Massage: A Pathfinder Tale
CH 1
"...Make love to a member of your own sex. That way if you are asked you can say you have not lain with a man since your husband. Besides you may end up enjoying it…."
Chamberlynn mulled over Steve's words as she stared down at the small red slip of paper handed to her by the desk clerk of the hotel. When she asked for the special service she felt more anger at all that she has experienced than genuine temptation. Yet, here she was looking down at the list in her hand. The same hand that housed the gold band from her marriage.
Oh Bellas, how could you? I have been traveling these many months trying to shake this curse so I can get back to you...to Talya our daughter. I never knew the nightmare I would wake up to would be the one that now is my reality. Dammed it all…
As she thought these words her spirits began to thrash about her, tossing her long black hair around her head. She heard their whispers of half hearted comforts amidst the desires for vengeance.
She came back to her senses when Moogie hopped by her, licking his eye in hungered desire as he maintained his focus on a similar sheet of paper. She gazed up from her stupor state as the clerk stared at her with a concerned stare. "My apologies... I think I know what level of service I am interested in now." With that she took a quick look at the list once more and selected the private bath, massage, and companion service.
The clerk's face quickly changed from alarmed back to business and handed Chamberlynn another list. "Miss Salmus please select who will be your companion for the time allotted to you. Here is a list of names as well as descriptions to aid you in your selection." the clerk said in a manner of fact tone.
With a frantic dismay she frantically read over each description until she finally settled on a name. "Inam...Inam the sylph." Inam: A sylph female of quick wit and comely beauty that will take your breath away with the gentleness of a spring breeze.
Chamberlynn was amazed at herself a little. She was going to do this. She felt a little giddy with the potentials being presented before her but it was quickly replaced with the weight of her choice as well. As she handed the clerk her card she almost let it be ripped out of her hands by her ever present spirit passengers. At the last second she managed the wherewithal to maintain her grip and handed the card to the clerk.
"Thank you Miss Salmus, Ms Inam will be at your room to greet you within the hour. Here is the key, please enjoy your stay." With a pained smile Chamberlynn curtsied and then left for her room.
Chamberlynn quickly headed to her room if only to prepare herself for the experience that she plunged herself headlong into. She placed her possessions into the locking cabinet next to her bed and took a deep breath as she allowed herself to take in her new surroundings. The floor was made of a cream colored marble as the accents of tan and white were playfully arranged throughout the room. The room was set in the shade of a large palm tree making it feel much cooler than most of the outside desert surroundings. A gentle breeze blew through and jostled the palms of the tree making the shadows on her wall dance to a beat shared between it and the wind. Chamberlynn reached over her bed and grabbed the mint candy that was left on her pillow. It's strong flavor opened her sinuses and gave her a pleasant surprise as she giggled to herself a bit. She laid back onto the bed and allowed herself to sink slowly into the mattress. "This is the nicest bed I have lain in." she said as she released a long sigh of contentment. Staring up at the ceiling she noticed more shadows coming into her room. Reflections of the oasis outside her window lap the ceiling as a kitten would a saucer of cream. "This is nice. Bellas and I…" She said almost instinctively before the reality of her current situation sets in. There is no Bellas, no them any longer. After spending so much time trying to rid herself of her curse to return their life back to normal she was faced with the horrific truth that she was stuck with her spirit passengers until her death. She felt whatever joy she had held briefly begin to fall out of her grip as she allowed herself to revisit the last six months that brought her to this hotel in Marakesh.
She replayed her past before her eyes. From meeting Moogie and Steve in lands infested with lizardfolk and subsequently finding out what killed their god. Then being kidnapped by radical members of lizardfolk and escaping a sacrificial pit as well as slaying a wicked lizardfolk priestess. This followed by being run out of the town they had been staying in and chartering a boat to leave for parts north. She remembered being entranced and her party going to another world having misadventures before returning to the horrible business in her hometown of Koscara. Despite saving her husband from being wrongly executed for his father's death her marriage failed. Whatever love Bellas held for her had long since evaporated. This pain stung deeply at Chamberlynn's heart and ached greater than all the spear blows she received fighting dangers afar. Her oracle's "blessing" has robbed her of much indeed. As she looked up at the ceiling she quietly wept as nearby covers carried by invisible hands swirled around her room.
