The trading post, if it could be called that, was desolate. Just four rickety shacks surrounded by various boxes and containers. Since Jonathan had arrived the only sign of life he had seen was a couple of tired looking traders leaving with a wagon. A gust of wind carried a chill through the air. The breeze whistled between the buildings and shifted them on their foundations. The distinct smell of musty wood grew as they approached closer.
"Well, this place is quaint." Jonathan said as he inspected one of the shacks. "I was expecting something a bit more country town and a lot less Silent Hill." He kept his magical spear close.
"Silent Hill?" Saikhi looked at her master in confusion, which was becoming a habit for her. "Is that somewhere near Gotham?"
"Hey, good question. They are pretty similar places if you think about it." Jonathan before Jonathan could ponder the possibility of a Batman-Silent Hill crossover, the creak of an opening door brought him back to reality. A middle-aged man with tanned skin appeared from the entrance of one of the dilapidated shacks.
"Greetings!" The man called out in a soothing voice. "Please, come in, come in, despite the look of the place we are very much open for business." The man looked much cleaner than his surroundings. His fine clothes made him appear out of place.
"Talitha, Saikhi, keep an eye on this guy." Jonathan whispered. "I don't trust him." They approached the man who beckoned them inside. Jonathan uneasily stepped over the door's threshold.
A burst of colours and light shone from inside as soon as he crossed. The store was immaculate, shining with golds, silvers, fine fabrics, and various weapons and armours. The walls and furniture were spotless and the only dirt that was to be seen was the stuff that Jonathan and his companions had tracked in.
"Sorry about the deception." The man chuckled. "It pays to be careful around these parts. We are near the highway, you know." The man walked behind the shopfront's counter. "Most bandits tend to judge a book by it's cover."
Jonathan stood there speechless.
"Oh, my apologies, where are my manners?" The man continued. "I am Aldo, welcome to Aldo's Antiquities and Artisanry. We have the finest wares south of the border."
"Uh." Jonathan rubbed the back of his neck. He was still trying to comprehend the situation. "Hi, I'm Jonn and these are my companions Saikhi and Talitha." Jonathan motioned to them. They were similarly entranced by the spectacle they had just witnessed.
"Nice to meet you Jonn, and what lovely ladies you have accompanying you, I must admit I would be a tad jealous if I wasn't so surprised to see a forestfolk this far north." Aldo looked at the intricate patterns covering Talitha's body. "How very exquisite."
"How did you do that thing just now? Are you a sorcerer?" Jonathan asked. If Aldo was a sorcerer, maybe he could convince him to share how he did this kind of magic.
"Oh my, no." The man shook his head. "This was simple smoke and mirrors. Carefully placed lights and well covered windows are all I need to hide my valuables from random passers-by. No need for illegal magic here." He heartily chuckled.
Jonathan looked around and noticed that the windows to the store were indeed covered up by heavy black boards and a large silver mirror reflected by the side of the entrance. This guy could have made a fortune doing performances back on Earth. Sadly, in a world with actual magic, his talents seem a bit wasted.
"Ah, I see." Jonathan said as he and his group recovered from their initial shock. Aldo seemed nice enough, if a little bit eccentric. "Well, we were hoping to sell some of our wares here, and perhaps pick up a few things." Jonathan browsed the various knickknacks on the table next to him. He had to keep up appearances.
A moment of panic set in as Jonathan realised that he used their real name when he introduced himself, the dazzlement had taken him off guard. He quickly tried to regain his composure. 'Too late to do anything about that now.'
"A fellow merchant I see. I am glad to see another kindred spirit still making the effort to travel the roads towards Rainfell. That military outpost they set up has been doing terrible things to my bottom line. Halved the amount of traffic coming through this way." Aldo pulled out his ledger. "Let's see if you have something I am looking for."
Jonathan spent the next fifteen minutes selling off some of the wares he had brought from Cliffside, as well as picking up a few bolts of fine silk and linen. After all was said and done, Jonathan had a total of around 10 crowns and 20 bits, just over the amount that was given to him by Lily when he arrived in this world. He was finally in the black. Although in Earth terms he was only about 10 bucks in the black but a profit was a profit. Throughout the transactions he couldn't help but notice the shop keeper's eyes wandering back and forth from Talitha. It seems that he had taken a liking to his heldran companion.
In the meantime, something else had equally caught Jonathan's eye. A set of thin metal armour that looked lightweight and flexible. The tag below it read "Starmetal Plate. 10 crowns." Saikhi informed Jonathan that starmetal was an extremely lightweight and strong metal. The price displayed was probably a bargain considering it's quality. With the amount of recent run-ins Jonathan had with sharp pointy objects, it made sense to grab something to get in between his vital organs and those sharp pointy objects.
"Now that we have dealt with the smaller things, how about we talk about some larger items." Jonathan continued. "I have about a dozen forrin waiting outside and two cren that I need to part with."
"Forrins?" Aldo looked surprised. "Forgive me, it's just that you don't look like a noble."
