Termite
A part of her knew what was coming the moment it left her mouth, but Alex still managed to let out a surprised gasp that became a silent, stuttering sigh as Aes slid behind the dragon. Any attention to her ear had the warrior nearly relaxing into a pile of content, and it left her wide open for the hand as it slid gracefully up past her navel to end at her chin. The brief but quite loving contact with her breast nearly had her shuddering, and it left quite the pair of excited points poking through her dress. But even if she was relaxed Alex still looked a bit panicked. "B-But... I told him I'd be quiet..." And that was the source of her panic. She'd made a semi-promise to the innkeeper, but through she gave the man her word Aes only had to pull the woman to get her to head back. The promise to her Mate trumped anything she gave to someone else.
Thankfully Ria spoke up to put a slight halt to it, and surprisingly enough she was using the law to do it. But then again she also wanted to hear about that 'healing' session with the faerie noble, and that only kept Alex flustered. But she also suggested some other places where they may all find some peace, and Alex gave each some consideration. "I'm not sure where we should stay, but I would like to visit Sir Gregor to offer my thanks for his help." And there was nothing stopping them from asking about some bedding once they were there. The only question was whether Alex wanted to mention why she would likely need a place large enough to accommodate them all.
Tassadar
Aescila agreed simply, and Ria and Angelle - the latter only somewhat disappointedly - nodded in agreement. The problem then was how to find it, as even Ria, who was most familiar with the city, had no idea where Sir Andrast lived. She could hazard a guess at the district, at least, and if Alex agreed to follow her hesitant lead she would take them to the quarter where the estates of Therion's higher nobles lived, but what she wished to do from there was up to her. They could wander, or she could attempt to ask a random passerby.
Termite
Following Ria was fine, especially when it came to getting to the proper district, but a blind search was not. Alex was willing to ask a random passerby. "Excuse me..." Then again it wouldn't be that random. While the more affluent were familiar with each other Alex had learned that they tended to be a bit... scattered... when it came to basic knowledge. So she would pull aside someone who looked like a member of a noble's serving staff. "I'm looking for the residence of Sir Gregor Andrast." There may even be a guard wandering around.
Tassadar
After a few minutes Alex would manage to corner a (slightly intimidated) looking man clad in the garb of a butler, though after a few nervous glances he seemed calm enough. "You're a ways off," he replied, "he lives on the Northern outskirts, near the woods. He likes to hunt, I hear... You'll have to go along Blossom Avenue a ways until you hit the Trevon Pavilion. Then turn left, you'll be following the garden walk until you hit his residence a ways down. There are some city guards there, or at least they were there when last I went by. If they've gone, you'll see a large stone building built like a fortress, it's the mansion just after that one, painted mostly blue and white."
Termite
"Very good. I thank you for your help." With that Alex gave her customary nod of the head, and after that they were off. Once they were and had some sense of privacy she spoke up in a more hushed tone. "Do you think we'll have any issue with the guards? I doubt they'll be none too happy to see us, especially considering who he was with when he was injured..."
Tassadar
"They won't be able to do anything but harass us," Aescila supplied confidently, to which Ria added in reply; "They might give us a bit of trouble, but so long as we don't cause any ourselves we should be fine. Just don't let 'em get a rise out of you, Andrast invited us remember." As if to calm Alex, or perhaps simply distract her... Or just out of general perversion, Aescila offered Alex a reassuring smile before giving her rump a sharp smack, the impact causing an audible clap of the same type that she and Lady Albatross had produced the night before in the height of their lust. Angelle again looked confused, but Aescila offered her no explanation and Ria just smirked.
They arrived shortly thereafter at the described building, and thankfully there were no city guards to speak of, merely a doorman dressed in comfortable finery who looked upon the extremely odd collection of women somewhat flatly for a moment after opening the door. "Yes.... May I help you?" he asked shortly, his flat expression remaining.
Termite
That smack managed to get a small rise out of the dragon, and as she blushed once more she turned to offer her Mate a less than serious scowl. "Dammit, Aes..."
Once they did arrive and no guards were to be found Alex pulled herself up to a proper stance as she approached the doorman. "Yes. I am Alexandra Alistar, and I've come to pay my respects to Sir Gregor."
Tassadar
"You'll get more later, don't worry!" the demoness said brightly, her eyes sparkling in a way that made Alex understand that her words were a promise.
