Warm Elixirs Ch. 02

Chapter 2: Sample

Tags: Aphrodisiac, Massage, Penis in Vagina Sex, Tailplay. Blowjob, Horns as Handlebars

It was cold outside.

In fairness, it was close to 6 am. Even so, Eryn regretted having only worn a shirt and pants. She wanted to wrap herself in her blanket. Even so, her plan did work. As she stood near the stalls and shops that had opened closest to the Nuovoun Dungeon, she could see a certain elf approach. The comfortable dress from before was nowhere to be seen. Ailill was wrapped in a thick dark green tunic, protective boots covering her feet. She held an imposing-looking staff; her hair tied tight in short braids to avoid it getting tangled. This was Ailill the adventurer, a powerful spellcaster.

"Ailill!" Eryn called out.

The blonde elf was caught off guard by the presence of her purple-skinned friend.

"Eryn, what are you doing here?"

"Good morning to you too," she responded coyly.

"Oh, you know what I mean," Ailill responded with faux frustration.

"Yeah, yeah, but can a girl not come and wave her friend goodbye? Especially as she's about to venture into such a dangerous place as this is," she pointed at the dungeon behind her with her thumb.

"If not for the fact that you have never done it, and that you hate being up early, I would agree. So, what is it?"

Ailill was sharp. There was no beating around the bush, no matter how much Eryn wanted to.

"Remember our conversation from yesterday? The monster part, I mean."

Ailill nodded, confusion forming on her face.

"I need your help. Fennel and I talked about it; we... We want to give it a try. Anything to save the store, right?"

Ailill's eyes went as flat as saucers, the points of her ears turning red.

"However," Eryn continued, "we cannot explore the dungeon on our own. We need help. And not only with protection. We would need people familiar with that place, its dangers, and that which could be attractive for the 'lucrative market', as you called it. So, I need to hire a party."

"Eryn, how will you do that? We were literally talking about how you're almost broke..."

Ouch. The elf was right, but it hurt to hear, nonetheless.

"I can pay in ingredients, potions, even small magical items. Then, after we get the first batch ready, I could pay a commission of sorts for waiting and the service provided. If this takes off, it means a regular amount of gold going to the pockets of whoever we hire."

"They will not be cheap. Protection is expensive; research too. On top of that, you want silence, I assume?"

"It would be preferable, yes..." her stomach began to hurt.

Ailill grew quiet.

"You can see how I can't go to the guild. They'll report me to the Church or the crown in seconds! So, I need you to refer me to people you can trust. Please, Ailill, I don't want to lose everything; I am compromising so much already..."

Suddenly, Ailill turned around. A group was approaching, her group, to be precise.

"Listen, Eryn, I will see what I can do. We have a short expedition. We want to reach the 12th floor. We should be back before you close today, okay? I'll see you at your store."

"Thank you! Thank you!" Eryn jumped and hugged Ailill; she even wrapped her tail around her.

"Okay, okay!" laughed the elf, "Now, scoot! I can see the bags under your eyes."

"I will. Good luck down there!"

With that, Eryn turned and left. She did not get to see Ailill grab onto her sleeve and bite it.

.....

Despite her anxiety, or maybe because of it, Eryn felt the day go by tortuously slowly.

There were no customers. She managed to finish a book she had been putting off, take stock of her inventory for the planned deal, and even help Fennel fine-tune some details with the forge before Ailill got there. As time ticked closer to six, she was starting to go insane. The hellborn wanted to pull her hair. So, she simply pressed her head on the counter, hoping that the cool wood would at least calm her down.

"Wow, it really is empty in here," a voice woke Eryn up.

She raised her head, hurriedly wiping a little drool that had escaped from her lips as she slept.

"Ailill, sorry! It's been a-"

"Slow day?"

"Yeah... But please, come on in!"

Eryn raised a plank next to her, allowing access behind the counter. It was the quickest way for the adventurer to go beyond the shop. The pair climbed the stairs and entered Eryn and Fennel's home. Thankfully, the clayling had already prepared a pot of tea for their visitor. Eryn poured a cup for herself and one for Ailill; she grabbed a few biscuits (that Fennel had also readied) and sat in front of the elf.

"So, what do you have for me?" Eryn asked after a polite amount of small talk.

"In all honesty, I wracked my head over it all day. There are not many adventurers that would tackle a challenge like the one that you are offering, especially for what you are offering."

Eryn's smile began to break.

"Similarly, the skills that you need are not something to scoff at, either. They have to be experienced enough to know just how to drop their guard without getting actually assimilated into the dungeon. Likewise, you need someone who can move through the place to reach the lower floors discreetly, making sure that you and Fennel will have enough time to do what you need to while also being safe."

This was starting to sound worse with every word that came out of the pristine elf's lips.

