Remnants of the Earth
TEINAR => Wastelands => Topic started by: Stardancer on February 26, 2015, 07:37:22 am
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“Hellooooo?!” Tessa called out to the grayness around her. “Can anyone hear me?” No response. Panicking, she called out several more times, stubbornly trying to get some kind of reply in return. “Anyone!!” Still nothing. Letting out a shaky breath, Tessa looked around her.
This place was downright strange. Tessa didn't know where she was or even more importantly when she was. Time didn't seem to matter here in this place of nothing. This place that seemed to exist nowhere and everywhere at once. How did she know this? Tessa wasn't exactly sure, but she did know one thing. She needed to get out, to escape somehow. There was a sense of utter urgency underlying that thought as though she had little time left or that much 'time' to even start with. What would happen when 'time' ran out, she didn't know and further didn't want to know the answer to that.
Recalling how she got here in the first place, Tessa shuddered. She had been exploring the wastelands with a couple others when suddenly she was no longer there anymore, but here in this land of limbo. There had been some kind of energy or hole or something, perhaps a rift of some kind that had swallowed her up. True, there had been rumors circulating around Teinar that people sent out to forage and hunt for food had suddenly disappeared without a trace. Even more disturbing were the reasons behind these disappearances. That there used to lie an ancient fortress of some kind where dark magics were practiced there regularly, and that over the years as the place crumbled it left behind in its wake a dangerous magic or magical effects that tore through the very fabric of reality itself, sending those who got caught in its clutches off to an uncertain fate. The rift or whatever it was, seemed to just spread with each passing decade. With nothing to contain it, it was given free reign to grow at a steady pace.
Tessa didn't know where her companions were and this scared her. She was alone in this nowhere place, with only a gray barren area before her of both sky and land and no discernible ground on which she walked upon. Ghostly shapes flitted by her blinking in and out of existence, whether they were lost souls, forgotten memories or what was unknown to the girl. Tessa just wanted out of here but she had no clue as to how to go about doing that.
Rummaging through her denim bag, Tessa got out her flare gun and pointed it upwards, letting out a flare of bright light watching as it soared into the empty nothingness that was the sky. It flared brightly for several seconds lighting up the grayness with a sense of life that was not present elsewhere in this place before winking out of existence, with nothing more but the gray around and above her once more. Tessa didn't know if there was anyone around to even see it, but she had to try. She wouldn't go down without a fight or some kind of effort on her part. If she was to die here then she would put up as much resistance as humanly possible before death or endlessness, whichever came first, took her.
Putting her flare gun back in her bag, she gripped her short sword in her right hand tightly, as though it were the only thing keeping her sane and grounded in this unnatural landscape. Tessa needed a sense of security with her and the short sword provided a meager amount of that. And so she clung to it as though it were the difference between life and death, sanity and insanity. With nothing else to do, she walked onward into nothingness with nothingness surrounding her and no idea where she was going.
-
It was almost finished.
After almost five thousand years, Arthuriel was almost returned. He had almost died those many years ago but had managed to save himself by casting a single thread into the void. Now he was almost returned, and he would be a plague among the world.
All would fall before him.
But he'd need a host, he realized. No worry, he'd find someone, even limbo had its denizens.
-
More endless gray. Despite being here only a short time, Tessa was quickly growing sick of it. "More barren wasteland crap...." she muttered, annoyed. "More barren nothingness to walk around in and I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE I'M GOING!" She suddenly shouted, her words being swallowed up by the emptiness around her.
"Go forage for food, Tessa. Go bring back something for supper, Tessa." she imitated her mother in her sassy way that Tessa was known for. "Yeah, well mom I'm sorry, but I can't bring back any plants or dried roots because somehow I took a wrong turn and ended up in LIMBO!" Screaming that last word into the thin gray nothing. And of course, there was no answer. There was no life. Except for her.
Tessa sighed angrily. And kept on walking. After all, what else was there to do? Bird watch or something? Soon though, the large shape of a building loomed up ahead in the distance. Tessa blinked. And stared. And blinked again. Yep, there was a building alright. As she got closer however, she saw this building looked like some kind of ancient temple, but the thing that really peaked her interest was the fact that it shimmered in and out of view continuously, as though only partially there. Tessa supposed she shouldn't be too surprised. It was limbo, remember?
One might question the wisdom of going near a strange ghostly temple in the middle of nowhere, but then again Tessa's choices were severely limited as it was so obviously wisdom didn't apply anymore. Reaching for the doorknob which glimmered in a strange light, Tessa hesitated before finally pushing the door open, stepping inside its dark, dank corridors.
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Inside the temple it was dusty and the air was thick. Symbols were drawn everywhere and for some reason one room was filled with water but it did not flow out of it. At some places even parts were missing or rather said there was truely nothing there. Another room seemed to have the sky in the floor and a bit of grasslands where the ceiling was supposed to be. It even held animals.
''Who is there!'' A voice sounded. It was male for certain and footsteps echoed through the entire place continuesly paired with something made of wood. A man aproached Tessa slowly. He seemed well built but filthy and by the Gods he smelled. Above all. He was as good as naked. His eyes seemed most likely the weirdest of all. They were like white opal gens even luminating a little.
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Coughing on all the dust around her, Tessa stepped in further letting the door behind her shut with a clang! Just after that loud display, the brown-haired girl heard a male's voice call out, demanding to know who was there. Finally! she thought, excitedly. There's someone here after all!
Her excitement quickly turned to shock when a man came out then. The first thing she noticed was the god-awful smell emanating from him. The second was the fact that he stood before her completely naked. As in, no clothes. Tessa just stared at first. Her eyes curiously looking down to his man bits, and by the friggin' fates, was the man well-endowed down there. Tessa had only ever seen one man naked before in her life, and that was when she and a fellow neighbor decided to get down and dirty somewhere in a secluded part of the underground city where she was from. And it was safe to say, that man had nothing going compared to the stinky dude before her now.
Once again, reminded of the stench, she then plugged her nose with her fingers, while gagging. "Geez dude, ever heard of a bath before?" she coughed and sputtered again, both because of the malodorous stench and the dust which got swirled up and around because of his entrance. The one other noticeable thing about the man was his eyes. They were of the most opaque white. Tessa couldn't tell if he even had any pupils at all or if the man was blind or what. Once again, her gaze traveled south and lingered there. Just staring.
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''Heard of it.'' Kayden spoke. ''I can not remember the last time I had one. I do not even remember where it is in this place. Neither do my Seer powers work ever since I got myself into this place a while ago. As in how long I've been here. I do not even remember that.'' He took a few places closer and it seemed he was approaching Tessa but he then turned towards a piece of dusty otherworldly armor displayed on a stand. It was blue with golden and certainly designed for women.
''And you Jeanna. Have some explaining to do. Just opening the door and let strangers in. I know we do not get visitors often but at the least you could offer her something to drink or eat. Or are you to accustomed to me not doing so.'' he sighed before turning to Tessa. ''I'm sorry.. my maid was never good at her job.'' he said with a smile.
He moved his loose fatty hair behind his ear. ''Come. Just be carefull not to step on the twinkelers.'' he said. ''They do not like being stepped on.'' he added as a whisper. He turned around and started walking. His staff tapping on the ground as he did and at some point he moved weird as if avoiding something. He even apolagised to what basicly was nothing.
-
Managing to force her gaze upwards again to his face, the brown-haired girl could only stare at him in confusion when he started spouting out nonsense. He was talking to a suit of armor, albeit very unique looking armor as though it were an actual person. He even referred to it as his maid Jeanna. Must have been stuck here a long time, she mused silently. This guy was acting completely nuts.
"Don't step on the twinklers." he had said, walking carefully to avoid said 'twinklers.' Yep, there was no doubt about it, the guy was certifiably insane. Tessa stood there for several seconds, not moving as she questioned whether or not to follow this crazy man. After all, who knew what he was capable of? But then again, the man was blind. Surely anything he would try would be rendered difficult because of his lack of vision?
However this was the first person that she had come across in this otherworldly place, crazy or not. Tessa wasn't sure about her chances of meeting anyone else here, and whose to say they wouldn't be just as loony, if not more so than the man before her? So it was with that final thought, she forced her feet to move forward, to follow the man with unruly chestnut brown hair. And if he did try something, she had least had her sword with her. Never mind the fact that Tessa wasn't all that great with wielding it, but it was something at least.
"Where are we going?" she asked, while looking around at the nearby rooms, some of them downright strange. One was filled completely with still water, while another had the floor and ceilings completely reversed. Hints of wildlife could even be seen, and Tessa shuddered at the eerie gaze of a bat-like creature watching her from its place in the 'ceiling.' Whether or not it was real and actually there didn't matter so much as the fact that it was watching her with beady, glowing red eyes. To her, it was real enough and so she scrambled to get as far away from it as she could.
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''The study. Of some sorts.'' Kayden replied and avoided another Twinkler. Whatever that was. But he did so in a silly way. Again he adressed a piece of armor which seemed to be the male version of the one he spoke to earlier. Having called it Michael and that he looked rather fit today.
The study had an empty fireplace although there was a stock of wood. From strange dark stone the place had changed to marble instead. Mainly off white but also various other colors. Smoothly cut and polished, with images of the ocean and its inbahitants.
There were a few books on the floor and many more in bookcases most carrying strange symbols. Even a large pile of ancient scr olls. A table. Crystals emitting light. One wall had been carved with lines like a prisonwall, like a prisoner counting his days. And it were plenty. Thousands for sure. There was an hourglass in which the sand ran slowly and hummed softly with magic. There was even a globe of Earth which in Tessa's days would be certainly outdated.
''If it is as much of a mess as I am, sorry in advance I do not really expect visitors here.'' he spoke and gestured Tessa to sit down on a comfortable pillowed chair at the table. ''Can I get you anything?''
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Tessa's stomach roiled in turmoil as she followed the man to his study of sorts. Soon she was bending over, puking from the smell of him, the odor was quite foul and extended pretty far. Luckily, the mess was only liquids as the last time Tessa had eaten was some five hours ago. Not counting the hour she spent wandering the wastelands of Limbo. At least she assumed it was an hour. For all she knew it could have only been fifteen minutes, or perhaps days or even years had already passed. Tessa went with her initial assumption though, as that was the easiest to accept. She didn't want to think of it being years, the thought was too horrible to comprehend.
Regaining her composure, she stood back up and entered the room where the naked man had gone. The sight that met her eyes then was astonishing to say the least. This place certainly had what the outside terrain certainly lacked. She wondered where it all came from. The hourglass on the table caught her eye then, as it thrummed with a magical energy. Tessa was no mage though, so that was all she could fathom about it, the fact that it was magical and nothing else.
Recalling a wristwatch she had once owned, Tessa grimaced. It had been one of her favorite items she owned, that is before she lost it in the vast subterrain underneath her home city. And she had most definitely thrown quite the petty fit, much to the chagrin of her mother who had yelled at her to shut up already. Tessa had eventually calmed down though, but she was still pretty peeved about the whole incident. Stuff like her watch couldn't readily be replaced where she lived, and the government was much too busy with the overall concerns of the people to worry about some stubborn girl losing a watch. It was tough luck for her. Didn't mean she had to like it though.
The globe was also something else, an indicator of a time long ago on the same Earth as Tessa herself lived in. Not recognizing any of the familiar continents or landmarks she was used to. Of course, there wasn't much of the earth nowadays anyway, so it made sense that there had to have been more of it long before she was even born. A country called 'Serendipity' caught her eye then and she studied it with some interest before continuing to look around the room.
The man had asked her if she wanted anything and Tessa shook her head no, still queasy from his extreme body odor. She didn't want to hurl again as that would be made that much more unpleasant if she actually had something in her stomach to throw up. No thank you. Plugging her nose again with thumb and index finger, she looked at him again before continuing her examination of the room they were in. As soon as they found some kind of bathing chamber, Tessa was going to shove him in there, rude or not, she didn't care. She couldn't stand the smell for too much longer. It was like he hadn't bathed in years, which she was now realizing was entirely possible. Tessa just hoped she wouldn't end up like him, stinky, crazy and without any clothing to speak of. Trying to avoid her own set of 'twinklers'. No, she wouldn't have that at all, not if she could help it.
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''Yea yea I will bathe. To bad it would be to awkward to ask for your help with it. I got used to it myself. I just need to remember where to turn right, left, and which door it is. Although to ease your pain... I could use the room with the water in it.'' He sighed as he attempted to find something.
''Damn this place, many of my magic has not been working properly since I ended up here... can't find anything and being blind surely is not helping.''
He managed to find what he looked for which seemed like a robe. It could use a bit if fixing. ''I was saving this for when I got out of here but having a guest changes the rules I suppose.''
He placed down a bottle if wibe and a clean glass. Help yourself. Do not, leave this room. Last time I did I was lost for a week.''
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It was only after he left, that Tessa unplugged her nose, finding it safe to breathe again without the natural 'perfume' of Stinky Body Odor Enhanced that came from the man. Eyeing the glass and the wine bottle, she poured herself a hefty amount and drunk it down, then poured herself another. And boy, was it ever good. The man had good taste at least. At least as far as wine went.
A slight buzz filled her head then but she brushed it off, and made to stand up from the table. Looking around at all the interesting objects on display here. Going over to the bookcase, she examined some of the scrolls but couldn't read a word of them. It was all gibberish to her. "Galorkha-toor." she muttered, reading one of the words from the scroll. Nothing happened though and she sighed, putting it away. It probably wasn't that smart to be reading magical incantations from an equally magical scroll. Who knew what could happen?
After her curiosity of the room had been sated, she went over to the door and peeked out. Yes, the man had told her not to leave, but why should she listen to that? She wanted to see what else was here. Exiting the room, Tessa took another look around her, the walls shining in a dark purplish light. Definitely not natural, she thought to herself.
Turning a corner, she looked back over her shoulder then at the door to the study. Only it wasn't there anymore. Crap. Crap, crap, crap, crap and more crap. she chanted silently. "Well, this is just great." she muttered. "Turns out the key to having a bad day is to somehow get swept up into a barren land of nothing, wander around aimlessly for hours, enter a creepy temple with a loony naked man, and then promptly get lost again. Yep, this day just can't possibly get any worse."
Tessa would later find out just how wrong that statement was.
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Fortunatly for Tessa many things seemed to be contained in their rooms. A storm at see where the waves seemed to clash against an invisable wall she could go through or stick her hand in, but not the other way around. Each dooropening though had something in common; strange symbols carved into the framework. Many pointed stars, circles, triangles, combined with runes.
There seemed a tropical sea room as well where various colored corals and fish swam. Even a shark, which spotted Tessa and quickly attempted to swim towards her. Only to bang against the invisable wall. Being lost though had it's good sides as she passed a bedroom with marble floor and transparant blue curtains. The bed in there seemed made, soft and comfortable and was one of the very few rooms that had no carvings. That along with a large hot spring. But everything that directly or indirectly was outside or connected to it, felt strange. There was no wind. No sky. No sun, moon or stars. And those voids seemed forever.
It still did not remove the fact Tessa was most likely lost and things were about to get a lot worse as the sound of something crying filled the corridors. Indeed, the corridors. Something that was not bound to a room. It sounded female but also a little disemboddied.
-
Marveling at all the wondrous things she saw, Tessa admired the contained storm at sea, a ship in the distance as well. It crashed and moved with the violent waves, bright lightning striking even further away than that. It looked to be a pirate ship, if the black flags complete with skull and crossbones sewn in white on the fabric itself were any indication. It seemed to be fighting a losing battle though against the crashing waves, the dark gray of the storm mixing with the sea-green of the waters.
Moving on from there, she explored several other rooms including one with a hungry shark in it! Tessa jumped back in fright just as it bumped into some kind of invisible barrier. Unable to get to her, of which Tessa was immensely glad. She didn't fancy ending up in a shark's stomach. But then again, who would? Unless they were a masochist.
Quickly moving on from that one, she came upon the aforementioned marble-floored bedroom with comfortable bed and hot spring. It seemed like a quiet room, and held a certain energy of peacefulness the others didn't have. Which was strange. But then again, this whole place was strange. Tessa wanted to lie down on that comfortable looking bed, the sheets, coverlet and fluffy pillows beckoning her to collapse onto its coolness and warmth that only a bed could provide. And she was about to too, when she heard an eerie sound not unlike someone sobbing. But it was far from being a normal crying sound, as the voice sounded disembodied and filled with such great despair that no mortal mind could possibly bear and ever re-emerge sane from it. The girl thought it was a woman crying, but she couldn't be sure on that.