The butler at Andrast’s home pursed his lips, but after a brief silence he said; “We were told to welcome you. The lord is resting in his chambers, but said to bring you to him if you were to arrive regardless of his state. If you would leave your shoes, coats, and armaments in the coat room, I will take you to him.” The coat room, as it turned out, was a fairly well locked but cozy room, and her companions did as he asked without complaint, including Ria. It wasn’t like any of them really needed weapons anyway.
Unless Alex had raised a complaint about leaving her things behind, she and her companions would be led upstairs and a short distance through the expansive mansion, and along the way Alex would feel the emptiness of the place. Far too few lived in a place that was far too large, it seemed, and they encountered no one along the way save for another servant who offered them nothing more than a brief glance before passing them by. The servant led them to a set of double doors but stopped there, and after unlocking the doors he turned to them and said; “Sir Andrast is within, with his physician.”
Termite
Alex merely nodded at the need to disarm herself. She hadn't really had any of her gear equipped on herself, and she very much doubted she'd need to have it while she was within Sir Gregor's home. The place was rather large and well kept, though it did seem a bit too empty for her tastes. It made the dragon wonder what kind of social life the knight held if he needed a place this large. But that pondering passed as they arrived at the man's room. When told he was with his physician Alex paused once more. "How long has the physician been here? I wouldn't want to intrude on their work."
Tassadar
"Since he arrived yesterday, though he has come out to eat, rest, and report to us our master's condition. Many hours over the last day," the butler replied calmly, a worried expression briefly appearing on his face before it was hidden behind the mask of stoicism he'd kept up fairly well so far.
Termite
"I see... I guess an intrusion will be necessary." At that she gave the butler a nod before turning toward the doors. She considered knocking to announce her presence, but the sound of them unlocking should have said as much, especially for a knight. But she did ease them open to give the men inside time to react, and a moment later she stepped in.
Tassadar
Entering Sir Andrast's bedchamber, Alex found herself within a chamber that was as large and empty as the house itself, giving the distinct sense of too much space that went perpetually unfilled. The large four-poster bed had no curtains on it, and was occupied by a figure that the dragoness would quickly recognize as a somewhat paler Sir Andrast. He was sitting up however, a plain white shirt with the sleeve of his missing arm rolled up, and though he was speaking to another man who was standing up both looked her way as she opened the door. The standing man, clad in a thick leather coat that looked to have been treated somehow, scowled at her and said; "What are you doing here? You aren't part of the staff." He seemed about to continue before Gregor silenced him with a gingerly raised hand, after which the knight said; "Lady Alistar... I trust you are well?"
Termite
Again Alex was treated to a space far too large to be considered comfortable. Maybe if she'd been born into such wealth she may have more easily accepted such grandeur, but having lived in close proximity to any number of people she came to prefer the presence of other souls. But she wouldn't hold it against Sir Gregor, and as she spied the man she finally saw just how ashen he looked. The physician that was seeing to him appeared rather defensive, and Alex actually liked that. It showed that Andrast had some people that cared for him, and a moment later the man himself called out to her. "Very much so, Sir Gregor." Following that she started making her way to his bedside and offered her hand in welcome, and whether he took it or not she then turned back toward her family. "I'd like to properly introduce my family. Though you've already met her this lovely girl is Angelle..." A pause was given for them to offer their greetings. "And this beautiful creature is my Mate, Aescila."
Tassadar
As she drew nearer, Alex would discover the reason for the knight's ginger movements. His chest was wrapped in a hardened cast, preventing him from moving much of anything above the waist with any haste, likely due to the crushed collarbone he'd received. Even so, he grasped her hand when it was offered, squeezing with a soft grip that spoke of a temporary weakness rather than inherent one. Aescila and Angelle followed, and both bowed quite formally as they were introduced, the motions made by their wings making the act appear all the more elegant. He greeted Angelle with a nod and a soft sentence; "Hello again young one. I was glad to have learned that you escaped the underground unscathed, and came back to our city after being taken from your mother in good health."
Turning to Aes, he reached out a hand to her that the dark angel grasped in return, shaking his hand just as Alex had. “You were freed then? Good. It would be a dark mark on our city if you were harmed for crimes that you did not commit,” he said softly, and Aescila smiled softly and replied; “I am glad of it myself, and hear you had a part to play in it too!” She hesitated for a moment, but then spoke loud and clear; “If there is anything that I can do, after what you did to help my family and I… You need but to ask. If it lies within my power, you may consider it done.”
Her offer caused the crippled knight to purse his lips in thought, but then he shook his head and replied; “What I did was within the scope of my duty. To have done any less than what I did would have besmirched my honor. Magic has done what it can to aid in my healing, now I merely need time and rest, which I don’t believe even you could aid me with.”
