Chapter 12: Lumbering Loot

Note: Thanks to WRC264 for beta reading this. Leywife Monica – The Free City of Raratha

Excitement brimmed in me as we moved down the highway towards Raratha. The city lay before us, its grove of olive trees brimming around us. A wall surrounded the city, the roofs of buildings peeking occasionally peeking over the battlements. On a rise on the eastern side of town, there marched larger estates, the homes of the merchant princes of Raratha and the doge himself living in the Saltspray Palace.

Sir Bryce rode beside me looking gallant in his armor as always. The steel of his breastplate gleamed in the evening sun setting over the tops of the neat rows of olive trees. Traffic flowed with us towards the city gates, a stream of people heading to, perhaps, the largest city in the world.

Trade flowed through Raratha. It teemed with people. Foreigners from every country and land that bordered the vast Nimborgoth, the mighty inner sea. Unlike the oceans, the Nimborgoth didn’t team with dangerous sea serpents and other beasts that could wreak havoc and destroy any foolish enough to sail on those waters.

The only dangers were pirates who sailed the inner sea. Desperate buccaneers who sought to prey on others. Just like those filthy goblins who attacked my temple.

As we approached the city, the guards in their bronze armor were stopping every person leaving. A strange, dog-like monster sniffed at them. It had spiky, fur-like obsidian shards covering its body and large nostrils that flared as it inspected each person before letting them leave.

“Bryce?” I asked. I no longer addressed him as “sir” save in the throes of lovemaking when it made everything so naughty. We were lovers now. The trip through Valya had become almost a dream.

“Black dogs,” he said. “One of the Biomancer Vebrin’s monstrous races. One that people have found a use for. They also call them sniffers. They can memorize a scent and detect it through any attempts to conceal it with other means, alchemical or even magical.”

“They hunt someone,” I said. “I suppose we’re not alone in that sentiment.”

“No we’re not,” he said as we approached the wall. We passed through the gate, the black dog not even looking at us. It had a powerful build, squat. It looked like living stone, its eyes flinty.

“How are we going to find our thief in this city?”

The crowd pressed around us, most on foot. She could smell their bodies, a melange of humanity filling her nose. They had the faint blue tinge to the skin and the red hair of Valyans even though they were independent of the kingdom. Though there was a smattering of brown-haired Secarans and blonde Zeutchians, red-skinned Thlinians and Atholosian with silver or gold hair. Dusky-skinned Hazians and those with the deep-brown coloring of a Halanian. Amid them were halflings, almost lost until they were almost on them, blue-skinned nixies flowed through the crowd. She even saw a tiger-headed rakshasa and shuddered at the cannibalistic monster.

“There are so many people here.”

“You have a hero growing inside of you,” Bryce said.

I smiled and patted my belly.

“A demigod, Monica. Luck always favor them. Things work out for them because of their divine blood. And right now, you’re benefiting from it.” He looked around at all the people. “Tomorrow, we’ll begin our search.”

Illina

Fox smiled at me, twisting the scar on his cheek. “Everything is in place?”

“Uh-huh,” I answered him, feeling the roiling in my stomach. That churning of my acids felt like a flock of ducks happily swam around in there, wings flapping and webbed feet kicking. “It’s going to be perfect. Just be ready to grab the gold.”

“I can’t believe you’re pulling this off.” The halfling crime boss shook his head before he sank down onto his pillows. Reclined, his harem surged in around him, all naked and eager and wet to love their man. Giggles reached him first and just slammed her pussy down on his cock. “Your plan is bold.”

I smiled at him as she watched the deadly halfling moan out in rapture, her head thrown back. “I know. That’s why you want me.”

“So much,” groaned Fox. “You’re an amazing thief, Illina.”

But he couldn’t have me. He stared at me as Giggles worked her pussy up and down his cock and Flit sucked on his fingers. The greed in Fox’s gaze made me want to shiver. He would try to keep me. No matter what happened, he’d find a way to convince me to stay.

“Do you really think you and your women can handle your end of tomorrow?” I asked. Barg was watching Lord Korvan’s estate. The man was fearful. He would move out tomorrow.

“Of course they can,” said Fox.

“You’re not the only one that’s been busy,” said Owl. “We have been moving in the necessary supplies into the sewers.”

“The ponies are so cute,” moaned Giggles. “They’re bred to pull carts in mines. They’re perfect!” She burst into laughter as she worked her pussy up and down his cock.

“Good,” I said. “I don’t want to hear any excuses why you couldn’t get your hands on all that gold.”

“So much!” whimpered Owl. She quivered. “We’re going to be so rich, Fox. No thief has ever stolen one of the merchant lord’s treasuries.”

