Preface: This chapter contains lemons. If you don't have any interest in that sort of thing, feel free to skip to the Author's Note after the second page break. For those who don't have a problem with that sort of thing, I hope you enjoy it. Thank you again for reading my story.
Chapter 50
My body slammed against the ground while another body slammed on top of me. I gasped and opened my eyes. Del was on top of me. He panted wildly before he rolled off over my wing. I leaned my aching body up and my wings retracted into my back. I looked up to see a familiar dark green sky. The Lady Vengeance had jumped back into the Hall of Echoes. For the briefest moment, I had a terrible feeling that I failed, and I died trying to save Del. But when I looked to the side, I found Sebille standing above me with the red pyramid in her hands.
"That…was a gutsy move," she said.
To her left stood the Red Prince.
"I concur," he said.
He offered his hand to me. I took it and he pulled me to my feet.
"Mahalia!"
I turned around to see Ifan run over and wrap his arms around me.
"Ifan."
I closed my eyes and wrapped my arms around him too. He nestled his face into my neck and I rested my chin on the top of his head. The warmth of his body only confirmed I made it back alive. I could feel my eyes start to wet.
"Ifan I…" I mumbled. "I-I didn't… didn't know what I-I was thin-"
"It's okay, it's okay," Ifan said. "You made it. That's…that's all that matters."
I could feel him tearing up with me. Nothing mattered in that moment. I was just happy that I made it back and he was still here with me.
"Mahalia!"
I was taken out of my trance when I heard the children. I broke out of Ifan's embrace and kneeled to the children. I opened my arms and all three of them came in for a large hug. I exhaled in relief.
"We were so worried about you, Mahalia," Trice said. "When the volcano erupted, we thought you might have-"
"I know. It's okay. I'm okay."
I held the children for a while longer before I stood up again. It was then two people walked over to our little gathering on the deck. It was Mihaly and Almira.
"Del?" Mihaly said.
Del had caught his breath and got to his feet, equally surprised seeing a fellow Magister here.
"Mihaly? What are you doing here?"
He looked over at Almira.
"It's a long story," he said.
"Heh. Mine is too," Del said. He then looked over at me.
"Were you the only one left?" I asked him. Del looked grimly to his left.
"I was separated from my colleagues when the island started to erupt. I doubt anyone made it out."
He moved his eyes back to me.
"But I was lucky to make my way through the rubble and find you when I did. What you did back there; that was…incredible.
He put his hand on my shoulder with a grateful smile.
"Thank you for saving me again."
I smiled.
"You're welcome."
Just then, I heard a cough and snort from behind me. We turned around to see Malady spit out another glob of Source onto the deck. Next to her was Gareth. Now with her throat clear, Malady sighed and composed herself.
"Okay. Now that we've finished our respective rescue missions, I feel it's best to go over what just happened."
The relief of getting out of the exploding island and rescuing Del once again suddenly faded away. The memory of Dallis beating us to the Wellspring stung me. I took a deep breath and sighed before I started the long-winded story of what happened: starting with our reunion with Alexander all the way to our escape from the island. The children seemed to like the part where I talked about killing the Shadow Prince, with me leaving out the part where I carved his heart out of course. But they seemed rather confused when I talked about the part when Sebille killed the Mother tree and when I killed Zorl-stissa. But Malady was rather enraptured when I talked about killing the last god. By the end of the story, instead of feeling the rage I had when Dallis bested us, I felt… melancholy. Like the Hall of Echoes itself.
"So…what do we do?" I asked. "How can there be a new Divine now that the Wellspring is gone?"
"Not gone," Malady said. "Stolen. Dallis took the Source from the Wellspring. Which means we can still take it back."
"But where did she go?" the Red Prince asked.
Malady suddenly became lightheaded and stumbled. She propped herself up on a nearby barrel.
"I'll tell you when something pops up," she said. "Right now, I need to rest. I suggest you all do the same. I have a feeling this may be your last bit of respite before the storm blows again. Enjoy it. You all deserve that much."
Everyone retreated to the mess hall to eat. But I wasn't hungry. I put my belongings away and attended to my hygienic needs before I retreated to the bow of the Lady Vengeance. When I came to the figurehead, she turned to face me.
