REEF ARGYROS Lust Unbound: Part 1
Copyright © 2023 by Reef Argyros All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission. This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. First edition This book was professionally typeset on Reedsy. Find out more at reedsy.com
Contents Chapter 1: Just Another Day 1 Chapter 2: A Strange Gift 7 Chapter 3: Cora’s Proposition 12 Chapter 4 [Explicit]: Giving In 17 Chapter 5 [Explicit]: A Taste of Cyrus 23 Chapter 6: Reluctant Help 31 Chapter 7: A Moment of Rest 37 Chapter 8: Getting Steamy 42 Chapter 9 [Explicit]: Tyron Takes Control 48 Chapter 10 [Explicit]: Climax in the Bathhouse 54
Chapter 1: Just Another Day T oday’s curious tale begins with a woman named Alyssa. Elegant and tasteful, Alyssa carries herself with the confidence of a jungle cat braced to fight at any second. Her bright smile is a common sight but when she needs to she can snap into the hardened mindset of a highly-skilled warrior. This impressive demeanor is backed up by her lithe form. She is slender, yet fit. Her waist is thin and her hips wide, yet her abs are obvious and impressive. A bit further up rests her distinctly alluring (albeit smaller than she would like) breasts. They are beautifully perky and would fit the hands quite snugly, though she is picky about who she lets do so. Her skin is somewhere between seductively 1
tanned and innocently pale and any eye contact with Alyssa reveals her gaze to be a pure-chestnut brown—not a drop of dullness to be seen. What is perhaps most striking about Alyssa, however, is her vibrant, red hair. Reminiscent of a fierce flame, its vividness is breathtaking. Though she has opted for the much simpler ponytail today, she often wears her fiery hair in a single, lengthy braid. On very rare occasions, she has even left it unbound and curled a bit. Those lucky enough to see this wonder are always quick to remark on its exceptional beauty and grace. Furthermore, Alyssa’s hair is delightfully complimented by intense freckles that dot her cheeks and shoulders. Of course, she has no control over these freckles (they are a gift from the Gods themselves) but they bestow on her an unquestionably alluring appearance nonetheless. Today, as it has been for the last several weeks, it is Alyssa’s duty to guard the great gates of Pantai. At first, she was averse to the assignment. How boring! There’s never any action at the gates. Why would Calmorn waste her talents on such an uneventful position? Surely she would be much more help elsewhere. 2
But, as with many things, time and experience have taught Alyssa to appreciate her circumstances. To her surprise, the gig allows for quite a bit of free time, which is not something she’s really ever had before. In recent weeks, Alyssa has had the leisure to take up several new hobbies. She’s enjoyed a plethora of fantastic books, seen marvelous sights, and greatly enjoyed getting to explore what a “normal girl” would already be familiar with by now. Tide Watch training is intense and… meticulous, to say the least. It’s nice having time for herself. Perhaps more intriguing, however, is Alyssa’s blossoming friendship with her assigned attendant. He is a gentle soul with a brave heart and the two clicked instantly. Cyrus, who has gone through significantly less training than his new boss, is still a very sharp scout and an excellent advisor for Alyssa. Alyssa, who has had her fair share of incompetence in the past, appreciates the thoroughness and precision of her new attendant. This morning, as Alyssa rubs the sleep out of her eyes, she finds herself thinking about Cyrus. She wants to know more about him. She wants to really know him. The two have talked at length about a great many things - weather, politics, rumors, and the like - but she wanted to know more. He was so 3
sweet and patient and Alyssa needed to know why. How could he be so understanding and gentle after going through his training? No other Watcher she has met has so much self-control. Was he hiding something? No! Of course not. He would never. Internally debating with herself, Alyssa haphazardly washes her face before nimbly donning her work attire. The pristine white armor covers a decent portion of her body, but she has always found it too revealing. Accordingly, she first assumes her usual tight black underclothes to cover her chest, waist, and legs. The result is a remarkable contrast between light and dark, which is accented by the abstract, seafoam-green ships that decorate her armor. Alyssa tightens the last strap around her waist and nods to herself. Right. No point in lingering. The short walk from her residence to her post is always a beautiful one this early in the morning. The sun, colloquially referred to as Araw, is just beginning to rise over the ocean horizon and a magical, glimmering sheen covers the city. The city itself is quiet but for a worker here and there that, presumably, is on their way to open up shop for the day. A plethora of morning birds chirp wildly, yelling at the world to wake up. 4