CH 2
She awoke once there was a knock at her door. How long had she been out? "One second!" Chamberlynn exclaimed as she quickly sprang to her feet, attempting to gather the loose cloth back into some fashion using some of her mundane abilities. She then straightened her clothing as best she could and wiped her face before answering the door. As she opened the door Chamberlynn felt as if electricity had set her skin a light. "What have we gotten ourself into Chamberlynn…" she whispered quietly to herself.
When the door was fully opened a beautiful woman stood outside curtsying. She was ivory skinned like a cloud with silvery hair plaited into a waterfall braid. Her 5' 7" frame was one of a svelte build with slight curves at her breast and hips. She stood a full head above Chamberlynn's own 4 '10' ' frame but with Inam curtseying they were eye to eye. Inam opened her eyes and peered deeply into Chamberlynn's own. While Inam's eyes were a violet hue with the intensity of a thunderstorm, Chamberlynn's own were green for the left and blue for the right matching the colors of a sea cove. Chamberlynn was overcome by her beauty for a second before coming back to her senses.
"My good lady Chamberlynn, I am Inam. May I come in?"she said before returning to her full stature. Her voice was as soothing as a cool breeze on a mountain side.
Chamberlynn's face flushed red as she attempted to still her racing heart enough to reply. "Please, Inam...I welcome you inside." She moved to the side to allow Inam entrance as she bowed slightly to hide her flustered appearance behind her long black hair.
Inam gracefully walked into the room before turning to face Chamberlynn once more. "My lady Chamberlynn allow me." She said as she gently took the door handle from Chamberlynn and closed the room off from the outside world.
With the door secured behind them Inam stood to her full height and took a longer regard of Chamberlynn. "Lady Chamberlynn would you honor a small request from me if you would. Would you mind standing two feet more to my right?" Inam said in a seductive tone.
Chamberlynn eyed Inam with a little bit of suspicion as she lifted her eyebrow a bit before speaking.. " I...suppose I could do that for you…" Chamberlynn then moved herself over the required distance before saying in a confused tone "...is this where you wanted me to stand Inam?"
"Yes, that is perfect. Thank you for honoring my request." Inam would gracefully glide the short distance between herself and Chamberlyn. Inam would then slowly circle around Chamberlynn all the while making sure that Chamberlynn could see her eyes. "The reason why I asked if you could move over slightly was it would make it harder for me to regard your beauty so close to the dresser. I never meant to make you feel... unsure of my intentions." Inam finished her statement just as she stood directly in front of Chamberlynn.
Chamberlynn blushed heavily as Inam encircled her, feeling the full weight of Inam beholding her being. Inam's gaze made her feel small yet awakened a sense of longing within her she had not felt in a long time. Chamberlynn slowly trailed her sight up to stare heavily into Inam's eyes. Along her visual journey she noticed how close Inam's dress clung to her body. It was a dress of lavender color and silken make showing an entrancing amount of Inam's skin along the stomach and bust. It was a dress that complemented her skin tone well and highlighted her vivid eyes. Chamerlynn's eyes eventually met the soft gaze of Inam own , causing her to fawn slightly.
"Lady Chamberlynn,,,.May I give you a hug? I always like to embrace the person I am spending time with in order to learn more about them?" Inam said in a gentle tone as she gazed deeply into Chamberlynn's eyes.
Chamberlynn said in a confused tone as if thinking out her response"Hug?...you want to hug...me?" Inam nodded in agreement and stood in a pose waiting to embrace. "I ..am not sure if that is a wise decision Inam. I am plagued by spirits who have cost me no end of grief and loss. Whenever I...allow myself to be close to someone they tend to move and bluster anything in my grasp. I would not wish for you to come to be harmed because of them….because of me…"
Inam smiled and in a soothing voice said "My lady I am aware of that which plagues you, I truly am. That being said I believe it was fated that you would have chosen me of all companions. As a sylph, members of my race have a connection and control of a small current of air, some stronger than others. I am able to control the air around me to mitigate your complication. So have no worry for my welfare. I would risk much more than a lost earring to hold you in my arms this day."