Noelle and the Ephemerals proceeded on their way towards the Dark Ember Inn, every step feeling like an exhausting battle against the heat. The landscape around them seemed to pulsate with waves of heat, and the air was thick with ash and steam.
After what seemed like an eternity, they spotted the inn up ahead. It was indeed a tall, black rock building, standing out against the scorched landscape like a beacon of hope.
Alice let out a sigh of relief, "Finally...there it is.”
They quickened their pace as they approached the inn, the prospect of cool air conditioning and rest driving them forward. As they got closer, they could see that the inn had a few people coming and going.
Noelle, relieved, spoke, "This is it, ladies. We're finally here."
Rachel, her face red and shiny from the heat, nodded. "Let's get in there and take advantage of that A/C before we melt into puddles of sweat.”
They hurried towards the entrance of the inn, the heat beating down on them mercilessly. They pushed open the door and stepped inside, immediately feeling the difference.
The lobby inside the inn was cool, the air conditioning providing a stark contrast to the scorching heat outside. The temperature drop was so sudden and refreshing that all of them took a moment to simply bask in the cool air.
Alice closed her eyes, relishing the cool air. "Oh, sweet mercy...that's the best thing I've felt in hours.”
The lobby of the inn was sparsely furnished, with a few tables and chairs for guests. There was a receptionist's desk at the corner, manned by an elderly dark elf.
The elderly dark elf smiled as they walked in, seeing the exhaustion and relief on their faces. "Looks like you ladies have had a day. Need a room for the night?”
Rachel, the others nodding in agreement, approached the receptionist. "Yes, we absolutely need a room. Several, actually. We've had a very long day and could use a place to rest."
Zalgo glanced around the lobby, taking in the cool surroundings. "Yeah, we've spent the day in a literal furnace. Anywhere cool and comfortable will be paradise at this point.”
The elderly dark elf chuckled, understanding their plight. "I can see you've endured a trial by fire. Lucky for you, we have a few rooms available. How many would you need?”
Rachel looked around the group and counted. "We'll need three rooms, please."
The receptionist nodded and checked something on a tablet. "Very well then. I have a few rooms vacant. Each room comes with air conditioning, Wi-Fi, and a mini kitchenette. How long will you be staying?”
Zalgo, desperate to get out of the heat as soon as possible, spoke up. "We plan to stay for the next few days, if possible. We have some business to take care of."
The elderly dark elf nodded, typing something into the tablet. "Of course, we can accommodate that. Let me just confirm the reservations."
The others waited patiently for the elderly dark elf to finish his work, each feeling the exhaustion start to catch up with them now that they were in a comfortable environment.
After a moment, the elderly dark elf looked back up. "All right, your reservations are confirmed. You'll be staying here for the next three days. The rooms are on the third floor. I'll have a staff member escort you to your rooms."
Just as he said that, a younger dark elf, probably the aforementioned staff member, appeared beside them. "Follow me, I'll show you to the rooms.”
The girls gratefully followed the young dark elf, who led them to an elevator. They all squished in, all three exhausted to the bone.
The elevator ride was silent, the only sound being the soft hum of the air conditioning. They could barely keep their eyes open, the exhaustion from the heat and the trek finally taking its toll.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
As the elevator climbed up to the third floor, the silence within was only broken by the occasional yawn from one of the girls. Even Rachel was unusually quiet, her usual energy sapped away by the heat.
After what felt like an eternity, the elevator dinged, and the doors opened. The young dark elf led them out into a long hallway, lined with doors.
Following the young dark elf, they walked down the hall until they reached the first room. It was a typical inn room, well-appointed with a cool air conditioning unit buzzing soothingly.
"Here is your first room," said the dark elf as he opened the door.
Rachel, feeling the cool air wafting from the room, stepped in and almost swooned. "Oh, this is heavenly…”
Alice, right behind her, couldn't agree more. "Oh, the cool air... I can already feel my body temperature dropping."
Noelle followed suit, the thought of a cool bed incredibly alluring. "This is seriously the best thing I've seen all day.”
Zalgo, the last one in, had to agree. "I didn't think the air could feel so good. I seriously forgot what cool felt like."
The dark elf smiled at their reactions. "We take our air conditioning seriously here. You'll be comfortable for your stay. Please make yourselves at home.”
The girls thanked the dark elf, each already picturing a cool shower and a comfortable bed in their mind. The thought of rest was practically euphoric after such a long, hot day.
Rachel, her mind already at ease, spoke up. "We really appreciate this. We couldn't wait to get some cool air after that hellish heat.”
The dark elf nodded, understanding their relief. "Don’t mention it. You’ve had a tough day in that heat. Please freshen up and rest as much as you need to. We’ll bring meals when you’re ready."
The girls thanked him again before they went about settling into their rooms, all three feeling an extreme sense of relief now that they were finally in a comfortable, cool place.
Rachel wasted no time, quickly taking off her steaming hot shoes and stripping down no nothing but her bra and panties in record time, jumping onto the bed and melting with bliss at the sensation of the cool linen sheets on her bare back. "MUCH better!" she exclaimed.
