Chapter 2 - Chapter 2 (First Draft)

A pit formed in Vaneras’ stomach, hearing those words was never a good sign. Immediately, her mind raced with what he wanted to talk to her about. Did he somehow find out where she was last night?
“Uh, sure,” she said as she tried to stay calm, taking a sip from her mug and sitting at the table, her father pouring a second mug. 
“Brant came by yesterday,” he said to her, “he was asking for you.”
That wasn’t as bad as she was expecting, it could have been much worse. “I suppose he told you about what happened,” She said.
“He did,” Niklas continued, “And while I don’t condone you getting into altercations with people, Brant said you performed well.”
“I… just needed to blow off some steam,” Vaneras said, trying not to look him in the eye.

“Well, you seem to have done better than that,” Niklas said, “Brant came to offer you a job in the city guard.”
Vaneras was surprised, “Really?” she asked.

“He said he saw a lot of potential in you, and while it’s not the greatest of positions to offer, but there’s room to grow there…”
“Are you.. Saying I should take it?” Vaneras asked him.

“I’m only saying it’s something to consider,” he told her.
“And what about the forge?” Vaneras asked.
“Your brother is more than capable of taking it,” Niklas told her. “As good as you are at the craft, I can tell there isn’t quite as much passion there for you as there use to be. You always seem more happy to hold a finished weapon than to make one.”

Vaneras was silent,staring silently at the table.
“I just…” Niklas continued, “I know things have been hard for you ever since you came back here. I know you blame yourself and I know I haven’t handled it the best. I don’t want you to feel responsible for what happened and I want you to know that I don’t blame you. If anything it’s my fault. I tried to force you down a path that didn’t suit you, because I thought it would be best for you. But I didn’t account for what you wanted, and that decision came to bite me. What I’m trying to say is that you don’t owe us anything, and you should be able to choose your path from here.”
Vaneras was silent for a long moment, she was a storm of emotions inside. She had spent the last year or so hating herself for coming back, for being a failure. Part of her was frustrated that it took him this long to tell her this. But he had always kept things to himself, another part of her knew she shouldn't have felt this way to begin with but also couldn’t stop herself from feeling guilt while a third part of herself was washed with relief to finally hear that from him. In truth she didn’t know how to react and suddenly felt very drained, it probably didn’t help that she didn’t sleep very well the night before.
“Uh… well… thank you,” She finally managed to say. “I think I needed to hear that.” Her expression didn’t match her words. She stood up, “Well, I think I’m going to have to go lay down for a bit… still a bit hungover from last night,” She told him.
He nodded, this seemed about as awkward for him as it was for her.It was entirely likely that the same thoughts were running through his head as well. But she’d never know that. “Get some rest,” Was all he had to say.
She was quiet as she made her way up to her room, the second she closed the door behind her she pressed her back to the door and sank to the floor, her head in her hands. She was completely at a loss, emotions racking her inside. She wanted to yell and scream but forced herself to remain quiet, pushing down her well of feelings, if only for now. She remained here in this state for some time, she did not know exactly how long but by the time she brought herself out of it, she felt so incredibly tired. 
Finally raising her head and leaning it back against the door she looked up at the ceiling, she pondered what to do from here but no answers really came to her. She sighed and got pulled herself up. She was emotionally exhausted as she took a moment to undress before crawling into bed, laying on her stomach as she buried her face into her pillow. She was thankful for the still cool morning air that softly blew through the window, feeling it wash over her skin causing goosebumps to raise up on her skin, it was a nice refreshing feeling. It almost felt like finger gently tracing along her skin, she gave a soft groan. Now that she was thinking about it, she could really go for a massage right now. The feeling of gentle but firm hands running over her body, rubbing her muscles, and then after that maybe a bit more…
She forced the thought out of her mind, what was wrong with her? She had never been like this before. Suddenly she couldn’t stop herself from the wild and lurid desires and fantasies of a developing adolescent. 
She was a grown woman and certainly well past having lost her virginity, she should be beyond such things. However, the sudden thought of being at the mercy of another, their hands all over her naked body, regardless if they be man or woman, drove her wild.
She groaned in frustration and buried her face in her pillow again, gods know she’d be struck down as a heathen should anyone really find out about this, it was bad enough she had been involved with Julia and her antics.
