Legitimate AF (Mature)

Alina Espad'rina, the Fallieni dance fighter who had recently traveled to Corone to do battle in the Citadel, mysteriously arrived in Stonevale one bright summer's day. Some might say that she must have arrived by ship, as Scara Brae is after all an island nation. Some would say that she arrived by portal, perhaps provided by the likes of the infamous Demon Hunter Jake Narmolanya. Others might pontificate that her goddess Suravani had somehow seen fit to teleport her there. All in all, it didn't really matter how Alina got to Stonvevale, because anyone who wants bonus rewards is just automatically there. So Alina was in Stonevale, and what was the dancer doing? Why she was dancing of course.

She stepped side to side in the middle of the town square, flicking her hips with each sashay so that the yellow silks she wore fluttered furiously. They caught the eyes of many a passing man, and some women as well, because despite otherwise being a backwater colony Scara Brae is surprisingly forthcoming in the LGBTQGQNB community. Alina had placed a small box on the cobblestones in front of her, and every third or forth passerby would toss in a handful of coppers or, on occasion, a silver crown. Alina didn't really need the coin - she had enough to support herself for a few weeks or more - but she preferred to stay ahead of her expenses and only use her savings as absolutely necessary. And so she danced and darted, twirled and flicked, and leaped and cartwheeled until a small crowd of onlookers had formed.

From between sweaty breaths and spinning whirls Alina watched the crowd. There were mostly men, young and old, broad shouldered and slender, wearing pointed hats and non-pointed hats. The women in the crowd were all well-to-do merchants, primping their sifan clothing and curling their luscious hair around fingers as they watched the athletic Fallieni woman perform. At last the dance came to an end and Alina gave a deep curtsy and bow. More coins poured into her box until it overflowed, and then the crowd began to disperse. Soon only a single merchant lady remained. She had green eyes like a cat and long blonde hair that was tied back in an ornate braid. She wore purple and pink sifan, somewhat garishly, a fine brown woolen shawl, and carried a snuff box tied to a chain which dangled from her collar. Periodically she would lift the little bejeweled box to her nose and inhale, as if the dusty smells of Stonevale were an affront to her nostrils.

"Thank you, milady." Alina said with another bow as she bent to gather her earnings. She emptied the box into a pouch on her belt and then tied the box to a bit of leather so it dangled next to the pouch. She gave a final twirl and a smile, and then hugged herself and shivered. The sun was setting, casting crimson rays over the thatch and shingle rooftops, and a chilly breeze ghosted along the roadways of the mining town.

"Are you cold, my dear?" Asked the blonde merchant woman. She shrugged out of her shawl and offered it to the slender dancer. "You need not spend tonight on the streets. There is ample room in my manor for you to spend the night... if, of course, you offer some entertainment in return."

Alina smiled. She'd been expecting something like this - hoping for it even - and the fact it came from a woman made it easier to accept. Women were generally less pushy with their needs and wants.

"Thank you," the dancer said, taking the shawl and wrapping it tightly around her shoulders. It held at bay the gust of air that plucked goosepimples from her flesh. "I have only just arrived in town, and I do not have a place to sleep. I would gladly accept your invitation, and of course, my skills will be at your disposal."

"Come along then, darling." The blonde woman said with a sweep of her arm. "My manor is just in the next quarter."

If Alina hadn't been so pleased with herself, she might have thought it odd that this wealthy woman brought no guards and no carriage with her when exploring the town.

"Right behind you," the Fallieni woman said. She was quite proud of the Tradespeak she'd picked up over the past few months living in Corone, and felt that even with her thick desert accent, she could almost pass for an islander if not for her dark skin. "I am Alina, by the way."

The blonde woman turned slowly so that her sifan finery fluttered in the wind. A broad smile painted her face from ear to ear.

"A pleasure to meet you, Miss Alina. My name is Esmeralda the Bane. Come along now, the light will soon be lost."

"Are you a merchant, Miss Esmeralda the Bane?" Alina asked as they strutted through the streets. Men with long lantern poles moved about lighting the lamp sconces set atop stone and ore ornamentations honoring the mining men and women that made up the bulk of the town's population. The last light reflected off the polished stone in stalwart colors, providing enough luminescence for the two women to make their way unhindered.

"No," The blonde smiled, her painted lips forming a clever arc. "I thought my name would have given it away. I am the greatest maker of poisons and antidotes in Stonevale... some say in all of Scara Brae."

