Wishful Thinking
Just like that and without warning, the labyrinth simply vanished from around Ariadne.
She stopped, standing in the middle of a wide passageway, and suddenly wondered what it was that she'd been running from. She could hardly even remember, and when she did . . . I was imagining it. How had she ever thought the things she'd seen were real! It seemed so clear now. Of course it hadn't been real! She—
Looked down at her hand. Her eyes widened and she raised the hand to examine it. On her forefinger, just at the root or whatever it was called, there was a faint cut, reddened but not deep enough to bleed. She frowned. The shard of glass. But no, she had only imagined it. Hadn't she?
Yes, she decided. She had. And she'd probably acquired the cut when she'd fallen through the trapdoor. That was the most reasonable explanation.
As to what had made her imagine the labyrinth, and the horrors she had encountered at the center of it . . . she had no explanation for that. She had not slept or dreamed, so maybe she had simply temporarily lost her mind? But even that explanation left her dissatisfied.
There was only one logical explanation left. Magic. No kind of magic she was familiar with, but the Dwemer or Ayleid or whoever had built this place must have known plenty of things they had taken with them when they'd gone. Somehow they had cursed this place to make people hallucinate, some sort of ominously persistent illusion magic. But after thousands of years? Yes, though it seemed crazy to think about, somehow that was possible and explained the madness she had encountered.
But Ariadne was done being played! Clearly she had let her guard down and that's why the magic was working. But she was on to the place! She'd be fooled no longer.
So, with the firm intention of closing her mind to any attempt at manipulation, she cautiously started walking down the hallway.
Erik jolted awake. For a second or two he was disoriented as to where he was. The ruin. Somehow he had managed to relocate from the . . . the . . .
Then he remembered the dream. So odd, so vivid. So disturbing! How had he fallen asleep? And on the other hand, how had he woken up here? The hallway he'd last seen was gone, and he was at an octagonal cross-section with doors on four sides. Had he been sleepwalking? And in fact, at what part of what he could remember for the past hour or so had he still been awake? When had he fallen asleep? When the lights had gone out? Had everything since been a dream?
He rubbed at his face. What he'd experienced had not felt like a dream! More like some kind of hallucination, although he'd only had those once during a youthful experiment with skooma, after which he'd foresworn the poison for life. Had he been drugged somehow?
He eyed the doors suspiciously. So far it seemed there was no trusting this place. Trapdoors, self-darkening hallways, secret passageways leading to hallucinatory nightmares . . . who knew what other nasty surprises the place had in store.
This certainly was no ordinary ruin, that was for sure. Is that why that kid Calisto was so eager to get here? Was this all the result of some eldritch forgotten magic that he was after? The prospect was chilling. If a person got the ability to cast others into waking nightmares, what terrible things might it be possible to do with such power! Erik felt an urgent need to do whatever he could to keep anything like that from happening. He would not wish what he'd just gone through to befall his gravest enemy. But what could he do?
Well, he would do no good sulking here, that was for sure. So obviously he'd need to choose one of the doors.
Scratching his head, he scrutinized each in turn. All identical, no reason to pick one in favor of another based on appearance. Oh, if only he possessed a strong intuition like some people boasted of! Wouldn't something like that make choices much easier? You wouldn't have to think things through as much, just go with your gut.
Gut. Without thinking he placed his hand over his belly. The pain, dream or no dream, of the blade piercing had been sickeningly real in its intensity. While he'd never experienced such a thing, he imagined that it was exactly how it would feel. How could dreams do that, give you realistic sensations you've never actually had in real life? Erik dreamed of flying at times, and could bring to mind the feeling he always had in those dreams. He was willing to bet that that's how flying would feel too, if you could somehow do it. Why weren't there spells like that? Not that he knew magic anyway . . .
Okay, I'm getting off track. Focus. It was the decision, or trying to put it off, he figured, which made him blather to himself.
Erik puffed out his cheeks. "Okay," he told himself. "It's only doors, for crying out loud, just pick one, man!"
Then he realized he was really horny. Now, that seemed maybe just a bit out of place and random, but there it was. It occurred to him that it was all the death he had witnessed in his hallucination. Not because he found any erotic appeal in death, but because that's how people worked. Like in wartime, people tended to procreate like mad. Something about the proximity of death did it. Death begets birth, I guess.
But it wasn't procreation he was interested in, oh no. What he would have liked right now was to feel the soft skin of a lady in his hands. The sounds, the tastes, the sounds of pleasure a woman made when you knew what to do. Those were the things he suddenly got a fierce hankering for. If he died here, he would never experience those again!
The sweet face of Ariela flashed in his mind. Oh, how he would like to close her into an embrace right now. Tell her exactly how he felt! How he wanted to kiss her unassuming little lips. How he wanted to make love to her so as to put all those worries and thoughts out of her mind for a while. Those thoughts gave him a pang. Should doing such a thing turn out to be impossible now, he would never forgive himself. Well, at least as long, or as short, as he lived.
If it's up to me, I will damn well do my best so it won't come to that!
With a sharp inhale, he decided to stop mucking about. Call it intuition or call it just a random guess, but he chose a door and made for it. There was nothing to it, just open it and look in, nothing to it at all.
And yet, as he arrived at the door with his arm already reached out, he stopped. What if it turned out to be yet another trap? This time possibly deadly?
Oh, for crying . . .
Runa found herself staggering across a long hallway. How long had she been wandering? Only conscious enough to keep on her feet and moving, as though sleepwalking without dreams.
Dreams . . .
But she had been dreaming, right?
She stopped, giving her head a vigorous shake. Slapped herself. C'mon, lass, return to the real world. You were temporarily cursed or something! But it's gone now—time to think!
At a flash of memory returning the gruesome images of slaughter, Runa suppressed a retch. What kind of a fucked-up spell was I under?
Years of hard work suppressing memories she'd had no intention of revisiting, and a stroll down this goddamned tomb just rooted them out like yesterday's trash. Now that was just rude! Who the hell was doing it? What was going on here, no ruin she'd ever visited before reached into your head and showed you what you'd rather not have seen!
And the memories hadn't even been accurate. She'd never talked to the assassin. Seen, yes, but for little more than a glimpse. And she was almost sure that the assassin had not had a pair of glowing eyes in reality, that was just some after-the-fact flourish. Her own fevered imagination.
"If you think," she cried at no-one and anyone listening, then had to pause as another wave of nausea passed. "You think that you can mess with the head of Runa Fair-Shield, you got another thing comin'! Only I mess with my head, y'hear!"
Only at there being no reply did she realize that she had been half-expecting one. She gave a groan. "Yup, totally losing it," she muttered. "Well, sanity, it was nice knowing you." Wondering if she actually ever had been sane. Who knows, I might even like it in Sheogorath's realm. Could be he's just my kinda fella.
Shaking her head, Runa sharpened her step and continued down the passage. Surely there was a way out. And not the head-chopped-lights-out kind of out, either.
Damn. I could really go for some company right about now.
Ariela was suddenly growing nervous again. The passage had been gently sloping for what felt like forever, and now it terminated at a door waiting behind a sharp turn. She stood in front, somehow not knowing how to proceed.
Only one way to go, and yet she balked! But it was almost as if the atypical calm that had descended on her earlier was wearing off. Like it had been some kind of spell and nothing more.
It wasn't quite true, though. She still felt the absence of the self-deprecating thoughts that had been plaguing her. Like that part of her was denied purchase in these hallways. It made no sense, but then she was starting to be at peace with things defying logic here. And for one she had no complaints about being free of that darkness for the time being.
