Chapter 0 - Shared Experiences

Ciaran Xanderson tread lightly down the rocky path into the disused mine. He knew his quarry had been down here. The bandits here would tell him where that bastard had gone, whether they wanted to or not. His right hand gripped his wand tightly, his ears were pricked for the slightest sound. He heard voices coming from below; maybe some kind of meeting? No, bandits weren't that organized. Ciaran thought it odd that there were no guards, however.

He took a few more steps down a slope and heard the voices more clearly: all men, all with different tones and pitches. Bandits were primarily Asmanan, but some other races joined in the idiocy too. He pressed his back to the rocky wall as he began to make out what the bandits were saying.
"...o, main question: who's gettin' the first go with 'er?"

"Not Grosach. He's an orc, therefore the biggest: by the time he's done, none of us will feel a thing."

There were many murmurs of agreement, and one sigh of amusement and annoyance, both of which muffled Ciaran's footsteps as he rounded a corner and stepped onto a raised wooden platform. What he saw both sickened and excited him. Ten bandits or more were gathered around a female elf prisoner. She was gagged, stripped naked and suspended from shackles on the wall. From the fear in her eyes, Ciaran guessed that she didn't give permission for this.

He internally sighed. Ten bandits, all in the same room. It wasn't very likely he'd be able to spare any of them for information about his target. Still, there was a more pressing matter; the woman they were planning to have their way with. They'd started arguing again. Ciaran listened, deciding which bandit he should hit first, and planning where to go from there.

"Going by that, the guy with the shortest should go first."

"Bu' oo's go' tha smallest?"

An 8-man chorus of "Not me!"s followed this question. Ciaran stifled a chuckle in the silence that followed.

"Well, nothin' for it: we'll 'ave to compare." The room was filled with the sight-and smell-of 10 bandits all dropping their pants. 

By now, Ciaran had picked his target; he was tempted to keep listening to find out who had the smallest, but he knew he wouldn't be able to keep from laughing when it was found. He pointed his wand at the orc in the centre and felt his words pierce the veil between worlds: "Catena fulgur!" The bandits wheeled around as purple lightning shot from the wizard's wand and connected with the orc. Before the others could react, the lightning bounced to four more of them, and they fell to the floor screaming one by one. 

The bandits who didn't get hit by the lightning charged at the wizard, weapons raised. Ciaran slammed the ground with his left hand and they were pushed backwards by the wave of force. He brandished his wand and released a purple wave of energy that flew towards the bandits. The wave hit all of them, and they slumped.

"No-!" The orc growled. The axe was already raised above Ciaran and it came down. It was only through the wizard's quick thinking, and his quick utterance of "Clipeum!", that he blocked the blow. The orc was undeterred. "She's our catch! We earned her!" he shouted.

"Catching her doesn't mean she's yours!" Ciaran yelled back. 

The orc swung his axe again, but the sorcerer was ready this time. He blocked a blow from the top left, then the top right, then the bottom right, and finally a blow from directly above him. The axe locked against the arcane shield and the two struggled for an opening. Ciaran pushed against the orc's brute strength with all the might of his mind and the orc's defense was broken.

"Glacies trabem!" Ciaran shouted. A beam of frost shot from his wand and hit the orc directly in the chest. He kept up the spell until the bandit was completely frozen in place, before thrusting his left hand forwards and shattering him into pieces with a forceful blast. It was a mark of Ciaran's anger that he couldn't think of a joke to go with it.

As he walked to the elf, he noticed that she was in fact, quite beautiful. Her skin was quite pale, her eyes were like emeralds, her orange hair tied into a pair of plaits. Her body was more voluptuous than average elves, but such a look was favourable in Asmana. Her breasts and rear were both full and plump, and Ciaran noticed that her nipples were inverted. She also had many small black spots on her face, shoulders and breasts.

Not that any of that mattered when she was shackled to the wall. Ciaran tore off the cloth around her mouth and she stammered "T-t-thank you. They w-were going to-"

Ciaran held up a hand. "Hush. I need to concentrate for this next spell to work." 

