Note: This NSFW Side Quest was added to Volume 4. Enjoy!

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Portia reclined in a booth at the Desert Rose, holding a full hand of cards between her thumb and forefinger. There was a tall mug of cold ale ready at her other hand and a fine-looking catgirl sitting in her lap. Life was pretty good.

She figured that Matt and his Party would be gone for a couple of weeks at the very least, and the girls in Kandota always gave her a price break on extended stays in exchange for a box of personally crafted fishing lures and a bag of sugar from Ni Island. It was get­ting easier to get her hands on sugar, but growing it out in the desert made for a hell of a time. That was just fine with Portia; that meant more nights on the house.

“I still don’t understand how you play this game,” Naomi, the girl in her lap, said.

There wasn’t a lot to understand. Build the best hand you can from two draws. Portia chuckled. “We’ve gotta get the best collec­tion o’ cards we can.” She put two cards facedown on the table and drew two more, keeping an eye on her opponent. Fayruz hadn’t made a move to cheat, but too many [Rogue]s and [Assassin]s on Ichi pulled sleight-of-hand stunts, sneaking additional cards up their sleeves during a shuffle.

“Right. But who decides what kind of hand beats the other?” Naomi stole the tankard of ale and took a sip.

“They’re universal rules, darlin’. Everyone who plays has to get familiar with ‘em.” Portia shrugged and mulled over her hand.

“Hm.” Naomi replaced the tankard on the table and picked up one of the shimmering Bell coins from the table. “You both bet a lot of money on this one.”

“Tell me about it,” Fayruz grumbled. “Alright, what do you have?”

Portia laid out her cards. “Three queens and four diamonds.”

“Fuck.” Fayruz sighed and threw her hand to the table. “Saoirse’s tits, Portia. You’ve cleaned me out. I need a drink.” Looking up at Naomi, she gestured toward the bar. “That’s your cue, doll.”

“Oh! Right!” Naomi giggled and jumped to her feet. “Be right back!”

As Naomi rushed to the bar, a newcomer approached the table. She wore a yellow bodice and long skirt that contrasted well against her golden skin. Her black hair was pulled away from her face in a tight braid that reached her hips, and she held an enormous sunhat in her hand. No, this thing was beyond a ‘sunhat.’ It was like she was trying to shield the whole damn island with that brim. “May I cut in?”

“You’ll cut a lot of things with a hat like that,” Fayruz laughed.

The stranger frowned. “It keeps my skin protected.”

Fayruz snorted. “From what? Saoirse herself?” She pushed her cards and Bells toward Portia and stepped out of the booth, waving a hand at the empty seat. “Here. Good luck, friend. Enjoy paying for Portia’s room.”

Portia collected the cards and started to shuffle them. The woman pressed her hat into the corner of the booth, propping the brim up on the backrest and spreading the rest neatly over her legs. “Hello, Portia.”

“Nice to meet you,” Portia replied. She paused to take a drink and sighed with contentment. Fayruz’s Bells would pay for a few more nights at least. “You got a name?”

“Saffron.” She smoothed her dress beneath her bodice and collect­ed her hands on top of the table. “Do the losers all sit in your lap?”

Portia laughed. “Only if they ask nicely.”

“Ah. I see.” Saffron grinned, and her green eyes glittered. “I ad­mit. It’s strange to see outsiders so welcome on Ichi Island.”

“What do you mean?” Portia finished shuffling the cards, then waved down Naomi. “Can you get my friend here a drink, Naomi?”

Naomi’s mousy brown ears perked up, and she smiled. “Sure! What would you like?”

“Whatever Portia’s drinking is fine,” Saffron replied calmly be­fore returning her attention to Portia. “I’ve come from Vehahra. Between there, Rājadhānī, and Madhyam, there are hardly any travelers from the other islands.” She pulled her braid over one shoulder and plied at it with slender fingers. “There are whispers of putting the ‘invaders in cages.’”

