Seeds of Heroism - Chapter 40
Chapter 40 – content: >!chastity, orgasm denial, ENF, castration!<
[A guide to the world of Bythos!](https://imgur.com/a/poZLPkK)
On the evening of the fourth day after setting out from the little hamlet, they reached Hôdoburg. They had already been lucky that the blacksmith didn’t recognize them, and so the party crept along the roads towards the capital. It all felt eerily similar to their escape from Calvino.
“What do you want to do? Should I disguise us all again?”
“NO!” Aramis and Jim yelled in unison.
“Buh, so mean,” the elf pouted.
They were a few hundred metres from one of the capital's city gates, huddling behind a farmer's kennel. Its only occupant was an ancient looking hound with shaggy fur that covered the lethargic animal's eyes and ears entirely.
“I'm sure I can get us inside, just give me twenty minutes alone with the guards and they'll be all buggered out with smiles on their faces,” Zenobia suggested.
“And what if they're all women?” Ina asked.
The sorceress shrugged. “Make it ten, then.”
Ina cocked an eyebrow. “How does that make sense? You can't tell me you need more time to make a man finish than a woman.”
“I don't, it's about the same if I use my magic. The extra ten minutes are so I can enjoy myself. We all need a little ‘me’-time once in a while, right?” That got a snort from both Ina and Aramis.
Jim chewed on his lip in thought. In truth, Liriel could probably get them inside reliably, but they were five people now and Liri's limited mana pool meant she would have to ‘recharge’ even more often than when they had escaped from the palace. Not to mention, it would most likely be a very loud process… He shuddered. His right ball was still swollen and bruised from that smith's clumsy attempt at breaking open his cage. There was no way he could submit to another gut-wrenching session with Liriel's knees right now.
If only they could get past the walls unseen. Surely the poorer parts of the capital would be reasonably safe for them, precisely because they were so seedy. People tended not to bother you, unless you looked like you had more money than common sense.
Like that dodgy inn Morgana had booked a room in. The people in there had their own problems. They could probably get a room there and lie low, no questions asked. Although the smell would be a bit-
“Wait,” Jim said. It was possible that bit of knowledge didn't apply to the world of Bythos, that they had found some magical way to make people like that obsolete. But what he remembered of Calvino didn't make it seem likely. “Do any of you remember seeing any heavy leather clothes around?”
“Maybe?” Liriel said and tilted her head in confusion. “But why?”
“I’ve got an idea…”
They had acquired the necessary clothes in about half an hour.
“Are you sure this will work?” Ina’s muffled voice asked.
“Absolutely not,” Aramis answered. “They’re going to make us do it for real…”
“Ew, no, I don’t want that!” the auf cried.
“Shh! Of course it’s going to work,” Liriel said. “Just follow Jim’s lead.”
“Thank you, Liri.” He tried to sound reassuring, even if he didn’t feel like it. He was thankful the onset of night and the thick leather cowl would hide his insecurity.
“Halt!” Well, this was it. “What’re you lot doin’?”
In response, Jim raised the bucket and spade he was carrying. “Got some cesspits to clean, if you don’t mind.”
The guard, a butch man with a face like a pitbull, spat on the ground. “Turns out I do mind.” Jim closed his eyes. Did he recognize them? Was their disguise as nightmen not convincing enough? “There’s a cesspit next to the barracks that needs cleanin’. Thing’s stinking up the whole place. Clean that first, little shitbirds.”
Jim looked at the guard in confusion. Did he really expect that he could just order people around like that? He noticed the guard’s broad neck and corded biceps. Of course he did.
Zenobia approached him. “Sure, we can do that, but we will have to fetch our cart first. How about I keep you company until then?”
*The guard laughed, a nasty, bellicose sound. “Who ever heard of a nightwoman*? And a slutty one at that? Get away from me, you harlot, your cunt probably smells like a cesspit. Heh, maybe that’s why you’re shovelling crap for a living. Some mangy beastkin give you a diseased hole?”
Zenobia stood stock still. Behind her, Ina was flexing her hand in a motion that seemed like she was planning to take some things away from the guard. Luckily, Aramis pushed them both away and into the city. “Thank you for your time, gentleman! We’ll be sure to clean the barracks as soon as we can! Have a nice night!” He walked on with Ina and Zenobia in tow.
Jim nodded to the guard and, together with Liriel, stepped through the gate.
“Filthy fuckers…” the guard muttered but didn’t stop them.
When they had passed a corner and headed towards the slums of the capital, they breathed a sigh of relief.
“I can’t believe this guy! Someone should really teach him a lesson!” Liriel said and Ina agreed.
“I was going to! Why did you stop me?” she asked Aramis.
“You girls need to learn to take it on the chin. Not everything can be solved with violence!” he lectured and bounced a small bag of coins in his hand. “If you let pride blind you, you’ll never see the opportunities in front of you,” the sly fox said with a smile.
“Did you… is that…?”
*“Don’t know what you’re asking, Liri, my dear. I’ve always* had a second money pouch. With… huh, didn’t picture this guy with a sweet tooth. Anybody like liquorice?”
While Ina gagged, Zenobia brushed pressed her hand against her eyes. “That was incredibly humiliating,” she muttered.
“Don’t take it personally, with these thick leathers, nobody can even tell we’re girls before we start speaking. Nobody could seduce a guard disguised as a nightman,” Liriel said. “Speaking of which, can we change now?”
Jim shook his head. “Let’s wait until we’re at the Rose Petal inn. We can change there and take it up to our room. It’s right next to a cesspit, so we shouldn’t raise any eyebrows.”
“Sounds lovely,” Aramis said deadpan.
