Homestead Survival

<06 September 2024, MIRROR DEEP RETREAT, ????>
[Theo and Julia]
>Local Message: Universal Translation in effect
"Greetings and welcome back to the Mirror Deep Retreat," Laurel said.

"Hello, Laurel," Julia said with a smile.

"Lord and Lady Sorrin," Laurel said with a small nod, "it is a pleasure to see you once again. How may I be of assistance today?"

"Well, we would like a bath," Theo said.

"Of course, is there anything else?" Laurel asked. "The two of you have become quite the conversationalists with me, which is rare outside of those who would argue my prices."

Theo chuckled and pulled the Teleport Link out of his pouch. "We do have a question, Hestia said She could not use this; we would need some way to trigger teleportation on our own as she moves us here using your teleport array."

Laurel extended one of her many wooden-looking hands and touched the link, and a sharp intake of breath, accompanied by a thrum of power through the whole of the area that Theo and Julia could detect, was all that they noticed before. Laurel pulled her hand back. She stared at the link for a moment, emotion in her eyes. "Where did you get such a relic, and who told you it would possibly be usable?"

Theo and Julia quickly explained what had happened and how they had gotten the link. Laurel nodded slowly when they were finished. She was silent for a moment, and then in a voice that cracked with emotion, Laurel spoke as Theo put the link away, "Lord and Lady Sorrin, at a later date, once you have established a way to connect that Teleport Link and make it work, I will have a favor to ask of you. But for now, please enjoy your bath. Your bathing accommodations are taken care of tonight. Please take all the time you could possibly need and enjoy the complete Deep Mirror Retreat experience."

With that, Laurel vanished. In her place was a young woman who bore the horns and scales of a dragon in human form, "My Lord, My Lady, if you would follow me, I am Alisaria, and I am at your service for the duration of your stay. If you should have any needs of any kind, you must only speak them, and I will ensure that they are dealt with."

The dragon bowed low, so low that the tips of the horns coming out of her head nearly touched the ground, then she stood and led them down the twisting hallways of the retreat. As they walked, the hallways grew more and more ornate. As they walked down a final stretch of hallway that had only one finely crafted crystal door set into a silver frame and laden with thousands of runes, Theo and Julia looked at each other, wondering what they could have possibly done to warrant this.

At the door, Alisaria turned and bowed once more before pushing the crystal door open, revealing what could only be paradise. A small grotto opened out onto a lush field with a shimmering crystal pond set into the center. Soft grass covered the surrounding area. A mansion made of marble stood to one side, and outside the mansion stood twelve servants, six men and six women, all in revealing attire.

To the other side of the pond was a massive black crystal bathtub that seemed to be filled with purple and blue oils. At the foot of the bath, a slab of black crystal stood. It rose nearly twenty feet into the air and was nearly fifteen feet wide.

Theo and Julia looked at each other, mildly panicked. Theo turned to Alisaria. "Um, excuse me, Ali..Ali.. I am sorry, say your name one more time, please."

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

"Alisaria my lord." She said, bowing deeply once more.

"Alisaria, thank you. Now, can you tell us what this is? We were coming here to probably take a bath and then leave, but we showed Laurel something and she got all moody." Theo said, trying to be as cautious as he could. "All of a sudden, we are being guided here and now, you and what looks like twelve other dragons are waiting to do something with us, and I am getting a little apprehensive about what body parts I am going to have to sell to cover this price tag."

Alisaria smiled and bowed her head once more, "Lord Sorrin, I simply received a notice from Lady Laurel that a pair of her friends would be my charges tonight and that she would be taking care of the bill, and I was to show you both to our finest suite. So here we are. I am a dragon, yes, as are the others; we are all capable of shapeshifting and utilize that to provide what services may be needed. We will cook, clean, and tend to you both in all ways. We will fulfill fantasies, take on shapes for specific fetishes, and ensure that you experience nothing but the utmost in pleasure while you are here. Simply state your desire, and it shall be yours."

Theo's eyebrows shot to the top of his head. He stepped back with his hands raised and looked at Julia. "I... I think that I'm gonna let you deal with this."

Julia raised a single eyebrow before turning to Alisaria. "Alisaria, first of all, stop bowing to us, and just call us by our names. I am Julia, and he is Theo. I can almost guarantee that we will not need you to fulfill any fetish-related activity. So let's go ahead and put the kabosh on that right now. Other than that, why don't you explain what all we have going on here and what the rules are, and time limits and the like?"

Alisaria stood and nodded, "Of course, Julia. This is what most call the Deity Retreat. It is the heart of the Mirror Deep Retreat and home to the soul mirror for which the retreat is named, the Deepwater Soul Mirror."

Alisaria gestured at the black crystal bath before continuing. "The pond in the center is a massive bath that can be filled with almost any substance, and the house is equipped to handle a party of up to twenty-five for up to a month. As to the rules, there are only two. One, you may not kill any of the staff, or anyone else in this place, and two, you may not damage or harm the Deepwater Soul Mirror."

"That is in addition to the other rules, I assume," Julia said almost to herself.

"If you wish it to be," Alisaria said with a small shrug. "As I said, the only two rules are no killing anyone and no damaging the Soul Mirror. We meant what we said, simply speak your wish and it shall be completed. We are here to serve you in all ways."

"What does the Soul Mirror do?" Theo asked, looking at the strange structure of the black crystal.

"The Deepwater Soul Mirror is a device that projects the entirety of a being for their own observation." Alisaria said, "If you bathe in the water of the Soul Mirror, then it will reveal as much about your soul as can be revealed to you."

"But what does that mean?" Julia asked, still just as confused as Theo.

"It means that it will display a rather in-depth status of whoever bathes in the waters," Alisaria said.

Theo and Julia looked at each other, then back at Alisaria. Theo spoke next, "Alisaria, I think that I know what we would like to do."

Alisaria nodded with a smile, "Understood, but please, while we are preparing, why don't you come inside and eat? Ashtarn is a fantastic chef and would love nothing more than to cook you whatever you would like."

Theo and Julia followed Alisaria to the mansion and into a dining room that was opulent beyond compare. As they sat down, a male dragon, now wearing a clean white coat, came in. "I am Ashtarn. Please tell me of anything that you might like."

Julia's mouth watered, "I don't suppose you know how to cook a plain cheeseburger, do you?"

A thrum of power told them there was a skill at play here. Ashtarn nodded, "Of course, I can make that for you. And what about you, Theo?"

Theo thought for a moment, "I could kill for a good Philly cheesesteak."

A thrum of power and a nod. "Of course, would you like mushrooms on that?"

Theo nodded, and Ashtarn walked away. Theo and Julia chatted for about fifteen minutes before Ashtarn returned with two plates, each holding a delicious meal. They ate with gusto, and when they were done, Alisaria appeared. "Thank you for waiting. I hope that Ashtarn delivered everything that you wanted."

Theo nodded, and Julia smiled and said, "He did."

Alisaria nodded back, "Now then, Theo, Julia, if you would follow me, the Deepwater Soul Mirror is ready."

They both got up and followed her out.