Emergence: Return of Magic book 1 (8 page)

He felt an explosion of magic next to him, as Bria shot two
balls of wind at those men.  The air was so dense he could visibly see it
as the world behind it warped.  The raiders were impacted in the side of
the head, and he heard their necks snap a second later as they were lifted and
thrown back.  Their cudgels still struck the wolves, but not nearly as
hard as they would have, and they wouldn’t get a second try.

He gripped his magic and sent out a thank you, deciding the
fleeing humans should be allowed to live, there were only a handful left
anyway.  The wolves howled, turned, and ran back into the forest.  He
wanted to start screaming at Arielle for being so reckless, she even had a
somewhat smug smile on her face at saving the human village, and forcing his
and Bria’s hand.

Of course, he couldn’t do that being surrounded like they
were by the townspeople.

Bria shot Arielle a venomous look, not at all happy about
being forced to act like that.  He looked around, and many of the humans
were staring at them with horror, and fear.  A few had even claimed the
cudgels of the fallen, and looked unsure if they were enemies or not.

He smiled tentatively, “We saw what was happening, and…
helped,” he finished awkwardly, not wanting to lie.  He hadn’t decided to
help after all.

The humans startled when Bria got off the horse and walked
toward the buildings that were on fire, two right next to each other.  He
watched, impressed, as she used her magic.  The fire
bent
towards
her, and then leaped out of the building to surround her in a ring of flame,
which shot up in a pillar as she redirected the fire to a place without fuel,
somewhere it would just… burn out.

The stream of flames from the buildings, around her, and
straight up lasted for a little less than a minute.  None of the humans
had said anything yet, and if anything looked even more afraid at Bria’s
display of power.  Maybe Bria had been right earlier about the fly by idea
being a bad one, he figured if a little fire magic freaked out the humans, the
big silver dragon would have scared the hell out of them.

Bria came back and got on her horse, “We just came to help,
we’ll be moving on now.”

With a glare at Arielle, she took off back to the little
road, that led to the big one.  None of the humans said anything, maybe
they were in shock?

He started off and Arielle rode next to him.

She whispered, “I’m sorry, I had to.”

He shook his head, angry despite his desire to hold her,
“Why?”

She had tears down her cheeks as she said, “I saw… in the
alley.  He… he slit a woman’s throat, after he… finished what he was doing
with her.  I… had to stop them from doing any more.”

He sighed, how could he mad at her now?

“It’s okay, you just did what all three of us wanted to
do.  But you might want to apologize to Bria, dragons are too stubborn to
enjoy being led into a battle against their will like that.”

She smiled tremulously at him, “You aren’t mad?”

He shook his head, “I can’t stay mad at you Arielle.  I
care about you too much.  If it helps, I was really pissed off about ten
minutes ago.”

She gaped at him.

He asked, “What?”

She tilted her head, “You care about me too much?”

He frowned, this was hardly the time, he should have guarded
his tongue better.  The truth had just flowed out due to his distracted
and worried thoughts.  She looked… really vulnerable, hopeful, and
painfully beautiful just then.  He could see her heart in her eyes, and
the surprise there, she’d had no idea apparently.

“Yes, I care about you very much.  I… love you.”

He winced, on the inside.  Nothing like a bloody battle
before declarations of love.  He was such an idiot.

She looked confused for a moment, and finally said, “I’ve
been too miserable to notice, I’m sorry.”

He shook his head, “Don’t be sorry, just tell me you feel
the same way.”

She smiled shyly, “Why don’t I tell you, and show you…
later, just how much I’ve longed to hear you say that.”

Bria snorted, “Should we camp now?  Otherwise the two
of you might explode.  I can smell you two shooting pheromones all the way
over here.”

Arielle blushed at that, but said, “That sounds like a
really good plan, but we might want to get a little distance from the town
first.  Bria, I’m sorry, I acted without thought…”

Bria waved her hand cutting her off, and turned to look back
at them, “I have good ears you know, I heard you explain why to your besotted,
so were good,” she growled, “Just don’t let it happen again.”

Arielle smiled in relief, “Are you sure?”

Bria nodded and said teasingly with a voice full of
innuendo, “Oh I’m quite sure priestess, he’s thoroughly besotted with you.”

