Reconciled with Aisling, Nash spent most of the first week with his head down, focusing on his studies. He'd never been a particularly diligent student, but he was determined to succeed. He tried his best to start the year off with a head start. He tried to keep his books in order, asked Aisling for help in managing his timetable and asked Nastasya for help with some taxing math problems.
All in all, he didn't have much time to think about the strange angel, Tempest, or the ramifications of that encounter. Maybe he didn't want to think about it. Besides, hadn't she told him to go out there and chase destiny? Nash wasn't sure what that meant exactly, but this seemed like a good start.
Saturday rolled around, and its morning brought his first D&D session with it. Nash helped Aisling set up a few pieces in what used to be the attic, but had been converted into a comfortable drawing-room.
Sandro whistled as he entered, arm in arm with Pavla. "Damn Ays, why were we always playing in my basement? Your place is incredible!"
Aisling smiled, scoffed and didn't say anything as she set up behind her DM screen.
"I like the decor," Pavla chimed.
"Mom has good taste," Aisling said, as she began preparing a character sheet for Nash.
"She's a fashion designer, right? Is she here?" Pavla plopped herself down onto a cushion.
"No, she's always travelling, managing catwalks and whatnot. Anyway, let's start!" Aisling had good taste but didn't care much for high fashion.
Sandro connected his phone to the sound system and began to play some tasteful ambient music, and before long the entire party were sat on the floor around a low table. They made themselves comfortable on the thick rug, surrounded by cushions and scatter pillows. The windows had been thrown open, letting in a cool morning breeze.
"When we left off, you had just returned to Queen Ieysa's court, having completed a quest for her."
"And she STILL won't tell us where the jewel is," Sandro complained.
"Well, the good news is that help has arrived. As you stand in the queen's court, you are approached by a new adventurer!"
Everyone turned to look at Nash.
"Uh," he stammered.
"Introduce your character!" they all pleaded.
"But, what is my character?" Nash asked.
"Whatever you want to be! I'm Sylvian, the elven bard," Sandro said.
"And I'm Petra, the tiefling warrior," Pavla smirked, flexing her skinny biceps and rattling her many beaded bracelets.
Sandro liked music, so it made sense he'd be a bard. But Nash was surprised that Pavla played a warrior. Perhaps there was a side to the girl he had yet to see.
Nash took a look at the archetypes, and one, in particular, spoke to him.
"I'll be a roguish assassin, named… uh. Nikolai." Nash followed the trend of naming his character with the same first letter of his own name.
"What's his race?" Aisling began scribbling on the character sheet.
"Human."
"Pfft. Boring." Sandro laughed.
"Here, you're still level one." Aisling handed Nash the sheet, and after explaining a few rules and deciding on his starter gear and abilities, he was ready to go.
"You're approached by Nikolai, the human assassin, who offers to help you in your new quest."
"New quest?" Pavla asked. Aisling cleared her throat and stood.
"Adventurers," she began to pace around the room. Nash became very aware that she was barefooted and wearing nothing but jean shorts and a yellow tank top, and the display of skin was far too alluring, to say nothing of her massive boobs, their shape almost entirely moulded through the thin fabric. "A group of bandits is holding a noble hostage. They demand a ransom. My army cannot be seen, or they will execute the hostages." Aisling spoke in the lofty voice of Queen Ieysa.
"Besides," she began to pace around the room. "My husband, the king," her voice dripped with malice. "Refuses to send the royal guard. You're an assassin of some renown, are you not?" she stood over Nash and began to rub his head delicately, fingers scratching at his scalp. "Show me what you can do."
"And then you'll tell us where the jewel is?" Sandro, or rather Sylvian the bard asked.
"As I said before-"
"You'll tell us where the jewel is when you're satisfied." Sandro and Pavla chorused.
"We understand each other then," Ailing's voice dripped with sovereignty. She flicked a finger across Nash's jaw before heading back to her seat.
"Right. Let's go kill some bandits," Nash said, desperately trying to hide his massive erection.
***
For an hour more they played, as Aisling described their traversal across the city of Aufhym, through markets and city streets packed with horses, peasants, and soldiers armed with sword and shield. And behind it all, a criminal underbelly, hidden just out of reach, scheming and plotting.
Nash was amazed at Aisling's ability to tell a story. She'd close her eyes, and let forth words that washed over the mind and left a vivid image in their wake. Nash could scarcely remember the exact choice of vocabulary she offered, but the image left behind would stick with him forever.
Eventually, they tracked the bandits to a mansion just outside the city. It was isolated, and the sun was beginning to set. A perfect time to attack.
"How many bandits are there?" Asked Petra, the hulking brute of a woman. Her skin was a sooty tinge of red, burning for a fight. Her twin blackened horns added to her devilish charm.
"Roll for perception," said Aisling. Pavla rolled her twenty-sided die.
"Nine."
"You can see at least three through the windows," Aisling said, adjusting her round spectacles. They paused for a moment, considering their actions.
"Well, Nikolai, you're the rogue. This is a stealth encounter. You call the shots." Sylvian pulled out his lute and played a tune, his elf ears echoing its beat.
Nikolai was inexperienced but saw this as an opportunity to take charge.
