(no need to worry about it )



Aziz translated. There seemed to be a bit of confusion as far as she guessed or a miss translation. In the end Aziz nodded while Jack flexed his previously injured hand.

“He was unclear.” He thought, assembling the right words. “He meant that you must wait.” After some time where they were left to sit there more or less the man spoke again and Aziz told them in was ready now, whatever that meant.

He guided them back towards the tunnel they had passed earlier though there was no red-orange glow. It felt cool. The walls were blue now and the light was a lighter shade of blue. The walls could have been any color she guessed.

“This is far as I go. The fire worms will not be able to enter the tunnel now. At the end of it there is a portal one the floor similar to the one hidden up top in the desert. To activate it all you need to do is concentrate on Brindel and it will bring you to the gate there.”

He looked at the passage for a moment, then glanced back at them and nodded. “Good luck on your endeavor.”

There may or may not have been other passages leading to other portals, who could say. Aziz seemed weary about traveling down this one for some reason, he wouldn't say.

The walls were smooth for the most part and every so often there was a small hole, they varied in size though most ranged between the diameter of a baseball and basketball. These tunnels stretched further into the earth and there was heat from within them. Oddly the heat had not extended into the passage they were in and further in the holes she could see the red-orange glow.

“Fire worms maybe?” Jack sounded uncertain, Naramis shrugged. It sounded good enough for him. Outside of an eerie feeling like they were being watched nothing happened. The passage ended and they would find a portal on the floor surrounded by four pillars.

“OK, seems easy enough.”

“Yeah, almost too easy. Let me look around for any sort of traps first, Never can be too careful.”

While Jack did that Naramis spoke to her. “I can get us into the castle but do you have a preferred method of acting? I may have to act quickly … I would prefer not to second guess myself.”

"I think saying we need to be cautious goes without saying. We don't know what Natalie is telling people but I think we can trust that she hasn't come right out and told them that she sold me to our enemies. She's smarter than that." Her sister had certainly played her for the fool. She left Brindel in her care when she'd dashed off to reclaim her regalia, never suspecting she had orchestrated the whole thing to steal the throne from her. The betrayal still stung. In all these years she'd never guessed her sister's true intentions. "She's a great actress too. She may have convinced the kingdom that I'm dead, or worse, that I've somehow the traitor. We can't just storm in and attack her, we'd look like the enemy and she'd use public opinion to against us. I trust your judgement when it comes to a military assault but we have to be wary of the political angle here too. Let's get to Brindel, find out what Natalie has been telling everyone and move on from there. I... I would prefer to take back my kingdom with as little blood sled as possible."

He had noted all that, nodded then kissed her suddenly tasting her lips though it was brief and done while Jack had his back to them. It tasted good, her lips against his. “Not dead yet, to warm.” A smile, though it wasn't long before he had processed all that information.

“If she's been telling everyone you're dead then nothing prevents you from just walking back in stating your alive. She will know she failed and will hide her activities as best as possible.

“However, if she has been spreading rumors that you are a traitor then that could complicate things. I still can get us into the castle but it will be getting there that may be rather difficult.”

“Hm, difficult?” Jack glanced back. He had not seen anything amiss but was standing closer to inscription on the ground. It was clearer here, not hidden by desert sands. Symbols rung in a circle though the script was nothing she had been familiar with. Certainly it was no language she knew nor did it have the feel of being a language at all, at least not one she had been familiar with by sight either.

“No traps but I think I know where this might go. Trouble is I don't know if I can come back if I go on ahead. I could check things out, I doubt your sister will pardon me.”

Naramis seemed suspicious but looked to the Princess then to him then her again. “He could skip out on us, being back in civilization and all.”

“And I could have done so easily enough already well before getting here. I got the regalia back and the Bridging Stone. Granted, Brindel has more to offer then Sirocco but Uriel would have been just as good.”

"Jack's right, he didn't have to stay with us this long." She gave the thief a grateful smile. He had proven himself to be a great ally during all this. "I trust you, Jack. You have more than earned your pardon in my eyes. Once I am Queen I will make it official."

She looked to the portal in front of them and frowned slightly. "This thing I trust less. I'd prefer for us to go through together. We can't be sure you could come back after going through and I really don't want to get separated at this juncture. You said you believe you know where it goes to in Brindel?"

“I discovered similar runes beneath the city. The capital was built over. Long ago is my guess though I'm no historian or archaeologist so I couldn't tell you much more than that. I was searching for actual monetary treasure or stuff I could sell. Rarely did I find anything though we use to pick through that place so often as kids.”