“Nope,” I said, a surge of pride rippling through me. “I’ll even let you have all the credit. After all, you’re keeping all the wealth.”

“If you bankrupt Lord Korvan,” groaned Fox, the pleasure his women provided thick in is throat, “why would you have to leave?”

Owl leaned down and sucked on one of his nipples. Kitty nestled down to lick at his balls and lap up the pussy juices flowing from Giggle’s cunt.

“What are you saying?” I asked, feigning innocence.

“That he won’t be able to pay the sniffers. Kurg Widowmaker. Suddenly, that reward after you dries up as he gets pulled down into poverty by his creditors.”

“True,” I said. “I would hate to leave Raratha. Plus, I’d get to keep some of the booty, wouldn’t I? I wouldn’t need to pay you to get met out of the city and past the sniffers.”

“Ah, I hadn’t thought of that,” he said, shuddering as Giggles rode him. “Well, that’s a small price to pay to keep you around.”

“Mmm, then I’ll have to make it worth it.” I smiled at him, my hand sliding down my naked stomach to my pussy. I rubbed it as I stared at him, putting all the heat I could into my eyes. “I have grown to love living in Raratha. It is a delightful place and has such interesting charms.”

Fox stared at me with hungry eyes. He licked his lips in invitation. I sauntered to him, moving around his women, and lowered myself to his waiting mouth. I faced Giggles, her wild eyes staring at me as she rode him.

Oh, yes, he wouldn’t ever let me go.

Lady Alloria Valis Korvan

“I don’t have time for another report on your failure to find the bitch,” I snarled at Kurg Widowmaker, my fury at Illina’s actions surging over my dread of the dwarf. “Your excuses are growing tiresome about why you can’t...” My words trailed off at the sight of his brow tightening.

The fear returned to my belly. The terror that this bastard would hurt me.

“Something has changed,” the dwarf said as he studied me. He stroked his hacked-short beard, thick fingers running through the wiry strands of black. “What?”

“The thief you’re hunting is tunneling beneath my estate.” The fury rose inside of me again. The gall of this bitch. “In fact, she’ll probably pop up into my husband’s strongroom in the next few days to rob every last piece of gold he has!”

“I see,” the dwarf said. His eyes flicked to the window, glancing out at the activity. Armed soldiers and my husband’s chief factor were barking orders as naked servants, so they couldn’t steal a single brass coin, were loading the heavy chests into the strong wagon.

The dwarf then whirled around and marched off, armor clinking as he abandoned my sitting room.

I sneered. “If you want, you can wait in the strongroom once it’s emptied.”

He merely grunted and marched out. I wanted to hiss in fury. He wasn’t worth the money I wasted on him. The dwarf’s reputation must be built on his ability to glower and beat women, not on any skill. He had over a week to find one thief.

One damned bitch!

Barg

The sun had just begun to rise when the neigh of horses echoed from the Korvan estate. I lurked in the trees in my hound form, blending in the shadows. I stared with interest at the gates. I’d been waiting here all night. We didn’t think Lord Korvan would move his gold at night, probably fearing the streets would be crawling with thieves.

Soldiers led the way, wearing brass armor and carrying thiefcatchers, long polls with hooks on them not unlike shepherd crooks. Only these had spikes on them designed to bite into flesh and keep a person from moving. After them came the wagon itself. Six horses pulled it, large draft beasts used to carry heavy loads. The reinforced strong wagon creaked. Lord Korvan himself, the fat man wiping at his sweaty brow, mopped at his forehead as he sat beside the driver. More guards with crossbows sat on the wagon’s roof.

I darted from the brush and ran along the side of the road through the cover. My legs stretched out before me. I bounded into a full run, excitement surging through me. I had to reach Illina and let her know. The gold was on the move.

Things would only get more dangerous for us now. We had to be careful.

Leywife Monica

The next morning after we arrived in Raratha, I stood in the alley behind our inn. I slipped my hand into the slit of my robe and slid down my shaved pudenda to my pussy lips. I bit my lip and rubbed at my pregnant twat, focusing on the thief. On finding her. On awakening my blood, which I shared with my growing demigod baby, to find the woman we needed.

Bryce stood beside me in his armor. He watched me, his face a mask of stone. That shield he raised against the world and only lowered in our bed. One day, he would be relaxed at all times. Once we had avenged his wife and my temple. The man I would have wedded and his wonderful wives.

I closed my eyes and thought about the thief. Illina. A clockwork. Pale skin. Red hair. Like a Tuathan, but not human. One of the God Krab’s creations brought to life by the God Las’s seed. The mechanical turned flesh. We needed her. Had to gain her help.

