Virtual Reality: Dragon Quest III

I managed to get it all off, eventually. I misjudged the distance when I tried to get into bed, however. The smart rap on my shins made me wish I'd left that part of my armor on.

I fell across the bed with my eyes and teeth both tightly clenched against the pain. After a while, I managed to get up on the pillow, though getting under the coverings proved to be too complicated in my intoxicated state.

When I drink, it's nearly impossible for me to go to sleep, and when I do, I usually wake up not long afterward. This time was no different, and I noticed some faint, fascinating sounds as I was trying to relax. After a few minutes, the sounds got louder and I realized what they were. One of the two women in the next room was having a very good time. Even though I was drifting off, I still heard the quavering scream of release signaling that the woman was coming.

I fell asleep after that, but awoke not long after. I don't know how long it was, but what awakened me were more cries of ecstasy from next door. Dimly, I thought that the sounds were different, and that the difference indicated that both women were enjoying their night. Couple lucky bastards, I thought. Even my mental voice was slurred.

I fell back to sleep and tossed and turned for the rest of the night, dozing for short periods of time.

@===||>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Once again, I praised the ability of healing herbs to cure a hangover. After the magical remedy and a quick wash, I actually felt human again. I strapped on my armor and I was pleased to notice that it didn't seem to smell half as bad as metal armor did. The absence of the rusting metal stink was the likely reason.

I opened the door to my room and the door next to mine opened at the same time. The brunette, whom I vaguely recalled was a healer, smiled and said, "Morning, Thakkor. Feeling delicate this morning?"

"Just tired. Healing herbs took care of the hangover," I chuckled.

The blonde soldier turned to her roommate, a quick flash of a half-smile on her lips. She then looked back at me and asked, "We didn't keep you up, did we?"

My still fogged brain finally came up with the two women's names -- Cheryl and Annette. As I replied, I even managed to remember that Cheryl was the blonde. "Nah, I just don't sleep worth spit when I drink, Cheryl."

Cheryl was a soldier, through and through. She was well-muscled, without looking masculine -- at all. Her wealth of long, sandy-blonde hair, ample breasts, and taut ass dismissed any illusions of her being manly. Annette was even more feminine. She had dark hair, bright green eyes, and sexy curves similar to Cheryl's -- just a little softer looking.

Cheryl smiled and inclined her head, in a gesture of understanding. "Good. The last person to take your room complained all the time. I still think he was just jealous."

When I noticed Annette blushing, everything snapped into focus. My first instinct was to assume that the women had invited men back to their room. Now I realized that they were the only ones in the room letting out those sounds of pleasure. That thought sent blood rushing down below. "You won't hear me complaining about the noise," I chuckled.

"Oh?" Cheryl asked, raising her eyebrows. "It doesn't bother you?"

"Why should it?" I responded, with a shrug.

"Most men seem to feel threatened. At least, that's the impression I get from them once they find out," Cheryl explained.

I finally remembered to close the door to my room. "Not me. I was going to go grab some breakfast and then see about getting in a bath. How about you?"

"The breakfast or the bath?" Cheryl asked, offering a mock look of rebuke.

"The breakfast," I laughed.

"That's where we were headed. You okay with some company, Annette?"

"That sounds fine," Annette replied.

"Let's go see what Louisa has cooking, then," Cheryl declared and nodded toward the stairway that led down into the common areas.

We chatted as we ate, mostly refreshing our drink-fogged memories about what we had discussed the night before. I sat back and let out a sigh, realizing I'd ate too much. "Shouldn't have had that last stack of hotcakes."

Annette laughed. "True -- especially if someone wants to hire you today. You'll have to march on an overfull stomach." She paused for a moment, and then added, "I think I ate too much, too."

Stretching a little, I said, "At least we'll be in the same boat if someone needs reckless sellswords."

Cheryl shook her head. "We're not looking for work right now. We never accept a job unless Rebecca is here. She's off visiting her family. She's our wizard. I don't know enough spells to get us through if we run into something hairy."

"We can start looking for work then," a voice called from across the room.

I saw her first, as Cheryl and Annette's backs were to her. Though her voluminous robes hid most of her, I saw tantalizing hints of interesting curves as she approached. Her red hair really drew my eyes, and I noticed she had eyes of an even more striking shade of green than those of Annette.

