And, it seemed that Fie really needed my help very much. Earlier, she had an alternative in the form of Roger, who was ready to fulfill any of her requests. Only, after meeting death, he somewhat lost his mobility. If the companion of the dead asked, he would definitely go further to investigate this case. Only the girl herself understood that he didn't have much chance of success. And while she could still ask for something risky, she could no longer send a person to certain death. Especially since there would be no point in it.
These thoughts flashed through my head while the girl herself gently stroked my back during the embrace.
Because, as usual, I loosened my hands a little, first caressing the girl's soft thighs. And then I tried to go further. And now Fie was ready to allow me more. But I felt that it was not entirely a sincere manifestation of tenderness. Although there was no rejection either.
"Chrono…" the girl quietly whispered when I took her breast.
At the same time, she herself slightly arched, as if making it more convenient for me to loosen my hands.
"You… don't mind?"
"I… it's okay… but, please… close the door…"
"Oh, of course."
Such a turn of events suited me quite well. Although, there was a feeling of some kind of bargain. Even if we didn't say it out loud. I wanted this girl, and she agreed to give herself to me in exchange for my support. Even though she clearly wasn't ready to do this with just anyone. But she needed me too much right now. Of course, she could wait and look for someone else, strong enough and willing to help, but Fie decided to bet on me.
And while I stepped away to close the door to Fie's chambers, the girl herself lay down more comfortably and somehow more erotically.
Any words seemed excessive and simply inappropriate here.
I just returned to her, taking off my robe on the way, to climb onto Fie's bed already half-naked.
"Mgh?" – The girl even moaned in surprise when I grabbed her.
She was already used to the fact that I usually behaved more… meekly. Even when I loosened my hands, I did it carefully, ready to immediately retreat if she showed even a little dissatisfaction. And that's why it was somewhat unexpected for her when I forcefully took the girl in my arms and, leaning down, pressing my body against her soft one, devoured her lips with a greedy kiss.
For a few seconds she tensed, as if she wanted to push me away. I felt slight pressure from her palms. But in the end, she only hugged me tighter, clinging to me in the embrace.
Apparently, she also lacked such closeness, judging by how sensually she moved her hips, practically sliding her quickly moistened pussy along my erection, which was straining my pants, begging to get out, into that juicy hole.
And, without wasting time on foreplay, I simply pulled down my own pants and quickly lifted Fie's dress, to press my heated cock against her crotch. The silk bands with pearls were not a significant obstacle. I simply pulled the fabric to the side, opening a view of the beautiful slit. But I didn't actually look, and simply entered her, parting the soft wet walls of her vagina with my cock.
"Ahh… Chrono…" the girl moaned languidly.
Pressing her to the bed with my body, I began to move, driving my cock into her pussy again and again, sliding in and out, stretching out the sweet feeling of growing sexual tension. In response, Fie also began moving her hips, at the same time pressing her tender thighs against me.
At the same time, I kissed the girl again, forcing her into a passionate duel of tongues. But Fie was too yielding for a duel, and rather just responded to my caresses. Which was not bad either.
Continuing to actively move my hips and practically pound into the girl's pussy, I very quickly reached the peak state, when all that was left was to withdraw from the cozy hole as soon as possible, so that right after, I could flood my partner's luxurious body with my seed, unable to restrain it anymore.
"Hah…"
"Ohhh, a lot…" – Fie even exhaled with some surprise.
Well yes, it had been a while since the last time, a lot had built up.
Leaving the girl's pussy, I pressed my cock against her and, moreover, brought her legs together, after which I shot, pouring hot streams of cum over Fie's body, from her pubis and belly up to her breasts. And, it seemed, even her face caught a bit.
"No wonder you… are so assertive…" she drawled in a seductive tone.
Seductively stroking my torso with her hands, she looked at me with a slightly cheeky smirk. Or, rather, it was an expression of some self-satisfaction. She liked to consider herself so attractive that men simply lost their minds over her.
