Allure of Dreams Ch. 04

Eri had told Art about the life cycle of her race, to ensure that he would know what his future children would be like. It was still a surprise to see it with his own eyes.

For Sylvalans in general, there was no concept of infancy, childhood or adolescence. All Sylvalans emerged from the womb physically and mentally mature. For the mental part, Sylvalans had the ability to link to the collective consciousness of their race, via their mother, and absorb most of their knowledge and skills before they were even born. For the physical part, most Sylvalans were imbued with a space-warping magic while still in the womb, causing them to have the volume and weight of a human baby. This magic faded within minutes of birth, causing them to "grow" to their full size. For apians, and other Sylvalans based on eusocial species, even this magic was unneeded when birthing workers, since worker individuals were smaller even at their full size. It was needed for birthing queens, though, since they were the same size as humans.

Though there was another aspect of Sylvalans, one that Art was definitely not comfortable with.

The newborn workers looked up at their father. One by one, they spoke.

"You made us with the queen, right?"

"Let's have fun together!"

"Show us what cum tastes like!"

...That was why he was uncomfortable. According to Eri, one of the benefits of the magical nature of Sylvalans was that they didn't suffer from any congenital defects (she hadn't used these words, but Art had inferred them from what she did say). Even repeated inbreeding, even between parents and children, wouldn't have any negative consequences for them. They simply did not have any aversion to incest, whether physiological or cultural. That said, they were aware that humans did due to the appearances of humans in this world, and Eri had emphasised that he should not feel obligated to do anything that he didn't want to.

Art turned down his daughters' request for sex - a situation that he would certainly never have imagined happening before - so they satisfied their desires with their older sisters instead. That said, he was aware of the double standard in that he did feel a perverse thrill in watching the incestuous sisterly play.

Art helped Eri to her feet. Though childbirth was easier on her than for a human, it seemed to still be somewhat tiring.

The queen apian and her mate leaned on each other, happy at the birth of their children.

It should have been a life of perfect bliss. But, for some reason, Art felt the tiniest trace of dissatisfaction.

***

Art floated in the darkness, somewhere between the world of harsh reality and the world of mutable dreams. He felt a comforting warmth that surrounded and permeated his body. He simply closed his eyes and relaxed, waiting to wake up.

But he wasn't alone.

"Mar_!"

Art frowned slightly, still keeping his eyes closed. He thought he heard something - but that was impossible.

" - lease wake up! Please, listen to me!"

Art stirred. The voice stirred up intense discomfort and rejection in him. He tried to shut it out, tried to wake up, but whenever he tried to do anything, the voice became clearer.

"Can you hear me? Finally, I've been trying to get to you all this time, ____!"

There was an instant where the voice became indistinct, as though obscured by static. Art felt a painful headache at the same time. He tried again to wake up.

"...You really don't remember anything? Not even ____ _____?"

Again, the static and the headache.

"...It's painful for you, isn't it? Then I'll stop. But, please remember this. Even if you don't remember who I am, I'll still be with you. If you're ever in trouble, I'll be there to help. You just have to ask."

The voice stopped. All was quiet again, but Art wasn't able to relax like before. A chaotic mess of thoughts and emotions swirled in his mind, and soon he woke up.

Art remained still for some time. He clearly remembered what had just happened, so it was definitely no ordinary dream. And, for some reason, he didn't want to tell anyone else about it. He instead allowed himself to become lost in thought.

Ever since he had come to this world, Art had gone along with the whims of others. True, that had eventually landed him in a position of comfort as Eri's mate, but was he really satisfied with that?

Why am I thinking something like that... Who was I before I came here, before I lost my memories? Was I someone obsessed with proving myself? No, that doesn't sound right...

Art then thought about what he had heard earlier, about the Queen of the Forest. He didn't know why, but he felt a distinct dislike upon hearing about her. It was as if, on a fundamental level, he simply couldn't accept authority figures who abandoned their responsibilities.

But why? Why can't I accept it? What happened to me before I -

Suddenly, Art felt another headache, one that pierced through every part of his mind. When he had a clear head again, he couldn't quite remember his previous line of thought.

He did remember one thing clearly, though. He remembered that he couldn't accept authority figures who were corrupt or inept. So long as he knew they were out there, he wouldn't be able to live in peace. Not without doing something.

In Art's mind, a lock had been undone, a chain removed.

***

"No. Please, drop this matter."

"I can't do that."

It had been three weeks since Art had first raised the topic of leaving. He brought it up every single day and Eri had, just as persistently, refused.

Art had been upfront about his reason for leaving. He wasn't about to lie to Eri - and she would have seen through any lie he had tried to make. However, Eri had refuted him with simple logic.

"I've told you, you can't beat her as you are now. She has decades, if not centuries of experience at sex, the method by which our kind fight. She is on an entirely different level from my daughters or myself."

"But she won't have fought a Permanent like me before, right? You would have heard if she had."

"That's true - but you're still far too inexperienced. I'm sorry, but I can't let you do this."

They continued arguing in this manner each day, never coming to an agreement. It was the first and only spot of unhappiness in Art's current life, but he refused to give up. Something had awakened deep inside him. He could no longer be content just enjoying himself, not while there was evil out there in the world.

Eventually, Eri said, "If you want to leave and take on the Queen of the Forest, you must defeat me first. If you can't even manage that, you certainly wouldn't win against her."