Alyssa smiles to herself as she takes in the sight. The mornings always feel so much better. Her mind feels clearer. The jumbled, confusing thoughts and desires of the night prior always melt away with the warmth of Araw. Fantasies are just that. A fantasy. This decision feels final. But then again, it does every day. Perhaps today is different? Soon enough, Alyssa arrives at the gates. She was never sure why people called them the “great gates”. They were sturdy, yes, but great? Not exactly. The gates are simply made of wood and reinforced with metal bars. They rise up about ten feet or so but they don’t even surround the entire city. Just this portion near the road. What’s the point? Lost in her own private argument, a good-natured voice calls out to her. “Lyss! Over here!” Jolted out of her thoughts, Alyssa looks up at the familiar face of Cyrus. She smiles. It’s nice to have someone she can rely on. He waves to Alyssa as she approaches. Cyrus has chosen to keep his hair a bit wild and 5
unkempt today, and his rich brown locks whip around in the wind. This doesn’t seem to bother him, though, as he continues to smile brightly at her approach. In the light of the morning, Cyrus’ chestnut eyes sparkle, and Alyssa can’t help but smile wider at his apparent excitement. He was always so pleasant to work with. If they were not both sworn to the Watch, he would make a wonderful husband. Not that she had ever thought about that, of course. “Hey Cy!” Alyssa says cheerily. “You look extra excited today.” “Observant as always, ma’am,” he replied. “The night crew told me something interesting. They said there were some weird noises last night. ‘Course, they also said they were too scared to go check it out. No surprise there.” Alyssa smirks. “Right. Leave it to Orsina to give us more work. Found anything yet?” 6
Chapter 2: A Strange Gift “Well, I had just started looking when I saw you, so nothing yet. Orsina said it was coming from over here, though.” Cyrus gestures towards a particularly thick patch of grass just off the road. “huh. Go and do your scout thing, then. I’ll stay here and keep watch. Holler if you need me.” Cyrus nods at the orders and walks off. The prairie beyond the gates of Pantai is a wonder in its own right. Waist-high, bronze-hued grass covers endless rolling hills and intermittent acacia trees jut out in all sorts of unpredictable places. It can be hard to spot something that doesn’t want to be seen. That’s what makes Cyrus so valuable. He has the eyes of an eagle and an impeccable grasp of the natural world. Capable of finding, tracking, and hunting all manner 7
of prey, Cyrus is right at home out here. Alyssa watches Cyrus begin to wade into the grass. He gets several feet and then crouches down, completely out of sight. Something in the back of her mind is telling Alyssa to be worried, but Cyrus has done this countless times before. Why would today be any different? “Lyss! You should come see this,” Cyrus calls out. Perhaps because of her earlier nervousness, Alyssa rushes to Cyrus with an unexpected speed. “Whoa!” Cyrus chuckles. “And I thought I was the excited one.” “Sorry, I just… have a weird feeling about this.” “Well, all I found is this box,” Cyrus says as he points down to a small, uninteresting wooden box that is hidden among the grass. “It’s just a box?” Alyssa says, exasperated. “Orsina was scared of a box?” “Looks like it,” responds Cyrus. “I guess someone left it here last night? But that makes no sense. 8
This is outside of the gates—the night crew would have seen it.” Alyssa bends down and picks it up. The box is small, no more than four inches on each side. It is surprisingly light, making Alyssa think there is nothing in it. There is a small knob on one side that can be opened. Alyssa instinctively reaches for the knob. “Whoa whoa wo—hold on!” Cyrus grabs Alyssa’s hand and stops her. “You’re just going to open this mysterious random box that was sitting outside the gate?” Something about the box calls to Alyssa. She has to know what’s inside. It wants to be opened. “Cyrus,” Alyssa chides. “I respect you a great deal but please remember that I am your superior. I’m opening the box. How else will we know what’s inside?” At this, Cyrus’ eyes fall. He lets go of Alyssa’s hand wordlessly and takes a step back. “Thank you,” Alyssa nods firmly. She returns her attention to the box and once more reaches to open 9
it. The light wood makes no noise as the small door swings open. Inside is… rather disappointing. A thin, black piece of fabric sits inside, and nothing else. Alyssa reaches in and picks up the fabric. As she pulls it out, she notices the clasp mechanism on both ends of the fabric. Alyssa’s disappointment turns into a smile. “What is it?” Cyrus asks with cautious curiosity. “I believe…” Alyssa starts as she grabs both ends and positions the fabric over her neck. “That it’s a delightful little choker!” As she says this, Alyssa clasps the choker around her neck with a satisfying click. It fits perfectly, accenting the slenderness of her figure. Alyssa smiles brightly at Cyrus. “Well? What do you think?” Alyssa asks, proudly. “I think it suits you well, ma’am. Really, though, I must ask again… Are you sure you should wear it? We know absolutely nothing about it,” Cyrus couldn’t deny that it looked good on her, but the odd circumstances were sending off all sorts of alarm bells in his head. “Oh come on, Cy. Let me have a little fun. Just this once. I’m so tired of the damn Tide Watch 10
