The Beast Within

With that, Eagle's eyes closed, and his breathing slowed. Bear, his father, and two other men carried Eagle outside, so that he might pass from the world beneath the sky. Eagle soaring opened his eyes, and from above, all heard the cry of his namesake. Looking up, they saw an eagle circling above them, as though awaiting the spirit of the man named for it. A few short breaths later, Eagle Soaring passed from the world, the faint edges of a smile on his face.

()o~~~~***~~~~o()

The mourning of the family – and indeed the entire village – was profound. Tassels and ornaments were cut from clothing, and the men blackened their faces. Wails of grief resounded well into the night. A place was chosen atop a hill near where Great Bear meditated for Eagle Soaring's burial the next morning. Through Laresa's power, he was lifted high into the boughs of the largest tree, there to rest until nature reclaimed him. Once again, an eagle soared overhead as the family bid farewell to the wise old chieftain.

Laresa was treated as a member of the family, and for a time she was able to forget her slavery as a Djinn. While the people buried Nathifa's son, she was simply another grieving woman. Upon returning to the village, the family returned to their teepees and their chores. A beautiful young woman stopped Bear as he neared his own teepee.

"Eagle Soaring will be missed, Great Bear." The woman reached out and touched Bear's hand, "I grieve with you."

Bear nodded, "My thanks unto you, Sweet Water. He dwells with the Spirit now."

Laresa could see longing in the woman's eyes, and she could feel torment in her Master's soul as Bear passed Sweet Water, entering his teepee and pulling the flap closed once Laresa was inside. Laresa debated silently whether she should ask the question in her mind, but decided it wasn't her place at the moment. Bear knew her only from the stories passed down through his family thus far, and so she felt she shouldn't be prying into why Bear denied his feelings for the young woman.

"I can prepare you something to eat, if you would like," Laresa suggested, "You could tell me about your family, and about life in the village now, if you don't mind talking. I can hide your voice as I do my own, so that none will think odd of you speaking to yourself."

"Thank you, Moonhair. Speaking of my blood and my people would honor my grandfather. Perhaps it might lighten the burden on my spirit, as well," Bear responded, sitting down on the floor of the teepee.

Laresa manifested a plate with a steaming hunk of venison, and a generous cake of cornbread. Bear examined the cornbread curiously, and then took a nibble. His eyes widened in delighted surprise, and then he started telling his tale in-between bites.

()o~~~~***~~~~o()

Some hours later, Bear completed his tale. Laresa asked, "So, Nathifa's bracelet still holds its magic, enough even to transform your uncle as it did Sees with a Hawks Eye?"

Bear's eyes darkened, "That curse now resides in my family's blood, not within the bracelet."

"Curse? But, that magic has protected your village all these years, and allowed your people to prosper. Surely it is a blessing, and not a curse," Laresa said cautiously, seeing and feeling the pain in her Master's bearing.

Bear's eyes were distant as he responded. "For the village, it is a blessing. For me, it is a curse, as it was to my uncle before me. Even as he withdrew into himself, so must I. I will not burden a child with my blood, nor will I bring danger to a woman with my hands."

Laresa nodded, not knowing how to respond to that. A call from outside brought Bear back to reality, and he stood to open the tent flap.

"The sickness grows again," said a worried woman outside the tent.

"I will come," Bear told her and turned to retrieve his medicine bag when she hurried back to her own teepee. He sighed as he picked up the doeskin satchel.

Laresa asked, "What is wrong?"

"Running Wolf's sickness cannot be healed with my magic. I have tried, but always the sickness returns."

Laresa stood and said, "I will come. Perhaps my power can help him, if you wish me to?"

Bear nodded his head in thanks. "Running Wolf is the last of his blood, and the sickness takes him without a son. Many shaman and chieftains have come from his blood, and it would be good that it continues."

Laresa smiled somewhat mischievously, "I can perhaps help there too."

Bear chuckled at that, his mood lightening. He stepped out of the teepee, and Laresa followed, still invisible to all save Bear and his family. When they reached Wolf's teepee, his wife stepped out of the tent to let the shaman work his magic.

Laresa swelled with pity when she saw the man. It was easy to see he had once been a strong Brave, but now had wasted away to nearly nothing. She stepped ahead of Bear, opening a channel to her power without a word. Reaching into Wolf, she found the source of the wasting sickness, and through her power eliminated it.

