The Ardor - 15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Feida had sent me to bed; something, my uncle had never done. I had offered to help her with her chores, but she had been unrelenting in this question.

“Someone who roves about at night has to rest during the Cycle. Especially, if he has just jumped off the chariot to the gods.”

She had been dead serious, but her eyes had carried mildness in them. If I ever had a mother, I’d have wanted her to be like Feida.

It was afternoon and I was lying in my room, watching the occasional bird flying past the window. Though I hadn’t slept much, I wasn’t tired at all. A funny thought occurred to me: I was out of jail, and still I was a prisoner. I chuckled. Through the door, I heard muffled voices. Maraki’s deep bass was unmistakable. Laughter came from the kitchen, followed by steps coming closer. I sat up in bed. The door opened and Maraki looked inside, bowing down to look past the frame. Humor played on his face.

“Greiff relieved me from field work for the rest of the Cycle.”

He entered and closed the door.

“He said something about putting the durability of the bed to the test.”

His features showed innocence, but his gaze betrayed him. He didn’t wear the harness and he had already washed; the latter, I noticed with regret. I patted the empty place by my side.

“If our host asks us to do so, we can’t say no, can we?”

He shook his head.

“Definitely not.”

Tilting his head in amusement, he walked over to the bed and lay down. The wooden frame of the bed moaned but not enough to be alarmed. He was lying diagonally and had to bend his knees a little just to fit in. Propped on his elbow, he looked at me; a subtle smile bent his lips upwards. I closed the distance between our faces and placed my mouth over his. My hands buried in his hair. I could smell the sun on his skin and feel the additional heat its rays had left there. I moved back. He had shut his eyes and was more relaxed than I had ever seen him.

“My Ardor won’t start for another two Units. I wouldn’t mind spending the time till then just doing this.”

With one hand, he pulled me close again. His tongue brushed over my lips and I welcomed it with my own. I let my fingers glide down his neck and over his shoulders. He sighed into my mouth. I continued my exploration following down his arms. I stopped short. My left hand felt a scar that hadn’t been there before. I broke our kiss.

“You have been injured? Your right arm…”

He opened his eyes.

“You know every mark on my body?”

His counter question resonated with endearment and surprise. I caressed the thin green line of almost healed flesh on his arm.

“I love you. I worry for you. Of course, I know when something has happened to you.”

His hand, which was still resting on the back of my head, guided me to his face. His lips devoured me, before he nestled his cheek up to mine. Rolling to the side, he freed his other arm, which he laid around me. I was resting on him now.

“Bear with me, please. I know that you love me, but I can’t believe it yet at times.”

I gave his arm a light squeeze.

“Believe it. It’s one of the few incontrovertible truths in this world.”

His hug tightened around me.

“So, what has happened with your arm?”

Though my voice was soft, it intruded into this moment. But I had to know.

“During our escape, a Grikkar cat was lured by your blood.”

His muscles strained on the last word. He was still feeling guilty.

“Tell me about our flight, please.”

He kissed my hair.

“Of course.”

I moved to get off him, but he held me in place.

“If you don’t mind, stay where you are. I want you to be as close as possible.”

Instead of answering, I put down my head on his shoulder. He took a deep breath and let go if it again, relishing in our nearness.

“For a Unit straight, I just ran. I was awaiting our captors to show up right behind us, but they didn’t come.”

His voice was sounding strange, for part of it came to me through his body. It was soothing like the crashing of the surf or the whispering of the wind in the trees.

“I went down on my knees by a small river, panting. In the light of the First Moon, I took care of your wound; cleaned it with water and bandaged it with a strip of the cloak.”

He paused for a couple of heartbeats and his embrace became closer.

“I begged A’ra’mai for forgiveness and prayed for your welfare. It had been I who had brought you to the verge of death.”

“That’s not true.”

I whispered into his neck.

“Feida says that what you gave me is merely a scratch.”

The shaking of his head rocked me with him.

“Don’t spare me.”

I raised my upper body until I could look into his eyes. Unsurprisingly, amber sorrow looked back at me.

“After our love-making, I felt weak, but it was a blissful fatigue, nothing more.”

Doubt consorted with grief in his gaze. I put both of my hands on his cheeks.

“Using magic, without instruction and without caution, drained me and, perhaps, almost killed me.”

My mind resisted the idea of having been close to death and didn’t allow it to be true.

“It was your care and will alone that brought me here. It has nothing to do with sparing you. It’s just a fact.”

Maraki wasn’t convinced yet, but his expression softened and the sadness was expelled by affection. I kissed him, letting my body continue the persuasion my words had begun. I let my head glide down on his shoulder again.

