by John Evans
"No, but she's part of the ritual," stated Karina. "Phartom, this is Lorilei; Lorilei, Phartom."
"A witch. I caught your smell, too," said Phartom.
"I'm beginning to feel a little inadequate in the nose department," griped Karina to Costas.
"Don't let it worry you, dearie," said Lorilei urbanely. "The Gods obviously felt you needed bigger, more prominent assets."
Costas sputtered, choked, and finally had to turn away laughing. Karina just smiled and shook her head.
"It's not so much a smell as just a sense. Our minds senses something about the other person and associates it with an odor," explained Lorilei.
"How are their Highnesses and Genese?" asked Karina.
"We're making progress once I squashed Genese's objections," said Lorilei. "She doesn't object to the idea, just leaving you. She's beginning to understand Antonio's and Sophia's emotional needs. You know, the ones that have been suppressed since Sophia's accident."
"How is the court treating her?"
"Oh, the usual - several attempts to use her to influence the Prince, a couple of unfulfilled trysts, and some veiled insults," replied Lorilei. "Their Highnesses put a stop to the more serious infractions by having a courtier lose his head. He tried to blackmail Genese. The rest of the court has seen how the wind is blowing and has developed a hands-off attitude towards Genese. She has made some friends, though, dearie. The ones who are genuinely happy for Antonio and Sophia and are powerful enough or content enough to make her welcome. It's becoming positively maudlin around here." Karina broke out in a smile at Lorilei's news. "So, tell me, dearie, what news from the land of the dead?"
"Shades wants the Cup of Thyrsus," said Karina. "It's currently in Zaius's possession. All I have to do is to get Zaius to agree to give it to Shades. I don't have to take it there myself."
"I wonder what Zaius will want for the Cup," sighed Lorilei.
"Oh, Gods! I never even thought of that!" exclaimed Karina in despair. "I'll end up running all over this world trying to broker deals."
"Worry about that later," said Lorilei. "Right now you have to go in and see their Highnesses and Genese."
"This is where I am afraid I will have to leave you lovely ladies," said Costas. "Lady Karina, it's been a pleasure."
Karina gave him a big smile and kissed him on the cheek. Costas turned red and then shuffled away with his hand placed on the spot where she had kissed him. Lorilei turned and led Karina and Phartom inside to Prince Antonio and Princess Sophia's private rooms.
"Karina!" shouted Genese when she saw who was coming in the door. She rushed over and wrapped her arms around her. Karina looked over her head and she returned the hug. Prince Antonio and Princess Sophia were by the sofa where Genese had been sitting. They were smiling at Karina, but she could also see the worry in their eyes.
"Easy, easy, you'll bend the metal," cooed Karina to Genese.
Genese snorted in laughter with tears running down her cheek. She released Karina and stepped back. Genese had matured and filled out in the ten days that Karina was gone. She had lost her air of invisibility she had when she was just a servant. She had also gained more confidence.
"It's wonderful to see you again, Karina," said Princess Sophia, gliding her chair over to Karina. "I see you have someone new. Does this mean your mission was a success?"
"Partially," replied Karina. "This is Phartom, a lady I did not know about, but who is also part of my mission. I met Shades and he has sent me on another task."
"What task?' asked Genese.
"All in due time," interrupted Prince Antonio. "It appears that you have just arrived, Lady Karina. I imagine you would like to bathe and get cleaned up first. I'll order for some food to be sent up and then you can tell us of your adventures."
"I'll go draw you a bath, milady," said Genese, reverting back to her maid status.
"No, Genese, you won't," said Karina flatly.
Genese stopped still, frozen by the coldness in Karina's words. Karina looked at Genese again. She was no longer the toothpick-thin scarecrow she had been. There was excitement and wonder in her eyes, though masked now by confusion. Karina relented and smiled at her.
"You are no longer my maid," she told Genese. "I can see the changes in you that weren't there ten days ago. You've grown and matured. You've moved on."
Indecision and panic flitted back and forth across Genese's face. She looked at their Highnesses and then at Karina.
"Do you like it here?" asked Karina.
"Yes," replied Genese.
