"Ugh, I stink…" Elle groaned out loud as she traipsed over a rockier portion of beach on her was up the coast. Her shoes were of no use helping her scale the boulders, so she removed them and tucked them into her waistband before continuing her climb. She wished she would have asked Retti for clarification of how close the aforementioned town was. If only she had a horse, or a mountain goat, to ride; the journey would be much simpler.
She slid down the last large rock and back onto a pebbled beach where she put her shoes back on and continued her trek. She didn't get very far before her stomach growled and Elle reckoned she should try to find something to eat now, rather than hoping the village was just around the corner, but there was nothing along the beach that looked remotely edible. The climb up to the flatlands seemed rather treacherous too and held no promise of food should she attempt the scale.
Elle held her stomach and patted it apologetically as she reluctantly decided to push forward. She went as far as she could until the beach ended with a large cliff face jutting out into the water.
"Argh! Retti! How am I supposed to get around this?!" She groaned out loud and tried to climb the nearly vertical rock face. The stones were damp, making it hard for her hands and feet to get a decent grip. She knew immediately there'd be no climbing.
Her head turned to the water. It certainly didn't look treacherous, but that didn't mean it was safe to swim around it, but Elle found herself with no other option. Plus if she swam, perhaps she'd rinse the smell of fish from her clothing. She took her shoes back off, putting them back in her waistband, and waded into water until it consumed her up to her waist. She pushed her arms forward into the sea and kicked her feet off the silt, beginning her swim around the cliff face, only as she rounded the corner, she saw that it went one for a good mile with no beach.
"You're kidding…" Elle groaned. She wasn't desperate enough to attempt the swim and reluctantly pushed herself back to shore. She'd have to climb after all.
She kept her shoes off, knowing her toes could grab better and found a point on the cliff face with enough ledges to make another attempt in the realm of possibility. She had no previous expertise in rock climbing, but thought herself a natural once she made it about halfway with no slips. That was until she made the mistake of glancing down. It was only a thirty yard climb, but if she fell she'd land on pebbles – not sand, and that was bound to do some damage. She gulped nervously and tried to focus back on climbing. She grabbed onto a rock that detached from the cliff face upon her touch, startling her a bit and halting her ascent.
"C-Calm down Elle," she coached herself. "You can do this. You have to do this."
She pulled herself further and further up, continuing to encourage herself by threatening that Mias would come and get her if she didn't do this. It was all the motivation she needed to scale the other half. Her hands grasped onto soft dirt and grass finally and she finally hoisted herself onto the flat land above. She rolled onto her back, breathing heavily, but feeling pleased with herself for accomplishing such a trial. She couldn't believe what she could do when so much was on the line. It was an incredible feeling.
Eventually she found the strength to sit up and examine her surroundings: lots of flat lands and open meadows with sadly no sign of human presence. Further inland she could make out a grove of trees, possibly a forest, but knew better than to venture into it. Although sticking to the coast line wasn't proceeding as she hoped it would, making her question of Retti had just been clueless about the coast, or if the maid simply assumed she'd be recaptured before she got this far. If that was the case, she couldn't continue following the shoreline. Retti would no doubt confess under interrogation and Elle couldn't take the chance of Mias finding it. She decided to make a bold move and enter the forest. At least it could offer the possibility of food, and better shelter. The thought of what creatures wandered the woods also crossed Elle's mind, but with the sun still relatively high in the sky, she figured she had a good few hours to get through the woods before dark when most predators would begin their hunt.
"It's just a forest, nothing but trees," Elle told herself as she found an animal trail and followed it inward. The trees weren't that thick given their young leaves and plenty of sunlight filtered in from the canopy to illuminate her surroundings. Elle half expected it to be more enchanted with will-o-the-wisps floating around and odd, sparkling plants blooming, but it was by her account: normal, and that brought her more comfort than if it had been enchanted.
She moved forward the entire time, careful not to change her direction lest she get herself lost. She didn't know where she was, so technically she was, but as long as she reasoned she was en route to a destination the feeling of being lost wouldn't set in and she could keep her focus.
Her dip in the sea really hadn't helped the smell much and her clothes still weren't fully dry either. What was worse she was now thirsty as well as hungry and she'd yet to see anything that looked edible. She trudged onwards for a good few hours before serendipity at long last shined upon her in the form of a fresh water stream.
"Thank god," she said while sinking to her knees and dipping her hands into the water, first to wash them. She caught a glimpse of her reflection and found her appearance less than charming with all the dirt she managed to accumulate on her face and clothing during the climb. She smiled though and gathered some water into her cupped hands and drank it. It was very cold and refreshing, tasting a bit like mineral water actually. Elle hoped there weren't any ill side effects of drinking it, so she only drank three handfuls, enough to quench her thirst for the time being.
Deciding not to part from her water source, Elle continued walking upstream until she noticed the forest becoming a bit darker as the sun hung low in the sky. She'd best try to start a fire and quickly ran gathering as much dry kindling as she could, but that still left the trouble of starting a fire. She took two smaller sticks and rubbed them together like she'd seen in the movies, only she must not have been doing it right because she never even got the twigs to smoke.
"Ohhh… c'mon…" She tried again with another set of sticks but it was no use. Elle leaned herself against the trunk of a tree in defeat and wrapped the cloak around herself as tight as she could. She would admit she was scared, but the idea of being eaten by beasts was just slightly better than being imprisoned with Mias. She had to keep telling herself that. It was the own thing she needed to will herself to survive: Anything is better than being with Mias.
Elle somehow managed to sleep until even in her dreams, a sense of paranoia over took her. She awoke with a gasp as the wind howling through the air, but other than that the woods was eerily silent. No bugs or birds like earlier in the day, not even the hoot of an owl, or what ever nocturnal birds lived in this world. The light of the moon only added to haunting aura of the forest, and it only grew creepier when a cloud just had to pass by the moon and consume the light, leaving Elle in darkness with the sounds of the wind and branches entertaining her ear.
She squeezed her eyes shut and attempted to reason away her fear, but the sudden snapping of twigs made her realize there was something out there. She opened her eyes, though she could still barely see, and stood upright, bracing herself against the tree trunk. Whatever it was, it had considerable size given sound the branches made as it moved through the woods behind her. A part of Elle wanted to look, but she was too petrified to settle her curiosity for what very well might be hunting her.
She heard it growl, and it was close, very close. She knew it could smell her: the scent of the sea, her sweat, her fear – all of it. She could hear her heart beating like it was ready to burst and her body trembled against her will. It all was too overwhelming. She feared she might just pass out again and become easy pickings. She couldn't restrain it any longer, she screamed out at the top of her lungs.
She startled a few birds from their nests and to her surprise the larger creature seemed to have moved along as well. She still braced herself against the tree, panting for air given the rush of adrenaline and noticed out of the corner of her eye, a small light moving through the forest rather quickly. It grew larger and its movements became more discernable – it was swinging, like a lantern light.
And sure enough that's what it was. A man, at least what Elle thought to be a man, stepped out of the tree line holding a candle lantern in one hand and a spear in the other. He was relatively nude, save a loincloth and some sort of metal chocker around his neck, and thick body hair – body hair that looked fluffier than human hair, more like… fur. What stood out about him more so than the furry forearms were two stag horns on top of his head. Elle thought they were a prop at first until she gave him a thorough look over and noticed in stead of toes, he had cloven hooves. From what mythology she knew, this must be a faun or satyr, but what she didn't know is whether he was friendly or not.
"Are you lost?" He asked, holding out the lantern to illuminate the both of them.
"Y-Yeah," Elle admitted with trembling lips.
In the light she saw he had bright green eyes and long, dark brown hair, and deer-like ears sticking out the sides of his head. He gave her a bit of a smile that quickly put her at ease. "Happens to the best of travelers, but you shouldn't be on your own at night. Follow me please."
Elle's feet followed him before her mouth could answer. She followed him into the woods for a few yards before coming to a clearing with a tiny cottage built comfortably around the tress. It was a cozy looking place that Elle was more than happy to enter when he held the door open for her. "U-Um, thank you… Mister…?"