Regardless, the sound echoed not only around Tessa but also through her, making her shudder violently. And even worse, it was moving through the halls, coming closer and closer to where the brown-haired girl was. Not daring to move, Tessa held her breath to keep quiet, hoping whatever it was wouldn't find her. Soon, it was right outside the door! Tessa's fear was at an all-time high, and she felt if it didn't dissipate soon, she was going to hyperventilate from the sheer terror of it all.
The crying stopped then, and for several agonizing seconds, her breath coming out in shallow gasps of air, all was silent. Then the door started to creak open, eeeever so slowly, the sound of the wood protesting as it opened with a loud, unsettling squeaking of the hinges. And all Tessa could do was stand there in fear, too scared to even hide under the bed like a child would when danger was near. The door continued to screech open and she could have wet her pants then at the anxiety she was feeling. To say it was nerve-wracking would be the understatement of the century.
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''Oi you do not belong here.'' It was Kayden's voice and the same voice released a near deafening scream. At the least the door stopped opening.
''You were more pleasant when you just sang and remained in the waters... and was alive for that matter.'' Short flashes of light reached the room and at some point Kayden released a painfull grunt before the creature released another loud scream accompanied by the color of fire. The wooden staff Kayden was always with fell on the marble floor.
''I believe... I told you not to leave the room.'' It did not sound angry though, rather relieved and still kind. The door opened less hesitantly. Not having his staff though he sought support by leaning against the doorpost. He smelled insanely like citrus and he had a sapphire blue oriental robe. It still exposed his chest and the robe was originally designed to have pants so what hang between his legs was not fully covered up either but it was an improvement. The creature seemed to have taken a good hit at his arm with what seemed to be long nails or a claw and had made him bleed heavily. The leftovers of the creature were smoldering ashes on the floor behind him.
''Undead Siren. Nasty creature. You alright?'' he panted softly. ''I looked for you for hours..''
-
Tessa slowly got over her shock and fear when Kayden made his appearance then. She couldn't have been more relieved. Even more so when she saw the smoldering remains of the screaming creature. Tessa gulped in large amounts of air, a hand on her chest as she sat down on the bed, still trying to get her bearings back.
Looking back over to him, she shakily asked, "Undead siren? That's what that was?"
Still recovering from her fright, Tessa tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. It was still painfully pounding away in her chest, but was slowly starting to settle down to its normal rhythm. The fact that Kayden was bathed and partially dressed did not get her attention right away, so terrified she had been.
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Kayden sat beside her on the bed. ''She is... was. Not the most vile thing walking around these halls. A manticore is still walking about. I never got all the centaurs back and I surely missed a dragon or two. At least the latter are rather stuck. A few more undead creatures... that would sum it all up.'' Kayden replied. ''I'm glad you know how to calm yourself down though. I do not think you would've liked me touching your head and abdomen even after bathing. Everyone else here at the least either is trying to kill me or gives me the silent treatment.''
he most likely only refered to the creatures and the armor displays though
''But you found the single bedroom in this entire complex. How did you end up in this hellhole anyway.''
-
For once, Tessa didn't know what to say. A dragon or two, he had said. Oh sure, let's go accidentally run into one of those now, she thought with a certain sass.
While Tessa had left her bag and sword in the study, real smart that, she doubted it would make much of a difference if she did happen to run into a dragon. Or more undead. Her sword skills weren't much, but she wasn't completely horrid at it, she didn't think. A dragon was a whole 'nother story though. And her sword probably wouldn't do much damage to a ghost either, now that she thought about it. Suddenly Tessa was feeling way less sure about her choice to go explore. At least in the Teinari Wastelands she had backup with her if something nasty did come sauntering their way.
Suddenly overcome with emotion, Tessa hugged her savior tightly then. Crazy or not, he at least had some fighting skills and could help her out if any trouble arose. It somewhat occurred to her the man was acting less crazy than before, as he seemed to have some sanity left in him. And Tessa was also glad for that. But then he had to go ahead and mention the armor stands again. At least, that's what she thought he was referring to.
At any rate, she began to pull back from him and that was when her hand accidentally brushed against his manhood. Tessa quickly pulled her hand back, face flushing bright red and looked hurriedly away while profusely apologizing. "Sorry! I didn't mean to--" and she cut her words off then, unable to finish them. Like really, what was she supposed to say? That she was sorry for fondling his man bits? Although technically, 'fondling' wasn't the correct term there, but no matter.
"Um, yeah, how I got here. Interesting story that." she said while still blushing, not showing any of her boldness from before. Apparently touching and looking where two different bananas. And oh geez, why did she have to use that word then? It was gonna be a loooong night for sure if this kept up, Tessa thought to herself.
-
A contained moan left his lips but since the touch was accidental he did not seek anything more behind it. ''Accidents happen.'' he said calmly. Although could not deny some extra blood started to flow to his loins. Not much but just enough to make it twitch really weakly.
He had not been touched there by someone else in ages so nobody could blame him right? And he was not the type for 'solo jobs'.
''Can not say I expected the hug though... Maybe there is some extra fabric I can use to cover things up a bit more but with most of my magic being useless... it is hard to conjure anything. Hence is why I am still stuck here. But.'' his voice took a more jolly tone. Even though the situation was all but that, being depressed about it did not help. ''Still waiting for your story.'' he winked.
-
Still blushing a little with her head turned away, Tessa did not see his member twitch, but she did hear his moan. Even though he tried to contain it, it was still audible.
"As for my story...um, well, let's just say I got sucked up into a magical hole in the Teinari Wastelands. I don't know what it was though. First I was there, then all of a sudden I'm in this gray nothingness. Wandering around, screaming my lungs out, yet there's nothing but more gray. Then, I find this temple glowing in some weird kinda light. I decided to go in and yeah, well you know the rest."
Still embarrassed over the previous incident, Tessa only slightly turned her face back toward his. "So, I don't know what I'm gonna do now. Going to Limbo wasn't on my list of things to do." She sighed at this, her face slowly returning to its normal shade of color. "I mean, what can I...WE do now? And I sure as hell don't plan on staying long. Not if I can help it."
The real question being, just how she was going to accomplish that. Ugh, what a mess.
-
''I know a theoretical way to get out. But in Limbo there is not really a past present or future. I used to be a rather powerful Seer and I used that foresight to basicly give myself vision. I lost that power for the most part. Everything is blurry. And without it... I can not draw the nessesary markings. Maybe though... if you can draw... we can get out of this place. But know this... if it works you will most likely not see your loved ones for a very long time or even at all. It is better then what we currently have. But I can understand if you can not be without your loved ones.''
He placed his hand on the wound that was on his shoulder and he got on his feet tearing off a curtain from the bed. ''Mind bandaging me up before I bleed out? I do not feel like dying again.'' he said on a slight jestering tone.
-
"You've died before? Then how is it you're still here?" Then once again, remembering where 'here' was, she shook her head. "Never mind. I probably don't want to know."
At his request, she took the piece of curtain from him and set about to bandaging his wound, wrapping it tightly around his upper arm and then tying it in a few firm knots to keep it in place. "Sorry again, I was distracted and scared as shit before. It's not everyday I find myself in such a place." Saying this somewhat sarcastically as well.
Tessa froze when he talked about their possible fates if they did manage to escape. "I won't let that happen to me. Teinar is the only home I've ever known. I refuse to be stuck here!" Her voice started to rise, the sign of yet another hissy fit that might erupt.
Forget the fact that Tessa wasn't sure her mother would even miss her, but that was besides the point. The two of them hadn't really been on speaking terms for the last three or four years now, so she wouldn't be surprised at all if her mother didn't care she was gone. Tears began to well up in her eyes, but she forcefully wiped them away.
Looking down at her own clothes then, Tessa saw she had some of the man's blood on her. "Greaaaaat. Now I need a bath."
-
''Well... dying has been an issue for as long as I remember really, even before I ended up here...''
He did not go further into detail that that and he released a soft painful grunt as she bandaged him. ''I will stay with you in the same room if you do not mind. To make sure nothing will come after you. Also this robe and my skin can use a wash again. Blood gets sticky after a while. I can not see you but this place, it is easy to get lost.''
He thanked her for bandaging him and gave her a thankful smile. ''Most rooms are warded so nothing can come out unless it is not meant to be in there. The springs, baths, this room, the study they are all replica's from my memories. Most of this place is. Most likely I do not even know half of what I summoned in here.'' he admitted.
''If you feel awkward with me in the same room just say so however. I could push my luck to ask if I can join you in the same bath but... I can understand if it is a no go.''
-
"Yes, stay. Please." Tessa most definitely did not want to find out what other denizens likely roamed these corridors as she doubted she would be much of a challenge to them. At his mentioning that most of this place was conjured from his memories, she wondered if he meant the whole entire temple or just parts of it. So she asked him.
"Do you mean this whole temple building is your doing? It does seem out of place in such a barren wasteland." Tessa commented while getting up to head over to the hot spring in the corner. Inspecting it, she noted it did seem rather clean and warm, with green mineral waters no less that bubbled up from the wide basin. A few scented flowers were even scattered across the surface too, pink and yellow ones.
Tessa pondered his next question. She didn't see the harm with him being in the same room as her while she bathed, but she wasn't quite yet ready to share a bath with him. "I'll take a bath first, then after that it's all yours." she told him, getting ready to undress.
Lifting her blue worn shirt over her head, she then removed her black denim jeans after first removing her boots. Tessa only hesitated a moment before she removed her underwear too, and then carefully sunk down into the hot bubbling waters and relaxed. Closing her eyes, she let out a contented sigh and sunk deeper into the basin. Tessa was so comfortable she could almost fall asleep like this, but forced her eyes open again. She was in here to get clean and nothing else. She did not worry about the brown-haired man being a peeping tom as he was blind. Tessa was not completely modest about her body, but she wasn't a slut either.
Grabbing a bottle off the ledge, she opened it and sniffed it. It smelled like fresh lavender and so she poured some of it into her hands to wash her hair with. Next, she decided on choice of soap. There were two bars of it, one smelled like roses while the other smelled liked recently fallen rain. She picked the rose-scented bar and began to wash her body with it. Tessa would also wash her clothes too once she was fully clean.
-
''Something like that. Usually all of the temple was marble. And gemstones were laid in. But I did not spend long in this building. It was away from the city I grew up in. In every room I attempted to summon a gateway home but since I do not have proper sight anymore, they were all off. It is why things look so weird. I know how everything looks like but... without my sight I am not good enough. At the least though since I summoned the grasslands I no longer starve to death over and over and there is an unlimited watersource.''
''And when I thought I was completely alone the twinklers showed up and the few sacred guards. But you are the first who would actually talk with me for the first time in years. Did you see the carvings on the wall in the study?'' he refered to those near the hourglass.
The scent of lavender and roses prickled his nose and it made him smile. Morely so because it was accompanied by the lovely scent of a woman. But his body did not reveal anything regarding that. He respected people way to much for that even after so long. His body still felt a bit heated from the slight accidental brush but unless the girl wanted, he would not do anything.
-
Finished now with washing her hair and body, Tessa lathered a tiny bit of oil into her wet tresses to moisturize the ends of them, then dunked her head underneath the water again. Now it was time to clean her clothes of all the blood. It was harder to do than she first thought and she had to scrub them quite a bit with the bar of soap. Scrub, rinse, repeat. Scrub, rinse, repeat.
Tessa talked to the man while she worked on cleaning her bloodied clothes. "I know absolutely nothing about drawing magical symbols." she said. "I have no idea what to do there." But she could definitely try, if that was the only chance of escaping this place.
"Who or what are these twinklers?" she asked, although she wasn't expecting an intelligent answer about that. As far as Tessa could tell, there was nothing there. She decided not to mention the 'silent watchers' though.
Finally, she was satisfied with her work and got out of the tub. Squeezing her clothes of all the water, she hung them up to dry on a rack overhead. Grabbing a soft fluffy towel she dried herself off before she realized her dilemma now. With her clothes drying, she had literally nothing to wear!
"Crap!" Tessa exclaimed, letting out a frustrated sigh. Now what was she going to do?
-
''Twinklers are a kind of fairy. Or rather naked female fairies who light up and are the size of fireflies. They mind their own business but get vile when you step on them.'' He explained. ''They are invisable by day though''
When she swore his eyes went her direction. What is it?'' He asked
-
"I have nothing to wear now! Stupid, stupid...!" Tessa became more aggravated by the second. "Now I have to wander around naked too while my clothes dry! Arggggggghhhh!!!"
Tessa wanted to kick something, she really did, so settled for kicking the bed furiously instead. "Damn it all!" Her boots were the only thing she hadn't washed, but that obviously wouldn't cover much. She then swore again as kicking the bed hurt more than she thought it would!
"Ouch!"
-
Kayden pondered briefly before tearing the few remaining curtains from the bed. Do not break your toes please...'' he said calmly and laid each out on the ground drawing a mark with his fingers. He then spoke some words and after a weak pulsating light the blue fabrics fused together. ''Stand still, slap me if I touched you indecently after I am done. Skillfully he wrapped Tessa in the fabric fashioning it like a dress. He could not help but accidently brush his soft hands over her breasts though as he worked and it was good he was blind since he knelt down at some point with his head full facing her thighs.
''There we go.'' He released the fabric belt from his waist to take his robe off so he coukd wash the blood of his skin.
-
Tessa sighed at the feathery light touch to her breasts, and without her wanting it to she started to become a little wet between her legs. Vennis, the man she had had sex with before back in Teinar had played with her breasts but he had been much rougher and more enthusiastic too.
The situation was made even more awkward when the brown-haired man knelt right in front of her to further adjust the makeshift dress he had fashioned for her. She wouldn't be surprised if he could smell her slight arousal. Tessa's face burned hotly, flaming bright red, looking very much like a tomato then.
Swallowing uncomfortably, Tessa muttered her gratitude. "Uh, thanks."
She then watched with interest as the man took off his robe, revealing his flat toned muscles and large member, drinking in the sight of him. She knew she shouldn't but Tessa couldn't help it. It was a good thing he couldn't see her staring, as yeah, even more awkwardness would no doubt be had if he could. Still, Tessa couldn't deny the man was good-looking...
-
''Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable.'' He spoke. Yes he actually could smell her. It was sweet but his morals were the thing that actually never made him take advantage or act upon it. The women he had been with though never complained. He walked to the bath and entered it. Now though his member decided to throb weakly making him glad Tessa could not see it. The blood made the water crimson though and his expression was painful when the water stinged his wound.
A normal person would stitch it but instead he carefully removed the cloth and drew runes from the blood. His breathing became irregular though and it was clear it hurt as black goo left the wound before the skin bubbled and healed. Surely he wanted to scream but he was not alone now.
The black goo evaporated and the blood got washed off his skin before he got out and washed his robe. He would face the same dilemma as Tessa before though. And there were no fabrics left other then the covers from the bed. ''I apolagise... looks like i will have to walk around like this again until the robe is dry''
-
After he went over to the bath and got in it, Tessa sat down on the bed then and let out a breath in a big whoosh of air. Her intimate spot still tingled and Tessa started to get a little frustrated from it.
Her attention was soon drawn to Kayden again as he began making sounds of pain, his breathing irregular. She looked over to the hot spring to see what he was doing and noticed a black goo coming from the wound on his arm. Jumping up in surprise and a little bit of fear, she exclaimed, "What the heck is that stuff?!"
His declaration of having to go around naked again somehow didn't bother Tessa as much as it had before. In fact, she was even a little excited over it. She was just glad that she didn't have to though, thanks to the curtain dress she now wore. It was slightly scratchy but it was better than nothing.
-
''Undead sometimes carry decease or poison. The black goo was all the decease that was in my body. Not a nice process but better then the alternative.''
His body exposed though revealed his length was not in a fully dorment state as it was still very slightly hardened. Kayden did not care much unless Tessa would be offended by it but he had not picked up a womans scent for thousands of years and his body seemed to weakly desired more then just a scebt and unintended touch.
-
"Oh." Was all Tessa could say, especially when she saw his semi-hardened length.
Meanwhile, she began to get slowly more frustrated and flopped back on the bed, lying down and closing her eyes. An image soon entered her mind, that of the naked man as she still didn't know his name, pounding away into her at high speed! Tessa's eyes flew open then and she bolted upright, breathing starting to grow heavier. What the frag was that about? she wondered.
