Phaye stepped out of the bath onto the mossy floor humming a tune to herself. She tousled her hair and and shook off as much water as she could with a little dance. Looking over her shoulder at her reflection in the tall, wooden framed mirror behind her, she finished the dance with a firm booty shake, sending some last drops of water flying about the room. Continuing with her little song and dance, she spent some time brushing her teeth, then tousled her shoulder-length raven hair to give it some volume. She danced her way down the hall from the washroom to her dorm room, passing a handsome young elf in golden armor, who she greeted with a sweetly jubilant "Morning". Her sort fluffy faun tail poked out from under the towel wrapped around her and she wiggled it excitedly as she passed him. When she got to her door she glanced back to catch him looking back at her furry naked behind.
Her roommate, Gudrun, was curled up under his blankets when she entered her dorm room smiling and humming. She went to her closet and pulled on a pair of cotton panties that had seen some wear and even had a hole in one cheek where a little tuft of raven fur poked out. She grabbed a ragged pixie skirt that she tied about her waist, which was slit up the back to allow room for her tail. She gave a little wiggle to let the skirt settle into place.
"Sweet Divines!" A gravelly voice mumbled. Phaye looked over her shoulder to see Gudrum's dragonborn face poking out from under his blanket nest. She approached him topless, with a smirk and a sultry walk, turning on a hoof when she reached his bed so that her tail was a foot from his face.
"Can you see my panties?" She asked as she walked the four short steps back to the closet.
"Well yeah, your tail opens the back of that thing right up!" He exclaimed, now fully awake and sitting up. He took a moment to rearrange the bed sheets to hide the bulge under them, hoping she wouldn't notice but when he looked back at her she was facing him with a big, sly smile and rosy cheeks. She slipped her arms into her black leather armor and pulled it up tight under her fair breasts. The armor was worn and impractical, fitting more like a corset that accented her breast more than it protected her.
"Tie me up?" She said looking him in the eyes, still smiling slyly. She turned her bare back to him, and it took him a minute to notice the leather straps for her armor. His eyes darted nervously toward his blankets. "I won't look, " She promised, over her shoulder. She waited, her tail wagging slowly, for him to start threading her corset-like armor binding. As he pulled the straps tight she whispered, "Harder, Sir!" She leaned slightly forward, pushing her tail against his stomach. The straps tightened, pulling her firmly against him. She could feel his scaled familiar through her cotton panties. "Right there!" She whispered again, and he tied off the armor. She turned back over her shoulder, so that her face was inches from his and looked into his eyes again. "Thank you, Sir." She giggled and pushed back abruptly with her hips, shoving him backward onto his bed.
Phaye wore no boots but strapped a dagger to her thigh, a rapier to her hip, a pack to her back, and finally, she slung a small lute over her shoulder. About her neck she looped a green scarf, then she tousled her hair again in the mirror until it hung loosely about her antlers, smoothed her skirt, and turned back to her roommate. "How do I look?" She asked with a big smile.
"Like you're gonna busk someone's nuts!" He joked, fumbling with his bed sheets again.
"You're the bestest!" she joked back and blew him a kiss as she left.
Phaye stepped out of Vinters Guild Hall to a sun rising into overcast skies, which did nothing to diminish her mood. There were few people in the streets this early in the morning and the shops were still closed, as she made her way east, through the Artist Quarter, toward Reeve Tower. The sight of Reeve Tower still amazed her. Built into an enormous willow tree suspended the by the roots over a fifty-foot-wide chasm. The expanding chasm had, over several centuries, split the tree from the bottom and the six story stone tower, with it's arched foundation, had been bricked into the space like an ornate arrowhead. As she climbed the staircase carved into the trees roots, toward the large entrance, she brushed her hand along some flowers that grew just beyond the railing of twisted roots, chasing a wake of butterflies into the air behind her. She was practically skipping when she reached the ten foot high double doors of the tower entrance and headed up the spiral staircase to the second floor to see her Supervisor.