Portia rolled her eyes and groaned. “Magni still doing that shit?”

“Oh, yes. That ‘shit’ and more.” Saffron accepted the mug from Naomi. “Ah, thank you.”

Just as Naomi moved to retake her seat on Portia’s leg, three more patrons walked through the door. She looked at Portia apolo­getically. “Mm. Can we spend more time together tomorrow?”

“Sure thing, Naomi.” Portia grinned and handed her a handful of Bells. “I’ll see ya then, darlin’.”

Naomi squeaked in happiness, kissed Portia’s cheek, and then rushed to greet her new patrons.

“You pay for their company?” Saffron mused.

Portia shrugged. “I tip her for her hard work.”

A sly smile spread across Saffron’s face. “Is it that hard to work you?”

Portia leaned back in her seat and snickered. “Are you lookin’ to find out?”

“Mm. Maybe we can place a bet on it.” Saffron searched her [Cat Pack] and tugged a pouch of Bells free. She dumped them onto the table, building a pile of silver coins.

“That’s quite a bet, there,” Portia noted. Saffron’s purse was al­most three times the amount she’d been using to gamble with.

“I’ve been saving up.” Saffron took a sip of her ale and grace­fully replaced the mug on the table. “I can stand to lose a few.”

“Savin’ up for what?” Portia dealt seven cards to each of them.

“Getting off this hellscape of an island.” Saffron collected her cards and pushed three silver Bells to the middle of the table. “Though, I’m undecided on where to go.”

“That so?” Portia had to stack six of her Bells to match the bet. Who the hell gambled with silver Bells? Well, besides Cailu, any­way.

“Mhm. I’ve heard Shi is infested with Defiled, San is infested with kittens, and Ni is, well, boring.” Saffron rearranged the cards in her hand.

Portia bristled. Her pops had worked himself to the bone to keep Ni safe and free of Defiled. “Better borin’ than locked in a goddess damned cage.”

“So you’re from Ni, then,” Saffron chuckled. “I must agree with you. Anything would be better than this.”

Portia took three of her cards and laid them facedown before drawing three new ones. “Why not move to Nyarlothep, then?”

Saffron shook her head. “The cities there are too large. I enjoy knowing the names and faces of everyone.” She exchanged four of her cards and added another coin to the pile. “I don’t enjoy spend­ing each day in fear of the Ejderha.”

“The what now?” Portia matched her bet.

“It does not matter.” Saffron took two more cards from her hand and passed them in. “What brings you to Ichi, Portia?”

“Brought some friends here. They’re on their way to the capital.” Portia wasn’t sure how much to divulge about Matt, Tristan, and their work from Cailu. Didn’t seem like her story to tell, and the fewer problems they ran into, the sooner she could go home.

“May the sun warm their backs, and may they burn Rājadhānī to the ground,” Saffron said lightly.

“Huh. Here I thought the second part of that sayin’ had to do with the wind,” Portia teased. “What’ve ya got?”

Saffron shook her head and tossed her cards to the table. “Noth­ing. I wanted to see if you would fold.”

Portia laid her cards flat on the table and scooped the Bells to her side with wide eyes. “And lose a chance at silver? I don’t think so.”

“So I see.” Saffron took a long drink from her mug, and a light pink tinge touched her cheeks. “I’ll play more seriously, then.”

They played another four hands, and Portia won each one. Saffron took her losses with grace, handing over enough money to feed and room Portia for the next month. Naomi ensured their cups were always full, and the Desert Rose took on a mirthful haze that came with good ale and good company.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

“About my earlier deal. Should I win this hand, will I win your company?” Saffron nursed her third mug. “Perhaps make you sit in my lap?”

Portia shrugged. A night with a beautiful woman warming her bed sounded like something she should try to win, not her oppo­nent. Besides, it seemed that Saffron was shit at cards. “If that’s what you’d like.”