Sighing, she tried to settle down again and closed her eyes once more. This time, a different image entered her mind, that of the man sucking on her breasts and her moaning in response. And once again, she flung herself upright and out of irritation, grabbed a pillow off the bed and threw it as hard as she could at the wall straight ahead of her, it hitting with a soft thud!
"Ahhhhh!" she screamed out, highly annoyed and still very much becoming even more stimulated. Not giving any thought to what Kayden would think about all this.
-
''Something the matter?'' He asked as he picked the pillow up. Hearing roughly where it had fallen.If he could see then perhaps he would know. His body slowly calmed down as well which he was relieved about. ''We... can go back to the study if you want. I can show and explain what could perhaps get us out of here if we work together.'' He suggested. He brought the pillow back to the bed.
''or is your frustration caused because I am naked again...''
-
"No." Tessa simply said to both his questions. Stubbornly not saying anything else.
When he mentioned the study again, Tessa's mood brightened considerably. "Yes, I want to find a way out of here."
She hopped off the bed then, eager to get going, as well as to distract her mind from further gutter thoughts. Tessa sorely hoped he couldn't read minds because if the man could, then the next and only thing she would want to do then is curl up into a tight ball and pretend she wasn't there anymore.
Hurrying over to the door, she opened it then and peered out. It was somehow darker than she remembered it. If that was cause for alarm, she didn't know. Tessa just wanted to be done with all of this and be out of here as quickly as humanly possible.
-
Before she was to far away Kayden took hold of her hand aftrr picking up his staff. It was quiet in the halls and lit torches that were not there before were in the corridors. ''Lets not get seperated alright?''
Being close to Tessa though he guessed easier what her frustration was; he could smell it from the scents she released and was wise and honorable enough to keep them unspoken. Although he wondered what kept her in this state. Women were easier calmed down he thought
-
At first Tessa was startled when he grabbed her hand, telling her they needed to stick together, but slowly relaxed as she smelled his male scent, accompanied by the faint aroma of citrus from before. The hallway was most definitely darker now, with torch lights ensconced on the walls too which she didn't remember there being any before. It also seemed colder too, as there was a slight chill in the air. Shivering only slightly, Tessa let Kayden lead her onward.
Something moved out of the corner of her eye at that moment, and whirling around to see what it was, Tessa looked frantically around but saw nothing. "Did you see that?" she whispered to Kayden, still holding his hand. "I thought I saw--"
Just then one of the torches on the wall went out then, making the corridor even more dark. However there were still plenty of other torches which seemed to lead on forever into the distance, no end in sight, or so it seemed.
Tessa tightened her grip on the man's hand at that point, trying to determine what had caused the light to go out. Before she could say another word though, all the torches flickered briefly before they too went out, leaving the duo in total darkness. Something skittered by Tessa's foot then, and she felt a clawed hand try to grab her ankle then.
Screaming at the top of her lungs, she jumped and tried to stomp on whatever had dared to grab her. But there was nothing there anymore. "Something...somethi ng tried to....tried to grab my ankle..." she stuttered, eyes wide in panic, trying to see her companion in the dark but failing. This whole situation was getting downright creepy. Tessa didn't like it one bit.
-
Kayden was not sure what it was. His actions had caused a lot of creatures to get in this place. He could still see. As in only vague smudges and he knew they were not alone. He kept Tessa close though. Urging her to keep walking and using his staff to trace around to make sure they would not end up in empty space.
Creature wise he could determine what it was by the sounds they made. It was nothing undead; the smell was not there. ''What was it you think you saw?'' he asked. ''I lack vision so anything you saw or think you might have seen works.''
Also with the rooms acting up on occasion he did not know what the proper direction was for the study. At the least he was a little more knowledgeable how limbo worked and could link the rooms together. Hopefully.
-
Trying to catch her breath, Tessa answered him. "I thought I saw some kind of skeletal figure. Although it didn't look solid. More ghost-like." She swallowed again nervously. "I think that might have been what tried to grab me."
Doing as she was told, Tessa kept on walking with the man beside her. She felt safer with him around but was still very much afraid. There were things here, but she didn't know what they were. Once again, a slithery touch ghosted past her skin right by her neck and she jumped again, looking frantically about. "Stop touching me!" she shrieked. What good that would do Tessa didn't know but it was a normal reaction for her as it were.
The things around them were silent, but in the near distance she heard the sound of eerie laughter. Tessa shuddered even more. She would be glad to get back to the study.
-
''I do have undead but no walking skeletons. Skeletons in general, can not walk. They lack muscle and the like. Boogieman maybe.'' Kayden said half pondering.
Not that a boogieman was a good thing though. ''If it is a boogieman it is easy to find out. Think of something that makes you feel happy, good or best of all makes you laugh. I am unfortunatly no jester.'' In the distance there was a vague light. The study. If he had not been blind he would've picked Tessa up and carried her but he could not really avoid everything without his staff.
-
Tessa was about to respond when a weird sensation came over her. It felt like her strength was starting to slip away, and as a result she was beginning to feel tired. Very, very tired. Her grip slackened on Kayden's hand then, and her steps were much slower than they had been. If not for the two of them holding hands together, Tessa would've fallen behind and gotten lost.
Just as the light from the study appeared just straight ahead, that was when Tessa slumped to her knees, having lost the battle to remain awake any longer. Whatever those things were that had touched her, had sapped her energy temporarily. Kayden would have to carry her the rest of the way now.
-
Kayden swore under his breath. He still did not know what it was but perhaps he could find out when not being in the hallway. He was fortunatly, quite strong.
He picked Tessa up in his arms and started to run in a straight line. The study was the goal and he even ran through a few clouds of 'Twinkelers'.
If what happened to Tessa would happen to him Tessa would perhaps end up worse.
''Come on... I did not have a person talking to me after thousands of years just to let it be affected by what I unleashed here... do not die on me...'' he muttered caringly, softly, and worried.
He felt the same sensation as well which now made him realise what it was. If Tessa got worse, it would be on him.
He felt a few more brushes of the creature before reaching the study out of breath and the creature bashed against the invisable barrier a few times before leaving frustrated.
Catching his breath, the adrenaline preventing him from feeling fuzzy he dropped the staff and gently placed Tessa on the rug near the fire in the fireplace. He felt her head, pulse and sighed relieved. They had been lucky. Her energy levels seemed low but nothing dangerous. Still.
He brought his head close to hers and muttered a spell softly, releasing a breath that fortuantly did not smell horribly. Minty even. A soft golden breath left his mouth and entered Tessa's. He got off her then. It would take a moment for the magic to work and started to empty a bookcase which he moved. The 'Hollow' still banged against the barrier. ''You can keep doing that forever. It is never going to break just like all the others.'' he said to the thing.
He found ink in the drawer of the desk and with a brush he started to draw on the wall. A perfect circle surrounded by three small 7 pointed stars and another circle before he put the ink away. Using a letteropener to make a cut in his hand, using blood to draw various smaller symbols. Tessa no longer would need to walk in the hallway again to bathe or sleep. Cursed under his breath though he had not done this sooner. Then again. He had not known back then how this place worked. That rooms sometimes seemed to relocate. And he had basicly never found the room again.
He spoke incantations as he wrote the various runes and symbols.
-
A golden haze filled Tessa's awareness then, chasing away the darkness that surrounded her in her unconscious stupor. Slowly after that, she began to awaken. Opening her eyes, blinking them a few times, Tessa became aware of two things then. The first was warmth, and a soft orange glow near her. The second was the sound of words being spoken in some unknown language.
Sitting up carefully, Tessa saw that she was sitting on a rug near the fireplace which burned in a merry, crackling blaze of red and orange. That would explain the warmth. Looking around, she saw Kayden drawing runic symbols on one of the walls near an emptied bookcase, chanting under his breath. Running a hand through her hair then, she fuzzily blinked the remnants of sleep from her eyes. Tessa didn't know what had happened but somehow she felt much more rejuvenated now.
Something banged on the wall near the study door and she looked over there to see what it was. A shriek of fear escaped her lips then. Some skeletal wraith-like creature with glowing eyes of intense blue was staring straight at her, trying to get inside the room, but couldn't because of an invisible wall between it and her. Scared, Tessa pointed at it and exclaimed, "What the hell is that thing?!" Her heart pounding yet again.
She looked at Kayden, clearly expecting an answer.
-
Kayden raised raised the cut hand as indication she needed to wait a moment as he was still busy making the runes. And the speaking and drawing of the symbols took him another good five minutes before he clapped his bloodied hand at the heart of the whole symbol.
It glowed up fully giving off a clear magic hum and Kayden took a few steps back. The wall seemed to then light up fully but it was not painful to look at. The light then faded revealing the bedroom with the bath. ''There we go.'' he said and sighed relieved. Nothing blew up and he merely knew it had succeeded due to the sound of the bath and the remaining scents Tessa had used. The water though had become completely clean and blood free.
''And that thing, I believe it is called a Hollow. This is a minor one, feeding on energy we then slowly get back. The effects are not permanent with thisone. But if a minor one is here, we have a problem. Major ones kill.''
He looked towards it. ''I will get rid of it in a moment if it does not leave. He washed his hands in the bath before he walked to Tessa and placed a hand on her forhead and then her cheek. ''You recover fast which is good. I did gave you energy of my own to be sure.''
It most likely was a weird sight though; a naked man touching a girl in that fashion. But Kayden had been basicly used to the idea of not wearing clothes and he had already forgotten he was naked.
He got up again when he heard a soft bell which remarkably came from the hourglass. ''Another one huh...'' he walked to the wall and added another line to the already thousands present.
-
The wraith thing pounded on the wall and let out a slow hiiiiiissssss as it still tried to get in.
"Go away!" Tessa screamed at it. Of course it didn't listen, only hissing again as it tried sticking its arm through the wall to no avail. Its blue eyes glowing in rage and hatred for the living as it stared at Tessa. Shivering then, Tessa curled in on herself and tried to ignore it but it kept staring. Finally, she lost her cool completely and threw a chair at the thing. The chair bounced off the invisible force field but broke into three pieces as it crashed back onto the floor. The creature still hadn't gone away though, its eyes gleaming in menace. Tessa shivered again in both irritation and terror. "I said, GO AWAY!"
Finally, Kayden answered her as he finished whatever it was he was doing. A portal to the bedroom with the bath in it showed through on the other side of the wall, bright light glowing around many runes and arcane symbols. Tessa shielded her eyes from it as she heard him say the creature was something called a 'Hollow'. Whatever that was. It was what he said after that that nearly made Tessa's heart stop. Shuddering violently, she really hoped she wouldn't run into anything else of the sort. She didn't want to die here.
Tessa was about to ask what a Hollow was, when the man came up to her and touched her head and cheek in a tender way. Almost like a lover would. This time her shiver was for an entirely different reason. He told her he had given her some of his own energy, which she didn't know what to say to that. The girl simply reveled in the feel of his hand against her skin and almost moaned in disappointment when he took it away. What was going on here? Was she falling for him?
No, Tessa decided firmly, although her hormones were saying otherwise. Not falling for him and his nice flat abs and handsome face, and large... Tessa stomped on that thought with as much mental force as she could muster. Not falling for his kind and caring demeanor... Alright, that was it. It was time to shut these thoughts up for good.
Going over to a bookshelf, she pulled a book off the shelf and opened it, hoping to distract herself from the naked man as he turned towards the wall and drew another line on it. The text in the book she held was all gibberish though, not a word in Common. Flinging that at the wall too in a huff, her gaze turned to Kayden watching as his muscles rippled under his skin as he carved on the wall, his member hanging between toned, firm legs with a equally firm butt to match. The feel of such a body on top of her...
"No!" she shouted out loud, before clapping a hand over her mouth in horror. Now who's the crazy one here, a voice in her head mocked her. Shut up. she told it silently. Geez, why was she so against this anyway? Let yourself go already! she thought. Nope, not gonna...
Tessa folded her arms over her knees sitting down as far away from Kayden as she could get, but also far enough away from the undead creature out there as well. Trying to ignore the sight of naked handsome man over there by the wall. Tessa gritted her teeth in aggravation.
-
''Relax already. Fear is what draws bad things onto you.'' Kayden said calmly. He placed the book back on the shelf and brought her one in common speak. It was a thick handbound written story book with some illustrations. ''There are more common books. I will pile some up for you.''
After placing some books on the table he went towards the door, grabbing his staff on which he wrote runes with the leftover wet blood from his hand.
''Stop frightning the only person who has spoken to me in thousands of years.'' he muttered. There was a banishing circle not to far away from the door. He knew where it was. But it then would be back. No. This, he would have to obbliterate. A circle was close but getting the hollow there would be tricky. But as long as he got the thing there it was fine enough. ''I can take a little while but do not look for me.'' he said to Tessa before he blew the hollow out of his path and then went through it himself. ''You want energy? Come and get it.''
He summoned a little orb of energy, throwing it to the Hollow. The thing needed to get interest in him rather then Tessa.
When succeeded he drew the thing away but whatever happened, Kayden did not return until two hours later. Heavily panting and a bit pale. Stumbling. He was tired. Using rune magic was not exactly easy. It channeled energy and it had drained him to such a degree the effects were physically visable. Ffter closing the door of the study and used his last bit of magic to make the door and opening from the bedroomside disappear, he collapsed on the floor. Shivering, his eyes closed and his body felt colder.
He was a few cuts richer too as if something very sharp had made a cut on his leg, arm and even on his back. But fortunatly they did not bleed heavily.
-
Tessa did as she was told, glad the creature was no longer staring at her. It gave her the creeps to say the least. Plus she did not want to venture out into the hallways again, especially not if it meant coming across more of those things. And who knew what else. Her earlier need for exploration had dwindled after finding out just how dangerous this place actually was.
So she stayed in the room and glanced over to the pile of books. Picking one up, she flipped through it and started to read. Or tried to at least. Tessa found her concentration lacking then, mainly because she was alone now and had no one to talk to. And she was still scared. And dare she say it, she was worried about Kayden. Tessa knew he could handle himself but still... She hoped he would return soon. Sighing in frustration, she settled back against some pillows and tried to read again.
When he did return, Tessa jumped up and rushed over to him just as he collapsed on the floor. Feeling his cheek, Tessa found that his skin was cold, clammy even. "Wake up!" she shook him, trying to get him to wake up then. No response. Shaking him even harder, she shouted in his ear, stubbornly trying to get him to stand up and talk to her. "Wake up dammit!"
Then she noticed his wounds. "Shit!" she cursed, and went over to her bag then to get out some bandages and her water bottle. There was some healing cream there too and she also grabbed that. Then she began the process of carefully pouring water on his wounds, trying to clean the blood away with a clean cloth she found on a small table nearby. It probably wasn't a good idea to apply the cream right now she realized but perhaps later she could, unless he woke up before then. Putting the thick bandages on his arm, leg and back, she pressed it down firm enough to help stop the bleeding. Thankfully it wasn't too bad. A small blessing, that.
Next, she tried to drag him over to the fireplace but she wasn't strong enough to do so. "Gah!" she shouted, and tried once again. But he only budged an inch if even that.
Still she kept trying, becoming more and more frustrated with her failed attempts. Trying one last and final time, she threw up her hands and marched over to the table then, and purposely knocked it over, books tumbling down onto the floor with several thump, thump, thumps! "Damn it all!" she yelled again, slumping down on her butt on the floor then.
((I hope you don't mind my assumption that Kayden would be out of it for awhile. Let me know if I need to change anything.))
-
((yea he indeed would be out for a while))
It was about half an hour after Tessa's 'redoracting' Kayden inhaled calmly and deep a few times and his eyes opened revealing their weakly luminescent opal eyes. He could, despite not being close to it, feel the warmth of the fireplace.
''I actually made it...'' he said softly. He wanted to call out to Tessa but realised that neither of them had introduced themselves to one another. He sat up and traced for his staff. Good. He still had it.
He felt the bandages on his skin as well and weakly smiled. Feeling how they were on his skin though he realised he had not died. Which actually made him happy too.
-
At the sound of his weak voice, Tessa leaped up from her seat on the ground, tossing aside her book in the process. Running over to him, she jumped into his lap and gave him a fierce hug, unaware that her knee was firmly pressing into his crotch then, so relieved she was to see him alive.
Then all of a sudden, she slapped him on the face! "Don't ever scare me like that again!" she scolded him.
