The Fire of Lust

Eleazar tries to tame the lust of Aurei.

47.

Fire of Lust

 

 

“Ok, Aurei, hold on there a minute…” He desperately tried to think of something to say to change the situation, but his mouth seemed full of mush and he just stammered.   The girl just glanced over her shoulder, giving him an unmistakable look that turned his blood cold at the same time it made it burn hot.

“You need to get those pants off " we can wash them later; they’re too dirty to wash here.”  Her voice seemed much more mature, deeper, and sultrier.  

“Aurei, uh, listen, I don’t know if you know what you’re doing right now-“

She grinned over her shoulder, “Sure I do, Laz.   I’m getting ready to take a bath as soon as I finish undressing.”

“Wait a minute, Aurei, um, you really shouldn’t-“

“-Get these chainmail pants wet?   You’re right.”  Before he could say anything, she was pulling the chainmail pants off.   She was wearing some linen shorts underneath, and he remembered to breathe for an instant.

“Aurei, this isn’t right!”

“Sure it is, Laz.” She said in the same sexy voice as she gently laid her own chainmail next to his.   “This is a bath house; we’re here to bathe.”

Her hands fell to her linen shorts and he could only make some stupid sound when she began to lower the shorts and…

 

Everything went totally dark.

 

For an instant he thought he had just closed his eyes, or perhaps he’d been smitten blind by Yesh for the sin of the encounter.   Aurei’s laugh told him neither answer was correct.

“My darkness stone?”  He asked after a moment, and she laughed some more.   He heard her enter the water and splash over toward him.

“Nervous?” she whispered as she came nearer.

“As a matter of fact, yes, I am.   You got me with this one.   Good joke.   Well played.   Now I’ll just get my clothes on and you can go first… hey, what are you doing?!”

He found his pants being lowered.

“I don’t want the pool all cloudy and dirty.   Since you won’t take them off, I guess I’ll have to take them off for you.”

She lifted up his right foot and pulled his last bit of clothing free from that leg, then repeated the procedure with the other foot.   He just stood there absolutely confused on how to escape the situation.

He heard her wading back across the pool carrying his clothing.  
“Okay, I-I’ll go first, you just stay over there and I’ll be done in just a moment.   Where’d you say that soap was?”  He stammered, frantically feeling around for the ledge she’d mentioned.   He suddenly found it, only to not feel any soap on it.

She began wading across the water again, “I’ve got the soap; just relax, okay?”

“Aurei, this is not proper!   We’re Paladins and this is really not a good idea.”

“It seems like a wonderful idea to me.” She said softly as she neared.

“L-Look, Aurei, I-I’m not blaming you for t-this.   It’s not your fault, it’s the rings-“

“Tell me about these rings.” She was beside him, her voice whispered in his ear as her hands began caressing his shoulders and neck.

“Aurei, y-you need t-to stop…”

“The rings, Laz; tell me about them.” She whispered in his ear, and he felt her nibbling on his earlobe.   She now moved to his chest and her soft hands sent electricity through him.   He could feel her breasts pressing against the small of his back.

“Aurei, y-y-you don’t w-want to do t-this.”

Her hands went up to his face.   He felt her warm lips kissing his neck.   For a fleeting instant, he found himself wondering if perhaps she was a vampire and was about to bite him and turn him into one.   But common sense returned and he shivered as a wave of strong desire for her swept over him.

“The rings, Laz, tell me about them.” Her tongue followed the outline of his jaw as her hand stroked his hair.

“Uh… I told you about t-them, already.”

She was in front of him now, her arms around his neck and her forehead pressed against his, her lips inches away from his, “I want to hear about them again.”   Her fingers touched his lips and she drifted off to his side.

“Okay… um… well, t-they are.. uh.. Friendship Rings.”

The water moved and he felt a cool bar of soap rubbing across his upper back.   “Go on, you tell me about them; I’ll wash you.”

“Um… well, when… friends… both wear t-the rings, and are near each other, t-they heal when they are injured.”

She began washing his arms, which trembled at her warm touch.

