A smell of warm pancakes reached Yugo's nostrils much earlier than it was usual for a bright, sunny Junssidor day. As soon as he was done with his morning toilet, he jumped into the portal, only to appear a few meters beneath him, falling into the empty kitchen chair prepared for him. He was equally surprised to find that Chibi and Grougal were already gobbling on their portions of breakfast, but from the amount of food left to prepare, his dad was cooking up something special for them.
Piles of vegetables, sausages, potatoes and apis were towering over the elderly Enutrof, who was flipping the pancakes above his head.
- Dad, what's up with all the food? Are we gonna feed the entire village?
- In a sense, yes, Yugo!
Alibert threw another bunch of pancakes in the air, and was not bothered at all when they did not reach the pan - Yugo catching them with his magic became a morning routine many years ago.
- I want to revive an old feast, boys. The Alapuck's night. - he finally explained, sitting next to them with his portion - Summer is just around the corner, and I remember we used to celebrate the shortest night of the year with huge bonfires!
He threw his arms into the air, mimicking the moves of the flames, much to Chibi and Grougal's delight.
- No one really cared who Alapuck was, but we sure liked the dancing and free food! So, I spend a few kamas more, and tomorrow we are going to make a feast for the whole Emelka. That's got to make us a bit more popular, eh?
- Dad, I think our inn is already packed most of the days - Yugo noted, swallowing a portion of pancakes.
Yugo was too modest to say that he probably had more than a bit to do with it. A Xelor clock in the middle of the village's square reminded him every day of the time Nox attacked the forest, driving the local creatures in revenge, turning other citizens into wood. And more than often the sous-chef and occasional dimensional-hopping waiter of The Crunchy Gobball Inn was given curious stares, both from the onlookers and regular customers, who wanted to see a hero of the World of Twelve in action.
Lost in his thoughts, Yugo didn't immediately notice that Alibert was showing his two brothers pictures in a large Enutrof book he took from the counter.
- Let me see, let me see!
Hopping to the other side of the table, Yugo managed to get a clear look of the colourful, albeit dusty pages of the book his brothers were so interested in. The largest picture showed a huge bonfire being lit in a centre of a village, with people in weird outfits and hats dancing around it.
- Ah, that's what we're gonna build, boys. I've already asked people to gather the wood and rocks, but I was thinking you could help them with transport, Yugo.
- Sure!
- And I think I know just the perfect way to fire it, am I right?
Alibert, taught by years of experience, scratched the underside of Grougal' jaw, making the small dragon purr in delight.
- Nothing like a fire from a fire-breather, eh?
- Wow, that's gonna be quite a sight. The people are gonna love it! - Yugo cheered, imagining the dark night being illuminated by the monumental fire.
- And... I allowed myself to invite a couple of our friends. - Alibert winked, watching a smile on Yugo's face grew larger, and larger.
- You invited Eva and Pinpin?
- I sure did. - Alibert showed him a small opened envelope - And it's gonna be a blast for their kids, they wrote.
Alibert stood up, collecting the dirty plates from the table, leaving his three sons with the book.
- Boys, we will need all of this prepared by tonight, so leave it for the evening. It's all have to be cooked by tomorrow morning, especially the stews, and-
- Dad, did you invite Amalia as well? - Yugo jumped to the counter to help him with the cleaning, though his father caught his excuse quickly.
Yugo's face frowned at the same time as Alibert's head dipped down to the pile of plates he started cleaning.
- Well, I have sent a letter, but no response came back yet. - he looked up to his son and nudged him playfully, smirking underneath his moustache - Hey, cheer up, she came for your birthday, didn't she? I'm sure she will be able to spare a day or two from her royal timetable.
His father's response managed to make Yugo crack a faint smile, though the Eliatrope's mind wandered off as soon as he focused on the dishes to wash in the sink.
No letters came this day, although the boys were much too preoccupied with the preparations of the feast. Every once in a while they came back to the kitchen to read up on what else is needed for the decorations and dishes, resulting in the book being passed from one apprentice cook to the other.
It wasn't until the evening, when Yugo has managed to find some time to browse the old tome for himself, and was surprised to find something much more interesting than another recipe.
- A pherun flower? Haven't heard of that spice! - Yugo read out the chapter's title again, thinking he misread it.
As his eyes strolled through the text, he learned that pherun flowers were supposed to bloom only once a year - at precisely midnight of Alapuck's night, and it wasn't a spice at all. The picture next to the column of text showed a bunch of hand-draw sketches, or painting of a multi-coloured flower, with its hue and shape varying from picture to picture. In some of them it was an elongated and bell-like; in some, it looked like a slightly enlarged one of an Api tree. Some were red, some pink, some showed green dots on yellow petals. In other words, it was-
- A legend, Yugo. - Yugo flinched, when his father sat next to him. - They say that the one who finds it will be rich beyond their dreams! Or that there are mountains of kamas buried beneath it. You can tell it's an Enutrof legend, right?
- Let's hope Ruel hasn't hear about it, otherwise he will dig the whole forest up. You sure it's just a legend?
His father smiled, noticing the spark in Yugo's eyes. Though definitely not a child, or even a teenager anymore, his adoptive son managed to keep the charm and imagination every father could have wished for.
- Well, I can't say I was able to find one in my youth. But I'm pretty sure I know why people are telling this story. - Alibert reached and turned the page - It's not really about finding the flower, it's mostly an excuse to send young couples into the forest for a bit, if you know what I'm saying.
- Dad! - Yugo's face turned crimson, as he suddenly realised what the whole story was about.
- It's a way for couples to get know each other better, Yugo, nothing wrong with that. That's what the whole feast is about: finding your loved one, if not for life, then maybe for a Summer. - he shrugged his arms - After all, that's the best time to fall in love, isn't it?
Slightly disappointed with the outcome of the story, Yugo kept reading the pages were filled with details about dances and courting rituals, some of which caught his attention.
- Bonfire jumping?
- Ah, yeah, that's something couples would do. They make a small one, hold their hands and if they manage to jump across it, they will have a long, happy life. Or, so the legends tell.
- You don't sound too happy about it. - Yugo noticed, watching as his father twirl his beard.
- Well, I might have tried that in the past, and got a bit burned on that deal, shall we say.
They both burst into laughter, attracting the other two boys that soon joined them in reading, curious to find the source of the commotion.
- Oh, and that's an important one, boys. - Alibert pointed to another illustration - On Alapuck's night, the girls would make wreaths, this kind of flower crowns, you see. And then all the girls would go up the hill to float them down the river. Now, boys were waiting by the bridge, and they would try to catch them. The point was to find the wreathe of the girl you fancied on the first try, but we all cheated and were spying to see which one made which.
Alibert continued telling their sons tales from his youth, but only part of Yugo was listening. With less work on his mind, he imagined giving Amalia her wreath and sticking his cheek to be kissed in return, as if he achieved some great feat. He was fully aware that participating in this old tradition wouldn't really make their future any brighter, but if he could do something for even for one evening...
He would never grew the courage to ask her to be his Ballotwine, but trying his chances tomorrow would be less in-your-face than on the day when every shop is being dotted with red and pink hearts around. A moment ago, all these rituals seemed childish, but as soon as the girl in the picture grew long, green hair, Yugo was unable to stop himself imagining himself in the place of the boy holding her hand and jumping over the fire.
That is, until Alibert spoke loudly.
- I think it's time for bed, boys. We've got even more work to do tomorrow, and we gotta welcome the guests. Yugo? You al-right there?
- Yeah, I am, Dad. - he spoke softly, stretching his arms - Tomorrow we're gonna make the best Alapuck's night ever!
- That's the spirit, my little tofu. - he took him under his arm and kissed him goodnight, before walking down to clean the kitchen.
Not surprisingly at all, the word spread through the village fast, and from the very morning people were asking Yugo, zooming around the town gathering supplies, when the celebrations are going to start.
- At the sunset! - he shouted, throwing one portal after another, transporting large logs of wood to the square in front of an inn.
- Wouldn't it be easier to chop them down? I've got a sword that's itching to do some work!
A familiar voice reached Yugo's ears, making him nearly forget about the momentum of the huge blocks of wood that without the help of his magic safely fell to the ground with loud "thunk!"
- Pinpin!
Yugo jumped to his friend's arms, but not before he was overwhelmed by a pair of smaller ones, pinning him to the ground.
- We missed you, Yugo!
- Come on, you're gonna suffocate him. - Evangelyne's polite, but strict voice was perhaps the only way of making Elely and Flopin let go of their favourite older kinda-brother-slash-kinda-uncle.