She was still nervous though. Oh, how she longed to see the friendly face of Erik again! There was something nearly magical about the man that settled her nerves when he was near. A genuine goodness which in her experience was by no means omnipresent in people, particularly among the people of violence. Runa was kind, but where her presence was prickly and sharp, Erik's was like the first warm sunshine of spring-winter. It made her feel all fuzzy in her belly.
A bit lower than her belly, too . . .
Encouraged by the prospect of finding the man, propelled by the desperate need for doing so, she opened the door.
She had been guarding her mind so jealously that when Ariadne saw movement ahead she first dismissed it as another hallucination trying to come through. But no, this one wasn't a hallucination, she realized as she came to a stop.
It was Fair-Shield.
Not the person I was first hoping to run into, she thought, half-wondering who was.
Still, it was nice to see someone!
"Runa!" she cried, with perhaps just a little too much enthusiasm for comfort.
"Well, I'll say," said Runa as she approached. Had the woman always had such a staggery gait? "What's a pretty girl like you doing in a place like this?"
Ariadne shook her head. No, she didn't even mind it this time. "Up until now," she said, "I was enjoying the absence of ugly old cows. But guess it had to end eventually." She realized she was grinning.
As was Runa, stopping in front of Ariadne and eyeing her up and down.
"Stop eating me up with your eyes!"
Runa shrugged. "The old cow can't help herself, now can she," she said, "with such a lovely patch of green grass in front of her." She licked her lips.
Ariadne shook her head.
Shoving the last apprehensive thought from his mind, Erik reached out a decisive hand to open the door. But he was too late, as the door opened by itself.
And his mouth fell open at the sight awaiting him behind it.
"Ariela!"
The scholar looked no less surprised. "Erik!" she cried. And she had already dashed into his embrace. "Oh gods, Erik. I was just—"
"Hoping to see me?"
Ariela pulled back to regard him. With a hint of feigned indignation on her lovely features. "A bit over-confident, are we?"
Erik laughed. "No, what I mean is that was exactly what I was feeling. Wanting to see you. And here you are!" He regarded her. Even lovelier than he remembered. So endearingly earnest! He closed Ariela in a hearty embrace. "And, by the Nine, am I glad!"
There were no words to quantify how good Ariela felt in that tight embrace. By the way Erik smelled it was clear he hadn't bathed in a few days. But that smell, far from repulsive, made her knees feel all weak. Such a manly scent!
More important than that, his loving enthusiasm simply melted her heart. When was the last time any person had reacted to seeing her with such passion? Let alone a man like him, one she now desired with all her being.
A flash of worry. Would she be able to tell him? And worse, how would he react? Sure, he acted like he felt something for her. But for all she knew it was just him being the heartfelt man that he was. It was possible she regarded her as a sister and not at all that way . . .
You don't really believe that. It was true, she didn't. The signs were there. Even she could tell! She needed to do something. Say something.
"Erik," came out of her mouth. Even if she had no idea of what she was planning to follow it up with.
"I know," he said softly.
Then he was holding her gently by the shoulders and looking down at her with those kind eyes that made her belly flutter with a hundred eager butterflies. She'd have wished that moment could last forever if it wasn't for the fact that she could not wait for his next words. He knew?
"We should probably try to find our way out of here," Erik said.
Oh. "Yeah," Ariela managed, at length. The butterflies in her belly all crashed down without grace. "Of course. That's what I was going to say."
And at that, the moment died.
Surreptitiously, Runa gauged the shape of the mage's behind through her robes. No amount of cloth was enough to conceal the nice curve of it.
"Stop looking at my ass, Fair-Shield," Ariadne said.
"I'm not—"
"Don't even try. Just knock it off."
Runa grinned.
After a brief recap of their respective experiences—Runa was not about to go into details, and Ariadne had been rather tight-lipped herself—the two women had been in agreement that something wasn't quite right about this place, that it was clearly messing with their heads, and so trying to find the most direct way out with the promptest of schedules was the way to go. Of course, locating their comrades was ideally what they needed to do first.
Both objectives, sadly, seemed a lot easier proposed than realized.
Since it turned out that neither of them could say for sure how or when they had emerged in this particular passage, they'd figured that either way was just as likely or unlikely to lead out. They were now headed back toward where Runa had come from.
With one more glance, Runa then came abreast of Ariadne. Not a bad view abreast either, eh? "The damnedest thing about this place," she said, "is you never know what's real and what just a figment of your imagination."
Ariadne grunted absently.
"I mean, alright, a stretch of hallway like this I would never dream up so it must be real. But I have a feeling the moment we find a door we're potentially fucked."
Ariadne glanced at her but made no comment.
"So we better keep our wits about us, eh? If you start seeing things just holler and I'll slap you. Vice versa, of course."
Ariadne said nothing.
Runa grunted. "Scintillating company you are," she said. "Hey, that reminds me!"
Ariadne rolled her eyes with a little sigh. Fair-Shield really seemed incapable of keeping her big trap shut.
On one hand it was good, since it served as a distraction, albeit a grating one. And yet it also made it hard to focus on keeping her mind sufficiently bland, especially when the woman seemed to expect a reply now and then. But Ariadne could not risk blathering. She did not currently trust herself enough. She did not trust herself at all!
This is horrible! I've never felt this estranged from my own damned mind! Curse this place! Curse—
Uh oh. Better stop that immediately!
So unfair, turning her own mind against her like this! She did hate this place. Such an alien abomination carved from cold stone. It was difficult to imagine the Dwarves as anything but dour and emotionless, given how they'd made their surroundings so cold and uninviting. No beauty anywhere, far as she was concerned. How she longed for something familiar! Something other than stone and metal. And these endless hallways were driving her insane. She wished for a confined space, somewhere where she could gather herself for a while.
"Whoa, what's that!" Runa cried suddenly, a warding hand on Ariadne's chest. On her boob, to be exact.
Ariadne looked down at the hand, her eyes wide with indignation. She irritatedly swatted it off. "You've got some nerve—"
"Hush!" Runa was pointing straight ahead.
The irritated Ariadne followed the finger. Sure enough, there was some movement ahead. She narrowed her eyes, confused. "What the heck."
Some dozens of paces ahead, there was a squat figure ambling slowly toward them. A small humanoid shape, bipedal, the dull glimmer of which proved it to be made of metal.
Runa scowled, unsheathing her blades. Ariadne, conversely, did not sense any threat. But then again, perhaps that was a bad sign.
"Hold!" Runa yelled at it.
"What are you doing!" Ariadne demanded with a hiss.
Ahead, the figure stopped moving. If it made sense for an artificial creation to do so, it almost seemed as if it turned its attention to them.
"What are you?" Runa growled. Out of the corner of her mouth adding, "You are seeing it too aren't ya?"
"Yeah," Ariadne said. "Yeah, I'm seeing it. But I don't think—"
And the thing wheeled around and headed back the other way. Fast.
Runa shot Ariadne a look she did not particularly care for.
"Oh, no you don't," Ariadne said.
"C'mon!" Runa cried, dashing after the thing.
"Fuck's sake!" Ariadne hissed. Then she was running too.
Erik was beset by guilt. In retrospect, he had known that what Ariela was about to say had not been about finding their way out. There had been something else on her mind, but Erik had suddenly felt the need to divert her. Like he was not ready for whatever she was about to say. He had panicked.