Alice followed closely behind her, discarding her own sweaty clothes and joining Rachel on the bed. She let out a similar sigh of relief, the cool air and soft bed a stark contrast to the scalding heat outside.
Noelle came in next, her clothes sticking to her skin from sweat. She tossed them into an armchair in the corner before flopping down on the bed next to Alice, moaning softly at the cooling sensation. "This feels so much better…"
Rachel frolicked in the sheets, soaking up every last but of coolness she could. "Sheesh, I'm about to take off this damn bra too, screw this noise.”
Alice, lying on the bed with an arm over her forehead, chuckled slightly. "Might as well, it’s not like there's anyone else here other than us. Besides, I was thinking about doing the same."
Noelle agreed, "At this point, I don't think any of us care about modesty. Just need to cool down as fast as possible.
Rachel, without any further hesitation, reached behind her and unhooked her bra, tossing it into the pile of clothes in the armchair. She stretched out on the bed, relishing the feeling of the cool air on her bare skin. "Oh man, that's so much better. Nothing feels better than finally taking that damn bra off after a long day like this.”
Alice smirked. "I completely agree. It's like taking off a sweaty, itchy coat after being in winter."
Noelle added, "Or removing thick, hot snow boots after playing in the snow for hours. This is the first time I ever had sweaty boobs, not a fan of the feeling."
Zalgo, sitting on the armchair, spoke up for the first time in a while. "You girls are really comfortable with each other, aren’t you?”
The rest of the girls looked at Zalgo, all topless and sprawled out on the bed in various states of relaxation. After a moment of silence, Rachel said, "You’re right, we are very comfortable with each other. It takes a lot of trust and comfort for girls to be like this together.”
Alice nodded, her head resting on a pillow. "Exactly. We’ve known each other for years. We’ve seen each other through pretty much everything, good and bad. At this point, we’re practically like sisters.”
Rachel, her chest rising and falling with every relieved breath, added as she looked at Alice. “Hell, Alice, you've seen me naked before, so I'm about to take off these panties too, guys. Fuck it.”
Alice chuckled and spoke up. "I have indeed seen you naked before, that's definitely true, Rach."
Alice, now comfortably stretched out on the bed, added as she sat up and began removing her own panties. "And even if we didn’t, we’re just too damn hot right now to bother with modesty.”
Rachel, fully naked now, stretched out and sighed contentedly. "God, this feels heavenly. I honestly forgot how good this feels, being naked."
Zalgo chuckled at their conversation, her eyes flicking over their naked bodies. "You guys are really close, aren’t you? As sweaty as I am, I just dont have the guts to follow through.”
Alice, looking over at Zalgo, spoke up. "Hey, it's okay. We won't judge if you want to join us in the nakedness, but it's completely up to you. We're all just doing what feels most comfortable and cooling down.”
Zalgo looked at them, her eyes lingering on each of their bare bodies, her own sweaty clothes feeling even more uncomfortable now.
"I dunno...I've never been naked around others like this before.”
Rachel smirked at her shyness. "It's all right, really. We're all comfortable with each other here, and you've got nothing to hide. Don't worry, we won't judge the slightest.”
After a moment of hesitation, Zalgo caved in and spoke up. "You know what, why not? Screw modesty, I need to cool down as fast as I can. I'm stripping down.”
Rachel, Alice, and Noelle watched in approval as Zalgo got up from the armchair and began undressing as well.
Alice, a small smile on her face, spoke up first. "That's the spirit, Zalgo. Come join the club of nakedness. You won't regret it, trust us.”
Noelle, leaning back on her forearms, joined in as well, her voice playful. "Welcome to the cool skin club, Zalgo."
Zalgo, now stripped down, was the only one still standing. She fidgeted a bit, her body feeling more exposed than ever before.
Rachel, noticing her awkwardness, spoke up. "Hey, relax. No need to be shy. We're all in the same boat here. Plus, you have a great body, no need to be self-conscious.”
Alice nodded in agreement, adding as she looked at her. "Seriously, you've got nothing to be shy about. Your body is really nice, and we all have the same bits and parts here. So girls, who has first dibs on the shower?”
Noelle, still lying down, spoke up. "I call first dibs. This heat has been killing me like I said it would, and that shower sounds incredible.”
Alice nodded. "That's fair. Just leave some hot water for the rest of us, please. I want to get at least as clean as possible before sleeping.”
“I'll do my best. But no promises. I've been dying with this heat and I'm going to soak in that shower for as long as I want.”
Rachel, still lying comfortably, smirked. "Hey, no complaints here. If you're lucky, we might even join you in the shower. Save some water, right?”
Alice smiled at the suggestion, "Yeah, we might just do that. A joint shower sounds like it could be fun. And it would conserve water and all that, so why not?”
Noelle beamed. "Now that you mention it, a shower as a group could actually be pretty fun. Might as well make the most of the situation while we're all naked. Let's head on in.”