None worse than a chilly walk through a gloomy city

After a few wrong turns, Reader and his pet arrived at a smithy near the named streets. They entered the door of the shop in front, being greeted by a beautiful woman who seemed sculped out of clay.

"Can I help you?" she asked in an oddly deep voice.

"Um, yes." reader said. "I'm looking for the smith that runs the place - Harnara I believe? I have something for her from her friend alyza"

"Just a minute, I'll get her", the girl replied, moving into the back of the building.

"We've seen a lot of girls like that around town," Reader remarked as he watched her nude gray bottom swaying its way out of the room.

"Golemgirls," Kitty nodded. "the city runs on them, and they run on manjuices. Because so many adventuring parties with at least one man come through here, the city has a high ratio of men to women, so it's easy to recharge them. It's considered polite to fuck one if you like the service of the owning business. Like leaving a big tip"

"What's this about fucking my staff?" came an amused voice as Harnara entered the room. From the belly button up she was thickly-muscled and modestly-breasted, nude but for a heavy leather vest and gloves. Soot but no sweat stained her face and ponytail. The bottom half was an emerald-green snake, so long it trailed out the door.

"Oop! Pardon my language young sir!" she added, clapping one begloved hand to her mouth as she noticed Reader in the entranceway. "When Misty said someone was bringing a delivery from Lyza, I didn't think we had a male visitor. What'll it be, honoured wellspring?"

"It's a religious term of respect" the catsune stage-whispered in response to Reader's confused look, while the lamia looked at her, seemingly a little annoyed and embarrassed.

"Er, like I told... Misty, I have a delivery for you from Lyza"

"Oh!" the smith perked up at being addressed by him. "Well, what is it?" she asked, lowering part of her torso so they were exactly at eye level.

At first she kept her hands in front as if expecting him to put something in them, but she withdrew them behind her back as Reader advanced on her, as if afraid she'd smudge his clothes. "Um, do you have it here?" she asked in a nervous voice as he stopped, now standing very close.

"I do..." Reader said, moving his mouth most of the way to hers.

"Well then," she said breathlessly, "You'd better - mmmmmm..."

The kiss lasted a long time, neither of them in a hurry to break it. Harnara's lips were cool, her scent ophidian. When he opened his eyes reader saw hers rolled back but wide open, her tail thrashing behind her. Still, her lips tasted refreshing, and her expression was blissful. Reader enjoyed it a good while.

"Do you have anything for me to bring her in return?" Reader asked when the kiss finally found it's conclusion.

"I - goodness, I hadn't expected anything like this. But I think I have something suitable, hold on..." she disappeared thorough the same door by which she'd entered, and reader took the opportunity to check his character sheet, curious whether the fetch quest had done what he'd hoped.