"Sylvian. Do what you do best, distract them with a tune while I sneak through the back and free the hostages. Once they're free, or if the plan goes sideways, I'll give the signal. We go loud, Petra rushes in and gets to hit things with her greatsword.
"What's the signal?" Petra asked, voice dripping with anticipation.
"Three short whistles, followed by a long one," Nikolai said.
"Okay," Sylvian began strutting towards the front gate. "Let's do this."
***
Nikolai had managed to sneak to the rear of the mansion and was hiding in a hedgerow when Sylvian began to apply his distraction.
"Wondrous Jaimes we come a 'merry
Likes make like harpies
Let's pick some berries!"
"Who the bloody hell is singing?" Aisling said in a drawling imitation of a bandit's voice. "Take two guys and go see what's going on."
With the house mostly cleared, Nikolai used his grappling hook to quickly ascend to the second floor and vaulted through the open window. He was soft-footed and the old wood barely creaked underfoot.
"Three bandits are outside with Sylvian. You can see one more downstairs with the hostage, a cloaked woman."
"I attack the bandit!" Nash yelled.
"Give me a stealth roll, and add your modifier."
"Eighteen!'"
Nikolai threw himself over the railing, dagger coming free of its sheath. In one quick motion, he sliced the bandit through the shoulder, killing him instantly. Nikolai gave the signal as he began to cut the cords on the hostage's wrists. Three short whistles, followed by a long one.
The sound of singing was replaced with Petra's warcry, followed by the sounds of steel cutting through flesh. The front door was kicked open, and there stood Petra and Sylvian. Swords bloodied as they stood amongst three dead bandits.
"Mission success." Nash dusted his hands.
"Not so fast," Aisling gave a sly grin from behind her screen and rolled a die. "There's a puff of smoke and Nikolai gets thrown to the ground. He takes three points of damage. A bandit was hiding upstairs and was waiting for the chance to strike. He holds his blade to the noblewoman's throat."
"Can I get him with my throwing knife?" Nash found his hands gripping the rug.
"You can try, but you'll need to roll really well." Aisling had a mischievous glint in her eye.
"Damnit," Sandro brought a fist down onto the table. "We need to save the noble to get Queen Ieysa's favour. We need that jewel!"
Nikolai rose slowly. "You're just after a ransom, right? Do you want a random nobleman or a prince?" The bandit scrunched his face in confusion.
"Where the bloody hell am I gonna find a prince?" he roared. He shook, jittery with nerves.
Nikolai tossed a solid gold medallion on the floor between them. "Recognise that seal? I'm Prince Nikolai of the Eastern Realms."
"The runaway prince? Who hasn't been seen in years? You're a far, far way from home."
Nikolai undid his belt and dropped his weapons to the ground. "Yes. That's me"
Aisling took a deep breath and rolled. "The bandit drops the noblewoman, and grabs Nikolai, blade to his throat.' With a catlike pounce, Aisling jumped across the table and tackled Nash. After a scuffle, she wrapped her legs around him and pointed a pen to his throat. Nash was all too aware of her enormous breasts sandwiched against him. He feigned an escape, trying halfhearted to wrench her legs off of him. He ran his hands over her smooth calves, and let them rest on his sister's supple thighs.
"The bandit begins to back out towards the front door." Aisling's breath was in Nash's ear, he squirmed in mock protest.
Nash whistled. Three times, followed by a long one.
Petra rushed forward with her greatsword, throwing her full weight behind an attack. Blood, sparks and steel arced through the room. There were two thuds on the wooden floor. The bandit's mangled body, and Nash's arm.
"Holy shit! I lost an arm?" Nash squirmed in Ailsings grasp, quietly hoping she wouldn't let go. Wishing Petra and Sandro weren't here so he could enjoy this forbidden embrace properly. He was hard as a fucking anvil.
"Yeah, sorry. My roll wasn't that great." Pavla winced. "Sylvian can try to heal you! He's a bard and he's supposed to be good at that, but he tends to forget."
***
Much to his dismay, Aisling let Nash free of her grip and they continued playing for another hour. But Nash couldn't stop thinking about how good it felt to have her wrapped around him like that. He couldn't keep his eyes off her pale body. If she was purposely teasing him, she had him in the palm of her hand. And yet, she had made it clear that she didn't want to take things further.
Sylvian had managed to suture his wound, and the party was about to return to the queen's castle when the sun began to set in Thorne Bay. Had they really been playing all day?
As they slowly stood up, Aisling offered the guests a chance to stay for supper, but Sandro and Pavla both said they had errands to do. Nash suspected the only thing they were rushing off to do was each other.
"This was brilliant." Nash picked up a stray die after the other two had left. "You're incredible at storytelling. I sometimes forgot we were playing a board game. It's like we were actually there."
"Which part did you like best?' Aisling gathered her books and scattered sheets of paper.
"When the bandit grabbed me. That was really intense. I was really into that." His voice dropped a step or two.
Aisling smiled, then upon seeing Nash's smirk, frowned. "That was fun, but it was just a bit of horseplay." she began to whisper. "We agreed. We can't have a relationship."
"I…" Nash began. "Yeah. Yeah, I know."
And with that, Lourde called them down for supper.
###