Salvation of a New World

[Veroe]

IC: Aram Stonemoor

"So, this goddess gave you magic to heal people and blast a rat or two," He asked her, "Can your magic do anything else?"

They shared a moment with Aram looking into her eyes. She was immeasurably the prettiest girl he'd ever seen, but her eyes were deep and had an experienced wisdom to them that didn't belay the optimism he found mesmerizing.

Regrettably she noticed how her hand was still on his leg and with some color rising to her pristine alabaster cheeks she pulled it away. She seem to embrace his question to avoid other topics.

"Hm. Well, I hadn't really had time to think of it that much. If I'm a... vessel, or a priestess maybe, then I assume I could do healing, holy attacks, and maybe blessings." Emily reached up and scratched her cheek sheepishly, "she didn't really get into specifics."

"Healing, huh? Well, you're certainly not a mage from the towers of high sorcery like I thought when I first saw you," He told her, "Their magic is all attacks. Balls of fire and lightning from the sky. Or so I've heard. I've never actually seen one. Even an apprentice mage in the guild starts out at least as a silver rank adventurer and I'm only copper. Also there's not that many out there either."

He looked down at their little campfire and then back to Emily, "May I ask what's your plan once we get to Lorenstown?"

 

[Poprockz]

It still felt weird to hear him talk about magic, something that seemed like a dream in her past life. The only magic in her own world was the magic of luck, or perhaps love if one was being truly sentimental. She wasn't really sure what different kinds of magic they had here, but she supposed she couldn't deny its existence after all she had seen. It would just take a bit of getting used to.

"All she gave me was my life, my divinity, and a goal. Anything else is up in the air, so I don't have any money or a place to go..." A brightness came to her eyes as she had an idea though. "I could go those priests or whatnot though! I know you said that they might be a bit reluctant, but I have nowhere else to go and they would have to take me after they knew what was going on!"

One of the blue pixies had landed atop her head minutes previous, and having tired of her dance had decided to lay on her stomach with her head in her hands idly. Her knees were bent, her feet swaying back and forth in the air as she listened to them talk. However, when Emily tipped her head downward to look at the ground, the pixie slipped forward suddenly and fell downwards. It wasn't enough of a drop for her to activate her wings, and thus she landed head-first right into Emily's cleavage. Half of her body was firmly entrenched in her supple bosom, her legs kicking helplessly as she struggled against the soft warmth enveloping her.

The sudden impact in-between her breasts made Emily flinch, looking down and gasping when she saw those little legs fruitlessly waving around. All the other pixies seemed to find it hilarious, the majority of them giggling uncontrollably. Some even doubled over and wiped tears from their eyes at the ridiculous sight.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Aram Stonemoor

"Healing, huh? Well, you're certainly not a mage from the towers of high sorcery like I thought when I first saw you," He told her, "Their magic is all attacks. Balls of fire and lightning from the sky. Or so I've heard. I've never actually seen one. Even an apprentice mage in the guild starts out at least as a silver rank adventurer and I'm only copper. Also there's not that many out there either."

He looked down at their little campfire and then back to Emily, "May I ask what's your plan once we get to Lorenstown?"

"All she gave me was my life, my divinity, and a goal. Anything else is up in the air, so I don't have any money or a place to go..." Aram marveled at the light in her eyes as a thought occurred to her and she went on to suggest. "I could go those priests or whatnot though! I know you said that they might be a bit reluctant, but I have nowhere else to go and they would have to take me after they knew what was going on!"

To that he smiled to her offering. "I live in Stonemoor orphanage in the riverfront quarter of Lorenstown. I grew up there. It's small, but if you don't mind sleeping in the same room with all the other orphans there we have plenty of beds. You could stay with us at least until you figure out what your goddess needs you to do next..."

Aram hoped he didn't come off as to forward. Emily was an extremely attractive girl, and he'd never been comfortable speaking with even regular girls much less ones touched by divinity. He also was deeply afraid she'd take offense with his presence once she realized just how poor and comely he was. She was obviously educated, and beautiful, and refined. She must be from nobility in that other world she came from. He on the other hand was merely a street urchin taken in by a kind old woman, and desperate now as old age was becoming more and more evident upon her to repay that kindness to the closest person he'd ever had to an actual parent.

Emily obviously must be from a whole other world. She wouldn't understand his constant need to make money, to look out for Old Mila, or the little kids still in the orphanage...his brothers and sisters...all of them...dependent upon him more and more.

He needed to take care of them all, and that took money.

He did not think he'd be able to bear it when Emily realized just how much above him in her obvious class status she actually was. She would leave him then, and even though they had only known her a very short while...it would feel devastating to Aram when she did part from him.