-
''Oi you scared me too...'' Kayden said with a weak grunt. He rubbed his cheek. He felt her knee for sure and his cheeks reddened a bit. But he then hugged her as well. Truth be told he had been scared. Coming back from the dead over and over again was actually a lot more scary then people thought and although he always acted jolly about the fact, even after living thousands of years it still frightened him.
''I'm sorry for frighting you.'' he whispered in Tessa's ear. He then felt his blood rush. ''You may want to relocate your knee though.'' he said calmly. He found himself not wanting to let go. The way she felt. The way she smelled. Being here had made him lonely and perhaps far away deep inside he knew he had been alone the whole time. He would not mind crying it all out but he did not want to scare Tessa more. After all. If he couldnt keep it together, she perhaps would get even more scared. He released her from his hug and rubbed his cheek again. ''You hit hard I give you that.''
-
Tessa continued to hug him tightly. At his comment that she had also scared him, she felt something stir in her heart at that. "I...scared you?" she asked, looking into his opal eyes, blind as they were.
When he apologized for frightening her, she retorted, "You'd better be sorry! I'd be all alone then if you died!" Completely forgetting his claim that he couldn't actually die permanently. "Maybe I should slap you again then!"
She did remove her knee though, face flushing when she realized what she had done there. "Um, yeah, sorry about that." she muttered, face still red.
-
Kayden simply cupped her head and let his head rest against Tessa's. ''When the Hollow got to you you collapsed and I carried you the rest of the way. It fortunatly was a minor Hollow. A stronger one has permanent effects. But as for me. I am a cursed man. I can die but always come back. It has been like that for a very long time.'' he said. Those markings on the wall they are not days. They are years. I do keep carving but I lost count. Must be somewhere in the thousands though. The hourglass is set on a year of human life. Every time it makes a sound, it means another year has passed. It may not feel like it sometimes. Since time here in general is different and basicly has no influence. As long as we are here, we do not age. But we can for some reason starve to death or of thirst. Hence I summoned a patch of grasslands with cattle and somewhere I'm sure I had summoned crops.'' He closed his eyes for a moment. ''But I will get you out of here. I swear it to you. I will need your help though.''
Despite Tessa had removed her knee though it was no secret his limb was not as dormant as it was before and it gave a slight throb.
-
Leaning their heads together like that, Tessa closed her eyes, her heart pounding in her chest. She had only ever been with one man before in her life, but that had been more curiosity and lust-driven. This however seemed....more intimate...more special somehow. His confession to her about being stuck here for thousands of years stunned her into silence. Tessa couldn't imagine being stuck here for that long, not being able to die. She would have thrown so many fits and driven herself absolutely crazy. Needless to say, she wouldn't have been able to stand it. Not one bit.
At his promise to her, she looked up into his eyes and before she knew what she was doing she kissed him on the mouth, slowly at first before becoming more bold in her actions. Then realizing what she was doing, she abruptly pulled back and scooted away. "Sorry I....I..." Tessa wasn't sure how to complete that sentence so she just let it hang. She couldn't deny that she wanted him, wanted to feel him inside of her, especially if they were going to be stuck here for who knew how long, but she stubbornly shook her head no, trying to regain control here.
Another image of him pounding away into her filled her mind's eye then, and she stood up then and moved away, trying to put some distance between the two of them. She needed to focus on something, anything, to get her mind off of him and his sweetness and everything he was. The problem was that Tessa wasn't sure how to do that. And it was downright maddening.
-
The kiss stunned him and made his length throb again when more blood rushed southways. ''N-no need to be sorry.'' Kayden replied. Figuring it was best not to get on his feet for now.
He could smell her. And what her body wanted. He knew what his wanted. It would be troublesome if it kept up like this since they would be stuck with one another for the Gods knew how long.
He looked towards her before he got on his feet but his back towards her so she could not see what went on between his legs. With his staff he navigated to the bedroom where his tunic still hang to dry and he put it on. Not that it worked but it was better then nothing despite it was still wet.
He forced himself to calm down by conjuring an image in his mind that calmed down his limb a little before walking to Tessa. ''I'm sorry too. After all those years it seems that my body has become a bit sensitive. If I make you feel uncomfortable or if you want me to leave tell me and I will at least till we're both calmed down.''
-
Tessa watched him walk to the bedroom, admiring his strong back muscles and thick manly arms and legs, before she forced herself to turn away. Swallowing a little, she heard his voice again behind her as he walked up to her.
Turning back around, she saw he had donned a tunic but it clung to him as it was still damp. Once again, she admired his chest, the wet fabric not leaving much to the imagination. Besides she'd already seen all of him as it was.
Breathing a shaky sigh, she was about to protest to his words to let him know she didn't mind at all, but bit her tongue instead, refusing to admit her feelings to him any more than she already had. Instead, Tessa just nodded her head, then remembered he couldn't see her. "Um, yeah..." she winced at how feeble that sounded, and thought angrily, Real smooth, Tessa. Real smooth.
It was then Tessa realized they didn't even know each others' names! Well, that won't do. "I'm Tessa." she told him then. "That's my name. Tessa."
-
''How rude of me I had totally forgotten to introduce myself. I suppose this long alone is not good for social skills. My name is Kayden Galwyn.'' he said and bowed. Gently taking a hold of Tessa's hand and placed a polite kiss on it.
He gave her a calm smile despiteh is body was anything but that. It was something neither of them could deny forever. Eventually something would happen he knew.
He wanted to say it but knew as well it would me an immediate invitation for sex. ''Come. Join me for a glass of wine. Judging by you finished half a bottle earlier does make me think you liked it.'' he went to the table after fetching a second glass, filled them both and sat down on the chair most worn. Maybe it would calm them both down.
-
His kiss on her hand was so chivalrous, something that men didn't do these days. It ignited a fiery feeling within her, his touch seeming to light her from within. Her hand now tingly, she felt the familiar passion wet between her legs again and she inhaled sharply.
At the invitation for wine, she enthusiastically nodded. That wine was good. Tessa hoped she wouldn't make herself drunk though but she highly doubted it. The wine was something they both needed and so she would let herself indulge in as much as she wanted.
"Yes, let's." And took a seat at the table.
-
Glad that Tessa joined him, he brought the glass to her before taking a seat again. ''I'd normally offer something to eat but I will arrange something for that later. I'm wondering though. The world... how it is like now? I've been gone for a long while so certainly things have changed.''
He took a sip of the wine. He had not often drank the stuff not having anyone to share it with. Only in a few moments of desperation he had grabbed the bottles for a quick way of calming his mind. But now he was actually glad with the whole cellar of good fine wine that certainly had not become worse in the passage of time.
-
Taking a sip of the wine, Tessa then downed the whole thing in one go, feeling a tiny buzz as she did that. She thought about his question for a moment before replying. "Well, I am from an underground city called Teinar. I was born and raised there. There is another civilization, much bigger than Teinar that I've heard about but never been to. It is called Aedolis, and from the things I've heard people talk about it, it is the last major nation on Earth. People who've been there say they never see the sky because of how it's built. Not much different than my own home in that way I suppose."
Glancing at her glass in frustration because there was nothing left, she frowned at it a little before setting it down again. "Most of the earth nowadays is polluted beyond repair, the very air toxic to breathe without some kind of mask or breathing tubes. Others that didn't stick around here took to space. I hear from the news media in my home that they are terraforming a planet nearby in the solar system called Edanith."
Looking to Kayden, she asked him. "What about you? What was the world like in your time?"
-
So long story short Earth had gone to hell. Not that he had not expected it though.
''There was nature everywhere. Large cities and small ones. Forests you had to travel through for days to get to the other side. Dragons, kind ones, mean ones in the mountains of the Thunderbacks. Blue skies in the summer. Flowers and blossoms blooming in the Spring. Snow in Winter and a wide palet of greens, yellow and reds when Autumn came. My nation was already long gone though before I ended up here. We had a large city on the shore. Almost everything had been made of marble. The nations colours were gold and blue mainly. And decorated the streets. A nation of scholars and enjoyers of life. Practicing very potent magic. We could bind Gods to our will. Kill them even. Most did not use the magic for that though.'' he pausd as he took a sip and placed his glass on the table, emptying the first bottle in Tessa's cup and retrieved another from the stache.
''After my nation fell and got drowned into the sea I noticed I was the only one alive and I have been alive ever since. I spent my days traveling despite being blind but with my magic of forsight I could always see where I was going. How everything and everyone looked like. The world I knew is long gone but maybe when we get out of here I can adapt to the new one. Everyone I once knew is most likely dead.''
He sat down and finished his own glass. It did kind of had the opposite effect on him that he wanted. Not physically visable though he noticed his body was starting to crave for Tessa more. It missed the feeling of being inside of a woman. And Tessa's scent was surely not helping to reduce it. In his head he kind of cursed to himself. He should've just went to bed and sleep it off.
-
Drinking some more from her glass, Tessa sighed in pleasure at the taste of it. And took another sip. Just as good as the last one. When Kayden described the world as it had been before, she marveled at how different everything sounded. "Sounds a whole heck of a lot better than it is now." she said, and took another sip. The glass was now half-empty.
Tessa had some questions about how his nation had fallen into the sea, but first she wanted to know why he was cursed never to die. Why he was the only one left of his people. "How is it you cannot ever die? Is it some kind of magic you have? And how come there were no survivors? Other than you that is."
The wine helped with the ache between her legs, and she soon downed the rest of the glass in hand, reaching for the bottle to pour herself some more. The buzz in her head increased even more. Some of the people in her home city of Teinar had joked that she couldn't hold alcohol that well after only two or three glasses of beer she had gotten drunk. However with the wine she was drinking now didn't seem to affect her as much but still Tessa didn't want to curb her thirst for it. Soon the third glass was gone and she felt much more light-headed now. But still she reached for another as the stuff was intoxicatingly good.
-
''I do not know why I am the only one alive. But I do know how my nation ended. Other then killing Gods we could control them too. Only viziers were permitted to do do and usually it was a mutual agreement rather then really controlking them. One vizier found one God not enough and took control if another. It went well for a short amount of time but then they broke free after being ordered doing things against their beliefs. The whole country sunk. I remember the chaos and seeing everyone drown. Passed out and when I came too I was laying on the beach. Alone. I returned to the sunken city. There was nothing other then the buildings. No people. No
Corpses. Nothing. I used all of my magic potentional to seal off the city from all influence. It could even still exist.''
He could hear every time she refilled it. ''You like this wine don't you.'' He said with a smile. He got on his feet finishing his glass. ''Sorry I need to calm my body down for a while. The wine did not seem to have helped me much...'' he said a little akwardly and a slight flushed face. ''You are... a good kisser''
-
Pretty soon, Tessa was drunk and swaying in her seat slightly. "That is saaaaad." she said, her loosened tongue extending the 'a' in the word 'sad'. "Stupid gods, drownings da cities... I would'a....would'a....demanded them to brings demz back. Would'a..." Her head drooped forward and nearly hit the table, before springing back up suddenly. "Ugh... Want more drinkie...and big cock inside me..."
Reaching for the bottle again, but before she could grab it she fell out of her seat and onto the floor, sound asleep! It was obvious Tessa had gotten very drunk and would likely be horrified about her last words when she awoke.
-
''Oh dear...'' Kayden sighed but smiled. He would have to remember not to let her drink so much next time. He picked her up and held her close as he brought her to the bed.
He tucked her in and moved stray hairs from her face before he placed a kiss on her forhead. He did not go far though. As tired as he was he sat down against the bed after retrieving his staff. After thinking he did fall asleep. His body continueing to crave for a woman's flesh while his mind stuck with the fact it had to be mutual.
-
In her drunken stupor, Tessa did not dream. Her body slowly recovering from the alcohol she had consumed. Even though it hadn't been that much. She was not aware of Kayden next to her as he too snoozed away in slumber. An hour passed and still Tessa did not awaken...
-
A little sore Kayden awoke, noticing Tessa hadn't. He got up and climbed on the bed sitting beside her at first cupping her face to be sure she was alright before he laid down at the other side of the bed. Nothing could come in this room anyway and he fell asleep again. As far from Tessa's nice smelling body as possible. Despite throwing with stuff he liked her personality as well.
-
About forty-five minutes later, Tessa awoke with a pounding headache. And the overwhelming need to hurl. Leaning over the bed, she did just that, and emptied her stomach of all the wine. "Gahhhhhh!" she gasped out, wiping a hand over her mouth as she did.
Noticing Kayden by the foot of the bed, her vision blurred and she laid back down again on the bed, her head hurting like nobody's business. "Stupid headaaaaache." she moaned in pain, shutting her eyes against the bright light of the flames in the fireplace. "Stupid fiiiiire."
-
Hearing Tessa throw up woke Kayden from his slumber and he sighed softly. ''Maybe less next time.'' He said softly and got out of bed. First giving Tessa a glass of water before cleaning up what she had thrown out of her system. ''I will try to ease your headache. I will need to take off the makeshift curtain dress though.
After washing his hands and grabbing lavenderoil he sat down besidecTessa and gently undid the first knot of the dress. Loosening it and after taking it off fully he told her to lay down on the blanket on her belly
-
Tessa drunk the glass of water down, and immediately flopped back onto the bed. She did not protest as her dress was taken off, only rolled over on her stomach as she was told to. She was not coherent enough to speak and shut her eyes more tightly against the glare from the fire.
-
Kayden took a deep breath and sat down on her upperlegs making sure to not give to much pressureon her flesh. After applying some of the lavender oil on his hands he started with massaging her tempkes. Making soft circular movements with his fingers. He then massaged her cheekbones, neck and schoulders. He took his time for sure though but was not done yet as he massaged her whole back, arms and legs for as far as it was decent to touch. Doing this though gave him a rough image in his head of how she looked like.
''Did anybody ever tell you that you are beautiful?''
-
"Mmmmph." Tessa mumbled, so content and relaxed she was, her headache slowly starting to ebb away as his hands stroked and massaged her flesh. So relaxed she was, she didn't ever want him to stop. His hands felt so good on her. Tessa moaned as he massaged her legs, back and arms, the lavender oil was definitely doing the trick as were his hands...
-
Seeing Tessa enjoy it he massaged a few spots a second time. ''Can I ask you something bold?'' His voice was soft. ''Since you did kiss me I wonder something. Please do not take it the wrong way I am just a bit confused'' He was not sure if it was a good idea but it was better then keeping it in him. ''Do you... want me or not.''
-
So relaxed was she that Tessa mumbled a 'yes'. Her intimate region was getting increasingly wet as he worked his hands over her. "Don't stop...." she mumbled again. Her breathing getting heavy as a result.
-
''I won't stop.'' Kayden whispered. Once more he could smell her alluring scent and leant forward after moving his hand to her lowerback. Still making the massaging movements as he pkaced a kiss in Tessa's neck.
Her saying yes wether she intended to or not though started to make him a little hard. Something Tessa certainly would be able to feel the moment it poked the skin of her upperleg
-
Feeling his erection against her leg, Tessa tensed up. She did want him but was too stubborn to say so. A hazy memory entered her mind then and she froze further. A memory of her saying to his face that she wanted to feel him inside her just before she passed out on the floor. After that, she couldn't remember anything else.
"Uhhhhh...." she muttered, not sure how to phrase her next question then. "What happened before...before this?"
-
''You passed out. After saying something very unlady like. But it are those signs among others that make me a little confused. The way you react like the kiss. And I quote, want a big cock inside you. Is what makes me think you want to. But you then hold yourself back. He whispered. He did not give her another kiss yet but did continue the massage. If she wanted him to withdraw he now still could.
-
That sobered Tessa enough to sit up abruptly and face him. "I did not...did not say that!" she nearly yelled. Her head was feeling much better now, the massage having thoroughly relaxed her and now she felt rather sleepy. Laying back down on her side, she closed her eyes then, starting to drift off. "Did not..." Tessa mumbled, still trying to deny it.
-
Kayden still being on top of her almost fell over but with his hands managed to stay how he was. ''There is nothing bad of having said it. People often say weird things when drunk.'' He gently caressed her face with his lavender scented hand.
''Hence I asked wether you wanted me or not. If you say yes then you know what I will do but if you say no I respect that as well. I see woman as sacred and will never take advantage of them or force them. So say it Tessa. What is it you want. You can demand and say it out loud if you wish. Nobody here will judge you.''''