"Are you sure about that?" Alina asked. "I heard about this baller alchemist named Nevin, I think he can do a thing or two with poisons and antidotes.."

"Nevin is NOTHING!" Esmeralda screeched, sounding like a swooping hawk. She regained her composure and re-settled her braid. "Excuse me. Besides, he's not canon because he never got a JC."

"There has never been a rule saying that getting a JC makes something canon," Alina pointed out, quite correctly. "Besides, if you're talking about him, and we're both picturing him..."

"Enough about nasty blood alchemy." Esmeralda said with a shudder. "Why don't you tell me more about you?" She looked left and right, over one shoulder then the other, and then reached out and took Alina's hand in hers.

Electricity and warmth seemed to radiate from the touch. The Fallieni woman did not know what to do. Could this be a custom of Scara Brae she had never heard of? When she first arrived in Corone she'd discovered many strange customs. For example, many warriors turned their noses up to conventional training and instead competed in Citadel deathmatches, often not caring about their own demise and learning no new skills or abilities at all. The Fallieni woman, who had trained in the combat arts her entire life, could not quite wrap her mind around the purpose of the Citadel. Granted, she had met Joshua Cronen there... thoughts of him brought back the electric tingle, and Alina came back to reality as Esmeralda guided her through an open iron gate.

"Welcome to our home," The blonde woman said with a sweep of her sifan clad arm. The manor took Alina's breath away. She'd seen grander buildings. The Citadel, where she'd attempted to fight Joshua Cronen (fighting him was a bit like fighting a waterfall, which, incidentally, is what they plunged off at the end of the battle. Spoiler alert, that hasn't even been posted yet.) Anyways, the Citadel was far grander, with its massive stone arches and stained glass windows. Its marble floors and enchanted oak doors. Its - wait, I should be describing the manor.

The manor grew from the ground almost naturally, its cedar foundations laid seamlessly in carved ruts. Elven cornices and pillars dominated the entryway, and other elements of Raiaeran architecture could be observed in the gentle curvature of the building.

"Our home?" Alina asked, wondering if she had misunderstood. Doesn't she mean her home?

"Yes, you're more than welcome to stay as long as you can." Esmeralda said, dragging her over the threshold. Inside the building smelled pleasantly of aged and polished wood, and sturdy furniture supported the rustic feel of the abode. Esmeralda led Alina to a divan and sat her down gently, doing a little twirl of her own as she moved away. "You just stay right there. I'll be back in three shakes of a dire wolf's tail." She pranced up a short flight of stairs and vanished into another room.

[Mature Content AHOY]

Alina strongly considered leaving the manor while the blonde woman was distracted. All in all, the events of the night seemed too good to be true. But on the other hand, Esmeralda really did seem like just a lonely, wealthy woman. And Alina was a trained warrior, all 115 pounds of her. She had her belt knife, and she had her skills in the martial arts. She did not fear the blonde islander. She would just be careful not to ingest anything the woman gave her. She was a self proclaimed mistress of potions, after all. How else would she think fit to attack? Alina took a deep breath and settled her nerves. She was probably just paranoid. Most likely, she had just struck it lucky and been invited into a kindly stranger's house.

Esmeralda waltzed out of the back room and down the stairs wearing a leather body suit. Her hair was loose and the suit was missing patches in strategic places. Her taut breasts peered through openings in the garment's chest and a manicured blonde bush peered from the bare area in the crotch. She had a big, tight smile on her face with her cheeks puffed out, and she carried a set of shackles with four cuffs.

"Whoa!" Alina cried as if she was halting a Coronian horse. She sprang upright off the divan and held up both hands. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but-"

Esmeralda got close enough and spat the liquid she'd been holding in her mouth in a practiced spray. It fanned out, droplets spattering Alina's eyes, nose, and mouth. The dancer collapsed slackly on the ground, powerless to move but still fully awake.

"That, my dear, is a Bane-special. I call it slumber rain. I immunized myself with the antidote before putting it in my mouth, of course. Otherwise I might have died. But you..." One long-nailed hand reached out to caress Alina's dark hair, while the other lifted her snuff box for a quick snort. Alina was no longer convinced it contained only perfumes. "You should be paralyzed for ten minutes or more. Long enough for me to get you in place." Smiling and humming a cheery tune, Esmeralda bent down and affixed the cuffs to Alina's slender ankles and wrists.