He remained silent as a thin orange tendril extended from his finger and worked it's way into the lock for the shackles. He closed his eyes and twisted the finger until he felt resistance. He pushed against the lock twice and it gave way, the satisfying click reverberating around the small chamber. The elf toppled forwards onto the ground, not able to extend her hands in time to catch herself.

The elf looked pleased to be free, but a little embarrassed as she was helped to her feet. "Th-th-thanks. I'm i-i-Ilyse Arvern-n-nus." Her hands instantly moved to cover herself and she shook from cold.

Ciaran smiled. "Ciaran Xanderson. You're lucky I came along when I did." he offered a handshake but drew it back after a second, realizing.

Ilyse chuckled a little bit. "I w-would shake if I c-could. T-t-too bad they r-r-ripped off all m-my clothes."

"You're already shaking enough, it looks like." Ciaran joked. He snapped his fingers and spoke in a whisper: "Flamma." Instantly, a small flame was produced. "Move your hand. I need to press this into your heart."

It would be a lie to say that Ciaran didn't savour the short-lived sight of Ilyse's full, plump chest after her hand lifted, or that he didn't enjoy pressing his hand against her breast. He almost let his temptation to toy with her nipple overtake his mind. However, he did not let his hand linger longer than it needed to, and he saw her pale skin turn a little more colourful as the warmth spread around her body.

"Aah...thank you, Ciaran. How can I repay you?" She sounded sincerely grateful, something that didn't happen often in Asmana. Because it was such a dangerous land, killing troublesome beasts and bandits was second nature to outsiders and natives alike. That also meant that thank yous for such acts were rare.

"I'm going after a killer who's already taken the lives-and purity-of 11 women. He knows I'm after him, and he's been running from me since I took the bounty." Ciaran explained. "My latest lead led me into this mine. If there's anything you know-"

Ilyse sighed dejectedly. "I'm afraid not. I was heading East when I stumbled in here and set off a trap that knocked me out. If your killer was here, I didn't see him." She quickly followed it up. "If you want, I'll help you chase him. I'd like to see more killers brought to justice."

Ciaran thought to himself. He wasn't sure if he needed extra weight on this quest of his, and he'd likely have to split the reward. Still, it never hurt to have company; it always made long days shorter. This in mind, Ciaran told Ilyse to search around: maybe the killer left a clue to his next target.

Seeing as there were two of them, and only ten bodies to search, it didn't take long. Ilyse found a hastily written note on the orc's body. However, she couldn't read it because it looked like meaningless scribbling. Ciaran took the note and read it aloud: "'Grosach, burn this note when you've read it. Thanks for giving me cover from that wizard.  I'll pay you back once I've killed the witch in Lapvale. I doubt she'll be missed.' He's going after Wakeeda? Great." Ciaran sighed. Ilyse blushed slightly at the name of the witch doctor. Ciaran raised an eyebrow but knew better than to pursue the issue. 

"Are we going to her then? We might already be too late." Ilyse sounded apprehensive.

Ciaran rolled up the note and threw it aside. "He can't have left that long ago, especially not if he left while you were still knocked out. Plus, I can get through Wakeeda's swamp quicker than most. We can make it."

Ilyse seemed to perk up a bit at the last sentence. She gestured forwards and the two exited the mine. A large part of Ciaran regretted that he couldn't get clothes for the elf-conjuring was never his kind of thing-but the rest was too busy admiring her curves when she was looking away. As they walked along-at a brisker pace than Ciaran normally set-they made talk. Ilyse had questions about Ciaran; how long he'd been in Asmana, where he'd studied magic, why he'd come here and other such questions that adventurers like him were given. On the other side, Ciaran learned that Ilyse was a former member of royalty, but she was looking for a dark sorceress that destroyed her home, and she'd followed her trail to Asmana. Ciaran had felt a dark presence in the realm some time ago, and at times felt disconnected from his magic-like something else was absorbing the arcane power in the land. He'd learned years ago that, just as physical power must be directed with skill, knowledge of the arcane had to be sharpened with wisdom. 