"I am sorry, Mahalia," she said. "Dallis had me built to her exact designs. Not even I knew all the ways in which she could control me. She was able to follow my wake like a shark. But I will see myself destroyed rather than be forced to betray you again, I swear."
"Well, I hope it will never come to that," I told her. "I forgive you. You've been through enough already and putting more blame on yourself won't solve anything."
Her head turned slightly, likely taking in what I said to her. She then spoke to me with gratitude in her ethereal voice.
"Though I still dream I could be my ancestral self again, it gives me some reprieve to be under the leadership of a benevolent soul such as yourself. It has been an honor to aid you on your journey to help the world."
She resumed her position and continued her course. It took me a moment to contemplate what she told me. Eventually, I leaned against the railing next to the headpiece. I looked out to the ghostly cavern as the ship sailed through the misty stream. I listened to the distant sounds of the hall and the creaking of the ship's hull. All the while, my thoughts swam elsewhere. They swam for what felt like hours until I heard a familiar voice behind me.
"Do you mind having some company?"
I already knew who it was.
"Not really," I said.
Ifan walked up next to me and leaned on the railing to stare at the same nothingness I did. We stared in silence for a while until I broke it.
"Did the Swornbreaker work for Almira?"
"Like a dream," Ifan said. "She's free and it can be used again for Sadha when Prince Charming finds her."
"That's good," I said.
Another silence followed until Ifan broke it.
"Are you doing okay?"
Was I? I leaned up from the railing, keeping my hands on it while I still stared at the abyss.
"I…honestly don't know," I sighed. "We were so close. I was only five steps away. If I was faster, I could've…"
I tightened my grip on the railing. I couldn't finish my sentence. I felt Ifan put his hand on my shoulder.
"It's okay," he said. "Once we find Dallis, we'll go after her and get back what she stole."
"I know, I know… It's just…"
I took a deep breath and relaxed my grip.
"Right now, I feel like I'm feeling the weight of the world on my shoulders for the first time."
Ifan took his hand off my shoulder to let me speak.
"Ever since we escaped Fort Joy, I feel like my mind has been on an automatic path. Like, I never truly felt the stakes of our quest until now. Was that because we had a shred of the gods in us to propel us to get to the Well?"
"I don't think so," Ifan said. "I mean, right now I feel what you're feeling. Just a week ago we were only a couple of prisoners on a ship on its way to Fort Joy. Now, here we are on a ship on a quest to save the world. After everything we've been through, it feels weird when we look back at the crazy things we've done so far."
Ifan looked away for a moment when something sparked in his head.
"Speaking of which, I have to say I never seen you fight the way you did against Zorl-stissa. What happened there?"
I remembered that feeling when I seemed to go berserk against Zorl-stissa. I held up my amulet, tracing my finger over the violet gem.
"I guess that was the other ability Sebille talked about when I put the last piece in," I said.
"You mean like how the Red one gives you fauna tongue and the Blue one gave you your wings?" Ifan said.
"Yeah," I said. "When I was under so much stress, the elements in my heart seemed to overload. It was like I felt the fury of a dragon in me. That's what propelled me to overpower and defeat Zorl-stissa."
Ifan looked away to contemplate for a moment.
"Well, this 'Dragon Fury' could be handy if we need to get out of another sticky situation."
"Maybe."
Then, I remembered the moment just before I felt the "Dragon Fury" kick in.
"But it's what triggered it that bothers me."
Ifan tilted his head.
"What do you mean?"
I propped my arms on the railing.
"When Zorl-stissa tried to take me over, I saw a glimpse of her memories. Most of them, I couldn't make sense. But there was one memory that stuck with me after you put your arrow into her."
"And what was that?"
"You remember what that voidwoken said about the gods being usurpers?"
"Of course."
"Well, it turns out he was right."
I closed my eyes as the horrific memory played in my head.
"The reason the gods created our world, the reason we exist…"
I opened my eyes and looked down at Ifan.
"It was to have them feed on our Source."
Ifan's eyes widened. He looked around him, contemplating what I said.
"You mean…?"
"We worship them, and they consume our souls when we die. Like fattening pigs before the slaughter."
I looked down at my hand.
"That's why they gave us the ability to consume people's souls. They created our world so they can grow Source to feed their hunger for it."
The mental exhaustion caused me to sigh.
"To think we've worshiped them. Looked to them for guidance. Prayed they look over our loved ones. And what did we get in return? They ate us."