"And you're helping them," said Karina. "So much more than you could ever help me. To accomplish what I must, I will do things that would kill a normal person of fright. I do not wish this for you. Do you wish to stay here?"
"Yes," replied Genese softly.
Karina nodded and turned to leave. She heard Genese sob behind her and run over to Princess Sophia to cry on her shoulder. Two maids were waiting outside the suite to lead Karina and Phartom to their chambers. It was later after supper when they gathered again in their Highnesses private living room. Genese had regained her composure and listened avidly to Karina's edited version of what had happened after she entered the gate.
"So Shades pushed the gem into your forehead with his finger and changed your nature?" asked Genese of Phartom in awe. "What were you before that he had to do that?"
"Dearie, that is something you do not ask," said Lorilei ominously. "It's not polite and you may find out more than you want to know."
"Oh, I'm sorry," stammered Genese, her face red in shame. "Please, forgive me."
"Let's just say that this plane of existence is not my home one," replied Phartom with a laugh.
"Shades wants you to secure a promise from Zaius to give Shades the Cup of Thyrsus?" reiterated Princess Sophia, going back to the original topic.
"Yes, which means I'll have to go to Alympia," said Karina. "Another trip through the planes."
"Maybe not," said Phartom. "That priest, Costas, said he can talk to his god. Maybe all you really need to do is to talk to a priest of Zaius."
"That's so simple it might work," said Karina in wonder.
"One problem," said Prince Antonio. "We're an island nation. Most of our temples and shrines are dedicated to gods and goddesses of the oceans and seas. We do have a shrine to Zaius, but not a cleric I know of."
"I know of one," said Karina, thinking of Karlto, but then putting him aside. Karlto was a little too erratic and was out of favor with Zaius as often as he was in favor. Then Karina realized she knew of another priest of Zaius.
"You'll have to set sail immediately," said Princess Sophia. "We can have a ship ready to sail in the morning."
"That won't be necessary," said Karina. "I'll contact him tonight."
"That's impossible," scoffed the Prince. "We're hundreds of leagues from the nearest civilization. No one's magic is that powerful."
"How about a goddess?' asked Lorilei.
"Um, I stand corrected," chuckled Prince Antonio.
"It might be best to have a ship ready, dear," said Princess Sophia. "No telling where Lady Karina will have to go after she contacts the priest."
"Of course," replied Prince Antonio. "There will be a footman outside your door all evening, Lady Karina. If you need something, or find out where you have to go, just tell him. The hour is getting late and I suggest we all turn in."
Genese walked over to Karina and took her by the hands.
"I'm not sure, but I think I am doing the right thing by staying here," she said to Karina. "I want to thank you again for all that you have done for me."
After saying that, Genese turned and followed Princess Sophia out of the room. Karina felt a pang of loss, but knew that Genese would find love here. Prince Antonio nodded to her as if guessing her thoughts. Karina went up to her chambers, changed into her nightgown, and climbed into bed.
Lying on her back, Karina touched her pendant and said, "Erobs."
Karina closed
her eyes as her room at Firehold changed. She suddenly felt weightless and knew, without seeing, that Erobs was there among the pink clouds.
"Where in all the planes am I?" she heard him growl. "Karina? Whoa! This can't be real!"
"It is real," said Karina quickly when she heard Erobs begin to chant. "I brought you here with Adelpha's pendant. We met at Woodhall where your temple is. We saved Nesbra from Beckdom and chased him from the town. I also fulfilled my contract with the magistrate quickly, if you remember."
Erobs stopped chanting and broke out laughing. "Too quickly! I know I wanted to see more at the time, but this is beyond my expectations."
"I am at Firehold in the Sharak Islands," said Karina, keeping her eyes closed. "I need to contact Zaius. Shades has given me a task, which is to get Zaius to agree to give him the Cup of Thyrsus."
"Ah, so that is what he meant."
"I beg your pardon?"
"Zaius sent me a cryptic message a couple of nights ago," said Erobs. "He told me to tell the one asking for the Cup of Thyrsus that they need to give me the Ring of Ashtar."
