Kyra and the Swordstress Pt. 06

"You don't say? Well guess I'm just good at finding trouble."

Scarlet sighed. "Again. I'm sorry, Kyra. I really am. I promise, I'll make it up to you. I'll give you back your gold, plus interest."

Kyra crossed her arms, and eyed Scarlet skeptically. What's the catch? Why would you care now? And don't tell me you suddenly grew a conscience."

Scarlet shrugged. "To be honest, I'm still trying to figure that out myself. The thing is, I've been having these dreams about you. Nightmares really. Nightmares that felt too real. Having put you through whatever it was that you've had to go through made me sick to the stomach. The truth is, I was worried about you Kyra. I feared the worst for you."

She reached for Kyra's hands. Kyra retracted her hands quickly and took a step back. Scarlet's admission was surprising. Not the part about her feeling terrible for what she had put her through, but the part about the dreams. Surprising because of the dreams Kyra had been having of Scarlet. Kyra knew that it wasn't a coincidence that they had been dreaming of each other. Kyra, like any magician, knew very well the nature of aether-dreams. They weren't really dreams, but a sharing of memories and emotions as the aether-bond between two souls is strengthened. She and Scarlet were aether-bonded then. The realization made her numb. Her anger cooled. Feelings for Scarlet within her heart unavoidably started to peek out into the light from their place in the shadows.

"I don't really know why I feel the way I do about you, Kyra, but I do know that I want to get you out of here before something bad happens to you. Please believe me," Scarlet said softly.

"You left me with absolutely nothing on the plentyful plains," Kyra muttered.

"I know."

"That really hurt."

"Yes, I know!"

"Then you ought to know that I find it very difficult to believe that you came all the way to Talishpur to rescue me from an evil sorceress."

"I don't care if you believe me or not. All that I care is that you're safe."

Scarlet seemingly was not aware of aether-bond they shared except that she was affected by it, and Kyra was not ready to explain to her why it was she felt the way she did. Even if being close to her felt undeniably good, she also felt ashamed, like an addict might feel ashamed in partaking in a pleasurable vice. She wanted to reveal nothing of the aether-bond to Scarlet, because she was still bitter about being screwed over by her. She still ought to feel enraged about having her naiveté so crassly exploited. Besides, she already shared an aether-bond with her wand. So, getting her wand back was still her top priority, not running off with Scarlet like a love-struck puppy. She'd rather not be burned again.

"Well. Thanks, Scarlet. But I'm not a damsel in distress. I am actually free to leave whenever I want, you know."

"Oh. Then why don't you?"

Kyra slouched her shoulders, and muttered, "Lady Bellona stole my wand from me. I want it back."

"Can't you get another wand?"

Kyra shook her head. "Out of the question. That wand is mine, and I'm going to get it back from that bitch."

"You do know that she is the most powerful magician in all of Leinyere, right?"

"That makes me feel slightly less bad about being humiliated by her in a duel."

"And you do you know she's capable of tremendous cruelty?"

"I get the sense she might be."

"Then you should know that it isn't worth it."

"Yes, it is."

"Why?"

"Because that wand means everything to me! And I am nothing without it."

Scarlet sighed and went to sit at the foot of her bed and stared in frustration at Kyra. She stared for a long time, with her lips pursed tightly, and her arms crossed.

"Don't worry, Scarlet. I'll figure out a way. I always do. Now, if you don't mind, I'm going back to my cabin. I need to start working out my plan."

Scarlet smirked. Coolly, she replied, "You're staying right here."

"Say again?" Kyra intoned flatly.

"I paid for your company for the duration of my stay. Well, Princess S'Rala of Vela Toré paid for your company. So, you're staying in Princess S'Rala's cabin."

"If you think you're going to stop me from getting my wand back, then I have other news for you."

"I'm not going to stop you, Kyra. I'm going to help you."

"What could you possibly do to help?"

"I'm not sure yet. But I do know that we make a damn good team. Right?"

Kyra recalled the night with the bandits, and how they scared the bandits off, and she couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, we did make a good team," she grumbled.

"And coincidentally, I've worked for Lady Bellona once before, as the captain of her guard, so I know this ship like the back of my hand."

"Oh... well I guess that might come in handy. But if that's true then what's with the disguise?"

"Suffice it to say, I didn't leave on good terms. I'm dead if she catches me here."