She sighed in frustration and turned on her side, pulling the blanket over herself, she didn’t bother getting up to close the window as the chilled air continued to blow into her room. It carried a thick scent of moisture with it, she suspected it would rain today. She didn’t mind, if anything she enjoyed the rain, especially in the middle of summer like this. It had been so hot the last few days, it’d be nice for things to cool off some more.
She closed her eyes and tried to let herself relax, slowly drifting off to sleep as the sound of raindrops hitting the roof.
This time she slept much more soundly and woke a few hours later, opening her eyes, bleary yet better rested. She could hear the rain coming down outside at a steady pace. She sat up and let the blankets fall off of her. She stretched upward, her hair had become a bit of a poofy mess in her sleep. She got up and walked over to her dresser, grabbing a brush from where it sat on top and ran it through her hair. As she did, she looked herself over in the mirror that stood in the corner. She mainly watched to make sure she didn’t miss any spots as she brushed her hair but she couldn’t help but glance at her own body once the task was done.
It took her a long time to appreciate her body again after she came back, she blamed herself for what happened. She always thought that maybe if she was like other girls…
She didn’t let herself finish that thought, it didn’t matter why or how, she admired her uniqueness, she didn’t want to be like other girls. She was proud of her figure, her muscular stature against the more traditionally femenine features of her body had an unusual allure. Even if others didn’t see it, except for Julia.
Another thought she had to push from her mind, she probably shouldn’t see her for a while, Julia may have given her an open invitation but Vaneras could never… could she? Again her thoughts from earlier came back. Maybe she’d go out for a massage later, just to clear her head, and nothing else. Or so she told herself.
She snapped herself back to reality and got dressed, pulling a long beige tunic from her dresser and pulling it over her torso, not bothering with undergarments as she tucked the tunic into a pair of green trousers, both articles of clothing clung tightly to her body, showing off her figure without her even really thinking about it as she put her boots on and stepped out of her room, making her way downstairs.
Everyone seemed to be going about their own business, the usual hammering of metal could be heard coming from the forge. To her knowledge they didn’t have any orders at the moment, but it was pretty common for Niklas to be tinkering with something most of the time. Thomas was likely at school and there didn’t seem to be any sign of Tyrese while the scent of wood burning in the hearth drew her to the parlor where Katka sat in a rocking chair by the window, casually reading as the rain continued to fall outside.
“And Here I thought you were going to sleep the day away,” Katka said as Vaneras entered the room. “Your father tells me you had quite the wild night,” her tone was joking but Vaneras couldn’t help but panic for a second as if she knew. “Uh… yeah.”
“I remember when I was your age,” Katka mused, “as old as that makes me sound. I had wild times like that. You should have seen your father back then, you wouldn’t have recognized him.” She gave a chuckle as Vaneras awkwardly tried to do the same. “You’ve been working hard recently, I’m not surprised you wanted to unwind a bit, I may be your mother but I’m not too old to know people need to have a good time.”
Vaneras gave a soft smile, “Yeah, that’s true,” she said.
“But I was here when Brant came by yesterday, I’m sure your father told you about that,” Katka continued.
“Yeah,” Vaneras said, nodding softly. “I… I have to think about it.”
Katka gave a knowing nod, she always seemed to know exactly what Vaneras was thinking. “It’s a big decision. I know you’ve been stressed about things since you got back so don’t think you need to rush into this.”
“I know,” Vaneras said, slightly frustrated, “Thank you.” She knew she was just trying to help but she didn’t like having to think about it. She stepped out of the room, making her way back to the kitchen, scrounging up a light meal of bread and cheese before entering the forge. Her father was hammering away at an unfinished something. She didn’t get a good look at whatever he was working on and didn’t want to pry.
On a nearby table she found what equated to a large metal slab in the poor shape of a sword. An unfinished product, she had been working away at it for some time but had yet to really get it to take form. She brought the metal to the forge, allowing it to heat as she thought about it. What she wanted from this metal. This wasn’t the same kind of piece as a more mass produced weapon that one might find in the average shop. It was more intimate, personal. Aside from the style of weapon, she didn’t know exactly what she wanted from this. She had the basic shape, but the style had yet to be determined.
