Chapter Three
Their packing up to get to the Adventurer’s Guild had run into a small, red panda shaped snag.
“Krysta, please stop,” Vester requested, drawing his lover to the side. She stared up at him, emerald eyes so bright behind her glasses they seemed to glow. “I don’t want Reve or anyone else coming on to me because they want access to a rare skill,” he reminded her.
“But I—” she protested before he put his finger across her lips.
“I know you think I deserve to have sex with everyone. I know you think it’s hot when I have sex with different people.
I know you think the Party would benefit if we were all one big couple.
But when you pimp me for a skill, or when Non gives someone a Quest that makes them want to sleep with me…
it makes me feel like the person isn’t attracted to me. Do you understand?”
She kissed his finger, even while her ears were drooping on either side of her head and her tail was slumping back against the wall. He could see her turning over his words in her head, so he gave her time to process them.
The Party had gone back into the house to gather everything they might need—or want to keep out of the Church of Light’s hands—before they left for the Guild.
The public fight with Denny had painted a huge target on the house, so Skylar was going to put it up for sale through the Guildhall.
Vester would be sad to see it go, but transferring all the furniture and appliances down to their home in the Safe Zone would make the resort even more comfortable than it already was.
Reve had expressed envy at everyone else’s ability to just claim items for their storage spaces, and Krysta had been teasing her about the opportunity to get the Chaos Thief skill for herself—which was what led Vester to taking her to the side.
He appreciated that she wanted to make him happy, and Reve was beautiful.
But he felt it was time to put his foot down.
He did his best to keep his face calm and supportive, yet Krysta still wilted while staring into his eyes.
He finally couldn’t take it anymore and wrapped his arms around the curvy pandali to tug her into a hug.
She overflowed his embrace in the most wonderful ways.
Her tail pressed against his side, wrapping halfway around his back while she rested her head against his shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” she finally said in a tiny voice.
“I just… it’s so sexy when you… Never mind.
You’re right. If you’re with someone it should be because you like them and they like you.
My old world didn’t have levels or skills or anything like this, so I guess I’m still not used to thinking people might do stuff like that for power. ”
“People didn’t fake relationships to get advantages back at your school?” Vester asked, skeptical. For some reason that caused Krysta to flush. She squirmed for a second, then let out a breath in a huff.
“Okay, people did,” she admitted, “but it wasn’t documented in a magic book like it is here!”
Vester snorted in amusement and planted a kiss on the top of her head.
“Fair. I’m sure people are the same everywhere.
There’s always someone who’ll fake affection to get what they want.
But if Reve and I ever get together, I’ll want us to have built a bond.
She deserves that, and I deserve that too, right? ”
Krysta nodded vigorously, her ears flapping. “You do!” she agreed quickly. The pair shared a kiss, then Vester gave her ass a sharp pinch. “Ow!” she squeaked bouncing on her toes. “What was that for?”
“Encouragement,” Vester offered playfully.
“Now get over to your kitchen and make sure you haven’t forgotten any of the cooking supplies you wanted to take with you!
” At the realization that she had forgotten to pack her spice rack, Krysta zipped off so fast he wondered if she’d found a way to boost her speed within her Sanctuary. He shook his head watching her go.
She means well, he thought, but she gets excited and her horny side overloads her brain. Still, she does mean well… and now I’m going to stop uselessly thinking in circles and go make sure I’ve got all my enchanting manuals.
Vester headed upstairs to grab his library of texts.
Between the books up here and the ones he’d gotten on the recommendation from Tolbert, he had a solid foundation to build from.
With how expensive the books were, he had absolutely no intention of leaving any of them behind, even though it wasn’t always practical to try and enchant things down in the dungeon.
Another thirty minutes of frantic packing passed, and then the Party began moving through the streets of Porter’s Walk toward the Adventurer’s Guild. Vester walked alongside Kora, with Li Ra and Skylar ahead of him and Krysta and Reve walking side by side just behind.
“Are we playing into Kromm’s hand by heading back in there?
” he asked Kora. The minotaur Guild Master didn’t exactly like him after he’d refused to follow her orders, but he didn’t think the woman would actively betray the Guild.
