The trio made their way back to the bustling ring of the shopping district, stopping in front of a statue of what must have been some iconic blacksmith when Devin turned to the girls. 

“I have a shop I want to visit. I thought of a few presents I wanted to buy the two of you. Do you mind getting a head start and finding a seamstress? Oh, and Azalea, can I borrow the drawing you did of… my… er… me?”

Azalea gave him a quizzical look. “You mean the one of your penis? Sure.” She dug around her bag, found her notebook, and handed it to him.

Fluttering around his head excitedly, she demanded, “Does it have something to do with our presents? Does it? What is it? Tell me!”

“Azalea, dear. Herd-mate probably wants to surprise us, or else he wouldn’t be going alone,” interrupted Reina.

”Ahhh, okaaaay… fine, but in return, we’ll surprise you with our new outfits!”

“Won’t you need formal attire too, herd-mate?” the female Whitehorn asked.

“I have an outfit from when I attend guild business dinners. I’ll wear that.”

Devin handed Reina two pouches. “I know I said I wasn’t going to spend the money from our potential client, but I don’t know the current market price for formal attire, so if possible, try to haggle or negotiate a lower price.”

She put the pouches in her belt. “I’ll try. Should we meet you here in three hours?”

“That’s a good idea. We can have a late lunch together and then go back to Jeni’s to change,” Devin suggested and then waved, disappearing into the crowd.

“Shopping time with Reina! I want to wander around and window shop for a while,” the fairy announced, flitting ahead of her fellow mate.

“Alright.”

—----------

As a native, Devin knew most of the shortcuts between all the major city blocks. He was calculating the time he’d need to get to the workshops he had in mind when he had a sudden realization. Mavis said a carriage would be sent for them, but he had failed to mention where they were staying.

He hustled back to the post office to inform the nonplussed secretary of the forwarding information for where they were staying. She informed him she’d take care of it personally, and he left, dashing back across town. 

Nearing the western gate of the city, he slowed his pace, taking a moment to lean against the corner of a building near an alley to catch his breath. 

“Lovely day for a walk!” said a rough, squeaky voice.

He looked over his shoulder to spot a pint-sized individual with arrogant, ruby eyes leaning against the opposite wall. Not sure if they were talking to him or not, Devin ignored them.

The mystery figure pushed back they're mud-stained hood. Two substantial, rounded ears covered in gray fur with a soft pink interior twitched in expectation. One of the ears was missing a chunk. She brushed away her matted auburn hair. “Are your girls going to be ok with you not around?”

He put a hand on his dagger. “Is there a reason I should be aware of why they wouldn’t be ok?”

She slunk back. “Hey now, no need to jump to any conclusion. Just asking as a concerned citizen."

She made a little bow. The edges of her cloak fell open to expose her bare midriff. A thick belt covered her small chest. A narrower belt wrapped around her waist. On it was a mud-stained pouch with a broken button and a rusty dagger. Two thinner belts crisscrossed around her hips, meeting between her legs and leaving the rest of her undernourished frame uncovered. 

“I've been following you… sorry, no, that came out wrong. I noticed you enter the city and saw a curious sight: a rare Whitehorn, and an even rarer fairy, both together with a well-to-do merchant. I have an eye for opportunity and wondered if you might be in need of a guide.”

“I’m a native of this city.”

“Oh.” She seemed a little taken aback. “Well, then… how about I guide your companions around… seeing as you seem to have other errands?”

“I usually don’t make it a habit of entrusting things I care about to those I haven’t established trust with,” Devin stated with little emotion.

“Now, now! Don’t be like that. I’m just a hungry ratgirl who’s trying to make some coin. Trust needs to start somewhere, right? How bout my name?” She opened her arms placatingly. “The name’s Chitchat. It's what most of my clients know me as. I’m sort of a rat-about-town. I take all kinds of jobs. Sometimes I’m an information trader, other times a guide. I’m pretty confident in my knowledge of most of the stores in town and where to find them.” 

Seeing him ponder her request, she added, “You don’t want your friends getting lost or taken advantage of while you're away, do ya?”

The offer was tempting, but the person making it gave him pause. She looked trustworthy enough, but anyone could throw on some dirty rags and rub some dirt on their face. Her gaunt features were not so easy to fake, however.

While violent and major crimes were fairly rare, there was no lack of theft, bribery, and petty crime in a city where merchandise, and often times cut-throat commerce were common trades. Merchants were no strangers to risk. What required skill was knowing how to manage it and, if possible, use it to your advantage. 

That didn’t apply to his girls, though. As his treasure, he felt it unlikely to be too cautious with them. Yet, it seemed in bad taste to be so miserly with someone as down-and-out as this girl. 

“I won’t be gone long. I’m sure they’ll be fine.”

“Then how about I offer my help to you. Wherever you're going, I might be able to suggest a cheaper alternative.”

Chitchat worried he was taking too much time to decide and tried to press him. “Please, sir, it’s been a long time since I’ve eaten.” She tactically gripped his arm, pressing herself into it. 

Devin expected her to smell worse than she did. Something between sour wine, wet fur, and perhaps desperation? It was, at the very least, a sense of urgency. He wasn’t averse to helping someone in need. He often tossed a few coins to the most needy-looking.

She squeezed his arm. “Isn’t it better to earn one’s bread by being industrious instead of begging?”

Devin decided to test her a bit. “I won’t be gone long, and the girls should be fine.” With a curt brusqueness, he dislodged her from his arm and walked away.

Chitchat looked startled at the sudden shift in attitude. She was going to make another offer, but he was already several strides away. 

Devin ducked behind a corner and looked back toward the alley. Chitchat fell back against the brick wall and sank to the ground, pulling her knees up to her chest.

’Doesn’t look like she has any accomplices, nor is she asking anyone else.' In his experience, charlatans tended to immediately move to another target if their first victim didn’t prove fruitful. 'Guess I'll take a chance.’