He kept beating himself up about it, even as they silently slid down the corridor found behind the first door they had tried—or second if you counted the first one, which had been locked. Coward! That was the first and last and undeniably the most apt appellation to come to mind to pin on himself.
At least there was no denying that getting out of here was in their best interest. Still, the silence between them had stretched uncomfortably long and Erik felt the pressing need to re-establish connection. He could mend this.
"So," he said, hesitant, keeping his voice low. "What happened to you?"
"Not much anything, to tell you the truth. Me and Runa were separated and then . . . well, I pretty much walked down the hallway for what felt like eternity and then I found you."
Ariela's account made Erik at once relieved—over Ariela having avoided the nightmare visions the place had bestowed upon himself—and yet concerned. He frowned. "How did you two get separated?"
"It was so weird! A couple of those Spheres attacked us—"
"Really? Is Runa alright?"
"Yeah, the last I saw. Or heard. The wall somehow gave out from behind me when they attacked. But she was talking to me through the wall so I assume she was able to defeat them. Which is insane! Even one must be really hard to defeat."
"It's no walk in the park," Erik agreed. "Still, I wonder what became of her." He paused. "And Ariadne, of course."
Ariela's expression seemed to darken for just a second. "Yeah, both. I hope they're alright. How did you and Ariadne . . . eh, separate, then?"
Oh, you mean after we almost fucked? Erik felt a nasty jab of guilt but shoved it away. "It was weird. There was this loud noise and then things went black. Afterwards, she was just gone!"
Ariela frowned. "That is weird." She shook her head. "I'm pretty sure this place did all that on purpose. Separated us all."
"Why would it do that? How could it do that?"
Ariela shook her head. "This is no usual ruin. There's some force here that I don't think anyone's encountered before."
"It showed me things," Erik said.
"What things?"
"Horrible things." Erik did not particularly care to revisit them. "Like a waking nightmare."
"I heard screaming."
"Mine?"
"Could be. I think . . . I think it might have been all of you, in fact."
"So that would mean the others are alright."
She gave an undecipherable look. "I hope that you're right."
Erik shook his head. "What's the point of doing this? Is it trying to drive us insane? What ever happened to just trying to kill you?"
"There were the Spheres," Ariela pointed out.
"True. That's . . . comforting."
They shared a grin, albeit a sardonic one. Even that made Ariela's face lovely in Erik's eyes. How he wished they could be out of this depressing hallway, somewhere where they could rest awhile. Maybe for long enough to really speak his mind.
Still, no better place and time than here and now.
"Listen," he said.
"Wait!"
Frowning, Erik followed Ariela's gaze. Ahead, on their left-hand side there was an open door. He could swear it hadn't been there just a second ago! But then the tiredness and stress was probably just hampering the acuity of his senses.
They shared a look. "Was that there just . . ." Ariela said.
"I don't know," Erik admitted. He felt a chill. "This place gives me the creeps."
For some reason, that made Ariela smile.
"What?" asked Erik with a frown.
"I don't know," Ariela said. "for a moment you just looked so . . ." Adorable was probably just the correct word. Another one sprang to mind as well, a naughty one. One also ending -able but starting with an F. She nearly blushed just thinking about it. But there was something about that look of worry on otherwise such solid and strong features that made just the right kind of contrast. She shrugged. "I don't know."
Erik nodded, weary. Gave an uncertain smile. "Well, I still don't know whether or not to trust this place."
There it was again. Ariela smiled but then suppressed it. She didn't want to confuse the man any further.
Admitted, she had felt a little snubbed by his abrupt change of subject earlier. They could have had a moment there, and she sensed that he knew that too. There was a good chance she was reading into it too much as she was wont to do, but could not shake the feeling that Erik was nervous about what they both now probably knew was going on in each of their heads. But how could she hold it against him? If anything, when she thought of it, she was sort of glad that he shared her shyness about it. It was adorable in its way. And yet, one of them needed to be the strong one. How ironic if it should turn out to be her! Seems very ill-fitting somehow, but . . .
This, however, was not the moment. Despite Erik's apprehension, to Ariela that open door posed no threat. To her, it felt like an invitation.
She smiled.
Rounding a corner, they came to a stop. Ariadne just evaded Runa's inappropriately aimed warding hand. The Nord nodded pointlessly at the door, which stood ajar at the end of the hallway.
"Yes, I can see that!"
"Shhht!"
Ariadne glared, but kept quiet.
"I smell a trap," Runa said.
"I smell something different," Ariadne muttered. "Do you ever bathe?"
Runa snorted. "Cute. But hardly the time. Come on, and better ready a spell or something."
Ariadne halted the other woman. "Wait, if its's a trap shouldn't we instead, I don't know, not walk right into it?"
"Any other way you suggest we go?"
Ariadne worked her mouth. "Aye. You've got a point."
"Of course I do. Now, follow me and quit blathering."
With a roll of her eyes, Ariadne followed, fireball spell ready to go.
Runa scowled with disappointment. The room was empty.
Well, empty save for the furniture, which was nothing special. A couple of wooden tables with chairs to match, wooden shelves, some books on them—
Nothing special?
Wait, what? It took a moment before the cause for the unclear feeling off oddness became clarified. The room was exactly like something you'd see in an average Skyrim residence. But not an ancient ruin.
Ariadne was staring at it, too, baffled.
"Well," Runa said. "This is different."
Ariadne said nothing. Her bafflement seemed to have some extra layer, which Runa couldn't quite figure out. She walked over to a shelf to touch it, as if to ascertain it was really there.
"Another illusion?"
"Feels real," Ariadne said absently.
"Yeah, well, I felt plenty real when . . . er, you know."
Ariadne glanced about. "Where did that . . . thing go? Whatever it was."
"Behind that door maybe?" A wooden double door on the furthermost wall. "If indeed it was ever there in the first place."
Ariadne, her lips drawn to a tight line, clenched one big hand into a fist. "I don't like this."
Runa grinned.
"What?"
"You really are cute when—"
"Shut it! Or I won't guarantee the consequences." Ariadne made her way to the closed door. "Let's get this over with."
But it was locked. Ariadne, with a sigh of frustration, faced Runa. "Step back a while, why don't you?" she said.
"Huh?"
And Ariadne leapt back with a growl, then volleyed a flaming ball at the door.
A deafening explosion, a heatwave that near knocked Runa off her feet. Ariadne just stood there, her robes fluttering with the pressure.
But the door stood unharmed.
Ariadne scowled. "That's odd."
Then the other door, the one they'd entered through, slammed shut behind them.
Erik found it odd how chipper Ariela seemed. As they approached the door, she was grinning as though knowing that behind it awaited a pleasant surprise. Erik was rather confident that would not be the case.
In fact, the usually so nervous scholar's sudden nonchalance made his own anxiousness seemed ridiculous. After all, he was supposed to be the fearless warrior here!
Well, the first thing he could do was to stop balking and just say how he felt. And there was no better time and place than here and now.
Then his dastardly memory threw an image of his near-kiss with Ariadne. He had been overcome by lust, but that was no excuse. He'd have to face up to it, or he would not be able to live with himself.
Just at the door, he drew to an abrupt stop.
"What's wrong?" asked the frowning Ariela.
Erik hesitated. How to say it? "I almost," he began. But closed his mouth. That eagerness on her face, how he adored it! Would he have the heart to risk breaking it?
No, he realized. He didn't. Besides, what would have been the point?
Sometimes the truth gained you nothing.
