“What- excuse me?”

  “Just my mouth, this time. I’m still wearing my gauntlets, so it would not be ideal if I used my hands.” She giggled enticingly.

  “Are you sure…?”

  Thia slid her hand down, past my armor. “Truly. Over your clothes is one matter, but it’s not worth the risk of harming you.”

  “I mean, you really want to do this?” I couldn’t help but smile in anticipation. Of all the things I never expected to happen today, this definitely seemed less likely than “being granted a boon by a literal Goddess”.

  “Ever since you helped me exterminate the rat queen.” Her hand started stroking my crotch. It had been too long since it had received that kind of attention from someone else. “At the time, the idea of servicing you was thrilling. Right there, in the cave.”

  I shuddered with excitement; both at the thought of that, and from the feeling of Thia’s hand. “Even with Ves there?”

  “Especially with Vestele there. Can you imagine it? Showing my appreciation to the one who turned the tide of battle in such a way?” Now it was her turn to shudder.

  “I’ll definitely be imagining it later.”

  Thia gave me a mischievous smile. “Meeting you again only heightened my interest. And yours, as well, it seems.”

  I groaned lightly in agreement as she sank down and unbuttoned the cloth trousers that had appeared with my leather armor. They were tighter than the jeans or slacks I was used to wearing, and my dick needed release in every sense of the word.

  Unable to wait any longer, Thia pulled down my trousers with more haste than I expected. My cock practically sprang out, nearly at full mast. The lovely blonde placed a gentle kiss on the head, and I reached maximum hardness almost instantly. She looked up at me with a craving in her big, blue eyes. “I wish I could savor this, but it is neither the time nor place… I pray you don’t mind if I perform quickly.”

  “I - ahh- I don’t mind if you don’t… Something to look forward to later, maybe?”

  “Mmm, yes…” Maintaining eye contact, Thia licked my stiff cock from base to tip, then swirled her tongue around the head. She slid the tip between her soft lips, closed her eyes, and moaned lightly.

  “Oh my god, that…” I groaned appreciatively.

  Thia released me from her mouth and licked the shaft again, with the occasional kiss. “Does this feel good, Jeremy?”

  “Yes. Fuck, yes.”

  She giggled again. “I think I’m enjoying it even more.” My cock was soon in her mouth again, and she moved her head back and forth as her tongue worked its magic. I was glad - thrilled, really - that Thia suggested this location, because her loud slurping would have been impossible to hide anywhere in that sleepy village.

  The petite, golden-haired beauty worked her way further down my rigid length. She only made it about halfway, whimpering faintly, as if she were desperate for more.

  Thia’s expression, a mix of determination and pure lust, told me that she knew exactly what she was doing. I had no doubt that she could take the whole thing if she tried, but right now, she was focused on making me cum. And she was close to achieving that goal.

  She pulled back a little, then bobbed her head quickly, not breaking her eye contact. Her moans were almost as effective at bringing me close to completion as her mouth itself, but the hottest part of all of this was how much she wanted it.

  Maybe Ves was onto something - should I hang out in caves, waiting to save thankful women?

  My hands gripped the tree behind me as Thia sucked harder. It was just about time. “I-I’m almost there…”

  Thia moved her head back until only my tip remained in her wet mouth. Her moans of arousal sounded more like she was pleading… begging for my cum. I groaned as I gave into her desires.

  She swallowed as each shot landed in her mouth, coaxing out as much as possible with her tongue. Once she was satisfied that I had nothing left to give, she gave my shaft a quick tongue washing, and ended with another gentle kiss on the tip. I could have gone again after that.

  “Thia, that was… wow. You’re amazing. I’d love to return the favor…”

  She stood up and brushed off her greaves, a look of satisfaction on her stunning face. “You do not owe me anything… but I hope that the opportunity arises.”

  “Oh, I think it will.” I chuckled. “I’ve never known another woman who is so… enthusiastic.”

  Thia rested her head on my chest. “When we aevrana yearn for something, we tend to do so with great intensity, or passion.” She stood on her tiptoes and kissed my cheek. “I imagine it may have seemed strange to you.”

  “Only in a good way.” I put an arm around her, holding her against me. “Now that you’ve, uh, achieved that goal, would you be interested in this leading to something more?”

  “Mmm, deeply interested. It’s a pity that we have so little time now.”

  “I mean, leading to more of a… relationship.”

  “Oh!” Thia’s eyes sparkled as she flashed me a radiant smile, then she buried her face against my armor. I heard some shy, muffled giggling, followed by “That would be my preference, as well.”

  So now she gets shy? It’s cute as hell, though.

  She continued: “But with my future plans still uncertain… it would not be right to make promises I cannot keep.”

  If only all this armor wasn’t between us. “Yeah, I get it. I wish there was something I could do to help.”