Afterall she was the chosen one by a goddess and he was just someone who spent weeks just to save up enough coin to buy the crappy little sword he had. She should be spending time with princes and generals and archmages and genuine heroes. Those were the types of people who could aid her on her mission...not him.

To the last part of what she had said he shook his head. "You don't understand the church of the prophets, Emily. They could easily name you a heretic and have you arrested or worse. You'll need to be very careful when we get to town. And when you do approach them you'll need to have a plan on how to deal with them."

Then suddenly she looked down and the Pixie that had perched itself atop her head fell down and right between the cleavage between the two prodigious orbs that were her breasts. The poor creature fell between them and was caught stuck headfirst in the narrow space there kicking and wriggling to rise back up but unable to do so.

He saw Emily flinch as the events unfolded but he acted first to solve the situation. "Let me help you there."

He leaned in and reached with two trembling fingers pinching the flower-petal skirt of the pixie between them and lifting her up out of Emily's cleavage. "There you are little one..."

He looked up and something in the expression on Emily's face made him realize just how close and how over the line he'd just gone in invading her personal space uncalled for. His face immediately turned crimson and stumbled through a hasty apology, "I'm sorry...I was just trying to help..."

 

[Poprockz]

It surprised her that he lived in an orphanage, though she supposed it wasn't that surprising. It was just that she hadn't ever known anyone from one of those before. Most of the kids in the hospital had parents who were paying for their care, especially since she had been at one of the more state-of-the-art hospitals. Though she did know of one or two of them who had been sponsored by various organizations since their parents couldn't afford treatment. Still, things like wealth didn't really matter in the hospital when everyone was simply trying to survive and keep moral up.

Emily didn't consider it an issue to sleep in the same room with others, especially since it was something she would often do in her past life. Of course there were privacy curtains there, but she didn't mind not having them as long as she had a warm place to rest her head. In fact, she thought to herself that it might be somewhat comforting to not be alone when she slept. So often the presence of others was enough to keep nightmares at bay.

She smiled back at him and nodded gratefully, knowing that in an orphanage she would likely be a temporary burden to them until she was able to persuade the church to take her in and aid her in the Goddess's cause. He kept warning her about the church though... Were they really that bad? Surely an organization built on faith should be one of mercy and compassion she reckoned, yet his warnings filled her with apprehension. For now she would have to trust him on this and work on a suitable plan of action. Perhaps she would go and observe them for a day to get a read on their attitude and values first.

When Aram plucked the pixie from her breasts, the expression she had on her face might have been a bit hard to read. It was a mix between shock, embarrassment, and nervousness, her eyes wide and her cheeks bright red. Though to say that she felt uncomfortable with his efforts wasn't quite true. In her 18 years, she had never been close enough to any of the other boys to even think about relationships with them, though she would daydream about romance sometimes when reading books with romantic storylines. As such, she had never touched or kissed anyone in that way, so the proximity of his fingers was unfamiliar and strangely embarrassing for her. It was almost as though she could feel the ghost of his fingertips brushing across her warm skin, and that gave her feelings she wasn't used to.

Waving her hands back and forth she quickly blurted out, "No, no! It's okay! It's fine! She was stuck in my- I mean she fell and she couldn't get out, so I'm glad you got her out of- well, I mean you helped her! So um, thank you!" With that, she looked away and cleared her throat, "I'm um, not used to this body yet."

 

[Veroe]

IC: Aram Stonemoor

He looked up and something in the expression on Emily's face made him realize just how close and how over the line he'd just gone in invading her personal space uncalled for. His face immediately turned crimson and stumbled through a hasty apology, "I'm sorry...I was just trying to help..."

Waving her hands back and forth she quickly blurted out, "No, no! It's okay! It's fine! She was stuck in my- I mean she fell and she couldn't get out, so I'm glad you got her out of- well, I mean you helped her! So um, thank you!" With that, she looked away and cleared her throat, "I'm um, not used to this body yet."

He let go of the Pixie who immediately righted herself, her little wings fluttering in violet light. She brushed herself off and glared at her fellows still laughing at her misfortune. Angrily she flew at them and they all fluttered around himself and Emily in the grove being chased by her laughing like it was all some hilarious game to them.

He smiled at her lost in how beautiful and kind she was. He was still way too close to her, and he made no move to pull away to a more respectful distance. He found her enrapturing. But something about what she said was bothering him. "What do you mean you're not used to this body yet, Emily? Is this not the body you had in that other world?"

 

[Poprockz]

She didn’t have access to a mirror, so she couldn’t see whether her eyes had changed as well, but she assumed that her body was completely different. Her hair, her breasts, height, skin… it was all new to her. Having a healthy body wasn’t normal for her- it was a strange new experience to not feel constant nausea, pain, or discomfort. In fact, it was almost unsettling how good she felt, how easily she moved and how strong she was.

