The golden light of full morning now bathed the clearing, no longer gentle but holding the promise of the day's heat.
Kaela had only just closed her eyes, a smile of deep contentment on her lips, when Eis's voice, soft but insistent, broke the peace.
"Hey. Wake up. We need to get moving again."
She let out a muffled groan, burrowing her face against his chest. "Just a few more minutes…"
"The sun's already threatening to burn us," he said, though his tone was affectionate.
He gave her a gentle squeeze before carefully extricating himself. The sun, though still low, was clear of the morning clouds and bright.
They dressed quickly, the quiet intimacy of the dawn giving way to the practicalities of the road.
As they finished adjusting their travel-worn clothes, the carriage flap stirred. Elara and Mira emerged, blinking in the sunlight, smoothing their dresses and finger-combing sleep-tousled hair.
"Morning, guys," Eis said, opening his arms in a wide gesture. Both women moved into his embrace without hesitation, Lysara resting her head on one shoulder, Mira on the other. "How did you sleep?"
"We slept great," Mira murmured. "But I did not see you early in the morning. Did you even get to sleep?"
"Yes, I did," he said, a faint, private smile touching his lips as he caught Kaela's blush from the corner of his eye. "But the sun is already up. We should get moving."
He efficiently hitched the well-rested demon horse to the carriage, and they set off north once more. The landscape began to shift, the wild grasses giving way to denser patches of woodland.
The peace lasted about two hours.
It started with Mira fidgeting. Then Lysara shifted uncomfortably on the bench. Soon, a quiet, persistent chorus began.
"Eis… we need to get a bath."
"Our bodies are… sticky."
He sighed, keeping his eyes on the path. "Guys, we're close. We can bathe when we get to the city."
"No," Elara said, her voice firming. "We don't feel comfortable with that, Eis. We need a bath now."
Mira nodded vigorously in agreement.
Eis was about to repeat his refusal when Kaela leaned close, her voice dropping to a husky, conspiratorial whisper meant only for his ear, yet carrying a potent threat.
"Eis, you know your seed is still leaking from my insides. I'm trying to keep it in, but it's too much. Plus, some is already stuck to my thighs. With this… smell… the people in the city will think I'm a mating whore. You really want that, Eis? Do you?"
He glanced at her. Her expression was a masterpiece of innocent concern, but her eyes sparkled with mischief and unshakable resolve. He knew when he was defeated.
"Fine," he grumbled, though a reluctant smile tugged at his mouth. He pulled out a worn leather map and studied it for a moment.
"There's a river nearby. it should be just moments away. The horse could use the water, too."
"Thank you, best husband ever!" Kaela chirped, planting a loud, smacking kiss on his cheek. The other two women beamed in victory.
He guided the carriage off the main track, following a narrow deer path that wound through increasingly thick stands of birch and pine.
The air grew cooler and carried the faint, promising scent of water and damp earth. The sound reached them first, a distant, steady roar that grew into a musical rush.
They broke through the final line of trees into a small, hidden paradise. A crystalline river, fed by a spectacular waterfall that cascaded down a mossy rock face, pooled in a wide, deep basin before meandering away.
Lush green grass carpeted the banks, sprinkled with clusters of delicate pink flowers that bobbed in the misty spray.
Without a single glance back or a thought for modesty, the three women let out sounds of pure delight. Clothes were shed in a flurry of fabric, falling carelessly to the soft grass.
Lysara, Mira, and Kaela, a vision of bare, sun-dappled skin and joyful abandon, ran laughing towards the water.
They plunged into the pool, gasping at the coolness, before scrambling over the slick stones to stand directly under the pounding curtain of the waterfall itself.
The water sluiced over their hair and down their bodies, and their laughter echoed off the rocks, pure and free.
Eis stood by the carriage, the reins still in his hand, watching them. The tension of the journey, the worry of the previous night, all of it seemed to wash away with their playful splashing.
A deep, quiet warmth settled in his chest.
He tethered the horse to a sturdy branch where it could drink, then leaned against the carriage, content for the moment to simply be an audience to their happiness, a small, serene smile finally gracing his features. The city could wait a little longer
"Well, rubber duck," Eis said with a playful grin, removing his clothes with a fluid motion and striding toward the crystalline waterfall.
The three women were a vision of joyful abandon under the pounding curtain of water, dancing and teasing each other, their laughter mingling with the river's roar.
Lysara stood slightly apart, her hands moving through her long, wet hair with a calm, almost regal elegance as she washed it.
"Mmm, you finally decided to join us," his mother said, a knowing smile touching her lips as she glanced at him through the mist.
"Well, it wouldn't hurt to have some fun," he replied, his voice low and warm. He didn't even pretend to start bathing.
Instead, he moved directly behind her, the cool spray cascading over them both. Gently, he turned her face toward his and captured her wet, red lips with his own.
A soft, surprised sigh escaped her before she melted into the kiss. His hands found the full, heavy curves of her breasts, the soft flesh swelling against his palms, almost overflowing his grasp. They were impossibly soft and warm against his cooler skin.
"Mmm… mmh…" she murmured into his mouth, the sounds sweet and muffled by the water and the kiss.
He pressed closer, his hard length settling between her thighs, where the scorching heat of her core radiated through the slickness of her skin, a warmth that rivalled the sun and made the waterfall's chill seem trivial. She was drenched, and for a glorious moment, it had nothing to do with the river.
Then, a guttural, echoing growl shattered the moment.
Grrrraaaawwwl! GRAAWL!
A massive, serpentine head erupted from the deeper part of the pool, water sheeting off scales the colour of tarnished copper.
Glowing, slit-pupiled eyes fixed on them, a Tier 2 Aquatic Drake, feeling threatened in its own territory.
"Huuu… it was just getting good," Eis sighed, the breath a warm puff against Lysara's neck. He gave her waist one last, regretful squeeze before stepping away from her warmth.
A steel staff, simple and unadorned, materialised in his hand from a shimmer of spatial energy. He didn't charge, didn't shout. As the beast lunged, its maw gaping wide, Eis merely pivoted on the slick stone and brought the staff around in a blinding, horizontal arc.
THWUMP-CRACK.
The sound was sickeningly final. The Drake's skull exploded in a burst of black ichor and fragmented bone. Its colossal body went limp, sinking beneath the churning water, a dark cloud of blood briefly blooming before being swept away downstream.
"Ruined the mood," Eis muttered, wading into the cleaner current to wash the foul black blood from his arms and chest. The serene atmosphere was gone, replaced by the metallic scent of gore.
"Alright, guys, finish up. We should be there in a few hours."
He climbed out, the water streaming from his leanly muscled frame.
He dressed efficiently in his travel clothes, soft leather trousers and a loose linen shirt, then leaned against a sun-warmed boulder, letting the late morning heat dry the remaining droplets from his skin and hair.
The girls, their playful energy tempered by the sudden violence, eventually emerged from the waterfall.
They moved quietly, efficiently drying themselves with the soft towels from the carriage before slipping into their clean dresses, light fabrics in hues of sky-blue, lavender, and cream that smelled faintly of the lavender sachets packed with their things.
Once ready, they all re-entered the carriage. The only sounds were the horse's steps and the girls' chatter about something they wouldn't share with Eis. Eis reflected on how he was so loved, yet in moments like these, he felt incredibly lonely.