The Pact Ch. 03

Lisa awakes to the wet warmth of urine splashing against her hand.

"What the fuck?" she shouts at the shadowed upper branches of the tree she's lying under as she rolls out of the way.

"Sorry," comes Bubba's apologetic reply, "I'm not used to travelling with other people."

A chuckle proceeds Steve as he re-enters the clearing whence he was meditating and Lisa glares blearily at him as she wipes her hand on the bottom of her soiled dress.

Bubba descends from the tree and says, "I'm going to find something to eat. Can one of you start a fire?"

Lisa idly gestures at the remains of last night's campfire and it flares into blue flame with a whiff of brimstone. With her other hand, she tries to get tangles, sticks, and small woodland creatures out of her hair, oblivious to Steve's hard stare or Bubba's momentary pause and then shrug before he heads off to hunt. She sits by the fire and stares into it blankly.

"New trick?" Steve asks sarcastically, sitting across from her. She peers at him through the flames and is immediately annoyed at how composed and clean he looks.

"Sticking with the cock?" she asks. "I thought, maybe, after yesterday's whining that you might come back to Team Boobs."

He smirks and says, "I am not so easily dissuaded. It still has much to teach me."

She raises an eyebrow and asks, "Your cock?"

"No," he says with irritation, "The experience of being male."

"Cause... I could probably teach your cock a thing or two," she teases, grinning at him lecherously.

He ignores her and pokes at the firewood with his foot, frowning. "I don't think there's enough wood left to keep this burning," he offers.

"Don't worry about it," she answers with a dismissive wave of her hand, "It is fueled by the fires of Hell. It doesn't need fuel."

He looks greatly put upon, but Bubba interrupts with a brace of woodcocks, which sends Lisa into a fit of giggles.

"Is she okay?" Bubba asks Steve as he sits and begins to pluck the birds.

Steve offers a non-commital gesture and continues to look annoyed.

"Is it safe to cook on this? It smells funny," Bubba asks, gesturing at the fire with denuded poultry.

Steve shrugs. Lisa leans over and grabs the second bird to help with the preparation. After a satisfying meal that smells only faintly of sulfur, the three put out the fire and tromp off into the woods.

"I feel gross," Lisa says.

"You look fine," Bubba replies. Lisa gives him a skeptical look.

"No, she's right. She's a mess," Steve confirms.

"Thank you," Lisa says appreciatively, but punches him in the arm anyway. "How the hell are you so fresh?"

Steve replies, "I look how I want to look. It's part of being a being of mutable form."

"You suck, you know that," she says levelly.

"There's a stream," he says, gesturing in what seems to be a random direction.

She punches him in the arm again and says, "Thanks, again," and goes trotting off in that direction.

"What was that for?" Steve calls after her.

"You know what you did!" she replies before disappearing from view.

"Thou had better go keep an eye on her. I have to do something," Steve says to Bubba, who bolts after her a little too eagerly. When he catches up to her at the babbling brook, she's already in the process of getting undressed. He considers her modesty for a moment and then he finds a rock to sit on and watches her bathe.

"While it isn't as creepy as watching me from a bush or a tree," Lisa observes, "It is a little familiar."

He retorts, "We had sex in public twice yesterday."

She considers this, shrugs, and says, "That's fair." She turns away from him, bends over, and gives him a good view of her rear end as she vigorously scrubs at her asshole with her finger. He blinks and wordlessly turns around. She chuckles and mutters, "I thought so."

Now with a modicum of privacy, she tries to do the best she can cleaning up without any soap or washcloth. Twice, she nearly falls over after stepping on sharp stones in the bed of the stream, and is really happy that Bubba doesn't see her frantic flailing to avoid this fate. Just as she is finishing up, she sees a stirring in the water and suddenly considers the idea of something living in the water with her.

To her great surprise, the disturbance coalesces into a woman-shaped form made of water. Rather than alarm, she feels a heat in her loins and a fluttering in her heart, and thinks to herself that this is the most beautiful creature she has ever seen and is delighted when it moves up to her and cups the side of her face, leaning in to kiss her deeply. She barely notices as she starts to drown, pressing herself against the cool watery breasts of her attacker.

"Vivian! Knock it off!" comes Steve's highly irritated shout from the shore. Bubba looks over his shoulder and just has time to see the water woman before she disappears in a splash.

Lisa sputters, "But... but... no! Come back!"