"Something with that much magical power is likely to destroy themselves. I doubt you need to go after her." Ciaran told her confidently.

Ilyse spoke tentatively. "It's not like that. After what she did? After knowing what she can do? I have to see her fall with my own two eyes."

Ciaran understood what she meant. At the very least, she needed to know her city had been avenged, and it was safe to rebuild. Ciaran thought briefly about offering her help, but knew better in his heart. As powerful as he was, there were many wizards and witches he couldn't compete with. They'd been walking for some time now: the sky was tinged with a heavy orange glow.

"Can we make camp for the night? I don't like travelling when it's dark..." Ilyse asked. Ciaran suspected she wasn't being entirely truthful, but it wasn't a good idea to travel during Asmanan nights anyway. He nodded in agreement. 

As he set up the campfire, he wished there was an inn nearby-he didn't like sleeping out in the open. He flicked his wand without a word and a fire sprung among the twigs. He noticed Ilyse shivering a little bit and had an idea. For a moment he hesitated, worried he might be taking advantage of her, but decided better; it would only be taking advantage if things went beyond what he planned.

"You know, if you want to get warmer, that spell I used on your heart gets stronger the closer you are to me." Ciaran lied, smiling at her.

"R-really?" Ilyse raised her eyebrows. She didn't give him a chance to answer before standing up and walking around the fire. After sitting down next to him, Ilyse pressed her side against his. After noticing her keep her distance from him as they walked, it was a surprise to know that Ilyse was so touchy. Ciaran put an arm around her and squeezed her into him. It was so strange: he normally didn't like physical touching but there was something different about Ilyse that drew him to her body.

"We should probably lie down if we want to get some actual sleep." Ciaran commented. Ilyse giggled a bit and lay onto her side. Another idea striking him, Ciaran took off his tunic before lying down behind her. He didn't even notice the grass prickling his skin as his arm wrapped around her and pressed the two tighter together. He kept his crotch away from her rear, however-he didn't want to be tempted beyond this.

He usually had trouble sleeping, and outdoors made it nearly impossible, but tonight Ciaran fell asleep as the first stars began appearing. His dreams consisted of various activities with Ilyse; from merely eating dinner together and chatting to embracing each other tightly to spending time in bed doing more than just cuddling. There was something special about Ilyse, and her fate was entwined with Ciaran's-that was obvious. But did their fates join? He couldn't be sure.

Ciaran was suddenly woken by the feeling of being dragged along the grass by his leg. His eyes flew open to reveal a sight that terrified him: a werewolf. Claws black as the night sky, blood red eyes and yellowed teeth. He tried to yell for help, but the word got stuck in his throat. The werewolf bore down on him, and he knew his wand was already out of reach. All he could do was push his hands against the werewolf, terror the only thing fueling his tired body. Was this it? Was this his end?

The werewolf was suddenly forced backwards by a streak of green light that hit the space between it's eyes. Ciaran backed away instinctively, looking behind him to see his savior. It was Ilyse. She was holding Ciaran's wand and advancing on the beast. Ilyse brandished the wand at the werewolf and another green light shot from it. The spell found it's mark: the werewolf's left shoulder. Wasting no time in making another attack, Ilyse fired her second spell into the beast's exposed side. Taking an extra moment to aim her third shot proved Ilyse's strike to be true: the third spell hit the werewolf's mouth. After a strangled howl of pain and a disgusting gargling sound, the werewolf toppled to the ground.

Ciaran panted, thinking aloud. "It knew to drag me away from my wand first. They're getting smarter." He lifted himself to his feet and Ilyse handed him his weapon. "I'm lucky you came with me. I guess we're even now."

She smiled in answer. In truth, it made her look more cute than beautiful. Ciaran's mind raced, thinking. From the position of the moon, it was just past midnight. But after that attack he didn't think he'd be getting any more sleep tonight.

"Do you think we should get moving?" Ilyse asked. Ciaran realized he'd been looking toward the direction of the swamp.

He gulped, turned to her and nodded. "Yes. After that, I don't think I'll be sleeping outdoors again any time soon." He grabbed his tunic and pulled it back on.