It took Jim some time to find the dingy inn again. Wandering through Hôdoburg’s streets, he noticed how eerily quiet the city was. It felt like the city itself was waiting with bated breath, waiting for something to happen. They were nervous, sweaty and out of breath when they finally arrived.
The innkeeper barked at them when he saw their group enter, ordering them to leave before they dragged dirt everywhere, but once they had convinced them they were clean, he grumpily gave them keys for two rooms. They kept silent as they trudged up the stairs to their rooms and somehow, without meaning to, Jim found himself in a room with Liriel while Aramis, Zenobia and Inacea had the room next to them.
With a sigh, he pulled off the leather cowl, stepped out of the thick boots and let himself fall onto the bed. A mistake, he quickly learnt, as a sizable puff of dust enveloped Jim.
“Well, we’re here,” he said, trying to stifle a cough.
“Nn, your idea worked!” the elf said and nodded. “But…”
“But what now.”
“Yeah…” She gently said down next to him. “I can’t believe Andria is…”
*“Hey, it wasn’t our fault. Bruna knew about her, she must’ve sent someone to… take her out.” Someone like an assassin. Someone like the Silver Hand.* He watched her knead her fingers. Her ears drooped, the tips touching her shoulders. *No, impossible.* “We didn’t lead them to Andria, you can’t let yourself think that, OK?”
She nodded hesitantly. “… what are we going to do now?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “There must be some way we can stop all of this, we just need to find it.”
“You think we will?”
“I do.” He allowed himself a smile. “A hero always does.”
She snorted cutely and bumped her shoulder against his. He looked down at her and their eyes met. She looked sad, the way they had in the swamps around Gimeit, but there was something else there. Some glimmer, a spark of hope. He liked to think he put it there.
Their lips met and he closed his eyes. She felt so soft and fragile, like she was going to turn to ash in his hands if he tried to hold her any firmer. Instead, she immediately kissed him again when their lips parted, more forceful than before.
Even that wasn’t enough for her and she pushed him down. Her tongue pushed against his lips and he opened his mouth, allowing hers to caress his. She kissed him greedily.
Panting, they finally separated. “Jim… I want… you,” she gasped.
“I’m still… I can’t.”
“Jim, please…” She blushed. “Don’t make me say it out loud…”
He looked at her, confused, and she blushed harder.
“Your mouth…” she whispered and shyly nestled with her shirt.
It was his turn to blush and he kissed her as an answer. Their tongues entwined, he rolled on top of her and let his hands explore her body, his fingertips dancing along her arms to her clavicle and downwards, cupping her breasts. He loved how they spilled outwards, pushing against his hands as she lay on her back.
She started breathing quicker and his fingers brushed along her nipples. Even through the fabric of her shirt, he felt them harden. His left hand dwelt on the sensitive nub, rolling it between two fingers. Liriel moaned into his mouth.
His right hand strived lower, pursuing a greater treasure. He was careful not to go too fast, spending some time caressing her stomach. He enjoyed teasing her far too much, loved feeling her tremble against his fingers. Her little moans grew impatient and she pushed her hips against him, urging him lower so that he may claim his prize.
He deftly undid the laces of her breeches and Liriel yanked them down herself, kicking them away. They broke their kiss to come up for air and he couldn’t help but titter at her neediness. With a defiant grunt, she clasped her mouth back on his and forced her tongue inside his mouth.
It kindled a morbid curiosity in Jim, to see how far he could push her. Again and again, he let his fingers brush the hem of her panties, occasionally dipping a finger down her underwear, only to immediately retreat.
By the fifth time, she was half moaning, half grumbling each time his fingers refused to plunge between her legs. With one hand, she tried to push his arm down, demanding that he finally touch her aching honeypot.
He chuckled cruelly, instead letting his hand brush along her thighs, making sure never to touch her where she so desperately wanted him to. It was easier to avoid her sex than he had anticipated, given that her centre was swelteringly hot.
Her groans grew almost furious, but the next time he almost touched her pussy before retreating again, she let her hand fall to his leg. Still kissing like a woman possessed, a thin vine grew from Liriel’s arm, down along her wrist, and curled around a finger before reaching for Jim.
So invested in his teasing was he that he didn’t feel the vine before it had crawled up his leg and reached his balls. It slung around the two fat nuts twice.
“Liri, I-” Smiling, she kissed him again to shut him up and the vine pulled taut.
She lapped up his groans as the vine didn’t just pull on his nuts but squeezed them, too. Tighter and tighter the green rings pulled themselves, neatly squeezing the middle of his testicles into two bulging halves each. The plump balls strained under the ring, weeks worth of macerating spunk finding no release had left them stuffed to the brim, a circumstance that only increased the pressure on his swollen testes.
His groans grew higher the tighter the vine grew. The sylvan ball clamp produced small creaking noises, and neither Jim nor Liriel were sure if they were produced by the vine becoming more ligneous to increase the pressure on his balls, or by his straining nutmeat.
When he started whimpering, she knew he wouldn’t keep teasing her. Liriel shook her hand and the vine broke off, remaining clamped around his testicles in a tight loop. She ended their kiss and pushed his head down between her legs.
The elf tore away her panties, throwing the underwear to the side and jammed his mouth onto her loins.
She was gushing and scorching hot. Plump streaks of cerise and pink invited him in, quaking and dripping. He could feel his dick strain against the bars of his cage, but it was hopeless.
The pain in his nuts made his eyes near bulge out of their sockets. His hands shot to his groin, trying to pull the vine off of his balls, but all he succeeded in was stretching his nuts away from his body.
In the hope that she would free his nuts, he dove and started licking and fucking her with his tongue.
