LIGHTNOVELONLINE Home Again, Home Again
Compared to the speedy awakening I received earlier in the day, the second time around is much gentler. "There. That wasn't so bad now, was it?" I hear Opalina's voice rousing me my magically-induced slumber, her gloved fingers tracing through my hair.
With a yawn and a stretch, I respond, "I wouldn't know. That’s the beauty of it."
She giggles before assuaging my unspoken fear. "You can open your eyes, Sweetheart. We're only a few feet off the ground."
True to the witch's word, her trusty broom is almost touching the dirt road leading to the Guild. I was worried Opalina might prank me and wake me up while we were still flying over the city, but I'm glad to be proven wrong. With great relief, I hop off the broom and land clumsily on my feet. My performance isn't precisely cat-like, but it'll do.
"Way to stick the landing," She teases. "Best make sure the kitties don't see you like that."
"Very funny. Are you planning on coming in and saying hi? I don't know who all are awake yet, but..."
Interrupting me, Opalina shakes her head. "You aren't the only one who has business to attend to. I really must go back and open up the clinic, not to mention take a cursory look at those new samples I promised to examine. Maybe I'll poke around later in the day. Maybe not. Even if I don't, I promise I'll see you all very, very soon."
"You better," I give my lover a smile, then watch as she blows me a kiss and flies away into the gray Dewhurst horizon.
Now that I'm alone, I take in a deep breath of stagnant air and relish the familiar smell of this rotten city. It's almost toxic to my lungs compared to the crisp air of Dawnstead, but hey, it's home. I'm just lucky that my Guild is slightly off the path from the city proper, but I better not dilly-dally around the entrance for too long. Not while the defensive seal still hasn't been applied.
Before heading in, I check the mailbox to see if Snow's already gotten it or not. Turns out she hasn't, and there's a decent surprise waiting for me inside. Solomon works fast, judging by the thick copy of the Karnallian Times sitting there just waiting to be read. I pick it up and become disheartened when looking at the front page.
'Missing Crown Princess Still Missing! Where in the Realms is Samantha Lundreame?'
Pictured is a portrait of my young adventurer, only her hair is straightened, she lacks her freckles, and the bandaid she uses to cover the scar on her nose. In the illustration, Sam's wearing an illustrious formal gown with an emblem of a roaring lion sewn onto it. The dress is barely able to contain her breasts, and she's also wearing a pearl necklace as well as a tiara that looks like it's worth enough gold to buy a fortress and then some. Damn it, Sam, you should have brought that thing with you to Dewhurst, too...
Her expression looks pissed, so I'll give them some points for that.
The actual story doesn't offer any new developments in Sam's case, making me think they're just using Sam's tits to sell papers on a slow news day. I can't even blame them for that... she looks great in a dress, but I like her much better as my feisty little tomboy with roughed-up hair.
Just about the only important thing I can glean from the article is that when the Karnallian Times asked Lord Steward to the Crown, Vandalton Lundreame... who is Sam's uncle, I believe? Anyway, they asked if the Royal Family was finally considering offering a reward for finding the missing Crown Princess. His response was that it's unnecessary, and the Family is no longer concerned with Sam's whereabouts.
There's a small picture of Vandalton, and from the picture alone, I can tell that he's someone I don't want showing up on my doorstep anytime soon. He has long shaggy blonde hair, not unlike Sam's, a single, fierce green eye that burns with what looks to be ill-intentions, one of those comically evil-looking goatees which you see villains wearing on the cover of trashy adventure novels, and a black eyepatch covering the other side of his face.
If such a threatening man is Sam's uncle, then what am I in for when I inevitably meet her father? Hopefully, King Theostus will have his picture in the news eventually, so I can prepare myself for that...
I scan the rest of the headlines, but none of them stand out besides a story about that disinherited arcane tech heiress, Evisse Gallois. Apparently, she was spotted in public for the first time since it happened. She boarded a state-of-the-art arcane carriage and left the city of Imperalis. Her destination is unknown, as cloaking magic enveloped the machine once it got out on the main road. Sounds like little more than tabloid, gossip-rag nonsense to me, but I suppose it's important news considering how her family heads one of the most important companies in all of Karnalle.
Now that I'm done with the front page, I dig out the rest of the mail and find a large envelope from the Dewhurst Mayor's Office. Great, Niall came through. Inside the envelope sealed behind a wax signet, there's a thick stack of local quests. Most of it's the usual illegal nonsense I've come to expect when dealing with Dewhurst's rabble, but sprinkled throughout are options we could make use of. Ah, progress.
