High Fantasy Story

[HeroOfKvatch]

Hello all! I know I only published 3 stories set in the office, but I was getting a bit bored of it. Just seemed like it was stuff I had seen before. I decided to try something I had not seen prior; A foot fetish based in a High Fantasy setting. Will it be good? Hopefully. The next one will be closer to traditional stories.

The Adventurer’s Hall was hot and stuffy. There were too many people today for a reason Lerin Beauregard didn’t know. She estimated about 150 people crammed into a space the size of a small house, packed like cattle in a pen. Silvia Tristani, her loyal companion that sat across from her, wasn’t even playing with her shoes, to Lerin’s dismay. Lerin had bought those brown loafers with a gold ring on the toe as a gift, purposefully asking the cobbler to make them just a little bit bigger.

Everyday they’d come into the guild to wait around for a quest and sit down at a table in the corner. Silvia would immediately flick her shoes off, not even because she wanted to, but simply due to the extra size and her slippery stockings. This cramped horde was impeding her, and Lerin couldn’t stand for it.

“What is with all these people here?” she murmured to Silvia.

“You didn’t hear? There’s a quest to save a princess who got stuck in the mud a few miles west. They’re only accepting people with good qualifications. I guess no one has been successful with how many people there are,” Silvia explained, sighing at how little Lerin was aware of the world. She appreciated Lerin deeply, but she was practically blindfolded to everything around her.

Lerin suddenly rose to her feet and slammed her hand on the table. “Right, we’re gonna claim that quest and bring that Princess back safe and sound!”

“No offence Lerin, but we’re not going to be qualified. We’ve only gone on three quests and one expedition.”

“Pffft. Let’s just go there anyway. When we come back with the damsel, they’ll have no choice but to congratulate us!”

“Um, no Lerin, that means-“ and Lerin was already rushing out the door, her brown cape fluttering and steel sword shimmering. Silvia sighed again, having no choice but to follow her. When she first joined her party, Silvia thought Lerin was going to be the perfect ally. She was courageous and valiant, always ready to defend those she cared about. Both beauty and brawn were on her side. Her raven black hair was short and rough, her skin perfect and smooth. It seemed at first she could lift mountains and punch down trees, but Silvia soon found out this perceived strength was only due to her own even more severe lack of strength.

Eventually, she realised Lerin had neither brawn nor brains. The bravery she saw initially proved to be bravado. Her charges into battle weren’t shock tactics, they were arrogance. The muscles she had were like prairies against towering mountains. The sentiment she felt just days after meeting Lerin was echoing here again.

Lerin’s pace was swift and decisive; she could walk a marathon in practically a minute. Her brown knee-high leather boots with a 3-inch heel were clacking against the footpath. She hadn’t even read what the quest was about, only seeing the ‘2500 Marks’. That was a whole year’s worth of luxury life in Rivercliff. Oh the fancy things she’d buy… shoes from the most talented cobblers in all the lands, and well, that was most of what she dreamt for. Though called an Adventurer, she really was more focused on girls’ feet. She didn’t know why, it had just always been like that.

It was, in-fact, why she let Silvia join her. She initially didn’t want any help from anyone, but one fateful day, a girl named Silvia was pestering her to let her into her party. Though Lerin did think she was cute with her long ginger hair and ice blue dress, she wasn’t particularly in need of a companion, nor was she keen on splitting the rewards. Lerin was eyeing up this girl’s summer blue high heels, however. They weren’t very high, but she could tell they were uncomfortable. Her weight shifted from side to side every few moments. “Sorry if this is a bit unprofessional.”

“Oh don’t worry, I’m not much for-” The river of words got blocked by a dam. Silvia popped her foot out of the heel. It almost looked like steam was shimmering out of the shoe. Silvia placed her foot back down onto the stone floor. Instant relief. At that moment, Lerin immediately knew she’d let Silvia into her party. She shook her hand, informed the Guild, and forever was trying to get Silvia out of her shoes.

