The sun set as we walked back down to Itán. The movement and anticipation for the night ahead was enough to rex my raging loins. For the time being at least, but I still couldn’t keep my mind off the memory of Itániel’s graceful form and Lavendu’s slender body as she walked ahead of me.

  By the time we reached the Silver Stallion, Itán was dark and quiet. I found the orange glowing windows of the houses and the smell of wood fire smoke comforting. The tavern was mostly empty, but the smell of bread, cheese, tomato, and beer implied a boisterous revelry had ended only moments before.

  “You’re back,” Li said as she beckoned us to the bar. “You just missed the crowd. Or they missed you rather. Everyone’s eager to meet the mysterious traveller.”

  She poured us each a cup of hot chamomile vanil tea. “So,” she said leaning in over the bar with no effort to hide her bountiful bosoms, “I take it everything went well with the stewards?”

  “Pretty well,” I said with a shrug.

  “We paid a visit to Itániel,” Lavendu said.

  “Oh lovely,” Li said with a bounce. “I feel like I haven’t seen her in ages. How is our graceful patron?”

  “As cryptic as always,” Lavendu answered. “But I think we know a good pce to start in Jethro’s quest to learn magic.” She gave me a smirk.

  “Hmm,” Li said with a raised eyebrow.

  “The library of course,” Lavendu said, clearing her throat as her face turned a darker shade of purple. “First thing tomorrow morning.”

  My attention was drawn to a couple huddled up by the firepce. A rather thick and muscur woman was kissing a smaller green skinned man with a wide and happy grin.

  “Hey there,” a tall, skinny man with pointed ears said as he approached me. “You’re the traveller from Castletún aren’t you?”

  “Jethro,” I said, extending my hand.

  He gave it a gentle shake. “Call me Egil. Welcome to Itán. They have darts in Castletún?” he said with a wide grin. “Care for a game?”

  The rules were a bit different here, but once I learned the point system I pyed a decent game.

  “I’ve always wanted to visit Castletún,” Egil said. “The concept is fascinating to me.”

  “How’s that?” I asked.

  “I’ve never been to a settlement so vast and built up. Is it true it’s so big that one could forget the natural world entirely?”

  “Hmm. That’s an odd question. I suppose you could. I didn’t really think about it much. There used to be trees along the streets, but they all died off years ago. Then again there’s no ignoring the wind and rain. You could forget pnt life though.”

  “Ah of course,” he said as he threw a dart. “Nature seems to permeate all of reality then.”

  “However, many of the nobles live their entire lives in the castle. They might lose all memory of nature if they avoid windows for long enough.”

  “Are they not free to roam about?” Egil’s face was askew as he threw another dart.

  “Why would they want to? The castle gets all the best foods, plenty of wood for warm fires, and guaranteed safety. It’s really the finest way to live.” I felt the fool as soon as the words left my mouth. Castle life still sounded nice, but I’m not sure I’d take it over the fresh air of Itán.

  Egil threw another dart.

  “Even in the castle one needs food and wood, “ I continued, “which come from the natural world. If you think about it, even the stone of the castle itself comes from somewhere.”

  “Any space removed from the natural world would be an illusion then,” Egil said as he threw the st dart. It nded off the mark by a hair’s breadth. “Ah. Looks like you win.”

  “That was a close game,” I said. “We’re evenly matched, we should py again soon.”

  Egil grinned at me. A woman with pointed ears wrapped her arms around him and gave him a kiss.

  “I’m álfhild,” she said to me with a strong handshake.

  “Jethro,” I said, realizing she was the same woman I saw kissing the green man by the fire.

  “Ready to go?” she asked Egil with a wry smile.

  Egil widened his eyes and nodded. “Nice to meet you Jethro.” And he followed álfhild out the door arm in arm.

  My mouth hung ajar.

  “What is it?” Lavendu asked.

  “Wasn’t she just kissing the green man over there?” I said.

  “Probably,” Lavendu said with an air of nonchance.

  “But she just kissed Egil, right in front of me.”

  “So…”

  “So isn’t she worried the green man will find out?”

  “Find out? His name is Oisin and he knows of course.”

  “He knows? Wouldn’t that? Doesn’t he care?”

  “I’m pretty sure he likes to see them together.”

  “He likes seeing his woman with another man?”

  “Well, first of all álfhild belongs to no man. If anything Egil and Oisin belong to her. And he loves them both, it’s only natural that he’d enjoy seeing them together. I’m sure they’re all three of them having a lovely time together as we speak.” She raised her eyebrows.

  “Oisin loves Egil?” I sat down. “Two men? And a woman?”

  “What’s the big deal?”

  “Sounds like they do things a little differently in Castletún,” Li chimed in.

  “Yes,” I said, “very differently. Only men and women love each other in that way and only one at a time. Some go behind their lover’s back, but they almost always get caught. And the idea of two men together… It’s unheard of. They’d be outcast for sure. Does everyone here end up like that? Two men and a woman?”

  Li and Lavendu ughed.

  “Of course not,” Li said. “We get into all kinds of retionships. Couples are the most common but plenty of us end up in group retionships like álfhild and her boys. And some of us don’t sleep with anyone at all, like Lavi here.”

  “Hey,” Lavendu snapped. “It’s just been a long time is all.”

  Li smiled.

  “So a man can have multiple women then?” I asked.

  Li ughed and Lavendu answered, “Sure. Alvin the steward has five wives.”

  “Five…”

  “Why are things so limited in Castletún?” Li asked. “What happens if two women fall in love?”

  I shrugged. “I didn’t think it ever happened.” A couple of my friends back home came to mind. They seemed to spend all day together. “I guess no one would ever talk about it in the open. It wouldn’t be allowed.”

  “Sounds horrible.” Li shuddered. “I’d be lost without my Era,” she said as Era appeared from the kitchen, stepping into Li’s arms and giving her a kiss.

  “What are you talking about?” Era asked.

  “Apparently our love would be forbidden in Castletún,” Li said as she kissed her back.

  “Why’s that?” Era asked with a giggle.

  “Because we’re both women.”

  “What? That can’t be. That doesn’t make any sense.”

  I shrugged.

  “I’m sorry Jethro,” Li said as she kissed Era’s cheek and neck with a sarcastic smile. “I hope we’re not offending your cultural sensibilities.”

  “I really don’t mind,” I said with a smile as my mind went over the possibilities. “I’m a visitor in your nd after all. Who am I to judge?”

  “Good,” Li said as she and Era continued to kiss, growing ever more heated.

  I looked at Lavendu and she trembled before speaking. “Perhaps we should give these two some space and check out our room?”

  Li smmed a key down on the counter. “Second door on the right. Nnmmf,” she said, continuing with her revelry.

  “People here are strangely open with their affections,” I said as I chased Lavendu up the stairs.

  She turned and kissed me from the step above. “I think your magical inclinations may be affecting them. We may be a loving people, but we’re normally a bit more private about the more passionate side of things.”

  I didn’t get a good look at our room for Lavendu was upon me all at once. Her big lips pressed into mine一her legs clung to my back as her hips writhed against mine.

  “Master,” she said with a gasp, “I am your guide and servant. Have your way with me! Hold nothing back.”

  Chapter 3 (Part 4) dropping on Friday

  ***

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