“That’s not exactly the truth, is it, Laz?”   She said in her bedroom voice as she began lathering his chest.   He felt her warm breath on his cheek, “Tell me the truth, Laz.”

“Aurei…”

Her hand moved up again and gently grabbed the back of his neck. All at once she was passionately kissing him.   Her tongue danced with his and he felt a hurricane of arousal come over him, far, far more than he’d ever felt in his life.   His own hands wrapped around her and pulled her tightly to him.   But she broke their kiss, “Tell me, Laz.  The rings-“

“They’re Nitthum’s rings.” He panted, “The actual rings.   Nitthum and Baella were my mother’s parents.   They’re the actual rings, Aurei!   That’s why you are doing all this!”

She ran her hand through his hair, “I knew it, Laz.   You stinker; why didn’t you tell me the truth?”

“I didn’t want to scare you to death.   I was worried about you, about something happening to you, something that I couldn’t prevent.   I didn’t want to go through that again, like I did with my mother.”

“Why would that matter to you, Laz?” 

“Y-you matter to me, Aurei!   I-I…”  He hesitated, scared to say what was on his lips.   She leaned in until their noses were nearly touching.   He felt her warm breath and her firm body up against him, sharing in his heat.

“Say it.” She whispered tenderly.

“I… love you.” He held his breath and was rewarded with a long, passionate kiss that flooded him with intense desire for her.  Finally she broke the kiss, almost hesitantly, but her lips stayed close to his.

“I love you too.” She purred, “Remember that after what I’m going to say to you.”

“Okay…” He replied, puzzled, and she gave him a quick peck on the lips and then pulled away from him.  He heard her pick up something and a moment later she was in front of him, running soap over his shoulders.  She took a deep breath and said, “I’m really, really mad at you, Laz!”

“What?” Her sudden change in tone surprised him.   She now sounded very irritated, as she somewhat aggressively proceeded to wash his chest.   It reminded him of a mother cleaning off a disobedient child while she scolded him.

“You know fully well ‘what’!   You deceived me!   ‘Friendship Rings’!”

“But-“

“Don’t interrupt me!   You lied to me about those rings.”

“I did not!”

“You did so!   I had no idea what I was getting myself into.   I woke up on the airship with you poking me on the belly and the moment I saw you I had… very strong… feelings… for you.”

“Aurei-“

“Shhh!  You keep still and let me rant a while!   Do you know how upsetting it was, Laz?   Do you?   I mean, I was just getting to know you better on the Autumn Maid; I was feeling relaxed around you and everything.   Things were going slowly like they are supposed to do.   Then I’m injured and I wake up and suddenly I’m blissfully in deep thought about what names I’d like to give to the ten or twenty babies I really wanted to have with you!   If we hadn’t reached Westmark right then I’d probably have suggested we start on the first baby!   What in the name of Yesh happened, Laz?”

“Aurei, I’m so sorry, I didn’t-“

“Didn’t think?!   Didn’t realize what those rings did?”

“I didn’t know!   How could I have?   I only learned about them the same time you did!”

“A likely story!”  She snorted and raised his arm up and began lathering his underarm, “You are worldlier than I am, Laz; you should have figured it out somehow!”

“But-“

“Quiet!   So we get back home and get told there are vampires lurking about and you say you need a bath.   I was just going to take you down here and let you bathe, but thanks to this stupid ring, I just about seduced you!  Thank God that the ring you wear doesn’t seem to do to you what it does to me.”

“Well, I wouldn’t say that…”

“Wonderful!   Now we’re both about to step on the sleeping dragon’s tail when we’re around each other.  Lift your other arm!”   She angrily began running the bar of soap under his other arm.

“Aurei, you don’t have to wash me while you are talking.”

“You shut up!   Don’t you understand, you idiot, that if I don’t keep focused on doing something like washing you, I’m probably going to be rolling around with you on the wet floor?!  ‘Friendship rings’, good heavens!”

She grabbed his hand and slapped the slippery bar of soap into his palm, “Here, finish washing your lower half, I don’t think I’d better try that.”