- If you were going to suggest using me as a hatchet, then you're more out of your mind than usually, and that's saying a lot.
The grouchy voice of Tristepin's sword, Rubilax, reverberated from underneath his cape, thrown over his damaged right arm.
- Nothing to worry, Rubi. Dad's gonna use you as a fork again to hold a roasted chicken. - Elely came up with a response faster than her father could, making the demonic sword roll his only eye, murmuring something about "Foolish mortals" under his proverbial breath.
- Look what we got, Yugo! - Flopin pointed to a large carriage with two dragoturkeys down the street, that so far was obstructed because of its owner. - Doesn't have that much space inside, but we can all fit in when dad and mom takes us on a trip.
- Gets a bit tricky to steer with just one arm - Tristpein added, stroking the neck of the dragoturkey - But it's still a beauty.
- That's all we were able to afford anyway - Evangelyne sighed, watching her husband cuddle side of their method of transportation - Just wait and see Amalia's royal one, he's gonna be so sa-
- Wait, Amalia is coming?
In a heartbeat, Yugo spun around mid-way to the inn, surprised to find astonished face of his friends.
- Of course she is. She wouldn't want to miss a Sadida festival, would she? And she wouldn't want to miss you either. - Eva replied, giving Yugo a wink that once again turned his face red. It took him a moment to realise that Eva mentioned something he wasn't aware of: Alapuck's night wasn't just an Enutrof celebration, apparently.
- Hey, Yugo, snap out of it, your dad is calling you! - Flopin nudged him out of another daydream filled with images of Amalia running to his open arms, making Yugo instantly remember how much work had to be done.
The Sadida princess made everyone wait practically to the last moment, as the Zaap gate opened one last time just a few hours before the sunset, revealing a huge green pumpkin-shaped carriage, twice the size of the one owned by Tristepin's family, with two animated Sadida dolls driving much larger dragoturkeys. The arrival of princess Amalia Sheran-Sharm was watched not just by her friends from the Brotherhood of Tofu, but by half of the village, getting one extra attraction of the night.
When the exhausted mounts finally drove the carriage to the edge of the town, Yugo expected all the people from Amalia's court to come with her as an assist, but to his surprise, when the door opened, the only person stepping outside was the green-haired Sadida, dressed from head to toe in a stunning red-and-green dress, filling the crowd with "oohs" and "aahs". The stern and composed look on her face turned into a wild smile when she spotted him and Eva waving in the crowd, and leaped to them to greet them properly.
- It's been a while, hasn't it? Kids are giving you much trouble? - Amalia asked her oldest friend, hearing the giggles of her children swarming around her.
- Nah, I've been wondering how you are holding up with your royal duties.
- That can be a bit troublesome, from time to time. That's why I was so delighted to visit you. - she looked down at Yugo, giving him a wide, mesmerising smile.
- I, I didn't know if you were coming, until Eva told us - Yugo blundered, before he could cover his mouth
- Well, I wanted to keep the surprise for you, Yugo. - she winked, leaning to give him a green envelope - Give it to your dad later, it's not polite to leave letters unanswered.
The delicate touch of her breath on his neck's skin would be enough to give Yugo goosebumps, but the low voice she spoke in did it anyway, not to mention the way she addressed him. Yugo pushed the envelope into his pocket, as the daydreams in his mind took a life of their own once again. With the newly found courage, he jolted towards the inn to make sure all of his preparations were complete.
This night couldn't go wrong.
- Happy Alapuck's night! - the crowed roared, as Grougaloragran flew over the pile of logs, turning it into a magnificent bonfire that made the stars on the cloudless, moonlit night fade in its light.
Hundreds of glasses of various drinks rose into the air, as the citizens and guests sat by the tables around the enormous fire, gorging on the appetisers that were either carried, flown, or teleported to the tables. With his plan in mind, Yugo was doing twice as much work as his brothers, wanting to have as much time to entertain Amalia as possible. But, with the orders constantly piling up, only an hour or so later, he was able to sit with his friends, though he had to endure even more time waiting for Amalia to even look at him, once she stopped talking with Eva on all the things she missed.
- Amalia, there's a, uh, a thing tonight - he started, his bravery he amassed over the evening somehow stuck in his throat - And I've been wondering if I, I could ask you to, well, participate in them with me?
- A thing? - Amalia asked curiously, sipping her api juice - What "thing"?
- The couples' ultimate challenge!
The music stopped, when a loud voice of a Iop girl screamed through the megaphone, making everyone around the bonfire flinch in surprise. People turned their heads to the other side of the square, where Grougal was busy lightning a row of smaller bonfires.
- Ladies and gentlemen, boys, and girls! Are you sure your love is strong enough to survive the Ultimate Challenge? Are you sure you are brave enough to test it? Well, if you think so, then try this century-old tradition - the Bonfire hopping! - the Iop roared
- Yugo, is this what you signed me in?
- Eh, yes? - Yugo answered sheepishly, the stern look on Amalia's face filling him with more worries than the prospect of the trial itself. - I... just wanted to do it for... uh, fun?
- Looks like Alibert forgot to mention a thing or two in the letter, hm? - Eva nudged her friend, receiving only a snort of annoyance as a reply.
The giggles of his friends around were not helping, though for every snicker he heard he also saw a confident nod from Eva, Tristepin and their kids, even though the last two might not understand how important this was for him.
The excited girl continued her announcement, until her Enutrof boyfriend took her under arm and led them in front of the crowd. The couple bowed to the murmuring, near silent mass of spectators that left their seats, and gave them quite a performance. One by one, the couple leapt over the progressively larger bonfires, braking their grip in the middle of one of them just to perform a simultaneous somersault that made the watcher roar in delight. The two landed safely on the other side of the bonfire gauntlet, turned around and bowed once more, getting rounds of applause in return.
Yugo clapped as well, his mouth wide open. "It all looked much easier in the book", he thought.
Fortunately, doing the acrobatics was not a requirement by any means, and various couples got their fair share of ovation even if all they did was prancing and skipping over without any style or sense of rhythm. One by one, both young and old couples tested their blooming or already fruitful love, each one of them performing admirably, which only made Yugo worry about his performance.
- Don't worry, you're gonna make it. - Tristepin nudged him, before taking Eva's hand by surprise. - Wanna try?
- Pinpin! - Eva shouted, trying to hide her blush, but the cheers from her crowd, and her kids, encourage the Cra to bow to the peer pressure.
To no one's surprise, the athletic Cra and her powerhouse of a husband jumped over each and every single one of the bonfires, getting rounds of roars from the crowd after each successful hop.
- Yugo, Amalia, now, you two! - Eva shouted from behind the last of the fires, sweat dripping from her face.
- I hope you know what you're doing - Amalia whispered, tugging her long dress and wrapping its ends together.
Yugo gulped, hoping he does.
He took her hand and before she could do a single jump, Yugo pulled her into his arms and with that, the couple vanished into the ground, only to appear high in the air above them.
- Yugo! - Amalia screamed, catching onto the Eliatrope for her dear life - Are you out of your mind?!
- Uh, maybe. - he answered, producing another portal the two flew from, bypassing the second bonfire.
The crowd cheered each time the two vanished or appeared in mid-air, although only parts of their voices could be heard with the wind whooshing in Yugo and Amalia's ears.
- You... Yugo, I demand you put me down at once! - Amalia kept screaming to her kidnapper, wondering how much more will she have to endure.
- It's gonna be the last one, I promise! - Yugo shouted and put his hand down one more time, making them flew higher and higher.
- Yugo, that was the last one, what are you-
Amalia's eyes grew wide when she understood what her admirer wanted to achieve, as she only now was able to see to top of the enormous pile of logs burning in the middle of the village.
- Oh, sweet Sadida. - she mewled, as the two fell to the last pair of portals.
The very next moment she was flung on the other side of the ritual bonfire, gathering speed with every second, soaring through sky, over the chanting crowd, through the smoke and over the burning logs, before Yugo managed to lose the momentum and land safely on the ground. Amalia opened her eyes, hoping she was still alive, when the people around her erupted, chanting their name. Her younger friend put her back on the ground, looking into her still widened eyes.
- You're not mad at me, are you? - he asked, catching breath.
- I am, very, very mad at you - she answered sternly before the two headed towards their seats.
- Oh come on, it was fun! - Yugo continued, trying to show her a positive side of the mortifying experience
- Well, it was a bit exciting. - she retorted, unbinding the end oh her dress that nearly got singed. - But I hope that's the end to that silly Enutrof feast.
A grimace of consternation dawned on Yugo's face, but before he could say anything, a loud voice of the Iopess entertainer rang in their ears again.