Her relieved moan was loud enough that the entire inn could hear it, he was sure of it. But he didn’t stop, drinking her honey like wine, hoping that she would cum soon. He pushed his tongue inside her folds, feeling her quim convulse around it, and Liriel threw her head back, crying out with pleasure.
Tears formed in his eyes and with an urgency born from panic, he latched his lips onto the pink pearl atop her cunt, forming a seal around the little nub. He sucked on her clit intensely, only pausing to let his tongue stroke the delicate button. Each lap of his tongue sent a shudder through her. Sweating from the feeling of getting his nuts crushed, he carefully lined up a finger at her entrance, ready to caress and massage that sweet spot just past her lips.
The door flew open and Ina stood in the frame, panting almost as heavily as Liriel but with a bewildered look on her face. “They found us!” Only then did she take in Jim kneeling between Liriel’s legs, her friend entirely exposed from her bellybutton downwards, quaking and leaking, while Jim looked like he had just stuck his face into a fountain. “Uhm, bad time?”
Jim stood up, stumbled like he was in pain, and righted himself with a grunt. “N-no, are we under attack?”
Ina stared at the quivering mess that was her friend's pussy, then shook her head to focus. “We’re about to be, some guards just came into the common room, asking around for us. We need to go, now!”
Liriel whimpered, covering her glowing face with her hands. “Please, I was so close… Jim…”
“The windows! No, wait, they lead out onto the street… what about your room?”
“I don’t know, Zenobia immediately grabbed Aramis and gave me some coin to drink away downstairs, they might still be-”
“What about us?” Zenobia said. The sorceress had appeared behind Inacea, a slight blush on her cheek and licking her lips. Right behind her was Aramis, the foxkin sporting a goofy grin.
“The guards are downstairs, they’re looking for us! Grab your stuff and see if we can climb out through your window!” Jim said and turned back to gather his own equipment. He hobbled over to the disguise they had worn, wincing and drawing a sharp breath with each step.
The leather would be too heavy, slowing them down rather than helping them. Jim decided to leave them. Instead, he picked up what few belongings he had, especially the pitted sword he had received from the Valesian order. He slung the sword belt around his hips, careful not to jostle the bag between his legs that was still getting squashed.
“God, if I don’t get this off, I’m gonna hurl… Liriel, can you- Uhm, Liri?”
She stood in the middle of the room, clutching the hem of her shirt, as if her blond bush wasn’t already on full display. His eyes flicked to the door, but the others had left for their room to grab their belongings. Like a leaky faucet, Liriel dripped onto the floor, a steady patter on the slats.
“Jim, please, I was so close, don’t stop, I-”
“We need to go! Sorry, Liri, do you need help?”
Her eyes were wide as saucers as she pleaded. “Please, I want to cum…”
“Halt! In the name of the Valesian order, you are hereby arrested on suspicion of murdering the moirai of light, saint Andria! Drop all weapons and kneel with your hands behind your b-ACK!”
The guardsman’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell to the floor, suddenly out like a light. Behind him, Aramis weighed a sturdy looking chair leg in his hands. “Give them a minute, sheesh.” His eyes flickered to the elf in the centre of the room, baring all. “Nice bush, Liriel. Acting as a distraction for the guardsmen?”
He quickly dodged the pillow she threw at him while trying to cover her shame. The foxkin shrugged and stuck out his tongue at her. “Well, hurry up, or we’ll go and leave you to your new friends!”
Grumbling and embarrassed, the elf looked for her panties, then dropped the ripped underwear with a sigh. Instead, she shimmied into her pants commando, wincing when the rough fabric rode up her crotch.
“Do you need any help?” Jim asked again. Before she could answer, they both heard heavy steps thunder up the steps.
Another guard stood at the door. Seeing his companion knocked out on the floor, he didn’t hesitate.
Jim didn’t even manage to draw the sword out of its scabbard before being forced to block a strike. The additional weight of the sheath made handling his weapon awkward. More strikes rained down on him. Between the scabbard and the pain in his nuts, Jim was driven back with each strike.
“Hey!” Liriel called out and threw a white bundle at the guard. It landed on his face, and with an angry grunt he swiped it off of his face – and paused when he realized it was a small pair of ripped, moist panties.
The tip of Jim’s scabbard struck him in the throat. Gasping, he dropped his sword. The pommel of the sword crashed into his temple and he was out like a light, following his companion to the floor.
“Let’s go! Before more come!” He helped her clamber over the two unconscious guards, across the hallway and into Zenobia’s, Aramis’s and Ina’s room. A window was wide open, behind which the cold Cillian night yawned.
Aramis already had one foot on the window sill. As soon as he saw them enter, he pulled his body through.
“Jim, drop me the bags,” he said and pointed to the bags and pouches on the beds. Then he dropped.
Jim did as instructed and then turned to the girls. “I’ll go next. Aramis and I will catch you, don’t worry.” Hitting the ground, he rolled and stood next to Aramis, arms spread out.
Liriel was next, safely caught by the boys. Zenobia followed immediately after.
As Ina climbed onto the window sill, she heard someone running up the stairs. She swung her feet over and let herself fall forward. But a hand grasped a fistful of her hair and painfully yanked her back inside.
“Got you now, bitch!” the guard yelled and lifted his mace to strike at her. She screamed and closed her eyes. In reflex, her hands shot up to try and stop the weapon before it could crack her skull.
*SPLAT*
The mace rested in her hands, its deadly blow cushioned. It was as if she had suddenly held a pillow in her hand that took the blow for her. Something chunky and slimy dripped down between her fingers, hitting her in the face.
“GWAAAAAAAAH!” The screams of a man that had just swung his weapon into his own testicles with vigour echoed out into the night.
