Minseek woke with start sitting up quickly, but as soon as he was up Innis was up as well, pulling him into a comforting hug. His labored breaths slowed as his face was pressed against her chest.
“A nightmare I assume?” she asked. There was a moment where there was just silence.
“Yes” he said finally.
“What was it about?” she asked softly.
“I don’t remember” he lied. She looked at him suspiciously for a moment before seeming to be satisfied.
“Well just Know that it can no longer reach you” she said running her fingers through his hair in a motherly manner. He nodded softly. The sun had just begun to break over the horizon, bathing the flat landscape in a pinkish hew. If you had ridden back towards the city you would have began to see palm trees, and if you began traveling north you would even find a lush jungle meeting the ocean, but here, the land was barren save for the grass.
“It is morning, I suppose we should at least partake in breakfast before we continue on. I imagine you must be famished” she said as she fished out a leather bag from her cloak. Minseek eyed the bag hungrily, and Innis grinned. “Thought so” she said. Breakfast consisted of some dried jerky, and apple that Minseek could only assume was kept so fresh by magic. The boy received a healthy helping of the food, but the magician only chewed on a single piece of jerky as she seemed lost in thought.
“You should eat some more” Minseek said as he offered her a piece of his jerky. “Here”. She flashed him a vacant smile.
“Thank you very much, but I will pass” she said. “This will be enough to sustain me till we reach the tower” she said. Minseek watched her quietly before popping the jerky in his mouth.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked.
“Many things” she replied after a moment. “Many, many things” she said before getting to her bare feet. “We best be on our way. I would like to reach the safety of my tower before night fall. There are beast that roam this land that I would rather not encounter” she said
“And the other magicians” Minseek added.
“Yes” she replied quickly. “Yes, and the other magicians”. To Minseeks silent Dismay, she slipped her boots back on, then helped him mount the animal before swinging on herself. It wasn’t as nice as laying next to her while she was barefoot, and the animals trot was rough, but Minseek had to admit that there where worse things he could spend his day doing than wrapping his arm around Innis’s waist. During their ride they only encountered one of Cirdiff’s plains native beast. Luckily for them, while Aldagirths where massive, they were generally rather passive. As the animals four legs slowly dragged its massive body across the grasslands, its dozens of pink tentacles that emerged from its purple torso lashed around, pulling grass from the ground, and shoving it into the creature’s large mouth. Minseek gasped an awe as they rode passed the massive creature, and Innis glanced back at him with a slight smile.
“First time seeing an Aldagirth?” she asked.
“It’s so big” he said, swiveling in on the saddle to get a better look at it. She nodded.
“Yes, they’re gentle giants however, and generally leave people alone. I shouldn’t be so surprised that you haven’t seen one, they don’t often come near cites” she said.
“We must look like insects to them” he said still trying to grasp how something so large could exist. As the sun started to set, the whanoo stopped, kicking its front legs in the air. Before them lay a canyon so gargantuan, that that it looked as if one of the gods had cut it into the ground. Minseek, having witness more wonder in one day than he had in his entire life let out another stifled gasp.
“We are here” Innis said. The boy gave her a look of shock.
“The canyon?” he asked. She shook her head no.
“No, but with in the canyon. In a hole in its wall covered by an illusion” she said. He gave her an even more confused look,
“I’m not sure if you’ve noticed but that’s a long drop. Do you expect me to climb to that hole?” he asked. She gave him a knowing smirk.
“My dear boy, have you learned nothing in our short time together? I’m afraid I will have to give you more rigorous lessons than I once intended” she said before turning back to the canyon, taking a deep breath, and opening her eyes.
“Layol Velvia” she said as her eyes shot open. The ground beneath Minseek rumbled before a chunk of it was ripped from the rest of the ground, spraying dirt as it levitated a few feet up.
