Flame of Cytherea 02

Justin almost laughed, he thought Nora was being more polite with the princess present giving an introduction and all, but nope...

Nicole said demurely, "Just call me Nicci. I'm glad you found me, I was hoping to run into you so we could work together Nora," looking at Justin shyly she asked, "Are you really a Flame of Cytherea?"

He just nodded, then thought to add, "Nice to meet you Nicci."

Kat caressed his lower stomach, which was distracting, as she said, "It's lucky Nora saw you passing over us, we are actually heading north to support the army."

Nicole looked to Nora questioningly and Nora sighed before she said, "I know what I said yesterday morning, but protecting the Flame is more important, I can still avenge my sisters, perhaps even more so this way..."

Nicole sighed despondently. "I can't go north to the Army, they will send me home. One of my brothers is there, and even with the way I am dressed he is sure to recognize me."

Nora winked and said, "I've been trying to think of a way to keep you since I saw all those roasted Egerian soldiers. It came to me on the run back. Would it be unreasonable for a royal to make an oath of protection, for the duration of the war, to a Flame of the goddess?"

Nicole looked thoughtful...

Justin stirred uncomfortably, he was just him, not some legend.

Katrina must have sensed his unease because she started to caress his back. He thought longingly of the comfort of the tavern and wished they were still back there for a moment. He also wished Cynthia was here as he smiled wryly, he was sticky, dirty, sweaty and worried that he stunk, what he would give for a hot shower...

Nicole looked at him calculatingly and finally said, "Yes, that might work. There would be no shame attached to the crown by swearing to one such as him."

Confused he said, "Oath?"

Nicci raised an eyebrow in surprise but Nora explained.

"He is from another world Nicci, he doesn't know many of our ways," turning to Justin, "An oath is a binding between two people. Normally a princess could not make an oath, as her loyalty is to the king and kingdom only, but this is not a normal circumstance. An oath is a serious thing, oath breakers are shunned by everyone.

"If you ever swear to anything, you had better mean it, and be able to accomplish it. Point being that if she makes an oath, even the king will not be able to naysay it and recall her to the castle."

It seemed surreal to him as Nicci went on her knees before him. Out of the bottom of his eyes he could see her long mouthwatering cleavage, but was very aware of Kat on his arm and the seriousness of the situation, and he managed to keep eye contact with the young beautiful woman, somehow.

Nicci swore, "If it be within my power I swear to protect your life from all harm until the war is done."

He flinched as Katrina poked him and whispered in his ear.

He blushed and said, "I accept your oath."

He asked what the first part was about and Kat filled him in.

"Wording the oath is important, it means she will do her best to protect your life, but if you still die through no fault of her own, her oath won't be violated. If she had left out the first part and somehow you died, she would be an oath breaker, her fault or not."

He considered this and the seriousness of it, and felt a bit overwhelmed. An oath being serious on this world wasn't too big for him to deal with, but things just kept piling up. For a moment he desperately wished he was back home in Chicago. He had been rolling with things and it had been going fast. Too fast, too much. He was actually on his way to fight in a war, and he had three very different, but equally attractive women around him.

Ok, so being surrounded by beautiful women wasn't one of his issues. Especially Kat, the promise of them being together was making all the rest a little more bearable. He wasn't really considering running or anything, it's just, he wished things would slow down a bit, everything was coming too fast to process.

He followed Nora, holding Kat's hand like a lifeline, as she led them toward a large stream where there was a still water pool breaking the current that looked a few feet deep. There was a small waterfall at the other end. As they started undressing around him he blushed. Okay, another new thing, coed bathing. He could deal with that, he started undressing trying not to think about it.

When he slipped into the water he gasped, it was hot, almost too hot. It should have been freezing and he wondered what the princess's talent was. Nora had mentioned charred bodies, so maybe fire? Remembering at the last second what Kat had told him repeatedly, he swallowed down the question.

He did his best to maintain eye contact, but of course, he couldn't help but get a few delicious eyefuls as they all washed as best they could, passing around a pungent bar of soap that Nora had. As he got out, he wondered how they would get dry when he was suddenly pummeled with a high wind from every direction at once. It was intense.

He laughed, he was awake now, as well as dry, "Thanks Nora."

When he glanced back he blushed as they were all unabashedly staring at him, and not his face. He couldn't really help his reaction after all, he wasn't used to communal bathing. They were beautiful and he was just eighteen. He picked up his clothes and smelled them as he walked behind some bushes to dress, they weren't too bad but he still grimaced as he put them on.

He was gawking, and knew he should close his mouth. When he had guessed fire talent he couldn't have been more wrong, or at least, so understated. Nora had told them she couldn't push four safely, and since Nicci could fly faster than she could run, she was elected to fly above them.

At first he was confused, how could a flying animal warm a pool. Then she had changed, flashed into a bird. But bird was an understatement. She was close to the size of one of the pterodactyls in the Jurassic park movie. But looked nothing like them, she was shaped closer to an eagle, but her wings were pure fire, no feathers, no flesh, simply fire. Her body ranged from dark red to burnt orange and rippling flames sheathed her from head to tail.

She was simply magnificent.

Nora snickered and poked him and he managed to move again.

Nora said, "We need to move, we should meet up with them by lunch."

He reluctantly released Kat's hand, he always seemed to be holding it, it felt good in his and after their confessions to each other last night, and the commitment, he wanted to be close to her. To show his affection. But they couldn't hold hands while moving; it would make it harder for Nora to push them along.

As they took off in a jog, at about thirty miles an hour with the wind pushing, he wondered what new surprises awaited him...