"Well, I'm not sad to see them gone," Ifan said.
"Neither am I."
A haunted feeling washed over me.
"But is that what I'm going to have to do when I become the next Divine? Do I need to start feeding off the souls of my worshipers to keep myself alive and fully able to fight off the voidwoken?"
I looked down at my amulet.
"So much for protecting people from the cruelty of those who wish to harm them."
"Don't say that," Ifan took my hand. "I know you will never do that."
"But what if I have to?" I shot back. "What if I need more Source than what the corpses of voidwoken and demons can provide me?"
"Then we'll find another way to give you the power you need," Ifan replied sharply. "Or hell, we'll find another way to fight them entirely without a Divine."
When I looked into his green eyes, I could see the hopefulness he had behind his words. A large departure from the dim expression he wore after he learned the truth about the deathfog.
"You're…rather optimistic about this aren't you?" I said.
"That's because you gave me that optimism," Ifan said.
I felt my face morph into a befuddled expression. He placed his other hand on top of mine, sandwiching it between his hands.
"When I learned the truth about the deathfog, I didn't think I could bring myself out of the darkness I found myself in. I thought it was over for whatever dignity I had left. And when you're a contract killer, you barely have any dignity at all. But even after that, you still believed in me. You believed in me so much that you risked your own life to keep me from giving in to revenge."
He reached up and grazed my cheek gently with his fingers.
"What I'm trying to say is, you helped me rediscover something about myself. You can't imagine how grateful I am for that. Now, I feel more confident about myself. More than I ever have been in a very long time. That's why I believe we can overcome this and make a real change for the better."
I found myself at a loss of words. When I stared into his eyes, accompanied by a glowing smile on is face, I felt something inside of me. Something that lifted the doubts that weighed me down only moments ago. Soon, I felt my entire body flooded with relief that I smiled. Ifan noticed it and gave me his usual clap on the shoulder. We both chuckled.
"Thank you," I said.
"You're very welcome," Ifan said.
We looked at each other for some time in silence. Then I remembered something.
"Actually," I said. "I feel you gave me that optimism first."
Ifan raised his brows.
"I did? When?"
"When you helped me overcome my- shall we say -scale guilt. Also, when you comforted me when I broke down in Ryker's basement. Actually, I think all of it started when you adjusted my collar when we first met."
Now it was Ifan's turn to look befuddled. His cheeks started to blush.
"I…guess I did."
He took both of my hands into his.
"But even so, you've helped me through some very hard times. Whenever I'm around you, I feel…reprieved from the hardships of the world. You can't imagine how much appreciate that."
"I can say the same about you. Whenever you're around, I feel I have the strength to keep going, no matter how bleak things may be. I couldn't have gotten this far without your help."
We stared into each other's eyes for some time. I felt like I was hypnotized by his gaze. I slowly reached out and placed my hands on his cheeks, my thumbs grazing the edge of his mustache. I leaned my head down closer to him.
"I'm so happy to have met you, Ifan," I said.
He placed his hands on my cheeks, tilting his head up closer to me.
"As am I, Mahalia."
We pulled each other closer and our lips met again. When I remembered our first kiss, it felt amazing. But this one. It felt even better. I felt his lips part against mine. His wider and stout tongue mingled with my longer and slender one. He tasted of dark earth and night. Our lips grazed each other, our tongues danced together, and our hands glided over each other's bodies for a long time.
Eventually, we broke our second kiss and looked into each other's eyes. Through his dark green eyes, I could see everything. His affection, his hope, and most of all, a craving for me. He no doubt saw it in my eyes too. I felt my heart pound faster in my chest. We wanted – no - needed each other. I needed him. He needed me. More than ever.
I walked away from the bow of the ship with Ifan's hand in mine. We crossed the deck and closed the distance to the stairs. When we descended the steps, I heard something…different. The livewood around us creaked and groaned. When we reached the bottom of the steps, we found ourselves before a newly carved nook that smelled of resin and wood chips. It was never here before.
"You've done me a great help," the voice of the Lady Vengeance whispered to me. "Allow me to show you my gratitude."