"And the worst thing is the discretion. To be frank, adventurers are basically mercenaries. We are paid to do someone's dirty work, and, for the right amount, we will basically do anything. Sure, some have limits, and the Guild tries to do some background checks. The problem is that, if a group considers it more profitable to turn you over, they will."

So, this was it.

The stupid idea was nothing more than that.

"Well, thank you for your honest opinion, Fennel and I will see what we can-"

"Always in such a rush!" Ailill chastised Eryn, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"I was not done. What I wanted to say was that all of those factors really limit you. You'd need someone who you absolutely trust and who trusts you. Who understands that this is a gamble but knows you won't just leave them as food, or worse, in the dungeon."

"So?"

Ailill extended her palms and looked at Eryn, first frustratedly and, after an inhale, patiently.

"You?!"

"Yes, I discussed it with my party and, for many reasons, but we are willing to take on your job."

"Ailill, you do understand what we'd be asking of you, correct?"

"Well, we'd be mostly experimenting with humanoids, right?"

"Yes, that would be the plan... Are you sure? You don't need to confirm with them?"

"I already did, mind you," Ailill responded a bit ticked off, "you really think I would just decide this on my own?"

"Well, with how you were looking at the dragonkin this morning..."

This time, Ailill turned a deep shade of red.

"Do you want our help or not?!" the elf exclaimed desperately, trying to switch the topic.

"I mean, yes, of course! Thank you!"

"Perfect!"

Was it Eryn, or did Ailill sound way too excited?

For the rest of the afternoon, Eryn and Ailill discussed what provisions would be necessary. The adventurer explained to her and Fennel what clothes they should wear, what they should pack, and just a general gist of how their experience underground would be. Similarly, they agreed that the shopkeepers would run and hide at any sign of danger, so that the party could fight freely. However, they should never go too deep, or they would risk being lost to the dungeon.

"Well," Ailill said as she was leaving Warm Elixirs, "just one question."

"Shoot."

"What are we... Trying? Catching?"

"Ah, of course," Eryn hit her forehead with the base of her palm.

"It should be simple, no further than the first floors. We'll be searching for goblins!"

Ailill's expression soured immediately.

.....

Ailill had told the pair to meet them outside of the dungeon with their packs prepared. Fennel and Eryn were so nervous that they showed up thirty minutes earlier than necessary. This, to no one's surprise, did not help with her anxiety. Now, she could only wonder if this was the right choice.

Conflict stirred inside Eryn. On the one hand, she was excited that she was able to hire an adventuring party; gods knew she needed the help. However, it had all gone surprisingly smoothly. Either Ailill was being lied to (or, worse, she was the liar), and as soon as they brought something back, the Church was going to be waiting for them or, the group she had hired were a bunch of perverts. Ailill had said that most adventurers were freaks, true, but there was a difference. A freak was curious; a pervert was harder to control. She wanted to scream. This was so stupid! Why had life pushed her into this situation?! Eryn was about to start biting her nails when Fennel placed a hand on her shoulder.

"I think that's us," they said, pointing to a group coming with Ailill.

This time, Eryn was actually able to look at the people the elf called her friends and team.

Eryn first focused on the two people that led the group:

The hellborn was immediately drawn to the towering woman, a dragonkin. They are people said to have descended from the primordial dragons of ancient times. Some inherit more reptilian traits; others look more like their draconic ancestors. This woman fell into the latter category. She looked incredibly tall, at least to Eryn, and muscular too (even her tail). Her body was covered in tough golden scales. In contrast, it looked like her clothes, a cotton sleeveless shirt--which gave ample view of her toned abdomen--and her baggy brown pants were more focused on comfort; Eryn concluded that the woman thought her scales were resistant enough to be her armor. The dragonkin's face was hard to parse; on the one hand, the draconic features made her appear serious. Every time she opened her snout, whether talking, yawning, or laughing, sharp fangs poked out, the back of her head and neck were also covered in dangerous-looking spikes. On the other hand, her black slitted eyes were kind and soft. Eryn did shiver at the thought of having them look at her in fury; between her nostrils, a thin and delicate ring that appeared to be beloved jewelry. The woman's main role became clear when one observed the great axe on her back, two sharp and shiny blades prepared to cut through any danger they could run into. This, according to Ailill's explanation, was Tarakh, the party's tank and the one that dealt with most of the monster's attacks.

"The gods really do have favorites," Eryn dejectedly said to Fennel.

"How do you mean?"

"That muscular and that gifted?!" she gestured to her chest, "They really aren't fair."

Fennel could only laugh at their partner's comment.