"Berenos," he replied, setting his spear against the wall and extinguishing the lantern. He hung it up near the door.
"Yes, thank you," Elle said as she knelt herself down by the fireplace in the center of the far wall. "I don't know what I was thinking trying to rough it in the woods… I don't know the first thing about camping…"
"Then why are you in the woods?" He asked.
"I'm trying to get away from someone incredibly nasty," she explained.
"Ah," he replied sympathetically. "Well you're safe here Miss….?"
"Elle," she smiled.
A sudden snore from a bed adjacent to the fireplace caught both their attentions.
"Wh-What was that?" Elle asked nervously.
"That would be my little brother. Sleeps like a damn log every night. Didn't even hear you scream," Berenos chuckled. "Some Steward of the Forest he is, but a Stag's a Stag."
"Stag? Is that what you are? F-Forgive me, but I'm not from around here."
"Mhm," Berenos nodded. "Can I get you some tea and something to eat by the way?"
"Oh, I don't want to impose…" Her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl. "Um, maybe just a biscuit then."
Berenos smiled kindly and went about preparing a light midnight snack for the two of them. The Stag was a gracious host, providing her food, warmth, and shelter without asking for anything in return save her gratitude, and Elle continuously thanked him until he insisted she think about getting some rest instead. Heeding the welcomed advice, Elle contently curled up near the fireplace with just a pillow and blanket and sleep there comfortably until morning, her mind momentarily free from worry over Mias.
"I've been extremely accommodating as of late, and more than tolerate and patient," Mias explained to his staff when they returned to the manor without Elle, further provoking the magician's already fragile temper. He rubbed a hand to his temple, trying to soothe himself of a stress headache recent events had brought on. "And you thought returning without her was acceptable?"
"No, sir," Gale and Retti said, while Percy, as always, kept silent.
"Must I do everything myself? Are you all not supposed to take care of the tedious tasks in my life?"
"No, sir."
"Keep in mind you all have a debt to me, and I can very easily cast you out without hesitation."
"Master, that's a little—" Malcolm tried to intercede on the three's behalf.
"Silence Malcolm!" Mias barked. "Your lackadaisical approach as my confidant has also grown irritating in recent months so you too are not without fault. I expect far greater from you than anyone else."
"…Yes, sir," he lowered his head and stepped into line with the others.
"Now, I will fetch the girl since it seems it's only in my power to do so," Mias announced. "While I'm gone, I expect you all to reflect on your failure and polish every inch of this estate. I want everything clean. Do you understand?"
"Yes, sir."
"Good, now get to work," he commanded and marched to the front doors. "Gale, ready my horse. I wish to depart at once."
"Of course, Master Mias," the groundskeeper trotted after him and slammed the doors behind him on their out.
"…He's really mad this time," Retti commented.
"He's just very frustrated. He's so spoiled, he has no idea how to cope when things don't go his way," Malcolm explained. "It's good for him to finally have some experience with disappointment; however I wish he wouldn't take it out on us."
"Y-You don't think he'll dismiss us, do you?" Retti asked, her hands nervously clutching her braids.
"I don't know… He's gotten to where even I can't tell when he's serious and when he's just saying things out of anger."
"What if he doesn't find Elle?"
"He won't return until he finds her," Malcolm said confidently. "Of that much I am assured of. Hopefully a ride through the countryside will help him clear his head and once he finds Miss Elle, he'll be in better spirits."
"I… rather hope he doesn't catch her…" Retti admitted.
Percy reached over and patted the girl's head comfortingly.
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it," Malcolm placed his hands on his hips. "Right, I suppose we best get to work then before 'His Highness' returns."
The other two agreed, though their faith in Malcolm's cleaning ability was weak.
Meanwhile, in the depths of the forest, Berenos' younger brother finally dragged himself out of bed to relieve himself. Like his brother, he was tall in stature, but his hair was shorter, wilder, and lighter in color. He yawned as he slowly stepped out of the cottage, completely nude (there was never a need to feel shameful with just his brother around), and approached his usual patch of brush. He nonchalantly glanced up as he began to empty his bladder and noticed peculiar clothing hung over the clothesline between two trees, the most eye catching being a pair of pink knickers. Curious about their origin, he looked around the small clearing a little more closely and locked eyes with a woman standing naked in a wash tub, holding a smaller bucket of water to rinse the suds off.
Elle blushed, moving the bucket down to cover her lower half while her arm covered her breasts.
The Stag's eyes went wide and he turned a bright shade of red. He turned his head down and realized he too was still naked, and what was worse, he was relieving himself right in front of her. He cupped his hands over his privates and dove into the bushes after letting out a panicked shout.
"I'm sorry!" Elle called after him. "Your brother told me he thought you'd still be asleep for a while and I really, really needed a bath and… um… I'm Elle by the way."
"Oh, well, it's nice to meet you then! I'm Abernos," he said from within the bushes.
"Hold on. I'm almost done." Elle lifted the bucket up over her head and slowly poured it over her to rinse off the soap. She stepped out of the shallow tub and grabbed a bit of linen Berenos gave her to use as a towel. She wrapped it around herself loosely to understate her curves and give her skin some air.
While Elle busied herself trying to the linen wearable, Abernos plucked her panties off the line to satisfy his curiosity about the undergarment. He stretched the waistband back and forth with intrigue, as if elastic was some sort of miraculous material blessed only to the gods themselves. He couldn't help but try them on. "Oh! What a splendid sensation!"
"Huh?" Elle glanced over at him while running her fingers through her hair and dropped her jaw in shock to see the Stag exiting the bush wearing her panties.
"It certainly hugs the genitals snuggly," he said with mirth in his voice. "It's nice to not have them impairing my movement."
"Uh… yeah… but those are… designed for women, Abernos," Elle explained.
"Why? I'd find this much more convenient than a loincloth," he wiggled his tail within the garment.
Elle giggled, though by rights she wanted to be furious with him for taking her panties, but she couldn't help thinking they looked slightly better on him than they did on her. "Tell you what? You can have them."
"Really?!" His ears perked up excitedly.
She nodded. "A gift for the hospitality you and your brother have given me."
"Thank you very much Elle!" He beamed and threw his arms around her in a tight hug. "You're so nice!"
Elle smiled as well. While a bit of an odd fellow, he was very friendly and hard to dislike. He had a sort of innocence about him that made her comfortable in his presence sooner than she had with any other being in her life. It seemed she'd finally located a kindred spirit in this world.
"So how long will you be staying with us?" Abernos asked.
"Um, well, I don't really have any where to go, but I don't want to inconvenience you."
"Nonsense! You can stay as long as you like! Just tell Berenos you're willing to help with chores and he won't mind either."
"Well… I suppose I could stay the day. While I don't have anywhere to go, there's some place… someone I'm desperately trying to get away from and I doubt I've put enough distance between us to make him give up pursuing me."
"Great Lord of the Forest, that sounds horrible! Wait, it's not for anything bad you did, right? Because if you're trying to flee the law, as a Stag, I'd have to do the honorable thing and turn you in to the proper authorities."
"I haven't done anything wrong! It's that bastard who's the bad guy! He kidnapped me and held me captive for over a week!"
"The audacity! What sort of scoundrel is this man?! Berenos and I will set him straight!" Abernos puffed his chest out and held up his fists, ready to take a challenger right then and there.
"I don't know if you'd know his name, but it's Mias Dormaeus—"
Abernos' expression went blank, like a deer in the headlights of a quickly approaching vehicle. "M-Mias Dormaeus, you say?"
"You know of him?"
"U-Uh, y-yeah…" Abernos trembled a bit and hugged his arms to abate the shakes. "Never met him personally or anything, but he's caused trouble for me and my brother when he travels through our forest."
Elle lowered her head. "Then I should go…"
"That's not what I meant by it, but…" Abernos found himself at a loss for words before Elle's sad face. "I-It'll be alright. Maybe he isn't pursuing you."
"I wish I could be sure of that…"
"It will be alright," he assured her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "I may not know how, but Berenos will be back from his morning patrol soon and we can talk it over with him. He'll know what to do."
