Fenza: She of the Forest

Pre returned to the room with a doctor at his side. "A doctor and some water for the hero."

Nard sipped the water as the doctor checked his vitals. "Hero..."

"That was some swift diving, pushing Ocolla out of the way like that," Pre complimented.

"Is she...?"

"She was here earlier, but you were beyond reach," Etaeli answered. "You were thrashing in your sleep, speaking a name no one, neither she nor I, recognized." Etaeli gave him a look that Nard caught but didn't understand.

The doctor put away his flashlight. "Alright. It looks as if all signs of poison have receded."

Nard nodded. "Good. I should...return..."

"For procedural purposes, we're keeping you here another day," the doctor said plainly.

"But you just said the poison was gone," Nard protested. "Etaeli, didn't he say the poison was gone?"

"He did, but songwriting is my only proficiency, I'm afraid. Best to do as the doctor says, friend."

"We'll keep the monsters at bay while you rest," Pre said. "Speaking of which, my hour's leave is up. Gotta return to the grind."

He shook Nard's hand and departed.

The doctor followed but turned before he left. "We'll bring you a meal. Please try to get some sleep after you've eaten."

Nard smiled as best he could. "But I've been asleep an entire day."

Etaeli grinned. "You would be on the hunt at this very moment, were you able. You have quite the spirit. I could write a song about it."

The Elf got more serious. "Does the name 'Fien' mean anything to you?"

"No," Nard replied. "Was that who I was calling for in my sleep?"

"It was," Etaeli acknowledged. "But you have never heard it?"

"Never," Nard insisted.

Etaeli walked over to a table in the room. Lying on it was the same book he'd browsed a few days ago. He sat in a chair.

"I suppose it could be a product of the counter-venom's effects. However..."

He turned to a page he'd marked. And read. "'Those who encountered the nymph were said to have her name upon their lips, regardless of whether or not the nymph had bestowed upon them such a privilege. However, such knowledge was buried in the deep recesses of one's mind and only revealed in certain states of consciousness.'"

Etaeli closed the book. "Back in the Before Period, when magic was our primary tool for everything, we often evoked dreamwalking and soul-searching spells. It was then the Elves would speak the names of these nymphs they had met. I would not be surprised if 'Fien' was yours."

"Maybe," Nard said. Despite the entire day's sleep he was feeling tired again.

Etaeli picked up his book and stood. "Perhaps you should ask her."

He walked to the door and stopped. "Or perhaps not. Now that I am assured you are safe, I suppose I'll go home."

"Goodbye, Etaeli," Nard said.

The next thing he remembered was being pried awake so he could eat.

****

Pre and Legi brought Nard's pod, which is possible through a substitute thumbprint called a 'bypass key.' Nard was given word that the Chief had granted him another night's leave.

When he started the pod's engine and the coolants blasted air on him, he felt as if a total of two days in the hospital equaled years of absence.

Ocolla had not visited again. He supposed she'd been sleeping for the night's patrol. Nard wondered if perhaps she would be waiting for him at home. He pictured her underneath his covers, waiting to surprise him with an alluring outfit. The thought intrigued him and he increased the pod's speed a little.

But after several moments Nard realized he was driving toward the forest—her forest.

He soon landed his pod on the grass. He took his Stinger from the storebox (Take No Chances) then left his pod.

There was a trail this time. Nard noted that the trees were parted far enough apart that they created a navigable pathway. Their tops were entwined, forming a tunnel of sorts.

Glowflies in the hundreds illuminated this passage. Their numbers had the effect of full moonlight or early dawn. Etaeli once said that glowflies were departed souls whose tragic deaths had kept them from ascending to the Beyond, and that being able to co-exist with nature's beauty was their own Heaven.

The tunnel continued for five minutes pace until it ended at a large clearing where stars peppered the sky. Everywhere else was freezing cold, but this spot was warm as a summer clime.

Nard studied his surroundings. The clearing was quite spacious, and the trees formed a wall suitable for a fortress.

He set down his Stinger. He took a lungful of air.

"Fien."

A warm hand touched his shoulder. He slowly turned toward the nymph. The glowflies gave her naked body a bright aura.

Her smile made the shape of her eyes deviant. "You have returned, Sir Nard."

"You know my name?" he asked.

"And you know mine."

"I was bedridden with an injury," Nard explained. "My friend, he...said I called your name out when I was under the counter-venom."

"Oh, my poor Nard!" Fien sincerely expressed. "You were wounded...here."