“W-whoa” Minseek said, panic in his voice as their platform of dirt floated. The whanoo however seemed perfectly comfortable. The platform began to float down into the canyon, directed by Innis’s finger. It took a moment, but Minseek adjusted to the strange feeling.
“Will I ever be able to do this?” he asked looking around in wonder.
“Perhaps” she said. “Perhaps this and more” she said. For a moment to the two stayed silent as Minseek took in his surroundings, and Innis guided the floating platform.
“I can’t believe all this is so close to my home” he said. “So close to me while I slept behind the city walls, not knowing” He mumbled.
“Originally this canyon was filled with minerals” Innis explained. “The people who founded your city mined them and built their home nearby. That was a long time ago however, and it has been mind dry for hundreds of years now” she said as the platform stopped next to the wall of the canyon. Innis waved her hand, and massive part of the wall vanished. Behind where the wall stood, in a large indention in the canyon wall, arch made from loose stones of varying sizes. Innis and the whanoo stepped off the platform, and as Minseek followed suit, it crumbled to dirt, falling to the floor of the canyon.
“Is this it?” Minseek asked, looking up at the arch which was taller than a house.
“Yes” Innis replied. “Yes, this is the gate” she said before waving her delicate hand in front of it. Symbols unfamiliar to Minseek of every color began to glow on each stone as the arch began to hum loudly. A screeching sound, at first faint, but in moments louder than the hum emanated from the empty center of the arch, before lines of light shot fourth from each rock, congregating at the center. Finally, the light began to stretch out till each beam was connected, and the arch was filled with a solid wall of light. The wall rippled as if it was made of water, and Minseek briefly saw their reflection, but the scene quickly shifted to that of a forest. Innis kneeled down, mumbling a spell as she held her hand on the floor, before standing.
“Let us ride” she said mounting the whanoo and offering her hand. “Comfort is not far off”. He glanced at the portal in amazement before taking her hand. The animal started to slowly make its way towards the portal, seemingly unbothered by it, but as they grew close, Minseek squeezed his eyes shut, and clenched his fist. For a moment he felt as if he was covered in some kind of sticky film, but the feeling briefly passed. He opened his eyes, finding himself on a path in the middle of a large forest with towering trees, each covered in leaves of greens and dark blues. He took a moment to glance around before shivering, goosebumps sprouting all over his little body.
“We will need to get you some more appropriate clothing child” Innis said pulling her cloak off and wrapping it around Minseek.
“For this land is far from your home and is much cooler” she said.
“Where are we?” he asked, he’s teeth starting to chatter, even with the added warmth.
“We are in the Neverwood, surely you’ve heard of that” she said. He nodded, looking at her.
“But why would we want to come here?” he asked.
“From what I heard, the Neverwood is wilderness filled with dangerous beasts” he said. She smiled broadly.
“Listen closely boy, the Neverwood is the largest forest in the known world and is mostly unexplored. This section of the wood is fairly close to the exit of the forest, only maybe a five-day trek on whanoo, but still entirely unexplored by anyone save for me. So, then I deiced this would be the wonderful place to make a home, completely hidden from the outside world. You should be thankful that I did as it provides a wonderful safe haven from the other magicians”, she said. He simple nodded and took in his new surroundings as they rode. The forest was as different from his homeland as it could get, he believed. The boy could find no end to the sea of wood and leaves save for the path they rode on, and even spotted a few furry animals that he didn’t recognize.
“I have come a long way in a matter of days” he said to himself.
“That you have” the magician replied. Soon Minseek spotted what looked to be the top of a stone tower sprouting above the treetops.
“is that your home?” Minseek asked looking up at it.
“Yes, it is, I have missed it” Innis said, letting a little longing seep into her voice. They soon reached the end of the trail and found that it met the base of the tower Minseek had seen. It was wider than most homes from his home city, and far taller than most of its buildings, (Though not all). If he was going by the rows of windows the tower had at least five floors, though he imagined that there could be more. Next to the tower was a stable which Minseek assumed was the Whanoo.