Once it was properly heated, Vaneras removed the slab from the furnace and began hammering the slab into a more finished looking shape. She worked to hammer out the lumps and odd ends of the metal before she started smoothing out the sides before she began shaping the edges that would eventually make the blade. The blade was thick, with double edges, but a curve at the end of the blade made it favor one side over the other. The weight as well as the size would make it excell at slicing and chopping, but most would have difficulty wielding it with much finesse. Something Vaneras wouldn’t be as concerned about, her own size and musculature often made more common weapons feel too small in her hands. She found the weight of larger and heavier weapons more comfortable, even if she lost speed in the exchange. When finished, the weapon would be about as long as she was tall.
But for now, it would have to wait again. But there was progress made today and that satisfied her. The entire process lasted a few hours and already the sun was setting. Vaneras only really noticed the passage of time until her mother called that dinner was ready. She wiped sweat from her brow as she put the unfinished blade away for another day. “I’m gonna go wash up,” she called before stepping out of the forge into the backyard.
The area was rather spacious, giving enough grazing room for their donkey that pulled their cart as well as a goat that Katka kept for its milk. The small creature, white with few black spots, looked up at her as she approached, giving a bleat in her direction. Vaneras gave it a soft pat on the head and moved on, it seemed satisfied with this and returned to the grass it was chewing previously.
Tucked in the back of the yard was a small shack with a curtain across its front. A small bathing area built around the well that already existed on the land. Vaneras stepped inside, drawing the curtain behind her. She removed her clothes and set them on a small shelf on the wall before drawing a bucket of water for herself. There was no time to prepare a hot bath for herself so a quick cold wash would have to do. She dumped the water over her head, she flinched as cold water washed over her skin, causing goosebumps to rise in her flesh. She shuddered but tried not to linger on it as she grabbed a rag and a bar of soap, using both to clean the sweat of the day away, followed by another rinse of bitter cold water over herself. She dried herself with one of the towels they kept there. Her hand lingered as she dried herself between her legs. She could…. No, there was no time for that. She dissuaded herself and finished drying before dressing again and returning to the house. Inside her family had gathered at the dining table, a large roasted ham sat in the center. Katka must have been preparing it all day. Either way it smelled enticing as Vaneras took the open seat and carved a section of meat for her plate, pouring a glass of wine for herself as Thomas loudly told the family about his day of schooling as Tyrese playfully teased him. 
Vaneras ate quietly, listening to the others as they would speak amongst themselves. It had grown common for her to do so since she returned. Though today instead of solemn silence, her lack of discussion was more due to her being lost in her own head. A mixture of feelings and emotions. Some of her still lingered on the night before while she also considered Brant’s proposition.
Dinner came to a close before Vaneras really noticed. She barely even remembered the food she ate as she looked down at an empty plate. She helped Katka clear the table and wash the dishes that were left as Tyrese put Thomas to bed.
Vaneras helped clean up afterwards, trying to put her mind to other things as she cleaned dishes and silverware. The process didn’t take very long but when she was done she still had that nagging feeling. She suddenly felt cooped up inside the house. By now the rain had settled down to a light drizzle. Maybe some fresh air would clear her head. She walked upstairs to her room to retrieve a cloak to help keep her dry before making her way back down and stepping out of the house. By now everyone else was asleep or going to bed. No one would really notice her slipping out for a little while as the cool night air hit her face.
The streets were mostly empty, as one would expect for a rainy night, mostly the usual tavern patrons who didn’t mind a little dampness as they made their way to their usual drinking holes. Though right now a drink didn’t seem to be quite what Vaneras wanted as she passed one of the several taverns that dotted the city. She wandered the streets aimlessly, hood drawn to obscure her face. Not that she expected anyone to recognize her, but it made the few passersby she saw feel a little more distant, more private. Not to mention the last thing she wanted was to get hit on by random drunkards.
Her mind was elsewhere as she walked anyway, trying to put her head together and wrap it around the last day or so, until her attention was caught by a storefront, a sign illuminated by candles that burned and alluring purple color. The sign advertised a “Madame Isotta’s Healing Massage”. She had never seen this place before, until she realized she’d never been on this street before. Despite her years of living in this city there were several areas of it she’d left unexplored.
Vaneras was reminded of her thoughts earlier of possibly getting a massage and considering she was now standing in front of a parlor, it almost seemed like the universe was trying to tell her something, not that she really believed in such things. The gods had better things to do than try and guide her like that. But her hand reached for the door and she stepped inside, lowering her hood.