All that had eventually led to this. Silvia could barely keep up with Lerin, having to switch to a light-hearted jog. She loved Lerin dearly, but the oaf was always charging into things, never looking, always stabbing. She needed her to slow down, just a little bit. Though initially unaware of Lerin’s proclivities, she learnt them swiftly. “Oh no, Lerin, slow down, I lost my shoe!” She let her shoe fall off her foot.

“There is no time for waiting, the Universe waits for no man or woman!”

“Huh?” Silvia uttered in astonishment. Had Lerin just opposed her wiring and stopped caring about a cute girl losing her shoe? Her plan had backfired. Silvia looked down to try and shimmie her foot back in. By the time she looked back up, Lerin was practically halfway to Nordland, and her shoe still wasn’t back on. If she left without her, which now she had no doubt Lerin would do, Lerin would certainly just get killed. ‘Screw it’, she thought and picked up her shoe before running after Lerin. Her stockings would get cut up and destroyed, but it was better than Lerin getting cut up and destroyed.

Finally, they arrived at the stables just outside the city gates. Lerin took the reins to her horse and was ready to go before Silvia had even put her shoe back on. “Silvia, we cannot let this Princess wait!”

“You don’t even know what we’re up against!”

“That’s a problem for future me.”

“This gung-ho style is gonna get you killed someday…”

“I’ll just get a cleric to revive me.” And for the third time, Silvia sighed. Silvia slipped her loafer back on and sat behind Lerin on the horse. They departed, Lerin’s mind still filled with money, gold, and honour.

*

The muddy field came into view where the Princess’ carriage got stuck. A gaggle of adventurers, also coming here without the permission of the Guild, were standing on the outskirts. This mud wasn’t natural. It was too deep and swampy to just be rainwater and too far from any other natural water sources.

“It’s just some mud. I got my boots, I can just walk right across!”

“Lerin, the reason they’re paying so much is because there’s Earth Elementals.” Magical entities who are the incarnates of their elements. Nobody knows why they exist or when they came about, but they’re still considered some of the fiercer enemies people can face. They can easily take down lesser Adventurers and hold a reputation for especially brutal deaths like drowning. “Pffft, we’ve fought worse than that.”

“You lost to a boar last week.”

“My shoulder was sore.”

“Yeah because you swung too hard the week before.”

“Whatever.” Lerin said ignorantly, before walking straight towards the carriage. Sylvia pinched the bridge of her nose; her message of Lerin getting herself killed was prophetic. Lerin stepped into the thick fields of mud. After a few metres, she sank nearly to her knees, covering her leather boots in goopy sludge. Unfettered, she trekked on, seemingly unstoppable. Silvia tried following, but after two steps retreated as the mud seeped into her loafers and covered her feet.

She fled back to hardground. “Yuck.” The mud stains would make these unsalvageable. She kicked off her shoes, and so too were her white stockings covered in the sludge. “I’m gonna force Lerin to buy me new shoes and stockings - if she lives.” She unclipped her garters and slid the ruined stockings down her smooth legs. One down, one to go.

As her fingers struggled to unclip her other garter, she became a sitting duck. An Earth Elemental, smelling the vulnerability, rose from its home in the soil. It’s tall, standing like an obelisk. She screamed. “Lerin!” Lerin turned her head, seeing the wispy head of the elemental rising high above the ground, ready to strike like a cobra.

Well crap. She was already halfway across the field. But Silvia wasn’t attuned to close quarters, so she now had two damsels to save. Well, letting the Princess die was just a failed quest. Silvia was more important. With all the speed she could muster in her muscles, she tried returning across the mud, though it was more of a crawl in the murk.

Silvia ran in the other direction, no shoes and one stocking on, leaving muddy footsteps as she ran. The Elemental was closely following her, though to her graces could only match not outpace. She still couldn’t get to a safe distance where she could cast her cryo magic without the risk of freezing herself.

Lerin came to a standstill. She was still trying to move, but she couldn’t. Something was keeping her from taking another step. Something that was tugging at her boot, the right one. Her foot was sinking fast into the mud. Too fast. She realised what was going on. An Elemental had latched onto her and was pulling her into the ground.