knowing every little thing about our lives! This was probably just a little gift that someone dropped or something… And now, I found it! So it’s my gift!” “Alright, alright. Sorry, Lyss. You know me I just… like to be cautious.” At least nothing had exploded yet. There had been no mystical pulse of energy or similar arcane display. It probably really is just a choker. Alyssa nods in understanding. “I do know you, and I genuinely do appreciate your concern. It’s one of the reasons I keep you around. Honestly, though, I feel fine.” She gestures to her neck. “Now come on, let’s get back to our post. We still have a whole day ahead of us.” Cyrus sighs, decided to accept the off-handed compliment, and walks back to the gates with Alyssa. The two stand in silence for some time, feeling awkward about their previous disagreement. It is not long, however, before they begin to chat as if nothing had happened. Local politics, creepy rumors—the usual. The day blissfully passes them by as Araw plods along the sky, continuing its neverending march. 11
Chapter 3: Cora’s Proposition I t is now late into the afternoon, and the silhouette of a dark figure begins to appear on the road to Pantai. Alyssa and Cyrus, noticing at the same time, jolt into action. They had been lounging off to the side, but now stand completely straight in front of the gates. Silence falls over the entrance as the pair waits for the figure to approach. Eventually, the figure gets close enough to see in detail. It quickly becomes obvious that the figure is an unnaturally gorgeous Menolak woman. Peri, petite beings with pointed ears and innate ties to the magic of Honua, are not an uncommon sight in Pantai. Menolak, the cave-dwelling, dark-skinned Peri rejects, are most certainly rare. 12
The woman is quite tall for a Menolak and is wearing a very revealing black dress with slits on either side that ride all the way up to her waist, allowing the back half to billow behind her and the front half to hide behind her silky thighs. Each step she takes reveals her entire leg, leaving little to the imagination. She walks upon classy black heels with gilded embroidery, beautifully elongating her form. This Menolak is confident in her body and Alyssa can’t help but stare as she approaches the gates. At this point, the mysterious woman is several feet from the gate and Alyssa can finally get a good look at her face. She has long, silky blonde hair and amber-yellow eyes that glint mischievously. Her face and skin are immaculately smooth and her cleavage is noticeably lifted and on display. Alyssa’s cheeks start to redden a bit as her thoughts are flooded with the lewd situations that she can only imagine this Menolak often finds herself in. Eventually, Alyssa musters up the courage to address the captivating woman. “State your business,” she says, trying her best to sound like a competent soldier. “Well. Hello to you too…” The woman says with 13
a pout. Her bottom lip, luscious and glossy, juts out.“I’m Cora. I’m here for some… personal pleasures.” She winks in Alyssa’s direction and gives her a sly smile. “Well Cora, I’m going to need to see your marking then,” Alyssa responds. Her cheeks are growing visibly redder. “Marking? But I’m only here for a bit of fun! I won’t cause any trouble, darling. I promise.” Cora’s smile grows even bigger, but her attention has now shifted to Cyrus and she is eyeing him up and down. “That’s not allowed,” Alyssa says, frowning. “Hmm… Well. I must enter. Isn’t there anything I can do?” Alyssa’s right eyebrow shoots up. “Listen, lady. I’m the only way into the city right now, so what are you going to do?” Wordlessly, Cora turns and walks up to Cyrus. She lifts his chin a bit with a single, delicate finger. “Hello, cutie. You’re awfully quiet, ya know. Do 14
you have a wife by any chance?” “N-no,” Cyrus says with a grimace. “Aww, a girlfriend then?” “No…” “Do you like women?” Cyrus looks nervously at Alyssa. “Yes,” he responds, confused by the questions. Alyssa stands in place, her mind racing. She knows she should be stopping this woman but she… oddly wants to see where this is going. She can feel her heart start to beat faster. Cora smiles foxily. “What about me? Do I look like your type?” There’s a long pause before Cyrus responds. Alyssa wants desperately to say something, but words fail her. “…Well… You are… undeniably attractive,” Cyrus admits with a weak smile. Despite being roughly the same height, Cora is towering over Cyrus and 15
the only place he can manage to look right now is straight at her large, abundant breasts. Cora laughs a hearty laugh. “Of course, sweetie. Would you like to have sex with me?” She asks bluntly. At this, Alyssa audibly gasps. “Wha—now hang on!” She says. “What are you doing?” “I’m asking to have sex with him,” Cora replies plainly. “What? No! These are the gates of Pantai! And Cyrus is my attendant!” Alyssa yells, suddenly very protective of Cyrus. A faint hint of jealousy coats her angered words. “Yes. I. am. Feel free to watch us, though! Or perhaps even join us? You know, I’m more partial to women anyways…” 16