“So, do you think it would be a good staging ground?”

“Well, if it is one in the same. There should be enough illumination there too. There was a luminescent fungus that was strewn about here and there the last time I was there. Easy enough to scrap some off the walls though we might have a little trouble until we get close to it, maybe holding hands and proceeding slowly but the stuff glows well enough.

“Once there, again if it is the same place, I could check out the situation.”

Naramis had been considering any traces of danger. He had not heard of any stories about an under city but he was considering any sort of danger there. He made a few inquiries as to such.

“No monsters, no dangers that we found of the unusual sort. Our biggest challenge would be getting through the dark and getting some of that fungus. Tripping or stumbling over things would be the greatest danger I think.”

They both looked towards her then. Though it was Naramis that spoke.

“We'll have to seal this area off o otherwise deal with the ruined city least someone get any ideas of moving an invasion force through it. But that's a problem for another time. It doesn't seem that we have much of a choice.”

She nodded in agreement with Naramis' assessment. The underground city entrance was convenient for the at the moment but something would have to be done about it in the future. "One thing at a time. Let's get there first. Jack, you know this place best. We'll follow your lead." She took Naramis' hand and held out her other for Jack. "Shall we go through then?"

It was agreed and both men took a hand each. Moving into that circle they concentrated and there was a flash of blinding white light. When her vision cleared she could see a distant green glow that had to be the walls of the cave.

“Whoa.”

She was a little disorientated at first though her dizziness subsided soon enough.

“Careful.” Jack warned. It took a good deal of time to careful ease their way along. There were times were the glow disappeared in front of her, a building or other obstacle. Jack shifted one way, Naramis another though before long they got coordinated enough calling out directions or just going in the direction that the first one tugged her in.

The glow illuminated a dim light that extended out to thirty feet or so. It was strong enough to see by, not as bright as a torch but not much worse either. She would want to make quick movements but now they could stop holding hands but Naramis had not ceased holding her own.

Getting to the wall Jack scrapped some fungus off the wall giving some to Naramis then collecting some for himself. “Same place,” he looked around and though she was aware that he could not see too much how many subterranean cities where there?

“Sit tight and I can go check this out.”

A few minutes had been spent orientating himself and determining where he was before he left her with Naramis, who was still holding her hand and had a clump of moss in the other that bathed his hand in a soft green light.

“I know of a secret passage into the castle. Your father gave me the information. Should anything happen to you it was a means of getting you out of there. That is our ticket inside. If we still have a shot at this. If not then think about what country you wish to flee to.”

She smiled sadly at her guard, still trying to defend her. She didn't want to think of losing him but it was a possibility. They could all die if this plan went south. "Last chance for us to back out of this and run away together." She felt certain she knew what he'd say to that. Even if they did run, a part of her would always regret it.

"Do me a favor though and try not to get killed. Running away with Jack doesn't sound quite as appealing." Interesting as a life with the thief maybe in the long run, she'd be heartbroken if she lost Naramis. "Though I'm sure Jack would be okay with it." She teased. She would have to be blind not to see Jack's attraction to her and Naramis' jealousy towards him. She honestly couldn't say she was immune to the mischievous thief's charms either. She might have been sorely tempted by him had Naramis not been with her. Shame having two men at once was considered so scandalous. She doubt Naramis would be willing to share her and she didn't want to hurt their budding relationship. But that didn't mean she was above teasing him about it. "I suppose I could grow a custom to it if I had no other options..."

He had a sore look on his face as if he had been sucking on a lemon. Jack was useful but as a man he was in instant competitive mode with him tolerating the rogue for the sake of the mission though he relaxed a bit once he realized she was teasing him, she was teasing him right?

“That thought never crossed my mind,” he granted her a smile. Jack had showcased his talents on more than one occasion and while he was no good at picking locks or pilfering goods he was just as confident with his skills though they were a separate skill set altogether.

“Is that an order? The not dying part? You know ...” He cut himself off as if he realized how corny his next words would be. He then changed the subject away from their mortality.

He did not want to think of things going horribly wrong, they wouldn't, he was determined of that.

“Do you plan on Jack filling any other role after all this or are you just going to grant him a pardon? He seems to be good at his work … very good.” As jealous as he was he certainly recognized talent when it was before him.

Victoria considered answering his first question because, yes, she did mean it to be an order. But she was afraid that might be jinxing it. She didn't want to lose him but the universe could be decidedly unfair when it knew your desire. Instead, she let him change the subject rather than tempt fate. "I honestly hadn't given it much thought." She replied, looking in the direction Jack had gone. "I do intend to grant him an official pardon but as far as offering him a job... I don't know. I have faith in his abilities as a thief but I couldn't really hire him in that capacity. Not officially anyway." Who'd ever heard of a royal thief? "He might make a good spy, I suppose, but do you think he'd accept such an offer?"