Steve wades into the stream and touches her forehead. In a flash of green light, her intense infatuation disappears. "Sorry," Steve says as he retreats from the water, "I should have warned you about her." Once he's standing on the shore, she notes that he's not the least bit damp.

She blinks and says, "Shit. Wow. So that's what that feels like." She gives Bubba an apologetic look.

"Don't worry about it," he reassures her.

"Ready to go?" Steve interjects impatiently.

Lisa sighs and says, "I guess." She picks up her dress from where she left it rinsing in the current, wrings it out the best she can as she steps out of the stream, and pulls it on over her head. She notices Bubba looking at her and winks at him.

Steve says, "This might make things easier," as he leads them back to the game trail that serves as a path. When they arrive, a large white stag is standing there. It gives them an appraising look and then tilts its head at skeptically at the paladin.

"Yes!" Lisa screams and tackle-hugs Steve from behind, nearly knocking him off his feet.

"Settle down," he says, "Now, there's rules. Don't pull any of that stuff thee did last time."

Lisa gives an uncomfortable laugh and says, "No, no, of course not. Too much to drink. Not like me at all." The stag looks at her sternly and she stares at her feet.

"Alright then," he says and, in one swift movement, mounts his majestic steed, offering a hand for Lisa. She joins him somewhat less gracefully. Bubba looks skeptical when he is offered a hand next, but deftly joins the two of them without comment.

Oh dear, Lisa thinks to herself, This might be a problem, as the stag leaps forward and she is suddenly acutely aware of her body. Her arms are wrapped around Steve and she is pressed against his back. Leaning forward a little, she can bury her face in his hair. It smells the same as it did when they used to fool around when he was still a woman. When she does this, her breasts press hard against his back and she could imagine she could feel the hard links of his mail even through the cloak.

Behind her, Bubba is trying to balance in such a way that he doesn't press against her, arms strategically around her waist. Not too low, not too high. Nonetheless, with each leap of the stag he can't help put push against her a little and she can feel the hardness of his erection against her ass. The animal's rocking motion also rubs her crotch against the firm muscles of its back, eliciting a soft sighs from her as she is quickly aroused.

She glances back over her shoulder and gives Bubba a pleading look, nodding frantically, and he gets the message. His hands move a bit higher, brushing the bottoms of her beasts with each jostling leap. Then he gets a bit bolder and actually cups them as well as he can without losing his grip. This also necessitates moving up close to her, so his trouser-clad cock rubs against the cleft in her buttocks through the damp dress, which clings to her like a second skin. As she feels her first orgasm approaching, she nuzzles the back of Steve's neck and hears him whispers, "Lisa?" She doesn't reply, but shudders with her release, moaning into his hair.

The ride continues like this. Her hypersensitive body is in a state of continuous arousal, riding from one orgasm to the next. At some point, she is aware of Bubba coming. Not just of his sharp grunt but she can feel a new dampness against her ass, unlike the lingering water of the stream, warm and thick. She wonders if he got his cock loose from pants, but the question is lost in the next wave of sensation. She feels like she's caught between consciousness and sleep, lost in ecstasy, part of the powerful creature composed of four beings fit together like a puzzle, perfectly matched.

When she becomes aware of her surroundings again, she finds herself alone on a bed of leaves and grass in a meadow. The sun is not in the sky but it is still light, the colors of dusk visible through the whole in the canopy. There is the sound of running water nearby but no sign of her companions as she sits up and surveys the surroundings. There is, however, a unicorn. It is on the other side of the clearing, merrily eating grass while giving her the stink eye.

"Yeah, fuck you, too, buddy," she says and it snorts back in derision. She throws a pebble at it and misses. It leaves, but with a definite not on your account attitude. She considers setting it on fire, but figures it would irritate Steve.

"How you feeling?" queries Bubba from some hidden location.

"Really, really good," she admits, standing and stretching. She is irritated at the way her stiff and still vaguely wet dress clings to her and so discards it before stretching more freely, being sure to arch her back in such a way as to really push out her breasts for the lovelorn half-orc.

"Sorry about the dress," he says, guiltily. She glances down and notes the large cum stain around where the small of her back was. "Should I clean it."

"Fuck that," she says and snaps her fingers. The dress smolders briefly and then catches fire. She watches it with a merry grin, then does a little dance. She really does feel great.

"Um... was that a good idea? It didn't look like you had a lot of clothes," Bubba says with a concerned voice. He sounds closer.