Alina could do nothing but watch and endure as she was shackled and dragged up the stairs, and eventually hoisted onto a large firm bed. She lay on her side, hands cuffed behind her and attached to a running chain that secured her ankles. She stared at her captor in forced silence, wishing she could scream. She tried to keep her eyes away from the bits of tantalizing flesh Esmeralda had put on display.

"I love travelers," the Scaran woman said, stroking the dancer's cheek. "Their stories are as interesting as their faces. But one thing I find tiresome," her hand slid down Alina's chest, in between her breasts, and then detoured to pluck her belt knife from its sheathe. "Is that they have too many things." The mistress of poisons casually cut Alina's belt off and slid the leather aside. Next she sliced up and down the dancer's silken clothing, pulling it away piece by piece until the Fallieni woman lay naked. "Such beautiful skin..." Esmeralda simpered, running the keen edge of the knife along her tanned back. "Despite the sun's abuse, you're still so smooth. I could just cut you up and crawl inside you."

[MATURE CONTENT AHOY]

"... But then my fun would be over," Esmeralda said with a melodramatic grimace, sticking out her lower lip, "and we can't have that. Here now. Let me get you in position..." she grabbed the chain running down Alina's back and used it to flip the girl on her front, and then seized her hips and pulled with surprising strength so the dancer found herself with her face in the cushions and her rear high in the air. "That's better. You have such fine legs and buttocks... and I see that bushes grow in Fallien after all. We'll have to remove that of course... in due time. Your skin may be fine, but I like it with a supple sheen."

Alina could scarcely breath with her head buried in the pillows, but she could not move. Every part of her wanted to scream, to fight back, to roll over and dominate her aggressor. But the chains binding her were strong, and the paralyzing potion had yet to wear off. Perhaps once it did, she would be able to find a way to escape... until then, she could only endure the Bane's ministrations.

Esmeralda's weight left the bed, and her high-heeled footsteps clicked to a part of the room Alina had not had a chance to examine. Her mind raced as she wondered what could be housed there. More bindings? That would be problematic. She was not sure she could even escape the chains. Torture implements? Alina was not sure how much she could withstand. She had a high pain tolerance from years of combat training, but she had never been tortured... she tried to calm her thoughts, knowing that guessing what came next would not change the outcome. For the moment, she was completely at Esmeralda's mercy.

The high heels clicked back along the same path, and Esmeralda's weight returned to the edge of the bed. Alina mentally tensed like a coiled spring, preparing herself for whatever was to come.

A droplet of warm oil landed in the dimpled small of her back, and then another, and then a soft stream. Esmeralda's hands, fine and strong and also warm, rubbed the oil throughout Alina's back, and then over her ass and down her legs. The dancer wanted to shudder but she could only lay there like a bag of sand, accepting the treatment. The oil seeped into her skin and stoked the feeling of hot electricity like a bellows working a forge. She felt tingly all over, every part of her crying out to be touched in any way. Every part except her most secret places... Esmeralda saved those for last.

The Bane massaged a generous dollop of oil between Alina's buttocks while her other hand drifted to the lips of her kitty. She traced them gently, applying only a tiny amount of the salve, but still it set Alina's loins burning for pleasure. She began to sweat, feeling droplets bead in her armpits and on her brow and back. She had only lain with a few men back in Fallien, and never a woman. And certainly never anything like this. This was not how she wanted it... and yet, somehow it was. Her body betrayed her as she felt her kitty moisten.

And then she realized she had been able to move for the past five minutes, and hadn't even shifted her position.

[Mature Content Ahoy]

I must escape, Alina told herself, but instead she spread her legs further and arched her back, tempting the blonde seductress to touch her blazing skin. She could barely spare a thought for finding a way to unlock the chains... all she wanted was to feel Esmeralda's fine fingers caress her, everywhere...

The Bane chuckled. "Feeling the need to be touched, my dear? I call that particular infusion morning glory. Many of my older customers use it to improve their sex lives... in small quantities. But I've found a larger dosage has an admirable effect on the human body. Do you want me to touch you, darling?"

"Yes," Alina gasped, telling herself she should be straining against the chains. Instead she gripped the bedsheets in anticipation.

"If you'd like me to touch you," Esmeralda said, fanning the air above Alina's ass so it grazed her in a way that melted her mind. "You'll have to beg like a good girl."

"Oh please," Alina gasped, words flowing so fast she could not hope to catch them, "let me feel your hands on my skin. Let me feel you, oh please... I'll be a good girl."