Ciaran began walking at a slower pace than before, so as not to attract any more enemies. Talk between him and Ilyse was no longer possible either. He kept his wand at the ready, not letting his grip relax even for a moment. Although his eyes surveyed directions around them, he took a look at the sky every now and then. After a certain length of walking along the path, he saw the inky blackness of night become tinted with a streak of dark blue. Dawn was close, so he let himself relax a little.

As they crossed the threshold of the swamp, Ciaran placed his wand on his open palm and whispered "Punctum: Wakeeda." Like a compass arrow, the wand pointed towards the southeast, but floated there when Ciaran took his hand away. He beckoned Ilyse to him and crouched. She got the idea and clambered onto his back. He took note of her plump breasts pressing against him, and took an extra moment than was nessecary to enjoy the feeling. He channeled magic around him and began floating just above the ground.

"You can float? Why didn't you do that earlier?" Ilyse asked, curious.

"Because it takes more effort, and I have to go at a very slow pace. But for getting over the mud and quicksand, floating is invaluble." Ciaran answered. He began moving forwards, keeping both his eyes on his wand to make sure he didn't get lost. The last time Ciaran traveled through the swamp, it took him 2 hours to get to her shack. This time, it took less than half that. 

Not wasting a moment, Ciaran broke the float spell, grabbed his wand from the air and dashed to the front door, Ilyse still clinging to his back. He crashed through it and glanced around the room, eyes peeled for the killer. His eyes met a familiar looking figure instead; the curvaceous white skin of one of his closest friends.

The witch doctor turned, saw her visitor and broke into a smile. "Ah, Ciaran. What a nice surprise. That explains how you got through the swamp so quickly. Ilyse too? I didn't think you liked our last encounter *that* much." Ilyse blushed furiously but didn't say a word, instead trying to hide behind the wizard. 

Ciaran knew better than to ask. "Wakeeda." he smiled. "It's good to see you, but I come with troubling news. A killer is coming. I wanted to warn-" but the witch doctor held up a hand.

"He already tried it. Let's just say he drank more than he could swallow." Wakeeda smirked. "It turns out he's a half-dragon from far away. I decided to keep ahold of him for study." At that moment, a deep voice somewhere nearby screamed. The sound startled Ilyse, and she grabbed Ciaran's arm. This didn't go unnoticed by the witch doctor, who chuckled "It's rare that I get a couple in here. Usually it's a husband or wife trying to either enliven their spouse or remove them somehow."

"It's not like that." Ciaran interjected. "We only met yesterday. We've been heading here since, tracking the killer."

"And you haven't made any moves?" Wakeeda's eyebrows were both raised. 

Ciaran stood his ground, but his words caught in his throat. The witch doctor got the message anyway.

"You can never get physically close first, can you?" Wakeeda was teasing Ciaran, and his reactive sigh was all the proof she needed. "No worries. I know another way you two can enjoy each other. Without making a mess on my floor either."

"Enjoy each other? Like you enjoyed me?" Ilyse almost sounded challenging. With a start, Ciaran remembered that Wakeeda had been looking for elf squirt a few weeks ago.

"Yes, but...Ilyse, I forgot to tell you something before you left last time." Wakeeda addressed her, suddenly taking on a more serious tone. "I could-and still can-sense the conflict inside you. The two sides clashing, desperately vying for dominance. I know how it feels to be at war with yourself." the witch doctor moved closer. "Just because you're destined to fight one of the most powerful sorceresses of the age doesn't mean you shouldn't have a little fun."

"Do you know if I'll win that fight?" Ilyse sounded more serious than Ciaran had heard her.

Wakeeda shook her head. "You're a special case. Even the spirits aren't sure who'll win. But back to my point: it's okay to let go of your standards and enjoy yourself now and then."

Ilyse blushed slightly. Before she could speak, Ciaran asked his friend "What did you have in mind? For us enjoying each other?"

