Arms of the Ocean Ch. 03

"So what is the problem, Sye?" Vyla asked as she slipped the little stones back into their home.

"The problem— if you go showing those around town, everyone will know about it. Then everyone will start wondering what a pair of nobodies are doing with a fortune in pearls. We'll have every guard in the north tailing after us and every merchant and their mercenaries."

For a while Vyla remained silent as she considered his words. Her tongue shifted thoughtfully about her mouth, occasionally bulging one cheek or the other. "Perhaps you have a point. I had not realized how greatly you Shaslings covet the ocean's wealth. There are great vaults of pearls in our cities that house thousands."

Ronav pushed back any and all longings of greed that tried to force themselves into his mind. No point throwing his life away on an impossible venture.

"So what do you suggest instead, Sye?"

"We find a caravan and buy a ride on that, something I can actually afford."

Vyla frowned. "It will take longer, but so be it." Then her features smoothed and shifted to that of a near childish glee. "It will give us plenty of time to get better acquainted, I should think."

Ronav could only shift uncomfortably beneath the wink that she flashed him.

===

"Ugh," Vyla huffed beside Ronav as her foot squelched into the muddy patch of road. "Now I see why my sisters loathe to come on land. This place is filthy."

Ronav quickly jerked his head around out of fear that someone may have overheard. Did she really need to say things that so clearly implied her being a Siren? Fortunately there were no citizens of Ripples on the Water in hearing range and the bustle of market square up ahead helped to drown out their voices. He turned his attention back to her before saying anything. "It's just mud. There has to be worse things than this in the ocean, ah?"

"Squid ink comes to mind, but the reward for braving it is a delicious squid." Vyla licked her lips as she shrugged and the blond hair of her disguise bobbed upon her shoulders. She had chosen to appear as a Neynas woman, the fair-skinned race of people who drew energy from the sun and worked it into magic. Of course, this being nothing more than a different skin, Vyla couldn't replicate that ability. "And besides, you are surrounded by ocean water with which to clean yourself."

He had to give her credit for that. Still, Ronav couldn't help but force back a smile at the thought of a Siren, supposed to be murderous and sadistic, worrying over a little mud.

"Something funny, Sye?"

Ronav trembled a little at her perception. "Uh... look, see if you can spy any caravans that look as if they'll be heading off today." As he swept his eyes over the wide, open expanse of the market square, Ronav could see at once that their prospects were slim. It being roughly the middle of the month, the furthest time from the monthly day of Ka, few traders or travelers were arriving in or leaving the town. Across the way from where they walked, he could see only two possibilities. One, looked to belong to a merchant who had just arrived and would no doubt be staying a while to offload. The other held more promise but, as Ronav drew closer with Vyla in tow, his hopes sank.

Several armed men stood around the once-promising caravan, more of a carriage by its decor, and there looked to be few workers moving cargo around.

"This one, Sye?" Vyla asked, clearly having not noticed the problem. She nudged him and flashed a smile, her teeth having changed to be less shark-like. "I only hope that we will have enough privacy once on board in case my appetite returns."

Ronav's heart skipped as he looked down into her wide, inviting eyes but he quickly flushed away any thoughts of such pleasures. "They're not going to let us on board this one. Not with what we can afford."

"Oh, what makes you think that, Sye?"

Ronav nodded to the men who milled around and scanned the crowd, occasionally snapping at any passersby who drew too close. Each of the guards wore a suit of leather and mail with a golden hand painted on the chest. "You see those crests on their armor? They're no ordinary mercenaries. Probably the personal guards of some noble."

"You think I cannot see that?" Vyla snapped.

"Either way, he's not going to share his transport with a couple of strangers off the street."

"She I think you'll find." Vyla pointed

Ronav followed her hand and at once saw the woman walking across from them. She stepped along a path of boards that had been lain out purely for her purpose. The woman wore a long, orange and gold dress that billowed out around her and had to be held up to avoid getting in the mud. She, like Vyla at the present, had the golden hair and fair skin of a Neynas. Her hair had been crafted into a tall, beehive-like structure upon her head and decorated with ribbons and colorful pins.

"I think I shall negotiate with her."