“No… you probably wouldn’t recognize me there.” She lifted her hand, pensively watching her silvery white hair slide over her palm and back downward. Her hair was smooth, glossy, as though she had used the conditioner of the gods on it every day from birth. It was everything she dreamed her hair would have been, had it not been taken from her. Though it had grown back at one point, it had just made it that much more devastating when she learned that she would soon lose it once more.

“I’m pretty sure the only things she kept the same are my mind, my womanhood, and… my voice.” As she spoke the last part, she found herself a bit surprised. She hadn’t noticed it before because it sounded normal, but it would have made sense for her voice to be change too. However, it seemed that the Goddess had deemed it something worthy of keeping in this new, strange place. It was oddly comforting in a way.

“It’s probably for the better though,” she mumbled, letting the rest of her hair slip off.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Aram Stonemoor

He smiled at her lost in how beautiful and kind she was. He was still way too close to her, and he made no move to pull away to a more respectful distance. He found her enrapturing. But something about what she said was bothering him. "What do you mean you're not used to this body yet, Emily? Is this not the body you had in that other world?"

"No...you probably wouldn't recognize me there." Aram watched as Emily lifted her hand raising some of her gleaming silvery locks to look at. While people had a variety of differing colors of hair including white or silver he'd never before seen anyone's hair seem quite so lustrous and...well...divine...as Emily's here.

Aram wanted to touch her hair, run his fingers through it, feel the silky texture it looked like it would have. He didn't, of course, but he wanted to so deeply at that moment it ached.

“I’m pretty sure the only things she kept the same are my mind, my womanhood, and… my voice.” She continued, seeming surprised that the only vestige of her old self remaining was her voice. She looked down and murmured something that seemed important to Aram though why he could not say, "It's probably for the better though."

"I think you have a lovely voice, Emily," He said without thinking on how he was being a little too forward with her again. Something about her just made him want to say his mind about her, "You're incredibly beautiful, but not just the body you were given. You are kind, and caring, and so brave to even think about doing what your mission from her needs you to do."

The hand that had been threading through her silver hair he took in his rough calloused swordsman fingers clasping it in his sincerely as he vowed. "Whatever I can do to help you in your quest, Emily, I swear I'll do it."

 

[Poprockz]

She looked up when he complimented her voice, meeting his eyes and seeing the sincerity in them. Emily got the feeling that he wasn't just saying that to make her feel better, rather that he truly meant what he said. Perhaps it was fate that placed him in her path at that time, as not everyone was so earnest and straightforward.

Though, as he continued to speak his mind about her beauty, she couldn't help but feel simultaneously flattered and awkward. It was an odd feeling being complimented so much, especially for things that she felt should have been a given. Being kind was something everyone should aspire to be, but she supposed that bravery was a different matter. It gave her a feeling of warmth in her chest to be told that she was brave.

In her past life, people had told her that she was brave all the time, but she had never felt like it. What choice had she had but to keep living until she wasn't able to anymore? The fact of the matter was that when terrible things happened, one simply had to deal with them as they came, especially when those things were unavoidable. To be told she was brave simply for existing in spite of her sickness felt odd in a way, and part of her had hated the patronizing tone of it all. This was different though.

His hand was so rough... It felt like he had been working some kind of hard labor for years and years. Upon actually looking at his hands she could see small cuts and scars, and it made her wonder what kind of life he led. Did the orphanage abuse him? Had he been forced to work from a young age? They both seemed to be fairly young, yet his hand had the weariness of a seasoned laborer. Her own hand in comparison felt like finest silk.

"Whatever I can do to help you in your quest, Emily, I swear I'll do it."

"Thank you," she said softly, "something tells me that I'm going to need all the help I can get." Her face tilted up at him and she gave him a warm smile. "I'll be happy to be in your care for a while."

 

[Veroe]

IC: Aram Stonemoor

"I think you have a lovely voice, Emily," He said without thinking on how he was being a little too forward with her again. Something about her just made him want to say his mind about her, "You're incredibly beautiful, but not just the body you were given. You are kind, and caring, and so brave to even think about doing what your mission from her needs you to do."

The hand that had been threading through her silver hair he took in his rough calloused swordsman fingers clasping it in his sincerely as he vowed. "Whatever I can do to help you in your quest, Emily, I swear I'll do it."

His words seemed to move her, and she took his hand from hers and she inspects his rough calloused hands, but does not reveal her thoughts on the condition of his hands. "Thank you, something tells me that I'm going to need all the help I can get." She gave him a radiant smile adding, "I'll be happy to be in your care for a while."

