AUTHOR'S NOTES:
This story is erotic fantasy, set in a world of magic.
This tale takes place in the same world as my core Danica story and all my other stories in Sci-Fi/Fantasy on Lit.
The occasional use of "modern" measurements and such is a product of my fantasy world. I know most who read fantasy would probably prefer "leagues", "cubits", and "handspans" but my world always utilized more modern terms for distances and measures. I hope it doesn't jar too much to detract from the story.
This originally started as a one shot, but has turned into a short series. You really need to read the previous parts to know what's going on in the story and know the characters.
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The Duke and Duchess had just dressed after bathing when Arilee walked into the bath room. She marveled for a moment that there was no evidence of the battle that had occurred here only a short time before. She found that she had to concentrate to maintain her composure in light of Christi wearing only a thin nightshirt and Cerebus clad in only a pair of cotton pants.
"Excuse me — Ashtar wishes to speak with you."
Mindblind grunted and nodded his head. "That's a good sign for you, Ari. If Ashtar recognized that you're taking over for Gwen, you've got to be on the right track."
"Ari... I like that, Dear. How about you, Arilee?"
Arilee smiled. "It was always my nickname, but it has been a long time since anyone used it. I was always fond of it."
Christi smiled back at her. "Good. Do send Ashtar in, Ari. You might want to stay if he hasn't spoken to you about what happened. He's very thorough and he'll want to talk to us both about what we saw."
Arilee turned to fetch the man, but Ashtar appeared in the doorway and walked inside before Ari could take a step. "Many pardons for my most bad manners, but I am being much to anticipating seeing you again my friends." He then turned to Arilee. "I am to be thanking you for conveying my greetings and asking please that you do remain."
"Okay," Ari responded with a nod to the dusky-skinned man. Even if she hadn’t known that he used magic, his crimson robes trimmed with strange arcane sigla would have certainly alerted her.
He stroked his goatee and smiled wide, revealing a perfect set of shining white teeth to her before turning back to the Duke and Duchess. "Very much bad magic has been bringing the wood trolls into your home. It is being very much strong Art to be breaking my wards, and stinking of evil blood magic it is being."
Christi threw up a hand in an exasperated gesture. "It doesn't make any damn sense. Why in the hells would a necromancer waste the energy to break our wards, and then teleport in wood trolls? Why not undead, or even a couple of imps?"
"Very much strange it is being. I am to be thinking a distraction it is being, but for what I am not knowing. Notice anything odd to be happening did any of you?"
Mindblind only shrugged, but Christi said, "I felt the wards break. That's what alerted me that something was wrong. That was unusual enough, because I'm not that strong in magic and I didn't have anything to do with the spell when it was cast."
Ashtar nodded. "Very strong magic being turned against your wards was, not strange is it that you were feeling its chilling touch. The wards I have been restoring, but thinking I am this is not being over."
Mindblind grunted and scrunched up his nose. "Wonderful. You got anything to help protect Ari here? She's new, doesn't have any training to fight, and it's just us up here. I'm not so concerned about the servants downstairs. Most of them can fight, and the guards do their job."
Ashtar flashed his bright white smile once again. "A new spell I am having made which should be helping. Bringing her to your side when in danger she is it will, if letting me cast it upon her she will."
"I would feel much better knowing that you would be with me if anything happens again. So, can Ashtar use his magic on you?" Christi inquired, looking over at the blonde servant.
"I think I would feel safer too."
Ashtar turned to Arilee. "Be not afraid. Being feeling nothing you will, and to be protecting you my magic shall."
The wizard intoned a chant and waved his arms in a series of complicated gestures in front of Arilee, and she started when a faint glowing nimbus of light surrounded her for a moment. It vanished as quickly as it appeared, and she otherwise felt nothing.
Cerebus walked over and clapped Ashtar on the back. "Thanks. Your room is ready for you, like always. Stay as long as you want. We don't see enough of you now that you've ran off to study with Darkni."
"Good it is being to be here in Blackhawk Hall, old friend. From my studies, I am needing a break, and with good friends is that best to be taken. Intriguing this mystery is, and most interested am I being in its solving."
"Let me know if you figure anything out. Actually, you'll probably have to let Christi know." Cerebus then turned toward her. "There's some tough set himself up as a governor down in Darius. Considering I didn't appoint him, I thought I'd go down and ask him what the hell he thought he was up to."
Christi put a hand on her hip and scowled. "Nothing but an excuse to go carousing with the boys. I suppose you want me to stay here and keep this place in one piece while you're gone?"
"Well..."
Christi laughed. "I'm only kidding. Go and have fun, Cerebus. I got out of the Hall to go see Alicia a while ago, so it's your turn for a break. I'll take care of things while you're gone."
"I'll stop along the way and see if there’s been anything weird happening anywhere else."
Ashtar stretched and yawned, setting off a chain reaction that had both Christi and Arilee yawning as well. "Doubting that I am being. Targeting the Hall, this seems to me being. To my bed I am thinking I should be going."
"You're probably right,” Mindblind responded with a shrug. “Night, Ashtar."
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The Duke and Duchess lay in bed after challenging each other to a game of chess that ended in a draw, as did nearly any contest that they engaged in.
"You sure you're okay with me going? I do want to get out for a while, but from what I've heard, there's something stinks about the way this tough is acting. I think Draxnog has his hands in it."
"It's fine, Dear. I guessed that there was more to it than an excuse to booze and get into bar fights. Ashtar is here, and his magic can help balance the loss of your sword if anything happens."
"Gonna be a bit lonely at night though," he hinted, edging in closer to her.
"Mmm — here too... Maybe," Christi said and twitched her eyebrows.
"Oh, so what's that about then?"
"Did you notice we had an audience again this evening?"
He kissed her neck before replying, "Nope. Guess I was too busy trying to win at first, and too busy trying not to lose in the end."
Christi stroked her fingertips over his hard member beneath the sheets as she spoke, "You were a little distracted in the armory too, apparently."
Now it was Mindblind's turn to raise his eyebrows, "Ari?"
Christi chuckled. "Mmm hmm. Birds could have flown in and started nesting in her mouth. I saw her in the doorway when I was bending over the table, and she only left when you filled my mouth up."