That fact softened Kyra up.

"So, you really are putting your neck on the line by being here then."

Scarlet nodded.

"How long until the disguise wears off?"

"A week."

"The end of the festival."

"Yeah. So, we have a little bit of time to figure out a plan."

Kyra still felt she ought to be livid at Scarlet after being abandoned at the river, after working so well as a team, and after sex so amazing that it had Kyra falling for her hard. Yet even if she was still livid, this was an enticing offer.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"I'm here now, aren't I?"

Scarlet stood, approached Kyra like she was a stray cat, seeming afraid that if she made any sudden movements then Kyra would bolt. "Look, I turned myself into an elf, journeyed across the Kelthala sea, fought pirates, and snuck my way into the lion's den. And I'm not the only one. Verana's here. So is Arren."

"What? Really?"

"Yes, in the next cabin over. We are all prepared to help get you out of here."

Kyra's heart melted. She felt herself tearing up and averted her eyes to look out the opened windows to the darkening sky, so that Scarlet couldn't see her eyes moisten up. She wiped them, then turned them back to find Scarlet still standing anxiously at the foot of her bed.

"Kyra, I know we only had one night together. But I can't let go of that night. I can't let go of you. I missed you and that's the truth. So, if you want to get your wand back, then I want to help you do that. It's the least I can do."

Kyra almost bolted to Scarlet to hug and kiss her. But as much as she wanted to acquiesce to her dumb puppy love, she knew she had her dignity to retain.

She crossed her arms, tapped her chin as she said, "Well, you do certainly make a fine offer. But I could also turn you in. Yes... that's a way I could get on Lady Bellona's good side. I could rat you out, then perhaps she'd return me my wand as a reward."

Kyra of course knew that it was very unlikely she'd be rewarded in such a way, and there was no way she would rat on Scarlet - 'thief's honor' and all. But she wanted to make Scarlet flounder at least a little bit in retribution for leaving her out to dry. Scarlet remained straight faced, but Kyra knew she was squirming on the inside.

"So my options are, accept your offer to help me try to steal the wand from the most powerful sorceress in all Leinyere, or turn you in to get on said sorceress's good side, getting my wand back as a reward."

"I cannot see you allying yourself with that woman," Scarlet replied.

"Perhaps you underestimate my lack of morals, swordstress."

"Perhaps."

Kyra could see Scarlet breathe rapidly. She could even feel the anxiety through her aether and inkling of regret eking into her heart. But she wouldn't let her squirm for much longer.

"Perhaps there's a way you could prove to me you won't betray me again. A token of your allegiance as it were."

"I'd like to hear what I could do," Scarlet asked.

Kyra really didn't need any token of allegiance from her. Such things were what naïve knights were made for. But this was an opportunity for her to get something she wanted badly from Scarlet right now.

"Take off all your clothes," Kyra said.

Signaling her submission to Kyra's demand, she stepped out of her fancy slippers (and stretched her toes with relief to be out of them). A smile crept on Scarlet's face. She slipped her straps off her shoulders. One strap at a time, to let her silver dress cascade into an ankle-high pile revealing beneath a whalebone-stiffened corset around her mid-riff, and white silk-stockings gartered to the corset. Her bare coral pink nipples peeked out on squeezed breasts. Between her garters was exposed a neat triangle of blonde bush. So it seemed the dancer of blades enjoyed airing out the goods.

"I'm going to need help with the rest," Scarlet said. A request Kyra was more than happy to oblige.

Kyra went to her, wrapped her in a tight embrace and kissed her strongly. The kiss was returned by Scarlet with equal strength, then that turned into a third kiss, and before long, they were both sinking into the luxurious duvet atop the bed, with Kyra fumbling impatiently to loosen the corset laces.

"I wish I could see the real you Scarlet, but elf is a good look on you," she said as she picked at the laces.

Scarlet pushed Kyra off from atop her then climbed atop her in turn, pinned her by her wrists, and said, between heaving breaths, "and I'm quite enjoying the concubine look."

"You better not say it suits me," Kyra warned.

"Then I won't. But you can't deny that you look irresistible."

Kyra reached up Scarlet's skirt and cupped the soft, wet warmth between her legs in her hand, and uttered a soft incantation. It wasn't nearly as powerful as it would have been with her wand, but it was enough to make Scarlet seize up, and cause her eyes to involuntarily roll to the back of her head.