She stretches a third time, and this time it is purely gratuitous. She realizes that she's hoping to lure him out when Steve's voice says, "Seriously? How canst thou still be horny?"

She looks over her shoulder at him seductively and says, "Succubus." She flicks her forked tongue at him and continues, "Come on, big boy. Come here and fuck the evil out of me. Fill me with your holiness." The words just come out, surprising her. But she remembers the smell of his hair and the feel of his hips under her arms and suddenly, desperately wants to fuck him.

Steve looks conflicted and she can practically hear Bubba holding his breath in anticipation. He walks towards her, but stops short of her waiting embrace. Instead, he takes off his warm cloak and wraps it around her, carefully fastening the brooch under her chin. He looks into her eyes and says, "I love thee. But no."

She blinks. Then she blinks again.

He sighs and says, "Don't get sentimental. I love thee like a... " he acts thoughtful, then says, "A pet. Dead and gone in the blink of an eye."

"You prick," she says and kicks him in the shin and while part of her appreciates the joke breaking the tension, another part files away the admission for further consideration. She asks, "Where the hell are we?"

Steve says, "About an hour from the city."

Lisa frowns, "That was fast."

"There was some magic involved," Steve admits, then frowns, "Seriously, though, I am concerned about thine inexhaustible libido. This isn't like thee. This... agreement thou hast entered into is corrupting thine soul."

"You mean corrupting my loins," she replies and grins. "Eh?" she looks at him, then towards where she thinks Bubba is hiding. "No?" he admits, crestfallen.

Steve clears his throat and says, "Please break the pact."

"Fine," she says, "I'll do it."

"Thou art lying," he replies.

"Why the fuck doesn't it work on you?" she yells, stomping her feet and instantly regretting it as she stubs her toe on a rock.

"I'm immune to thine demon magic, woman. I'm a knight of the green order," he explains, self-importantly.

"Oh yeah? How about this?" Lisa replies. She throws her arms around his neck and kisses him deeply. After a second of hesitation, he returns the kiss, obliterating her spite. She closes her eyes and melts against him, noting how it feels a little different, but not entirely, from when they'd kissed before.

After a minute, the need to breath forces her to disengage. She remains pressed against him and they stare into each other's eyes for a moment before he says, softly, "Didn't work."

"Well, poop," she says grumpily and lets him go. "Now what?" she demands.

"We have two options," Steve replies, nonplussed, "We can stay here in this beautiful meadow and enter yon city on the morrow, or find an inn for the night."

Lisa and Bubba reply simultaneously: "Inn." "Meadow."

She narrows her eyes at Bubba who just shrugs and says, "I don't like cities."

"While I am tempted to side with the orc --", Steve begins.

"Half-orc," Bubba interjects.

The elf waves him off and continues, "The prospect of thou sleeping naked in the woods this close to the city seems unwise."

Lisa casually notes, "I can set men's balls on fire with my mind."

Bubba squirms but Steve says, "Be that as it may --"

She interrupts, "But, since I want to sleep in a bed tonight, anyway, so go ahead and protect my virtue." She smiles innocently and bats her eyes at him. Somewhere in the woods, she imagines she can hear a unicorn snicker.

Steve sighs and rolls his eyes. He pats Bubba on the shoulder and says, "Sorry, big guy."

A short while later, the three of them are within sight of the gate. Lisa, wrapped in Steve's large cloak so as not to "draw attention" as he put it, is overwhelmed. She's never been to the city and, even though she's pumped adventurers for information (sometimes literally), their descriptions pale in comparison to the reality of the thing. The fifteen foot stone wall seems to extend forever in either direction, like a barrier separating her world from a new and frightening world beyond.

Bubba, for his part, is hyperventilating. He's been squirrelly since they left the forest and entered open farmland but the sight of this edifice of civilization, which has never been his ally, is increasing his anxiety to blind panic. Steve glances at him sideways and then puts a hand on his shoulder. There is a soft green light and the half-orc suddenly feels calm. He looks at the paladin thankfully and, for the first time since they met him, smiles. It would be sweet except it shows off his orcish half-tusks and his pointed teeth, which are more menacing than friendly.

Lisa finally says, "Here goes," and proceeds towards the gate. A passing farmer, driving his cart back home at the end of the day's trading, whistles at her and asks, lecherously, "You got anything on under that, sweetie?"

"Yes. Yes, I do," she replies sweetly.

