AO 4 Ch 9 (Patreon)

Chapter 9

Cleaning up the mess from the creslin took the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon. By the time we dragged ourselves from the now cleared sewers and fixed the roads above, the sun was moving quickly towards the horizon over the ocean.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Sienna said, taking hold of my arm and very happy to be out of that mess.

I turned to look into her eyes. “Yes, very much so.”

She smiled as a pink blush dusted her cheeks. “The sunset. Not me, you fool.”

“I prefer this scenery.” I planted a kiss on her forehead, but I wasn’t doing more until we had a bath.

For now, we needed to head back towards Brighthaven Manor and check in.

Taking one last breath, I said goodbye to the sunset and turned towards the place I least wanted to visit. “So, have any other mucky jobs that need to be taken care of? Pretty sure I only got to spend the day with you because you tricked Maximilian.”

“Tricked? Me?” She gasped and put a hand on her chest. “I simply needed some magic for what others would consider a thankless job. That a man who hates you might have a chance to order you to do something unsavory wasn’t my intention at all.”

I chuckled at her playing Maximilian.

“She compliments you well.” Aurelia observed. “You are all brute force. She was able to pull one over on a politically savvy opponent.”

“I don’t know if I’d go as far as to call him savvy.” I huffed at her praise for Mage Brighthaven.

“He’s a little… no, a lot dumber when it comes to issues regarding you.” Sienna chuckled. “He actually runs the city fairly well, and that’s not an easy task. However, when it comes to you, his rage at you ruining his ball seems to blind him. That or he can’t stand your family.”

“Sometimes the best way to fight an opponent is to use their weakness.” Aurelia nodded. “Ard could learn that rather than just crushing everything with overwhelming magic.”

“But overwhelming magic is my specialty.” I grinned, expanding my arms wide.

There was nothing wrong with turning an opponent inside out if that’s what it took. My mind drifted off to Aurelia’s use of her family bestiary and the notes she’d taken.

“So, did you get any useful information? Going to make your mark on the family bestiary?” I asked.

She nodded and pulled out her little book. “Blinding them with light magic worked surprisingly well. The death magic breath almost puts it up there with wyrms in danger. Combined with the magic resistance, I think I will be asked many questions about our experience.”

“Comparable to a wyrm? I think that’s an exaggeration.” My mind flitted to the towering beast that leveled the city.

“Not that one. The wyrm that attacked here was ancient. They never stop growing. No, when most people say ‘wyrm’ they think of something that’s forty feet in length and about as thick as two cattle.” Aurelia explained.

“Oh. That makes much more sense. A baby wyrm.” I simplified.

“What I described was an adult, just not a very old one.” Aurelia continued.

“No. After seeing that giant wyrm, everything that’s not city crushing size has officially been downgraded to ‘baby’ wyrm. I can’t help it that I’m always going to compare them to Big Bertha.”

Sienna deadpanned. “You are going to name it? That?”

“Duh? It’s Freddie’s mom. She deserves a name too.” I answered like it was the most obvious concept in the world.

Aurelia scribbled a note down in her notepad. “It is a beast worthy of a name.”

“That too.” I jumped on the agreement from one of my anchors.

“Ard is a four sphere mage. If he wants to name the ancient wyrm in the nation, then he can name the ancient wyrm.” Maribelle insisted. Her maid outfit had repaired itself after I fed it life magic.

Magical attire was the best. I really could not go back to what I wore in the village anymore.

I wiggled my feet in my boots, happy that I had managed to find a monster in the mountains with soft enough leather that Bernie could use. He’d outfitted the rest of my group with boots with the same magical properties.

I had happily hopped back into the boots as soon as we had gotten out of the sewer. Maribelle was holding the waxed ones. The muck slid right off of them, they were great.

We got a few strange looks as we walked through the city with dried blood flaking off of us.

I hadn’t wanted to clean off more than my face and hair before visiting Maximilian. Tracking in grime to his pristine manor was my own petty revenge.

“Let me do the talking when we get there?” Sienna asked like she had sensed my mood shift.

“Alright. As long as he’ll let you. He was fairly confrontational with me earlier.” I would happily hand off talking to him.