“What has happened then?”

Getting his thoughts off this topic for now would help his healing in the long run.

“After I had dressed you, I looked up at the stars for their guidance. The Mokarek Mountains were visible in the moonlight, so we had to be in the eastern parts of the Empire, close to the border of Nighholm. Heading east was our best chance.”

His hands had begun to fondle my back.

“I used the cover of the night as long as possible. When dawn came, I found us a small cave for refuge. I hadn’t seen a Nur’Zhul patrol till then, but the fire couldn’t have gone unnoticed.”

I answered his caresses by curling and uncurling my fingers on his skin.

“In the following night, we made it over the border and A’ra’mai had guarded us, for not a single Nur’Zhul soldier had crossed our path.”

That was bizarre to say the least. A secret installation of the Empire’s military burned down and still the region hadn’t been overrun by every available warrior to investigate. If the Nuzr was any indication of the quality of the Nur’Zhul army’s leadership, such inefficiency was definitely possible. They had been probably unaware of our escape at that time, but something felt wrong about this and I couldn’t put my finger on it. I kept this thoughts to myself, because it was as well possible that Maraki’s trust in the goddess A’ra’mai was justified.

“When we were a two Units walk beyond the border, I dared to rest and to change your bandages. The bleeding had almost stopped and only a few drops of blood had trickled into the cloth of the cloak. But it had been enough to stir the curiosity of the Grikkar cat.”

He rubbed his cheek against mine.

“It was a ferocious beast; two Steps in length and desperate to feed. It had sneaked upon us, and I noticed it in the last moment. It was already in mid-air when I grabbed you. A Fraction later, it landed where you had lain on the ground.”

I clung to Maraki, for my imagination provided vivid pictures of this scene.

“The Grikkar cat was mad, snarled and swiped its paw at us. I turned away to protect you. It caught my arm with a single claw, but it burned like the beast had cut it off completely. I stroke at it with my elbow and hit its nose, sending it flying back some Steps. I put you on the ground… not as gently as I should have… and draw the sword.”

Even when his life had been endangered, he had worried for me. A ball of warmness formed in my stomach.

“The cat jumped at us, but when it landed on the ground, its life had already left it. Its sacrifice wasn’t in vain, for its meat restored my strength.”

“You’ve eaten it?”

The muscles in his face moved. He was grinning.

“I’ve told you as warrior I’m not picky about my food.”

I was glad that I had been unconscious then. Just watching him stuffing the grilled cat into his mouth would’ve been enough to turn my guts. I hoped he had grilled it…

“To each his own.”

He chuckled.

“It tasted better than you may think.”

I shuddered and he snickered some more. When Maraki had calmed down, he continued in a serious tone.

“I was worried, because you hadn’t drunk for quite a while. I tried to give you at least a little water, but you coughed it out again. Your condition hadn’t changed. Reaching a city with a healer was paramount, but I hadn’t been to Nighholm before and didn’t know where to go. So, I just kept walking eastwards, carrying you in my arm. Each step brought more desperation.”

His voice echoed the grief he had been feeling. I ruffled his hair and he sighed.

“When it dawned for the second time since we had fled, all seemed forlorn, because the end of the forest wasn’t in sight. I rested you on the mossy undergrowth of a clearing and knelt by your side. I cried and I wasn’t ashamed of my tears.”

A lump had formed in my throat. However unwarranted my sentiment may have been, I felt responsible for his suffering. I kissed his neck and he snuggled up a little closer against me.

“This was how Silya found us. She and Greiff were looking for mushrooms in the woods. You know her: she didn’t stay by her father and roamed through the forest on her own. I heard her when she entered the clearing and turned around, hand on the sword. She was afraid, but that didn’t stop her from speaking. ‘Are you a Grundock?’ she asked.”

I had to laugh. That was absolutely Silya. Maraki joined my laughing.

“When I had told her that I wasn’t a Grundock, she came closer to take a look at you. ‘Your friend is ill. My Mimo always makes us well again when we’re ill.’ she said. I wondered about this little girl, who didn’t shy back like all humans do when they see me for the first time. Before I could answer her, Greiff appeared and he was in terror. ‘Don’t harm my daughter!’ he begged me. It was Silya who answered for me: ‘It’s ok, Dida. He’s no Grundock and his friend is ill.’ I assured him that I wouldn’t harm his offspring. In despair, I implored him to help us and to take us to the healer named Mimo.”

The shifting of his cheek told me that Maraki was smiling at this memory.