Next to the dragonkin, much to Fennel's surprise, was a humanoid whose skin surprised them. It was all metal. His face was silver, while the exposed "flesh", that of the arms, was closer to iron in color. As Fennel focused, they could see that hundreds, if not thousands, of delicate parts just made up his face. It was, without a doubt, a mechanoid. Rumors said that more were still being found, that they still made their way out of old ruins; it would appear that they were true. In contrast to the muscular woman to his left, the mechanoid, who Ailill said was named Ruby--technically, his serial was R-00B31, a name had been developed from it--was almost all covered in thin clothes. Except for a leather chest piece and a pair of boots that reached his thighs, most of his body was covered. Even now, Fennel could only see his arms because he had pulled his sleeves up. It would appear this fragile attire was a choice to allow him to be as mobile as possible, as much as one could be with all the pouches that wrapped around the mechanoid's arms, legs, and back. He did certainly seem flexible, for a body mostly made of metallic alloys. Once again, his weapon was completely contrasting with Tarrakh's; while she had an imposing axe, Ruby had a thin bow.

"Can mechanoids even reproduce...?" they absentmindedly uttered.

"What, you thinking of trying with the one in our party?" Eryn teased.

Fennel simply blushed as Eryn wrapped her tail around their waist.

Behind Tarrakh was Ailill, because of course she would. Eryn knew that the elf had a massive crush on the dragonkin. She had complained about it, mostly under the spell of alcohol, to Eryn multiple times. The hellborn felt absolutely frustrated by her friend's inability to do something about it... And yet, she would not play matchmaker. Nope, that was a recipe for disaster. For now, she'd just enjoy how Ailill flailed when trying to act composed with her.

Next to the elf was someone who caught both of the shop owners' eyes. At first glance, he seemed like any adventurer. Olive skin, curly grey hair. He wasn't even the tallest of the group, that was the title that Tarrakh and Ruby proudly owned. His armor was normal, a cuirass and chainmail for his legs and boots; his sword had minor enchantments, Fennel could tell at a glance, but his shield was just a small parrying one. And yet, there was something that drew their eyes to him.

"So that's a Heavenspawn, huh?" Eryn murmured to Fennel.

"For a second, I thought he was just a clayling, but there is just something..."

"Off? Uncanny?"

Fennel did not want to be mean, so they held their tongue. However, they did not deny their wife's comment.

The pair was right in their assessment, mostly thanks to Ailill, who had told them that Iofiel, the party's leader, was a Heavenspawn, a descendant of the divine. How close to the gods he was, no one knew, but something about him immediately hinted at his nature. If someone was able to ignore that aspect about him, his pure golden eyes, iris-less, were a much clearer sign.

Eryn recounted the party in her head. Ailill had told her there would be seven members in their expedition, but she could only count four, plus Fennel and her, a total of six. Fennel, who had probably already gone through the same process, simply pointed to a tree not too far from the approaching group. Waiting under it, not taking her eyes off either the party or the shopkeepers, was someone with a piercing stare.

The purple-skinned woman chastised herself at not having noticed the figure, she was wearing the heaviest armor! And yet, there was something, as if she had melted into the shadows. Either way, having noticed her, Eryn could finally observe her carefully. Once she did, the girl waved happily, she seemed friendly; the hellborn waved back. The girl had black skin, Ailill had mentioned that it was covered in the most adorable freckles. Speaking of the elf, the girl's ears were pointed just like Ailill's, maybe even more so. Her extremely curly hair was arranged in two cute puffs. Despite Eryn being sure the girl, Adela was her name, was wearing armor one size too big, she did appear to know how to move in it. She also had a mace tied to her hip and a hefty shield on the ground next to her. What surprised Eryn was that, even at this distance, she could feel her red eyes observing her.

"Hello!" Ailill exclaimed excitedly as the groups finally stood together.

"So, introductions..." the elf began.

"These are The Nimble Ferrets," she said as she pointed at her team. "I've already told you their names, but once more won't hurt. So, Iofiel is our leader and general weapons expert, Tarrakh is our tank and the one who keeps enemies at bay, Ruby is our lockpicker, trap disabler, and picker of pockets, whenever that is needed. Don't worry, though! He won't pick yours; we've specifically asked him not to."

Ailill gave a strained smile. No one responded to her attempt at a joke.

"E-hem. You'll have to forgive Adela, her skin gets dry super quickly, so she'll come say hi when we're under the shade. Even so, do keep in mind that she's the one who knows healing magic. Iofiel knows some minor spells, but she's a master. And, of course, you know me. My expertise is magic, especially for attacks, but I do know a few other useful tricks, like utility spells."

"Any questions?"

"Yes," Eryn began, "all of you agreed? Ailill didn't hide what this job was, at all?"

The elf pouted at her character being questioned in front of her friends. The party looked at each other and finally turned to Iofiel.

"Yes, we do understand what will be asked of us."

Such a calm voice, Eryn thought, and yet, authoritative.

"Similarly, we do understand what it can imply."

"Okay, then. If you do-"

"However," he raised his hand to stop Eryn, "we do want to ask. Goblins? Really?"

