took a liking to her when she was younger.” Titus explained.

“You know she doesn’t stand for ill-treated slaves though.” Lucius said.

“Yes, but she may not have much choice in the matter when it comes to her father. Even though the Prince Palebreaker is harsh with his slaves, his treatment falls within the bounds of acceptable behavior.” Titus said.

“Ha…just barely.” Chariklia snorted.

“Any idea what that spell was, Lord Eric used?”

“That beam tore right through the wolf, I didn’t even feel the heat as it passed by me.” Lucius answered.

“New magic?” Clymiphae asked.

“Maybe, will have to see…right enough of that; lets relax, we’ll be going back in with him soon enough I think.” Titus said as the rest of the group set aside their thoughts for now. They basked in the pleasures provided by the rest area of the twelfth level of the dungeon.

Eric Grayson.

Stepping from the portal, I felt the exhaustion from the day take hold of me. The assault of noise momentarily overwhelmed me, having come from the nearly silent dungeon level. Moving past the guards, I turned to the adventures guild counter and moved to a waiting attendant.

Shaw was not at the counter, so I walked over to a new slave. The elf girl had long golden hair braided with simple cloth flowers woven into it. Her eyes were light hazel and glowed with unnatural light. Her ears swept back to points at the end of her head. The attendant uniform she wore hung gracefully along her body.

“How may I be of service Exalted Lord? I am Tenra.”

“Exalted Lord Eric Grayson, I need to register this.” I said, pulling the guild party coin from my ring.

“Of course, Exalted Lord Grayson.” She said, fetching my book and making a notation in it. “The Titans’ Shield will be reserved for you. As long as you go into the dungeon once a week their private contract with you will stand.”

“Very well.” I said, taking the coin back and heading for the stairs.

Walking up the wide stairway to the main atrium level of the college, I removed my cloak, placing it in my ring. Taking my silky face protection, I placed that in my ring for next time.

Sweaty and surprisingly sore, I rode the elevator to my apartment level. Walking down the lush hallway to my door, I checked my watch be for going in.

19:28.

Walking into the entryway, I was greeted by a wonderful garden smell with a soft mix of spices. The sound of idle chatter filled the small corridor as I walked inside, the voices coming to a stop as I entered the kitchen and sitting room.

“Lord Husband welcome… What are you wearing?” Ashley said, her joyful tone shifting to bewilderment.

“Oh this…It’s my new armor I got. I went into the dungeon.”

“It’s very unusual.” Rachel said from her costmary chair.

“Poo…I wanted to go with you for your first time…Ah well… Did you have fun? Did you get a good party? What level did you make it to?” Ashley pouted, then rapidly fired her questions.

“Ha…let me change then I’ll tell you all about it. Brought dinner also. Sasha.” I said as I went to the door to my room. Sasha got up from where she had been sitting, getting her tails brushed by Ashley.

The two of us moved into my room, and I shut the door behind us. With a sigh, I asked, “Did you have a good day, Sasha?”

“It was wonderful Eric. Lady Ashley and I spent a good part of it pleasuring each other. She is quite wonderful.” Sasha answered as she moved in front of me and helped me remove my onesie.

“Did you want to?”

“Want had little to do with it, though I did not mind and enjoyed myself and her quite a lot. I did not think you would mind, was I wrong?”

“No, no…As Long as you had fun and did not mind, you can say no to anyone but me, right?”

“Technically yes, though I would need to have a good reason to say no to your acting wives. It was fun, I missed you though.”

With my armor a lumpy mess on the floor, I pulled Sasha to me and kissed her. Draping her arms around my neck, our hot exhalations mixing across our joined lips.

Breaking our kiss Sasha rested her head on my chest, “You seemed upset earlier today?”

“I was, the class. The empire. It was all a bit much, it’s why I went to the dungeon. Strength win’s many arguments.”

“It does and though there is much pain and sorrow, not all the citizens are bad. Many are even beginning to change their thinking.”

“Will it be fast enough?”

“The fact it is happening at all after so long is a good sign.”

“I suppose. Would you come into the dungeon with me?”

“I will go wherever you are, even into the dungeon. I did not like you leaving me behind today, what if something happened to you?”

“What if something happened to you, another greedy drunk lord.”

“Better that than worry about you all day.” Sasha said, cupping my face and kissing me again.

“It won’t happen again; I think you’ll like the group I was with.”

“Well, let’s get you dressed, and you can tell us all about it, you said you brought dinner.”

“Yeah, Gelida Arietes.” I said as Sasha went with me to the bathroom. She quickly washed me while I stood in the tub. The clean spell would have been faster, but the personal touch she gave, and the water provided a unique sort of clean feeling.

Putting on a loose pair of pants and baggy shirt, I followed behind Sasha. The air sundress she wore ending mid-thigh.

Stepping into the sitting room, I walked over to the counter that separated part of the kitchen from the rest of the room. Luckily it was clear, and as I pulled the Arietes out, I said, “First dinner.”

A soft gush of cold air billowed from the carcass. The chilling imitations had lightened substantially, but the creature’s defensive aura was still partially active from the fresh kill.