Elle's smile slowly returned. She still had hope something could be done, and with any luck, she'd be able to truly feel free from the magician.
"She can't stay," Berenos said firmly, giving Abernos no room to argue.
The younger brother tried anyway, "but she's in trouble! A damsel in distress! We're Stags! Aren't we supposed to protect those who cannot protect themselves?!"
"If it were any other man, then of course we would, but this is Mathias Dormaeus! We'll be lucky if he lets us live for harboring her!" Berenos turned to Elle. "I am sorry for you, truly, but you must understand the situation you've put us in."
"I understand…" Elle said sadly. "Isn't there anyone out there who can help me?"
"The only persons with caliber enough to face Mias are his own brothers…" Berenos explained. "But I doubt any of them would help you. The whole family is trouble."
"There must be someone somewhere who can give her sanctuary," Abernos said, arms crossed across his chest as he tried to think of such a person and place.
"If I knew, I'd gladly suggest she go there, but the fact of the matter is there's no where magic can't reach; thus there's no where the Dormaeus family can't reach."
"So I'm doomed…" Elle lowered her head into her hands. "It doesn't matter where or how far I run… if he can still catch me… it's all for naught…!"
"Elle…" Abernos knelt down beside her and wrapped his arm over her comfortingly.
Berenos heaved a heavy sigh and scratched behind his ear. "Maybe it's foolish to assume, but if he hasn't found her by now, perhaps he isn't looking. You've been gone for a day and a half, correct?"
Elle nodded.
"Seems a bit strange that you'd get this far, especially on foot," Berenos noted. "I don't mean to give you false hope, but logically I'd have to assume he's not searching for you. Or if he is, it's certainly not his first priority which would mean his interest in you isn't sustainable."
"You really think so?" Elle perked up a bit.
"I'm only speaking analytically. Perhaps there are outside factors, but from what I know if his reputation, he wouldn't like word getting out someone defied him and lived to tell about it. I can't believe you managed to runaway from him!"
Elle smiled, not that 'escaping an evil magician' was something she'd put in her resume, but did give her a small bit of pride to know she'd done something apparently far more incredible than she gave herself credit for.
"I'd still advise against staying here, but I'll leave it up to your judgment," Berenos said.
"I don't have anywhere else to go…" Elle began. "But I don't want to put you two in danger either."
"I'll take you as far away as I can," Abernos announced.
"What?!" Berenos shot half-way out of his chair.
"Berenos is right: staying here is still too dangerous since we're close enough to Dormaeus land. Let's put a little more distance between them. I'll gladly escort you through the forest and take you somewhere safe," the young Stag smiled. "We can't in good conscious send you out on your own, so kindly allow me the honor of escorting you, fair maiden Elle."
Elle giggled at the theatrical line, but felt far more delighted to know she wouldn't have to rough it on her own. "Why thank you, good Sir Abernos."
"Abernos…" Berenos said his brother's name with great concern in his tone of voice.
"You worry too much big brother," Abernos patted the elder Stag's shoulder. "I'm certain I can handle a long walk."
"That's not where my concern lies. What if he does track her down? What will you do then? You've rarely set a hoof out of this forest!"
"Have you no sense of optimism?"
"No," Berenos replied flatly. "I know you mean well Abby, but I don't want to see you hurt."
"I'll be fine," Abernos grinned confidently.
The brother's quarrel lasted a few more minutes until Abernos finally succeeded in receiving Berenos' blessing as well as his assistance in packing the essentials needed for the journey ahead.
Elle dressed in her usual attire, though she found her lack of panties less freeing and more uncomfortable. The insides of her trousers weren't nearly as soft as her underwear's. Still, she grew tolerant of the feeling after they'd been walking for a while, engaged in conversation over the varied flora and fauna of the forest.
"Are all the creatures here somewhat humanoid?" Elle asked, watching as cotton ball like creatures floated down from tree branches to cling to Abernos' antlers.
"No, just a couple," Abernos smiled and plucked the little guy off his antler and gently blew him back into the wind where it merrily floated back into the trees. "Stags are the closest beings to humans that live in these woods, mostly because of our size and language capability, oh, and I guess the fact we have human mothers."
"Really?"
Abernos nodded. "I don't remember her. Berenos is the one who raised me."
"What about your father?"
"He… wasn't particularly involved as a parent. Always working, you know?"
Elle nodded sympathetically. "Both my parents were workaholics too."
"Did you at least have any siblings to play with?" Abernos asked.
Elle shook her head. "I found enjoyment in reading at an early age actually."
"Oh! I love books!" Abernos' ears perked up excitedly as four new cotton balls floated down and hugged his antlers. He held his enthusiasm and glanced up at them.
"What are they?" Elle asked, reaching up to gently pet the creature.
"Puffles," Abernos said, exhaling upward and blowing them off his horns. "They're harmless little sprites. They help with pollination."
"They're adorable," Elle said, carefully taking one into the palm of her hand.
The fluffy white creature looked up at her and tilted its head.
"They enjoy being caught on a breeze," Abernos explained.
"Alright. Like this?" Elle took a deep breath and blew at the creature in her palm.
It quickly took to the air and spun around happily, shaking off a bit of pollen as it did so.
"Exactly," Abernos smiled.
"Hm, that reminds me," Elle lowered her hand and looked up at him. "I saw a few creatures along the coast I'm also not familiar with. They're reminded me of seals."
"Seal?"
"Um, what I saw were creatures that were human from the waist up with big black eyes, long eye brow whiskers, and they live in the ocean."
"Those sound like Selkies."
"Selkies?" Elle giggled. "Really?"
"Mhm," Abernos nodded. "You saw one?"
"I played with a pup and its mother actually," Elle smiled. "It was fun."
"They can be quite playful, but the males are really aggressive; especially this time of year when there're new pups being born and new mates to be had. You're lucky you didn't get hurt," he scolded kindly.
"I didn't know," Elle admitted. "I've never seen any of these creatures before."
"You're not from around here, are you?" Abernos asked with a smile.
Elle shook her head. "I know it sounds unbelievable, but I'm actually from another world entirely. It's sort of like this world, but we call it 'Earth' and my country is called England."
"Never heard of it," Abernos said frankly.
"I didn't think you would," she sighed. "But somehow Mias knew about it and I guess he figured kidnapping a girl from another world would mean less trouble for him. I can't very well go running home…"
"How cruel…" Abernos lowered his head. "But if it's possible to travel to other worlds, it can be done again, can't it? We just need to find someone else who can take you home! While the Dormaeus are the most powerful magicians, they're not the only magic practitioners in the world. I'm sure there's someone out there who can help you."
"I certainly hope so," Elle said with forced optimism. While she remained hopeful she'd avoid recapture, finding a way home seemed highly unlikely if not impossible.
The sun eventually lowered itself beyond the hills, casting shadows that all but consumed the forest. Abernos, thankfully, had all the skill necessary to start a decent campfire and nurse it to a bright, healthy blaze.
"Will be safe without a shelter?" Elle asked as she took a seat next to him on the ground.
"Of course. Even if the fire dies down, there aren't many creatures in this neck of the woods brazen enough to attack a Stag. Centaurs, maybe, but they stay more to the fields where they can run freely."
"So… not anything that'll eat us, right?"
"Er, well…"
"Oh god, what? What?!" Elle demanded.
"Now don't panic, we'll be fine, but there is a Ghoul that lives in this forest, and please keep in mind this is a very big forest so the chances are very unlikely we'd run into it."
"If you're that sure about it…"
"I am," Abernos smiled before reaching into his satchel for a bit of rations he packed.
"What is a 'Ghoul' anyway?" Elle asked, reaching into her own bag to pull out a bit of honey bread to eat.
"It's the last creature you'd ever want to meet and you'll know it when you see it. A Ghoul is a quadrupedal beast with a thick gray hide, a pushed up snout, sharp claws, and jagged teeth. I, thankfully, have only ever seen drawings of them, but Berenos said he saw the one who lives around here a few times. Perhaps the scariest thing about a Ghoul is their intelligence. They're instinctive hunters, but they can reason and think – some are even capable of basic speech. They even have names according to this field guide I read."