  Thia raised her head and looked up at me. “You have too much to concern yourself with as it is, whether or not the Goddess has grander plans for you. My feelings regarding you not joining the Seekers are stronger than before, now that I am aware of your circumstances.”

  “I’ll think about what you said. I kind of hope I don’t run into Kael again, though. He seems to be the type who doesn’t take ‘no’ for an answer.”

  “My brother means well, but what I said about aevrana is especially true for my family. He is eager for you to join the guild, which means you’re correct: he will not easily relent.”

  I sighed. “Okay. Thank you for the advice, and, well, everything.” I couldn’t help but have a wide grin on my face. “Good luck with making your decision.” Part of me wanted to tell her that if she chose to remain with the Seekers, I would strongly consider joining them in spite of her warnings… but I didn’t want her decision to be based on what she thought was best for me.

  Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

  We realized that it would be best to get back into town before anyone wondered where we had gone. After putting my pants back on, I looked around, but didn’t see anyone in the vicinity. Thia led me to the village hall, bowed formally, and bid me farewell. Just for now, I hope.

  Thia only took a few steps before turning around. “If you wouldn’t mind, could you please give Vestele my apologies? …In regards to my behavior in the cave.” I nodded, but before she could go, I grabbed her hand. Pulling her close, I leaned down and kissed her. She returned the kiss, but even though she was the first to pull away, I could tell that it had been difficult for her. Watching her step backwards, as she tried to maintain her composure, was the cutest thing I’d ever seen.

  I took a deep breath before entering the building. Ves didn’t seem to be around, so I approached the counter. Mrs. Zurax was using a quill to write on a piece of parchment, so I cleared my throat to announce my presence. She smirked and wagged a finger. “Two visits in one day? Jeremy, you’re spoiling me.”

  Although I had concerns over whether I’d ever see Thia again, I was feeling very confident thanks to our unexpected encounter. Overconfident, even. I winked at the old goblin. “Jeremy Dodd knows how to make the ladies happy.” Look, I’m not proud of saying that, but Mrs. Zurax appreciated me playing along with her. “Speaking of which, do you know where I could find Vestele?”

  Mrs. Zurax chuckled. “Well, the poor thing was starving, and didn’t want to wait any longer, so she left to get something to eat. I’m sure she’ll return soon, if you’d like to get comfortable.”

  “Thanks, but I’ll wait outside. Maybe I’ll be able to spot her before she gets back. See you later!”

  I only had to wait outside for a few minutes, but it was the longest I’d been alone since arriving in Fielende. So much had happened in just a few hours. Thankfully, before I could overthink any of it, Ves turned a corner, carrying what looked like a couple of small, grilled animals on skewer-like sticks. She took a bite out of one as she approached.

  “There you are. Got you a branchskimmer.” She offered one of the sticks, but I declined.

  “Thanks, but I’m full from lunch.”

  “Was hoping you’d say that!” Ves quickly chomped the rest of the first creature before starting on the next, but didn’t wait to speak until her mouth was empty. “So, how was it? Did they talk you into joining the guild?”

  “Nah. I’d like to at least find my bearings before I consider making any big decisions like that.”

  “Makes sense.” She took another big bite.

  “But you’re also being really generous with your help, and time, and I don’t want to take advantage of that. Maybe it would just be easier if I joined? Then I might not have to worry about making any other major decisions.” Thia’s words echoed in my head, but the guild was the only backup plan I knew about.

  “The thing they don’t like to tell you about at those… lunches is that they expect you to bring in a certain amount of money. If you aren’t good enough to get assigned to an actual party… well, remember what I said about permanent cleaning duty?” I nodded. “That wasn’t a joke! And apparently, it takes forever to earn enough just to quit.”

  “Oh. I was thinking that, if I had to, I could just try it out for a while.” What does this mean for Thia? Her brother is in some kind of position of authority. Does that mean it’s easier for her to just leave, if she chooses?

  “Yeah, it doesn’t work like that. But who knows? Maybe together, we could make a decent living. I might not have made it out of the cave at all without your help, or you without mine, and we earned some money on top of that. Oh, damn it! I forgot to ask that guy about getting a reward for the coin.”

  I held up the pouch and chuckled. “Guess who got the reward and the money we found?”

  Ves’s green eyes lit up. “Jeremy, you lucky bastard! Nice work!” Unexpectedly, she hugged me tight, but quickly pulled back. “Hmm. Okay. First thing we need to spend it on is a bath.” She sniffed again, furrowing her brow slightly.

  “Oh man, that would be great.”

  As we walked to the baths, I noticed Ves giving me some side-eye. “So… they gave you an extra reward and a free lunch. Sounds like that guy really wants you to join them.”

  I scoffed. “Right? He even let me keep the other items I found on the body. It feels a little too desperate.”

  “Huh… sounds like they really treated you well. Was that elf there, too?”

  “Kind of? Pretty sure she never said a word the entire time.”