Eryn froze. Yes, to most, goblins were a Kin that usually just meant problems. They may have had societies, but they were so different to that of what they considered "normal humanoids"--starting with the fact that they preferred to live in the dungeon instead of outside of it--that they were seen as backwater and even savage. And yet, they had developed such fascinating things, but mostly only an apothecary would care about them, especially one with a plan like hers.

Feeling many pairs of eyes on her, the hellborn decided it was time to clear the air.

"Okay, first of all, I will not be asking you to... couple with goblins..."

The Ferrets immediately relaxed. Ailill hugged her staff as color returned to her cheeks.

"'Couple', really?" Fennel whispered to her.

"S-shut up..."

"Anyway, we are actually going to try and attempt to trade with them."

Eyes widened in response.

"Are we sure that is actually possible?" Ailill asked.

"They don't really have the best attitude towards adventurers. I can't say I really blame them, though," Tarrakh added, uncomfortably looking at her axe.

"I'm not sure," Eryn responded, "I do have some herbs and other ingredients that are usually used for healing potions; anyone should be able to see the value in them."

"But why goblins?" insisted Ailill.

"How long do elves live?"

"What?"

"How long?"

"Around 400 to 600 years, I guess. Why?"

"And how long do shorter-lived kin live?"

"Usually less than 100 years."

"Correct on both counts. Now, if you think that most humanoids live short lives, you should see goblins. They have a very limited time on this plane. And, as you know, the basic cycle of life is 'birth, growth, reproduction, death'. Goblins are hyper-focused on the third step. In other words, they are geniuses for all things horny! I'm sure you've all heard the rumors of them having incredibly powerful aphrodisiacs. Well, we're going to try and trade that with them. I can reverse engineer the solutions no problem, but the key will be to get them in the first place."

"And, in case things don't work out, we'll protect you," Iofiel assured her.

"Thank you..." Eryn felt incredibly nervous at the concept, but she would not cower now.

"Well, on to the 2nd Floor."

.....

"Dungeons truly are mysterious," Ailill began to explain to Eryn.

"Unlike many magical structures, they are created naturally. As such, they allow for spatial and ecological impossibilities."

Ruby pressed on one of the stones of the wall; with metallic creaking and a thin cloud of dust, a secret door appeared. The mechanoid nodded to Iofiel, as if confirming something.

"For instance," the elf continued, "parts of the structure shift. On the earlier floors, it is not as common, but as you come closer to the anchor monster, the very space will be fighting against you. As if the structure understood it is the only way for it to remain."

Fennel and Eryn observed Ailill unblinkingly; so did Adela, but it might've been due to her not having much to do at the moment. They were out of their element, but she was in hers.

"Have the decency of telling them what half your vocabulary means if you're going to lecture them," Iofiel teased.

"Oh, shush, I was getting to it! E-hem, an anchor monster, or a backbone monster, is a creature with immense power. They have so much magic that their overflow is what allows life to develop in places like this. They are walking calamities. Usually, these monsters tend to remain in their lair, but a couple have tried to escape; it never ends well."

"For whom...?" Eryn knew the answer, but she still hoped.

"Everyone. Especially those living near the dungeon."

Of course... Add that to the pile of anxieties...

"But don't worry, I doubt that the lord of this place will try to leave. This dungeon is too young."

Eryn exhaled, there was enough on her plate. Her peace lasted for only a moment. Considering the venture she was about to start, she suddenly felt terror at the idea that some adventurer out there was expecting her to create something based on creatures like that.

The hellborn's mind wandered so much that she did not realize that warm sunlight began to hit her skin, a delightful breeze blew her hair back; she even had to hold on to her hat. She unconsciously smiled at the delightful weather, until it clicked. The dungeon's first floor was pure stone; it was nothing more than an entrance with a few stands that had been set up there. They had been walking through the hallways, searching for what Ruby considered a safer route. However, they had not stopped going down.

"Welcome to one of the nicest floors of this horrible place," Ruby signaled, his voice deadpan.

"This is what I meant," Ailill added.

Eryn couldn't believe it. School had prepared her for how dungeons could theoretically work, and yet...

The 2nd Floor was beautiful. Clear blue skies, as far as the eye could see. Eryn could not see the sun, but she could clearly feel it. They had emerged from what appeared to be a ruined stone house, but they had been walking down a staircase! Eryn poked her head out the window; there was nothing on the roof of this place. It almost appeared like they were coming down from the house's upper floor.

"That is magic for you," Fennel whistled, as impressed as their wife.

"Is that..." Eryn scrunched up her nose, a familiar intense scent hitting her nose.

"Yep, it's cattle," Tarrakh responded. "This floor has a river not too far from here. Cows, sheep, pigs, they just... Appear here. They eat, drink, and live without a care in the world."

"How?"

"I know we understand it. If not, Ailill wouldn't have been able to explain it to y'all. And yet, I still don't get it. It's uncanny."