Wakeeda answered in a matter-of-fact tone "I know a spell to separate your spirit from your physical body, but keep it in the physical world. You'll both feel everything as if it were happening physically, but there'll be no mess and no harm done."

At that point, a voice cried out "Ilyse!" and something small and blue flew directly into the elf. Getting a closer look told Ciaran it was a fairy. A dark blue-haired fairy. The fairy hugged Ilyse's face tightly.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that you left Devany here when you left." Wakeeda said offhandedly "She enjoyed my...addition perhaps a little too much; knocked herself out." These words were followed by a slap as Ilyse's open palm met her forehead. Wakeeda chuckled and continued "The swamp's magic disrupted her ability to sense you, you see."

"How could you leave me behind so readily, Ilyse?" Devany made a pouty face that Ciaran thought suited her, even though it was his first time seeing it.

Ilyse didn't miss a beat in her response. "I was enjoying the quiet too much to notice." 

Ciaran stifled his chuckle quite badly and felt the fairy's eyes drift to him. "So who's this handsome man? You finally get a boyfriend? Even without my help?"

"Ciaran Xanderson, and I came here chasing a killer who Wakeeda's already caught." the wizard shrugged. Noticing the look on Devany's face, he continued "I rescued her from a bunch of bandits who were about to do what all men want to do to beautiful women."

Devany laughed "You should've let them. She'd have loved it."

"No I wouldn't!" Ilyse replied, far too quickly and loudly to sound believable. "Wait...Ciaran, did you just call me beautiful?"

He'd said that out loud?! Oh, no...

"HA!" Wakeeda pointed at the quickly blushing wizard. "I KNEW it!"

"I mean, you did save my life. It's kind of hard not to fall for someone who does that." Ciaran told the elf. Turning to Wakeeda, he explained. "Werewolf. It knew to drag me away from my wand first, but Ilyse picked it up and took it down on her own."

"Oh, nice!" Devany patted Ilyse on the shoulder. "Wait, if he fell for you because you saved his life..." Devany poked at Ilyse.

"No! I don't-I mean, I think he's cute but-NO! I didn't mean-!" All three pairs of eyes were upon her, and her cheeks reddened as she realized how caught she was. She calmed down for a second and spoke a bit more confidently: "Okay, all those in favour of this astral-plane idea, raise their hands." Ilyse offered. 

Wakeeda quickly explained it to Devany, and both the witch doctor's and fairy's hands shot up. Ciaran's slowly raised. Ilyse's face practically screamed " You traitor!" but Ciaran could only grin sheepishly. 

"Pfft...sorry Ilyse, you're...kekeke...outvoted..." Devany sounded close to choking from not laughing. She was even holding her sides tightly as if trying to keep the laughter in. "Besides...keke...it's not like...heheh...this is your first time...You can't help being so lewd! PAHAHAHAHA."

"I'm not lewd!" Ilyse replied, but she couldn't hide her intense blush.

"Ilyse, you're not fooling anyone with that. Least of all yourself." Wakeeda told her. "Now, lay on the bed. You too, Ciaran. It'd be best if you stripped off first."

Ciaran suddenly felt very conscious about how he looked. As he stripped off his tunic for the second time in as many days, he noticed Devany biting her lip as she studied his toned upper body. He'd been told that he was quite handsome for a wizard. He supposed that his tall stature, short brown hair and light blue eyes had to be attractive to someone. He kicked off his shoes and slid his pants down his legs, ignoring the small gasp the fairy gave. 

Wakeeda on the other hand, had already seen him without clothes, for various reasons. He walked over to Ilyse, still feeling a bit self-conscious. He lay on the bed next to her, noticing that she was looking him up and down. At Wakeeda's instruction, the two grasped their hands together and closed their eyes.

Wakeeda began the chant and Ciaran felt Ilyse shaking slightly. From cold or nervousness? He pulled himself closer to her and she sighed, seemingly falling asleep. A second or two later, Ciaran felt himself rise upwards. As he floated out of his physical body, he felt lightheaded and confused. He supposed it was natural. He didn't have time to dwell on the feeling: Ilyse floated in front of him, still blushing brightly in her spiritual form.