"The Ring of Ashtar? What is that?"
"Ashtar is the mother goddess of the land to the south. The ring is known for its potent virility and fertility. The Sultan of Al-Haminin has it." Erobs sighed in exasperation. "Do you realize how hard it is to hold a conversation with someone who has their eyes closed?"
"We needed to talk first," said Karina. "I have an easily activated lust."
"Beckdom and the magistrate didn't seem to get you too excited," chuckled Erobs.
"Not that much to be excited about," quipped Karina.
Erobs laughed again. "True enough, but the magistrate's changed. We've become friends, so I'll just have to hide the truth from him, for friendship's sake."
"Back to our topic, I'm to return the ring to you?" asked Karina.
"Yes, I'm to place it in the temple on the altar. Zaius will then give the cup to Shades."
"Thank you," said Karina. "That is what I needed to know."
"That's it?" asked Erobs, sounding a little disappointed.
"Well, you do have to be satisfied to leave this realm," replied Karina sexily, opening her eyes.
Erobs was the same as Karina remembered him. His strong face and knowing eyes were framed by his gray hair and full, trimmed beard. His shoulders were broad and muscular, narrowing down to his flat stomach. His cock jutted straight out and Karina felt a hot jolt explode inside her, but she managed to retain control of herself. Her tryst with Kharon seemed to have sated her lust. Erobs's cock looked to be seven inches long, but was much thicker around than most men's. His testicles hung down, full and heavy with his waiting seed.
"Will your husband be after me for this?" asked Erobs with a smile.
"You're worried about that at a time like this?" asked Karina incredulously.
"I didn't say I was going to stop," replied Erobs as he floated over to her and hefted her mammoth breasts from underneath. "Given my deity's peccadilloes, he'd defrock me if I did. I just want to be prepared in case your husband comes to look me up. By his thunderbolt, they're even larger than I remember!"
"You're no slouch, either,' said Karina, causing him to gasp as she firmly gripped his cock with both hands. "I can't even get my fingers around it."
Erobs resisted the urge to squeeze the two overwhelming handfuls of titflesh he was holding. He slowly slid his hands around and over Karina's soft, plaint globes. It was Karina's turn to gasp as her nipples hardened and Erobs tweaked them between his forefingers and thumbs. He felt her grip loosen on his cock as she began to stroke the thick shaft.
Erobs released Karina's nipples and slid his hands down over her narrow waist to her hips. To his eyes, her hips looked small, but he knew it was an optical illusion because of the huge size of her chest. By touch, her hips felt normal and Erobs gently slid a hand up into the juncture of her legs.
Karina moaned as Erobs' fingers slid through her pubic hair and over her mound to the damp folds below. Erobs arched an eyebrow in surprise at how hot and wet she was. Karina floated backwards, pulling her knees up and spreading her legs to expose her glistening pussy to him. Still holding on to his cock, Karina pulled Erobs towards her until his thick prick was actually touching the entrance to her vagina.
"Hold on," warned Erobs, grasping her hips. He moved his hips around slowly carefully wedging his cock into the moist folds of her labia. "I have to take it slow."
Karina felt him carefully work just the tip of his solid shaft into her and realized why he was going so slowly. The extraordinary girth of his cock would have painfully stretched out an ordinary woman. He had learned to control his lust so that he would not hurt her and allow her to adjust to his size. Karina chuckled and reached down to grab a hold of his arms.
"No need for that!" she said huskily and pushed herself down onto him fast.
"Woof!" gasped both Karina and Erobs together.
Karina pussy magically stretched out to accommodate the thickness of Erobs's prick, but it also tightened down to give a feeling that he had filled her to the brim. Erobs had only one other affair with a woman who could take him all at once and that was with High Priestess Ivin. Usually it took him some time to get fully inserted into a woman, if at all.
"Go for it," hissed Karina sexily. "I can take you."
He did, too. Karina had to admit that the one thing Erobs was not lacking was stamina. He locked his elbows under her knees and plowed into her so that her tits bobbed back and forth like gelatin on her chest. Erobs fucked her that way for a long time before rolling Karina over, and fucking her from behind. Karina cried out through two orgasms and then Erobs moved her to the side and ravaged her pussy straddling one of her legs until Karina was screaming in lust and pleasure.