"Oh," he says, looking momentarily stunned. "Okay, then," and returns his attention to the road.

Steve frowns and asks, "Will ye stop that?"

"Probably not," she admits and offers him the same sweet smile. He reaches out and tugs the hood up a little more to cover her horn nubs.

Two bored guards await them when they reach the massive gate.

"Do you have anything to declare?" one asks, glancing longingly over his shoulder at the bustling city behind him.

Lisa grins and says, "I declare that you look pretty fine in that mail, soldier!"

Steve slaps his forehead.

The guard scowls, "I'll have you know that I'm a happily married man --"

The other soldier interjects, "But I'm not. What are your rates, honey?"

"Let's talk," she says and hooks her arm through his and draws him towards the gatehouse.

"Cover for me," he whispers to the first guard who looks put-upon.

Bubba and Steve exchange a is-this-really-happening look, then wait.

Five minutes later, the pair returns. Lisa is carrying a coin purse in one hand and wiping her mouth with the back of the other. She gives the guard a peck on the cheek before joining the others.

"Come on, boys. I have a line on a good inn," she says, taking their arms and moving them through the gate. She offers a last wink at the grumpy married guard before they are out of sight.

"I can't believe thou did that," says Steve.

"Don't be such a prude," she replies, then adds, "Besides, I didn't blow him. I just told him I did." She looks inordinately pleased with herself.

Steve practically yells, "That's not better!"

"It was a tough call," she continues, ignoring him, "I am horny as hell." She slaps Bubba on the ass, who yelps. He looks like he desperately wants to disappear into the shadows.

The lull in conversation allows Lisa to concentrate on her surroundings for a moment. It is like the town, but more. The buildings are larger, the streets wider, the people more numerous, the smell of shit and urine stronger. After her initial awe, she has to admit she's a little disappointed. Unfortunately, her confident strutting is doing nothing to conceal the fact that she's naked under the voluminous cloak. Several times, passers-by murmur, "Is she naked?" to which she responds, "No," and they apologize, "My mistake."

"We should get inside," Steve says darkly, "How far to the inn?"

"Right there," she says, gesturing to a three-story building that has just come into view as they a small square centered on a well. It seems bustling, full of lights and music and loud conversation. The sign over the door shows a farmer with his pants around his ankles, drunkenly fucking surprised goat. Lisa stops before it, peers up at the sign, and says wistfully, "These are my people."

Bubba murmurs, "I can't do this," with wide eyes as Lisa opens the door, revealing a packed common room, and strides in. Steve follows her swiftly, giving Bubba an apologetic look.

The confident warlock makes her way through the crowd with the deft precision of a career waitress to reach the barkeep. She sidles up to the bar and leans to to be heard, not really taking into a account that this causes her cloak to part, giving the huge man an excellent view of her breasts. "Hey there. We'd like to get a room," she says, becoming aware of her predicament when she notes the trajectory of his gaze.

He asks distractedly, "Welcome to The Buggered Goat. Business or pleasure?"

She frowns, then gets his meaning and would look scandalized if she hadn't just committed faux-prostitution not ten minutes ago. "Oh," she says, "Just pleasure. I mean, not pleasure. Um, just passing through."

Steve suddenly appears next to her and says, "Two rooms, actually," and deposits a small pile of silver coins on the bar, "The best thou have available, as well as food and drink."

The barman looks up at the end and blinks, stepping back a little. Lisa is confused until she remembers he's a fully armed and armored knight, not just her pain-in-the-ass best friend and kinda ex. He nods, takes the money, and says, "Top of the stairs, all the way up. Room on either side of the landing. Do you want to eat in your rooms?"

"Here's fine," Lisa says, gesturing at an occupied table near the bar. The barkeep seems about to protest when she says to its occupants, "You're done."

"Oh yeah, gotta get going." "See you tomorrow, Bob." "Say hello to the wife."

The three men get up and leave their mostly uneaten food and full drinks, allowing Lisa to happily choose a seat and help herself to a piece of cheese. She smiles angelically at Steve, who seems to contemplate murder before joining her. A barmaid comes and clears away the partially eaten food and brings more drinks. Lisa gropes her, out of a sense of duty. She knows Steve won't do it and she doesn't want their server to miss out. She is a little surprised when the buxom woman gives her a smile and a wink. Lisa watches as she stops to speak with her boss on her way to the kitchen, gesturing to them with her chin and exchanging words. When she notices the warlock watching, she gives her a sly smile.