Arielle blushed even brighter and Bria laughed a little
evilly, “Now were even.”

He was pretty sure the evil laughter was part of the joke…
mostly…  He also knew Bria was right, he was besotted and could hardly
take his eyes off of her the rest of the day.

They did wind up stopping a little early that night. 
He knew she was feeling a bit shy, but also bold at the same time.  After
they shared the meal, she blushed and took his hand, pulling him toward the
tent they shared.  Luckily, Bria had teased them enough, and let them go
without comment.

He was completely ensnared by her, and their first kiss was
better than he’d ever imagined it could be, and he’d thought about it a lot
over the last week.  When she removed her robes, her body was supple,
fair, without blemish, and ignited his desire.  Her breasts stood high,
and while not terribly large, they were perfectly proportioned on her willowy,
lithe body, and her tight pink nipples drew his attention, a sensual contrast
against her fair skin. 

He explored her, and there was nothing else in the world but
her in that moment.  He focused and took note at her reactions to every
tentative and bold exploration that he made with his hands and mouth.  She
kissed him passionately and explored his body in return.  She was open and
vulnerable to him, and didn’t suppress any of her reactions to his touch.

They both breathed heavily, their hands on each other’s most
intimate spots, stroking and caressing each other.  She was so responsive,
warm, and moist to every movement of his fingers, and he’d never felt anything
better than her light pleasurable touch on his most sensitive skin.

“Please, join with me my love,” she whispered in his ear,
her voice full of passionate need and surrender.

He laid her back and knelt between her legs, lowering
himself down, supported by his elbows he kissed her softly, but passionately,
as she reached down and lined him up.  He groaned into her mouth as he
felt manhood against her moist silken heaven.  He pushed forward, she was
so tight, but eventually took him in.  Then she surprised him, and wrapped
her legs around his waist, arched her back, and thrust herself up, impaling
herself on him.

They moved slowly at first… then fast, then slow again, only
to speed up.  It was as if they couldn’t quite make up their mind if they
were making love, or rutting.  Laying with her was better than he ever
imagined it could be, and he knew the love he had for the woman looking up at
him through sparkling, and loving blue eyes, was part of the reason for
that.  He was… lost in the pleasure of her, both flesh, and spirit, as
they became one, and rose together toward blissfully ecstatic completion.

When she came undone and tightened around his sex, he
followed immediately after.  The pleasure was rapturous, as his mind and
body endured the intense pleasure of filling her welcoming fluttering warmth.

She sighed in contentment when they came down, and he kissed
her softly.

Arielle said softly, “I love you Kurien Oakleaf.”

Kurien smiled, “I love you too, my Arielle.”

She grinned and said in a voice that was somehow both shy
and sultry, “We should do that again.”

He nodded, “We have centuries, but now seems like a good
time.”

She raised an eyebrow, “Centuries?  Are you asking for
my bond?”

Elves bonded, it was their nature magic along with their
goddess that could intertwine two lives, two spirits.  It was much like
human marriage, except they’d always be able to feel their bonded, and it was
for life.

He frowned, “Sort of, I hadn’t intended to ask just now, I
suppose I was being presumptuous my love,” he smiled sheepishly, “but it was my
intention to ask before we got back, and hope Trielle could do the ceremony,
and of course, that Charites would approve.”

She giggled and joy lit her eyes as she answered, “I see,
well in that case, I
intend
to say yes… when you ask that is and I...”

He shut her up with a kiss, it was time for round two, and
judging by the way she moaned into his mouth and rubbed up against him, she was
in complete agreement.

Tarrock growled in frustration.  He’d be willing to
trade lives for a simple shuttle with a damned scanner.  Damn this
world.  They’d travelled quickly to the right mountainous region according
to his science officer, yet… it had done them no good.  They would be
searching for a while.  He knew being impatient wouldn’t help, even if
they found the thing, it would be a few years before they were rescued.

Yet, he worried, what if other ships were already on route,
it wouldn’t be the first time command hadn’t given him all the plans, or
details.  His job was to clean the planet of vermin, the extraction ships
could already be on the way, to strip this place down.  The last report
he’d sent indicated there were no problems, and that the vermin was dying out.