Spells, kicks, sword-blows, screams, and hissed curses had all proved equally impotent against the each of the wooden doors. Which, of course, flew right in the face of any type of reason. Wood typically had poor resistance against brute force. But by now almost nothing surprised Runa. Clearly this place was out to get them. And she suspected it would get its way, too.
Not quite the way she'd expected to die, but then that was to be expected. At least the company was a lot prettier than she'd expected, if that was some sort of victory. Sadly, however, physical comfort seemed a most unlikely prospect.
"I'm starting to think", she said, "that coming this way was some sort of mistake."
"You think?" Ariadne's glare was fierce enough to make Runa flinch.
"You gotta admit the scholar was persistent."
Runa flinched again at Ariadne's aggressively waving hand, half-expecting a projectile. "Should have let the runt come here alone!" she hissed.
"Shit's in the breeches," Runa said, letting her eye wander around the room. "Now we just gotta figure out a way to scoop it out."
Ariadne rubbed at her temples. "Main thing is trying to keep it out of our heads. I've no intention to let it throw me into another nightmare."
"Aye," Runa agreed with a drawl. "Caution is good. But we have to think this through." She tried massaging some heat into her arms. "Wouldn't mind it if it was a bit less freezing in here."
A second later the women's eyes met, and Runa knew Ariadne's bewilderment to reflect her own.
"Did it just . . . ?"
"Yuh huh," Runa said.
"Did you—? What did you—?"
"I just . . . said it."
There was no denying it. The room was suddenly a lot warmer.
"Oh no," Ariadne groaned. "It's doing it again. Better blank out your mind, Fair-Shield."
Runa chewed at her lip. "I dunno," she mused.
Ariadne's look was severe. "Do not—"
Runa tipped her head back and called, "Why, I could sure use a drink about now!"
Ariadne's mouth fell as her eyes darted just past Runa. "No," she grated, incredulous.
Runa swung to look and grinned. "Well, I'll be damned. It worked!" On the table there was a bottle. Red wine, from the looks of it. She regarded Ariadne happily. "It ain't all bad, is it?" And then went for the bottle.
"Don't touch it!" Ariadne warned.
But Runa was already scooping up the bottle. The lovely heavy weight of it made her mouth water.
"Put it back, you crazy bitch! Do you want to get us killed?"
"Relax, it's just a bit of wine."
"We don't know what it is."
Runa held the bottle against the light. "Looks awfully familiar."
Ariadne groaned in frustration, hands around her head.
This was madness! Runa knew perfectly well what this place was capable of. And now, because of her personal weakness, she was going to put them both at risk.
Ariadne considered knocking the woman out.
Runa then gave a shrewd look.
"Oh no," Ariadne said. "Whatever it is."
Runa held up the bottle. "This is nice and all," she hollered, "but not exactly enough, now is it?"
Ariadne let out a shriek at the sudden crashing sound to their right. The front panel at the bottom of a shelf there suddenly gave out and at least a couple dozen wine bottles similar to the one Fair-Shield was holding came rolling onto the floor.
Runa barked out a laugh of enthusiasm. "Shor's balls, it worked!"
Before the woman could do anything more, Ariadne raised warding hands. "Stop, stop! Whatever you're doing!"
Runa shrugged. "Seems to be working in our favor now," she said. "Hey, about those doors."
"No!" Ariadne cried. "That's what I mean. It may seem like a good idea. But can you honestly say you trust this place?"
Runa shook the bottle in her hand and motioned the others. "I'm starting to warm up to it."
"Don't you understand, this could be one of its tricks!"
Runa considered. "Aye," she admitted. "But why?"
"Why put us though nightmares?"
"Fair point."
"Look, what I'm saying . . . " She wasn't honestly sure what she was saying. "We should think this through."
Runa considered. "Aye, alright. That's solid. We'll take a moment and think about it. What we should do."
"Thank you," Ariadne said, somewhat relieved. At least the woman could be reasoned with.
"Well," Runa then said. "I don't know about you but I always think better after a drink or ten."
And before Ariadne could stop her, she had pulled the stopper out with her teeth and taken the bottle to her lips for a long draught.
Fuck's sake!
"I almost," Erik said, but then suddenly fell silent.
"Almost what?" Ariela asked.
For a moment, Erik's visage was nearly grave. She felt a hint of worry, but that then melted away as his expression eased.
"Almost forgot how beautiful you were," he said.
Ariela found then that she couldn't say or think anything for a moment; just stupidly kept opening and closing her mouth. Like a fish.
A most beautiful fish, surely?
You've started it. It's now or never.
Erik reach out to grab her gently by the hips. "I hope you don't mind me saying that."
The wide-eyed scholar replied with as shake of her head.
"I've thought so from the very beginning." Erik said, quickly wondering if that was a lie or not. Probably not too big a one, at least. He brushed aside a strand of her hair over one eye, which just fell right back. "I think maybe you don't know it, so I thought perhaps I'd just better say it."
He nearly winced. Was that a really tacky thing to say?
Sheesh, how did he feel so awkward? It was far from usual.
"I could," Ariela croaked.
Erik smiled. "You could what?"
"I could . . . use a bath."
Really?
The moment comes that she'd been dreaming of, and that's what comes out of her mouth?
She could feel her face grow burning hot while bewilderment budded on Erik's face, digging burrows on his brow and around the eyes. But before Ariela had the chance to say something to save the moment—or blurt out something even dumber, more likely—his gaze flicked past her and then he was really looking confounded. "What?" he said.
"What?" Ariela asked, following his gaze. He was gaping into the room behind her.
And then she was gaping as well. "No. Can't be!"
Absently, Erik let go of her and waded through the door to ascertain the reality of what his eyes were telling him. Ariela followed with the same purpose. There was no denying it. It was real.
Erik stopped a few paces from the rounded stone basin filled with water. Steam rose into the chill air around. "It's a . . ."
"A bath," Ariela said.
He turned to regard her, incredulous. "How did you . . . ? I'm sure it wasn't there just a second ago."
Ariela shook her head slowly, likewise disbelieving. "It was as if . . . I wished it. And it came true." She laughed, half out of a growing suspicion she was losing her mind.
"How?" Erik asked.
"How did it show you things?" was all Ariela was able to offer. "Same thing I guess."
"But those were hallucinations," he said. "This." He went over to dip a finger in, then pulled it out wet to show her. "This is not."
"Can we be sure?" Ariela said.
Erik buried his face in his hands momentarily. Then seemed to gather himself. "In here I can't be certain of anything." He gave a nod. "But oddly enough, I think I'm getting used to it. I think I'm losing it."
With a smile, Ariela walked over. "You and I both, then."
"You really think," Erik said, "it made your . . . wish come true." His expression said that even the words offended him with their childishness.
Ariela shrugged. "Can't think of another explanation." He has that expression again. Gods, I can't take it anymore . . .
He frowned, looking anything but convinced. "Wish for something else?
And Ariela jumped him. Wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her lips against his. After a second he responded to the kiss, relaxing in her embrace. She felt such a glow being this close. Finally!
When she had told Runa that hers had been the first kiss she'd ever had, she hadn't really been kidding. But since that had hardly counted—strictly one-sided as it had been— and since to this day, she had yet to kiss a man, this was the first time in truth. And while it was a bit weird, it was also wonderful!
Maybe I died, and this is Aetherius. If, then let it be so!
After the initial surprise, Erik now felt a little awkward. Good too, without a doubt, feeling Ariela's softness pressed against his face, her slight body held firmly in his embrace. Getting hard.