"They sound incredible," Elle commented.
"Yes, incredibly terrifying," Abernos gave a weak laugh before dusting off the crumbs from his hands and wiping his thumb over his mouth. "But like I said, don't worry. It's a big forest and it's likely to stay near a water source."
"Alright, I won't worry," she smiled. The fact that skittish Abernos sounded confidant in their security gave her enough peace of mind to allow her body to rest. She spread the cloak Retti had given her out on the ground and laid upon it. The ground, though hard, was warm due to the fire and suitable enough for a night's rest.
Abernos yawned and stretched his arms above his head before reclining against the large roots of the oversized tree they made camp under. He lazily watched the fire for a few minutes before his eyes succumbed to the weight of their lids and closed.
Gradually the flames waned and died down to glowing embers. The ground slowly returned to its usual cool temperature, causing Elle to stir only a few hours into her sleep. She wrapped herself in the cloak like a caterpillar in its cocoon, trying to insulate herself from the chill spring air. After curling up as tight as she could and having little success, she relented to get up and search their camp for more kindling to toss on the fire.
She gathered a few dried branches and twigs and approached the bed of embers cautiously. She knelt down and very carefully placed the kindling. If she couldn't start a fire from hot embers, she resign that she was hopeless. However, serendipity smiled on her a while longer and the fresh sticks began to smoke. Elle watched her accomplishment proudly take life as the orange flames licked their way upward. In a burst of heat, the fire reignited and Elle smiled as the warmth crept back over her cheeks.
Her moment of triumph was tragically short lived. The flames died down for a moment, and then erupted violently in a mystical emerald green that gave their entire campsite an eerie glow.
Elle shrieked and jumped back, landing on her hindquarters and proceeding to back herself away on her hands and knees. "A… Abernos…!"
Not even heavy sleeper Abernos could remain peacefully asleep under the dramatic change in their cozy camp. "Huh? Elle…? What's wrong?"
"P-Please tell me there's a wood in this forest that turns color when it's burned!"
"Wha…?" Before Abernos could fully awaken from sleep, he slumped back over the root and lost consciousness.
"Abernos?!" Elle quickly crawled to his side and lightly patted his cheeks. "Abernos! Abernos wake up! Please!"
The stepping of boots on the dirt alerted her to another's presence, but she dared not turn around lest her fears be confirmed.
"Did you really think you could escape me?" Mias' smooth yet cocky voice asked her.
Elle bolted from the campsite at a grueling sprint. Abernos would forgive her for leaving him, but she had to run. Navigating through the thick foliage in the dead of night was by no means an easy task, but her fear of being captured was all the motivation she needed to keep pushing forward.
"I'm not in the mood to make any further sport of this," Mias' voice echoed from all around her.
A sudden paralysis came over her body, as if the gravity itself around her had been intensified for the sole purpose of stopping her. The sensation lasted only a few moments, but when it ended, the grip of Mias' hands on her around her waist replaced it.
"Now be a good girl and come along quietly," he whispered into her ear while pulling her possessively close to his chest.
"NO!" She screamed at the top of her lungs and began her pointless struggle. "LET ME GO!"
"Do not resist me or this will get unpleasant!" He warned while his left hand grabbed her chin and turned her head back toward his. He shoved his mouth down over hers with no sense of delicacy. This kiss was meant to be aggressive, domineering, and a clear threat he'd do worse if she didn't comply with his wishes.
Elle ceased her struggle only so he'd release her lips, which thankfully he did.
Mias grinned. "First smart decision you've made in quite some time."
Elle grit her teeth angrily, but knew she wouldn't get another chance to escape if she wasted her energy in a pointless struggle.
"I was going to punish you for running away from me, but perhaps you'd be willing to change my mind," he said suggestively, running his left hand down her abdomen.
"Either way it's 'sex' so piss off," Elle spat.
Mias chuckled as his fingers popped open the snap on her trousers and pulled down the zipper. "Sex is not a punishment, my dear. I was thinking I'd string you up naked to the canopy of my bed and keep you there until you come to your senses."
"You're sick…" She said with trembling voice as his hand slipped into pants.
Mias paused a moment before grinning. "I thought that garment on that Stag looked familiar."
"Stop," Elle insisted, trying to keep herself calm. "You caught me… you win… so just… stop."
"You don't heed my commands, so why should I comply with yours?" He asked, turning his attention to the side of her neck.
"B-Because y-you're a gentleman, aren't you? And you said you wanted me to… love… you… didn't you?"
He stopped his advances, intrigued by her reasoning. "…This is true."
"Th-Then you can't force me!"
"I do not force, but physically persuade—"
"Enough of your euphemisms! I know that you know this is rape and that's a very un-gentleman like thing to do!"
"You've given me few options when not even kindness can part your legs—"
"You're not being 'kind'! You're trying to buy my affection! No decent man would do the things you've done to me… you're the absolute worst! If I thought sleeping with you would end all this, I would, but I'd just end up hating myself…!" A few tears broke free from her strained eyes and trickled down her cheeks. "Are you really that dense or don't you care?"
"That's utter nonsense," he said, removing his hand from her nether region and turning her to face him. "Perhaps it's you who is 'dense'. Would a man who did not care ride for nearly two days straight looking for you?"
"You're mental! That's why—!"
"Ah," Mias shook his head, "that's your judgment and not fact. Perhaps my actions are an indication of my feelings for you."
"Feelings…?"
Mias nodded, leaning in for a kiss to top his intimate words.
"Do you even have feelings?" Elle asked, stopping his lips short. "I don't care what you say! They're nothing but pretty lies! I'm not that naïve and stupid to believe a pig like you gives a damn about me!"
Mias was stunned his deception had been so easily seen through, so much so that Elle was able to swat his hands off her and step away from him.
"I won't ask that you send me home; I don't want your help. I can barely stand the sight of you! Just leave me alone…" She said, continuing to back away from him.
"Elle…!" Mias called to her slowly with widening eyes.
Elle thought he was simply trying to con her again, that was until her back bumped against something. She heard a snort and felt an exhale of pungent breath on her neck and froze where she stood.
"Elle… come to me… slowly…" Mias extended his hand toward her.
Instead of listening to Mias, Elle slowly turned her head back and came eye to eye with a rather unpleasant face. She gulped at the toothy grin the beast gave her, but kept still even as it opened its mouth and licked its tongue over her cheek. She knew this creature must be a Ghoul.
"Hm… no flavor… too skinny…" It said in a disappointed, deep voice and reached out its front claw and pushed her out of his way so he could size up Mias. "Ah… Mathias Dormaeus… I thought I smelled magic…"
Mias cringed. "Galfridus Leadbury… You're still alive?"
The creature chuckled. "All because I live for the day I get to crunch that arrogant skull of yours in my jaws and tear that delicious flesh from your bones."
Elle felt a shiver run down her spine. She hated Mias, but the idea of him being eaten by a Ghoul didn't seem like a suitable enough fate for him.
"Come Dormaeus… let me eat you," Leadbury grinned, poising back on his haunches.
Elle wondered why Mias still refused to run. He was making himself easy pickings for this beast. It was only when she saw his eyes were focused on her that she realized he had no intention of giving up his pursuit of her, even if meant putting himself in mortal danger. For a brilliant magician, it seemed a rather stupid decision on his part, but even Elle admitted his determination was admirable in some strange way.
"Heh," Mias suddenly smirked. "Why would you want to eat me when you have the option of tender, female flesh?"
That instantly shattered any good opinion about him. Elle should have known he'd sell her out to save himself.
Leadbury looked over at her, like a child questionably eyeing the vegetables on his plate. "The girl? Too scrawny… were she with child, I might consider it. Females are their most scrumptious when they have that extra filling."
"Unfortunately, her virtue is stronger than my desire. She remains a virgin with pure, unsoiled flesh. "
"A virgin woman? Ha! Do you take me for a fool? You've mated with more women than I've had meals!"
For a beast to recognize Mias as a playboy really spoke to his reputation, Elle noted.
"You saw how she struggles with me," Mias continued. "I assure you she's untouched, though ripe for the picking, and make a far better meal than I."
