CHAPTER XVII #8
Both of our hands reach into the device, grabbing the long iron weight before we look at each other in pure pride. Cal nods his head with a grin, our fingers guiding the heavy piece towards us before we thrust it into the side of the bell.
The sound that comes from the bell has to be summoned, the full of it reverberating against my core and deep into my bones.
Cal guides our hands again, back and then forth as a second ring pierces our ears, the vibrations rattling every part of my body yet fueling me with a deep fire.
We ring the bell harder a third time, yells now coming from the city below as people begin shouting in excitement and cheers.
Their eagerness is unmatched, their yells growing louder as more people move out of their homes and pubs to direct their enthusiasm towards the sound of the bell.
Cal and I turn towards eachother foolishly, fueled even more by the cheers below. Our looks are determined, ready to give the bell a final send-off before we claim our prize.
That last ring is so loud that it has to have woken up the entire city.
Scores of cheering can be heard throughout the roads below, laughter bellowing and hands slapping in excitement, anticipating the night ahead.
Cal and I are too tired to move to the ledge and look down to those cheers, and instead we just stand basking in their triumphant yells, our shoulders pressed straight in pride.
We give each other a strong hug before falling back down to our knees, everything in our joints still exhausted as we sit on our asses and wait for our bodies to catch up.
Stormfall’s loud caw can be heard over the drunken laughter below us, his black mass darting through the sky before he perches on the arch to our right.
“Hello Storm,” I chuckle to the Bird of Ash, “come to fly us back down?”
“Elder Father and Mother,” Cal grumbles, “how in the damn Old World are we going to go through that again?”
I don’t know if it’s the full city that greets us once we push open the double doors of the tower, but it sure feels like it.
Hundreds of people crowd the roads, every single face grinning with their hands full of ale.
Holis and Mana are the first to greet us with beaming grins, the brothers shoving a fresh mug into our hold the moment we step outside.
Cal and I are quick to drink the full of it without hesitation, hearts thumping in our chests with wicked grins that just can’t leave our faces.
The crowd roars when we throw the mugs on the ground, scores upon scores of people walking up to us to clap our backs.
Another mug is pushed into our hands as we’re pushed between the patrons of Brassard, every single one of them vowing to have a drink with us tonight.
We got lucky in our long walk down the tower.
The moment we opened the door at the top, the full of the staircase went back to its original self, no boulders or debris remaining on the steps.
The full of the twisting stairs looked as if nothing had taken place, as if the tower didn’t just moments before try to bury us under its weight.
Our first step was without a doubt the most hesitant one we took, eyes darting left and right ready to turn back the moment the tower began shaking.
But nothing happened, even the next ten steps remained calm, and the knowing trips remained firm in their hold.
No splashing water fell to our faces, no vines lined the walls, even the torch we saw earlier was gone.
The full of the tower remained bare in its standing, a simple structure made of black granite and stone.
My own piece of summoning was left at the very beginning of the climb, the first thing someone would have to go through in order to continue on their adventure.
Cal and I turned around at the first twist, our grins beaming as he held a match over the stairs.
I decided to leave a towering wall of air between the curve, a barrier that rose to twice the size of Cal and left a wide opening at the top, not touching the staircase above.
Anyone that started their journey would run face first into the invisible force, my new favorite thing, knocking them back a few steps as they tried to contemplate what it was that was halting them.
I wasn’t sure if what I did was correct in the ways of summoning, but I did request that the magic remain once I was gone. Hopefully that would be good enough.
I had Cal test it out, the two of us laughing uncontrollably when his nose hit flat against the wall before his forehead.
It was a good addition to the daunting tower, one that would hopefully prompt the next adventurer to use their rational mind, considering how best to scale the top and fall back down.
They’d probably have to use their own summoning of sort or scale the side walls with a rope in hand.
Regardless, the initial thought of their faces slamming into the wall as they were caught off-guard held my amusement for the rest of the night.