-
The last of Tessa's restraint crumbled away then, as the feelings became too much for her to withstand any longer. She needed this. She wanted this. To Kayden, she looked him straight in the eyes then and told him bluntly, "Take me. Fuck me hard and good." Her heart pounded in anticipation then as to what was most definitely going to happen next. She put a hand on his arm and lightly brushed over it. "Take me now."
-
''Can not say I have ever heard it this blunt but I shall take you.'' He whispered. Moving her on her back before kissing her on her mouth, then moving to her ear and neck giving her shirt suckling kisses. After discarding his own clothes, one hand moved to her left breastkneading it softly and flicked a nipple before taking her right one in his mouth. Sucking it and flicked it with his tongue.
His other hand traveled over her abdomen to her upper legs and then her wet folds. ''Gods..'' he moaned as he felt how wet abd soft she was. His own length now fully erected and softly throbbed. But Kayden would not enter her yet. He wanted to know her body first.
-
Moaning loudly, Tessa got even wetter as he played with her breasts, taking one in his mouth and sucking on it. "Ah!" she cried out as he flicked the nipple with his tongue, but it was a sound of pleasure and she wanted more of it.
As his hand traveled downwards, she opened her legs wide, fully revealing the soft flesh there. There was some hair on her mound, but only a little. Her breaths coming in shorter and shorter gasps now. This was much more pleasurable than it had ever been with Vennis. For now, she just lay there and let him do what he wanted.
-
Not being able to see, did made it trickier. He could not see if she was uncomfortablevso had to rely on hearing and her movements instead. He did notice she was eager and Gods, so was he. He traveled down a little further. With his hand he felt the bit of hair but did not let it bother him.
He retreated his hand and started to lick her wet folds being careful around Tessa's clit when he teased her there with his tongue. It did not take him long either to use both mouth and fingers though but he would not let Tessa climax yet. He wasin that regard perhaps a bit mean.
-
Shuddering in extreme ecstasy as his mouth moved over her wetness, she thought she had died and gone to heaven, but it was when he used his fingers on her was when she let out a long open-mouthed moan, the pressure between her legs building up to an intense amount. The sweet feeling there felt so good. "Please..." she cried out, begging him to go further.
-
Kayden continued for a bit longer until he felt his cock trobbing so mych he wanted to do nothing more then please Tessa with it. Her moans had driving him crazy. He moved a little again and his hard length poked Tessas silken soft wetness softly before he slowly pushed himself in with a soft moan of delight
-
When he penetrated her then, Tessa let out a loud gasp!, her walls clenching tight around his cock as she tried to get used to the feel of him inside her. She was very tight and so the initial penetration only hurt a little. And he was big. Bigger than Vennis had been that was for sure. She heard his moan of delight as he entered her, eyes shut tightly, heart pounding fiercely in her chest.
-
''Did I hurt you?... sorry'' Kayden whispered softly and waited with moving until she was mire accustomed to having him inside of her. And by the Gods she was tight. He felt it clearly as his cock weakly throbbed. He leant forward nringing their faces close and brushed her hair before giving Tessa a passionate kiss. When feeling she relaxed a little and was accostomed to him he gently started to move his hips.
-
As Tessa relaxed more and more, the feeling became one of great pleasure and erotic bliss, and she kissed him back just as passionately. Moving her hips as well in an upwards motion, she tried her best to meet his gentle thrusts which started out slow at first. Her inner walls clenching and unclenching around him...
"Oh Kayden..." she murmured, breaking the kiss temporarily before resuming it. Tessa could feel him deep inside her as he touched her g-spot with the tip of his member. Threading her hands through his hair, she ran her hands down his back then as he moved within her. No more words were needed from her at the moment, and she relished in the whole situation being given to her body. It was heaven...
-
Her touch made him release a pleasureable moan and slowly the man increased his pace. Surely she had told him to fuck her hard but he did not want to hurt her. After more kisses one of his hands worked on a breast of hers again. Rubbing the nipple gently before he placed both hands beneath her shoulder and helped her up so she could sit.
-
Tessa increased her pace as well, and moaned again as he fondled her breast in his hand. When he encouraged her to sit up then, she looked at him questioningly, unsure what he was going to do, but sat up as he instructed her to do.
-
Changing form laying down to sitting actually gave it a new feeling regarding of how he felt inside of her and even could get in a little deeper.
For Kayden it felt different too as her muscles shifted and he released a soft groan. Damn she felt good in so many ways.
Once she sat he moved his legs and hooked them around her. Bringing their mouths together kissing her with passion and moved his hips again releasing a moan with every single one of his thrusts
-
The sitting position was a whole new level of carnal bliss for Tessa. She keenly felt his dick even deeper inside of her, and pretty soon she felt an orgasm coming on. A very strong one at that. Moaning into his mouth as he kissed her, she felt her insides quiver as she got ready to release with a loud "Ohhhhhhhhhhh!"
-
Feeling her climax around his cock made him cum with a good moan too, releasing his hot seed deep inside of her. Fortunatly he had drawn a quick mark when he touched her to prevent pregnancy in case this could happen and to keep her a bit longer in this moment of bliss he kept moving a bit more finding himself still hard inside of her flesh.
A bit of sweat traveled down his brow and he once more caressed her face. ''Despite you told me to fuck you hard I think you enjoyed this too'' he whispered. He would understand if she didn not want to go another round. Many women could but some simply not and he kept that option open. He knew how to fuck a women hard but with his size he was not sure if she'd like it.
-
Caught in the throes of passion, Tessa rode the high ride of her orgasm as it slowly began to ebb. She also felt Kayden cum inside her, his hot spunk making her moan even more. The thought of getting pregnant didn't come to her mind yet, but later she might freak out about it as she didn't know that Kayden had already taken care of this issue.
As he continued to move inside her in order to prolong her orgasmic euphoria, Tessa began to feel tired, oh so tired then. She barely heard him whisper in her ear, and mumbled in response. She didn't think herself capable of going another round.
-
After kissing her passionatly once more he gently laid her own on the bed and pulled out. Covering the both of them with the covers as he lay closebeside her. Holding her hand in his and brought her close to him.
It had been a really long time ago since he felt like this. Calm in his head and the feeling to protect someone again. He always protected those he came across. He had truth be told, lost all hope to get out of Limbo a while ago. The dragons were of no help and everything else was either a deadly creature or a dead thing walking.
He felt his limb becoming dormant once more and actually hoped Tessa would not regret this. But looking at her once more made him forget those thoughts.
''Once way or another I promise to get you out of here.'' he whispered.
-
Having fallen asleep then, Tessa was exhausted but happy. The sex she had just had, despite only having been her second time, was the best thing she had ever experienced. She would likely want more later. But for now, she slept on looking very peaceful in that moment, lying next to her lover. It would be a few hours from now when she would wake up again.
-
Still tired, Kayden allowed himself to sleep as well. His body felt calmer then ever making it easy.
When Tessa woke though, he no longer was laying with her. He had quickly washed himself, got dressed and had dared to actually head out, and kill several chickens and harvested eggs. Having his energy replenished he had made preperations to link a few more rooms. One a butterfly house where various flowers and herbs grew even an appletree. The glass house looked good but above it there was nothing but the greyness Limbo had to offer. To make it easier he did not link the barn to an opening the study had but had moved it along with the few animals it had to offer, into the butterfly house. It was now just the water he had to actually leave the room for.
Kayden was used to actually not eating at all and over and over actually starved himself to death but the sex had made him hungry and Tessa needed to eat to stay alive. That had motivated him enough to do all of this and using the fireplace to prepare a herb veggie chickensoup. Glad he had not forgot any of his survival skills from ages ago.
-
Regaining consciousness from her slumber, Tessa stretched her arms overhead and let out a yawn before sitting up. She was still naked and the memory of what had happened previously made her both happy and sexually content. She smelled food cooking through the portal-linked study and her stomach growled in hunger, reminding her she really needed to eat. It smelled delicious but first she really had to pee!
Getting up from the bed and throwing the covers off, Tessa looked around for a toilet of some kind but only saw a chamber pot in the corner. Seriously?! she thought appalled. I have to use some kind of medieval chamber bowl?
But she really had to go and so it was either the pot or pee on the floor and embarrass herself. Her stubbornness wouldn't serve her here. Walking quickly over there, she made to do what she had to do but griped about it, soon finishing. Seeing the bath in the corner, she headed over to it and got in, dipping in a toe to check the temperature first. Relaxing for just a bit, Tessa got a washcloth and started washing herself to get clean again. While sex was enjoyable, it was also a messy thing too. Working up a good lather, she proceeded to wash her body, also running the soapy cloth between her legs too to get rid of all the stickiness there.
-
''Did you sleep well?'' Kayden asked as he stirred the soup. Fortunatly cleaning the chicken had not been done in the room but he had been smart enough to keep the feathers. The soup was almost done and he took the pan from the fire letting it rest on the marble floor.
Indeed sex was a messy thing and he figured it would be wise to change the sheets before either of them would sleep in it again. The soup would still be hot for a while and he walked towards the bath, neatly folding the sheets so he could wash them when Tessa was done. He smiled at her, not akwardly but warm and gentle.
''I did not hurt you to much I hope.'' he said softly. ''I made some good filling soup if you are interested.''
-
When Kayden walked back into the bedroom, Tessa was about halfway done with her bath. "Yes I did." she smiled at him. "And thank you. For everything." She continued to wash herself. "And yes, I'm starving! I feel like I could eat an entire cow!"
Hurrying up a little more so she could eat that much quicker, she finished and made to get up out of the tub then and step over the edge, but tripped and fell flat on her face onto the floor! "Umph!" she groaned, trying to get up. "Stupid tub!" Tessa wanted to kick the tub at that point but restrained herself from doing so. Settling for muttering some obscenities at it instead she proceeded to grab a towel to dry herself off.
-
''I could fix an entire cow but will take me a bit longer to prepare.'' he jestered.
Kayden could not help but chuckle and got the large piece of fabric again. Fashioning it back into a dress after Tessa finished drying herself. ''You should be a little bit more careful though. Also after we've eaten I have a suprise for you.''
After finishing the dress again he took two bowls and scooped up the first bit of soup for the both of them.
-
"A surprise? For me?" Tessa was excited to know what this surprise might be, and taking the dress from him, slipped it over her head, letting it fall down to her ankles to dust the floor.
Reaching for her bowl, she immediately dug in savoring the taste, her stomach once again reminding her of the lack of food in it. "Mmmmm..." Tessa exclaimed, spooning more into her mouth. "This is so good!"
The fire in the fireplace crackled nearby and for just a moment of time, Tessa could forget that she was in a barren land of nothingness. It was homey enough and she became more and more content as she ate. With Kayden beside her, Tessa felt a certain kind of happiness she hadn't felt in a long while. She could get used to this.
-
Kayden had almost forgotten how food actually tasted like and he ate the soup happily as well. For dessert though, he would take her to the appletree
''I'm glad you like it. I do warn you regarding meals there is not a lot of variety in what I can make.'' then again. Their supplies were limited too.
He easily took another serving but did not take more; first off it was Tessa who needed to last and second fortunatly he had made it wellfilled. He waited until Tessa was done and offered his hand in a gentlemanly fashion, complete with bow.
He lead Tessa to a new door. Well door, certainly there had been a window before that lead to nothing more but black and grey. Behind it was the large butterfly house and the barn of animals and he invited her to open the door.
-
Finishing her first serving, Tessa took a second and ate that as well. After finishing the second bowl, she could now say she had had enough. Rubbing her tummy contentedly, she took Kayden's hand as he offered it to her and let him help her up in a chivalrous manner. She didn't worry too much for now about the lack of food variety, as Tessa could also help with that. She had had to do so before, sometimes cooking in the place of her mother when the latter refused to do it, claiming she was too tired or some such. Plus she had also been a scavenger before this, collecting what molds and fungi she could grab, as well as anything else they could use in Teinar.
"Where are we going?" she asked, as he led them past some rooms before stopping at a wooden door.
Opening it, she peered inside and gasped in astonishment at what she saw. Butterflies flew around in circles and colorful groups of wonder, their winged bodies feeding off the many colorful flowers which grew here. How they thrived here, Tessa didn't know. The ceiling itself was made of glass, only showing the bleak gray of Limbo beyond, but the room itself was beautiful. White twisting pillars and flowering plants were located at each corner, the plants themselves scattered all around in a squarish format. A small pool of mineral water lay at the center, flowers growing in and around it, while an apple tree stood off to the side of it to the left. Red delicious apples shone in a luscious crimson color, and Tessa didn't doubt that they were just as tasty as they looked.
Tessa was flabbergasted. "How..." she began, not sure how to finish that sentence.
-
''Rune magic and memories. The fact that I can bring things here, means I can send us out as well.'' Kayden said softly. He heard the chickens in the barn. He could not see the flowers at all but his very vague vision did show him a few colors at the least.
''But for as long as we a re stuck here I figured... despite it shows the limbo sky above, a bit of color would be good for you.'' he released Tessa's hand and walked to a rose bush. Taking out one flower which he placed in Tessa's hair.
''With your help. We can out of here. I can not promise knowing in which time we end up in. But when I have my vision back, I can always send you home. Your own time if you wish. Or the past when all of this existed.''
-
Tessa touched the flower in her hair, a yellow rose. "It's very pretty." she told him, referring to the flower. She leaned up and gave him a kiss on the mouth. "I do want to get out of here...but with you here it doesn't seem so bad now." Plus there was the fact that she may never see him again if they did manage to get out. And that thought was unbearable to say the least.
"You can stay with me, in Teinar." she pleaded him, eyes wide. "It may not be much of a home, but it's the only one I know." And if he refused for some reason, Tessa wasn't going to give up. If anything she would be adamant to the death about it.
Just then, a thought occurred to her. "Oh crap!" she exclaimed, looking very alarmed at that moment. "Kayden, what if...what if I get pregnant? After..after we..." she began to hyperventilate as she wasn't ready to become a mother just yet! "Ahhhh!" she screamed out, looking for a way to relieve her distress but not finding one. "This is all not fair!"
-
''I took precautions for that.'' Kayden said calmly as he drew a straight line and a star around with a spiral in the middle. ''I drew a mark on you which prevents pregnancy. I had given that thought.'' He took her in his arms to calm her down a little and caressed her face with a smile on his lips. ''As long as I will draw it on you every time I promise, you will not get pregnant.'' He then held her close in an embrace.
''What I summoned here is nice but we are still in limbo. Where we will not age. I never did since the fall of my nationi to begin with but eternity is a long time I do not wish for anyone else to go through. Also. Despite being able to summon lifestock, crops and places like these, most likely it is not an everlasting source.'' He had heard her offer and the reason for the embrace was so she would not see the few tears that left his eyes.
He was not sure what in these halls were real and had slowly driven him to the edge of insanity. But now, with Tessa here maybe he could come back from this all and think of a live outside of limbo. Outside of this grey hell. ''Everyone I once knew has died. I will gladly stay with you. If, you have not grown tired of me in the meantime.'' he spoke softly.
-
Calming down at his words and warm embrace, Tessa quieted then breathing a huge sigh of relief. "Oh good, I thought I was doomed for a minute there." Looking back up at him, she grinned. "Every time? More sex that is?"
Sighing again, Tessa agreed with him. "I suppose I would want to see my mother again even if she doesn't feel the same. Things haven't been the same since my dad disappeared."
Tessa was elated when he agreed to come home with her. "You'd better!" she told him fiercely, "Or I'd drag your butt with me through the portal! Naked and all!"
-
Kayden chuckled. ''Alright alright.'' he said. ''As for the sex. Only if it is mutual. Like I said before. I see women as something sacred. And be it drunk, or anger I will never force myself on you or hit you or hurt you.'' He gave her a soft kiss on the lips.
''On good terms with her or not. A woman who does not hate her child will always miss it when it is gone. If you are my eyes and art assistent, I will get you home. And I will not leave you''
-
Tessa kissed him back, wrapping her arms around him, pressing herself into him. "I wouldn't let you leave me anyway." she told him sincerely. Breaking away from him, she stepped back and looked at him. "Show me these runes you want me to draw. I'll try whatever I can if it'll help us get out of here."
Tessa wasn't confident in her ability to do such, but she sure as hell would try.
-
Kayden nodded. ''There are books in the study. Unless you wish to stay here a bit longer though with the grass beneath your feet.'' he said kindly. Then pondered. ''Better idea. I'll be right back.''
He went to the study and came back with a couple of books. Sitting himself down beside the tree and patted the grass beside him. Truth be told he had been in the study long enough. A change of enviroment was good.
