In Dungeons Deep Ch. 02

His strong arms were wrapped pleasantly around her as she drifted in her mind, until they shifted a little so that his hands cupped her belly. He liked to feel her, liked the soft places on her body, and she certainly didn't mind it. It made her feel wanted, precious. She'd seen males preen over their treasures with less care than he showed to her.

It also felt delightful when he found the places that set her body to tingling, like he did now. She smiled as his hands moved slowly from her belly up to her breasts. Closing her eyes, she focused on the sensation as her firm, heavy flesh was kneaded slowly and gently. Her nipples were already pebbled from the cold, his fingers finding them with ease and tweaking warmth that shot from her chest into her loins.

Her breath hitched into a soft mewling whimper as his fingers pinched harder, massaged deeper into the tissue. His breath was warm against her scalp as he breathed evenly into her hair, his nose resting against the back of her head. He lit a fire in her belly in the best of ways, making him crave his affection, his rod, his seed. Her pleasure wasn't incidental, it was intent. He wanted her to have it, to build it inside her till it burst. Till he burst.

The feel of his cock pumping full of life against her naked skin sent her hands down in an eager search, grasping at her prize and slapping it to the fluffy sex between her legs. His fleshy pole throbbed into steel in her hands as she stroked and lathered it with her juices. She didn't want to wait, didn't have to. Her voice was a mumbling murmur of longing as she raised her hips and planted his tip at her entrance. Letting her weight do the rest, she angled herself and sat slowly back down around his dick.

Green goddess, was he big! Her body shuddered as the girth of his member strained her inner walls and molded inside her body in ways she'd never comprehended were possible. He rubbed places no finger or tongue could reach, setting loose a cry of ecstasy she wouldn't contain if she could. Just before it seemed like it would all be too much, his sack nestled against her swollen lips, his pulsing member fully sheathed. Perfectly, too perfect. Goddess she wanted this man. This creature that was so similar yet so utterly different to her kind.

His gentle stirrings blossomed anew inside her as he began to move, thighs and hips rolling and swaying beneath her buttocks grinding the shape of his helmet at her core. She settled into the ride as her body quickly adjusted, growing slicker and wetter even as she began to actively clench. Every muscle below the belly button flexed and relaxed as she rose and fell, lengthening the locomotion of their bodies. She screamed in wanton triumph as they found that perfect harmony, losing herself in his grunts and groans, the quakes in his muscles, the slap of her wet skin to his.

Her breath caught in her throat, only to be squeezed out in a haggard moan as she lost control of herself and came. His thrusts slowed but didn't stop, and she writhed in orgasmic bliss in an effort to get all that she could from it, including every drop of his seed.

She felt a heady rush when his arms tightened around her, his signs so wonderfully predictable that her body almost responded before her mind could. He held her with such desperate strength that she felt like the captive and captor all at once. His arms held her dearly, and his throbbing cock swelled within her with its gift of life planting seed ready to burst. She was powerless in that moment, impaled and pinned to his cock. Turn over the coin and he couldn't escape her, couldn't let her go. She wanted his seed, needed him to fill her, and he could do nothing but oblige her with all that he had.

She wasn't sure how to describe the delicious ache that was growing in her chest, but as he squeezed her close and flooded her with his seed she knew she would hold on to it with all she had.

***

"It's going to be amazing, I promise." Hogarth grinned despite Lug's apprehension. He'd put every cooking vessel they had to work bringing water to boil then poured it into the stone basin. It took a while, but eventually he managed to fill the trough with steaming water.

Despite the fact that Lug's tribe literally lived by what they called the stone river, it evidently never occurred to them to actually bathe in water. Their whole tribe had literally found magical methods to clean and disinfect to avoid having to get overly wet. It was such an unusual culture he regretted they probably would never get to visit, not without being killed or forced to kill them instead. Considering Smashengrab had casually mentioned eating him during that first encounter, he didn't expect anything but a violent tragedy were he to try.

Instead he had Lug to play with, in this case expanding her horizons with the wonders that came from modern living. If anything, the unease she showed at his idea made this particular game more fun.

He didn't bother to get dressed after they'd had their little fireside romp, so when the water was ready he was too. He stepped into the tub, then held his hand out for her to take. "C'mon, I promise it's not like making soup."