He returned to the dejected ratgirl, but she didn't look up until he was right in front of her.

“What are you doing back?”

“I changed my mind.” He showed her five vols.  “Half up front and half when I return. Give this to them, so they know I hired you.” Wrapping the coins into his handkerchief, he held it out to her.

Warily, she held out her hand and took it. “But that is way too…”

“I’ll be back in three hours. They should be wandering around the clothing ward.”

Before she could say anything more, he left again, leaving her bewildered.

Without further delay, Devin arrived at his destination in the southern half of the city, on the border of the old-town district.

’This can’t be right. It's too small!’ Devin stood in a vacant alley, nestled at the end of an empty street. He thought this was the address to the craftsman he was seeking. Rumors told of a woodworker who took unusual commissions, but he had never been to this part of town. All that stood before him was a marble wall with an elaborate limestone door deeply inlaid with runes. 

The runes he used to keep his goods cool or used in everyday life were from a branch language, a simplified dialect designed for easier understanding. But the runes in front of him were from the original, and while similar geometrically, were older and baffling complex. Aside from syntax, the meaning could change depending on the time of day or even the season.

Devin had no idea what they meant. Thankfully, he didn’t have to. A frayed cord hung to the side of the door with a sign that read: 

Ring once: pickup

Ring twice: order

Ring thrice: delivery

Ringing twice, he felt a slow rumble, a grinding of stone-on-stone, under his feet as a crease appeared down the left edge of the door frame. From the blackness, an unnaturally strong and rocky hand grabbed his shirt and yanked him inside. 

The entrance sealed shut, leaving them in darkness. He put out a foot to steady himself but felt only air. As he stumbled, the strong grip held him up while simultaneously pulling him down what he quickly realized was a stairway. 

“Uh, excuse me? Could you stop tugging on my clothes?” His escort remained silent but paused. He felt his shirt let go, and his wrist was grabbed instead to continue with their slow, lumbering footfalls.

“Er… if it's not too much trouble, could you tell me if this is the workshop of Antoris the woodsmith?” 

Silence.

The unusual reception had him a little on edge, but a dwarven workshop being underground most certainly wasn’t unheard of. Reaching out his left hand, he felt a strong railing. It felt curved, and by the way the faint gleam of light below them kept rotating without passing behind them, he guessed they were on a circular stairwell.

The air, aside from being cool and dry, was surprisingly fresh. A faint draft issued from somewhere below. How far he wasn't sure, he'd lost track of their descent after the fiftieth step, but they soon passed through an entrance in the floor.

The room opening below them was the same as the one above, only this one was lit with purple and orange crystals shaped like flowers sticking out of the rock walls. Though calling them a wall would have been an injustice to the creator. Hewn from the stone were massive pillars shaped like leafless trees with expansive branches holding the stairway and the ceiling aloft. Between the pillars were murals – illustrations of rocky figures seemingly tending to an underground forest.

With the added illumination he could now see his silent chaperone in the light. The most noticeable feature was her height. She towered over him. He guessed she was nearly nine or ten feet tall. Initially, he thought she was perhaps a cyclops due to her height and monstrous strength. However, he dismissed that idea since her movements weren’t quite fluid or natural. That, and the smoothness of her skin and the massive, spherically cut rubies acting as joints. 

She was naked… naked as a white marble statue could be. She didn’t possess any of the finer details one might find on a completed work, namely nipples or genitalia, and he wondered if maybe she was unfinished. Whatever the case, the creator seemed to appreciate large breasts and long hair.

He didn’t expect an answer but attempted, “Are you a golem? Can you take me to your creator. Quickly if possible?”

For the first time, she stopped and regarded him. A pair of rough-cut ruby eyes stared down at him, processing his request. He'd heard golems had varying levels of intelligence. Most had at least basic commands they accepted or understood even if they couldn’t speak. 

She obliged, though not in the way he expected. Feeling himself go weightless, she scooped him up in her arms. He wasn’t feeling very princess-like, despite being in the cliche carrying position, and he flailed a bit as she set off with a faster gait down the stairs.

Devin calmed down and appreciated the faster speed even though he couldn’t appreciate the wall murals at leisure. 

She looked down over her generous chest, squeezed him tight against it and jumped the rest of the way to the floor below. Neither the floor nor her legs were soft, so he felt a big jolt from the landing. She made a sharp turn upon landing and passed through one of four archway exits from the room.

Plunged into darkness once more, they passed swiftly through another archway. As she slowed her pace, Devin’s jaw dropped. They were in an extensive cavern with cerulean-colored pools separated into square, uniform sections. Inside each pool was a singular, tall, and narrow rock-like structure, each of a different color seemingly growing from it.

“What is this place?”

She pointed at herself, then at the pool.

“Is this where you were made??”

Leaving his question unanswered, she passed through a wide door on the opposite side of the room and unceremoniously deposited him in the center of a brightly-lit area that smelled dry, dusty, and yet sweet. 

He stood up, brushing sawdust and woodchips off himself, and beheld the magnificent master carpenter’s dream that lay about him. Planks of varying trees, cut and sanded, leaned neatly against three walls surrounding large workbenches. On the left and right tables were hand saws, chisels, planes, and adzes were neatly arranged around half-finished products. 

Through a hole next to the door frame he had entered, water flowed from the previous room. It wrapped around the edge of one wall and down through a hole in the floor. It likely powered the vertical saw that adorned a corner. At the center table, a red-bearded dwarf sat whittling on something Devin didn’t recognize.

Without looking up, the dwarf bellowed, “Ruby! Why in the name of the Great mountain did ya come through the pool room?”

The golem, Ruby, made no attempt to answer and instead took her place by his left side.

Without receiving a greeting or introduction, Devin stood awkwardly and said, “You must be Antoris the Dwarf!”

“Is that what yer eyes be tellin’ ya’s, or do you just have a gift for compulsively stating the obvious?”