Ciaran felt slightly more confident now. He floated over to Ilyse and took her hand in his, bringing himself closer to her. Sensing her nervousness, Ciaran kissed her cheek lightly and whispered "You don't need to hide anything from me, Ilyse. You can trust me." The elf merely gulped in answer, but she met her lips to Ciaran's for a second.

After the first kiss, something seemed to change inside Ilyse. Her arm curved around his waist and she let him pull her into a second kiss. This one lasted much longer than the first, and although Ciaran couldn't taste what was on her lips, he found himself enjoying the feeling. He decided to push Ilyse further: he slowly slipped his tongue into her mouth, and although she let out a gasp of surprise, she met it with hers after a moment of hesitation. After a moment of swirling tongues with her, he felt Ilyse sucking his tongue while circling it with her own. Ciaran could feel Ilyse becoming hotter. His right hand moved upwards and began playing with her breast, squeezing; his left hand moved downwards to find her bead, and his touch sparked a small moan from the elf. The hand not holding him close to her also moved downwards and found his already hard shaft. 

Ilyse seemed a bit hesitant to touch his shaft, despite their tongue-fighting and Ciaran's massaging of her own delicate regions. He pressed his thumb into Ilyse's nipple while squeezing her breast firmly while his other hand pinched her bead hard. The sudden jolt of pain forced her to break the kiss; she couldn't keep a tone of pleasure out of her squeal, however. She blushed at the realization that she was actually enjoying this.

Ilyse gently wrapped her hand around Ciaran's length and stroked lightly, as if worried it was going to bite her. The thought made the wizard chuckle; he lifted her head up and kissed her lightly on the lips again. It seemed to give her a bit more confidence and she increased the pace of her strokes ever so slightly. Ciaran took one of her breasts into his mouth and let his tongue dive into the inverted nipple; meanwhile his hands turned to Ilyse's lower parts.

His right hand curled around Ilyse's waist and squeezed her rear, pulling it and lightly slapping it. His left hand returned to it's position at Ilyse's entrance. This time, instead of just toying with her bead, he pushed his index and middle fingers inside her. The slight thrust backwards from her coupled with the gasp that turned into a moan told Ciaran he'd found her weakness. Or one of them.

Ciaran and Ilyse quickly found a rhythm to their movements, and she stroked him at the same time his fingers pushed inside her. Their heads pressed together, but no kissing nor speaking happened. Both delighted in hearing each other's breathing increase in both speed and volume as they pleasured each other. Ilyse suddenly bit her lip and her movements slowed slightly, yet their intensity increased. Realizing, Ciaran picked her left leg up with his right hand and began furiously fingering her entrance. Her face as she was driven closer and closer to climax was a picture, and her moans were a beautiful song.

Ciaran sped up his pleasuring of the elf further still, and Ilyse bit her lip as she came. Her entire body shook with the force of the orgasm crashing over her and her eyes drifted out of focus for a second or two. Ciaran couldn't feel any squirt on his fingers, but why would he? This wasn't the physical world.

"Oh, come on! You couldn't have cum that easily the last time you were here?" Wakeeda complained. Ciaran could only contain his laughter as Ilyse gave her an apologetic look that, thanks to her silly grin, didn't look at all convincing. The wizard only now realized that Wakeeda and Devany had been watching them. He thought him and Ilyse were obscured from the physical realm.

"Are you alright?" Ciaran asked the elf, though it was a rhetorical question.

Ilyse nodded, then shook her head slightly as if to banish the aftereffects of the climax. "Yes. Better, in fact. It's not as though I can get tired, is it?"

Ciaran smirked. "Then I believe it's my turn now." 

He'd barely finished the sentence when Ilyse gripped his shaft and began stroking him slowly. She seemed eager to pay him back for her own orgasm. Her lips met his again, but no tongue entered his mouth this time. Ilyse seemed to enjoy his lips more than his tongue, which was fine by him.