Aes nodded in acceptance, and then Sir Andrast turned to Alex and said; “Did you bring Dingroria with you?” The oni, who had remained out of sight in the hall, poked a corner of her head around to peek into the room at the mention of her name, just enough to expose one eye, though one of her horns was plainly visible poking out into the room as well, making her attempt at stealth something of a clear failure.
Termite
"Indeed I did." Looking back she found the oni trying to keep herself hidden within the hall and failing spectacularly. It actually looked rather cute, especially with Ria merely peeking in with one eye. "I'm not sure why she's suddenly become so shy. If I may be a bit crude..." She waited for the knight's response, and if he allowed it she would continue. "Ria, get your ass in here."
Tassadar
Andrast nodded his assent, and a soft smirk played over his face as Alex shouted at Ria. She walked in after a brief moment of hesitation, and once the oni was with the others present around the fallen warrior’s bedside he flatly said; “You were the one who carried me from the catacombs after… I was attacked?” Shuffling nervously, the oni apparently opted for bluntness by replying; “Yeah. You and the ruddy guardsman who put you on the floor in the first place, one on each shoulder.”
Frowning, the knight nodded and allowed the room to fall into a brief silence, during which Ria’s nervous squirming and Angelle’s occasional fidgets were the only distraction present in the room. Eventually, he said; “Then you have my thanks. Were it not for you, both he and I would have surely died down there, eaten by those serpents. As much as I owe Lady Alistar for the breath that I draw, I believe that I owe you more.” The oni was somewhat taken aback by his statement, but after a moment of rubbing the back of her neck the massive woman replied; “Uhhh…. You’re welcome.”
Termite
Still so shy. But she was blunt, and in a way that was a good thing. It would allow everyone else to be just as blunt, and though it took him a few seconds properly process that Andrast was able to give Ria the thanks she deserved in her part in all this. At seeing the giant's reaction Alex couldn't help but smirk, and after a bit Alex gave the woman a firm slap on the back. "Come on, relax a little. No need to be so nervous."
Tassadar
Ria shot Alex a slightly embarrassed glance, but some of the tension seemed to ease out of her at the dragonkin’s prodding. “What brings you here, if I may be so blunt?” Sir Andrast asked suddenly, his voice merely curious. “Are you simply here to check up on me? I’ve been recovering well enough, or so my physician says.” He gave a nod to the man who had faded into the background, whose disapproving scowl had yet to fade, before adding; “I had heard that you two were injured as well, after the final battle, and that Sir Ankieseth and Archmage Aebard were badly harmed as well.”
Termite
"Checking up on you was part of that. And you are correct. Most of us were, and though I'm not sure how Sir Ankieseth is doing I believe Aebard fared the worst of us. But one of the witnesses I called during the trial was an angel, and afterwards she gave him a small miracle."
Tassadar
"Really?" Andrast replied curiously, and glanced at Aescila. "What sort of miracle? I had heard his wounds would leave him permanently crippled." It would be impossible for Alex to miss the slivers of hope present in the wounded knight's voice, but he looked on with a good show of stoicism even then.
Termite
That small spark of hope had Alex regretting that she mentioned Aebard's recovery. What she was going to reveal would most likely crush it. "You know the power an angel can bless on a blade that allows it to cut through armor as if it were paper? That same can be used to restore a broken body to its prime. It's something that only an experienced angel can manage, and though Aes is strong she's still quite young." At least when it came to being an angel. And in a way Alex was saying that Aes most likely wouldn't be able to manage it without directly saying so. Hopefully Sir Gregor would catch that.
Tassadar
Gentle as she'd delivered it, Alex still had to see the glimmer of hope die in the knight's eyes at her explanation. Aescila saw it too, and Alex would in turn feel the woman's empathetic despair. "Ahhh..... Well, it is good that he was able to recover so. As formal and impersonal as he may have seemed in performing his duties, I have known Aebard for a long time. He is a good man." The knight fell silent, but after a moment of enduring that melancholy quiet Aescila could take no more. "There is something that I can do," she said, and then brought in one of her raven wings. A single glowing feather was plucked from her plumage only to instantly regrow, but the offered feather glowed with a power that the new one did not. "I may have the power to help you recover, but I do not have the skill. I can, however, donate that power to one who DOES have the skills needed," she added as she held out the glowing black feather. It was a princely gift, easily worth a small fortune all on its own, and Alex could already see that Aescila was diminished by giving it away. The physician came forward as Andrast looked both amazed and confused, saying in his nasal voice; "She is correct, my lord! With this, restoring your lost arm will take far less time and effort than it would without it." The knight, flabbergasted, looked to Aescila and smiled genuinely for the first time since they'd arrived, and humbly said; "Thank you, milady."