"Thank you, Emily," He replied, "I won't let you down."

The night continued on, and they sat together and talked and got to know each other a little more. The Pixies spun and danced and sung around them. The campfire crackled and sputtered in front of them. Above were stars completely new to Emily. Aram pointed out many of the constellations he knew of; the Archer, the Chalice, the Castle, The Unicorn, The Matron, and the Tortoise. Then the triple moons were a trio of crescents looking down on them, white, red, and verdant green-silent witnesses to their conversation.

He told her what little he actually knew about this new world she found herself in. Mostly about the layout of Lorenstown and the barebones of world geography beyond his own hometown. Funny, he had no idea how much he didn't know until he was trying to tell her about it all.

Eventually though the time came end their conversation and he looked over to her and said. "It's getting late, and we need to rise early in the morning, Emily. Unless you have more for us to talk about, we should probably get to sleep now."

 

[Poprockz]

"No, I think I'm a bit tired too," she replied sleepily. While she had enjoyed their conversation, it had been a long day for her. She had celebrated her 18th birthday, died, been summoned by a Goddess, placed in another world with a new body, exploded a giant rat with divine power, met a new friend, and saw creatures she could only dream of. All in all, probably one of the busiest days of her existence.

It was a warm night and the grass was so soft that she simply laid down near Aram and looked up at the stars. Some pixies came into view, dropping a pillow on each of them before settling in the nearby trees. The pillows looked to be made out of some kind of silk that she couldn't identify, its insides stuffed with a cotton-like plant. Though she didn't know it, the silk was actually made from a variety of silk worm this world had- quite a rare find. Only pixie hands were small enough to weave the thread into something new, and there were few garments or cloth in the world currently since the pixies decided to distance themselves.

Some of the pixies were content to go to bed while others stayed up to watch them quietly. There wasn't outright singing anymore, but she could hear a very comforting hummed tune coming from them. It sounded like the same song, even if they weren't all singing in unison. Some of their tunes wove in and out of the melody, harmonizing and resonating with it. It made her feel so drowsy, their voices carrying her off to sleep within minutes of putting that soft pillow under her head.

...

When she started to come up from her soft dreams the next morning, her arm was wrapped around something warm, her forehead pressed to some warm fabric. It almost felt like a body pillow but more firm. It felt nice... Emily sleepily nuzzled the cloth and yawned before starting to drift off again. What she didn't know was that the "body pillow" in question was actually Aram, who had unwittingly been snuggled up to during the night.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Aram Stonemoor

Eventually though the time came end their conversation and he looked over to her and said. "It's getting late, and we need to rise early in the morning, Emily. Unless you have more for us to talk about, we should probably get to sleep now."

"No, I think I'm a bit tired too."

They were in the middle of summer, so it was still a warm night, and they were able to lay under the stars. He gave Emily his cloak to use as a blanket. Then he was surprised that the pixies carried over two pillows over to them dropping them on their heads. He held it in his hands marveling at how soft and smooth the fabric the pillow was. He looked to Emily and then to the pixies he said the only words someone could say to such kindness. "Thank you all very much. Your hospitality is truly appreciated."

They laid down next to each other looking up at the moons and stars as the pixies returned to their trees or hung around them no longer singing but quietly humming a tune to them as they settled down for the night.

He glanced over to Emily lying next to him, and then back up to stars above and smiled. Little did he know when he set out for this mission earlier from the guild hall that he'd meet a beautiful girl from another world and swear to aid her in her mission from a forgotten goddess by the end of that same day.

Whether it was listening to the hummed tune from the pixies or rigors of the day he had Aram found himself fast falling to sleep. The night swept over them safe, watched over, by the pixies and moons and stars in the night sky. He dreamed of her, of fighting demons to rescue her, of doing something more than just rescuing her. His dream about her quickly became one of pressing his lips to hers in a shared kiss, of his hands exploring the wealth of wonderful mystery that was her breasts, and so much more. He dreamed of the love they would make together. He dreamt of being by her side for the rest of his days, not as her protector, but as something so much more. Lover, husband, soul mate: complicated titles for something so profoundly simple, so profoundly right.

He dreamt of the children the two of them would raise from the streets as their own. Orphans like he had been given a chance in life to grow up and to be loved like beloved sons and daughters. He dreamed of being buried in the earth to sleep beside her like he was doing on the night in the pixie grove the very day they met. They would sleep side by side like that forever after. Aram and Emily as they had sworn to each other, together always.

It was such a beautiful dream of a life he may never know with her.

When he awoke it came gradually, sullenly, like he was enjoying the sweet dream, but the coming dawn of the next day dragged him away from it and into the brutal light of reality. The first thing he felt was the warm weight of her body against his. The press of her breasts into his side, the comforting weight of her head on his chest, her arms and leg curled over him holding him close against her lush and curvaceous body. His hand in his sleep had strayed to rest on her hip dangerously close to getting a handful of her buttock.