Chapter 4 [Explicit]: Giving In “N-no!” responds Alyssa, visibly flustered. Her heart is thumping so loud the whole city must be able to hear it. Is this really happening? “N-now is… not the time…” she finally squeaks out. When Alyssa says this, Cora’s attention abruptly shifts back to Alyssa. Cora takes a long, deep look at Alyssa, seeming to drink in every minute detail about her. Alyssa can feel the woman’s eyes examining every part of her body. She stands up a bit straighter despite herself. “I can tell you have a truly splendid body under that armor,” Cora grins. “How much have you used it, I wonder? I’ve never been with a royal soldier before…” 17
“I… uh…” Alyssa stammers. “I…” Alyssa tugs at her choker. Something in Alyssa shifts. A switch actives in her mind. Like a river no longer bound by a dam, perverted thoughts flood into Alyssa’s mind. She sees herself stripping before this odd Menolak and basking in the pleasure that she promises. She imagines herself being bent over by Cyrus during a passionate night. He enters her from behind, and she can’t help but moan. She wonders what Cyrus might taste like… How big is he? “Come on,” Cora says. “I won’t bite. I promise.” Cora winks. “Hah…” Alyssa’s cheeks are practically glowing red and her heart can’t stop skipping beats. No amount of training had prepared her for this. She looks desperately over to Cyrus, but he is too distracted. Cyrus’ own cheeks are a rosy red color and it’s easy to spot the noticeable bulge in his pants. “I… I wouldn’t object…” Cyrus finally responds. His lagging brain seems to be overloaded with thoughts of his own. 18
Cora giggles a bit. “How about this? I’m going to help out… Cyrus, I believe it was. I’m going to help him out and you can watch. You can join me whenever you feel like it, princess.” With an unexpected speed, Cora whips around and playfully pushes Cyrus against the gate wall. She grabs his hands and sensually guides him to feel her breasts. Cyrus, eyes wide, eagerly grabs hold and begins to message them. He lustfully grabs as much as he can in each hand, but can’t seem to contain it all. Cora playfully pops a dress strap off a shoulder and grabs the back of Cyrus’ head. She gently forces his head into her bountiful cleavage. Cyrus audibly moans. He stays there for a moment before pulling back and staring into Cora’s eyes for the first time. “Yes,” he says, this time with confidence. “I want you, Cora.” “Well, Cyrus, you’re in luck. You can have me. All of me.” Cora says as she winks yet again toward Alyssa. All Alyssa can do is stare, speechless, as Cora leans down a bit and embraces Cyrus in a deep, passionate 19
kiss. She stays there only for a second before she crouches down and deftly unbuckles Cyrus’ armor. Soon enough, his pants are pulled down too. His cock springs to life, and Cora giggles happily. “Now,” she says. “Let’s have some fun.” She drops to her knees completely and takes a firm hold of Cyrus’ cock. Cyrus throws his head back a bit at the sudden rush of pleasure. Before he can even say anything, though, Cora takes his cock deep, deep into her throat. Cyrus lets out a loud moan. “Ho— holy shit!” Cyrus exclaims. Cora, wasting no time, begins to expertly facefuck him. “Mmmm… mmph!” Cora responds with an audible smile. Still sucking, Cora glances over to Alyssa. They make intense eye contact as Cora slowly, deliberately shoves Cyrus’ entire length down her throat. She gags a bit and pulls back quickly, gasping for air. Her face shows nothing but absolute ecstasy. Mentally, Alyssa is a mess. It’s not uncommon for her to have lustful fantasies late at night as she is lulled to sleep… A strange mysterious figure with a smoking body would approach her and whisk her away on an adventurous, sexual journey. Sometimes the figure would be a pleasant man but other times, 20
it would be a commanding woman. Alyssa’s mind races with lewd thought after lewd thought as she watches. Could it… Could it be a reality? Right now? This Cora figure… Is she making her dreams come true? She’s certainly going to make someone come. Alyssa’s eyes are glazed over, deep in her own fantasies until the voice of the enigmatic Cora interrupts her thoughts. “You like watching, don’t you?” Cora says through heavy breaths. Cyrus is bigger than she anticipated. Alyssa snaps back to reality and notices that Cyrus is now lying prone on the ground and Cora has thrown herself to the floor, lying on her stomach. Her feet are bobbing back and forth in the air and she is resting her head on one hand. Cora’s big, pleading eyes stare up at Alyssa expectantly, like a puppy begging for attention. In the background, Cora’s other hand is slowly and deliberately stroking Cyrus’ shaft. Up. Down. Up. Down. It is undeniably hot. It must be real. … 21
