Underneath the Crystal Moon
a/n: I do not own Labyrinth. The invocation given below is taken from a version of "The Great Rite Invocation" by Stewart and Janet Farrar. There are adult situations in this chapter.
Part Two: Damien
Chapter 10
The drink simmered in the large wooden tub, situated in the middle of the clearing. The heat came from some magically unseen source. The sun was setting behind the trees, casting the clearing and palace in shadows. The mixture had turned pink this morning, a sure sign it was ready to be consumed. A small number of nymphs, sprites, and dryads had all lent a hand in preparing and watching the potion over the last couple of days. It would taste like sweet fruits when they drink it.
Damien did not want to drink it. He would accept a glass of it, but he would find some poor, unsuspecting plant to pour it on. He definitely wanted his wits about him, especially after this morning, when he woke up to find one very small dryad ass grinding into his midsection, massaging his evident erection. That dryad turned him on so much he no longer knew what to do. He wanted her. Badly. But what did that make him? If she had been whole and pure, would he want her as bad? Did the darkest parts of him want her underneath of him simply for the pleasure, or did he want her for other reasons?
Those other reasons were bothering him too. He cared about her. They had spent every night since that first night back sleeping in the same bed. Every morning he awoke to find her resting peacefully in his arms. And every morning, he felt himself growing more and more used to the idea of waking up every morning with her there. Soon the bed would feel utterly empty without her. He was kidding himself if he thought he did not already feel that way. She made him smile like no one else could. She made him laugh, which was almost impossible. She made him feel like…like…
Loved. She makes me feel loved.
Damien stopped in his tracks and stared into the sky.
I love her. That capricious, impudent, little dryad. Sneaky little thing wormed her way in.
Damien shook his head and joined Xen by the potion area. She looked at him and smiled.
"All ready then?" Damien asked her.
"Yes. See? Here they come," Xen brushed off her tunic and pointed to the small crowds of dryads, sprites, and nymphs that were beginning to come into the clearing. They all wore very little, some were even already nude. Damien was not surprised. All of Xen's subjects would rather be nude than wear clothing. He supposed it brought them closer to nature. Xen moved away from him and towards the middle of a circle of rocks that would serve as the magic circle for the ritual. Her subjects eyed her with a combination of wariness and respect. They respected her, but were still a little wary of their queen.
"Tonight we have gathered to partake in an old ritual designed to bring young ones to our kingdom. The war left our kingdom devastated, and we are deeply concerned. So, we will all drink from the ritual potion, and then the males and the females will dance the mating dance," Xen moved to the middle of the circle, and lit a huge bonfire in the middle of it, "The trees know of our bonfire, and approve for the purpose of saving the rest of their kind. Our kingdom is dying. Without young ones, we will not survive many more years. So all of you, drink, then we will open the ritual"
The queen moved the wooden tub and took a cupful of the potion, being served by Lavina. Then she handed a cupful to Damien, who had stepped forward to accept it. The queen closed her eyes and drank deeply, at which time Damien took the opportunity to water the nearest bush with the potion. No one had seen him, for they were too busy drinking of their own cups. One by one they dropped the cups and moved to the circle. Damien sat down on a larger rock and watched Xen move to the middle, nearest to the fire. She unlaced her tunic and shucked it outside the circle. One by one, each subject followed until they were all naked. Xen raised her arms above her head and began to speak in her sweet voice:
"Assist me to erect the ancient altar
At which in days past all worshipped
The great altar of all things
For in times of old, female was the altar
Thus was the altar made and placed
And the sacred place was the point within the center of the circle
As we have of old been taught
That the point within the center is the origin of all things
Therefore should we adore it
Therefore whom we adore we also invoke
O circle of stars
Whereof our Lord is but the younger brother
Marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space
Before whom time is ashamed
The mind bewildered, and the understanding dark
Not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be love
Therefore by seed and root, and stem and bud
And leaf and flower and fruit, do we invoke thee
O Queen of Space, O Jewel of Light
Continuous One of the Heavens
Let it be ever thus
That male speak not of thee as One, but as None
And let them not speak of thee at all
Since thou art continuous
For thou art the point within the Circle, which we adore
The point of life without which we would not be
And in this way truly are erected the holy pillars
In beauty and in strength were they erected
To the wonder and glory of all
Altar of mysteries manifold, the sacred circle's secret point
Thus do I sign thee as old, with kisses of my lips anoint
Open for me the secret way, the pathway of intelligence
Beyond the gates of night and day, beyond the bounds of time and sense
Beyond the mysteries aright, the five true points of fellowship
Here where the Lance and Grail unite
And feet, and knees, and breast, and lip."