*He curled in on himself, convulsing and screaming his head off, while Ina stared at her hands. It looked like a water balloon filled with cum had exploded in her hands. Nut mush and chunks of testicle thickly coated her palm and fingers. In her left hand, a bruised gonad lay, cracked open like a soft-boiled egg that had been dropped. For a second, she wondered where its sibling was, until she realized that the other testicle was everywhere*. She hadn’t even thought about what she was doing… She thanked her lucky stars that his balls had been big enough to cushion the blow.
A particularly big chunk of ball dripped from her ring finger. She shuddered and wiped the remains of the smashed nut on his uniform. Remembering that she still held one of his balls, she put the leftover testicle next to him. It might be cracked, leaking nutbutter and be as likely to ever produce cum again as its exploded sibling but he might still want it. Who knew, if he was quick about it and skilled with needle and thread, he might be able to stitch his own nut up.
Ina landed safely in Aramis and Jim’s arms, accompanied by the frustrated mewling of the guard that was three quarters of the way towards castration.
“Are you alright?” Liriel asked.
She nodded, feeling a bit queasy. “I’m just not used to… this.”
Another guard peered out of the window, spotting them after a few seconds. “Hey, stop! You five there!”
“Let’s go!” Aramis called, already a few steps down the alley.
Liriel puffed, watching the guard clamber out of the window and held her hand out towards the auf. “How dare these guys interrupt me… Ina, if you would.”
She nodded, and with a twist of her wrists, two white orbs appeared in her hand, just shy of a quail’s egg.
The guard gasped but still managed to land on his feet. The elf took the testicles and held them so their pursuer could see them.
“Hey,” she said and gave his nuts a warning squeeze. “I think these belong to you.” He squeaked and stared at her in confusion. “Do you want these back?” she asked and pressed her nails into the raw testicles, scratching their surface. When he finally understood that she was holding his actual balls in her hand, he meekly nodded.
“Good.” She turned to the side. “Then go and get them!” She tossed the balls into the air and let her foot lash out, punting the orbs away. One smacked into the wall of a house and bounced along the street, scaring a cat lazing about in its path. The other she had hit perfectly centre. It sailed across the roofs of several houses and was out of sight.
The guard sank to one knee, but when he clutched his empty sack in pain, he quickly forced himself up to run after his balls gone astray.
“Just like playing with a doggie…” Liriel muttered. Zenobia put an arm on her shoulder, reminding her that they needed to flee.
They ran in the opposing direction from the guard. Jim and Aramis led them, their boots smacking on the cobbled pavement. They tried to pick a route that would keep them away from the largest, busiest roads, but for the most part, their choices were made for them. A packed cart parked inconveniently in the middle of the road made them turn right, the spilled contents of a greengrocer’s stall forced them left again.
Their breaths came ragged and sweat stood on their foreheads. But they kept running, through alleys and over empty squares, into the cold, inhospitable night.
Following the alleyways available to them, they eventually made it to a small yard, just big enough for two trees. They needed to catch their breath, and it didn’t seem like the guards were hot on their heels.
Then they noticed the figure standing behind one of the trees.
The shadows hid them well enough, and the dying leaves shaken free by the wind went even further in hiding the person. Liriel gasped.
The figure slowly walked towards them, stepping out from under the shadow and into the pale moonlight.
Her doe eyes were empty. She looked hurt, and uncharacteristically fragile. Wound around her mid was still the bright red sash given to her by the prioress.
“Is it true? Did you really… kill her?” She had drawn her flail, but the weapon was limp in her hand.
“Philine…” Liriel softly said.
“Don’t tell me you believe them!” Jim shouted. “Of course we didn’t!” His hand found the pommel of his sword.
“Then explain it to them! I’ll bring you to the order and you can explain to the prioress why she’s wrong!” the paladin shouted, a sad hopefulness in her voice.
“They’re trying to set us up, mi dolcezza,” Aramis said calmly. Only his clenched fist spoke of his real feelings. “Andria had paladins all around her when we last saw her. Someone in the order must have done her in, or at least helped whoever was responsible get to Andria. They’re trying to pin this on us.”
Philine looked shocked, but shook her head. “Why would they do that, that doesn’t make any sense! Just come back with me. Then you can explain it all. You can show them you’re innocent!”
Behind them, distant sounds of heavy boots hitting the pavement echoed through the night.
“We can’t, Philine. Aramis is right. If the order itself isn’t responsible, the murderer probably has some influence over the paladins. I’m sorry, but we can’t trust them,” Jim said.
“But-” She raised her hands towards him. Her big brown eyes shimmered wetly. “Please… mister Jim…”
The heavy steps got closer. They could hear people shouting now.
“You have to believe us, Philine. Come with us, you’ll see that we’re innocent,” Liriel said.
She shook her head, little tears flying through the night like jewels. “But I’m a paladin now, miss Liriel…”
Zenobia put a hand on Jim’s shoulder. “We need to go.”
He nodded. “Philine.” He forced himself to look at her. “Are you going to stand in our way?”
Her eyes swam, and she avoided his gaze. “I can’t possibly… please don’t make me choose.” She gave a sad little shake with her head. “It’s not fair…”
“… I think I know a place we can lie low. Let’s go.” Jim couldn’t keep his voice from cracking, but he walked forward.
Her flail dropped to the ground. One by one, they passed Philine. She stared at her feet, so he couldn’t see her face, only her big teardrops falling and her sobs making her lurch. For a moment, Jim thought she was holding a doll in her other hand, but he had passed her before he could be sure.
“I’m sorry, Philine,” Liriel muttered with a melancholy inclination of her head.
They left the crying paladin behind as Jim led them towards the abandoned laboratories.