He took a deep breath when she yawned and snuggled in tighter against him. Her movements had raised her leg over and against the tent his hardening erection was making in his pants as memories of the more salacious moments of his dreams of the life the two of them may have were reawakened in the forefront of his brain. He lifted his head to stare down at her draped over his prone body. He used his free hand to shift the hair out her face and marveled at how beautiful to him Emily was even now sleeping and drooling on the breast of his tunic.

He could think of no better life than one lived by her side.

Still...they needed to get up and get going if they were going to make it to Lorenstown before they closed the gates. "Emily....it's time to get up." He gently shook her to rouse her from her own slumber.

 

[Poprockz]

Her face started to frown slightly and and she groggily whined, "I don't wanna..." She then sighed, her eyes still closed as she started to truly wake. As much as she wanted to let herself be carried off to slumber once more, the sun was now shining in her face, her senses becoming awakened whether she wanted them to be or not. It felt like she was really nestled against something, and based on where Aram's voice was coming from, she deduced that it may have been him her leg was draped over.

With this realization, her eyes popped open and she looked at him up and down, noting how she had been basically wrapped around him as though he was a pillow to be cuddled. This was a habit of hers, bunching up the bedsheets so she could snuggle up to them. It seemed that this proclivity had led to a rather unfortunate position for the both of them. In fact, she thought she might have accidentally rubbed against his morning wood at one point. Emily wasn't so naive that she didn't know that men and women had different body parts, and she had heard people talking about waking up like that before. It mortified her to think that she had made things weird for him when he first woke up.

"Oh my god!" She scooted away quickly and sat up, tucking some of her hair behind her ear. "I am SO sorry about that! Usually I have a pillow or something to hold at night, so I guess old habits die hard. Again, I am so so sorry." Though her voice was a bit husky from having just woken up, it was clear that she was nothing but apologetic for what had happened.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Aram Stonemoor

Still...they needed to get up and get going if they were going to make it to Lorenstown before they closed the gates. "Emily....it's time to get up." He gently shook her to rouse her from her own slumber.

Her response surprised him at first, "I don't wanna..." She nestled down to go back to sleep atop him. Stubbornly.

The sun peaked over the trees on a clear morning and shined down on them both. He lifted his hand to shield his eyes
as she sullenly stirred on his chest, eyes popping open and lifted her head to stare into his eyes.

"Oh my god," She exclaimed pulling away from him with retucking some of the hair he'd pulled from her face earlier back behind her hair again. "I am SO sorry about that!"

Once she was off of him he got up on his feet and turned his back to her. All the better so she wouldn't see his furiously blushing face as he tried to adjust himself down there so it wouldn't be quite so obvious what she'd been pressing against.

"I have a pillow or something to hold at night, so I guess old habits die hard." She explained in an apologetic tone, "Again, I am so sorry."

"You're sorry?" He asked remembering certain libidinous events that happened in his dreams between them...Goddess why was she so beautiful? "I should be the one that's sorry, Emily. Maybe it was because we were so close to each other last night, but I was having an inappropriate dream about us, and I am the one who should be pleading for forgiveness from you."

He turned to look at her over his shoulder. "Look can we just agree that what happened was over the line for both of us, but natural-I mean in my defense you're an Incredibly attractive woman."

He didn't know exactly why he had confessed to her, only that it felt right for him to have done so. Cleansing was the word he'd use.

He bent down when he deemed his erection had died down enough to be safe to perform such a maneuver without Emily seeing it and grabbed his swordbelt and rucksack. He stood up fastening the swordbelt around his hips. He swung the pack over a shoulder and adjusted his cloak before turning to face Emily once again. Looking at her he blushed again but managed to announce. "It'll be a long hike to reach Lorenstown before nightfall. Let's get started shall we?"

 

[Poprockz]

When he had replied with "you're sorry?" she had thought that perhaps he was about to chide her for being childish and invading his space, her brows knitting in worry. Though his next sentence had her surprised. He was apologizing? He had been dreaming about her? It wasn't as though one could could control what they dreamed about, so she hardly thought that it was something for him to apologize about. Besides, her sleeping against him was likely the cause of such dreams anyway.

Blinking, the details of what he had said sunk in, along with the realization that the dreams were likely ones of a more erotic variety. What had he done in those dreams? Emily had never been the object of anyone's desires, so this was a new feeling for her. It made her feel a bit flattered, but also very embarrassed. It made her hyper-aware of her body and the way her large breasts were prominent, the robe showing off a bit of cleavage. She pulled her robe up a little bit in order to cover them a bit more, but it was a fruitless endeavor as the robes were fitted to her exact proportions.