Sigh -- all the hot girls are lesbians, I thought.

"Glad you're back, Becca. I'm ready to dust this place off me for a while," Cheryl called out.

"I'm getting something to eat first, that's for certain," Rebecca declared as she sat down. She waved to one of the waitresses and then said, "Are you going to introduce me?"

Her sly smile and appraising look made me wonder about my earlier conclusion that she was into girls.

"This is Thakkor. He just got into town. We had a few too many beers together last night," Cheryl answered her friend.

"You mean I had too much to drink," I chuckled.

"Don't let them fool you. They can manage to walk when they're pissed, but their brains are stuck in the mud," Rebecca advised.

The waitress took Rebecca's order and we chatted while she ate -- a little too much -- as we all had. Our conversation at the breakfast table combined with what I remembered from the night before confirmed my memory of my last save in this game. The Hero and his party should be in the Dark World, making their way toward Zoma. I'd chosen the right name, as I'd named the Hero something other than Thakkor in that save.

As the morning wore on, we considered looking for something to do. The girls were lamenting their lack of funds and I was on the verge of offering to take them shopping.

"Hello. What have we here?" Rebecca interjected.

Following her gaze, we all saw a finely dressed woman entering the building and moving toward Louisa's desk.

"The way she's dressed, she's not looking for work," Cheryl observed.

"And that means she may be looking for someone to hire," Annette added.

"As nice as that dress looks, she might just have some real money too," Rebecca finished, nodding her head sharply and raising her eyebrows.

"Look formidable, everyone," Cheryl chuckled.

We kept an eye on the woman as she talked to Louisa. Rebecca let out a quiet, hissed, "Yes," when Louisa pointed in the direction of our table and the woman walked our way.

The woman approached and said, "Excuse me. My name is Lady Roma. I am seeking adventurers, in a matter of life and death." Her voice was musical and had an aristocratic air. Long blonde hair hung down her back in gentle waves, and she had the willowy body of a dancer, save for her well-endowed chest.

"That's a good way to make us think about raising our fee, just coming out with life and death like that," Cheryl advised. "We're listening, though. We've been in hairy spots before and come out fine."

"The money is of no matter. Foul men have taken my younger sister and I seek aid to see her released. Her captors make ransom demands, but I fear to leave her fate in the hands of their honesty upon delivering what they request," Lady Roma explained.

"We've been on rescue missions before. We can handle that," Cheryl said.

"I sought you out because I fear for my sister's virtue. I will pay you well -- whatever you ask."

Guess I'm shit outta luck, I thought, Just my bloody luck. I caught knowing glances from the girls and I knew what they were thinking. Lady Roma didn't realize the women's sexual preference. Something told me that they wouldn't do anything like that, though.

Glancing at the other women, who nodded their approval, Cheryl turned back to Lady Roma. "Well, if you'll pay for us to replenish our supplies a bit, we'll lower our fee. Our equipment took a beating on our last job."

"Anything you ask," Lady Roma replied.

"Sounds like we're working for you now, then," Cheryl said with a smile.

I gave the girls a little tip o' the hat gesture and stood up from my chair.

Cheryl quickly said, "We're a package of four, too. You don't have to worry about Thakkor and we'd be along to protect your sister anyhow."

Lady Roma turned to eye me critically. "There is something about you," she said quietly. Turning back to Cheryl, she said, "I agree."

The girls all stood up and Cheryl said, "Well, let's get going then, Lady Roma. We have a damsel in distress to rescue."

@===||>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Leaning over the rail of Lady Roma's ship, I watched the waves breaking across the bow in the ruddy light of sunset. The way the sailors behaved seemed odd to me. My last adventure on a ship had seemed more typical, with the sailors cursing and insulting each with almost every other word -- and that had been a royal ship. The mariners who sailed Lady Roma's ship were polite and efficient to a fault. I mused that it must be because a woman owned the ship and she'd chosen a higher class of people to man it.

I'd cast the repel spell before we set out on our journey, so the monsters pretty much left us alone. That surprised my companions and the warriors Lady Roma employed for just such reasons. It did make the long voyage to Samanao a little boring, though.