But he'd always felt a little ambivalent about kissing. He enjoyed it, as evinced by the very concrete bodily reaction, but at the same time it was little weird swapping spit like this. Mouths all tangled together. So silly somehow. "What a weird thing to do," had been his exact words after his first kiss. Remembering that made his ears burn. But then he had been young and awkward.
Now you're just awkward. Better keep your mouth shut, just to be sure.
On the other hand he couldn't help thinking, should he be feeling more? He had no doubt that he wanted to be kissing Ariela, even more than he'd wanted to Ariadne. A lot more, in fact. And yet . . .
By the Nine, stop thinking already!
After a moment they pulled apart and stared at each other. Ariela was so cute, all flushed and breathy. He could have just . . . just . . . You want to fuck her brains out, just admit it! For some reason the thought had Runa's voice.
"Well," Ariela said.
"Well," replied Erik.
"I hope you didn't mind me doing that," Ariela said.
Erik gave a laugh. "No," he said. "Not at all." He quickly contemplated taking her hand to his front so see how little he minded. But luckily immediately thought better of it.
"I thought . . . maybe you wanted to, too."
"Yeah," Erik said. "I did. It was . . . nice." Nice?
Ariela smiled. "Very nice."
And they were kissing again.
After some more minutes of enjoying Erik's succulent lips—she had momentarily contemplated trying out with her tongue, but thought better of potentially embarrassing her inexperienced self—Ariela pulled back. She felt good, so relaxed, so relieved. So excited. Untrained that her eye might have been, she saw it clearly that Erik was hard. Over her! Part of her wanted to yank those trousers down for a closer look.
Instead, she regarded the water. "Well," she said. "It does look inviting . . ." She put a finger in for a little swirl. Perfect temperature.
Erik's brows rose. "You're serious?"
Ariela shrugged. "Why not?"
After some hesitation, Erik smiled. "Sure," he said. "Sure, why not."
This is madness, Erik though, even as he started to strip. Ariela watched, looking a little stunned, but saying nothing. It felt a little weird, taking off his clothes while she just stared. Somehow dirty, but mostly in a good way.
No doubt, getting naked and jumping into a bath that mightn't even have been there was mad alright. But he felt he had hesitated enough for a lifetime. If Ariela felt this was alright to do, he was going to trust her. Besides, there were far worse circumstances to die in, most of which he'd avoided many times. Time for something different, maybe.
As they say in Hammerfell: there's glory to the brave!
Ariela watched with mounting thrill as the man peeled off his clothes in front of her. First the armor. Then the boots. When the shirt came off her breath almost caught. His upper body was something a sculptor might have dreamed up, the way his perfectly proportioned musculature tapered down from broad shoulders down to firmly packed hips. Only the moderately profuse gingerish fur covering his stout chest and taut belly was something you didn't see on statues, but then it gave him an aspect of warmth, softened the otherwise almost frightful power of his form.
Erik was smiling, as if giving her a performance. He was. Ariella smiled back, shyly, while worrying slightly that she was ogling. Then, of course, she was. And that was alright.
There was some deep symbolism here, she was sure, but was too on edge to get a hold of it. She might think about it later. Hell, she might write poetry about it, even if she'd never done so before.
She'd never see a man get naked in front of her before, either. Seemed that she was experiencing several firsts and nearly shivered at the anticipation of how far things would go in that regard.
Despite herself, Ariela covered her moth with her hand as Erik dropped his breeches along with the undergarment. She could not help but to stare at his manhood, in a state she imagined to be half-hard. Another first, as she had never seen a man's equipment in real life before, not counting some quick flashes. They were strange but oddly appealing. Cute, somehow. His, she imagined, was a good size. At least she saw no reason to find it lacking. She would have even called it big.
Which, I'm reasonably sure, is not a disaster.
Once every stich lay on the floor at Erik's feet, he came to stand right in front of her. Ariela could feel the heat of him. It nearly made her shiver.
For that second, neither said a word. Ariela couldn't even have thought of one, at least one anywhere near appropriate. Then Erik glanced down at her, looking almost as if he would next start removing her clothes.
Instead he smiled and moved past her, stepping into the tub. "Aah," he said, settling in, "it is perfect!"
Ariela smiled, and yet she felt the jab of dread as she realized that now it was her turn.
Relaxedly grinning Erik glanced her up and down. "Planning to join me? Cause if you are, I recommend a lighter outfit."
Ariela blushed.
"I can look away," Erik said, turning his broad back on her. He had some hair there too. She didn't mind.
She felt so very small as she shed her robes, hoping Erik really would not look. She could not help being a little ashamed. Runa had been right to point out that she should eat more. Maybe then she would stop being cold all the time. She looked down on her skinniness with some distaste. A shapely goddess she was not. More like a skeleton wrapped tight in sun-bleached leather.
How could he possibly find this attractive!
But she put her doubt out of her mind. Were he to turn her down now, then she would simply accept it.
There was no palpable disgust in his eyes, at least, as she stepped in to sit next to him. In fact, he was smiling.
As did she. The water really was just right.
Erik had seen his share of naked women of more or less all body types. Granted, Runa had been right to point out that perhaps it would be in Ariela's best interest to eat a little more. She was verging on emaciated. But then her pronounced slightness was precisely on par with the rest of her. Gave Erik a warm feeling, making him want to wrap his arms gently around her and keep her safe. Made him feel big. Made him feel strong.
As was good. As was right.
He draped and arm on the tub's rim behind Ariela. She regarded him with big, earnest eyes.
"Hi," he said.
"Hi," she replied.
He leaned in to kiss her again, and she responded keenly.
As they were kissing, Erik laid a careful hand on her belly. She had both of her arms wrapped around him, one hand in his hair, the other caressing his back. He liked her touch, gentle but surprisingly firm. He slid his hand slowly upwards until it arrived, unhindered, on her breasts. They were so small they were barely there. He caressed one nipple with the tip of a forefinger and this drew out a little moan from her. Her breathing quickened.
Seeing that she seemed to have no problem with it, he liberally caressed each of her breasts in turn.
"That feels nice," Ariela said softly against his mouth. And so Erik carried on.
After a while he let his hand drop lower. Sliding past her belly. As his fingertips touched the edge of her bush, he stopped. He pulled back to regard her. "Have you . . . ever?"
Ariela shook her head shyly. "No," she whispered.
"Ah." Erik hesitated. Was about to raise his hand again.
But Ariela grabbed his wrist. Guiding his hand between her legs. "Please," she said. Then closed her eyes as he started to gingerly brush at her labia with his fingertips. He buried his face in her neck, kissing, with both lips and tongue. She whimpered softly.
At length he spread out the curtains to touch the inside of her slit. The moisture there wasn't just from the water. He slowly rubbed fingers up and down all along the length.
"How's this?" he asked, mouth close to her ear.
"It's . . . nice."
"Just nice?" He sought out the clitoris to tease it with one fingertip.
Ariela let out a whimpering sigh. "Don't stop, is what I'm saying."
Erik smiled. "Wouldn't dream of it." He moved his thumb on top of the clitoris and with his fore and middle finger toyed with the opening of her cunt.
"You can," Ariela breathed, "go in."
"Are you sure?"
She grabbed his wrist. Surprisingly hard. "Do it!"
With her brow creased, Ariela tried to relax as Erik's finger went in and out. Trying to understand this feeling. She'd had her own fingers there, of course. Often. But somehow the touch of another was a whole different experience. It felt good, but . . . it was like part of her was not quite sure what to make of it. Was it an unwelcome intrusion or a welcome one?