"Fine then," Art agreed readily. He'd never managed to make Eri orgasm before him except through cunnilingus. But he couldn't back down now.

The surrounding workers moved away, clearing a space in the middle of the hive. As they alighted on the branches of trees, they called out things like "You should have given up!" and "You're definitely gonna lose!"

Art and the queen apian sat facing each other, determination clear in their eyes.

"Before we begin, let me make this clear," Eri said sombrely. "I don't object to you simply leaving to find a new path in this world. Even if you lose, if you can understand your position and honestly tell me that you won't get into fights, I won't stop you from going."

Now that things had reached this point, Art was feeling a little nervous. He swallowed and said, "Eri, this isn't because I don't like you - "

"I know, Art," Eri said with a sad smile. "I know. Now - let's begin."

Taking the initiative, Eri moved towards Art and pushed him down. In one smooth motion, she took his entire length inside her.

Art had thought himself to be prepared, but the unbelievable pleasure that assaulted him blew that preconception away. He immediately realised that, even at her most aggressive, Eri had been previously holding back for their mutual enjoyment.

Now, Eri was serious. And Art wasn't able to fight back at all.

Eri's pussy had memorised the shape of Art's cock perfectly. The warm sheath clamped down and massaged the entire length of the cock from the tip to the base. Each and every fold moved independently, teasing and caressing the ridges, resulting in a maddening pleasure even though Eri wasn't moving her hips.

And Eri didn't limit her attack to just her pussy. She kept her mouth on Art's in a passionate, hungry kiss. She ran her hands all around Art's body, stroking each muscle, seeking out and exploiting every weak point. She forcefully pressed her chest against his, sliding back and forth, the incredible softness filing Art with an indulgent warmth.

Art couldn't move, except to reflexively twitch and shudder at the assault of inhuman pleasure. He couldn't attack in return. All he could do was let Eri bring him to another heavenly climax. All he could do was surrender.

No!

Though there was still some static, Art heard the voice again.

If you've decided to fight, then I can't let you give up here! You didn't let being ________ by your ______ stop you, so why should you give up this early?

Slowly, gradually, strength returned to Art's limbs.

Mar_, I might not be able to help you in person, but two minds are still better than one. Remember, ____. What are her weak points? You've been with her for over a month - just as she knows you inside and out, you also know her. You can win this!

Art hesitated, but resolved himself to fight back. He slipped an arm free from Eri's embrace, reached down, and squeezed one of her soft buttocks.

Eri moaned slightly, but didn't stop her erotic assault.

Art thought back to the time he'd had anal sex with Eri. Even though he was still inexperienced at the time, she had reached orgasm much faster than expected. With this in mind, Art thrust his finger inside Eri's ass.

From her way Eri raised her body and gasped, Art knew he was on the right track. He kept his finger in and twisted it around, pressing against the walls of her tight hole. Eri bit her lip but couldn't stop herself from moaning more and more loudly.

However, Art was nearing his limit as well. Eri didn't stop the devilish movements of her pussy - if anything, she intensified them. He wasn't going to last another minute at this rate.

Art raised his head and kissed Eri's neck. She gasped again, and Art started licking the sensitive skin, savouring her warmth.

Just as Art thought he was about to lose, Eri couldn't stand it any more. She hugged Art with all her strength and screamed her climax to the heavens. Her entire body shook in the throes of ecstasy.

The workers remained silent, just as shocked as Art was at his unexpected victory.

Art was still right at the edge. With Eri lying on top of him, it was physiologically impossible for his arousal to go back to normal. He had an idea. He raised his head and whispered into Eri's ear, "I'm sorry I have to go... but I can leave you one last present."

Eri looked at Art with eyes that were moist with both sadness and happiness. Realising what he meant, she nodded.

Art began thrusting away in Eri's pussy, which was still slick with her aphrodisiac juices. It didn't take him even ten seconds before he shot his load, filling up the queen apian's womb with his white liquid.

Eri sighed with satisfaction at being impregnated once more. She said, "Thank you... but it's a shame that you won't be here to see your second set of daughters."

"Maybe... but I trust you to take care of them," Art said.

Eri smiled, and pulled Art into another kiss. They resumed their intercourse, with a slower, more intimate pace than before.

***

Two days later, Art had finished his preparations. He had a carrying pack over his shoulder, sewn by inhumanly-dextrous fingers from vines and leaves and filled with rations, clothes, tools and other necessities.

The actual packing hadn't taken much time. Instead, most of the two days was spent trying to convince the workers to let him go. They had proven surprisingly stubborn about wanting him to stay, even standing up to their mother and queen, but had eventually relented.

Art stood at the exit of the hive. Even now, he felt the urge to stay and live a happy and tranquil life. But, he now realised, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if he did.

Eri looked at Art longingly. She said, "It's not too late if you want to stay."

Art cast his eyes down. He answered, "Sorry, but I've made up my mind."

Smiling wryly, Eri said, "Well, it was worth a try." She then took a deep bow and solemnly said, "I, Eri Mellifera, daughter of Bomba, wish you the best of fortunes on your travels." Seeing Art's look of surprise, she added, "I thought I'd say something worthy of a queen for once."

After making his final series of farewells, Art turned and walked away from the hive, into the unknown depths of Morphea Forest.