"Well… I suppose a proper meal has an appetizer before the entre," Leadbury licked the drool from his lips hungrily and turned toward Elle.
"N-No! I…! I'm not a virgin!" She declared, seeing it as her only defense. "H-He's done so many nasty things to me, there's no way he left any part of me innocent!"
"No more talking… I'm famished…" Leadbury grinned and sprung towards her.
Elle and raised her arms across her face on instinct. She didn't think it'd end this way; as food for some beast. It was only in the face of her demise that being with Mias became the more favorable option. She heard a loud crash and splintering of wood and opened her eyes to find she wasn't dead, thought she was ascending into the sky. She looked down and saw the ghoul had dove right into the large oak she had stood in front of just seconds ago and in taking the tree out, knocked himself out as well. She looked around for Mias, but didn't see him on the ground.
"What a gullible beast," she heard him speak behind her.
"H-Huh?" Elle looked back to see Mias floating just above her in a seated position with his legs crossed. "What?"
"Magic doesn't work on Ghouls unfortunately," Mias sighed. "I needed to distract him long enough to conjure a spell powerful enough to let us escape."
"Th-That wasn't…! You could have told me or something!" Elle teared up. "Do you have any idea how scared I was?!"
"I apologize for the deception, but you should remember I promised I'd never harm you, or let you come to harm," he reached down and grabbed her hand, pulling her up to his level in the sky.
"You… YOU ASSHOLE!" Elle cried, beating her fists into his chest with all the strength she could muster. "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"
Mias said nothing and cradled her protectively against his chest before lowering their altitude just enough for him to walk on the canopy of the trees. He kept one hand on Elle and extended his right, conjuring a bit of green flame and levitating his horse up from the ground where he left the beast.
The black stallion didn't seem at all surprised that he was air born and kept calm as Mias approached him.
"There's a good boy," Mias patted his neck. "Sorry, but the ground is dangerous."
The mention of danger reminded Elle that Abernos was still sleeping defenselessly on the forest floor. "A-Abernos…!"
"Abernos…? You mean the Stag?"
Elle nodded. "You can't leave him down there!"
"It's none of my concern."
"No, please! I beg you!"
Mias grinned. He finally had a decent bargaining chip. "Very well, but if I save him, you must do something for me."
Elle pursed her lower lip in frustration and bowed her head in reluctant submission to the deal.
"Looks like you're beginning to understand how this works," Mias smirked and levitated the peacefully sleeping Abernos up above the tree tops, though he wasn't nearly so cautious and the Stag emerged from the foliage with numerous twigs and leafs caught in his fur and horns. Elle even thought she saw a bird's nest.
She was surprised Mias' sleep spell was strong enough to keep him under what with all the commotion, but it was one less thing she'd have to explain at the moment.
"Right, now Ares, hold still," Mias told his steed as he cast another spell. Black feathery wings burst forth from the creature's shoulders and grew until they were twice as wide as the horse himself. Mias mounted the pseudo Pegasus, Elle still clutched firmly in one arm. He lowered Abernos onto the hindquarters and then canceled the levitation spell.
Elle felt her body grow heavy again, but the weight of her decision weighed harder on her heart. She had a pretty good idea what Mias wanted from her, and with Abernos now a pawn in his game, she knew she'd have no other choice but to oblige.
Mias clicked his tongue twice and tapped his foot against the stallion's side.
The horse took a step forward on the air and with a single flap of his wings, soared upward into the night sky.
Elle inadvertently clung to Mias' tunic, spurred by fear of falling and hesitance toward this magical, but clearly dangerous method of transportation.
Mias chuckled, snaking his arm around her waist snugly. "Do not be afraid. I'm not going to let go."
"I-I'm not scared!" Elle said defensively. "I think falling should be a legitimate concern."
"It need not be," he smiled, encouraging her to look around rather than keep her head buried against his chest. "You should enjoy the view. It's a lovely night."
Elle shook her head. In truth, she did have a slight phobia when it came to heights, not that she'd ever admit it to him.
"Hm, pity…" Mias commented as he lifted his head to admire the celestial bodies. "Perhaps another time then."
Don't count on it, Elle thought, though her curiosity had been slightly piqued. She'd wait to stargaze from the safety of the ground, ideally without Mias by her side.
To save herself from conversation, Elle kept her head bowed to Mias' chest and closed her eyes. She was very tired, but being held in her captor's arms made her nervous. Who knew what he would attempt in her sleep! That thought was all the motivation she needed to stay conscious.
Even with her eyes closed, she could feel the cool night air rush past her cheeks as the winged horse descended and began trotting its way amongst a long stretch of dirt road winding through open pasture. The black feathered wings dissolved into dust, relieving the stallion of the spell.
Curious to why they landed, Elle peaked one eye open and glanced up at Mias. Even with the dark markings around his eyes, she could see that his lower eyelids were quite heavy and his over all appearance looked fatigued. She recalled him saying he hadn't had adequate sleep, but that was his own fault for pursuing her relentlessly. Her heart went out to the horse though, who no doubt was the more exhausted of the two but continued to clip-clop over the hills back to Mias' manor.
The journey back had only taken them a few hours, which Elle noted for the sake of future escape attempts. Procuring a horse or some other sort of transportation would be necessary if she wanted to be successful. Or maybe she'd stowaway on a ship and put an ocean between her and Mias. She wasn't out of options, but she knew Mias would strictly limit her freedoms from now on, unless she could somehow persuade him otherwise.
"You can cease your feigned slumber," Mias told her. "We're home."
Elle should have known there'd be no fooling him. She opened her eyes to the sight of looming black bars with pointed spires lining the entrance to Mias' land. It seemed more like a prison than a home.
The gates opened with a swish of Mias' fingers against the wind and they rode forward to the front doors where the servants were bustling into formation in their night clothes.
"Spoil him. He's done a great deal of unnecessary work," Mias ordered as he dismounted the weary beast with Elle tossed over his shoulder like a trophy prize.
"Ah! Mias! Put me down!" Elle protested.
Mias ignored her. "Understood?"
"Aye, and are we havin' another guest, sir?" Gale looked at the Stag flopped over the stallion's hindquarters.
"Toss him in the stable for now, but don't let him leave."
"Aye," Gale with a nod of his head, gathered the horse's reigns, and walked the two back to the stables.
"Mias! I mean it!" Elle kicked her legs a bit, trying to get him to set her down, but he gave her protests no attention and continued with his questions for his staff.
"I trust everything is in order?" Mias asked the other three as he marched up the stairs.
"Just the usual bit of rubbish in the post," Malcolm informed him. "Tossed in the fire upon receiving."
"Good."
"And I've washed, polished, and otherwise cleaned everything I could think of sir," Retti told him. "Um, Mr. Percy, wants to know if I should bring you some chamomile tea to ease your fatigue before bed."
"No," Mias said. "I do not wish to be disturbed while I'm teaching her a lesson."
"Wh-What?" Elle panicked. She thought he was too tired to do anything immediately. She latched on to the doorframe to keep Mias from taking her inside the house. "No!"
Mias jostled her up on his shoulder, shaking her hands from the framework and restored himself to his usual pace and blatant disregard for Elle's cries.
"NO!" Elle looked out towards the three. "Y-You can't let him do this to me! Retti! Retti, please help me!"
The two men closed their eyes and bowed their heads, choosing to ignore her as well, while Retti looked at her with helpless eyes.
Elle realized none of them were truly on her side or brave enough to betray their master to save just one girl. Retti had done so once and would not likely do so again. She hadn't a friend in this household.
Mias chuckled as Elle released the futility of her cries and went silent on his shoulder. He marched up the stairs and to his bed chamber with a pleased grin on his face. Once inside the privacy of his room, he dumped Elle from his shoulder onto the bed. "You had best get in a mind set ready to repay me for all the trouble you've put me through."
"Y-You made your own trouble!" Elle shouted as she scrambled to get herself up right before Mias could pin her. "You're the one who brought me here against my will! If you really want me here so damn bad, you're going to have to put up with me! Not the other way around!"