… … … Might as well indulge then. “Y-yes. I do… enjoy watching,” Alyssa quietly admits. Cora smiles the biggest smile yet. “Hah! I knew you’d come around! What’s your name, princess?” “Alyssa,” she says bashfully. “Alyssa? What a beautiful name. Come on over then. Give it a try.” As she says this, Cora gestures to Cyrus, who is panting heavily and seems to be completely lost in his own head. Alyssa nervously walks toward Cyrus. She had always liked Cyrus and the two got along well, but… this is a whole new level. That and, after what she had just seen, she knows she could never be as good as Cora. What if she does it wrong and Cyrus hates her? She’s never even tried to give a blowjob before… 22
Chapter 5 [Explicit]: A Taste of Cyrus A s Alyssa approaches, Cora gets Cyrus to his feet and leans him against the wall. “Here. You can kneel right here and it looks like you’ll be at the perfect height for him,” She says. “Lyss are… are you sure, Lyss?” Cyrus asks. Even after all of… that, he is still his usual, considerate self. Alyssa’s worries melt away after hearing that. “Oh, Cy. Definitely. I’ve… actually wanted this for a long time,” she admits. She is now shaking 23
with anxiety, barely able to stand. Reaching the place that was pointed out for her, Alyssa looks over to Cora and falls to her knees directly in front of Cyrus. Cora, waiting for Alyssa to proceed, absentmindedly returns her dress strap to its usual place on her shoulder and repositions her bra underneath her dress. “Uhh… I’ve… never quite done this…” Alyssa says, ashamed. Cora giggles with delight. “Don’t worry! I’ll show you.” She walks over to Alyssa and gently grabs the base of her fiery ponytail. Cora balls up a bit of the ponytail in her palm and slowly guides Alyssa’s head toward Cyrus’ cock. It is still rock hard and twitching with excitement. Cyrus’ eyes sparkle in anticipation. “Make it pleasant for him,” Cora advises. “Try to avoid using teeth and focus on your tongue. The deeper you can go the better!” Alyssa takes a deep, shaky breath and nods. “Okay.” Alyssa opens her mouth and sticks her tongue out. Cora pushes her head straight forward and Alyssa gets her first taste. 24
The first thing Alyssa notices is the texture. It’s softer than she expected. Cora pushes further in and Alyssa passes the head and arrives at the shaft. Ah, now that’s hard… The smell of Cyrus and the taste of his manhood overloads Alyssa’s senses and she feels her eyes roll back on their own. Her entire body heats up. Fuck. She was enjoying this. She remembers what Cora said and begins to work the shaft with her tongue. She runs it around him as much as she can but it is difficult. Her mouth can barely contain Cyrus. I need air. As if on cue, Cora tugs Alyssa’s hair back at that very moment. Alyssa pulls out, gasping for air. Her chest rises and falls hypnotically as she breathes heavily, struggling to reorient herself. “Holy Immortals, Lyss!” Cyrus cries out. “That was hot! You… were incredible! You almost got it all! Damn…” He trails off. “Hah…” Alyssa breathes. “You’re quite big, Cy,” Alyssa responds with a grin. A bit of saliva drips down her chin but she hardly notices. Blood is rushing all throughout Alyssa’s body and she now radiates a buzzing, excited aura. Her brain is firing 25
off in all directions and she can barely think straight. “Now Ly—hah!” Cyrus starts before being interrupted by his own unexpected moan. Alyssa has taken a firm hold of his cock and is now shoving it deep inside her mouth once again. She holds him in place at the base and begins to bob her head in and out. In and out. In and out. Pure bliss shoots throughout Cyrus’ body. His knees nearly buckle. Seeing this development, Cora laughs loudly. Cyrus looks up and sees that she is now a few feet away, still enjoying the show. She is leaning against the wall in such a way that her dress falls away from her body, revealing the entirety of her legs and basically all of her ass. “She learns fast,” Cora chuckles. Cyrus smiles. “She sure does. I’m not comp—hah! I’m not complaining.” Alyssa’s fiery red ponytail jerks around wildly as she passionately attends to Cyrus’ cock. “Well, I hope you two enjoy yourselves.” What does that mean? Before Cyrus can analyze any further, Alyssa’s right hand reaches up and grasps 26
his upper thigh. His attention slingshots back to Alyssa. Her bright, blazing hair continues to bounce hypnotically, and with each bob comes wave after wave of pleasure. Instinctually, Cyrus firmly grabs the ponytail and thrusts in rhythm with Alyssa. The two speed up and grind like this for who knows how long. Thirty seconds? Two Minutes? Ten? Who cares. Eventually, Cyrus begins to feel himself tensing up. Here it comes. Damn, Lyss is good. He wasn’t sure where to do this, though. He couldn’t cum straight down her throat. They hadn’t really talked about it—and what if Lyss didn’t want that? “Ly—hng… Lyss.” Cyrus pants. Alyssa stops obediently and looks up into Cyrus’ eyes. Her eyes are unnaturally wild. She gasps for air, unable to talk just yet. “Just… just stay right there. Look at me.” With this, Cyrus begins to rub himself to the edge. Alyssa catches on quickly and takes over, pushing his hands aside and using her own. “Oh, Cy,” she says sweetly between strokes. “Give it to me. Let it all go right on my face. Cum for 27