She heard Esmeralda shift, and then the islander's palm stung her bare buttock. Alina grunted in alarm, pain, and pleasure. From the reddened site of the spank spread a feeling of pure merriment, a feeling that rooted itself deep in her loins and teased her already agitated skin to new heights. She put her face back down in the pillows and gasped for breath. Even if she hadn't been chained up, she didn't think she could have moved. She was paralyzed by the desire to feel Esmeralda's palm strike again.

"Did you like that?" The seductress asked, dragging her fingertips down the Fallieni woman's back.

"Y-y-yesss!" Alina cooed, lifting her tailbone to extend the moment of contact, like a cat begging for more pets.

"Do you want more?" The blonde demanded. "Tell me like a good girl."

"Y-yes pleassse." Alina was a ball of hot, messy sensations. She didn't know what would happen to her in five minutes, in five hours, in five days, or five weeks. But she did know that if someone didn't touch her in the next five seconds, she would go completely mad. "Please touch me! I want it, I need it, I need it sooo badly..."

A man with a long white mustache wearing a blue and white striped suit jumped into the room suddenly, twirling his matching top hat. Alina and Esmeralda were both surprised, but only a little. We've already established that people show up in Stonevale quite randomly.

"This scene is getting a little too spicy!" He cried. He moonwalked back offstage and returned swiftly with a bucket covered by a folded length of canvas. He wrapped the canvas around Esmeralda to conceal her nakedness, and upended the bucket, which was full of milk, above Alina. The cool bovine beverage immediately alleviated the tingly sensation on her skin. Alina shivered and sputtered as the man unlocked her cuffs and draped his jacket over her naked body. "There," he said, standing back to admire his work with hands on hips, "that's better."

"I'm going to have to buy a new bed!" Esmeralda screamed. "Nothing removes milk stains!"

Alina got up shakily and wrapped the blue and white striped jacket more tightly around her shoulders. It was long enough that she could wear it like a short dress, and she took several steps away from the bed. A part of her wanted to flee, but she could not deny the power of her curiosity.

"Who are you?" She asked the mustached man. "I mean, thank you, but... who are you?" She glared at Esmeralda. "And who are you really? Do you know him? Is this some sick game you two play?"

"I am Althanas' keeper of propriety," the mans said proudly. He twirled his white mustachios and brushed back his white wispy hair. "Sometimes it's all fun and smut... but sometimes things go a bit too far. I jump around making sure that doesn't happen."

"He has ruined evenings for me before," Esmeralda seethed, tossing her golden braid angrily, "six times previously. This is the seventh."

"Well, thank you again." Alina said in a faraway voice. "I don't think I could have taken much more of that."

"They never can," Esmeralda grinned. She took a swaying step toward Alina. "Now my sweet, if you'll allow me to apologize..."

"Oh not you don't!" Alina snapped, raising a threatening finger. "I still haven't decided what to do about you yet... but if you try to reach for any of your potions, I'll skip straight to the violence."

"No need for violence!" The white haired and mustachioed man exclaimed, holding up both hands. "Please ladies, let us settle this peaceably... and PG-13ably."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Alina demanded. "She tried to rape me! Besides, this is Althanas. There's nothing to do but fight and fuck!"

"It was rape play!" Esmeralda insisted squamishly, "and must I remind you that you asked for it? Repeatedly?"

"Only because of your fancy oil!" Alina screamed. She squeezed more milk out of her dark hair and tried to take a menacing step towards Esmeralda. It is difficult to take a menacing step when you're soaked in milk and wearing nothing but a striped suit jacket.

"Ladies puh-leeeze!" The keeper of propriety exclaimed. "Here, Alina, allow me to introduce myself. I am Archibald Irridia, and I am at your service. Now, circling back to your question... there are many ways to enjoy your time on Althanas, or seek vengeance if indeed that is necessary, without fighting or fucking. Will you please sit?" He gestured at the bed and then crossed his arms and tapped his foot until Alina and Esmeralda sat on it, albeit rather far away from each other.

"Now then..." Archibald said, and somewhere nearby a harp strummed the opening chords. He cleared his throat and sang:

"If you're seeking for write in a fine aesthetic light
On a site such as this one
You must research all the words, not the bees and not the birds
And focus on having fun!
You must sit at your computer and type at lightning speeds
Or you will be left behind!
The meaning doesn't matter if it's always rapid blather of the fantastical kind!"

