Drow's Dilemma Ep. 124: Ghost King

Ashyr contemplated Nirza's words and her feelings about them. Goelon had always made her uncomfortable. She wanted -Caleldir,- not the ghost of him. Making up her mind, she shook her head.

"I will give you some time with Faraia," Selene volunteered. It was not out of the kindness of her heart even if Nirza might appreciate the sentiment. The mage had had an... interesting relationship with Goelon. She did want to 'have' him one last time, for old time's sake. So she let go of the catgirl (who she had turned into a proverbial puddle of pleasure by that time anyway) and walked over to the even more ethereal Goelon.

"Hello darling," Selene said with a smirk. She let her own psionic binding embrace him. Caleldra's bindings on Goelon remained, as did Nirza's. But they gave way easily to Selene's manipulations. The vines pulled him up, which also allowed Dahlia freedom to move more. The succubus thankfully repositioned herself to more comfortably embrace Goelon from behind. Other than letting her hands roam and her lips press against his neck occasionally, she did not try to interfere. "How do you feel about being permanently Caleldir by the end of the day?" Selene asked with a knowing smile as she straddled herself on his lap.

Nirza allowed her binding on his mouth to fall away and Goelon sucked in a long breath. It was not necessary for him to breathe, of course, but the Ghost-King still did so.

Goelon seemed very subdued. Tired. Sad. Weak. He pulled lightly against his remaining, looser bonds, found they did not give way to his half-hearted efforts, and gave up, slumping again. "I feel very old," he said softly. "Ready for death. My rage is fading. But I am nothing but rage and hatred. When my rage and hate is gone, I will be as well."

Looking up, he gave Selene something like a sort of smile. Almost. "I will be glad to be gone. I hated myself more than I hated anything else. I think the only reason I hated anything was because I hated myself so much. I was so powerful, so very powerful, and completely, utterly helpless. I think that is what it means to be Evil."

Selene returned his sort-of-smile with an almost identical one. "Perhaps you are right, Librarian." She mused. "My own society - reported to be anywhere from Lawful to Chaotic Evil - did seem to run on hatred for everyone and everything. Separated from that toxicity, my own hate... well, it doesn't seem as important anymore." And her alignment was currently Lawful Neutral. Selene shrugged. "But I am no philosopher. I don't think much about the nature of evil. You... probably had a lot more time to think about that than I have."

"I had a lot of time to be philosophical, even with my head being a warring mishmash of cursed instincts and constant pain," Goelon replied. "Eventually, I decided that I would do anything to die and become Caleldir again, since even though Evil appeared on the face to be far more powerful, it was in fact powerless, and even though Good seemed so weak, it was almost infinitely strong."

A wave of a very strange emotion washed over Selene then. She thought the name of it might just be 'pity.' Selene was not sure whether she liked it or not, though she tended toward the latter. Either way, she leaned forward to kiss Goelon with more tenderness than she originally intended. "I will neither mourn nor miss you, Goelon Duvainor. But I will remember you."

Goelon almost sort of returned Selene's kiss, but the Ghost-King was not capable of affection. It was another way he hated himself. "Do not judge Caleldir for what I am," he said miserably. "Frankly, I would prefer to be forgotten, but if you can learn some lessons..."

"I judge you and Caleldir in entirely different categories," Selene assured Goelon soothingly. "There are lessons to be learned from both of you. In that way, your existence has not been for naught."

Perhaps that was relief on Goelon's face, perhaps not, but he certainly seemed at least somewhat reassured by Selene's words.

Her serious expression waned and was gradually replaced by aroused amusement. "Now, what would you say to coupling with me one last time?" she asked. Though her mind had been distracted for a moment, her body had never stopped being aroused by the scene she recently witnessed. Her hands had been absently caressing his arms and chest the entire time because of this.

"I think that I would enjoy having sex with you more as Caleldir, but I do not hate the idea of coupling with you one last time before I die," the Ghost-King replied. "And not hating something is as close as I can come to Love."

Selene blew out an amused sigh. "I don't hate the idea either. As for the closest thing I can come to love..." She chose not to follow that thought to its completion. It was far too awkward and private of a thing to talk about surrounded by all those people. Oh, and while being silently watched by the succubus familiar that was still behind Goelon.