The engraved wall before us sifted to show an indent in the shape of a handprint in the middle. The handprint of a lizard. I reached out and placed my hand onto the indent. It fit perfectly. I felt the wood hum under my palm. I moved my hand away as the carved wood illuminated and softly faded away. Through the opened wall was a room. A room I never knew about. I looked back at Ifan. He nodded to me. I stepped through the opening still holding dearly onto his hand. When we were through, the wall faded back into existence. As it did, I could feel the presence of the ship recede. The creaking of the hull, the still air of the Hall of Echoes, even the voices of the other passengers, all of it was gone. It was only me and Ifan in this secluded haven the Lady Vengeance had given us.
The room had a similar feel to the States Room, with carpets on the floor and paintings on the walls. But there were no bookshelves, no chemistry stations, no necromancers with the reanimated skeletons of their pets running around. Instead, within the soft, dim light of four tall candle sticks, a large bed stood. A bed that looked to be as comfortable if not more so than the one in the States Room.
It was perfect.
Both Ifan and I stood by the side of the bed. Everything was quiet. The flickering light of the candles beat softly across his whiskered face. He moved closer to me. He gently reached up to caress my cheek.
But I hesitated.
"You okay?" he asked.
I exhaled nervously.
"Yeah, I…" I took a gentle breath. "Sorry."
I looked down into his eyes again with a weak smile.
"First time, you know?"
Ifan grinned softly and nodded. He understood.
"There's no rush," he said. "Just tell me what you want."
He stood at attention, like a valiant soldier ready for his orders. I closed my eyes and took another deep breath. When I opened my eyes again, Ifan was still there, ready to do whatever I wanted. I moved closer to him, our bodies only inches apart. I reached down and took his hands into my own. Slowly, I brought his arms around my waist and placed his hands at the base of my tail. I placed my hands over his shoulders, holding them together behind him. He leaned into me. His whiskered cheek brushed against my neck while my chin rested on the top of his head. I felt his soft breath brush against my exposed scales. I took the first step, swaying gently left and right. Eventually, Ifan took the lead, turning our bodies in a slow circle. As we found our rhythm, all the worries I had faded away. There were no voidwoken. There was no God King. There were no gods, Source or Divine Order. It was only me and him, dancing gently and slowly in a quiet room. We were the only thing that mattered.
I felt my affection come back. It beckoned me to continue and to do more. I stopped the dance. I loosened my hold, letting Ifan pull back and look up at me. I gently placed my hands on his chest. I leaned in and kissed him. He brought his hands up from my waist to the back of my ribcage. He pulled me close to him, gently rubbing his soft thumbs against my scales. My breathing became uneven from his touch. He sensed it through our lips. He broke our kiss to look into my eyes. I could see and feel how much he wanted me now. But he kept himself reserved, allowing me to go at the pace I wanted. He moved his hands up my back to the restraints of my chest piece. He looked into my eyes, voicelessly asking me if I was ready. I nodded.
He undid the restraints, one on the left and one on the right. The straps hung free, loosening my chest piece. I lowered myself to my knees, giving Ifan enough room to hoist it off my shoulders. I folded my frill and tucked my head. My chest and shoulders were now bare. Only my amulet remained of my upper attire. When Ifan put the chest piece aside, I walked over to the bed and sat on it. I presented Ifan my shin guards. He kneeled and gently undid the restraint at the heel of my foot and the one at the mid-joint of my leg. When it was removed, he took a moment to gently massage my foot. The feeling of his strong hands rubbing my joints earned a moan of approval from me along with a gentle brush of my toe across his bearded chin. He repeated the process with my other leg.
With both guards off, I stood up again. All that was left was my loincloth. I remembered my time at the lake when I wore nothing but this in front of Ifan at the time. But I never let him this close. He walked up to me, holding me close to his warm chest. He kept his gaze on my eyes as his hands moved to the base of my tail again. With gentle precision, he undid the last restraint. I felt the straps glide over my hips and fall away onto the floor.
It was done. All my apparel, save for my amulet, was shed from my body. My bare scales were left to be seen by the only other soul in the room: him. With his task complete, Ifan looked down at my body. I could feel his gaze caress my scales, traveling from the base of my neck down the platted grooves of my breast and belly. I felt it roll around my angular hips to my thighs and the full length of my slender legs. All the while my long tail swung gently behind me.