She began pacing in the pool, “Do you want to know the craziest thing, Laz?   I took the stupid ring off when we were talking to Sir Alvis.   I thought the effects would wear off.   Guess what, they don’t!!  Yesh preserve me, this little incident was done without me wearing that crazy ring!"  

"Laz, I’d never even kissed a man before I kissed you in that cold, old barn, and that was a huge step for me.   Now look at me!   I’m standing here naked next to you!   You’re driving me crazy, Laz!  I can’t stand being away from you, and I do crazy things like seduce you in the bath house when I’m around you!    I’m feeling things for you that scare me to death, Laz!”

“Aurei-“

“Let me talk!   I don’t even know exactly what I want… I mean, I KNOW what I want, but I don’t understand why so suddenly I feel such… strong feelings for you!   Those rings are cursed, Laz!”

“They’re not cursed, Aurei; they’re doing what they were made to do.”

“Turning me into a harlot?!   Laz, I’ve never felt like this before!   I’m going to go crazy.   Or worse, do something sinful with you and have God strike me down.   Yesh, help me!”

She began crying and instinctively he reached out and embraced her.   She clung to him, her naked body pressed against him, and he felt his pulse race.

“STOP IT!” She suddenly screamed, backing away from him, “You’re doing it again!”

“What?”

“I can’t do that, Laz!”

“Aurei, I’m not doing anything.”

“Well something is happening!”

“What is happening?   I don’t understand-“

          Suddenly she was next to him again, her hands on his face, kissing him hungrily.   

Her intensity took him back, but she seemed nearly consumed.   He tried to pull back, but she wouldn’t let him go, her lips locked to his.   She was feverishly hot and he tried to step back from her, to break the enchantment over her.   She wouldn’t yield and standing on the slick stones of the pool, their struggle suddenly sent them backwards into the pool, which, fortunately for them, was deeper closer to the waterfall.   They fell into the pool with a huge splash.  That broke up the mood and Aurei floated next to him, laughing.

“Oh, wow.” She said using her hand to splash some water in his direction.

“Are you okay?”

“For now, I am.   Thank Yesh for slippery surfaces.   See what I mean, Laz?   I seem to be extremely obsessed with you.  What am I going to do?”

“Aurei, I certainly don’t want to do anything sinful.   In fact, if we get out of this bath still as Paladins, I’ll count it as a victory.”

“Well why aren’t you affected the same way?   You should be chasing me around the room - though I don’t think that would take long.”

“I don’t know.   I feel strong feelings for you too, but I seem to be able to control them.”

“Thank Yesh for that!”

“I don’t think this is an effect of the ring.  At least, I don’t think all of it is.”

“Well what in Yesh’s name is happening to me?”

“Aurei, how old are you?”

“How old am I?   I’ll be 75 next summer.  Why?”

Laz took a deep breath, “Well, I forgot something.   Back when I was a slave in the Underdark, the daughters of the Noble Houses go through something called ‘Ssinssrigg-Chath’.”

He felt her crawling up to him until she was lying against him in the warm water, “What does it mean?”

“It means ‘The Lust-burning’.  I never saw what happened, as I spent all of my life in the slave pits, but I have learned that daughters of noble houses and often just common Drow females, upon reaching adulthood, experience strong… feelings of a … physical nature.   They feel an overpowering need to… ah…”

“I think I understand.” She whispered in his ear, causing him to shiver as her hands caressed his chest, “How old are they when this happens?”

“About your age, though maybe a little bit older.”

“Well, I did start maturing early.”  She began nibbling on his earlobe again, “I’m in serious trouble, aren’t I?”

“Not if I resist you.”

“Oh, you won’t be able to resist me, I can assure you.”  As if demonstrating, she began kissing his neck, moving around toward his front.   He put his knees together and brought them up to his chest to keep her from getting too personal.

“Aurei, you can get through this.”

“With your help.” She purred, now kissing his chin as her hands moved around on his legs.

“It will pass.”

“How long does it last?”

“I don’t know.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter… You’re just going to have to sacrifice yourself to get me through this.”
“Uh, no, I don’t think that would be right.”