And after a short pause, just catching my breath, I was ready to lose my head again.
"It's not that, it's just that you're amazing," I nevertheless objected to Fie's statement.
"Huh?"
And I rolled her onto her side, to try a new position.
I only wiped my cock clean of all fluids before entering the girl again.
Practically straddling her leg, I lifted Fie's other leg almost to my shoulder, and in this position I again penetrated her wet pussy. I leaned forward, making the girl arch more strongly, not to the point of pain, but enough to create physical tension, adding a slightly piquant flavor to our intercourse. And for Fie, this turned out to be quite unexpected.
For a while, I just slid inside her with lewd squelching, while holding her breast, enjoying its shape and softness. But, feeling that the girl was getting used to it, I let go of her breast and, sliding my hand down her body, teased her clit with my fingers.
"Ummhh… Ch-Chrono…" Fie's voice trembled.
Unlike me, she hadn't come even once yet.
But now she was closer to it.
"Faster…" she asked.
Only, instead of granting her request, I did the opposite and slowed down.
"Umm…" the girl moaned sensually.
Moisture welled up in the corners of Fie's eyes from the overwhelming feelings that hit her. At the same time, I continued to stimulate her clit, gently stroking her tender folds.
A little more…
And Fie trembled, her whole body shuddering from the fireworks of orgasm.
At that moment, I sped up, starting to furiously pound my cock into the girl's pussy, almost instantly reaching the peak of tension.
"Ahhh…" the girl squeaked as I suddenly rolled her onto her stomach, slipping out of her slit in the process.
And immediately, lifting her dress, I shot my cum all over her back and firm soft butt.
Now Fie also needed to catch her breath. But at the same time, her mood became more playful. Sensing that I was about to go for another round, she turned to me and gracefully leaned in, pressing her crotch against my erection.
"You don't need to… stop…" she whispered, lifting herself up.
Pressing herself closer against me with her juicy breasts, wrapping me with her arms.
"Hm?"
"Don't stop, I won't get pregnant that easily…"
Now I understood what she meant.
And before I could go further, Fie herself pushed me onto the bed and mounted me from above. Of course, I could still throw her off and take the initiative back into my own hands, but I wasn't against letting the woman service me either.
Grabbing her hot hips, I helped her settle in more comfortably.
Fie lifted herself slightly and, taking my cock with her delicate hand, directed it exactly to her slit, then sat right down on it.
"Ohhh…" she moaned, swaying her hips sensually.
At the same time, she erotically stroked her waist and, catching the edges of her dress, lifted it up, baring her beautiful body and ample breasts. Seeing her before me, I simply couldn't resist. And, caressing the girl's seductive curves, I finally grabbed her luxurious breasts, squeezing them in my hands.
She definitely felt it, judging by the way the walls of her vagina clenched around my flesh, squeezing me.
Leaning forward, hanging over me, the girl began moving her hips even more actively, almost bouncing on my cock. Her movements were becoming more and more passionate and impatient. I had enough stamina that, without much effort from Fie, I reached my peak again.
Letting go of the girl's breasts, I grabbed her waist, not letting her ride me further, and practically impaled her on my cock to the hilt, releasing a fresh burst inside my partner.
"Ah… Chrono…"
Cumming inside felt noticeably better.
Although, there was also a special pleasure in marking the girl with my cum, covering her with it.
But while I was ready, Fie clearly wanted more. Not content with just receiving my cum, despite my grip, she pressed her breasts against me even more and still continued to move her hips, even faster. Deciding to meet her halfway, already having released but with my cock not yet softened and not even intending to, I wrapped my arms around Fie, pressing her into a passionate embrace, and began thrusting her tender flesh with my cock insistently again and again, sliding in her pussy at an even faster pace.
Probably, at that moment we looked like rabbits, desperately mating with all our might.
And it bore fruit when Fie trembled again.
"A-ahhh…" – the girl moaned loudly above me.
