New Discoveries Ch. 02

As the carriage rolled along, Vellen peered out the window at the passing scenery. The verdant hills lined the roadside, looking like unusual waves as the grass swayed in the wind. A large avian flew by overhead. Vellen made a quick note in his bird journal. That had been the fourth blue-beaked feyhawk in less than five weeks! Perhaps many were migrating for some reason?

"This is awful," Mya Valenworth said from the seat across from Vellen. "Never have I been in a worse carriage ride in all my life! Is the chauffeur trying to hit every stone and ditch in the road?"

Vellen stifled a sigh. Unfortunately, he had been wrong about his new mistress's sudden change for the better. The morning when they had met their coach, Vellen had purchased a few extra sets of clothes for her so that she'd have some variety, but when she joined him for breakfast, she was as tart as she had been when he had first met her when she arrived at shore. Maybe what he'd chosen had offended her in some way? The store clerk had been very knowledgeable about what was in fashion currently, so he wasn't sure what he'd done wrong. Had Vellen bought the autumn collection she'd laid out instead of the summer set by mistake?

"What are you doing?" Mya asked, as if noticing Vellen was there for the first time in their two days of travel.

"I am filling out my bird journal, miss," Vellen said, a bit of excitement creeping into his voice as he noted Mya look of interest. Perhaps this was a way that they could bond and move past her dislike for him.

"Really? Are you categorizing behavior based on breed?"

"Oh, well, no."

"Hm. Noting population differences by region?"

"Ah... no."

"...Marking endangered species for future preservation efforts?"

"Not quite." Vellen resisted the urge to wince. This was not going well.

"Then why are you doing it?"

"Well... For fun, miss."

"'For fun'?" Mya raised an eyebrow.

"Yes."

Mya scoffed. "That's ridiculous." She then turned to look back out the window with a bored expression. "How much longer is this going to take?"

"We should be in Downteg by evening, miss," Vellen said as he quietly closed his bird journal and slid it up into his sleeve.

Mya groaned in response, then glanced back at Vellen, her eyes trailing up and down his body. "I haven't seen anyone else dress like you. Why?"

Vellen folded his hands in his lap and adjusted his posture. He'd been expecting this question for a while. "Because these robes signify me as a Monk of Drispel. It is our... uniform, you could say."

She turned back to facing him fully, bringing out her own journal and making an annotation within. "And what does that entail?"

"It means we swear to serve the people of the land as mentally indomitable forces that can be fully trusted and relied upon."

"'Mentally indomitable'? Elaborate."

Vellen suppressed another sigh. Mya seemed to never request something, she demanded it. "A majority of magic does not work on us. Or, it isn't used on us, at least."

"Why?" Mya was now furiously scribbling away at this point.

"We... go through a process upon joining the monastery. The end result ensures we think with our minds rather than our... anatomy."

Mya snorted. "Well that's insane. Anyone with an iota of discipline can keep their pants on without having to go through some kind of extreme measures to prevent it."

"It is not always that simple," Vellen said softly. Mya didn't seem to hear.

"You say that your main goal is to serve the people. How does that work?"

Vellen blinked at the sudden shift in topic. "When it is our time, we will be assigned to a position where we're needed. Sometimes this is a town or city, sometimes it is a person, and sometimes it is an institution. Once we are told that our services are no longer needed, we return to the monastery and await a new assignment."

Mya nodded as she wrote. "That will be all for now."

Vellen leaned back in his seat, looking out the window as he listened to his mistress continue to scribble into her journal.