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[*A guide to the world of Bythos!*](https://imgur.com/uVKT2Kc)
*As promised,* [*I will try to illustrate a scene from the chapter from now on!*](https://imgur.com/a/xKabORN)
[A guide to the world of Bythos!](https://imgur.com/a/poZLPkK)
On the evening of the fourth day after setting out from the little hamlet, they reached Hôdoburg. They had already been lucky that the blacksmith didn’t recognize them, and so the party crept along the roads towards the capital. It all felt eerily similar to their escape from Calvino.
“What do you want to do? Should I disguise us all again?”
“NO!” Aramis and Jim yelled in unison.
“Buh, so mean,” the elf pouted.
They were a few hundred metres from one of the capital's city gates, huddling behind a farmer's kennel. Its only occupant was an ancient looking hound with shaggy fur that covered the lethargic animal's eyes and ears entirely.
“I'm sure I can get us inside, just give me twenty minutes alone with the guards and they'll be all buggered out with smiles on their faces,” Zenobia suggested.
“And what if they're all women?” Ina asked.
The sorceress shrugged. “Make it ten, then.”
Ina cocked an eyebrow. “How does that make sense? You can't tell me you need more time to make a man finish than a woman.”
“I don't, it's about the same if I use my magic. The extra ten minutes are so I can enjoy myself. We all need a little ‘me’-time once in a while, right?” That got a snort from both Ina and Aramis.
Jim chewed on his lip in thought. In truth, Liriel could probably get them inside reliably, but they were five people now and Liri's limited mana pool meant she would have to ‘recharge’ even more often than when they had escaped from the palace. Not to mention, it would most likely be a very loud process… He shuddered. His right ball was still swollen and bruised from that smith's clumsy attempt at breaking open his cage. There was no way he could submit to another gut-wrenching session with Liriel's knees right now.
If only they could get past the walls unseen. Surely the poorer parts of the capital would be reasonably safe for them, precisely because they were so seedy. People tended not to bother you, unless you looked like you had more money than common sense.
Like that dodgy inn Morgana had booked a room in. The people in there had their own problems. They could probably get a room there and lie low, no questions asked. Although the smell would be a bit-
“Wait,” Jim said. It was possible that bit of knowledge didn't apply to the world of Bythos, that they had found some magical way to make people like that obsolete. But what he remembered of Calvino didn't make it seem likely. “Do any of you remember seeing any heavy leather clothes around?”
“Maybe?” Liriel said and tilted her head in confusion. “But why?”
“I’ve got an idea…”
They had acquired the necessary clothes in about half an hour.
“Are you sure this will work?” Ina’s muffled voice asked.
“Absolutely not,” Aramis answered. “They’re going to make us do it for real…”
“Ew, no, I don’t want that!” the auf cried.
“Shh! Of course it’s going to work,” Liriel said. “Just follow Jim’s lead.”
“Thank you, Liri.” He tried to sound reassuring, even if he didn’t feel like it. He was thankful the onset of night and the thick leather cowl would hide his insecurity.
“Halt!” Well, this was it. “What’re you lot doin’?”
In response, Jim raised the bucket and spade he was carrying. “Got some cesspits to clean, if you don’t mind.”
The guard, a butch man with a face like a pitbull, spat on the ground. “Turns out I do mind.” Jim closed his eyes. Did he recognize them? Was their disguise as nightmen not convincing enough? “There’s a cesspit next to the barracks that needs cleanin’. Thing’s stinking up the whole place. Clean that first, little shitbirds.”
Jim looked at the guard in confusion. Did he really expect that he could just order people around like that? He noticed the guard’s broad neck and corded biceps. Of course he did.
Zenobia approached him. “Sure, we can do that, but we will have to fetch our cart first. How about I keep you company until then?”
*The guard laughed, a nasty, bellicose sound. “Who ever heard of a nightwoman*? And a slutty one at that? Get away from me, you harlot, your cunt probably smells like a cesspit. Heh, maybe that’s why you’re shovelling crap for a living. Some mangy beastkin give you a diseased hole?”
Zenobia stood stock still. Behind her, Ina was flexing her hand in a motion that seemed like she was planning to take some things away from the guard. Luckily, Aramis pushed them both away and into the city. “Thank you for your time, gentleman! We’ll be sure to clean the barracks as soon as we can! Have a nice night!” He walked on with Ina and Zenobia in tow.
Jim nodded to the guard and, together with Liriel, stepped through the gate.
“Filthy fuckers…” the guard muttered but didn’t stop them.
When they had passed a corner and headed towards the slums of the capital, they breathed a sigh of relief.
“I can’t believe this guy! Someone should really teach him a lesson!” Liriel said and Ina agreed.
“I was going to! Why did you stop me?” she asked Aramis.
“You girls need to learn to take it on the chin. Not everything can be solved with violence!” he lectured and bounced a small bag of coins in his hand. “If you let pride blind you, you’ll never see the opportunities in front of you,” the sly fox said with a smile.
“Did you… is that…?”
*“Don’t know what you’re asking, Liri, my dear. I’ve always* had a second money pouch. With… huh, didn’t picture this guy with a sweet tooth. Anybody like liquorice?”
While Ina gagged, Zenobia brushed pressed her hand against her eyes. “That was incredibly humiliating,” she muttered.
“Don’t take it personally, with these thick leathers, nobody can even tell we’re girls before we start speaking. Nobody could seduce a guard disguised as a nightman,” Liriel said. “Speaking of which, can we change now?”
Jim shook his head. “Let’s wait until we’re at the Rose Petal inn. We can change there and take it up to our room. It’s right next to a cesspit, so we shouldn’t raise any eyebrows.”
“Sounds lovely,” Aramis said deadpan.
It took Jim some time to find the dingy inn again. Wandering through Hôdoburg’s streets, he noticed how eerily quiet the city was. It felt like the city itself was waiting with bated breath, waiting for something to happen. They were nervous, sweaty and out of breath when they finally arrived.