Letting her go, I allowed my partner to rise and, throwing her head back, moan even louder. I could literally feel the sweet languor overtaking the girl, spreading as powerful sexual relief through her hot body.
I, however, needed a short pause, a bit longer than before.
And then, back into battle…
At the same time, in a neighboring reflection of Elden's reality, in a similar variation of the Roundtable Hold, another companion of the dead was already receiving a new Tarnished warrior in her embrace. He came here after a series of heavy battles and many deaths, seeking a touch of tenderness. Collapsing into the arms of a beautiful woman, he felt peace and emotional calm, brought to him by the blessing of the canopy.
And at that moment, a brief shift of world lines occurred due to another malfunction in the shattered Elden Ring.
"Eh…" – the Tarnished was dumbfounded.
"Umm… that's…" – Fie was sincerely surprised.
They saw the phantom of a Tarnished from another world, who in a characteristic pose was lying on the companion's bed, actively moving his hips, clutching at something invisible to the onlookers.
He blinked, staring at the spectators.
And then the worlds split apart and the vision disappeared.
"Did something happen?" – Fie worried, noticing that I had stopped.
"Huh? No… just… never mind."
Shaking my head, I ran my hand down the girl's back, making her bend forward a little, and resumed my thrusts, continuing to pound her juicy pussy. She was very obedient in this, allowing me to feel like the one in charge in bed. Although, I also noticed that my partner was starting to tire. In stamina, I clearly surpassed her. I didn't even need to cheat with the flow of time to win in bed.
After that, we did it several more times, sometimes returning to already tested positions. Unsurprisingly, Fie preferred those that allowed for embracing.
We probably didn't part from each other for an entire day. Even when Fie was completely exhausted, we just lay together. That itself was pleasant — when a beautiful girl, worn out from sex, simply lay on me and rested.
"That didn't happen before…" – she quietly remarked in a tender voice, stroking my hand.
She was intrigued by the golden markings.
"Well… I got touched a bit by the branches… what you called the power of the Rune of Death."
Fie raised her brows in surprise.
"Yeah, maybe it looks like a pretty tattoo, but it's a scar."
"Oh… sorry…" – she lowered her gaze guiltily.
And, leaning down, she took my hand into hers and kissed my fingers, around which golden vines curled as well. Then she moved higher, covering first my wrist, then my forearm with kisses.
There was a feeling of tenderness and guilty care coming from the woman. As if she was trying to lick my wounds closed, even if they had already healed, just to express her gratitude.
"You're not to blame," I shook my head. "In the end, it was my choice to go there."
"But… only because I asked you. You did it for me…"
"Maybe so. But I was just too careless. Now I'll know that great runes shouldn't be underestimated. I got off with just a scare and learned a valuable lesson."
"All right." – the woman smiled.
And she lifted herself, throwing a leg over me, then sat down on my lap again.
"Oh, let's continue," I grinned in anticipation, gripping Fie's hips.
It seemed this pose pleased her too.
In the end, I had a wonderful rest.
Even managed to sleep in the arms of the girl, which was also wonderful. And honestly, I hadn't felt so good in a long time. So I left Fie's chambers in a high mood, ready for new feats. Only, before that, I admired for a moment the disheveled appearance of the sleeping Fie, who was clearly exhausted. I didn't wake her — let her rest.
Once in the corridor, I immediately heard the ringing of metal.
The blacksmith was still busy with his work.
Out of idle curiosity, I followed the sound to see what exactly he was doing. At my appearance, the half-human paid no attention, seemingly so absorbed in his work that he didn't even notice me.
And, watching his labor, I involuntarily thought about the possibilities of improving my weapons.
So far, the dagger and spear had been created with sand magic, but could even more perfect weapons be made with smithing skills? At least if I used other materials besides my sand. Quality metals. The only problem was that I was no blacksmith. I mean, I wasn't familiar with smithing at all.
I didn't disturb the blacksmith while he worked, but soon he noticed me himself.