“Oh…Yea…That’s a Arietes wonderful. I have never gotten to cook one before!” Strafa squealed as she got up from a cushion on the floor.

“I figured you would like it; I also got these as well.” I said, pulling from my ring the snowberries and the Calidi mushroom, piling them on another counter.

Running over, Strafa began going over the body. “Master Eric could you do me a favor and bring this into the food preparation room?” Strafa asked with big hungry eyes.

“Absolutely.” I said, bringing the body back into my ring and following Strafa through the second door in the kitchen. It led to a back room, with a large table and shelves lining all the walls. Herbs hung from the ceiling, and wheels of cheese coated in wax were stacked. Milk jugs and sacks of flour, bundles of tubers, onions, and crats of eggs filled the space.

“Just here on the table, I will start dinner immediately. Would you like me to prepare it as jerky also?”

“Yes, but if there is a way to keep some of the meat for later dinner that would be good as well.”

“I will keep the best cuts for meals, the rest I turn to jerky. You got plenty of berries and mushrooms as well.”

“Good, make some for everyone, including yourself and the others of the house. I like to have my slaves eat the same things I do.”

“We were made aware, and the mistresses do much the same, so it is not much of a change for us.”

“I will leave you to it.” I said, running my hand over her lower back and kissing her lightly. Her cheeks blushed as she returned the kiss, lacing her fingers in one of my hands and griping softly before setting to her task.

Walking back out into the kitchen, I went to the sitting room and flopped onto the couch next to Ashley and Faith. Placing my head in the elf’s lap, I let my feet arch over the end of the armrest of the sofa.

Hovering her face over mine, Ashley asked, “So, which party did you get? Were they any good?”

As Faith stroked my hair, I answered, “The Titans Shield. They Really had their shit together.”

“The Titans shield?” Rachel asked, looking up from her book.

“Yeap.”

“I think they were the perfect group for you to go with.” Rachel said, tapping her lips.

“Oh…enough of that, tell us how it went?” Ashley asked.

While Strafa busied herself in the kitchen, the sounds of sizzling pans, mashing of berries and grinding of herbs sung a backdrop for my story.

Soon the table in the dining nook was set, and Ashley, Rachel, and I sat to a wonderful dinner. Strafa had outdone herself in the preparation. The meat was wonderfully cooked, if not odd to eat. The frigid cold of the animal was a peculiar contrast to the tender melting of the glazed stakes. The snowberries added a caramelized crisp edge to the mouth-watering steak. At the same time, the mushrooms blended with the cool fruit in a delightful spicy addition.

“Gods I am so tired.” I said.

“Dungeon lag gets the best of every adventure. At least it is night while you’re tired, imagine getting home having just slept in the dungeon. Ugh… it’s why sleeping potions are so important.” Ashley commiserated with me.

“I asked The Titans Shield if you could come next time?” I said as a question.

“Both Rachel and I have only been to the second level. Got to the cave at the bottom but left. Ugh…It’s horrible.” Ashley said with a disgusted look on her face.

“For an ice mage don’t you think it’s weird you don’t like the cold?”

“No, perfectly reasonable. It’s because I know how horrid the stuff is.”

“So that’s a no.”

“No…I mean yes…I would love to go if it’s with you, you could keep me warm after all.” Ashley said with a smile.

“I would look forward to seeing you in any type of physical action.” Rachel said over her fork.

“Well, it is settled then, do you take the girls in?” I said, looking over at Allie, Faith, Brie, Strafa, Milly, and Sasha.

“Brie and Allie can come; I want them nice and high level.” Ashley said.

“Strafa doesn’t have the stomach for violence so I won’t make her, but Faith might. How about you Eric?” Rachel asked.

“Sasha will come, I’ll have to talk to Milly and see.”

“It’s good of you to ask.” Rachel said, smiling down at her plate.

“Oh, yes…I would never have one of my lovely Kitsune do something as dangerous as go in a dungeon unless they wanted to. What if they got hurt and I had made them…That would be…well…awful.” Ashley said, looking profoundly disturbed by the notion.

“I am going to go get some sleep, got a class tomorrow and we have to go house shopping Ashley.”

“I was hoping…but truly…I know it’s not my house until we are properly wed, but the fact I will be an acting wife of my own manor house in the capitol. It’s a dream…it’s…I’m just so excited.” Ashley said, lightly stomping her feet up and down on the floor.

“What class will you attend tomorrow?” Rachel asked.

“Fire magic, I guess.”

“Well, I go to fire on Tamuss then enchanting, you can come with me.”

“Coming with you sound delightful.”

“Ah…well yes that too, both?” Rachel said with a stuttered blush.

“Well, I am off to bed see in the morning.”

“Remember what I said if you wake up, just hop right into me…my bed.” Ashley said, stretching her arms suggestively.

“I’ll keep it in mind.” I said, though I was tired and sore, it was not as severe as I thought it would be.

“Sasha, Milly, you can join me whenever you want, no need to rush.” I said, moving from Ashley to Rachel and kiss them. Walking from the table, I went into my room.

Lightly closing the door behind me, I let my clothes fall to the floor and climbed into bed.

I was out as soon as my head hit the pillow.