My fingers slid through my folds, pleasure rippling through me. The stimulation felt incredible. My hips wiggled from side to side. I whimpered. My fingers thrust into my cunt. My twat held them tight. The pleasure shot through me.

I felt something as I rubbed myself. Some desire to move from here. I bit my lip and pulled my hand from my pussy. I wasn’t sure what this urge was. If it was even working. I glanced at Bryce and he gave me a slight nod.

“This way,” I said and watched to the mouth of the alley. He clanked beside me, his armor rattling, the straps holding it about him groaning.

We stepped into the flow of traffic. Going right felt better to me than left. People melted out of his way, nodding to the knight. I felt my confidence grow. This would work. Bryce had told me it would. I just had to trust this strange feeling. I felt so certain as we reached the next major intersection. I took us right, taking us east across the city.

We would find the rogue.

Illina

Barg padded up to me, slinking along the edges of the traffic flowing up and down the street. It was narrow, large tenements rising around the people using the street. The building I leaned again caused more problems for the traffic. The scaffolding supporting the brickwork to repair damage to its face thrust out into the road, forcing those to move through a narrowed lane. A bottleneck.

I smiled and glanced up the street from the direction he came, studying things. Everything was in place. The distraction rigged. I rolled my shoulders as Barg stopped before me and sat down. My eyes drifted to the middle of the road and stopped on a heavy manhole cover not unlike the one I’d slipped into when fleeing Kurg Widowmaker. Now we just had to wait for the wagon. I had it all planned out. The flock of ducks playing in my stomach acids churned it up even more.

I always felt these nerves before a complicated operation. Things could go wrong. What would those be? There was a chance the wagon didn’t go down on the route I expected it to take. But that seemed slim. Lord Korvan’s main warehouse lay farther down this street. The wagon would be hard-pressed to navigate other streets in this neighborhood. They were even narrower. I expected to see the wagon turn onto this road two blocks from here.

The alchemical explosives could malfunction.

The wagon could stop in the wrong spot.

The guards could realize what was going on and stop the robbery.

A random citizen too nosy for their own good could notice something was amiss and create a disturbance that would stop the wagon from reaching the right position.

Lord Korvan could have another destination for his gold than the most likely spot. Unlikely, but the worry rippled through me. I needed this to plan to work. Fox had to luxuriate in his gold. He had to be overwhelmed by all the wealth while Lord Korvan had to stop paying for the sniffers at the gates and docks.

So long as Fox didn’t suspect me, I could slip out of the city.

I whistled as the eagerness swelled in me. I rested a hand on Barg’s head, stroking him the way a woman would her pet. He turned his head and licked my hand, bathing me with his hot fingers. It was a comforting gesture.

The crowds thinned. The traffic grew smaller as those who left for their morning jobs abandoned the neighborhood. I smiled. Barg blurred into his human form, rising naked beside me. He bent down to pull on a toga. He leaned behind me, humming with me. His hand brushed my rump, giving me a playful squeeze.

“They will come here, Illina,” he said. “Fearful men do not take risks, and you will know that nothing makes a rich man more terrified than threatening his wealth.”

I laughed as he spoke my mother’s third rule. “Indeed.”

“Have you given any thoughts to our next problem?”

“Many. Fox is going to want to keep us on a short leash,” I said. “He’ll have his own watchers to keep an eye on us. He won’t want us getting anywhere near the city.”

“How long before an unfortunate accident befalls me?” Barg asked.

The words shivered through me. “It’ll be on a job. Something will go wrong in just the right way for you to be eliminated.”

“This one?” he asked.

I shook my head. “He wants this gold too much. He has ambition. The merchant lords of Raratha have a veneer of civility, but they will welcome any who have the money to buy off their past. He’ll take down Lord Korvan and in a few years, well, he’ll be living in the man’s estate.”

“And maybe another merchant lord might have a similar fate?” asked Barg.

“We need to guide him to that,” I said. “A job at one of the manors by the wall. When things are supposed to go wrong, well, we’ll make sure they go wrong in a way that gets us over the wall and out of the city.”

“We’ll be running for a while.”

“That’s a problem we’ll have to face.” I took in a deep breath. “First, we have to get Lord Korvan’s gold into Fox’s greedy hands. He’ll be reveling in it for a few days. He’ll keep us close. He won’t want us out of his sight. For our protection, of course.”

“And to enjoy your body,” Barg said. His hand gave my ass a possessive squeeze. “I have never been the jealous type, but my teeth greatly desire to rip out his throat. It would be the most marvelous sight.”

“He’s got some sort of enchantment on him. I don’t know what, but that would be a mistake. Besides, Giggles would stab you in the back. She’s too good.”

“Pity, we can’t use Kurg on fox.”