“Wonderful.” She held my arm tightly as we ascended the steps.

“I’m not going to run away.” I squeezed her arm tighter.

“Just holding on for my own nerves.” She said, though I was fairly certain that wasn’t the whole truth.

The Brighthaven manor was as opulent as ever. It was good to know that they didn’t let the destruction of the city besmirch their golden candelabras.

However, as I walked into the marble lobby, more blood flaked off of me and my companions, leaving a lovely trail that was likely to be a pain to clean.

“Excuse me.” A man stepped in front of us.

“Step aside.” Sienna projected authority. “We’re supposed to report to Maximilian immediately. His orders.”

The man hesitated, but then he stepped back when my provisional wife used her authority.

It was kind of hot.

Sienna strode past the clerk and charged through the manor like she owned it.

When she entered the back room, which held several mages standing around with what appeared to be post work wine glasses, everyone stopped and stared at us.

“What are you doing?!” Maximilian’s anchor screeched and stormed up to us like the high maintenance doll that she could be. I was already partially satisfied by the response, but the one I was truly after was still missing.

I glanced around for her mage, but I didn’t see him.

Turning back to her, I was halfway to a snarky response before I remembered that I had promised Sienna that she could take the lead.

“Looking for your mage.” Sienna met her eyes defiantly. “He demanded that we report back as soon as we finished. Guess what happened to that army of crocodiles? They ended up in the sewers, including a giant one. I’ve had it up to here with everything today, and I will not tolerate someone of your station speaking to me that way.”

Sienna summoned shackles from the marble floor to root the anchor.

An anchor could relatively easily break out of what she did, but the move was a fairly aggressive one all things considered.

The dolled-up anchor shrank back and a man in Brighthaven livery bolted out another door at the back of the room.

“Is this the part where I ‘you know’?” I snapped my fingers at the anchor and she flinched. “What was that for? It isn’t like I was going to somewhat accidentally turn you inside out and paint the room with your innards in an attempt to use magic I have not quite mastered yet.”

“Oddly specific.” A nearby mage murmured.

“It’s my specialty.” I grinned at the mage with a wide smile that pinched my eyes closed.

Sienna gave me a look, and I gave her a much more genuine smile. “Can’t keep your mouth closed?” She raised an eyebrow.

“In my defense, it looks a lot better flapping in the wind.” I winked.

“You’re lucky I like you so much.” Sienna patted my arm.

“He’s very lucky.” Maribelle agreed and pulled on my other arm to keep me from talking more. “To have so many competent ladies around that can help him where he might not have strength.”

I squinted at the maid. There was a good rebuke on its way, but I didn’t get the chance.

The doors smashed open and Maximilian was tying the belt on a gold silk robe as he stormed into the room.

I gave him a once over. He wasn’t wearing shoes and his hair was messy like someone had been running their fingers through it.

Given that his doll-like anchor was over here, I wondered who had been with him.

“What is the meaning of this?” He gestured vaguely to our state as flecks of blood continued to peel off.

“We have just returned from clearing the sewer with urgent information that the crocodile monsters from the pirate fleet have invaded the sewers. The channels that were clogged had their fair share. Other outlets should be checked in the future.” She fell into a parade rest. “And you demanded that we return as soon as we are done to report. Thus, we are here. It’s been a long day.”

Mage Brighthaven had a half sneer on his face, but then he seemed to reassess the situation, looking us over. “You could have at least washed up.”

“I’m afraid cleaning up would have meant too much time. We would not have been able to report until tomorrow.” Sienna dropped more formality as the conversation went. “Thus, you get what we have.” She gestured at herself and the blood over her.

His face twitched like he was suppressing a biting remark and instead smoothed out his features as he took in the other mages around us watching. “Then thank you all for your service. Graystone mages have a long history of keeping the kingdom running.” The smile he gave her was particularly pained. “Was this one too much trouble?” He gestured to me.

“Not at all. We’ll clear the rest of the sewers and he’d be vital to that end.” She answered.

“He was wonderful.” Karen spoke up. “Saved our lives on multiple occasions. That creslin was terrifying. Our magic barely scratched it. He however destroyed the thing like it was nothing.”