The innkeeper barked at them when he saw their group enter, ordering them to leave before they dragged dirt everywhere, but once they had convinced them they were clean, he grumpily gave them keys for two rooms. They kept silent as they trudged up the stairs to their rooms and somehow, without meaning to, Jim found himself in a room with Liriel while Aramis, Zenobia and Inacea had the room next to them.
With a sigh, he pulled off the leather cowl, stepped out of the thick boots and let himself fall onto the bed. A mistake, he quickly learnt, as a sizable puff of dust enveloped Jim.
“Well, we’re here,” he said, trying to stifle a cough.
“Nn, your idea worked!” the elf said and nodded. “But…”
“But what now.”
“Yeah…” She gently said down next to him. “I can’t believe Andria is…”
*“Hey, it wasn’t our fault. Bruna knew about her, she must’ve sent someone to… take her out.” Someone like an assassin. Someone like the Silver Hand.* He watched her knead her fingers. Her ears drooped, the tips touching her shoulders. *No, impossible.* “We didn’t lead them to Andria, you can’t let yourself think that, OK?”
She nodded hesitantly. “… what are we going to do now?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “There must be some way we can stop all of this, we just need to find it.”
“You think we will?”
“I do.” He allowed himself a smile. “A hero always does.”
She snorted cutely and bumped her shoulder against his. He looked down at her and their eyes met. She looked sad, the way they had in the swamps around Gimeit, but there was something else there. Some glimmer, a spark of hope. He liked to think he put it there.
Their lips met and he closed his eyes. She felt so soft and fragile, like she was going to turn to ash in his hands if he tried to hold her any firmer. Instead, she immediately kissed him again when their lips parted, more forceful than before.
Even that wasn’t enough for her and she pushed him down. Her tongue pushed against his lips and he opened his mouth, allowing hers to caress his. She kissed him greedily.
Panting, they finally separated. “Jim… I want… you,” she gasped.
“I’m still… I can’t.”
“Jim, please…” She blushed. “Don’t make me say it out loud…”
He looked at her, confused, and she blushed harder.
“Your mouth…” she whispered and shyly nestled with her shirt.
It was his turn to blush and he kissed her as an answer. Their tongues entwined, he rolled on top of her and let his hands explore her body, his fingertips dancing along her arms to her clavicle and downwards, cupping her breasts. He loved how they spilled outwards, pushing against his hands as she lay on her back.
She started breathing quicker and his fingers brushed along her nipples. Even through the fabric of her shirt, he felt them harden. His left hand dwelt on the sensitive nub, rolling it between two fingers. Liriel moaned into his mouth.
His right hand strived lower, pursuing a greater treasure. He was careful not to go too fast, spending some time caressing her stomach. He enjoyed teasing her far too much, loved feeling her tremble against his fingers. Her little moans grew impatient and she pushed her hips against him, urging him lower so that he may claim his prize.
He deftly undid the laces of her breeches and Liriel yanked them down herself, kicking them away. They broke their kiss to come up for air and he couldn’t help but titter at her neediness. With a defiant grunt, she clasped her mouth back on his and forced her tongue inside his mouth.
It kindled a morbid curiosity in Jim, to see how far he could push her. Again and again, he let his fingers brush the hem of her panties, occasionally dipping a finger down her underwear, only to immediately retreat.
By the fifth time, she was half moaning, half grumbling each time his fingers refused to plunge between her legs. With one hand, she tried to push his arm down, demanding that he finally touch her aching honeypot.
He chuckled cruelly, instead letting his hand brush along her thighs, making sure never to touch her where she so desperately wanted him to. It was easier to avoid her sex than he had anticipated, given that her centre was swelteringly hot.
Her groans grew almost furious, but the next time he almost touched her pussy before retreating again, she let her hand fall to his leg. Still kissing like a woman possessed, a thin vine grew from Liriel’s arm, down along her wrist, and curled around a finger before reaching for Jim.
So invested in his teasing was he that he didn’t feel the vine before it had crawled up his leg and reached his balls. It slung around the two fat nuts twice.
“Liri, I-” Smiling, she kissed him again to shut him up and the vine pulled taut.
She lapped up his groans as the vine didn’t just pull on his nuts but squeezed them, too. Tighter and tighter the green rings pulled themselves, neatly squeezing the middle of his testicles into two bulging halves each. The plump balls strained under the ring, weeks worth of macerating spunk finding no release had left them stuffed to the brim, a circumstance that only increased the pressure on his swollen testes.
His groans grew higher the tighter the vine grew. The sylvan ball clamp produced small creaking noises, and neither Jim nor Liriel were sure if they were produced by the vine becoming more ligneous to increase the pressure on his balls, or by his straining nutmeat.
When he started whimpering, she knew he wouldn’t keep teasing her. Liriel shook her hand and the vine broke off, remaining clamped around his testicles in a tight loop. She ended their kiss and pushed his head down between her legs.
The elf tore away her panties, throwing the underwear to the side and jammed his mouth onto her loins.
She was gushing and scorching hot. Plump streaks of cerise and pink invited him in, quaking and dripping. He could feel his dick strain against the bars of his cage, but it was hopeless.
The pain in his nuts made his eyes near bulge out of their sockets. His hands shot to his groin, trying to pull the vine off of his balls, but all he succeeded in was stretching his nuts away from his body.
In the hope that she would free his nuts, he dove and started licking and fucking her with his tongue.
Her relieved moan was loud enough that the entire inn could hear it, he was sure of it. But he didn’t stop, drinking her honey like wine, hoping that she would cum soon. He pushed his tongue inside her folds, feeling her quim convulse around it, and Liriel threw her head back, crying out with pleasure.