Ilyse suddenly pulled back and lay back in the air, spreading her legs. Ciaran had a perfect view of her cunny: the trimmed ginger hair, the slightly- puffy outer lips, and the lovely pink opening that she spread with her hands. He yearned to let his tongue massage every single bit of it, but he wouldn't taste a thing, so there was little point. Maybe physical sex had it's benefits after all.

Ciaran drifted to her and-after a couple of tantalizing pokes with his finger, placed his shaft at her entrance. The two locked eyes, Ilyse nodded, and Ciaran pushed. As the wizard entered her tightness, the elf's head jerked back with the spike of pleasure. He pushed himself completely inside, and Ilyse wrapped her arms around him. Her eyes were as open as her panting mouth and her tongue hung out the slightest bit.

He started out slowly and gently at first. His thrusts pushed deeply inside the lustful elf. She let out a soft but clear moan with every push into her. Her mouth moving to form the cute cries of pleasure was perhaps her most indecent part; her tongue even hung out further than before. The wizard took one of her hands and directed it down to her bead. Instantly, she began rubbing it in time with his thrusts.

Ciaran began pumping into the elf faster. He felt her large legs curving around him, and smiled. He leaned forwards and kissed her tongue as she bounced on his girth. Her moans were now short-lived but the wizard pushed into her so often it made little difference. Her cunny was so tight, and her breasts bouncing in an almost hypnotic pattern had Ciaran speeding up even further. After a mere second or two, Ilyse began panting, and Ciaran barely had time to push inside as her orgasm hit.

Ilyse bit her lip and climaxed for the second time; Ciaran pushed inside and held himself there. The feeling of her inner walls tightening around his length felt amazing, but he knew better than to try pushing-or pulling-while she came. Ilyse's eyes stayed looking at Ciaran's as her climax ended, but they seemed to cloud over slightly. Somehow, she pulled herself into him and he could feel the afterglow radiating from her.

He pulled backwards and pushed forwards again, taking it slow so as to not cause the elf any harm. She was still incredibly tight, and it was only after a few thrusts inside her that Ciaran felt himself reaching his own orgasm. Ilyse, hearing his panting, pulled backwards from her embrace and met her lips-and tongue-to his own. Feeling Ilyse's tongue sliding against his own was all that Ciaran needed; he had barely pushed back inside when he felt the surge of bliss wash over him. Although he knew that no cum was actually coming out, he still felt his shaft pulse 5 times.

For a minute or five they stayed there, lips and bodies pressed together, Ciaran's softening shaft still inside Ilyse's cunny. After some time, the wizard pulled out. "I think it's time we headed back into our bodies." Ciaran suggested. Ilyse nodded in agreement. Her second orgasm had seemed to hit her harder than either of them thought-her eyes were still out of focus. They continued holding hands as they descended into their bodies.

As their physical selves awoke, Ilyse looked heavily embarrassed, but also heavily pleased. Try as she might to keep her face neutral, the smile seemed etched there, as if in stone or wood. The two got up, struggling a bit; getting used to their bodies after such an intense experience out of them was harder than it sounded.

As Ciaran stumbled to his clothes and pulled his pants back up, he realized. "Oh, Wakeeda. The bandits I rescued Ilyse from had already torn her clothes up. Seeing as conjuration was never my preferred type of magic..."

"I'm a witch doctor, not a tailor." Wakeeda joked. "But I can put something together. I just need a piece of cloth."

Ciaran tore a large piece off of his tunic and handed it to Wakeeda. As he pulled it over his head, he turned to Ilyse "You don't mind having a grey dress, do you?"

She giggled a bit. Their little episode in the astral plane had seemed to lighten her mood. "As long as it's not red or pink. They'd clash awfully with my hair and eyes."

"I don't know, blue wouldn't look very good on you either." Wakeeda pointed out, casting a series of spells on the cloth. "Maybe on Devany if it was dark enough."

Devany piped up. "Nah, my preferred colour of clothing is none. Same for Ilyse, most of the time." Ilyse blushed brightly but knew better than to answer back. 