“Sorry, I meant no disrespect. I was unsure if this was the right place, given the… um… abrupt greeting by your assistant and the location of your workshop.”

“Woodworking is my profession. Gems and golems are my hobbies. Expensive hobbies, I might add. I don’t like going above ground – too many people to deal with! Introductions, especially so. I’m also not overly fond of talking about most things or answering questions, so place your order and don’t ramble.”

Devin handed him a slip of paper with Azalea’s drawing.

The dwarf looked at it for a moment, frowning. “Yer wants me to make… these?” He sighed and slumped on his stool. “My first customer in weeks and they turn out to be a pervert.” 

“It’s not for me. It’s for a fairy friend.”

“I don’t care who it's fer.”

I can make these tiny… toys, but I don’t have any ravishwood big enough to make the big’un. You want the same wood for all of them?”

“Does that mean you’ll make it?”

“Are ya daft on top of having poor eyes? I got a reputation for being reclusive but won’t be havin’ one for turnin’ down a customer.”

Devin thought for a moment. “Cedar for the box, white oak for the knife-sheath, and ravishwood for the others. I’ve heard the last is a bit rare and hard to find, so I'll pay double the normal price.”

“Ya bet yer coin purse yer will. I hope you don’t mean to stuff your fairy with this!”

“The big one is for someone else.”

The dwarf showed no surprise. “Should take me about two-and-a-half hours. Ya can take a seat over there.” He pointed a stubby finger to an overly-decorated stool in the corner.

Turning to Ruby, he whispered something into her ear, and they both separated: She went into a back room while Antoris disappeared into a side room and then returned with several choice pieces of lumber. Devin watched him measure, mark, cut, and repeat until he grew bored. 

“Go ahead; ask yer questions.”

“Excuse me?”

“Questions! Everyone has them.”

“But you said…”

“My hobby is the small exception. Now, go ahead before it starts leaking out ya ears. Ya have the same look ever’one has when they see ma girls.”

“Oh, then… um… do they have names?”

“The one er’brought a here, as you already heard, is Ruby. She’s the third of four I've built. Sapphire and Emerald were the first and second rudimentary prototypes. They are out digging a new tunnel.”

“Who’s the fourth?”

“Diamond.” Antoris rang a silver bell on the corner of the desk. From a different side room entered another golem. Earlier, Devin considered Ruby to look quite advanced, but she barely held a stalactite to her sister. Diamond was more normal in height and wore a drapery of moonstone pearls woven into a see-through silken tunic. Meticulous attention was given to her features. Her face was expressionless, fixed with either a neutral or gentle smile, depending on the angle. Her skin was glossy and smooth, with a glassy opaqueness overlaid to protect the milky white, tan and light-brown wood pattern underneath. Very fine veins of red-opal, and malachite-green just under her skin connected to the diamonds acting as her digits and joints. Her hair was chiseled to be long and wavy, a portion covering her left eye.

She gracefully glided across the room on slender legs, her movements precise and willful. Assuming a demure position slightly behind and to the right of her creator, she faced Devin, bowed, and gave him a generous view of her cleavage.

“I have an owlchemist friend who’s working on her first golem,” Devin commented.

“What’s ’er name?”

“Jeni-feather, over in the manufacturing district.”

“Why does that name sound familiar? Oh, of course! Old man Nílo’s assistant. I heard a rumor he took someone in. I thought it false since he’s even more of a recluse than I am – does all his business transactions via proxy. Maybe he felt he was getting too old for everything. How far along in her work is she?”

“She’s never showed me.”

“Poor friend who doesn’t ask about their friend’s hobbies – especially those that involve pouring a large amount of their money, time, and life into it.”

“I can’t argue with that,” Devin lamented.

“Diamond is my latest and first fully-complete construct,” revealed the older dwarf proudly.

“She’s a masterful-looking piece of work,” Devin agreed.

“I’m especially proud of her eyes… multifaceted semi-precious gems.”

“They remind me of some insect demi-humans. Does she have…”

The dwarf pulled Diamond’s apron aside, revealing two pink nubs. “Rose quartz for her nips. Interchangeable pussy.”

“I like the amethyst clematis you have in her hair. My fairy friend has a dress of the same flower.”

“It’s slow, delicate work carving flowers from gems but well worth it.”

“Is her body from stone or wood, and what are those veins?”

“You saw those things in the pool room, under the water? It’s petrified wood – more specifically, petrified dryad wood. Spotted a branch from an exotic merchant. Bought it for almost nothing since he thought it was just a pretty rock. It was a small piece, so I couldn’t do much with it. I regrow and graft on bigger parts.”

“Why not just use regular stone or wood for all of them?”

“Because certain materials are more conductive to affinity. The grandfather of golemancy discovered a way to infuse one's own affinity, into inanimate objects. I ain’t sure why it works, but things that were once alive conduct better, but other things can be used. My girl's core uses a chunk of amber,“ he explained while tapping a honey-colored teardrop embedded under her clavicle. A lot also comes down to what’s available and what can be afforded.”

“Rarer materials; high cost. Makes sense.”

“And lastly, what the creator knows how to work with. Since I know a thing or two about both silviculture and mining, gems and rocks are easy enough for me to work with. All depends on the creator, but you can find a bit of a pattern depending where you go. There are very roughly three kinds. The middle kingdom’s are generally made from clay, porcelain, and clockwork. Down in the desert lands, I’ve heard they use the flesh of their dead or some such morbid thing.”

“Feel free to pass any of this to your friend, though she probably knows most of it. Now let me get back to work.”

Devin took a seat. Not knowing what else to do, he decided to practice more with his glyph.

—------------

Chitchat was usually more on her game when playing the poor, needy ratgirl, but it’d been a significant period since she’d eaten, and it was starting to affect her charisma. ’Thought I’d blown it with that clueless merchant. Can’t believe he actually came back. Now, if I can just find those girls. Pretty sure I saw him give that Whitehorn some money. If I play my cards right, I can get paid and pick their pockets. That should feed me for maybe a few months!’

