“I was going to take a shower,” he said. “I can wait.”
“Can you?” Lady Prestia shifted under the shower’s stream, running her free hand through her wet hair. “There’s room for two. I could use some help washing my back.”
Ari chuckled and shook his head. “I’m not your servant this time.”
“This time?” she asked. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Ari shrugged, deciding it was probably for the best to keep the encounter he’d had with her during her time as a pink mesmer to himself. He turned around again and started undressing.
“I’ll wash off once you’re done,” he said.
“There’s no need to wait,” said Lady Prestia. “Is the idea of helping a noblewoman with a few things really so displeasing to you?”
Her voice was sultry, with an undeniable alluring quality to it. Ari tried to keep from smiling as he kicked his trousers off and looked back over at her. She’d returned to rinsing herself off and was turned sideways, leaving the profile of her upper body and a single breast and nipple visible through the steam.
He couldn’t help himself. He discarded the rest of his clothing and made his way over, making no attempt to hide his arousal as he stepped into the shower to join the older Sai woman. She smirked at him and turned around, gesturing to her shoulders.
“Thank you, Lord Aristial,” she said. “It’s so hard for me to get some spots as clean as I’d like.”
“The dirty spots, you mean?” asked Ari.
“Exactly.”
He ran his hand over her shoulders, and then cupped her breasts. Lady Prestia made a small, mocking noise of protest.
“Oooh,” she murmured. “Those are not my shoulders.”
Ari gave them a squeeze, appreciating the perfect, plump mixture of softness and firmness. He slid a hand down to Lady Prestia’s butt and pulled it back toward him, grinding his hard cock into her.
“Just what is it that you think you’re doing?” she asked, in a teasing voice.
Ari wasn’t in a patient mood. Her pulled her thighs open a little wider and pressed his hips forward, grunting as his tool slid into her hot, wet lane.
She arched her back and leaned into him as he quickly built up to a punishing pace. It was simple sex, stripped of the layers of emotion and drama that were so often attached to Ari’s other encounters. Lady Prestia had been angling for a man to meet her needs since first arriving in Etheria, and she’d caught Ari at a moment when he just couldn’t resist.
She moved her hips and buttocks with tiny, bucking motions that made thrusting into her smooth and easy. She was a tall woman, almost as tall as Ari, which made it easy for their bodies to puzzle out the perfect angle.
“Oh, Lord Aristial!” she moaned. “You’re so brazen.”
She spun around and gave him a hungry kiss. Ari leaned forward to pin her against the wall and lifted one of her surprisingly flexible legs at an angle with his shoulder before spearing back into her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and the two of them moved in lewd, horny harmony. Ari felt his mind fog over with lust as he listened to the soft, breathy noises escaping the noblewoman’s lips. He felt his pleasure getting a little ahead of where it should have been, too far for him to pull back from.
“And here I was, trying to get clean,” whispered Lady Prestia. She pulled his head down into her breasts, almost as though cradling him. Ari took deep breaths as the pleasure throbbed through him, his seed unloading into the dirty noblewoman as common sense came back to him.
“Er…” he said, feeling a sudden rush of regret. “This was just a one-time thing.”
“Of course,” said Lady Prestia. “We gave into a small, innocuous temptation. Nothing more. I’ll even leave the shower first to keep from drawing suspicion.”
She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, rinsed herself off some more, and stepped out of the shower.
“I often take showers around this time in the morning,” she said. “In case you were wondering…”
Ari nodded slowly, feeling an odd flush come to his cheeks as he saw the expression on the older woman’s face. He waited until she had left before returning to washing himself.
CHAPTER 29
Most of the community was already awake and preparing for the trip when Ari left the showers. Kerys and Grena had warmed up leftovers from the night before on the newly enchanted cooking fires and were doling out portions.
They ate quickly and then gathered outside the tower’s entrance. Ari made sure that everyone was present before holding his hand up and drawing the attention of the group.
“Make sure you each have everything you expect to need for the next few days,” he said. “The tower’s anchor point near Cliffhaven is outside of the city itself and not all of us will be able to make the trip through the gates.”
He saw Rin and Eva both nod in response to his statement. Grena crouched next to the Ravarian children, translating Ari’s words for the ones who still didn’t have a firm grasp on Subvios.
“Who will be heading into the city, then?” asked Amber. “I obviously expect to be included in the group, given that Cliffhaven was where I was born and raised.”
“Of course,” said Ari. “The same goes for you, Durrien, though I’d like at least one or two combat-capable adults stay with the children in the tower.”
“I don’t mind volunteering for that particular role, lad,” he said. “There’s not much left for me in Cliffhaven now, anyway.”
He shot Ari a slightly accusatory look, which Ari shifted uncomfortably under. He’d been responsible for the destruction of Durrien’s former inn, though it had been an accident during a fight that would have otherwise ended in his death.
“I refuse to be relegated to the back line this time,” said Virgil. “I would also like to enter the city.”
“You can come, too,” said Ari with a sigh.
“If it’s alright, I wouldn’t mind going too,” said Kerys. She shrugged, noticing the puzzled glances from Grena and a few of the others. “I like Cliffhaven. I didn’t get to live there for long, but I did enjoy it.”