A pair of dolphins breeched the surface next to the ship, moving along beside us and appearing to be curious about the ship. I sensed Annette approaching before she spoke. "They're so beautiful. It's hard to believe the ocean is usually so dangerous when you see the dolphins or the whales. I'm surprised we haven't had to fight off any monsters yet."

The conversation and the sound of her voice reminded me -- a bit painfully -- of Gwen. I shook it off and responded, "I used a little magic to keep the monsters off our back. It works like Fairy Water."

"That is a rare spell," Annette remarked with surprise.

"I picked it up somewhere," I chuckled.

"Cheryl is a little miffed. She didn't bring anything to drink with her, assuming that the sailors would have plenty on board to buy," Annette remarked with a chuckle.

Those words brought a spell to my mind, one that wasn't part of the game. Just like the spells Gwen and the sisters had used in my previous adventures, it was unique magic never mentioned in the game. I pursed my lips and raised my eyebrows in amusement. "Maybe I can do something about that. I have another little bit of magic that just might do the trick. Let's go get a cup of water."

"Okay," Annette said with a curious expression, and followed me to the water barrel.

I dipped a tin cup and cast my spell. The water glowed faintly for a moment, and I took a sip once it stopped glowing. I chuckled and handed the cup to Annette. She brought the cup to her lips, and her eyes widened with surprise.

"This is wine, and very good wine at that."

Giving a little bow, I said, "Why thank you, Milady."

She laughed and said, "Cheryl isn't very fond of wine, though."

Holding up a finger, I said, "Not a problem." I dipped another cup, and cast a slightly different spell. I sipped, and then passed the cup to Annette.

"Your beer is just as good as your wine. I think I could almost drink a few of these and I don't usually have a taste for it," Annette remarked.

Her expression betraying the grumpiness Annette had alluded to, Cheryl walked up on the deck with Rebecca. Annette waved them over, turning to offer me a conspiratorial smile. When the pair reached us, Annette handed the cup of beer to Cheryl, and asked, "Care for a drink?"

"Yeah, but not of water," Cheryl snorted. Then she noticed the color of the liquid in the cup, and brought it up to her nose to sniff. Her eyes lit up, and she tipped the cup back. As soon as the liquid touched her tongue, Cheryl downed the beer in one long pull. Grabbing the cup in both hands when she finished the beer, she quivered in an almost embarrassing display of ecstasy. "Please tell me there's more," she sighed.

"As much as you want," I responded. "A wee bit o' me magic ta make the journey quicker," I added in a stereotypical Irish accent, while wiggling my fingers in a pantomime of spellcasting.

"We probably shouldn't get too pissed," Rebecca warned while flipping back a lock of her red hair, which had blown into her eyes. "There's a reason the Lady doesn't have any alcohol on board."

"We can at least pass t' time in a bit o' comfort, though," Cheryl interjected, imitating my put-upon Irish accent. "Fill 'er up, Barkeep," she added with a laugh, holding out her cup to me.

I wrangled a bucket a short while later to save time. We did manage to moderate our consumption, but we were certainly feeling good as the night wore on. Lady Roma visited with us for a short time and didn't appear to disapprove, although she admonished us not to provide the crew with any of the booze.

When Roma announced she was turning in, Rebecca did the same. Once our employer returned below decks, Rebecca led Cheryl down the stairs as well. The looks on both their faces plainly revealed that adventure wasn't the only thing they'd been missing while Rebecca was away visiting her family.

Annette smiled in their direction and laughed quietly. She then turned back to me and said, "I suppose I should turn in as well. Who knows what tomorrow may bring, and we should be rested."

Looking up, I saw clouds obscuring the moon. "Looks like we have a storm rolling in. I might stay up a bit, but I'm not really in the mood to get soaked in a storm." As if on cue, a flash of lightning split the night sky.

"Oh dear," Annette muttered. "I'm certainly getting off the deck now."

"Sounds like a plan. After you," I agreed, gesturing toward the stairs.

I marveled at the opulence of the ship again when we reached the lower deck. Designed to carry only one specific cargo, the Lady Roma, the ship reserved all its space for passengers. The crew, save the Captain and First Mate, had a common bunkhouse deep in the stern of the ship, but the bow portion entirely catered to the Lady and any guests she had on board.

