Chapter 1: Bounded by Duty, Bored by Duty Lady Valentina's body lay upon the satin sheets, her silk gown hiked up, exposing her bare breasts. The fabric clung to her skin, dampened with perspiration from the stifling room. Her eyes stared vacantly at the intricately carved ceiling as she felt the weight of Sir Bryn pressing against her. She let out soft moans, a carefully orchestrated symphony of pleasure that deceived hi...

Mike checked his email. He ignored the dementia warning, the nail fungus fix, the insurance promotions, the free covid-19 tests, the tinnitus cure, and the weight loss aids. He decided against the tickets to Carnival in Rio. He promptly answered the message from the widow in Asia who wanted to give him half of $25,000,000, so long as he used the rest of it for charity work. He also answered the solicitation for people wit...

Carolina had a lot on her mind that day. There was her mother, Pilar, who was dying in the hospital. There was her husband, who had gone to speak to Pilar privately and heard something that had unsettled him, for he had not been the same since. And most of all, there were her children, Biel and his younger sister Jordina. Both had been involved in a terrifying incident at a ruined sanitorium, and neither was acting themse...

1. Yokgu traversed Raborg forest to the clearing where he practiced martial arts on a balmy Fruitrich afternoon. Raborg was the uncontested territory of the Untamed, led by Mazoga, a high priestess of Unja, goddess of pleasures. The tenets of Unja stressed unity and harmonious relations among all beings, the development of the intellect, and sensuality. Raised in the faith more common to orcs, Dygnos, god of war and victo...

Sylmi was laying naked next to her, on her side, with her head resting on her right hand. That girl could really pose. Rodry had suggested she could find work as a model for painters, but she had laughed her off. Now she was looking at her inquisitively. "I don't think I've ever asked you how you ended up here," she finally said. "It's not much of a story, really," Rodry started but felt compelled to go on. It was nice sh...

"I'm sorry, did you say you need an 'adventuring companion?'" she asked incredulously. "Mistress Globb, does this guy know he's in a whorehouse?" Her halfling boss shrugged. "My team and I are embarking on a short-term quest in the mountains," the fellow explained. "We've got good intel of hidden treasure. But you know, adventuring is stressful business. It can cause friction, tension. So we've decided that hiring a wh......

"Come buy, come buy" Liz heard the call from somewhere near, such a familiar call to hear; though she could not say why. She stood waiting for her date by the river's running water till sunset came and caught her "That fucker's running late," she thought and moved to go. But then she heard again, some distant cry "Come by our stalls, come buy" The voice was near, far, above, below. Again, she thought she knew its sound; s...

The darkness fell suddenly over the abandoned village. It felt deeper, somehow more dangerous, than before. Zaerenya glanced at the deep blue, almost black, sky and flipped her long and wavy purple hair over her shoulder. She felt uneasy for some reason. ”This place is… weird," she whispered to herself and frowned. She didn’t exactly know where she even was. She had walked for a few days - maybe three, maybe four. This sm...

It was not uncommon to see the carriages of the Spire traveling the dusty road that led from the mountain citadel to the riverside village. Drawn by massive horses of pure white, they were elegant vehicles of polished metal and wood with wide curved windows, opaque to the outside. Imposing metal soldiers strode stiffly ahead and behind. Those who had seen the carriage guardians up close claimed they were empty suits of ar...

The wind was blowing across the ship, and the princess was getting bored.It had seemed like such a fun voyage, and for years she had begged to be allowed to go out on a ship, touring to the exotic ports her parents talked about. Now that she was an adult, she had been allowed to go on a sea voyage to the land of Punt. But she hadn't realized how boring it could get, out at sea. She watched the desert shore slide by slowly...

It’s like a magic carpet ride. Exciting feelings I can’t hide.A fantasy world that seems so real.That gives me everything I want to feel. It is full of surprises.Lurking phonies in disguisesBut there are a very special few.Who make my day a much brighter hue. Friends and lovers all so sweet.Spending time with them is a treat.I have so much love to give.But time slips through my fingers like a sieve. Take their minds away...