- And now, girls, it's time for the wreaths floating! You've had enough time to make one for yourself, and if you want to see if the sweetheart of yours will be able to find it, then follow me to river. And said sweethearts should wait patiently on the other side of the village!
Lots of younger, unmarried girls stood up from their seats, giggling with their creations either held in hands or worn proudly on their heads, as they walked up the stream. All of that was met with grim look on Amalia judging her friend accordingly.
- I. Am. Not. Going. To-
- You don't have to. - Elely interrupted the aggravated Sadida - We made one for you as well.
And she handed her a comically small wreath made of branches, twigs and a few flowers, whose sterns were used to bind the contraption together, before putting a similar one on her head and joining the crowd. Amalia looked at the handmade gift and, though she returned a polite smile to the girl, she threw a nasty look to the Eliatrope, slowly walking after the group of girls.
- Do you think she's really angry? - Yugo asked Tristepin, gobbling on second leg of a gobball.
- Nah, all women are like that. - he answered, making sure his wife is nowhere near - Once you put that wreath on her she'd be delighted, I'm telling you.
Not satisfied at all, Yugo ran to the opposite side of their village, where group of boys were already waiting on the bridge, or on the river bank with sticks, awaiting the oncoming column of floating flowery crowns. The flow of the river was slow enough that the eager girls - and one unhappy princess - has managed to outrun them, so they can watch their boys' attempts live.
Just like the bonfire hopping, spotting the right wreath amongst dozen or so of others wasn't as easy, as Yugo could have imagined. Some of the boys managed to find the right one, some confused quite obviously different ones, and some, like Yugo were still walking along the river, trying to find the one they were looking for. Suddenly, Yugo spotted it, stuck underneath the low-hanging branch of a overhang tree, and with a sharp throw of a portal has managed to catch it, shooting the other side over Amalia's head, making sure the wreath has landed perfectly.
Unfortunately, so did the water.
Amalia was quick to dodge the stream of water gushing from the portal, but not before the pressurised water made the wreath look less like a crown, and more like a very soggy baguette.
- Great work, Yugo. First you want to set me on fire, then drown me with water? Are you sure you invited me to the right feast? - Amalia fumed, leaving the destroyed wreath behind her, not waiting for Yugo's reply.
Left alone, amongst the other couples, playfully bickering and joking, Yugo knew that there was one last chance of winning Amalia's heart he had to try. He wandered off to the woods surrounding the village, and sat on the ground.
He didn't even wait for the voice of an Iopess announcer to reach him, as he needed silence to achieve the clear state of his mind.
With his eyes closed, Yugo concentrated on the Wakfu around him. Flowers, bugs, trees, fish, he saw every ounce of vital energy around him. In the distance, he saw groups of people wandering off to the forest in search of the elusive pherun flower. Yugo sat there, waiting for something to change, or more precisely, something to appear. And then he saw it, at the strike of the clock, a faint glimpse of something new, and in one move he traversed half of the forest through his portals, landing next to the giant, magnificent pherun. A bright red flower with violet petals bloomed right in its centre, and Yugo did not hesitate to take it.
However, the flower had different intentions.
The ground beneath him shook, as the flower rose in the air, revealing the bowler hat, whose brim he was tucked into, then the head the hat was sitting on, and finally the body of the giant clay monster. Yugo flew high above it with his magic, realising how far from his village he was, spotting the bonfire in the middle of Emelka on the horizon.
And so did the monster.
His giant legs begun moving, as the monster marched towards the centre of light and sound interrupting his slumber, knocking the trees from his way.
- Oh no, you won't! - Yugo shouted, concentrating and firing bolts of his portal energy to the monster's legs.
That not only didn't stop him, but made him even more furious, and he roared, scaring the birds sleeping in their nests. Flexing his muscles, Yugo continued firing portals underneath the monster's feet, which worked initially, until the monster begun using the ground as the legs, or limbs he already lost. One by one, the monster dodged his attacks, moving steadily towards the town that still probably knew nothing about the danger it was in.
Suddenly, two vine ropes shoot from behind a nearby tree, trapping temporarily the monster's legs. Red and green flashed between Yugo's eyes when Amalia jumped to the tree next to him, bringing more of her magic back to life.
- Ami? - Yugo cried in surprise, seeing the Sadida bringing her vines to life.
- Out of my way, Yugo! - she shouted impatiently, as the storm of leaves flew from the crevices in the ground, immobilising the monster in place.
Feet by feet, the clay monster was entwined by Amalia's magic, slowly losing all of its form and shape, until it became a lifeless - or life-ful, given how many flowers were blooming on it now - mound in the middle of the forest. With the help of Yugo's portals' more and more vines were covering the monster, finally burying it in his own element. Breathing heavily, Amalia rose from her knees, trying to sweep the dirt from her pristine dress, emitting a loud sigh when her actions turned out futile.
- Ami... Amalia, I... - Yugo stammered - I don't even know what to say. - he wheezed.
- "Thank you" would suffice. - she spoke coldly - It's the second time I saved your village from a tree monster, isn't it?
She looked towards the mound she created, shifting her stare between it and Yugo.
- And it was all for the flower, wasn't it?
- Oh, yeah! - Yugo shouted, as if woken from a dream, and ran to the top of the hill.
Slightly worried the monster might resurface, Yugo braced himself, pulled the entire plant up from the ground and slid down to the Sadida waiting for him at the base of the slope with her arms crossed and the same stern grimace she was wearing all evening.
- That's... that's the pherun flower, Ami. It's supposed to-
- I know what it's supposed to do - Amalia interrupted him. - After that mountain of fun I had, I asked your dad what's gotten into you, and he gave me that book you were reading. And once I saw what you were looking for, I ran after you, since unlike the idiots who wrote this... this thing - she scrunched her face - I knew that pheruns are amongst the favourite accessories worn by the Clay Golems. Very fashionable creatures, I'm sure you agree.
- Ami, I, I'm sorry.
With his head hang low, he reached out to the Sadida princess, offering her the flower, in vain hope that she would accept it. And to his surprise, she took it.
- Thank you, Yugo. I know you meant well. But you know it's faux-pas to give Sadida flowers, right?
With the flower in her hands, she spun around, leaving the lonely, speechless Eliatrope sitting in the middle of a battlefield of his biggest loss.
Tired, depressed and devastated, Yugo followed the river to return to Emelka, only to find the celebrations largely over. He emerged from the clearing leading to the square, to the same place they were storing the logs a few hours earlier. The bonfire was no longer lit, and only the drunkest of guests were still by the tables, singing songs of unrecognisable origin, words, or melody. His first instinct was to go home, but even the prospect of meeting with his father and brothers wasn't filling him with the usual joy.
Yugo sat on one of the logs, throwing rocks into the river, trying to push all of the thoughts that kept buzzing in his brain away. On the opposite side of the river he heard voices, and between the branches he spotted the flaming red-haired Iopess announcer, and the white hair of her athletic boyfriend. For a moment, Yugo wanted to follow them until he realised that the two were probably doing exactly what Alapuck's night was designed for. Lost in his thoughts, he didn't hear the rustling of the grass, nor the footsteps of a figure approaching his place of solitude.
- Rough night?
Yugo froze, hearing Amalia's voice behind him. He wanted to turn his head, but when the warmth of her body pressed to his back, his muscles tensed, making it impossible to move. From what his senses could detect, she was sitting back to him, and the amount of bare skin on her back made it clear that the dress she was wearing earlier was at the very least in cleaning, but most likely - in ruin.
- I... guess. - Yugo stammered, wondering how could his brain choose this as an answer, instead of more apt "Ami, please forgive me, I beg you".
- Well, mine wasn't very lucky either. I had an admirer, who I think did everything in his might to discourage me to be with him. - she spoke coldly. - He gave me, a Sadida, flowers, nearly destroying his village, then almost set my dress on fire, and then, for a change, tried dousing me with a barrel of water just to give me more flowers. And what did you do?
Her sarcastic tone felt like the last needle pinned into his heart after the barrage of smaller ones she has tossed towards him already. Even if he could, Yugo wouldn't be able to look her straight in the eye, though he found resting against her back was oddly comforting, untangling his tongue.
- Uh... I did something as stupid as this. Exactly as stupid, you might say - he played along, wondering if him confessing was Amalia's cruel plan all along - I pretty much lost all the chances with... with the only woman I loved.
With his mouth feeling dry, Yugo swallowed loudly. He secretly hoped he would feel her body shiver, or move, after delivering the boldest confession of his life. A gasp, shriek, or even laughter would finally put the full stop to this night's farce. But instead, her body remained still, and only her breathing reminded him that they were still talking, if one could call it that.