"Um, yes. Let's go!" She hadn't addressed his apology because she honestly didn't know what to say to all that. In her mind, it was probably best to just never speak of it again. If she was being honest, she found him to be quite attractive as well, but she was far too shy to say something of the sort unprompted.

Getting up, she brushed herself off and started to walk off, but a few pixies stopped her for a moment. They gave her a necklace, woven with a mix of silk and smooth crystal beads. She smiled and thanked them, waving to them as she started to walk away from the clearing.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Aram Stonemoor

He bent down when he deemed his erection had died down enough to be safe to perform such a maneuver without Emily seeing it and grabbed his sword belt and rucksack. He stood up fastening the swordbelt around his hips. He swung the pack over a shoulder and adjusted his cloak before turning to face Emily once again. Looking at her he blushed again but managed to announce. "It'll be a long hike to reach Lorenstown before nightfall. Let's get started shall we?"

"Umm, yes," She respnded a little distracted pulling her form-fitting robes up more to cover the wealth of cleavage their natural drape over her body exposed without much success in that endeavor. Her clothes were determined only to sit on the contours in the original way on her, defeating her efforts with every tug and pull she gave them. She looked up to him finishing her sentence, "Let's go."

"Alright then." He gathered up his pack and led them out of the ring of trees, but was halted by the pixies surrounding Emily once again singing praises to her goddess Ereletheia gifting her a beautiful necklace silken strands tying several smoothed moon crystal beads. He knew little of gems in general other than jewelers paid well for anyone found, but he had heard moon crystals were incredibly rare and was said to bring immense good fortune.

He didn't comment on the gift. He was sensing a certain distance between them now. Perhaps his candor about his dream to her had been a huge mistake. As they trekked Eastward through the forest there was an unbearably hefty and awkward silence that lingered over them.

Oh, he'd definitely stuck his foot in it again, hadn't he?

He had never been much of a lady's man. He always tended to say the wrong thing and offended any girl that he managed to catch the eye of. That or they found out he was too poor for them.

By midday they reached the Lorens River and the road following the river that would lead them straight to town, and he turned to face her for the first time since they left the Pixie's grove. "Now that we've reached the river...do you want to stop for a short lunch, Emily?"

 

[Poprockz]

The landscape was amazing, she thought to herself as they moved. Though the silence had been awkward at first, she had soon settled into it, believing that he too had let his own feelings of embarrassment subside with the pad of their footsteps. They were just getting to know each other and this was a whole new world for her, so she figured a few good-ups on her part weren’t too disastrous,

When they got to the river, she had already been mulling over when to ask him for a break. Even with her new body, she wasn’t wearing shoes for long distances and they had essentially been walking for half a day. It was unfortunate that they still had a whole afternoon of walking to go as well. Based on his attire and the presence of magic, she assumed they didn’t have cars or anything like that here, which was such a shame. Having a car or even a bike sounded really nice at that moment.

“Yes please,” she sighed gratefully, moving over to the river. There was a flat rock perched above it where she could dip her aching feet in, and she was certainly going to take advantage of it!

Taking off her sandals, she sat on the stone and took a peek at them and winced. One of her feet was developing a nasty blister on her heel. Once they got to the town she would apply some ointment or something, but for now, she simply lowered her feet into the cool waters that flowed by.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Aram Stonemoor

By midday they reached the Lorens River and the road following the river that would lead them straight to town, and he turned to face her for the first time since they left the Pixie's grove. "Now that we've reached the river...do you want to stop for a short lunch, Emily?"

They moved off the side of the road to the rocky riverbank. There was a flat stone reaching out into the burbling waters. It was wide enough for both of them to sit comfortably if not a little close together. After this morning and the awkward distance between them they've been feeling since....it may well be too close than would be proper.

Aram watched Emily sit down on the rock and remove the thin sandals she'd been wearing. She then sat down and dipped her feet into the cold clear water. They must be very sore. They'd been walking for hours and over some fairly rough terrain. He felt sorry for her. Perhaps he should have tried to slow down their pace to make it easier going for her. There was the need to reach town before they close the gates at sunset though, and frankly he wasn't entirely sure they'd make it before then.

Still the journey shouldn't be as harsh on her poor feet walking down the road instead of through the underbrush of the forest. With a sigh he sat next to her on the rock and dug into his pack for the very last scraps of his rations. It wasn't much, just a strip or two of dried meats, some hunks of stale bread, and two tiny pieces of some hard cheese. He split it all with her which gave neither of them very much to actually eat, but it was all that he had left. When it was done his stomach still felt empty and grumbled about its meager lot that day.