"But it isn't!" Ailill responded. "It's just like above, animals develop where there's the right conditions! And they have that here."

"Except they have never seen the sun."

"Well," Adela chimed in, "I don't mind that part. The warmth but no dryness? Sign me up!"

"It's a shame to have to interrupt the discussion on the nature of this place," Iofiel began, "but we should start going to our destination. This place is calm, but there are challenges here too. Not monsters, thankfully, but the pack is back."

"Pack? Back?" Eryn inquired.

Ailill, always happy to respond, said:

"Animals, and some monsters, are constantly reformed in here. We don't know if it's the same creatures each time, but we were asked to deal with a pack of wolves some time ago. We grew increasingly frustrated after the client said we hadn't done a good job, considering it was back. Turns out, he just wanted to cheat us..."

"Oh."

Iofiel led the charge through the beautiful plains. To outsiders, they probably looked ridiculous. They were heavily armed and armored and wandering through what was an idyllic countryside. Eryn was even able to pet one of the cows that they found grazing around. And yet, none of the Ferrets ever let their guard down. Whether it was axe, bow, or staff, they all kept their weapons close.

Finally, Tarrakh was able to catch a thin column of smoke. They were approaching the goblin camp. She also reported some scouts patrolling around the area, riding on wolves. There was no approaching quietly.

"Well, I guess we simply walk in...?" Eryn suggested.

The Ferrets grew quiet, as if they couldn't believe what she had said.

"I mean! We are going to trade and negotiate, not attack them! How do people that want to do business come to Nuovoun?"

"Through the front door," answered Iofiel, hesitant, but partially convinced.

Ailill decided that it was better to be safe than sorry. She cast some protective wards on her team, some stronger on Fennel and Eryn, considering their squishier nature. The group approached the village.

It was both bigger and smaller than Eryn expected. On one hand, it had a large wooden fence, some guard towers, and she could hear hustle and bustle from behind the gates. Considering that most perception of goblins was that they were, well, savages, it was a nice surprise. On the other hand, for how much space they had, as well as resources, Eryn thought that the goblins could've built a town just as big as her home.

As the party drew closer, they heard a horn bellow. They all raised their arms to indicate no ill intent.

"So, anyone know the goblin tongue?" Fennel asked, sincerely.

The silence was deafening.

Ailill rushed to try and apply a language comprehension spell on the party. She cursed as the gates started to open. It'd look terrible if she was casting something as soon as they were "welcomed" in. So, muttering a quick "good luck", she cast it on Eryn.

The wooden gates swung open.

A series of bows, arrows drawn, were pointed at them.

The goblins, despite their short stature, looked intimidating. They were not gangly or sniveling, as stories made them out to be. Or these were the guards. Either way, some wore metallic armor, some leather. All of them had swords on their sides, even if they had bows in their hands. The aggression was clear.

"... here for?" Eryn could barely make the end of the sentence.

"Sorry?" she instinctively responded.

"What are you here for?!" the goblin at the front, green-skinned, scarred, and with the aspect of a veteran, repeated angrily.

"Trade! We're here for trade!" Eryn yelped as she answered.

The goblin stared at her blankly.

"Trade, you know? Exchange of goods and services?"

"I know what trade is!" he barked back.

"Ah! Sorry!"

"Why the weapons?"

"We didn't know if we'd find anything on the way."

"What do you have?" another goblin asked, getting a scolding look from the one who seemed to be the leader.

"We-" Eryn started to put her backpack down; her actions were answered by the arrows tensing.

"It's just the goods, I swear!"

"Toss the pack over," the goblin ordered.

Eryn wanted to argue, but with all arrows pointed at her, the man was very convincing. She obeyed. Even as some of the party murmured whether they should get ready to fight. She tried to calm them down. She was, in her own words, negotiating.

"What? Are these...?"

"Yes, roots and herbs for potions. Either to heal wounds, cure poison and other illnesses, and similar maladies."

The goblin leader seemed to relax.

"And why do you want to trade with us? Why not your people above?"

"Well, before, what's your name?"

He did not look too enthused by her question but responded, "Rotr".

"Hi, my name is Eryn," she began. "And to be completely honest, Rotr, I need something only you have."

"What might that be?"

"Your oils."

Suddenly, the crowd fell silent.

"Yes, the ones with aphrodisiac properties. I want to trade, as much as you consider, for a few bottles of them. What do you say?"

"You..." Rotr seemed to not believe her, "You would trade medicine for that?"

"Correct. Well, and your permission to sell it above."

"There it is!", "Of course!", "Filthy above-floorer!", shouts emerged from the people behind him.

"Enough!" Rotr exclaimed. "Why?"

"Why...?"

"Why do you want that? And how do you know it exists?"