Her nails gripped the cobblestone, expertly weaving and dodging through the forest of legs in the streets and alleys. Standing barely five feet on tiptoes, she decided to jump up on a barrel to search the many heads and ears for her quarry. 

—-----------------------

“Reina! How do I look?” Azalea turned around to show off the hairpins holding together twin-tails.

Before Reina could comment, “What's that smell? Roast corn! “Azalea dropped the hairpins in the bemused merchant's hands and zipped off toward a stall with a grill.

“I wonder what spices they use! Trade secret? Understandable. So much delicious-looking food! Sweets I’ve never seen, fruits I’ve never tasted! Oh, what are those over there? They are what? Snowglobes? How do you get the snow in them? Are they edible? Speak up! I can’t hear you!”

Reina was feeling a bit overwhelmed. Aside from being in a new place, she was doomed to act as fairy herder for the day. ’How does such a small body have so much energy? She can’t seem to focus on anything for more than thirty seconds.’ She was happy to see her friend thoroughly enjoying herself but was afraid the endless distractions would delay them from their responsibilities.

“Mmmphthigsgood!”

“Azalea, swallow first, and where did you get that food?”

“That nice man over there was selling some bread filled with jam. Said I was cute and gave me one. Try some!”

Azalea bit off a generous portion with jam, pressed her petite lips to Reina’s, and used her tongue to push the morsel in. Normally, Reina wouldn’t have minded, but they were in public. She blushed as the few passersby failed to hide smiles.

“You're so adorable when you're embarrassed,” Azalea teased.

Feeling a little indignant at her own awkwardness, she swallowed, scooped the hyperactive fae close, and licked some jam off her cheek. “Careful! I might end up eating you instead.” 

Azalea face lit up. “Once, Life-mate put me in his mouth when I was covered in his cum, to clean me. I was pretty out of it when it happened. I wouldn’t mind experiencing it again when I’m more lucid. Or maybe I should smear some jam in a very particular place that's more fun to lick,” she whispered.

“But for now, here, you can have the rest. I wanna go look at other food stall.” She stuffed the rest of the pastry into Reina’s mouth and flew off.

Reina was about to follow when she felt something on her foreleg. 

“Finally found you!” squeaked a small girl gasping for breath. “Why are there so many more people than usual today?”

“Is this an unusual amount? I'm new to this city.”

“I know. Where’d your fairy friend go?”

“Um, she was looking at candles, but now where’d she go? Oh, there she is. Do we know you?”

“Hey, it's you!” exclaimed a returning Azalea, nibbling on a piece of honeycomb.

“You know her?”

“No, but remember I mentioned someone watching us. Same eyes.”

“You were watching us?” 

“I.. er…” the ratgirl stammered.

“Did you need our help with something?”

“Help? Help, yes… yes, I came to offer my services. Your merchant friend hired me to guide you around till he got back.”

“Herd-mate did? He didn’t mention that earlier.” Reina glanced at Azalea.

“He thought of it after he left. Here’s proof!” She held out Devin’s handkerchief.

Reina took the handkerchief and sniffed it. “Smells like him.”

“Oh, I want to smell, too! I miss him already!” Azalea declared as she dived into the handkerchief in Reina’s hand.

“He’s only been gone twenty minutes, Azalea, and try not to get it sticky.”

Turning back to the ratgirl, “ We are glad to have your guidance, Miss…?”

“Chitchat.”

“That's an interesting name,” commented Azalea as she licked her fingers clean.

“It's my working name.”

“Nice to meetcha. This is Reina, and you already heard my name. We were just wandering around looking for a seamstress.”

“One of us was. The other was stuffing her face,” Reina teased.

“It’s not good to shop on an empty stomach,” Azalea shot back.

“That only applies to grocery shopping!” Reina countered.

Chitchat put a hand to her chin. “Seamstress, eh? I know one nearby.”

“Oh good! We are quite ready, aren’t we?” urged Reina, cupping Azalea in her hands and hugging her to her chest so she wouldn’t fly off again.

Chitchat took the lead. “Then off we go!”

“Have you lived in this city all your life, Miss Chitchat?” asked Reina.

“Yep, all nineteen years of it. When my parents died, I spent the rest of my childhood in an orphanage. When I turned eighteen, I decided I had enough of being told what to do, so I left.” Chitchat continued to rattle on about the city and her many observations about its inhabitants and peculiarities. 

Azalea was content to be held between Reina’s soft breasts until she spotted a fenced-off street entrance. Wiggling out of her pillowy cocoon, she poked her head over Reina’s shoulder. “Why’s that street blocked off? And why is it pink?”

Chitchat looked where Azalea pointed. A tall, wooden fence, engraved with a depiction of naked shoppers covered with strategically placed leaves, separated the two roads. 

“Have you noticed the edges of some streets have colored cobble?”

“No...” 

“Probably because someone was too enamored with window shopping,” Reina jested.

“It’s a decency indicator. Numerous demi-humans have different feelings toward modesty. As a compromise with the more prudish nature of humans, the city council implemented a color system to indicate which sections of the city you're allowed to expose which parts of your body. Green, you have to be fully clothed. Yellow is for topless regions, mostly centered around the milking quarters. Pink allows full nudity, and red areas allow public sex but are strictly regulated to the nightworker parts of the city. Independent businesses may have a separate set of rules, so they’ll have an indication by the door.”

“Can we go take a look, Reina? Pleeeeaase!?! Then we can go straight to the seamstress.”

Chitchat didn’t say anything. She didn’t visit these adult areas unless she was in haste for a shortcut, and even then, she didn’t linger. 

“You know it's tough to say no when you give such pleading puppy-dog-girl eyes.” Reina opened the pedestrian gate and passed through. The landscape on the opposite side was exactly as the other, except the leaves were removed. 