I should have felt embarrassed. But I wasn't. I wanted him to see me. I wanted to expose myself to him. In my heart, I felt an energy. A raw, sexual energy that had built up inside of me during all my years of preserving my virginity for Brell. But that was no longer the path I was going to take. My path was here. I wanted to give myself to Ifan and I wanted him to give himself to me.
When he finished his evaluation of my reptilian form, I placed my hands on his shoulders. I peered deep into his eyes. From how he looked back at me, I felt I had hypnotized him with my gaze. He stayed put as I moved my body around him. With his help, I removed his belt, gauntlets, tunic, boots and vest with ease. All that remained now was his undershirt and his trousers. We were close now. I decided now was the time to slow down.
I kneeled in front of him, putting my hands under his shirt. I placed my palms flat on his belly. I took a moment to feel the muscles that lay underneath his clothing. I slide my hands up, feeling the soft skin and the traces of chest hair glide under my scales. When I reached the top, Ifan raised his arms, allowing me to pull his shirt off and discard it to the floor. Without a pause, I loosened the laces of his trousers and I slowly slide my fingers down the sides of his strong legs.
It was finished.
Nothing separated us each other now. As we stood completely naked before each other, it was my turn to take in his form. Like before, I remembered seeing him without his shirt at the lake. But now, having the time to observe the shape of his body, from thick the muscles of his chest and arms to the curves of his hips, I began to feel a desire to have my scales brush up against his skin while his warmth enraptured me.
In that moment, knew what to do first. I closed the distance between us. I pressed my scaled belly against his abdomen, feeling the muscles underneath his warm flesh. He looked up into my eyes while he held me by my back ribs. I leaned down and snaked my head across his cheek until my lips reached his ear. I whispered.
"Close your eyes."
He obeyed me. I was in full control now.
I maneuvered around him, brushing my scales across his body the entire way. I pressed my slender body fully into his back. My arms wrapped around his chest while my tail coiled around his torso. He turned his head around, still with his eyes closed, and brought his lips to me. For several long minutes, we kept our lips locked while I slowly ran my hands across his bare chest and arms, from the highest peaks to the lowest reaches. I felt him softly groan in ecstasy through my lips from every move I made.
As my hands continued to memorize the topography of his body, my fingers traced several scars that blemished his skin. I imagined some of them left more than physical damage on him. But my presence eased the pain he still carried in him. After a while longer, I broke our kiss to move my lips to the side of his neck. I dipped my tongue across his warm skin, tasting more of the dark earth and night. He groaned in approval. Slowly, I ran my lips across the back of his neck to his shoulder, planting a series of kisses and licks across his body. I maneuvered around his left arm until I found myself kneeling before him and kissing his bare chest. As I began my journey downward, I felt his heart race faster. When I reached the destination between his legs, I placed my hands behind his thighs and began using my tongue in ways I never imagined I would. Ifan pulled his head back, panting and groaning almost uncontrollably. He placed his hands on the back of my head, encouraging me to continue. I had him exactly where I wanted him.
His groans became more erratic. His end was coming. It was time I stopped before that happened. I pulled my tongue away just in time. Ifan gasped for breath, doing his best to calm himself. He would need his energy for the many trails I had for him. While he recovered, I let go of his legs and stood up. When he claimed himself, he opened his eyes to look at me again. I grinned in a seductive manor and turned around. I kept my gaze behind me as I strolled toward the bed, my tail swinging behind my swaying hips. I pulled back the sheets and sat down. I slowly laid on my side, stretching my long slender body out over the mattress. I propped my body up with my arm and had my tail laid over my thigh. For a while, Ifan's gaze drifted over my alluring body that glowed in the dim candlelight.
Once his eyes met mine, I pointed to the spot on the bed next me. He obeyed my command. He walked to the other side of the bed and pulled back the sheets on that side. I lifted my legs, allowing him to crawl next to me. He sat up with my waist resting in his lap. As I coiled my tail around his torso, he stroked his hand down the length of my thigh while his other hand held my hip from underneath. For long moments, I closed my eyes and took in his touch. We had time. There was no rush.
After several pleasurable minutes, I felt his hand stop caressing my scales. I opened my eyes to see Ifan looking directly at me. From the look in his eyes, he wanted to move forward. So did I. I brought up my finger and beckoned him to come to me. He leaned in, allowing me to cup my hand around his head and bring him closer. I brought my lips to his ear and whispered.