Welcome, she told herself. Really . . . fucking welcome!
Only then did she realize that she was just selfishly enjoying herself, or trying at any rate, while Erik was doing all the work. So she reached out between his legs, finding him very much hard. So at least I know he's enjoying himself, right?
He grunted softly by her ear as she grabbed him but said nothing. She took this as an encouragement and wrapped her hand around his girth as firmly as she dared. They were sensitive, she knew, but wasn't sure just how sensitive. At least he wasn't complaining.
She honestly didn't really know what to do, so she just sort of held onto it. She liked the way it filled her hand. So very soft to the touch, yet firm. Firm because of her! She carefully probed the topside with her fingertips, exploring the texture. A funny thing, really. She considered taking her other hand to his balls but was worried she would end up hurting him. Those were really sensitive, that much she knew.
She closed her eyes and focused again on the feeling between her legs. Erik had two fingers inside her now and it was starting to feel better as she relaxed into it. Her breathing was getting deeper and harder. He had thick fingers, somewhat coarse, but not unpleasantly so. She liked the sense of texture.
Erik's free hand was resting on her other shoulder. She took hold of it and directed it back to her nipples. He took the hint and caught one between his fingers. She gave a moan. "That's nice," she whispered. She tried to move her hand up and down on his organ in a way she imagined might feel good. She had no idea how it felt and Erik gave no indication. At least he wasn't complaining.
Ariela was then overcome by the desire to feel his lips against hers again, so she turned her head to get to them. As their mouths interlocked, she stuck out her tongue, and Erik responded.
At first she was a little weirded out by the slimy sensation, but soon it grew on her. The feeling of their tongues wrestling was uniquely intimate, making her feel heady. Headier, that was.
They kissed like that for who knew how long. Ariela felt as though she could have spent an eternity there.
It was Erik who finally broke off, pulling to look in her eyes, his fingers still inside. "Well," he said, seeming a little awkward.
"Well," Ariela breathed out, feeling hot all over.
"Shall I keep going?"
Ariela hadn't even though about it, she'd been too busy to just enjoying herself. "Are you uncomfortable?"
"What? Oh, no not at all."
But he failed to convince. Ariela gave him what felt like a blissful smile. "I do feel a lot cleaner already." Downright dirty is how I feel . . . but in the wholesomest way imaginable. So long she had anticipated a moment like this, partly anxious and apprehensive. Now that it had finally arrived, she found herself beset by a feral hunger. She craved more and she wanted it now!
A though occurred to her. Her smile quirked. "Perhaps a bed ," she pronounced the word emphatically, "would be nice."
Erik looked over behind them and snorted. "No, that was not there before."
Sure enough, at the other end of the room, now stood a bed. Looking exactly as Ariela had imagined in her mind.
They shared a look. then a grin.
"Shall we?" Erik asked.
Ariela licked her lips, replying with an eager nod.
Erik rose to his feet, the handsome erection rising out of the water stealing the attention. Ariela felt a pleasant wave of anticipation. Imagining taking it inside of her. There was a sudden pressing urge to grab it. Then he bent down to get his hands under Ariela and he lifted her.
"Oh!" She gave a little coquettish titter, feeling like someone else entirely, as Erik stepped out of the tub with her carried easily in his brawny arms.
Trailing water across the floor they approached the double bed.
"The sheets will get wet," Ariela heard herself say. Definitely the familiar Ariela, that.
Erik stopped to tilt one eyebrow at her.
"It doesn't matter," she said. Luckily her cheeks were unlikely to get any hotter to begin with.
Erik laid her down gently and she pulled him on top of her. As they continued kissing Ariela reached down to get two handfuls of his butt cheeks. Such delightful hunks of firm flesh they were. His manhood felt hot and so hard against her belly. She wanted it inside her, badly, but still found herself being too shy to ask. He would get there, she told herself, but felt impatient. In books the heroine, when in a situation like this, would sometimes help guide the man in with her hand. She was definitely too shy for that!
It had happened so fast, but now that they were here, Erik felt the pressing urge to just slip inside Ariela. But he found himself hesitating. What if she wasn't ready? The last thing he wanted to do was to shock her. In a bad way, that is.
Well, maybe they weren't in a hurry. More than anything, he wanted to make her feel good. He hadn't lain with a woman for her first time very often, but every time he felt some kind of pressure. The last thing he wanted to was to be looked back on as the underwhelming first time.
There was something else he could do to try and make her feel nice.
Moving down from her lips, Erik kissed at one cheek, the chin, the neck. With little nibbles of his lips he moved past her chest, stopping to give each of her nipples some attention, relishing her moans. Then he went on down across her belly, leaving his hands attending to the nipples. He kissed his way down one thigh, then back up across the inside.
He abandoned her right nipple to use that hand to push aside her bush. He had to admit to some surprise over how much hair she had down there. But it wouldn't be a problem. He moved the hair aside to reveal the pleasantly pink cunt, then gave her a brief look. Meeting those eyes, he saw a hint of apprehension. But not the bad sort. So, giving her a fond smile, he gave her slit a long, slow lick from bottom up. His hard-on had faltered just a little on his trek down, but that pleasantly tangy taste of salt, accompanied by her slightly surprised whimpering sigh, brough it back with a vengeance.
Keeping attention on her other nipple, Erik closed his eyes and savored Ariela's taste like the finest meal.
Again it took a while to quite get used to the feeling. It was new, as there was no way she could have reached all the way down there herself . . . And yet it held something of the familiar. As if she'd dreamed of it—certainly she might have—and had managed to imagine the sensation right.
It almost felt like she was dreaming now. But she wasn't. Yet she wished she would never wake up.
She closed her eyes, feeling his mouth hot on her, the firmness of his hold of her nipple just right. She used one hand to start softly brushing at the tip of other one, one hand in Erik's hair. She almost felt the urge to tear at his hair passionately like she'd read women do. But perhaps she wasn't feeling quite so . . . passionate. Which wasn't to say it didn't feel nice.
Oh, but what a depraved thing this was, to her sheltered, innocent mind. To have Erik's mouth this way on her . . . cunt. Yes, that was the word, cunt. Good word. Strong.
She was very much happy about having his mouth on her cunt, in fact. She could get used to the feeling. She was more than ready, indeed, to be less innocent. She liked feeling dirty.
Fuck prudishness! Ariela grabbed his hair just a little tighter. Gave a moan of just a little bit exaggeration. She was fairly sure men liked to hear women make such sounds. Felt good to make them, almost as if she could force herself to feel even better than she did. It almost kind of worked. So she gave another, spiking it with just the right kind of whimper. Pushed herself a little against his mouth.
The mouth felt better and better. Clearly he was good at this. Or so she imagined.
His stubbly beard was a little bit prickly but not unpleasantly so. For the most part. Ariela opened her eyes to get a look at him, most of his face obscured by her slightly raised, bony hips and the tuft of her bush. He kept working the fingers of his other hand to keep the hair out of the way. With a passing pang of shame, Ariela wondered if he thought she was too hairy. Gods, I hope the bath really did get me clean!
She closed her eyes again, pushing the shame away. Tried more of that moaning. Felt right.
She then gave a little gasp, one of exasperation, as Erik abruptly stopped.
Their eyes met.
"Is this alright?" he asked.
More than alright! "It's nice," Ariela said, nodding. "Is it . . . alright for you? Say yes, and please, please put your lovely mouth on my cunt again!