Two glowing fingers tapped Nard's bandages. He jumped in surprise.

Fien smiled again. "A Shadowspawn's mark is a vicious thing. But your resilience is commendable, Sir Nard. As is your heroism."

"Heroism?"

"You pushed away your Shadow Patrol Mate in order to save her," Fien recalled.

Nard was shocked and amazed. "H-how did you know that?"

"Your Elven friend would know," Fien said. She gestured around her. "We are not allowed to leave our realms. But the trees, Nard. They are silent watchers. Their roots interconnect in the same manner as your informational machines, and they whisper all of the world's knowledge into our ears."

She turned to the baffled Nard. "I am aware of all there is. Of all your songs, your films, your technologies. I know the names of your friends. And yes, I know Ocolla, whom you saved from danger. I asked the trees of your upbringing and your past. From further south came that information. One who lives and thrives in the woods, as I do, can learn much."

"I imagine you don't get bored easily then," Nard commented after overcoming his bafflement.

"You speak true. Upon my request the trees tell me stories. Stories of heroes and villains, past and present deeds good and ill."

"Do you have to eat? Or sleep, drink, those sorts of things?" Nard asked.

"No," Fien answered. "Nature itself replenishes me."

Nard was astounded. But it was bewilderment mixed with lust. His attention wandered to those soft, youthful breasts and that hairless twat. The glowflies enhanced her every feature.

"You are...astoundingly beautiful," Nard said despite his better judgment.

Fien smiled. "And you, sir, are an art rarely seen."

He wanted to kiss her. He wondered how those lips tasted, about sucking those rounded cones on her tits.

He closed their distance. She didn't resist. Bees buzzed in his head as their lips touched. They broke and stared into each other's eyes.

"Sir Nard?" she whispered.

"Yes?"

"The trees tell me...your Ocolla waits for you at home."

Nard peered at the forest floor, conflicted over what to do. He was inches away from Fien. Her aroma was a mixture of pine and air after a storm. In his mind he knew he could have her.

On the other hand, Etaeli had said that nymphs were beyond comprehension. What would happen if Nard took Fien? Was it a love-inducing copulation? Would his heart, mind and soul belong to her? Beyond that, her entire world was this forest. His was Tanglewood and all that surrounded it.

Further still was Ocolla, and the possibility of a future together.

Unless you plan to move into the woodlands in a way that does not disturb the balance, you cannot have a relationship with this nymph.

"I guess I should go," Nard said regretfully. "Fien...please understand. I mean no offense."

"And I take none," Fien said warmly. "You are wise not to keep your woman waiting."

Nard started to leave.

"Sir Nard?"

He turned. Fien held out his Stinger.

"You forgot this. You needn't bring arms into my realm next time. I assure you, you are safe here."

Nard took it back. He walked the makeshift tunnel back to his pod, and with reservations, drove away.

You are wise not to keep your woman waiting.

"Except she's not my woman," he said out loud.

****

There were no pods on the lawn. Nard briefly questioned Fien's sources until he ascended the steps and found the front door unlocked. Ocolla knew where the spare key was.

In the kitchen he found two nullifiers beside a glass of ice water. He quickly downed them.

A faint hiss was coming from the toilet room. The sanitizer was running.

Nard opened the toilet room, where the light was already on. Sitting on the porcelain lid in all her nude glory was Ocolla. From this angle her breasts appeared larger; her nipples were tiny spikes.

"I've been waiting for you," Ocolla spoke over the sanitizer. "I haven't given you a proper thank you."

"I-it,was nothing," Nard stammered as he examined her alluring body.

She stood, exposing a puffy, swollen and dampened slit. Her dark strip was matted down.

"I hope you don't mind, but I...warmed up a bit," Ocolla confessed.

She threw her arms around Nard's neck. "Of course, I don't think that bothers you."

She raised her closed middle and index fingers to Nard's lips. He sucked her fingertips, tasting her sweet nectar. Indeed, she had 'warmed up' considerably in his absence. They kissed, and if there was any trace of Fien on his mouth Ocolla didn't say. Their tongues massaged each other as Nard worked to remove the clothes he'd worn home.

With his free hand he slid two fingers inside. She moaned and squeezed his ass. Their kissing heated to an oven roast. His pants and underwear hit the floor. He threw his shirt in the sink. Now void of clothing himself, he groaned as Ocolla squeezed his cock, which had been hard ever since he left the forest.