“Where he had been in fear moments before, he was laughing then and I didn’t understand. He told me that Mimo was Silya’s term of endearment for her mother, his wife, like Dida was her word for him. He mumbled something about Keldral and asked me to follow them. Somehow, I knew I could trust him and carried you to this house.”

You couldn’t distrust a member of the Carris family. I understood Maraki’s reaction all too well.

“Feida dropped her cooking spoon and Dunir hid behind her when I entered the kitchen. But when she saw you, she ordered me to put you in the guest room, all fear forgotten. I told her that I was responsible for the state you were in. She eyed me with suspicion, but after her examination her gaze softened. ‘It’s not your fault. Something else has taken his strength.’ she said, but I didn’t believe her.”

He took a deep breath.

“We ate breakfast together and I told them I was willing to pay for their help. They laughed and said that Keldral wouldn’t like that. But when they talked about the dead horse and their difficulties to get the land tilled, I offered them to help with the fields. This, they accepted. Moreover, I asked for a place to sleep, for I didn’t deserve to share a roof with you.”

His hand caressed the back of my head.

“The next Cycles were the most miserable in my life. Till you awakened and came for me.”

I lifted myself up to look into his face once more. There was nothing but happiness in it. I smiled at him and put my lips on his. After a tender kiss, I rose again.

“Thank you, for everything you have done for me.”

When he moved his lips to say something, I put my finger over his mouth.

“Just accept my gratitude. No talking back, no sorrow, no apology.”

He nodded and his eyes flowed over with glee.

“What was that idea of yours again for killing the time till your Ardor?”

I raised the right corner of my mouth. Instead of talking, he showed me.

A Unit or two didn’t mean much when I was with Maraki. Still lying on him, it came as a surprise when he broke our kiss.

“It’s time.”

A look into his eyes confirmed his words. The subtle red hue announcing the beginning Ardor was spreading in them.

“I can take care of it myself if you’re still feeling too wea…”

My glare had stopped him mid-sentence.

“The gods themselves have to intervene if I’m not to have sex with the one I love this Cycle.”

Despite the evil eye I was giving him and the harsh tone of my voice, his face had become joy itself. He reached for the rim of my shirt and untucked it from my pants. With gentle movements, he pulled it over my head and discarded it beside the bed. The heat of his ripped stomach engulfed my bare torso burning away any hard feelings that may have remained. When his hands followed down my back, they caused a wave of lust rippling through my body. I trembled at its sheer power. Maraki’s fingers didn’t stop at my trousers but glided further down inside of them. His mighty paws massaged my butt cheeks. I moaned out.

“Am I hurting you?”

“Don’t stop, please.”

I aspirated those words, opening the belt and the straps that held my pants. He slipped it off my ass. Struggling with my legs, I managed to get out of them without my hands. They fell off the bed. The bandage had replaced my underwear and, unfortunately, it wasn’t wise to remove it. But my dick was free and already rock hard. I buried my face in his chest and sucked at his rough skin, covering it with kisses. He let go off my butt and opened the leather straps of his own trousers. His right arm closed around me and held me secure when he sat up. With the other arm, he got rid of his pants and underwear. Freed from its restraint, his cock slapped against my ass and my back. He bent down and his mouth found mine. Our tongues engaged in a battle of passion. He penetrating me was out of question at the moment, but I had an idea. I slid down his legs a little more and guided his dick through my thighs. My right hand reached for the protruding part of his member and placed it in the crack of my butt as far as the cloth of the bandage allowed. Maraki groaned into my mouth and his tusks scrubbed over the skin of my face, making me shudder in ecstasy. I began to ride his cock in slow to and fro movements. Both of his arms pulled me tight and deeper into our kiss. I increased the pressure of my thighs together with the pace of my thrusts. Maraki’s frenzy commanded his tongue into a playful frisk, which took my breath away. My own dick was trapped between us and didn’t want to be anywhere else. A series of moans and the tensing of his body marked the beginning of his climax. The moans changed into feral roars before the searing spurts of his cum coursed down my back. Maraki was panting and rested his forehead against mine. His warm breath wafting over the sweat on my face made goose bumps appear all over my body. Faster than I could apprehend, I found myself lying on my back, Maraki towering above me. He lowered himself down on me and I was consumed by the heat of his body. He pecked my neck time and again, moving up towards my ear. He breathed into it and a shock of passion shot down my body, reflected back and forth, gaining in strength with each reflection.

“Now, I’ll take care of your Ardor.”

His breath carried those words deep into my heart and soul. He adjusted position, sliding down. He grabbed my cock.

