"Each battle in the Prime War was only moments for the Prime Beings, each death, an eternity. While Yornus' death was the inciting incident, the second to fall, Kepha was targeted personal retribution. The Keeper, who had been with Yornus during his last moment, used every ounce of her power to blast the Merchant with love given form, the weapon, The Keeper's Blade." -An Excerpt from Keiva's Mythological History
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Mireleye and I secured a ship across the Garu'ud rather easily, oddly enough. So easily that it made me worried for who we had brokered passage with. Though, for the amount they were willing to take us for, I was not in any place to argue. The captain seemed rather glad to have a band of adventurers on board.
The inn that we found refuge at was not much better than any of the others we had stopped by, in all honesty. It was down in the docks district near the water and filled to the brim with sailors and dockhands. It was almost impossible not to step on the toes of someone else or to avoid it happening vice-versa, though we had found a table near the stairs to the rooms.
"You fought a half-dragon without me?" Jiva said loudly, making me shirk and glance around. Her mouth hung open with amazement as she listened to the story that Va'tu spun.
"By all means it was two half-dragons," Kurdu chuckled from his spot in the corner of the booth, wrapped by the massive arm of the dragonborn.
"Speaking of," I butt in, finally breaking my silence on the incident, "Why did we fight two half-dragons today? Mire and I walked up and there you all were. What was the real reason"
"Those two were a part of the group that Ossu and I were in. " Kurdu said, his voice suddenly gruff. "Ossunnam sacrificed a lot to save my ass and got put on their bad side as a result, so that might come up."
"A lot?" Va'tu asked.
"Some of them didn't make it out, kind of deal," Kurdu said, curtly.
"They weren't making it out anyway, nothing I did would have changed that." Ossunnam replied. "They were either going to die to the traps or die trying to kill you once you found the gem."
"You two have quite the backstory," Jiva said, highlighting what I was already thinking. I'd known Kurdu for decades and his work with another group never came up in any sense like that. I'd known he'd done mercenary work before, same as anyone else trained in his field, but to go on a job that deep, and have it go that wrong was unprecedented information. Though I assume we all aren't all that we seem still. I thought, glancing at the people around the table with me.
"You never told me your friends were that interesting, Semsi." Jiva nudged me in the rib and sipped her drink, a tall glass of bubbling wine.
"If I had known he were so cool, I would've shot lower." I chuckled.
"Your pride wouldn't let you," Kurdu smiled back. To which I raised my glass, a pint of dwarven red and clinked it with his elven stout.
"You aren't wrong," I downed a gulp of the draught, its oaky flavor highlighted by what seemed like mountain honey.
"If you are ready, Semsi, I would like to go up to the room soon." Jiva said, fluttering her eyebrows at me and leaning against my shoulder with her temple.
"I think that can be arranged." I said taking the glass with my ale and tipping it over into my mouth, taking the glass nearly in one go with only a small breath in between. Luckily I had taken the seat on the end of the booth and not a one of my other compatriots had to move out of the way.
Taking Jiva's hand, I gave my leave to everyone and began to walk through the still crowded inn towards the staircase on the far side.
"You first," I said, following her up the stairs, grinning slightly as I watched her curvy figure walk up the stairs.
"You seem a little different, Sem." She said, her tone questioning though she asked not.
"What do you mean?"
"Did something happen today?" She said, a peek back as she unlocked the door told me she was leading to something.
"Well, other than that fight, I found this." I pulled out the crystal flute and showed her as she closed the door. Her mouth fell open but her hands stayed right by her sides, almost like she knew that it was a bone flute.
"Where did you get that?" She asked; which by her tone now she was less than happy. She tentatively reached her hand out and touched it, almost like she expected it to bite her.
"A shop in the upper city had it on the shelf and-"
"Did you steal it?" She turned towards me, with a bit of malice now in her voice.
"Absolutely not." I returned, "Something happened when I picked it up and the lady let me have it."
"What in the name of Yornus do you mean that something happened?" She asked, crossing her arms and sitting down.
"I touched it and had - uh- a vision, I think." I said, scratching my head. To be honest, I had no idea what happened to me or what I saw or if it was really the Prime Being, He'evnar. "The Bard." I spouted.
She looked at me like I had suddenly grown another head. The seconds that passed in silence felt like they lasted ages.
"The bard? What bard?" She said, tilting her head to the right, then her expression changed with understanding and her eyes widened. "What did he say?"
"To go to Calm Winds Sanctum, but I have no idea where that is."
"I do. It's not far from Keheath." She said, a bright smile running across her face.
"How does this magic work at sea?" I asked.
"Just please be on a boat at sunset, that is all I can ask." She smiled, falling into my arms and chuckling.
"We will be heading towards Formithlothl, the elven coastal city. Hopefully from there it will be a quick trek along the coast, as long as the weather permits." I said, stroking her hair and simply enjoying her presence.
"I never did like boats." She said, trailing off a bit.
"I don't either but this shouldn't be too long of a ride."
"You always use your words before things have been seen to pass." She eyed me suspiciously. I could only roll my eyes and smile.
"The captain said he had done it many times without incident." I said, turning my head slightly.
"The captain and the ship are not what make me dislike sailing. It is the sea itself. Only the S'wevian truly know what lies in the deep, and even the Pirate Lords of one hundred years ago were quick to pay them reverence." She said, her brow furrowing in thought.