"Oh, you're still alive…" – he muttered gruffly. – "Do you need something?"
"Hmm, well, it's more curiosity. Forgive me for such a tactless question… are you a prisoner here?"
I glanced at the chains binding the blacksmith to the wall.
"Yes." – he confirmed darkly. – "Those chains bother you? I'm just a prisoner in the Hold. I forge weapons for you fools. If you want me to work on your weapon, put it here, and I'll begin."
I was curious how he would react.
"Well, all right. Can you do something with this?"
I laid one of my sand daggers before the blacksmith.
"Ho?" – the half-human blinked in surprise.
Taking the dagger, he began to examine it. Confusion was written on his face. The weapon surprised him. But not that he was pleased — rather, he was puzzled at what this even was.
"I don't understand what this material is. This is an unusual dagger…" he muttered. "Hnn… I've never worked with anything like it."
"Well, not surprising," I sighed. "Probably…"
"But I can improve it," the blacksmith said.
"What? How?"
Instead of answering, he just laid the dagger on the anvil, then scooped a handful of pebbles from a bucket nearby. And soon my eyes nearly bulged out. The blacksmith crushed the strange stones and they crumbled, scattering dark and silvery grains of sand onto the dagger.
And then — bang!
A sharp strike of the hammer.
This was no longer smithing, but some kind of magic. The strange substance clung to the dagger, and the half-human got to work.
Stepping back, I continued to watch his actions. He took the dagger with the pile on it and placed it into the forge, starting to pump the bellows.
"Flint…" – he muttered.
But he didn't stop his work.
"What idiot thought of making a weapon out of glass?" – he kept grumbling.
I decided not to confess my guilt.
After some time, the blacksmith took the dagger out and raised his hammer, but hesitated before striking. Or rather, he paused, measuring and calculating the strength, and only after that, putting the hammer aside, he took some monstrous gloves and began bending the red-hot metal with his hands, applying exactly as much force as was needed.
"Whoa, what are those made of?"
"Dragonfire beast hide," the blacksmith muttered.
"I see."
The half-human frowned even more.
"It would be easier to just forge a new dagger, as it should be," he noted.
"Umm, then… maybe we should?"
"I said I'll improve this weapon, so I'll do it!" – the blacksmith stubbornly retorted.
"As you wish."
And he really did something with it. The work took hours, but I was fascinated watching. The prisoner of the Hold somehow fused the glass blade with some clearly unusual metal. As a result, the blade acquired a mysterious silvery gleam intertwined with the gold of amber glass. It seemed that the half-human had invested quite a lot into this, using his best tools and materials. Simply put, it looked like a challenge he had accepted, testing his skills to the limit.
"Hah… done," the blacksmith finally said.
Though, in fact, he had finished earlier, but spent almost another half-hour polishing and sharpening the dagger.
"May I?" – I extended my hand.
And he returned the dagger to me.
The weapon had become noticeably heavier, but at the same time, it felt even more comfortable. Now I clearly sensed that the dagger had gained a certain balance. Despite the greater weight, it somehow felt easier to hold. Simply more convenient. I also checked the edge. The sharpness of the blade was clearly better than any of my sand weapons.
At the same time, the dagger still retained all the power that had been sealed within it earlier. Even more — it seemed the power of sand had begun to seep into the metal and merge with it.
"This is just excellent…" I said, not hiding my admiration.
"Good." – the blacksmith sighed. – "But next time, for such work, I'll need more Somber stones and runes."
"Hmm, right… do I need to pay for this work?"
The blacksmith looked at me as if I were an idiot.
"I'm no merchant, I'm a prisoner," he stated the obvious. – "I don't need your runes, I use them in my work."
"Umm, well, I see, but still, good work deserves payment. Can I help you somehow as thanks?"
"Hnrrr…" the blacksmith grumbled unhappily.
"All right, all right, just thanks for your effort!" – I raised my hands in a gesture of reconciliation.
