Thud. Thud. Thud.

Something was rhythmically moving under him. Though Jace felt cozy and warm, huddled in someone’s arms, he was not lying in the comfort of a still, horizontal bed.

Blinking his eyes open, he felt the déjà vu of waking up where he was not supposed to be. Like, this time around, he was on a horse.

Oh. So it wasn’t a dream.

Flashes of what happened ran through his mind like an NSFW slideshow. Heh. Still got it.

But, alas, why was he—um, where was he?

Taking note of his surroundings, Jace widened his eyes.

It was beautiful. Before him was a myriad of colors, nature breathing and vibrating with life. An infinite expanse of the bluest sky, an endless stretch of grassy plains, a single ribbon of bare ground—a beaten track curving through, inviting him to take on the journey of a lifetime. Above, heavy but fluffy clouds glowed at the edges, the sun hidden behind them, its rays piercing through and painting line upon line of gentle light. Where it shone onto the plains, the grass gained a brighter shade of green, while the shadows turned it emerald-dark.

A breeze of wind caressed his skin. The air was fresh, clean. Jace was not sure when he had last had the luxury of breathing in something not polluted with smoke and exhaust fumes.

Far in the distance, a mountain range rose high, snowy peaks glistening under a few lucky rays that managed to find their way through the veil of white-grey clouds. The range stretched both west and east, covered in lush forests that made way for rocky cliffs and ridges closer to the top.

The view was something he only saw as one of the backgrounds switching on the screen of his laptop. Something he would wistfully stare at and dejectedly remind himself that the number in his bank account never rose over four digits.

So, this was the world here? Magnificent nature, clean air, not a single soul on a conveniently stone-laid road going forward for miles and miles? Jace bit back a smile.

Finally. Freedom!

He dreamed of traveling the world, seeing its wonders, learning its cultures. He never could’ve done it back in his reality, but he was nobody here, and the economy was whatever suited the plot best. Money? Please. Jace could simply loot one of the places the protagonist had already traveled through. Just a few of the gems and artifacts Liut routinely stashed in some secret places would sustain Jace for a lifetime here.

And here, it was so beautiful. What was beyond the mountains? What animals lived in those forests? The Venerable One Has Found His Way was scarce with world descriptions, but the main locations were written as grand, illustrious, breathtaking.

The Whispering Forest. Said to be so thick in trees that one could not see a single sliver of sky when looking up.

The Bay of Purple Tides. The sunsets there were rumored to be so beautiful and the waters so worrisome that artisans traveled weeks and months to gain inspiration from the view.

And the Ancient Citadel. The Willow Town. The Marble Temple over the Everfrosted Lake.

Oh, pervert god, thank you! Maybe you were never a pervert, only Jace was!

Giddy and excited to explore his new life, Jace breathed in the cleanest air to ever touch his lungs. He couldn’t even feel sad that he didn’t get to have the real dick-up-the-ass sex; it felt so crude now in comparison to the journey awaiting him.

And, well, he came twice and so intensely he lost consciousness, so his horniness was duly satiated for a few weeks at the least.

Begone, Jace the Pervert! Arise, Jace the Explorer!

Ah, brand new life!

“You’re awake?”

Startled, Jace almost fell off the horse. Only because someone was holding him did he manage to stay in the saddle.

Oh, right. He was not alone.

Sneaking a peek over his shoulder, Jace was met with a black iron breastplate. Oh, like, real armor. Wow. Glancing up, he found a jawline sharp enough to cut paper and, of course, those sapphire eyes. Who else could it be but the protagonist?

He was smiling down at Jace, his eyes softening the moment their gazes met.

“Slept well?” Liut asked tenderly.

Suspicious, Jace nodded. Liut’s arms caged him on both sides; there was only one horse and no one around for miles. He should tread carefully.

“Why—” Jace’s voice was too raspy. Clearing his, uhm, damaged-by-lowlier-desires throat, Jace tried again. “Why am I here?”

Good, wonderful. Though very dumb, the question dug into the root of an issue.

Smiling that deranged smile, Liut kissed the top of Jace’s head. “Where I go, you follow,” he answered simply.

A hazy memory of this cheesy line resurfaced. 

Full disclosure, Jace also could scream “I love you” and “Marry me” when fucked silly, but he didn’t really mean it. No one ever did, like, come on.

Was the blowjob so good that the smut chapter got a sequel? But why the traveling part? Unless a plot-relevant event needed to happen on the road, traveling in the novel was usually described in one or two sentences. Something similar to: For a day and a night, Liut raced his horse to the —enter destination—, vigilant to make it in time.

Did he actually not race his horse, but continue to fuck around on the road before the plot kicked in? Hehe, Liut, what a rascal!