Erik smiled, the beard around that talented mouth of his a bit frothed by her juices. "I like your taste."
Ariela smiled. "Feel free to sample more."
Erik gave a little laugh and went back to work. Ariela gasped softly and laid her head back down to enjoy it. Without guilt, without shame.
For the most part.
"Y'know what doesn't make any sense?" Runa slurred, bottle sloshing as she waved it at Ariadne. She was well into her third one already. The woman could evidently take in obscene amounts of alcohol. Fitting, seeing how she was obscene in every other way as well.
"I don't know," Ariadne pronounced, with a roll of her eyes. "Anything that comes out of your mouth?"
Runa thought about it. Then gave what was either a grunt of laughter or a hiccup, quite possibly both. "Cute," she said. Then definitely gave a hiccup, verging on vomit. "But no. Fuckin' skeletons!"
"Skeletons?"
"Yeah! Y'know. The ones that, like." She teetered in place with her arms spread out by way of drunken pantomime. "Come at you and try t'kill you."
Ariadne briefly weighted the pros and cons of mentioning that this had never happened to her, erring on the side of the latter and keeping her mouth shut.
"I mean." Runa took another liberal draw, nearly emptying the bottle. "How in Oblivion do they even stay put together? They're just bone! How'r they s'posta be walkin' 'round and shit. Let alone fight you! I'm telling ya." She drained the last of the wine and chucked the bottle aside. "It's fuckin' weird! Guess if you believe that's possible." Hiccup. "You'll believe just about anything is possible."
Ariadne rubbed at her temples. Pondering once again if she should just knock the Nord out cold.
But then, from the looks of it, the woman was about to do it to herself soon enough.
She sighed. Briefly wondering what was going on with Erik and Ariela. Whatever it was, it couldn't have possibly been much worse than this.
Ariela kept moaning softly.
Erik kept his tongue working concentratedly. He used one hand to hold back the bush while he slowly worked two fingers of the other one back and forth inside Ariela. He loved those groans of pleasure of hers. She had her eyes closed and little creases around her eyes and on her brow. Her lips part way open. Breathing in little gasps. Gave him a happy glow seeing the pleasure on her.
If a man's worth something, his father had oft said in his later, better years, it's what good he can do for others. Words to live by.
Which wasn't to say Erik wasn't getting rather ready for the pleasure of his own. As nice as this is . . .
As nice as it was. But he just could not take it any longer.
Ariela was struck by a near desperate yearning as Erik, and with him this most delightful feeling, stopped. But this was soon replaced by eager anticipation as he came up to position himself above her. By the gleam of his eyes she knew what to expect next.
Still, she wanted to do something first. "Wait."
Erik frowned as she moved out from underneath him. "What . . . ?"
She placed a finger to his lips. "Shhh." And he let her push him onto his back.
She knew her smile was as much nervous as it was playful, but she did her best to emphasize the latter. Copying Erik's strategy, she started planting kisses down his body as she slowly sank in between his legs.
"You don't have to—"
"I want to!"
Erik knew what was best for him and tried to argue no more. He laid back with his eyes closed and a little smile playing about his lips.
Once reaching her destination, Ariela grabbed Erik's cock by the base. Gods, it was completely stiff! Such a drastic transformation these things made!
This was where she had to admit she hadn't an inkling of what she was doing. But she was determined not to let that get in her way. The foreskin was half-off the head of his . . . cock—yes that was another good, strong word—and she gingerly peeled it back rest of the way. Then she looked at it for a second, hesitating.
To the Void with it! Ariela kept examining Erik's face as she took the head entirely into her mouth. He still wore that little smile. The smile widened a touch as she started to work her tongue on the underside. He gave a little sound which might have been a hint of a moan. Encouraging enough.
Worried that Erik might open his eyes and make her feel self-conscious, she closed hers and did her best to suck his cock. Trying to emulate scenes from raunchy books she'd read. Thank goodness for books!
His cock was definitely big, she was convinced now, fully hard like this and with her trying to cram as much of it in her mouth as she could. She wasn't sure about what exactly to do, to focus on the head or to try and move it back and forth as deep as she could get it? She worried about gagging, so took it nice and slow. But was it too slow? What felt good for him? And why was he barely making any noise? Was it not good for him?
The books certainly do make this sound a lot easier than it is!
Erik thought he sensed some insecurity in Ariela. And who could blame her, she'd never done this before! So he thought to help her out a bit.
He gently grabbed her by the top of her head, affording her an encouraging smile as their eyes met. Then he raised her head enough so that only the head of his cock remained in her mouth. "Keep your lips tight. Maybe slightly less tight. Yes, that's good. Now." He moved her head up and down a few times, so that the cock moved back and forth to keep the stimulation on the more sensitive parts. "Like that." And he let go, letting her continue on her own.
He closed his eyes with a smile. The girl definitely was a fast learner. "That's good," he said. "That's nice." He met her eyes. "Thank you."
Ariela tried saying something around the cock, then looked embarrassed. Shut her eyes and continued.
Erik closed his eyes again as well. Truthfully, it was a little difficult to concentrate, given the circumstances. But he was enjoying himself. Granted the physical feeling alone wasn't super amazing, but the fact that Ariela was clearly doing her best made it so much better. He found her attitude greatly arousing. Her eagerness. Her earnestness. Her youth, he had to admit with just a little twinge of shame.
To encourage her, he started making slightly exaggerated, but not too exaggerated, noises. Adding little twitches and soft squirms of the hips, not all of them strictly fabricated. Anything to try and make her more comfortable.
As awkward as Ariela had felt in the beginning, like a fish out of water, she had quickly gotten into sucking Erik's cock. Even thinking of it in those terms, sucking cock, made her feel empowered somehow. Dirty in a powerful way. Something she'd never seen herself as. Ariela the Cocksucker.
The thought nearly made her giggle so she pushed it away.
His reactions had gotten better too. Those lovely moans, how she adored the sound of them! Cute little twitches. He was enjoying himself. Because she was sucking his cock! Made her feel proud. The spongy firm organ surprisingly pleasant in her mouth. She felt the urge to bite into it lightly but suppressed it. Maybe next time she would ask him if it was alright.
Mind if I chew you out a bit? She wanted to giggle again. Giddy.
Suddenly Erik grabbed her by the head and pulled it up. The cock made a wet popping sound as it fell out, glistening with Ariela's spit.
"Come here," Erik said hoarsely.
Like a dog after one commanded word of her master, Ariela clambered up to him. When they kissed, Erik felt a little cautious to her. As though apprehensive about tasting his own cock on her. Endearingly coy.
Then, in a manner very uncoy, he flipped Ariela onto her back.
Erik felt himself beset by animal lust. He was a predator and Ariela, so small and flushed beneath him, was his prey. His mouth already full of her flavor, he craved for more.
He placed himself in between her legs, spreading them out. With one hand he guided his cock to her cunt, the head in between her labia. He sought out her opening and poised it there. As their eyes met, there was something in her eyes spiking the lust. Fear. Gods help him, Erik found that arousing too!
"Are you ready?" he asked, as gently as he could muster.
Ariela nodded. "Be . . . careful."
Erik smiled. "Of course." While recognizing a part of himself that wanted to be nothing of the sort.
And then he slowly pushed himself inside Ariela.