- I, I think I did something much stupider. - Amalia responded after a solid minute of silence, her voice filled with regret, rather than accusation. - I think I practically tortured my admirer. One day I told I was going to marry another man out of necessity right in front of him. And before that, I sometimes acted so selfishly, he probably thought I never felt anything towards him at all.
The erratic breathing of the Sadida princess was joined by even more irregular one of the Eliatrope pressing his back to hers, their shoulders moving up and down in unison. And now they could both feel the tiny, imperceptible moves of each other's shaking bodies, as Amalia continued her speech, once more outdoing Yugo.
- Ami...
- And all of that nonsense of this night could be spared if I just told him that I love him years ago.
Yugo flinched and nearly yelped when Amalia's hand touched his fingers, that so far were tightly grasping the log underneath them. Her delicate moves made him loose his grip, and a moment later, their fingers became intertwined, sharing the quivering of their bodies.
- Ami... did you mean it? - Yugo asked, turning his head, meeting her eyes when Amalia looked behind her at the same time.
- Of course not. - she answered
- What?!
The Eliatrope jumped from his seat, his heart beating twice as fast, and faced the Sadida, still sitting on her side of the log, smirking to her younger friend.
- Amalia! What-
- I'm positive you would find a way to destroy my dress even if I told you before that I love you.
Amalia spoke calmly, her cheeks flushing with the brightest of red that made her shy away from Yugo's eyes, leaving the astonished Eliatrope standing on the log in front of her.
- See, I'm doing it even now. - she sighed
- It's al-right, Amalia. - she heard his voice - I guess that's how all princess react to their suitors, eh?
She was about to apologise, but when she turned her head, she was met with equally crimson face of her admirer, a beaming, goofy smile plastered all over his face that soon spread to her cheeks. Once more they could clearly hear their short breaths, which only strengthened the intimate experience of staring in each other's face. For the very first time since Eva and Tristepin's wedding they looked into each other, seeing someone more than just a friend.
- Ami, I love yo-
- Oh, just kiss me already! - a sudden female outcry reached their ears.
The two jumped in their places and looked into the forest the voice was echoing from. Yugo thought it belonged to the same Iopess announcer who, from the sound of it, was camping with her boyfriend just on the other side of the river, and he would gladly explain that to Amalia, if not for two facts. For once, despite the initial astonishment, Amalia seemed to take the disembodies voices giving them instructions as completely normal, and secondly, she was preoccupied with executing them.
Amalia's lips brushed Yugo's just after he took a deep breath, resulting in their first, clumsy kiss lasting far longer than either of them expected. Their hands found each other without the need of their eyes, and soon they brought their bodies closer, locking them in a deep, passionate hug. Each of the second, third, and fourth kisses lasted shorter than the previous one, as the hungry lovers tried mashing their lips in different ways, sending tons of jolts and sparks down their nervous system every time, their heated bodies grazing each other only fuelling that feeling. Every now and then one of them needed to take a breath, which gave the other one the chance to proclaim their love, before their lips and tongues were back proving it tenfold.
Straddling the log wasn't the most comfortable position to kiss, but neither of them could - or would - complain. They did not care that they sometimes heard voices of the last party-goers, ready to interrupt their making-out session, since for the time being the two were immersed into each other, savouring each and every second. In mere minutes, the two were making up for years they could have spent cherishing their love, so it came to no surprise to Amalia when Yugo's hand slipped down to her waist; however, Yugo was astonished that he not only wasn't stopped, but was encouraged to go forward.
The two nearly broke their kiss when Amalia caressed Yugo's back in slightly more inappropriate way, resulting in him moaning into her mouth, before he opened his eyes to see the mischievous and flirtatious look in hers. Despite the turns of events, Yugo was hesitant to make another, bolder move, and had to restrain himself from leaning his partner onto the log to fulfil one of his deepest desires. But much to his surprise, Amalia was once again the one to speak for both of them.
- Yugo... - she wheezed, her face positively crimson from the amount of blood rushing to her cheeks - I don't know if I'll be able to hold back much longer...
- Ami... - he stammered - I didn't want to pressure you into anything...
- Oh, Yugo, please - she joked - We're both adults... We both know what we want...
- Wait, seriously? - Yugo yelped, his mind frantically trying to put two and two together, contrasted by the stoic look on Amalia's slightly reddened face.
Before Yugo could emit another embarrassing mewl, Amalia's lips closed around his again, in even more ravenous and aggressive kiss, that Yugo gladly returned.
- Ami... Do you really want to...
- Yes, Yugo - she stated firmly. - I think it's been long enough. I want...
- I want you to fuck me like there's no tomorrow!
The two looked again into the direction where the scream was coming from, but this time neither of them flinched a bit.
- Yeah, that. - she whispered
Amalia rose to her feet, but was quickly brought to the ground by the same force that made her body shiver a moment ago. Yugo's hands returned to the spots on her back he discovered by accident, making her body surrender to his caresses, as the two leaned onto the log to become the mess of entangled limbs.
To that, however, Amalia had to protest. Hesitantly, she broke their kiss, ready to scoff her horny partner.
- Yugo! People can see us here! I was thinking we should go to my car-
But before she could end her sentence, to her utter surprise, with a single push to her chest, Yugo firmly toppled her body back onto the log. Amalia braced herself, expecting her body to slam against the wood, or at very least the ground beneath them, but she was flabbergasted when with the flash of light her head dived into the soft, lavender-smelling pillow she immediately recognised. When Amalia opened her eyes, Yugo was motionlessly towering over her, his face carrying the same expression, as if he was still falling through the portal that brought them safe and sound to her carriage.
And yet, despite that, he had to ruin the moment by opening his mouth.
- Ami, I know you kinda said it already, but-but are you sure you want to-
- Yugo. - she interrupted him - You don't ask a woman if she wants to make love to you, after you took her to her own bed in the suavest way possible. Of course I do.
The smirk drawing on her face soon appeared under Yugo's nose as well, as he leaned to continue their feverish kissing session she broke a moment ago to suggest exactly what he was already executing. With her last effort, Amalia grabbed onto the curtains of the window on her left and pulled them over it, cutting off all the prying eyes that could interrupt them. In the safety of her own bed, the two lovers could finally unleash the appetite that grew with each kiss they shared in the glade, not to mention the one that's been building up for years. Their hands no longer knew boundaries, and neither did their mouths; Yugo soon ventured from her lips down her neck, receiving the series of the most sensual moans he could ever imagined, at least until he got to her breasts.
- Ami, there's a problem, I, I have never... - Yugo stammered, though he was quickly cut by Amalia's finger placed on his lips.
- Well, I certainly hope you haven't. I definitely want to be your first. But you're doing great so far. - she giggled.
Amalia pushed his head back to her bosom, hoping it would help her get rid of the clothes burning her skin. As the time went by, the two rolled on Amalia's bed back and forth, wearing less and less clothes with each and every pass. Even though the carriage was designed to accommodate only one person, the bed was spacious enough for both of them to frolic and undress each other in the process. Yugo had much easier job to do, as her new attire consisted just of two pieces, but even then Amalia was much quicker in disrobing her lover, unbuttoning his shirt first. Yugo started with her top, freeing her breasts, bringing back the sweet memory of him landing on them accidentally. That memory got pushed back the moment Amalia moaned under his touch, encouraging Yugo to dive deep between her mounds.
Unable to reason properly, the Eliatrope let his instinct guide his actions, as he started sucking on her left nipple, while his shivering thumb caressed the right one. And he would continue that, if not for Amalia's voice that took over his primal urges and steered his tongue to make larger and larger laps around her breasts, until Yugo was sure he thoroughly covered her mound in kisses, before he moved to the other one.
- Yugo...
A few moments into the caresses, Amalia's moan gave Yugo the sign to go forward, and venture down through her gorgeous, flat belly, that twitched occasionally when he kissed a particularly sensitive spot. He thought he shouldn't be excited to see it - after all, when she was not wearing her regal robes, Amalia, like most Sadida women wore a rather skimpy outfit. And yet, right now, when fully exposed, it was the most appetising part of her body. Or so it was, until he smelled it - an exhilarating and alluring fragrance that, though faint, drove him crazy, and made him nearly rip Amalia's skirt apart only to unceremoniously close his lips around her wet panties.
If Yugo was worried about Amalia's previous cry, then the one she emitted now surely would have notified everyone else what they were doing, had she not covered her mouth. To say the least, Amalia did not expect her boyfriend to be that ravenous, but once he raised his head to apologise, she quickly pushed him back into his place, afraid that she might have scared him.