Wolf's eyes opened in surprise, his mind clearing and some small part of his strength returning. Bear assisted the man to rise, and Wolf said, "Dark Beast – I feel my strength return."

He will recover quickly. I will use my magic to ensure it. He will soon regain his full strength with good food and exercise, Laresa mentally informed Bear.

Hearing her husband's voice, Wolf's wife stepped into the tent, calling his name. Wolf opened his arms and she immediately fell into them, weeping with joy.

An amused smile decorating her face, Laresa added, Considering what I feel from them, I have little doubt his bloodline will extend shortly as well.

"Thank you, Dark Beast," Wolf's wife turned to say, tears running down her cheeks.

"Praise to the Great Spirit for this blessing, and thank you as well, Dark Beast," Wolf agreed.

"Praise to the Great Spirit," Bear said with a nod, "I will leave you to each other."

Laresa and Bear stepped out of the teepee, and Bear thought to Laresa, If I remember the stories well, you can see my thoughts.

Yes, Bear, I understand you.

Thank you for your magic. Running Wolf was as a brother to me before the sickness felled him.

Laresa smiled and laid her hand on his arm, I enjoy helping others, and giving them pleasure. It is one of the joys I can take from my servitude.

When Bear heard the word pleasure from Laresa's thoughts, coupled with her soft hand on his arm, he felt a stirring in his loins. He quickly stifled the thought, knowing that the genie would likely be able to sense the emotion if he let it grow too strong.

He was too late, however, as Laresa had already caught the hint of desire from her Master. Memories of him nude when she had first appeared from the ring returned to Laresa, and her own arousal sprang to roaring life within her. It had been a very long time since she last lay with a man whom she found attractive, and who she wanted to touch her. Here was a man who desired no children, the main reason she had avoided the Braves when she had last lived in this village. She felt it unfair to steal the affections of the men from the women of the tribe, when she could offer the Braves no children to continue their lines.

Laresa's storm-tossed emotions related to her slavery as a Djinn evaporated before the flame of pent up desire inside her. She could give him a gift as well. He feared to get close to anyone because of his curse, but he could not possibly hurt Laresa in any way. Not that she believed the magic would ever harm anyone who did not intend him or the tribe harm. He believed it, and that was all that truly mattered.

It would mean waiting for the right moment, however. If she simply pressed herself on him, he would withdraw, leaving them both wanting. Following Bear back to his teepee, she knew there would be a time and place.

She hoped it would be soon, as her sex tingled and her stiff nipples throbbed in turn with her fast beating heart.

()o~~~~***~~~~o()

Laresa concentrated on locating and transporting various implements of the shaman's trade to replenish Bear's stores. While he enjoyed the treks to locate the various herbs, talismans, and other paraphernalia, he felt guilty about leaving the tribe without his magic while he was absent. When he lamented a missing herb, Laresa's suggestion that she might acquire the things he needed proved a welcome one to him.

Bear sat meticulously crafting an amulet from a smooth river stone, looking up every so often to rest his eyes and hands as Laresa put each new object she teleported to the teepee in its proper place. The sounds of a loud argument broke the tranquility of the village, and Bear immediately stood, recognizing one of the voices as that of his father.

He stepped through the flap, and found his father standing defiantly before a Brave Laresa didn't recognize. By his dress and regalia, Laresa assumed he was of a different tribe. The conversation quickly confirmed it as they approached.

"You starve us with your magic," the man accused.

Shaking his head, the Chieftain disagreed, "We take no more from the land than we ever have. It was not we who broke the peace. Your father may return to us at any time, and share in the bounty of the joined tribes."

Puffing out his chest and squaring his shoulders, the stranger spit out, "We will not cower like the rabbit before your laws."

Bison Heart maintained his passive expression, but Laresa could feel the disappointment and sadness flowing from him when he said, "The laws bring our bounty, and were made by all. Your grandfather smoked the pipe with me when the law was made."

"There was no choice. This will come to war," The Brave responded, his voice dropping into a low, ominous tone as he said the last.

Reaching them now, Great Bear said, "Does your father send you, Storm Cloud, or do you speak with his voice without his knowledge?"

