Ruinous Shackles

She winced, closing one of her eyes and scowling. "I mean... A little like that. But, you also have authority over our power. This is a two-way street." Her lips curled up in a way that indicated she knew something I didn't. "Besides... Look."

In our talk, I'd lost focus on what she'd been doing. At some point during that time, a modest white flame, the size of a large melon had grown in my hand.

"How are you doing this?" I asked after a time, staring at the gently curling flames with wonder.

"Not me, you," she said smugly, withdrawing her hands.

The flames remained

"Try playing with it," she prodded after a long moment passed without anything but me ogling the naked flame in my hands.

My eyes darted at her with a sort of nervous excitement. "You sure? Isn't it dangerous?"

"It's no more dangerous to either of us than your pinky finger. The power is a part of you, a part of us both. Have fun."

Her words slowly sunk into my brain like a rock tossed into a tar pit. My attention turned toward the flame, narrowing down until it was filled with the slowly dancing orb of pure energy. The longer I focused the more I could sense the flow of power as it dripped from both my hands to coalesce into the small lampfire.

Only...

My cupped hands twisted and turned around it, sensing it.

It was less a conjuration and more of an extension of my body than something I was creating. Like a new limb that I was only now regaining the sensation of after sitting on it for too long.

Now I see why it was silly that this could hurt me. I think I could...

With a little bit of concentration, the flame tightened and rose into a twisting tower instead of orb. Pride swelled in my chest and I kept going. Splitting the tower in two, I made it spin into flowing circle. Growing bold, the flames dropped into a pool in my hand before slipping up a wrist to encircle my forearm like a bracer.

Girra clapped, applauding my efforts with what seemed like genuine appreciation of my efforts. "Quite good. You have an astute mind and are a quick study. Now try me?"

"...You'll need to give me a little more than that," I responded as delicately as I could not wanting to disappoint her.

"Try threading it into another's body. Namely me, seeing as there's no one else around. It's the next step in controlling the divinity."

I looked at her cautiously.

"It's perfectly safe, you'll see once you get the hang of it," she said encouragingly. She held out her hands, palms down.

I took her up on the offer completing the circle of our arms, sliding my palms under hers.

Nodding, she squeezed in a supporting manner. "Now close your eyes and imagine the energy flowing out your right while taking in the excess with your left."

It took me a fair amount of time and a great deal of gentle coaxing from Girra before I finally felt the divinity stir in my palm. Like chilled molasses, the white flame clung to me, swimming slowly through my bloodstream. By focusing on it, I could, albeit clumsily, project the energy out my fingertips, the place where I wanted it to go instead of where it naturally wanted to pool. Once it left, I could feel Girra corral it like a small bunny before gently returning it to my other hand. I gasped at the information from this new sense provided. It was like a fully encompassing, three-dimensional map bloomed in my brain of her arms. As we continued to cycle the divinity, the map expanded throughout her limbs, including her brain and her heart that thump, thump, thumped with perfect regularity. The coursing of blood through her veins, the tiny lightning bolts of her nerves firing, sending signals to and fro.

I was lost for a time, the symphony of her body in working in tandem was, for lack of a better word, breathtaking.

As in, I literally forgot to breathe for a time until Girra snapped her fingers in front of my face and broke me from the almost-trance. The stream of data kept coming, but I could now recognize her face, which was right in front of me.

"There he is. I'll admit, it's sort of a headrush the first time you share it with someone."

I opened my mouth to speak.

But before I could say anything she cut me off. "I agree it is beautiful, and I'm so glad this worked out the way I thought it would. You never know how theories will actually pan out until you test them."

Again I opened my mouth and again she cut me off.

"You were in no real danger. I had everything under control."

Even with the separation of our bodies, the divinity continued to wash between us in gentle streams of light. This time I didn't even try to speak, I merely frowned at her.

"I know it's rude to cut you off and read your mind. But now that we've reached this level of synchronization I can do this." Her eyes blazed with a fervor that I almost couldn't comprehend. The divinity in my bones buzzed and my arms instinctively rose out wide, as if I were trying to keep my balance, even though I had no discernible reason to do so. The reason quickly became apparent when my ass lifted from the stone, defying the primal force of gravity that'd kept me tethered for my entire life up to this point. The buzzing faded and I returned to the floor, my eyes wide and my spine a soft noodle at the implications.

"Now we can finally get out of this accursed place." Stepping in close, she bent her knees so she could hook her arms under mine in a tight hug that squeezed some tantalizingly arousing bits together. She smelled like aloe and lavender that'd been warmed by a fire.

"Hold tight to me, husband."

"Wife, I would much appreciate it if you took us away from here."