me.” That did it. How was she so good at this if she had never done it before? The unbearable tenseness within Cyrus’ shaft releases as a thick surge of cum shoots out onto Alyssa’s expectant face, just above her right eye. She flinches out of instinct and before she can recover another pump sends more flying, this time on the top of her forehead and the part of her hair. Another one. This one hits her left cheek and she giggles. The shots come one after another until, finally, Cyrus is empty. Alyssa can’t stop giggling as her face is completely covered. She hopes Cyrus is happy with her. She certainly is happy with him. She gently gives Cyrus’ manhood one last peck and stands up to his height. Her knees are sore but she hardly minds. Despite the current state of her face, or perhaps because of it, Alyssa is giddy and unashamed to look at Cyrus. As she stands, Cyrus smiles weakly. That one really took it out of him. “Lyss.. that was… you were… just. Wow. You’re something else.” 28
Alyssa giggles yet again. “Well, Cy, let’s just say that was a long time coming. No pun intended.” Both of them laugh as Cyrus reaches for his satchel and pulls out a small cloth. “Here. Clean yourself up. I like the look but… we still have a shift to complete.” “Right,” Alyssa accepts the cloth and begins to wipe her face. It will take more than just this cloth to get clean, but it’s a start. “Did I do good?” She asks, seeking more validation. “Hell yeah! you did amazing, Lyss. I mean Cora knew what she was doing but with you… I mean… I feel like we had… we had a real connection,” Cyrus admits, bashfully faltering towards the end. The color suddenly drains from Alyssa’s face. Cora. “Fuck! Where did Cora go?” The couple looks around hastily, but the seductress is nowhere to be found. Both pairs of eyes lock onto the gate. The gate, of which it is their sole responsibility to guard and protect, now lies partially ajar. 29
The unmarked Menolak had gotten in. 30
Chapter 6: Reluctant Help “Oh. That’s not good,” Cyrus states. “No shit, Cy,” Alyssa snaps. “Well, ma’am. What should we do?” “Wha—we have to find her! A Menolak without a marking in the city is dangerous! Calmorn will have our heads if he finds out…” Alyssa shudders at the thought. “But Lyss,” Cyrus says as he finally starts to don his clothing and armor again. “We can’t just leave the gates unattended. That might just make things worse!” 31
Alyssa takes a moment to respond. She glances at the open gates and then back to the road’s end on the horizon. She lets out a big sigh. Bigger than any sigh that Cyrus has heard. It has been a very unusual afternoon. “Fine. You stay here and don’t do anything foolish. I’ll go in and see if anyone nearby saw where she went.” “But Ly—” Cyrus starts. “Cy, I know you’re concerned about me. It’s sweet. It really is. But we have a job here and I’d really like to keep it. I want to keep seeing you.” Before Cyrus can process this, Alyssa whips around and marches toward the gates. She walks with an intensity and a resolve that Cyrus has seen many times before. There is no changing her mind now. He watches her go as her polished armor glints in the evening light. Great. All alone with only the resounding echoes of recent events for company. Alyssa slips through the gates. The last glimpse Cyrus gets is the tip of her worn longsword sheathe before she disappears completely. As Alyssa walks through the gates, the noise hits 32
her like a brick. Yelling, shouting, complaining, convincing, crying, laughing—it’s overwhelming. Alyssa is forced to stop in her tracks and orient herself. She was not prepared for this much activity. She usually travels in the early morning or late at night. Even on her days off, she intentionally avoids the evening chaos of these well-traveled streets. Taking a big, reassuring breath, Alyssa takes a step forward and vanishes into the bustling frenzy. She is doing her best to look around for another Watcher. If she could just find one of her own, they will have been keeping a close eye on strange individuals. Cora certainly falls into that category. Walking with the flow of people, Alyssa searches desperately for the white and turquoise armor that announces the presence of a Watcher. What feels like hours pass by until, finally, Alyssa spots a cluster of familiar-looking uniforms. She rushes up to them, excited at the idea of progress. “Hey!” Alyssa pants. “Hey! I know I’m not from your unit but… this is urgent. Can I get your help? Real quick?” Alyssa can now see that the group she has walked up to is in the middle of a game of cards. The four 33
of them are all gathered around a barrel and there is a sack of gold in the center. Alyssa’s eyes fall. How could they know anything about Cora if they’ve been playing games this whole time? Damn City Watch. They have it so easy. “Pardon, miss?” One of them responds. The man that spoke up has a gruff, unpleasant voice and his face is barely visible through several layers of scraggly, unkempt facial hair. He has a giant, ugly pimple on his nose and it’s possible that he has a lazy eye. It’s hard to tell. “I just… I was uh…” Alyssa stutters. “I was hoping… you could tell me if you’ve seen a Menolak woman around. But… I see you’re busy so I won’t bother you.” “Ain’t seen nothin’. Sorry, Princess,” replies the same repulsive man. Alyssa winces at the name. Gross. Another one of the Watchers places a card on the barrel. “Of course. I’m… sorry for wasting your time.” Alyssa turns to leave but a different voice stops her. “A Menolak, ay?” It says. “Flowy, bold dress? Blonde hair?” 34