Still, he was concerned about her status as a devotee of War—that particular god was not his friend.
“In the sense that we’re advancing her cause, which is to keep the Guild strong, yes,” Kora said with a nod of her head.
She had dressed in her armor, though she didn’t have any weapons in hand at the moment.
Her ears flicked about, alert for anyone following them.
“Kromm has her own agenda, but she won’t try to put you in charge of the Trading Post. She doesn’t trust you enough for that.
She tried to make me, but I refused the position because it hinged on forcing me to leave the Party. She relented when I said no.”
Vester let out a grunt. “Not exactly thrilled to hear she was trying to poach my frontline, but I can understand why she’d try to put you in charge.
You ran the Guildhall here for a while, and Kromm can’t count on Elondolin fighting his way back to the surface anytime soon.
Did she just write him off, or are they still keeping an eye out for the guy? ”
“They haven’t abandoned Elondolin,” Kora insisted.
She shook her head, a frown on her lips, and her blind gaze carried the weight of her disapproval that he’d even consider such a thing.
“The Guild doesn’t give up on people. Every branch office is being alerted to Elondolin’s predicament.
If anyone catches wind of that Party, they’ll do their best to help.
There might not be much anyone can do, but that doesn’t mean they won’t keep their eyes open. ”
“Fair enough,” he agreed with a nod of his head. While Vester was glad to know Elondolin wouldn’t be abandoned, the whole reason they were heading to the eleventh floor was that Elondolin had said the floor contained a secret Quest, and Vester wasn’t about to let the Church of Light claim it.
The Party walked in silence until they reached the Guildhall.
They moved through the main doors together, and a hush spread out through the Adventurers gathered to examine the board.
One by one every eye turned toward Vester and his companions, and he saw gaze after gaze snap to the Mithril badges on their armor.
Then the crowd parted to form an open lane directly to the receptionists. Vester’s cane clicked sharply with every step he took, and he swore the audience twitched every time it sounded. By the time he reached the desks it was the only sound echoing in the large chamber.
“We’d like a suite for the afternoon, and passage to Dungeon Gate 5 scheduled for tomorrow. We’re waiting on a few deliveries before we head down to our next delve,” Vester said, tone calm and polite. The goat-horned girl behind the desk turned the color of curdling milk, nodding rapidly.
“O-o-of c-course, Mr. Gambit,” she bleated.
Her eyes flicked to each member of Vester’s Party, and while they darted about he realized she had horizontal pupils, which was…
different. He had no idea what the name for a goat-person was.
He had to resist the morbid temptation to check if she had furry legs or not.
Faun, maybe… Wait, are fauns goats or deer? Satyrs are goats, but aren’t satyrs all dudes? Could be something Earth’s never heard about… It’s not like I’d heard of pandali before I died, though I guess you could say Krysta’s sort of a tanuki? I wonder if those exist…
He was dragged out of his musings by the girl offering him a crystal keycard held in a shaky grip.
The poor thing’s fingers spasmed just before he accepted it, so the card went flipping up into the air and an expression of profound horror spread across her face.
He barely had to move his hand to catch it, his dexterity making the movement blindingly fast—the poor woman flinched backward.
“Thank you,” he said with a half bow, then they all made their way toward one of the newer areas.
The Party lodgings were multi-room suites that had bathrooms and kitchens included.
They let a group stay together between delves, which was perfect for Vester’s current needs.
He didn’t want to leave without their orders, but he also didn’t want to have them spread out in case Peace’s zealots actually lost their minds and sent assassins into the Guild.
None of them were particularly dirty after the fight with Denny. Their injuries had been minimal, and Krysta had healed them up before they’d left the house, but that didn’t stop everyone from agreeing that food, showers, and calm activities would be a good way to pass the time while they waited.
Vester had just gotten under the water and begun enjoying the hot spray coming down his back when he heard the bathroom door click. He turned his head, catching sight of Skylar stripping from the corner of his vision, then had to shift again to avoid water dripping directly into his eye.
“Decided I couldn’t be trusted to get clean on my own?” he asked playfully.
The blue-skinned woman stepped in through the divider and closed it behind her.