It was then that he noticed it. To her he asked, "Is your foot alright, Emily? It looks to me like you've got a nasty little blister forming on it." He gestured with his hands for her to proffer the foot for his examination. "Growing up as an orphan I've had to deal with wearing used shoes or worn-out boots all my life. Let me help you, please?"

 

[Poprockz]

She too felt like their lunch was more like a snack, but she had seen him open the pack for it all and had gotten the impression that this was all there was. If it had been for one person, she could see it being a decent (albeit light) lunch. Obviously he hadn't planned for it to be for two people, and the fact that he lived at an orphanage gave her the impression that he had truly only backed the bare minimum of what he needed to survive to and from his expedition. It made her feel a bit guilty to be eating his food, but she figured that when they got into town she could find a way to repay him somehow.

Glancing at his hands, she considered his offer for a moment before pulling her feet out of the water. It had soothed them a bit, but the blister still looked a bit angry and red, so if he had any ideas for additional relief she was willing to take it. There wasn't very much room on the rock, so in order to allow him to look at it, she had to scoot to the edge and turn her body towards him. One leg went around the back of him while the other curled inward so that her foot rested on his thigh.

"Just be careful, please. I'm a bit ticklish and I'd hate to accidentally kick you by reflex," she cautioned, thinking to herself that the only people who had regularly touched her feet in her previous life had been doctors.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Aram Stonemoor

It was then that he noticed it. To her he asked, "Is your foot alright, Emily? It looks to me like you've got a nasty little blister forming on it." He gestured with his hands for her to proffer the foot for his examination. "Growing up as an orphan I've had to deal with wearing used shoes or worn-out boots all my life. Let me help you, please?"

She looked at him and his hands considering it for a long moment, but then finally relented and pulled her feet out of the cool flowing river water. The rock they sat on was not especially wide, but it did allow her to turn around, if not awkwardly, and sit so one leg curled around his back and the other could place the offending foot in his proferred hands.

Aram tried not to think on how close she was to him, or how beautiful and desirable she was. He had an important task he needed to do here. He had to stay focused. Anything to keep his mind off images of her in his arms in the dream he had last night.

She was so close to him. It was challenging not to get too distracted, but by some miracle he stayed on task.

The skin of Emily's foot was so smooth and soft and without any blemishes. He'd never seen one as perfect as hers. No wonder she had experienced difficulty walking over such harsh terrain for such a great duration. He began using his thumbs and fingers in circular motions to relieve some of the stress the poor sore muscles of her foot must surely be feeling after such a long trek.

Then holding her foot very gently in his hands he examined the rather bad looking angry red blister developing on the bottom of her heel. "This is not good, Emily. I have an ointment that can help you out with this, but it's back in the orphanage."

"But you shouldn't walk on this. It will only hurt more and make it worse," He said looking over to her...bad move...she had such beautiful eyes...he could get lost staring into them...no, no, he had to stay on task here, "We still have a couple hours' journey down the road to Lorenstown ahead of us today, and I don't want you walking anymore on this. So when we head off climb onto my back and I'll carry you to town, okay."

 

[Poprockz]

His hands felt nice, the gentle pressure of his fingers soothing the ache in her foot. The girl sighed, leaning back and closing her eyes. She had had half a mind to ask him to massage both of her feet, but figured that would be a bit too presumptuous of her. It didn’t tickle like she thought it would, the doctors having typically done tests to make sure her nerves were still good.

When she heard his suggestion, she looked at him with a bit of shock. “The town is a couple hours away? There’s no way I can let you carry me that far, especially when you had to split your rations with me.” A twinge of guilt settled in her gut and she looked away from him. “I can’t ask you to do that for me.”

 

[Veroe]

IC: Aram Stonemoor

"But you shouldn't walk on this. It will only hurt more and make it worse," He said looking over to her...bad move...she had such beautiful eyes...he could get lost staring into them...no, no, he had to stay on task here, "We still have a couple hours' journey down the road to Lorenstown ahead of us today, and I don't want you walking anymore on this. So when we head off climb onto my back and I'll carry you to town, okay."

She looked at him shocked to the bone, “The town is a couple hours away? There’s no way I can let you carry me that far, especially when you had to split your rations with me.” She turned her gaze back to the flowing waters of the river. “I can’t ask you to do that for me.”

He shook his head to that. "I told you I wanted to help you, but I'm not a powerful mage or a priest or king or anything, but I can do this for you, Emily." He looked into her eyes. "Please let me help you however I can."

 

[Poprockz]

Emily bit her lip indecisively, unsure whether she should really take him up on it. He seemed adamant that she climb on his back and weigh him down, despite the pack he already carried. While she knew she wasn’t as heavy as a man might be, she still probably weighed enough to make his legs burn terribly by the time they made it to town.