Just as I started to laugh, the stomp of heavy boots and the clop of hooves cut me off. I glanced up the street to see the armored guards rounding the intersection two blocks away. I straightened. Bronze breastplates flashed. Thiefcatchers thrust high in the air. I pulled the small marble out of my pocket. Made of an alchemical substance compressed together to make an explosive that detonated on impact.

Just enough of a boom to set something larger off.

The first of the horses appeared. They labored to pull the wagon. They took the turn wide. For a moment, I feared they wouldn’t be able to make it. The lead team of horses came close to hitting the wall. The wagon lumbered around the corner. Its axles squeaked and protested. Lord Korvan sat up front, watching his money. Crossbowmen sat uselessly on the roof.

I smiled as my mother’s eleventh rule echoed through my mind: Why go to the loot when you can manipulate the loot to come to you?

A block away, I flicked the explosive marble at the alchemical charge I’d set on the scaffolding. It struck it. The small burst set off a large thunderclap. The guards stiffened ahead and looked for the source of the sound. The teamster driving the wagon hauled in the reins. Lord Korvan stood up, shouting as smoke dust rippled from the scaffolding. It creaked and groaned, swaying over the road as it began to collapse.

“Run!” I shouted at the few people in the street. I didn’t want to hurt anyone. “Run! It’s collapsing! Get away!”

A woman shouted and scooped up her child. She ran down the street as the wood began falling. Men darted right and left. Other children raced for cover. The broken scaffolding crashed into the street. Splintered pieces burst in every direction. Dust billowed as the makeshift barricade blocked the street and trapped the wagon. It was too big to turn around. To unwieldy to back up.

Lord Korvan screamed, “Get that rubble cleared! Be on watch for the thief!”

I smirked and leaned against the wall. I wouldn’t be going anywhere near them.

The guards were bristling around the wagon, staring in every direction but where they needed to look. None of them noticed manhole cover slowly and carefully being raised. It lay in the shadow of the wagon. It slipped to the side, giving access to the bottom of the wagon. Fox’s women would let the gold out the bottom of the wagon.

They better hurry.

I turned to Barg, my mouth open to suggest we move when all the fluid in my veins froze solid at who approached us. A chill rippled through me. Over the clatter of the scaffolding’s collapse, I hadn’t heard the heavily armored dwarf moving up behind us.

Kurg raised his warhammer. I screamed.

Barg

The fear flashing over Illina’s face launched me into action. The air whooshed behind me. Something hurtled down at me. I started to turn. I caught a blur of motion.

Pain exploded across my back. The impact threw me forward into Illina. Something snapped in my spine. I felt the vertebra pop. A numbness seized my legs. I howled as I crashed into my lover. She stumbled backward, struggling to hold me, but my weight slipped through her arms.

I hit the ground. A numbing terror rippled through me. My fingers clawed at the cobblestone. I struggled to move my legs, but they didn’t want to work. Pain radiated up my spine. I coughed and groaned.

A boot planted on my back between my shoulder blades. I smelled metal. Rage. “Got you, you thieving quim!”

“Run!” I shouted at Illina as she backed up, horror paling her face.

Illina

I backed away, struggling to gather myself. Barg thrashed on the ground, his face twisted in pain. His words shouted through my ears. Kurg Widowmaker flashed me an evil grin, whiskers framing this thick lips. He stepped up on Barg, putting all his weight on him.

My lover’s pain choked off as the air rushed out of his lungs.

Kurg’s heavy boot stomped on the ground. He held his war ax in his right hand and the warhammer that had crippled my lover on the left. I reached the middle of the street, cold fear pumping through my circulatory system by the rapid rhythm of my heart. I had to focus. I had to think.

“Going to enjoy this,” Kurg said. “I’m going to sew that pussy shut before I drag you to the bitch and let her skin you.”

Tears stung my eyes. Barg lay injured. Maybe dying. The Warhammer had hit him hard. I’d heard the crack of bone breaking. This damned dwarf serving that foul bitch had harmed the only thing left in my life worth anything.

I wasn’t going to run. I was going to kill this damned dwarf. I would make him regret every taking this assignment before I watched the life dwindle from his black, beady eyes. My hand darted into the pocket of my robe.

He launched at me in a charge.

I threw the sticky bomb at him. The alchemical vial smashed across his armor. The substance blossomed into a white-brown mass of foam. It surged over his body, a thick, syrupy substance that would foul up his legs and arms. He would be left immobile. At my mercy. I would kill him at my leisure.

He burst out of the foam. It slid across his armor, not clinging to it. The gunk slipped off of the metal plates like water running over oilcloth. In that flash of insight, I realized he’d alchemically treated his armor to keep from being stuck again.