Alyssa spins around, searching for a face to put to the voice. Behind the bozos playing cards sits a young woman, also dressed in the full armor of the Tide Watch. She is sitting down comfortably, one knee up and one knee down. She looks over her shoulder, directly at Alyssa. Her eyes burn a bright green and her curly black hair falls past her shoulders. “Y-yes!” Alyssa says excitedly. “That’s exactly them! Please, did you see where she went? It’s urgent.” The woman simply gestures with her head across the street. “She walked in there, last I saw. Was a few hours ago at this point.” Alyssa glances across the street and catches a peek at the signage between the heads of passersby. The Lazy Crab. Perhaps luck is on her side after all. “Oh thank heavens! I’m glad someone was doing their job!” Alyssa says pointedly. “Thank you so much…” “Ev. Call me Ev.” “Thank you so much, Ev. I owe you one.” 35
“Forget about it.” Alyssa turns to leave once more, eager to cross the street. As she takes a step, however, Ev pipes up again. “Oh, and princess? Ya might want to clean up your face. Folks might get the wrong idea.” Alyssa’s face immediately turns as white as fresh winter snow. She walks away as fast as she can. She is running—sprinting for the tavern. She had forgotten to clean up properly after her… episode with Cyrus. Why had she even done that in the first place? She had never, not once in her life, had so much enthusiasm for an act of sex. It was like something deep inside her had been unleashed. She simply could not stop herself from giving in. And now she was walking throughout the entire city with the evidence of this lustful act peppered all over her face. How embarrassing. That Ev probably thinks she’s a slut. Maybe she is now? What the hell is happening today? 36
Chapter 7: A Moment of Rest A lyssa bursts through the door to the Lazy Crab and looks for any indication of a washroom. Her eyes dart everywhere, but she is careful to avoid eye contact with anyone. With any luck, no one will notice her face. The immediate entrance to the tavern appears to double as a dining area and bar. Despite the larger size of the room, it is filled to the brim with inebriated men, laughing patrons, and whirling barmaids. There are too many sights, sounds, and smells to take in at once. That’s not what’s important now anyways. Finally, Alyssa’s eyes fall upon the glorious signage she is looking for. A crude sign above a doorway simply says “Washrooms” and an arrow indicates 37
that they are down the hall. Alyssa shoots through the hubbub and makes her way to the washrooms. What she sees throws her off a bit. The end of the hall opens up into a large, brick room with a layer of faint steam that lazily hangs low in the air. Benches are set up all along the walls and two large pools of water sit on either side of the entrance. A bathhouse? In a tavern? Where are the damn washrooms? Alyssa looks around wildly and finally spots a couple of doors on the far side of the room. One of them is partially ajar and she can just see the edge of a mirror. Perfect. She moves to enter the room. The resulting washroom is surprisingly nice for a tavern. A single latrine sits in the corner, leading down to who knows where. A good-sized basin of water sits about waist-high on a shelf and a large, clean mirror covers a majority of the adjacent wall. There is a stack of fresh, tidy washcloths next to the basin, folded neatly and intentionally. Alyssa marvels at the unusually hygienic tavern washroom for maybe two seconds before eagerly grabbing a towel and dipping it in the basin. She rinses and scrubs her face clean with more force than usual. She wants to get it all off. After a minute or two of cleaning, Alyssa is finally satisfied with how she looks. She hadn’t realized how much had 38
gotten in her hair. That was not easy to clean. If fact, it still wasn’t perfect. At least now it just looked a little messy and not like she had just run away from a brothel. Looking at herself in the mirror, Alyssa lets out a long, slow breath. Her intense red ponytail is loose and messy now and water drips from her freckled face. The cool water feels good against her heated skin. A drop of it trickles down her chin and neck, melting away as it reaches her new choker. What a lovely choker. Another breath escapes Alyssa’s lips. The heat fogs up the mirror and Alyssa is forced to wipe it clean to see. Her limbs ache. She had been running around a lot today, not to mention that her knees are still throbbing. That blowjob had lasted for quite a while. She is exhausted. As the mirror clears, Alyssa’s eyes catch the bathhouse she had run through. It looked awfully serene right now. Perhaps she could slip in for just a minute. Her body is shaking. She needs to sit down. Just for a moment. Anxiously, yet with great care, Alyssa steps into the bathhouse and looks around. No noise, no grunts, no movement. No one is here. She slowly walks over to the door that leads to the rest of the tavern. 39