'Fuck'
Jonathan remembered that the sale and trade of forrin were limited to nobility and military personnel except under special, Empire approved, conditions.
"I have a special exemption." Jonathan lied.
"Oh but of course, could I see the forms?" Aldo asked kindly.
"I… um, may have lost them." Jonathan stumbled. This was not going well. Aldo began to look at Jonathan with squinted eyes. Aldo's suspicion only lasted a moment before he ceased his squinting and smiled.
"I am sure we can come to some sort of arrangement." Aldo continued. "I am a shrewd businessman and I have noticed you have taken quite the liking to that piece of armour on the wall. It is a fine piece, straight from the Capital Forges of Heartland. I also suspect the forrin in your care are not originally yours."
Jonathan shifted his weight uneasily.
"No need to panic." Aldo laughed. "You may have noticed that I, myself have quite the infatuation with your travelling companion, Lady Talitha was it?"
Talitha's hand reached down for her hatchet before remembering her chieftains words. He didn't like unnecessary violence and she didn't want to get scolded like she did when she knocked out the priestess-protector.
"Go on." Jonathan nodded. He was pretty sure he knew what "deal" Aldo was going to make.
"How about we make a deal? I will take the forrin and cren off of your hands, you can take the starmetal plate and when the next patrol comes through, I will play dumb."
'Wait for it.' Jonathan thought expectantly.
"The only catch is that I would get to spend an hour with the lovely heldran beauty you have accompanying you." Aldo looked over to Talitha as he said that last part.
'There it is.' If this was an Isekguy Studio's game back on Earth, Jonathan would have no qualms with giving an answer: A big fat yes. Just the thought of his companion pleasuring another man was getting him excited. But this wasn't a game. He couldn't just order Talitha to do that. Life and death situations were one thing, but this was just a transaction.
Talitha looked over and noticed the growing bulge in her chieftain's pants. It was a sight that she was getting used to. It surprised her that another man offering to sleep with her got her chieftain so excited. She had the feeling that she knew what her daddy desired. She readied herself. She would take the initiative and impress him. As the forest's guardian, her body was his to command and share however he felt fit. But it might have been more than that, she seemed to enjoy the way Aldo looked at her, lusting for her from behind darting glances. It was odd that it made her feel excited too. Ever since Talitha had found her new chieftain, it seemed like her eyes were opening to a hidden desire buried deep away. Talitha walked up to her chieftain and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.
"I will do this for you daddy." She whispered in his ear as she felt desire swelling up inside of her. Jonathan stood in a stupor as Talitha walked up to Aldo, grabbed him by the hand and led him into the back room.
The room was clean and just as bright as the storefront. A large feathered bed sat against the far wall and fine silk sheets laid on top of it.
"Lady Talitha, I didn't expect you to be so forward." Aldo said, a small tinge of nervousness cut through his otherwise cool demeanour.
Talitha didn't speak, she just led her new prey to the bed and pushed him down. She unbuttoned his finely tailored pants and reached in for the prize it held. With a firm grasp she revealed Aldo's erect manhood. It wasn't particularly large or particularly remarkable but the huntress was not picky about her prey.
With a swift motion she took the merchant's member into her mouth. Deftly, she began sucking and working the shaft, just as she had learnt to do on her chieftain's cock. She looked up at the man she was pleasuring. He seemed to be enjoying himself.
"My, you are quite proficient at that." Aldo said as he grasped the silk sheets beneath him. Talitha let out a soft purr as she took Aldo's cock deeper into her mouth, running her tongue around the bottom of the shaft. She released his cock from her mouth with a nice smack of her lips. With fiery eyes, she begins to stroke Aldo onto her tongue, lapping the tip. Aldo couldn't help himself, he grabbed the back of Talitha's hair and started to guide the slutty feline-like girl up and down his length.
Talitha gently clawed her way up Aldo's body. She noticed him tracing her tattoos with his finger as she climbed. She guided Aldo's hands towards her breasts.
"Hold on tight." She whispered as she plunged his member in between her moist folds. She enjoyed the feeling of a new man entering inside of her. This was the first person besides her current and previous chieftains, that has had the pleasure. Talitha began to push the man's length deeper and deeper with each roll of her hips. She was in control, Aldo was just there for her amusement. Aggressively she continued to extract pleasure from the man trapped beneath her. He didn't seem to complain.
After a few minutes Talitha noticed Aldo's cock start to falter. It wouldn't be long now until he released his seed. Talitha crawled back down to Aldo's manhood and placed the warm and wet rod between her breasts. They were not anything particularly large but Aldo seemed to enjoy the sensation of her soft mounds rubbing against his cock.
"Oh Talitha." Aldo sighed as he spurted his hot sticky cum all over the huntress' chest. His cock returned to a limp, idle state.
"Well, the deed is done." Talitha smirked as she began to get off the bed.
"Hold on, the agreed upon terms were for an hour of your time." Aldo smirks as he pops a small black capsule into his mouth. His cock immediately began to stiffen. "Shall we go another round?"