Tears formed in his eyes and with an urgency born from panic, he latched his lips onto the pink pearl atop her cunt, forming a seal around the little nub. He sucked on her clit intensely, only pausing to let his tongue stroke the delicate button. Each lap of his tongue sent a shudder through her. Sweating from the feeling of getting his nuts crushed, he carefully lined up a finger at her entrance, ready to caress and massage that sweet spot just past her lips.
The door flew open and Ina stood in the frame, panting almost as heavily as Liriel but with a bewildered look on her face. “They found us!” Only then did she take in Jim kneeling between Liriel’s legs, her friend entirely exposed from her bellybutton downwards, quaking and leaking, while Jim looked like he had just stuck his face into a fountain. “Uhm, bad time?”
Jim stood up, stumbled like he was in pain, and righted himself with a grunt. “N-no, are we under attack?”
Ina stared at the quivering mess that was her friend's pussy, then shook her head to focus. “We’re about to be, some guards just came into the common room, asking around for us. We need to go, now!”
Liriel whimpered, covering her glowing face with her hands. “Please, I was so close… Jim…”
“The windows! No, wait, they lead out onto the street… what about your room?”
“I don’t know, Zenobia immediately grabbed Aramis and gave me some coin to drink away downstairs, they might still be-”
“What about us?” Zenobia said. The sorceress had appeared behind Inacea, a slight blush on her cheek and licking her lips. Right behind her was Aramis, the foxkin sporting a goofy grin.
“The guards are downstairs, they’re looking for us! Grab your stuff and see if we can climb out through your window!” Jim said and turned back to gather his own equipment. He hobbled over to the disguise they had worn, wincing and drawing a sharp breath with each step.
The leather would be too heavy, slowing them down rather than helping them. Jim decided to leave them. Instead, he picked up what few belongings he had, especially the pitted sword he had received from the Valesian order. He slung the sword belt around his hips, careful not to jostle the bag between his legs that was still getting squashed.
“God, if I don’t get this off, I’m gonna hurl… Liriel, can you- Uhm, Liri?”
She stood in the middle of the room, clutching the hem of her shirt, as if her blond bush wasn’t already on full display. His eyes flicked to the door, but the others had left for their room to grab their belongings. Like a leaky faucet, Liriel dripped onto the floor, a steady patter on the slats.
“Jim, please, I was so close, don’t stop, I-”
“We need to go! Sorry, Liri, do you need help?”
Her eyes were wide as saucers as she pleaded. “Please, I want to cum…”
“Halt! In the name of the Valesian order, you are hereby arrested on suspicion of murdering the moirai of light, saint Andria! Drop all weapons and kneel with your hands behind your b-ACK!”
The guardsman’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell to the floor, suddenly out like a light. Behind him, Aramis weighed a sturdy looking chair leg in his hands. “Give them a minute, sheesh.” His eyes flickered to the elf in the centre of the room, baring all. “Nice bush, Liriel. Acting as a distraction for the guardsmen?”
He quickly dodged the pillow she threw at him while trying to cover her shame. The foxkin shrugged and stuck out his tongue at her. “Well, hurry up, or we’ll go and leave you to your new friends!”
Grumbling and embarrassed, the elf looked for her panties, then dropped the ripped underwear with a sigh. Instead, she shimmied into her pants commando, wincing when the rough fabric rode up her crotch.
“Do you need any help?” Jim asked again. Before she could answer, they both heard heavy steps thunder up the steps.
Another guard stood at the door. Seeing his companion knocked out on the floor, he didn’t hesitate.
Jim didn’t even manage to draw the sword out of its scabbard before being forced to block a strike. The additional weight of the sheath made handling his weapon awkward. More strikes rained down on him. Between the scabbard and the pain in his nuts, Jim was driven back with each strike.
“Hey!” Liriel called out and threw a white bundle at the guard. It landed on his face, and with an angry grunt he swiped it off of his face – and paused when he realized it was a small pair of ripped, moist panties.
The tip of Jim’s scabbard struck him in the throat. Gasping, he dropped his sword. The pommel of the sword crashed into his temple and he was out like a light, following his companion to the floor.
“Let’s go! Before more come!” He helped her clamber over the two unconscious guards, across the hallway and into Zenobia’s, Aramis’s and Ina’s room. A window was wide open, behind which the cold Cillian night yawned.
Aramis already had one foot on the window sill. As soon as he saw them enter, he pulled his body through.
“Jim, drop me the bags,” he said and pointed to the bags and pouches on the beds. Then he dropped.
Jim did as instructed and then turned to the girls. “I’ll go next. Aramis and I will catch you, don’t worry.” Hitting the ground, he rolled and stood next to Aramis, arms spread out.
Liriel was next, safely caught by the boys. Zenobia followed immediately after.
As Ina climbed onto the window sill, she heard someone running up the stairs. She swung her feet over and let herself fall forward. But a hand grasped a fistful of her hair and painfully yanked her back inside.
“Got you now, bitch!” the guard yelled and lifted his mace to strike at her. She screamed and closed her eyes. In reflex, her hands shot up to try and stop the weapon before it could crack her skull.
*SPLAT*
The mace rested in her hands, its deadly blow cushioned. It was as if she had suddenly held a pillow in her hand that took the blow for her. Something chunky and slimy dripped down between her fingers, hitting her in the face.
“GWAAAAAAAAH!” The screams of a man that had just swung his weapon into his own testicles with vigour echoed out into the night.
