Paladins' Parabellum

Chapter Twenty Four: Kromagia

We travel for six days on the trek to Kromagia and no sign of a cultist anywhere. I'm quite happy to see the accuracy of Haleema's map. So far, it's smooth riding. Ulrika and I have conserved most of the provision I got because the surrounding kingdoms on the path to Kromagia brought us, food merchants. Tonight on this warm, dry evening, we're eating slices of lambs.

"How's the meat looking?" Ulrika says, laying down her blanket next to mine. I rotate the meat using my tether magic to suspend it over the campfire.

"They're done," I answer, levitating a piece over to her. She blasts it with precision air for five seconds, snatches it, then holds it in her mouth while taking her pants off. A nice breeze comes in from my left, swinging my hair into my cheek.

"Awe, that feels good," she says in a muffled voice. "This damn heat is agonizing."

"Conjure a cycling wind barrage to keep you cool."

"I will after I'm done eating. I'll make it rain if I have to just bring in some cold air." I laugh at how annoyed she is. We're in the hottest part of the Yohanan desert. Even though I'm suffering from the heat, I'm more tolerable of it than her.

"Do whatever you need to do. My cube will shield us from rain and the loud thunder."

"Hmm, sleeping together outdoors in the rain? Sounds kinda romantic. Yeah, I'm gonna do it." After eating our lamb dinner, she conjures up a storm in such a manner, that it kinda looks like she's dancing in a seemingly exotic form. Her motions are slow and fluid. Not a single stagger or hiccups in the way she moves.

"Why are you moving like that to cast a storm?"

"It's called the Bellas Loratoris Cry. It's a dance that summons peaceful showers and cool breezes." The wind begins to pick up a bit, dropping the warm temperatures. "Bellas, the creator, made it after her loved one passed away." Clouds form above us at a rapid speed, engulfing the moon's shine. It gets dark, then lightens as it sprinkles rain. "It's mainly used for irrigation against drought, but in my case, I'm using it to cool down." She stops dancing, then raises her arms with her palms out. "Better."

"So, why that type of dance."

"It was her lover's favorite. I'm sure you understand why."

"I do."

"Some elves would use it as a fertility dance before they have sex." She lays on her left side using her elbow to prop herself up. "They say it makes a man's seed more abundant and make them more lustful."

"Really?"

"Do you feel like fucking me?"

"Uh...wha...umm...?" I can't find a way to answer without studdering, so I shake my head saying, no. But I also shrug my shoulders. She hums with a tight smile.

"Are you're balls swelling up?"

"I don't think so." She hums with a tight smile.

"I guess it's an elf thing. Well, I'm going to sleep. This storm will last for several hours. Goodnight, Kaio."

"Goodnight." She lays on her back with her hands interlocked by her fingers on her stomach. My heart pounds against my chest in reaction to how wonderfully blunt she is. I remain sitting up since I'm not tired just yet. The moon trying to shine through the dark clouds looks wonderful in the desert. It's like the sky is a giant living painting canvas, and Ulrika is the painter.

"Are you coming to bed?" She asks, with one eye open.

"Eventually. I'm not super tired at the moment."

"I'll sing you a nice song that'll put you to sleep." When I take my eyes off the moon to look down at the dunes, I spot several orange lights emerging from them. I count seven lights coming our way.