Hive Knight: A Dark Fantasy LitRPG (Trinity of the Hive Book 1) by Grayson Sinclair (poetry books to read TXT) 📗

I laughed at her and kissed her, ‘None of that, my bonded.” I leaned over to feed her a cube of steak and cheese. She opened her mouth and wrapped her tongue around my fingers, dragging the food into her mouth with just her tongue.

“Impressive,” I said while grabbing one of the ales and draining it. It was room temperature and tasted a little stagnant, but ale was ale, and I happily drank it while shoveling a considerable mouthful of meat and cheese down my gullet, washing it down with the second ale. After scarfing down the food and drink, we got dressed. I had to resort to wearing the same set of clothes from yesterday as I didn’t have anything else. Eris or other circumstances had absconded with all of my clean clothes. Oh, well. I planned to buy more today anyway. I wanted to take Eris shopping for some clothes she would enjoy wearing, but I secretly wanted my wardrobe back.

I pulled out a decently clean set of clothes for Eris. This one was solid black with a deep collar. The black was striking against her porcelain skin; it paired almost too well with her shaggy blonde hair. For a second, I was taken back to the memory of Eris’s mother walking to her throne. Eris looked like a younger version of her mother. Albeit much cuter, less prone to acts of genocide.

I had to convince her to wear the skirt while we were in public. She wasn’t happy about it, but had to admit, running around with nothing but a shirt in these crowded streets wasn’t a smart plan. Not when a stiff breeze would show off the fact that she refused to wear underwear of any sort. Her traveling skirt was still short, but it did reach past mid-thigh, at least.

We made our way downstairs to find a much quieter setting than last night. The bar was empty and spotless except for the smoldering coals of a fire that had recently been put out. Syl was operating the check-in station, but she looked too refreshed to have been there all night. Must have caught some sleep at some point during the night, though I wondered who watched the counter if she wasn’t there. She smiled a little sleepily as we made our way down the steps. “Good morning Duran, Eris,” she called to us as we approached.

“Morning,” we both said simultaneously, then immediately laughed in unison.

“How was your evening?”

Eris spoke up for both of us. “A little lonely, if I’m being honest, though D more than made up for it.”

Syl grinned wickedly. “I’ll bet he did.”

The two girls shared a laugh at my expense and exchanged a few pleasantries. Before long, people started bustling around getting things ready for the day, and it was our time to leave. I bid Syl a fond farewell, while she made a not-so-subtle innuendo about coming back soon.

As we exited into the streets, I was grateful that the walls and buildings were high enough to block the harsh light of the sun from blinding us as we walked out. We made our way to the stable, and I fed Lacuna breakfast and brushed her coat while she ate. Soon as I was finished, we climbed into the saddle and rode into the waking city.

We had woken up and set off at the perfect time, as people were going to work and bustling about with chores, but most of the farmers were already in the fields outside the city working. So, we made our way through the cobbled streets without much trouble.

The city had long since lost its charm for me, but Eris was still fascinated by all the new and unfamiliar sights and smells. We rode past many stone buildings and shops while Eris looked with wonder at it all. I could see how amazing it must seem to someone who had never experienced such a thing. She was in heaven, enjoying every little aspect of the trip. It warmed my heart to see the joy and wonder on her face as she twisted her head back and forth to people watch.

Within a few hours, we made our way to the gates to the Central Kingdom. Our progress slowed significantly as we got closer; more and more people were cropping up, trying to accomplish the same thing as we were: gaining access to the trading hub of Nexus.

“What are all these people doing here?” Eris asked.

“The same thing we are. Central is one of the busiest places in the world; it never sleeps, as some markets and stalls stay open twenty-four seven. It is also home to the seat of the Alliance, and where the five kings live.”

“So, the kings don’t live inside their kingdoms?”

I shook my head. “Too much hassle going back and forth since they have to meet nearly every day. Much easier to have a gigantic castle built for the five of them. Besides, the kings are mostly figureheads, squabbling back and forth over every little thing, with nothing much ever getting done. The Merchants Guild is where the true power lies in the Compass Kingdom.”

“Human politics are very confusing.”

I started to reply, but I found that I couldn’t disagree. “Humans are generally confusing creatures,” I said.

“You’re not confusing.”

“Oh, I wish that was true.”

When we finally made it through the mass of people enough to see the gates, some semblance of a line had formed and was moving along at a snail’s pace. Since this was the capital of the Alliance, security wasn’t messing around in the slightest. Three teams of four guards each were at a makeshift checkpoint. There was an additional team of archers with longbows stationed atop the ramparts. They gazed down at us with cold contempt.

After twenty minutes of walking along, it