"Wait, don't—"

But before Ronav could stop her, Vyla strode through the mud and stagnant rainwater towards the woman's assembly. Several of the guards noticed her but hesitated in their efforts to stop her advance. Ronav could guess why. Vyla brimmed with confidence. Besides, the noblewoman had taken notice now. He watched as Vyla introduced herself and expected immediate rejection. But none came. Instead the two chatted together warmly until, at last, he was beckoned over by both.

Concern washed over Ronav as he approached. Vyla had to know this person somehow, it was the only explanation. And if that were the case, what were the odds that this was another Siren in disguise? One had proven trouble enough, two would be a nightmare.

Please, Ka, do not let that be the case, Ronav prayed.

The guards did not move to intercept Ronav as he passed them by. Coming closer, he soon heard the tail of the conversation that Vyla and the noblewoman were having.

"... far nicer to see in the spring when the flowers are in bloom," remarked the noblewoman and Ronav knew that her words could not be meant for Ripples on the Water. "But we should at least catch a glimpse as we pass through."

"Pass through where?" Ronav asked once he stood with them.

The noblewoman regarded him with a cool stare before returning her attention to Vyla who had her hands clasped beneath a face of forgiveness. "As I said, Lady Telra, he is disappointingly uncivilized. I would think it best to let him ride alongside the driver."

"Quite, have him fetch the last of my trunks, would you. Let's see if there's some muscle on him at the very least." With that, Lady Telra strode between them unperturbed as she made her way to the open doors of her carriage.

Rather than watching her go, Ronav's eyes shot to Vyla's and he immediately wore what he hoped would be received as a face of pained frustration.

"Well?" Vyla simply remarked. "The trunks will not carry themselves..." she nodded along the walk down which Lady Telra had come to a place where several, colorful chests were sitting outside the entrance to one of Ripples on the Water's pricier lodges.

"What have you gotten us into?" Ronav hissed as he grabbed hold of the Siren's arm.

Vyla snarled and pushed in her face to mere inches of his. "I have fetched us travel arrangements, Shasling, can you not see that? Now fetch her luggage as I explain or you will ruin our chances here."

Ronav met her glare for a moment before conceding to the command. He clenched his hands tight as he stomped along the temporary boardwalk and hefted the first of the Lady's trunks into his arms. Despite his naturally strong and enduring Taigin frame, a groan still escaped him beneath the weight.

"Now," Vyla began while she skipped along unburdened at his side. "I have convinced the lovely Lady Telra to allow us on board her transport as far as Shadetree Fold. To sweeten our arrangement, you will be acting as a general assistant of sorts for her during the journey in place of serving me. No, don't give me that look, that's just the story I told, keep up will you?" Vyla paused her explanation as they came close to the carriage again and allowed Ronav time to load his burden onto the back. Once they were at a safe distance, she continued. "So for the duration of our travels, you will wait on her, hand and foot. I will keep by her side to maintain our charade through the myriad of blunders that you will no doubt manage, understood?"

"No," Ronav grunted as he hefted another trunk. "There's more to it than that. She's another Siren, isn't she?"

"Pah, don't be foolish, Sye. I simply offered her some entertainment for the journey." Vyla winked at him and flashed her cheeky smile.

Ronav narrowed his eyes. "Entertainment...? You don't mean?"

"Precisely, Sye."

"She and I are going to...?"

The sound of Vyla slapping herself in the face cut him off. "No, she and I, most likely. Yes, it would seem that our Lady Telra is more fond of the company of woman."

"But... but how could you know that?" Ronav hissed as they again drew close to the ears of the Lady's guards. "And how did you even convince her?"

"I did neither, Sye. I suspected her leaning when I came close enough to see the flash of interest that hid the lust in her eyes. You showed it too at first. Then I played to her a myriad of possibility without saying anything concrete. She is intrigued now but still swept in my mystery. After all, who could resist a body like this?" Vyla stepped out in front of Ronav and posed momentarily, her playful side showing once again.

So that was the story, Ronav mused as he leaned over the final trunk. His Siren accomplice had again resorted to seduction. He had to admit, Vyla was startlingly perceptive and skilled at the manipulative arts. But Ronav supposed that that made sense given their nature. One would have to be a master of such skills to survive on land where you would be killed simply for existing.

"So you'll... keep her busy, I guess, until we arrive?" he asked.