“Laz, I don’t really care right now.   This is horrible… but at the same time it is exciting.”

“But when the madness passes, you will be overwhelmed with shame.”

“Oh, well.”  She climbed into his lap, locking her legs around his waist as she began to kiss him.   He was rapidly starting to find his resistance wearing down as her nude body pressed against him.   In the pitch black darkness, her skin’s touch made his whole body tingle.  
“Aurei-“

“Shh!” She whispered as she kissed him, “You did this to me, Laz, I’m really mad at you.”

“Your aunt might be able to help you.”  He suggested desperately.

“I don’t want her help, Laz.   I want yours.   I need you.”

“Not like this, Aurei.”

“I don’t think you have much of a choice, Laz.”

Getting his legs under him, he suddenly stood up in the pool with her still wrapped around him like a monkey on a branch.
“Come on, Aurei, you need to fight it.”  He began to carry her toward the edge of the pool.

“Ooh, you are strong!” She whispered, feeling his arm muscles.  She began playfully biting his neck.

“Who needs vampires?”  He said, stepping out of the pool.

“Where are you taking me?”  She asked in an extremely sexy voice.

“You need help, Aurei, and I’m not qualified to help you.”

“Oh, you are the MOST qualified, I’d say.”

“I’m going to put you down, okay?   You need to let go.”

“Nope.   Not until I get what I need from you.”

“Aurei, I’m going to take you to Matron Zeatt; she’ll know what can be done.”

“Are you going to carry me to the Keep naked in the snow?”

“If I have to.”

She laughed, “That will create a sensation.”

“Aurei, you have got to fight the feelings you are having and come back to your senses.”

“I’m tired of fighting, Laz.   I want you.  It’s easier, and I know you’ll enjoy it.”

“I don’t know any more than you do about these things.”

“Really?  Didn’t you go through this?”

“Males don’t go through it.   And I’m only half-Drow, Aurei.”

She began kissing his chest, “Well, you can go through this with me.   You really are strong, Laz.   I like that.   I REALLY like that!”

He had carried her over to where he hoped the stone bench was located, and verified the location by stubbing his toe on it.  

“Okay, Aurei, what did you do with the darkness stone?”

She didn’t answer him but just reached out with one hand while still clinging to him with the other one.   A few moments later the darkness in the room disappeared.   He kept his eyes glued to the ceiling of the cavern.

“Hey, I’m down here.”  She said, noticing his aversion of looking upon her.

“That’s why I’m looking up here.   Now I want you to let go of me and get dressed and we’ll go talk to your aunt and see if she can help.”

“You sure are making this more difficult then it has to be, Laz.”

“Yes, that is the idea.”

“Don’t you want me?”

“You have no idea, Aurei, but not like this when you aren’t in your right frame of mind.”

“I feel fine, Laz.”

“You won’t feel that way tomorrow morning.   Trust me, Aurei, you won’t be able to even look at me, you’ll feel so ashamed.   It’s not supposed to be like that; you are too precious to me to soil yourself due to a Drow rite of passage.”

“I’m precious to you?   Really?”  Her look seemed to soften some, as if maybe the fever was leaving her.   He gently sat her down on the bench, careful not to glance at her nude body, though a very strong part of him deeply wanted that.

“You are, Aurei.   Very precious.   I think I knew it when I first saw you, though I was still being controlled by the demon of rage then.    You were so kind to me.   I had never known a Drow woman like you.   So sweet and innocent, yet strong and lady-like.”

To his relief, he heard her drying off.   He found a towel by feel and quickly did the same.

“Laz, what does ‘Aleiryid’ mean?”

He paused a moment, but knew he really had no choice, “It means ‘Soul mate’.  Elven couples sometimes have this happen to them.   Surface Elves, that is.   When they are young children, a boy will be drawn to a girl - not physically, but spiritually.   They will feel closer and closer, until they began to share dreams and thoughts.   When they are adults, they marry and are joined heart, mind and soul together.   They say it is the strongest bond a couple can have, and it is very rare.   Most Elves never experience it."