“Where are all the people?” wondered Azalea

“These neighborhoods tend to cater to very specific merchandise and customers. Also, it’s winter. Not too many people are gonna take their clothes off when it's cold.”

“Well, there might be one…” Azalea shimmered out her dress and handed it to Reina. She floated a few feet forward, her breasts heaving with nervousness. “This is more embarrassing than I thought it’d be.” 

Reina folded the dress away. “I never imagined I'd hear you say that, considering you fly around without undergarments.”

“Of course, I get embarrassed, but have you noticed I fly under eye level all the time when we are not alone? Sneak peeks are only for you and life-mate.”

“And me, I suppose,” observed Chitchat, trying not to look too closely.

Uncharacteristically for her, Azalea made an attempt to cover herself. “Sorry, Miss Chitchat. I’ve been a little brazen today.

“Now look who’s adorable when she’s embarrassed!” chuckled Reina, offering her dress back.

Azalea waved her hands to decline.

“It’s alright. I don’t personally visit these kinds of places, but a job is a job. I have to wonder, though. Your dress doesn’t look especially warm. Aren’t you cold?”

“A little,” Azalea admitted and lowered her arms. “My nipples are most certainly stiff, but if I get too cold, I’ll just hug my little Whitehorn for warmth.” She winked. “I feel so…exposed. Is this what Jyora felt like?”

“You seem to be getting a thrill out of it all the same.”

Azalea rubbed her thighs together to highlight her dripping. “Maybe it is a little exciting.”

Azalea, feeling bolder, picked up the pace, peering into different storefronts. She was about to move on from a brick-lined building when the door caught her eye.

“Let me guess… you want to go in there?” discerned Chitchat.

Azalea nodded. “This is definitely an interesting shop! Just look how amazing this handle is!”

“I am looking. Any place with a door handle shaped like a centaur penis, paired with a centaur mare vulva lock… Public nudity aside, I have a hard time imagining it as a place you’d like to investigate,” Chitchat stated with slight embarrassment.

Azalea floated up to Chitchat and put a hand on her shoulder. “I cannot leave an establishment with such eclectic taste unexplored, can I? Surely, this is the work of a forward thinker! Besides, it's good to have a healthy curiosity.”

“I think you’ve gone well beyond sexual curiosity into connoisseur territory.” Reina grasped the shaft, surprised at the feel of realism, and pulled. Out billowed the acrid smell of metal and coal. 

Azalea grabbed the hand of a surprised Chitchat and flew in.

“Sorry for the smoke. I’ll be done in a second,” boomed voice from somewhere in the building.

“Look at this place! It’s…”

“Organized chaos?” Reina suggested.

“Amazing! I never dreamed that a big city sold these kinds of things!!!” 

Floor-to-ceiling shelves, stuffed with sex toys, lined the walls. Some toys were familiar, others incomprehensible. Azalea’s eyes sparkled as she darted here and there, taking in all the merchandise.

“Reina, there are so many dildos! Even more than at Grandpa Gylan’s farm!” Azalea had swiped her dress back and put it back on. She was gleefully looking over the display table. “Centaur, wolfman, I think this is a bunny boy’s, and this is a catboy’s?” 

She pulled a screw-shaped dildo from a drawer. “This one reminds me of mom’s husband’s, very porcine shaped.” She pushed it through her circled fingers. “Momma said the thickness is mediocre, but the way the tip pokes at her cervix really turns her on, especially when it pushes it in.”

“Oh! Look what we have here, Reina! Recognize this?” Azalea picked up a skinny black toy and held it up. “A Whitehorn! ” She rubbed it against Reina’s cheek. “I bet you’d like to try it.”

“You're sweet, dear, but I should probably tell you. Male whitehorns don’t provide much stimulation. Mating is a very quick affair.” 

“Ah, that's too bad,” she said before returning the toy.

“It is what it is. That’s why herd-mate’s fis… ministrations felt so good.”

Azalea held up some colored glass beads connected by a string, turning them over in her hands. “What are these for?”

Chitchat peeked around Reina. “How do you not know what anal beads are?”

“So you put them in your butt? I bet that feels interesting. Why are there whips and ropes here?”

“Some people like being tied up and given a little pain.”

“Really? Huh… interesting.”

From somewhere in the back, beyond the haze of smoke, a sudden clink of metal, followed by a sharp sizzle, interrupted them. They could just make out the store's proprietor against the billowy flames of a forge.

A light-green woman, with black hair haphazardly tied out of the way, squinted through a pair of magnifiers. Her strong arms vigorously polished a human shaped dildo. 

She got up from her work stool, leaving a glistening dildo where she had been sitting.  Wearing only a front-facing smith’s apron, she turned around, and a garnet-colored, heart-shaped buttplug peeked out from between her butt cheeks. She stood on tiptoes and twisted a knob on the chimney, opening a flue to dissipate the smoke.

Previously hidden within the haze, a bundle hanging from the ceiling was revealed. The goblin smith stepped over, rotated the bundle, and stuffed the dildo in one end, causing the bundle to moan.

“How’s that feel? I smoothed out the rough spots next to the vein.”

“Mphhfmmg!”

“So it's good?”

“Mhmmp.”

“Excellent! Another prototype finished. Now, let’s see who our guests are.” She pushed back an ear that had flopped over her shoulder, pulled the bandana off her head, and wiped her brow. “Looks like we got some rare customers! Welcome to Forging Pleasure. Sorry for da smoke. Sometimes the flue gets clogged. I’m de owner of dis here shop. Eitri Tehdä’s ma name, and dis is ma toy tester and cousin, Avu.”

“Mmmppshh.”

The bundle called Avu had a gag stuffed into her mouth. She was suspended from the ceiling in a harness that held her torso. Her arms and legs were tied behind her back, cutouts allowed access between her legs, and her ample chest could hang freely. 