Well, anyway. If the protagonist himself decided to deliver Jace somewhere relevant, as long as Jace could dip out before real fighting happened, it worked for him. If there was some steamy outdoors sex planned as well, even better.

Snuggling into the cozy embrace, Jace relaxed. He kind of missed human contact, so that was not so bad either.

“And where are we going?” Jace asked, observing the lovely scenery in front of him.

“Stormlands,” Liut replied.

Oh, right. As far as Jace could remember, one of the few surviving members of the Dark Brotherhood was in hiding there. Liut was tracking them down in this arc, trying to find the ancient archives and artifacts hidden away by the Brotherhood before its destruction.

Since the Stormlands had been introduced as Liut’s destination only a few chapters prior, Jace deduced that he was indeed transmigrated into the body of the last paramour Liut had had his fun with before the chapters got paywalled.

So, yeah, Jace surely needed to fuck off as soon as they arrived. He had no idea how the plot would progress. And without an omniscient reader’s knowledge, he’d rather avoid the story’s main events.

“Is it nice there?” Jace questioned.

Carefully, he patted the horse’s mane. So shiny and thick, aww. He should buy himself a horse, too. Maybe Liut would buy him one? For the sake of their good times, if nothing else.

“As far as I’m aware, not too nice,” admitted Liut. “It is said that the storms only subside there for a few days per moon. The air always heavy and moist, the sun rarely seen.”

Yikes. Not an ideal destination for Jace the Explorer. They needed a detour; Liut should drop him off somewhere nicer.

“Indeed, that doesn’t sound exciting. Will we travel through something more seemly?”

Unable to keep himself idle, Jace brushed through a few locks of the horse’s mane and started weaving them into a tiny braid. It would look cute, very fantasy-esque.

He felt Liut once again pressing his lips to the top of his head. Did he enjoy that Jace was shorter than him so much that he couldn’t help himself?

Into the hair, Liut murmured, “Are you keen on seeing something of wonder, love?”

What a smooth-talker. But Jace couldn’t lie; that low voice speaking honey and the easy intimacy felt nice. He missed it.

“And if I am? Would you show me a wonder?”

The braid was almost done, sleek black hair shining under the mild sun.

With a chuckle, Liut planted another kiss on the top of Jace’s head.

“Look ahead,” he whispered, now leaning closer to Jace’s ear. “The mountain range. We shall cross it, and the only way to do so is through the Stonerose Caves. Have you heard of them?”

Jace shook his head. They were never mentioned in the free chapters.

Warm breath teasing Jace’s earlobe, Liut continued, “The Stonerose Caves are rumored to be the home of the last known dragon. She died centuries ago, the bones engulfed by the rocks. With her dying breath, fire potent and overflowing with remnants of celestial magic, the dragon melted the mountain, shaping rose quartz into a peerless glass tunnel. Petal-pink turning white, the crystals drip down the walls akin to frozen water, forever glimmering from within.”

Mesmerized, Jace tried to imagine it. Quartz melted by the breath of a dragon. A freaking dragon!

“Once you reach the tunnel, you don’t need torches; the shine is so enchanting it illuminates the way for you. Would you like to see that?” Liut’s lips grazed Jace’s earlobe, accidental touch making him feel heat rising.

“It sounds wonderful,” Jace whispered. Turning his head just enough so he could glance at Liut, Jace found their faces so close, a breath away. “Take me there,” he murmured, eyes darting to Liut’s lips. Fingers loosening, the unfinished braid fell out of his hold.

“I will.” Liut leaned in, and he was no dragon, but his kiss surely melted Jace.

Languid and slow, Liut did not rush. He took Jace’s lower lip between his, then the upper one. Breathing out, Jace opened his mouth, and Liut teasingly licked inside. His tongue grazed the edge of the upper arch of Jace’s teeth and Jace, of course, could not miss the chance to lightly bite it. Jace felt Liut’s lips spreading in a smile against his own. A heavy palm cupped his jaw, bringing him closer, and that sneaky tongue pushed through his defenses and plunged deeper into Jace’s mouth.

Gosh, those fucking protagonists. How could Jace fight this? He couldn’t. Opening wider, he entangled his own tongue with the invading one and tilted his head to allow a better angle.

The rhythmic gait of the horse under them made their teeth clack from time to time, but Jace couldn’t care less. He was a puddle, fully immersed in the halo of the protagonist and his ministrations.

All was perfect, warm and lovely.

Until he felt Liut tensing up, the palm gently holding his cheek suddenly clutching it.

Then he heard it himself—the sound of hooves galloping from behind.

Oh no. Was the traveling part plot-relevant after all?..