-
She watched him go, before looking around at all the butterflies again. Holding out a hand, she let one land on her palm before it flew off to rejoin its friends. Going over to the apple tree, she plucked one from the branch and crunched into the sweetness of it. It was very good, very sweet tasting.
Kayden came back then with books under his arm and patted the grass next to him. Tessa sat down beside him and took another bite of apple. "I'm ready I guess. Show me these symbols."
-
Kayden opened the first. The symbols were easy and thank the Gods it was also in common. ''To get out of here I need a location. And I need to know everything about it. The type of material used to make it till the height of every bit. I will really need to know the inns and outs. A miniature version will be drawn from it, and around a really... really large ritualistic rune circle destined for teleportation. I do a reverse enchantment to get us out of Limbo, into the location drawn. Since we will not go to a place I know, it will be a little more difficult for me but manageable.'' If she permitted him into the very core of her memories or happened to know a place in's and outs from herself.
He flipped a few pages revealing the easy symbols, and the hard ones, and the very hard ones.
-
Tessa stared at the symbols for a good minute or two. "Those look...really hard to do." she commented slowly, running a finger over the intricate swirls, loops and diagrams depicted on the pages. There were runes of jagged lines, runes of abstract swirls, and runes of complex knotwork. Various shapes and patterns filled the pages from top to bottom, and Tessa gulped at the sheer complexity to it all.
She looked back up at him. "As far as the location, well it would be my home city of Teinar, located underground. Most of it is carved from the very stone itself, but with pieces and other stuff tacked on here and there. Really, it's whatever is available to us to use."
Thinking harder, she tried to recreate the overall image in her head but some parts were really hazy simply because she hadn't really been everywhere in the city itself. Some parts were more clearer than others, so she focused on those instead. "There is one place I visit often, other than my home where I live with my mother. It is a large garden plot inside the center of the city where we grow and cultivate all kinds of plants and molds for us to eat. I...can draw it if I have something to draw it with."
-
''This will not be something you can learn in a month. But at the least I know which kinds we need. I will tell you one thing, I will be the only one to channel the magic and send us through. It may be a really scary sight though. As for something to draw with, a stick or a staff usually works but if you prefer something else then that is fine too. I often carved it or drew it with coal if I wanted it to be more permanent. Or even blood if the situation was dire enough.''
On am empty piece of parchment, he drew a rough draft. Well. Very rough draft with in the middle the garden in a square that was by itself present in a pentagram. The open spaces had three dots each. Each one resembling a rune. There were more stars and runes and the outer line was a circle. This thing certainly was not going to be small.'
''I think it is best to start with the garden which needs to be as detailed as you can possibly do. But I for one have faith in you.''
-
"Okaaaay..." Tessa then took the stick of coal from Kayden and set about to drawing the garden plot she knew of.
It took about five minutes but soon she had drawn the perimeter of the area, as well as the fountain in the center surrounded by all kinds of plants, roots and weeds, as well as mushrooms and vegetables. Carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, and even some pumpkins she drew too. Around that area she drew the three benches that she knew were placed near the edges. For the walls, she drew trailing vines and shaded the areas a little with the edge of the coal stick to indicate gray stone and rock. Bio-luminescent plants were also strategically placed around the garden, as well as one weakly lit light bulb which hung down from the ceiling by a thin string.
Putting down the stick, she looked it over and then up at Kayden. "That's the best I can do for now with that area."
-
For the actual drawing Kayden had lead her to an empty room. It indeed was large and most likely gave Tessa an idea of how much work it was going to take. But it certainly was not impossibly huge.
He gave a nod of approval. ''I am sure it is good enough.'' he said. Although all his vision showed him were black murkey lines on a grey surface. He set down the five points of the pentagram but did not drew the lines yet. Truth be told, he was still tired from before.
''I will teach you the first few marks. It will be fifteen in total. Three in each pentagram point that all have to do with the garden. Shall we do that in the study by the fire?'' he suggested.
-
At the sheer size of the room, Tessa's eyes widened. "This is going to be an awful lot of work!" she whined. So much so she was seriously starting to have her doubts they would be able to escape. And Kayden had said it would take awhile anyway to set all the runes up. "How long is this going to take?!" she exclaimed a bit petulantly.
For a little while Tessa did not move, not budging an inch. The enormity of the situation was beginning to really sink in for her and she didn't like it. In fact, she hated it. "This sucks big time!" she said, a little too loudly. And of course there was nothing to throw in here, so she settled for stomping her foot childishly.
Nodding at his suggestion although still peeved, she made her way back with him to the study so he could show her the runes and how to properly draw them and where everything needed to go.
-
''Remember you do not have to do everything. I can draw many things as well.'' For a moment he thought about wine but remembering how it affected Tessa earlier he figured that it was not a really good idea. He sat down with her and after conversing regarding what the garden exited of and what lay around it he started to draw circles around the runes that would match the best.
Tessa would have to learn their shape and actual meaning. Just copying them would not be enough.
''A rough estemation is that we need about four till six months. It could be less.'' He wondered if his body would actually stay together long enough to send them through. Despite he would heal or even die (again) he needed to hold out and endure most likely the worst pain he ever felt.
-
Tessa couldn't believe her ears. "Four to six months!" she exclaimed.
Of course, the fact that she would be with Kayden the whole time and might not see him again after this made the time span much more bearable, but still. She wondered how many years would pass on Earth before they were able to get back and if her mother would even still be around. While Tessa herself hadn't aged at all. Despite the fact the two of them weren't always on good terms with each other, she still cared about her mother, and she hoped the feeling was mutual. But it was very hard to tell sometimes.
Sighing, she cracked open a book and flipped through the pages. "Okay, what do I need to learn here?" The warmth from the fire was soothing and she let that calm her nerves down some more as they worked.
-
''You will need to learn how to draw them and what they mean. Until then you may not draw them on the mark. Parchment is no problem. The first fifteen will be drawn in the pentagram, 3 runes in each point. I can draw the moonstands in the 28th pointed star. The seasons in the four pointed star and outlines. 6 months may seem like a long time but it could be less. I will not allow you to study non stop since that will not be good. You must remember the runes not only with your head but also your heart.''
He smiled at her. Surely he seemed confident. Which perhaps was encouragement too
-
Tessa smiled back. "Okay, then what's this symbol mean?" she pointed to one in the book that vaguely resembled a spiral with a star shape inside it. His confidence in her did help a little, so Tessa figured she would try her best. It was either that or be stuck here forever. And that was not an option.
-
Not being able to see Kayden relied on his touch to identify which one it was. ''Thisone is a healing mark. Very effective if you need to mend wounds.'' He replied.
He turned several pages. ''Thisone, is garden. It was a diaginal figure which looked a bit between an f and p with half a cirle on the top. Due to the location of the garden it it best to combine it with symbol of light and dark. He flipped a few more and it was noticeable light and dark were mirror runes. Light being a sun with a line beneathit and then three moonfases. Sickle half anf full. surrounded by a few spirals. Dark was the opposite''
-
Furrowing her brow, Tessa studied the symbols with squinted eyes. "Do I need to draw these runes first?" It seemed easy enough, so she figured it shouldn't take her too long to copy them onto the paper. But she would need to keep practicing the drawings over and over.
-
''''You can draw them on parchment first to get aquinted with them, yes.'' Kayden replied. ''And when you feel comfortable enough you can write down the real one.'' he exhaled calmly and yawned. ''Not sure about you but I am deadtired. I suggest we get some sleep.''
-
Now that he mentioned it, Tessa also felt tired. "Okay, let's." she snapped the book closed, and got up also letting out a yawn. This whole situation was a completely new one for her. Not only being stuck in a gray haze called limbo, but also sharing it with one other person, a man whom she had quickly gotten rather close to in a short period of time. She felt she might even be falling in love with him. It both scared and excited her in equal measure.
For now, she headed back to the bedroom with Kayden and crawled in the bed getting underneath the covers, before shutting her eyes. Before she knew it, she was asleep in the land of dreams.
-
Kaydeb climbed in bed as well and closed Tessa in his arms. He dreamt of all the people he had met. Tah-leen. Laraine. Echo. Silmeria. He wondered if her egg was still where he left it. Had it hatched? Would it still be dormant? Was she lonely?
More thoughts struck him. Michael. One of the occupied armorstands. Was he real? Kayden had been lonely and he knew what that could do to people. The manticore... the dragons... Tessa...No. Tessa was real. He spoke with her. Felt her. Still. Nightmares haunted him. He did not stir in his sleep though. Instead after several hours of many torturing nightmares he woke up. Still feeling Tessa in his arms and gave her a gentle kiss on her head before he left the bed and went to the study to an old hidden bag in the corner where he sat down with a red feather in his hands.
He liked Tessa and her presence but it surely had broken his walls
-
Five minutes after Kayden had left the bedroom, Tessa stirred and woke up then. Stretching her arms over head and cracking her neck of any kinks, she looked around for Kayden. She felt warm, the feel of Kayden's arms still lingered even though he wasn't currently here in the room now. Using the chamber pot quickly, she washed her hands in the hot spring and then went to the study to go find Kayden where she suspected him to be. And she was right. Sitting by himself in a corner, looking forlorn and holding a single red feather in hand.
"Good morning," she stated, then promptly remembered where they were before snorting very unladylike. Going over to him, she sat down beside him and looked at his face. Then motioning to the feather, she asked, "Where'd you get that?" After all the feather was too brightly colored, a vivid fire engine red to be from a normal chicken or bird. And Tessa did not know what a phoenix was, as none existed where she was from, at least none she knew of. If they did exist, they would be quite rare.
Glancing at him again, Tessa frowned. "Is everything okay? You look pretty bummed out."
-
''I've been here so long... everyone I once knew is dead... I could not keep her egg safe... I do not even know what is real in this place... what if you arent...'' his hands held the sides of his head. His thoughts hurt him.
Something like this was perhaps to be expected though. He lived things out here after giving up by not being exposed to things that talked back since his head made up conversations for him. The despair now just resurfaced and his walls just collapsed in and around him in his head.
''Michael... Jeanna... Mary... Lozos...'' he mentioned several more names of persons he had created throughout the thousands of years. They too had been people he knew. People from his nation. ''Who's alive... who's dead... who is real... who never existed...''
-
"I am real." Tessa insisted to him. "I am very real and alive, and most importantly I am here with you."
Grabbing his hand, she placed it upon her cheek. "See? I am real." She moved his hand down to her shoulder then. "If I wasn't real you wouldn't be able to feel me, much less talk to me. So, don't you dare lose it now!"
Talking more calmly, Tessa huffed. "I don't know what you've been through all this time, but as long as I'm here you don't have to be alone anymore."
Finally she moved his hand to her heart to feel the steady beat from inside. "Feel that? Real. It is just as real as I am." And Tessa would make sure that he knew this through and through.
-
Kayden shivered. Barely holding himself together. The feather had fallen from his hand next to him. Feeling her warmth and the beating of her heart though. Was that real? Was his mind not playing tricks? Voices in his head had told him more often not to lise it. No. There were some things the head could not make up.
His shaky breath calmed and so did his own heartbeat. ''Real...'' he spoke softly. ''You are... real...'' his hand slowly dropped next to him and he soon leant forward, his head on Tessa's shoulder. It was then though he cried. He did not scream it out though. Just the pain of loneliness. All those deaths of he went through in these thousands of years. Realising how long he had been here and everyone he loved was long turned into dust. The realisation Silmeria who transformed back into an egg was most likely lost to him too despite his promise he'd look after her and raise her.
-
"You bet your ass I'm real." Tessa told him firmly.
That was when he put his head on her shoulder and cried. It caught the woman off-guard though and for a few seconds she just stilled. Then she embraced him tightly, letting him know he could lean on her for support. "We will get out of here and you are coming with me!" No way in hell she was going to stay stuck here and neither was he. They would both escape and be happy together after that.
-
Kayden gave a weak nod but other then that did not move. He had quite some tears to shed but his current ones were died out quite soon. He spoke a silent apolagy and truth be told he did not know how long he stayed this way with her.
He looked tired though when he finally sat back against the wall he picked up the feather. ''It belonged to a phoenix once and was the last one she took out before she died. She turned into an egg and I watched over it until I ended up here. She was a very close friend. Like a sister. And was one of the few who understood the burden of long lufe. No matter how much bad things happened to her she always recovered from it.''
-
Tessa hugged him for as long as he needed her to do so. It was for quite awhile, and she too felt his heartbeat pounding away in a soft rhythm. She stroked his back too.
After they pulled away, Tessa sat next to him against the wall but furrowed her brow when he mentioned Silmeria. "Um, what's a phoenix? I've never heard of one before."
His story was sad, and Tessa wanted to comfort him as best she could seeing as how she felt strongly for him. But she didn't know if he felt the same. The fact that they had had sex together didn't mean squat, as she and Vennis had as well and they only felt lust and curiosity at the time. But it wasn't love. She also didn't know why she was falling so hard for him. Perhaps it was his kindness. His good looks. His ability to protect her in this dangerous place. His manly scent. The sweet way he had made love to her. Perhaps it was all of the above. Tessa was not normally a do-gooder, but with him it was different. She wanted to help him, and by the polluted earth she would.
-
''A phoenix is a firebird. Can grow till the size of a small till medium sized dragon. Sharp talonscand formiddable strength. The masters of fire and their tears can heal everything regarding physical wounds. The ferosity of an eagle yet elegant as how a swan can be. Out of self defence she had learned how to morph into a human or elf as well.''
He looked at Tessa with a bit of a lonely smile. She was killed due to aftereffects of magic. A phoenix though does not just die. They are rebirn from their ashes. A few times with their memories. Turning into a younger version of themselves. Cycles they are called. When they are over, they become an egg and hatch with passage of time into a new person. At the least that was how it worked with her.''
He inhaled deeply and breathed out calmly. ''Thank you... I had shut my mind from many things since I got here. I do not like the reality of having lost everyone dear to me but I must not let their shadows torment me either. When we are out of here... I will stay with you. Not because you are the first living person I met since so long but despite your characteristics with throwibg ancient stuff, I like you and hope to get to know you more''
-
Listening to his explanation of what a phoenix was and of Silmeria, Tessa pondered this bit of new information just a tad. "Fire bird huh? So can they breathe fire too like ancient dragons could?"
At his confession that he liked her and wanted to get to know her better, she hugged him tightly again and muttered into his chest. "Good, because I'm not going away, so you'd better like me!"
Hugging him fiercely for just a second longer, she pulled back and looked up into his opal white eyes. "You and I are going to go on a walk somewhere safe. No buts mister, you're going whether you like it or not even if I have to drag you!" And with that, she pulled on his hand insistently, urging them both up.
-
Kayden got up dropping the bag. As for the feather though, he placed it on top of it quickly. ''Where do you suggest we go to mi-lady.'' he asked. Although there was only one a few safe places and they were connected. The farm and butterfly house it stood inside in, the study and the bedroom. Still he allowed himself to be guided away by Tessa.
''Oh must not forget this.'' he said and after missing a few times grabbed his staff.
-
"How about the butterfly house again? And anywhere else we can go that's good." Tessa quickened her pace, dragging him alongside her.
"And let's bring some more of that wine too." she picked up a bottle that was still sitting on the table and proceeded to take it with them. After all that wine was definitely something, despite the fact that it had given her a hangover after only four glasses. She would have to be careful not to drink too much this time around.
-
''Just be... careful thistime.'' Kayden said with a chuckle. There were no more then four or five glasses in the bottle though and Tessa did not yet know where the stache was.
He smiled when they reached the butterfly house but he still had not reclaimed his hand. If Tessa wanted to pull him along further, she could. It was quite a big place after all and the first view they or rather said she, had was just the tip of the iceberg. That garden had been designed to let people walk around in it for a good few hours. There were paved pain paths but on treebark paths that were a bit smaller and brought you closer between the plants there was still plenty to be seen.
-
Tessa continued to drag him through the doorway to the garden, reveling in the feel of his hand in hers. The place was indeed bigger than she had first thought, and as they walked on further, there were hidden pathways amongst many plants and trees and bushes in just about every direction she looked.
"This is so neat." Tessa said in awe of their surroundings. "It's all so spacious and colorful. Very different than back home, what with its cavern walls, moss-covered ground and no trees anywhere in Teinar. The plants we do have are nothing compared to this. It's like a piece of paradise in a gray void."