Lesym was tall and narrow in human appearance, with long, thinning copper hair and light blue eyes. He wore leather armor and his war hammer stood on its head next to him. His animal companion, a large hawk named Corna, greeted Phaye with a squawk.
"Good morning, gorgeous!" Phaye responded back. It was hard to tell, but she believed that the hawk liked her, though she rarely got close enough to find out for sure.
"Good morning to you too, Phaye." The druid said wryly. He checked his clipboard and made a tick mark with a simple quill.
"Morning, Sir," She said in a teasingly sultry manner. "Where do you want me?"
The druid smiled. "Can you go to Tyne? Mage's Colleges from three different Realms let out for the Spring Solstice and we're expecting a large influx of traffic."
"Oh Wildmother! Please, don't make me a 'Greeter'!" She implored. She placed her fist against a crystal on a pedestal next to Lesym. For a brief moment the crystal glowed, revealing a ring on her middle finger that vanished as soon as she pulled her hand away.
"Of course not!" Lesym replied, "Hydra's Ward is still under construction, which is causing traffic problems in the Castle District and Upper Scepter. I need freelancers to help direct some of the traffic away from Mayheath to some of the other attractions."
"Oh, you're the bestest!" She cried triumphantly, bouncing onto the tips of her hooves to throw her arms around his neck, her tail wiggling furiously.
"Yes, yes, come on, you're holding up the line." He mused. She released him and turned to see a young halfling woman making a concerted effort to look anywhere but at the faun's wagging tail, less than a foot from her flushed cheeks. They made eye contact for a brief moment and Phaye winked, drawing a shy smile from the curly haired cutie.
"Bye Corna! I'll try to bring you a snack." She called to the hawk as she walked toward the portal a few feet away. Just before stepping through she looked back and caught the halfling woman looking at her backside again, but her grin turned to a groan as Lesym said "Good Morning, Piper, Greeter at the Forgotten Realms Gate."
"The Aethereal Port of Tyne." Phaye whispered, just before she stepped through the portal. She stepped out into a large room full of wooden lockers and benches, with a dozen or more people of every shape and size in various states of undress. Not needing to change, she continued straight through to the exit at the end of the hall and palmed to the crystal next to the simple wooden door. Again the ring appeared and disappeared and she heard the door lock disengage.
The Aethereal Port of Tyne was an eighty-story tower carved from a single piece of white marble. It stood atop a hill on the southern point of Brothellad and overlooked the Red Sea to the east, the Sea of Lusa to the south, and the Sea of Mele in the west. The domed roof was topped with red tiles that glittered like rubies in the sunlight and It was surrounded by a staircase that wound about its outside, which from a distance, made the building appear as though it were a red pin screwed into the ground.
Inside the tower had high vaulted arches and tall stained glass windows. These windows featured heroes of every class and species in some heroic pose or another. If one approached a window that matched their species and class, the image would transform into their likeness. Locals and Realm Employees would often say it foretold a great adventure to come.
Each floor of the tower was a loop that ranged from a half mile about, on the lower floors, to a mile in circumference near the top of the tower. Lined about each floor's outside edge were portals through which stepped groups of adventurers from every realm in the known universe. They were met by greeters, often the newest employees, who would welcome them and provide basic directions or information about the realm and it's amenities. About the tower's central core were shops selling maps, supplies, and chintzy souvenirs; or providing transportation to the various regions of the continent.
"Welcome to Brothellad," Two of the many greeters said, while placing leis of flowers about the necks of two young adventurers. The greeters were dressed in short white togas lined with gold and wreaths of flowers atop their heads They worked in pairs, for safety, and there were usually 2-4 greeters per portal. This was repeated at each portal and on all floors, with different greeters and different adventurers around the entire circumference of the tower.
Phaye sat on the floor, her green scarf laid out in front of her with a few coins spread across it. Her pack sat at her back, with the rapier tucked discreetly behind it. She played her lute and sang to the passing travelers, few of whom were particularly eager to share a copper. As the port got busier, Phaye saw the cute Halfling from earlier. She was struggling to fend off two particularly rowdy men.