Xen lowered her arms and two old sprites began to play some old drums. Xen began to move first, swaying left and right. She let down her hair, the reddish gold curls shining brightly by the light of the fire. She crossed her legs and spun, and then clapped her hands above her head. Her breasts were shiny with sweat, and her eyes were brighter than usual. She started to move around the bonfire, crossing her legs over and over, spinning with her arms straight out. After one pass, the others joined her. They all joined hands and moved together for a few rotations, dancing faster and faster as the potion took effect. Then they broke apart, and danced individually. Damien had been holding his breath without even realizing it. Males and females started to move closer, eyeing each other speculatively and with desire in their eyes. Xen was still dancing by herself, and her hands moved over her body, not feeling the scars, but feeling the softness and the heat. Her hair had grown damp with the sweat, and her skin was flickering with the fire light. She looked as if she was trying to hold something off, she looked as if she was fighting with something inside herself, and she continued to dance while her subjects melted off in pairs, some not making it out of the circle, but mating right there by the fire.
When there was no one left, not even Lavina, Xen finally opened her eyes, and looked straight at Damien.
Damien, Xen thought with a low growl. He had not danced, but he had drunk the potion. As their eyes met she saw the desire in his eyes. The lust. The other things in his eyes had questions attached that she did not want to ask yet. All she knew was that she needed him. She wanted him and she needed him. She needed him inside her, needed him to mark her. She needed him to make her forget the pain. He would bring her pleasure. He would never hurt her that way. She walked purposefully towards him, and he stood. She put her slick hands on his chest and pushed Damien back down onto the rock he had been perched on.
Damien stared at her, and she only stared back for a minute before straddling his lap. His erection was growing in his breeches.
"I have wanted you since you first came here. I need you. I need you to forget. I need you to help me forget. I need you to fill me, mark me, make me yours. I choose you, Damien," Xen told him as she moved her hips. Damien groaned and grabbed her hair, not able to resist anymore. He slammed his lips onto hers, and kissed her roughly. She kissed him right back, slipping her soft tongue into his mouth. He bit her lower lip, and then moved his mouth down to her hot throat. He sucked on her skin until he found the exact right place. It was where her shoulder met her neck. The vein pulsed below the skin, and he bit down. The skin broke and Xen gasped in pain. Damien sucked the blood from her vein in a series of very small swallows, not wanting her to lose too much. He healed the wound partially with a whispered incantation. He wanted it to scar, wanted a mark of his on her. She wanted to belong to him, and now she always would, in some way.
When her skin had broke, Xen had gasped. As he sipped from her vein, she felt her heartbeat slow a little. The thought of her blood in his mouth filled her with an unknown lust. She was on fire in so many ways. When his mouth came up to meet hers, she tasted her own blood on his lips. She devoured his mouth as he held her. But she needed him now.
"Take off your clothes, Damien," Xen commanded. Damien blinked and they were gone. Xen pointed to a large tree nearby, "Over there"
Damien picked her up and carried her. Her legs were wrapped around his waist, but he would not allow her to impale herself on him yet.
"This is my tree," Xen said fondly, "Put me up against it"
"Why?"
"Just do it, trust me"
Damien was not one to argue. He braced her up against the trunk of the tree and kissed her again, more lovingly, but just as urgently. He moved his hips so he was aligned with Xen's tunnel, and then he entered her with one sharp, quick, thrust. Xen moaned and clung to him as he began to move. He was so big, and felt so good. She could hear her tree's approval in the back of her mind as he quickened his pace. She locked lips with him as he made love to her, bruising her mouth as her back was ground into the bark of the tree. Damien was kneading her ass as he held her there. Xen wanted to make this last, so she whispered into Damien's ear.
"Conjure a blanket," Xen commanded. One appeared almost as soon as she said that: a thick, dark blanket. Damien took that as his cue to remove her from the tree. He stepped back and went to lower Xen to the blanket.
"No, you lay down," Xen said. He knelt, still holding her on his rod, and then he laid down on the blanket. Xen began to move, riding him for all she was worth. It was sweet agony as she raked her nails down his chest and he lifted his hands to massage her breasts, pinching her dark nipples.
"Xen, god, Xen!" Damien cried hoarsely as she rode him. She could feel her climax start to build fast, a fire matching the one in the middle of the nearby circle. She moved her hips faster, and Damien was using his hips to match her own. Xen reached down and used a finger to tease the little pearl between her thighs, and soon felt herself tighten. She started to buck furiously, and felt everything explode. She could not hear or see anything. She could only feel pleasure. And as she came down she saw that Damien was about to experience the same thing. Xen pulled Damien up and wrapped her arms around him.
"Move with me," she whispered. And he did, rocking with her as she ground herself into him. He started to tense, and she knew he was not far away.
"I love you Damien," Xen breathed into his ear. This sent Damien over the edge, and he threw his head back as Xen felt him release into her. Her tree spoke to her in her mind just then.
"Congratulations, Queen of the Trees. The Goblin Prince hath seeded thee. Many more were conceived this night. You hath succeeded in your effort"
Xen passed out after she heard these words, collapsing against her love, and the father of her first child.