"That's not how it works," Mias dove onto the bed, attempting to tackle her, but Elle was quick to move out of the way.
"C-Can't we just talk about this?!" She asked. "Y-You're a reasonable fellow, aren't you? Surely we can come to some sort of understanding!"
"And what do you propose? All I want is you, but that seems to be nonnegotiable," he straightened himself out on his side and watched her stay seated at the edge. "You have nothing else to offer me and you know it."
"W-Well… I… can still be a companion, can't I? Ideally, I suppose you want a woman you can sleep with, but if it was just sex, you wouldn't want to keep me here, would you? Besides the servants, no one else lives here with you, do they? That's… lonely, isn't it?" Elle was no psychologist, but simple deductive reasoning brought her to that conclusion.
"Lonely? Oh heavens no," Mias chuckled. "I'm reclusive by choice, I'll have you know. I like a quiet house run by a small staff of obedient servants. All I need a woman for is recreation, not companionship."
"Still sounds lonely to me…" Elle commented quietly.
"Enough of this banter," Mias announced, reaching across the bed and seizing her wrist. "Whether you like it or not, I did save you and that Stag. Now, you can be grateful I let the both of you live and repay me justly for my intervention, or you can be selfish, keep your virtue, and I mount your new friend's head above my mantle."
"Don't you dare lay a finger on Abernos!"
"I won't, provided you let me lay my fingers on you instead," he smirked.
Elle grit her teeth in irritancy. She wasn't entirely sure Mias would kill Abernos, but he could very easily make his life hell without torture. She couldn't burden him with that sort of suffering after how kind and helpful he'd been to her. She was in a right bind with few options, but she knew how Mias would want this to play out and maybe if she could upset his plans, she'd find a narrow window of escape.
She took a deep breath to compose her mind for a rather bold plan and focused on trying to keep her cheeks a pale pink instead of a bright red. She grabbed the bottom of her T-Shirt and pulled it off in one fluid moment. She kept her eyes to the ground and a frustrated frown on her face as she momentarily stood up to pull her pants off. She tried undressing at a normal pace, but her quickening heart beat over the dramatic act made her movements appear somewhat hasty. She sat back on the bed and pulled off her socks before reaching around to unhook her bra. She undid the clasp and reluctantly removed the garment.
Her consent was meant to be a bluff, but god only knew if Mias would fall for it. If he didn't, she just saved him the trouble of stripping her himself.
Mias certainly looked surprised to see such willingness. He expected her to remain a shy, little flower his mercy, not some smoldering temptress who decided to take charge of her own deflowering. It was a good call on Elle's part, Mias's upper brain was lacking the blood it needed to fully access the situation, even more so when she set her eyes on him and grabbed his shirt.
She didn't say a word, worried she'd snap his senses back to reality. She grabbed his belt and with fumbling fingers unbuckled it, and slowly slid it out from under him. She had good mind to strike him with it, but that would ruin the delicate mood she wanted control over just a little bit longer. She tossed the belt to the floor with her own garments and then looked him over to debate whether she should try removing his shirt or trousers first, but it would probably be in her best interest to pry his boots off first. She moved toward the foot of the bed and tried to keep her eyes focused on his feet, but curiosity got the better of her and she momentarily glanced upward.
He was smiling, not so much devilishly, but more relaxed and significantly more attractive to her in a sense.
Elle wished she hadn't looked. She felt her cheeks growing redder as she popped his boots off one at a time. And for what clearly had to have been more than a day encased in the footwear, there wasn't much of an odor to his feet either. So far she found nothing that could repulse her enough to make him postpone their bargain and only so many articles of clothing remained. Time to push the envelope a bit, as the saying went. She crawled back upward over his legs and perched herself on his thighs, sliding her hands up his sides slowly like she'd seen in a few romantic movies. She grasped the sides of his tunic and pulled it upwards, relieving her eyes of the sight of his face for a few seconds.
Mias assisted her by loosening his collar and bringing the garment up and over his head. He took off the dark colored shirt worn beneath the tunic as well, wanting to free his torso to the room's air. His hair was tousled slightly out of place by the garments' removal and he smoothed it back with his left hand while the right tossed the articles of clothing to the floor. He still looked pretty in control of himself, much to Elle's dismay.
She knew he wouldn't let her escape with such excuses like she wanted to bathe first and with only his trousers left to remove, by far the most dangerous of his clothes, she was running out of options and time to escape the fate he wanted for her. She strained her mind for ideas as her hands traveled further up his chest, mostly for their own amusement and not Elle's. His skin was firm and toned with a light amount of dark body hair covering his chest and down his navel to his nether region. A part of her natural curiosity about the opposite was thusly satisfied, but she realized a little too late into the exploration that it simply a turn on for him.
"Mm," he smiled at her, his eyes half closed as if sleep was tempting him given the oddly relaxing atmosphere.
It was then it came to Elle: keep him relaxed and eventually he'll just fall asleep, and she had just the trick to do so. "Um… I could… rub your neck and shoulders for you, if you like."
"Sounds lovely," he complied, slowly turning himself onto stomach. "A sensual massage is fair bit of foreplay."
"Yeah… sure," Elle blushed with her sarcastic response, having crawled to his side to begin the 'fair bit of foreplay'. She placed her hands on either side of his neck and slowly pressed her fingers into the skin to rub the tense muscle. Massage wasn't a skill Elle had any particular talent in, but many a time she wished she could have one after a long day of work. She sufficed with hot bathes and icy-hot packs, but the warm and attentive touch of a person sounded much more appealing to her young romantic mind.
Mias was quite delighted with the night's events. Not only had he made her strip without having to lift a finger to do so, but now he could relax in the comfort of his luxurious linens and pillows being tended to by the very girl who caused the tension in the first place. His thoughts faded from sex as he grew more relaxed, and of course he realized the subtle brilliance of Elle's plan. He considered stopping her, but by allowing her one small victory in the beginning, he'd be all the more elated when he finally did bed her – tomorrow.
Elle worked every muscle and tendon in his neck and shoulder that she could find, even venturing down his spine and across his shoulder blades. She unintentionally became too into the task and only ceased when she noticed Mias was asleep.
She couldn't believe her plan had actually worked for once; she almost didn't want to chance fleeing the room in the fear he'd stop her, but there was also no way she'd be able to sleep next to him. Elle cautiously distanced herself from him and stepped off the bed and onto the floor where she hurriedly gathered her clothes to get dressed. She fumbled with each article of clothing as she tried to quickly, but quietly dress herself on the way to the door. She finished pulling her shirt down when she grabbed the door knob and found it locked. She was trapped in the room with him whether she liked it or not. And Elle most certainly did not.
The sun rose over the hill promptly after six, casting its bright, warm light upon the old stonework of Mias' manor. The closed curtains hanging in the windows slowly opened one by one as Retti began her day by opening up the house. Smoke began rising from the far back chimneys as Percy fired up the oven for baking bread.
Across the yard in the stables, Gale was reluctant to pull himself out of bed, mostly due to the literal dog pile upon his chest. He yawned as a ray of sun broke through his window and hit his eyes, discouraging him to sleep. "Ahh… a'right, a'right…. Gotta get up, boys."
One of the dogs, a hound with lazy eyes and droopy jowls, lifted its head up and looked him in the face.
"Good mornin'," he grinned at the dog.
The hound stared at him for a few moments before dragging his tongue over the groundskeeper's face.
Gale laughed and gave him a pat while he put his weight into sitting up right, awakening the other two and sending all three dogs to the floor. Gale draped his legs over the edge of the bed and yawned like a bear awakening from hibernation as he stretched his arms and back. He stood to stretch his legs, and then walked over to the small pitcher and bowl kept on an old wooden table beneath a small, rectangular mirror on the wall. He poured some water from the pitcher into the bowl and promptly washed his hands and face.
The three dogs approached the door that led out of Gale's room to the actual barn and began scratching at the door.
"Need out, eh? Jus' be quiet," Gale told them as he opened the door and let the three bound out into the stable and further out into the grass to relieve themselves and to bother the cat who was in the process of slinking back inside after a night of hunting field mice.