Taking her cue, Alina stood up and gestured for Esmeralda to do the same. They took up positions either side of Archibald and copied his movements as he danced and sang the chorus, extending one pointed toe forwards and back in elegant fashion.

"And everyone has said,
That they would rather be dead,
Than spend AP on a judgment or re-read their own work
So what a very complicated problem thread this problem thread must be!"

"I think I'm beginning to understand now," Alina said prudently. She shot Esmeralda a waspish look and detoured to the blonde's closet, pulling out a nice red silken dress that looked like it would fit her. It had lacy edges and other fripperies the islanders were all crazy for. Alina did not understand such things, but the garment would be serviceable. "Look away, both of you!" She said to Archibald and Esmeralda. They exchanged a glance and then did as they were bidden, turning their backs on the dancer.

"Strange that she's suddenly so modest," Esmeralda commented.

"Indeed," Archibald replied, "not only have we both seen everything there is to see, she was prancing around the square in almost nothing not so long ago."

"Shut up!" Alina snapped as she slipped into the dress. A few droplets of milk seeped out of her hair and into the collar. "I'm feeling a little violated, in case you can't guess. So I don't need both of you eye-fucking me."

"Your English - I mean, tradespeak - has come a long way." Archibald commented.

"How long have you been watching me?" Alina demanded. She finished putting on the dress and stalked over to the man, spinning him around forcefully. His long mustache tickled her nose and she sneezed violently.

"My dear," Archibald said with a touch of condescension, "it is my job to watch everyone and everything on Althanas. How else would I moderate the smutiness?" The sound of the harp strumming the familiar intro played from offstage. Alina and Esmeralda gave each other a withering glare, but then sat down together on the bed as Archibald struck a pose with hands clasped before his belly.

"Beeeeeeeeeeeee-heeeeee," Archibald sang, extending the first note so that the orchestra had to wait on him, "omniscient as you can, like the writer of Slayer Dan,
And throw commas everywhere,
Plant lots of little seeds of a variety of breeds
And grow them in fresh air!
Do not worry about word count or syntax or grammar
As you merrily prose along,
Just enjoy yourself and take the occasional pee break
As I sing you this song!"

As the instrumental interlude played Alina and Esmeralda rushed back into position either side of Archibald. He sang the same chorus, which was quite repetitious, but still counted towards word count for the post.

"And everyone has said,
That they would rather be dead,
Than spend AP on a judgment or re-read their own work
So what a very complicated problem thread this problem thread must be!"

"How do you keep making us do that?" Alina demanded. "I usually don't dance for free, you know. And I would never choose to dance with her."

"It's all in the mustache," Archibald said with a wink and a nod. His long white nose-tickler vibrated as he harrumphed. "Are you beginning to understand how adventures work on Althanas at large?"

"I... I think so." Alina said. "It is very different from Fallien. There, just surviving the elements was a struggle. You don't take a step in the land of sand without something trying to kill you. But here, in Scara Brae, and also in Corone... threats come from the silliest places. Women with snuffboxes, carnivorous plants, man-sized insects... it's hard to take it all seriously sometimes."

"That's where you err!" Archibald laughed, throwing back his head. "Taking things seriously on Althanas will get you accused of being mean and salty every time! Instead you should just grin and quake it off, quake quake, quake it off-"

"Oh please," Alina moaned, head in her hands, "just go back to bastardizing Gilbert & Sullivan."

"As you wish!" Archibald grinned merrily, and his mustache wavered. Alina's shoulders slumped as she and Esmeralda obediently sat on the bed once more. The harp strummed, and then broke off as the harpist snapped a string, swore audibly, and switched to his backup harp. Archibald cleared his throat as the intro played.

"Now then, this is the third verse, and you'd think I could do worse
But we are not just yet quite done,
You still have much to learn, if EXP you want to earn,
And you're still not having fun!
So come dance a little lighter and forgive Miss Esmeralda,
She really didn't mean any harm;
She might be a play rapist but at least she's not a sadist
Who'd feed you to pigs on a farm!"

Esmeralda rose and gently took Alina's hand. At first the dancer wanted to jerk away, but Archibald's song had touched her. Perhaps he was right. Perhaps she took herself and her adventures a bit too seriously. After all, the only thing that Esmeralda had actually done to her was splash her with a paralytic, chain her up, cut off her clothes, pour weird oil all over her and touch her a bunch. Was that really so bad? The two women danced daintily to Archibald's side as the orchestra swelled to the chorus.