"Take me."
Once again, he obeyed me. He pressed his lips hard against mine. In all the other kissed, I could feel he held back for me to get comfortable. Now that I was, all his desire and craving for me was brought out in full force. I was ready to endure it. His lips devoured me, his tongue overpowering mine. Eventually, I felt him roll over my thigh and lay his body flat over my own, our lips still connected. He broke our kiss and ran his lips across my cheek and down my long, slender neck. I hissed with approval as he continued his journey to my breast. He took his time there and my belly afterward. When he moved on, I felt him go up the length of my thigh. When he reached my knee, he backtracked all the way to my waist. He maneuvered his arms under my thighs, placing his hands where my thighs met my hips. He held a firm grip there as his lips moved to the spot between my legs.
I arched my back and propped my body up with my elbows. Slowly but surely, he built up a rhythm with his lips and tongue. He built it up until I tightened my tail around his chest, telling him he found the perfect rhythm. He kept going, sending bolts of ecstasy coursing through my body. It enraptured me. I moaned and gasped, louder and louder until…
"AAAAAAHHH!"
I threw my head back and wailed as my body froze. For five seconds that felt like ages, I was hurtled into another realm. A realm I never wanted to leave. But when I did, I gasped and panted hard. My entire body, even my tail, went limp and sank into the bed. In the haze of my exhaustion, I felt Ifan crawl up to my side. He nestled his warm chest into the side of my body, putting his chin on my shoulder and placing his hand gently between my belly and breast. There, he patiently waited for me to recover.
For several long minutes, I took long breaths. I felt my body slowly recover the energy Ifan exuded out of me. At first, I feared I wouldn't recover the energy I wanted to continue. But after some time, I felt something grow within me. I felt my body suddenly become reinvigorated. Like a phoenix that burned the last of its life away, I felt the ashes in me form together to be reborn into something greater. Something stronger. Something more powerful. When I looked down at Ifan resting his head on my shoulder, my body coursed with even more sexual desire than before.
I caressed my hand over his cheek. He opened his eyes. He placed his hand on top of my own as he looked lovingly into my eyes. As he did, I could see the reflection of my face in his pupils. I saw my eyes sapphire eyes burning with that desire that was reborn. Before, we took our turns with each other. But now, it was time we took the stage together.
"Intermission's over," I whispered. "Time for the final act."
Ifan cocked his brow. His smile showing the anticipation he had for me. I gently put my hand on his shoulder, rolling him onto his back. I swung my legs over his torso and leaned forward. I place my hands on his shoulders and flattened my body against his. I tucked my neck in, allowing me to lock my lips with his once more. As our tongues danced together, I felt his strong arms dig into my back ribs pulling me closer to him. All the while, my tail swung back and forth in the air behind me. We kept ourselves locked together until the desire in the both of us demand we move to the most important step. I broke our kiss and sat myself up. With no hesitation, I moved my hips over the spot between his legs. My body shuttered with anticipation. But even that could not prepare me when I lowered myself and let him inside of me.
The both of us threw our heads back and moaned so loud, everyone on the Lady Vengeance would have heard us had we not been in our sanctuary. I gasped in a wad of air to recover. When I looked down at Ifan, he had recovered too. I leaned forward, placing my hands on his pecks and started slowly rolling my hips up and down. Every movement sent shocks of ecstasy coursing through my whole body. When I looked at him, I knew he felt the same. I felt his hands reach up and dig into my rear, keeping in tempo with my movements. All the while, my tail swing erratically in the air behind me.
We continued our pleasurable routine until, with all his strength, Ifan pulled my body down and soon after rolled me onto my back. He lay on top of me and groaned deeply. He planted his arms into the mattress and thrust his hips hard into me. I placed my hands on the back of his neck and head. I warped my tail around his left leg tightly. He groaned louder and louder as he continued his thrusts. Harder and harder. Faster and faster. Again, and again, and again.
I opened my eyes for only the shortest of moments. But it was a moment I would remember for all my existence. A lizard woman and a human man entwined in the dim candlelight of a sanctuary for lovers to embrace their purest feelings.
And in a moment that felt like an eternity, I closed my eyes and felt my entire soul transcend all of reality.
Author's Note: Been waiting a long time to write this part. Please, tell me… did I do a good job with it? I really want to know.