Almost like a completely different person, indeed, he thought.

~~~

"What do you mean you're not taking us any further?" Mya said to the coach driver, fuming.

"I mean, unless you have more coin to pay me, I'm not taking you beyond Downteg. I got to eat, lady!" the driver barked as he unclasped his horses and began walking them to the stables. "Get some more by morning then I'll see about taking you to the next town!"

Mya sniffed and derision before whirling around to face Vellen, who--despite the circumstances--remained eternally calm and relaxed. "Why didn't you pay him enough?"

"Because I only had enough for us to get here, miss."

"Then you should've saved up!" Mya growled. It felt like she was speaking to a two-year-old.

"My order does not permit me to possess any form of currency longer than ten days. We see coinage as a necessity, but also as a temptation."

Mya stared at him blankly as rage continued to rise within her. It was taking an excruciating amount of willpower not to slap Vellen at this moment. "Then," Mya began, taking a breath and trying to keep her tone level, "tell me, Vellen. How exactly are we meant to get out of here if we don't have any money?"

"I have already considered that. I'll be taking on work for the night, while you take the remaining coins we have procure some boarding. Come morning, I should have enough earnings to take us north a little further."

"And you're sure you'll find work at this hour?" Mya asked skeptically.

"You'd be surprised, miss. At least one person is always in need of some help in these lands." Vellen began walking down the road, giving Mya no choice but to follow. "We better find you somewhere to stay together so that I know where to find you in the morning. Downteg is a nice place bordering on cityship, so it shouldn't be too difficult."

Mya rolled her eyes. If Vellen's idea of a "nice place" was anything like the Night Romp then she was better off deciding for herself. That inn had been a disaster. It was... was... Hm. Come to think of it, Mya couldn't actually pinpoint anything that had been wrong about the experience. She felt as if there had been something wrong about that place, but couldn't remember doing much. She'd had a meal and then... gone to bed? The memories were fuzzy. She vaguely felt that another person had been there with her. Possibly Vellen? Mya sighed. She must have been incredibly out of it after her insufferable voyage.

"How about that one?" Mya said, flippantly pointing to the first place she saw. It looked innocent enough; hardly any different than the buildings around it, just larger.

Vellen squinted as he read the sign above the door. "'Mordaire's House.' Hm... That should do. Are you sure you will be fine on your own, miss?"

Mya looked at him flatly. "Don't treat me like a child, Vellen. I'll be fine."

"I only provide warning, miss. People can be dangerous, no matter where you are. If you do not require assistance booking a room, then I will set out and reconvene with you in the morning."

Mya didn't even let him finish his statement before making her way over to the establishment, lugging her baggage of new clothes with her. She'd had more than enough of Vellen's company verf the past few days and was severely looking forward to some alone time to update her journal from shorthand to longhand.

As she approached the threshold of the building, Mya pushed the doors open. And froze. And immediately regretted her choice.

The room was the absolute epitome of perversion and debauchery. Topless women danced for the enjoyment of people who showered them in coins, gifts, and other paraphernalia, drunken misfits danced provocatively amongst each other, grinding their bodies into one another with animalistic fervor, and workers dressed in scandalously revealing attire took guests by the hand and led them into side rooms.

Mya felt her face begin to heat up at the sight of it all. She briefly considered turning around and finding somewhere else, but as she glanced back, she saw that Vellen was already gone. And--despite everything--Mya did sort of need him. So it could be quite inconvenient for her if he didn't know where she was when dawn broke.

It's fine. Just ask for a room. All you need is to get a room for the night, and then you can ignore everything else going on here, Mya told herself before cautiously stepping into the building and keeping her head low until she reached the bar. It was quite busy, the tender behind the counter darting back and forth as they tried to attend to everyone in a timely manner.

"Excuse me," Mya said. She was given no response as the cacophony of voices around her drowned her out. "Excuse me!" She tried again. Still nothing. Mya felt her blush deepen as more and more eyes began to turn and leer at her as she tried to flag the bartender down. Mya swore she could feel their gazes linger on her plaid miniskirt and tight, white blouse that strained against her breasts and barely buttoned all the way up. She had been trying to go for the most sophisticated option she had, but felt as if she just came across as some kind of slutty secretary.