The first thing she noticed was the sweet scent of the candles, it smelled vaguely floral but it was definitely something she couldn’t recognize. The lobby itself was dimly lit by more purple candles around the room. The room was further decorated by what she could only describe as general exoticism. Flasks of various liquids and herbs filed the shelves as objects she didn’t recognize decorated the leftover space. Though there was one piece she did recognize, a small silver cross that sat tucked back on a shelf, partially hidden behind other objects. She recognized it as the cross of Delvos. It was a common sight in most households and businesses. While it was technically not a requirement by law, not having one would earn you harrassment from the crusaders, especially in a place like this. If the proprietor of the shop was found without one in the building they’d probably get plenty of accusations of using magic and other witchcraft, regardless if the accusations were true or not.
“Can I help you?” a woman’s accented voice interrupted Vaneras’ thoughts, she turned to see a woman sitting behind a desk. The first thing that caught Vaneras’ attention was her darky tanned skin. That and her voice told her she was a foreigner, something that was exceptionally rare in this country, let alone in the capital city. She had long, jet black, hair and wore a purple outfit, one that was very revealing with a lot of translucent material with some gold ornamentation but the overall look left very little to the imagination. Her face was partially covered by a similarly translucent veil. Vaneras was unsure if this was a costume worn to help boost business or something from her culture. She held a long pipe in her hand, smoke emanated from the end. She closed the book she seemed to be in the middle of as Vaneras managed to speak.
“I-I saw the sign,” Vaneras stammered, trying to compose herself as she felt a pit in her gut as if she had been caught somewhere she shouldn’t be. “I trust you’re still open?” 
“I was about to close,” she said, Vaneras assumed this was the “Madame Issota” the sign mentioned. As she stood and stepped around the desk, allowing Vaneras to get a better look at her. Her figure was very shapely, Vaneras tried not to stare as she approached. “But I have time for one more client for the night. I take it you’ve never been, I’ve not seen you here before.”
“No, I just found your building,” Vaneras said.
Madame Issota tucked the end of her pipe under her veil to take a drag of her pipe, exhaling it before letting the veil fall again. The smoke had a very unusual scent, it didn’t smell like tobacco smoke, perhaps some kind of herbal blend. It wasn’t long after that did Vaneras start to feel a little more relaxed.
“Please, come in,” she said, already reaching out to pull open Vaneras’ cloak, taking off of her and hanging it on a coat hook mounted on the wall. Issota gestured for Vaneras to follow her into another room. The room had no windows but was dimly lit by more candles. In the center was a table with a rounded cushion at one end, it had a hole in the center. Vaneras had never been to any such massage parlor but she presumed that’s where one would put their head when lying down on their stomach.
“Please undress and lay down on the table,” Issota said as she stepped over to a small counter, she used her pipe to light some incense before she reached up and removed her veil and also began undressing. Vaneras paused, unsure of what building she had actually stepped into as the smoke from the incense began to fill the room. It was a very sweet aroma, similar to what Vaneras smelled of her pipe smoke but not quite the same. But Vanras attention was on Issota herself as she undressed. “Oh, don’t mind me,” Issota chuckled softly. “The oils I use can be quite messy, I don’t want them getting all over my clothes. Feel free to set yours on the counter here.”
Vaneras nodded softly and undressed, still nervous as she undressed, laying her clothes on the countertop, trying not to stare at Issota’s own body and timidly pulled herself onto the table, laying face down as Issota stepped up to the table beside her. In her hand was a vial of semi-clear liquid that she dripped onto Vaneras’ back. Vaneras flinched lightly as she felt the liquid on her skin, it was just slightly warm, only barely above room temperature but she felt an immediate reaction as a relaxing feeling spread across her back while Issota’s hands gently began to stroke her skin. She wasn’t kidding about it being messy as the small amount of liquid spread very quickly across her skin as Issota got to work. 
Issota’s claims about her ‘healing massage’ were true as Vaneras stifled a pleasurable groan, as the palms and fingertips of Issota’s hands worked and kneaded her skin and muscles, soft yet firm and managing to alternate between the two.
“I can tell it’s been a while since you’ve had someone touch you like this,” Issota said in a teasing tone. “You carry so much tension, I can’t imagine what the rest of you feels like.”