She paused a moment at the appellation. "It would be my genuine pleasure." Leaning in a little closer, she continued in a soft whisper in my ear. "And I love when you call me that." My sense of her told me of her wink, even if I couldn't see it with my own eyes. Her heel hooked around my leg and pulled me in even tighter. Our feet lifted from the ground, rising further and further, through the hole she'd burned in the mountain with the marriage. Freedom tasted like clean mountain air and clear blue skies with a brilliant white sun.

"And that's the story of how I met my wife," I said, slurring the words slightly.

The bartender had an amused look on his face as he continued wiping down the carved wooden mugs and putting them away behind the bar. He paused for a moment before shaking his head. "You would have us believe that you married a goddess after freeing her from some old-fangled ruins?"

I blinked at the blurry image. "Why not? It's the truth." Picking up my own mug, I tried to take a drink only to discover it was empty. I frowned in confusion before the realization dawned over me. "It's my anniversary," I said, as if that would somehow fill my empty mug.

"We know. You told us earlier. It's what set you off on this tall tale." He tilted his chin at my still empty glass. "And I think you've had enough already. Although you do weave an interesting story. You ever given any thought to being a bard?"

"Been many things over the years. Certainly had enough of 'em. Might've been a bard once." I scraped my tongue against my teeth and belched loudly, relieving some of the pressure in my gut. "I think I was also a king. A long time-" I fell silent, a shiver running down my spine under a vague premonition. It was my only warning and I threw my body forward over the bar. Rolling on the other side, I blindly reached up and pulled my mug down with me. My heart thudded in my chest, the alcohol in my blood burning away under the fiery excitement.

"You can't be back here! What the hell are you..." He trailed off after he saw the serious look on my face. I held a finger to my lips.

The wood paneled door slammed against the wall as it was blown open by a powerful kick. Silence followed the sound like a thick blanket. Due to my positioning, I couldn't see much. An intimidatingly large, blue-skinned woman entering the bar with overflowing confidence. Dressed in an eye-catchingly tight jerkin that left her arms free, her eyes quickly scanned her room. A sly smirk that covered her lips as she stared down each of the bar patrons in turn. I was already shaking my head when she got to the barkeeper, who couldn't help but flinch and glance down at me.

Shit so much for that.

I filched a bottle of his better stock, and took a swig.

The least he can do after ratting me out.

Already bemoaning my fate, I swallowed a burning mouthful of the alcohol, wincing as I did. A shadow covered me as a form interposed itself between me and the overhead magelights.

"Found you," she cooed gleefully from over my head. Her braid dangled down toward my face as I took another swig.

"Hi honey," I called up to her.

"You put up a merry chase this year. But I found you before sunrise," Girra said with obvious pleasure.

I grimaced, scrunching my face into a distasteful expression. "Yay. You win again," I cheered sarcastically.

"Don't be a sore loser," she said, her smile not dimming in the slightest. Reaching down she easily hoisted me up onto her shoulder.

I didn't resist, taking the bottle with me.

The barkeep looked at us like we were insane, not quite believing what his eyes were telling him.

"And you know what this means?" Girra continued as she started walking away.

"Yeah," I intoned, rolling my eyes and reaching into my purse for a golden mark. The barkeeps eyes nearly bugged out of his skull when I flipped him a single coin worth more than he would otherwise make in half a year dealing with drunks.

"You have to do what I say!" She cheered. A few of the patrons cheered with her, not understanding the reason for her joy but caught up in its infectious energy all the same.

I groaned again. "Why did I even suggest this game again?"

"Because you love me and you love the way I chase you. Because it makes me happy and you like to make me happy."

I wanted to deny it but couldn't. There was indeed something about the thrill of being hunted, and the adrenaline continued to dance through my veins after my dive behind the bar. "That's true." I shrugged off the sting of my failure. As humiliating as it was to be hauled around like this, I knew that there was no way she was letting me down until after she'd gotten us a little more private. "I'll get you next time," I promised.

Girra snickered. "You say that every time."

"I mean it every time."

"And yet... Remind me what the current tally is?"

"I have won one hundred and twenty-three times," I said proudly, recalling each one with fondness.

"And how many have I won?" she prompted smugly.

"Nobody likes a sore winner," I groused, letting my arms swing down to tease her butt.

I must admit, the runner-up prize never disappoints.

Sending a charge of divinity between her cheeks to tease her pussy caused her to retaliate with a chiding slap to my side. She chuckled and I could neatly picture her hungry smile showing off her arousal, her steps double-timing it with her eagerness to get somewhere more private. Smiling, I let my body sway to the gentle rocking of her gait as she whisked me back toward our abode, curious to see what she had in mind for me this time.

I still can't believe I was lucky enough to be the one to discover her. It's almost enough for me to believe in fate.

Scoffing dismissively, I shook off the thought and set about doing what mischief I could manage while being lugged around, included but not limited to gentle pinches of those buttocks I've never stopped admiring.

The End