After being in the cold dry air of the dungeon for so long, the warmth given off by the small fire in the entrance porch of our log cabin divine gift felt divine.

I took off the belt holding my pouch and hung it up on one of the coat hooks. Alis was watching me, but I had enough of the annoying sandy grit that was coating my body that I partly ignored her. Getting the mail off was slightly more difficult, but by now, I had learned the best way to lean and shimmy to get the mail to aid me in coming off my body.

I just wanted all my clothes off. All I wanted was to be rid of the gritty clothing that was hurting my skin. Once all of my clothes were off, I stood on the cold flagstone floor, slightly conscious in the longing manner Alis was looking at me.

Unable to stand the intense gaze Alis was looking at me with, I headed through the wood plank door, leaving my clothes abandoned on the floor in random piles.

As I stepped off the chilly flagstone floor onto a warmer deep chestnut flooring, I was at once horrified and overwhelmed by what I saw.

It was a large log cabin room.

And it was as grand as I had been expecting.

A large stone fireplace and chimley dominated the entire room. Within the fireplace was a roaring fire, which was mesmerising to look at. Nestled around the nearside of the fireplace were three puffy black sofas, something which wouldn’t be out of place in a high-class furniture shop. Sat in the middle of the sofas and the impressive stone fireplace was a large rectangular deep oak coloured coffee table.

Under the sofas and table was an extremely thick deep crimson rug which seemed to suck in the legs of the sofas and coffee table.

Atop the coffee table sat four coasters, three of which currently had plain white mugs, the simple plain type of which I had an overfull cupboard full of back on Earth. All three of them were currently steaming.

There was a noise of a door latch opening. Along the log wall were six equidistant doors, much alike the wooden plank door I had just entered through. The one nearest me opened up and out walked Aggard wearing a pristine white towel wrapped around her torso, and another around her hair.

‘Sorry,’ she said when she saw me, ‘I couldn’t wait. That large shower and bath looked just too glorious.’

For the first time in my life, I finally got a good look at her. She was not the idealised version I had somehow imagined every time I saw her, or had seen when I looked at a statue of her. But her in actual flesh.

She was indeed somewhat youthful looking, that much was true. But she carried herself with a gravitas and confidence that was nothing like I had seen before. Her skin was also not the pale colour I expected, nor was she depicted. In fact, she had a healthy peach skin colouration. And the few strands of hair sticking out of the white towel were not the pale blond which I always imagined, but were a warm brunette.

Her arms and legs were long and toned, like a dancer. Under the towel, I could see the hints of a feminine figure. I really didn’t want to carry on down the path. I was sure my mind would go down if I didn’t stop it.

Seeing her here really wasn’t something I expected to see. Especially after the monotonous hell of the dungeon I had been in not too long ago.

‘I guess you’ve had enough of the Netherfane Dungeon for today. Go freshen up.’ She pointed through the door she had just gone through. ‘I’ll send Alis in once she’s here. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of fresh clean towels, and it’ll be awhile before I finish preparing food. So there’s no need to rush.’

She then walked to the next door and let herself in.

Still confused by what I had seen, I just stood there staring at where Aggard had gone. Alis stood next to me and took my hand in hers. With a gentle pressure, she squeezed my hand. I turned to look at her. Her head was tilted to one side, her fiery hair brushing her naked, freckled shoulder. She was looking all around the room, as if she couldn’t quite understand what she was seeing.

To be honest, that was what I should’ve been doing. Instead, I was staring at the door where Aggard had just walked through.

Alis reached up and rubbed her neck, then brushed it against onto her naked thigh. Still not clearing the grit off it, she rubbed her fingers together.

‘Uh, we can wash ourselves through there.’ I said, nodding my head towards the partially opened door.

Alis rushed forward, pulling me with her. I got ready to explain to her what was beyond the door. But even with my mental preparation, I failed.

My mind froze.

Beyond the door was a pristine white room, far larger than any bathroom I had seen whilst on Earth. The floor, walls, and celling were all covered with small white tiles; except for where the large double mirror above the sinks, and the diffuse strip lights in the celling, were. All the shelves were white. All the towels on the shelves were white. All the bottles on the shelves were white, with the exception of inoffensive black writing. There was a large bath, more than big enough for four people. It was set into the floor and had gleaming silver taps. Finally, there was a standard sized shower cubical with a white shower curtain.

It looked like something out of a high-class showroom.

Something much too much for me.

Something much too much for me to get used to compared to the sanitary conditions back from the world I now lived in.

If it was much too much for me, then I was sure that Alis would be similarly overwhelmed but she rushed off around the bathroom exploring everything. Turning on taps, touching the towels and the bottles containing all the various soaps, shampoos, and conditioners.

After she had her fill, she rushed into the large bath and turned the taps on, letting two streams of water start to fill the bath. Reading the labels on the bottle, on the shelf next to the bath, I put a few squirts of bubble bath in.

As the water filled the bath, bubbles appeared. Force of habit made me close the bathroom door before I headed toward the bath. It was heartening to watch Alis’ mature, toned, and freckled body play with the bubbles with unembarrassed glee.

Still, it wasn’t long before she stopped playing and walked over to me. With a warm smile, one that warmed me more than the wonderful warm water which surrounded us, she nestled into my arms. The two of us sat in the bath, letting the warm water soothe our bodies and clean our weary souls along with the grit which coated us. The fragrance of the bubble bath and the gentle sound of the taps running drained my stresses away.

Without needing to say anything, content in being with each other’s arms, we watched the taps flow and the bubbles flow away, along with all that burdened us.

Just as I was finally, truly relaxing, the bathroom door clicked opened.