“I… I work in a forge,” Vaneras said, thinking it would be a serviceable explanation.
“That would explain your admittedly impressive musculature,” she said, causing Vaneras to blush lightly. “But the tension I refer to is more a result of emotional stressors. Unresolved issues or things like that. If you think it may help, you may speak of them here. It’s fairly common for my customers to do so, and this is a safe place. No matter what you say here, it doesn’t leave this room.”
Vaneras bit her lip, she certainly wasn’t expecting things to go like this. But the Madame was right, there were things she hadn’t spoken of since they happened and the idea of lifting said burden was tempting. Maybe it was Issota’s hands on her body or the relaxing scent of the incense in the room, but either way she suddenly spoke.
“My father had been a forgemaster for as long as I can remember,” she said, “and was a crusader for most of his life until shortly after I was born. He was always strict and we moved around a lot, but I don’t resent him for that. I know he always wanted what he thought was best for me and that didn’t change when I started picking up his craft. Maybe because I wanted to impress him, maybe just to spite him and prove that I could do it. He protested but it didn’t last, he said that if I was going to do it at least I would learn to do it right. It was from him that I learned the forge but also to handle the weapons and arms we were crafting. I learned alongside my brothers as they were born and grew into the same craft, at least when they were old enough to do so. But then the time came that we settled in here, work was steady enough that we stayed from when I was fifteen until now.
“But the year I came of age, something happened,” Vaneras continued, “I don’t know exactly how or when but at some point I caught the attention of a young nobleman. I say ‘young’ but he was about ten years older than me. He seemed he was entirely infatuated with me, to this day I don’t know exactly why. His name was Nimat of the Alvey family and we courted briefly for a few months. He was… charming I suppose. I only had limited experience with men in the past and I was fairly swept up in his efforts. It was only a few months in when he proposed. I was so shocked I didn’t really know what to say. I told him I had to think about it.
“Of course, my family was elated when I told them. My father was particularly adamant that I accept his offer. He told me that I’d get a better life that way, one that most people could only dream of. I was unsure but he insisted it would be what’s best for me. I was confused and unsure. The whole thing had complicated my plans and I wasn’t really sure what I wanted, but a few days later I accepted. We rushed to get the ceremony done as quickly as possible. It was… nice but afterwards I was sequestered off to his palace on the coastline. After our first night together it was pretty clear that he intended to have me sire his children, his heirs. He wasn’t quite so charming anymore once I was officially his wife. For the most part I was left to my own devices, I rarely saw him outside of his several attempts to impregnate me. After six months of trying and no progress, I was examined by more than one physician. They declared that I was incapable of motherhood. Part of me was relieved, I never really wanted kids anyway. But he quickly became furious with me. As if this whole thing was my fault, he told me how much of a wasted effort I was. He tried to hit me but I wasn’t going to let him. I was fed up with him and his bullshit so I punched him, breaking his jaw in the process.
“Naturally our marriage didn’t last much longer after that. But he went out of his way to make our annulment as public as possible. He spread rumors that I was sleeping with the hired help. Word spread quickly and before I knew it I was being dumped back with my family as if nothing had happened. Of course now that word had spread, my family’s reputation had quite irreversibly diminished. Work had all but dried up and I felt I only had myself to blame. I was so ashamed and I hated myself for potentially ruining everything. So when we could get work I threw myself into the forge twice as hard.”
“Do you enjoy it?” Issota asked as her hands worked down to Vaneras’ hips, Vaneras definitely noticed how good her hands felt as she found the words to answer her question. “I thought I did,” she said. “I… enjoy the craft but I don’t really feel like actually taking over the business is what I really want to do.”
“You definitely sound conflicted,” Issota said, her hands sliding further down. Vaneras couldn’t help but think Issota was grabbing her ass. It certainly felt like it but all her concerns were melted away as her fingers continued to work. 
“I guess I feel… trapped,” Vaneras continued as words continued to exit her mouth, continuing to spill her guts for this woman, she felt she should be concerned that she couldn't seem to stop herself but she just wasn’t. “Maybe I need a change in my life,” she continued, “I feel like I’ve been ‘lashing out’ recently.”
“Oh, how so?” Issota asked, her hands slipped to Vaneras’ thighs.