Erobs was gasping for breath and gritting his teeth to maintain his control. He was so tense with pent-up passion that he was actually shaking and his balls were tight, preparing for his tremendous release. He flipped Karina over again so that she was facing him and sank his cock back into her. Looking down, he saw that his thick shaft had spread her cunt lips so far apart that her clit was sticking out. He reached down between them and rubbed a finger over the engorged nub.
"Augh!" screamed out Karina hoarsely as her body shook in orgasmic spasms.
Her juices gushed out liberally, coating their loins as her pussy clamped down in the stout, hard shaft inside it. Erobs was not prepared for the additional pressure. It seemed to him all of his erogenous buttons were pushed all at the same time. With a loud bellow, He grabbed Karina by the waist and rammed his cock deep into her.
Karina gasped as she felt his cock enlarge. Caught in the throes of her own orgasm, she did not know what to make of it until she felt his first hard spurt of liquid seed. Karina pulled him down to her breasts as he quivered and shook through a prolonged climax. His balls pumped her womb full of his hot, sticky jism. Erobs placed his hands on Karina's tits and held onto them as if they were a life preserver. Again and again and again, his body shook each time his cock spurted. One fleeting thought raced briefly through his mind that he felt like his whole body was going to be sucked into Karina's hot cunt. Finally, his climax subsided, but it was awhile before he could let go and regain his breath.
"I really don't care if your husband comes after me," gasped Erobs. "That was worth it!"
"Glad you think so," replied Karina with a smile. "Are you satisfied?"
"More than you'll ever know," said Erobs before he disappeared.
The next morning they all met for breakfast. Phartom had some clothes tailored for her, which immediately caught everyone's attention. Her top consisted of two thin strips of cloth tied behind her neck and coming down her front to wrap around her waist. The strips barely covered her ample bosom and swayed to the left and the right whenever she turned. Skin-tight pants covered her ass and were tucked into knee-high boots. Phartom had arranged her hair so that her horns were not visible.
"Nice outfit,
" commented Lorilei with a wink.
Karina chose to ignore Phartom's outfit or the lack thereof, and proceeded to tell what Zaius wanted for the Cup of Thyrsus. She left out the part of who she contacted, but she could see the curiosity gleam in Lorilei's eyes.
"Al-Haminin," mused Prince Antonio. "That is a longer trip than it took you to get here, but you're in luck. In the harbor is one of the fastest ships to sail these oceans. I persuaded the captain to take you where you need to go." Prince Antonio rang a small crystal bell beside him. "He'll be here momentarily."
"Under arrest?" asked Lorilei.
"Of course not," replied Prince Antonio indignantly. "His ship had an unscheduled customs inspection. It was amazing how much untaxed and contraband goods were found on board. The ship was impounded."
There was a knock on the door and it opened to admit a very irate man.
"You scaly, back-stabbing scoundrel," yelled the man at Prince Antonio. "You impounded my ship! Do you realize how much wealth I have brought here? You're a bigger pirate than I am!"
Prince Antonio broke out laughing. "I'm the government, you idiot! I have to be a bigger crook than you are. Captain MacGill, may I introduce Lady Karina Devon. I believe that you two have met before."
The man turned to face Karina, who immediately recognized him as the pirate captain who had attacked the brig she had been sailing on. Out of her armor, it took him a couple of seconds to realize who she was. He visibly curbed in some of his anger and bowed to her.
"She is the real reason your ship was impounded," stated Prince Antonio. "She needs to get to Al-Haminin as fast as possible with no side trip unless she orders it."
"Just you?" asked MacGill, with a touch of mockery in his eyes.
"Lady Lorilei and Lady Phartom will be coming with me," replied Karina.
"Enchanted," said MacGill. He turned to face Prince Antonio. "What do I get out of it?"
"Your ship back and your debt written off," said Prince Antonio. "That is, if they reach their destination."
"You're not giving me much of a choice," said MacGill sourly.