Gale dried his face on a towel hung near the mirror then donned his vest, pants, and boots, gathered the bowl of water, and walked out into the stables toward one of the stalls.
He opened it and took a look at Abernos sprawled out on the hay, snoring loudly and contently as he slept undisturbed by the night's events.
"'Ey, Stag lad, wake up," Gale commanded.
Abernos simply kept snoring.
Gale rolled his eyes and promptly tossed the water from the basin over the Stag, awakening him with a start.
"Huh?! What?!" Abernos looked around too quickly for his vision to adjust, but eventually his green eyes settled on the muscular figure before him. "Who are you?"
"Gale Sylvester at yer service, lad," he grinned, tucking the bowl under one arm as he leaned the other against a wooden post. "Ya've had quite a lil journey with our master's lady I hear."
"Lady…? Elle! Where is she?!" Abernos demanded as he hurried to his feet.
"She be in the manor. I reckon in Master Mias' bedchamber. Poor lass, he probably weren't too gentle with her last night, but ya don't go disagreein' with the master and expect 'im to be sympathetic."
"M-Mias… Y-You mean Mias Dormaeus?"
"Aye," Gale nodded.
"Oh bollocks…" Abernos cursed mournfully. "He caught us…?"
"No use cryin' about it," Gale informed him. "Now, ya've slept enough. Ain't sure what exactly he has in mind fer ya, but ya can be of use to me 'til then. Ya good with animals?"
"Well I am a Stag," Abernos said, wiping the water from his face and onto his furry forearm where he then shook it off.
"Yea, I can see that with me own eyes, but can ya handle a horse?"
"Um, well… I-I've never been around horses that much."
"Well today's the day ya learn," he smiled and put his arm around Abernos' shoulder as he led him out into the stable to give him his instructions.
Back inside the manor, Mias arose from his sleep to begin another day. He seemed somewhat perplexed that he still remained clothed from the waist down. Even without a bed partner, he usually slept naked to fully enjoy the texture of his high quality linens. He glanced around his room, wondering where Elle had chosen to sleep in place of his bed. He saw her slumped against the door: fully clothed and fast asleep, yet still maintaining the desire to escape. It made him chuckle.
He crept out of bed toward the door and scooped her up into his arms, trying not to disturb her sleep. He didn't. He turned around and carried her back to his bed where he laid her down and pulled the sheets up over her. He smoothed her bangs back behind her ear and placed a soft kiss on her cheek before he left her side to go to the bathroom.
Elle twitched a bit in reaction to the kiss, but ended up rolling onto her stomach and latching onto a pillow to hug as she readjusted to her new place of slumber. She slept contently for another hour until she felt the mattress shift due to a second person's body weight. Her eyes slowly opened as she felt the other person against her side and their arm wrap over her waist to turn her further back onto her side. She tilted her head back to find none other than Mias, fresh from the bath, spooned up against her with a distinct lack of clothing.
"Good morning~," he said quietly, once against kissing her cheek softly.
Elle gasped sharply, promptly blushed, and tried to scoot away from him, but he wasn't about to release his hold on her.
"Mm," he smiled, tucking his head between her neck and shoulder. "That was a lovely display last night. I didn't expect you to be so bold."
Elle didn't respond. She'd rather forget last night and not encourage Mias but talking about it.
"We should continue now that we're both properly rested," he said playfully, sliding a hand up her back.
"No thank you," she said flatly, trying to bury her head into one of the pillows.
"Suit yourself. There are plenty of other activities that are reasonable substitutes," he said as he got his arms around her and lifted her out of bed.
"Wh-What are you doing?!" Elle demanded, smacking the pillow straight into Mias' face. "Put me down!"
"There's a rather unpleasant odor of earth and Stag still permeating from your hair and flesh," he explained after grabbing the pillow and tossing it back onto the bed. He carried her across his chambers through the doorway that led to a spacious washroom with white porcelain fixtures decorated with gold and his target was the claw-footed bathtub against the wall already filled to the brim with warm water and the gentle, sweet fragrance of roses. "I much prefer a flowery scent that compliments your natural pheromones."
"You're not giving me a bath!" She vehemently declared as he held her right above the water's surface. "Don't you dare!"
Mias grinned in defiance as he dropped her into the water, still fully clothed.
The water level crested and spilled over the rim as Elle splashed in. She quickly got to her feet in the tub and glared at Mias from behind her dripping bangs. "Was that necessary?!"
"Indeed. Your clothes reek as well."
"Ugh! You are unbelievable!" Elle said as she pulled her shirt off once again and threw it at him.
"I'll admit my methods are unorthodox, but no less effective," he smiled as he wrung out the wet T-Shirt and hung it over a free towel rail beside the tub only to have the rest of Elle's wet clothing thrown onto his back when he had it turned. Unamused, he glanced back at her to see her sunk down into the tub with her legs crossed tightly and her arms wrapped around her chest protectively. He kept smiling, peeled her wet clothes off his back, and wrung out each garment for her before hanging them up to dry. The menial task finished, he approached the tub.
"What?" Elle asked, keeping her eyes on his to avoid looking at his openly displayed genitals that he had no intention of censoring.
He knelt down to her eyes level and folded his hands over the rim, a calm smile on his face. "Simply admiring the view."
Elle curled her upper lip up in disgust and let herself sink down below the water long enough to soak her hair. She sat up, one hand still conserving her breasts while she used the other to held her stand up. "There, I'm clean."
"Hardly," Mias said, taking notice of her fingernails. "Bashfulness is no excuse for poor hygiene, my dear. Now sit back down or you're liable to get hurt if I force you."
Elle heaved a sigh of frustration and sank back down into the water. "Git."
"Pardon?"
"Nothing…" Elle grumbled and began picking underneath her fingernails to distract her from Mias.
However Mias had no intention of being ignored. With Elle occupying one half of the tub, he stepped into the vacant half and sat down, his added mass spilling even more water over the rim and onto the floor.
Elle blushed and tucked her legs up closer to avoid touching Mias' in the water. "I thought you already took a bath."
"I did, but I didn't have the luxury of a woman with me."
"Well I have no intention of staying in with you," she announced and tried standing up again.
"Sit down," he commanded in a more authorative tone.
Elle was surprised and slightly frightened. If he lost his temper, he might try forcing himself on her again. Wanting to avoid further conflict, Elle slowly and quietly lowered herself back into the warm water.
"There," Mias smiled pleasingly. "Isn't this better?"
"Not really…" Elle commented.
Mias raised an eyebrow and began thinking what more he could do to create a relaxing atmosphere between them. An idea came and he placed his right hand on the bottom of the tub. The water flashed green and hundreds of suds bubbled up around them, robbing Mias of a clear view, but fascinating Elle with his spell work.
"…Wouldn't it just be easier to add soap?" She asked, seeing the trick as slightly unnecessary.
"The mixture was already in the water, I simply stirred it up a bit," he smirked. "Is this more to your liking?"
"I guess," she said quietly. She couldn't remember the last time she had a bubble bath. Not since her childhood probably. Back when she could stay in the tub until she pruned.
"You're a difficult woman to please Elle," Mias commented, running his fingers back through his hair. "But nothing is impossible, so all you need do is ask. Strange as it may sound to you, I want you to be happy here with me."
"I'd be pleased if you'd stop forcing yourself on me," Elle told him.
"Ah, but I have little control over such things. I'm too used to quenching my lust the instant it arises, pun intended," he chuckled.
"But I don't like it," Elle insisted, pushing away a few bubbles to see his entire face. "I don't like any of this! And I know it's a blow to your ego, but I don't like you either, and that's just how it is Mias."
It was a blow to his ego and it frustrated him in a way foreign to him up until that point in his life. He'd never before had such difficulty with seducing a woman and his continued failures were starting to annoy him.
"I'm starting to prune. I'm getting out," she announced and once again tried to stand and exit the tub.
Successfully vexed and further motivated by her comment, Mias seized her wrist and pulled her to his side of the tub. She splashed back into the water backwards, landing against the hard muscles of his chest.