“I was thinking more along the spy angel Of course we couldn't acknowledge he was a spy but his skill set would be handy. Or maybe have him on retainer to recover stolen things of high value,” he was throwing it out there making a bit of conversation as they waited though he did not think they would be seeing Jack until tomorrow at the earliest. That would give him time to look around and assess the situation they would be walking into.

“I'm not sure that we would take such a job but we'll never know.” He looked away, then back. “I doubt that there will be anything up to the standards of a Princess but we should be able to find some sort of shelter.”

Drawing his sword he dug into the cavern wall making a mark so that Jack could easily locate them should he return. “I'm afraid our accommodations won't be as good as last night.” He offered his other arm, having to link it with hers since he was still holding the moss. He left a scratch along the cavern wall or scrapped against the walls of ruined buildings when they moved away from it to explore a bit.

There were bats that they could hear in many of the buildings but they discovered an inn that wasn't too bad. Many of the rooms were sealed and some didn't look too bad other then the dust. Some hunting about found extra linen and blankets but there was no food, none that they could trust anyway. There were a few bottles of wine that were still good though, most of the alcohol here had become vinegar.
“
“I'm sorry Pri -” a pause. He still wasn't use to using her name. “Vikki,” another pause to see if that was alright or if he should use her full name in the future. “I should have been better prepared for this.”

She liked his new nickname for her. It was much more relaxed and intimate than Victoria. It made her feel closer to him. It was only a shame Naramis wasn't as easily shorten. She shook out the dusty blankets and spread them out over the old threadbare mattress in the room they'd choose to spend the night in. "Don't apologize, Nar." She tested the name and quirked a questioning brow at him to see if he liked it before continuing. "I am not sure spending the night in an underground city forgotten by time and man is something you can really prepare for."

She finished making the bed and gestures for him to climb in. "Though granted I suppose we probably should have asked for food when before leaving the healer..." A wicked thought came to her as she joined him in the bed. "I guess I could scold you for not thinking of that. Though, I think I better way for you to make it up to me is by giving me something else to eat." Without warning she pushed him back on the bed and set to unfastening his belt. She smirked up at him as she loosened his trousers to reveal his prick and then bent to take it into her mouth.

((Sorry, I got bored of writing short reactionary post. I decided to have her do something bold.))

He had found a lamp and some oil and tinder in the search of the place. There were lots, seeing how this was an inn at one stage. The moss had been set down on a night stand emitting it's glow though the lamp was set a lit.

Nar, he liked the name, though of course he wouldn't let anyone else call him that, he smiled and nodded showing her that it was OK before he joined her at the bed. He thought. There were bats, with some difficulty he might be able to kill a few, use the light to startle them into coming near, swing randomly with his sword as they swarmed he should be able to strike a few though …

He was pushed back, his eyes widened in surprise then he smiled catching on awfully quick. “Your wish is my command ...”

Though even before he had finished those words his member was stiffening and had been quite hard and throbbing by the time he finished those words. His hands grasped her hips lightly to touch her in some fashion. “but do I get to eat too Vikki?”

She came up for breath and chuckled at his question. "Well, of course, I am just as guilty of not thinking to ask for previsions as you. It would be inconsiderate of me not to take care of your nutritional needs as well." She stroked his now slick shaft as she spoke but stopped abruptly to stand up and start undressing. "I'm no expert but I believe I read somewhere that there was a position in which we could service each other at the same time. If you are hungry now, I mean."

He was quite hard, throbbing and gazing at her. “Oh, I like that,” he refereed to her undressing, his eyes lingering on her. He got up off the bed and smiled. He held her hip, brushed the side of her face then the curve of her breast. Fingers lightly brushed over her before drawing away to undress himself.

Naked, he drew her to the bed face to face with him beneath her. He took her lips rubbing her ass with a hand then giving her a playful swat there. Once their kiss ceased he maneuvered her so that they were in proper position, his throbbing member set before her, her sex before him he gave a slow lick along that slit reaching up to press a finger against her clit, circling it as he teased her sex with his tongue sweeping it up and down her slit before pressing it against her, halting, then pressing inside her nice and slow.

His tongue curled one way on the way in and the other on the way out. He set up an even pace, nice and slow. Then all of a sudden his pace picked up as his tongue sank into her depths, his tongue now flicking it up and down now rather than curling about inside her.