“Creslin?” Maximilian asked. Now he seemed interested and his eyes moved to Aurelia. “I’m not familiar with the monster. Perhaps you could enlighten me. I need to know if there’s action that needs to be taken to protect the city.”

“My own information is scarce. This would be the third that we’ve fought in Virel’s history.” Aurelia nodded. “It is magically resistant and has death magic. Without Ard’s uniquely powerful magic, it would have killed three Graystone mages. No question. We were unaware of this monster, so I can’t be certain what might be in the other sewer drains. If there’s another one, anything less than a group of veteran fighters will struggle.”

“Good. Then back into the sewers with you lot. I want the whole network under the city scoured of these. You’ve killed one and made a show of being blooded. Next time, you should wait until you are clean to enter my home.” He waved at us. “Leave before you make more of a mess.”

Sienna took my arm and pulled me around to walk out before I said anything brilliant. It was a shame. The mages present could have gotten quite the lesson in wit.

“That wasn’t so bad.” Maribelle seemed surprised.

“Not at all.” Aurelia commented as the two anchors fell into step behind us.

“No one likes to mess with the Graystones.” Sienna glanced at me as we moved. “We keep the kingdom running, which means we have a more subtle power. The sewers might back up any day, especially at your property if you really anger us. We might not be mighty, but we are necessary.”

“I like to think I’m both. However, not everyone might agree. Some people just don’t have any sense.” I rolled my eyes as we left the manor.

***

Emlyn had a hard bristle brush that I was pretty sure was for horses that she used to scour my skin with the guise of helping me bathe.

“If it hurts, just heal yourself.” She was naked with me in the bathroom. Three empty basins sat to the side.

“I’m not going to have any skin left the way you’re going at it.” I huffed and made a cube of ice in each of the buckets before holding fire over them.

“You really stank. I’m working it all out. Now, turn back around and let me work on your legs.” Emlyn chided me.

The door opened and Maribelle came in with two more large basins precariously balanced. They were far too large for a woman that size to carry, but she was an anchor and could lift a loaded carriage. The two basins were easy.

She dropped her outfit the second she came in and set the basins down next. “How is he?”

“Whining about how hard I’m scrubbing.” Emlyn grumbled.

Maribelle came around my front. She’d finished cleaning so quickly I didn’t want to think about how she did it. But she came out of the bathroom smelling like flowers. “Sir, you need to relax. Sit.” She didn’t give me time to actually follow the command. She pushed me down onto a stool and sank down in front of me. “Emlyn, stop scrubbing. He’s probably clean.”

Emlyn sniffed over me for a second before picking up the fancy scented soap and lathering up her hands before diving into my hair and running her fingers over my scalp. “Like that?”

“A lot better than the brush. You can do this as long as you want.” I let my eyes roll up and relaxed as she worked on my hair.

Wet hands pressed along my inner thigh and gently traced their way to my crotch.

“Oh?” Maribelle’s breath tickled at my balls. “Maybe we can make it better?”

The question wasn’t for me, it was for Emlyn.

“Zuri’s night. As long as you don’t exhaust him, it’s okay.” Emlyn answered.

There was some tension among the anchors when it came to sharing.

I knew Maribelle liked aggressive, so I quickly grabbed her blonde locks and pulled her down over my cock.

Her lips slid over me easily as I sank deep within her mouth and then her throat.

“Wow. Are you going to choke her?” Emlyn asked.

I held Maribelle down and only let her rise up an inch before shoving her back down roughly and repeating the motion.

Her nostrils flared and her eyes glazed over as I started thrusting her over me.

“Something like that.” I grunted feeling my pleasure rise quickly. When I first read Maribelle’s mind and what she wanted from me, it had scared me.

Yet, our few encounters since then had me looking forward to dominating the maid and making her my prey.

I almost enjoyed the scenarios she came up with now and it was a distraction to not pop early. The process was even more enjoyable than the finish line.

Curious, I dove into her twisted mind. The woman held her dark side hidden, but at times like this it was on the surface.