Her worries were completely unreasonable, as not a moment later the panties, soaked from both her juices and Yugo's saliva travelled to the ground in pieces, leaving her glistening opening free for Yugo to explore. And then, an even weirder discovery was made; though Yugo was sure he was mistaken at first, the next taste of Amalia's fluids proved him right: she tasted sweet. The juices, overflowing from her love canal were slightly viscous, and in the dim light of the moon, filtering through thin curtains, they reminded him of a tree sap, or a syrup. But very little mattered to Yugo, as his senses were overwhelmed with just one aim - to taste more of it.
Yugo gently opened her folds with the help of his still slightly trembling fingers, letting his tongue dive deeper into Amalia's sex, causing her to writhe more under Eliatrope's soft, but brave touch. Already missing his lips on her nipples, Amalia had to resort to her own hands to stimulate herself, simultaneously hoping that her boyfriend would soon end his job between her legs only to resume his caresses up, and that he would stay there the whole night.
Amalia thought that being on completely unknown territory, Yugo wouldn't be able to do much, but she was sorely mistaken, when her lover's tongue licked across her opening, providing more pleasure than she was ever able to bring on her own, even with the help of her Sadida magic. Yugo firmly grabbed her thighs to push them up a bit more and begun his thorough exploration of her opening anew, ending each of his laps at the very top of it. It didn't take Yugo much time to learn that it was that bud that was causing Amalia's voice to crack while she was chanting his name; with his fingers, he parted her folds again, this time concentrating on her clit, and closed his mouth around it, mesmerised how much passion can be released by licking such a small piece of woman's body.
Meanwhile, Amalia was on cloud nine, amazed by the pleasure Yugo was giving her; it was the extra mouth that made the difference, as the Sadida could only fidget her sex with her fingers, or her vines, even though she would never admit to either of these masturbation methods. With her head almost constantly thrown back, Yugo couldn't tell from her expression if what he was doing was right, but her moans and flexing of her muscles told him to continue his work.
When a breeze of warm air caressed Amalia's clit, she knew Yugo must have opened her mouth, and sure enough, as she tilted her head, the Eliatrope dived back down, this time using both his finger and tongue to push inside her opening. This was too much even for the already excited princess, who finally, after rounds of kissing felt the waves of her orgasm approaching, and closed her legs around his head, in an irrational fear Yugo might not bring her to her peak.
In desperation, she clutched her hands onto Yugo's head, catching the edge of his hat instead, which Yugo almost involuntarily adjusted, but not before Amalia caught a glimpse of - light? - emitting from beneath it. She had no time to think about it any more, as Yugo has apparently doubled his efforts in bringing her to the edge, and in no time, Amalia felt her inner walls twitching, spasming around Yugo's tongue and fingers, coating them in even more copious amounts of her juices, as her orgasm rolled through her body.
Yugo did not expect her orgasm to shake her entire body, including the legs that close nearly painfully behind his neck. Then he remembered how often his knees would give up whenever he was pleasuring himself, and came to the conclusion that there is a reason why most couples do it vertically.
When the waves of her long orgasm subsided, and Yugo could lift his head, he rose from between her legs, only to find Amalia, breathing heavily from her first proper climax. But it would be mistake on Yugo's part to think she has been devoured of all energy; in a heartbeat, Amalia pulled up, leaned and placed another kiss on Yugo's tired mouth, tasting her sweet juices off his lips as well as... a tongue? Without breaking the kiss, Amalia opened her eyes only to find a mischievous spark in Yugo's eyes that was begging to be reciprocated. Not a moment later their tongues were dancing together, sending jolts down their bodies, fuelling their play. As their kiss grew in length, their position was gradually changing, with Yugo's body being overwhelmed by Amalia's not-so-gentle press to his chest, making him lean on the pillow behind him in the sweetest act of revenge.
Once the two finally broke their kiss to catch much needed air. Amalia was confronted with the sight of her shirtless boyfriend and the clearly visible bulge in his pants begging for attention. Without any warning she dived between his legs, giving Yugo the wondrous sight of her submissive pose, and mimicking him from a moment before, she caressed him first through the layers of fabric, giving Yugo the foretaste of what she was having on her dirty mind. As expected, the shaking of his body that she has felt so far was nothing compared to what Yugo was experiencing now; with her palm and lips toying with the tip of his cock Yugo was effectively immobilised and rendered completely defenceless to Sadida's caresses.
A soft whimper that sounded very much like "Amalia, please" escaped his lips, giving the sign for the hungry princess to get rid of Yugo's shorts and pants. She grabbed the edges, and once Yugo's body arched, she slid them down in one go, exposing Yugo's length and his sack in all of their glory. He was already rock hard, and his emerged head was glazed with inviting pre-cum that stained his underwear, and was the reason that her first kiss tasted a bit salty. Carefully, Amalia wrapped her palms around him, discovering how thick he was. She didn't have much hope in the length of his manhood, giving his abnormal ageing process, but she was nevertheless impressed with what the Gods gave him as his tool.
Amalia copied the slow and careful moves that brought her to the edge a moment ago, and applied the same tempo to her caresses. Shifting her stare from the glistening tip to the wide-open eyes of her lover, she moved her palm up and down, adding an occasional twist here or there whenever the grimace on Yugo's face would change. With one hand she lifted his his penis above her head, discovering the veins and ridges of Yugo's manhood, correctly guessing it would be an ideal place to start her trail of kisses. Each one of them caused his hips to jerk, sometimes even before Amalia would close her lips on his skin, as just her breath would give Yugo enough stimulation.
It was then when Amalia's nostrils were filled with the musky, thick aroma of his sex that not only did not discourage her, but fuelled her attempts to give her partner the same treatment he gave her. While she pumped him with her left hand, Amalia cupped his - thankfully! - hairless balls with her right palm and extended her kisses to them, careful not to exert too much pressure on the most delicate part of his body. After coating his balls with enough of her saliva, Amalia came back on the other side of his cock, peppering her way up with her pecks, finding, surprisingly, that the most sensitive part of his nether regions were bits of skin near his legs, a fact that she happily exploited.
Somewhere above her head, the Eliatrope was constantly wheezing her name and clutching the sheets of her bed, turning his knuckles white, preventing his orgasm. In so many fantasies of his Amalia was pleasuring him with her mouth, but not in one of them he thought she would be that thorough and meticulous. Frankly, he wished he could just grab her and force himself down her throat, but he would never dare to end her delicious torture prematurely.
Once Amalia finished her tour around his manhood, she met Yugo's face again, and although she would gladly feast her eyes upon her prize all the time, Amalia knew that she would make much better job staring directly into Yugo's eyes, while she performed her lewd show. She continued pumping her boyfriend, receiving a series of shallow groans in return, adding a flick of her tongue every time, the first one making Yugo threw his head back and filling the carriage with his loud moans.
The more she did it, the more of the salty taste continued building up on her tongue, forcing her to do another leap, and taking him into her mouth. Without resuming her actions, she closed her lips onto his length, getting the first proper sample of his salty, masculine juices, and sadly, a near immediate warning.
- Ami, I'm gonna-
- I know, Yugo. Do it. - she said, releasing his manhood from the prison of her lips, before she gave his tip a kiss and took him into her mouth again.
Though it was her first contact with a man' penis, even Amalia could see the tell-tale signs of his oncoming release. Under her touch, his veins were throbbing, not to mention his erratic breathing and his jerking legs around her head. Still, she wanted to impress Yugo, and as much as she was afraid of it, she took him deeper, letting the taste and smell fill, and then overwhelm her senses.
Her wish not only came, but was overfulfilled in a matter of seconds, when Yugo's hips jerked one more time and a stream of his thick, sticky seed flooded her, coating the tongue and the insides of her mouth white. She could no longer look directly into Yugo's eyes, as she had to focus herself on keeping her lips tightly sealed around the pulsing member of her boyfriend. Though difficult at first, Amalia managed to contain Yugo's orgasm in her mouth, as much as she could that is. Taking one deep breath after another through her nostrils, she begun swallowing the heavy, salty load that has mostly accumulated around her tongue, bombarding her taste buds with aggressive and musky, but arousing smell of Yugo's potent seed. Amalia found it to be easier than she imagined when Eva told her about her first blowjob she gave to Tristepin, though the Sadida thought that her friend's task was probably much more difficult than hers.
One glob at a time, Amalia gulped down Yugo's hefty release, accompanied by the constant chanting of her name, and after she finished, the princess was confronted with Yugo's blissful face, painted with mixture of astonishment and utter content of Amalia's payback. Even though he stopped filling her mouth a long time ago, his hips were still twitching, riding out the last waves of his orgasm.