“Dormiar’s teeth, we can’t bring everybody,” said Ari. “Fine. But that makes four of us already, plus Eva. We’ll have to hope we can still afford the entrance tax.”
“Let me handle that,” said Amber. “Most of the guards know me. At the very least, I expect I can get us a discount.”
Ari nodded. “Okay. Let’s do this.”
It was slightly cramped in the tower with the entire community packed inside. Grena took the children upstairs to the second floor, which alleviated the crowd slightly. Ari set his hands on the common room table and took a slow breath, centering his focus as he activated the rune with his will.
The light outside the tower was a sudden contrast to the dimness of Etheria’s central chamber, as was what followed immediately after the teleportation. A small forest lay outside the tower’s windows, with sunbeams sneaking through the gaps in the tree branches and fallen leaves littering the late season ground.
He was more used to the suddenness of the transition than most of the others. Durrien was frowning, and Grena was clutching him by the arm. Lady Prestia, hair still damp from her earlier shower, looked slightly green in the face.
“Here we are,” said Ari. “We’re out of direct line of sight of Cliffhaven, so I doubt that any of the nearby patrols or caravans will spot us unless we make ourselves known.”
“How long are you expecting that this will take?” asked Durrien.
“A day, maybe two,” said Ari. “Eva, can you scout the nearby area?”
“Of course.” Eva slipped out the door and into the trees.
Durrien and Grena also made their way outside, though they stayed close to the tower and insisted that the children remain inside for the moment. Ari collected the enchanted items he’d made from the tower’s second level and started carrying them outside.
“Lord Stoneblood!” Eva reappeared
, sprinting toward him with a concerned look on her face. “You need to see this. Lady Rin should also come.”
Ari frowned and gestured for Rin to join him. The three of them headed in the direction of the city, and as soon as they left the trees, he instantly saw what had elicited Eva’s reaction.
“This… cannot be,” said Rin.
She took a step forward, dropping Varnasaria, her enchanted spear. Dropping to her knees. Outside Cliffhaven, scattered across the grass at the bottom of the road that sloped up the edge of the cliffs, were several dozen disheveled tents and several hundred emaciated Ravarians.
“Hold on,” said Ari. “We need to figure out what the situation is before we… Rin!”
Rin scooped her spear back up and took off at full speed, flapping her wings and flying low across the ground toward her wayward people. Ari swore under his breath and gestured for Eva to follow with him.
The Ravarians reacted slowly to Rin’s arrival, as much due to a lack of enthusiasm as to the obvious fatigue of their condition. Every one of them that Ari could see was badly emaciated, from the children to the adults to the elders. There was a cold chill in the air, and only a few of them looked suitably equipped for the weather.
Their clothing was ragged, with obvious signs of burns and soot stains from the fire that had consumed Varnas-Rav. Only a few of the tents looked as though they had proper canvas and poles, the rest being simple makeshift constructions that were unsuited for even fair weather conditions.
A single bonfire marked the center of the refugee camp, though it was currently unlit. There was no food that Ari could see, though that came as little surprise, given their appearance. Feathers were scattered across the ground, fallen from wings that lacked the proper nutrition to maintain their form.
A small group had formed around Rin, with a tall, borderline-skeletal Ravarian man at its head. Ari didn’t recognize him, but he wasn’t sure if he would have even if they’d met before, given how drastic the decline of his current body state appeared to be.
They spoke in quiet voices in Ravakkios, the Ravarian language. Rin’s voice was thin and close to breaking. Ari didn’t need nor want to hear what was being said. She spoke with each of them, nodding continuously, before finally turning to face him.
“We have to help them, chala,” said Rin. “Please.”
She took his hand in between hers and squeezed, blinking with eyes on the verge of tears.
“Of course,” said Ari. “We have enough food back at the tower to supply at least a meal or two.”
“No!” snapped Rin. “You–you know what I mean. They say the Baron has refused them entrance into the city. A meal won’t save them from the next storm or do anything other than prolong this–this travesty of an existence!”
“Rin,” said Ari. “I know these are your people, but…”
He trailed off, finding it hard to phrase what he wanted to express. Ari was already looking out for Etheria, a community which had accrued its own set of problems despite its small size. Taking on the burden of the refugee Ravarians along with trying to prepare for an attack from Emperor Diya and the Sai would be stretching his limited capabilities paper-thin.
“Can any of them fight?” he asked. “We came here to hire mercenaries. If there are warriors among these refugees, I don’t see why we can’t bind their cause to ours.”
Rin stared at him with a frozen expression for a couple of seconds and then slapped him across the face.
“Mud and blood, Rin,” muttered Ari. “It was just a question.”
“You promised me, chala!” cried Rin. Her voice broke but she didn’t seem to care. “You promised that you would help. I asked for revenge before. Now, all I ask for is your voice. Your influence. Whatever pull you might have amongst the people of this city.”
Ari rubbed his cheek, readying himself for another slap. Instead, Rin fell to her knees in front of him. The pain of seeing her in that posture was worse than any blow. Ari took her hand as she reached up to pull on his tunic and lifted her back to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace.