“I’d like a lot of things.” Saffron reached for the deck to take her turn to deal. She shuffled them with practiced dexterity, then pitched a few of her Bells forward. “There’s my opening.”

“What if I win this hand?” Portia asked as she matched the bet and raised it a silver Bell.

“Then I will grant you a favor.” She added another Bell to the pool. “Any favor you wish.”

“Hm. Alright then. I’m sure I can think of somethin’ good.” Portia kept one card and exchanged the other six. Not a great open­ing, but there was still time.

Saffron looked over her cards and smiled. She folded them to­gether into one stack and set them aside. “I don’t need to exchange any.”

Portia furrowed her brow. “If ya say so.” She redrew more cards into…not a great hand. Well, shit.

“Don’t go easy on me, now. A favor from me can go a long way.”

“Hm.” Portia tried one more redraw of five more cards and frowned. Just three of a kind. Unless Saffron had a pair, Portia was done. She sighed and laid out her hand. “Three of a kind.”

“Pity. I have a straight.” Saffron flipped her cards over to reveal her hand.

How she’d managed to pull it in one hand without cheating, Portia had no idea. She’d watched Saffron shuffle and deal with just as much discretion, and she’d watched her other opponents. Luck was on her side with that one.

“Ah, very good.” Saffron laughed and motioned for Portia to join her side of the table. “Come here, then.”

Portia stood and shuffled across, then blinked. While she was sitting, she hadn’t realized just how petite Saffron was. Her curves filled out the dress just fine, but the girl was at least a head shorter than her. “How does that hat not swallow you whole?”

“It’s tailor-made. Come now, no shirking on your bet.” She pat­ted her legs. “Sit.”

Portia sighed and carefully positioned herself in Saffron’s lap. She had to use both of Saffron’s legs and a good deal of her thighs still hung in the air.

Saffron giggled and reached up to pat Portia’s hair. “I see the appeal.”

For the first time in years, Portia blushed. She thought she’d seen and heard it all in her travels, but this woman was something else. “It’s kinda embarrassin’.”

“That’s part of the appeal.” Saffron let her fingers dance along the back of Portia’s neck, then traced the length of her spine until she stroked Portia’s tail.

Portia held back her gasp, but the shiver that ran through her was tangible. “Hey, now.”

“It doesn’t seem so hard to work you after all,” Saffron mur­mured. “Will you show me your room?”

Portia nodded and fished the key to her quarters from her [Cat Pack]. She did her best to ignore the sensation of Saffron’s fingers lingering on her tail, but the rising heat in her skin and blush on her face were a dead giveaway. “You’re a wild one.”

“Hold your judgments for later, please,” Saffron replied as she collected her winnings from the table. “Lead on.”

Portia waited for Saffron to grab her hat before taking her hand. Saffron twined her fingers in Portia’s and had a constant look of amusement on her beautiful face. As they walked, a delicate jin­gling followed, and Portia glanced down behind her to find a pair of anklets around both of Saffron’s feet.

“You like grabbin’ everyone’s attention with those?” Portia nod­ded toward the anklets.

Saffron smirked. “Something like that.”

They headed upstairs, where the rooms for rent were kept, and passed a row of identical doors before stopping at the one on the end.

“Ah, far away from the tavern. That’s fortunate,” Saffron said. “Fewer ears to hear us.”

“That’s quite a statement.” Portia laughed as she unlocked the door.

“Perhaps.” Saffron followed her inside and closed the door be­hind her. Portia had time to ignite a single oil lamp before Saffron was at her back. “That’s enough light,” she murmured, wrapping her arms around Portia’s waist. She found the hem of Portia’s shirt and tugged it upward, encouraging Portia to raise her arms above her head.

“Actin’ like a woman starved.” Portia grinned.

“It’s been some time since I enjoyed the company of another,” Saffron said against Portia’s bare back.

“Then we’d better make it worth it.” Portia turned to face Saffron, then grabbed her braid and pulled, tilting Saffron’s head back and exposing her neck. “I can’t be the only one enjoying it.” She nibbled Saffron’s lower lip, then gently kissed her.