*He curled in on himself, convulsing and screaming his head off, while Ina stared at her hands. It looked like a water balloon filled with cum had exploded in her hands. Nut mush and chunks of testicle thickly coated her palm and fingers. In her left hand, a bruised gonad lay, cracked open like a soft-boiled egg that had been dropped. For a second, she wondered where its sibling was, until she realized that the other testicle was everywhere*. She hadn’t even thought about what she was doing… She thanked her lucky stars that his balls had been big enough to cushion the blow.
A particularly big chunk of ball dripped from her ring finger. She shuddered and wiped the remains of the smashed nut on his uniform. Remembering that she still held one of his balls, she put the leftover testicle next to him. It might be cracked, leaking nutbutter and be as likely to ever produce cum again as its exploded sibling but he might still want it. Who knew, if he was quick about it and skilled with needle and thread, he might be able to stitch his own nut up.
Ina landed safely in Aramis and Jim’s arms, accompanied by the frustrated mewling of the guard that was three quarters of the way towards castration.
“Are you alright?” Liriel asked.
She nodded, feeling a bit queasy. “I’m just not used to… this.”
Another guard peered out of the window, spotting them after a few seconds. “Hey, stop! You five there!”
“Let’s go!” Aramis called, already a few steps down the alley.
Liriel puffed, watching the guard clamber out of the window and held her hand out towards the auf. “How dare these guys interrupt me… Ina, if you would.”
She nodded, and with a twist of her wrists, two white orbs appeared in her hand, just shy of a quail’s egg.
The guard gasped but still managed to land on his feet. The elf took the testicles and held them so their pursuer could see them.
“Hey,” she said and gave his nuts a warning squeeze. “I think these belong to you.” He squeaked and stared at her in confusion. “Do you want these back?” she asked and pressed her nails into the raw testicles, scratching their surface. When he finally understood that she was holding his actual balls in her hand, he meekly nodded.
“Good.” She turned to the side. “Then go and get them!” She tossed the balls into the air and let her foot lash out, punting the orbs away. One smacked into the wall of a house and bounced along the street, scaring a cat lazing about in its path. The other she had hit perfectly centre. It sailed across the roofs of several houses and was out of sight.
The guard sank to one knee, but when he clutched his empty sack in pain, he quickly forced himself up to run after his balls gone astray.
“Just like playing with a doggie…” Liriel muttered. Zenobia put an arm on her shoulder, reminding her that they needed to flee.
They ran in the opposing direction from the guard. Jim and Aramis led them, their boots smacking on the cobbled pavement. They tried to pick a route that would keep them away from the largest, busiest roads, but for the most part, their choices were made for them. A packed cart parked inconveniently in the middle of the road made them turn right, the spilled contents of a greengrocer’s stall forced them left again.
Their breaths came ragged and sweat stood on their foreheads. But they kept running, through alleys and over empty squares, into the cold, inhospitable night.
Following the alleyways available to them, they eventually made it to a small yard, just big enough for two trees. They needed to catch their breath, and it didn’t seem like the guards were hot on their heels.
Then they noticed the figure standing behind one of the trees.
The shadows hid them well enough, and the dying leaves shaken free by the wind went even further in hiding the person. Liriel gasped.
The figure slowly walked towards them, stepping out from under the shadow and into the pale moonlight.
Her doe eyes were empty. She looked hurt, and uncharacteristically fragile. Wound around her mid was still the bright red sash given to her by the prioress.
“Is it true? Did you really… kill her?” She had drawn her flail, but the weapon was limp in her hand.
“Philine…” Liriel softly said.
“Don’t tell me you believe them!” Jim shouted. “Of course we didn’t!” His hand found the pommel of his sword.
“Then explain it to them! I’ll bring you to the order and you can explain to the prioress why she’s wrong!” the paladin shouted, a sad hopefulness in her voice.
“They’re trying to set us up, mi dolcezza,” Aramis said calmly. Only his clenched fist spoke of his real feelings. “Andria had paladins all around her when we last saw her. Someone in the order must have done her in, or at least helped whoever was responsible get to Andria. They’re trying to pin this on us.”
Philine looked shocked, but shook her head. “Why would they do that, that doesn’t make any sense! Just come back with me. Then you can explain it all. You can show them you’re innocent!”
Behind them, distant sounds of heavy boots hitting the pavement echoed through the night.
“We can’t, Philine. Aramis is right. If the order itself isn’t responsible, the murderer probably has some influence over the paladins. I’m sorry, but we can’t trust them,” Jim said.
“But-” She raised her hands towards him. Her big brown eyes shimmered wetly. “Please… mister Jim…”
The heavy steps got closer. They could hear people shouting now.
“You have to believe us, Philine. Come with us, you’ll see that we’re innocent,” Liriel said.
She shook her head, little tears flying through the night like jewels. “But I’m a paladin now, miss Liriel…”
Zenobia put a hand on Jim’s shoulder. “We need to go.”
He nodded. “Philine.” He forced himself to look at her. “Are you going to stand in our way?”
Her eyes swam, and she avoided his gaze. “I can’t possibly… please don’t make me choose.” She gave a sad little shake with her head. “It’s not fair…”
“… I think I know a place we can lie low. Let’s go.” Jim couldn’t keep his voice from cracking, but he walked forward.
Her flail dropped to the ground. One by one, they passed Philine. She stared at her feet, so he couldn’t see her face, only her big teardrops falling and her sobs making her lurch. For a moment, Jim thought she was holding a doll in her other hand, but he had passed her before he could be sure.
“I’m sorry, Philine,” Liriel muttered with a melancholy inclination of her head.
They left the crying paladin behind as Jim led them towards the abandoned laboratories.
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[*A guide to the world of Bythos!*](https://imgur.com/uVKT2Kc)
*As promised,* [*I will try to illustrate a scene from the chapter from now on!*](https://imgur.com/a/xKabORN)