"I'm very filthy after tonight's patrol," Ocolla cooed as she stroked him. "I was about to step into the sanitizer."

"I'm really dirty too," Nard whispered.

Ocolla pressed her nose to his shoulder and breathed him in. "Mmm, hardly. This is a nice scent. Like pine needles and fresh storm air."

Nard felt a twinge of guilt at the notion, but nevertheless followed Ocolla into the sanitizer.

Sanitizers work by converting special capsules into cleansing mists, which are formulated so as not to sting the eyes. There are two types of capsules, for the body and the hair. One can utilize both.

Nard stepped into the fog with Ocolla and closed the glass door. In an instant they melted into a furious tangle.

He rubbed her back; she grabbed his cock, already at full mast.

"So hard," she groaned. "You're really worked up, aren't you?"

"I...!"

She squeezed harder and stroked up and down the length. He hissed and moaned.

Ocolla continued her stroking motion with gritted teeth. "Cooped up in that hospital room. Begging for release. Your spunk built up so much it's about to overflow."

"Yes, yes!" Nard exclaimed.

White spittle formed at his tip. Ocolla tested its texture on her fingers before licking it off. Then she knelt, wrapping her lips around Nard's purple glans for a light suckle.

She stood again. "I was right. That overstock must hurt! I'll have to be your doctor in this case."

The sanitizer still poured its mist when Nard asked, "what's your recommendation, doctor?"

"Full release," Ocolla said huskily. What that, she put her hands against the sanitizer wall and bent over, offering her distended hole to him. She pried her lips apart.

Nard directing his hard, angled dick into her slicked entrance. The sensation of penetration was so strong that he nearly spent right there. But he regained control and began a slow thrust.

"Gods. Gods, yes," Ocolla moaned as their bodies slapped together. "Every drop, Nard! I, want, every, drop, of, you!"

"You'll get it," Nard growled.

"Where?"

His pace increased. He drove in deeper. Her depths gripped him in a vice.

"Everywhere. Inside you. Outside you. In your hair. All over your pretty face."

"Filthy animal," she gasped. "Beast! Ogre!"

Ocolla's dark hair hung down her back. Sweat dripped from them both. Nard's orgasm was building.

"Ocolla—"

"—me too! Keep going, Nard!"

The tingle was steadily rising to a promising climax. Nard thrust and thrust, determined to blast inside her.

But in that moment, something strange happened.

A brief flash came and went. Nard's surroundings disappeared. Instead of the sanitizer he was in the forest during daylight hours. The mist was natural fog. He smelled the foliage, heard the critters chirping and saw the glowflies.

He was still thrusting into warm and wet flesh, but the person impaled on his cock wasn't Ocolla but blonde, screaming Fien with her juicy tits jiggling and her tips swollen as Nard kneaded her ass and pounded her from behind.

So lucid was this vision that he was sure it was real. His sac tightened; his release was inevitable.

The sanitizer returned. Nard was buried in Ocolla's mouth as she worked him like a pump.

The dam burst and his orgasm raged. As jets of cream pulsed out, Ocolla swallowed every inch of him and stayed there.

Her pierced tongue slinked out and massaged his scrotum. He came again.

In a daze, Nard stumbled and lost his footing. Another flash; the sanitizer floor was dirt and reeds. Fien stood over him. Jizz had leaked from her mouth and onto her plumper tits.

"Sir Nard! Are you—"

"—okay?" Ocolla again. Semen had escaped to her humble mounds in the same manner.

The orgasm had been so powerful that he needed rest. One last spurt made a small pool on the sanitizer floor. His cock was shrinking and retreating.

"Just...fine," he rasped.

Ocolla smiled. "Your treatment's done. Every drop, just as I recommended."

"G-good..."

Ocolla collected the remaining cum into her mouth. "Mm, yes. Quite a meal. I'd say you..."

She stopped. Her eyes widened.

Nard was confused by her random reaction until he felt a tightening. He was getting hard again. He didn't know who among them was more shocked.

He stood, his stone-hard dick jutting out from him. Ocolla put a hand to her mouth. Along with his erection, every bit of Nard's eagerness had also returned.

"I'm as puzzled as you," he stated. "But maybe we shouldn't waste this opportunity."

Ocolla grabbed him by the hand. "No, we shouldn't."

They raced to the bedroom. In their haste Nard forgot to turn off the sanitizer. Its hiss continued as Nard shoved Ocolla's naked body onto the bed and took her that way.

He pounded away, a new appetite for her within him.