"And everyone has said,
That they would rather be dead,
Than spend AP on a judgment or re-read their own work
So what a very complicated problem thread this problem thread must be!"

Applause swelled from nowhere, and flowers (both individual and in bouquets) arced onto the floor all around them. Archibald grasped Alina's right hand and Esmeralda's left, and led them in a company bow to no one in particular.

"Well," Esmeralda said, "I need to get to the bazaar and buy a new mattress."

"Isn't the bazaar in Radasanth?" Alina inquired, somewhat confused.

"What? Err, yes." Esmeralda corrected herself. "I meant the uh... mattress store... that sells mattresses... here in Stonevale. I actually have an account there. This isn't the first time that ol' busy mustachios has ruined my bed." She turned toward Alina, a pensive finger laid along her jawline. "But it is the first time that one of the people he rescued hasn't run away screaming. Why are you still here my dear?"

"I uh-" Alina stammered, suddenly wishing she had a language barrier to hide behind. "I wanted to hear what Archibald had to sing. It was very educational, and not just that, but interesting and well written."

"Why thank you," Archibald said with twirl of his hand and a bow, "I was up all night working on the lyrics. I wrote them just for you. Now, it would appear my work here is done. You kids play nicely!" He pirouetted once and gave his mustache a twist, and vanished in a puff of evaporated milk.

"Well?" Esmeralda said, extending her arm. "Would you like to join me for a stroll to the store? If you still need a place to stay tonight, I can purchase two beds instead of one. You won't need to share mine. And I promise I will NEVER attempt to poison you again. I am very sorry for the way I treated you, you're just..." she became lost in thought as she gazed at the dancer's fine black hair and deep dark eyes. "So pretty..."

"Don't push your luck," Alina said. "If you truly do mean to welcome me in your home... I could just stay here while you go to the store. And I don't mind sleeping on the couch. I'm used to a bit of cloth covering the coarse sand or using a horse as a pillow, so the cushions out there will be quite comfy for me."

"As you wish," Esmeralda said with a sigh. She made as if to touch Alina's cheek but then thought better of it. Alina gathered her belongings from the pile on the milky mattress and the two women moved into the living room, where the Fallieni made herself comfortable on the couch.

"Are you sure you won't come to the store with me, dear?" Esmeralda asked from the door. "It's a lovely evening for a little fresh air."

"I'm actually rather tired from all the excitement." Alina said. "I think I'll rest awhile and reflect on Archibald's lessons."

"Don't put too much stock in what that old galoot says," Esmeralda warned, "he may have ulterior motives."

"Such as what?" Alina asked, but the other woman was already gone.

Oh well, the dancer thought as she leaned back on the couch, eyes roving the well decorated home. What to do now?

Alina lounged on the couch for a time, but soon grew restless and began pacing around the small home. She felt a certain degree of familiarity with her surroundings, having just been through an ordeal in the place. It really was rather a nice home when she thought about it, with draperies on the brocaded windows and wall hangings embroidered with intricate patterns, and thick rugs that invited her to slip off her shoes and move about barefoot.

As usual, she was not satisfied with mere walking. Alina's body cried out for more motion; it cried out for the dance. She began practicing some basic movements, and those basic movements grew and evolved into a complex web of footwork that carried her throughout the building as she rotated her hips and shimmied her shoulders. She waltzed through the water closet, lumbada'd around the living room, and bounded through the bedroom. As she twirled past the bed her toes caught on an edge sticking up from beneath one of the thick rugs, and she nearly tripped. Curious, she bellied down and peeled back the thick rug.

"Galloping griffins!" She said in surprise, translating the Fallieni expression into Tradespeak for no reason. Beneath the rug was a large metal hatch inset in the floor. Its heavy hinges were well oiled, and it gave off a faint mechanical smell. There was an industrial strength combination lock on it. Alina gave the dial a few spins and then stood up and replaced the rug as best she could.

The dancer paced back and forth, wondering about what she had found. Was it merely a safe, containing Esmeralda's most prized belongings? Or was it a hatch to an underground lair filled with sex slaves? Or something far more sinister.

No one knew; not Alina, not the Thayne, not the Elvish Inquisition, and not the writer.

Only time, and the sequel, would tell.

Name of Thread: Legitimate AF (Mature)
Type of Judgement: Workshop
Participant: Capoeirista

Rewards:

Capoeirista rewards:
1720 EXP
235 Gold

Inclusive of Stonevale x 1.5 bonus