“Oh, how I’ve missed it” Innis said sliding off the animal, and with some help from the magician, Minseek followed suit.
“You live here?” Minseek asked, amazed.
“No, no I climb a tree when night comes, and snuggle up with a blanket of leaves. The tower does add some pleasant scenery wouldn’t you say?” she said. “Of course, I live in the tower” she said as she guided the animal to the stable
“And I’ll be living here two?” Minseek asked.
“Well I can’t very well leave you out here can I” She said getting the animal comfortable in the stall.
“Don’t worry beautiful, I’ll have Sazile come dust you off” she said stroking the animal’s mane. The two walked to the door of the tower, and Innis swung it open. Behind it was a small well light circler room, with a dozen doors and a spiral staircase. In the center of the room stood a pink skinned Delhdrin stood. She had curly brown hair, and the beginnings of horns poking out, and wore a low-cut black dress that gave Minseek a nice view at her pleasantly sized cleavage. Her large, dark green eyes widened with excitement before she bowed, her spaded tail swishing excitedly.
“Welcome home mistress” she said.
“Yes, yes it’s good to see you Sazile. Run a bath for me and the boy and set us out some sleep ware. His room is the one on the third floor, next to yours” she said. “We are both weary from our travels”
“Wait a moment” Minseek said frowning. “I thought the Queen made slavery a crime” he said.
“Yes, a decision me and half the council opposed, but I suppose our power has its limits” she said quietly. “Sazile is not a slave, she is my maid, and I pay her”
“Yes! Mistress Innis pays me a gite every month” the Delhdrin said proudly. Even a young child who didn’t work like Minseek could usually scrounge up a gite when need. There girl nodded. “Of course, mistress” she said with a swift bow. She led Minseek up the spiraling stairs to the fourth floor with was a circling hall of rooms. She stopped at a door opening it. Minseeks room was large but barren stone chamber, and like the rest of the tower was pleasantly warm even though there was no visible fire. A large bed was against the wall, a singular window was on the far wall, and another door was against the bed. She led him through the last door into a windowless stone chamber, and a basin on the wall. Minseek was about to ask how they would get the water all the way up here, when Sazile tapped a stone in the wall with a symbol on it, and steaming water began to fill the tub from out of nowhere. It was hardly the most incredible thing he had seen all day, but the little boy found himself gasping in wonder. Sazile gave him a meek smile.
“Incredible isn’t it? It’s a smaller scale version of the portal spell that brought you here, as well as a heating spell. Mistress Innis is truly amazing” she said. “I need to go start Mistress Innis’s bath. The spell will stop when the tub is full. Would you like me to come back and help you clean up?” she asked. Minseek was already starting to think of all the things he could use this service for, but her hands running over his naked body seemed like a good start.
“Yes, that would be nice” he said. She nodded her head. “Of course, master Minseek, I will be back shortly, and with that, she departed. The tub filled fast, and soon the flow of water stopped. When it did, Minseek freed of himself of his clothes, and slipped it. He gasped in pleasure immediately as he felt his muscles start to relax. Only when he had stopped moving could he apricate how sore he was. But the hot water did its work, and the soreness faded a little. As he laid his head against the back of the bath, he found himself starting to drift off, but snapped back to it as Sazile stepped back into the room. She dropped something into the water that gave it a pleasant bittersweet aroma and began to slather water over his body with her delicate hands. The Delhdrin was thorough, running her fingers over his chest; and arms; and legs, through his hair; and over his face. He felt a spark of excitement as they stroked his cock, but she moved to swiftly for him to get much enjoyment from it. He was far too tired to care, however. Once he was clean, she helped him out of the tub, and even though he could do it himself, she helped him dress in the sleep wear which fit him perfectly. He wondered where they got such perfect fitting clothes for him so fast. Then she led him to the bed, and he began to drift off even before she had made it to the door.
“Good night Master Minseek” she said before sliding the door close.