“What are you…”

My question got lost in a muffled scream when Maraki guided my dick into his hole. I felt the softness of it gliding over my length. My body reared up, for it was overwhelmed by the intensity of those sensations. The heat inside of him surpassed everything I had experienced and the tightness around my member drowned me in entrancement. Stars were bursting before my eyes and I gasped for air. I had closed my eyes, but forced them open again. The massive shape of Maraki looming over me in combination with the ecstatic look on his face was more than I could bear. My loins convulsed when the fast rhythm of his movements pulled me over the edge. My mind shattered into thousands of shards. Each of them refracted my bliss till everything inside of me was filled with peace. Maraki’s lips closed over my mouth, his skin blazing on mine. I put my arms around him as far as I could reach and pressed him against me. I wanted this moment to never end.

Cuddled up against him, Maraki’s warmth surrounded me like a blanket. The peace hadn’t left me and coursed through my veins, almost tangibly. I stretched out my arm and put my fingertips against his. My hand looked tiny in comparison. A feeling of inadequacy stirred my tranquility.

“Did you feel me at all inside of you? I’m not built like an Ogrushkai…”

He imitated what I had done before and put his finger over my lips.

“First, it’s impossible not to feel when you’re one with the person you love.”

Slyness crept into his features.

“Second, you have exactly the right size for reaching my nuk’tanjar…”

He sought for a proper translation.

“… my knob of lust. A little more rubbing there and my snake would have spitted again.”

He snickered. I intertwined my fingers with his and kneaded his hand in gratitude.

“Let’s go for a walk, okay?”

Maraki’s face lit up.

“I’d love to.”

After we had dressed and had convinced Feida that I was strong enough for a little stroll, Maraki and I walked through the clear night. It was one of those nights between the seasons, cold and mild at the same time. He put his arm around me and my hand was resting on the small of his back. Words were not necessary and we just enjoyed each other. When we had walked for a Unit, I decided we had put enough distance between us and the Carris farm. The waning First Moon was still bright enough for what I was to show Maraki. I stopped and faced him.

“I have to make good on a promise I gave you.”

The bluish moonlight accentuated his puzzlement.

“Shame on me, but all your promises have been kept.”

I smiled.

“When we spoke about my… powers… I told you that there is one thing I can do at will.”

Now, he remembered.

“You wanted to show me when we’re out of prison.”

“And we are out of prison.”

I raised my right hand, palm facing upwards. My mind reached out for the place that wasn’t part of this world and summoned what was hidden there. Even in the darkness of the night, the flickering could be seen. It solidified into a shape: a star-like wickerwork made of gold with an elaborately cut ruby in its center.

The Mogul Emperor’s trinket.

Maraki’s eyes widened in amazement when he realized what I was holding in my hand.

“I can send things to a place, another realm, where no one can find them. And I can retrieve them from there. There’re limitations: it must fit into my hand and there can only be one thing inside.”

I chuckled.

“But still, it’s quite handy when you’re a thief.”

“Send it back. They’ll sense it!”

I looked into his eyes. He was terrified and rightly so. I concentrated and the weight in my hand vanished.

“I’m sorry.”

Before he said another word, he hugged me.

“You did nothing wrong and I thank you for trusting me with this. But promise me to keep the trinket where it is now.”

I nestled my cheek against his stomach.

“I promise.”

***

The Mogul Emperor opened his eyes, hovering in the center of his meditation chamber. For some Fractions, he had heard the Key, had listened to its extraordinary melody.

Nanesh Ral’s body dissolved and reformed in the chamber of his scryers. The room was bare of any decoration and furniture except for the brazier from which the smoke of Soothsaying Wood rose. Six persons sat around it, nude and grotesquely deformed. Their skin was white as if no sunray had ever touched it. It was impossible to tell whether they were male or female. Swaying from side to side, they mumbled under their breath.

“We have heard the song of the Key. You, that you are my eyes and my ears, have you discerned it as well?”

“Our..”

“…minds…”

“…have felt…”

“…what…”

“…you…”

“… felt.”

“Have you seen its whereabouts? From where is its voice reaching us?”

“Its…”

“…place…”

“…remains…”

“…a secret…”

“…for…”

“…us.”

All six of them gasped for air.

“Too…”

“…short…”

“…it…”

“…was heard…”

“…in our…”

“…minds.”

Their swaying stopped.

“On this…”

“…continent…”

“…it appeared…”

“…more…”

“…we cannot…”

“…say.”

The scryers moaned out in unison.

“The secrets of the Taker are deeper than we have expected. His ways are too confusing to be fathomed. We have to wait till he leads our trusted servant to what we desire.”

The Mogul Emperor faced an emotion he hadn’t felt for a very long time: apprehension.