Framework of the Frontier, Sain Artwell [read me a book .TXT] 📗

“Yeah.”

“You certainly may.”

Ember sat on his right side. Rulu’s tail slipped over his leg to touch her thigh affectionately and William noticed Ember giving it a little rub in return. It was cute as hell, making him grin.

God, I want to make this work.

I wanna make them happy.

William continued, “I was saying, no. I was already embarrassed to talk about how I liked sex or about politics or well: Dumb stuff. Never swore my life to anyone. I don’t think I could’ve ever gotten to that point. Getting close to someone felt like pulling teeth, or like dancing on a minefield.” He shook his head at the memories of failed forays into love and washed them down with a spoonful of Ember’s soup. “I don’t know why it’s easier now. Maybe it’s thanks to the blessings giving me a shortcut, but with you two I feel safe. I feel like myself.”

The last words clicked something in his heart.

Ember nuzzled against his shoulder, murmuring softly, “Me too. I’m happy you found me.”

“While I too treasure the moments we have shared, beware of that power,” Rulu said, a solemn timbre in her voice. “A glimpse of a soul gleamed through magic is but a shallow glance.”

“I don’t think so. Little things add up,” Ember said with a friendly grin in her eyes. “Besides, according to Antraie’s theory of soul: Love is a type of magic.”

William spit his soup out through the nose. “Sorry, I wasn’t laughing at you.”

“You were.” Ember frowned.

Rulu joined the accusing frown. “He was. And it was indeed rude.”

“Sorry.” William’s eyes watered as he attempted to cough a chunk of meat out of his nose. “We have no magic where I’m from, but that’s one thing people were saying back home too. Yeah, it’s goddamn magical and I’m glad you two are giving me a chance to put you under the spell.”

Both of the girls blushed bright red and the evening turned from giggly to flirty to — by the time they set up sleeping spots — gropy.

Sounds of fucking came from behind the wall where Orien and Trotto ‘slept’, so William, Rulu, and Ember figured they might go for a quickie before slumber. First, he fucked Ember while Rulu lay atop her, licking both his cock and the faun’s clit. With Ember’s cunt well and thoroughly used, he gave it to Rulu while Ember muffled her orgasms with her tush.

The mists in the city below thinned, when their camp began to awaken. William guessed that it had something to do with the Dreaming having extra dreamstuff to spare while people were dreaming.

After breakfast, they checked out the doorway of the ‘opposite’ facet of the square — a door through which golems came and went.

Peeking through an archway large enough to fit a bus through in any angle, William saw the source of the golems, as well as his goal.

The hall was of cathedral-esque proportions. Intricate statues of sphinx, dragon, human, and a hundred other creatures decorated the walls. Their unmoving heads bowed in reverence towards a rich ornate circular platform, on which stood a tall muscular female angel. Her skin was deep red, metal glimmering with a silky matte finish that would’ve made Michelangelo jealous of carving skill. Likewise, her ass and assets would’ve made an instagram model green. From her head cascaded long feathery hair, which merged with the plumage of two wide wings wrapped draped around her body in the resemblance of a long gown. Horns protruded from the sides of her temple, joining over her head in a semi-halo. William would’ve thought she was alive if not for confirmation from both Rulu and Ember to claim otherwise.

At the back stood a massive rectangular slab, which did not match the Maze in material nor in design. Arcane symbols glowed a gentle pink on its surface, outlining the shape of a golem near the base. On its surface moved a number of golem cores, jerking and twitching around like tiny laser shooting magical security cameras.

Piles of loose rocks and beautifully crafted enormous stone coffers littered the floor. Some were empty, others contained more rocks or bones, but some were piled to brim with shiny bits and bobs.

What caught William’s eye, and made his heart leap, was a red metallic stick poking out of a nearby coffer. It matched every line and contour on the diagram given to William by Letter King.

This was it: The key to Rulu’s freedom and Willliam’s reunion with his old friends.

“Aww yes. It’s so close,” he whispered, pulling away from the corner.

Orien frowned. “And yet, so far.”

“Eight active golems and an active golem forge.” Eren tilted his head from side to side as he scratched his goatee. “Sweet loot with a high chance of death. The eternal adventurer’s dilemma.”

“Ember, any ideas for how to approach this?” William turned to the furiously sketching faun. “Ember… Ember?”

“Yes, I love you too, core room.” She flipped a page and licked her pen, continuing to jolt down notes while mumbling to herself. “…an Iram made golem forge…” More furious pen scratching. “…source of the ancient kingdom’s power? Religious implications? That’s a possibility. She could be a forgotten god… Oh!” Her floppy ears twitched upright as Ember blinked in realization. “Sorry Will, what did you say?”

William repeated his question.

Ember’s brows furrowed. She tapped a hasty sketch with her pen. “There are magical energies active throughout the room. The golems, the forge, and piles of items they’ve gathered have patterns reminiscent of the ancient magics of Iram. Magical energies of the central platform resemble that of the doors, but its energies lie dormant, I think.” She gave him an apologetic shrug. “They’re perfection to the point of being incomprehensible. It could be another door deeper in, or it could be a trap.”

“Gee, I love hopping