Steam began to fill the crystal cube that kept water out of the rest of the bathroom, and she moved through it like a ghost to slip in front of him.
“I’ve been pretty focused on making my golems better lately,” she murmured, seemingly ignoring his question.
“On our walk here, I realized I should show a bit more affection.”
One of her hands slid up his thigh, tracing the skin, and she cupped his shaft, her intentions clear.
Vester caught her wrist, stopping her. “First, you’ve never made me feel anything less than appreciated,” he began before leaning down to kiss her lips softly.
“Second, how about I take a moment to appreciate you first?”
Her lavender eyes sparkled while he kissed her again.
Then Vester started kissing his way slowly downward.
Her neck arched, presenting wet skin for nibbling teeth.
He traced her crimson runes with the tip of his tongue, alternating little bites and kisses.
She’d started breathing hard before he finished moving down her throat, following the line of her jugular until he was planting more kisses into the hollow of her collarbone.
His hands cupped her hips, keeping her from squirming, and he felt her trembling underneath the grip.
His mouth moved over the swell of her breast, where he traced the curve inward between the full mounds, his tongue sliding along the skin until he brushed the pebbled flesh of her areola.
A rapid flutter across her nipple saw her skin tighten and her body shake, but Vester didn’t linger.
He gave the underside a sharper bite, momentarily lifting the pleasant burden on his face, then resumed kissing along her ribs; he moved out slowly, then ducked a little lower and kissed back inward.
He nibbled the tender skin around her bellybutton, earning a soft smack to the top of his head as Skylar fought off the giggles.
But her breath hitched sharply when he kissed the curve of her belly and moved lower still.
Vester dragged his teeth over her pelvic bone, nibbling down and back to her mound, his breath a hot wash that made the thin trickles of water from the shower vibrate.
Then his lips closed over her pale-blue folds and he ran his tongue upward to part them.
Skylar arched, gasping, and her fingers curled into her hair to keep him kneeling before him.
“Ooooooh,” she moaned, staring down at him. He winked at her, then lapped again. “V-Vester,” she gasped, “don’t tease…” When his lapping grew more demanding, seeking to plunge deeper, she gasped a second time, this time flexing her thighs open for him. “Oh goddess! M-more!”
Vester was patient, in no hurry, just licking the path between her folds repeatedly, his nose brushing the hood hiding Skylar’s clit. For the moment, he was ignoring that little pearl, knowing she’d grow too sensitive if he went straight at it.
Her thighs bunched under his hands, and he massaged them with his thumbs, his fingers curling around her muscles while he rubbed his palms up and down.
Gradually, Vester maneuvered Skylar’s thighs over his shoulders.
He’d gotten enough strength since coming to Ordinal that he had no problem supporting her weight, even when she pressed her thighs to either side of his head.
The shower wall helped keep her stable, which was important, because Skylar’s first orgasm saw her hips bucking and her fingers dragging sharply over his scalp. She had her hands hopelessly tangled in his hair now, and he wasn’t sure she’d left all of it attached.
It was when she began coming down from that climax that his mouth shifted and his tongue found her clit.
The rapid movement to spiral that nimble appendage around her sensitive bud nearly tipped her over once more.
With his stats, Vester could probably tie three or four knots in a single cherry stem, and he put all of that agility to work on making Skylar break.
“Fuck! Vester!” she squealed, her hips quaking.
She was wracked by a second orgasm, then a third, all because he wouldn’t stop.
“Ves—gah—goddess, m-more—VESTER!” she screamed.
He wasn’t even tracking how much pleasure was hitting her anymore: he was just enjoying her reactions.
One of his hands slid along her thigh, and then two fingers slipped between her folds—once they started stretching her and teasing the hidden rough spot within, Skylar lost her ability to make coherent sounds.
When he finally stopped, it was because she’d slapped the wall hard enough to crack a tile, and in doing so she nearly fell off his shoulders. Vester carefully lowered her back to the shower floor, where she slumped like he’d stolen her bones.
“Feel appreciated?” he asked, a smile dancing on his lips. Then he had to flee the shower to avoid her flailing threats of retribution.