The question was, would they be cautious and scan for a
problem, or race up to the planet, and then scan.  He had to admit, the
latter was most likely, it was what he would have done.  His race wasn’t
known for patience, or caution.  Now he knew better of course, he would be
more guarded in the future now that this strange energy had been
discovered.  Still, he wasn’t sure where they were, and right now they
were just… wandering around looking for hidden installations.

They’d come across a few very small human settlements on the
way here, as he avoided the major populations that still lived around the edges
of the cities.  Humans were weak, but he only had a little over two
hundred crew left.  Some of the small settlements they had bypassed, and
in others they had slaughtered the whole town.  Really, it had depended on
his mood, which was quickly worsening with each day he spent on this backwards
primitive planet. 

He felt… on edge, like he was being watched.  But he
didn’t see or hear any humans nearby, or anything else for that matter, and his
crewmates hadn’t reported feeling the same.  But… he had the feeling
something was out there.  He just didn’t know what.

He heard running water, and then… giggles.  Giggles?

He grunted and marched that way, his second in command,
Garrock, on his side.  The water started getting louder, and he walked out
into a break in the woods.  There was a small waterfall, the water flowing
down into pool, farther down the pool overflowed and kept going down the small
river, or stream bed.

What he saw in the pool made his eyes go wide, and he shared
an incredulous look with Garrock.  There were six females of his race,
swimming, naked, in the pool.  This was impossible, his race protected its
females, they weren’t allowed off planet, they stayed at home, raised the next
generation, and were fiercely and passionately protected.

The six turned to them, and two of his personal guard, and
started to giggle.

One of them, with a particularly beautiful shade blue green
skin stood a little, revealing her succulent breasts to their view.

She said sultrily, “Come join us men, the water’s
fine.  You look like you need to… relax and have some fun.”

He took two steps forward, and then shook his head. 
His mind was confused, but he knew this was impossible.  Garrock was still
moving, so he grabbed him by the shoulder and pulled him back, and shook him.

He growled, “Stop, that’s an order,” but his private guard
ignored him and waded out into the pool.  He couldn’t stop them, he was
still having to restrain Garrock, who kept trying to go to one of the
impossibly beautiful woman.  Everything about them screamed sex appeal,
from their four dainty arms, succulent breasts, and sexy bald heads.

He was ashamed when he thought they were much more
attractive than his own mate back home, and shook his head to try to clear the
fog again.

In the meantime, the females had pushed the males up against
the side of the pool, and mounted them shamelessly right in the open.  He
almost picked up his foot to step forward, but then Garrock tried to pull away
from him again, which snapped him out of it.

The women were giggling, panting, and fucking like
rabbits.  So wanton as they rode his two men.  He couldn’t look away,
he couldn’t do anything except resist, as the other four pouted and beckoned to
him.  Begged him to join the fun.

His men groaned, and he saw the two woman kiss them as they
shot their loads into their impossible partners’ bodies… then he truly saw the
impossible, and his men started to struggle, but their bodies were frozen in
the throes of passion and they had no control, as the six woman started to turn
darker blue, and they became partially indistinct, as if they were nothing but
water.

His men choked and tried to cough as they kissed the women,
and had water flowing into their throats and down into their lungs.  Now
he was horrified, no longer afraid of being seduced by… well he wasn’t sure
what, and he ran forward and jumped in.  He took a swing at one of the
things, but his hand went right through her head.  He looked at his hand
incredulously, and tasted it.  Fresh water.  Then the woman in front
of him, along with the other five giggled, turned into clear water still in the
shape of a woman, and then collapsed and splashed back into the pool.

They were gone.  And his two men were… drowned. 
For the first time since this mission started, he was absolutely
terrified.  He hadn’t broken a sweat jumping down to the planet, or
fighting humans, that had been fun, if a little frustrating as well.  This
was… what the hell kind of fucked up world was this?

If Tarrock had looked up at that moment, he might have seen
the elven scout, staring down with a smile on his face.  Generally, the
elves didn’t get along with sprites, who weren’t exactly evil, but their
mischief could go too far, but just this one time, he whole heartily approved.