Saffron had more strength than her small form would suggest. She used her body to maneuver Portia backward onto the bed, then pushed her shoulders until Portia laid flat on her back and Saffron was on her hands and knees over her. Saffron deepened their kiss, plunging her tongue past Portia’s lips before eagerly exploring the depths of her mouth.

Portia welcomed the advance and reciprocated, her heart speed­ing with each stroke of her tongue. She circled her arms around Saffron’s bodice, finding the ties against her back. As she worked at the knots, curious hands dropped to Portia’s chest, kneading her breasts and soliciting moans from her throat. Quick fingers toyed with her nipples, and Portia gasped, her back arching in a quest for more.

The knots should have been the easiest thing in the world to un­tie. But Saffron’s distractions made them very difficult. Her hands quivered with the effort.

“I’m not the only eager one,” Saffron whispered against Portia’s mouth. She moved her mouth southward, tracing the curve of Portia’s neck with the tip of her tongue. Goosebumps followed in her wake as she mapped Portia’s collarbone, the curve of her breast, and then danced around its peak.

“I—ngh!” Portia’s reply was cut short in her throat when Saffron enveloped her nipple with her mouth. Her tongue was searing and ravenous, and the occasional addition of her teeth made Portia’s skin sing. By some miracle, she finished unlacing Saffron’s bodice and tossed it to the side before burying her fingers in her hair.

Saffron hummed a sound of pleasure and moved one hand to un­fasten Portia’s trousers. Soon after, it vanished beneath the fabric, gliding along her lower abdomen until she caressed the tender skin between Portia’s thighs.

“Very eager,” Saffron moaned. She parted Portia’s folds and slid one cool finger along her clit. “Ichi could only hope to be this drenched.”

A noise somewhere between a laugh and a gasp tore from Portia’s lips when Saffron’s finger entered her. Then she returned her mouth to Portia’s breast, caressing and exploring her in a deli­cious tandem. Portia parted her legs wider, hoping it gave Saffron better access to her work. A second finger slid inside of her, then a third.

Portia fought to breathe. “Shouldn’t I—mnh—be servicin’ you? Hnh!” Portia’s hips rocked against Saffron’s hand, and her nipples hardened.

“Soon.” Saffron rolled her tongue against Portia’s breast and teased it with her teeth.

A fourth finger entered her, and Portia’s eyes rolled back. “God­dess, that’s intense,” she whimpered.

Saffron methodically drew her fingers away, then thrust them back inside Portia’s body. Her two middle fingers curled and stroked the sensitive points that made Portia cry out with every pump of her hand. Portia anchored her fingers in Saffron’s hair, and her body bucked its responses. She felt as if she’d lost control of her desires; the reactions were carnal and provoked by Saffron’s movements.

Saffron pulled her mouth away and licked her lips. “You are as fun as you look.” She withdrew her fingers, much to Portia’s dis­may, then traced a heart around Portia’s navel. “Take off your pants.”

Portia did as she asked, watching as Saffron stood and pulled her dress over her head. The oil lamp painted her lithe body in a warm, welcoming glow. She may be short, but the toned muscles in her body suggested a history of fighting, and the scars across her abdo­men added to the narrative.

“Now move back on the bed,” Saffron instructed, sauntering to the bedside.

Portia lifted herself and scooted farther back, her brow crinkling in curiosity.

“That’s a good kitten,” Saffron teased.

Portia chuckled. “Anything for you, darlin’.”

Saffron grinned and hopped back up on the bed, this time posi­tioning her thighs on either side of Portia’s head. “So about that servicin’...” She punctuated the final word in Portia’s accent.

She didn’t have to ask twice. Without a reply, Portia grasped the backs of Saffron’s thighs, spread them wider, and then pulled her hips down. She tilted her chin up to meet Saffron’s skin, then slid her tongue between the plush slit.