"I... I need money. My store is going out of business. I need something no one else has. And, based on the information on the books I learned from, it seems no one has really given it the research it deserves."

Silence.

Rotr ruminated for a moment, he murmured something to the goblin next to him.

"We get to choose the price, correct?" there was something in his voice, Eryn decided to try and tug on that.

"Yes. Do consider we have a limited supply, however. Who knows how long it'd take us to go back out to bring more."

"And you know how to prepare them?"

"I do."

"Hmm... Fine! We'll give you what you need."

"Thank you!"

"However! You will teach some of the village's healers how to produce the potions you use. In return, we give you what you want. We'll even show you how it's used. Deal...?" Rotr hesitated momentarily, after how intense he'd been, it surprised Eryn.

"May I discuss it with my compatriots too?"

"Be quick."

Eryn turned to the party and explained the terms.

"I don't like it," responded Ailill.

"Me neither," added Tarrakh. "I don't enjoy the thought of them attacking another party and being able to heal more than flesh wounds."

"They must've someone sick or hurt; there is an urgency in his voice," Eryn countered.

"And yet, Tarrakh is right," Adela replied. "I don't like keeping medicine from them, but all adventurers have dealt with goblins before. They rarely bring healers, so they are relatively easy to... defeat. Should we change that?"

"Gods damn it..."

"I have a question," Eryn turned to the goblins. "What will you use the knowledge for?"

"What?"

"My friends worry that you'll use this knowledge to try and assault adventurers. Will you?"

"Assault?" Rotr responded, shocked. "You people come and harass us! You treat us like a pest, and you ask me that?! These are our lands! We, who have been pushed from outside of the dungeon, you think we care about you?!"

Eryn stayed silent.

"Yes, we attack those that wander in our territory, but do you not do the same? You come and desecrate this place. You take and take and take, but when we try and defend it, we're the monsters. So yes, we will use them against you. But you wanted to save your store, did you not?"

"Listen, I can't promise much. I am nothing but a shopkeeper. However, give me a map, a list, something. We can try and circulate it above. People tend to be respectful if they understand. Want to try and make them?"

It was Rotr who stayed quiet this time.

"I will teach you the potions you want, and I will try to keep people outside of your territory. In exchange, promise me not to use the knowledge to just take revenge, deal?"

"You are unusual... Fine. It's a deal. You'll enter the village plaza. No weapons. After you are done, we will teach you."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you!"

Once again, Eryn turned to the party and summarized what had just happened. While they did not look that happy with the agreement, a flash of guilt appeared on all their faces. So, they decided to agree to disseminate the information given to them.

Soon, the goblins had brought a cauldron for Eryn to work with. Three goblins in what she understood to be either religious or medicinal garbs (or both) came to observe her. She instructed on which ingredients had to be prepared beforehand, which were squeezed, which were mashed. The better part of the afternoon went by. Except for a few questions, they did not interrupt her. The trio took notes she could not read; magic being highly specific, the spell she was under was to understand the spoken language.

However, the height difference had taken its toll. Eryn was not necessarily tall, but the goblins, being a short-statured kin, had tools for their size. Her back hurt and so did her shoulders by the time she was done.

Rotr came to see her.

"A deal is a deal. You have taught us, so will we," he whistled, and two goblins appeared.

The pair had brought with them a small bottle of pinkish oil.

"These are Gnork and Eisht. They will teach you all you need. Thank you for your knowledge and trade; we might be open to more, if adventurers act like you."

With that, he left. Eryn turned to the pair. Gnork was a lanky goblin, thin and with sharp features, his skin closer to grey than green. Eisht was chubbier. She had a much kinder expression and soft features.

"What do I need to be taught?" Eryn asked, "Isn't it just oil for the skin?"

The pair laughed.

"It is powerful," Eisht responded, "and considering how tired you appear to be, a massage with it will show you more of its properties."

"Even so," Gnork added, "you wanna know how to apply it correctly, no? Since you want to sell it. We'll need two people for the show. One with a penis and one without."

"Oh," it took only a moment for Eryn to break free of her trance. She was helming this expedition, so it was her job to demonstrate she was willing to get dirty too.

The goblins allowed the party to walk into the village. There was less tension in the air, but any sudden movement could break the delicate balance. Eryn explained what the goblin pair had told her and turned towards her spouse.

"Fennel, care to join me?" she asked.

The clayling nodded.

"Perfect. The rest o' you," Gnork turned to the party, "wait here. Our deal is with her, not the lot of you."

Tensions rose momentarily, but Eryn managed to assuage the Ferrets.

"I mean, it's a massage; it can't go wrong," she said as the goblins led them away.

They both worried when the home they were guided to was separated from the village. However, the soft moans they heard immediately explained why. The place was built of stone; it almost seemed like a temple. Fennel and Eryn were brought to one of the rooms inside. Once again, completely made of stone, a couple of candles lit it up. It was surprisingly empty; except for two chairs with a diagonal backrest and a table in between them, there was no furniture.