Cal and I are still being passed amongst the patrons of Brassard, grinning and drinking with Holis and Mana at our sides.
The crowd is so large that we’ve only taken a few steps forward, everyone looking like they’re considering drinking right here under the night sky in the roads. In fact, I’m sure that’s the plan.
It isn’t until Keane’s summoning pushes into my abdomen that I’m drawn away from the laughter. His pure desire starts dripping low between my thighs, making me swivel around instantly as I search for those brown eyes that I know are going to be filled with unmatched intensity.
I spot my King a further ways down the road with Stormfall on his shoulder.
I don’t know what possesses me, most likely the energy from everything going on around us, but I focus on his heated gaze from afar and tilt the rest of my ale, eyes never leaving his.
My smirk is wide when I throw the mug on the ground in triumph, the crowd cheering around us again, their excitement unrivaled.
I begin a purposeful walk towards Keane, my glance noticing no one else and holding his fiery brown eyes to mine.
The crowd begins to make room for me, forming an opening that leads to him just as I begin to run.
I bound quickly towards my King, catching that smirk on his lips before I jump into his hold and wrap my arms and legs around his full body.
Keane’s hands are quick to grab my ass, holding me roughly and drawing me towards him in a tight embrace.
My lips crash down on his, fingers grabbing the back of his head and hair as I consume him, pushing my tongue through his wild grin.
Everyone around us begins to erupt, whooping and cat-calling their King as his hands move aggressively up my back, pressing my chest into his.
I continue my flaming kiss, tongue moving against his and claiming every inch of our excitement, heart pounding so hard that I don’t think it’ll stop all night.
Keane groans under me, one hand coming up to the back of my neck before he pulls away, leaving a sharp nip on my lower lip.
“Ancients, Alexis,” his brown eyes are on fire, “the things I’m going to do to you.”
I grin foolishly, nodding my forehead against his in a whisper. “So no punishment then for not staying out of trouble?”
“No, my Queen,” he chuckles, “no punishment for you tonight. You’re going to drink and dance and smoke until the sun rises.”
“That’s all I wanted,” I laugh, biting down on his own lip.
I pull myself up in Keane’s hold, hands resting on his shoulders as Stormfall jumps to mine.
My eyes dart mischievously over the crowd to all of the beaming faces, searching for my red-headed friend.
Cal is grinning back at me with Holis and Mana at his side, his mug tilting high in the air in salute.
“Let’s get drunk!”
“You look like a proper woman of Warrior,” Keane lifts an ale to me from below, brown eyes darting over my face in pure heat.
Those eyes have been on me all night, or rather, all morning.
It took us a full turn of the moons past apex to make our way through the roads of Brassard to The Dancing Tavern, everyone sharing drinks with us along the way.
They all wanted to know of the tower, wanted Cal and I to spill its secrets and tell them of our adventures.
But there was something about that magical structure and what we went through that would never be spoken about, a forever secret adventure between two friends.
True to his word, Cal immediately discarded his shirt and threw it into the fire the moment we entered the pub, calling more cheers from those around us.
Warren was there to greet us upon arrival, hands thrusting two half toddies into ours with eyes that were graced with pure approval.
I watched those eyes pass over Keane with a wicked grin when Cal and I downed the toddies straight.
The King laughed at the older Discerni, nodding his head just slightly before pulling the four of us back to the table next to the musicians.
Canon, Nathaniel, Bryson and Sam were all waiting for us, eyes sparkling and looking a bit tipsy themselves, glad to be back at the inn.
All four wanted to share an ale with Cal and I personally, those requests just didn’t stop, but Keane was quick to pull me away to the back wall while motioning Cal to follow.
His grin was wide when he reached out a hand to me, a fresh black satin blouse softly laying between his fingers.
My glance on him was befuddled but grateful, my curiosity just barely sparked.
But I didn’t question the gesture, was too high on the night to even care, just smiled broadly when both him and Cal turned their backs on me to shield me from the pub’s view so I could change into the new shirt.