Vaneras went on to explain the past few days, her intervention at the guard tryouts, leading to the bar fight, (if it could be called that), how good those encounters felt and even her and Julia’s fling with the nobleman.
“And this Julia girl?” Issota asked, working her legs. “Is there an attraction there?”
Vaneras’ first instinct was to deny it, and while she fully intended to, the words she found herself saying instead were: “I don’t know,” she answered. “Physically maybe, but I don’t know if it's something I’d want long term.” Vaneras knew something as up now, this woman was manipulating her somehow, forcing her to speak unfiltered. Was it the incense? The oil? But why?
Despite these thoughts, Vaneras didn’t find herself being terribly concerned, possibly another effect of whatever Issota had done to her. But if that were the case, Issota didn’t seem like the type to report her, blackmail maybe?
“Why are you doing this?” Vaneras was able to say, challenging the effects over her, causing Issota to smirk.
“Secrets have power,” she answered, “you’ve been good so far so I think I can trust you with one of mine.” She gently stroked her fingers across Vaneras’ skin as she spoke. “I admit I am something of a magic practitioner, though I find the term ‘witch’ to be distasteful. My pursuit is not in the power itself but knowledge. The power people put into their secrets and I’ve found that situations like these create some very loose tongues, especially when aided by my special blend I’ve been burning all night. But I’m not a cruel person,” she went on, “In return for people’s secrets, their troubles. I offer advice to cure what ails them. So long as you promise to keep our little secret.”
Vaneras found herself nodding in response, causing Issota to grin. “Good,” she said, “now turn over. Your massage isn’t done.” Vaneras did, turning over on the table as Issota poured more oil on her skin, again the deep warmth spread across her body, especially causing a heat to rise up between her legs. “As for you,” Issota said, “I think you need to give in to those urges you have. The way people are forced to behave in this country is… damaging. These feelings and desires are not evil or whatever you’re taught to believe. If you truly want to be happy then I think you may have to look elsewhere, this is not the right place for you.” Her hands worked up Vaneras’ chest. Vaneras definitely noticed how those hands slipped tenderly over her breasts, causing a groan to escape her lips as she felt her nipples stiffen beneath her touch, in combination to whatever was in the oil.
“And if I may be so bold,” Issota said as her hand slid up to caress Vaneras’ cheek, “I may help you with that first step.” Issota’s face hung low, close to Vaneras. Vaneras could assume what Issota had in mind, but she couldn’t bring herself to protest, nor did she want to as she leaned up and kissed the other woman, earning a soft groan from Issota as she returned the gesture. Vaneras’ hands raised up, wrapping themselves around Issota’s body, hungrily reaching for every curve the woman’s body contained. Issota’s own hands mostly focus on Vaneras’ breasts before trailing down her abs. “Mmm, I must say, I’ve not seen many women with bodies like yours,” she teased, causing Vaneras to blush. “You should be proud of that uniqueness,” Issota continued, sensing Vaneras’ embarrassment. Her hands slid further down Vaneras’ stomach, fingers slipping over her crotch.
Vaneras shuddered lightly at the sensation, usually when one touches her here they were rough and aggressive, but Issota’s fingers were gentle, masterfly slipping between her legs. Vaneras gasped softly, clinging a little more to Issota’s body.
“My, this wet already,” Issota teased as her fingers rubbed against Vaneras’ lips. Vaneras herself unable to find her voice, losing herself in the other woman’s touch. “Well, one of the compounds of this oil is an excellent aphrodisiac. Extract of the honeyshade flower, for the record, it’s also an effective lubricant should the need for one arise.” She chuckled as she slowly slipped a finger into Vaneras, causing her to moan out. “If I didn’t know any better I’d think you were a virgin,” Issota teased as she worked her finger in and out of her, curling it inside her as Vaneras writhed. Issota was clearly amused as she picked up the pace, further intensifying Vaneras’ reactions. “Let’s see how far I can push you,” Issota continued as she pushed another finger into Vaneras, pumping her hand as deeply as her fingertips could reach into her.
“Fuck,” Vaneras gasped, finally able to form words, but it seemed this one being the only one available to her as Issota picked up the pace. Vaneras felt her muscles contracting as a pressure built between her legs, it built in intensity until it felt like it was reaching a peak and then… it stopped. The sudden denial of that release practically hurt as Issota grinned wickedly.