"My words are not for you," Storm Cloud said without even looking at Bear. "We will not starve. There will be war," he then said, still staring intently at the Chieftain.

"We seek it not, but we will paint our faces if war seeks us, and the Great Spirit will bless us." Bison's words were even and measured, but his sadness deepened to Laresa's senses.

"Once we ran together, Storm Cloud. We were as brothers," Bear said laying a hand on the Brave's shoulder.

Jerking away from Bear, Storm growled, "No more." He turned and walked away, but suddenly darted off to the side, grabbing a girl by the arm. As he pulled her away from the village, drawing a bone knife and keeping the frightened girl between him and the people, he shouted, "You will return what you have stolen from us!"

Laresa began to gather her power, but Bear stepped forward first. The transformation was so swift that Laresa didn't even see it happen. One moment, the Shaman was taking long strides toward the retreating Storm Cloud. The next, a roaring black grizzly charged the stunned Brave.

Distracted and frightened by Bear's transformation into both his namesakes – the Great Bear, and the Dark Beast – he was unprepared when the girl bit down on his arm and spun away. In the moment he turned to try to grab her again, the grizzly was upon him.

A single swipe of the transformed Bear's paw sent Storm Cloud hurtling to the ground, and rolling across the grass. Before the agile brave could gain his feet or bring his weapon in line, Bear was once more upon him, rearing up and roaring. Yellow teeth and claws bristled through night-black fur, and there was death in his eyes.

Storm Cloud's knife fell from his nerveless, trembling hand. Knowing of the transformation Bear underwent was one thing, seeing it was quite another. His belly fluxed, and he nearly soiled himself as certain death loomed over him, in the form of a man he once called brother.

The grizzly growled, shaking its enormous head, and then its paws lowered. In the blink of an eye, the bear blurred once more into the weary looking form of Great Bear. His voice husky, full of pain and anger, Bear said, "Go. Come amongst us no more. You shame the people with such acts."

Scrambling back across the ground away from Bear, Storm Cloud found his feet and ran, as fast as his legs would carry him. Bear hung his head, and then fell to his knees. Laresa approached, but the little girl was the quicker to reach him, being closer.

"Thank you, Dark Beast," she said in reverent tones.

Bear turned to her and took her hand, "You were brave. Your mother and father will be proud, little sister."

Bowing her head, the little girl hurried into the arms of her weeping mother. Laresa saw that Bison Heart was encouraging the people to return to their teepees, knowing how the transformation affected his son, though it had happened only twice before.

Laresa laid a hand on the shaman's shoulder, thinking to him, Bear, are you hurt? Can I help?

The curse is mine to bear, he thought back to her, and then rose to his feet. Laresa followed him back to his teepee sensing little more than a dark void in her troubled Master's mind.

()o~~~~***~~~~o()

As nightfall neared, Bear at last rose from where he had sat down immediately upon secluding himself from the village. "I go to my meditation with the Great Spirit."

Laresa asked, "Do you wish me to remain here?"

He nearly said no, but something inside him disagreed quite strongly. Although he did not acknowledge it, he felt calm in her presence. Even the emotional devastation of his transformation stung with less pain this time. "You may come, if you wish."

"Then I will. Perhaps I might find some answers of my own with you. I have found them before upon that hill."

Bear nodded, and then said, "Come, the time approaches."

As Bear trotted off, steadily increasing his speed, Laresa could feel the darker emotions within him evaporating. Increasing her pace to match his long strides, she found his exhilaration contagious. Her silvery hair whipping in the breeze, she ran beside him, bringing her power to bear for a moment to restrain her bouncing breasts. That irritant eliminated, she fell into the building joy of the run.

Reaching the top of the hill, Laresa let the peaceful nature of the place seep into her. Bear turned to the sunset, as he always did, and Laresa sat down in the grass nearby to join him. Reaching out with her power, she summoned up the calming pendant given to her by the Incan priestess. The divine magic of the item quickly did its work, further relaxing the Djinn. No words passed between them as the sun sank slowly toward the horizon, painting the sky in lustrous shades of red and orange.

Bear gathered up what he needed for his meditation fire, and soon had it burning. He pulled off his leather vest and slipped out of his moccasins, but paused in the process of reaching for his loincloth. It was only then that he remembered he was not alone atop the hill.