“I’ll help them,” he said. “But we need people who can fight, Rin. I can’t solve every problem myself. I’ll find a way to help your people, but in exchange, the ones who can fight need to stand with Etheria.”
He took her by the shoulders and shifted her so her eyes met his. Rin was crying, but she nodded through her tears. Ari gave her a quick kiss and caressed her cheek with his hand.
“I will stay with them, for now,” said Rin.
“Of course,” said Ari. “How many children are here? We should prioritize feeding them first.”
Rin nodded, and talking with the other Ravarians for a minute, they headed back to the tower with about a dozen children in tow. Grena was outside, and she immediately began fixing a meal that would stretch their supplies as far as they could go once she saw the situation.
Fuscia and the other Ravarian younglings from Etheria came out of the tower, and Ari watched as they greeted the emaciated children who’d no doubt once been their friends, back in Varnas-Rav. There were smiles, hugs, scattered laughter, and it all felt like a somber reminder of the stakes of the situation.
“Come on,” said Ari. “We don’t have any time to waste.”
CHAPTER 30
Ari headed back toward the city with Kerys, Amber, and Virgil alongside him, and Eva nestled into the scabbard across his shoulders as Azurelight. He also had most of the enchanted items he’d made spread out amongst the group: Kerys, Virgil, and Amber each carrying a dagger, and Eva taking three of the heavier weapons with her when she shifted forms.
Rin was still with the refugees, and Ari stopped to check on her on his way by. She was crouching next to an ancient-looking Ravarian man and didn’t stand to greet Ari as he approached.
“You can do the math, I’m sure, chala,” said Rin. “Even with the food we have in the tower, my people do not have much longer.”
“I know,” said Ari. “Look, this is probably a stupid question, but why don’t the refugees just fly into Cliffhaven?”
“They have archers on the walls,” she said. “Even if a few managed to slip by, what then? There are few within Cliffhaven who would risk the wrath of the Baron to help a refugee with nothing to offer in return other than their gratitude.”
“Fair point,” he said. “I guess I’ll have to figure something out for them.”
Rin rolled her eyes. “You sound so sure of yourself.”
“Have I ever let you down before?” asked Ari. “Never mind, don’t answer that.”
He was careful about the path he took as they drew closer to Cliffhaven, as he wasn’t interested in announcing his association with the refugees to any guardsmen or anyone else who might have been watching from the walls. Baron Luka had already proven his spitefulness by denying the suffering people access to his city, and Ari wouldn’t have put it past the man to punish anyone who was openly aiding them.
The city of Cliffhaven itself looked much as it had when Ari had first seen it. It was a massive fortress of a settlement, built atop high cliff walls with only two paths of access, one along a winding slope to the south and the other through the docks to the north.
The resemblance was more pronounced in that moment than ever, with the Ravarians striking a sad contrast against the bustle around the gates. There was a line to get in, stretching back a dozen or so people, wagon carts, and horse riders. A line of people who would be allowed shelter, safety, and access to a world that was removed from the savage harshness of normal life on the surface.
“Amber, you mentioned before that you could handle the entrance tax?” said Ari.
Amber sighed and gave a slow nod.
“There is a tax placed on merely entering the city?” asked Virgil.
“Yeah,” said Ari. “Part of the reason why I don’t enjoy going in through the front gate every time I come here. Speaking of which, it’s probably better if I don’t wear my real face whi
le we’re in public.”
He turned around, averting his gaze from the guards and the other people in line as he fingered Miragion out of his tunic. He probed into the enchanted amulet with his will, picturing each of the faces patterned into it until he found one of an older, rather unassuming-looking blond man.
Ari wasn’t sure what the transformation looked like from an outside perspective, but it was enough to make Virgil gasp and take a step back. He winked at him and stuffed the amulet back into his tunic.
“You have an amulet that lets you shapeshift your appearance?” asked Virgil.
“Yeah,” said Ari. “Doesn’t everyone?”
Kerys groaned and gently punched him on the shoulder. Virgil shook his head, still looking as though he couldn’t quite believe it.
“That would be considered extremely powerful as a mystica,” he said. “There were not many enchanters in my time with the type of skill to make or use such a thing.”
“I didn’t make this particular enchantment, to be completely honest,” said Ari. “More of an inheritance. The others I have are all me, though, apart from Eva.”
Virgil nodded slowly, but he continued to glance over at Ari as they slowly made their way forward along the line of people awaiting entry.
Making it past the gate guard was a lot easier and more straightforward than Ari had been expecting. Amber recognized him and made up an excuse about searching for alchemy ingredients in the fields to the west of the city. Between her and Kerys, they had just enough coin to pay the requisite fees.
The ambience of Cliffhaven was stark in comparison to the thriving city Ari had seen and experienced on his previous visits. Fewer people were out on the streets, and the ratio of those who wore weapons and armor openly was far greater than he remembered. The merchant stalls seemed limited to the essentials, bread and clothing, each with at least two or three armed men serving as guards standing nearby.
Reborn Raiders (The Weatherblight Saga Book 4) Page 18