Note: The following chapter contains a non-explicit sex scene. Reader discretion advised.
The next few cycles were spent within the safety of the tent. With Grimm diligently working on the promised attire or vanishing elsewhere to prepare a room for the beginning of The Ritual, Dragoon was left to her own devices. Her body still aching from her exposure to The Burning Light she passed the time reading whatever stone or metal tablets she was given by Brumm or the Grimmkin, or meditating and slowly unwinding the tight knot that was the seal over her ability to breed.
It was a complicated thing, and a delicate process. The Soul Bearer sat in her room, on a large cushion as she focused her senses inwards on the seal, picking at and teasing away the strands of soul while taking care to not disturb the other seal. She could feel it, the block on her will, her power, it longed to be released.
But she ignored it, it was not time yet. As she worked, she sensed Grimm walk in and sit behind her, pulling her into his lap to nuzzle the top of her head.
He'd been very affectionate as of late, the link between them a near constant stream of warmth, love, desire, contentment that eased the countless moments where in her inexperience, she wound herself up into a worried, doubtful tizzy, a far cry from the calm she usually radiated. Having a mate, of being one half to a whole was both unsurprisingly normal and so startingly new to the drahka that Grimm was all too happy to prove his own devotion in a myriad of ways. From sharing meals together, to simply meditating alongside one another she was never tired of his company.
"How goes the unsealing?" Her mate asked.
"Well enough, I've made headway and should be done soon," she replied, happily basking in the heat he naturally generated. "And how are you?"
He rumbled a pleased growl, and she caught the smoky taste of his pheromones in the air. "Ready and waiting for our union Dearest, the stage is set, and we can begin once you are ready."
She nodded absentmindedly. It was noticeably easier to work on the seal with him in the same room, the threads almost unwinding themselves in response. The silence that followed was peaceful. She felt Grimm relax further, almost draping himself over her form as he started purring. A pleasant, deep rumbling that echoed the feeling of peace she could pick up from their bond.
She continued in her task with an almost clinical mindset, aware of what this would lead too, yet unable to picture it, to put the thought into words. She was admittedly, nervous, and working on removing the seal was a task she could focus on, to distract herself until she could work through her emotions properly. Grimm's purring was soothing, his warmth a grounding force and as the last strands unwound, the seal broke, and Dragoon heaved out a sigh.
She looked up at her mate, his head rested atop hers and his form curled against her to do so. His eyes were closed, and he appeared to be content to just hold her, purring up a storm as he did.
"Grimm?"
He cracked open a glowing red eye. "Yes, Dear One?"
She gestured at herself wordlessly as she got up and flew over to the doorway. Grimm nodded, clambering to his feet, and strode over to join her.
He paused as he stepped past her. "Are you certain? I will not pressure you into performing this first phase here and now."
She hovered up to be eye to eye with him and nuzzled the side of his face. She had her own worries, her own fears, but she was well aware they stemmed from inexperience and her own Flaws.
She rested a hand in his shoulder. "…I sometimes wish I were a normal bug, or that my Flaws were purely physical," she stated. "They are not, I balk at the idea of sharing a nest, but it is not a conscious reaction. I do want us to do this, a small part of me desires this even… I'm just different when compared to normal drahka."
Grimm nodded. "I have measures in place so you may rescind acceptance at any time. Remember, we must both be willing. There is no obligation, only what we choose to do."
"I can keep blathering on about my insecurities all cycle, but I do want this," Dragoon stressed. "Even if our firstborn wasn't tied to The Ritual, I'd still want us to cement our union."
"Then come, I will lead you to the space I've prepared for us." Grimm replied and exited the room.
Dragoon stepped past the closed curtain after her mate. The warm air of the closed-off room hit in her force the moment she stepped inside. Elegant runes adorned the curtained walls, a rich red cloth even brighter than what was normally found within the Troupe Master's tent. The air was heavy with pheromones, an underlying musk that she could taste and recognise as Grimm's own mark.
The room was dimly lit with candles placed in stands near the corners of the room, the red glow of nightmare essence did not cause her damaged vision any harm, but the darkened room was a welcome comfort in the wake of her impairment.
Fwoosh.
Two large torches blazed to life at the back wall, one burned with a red flame, the other white. She could see that a shorter, third torch rest between them unlit, and the light cast from the two claw-like braziers illuminated the stage her mate had spoken of.
A simple, raised slab took centre stage. Draped in black cloth adorned with more red runes adorning its surface, it bared resemblance to an altar and looked large enough for two bugs of Grimm's size to comfortably lie atop it.
Grimm stood off to the side, patiently watching her as she took everything in. She could feel herself growing warmer, her heart beating steady and loud in her carapace, and the familiar buzz of The Season trickled into her veins.