"Strip and sit, face the front, please," Eisht said. "We'll be back in a moment."

With not much to lose, the couple obeyed. Eryn, to lower the tension, winked at Fennel as they let their pants drop. In response, Fennel gave her a wolf whistle. They laughed as they folded their clothes and placed them on the table.

"Not going back now, huh?" the tinkerer told Eryn.

"Nope, we've gotten this far. Might as well see it through," she gave them a peck on the lips before sitting down.

The goblins entered once more, the pair, trying not to feel ashamed about their nudity, wanted to close their eyes. Eryn, however, could not do it or this would've been for nothing. So, she carefully observed as Eisht approached her and slowly drizzled some of the oil on her body. Simultaneously, Gnork did the same to Fennel.

Eryn could not hold back a yelp as the female goblin placed her hands on the hellborn's abdomen and began to massage. The freezing oil and the warmth of her sore abdomen clashed; it was too much of a shift in too little time. Even so, Eisht's hands were incredibly soft. With incredible meticulousness, she rubbed the oil all over Eryn's body. The woman suffered at having to concentrate on how the goblin massaged her rather than on the massage itself. Eisht used her thumb to press the aphrodisiac into the tougher areas, in between Eryn's arms, on her thighs, on her lower back. The full hand would knead her tummy and breasts. With a single index, the goblin pressed some oil on the hellborn's lips, across her slit, and the ring of her asshole.

Fennel was treated just as softly, although Gnork focused on their cock, slathering it from glans to ball sack. Eryn was forced to focus on herself as Eisht pinched her clit and massaged the oil in. Her nipples were next. Eryn knew that an elongated session of this would make her cum without issue. However, the massage clearly did not intend to have her reach bliss. It was too methodical, too practiced.

Moments later, the goblin pulled her hands back. Mindlessly, Eryn mumbled "Nooo..." at the lack of touch.

"We'll leave you to it," Eisht teased as she stood up, signaling to Gnork to follow her.

The goblins approached the door, but not before Eryn stood up and called out to them.

"Wait, that's it?" she asked frustratedly.

"Oh no, it is just about to begin," Gnork answered mockingly. "Tell us when you're done."

They closed the door and left.

"All of that effort, for this?" Eryn mumbled. Yes, the massage had been pleasurable; it had aroused her, but she did not feel too different from before. She turned to Fennel, about to start talking about how the plan had failed. However, a shocking scene played out before her.

Fennel was still sitting on the chair. However, they arched forward. Eryn could clearly see their right hand on their crotch. It moved erratically, desperately. As if they had an itch, they massaged the base of their cock. It was adorable. Eryn could hear the way their breath was turning ragged; they were trying to calm the heat forming inside of them, but not before she went over to see what was going on. Eryn took a step forward confidently, but it all melted away instantly.

Her abdomen began filling up with heat. Her thoughts grew muddled, but her senses became more aware. The smell of Fennel's arousal hit her instantly. It was so powerful that she felt her legs go weak, a thin trickle of liquid flowing down her left one. She focused on the sounds around her; a chorus of moans and screams of pleasure filled her ears. Eryn felt the world around her begin to disappear. There was only one thing that mattered: her spouse, sitting on that chair, and the throbbing length between their legs.

Eryn could no longer hold herself up. She lowered herself to the floor and began to crawl toward Fennel. They had already begun to sweat; their attempt at cooling down the heat inside of them was clearly not enough. She could not control herself anymore. She quickly slid over in front of them. With her tail, she cupped their cheek and said:

"Let me."

They nodded almost desperately.

She began to lick their cock. Eryn focused on the tip, deliberately going at a slow pace, enjoying the sweet taste of the precum that began to leak. With her right index and thumb, she formed a ring around the base, applying just enough pressure to dissuade Fennel from cumming but also pumping their penis just enough to keep them on the edge. She moved her tongue to the base of their cock, from there, she licked it all the way to the top, planting chaste kisses along it too. Fennel pressed their lips, trying to hold back.

Eryn decided it was time; she wrapped her lips around the head and began to carefully engulf their cock with her mouth. The hellborn assumed it was the oil at work, for she had no issue with her gag reflex in taking all of Fennel in. She drooled on their shaft, saliva coating it. Unconsciously, Eryn only tortured Fennel more with the blowjob. She did help them come closer to the climax they expected, but she had forgotten that the goblins had laced her lips with the aphrodisiac. So, as she went to the base, she placed another layer of the heat-creating liquid.

"E-Eryn!" Fennel managed to say.

She looked at them, winked, and nodded.

Eryn released the base of their cock. Fennel grabbed the sides of her head and pulled her even closer to their waist. She wrapped her arms around their back, feeling their body shudder. Inside her mouth, she could clearly sense their cock quiver.

