brought them before a massive oak portal, protecting the city of Hort from invasion. A brief exchange of pleasantries between Elf and a guard and they rode within.
The teeming bustle of an Earth city was missing in Ponkert's first encounter with a Keller city. The populace was in evidence in great numbers, but the headlong rush of Earth city-dwellers was definitely missing.
Following the girl's directions, he reined to the centre of the city.
Rising several stories above street level was a huge palace. Fronted with jet, it gleamed darkly in the afternoon sun. Polished white marble steps pointed the way to the brass-studded main entryway. Ponkert began to think that Tomar the Profligate was well named. Such opulence wasn't the product of a small imagination.
Dismounting as a guard took Richard's reins, the Earthman followed Elf through the palace portal, Inside was a hall that seemed to stretch for miles. At the end, almost lost in the distance, Ponkert saw a magnificent throne that glittered and caught the light from several strategically placed windows. Seated atop the throne was a man who could only be Elf's father, Tomar.
When they eventually reached the foot of the throne's dais, Ponkert carefully appraised the value of the diamonds and rubies plastered like sequins over its sides. First the beautiful, willing women and now evidence of wealth beyond his wildest dreams-he had made the right decision to exploit this planet called Keller.
As Elf recounted the attack of the direwolves and her rescue by Ponkert's magic, the Earthman carefully studied her father, the king.
Tomar was no slug-fat sybarite. While sybarite he might be, well-toned muscles bulged on his arms and a barrel-like chest strained the purple velvet of his robes. Tomar was definitely not the type of man one wanted to meet alone in a dark alley.
When Elf finished her narrative, Tomar's voice boomed in friendliness,
'Lord Ponkert, you have my thanks for what you have done. Although my oldest son, Cleve, has joined the gods of Ulfblom, you have saved my only daughter. Any reward I have would be small in comparison, but I shall try to repay you!'
With a clap on his massive hands, three servants entered the room, and Tomar spoke again, 'Follow them and they will prepare you.'
Unquestioning, Ponkert did as he was directed. Marching from the throne chamber down another long hall, he followed the three into an expansive bed chamber.
'These will be your quarters while in Hort,' one of the servants explained. 'A change of clothes and a bath is waiting.'
With that, the three left and Ponkert was alone. A brief exploration of the room and he had located a small sunken pool next to one wall.
Various containers of perfumed oils and soap were lined up at the bath.
Without hesitating, he peeled his clothes from his body and stepped in.
The cleansing waters and a razor he found among the containers had him feeling like a new man within moments. Drying himself on a coarse towel, Ponkert walked to the bed where a new suit of clothes was laid out for his use.
Both the tight fitting trousers and loose tunic were white. The cape, however, was royal purple trimmed in gold braid. Ermine-lined knee-boots completed the livery. After donning the outfit, he felt like the prince he claimed to be.
Smiling, he admitted to himself that given a little more time, he could really get into the styles of Keller. This whole medieval scene appealed to something within him, which he couldn't put his finger on.
Then there was a knock at the door to his room and the three servants appeared. One of them spoke, 'Tomar bids you join him.'
Ponkert nodded and followed. This time their trek took them through a series of winding halls that eventually opened into a gigantic cathedral-like chamber filled with row upon row of tables. Apparently he had walked into the midst of a great feast and all the eyes of the feasters turned to him as he entered.
Tomar rose from the head table and waved him to his side. Moving through the maze of revelers, the Earthman took a seat next to the Hortian king.
Tomar slapped him on the back, then dropped to his chair and the feasting began.
The banquet was opulent to match the surroundings. Wine, orange coloured, flowed in great floods. The food was as delectable as it was indescribable. Ponkert's taste buds thought they recognized pheasant and quail among the various meats he sampled. That was until Elf, who sat on the opposite side of her father, explained the meat was waterboa, a large river snake, and slimespider, whose name described its appearance and habitat. He shivered a bit thinking of eating a slimespider, but he had already downed so much wine that he would have shaken hands, or hairy legs as the case was, with the spider had it chanced into the great dining hall.
As much as he enjoyed the feast in his honour, his eyes were drawn to those of Elf, who studied him with sideways glances. His own gazes were somewhat more bold. The red-haired girl was dressed in a white lace gown that would have put Queen Guinevere to shame.
The gown dipped sharply in front, exposing a very tantalizing tight-pressed valley between two nicely proportioned breasts that had been well-hidden by the clothes he had first seen her in. The gown also hinted at the pleasing curves that lay beneath the delicate fabric, although it revealed nothing further to his disappointed eyes. As he studied the gem-like sparkle of her hazel eyes and the rosy pink blush of the evening that touched her cheeks, Ponkert wondered if he had not been a little hasty in refusing her offer back in the glade where he had rescued her.
After giving a serving girl an affectionate pinch on her ample ass, Tomar suddenly rose from his chair and raised his arms for silence within the hall.
'I, King Tomar of Hort,' he proclaimed to the feastors, 'declare a national holiday. Lord Ponkert has saved Princess Elfgwynne from the jaws of direwolves! For this noble act, I reward him with these!'
A chamois-like, pouch flipped from the king's fingers and landed with a heavy 'plunk' before Ponkert. Gingerly, the Earthman pulled the drawstring and extracted a skilfully manufactured gold chain with a large oval medallion dangling from the centre. Grinning, he slipped the gaudy emerald and ruby adorned medal over his neck. A cheer broke from the lips of the revelers.
'To Baron Ponkert of Hort' Tomar's voice rose above the crowd's din as he raised a goblet of wine to his lips.
In turn, Ponkert lifted his glass and cried out a toast of his own, 'To Hort's powerful ruler, King Tomar the Profligate!'
A cheer went up that lasted every bit of ten minutes. When the cacophony died to a muted roar, the crew of feastors fell to serious drinking. The effects of their over-indulgence was evident within the hour as the majority of the celebrators were taken by a drunken stupor. Ponkert, while somewhat dizzy, was still prepared for a long night, as was Tomar it seemed. Elf had retired for the evening.
'Come,' the king whispered. 'Now is the time for the House of White Satin.'
Nodding in reply, the Earthman followed his royal companion as they reeled out of the great hall into the almost deserted streets of the city. After a hastily winding journey down a maze of backstreets, the king stopped abruptly before a building with a white stone facade.
With a brawny fist he pounded on a dark wooden door until the portal opened slightly. Then it was pulled inward fully and a willowy brunette of incredible beauty rocketed out. Her arms wrapped around Tomar's bull-like neck and her lips attempted to smother him with wet, passionate kisses. It was quite obvious that the royal visitor was not a stranger.
Lifting the girl in his arms as if she were a feather, Tomar stepped into the building and called out, 'Hide the women! Tomar and his newest baron, Ponkert the Horny, are here to rape them all!'
The woman suspended from his neck like a sexy, living necklace laughed gleefully and cried in return, 'Yes! Hide the rest! I want these two to myself!'
Tomar's laughter echoed against the walls as he lowered the girl to her feet and planted, a firm hand on her ass with a resounding slap. 'Bitch!
Hold thy nymphomaniac hunger. One woman will not satisfy our lust tonight! Tell Cynda and Mara and Leda to get their asses out here! I want to see their asses!'
'What of poor Jocelyn?' the brunette pouted. 'Would you toss me aside?'
'Nay, Tomar, don't send her off,' Ponkert spoke from the door. 'She pleases me.'