Laresa could sense his discomfort, and said, "I have seen you so before, Bear. If this is part of your meditation ritual, you shouldn't change things because I am here."

Bear hesitated for a moment more, but then nodded and tugged at his loincloth again. Laresa averted her eyes, which required a great deal of effort, watching the final sliver of the sun vanish in the distance. A few moments later, she could smell the herbs burning in Bear's fire, and could feel him slipping into a meditative state. Clearing her mind, letting the scent of the herbs and the earth permeate her, Laresa too let the world otherwise fade into the background.

()o~~~~***~~~~o()

Laresa started out of her trance, stunned that she had slipped so fully into the meditative state, and shaken by what she had seen.

Bear's voice arose from behind her, asking, "You had a vision?"

Laresa folded her arms in front of her, staring at the stars and trembling slightly. She could manage only to nod her head in the affirmative.

"Do you wish to speak of it?"

Laresa's first instinct was that talking about her vision was the last thing she wanted to do. After considering it, however, she changed her mind. In a soft voice, she related what had come to her in the vision, "I saw a beast arise within me. It gnawed at me, and held me tight in its grip. Its aspect changed constantly, becoming previous Masters, and others. I saw Nathifa, and your grandfather as a babe. I saw a cruel Master named Aaron, and a couple who loved me as a friend. I was afraid to fight the beast, and it fed upon my fear. No matter how often I wrenched free from it, it always pulled me back with terrible claws. In the end, it became my ring. That is when I awakened."

Bear asked, "Do you understand the meaning of this vision?"

Shaking her head, Laresa glanced down at the pendant hanging between her breasts, irritated that its magic didn't appear to be having any effect upon her now. The fear and desperation from her vision lingered within her, holding her in a grip as tight as the beast it had revealed to her.

Bear stood and walked over to the Djinn, laying a hand on her shoulder as he spoke. "Some visions are not meant to be understood in the moment of their giving. They prepare the way for understanding when the time is right." He stood in silence for a few moments, softly squeezing Laresa's shoulder in a comforting manner. "My vision was of you. I saw you calming the dark beast I become when I change, taming it with your touch."

Laresa turned, looking up into his eyes. As their eyes connected, something more passed between them. Laresa's unease vanished as if it had never been, and desire flared to brilliant life within Bear. As his feelings washed over her, they kindled need within Laresa as well. A twitch of his cock in her peripheral vision, so close to her face as she sat at his feet, built Laresa's passions even higher.

A brisk wind swept over them, whipping both white-gold and dark gray hair with its strength. Shortly thereafter, the rain followed as they stared in silence into each other's eyes. Only a few drops fell at first, but the strength of the storm grew by the moment. In the distance, lightning flashed and thunder rumbled, drawing closer with each resounding boom of nature's power.

"Perhaps the beast within you does not need taming, but understanding," Laresa said, spinning around completely to face him and stroking his muscled legs. "You call it a curse, and yet it saved a girl this day. When confronted with slaying a helpless man, you controlled the beast, sending Storm Cloud away instead. The beast serves the people, but it serves you as well. You are within it, even as it is within you. If it would not harm one who meant you harm, why would it harm one you love?"

"I doubt still," Bear responded, his voice thick with restrained passion.

With a thought, Laresa caused her clothing to vanish, baring her body to Bear as his was to her. Rivulets of water cascaded down their bodies, illuminated by the flashes of the approaching lightning.

"You seclude yourself from the people, and your desires, because you fear the beast's power may bring them harm. The beast could not harm me, Bear, were it to be released, which I do not believe will happen." Laresa's hands moved upward, her thumbs sliding along the inside of his thighs, and her breasts lifting as she raised her arms. Bear's manhood began a steady rise, impossible for him to resist in light of her soft touch.

"Give me your passion," Laresa gasped out, the statement punctuated by a clap of thunder, which shook their bodies with its power.

Leaning forward, Laresa lapped his nearly erect organ from root to tip, drawing a gasp from Bear that was carried away by the wind almost as quickly as the sound passed his lips. As she looked up into his eyes, swirling her tongue over the purple helmet of his manhood, he laid his hand on her rain-soaked hair, pulling her toward him on pure instinct.