"Oh, and I know where your sorceress has gone, Ilyse." Wakeeda told her suddenly "I asked the spirits while you two were busy. She headed East to the Ocean of Sy. Whether she seeks to cross it or if she's heading more south or north isn't known to the spirits. What they do know is that she's causing disruptions wherever she treads, which should make it easy to track her."

"Then she's getting even stronger. There's no time to lose." Ilyse turned to the wizard. "Ciaran, seeing as it took me half a day to get out this swamp the last time I was here, would you mind helping me find my way out?"

Wakeeda answered before Ciaran could. "I can help with that. I've developed a kind of teleporting magic, but it's very finicky. It'll teleport you out of the swamp, but you might end up leaving a fingernail or something here." 

After thinking for a second, Ciaran shrugged. "I've already tried one new thing today. What's one more?" Ilyse merely smiled and nodded in agreement. 

Wakeeda tossed an oversized grey tunic to the elf, who pulled it over her head. It covered everything down to her thighs, but left a huge impression on where her breasts were. Not only through allowing them to jut forwards, but the front was cut down so far that not much was left to the imagination about what lay beneath. Ciaran suspected Wakeeda had done so on purpose.

The witch doctor had already grabbed a piece of white chalk and drew a circle around the two of them. Devany flew into the circle as well, gripping onto Ilyse's tunic. Wakeeda poured a blue potion onto the chalk and snapped her fingers: the chalk lit up and a light blue aura surrounded the three of them. "Please keep your arms and legs inside the circle at all times." Wakeeda's tone made it clear it was a joke, but the punchline was lost on Ciaran. Ilyse and Devany too, from their faces. "Ready?"

Ciaran nodded. Ilyse gulped and gripped his hand a little tighter, but also nodded. Wakeeda spoke a word that Ciaran didn't quite hear, and he felt himself being pulled forwards by invisible hooks. He reflexively closed his eyes and felt a squeezing sensation all over his body that lasted less than a moment before he was back on his feet. He felt like he'd just been fed through a set of forge bellows. He heard a soft thud next to him and a loud retching sound told him Ilyse hadn't fared any better; the sound she made afterward drove the point further.

Ciaran waited a moment for her to stop before offering a hand. She took it and he pulled her to her feet. He pointed his wand at the mess on the ground and muttered "Tersus sursum." the mess immediately cleaned away. A quick inspection told them they hadn't left a fingernail or anything else of note behind.

Ilyse smiled and sounded a little nervous. The wizard knew she had the same thing on her mind that he did. This was it; they each had their own route to go now. "C-could you come with me? I could use your help in taking down the sorceress." Her words were slightly shaky, but not from cold this time.

Ciaran's head moved downward as he answered, unable to look at her. "I...I can't. I left my home behind once before. I couldn't bring myself to do it again." He spoke nervously. He didn't think he'd felt this close to someone since his first lover. "But, can you do me a favour and promise to come back someday?" The words sounded foreign to him, especially coming from his own mouth.

Ilyse took Ciaran's hands in hers. The two locked eyes. Ciaran couldn't help but stare into those beautiful emeralds. He suddenly noticed Ilyse was slowly leaning forwards. He reacted without thinking and did the same. Their eyes closed and their lips met. He knew her sweet taste, one hand exploring her hair, her arms slowly curling around his back. Somewhere far away he heard Devany let out a small "Aww..." Ciaran felt his heart skip a beat or two as she broke the kiss.

Ilyse blushed heavily but spoke first. "Consider that my promise. You have to return it when I come back." she pointed a finger at the fairy and, without even glancing, told her "Not a word, you. Not. One." Devany's mouth, just about to begin speaking, snapped shut but smiled widely.

He squeezed her hand a little, brought it to his mouth and kissed it. "For luck." he joked, as they both let go.

As Ciaran watched her walk away towards the East, he found his eyes lingering on her plump ass once again. He smiled. He didn't know what trials lay in her future, but she'd proven strong enough to survive Asmana; she'd be fine. Turning his thoughts back to himself, Ciaran realized with a start that his quest was finished. He turned himself around and headed to Lapvale for a celebratory mead and a new bounty. Everything was alright.