With the haul of mail in my hand, I walk straight into my familiar Guild and call out, "Snow? Kittens?" expecting at least those three to be up at this hour. It's only half-past ten, and Snow seems hellbent on putting Peri and Cherry to work no later than eight in the morning. Imagine my surprise when not one of Catfolk answers with so much as a 'nyaa'.
This is troubling, but rather than getting depressed and assuming the worst, I decide to drop off some stuff in my office and then go check on the master bedroom. I don't even make it halfway through the hall before the backdoor opens. Zutiria stands at the exit, wearing a fluffy purple bathrobe without her glasses. She idles about, staring at me with those icy blue eyes. After the shock faces, the Mage runs straight at me before leaping and almost tackling me to the floor.
I drop my mail all over the floor as I catch the little lady in midair and laugh as I pull her close to my body. "I missed you, too, Zutiria..."
'Silence.' She looks up into my eyes with a frumpy frown. 'No words. Only kisses.'
Who am I to argue with that? She hops into my arms, wraps her legs around me like a sloth clinging to a tree, and brings her tiny lips to mine to bring down a storm of affection. Again and again, she pecks at me with such love and devotion that I'm quickly overwhelmed. Her aggressive kisses make me lose my balance, and I fall on my ass as Zutiria continues to downright molest my face.
Deciding to show her just how much I missed her as well, I wrap my hand around the back of her head and stop her from doing the repetitive kisses and instead pull her in for one dramatically deep one. The taste of her little tongue lapping away at mine is as sweet as can be, even sweeter still considering it's been days since last I was graced with its slick, warm comfort.
I lose track of how long we spend like this, but eventually, Zutiria needs to come up for air. She pants exhaustively as drool dribbles down the side of her face, and her eyes glow pink with Eromancy for a split second, but she focuses herself and refuses to let her impulses get the best of her. 'Welcome home, Sir...' She says from atop my torso, a hint of a smile forming on her lewd lips.
"Glad to be back, trust me. I don't think I could've lasted much longer at that place. Where is everyone right now?" I ask before grabbing her fluffy bathrobes' sleeve. "Does this maybe have something to do with it?"
Zuzu nods her head and then looks away, embarrassed. The Mage nervously tries to adjust her glasses before remembering she's not even wearing any. 'Everyone is waiting to surprise you out back, but I lied and said I had to go pee. In reality, I knew you had just returned and wanted to get the jump on you. Forgive me... it was just... so, so, hard going without you...' Little tears form in the corners of her eyes, but I'm having none of that. I wipe them away with my fingers and sit up, giving her a sincere smile.
"I can't stay mad at you, but I can't speak for the rest of the girls. You ruined their surprise."
'I ruin a lot of things, and everyone still likes me anyway.' She shrugs.
"True. That's a very nice bathrobe you've got there."
'The Gods of Loot were exceedingly kind to us during our time at the Pimpfort.'
"Also true. Since everyone is waiting for me out back, does that mean Snow did what I think she did and that the bathhouse is ?"
'Nothing gets past you, Sir.' She says, almost seeming sarcastic.
"It's not much of a surprise. I expected Snow would do something about it ever since I told her we had one. I'm just shocked she got it working in under two days..." Snow strikes again. I can't say I wouldn't have preferred that they spent time cleaning up the rest of the Guild instead of working on a luxury like a bathhouse, but getting a good bath seems essential to the elegant head maid.
'Gwin helped with the structural stuff while the maids all cleaned. Make sure you give them plenty of love. Mistress Snow worked the kitties to the bone.'
"After I give you love, I assume?"
'Naturally,' Zutiria nods her head.
I sigh and wrap my arm around the selfish Mage, pulling her tight to my chest and standing up. I tilt her at an angle so I can carry her like a fuzzy, bathrobed bride and walk out into the backyard. Zutiria acts as my hands, reaching out and closing the door behind us. "Let's not keep everyone waiting any longer, shall we?"
With a deadpan expression, my desperate for attention lover replies, 'Well... I'm sure they wouldn't mind if I had another minute or two alone with you...'
"Zutiria," I look into her eyes with a stern expression. She backs off but makes it clear she isn't happy.
'Take me away, Sir...' She plays up her disappointment as I make my way to the newly repaired bathhouse. I don't have the heart to tell her or anyone else that I just engaged in some sexy bath play the night before, but hell, I'm always ready for more of whatever the girls want to give me.