Termite
Alex remained silent as Aes spoke up, but when she saw that single feather being plucked she gave her angel a look. It was questioning and slightly embarrassed, her way of silently asking whether she was truly okay with this since it looked like she was being guilted into offering her power like that. But Aes went through with it nonetheless, and both the knight and his physician looked ecstatic in their own way at the gift they'd been given.
Alex gave the two some time to absorb this boon before she spoke up. "I believe I should strike while the iron is hot, so to speak. Sir Gregor, you offered me board back in the Arena. I'd like to accept that offer with everyone present. But before that I feel I should warn you. I have some debts to pay, and it may become a little, um..." Cue the blush. "...rowdy..." Would he understand? He probably would. "Is that offer still open?"
Tassadar
"Mmmm? Of course of course.... Yes," he said somewhat absent mindedly, but then did a double take that caused Ria to snicker a little as he processed what Alex had said. "Right... There's a suite that isn't used much that should be... Ah... Sizable enough. It's far enough away from me that you'll have your privacy as well, and I can offer another room..." He trailed off and glanced at Angelle, who looked back innocently without understanding his meaning. "Yes.... Peter! Get the family suite readied! And send some mead up here!" he called suddenly, and the butler demurely called back; "Of course my lord." The man's first few footsteps were heard dimly before vanishing into the echoing cavernous halls of Sir Andrast's halls, and once he was gone the knight looked back to Alex and said; "I trust that you won't mind sharing a drink with me? I must take it sparsely with my medicines, but I'm told that a single glass won't hurt."
Termite
She wasn't sure what to make of the offer for the second room, so Alex left that decision up to Aes. She would have asked Angelle, but the girl had that innocent look in her eyes that shot that thought down in an instant. But there was something else with which she could agree. "Of course! I wouldn't turn down a drink with a friend."
Tassadar
"A second room would be lovely," Aescila said lightly at Alex's look, but there was something mischievous about the way she said it that would put the dragoness on edge. Andrast's spirits were quite apparently lifted, and some of his former character returned as they awaited drinks. Unless Alex had any specific questions in mind, he would engage her and the rest in a bit of idle chatter while they waited for the drinks, and once the glasses had been poured and handed out (including one to Angelle if Alex didn't intercede with the servant) he would raise the glass of honeyed alcohol in toast and say; "To my health then, eh?"
Termite
Two rooms seemed innocent enough, but there was something in Aescila's response that had Alex wondering just what the former succubus had planned. But Sir Gregor's uplifted mood was infectious, and that slight bit of mock dread simply faded as everyone simply started to chat. When Peter returned with the drinks not a move was taken to bar Angelle from a glass, and Alex raised her own. "To health." At that she took a drink and waited until everyone had put their cups back down. "And to justice being served." Her glass was tipped toward Aes before she drank some more, and if nobody had anything else they wished to toast then she'd finish it at her leisure. And throughout this she kept an eye on Angelle. The girl didn't enjoy the daiquiri earlier, but considering how she devoured the sweet short syrup maybe a honeyed alcohol would sit better with her.
Tassadar
The call was joined by Alex's companions, including Angelle, and after they'd all had a long sip and the dragoness made her second quip Ria quickly responded; "And then some!" The oni adopted a giddy expression, having downed more than half of her glass in that first gulp, though the tiny crystal container looked practically tiny while she held it to be fair. Angelle had drunk as well, and even though she hadn't looked exactly thrilled at the drink she adopted a thoughtful expression and continued to take the occasional experimental sip. Aes, not much of a drinker herself normally, seemed to like the mead just fine, and Alex had found it to be an excellent stock of the drink she had favored since coming to Therion.
Termite
And for that time Alex simply enjoyed herself. Considering the past 48 hours it was the first chance she'd had to simply sit with her lover and relax without any obligations to worry about, and she was going to make the most of this moment of peace until someone got sick of it.
Tassadar
No one begrudged Alex her opportunity to unwind. They shared their glasses and Andrast offered seconds, the waiter having left the bottle, and despite a frown from his physician the knight had another half a glass himself. Angelle opted to try another half-glass herself, while Aes opted to pass on more alcohol for the moment. Ria, perhaps unsurprisingly, opted to drink a full three glasses, and by the time her third was done she was a good bit more loose than she had been upon entering the room. It was perhaps a tiny bit odd, seeing the huge woman take to alcohol in so small a quantity so easily.