“Not like this!” She cried. The mud was nearly up to her knees, nearly able to pour into her boots. She had to end this swiftly. Putting all her weight into her right, she pushed off the sludge in a sudden lurch forward. She was gracious to finally escape the snares of the Elemental. All of her except her boot; she’d worry about that later. The mud felt gross on her bare toes, but she couldn’t worry about that for now.

She jolted towards Silvia, who was still trying to evade the Elemental. Silvia was running around the circumference of the mudzone, with the other adventurers watching in humour rather than horror. Lerin approached swiftly, her sword in hand. Raising her arms to strike, she hits the back of the Elemental with all her might, slaying the mighty beast and-

And in reality, merely tickling it. The beast, which stood tall above her, turned around, its dirt-carapace hardly shaken. Now Lerin was the one running for her life, screaming Silvia’s name. It was far tougher running in one boot, especially when it had a 3 inch heel. And her exposed toes on the other foot were covered in slimy and slippery mud; it was inevitable that she’d fall. Flat on her face, perfectly face planting on the ground.

Her dreamt-of future was disappearing before her eyes. All the shoeplay she’d miss, all the times with Silvia she’d lose. And just as the acceptance began to set in, a flaming arrow stabbed into the clay skin of the Elemental. It forged into sudden porcelain. The crumbling ceramic came crashing on Lerin, but she was not any more hurt.

Silvia swivelled her head to see who had shot the arrow. A lady on horseback with silver armour etched in gold that matched the colour of her blonde hair. “What are you people doing out here, I am Luciana von der Fortbrucke, the first approved adventurer by the guild. None of you should be trying to claim it.” Silvia was silently giggling to herself, as the lady was clearly directing her speech towards Lerin.

“It’s-”

“Save it. You can help spot Elementals before they attack,” she ordered as she got off her horse. An archer with light armour, she’d be quite vulnerable to any attacks while walking across. Lerin wasn’t sure how she would be able to stomach walking across the mud in her leather ankle boots, though she appreciated the fairly high heel of 4 inches and had to stifle the words she wanted to say.

Lerin was waiting for the moment this girl realised just how deep the mud was. But then she didn’t sink in. She was almost floating on top of it. Of course. With every step, she was using fire magic to make her path into ceramic. Lerin wiped the mud off her bare foot on the grass and followed closely, only a couple steps behind.

Their approach to the carriage was blitzkrieg, and it seemed like nothing could abade them. Lerin’s toes were still dry, and so were the Lady’s boots. They approached the door of the carriage half-sunken into the mud like a capsized ship. The door was ajar, held shut by gravity. The Princess was in there.

Luciana opened the door. Lerin was glancing around their shoulder, trying to sneak a peek at what this Princess looked like. They looked distressed. Figures. They looked like they had mascara stains across their face and obvious eyebags of worry. She couldn’t see her shoes, but she’d feel bad to be thirsting over someone in terror.

“Don’t worry Princess von Ostland, you’re-”

“Luciana, behind you!” Lerin shrieked. Luciana couldn’t let the Princess be in sight of those volatile monsters; they were attracted to bright colours, like the Princess’ pink dress. “Sorry!” She screamed as she pushed the Princess into the cart, though unintentionally falling in herself.

Falling on top of the Princess, neary but her left leg was left outside the carriage. It was jamming the door, keeping it just slightly open. Luciana was positioning herself to open the door back up and get back into the fight. Lerin grabbed her sword and held her blade in defensive stance, though her posture was poor.

And the Elemental whipped her once, and she was sent crashing into the carriage door like a boulder in a landslide. Luciana could feel the added weight pinning her leg and called out in pain, “Lerin, what in Tregen’s name is going on!”

“Bad situation!” Lerin wasn’t smooth with the tongue, especially in this danger. The Elemental’s carapace began to spin around like a tornado, ready to slam her again. Crap, if that thing hits, it’ll break the carriage and they’ll all drown in the mud. Lerin had to do something.

She reached for her blade, damnit, she could see it sinking into the sludge! Welp. That was it. The Elemental would hit her, she’d die and then it’d break the wood of the carriage. The mud would fill in the sinking ship. There was no possibility of survival.

Or was there? “Luciana, use that fire magic you used to get across!”