Letting go of Kayden's hand, Tessa reached up to pluck two more apples from one of the trees and handed one to him while she bit into the other. "Mmmmm..." she murmured, loving the taste. "Apples are pretty much non-existent in Teinar too. Except what we can forage from The Meeting Place and Sevenwinds that is." Tessa took another bite of apple and swallowed it, still walking and enjoying the sights. There were even some birds and squirrels here too! The former's tweet tweet tweets and the chittering of the bushy-tailed animals could be heard as they strolled along contentedly.
Soon they came upon a small clearing, albeit just a break in all the shrubbery thereabouts. Plopping down on the smooth grass, Tessa sighed happily. "Perfect." she stated, looking up at Kayden. "Sit!" she commanded him, patting the ground next to her as though he were a dog. Opening up the bottle of wine, she took a hearty swig of it before offering some to him.
-
Kayden took the bottle and earlier had accepted the apple too.
''Just be careful with the alcohol love, other then the apple you have not eaten anything this morning'' he said kindly. Last night he had thought to make some boiled or scrambled eggs but with his small panic attack it kind of was forgotten.
As for the term love, for some reason it just came out of his mouth without any sign of irony. He felt really comfortable with Tessa.
''When we make it back, maybe I could use my rune magic there to color things up a bit.'' he suggested. He used when but truth be told it would be more of an if. He needed Tessa to be as confident as she could be and if he displayed doubt it most likely would be over.
-
Leaning back on her elbows in the grass, Tessa crunched into the apple, taking another bite of it. "I'll be fiiiiine." she insisted to Kayden.
Looking at Kayden sitting next to her, she caressed his arm gently. Taking yet another bite of apple, she asked, "So, tell me more about your home. This fallen nation you told me about before. Was it big? And what sort of people lived there?"
Tessa reached for the wine bottle again, wanting another sip and to wash down the fruit she had just eaten.
-
Just before Tessa could grab the bottle Kayden quickly put it to his lips and drank some more before giving it to Tessa. ''Would not want you to get hangover again. Or it is a way to get another massafe from me.'' he teased.
''As for my nation...'' he paused. Thinking. It had been so damn long ago. ''We claimed a whole island not that far from the shore. The sea was beautful Azure blue. And the city, all was made out of marble, spiralling upwards. White for the streets and homes. Colored marble being cut in different shapes and put on or in the walls for decoration. Silken flags over the market streets for shade, where dealing in magic or magic artifacts was rather common. Most of those living there were either scholars, artists or magic practisioners. Me being one of the latter although I could go for scholar as well. I was learning to become a vizier.''
''As for the size... we were with about one million people. But nobody was poor. Nobody lived on the streets. We were proporous, and maybe far ahead of our time. I think that was what doomed us in the first place.''
-
"Hey!" Tessa tried to grab the bottle back from him as he took his own swig. When he handed it back to her, she took it a little forcefully and peered inside it. It was nearly half gone now. "Thirsty?" she spoke a little tartly this single word but she wasn't that upset. At his teasing words, she scowled and said, "Oh, puhleese, don't be so full of yourself. Your head will grow to double its size if it hasn't already." she remarked back, smirking.
But then, she thought about his other head and blushed fiercely, before clearing her throat a little. "Ahem." Then took a really big drink from the bottle, her head starting to buzz again. But the taste was so intoxicating so she took yet another drink. Now the bottle was 2/3 of the way gone.
Listening to his story, Tessa gave her two cents worth. "I'd bet you would've made a great vizier." Taking another sip. "Yep."
-
''I think you've had quite enough.'' Kayden said as he reclaimed the bottle and finished it before Tessa would. Kayden could handle alcohol quite well. Usually. He laid himself down in the grass. His tunic was still not covering everything and he figured Tessa had her usual clothes back on. Kayden could do much but certainly, he could not sow clothes. He barely could fix tears in clothing.
''And as you may have guessed. We could make amazingly good wine.'' he said with a grin on his face. ''We often offered it to the Gods so it really had to be good. And the whole vizier thing. Maybe, maybe not. I think that if the Gods liked me so much they would not have allowed me to be cursed like this.'' From the bright side, because of him being like this he was able to help Tessa get out of here. Not to mention he had helped so many others.
''What happened after the massage by the way did I... hurt you?'' he asked out of the blue.
-
Tessa leaped at him, landing in his lap trying to grab the bottle but he had already finished it! "No fair!" she whined and pouted. Then realized she was sitting sideways on his penis, her butt planted firmly on him. She began to feel the familiar heat pool in her stomach and down to her thighs again.
"No, you didn't hurt me at all." Okay so perhaps that was a little tiny bit of a lie as it had been uncomfortable at first, but after that.... Tessa wanted to feel it again. Unknowingly, she pressed down harder on his man piece as she shifted around, trying to pull herself off of him, yet at the same time trying to decide if she wanted to stay right where she was. But ultimately deciding on the latter option.
Secretly hoping for another round of fantastic sex."You drank the rest of the wine." she accused him, wagging her finger in his face. "Now you need to go get another."
-
''But how am I going to grab another bottle if you are on top of me.'' Kayden asked with a teasingly smile. Feeling her on top of his member though and the way she shifted on him made his blood rush to his loins and did not take long for Tessa to feel him harden. It was visable on his face too and a very soft moan left his lips.
He placed his hands on her shoulders before letting them descend over her sides to feel her curves.
-
Feeling his member harden beneath her, Tessa at first blushed then grinned. She leaned over to kiss him as his hands ran over her curves. Breaking the kiss for a second, she breathed a little heavy and said, "You still need to go get one."
Adjusting her position a bit so she was straddling him, one leg over each side, she leaned into him once more. "And I'm not budging either." Giving him another kiss while trailing a hand down his collarbone.
-
Kayden answered the kisses. Both their mouthes tasting like wine and he let his tongue brush hers. As they kissed Kayden touched the curves of her body. Indeed she was not wearing the dress and the fabrics aspecially the denim were new to him. After his hands went from her shoulders to her hips, he let them wonder to the swell of her back and her ass.
''I will get one'' Kayden whispered huskily. ''Can not say when though if we go on like this.'' He had become fully erected since in his mind he was no longer struggling wether Tessa wanted to have sex or not.
From her ass his hands went to her upperlegs and then her thighs
-
Her inhibitions lowered by the alcohol, Tessa pressed herself more firmly against his cock and nearly moaned at the sensation of it as it in turn pressed against her vagina. His hands were like magic, making her further melt into his embrace. Her hands grasped to pull his tunic off his head as it was in the way. "Get this thing off." she murmured, talking about the bothersome tunic. Still trying to lift it over his head.
Tessa was getting more and more wet at the feel of Kayden's hardened length underneath her, and in her attempts to be rid of his tunic, she almost forcefully ripped it off him. Breathing against his neck, she muttered. "Tunic. Off. Now."
-
Feeling her pressing more against his hard cock made him groan pleasurably. After he lifted his torso off the ground it was not difficult to take the tunic off. Kayden in his response started to undress Tessa. First taking off her shirt, and sat up a bit more so he could place kisses on their soft skin.
The bra was something different though but something figured out soon enough. And with her breasts now fully exposed he let mouth move to one of her nipples. Sucking it before releasing it to flick it with his tongue. Feeling it harden.
His hands moving to her pants to unbutton them although taking them off was not really possible with her still sitting on him.
But opening her pants for as far as she could he snuck one hand inside of it tracing her underwear and gave her clit a gentle rub before moving further to her ass. Taking it in his hand to knead the flesh before taking his hand back. ''Stand up... against that tree.'' he said huskily. He did not nessesarily pointed to a tree but knew one which was big enough to stand against was near. Desire running through his veins
-
Flinging his tunic away from them, Tessa leaned in to kiss him once more, before his mouth traveled down to her left breast. Sucking on it. Tessa moaned at this all the way, letting out a gasp as he flicked the nipple. Her pleasure only increasing as he touched her special spot and squeezed her ass between his strong hands. Her thighs parting even more as he did so.
She needed no more encouragement and went to stand by the tree as Kayden requested. He could pull her jeans and underwear off her now that she was standing up. Desire running through her veins as well. Running her fingernails lightly down his bare back, but not enough to hurt or draw blood. Tessa was now wet enough to be taken again and she greatly looked forward to it.
"Take me." she breathed in his ear.
-
Kayden kissed Tessa's neck before lowering himself. Taking down her jeans and panties in one simple movement and lifted each of her feet seperatly to remove them. He let his tongue run upwards from the inside of her upperleg and licked her wet flesh. ''Gods... you're wet..'' he groaned pleasurably.
He gave her pussy a few more long licks and suckles and a gentle suckle on her clit. Drawing the anti pregnancy rune with one of his fingers before he got up again. His hard member poking against Tessa's sex and slowly brought it inside of here. A breath left his lips. She felt so damn good but he did make sure she was still comfortable and not in pain.
-
Moaning loudly, her breath coming out in heavier and heavier pants, Tessa struggled to remain upright and sagged against the tree trunk. Becoming complete putty in his hands when he gave her clit a good suckle. "Oh gods! Oh!!!" she moaned and moaned at his ministrations, and so it was no problem for Kayden to slide into her wet folds then, she being more than ready. While Tessa did let out an 'oomph!' at the penetration, it was by no means painful. Not anymore.
Closing her eyes in bliss at the feel of him inside her, Tessa gave another throaty moan. Her knees felt weak and she could barely hold herself up now. Encircling her arms around him, she waited for him to start thrusting.
-
He wrapped one arm around her, placing his hand on her butt and placed the other against the tree so he would not force her against it over and over. The bark of the tree was soft but he could imagine it was not pleasant to be pushed against it over and over.
After making sure that Tessa would not fall, he started to thrust inside of her releasing soft moans with every movement and placed his mouth on hers.
''You feel so good... in so many ways...'' he whispered. He did not only meant her body but her presence as well. There was something about her that made him feel damn attracted to her.
-
Tessa did her best to match his thrusts, it being a tad difficult to against the tree bark but she still gave it her all. Gasping each time he hit her g-spot. "More!" she cried out lustily. Her eyes reflected all the desire she felt inside.
The tree shook as Kayden pounded into her, leaves falling off onto their hair and skin. Even some berries. Once again, Tessa lost herself in these moments of heaven.
-
Kayden could not see her desire but certainly felt it and could hear it in her voice. His thrusts were strong and who was he to deny Tessa's pleads?
Pounding into her over and over again, his right hand that kneaded her ass moved to her leg and lifted it up. He did not force it though, not wanting to hurt her. Lifting up her leg though allowed him to enter her deeper. His actions were wilder then the first time though and he would give her more for as long as she asked for it.
-
Extending her leg like that invited fresh waves of pleasure over her, and Tessa moaned even louder, crying out in ecstasy as they fucked. And continued to fuck. But Tessa wasn't done yet. Her orgasm was still a ways off, but oh it would come soon enough. Perhaps wanting more after that as well.
The bark of the tree while rough, wasn't too much so but it still was a bit uncomfortable. However the sheer joy of sex far outweighed that discomfort so Tessa didn't complain. Quite the opposite. Begging him for more and more.
Her peak of need ever increasingly mounting like a volcano ready to explode in pools of molten red desire. Her body becoming increasingly sweaty as a result, but right now Tessa could care less about that. She just wanted to fuck for as long as she could.
-
Her wanting more and more eventually made Kayden decide that it would be better to lay down. He placed a wild kiss on Tessa's lips as he picked her up, still being inside of her and moved a little bit away from the tree to lay her down in a low flowerbed where he then resumed thrusting into her once more. Dropping kisses in her neck and to her breasts suckling a nipple harder then before and released it again only to let the tip of his tongue flick it several times.
It was however then he pulled out and turned Tessa on her belly. Raising up her hips a bit, licking some of her lovely juices up before entering her again. But just the tip of his hot throbbing cock teasing her sensitive spots before almost pulling out again. Waited a few seconds and repeated it. The third time though he entered her the whole way once more.
-
The flower bed was definitely a lot more comfortable than the tree that was for sure. As Kayden pounded into her, Tessa's back continually hit the ground as she in turn moved with him. Clutching at the grass underneath her, she soon lifted up a clump of grass in each hand in her total state of absolute hunger and bliss.
Soon she felt her peak nearing, a powerful one at that. Her movements got more frantic and she gasped with each thrust into her, her face contorted in sheer pleasure. Only to moan in disappointment when he pulled out of her only to flip her over on her stomach and teasingly enter her a couple times before pushing back in fully again.
It wouldn't be long now. Tessa's breaths came in shorter and shorter gasps as the seconds passed.
-
Kayden continued to pound into Tessa. He could feel that she was close and that made him nearly peak as well.
One of his hands went below her and started to rub her folds and clit gently before he came with a pleasurable moan that carried Tessa's name. Filling her insides up as his hot seed came out
-
And that was all it took. Tessa came with a loud gasp and cried out Kayden's name as well, shuddering and convulsing being caught in the throes of a very powerful orgasm. His hot seed filling her felt so good, and she knew now she didn't have to worry about getting pregnant.
Still shuddering and gasping as her juices flowed out between her legs and around Kayden's cock.
-
He stopped moving his hand after she came and still moaned and panted softly in the afterglow. It still felt so good as he felt her and her juices around his cock. Slowly he however pulled out and then leant forward giving Tessa a few kisses on her spine before laying beside her caresding her face with his clean hand. He then gave her a slow but intimate kiss.
''Is it to soon if I say I've fallen for you?'' He asked her.
-
As the last of the shuddering waves ebbed, Tessa breathed in a gulp of fresh air and relaxed then. That had felt incredible, even better in some ways than the first time they had sex. Relaxing for several seconds, she felt Kayden kiss her along her spine as she lay face-down in the grass and flowers. He was so tender and sweet with her and Tessa felt herself falling even harder than ever before for this man. He had claimed her heart for sure.
Letting him caress her face, she gave him a deep kiss in turn and smiled at him. At the combination of his words, the after effects of the wine, and the sex itself, Tessa beamed at him and before she could stop the words from coming out, she interjected with, "I love you too!"
-
Hearing those words made him blush. Love. Could something form so fast? He would not question her feelings though since oddly his feelings were very simular if not the same.
He held her close against him and did not say anything. His hands roamed over her back but refrained from touching any intimate places.
''Come...'' he whispered after a short while. ''lets wash ourselves, eat some breakfast and get some work done.'' he said calmly. Brushing some hairs from her face. ''Unless you wish for another round.'' the last scentence sounded a little bit as a tease though
-
Well, the cat's outta the bag now, Tessa thought, blushing as she realized what she had just said. Reveling in the comfort he gave, they simply lay there for a bit in the flower bed, some of the flowers now crushed and crumpled by their love-making.
When asked about round two, she grinned and said, "You bet your ass I do." And indeed Tessa felt like going another round. Still wet and ready to be taken again.
Feeling daring, she reached out for Kayden's dick and began to lightly stroke it. It being both warm and wet from their earlier actions, slicked with both her juices and his own cum. Looking up into his eyes, grinning.
-
Kayden started to moan as Tessa stroked his dick. It got harder again and throbbed.
Kayden once more caressing Tessa's face and kissed her passionatly, let his hands roam over her body before he took each of her breasts in one hand. Squeezing them gently before softly pinching the nipples.
Soon enough though he started to move one hand between her legs. Rubbing her folds before inserting one finger. Another gasp left his mouth. She was still so wet. He inserted another finger. Gently moving them inside of her rubbing her flesh while his thumb pkayed around her clit.
-
The combination of the breast massage and attention to her sensitive nether region made Tessa gasp, sucking in a deep breath, her hands pausing in their work on giving Kayden a hand-job. The familiar welling of sweetness building up between her legs, her nipples erect and hard.
Panting heavily, she stopped fondling his manhood as the pleasure threatened to overwhelm her again. And soon she came into his hand, her walls twitching and clenching on his fingers in response.
"Ahhhhh!"
-
Since he already came before it was a lot harder for him and slowly whilest still rubbing her he took out his fingers. ''Last night you told me to fuck you hard. Seeing you're so sensitive right now I will keep it for another time.'' Kayden said softly and leaned towards her ear. ''But I can still fuck you slowly if you want me to''
He took her hand and kissed it as he positioned himself on top of her. Not entering right away but waited briefly until she was recovered again. Teasing her outer flesh with his hard cock first and entered her once again very slow. Only allowing his tip in first. He could not let desire take a hold of him to much since it still had to be pleasurable for Tessa. Not wanting to hurt her so he waited a bit and would not proceed if it was uncomfortable for her.