“Can’t make it too easy for you, can we,” She teased.
“You bitch,” Vaneras panted as she pulled Issota into another kiss, after a moment Issota continued where she left off, this time she was excruciatingly slow. Vaneras knew it didn’t matter how much she protested in groans against Issota’s lips the woman wouldn’t go any faster before she decided to. Vaneras was about to attempt anyway as Issot’as thumb found its way to Vaneras’ clit, causing Vaneras to shudder as she slowly caressed the small bud, Vaneras moaned out, arching her back as Issota worked. The other woman leaned down to kiss at Vaneras’ chest, her lips teasing Vaneras’ nipples, suddenly nipping at them with her teeth as her fingers pushed deep into Vaneras again. “Oh gods!” Vaneras cried out. She had never felt anything quite this intense before as she lay victim to Issota’s assault as she finally continued to pick up the pace, driving Vaneras wild as she felt the pressure building again, this time Issota did not relent, instead she pushed faster into Vaneras as the pressure finally peaked. Vaneras cried out as her body spasmed, twitching as she felt the pressure bursting out of her, her muscles squeezing down on Issota’s fingers.
It took a few long moments before it to fade as Vaneras lay panting, almost sore from how powerful the climax was. After a moment she sat up, “That was…,” she started but struggled to find the words.
“Satisfying?” Issota suggested with a smirk, “I like to think I know what I’m doing.” She turned her back on Vaneras and looked like she was about to clean up when Vaneras got an idea. She stepped up behind Issota, grabbing her and swiftly pulling her over to the table. Issota gasped in surprise but hardly put up a fight, the light struggling she did seemed mostly for the fun of it. “Oooh, somebody’s not done,” she said as she laid on the table, laying on her stomach, propping her chin up with one hand, a sly smirk on her face.
“I thought you should get a taste of your own medicine,” Vaneras said, grabbing the vial of oil from where Issota had left it.
“Oh noooo!,” Issota said with heavy sarcasm, “What ever shall I do? I’m completely at your mercy.” She lifted her hips into the air with her knees, slightly swaying her ass at Vaneras as she poured some of the oil onto her hand. Once satisfied with the amount she roughly grasped Issota, rubbing her hand between her legs, earning groans from the other woman. “Ohh, right for the kill eh,” she teased, grinding her hips against Vaneras’ touch. Issota was already wet when Vaneras started but she could already feel the heat between her legs grow stronger, a likely effect of the oil as she worked her palm against her. Vaneras relented only for a moment before she slipped two fingers into Issota’s moist orifice, causing Issota to moan out suddenly, perhaps not expecting her to go so roughly.
Vaneras’ fingers worked into Issota, writhing and wriggling into her as she worked in and out of her, much to the other woman’s delight as she curled her fingers inside her. Vaneras came to find this very amusing, the way she could pull certain sounds and reactions from the other woman based on how she worked her fingers into her, but as Vaneras worked diligently, an idea formed in her head. She had been admiring Issota’s ass while she was thrusting her fingers into her, but it became impossible to not notice Issota’s asshole. At that time she remembered what Issota had said about the oil’s lubricative properties. With her free hand she grabbed the vial again and poured more over Issota’s ass, the woman groaned in response, seemingly having no idea what Vaneras had in mind, and under normal circumstances she would never have considered such a thing, but today she was in the mood to experiment.
Vaneras pressed her thumb lightly to Issota’s anus, rubbing her gently for a moment. Issota groaned playfully and she may have been about to say something but her thought was interrupted, replaced by a deep groan as Vaneras applied more pressure, ther thumb slipping easily into Issota’s other hole. The woman’s entire body tensed up momentarily. “Oooh fuck!” she gasped, her hands gripping the side of the table tightly as Vaneras began working her thumb as well as her other two fingers as Issota’s moans grew more intense. Vaneras took this as a sign to go faster as Issota’s body shuddered in response. Vaneras pushed her fingers as deeply as she could into Issota, slowly growing more intense in pace and force as Issota’s own voice grew louder. “I-I’m” she stammered, her voice catching in her throat but Vaneras didn’t need her to finish the thought, she knew she was close as she suddenly gave her everything she could until suddenly Issota’s whole body shuddered as she cried out loudly, both orifices clamping down tightly on Vaneras as spasms wracked her body. A hot liquid splashing out from between Issota’s legs and onto the table.