- You were about to burst anyway, weren't you? - Amalia asked, getting only a faint moan and a nod from Yugo.
A few drops of Yugo's release escaped her mouth and landed on her left palm Amalia supported herself with. When she was sure that Yugo was watching her, she brought it to her lips, looking directly into Eliatrope's eyes that widened even more, when she opened her mouth.
- There is an old Sadida saying... "every seed is sacred". - she flicked her tongue, tasting him one last time, carefully watching as Yugo's tool rose again while she entertained him.
Despite being mesmerised by her lewd performance, Yugo got up from his pillow and resumed kissing Amalia's breasts, slowly toppling the balance of the two in his favour.
- Ah, Yugo, I don't think we're naked enough - she noted, pointing her finger to his hat that has been on her mind all this time.
For the very first time since they landed in her bed, not just confusion, but fear appeared on Yugo's face, though it has melted with the near-constant blush he was wearing ever since this night has started.
- You know, we, we don't usually take it off - Yugo started hesitantly, shying away from her eyes, and nearly tucking the hat onto his brew. - It's a bit like pulling down your pants, you know?
- Well... - her honeyed voice brought his attention back - Don't you think you could do that for your girlfriend?
And that has done it. For the first time she spoke a word that Yugo was dying to hear. Girlfriend. She was, unambiguously, his girlfriend. The spell was quickly broken, though, when Amalia noticed the surprise in his eyes and failed to suppress her urge to giggle. She ceased her laughter, however, when Yugo reached to his hat, lifting it carefully, filling the small room with the same utterly otherworldly light she sought for. If she was speechless before, then the sight took her breath away for a solid minute.
Two crystalline blue wings- or antlers-like branches protruded proudly from Yugo's head, flickering with incandescent light with his slightest move. And even when he was't moving at all, it looked like they were filled with their own life, painting blueish-white reflections on the walls of her carriage.
When she turned her head, Yugo was still avoiding her eyes, as if it was possible not to notice him.
- Yugo... they... What are they?
- I guess they're made of Wakfu. - he answered, pleasant to hear fascination in her voice. - I've had them since my Dad found me.
Amalia took a moment to consider her next question.
- Can I touch them?
The Eliatrope wondered for an equally long time, giving her a small nod, the shake of his head changing the illumination in the room for a split of a second. Amalia moved her hand towards one of the light antlers, and to her surprise, she found that her hand went through one of it when she tried caressing it. It was as if Yugo's alien protrusions were made from streams of water, enchanted to stay in place, or encased in invisible ice cage. His quickened breath wouldn't go unnoticed, forcing Amalia to move her hand away from his antlers, only to be stopped by Yugo himself.
- No, it's okay, it... it does feel nice, actually.
The two started at each other, Amalia happy that his cute blush returned to his cheeks. A moment later the two were mashing their lips passionately , but now Amalia could fully grab Yugo's hair, experiencing the magical feeling of fondling the ethereal part of Yugo's body without even properly touching him.
Soon, their kiss broke, and Amalia couldn't stop herself from placing her mouth around one of the newly discovered feature of her lover. And just like she suspected, the Eliatrope yelped in pleasure when she did it, grabbing her waist at the same moment.
- I should have worn my crown. - she giggled - We would look like a king and a queen.
Amalia closed her lips over his wings again, nibbling on them. It was perhaps this bold, and oddly perverse move that brought Yugo's mind to a different territory.
- Ami, there's... there's something I need to tell you - Yugo suddenly said, bringing the ravenous princess down to his eye-level again.
He hesitated for a moment, taking fast, shallow breaths, before his eyes met her again.
And then he told her, about Quilby and the council, and how he was greeted in his dimension. Something he hasn't told anyone yet. He told her, who he was.
A tear slid down her cheek, reflecting the bright blue light of Yugo's Wakfu. Just when he was about to ask if he said something wrong, Amalia calmed his fear, closing her lips around his again, in a slow, consolatory kiss of not passion, or desire, but understanding.
No other words needed to be spoken. Once more, Amalia let her regal boyfriend topple her to her pillow, glad to find that her caresses and his confession not only didn't kill his mood, but he was still rock hard. Amalia found it funny that Yugo, in all of his eagerness to please her, needed one more nod to enter her, a privilege which she gladly granted, bringing the two finally together.
Amalia's body arched upon the welcomed intrusion, her legs closing involuntarily around Yugo's torso again, securing him in place, while he did his first, clumsy moves. As the nerve endings along his manhood bombarded his brain with dozen of new sensations each time he pushed in or out, Yugo was surprised he was able to keep his voice from shouting his girlfriend's name every time it happened.
Her face and voice were Yugo's only way of measuring how he was doing, as he ventured into a completely unknown territory with each push and pull. But her steady grip on his shoulders, strengthening every time he was about to ease into her made him more and more confident, though he was still mortified that sooner or later he might do something that would cause Amalia discomfort.
Though Yugo's love-making wasn't uncomfortable at all, Amalia wouldn't be able to spot any flaws in it, with the image of her glowing boyfriend's figure towering over her dominantly, steadily advancing and withdrawing every few seconds. It was an experience no one could have prepared her for, and given what she was seeing with her eyes, and feeling with every inch of her body, she was glad no one had. With a sweat on his brow, concentrated purely on pleasuring her and fulfilling his lover's duties, Yugo looked nothing like the cute companion she met so long time ago with Eva in the woods just outside of the town. Looking at his flexing muscles, Amalia had no doubt that Yugo shouldn't be called a boy anymore, but even if she thought so even for a moment, his next action would have dispelled that notion.
In a split of a second, Yugo grabbed her legs, pushing them in the air, clamped his hands on her waist and unceremoniously plunged himself into her one more time, making Amalia finally understand how powerful her lover was, making her feel quite surprised she hasn't predicted this outcome. Yugo's thrusts so far were sloppy and uncoordinated, but with her legs on his shoulders and his hands pinning her body to the bed, Yugo was able to focus his moves just as if he was doing any other physical activity. Amalia's voice kept guiding him, helping him adjust the speed of his bucking, which proved to be difficult with more moans and gasps building up in the Sadida's throat, as she felt her second orgasm approaching.
- Y-Yes! Yugo!
Much faster than she would have liked, her body arched, and with her legs restrained, Amalia grabbed the sheets on both sides of her bed and threw her head back into the pillow, letting her climax consume her. Her legs, shaking and spasming violently caught Yugo off-guard, as he marvelled proudly at the sight of his body being able to drive his love to a second peak of this night. At the same time, he couldn't keep his own pressure any more - before, when Amalia was pleasuring him with her mouth, he was able to grip the blanket harder to endure the sweet torture and prolong the climax. With his hands gripping the writhing body of the Sadida, however, he couldn't - and wouldn't - wait any longer.
With a powerful roar, Yugo dived deep into Amalia one more time, his swollen tip erupting, spilling the hefty stream of his warmth into Amalia's love canal, filling it more and more with each subsequent lunge. If he hadn't driven Amalia to her second orgasm a moment ago, then the sheer thought alone of his virile, Eliatrope seed flooding her yearning pussy would do it in a heartbeat.
- Ami...! Ami...! - his breathless moans matched the ones of Amalia, who repeated his name, hoping her cheering would make his slams never cease.
With his stamina depleted, however, Yugo's weakened thrusts and jerks continued, though they kept bringing his potent essence into Amalia's pussy. Soon afterwards, lost of all the momentum, Yugo's body leaned into the welcoming arms of his girlfriend, and the moment he was close enough, Amalia pulled her spent lover into a long kiss, locking her legs behind his back, sealing his manhood and his copious release safely inside her.
Had either Yugo or Amalia looked outside at the Xelor clock erected in the middle of the square after Nox's defeat, they would be surprised how little time has passed since the moment the two started making love. Amalia could swear their caresses lasted for hours - it certainly felt like it, even if the finale of the two inexperienced lovers' randez-vous came to an end much quicker than either of them would have preferred. It didn't matter too much, as the kisses and touches of their post-coital fondling brought them both to a sound sleep anyway a few minutes later.
- Goodnight, Ami. And I'm sorry for all of that mess. - Yugo whispered, watching for the first time in his life the reflection of his blue aura illuminating in her eyes.
- I forgive you, my king. - she smiled - It was the most wonderful and unique mess to deal with.
Amalia placed one last kiss on her boyfriend's mouth, hoping secretly that the spark of their lips touching would drive both of them into another round of passion. But with her eyelids becoming heavier with each of their breath, Amalia slowly came to peace with the fact that they will have much more energy the next day, and with that, she fell into a deep slumber.