"Hey! That was dangerous!" Elle scolded, only to have her head turned upward by a wanton Mias who hungrily pressed his lips down over her mouth. Elle's muffled scream of protest was accompanied by more splashing from her kicking legs, until Mias clamped his own legs together to stop her.
"I want what I'm owed," he whispered without the usual mischievous undertone and groped her left breast within his left hand, his lips now journeying down her neck and leaving their mark in the form of reddish violet imperfections on her skin. He snaked his right hand between her legs, and despite his forward actions, gently brushed his fingertips over the sensitive pocket of flesh.
"I-I'm sorry I made you mad, but I was just telling you the truth…!" Elle panted, her adrenaline pumping and waiting for an opportunity to flee. "Please stop!"
"You're in no position to refuse me," he said roughly, the fingers of his right hand stroking her back and forth teasingly.
"I… I won't refuse you…!" She whimpered, and their struggle calmed.
"Oh?" Mias raised an eyebrow in intrigue.
Elle slowly nodded her head. "I… owe you… but does it have to be like this…?"
"No…" He said calmly. "I suppose this is rather precarious. Forgive me. To think logically when it's hot and steamy is difficult."
"I-It's okay…" Elle murmured as they both stood and exited the tub, stepping onto the once fluffy bathmat that was soaked from the constantly overflowing tub.
Mias grabbed a fluffy dry towel from a near by rail, tossed it around Elle's middle, and used it to pull her back up to his chest. He grinned down at her, having seen a much better view of her now, and waited to see her reaction.
Only Elle kept her head bowed to him, but even if she had looked at him directly, he could tell she wasn't smiling or even remotely excited about having sex with him.
Still, he would not be detoured by her hesitance. After poorly drying off, he escorted her back into the bed chamber with a hand resting on her waist so she wouldn't be tempted to run from him.
Elle was tempted to run, but first she needed to disarm Mias again somehow. She doubted she could massage him to sleep a second time. An interruption from a third party would be greatly appreciated, but Elle remembered Mias told all the servants to bugger off until he specifically called for them. She needed to something unexpected again, but Elle doubted there was much left to surprise him with.
Mias sat her down on the edge of the bed in front of him and loomed over her. "Trying to think of a way out of this?"
Her eyes widened and she fell back onto her elbows, her gaze locked with Mias' as he put a hand behind her head to keep her facing him.
"I'm not feeling as generous with you as I was last night," he continued as he loomed in between her legs. "But for amusement's sake, I shall feign ignorance once again if you come up with something remotely clever."
"I-I…" Elle glanced down to see his talented right hand once again on the move toward her loins.
Mias waited for her response patiently while his hand caressed her inner thigh.
Despite being out of the bath, she still felt hot and worse, sweaty. What she really needed was a cold shower. What further confused her was Mias' sudden mood swing. He ceased roughly manhandling her in favor of a more tender touch, and of the two it was what Elle preferred. Was that his game? To have her chose between both extremes? Crafty bastard, she thought to herself while bodily instinct started telling her she needed him. Even her own body betrayed her when stroked the right way, no pun intended.
Mias simply smiled when he realized he wouldn't get an answer. He leaned forward, bringing their lips together with a light kiss, followed by firmer locking of lips that coaxed a small expression of delight from her. He released her lips with some regret and kissed her chin. He helped tilt her head upward and continued down her throat and neck.
Elle felt Mias' hand retreat from holding her head and fell flat onto her back to try and get some support behind her. She tried to cover her breasts with her hands, but Mias foresaw the action and lightly put her arms back at her sides as he kissed downward. Elle thought he was going to entertain himself with her cleavage, but after only a few kisses over each breast, Mias' kisses traveled down to her navel. "Wait… is he…? No… No, he can't be thinking of doing that, can he?"
Mias confirmed her thoughts when he didn't stop with her navel and held her thighs apart.
"NO!" Elle shrieked and attempted to bolt upright, but with Mias having leverage over her lower half, she couldn't.
To make it worse, Mias responded by locking eyes with hers as he dragged his tongue teasingly slow over her.
"AH!" Elle shuddered from the unfamiliar sensation and clenched her hands around the sheets beneath her. It wasn't so much the sensation she found unpleasant, but rather the act itself. It was more embarrassing to Elle than actual sex, and she reacted accordingly by panicking and pleading, "Mias! Mias! Not there! Please anywhere but there!"
Another slow lick on his part told her that was the only part of her he wanted and he wasn't about to relinquish it.
"Don't! Mias, please don't!" She hid her eyes behind her hands and prayed he'd listen to her, though her gut knew that was all but impossible. Her protests and squirming continued, but that only seemed to encourage him. And it was becoming difficult to fight it. As deeply embarrassed as she felt, even Elle couldn't deny his tongue managed to twist her stomach into knots with each tentative lick. Still, she bit into her lower lip to muffle every sound she made in response. She knew he wasn't doing this for her satisfaction, but for his own, and Elle was adamant to not give him any.
Of course Mias planned for her stubbornness. Gripping her thighs extra tight, he slipped his tongue inside.
Elle gasped sharply and renewed her efforts to stop him. She even went as far as to pull his hair, but it appeared once he was in the mood, even rough hair pulling could be a further motivator.
He swirled his tongue around slowly, waiting for her to snap and cry out. He knew her body wanted him, a simple enough seduction proven by the amount of natural lubricant it continued to produce under the musings of his tongue. He began to wonder how much longer he could resist his own desires. His loins were already aching and begging to be tended to, but of their wills, Mias knew his was greater. He simply had to get Elle's to the breaking point first; ideally by climaxing. Surely giving a virgin an orgasm would be an admirable talent and make her all the more willing to no longer be a virgin.
Elle was breathing quickly and trying desperately not to look down at what he was doing to her. She felt everything; she didn't need to see it. It felt like he'd been at it for hours, when Elle was sure only a few minutes had past. She stopped praying that he'd stop, and just hope he'd finish soon. Finish and leave her alone. But she was feeling weird. The twisting in her gut made it impossible to keep still. Dare she even think it, but she wanted more than his tongue… Oh, so that's why he wanted to go down on her, Elle finally deduced. Another one of his stupid, sensual games meant to deprive her of all control and make her as lustful as him. At last, she had her opportunity.
"M-Mias…!" Elle called to him, her mouth tasting like bile with each word she knew she'd have to say. "P-Please… I can't take it any longer! If you're gonna fuck me, fuck me! Don't tease me like this any more! I'm begging you!"
Music to Mias' ears, and given the bite in which she said them, he considered them genuine. The poor thing, though feisty and stubborn, simply didn't have a chance against his experience and natural talent. Victory was within his grasp, but that very ego clouded deeper thought and there laid Elle's chance. He eased his hold on her thighs and lifted his head up, licking his lips with a very satisfied expression on his face.
Elle tried not to be disgusted by it and kept her eyes on his face. She had only one shot at this. With control over her leverage, Elle launched herself upright and slammed her fist dead center with Mias' nose.
"OWW!" Mias fell back onto the floor and quickly cupped his nose to stop the resulting ruptured blood vessels. He looked at her with by far the most stunned expression Elle had ever seen on anyone. "WHAT THE HELL?!"
Elle winced and shook her hand in hopes she'd shake away the pain the blow inflicted on her as well. She held her injured hand to her chest and scurried to the other end of the bed, knowing full well she'd royally pissed him off now. She realized too late there wasn't anywhere she could run to and who knew what sort of punishment he'd give her for punching him.
"UGH! You nearly broke my nose…!" Mias said in a nasally voice as he pinched the bridge of his nose with magically glowing hand.
"I'm sorry!" She apologized quickly. Though it was insincere, she knew she had to lessen the blow somehow. "But you wouldn't stop and you were scaring me and I couldn't think of anything else!"
"Argh…" Mias got to his feet and sat himself on the bed. He looked to the doors and with a look alone, they opened. He looked back to Elle with a very angry, almost evil, expression. What made it truly fearsome was how calm his voice became. "Get. Out."
Elle didn't need to be told twice. Using one of the loose sheets as a makeshift garment, she ran out of the room.
Version II. Chapters 7-9. Originally written in 2013.