She wanted me to use her, cum all over her face and breasts, and then drop her on the floor like a used rag. In her mind, her face was twisted up in a mix of joy and pleasure.

Back in reality, I kept thrusting her down on me with one hand twisted up in her hair. The other reached down and grabbed one of her enormous tits and squeezed like I was trying to squeeze her flesh out between my fingers.

She gasped over my cock, crying out and making a lovely vibration for me.

“Oh my.” Emlyn had stopped working on my hair.

“Don’t stop.” I grunted as I got rougher with Maribelle, feeling myself slide in her warm throat with each blissful stroke.

Gods she felt so wonderful, so pliant to my every whim.

The woman was made for me, for making me delirious for pleasure.

My mind had slipped back into hers and she had me drugged up in a castle that was vaguely familiar, rutting into her like a man who had lost his senses. I was absolutely depravedly catching her and plowing her to completion only for her to escape in my moment of bliss.

Her mind was so intensely wrapping around me that I could feel myself sink into each of her holes and stare into her wide, wild eyes as she begged me for more.

She begged me to devour her up so completely that there was nothing else in the world.

I grunted and pulled back with a blink to the real world.

My seed came out in three hot jets over her face and chest.

Panting, I let Emlyn support me for a moment.

“Wow, that was intense for you.” Emlyn was more than familiar with my response to sex.

“Very. I was in her mind for part of that.” I let go of Maribelle and she let herself bonelessly flop to the floor with a giant smile on her face. “Leave that for the maids to clean up later.” I gestured vaguely at Maribelle.

“Uh. Okay. I’m going to rinse out your hair and then we’ve got to get ready for dinner with your mother.” Emlyn’s eyes kept flitting to Maribelle. It was the first time she’d actually seen what Maribelle enjoyed. “You like stuff like that?”

“She asked for it. I like when she wants me to be rough and dominating with her more. It lasts longer, but we don’t have time. You’re right. Dinner first. What’s the status of my kingdom blues?” Our clothes had been taken from us as soon as we had arrived. While I had fun traipsing grime and blood through Maximillian’s home, I knew better than to do the same in my mother’s home.

My mother had quickly taken the clothing and given them to Hecate to clean with a certain sort of sadistic glee.

“No clue how those are getting cleaned. Magic?” She offered.

“Magic.” I agreed and closed my eyes as she scooped out water from the basin and poured it over me.

Once she finished, I gestured for her to leave and got up to grab a bucket to gently pour water over Maribelle and wash off her face.

Then I gently lifted her up and put her on the stool, using a soft rag to clean her off completely. “Can’t let my favorite tool stay dirty. Get yourself dressed and stay by my side. I don’t like the game of leaving you like that after.”

“Sorry, Sir.” She glanced up at my eyes, love and adoration in them.

“Now let me check your hair and make sure I got it all out. Wear something distracting since you can’t wear your normal outfit.” I said, taking a comb and going through her hair. There was a lot of her. Her blonde locks curled heavily. Normally they went down to her waist, but now that they were wet, the curls stretched out. They nearly swept the floor.

“The red dress?” She asked hopefully.

“No, you aren’t supposed to spoil Zuri’s night, remember?” I pat her on the head. “The white one with the ribbon straps that go around your neck.”

She touched her neck and opened her mouth before snapping it closed.

“Out with it.” I rolled my eyes.

She traced a finger around her neck and stared down at the ground, she was being extremely submissive right now.

I realized it was still part of her play and stepped up behind her and grabbed her neck tightly, pulling her ear to my lips. “The collar?”

She nodded.

“I know you’ve been snooping and I’m going to punish you for it. You will have to wait before I give it to you. Though, let me be clear, my prey. That doesn’t change the fact that you are mine, now and forever. Got it?

“When the time is suitable, I’ll give it to you.”

She nodded and I placed a fierce kiss on her temple and let go. Maribelle bounced off the stool and wrapped her arms around my neck giving me a passionate kiss. “I’ll wait.” She skipped out of the bathroom like a giddy young maiden.

I rubbed my forehead and looked up at the ceiling talking to no one. “She’s so twisted, I think she’s twisting me too. To make matters worse, I think I like it.”