-
The tingling sensations ended a minute or two later, and Tessa panted heavily. As Kayden positioned himself over her once more, but didn't fully enter her yet, she moaned in complaint at this. "What are you waiting for?" she whined a little, her hand brushing against his, urging him to completely penetrate her womanhood with his large dick.
-
''I can not see your expression remember.'' Kayden whispered before pushing himself in her fully. A breath of delight left his lips and he started to move his hips. Letting him go inside slow but deep over and over. That however until he felt Tessa could handle more and quickened his pace.
-
As Kayden met Tessa's request and pushed deeply into her, she let out a gasp at the now comfortable feeling of his manhood sheathed inside her walls, his balls framing her pussy like some erotic piece of artwork. Short breaths left her mouth accompanied by his movements and she moved too, lifting her hips up off the ground to do so. Gods, it felt so good. Her hands clutching the grass again underneath her as they 'danced' in carnal union.
As he went faster then, Tessa moaned in reply, also moving her hips quicker. But it still wasn't a completely fast pace yet. Tessa found she did not mind one bit as this was just as good. If not even more pleasurable.
With her first fuck, it had been all about the speed, after of course Tessa had become accustomed to having a cock inside her and thus losing her virginity. There had been a lot of blood though. But after that, Vennis had gotten more rough with her. But not in an abusive way either. Just one of pure lust. And Tessa had complied after the pain had subsided. But it didn't last that long and she hadn't even climaxed then either, it being her first time. The guy was a playboy on the rise though. She having been one of his first playthings as well. She didn't doubt his goal of trying to bed every woman in Teinar eventually.
She still recalled the end of it. Instead of releasing inside of her, he had sprayed his white spunk all over her face, and angrily she had slapped him for it. Called him a bastard and a asshole. Vennis had just laughed and said, "You were a good fuck. But not the best I've had. Or will have." Then he left her after winking at her, saying "See ya 'round, beautiful." And Tessa had thrown a pebble at him, but it missed, hitting the wall of the warehouse they were in instead. Screaming obscenities at him. With Kayden, the man was far nicer and sweeter. And his dick was far more impressive.
-
He kept pounding into her and actually had to activly think not to climax before she did. Knowing that after that he needed a break longer then a few minutes. Feeling and hearing Tessa enjoyed it though was all he wanted and needed to hear.
His oace quickening a little more but still pushed in just as deep. His cock throbbing inside of her wet soft flesh.''T-Tessa... I am going to cum soon..'' he panted once he felt he could not hold back much longer.
-
Tessa wasn't quite there yet, but soon enough again she would be. Her walls tightened around him as she neared another orgasm. But still not yet here. She could feel Kayden's hard length throb inside her, and that made her future climax near even closer. He was close, she could feel it and his words also said as much. But she couldn't talk, her voice being silenced by all the pleasure she was feeling. Her walls tightened again around his hot cock.
Running her hands down his back, she moaned again as the waves kept on intensifying. Soon...
-
After being able to stop his release for another few ninutes, Kayden came again. His hot cum once more filling her up. When he came though he pressed his lips on Tessa's and still kept moving his hips hoping it was enough to make her still climax too.
His body trembled slightly and as he filled her his strength slowly seemed to leave him.
-
Feeling his seed fill her up once more, plus those few minutes were enough to make Tessa reach her own peak and she came not long after Kayden did. Breathing heavily into his neck, she gasped as her body shuddered and trembled again in the throes of passion.
"Kaaaaaydennnnn." she moaned out. Tessa was now becoming exhausted and she too would need a rest.
His cum had dribbled out of her and onto the grass, staining the greenness there with white stickiness. The grass beneath them was bent and smashed flat from their love-making. Tessa closed her eyes as the last of the shudders passed through her, and soon began to fall asleep right there. She definitely needed to sleep after all that.
-
Slowly Kayden pulled out. The last bit of cum from his cock dripping on her clit before he laid down beside her. He felt insanely satisfied and exhausted.
He pulled her close and caresed her before falling asleep himself
-
After an hour and a half, Tessa awoke more refreshed. Noticing Kayden had wrapped his arms around her as they slept. Smiling, she gave him a kiss on the lips and stroked his chest a bit hoping he'd wake up soon.
-
His eyelids squeezed a little at first. Like a child who wanted to stay asleep while the light already had reached him and they opened slowly, revealing his opal colored eyes.
''Hello beautiful'' he whispered. He felt her naked body against his own. Her breasts against his chest and his leg had moved between hers as they slept. His leg was wet with both his and her lovejuices but it did not disgusted him at all. After all he had the guts to put it inside of her so why would he be.
-
"Finally decided to wake up, huh?" Tessa teased a little, running a hand across his arm.
She too felt as well as saw his naked body against hers and snuggled up closer to him, enjoying the warmth it provided. She looked into his eyes then, the milky white irises unseeing in a physical sense, but she knew that he could "see" her in his own special way. The fact that he called her beautiful thrilled her.
"You're not so bad yourself, you know. After all, I can't be too picky in Limbo, now can I?" She playfully swatted his arm as she said this.
-
Kayden chuckled softly before placing a soft kiss on Tessa's lips. ''People can be picky wherever they are. I think if I was some kind of spoiled douchebag, sex would not really be on your mind.'' he said softly.
''Shall we wash ourselves and eat something?'' his stomach rumbled. Sex was after all still something that consumed energy.
-
Once again, Tessa thought of Vennis. He would definitely qualify as the 'spoiled douchebag' type, for sure. "Yeahhh..." she said, trailing off. Let's not go there. she thought, a scowl on her face.
"And I'm famished!" Tessa exclaimed, jumping up. Looking down at herself and sniffing. "Yeah, we BOTH need a bath." Tessa not only smelled like sex, she felt like it too with all the cum and juices all over and inside her.
Reaching for her clothes, she began to put them on again.
-
''If you put your clothes on again now you will only need to wash them again you know.'' Kayden said with a smile as he got up and looked around for something blue in the flattened green grass that was supposed to be his tunic. He really should get something more appropiate.
He did not get dressed and instead waited for Tessa so they could walk to the bath together. Although would most likely first go to the apple tree for a good quick snack for them both.
-
Tessa had paused in her actions, just as she was about to pull her shirt over her head, considering Kayden's words for a moment. However she had already fastened her bra back on and add to that, she had already made up her mind to get dressed. Shrugging, she proceeded to get completely decent again and straightened her hair a bit, combing it through with her fingers before looking at her lover. "Let's go then. I want to stop by the apple tree again too."
Once more, she admired his strong legs and toned chest, along with his sinfully delightful manhood between his legs. Grinning as she thought of him inside her again. But not now. Right now, she wanted food and by the hells she was going to get it.
-
''Of course.'' Kayden replied. ''I will re-heat the stew as well. We can eat before bathing too if you like.'' he suggested.
Kayden plucked a few apples and gathered a couple of eggs as well for later.
''After eating and washing up we could resume with the magic circle to get out of here.'' he sincerely hoped they would succeed in this. Sure Limbo was a lot more pleasant with company but he could not let Tessa be stuck here for an eternity.
-
"Stew sounds great." In response, her stomach let out a loud grumble as if to accentuate that point. "I'm famished after all!"
Tessa agreed on the notion of attempting the runes again, as she too wanted out of here. Sure she didn't age and Kayden made things much more pleasurable here, but this was still a barren wasteland with nobody else around. The landscape itself was dead and lifeless. It was like a kind of purgatory. "Yes, let's. I do after all want to see my home city again."
Pouting and scowling when she remembered the time frame Kayden had estimated was in store for them. She didn't want to wait months to escape, let alone years. The thought was too torturous to consider for long and she marched on ahead, intent on getting something substantial in her belly and washing up. Then they could tackle the monstrous project ahead of them. Provided there were no setbacks to encounter.
-
Kayden handed her an apple. ''Eat this and bathe. I will reheat the stew and bathe while you eat alright? It is a bit more time proficient.'' he said calmly.
''In a few days though I will need to head to the hallway again. There are a couple of things I can perhaps reach to decrease the amount of time we need to get the circle working.''
It would not be a safe trip though but he would not tell her unless she asked.
-
Tessa took the apple and crunched into it with fervor. "The hallway?" she asked, pausing in her 'attack' of the apple. "What do you need to get to there? And won't it be dangerous?!"
It was almost easy to forget the dangers of the hallway, when there were a couple of safe havens about and no need to cross 'the hallway' to get to them. Now at the reminder, Tessa looked once again uncertain.
"I don't want you to go there." she said, crossing her arms in front of her. "What if you get hurt or trapped and don't come back? I'll be all alone!" And that was a terrifying thought.
-
''I always come back Tessa. I will not be gone long. A day at the most. And remember, I can't exactly die without coming back to life. I need to see the dragons. They are quite friendly. I think it would be cruel if I would not give them the option to leave with us. They can help drawing the circle and their magic can be of help to fuel the circle once it is activated. Also... I need to make sure that when we leave that this whole temple crumbles with all other rooms in it. Despite new people can end up here... it would be a bad idea to let this place remain standing without me to maintain and contain it.'' Kayden spokee calmly and he did not seemed frightened one bit. ''I have a way to come back into this room right away would I happen to die alright? Do not fret.''
-
But Tessa wasn't through yet. "A whole day?! That's too long!"
Crossing her arms over her chest, she frowned. "What will I do while you're gone? What if something tries to get in here and you're not here to chase it off? I don't want to be left alone!"
Tessa reached for his arm, in the hopes of trying to keep him here with her. "Stay." she pleaded.
-
''I can not exactly leave those dragons be and what about those in the hallway...'' he sighed softly. He had to remind himself they were not real and judt suits of armor on a display.
''Nothing accept you and me can go out of the rooms. I can shut the rooms completely from the hallway if you wish. The dragons were the only things that did not want to kill me after seeing them a second time and they can help us. Rather then six months we can do it in a way shorter tine. Also we can not exactly life on stew and eggs alone. At least you cant. I am quite used to not eating at all. But you are used to eat on a daily basis and without diversity... you can get sick. ''
-
"Then I'm coming with you." Tessa replied, adamant. "No buts." Crossing her arms again, she stared at Kayden, daring him to challenge her.
-
''You do not know magic or the creatures that roam in the hallway. If I die I come back. You do not. If anything bad happens to you I could not forgive myself. I will think about it alright? If I allow you to come with me though. You will need to follow my orders. If I say run, you run. Also if that means you leave me behind. It are still dragons and they are proud ones at that.''
-
"Nothing will happen to me because you will be there to protect me. I'll be fine. I don't want to stay here by myself."
Looking around, she sighed in exasperation. "Besides I might go crazy waiting for you to come back to me. It may be safer here, but if I go with you, we'll at least be together." Tessa's face took on a look of indignation. "I'm going with you no matter what you say!"
-
''I did die more often in those hallways then I can actually count during the past few thousand years though.'' Kayden admitted. ''But if you truely can not stand waiting for me a whole day... I suppose you by my side is better then you sneaking off again. Do not that there are more of those wraiths. Protective sigils are not exactly a garuantee nothing will happen to you.''
They reached the study and Kayden looked at Tessa. Well. More directed his face towards her. ''You can wash up first and I will warm up the food for you alright?'' he said calmly.
-
As Tessa's mind was already set on going, she was glad Kayden wasn't trying to argue with her. "I can't." she said simply. "I want to be by your side."
Nodding as they reached the study, she sniffed under her armpits and wrinkled her nose. By the gods did she smell. Tessa would be glad to get a bath and freshen up. Then eat after that.
"Okay." she answered Kayden, and without another word headed off to the room with the tub in it. Once she got there, she immediately began stripping off her clothes and began to get in the green mineral waters of the warm bath.
-
Kayden got the fire going again and allowed the heat of the flames to heat up the stew. There were three portions left. At the least they had some sort of foodstache but eating from it to much could mean it was possible to run out. Thus far he had basicly allowed himself to starve to death over and over but that was not a sight he wished for Tessa to see. When they had met he actually had only just been regenerated.
''Oh regarding the dragons...'' Kayden said loud enough for Tessa to hear. ''I recommend not to provoke them to much. Since basicly I will need to make a deal with them. Fortunatly these are not the type to attack and burn settlements but they can be rather arrogant. We will see the dragons last though.''
-
Scrubbing her skin with a clean washcloth, making sure to lather herself up real good, Tessa was content to clean herself off with the fresh, aromatic scents of lavender, rose and vanilla, the bottles of which were all lined up in a row along the edge of the bath. She paid extra special attention to the area between her legs, in order to clean off every last bit of sexual intercourse they'd had. Despite Kayden's assurances that she wouldn't get pregnant, she couldn't help but worry, although simply cleaning herself there wasn't going to be of much help she knew. Her thoughts strayed to the magic rune that he had drawn over her and how it worked exactly. Did his seed simply vanish inside her, or did it just become incapable of impregnating her? And she wasn't sure if she should even ask Kayden the specifics anyway. But then decided that she would, as why not?
Moving on to her hair, Tessa then heard Kayden's voice call over to her from the other room. To be honest, she was a little afraid to face a dragon of all things, but she had already made up her mind, and go she would. "Like I would really provoke a dragon." she said a little waspishly. "Where are we going first then?"
-
''There is a room where the floor is the sky and the sky are grassy fields with various animals in them that can be used for food and leather and last but not least. Blood. Another room which has a rice field and there should be one with cotten too. Especially in my case, new clothes are not a bad idea. Additionally if you would so desire we can gather seeds and bring them with us when we travel to your home. Those seeds can be used for crops if they would grow in the world the way it is now.''
-
"Okay." Tessa wondered if the floor as sky room was the same one she had seen before with that creepy bat creature in it. She shuddered at the thought, but quickly tossed it aside.
"We do have subterranean gardens in my city so we can take them there and plant them. I'm sure the people would appreciate new seeds to use."
"And I only had to travel to Limbo of all places in order to find such things." she thought to herself with no small amount of sarcasm. "Figures."
-
The stew was warm and Kayden quickly ate some for himself.
''I have a bowl of stew for you.'' he removed the pot from the fire and set it aside. With how time flew here though he had to make sure that there was food. It was not exactly a stroll in a mansion after all. It could be days until they were back. He did had to make sure about one thing, well actually two before they left. But he would get to that after Tessa had eaten.
''If there are other things you wish to bring along from this place... do let me know. Surely the sunken city still stands with everything in it but can't say that about most other places some rooms resemble.''
-
"Great! I'm so famished here!" Tessa quickly finished up her bath and dried herself off, her hair dripping water all over the floor as she sopped up the wetness in her brown locks with the towel in hand. Then looked at her dirty clothes in distaste, wrinkling her nose. She was loathe to put the smelly garments back on after now that she was clean again from their recent sexual rendezvous. So after some more staring at it, she remembered the curtain dress and so proceeded to put that on instead. She'd wash her clothes later after she got some food in her belly. And not before. And now she would have to go without underwear too as those were also dirty. Blowing a lock of hair out of her face, Tessa snorted in disdain. At least the dress was long enough. And besides, it wasn't like there were other people around in this desolate place anyway. So yeah.
Going over to join Kayden, she took the bowl of stew from him, thanking him before she dug in quite greedily, downing the soup in a matter of minutes. Licking her lips, she eyed the bottom of the bowl as if willing more to magically appear again. But of course, that wouldn't happen unless Limbo had some sort of way of making it so. She doubted it though. Besides they had to conserve what supplies they had anyway so no seconds for Tessa it seemed.
Plopping down the wooden bowl, she looked at Kayden again. "So..." she began. Then recalled his question and furrowed her brow in thought. "Sunken city?" she questioned him, frowning in confusion. Not exactly sure what he was talking about.
-
''Yea...'' Kayden replied. He pondered slightly and gave Tessa another bowl of stew before getting on his feet and went to the bath to get clean himself.
''The city-country where I lived for a good long while were magically very advanced. Dragon slaying magic, God slaying magic, there was magic even that could bind deities to someone for example help or even tasks. Someone thought one God was not enough and tried to bind two to himself. No idea why that vizier did that but it made the Gods very angry so they sunk the whole place to the ocean's depts. I woke up on the shore and did not find anyone. No bodies, not even floating clothes. I swam down to the city and found it protected so nothing and basicly nobody could go in. Remarkably, I could go in so I must have casted something to have made it happen.''
He undressed and entered the refreshed water. If Tessa paid attention too the chamberpot seemed to magically empty too after it was used.