After he woke up, Yugo's first thought was that he had the most wonderful dream last night. But then he felt utterly devastated, as all the pieces of evidence pointed out to the fact that it was nothing but an illusion. For start, he was sleeping in a bed, which definitely wasn't the place he fell asleep in his dream, after hours of making love to Amalia in the middle of the sacred Sadida woods. In his dream he fell asleep cuddling his partner, which in this case turned out to be - like many times before - his blanket, rolled into a shape that in his lucid state was enough for his young mind to be a substitute of his crush. Yugo groaned, knowing he would have to undoubtedly wash it later.
But once the morning haze disappeared, clearing his sight, Yugo found himself sitting in a carved bed in a leaf-green carriage, with a distinctive lack of clothes anywhere on his body. Then a number of scents hit him: the lavender, coming from the purple pillows that were definitely not his father's, an unknown, warm one, that was vaguely similar to freshly brewed tea, and the strongest, most vivid one, of his and Amalia's love-making, filling not just his nostrils, but his heart and soul as well.
A smile on his face turned into a widest of grins, when he shifted his head to his right, and saw Amalia sitting on the other edge of the bed, drinking from her cup, with equally radiant beam on her own.
- Slept well, Yugo?
Amalia was smart to put the cup away, as her boyfriend jumped into her arms, locking them in a hungry and sloppy morning kiss.
- Yugo...! You could have washed your mouth at least. - Amalia fumed, pushing her boyfriend away.
- Sorry, Ami. - he replied, wiping the saliva from his lips. - I just had to know if you are real.
- And? - she smirked, raising her brow
- I think I will need one more check.
The two young lovers intertwined once more, rolling back and forth on the bed. The hair Amalia had to meticulously comb this morning, after last night's events, were instantly dishevelled again under Eliatrope's actions, and her new, creaseless clothes she picked got the same treatment after just a few passes.
- Ami, we really did it, didn't we? - Yugo asked, stopping their caresses and pinning his girlfriend to the bed.
- I'd say so, Yugo. You certainly found yourself a partner for the Alapuck's night.
The vivid scenes of the two exploring each other's bodies came back to Yugo's memory, but it was the touch of Amalia's legs behind his back that brought back the most powerful one. The rapidly changing images of Amalia's face moving back and forth as Yugo was plunging deep inside her, her green hair halo'd around her head, spread on the white sheets, her breasts bouncing to the rhythm of his moves, and her face filling with delight, as they both reached their peaks, locked just like they were now...
Suddenly, like a Cra's freezing arrow ripping his body apart, a mortifying and paralysing thought seared through Yugo's mind, making him break the kiss.
- Ami! I... I've done it... I did it... inside you. - he stammered, looking deep into her unusually calm eyes, shifting his sight between her face and her exposed belly - Won't you... won't you get preg-
- Oh, I'm glad you remembered that little detail.
Her sudden, cold and judgemental tone surprised Yugo, and did not bode well for the rest of her speech. She rose from their kiss, fixing her hair, and sat on the bed, facing her concerned boyfriend.
- So, Yugo, are you ready to take the responsibility now? After all, we made love under the full Moon, during the festival of fertility, we haven't spilled any unnecessary seed and we did it completely naked. And Sadida favours women, who worship her correctly. Especially if said women are in the middle of their cycle...
Amalia took his shaking hand and put it over her underbelly, continuing, to Yugo's horror, listing more and more reasons why she was going to carry his child, if she wasn't already.
- Although I presume we did in a bed... doing it in that glade we kissed would be preferable. - she pondered.
Another heart-breaking moment of silence fell between the two, in which all of Yugo's happiness and excitement built up over the last night have burst like a bubble. Without looking away, he took her hand, gulped down the saliva that accumulated in his throat, and with quivering voice, he answered back.
- Ami, I... I'm not gonna leave you. I will be there for you, if you... If... Once we have a child. - he corrected himself with quivering voice - I... I will marry you!
Without thinking, he jumped to his knee, his heart beating twice as fast from amount of information he acquired, but to his utter horror, the love of his life burst into laugher at that sight, rendering him completely speechless. Were his attempts really that feeble? Was his act that irresponsible that even his tries to make up for it made him more pathetic? Or worse, was it all a trap, or a joke?
Only when tears started glistening in Yugo's eyes, Amalia dropped her act and pulled him into a deep, consolatory kiss.
- Tell me, do you know why boys seek the pherun flower and give it to girls on Alapuck's night? - she asked out of the blue, catching Yugo off-guard.
The Eliatrope shook his head, apparently still trying to ponder what game Amalia was playing.
- Well, they do it, because it is an alchemical ingredient of a very powerful solution, which can make a woman... - she paused for a while, a tint of red brightening her cheeks - ...impervious to any of her suitors' attempts, shall we say.
Only now Yugo noticed the flower he gave her the night ago blooming in a new pot, with a few of its petals missing, as well as a mortar and pestle next to it fully explaining the slightly odd herbal scent that woke him up. Amalia took the bowl to her lips again and drank, from the sound of it, last few drops of the mixture.
- Though of course, I could have brewed Sadida's Essence, another potion one can make from these leaves. - she gave Yugo a half-stern look - Which does exactly the opposite, guaranteeing that woman will get pregnant, even if a single drop of seed gets in her womb... And, well, you gave me much, much more.
She half-closed her eyelids, giving Yugo a lecherous smile that forced the red to appear on his face this time.
- Ami! - Yugo finally snapped - W-Why would you-
- Oh, a lady could do that to, perhaps, ensure, that her man won't leave her, or... I don't know, force him to propose?
She winked at the kneeling, naked Eliatrope, finally seeing that the cogs in her lover's head begun spinning in the right direction.
- Relax, Yugo, there was nothing to worry about tonight. - she pulled him into another kiss - And I wouldn't have let you do that if it wasn't safe anyway.
The Sadida welcomed back the smile appearing slowly on Yugo's face, letting him pin her once more to the pillow behind her back, as the two begun mashing their lips again. Almost involuntarily, his hands roamed to her breasts, but were stopped when Amalia suddenly broke the kiss.
- But the point still stands, Yugo. You did it... inside me, without asking if you can, or having any protection of your own, so...
Yugo didn't even have time to react, when Amalia brought her palm to his face and flicked his nose.
- There, a proper punishment from your queen. Better than having your cock chopped off for knocking me up, isn't it?
- Uh, yeah. - Yugo spoke, finally having his mind cleared, shying away from her eyes - It all happened so fast, you know...
- And yet, I was able to change my clothes, read up on why you were giving me all of these presents, even though I knew well what you wanted to achieve, and did that one step you were trying to pull off all night! - she fumed - Dear Sadida, Eva was right, you boys don't grow up, do you? We still have to think for you all the time.
The two looked at each other, before Amalia first burst into laughter, bringing Yugo with her, as the two fell into each other's arms for the third time this morning. This time, however, Amalia had nothing against Yugo caressing her body, ruining her hair and attire, slowly accepting that she needn't have put on her skirt and top, since his hands have already started taking care of them.
- Then again, there might be times when I won't be able to brew the medicine on time... - Amalia spoke, holding her moans, attracting her lover's attention again - So we will have to start using the xeruttes...
Amalia frowned upon thinking about the Osamodas' invention that men wore to contain their releases. After the sweet, naturalistic, unbridled love they made last night, the thought of Yugo putting the artificial material all over his manhood that would later have the contact with her intimate parts was quite frankly disgusting, but was a necessary nuisance she was ready to put up with.
- Well... There is one other option if you don't like it so much... - Yugo retorted sheepishly, noticing the dismay on her face - You... You said that every seed is sacred, isn't it?
It took Amalia a moment to wonder why Yugo got progressively redder with every second of silence that fell between them, and only when he used his palm to wipe out the saliva from his mouth, her face turned crimson in an eye-blink.
- Oh, you little-! - Amalia jumped to her feet, but Yugo was quicker, vanishing into a portal behind him. - If you think I'm gonna give you a head every time YOU forget to pull out, then you're out of your mind! You should be grateful I did it at all last night, you spoiled alien king, you! Do you even know how you taste?
Yugo kept appearing and disappearing out of his portals around the tiny, cramped room making Amalia jump back and forth trying to catch him like a fly, rocking the vehicle back and forth, as if it was riding on a bumpy road. "Perhaps this is what having a girlfriend looks like", he thought, knowing well that being with Amalia would ensure scenes like these.