She peeks outside, into the chaos. No one is coming down the hall. She retreats and slowly, delicately, closes the door. She is alone in the bathhouse. Her heart skips a beat. Just a dip. Walking over to the edge of the left pool, Alyssa begins to strip off her armor. She unbuckles her chestplate and sets it carefully against the wall. She removes her chausses and boots and places them there as well. Now she is simply wearing her tight black underclothes. The underclothes still cover a good portion of her body, but she is too nervous to strip down any further. Someone could walk in at any moment. The tight black t-shirt and compression shorts cling to her body as the steam in the room seeps into the material. Despite being alone, Alyssa covers her breasts with her arms. She never wears a bra underneath her armor. It’s too many layers and her underclothes work well enough. Today, she wishes she had. No longer bound by the supportive chestplate, her breasts are free to move as they please, which is far too much for Alyssa’s liking. Tentatively, Alyssa dips a foot into the water. It is heated, like a hot spring. Her eyes widen. With growing excitement, she wades further into the pool. She reaches the edge of the submerged step and 40
simply lets herself sink. Hot water envelops her slowly. The water line reaches her ribs. Then the bottom of her breasts. Then her nipples. She inhales sharply at the feeling. The water reaches her clavicle. Her ass hits the step and she bounces a slow bounce. She is sitting alone in the quiet bathhouse, steam swirling overhead from her recent movements. Relief washes over Alyssa. All the worries, stress, and confusion of the day melt away as the heat makes her skin tingle. The tingling stops after a while as her body adjusts. Alyssa closes her eyes at the euphoric moment and leans her head back against the brick floor, careful not to let her hair dip into the water. Waiting for that to dry would take forever. She sinks further into the water and lets herself relax. Her muscles loosen and she begins to serenely float, just a bit. 41
Chapter 8: Getting Steamy A lyssa’s thoughts wander to Cyrus. She still couldn’t believe she had been so excited to service him like that. She had never blown anyone before. At least it was with Cyrus, though. He was so sweet and loving. Ah, how long had it been since she had proper sex? Five, six years? The damn Tide Watch had taken over her life. She hadn’t thought about a man in that way in a long time. It felt great though… And that was all for him, too. She hadn’t even asked for anything in return. Fuck. Maybe she needs a good lay after all. The elusive, erotic fantasies she has night after night begin to bubble back up and into her thoughts once again. One of them came true today… Perhaps more of them will. She desperately hopes that is true. She wants more. 42
She needs more. Absentmindedly, Alyssa’s hands cup her breasts. She begins massaging them and pinching her nipples. She lets out a sharp gasp at the feeling. With more fervor, she hungrily gropes her small, perky breasts through the sopping wet fabric. She wishes they were bigger. Maybe Cyrus would like her more if they we— A creaking sound that could scare even the most stoic of men suddenly cries out from the door behind her. Startled, Alyssa sits up straight and whips her head around to see who is coming in. Half of her ponytail plops into the water. So much for keeping her hair dry. Her heart is beating quickly at being caught. Being caught doing what, though? She was just using the bathhouse as intended. Well… maybe for a bit more than that. Emerging through the door is a well-built, handsome man with long, black hair that reaches all the way down to his shoulder blades. He is wearing nothing but a towel over his waist and Alyssa’s eyes are immediately drawn to his impressive pecks, which are on full display. He is whistling a shaky, out-of-tune song until he sees Alyssa in the pool, starting right at him. He stops, freezing in place. 43
“Oh—I’m… sorry miss. I didn’t see you there…” He trails off awkwardly. Alyssa is still starting at his impressive body. His abs are unbelievable. “N-no worries. I’m just here… relaxing.” Noticing the woman’s nervousness, the man stands up a bit straighter and collects himself for a second. “I can see that. I hope you don’t mind if I intrude?” Alyssa finally looks up into the man’s eyes. They are a luminous dark blue and look like they have seen some serious shit over the years. Examining the rest of his face, Alyssa finds her body growing hotter by the second—even beyond the temperature of the water. His face is angular and chiseled. Not a single ounce of facial hair is to be found on his face and a slight, awkward smile is curved up to greet her. His hair flows voluminously, almost hypnotically, behind him. “No. Of course not. Please, join me.” Alyssa finds herself saying. The man raises an eyebrow at the invitation. “Who am I to turn down such an offer?” He walks over 44