Speaking of which, Dahlia was clearly growing impatient with the talk. In anticipation of Selene's actions, her demonic tail shifted around to stroke and hold Goelon's large member. Likewise, her hands caressed and massaged him, her lips kissed, and her teeth nibbled.

Goelon shrugged, letting Selene move his hands without a fight. The Ghost-King seemed far too tired to behave in his normal fashion. He did manage to sort-of 'respond' to Selene's kisses, though, and his dick throbbed in anticipation as Dahlia readied him.

"I think your familiar wants us to get going," Selene observed with a smirk. Her bindings urged Goelon's hands to raise to her breasts. The drow leaned into that touch and pressed her lips to his mouth. This time, her kisses were more hungry than gentle.

"Yes, you two should get on that," Nirza said. The woman was still working some sort of healing magic into her ancient friend and so was looking down at Faraia rather than over at the strange trio of Selene, Goelon, and Dahlia; but she was close enough to hear their whispering.

"Fine, fine," Selene said with more irritability than she felt. This sort of thing seemed like it should take time and consideration. She was essentially saying her last goodbye to someone who had been a peculiar part of her life for many months now... That idea made her pause in her thought process. Why did that make him have any significance whatsoever? A Selene from just a year ago wouldn't even give a damn - yet another sign that the people she now spent time with were corrupting her into caring more about others than her upbringing allowed.

That said, she didn't care TOO much. Not so much that she wasn't willing to hurry up and 'get on that,' as Nirza so eloquently put it. She lifted herself and moved her dripping sex to brush against the head of Goelon's cock. Soon he was slick enough that she could easily work him into her core, causing him to gasp. It was a tighter fit than she was used to, but she remembered that from the last time Caleldir was Goelon and didn't mind it so much. She took a moment to adjust, pressing her dark forehead against his pale brow. "Why are you bigger than he is?" she asked softly. Her tone was curious, not annoyed.

Goelon considered Selene's question. Why was his cock bigger? He was not sure. "Perhaps because my instrument is for pain and pleasure, and Caleldir's is for pleasure only?"

"A manhood is better larger than smaller, but only to a certain size," Althaia interjected. Not that that was the reason she was avoiding Goelon. He was still not as large as a satyr. She hated satyrs.

"That is what I've found as well," Ashyr agreed with the nymph. She couldn't help being dragged into the interjection; she was still naked and had part of her body pressed against Althaia's. She was paying more attention to her cousin and Goelon, however, than her adopted 'sister.' "You have to be careful with massive members, or they are uncomfortable. Sometimes even painful." A shudder ran through the drow's body, and she found herself embracing the nymph as if pressing their soft bodies together could crowd out the memories that threatened to unsettle her mind.

Selene made a non-committal noise. It ultimately did not matter. With Dahlia to steady her, Selene began bouncing on Goelon's manhood, gasping softly in growing pleasure. Dahlia herself seemed to be enjoying the action as much as Selene was. The succubus did everything in her power to aid what was going on in front of her without truly turning it into a full-on threesome.

Goelon continued to be much less defiant and much more subdued than he had been before as Selene started to ride him, and Dahlia helped. As he was not resisting her like he had Caleldra, he did not take as long to get to orgasm, only a few minutes. When he did cum, his seed was cool and quivering with subtle energy. Not enough to cause him to disappear anymore, though.

Nirza sighed and stood up, dismissing her clothes.

"My turn," she said, sounding rather unhappy. Unlike Caleldra she was not looking forward to this.

Selene pulled away from Goelon, kissed him, and gave Nirza the 'stage.' It was as satisfying a goodbye as she could hope for, but it still felt a little odd to Selene that there would be no more Goelon in just a few minutes. With a contemplative look, she settled next to the rest of the Duskhavens to share their warmth and companionship.

"Nirza, right?" Dahlia said with a bit of a smirk that she tried to suppress. The succubus could easily tell how uncomfortable this made the ancient drow, which was amusing in her still-dizzy state of mind. "Is there something I can do to make you more comfortable?" She was still behind Goelon, after all, like she was presenting his body to anyone who would come to enjoy him.

Nirza frowned. She was not sure what to make of the presence of the succubus. She had gotten along quite well with several succubi, due to her close alliance with Rubella's Domination down in Clachleom, but right now... "Do not take this wrong way, Dahlia, but perhaps you can just be quiet for a bit? I want to get this over with."