"Hey Cutie, are you my eternal reward?" A half-orc had pinned her arms to her sides and picked her up by both elbows as she kicked and flailed to free herself. His friend, a stout dwarf, was behind her lifting her skirt and sniffing at her ass. A third man had backed her partner, a young Tabaxi woman, against a pillar and was leaning over her imposingly as he propositioned her.
Phaye scooped up the scarf of coins, and her belongings and headed for the group. With a whisper and a flick of her wrist, she summoned an ethereal hand and pointed to the obnoxious human. With it's finger extended she sent it to distract the human bothering the young Tabaxi, while she walked between him and the half-orc, approaching them from behind.
"Oh, look at you! Barely in the door and all ready to blow your wad!" She said to the Half-orc, weaving a subtle but painful enchantment into the insulting innuendo. Just then the human squealed and reeled in surprise to get away from the ethereal index finger trying to penetrate his anus. The half-orc, physically wounded from the insult hurled at him, released the halfling woman. She dropped, bottom first, onto the Dwarf's head, his knees buckled and his face struck the marble floor.
"Hey, Pipin' Hotness!" Phaye called out to the halfling, remembering Lesym naming her back in Reeve Tower, "This way!" Ahead Phaye could see a Goliath and an Orc in Tower Security uniforms and she skipped toward them, wiggling her tail flirtatiously as the greeters ran up next to her. The three tourists hurried angrily after them shouting obscenities. When she was thirty feet from the approaching security guards, Phaye stopped. As the greeters continued on she turned to face the her pursuers, lute drawn. She Strummed a chord and howled in harmony with it. The two greeters, hearing it, stopped and howled in response triggering a wave of howls that swept about the circular floor in both directions as every greeter and guide responded in kind. The echo returned bringing the bustling floor to a standstill and the three men slowed to a nervous stop as everyone on the floor turned toward them.
"These guys are harassing our Greeters," Phaye sang in the language of the Giants. The goliath security guard and his partner stepped up behind her. They wore lighty plated leather armor and black trousers, and both drew batons from their belts as they approached the three men.
"Hold on there, Gentlemen! The Goliath said in a booming voice, "come over here please." The two officers began lecturing the three on acceptable behavior while in the tower. Across the hall the young halfling, Piper, held her hand to her chin and opened her palm to Phaye, to sign a thank you; Phaye blew her a kiss in response. As she slipped away she could hear the orc continue "… next, we are going to apologize to these young ladies, then we're going to the security office to contact your parents ..."
She took the stairs down a floor, looking out over the Sea of Lusa beneath the clouds and enjoying the warm salty air. She set up again, as she had before, on the ground, with her scarf laid out in front of her, and began playing again.
It was nearing lunchtime when she spotted a tall slender Earth Genasi with rich dark skin that glistened in the light. He wore a worn breastplate and furs about his waist, over which was coiled a long chain that clinked when he walked. At one end of the chain a spiked ball hung at his right thigh. The other end of the chain ended in a manacle about his left wrist. He wandered about aimlessly mumbling to himself, skittishly keeping a distance between himself and others. He attempted to approach two greeters but turned away when new travelers came through the portal. Phaye began to sing, hoping to encourage 'tall, dark and anxious' in her direction, and about halfway through the song he made his way to a bench near her and pulled out a small map that had been given to him on his arrival.
"How are you doin', Darlin'?" She said when the song was finished.
"Oh! Goodness!" He looked over and, seeing the scarf of coins, reached for his purse. "I am sorry." He said gently and tossed her a gold coin, which she quickly scooped up and tucked into her armor, under her breast. He moved, as if to ask her something and decided against it.
"Where're you tryin' to get to?" She asked, pretending to tune her instrument. She had worked here long enough that she could spot the adventurers who struggled with the crowds and social expectations. This one, however, was haunted by something more. His eyes were sunken from a lack of sleep and his shoulders hung with an unseen weight, and his mannerisms suggested he was concerned, not for himself, but for those around him.