"Mmm, yes please," Scarlet moaned as she writhed.

Kyra gained a position atop the weakened Scarlet again and planted soft kisses on her delicate elven neckline and her shoulder, and collarbone, uttering more incantations between each kiss, her magically empowered hand still tightly cupping Scarlet between her thighs, channeling deep sonic vibrations into her loins. By the jerking and twitching, and the clamping her thighs tightly together, Kyra knew she was doing quite well without her wand. Really well, surprisingly. It occurred to her then that just as her wand had, Scarlet was acting as the conduit for her magic because of their aether-bond. Never had she ever thought she'd share that bond with another living soul, yet here she was now sharing that bond with the rapscallion that had cheated her out of gold months ago, that bond allowing Kyra to channel her magic to deliver quivering ecstasy to them both.

Why her? Kyra wondered vainly. But that was a question better saved for later. Now it was better to focus on succumbing to pleasure.

As soon as Scarlet's corset and her stockings were off, Kyra removed her black dress and flung it atop Scarlet's silver dress pile on the floor. Then Scarlet helped with impatient hands to remove her black and purple undergarment. The warm breeze coming in through the opened cabin balcony doors shifted from the east to the west, so that it now brought with it the sweet, earthy fragrance of the Talishpur vineyards. The Talian wine were known for their sweet and delicate body, and Kyra hoped to try it soon, but for now, she had a sweet and delicate body of another form to taste.

She kissed Scarlet's dainty body all over, as she continued attacking her loins with her magic, enjoying the intense sensation that the channeled aether gave her in return.

Scarlet gyrated against Kyra's hand. She was soaking wet down there, and burning hot.

Scarlet put her hands onto Kyra's pussy too. Rubbed her palm against her very sensitive bud while putting into her wanting mouth one of Kyra's taut nipples.

Every spike of pleasure felt by one went to the other through the aether, which had a cascading effect. Every tongue rasp against a nipple, every penetrating finger, and rub of skin against sweaty skin was magnified tenfold.

Their aethers must have grasped into each other that night back on the plentyful plains, never letting go since. Kyra felt now, more then ever, that she would never let go of Scarlet either. How silly a notion, given that they hardly knew each other. Barely a day. But sometimes that is all it takes for an unbreakable bond to form.

Kyra realized she didn't need to use her hands to cast the spell of ecstasy. She didn't need to chant it either. The aether that shrouded them was so strong that the magic simply resonated in the air around them purely on their desires. They moved against each other now, thrusting their wet pussies against each other with their legs entwined, their gaze fixed into each other's eyes.

Soon, the crashing waves of orgasm took them both. It came simultaneously, shaking through their bodies like a deeply resonant thunder. They held each other through it and when it finally ebbed away, they breathed and laughed, and in the drumming afterglow haze still retained their eyes drunkenly fixed to each other's.

Kyra whispered, "I thought it was all just silly enthusiasm. Now I know better."

"Know what better?" Scarlet whispered back confusedly.

"How good it feels."

"You're being obtuse. What are you on about?"

Kyra laughed. She kissed Scarlet and shut her eyes, saying, "I'll tell you in the morning. For now, just hold me."

So Scarlet held her, letting all the wonderful vibrations of her nearness -- her breathing, her beating heart, her flowing aether -- coax Kyra to a deeper sleep than she's had in a very long time.

As the story goes, Aersus was eventually rescued by the goddess Calantha from his perpetual slog through the forlorn ravine. On the face of it, the story seems nonsensical: How could the Goddess of Pain liberate the God of Pleasure from everlasting agony after his rebellious deed of bestowing mortals with pleasure? What could possibly motivate her to do so?

Yet, beneath the surface, this story reveals a profound truth: In the most unexpected of individuals, one may find an unwavering ally, and perhaps even love. The aether works in mysterious ways, but that does not mean it works without purpose.

Thanks for reading part 6 of Kyra and the Swordstress. I hope you enjoyed it. Comments below are always welcome, or shoot me and e-mail if you like. Let me know what you think!

P.S. I haven't done this in a while... here are some songs I like:

Lilac Wine - As covered by Imelda May and Jeff Beck

Hey Violet - Josiah and the Bonnevilles

Ends of the Earth - Lord Huron

Deceiver - M83

Jordan - Joy Oladokun

Simple Aveu - Francis Thomé