It all seemed to last several long moments before Issota calmed down, Vaneras slowly pulled herself free of the other woman before she practically collapsed onto the table. “My, that’s…” Issota started as she caught her breath.
“Satisfying,” Vaneras teased.
Issota chuckled, “Something like that,” she responded as she pulled herself off the table, her legs wobbled as she held herself against the table for support. “Best to wash this off,” she said as she grabbed a nearby towel, “let it sit for too long and the effects will linger. While I could send you home as is, it would be a bit cruel of me when the second wave hits.” She chuckled mischievously, leaving Vaneras to only assume what she meant by that as she led Vaneras further back into a dark room. A swift wave of Issota’s hand lit several candles within the room. It was a pretty standard looking bathroom, in the center was a large white bathtub that looked very elegant. Something you’d expect a noble to keep.
To Vaneras’ surprise, the tub was already full of water. Issota set the towel aside and dipped her hand into the water, gently stirring it and Vaneras watched as steam started to rise from the water. Vaneras approached and was about to ask if this was her magic but Issota turned to her with a smile, holding a finger to Vaneras’ lips. “Our little secret,” she chuckled before slipping into the tub, leaving just enough room for Vaneras to slip in across from her.
The water was comfortably hot as she leaned back against the tub as Issota rinsed herself off. “So do you just do this for everyone who comes in here?” Vaneras asked. 
“Convince them to spill their secrets to me, yes,” Issot teased, “but only certain ones get my ‘special’ treatment as you did, mainly the ones I find particularly attractive.” She smirked.
Vaneras was quiet for a moment, thinking about that. “You said, ‘in this country,’ earlier,” Vaneras noted.
“Yes, it’s not a secret that I’m not from here,” Issota answered. “My people are a nomadic type. We come and go as we see fit, we consider ourselves free.”
“And what brought you here?” Vaneras asked.
“I wanted to see other lands, venture off on my own. So I left the tribe to explore on my own, in time I became curious about the country locked beyond the mountain ridge, the ‘Corpse of the Old God’. Upon arriving I found a country in turmoil. Yours deals with more beasts and nightmare creatures than any I’ve seen before, yet you seem so at odds with yourselves. Obsessed with how you should be leading your lives to the point of making laws out of it. You should be brought together by comradery but I see you forced together by fear. It does not make sense to me. For example, among my people we see no shame in our bodies. We see them as gifts from the gods, things to be loved and celebrated once we reach adulthood, man, woman, it does not matter. So long as we are doing no harm. But here, so terrified of the concept, loving someone of the same sex could end ones life if caught. I apologize for being so harsh but I find that to be so terrible…”
Vaneras gazed down into the water as Issota spoke.
“I’m sorry if I’m being harsh,” Issota said.
“No, you’re right,” she said, “this land is not kind to people seen outside of the norm. I can’t remember the last time I saw an outlander. It does not help we’re so secluded. Getting in and out is no meager task. Even trade ships have to be wary of sea creatures and leviathans.”
Issota nodded quietly, “But what I said earlier still stands true,” she said, “someone like you would be better suited elsewhere.” 
“Perhaps,” Vaneras said, “but easier said than done. Not to mention my own obligations, perceived or otherwise.” She sighed and rolled her head back to look at the ceiling. 
Issota sat quietly for a moment, “But tonight is not the night you will find your answers,” she said. “And as much as I’d love to do this all night, I feel you’ll prefer to go home before sunrise,” she chuckled lightly. 
Vaneras returned her chuckle with a slight smirk, for a moment she considered the proposition, but only for a moment. “You’re right,” she answered, “But… perhaps another time.”
Issota smiled, “I’d like that… in exchange for more secrets of course.”
Vaneras laughed, “Yes, yes. You’ll get your precious secrets.”
The two finished washing up and dried off. Vaneras dressed herself, feeling more refreshed than before as she stepped out onto the street, Issota closing and locking the door behind her. The sun had already set when Vaneras arrived but the night had progressed quite a bit since then. Everything was still damp from the rain as Vaneras walked the now empty streets as she returned home, her heart lighter than before, the thoughts that weighed her down earlier didn’t feel so heavy now.
Vaneras however, did not notice the dark figure stalking her on her way home...