"Well, that is making me feel better," Goelon said dryly.

"Good," Nirza replied, straddling him. "Now, nothing more from you." She flicked her wrist, and the binding wrapped back around his mouth. Without much fanfare, she slid his cock into her. It was uncomfortably large, but at this point very well-lubricated with Caleldra and Selene's juices. She closed her eyes, sighed, and began riding him slowly, then faster, in almost complete silence.

Dahlia - and everyone else in the party - did as they were asked and kept quiet. Not that they were planning on interfering before; it was high time that they wrapped things up and moved on. So, in silence and huddled together for companionship, they watched Nirza's reluctant riding of Goelon.

After a few long minutes, Goelon began to shudder enormously. The library shook around them. Far off, the Neverborn's scream could be heard. And Goelon orgasmed for the last time. His body shook and quivered, then his entire essence seemed to drain down to his cock and shoot out of it, almost as if Nirza was swallowing him in her vagina. Nirza and Abanonda screamed, and it looked as if both women were coexisting on Goelon's lap, their bodies flowing into each other.

Then, a flash of overpowering, blinding light. When it disappeared, the Library was silent. Unhaunted.

As the bindings on him fell away, Caleldir opened his eyes. "Nir... Nirza," he whispered to the naked drow still on his cock. Tears formed at the corners of his eyes. "How are you here? You have not aged a day..." He looked down, then blushed terribly as he noted their connection. "And, uh, why are you having sex with me? On top of Dahlia, no less."

Nirza smiled through her tears and made a strangled sob as she hugged Caleldir tightly. "I am dead, Master," she whispered. "We came back from the dead, Faraia and I, to finally banish your curse. Goelon is gone. Forever, if we act quickly."

Caleldir returned her embrace. "Faraia?"

"I am here, Master," the pretty Light Elf said, sitting up. "I am cured as well." She leaped forward and embraced Nirza and Caleldir, giggling. "I feel better than I have in twelve centuries!"

"So do I, which is amazing, seeing as I am dead," Nirza added. She looked towards the party and smiled self-consciously. "I am sorry, Duskhavens. Do you mind giving us a moment? You can have your Consort back in a moment. I just... I just want to finally be with him, before I pass on."

The party was surprised that Caleldir had not been stolen away yet. The Neverborn was being surprisingly kind to the master and his two apprentices; they appeared to at least have the chance to have some closure. Dahlia, sensing that this moment was probably best concluded without even her heretofore unobtrusive presence, joined Ashyr and Selene several feet away. All were willing to give Nirza that moment, but they did watch what was going on out of the corners of their eyes.

"We have much to talk about, I would think," Caleldir said, glancing down at where their sexes were connected. "Ah, should we perhaps..."

Nirza put her finger over his mouth, then leaned forward and kissed him deeply. "No time. Just move with me," Faraia moved away, giving Nirza some room to ride Caleldir, which she did with utter abandon for a few long minutes. Then, with a cry, she orgasmed along with Caleldir, and her spirit rose out of Abanonda's body, leaving her granddaughter's body to slump down unconscious.

Then, bizarrely, Nirza's spirit, which seemed like nothing quite so much as a body itself, slumped over to the other side, also unconscious.

The touching moment passed. Ashyr was getting impatient. She had wanted to go to Caleldir since she saw that he was himself again. She stood and cautiously made her way over, expecting at every moment for him to be taken. Behind her, Selene stood as well and looked uncertain. What was going on? Why weren't they gone? Why was Nirza a separate entity now? Was this some sort of strange trap? Neither Duskhaven drow knew what to make of the situation.

Faraia pulled Nirza's body to herself. "She is a ghost. Seems like magic leached off of Goelon is maintaining her partly physical form. She probably will not last very long, unless... hmm... perhaps a structured 'Reincarnation' spell..."

Meanwhile, Abanonda's eyes fluttered open. The woman stretched a bit and smiled. "Mmm... what a way to wake up, I feel so..." She looked down at Caleldir, then paled. Then blushed.

Caleldir was already pretty red himself, much more noticeably on his pale skin than on Abanonda's very dark grey. "Uh... Your ancestor possessing you had to have sex with Goelon to purify him," he said sheepishly. "So he is gone, and she is over there, so I guess we ended up in... err... this position. Perhaps we should separate?"