She crinkled her nose and brow at him at the mention of soup, then reached out to take his hand as she stepped tentatively into the water. Lug audibly hissed in discomfort, which he felt a little guilty for.

As an apology he opened the faucet briefly so that a splash of cool water could lower the temperature a little. "Sorry, it takes a little getting used to at first but once you do, all worth it."

Hogarth let her go and slowly crouched into the water, easing down until he was sitting with his back against the rough stone. They'd been smoothed down, which confirmed his suspicions it'd been put to use as a bath tub in the past, but it was still bricks and mortar. Once he was settled, he stretched out his legs and gave the water a few slaps to invite Lug to do the same. His skin was alive with hot prickles, and he suppressed a wince as she sloshed the water around taking her place until finally they were both submerged to their elbows in hot water.

To her credit Lug didn't resist or complain. She simply lay against him, her hair snaking through the water around them and the tops of her round breasts bobbing nicely under the firelight. Her body was still and tense, making him wonder if she was waiting for him to signal they were done. He decided to give the chain another brief tug, diffusing a little more cool water into the basin.

The change was slow but dramatic. Lug exhaled a deep breathed sigh and the tension drained out of every muscle. She even scooted to submerge more of herself, moving slowly as the water temperature went from numbing discomfort to a relaxing embrace. Hogarth gathered water in his hands first, pouring water over the top of her head and combing through her fingers intermittently. It was satisfying to watch her, to experience something so simple and commonplace as a bath go from a strange concept to a pleasurable reality for her.

It was only fair, after all. Magic was something he'd always yearned for in his past life, and his first time experiencing it was in her hands, infused within her being. She was his magical, short stacked kitchen witch girlfriend.

Grabbing one of the empty pots, he scooped up some of the bath water and poured it over his head. Lug giggled up at him and raised a hand to gently scritch his chin. "Okay, baths is pretty alright."

"Whaat? Pretty alright? That's all?" He teased, scooping out another pot pull of water. This one he poured over her head, eliciting a squeal. She splashed him back, then burst into squirming giggles as he wiggled his fingers into her armpits. Retaliation was swift and merciless, poking him in ticklish ribs he hadn't even known existed until he was crying for mercy.

Happier and more content than he he probably had a right to be, they settled down again with her head nuzzled against his chest. They stayed that way until the water cooled, then spent even longer snuggling as they dried by the fire.

They might have spent the whole day mooning over each other if hunger wasn't constantly nipping at their heels. Her mushrooms were keeping them going, but now they had the potential for something more substantial.

There wasn't much for Hogarth to do other than tidy up and help Lug re-hydrate the soil she intended to use. Broken pottery was piled up next to the dead tree, and most of the dirt was swept into piles and poured into the remaining intact urns. With that out of the way, he leaned against the marble counter and simply watched her work her magic.

Since there were so many different specimens that might be revived, Lug had at least a dozen pots of varying sizes gathered in the middle of the room. She pulled loose several strands of hair and balled them into her palms, which she then rubbed slowly above each pot. Hogarth watched with keen interest as flecks of green lit within her dark eyes like emerald stars. He could see faint trickles of glitter falling from between her hands, disappearing into the damp soil they hovered over. He breath was slow and even, in through the nose and out the pursed lips.

A small smile teased through her concentration as green leaves broke out across the surface, but the expression was lost when they suddenly shrank and pulled back. Lug gasped, and it was apparent that something was wrong. The green sparkles in her eyes coalesced into a bright ring within her irises, and he could feel the magical charge in the air rising as whatever spell she'd begun to cast went awry.

"Lug? Lug! Are you okay? What's happening?" He was on her in an instant, hands on her shoulders as she began to convulse.

"I...don't...something stealing...mag-" She gasped as the light in her eyes winked out, and she collapsed within his grip. For a single horrible moment he thought she was dead, but she had merely fainted, her breathing and pulse weak but steady.

Lifting her off the ground, Hogarth swore and looked around, wondering what if anything in the room might be of use. Unfortunately his medical professional couldn't advize him on anything, so he lay her in their bed of furs and tried wiping at her face with a damp cloth.