"Well Va'tu did go to the Temple of He'tu earlier today, maybe finding a ship that fast was the god looking out for us." I smiled, putting the thumb on my free hand up.
"You better hope that was enough to please all of the spirits." She hid a sly smile and rolled out of my loose grasp. "The God of the Seas has many children who prey upon the weak and stupid." She said as she crawled atop me.
"I may be stupid, but I am not weak." I chuckled, watching her as she settled into place now. Her thighs on either side were bare except for the overshirt that just covered her privates from view and her hips, though below that I could feel her wet folds against myself as she pulled my own pants down with her nimble feet. That is certainly a talent, I thought as I licked my lips.
"No, you are not weak, are you?" Her gaze suddenly fell upon me as does a predator to its prey: Her eyes darkened and she leaned forward, taking my lips in hers. My body felt like it was a coil that was ready to spring, tense and rigid but as she kissed me all of the tension subsided. I took a long moment, holding onto her then she rose again and smiled. I could feel the dripping, warm, wet mound hovering just above my member as she looked down at me. "You prove to be rather capable at every turn."
"That feels like a compliment," I remarked, a snide grin.
"Well, I am actually proud that you found your destiny."
"Are you feeling okay?" I joked, "You aren't speaking in confusing riddles anymore."
"Neither one of us knows what awaits us, Semsi," She returned with a smile, "But that doesn't mean that you shouldn't remember all of the things I've told you about d'infeit."
"There's the cryptic speaking woman that I fell in love with," I smiled, using my knee to nudge her towards me and to kiss me again. She only grinned and leaned forward locking her lips with mine again. Her lips tasted like the sweet wine that she had been drinking in the tavern below and I explored deeper with my tongue, tasting and feeling, until it was met with her own.
Below, with her right hand, she grasped my shaft and rubbed the tip against the small hooded head of her folds. I couldn't hold back a quiet moan into her mouth, which made her lean forward even more. Her hand stroked the shaft and a finger flitted around the tip, sliding her finger around and around. My hand grazed by her nipple, which hardened from the stimulation, and then I could feel the goosebumps on her skin as I pinched it with my left hand. Through our clenched lips, she let out a pent up gasp and warm air.
"You taste like the air of the ocean and sweat," she looked at me with hunger, "I think that I will take you into the bath and find out how dirty you are." I only smiled and nodded, pulling her back down to me and then flipping her over in a quick spin, her legs locking around my waist as I lifted her. I took her earlobe in my mouth, and she moaned as I kissed her neck down to her collarbone. Then I kissed between her breasts, her skin getting goosebumps as the hairs on my chin tickled her stomach.
"Semsi," She gasped, grabbing my hair and taking a few locs in her fist, "San té." she exhaled a blast of hot air and twisted her legs to push me down further. I kissed again between her breasts, and lightly twirled my finger along the skin of her exposed waist and she gasped again.
"Semsi, wëi nãta'ivi'te," she laughed through a pleasurable moan as I continued kissing down her torso, kissing her upper abdomen and her last two ribs. I kissed again near her belly button and then again below it.
She had had a long day of travel in the mountains of Central Ver-Anda before being magically teleported to my for the night. I arose suddenly, taking my right arm around her and lifting her off the bed. She yelped from the sudden jostling but took hold and wrapped her arms around me. Suddenly standing, I took her from the bed to the bathroom, carrying her in my arms with her legs wrapped around my waist.
"Wëi ùra'ti," she whispered as I walked, her lips suckling at my ear then nibbling lightly. I carried her carefully into the adjacent room, where a tub had been carved out of the natural rock that was found in the area around the coast. I sat on the edge of the tub and with my hand turned the handle that would let the hot water through the pipes leading in. This city was one of many that had running plumbing in Ver-Anda, but yet where Jiva was from plumbing was almost non-existent, considering her people were mainly nomadic.
"Natón sakťe, Jiva." I said, seeing what looked to be stars in her eyes for just a moment that we looked at one another. "The stars themselves took a note from you when they began to sparkle, woman."
She blushed and grinned, the dimples in her cheeks showing before she looked down. "You are the reason they sparkle, Semsi."
My mind strayed to her journey. How much longer would we have to use this spell to see one another? Would the magic truly be safe over the sea?
"You okay, Sem?" She asked, her face turning to worry as she noticed my change of expression. The water ran behind us, finally warming up to a temperature that I was comfortable with, though I let it run a bit hotter because I knew how Jiva liked her water. I finally stepped into the warm pool of water and rubbed a branch of the soaproot together to create a rubbery foam in the running water. It spread to the entire tub quickly, coating the water in a layer of bubbles.
"I was just thinking about the rest of the journey," I said. "Your journey."
"Do not worry, Semsi. I told you, I am not far from Shizdabar. I should be in the city by tomorrow."
"I know sujta," I said as she sat in the tub next to me and rested with her shoulder nestled under my own with my arm around her.
For a moment, we sat in silence in the bath, letting the water seep into my bruises and cuts from battle and the road. I would rather be nowhere but here with you, I thought.
"You know what they call a dwarf who doesn't drink?" Jiva asked, breaking the silence with a mischievous smile.
"I don't know, sujta," I chuckled, already preparing for whatever the punchline of her joke would be.
"A halfling." She said, holding her mouth open in a half smile and snapping her fingers just at the water level, splashing me.