"Oh Sye," Vyla whispered and she stroked a finger up the nape of Ronav's neck and across the underside of his chin where it scratched against his stubble. "I'll keep her more than busy. And when we arrive in Shadetree Fold, I'm sure that she will leap to aid us on the next leg of our journey. If she can even stand once I'm finished."

Ronav gulped. As much as he tried to resist the Siren's charms, he longed desperately for a glimpse of what would take place inside the carriage. What wonders would Lady Telra be looking forward to? Despite his best efforts, Ronav couldn't help but think of the two woman lying on the floor, their bodies entwined and pressed together as they writhed and ground against one another. Without changing shape, what would Vyla have planned? How long would she even wait before driving her long, prehensile tongue into the depths of Lady Telra? Ronav closed his mind to such thoughts as he felt his cock begin to stir.

"Is your porter done yet? We've a schedule to keep," the Lady called out one of the carriage's windows. She had the typical voice of a member of the upper class. Firm and commanding when it needed to be yet soft and clear otherwise with a tone that almost sounded as uncomfortable as their dress.

"At once my Lady," Vyla replied. She turned back to Ronav and nodded him towards the front of the carriage where an empty seat waited beside the driver who sat, reigns and whip in hand, before a line of horses.

Ronav clambered into position by the man who offered a grunted hello. He looked over the sides, now several feet above the Lady's footmen, and wondered how they would be traveling. Then Ronav spied another group of horses waiting alongside the inn and he had his answer.

Minutes later one of the footmen, now each of them mounted, shouted a command and the driver cracked his reigns and horses into action. So began the journey, Ronav's mind turning at once to the interior of the carriage where, no doubt, he would have much rather been.

===

Vyla cast her eyes over the plush red cushions and padded walls of the carriage. No such vehicles existed among Siren society for they had no need. If you wanted to travel somewhere, you simply swam. There were few creatures who could do so faster. Even the elites of the Sirens travelled under their own strength lest they appear feeble. So it was that Vyla didn't quite know what to think of the soft, velvety seats, curtained windows and the cupboard disguised in one wall from which the scent of food escaped.

"Such a rich way to travel," Vyla remarked as much to herself as to the Lady who presently sat with her back to the road ahead.

"I prefer to travel undisturbed and unmarred by the road." Lady Telra leaned over in her seat towards the cupboard and withdrew a bottle, filled with a deep, orange liquid, and two glasses from within. "Has fortune chanced you with a taste of Ka's Tears?" she asked as she carefully poured a tiny serving of the liquid into each glass.

"Not yet, though I am eager to partake." Vyla took the glass as it was offered and held it to her nose. The scent of the liquor singed her nostrils and she fought the urge to splutter. In the forefront of her mind sat the distinct awareness that she ventured onwards into territories unknown and her words and actions would have to be made cautiously to avoid detection.

I am a Neynas, Vyla told herself in an attempt to lose herself in the role. The day-eye of Ka gives me strength, though, unlike my fellows, my magic has never surfaced. I worship Ka the Eternal Empress and all her radiant glory.

"Think of it as a more potent brewing of Ember," said the Lady, piercing through Vyla's thoughts. Lady Telra lifted the glass to her lips and tipped the drink back in a single gulp. Her face contorted slightly as she swallowed, but only for a moment. Soon her eyes were back on Vyla who was acutely aware of where they fell.

Following the Lady's example, Vyla swished down her drink in equal haste. She regretted her action at once as the acrid, scalding taste of Ka's Tears flowed down her throat. Her mouth burned with a deep heat and only the slightest undercurrent of sweetness. At once Vyla sealed the bottom of her throat and formed a bubble of bone to trap the liquid where it could do no further harm. She would retch it out again later.

Yet her face remained serene despite these troubles. "You didn't joke about it being potent," Vyla lounged back and jumped slightly as the carriage lurched forwards. With practiced manipulation of her body, she loosened the straps of the corset she 'wore', but only slightly. "It is a long way to Shadetree Fold, is it not? I wonder how we might pass the time."

Lady Telra's eyes were lost and clouded for barely a second as she bit her lip at the sight before her. "I was hoping you might have some idea."