We all had our own cabins, which were spacious and lavishly furnished for a ship. Considering how much space our employer's cabin appeared to take up, I assumed she had a multi-room suite. Rebecca and Cheryl had chosen the two cabins farthest aft, which left me between them and Annette. Annette paused at her door and turned to me, just as I was about to pass her and go to my own cabin.

"I don't suppose you could use your magic to make me another cup of wine, could you? I'm really not fond of storms, especially at sea."

I smiled and said, "Sure. It will probably help you sleep and you can hardly offend anyone by being a bit drunk in your cabin."

"Thank you. Please come in. I should have a cup and some water." Smiling broadly, Annette opened the door and walked into her cabin. She shut the door behind us and rummaged around in her kit until she found what she was looking for. Pulling out two cups, she said, "Share a drink with me?"

"Sure, why not," I replied. The sound of thunder crashing from the storm above nearly drowned out my words, however.

Annette filled the cups with water, and I cast my spell. Looking toward the window, she nervously said, "I hope this won't be a bad storm."

I walked over and looked out, scanning the sky and the waves. "Looks like it will be a pretty quick storm. The wind isn't whipping up too badly. It'll probably be bumpy and loud for an hour or so, but we should be fine."

"I hope not," Annette said and sat down on the bed. She held out my cup, and I walked over to take it.

The storm hit us then, and the ship's motion let me know it beyond any doubt. Though my prediction was right and it wasn't bad, it was more than enough to force me to fight for balance.

"You should probably sit down," Annette suggested, scooting over on the bed to make room.

The room had a table and chairs, and the suggestion that I sit with her on the bed forced me to fight down my instinct to look surprised. After a moment of silent debate, I sat down on the bed, leaving plenty of room between us.

Annette smiled and sipped her wine, but still glanced nervously at the window on occasion as well. We finished our cups, and I stood up. The smell of Annette's perfume was making me think about things that recent history proved would likely get me in trouble. "I should probably get to my bed."

It only lasted for an instant, but I caught Annette's slight look of disappointment. She stood as well, smiling somewhat woodenly. Just then, the ship took a particularly violent lurch and Annette stumbled toward me.

I instinctively reached out to steady her, and she fell into my arms. I couldn't help but be acutely aware of her firm breasts pressed up against my chest, her perfume, and the look in her eyes. The look was one of unmistakable arousal, which completely belied my assumption that the three women were lesbians.

Annette stood on her tiptoes, obviously leaning in to kiss me. I began, "But I thought..."

"We were lesbians? No. Well, Cheryl is, but she's curious. Why don't you help me take my mind off this awful storm?" Her voice carried hints of both seduction and genuine nervousness from the storm.

"I don't know," I protested despite my body screaming at me to shut up. "Between my own screw ups and wrong impressions, that sort of thing has turned out more than a little badly for me lately."

"It's just sex. I think you're handsome. Don't you think I'm pretty?"

"Mmm Hmm," I replied, not really trusting myself to say more.

"So why shouldn't we?" Annette asked sultrily, reaching down to run her fingers over the codpiece of my armor.

"What about Cheryl and Rebecca?"

"I'm sure they're busy, and they won't mind unless I refuse to give them details." She took a step back as she spoke, and undid the first of the buttons on her robe. "Take my mind off the storm," she said while continuing to disrobe.

"No strings? Nobody's going to be hurling spells at me afterward if I look at another woman?" I asked with a chuckle.

"No," Annette answered, letting her robe pool to the floor to reveal she wore nothing under it. She crooked her finger in a beckoning motion, and then chuckled nervously while color filled her face.

My conscience retreated, knowing it was licked. I worked to pull my armor off as quickly as possible while Annette reclined on the bed. When I sat down to work on the straps securing the armor on my legs, Annette sat up to work on some of the other buckles. Between the two of us, I was down to my boxers in short order.

Annette leaned in to get her kiss, reaching down to wrap her fingers around my erection at the same time. She moaned into the kiss as she caressed me, and I reached around her to run my fingers over her back and bottom.

When our lips parted, I couldn't resist the sight of the pink tips adorning her perfectly shaped breasts any longer. I kissed my way down her neck and chest to wrap my lips around her right nipple.

While I suckled the stiff buds, paying equal attention to both, Annette pulled down the front of my boxers to get her hands around my naked manhood. She stroked it with one hand, while her other hand caressed my back. I caught a hint of the scent of her arousal, and that awakened another hunger in me.