The flashes kept happening. She was Fien, then Ocolla, and then Fien again. The bed was a sheeted mattress and then dirt and twigs.

It continued that way well into dawn, when he erupted within her. Within them.

That marked the last drop.

****

Ocolla actually stayed this time. They cuddled for a few restful hours and when they awoke Nard fixed her breakfast.

After a year of being Friends Impassioned, was it finally happening?

Whatever this was, the feeling was bittersweet. Nard could never bring himself to tell Ocolla about those fleeting forest teleportations. Part of him argued that it had been a product of his overactive imagination, but that was a small part. With every one of his senses as vibrant and alive as it they had been in those visions, this went beyond a mental matter.

Nard hadn't mentioned Fien to Ocolla, nor would he. His heart and loins ached for the nymph, but if he was winning Ocolla, he no intention of returning to Fien.

They spent their day's rest in Nard's bed. Every now and then they would awaken to make small talk before falling asleep again.

During one of these moments, Ocolla said, "I noticed something strange in the sanitizer."

"You mean other than my magic wand?" Nard responded with a smile.

"Your wound," Ocolla pointed out. "There was no scarring. Nothing."

Nard recalled Fien's glowing fingers. "I guess it wasn't that bad."

They awoke at dusk. Nard followed Ocolla home and ate with her before they both dressed for work.

Headquarters consisted of one large room with a few small offices. The main chamber had tables at random intervals, each with a gridded display on top. Satellite feeds broadcast locations, lengths and densities of Shadows. It was at these tables that the Shadow Patrol's four quadrants—the Western, Eastern, Northern and Southern Wingspans—would gather.

Nard was in good spirits upon arrival. The day he'd spent with Ocolla had alleviated most of his guilt. Yes, a trick of the mind. He'd defeated that dissenting side of himself.

When he saw Chief Zy standing at the entrance, Nard knew something was different.

"Good evening, Mate Nard," he greeted. "I need to see you in my office."

Nard and Ocolla exchanged a confused look. Nard followed the Chief. He didn't think he was in any kind of trouble, but there was no telling.

Nard sat in a seat opposite the Chief, a burly aging man with a thick gray beard that covered much of his uniform.

"Yes, sir?"

"Nard, I'll get right to it," Zy said. "A lot's happened since you were hospitalized, and I have some news for you. Ulily has been relieved of duty."

Nard was shocked. "Pardon?"

"He was a nuisance," Chief Zy clarified. "You and the others are all too aware of his public drunkenness, I'm sure. Well, last night the City Guard was called to the Have Another alehouse to arrest Ulily and Grun, the Orcish bartender. And then there's the comments Ulily made toward the women...anyway, it was too much."

Zy broke out into a smile. "You on the other hand are quite different, Nard. Therefore it is my privilege to congratulate you. I am promoting you to the rank of Commander for the Eastern Wingspan.

Nard's body locked in surprise. "C-com—"

"—indeed. Your on-the-field training starts at tonight's patrol. Congratulations, Commander."

Nard pinched himself to see if this was all a dream. Evidently it wasn't. He was caught in a war between excitement and apprehension. He noticed that Chief Zy was intently waiting on a response.

"S-sir, with all due respect...this is quite a shock."

"A shock?"

"I've only been out of Shadow Academy for three years, sir."

Chief Zy was confused. "You have...a better suggestion, then?"

"Maybe Pre? Legi? A-and Ocolla is two years my senior, sir."

Chief Zy leaned back in his desk chair and scratched his chin in thought. "Nard, I've been involved with the Shadow Patrol for thirty-two years. In my experience age has little to nothing to do with good leadership. A Mate ten years running can be as green as a fresh graduate. When I make these decisions, I don't look at numbers. I look at qualities: discipline, courage, fortitude and leadership skills. I've observed you out there and heard reports of you on the field. You possess all of these qualities, Nard. Your only weakness is your inability to believe in yourself."

Perhaps Chief Zy had a point. Or he could be underestimating Nard's 'greenery' as it were. The salary would be marginally better, but thought of a paycheck reminded Nard of the Shadow Patrolman's code: Not For Money. For The Greater Good.

"Well, Mate Nard, it's up to you."

Nard forced a smile.

"Sir...I will not let you down."

Chief Zy smiled himself. "I have no fear that you would, Commander."

****

Ocolla was waiting outside of Chief Zy's office, anxious to hear what happened. She raised a curious eyebrow when Nard emerged beaming.