Vyla smiled to herself at the fires of lust plain one the Lady's face. Enough pretenses, she decided. But the question of how to proceed remained. How to strip down, when that time came, without revealing her true nature. More importantly, what sort of excitement would the Lady like? Vyla thought back to her encounters with both Sye and Sirens in the ocean, mostly the latter, and wondered if such knowledge might be useful here. There was one trick in particular that she wanted to try. One that was usually reserved for two females together. But she imagined that the Lady would not be ready for it. Not yet, at least.

Instead Vyla rolled off her seat and prowled towards Telra. "I do have some thoughts on the matter, if you think you can keep up." Without waiting for a reply, Vyla sank down upon the Lady's lap, wrapped her hands around her head and drew her in to press their lips together. At first Lady Telra met Vyla's forwardness with a flash of shock but soon, as Vyla had known she would, she fell into line and allowed Vyla to invade her mouth.

Lady Telra let out a gentle sigh at the skill to which her partner worked. Meanwhile, capitalizing on the distraction, Vyla began the delicate act of folding her fleshy clothing back into her body unnoticed. She moved her arms, pretending to strip in earnest and occasionally undressing Telra too, as fabric liquefied, shifted and melded away. Once bare, Vyla turned her attention to her modest bust and decided that a bit more was in order. Something to keep the Lady distracted. Vyla let her breasts grow until they had each swollen to be slightly larger than a mango.

With all present shape shifting out of the way, Vyla pulled back from the Lady and began her descent towards the meeting of Telra's thighs. Vyla ripped back the the layers of dress and skirt that hid her prize and wryly noted the dark patch of wetness that had developed on the undergarments. Vyla pulled back the final layer and was greeted by the tender, pink folds of Lady Telra's pussy.

The carpet matches the drapes, Vyla noted as she stared at the blond fuzz that Telra's pussy wore. Then she dipped down, tongue snaking out, and began to spiral around the Lady's exposed skin. Not once in her foreplay did Vyla actually come into contact with the sopping folds of Telra's womanhood. Every now and then she drew near only to slide her tongue away at the last second. Each time such a maneuver was made, the Lady would gasp and huff.

"No," she pleaded. "I... ha. Why are you teasing me?"

"We have a long journey ahead, my Lady," Vyla replied amid her licking. "You don't want to race to the finish so quickly, do you?"

"But, oh, mmm... Your tongue, so long."

Vyla smiled as she briefly caressed the nub of the Lady's clit, earning a cry of shock and satisfaction as a response. Telra's hands embraced the back of Vyla's head and pulled her in closer. The second this happened, Vyla stopped and looked up at the Lady.

"You're being too eager, madam." With strength aided by a surge of muscle within her arms, Vyla lifted the woman off her sofa and gently lowered her to the floor so that she lay on her back. "I am the one in control here," Vyla advised, her eyes stern as they looked into those of her partner who could only nod in reply.

Unsatisfied, Vyla reached forwards and took each of the Lady's hands in her own. Then she entwined her legs around the Lady's in such a way that she would be totally unable to move. Eyes still locked to hers, Vyla lowered her head towards Telra's breasts and bit the top of the dress that still held them in place. In her mouth she delicately undid the lace and ties that held the garment together until it sprang open elastically and allowed Telra's breasts to bounce free.

With her partner still bound in her grip, Vyla began slathering her tongue around Telra's voluptuous titflesh. She licked, prodded, lapped and teased the pink skin of the Lady's areoles before leaning closer still to draw a nipple into her mouth. There, tiny pink nub fastened delicately between her disguise-blunted teeth, Vyla sucked and nibbled softly as she could to the ecstatic cries of the Neynas woman.

"How? S—so amazing," Telra managed amid her moans.

Vyla reared up and pressed her pussy against that of Telra's. "I take it you've never done this properly before?"

"N—not like this." The Lady's hips and body moved against Vyla as she ground her womanhood with her partner's momentarily before falling back down and resuming her breast servicing.

"Well," Vyla purred. "I shall be sure to make up for any prior misadventures," she said as she rolled her tongue around Telra's right nipple. "By the end of our journey, you'll be begging me to come back into your arms. Your body will ache for mine and only when I allow it will you have that which you desire."

"Yes... yes!" Telra strained against her mistress' hands, her hips jumping from the floor in an effort to satisfy the boiling desire that Vyla had invoked between her legs.