"Excuse me!" Mya just about shouted. Finally, the person working the counter came up to her.

"How can I help you, ma'am?"

"I'd like a room for the night."

"Sure. With which guy or gal?"

"What?...Oh! No! I just need a-" Mya's words were cut off as she felt someone bump into her, causing them to stumble and spill their drink. All over Mya.

"I am so sorry!" A feminine, apologetic voice said. A red-haired woman came into Mya's view, her face scrunched with guilt. "Here, let me help with that, please!" She reached toward Mya with a handkerchief, as if to dab at the mess she made.

"Stay away from me!" Mya screeched in both surprise and anger. The drink had doused her top thoroughly, causing Mya to desperately try to cover herself with her arms to keep anyone from seeing her bra and bare skin behind the wet fabric. "Just... show me where the bathroom is!"

The woman pointed a shaky finger to a door and Mya immediately grabbed her luggage and stomped her way over and into the small facility, locking the door behind her.

"Idiots!" Mya snapped. "Every last one of them! Can't believe I have to deal with..." She continued grumbling to herself as she stripped off her soaked blouse and set her bag down on the sink before rummaging through it for a replacement.

She eventually came up with a large, flimsy, pink shirt. If there was a chance she'd have to endure more messes being made on her, it'd be better if it were something more simple.

Mya through the top on. The moment it fell into place, the world began to spin. She gasped as the wave of vertigo hit her, stumbling to the side and using the wall for support. Everything suddenly felt so... so... Like, what had she just been thinking?

Candi giggled at herself for being so silly, then stood up again once her vision returned to normal. "Oopsie!" She smiled and looked herself over in the mirror, leaning forward a provocative amount to get a better look at herself. She tapped a dainty finger to her chin in thought. "Oh! I know!" Candi reached up and pulled her hair free from its tight tail, letting her golden tresses fall over her shoulder. Then she adjusted her shirt so that the neckline hung off one of her shoulders, showing off her bra strap and giving a tasty hint of her cleavage. Candi bounced once just to watch her titties jiggle a bit. She giggled as the sight made her a little wet. There. That was, like, waaaaaay better.

As Candi opened the door to the bathroom, she just about ran into the pretty red-haired lady that had bumped into her before. Candi smiled at her. She had really pretty green eyes and just about the cutest purple tubetop that Candi had ever seen. She also smelt... funny. Sweet. Like, really, really, sweet. Like roses but even sweeter or something.

"Hey! I just wanted to make sure you were okay... And apologize for spilling my drink all over you."

Candi's smile broadened. "Oh! It's, like, totally fine! Accidents happen and stuff."

The woman blinked as if she hadn't expected her to respond in such a way, but then smiled back. There was something off in the way she did it, but Candi couldn't tell what it was. So she just ignored it. Then promptly forgot all about it.

"Well, that's a relief to hear." The woman's eyes began to drift downward, stopping at Candi's breasts. Candi responded by thrusting her chest out to give her a better view. This woman was, like, insanely hot. Candi needed to make sure she made a good first impression! "Based on how upset you were, I would have never expected you to seem so... friendly."

"Yeah. I'm super sorry about that! I'm Candi, by the way!"

"Nice to meet you, Candi. You can call me Aveline."

Candi watched as Aveline smiled, began twirling a lock of her hair and thrust her hips to the side, giving Candi a peek at the delicious ass hidden behind her tight shorts. Candi licked her lips, feeling herself squirm a little bit. "You're, like, so hot." The words seemed to just slip out of Candi's silly, dumb mouth. Her body felt like it was heating up by the second and lewd thoughts of her and Aveline kept circling around in her mind.

"Aw, thank you!" Aveline said, affectionately putting her hand on Candi's shoulder and giving a light squeeze. Candi whimpered. Her skin just felt so sensitive all of the sudden. "But, you know, when you meet a pretty girl, you're supposed to offer to buy her a drink."

"Oh! Yeah, for sure!" Candi blushed. She really didn't want to blow it with this girl. Candi giggled. 'Blow it'. Kinda like blowing a nice, long, thick shaft. Candi could imagine herself wrapping her lips around one, closing her eyes, and moaning in pleasure as bobbed her head up and down until-

A pair of fingers snapping in front of her face brought Candi back to reality.

"Hey! You all right? You sort of zoned out there for a second," Aveline said.

"Sorry!" Candi giggled. "Sometimes I can just be a bit... uh... like a bit..."

"Ditzy?" Aveline offered.

"Yeah!"

Aveline laughed. "I can tell. Come on, you owe me a drink, remember?"

"Right!"

Aveline took Candi's arm in hers, pressing their bodies close. Once they reached the bar, it took them far less time to get attention than it had before.

