Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Succubus Companions ch5 pt 2

Vician followed Seraphine down the ladder and waited while she cracked the door to the warehouse open and peeked outside. She motioned him forward and he stepped on outside. Seraphine pushed the warehouse door shut and Vician locked it behind them. Less than half an hour had passed since Vician’s breathless arrival and warning.

Their journey out of the city was uneventful. Seraphine slipped her arm through Vician’s and leaned her head on his shoulder. She sensed his initial surprise and then a bit of contentment as they found a matched rhythm and walked away together, never once looking back. The closest that the pair came to excitement were a few of the derogatory comments made as the pair made their way down the various avenues that Vician led them through one of the eastern gates to the city. Seraphine was a little worried that they might be stopped at the city gate, but the guard simply gave Vician a knowing wink and they hurried on through.

Several farms intermingled with small clumps of woods lay to the east of the city. The road that they traveled wove through several of these farms and small clumps of woods.

Seraphine was having the time of her life. She was seeing, hearing, and smelling things she had only heard about in stories and hadn’t in her wildest dreams imagined she would ever be able to actually experience. Things like Vician pausing near a fence and handing her some sweetgrass to feed a goat, her giggling when felt its cold nose on her hand, or watching butterflies and bees dancing among the flowers.

To someone who had lived nearly her whole life indoors the walk was full of marvels for Seraphine. Her curiosity made Vician smile as the young succubus took in her surroundings with wide-eyed wonder; each new sight alternately prompting squeals of glee, terror, or multitudes of questions that he did his best to answer.

It was at least an hour’s journey the outer gate of the city to the woods that occupied a large portion of land to the east, but to the mage and his demoness familiar it seemed like minutes. The mage would never have admitted it, but he was enjoying Seraphine’s exuberance and when they reached the woods, he was a little sad.

He needed have worried. The farms fascinated the demoness, but it was the woods she fell in love with. As they entered the woods, she fell silent as a sense of awe fell upon her, her eyes widening even further as she let her hand slip from his so she could turn a full circle and take everything in. “Everything is so… so alive!” she exclaimed at last before bursting into a series of questions that left Vician holding up his hands and calling for patience as he tried to answer what he could.

A short way into the woods, Vician led the succubus off the road onto a hidden trail. They followed this to a clearing where a man and a woman stood waiting with four saddled horses.

Two of the horses were a little bigger than the others. They were jet black with white markings on the forehead and near the hooves. In addition to their saddles, these two carried heavily packed saddle bags.

The man and woman pushed back their hoods, and Seraphine could see they were older than Vician by several years if not decades. Both greeted him fondly as “Master Vician.”

“The guard surrounded the house and were conducting a search,” the woman explained. “But we were able to get most of what you asked for. We also took the liberty of procuring some travel supplies you didn’t think of, and invested a portion of your money and gems with a few different money lenders as a precaution.”

Vician, walked over and checked the packs carefully. “You did well Felicia, both of you.” he nodded and turned to the man. “I’ll keep in touch. Let me know if you or Felicia need anything.”

The man held up a gem exactly like the one that Seraphine saw Vician use in the warehouse. “I’ll be here. Good luck, Master Vician.”

The woman kissed Vician’s forehead. “Take care, Master Vician. I hope you can return soon.” Seraphine was a little chagrined to realize she felt a little jealous. She shifted uncomfortably.

Vician took the reins of the two black horses and led them over towards where Seraphine stood. “Have you ever ridden before?”

Serpahine shook her head. “No.”

Vician nodded. “Well, it isn’t that difficult though the first few times may seem hard. We need to lead the horses back to the road and then I’ll teach you to ride.” He handed her the reins to one of them and set back out along the path.

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