He heard her dressing, as he did the same, with his back to her.

“You realize you are my Aleiryid, don’t you?”  She said somewhat shyly as her natural state of mind seemed to return.

“Yes, I know it.   That’s why we shared that vision.   There will be others, Aurei.   That is how it starts.”

“It’s kind-of like that Drow sickness that I’m going through, isn’t it?”

“Ssinssrigg-Chath is physical, temporary and only the women go through it.   Aleiryid is spiritual, permanent and men and women experience it together.”

“So you are feeling it too?”

“Yes.”

“That means we’ll be joined forever, doesn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“I’m glad, Laz.   You are so good to me.   I love you.”

“And I love you, Aurei.   That’s why I didn’t give in to you.”

He hazarded a glance her way, relieved to find her fully clothed and brushing her hair with her hand. She looked at him and smiled sweetly, but still with just a hint in her eyes of something more mature.

“If you are ready, let’s go talk to your aunt.”

“Laz, that’s going to be really awkward.   It can wait until morning.   Let’s just go to bed.”

“You need to talk to her, to get her insights on this.”

“Tomorrow, really.  I’m tired now; I used up a lot of energy in here.   I just want to get some sleep; who knows, maybe it will pass by morning.”

“I doubt it, but we can always hope.   Alright then, come on, I’ll escort you to your room.  Where are you staying tonight?   The Inn or the Keep?”

She thought for a moment, “I’ll stay here at the Inn.”

“Okay.” He scooped up his pile of armor which was very cumbersome to carry, and they left the bath.

“I wouldn’t mind trying that again under… calmer circumstances.”

“Feel free to use it anytime.”  She volunteered, and he noticed she had put Nitthum’s Ring back on her finger.

He led her up the stairs to the second floor of the Inn, glad that no-one in the tavern area had seen them as they ascended.  

“Goodnight,” he said as she opened the door to the master bedroom of the tavern, but she grabbed his arm, which still was full of armor.

“Laz, wait… I want you to stay here with me tonight.”

He sighed, “Okay, let’s go talk to your aunt.”

“Wait a minute… please.   I’m not trying to seduce you; I’m too tired and… I’m kind-of scared, Laz.   I just want…”

She trailed off, shaking her head and turning from him, crying.

In spite of all that had transpired that evening, he followed her into the bedroom and sat the armor in a pile by the chair.   She had her back to him, holding her head in her hands, softly crying.

He went to her, turned her around and she buried her face in his chest and just shook and cried.   Eleazar was worn out from the battle in the underground bath house and had no idea what to say or if this was some feverish ploy by the girl to create an intimate situation.

 

But somehow he didn’t feel like it was, and so he just held her for a long time in the dark room, letting her cry before he gently led her to sit on the edge of the bed.

“Tell me.” He asked after she’d calmed down.

“I don’t know… I feel like I’m an emotional wreck.   I had no idea Drow girls went through this!”

“We’ll get you through it… in a proper, respectful way, I mean.”

She smiled appreciatively at him, “I really behaved badly tonight, huh?”

“Well, let’s just say it was a side of you I haven’t seen before.”

“My s****y side.”

“Don’t say that, hon.”   He surprised himself by using the pet name, but it seemed somehow appropriate.

“I felt so safe when you were holding me on your lap last night.   I was… wondering if… you’d… well…”

He nodded, but pointed a finger at her, “No tricks, okay?   If you want me to stay with you, it’s simply a platonic thing, okay?”

“Okay; I think my insanity has gone to sleep for the day.”

“Let’s hope so, I’m exhausted.”

They went over to the head of the bed and she pulled the bedclothes down; he sat back half-reclining against the back of the bed, marveling how comfortable the bed felt.   Aurei plopped down with her head against his chest, gave a satisfied sigh and pulled the covers up to her nose, looking like a little girl at that moment.

“Goodnight, my love.” She said, already drifting off to sleep.

“Goodnight, sweetheart.” He returned, and he found himself also drifting off into slumber as a cold winter wind blew outside.