Taking wing, she hovered over to the runes stitched into one of the walls and examined them. They were simple despite the beautiful presentation, a mix of spells to promote breeding and several different failsafe spells and protective enchantments woven into the very room itself. A handful of newer runes caught her and she smiled fondly at the familiar sight of wards used in her homelands nest-sites to ensure both parties did not lose themselves to their instincts during the season.
With hemolymph thrumming through her veins and her thoughts starting to become foggy, she perched herself on the cloth covered altar. Despite the affects of the season, she found it a simple enough task to gather her soul and cast a spell upon herself.
She sucked in a breath at the rush of warmth and the pleasant sensation that rolled down her form as the spell made the necessary changes.
She cleared her throat awkwardly. "How are we going to…you know?"
Grimm chuckled, showing no outward sign that he was even in season himself. Were it not for the pheromones rolling off him in waves, Dragoon wouldn't be able to tell, for even the link between them remained silent. The higher being teleported over to her and picked her up and gently laid her on the altar.
Lying on her back was strange for the dragonfly, she felt vulnerable as her mate walked around the altar to stand by her abdominal segments.
"Dragoon, Dearest Drahka, worry not. We have all cycle," Grimm replied with a smile that was almost sinful. "We can take the time to get you truly ready."
The same burning intensity to his gaze was back in full force that was reflected in what he sent to her through their bond. Passion and desire glowed bright and warm through the two of them, Dragoon echoing his desires with the steadily growing flame of her own.
She took pride in the way her mate's breathing hitched, and his eyes glowed with want. Words didn't need to be said as Grimm carefully hopped up onto the altar, his cloak winding away from his body as he loomed over Dragoon.
She chanced a look down, only for her mate to tilt her head back up towards his face with a hand.
"Focus on the sensation, what you feel, our passion shall be the driving force in this dance." Grimm said softly. She nodded and Grimm smiled, desire giving way to gentle kindness in their bond.
"Ready?" he asked, adding a soft mental prod to draw her quickly scattering focus.
She took the time assess her own condition. She was teetering on the brink of being consumed by the desire to breed, an all-encompassing need that clouded the mind and dulled the ever-present pain she'd grown accustomed to over the last few cycles.
And she wanted more of this, to remain like this for as long as her body would allow. The opening on the underside of her last abdominal segment was practically yearning for an action to be taken.
She struggled to find the focus needed to speak through the haze of lust. "Y-yes."
And so, their dance began.
Dragoon felt him enter her slowly. Grimm hissed in pleasure as he did, maw twisted into an expression the dragonfly had never seen on him before. His heartbeat thrummed just as strongly as her own and she was overwhelmed with the just the feeling of him within her.
She could hear Grimm breathing harshly as he too adjusted. They remained still for a time, waiting for their individual passions to simmer down to a point where neither felt like they were going to lose control. When Grimm began to move, it was with purpose, with care, and she instinctively curled her abdomen up to meet his slow thrusts.
Their lovemaking was quiet, filled with passion that need not be spoken, and love that eventually spilled across their telepathic bond. Time held no meaning as Dragoon felt like she was going to melt, a steadily building heat that was leading up to something as her mate's breath grew ragged and his movements losing their gentle rhythm in favour of deeper, longer thrusts. It reached a crescendo when Grimm growled, going still as he reached his peak and she soon followed suit.
The world seemed to vanish for a moment. There was nothing but the buzzing in her mind, the hammering of her heart, and the bliss of their union.
The first of her sense to return was hearing, her ragged breathing mixed with that of her mate's. She blinked and looked up at him, he looked to be as unfocused as she felt, and the pair remained where they were, still joined at her abdomen.
Grimm rested his weight on his elbows and leaned down to nuzzle Dragoon's mandibles with his own maw.
"You did wonderfully," He praised. He sounded out of breath, but there was pride in his voice, nonetheless. "And now we wait."
"I feel unclean…" she admitted, face scrunching up in displeasure, and Grimm nodded in understanding.
"We can bathe after we-"
Fwoosh.
Both bugs were startled when the smaller torch at the back of the room burst to life, a bright red flame flickering merrily in its grasp. Grimm blinked and looked between the newly lit torch and the dragonfly still beneath him.
Dragoon's body was starting to return to some semblance of normal when her mate began purring loudly, a wide smile splitting his mask-like face. He extracted himself from her carefully and wrapped his cloak around himself once more.
"This phase of The Ritual is complete," He announced reverently, lifting her up into his arms, and cradling her against his chest. "…Thank you."
Everything about her felt feeble, weak as the desire to breed left her mind and her body cooled. She was too weary to comment more than a hum and sent back a dim sense of acceptance and pride through their bond.
Grimm laughed as he carried her out of the room. "I shall run you a bath, as promised."