“Huh?”

“Just do it!” Luciana superheated her shoes, causing them notably to glow like a scorching knife. Lerin, hoping the gloves would keep her hands from burning, ripped the boot off Luciana’s foot and hurled it with all her might at the Elemental. As the boot shot like a cannonball through the air, Lerin knew this was the only chance. If it didn’t kill it, they’d all be dead.

The heel stabbed the Elemental in its ‘eye’. It forged into hard ceramic plate before crumbling like dust and blowing away with the wind. They were safe, though the ankle boot fell in the mud along with it. Lerin stood, her butt sore and with just one shoe on. “Alright you can come out now. I think it’s clear,” she said as she looked behind her. Her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets as she saw what Luciana wore on her feet.

They were like stockings! But they showed the best parts of the foot! It was so conservative yet so revealing, like black lingerie. It covered just the instep and the middle of the sole in a shroud of black, while leaving exposed the toes and heel, which she could see were quite pink and warm. Lerin wanted to reach out, grab them, and- “Lerin, is it safe out there?”

“Right right, uh yes it’s safe to come out.” Lerin stood up away from the door and opened it.

“Come on Princess Petra.” Luciana whispered as she hauled the sullen princess out of the carriage. She held her hand as the three walked across to safe, dry ground. It almost looked like the mud was beginning to recede. “Wow, Lerin, you- you actually saved the day for once!” Silvia shouted in excitement.

“Of course I did. I am the Great Adventurer Lerin Beauregard!”

“I probably could have saved them myself if you weren’t lying on top of the door,” Luciana

“Pfft, you wouldn’t even have known it was attacking if I didn’t yell it out.”

“Alright, fine. Let’s not keep the Princess waiting and get back to the city.”

“What are we gonna do about our shoes though?” Silvia called out. She didn’t even know where her loafers and the other stocking were, and her bare feet wouldn’t enjoy the cold stones of the Rivercliff footpaths. “Throw them out. They’re useless without partners.” Luciana replied. The reward money was exponentially more, so trying to find her ruined shoe in the mud would be fruitless and useless.

“You could give it to-” Silvia slapped Lerin on the back of the head. She wasn’t going to be taking anybody’s shoe, not as long as she was Lerin. Lerin rubbed the sore spot and decided, “Alright, I get it. Let’s just go back into town.”


*

Triumphant cheers and hollers bounded throughout the city as they entered the gates, the Princess riding on Luciana’s horse. They still didn’t know why she was so important, or why seemingly everyone but them knew. Nonetheless, they had saved the Princess, though they earned quizzical looks for their muddy outfits and the two shoes between the six feet. They were still being cheered on as champions, as if they were generals who had returned from war.

The Adventurer’s Guild had cleared out, with most of the Adventurers begrudgingly clapping along with the crowds, enviously wishing they were the ones who did it. With swagger and pride, they walked into the Guild Hall. Lerin was already imagining her portrait hanging above the fireplace. “Oh! Luciana, I see you have returned with Princess Petra von Ostland.” The Guildkeeper looked down at their feet, noticing the destitute state of them. One ankle boot and stirrup tights, one knee-high boot and a bare foot, and one bare foot and a stocking. “Clearly not a decisive success though.”

“Yes yes, the carriage was unsalvageable,” Luciana perfectly deflected the issue.

“Well no, I meant-”

“Alright come on, we got the Princess.”

“Of course, madame. I will contact the banks and tell them, though I think you’ll probably be wanting some of it upfront. For, you know,” he gestured towards their feet. He withdrew from the locked safe behind him a pouch of 10 Marks in 250 silver coins and clunked it down on the table. Luciana picked it up, turned to Lerin and Silvia, and said, “Alright, how about we go shoe shopping?”

[Collegetownstudios]

Honestly, I think Lerin is wonderful.
I enjoyed this story very much. I rarely read good High Fantasy, and then to have the subtle fetishism mixed in is wonderful. I especially like Lerin, though, because she reminds me of myself. If I had a Silvia, I'd definitely have her wearing loafers that were too big.

[PRESSURE464]

I really enjoyed this story. Great work.