Fennel ejaculated into her throat. Warm and sticky semen coated the inside of her mouth. Eryn gulped it down before pulling her head back, strands of cum and saliva still connecting her mouth to their cock. The brown-skinned enby looked blissed, but their penis still remained erect. The hellborn licked her lips in excitement. She had only just noticed the emptiness she felt inside of her. Arousal fluid leaked from her; she had barely touched herself as she pleased her spouse, after all. It was her turn.

She climbed onto Fennel's lap, held the back of their neck, and pulled them close for a passionate, even animalistic, kiss.

As the couple explored each other's mouths, Eryn used her free hand to hold onto Fennel's penis, making sure it kissed her entrance. She was leaking wet, so there was no doubt it would go inside with ease. The clayling had already climaxed once; their poor wife was desperate. So, she sank down on them, making sure that their shaft was buried up to the hilt. She could feel her muscles clenching around Fennel; she moaned into their mouth. The heat inside Eryn grew, it risked suffocating her. So, she began to bounce on Fennel's shaft, never letting it come out from inside her.

But the masseuses knew that this would happen. It was the natural reaction to an aphrodisiac as intense as their own. They had prepared for such an event. That is why they had coated both their dick and her lips. So, as Eryn hungrily slammed her hips on Fennel's, she had the oil seep into her inner flesh, covering her insides in the nerve-fraying solution. Eryn's lips finally separated from her spouse's; she moaned loudly but unhappily, her hunger only growing. In response, one of Fennel's hands held her hip tightly. When she came down, they pulled her further, digging deeper into her. Their other hand moved to her chest, which they began to knead lovingly. Fennel, now with their mouth free, decided to also put it to use; they tilted their head forward, focusing on Eryn's nipple, the one that had been left so alone, and began to suck on it, giving a playful bite every so often.

With the hand that had been holding Eryn's back, Fennel grabbed the base of her tail and gave it a slight tug. It was all that she needed to finally reach climax. She grabbed their back, digging her nails into the soft skin. She moaned loudly, letting herself go and having her spouse's cock sink deeper into her core. Her muscles clenched around it, holding it and hoping to not let go.

"Want... Want to go... Another round?" Eryn panted out. She knew the answer already.

"Please..." they panted back, "I need you, dear."

"Take the lead," she invited.

Fennel, not taking their cock out of Eryn, turned her around. Their breath hit Eryn's nape, giving her a pleasant shiver. After that, she felt their calloused hand on her back, pushing forward. They were moving to the floor. She laid down--Fennel followed, the cold stone floor almost hissing at the heat emanating from their bodies. Pressing against her, Fennel began to move again. They penetrated her with such delightful urgency, with a primal need.

"You are so beautiful," they began to whisper into her ear, before licking the lobe.

Eryn blushed, covering her face with her hands.

Fennel pounded harder. Then, knowing their wife's weak spots, held onto her horns and pulled her head back for a kiss. Eryn arched her back with pleasure, giving in to the soft, if hungry, kiss. However, she was not to be outdone. Eryn slid her tail between Fennel's legs. She rubbed the skin under their balls, reaching to their asshole. Fennel began to pant, They held onto her horns tighter, pushing their cock as deep as physically possible.

Faster, harder. Drowning under the effects of the aphrodisiac, both came.

Eryn's muscles contracted, squeezing as much of Fennel's cum. It flowed into her, filling her. Fennel, strength leaving their legs, collapsed onto Eryn, planting soft kisses on her sweaty skin. Both turned into a single pile of flesh, wetness and pleasure.

....

"You think they'll keep their end of the deal?" Iofiel asked Eryn as they trekked back to the town.

The leader of the Ferrets, a very professional person, had decided that what had happened with the goblins was none of the party's business. So, despite clearly inferring something had happened based on both Eryn and Fennel's delighted expressions, he ignored that and made conversation with the hellborn.

"It's a good question... But they have no certainty that we'll keep our word either, so I guess we're both in the same position, huh?"

Iofiel did not respond.

"Speaking of deals, I should be able to start selling the aphrodisiac soon. Since it's not a monster-made product, technically, there should be no issues in keeping it above the table. It'll help to promote it, too. I hope... And I'll give all of you a bottle! The least I can do considering you only played guard today."

A certain tension could be felt. Not anger, an anxiety of sorts. Or could it have been desire?

"I- Um," Iofiel stumbled, "Thank you, that and what we had agreed on will be more than enough for this first adventure. I hope all remain as calm as this one."

"That'd be the dream," Ailill echoed the sentiment.

The party all continued their way through the dungeon's second floor.

Unbeknownst to them, two individuals observed them.

"That was interesting, wouldn't you agree?" she said.

"We don't usually see mortals like those, what a rare breed," he replied.

"Let's keep our eyes on them, then!"

"I'm sure they'll be fun!"