"The special, please," Aveline said.

"Five gold."

Aveline looked at Candi expectantly and Candi quickly began sifting through her bag for the money. Candi had never been the best at counting, but surely she could manage this. Once she found the coin pouch, she began fishing gold out, one at a time and placing them on the counter.

One...

She bit her lip in concentration as she tried to focus above all the noise.

Two...

Out of the corner of her eye, Candi could see Aveline dancing to the music that the band was playing across the room, her ass swaying from side to side like the most round and kissable pendulum that Candi had ever seen.

Two...

"I love this song," Aveline whispered in Candi's ear with a husky voice, her lips gently brushing across Candi's earlobe. Candi whimpered, pressing her thighs together.

Two...

"It's one of my favorites." Aveline ran her hand down Candi's side. Once it had gone low enough, she possessively grabbed a handful of Candi's ass, laughing at Candi's small squeak of surprise.

One...

"I haven't gotten to hear it in forever." She continued kneading Candi's behind with slow, methodical motions. Candi stuck out her rear to give Aveline further purchase, as well as give anyone looking on a view up her skirt.

Four...

"It's funny. I think out of all the girls I've met, only three were as silly and stupid as you." The hand moved, now rubbing at Candi's clit through her panties. Oh...

T-Three...

Aveline's affections abruptly stopped and she pulled away. Candi blinked, looking at the small pile of coins that had appeared on the counter. Was that really only five gold?

"Um, is that enough?" Candi asked sheepishly.

Aveline laughed. "'Enough'? Sweetheart, that's hardly enough for a tip!"

"Oh..."

"It's a good thing you're pretty." Aveline smiled as she playfully poked Candi in the side. Candi giggled. Aveline thought she was pretty! That was good! "Here, let me help you count." Aveline then proceeded to take Candi's money pouch and dump the few remaining coins onto the counter and slip them toward the barkeep. "There! Five gold."

Candi giggled again. "But, um, that's, like, all of my money..."

"Well, you must not have had very much if you could only afford a single drink," Aveline said, her voice firm, as if she were instructing a child to do better in class after they failed an assignment. Candi blushed, not wanting to meet Aveline's eyes out of embarrassment.

A moment later, the bartender placed a shot glass on the counter filled with a strange, magenta liquid that was flecked with streaks of baby blue.

"Ooooh!" Candi said, forgetting her abashment. "That looks, like, super good!"

"Why don't you try it then?" Aveline said with a smirk, picking up the shot and handing it to Candi.

"Are you sure?" Candi asked.

Aveline shrugged. "Why not?"

Candi smiled then carefully brought the glass to her lips. She only intended to take a small sip so that Aveline could have the rest, but a delicate finger touched the bottom of the glass and pressed on it, forcing it to raise upward and dumping all of its contents into Candi's mouth. She swallowed by instinct, and the effects were immediate. Everywhere Candi looked, colors seemed brighter and more vibrant, lights shimmered as if imbued with starlight, and everyone around her suddenly seemed ten times hotter. Looking at Aveline especially made Candi's pussy cry out in desperation.

Aveline grabbed Candi's wrist before she had time to recover and began dragging her away from the bar. "Come on! Let's dance!"

"Okay!" Candi giggled. It suddenly felt like such a good idea to go dancing! It was becoming even harder to think than normal, so doing what she was told felt so easy to Candi. Listening and obeying made her feel good.

Once they came to a stop, Aveline let go of Candi's wrist. Candi immediately began to dance, putting her hands on Aveline's shoulders and swaying to the music. Aveline promptly stopped her.

"No, no. Not like that. Like this." Aveline grabbed Candi by the waist and spun her around, pulling her close so that her butt pressed up against Aveline's crotch. "There! Now dance."

A swift swat to the rear was all Candi needed to begin grinding up against her beautiful dance partner. She smiled as glances began to float her way, peering along her body and down her shirt as she leaned forward slightly to give Aveline more of what she wanted. It made Candi feel good to know people thought she was so yummy.

"So, what brings you here? I can tell you're not from around," Aveline said.

"Me and... and my friend are just... like... passing through!" Candi responded, breathing heavily as she continued to dance.

"Really? And where's your friend now?"

"Um... I'm not sure,"

Aveline chuckled. "Such a pathetic thing. It's a really good thing you have me to look after you tonight. You should thank me." She gave Candi another light slap on the ass.

"Oh! Y-yeah. Thank... Thank you, Ava... um..."

"My name too much for your slutty little brain to handle?"

Candi nodded. A part of her said that being treated like this should've been a bad thing, but instead it just made her feel more hot and horny.