And the blacksmith calmed a little.
"But that really was interesting. By the way, my name is Cron. Or Chrono."
"I'm Hewg," the half-human introduced himself.
"Pleasure," I nodded. "And right away I want to ask, could I take a few smithing lessons from you? I'd be interested in learning such a craft, or even mastering it."
The blacksmith raised his brows in surprise.
"You want… to learn… from me?"
"Why not?"
"That's…"
Hewg looked quite confused.
"I suppose… it's possible… but… I don't have many materials left. Enough for the work… but for teaching, more is needed…"
"Oh, what do you need? I'll try to find everything."
"Smithing stones. Perhaps they're in the soldiers' stockpiles, in the capital, or in the mines."
Saying this, he took several stones from the already familiar bucket. And then from another, he pulled out similar ones. Only some stones had a silvery shine, while others seemed fairly ordinary. Apparently, just iron ore. No, even in these "ordinary" stones, there was something. In addition, the blacksmith also brought out really ordinary steel ingots. And then a few cobblestones.
"Look… these stones, and these. They're needed for upgrading ordinary weapons. We'll also need ore. And if you find ready ingots of iron or weapon steel, take those too."
"I understand. All right, as soon as I gather it all, I'll come back."
"I'll be here."
"Yes, don't go anywhere."
Frowning, the blacksmith glanced at his chains.
"All right… sorry, poor joke."
"Khmph…" the half-human snorted.
That's where we parted. But my encounters in the Roundtable Hold were not over. Already in the main hall with the Round Table itself, I was caught by Roderika. Or maybe she was waiting for me there on purpose. The girl sat on one of the chairs, her red cloak draped over its back, and was examining the brooch I had brought her. It seemed she was communing with the spirits of knights.
Nevertheless, as soon as I appeared, she immediately set the trinket aside and turned her gaze to me.
"Greetings…"
"Lord Chrono," the girl smiled. "Umm, please… wait!"
Jumping up, she took out a small casket.
"Could you… take it with you?"
"Umm, is this ashes?"
The girl came closer, extending the item to me.
"Yes… this jellyfish… she is lost and searching for her home. But she can help you in battle. I think she'll be better off with someone brave, like you…"
As I stepped closer, I could feel the spirit's presence myself. It was a clear feeling of presence and hesitation. As if the spirit clung to Roderika, perceiving me with some wariness.
"Seems she likes you more," I chuckled.
"But, I'm a coward… and I doubt I'll ever be able to help her. With you, maybe… she'll find what she's looking for."
"Hmm… well, I don't know. I'm not too eager to search for a jellyfish's home."
"Still… you travel, don't you?"
"Well, yes…"
Indeed, I was planning to wander almost all across the Lands Between in search of magical knowledge.
"All right, if only she doesn't mind. Besides, I already have wolves — they won't fight, will they?"
Saying this, I took out the casket with the wolves' ashes and set it on the table.
It seemed the spirits noticed each other and, well, not that they exchanged words, but some interaction occurred. They became acquainted, and no conflict arose; the entities returned to their caskets, losing interest in one another.
"I hear their whispers," Roderika said. "Your wolves don't mind the company."
"All right. Since you insist," I sighed.
And I took both caskets.
Thus, another helper appeared in my arsenal. Well, if the wolf ashes contained three spirits at once, then the jellyfish ashes belonged to a single being. I would have to get acquainted with her later by summoning her.
"Yes, sorry… but I must go already. I've lingered here long enough…"
"I understand," the girl nodded. "Forgive me for distracting you…"
"Oh, no, not at all, I'm only glad to be distracted by you."
"Umm… umm, thank you…" – the girl nodded shyly.
"Yes, if you need anything else, feel free to ask," I said somewhat playfully, taking Roderika's hand.
And leaning in, I kissed her hand, once again feeling like some knight. Well, and I was simply in that kind of mood. Thanks to Fie, I was now very… benevolent. Yes, exactly.