“What can I help you girls with? Let me guess… looking for something to spice up a threesome. I’ve been working on a three-sided dildo if ya feeling adventurous. No, wait, before you say anything, I forgot ma spiel.” She cleared her throat. “Feeling a bit overwhelmed and in need of some de-stressing? Have an emptiness that needs satiating or a deep itch that needs scratching? Filling holes is our goal!”

Azalea clapped her hands. “What a wonderful motto! My holes were definitely made to be filled! We are new, just arrived today, and were out shopping. I noticed your door and was intrigued.”

“Liked that, didja? Copied and replicated from a centaur couple who visited us last year. We pride ourselves on makin’ ’em as realistic as possible. Well, as real as we can using metal or wood anyway.”

“You made a copy of them?”

“Aye! Saves a lot of time, instead of craftin’ by hand. Supposedly, there is a soft, springy substance hidden away in the southern country, that feels more like the real thing, but so far, we haven’t been able to get our mits on any of the stuff.”

“They definitely felt life-like enough already. I noticed all the bumps and veins,” commented Reina.

“We always look for new and different for a wide variety of shapes and sizes. We pay ’em. They get one free copy, and the rest go on the shelves. Don’t tell anyone, but I think they also secretly get a thrill out of imagining a stranger using ’em for personal time.”

Azalea pointed to the display table in the middle of the room. “So all these are from someone in town?” 

“Most of ’em. If you're secretly looking for someone in particular, we have many of the more notable folks.”

“Do you make girls, too?”

“You mean vulvas? They are a lot trickier, so very rarely. Mostly decorative pieces.”

“I wish I could watch you make one,” Azalea expressed.

“Well, we should have a customer coming in any minute now. It’s not as exciting as you might think. Takes about an hour.”

A small bell rang above Avu. 

“Punctual as usual. If you really want to watch, I just need to read you a disclaimer.” She placed a parchment on the table, pointing to the first paragraph. “Do you consent to seeing real depictions of sexual imagery for the purpose of education and/or mercantile exchange? If you do, please sign here.” 

“Most definitely!” Azalea signed her name with flare and an unnecessary winky face. 

“I’ll sign, but I’m going to peruse the shelves some more.” said Reina.

“I guess I will. Just to expand my knowledge about such things, you understand, but… I don’t know how to write,” Chitchat mumbled.

“I can help you! Just give me your hand, and we can do it together. C-h-i-t-c-h-a-t.” She handed the scroll back to Eitri.

“Everything looks in order. This way, please.” Eitri led Chitchat and Azalea behind the front counter to the nook where Avu hung, pulling a curtain closed behind them.

Azalea regarded the suspended goblin. “Miss Eitri, I was wondering why Avu is all tied up.”

“Cause it was her idea, as was toy testin’. Says it gets her creative juices flowin’.

“Not just her creativity it looks like.” Observed Chitchat, noticing a pile of damp straw beneath her.

“Normally, she’s tied up with ropes, but today she’s demonstrating a new idea: The Shortstuff Carry-all! It’s still a working name. We were thinking of manufacturing them for portability purposes.”

“Why would anyone want to carry a goblin around?”

“It’s not just for goblins.  It can be used for any smaller demi-human race. Like most of her ideas, she gets ‘em when she’s horny. This time, it stemmed from her imagining being treated like a cock-warmer, ready for use, so she built it for herself, but then we started thinking of more practical consequences. Like, they can’t just be used anywhere in the city because of the modesty laws. Though, I suppose it depends on how the user is dressed. Maybe during journeys, short legs can’t walk or run as fast or as far as longer-legged people. At least, I can’t. Or perhaps at certain festivals or gatherings.”

“I can somewhat understand that,” asserted Azalea. “Fulfilling your partner's random bouts of horniness by being stuffed is the most fulfilling feeling for me! Or it will be when I can stretch wide enough.”

Eitri rapped on the wall near where four waist-high holes of differing sizes lined the wall. Out of the far-left one popped a penis. 

“A wolfman!” exclaimed Azalea.

“That he is. He’s a young man, very polite. Been a regular for a number of years. I asked if he wanted to be one of our models. The first attempt had a few errors, so today is a redo.”

“Why don’t you make it with them in the same room?”

“Some customers like to remain anonymous. Others get a bit shy if they see someone watch ’em. A few like the thrill of not knowing who’s doing what to them.”

“I’ve never seen a canine demi-human up close. He sure is red.”

“His kind can be both difficult and easier to make a mold for. Their knot keeps them fixed in place nicely, but they usually start pre-cumming right away, which can make the plaster take longer to dry. Fortunately, we have a simple solution.”

Azalea cocked her head. “A metal tube?”

“Aye! First, we put a little linseed oil on it and carefully insert it into the tip, not far, mind you, just long enough so we can get the casing around the glans. 

“Now we gotta swell ’em up. Normally, Avu does this part; tis why I ‘ung her over ’ere, but I don’t mind demonstrating today. I like working my way from the head toward the back.” With stubby fingers, she encircled his glans. “Then we add a little more oil to get him all slick and start jerkin’.”

“How cute! He’s humping your hand.”

“He’s quite a horny boy. See his knot starting to swell?”

“Can I touch it?”

“I doubt he’d mind.”

Azalea wrapped her tiny hands around the small bulge. “Warm and squishy. I thought it’d be bigger and harder.”

“Oh, it will. Grab his shaft and push back on it. Keep up a constant pressure. Try to make it feel like he’s prodding a tight pussy. Yes, like that. Do it a few times and then squish it through.” 

Azalea squeezed and pushed back hard, popping it through her encircled hands. “Oh wow, he’s swelling so fast! Here’s the size I was expecting. It's as big as an apple!”

“You can let go now. It’ll be about thirty minutes before he deflates enough to pull out.”

A spurt of liquid splashed her hand. “Oh, is he coming already? Can I drink it?” Before Eitri could answer, Azalea’s lips were already around the metal tube.