A crackling groan like branches bending in the wind sent a jolt of terror directly up his spine. He turned to see the dead tree in the corner twisting and snapping, limbs splintering and cracking as they were forced to bend and curve like menacing claws. Hogarth lunged for the sword, left laying on the countertop after its initial discovery, and swept the blade from its sheath in a deadly flourish that pointed the weapon at the tree.

Whatever curse had stolen her magic, Hogarth suspected chopping down the evil tree would set to rights. He was about to bring it down with a fierce chop when a desperate voice cried out, "Wait..!" It was so dry and brittle, Hogarth wondered for a beat if some grandma witch had crept in and enchanted the wood. A moment's hesitation was all it needed for the tree to coil back on itself, huddled protectively around the base of the pot. "Please...water...please...please...!"

It was the fucking tree talking. Hogarth stared at it for a second, then two, trying to wrap his head around the moment. Did he chop the thing up for good? Water it? Wait for Lug to wake up? What if she couldn't, and it was the trees fault? All the while the voice became weaker, more desperate.

He let the gears turn just a few more times, then made his decision. Grabbing the water skin, Hogarth wielded it instead of his sword, dousing the tree with water. Immediately the branches twisted, funneling every drop down into the cracking soil where it disappeared. Dry, dead branches crumbled around the pot as fresh growth split from the trunk, reaching out slowly for a sun that couldn't be seen. "Please...more...need more water. So weak..."

"First tell me, are you friend or foe? Did you hurt her? You stole her magic!" How did one interrogate a tree? He wasn't sure, nor did he know a way to tell if it was lying. Still, it seemed best to try all the same.

"Foe? Friend?" It seemed to be struggling, shifting in ways no tree should be able to move. "Not hurt...friend? Can be friends. Please...water, friend?" The desperation in that withered voice, at the very least, was something he could believe.

Rather than refill the skin, Hogarth filled a bucket with cold water from the tap and brought it back to the pot. Sensing the water nearby, its slender trunk leaned towards him, the new infantile branches wiggling like eager little nub tentacles. He didn't pour it in right away, however.

"I want your word that you'll do us no harm once I give you this water. Any tricks, any trouble, and I'll prune you into a banzai."

"No tricks, no trouble, I swear it...I swear it or ban...zai?" The tree promised fervently.

He hoped the threat was apparent at least, if not the understanding as he dumped water slowly into the trees waiting roots. The transformation was almost instant. Branches exploded outward as precious moisture brought the tree back from the dead. He was nearly bowled over, retreating back to Lug's side as lush foliage bloomed before his eyes. The aged, creaking groans rose in pitch and octave until they had become a girlish cry of delight.

A wash of autumn colors turned every leaf from jade greed to golden brown and orange. When they crumbled to the ground, a hairless, slender woman was standing in their place. She stood poised in the muddy soil of the pot where the tree had been, littered with leafs that she brushed from a smooth and unblemished body. Her skin was soft lime color that deepened to a darker shade of pine around her fingers, cheeks and lips. Her eyes were milky white without iris or pupil, she had no ears. Her bust was small but dotted with dark green nipples, and a brief glance down revealed a smooth and very untreelike vagina peeked between slim thighs. Though she was easily as tall as he was, there was a alien thinness to her body that made her look diminished despite her miraculous metamorphosis.

"My goodness. What are you doing here..?" She blinked and squinted in his direction. Hogarth watched as two black points formed within her eyes, followed by an inky bleeding of deep orange that brightened to warm shades of yellow like the petals of a sunflower.

"We uh, kind of live here, now." He crouched again to make sure Lug was still with him, though he kept the tree woman in his field of vision. She was still breathing, but remained out cold. When he chanced a look at her face it her cheeks looked more flush with blood, giving him a shot of relief as he turned his focus back to the being in the pot. "Are you a dryad or something?"

"A what?" She blinked, tilting her head.

"A tree spirit, an elemental being bonded to a tree."

"Oh." She stepped in place, churning the soil within the pot. Her body seemed to flesh out as she did, slowly expanding out and a little more up. Now she was probably a little taller than him, and the off-putting proportions of her skull and torso were mended by expanding outward. She was still svelte in physique, but a little more substance fleshed out her waistline and bust. "Maybe so!" She said after an awkward pause.

"I cannot seem to remember that much from when I was dormant. I feel like...something...I lost something, somewhere." She frowned into a horizon none of them could see. "Ah well. My name is Runa. Who are you? Is your little friend well?"