Saffron sighed and relaxed, loosing the tension in her flank and allowing her stomach to rest against Portia’s. Portia spread her wider and greedily lapped at the yielding skin beneath, drinking in Saffron’s sweet taste and her gentle moans.

“Very good,” Saffron breathed. “That’s…hah…quite the tongue…mnh!” A shiver rocked her entire body as Portia tested her entrance with the tip of her tongue. She was soaked and vulnerable. Portia buried her tongue into Saffron’s depths and reveled in her cries.

Quivering fingers wrapped around Portia’s thighs and pulled them apart. Portia was too focused on her work to think about what Saffron was trying to do. The delicious sensation of Saffron’s tongue against her clit made white spots explode in her vision, and her moan vibrated inside Saffron’s body.

A circle of pleasure was locked in with Saffron’s mouth—the better Portia performed, the more desperate and intense Saffron’s response. It went both ways, as she had to split her focus between pleasuring and experiencing her own. Both their legs trembled, and when Portia’s back arched up, Saffron’s arched down, pinning her back to the bed.

While maintaining the long, hungry strokes of her tongue against Portia’s clit, Saffron penetrated her with her fingers once more.

Portia’s heart hammered against her chest, and every nerve in her skin was alight. She plunged her tongue back inside Saffron, rewarded with a complete surrender of Saffron’s hips. She reached Saffron’s tail and coiled it through her fingers, stroking it with her thumb while she worked.

There was an unspoken contest of who would make the other climax first. Portia could feel it in Saffron’s desperate movements and the quick jerk of her hips away from her mouth whenever she was on the edge. Portia had a harder time, unable to escape Saffron’s fingers and mouth as she held her down to the bed.

Sweat coated both of their bodies as they struggled and moaned. Saffron’s voice heightened to punctuated hums the closer she was to orgasming, and Portia’s turned into breathy groans. It was a bal­ance of mindblowing ecstasy and fucking madness.

Portia couldn’t stand it any longer. It was too much. She replaced her tongue with her fingers, thrusting three inside of Saffron’s cunt as she cried out with her climax. Saffron pumped her relentlessly, pushing Portia’s orgasm for as long as possible with flat strokes of her tongue. Saffron’s tail writhed between her grip, and her hips shook, and she gasped as her body clenched around Portia’s hand.

Not so far behind after all.

The pulses between Portia’s thighs slowed as Saffron’s began, throbbing fiercely against Portia’s fast fingers. Saffron’s back arched, and her blissful whimpers were music to Portia’s ears. Portia carefully tongued and suckled Saffron’s clit, giving her the same prolonged climax.

Nails dug into skin and sweat mingled between them as they de­scended from the high. Saffron’s breathing slowed as she pulled her hand away, and Portia kissed her inner thigh.

“You are an admirable opponent,” Saffron murmured. She rolled to the side and repositioned herself so her face was inches away from Portia’s. “You almost had me.”

“I did have you.” Portia kissed the tip of Saffron’s nose and smiled. “You certainly know what you’re doin’.”

“Yes, well. Practice makes perfect.” She took Portia’s arm and pulled it beneath her neck, curling up inside of her embrace.

Portia stroked the back of Saffron’s head, lightly fingering her silken ears.

“You know, maybe Ni Island wouldn’t be a terrible option after all,” Saffron said after a time.

“Hm? Wouldn’ want you to be bored.”

Saffron smiled and traced her fingers over the dip in Portia’s waist. “Something tells me I wouldn’t be.”

“Well, I got time to bring you back now. But I won’t be home for a while, yet.” Portia shivered beneath her touch and wrapped her tail around Saffron’s thigh.

“We can decide that later. I’ll stay here for now.” Saffron nuz­zled her head beneath Portia’s chin. “This is nice.”

“Yeah. It is.” Portia kissed Saffron’s head between her ears. “Best game o’ cards I’ve ever lost.”

image [https://i.imgur.com/T8q4EKB.png]