Nevertheless, the earnestness in his eyes made it difficult to say no to him a second time.

“Alright… but if you get too tired, you need to tell me and I can walk on my own, or at least lean on you as we go.” She wasn’t sure whether he would honor her terms, but she needed to try.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Aram Stonemoor

He shook his head to that. "I told you I wanted to help you, but I'm not a powerful mage or a priest or king or anything, but I can do this for you, Emily." He looked into her eyes. "Please let me help you however I can."

Their eyes met and after a moment of judging just how stubborn he was going to get about carrying her, and then he could see in her eyes the moment she relented.

“Alright…" She said with reservations in her tone, "But if you get too tired, you need to tell me and I can walk on my own, or at least lean on you as we go.”

"That sounds fair," He nodded, though really, he had no intention of getting that tired. There was something terrible about the notion of forcing Emily to walk and suffer some pain from that blister all because he was too weak bear the arduous task of carrying her.

After they were finished he put on his pack so it hung off the front of him and lowered to one knee at the edge of the rock. Now she can climb onto him and he could carry her piggy-back. "Hop on, Emily."

 

[Poprockz]

With a bit of hesitation, she approached his back. At first she was unsure of how to position herself, but figured it out fairly quickly. Soon she was pressed against him, her legs around his waist and arms loosely around his shoulders. Those two, soft orbs of hers pressed into his back.

It was unfortunate that she had to mount him, but at least they would get there fairly soon. While she was on his back, she couldn’t help but feel the way his muscles moved as he walked, his firm shoulders feeling warm against her arms.

“Is this okay?” She quietly asked near his ear.

 

[Veroe]

IC: Aram Stonemoor

After they were finished he put on his pack so it hung off the front of him and lowered to one knee at the edge of the rock. Now she can climb onto him and he could carry her piggy-back. "Hop on, Emily."

After a second she complied. He was used to giving the other kids in the orphanage piggyback rides. Emily was bigger than them, and a fair bit heavier too. Somehow he hadn't really thought too much on just how he was going to carry her down the road, which would take several hours before reaching Lorenstown, without having to give up and let her walk on the blistered heel on her own.

Still, for the time being he was able to manage. They set off down the road. He was very much aware of the twin orbs of her breasts pressing into his back, the feel of her breathing against his ear, and the bit of skin-to-skin contact he could feel of the back of her thighs being held up by his hands. It brought to mind his dream of her last night....no, he had to stay on task here at all costs. She even smelled nice.

The day was beautiful. There was not a cloud in the sky, and they or rather Emily was serenaded by the birds in the trees, the playful chittering of the squirrels following them tree branch to tree branch. They saw a baby deer and its mother drinking from the riverbank. They bowed their heads seeming in reverence to them or more likely Emily as they went by. They bounded back into the cover of the forest as soon as they passed by.

Finally, after an hour or two carrying her down the road they reached the area where the forest gave way to the pasture and farmland surrounding Lorenstown. Except before they left the trees there was one down across the road. This tree wasn't here yesterday when he set off on his mission for the old temple, and looking at it he was able to discern more about it. It hadn't fallen during a storm. It looked like someone had chopped it down.

Aram did not like the looks of this.

He slowed down to a stop facing the trees. "Emily, this isn't good," He said softly, "Go run and hide." He scanned the trees searching for where they could be.

Once Emily was down and off his back his hand strayed to the sword at his hip.

"No need for that, boyo," Came the accented voice of a man emerging from behind the cover of the trees. "We want no bloodshed, but unfortunately, you see, this road costs a toll to use."

"I've already paid the toll when I left Lorenstown," His hand never leaving the hilt of his sword. He purposely kept himself between them and Emily. The man was big and imposing, but most of his size was his flabby gut. He had a big brushy beard turning grey in places and a head scarf drooping low to cover a missing eye. In his hands he hefted a woodcutter's axe. So he probably chopped down the tree after Aram had passed through here yesterday. Where were the others...his type never acted alone. Aram eyed the trees nervously. If they weren't coming out of hiding yet that probably meant they were only armed with bows and arrows. Which meant they were more than likely pointing them already at him and Emily.

This was not good.

The man rumbled a belly laugh. "You see, there's the problem, boyo. You paid the mayor his toll, but you yet to pay me mine." He pointed his axe at him, "We can still work out something like leaving us your sword to be on your way." His gaze shifted to Emily with some sickening lust in his one good eye left, "And perhaps your pretty girlie can find a way to pay us the rest of what you owe us."

"Not happening." That was it. Aram drew his sword and moved to put himself between Emily and the arrows coming from the trees.

The fight started.