Ariela gasped as Erik's cock slipped inside. Then he slowly pressed himself all the way in, and she moaned. Her entire body rigid. She could feel his strength as his hands clutched her arms. His weight as he leaned against her. Realizing she couldn't have hoped to stop him now even if she decided to fight him. If he'd been intent on not caring if she wanted it or not, that was. And as inappropriate, not to say unsettling, as the thought was, she still found herself greatly aroused by it.
It was okay. Because she knew Erik would never do anything to hurt her.
By now she was prepared to call his cock very big, the way it felt like it was filling her entirely. Splitting her right down the middle. He could hurt her like this. Badly. If he was of the mind.
But Erik would never hurt her. She was convinced of this. But then she barely knew him.
Part of her thought this was dangerous. Another part finding that thought so very exciting.
Stop thinking already!
She did. And she let herself slid into just feeling. It felt good. Of this, she was fairly sure. While also imagining that it would keep getting better.
It did. For the most part.
"People understand what they don't fear, y'see?"
Ariadne stared. "What?"
"It's like," Runa belched. "I think I've figured this place out."
"Uh-huh."
The Nord waved an empty bottle around. "It's all a test of some kind."
As is this, I'm sure. And I'm big enough to admit when I fail.
"Why, I don't know. But it's like . . . it want's t' show you."
"Show me what?"
"Hey, don't get mad at me. I ain't the one—" She belched again. "I ain't the one." Hiccup. "I . . . uh." She upended the bottle to shake out a few last drops. "Where was I, now?"
Ariadne rubbed at her brow. "Rambling, Fair-Shield. You were rambling. That's what you were doing. This whole fucking time!"
Runa studied her with her eyes narrowed. "I know how you see me."
Ariadne met those eyes, surprisingly sharp even when glazed over. "I believe it's plain to see."
Runa smirked. "You ain't half as clever as you think you are, you know."
"Oh? And I need you to tell me that?"
"You've closed yourself out."
"What that supposed to mean?",
"You're afraid. No, no. Don't bother denying it. Here we are." Runa gestured. "The place, it tries to help us out now, and you push it away. You're scared."
"Incredible," Ariadne muttered. "Haven't you been paying attention? This place, whatever it is, has been screwing with us from the first unfortunate moment we set foot here, and now that you've managed to squeeze some drink out of it it's suddenly our best friend? How," she demanded, "in the world have you managed to live this long with such idiocy fueling you!"
"C'mon," Runa said gently, trying to land her paw on Ariadne's thigh.
Which she slapped away, standing up. "No, I've had enough. Enough of you and this . . . death trap."
"It hasn't tried to kill us once."
"Oh yeah?" She thought back to her vision, her fight with "Calisto". She had imagined it, that much was true. Forget about that little scratch on her hand . . .
"Yeah," Runa said. "And take it from me. I was convinced that I was done for already. But it turned out to be a damn illusion."
Ariadne scowled. With the three empty wine bottles at her feet, Runa suddenly seemed awfully sober. How did she do that?
"Yeah, so y'see." Runa stood, remarkably steady. "We should go with it. See what it wants to show us. That's our way out."
Ariadne, devoid of a suitable response, simply shook her head.
"C'mon," Runa said. "Wish for something."
Ariadne scoffed. "What is this, a children's fairy tale now?"
"You're evading," Runa replied, in taunting sing-song.
Ariadne couldn't help a snort. "Shut up."
"Do it."
"I don't even . . ." This was stupid. "I can't."
"C'mon!" Runa pressed. "Sure you can. Just give it the old College of Winterhold try!"
Ariadne stared at the other woman, trying to make herself as hard as she could.
"I promise you," Runa said. "It'll be alright."
"How can you possibly promise me that?"
"Trust me." Runa tapped the side of her head with one finger. "Fueled by idiocy as I may be, but I've lived this long by not listening to my brain." She patted her belly. "But my gut."
Ariadne regarded her for a long moment. Then, despite herself, she snorted with a smirk. The woman had a strange knack for using her foolishness to disarm you. "Fool," she said.
"Ain't gonna argue with you there. But alive fool nonetheless. Tell you what, if you try it and regret it, I promise to—"
Before Runa could finish, Ariadne relented and let her mind go where it wanted. Opened herself up to wanting something.
The double doors, the ones that had proved resistant to magic force and screaming alike, then slammed open. And a figure stepped in.
Both women swung to stare, at first in shocked surprise, then just shocked shock.
"Well, well, well!" Calisto stood grinning in the doorway, his hands on his hips. "Who should it be but my favorite gal. And behold! You've made friends with my newest friend. Happy day! Perhaps we can all play together now."
"Him?" Runa waved a hand, looking at Ariadne with blaring incredulity. "You wished for him!?"
Ariadne shook her head, in shock. Her eyes wide on the smirking bastard. "No," she said. "No, I swear."
"I didn't mean wish for anything! "
Ariadne was sure that she hadn't. Hadn't she? She couldn't have! Couldn't'v she?
"What ever are you two on about?" Calisto asked.
"So . . . you see him too?"
Runa snarled, unsheathing her blades and making it look smooth and natural even with her inebriation. In fact, said inebriation seemed to show no sign anymore. "I sure do," she snarled.
Ariadne studied Calisto. Definitely looked like Calisto. That pretty face, those eyes which once sent flutters down her belly and now sent flutters down her belly but flutters of terror and hatred. Well, presently only terror. She was still shocked. Incredulous. Now she needed to find that hatred.
Calisto eyed Runa with something like amused pity. "Aw, there she is with her little knives again. Did you learn nothing from our previous scuffle?"
"Teach you a thing or two!" she cried as she sprang into motion.
Ariadne knew she should have tried to stop her from killing herself. Better yet, joined her in a co-effort to wipe that smug smirk off his face. Yet she found herself doing nothing, unless staring counted as something.
Calisto threw one hand out and Ariadne expected the Nord to be flung in the other direction. But then he immediately snatched the hand back and the opposite happened. Runa, with a yelp, was yanked off her feet and was then flying towards Calisto. He ducked down and waved the hand in the other direction, causing Runa to sail right over him and carry on to slam into the wall behind him.
Ariadne cringed at the sickening sound of the woman's impact with the wall. She had not flown slowly, and the wall being as solid as walls tended to be, there was quite a crash as she struck it. Blades clattered on the floor and right after them the woman thudded down on them, her head bouncing off the floor as she did, drawing another cringe from Ariadne. Then she was perfectly still.
Ariadne was fairly certain the Nord was dead. Who could survive that?
"Finally, just the two of us," Calisto said, regarding Ariadne with an unsettling sort of gentleness.
"You killed her!" Ariadne cried. And what do you know, she actually felt bad about it.
"Nah," said Calisto. "She'll be alright. Here." He waved a desultory hand in the direction of the heap of Nord and a golden light danced about it. "Just a little . . ." Then the light flickered out. "There, she'll be fine. But not about to bother us for a while." Before she could even think to ask, he smirked. "It's not because I care about her, if you're wondering. Not even a service to you. But I think I will prefer to have both of you alive for later." His grin made Ariadne sick to her stomach.
"What later?"
"Once I find what I came here for. Very soon. Now, where are the others?"
Ariadne ignored the question. Barely even heard it. For now she suddenly found what she had been looking for. Her hatred.
Heat budded at the top her skull and then traveled down her arms. Flames bloomed around her hands.
Calisto smirked at her. "Ahh. Perfect."
"You and me," Ariadne snarled, meeting his eyes squarely.
He gave a nod. "You and me. Like it was always meant to be." He motioned. "Well, sweetness. After you."
Ariadne charged.