Eitri raised an eyebrow. “Uh, well, ok, go ahead, I guess, and no, the first watery bit will be pre-cum. When you notice a thicker, coppery taste, then you’ll know when he’s cummin’ proper. You also might get a bit more clear, watery fluid at the end.” 

 Eitri grabbed a flat metal tray. “While you handle that, I’ll show you how we make the mold. We slide it into these grooves on the wall, so his penis is resting on it. Then we slide in the sides, creating a little box, and pour in some warm plaster roughly halfway up. Lastly, we lay this square wax paper frame around the edge, so we can easily split the two halves, fill in the rest to the top, and let it sit till it hardens.”

Chitchat sat down on a stool next to Avu, not finding the molding process as interesting as she had expected. Her libido was normally very low. The rare times she masturbated were usually to distract herself from being hungry or to help her fall asleep. Putting her chin in her hand, she disinterestedly watched Azalea sip her unexpected treat, wondering how she could do something so lewd so naturally. 

She peeked out the curtain at Reina.“What do you think she’s thinking about?” she said out loud to Avu, not expecting a response. “Think she’s imagining how many dildos she could stuff into that huge body of hers?” 

“Mgpmh” Avu shrugged.

She let the curtain fall back. “So uh… do you hang around here often?”

Avu rolled her eyes.

“That was pretty bad, wasn’t it? I went for the… lowest hanging fruit,” Chitchat giggled.

Avu gave a low groan.

“Alright, I'll stop.”

Typically, Chitchat was adept at small talk, hence her nickname. For some reason, though, she was really off her game today. It all started with meeting that merchant.

“So, I'm guessing by the red ochre pattern painted on your body… you are from one of the marsh tribes?”

Avu nodded.

“And the whole tied-up thing… you're a masochist?”

Avu nodded enthusiastically, her eyes lighting up.

“I’m not really interested in this sorta stuff.”

Avu looked sad.

“What? Oh, come on, don’t look pleadingly at me. I already have been escorting someone who begs the same way. Ok, fine, but just a warning… I've never done anything you're probably hoping for.”

Avu smiled around the gag and tried to swing her body closer.

“You're definitely a little horny, well-endowed goblin, aren’t ya? Your belly and thighs were certainly blessed with ample pudginess.” She cupped one of Avu’s hanging breasts. “You have some curiously white nipple piercings.” 

Avu let out a long moan as Chitchat rolled the tender flesh between her fingers.

“I’m sorry! Did that hurt? Wait, maybe you’d actually like that?”

Chitchat spun Avu around, stopping with her between Avu’s legs. “Clean-shaven, I see. Makes sense if you are testing a lot of toys.” She parted the fleshy lips. “Such a girthy dildo planted in ya! Sure does push your clit out.” Chitchat flicked the fat little nub, instantly getting a whimper. 

“Interesting! You also have those little crystal bead piercings surrounding your clit and in a line down your pussy lips. Well, guess I'll just experiment and see whatcha like.” 

Chitchat’s actions got the attention of Eitri, who was leaning against the wall waiting for the plaster to harden. “If you're going to do that, could you aim her toward the straw, please?”

Chitchat spun her again, aiming her butt toward the pile of previously damp straw. She experimented with rubbing the squirming goblin girl, trying to mimic the things she liked. With needy huffs and sharp cries, Avu’s body jerked as a pearly stream of girl cum splashed over Chitchat’s hand. 

"You came fast. Does that mean I did a good job?"

“Mmmmpssh.”

Avu breathed heavily through the impediment in her mouth. 

“You’re, uh, welcome, I guess. Hmm, I’m reminded of a little rumor I suddenly got curious to try.”

Avu tipped her head questioningly.

Chitchat scooted very close and pulled her close till they were nose-to-nose. Smiling mischievously, she took hold of both of Avu’s ears. Avu’s eyes widened as Chitchat started to caress, massage, and stroke the floppy appendages.

“Careful, you gonna make her get all melty-brained,” laughed Eitri.

Avu’s eyelids sagged, and she started drooling profusely, making little gurgling sounds. 

“She’s really getting spoiled today.”

“Is she?” Chitchat asked thoughtfully.

“A goblin’s ears are highly sensitive, sometimes even more than our sexy bits. It's like a direct connection straight to our brain. We become super relaxed and floaty-headed. Also, and I probably shouldn’t say this, she becomes very impressionable. You could tell her to do just about anything, and she’d do it.”

“Is that so?”

Reina pulled the curtain aside and poked her head in. “Sorry to interrupt your fun, but I was perusing your wares and was wondering what this curious device was.” She held up a wooden object curled in the shape of a giant comma, carved from cedar and polished to a lovely sheen. Several taut strings stretched across it, anchored in place by brass knobs embedded into the surface.

“Oh, I wondered where that went! Stroke your nail along the strings, and you’ll see.”

Reina did as she was told. Raking her middle finger across the strings emitted a pleasant sound. Almost immediately, a throaty cry erupted from Avu. Surprised, Reina hesitantly stroked the strings again, leading to Avu straining and fighting against her restraints. Her pussy spraying cum again.

“Am I doing that?” Reina buzzed in awe. 

“Indeed, you are! I named it the Sonorous Pleasure Acoustic Sex Machine, or S.P.A.S.M for short. Those studs in her nipples and pussy lips ya’s was lookin’ at, Miss Chitchat… each stud resonates to a particular cord. Depending on the tone and pitch, they vibrate softly or strongly. So, if you're musically inclined, you can literally make her feel the music.”

“Can I try?” begged Chitchat.

Reina handed her the device. Chitchat placed it on her lap and played a simple song she remembered growing up. Avu mewed and whined, jerking and twisting to the pleasure dancing through her nerves as the notes soared and dipped with the melody. Her body was the orchestra, and Chitchatt was the conductor. 