"I'm Hogarth, this is Lug. I'm not sure what's wrong with her. She was trying to wake up the seeds in these other pots when I guess you took over the spell." He wasn't sure if he could blame her for that, but it was related all the same.

"Oh my, I apologize for that. Perhaps her sorcerous abilities were overwhelmed? If so she should recover soon, with rest. I can help with your plants in the meantime, if you like?" Her body tilted forward as she examined the pots that littered the floor. Reaching out, her fingers wiggled bonelessly and the seeds Lug had started on kindled to life. Even the pots that had been tipped over popped little sprouting sprigs.

Hogarth scooped everything back into pots and patted in the soil. She stopped at an inch of growth, hunching down to sit inside the pot with a 'phew' of exertion. Picking them off the floor, he arranged each in a row on top of the book shelf. He wasn't sure how Lug would feel about something she managed being hijacked, but given the strange circumstances she would just have to get over it.

"Well, you seem very dryad-like so far. Do you happen to remember how you got here?" He asked, fishing around in the pack for some of the dried mushrooms they had left. He hopped up onto the kitchen counter to snack and get to know this Runa.

Rocking slightly in her pot, Runa seemed to be both considering his question and attempting to peer into her memories for the answer. "I do not recollect how I got here, but I have lived in this place enough that I know its lonely embrace. It kept me safe for many years...I tended the plants, and they in turn nourished me. Light is so hard to come by...true light that is, not the hungry glow of the flame. I do not mind if you and Lug lay claim to it. Oh, but of course if you let me stay! It was so lonely before. I promise I can help you. Please?"

Hogarth opened and closed his mouth, uncertain as to what to say. He was going to agree, of course. Did it make him a sucker for a damsel in distress? Softhearted for the sad kitty eye move? Probably. He was a hero in this story though, and she was definitely a valuable addition to the party.

"Yeah, you can stay. Of course you can. You were here first after all, and it would be pretty heartless of me if I just rolled your pot out into the hall."

Runa clapped her hands with glee and squealed in girlish excitement. "Oh, how wonderful! I cannot wait to get to know you both. We shall be fast friends, I know it. Now I wish to know of you! How came you to be in such a place of gloom and isolation? What land do you hail from? Have you any kin?"

Hogarth boggled as the dryad woman piled on questions as he tried to answer the ones she'd started with. He supposed it stood to reason she was making up for everything she'd been missing, including social interaction. It was interesting to have someone to talk to that used complete sentences, but couldn't help wonder how, in a place that clearly had a different language written everywhere, everyone spoke English. It wasn't a relevant mystery to their current lives however so like so many others it fell to the back burner.

"Such an exciting tale, it makes me feel alive again. Which I suppose I am! Now we three will work together to conquer the challenges ahead. I feel as though I am reading an old book that has been given a new ending. I cannot say I recall reading any books, but I must have if I can recall how it feels. I confess I feel a small measure of concern over the absence of my memories, but a larger part of my inner self feels more relief to have shed such burdens."

Lug popped up abruptly while Runa was chattering happily along, creating a momentary pause that Hogarth used to escape the conversation and kneel down beside the stunned woman. "Hey, you're finally awake. I've been worried about you."

She smiled as his hand settled on her knee and she placed hers over it, then squinted around to peer at the green woman waving from her pot. "Uh...whozzat?"

"Lug, this is Runa. We're pretty sure she's a plant spirit. She was dormant until you started working your magic with the seeds. Instead of waking them up, you woke her up instead. Kinda whammied you there."

"Oh. Hullo. I'm Lug. I tend-" She didn't get a chance to finish the sentence.

"The hearth! You do such a splendid job of it too. Hogarth told me all about your adventures, how your help made all the difference in his quest to conquer this desolate realm. Thank you for bringing me back from that dark abyss, I might have been lost to oblivion if not for your talents. If only I had such a companion, so long ago. Traversing the depths and dangers hand in hand in our search for the embrace of sunlight, the caress of moon glow. Finding adventure and excitement in our own quest to escape these haunted halls..." Runa waxed from eager excitement to wistful dreaming as she spoke. "If there had been someone like that when I was lost, maybe there would have been a warmer welcome when you found my home. Or maybe we would have found you!"