  Ves raised an eyebrow. “So she was… preoccupied?”

  “Just didn’t seem like she wanted to be there. It was a little off-putting. Oh, but, uh, I did see Thia. Turns out that guy, Kael, is her brother.”

  Her ears flattened, and her nose twitched. “Thia was there?”

  “For some of it, yeah. She said she wanted to apologize for earlier.”

  “...I see.” I wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so I didn’t. With the message passed along, Fortunately, soon after, we arrived at the bathhouse.

  The bath ended up being uneventful, but (mostly because of that) it was satisfying. The baths were small enough to only comfortably fit one adult, and each one had a curtain that could be closed for a bit of privacy. The proprietor, a young dwarven woman, placed a small stone inside each tub. Ves explained that they had a simple enchantment on them that would heat the water, but the stones themselves remained cool.

  It was so relaxing that I ended up dozing off, but only for a minute, which made me feel more tired than ever. Ves, fully dressed, slapped my shoulder to wake me. “Unless you wanna pay for another bath, let’s get going.” She held a hand to my clothes and armor, which were laying on the floor next to the tub, and frowned in concentration. The increasingly-familiar glow appeared in her palm, and the dirt lifted off of my belongings before vanishing, leaving behind the bleach-like smell.

  “That spell’s gotta be extremely useful. What’s it called?”

  Ves’s eyes avoided my own. “I… can never pronounce it right. I just call it ‘the cleaning spell’.” With that, she left so I could put my clothes back on. I gotta spend some of this money on something else to wear.

  We stepped out into the brisk afternoon air. Vestele counted the rest of our money and gave me half. “This should be enough for you to stay at the inn for about a week. Maybe two, if they let you help with the cooking and cleaning.”

  “Hmm. Whether or not I join the guild, I’m going to need to make money as an adventurer. I can’t ask you to do any more for me, but tomorrow I’m going to go back to the village hall and see if Zurax has anything that’s, uh, beginner friendly that I could do.”

  Ves crossed her arms, looking a little annoyed. “Stop thinking that I’m helping you for no reason. You know we can help each other. Or give it a try, anyway. Don’t want to end up like that Rogue in the cave.”

  Both Kael and Ves were right about that. Partnering up, or even joining a party, was necessary for survival here. “Okay. I’d like that. But let’s be extra cautious, at least at first. I have no idea what I’m doing yet.”

  “Yeah, probably for the best, considering my own… lack of talents.”

  “Your healing has already been ridiculously helpful. If Rogues work anything like I think they do, I might be able to kill things before they even know I’m there. If that doesn’t work, then you can focus on keeping me alive. We’ll see how it goes from there.”

  Ves nodded, looking more confident than before. “Alright, good thinking. Think you’ll be ready to start tomorrow?”

  “Doesn’t matter… I’ll have to be. Which means I should get back to the inn. Do you want to meet there tomorrow? I’ll buy you breakfast.”

  “Ugh, don’t waste your money. Just sleep at my place for now.”

  “Really? You sure?”

  Ves tried to hold back a laugh and ended up snorting, which resulted in her actually laughing. “Wow, can you just accept the offer?” She walked right up to me and poked me in the chest, then practically whispered. “I already told you to not worry about it. We’re helping each other out. Stop making such a big deal out of everything and just try to settle in.” She paused. “Sorry I poked you.”

  “I couldn’t feel it through the armor. But, okay. I won’t keep asking if you’re okay with helping me, but promise that you’ll be honest with me if I’m being an imposition or whatever.”

  She smirked. “Gladly.”

  When we arrived at Ves’s house, my first thought was about how small it was. My second was about how lucky she was to actually own a house. On the outside, it looked pretty much like every other house in the village. When we entered, I got the impression that it might be the sparsest house in the village.

  There were very few belongings: an old bed in one corner, a wooden table by a window, and a rusted stove were the most prominent objects in the house.

  “I’ve never spent much time here. I traveled a lot until… recently. And we’ll be out training and adventuring, so just think of this as a place to rest up in-between!”

  “Sounds perfect. I could sleep basically anywhere right now. Any preference?”

  “Nah. You can use my old mattress wherever.” Ves pulled out an old, dirty mattress from under the bed. In reality, it was barely a “mattress” in the way I knew them: it was more like a long beanbag chair, only stuffed with straw.

  “Ves, you’re the bes’.” She rolled her eyes, and then I thanked her more sincerely. I dragged the mattress to the opposite side of the room, placed my cloak over it, and flopped down. It was a little more comfortable than I expected, which was enough. I fell asleep as soon as I closed my eyes.

  When I woke up, I gasped like I had been unable to breathe. Maybe I was having a nightmare, maybe I reacted to the unfamiliar setting before I had a chance to process it, or maybe I just slept too hard. The reason is unimportant, but the sound made Ves stir. She rolled over, and… wrapped her arm and leg over me.