The song Chitchat chose was something you might hear at a tavern – something with a quick tempo that caused Avu several body-clenching orgasms back to back. The song was only a minute long. With a flourish of her hands over the cords, she caused Avu to give one more short, erratic squirt before her body went limp, exhausted, and soaked with sweat. 

“Sorry, I kinda got carried away. Was that too much?” the ratgirl worriedly inquired.

“Nah, she’ll be fine. Though, maybe should have eased her into it first,” snickered her cousin. “I should probably put a warning on it, for first-timers, about the intensity.”

“Dinner AND entertainment!” Azalea expressed, swallowing the last remnants. “He tasted pretty good.”

“Careful! Herd-mate might make you run laps around the back of the wagon if you get too heavy.”

Azalea stuck out her tongue playfully.

“I think it should be hardened enough,” Eitri pronounced while tapping the plaster lightly. She carefully lifted the top half. “Perfect separating! Look, you can see all his unique details.”

The girls looked at the impeccable inverted recreation. Its knot, shaft, and head all exhibited the minute veins accurately.

Waving her hands around the mold, Eitri stated, “That pretty much sums up the process. I will make a clay copy later and recreate the mold out of brass, so it can be reused.”

“Thank you for showing us. That was fascinating!” Azalea cheered. 

“My pleasure. His too.” She laughed.

“And I know you can’t hear me, Mr. Wolfman, but thank you for the snack,” she praised, kissing the tip.

“And thank you, Miss Chitchat, for playing with Avu. She gets bored when I'm working sometimes.”

“Mmmmpphfffmmph.”

“What's that? You want to give one to each girl? She wants to give each of you a present. Friendship buttplugs.”

“Eh?” Reina and Chitchat replied in unison.

“We’d be glad to accept them,” beamed Azalea.

“I don’t know about this.” fretted Reina.

“Please, Rei-Rei. It's free and a present!”

“Do we really need that level of friendship, though?”

“Yes! It’s a physical manifestation of our friendship!” 

Reina sighed. “Fine…” 

“Yay! Chitchat can go first.”

“Oh, no… you need not concern yourself with me. I doubt I’ll even see you after tod…!”

Azalea was already dragging her by the arm to a table where Eitri stood waiting with a multi-pronged measuring instrument. “We are totally gonna be friends from today onwards!” 

“I can’t believe I'm doing this,” Chitchat muttered. ’Calm down Chitchat. Just think of the money and all the food you can buy after you bleed these fools dry.’ She separated the two belts that covered her intimates and lifted her cloak. 

Leaning low against the wall, she stuck her butt out.

Azalea floated lower for a better view. “Look how cute and pink your anus is, Chitchat!”

“That's not something I want to hear,” she retorted with a red face.

Eitri coated the pronged device with oil and carefully inserted it, making Chitchat clench her teeth, feeling herself opening before everyone’s eyes. Eitri jotted down the measurement. “About average,” she noted. “Next.” 

Chitchat hurriedly covered herself as Azalea took her place. 

“Me!” Azalea sang, landing on the table and waving her rear at the bemused goblin.

“Hmm, gonna need a super tiny one for you.”

Upon getting Azalea’s measurements, she pointed out, “Color me surprised! You sure can stretch for someone so small.”

“Thank you! Training myself to be the best cock-sleeve I can!”

Reina stepped forward. “I guess I'm last.”

“I’m dying to know how wide Reina is gonna be!” Azalea wondered.

“Don’t make me rethink this, Azalea.”

Eitri brought out a giant version of the probe. “Rarely get girls as big as you, so I don’t use this one often. ready? I’m putting it in.” 

Reina felt the three prongs enter her and start to expand. 

Eitra wrote down the numbers. “Despite being scaled up, yours is actually fairly average as well. Should take me about an hour for Reina’s and Azalea’s. Fortunately, I think I have one for Miss Chitchat’s size already made up.”

Upon completion, she presented all three buttplugs on a tray. Reina’s dwarfed the other two. “Here you go. Three buttplugs with a layer of silver over a brass core, and I embedded yellow citrine on the end to denote friendship between you all. Ready to try’em?”

“Me first! Me first!” Azalea yelled with her usual excitement. She landed on her hands and knees on the work table. Spreading her cheeks, she stated, “Just stuff it in.”

Eitri applied some oil and pushed.

Azalea hugged herself. “That's nice. Love that full feeling!” 

Chitchat had hers inserted next. “This feels… weird…”

“Good weird or bad weird?” asked Azalea.

“It doesn’t hurt, but it definitely doesn't feel as good as you made it look.”

“You’ll get used to it!'' The fae consoled as she rubbed the ratgirl’s butt cheeks.

“Reina’s next. Can I put it in? Can I, Reina!?”

“You're way too excited about all this.”

“Of course I am. My first time shopping for things with friends!”

“Well, as long as your happy. Go ahead.” Reina swung her tail aside and presented her butt.

“Careful, it's heavy.” Eitri handed it over, making sure Azalea had a good grip on it. “Let’s put a generous amount of oil on.”

Azalea placed the tip against the Whitehorn’s anus. “Ready? I’m pushing it in now.” Bracing her shoulder against the base, she shoved, fluttering her wings vigorously. With some grunting and straining, she managed to push the widest part past Reina’s tight muscle. Soon after, they both felt it slide in, firmly lodging in place.

Azalea floated back to admire the accessory. “I can only imagine what that size must feel like.”

“Let's keep it that way. I don't care how much stretching you do. You're not fitting this in you.”

“I know, I know. How’s it feel?”

“I think I could grow to like it,” Reina commented with closed eyes.

“Glad you girls like ’em. Azalea, could you come over here for a second? I want to tell you something.” Eitri whispered something into her ear, bringing a worrying smile to her lips.

“We should be heading to the seamstress now, Azalea,” reminded Reina.

“Yes, off we go! Thank you, Eitri, Avu! I had so much fun!” Azalea raved.

Eitri walked the friends to the front door. “Hope to see you girls back again sometime.”