Four people watched the royal Sadida carriage swaying erratically to its side; two of them in confusion, two utterly perplexed, awaiting the other two's questions. The occasional high-pitched voice of the Sadida princess coming from inside was definitely not helping.
- Daddy, what Auntie Amalia and Uncle Yugo are doing there? - Elely asked her father, tugging on his cape.
Tristepin threw an anxious look at his wife, receiving in return a smirk that could only translate to "It's your daughter, you tell her".
- They, uhm, they are... fighting. They probably had a row, you know.
The children accepted this explanation of the phenomenon of the shaking carriage with a simultaneous "Oooh", and moved along, leaving their parents alone.
- You give them "the talk" when we come back. - Eva whispered into his ear, once Flopin and Elely were far enough - And then... I'd like to have what they're having.
She pointed to the carriage and gave the mesmerised Iop a kiss, pulling him to follow her and their children.
Neither Yugo, nor Amalia heard the family bickering outside her portable bedroom. For a solid minute, they were locked in a kiss, when Amalia finally caught Yugo, and when Yugo was able to persuade her that his idea might be used every once in a while, if Amalia was in a mood for a change of taste.
- You should thank your dad for it. - Amalia broke the kiss - He gave me that book about the festivities, you know. That's where I read about-
- Dad!
Yugo screamed, jumping to his feet, and begun frantically looking for his clothes, now discarded all over the already cramped floor.
- I didn't return for a night! Dad's gonna be so angry!
Amalia watched him putting on his boxers and pants in slightly wrong order, before she interrupted.
- Yugo... Darling, you have put your life to risk saving this world at least four times so far - she put arm on his shoulder, stopping him momentarily. - I think your dad will understand that you wanted to have a night out, once in a while.
- No, you don't understand. - Yugo continued - I always do that, we... I promised him I would at least tell him!
Jumping in mid air on one leg, Yugo put on the last piece of his garment, and with that, he fell through the portal in the floor, leaving Amalia alone with the bizarre prospect of Alibert grounding arguably the most powerful hero of World of Twelve for spending a night with his girlfriend.
- Dad? Dad!
Yugo ran downstairs from the landing he teleported himself to. He wanted to go straight to the kitchen, but in his panic he missed a couple of steps. His stomping must have alerted Alibert, as Yugo heard his voice from the one place Yugo was sure he would find him.
- Ah, there you are, Yugo! I've been wondering where-
Yugo jumping and throwing his arms around Alibert's neck prevented him from finishing his welcoming speech.
- I'm sorry, Dad, I-
Yugo wasn't sure what to say as an excuse. Saying openly he just spend a night, no, the night, with a woman he can now proudly call his girlfriend felt all too candid and defiant. On the other hand, lying was definitely not in his nature, but there was no real alternative in the small town of Emelka to spend a night in.
- I... I...
- Come here, Yugo, I'm going to show you something.
Buying him some precious time, Alibert took him under his arm and brought to the table where a freshly made dough was still in the process of being thinned. The food, however, wasn't what Alibert had on his mind.
- See that? That's what I've been watching all morning - Alibert pointed to the small oval window right above his workstation, overlooking the spacious Emelka meadow.
- Hey, it's Az and his family! - Yugo beamed, noticing the yellow birds - Hi, old pal!
Yugo was about to shout louder, when he saw that aside of Az and his ladyfriend, their nest was empty, and none of the dozen of small tofus, whose chirping would wake him up every day, were there anymore.
- Dad, where are the little ones? Did we have a boowolf attack last night?! - he yelped, staring at his father.
- No, the "little ones" are no longer little. - Alibert answered calmly - They finally grew to be large enough to leave the nest. Look, there's the last one.
With his finger, he directed Yugo's eyes again to a bush further away, where another Tofu was doing something with twigs that otherwise would have counted as making a nest.
- Hm. Maybe this one can live in their basement...- Alibert mumbled under his breath.
- Wow. Az must feel lonely now. - Yugo noted, watching his oldest friend cuddling soothingly with the female bird.
- Yeah, I think I can imagine that. - his dad spoke softly, never breaking eye contact with the far-away tofu.
The nasal tone of his father gave Yugo one final push to speak.
- Dad, I'm sorry, it's just-
- Oh, come on, Yugo - Alibert suddenly burst into laughter, wiping a tear from his face. - Do you think I didn't surprise my parents when I showed up one morning with an Eniripsa, saying she's my girlfriend? It didn't exactly work out, but we sure thought so back then.
- So, uh - Yugo paused, trying to find a right word - You don't mind that Ami... I mean, Amalia and I...
Alibert kneeled, taking Yugo into another deep, fatherly hug.
- Of course I don't mind. I knew it will happen, sooner or later, and I'm very happy for you. And hey, what's a better time to find a girlfriend than in the middle of Summer? - he beamed, his eyes bearing no signs of tears anymore - And speaking of her, I thought Amalia would be with you now. Or did you want to tell me when you would be married already?
- Dad!
- Come on, son. You go and bring Amalia here, and we're gonna set up the table for breakfast - Chibi and Grougal's faces appeared in the doorway upon hearing the words, though Yugo suspected they were eavesdropping the whole time. - Oh, and if you see Eva and her family, invite them too. We've got something to celebrate!
Yugo freed himself from his father's arms and was about to vanish, when Alibert kneeled once more to Yugo's ear level.
- But before you do that... Eh, you might need to take a bath, it's usually what people do the morning after.
The Eliatrope took a whiff, and with disgust realised that upon teleporting he brought with him a bit of the heavy, musky, lavender aroma of their love-making, and rushed to the first floor to wash it off.
The whole morning felt as if Yugo was just a marionette, or an actor in a play, in which everyone else knew something he didn't, reminding him of that old Enutrof tale about a guy marrying his own mother so he can inherit his own gold twice. From the fake-out news of their night's consequences, through Alibert's fatherly, though embarrassing moment of understanding, to the fact that when Yugo stepped into Amalia's carriage, he found her already dressed in another classy outfit, asking him if the breakfast was ready.
And as he suspected, he and Amalia had to endure some painfully uncomfortable questions about - not the last night, thankfully - but what they were going to do now. It didn't help that as soon as Elely and Flopin caught on, they started interrogating the two as well, with the wonderful curiosity only the hyper-active children of Tristepin and Evangelyne could have achieved.
With the inn opening later for one day, the breakfast stay turned into an early dinner, and only when sun began to set in, the group was ready to return to the Sadida kingdom, with one extra passenger on board.
- Ami, don't you think we... skipped a step or two? - Yugo asked sheepishly, packing his clothes, afraid to look Amalia directly in his eyes.
Ever since the feast, it was the first time the two were left together, and with the travel in mind, Yugo felt now it was the right to talk some things through.
- Did we? Oh, that's a shame. - Amalia joked - Eva already promised to lend me her copy of Ankamasutra. But if you prefer romantic picnics and whatnot...
Amalia turned around, helping Yugo with the clothes, pretending she didn't notice the anxious look on his face, which quickly vanished once she bent low enough for her boyfriend's mind to clear and focus on something different.
- Dad, you know I'm not leaving forever, right? We'll be visiting you, and Chibi, and Grougal!
Yugo gave his father one last hug, while the rest of the group settled into the two carriages, waiting for their last, unplanned guest.
- I do, I do, my little tofu... Mostly because I know you won't last long on their roots and herbs, and I'll be waiting for you with a plate of Alibert's special, hmm? - Alibert whispered, hoping Amalia didn't hear his comment.
Alibert' adopted son leapt to the dragoturkey Amalia was already mounting, conveniently falling into her laps, and took the reins from her. The Enutrof sat on the porch, watching longingly the two carriages getting smaller and smaller, as they disappeared on the horizon. Chibi stuck his head out of the window, breaking his father's fixed stare.
- Papa?
- Hm? - Alibert budged, hearing his voice - What's now, Chibi? Are you telling me you found a sweetheart for yourself as well, hm?
- No, papa. The bread is burning, and Grougal is trying to put it out with his breath.
- Oh, for Incarnam's sake!
- How are we going to explain that to your Dad? - Yugo whispered, when he noticed that Evangelyne and Tristepin were equally preoccupied talking to each other.
- Well, ever since Eva had her children, I lost my most faithful bodyguard, so I guess that position is vacant. And I think my Dad won't have any objection that the hero of the World of Twelve would fill in.
She used her position to give Yugo a stimulating kiss on the neck that nearly cause his hands to shake and lose control over their mounts.
- And I mean it Yugo. - she continued, her breath rising the short hair in his most ticklish places - Since we will have to make a camp soon, I will test how good you are at guarding my body...