"I don't really know," he said quietly. "A friend said I needed some rest and relaxation … " His voice tapered off.
"You don't know how to do that, do you?" She said with a gentle smile. "Can I help?" She asked, motioning to the map."
"Thank you, that's …" Before he could finish she was at his side. She slid an arm under his to point out directions on the map, and with her other hand, she gripped his bicep and pressed his arm firmly into her shoulder. "… very kind." He finished, slightly taken back.
"So, Mayheath is the Capital City, it's mostly taverns, casinos, and brothels, you know, places to separate you from your gold." She began, pointing to markers on the map. "Haford is a pirate port-of-call, if you're looking for bar fights and sloppy sex. The Reward Stronghold is a fight club full of Barbarians and bimbos." She looked up into his haunted eyes and flushed cheeks as she continued. "You don't look much like the Bimbarian type. What about …" She lifted his arm high enough to duck her short antlers under, tucking his heavy arm over her shoulder, into the hollow of her neck, and reached high on the map. "The Bastion of Thasaro? It's a Patron-free castle on the edge of a quiet lake." She looked back up at him, her face now mere inches from his. He was still looking down at her, but his eyes darted from her cleavage to her widening smile.
"Umm, Patron free?" He asked, nervously; licking his lips. With his arm tucked into the hollow of her neck Phaye could feel feel his racing pulse.
"The castle walls have an enchantment that allows up to three days of unbroken peace without breaking a pact." She explained softly, gazing up at him with her big green doe eyes. "I could take you,"
"Take me?"
"As your guide; to help you get settled in." She placed her hand on his bare thigh. She felt him tense at her touch and withdrew her hand, looking away passively. "You know, if you wanted some company." She said, a little dejectedly. She raised the large man's arm again and ducked out from under him.
"I umm . . . " He stammered as she let his arm down between them, placing his hand on her bare, fur-covered thigh, then moved just far enough away that his hand would fall away from her unless he deliberately chose to hold it there, but the hand slowly slipped to the bench.
"It's okay," She interrupted, moving toward her spot on the floor again. "I get it." She knelt to pick up her lute, deliberately pointing her tail in his direction.
"Is it really, three days of peace?" He asked, quietly. Her tail began to wag slowly as she looked back at him submissively.
"Yes, Mister."
"How much to take me there?" He asked, trying his best to focus on her eyes as her tail wagged faster.
"All the way?" She asked, excitedly. He nodded, still struggling to look her in the eyes. "How about, I take you as far as I can, and you pay me what you think I'm worth?" She smiled sweetly, still looking back over her shoulder with twinkling eyes. "Does that sound fair, Mister?" She continued to collect her things.
"Fair? " He stated, looking around nervously, "I-ah, I guess."
"Yay!" She exclaimed exitedly. "You can call me Phaye, do you want to take the train?" She said, throwing her pack over her shoulder and grasping his forearm in greeting.
"What is a train?"
"Portal it is!" She chimed, sidling up to him. She took his elbow in hers, as if they were on a date. He pulled away, ever so slightly. "Oh! Umm, is this okay?" She looked up with her big doe eyes; To see his shimmering with fear.
"I-ah, y-yes?" He stammered. She took his trembling hand in hers, and in a quiet, calming voice she sang.
"I need a hero to save my life, a hero's gonna save me just in time!"
She watched as the fear left his eyes, his posture straightened and his chest swelled with confidence. Phaye almost thought saw a smile.
"What's your name, Hero?" She asked gently.
Tom and Phaye walked arm in arm a quarter way around the tower, to the regional Portals, where travelers were lined up in velvet-roped isles before a bank of swirling portals. Phaye directed him into one of the queues and stood with him. At the front, they stepped up to an ornate wooden-framed portal, and Phaye slipped a single gold coin into a decorative slot carved into the frame. A sigil at their feet began to glow. "Porthica Vale!" The Faun announced and the portal swirled to life.