Abanonda looked around at the group, then down at Caleldir. She hesitated, then rolled her hips once. She let out a sigh of ragged desire. "Yeah... uh... we should."

"That is not a good idea," Althaia interrupted, looking from Nirza to Abanonda. "I was wondering why the Neverborn has not taken Caleldir yet. Especially now that the last bit of Goelon is gone. I think that it is because she cannot take someone who is not bound to her. Faraia is not as bound to her as most of this place. Nirza even less. Abanonda not at all. So, as long as Caleldir had his dick inside of someone not bound to this place, the Neverborn cannot grab him. So... if we want to avoid Caleldir being pulled away, perhaps we should not separate him from a woman."

Ashyr burst out in a short bout of laughter. Dahlia, still a few feet away, could contain her amusement even less; she practically rolled on the ground with her giggles. Even Selene looked amused, though not nearly as much and in a far more restrained manner. Both drow knelt beside Caleldir and set to work thinking through the situation, though Ashyr still couldn't suppress the amusement that each idea that came to her mind gave her.

"Well, obviously I would prefer Caleldir to stay with us if we can manage it..." Ashyr began.

"It isn't very practical for him to run around in such a manner. And it would make whoever was 'on' him useless in a melee," Selene told her cousin with a serious expression that was only slightly marred by her amusement.

"As long as the solution isn't too much of a liability, it's still preferable to him being taken away," Hadlyn said, to everyone's nodded approval (except for Dahlia, who was still laughing and didn't even care much where Caleldir was, since she knew she could be with him wherever.)

"We'll just have to put our non-melee fighters on him, then. Which leaves you out, Abanonda. Me too, and Althaia, Ylene, and Dahlia," Ashyr mused. "So that leaves us with Selene, Faraia, Nirza (if we can wake her and she sticks around long enough), and Hadlyn in a pinch."

"Dahlia had already proven that she can go with Caleldir, so she is doubly out. I wouldn't risk Faraia either," Selene amended. "She might just be connected enough that the Neverborn can manage to grab them. I would be willing to volunteer for the job, though I would prefer it if we can switch off now and then."

Hadlyn nodded thoughtfully. "Consider me part of the rotation. I'm most useful healing anyway, and I can do that from range without needing to move much. But... there is the risk that our switching might give The Neverborn just enough time to act." Which was a problem, considering one of their melee fighters was currently attached to him.

Abanonda felt a bit self-conscious about the situation she found herself in, but nowhere near so much as Caleldir himself did. "This conversation is demented," Caleldir muttered. He did not attempt to pull Abanonda off of himself, though, and the drow on top of him made no move to get off. Instead, she raised herself on him just a bit before catching herself and stopping moving. "What proof do we have that me having sex with someone is what is preventing my being taken? That seems like quite a leap in logic."

"Do you have a better theory?" Althaia asked.

Caleldir hesitated. "Um... no," he admitted. "But I am not running around this place with a series of women attached to my dick. That is just... really. I would rather be kidnapped by my insane A.I. project than do that."

"As much as I do not like the idea of you having sex with everyone in front of me," Faraia said shyly. "I would rather see that than have you taken away."

"Why are you not being taken, Faraia?" Caleldir asked. "I mean, you were one of the Seven Pillars."

"Because you are not being taken," Faraia said softly. "The connection I have to the Neverborn is through you. She cannot take me without taking you."

"Do you know that for sure?" Althaia asked.

"I do. My intuition tells me. Something through my psionic connection with this place. I cannot be taken unless Caleldir is taken. And your thought is right as well. Caleldir cannot be taken as long as he is attached to someone who cannot be taken. So, if Dahlia or I have sex with him, he can be taken. But as long as one of you are having sex with him..." She sighed and hugged Nirza to herself a little more tightly.

Nirza's eyes fluttered open. "So... this is not the Moonfields." She looked around at the party of naked people. "Though the dress code appears to be the same," she dryly observed. The ancient drow in the body of her youthful self sat up. "So, what is happening?"

"Dear Nirza," Faraia said softly. "Goelon's magic is keeping you here. But you are still a ghost. Can you still phase through solid matter? Possess people?"

Nirza blinked and felt up her body, running her hand quickly from her thigh up to her stomach to her breasts, then her face. "Ah. Yes. I have a set amount of magical power, and once I lose that I will be bodiless again. I can still phase through things, though."